Chapter 2 – Cause for Concern

The next day had arrived. Everybody in the entire village took the day off to celebrate Link's return. They had gotten up bright and early that day to set up for the festivities. Sera, Pergie, and Uli prepared the food; Haunch and Jaggle mounted the decorations outside; The kids helped Ilia set things up in her and the mayor's house for the big feast; and Fado made sure that there were no problems at the ranch. Everyone decided that Link needed some sleep, so they tried not to bother him.

Once things were ready, it was about midday. Rusl was elected to go fetch Link, which didn't bother him at all; Link was like a younger brother to him. He made his way to Link's house and climbed up the ladder to his front door. He knocked on the door, but didn't hear a response. He frowned, then quietly opened the door. When he walked inside, he saw Link lying down on his makeshift bed, sleeping soundly. Rusl smirked, then made his way over to his friend. He tapped Link's shoulder lightly.

"Link, it's time to get up," announced Rusl. Link groaned and pulled the covers over his head.

"Five more minutes," said Link. Rusl chuckled a bit.

"Did you forget what today was?" he asked. Link didn't respond. "Today's the day we celebrate your return home."

"I don't feel like partying," whined Link softly. Rusl's smirk faded away into a worried frown.

"What's wrong?" pried Rusl. Link sat up in bed and gave Rusl a look.

"Have you honestly ever seen me party?" questioned Link rhetorically. Rusl ruffled Link's hair, laughing a bit.

"I've honestly never seen you do any kind of relaxing," noted Rusl. "You're always doing something, whether it's riding, running errands, studying, or drawing. You haven't goofed off since your….since you were a kid." Link frowned slightly, knowing what Rusl was about to say, but his frown quickly faded away into a slight smile.

"I'll be out in a few minutes," promised Link. Rusl nodded, then walked out of Link's house. A few minutes later, Link followed suit. The two of them walked into the main part of the village. Link's pace slowed as his face turned into one of awe. He was amazed at how festive and alive the village was. As he walked past the villagers, he would stop to greet them and see how they were doing. Everyone was pleasant and caring towards him—even Malo was doing his best to not act condescending.

Link spotted the mayor walking out of his home, so he decided to walk over and greet him. The mayor spotted the youth and smiled.

"Hello, Link," greeted the mayor. Link looked around again at all of the decorations and liveliness of the village, then looked back at the mayor, amazed.

"I've never seen this place so full of life," commented Link. The mayor laughed, patting Link's back.

"We did all of this for you, my boy," admitted the Mayor, laughing. "We wanted to make you feel happy and right at home after your long journey." Link smiled once more.

"It's really bringing my spirits up, Mayor Bo," confessed Link. "Everyone is doing well. They're going on with their lives as if this whole thing never happened, which makes me happy." The mayor looked at him.

"And yourself, Link?" he pried. Link opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a loud voice from the ranch. Both the mayor and Link knew exactly what had happened.

"HEEEEEEYY!!" shouted Fado. "Stampedin' goat! Catch it!" Link got himself prepped to catch the goat and saw it charging in the distance. It got closer and closer each second. Link was ready to catch it. He firmly planted his feet and positioned his hands.

Blink.

He saw Midna wearing the completed Fused Shadow in the place of the goat, charging at him.

Blink.

He saw Midna in the place of the monstrosity, smiling at him.

Blink.

He saw the goat for a split second before it crashed into him and sent him flying. The goat charged through the town with the villagers diving out of the way of the stampeding goat. The mayor and Rusl quickly ran over to Link to check and see if he was okay; the rest of the villagers ran over to the scene, as well. Link sat up and rubbed his chest where he got hit, wincing slightly. Rusl checked him over, then sighed in relief when he saw no serious damage done to the boy. The mayor helped Link get to his feet, then let go once he found that Link could stand on his own. He frowned in concern.

"What happened, Link?" asked Bo. "You had no trouble catching those goats before." Link frowned.

"I…just lost my concentration for a few moments, that's all," answered Link. Rusl gave Link a concerned look, then looked over at Ilia screaming at Fado, who had rushed to the scene.

"Fado!" she shouted. "You could have seriously hurt him! Can't you be more responsible with the goats!?"

"S-Sorry, Ilia!" cowered Fado.

"Sorry!? That's all you have to say!?" shrieked Ilia. Link finally ran over and got in-between the two, facing Ilia. He put his hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eyes.

"Ilia, it's okay," assured Link. "I'm okay, really. Nobody got hurt. Isn't that what's most important?" Ilia looked at him, then calmed down, smiling at him.

"I'm glad you're okay, Link," she stated. Fado chose this time to sneak back up to the ranch to close things up for the day. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to overreact like that. I care about your well-being, and with all that's happened, I want to help you out, just like you helped me." Link smiled sadly, then slowly let go of her shoulders.

After calming down from that scare, the festivities started. Everyone was smiling and having a good time. Throughout the day, Rusl kept an eye on Link. He was happy to see Link enjoy himself, but he was mostly concerned with Link's smiles…they were forced.