Here's chapter forty-four! I hope you guys like it, and I REALLY hope it's not confusing :D ENJOY.

Chapter Forty-Four: Paradise of a Dream

Link remembered everything that he saw: the waterfall, and glassy pool of water, the winding paths leading upwards and downwards, and the trees swaying eerily in the cold breeze. The only things that were missing were the incessant, crazed puppets chasing after him and refusing to just die. He chuckled at the thought, and his ears almost expected to hear the sound of the irritating horn of the small forest creature that had constantly been an obstacle in his path. Zelda, however, was in awe as Link led her uncertainly down the grassy pathways.

"This is gorgeous," she gasped, looking around in amazement when they came to the small pool. Link remembered swimming across this pool as a wolf, simply to escape the haggling of the ugly puppets; much to his dismay, they had followed. He once again found himself smiling, and licked his lips as he followed Zelda's gaze. He had his arm wrapped around her shoulder in a protective manner while she leaned into him, and then he stopped to gaze at his reflection in the water. The ripples distorted their figure, and made it seem as if they were one... he and Zelda simply blended together, as if it were meant to be.

"There it is," he murmured under his breath. "Nayru's Water."

Link still couldn't believe that he hadn't realized the special element of the water before. Even as he swam through it, there had been no sensation of any kind that indicated the unique nature of the liquid. Zelda simply nodded, staring at it with twinkling eyes.

"The special thing about it," she began, as if reading Link's mind. "Is that it's so hard to differentiate between Nayru's Water and normal water. There's practically no difference..." She looked up at him. "Until you put the two to the test."

In response, Link broke away for a moment and reached into his knapsack, pulling out one of his many empty bottles. He held it up for a moment, admiring the light and shadow that reflected off of its gleaming surface. As the princess watched, entranced, he took a step toward the pond and knelt down, pulling out the bottle's cork. Gently, he dipped it into the water and let the cold, refreshing liquid run down his fingers as it filled the bottle. Shivers ran down his spine, and he had a satisfied yet dreamy expression on his face when he stood up, admiring his work.

"One down," Zelda came up behind him with a soft smile. "Two to go."

"How are we going to find them? I've never seen a Deku Baba here," Link observed, reluctantly tucking the bottle back into his knapsack. "And I don't know what a spice herb looks like..."

"I'm sure they'll turn up somewhere," she reassured, keeping her position behind him. She put her slender arms around the back of his neck, and then leaned her chin against his shoulder. "We'll find them, and the Triforce in no time. I just have this feeling that we will."

Link grinned at Zelda's optimism, and turned his head to plant a kiss on her porcelain cheek. Then he turned back to look at their distorted reflection, and as if by magic, he saw something that he hadn't noticed before.

"Oh, my gods," he gasped, unable to restrain his smile.

"What?" Zelda furrowed her brow, searching his face curiously.

"Look into the water, at our reflection," he raised his eyebrows, in wonder at what he was seeing. Zelda gasped in delight, stepping forward beside him.

"I've never seen anything like that," she twirled a lock of straight hair around her finger, biting her lower lip and tilting her head. "I've seen Deku Babas on ceilings...but under water? I didn't think it was possible."

"Like you said," Link bent down to take off his boots. "Nayru's Water isn't different until you put it to the test." He stripped himself of his knapsack and his tunic, but not before slipping the mask of the Zora tunic over his mouth and nose. He rolled up his leggings and stepped into his iron boots, and his figure immediately felt heavier. He hadn't put the boots on in so long, and he had forgotten how heavy they truly were.

"Be careful," Zelda touched his bare arm just before he was about to slip under the water. He softened his expression, giving her a nod before grabbing the sword and slipping beneath the water.

He sank quickly and silently to the bottom, letting the ripples of the water fog his gaze. For a few moments he was in a wonderful place, simply hovering in the water. A bubble seemed to surround him, and his breathing was easier than ever. He ventured to glance upwards, to see Zelda's blurry figure looking down at him. There was silence, and the refreshing feel of the water's cold surface against him. When his iron feet touched the sandy bottom, everything was still for a moment. The only thing he could feel as his wet hair billowing across his forehead, and the sword weighing him down in his left hand...

