Medli swerved around, using her wings to make a tight spiral. She was coming home, and she was different. Her adventures with Link had made her an expert flier, curving spirals was a piece of cake.

Medli's small shoes made a small tap as she landed on the mountain. She looked at Valoo, who was right in front of her now. He smiled, and Medli sighed. She was home.

Medli smiled and took off, spotting a rito on the horizon. She flew slowly over, and saw that it was Prince Komali. He flew well, but had his head down in sadness. Medli flew silently in a turn, until she was a few feet behind him.

"what's up?" Medli said happily. Komali almost fell out of the air at that voice. He turned, did a double take, rubbed his eyes, and screeched, "MEDLI!". He went flying up to her at full speed, smashing into her and turning them over and over.

Medli didn't care though, even when they began to fall. She simply spread her wings like a parachute, and they floated down softly.

"it's really you!" Komali cried as they landed. He huged her, and Medli hugged back. "come on, we have to tell the others!". Komali took off suddenly, pulling on Medli. She laughed and flew with him, flying to the entrance.

"what are you talking about?" the chieftan was talking sharply to Poot, a rito that Medli recognized. "I'm telling you, Medli's back!" Poot cried.

"he's not lying!" Komali screeched, and everyone looked over to him. They all saw Medli and everything stopped. It was silent, dead silent as they all looked at Medli.

The first thing they noticed were Medli's blood-stained clothes. Her wings were worn out, and her shoes frayed. Medli had cuts on her arms that had not been bandaged and were very visible. Her entire right leg was covered in a bandage.

Medli's hair was still in the same pony-tail, the band very frayed. Some of her hair had fallen out though, and was leaning over her face. But the main thing everyone was looking at were her eyes.

Medli's red eyes now seemed blood-stained, but the look in them was the same happines, yet totally different. They were changed, hardened, as if by battle.

Finally, there was a gasp. Quil had just walked in and spotted Medli. Medli's eyes filled with tears, and they began streaming down her cheeks as she raced over to him, yelling, "father!".

When Medli embraced her father in a giant hug, and he held her tight, the cheers began. The ritos all grouped around her, trying to see her. It was a mob, and Komali began a series of flips in the air above them, all the while "whooping".

When the crowd finally settled down, they asked Medli to play for them. She nodded, and flew out, and they followed her to the cliff she had practiced on since she was young.

Medli took her harp off her back, struck the first note, and everyone was silenced.

Medli began to play the first song she ever learned, called 'First Flight'. She had a special connection to it, since it had been Komali's grandmother who had taught it to her.

Madli then played her newest song, the Earth God's Aura. Next came 'Soar Like A Rito' and then 'Sweet Morning'. It was an entire show of old and new sonfgs, all swirled together in one big preformance.

When the day began to dissapear, the rito all nodded and began to fly in. Komali tried to get to Medli, but she was to packed in by others. Medli wasn't exactly comfotable, though.

The crowd was beginning to push on her, and Medli tried to keep a smile, but failed. Swiftly and silently, Medli slipped down. Using her wings to navigate as she went down, she managed to slide a bit to the left. Then, she wheeled forward in an enormous power thrust.

After all that stuff with Link, Medli almost never had trouble with her wings. But she had grown stronger, and her thrust had been so strong it had thrown her off balance. Yet she went spinning and giggling towards Valoo.

When she reached Valoo, she landed in his ditch at the top of the mountain. Valoo spoke to her, in ancient Hylain of course, but she understood.

"young Medli" Valoo began, "were the crowds too much for you?". Medli nodded, and spoke back in hylain as well.

"I am so happy to be back with them, but..." Medli trailed off. "but what?" Valoo asked.

"but I am not used to such a crowd" Medli sighed, "I am only an attendant". "but you are not simply an attendant" Valoo responded, "you are the sage of earth".

Tears were in Medli's eyes as she nodded, "yes, and I wish to see Link more than anything". She wiped the tear from her eye, "I don't know what happened to him. I mean, obviously he saved the Great Sea, but I want to know if he's all right...".

"what does that mean?" Komali asked. Medli jumped and looked over to him. Like everyone else would have, Komali had heard "shummuthon samet mameluco yanac odisan".

"the others wondered where you were and sent me to find you" Komali continued.

"well, Komali, I wonder if the others will let me sleep here tonight, and you too. would you let them know?". Komali nodded, suprised at this request. But he flew off anyway, and Valoo said his final thing to Medli.

"you know, if you really want to see Link, I'm sure your father will tell you where he lives. You can go tomarrow".

"they said yes!" Komali cried out as soon as he got back. Medli smiled and asked Komali, "would you like to see Link tomarrow?". Komali's eyes lit up and began to nod like crazy.

Medli laughed and said, "well then, let's get some sleep". Medli and Komali cast one last happy look at each other and lay down, folding their wings around them.

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author's notes: yay! I'm happy, and I've got a good story going. Next chapter is the journey of the two to Outset. R&R, people!