Link wasted no time in preparing. As soon as he appeared before the Clock Tower again, he began working towards helping Romani Ranch. He went to an equipment store and bought as many arrows as he could carry, then a Powder Keg from the Bomb Shop, it being a real help how early the two stores opened. Then, he left town and used the Goron Mask to roll to Milk Road and the boulder blocking the way forward, using the Powder Keg to blast it away! As soon as the carpenter left, Link shed his mask and rushed forward towards the ranch.
"Hey, just make sure you don't tire yourself out preparing, okay?!" Tatl chimed, having been pretty silent since the two began the loop again. "They come pretty late at night, so…" She couldn't even imagine how Link would react if he was there to help and still failed to save Romani…
For the first time since he started moving, Link stopped. His face was still mask-like as usual, but his hands curling into tight fists gave away his true feelings. "I have to do everything I can to help her. I can't let her down again." He stated simply.
Tatl hadn't seen Link react so strongly to an individual in peril! She figured it was because neither of them believed Romani's story and left her to face Them alone. The fairy kept wondering what They looked like and what They even did to the poor girl. "Okay…just remember that this is just one Cycle…" It was harsh, but true. Chances were, every single Cycle before this one resulted in Romani becoming a mumbling, blank mess. She assuredly went to face Them with or without Link's promised aid…
Link had already thought of that. He knew that Romani would suffer the same fate each time he didn't help her. It was just like everyone else he encountered so far. The Dekus and their monkey prisoner would suffer, the Gorons would endure a harsh winter, and the Zoras lived in a murky, cursed ocean. Not to mention everyone else and their other various problems…
"I know." Link assured. "I just have to be there for her this time. I have to keep my promise to her as soon as possible." Not that the guilt wouldn't constantly eat away at him each time he didn't save her, of course. She was just another addition to a growing pile of reasons Link had to feel horrible about himself each time a Cycle passed by. Her appearance made it a special sort of awful, though…
"Well, I know you can help her out. If there's one thing you're good at, it's fighting." Tatl said as a light joke. She quickly realized that was probably a horrible thing to say given his recent injury, but it just slipped out! "Uh, besides, I'll be there to help you out."
Link ignored the joke and nodded up at Tatl. "I appreciate that. Romani will need all the help she can get." And with that, he went onwards into the ranch proper. They had gotten there so fast that Romani was still inside, so Link took the chance to see Epona again, patting at her neck through the fence.
"You like that horse, huh? She's brand new!" Romani's voice called after a short while, once more repeating the same phrase she had in the past.
Withholding a shudder, Link turned around to look at Malon- at Romani. She was standing there, bow in hand like usual, her dog going over to sniff at Link's boots. Her gaze fell onto his eyepatch, something he tried to ignore. His insides churned as a nasty sense of guilt filled him, yet he was also relieved to see the young girl safe and sound. He wasn't sure he could handle seeing her in that horrid state again…
"She's my horse, actually, her name is Epona." Link explained, finding it hard to look Romani in the eye, more than usual, that was. He kept hearing her droning, emotionless words each time he looked directly at her. What made that sort of tone she had even worse was that it reminded Link of himself whenever he spoke. He at least had the luxury of doing it on purpose.
Romani's eyes widened, and she smiled as she looked between Link and Epona. "We were wondering where she came from! Say, who are you anyway?" She asked, not unkindly. "I'm Romani, I was given the same name as the ranch." Romani tilted her head to the side a bit in curiosity. "What's your name?"
Another repeat. Link remembered how she worded this the first time they met. No matter how many times something like this happened, it made his insides churn! He withheld another shudder. "My name is Link. The fairy is Tatl." The boy answered simply. As he spoke, he noticed Romani glancing at his eyepatch, and he had no doubt in his mind that she was itching to ask him about it.
"Oh! A fairy! Hello, Ms. Fairy!" Romani chirped at Tatl before looking back at Link. "And Link? Hm…Well, you have those green clothes, and you look like you could be a bit jumpy. So, I'll call you Grasshopper!"
A part of Link had to wonder if there was any possible way to avoid getting that nickname short of wearing different clothes to the ranch. He had no idea what part of him seemed possibly jumpy to her…maybe she was just making it up as an excuse to give him the nickname. Then Link realized he was putting far too much thought into it…
"…Okay then." He answered simply. "I've been looking for Epona for a few days, thank you for taking care of her."
"That's right! Your horse!" Romani said, as if just remembering Epona existed. "I'll go get the key real quick! Stay right here! You stay out here too, Scamp!" She ordered the dog, who was still very interested in Link's boots.
Link had to marvel at the fact that the dog just had to share the same name as Malon's, along with his looks. Typical. The more time passed, the more convinced Link was that Termina existed to torment him. Or at least he was drawn to such a coincidental world solely to punish him for his failures in the past. As he watched Romani head into her home, he leaned down and patted Scamp's head a bit, getting some kisses on his hand in return.
"It's kind of eerie seeing her normal after…well, you know." Tatl mused, trying not to be too blunt. She felt bad for him considering how affected he was by Romani's fate. The fairy did her best not to think about those in need across Termina. Or at least, she wasn't as bothered as Link. Whenever he played that Ocarina of his, anything that befell everyone was reset, or at least partially reset.
She just needed to suppress the bad feelings…
"It is." Link couldn't help but agree. "It won't happen this time, though." He also wondered if he should stay at the ranch until the final night. If some mysterious force ripped off the barn roof, stole the cows, and reduced Romani to a shell of her former self…who knew what else could happen?
