Chapter thirty-three, right here! Haha thanks everyone for your reviews, I appreciate it. To be honest, this story is way more successful than I anticipated, thanks to all you guys! LOVE YOU! Enjoy :D

Chapter Thirty-Three: The Unbelievable Rock

Link looked to Thalassa curiously, but she shrugged. Confused, they followed the young prince. He held his head high as he walked, and his posture was better than any creature Link had ever seen (excepting Zelda, of course). He was so short, but he carried himself like a true king as he walked ahead of them, leading them toward his throne. Guarding the entrance were two Zoras carrying pointed spears.

"Please, move aside," Ralis ordered, and with two brief nods, they stepped aside. Link and Thalassa filed behind him as they walked into the throne room and Prince Ralis never even turned around as he strode in. Thalassa was of course more comfortable in this atmosphere, but Link felt unfamiliar and uneasy. There was a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach, and he had goose bumps all over his skin; it wasn't from swimming. He felt as if something extremely important was about to be revealed to him, and he was eager to find out what it was.

The throne room was empty, with no doors or exits. Ralis paused, turning around to face Thalassa and Link.

"Link, you mustn't tell anybody about what I'm about to show you," he said. "If anybody untrustworthy finds out about this, it could mean the downfall of all the Zoras."

Link nodded obediently, taking on an intense expression. This was serious.

"Very well," Ralis sighed, and then turned back around. Thalassa and Link watched, motionless, as Ralis approached his throne. The beautiful Zora looked at Link, and he sighed, still confused. It was a bit comforting to know that Thalassa, who happened to be Ralis's personal secretary, was just as lost as he was. The tiny little Zora bent down over his throne, squinting pensively. Curiously, Thalassa and Link both moved forward to get a closer look at what he was doing. Ralis stuck his tongue out in concentration, and then put his webbed fingers where the seat met the back of the throne. Thalassa gasped as he lifted the seat of the chair, revealing an inner compartment of the throne.

Link smiled, almost in disbelief. It amazed him that such little people like Ralis could pull such stunts.

"P-Prince Ralis, what is this?" Thalassa whispered, glancing around suspiciously. "I've never seen this before!"

"Nobody has, except the royal family of the Zoras," Ralis replied with a slightly mischievous grin. Link chuckled at seeing this side of him; he was, after all, only a child. Then, with a sneaky glint in his eyes, Ralis pulled something out from underneath the seat of the throne. It was a long, thin chain necklace, with a strange key dangling from it. It was blue and gold, shimmering as it twirled in the bright light. It was in an unusual shape; the middle was made up of solid gold, and three blue sapphires created a slight triangular shape.

"It's an ancient family heirloom," Ralis explained, holding it up. "It hasn't been used in over three hundred years."

"What is it used for, Your Majesty?" Thalassa inquired quietly, and Link squinted, deep in thought.

Ralis smirked, moving toward the exit of the throne room. "Let me show you."

Thalassa seemed extremely aggravated at her lack of knowledge on this particular subject. Link, on the other hand, felt as if he'd seen the shape of the key before.

"Link, please carry this in your tunic until we reach our destination. We can't let anybody see it," Ralis handed the chain to Link, and he nodded loyally as he grabbed it. He ran his fingers gently over the blue stones, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards. As soon as he touched it, though, the Triforce on the back of his hand began shining brightly. Ralis took a deep breath, and Thalassa gasped… again.

The young prince remained quiet, but there was a certain edge to his actions as he moved back toward the waterfall. Hastily sticking the key in his tunic, Link obediently followed, with Thalassa trailing behind in awe. She was obviously trying to process all that was going on.

"Please, Prince Ralis, tell us what's happening!" she pleaded as they waded into the water. While nearing the waterfall, Link slipped into his Zora tunic once again.

"Be patient, Thalassa!" Prince Ralis laughed, walking backwards. "You'll find out soon enough."

He leaned backwards, falling over the edge of the cliff and down the waterfall. As Link and Thalassa peeked over it, watching Ralis glide gracefully downwards, the irritated Zora rolled her eyes with an impatient scoff.

