Finally got Chapter 48 done, after using my time in Study Halls and boring Chemistry classes to write it ;) I hope you all enjoy! And thanks again so much for the wonderful reviews. Just a heads up, the end is getting close, and hopefully chapters will be getting updated sooner. I've already started Chapter Forty-Nine! THANKS AGAIN! ENJOY :D

Chapter Forty-Eight: Relaxation

"Good morning," Ilia smiled sweetly when Link approached, and Epona whinnied excitedly and bobbed her head. He grinned, patting his mare's neck and making momentary eye contact with Ilia. "It's a beautiful day, isn't it?"

"Yes," Link sighed, looking up at the vast blue openness. "It is."

"What do you plan on doing now?" Ilia ventured to ask, looking down at the sandy ground. Link took a deep breath, occupying himself by straightening the tangles in Epona's messy white mane. In truth, he didn't know how to reply to Ilia's anticipated question. He'd expected it, yet he still wasn't sure about the answer himself.

"I guess we'll just stay here for a bit," he finally replied. "We'll wait and see what happens, and let fate reveal itself."

"I think I'll head back to Ordon soon," Ilia said, surprising him. He glanced up at her with a curious expression. "I'm sure..." Here she paused, swallowing. "I'm sure they need some help over there."

Memories of the funeral flooded into Link's mind, and he cringed. The images were not welcome. He could see Ilia bravely holding back tears; she'd obviously heard the news of Fado and Uli.

"I wish I could go..." he murmured, more to himself than to Ilia. She blinked a few times, as if snapping into reality.

"Why can't you?" she asked. "Come with me! They'll be anxious to see us both."

"I-I can't," Link stammered. He turned around momentarily and saw Zelda emerging from the house, as if on cue.

"I understand," Ilia sighed heavily, pausing in her petting of Epona. "You should hurry though, and come as soon as you can."

"Please don't go unaccompanied," Link begged. He remembered what had happened last time Ilia had run off into Hyrule Field alone: Guardians. He couldn't bear to see her get hurt again, and he wasn't about to let it happen easily.

"Don't worry, I won't," she chuckled, though it was a slightly sarcastic sound. "I think Renado has arranged for a Goron to come with me. They won't let anything touch me, I'm sure."

Link laughed, imagining Ilia taking her journey back home with a large, intimidating yet sweet-tempered Goron at her side, towering over her immensely. The image was one that made Link chuckle.

"When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow morning," she replied. "That way we'll have all day to travel."

"You can," he paused, slightly hesitant in what he was about to offer her. "You can take Epona if you want. The journey will be quicker, and Epona will come back to me anytime. I can summon her when the Goron comes back."

"I couldn't," she shook her head, smiling with a blush. "I couldn't take your horse!"

"Well you've done it before," he winked teasingly. She rolled her bright green eyes.

"Are you sure about this?"

Link nodded, though on the inside, he wasn't quite so sure.

"Thank you so much," his friend gushed, hugging Epona's muzzle excitedly. "I'll take good care of her." Suddenly, Ilia took on an expression of realization, and Link could tell that she was hiding something.

"Is something wrong...?" he asked. Ilia shrugged, and her moodiness was coming into play yet again. Only a few moments ago, she'd been laughing and smiling...and all of a sudden she was so somber and silent. He could practically see the complicated thoughts and memories rushing through her intricate mind.

"It's just," she paused, wracking her brain for the right words to say. Link got a queasy feeling in his stomach, and he stared at her intently while she thought. "I was talking with Zelda, and, well..." Here she paused again, and Link was beginning to get frustrated.

"Yes?" he persisted. She sighed.

"Well..."

"Ilia!"

"I know you're a wolf!" she blurted.

For a few moments, Link was frozen in place, a blank expression on his face. A rush of shock ran through him, and it seemed as if his feet were glued to the ground and he was slowly becoming immobile. Ilia gazed at him anxiously, moving closer to Epona. Then, Link managed a blink, and he stumbled backwards when the magnitude of what Ilia had just said hit him. He felt as if he were suffocating, as if there were hands grasping his throat, and he couldn't get them off. He could feel the blood draining from his face, leaving it a sickly pale color.

"Say something!" Ilia pleaded. Link's jaw dropped, and he just continued staring forward.

