"Hey, wake up…"
Link kept his eye shut but was still woken up by the words. He was so exhausted, the hay somehow felt like a comfortable, soft bed. Maybe if he kept his eye closed, whoever was talking to him would go away and he could get some more sleep…
"Come on, it's almost noon!"
Almost noon? Link didn't care. He was still so tired, his legs felt like jelly and his arms were throbbing! Just another hour or two was all he needed. The voice talking to him was becoming clearer, though. A young girl was speaking to him.
"Hey! Can you hear me?!"
She wasn't going to give up, was she? Link groaned, cracking his eye open slowly, not even attempting to move the rest of his body. He just knew that the simple act of sitting up would shoot pain across every part of his being. Gradually, a blurred picture formed in front of his eye, which somehow managed to be as tired as his limbs. A girl…red hair…pretty blue eyes…of course, it's…
"Malon, can't I sleep in a bit more?" Link weakly asked, almost feeling drained just from speaking. He couldn't recall a time he had been so tired. A lack of sleep was hardly new to him, and there were times where he went through an entire night without getting even a second of sleep. The difference here was that he spent hours straight chasing off an army of invading creatures from the sky. It had a way of making things far, far worse.
The girl tittered. "Grasshopper, you must be more tired than I thought! I'm Romani, you silly boy!" She teased in a friendly manner.
Link's eye shot open as reality smacked him in the face. No. She was right. She wasn't Malon. The one talking to him was her copy. An imitation of the real thing! And he just called her by the wrong name. Feeling his heart begin to race, he glanced down at Tatl, feeling a sense of relief when he saw she was still asleep. The last thing he needed was for her to get curious over another name she heard him mention.
Clearing his throat, the boy nodded. "Right. Sorry. I'm just tired." He droned, trying to wave off the accident. "You said it was almost noon?" He felt like his cheeks were burning red, they certainly felt that way. Link inwardly cursed himself, knowing he had to be more careful!
Romani let out another light laugh, before giving a nod. "Yeah! Sister is wondering when you'll wake up! She has to milk the cows today for a special delivery!" The redhead explained, seeming far more chipper than Link could hope to be despite staying up as long as he did. Though she did far, far less work…
"Oh. Sorry." Link apologized again with a murmur. "I didn't know what time it was." Even if he could read the clocks, this was practically the only building in Termina that seemed to lack one. "We're pretty tired, too." If Romani hadn't woken him up, he was sure he would've slept until nightfall. Despite sleeping for a decent amount of time, he didn't feel rested in the slightest.
"I know! And you did such a great job! Can you believe Cremia didn't hear any of that commotion?! She sleeps like a rock!" Romani said with a laugh. "But come on, get your butt in gear! We've got more training to do!"
What? No way. More training?! Link didn't even feel like he could walk, let alone shoot an arrow, even a single time. "More? For what? I thought They only came once a year."
"They do, but we've got a nice head start for next year. You'll come by then, won't you?" Romani asked in a hopeful tone. "We'll work more as a team next time, and we'll really show Them what we've got!"
Link blinked a few times and shook his head. "I really can't. I don't know if I can even fire a single bow today." He answered honestly, hoping he'd start to feel better by the end of the day. A nice, warm bath would be so soothing right about now. If those hot springs weren't so far away…
Romani pouted, once more doing so exactly the same way Malon did. "Aw, really? I mean…you did work pretty hard…but you're leaving after the Carnival of Time, right? You'll just have to promise me you'll train every day until you come back next year, got it?"
The boy still wasn't sure where Romani got the idea he was coming back from. She probably assumed he always went to the Carnival of Time. He didn't want to upset her, so he decided to just agree. "Okay. I promise. I'll train every day."
This got the redhead to beam at the exhausted boy. "Good! It's settled! Now come on, Romani fixed you and Ms. Fairy some food!" Without waiting for a response, she turned right around and practically skipped out of the barn.
Link felt almost awed that she had that much strength left in her. Oh well. He lifted an arm, getting a wince from the boy, as he gently shook Tatl. "Hey. Wake up. We need to leave the barn and eat."
The fairy, who had slept through the entire conversation and missed every word, cracked her eyes open. "Giants abound…just let me sleep, Link…" She grumbled, closing her eyes again…until Link shook her once more, making them snap open. "Whaaat?! What is it?!" Tatl demanded, feeling just horrible. Her limbs didn't ache like Link's, but flying around for hours straight was enough to wear out any fairy!
"Romani said that Cremia needs the barn. She has some food for us." He informed, not blaming Tatl's cranky nature. If he didn't try so hard to remain blank, he might've reacted the same exact way. "You can just rest on my shoulder." The boy offered, thinking that'd get Tatl to go along just a bit quieter.
And that plan worked. Tatl let out a sigh, fluttering with a soft groan and plopping down on Link's shoulder. "I hope she made a lot of food. I'm starving." The fairy complained.
As was Link. Maybe it was because of the added stress of the whole ordeal, but he felt far more exhausted than he did when he trained with the swordsman for hours straight. Maybe it was a mental thing. He didn't know, and it really didn't matter. Wincing, he slowly got up, his arms and legs feeling simultaneously like lead blocks and like jelly. Gathering his things, he took small steps to the door and went outside. The rain from Clock Town reached the ranch, it seemed, as the light precipitation met the pair as Link stepped into the open air. Out of the house came Cremia, looking worried about something. But when she saw Link and Tatl, her expression instantly became more relaxed, offering the two guests a small smile.
"Well, I never thought you two were gonna get up!" The woman said in a joking tone. "Never seen anyone sleep the day away! It's about noon, you know!" She almost seemed to be in disbelief, like the concept of sleeping in later was something beyond normal.
Link only found out how odd it was to just sleep in once he started to live in the castle. Back in the forest, the Kokiri could wake up whenever they pleased unless there was an important event that day. Though that was rare. Still, Zelda let Link go about each day as he pleased, which he was grateful for.
The boy still found it hard to look Cremia directly in the face, glancing off to the side as he nodded. "Sorry. I didn't mean to." She was clearly not upset, but still. Link had to wonder how she managed to sleep through all that commotion last night. Did she really not hear any of it?