"I suppose all we can do now is follow the mischievous child," she sighed. Then, with one last apologetic look at Link, she dived down the waterfall as well. Link took a deep breath before putting his hands together above his head and following suit, making sure his legs were firmly together and his formation was flawless. The adrenaline pulsed energetically through his veins as he sliced through the air, the wind blowing harshly on his flustered face. He barely made a splash as he cut silently through the water, creating a trail of bubbles behind him as he curved expertly in the water.

Though Link was proud of his swimming skills, they were nothing compared to the Zoras. In fact, he felt horribly inferior to their grace and expertise. But then again, he didn't feel too bad about himself. They were, after all, creatures of the sea. Most humans would be impressed with his skills.

He broke to the surface feeling amazing, and Thalassa and Ralis were treading, waiting for him. He lowered the cloth from his mouth as he hovered in the liquid, breathing heavily from the exhilaration. Thalassa was still tense and on edge, while Ralis had taken on a serious expression once again.

"Come, this way," Ralis dived once again underwater. Thalassa grumbled as she followed, and then Link lifted his cover and dived under. The water was crystal clear as he kicked and pushed his arms, propelling himself through the blue. It felt like a fantasy, and everything was quiet around him. Light seeped under from the surface, making Link squint a bit. There weren't many Zoras swimming about; most of them were up in the throne room, or roaming the village on land. The only figures that Link could see were Ralis and Thalassa, and it felt like a dream. Swimming this deep, with the Zoras, never got old. It was like entering another world each and every time.

Suddenly becoming worried, Link put his hand to his tunic frantically. He let out a sigh of relief (sort of) when he felt that the key was still safe and sound. Far ahead, the Zoras leading him stopped, hovering to wait for Link to keep up. They were now at the bottom of the floor, and the butterflies in Link's stomach were fluttering incessantly.

"Thalassa, you can't tell any of the other Zoras about this," Ralis said suddenly, catching Thalassa off-guard.

"Why?"

"Just, please don't!" Ralis huffed. "Nobody outside the royal family is supposed to see this! You're just lucky I'm letting you come."

Link had to suppress his laughter, for now he could see that Ralis truly was just a child; at the same time, though, he was mature and ready to rule his people in the best way possible. Thalassa just scoffed and crossed her arms across her chest, and the fin protruding from her head wiggled slightly. Ralis rolled his eyes, but then motioned for Link to come closer.

"Give me the key," he ordered. With a quick nod, Link gave him the blue stone. It shined beautifully, sending out an array of colors under the water. Ralis smiled gratefully, and then turned toward a wall to their left. That's when Link noticed the red reekfish swimming around, and he realized that they were at the Mother-and-Child Rocks. This was where he had caught the fish that led him to Peak Province.

"Now remember, this must be kept a secret," Ralis said one last time. Link and Thalassa both nodded, and then Ralis turned back to the brown wall. Link's keen blue eyes suddenly saw the black mark on the wall: it was in the exact shape of the key Ralis was holding. With slightly shaky hands, the young Zora prince pressed the key up against the marking, matching them up perfectly. A bright light emanated from the spot, and when Ralis lifted his hand, the stone remained pressed against the wall. All three of them backed up as the light became brighter, and they shielded their eyes. Suddenly, the light died down, and Link lowered his hand from his eyes.

Where the wall used to be, there was a new doorway. If he had been above water, his jaw would've dropped. For now, all he could was widen his eyes. Thalassa was just as dumbstruck, if not more. Ralis was unfazed.

"This way!" he motioned to them as he swam through the large doorway, grabbing the key as he did. Looking at each other, Thalassa and Link hesitantly followed. He was slightly reluctant to enter this place; he felt as if he was intruding on the Zoras' sacred property, and it just didn't feel right. But, obviously, Prince Ralis trusted him and desperately needed his help.

There was a wide corridor filled with water, and Prince Ralis led them through it surely. Finally, after what seemed like ages of aimless swimming, they reached a dead end. However, there was an open surface at the top, and they all pushed off of the ground and torpedoed up to the top.

"Here it is," Ralis sighed as they all bobbed to the top. Link once again lowered the cloth on his mouth, and this time, he did gasp. They were facing a small room, and there was solid ground awaiting them. Ralis climbed onto the platform, and then continued to help Link and Thalassa do the same. As the hero dusted himself off, his eyes caught sight of something incredible. In this small, hidden alcove, there was a bright light shining in the middle of the room. But it was shining on something specific.

There, in the center of the room, there was a glass case sitting on a podium. And inside the glass case was an old, ripped, yellowing piece of paper.

ZELDA POV

By the time the sun was rising, the storm had subsided, leaving Zelda feeling serene in the quiet, empty atmosphere of Renado's home. Ilia and Renado had long ago dozed off by the fire, but Zelda had been awake all night. With Link out there and unprotected in the storm, there was no way she was going to get a single wink of sleep until she knew he was safe. And that day might never come.

Sighing, Zelda put her empty mug beside her and continued staring blankly at the dying fire. Outside, she could hear the faint water dripping, residue from the horrible storm of the night. Heat suddenly rushed over her with no mercy, and she groaned as beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. Casting the blanket aside, Zelda stood up, and her legs ached from being seated for so long. Renado and Ilia were simply lying there, breathing heavily in their slumber. When Zelda looked at the shaman, she saw kindness, experience, and wisdom. But when she looked at Ilia, she saw impatience, immaturity, ignorance, and hatred. She was everything that Link wouldn't want…

Unable to fulfill her needs inside the large house, Zelda made her way outside absentmindedly. There was a colorful, lovely rainbow stretched out over Kakariko Village, and a smile appeared on Zelda's face as she stared upwards at the wondrous colors. The entire village was quiet, but Zelda could hear the soft chirping of the birds and the comforting rippling of the spring's water. A soft breeze blew, and Zelda's dress twirled around her legs lightly while her hair billowed freely.

Unsure of what she was doing, Zelda simply began strolling through the village, examining the houses and smiling discreetly to herself. She suddenly felt her heart pound proudly; she was the ruler of this town and its people, and they were loyal to her. It just made her feel unbelievably happy.

But remembering that Link was missing just brought her down again.

Wiping away a few straggling tears, Zelda turned back to face Eldin's spring. Everything in Kakariko Village seemed so unbelievably perfect, and the tranquility brought even more tears to her eyes. She wished that she could share this moment with the one person she loved, but she was afraid that she would never share another moment with him. The worst part was that their last conversation had been an argument, and if he didn't return, Zelda would never get the chance to apologize.

And seeing Ilia approaching her just made things worse.

"Link's not back yet?" she asked, worry evident in her high, squeaky, extremely annoying voice.

"So now you care?" Zelda muttered under her breath with a roll of her eyes.

"Where is he?" Ilia pressed. There was genuine concern in her voice. Zelda sighed, avoiding eye contact.

"I don't know."

"What did you say to him to make him run away?" Ilia went from questions to accusations. Zelda was appalled, and glared at Ilia with dangerously narrowed eyes.

"I was just about to ask the same question," she replied evenly.

"I didn't do anything!"

"Stop telling yourself that, Ilia!" Zelda said with angry pity in her voice. "You're the one who made him angry in the first place. If this is anybody's fault, it's yours!"

"How dare you?" Ilia exclaimed furiously, her hands clenching into fists as she stomped her foot. "It's not my fault!" Ilia was obviously in denial.

"I think you have this whole situation mixed up," Zelda stepped forward, not intimidated by Ilia's pointless accusation. "I was just trying to help Link because you hurt him!"

"What was I supposed to do when he told me that he was going to—" Ilia paused midsentence, stopping herself abruptly. Her mouth remained open, but no sounds came out.

"Going to what?" Zelda tilted her head suspiciously. Ilia just sighed, crossing her hands across her chest as she looked away.

"Nothing," Ilia spat.

"You're unbelievable," Zelda scoffed, almost sympathetically.

