I'm a fast updater, aren't I? Haha well it's only because school starts on Tuesday, so I want to get a lot of chapters in before I start! Because then I won't be updating as much. Maybe once or twice a week.. anyway, I think I'm warming up to the whole Link talking thing. It's not so bad anymore... Haha. And thanks everybody for giving me the advice and encouragement! I appreciate it! Enjoy chapter thirty! :)

Chapter Thirty: An Invisible Temper

LINK POV

By the time Epona trotted up to the entrance of Kakariko Village, Link was certain that he had gotten the guardians off their trail. For at least an hour, while Zelda had been dreaming, he'd galloped all over Hyrule Field, weaving expertly through the paths he knew so well and making sure to get away from the creatures. There was no way they could find him now, and he let himself feel relieved for the time being.

Epona whinnied happily, recognizing the small town she was entering. Link smiled, glancing at his surroundings. Zelda sat up, leaving her spot in his arms, and also examined Kakariko Village. It seemed just like every other day, with its unusual orange dirt and misty atmosphere. It was the same atmosphere that Link loved and felt so comfortable in. Zelda took a deep breath when her eyes fell on Renado's inn, where Ilia was residing. Link tried to read her expression, but it was impossible. Zelda was the master at hiding her inner feelings, but Link was a close second…

With a satisfied pull on the reins, Link forced Epona to a stop near Eldin's spring, and he felt his stomach flutter anxiously. He was excited to finally see Ilia again and make sure that she was okay; it had only been a few days, but it felt like months since he'd last seen her. And she needed him now more than ever. Plus, there was something he needed to talk to her about; it was about his reward. She was the only one that he could trust with that conversation, and he was more than eager to finally discuss it.

After he dismounted, Link helped Zelda down, and then patted Epona's neck appreciatively. With one last neigh, Epona dipped her nose into the spring and began drinking thirstily, provoking chuckles from Link and Zelda. Then, he weaved his fingers through hers and began cautiously leading her toward Renado's house. Though he was anxious to see his best friend, he was nervous about how she and Zelda would react. He knew that Zelda would be civil and polite, but he wasn't so sure about Ilia. Her temper could be quite fiery at times, especially when she was jealous.

Link tried to get the fact that Ilia loved him out of his head. She had told him, straight to his face, and now he was struggling to hide his reaction to it. He was quite astonished and, frankly, Link was horrified. He didn't want to hurt her feelings, and telling her about the reward would surely do so. Anything that he said having to do with Zelda was sure to make her angry, but Link had no choice. Ilia was the only one he trusted…

"You seem a bit tense," Zelda noticed when he paused in front of the door. He swallowed, clearing his throat. There was no point in hiding it from her. "You'll be fine. I'm sure Ilia will be happy to see you."

Zelda didn't know it, but that wasn't what Link was worried about.

"Come on, she's waiting for you." Zelda kissed his cheek, urging him toward the door. With a heavy sigh, Link lifted his fist and hesitantly knocked on the door. Then, he braced himself for high-pitched screaming.

"Yes?" Renado opened the door, but his voice was low and forlorn. There was a dismal look on his gaunt, shadowed face, as if he hadn't slept in two days. But his face lit up a bit at the sight of Zelda and Link before him. "Link! P-Princess Zelda!"

"Hello, Renado," Zelda replied, smiling sweetly.

"I'm so glad you're here! Poor Ilia has been waiting for you," he continued, beaming. But then, after a dreary sigh, his face fell once more. Link felt a pang of guilt run through his body. "But none of the people who are sick are getting any better. And I've tried everything."

"Don't worry," Zelda put a hand on his shoulder comfortingly. "We're working on it. They'll be fine."

"I trust you, Princess," Renado nodded, smiling in a strained fashion. Then, he stepped aside. "Please, come in!"

With grateful smiles, they walked into the inn, hand in hand. Renado closed the door, and Link took a deep, cleansing breath, closing his eyes as he was welcomed into the warm house. Throughout his journey with Midna, he'd come in here so many times. The fire was still burning beautifully, and Link saw Zelda smiling out of the corner of his eye.

"Dinner is soon," Renado said.