The moments of serenity passed quickly as Link's eyes fell on the Deku Baba a few feet away. He wasn't completely sure of its true color, but he guess that it was completely green, with light green veins running through its stem and head. Just as he noticed it, it also noticed him, and opened its wide jaw to reveal stunningly sharp teeth. He'd never seen a Deku Baba that looked so ferocious, and a quick rush of fear ran through him; it passed quickly when he remembered Gor Coron and everybody who was dying because of this plague.

With a newfound determination, Link took a deep breath and began his slow trek toward the beast that would ultimately save Hyrule. He kept his sword raised, right in front of his face, because after all of the Deku Baba's he'd faced, he now knew their fighting style. This one seemed to be a bigger one, and its head bounced consistently as it licked its lips.

Link was ready for it when it stretched towards him, opening its mouth and baring its teeth. He jumped to the side, lifting his sword. Everything moved in slow motion; what he hadn't planned was the fact that while he was in slow motion, the Deku Baba wasn't. It was meant to be under water...

Before Link had fully landed safely on his feet, the Deku Baba turned on him once more and clamped its jaws around his waist. His eyes widened as its teeth dug into his flesh, and he screamed quietly under the water through gritted teeth. Still moving more slowly than he would've liked, he lifted his arm and brought his elbow down on the head of the Deku Baba. It let out a savage shriek, and its grip loosened slightly. Link's pain only increased, and he could feel the warm blood beginning to trickle down his bare torso.

Narrowing his eyes in anger and determination, he furiously brought up his sword. He brought it down as hard as he could, slamming the Deku Baba with the blue hilt of the Master Sword. At this ferocious blow, the creature screeched again and let go of Link's body. It began thrashing wildly, biting at anything and everything. Link was unable to avoid it in time; in its rage, its fangs just barely scraped his face, and savagely ripped off the mask of the Zora tunic. He took in as deep a breath as he could, realizing that now his time was limited.

In the turmoil of the Deku Baba's pain, Link reached out blindly. It barely noticed when he plucked a leaf from its stem, stumbling backwards as he did. His lungs were beginning to ache for air as he backed up against the wall, far from the reach of the Deku Baba. It faced him, its head still bobbing incessantly. Link looked down at the leaf in his hand, satisfied with his work and ready to go up to his princess. But as he kicked off of the ground, he was weighed down.

The Iron Boots, he thought frantically, glancing down at his legs. At this point, his gauge of air was beginning to decline, and the world was beginning to fog. His chest was burning for air, and his throat became dry. When he opened his mouth instinctively to breath in, he was welcomed with only more water, and he coughed momentarily. He had only one choice now. As the bubbles began rising to the surface, he bent down to take off his Iron Boots.

ZELDA POV

Zelda couldn't see anything, yet she strained to see past the murky surface of the water. She could just barely see Link's figure, but she couldn't see what was happening beneath the water. Zelda was on her hands and knees in the mud, not even bothering to worry about the linen dress she was donned in. Her palms were dirty and wet, but the only thing she was worried about was how her hero was faring beneath the water. She simply knelt and waited for a few moments, worry etched in her features.

"Come on, Link," she urged under her breath, fear beginning to take root. Suddenly, a series of bubbles rose to the surface and popped, and Zelda furrowed her brow. For a few moments, there was complete silence...

Link finally broke the surface, gasping for air with a practically blue face. Zelda yelped quietly and reached her arms out to help him, and she just barely managed to drag him back onto solid ground. Yet as his bare torso was revealed, she put a hand to her mouth in horror. There were at least five deep gashes all around his stomach, and warm blood flowed out of them mercilessly. His eyes were closed as he breathed heavily, his hands clutched into fists.

"Oh, my gods, oh, my gods," Zelda panted, putting a hand to her forehead in worry. "Are you okay? What happened? Oh..." As quickly as she could, she ripped off the bottom hem of her dress and dipped it into the water. She began dabbing at Link's wounds, swallowing nervously and applying pressure to each separate gash.

Thank the goddesses this is Nayru's Water, she sighed in relief when she saw the healing powers of the water beginning to kick in. His wounds weren't completely healed, but the blood stopped flowing and he seemed to be experiencing much less pain.

"There we go," Zelda wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead. "You're going to be fine, darling, you'll be fine." She felt as if she were saying that to comfort herself more than Link. His breathing began to get steadier, and his eyelids lifted up slowly.

"The Deku Baba," he gasped, and Zelda smiled at him reassuringly. "I-I lost my Zora mask...and my Iron Boots..."

"It's fine, don't worry about that," she breathed, brushing the wet, dark blond hair from his forehead. "You did all you could."

