Spacious land greeted the group as they arrived on Romani's Ranch. The lush green field seemed to stretch on for miles before them, and in one area of the pasture a few cows grazed, chomping hungrily on some fresh blades of grass; their coats were as clean as clean could get and it was obvious they were well taken care of. Fresh air filled their senses and this welcoming calmness settled itself around them.
As soon as the wagon stopped beside the barn, the group disembarked and surveyed their surroundings. The house was next door, with a stable next to it where a beautiful brown coated horse with white hair whinnied its welcome. White chickens scouted around, pecking at the ground in search of worms, ignoring the visitors completely, and barking non-stop was a small grey haired pooch.
While Cremia hopped off she nodded at their content smiles. "It's pretty quiet, but I think you guys will like it here. Don't be afraid to make yourselves at home." With that said she rummaged through the back of her cart and tugged at the ropes to free her empty crates. Early that morning she had supplied her cart with her fresh milled milk, her special Chateau Romani to deliver to the Milk Bar in Clock Town, along with some fresh eggs.
"Allow me," Miroku insisted, helping the young woman lift her crates out of the wagon one at a time. In no way would he allow such a beautiful girl to do such heavy lifting, and as a gentleman, he would help. "Inuyasha, give me a hand," He called, and even though Inuyasha grumbled he still obliged.
"Why thank you!" How very kind of those two! From her line of sight, she watched as Link and his female friend, Kagome stood before the stable. If she had to guess, Link missed his horse, after all, the last he saw her was four years ago. While the guys took care of carrying the crates to the barn, Cremia unharnessed her mule before allowing him to graze out in the pasture along with the cows until late evening.
Fawning over the horse, Kagome reached out and caressed its mane. Never in her life had she seen such a beauty. "Epona is her name?"
With his arms hanging over the fence which separated them from the lone mare, he nodded. Four years ago he made a promise with Malon, that he'd return her back to Lon Lon Ranch, but it seemed that promise couldn't be kept. However, since there was no sure way to return home, he felt that handing her over to Romani was the best thing; although she was a counterpart of Malon back In Hyrule, to Link, it felt right.
"I never knew you had a horse, Link," Serena voiced beside him. "Why did you give her away?"
Link scratched his nose. "I merely borrowed her during my travels."
As Epona nuzzled her long lost friend, the door to the house abruptly opened, revealing a young girl with long red hair and parted bangs, carrying a small bucket. Romani was her name, the youngest sister of Cremia, though at times quite stubborn and ill tempered, she was of course a sweet girl nonetheless. Currently, her attention focused more on her older sister, whose back was turned as she made conversation with her three visitors, Sango, Miroku and Inuyasha.
"Sister, I've finished cleaning up!" She shouted as she rested the wooden bucket beside the entrance of the door. Upon noticing a few wrinkles in her flowing white dress, she smoothed them down. From head to toe she was the exact replica of Cremia, only younger; some might even call them twins.
Waving, Cremia ushered her over toward her and her guests. "Come here. I'd like you meet these people. They'll be spending the night."
Receiving guests on their quiet ranch was quite peculiar to little Romani, but she didn't mind one bit, however, it was odd that these people were lodging for the night; weren't there rooms in Clock Town?
Not noticing Kagome, Link and Serena near the stable beside the house, Romani sauntered over to her older sister and greeted them. "Nice to meet you. My name is Romani."
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Miroku smiled before introducing himself to the girl. As he viewed her silently, he realized she was quite filled out for her age and she was indeed a flower blossoming quite early. In certain places were curves where her dress accentuated quite nicely, but she was still nowhere near as developed as her older sister. "I take it this ranch is named after you."
Romani blushed but nodded cheerfully. "That's right!" Brilliant blue eyes turned away from the monk and gazed intently upon the older woman beside him, then to the half demon, Shippo, Kirara and then Inuyasha. "What are your names?"
"My name is Sango," The slayer replied warmly. Pointing to the kitten in front of her feet, she introduced Kirara.
"I'm Shippo," The fox replied with a small blush on his cheeks. Boy she sure was pretty, and as she politely grinned at him, his tail swayed behind him; he was eager to learn more about her.
