OMG SORRY FOR THE LONG DELAY. I was having a bit of a writers' block hahahah :) But I hope the wait was worth it! This chapter might be confusing, so if it is, please let me know! I'll be happy to go through and edit stuffssss! LUV YOU ALL :'D

Chapter Fifty-One: Die Trying

ZELDA POV

Zelda woke up even before Renado had a chance to wake them. It was her instinct that jerked her awake, and she sat up with a gasp. Feeling the cold air of the morning spread throughout the room, she pulled the covers higher onto her body and paused to take a few breaths. The air felt refreshing entering and exiting her nostrils, and a small smile crept onto her face. Beside her, Link was still sleeping soundly, with his bare back to her; she simply watched him for a few moments, hearing his breathing synchronizing with her pounding heartbeat. Every atom of her tingled, and she had a momentary shiver.

Quietly, so as not to wake Link, Zelda slipped out of bed, trying to keep her teeth from chattering. She made her way to the end of the bed, where her dress lay crumpled in a pile. She pulled it over her head, and then stepped into her boots by the door. Then, conscious of her messy appearance and tangled hair, she began desperately running her fingers through the brown, knotted strands. Her teeth clenched and then unclenched as the tangles came undone at her fingertips, and when her hair was somewhat straightened, she proceeded to tie it up messily to keep it out of her face. Then, remaining quiet, she slowly tiptoed to the other side of the bed, until she was facing Link. His eyes were closed, and there was a beautiful, tranquil expression on his face.

Kneeling down, she stroked his hair habitually and ran her fingers along his jaw line. He shifted slightly, but his eyes only fluttered open when she kissed his forehead lovingly. As soon as his eyes fell upon hers, he grinned tiredly.

"Good morning," she chuckled, but he simply gazed at her. "I..." She paused, for she wasn't exactly sure what she wanted to say. His expression remained affectionate and lovely.

"I'll leave you to get ready," Zelda finally swallowed, standing up. With as entrancing a smile as she could give, she softly walked out of the room and closed the door securely behind her. The entire house was quiet, but just as she stepped into the hall, a door on the other side of the corridor also opened.

"Princess!" Renado gasped, slightly startled to see her. "I-I was just coming to wake you. Are you ready?"

"Well, Link is still preparing himself, but yes," she sighed. "I'm ready."

"I took your things downstairs, so you don't have to worry about that. You're all set for a journey," the shaman continued. Then he clicked his tongue. "It's unfortunate that Epona is guiding Ilia at this point in time. It would've been easier to slip away with her at your side." He shook his head. Zelda simply grinned.

"We'll make the best of the situation," she replied, sounding more sure of her answer than she actually was. In reality, she had been a bit irked from the beginning that Link had given Epona to Ilia...

"You'll need to stay very quiet, dear, while getting ready to leave," Renado explained, lowering his voice to a hushed tone. "Once Link comes down, I'll help you leave town. I would suggest heading straight to Ordon, and the people there will keep you safe, should the Royal Council coming looking for you there, as well."

"Thank you very much," Zelda bowed her head gratefully, and Renado smiled as he led the way back downstairs. The house itself was peaceful, but Zelda had that quenching feeling in her stomach; something was buzzing in her mind. She paced around the room anxiously, while Renado calmly began cleaning his kitchen. Even as she strained to hear sounds coming from outside, she heard nothing. The town was still sleeping.

"...Did you sleep well?" the shaman began casual conversation.

"Um," she cleared her throat discreetly. "Yes, very well, thank you."

"That's good," he continued. "You haven't had much rest the past few nights, I take it."

"No, I haven't," she chuckled, though uneasily. Right at that moment, her eyes fell on Link's knapsack on the table, and she saw a part of the Orb peeking out. Her stomach did a somersault. Then, she felt a sudden urge tugging at the strings of her heart, and slowly spreading through even the most miniscule parts of her brain. For the first time since it had happened, she remembered her transformation at the castle. She remembered how light and airy her muscular, trained body had felt...how graceful she had been. For the first time, she found herself eager to relive those hours of flexibility and grace.

Without truly realizing what she was doing, Zelda walked to the knapsack and picked up the Orb with her slender fingers. They traced the designs and felt the cold, ominous surface. The screams of the Guardians echoed quietly in her head, yet she continued admiring the small sphere.