"Well, it's no harm done. Just gotta get some milking done to get ready for tonight." The older woman replied, not seeming bothered by the lack of eye contact. "Gotta make a milk delivery, and I gotta hope that…well, never mind." She caught herself, looking worried for a split second before putting on a smile again.
"Hope…what?" Link asked, seeing her expression flicker out of the corner of his eye as he continued to gaze at the open field. If there was some sort of issue, he had to help! He couldn't imagine it was as severe as Them, but he wasn't about to ignore the situation.
Cremia didn't say anything at first, like she wasn't sure if she should give any actual details…but apparently she figured it was okay. "Well, it's those Gorman Brothers. You're not from around here, so I don't expect you to know much about this, but they're a nasty duo! Just about every time I make deliveries, they attack my cart!"
That caught Link's attention even more, finally forcing himself to look Cremia in the face. She was openly wearing her worry at that point, no longer trying to mask herself. All he could think of was how it was the same look Malon gave him when talking about Ingo when the two of them were seventeen.
Suppressing a shudder, Link nodded at Cremia's words. "Why do they do that?" Just because they were mean? No, there had to be some other reason…
"Competition." Cremia replied, practically spitting the word. "Our ranch here gets more business than their racetrack, and they can't stand it. Never mind they have a completely different service than us, so it's not like we're costing them a Rupee!" Her tone grew angrier as she spoke, and she quickly halted herself, taking a few deep breaths before regaining full composure and a neutral expression.
Link was able to tell what the redhead was trying for, however. It didn't matter how quickly she calmed herself or hid her expression, he saw right through her. In a way, she was like him, hiding her true emotions behind a mask. There was a lot of stress that Cremia was trying to hide, but she put on an air that everything was okay. The boy assumed it was both for Romani's sake and not to make a fuss in front of a guest. Only problem was she couldn't hide it as well as he could. She dropped her mask too frequently.
There was no chance she went through half the anguish, stress, and misery he did, but Link still felt pity for Cremia. He had the feeling she hid a lot of herself in front of others, and he realized the two were kindred spirits, in a way. "So, they just attack your cart? That's pretty awful."
"It is." Cremia agreed with a light sigh. "Problem is, they wear masks, and they always deny doing anything when I confront them about it. I keep feeling like it won't help anything to tell the guards in Clock Town…" She seemed to realize she was rambling too much again and shook her head. "But this isn't anything you gotta worry about, hon."
Link knew what he had to do. He couldn't just let this go. "I'll come with you tonight. I'll help keep the cart safe." The boy didn't even ask, or even really offer, simply telling Cremia that it was something he'd do. As much as Romani and Cremia's visage upset him, it was far worse when they were upset…
Cremia was caught off guard a bit, brows raised. For a second, there was only silence, save for the pattering of rain. "Hon, you don't have to help me, you know. I saw you and Romani practicing, and you seem good with a bow, but this is more of an adult matter."
"You've been very kind to me. I want to repay that." Link pressed, using it as an excuse to let him help her. He remembered Romani, sitting outside with that horrid blank expression on her face. The boy would feel devastated if he let Cremia go alone and something bad happened to her. What if the Gorman Brothers really hurt her because she went by herself? What if it was something he could prevent? She was fine in the last Cycle, but maybe she didn't go at all due to Romani's condition!
The woman paused, studying Link's blank face, peering into the dead, dull eye he stared back at her with. After a moment, she laughed through her nose. "Something tells me you're more stubborn than I am. Alright, it's a deal. You can help me. I'm sure I'll think of some sort of reward for your protection."
A reward wasn't necessary, but Link figured it was pointless to argue against it. It could be something useful for his quest for all he knew. He had encountered masks with odd powers, so maybe Cremia had one. "Thank you. Just tell me when you're ready, please."
Cremia didn't reply, offering a smile of gratitude to Link as she walked by him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder as she entered the barn. He gave off an involuntary shiver as she did so, but the woman didn't seem to notice. When the barn door closed, he glanced down at Tatl, expecting her to tease him, but he saw she had already fallen back asleep, even with the large raindrops falling on her.
Relieved, Link entered the house, wanting to get out of the rain. Inside, there was a fire going on in the fireplace, Scamp resting by the warm flames, still seeming tuckered out from last night. Romani was in the kitchen, humming to herself as she worked on a plate of sandwiches. There were only a few, and not quite so well-made as Cremia's, but Link didn't care. He was so hungry, he'd eat a handful of crumbs if it was offered to him.
The young girl turned around and beamed at Link. "You took a while, Grasshopper! Talking to my sister? She didn't notice anything last night! She'd sleep through the whole ranch burning down!" Romani said with a small laugh. "Come on, lunch is almost ready!"
Nodding silently, Link shed his gear and nearly collapsed in one of the kitchen chairs, his legs throbbing horribly. Yet they also felt a bit better since he got up and moved around. Gently, he prodded Tatl. "Wake up. Romani's got some food for us."
The fairy stirred and woke up for the second time, letting out a loud yawn. "Oh…right…I fell back asleep." She had gone out like a light pretty much the second she started to rest on Link's shoulder. So, she missed the talk with Cremia too.
Romani let out a light giggle, bringing the plate of sandwiches to the table. There was a nice little assortment; peanut butter and jelly, meat, veggie, and a few cheese sandwiches. But, again, Link hardly cared. He did genuinely mean that he would eat crumbs at this point. "Wow, you two really are tired! Next year, we'll have to find a way to help with that!" The girl insisted, grabbing a cheese sandwich for herself. "Grasshopper, have you ever had coffee? Maybe that will help give you some energy!"
He had tried coffee once during his stay in the castle, curious about its taste. But the second the bitter liquid hit his tongue, well, he knew it wasn't for him. Anything bitter-tasting just wasn't for Link. "I don't think so. But there's plenty of time until next year." The boy pointed out, grabbing a meat sandwich and breaking a chunk off for Tatl, who floated down and started to dig in.
"Yeah, can't we wait to talk more about that?" The fairy insisted between bites. "Just hearing more about Them is wearing me out!" Oh, her poor wings…! She knew Link was going to have them do this again at some point. The guilt he felt from the last Cycle was surely doing to linger for a while…
The redhead huffed…but nodded. "Fine! Romani just likes to be prepared! But you're right, we have plenty of time. You'll just have to come earlier next time…or you can just stay here! I'd-We'd love to have you!" She quickly corrected, taking a small bite from her sandwich.