The next few events of the day transpired mainly how they did in the last Cycle. Epona was let out of her pen and stretched her legs freely, Romani fetched Cremia and the two guests were offered to stay for lunch. And then, out of nowhere, Romani talked about Them…
"…and they steal our cows!" The redhead announced, once more ending her story in a somewhat dramatic fashion. "You've got a bow, Grasshopper, so you've got to be a good shot, right?!"
Link's guts kept twisting inside his body, each and every time he so much as glanced at Romani, his guilt flared up. "I'm okay with a bow, why?" He asked, hating having to play dumb.
"You could help Romani, of course!" The redhead exclaimed. "Please, Grasshopper, with your help, we could drive Them back and save all our cows! You believe me…right?"
The boy nodded, some determination mingling in with his self-loathing. "I believe you, and I'll help you and do everything I can to help your cows." And this time, he meant it. If he failed this time…he had no idea what he'd do…
"He'll save your cows, don't worry! He's a lot more reliable than he looks!" Tatl insisted, tittering to herself as she teased Link a bit. She also felt guilty about Romani, remembering how last time she completely dismissed the story about Them. A part of her thought about how if she believed the redhead, she might have convinced Link to stay behind. But that's what the time loops were for! Now they had a second chance!
"Thank you! Romani knew you'd help me out, Grasshopper!" The young girl chirped, giving the boy a smile that made him sick to his stomach. "We've got to practice, though, I'll get the balloons and you can help me set them up!"
Once more, things proceeded much like last time. Link and Romani trained using the orange balloons like before. Link's skills were mildly improved since the previous Cycle, popping more of the targets and with a faster pace. He still missed at times though, and it was clear his skills were still diminished than how he was when he had both eyes. Speaking of which, he once more kept expecting Romani to question his eyepatch, but she surprisingly never did. She just seemed like the type to speak her mind, but apparently some subjects were crossing the line for her.
Noon eventually came, and Cremia called the children and Tatl in for some lunch. It was a big pile of sandwiches like last time, and the experience was more pleasant since Link avoided talking about Anju and Kafei. Though he was still questioned about his past, and he gave the same sort of vague answers, or just outright lied. As far as the girls knew, he was just there for the Carnival of Time, and his parents were in Clock Town, but were fine with him spending time at the ranch.
When the meal ended, Link and Romani practiced more with the balloons, taking another break only after an hour or so. The two children sat on the grass, the afternoon sun shining down on them and the field around them, a light breeze making for a pleasant atmosphere. Or it would be if it wasn't for the Moon off in the distance, practically staring right at the kids, as if it was explicitly desiring the destruction of the ranch in particular.
"Hey, Romani, what are They anyway?" Tatl asked, who was hovering around Link's head. "You weren't really specific, you know…"
"Romani doesn't really know!" The redhead confessed, not seeming very troubled by her own words. "They're from the sky somewhere, but they're like ghosts too!"
That wasn't helpful at all. Tatl really had to wonder just what these things were. She lived in Termina all her life, and she never heard of ghosts from the sky. All the ghosts she knew about lurked in the East. "You're sure the arrows will work…right?" The fairy pressed.
"Oh, don't worry! Romani managed to get a few last year…but they got all our cows…" This managed to put a bit of a damper on the girl's mood. "Sister was so upset, and she blamed the Gorman Brothers. We struggled for a while, but…"
Link looked over at Romani, feeling bad for her. He disliked her existence, but she didn't know what she was doing to him, so it wasn't like he could hate her. "We'll stop Them this time, I promise." He ensured, though he also wished he knew more about these apparent ghosts that invaded the ranch. In the Lost Woods, he was surrounded by spirits and ghosts, and not just the Kokiri. Yet he never heard of any kind of ghost that lived in a glowing ball and stole away animals…
Romani beamed at Link, then simply stared at him for a few moments before her grin diminished a bit. "Say, why do you always look so glum, Grasshopper?" She asked, leaning in towards Link, as though she were studying him. "You don't smile or laugh or anything? What's the matter?"
Link, why don't you ever laugh? I'm just joking, you know…I've never heard you laugh. Not once…
Malon's voice echoed inside of the boy's mind, making him feel sick to his stomach again, or as though he were about to panic. Why did Romani have to ask about that of all things?! For a moment, he wasn't sure how to answer. He felt more comfortable dismissing Tatl's questions…but with Romani, it felt different. Not just because of the guilt he felt, but because of how familiar this girl was to him.
Obviously, he wouldn't tell the actual truth. That was out of the question. He didn't want to upset Romani, especially if she'd try and make him leave. Would she actually do that? He had no idea, but he didn't want to risk it. So, he just had to lie. "I'm anxious about tonight." Link quickly realized that was a dumb lie to make. If he was going to stay after They were driven off, he'd have to make up a brand new excuse!
That seemed to appease Romani's curiosity, as she let out a small laugh. "Oh, don't be silly, Grasshopper! We're going to be fine! Romani has faith in the both of us! Then you can smile!"
It was unusual for Link, having Romani with so much confidence in the two of them. He didn't want to seem mean, but the girl was…pretty lackluster with a bow. She made less shots than he did, and he had a missing eye to consider! Chances were, he'd have to do a majority of the work. That didn't bother him too much, though, he just kept thinking of how Romani asked about his mask, about his smile…just like Malon…
There were only a few weeks left before Link's departure to the Lost Woods. Zelda had given him her blessing, and he told his friends about the trip he was going to make, Malon being the final one to find out. By that point, she knew who Navi was and how important she was to Link, so while she voiced her concerns, she ultimately accepted the idea.