Stubborn as always, Inuyasha didn't say a word, but kept his hands hidden in his sleeves and his eyes closed lazily as he stood behind the monk and Pamela. As the conversation between the girl and his friends silenced, he opened one eye and realized everyone was staring at him. "Inuyasha…" What did it matter? If he had known they were going to stay for the night, he would have told his friends sooner to forget the whole thing, but it really didn't matter to him.
Both slayer and monk parted away from the other and allowed Romani to approach the half demon with open interest as she stared transfixed onto his face, or that is to say his ears.
"What are you looking at?" Inuyasha asked, narrowing his eyes at her open mouthed look. Hadn't she ever seen a half demon before? He guessed not.
Amused, Kagome walked over, followed by Link and his fairy. "Why not let her touch them?"
Inuyasha blinked. "Touch what?"
"Your ears," She replied.
Again he blinked. Touch his ears? First it was Kagome, then her mom and now she wanted the whole world to touch what rightfully belonged to him? What was so fascinating about his ears anyway? There wasn't anything special about them; they were just there. "Are you kidding me?" When he saw Kagome give him a stern look, he bent down on his toes and lowered his head to the girl. "Make it quick."
Delighted, Romani reached out and with her fingers, she rubbed his ears; they reminded her so much of a dog. His white fuzzy appendages twitched at her touch, and she giggled to herself. "Are they real?"
"Why wouldn't they be?"
Romani released her grip and leaned on the back of her heels with her hands intertwined behind her back. "I like them," Was her reply, which of course earned slight chuckles from everyone around her.
While she found Inuyasha quite a sight to behold, she saw movement from the corner of her eye. Behind her, a tall woman with luscious raven locks cascaded down her back in gentle curls, dressed in quite revealing garb, politely lowered her head as she introduced herself. Romani nodded of course, but her attention focused mainly on the person beside the woman, and it was a face she never thought she'd see again.
"Grasshopper!" Overjoyed she ran toward Link and practically threw herself onto him, wrapping her arms around his neck in a bold fashion that it took everyone by surprise.
Because he didn't foresee this happening, Link awkwardly caught Romani around her waist, stumbling backwards in hopes of steadying himself, but instead he fell backwards onto his back with the enthusiastic rancher above him, refusing to let go as her weight held him down.
Piercing blue eyes enraptured Link from close up as she straddled him. The last he saw her, she was freckle-faced and smaller, but now she had grown. There was determination in her eyes, one he had never seen before.
At the sight of her little sister pinning Link to the ground Cremia merely shook her head with a sigh. Romani was rather fond of the boy, and she made it known that she had feelings for him, or in her opinion, a simple crush. Still, pinning your crush to the ground like that wasn't the sort of welcoming appreciated.
"What kind of name is 'grasshopper'?" Inuyasha asked to no one in particular. So Link had a girl, did he?
There was obviously some sort of bond between the two, that which Kagome was certain. While Romani had him pinned to the ground, Link didn't bother to push her away, like he'd done to Amber back on Great Bay Coast. Judging by the nickname she called him, it was obvious she harbored a genuine interest in him, an interest Kagome picked up on all too well. Did Link feel something special for Romani? Or were her feelings unrequited? Kagome wasn't sure. Maybe she was overthinking things, and they were actually good friends?
"Sure took your time visiting," She pouted, but a smile still graced her elated expression. "Did you miss me?"
"I…uh…" This was not the kind of situation he thought he'd ever fall into. Sure he missed her, but having her practically on top of him, in front of his friends no less made him feel awkward.
From his troubled expression, she giggled. "Still the same as always. You know, you're pretty shy grasshopper." That was alright though. Romani would never forget the day he arrived on her ranch; out of nowhere it appeared and helped her fight the aliens that attempted to steal her father's cows three days before the Carnival of Time. On that night, while she hid in the barn to protect the cows, she watched through a small hole in the building as he fought off the beings with his arrows. In her eyes, he was a knight that had saved the day but disappeared by morning; she thought she'd never see him again.
Clearing her throat, Cremia alerted the distracted girl that they were still in the company of others before stepping toward her and a helpless Link beneath her. "Romani."
Blushing, she pushed herself off him, but as he regained his standing, wiping the dirt from his tunic, she couldn't help but shyly smile at him. "Sorry about that."
Satisfied, the owner waved Pamela over, and when she hesitantly stepped away from the monk, Cremia introduced the two. "This is Pamela. She'll be staying with us from now on, so I hope you two get along well."