At the mention of food, Link felt drool appear at the side of his mouth. Zelda sucked in a breath, and then he heard his own stomach growling. Food sounded appealing at that moment…

"EEEK!" The squeal caught Link completely by surprise, and he jumped backwards with wide eyes. In another moment, Ilia came sprinting down the stairs and collided with him harshly, wrapping her arms around his neck. "You actually came! You do care!"

Link laughed at her outburst, returning the embrace with flushed cheeks. His heart was still beating ten times faster than normal, and when Ilia pulled away, there was a wide grin on her face, and those green eyes were shining brighter than usual. Link resisted the urge to cringe when he saw red rising to her cheeks.

"I missed you!"

I've only been gone for like two days.

Then, without warning, Ilia planted a big fat kiss right on his lips. He blinked in surprise, becoming tense and reflexively resistant. Ilia only smiled, still squealing quietly. Link, glancing at Zelda from the corner of his eye, saw her face take on a slightly angry expression. Her face turned tomato red, and he could tell that her teeth were clenched as she glared at Ilia with furious eyes. Though he tried to hide it, it actually made Link… happy.

"Hello again, Ilia. I see your arm is feeling better," Zelda plastered a smile on her face; Link could tell that it was fake. He found himself suppressing laughter. Ilia's arm was, in fact, much better. It was bandaged, but she was moving it perfectly, and it seemed to be almost completely healed.

"Hi, Princess!" Ilia greeted, waving excitedly. "Yes, I'm feeling much better, thank you!"

There was the Ilia that Link knew and loved. But when she wasn't looking, he wiped his lips on his sleeve.

"I'm glad…" Zelda took a deep breath, and Link was still trying not to laugh.

"I'm so happy that you guys came! I've been so lonely," Ilia pouts, and Link smiles with a nod. "And the people here are getting so sick; it's worrying me. Poor Luda won't eat or drink anything, and Barnes has been sleeping for the past two days straight. Things are going from bad to worse."

Her face became shadowed and sad, and Link comfortingly put his hand on her shoulder. She smiled at him, her face still bright red.

"But things will get better now that you're here," she said, batting her eyelashes and staring at Link flirtatiously. He chuckled uneasily, looking away with an unnoticeable roll of his eyes. This time, it was Zelda's turn to hold in the giggles.

"Dinner's ready!" Renado called, placing a hot pot of soup on the wooden table on the far side of the room.

"Ooh, yay! I'm starving!" Ilia clapped her hands, and then ran to the table. Zelda glanced at Link with a coy smile, and he sighed heavily. Ilia was always energetic and happy, but he'd never seen her this enthusiastic. Something was up…

"Sit, enjoy," Renado smiled, gesturing welcomingly as the four of them sat at the table. At first, Link and Zelda acted as polite as possible while drinking their soup.

"Oh, I know you guys are starving. Dig in. Don't even worry about being polite," Ilia rolled her eyes. Hesitantly, Zelda and Link looked at each other… and then they started eating like pigs. They let themselves slurp, they ate faster than they'd ever eaten before, and they didn't bother wiping their mouths until after the entire bowl of soup was empty.

After their ravenous inhaling, they nervously glanced up. Renado and Ilia were staring at them with blank expressions, blinking. They hadn't even touched their food.

"Uh," Renado licked his lips, smiling a bit. Then, he held out the pot to them. "Seconds?"

"You're…going…to…what?" Ilia screamed, in a rage. She and Link were sitting in a room upstairs, alone, while Zelda and Renado were conversing downstairs. Link had just revealed the reward he was going to ask of Zelda, and Ilia wasn't taking it well.

Link opened his mouth, but Ilia's screams once again interrupted him.

"How could you even think about doing this?" He saw the tears welling up in her eyes, and felt guilty. But she was the only person he could talk to about this. "Why are you doing this? It's a huge mistake!"

"I…"

"You're being an idiot! Think this through, Link!" Ilia stood up from the bed, throwing her arms up. Link flinched, wondering why he hadn't been expecting this from her. "This isn't really a reward you should be asking of somebody… especially not her!" Ilia glared out the door with disdain, referring to Princess Zelda. At those words, Link was starting to get irritated himself. Ilia barely knew Zelda to be speaking of her like this, and he furrowed his brow.

"This is stupid." Ilia spat, crossing her arms across her chest.