"Uh..."

"So it's true?" she ventured. "Y-you are a wolf?"

"I," Link swallowed. "Um,"

"Oh, my goddesses," Epona's reins dropped from Ilia's hands as she brought it to her mouth. "How is that even possible? And why didn't you tell me? How long has this been happening? Why?"

The bombardment of questions only frustrated Link further.

"How did you even find out?" he replied, still in shock.

"I saw you with Zelda in this spring," she answered, guilt evident in her voice. "And I want to hear the full story from you, Link. I need to know."

He sighed in a resigned manner, letting out the breath he'd been holding. He'd never seen her eyes grow wider, or seen her skin so flushed.

"I-is that even possible?"

Link sighed again, and looked down at his feet.

"Yes...it's possible," he replied sheepishly. He was still afraid of Ilia's anticipated reaction. But she just stared at him, as if he were transforming as they spoke. "It's a long story."

"We have all day," Ilia said evenly, raising her eyebrows. Link chuckled, even though there was nothing funny about the situation at all. Finally submitting to the pleading expression on his best friend's face, he cocked his head.

"Let's go for a walk," he suggested. "Death Mountain isn't too dangerous at this time of day."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, he said bluntly. "You deserve to know, after all you went through." Ilia shrugged with a modest smile.

"I guess," she blushed. Link smiled, and led the way to the Death Mountain trail.

ZELDA POV

Zelda silently watched Link lead Ilia away, and jealousy swelled inside of her dangerously. Yet she kept her expression blank, and let her eyes wander through the small village. A smile played at the edges of her lips when she started to notice the natural gleam of Kakariko returning, knowing that a part of it was because of her. But Zelda couldn't stay relaxed for more than ten seconds. The dream kept returning to her thoughts like an infection, and there were uncomfortable flipping sensations in her stomach. And she couldn't help but be angry with both Link and Renado for making her stay there, in the midst of a time of horrible danger in her kingdom. She felt unfaithful to her people, and wished that she had the ability to tell Link...but she knew that she could never bring herself to disturb his happiness, no matter what.

After making sure that nobody was watching her, she reached into her cloak and pulled out the papers making up the cure and the disturbing picture. Tilting her head, she examined the picture closer, ignoring the chills running up and down her spine. It seemed as if the creature's beady eyes were staring right into hers. Zelda squinted as she attempted to connect this with everything that had occurred in her dream. Yet she knew that there was one major piece missing, and though the gears in her mind were turning furiously, she couldn't figure it out. This dream had been extremely vague for her liking.

Suddenly, the orange earth beneath her began vibrating slightly, and she felt her heart beat in her throat. She could tell what was coming simply by the tremble...and when she turned her eyes upward, her thoughts were confirmed.

"Princess," the two Gorons halted before her, oblivious to her flinch of fear. Unlike their last encounter, their expressions were soft rather than angry, their posture not as rigid. Zelda felt her mind ease a bit as relief took root.

"H-hello," she stuttered, straightening her back. She could almost feel the pain in her arms from the last time they'd confronted her. There were still bruises where their fingers had been.

"We owe you apologies," they both mumbled, bowing their heads apologetically. "We're sorry."

"For what?"

"We almost took the hidden page away from you," one replied. "We didn't trust you."

"And we should've trusted our princess," the other finished. Zelda smiled, and felt her heart swell at their sincere apologies. "We received the cure, and the Gorons are beginning to heal. It's because of you...we know it."

"Thank you," she replied humbly, extending a paper to them. "Here is your hidden page. I wouldn't have found the cure without it. Thank you for letting me keep it."

The Gorons bowed their heads again, and one crushed the page in his fist.

"Darbus will never know it was gone," he smiled. With that, they turned around and headed back to Death Mountain. Zelda giggled quietly, looking down at her boots. Her dress was being washed, so she was dressed in a burly brown dress that did absolutely nothing to flatter her slim figure. Her hair, still wet from her bath, sat heavily in long dark strands down her back and over her shoulder. The sun felt incredible against her newly cleaned skin.

