Link x Romani

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(Note: This series of events is a gift to Faye, who accepts this couple. I accept it too, by the way. lol)
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A young boy with dirty blonde hair stretched as he woke up on a haystack in a creamy color walled barn. He wore a green shirt and green skirt at all times, even when he slept, and never went anywhere without his green hat, even to the shower. To one side lay the gear he had kept: his bow and arrows, fire and ice arrows, hookshot, a few masks, and his golden Gilded Kokiri Sword and Mirror Shield.

He slept in the barn for no real reason. He just… did. The two fairies that “helped” him, Tatl and Cherry, lived in the main house of Romani Ranch. It was here, in Termina, that Link had discovered something… unexpected. While his home originally was Hyrule, he had fallen in love with a young girl here named Romani, who was named after the ranch and not the other way around.

Link wandered about the Ranch for the first few hours, waking up about the same time as the others who lived on the ranch, but preferring to keep to himself. He always kept at least one weapon with him, even while on the peaceful ranch, and so it was that he brought along his Hero’s Bow and about fifty Arrows.

It’s almost six o’clock… He realized, looking at the sun’s position. He let out a yawn, stretched again, and began walking along the green fields back to the ranch’s main house, where Cremia and Romani lived. Cremia will be going to town today, and will leave Romani in charge, as she always does… The young boy tended to think rather than speak.

As he approached the large, wooden, white ranch-house, he noticed something was odd. When he got there… Cremia explained what was odd.

“Wh-what? You’re taking Epona?!”

“Well, yeah, did you forget that YOU broke her horse’s ankle last week?” Tatl glared accusingly.

“Th-that wasn’t… my fault.” He looked to the side, not able to bear watching his horse go.

“You’ll be fine without your horse for a few days, Link!” Romani cheered. “We’ll have a blast!” Wrong word usage.

“Link’s in charge.”

At this, everybody was silent.

The reason Cremia had set Link in charge was… well, she did not have anybody else, since she was NOT about to trust her sister after the incident the week before.

“Oooooh, Link! What is this?” Romani had just put on the Blast Mask, a black mask with a skull on the front that went ‘boom’.

“D-don’t touch tha-” Cherry’s warning came too late, as Romani accidentally activated its magic, causing a rather large explosion, which, in turn, let everyone at the ranch know that Romani Chateau, their special milk, was highly volatile. It also sent the cows, and the ranch horse, into a frenzy.

Link took the heat from Romani’s big sister, since it was his mask, and he had a crush on the little farm girl. But of course, Cremia could see that it was really Romani’s fault. The mask was still on her sister when Cremia finally got the animals to calm down later that evening.

“Wh-why Link? He’s an idiot.” Tatl’s words did nothing to cheer up the little hero.

“Yeah, wait, huh? Tatl!” The pink fairy, Cherry, glared at the sun yellow fairy, Tatl.

“Yes, pinkie?”

Cherry slowly hovered lower. She hated to be reminded of the fact that she was not supposed to be a guardian fairy, like Tatl, but a healing fairy.

“Okay you two, quit it!” Cremia commanded. The two fairies snapped to attention, glancing at the significantly more mature, red-haired woman. “Now, if Link tells me you two couldn’t stop arguing for just ONE day while I went to town… So help me you’ll sleep in the barn!” There was only so much arguing a person could stand, and while Cremia enjoyed Link being around the ranch and helping out, she could not STAND the two fairies’ arguments over every little detail of every little thing. “Now, have I made myself clear?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Link saluted like he had sometimes seen the guards of Clock Town do.

“Suck up…” Tatl muttered.

“I’ll try my best not to argue.” Cherry promised.

“But… Link doesn’t know EVERYTHING about the ranch, sister, but I guess that if you say so…” the little redhead sighed. “I guess if you say so, then I’ll have to trust you.”

“Alright, I’m counting on you, Link.” Cremia then waved good-bye as she set Epona, Link’s reddish horse, off into a gallop, pulling along the wagon.

