Chapter forty-six has arrived! I hope you guys like it! It's super steamy, just gonna say that now. Things get INTENSE. Hahah enjoy :)

Chapter Forty-Six: Nobody

ZELDA POV

Out in Hyrule field, Zelda was finally able to take a deep, cleansing breath. They now had the full power of the Triforce, all three ingredients of the cure, and everything was running smoothly. Then again, there was still the problem of the Royal Council lingering in the back of Zelda's mind, and it hung there like a parasite that she couldn't shake off. As always, she tried to hide that fact from Link, and made sure that he couldn't tell what disappointments were going on in her mind.

"On to Kakariko Village?" she said when Link finally emerged behind her. He nodded silently, though he seemed a little flustered, and he had his hand in his knapsack, as if he were fidgeting with something. She furrowed her brow curiously, but in two moments, Link was helping her mount Epona and trotting down the path to Kakariko Village. His mind seemed to be racing, and Zelda could do nothing but wrap her arms around his waist and lean her cheek against his warm back.

To pass the time and fill the deafening silence that was usual with Link, Zelda began to pay attention to the littlest details. She took note of Link's steady pattern of breathing, how it changed depending on Epona's gait and speed. She felt each separate muscle in his back without literally touching them, and played with the buttons on the front of his tunic where her fingers were. He didn't take any notice of her actions, but Zelda found herself smiling lightly with each new discovery. She loved being this close to him, hearing his heart beat as clearly as if it were her own. Their connection was practically visible, as if she could just reach out and brush it with her tingling fingertips. She'd never even thought that she was capable of this kind of love.

Zelda hadn't realized that she'd fallen asleep until she was jolted awake by the sudden halt of Epona's footsteps. She blinked, still in a daze as Link placed his hands on her hips and gently lifted her from the mare's back. His touch sent shivers down her spine, and she let herself fall into him as her feet touched the ground and her knees wobbled. He kissed the top of her head, and she could hear him taking in the smell of her hair as his arms wrapped instinctively tighter around her.

"I wish we could stay like this forever," the princess didn't know what she was saying, yet the words seemed so natural flowing from her lips. Link simply held her, and they swayed slowly back and forth as the dust of Kakariko Village swirled around their feet. "I don't want to go back to the complications of royalty."

"I know you don't," he whispered soothingly.

"But," she pulled back slightly to look at him. He had the most tranquil expression on his face. "I have to go back."

For a few minutes, Link was silent. He just ran his hand through her hair, and let his lips hover over her scalp. There, wrapped in his arms, she felt as if she were in paradise. It was better than the Sacred Realm, at least in Zelda's eyes. All she needed was him, forever...

"Let's go inside," he suggested. Zelda nodded, and together, they gathered the ingredients and headed into the shaman's home.

"I beg your pardon," Renado did a double take. "You found the what?"

"We found it. The cure to the plague," Zelda repeated. The shaman seemed to be in complete shock as they revealed to him the three ingredients. "We need you to start putting together the antidote."

"H-how? I mean, I didn't think this was possible..." Renado rubbed his temple, still bewildered at what was occurring in front of his own eyes.

"Please, Renado," she pleaded, touching his sleeve momentarily. "We need you to do this for us, for all of Hyrule. The fate of its people depends on the creations of this cure!"

"Of course I'll do it," the shaman continued, still stumbling clumsily over his words. "But it'll take a while."

"We need it as soon as possible," Link interjected, taking the words right out of Zelda's mouth. His face had taken on a somber, slightly harsh expression. "Too many people have died already."

Zelda and Renado looked at him blankly, though they were both a bit taken aback by the mean determination in his voice. She could see pain and concentration in his eyes.

"Link—"

"The death I've seen has been enough already," he continued, turning away to face the fire burning in the hearth. "I won't see any more of the people I love die because of this."

"Very well," Renado's face became gentler, and his voice softened. "I'll have it done by tomorrow morning. You two may stay here overnight."

"Thank you, Renado," Zelda said appreciatively. "You're doing a wonderful deed for your kingdom."

"How could I refuse my princess, after all?" he smiled, taking the ingredients to the fireplace. "I'll get started right away."

The silence returned, awkwardly hanging in the air between them. Zelda threw Link a worried glance, but he was leaning on the wall and staring out of the window, into the blackness of the night. Abruptly, he whirled around with a pained, guilty look on his face.

