Okay, sorry it took longer than usual to update this. But this chapter was sooo difficult to write, and I don't even know why! Mini writer's block. Haha I rewrote it like ten times, so hopefully it's actually good. It's part action, part filler, and it's the longest chapter yet, so be prepared. Hope you like it!

Chapter Twenty-Seven: A Nice Cup of Coffee

Zelda's surroundings were all blurred, as she stood there, wrapped in Link's arms. All she was aware of was his lips against hers, his fingers in her hair, her arms around his neck, and the sound of their heart beats colliding. Each moment felt like hours, each breath felt like ten. Zelda loved the feeling, and though her eyes were closed, she could see everything vividly. Her knees were buckling slightly, and she felt as if the ground was moving swiftly below her. The sensation was incredible.

But it was all going too fast. This wasn't the right time: Zelda could just feel it. And in the back of her mind, the little voice started screaming at the top of its lungs. The voice reminded Zelda that she still had responsibilities, and her kingdom was still in grave danger. And though Link was a very important part of her life, right now he wasn't the most important part.

"Link, wait," she pulled away, and he looked at her with glistening eyes. "We need to get back to work. We still have a job to do... Now's not the time."

"You're right," Link nodded respectfully, but his fingers lingered on her neck.

"The castle is still deserted but occupied by the guardians," With great reluctance, Zelda stepped back and ran a hand through her tangled hair. "We need to find out what's going on."

He nodded again, and his expression suddenly became intense and serious. Zelda could see his mood changing, and he straightened up. She had reminded him of the tasks that still needed fulfilling, and the promises that he had a duty to keep. The flustered look on his face disappeared, and Zelda was somewhat satisfied. She knew that she could rely on him.

"I'm still confused, though," Zelda sat down in front of the fire, narrowing her eyes and rubbing her temples. On the other side of the room, by the bed, Link was putting his hat back on his head and preparing himself for the journey. "Where did everybody else go? How come nobody knew that the guardians had taken over the castle?"

She saw Link shrug out of the corner of her eyes.

"I'm worried about everybody..." Zelda sighed, trying to keep herself come. The more she thought about, the more the danger of the situation began to sink in. "And the Castle Town is in danger as well. I don't know what I'm supposed to do! I'm completely lost," Overwhelmed, Zelda buried her face in her hands and moaned in frustration.

The burden of being a princess was starting to get heavier. And on top of this entire plague, she still had the new security system to think about. Zelda just wanted to curl up in bed, put the covers up, and sleep until it all just disappeared... but the facts were, she couldn't do that, and she never would.

As she shook her head in angst, Link's hand gently touched her shoulder as he approached from behind. The chills returned, and she struggled not to shiver. Then, he gently kissed the top of her head.

"It'll be fine," he reassured, smiling sweetly. Zelda sighed heavily, glancing up at her hero. Encouraged, she stood up and took a deep breath.

"Yes," she continued. "We are going to figure all of this out and stop the plague." He grinned coyly, his blue eyes sparkling beautifully. Zelda could barely tear her eyes from him, but she forced herself to look away.

"We have to get out as soon as possible. The guardians will wake up soon, I suppose." Butterflies suddenly exploded in her stomach, and she clutched it nervously.

Without another word, Link grabbed her hand and led the way, to the door leading out into the large stone stairwell.

LINK POV

As his fingers weaved through hers, only one thing was going through his mind: keep Zelda safe. If anything happened to her, Link would never forgive himself, and he would be miserable. He needed to protect her at all costs, and he was determined to put his life on the line for her if need be. Anything it took to keep her from harm...

Link wasn't expecting what happened next. They were almost halfway down the stairs when they suddenly heard the creaking of a door below. Both of them halted abruptly, staying completely still and silent. Zelda squeezed his hand nervously, and he instinctively stepped in front of her. Then, dark shadows appeared on the wall, and Link drew in an anxious breath. They contorted into dark, ominous shapes that danced on the walls. That's when they heard two familiar, haunting voices, and they recognized the large shadows: Guardians of the Source.

"Go, go!" Zelda whispered hurriedly, pushing Link back up the stairs toward her chambers. He pulled her after him as he sprinted upwards, skipping stairs. They couldn't afford to let the guardians see them; Link didn't think he had the strength or skill to defeat them, especially two.