"I love her." Link stated bluntly, standing up as well. Ilia looked as if she'd just been slapped harshly across the face, and he felt guilty. But he knew that it needed to be said. A tear rolled down Ilia's beat red face.

"I was so excited to see you," she sniffled. "And now everything is ruined."

"Ilia—"

"Link, I love you! I can never stop thinking about you; I want to be with you every second of every day! And every time I see you with her, my heart breaks a little bit more…" Ilia confessed. Link stepped forward, putting his hands on her arms. She sniffled again, looking up at him.

"That's how I feel about her," he replied. Ilia whimpered quietly, letting the tears become more abundant.

"If you had just stayed at Ordon like I wanted, none of this would've happened!" she shrieked, stepping away from Link furiously. "This is all her fault!" she pointed accusingly out the door.

She was getting on Link's last nerve.

"I thought I could trust you," he murmured dangerously as he narrowed his eyes. Ilia straightened up, taking on a haughty expression.

"Well I guess both of us got let down," she said evenly. Link just stared at her blankly, struggling not to blow up in her face. He should've never said anything. He should've known that Ilia would lash out like this.

When she said those words, he shook his head in shame. Ilia turned away, but seemed to be calming down.

"You can't do this to me, Link," she whispered.

That threw Link over the edge.

"I'm not doing anything to you! It's not my fault that I don't love you! Get it through your thick head!" he screamed, making animated hand gestures. "I'm not in love with you, Ilia, and I never will be!"

Ilia was astonished. Her jaw dropped as she stared at him with wide eyes. Link had never in his entire life lost his temper; it had practically been invisible, and he had never screamed at anybody like this. It was the first time his silky voice had ever risen, but Ilia had been dancing on his last nerve with her unfair accusations.

"I'm in love with Zelda, okay?" he raised his eyebrows. "Princess Zelda is the girl I love, not you! And I thought I could trust you with that information! I came to you for advice and encouragement, not for you to reprimand me! That's not what best friends are for!"

Steaming, Link stormed to the door and threw it open. He looked back at her one last time.

"At least now I know what traitors are for."

Then he slammed the door in Ilia's face.

ZELDA POV

"Renado, I really—" Zelda's words were interrupted by the unexpected sound of screaming coming from upstairs, where Link and Ilia were. They both turned their heads with confused expressions, trying to make out the words. From downstairs, Zelda couldn't tell if it was Link or Ilia screaming, but she doubted it was Link. He barely even spoke in the first place, yet he was still unbelievably charming and intriguing. Just thinking about it made her cheeks flush.

"What in the name of Farore?" Renado scratched his head, scrutinizing the closed door of the upstairs room. "What could be going on up there?"

Zelda and Renado heard more screaming.

"It doesn't sound good," Zelda shook her head with a concerned expression. "Perhaps we should go see…?"

Before Renado or Zelda had a chance to even step toward the stairs, Link came storming out of the room, slamming the door angrily behind him. Zelda jumped slightly at the loud sound of the door, and her eyes widened at the sight of Link emerging. His face was as red as a tomato, his eyes bloodshot and narrowed dangerously. His hands were clenched into tight, angry fists, and his nostrils were flaring furiously as he ran down the stairs. Zelda wouldn't be surprised if she saw steam coming from his ears.

"Link? Is everything okay, my son?" Renado asked with evident concern as Link stomped past them. He grumbled, nodding, but walked past them without a single glance. Zelda furrowed her brow, reaching out for his arm. But as she grabbed it, he glared at her and pulled away harshly, surprising the princess. She opened her mouth to call his name, but nothing came out.

Link left the inn without a word, closing the door loudly. Zelda was in slight shock. Never had she seen Link in this state. In fact, she'd barely ever seen him angry. Well, except for the time when he realized Ilia had stolen Epona, but it had been a momentary frustration. This seemed different. Even though Zelda could usually easily hide her feelings, she couldn't help but stare after him sadly, with tears at the brim of her eyes. It astounded her that he was acting this way, and most of all, it hurt her.

"Dear, what happened?" Renado sighed, tilting his head curiously. Zelda rolled her eyes in frustration, exhaling deeply. Then she shook her head while crossing her arms across her chest. "I've never seen him this way."

"Me neither," Zelda agreed. "Should I go talk to him?"

