Hey guys! Sorry it took so long to update! What with the chemistry homework, and the AP history homework, and the tennis matches... school sucks man. Haha but I finally got around to it, and I really hope you guys like it!

Chapter Thirty-One: Frightened in the Storm

LINK POV

He sat on the ground at the edge of the spring, his knees up and his hands back as he stared out blankly into the misty water. His brain was still trying to process the fact that he'd just blown up in Ilia's face and pushed away the only people who tried to help him. Link, though, was still seeing red. All he could feel was anger and betrayal as he thought about what Ilia had tried to do, and what she'd said to him. And then he felt stupidity, because he was the one who had trusted her in the first place; it was a mistake that he wasn't willing to make again. He was done with Ilia, unless she could find the integrity to apologize and admit what she did wrong. Knowing Ilia, though, that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

Link drew in a deep breath, still struggling to calm himself. He was shocked at his own horrid behavior, but he hadn't been able to help it. Ilia was asking for it, thinking that she could tell him what to do and who to love. Still, Link surprisingly found himself angry with himself. But there was no way in Hyrule that he was going to apologize. Either Ilia admitted her wrong, or their friendship was over.

Epona walked up behind her master, sensing his uneasiness. With a soft whinny, she nudged his back lightly. With a sigh, Link turned around. Just looking into Epona's large, twinkling brown eyes brought a smile to his red face. He ran his hand along her white muzzle, basking in the warmth of her skin. She bobbed her head happily, causing the reins to move as well. He chuckled, letting out another deep exhale. Epona would never betray him or do anything wrong; she was his horse, his friend, and she was always loyal. Link couldn't help think those thoughts as he looked at her. In truth, he was comparing Epona's loyalty to Ilia. Actually, there was no comparison.

As Epona blinked, Link looked back out at Eldin's spring. In just a few minutes, his life had changed. He had just seemingly lost his best friend in the entire world, the one girl he considered his sister. But it wasn't his fault. It was all her doing…

"Link, talk to me." The smooth, familiar voice called his name. Just hearing somebody talking to him right now made his blood boil; he wasn't willing to be around anybody at the moment, even if it was Zelda. Link didn't even turn around.

"Please," he heard her soft footsteps approaching him. "I want to help. Ilia is in there crying her eyes out, and she only yelled at me when I tried to help." In a few more moments, Zelda was sitting on the dirt beside him, looking at him worriedly. "I don't care if you want to be alone right now. I need to know what happened."

Link didn't answer, but somehow, Zelda's voice began to calm him down. Only she had the power to do that, but at the moment, he wished that she didn't. He avoided eye contact, shifting his view to the ground and taking a deep breath. Zelda glared at him, her blue eyes piercing into his very soul. There was awkward, uncomfortable silence between them for a few moments. But, just like Zelda had inevitably planned, Link gave in.

"I trusted her, and she only reprimanded me," he muttered, finally looking at the princess. She sighed, giving him a sympathetic look. But he didn't want her sympathy.

"Tell me exactly what happened," she put her hand on his shoulder, gazing at him expectantly. He just looked back at her, and then swallowed anxiously.

"Nothing," he said blankly. And then he stood up, pulling away gently from Zelda's touch. He saw her eyes flash angrily, and then she stood up as well.

"Why won't you tell me?" she cried. Link kept his blank expression, staring at her evenly.

"There's nothing to tell."

At this, Zelda took on an angry look, and she glared at him with a furrowed brow and slightly narrowed eyes.

"Link!" she said in frustration. He clenched his teeth, looking away. Though he loved her, now wasn't the time for her to be doing this. Couldn't she tell that he just wanted to be alone?

Just leave me alone! He thought, rolling his eyes in irritation. Then, he turned to start walking away, but Zelda grabbed his hand; surprisingly she had a death grip, startling Link slightly.

"What happened?" her voice softened a bit as she sensed his uneasiness. Link stared at her for a moment, and then finally replied in frustration.

"I can't trust anyone anymore!" he cried furiously, without really thinking. Zelda was taken aback, surprised at his reaction, even though it was a lie, in Link's mind. He wasn't thinking straight…

Link hadn't realized how much those words would hurt Zelda, but he saw it as soon as her face fell. He saw the emotional pain in her eyes, as well as tears appearing. Blinking, she let go of his hand and took a small step back. Though he cursed himself for doing so, Link felt immensely guilty for hurting her. He truly did love her, but she had just picked the wrong time…

Her eyes narrowed as she looked him over, slight disgust and shock in her face. Without a word, she turned around and walked off, toward the inn. Link opened his mouth and considered calling her name, but then closed it again. He was done talking to people for the time being.

Fuming, he walked to Epona and mounted, kicking her into a canter. The fresh air of Hyrule Field would clear his head…

ZELDA POV

This time, it was actually difficult to hold back the tears pressing to leave her eyes. But as Zelda strode into the inn, she managed to keep them at bay. At the table, Renado and Ilia were sitting. And what shocked and hurt Zelda was that Ilia was calm, and she was voluntarily telling Renado exactly what happened. They both turned their heads when they heard the door close, and Zelda stood in the middle of the room, staring at them.

Ilia narrowed her eyes, where Zelda could still see the hatred. Renado sighed heavily, leaning his forehead in the palm of his hand. There was a heavy silence, and Zelda could practically see the awkwardness hanging in the air.

"I'm very tired," Zelda finally choked out, still suppressing the tears. "I think I'll go to bed."

"Whatever you want, Princess," Renado nodded, a tense look on his face.

"Thank you," Zelda didn't even spare Ilia a passing glance as she walked upstairs, going into the nearest room. She gently shut the door behind her, making sure not to reveal that she was upset. It was in her nature to hide her feelings.

But as soon as Zelda was alone in the room, she took off her hooded cape and let the tears flow. Sitting on the bed, she lay on her back and just stared at the ceiling, sniffling. The princess cursed herself for being so weak; it was a stupid thing to cry about. Link was, after all, emotionally hurt as well. He and Ilia had obviously had a horrible argument, and neither one of them was willing to talk about it.

Maybe when you love someone, Zelda thought, wiping the tears with the back of her hand. Even the tiniest insult feels like he ripped your heart out. She accepted that conclusion, and just let the tears flow. Because after all, she had already decided a while ago that she loved Link. But she had never seen this side of him; and even though she was in pain, the love she had for him was enough to overcome it. It was just a minor setback in their relationship…

I'm sure he trusts me, she told herself. He only said that because he's going through a lot right now… But then again, if he did trust me, he'd be able to tell me, right? Or maybe he's keeping secrets from me?

That possibility only made the tears flow harder, and Zelda held in the sobs as she sat up. She couldn't let this get to her. Link was just having a hard time; he just needed a little while to think, and then he'd be back to his old self.

To distract herself, Zelda took out the note that she'd gotten from the library at Death Mountain. She read the paragraph over and over again, yet it still made no sense. And Zelda didn't know if the paper was split into two pieces, or five pieces. Grumbling in frustration, she let the paper drop to the ground, and then she lay back on the bed. At that moment, Zelda's life was spiraling out of control, and she had no way to stop it. And through the wall, she could hear Luda's moans of pain, and her occasional screams of anguish. It made Zelda flinch, and only made the tears flow harder.

Finally, Zelda found herself instinctively curling under the covers of her bed, putting her hands under the pillow and making sure the blanket covered her entire body. She couldn't get Link or his hurtful words off her mind. But, after a while, she fell asleep, with Link's face imprinted in her head. And she longed for his warmth beside her, she longed to be in his arms… whether he was angry or not. She needed him, and she was certain that he needed her, too.