Once they were in her room, Link let go of her hand with much hesitance and shut the door, locking it.

"The lock won't be enough," Zelda said. "We need to find someway to escape, or someplace to hide."

Link was already scanning the room, searching for anything or anywhere. The footsteps in the hall were getting closer, and his heart was nearly pounding out of his chest. Each idle second put Zelda in more danger, and Link didn't think he could handle it for much longer. The sun was beginning to rise outside, shedding its orange light across Hyrule.

Then, the voices came right outside the door.

"What are we going to do?" Zelda asked, clutching his arm. He was astonished at the amount of calmness in her voice, but his admiration only grew. They both jumped slightly in surprise when a strong banging came on the door, and they backed up. At that point, there was nothing Link could do...

In the nick of time, his eyes fell on a small door in the corner of the room. Zelda followed his gaze, and then gasped.

"The closet!" she whispered, and they both sprinted. Link opened the door, ushering her inside the small room, and then followed. After securely shutting the door, he drew his sword and remained in front of the princess protectively. The area was cramped, and they were pressed against each other and the walls awkwardly, but they didn't care. The only sound was their heavy breathing.

Outside, they suddenly heard a loud crash and the clank of armor. Link narrowed his eyes, and the adrenaline rushed through his pulsing veins. It was the same feeling he got before every battle, but this time was a bit different: this time, he had something dear to protect.

"You who threatens the Source!" cried one of the guardians, his voice muffled from behind the closet door. Link sensed Zelda holding her breath tensely. "You have something we need, and you can't hide..."

"Give us the pieces of the Orb, and we will kill you quickly!" the other one added. "If not... it will be slow and painful."

Neither of them moved a muscle.

"We know you're in here..." Link strained to hear the noises outside. Their footsteps began once more, and he felt the slight rumble of the ground as they moved about the room. Then he heard the epic sound of a sword being unsheathed.

Oh, no, Link thought, glancing at Zelda anxiously as the footsteps got closer to the closet. This was a stupid idea. Now we're cornered.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are," the guardian outside cackled, banging on the closet door. Link clenched his teeth, but kept his sword at the ready.

"Link!" Zelda screamed as the door came crashing in towards them, blown into small pieces of wood. He habitually lifted his shield and made sure to protect Zelda as she covered her head. When they opened their eyes and the wooden debris was gone, a Guardian of the Source replaced it.

Link, knowing they were in the wrong place at the wrong time, made a quick decision. He grabbed Zelda's hand and sheathed his sword.

"There you—" Before the demon could finish his sentence, Link banged his unsuspecting chest with his shield: Shield Attack. The guardian was caught completely off guard and sent stumbling backwards. As he did, Link sprinted past him, pulling Zelda after him. As soon as they were past the first one, however, they saw the second one standing above Zelda's bed. At the sound of their footsteps, he whirled around to face them.

In a few moments, two guardians surrounded them. Link let go of her hand to pull out the Master Sword, but he kept her behind him. They slowly backed up, towards the wall.

"You escaped last time, Hero," one of them said, addressing Link. "But that won't happen again because you have everything we need. I won't need to leave to go find another Orb piece this time, so do not count on the sound of the horn."

Link remained silent. Zelda, on the other hand, did not.

"What did you do with the castle residents?" she demanded bravely, and Link shot her a warning glance. Now was not the time. "Tell me." She ignored him, and he breathed in angrily.

"Don't worry, Princess," one cooed menacingly. "We didn't kill them. The Source specifically ordered we keep them alive. The virus will kill them without our help anyway."

"Where are they?" Zelda's voice was rising, as was Link's worry. "Release them!"

"I'm afraid that's not a possibility," one cocked his head. "Not while you're still alive."

Then they both pounced.

Link lifted his sword instinctively, blocking the first guardian. Sparks flew from the clash of the metal, and Link groaned from the strain of holding him back. But the second one was still moving swiftly towards Zelda. While Link held back the guardian, she backed up against the wall and had nowhere else to go. He struggled to keep his ground and move to her protection, but there was no way to fend off this monster.

Behind him, he heard a crash, and a yelp from Zelda. Still struggling, he managed to glance back for a split second. Zelda was on the ground, and around her were the broken pieces of glass from the window that the guardian had just shattered. The princess was trying to avoid the swinging of his sword, and Link's eyes widened.