Link and Malon were sitting against the barn wall, watching the clouds slowly move by. By this point, the boy hadn't dropped his mask in so long, the redhead had forgotten when he last showed some sort of emotion. There were times when their slowly blossoming romance had bumps, but that was just life, no relationship was perfect, and Malon accepted that, especially since she didn't blame Link for how he was.
"You're really going to go in the woods for that long? You're really not scared at all, are you?" Malon asked, looking over at Link. She placed a hand over his, and he allowed her to keep it there. "I know you grew up there, but you need a fairy to keep from getting lost, right?"
Of course Link was scared, but he was more desperate to find Navi than he was afraid. An entire month in the Lost Woods as an outsider was going to be dangerous no matter how well he prepared. While Saria was still technically a Sage, her powers never fully manifested in this timeline, as there was no need for them. And the Deku Tree Sprout, even without Ganondorf's dark magic interfering, hadn't formed fully. So, there wasn't much protecting him from the spirits of the forest, Saria only able to stave them off a bit.
"It's something I have to do." He replied, moving his hand so it was covering Malon's, gripping hers a bit. While his face was still a blank mask, body language was still able to give away his emotions a lot of the time. "If you met her, you would understand."
"I understand! A bit…" Malon tried to ensure, not sounding entirely confident. "You need her, and if it's that important to you, I won't try to hold you back! I'm just…" She trailed off, this streak of a lack of confidence not normal for the redhead. Normally, she had a healthy amount of it, but every so often, she had a few moments of self-doubt.
Link looked over at Malon, seeing she was staring at the ground. "Just what?" He pressed, feeling like he already messed up somehow. While no expert in relationships, the boy realized things were difficult for Malon due to how he was. How could anyone have an easy time with him around?
At first, Malon didn't reply, almost deciding to drop the subject, but then she went on. "I just wish I could make you smile. I wish you didn't need Navi to be happy." Link had described Navi to her many times, and it was clear to the girl just why he needed her so badly.
"I'm sorry." Link murmured, always feeling like he had to apologize for something. "No one understands me but her." She was the only one with him every step of his journey, the only one that remembered everything that happened to him on his quest. No one, not Zelda, Saria, or the other Sages, could relate to and understand him like Navi could.
Malon nodded solemnly and looked over at Link with a reassuring grin. "You'll find her! And when you do, I'll see you smile and hear you laugh!" She insisted, standing up and pulling Link along with her. "Now come on, let's get some lunch!"
Link was astonished at how much Malon cared for him when, in his eyes, she had no real reason to. Navi's departure took his ability to be happy away, but Malon did her best to bring it back. It was little wonder he felt content and safe with her. He stood up with the redhead, letting her hold his hand as they went inside the comfortable ranch home…
Blinking a few times, Link realized he had spaced out for a few moments, Romani looking at him expectantly. The boy felt like an idiot for losing focus like that! "We'll both be fine, you're right." He agreed, which prompted a small laugh from the girl.
Standing up, Romani grabbed Link's hand and pulled him along with her. "Now come on, let's get some more practice in!"
Link had to resist the urge to snatch his hand away from Romani, wishing she'd stop touching him. He also ignored how Tatl giggled at the interaction, sure that the fairy was delighting in the situation. "Okay, let's get to work, then." He droned, ready to shoot more targets.
The two did little to practice for the next few hours, all the way until around six in the evening. With the sun lowering past the horizon and the stars starting to appear, Romani declared that it was too dark to practice. This worked well as, only minutes later, Cremia called the two in for dinner.
To Link, the training went pretty well. He felt his skills with the bow growing slowly sharper as the hours went on. Of course, he still wasn't as proficient as he used to be, and he had doubts he ever would be. Still, it was as good as he was going to get for the appearance of Them, and he had to hope it was enough…
A delicious aroma met Link, Tatl, and Romani as they entered the home, seeing a cooked Cucco on the table, and a pretty sizable one! It didn't mean much to the boy and fairy, but Romani seemed surprised. "Sister, that's our largest, prized Cucco, isn't it? Why are we having that?"
Cremia, who was pouring out some milk for the three of them, paused for a second, then shook her head. "Oh, it's fine. We have a guest, and there's no reason we can't indulge, right? Now come on and sit down, both of you. I was watching you and you two worked up quite an appetite!"
As Link and Romani sat down, Tatl resting on the table itself, the smaller redhead didn't seem satisfied with the answer. "But you said we couldn't afford to eat her because she lays so many eggs, right?"
Cremia frowned at that, eyeing the two guests before looking back at Romani. "It's fine. Just eat." She all but ordered, starting to carve up the cooked bird. "Link, hon, what part of the Cucco would you like?"
Link couldn't help but feel his face burn at the nickname. Malon sparsely called him that, and it always made his insides feel warm when she did. He had no idea why, but he just enjoyed being spoken to that way. "I don't mind. Any part is fine." The boy insisted, sipping at his milk.