Just the idea of spending a year here made Link's blood run cold. Of course, the Moon wouldn't allow that. It was funny, he loved Malon for her kindness and her ability to just say what's on her mind…but it was becoming an emotional burden for him when Romani kept doing such things. "We'll see. I'll be busy tonight anyway. I'm going to help Cremia deliver her milk."
"You are?" Tatl asked, realizing she must have slept through that chat. Typical…he just had to help out whenever possible! He just fought off an invasion, and he was going to stay up late to aid the ranch again. The fairy was starting to think more and more that the kid just had a crush on the sisters.
Romani frowned a bit at that. "You are?" She echoed, glancing at the door, as if expecting Cremia to barge in. "When did you decide that, Grasshopper? Aren't you too tired to help?" Her tone was odd. Not cold, but it was lacking a bit of her usual chipper nature.
Link didn't understand the shift. He assumed Romani wanted to play into the night or try to force in some training or planning. The invaders weren't due for another year. Was it that important for her to get things going in the next few days? "She told me about the Gorman Brothers attacking her cart, so I offered to help her."
For a second, Romani didn't say anything, just eating her sandwich. The atmosphere felt oddly tense for something that wasn't a big deal! "Oh. Well, okay. You can do what you want to, Grasshopper. Those Gorman Brothers are really mean, you know." Again, her tone was a lot less warm than it usually was.
The boy was wondering if he did something wrong. Did Romani not want him to help Cremia? He assumed she'd want someone to help her own sibling. "I heard. I'll use my bow to scare them off, it shouldn't be too big of a deal. When does she usually go anyway? I need to get more sleep." Link was feeling a bit more energized, but he was still pretty exhausted.
"You'll have to ask her. Now, are you going to eat your food?" Romani asked, seeming oddly grouchy, which didn't mesh well with her usual self at all!
Tatl picked up things where Link didn't. It was so obvious! Romani had a bit of a crush right back on Link! Apparently, she had a thing for heroes. The fairy had to hold back her laughter, realizing that Romani was jealous! She clearly didn't like that Link was going to help out Cremia and spend time with her. The fairy had to wonder if Romani ever went to town with Cremia, and saw how men looked at the older, more mature sister...
Link was entirely baffled, not picking up on the situation at all. It reminded him of one time when Zelda asked him about a day he spent with Malon. He answered truthfully, but she seemed oddly upset. Not angry, she didn't yell at him, but somewhat…detached. Like how Romani was acting. He didn't get it then, and he still didn't understand. The boy recalled Talon warning him that girls could be complicated, so maybe that was it. Maybe girls were just sort of weird…
"Okay. Thank you for the sandwiches." Link offered, as a way to get on Romani's good side, but she didn't respond. He wasn't sure how he made her upset, but he didn't like it. Yet…he wasn't going to apologize, since he didn't know what exactly he did wrong or how to word it. The boy glanced at Tatl for guidance, but she was just smiling to herself, and just shrugged at Link.
How helpful.
The meal was quiet and awkward at that point. Tatl seemed pretty amused, but didn't say anything. She was tempted to, though, but she knew Link would get mad at her if she brought up Romani's jealousy in front of her. The redhead just ate her sandwich, letting out a small sigh once or twice, but didn't actually say anything. Then poor Link just stared at the table, slowly eating his food and regaining his strength. By the time the meal was over, he was starting to actually feel somewhat energized!
"Grasshopper. Let's go outside." Romani suddenly said after the three finished their food. Not so much as the crust of a sandwich was left. Without waiting for a response, she got up and went out the door, clearly expecting Link to follow her out into the rain.
He stared after her, glancing over at Tatl. "Why did she seem so upset? Was it something I said?" The boy asked, feeling confused enough to open himself up a little to the fairy. "I don't understand why she got so mad."
Tatl wasn't sure if she should just blurt it out right then. In all honesty, she mostly felt that way because watching Link struggle on something so harmless was kind of fun. Her mischievous nature was far from gone, she just wasn't as mean as she used to be. Ah, what the heck! "You don't get girls, do you?" She asked, getting a blank stare as a response. Poor kid, he was really clueless!
"What do you mean? What don't I get?" Link pressed, wishing Tatl would just give him a straight answer! Things were so much simpler in the Lost Woods when it came to social situations. If a Kokiri was mad at Link, he always knew why, at least in his latter years growing up there. His lack of a Guardian Fairy made almost everyone resent him, and just his very presence was enough to make them angry.
"Romani wants you to spend more time with her, and not with Cremia." Tatl explained, having to resist the urge to speak super slowly like she was talking to an idiot. Had Link never seen a jealous girl before? "She likes you a lot, so seeing you want to spend all this time with Cremia makes her upset!"
That was it? That's what had Romani so annoyed? They spent all day yesterday training for Them! What did it matter if he spent the later part of the night helping Cremia out with the milk delivery? Malon never got like this, so it really caught Link by surprise. "Oh. Well, if that's all it is. I can't just go back on my promise to help Cremia, though."
The fairy shrugged, hovering up and sitting down on Link's shoulder. "I didn't say you needed to. Romani really likes you, so she'll get over it."
Tatl had specified how much Romani liked him twice now. Link thought it was odd, since the two had technically only known each other for a day, but he shrugged it off. "Okay, thanks Tatl. I know what to do now." He said as he gathered his things and went outside.
"What? Do what? What do you mean?" The fairy asked, poking at Link's cheek, but he just ignored her as the two went back out into the rain. It was really awful when it rained for Tatl, whose raindrops kind of hurt when they hit her!
Outside, Romani was facing away from the house, staring off into the distance, only turning to Link once he walked up to her. She didn't seem as upset as before, apparently having cooled off a bit in the rain. "Hey, Grasshopper. You'll hang out with me until tonight, won't you?" She asked, her tone having a lot more of the warmth that it usually did.
It really made Link uncomfortable just to be around Romani, but it made him feel horrible to see her upset. Why did she have to like him so much? He didn't get it, and he almost wished that Romani and Cremia disliked him…but then he'd have to bear girls that looked like Malon treating him poorly. There was just no winning!
"I'll spend more time with you. I also wanted to apologize for making you upset." Link replied, making sure to look Romani in the face as he said this to make it more sincere. He knew she wouldn't even remember this, but he wanted to do it right. "Tatl said you were jealous that I was going to help your sister."