His protective instincts kicked in, and a pulse of strength surged through his body. With a power he never knew he possessed, he stepped forward and pushed harshly on the guardian's sword. The monster was taken aback by Link's sudden attack, and he staggered backwards. Link's brow was furrowed, and his teeth were bared and clenched. Just the thought of Zelda, the girl he loved, in danger, gave him strength. He was aware of nothing but his battle, and nothing else mattered.

"Gah!" Link cried out angrily and used his sword to harshly push back the guardian. Then, with an eloquent twist, swiped his sword across his armored chest. The creature cried out in pain, and Link jabbed horizontally. He continued swinging skillfully, with grace and expertise, and pushed the guardian backwards while denting and scratching his armor. The guardian, from the speed and shock of Link's attacks, dropped his sword. Link, ready for the finale, took his sword back and felt the energy charging through the Master Sword.

"HYAH!" he screamed, releasing his Great Spin. The guardian flew back, landing on his back with a large oomph. Link stepped forward, narrowing his eyes and smirking cruelly. Then, he jumped into the air, did a somersault, and landed on the guardian's great chest with an epic Ending Blow.

Leaving the body of the guardian, Link took out his sword and then turned to Zelda, who was still avoiding the swings of the second guardian. Now she was the only thing he could see.

ZELDA POV

Zelda covered her head as glass fell around her, and she felt a few scratches dig into her skin. She heard the growling of the guardian towering over her, and she anxiously glanced up at him. The sword was raised, and his red eyes were dangerously narrowed. Suddenly, he swung down straight at her. With a frightened scream, Zelda reflexively rolled sideway, and the sword landed right where she had been lying. He cried out in frustration as he tried to pull the embedded sword from the carpet.

"No!" she screamed instinctively as he abandoned the sword and reached for her throat. But as soon as he touched her, the blue and gold Triforce began glowing on her hand.

"Ow!" he withdrew his hands, and Zelda saw them glowing red. Her eyes widened, and something in her mind clicked. She felt as if a strange, unearthly knowledge had just entered her brain... she understood everything. Just the fact that her Triforce fended off the guardian was enough to make her understand. But there was still a missing puzzle piece...

Then, after a moment of caressing his stinging hands, the guardian howled in anger. With a new pulse of strength, he pulled the sword from the carpet.

Zelda ducked, and the sword swooshed over her head. She slid backwards, only to find herself pressed against the wall. In pure frustration, the guardian punched with his strong, armored fist, and Zelda barely avoided the blow. The armor collided with the stonewall, and a loud noise erupted. The fear inside of her was steadily increasing, and she saw no hope. But that's when she saw Link, who had defeated the first guardian.

"Link!" she screamed his name, and he whirled around to face her. Her heart wrenched as the guardian swung again, not noticing Link approaching from behind. Then, Link ran forward towards the unsuspecting guardian. Without a sound, he stepped up behind him and thrust his sword into the back of his vulnerable neck, in between his shoulder blades. Zelda gasped, and the guardian became completely still for a few moments... then he fell to his knees and onto his face.

"Oh," Zelda put a hand to her chest, heaving a giant sigh of relief. "Link," he grabbed her hand, helping her to her shaky feet. She fell into his outstretched arms, and her slender body was trembling slightly as he held her close.

"Thank you," she breathed, calming herself. When she pulled away, he was staring at her intently and with a look of concern. "Now we need to get out of here... but we definitely can't go through the castle." Her voice trailed off as she thought of another way of escape, and Link's twinkling blue eyes moved to the shattered window. Then, he grinned.

"No. We can't jump!" Zelda argued as he grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the windowsill. "It's too far."

Link kept up his trademark silence, making the situation so much more frustrating for the princess. He stepped up onto the ledge, staring out over Castle Town.

"Link... stop! Get down, please," she urged, trying to step away. But Link looked back down at her, a coy smile on his face. Then he reached his hand out, beckoning for her to join him up on the windowsill. Zelda vivaciously shook her head, widening her eyes slightly.

"Zelda," he began. "Trust me."

She did, more than anything...

"O-okay," She put her hand in his and let him pull her onto the windowsill. He wrapped his arm around her waist, and she took a deep breath. Still silent, Link pulled something from his sack that Zelda didn't recognize. There was a special twinkle in his eye, and he lifted the claw like object. Then, he shut one of his eyes and began aiming at something Zelda couldn't see.