LINK POV

Riding freely through the clean, crisp night air really did help clear his head. The wind on his face, the green ground rushing past him, the moon providing the only light: it all helped him realize how stupid he'd been. The anger was completely gone, replaced by hurt and a sense of pure idiocy. Ilia, however, was the furthest thing from his mind. He had already decided to forget about her for the current time. She had proven that she didn't deserve his friendship; her selfishness simply appalled Link beyond belief! But no, he didn't feel stupid because of Ilia. He felt stupid because of Zelda.

He silently scolded himself, cursing under his breath. He had truly hurt her, and he had known.

Why didn't you say anything to her? He asked himself in frustration. He should've known better than to let the girl he loved walk away from him, angry and sad. I guess I was angry, but that doesn't make it right. She was only trying to help…

Every time he closed his eyes, Link saw Zelda's face after he'd yelled at her. The look in her blue, beautiful eyes was one of hurt shock. Her face had completely fallen, the color draining from her porcelain skin. The worst part was that she hadn't even yelled at him. She had just held her head high and walked away. That made Link feel even more terrible. After everything she'd done for him, he had repaid her by yelling and acting like a baby. He didn't deserve any reward that she was willing to give him…

Frustrated and confused with himself, Link sat back in the saddle, pulling Epona to a walk. She whinnied, pulling slightly on the reins.

How could I have acted like that? I've never blown up like that, and to do it to Zelda, the one person I really love! He scolded. Even he didn't understand how he'd even allowed himself to lose his barely-there temper. Shaking his head, he turned Epona around with expert riding skills, facing the direction leading to Kakariko Village. Just as he did, a harsh summer rain began pouring down from the faint, glimmering stars. For Link, though, it was refreshing. As Epona trotted through the wet grass, shaking her mane and snorting as raindrops pelted her, Link imagined that the rain was washing away his anger and the sudden temper he had acquired. He was back to his old, quiet self, except more wary and without a best friend. Link was ready to whatever it took to apologize to Zelda and let her know that he loved her; he really did trust her, and he wanted her to know that.

Clicking his tongue, Link nudged Epona into a canter. He'd been riding for an hour, so he could probably get back to Kakariko Village in that amount of time. He noticed that the mare was reluctant, but she obeyed her master nevertheless. That was one of the things Link loved about Epona; she always listened to him, and her loyalty was without comparison.

With the rain coming harder and harder, Link found himself smiling. The feeling of being soaked to the bone made it seem as if none of his troubles mattered at the moment. He loved the rain, and he threw his head back to face the sky, letting the rain come down hard on his face. The wind was also growing stronger, and it was blowing against him and Epona. That part wasn't so great, since it would only make the trip to Kakariko and Zelda longer. But wind was a small obstacle when it came to Zelda…

Suddenly, Link jumped slightly when thunder boomed overhead, and then lightning flashed in the sky. In response to the flash of electrical light, Epona whinnied, stopping dead in her tracks. Link attempted to calm her as she reared, kicking her hooves and shaking her head frantically.

"Whoa," he calmed, patting her neck comfortingly and forcing her back to the ground. She shuffled her feet, and her brown eyes were wide in fear. "Shh," he leaned forward, whispering in her ear and running his hand through her damp hair. He managed to calm her down a bit, but he was scared a bit as well. The weather had gone from refreshing and mild to harsh and painful. The wind was blowing harder than Link had ever experienced, and the rain felt like hail against his stinging skin. Epona obviously felt the same discomfort, and her ears were pressed back against her head anxiously.

We need to find someplace safe, he thought, looking around with narrowed eyes. He could barely see anything, and had to blink every two moments to spare his eyes the pain of the rain. The fog, mist, and abundance of the rain made it hard to see anything, and he was in the middle of Hyrule Field with no sense of direction whatsoever. Link and Epona were not in a good situation.

