Author's note: UGGH... I managed to get a lot of this done on Labor Day, but COME ON... homework's driving me CRAZY. Anyway, this chapter resolves a WHOLE lot... I think the fan fiction might be almost over! I don't know how many chapters are left though. Oh yeah... there's a story of mine I would like for you guys to read... it's being neglected, and I'm starting to get a little iffy about it, but due to 100 of my reviewers (that's only two) saying that I shouldn't discontinue it, it will remain on this website... it's called "The Shadow" PLEASE READ IT. It's no ordinary horror story... it has fluff... FLUFF... I repeat... FLUFF... LZ FLUFF!!! ... Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 12: Revised

At long last, Zelda had reached the shore, from her long journey at sea. Days had passed, and she lasted without any food or drink to sustain her. Zelda was somewhat relieved to see land after a long while, but still had the emptiness in her heart of Link's absence. As she set her first step on the shore, she stumbled a bit and fell to her knees in the sand. The wind pressed against her pearl-like face as it had blown her tangled hair back. Light breaths passed her cracked lips and went forth into the salty air. She had to keep going.

Zelda rose to her feet and began walking again. Now her focus was on finding proper food and lodging, in other words, a town, and she carried with her dim hopes of finding Link there. Luckily, there was a town nearby for her to go to. She weakly traveled to it, with the feeling of slight relief running through her. When Zelda had entered the town, the people looked at her strangely, but they did not possess the courtesy to aid her in any way.

It wasn't until when she truly had regained some of her strength when she saw smoke rising into the air and screams off in the distance. Zelda observed the smoke, the rising black cloud into the air, and at its base was an orange light. A fire had ignited one of the houses.

Quickly, she rushed over to where the fire had occurred, and once it had fully gone into her sight, she stood stunned. Horrible memories came back to her, plaguing her mind and pulling her into a deep remorse. Memories of towns burning to the ground flashed through her mind... towns she had destroyed. Luckily, those thoughts had almost left her when she saw a familiar person running out of the house with a little boy in hand.

"Ralph?!" Zelda said in shock, recognizing the person at last and stepping forward.

Ralph turned his head toward her and widened his eyes as well. His face was covered in ashes, but despite that, he looked only a bit older than he was before. When he spoke Zelda had noticed the most change in him, his voice had gone far deeper. However, there was no time to loose...

"Zelda, quick! There's still a little girl in the house!" Ralph shouted after placing the boy on his feet.

Once he began coughing smoke out of his lungs and falling to his knees, Zelda realized he no longer had the strength to go and perform a heroic deed, she had to go in. Zelda nodded and charged in, shooting her head side to side looking for the little girl.

There was not much time left. The house had already began to crumble and creek as Zelda shielded her eyes from the glaring flames. Fiery wooden planks fell to the ground as she jumped to avoid them. Zelda eventually started to hear some cries coming from the other room and she followed the sounds of the little crying voice and found a little girl huddled up in a corner, moaning in fear. The young girl flinched but a little when Zelda had set her hand on her shoulder. However, when her kind voice sounded in the air, the young girl turned her head toward Zelda with her eyes still filled with tears.

"Don't worry, I'm here to get you out." Zelda said calmly.

Without saying another word, the young girl allowed Zelda to take her on her back and carry her out of the burning house. There wasn't much time left before the whole house was to fall. The creaking became louder and louder and more common as well. Zelda began to go at a slow jog out of the house, trying to find her way back. Sweat rolled down her face as she felt the little girl cling tighter and tighter to her silky hair. Her hope was restored when she saw a light off in the distance, between all the raging flames reaching out to engulf Zelda, forever trapping her in their harsh grasp. Zelda picked up her pace a little toward the exit, dodging the falling wooden planks the best she could.

To her relief, she at last made it outside, and the sudden slight burst of cool air hit her. She fell to her knees still holding onto the girl, breathing harshly. She had found Ralph reaching down toward her and taking her arm to get her as far away from the burning house as much as possible. It had taken a while for Zelda to regain her breath, after having a drink of water and letting the girl off her shoulders and reuniting with her brother and parents.

Zelda later realized that she had actually saved someone from the raging flames of fury... She, for the first time, had actually saved a life instead of destroying one. Zelda could hardly believe that her hands, hands that had caused so much grief and destruction to other people, had saved a family from falling apart and allowed a young girl to live on. There was mercy in her indeed and she thought if Link had shown it to her. Zelda then remembered Ralph was there beside her, who she had not seen in a long time but it seemed just yesterday when she had brought him from the village.