Relaxation was something that didn't come easily to Zelda, especially at a time like this. Yet somehow, as she looked around, the natural beauty of Kakariko Village began taking its toll on her. Her senses were beginning to calm down, and she took a few moments to breathe in the pure atmosphere around her. Everything just seemed so perfect in this tiny little village. She could see life returning to its inhabitants, and her mood brightened immediately. The one thing that was missing was Link.

"It really helps to calm the nerves," Renado stepped up beside her with a sigh. "The spring, I mean."

"Yes, it does," the princess agreed.

"I can tell you have a lot on your mind," he continued, gazing at her with an insightful expression. She simply sighed and absentmindedly stared at her clear reflection in the spring. "I'm not keeping you here to make this harder. I'm doing it to make this easier.

"I just feel as if I should be somewhere else, doing something helpful," she replied. Yet she made sure to keep her voice completely monotonous.

"The best thing for you right now is rest," Renado persisted calmly. "Trust me...after all, I am a shaman." The princess chuckled, trying to make sense of his words. Her mind seemed incapable of wrapping itself around the concept of relaxation, and the fact that Zelda, of all people, needed it most.

"Just enjoy nature, put your mind at ease for a day or two. Then you can go back to living this hectic life of yours. Even a princess sometimes needs a break." The shaman winked with a kind smile.

Without realizing what she was doing, Zelda glanced backward to peek at the entrance to Death Mountain. Link and Ilia were still nowhere to be seen. Renado let out a burst of hearty laughter that snapped her out of her dreamy trance.

"Now I see what's bothering you most," he smiled. Zelda shifted her weight uncomfortably. Why hadn't she been more careful with her actions? "You don't have anything to worry about, my child."

She kept her gaze downward.

"I can see love in his eyes when he looks at you," he whispered. "But you, Princess, are a bit more difficult to read."

At this she laughed, and there was an anxious undertone to the sound.

"I stress too much, don't I?" she said, more to herself than to Renado. i

"Things will become easier as you age and mature." She glanced up at him, observing his tall, proud posture and the serene, knowledgeable expression as the slight breeze of Kakariko blew through his thick dark hair.

"You will learn in time."

Zelda closed her eyes for a few moments, trying to keep any images of her dreams from popping up. She suddenly found herself determined to relax, even if it was only for a few days. Link's return would make it a lot easier, she was sure. Without a word, she bent down and took a seat by the spring, ignoring the fact that she'd just bathed. Then she pulled her boots off and stuck her feet into the water, shivering momentarily.

"Do you need anything, Princess?" Renado asked. Zelda took a deep, cleansing breath.

"No, thank you."

The shaman walked back into his house, leaving her to concentrate on her few moments of repose. There was complete silence as she let the water spread across her skin, calming her with cool, refreshing feelings. She kept her eyes shut, for she enjoyed being immersed in the darkness of her own mind. For the first time in a while, Zelda was able to forget about the circumstances and clear her mind. She forgot about being princess; she forgot about Hyrule and its current, ire problems. She even momentarily forgot about Link. Everything disappeared, and she felt herself drifting in the unusual blackness.

Everything—the relaxation—was suddenly shattered in an instant, just as quickly as it had come. Zelda's eyes shot open, and goose bumps appeared all over her delicate sin. The water of the spring turned ice-cold, and she hastily pulled her feet from it. Yet she was still trembling slightly. Then, a voice was heard in her head, and the image of the Source appeared behind her eyelids.

Traitor, it repeated. Treacherous fool. The path to me is the traitor...COME TO ME PRINCESS! FIND ME! I'M THIRSTY FOR YOUR BLOOD! THE BLOOD OF THE CHOSEN ONES!

The surroundings snapped back to life as the image faded. Zelda's bloodshot eyes were wide, and her entire body was shaking. Though everything around her was peaceful, her state was anything but peaceful. She was grabbing her hair and pushing down on her throbbing temples. Mumbling incoherently, she then buried her face in her hands.

"I'm going crazy," she decided. "This thing is driving me insane. There's no possible way to relax now..."

Zelda screamed in surprise when two hands landed on her shoulders from behind.

"What happened?" a soothing voice murmured, calming her a bit. She continued shaking her head as Link grabbed her elbows and helped her to her feet, though her knees were trembling. He held her face in his hands, brushing away the matted strands of hair around her eyes. She opened her mouth, but couldn't process the words that she was trying to say. He had a reassuring, concerned look on his face, and when Zelda responded with silence, he took her into his arms. She buried her face in his warm chest as he rubbed her back and kissed the crown of her head.