A mischievous smile crossed his features for a moment, and he opened one of his hands. Inside laid a single leaf. Zelda laughed in disbelief, gingerly picking up the green, pulsating leaf.

"You're incredible," she sighed, shaking her head and stroking Link's cheek. He simply grinned in exhaustion, satisfied with his quest. Before saying anything else, she proceeded to rip off another long piece of her dress, and the princess had Link sit up so she could create a bandage around his gashes.

"That must've been quite the Deku Baba," she observed, helping Link to his feet. He raised his eyebrows, chuckling uneasily.

"Unlike any I've ever seen," he shrugged in resignation. "But all that matters is that we have what we need."

Zelda waited patiently as he re-equipped himself, being careful to avoid his fresh wound. She then stepped forward and, without hesitation, put her lips on his in complete relief.

"I'm so glad you're safe," she finally admitted, letting herself fall into his arms. Even wet, she felt warm and comforted in his arms. He put his chin on top of her head, stroking her hair comfortingly.

"I wouldn't be able to leave you, even if I tried," he whispered, making Zelda's heart melt. The butterflies fluttered horridly when she had a sudden flashback of her dream. Link said that he would never leave her...and Zelda couldn't say the same. She knew that someday, she would be leaving him...someday soon.

"I probably should've told you this before," Zelda sighed as Link continued walking, seeming a bit lost. "But I know a secret about Din's Spice Herb."

"Mm?"

"We don't exactly need to find it," she braced herself for Link's reaction. He stopped abruptly, turning to face her with a befuddled expression. Zelda shrunk back slightly, ashamed of herself for keeping the information hidden. As she did, though, she noticed her freedom when Link was around. She wasn't afraid of hiding her feelings any longer. There was nobody she trusted more than Link, and she could open up to him. Either way, she didn't have to stay composed in his presence.

"...What?"

"Well, there's this shop in Hyrule Castle Town," the princess explained. "Not many people know about it, because it's so expensive and sells the rarest items to be found. But the proprietor was a friend of my father, so we used to go there often. She sells so many things..." Zelda paused. Link probably knew what was coming next. "Including Din's Spice Herb."

"Oh," he sighed in relief. Zelda let out a burst of laughter, finding his relief amusing. She had known from the beginning that he would never be angry with her, but he was probably more concerned with the fact that he wouldn't have to battle any monsters under water to get it.

"So for now we can concentrate on getting to the Sacred Realm," she finished. As if on cue, Link halted, touching Zelda's arm. She looked at him, completely confused. They had emerged into a large room after at least half an hour of searching, with many columns rising up from the mossy ground.

"It's through there," Link pointed to a large doorway accentuated with burning torches. "The Door of Time is right through there."

Zelda's heart sped up at the mention of the doorway, and there was a newfound spring in her step as she followed Link through the entrance. Light was much more abundant in the room they came to, and Zelda outstretched her arms as she breathed in the air. She could almost feel the sacredness in the air, and heard a quiet twinkling in the air. But as she looked around, she could feel her heart breaking. They were surrounded by ruins of a once grand temple, one that had been blessed by the presence of the Hero of Time, and had been key in the quest against Ganondorf.

"...This is the Temple of Time? These ruins?" she asked with a frown. Link retained his blank expression, grabbing Zelda's hand without answering and leading her on.

"It's right there," Link pointed, and stood in front of a broken-down doorway. Zelda tilted her head curiously, though she trusted what Link was telling her.

"This door is all that remains of that incredible temple," she sighed sadly. She felt as if her hopes of getting the Triforce were being crushed. Had Link really deceived her...?

He gave her his famous, charmingly reassuring smile and squeezed her hand comfortingly. Slowly, he began leading her toward the door, though Zelda could tell that he was struggling to contain his excitement. The pace of her own heart was beginning to quicken as they stood directly in front of the door, and then Link reached forward and pulled the door open. For a second, Zelda was blinded by a bright, flashing white light. Then, once everything had cleared, she understood. There was a film of transparency, and behind it, a distorted world of black, gray, and white.

"It takes you back in time," Link explained, following her gaze. "Back to the Temple of Time one hundred years ago."

Without another word, he took his first step into the door, while Zelda cautiously followed. There was a loud ringing in her ears as she took herself back in time, putting her trust in Link and in the sacredness of this place.

