A million thanks to my readers and reviewers. You guys have convinced me to take this story farther so we've gone past the charecter sketch and developed (are you ready?) an actual plot! This may be the first fan fic I've managed to stick a plot to and I have to admit I'm rather excited about it. Thanks again everybody, for your reviews and tips and time taken to read this thing. So without further ado...

Chapter 2

Link had been gone nearly a week and no one in Ordon knew where he had vanished to. Though the towns people were now getting use to this new taciturn, enigmatic man- in the stead of the cheerful mischievous boy they had once known- many were still worried for his safety. This was ridiculous of course (they reassured themselves) Link was a great Hero, the best swordsman in Hyrule. He had entered and won countless battles, navigated the Twilight realm and defeated Ganondorf- surly there wasn't a thing in Hyrule that could put Link in imminent mortal danger. And they were essentially right; at no point during his incarceration in the dungeons of Hyrule castle was Link in danger of loosing his life.

Just his freedom, his identity and his heart.

But Link had been lucky (at least luck was what he was attributing it to, to avoid reliving that conversation with the princess in his mind) He crossed the Ordon bridge the fourth night after his capture, of his own free will, with nothing more then a warning from the guards that had escorted him. Ordering him to stay away from the castle unless otherwise summoned by the princess.

So Link reached his house the following morning tired, dirty, wary but otherwise the same as he had left it. He was still an Ordonian, still a Hero, still a goat herder who had plenty of work to make up for at the ranch, He was still hopelessly in love with Midna and the memory of the Mirror shattering was still causing him to wake up at night calling her name.

But now Link had a new problem.

Link of course had a great many problems- from sleepless nights, to ornery goats, to concerns presented to him by the citizens of Hyrule… to Ilia, who's interactions with him had moved far past merely friendly. Now it seemed Zelda was unwilling to let him live his life in peace.

Link sighed and dragged his fingers through his filthy, matted hair, his boots kicking up dust as he entered the clearing his house sat in. Zelda and her marriage proposal and that damned dungeon were the last things he wanted to think about right now. Thankful that Colin and the rest of the children (not to mention Ilia) had not noticed his return- they would want an explanation for his absence and Link wasn't quite sure what he wanted to tell them. All his plans consisted of right now were a bath and perhaps a hot meal before sleeping for at least a day or two.

Things seemed to go according to plan up until the sleeping part. Link had just finished his second bowl of soup (a recipe he had gotten from Yeto during his time in Snowpeak) when he heard a chorus of voices outside in the clearing.

"I told you he was back!"

"You've been saying that everyday for a week Beth!"

"Well I was still right!"

Link groaned, dropping his bowl on the table with a clatter wondering if they'd go away if he just ignored them. How had they found him so quickly? He'd only been home for an hour and a half at the most- just enough time to wash, change and start his dinner-

"Well any fool can see the smoke from the village!"

"Don't you dare call me a fool Talo!"

Link glanced at the fire, crackling merrily in the hearth, sending a steady stream of white smoke up through the chimney. Oh.

"Oh stop fighting you two. Link! Link are you there?"

No I'm not, Link thought looking around for an escape rout-wondering if they'd look in the cellar.

"Liiiiiinnnnnnkkkkk!"

Sorry kids, I'm not home. Link thought wryly, cursing himself for not putting a back door in this place. I've gone somewhere very, very far away on some heroic quest and won't be back for at least a week, so if you'll just check back then…

"I don't think he's there"

"Of course he's there, look at the smoke-"

"Stop it all of you!" Link gave a slight sigh of relief- it was Rusl- some sanity at last.

"Beth, Malo, Talo, go back to the village-"

Link made a mental note to thank Rusl profusely, immensely relieved that he wasn't going to be presented with a mob of noisy, questioning children.

"-and tell Mayor Bo that we're leaving within the hour."

We? Leaving for where?

"Colin get Epona and my horse from Ilia- bring my sword as well."

Link went from grateful to suspicious to wary in seconds and immediately started for the door. Rusl sounded unusually grim. Rather like he had sounding when Link had watched him leaving Ordon, bandaged and bruised, after the children had been kidnapped. Just what had been going on during the last few days?

Just as his fingers brushed the doorknob Rusl wrenched it open- looking far worse then grim- he was pale and there was a fresh bandage on his forehead.

"Link- you're here!" He stepped into the kitchen and shut the door as Link moved aside. "Why didn't you answer?" Link felt a wave of guilt that made him feel like a selfish kid again, but didn't quite surpass his worry.

"I was-asleep." Link lied quickly. "I just got back an hour or so ago- Rusl what happened to you?" Rusl just shook his head and grabbed the Ordon Sword from its place by the door and shoved it into Link's hands.

"No time," Link took the sword and automatically went to the basement ladder dissapearing into the gloom in search of the large wardrobe that contained all the weaponry he had acquired during his journeys. Rusl followed him to the ladder talking fast. "You'll want your bow, that ball and chain and as many bombs as you can carry- anything you can use from horseback- but we need to travel fast-"

"Where to?" Link asked-his voice tight as he clambered back up the ladder- fully armed now with his sword, shield, bow and quiver. Everything else was stashed away in the two saddlebags slung over his shoulders- including two bottles of sparkling pink liquid- all that remained from his last battle with Ganondorf. Distractedly Link wondered if they'd be passing anywhere near the Great Fairy in the Gerudo Mesa.