"Ralph... how did you end up here?"

"Ha! Did you think the beginning of the destruction of the world was going to stop me?"

Zelda chuckled, "You haven't changed a bit..." What if Ralph knew where Link was? Once that question shot through her mind she perked up and spoke quickly to him, "Have you seen Link?"

Ralph looked at Zelda with wide eyes for a short while, but afterward drifted his gaze toward the ground. Zelda's hope faded when he had revealed his facial expression and shaking his head and solemnly saying, "No..." He started, "I've been looking for him as well... but can't find him..."

When Ralph had turned his head only a little ways from her, but he still had seen in the corner of his eye that a tear had rolled down her cheek and onto the pear-like skin on her hand. Ralph dared not to turn his head toward her again to only see the streams of sadness running from her eyes for it would only grieve him as well. Instead, he had reached in a satchel of his and pulled out a piece of bread and offered it to Zelda.

"Here." He said quietly, "You must be hungry."

Zelda shifted her eyes to the bread now in his hand. She knew that he would do anything to make her stop crying. So she gently placed her hands on the bread and took it from his hands, and began to take little bites, despite the fact that she had not eaten in a long time. Even though it was so, her true hunger was not of food, but yearning for Link's gentle strokes of his hands upon hers once more.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That night, Ralph and Zelda had set out of the town a little ways, in their empty search for Link. Off in a far distance, they could see the glowing of Ganondorf's tower, wreathed in malice. She was told by Ralph that he was on a desperate search for the remaining two Triforce pieces, after loosing both of them after the "destruction." Even so, he still possessed one of them, and with it he had become more powerful than the year before. It would be soon until the world would be completely devoured by disaster. Great storms had already emerged from the shadows and consumed part of the lands. In times such as these, everything was unexpected.

Zelda remained in front of the fire, looking into its dancing embers as Ralph lay asleep beside her. Now that she had thought back, her memories had returned to her, her childhood... and all the memories she had long forgotten. Zelda knew part of it was Link's doing for helping her. He had done so much for her and each passing hour without him was like an endless eternity of pain. However she still had to keep strong.

The young princess then laid down on her blanket, and attempted to rest her eyes. She would find him... sooner or later Link would appear, Zelda could feel her heart telling her being neared to her. All seemed to be coming back to her...

"I have been revised..." She whispered before falling into a deep sleep, imagining Link there beside her.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author's note: Well, I hoped you guys liked this chapter! It took me a long time to think about what should happen... THE BIG FLUFF IS GUARENTEED TO COME NEXT CHAPTER!!! KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN... (YES! FLUFF IS ALMOST HERE!) Anyway... PLEASE REVIEW!

Special thanks:

Brownblade: Whenever my friends and I think of school... we think of the Forsaken Fortress music... or Ganondorf's theme... (dun, dun, dun...) Hopefully I didn't take TOO long with this update... I've been bound by homework. Anyway, thanks for the review!

Crescent-Wish-Forever: I hope you don't go too insane waiting for the fluff, knowing it's the next chapter. I've always loved the scenes in the games where Link gets the Master Sword... (they're so-o-o cool!) Yay! This story's on your favorites list? Wow! Anyway, thanks for the review!

pen-gurl: I'm not to skilled with this letter abbreviation, (ex: JK) so I was thinking for a while what POV meant... then it hit me! POINT OF VIEW, RIGHT?! (DUH...) Well, I guess your question's been answered. I don't really like it when my eyes start stinging when it gets really late... (eyelids.... Heavy....) Anyway, thanks for the review!

kat-SageOfWisdom-princessZel: I love your emoticon! D !!! I'm glad you liked the last chapter! Thanks for the review, and I hope you liked this one too!

LadyAkki45: My school... I think... gets out somewhere in the middle of May, around the 11th or 15th... but I think the district is having some sort of evil plan to make summer vacation vanish because their adding a school day each year. I'm glad you liked the chapter before! One of my goals is to paint a picture in the reader's mind, (not literally though... if you know what I mean). Anyway, thanks for the review!

Sakurelle: School doesn't go by quickly for me... Especially 8th grade... (shiver) oohh... that was painful... the classes were extremely easy, and some days were good but the rules... I mean... I looked in my agenda, and it said this... "Rule # R27: 249..." ... ... ... ...That's crazy if you ask me... either that, or I'm misunderstanding it. Anyway, thanks for the review! I can't wait to WRITE the fluff!! (hee hee... thinking about it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside...)