The sky is gray above me. My horse whinnies, sensing my anxiety as we near the yawning tree trunk tunnel. I urge her onward, but she plants her hooves and refuses to move. Her ears are flat against her head, and her eyes are wide with fear. It's me that's got Epona spooked—I'm sure of it. In all the time she's known me—through all the things we've faced, she's never seen me so afraid.
"Hey, hey—easy, girl. It's alright," I whisper to her, "Only memories. Don't worry—this is my home. We're perfectly safe." I glance at the darkness of the tunnel, wishing that I was more sure of my own words.
Epona snorts and stamps her hoof, calling out my obvious lie. I chuckle and pat her neck, humming softly to her as I dismount. She's a good horse—fast, faithful, and fierce—Malon raised her well during the seven years I was gone.
Seven years… I glance up at the overcast sky, shivering slightly in the chill air. It's been like this since I woke that day in the Temple of Time after drawing the Master Sword. Dark clouds obscure that blue sky I used to love. Without the sun, the wind is cold, and everything smells of soot and sulfur.
Castle Town's proud walls are in ruins—the broken streets are overrun with the ambling dead. The refugees in Kakariko live in terror under the shadow of a smoking mountain. Nobody's heard from the Gorons or the Zoras in years. Zelda is missing, and I… I missed it all. While I slept, the world fell apart without me.
I turn my face back to the tunnel and suppress a shudder. Though it feels as though I were here only a few months ago, the Kokiri Forest hasn't seen my face in seven years. Will my old friends still know me? Will they remember? Part of me does not want to find out, though the rest of me longs to make sure they're alright.
Epona nickers quietly. I turn around and give her a smile.
"I told you—it's all okay. There's nothing to worry about, Epona. I'm just… I'm going home."