"Kakariko."

Thinking of Ranado, Luda and the other inhabitance who had slowly begun to populate the small mountain village cut off from the castle and defenseless, Link began climb faster. Rusl had taken the bags from him allowing him to climb through the trapdoor unburdened and he was silent and anxious now. Link caught his eye as he handed the bags back and was startled at what he saw-

Rusl was terrified.

Link felt a deep chill of dread descend over his body- he didn't want to ask but the words had already sprung to his lips.

"What are we up against?"

Rusl swallowed, one hand moving up to nervously fix the bandage on his brow. He seemed to ponder his words carefully before speaking-or perhaps he was trying to work a tremor our of his voice.

"Eldin." he said finally.

Link had been expecting giant Kargaroks- an army of Redeads- maybe King Bulbin- or a murderous dragon at most…but Eldin?

Link was struggling to find his voice. "Eldin?" He managed finally. "The Gaurdian of Light?"

Rusl nodded. "Ashei and some men from her village are holed up in the Kakariko keeping it from escaping into Hyrule field- I was there for awhile but it was getting bad so I came for you. We- ah- we sent word up to the castle about five days ago but I don't think they made it- no help has come."

Link's mind was whirling with roughly a thousand questions but a shout from the clearing stopped him. Rusl wordlessly led the way to the door, Link a half a step behind him. Colin was in the clearing holding the reins of a fully tacked Epona in one had and Rusl's gray warhorse's in the other. Both men were down the ladder and on the ground in an instant, Link grasped Colin's shoulder briefly murmured a goodbye and swung up on Epona. Rusl laid a hand on his son's shoulder and took his horse from him, Link turned Epona and stood back a ways- leaving Rusl to say goodbye to his son.

"Take care of your mother and sister, ay son?" said Rusl. Colin-who was a far cry from the timid little boy he once had been- looked pale and afraid but he voice was steady.

"Can't I come too papa?"

Link watched as Rusl's shoulders gave a convulsive twitch, he drew Colin in for a swift hug and shook his head. "No-next time maybe." He took a deep shaky breath, released his son and swung up on the gray stallion. "Now go home to your mother-tell her not to worry, I'll-" Link saw the look in his eyes and felt a new wave of fear.

"Tell her I'll be home soon."

He didn't expect to come home. Link realized this as clearly as if Rusl had said it aloud. Hopefully Colin didn't see the same thing. Link swallowed, throat suddenly dry- this should not be happening. He and Midna had spent two days freeing Eldin's tears of light from the Dark Insects. Eldin himself had aided them on their quest to find the Fused Shadows and destroy Zant- why was the spirit suddenly attacking the people he had once protected?

And more importantly how were they going to stop him?

Rusl kicked his horse into a gallop and flew down the trail towards Faron woods and Hyrule field, Link and Epona following at their heels. The chestnut mare was restless as they passed Ordon spring-she tossed her head and whinnied plaintively- shying as far from the water as possible. Rusl's stallion suddenly balked in front of them and both horses came to a complete stop nearly sending their riders flying.

"Damn it!" Link growled grabbing the cantle of his saddle for support. "Whoa Epona!" Link shouted, hauling on the reigns as she attempted to bolt.

"What the hell is wrong with them?" Rusl gasped struggling to reign his horse in as well. "Easy Sheikah, easy!"

"I don't know." Link said finally bringing Epona to a standstill, she pranced under him tossing her head at the spring. Link followed her gaze looking at the calm, glowing spring-

Then saw it.

Ordona; the giant glowing goat-spirit was watching them from the midst of its pool. It watched them with silently for a moment then reared- tossing its head and bellowing as if in unimaginable pain. A sickly orange-red glow encased it for a second but the light spirit shuddered-calling its full power and shattered what had been trying to encase it- what Link recognized as twilight. Rusl had seen it as well and though he did not recognize the Twilight as Link did he seemed equally awed. Sheikah and Epona were snorting and pawing, obviously afraid but, like their masters, unwilling or unable to move.

Ordona had crumpled to the ground and looked up at them now pleadingly- a red glow seemed to be pulsing in his head- giving his eyes an eerie Twili-like glow.

"Please…noble hero…get my…people…out…before it takes…me…as it did…my brother…"

Then, as suddenly as he had appeared Ordona was gone.

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I'm eliminating the cave of ordeals for the time being if anyone was curious about the great fairy reference- it seems too convenient to have an unlimited supply of great fairy tears at Link's desposal. I'm hoping Rusl didn't come across as being too wimpy-he's not really- just in way way over his head- remember he's got a family to worry about. I was origanally going to include Ilia in this chapter purely for Link's embaressment (insert evil grin here) but it turned quite serious very very fast. She'll be around to make things complicated for our favorit goat hearder soon enough- as will Zelda. For those of you who are thinking i've forgotten Midna, don't worry, she's just biding her time. (I won't promise it but we may get a Midna v.s Zelda bitchfest in the furture)

Reviews still make me happy (Link too.)