"What are you—" Zelda began, but she was cut off when Link shot out a claw from the object. It carried a chain behind it as it flew, toward a tapestry hanging on a tower near the entrance of the tower. As soon as the claw grasped the cloth, Link and Zelda went flying toward it. Zelda held in her shriek of terror as she flew through the air, but Link kept his firm grip around her waist. Adrenaline rushed through her, and her stomach flipped; but in a few moments, they were dangling at the wall.

Zelda was breathing heavily as they dangled by the chain. Link was smiling from ear to ear, flashing his white teeth. Then, slowly, he used the chain to lower them safely to the stone path leading to the castle entrance. Zelda's knees buckled slightly when her feet touched ground, but Link landed with grace and expertise.

"Wow," she sighed, and a grin appeared on her face. Then, her eyes moved to the castle. In the windows, she could've sworn she saw the shadows of the guardians. "They're going to come after us. We need to get away from here, fast."

They both looked at each other for a moment, and they could read each other's mind.

"Telma's Bar," they said in unison.

"Link, I had an epiphany back during the battle," Zelda began, sitting across from Link. They were at the table in Telma's Bar, drinking hot coffee. Telma of course had been happy to see them, and had informed them that Ilia had safely reached Kakariko Village and was now under Renado's care. Link had seemed so relieved to hear that, and Zelda found herself smiling. But now, she had some things she needed to talk about with him.

"When the guardian tried to touch me, my Triforce started glowing," she continued. "And he was injured. It was as if the Triforce was fending him off. That's when I had my epiphany..." Zelda paused with a dreamy sigh. "I think that Nayru's wisdom and some of her knowledge was somehow transferred to me during that moment. I understand now." Link sighed, staring blankly at his coffee cup. Zelda sensed something bugging him.

"Is there something you need to tell me? Anything that might help?" Zelda asked, sipping her beverage. It burned her throat, but in a good way. Finally, Link opened his mouth.

"At Faron's spring," he began quietly. Zelda had never heard him speak loudly. "He told me the story of the plague, and the Orb."

"Link, I know the story. I found it while researching in the library." Zelda smiled. "I know."

"Do you know that we need the Triforce to seal away the Source?" Link raised his eyebrows.

"...What?"

"Faron said that the power of the goddesses sealed it away the first time, so only the power of the goddesses can seal it away again." Link drank some of his coffee. Zelda stared at him with a blank expression, and her mind was racing.

"That explains a lot."

"Yeah."

"That's why when the guardian tried to hurt me, the Triforce fended him off. The power of the goddesses is the only way they can be destroyed," Zelda rubbed her temples. Link simply nodded. "That finishes the puzzle. I think I understand everything now."

Link furrowed his brow, obviously curious.

"Listen to me, Link," Zelda said. Then, she proceeded to explain everything she had read about the history of the plague. It made him frustrated to hear about the missing page, but it wasn't as important as Zelda thought. It only said where the Orb had been kept, and they would indubitably find that out with time.

"So," Zelda took a deep breath after the story was finished. Link was deep in thought. "We know now that the Triforce is what will seal the Source back in the Orb, but we need the complete Orb first. It's the key to keeping the evil sealed away. And the Guardians of the Source are simply defending their created master. Link, this 'Source' is where the bugs are coming from. It used the bugs to hide away the orb pieces were nobody could find them, and it didn't plan on having the bugs destroyed." She paused dramatically. "It didn't plan on having the bearers of the Triforce return.

"The Source is spreading a plague with these bugs, as it was meant to do. It was created before even Hyrule, at the time of the goddesses, which means it has great, incredible power. It's not going to be easy to defeat it," she swallowed nervously. "And the cure is still unknown. I'm positive, though, that the completed Orb will help us figure out the rest. But now we know the entire story about the Source and its guardians. The reason we took on cursed forms is because the Triforce has a built in defense mechanism against this specific evil as well as the Twilight, since it is what first defeated the evil."

"Wait, Zelda," Link looked at her. There was a worried expression on his face.

"Yes, Link?"

"I have the Triforce of Courage... you have the Triforce of Wisdom... but Ganondorf is dead. What about the Triforce of Power?"

Well, there you have it. Hope you guys enjoyed! Tell me what you think in your reviews, and I'm open to suggestions! Thanks people :)