All that day, Romani and Link worked together on the vast ranch. They milked the cows, got eggs from the reluctant Cuccos, which were basically chickens that laid eggs half their body weight once every three days, and pulled weeds. It was during this last chore that Cherry and Tatl, bored and wanting to argue with each other, decided to go for “a walk”, which was actually a flight, leaving the blond-haired boy in green with the red-haired girl in white… alone.

Link glanced over to where Romani was working, and noticed that the sun was reflecting in her hair, giving her entire body a golden glow. The sweat on her face glistened in the fading sunlight, allowing twilight to glisten on her, making the farm girl appear golden. Link blushed and turned away, thinking her to have suddenly transformed into a goddess, if only for a minute.

Malon had, meanwhile, been watching Link out of the corner of her eye, and thought he looked heroic, and extremely cute, in the fading sunlight. Almost as if his body grew from that of her friend, into that of the boy she imagined in her head, the one who had saved her from… them. She had dreams, nightmares, that fiendish things came to steal her away in the night, but an emerald boy, riding atop a ruby horse, wielding a sapphire bow, came and beat them back. And then, the golden sun would rise and they would flee in fear.

Zelda was not the only one who had dreams about this heroic boy.

“Hey, umm, Link…?”

“Yeah, Romani?” The two looked at each other, Romani’s bright blue eyes meeting Link’s silvery-grey eyes.

“I… want to ask you something,” the redhead asked the blond.

“Ask away.” Link smiled wide as he stopped pulling weeds and stood up.

“You’re cute.”

“Th-that’s not a question,” Link stated shyly, blushing.

“W-well, umm, what do you think of me?” Romani tried to look her cutest, with her big eyes, her hands clasped together in her lap, and the sweetest smile she could muster. No mortal, or immortal, man or boy could have resisted such an overload of cuteness.

“You are the cutest person in all of Termina.”

After Link’s response, they began to compliment each other sweetly. And then, after about an hour of that, Romani let it slip, “Well, y’know, I love you!”

Before Link could muster much of a response, two men on horses that looked like they should not have even been able to stand, let alone gallop, came into the Ranch. These men were masked with dark brown hoods cut off just below the neck, and their bright blue eyes ghastly glared out of the darkness of the hoods. Both of the mounted, hooded men were wielding pitchforks.

Link quickly grabbed Romani’s hand and ran to the barn. The two horsemen were practically on the children’s heels as they reached the door. Romani quickly kicked it open, and shoved Link inside. The next thing she knew, she had been picked up by one of the hooded fiends, and was being carried away. “Liiiiiiiiink!!”

Link quickly dashed to his weapons, picked up his Hero’s Bow and arrows, and quickly returned outside. He aimed at the hooded man who had kidnapped Romani, but the other one came on Link’s right flank and used his pitchfork like a spear, trying to pierce Link’s neck. What he wound up doing was catching the poor boy at the end of his weapon, almost helpless.

At that, two spheres of light, one pink and one yellow, flew right into the hood of the man, blinding him for a moment. He jerked on the reins, dropped his pitchfork, and crashed his horse. Link fell to the ground in a moment, quickly kicking the pitchfork away. “Romaniiiiii!!” The man was carrying Romani away from the ranch.

He quickly got to his feet and chased after the mounted man. While still running, he reached into his pocket and pulled out Saria’s Fairy Ocarina. He usually did not play it, but he no longer held the Ocarina of Time. While still running, Link set the brown instrument to his lips and began to play a song he had learned in Termina: the Song of Soaring. Link felt light-headed one second, and was then felt two great wings surround and encase him, and then quickly warp him to the nearest Owl Statue, which was on the only road out of the ranch.

Link glared down the path he knew the foolish man would take, his Hero’s Bow at the ready. He charged up a Fire Arrow. “I’ve had it with these idiots…” The moment the masked man started coming down the road, his blue eyes visible under the hood, Link let loose his arrow. Cherry and Tatl, the pink and yellow fairies respectively, could only watch in horror as the wicked man was lit ablaze. You’ve hurt this family more than your life’s worth, you jerk!

“Cherry, where’s a healing fairy when we need one?!”

“Th-there used to be one that lived near here! In the grass!”