"Hi there. Nice to meet you," Romani greeted, her attention diverted away from Link and to the quiet girl in front of her. She gazed at her sister. "Staying for good? How come?"
"We'll discuss it later. For the time being, why don't you two get to know each other while I give everyone a tour here of the land?"
Nodding, she took Pamela's hand and guided her away from the adults. "Come on! I'll show you my favorite spot!" Disappointed that she couldn't spend a little time with Link, Romani guessed it couldn't hurt to learn more about the little girl who would become a part of their family.
Cremia apologetically lowered her head to the boy. "I'm sorry about that."
"It's fine. I don't mind."
Pleased to hear that, and thankful that Pamela and Romani were out of the way for the time being, Cremia offered to give the group a tour of the ranch.
"Are you certain we're not troubling you? I mean we have inconvenienced you already," Miroku replied with uncertainty. "I'm sure you're quite busy."
How right he was. "Yes I still have to milk to cows and feed the chickens…but I can sacrifice some time to show you around of course."
Still not convinced he should bother the woman with anything more, he insisted that he and his friends tour her land on their own, since they were staying for the night, in order to ensure Pamela felt at home in her new environment.
"Well alright then. Down that way," She pointed down the hill from her house where a couple buildings sat a distance away. "you'll find the Doggy Race Track and the Cuccu Shack where our Cuccu's are raised when hatched."
Shippo scratched his little noggin as he found the word quite strange. "What's a Cuccu?"
Right at that moment, a stray white bird, which resembled a rooster, sauntered across their paths, pecking at the dirt in search of food. Its head turned each and every way, acknowledging the group before going about its business in search of worms. When it suddenly glanced up at a certain blonde haired youth, Link stiffened and turned his head away.
Miroku and Inuyasha noticed this.
By this point, a whole flock of the same birds wandered by the group, and Link felt his eye twitch suddenly, though he refrained from making eye contact with the birds.
From the way Link nervously kept his distance from the bird, which was so keen on glaring at him, not to mention his averted eyes, Inuyasha couldn't help but smirk. "What's wrong Link? Don't tell me you're scared?" He laughed, briefly earning the Cuccu's attention.
Link nervously swallowed when the feathered creature stepped closer, raking its claws in the dirt as it approached him. "If you're wise…you would not provoke them, Inuyasha," He warned under his breath as he stepped away slowly, baffling his friends further.
Sweat dropping, Cremia shooed the birds away, however some refused to leave. "Go on now, shoo!"
Hearing the nonsense leave the boy's mouth, Inuyasha blatantly pointed at the feathered beings. "Please, as if I'd be afraid of a bunch of stupid birds!"
All Cuccus ceased their hunt for worms and threateningly glared at the half demon that dared mock them.
After all this time spent with the kid, Inuyasha finally knew his true fear, and it was the weirdest thing he had ever seen. "How pathetic!" He pointedly exclaimed, quite amused with Link's sudden silence. "Don't' tell me you're seriously afraid of some feather pecking lards?"
Looking from the chickens to Link, Shippo found himself distancing himself from the birds as well. Their ominous stance toward Inuyasha frightened him. 'If Link is cautious, maybe I should be too…' The tyke kept his emerald eyes on the bird still staring keenly at Link before its narrowed gaze shifted to Shippo in which case startled the fox. 'Don't make eye contact…' He gulped and pretending not to notice the red form in their eyes.
"Please don't say anymore, Inuyasha," Cremia remarked as she tried to push him away from the silent birds. "They can be pretty sensitive at times," She warned, and at this he scoffed.
"Sensitive? More like brainless and stupid!"
Taking the priestess's hand, Link led her away from the area, along with Shippo and Serena following close behind. Meanwhile, even Sango and Miroku noticed a change in behavior from the birds at their feet, and they too followed after, leaving Cremia and Inuyasha by themselves.
Too late to do anything, the birds reacted in a demented rage and raised their feathered wings, flapping them as they sailed after the startled half demon. Cremia covered her face as she pressed her back against her house; the scene was too horrific to look at.
Miroku sweat dropped. "Link told him not to provoke them unnecessarily…"
Kagome gasped when she heard her friend cry out loudly. His entire body was bombarded by the birds, which had mysteriously multiplied. "Oh no! What do we do?"