Everything was silent, and soon, she was surrounded by darkness.

When light reappeared, she found herself standing in a vast room, and light flowed in from beautiful stained-glass windows. The atmosphere had a certain, ancient aura about it, and the inside of the temple was a dull beige color. Regardless, it was more breathtaking than Zelda had imagined. Link seemed used to it, and carefully treaded on, dragging the awestruck princess behind him. She saw the entrance to another room, where it was shady and dark. Up the stairs they went, passing a pair of ominous statues. Zelda felt chills run down her spine as they walked in the room, and she saw it: the Pedestal of Time.

She was unable to contain her glee, and clapped her hands together joyfully as Link drew the Master Sword. But then, he paused.

"What now...?" he looked to Zelda for instructions. She froze, running through the dream in her mind and recalling all of the information she knew about the Sacred Realm. Before she had a chance to really analyze anything, she felt as if an invisible spirit flowed into her mind, dictating the instructions clearly. Her eyes became glassy as she stared forward, as still as stone. Link looked at her with a concerned expression, but after a few minutes, Zelda blinked rapidly and turned to him.

"Follow me," she decided to do what the anonymous guide was telling her, and she strutted right up the stairs to the pedestal. "Put your sword into the pedestal."

Link did as he was told, and bright sparks flew as the Master Sword returned to its home.

"Now grab my hands," They stood on either edge of the sword, and weaved their arms around it as they clasped hands, so that the Master Sword and the pedestal were right in the center of the circle they created. "Close your eyes, and concentrate..." They both shut their eyes, taking deep breaths in unison.

Suddenly, the Triforces on their hands began glowing fiercely, and a luminous circle of blue light appeared around their feet. They opened their eyes, squeezing each other's hands excitedly.

It's working... she thought in amazement. It's really working!

Then, a column of blue raised up to surround them, and they became encased in the tall cylinder of blue light. Slowly, Zelda could see Link beginning to fade away. Looking down, she saw that she, too, was disappearing gradually. In slight fear, she clutched his hands tighter, refusing to let go even for a moment. His eyes closed, and he let himself disappear completely. Before Zelda had a chance to cry out his name, she felt herself slip into an otherworldly form. Then, everything was a rush. Images flashed before her eyes, and Zelda felt as if she were spinning through the continuum of time and space. It was a vacuum, filled with Zelda's memories and the memories of others. She saw the images of her dreams, and the picture of the Source...she saw Link's face, and she saw him fighting to protect her...she could've sworn that she saw a depiction of the Hero of Time himself, battling the evil Gerudo King.

Finally, everything stood still, and Zelda found herself hovering beside Link quietly. They were both staring straight ahead, and when Zelda opened her mouth to speak, nothing came out. They were floating in midair, in the very place that Zelda had seen in her dream; it was the Sacred Realm. For a very short time, they simply basked in the glory of this paradise of their dreams. The grass was greener than she'd imagined, and the sky was the most beautiful golden color. The Triforces on their hands continued glowing, though more faintly.

Without warning, they began moving once again through the collage of images and memories. This time when it was over, they found themselves in a bright blue room, with columns that shimmered. Symbols of the elements surrounded them, and platforms floated in midair around the central, main floor. For a split second, the image of the Triforce appeared before them. Just as it had been in Zelda's dream, part of it was missing. The two triangles on the bottom were faded, while the one on top shined brightly, shifting periodically from gold to red. As if reading each other's minds, Zelda and Link reached out for the Triforce. Their fingertips just barely brushed it simultaneously, and then, Zelda felt a shooting pain rush through her body.

Everything became black again.

Zelda's eyes opened slowly, and her mind was scrambled and disoriented. She looked around, and found herself sprawled on the ground, with the Pedestal of Time directly beside her. Every part of her body ached, but her eyes finally fell on the back of her hand. The Triforce was still glowing...

But this time, not only the bottom triangle glowed blue. The top triangle glowed faintly red.

We did it, Zelda thought in amazement, letting her exhausted head fall back to the ground. She felt as if that momentary flash had been a yearlong journey without sleep, and her brain begged for sleep. Then her droopy eyes drifted to where Link lay, on the other side of the pedestal, his eyes closed and his expression tranquil. We really did it.

WOOOO! Hahah okay, now don't forget to review! Also don't forget to check out the prologue of my next fic, and once again, zee poll. THANK YOU VERY MUCH I LOVE YOU ALL! :3