"Me?"

"No, that rock over there."

"You pretentious slut!" Ilia screamed. Zelda sucked in a deep, angry breath as her nostrils flared.

"If anyone is pretentious here, it's you," she hissed menacingly. "You only think about yourself and how you're going to get what you want."

"Stop it! You're wrong!" Ilia cried defensively, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Ilia, you need to stop being in denial," Zelda said, her voice softening. She truly felt sorry for the poor, oblivious girl. "Come back to reality."

"What reality? The one where you're the best?" Ilia crinkled her nose in disgust.

"Ilia, please stop it. You're just making things worse for yourself. The more you deny it, the more you'll be hurt," Zelda said wisely.

"I'm not denying anything!" Ilia continued.

Zelda was silent. She had nothing left to say to the fuming girl exploding before her.

"I…" Ilia began, but then paused. "You… He…" The tears finally spilled. "I hate both of you!"

She stormed back to Renado's house, wiping the tears as she did. Zelda considered apologizing, but then thought better of it. That little swine deserved no apologies, especially for the way she had acted. It was completely unnecessary and horribly immature for a girl her age. Zelda watched with a sigh as the pathetic Ilia ran back into Renado's house, slamming the door behind her.

Suddenly, a familiar sound reached Zelda's pointy ears. With wide eyes, she frantically looked around, her heart beating even faster than usual. Epona's neigh rung through the air once more, and a burning flame of hope burned in Zelda's heart as she heard the heavy footsteps of Link's noble steed. Unable to hold herself back, she moved as fast as she could toward Kakariko Village's entrance, where Epona's whinnies were coming from. The rising sun shone brightly on her face as she ran, the tears glimmering on her cheeks.

"Link!" she called out, stopping near the entrance. She saw Epona galloping into view, and she smiled widely.

The smile disappeared completely when she saw that Link wasn't in the saddle.

"No," she breathed out as Epona approached. There was a wild look on her face, and her eyes were wide and bloodshot. Her body was trembling slightly, and Zelda comfortingly stepped forward and began running her slender fingers through the mare's hair. Her skin was shaky, but it was still warm. Epona was fidgety, but Zelda's gentle, reassuring touch calmed her a bit.

"Shh," she whispered in her twitching ears, petting her long cheeks and her white muzzle. "It's all right, girl,"

The beautiful horse snorted, and her eyes glistened as they watched Zelda and let her pet her. The princess didn't know if Epona could recognize tears. The sobs were hard to suppress, thinking about the fact that Epona had returned without Link, and the poor horse was traumatized. Her lips trembled horribly.

"What happened to him?" she asked quietly, even though she knew Epona couldn't answer her. The horse simply whinnied and bobbed her head, and there was a slightly desperate glint in her eyes. Zelda could tell that she also missed her master. Refusing to dry her tears, Zelda grabbed Epona's reins and led her to the edge of the spring, and then let her gulp down the water thirstily.

Zelda leaned back against the wall of Renado's inn, staring up at the sky hopelessly. There was not a single cloud in the blanket of blue above her. One weep escaped her lips, and she closed her eyes tightly as she slid down the wall, sniffling and trembling. Link's bright, smiling face entered her mind as she buried her face in her hands, feeling her palms becoming wet.

I never even got the chance to tell him that I love him, she thought. In one night, she'd lost the love of her life. There was nothing she could do about it now; she couldn't even apologize.

Suddenly, her Triforce started glowing. She lifted her tearstained face, staring at the blue and golden triangle. Furrowing her brow curiously, she wiped the tears with the back of her other hand.

Why is my Triforce glowing? She asked herself. Something's happening… Then, she beamed hopefully. Link! Maybe he's alive!

Maybe there was still hope.

So... Zelda thinks Link is dead. Sucks for her. Haha tell me what you guys think of this chapter! I'd appreciate the feedback and constructive criticism. My sister read it before I posted it, and she said that Link's point of view is a bit boring, so I want to know what you guys think. Anything I could change? Any ideas? Haha thanks! I'll update as soon as possible ;)