"Where's Ilia?" he asked. At the mention of her name coming from Link's lips, Zelda's stomach flipped in blind jealousy. She turned away, her face turning the color of a ripe tomato, and crossed her slender arms across her chest.

"Upstairs," the shaman replied absentmindedly, pouring the ingredients into a small bowl. Link began making his way up the stairs, sparing Zelda a slightly apologetic glance as he strutted past her. She watched helplessly, keeping herself composed in Renado's presence.

"Would you like a drink of tea?" he offered.

"Tea sounds lovely," Zelda sighed, looking up one last time at the sound of a door closing.

LINK POV

Link didn't bother to knock. He just walked in, closing the door loudly behind him. He wanted to make sure that wherever Ilia was, she knew that someone was coming into her room. Right as the door slammed, Ilia's head popped up from the other side of the bed, her hair ruffled and her expression disoriented. Link felt the pace of his heart quicken at the sight of her glistening green eyes and the rosiness of her cheeks.

"...Link!" she said his name slowly, swallowing as she ran her fingers through her short hair. The sound of her voice was like music to his ears. He hadn't even known that he'd missed her this much. Then she straightened her blouse and stepped out from behind the bed. She had one shoe off and one shoe on, and walked without balance.

"I-I didn't know you were here."

"Where were you going?" Link knew from her appearance that she had been planning to leave right as he'd come in, and he wanted to know where.

"Um," Ilia paused, looking around the room distractedly. "Well..."

"Ilia," Link said her name in a reprimanding tone. "I know you probably weren't going anywhere you should be." The girl was getting frustrated and upset, and he could tell because of her flushed cheeks.

"I was going to look for you, okay?" she cried, throwing her arms up and refusing to make eye contact with him. "I wanted to apologize for my behavior and... I was worried about you."

"Ilia," he took a step closer, taking on a more gentle comportment. "I'm the one who needs to apologize."

"No, you didn't do anything wrong," she argued. "I should've been more supportive, I should've been there for you no matter what. That's what best friends do."

"I shouldn't have exploded in your face like that," he replied, though he took secret joy in hearing her admit that they were best friends. He could see the tears accumulating on the edges of her eyes, and felt guilt taking root in the depths of his stomach.

"No, it's just," she sniffled, smiling in amusement at her own foolishness. "I guess I was just jealous. Princess Zelda is beautiful, and sweet, and brave. And I'm just a lousy friend."

Link simply shook his head, unbelievably overjoyed at the fact that their friendship was beginning to mend. He should've guessed that he wouldn't be able to go very long having Ilia angry with him.

"I'm sorry," the both said in unison. Without any further hesitation, Ilia threw her arms around his neck, and kissed his lips without a care. Link stumbled back in surprise when she pulled away, her eyes wide. She seemed startled at her own actions. He blinked a few times, still trying to wrap his mind around what Ilia had just done.

"I-I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to, I—" Before Ilia could even finish her apology, Link did something that he hadn't planned on doing. He held her face gently and kissed her back. For the momentary, surprising kiss she'd given him, everything had felt so right. And now that he was the one kissing her, everything was a rush. In the midst of that shocking, unexpected kiss... Zelda disappeared from his mind.

They pulled apart slowly, but Link kept his face inches from hers. The tips of their noses brushed, and he could see a large smile plastered onto Ilia's red face. Yet when he took a step back and looked down at his own, quivering body, he felt guilt rush through it like the current of a river during a storm. He had goose bumps all over his skin, and his hair was drenched in sweat. He hadn't realized that he was slipping into this state of panic; he hadn't realized that for a few moments, his body had been acting of its own accord. His mouth was slightly open, and he found himself panting heavily as he thought more about the situation. When he closed his eyes, he didn't see Ilia; he saw Zelda, and he realized what he'd just done.

"Link? Are you okay?" Ilia took on a worried expression, and touched his arm. He shook his head slowly, and dropped down onto the bed. Nervously, he ran a hand through his hair and then buried his face in his hands. "Please, tell me what's wrong! Did I do something?"

He simply continued shaking his head. Ilia sat down beside him, and began rubbing his back comfortingly.

"You don't have to pretend to love me," she sighed, and he glanced up at her. There were tears running down her cheeks.

"Ilia..." he swallowed, feeling even more guilt pump through his veins.

"You know I'll always love you," she smiled sadly. "And I've accepted the fact that you'll never love me back."

"Stop..."

"I see that your heart belongs to Zelda," Ilia continued. "I know there's nothing I can do. I finally realize it now. Don't worry about my feelings... I'll be fine," she chuckled half-heartedly. "I always am."