The fairy in question buried her face in her hands. He wasn't supposed to say it so bluntly like that! This boy had no experience with girls at all, did he?! "Oh, Link…" Tatl murmured, too quiet to be heard by anyone else.
Romani was pretty shocked, just staring at Link for a few seconds, then blinked a few times. At first, she almost seemed offended…and then she let out a laugh. "Grasshopper! You're so silly!" She exclaimed, continuing to giggle, her tone completely back to normal.
That wasn't the reaction Link was expecting at all. Did he somehow say the wrong thing? He felt like he did…and yet Romani was entirely cheered up. Link was so baffled, he barely even felt anxious from how even the girl's laugh was exactly the same as Malon's. "So, you're not mad?" The boy asked, wanting a straight answer.
Tittering a bit more, the redhead soon calmed down enough to talk, but was still beaming at Link. "I'm fine! Thank you for the apology, Grasshopper, I accept it!"
Even Tatl was a bit confused. She expected Romani to be at least a bit angry at being called out so bluntly…the only explanation the fairy had was that she was more moved by Link's gesture than upset at his direct nature. "Just take the win, Link. Trust me." The fairy whispered in his ear. Not that any of this really mattered anyway. Once the clock turned back, Romani wouldn't remember any of this. Tatl tried not to let feelings crop up about such temporary things that would get undone with the Song of Time, but sometimes she forgot herself…
The next few hours passed without incident. Link and Romani stayed outside, ignoring the ongoing rain. As time went on, Link felt better and better, his aches slowly going away, Tatl feeling more mobile as well. The redheaded girl showed Link around the ranch a bit more, things that fascinated and had meaning to her more than anything. She showed the two a carving of a knight she made on a tree years ago, a nest of baby birds and their mother she had discovered the other week, and even showed them her parents' graves, which were settled out of the way in their small, private area of the ranch. She also pointed out the Doggy Racetrack and Cucco Shack, two areas that were somewhat connected to the ranch that people could go to in order to pay for entertainment.
"Mr. Grog is all sad recently." Romani said with a small frown. "He says the Moon is gonna fall, and he's sad his chicks haven't become Cuccos!" After a pause, she grinned. "But he's silly! Cremia said that we're fine, the Moon isn't going to fall, right Grasshopper?" She said, looking at Link expectantly.
Link never thought about it before…about how cheerful Romani was despite the Moon lingering in the distance, its twisted grimace almost directed right at the ranch. Of course her older sister told her it was all going to be fine. And Romani had the upmost faith in her sibling, and instantly believed her words. He couldn't help but be a bit envious of that ignorance. "She's right. It's going to be fine." The boy assured, getting a smile from the redhead.
"Romani! Romani, come here!" Cremia's voice suddenly called. The two kids and Tatl turned to see the older sister waving Romani over. "I need to talk to you real quick!"
"I wonder what she needs!" Romani idly said aloud, turning back to Link. "You wait around here, Grasshopper, Romani will be right back!" Without waiting for a response, she bound her way over to Cremia, practically skipping as she went.
Tatl scratched the side of her head. "Even the rain doesn't damper her mood at all." The fairy noted with a shrug. Considering she and Cremia were somewhat poor and had dead parents, Tatl found it almost remarkable how perky the redheaded child was. Not like Link, whatever happened to him in the past, it scarred him horribly…
"I want to see the Cucco Shack." Link flatly declared, starting to walk over where Romani had pointed out earlier. There was a sign above the building, which was built into the rockface at the ranch's edge, but of course that didn't help him at all. "Romani said Grog needed help."
The fairy held back a sigh. Of course Link was going to go try and do something about this. "And how would we do that? Last I checked, you can't make chicks age really fast." And it was a mystery to her why Link would want to help at all. The two of them had never even met this Grog guy!
"While we're here, it's worth checking out, isn't it?" He asked as Tatl fluttered by his remaining eye. "It shouldn't take long anyway, right?" The boy didn't understand Tatl's aversion and annoyance to him trying to aid other people. Link always had a desire to be helpful to others. It wasn't even something Saria taught him, it was simply ingrained into his being, and he never questioned the reason. To him, it was simply natural for people to want to help other people, and he wasn't able to comprehend those that were selfish and didn't wish to aid others. He still liked Tatl, though, she just…confused him.
Likewise, Tatl wasn't able to understand Link's selfless attitude. Sometimes it seemed like he'd chop off an arm if it meant helping someone that he never met before. She and Tael grew up only having each other, and they had no time or need for compassion wasted on anyone else. Not until they met the Skull Kid, at least. To her, it was downright bizarre how obsessed Link seemed with doing favors for other people. Especially since the clock would just turn back and undo his good deeds anyway.
Still, he was somehow very endearing to her. Maybe she just liked someone that matched her in stubbornness. "Okay, whatever. Do what you want." Tatl said, giving in as the two arrived at the shack.
When Link opened the door inside, he was met with a simple scene. There wasn't much of a shack to speak of, really, despite the name. In fact, they weren't exactly inside either. There were walls to the left and right, but no back to the supposed shack. Instead, it opened up to more outdoors, but contained by rockface all around. This outdoor area wasn't nearly as big as the ranch, more about the size of the Stock Pot Inn. There wasn't much in the area to look at. Some fences strewn about seemingly at random, a single tree, and a man sitting at the base of said tree. The only other thing of note where ten little yellow chicks strutting about, chirping and sometimes shaking rainfall off of their feathers.
This man didn't even look up as Link and Tatl approached, the boy making extra sure not to step on any chicks. The shack's owner seemed depressed, a pale man that didn't even wear a shirt, staring at the ground with a large frown on his face. He also sported an unusual hairstyle that Link had never seen before. It was all spiked up and was only on the middle of his head.
"Excuse me. Are you Grog?" Link flatly asked, stopping a few feet in front of the sad looking man. When the stranger lifted his head, though, the boy's heart skipped a beat.
People are disgusting. My own father and mother are disgusting. You must be disgusting too!