Tatl tittered quietly, seeing Link's cheeks go a bit red. His expression may be stoic, but he couldn't stop the blood flowing to his face! She wondered if he understood what the deal with the Cucco even was. Romani may seem nonchalant about the Moon, she didn't mention it a single time, but the fairy doubted Cremia was that ignorant. It didn't matter what their financial situation was, the Moon was going to fall, and the older sister clearly decided to just let the two enjoy a larger dinner before the end. "Hey, don't forget to cut me some of that, Link!" Tatl ordered, feeling hungry just from watching the two kids practice.
"Oh! I'm sorry, I almost forgot you were even here!" Cremia said as she cut off a thigh to Link and put it on his plate. "Plenty for all four of us!"
"Romani still says sister is acting weird…" Romani murmured as she was served the other thigh. Her suspicions clearly didn't diminish her appetite, as she quickly dug in.
"So, Link, you're staying the night, right? You're sure your parents won't mind you being here?" Cremia pressed, serving up some Cucco up for herself. "I'd hate to make them worry."
Link shook his head as he cut off some of the Cucco meat for Tatl, who quickly started to dig in. "They said as long as I'm back for the Carnival of Time it's okay." The boy said, wondering if it was normal for parents to do something like that. "I hope me staying is okay."
Cremia hummed in thought, but apparently Link's answer was satisfactory. "Well, okay. We don't have much room here, but the couch is open if-"
"I don't want to be a bother. I'll sleep in the barn if that's okay." Link insisted, hating the idea of having some sort of nightmare and the two girls hearing. He had no idea how noisy he was in his sleep, though. Aside from the time he murmured Navi's name, Tatl never mentioned anything he said or did in his sleep…
Romani shook her head, giving a pout, the same exact kind Malon gave. "Aw, but the barn is for animals, Grasshopper! People sleep in the house! And Scamp, of course." She added the last part as she beamed down at the scruffy dog, who was looking up at Link with pleading eyes for some table scraps. The younger redhead let out a giggle. "You can sleep in my bed, or maybe in sister's!" Her tone made it pretty clear she wasn't being serious…
Despite the tone, Link found himself taken aback a bit. He didn't know why…but just the thought of sharing a bed with either sister made him feel all stuffy inside, and the boy once more felt his face go red, but more intensely this time. It was frustrating that he didn't understand why he felt that way, which upset him more. Worse of all was that he had no idea how to even respond to that. "I still don't think…" Was all he managed to say before he clamped his mouth shut.
Romani laughed at Link, in a good natured manner, but she was still making him the butt of a joke. Even Cremia tittered a bit and did a poor job of hiding it. "Romani, come now!" The older redhead admonished but didn't sound cross in the slightest. "Leave the poor boy alone! I'm sorry Link, she's just kidding, you know!"
He knew she was kidding, but he didn't exactly like being laughed at. Link was used to being laughed at by the Kokiri when they'd mock him, so even a more lighthearted version of that didn't sit right with the boy at all. Link glanced down at Tatl, hoping she might step up and help him out…but he saw her laughing along with the sisters. He was outnumbered!
"He'd probably like it, he's just too shy!" The fairy ribbed, looking up at Link as she tried not to laugh too hard. She mostly joined in because she thought it was adorable how hard the boy blushed, and it was the closest thing to a positive emotion she's seen him display. Flustered was far better than rage or misery…
Link couldn't help but be mad at Tatl for not having his back, even if it was in such a small manner. If it was Navi here, she'd…no…that wasn't right. He shouldn't compare the two, but…it was true, Navi would've told the sisters to knock it off. Why couldn't Tatl do the same for him? "I'll sleep in the barn." The boy managed to finally reply, taking a long drink of milk to cool himself off.
The laughter died down at that, and it didn't seem like anyone realized how Link actually felt, as the Malon lookalikes still had smiles on their faces. "Alright, alright, if that's what you insist on." Cremia said with a shrug. "But don't come complaining to me if you get all achy, alright hon?"
Hon. That name again. Link did his best to ignore it and gave a nod. "I promise I won't complain." He said, starting to really work on his Cucco, finding the meal pretty delicious. Link hoped he wouldn't be too sore for when They arrived, but it wouldn't even be for a full night, so he should be alright.
With things calming down, the rest of the meal when relatively quietly and quickly. As Cremia cleared the table once everyone finished, Romani practically dragged Link outside by the hand, Tatl following the kids. "Okay, Grasshopper, that was a good plan, sleeping in the barn!" Romani praised when the two were out of earshot of the house. "That way, if I oversleep, you will be right where They'll be attacking!"
Apparently Romani came to her own conclusion about Link sleeping in the barn, and he decided to just let her believe her own theory. "I thought it'd be a better plan than staying in the house." He offered as he played along as he took his hand from the redhead. Link had to wonder how she'd react if he politely told her to not touch him…
"Wait, what do you mean if you oversleep?!" Tatl demanded, flying in front of Romani's face the way she did to Link. "Don't even think about leaving us out there alone!"
Romani shook her head and huffed at Tatl. "That's if Romani oversleeps! I won't do it on purpose! I promise!" She insisted, looking over at Link with a smile. "Don't worry Grasshopper, I know you can take all of Them on all by yourself!"
Link really didn't want to face an army of strange creatures from the sky all alone. On the other hand, maybe it was best she overslept. In fact…! "Maybe you should say in the house." He suggested, feeling foolish for not thinking of this earlier. "You can shoot out the window and help me from there."
Once more, the young girl shook her head. "No way, Grasshopper! Romani wouldn't dare leave you down here alone! I'll be coming down to the barn with you, okay?"