"I shall be back soon," Renado began making his way upstairs. "I need to check on Luda."

"Okay," Zelda said absentmindedly, keeping her eyes on the Orb. As Renado disappeared into one of the rooms, she looked around, almost suspiciously. Then, setting the Orb back onto the table, she walked to the closed window. Curious, she opened the wooden shutters just slightly, and peeked out of the small slit in the window. The village itself was less tranquil, simply because of the Royal Council's presence. She could feel the anxiety hanging heavily in the air.

Then, something happened that she wasn't expecting at all. Walking through the gate, from the entrance near the spring, were two...large...Guardians.

Sucking in a breath, Zelda hastily shut the window and leaned her back against it, hyperventilating. She shut her eyes for a few moments, squeezing them as tightly as she could, and trying to wrap her mind around what was happening. She bit her lower lip as any sense of contentment hastily slipped from her mind. Pain, physical and mental pain, erupted through her being. Everything in the house became deathly silent...and she could hear menacing voices outside.

"Where is she? Where is the princess?" a Guardian demanded. Zelda's heart dropped to her churning stomach.

"I—"

"We need the princess to find him, and then we can finally kill them both. Everything needs to go as planned," the other Guardian said. Their voices were distinct.

"So...where is she?" the first asked.

There was a pause, and beads of delicate sweat dotted Zelda's scrunched forehead.

"Please, we've looked everywhere. We're still searching..."

Zelda almost choked. She would know that voice, the one communicating with the guardians, from miles away. Everything started to make sense inside of her head.

"Keep looking! She needs to be found immediately!" the Guardians barraged. At this point, moving slow from the shock that was coursing through her body, Zelda turned cautiously back around to peek out through the window. Her thoughts were confirmed when she saw the three figures outside.

"I'm trying! Calm down! It's not as easy as it looks! She's really quite elusive."

Her eyes narrowed in disgust and repulsion as Caine shrank in the shadows of the armored beasts. He had been working with the Guardians all along.

"We don't care! The Source can't afford to have such a threat roaming the kingdom! Both of them must be found!"

Zelda surmised that they were discussing herself and Link. She should've suspected it from somebody as cowardly as Caine. Simply knowing that made her muscles tense, and urgent worry rushed through her veins. Through the corner of her eye, she glanced up at the room where Link was. Then, almost instinctively, her eyes fell upon the Orb sitting in the bag on the table.

"You should've killed her when you had the chance," one Guardian bent down slightly so that his face was even with Caine's. Zelda had never seen the regal advisor so helpless, and she could almost see the fear etched onto his sweating face. But he deserved it, something she believed with every fiber of her being.

"T-there were too many people around."

"Lies. I can see it in your eyes..."

"Please! Give me more time!"

"There's no time left to give," the Guardians both said, eerily and simultaneously. It easily gave Zelda chills. Though she couldn't see her face, she knew that it was ghostly pale. She was afraid to move even an inch.

"Do you know why we came, Caine?"

He shuddered. The princess still felt no sympathy whatsoever for this snake.

"It's time to pay somebody a little visit."

"I can find her if you give me three more days—"

"Don't be frightened, human," one of the Guardians superficially comforted, placing an armored hand heavily on Caine's shoulder. Simply watching it made Zelda flinch habitually. "The Source will only attack when provoked."

Wait... The gears in her mind began turning. They're taking Caine to the Source. That means...

Link had been right all along. Just as he had told her, everything was beginning to unravel before her eyes. Suddenly, flashbacks of her recent dreams began drifting aimlessly through her mind. Bits and pieces floated, flashing behind her eyelids each time she blinked. She now knew who the traitor was: Caine. Though his motives were still unclear, Zelda knew that they were ones of cowardice and selfishness, and she fought back the urge to walk outside and spit in his smug face.

The path to me is the traitor...COME TO ME PRINCESS! FIND ME! The Source in her head repeated. The path to her was now clear as crystal. Caine was the traitor...and the only way to find the Source was to follow him.