It was the same man. The man from Kakariko Village…or at least the man's copy. Link never got the original's name, and never met him a second time, but the depressed looking stranger's words stuck in the boy for a good while after their single encounter. Something about how he so matter-of-factly declared Link disgusting resonated in the child. It was like he was stating a simple truth rather than giving an opinion. Link hadn't thought about the lonely, sad man in a while, but seeing his copy in Termina…it made him start to feel disgusting. Moreso thanks to his missing eye…
"Nm?" The man, grunted, blinking a few times like he just woke up from a nap and was getting his bearings. "Oh, a kid. Yeah. I'm Grog. You need something?" Grog asked, sounding so miserable it was like he was about to burst into tears at any moment. Link didn't respond at first, the man staring at the child in solemn anticipation. "Well? You just here to hide from the Moon, kid? You can stay, I guess. My gramps said it's gonna fall. Dunno if it'll kill us here, so…" He trailed off with a shrug, almost like he couldn't care less if Termina was destroyed or not.
Link still didn't say anything, blinking a few times and trying to form an actual word. Disgusting. He was so disgusting. That man in Kakariko Village had been right. He was disgusting!
Tatl frowned, not sure what Link's problem was. So, she spoke up for him. "My friend just wants to know what your deal is. Something about your chicks?" She didn't care at all, but if it'd satisfy Link for a bit, then so be it. What was the kid's problem anyway? Was he that flabbergasted by Grog's stupid hair?
Grog blinked a few times back, like he was slowly processing Tatl's words. "Oh. Yeah. Honestly, it's my only regret. Not enough time for these chicks to grow up and get into their prime." He looked around the area, the chicks still walking about. "I'd love to see 'em marching in a row, all ten of 'em grown up and everything, but the Moon's gonna fall before that'll happen."
Those words jolted Link out of his mild stupor. March? In a row? That sounded so familiar! After a moment of thought, he realized that's what the Windmill Man, or at least his Termina counterpart, was talking about! The Bremen Mask! Link didn't know anything about making the chicks go into their prime, but maybe marching them in a row would make Grog feel better. As somewhat horrific it was to come face-to-face with the guy, Link didn't have anything against him personally, and he still wished to help.
"Maybe I can do something about it." Link finally managed to say, taking the Bremen Mask out of his bag. "If you'll let me, I mean."
Grog stared the mask, then slowly looked back up at Link. "…Sure. I guess. Do whatever you want. I don't really care."
"Wait, you think that mask will do something?" Tatl asked, barely having remembered the two of them talking to that weirdo at the Laundry Pool. She did remember Link using the mask to make the dog in South Clock Town march around, though…
As cold as that response was, Link accepted it anyway. "I might as well try." He said to Tatl, slipping the mask over his face. Taking the Ocarina from his belt, he brought it to his lips and started to play the same song as he did the first time he wore the mask. A chipper marching song that simply came to him, seemingly out of nowhere.
Link went around the area, playing the song and marching to its rhythm nice and slow. He wanted to make sure not to step on any chicks, after all. Whenever he approached one of the tiny birds, they enthusiastically began to follow him, marching along as best as they could. One chick. Two. Three. And so on. It took some time to find the last few, but before long, the boy rounded up all ten chicks. He felt absolutely ridiculous during the process, and he swore he heard Tatl snicker a bit as she floated along with him.
Things quickly changed as Link marched the chicks in front of Grog, however. There was suddenly a clucking sound, everyone turning to see that the chick in the back spontaneously turned into a fully grown Cucco! Link nearly stopped the song in astonishment, but kept going as a second chick suddenly changed into a Cucco too. On and on he went, back and forth as chick after chick aged up instantly, and before long, all ten chicks were in their prime, just as Grog wanted!
Only after the last chick changed did Link stop his marching, taking off his mask as he looked at his handiwork. The second the Ocarina left his lips, the Cuccos started to mill about, one of them approaching Grog as the man placed a hand on the bird's head. "I don't know how that happened." The boy admitted, feeling like he had to clarify that this was something unknown to him. All he was trying to do was get the chicks to march, thinking maybe it'd cheer Grog up, even only a bit. The only thing he could think of was somehow the Bremen Mask did it, that it somehow aged the chicks up as they marched, filling them with energy to let them go into their primes. But he had no idea if that was true or not…
Grog just looked around for a few more seconds, then stared at Link in disbelief. After a couple moments, a small smile appeared on the man's face. With how miserable he looked before, even the tiny grin was practically a wide, beaming, toothy grin on anyone else. "I don't know what you did, but it worked."
"Link, what the heck did you do? Was it just that weird mask?" Tatl asked, figuring that had to be it. It made her wonder if it was able to do anything else. At first it just seemed like it let Link make animals march, but this secondary power was a real shocker!
Grog let out a tiny chuckle, nodding as if in approval. "I don't really get it, but just seein' these guys with a crest and all...I don't have regrets about anythin' anymore. I'm perfectly satisfied. Here…You can have this from me..." His words were filled with a small bit of energy, a far cry from the empty words he spoke before. He reached into his pocket, pulling out an object that was familiar to Link.
It was the Bunny Hood! Yellow, floppy ears, and with two beady little eyes on top! Like with the Mask of Truth, it was a perfect copy of the item the boy encountered in Hyrule. Except Link wasn't focusing on the mask. He stared at Grog, his single eye boring deep into the once-mopey man. The child just couldn't believe what he heard, and it was taking him a few seconds to actually process it.
This man…he was depressed, he practically sounded like he wanted the Moon to fall. He was just an absolutely miserable sight to behold, no one would deny that. But now, just because some Cuccos matured…that was it? He was fine? He had no regrets in his life?! Why was it so simple for him?! It just didn't make any sense to Link…and it just…infuriated him.
He refused to let his broiling feelings show, though, as he took the mask from Grog, only just then realizing it was a copy of a mask he encountered before. "Thank you." Link said bluntly, doing everything he could to keep his voice level. Without waiting for a response, Link turned right around and walked out of the Cucco Shack, going faster than he needed.
Tatl noticed Link's odd behavior…well, behavior that was more odd than usual. As the two went back to the main part of the ranch, the fairy hovered by Link as he stopped in place, staring at his new mask. "Hey. What's going on?" She asked, glancing between the Bunny Hood and her friend. He didn't respond, and she smirked a bit. "Oh, I get it, you just hate the prize. It does look kinda goofy, huh?" Though she had to admit, the idea of him wearing that hood was humorous and sort of adorable for her.