If Romani was anywhere near as stubborn as Malon could be, Link realized that arguing against her was pointless. Romani said she would go down to the barn, so he felt she'd go down to the barn no matter what he said. "Okay, fine then." He relented. "What time do They arrive?"
The redhead hummed, as if she had to remember something so prominent. "Around two in the morning. Romani will be down at the barn by then!" She promised, flashing Link a reassuring grin.
"Okay good, so we'll have plenty of time to sleep." Tatl remarked. "I guess we should get to sleep now. We'd be getting a full night's worth by the time They get here."
"Just what I was thinking, Ms. Fairy!" Romani declared, pointing to the barn. "Just use some hay to make a bed for yourself, Grasshopper! Don't worry about a mess, it'll be worth it!"
Tatl cleared her throat loudly. "And don't you forget not to oversleep, okay?" Considering Romani clearly didn't oversleep last time, the fairy doubted it'd happen here. But with how different things were this Cycle, things like that could easily change!
Romani puffed out her cheeks and crossed her arms. "Geez! Romani already promised not to oversleep!" She let out a 'Hmph!' noise. "It's like you have no faith in me at all, Ms. Fairy!"
Rolling her eyes, Tatl really wished Romani just called her by her name. Or at least give her a more humorous one like Grasshopper. "I was just making sure. This is pretty important, after all!" The fairy insisted.
"I'm sure it'll be fine." Link butted in, just wanting the small spat to end. "Tatl and I should get some sleep now. We'll see you tonight." Without waiting for a response, he started to walk towards the barn.
"Rest well, Grasshopper! You'll need it!" Romani instructed, not seeming annoyed at being walked away from. After a few moments, the closing of the house door signaled Romani's departure.
The boy and fairy entered the barn, one of the cows looking up at the visitors with an almost greeting moo. Unfortunately, the barn was one of the only human-made interiors not to have a clock in it that the two encountered. So, they really had to rely on Romani to wake up on time!
"You really think it's a good idea to sleep in here?" Tatl asked as Link started to make a bed out of hay. She noticed how casually he did it, as if it was something he had done before. Did he sleep in barns regularly in Hyrule? Was he some sort of farmer's son? Maybe she was looking too deep into it, but she was still fascinated with the boy's mysterious past. "If Romani oversleeps, They will come here without a problem and…what if we end up like she did in the last Cycle?"
Link liked to think that wouldn't happen. He had no idea what They did to Romani, and it was possible he could still fight Them off if they entered the barn. But this was just guesswork since he still knew so little about Them. "Romani won't let us down. She didn't sleep in last time, remember?"
"Yeah, but you didn't stay the whole day with her last time!" The fairy pointed out. "Things were different this time, so maybe her sleep changes too!" She felt pretty nervous sleeping in a barn while waiting for some sort of invasion to arrive with only the sleeping habits of a young girl keeping them from danger!
"We'll be fine, she won't let us down." Link insisted as he got his hay bed complete. He shed his gear and settled down on the makeshift bed, trying his best to get comfortable. This confidence in Romani surely stemmed from her appearance, but he wasn't going to admit that. At the very least, he knew those outside the barn were safe. Epona and Cremia were unharmed in the last Cycle, so it really seemed that They focused on the cows and anyone else in the barn. "If you're that worried, you can sleep in the house. I won't blame you."
Tatl bristled at that, not thinking Link would offer that. It was a tempting offer, and she knew he meant it with the best intentions…but she just didn't feel right taking it. She liked Link, she wanted him to be safe, and she'd feel awful leaving him alone in the barn, knowing that some strange creatures were going to attack it. "…No. I'll…I'll stay here. You're not getting rid of me that easily, okay?"
Knowing that it was also pointless to argue with Tatl, Link instantly relented. He especially didn't want her to think he was trying to get rid of her again. As unlikely as that'd be in this situation, he was completely blindsided by it last time, so he had tot be cautious! Link just wanted Tatl to be safe, even if he wasn't. Granted, if his mind was warped like Romani's and he wasn't able to complete his quest, all of Termina would be doomed anyway…
"Alright. We'll sleep here until Romani comes, then." The boy said, closing his eye as Tatl rested on his chest, the two needing every minute of rest and couldn't afford to talk any longer. His chest was a pretty unusual place for Tatl, but he just figured she didn't want to sleep in hay or on the barn floor. He nearly offered her his hat, but he remembered how Navi used to sleep on it, and the last thing he needed was to get lost in thought about her! Internally shaking that subject away, Link did his best to clear his mind as sleep eventually took him…
"Grasshopper! Wake up!" Romani's voice called.
Link's eye flew open, quickly sitting up, which knocked the groggy Tatl off of his chest with a yelp. He saw that Malon was standing over him, a bow in hand a quiver of arrows on her back. Blinking a few times, the boy stood up as Malon…no, Romani…said something else he didn't quite catch. "What is it? Are They here?" He asked, trying to fully wake up.
"Not yet!" Romani replied as Tatl slowly took to the air. "But they should be any minute! Come on, you've gotta get ready! And see, I told you I wouldn't oversleep Ms. Fairy!" She bragged, seeming far more awake than either of them.
Tatl lightly slapped the sides of her face a few times to get herself properly awake. "Yeah, yeah, you were right, and I was wrong." The fairy admitted with a yawn, too tired to be any more argumentative. "Come on, Link, you ready?"
As the two girls conversed, Link was getting his gear ready, also holding his bow in hand and ready for Them. "I am. Do you have some sort of specific plan, Romani?"