"There's nothing we can do for him now…" Link replied with a dramatic sigh. He knew firsthand what those chickens were capable of, even if he had been innocent from the beginning. If you so much as looked at them in the wrong way, you were immediately branded an enemy among them.
Petrified, Shippo hid behind Link's leg, watching as the half demon got what he deserved. Link wasn't kidding. Those birds were scary!
On the other hand, Serena silently watched the scene, her gaze catching sight of the red fabric amidst the assailment of white feathers. Inuyasha was a goner, she was sure of it.
OOO
The Cuccus, whose feathers were ruffled up only minutes before were now calmed after viciously attacking Inuyasha and went about their day trekking the field in search of their almost forgotten lunch.
"Ouch!"
Seated at the dinner table, Cremia tapped a wet cloth against the half demon's cheek, mindful of putting too much pressure on the cuts marring his face. For someone so stubborn, she would have thought he'd at least use some common sense. "I guess I should have warned you ahead of time not to pester them."
Sango and Miroku, who were also sitting at the same table sweat dropped at the scene between the owner and half demon.
Inuyasha grumbled to himself, and upon hearing Kagome's voice off to the side, he looked away from the rancher. Both Kagome and Link were seated near the hearth a few feet away, caught up in conversation. A smile brightened the young girl's countenance, and Inuyasha felt his chest tighten. 'She really does like him…doesn't she?' Who was he fooling; it was obvious something was developing between the two, no matter how much he didn't want to admit it. After all the arguing and interrogating he'd put her through, it was no wonder she turned away.
Noticing the sadness in his eyes, Cremia turned her gaze to the duo near the fireplace, speaking in quiet voices. There was uncertainty, sadness, anger and even fear in in those amber depths of the young man seated in front of her, oblivious to her staring. 'So that's what this is all about…' Inuyasha hadn't pestered her chickens for the fun of it; rather he did it to provoke Link, if only to draw attention to himself. 'He likes her.'
"Hey, are you done yet?" Inuyasha asked.
The owner realized she still had the cloth pressed up against his face, and she laughed while pulling away. "Yep! You're good as new!" She exclaimed as she leaned back in her chair.
Serena, who had been present at the table for some time, viewed the half demon's face and laughed. "You look awful!"
Inuyasha growled. "Whatever…"
Puzzled that he didn't resort to calling her names or telling her to shut up, Serena examined the homely house, gliding around each corner of the room. So only the owner and her little sister lived there, did they? Where were the parents? Photo albums were placed upon the hearth in the room, revealing a young woman with similar features such as Cremia's, holding an infant while lovingly being held in the arms of a taller man with dark eyes, dressed in overalls.
A large white box, placed in the furthest corner of the room caught her eye, and she fluttered around it, feeling a cold chill emanating from it. "What's this?"
Cremia looked up. "That's our icebox."
Kagome glanced up at this reply, and sauntered over to the boxed refrigerator. It was true; she had no idea they had refrigerators here in this world. "Sango, Miroku, Shippo, come take a look at this."
Baffled, yet also interested in the strange contraption which emitted a cold breeze, both Miroku and the slayer stood next to their female friend, along with Shippo glancing down from Kagome's shoulder. The strange box was certainly fascinating. How on earth had humans developed such a device that trapped cold air?
"I take it you've never seen an icebox before?" Inquired Cremia, and from their perplexed expressions, she sweat dropped. She supposed she was right. "Have a look if you want. We've got plenty of meats, vegetation and dairy products stored inside." As she watched the older man, woman and child gaze into the box; she couldn't help but observe their clothing more closely. Cremia looked at Inuyasha. "I take it you have traveled far, am I right?"
He nodded. "I guess so…why?"
The owner shrugged. "Well your clothes are quite different from the ones I've seen, and your accents are very different as well. Where bouts did you and your friends travel from?"
"Uh…" How would he answer that? Inuyasha couldn't just tell her a light transported them into Termina, could he? If he said, she'd think he was not right in the head.
"Across the ocean," Kagome chimed from behind the half demon. "Right, Inuyasha?"
While Inuyasha gave her the weirdest stare possible, Cremia's face took on a surprised one.
"Really?" She asked, and from the priestess's nod, she leaned her elbows on the table and smiled. "I've never known anyone to travel the waters in Great Bay, except for the Zoras of course, but to travel from a distant land is incredible."
