As Link rode past the entrance to Romani Ranch, the darkness of the night sky broken by the light of the Moon, he reflected on what he was there to do. Romani, a new friend and reminder of a home Link had left behind, had asked for his help. “They” were coming. She couldn’t explain who They were, but her demeanor when speaking about them made it obvious how serious their arrival would be. She knew what they were coming for, and even though her sister Cremia thought her warnings were all make-believe, Romani would be ready to protect the ranch at all cost.
She knew this would not be easy, which is why she accepted Link’s help. He had proved that he was skilled with a bow, so that and Link’s courage and confidence were all the support she needed. These foul visitors were going down.
At the entrance to the barn, Link found Romani, who was already preparing for the creatures. She gave him the rundown of what he’ll need to do and of what to expect and set her brave assistant to stand guard over the barn. They would soon be here. All Link needed to do was wait for the lights.
The clock struck two, and as Romani had predicted, They appeared. They came in a bright and unsettling ball of light that moved quickly and in a purposeful pattern across the field, depositing its passengers as it moved. Now Link was able to catch a glimpse of his adversaries: Large beings, about as large as Gorons and dressed in bizarre robe-like garbs, began to advance toward the barn. They hovered in the air right off the ground, and their long, menacing arms extended out, prepared to take hold of their prizes. On their heads they wore large, sleek helmets. The only thing that could be seen through the helmets were their eyes: those bright, hollow, and haunting eyes. The light from their gazes was fixed on the barn, and they were drawing closer.
The scene would have been the stuff of nightmares for Link if Link wasn’t Link. But he was, which meant they were the ones in trouble. His mission now started, Link mounted Epona again and went to work.
He wasted no time in facing these new monsters. They were menacing, but their slow movement, their ignoring of Link’s presence, and their uncanny ability to die from a single arrow all meant that Link could cut their numbers down quickly and easily. That’s exactly what he did as Epona swiftly galloped through the fields, weaving between the creatures as Link took careful aim at each one with his bow. Things were looking good, but Link was not about to give them the chance to mount a counterattack.
With one last arrow, Link dropped the last of the invaders. He was far from wanting to complain about how easy it was, but he was still surprised by their lack of resistance. Perhaps he and Romani could celebrate early?
No such luck. As Link returned to the barn, what he saw confused and angered him. Nearing the barn were two lights. The lights of Their eyes. But he also saw two more lights, and then two more after that. He urged Epona to race to the barn with all the speed she could muster. These new lights were closer than ever, and he couldn’t let them get through. As he made his way back, he saw even more lights appear. That is when he realized what was happening.
Whether They were returning from the dead or more were coming to replace them, They were continually reappearing in the same spots they had initially landed. Their numbers were infinite.
This changed things. How would he stop them if they could keep coming back? He thought about it for a second and remembered something Romani had said earlier in the day. These beasts would disappear as soon as morning broke. This meant the only thing to be done was to keep them at bay for the next few hours. Link went from being an assassin to being crowd control in a matter of seconds.
It also meant the night would be a little longer for him, but Link put together a route and began his new “keep killing them until they stay dead” strategy. He and Epona continued rushing past the creatures, who still refused to acknowledge their green-clad foe. Link would shoot them all down, return to the barn, and then repeat the process once they began to return. It was a serious mission, but in a small way, it started to be like a game to Link.
Sometimes he’d switch his approach up a bit, opting to don his Bunny Hood so he could chase them down on foot. It was mostly a break in the routine, but Link probably did see the humor in a small child wearing bunny ears running up to a large monster and shooting point-blank in the face.
Things were once again looking good for Link, with the only enemy being the risk of running out of arrows. Luckily these creatures were apparently gluttons for punishments, as they would drop batches of arrows whenever they were defeated. At this point in his adventuring career, Link knew better than to question the oddity of it.
Time marched on, and Link, with his resolve and energy still high, watched as dawn crept over the hills and poured onto the fields of the ranch. They, being unable to depart without their bovine prizes, were caught in the welcoming lights of the morning and were burned to nothingness. There were no defiant returns this time. Link knew that victory was his, so he put away his bow and returned to the barn.
Romani met Link upon his return. She was elated with their defeat over Them and was equally happy for Link’s help. A reward was in order, so offered Link a large serving of the ranch’s second-finest batch of milk. The reward came in a brand-new bottle as well, which Link was actually happier to receive. Link would have helped her for nothing, but the show of appreciation was, well, appreciated.
With his mission over, it was time for Link to resume his mission to save the rest of Termina. He would have loved to stay on the ranch longer, but he knew his priorities. Besides, he still had his Ocarina of Time, which meant more time on this pasture paradise was only a few notes away.
Be sure to check out the rest of our articles from Majora’s Month, our month-long celebration of Majora’s Mask’s 20th anniversary!
