Hello again! Okay, I need to thank those people who reviewed: adrenalinerush97, Link Zelda Lover, Pegasus6644 (whom I will call), and sippurp123. You guys ROCK! Thanks so much, it really boosted my morale :) And, adrenalinerush97, you're absolutely right. It's very hard to keep Link voiceless ;D Enjoy Chapter two!

Chapter Two: Welcome Home

Link stood gazing after Zelda for a few minutes, even after she had disappeared behind the doors leading into Castle Town. His heart was racing, and he couldn't get her smiling face out of his mind. But finally, he tore his eyes away from the spot she had walked away, and mounted Epona easily. He could still smell Zelda's signature aroma floating around him and Epona, and he breathed the air in deeply. Then, he tried not to think about the fact that he wouldn't see her for a while. Even a few days for Link would seem like forever.

With a heavy sigh, Link nudged Epona into a canter and let himself bounce in the saddle, the wind whistling in his keen ears. Before Ordon, he needed to pick up Ilia from Kakariko Village, where she was still situated with Renado and his daughter, Luda. He found himself excited to see Renado and Luda, but he was more anxious for his reunion with Ilia. He was surprised at how much he'd missed her. Her piercing green eyes appeared in his mind as he rode, her cheery laugh echoing in his ears. Link chuckled quietly to himself when he thought about all the times she'd stolen Epona, and then came the aching remembrance of Ilia losing her memory. Frankly, it had been a harder time for Link than it had been for Ilia. He remembered how awful it had been when he'd introduced himself, and she hadn't even recalled his name vaguely…

But now those times were over, and Ilia was back to normal and ready to return to Ordon with him and Epona. She was undoubtedly waiting for them, and that thought simply made Link speed up and push his dutiful horse into a gallop. Finally, he began to feel the heat of the Kakariko Village breeze, and the fog emanating from Death Mountain. The nostalgia was becoming overwhelming for Link, especially when he remembered his times with Midna here.

"Link! Welcome." Renado came to greet him as soon as he entered, and Link smiled joyfully as he dismounted Epona. The large shaman pulled Link into a great bear hug, and Link was afraid that his ribcage might just break. "We've been expecting you, brave hero."

Epona waded into the spring, neighing contently.

"I see that Epona's doing well. That's good to know." Renado chuckled, putting his hand on Link's back. "Come, come inside. Ilia is just getting all of her things packed, and I'm sure Luda will be glad to see you. Epona will be fine out here. The Gorons will make sure to keep an eye on her." Renado winked, tilting his head towards the large orange creatures. The Gorons looked over, their large eyes blinking at the sight of their patriarch's rescuer. Link lifted a hand in greeting before following Renado into his torch-lit house.

Link welcomed the comfort of the house, remembering all of the time he spent here. As soon as he walked in, he saw Ilia packing a small sack with her items, and young Luda was aiding at her side. They jerked their heads up at the sound of the closing door, and Link felt his heart soar at the sight of her beaming face. Ilia had been his best friend since childhood.

"Link!" Luda and Ilia both cried happily as they jumped up to welcome him. He smiled widely and waved. But that obviously wasn't enough for Ilia, and she jumped into his arms excitedly. Luda stood quietly, watching the heart-warming reunion beside her father. Link became worried that he was going to suffocate while Ilia crushed him in her tight embrace.

"I've missed you!" She exclaimed excitedly, pulling away and smiling from ear to ear. He nodded with a grin, assuring her that he had also missed her… a lot. He loved Ilia; she was like a very close sister to him, even though sometimes she got on his nerves (like when she stole Epona every now and again).

"Hi, Link!" Luda stepped forward. Link knelt onto the ground and ruffled her short black bob, provoking a cute giggle. When he stood back up, he remembered something, and started scanning the large room curiously.

"If you're looking for Shad, he went back to Castle Town." Ilia read his mind like only she could. "He said something about Oocca research, since that strange owl statue in the basement wasn't doing anything for him. Then again, he's always talking about Oocca and the sky." She shrugged with a giggle. Link laughed along with her, now realizing where his friend had gone. And then he remembered something else, but this time, Renado answered his question before he even asked it.

"Gor Coron and Darbus have gone back up to Death Mountain to take care of some important issues in the Mines, and out of the goodness of their hearts, they took the Ordonian children with them back to Ordon. Ilia here wouldn't leave until she knew you were coming." At this, Ilia blushed. "They wouldn't tell us why they were leaving, but left very urgently and suddenly." He shrugged, referring to the Goron patriarch Darbus and his second in hand. Link now understood.

He looked to Ilia, giving her a questioning look and gesturing towards her bags.

"Oh, yes, I'm ready." She nodded, hurriedly grabbing the pack and putting some last minute jewelry inside it. "I can't wait to get to Ordon!" Link truly appreciated her constantly high spirits and beaming smile. She was always so energetic, whether she was happy or angry. "Is there anything you need? Anything you wish me to get you for your journey?" Renado asked kindly, and Link shook his head appreciatively and then looked to Ilia.

"No, thank you Renado. I think we're fine." She glanced at Link, who tried to suppress a smile.

"Bye, Ilia." Luda ran up to them and gave Ilia a hug. "Tell Beth, Talo, Malo, and Colin that I said hi."

"I will, Luda, for sure. And I'll come and visit you all the time!" Ilia reassured. The little girl smiled excitedly.

"Thanks, Ilia. Bye, Link!" It was now his turn for a hug from the shaman's adorable daughter.

"Now you two better be on your way before it gets dark outside. We don't want any monsters coming after you." Renado suggested. Link nodded understandingly, and Ilia gasped.

"M-monsters?" At this, Renado and Link both burst into laughter.

