I'm a very quick updater, aren't I? Haha I'm sure that'll change once school starts ;) Enjoy chapter fifteen!

Chapter Fifteen: Guardian of the Source

LINK POV

Link's heart was racing as the monster turned around. But it was racing in a good way; he loved the feel of adrenaline rushing through his veins during a fight, he loved feeling like he was going to die at any second only to defeat the threat. He loved the sense of the Master Sword in his hand and knowing that he could use it wisely. What he didn't love was how big and strong this monster was. It was something he'd never seen before, and it towered over him immensely.

"Gah!" It screamed as it whirled around after Link had sliced the small opening in its back. Link glared at it as he twirled his sword in his hand. He was waiting for the monster to make the next move; he always liked to examine the fighting styles and patterns of his opponents so that he could figure out their weaknesses and strike them effectively.

The two swordsmen walked around each other, weapons at the ready. Without warning, the monster lifted his sword and swung it vertically at Link. The hero skillfully flipped backwards and landed on his feet, leaving the monster grumbling in frustration. When he was ready again, the creature swung. This time, Link wasn't ready for the horizontal slice. He brought his shield up, only to have it knocked from his hands by the force of the blow. In his mind, Link cursed himself for being so unprepared for the attack. Before he had a chance to take another step, his opponent struck again. Link lifted his sword to protect himself, and the two weapons clashed.

He cringed at the sound of the metals scratching, but he kept his ground. Link decided not to wait any longer. He swung his sword horizontally and stepped forward. But the monster simply brought his sword up in protection, and the Master Sword bounced off of it.

I can't win with just sheer force with this one, He thought, ducking under another monstrous swing. This is going to need strategy. But, he can't be fast… he's too large…

Link didn't have his shield, so Helm Splitter and Shield Bash weren't options. Back Slice had worked before… but he knew that it wouldn't be able to work forever. The monster would catch on soon enough. Link didn't have enough energy for Great Spin or Jump Strike. The only skills left were Mortal Draw and Ending Blow. He would have to try it.

Link took three steps back, sheathing his sword. He simply stood, absolutely silent as the monster laughed.

"You have decided to give up?" He roared. "That is wise of you." Then those red eyes narrowed into thin slits, and the monster raised his sword menacingly. Link smirked at the foolishness of the monster. Leaving himself open like that was a foolhardy decision.

The moment he stepped into Link's reach, he unsheathed his sword, spinning as he did. The monster was caught completely off-guard when Link cut his sword straight through the armor defending his chest. The strength of the Master Sword and the openness of the monster allowed Link to destructively rip through armor, making the monster's chest vulnerable. The creature screamed loudly and stumbled backwards, putting a hand to its ripped armor and dropping his sword. Though Link had partly succeeded, he was frustrated that the monster hadn't fallen completely. Ending Blow could've finished him.

"You are strong…" He growled. "But the source is stronger."

Link paused, twirling his sword anxiously. He became much more alert at the mention of a source. If it was the same source he was thinking about…

His blue eyes became narrowed, and he straightened up.

"The source has the power to destroy all." Then, Link thought he saw the creature smile. "And I am its guardian. I am the Guardian of the Source. "

The green-clad hero didn't fully understand what the Guardian of the Source was saying, but Zelda would definitely know. However, Zelda wasn't there… Link would have to settle with just defeating the monster.

"HYAH!" Link shouted as he jumped into the air, lifting the sword above his head. Though he surprised the monster with his sudden attack, he simply wasn't fast enough.

The wounded guardian swung his massive arm harshly, and it made contact with the side of Link's body. With a scream of pain, Link was thrown roughly to the ground, and his sword spun way out of his reach. The breath was knocked out of him as he collided with the hard dirt, and he found himself gasping for air and struggling to breathe. His entire body felt horribly numb, and when he coughed, a small splatter of blood soiled the earth. He felt as if he were suffocating as he lay on his side, unable to move and barley able to breathe. All that Link was aware of was the pounding of the monsters footsteps coming near him.

"Foolish Hero," He laughed, his armor clanking in Link's ear. "You thought you could defeat me."

Link coughed again, sending more blood from his chapped lips. The Guardian of the Source stepped lightly on his cheek, moving him so that his face was turned upwards. Link's breathing was raspy, as he was still trying to regain his breath. On top of that, the monster's armored foot was pressed against his dirty cheek.

