Chapter forty-seven :) Okay, so I've gotten a few comments on what point of view in which I'm writing. So I'm going to clarify, and also, thank those who mentioned it! I'm writing in what's called "third-person limited," which means that I use the pronouns he, she, them, they, etc... But (here comes the limited part) it only shows the thoughts and feelings of ONE character, and shows how that one person perceives the world and people. So for example, when I write from "LINK POV" it means that it will only show his thoughts and feelings specifically, and what he thinks is going on with Zelda, and we can't see anything that's going on in her head except for what Link can figure out. Same thing with "ZELDA POV" and "ILIA POV." I hope that helps to clear things up! Enjoy :D

Chapter Forty-Seven: As Long as it Takes

"Zelda...Zelda...Zelda..." a hazy voice called. It was hushed, barely audible to Zelda's ears. Her head pounded as it had never pounded before, and she could hear her heart beating heavily like the sound of drums in her ears. The voice continued to utter her name.

"Zelda...Zelda..." She moaned, reluctant to open her eyes. At that moment, her eyelids seemed incapable of lifting for even an instant.

"Princess...Princess Zelda..." There were now two different voices, whispering and calling out her name. She still refused to open her eyes, trying to keep her mind calm by taking note of the pattern of her heartbeat.

"Zelda! Zelda!" the voice was gradually getting louder and louder. "ZELDA!" the familiar voice yelled, as if it were right there by her ear, startling her and making her head pound even harder.

Her eyes shot opened, and there seemed to be a film of pure fog over them. She could see nothing clearly, and her entire body was aching. That's when Zelda realized that she was screaming horribly; she was unknowingly letting out repeated, high-pitched shrieks. And she didn't notice that she was shivering uncontrollably until two strong, warm arms wrapped themselves around her trembling body. They cradled her like a child, stroking her hair and shushing her comfortingly. She managed to halt her screaming, yet her teeth chattered and she couldn't stop shaking.

All that Zelda could do for a few minutes was grit her teeth and pray that this agony would end soon, and lean into the body of the one that held her. Sweat rolled down her face like rain on a windowpane, and she bit her lower lip so hard that she could taste the blood on her dry tongue. Finally, everything began to simmer down, and her surroundings started to get clearer. She came to terms with the fact that it was Link holding her protectively, sitting on her bed and rocking back and forth slowly. She leaned against his chest, longing for the warmth that his body emitted. For when she pulled away even slightly, her body was hit with an overwhelming sense of cold.

"Shh," he whispered, rubbing her arm and shoulders earnestly. "You're okay, you're fine..."

Zelda saw Renado standing on the side of the bed. He was wearing an unusual robe and a cap on his head, and in his hands he held a candle that provided the only light in the room. Then, as she leaned against Link's chest, she realized that his torso was bare, and his hair was ruffled, as if he'd just gotten out of bed.

"Link," Zelda sighed, struggling to utter his name between the chattering of her teeth.

"I'm here, I'm here," he reassured, placing his lips on the top of her head. He let them sit there as Zelda's goose bumps slowly began to disappear, and she was beginning to regain her senses.

"What happened?" she asked, closing her eyes as she tried to remember. Everything was a blur in her memory. The last thing she remembered was slipping into bed, and slowly drifting off to sleep.

"We heard screaming and rushed in immediately," Renado began explaining, a worried expression on his worn face. Zelda's eyelids fluttered for a moment, but Link's steady breathing along with hers helped to soothe her. "We found you shivering and writhing, and we were unbelievably worried."

"Are you all right?" Link murmured, brushing her matted hair away from her flushed face. "Do you need anything?"

"A...a glass of water," she managed hoarsely. Renado nodded and rushed out of the room, leaving Link and Zelda in darkness. "What time is it?"

"It's the middle of the night," Link replied quietly.

"Oh," Zelda sighed heavily. "I'm sorry I woke you up." The princess didn't even realize that she was completely delirious.