Link wasn't even paying attention, and he had no idea what Tatl just said. He was just angry…angry at that man. How dare he?! He was miserable. Depressed. Ready to die. Then some chicks grew up and he was all better. Just like that! He was ready to die with a smile on his face so easily! Why did he get that? Why did he get to feel satisfied with life from something so simple?!
Why couldn't Link have that?
The boy didn't even know what would make him happy anymore. Not anything realistic. He lived in a castle, nice and safe, and he had friends that wanted to aid him, and a girl that he loved and who loved him back. But he wasn't happy, he hadn't felt actual joy in two years. Nothing helped him, nothing anyone did made him feel better, and he knew they tried to so hard, and he felt guilty that none of it worked! No matter what happened, he was still miserable, and nothing short of the Triforce seemed to be able to fix that.
On top of that, Link always had to go and help people. It was in his nature to, and it wasn't that he disliked aiding others…but when was it his turn? He solved the problems of so many people in Termina, but when did someone swoop in to make him happy? When did someone with magic abilities come along and fix him?! Why did he have to remain broken?! Because of his failures? When did the punishment end?!
He was so lost in thought, he didn't notice Tatl say anything until she practically screamed his name. This finally jolted him from his thoughts, the boy looking to see Tatl panting as she stared at him, only a few inches from his face. "What? What happened?" Link asked, trying to pretend he didn't just space out.
"I kept calling your name, you idiot!" Tatl scolded, angry out of concern more than anything else. "You were just…staring at the hood. What's wrong?"
"Nothing. I'm still just tired, I think. I didn't even hear you." The boy quickly lied, stuffing the Bunny Hood into his bag. He'd try it on later, maybe, to see if it did anything. Link didn't even want to look at it because he'd keep thinking of Grog and just how unfair life was.
Tatl wasn't buying that at all, but she knew pressing for answers was futile. "…Okay." She answered simply, holding back a sigh. Glancing back out to the main part of the ranch, she saw Romani approaching. "Looks like she was looking for you. Maybe you can tell her about the Cucco thing."
Link didn't respond, walking towards the redhead as she waved at him with a wide grin…
Time went by swiftly from that point. Link and his two hosts had an early dinner, as Cremia planned to leave for Clock Town at seven, and she needed time to prepare. Romani insisted that she be allowed to go too, but Cremia turned her down, earning a pout from the younger sister.
"Grasshopper, you want me to go, don't you?" Romani had asked, looking to Link in a hopeful manner.
He really didn't want her to go, having just saved her the previous night. Link didn't want to worry for her safety a second night in a row. What if the Gorman Brothers somehow hurt her, by accident or on purpose? "I think we should just do what Cremia wants." He answered, trying to choose a safe answer. The boy got a pout in response.
Around seven, Cremia was all prepared to go, a cart with a mule ready to pull it outside the barn. In the back were numerous large containers of milk. Romani stayed inside as Link and Tatl went out to see Cremia checking to make sure all was well with the cart.
"I really appreciate you offering to do this." The older woman remarked, sighing in relief as she finished going over the cart. "I was thinking you could stay in the back. I borrowed some of Romani's arrows, you should have plenty of ammunition."
"And you think the Gorman Brothers will really attack?" Link asked, really hoping the ride would be nice and smooth. He glanced to the house, seeing Romani peeking out from the barely-opened door. She really seemed bummed she didn't get to go, it must have been that jealousy thing Tatl mentioned before.
"I hope they don't, but I'm sure they will." Cremia answered, sounding pretty sure of herself. "The ride will take about a half hour. So, keep your eyes peeled for that long." She warned, getting into the front scene. "Come on, let's get going!"
Link nodded, climbing in the back and seeing there was a bundle of arrows ready for him. "I'm ready to go." He declared, barely able to finish his sentence before the cart jostled forward and the two were on their way.
"Having to do more defending with some arrows…" Tatl pointed out, talking so only Link could hear her. "Looks like these ladies are really putting you to work, huh?" She teased with a grin, settling down on Link's shoulder.
"It's fine. It doesn't bother me." Link replied, not catching that the fairy wasn't being totally serious. "I want to help them." As much as he disliked being near them, he felt that urge to aid anyone that needed it…
Tatl rolled her eyes a bit. "I know. You can't turn down a cute redhead, huh? First Anju, and now these two…it's like you have a type, huh?"
That caught Link off guard, glancing away from Tatl. A type? What did that mean? Why did she specify redheads? Granted…he did like the way Malon's red hair looked. "It's not like that." The boy insisted.
Before Tatl could reply, Cremia called back. "You two doing okay back there? Sorry you've gotta put up with this." Her voice sounded serious, and a bit tired, as the cart exited the ranch. "Things around here are just a mess. Been that way since dad died. Cows are all frazzled…finding broken milk bottles all over. Romani keeps worrying about these 'ghosts' that she thinks will steal the cows."
"If only she looked out the window…" Tatl murmured, really wondering how Cremia managed to sleep through all of that.
"I'm sorry things are rough for you." Link replied, thinking Cremia was looking to him for support. He felt weird providing it, but it'd be wrong not to. That, and the silence would be way more awkward. "You think the bottles are the Gorman Brothers?"
"They've gotta be." Cremia huffed, glancing over her shoulder to look at Link for a moment, then she looked up towards the sky. "That Moon keeps growing. Grog's given up on us surviving. What are the folks in town saying about it anyway?"
Link moved to the front of the cart so he could talk to Cremia properly. Despite the conflicting feelings, being near her and talking to her did partially bring him some sort of ease. His misery around the girls had that silver lining of being near someone like Malon…
"A lot of them are fleeing. Some won't believe the Moon is going to fall." Link informed, feeling a bit annoyed as he said it. That Moon was staring the down right in the face, but so many of them were too stubborn to do even run away before it was almost right on top of them.
Cremia hummed, as if in response, yet it didn't seem like she was listening too hard. "I have a friend in town. Anju. Her wedding's supposed to be the day after tomorrow. What is she doing? Did she leave yet?"
Link noticed Cremia didn't ask about Kafei. He remembered how snippy she got when he asked if she knew anything. What relationship did they have? "She's waiting for Kafei. I don't think she'll leave."
The redheaded woman let out a sigh, but she didn't seem all that shocked. "I had a feeling. She loves that man so much. Couldn't imagine her leaving without him." Cremia mused, sounding almost a bit miserable as she spoke. "I just wonder if that thing is really gonna fall. You know…you're welcome to stay at the ranch if you want to. Until the Moon business ends…one way or another."
From her tone, Link knew right away Cremia was aware of what was going to happen. He figured she was too smart to think the Moon was simply going to go away. "I appreciate the offer. I'll take you up on that." The boy just wanted to be polite to her, of course.
Cremia glanced back at Link with a small grin. "So polite. I don't know if you have any family in town or elsewhere nearby, but they're free to come too. We gotta help each other out in times like this." The somewhat positive mood quickly dissolved, however, as the two went along Milk Road. In front of them was an iron fence that was never there before, the only open path being one that Link never went down before. As the cart stopped, Cremia suddenly got a lot more serious. "Boy. Ready your bow. This is a trap."
Link realized Cremia was right, going to the back of the cart and getting an arrow ready. He had no intention of actually hitting anyone with an arrow, but if he could just keep the Gorman Brothers at bay with projectiles, that should be enough! "What's happening, Cremia? Where does that other path go?" He felt he already knew, but he had to ask.
"We're going right into Gorman Brother territory. Just gotta deal with two of them, alright? I saw you practicing with those balloons, I know you're good with a bow." Cremia stated, taking a deep breath. "Just be ready." With that, she turned the cart so it went down the open path. This new area wasn't as wide open or pleasant as the ranch, the three passing by run-down looking shacks where the Gorman Brothers presumably lived. There were posts to tie up horses at, but no sign of the animals themselves.
Past that was a long stretch with two rockfaces on either side, making the any sort of maneuver or scape impossible. "I heard about these two." Tatl whispered in Link's ear. "Troublemaking yahoos that are all jealous about their third brother. They shouldn't be any issue for you, though." The way Link handled Them was more than enough to let the fairy know he'd be okay. That was on top of all the other feats she saw him accomplish!
As the cart kept going, nothing happened. Link concentrated on the area behind them, arrow at the ready. His eye kept wandering back and forth, trying to see a sign of the brothers, but he couldn't spot anything out of the ordinary. Without warning, however, a pair of riders on horseback seemed to come right out of nowhere! It was like they melted out of the darkness, hooves heavily beating on the grass. They must have been hiding in some small, hidden part of the area that Link missed in the darkness. The two men were dressed just as Link expected two farmhands to, like Talon and Ingo. Their horses looked old and unhealthy, but were still able to catch up to the cart with ease. Wielding pitchforks, the Gorman Brothers hooted and hollered, not saying actual words as the gap began to close.
What was disturbing, however, was the Groman Brothers' faces. Or rather, their lack of them. They had unusual hoods on, their faces entirely hidden in an inky blackness. Even more uncanny was that, somehow, these hoods gave the brothers glowing green eyes, small pinpricks in the darkness that darted back and forth as the pair rode along.
"That's them! Fire away, Link!" Cremia yelled, not seeming too concerned if Link actually hit the men or not. "I'll go as fast as I can, but I can't outrun them!"
Link just kept his gaze on the eerie riders behind them. Compared to Them, though, this was nothing. As one of the brothers got close, the boy let the arrow fly, hitting a mere foot int front of the horse. The man let out a startled noise and veered away, slowing down as his brother took the lead. When this happened, Link readied another bow and quickly fired away, the arrow whizzing by the man's head, missing by a mere few inches. Like his brother, the hooded man let out a startled cry and slowed down.
"They're not so tough! You didn't even hit them and they're acting all scared!" Tatl pointed out, a wide grin on her face. "Just spook them a bit more, this will be a piece of cake for you!" She could fly out and startle the horses, but that could really hurt the men, and she felt like Link would be upset if she did that.
Once more, the boy didn't respond, wanting to focus on the men chasing after the cart and its milk. The Gorman Brothers pretty quickly recovered from their freight and charged in again, but Link was ready. Quick as a flash, he let loose two more arrows, purposefully hitting right where the horses where about to be, scaring the animals and their riders and making them fall back a bit.
It was at this point that Link realized just how easy this was going to be. As oddly desperate as the Gorman Brothers were to attack the cart and its milk, they didn't seem willing to put themselves in actual harm's way to do it. The second they had any sort of resistance, they backed off. Honestly, the boy felt like Romani could've done this without much issue. If anything, the only problem there is her aim not being so good, so she may actually hit one of the men or the horses without meaning to.
So, this went on for about thirty minutes, Link keeping the brothers at by with carefully aimed arrows, and the hooded men were too scared to even get close to the cart. After the half hour, the cart entered Termina Field, and the Gorman Brothers backed off, cursing and yelling as they went. It was such a far cry from how the invasion the previous night went. Here, Link barely broke a sweat!
"You did great, Link!" Cremia crowed from the front, beaming back at Link as she directed her cart towards the eastern gate of Clock Town. "They didn't even get one single drop of milk from us! You were fantastic!" She praised, turning back and glancing back up at the Moon, her smile quickly diminishing as she did so.
"It wasn't much." Link responded quietly, gazing out towards the East. He hadn't gotten a good look at it before, never taking the time to, save for the peek at that unusual tower that gave him such an uneasy feeling when he gazed upon it. As the cart moved to the gate, he saw just how barren this part of Termina was. The path towards the East had no grass or any other plant life that he could see. Just dead, cracked earth up until the entrance of a canyon. There were, however, structures along the way, ancient looking pillars with faces obscured by the night's darkness. Either way, an unnerving chill filled the air as the cart neared the eastern part of the field…
There were a few men waiting at the gate, waving at Cremia as they got close, handing a bag to her as the cart stopped. They gave a wave to Link too as they went around the back. He just nodded in response as they took the bottles of milk into town with them. "Thanks, fellas!" Cremia called as she got off the cart and went to the back as well, beaming at Link once more. "Those guys are just carrying my milk to the bar. With all the milk we delivered, I got a nice pay." She said, jingling the bag of Rupees she got. "I wanna thank you again, Link. It means a lot you'd help me out like this."
"It wasn't much." Link repeated, wondering if Cremia even heard him the first time. "The brothers weren't hard to scare off." He hopped off the cart and stretched a bit. "I'm glad I could help, though."