Kagome blinked. "Why is that incredible? Don't you normally have tourists from distant lands travel here?"
While he had been sitting near the door petting the small pooch, Link stood up and joined the trio at the table, though he was reluctant to sit, settling only to stand beside Kagome. "I've heard rumors that beyond those waters, monsters preside," He explained, and at this, Miroku, Shippo and Sango's attention shifted to the group. "The only ones that have traveled the seas and would know of the dangers are the Gerudo pirates themselves and also the Zoras. Presumably, a few have lived to tell the tale, or at least speak of rumors. It can't be certain whether they are true or not."
"What?" Kagome found this interesting.
Cremia nodded. "It's true. If we decided to risk traveling the seas, then we'd have to have permission from the Zoras. That territory belongs strictly to them, and if we suddenly demanded to dock ships there on their coast, then I'm sure the Zoras would be very displeased. If you consider the outcome, Great Bay wouldn't be the same."
"What do you mean?" Kagome asked.
"Well," The owner began. "If we were suddenly allowed to dock ships there, then imagine all of the people gathered there, docking, sailing off to a distant land, and then returning. Great Bay in the end would be overly populated with noise, people, ships…"
"And pollution," Kagome muttered sadly.
Cremia nodded. "I'm not sure how you all managed to arrive in Termina, but I'm guessing a large vessel carried you here, correct?"
"I guess you could say that…" Kagome laughed to herself weakly. This was a little difficult to explain. It wasn't as if she and her friends could just come out and explain how they had arrived in Termina without seeming odd. Even if Anju and Kafei were easily convinced they'd arrived because of the Goddesses, still, explaining it to others left her feeling uneasy.
Before Kagome could come up with an excuse, the intrigued rancher, Cremia suddenly stood up. "I almost forgot!" From the shelves on the other side of the room, she retrieved a small bowl before setting it down on the counter and opening the icebox. Inside the freezing box, she retrieved a bottle of what appeared to be white liquid and some wrapped meat. After carefully wrapping the goods with a white handkerchief, she lowered her head apologetically to her visitors. "I'm sorry. I was so caught up that I almost forgot. I need to deliver this to Grog down the hill from here."
"Grog?" Everyone said in unison. What a strange name.
As if just remembering, Cremia shook her head. "Oh that's right, you were all planning on touring the ranch." She scolded herself for almost forgetting. "Sorry about this but would you be willing to deliver this to a young man at the Cuccu Shack for me? You see, I've been worried that he hasn't been eating much lately, so I've been preparing him meals these days."
"But of course!" Miroku replied receiving the wrapped bowl from Cremia. "And it's no trouble at all. You are a busy woman after all, so leave this to us."
She smiled. "Thank you!"
While Miroku, Kagome and Inuyasha sauntered to the door, Sango glanced back, and upon noticing Link remain behind, she turned to her companions. "Actually, I think I'll stay behind. You guys go ahead."
"Me too," Serena replied next to her.
"You sure Sango?" Inuyasha asked, and from her nod he shrugged.
Shippo, who was seated upon the half demon's shoulder, couldn't help but glance back to the room where his friends, Sango, Serena and Link resided. "Link, aren't you coming?"
"I'll stay here," Was his only reply before taking a spot on the floor next to the priestess.
Deciding to also stay behind with Sango and Link, Shippo leapt from the half demon's shoulder and joined the trio at the table.
OOO
Thankful for a change in scenery, Kagome, Inuyasha and Miroku toured the meadow. In Kagome's arms, she carried the bundle of wrapped goods for the young gentleman, Grog down at the Cuccu Shack.
Down the hill, the first building they saw quite possibly belonged to the Doggy Race Track, considering there was a sign of a puppy above the door with the red roof. To the right of that building was a massive wooden wall, with painted chickens and chicks upon the surface near the door.
Seeing as how they had a delivery for the young man, they decided to visit the Cuccu Shack first. After sauntering up the low incline, they entered through the door and stepped onto the wooden deck where a few steps led down into an open field where only a lone yet tall tree sat right in the middle.
After descending the steps, they stepped ahead, past the small chicks that roamed the area, playing together with others of its kind. There wasn't much to see here, beyond the wall of the ranch. A few broken ramparts were scattered around the area, most painted with images of adult roosters or Cuccus.