"I do love you," Link finally managed. "Just..."

"Not the way that I love you," she nodded understandingly. "I'll always be your best friend."

They gazed into each other's eyes for a few minutes, and then Link gratefully wrapped his arms around her and hugged her close. Her body was trembling slightly.

"Now go to your princess," she sniffled, smiling good-naturedly. It made Link's heart melt to see Ilia like this, and knowing that she was strong enough to get through this. "She's waiting for you."

ZELDA POV

Zelda cupped her slim fingers around the mug of tea, bending her knees closer to her body. With the mixture of the quilt wrapped around her shoulders and the fireplace burning before her, her body was immune to the cold of the house itself. Renado was sitting in the corner, grinding the ingredients in a small bowl and laboriously preparing the antidote. Zelda felt helpless, sitting there alone and just waiting for him to finish. Yet there was nothing more she could do but be patient. Her mind kept going back to Link, upstairs with Ilia.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps approach from behind her, and she whirled around to see Link walk up and sit beside her. He was still completely silent, and his face was extremely flushed, and it carried a blank expression. Zelda watched him quietly, still listening to the sound of the fire crackling.

"What happened up there?" she asked in a hushed, gentle tone. He seemed distraught.

"Nothing," he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, kissing her temple gently. She sighed heavily, leaning into his chest.

"Did you find Ilia?" she persisted. Link nodded, but his eyes stared distractedly at the flames dancing in the hearth. "...Is everything okay?"

"Mhm," he replied vaguely. Zelda took a deep breath, still unfathomably curious. But she trusted him, and she decided to just let it go, because all that mattered was that Link was there, and she was lying in his arms.

"That's good," she said quietly, blinking droopily. She then adjusted the quilt so that it was covering the both of them. "Now we can just relax for a while. Forget about everything going on around us."

She saw him smile dreamily out of the corner of her eye, and changed her position so that she was facing him. He looked back at her with that beautiful glint in his eyes, and leaned down so that his lips just barely touched hers. Zelda's heart soared as soon as they did, and she bit her lower lip when he pulled away. There had been something special in that kiss. Something truly genuine in it, as if Link were striving to put every ounce of the passion in his soul into that one moment. She put her hand on his cheek and kissed him again, more vigorously, and felt satisfied when he kissed her back with just as much enthusiasm.

Then, they both whirled around when the heard Renado grunting in the corner. Zelda felt strange, and he glanced up at them and blinked obliviously. Link pursed his lips and looked down, while Zelda smiled awkwardly at him.

"Enjoying that tea?" he asked, continuing to grind together the ingredients.

"Yes, thank you," Zelda replied, throwing Link a hurried glance. "Um, I think I'll head up to bed now. It's been a long day."

"Sleep well, Princess," Renado nodded as she stood up, and Link did the same. "You too, Link."

"Thank you," Zelda smiled, and Link gave him an acknowledging nod. She placed her mug of tea, now empty, by the mantel. Together, they marched up the stairs, and Link adjusted the quilt on her shoulders protectively. Judging from the lack of sound on the second floor, Zelda guessed that Ilia had already gone to sleep.

When they entered the room, Link immediately took off his knapsack and put it on the table by the bed. Zelda watched him with a coy smile as he stretched his arms, letting his cap fall onto the bed carelessly. There was a strong urge inside of her, and the butterflies were fluttering especially vehemently when she made eye contact with him.

"We're almost done," he finally said, glancing up at her. Zelda furrowed her brow, not quite comprehending what he was saying. "Hyrule is almost cured of this evil for good."

"Oh," she swallowed, leaning against the wall and looking down. "That's true. And it's all thanks to you."

"Without you, I would be nothing," he murmured, moving closer to her. His face was inches from hers, and she could see the shadows from the candlelight reflected on his face. The entire room was dark except for that one candle on the nightstand, and for a minute, the crackling of the small flame was the only sound.

After his lips made contact with hers, everything was a blur. She remembered being up against the wall, and Link's hands stroking her cheeks affectionately as the quilt fell to the ground. Her fingers became tangled in his blond locks as they were intertwined, his hands moving from her cheeks, to her neck, and down to her waist. His fingertips traced her spine, and she couldn't ignore the shivers.

"I love you," he whispered, pulling away for a single moment. They were both panting. Zelda noticed the beads of sweat on his forehead when she pressed hers against it, feeling the warmth of his breath on her face.