"We heard you scream," Ilia's voice was heard, and Zelda sighed. That's when she noticed that Link and Ilia were both panting.

"Again?"

Link chuckled softly, but then took on a more serious tone. "Are you seeing things again?" he whispered. She could only nod.

All the surroundings were hazy, except for Link; he was perfectly clear to Zelda. And she was also aware of the sense of humiliation blossoming inside of her. Here she was, the Princess of Hyrule, stuttering and shaking and unable to maintain composure. It seemed as if only moments ago, she was sitting and relaxing without a care in the world. But she should've known that was too good to be true, and wouldn't last. It shouldn't have been a surprise when the Source interrupted her moment of serenity.

"Perhaps she should rest," Ilia suggested, uncertainty thick in her sweet voice. Zelda swallowed, puling away to glance at her hero. He gave a terse nod, with a determined, hard expression on his face. The princess herself felt like a pathetic little child as they led her back to Renado's hut.

"Just relax," Link repeated, once Zelda was lying in bed safely. She closed her eyes to sleep. But when she heard his footsteps getting farther, she opened them again.

"I saw the Source," she said bluntly. He paused at the door, peeking over his shoulder at her. "It spoke to me...these aren't just prophetic dreams, Link."

"What did it say?" his voice was low and menacing. Zelda knew that he used that voice only when he was truly angry. She relayed the message to him, and his eyes narrowed dangerously as she sat up.

"They're traumatizing me," she admitted desperately, with a nervous laugh. Tears appeared in her eyes. "It... it makes me wish I had nothing to do with this stupid Triforce."

He sat down, across from her on the bed. Then he put his hands firmly on her shoulders.

"I won't let anything hurt you," he hissed, fury sparkling in his eyes. "I promise."

"Please, Link, don't," she sighed as the tears spilled down her face. It killed her to see him so loving and protective when she ultimately knew her fate.

"I can't bear to see anything happen to you," he persisted, simply making her cry harder. "I'll protect you, no matter what."

"Link—"

"I love you," he interrupted, and then he grabbed her hands. "I will do anything for you."

Zelda could no longer respond, for her sobs kept getting in the way. His expression softened, but she just couldn't stop bawling and shaking her head in a panicky manner.

"I...love...you...too," she managed in between cries.

"Just rest," he sighed, standing up. He seemed at a loss as to what to do. Zelda wiped her cheeks with the back of her sleeve, nodding. With concern still written all over his face, he walked out of the room. After the door was closed, Zelda buried her face in the pillow and proceeded to continue crying herself to sleep.

Zelda, having gone to sleep earlier that afternoon, awoke in the middle of the night with a horrid throbbing in her brain. Thankfully, she'd been able to sleep dreamlessly, and didn't wake up screaming or shivering. There was no doubt that everybody in the village was asleep, so she stayed silent as she slipped out of bed. Her plan would be easier, now that she was rested and everybody was asleep.

After yesterday's occurrences, relaxation was completely out of the picture. The words of the Source repeated in her head, over and over; she couldn't take it anymore. Something needed to be done, and Zelda didn't plan on procrastinating any longer. There was still the Source to take care of, and on top of that, the problems with the Royal Council. They were probably searching for her everywhere by now.

Silently, she put on her now clean dress and boots. Then she precariously tied her hair up, keeping it out of her face. The ache in her head never ceased, yet she tried her best to ignore it. After slinging a small knapsack over her shoulder, she cautiously exited the room and walked down the stairs, keeping her steps soft and subtle. At that moment, she could've sworn that the red Triforce on her hand had glowed... but even if it had, it was momentary, and gone in an instant. There was complete, utter, deafening silence.

Finally outside, Zelda let out a deep breath, but she told herself not to get too excited. It wasn't over yet.

"I'm sorry, Link," she whispered, glancing backwards to the hut. "I have to do this"

Then she continued walking down the road, toward the exit into Hyrule Field.

All right, that's it for now! Hope I don't disappoint :) Review and tell me what you think! LOVE YOU ALL :D