The redhead gave an urgent nod. "Yes! I'll guard the cows from in here, and you fight Them off from outside! Scamp's out there too, and he'll bark at the invaders! Don't worry, They ignored him last year, so he'll be fine!"
"Wait…you'll just be in here? Doesn't that mean we'll be doing all the work?" Tatl asked, having planned to also be a scout for Link. She figured if They came from some ball in the sky, They could easily come from any direction!
"I'll just get any that slip by you! Grasshopper is a better shot than me…" Romani admitted, seeming a bit disappointed in that observation. "So, Romani decided it's best for him to be the first line of defense!"
That was fine by Link, who was already approaching the barn door. "It's fine, Tatl. Come on, They could come at any moment." If they had more time to think, it was possible to come up with a better plan, but with so little time until the invasion, he decided to just go with what Romani wanted.
"Good luck, Grasshopper! I know we can do it!" Romani called behind the boy as he and the fairy exited, closing the door behind them.
Outside, the night sky was mostly clear, though there were some clouds slowly approaching to provide the rain that fell on the second day. The ranch itself was still and silent, eerily so. No chirping of crickets or fireflies glowing periodically in the darkness. Link figured he could search every inch of the ranch and he wouldn't find a living creature that wasn't a ranch animal or a person. It was like the wildlife knew exactly what was about to happen and fled. Then there was Scamp, as Romani had mentioned earlier. The dog's tail was partially tucked between his legs, a clear sign of unease. It was to the point that the pooch didn't even approach Link as he normally did, just wandering about the ranch grounds and whimpering every so often.
Link went to check on Epona, who was back in her pen, to see how she was doing. He knew that They would leave her alone, but it was clear she was feeling stressed. The filly was pacing back and forth, letting out signs of distress and even trembling a bit.
Link patted her on the nose a few times, which didn't seem to do much to help the poor animal. "Tatl, do you feel anything?" He recalled how Navi and Tatl felt the cursed energy in Temples and wondered if this was something similar.
"Yeah, I do…" The fairy responded with a light shiver. She felt like something was watching her, and she kept looking over her shoulder. There was a heavy sensation in the air, like an invisible pressure was weighing down on her. Tatl even felt a bit sick, but not so much she still couldn't help Link out. "It's not like with the Temples, though, it's something else I can't describe…"
Of course, Link also felt something in the air. He wasn't as closely tied to nature as fairies and animals, so it wasn't as strong for him. There was a sense of unease, but that was about it for him. Stepping away from Epona, he started to scan the skies, looking for an orb of light to appear. It was hard to tell what time it was, which made the anticipation worse. "Do you think it's almost two, Tatl?"
"How would I know? I just hope Romani didn't wake us up an hour early or something!" The fairy responded, also looking for Their arrival. "I wonder how long They've been around. I've lived in Termina all my life and never heard of cow stealing ghosts…"
As it turned out, Romani did wake the duo up early. They ended up watching the skies with nothing happening for a good twenty minutes. If it wasn't for the fact they saw the barn and what happened to Romani's mind, they would've started to think it was just a prank. "Do you see anything at all, Tatl?" Link asked, a tense feeling in his gut that had been present since they started to scout the skies.
Tatl was about to answer when something caught her eye. Directly above her was a pretty orange star! She hadn't seen it earlier, and she didn't even know stars could be orange. She opened her mouth to reply to Link, but then she froze, jaw dropping as her eyes widened.
The star was getting closer.
At an insanely high speed, faster than absolutely anything Tatl had or would ever encounter in her existence, the star was moving closer! In fact, it was speeding right towards the ranch, growing larger with every passing second! Tatl gathered her nerves and looked over at Link. "H-Hey! It's coming! From right above us! That orange light! It's Them!"
Looking straight up, Link saw the orange light, his eye widening at the sight! He took out an arrow and was prepared as the orb, in only a few seconds, reached the ranch! It was almost blindingly bright, and about as large as tall as one of the trees that were scattered about the ranch grounds.
The pair stared at the orb, which kept zipping to opposite sides of the area, each time only taking a single second to do so. It didn't seem to be going to any particular area for any purpose, almost like it was trying to orient itself. The light then went to the dead center of the ranch, and that's when They appeared.
Lights came from the ground, and it almost seemed like They did as well. They were…unlike anything that Link and Tatl had seen before. They were vaguely humanoid, but not in the way Gorons and Zoras were. They had no legs, floating a bit off the ground, yet there was no visible method of how They did it. The entities had cylindrical bodies that were black with purple squares. Aside from that, They were head and arms, no real segments to their bodies or necks, even. Thin arms protruded from the tops of the bodies, ending in hooked orange claws. Finally, they had eerie and unnerving spade-shaped heads with no visible mouths, and instead just a pair of massive orange eyes with beams of light emitting from them.
There were at least a dozen of Them appearing all over the ranch, every single one directly facing the barn and slowly hovering towards it. None of Them so much as glanced at the house, Epona's pen, Scamp, or even at Link or Tatl. With the disturbing and silent way that They moved, it was little wonder Romani referred to Them as ghosts, but they were clearly something else…
Gathering himself, Link quickly got to work. He had seen far, far worse things in the Shadow Temple, so he could handle this! Staying by the barn, he saw that Scamp ran towards Them, barking at the invaders just as Romani said he would. Oddly, the creature that the dog approached gave no sign that it even realized the pup was there! It just kept floating towards the barn, it becoming increasingly clear that They truly cared for nothing else but the cows.
