A/N: Here's Chapter 2. You can expect an update everyday or two. As always, reviews are appreciated!

Chapter 2: Old Friends

When Link woke up the next morning, his thoughts were still focused on trying to interpret the dream. He had thought long and hard on the subject, and was trying to foresee what it meant, as it could unlock why his triforce piece was acting so strangely.

"OK, it obviously has something to do with Midna," Link thought, as he winced at the sound of her name. Just speaking of her made him linger with sadness.

"But what does the other stuff mean? The shadow beast and the triforce's reaction… are they linked together?"

His mind pondered over the possibilities, until a loud knock came at his door. Link quickly jumped back to reality as he pulled his green hero's clothes over himself, and answered the door. Ilia stood there, cheerful as she could be for never getting to see Link anymore. If it was anyone that Link's silence was hardest on, it was Ilia. She had not known the whole truth to his trials and only saw him as her knight in shining armor who continually shunned her.

He felt sorry for her; she had no way of understanding what he was going through. To her, the man who restored her memory, fought tooth and nail to protect her as she and Telma tried to save Prince Ralis, had her heart but would never respond to her love. If only she knew where his heart was, and why it belonged to Midna, let alone knew who Midna was, she might be more understanding. But Link promised himself he would never let anyone know about Midna, unless they had some knowledge of how he could see her again.

"And Ilia certainly can't help me there," he thought…

"Link, why aren't you ready for the festival," Ilia questioned. "It's your big day and you only have your tunic and shorts on. C'mon, you have to get going!"

Link looked confused, and it suddenly hit him that today was the day that all of Hyrule celebrated at the request of Princess Zelda. She had told all of Hyrule the magnificent deeds Link did and how he single handedly saved Hyrule by defeating the Dark Lord, Ganondorf. Link couldn't be more upset over this.

"So now it has been officially three years," he thought.

He then returned from his daydream and spoke quickly to Ilia.

"Oh, right. I guess I overslept."

Ilia tsked at him, saying, "You know, you'd be in real trouble if it weren't for me. God only knows what you do all day when you're not herding goats."

"Well I think I deserve some time to myself after all I've been through," Link said defensively.

"Don't try that to pull out that card on me Link," Ilia said coyly. "It's been two years, three years after today since you played the hero. Don't you want to see how everyone in the village is doing? You'd be very happy to hear that Colin has developed into quite the warrior in your stead."

"Good for him then, it's one less thing that the village needs me for. I wouldn't mind just retiring to a normal life, occasionally going fishing and going outside," Link said with a hint of annoyance. "I'd rather just stay inside Ilia; I don't see what's so hard to understand about that."

Now it was Ilia's turn to get annoyed.

"How is it hard to understand? I'll tell you. Before all of this ever happened, before you went on your quest, you were always outside and active. Now it's like you're a ghost. You lost something on your quest, and I know it," she said with anger in her voice.

The last comment got a rise out of Link.

"Ilia, you have no earthly idea what I've seen and done, and have no place to talk," Link shouted. "What happened on my quest is between me and…"

"Between you and who Link," screamed Ilia, interrupting him. "You haven't talked to anyone about what happened and what you did. Even the Princess's speech three years ago was vague."

Link looked at her with a slight bit of anger, but eventually lowered his defenses. She spoke the truth. He had only talked to Zelda in detail about his adventure, and that was because she knew about Midna. Hell, since Midna and Zelda's hearts were one for a short part of their adventure, he didn't have to tell her much. Link thought the only reason that she listened to link re-tell his story was just so he could vent and try to talk to someone, anyone about Midna. Again, thinking her name made Link lower his head as he looked sadly at the ground. Ilia spoke softer this time.

"Link," she said carefully, "I just want to see you happy. You never have even tried to talk to anyone about what you went through. Maybe if you tried, you would feel better."

Link silently thought out into space. He contemplated telling her the truth. Maybe she could understand…

"No," thought Link to himself. "No, how could she. She isn't me and she wouldn't want to be me right now."

"Ilia, I'm sorry, but I just can't tell you what you want to know. It's personal," Link said as gently as he could.

Ilia's reaction was anything but gently.

"I am your friend!" She shouted. "Friends tell other friends the truth, no matter how difficult it is to say!"

At this point, Link could tell she had tears in her eyes. He could see that she was deeply hurt by his silence.

"Look, I told you, there is nothing I can say about…"

Ilia then slapped him in the face as she turned to leave. Link was left slightly bewildered. Just as Ilia were closing the door, she looked up on one of the ceiling hangings and saw something that she had never noticed before.

"One thing Link," she said before she left. "Does that thing have anything to do with why you won't talk? I don't remember seeing it here three years ago."

She pointed upwards at the wall hanging she looked upon as she was about to leave. Link looked upwards too, and gasped slightly at what she was pointing to. On the wall hanging in clear view as people were exiting his house, was the remains of Midna's fused shadow helmet. Link looked at her, realizing that he had inadvertently answered her question by his reaction.

With a small, "Humph!" She turned and left as quick as she entered, slamming the door. Link felt stupid for ever thinking of putting his last reminder of his lost love in such a place where anyone entering or exiting his house could see it.

About a year after Link had defeated Ganondorf and Midna had destroyed the Mirror of Twilight, Link left Ordon village for a way to get back to Midna. He quickly realized it was exceedingly hard to get help from people without mentioning her by name. No one was supposed to know of her existence, and even by accidentally mentioning her name it did not help. He searched far and wide for missing clues as to how to get back to her. He trekked in the desert to ask the sages for help, a sore reminder of how much he missed being able to warp when she was with him. The sages, of course, were of no great help. To them, the Mirror of Twilight was the only way that shadow and light could ever reunite.

Link even resorted to following crazy rumors and listening to obscure hints just to find what he was looking for. Alas, it never found him. On his way back to Ordon though, he found in the west of Hyrule field, a small reminder of what he had lost. The fused shadow helmet that Midna wore was still there, albeit it was broken. He took both parts of the destroyed helmet, and took them home, trying to repair it in vain attempt. He spent most of his nights inside after a long day of herding goats, trying to see if his he could somehow make the helmet whole again.

Finally, Link just hung the biggest piece on his wall, as a keepsake for what his journey meant to him. Link returned from his flashback, and got on top of the ladder near by and took down the helmet. He safely put it in his chest in the basement along with the smaller piece, so now only he could see it and unwanted eyes could not. He sighed as he thought back to his conversation with Ilia. She was right about one thing. If Link did not get ready for the festival soon, he would be late. With a sense of duty about him, he finished getting dressed and left his house, trying to summon the energy to appear happy. Hyrule wouldn't want their hero to look sad, and neither did Link. That would just lead to bad questions that he was in no mood to answer.