"Don't ever scare me like that again," he shook his head, holding her tighter. The sound of his heart beating helped calm her, and she counted the seconds between each breath that he took. They were inconsistent. After a few moments of silence, Renado came back in, bringing light and a glass of water with him. Link helped Zelda sit up, and she drank the water thirstily, ignoring the sounds that her throat was making as the refreshing liquid slithered down. She'd never been so relieved to have a simple glass of water in her entire life.

"Do you need anything else?" Renado prodded. Zelda shook her head, returning to her position, letting Link cradle her.

"You can go to bed," Link smiled up at the shaman. "It's under control."

"Take care of her," Renado nodded, making his way out. Once again, they were in darkness.

"I..." she swallowed, hesitant. "I had another dream." Her strength (and her sense) was beginning to return, and she could now clearly comprehend what had happened. Link looked down at her, a serene expression on his face. Then, he lay her head gently down on the pillow and covered her with a blanket. Still silent, he slipped under the covers with her and put his head on the other pillow. They lay on their sides, staring at each other. Their breathing was simultaneous.

"Why'd you stop?" she asked. He furrowed his brow curiously. "...Holding me? Why'd you stop?"

He smiled sweetly, and inched closer. Zelda turned her back to him and let him wrap his arms around her, keeping her close to him. She could feel his chin resting softly on her scalp, and his arms around her collarbone.

"It was an awful dream," she continued, sensing his warm breath on the back of her neck. "This has never happened before."

Link was still silent, waiting for her to explain.

"You were in it," she began. He sighed heavily, moving his right hand to brush the hair away from the back of her neck so that he could kiss it. "But only for a little while."

She could tell that he was tired, but she couldn't wait until morning to explain her dream. So, finally, she told him the story. She told him about his face appearing before her, and the voice, and the Source appearing. He seemed to be listening intently, for he didn't say a single word. For a while, it seemed as if he'd stopped breathing. But there was always the steady beating of his heart to comfort her.

Simply thinking of the dream brought goose bumps to her skin, and her stomach flipped. It was horrid to think about; its affects had been more dramatic than any others she'd encountered during her dreams, even the one explaining the path to the Triforce, or the one where Link was killed. She felt the memories of the dream eating up her insides, haunting the darkness behind her eyelids every time they closed. There was something special about this dream, something meaningful; the message was dying to make itself obvious to her. The only bad thing about having Link's arms around her: she never wanted them to disappear.

"I don't know what it means," she admitted, shaking her head. "I know that it's trying to lead us to the Source, but I don't understand."

"We'll figure it out," he reassured, and she could almost feel him smiling. "We always do."

"Never let me go..." she whispered, surprising herself with the tears. She just couldn't stop thinking about his face, being torn away from her. It hurt her in a dream, so she couldn't imagine how it would hurt her should it really happen. Yet she knew that soon, it would be her who was leaving him. She knew it wasn't fair...but she also knew it was inevitable.

"I will never..." he murmured. "...Ever let you go. I promise you that."

"Tell me you love me," she found herself saying. She just needed reassurance that there was still somebody there for her.

"I love you. I love you. I love you."

He seemed as if he weren't expecting an answer.

"Good..." she yawned. "Because I love you, too."

"Good," he sensed her uneasiness, and brushed the tears from her cheek. "Now get some rest."

"Please don't leave," she closed her eyes, ready to let sleep overcome her exhausted senses.

"I won't," he replied, holding her tighter. "I will never leave."

I wish I didn't have to, either.

And then, wrapped in his arms, Zelda fell asleep.

LINK POV

Link woke up the next morning with chills, and saw that Zelda was still in his arms, fast asleep. He closed his eyes, replaying last night's events in his head. Yet as soon as he descended into darkness, his eyes shot open once more, for he couldn't bear to see the images of the princess in pain. He'd never felt such fear run through his body when he heard her scream, and jumped from bed immediately. His heart truly ached, and he didn't think he was capable of such fear. The one other time he'd felt that was when Zant had nearly killed Midna, and Link had had to rush her to the castle simply to save her life. The memory gave him shivers.