Link figured this passive nature would drop the instant he started to attack. Readying his arrow, he got within a few yards of the first invader and fired! At such a close distance, he was able to hit his target despite his disability. The projectile hit the entity between the eyes, causing it to freeze in place and vanish in a puff of smoke!
Whipping his head around, Link was ready for the other so-called ghosts to start making Their way towards him…but that wasn't the case. In fact, the other invaders didn't acknowledge Their fallen comrade at all! Not even the ones that had Link and his killing of Their brethren in Their field of view! Did They really not care about him killing one of Their own?
Indeed, even after several seconds, They had no reaction to what Link just did. It finally cemented the idea that there was literally nothing to make Them do anything but pursue the barn and its cows. Speaking o which, Link had to wonder if maybe this is what happened to Romani in the last Cycle. She stayed in the barn and got stolen away with the cows. Then, for whatever reason, They returned her after doing…something to her.
"Tatl! I don't think They'll attack us!" Link called out, the fairy having remained where she was, seeming a bit frozen with fear. He, too, felt a nasty unease when he got close to one of Them, but it wouldn't be enough to stop him from protecting the ranch! "They don't even care I killed one of Them!"
Tatl had seen the whole thing was just as bewildered as Link was. These invaders were just so unusual! Not just from their looks but their behavior made no sense. Even the least intelligent bugs will swarm an attacker if they outnumber their opponent. But They don't seem to care at all! "R…Right! Okay!" Was all the fairy said, still deciding to keep her distance. Yes, it seemed like They wouldn't attack…but for all she knew, if she got to close, one of those things would extend a claw out and snatch her out of the air! The fairy quickly realized an invader was getting close to the barn and shouted for Link, which truly began the chaotic onslaught.
The orb never left the ranch, periodically flying about the area and depositing more of the creatures onto the property. Link sprinted about, firing off arrows at any invader he saw, sometimes following Scamp's barking and sometimes Tatl's shouts. Either way, the three of them were able to cover the ranch ground with relative ease. The invading entities moved slowly, didn't fight back, and moved in a straight line. It sounded easy, and in a way it was, but that wasn't the issue.
The invasion just went on for a horribly long time.
One thing that Romani neglected to mention was how long the invasion was going to last. After ten minutes, Link and Tatl thought it was going to be over at any given moment. There was no way too many of those things fit in that orb, right? Yet…a half hour passed, and They still kept coming. Then an hour. Then ninety minutes. Yet They still kept coming without pause!
Link and Tatl grew increasingly exhausted as the minutes ticked by, the boy running out of arrows relatively quick and having to pick used ones off of the ground. In desperation, he even fired an arrow into the arrow in one of the moments where it remained still. He seemed to hit it, but the projectile simply vanished into the light, not coming out the other side. It was as if the ball of light simply absorbed the arrow somehow. At the very least, this didn't seem to prompt any change in behavior from the ball, but Link decided it was a waste of time and arrows to try it again.
By the two hour mark, Link's legs felt like wet noodles, and his arms ached horribly from using the bow over and over again. Tatl swore her wings began to hurt and she kept feeling like she'd drop from the air. Even Scamp didn't even bark anymore, just retreating further into the ranch grounds, presumably to rest. Yet They just kept coming! It made the pair wonder if Link's arrows even actually killed Them or if they just reappeared somewhere else on the ranch. As ludicrous as that seemed, nothing about the situation was exactly normal.
The two also felt increasingly unnerved the more that they had to deal with Them. Their silent, emotionless onslaught was just so radically inhuman and so unlike any animal or monster that it felt like They weren't even sentient! For all the two knew, They weren't, but who could ever hope to explain just why They were so uncanny…
"I don't know how much more of this I can take…" Link said between heavy panting, meeting Tatl near the barn at around five in the morning. "I don't have much energy left…"
"Me neither…! Romani never said They'd attack for this long!" Tatl complained, taking a brief rest of Link's shoulder. She was so exhausted she felt like she could just collapse and fall asleep right then and there, but she managed to resist. This pause didn't last long, as more of Them kept moving towards the barn, making Link charge forward again.
Thankfully, however, salvation soon came. Just fifteen minutes later, as the sun started to peek over the horizon, it all ended. All of the invaders froze in place and then burst into smoke, no longer being replaced by more troops. This prompted the orange ball of light to maneuver erratically around the ranch and then, without warning, shoot up into the sky! It kept going and going, and within a minute, it was entirely out of sight! The invasion was over!
Link and Tatl could hardly believe it, expecting the orb to come back or for more of Them to suddenly appear and keep up the attack. Seconds passed, then a minute as the two stayed in place, both panting heavily and recovering their energy. Yet nothing happened. "I think it's really done…" The boy murmured, collapsing onto his rear. His entire body was drenched in sweat, and every inch of him was sore, especially his arms and legs. Both his hands were raw, and even bleeding a bit from all the arrow shooting.
Tatl landed on Link's shoulder, falling down as she let out a pitiful noise of relief. "Sweet, sweet rest…" She muttered to herself before speaking up. "You're right, Link, it's gotta be over. Oh, Giants abound, I never thought it'd end!" Once she was recovered, she was going to give Romani a piece of her mind for not mentioning how long the invasion was going to last! Speaking of which…! "We should see how Romani's doing, right?"