While the two fairies looked for a healing fairy to hopefully heal the man, Link quickly ran to the blaze and rescued Romani, who was shivering in fear. “Hey, with all that fire, you shouldn’t be shivering at all…” Sometimes, guys just have no idea when to shut their mouths.

Romani slapped Link as hard as her hand would let her. Link crashed into the wall, almost two feet away, with a reddened eye and a black cheek. “You could have killed him!!”

“B-but, h-he kidnapped you…” Link looked down. “I-I only wanted t-to protect you…”

The next thing Link saw was three spheres of light with wings, Cherry, Tatl, and the local healing fairy, fly past to save the burning man. Link slowly stood up, looking down, and took off back to the ranch.

“Tatl, stay here with Romani and the Gorman!” Cherry commanded as she chased after Link. Link had stopped in Epona’s stable, huddling his legs into his chest, seated in the hay. “Link… Come on, you know the sacrifices we aren’t allowed to force on people.”

“Just leave me alone.”

“You shouldn’t have tried to kill him… but you did… Why?”

“He stole Romani…” He looked up with malice in his eyes, “Who knows what he would have done to her?!”

Suddenly, the monkey who had taught Link the Sonata of Awakening, known as Saru, appeared from atop the rooftop. “Hoo-ha-hoo!” He was hanging by his tail, smiling wide, as he started talking about the various occurrences of the Deku Kingdom, and went on and on about the Deku Princess. And then he went on some more about the Deku Princess, while Link and Cherry just listened, shocked that any creature could talk so fast. He finally paused, and actually stopped. A moment later, he repeated his last question, which had apparently been overlooked, “So, how was your day in comparison to mine?” He had spent at least thirty minutes talking at a hundred fifty words a second just describing his day.

“Errr, not nearly as interesting, I guess…” Link muttered.

“What Link means is… he shot a Fire Arrow at someone, intending to kill him, just because he kidnapped Romani.”

“Well, of course he did!” Saru declared, flexing his monkey tail. “He’s in love with her, he’s a guy, and guys are naturally protective by instinct.”

“Hmmm… I guess that makes sense, when you put it that way…”

Meanwhile, Tatl was busy convincing Romani that all male anythings were idiots, especially Link. Tatl would probably get along great with the Gerudo with that mentality.

“Then… it’s natural that I tried to kill a man…?”

“To protect what you cherish, yes!” The monkey released his grip of the roof, landing nimbly on the ground, and walked up to Link. “Only you can decide if your actions justify the ends. Just make sure the ends are worth whatever sacrifices you put people through with your actions.”

That Deku… Darmani… Mikau… They all paid such a heavy price for so long… “What about trapping souls to protect the world?”

“W-well, that’s getting a bit over my head, but… … Okay, admittedly, that one is way over my head. I think you should go apologize to Malon, though… She really needs some reassurance about WHY you did what you did.”

“Hmmm… Okay, thank you, Mr. Saru!” Link hurriedly ran off back to the road exiting the ranch.

“You realize something?”

“What?”

“You’re a marvel, Saru… I’m surprised you haven’t asked the Deku Princess out, yet.” Cherry ran off, chuckling, leaving the embarrassed Saru speechless.

This is probably why I enjoy hanging it with all of them… They’re the only ones who can get me to stop talking long enough to think! “Hoo-ha-hoo!”

Cherry and Link caught up with Tatl just to hear her say, “And another thing, Link is so stupid that he still wets himself!” Romani could no longer contain her laughter at that one.

“Tatl!! You promised you wouldn’t tell, you blonde fairy!!” Whatever in the Three Goddesses’ names you do, NEVER call Tatl a blonde. She will do worse to you than she did to Link.

Tatl charged hatefully into Link’s face and started yanking on his eyebrows. The healing fairy let out a sigh, knowing she was going to be asked to fix up whatever injuries resulted from this fight, too. Link swatted at the fairy, but only proceeded to hit himself. “As you can see, guys really are idiots, and Link is my prime example of such!” Link started flailing at Tatl, while Cherry just laughed, enjoying the silly fight. Most would think that Tatl was at a disadvantage, but not as bad as you would think.