Gently, he unraveled himself from her and slid out of the bed, stretching his arms quietly. She stirred a bit in the bed, yet remained asleep. Link had barely been able to sleep at all, for the description of the dream had been resonating in his racing mind throughout the night. It was a riddle he was having more trouble solving than the others, though he knew it would lead him exactly where they needed to go.

There was one question still on Link's mind...were they ready for the last stretch of their journey?

Still trying to wrap his head around the dream, Link went back to his room to get dressed. His clothes hadn't been washed in ages, and he couldn't remember the last time he'd taken a bath. Even though there were no mirrors in the room, he could only imagine how horrendous he looked. Simply putting on his tunic made him feel repulsive, and the mud was beginning to seep to the insides of his boots, and he could see the tip of his hat fraying. The gloves that he constantly wore left terrible marks on his hands, to the point that his fingers were dark while the rest of his arm was pale. Eager to feel the least bit clean, he hurried into the room with the large basin of water, and splashed his face with water and washed his hands. It helped ease his mind a little bit.

Once he was fully equipped, he ventured to peek into Zelda's room. To his surprise, she was sitting up erectly, the blanket sitting in her lap. There was a forlorn expression on her face as she gazed out of the window, her face brightened beautifully by the light streaming in through the glass. Even with her hair tousled, in a simple nightgown, she looked divine, and Link smiled softly. She just seemed so delicate, sitting alone, unaware of his eyes on her flawless face as the sparkles of the sun glittered upon her porcelain skin. Finally, she turned slowly and saw him; and then she smiled.

"Good morning," she said. He'd expected her voice to be hoarse, weak. Instead, it carried strength with it, and resonated through his mind like the sound of sweet, ringing bells. He bowed his head. "The sun has decided to shine today."

Link leaned against the frame of the doorway, tilting his head as he looked at her. There was a distant expression on her face, yet he'd never seen her look so serene. He yearned to hold her in his arms once more, and feel her melt into him just as it had been last night; she'd been so helpless, and it had fulfilled him simply to be there for her.

"The dream still puzzles me," she continued. The informality of her voice during the past few days disappeared, and she was now speaking like a princess once more. "I haven't been able to figure it out."

Link looked away, unwilling to agree.

"I feel..." she paused, though her expression didn't change while she thought. "I feel stuck. We're so close, yet so far."

"Aren't we always?" Link replied quietly. Zelda chuckled, nodding.

"I don't know where we go from here," she shrugged. There was cold amusement in her smooth voice.

"Maybe we don't have to find the destination," Link finally sighed. "Maybe the destination has to find us."

"Who knows how long that will take?" she ran a hand through the silky strands of her hair. "Perhaps I should just go back to the castle and try to settle things with the Council."

"Wherever you go, I go," he bowed at the waist, sneaking her a mischievous glance. "No separation this time." She chuckled, genuinely this time.

Link made his way downstairs to await Zelda, who was changing. Renado had breakfast all ready, but when Link came down fully clad in his tunic and equipment, he gave him a slightly frustrated expression.

"Where are you off to?"

"Well..."

"No. You are not leaving again," the shaman ordered calmly, stirring the soup relentlessly. "Enough traveling. Take a rest. I've sent the bottles of the cure with the postman, and he's delivering them as we speak. No need to worry."

"But—"

"No buts, Link," Renado stated firmly. "You will spend at least another night here, hopefully more. You've been travelling nonstop ever since arriving here. The princess needs time, as well. You can't expect yourselves to continue functioning on such little respite."

Link sighed, sitting at the table helplessly. At that moment, there was really nothing that he could say to argue. His eyes scanned the room and the upper floor, and then a worried expression crossed his features.

"Where's Ilia?" he asked curiously.

"I think she mentioned going out to wash Epona," Renado replied distractedly. Link chuckled, shaking his head.

She never gets sick of Epona, does she? He thought jokingly.

Just as Renado set a warm plate of eggs in front of him, Zelda came strolling down gracefully. They both looked up at her, and she smiled entrancingly.

"Breakfast is ready, Princess," Renado said, and Link quickly stood to pull out a chair for his sweetheart.