In his exhaustion, Link had temporarily forgotten all about her! Struggling to stand up, he approached the barn. At the same time, Scamp slowly walked back, seeming tired but also far less stressed than before. Glancing at Epona's pen, he saw she was the same way as the dog. The poor filly had neighed and bucked continuously during the invasion, but now she could get some rest! It was a wonder all the noise she made didn't wake up Cremia…
When Link opened the barn door, he saw a very tired Romani standing nearby, the cows as unharmed as she was. Of course, she wasn't as exhausted as Link, Tatl, or the animals, but she had clearly stayed up the entire time despite doing none of the fighting. He couldn't help but feel a tad bit annoyed that, despite the two kids being a team, he did all the work. But…Romani and the cows remained safe, and that was good enough for him. A lot of the guilt lifted from his shoulders, in fact…but not all of it. She still got captured as many times as Link played the Song of Time, after all…or so he assumed. No telling if she truly got kidnapped without his appearance, but who could say for sure?
"Romani, They're gone." Link said simply, too tired to realize he was stating the obvious. "You're okay, right?" He couldn't imagine how she could've gotten hurt, but that lingering guilt pressed him to dote on the girl, if only a little.
The redhead gave a tired smile and let out a sigh of relief. "I knew you could do it, Grasshopper! You saved the ranch!"
"You could've come out…even if it was just once." Tatl complained, too tired and too cranky to care about being polite. She wasn't as mean to Romani as she sometimes felt like solely because the fairy believed Link had a bit of a crush on her.
"Trust me, Romani would have come to help! But you and Grasshopper didn't need me! Besides, someone had to stay in here!" The girl argued, letting out a yawn. "Next year we can switch roles…"
Next year? What next year? Link blinked twice and stared at Romani. "What did you mean by-"
"Oh! I forgot!" Romani piped up, interrupting the boy. She reached into her pocket and produced a glass bottle full of milk, a label on it most likely advertising the ranch, not that Link could know that. "As a reward, Romani wants you to have a bottle of our famous milk!"
It didn't seem like much of a reward, but it wasn't like Link was doing this for some sort of prize. He took the milk with a light nod, wondering if Romani remembered they had milk at their meals. "Thank you, Romani." He awkwardly paused there as the girl stared at him expectantly, and he wasn't sure if he was meant to say something else.
"Go on! Have a drink! It's not like the milk we served at dinner! It's more special!" The girl insisted, as if reading Link's mind a bit. "Not as special as Chateau Romani, but still! Now go on, put your hand on your hip and take a swig like we do here at the ranch!"
Link had no idea what Chateau meant, but he took Romani's word for it. "Oh. Okay, sure." She wanted to watch him drink? If it'd satisfy her and make her go inside, well…
Tatl was a bit annoyed at their lack of a good prize, taking to the air and settling down in some hay to rest. Earlier, she didn't want to be in the stuff, but at this point she was exhausted, and it was better than Link's shoulder! Speaking of Link, her eyes widened a bit as she saw the boy do his silliest action since they met! He uncorked the bottle, placed a hand on one hip, and took a big swig just like Romani said! If the fairy wasn't so tired, she'd have laughed at the sight!
The milk was good…and of course, in a way that made Link miserable. Earlier, the milk he drank tasted just like regular milk. But this bottle tasted just like the milk at Lon Lon Ranch. Of course it did. The boy drained half the bottle, saving the rest for Tatl and himself for later. "It tastes great, thank you." He praised flatly as he wiped his upper lip off.
Romani let out a giggle and nodded. "Good! Good! Maybe when the Carnival of Time starts, sister will let you have a bottle of Chateau Romani! But I'm pooped, and sister will be up pretty soon, so we should get some sleep!"
Nodding, Link stripped off his gear and laid down in the hay. "Yeah, alright. I'll see you tomorrow, Romani." He needed to stay, to see if the ranch ever had other issues. All the way until the night of the last day…
Grinning, Romani approached the door, opening it before pausing and looking back at Link. "Good night, little hero." She said with a light giggle before closing the door behind her.
Settling into the hay, Link held back a scoff. Hero, huh? If she knew what happened to her last time he visited the ranch, she'd never call him that. She'd probably hate her guts. "I never thought I'd see anything like Them, did you, Tatl?" Link asked as he got comfortable, but he was met with silence. Looking over, he saw the fairy was asleep already. He couldn't blame her…
Closing his eyes, he decided the two could talk tomorrow, maybe. They were such a horrid sight, silently floating towards the barn…and Link knew he'd see Them in his nightmares sooner or later. However, he wasn't able to think about anything else as his exhaustion hit him like a brick and he fell asleep…
A/N: At long last, the invasion has come to pass. You have no idea how many times I nearly just called Them "aliens" in the narrative. I realize that once this big invasion that kept getting built up started, it all ended pretty fast. After all, there wasn't much to go over because of how passive They are. I didn't want to make Them aggressive or anything because I feel like that'd ruin the eerie atmosphere of the encounter and would take away from the uncanny emptiness and apathy that They display. So it's more of an endurance test than something truly challenging, just like in the game.
In any case, next chapter will be the last one with ranch shenanigans, for now, and the last chapter before the main quest starts up again, this I promise. Also, I should mention that I don't know if I'll be able to do an update for all three stories every month with any sort of consistency anymore. It was nice the few times I did it, but I just haven't had the same writing mojo I had at that point, so I wouldn't expect it to happen at all any time soon.