All he knew was that he needed shelter, and he needed to keep Epona safe. If anything happened to his horse, he would never forgive himself. But when he kicked her sides, urging her to move forward, she remained still. Furrowing his brow, Link kicked again and clicked his tongue. Epona only whinnied and pawed the ground with her hoof, creating an imprint in the mud. A sigh of frustration left Link's lips, and he dismounted. The ground splashed as his boots collided with it, and his leggings became splattered with mud; but that didn't matter. Feeling suddenly heavy on the ground, he walked around Epona, grabbed her reins, and began pulling.

He gritted his teeth as he pulled, encouraging her to move behind him. He sensed the mare's reluctance, but he also sensed her trust in him. Finally, she hesitantly stepped forward, and Link began leading her. The only problem was that he didn't know where he was going. He simply walked, willing to let his feet carry him anywhere; anywhere but here.

Epona's frightened whinnies never ceased, but Link didn't blame her. He was struggling not to scream in irritation himself. Numerous times he stumbled as he walked, fighting against the harsh wind. The only things driving him to continue were Epona and Zelda; he couldn't get her face out of his mind, and it gave him strength. He saw the pain in her eyes, and forced himself to move forward only so that he could apologize for his abhorrent behavior. With Zelda in his mind, there was nothing he couldn't do…

As lightning thundered above, Link could feel the strength seeping out of him. With each heavy step he took, more energy left his body, and Epona's resistance wasn't making it any easier. He didn't even know where he was going, but at that point, he just needed someplace with a roof overhead. Soon, after a period of time that Link was unaware of, he found his body shaking with each movement. Epona only became more reluctant to continue, and his pulls became weaker and weaker.

Link, knowing that he wasn't going to make it back to Kakariko Village anytime soon, wished that he and Zelda hadn't taken that 'break.' He wished that they had just connected the Orb pieces the moment they'd had the chance, to help them complete the puzzle. But no: Link and Zelda had refused. And in the end, it turned out to be for nothing. Actually, it ended up being the exact opposite of a break. It only put more pretenses on Link's mind; Ilia had proven herself unworthy of his trust, Zelda was angry at him, and he was stuck in the middle of a terrible storm dragging a frightened mare through Hyrule Field. If they had just connected the Orb… but now, it didn't matter. All that mattered was getting back to Zelda.

Suddenly, the downpour became even worse. It felt like pebbles pelting Link's body, and he sucked in a breath as he clenched his teeth. As he paused, his knees buckling, Epona's eyes widened. Then, with a buck of her head, she ripped the reins from Link's trembling fingers and reared, lightning flashing in the sky.

Link stumbled back, holding his arms up to try and calm her. It was no use; Epona landed back on the ground, and then anxiously bucked. Link's palms burned from the force of Epona pulling the reins harshly from his hands, and he was in a great deal of pain. He never knew that a storm had this much power.

"Whoa!" he shouted, as loudly as he could. His voice was low and weak, and the rain and thunder drowned it out. Epona completely ignored him, spooked by the sudden downpour. Determined to help his mare, Link reached out to grab her reins. As his fingers brushed the rope, Epona neighed defensively and pulled her head back, forcing Link backwards. The force of the push was too much for him, and he found the ground rushing up to meet him. Mud splattered on his green tunic as he landed on the ground, coughing and laying on his side. Link was vaguely aware of Epona's frightened whinnies, but right now, he was worried about just surviving.

Link was helpless, weak, and immobile, on the ground in Hyrule Field during a massive storm. Epona, his only companion and means of transportation, was completely berserk, and there was nothing he could do about it. Though he tried, he couldn't even sit up; his arms shook too much under his weight whenever he made a feeble attempt.

The world started spinning, the rain blurring in his vision. A harsh throbbing in his head appeared, and he groaned involuntarily as the black began to take over. He saw one last flash of lightning before he closed his eyes, and the last thing he felt before losing his senses was a pair of slender yet strong arms wrapping around him, lifting him from the ground…

Oooh mysterious... Well, I'll try to update over this four day weekend, and thanks so much for all of your support! I appreciate it, and I love you guys! THANK YOU! :D