Besides the soft chirpings of chicks, the place was quite empty, but there was one individual who caught their attention. This long figure was seated beneath the tree, with his back pressed up against the rough bark, his knees raised and his head tilted toward the ground; all in all, the position seemed lonely.
"I'm guessing this is the person Cremia spoke of?" Miroku asked aloud, and from his friends' nods, they approached him. "Excuse me, you there!" He called out, easily earning the young man's utmost attention, though he made no move to stand up.
Spiked blonde hair atop his head was the first thing they noticed and aside from the unusual hair style, pale skin caught their eye. Grog, which they guessed was seated before them uncaringly, was rather nicely built, displaying his muscular form to his visitors. If his appearance wasn't a sight to behold, then his eyes were; from where they stood, it seemed he had no irises as they were completely void of any color; Grog had the eyes of a blind man, it seemed.
Accessing the silent man further, they saw that he only wore a pair of tight fitted olive colored pants and brown boots. Because it was summer, they guessed he preferred sitting outside in the sun without much clothing, but why did he look so melancholy? Also, what was up with his serious expression?
"Afternoon," Grog greeted his visitors. "I don't often get company…" Beside him, he picked up a small brown bag and placing his hand into the sack, he scattered a handful of grains into the grass beside him. Dozens of chicks ran after, pecking at the food with their small beaks as Grog silently observed them.
The silence between them was stifling to say the least, and they couldn't help but awkwardly stand there as he fed the hatchlings around him. Judging by the way he hardly acknowledged them, they guessed he wasn't a people person.
Deciding to end the silence, Kagome approached him, careful of the chicks at her feet. "Here, we brought you your lunch," She offered the wrapped goods to the young man.
Looking up, his eyes scrutinized the wrapped bowl of what he presumed was dried meat, cheese and milk. It seemed the owner of Romani Ranch was worrying too much about his lack of food intake these days, but Grog didn't seem bothered by it. Without a word, he took it from the woman's hands and set it upon his lap, though his eyes returned to hers, almost in an uncaring way.
"What? No thanks?" Remarked Inuyasha coldly.
He shrugged uncaringly. "Give the owner my thanks." When the group remained rooted to their spots, he stared at them long and hard. "Have you come to see the hatchlings?"
OOO
After showing Pamela her favorite spot, which happened to reside at the bottom of the hill, furthest from the house, Romani showed her the new windmill she and her sister had been working on a few months back. The windmill was still incomplete, and remnants of bricks were stacked off to the side. During the days her older sister went to deliver her dairy products into town, she remained there and played, even if it was by herself.
Sitting on the stack of bricks, Romani fiddled with a small flower. "So what do you like to do?" She asked the timid girl standing off to the side.
Pamela mused to herself. There really wasn't much she enjoyed doing; most of the time she was stuck in the house waiting for her father to come back while she sat at the table bored. She guessed she did enjoy cooking whatever it was her father brought home, but besides playing, she didn't know. "I'm not sure."
"There's got to be something," The rancher laughed in amusement. "What kind of games do you like to play?"
The little freckled girl shook her head. "I don't really play…"
"Huh?" What child didn't play? Romani didn't believe her. "Hm…well would you like to play a game with me? Of course we'll need a couple players."
"What kind of game?" Pamela asked curiously.
Romani grinned. "Let's play Save The Princess!" She leapt from the bricks and clasped her hands in front of her while her eyes sparkled. "I love that game!"
Unsure, Pamela could only nod at the girl's eager enthusiasm. "How do you play?"
OOO
While half of her visitors went about touring the ranch and taking care of her errand, Cremia busied herself with cooking lunch and dinner. After building up the fire in the hearth, she pulled out the large pot, already filled with water thanks to Link's insistence to help, and she began cutting the cooked meat which was leftovers from last night. Sango helped by slicing up some carrots and potatoes while the owner sliced up the onions.
"So where were you all planning to go that's so dangerous after this?" The owner suddenly asked while pouring the contents of the vegetables into the pot and stirring it every once in a while.
Since the soup had to thicken up and cook for a while, Sango took a seat on the floor next Link in front of the hearth. "We're on our way to Woodfall."