"Well, Princess," Renado turned to her. "I don't think that's the best idea right now. I think he wants to be alone."

She opened her mouth to say more, but before she could say anything else, she was interrupted yet again. The sound came from upstairs, and it was muffled from behind the closed door. The only person left in that room was Ilia, and after listening for a few moments, Zelda recognized the sound as… sobbing.

"Ilia doesn't seem happy, either," she observed.

"Perhaps she and Link had an argument," he suggested.

"It would seem that way," Zelda agreed, blinking away the tears expertly. "I think I'll go see what's wrong. It seems as if she needs some comfort."

"Good idea, Princess. I'll go check on Luda, see if she needs anything," Renado nodded, and then they both went upstairs and then their separate ways. Zelda hovered hesitantly in front of the door, where Ilia's weeps were now clearer. They weren't just any normal sobs; they were forceful, anguished, bloodcurdling screams. Though Zelda didn't particularly like Ilia, the sounds made her heart wrench. It must've been a terrible argument, for Link to be so angry and Ilia to be so hysterical.

"I-Ilia?" Zelda gently knocked on the door, softening her voice. It was time to hone in her people skills; they were the reason that she was such a good princess. She had amazing, almost magical comforting skills, and always had the ability to reassure people. It was yet another of her extraordinary gifts as a young woman.

"Go away!" Ilia shouted.

"It's me, Zelda," she sighed. "Are you okay? Do you need to talk?"

"No! Especially not to you!" Ilia replied, now furious. Zelda, unfazed, opened the door anyway.

"Please, I'm here to help," she reassured, moving to sit beside Ilia on the bed. Her face was tearstained, her eyes were red, and her lips were trembling horribly. Ilia was slumped over in despair, but when she looked up at Zelda, she took on an expression of fury. And for the first time, Zelda saw a different look in her eyes. The princess had always known that Ilia didn't like her, but she'd never seen this.

In Ilia's eyes, when she looked at Princess Zelda, was pure hatred.

"Get out," she said bluntly. Zelda took a deep breath, but didn't move. "I said, get out! Now!"

"Just tell me what's going on? I want to help you, Ilia. I want to know what happened between you and Link," she replied.

"There's nothing you can do to help," Ilia sniffled. "You're the reason Link hates me!"

Swallowing anxiously, Zelda pushed herself to keep going. She wrapped a comforting arm around Ilia's slumped form.

"Tell me what happened."

"Link hates me because of you!" Ilia stood up, squirming out of Zelda's arm, and pointed accusingly. Zelda stared up at her evenly, still unfazed.

"Ilia, if you tell me what I did, maybe I can help change it," she continued, standing up as well.

"Nothing you do will be able to help! You can't change anything!" Ilia screamed, her tears disappearing. Now she was simply furious.

"What did Link say to you?" Zelda furrowed her brow, sympathy evident in her voice. She truly wanted to help.

"He's going to…" Ilia's voice trailed off, and the tears came back as quickly as they left. "He wants to…"

She seemed unable to summon the words necessary to finish the sentence, but Zelda remained silent and patient.

"Link loves you," Ilia finally said, and she seemed to be accepting that fact at the same time. "He loves you, not me."

"Ilia—"

"Do you love him, too?" Ilia's voice softened a bit, in pain, as she straightened up. "Are you in love with Link?"

Zelda opened her mouth, but then closed it again. She could tell that Ilia's heart was already broken, and she didn't want to break it even more. But simply being silent gave Ilia her answer, much to Zelda's dismay and contradictory to her wishes. The hatred in Ilia's eyes flashed, and Zelda cringed slightly.

"Well then," she said, her lower lip trembling as she walked past the princess. "I hope you two are happy together."

The heavy sarcasm in Ilia's voice ripped right through Zelda as the furious girl walked out, sniffling.

"Link," Zelda sat on the bed, sighing and shaking her head. "What did you do?"

Oh snap. For the first time, Link got...angry? WOW! Haha I tried to emphasize that this was the first time he's done this to stay true to his character, but I don't know... tell me what you guys think! Is Link's first outburst too random? Do you want to see more of him talking? Review! Hahaha thanks guys, I'll update as fast as I can! LOVE YOU ALL! Haha :D