"You are brave. But you cannot win." He spat. Link groaned quietly, clenching his teeth and trying not to cough. All of his strength and energy was completely drained, and though he discreetly reached his arm as far as it could go, he couldn't reach his sword.

He heard Epona's frightened, muffled whinny as the guardian laughed horrendously. He then stepped on Link's chest, causing the young hero to cough and gasp for air. The monster had seemingly pressed all of the air out of Link's lungs, and the world above him became blurred. He blinked twice, trying to clear his vision uselessly. The Guardian of the Source, with a cruel glint in his red eyes, reached down and grabbed Link's neck. With little to no effort, he lifted Link off of the ground and held him up to his face.

Link kicked his legs and struggled to escape with the small amount of energy that he had, and he grabbed onto the creature's long, sharp fingers. His actions had no affect, and the guardian brought his face inches from Link's.

"Listen to me, and listen well," He began. Link grunted quietly as he continued struggling, but his energy was leaving him at a breakneck pace. "The source must be protected at all costs."

"Ah!" Link screamed in agony as the creature squeezed his neck with incredible force.

"Now tell me, O Great Hero," He continued, sarcasm dripping from his voice. "Where are the first two pieces of the orb?"

Link remained silent.

"Tell me!" The creature hissed angrily, closing in tighter on Link's airways. Even if he had wanted to tell the guardian (which he would never), he wouldn't have been able to. All Link could do at that moment was cough and gasp for air.

"I will find them, you stupid boy!" The guardian cried. "And you will help me." He cackled maniacally. "I know that you have them…"

Suddenly, in the distance, the sound of a loud horn erupted into the air. The guardian accordingly lifted his head, and Link moaned as he began to lose consciousness. His eyelids drooped, and all he was aware of was the horn sounding in the distance. It was an irritating, cracking horn: one that left a buzzing in Link's brain.

Without a word, the creature dropped him. He crumpled to the ground, coughing uncontrollably and trying to catch his breath. His eyesight became slightly clearer, and he regained the ability to recognize his surroundings. The guardian was looking towards the place where the horn seemed to have come from, and he was still for a few moments. Then, he faced Link once more.

"We will meet again, famed Hero of Twilight. You will not continue threatening this source for long." He lifted his hand, and his large sword flew into his fingers from a few yards away. Link narrowed his eyes as he sat up, putting his hand protectively to his throat. "The evil of ancient will prevail, not to be defeated once more."

With those ominous words, the Guardian of the Source began to dissolve. In a few moments, he was gone, and Link's relief was incredible. He lay back down on his back, breathing heavily and trying to process what had just happened. Everything had passed so quickly…

After a few minutes of simply pondering, Link summoned the strength to stand up shakily. He groaned when he took a step, but the pain eventually evaporated. It always did after a fight like this, and Link picked up his sword and sheathed it contently. For a few seconds there was relief; and then, there was sudden worry.

Ilia! He thought frantically, and then turned to where his best friend was laying. Blood gushed from her left arm, and it stained her skin and her clothes. Her eyelids were fluttering, but she was conscious. Link knelt beside her worriedly, and she turned her head towards him.

"Link?" Ilia smiled slightly, and Link touched her cheek. "You saved me again, didn't you?" Her voice was faint as she teased him, but he chuckled.

Link ripped a part of his sleeve off and gently began wrapping it around the nasty gash in her arm. She sucked in a pained breath as the pressure was applied, but she didn't complain. He shuddered when he saw the stain that the blood was leaving in the cloth, and he became concerned about the amount of blood that Ilia was losing. She was barely even with him.

By that time, his strength had mostly returned, though he was absolutely exhausted. He had enough energy to scoop her up in his arms, and then he moved toward Epona. She was loyally waiting for him, bobbing her head and whinnying excitedly at the sight of her master. He smiled at her, though he could only think about getting Ilia back to safety in Castle Town.

Somehow, Link managed to get Ilia mounted on Epona. She teetered slightly as he mounted, and then she fell back against him once he was seated. Her head was leaned against his neck, and he sighed as he grabbed the reins. Just as he was about to kick Epona into action, he heard a familiar sound.

"Oh, adventurer!"

Ooccoo.

Link glanced down to find her and her son staring up at him with wide-eyed expressions.