"Thank you, Renado," she sat down, grinning at Link. "We must eat quickly, because—"

"I've already decided that you will be staying in Kakariko Village for at least another day," he interrupted. Zelda threw Link a disapproving glance, and he just shrugged with a slightly guilty smile. "I can have one of the local women wash your clothes for you, and you can bathe. I doubt you've done so in a while," Renado looked down at Link, and the hero suppressed his laughter. He knew that he was desperate for a bath.

"Renado, we can't—"

"Let destiny come to you," Link said quietly, without looking up from his plate of eggs. In his head, he could see his plan begin to unravel. He hadn't been planning on staying in Kakariko Village, but it now seemed like a much more practical choice, considering the situation they were in.

Zelda remained silent, and politely ate her breakfast. He could tell that there was something brewing inside of her brain, but he kept his mouth shut. Hopefully she would just listen to them, and relax for a little bit. It seemed to Link as if for the past few days, she'd been more tense than usual, and he was eager to see all of her inhibitions wash away, if only for a little while.

"Link, how long do you plan on staying?" Zelda leaned over and whispered, when Renado's back was turned. Link sighed, looking Zelda straight in the eyes.

"As long as it takes," he replied with a shrug.

"As long as it takes to do what, exactly?"

"I'm not entirely sure," he smiled mischievously, and returned to his breakfast. Zelda let out an exasperated breath, stabbing her eggs with the small fork. "Just relax."

When breakfast was finished, Renado led Link to a small room, where there was a bowl and a large basin full of cool, refreshing water. After stripping, Link left his clothes outside for Renado and proceeded to fill the bowl with water and pour it all over his dirt-covered skin. He instantly felt a thousand times better, and he let out a deep, cleansing breath. He felt that along with the muck on his hair and skin, his worries were being washed away...

Yet in the back of his mind, he knew that this temporary bliss couldn't last forever. No, not with the Source still rampaging somewhere and Zelda's dreams. But just for a day at the most, he wanted to not have to worry about anything. He just wanted to bathe in the sunlight, stroll through the town with the girl he loved, and be with friends. His life of normality had been stripped away from him the moment he'd stepped into the woods, and though he didn't care to admit it, he missed it at times. He missed the routines, and being able to rely on the fact that nothing unpredictable was going to happen...even though he preferred a life of adventure, he just needed a break at times.

Renado left him a plain, comfortable outfit of clothing. It was just a white shirt with brown britches, and boots similar to the ones that were being washed. The one part that felt missing was his hat, and he chuckled at himself for feeling this way.

"Your clothes will be ready by tonight," Renado had said. For now, Link had to settle with this outfit of clothing that he wasn't used to. Nevertheless, he was ready for a relaxing and carefree day, and he was willing to do anything to have Zelda feel the same.

Link breathed in the familiar air of Kakariko Village as he stepped out of the house and into the sunlight, letting it bathe him with its warmth. The sky was a bright blue color, dotted with fluffy clouds that drifted slowly through its vast openness. He put his hands on his hips as the door closed gently behind him, and smiled as he looked around. The water of the spring was completely still, and it seemed that if Link stepped into it, he would be walking on glass. There was some stirring beginning to occur in the village, and Link made his way down the street of the village. He saw Ilia at the other side, speaking to some of the villagers and holding onto Epona's reins. The horse seemed just as comfortable as ever with her master's best friend.

"Thank the goddesses," a woman was saying to her friend. "Now my daughter is saved. I was so scared that she was going to die, but she's already getting better!"

"With just one drop of that antidote?" her friend raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, it's incredible," the woman sighed happily. "And I still don't know who I have to thank for saving my daughter."

Link walked past, simply grinning as he overheard the conversation. He was getting that feeling; the one that he hadn't gotten in a while. He was getting the feeling where he was happy to be helping. His stomach was doing excited somersaults, only because he knew that because of him, lives were improving; recognition wasn't necessary.

That's what made Link a true hero.

Okay, so I know that there wasn't much action in this chapter. But don't worry...there's plenty in the next one. Review and tell me what you thought! I LOVE YOU ALL :D