Cremia stared at Link for a moment, her smile still present, but faded a bit. "You're pretty mature for your age, you know that?" She asked, still staring at Link, as though studying him. "Not like other kids. Certainly not like Romani." This was said with a bit of a laugh, the redhead clearly teasing her sister a bit, then her tone got serious again. "You had to grow up fast, didn't you? You've been through the wringer more than any of us, haven't you?"
Link found himself stunned at this, his breath caught in his throat. He never thought about it before…but since he was so easily able to read Cremia…that had to have meant she could do the same to him. How much did she understand? Did she realize he had to wear a mask like she did? Then there were those awful words. Grow up. Link despised the idea of getting older, but it wasn't up to him, time passed for everyone, and there was nothing he could do about it.
The process had long started, of course. He had grown taller, his voice had gotten deeper, his body started to harden, any sort of remaining baby fat he had long gone. It seemed like every time he looked in the mirror, he was becoming more like the man he became when he traveled into the future, and he despised it. Link knew he should've been a Kokiri, having eternal youth with Saria and the others.
But there was nothing he could do to change his fate.
"I don't want to talk about that." Link bluntly replied, feeling he had to shut this line of conversation down quickly. His chest was already tightening, and he felt a sense of panic rise in him. "It isn't important."
Cremia gave Link a look that could only be described as open pity, not seeming upset by his bluntness. "I understand. You have to hide your feelings from others. I do that too, with Romani." She placed her hands on Link's shoulders, either not noticing or choosing to ignore how he flinched. "You're a strong man, you should be proud of that much." She reached into her pocket, pulling out a mask. It resembled a cow, its eyes closed off to the world. "Here. This is Romani's Mask. Named after the ranch, of course. It's a sign you're an adult, and it lets you into the Milk Bar."
Link felt the urge to swat the item out of Cremia's hand and stomp it into the dust. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. Instead, he slowly took the mask, swallowing at a lump in his throat. "Thank you." Was all he could think to say. It felt like Cremia was mocking him, playing a cruel trick on him, but he knew that wasn't the case. Why did he have to be reminded that time was going to drag him kicking and screaming to adulthood? Why couldn't he just stay a child forever?!
The woman gave him a small smile, patting the top of his head. "Come on. You can sleep on the way back. You've earned it. Can't imagine those brothers will bother us on the way back." Without waiting for a response, she went to the front of the cart, ready to go back to the ranch.
"…You okay, Link?" Tatl asked, frowning as she watched Link stare down at the mask. This was the second time that day that someone's words seemed to really upset him. She certainly understood it more this time around. It was like Cremia just read him like a book!
"I'll be fine." He murmured, stuffing the mask into his bag and climbing into the cart. "I'm going to sleep. Please don't wake me when we get there." Link just wanted to slip away from consciousness. Grog and his easily settled mind along with Cremia telling him how adult he was really messed with his head…
Tatl sighed. What was going on in that kid's mind? She respected Link's wishes, fluttering up to Cremia as she got the mule moving. "You seem to think a lot of him." The fairy commented, landing on Cremia's shoulder.
Cremia glanced over at Tatl, almost like she forgot the fairy was even there. "I can see that look in his eye. He's been through more than any of us have." She paused, as if contemplating if she should keep going. "…What happened to him? Not just his eye. Just…what happened to make him like that?"
The fairy shook her head. "I don't know. I only met him the other day. He won't tell me what happened to him." She figured Link wouldn't mind her talking about him like this. It wasn't like Cremia was going to remember anything she said. "All I know is he's suffering, and there's nothing I can do to help." It felt strange speaking to someone else about Link. She hadn't gotten the chance to do that before. Not like this. It felt cathartic, honestly. "I wish I could make it go away."
That put a solemn look on the woman's face. "I see. He seems lucky to have a friend like you, at least. Link can stay back there and sleep. More comfortable than the barn, at least. We'll face tomorrow, all four of us, and whatever it brings."
Lucky to have her? Tatl wasn't so sure of that. She just gave a nod and fluttered back to Link, nestling against his chest as she closed her eyes. Cremia was right about one thing, though, the Gorman Brothers didn't bother them on the way back. The ride back was smooth, and when they got to the ranch, she looked to see the boy and fairy resting comfortably in the back, fast asleep.
When morning broke, Tatl opened her eyes and rubbed the sleepiness out of them. She floated up and saw Link was awake already. And it seemed like he had been for a while. "Hey. You feeling okay? You seemed shaken up last night." The fairy asked.
"I said I'd be fine. Don't worry." He immediately responded, wishing she'd stop asking him how he felt. "I want to go West. I want to cleanse the Great Bay area." Link couldn't keep putting it off. He saved Romani from Them, at least this time, and he needed something big to tackle. If he just rested next Cycle, he'd keep seeing Romani's face, the way she looked after They took her and did…something to her.
"You sure you're ready? With your eye, I mean." Tatl asked, gazing at the eyepatch. "If you need more practice, I don't think it'd hurt."
"No. I can do it now. I have to. Lulu and the other Zora are counting on me. We'll go back and go straight West, okay?" Really, he felt he should ask if Tatl was okay with it. She was free to stay behind, but something told him she wouldn't do that.
The fairy nodded, letting loose a small sigh. "I'm ready as I'll ever be. Come on, let's do it now and get it over with, okay?"
Without a word, Link brought the Ocarina of Time to his lips. As beautiful notes filled the ranch air, time flew backwards once more…
A/N: This is really it. No more last-minute distractions. The Great Bay is next on the list and it's not going to be interrupted again, I promise. It's funny, the other day I realized there are zero optional masks in that part of Termina. The swamps, mountain, and canyon all have at least one optional mask, but not in the Great Bay area. Really ensures there won't be any side stuff to keep Link from cleansing the ocean.
Still, I found it fun focusing on the ranch for a while, and I got another two masks off the list. Poor Link kept getting mentally tormented, but that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make. He'll contemplate more on the two newer masks he got later on. There just wasn't much time to do it here, the chapter was already getting pretty lengthy. Though I think I've mostly said what I need to about his thoughts on Grog being so easily appeased and Cremia saying how all adult he is. The Gorman Brothers was always going to be super easy for Link, just as they are in the game itself, so the chapter's length didn't impact that segment at all.