"Ilia, I'm positive that even if monsters do appear, you have nothing to worry about." Renado continued. Ilia only whined softly. "This young hero right here is sure to keep you safe." Link blushed modestly.

"Okay…" She seemed unconvinced. "Let's just go."

After Link had safely secured all of Ilia's belongings onto Epona's saddle, he lifted her up and then mounted himself. Epona whinnied happily, welcoming Ilia, who laughed and patted the horse affectionately. As Epona walked towards the entrance to Hyrule Field, Link and Ilia glanced back at waved at all of the people seeing them off: Renado, Luda, Barnes, and all of the Gorons. Then, as soon as they had reentered Link's life, they were out of sight.

On the short way to Ordon, Link and Ilia saw the sun setting. She instinctively wrapped her arms tightly around him, and he tried to reassure her that no monsters were going to come out and eat her face, which was her biggest fear. Link didn't say anything, but it struck him as extremely hilarious. Eventually, she managed to calm herself down enough to tell Link about her time in Kakariko. He listened intently, giving Ilia his full attention. Link, being a relatively quiet person, didn't say much. But Ilia was expecting this. Then, she said something that caught Link completely off-guard.

"Link, you broke a promise." She said. He looked at her with a concerned expression, wondering which promise he had managed to break this time.

"Back at the spring in Ordon, you promised me that you wouldn't do anything out of your league. You definitely did something out of your league in saving Hyrule." She teased.

He rolled his eyes in play annoyance and nudged her with his shoulder.

"I also heard that you, um," She paused awkwardly. "You met Princess Zelda."

Link sucked in a nervous breath, and nodded slowly.

"Is she nice and beautiful like everyone says? You would be a good judge of that."

"If it weren't for Zelda, I would never have saved Hyrule." He said quietly but honestly.

"Really? I never imagined a princess could be that brave. And I never imagined she could help you like that." Ilia shrugged. Link could tell that she was holding something back. But she dropped the subject, glancing down and playing with her fingers. Link couldn't see her expression, but he knew it wasn't happy. He just didn't understand why, though it was pretty obvious…

"WELCOME HOME, LINK AND ILIA!" Everyone of the village was rounded up at the entrance of Ordon, and as soon as Link and Ilia walked in on Epona, they erupted into their heartfelt welcome. The two of them laughed merrily at this sight; Epona bobbed her head and whinnied passionately. Mayor Bo, Ilia's father, held a crudely made banner that read the words: WELCOME HOME!

And beside the messy words was a slightly frightening smiley face that had no doubt been drawn by Beth. The rest was a blur to Link. He just remembered hugs, kisses, greetings… more hugs. The little kids crowded around him and Ilia, asking them so many questions about their journey and how Hyrule had been saved. Then the adults turned to them, making sure they were all okay and healthy and didn't need any medical attention.

Suddenly, Link noticed a new member of the Ordon family. A gasp escaped his lips, and his face became flustered as he stepped forward. For there, in Colin's mother's arms, was a newborn baby. A beautiful baby girl, and she was Colin's new little sister.

"Welcome home, Link!" She used one arm to pull him into a hug, using her other arm to carry the baby. He returned the hug, and then gave her an amazed look as he glanced at the gurgling baby. "Isn't she beautiful? Her name is Celia." She gazed at her baby dreamily, rocking her back and forth.

Link smiled, blushing at this miracle of life. He stroked the baby's cheek, and she wrapped her entire hand around his index finger. Her large blue eyes widened and narrowed intermittently as she examined this strange creation that happened to be Link's finger. The baby reminded him that he needed to appreciate the little things in life, like the fact that people who loved him surrounded him and he had an amazing life. Little did he know that all that something drastic was going to change that in a few hours.

Back in his house, Link reminisced in the comfort that it offered. Everything was just where he had left it. Even the treasure chest that had held his first wooden sword still stood, wide open and empty. He climbed the ladder to the second floor, and simply to pass the time, began examining the pictures hanging on his wall. There was one of Epona, one of Talo, Malo, Colin, and Beth, one of Fado and the goats, and one of Link and Ilia standing beside each other…

"Link?" A knock came on the door downstairs, and Link hastily jumped down to open it. There, standing before him, was Ilia. There was a strange, anxious expression on her adorable face. He smiled welcomingly and gestured for her to come in. She shook her head, nervously looking down at her clasped hands.

"Actually, I was wondering if you'd like to take a walk in the forest with me. All of the monsters are gone, and I want to talk to you." She asked. Link nodded, stepping outside with her. They climbed down the ladder, and Epona whinnied at the sight of them. Link began to untie her reins, but Ilia touched his shoulder with a shake of her head.

"Just the two of us… no Epona."

They walked in silence past the spring, and Link heard an eerie howling in his ear as he passed the spring. It worried him.

I know there's a light spirit there… He thought to himself. But I've only heard spirits make that noise when the Insects of Darkness had stolen their light… He tried to shrug it off and put in the back of his mind, but a small voice was screaming at him in the back of his mind.

As they were crossing the bridge, Ilia slowed down and grabbed Link's hand to stop him. For a moment everything was still, and they swayed slightly on the rickety bridge. He looked over at her with a caring smile, sensing that there was something wrong in her world. And he couldn't bear to see any of his friends upset, especially Ilia.

"Link, I…" She looked up, and there were tears running down her cheeks. He worriedly put his hands on her face and wiped the tears away, giving her a compassionate expression. Ilia sniffled, lifting his hands and putting them in hers. "I honestly never thought this could happen, but… I love you."

Since this is such a cliffhanger, even if I don't get as many reviews that I'd like, I'll post the third chapter as soon as I can. But please... review! I'd like some constructive criticism. THANKS PEOPLE! I LOVE YOU 3