Walking away from the window and the eerie conversation outside, Zelda hurried to the table. With shaky hands, she lifted the Orb and held it for a few moments, staring at it. There was a sinking feeling in her stomach as she realized that this was the end of their journey. They were about to find the Source, and defeating it would mean the end of this dangerous quest. Yet Zelda was the only one who knew of one other thing coming with the end, and it frightened her more than anything. She couldn't remember being more scared in her entire life than she was at that specific moment.

Just as she put the Orb down, Link emerged from the room and closed the door obliviously. Zelda turned up towards him and hastily put a finger to her lips, and the content smile was wiped immediately off of his lovely face. Quietly, and heeding the princess's warnings, he made his way down the stairs and to her side. Still remaining completely silent, she grabbed the sleeve of his tunic and led him toward the window. Curiously, he looked out the window...

LINK POV

He stared out of the window, glassy-eyed. He felt her expectant gaze on him as his brain soaked in the image before him, and his heart plummeted. Yet almost immediately, the fear was replaced with pure, steaming rage. His gloved hands clenched into eager fists, and he could almost feel his face turning red. Link had known all along that something was wrong with Caine. Zelda sighed deeply, keeping her hand resting gently on his arm. The muscles tensed habitually at even the softest touch.

"...They're going to the Source," she murmured in his ear. The warmth of her sweet breath against his face loosened him up a bit. "We should follow them."

With a single, wordless nod, he stepped back from the window. Renado was still upstairs, yet there was no time left to wait for him. Making sure they kept quiet, Zelda and Link equipped themselves with the supplies they needed...everything they needed for their epic battle with this creature. They knew that it wasn't going to go down easily.

I can beat it, he thought to himself. If it's even half as powerful as Ganondorf, though, it'll be difficult.

His glistening eyes found Zelda's, and a rush of affection ran through his jerky body.

Anything to protect her...

There was intent focus in her eyes, and her expression didn't waver. He deeply admired the strength that she constantly displayed, and at times, he was shocked at the composure she was able to keep. It was unnatural; yet he assumed it ran through her royal blood.

Zelda held on to the Orb tightly as they pressed their backs against the door, listening to the faint voice of Caine as he blubbered excuses and pleaded. But the Guardians wouldn't hear of it; they were going to the Source, and that was final. Link knew that meant trouble for Caine, but it only made the journey for him and Zelda easier.

"How do we know when to go out?" she whispered, brushing her fingers against his discreetly. He narrowed his eyes. Honestly, he still didn't quite know the answer to that question.

"Come! No more arguing!" one Guardian screamed. They heard Caine whimper helplessly.

"Yes...we mustn't keep the Source waiting."

At that moment, Link guessed that they had grabbed Caine, for he squealed in surprise, and his voice was as shaky as any frightened voice Link had ever heard. Zelda caught her breath.

"W-where are you taking me? Where are we going?" His squeamish voice sounded helpless and out of breath.

"Oh, you don't know?" a Guardian mocked sarcastically.

"We assumed that you knew the way by now..."

"The way to where? Please, don't hurt me!"

"Why, the way to our master," they said in unison. Link felt chills run down his spine, and his body involuntarily twitched. "The Source."

He felt Zelda's fingers crush his, and knew that she was anxious. He could almost smell the tension hanging ominously in the air. Outside, Caine continued begging hopelessly, but his voice was muffled by the clanking footsteps of the Guardians. Giving Zelda a foreboding expression, Link gently put his fingers to the doorknob, and turned it as slowly as he could. She squeezed his fingers tighter. They both cringed when the door made a slight creaking sound, and he opened it just widely enough to take a peek outside. He almost immediately withdrew at the image he saw, but lingered just long enough to see the direction of the Guardians.

They were walking away from the house, towards the entrance to Death Mountain. The Guardians were on either side of Caine, grabbing his arms and dragging him mercilessly away, so that his knees dragged against the orange dirt.

"Let's go," he whispered, almost inaudibly. Zelda barely had time to react to his ludicrous statement before he grabbed her hand and slipped discreetly through the opening in the door, dragging her after him without hesitation. Right now, he thought, wasn't the time to be having doubts. Zelda, on the other hand, seemed a bit reluctant. There was worry written on every part of her face.