"I love you, too," she breathed, and then kissed him again as if her life depended on it. Her hands were now on his chest, her back still against the wall helplessly. The passion inside of her heart was rapidly swelling, and she could feel herself melting into him as he held her. Her entire body felt hot, even though the room was cold. Sweat rolled down her cheeks, and her hair became matted to her flushed face. She could just barely see him beginning to take off his tunic...

"Link! Princess Zelda!" the door was thrown open, and they pulled apart frantically. Renado stumbled in, holding the bowl in his hands. Zelda licked her lips, stepping away from the wall as Link ran a hand through his tangled hair. The shaman was panting heavily, and there was a broad smile on his face.

"The cure! I-I've finished it! It's ready!" he exclaimed excitedly, holding up the bowl. Shocked, Zelda glanced at the candle. She hadn't realized the time hurrying by, and the candle was now reduced to a stump of wax barely capable of holding up the tiny flame.

"How long has it been?" she asked no one in particular. Link scratched the back of his neck, shrugging.

"You said you were going to bed two hours ago," Renado furrowed his brow, glaring at them suspiciously.

"Oh," they both said in unison, unaware of the time that had gone by.

"I thought you said that the cure would take at least all night," Zelda said, slightly confused and disoriented.

"I thought it would," Renado's enthusiasm returned within an instant. "But it was much easier than I expected! It's amazing. With only the small sample of the ingredients you gave me, I was able to brew up enough of the antidote to cure hundreds."

"How is that even possible?" the princess gasped, absolutely bewildered. She had originally forgot about the actual amount of ingredients they would need, but now that she thought about it, it certainly couldn't be enough.

"I don't know," Renado shook his head, also flabbergasted. "But it seems as though just one drop cures the plague completely. That's what I can deduce from the properties of the antidote."

"That's...that's perfect!" Zelda laughed in amazement, and Link smiled. He was acting as if this was too good to be true. "Thank the goddesses."

"Get a good night's sleep, both of you," Renado finished, turning to leave. "I take it you have a lot of work to do tomorrow, eh?"

"Um, yes," Zelda cleared her throat, glancing at Link apologetically. "I should be getting to bed. Good night, Link."

They held eye contact for what seemed like years, and Zelda never wanted to look away.

"Good night," he replied, giving her goose bumps with the twinkle in his eyes. With that, she followed Renado out of the room and down the hall to a different chamber, where she would surely get little sleep with the night's occurrences on her racing mind.

Somehow, she did fall asleep. And she had another dream.

Everything is dark. Completely and utterly dark; there is not a single spot of light. Zelda doesn't know where she is or what's happening. But suddenly, an eerie voice begins to echo throughout the darkness.

"The Power of the Triforce is yours," the voice says.

"How do I use the power?" Zelda cries in response, frustration taking over her actions.

"The Power of the Orb is yours," the voice continues.

"I don't know what to do with it!" she exclaims.

"The power of love is yours," the voice declares. At this, Zelda is surprised. Then, in the darkness, Link's face emerges; only his face. She sees his bright smile, and the twinkle in his feral blue eyes. Zelda grins to herself, reaching out habitually to touch him. Yet before her fingertips can brush his cheek, a large claw slashes through the hologram, stepping forward into the light.

It's the creature from the picture; the Source. It lets out a horrible scream that makes Zelda's blood run cold, and she feels her legs about to give out beneath her.

"Where are you?" she screams at the top of her lungs. "Where can we find you?"

The Source turns, and looks at her with its beady eyes. Everything freezes, and Zelda can see the souls it has taken reflected in its eyes. She sees the pain it has caused.

"The Princess..." it utters, its horrible voice echoing dismally. "Those who threaten will be punished. The traitors...the treacherous vermin..."

"What do you mean? I am the Princess."

"Then you should know how to find me," it cackles, grinning cruelly as it licks its sharp teeth. "The traitor knows how to find me."

"The traitor?"

"NOBODY CAN THREATEN THE PRINCESS!" The Source suddenly shrieks, and then lifts a clawed paw. Before Zelda can so much as open her mouth to scream, its claws slash through her mercilessly. "NOBODY BUT ME."

Yup. Link is a pimp. But that's okay, because he's hot enough to be one :P Haha all right, so I felt as though this chapter was really choppy, but I didn't know what to do with it. You guys tell me what you thought, and I will take every suggestion into consideration! I LOVE YOU ALL, DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW :D