Chapter Nineteen has arrived! Hahah but be warned: it's long. But, it's very, very meaningful! Enjoy!

Chapter Nineteen: Beautiful Things Never Last

At first, Link didn't know what to do with the bug. But eventually, he decided to just take it outside and bury it. Somewhat hesitantly, he reached down for the disgusting thing to grab it. As soon as his fingers touched its dry skin, his Triforce started glowing; then, the bug burst into green flame, and Link drew his hand back hastily with a gasp. The green fire burned for a few moments, and then it began to die down. Link was in shock, and it only increased when the fire disappeared to reveal a small piece of paper. He was reluctant to pick it up. He didn't want anything else turned to ashes in Telma's Bar.

Link's forehead scrunched up in curiosity as he picked up the small white paper with slightly shaky hands. This night just kept coming up with more surprises for him. When he touched the parchment, it felt hot against his skin, but the pain was minimal. He went from a crouching position to a sitting one, letting his feet touch the stairs as he sat at the top. Link put his hands in his lap as he unfolded the paper. It was a riddle, just like on the first two pieces of the orb. Link was beginning to think that these attacks were being planned…

A bug of the plague finally trampled on

However, it's one of a million

Many more will follow with determination to kill

The screams of victims will echo high and shrill

Pain spreads through those who are infected

Only Chosen Ones can keep the world from becoming infested

First, the power of the evil must be harnessed

Those chosen souls may become tarnished

Secondly, the Source, guarded by the monsters of ancient

One true hero alone on the journey must be sent

The broken harness, however, is the key

Complete its shattered form, and you will see

Link ran his hands through his thick hair, letting the note drop into his lap. He tugged lightly at his own scalp, clenching his teeth and groaning. His brain wasn't functioning as sharply as usual, but he knew that he needed to figure out this riddle. At this point, he and Zelda needed all of the help they could get regarding this plague.

"Ugh…" He moaned in frustration as he pulled his own hair. Link wasn't in good shape to decipher something like this.

It's one of a million... There were many more bugs, but Link already knew that.

Screams… echo high and shrill… The plague was painful and would kill.

Only Chosen Ones can keep the world from becoming infested… Only he and Zelda could stop it. Then, he noticed that the riddle was giving directions in two steps.

First, the power of the evil must be harnessed… the broken harness is the key… complete its shattered form… After a moment of thought, Link realized that the 'power of the evil' and the 'broken harness' were what Eldin called the Orb of Darkness's Plague. It was the broken orb, and according to this riddle, it was the key. The first step was reassembling it.

Secondly, the Source, guarded by the monsters of ancient… one true hero alone must be sent… The second step: destroying the actual 'Source,' guarded by the Guardian of the Source. Link took it to be that the 'true hero' was, unfortunately, him. It's not that he didn't want to help Hyrule and Princess Zelda–he truly did– but sometimes he wished that the fate of Hyrule wasn't always in his hands.

After pondering the directions of the riddle once more, Link made a few important decisions. The most important thing at this point was gathering all of the pieces of the orb, which he would be able to do by rescuing Faron and Ordona from the plague. While he did that, Zelda would be searching for more information and understanding this evil better. Hopefully, by the time he returned from his mission, everything would make sense. Then, they would just go from there…

This quest was only becoming more complex, and it required more work than Link had expected. Apparently, there was more to the puzzle than just the orb. At first, Link had thought that once the orb was complete, so was the journey. But from what the newest riddle stated along with the attack from the guardian, there was a source within a source. Not only did the orb contain the evil, but also it contained the source of the evil itself. The epiphany had finally appeared in Link's head; but he had a strange feeling that Zelda already knew the discoveries he just made. He had a feeling that she had known all of this for a while.

With a racing mind and a pounding heart, Link hastily stuffed the note in his tunic and stood up. As he made his way back downstairs, he prayed that nobody had heard him. Evidently, no one had. Unfortunately, Ilia, Telma, and Zelda were all unpredictable and clever. He couldn't even guess what was happening in their rooms. Putting those thoughts in the back of his mind, he sat once again at his secluded table. He just put his head in his hands and sighed deeply. And when he closed his eyes, he saw Zelda's face, and Zelda's face alone. That was all he wanted to see, now and forever.

ZELDA POV

Zelda is walking down a cobblestone path. Each small stone is glowing silver, and around her is complete darkness. There is nothing under her, nothing above her, and nothing beside her but blackness. Only the path leading deeper into the dark emanates a bright silver light. When Zelda looks down, she sees faint writing on the cobblestone. It is traditional, ancient Hylian: a language that Zelda of course understands, unlike most people. When she reads the writing, however, she sees that it is insensible. There's a single measly letter written on each cobblestone. They spell nothing and say nothing. They're simply letters.

Zelda takes a deep breath and continues, and her heels click against the shimmering cobblestones. The sound echoes endlessly in the darkness. Suddenly, the princess notices that she is wearing her most formal dress. Taking a deep breath, she continues bravely and without hesitation. She doesn't know where she's going, and there are no hints as to where the shining path leads. As far as her wise eye can see is black. But with each step forward, more of the darkness lights up. But it never seems to end. It goes on forever…

Finally, after what seems like ages, Zelda sees a silhouette in the distance. She squints, but can make out nothing more than a simple silhouette. Her pace speeds up a bit as she moves toward it, her dress billowing around her slender legs. Soon, she sees that it is the silhouette of a person… a very familiar person.

"Hello?" She calls, and realizes that the person's back is to her. Suddenly, a bright light erupts from the silhouette: a brilliant, green light. His shining head turns slightly, and Zelda can finally make out the signature cap. "Link!"

Her heart pounds, and she instinctively breaks into a run. Zelda simply can't help herself at the sight of the man she is completely in love with. By the time she reaches him, he is completely turned around to face her. He is still glowing with a blinding green light, and Zelda can't see his face.

"Link, I'm so glad I found you," she says, smiling and grabbing his hands. "Without you, this evil is undefeatable."

He says nothing, but steps closer. Then, the light around his face darkens slightly, and she can make out his features. A large smile is on his glowing face, and the twinkle in his eyes is even more beautiful than usual. He puts his arms at her waist, and she steps into his tight embrace. Everything becomes warm around her as she is surrounded by his green glow.

All around her, the darkness disappears. It is replaced by golden and silver light, and Zelda looks around in amazement. Link also steps away, smiling at her joy. Zelda realizes that Link is the reason the darkness is gone: he's the light in her world of darkness.

"Beautiful things never last." Comes a haunting, menacing voice. Zelda and Link both turn around, and he draws the Master Sword. He steps in front of her protectively, ready to keep her safely guarded. A creature appears, at least eight feet tall and clad in black armor. His sword is large and jagged. Red slits look out from the opening in his helmet.

"The Guardian of the Source," Link murmurs to himself.

"What?" Zelda whispers only to receive no answer.

"Your courage is great," the creature continues, its voice sending chills down Zelda's spine. "As is your wisdom. But the Source will remain guarded, no matter the consequences!"

The monster steps forward, jabbing his sword.

"NO!" Zelda shrieks as the sword stabs Link right in the chest. His Master Sword drops to the ground, clanking loudly as he grunts in pain. He crumples to the ground, and Zelda kneels beside him. Her tears are uncontrollable as she holds him in her arms. But there is no blood. There is only a dark hole in his body.

The creature laughs maniacally in the midst of Zelda's sobs. As Link's eyes close, the darkness that the hole is emitting engulfs his entire body like liquid, and soon all of the light around them is gone… and so is Link.

All Zelda can feel is emotional pain, and her heart is breaking as the world becomes black around her. But, just as it does, time stops. Everything starts moving in slow motion, and Zelda gasps quietly. Time is moving backwards.

Suddenly, Link is once again standing in front of her with his sword at the ready, still full of light. The Guardian of the Source is about to stab at Link again. The moment is replaying and events are rewinding, Zelda realizes; and now, she has the chance to change it.

"No!" she screams. Then, she pushes Link harshly and steps in front of him. The path of the creature's sword continues, but this time, it pierces Zelda's flesh instead. Excruciating pain erupts, and she gasps in shock and pain. She grasps her bloody stomach, falling to her knees.

"ZELDA!" She hears Link's shouts, and she feels his warm arms around her. He is still glowing. Everything around is still full of light. But in a few moments, she can't feel or see anything…

Zelda's eyes opened, and her dream world evaporated. She found herself turned on her side in a bed, facing the wall in Telma's Bar. A blanket covered her body, which to her relief, was completely in tact. She slowly turned onto her back, her eyes moving to the ceiling. Though she was back in reality, the dream replayed over and over again in her mind. This wasn't a normal dream; it was one of her rare prophetic dreams, she could simply tell. It was one of the dreams blessed to her by the essence of Nayru and the Triforce of Wisdom.

The princess sat up in bed, stretching her arms and glancing out the window. The sun was peeking above the horizon, just beginning to rise. Somehow, she began smiling. It just seemed like the perfect morning in Hyrule. However, it wasn't perfect for her. Nor was it perfect for Link. They had a lot to think about.

She sat in bed for a while, picking apart the meaning of the dream step by step. From her past experiences and the wisdom inside of her, Zelda knew that every little aspect of the dream had meaning to it. Everything around her in the dream meant something, and they were usually accurate prophecies, unless something in the course of fate was changed. After a few minutes, Zelda's clever mind and great wisdom had easily picked apart the dream and understood everything. At first, she felt relieved. Then, she was frightened. And finally, she felt pain: excruciating, emotional pain. Her heart simply broke in two, but she still knew that what the dream said was bound to happen. The princess was shocked.

Zelda stood up and readied herself in a daze. The end of the journey and the way to win were now evident. It was clear that it wasn't going to be easy, and that suffering was something that couldn't be avoided. Of course, the riddles on the pieces of the orb had already said that. But Zelda had never expected that there be this much pain.

Ilia was still in her room when Zelda peeked, and she was fast asleep. Zelda smiled slightly to herself, and then softly closed the door. She looked over the railing in the hall, and saw that Telma was already behind the counter ready for the day to begin. The princess furrowed her brow in confusion; Link was nowhere to be seen.

"Good morning, Telma," Zelda greeted at the counter, smiling brightly.

"Morning sweet pea!" Telma replied as she cleaned some plates. "How did you sleep?"

"Very well, thank you," she nodded. "But, where is—?"

Telma tilted her head toward the table in the alcove, and Zelda anxiously followed her gaze. She chuckled to herself quietly. There at the table was Link, and his head was buried in his arms as he lay against the table. He was fast asleep. Zelda felt the temptation to just let him sleep, but she needed to talk to him. And she had a feeling that he needed to talk to her.

"Go ahead and wake the poor dear up. He seems to have a lot on his mind, and if he really needs to sleep, take him upstairs to a decent bed." Telma ordered, and Zelda obediently walked over to the table.

"Link?" she said his name quietly as she gently shook his shoulder. His head moved, and he shifted his position with a groan. "Wake up, Link," Zelda continued. He looked up at her with heavy eyelids, and she tried not to laugh when she saw the marks on his cheeks from the tunic he had been pressed up against.

"Good morning," she said, sitting down at the table beside him. He smiled dazedly, still half-asleep. "You fell asleep on the table."

He laughed at his own foolishness and rubbed his eyes. Then he took off his hat and made an attempt at straightening out his unkempt hair. Zelda felt her cheeks get hot as she watched him, and then sadness came when she remembered the dream.

"Um, I need to talk to you," she began, but he held up a hand to cut her off. She looked at him with a perplexed expression. After putting his hat in its rightful place, he reached into his tunic and pulled out a charred piece of paper. Without a word, he put it on the table and slid it toward her. Zelda succeeded in hiding her reluctance as she unfolded the paper.

It was yet another riddle about the orb. And it proved that part of her dream was true. The other part, however…

"W-where did you find this?" she asked with a gasp. Link went on to explain his ordeal with the bug last night, and Zelda's fear only increased. Link watched intently as she read the riddle and pondered pensively. Then, he explained to her his theory about the riddle, but Zelda already knew it and understood. She had already known… but now, she knew more.

"Link, listen carefully," she said, staring into his eyes. "Last night, I had a prophetic dream."

She explained to him the entire dream… but she left out the part where time went back and Zelda was the one who was killed. Link was left perplexed and waiting for more explanations.

"The darkness around me? That means that this evil has great power. But the light of the cobblestones means that there is a way to defeat it," she started explaining the meaning of the dream. "The letters on the cobblestone, because they make no sense and were written in ancient Hylian, mean that the journey will be confusing and complex. And the fact that I was wearing my most formal dress means that I will have to take on many responsibilities and hold many burdens as princess along the journey."

Link was beginning to understand on his own, and Zelda could tell that the gears were shifting in his mind.

"The long walk to you means that the journey will be long and hard. And, Link, this is the most important part. You must listen very carefully." She paused. "Since you were the one who lit up all of the darkness, it means that you are the one will stop the evil. You are going to be the light in the world of darkness."

Link seemed taken aback, but he also seemed to be accepting that fact.

"Just like the riddle, Link: One true hero alone on the journey must be sent. You're the true hero who will vanquish the evil," she said. Link blinked, processing everything. "You mustn't be afraid…" Zelda was afraid to explain the rest of the dream.

She choked back sobs as Link's eyes widened. He was thinking about the next part of the dream: the part where he was killed.

"Just know that if you are defeated, evil will conquer all. That's why d-darkness returned after you…" Her voice trailed off as Link pressed his hand to his forehead. He now understood completely. "But Link, this doesn't mean that you will be killed. It only means that there are many obstacles and enemies on the path, and it is very dangerous. It doesn't mean that you will not vanquish them."

It was a lie.

"I'm so sorry. Once again, the fate of Hyrule is in your hands," she put her hand on his, and she sucked in a breath when she saw this it was cold and clammy.

He never noticed that she left out a crucial part of the dream.

The part of the dream where time replays and Link doesn't die… she thought to herself. It means that there's a way to save Link from being defeated and save all of Hyrule.

She held back more tears.

It means that the only way to save him and Hyrule is sacrifice.

The sacrifice of my life.

Spooky... Haha I hope you liked it! I worked super hard on this, and I hope it's not confusing or choppy. If it is... tell me in your reviews! Hahaha thanks again everyone, and keep on reading!