"Really?" Cremia wiped her hands on her apron as she quizzically eyed the two. "Are you planning on visiting the Deku Palace too?" She asked.
"Deku Palace?" Sango asked. There was a Kingdom in the woods?
Cremia nodded. "I've never seen the place before, but I know an older man who runs boat cruises there. His boat happens to pass by the palace. I've heard it's quite large, but he says he never had the chance to get a look at the King and Princess dwelling there," She explained as she thought to herself. "Monkeys dwell near there and always seem to cause trouble from time to time too. Better take note of that."
If there was a palace in the woods, then perhaps that was where the final pendant rested. However, the map that Miroku carried around with him didn't show any markings of a palace; there were only woods on the parchment labeled Southern Swamp and Woodfall.
"I've heard the natives there, the Deku, don't take too kindly to humans trespassing on their territory," Cremia voiced aloud, and at this, Link nodded. "But I guess from time to time, maybe a few times a year, they visit the town for the festivals. I've only seen one Deku before, but that was ages ago."
Though he had been listening silently to all of this, Shippo couldn't help but suddenly remember something. "Wait! Sango, remember when all of us first came here, and those wooden monsters attacked us?"
Sango blinked, but she did recall when those Deku shrubs attacked them when they first arrived in Termina. "Yes. Why?"
"Maybe we were close to their palace," Shippo explained. "Maybe they thought we were bad people. That's probably why they got angry at us."
Yes, that would make sense, she guessed. But at that time, it had been Inuyasha who had stirred up the trouble by making fun of the poor forest creature, who had only been watching them from afar innocently. "Maybe so."
Unexpectedly, the door slammed open, revealing a young red haired girl and a fierce determination in her blue eyes. Immediately her eyes locked on Link's, and he flinched as he suddenly moved away from his spot on the floor next to Sango and Cremia. A smirked graced her lips and she suddenly lunged forward with her arms outstretched toward the blonde. "Just the guy I was looking for!"
In a desperate struggle to escape from Romani, Link leapt out of the way and distanced himself, with the table standing in between him and her. All occupants in the room watched the scene unfold before them, especially young Shippo, who hadn't a clue as to what was happening.
A small pout formed on her face and she stepped on the other side of the table, but Link was fast to move to the other side. "Why are you running away? I haven't said anything yet."
Link narrowed his eyes. "I will not be a part of any game."
Romani grinned. "But you used to play with me before. Remember?"
Oh he remembered alright. Four years ago, after aiding the little rancher by eliminating the strange visitors from the sky, she had innocently asked if he'd play with her before he left; what a mistake that had been. Romani had humiliated him. Just remembering how she had dressed him to be her 'prince charming' and having him woo her…Link felt his eye twitch when she suddenly stepped around the table again, but he was quick to dodge.
"Come on! We're not playing that game!" She insisted.
Serena looked on in amusement. "Why not play with her Link? Go and have some fun."
The youth spared her a glance. "I am no longer a child, and I refuse to. I apologize Romani, but you'll have to ask elsewhere."
The little girl huffed and crossed her arms, but she remained firmly in place. "Really? It couldn't hurt you to play. After all, I haven't seen you in like forever," She replied with sudden solemnity. "Don't you like me?"
Link nearly face palmed at this, and he shook his head, his bangs swaying as he did. It wasn't that he didn't like her; he just didn't appreciate getting tied up in her romantic games. Furthermore, he wasn't interested in playing any game at all. Standing there as she covered her face with her hands, Link suddenly felt the weight of her sadness tug at him, and he felt guilty. "I-It's not…like that…don't cry…" Great, now he was losing his usual indifference, and she was crying no less. Link felt like the bad guy.
Cremia sweat dropped at the scene, but she returned to the pot to stir its contents before it stuck to the surface. However, she couldn't help but laugh to herself. If there was anyone who could make you feel guilty, it was Romani. Been there and done that.
Romani's shoulders trembled, and she shook her head as she covered her face. "You don't like me! Just say it! That's why you don't want to play!"
Shippo wasn't sure what was happening, and he wasn't sure who to feel sorry for, Link or the girl. Apparently Romani was sensitive on the topic of games, and from what he witnessed; she had put words into Link's mouth. Poor Link! There was only one thing he could do, and Link owed him. "I'll play with you!" He volunteered.