A small stature just means she is hard to hit.

“Link, please stop.” Link halted his actions, and looked over to where Malon was. She was not enjoying the fight, not nearly as much as she had enjoyed gossiping about him.

Link looked down. “I’m sorry.” Cherry patted him on the back sympathetically.

“And now you see evidence that all guys are inferior… They melt before our whims so easily.”

“Tatl… Do you ever know how to be supportive of something?”

“Oh, right, and if you’re ever in danger again, Link will crush monsters taller than the Clock Tower to save you.”

Link’s head sank between his shoulders. It was true, but he did not want Tatl of all people to tell Romani that. After a few more insults from Tatl, Cherry and the healing fairy dragged her away, leaving Romani and Link alone once again, since the two Gorman brothers, who had been unmasked, had fled by then.

Romani looked over to Link’s face, the cheek was black and his eye was still red from her slap attack. “I’m sorry I hit you so hard…”

Link glanced over, smiling wide, “It’s okay.”

Romani leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “You’re so cute… and sweet… I-I think I love you.”

Link’s entire body tensed up. Being an orphan, he had never even heard a mother or father tell him that he or she loved him. He could not fully comprehend what they meant, but he certainly understood that it was a sign of extreme affection.

Mostly because of Romani kissing him on the cheek.

Link leaned over to Romani, giving her a gentle hug. “I… think I love you, too.” He said, smiling sweetly. They stayed at the entrance to the ranch, enjoying the night’s peace, at least, that is, until Cremia and Epona returned. Upon seeing Link, Epona took off at a steady gallop, and knocked the poor boy over, neighing happily.

Cremia eventually got the two into the wagon, and noticed how closely they were sitting. She was more clever than they would have suspected. Link still slept in the barn, of course, but the two fairies began to keep him company.

As the weeks rolled past, Romani noticed that Link’s age did not change, nor did his unwavering love for her, just as her unwavering love for him did not. But, because Link was an immortal child, one day, Romani would die. And Link would still be young.

Romani had to fix that.

The young, redheaded farm girl decided to join her big sister on one of their routine shipments of milk, the ranch’s main export and source of money, and ask the Great Fairy for guidance. The Great Fairy, upon being asked by the young girl, replied in an immaculate voice, “Child, that the two of you may be together, as the both of you see fit, one must age, or the other must choose to never age. The curse of immortality is great, however, and I would not wish it upon you or your man.” Romani blushed at Link being called her man, but she kept her dignity. “Bring him back with you in one week’s time, or come alone. This will ultimately decide your fates.”

As Romani and Cremia returned home, with Cremia’s horse leading the way, Romani pondered about what the Great Fairy had told her. What could this ‘curse’ of immortality the Great Fairy spoke about be…?

“… Okay, I give up.”

“Huh?”

“What are you thinking about? It’s obviously not Link, because of, well, obvious reasons, and… Just tell me already.”

“Oh… Just having a weird thought.” Romani gave her big sister a big smile.

“And what kind of ‘weird’ thought would that be?”

“Well, I was just thinking about immortality… What would be a bad thing about an immortal person?”

Cremia chuckled. “What could possibly get you to think about such a deep topic?”

Romani thought up a lie, quick and good, “The Giants; they’re immortals.”

Cremia knew her little sister was lying, but she humored Romani. “Well, I can think of one off the top of my head. You remember Grandma, who told us all those stories a long time ago?”

“Yeah…”

“Well, she mentioned the ‘curse’ of immortality once or twice, but you were very young at the time. I was about your age when I first heard of the curse, myself.”

“Wow, then is it a really bad curse?”

“Think about it… When you’re immortal and nobody else is, all your family, all your friends, they’ll all die at some point.”

But Link is immortal, so…

“That means if, say… you were to become immortal, I would grow old and die long before you would have the chance. Grog and the Dog Woman would also die while you were still a child. Everybody you ever met would die before you, and you would slowly grow mad. They say that’s what happened to the third King of Ikana.”

“What happened after he went mad…?”