Neither the Guardians nor Caine noticed them, but they simply walked on. Practically on his tiptoes, Link began the careful pursuit, making sure to keep a safe distance behind them. His princess anxiously followed, holding onto the Orb tightly with her other arm. If the Guardians were to turn around and spot them, everything would be over: even if they could absorb them in the Orb, their chances at finding the Source were gone, for Caine was obviously clueless as to the whereabouts of this monster. There was extra care in their movements, and they prayed to the goddesses that no more obstacles would get in their way.

For some reason, Link expected the Guardians to continue on to Death Mountain, or out into the open fields of Hyrule. Instead, they stopped abruptly at the end of the row of houses. Above their heads, birds squawked obnoxiously and flapped their wings relentlessly. Yet as the trio in front of them halted, Zelda and Link did, as well.

"You know where to go from here?" the one to Caine's left asked. The helpless man began stumbling incoherently.

"I-I d-don't kn-know..."

"You are pathetic, human!" the other spat, making Caine flinch. "Just follow the path down there!"

"What path are they talking about?" Zelda whispered so quietly that only Link could hear. He simply shrugged, keeping his eyes intently on the Guardians.

"Go! The Source is awaiting your arrival!" a Guardian pushed Caine forward, into what seemed to be a small alcove between the cliff wall and a house. "We can go no further."

"No, wait—" Caine began, but in vain. With a snap of their armored fingers, the Guardians evaporated in a choking, dark, cloudy mist. Link and Zelda both hopped back in surprise. Caine was left alone, though he was now out of Link's vision. Standing as still as statues, they both stretched their necks forward to listen.

They heard a flurry of sounds, and grunts from Caine, as if he were struggling. Then...silence.

"...I think he's gone," Zelda ventured to murmur. Instead of responding, Link moved forward cautiously, towards the area that the Guardians had just disappeared from. In front of him lay the rest of the path. To his left, the road. And to his right, there was a small alcove, and something was there that he'd never noticed before.

"It's a well." She caught her breath.

"I never noticed a well here before," he mumbled, more to himself than to anybody else.

"You don't think..." her voice trailed off, and her finger numbly pointed to the entrance of the well. It was clear that if it had ever been used for water, every trace of the liquid was now gone. Curiously, Link took a step forward and peered down into the well. As soon as his eyes made contact with the darkness, a rush of coldness ran over him, and he shivered. He could almost feel forces of evil calling to him, pulling him down to the depths of the well.

"There's a ladder on the side," he observed. His shaky fingers gently touched the rung of the ladder. "This is it. I can feel it," he finally managed. Zelda swallowed nervously.

"Me, too..." she agreed. For a few moments they just stood, side by side, staring blankly and silently at the dark abyss below them. "This could be it."

He nodded solemnly.

Suddenly, without warning, Zelda grabbed Link's face and fiercely crushed his lips with her, putting every ounce of passion in her body into that single kiss. In instinctive response, he put his hands at the back of her neck. When she pulled away, her eyes were as red as he'd never seen them.

"I love you," she whispered shakily. "I love you more than anything."

He smiled, uncertain of the workings of her brain. But he ran his fingers through her hair affectionately, and then pulled her so close that their lips were almost touching. Her thumbs stroked his rosy cheeks.

"I love you, too," he replied. She grinned, as if in relief. "Don't be scared. I won't let anything hurt you. I promise."

"Please don't promise," her voice cracked, and Link furrowed his brow curiously. "You don't know what could happen—"

"Listen to me." He moved his hands from her neck to her cheeks, and looked into her eyes deeply. He could see doubt. "I will vow right now to never let you get hurt. I will do anything to protect you, do you hear me? Anything."

"...What if that's not enough?" she murmured ominously.

"Well," he smiled uncertainly. "Then I'll die trying."

"Don't, Link, don't try to—"

"Zelda," he cut her off. He couldn't bear to hear her say anything more. "I promise."

He pulled her into a compassionate hug, and held her closer to him than he ever had before. Link wanted to feel her melt into him, he wanted to feel every part of her body become a part of him.

Together, he knew that they could beat this, and death wouldn't factor into the equation.

Hmm...I wonder what will happen...

And I know there's no actual well in the Kakariko Village of Twilight Princess, but hey! I gotta use my imagination sometime ;) I appreciate reviews and such! The story's almost over...ooooohhh...

Don't forget to take a look at the poll on my website! Still open for those of you who haven't voted! Although 81 voters is pretty awesome! THANKS GUYS! :)