"It really is you! The one who saved the heavens!" The Oocca smiled broadly and hopped up and down excitedly while her son flew around her head. "And gracious me, you've saved us once again! How noble of you!"

If Ooccoo was down here once again, there must've been something important occurring up in the City in the Sky, Link thought.

"Um, fellow adventurer," Ooccoo suddenly took on a serious expression. Link knew what was coming. "Why don't we stick together for a while, hmm? You could use our help, and we could most definitely use yours! Gracious, yes! What do you say?"

Without hesitating for a moment, Link tilted his head and smiled in a friendly fashion, and Ooccoo chirped in delight. He didn't even bother asking what she needed help with, because she never told anyway. She and her son eagerly floated up to him, making themselves comfortable atop Epona. After one discreet, silly roll of his eyes, Link nudged Epona forward and they were on their way to Castle Town.

ZELDA POV

Zelda sat up in bed with a sigh, rubbing her head and groaning quietly. She wasn't much of a morning person. She stretched her arms out with a loud yawn, and then smacked her lips together as she looked around the room dazedly. The sun was just beginning to rise, and Zelda could feel its warmth penetrating the cold night air. But as her blue eyes scanned the room, she noticed that something was wrong.

"Link!" She realized that he was gone, along with all of his weaponry and possessions. And she immediately knew the reason that he wasn't there.

That foolish girl, Ilia, she thought with contempt. Now Link has put himself into even more danger going out to search for her. She could be anywhere, doing anything at this particular moment.

Zelda swung her slender legs over the edge of the bed, shivering as her feet made contact with the cold ground. She ran her fingers hastily through her unkempt hair and made an attempt at straightening out the mild tangles. She needed to get ready as soon as possible and find a way to make sure that Link was safe. If anything were to happen to him on Ilia's behalf, Zelda would not be happy…

"Zelda? You awake, honey?" Telma knocked on the door.

"Yes. Please come in," The princess said as she stood up, straightening up her makeshift nightgown and brushing the dust off.

"Did you have a good night's sleep, sweat pea?" Telma smiled. Zelda nodded as she tied her hair into a ponytail, eager to get it out of her face. Now she could see the bright world much better. Suddenly, Telma noticed Link's absence.

"Oh goddesses, where in Hyrule is that boy now?" Telma cried, throwing her arms up in frustration.

"He seems to have gone off in search of Ilia while we were asleep." She sighed, trying to keep herself calm at the mention of that irksome, immature girl.

"Of course he has!" Telma grumbled. "Cant' you people just stay put for more than one night?"

Just as Telma said those words, they heard the door downstairs close. They gave each other excited glances, and then followed each other out of the door. Zelda leaned over the railway looking out over the second floor of the bar while Telma rushed down the stairs. Sure enough, Link had walked through the door and was carrying the barely-conscious Ilia in his arms. Her left arm was wrapped in a piece of his ripped tunic, and Zelda could see the blood seeping through it.

"The handsome young man has done it again." Telma put her hands around Link's face, and he smiled humbly. Zelda grinned widely and hurried down to meet him. And, though she didn't particularly like Ilia, she never wished for anything bad to happen to her; she wanted to do whatever she could to help the poor girl.

"What happened to her?" Zelda asked, curiosity on her face. Link sighed, and she could see the exhaustion in his eyes. "Never mind."

"Come, let's get Ilia upstairs. I'll send for Doctor Borville." Telma said.

"No…" Ilia protested faintly. All eyes turned to her. "Not… him…"

"Ilia, dear, there's nobody else who can solve an issue like this! I'm sending for him whether you like it or not!" Telma concluded, ending the conversation. Zelda found herself liking Telma's ferocity.

Finally upstairs, they laid Ilia in a bed and drew the covers over her trembling body. Zelda saw that Link only wanted to sleep now that Ilia was in safe hands, and she followed him to the other bedroom.

"We'll talk later," She told him. He nodded as he stripped himself of all his weapons. Then, he collapsed on the bed and was asleep in two seconds, making her giggle to herself. As Zelda left the room, she thought she saw a pair of eyes peeking out at her from Link's knapsack…

Probably just a trick of the light, She shrugged and shut the door behind her, leaving Link to his dreams.

To Zelda-Sheik: Don't you worry. Sheik will appear... Just not yet. If you can wait a few more chapters, you will be satisfied :P CHAPTER SIXTEEN COMING SOON PEOPLES! R&R