“He… left. Never to be heard from again. Or so the tales say!” Cremia laughed as she patted her sister’s head. “Don’t try to think too hard on it, okay? You’ll hurt your head.”

“I will not! You’re the one thinking into all this too much!!” Cremia just chuckled and steered.

When they returned to the Ranch, the sisters went to sleep, since Link and his fairies already had. Romani pondered the question in her heart for the entire week, and waited until the day before to ask her sister if Link could also accompany her to Clock Town.

“Okay, but who would look after the Ranch?” her sister asked accusingly.

“Well, Link can take Epona, and be back before too long… He hasn’t left the Ranch in weeks, you know.”

Cremia let out an exasperated sigh. “I spoil you two far too much… Fine, he can come, but both Tatl and Cherry have to stay here, and see if they can bring some other fairies to look after the Ranch…”

“Thank you, big sister!!” Romani gave her sister a huge hug and went to go tell Link the news. He was enthusiastic for a change of scenery. So, the following morning, the three people left for Clock Town. Link rode atop Epona, his Hero’s Bow and Ice Arrows at the ready, while Cremia and Romani rode in the stagecoach with the milk, Romani ready with her own bow and Cremia steering as always. The ride from Romani Ranch to the east gate of Clock Town was uneventful, as was the passing into the North Section, and even into the Great Fairy’s Fountain.

It was when they tried calling on the Great Fairy that something went… horribly wrong.

Black ooze began to fill up the Great Fairy Spring, and a blood-stained wall rose up behind them. “Those that WOULD have sought immortality… must be punished for such a crime…” A slim, black figure rose up from the depths of the Great Fairy Spring. “And punished, you both will be…” The slim black figure grew arms and legs, equally slim, and was roughly seven feet tall, slowly growing bulkier every second or two.

Link drew his golden Gilded Kokiri Sword and Mirror Shield, stepping in front of Romani. “Keep behind me,” he whispered. The black figure stared with hateful eyes, drawing a long, black staff and claymore. Now would be a good time to still have the powers of the Keaton Warrior… Oh well.

Link charged forward, charging magic in his sword. The seven foot tall colossus smashed the ground, knocking Link off-balance, and dashed forward to strike. A rapid succession of arrows turned his skull into a black pin cushion, causing him to flinch, and giving Link enough time to regain his focus.

Link leapt up into the air and slammed into his opponent, ramming his sword into the black thing’s body, piercing emptiness. “You have no heart?!”

“That’s heartless of you to say.” The thing kneed Link, and then body slammed the boy into the ground. Romani let loose another flurry of arrows. “You’re starting to annoy me, girl.” The black humanoid threw Link across the room into a wall, where he then fell off and into the black ooze, and proceeded to charge towards Romani.

Romani’s eyes filled with fear as the large thing grasped her by the neck, easily picking her up off the ground. “Leave…”

The thing turned around to face Link.

“her…”

It was the thing’s turn to cower in fear. Link’s sword was glowing in a holy, emerald light.

“ALONE!!!!” Farore, guide me…

Link dashed forward, slashing at the monster’s arm, clearing it right off. It screeched in pain. “You?! Impossible!!”

Link did not speak. He simply continued to attack, but the thing had changed from a bulky monster into a slim, snake-like thing. Its tail gripped Link by the ankle and slammed him into the ceiling. Link slashed again, causing the tail to fall off, and fell into the ooze again. Link slashed at the ooze, and it fled from him, leaving him in a deep, well-like pit. He glanced up and a gust of wind pushed him back to the Dark.

“Child, burn in my undying hatred!!” The Dark shot dark blue flames all over the room, save for where Romani was. Link held his Mirror Shield out to protect himself. The tail of the Dark snake-like thing whipped Link across the back.

The glow faded instantly, and the ooze began to swamp him. “Wh-what the-?! Tatl! Cherry!”

“Hahahahahahahahaaaa! Child!!”

Link turned to the monster, his eyes filling with fear, but he did not let it consume him. He focused on his training, and tried to remember how to remain calm, no matter what.