"Really?" Romani glanced over her shoulder, her sadness temporarily forgotten as she smiled. "I'm so happy!"
Shippo blushed. It was the least he could do to lessen the tension.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Link hesitantly sauntered away from the table and past the red haired girl, though he kept his guard up just in case, though as he passed by without any move from her, he realized that Shippo had saved him. Unfortunately, the moment his back was completely turned to her, Romani jumped him.
Inwardly cursing, Link found himself forcibly dragged out of the room by the strong rancher with Shippo following behind. There hadn't been enough time to evade her, and now he was doomed for humiliation all over again, but not alone.
"Did you see his face!" Serena asked Sango as she laughed. "Oh, I have to see this." The little fairy left the room and followed after the three, leaving Sango and Cremia alone in the house to stare at the open door.
Cremia laughed, startling Sango suddenly. "I think my sister might have a crush on Link," She explained as she removed her apron and hung it on the wall beside the fridge. "Link seems to have trouble saying no to her or anyone more or less."
A smile graced the slayers lips. That had been the first time she'd seen Link react against wanting to play a child's game; in fact, it had been kind of funny to see his different emotions. Normally she was used to seeing his passive demeanor or his serious expressions, but never did she see him express so much. "He's a sweet boy that much I know."
The owner agreed with that.
OOO
While they kept the young man company out in his small grazing area, they learned something interesting about him. Grog revealed that he had once lived in Clock Town, among his sister Anju and his grandmother. He said his mother kicked him out of the house some years back, and since then, he remained on Romani Ranch. After his father's passing, his mother apparently became enraged by her son's unappreciated interest in running the Inn she remodeled and instead kicked him out.
Although they listened to the lonely man with the colorless eyes, they couldn't help but regard his attributes. There wasn't any distinct resemblance between him and his family; in fact, Grog seemed set apart from his sister Anju and his grandmother, granny; the three had yet to see their mother, but they presumed she quite possibly didn't share the same characteristics as him. Maybe Grog shared the same features as his deceased father?
"So do you sit out here all day feeding them?" Kagome asked.
He nodded. "There's not much to do but sit here…" Was his reply.
Inuyasha frowned at this. "So…you got any friends?" Judging by his lack of conversational skills, he was pretty sure he didn't.
"Inuyasha," Miroku frowned at his friend's question.
Of course Grog didn't mind answering the half demon, but what he said discouraged his visitors somewhat, maybe even saddened them; he wasn't sure. "These hatchlings are my only friends…they are the only family I need."
Kagome didn't believe this reply. "What about your sister? And your mothe—"
"People are disgusting," Grog replied, surprising the three. "My own family is disgusting…This world is disgusting."
Again, she couldn't believe her ears. How could a human being say such inhuman words such as hatred to mankind, especially to one's own family? Sure he was kicked out of his home years ago, but still, expressing such loathsome words about others was unacceptable. "How can you say that?" The priestess pressed a gentle hand to his shoulder as she knelt beside him, but he didn't make a move to push her away.
Grog openly stared at the young girl for the longest moment before looking away frowning. "You must be a nice person…You were willing to bring my lunch, and you speak to me no less…that makes you a nice person."
Her mouth opened slightly in surprise. How much pain had this man gone through? What did he mean by, 'you speak to me no less?' Did no one talk to Grog besides Cremia? He did mention that he hardly had company. No wonder he was so lonesome and melancholy; this man needed some fresh, worldly air, away from his shack.
"Perhaps we should leave," Miroku inquired suddenly, though she barely spared him a glance; her attention was focused more on Grog. "Kagome?"
"I'll stay here for a while."
Inuyasha blinked. "You're going to stay? What for?" When Kagome ignored him as well, he turned away. "Suit yourself."
Looking up from the ground, Grog regarded the young men before they departed. "Are you headed next door?"
"What's it to you?"
Miroku smiled. "In fact we are," He replied politely.
"Then would you mind telling Mamamu Yan to keep her dogs incessant barking at a minimal? Their noise upsets the chicks," He explained.
Before Inuyasha could tell the man to do it himself, Miroku only nodded, though he wondered if this Mamamu Yan happened to be the owner. When Grog informed him that he was correct in his assumption, he and Inuyasha left the Cuccu Shack, leaving their friend behind to talk with Grog; they'd return for her after they were through next door.