“You are unworthy… as all others who have come here seeking immortality are…” It returned to its bulky, humanoid shape, and picked up Romani by her throat again. It slowly applied pressure, leaving a small circle in the ooze for Link to see Romani’s suffering. His eyes watered in sorrow, in hatred, in fear, in pain, in all sense of negativity imaginable.

Link, always remember… that the Keatons never abandon our own.

Link’s body erupted in a garnet energy. His Gilded Kokiri Sword and Mirror Shield were now sheathed, replaced by a katana as long as his arm. He wore a crimson kimono with sandals and face paint and had lost his hat in the transformation. He now had seven tails, and stood slightly taller than before. The black ooze evaporated as soon as it came within his energy field.  Link’s eyes were closed. “Let Romani go.”

“Hahahahhahahahahaaaaa! Just try and make me!!!”

Link dashed forward, slashing quickly, but to no avail. The demonic figure caught his hand and slammed him into a wall. Link kicked the Dark away, and slashed again. The Dark’s claw fell off, and Link dashed forward, leaping over its head as he slashed downwards, and then performed a Spin Attack on the opposite side of his enemy, glowing bright as a fairy.

“You underestimate the God of Darkness. Not the Goddess of Life or any other force in this world can save you.” The Dark turned around and broke Link’s hand with ease, laughing erratically at Link’s scream of pain. The last thing Link could see was Romani’s pale face as she was strangled to death by his other claw.

“I’m sorry…”

“Ho ho ho, and what of a force from another world…?”

At the sound of that rich, deep voice, everything suddenly filled with a white glow. And it began to snow. Link could feel it on his head.

“Hehe… Forget about me, old chap?”

“Keek Kokeku?! Even you cannot stop me now! The darkness in her heart has fed me fully!”

“Really now?” Link suddenly felt something grip him by the arm, and the dark claw of his enemy faded out of existence. Link collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. He managed to move his head so he could see the brown boots of a boy, and the green boots of a girl, and the face of his barely-living beloved.

“Umm, what exactly am I here for?” a girl’s voice asked.

The jolly, rich voice replied, “The Dark God must be ended permanently. And then Christmas may return here, to Termina.”

“Leave it to the two of us, big guy!” a young boy’s voice cheerily and confidently commanded.

Link blacked out.

When Link whited in, or returned to consciousness, he was standing on a green field. Two people were standing in front of him, and Romani was in his arms. The one on the right he recognized from his memories of Hyrule, though memories of him were vaguer than the taste of soap in your mouth after a month.

The Kokiri boy had short light brown hair partially hidden by a green triangular hat like Link’s, and a green fairy was hovering a few inches over his head. His emerald eyes shone in the evening twilight, and his long, pointed ears were glistening. He had a small, pointed nose and wore a wide grin. Around his neck, the Kokiri Emerald was hung on a brown string. The boy’s clothes, a tunic and a pair of shorts, were spring leaf green, and he wore a garnet belt with a golden, circular buckle with a spiraling pattern. The Kokiri wore boots cut off just above the ankles and folded over.

The one to the left, a young woman of maybe eighteen, and wore a red outfit. The redhead had short hair and orange eyes, as well as a scarlet cloth attached to her head by two heart-shaped hairpins. Her bright red cape was held around her shoulders by a pair of small, garnet, wing-like items on her back. She wore crimson green gloves that ended above her elbows. She wore a ruby red tunic and skirt with a black belt and a golden star buckle. The girl also wore soft red boots that went up past her knees.

The young woman was wielding a lance, and the Kokiri boy, “Wait, that’s my Koki-“

WHACK!!!!

“You were saying, idiot?” The Kokiri glared at Link, who probably would have internal bleeding, a hemorrhage or two, and a concussion after the smack he gave him.

“Josh…” He turned to the girl. WHACK!!!! Josh fell on the ground, a large bump on his head, and a tooth knocked loose.

“W-wait…” That was when Link noticed what was different about Josh. “Your left arm is missing!!”

“Bah, Santa’ll get me a new one for Christmas…”

And, once the two people from different worlds left, Romani and Link lived happily e’er after. With many Christmases, and Link’s immortality shattered, as well as his ability to transform into the Keaton Warrior.