When Zelda was brought back into the room, Amelia and Oroth left without a word. Within a few hours, Zelda was up, pacing her room as Epona looked on anxiously.
"I really don't think he'll kill you, Zelda."
"You're right because there's something preventing him from doing so."
"What will convince you that he won't kill you?"
"I don't… know," Zelda spoke slowly. She was already convinced he wouldn't kill her. Realistically, she knew she was safe from him. However, the small voice in the back of her mind was terrorizing her with possibilities of being killed by him. Fear wasn't what was driving her, as she only felt intimidated by him when he was angry.
"I want to practice with my sword," Zelda said suddenly.
"Are you sure your legs will be able to handle that?" Epona asked with a hint of uncertainty in her voice.
Zelda didn't answer. She grabbed some fresh clothing, deliberately leaving the heroic green tunic in the wardrobe. Over the light fabric, she wore the heavy cloak that Ganon had given her for the traveling. It was thick and soft, with the smell of fresh leather. It felt heavier than she remembered. Picking up the sword, Epona called out to her.
"We're not using real swords. You'll hurt yourself," she said firmly.
"I'll hurt myself regardless," Zelda's stubborn response made Epona groan.
Zelda left the bedroom with Epona close on her heels. The safety she felt in that bedroom made her anxious. She realized the sense of security came from the bond between wisdom and courage, but she hoped that it would have gone away with the piece being removed from her body.
Outside, Zelda shivered when the cold wind licked her face. The foliage suggested that it was the end of fall as leaves lay on the ground in heaps of red and brown. The air was dry, and it felt as if it were the early hours of the morning. Epona glanced at Zelda wearily as she looked around for a good spot to practice.
Ganon's castle was immense. It held a courtyard in the center, with high towers and gigantic black walls that threatened to consume the sun.
"How do you think Ganon got this castle?" Zelda asked, wandering through the messy courtyard. The castle wasn't maintained very well, she thought. The paths outside consisted of stone, but it was worn and dusty. The remains of plants went uncared for as they became wild and tall. Decaying bushes and flowerbeds were replaced with patchy dirt and crispy, dead vines.
There was no response from Epona. When Zelda looked at her, she was admiring a crumbling statue that Zelda passed without a second thought. Epona's hand touched the statue. Zelda didn't recognize what it was until she inspected it more closely. The shape of the statue was that of a person sitting on a horse that stood on its hind legs. Details of the clothing and faces were worn to the point where they were faceless shapes.
Epona's eyes held a hint of revelation as her hand touched the stone horse's belly.
Zelda bent over to read the faded plaque. It read, "The Hero and his truest Friend". It was missing letters, but Zelda knew the statue. The memory returned to her the moment she recognized the shape. "This was me in another life, huh?" Epona asked.
"It is. I remember this statue," Zelda said softly.
"How did it get here? Ganon hates Link."
Epona's question threw Zelda off briefly. She realized, however, that the statue has not moved. It has been in the same spot for a very long time. "No," Zelda said quietly, "The statue has not moved." Despite the decaying courtyard and dark castle walls, she knew the layout of the courtyard. It was why she was never lost when she walked around the castle, she realized.
This was not always Ganon's castle; this was her castle before him. Fury ran through her blood as she clenched her fists. Ganon took everything from her, it seemed. "He has taken everything I was supposed to have," Zelda growled.
Epona turned to her with an expression so fierce that Zelda took a couple steps back. "Stop needlessly blaming Ganon. It's not his fault that things ended up the way they have. The goddesses would have had it changed whether or not he wandered into the sacred realm. Yeah, you drew the bad hand in life, but you need to move on from what could have or should have. You need to accept this fate. Past cycles didn't seem to have a problem with their situations."
Her words hit Zelda as if she had tried to run through a brick wall. Epona drew her sword, and stepped into her usual stance. Drawing her sword as well, Zelda took her stance. They channeled their frustrations with one another into the sword fighting, although Epona was clearly holding back. Each time Epona was able to reach a spot that would've killed Zelda, she left a small cut. Zelda had made no such marks on Epona.
The fighting ended when one of Zelda's counterattacks were blocked. Panting, she collapsed to one knee, unable to hold herself up any longer. If she were told it had been days since they began, Zelda would have believed it. Epona deflected Zelda's sword and sheathed it. She was sweating, but her breathing was even and calm. Zelda fell back onto her behind, dropping her sword, and then putting her hands behind her.
Epona turned away and left Zelda outside. Zelda watched her go, feeling unsatsified. When Epona was gone, sorrow tiptoed into her heart. Zelda hadn't experienced Epona being angry with her; the feeling of remorse she had made her wish that the pain were physical instead of emotional. The more Zelda thought about it, the more she knew that Epona was right.
Zelda was behaving as if she were a spoiled child. While others had been unfair to her before she was brought to Ganon's castle, she felt entitled to something better because of all she had endured. Ganon had been the source of her misery for too many lives, thus, she blamed him repeatedly.
What felt like a stone settled in her stomach, as she contemplated apologizing to Ganon. Pride would be her only obstacle in the act. Biting her lip, she remembered Ganon's threats; she owed him nothing of the sort, she decided. Taking a deep breath, she realized that all she wanted was a sincere apology from Ganon or him reassuring her that he would not kill her. The one time he threatened her in any way was when he had fired a dark energy ball at her to knock her out. It was enough, but she knew he had his own reasons.
Zelda groaned in frustration; she hated the needless emotions. Between being angry with Ganon and conflicted about Link, she felt overwhelmed. When she was in the forest, all she could think about was leaving behind Epona and Ganon. It had made her terrified, yet she found a way to persist. As soon as she saw Link, however, her worrying for them vanished and all she wanted was for Link to hold her. Lying down on the frigid soil, Zelda looked at the sky, her breath finally slowed down to a reasonable speed, leaving traces of white puffs in the light breeze. Under the cloak, she folded her hands over her stomach and tried to clear her mind by counting the stars.
"Dear, Zelda," Link said as his face appeared over hers, upside-down.
Gasping, Zelda jumped. No matter how she tried, she was unable to move away. Her eyes widened in fear as he repositioned himself so that he was hovering over her. His hands were beside her shoulders, and his knees were on the outside of her hips. He leaned down, planting a kiss on her forehead. She felt her stomach turn into a tight knot.
"What is on your mind?" he said in a smooth voice.
"Get away from me."
"Are you angry with yourself because you gave me your courage?"
His lips were by her left ear, sending a shiver down her spine. She wanted nothing more than to get away from him, but at the same time, she felt that she was hoping for an intimate interaction.
Cold, long fingers grasped her chin as they had when she was in his small cage in the forest. "You are, I see. But if you want it back, I can give it to you… In exchange for something of course. After all, you already know what I want," Link whispered enthusiastically.
"No, I don't know what you want, but I'll get it back by earning it," she responded rebelliously. Zelda felt his warm breath on her neck.
He pulled back, locking eyes with her, placing his hand beside her shoulder once more. "You want the same thing I do," he urged. "I just want you to take Ganon's piece of wisdom and then kill him. That's all. You'll feel better in the end. Then, you and I together will take over Hyrule and restore it to the great kingdom it once was."
Zelda felt the tightness leave her body; quickly, she moved to push him off of her, but he disappeared before her hands were near him. Putting a hand over her pounding heart, she knew he wasn't actually there. It was a dream. He was haunting her. Looking down at her hands, she wondered if it would be possible for her to kill Ganon.
Ganon was a beast compared to her in terms of size. His strength was also incredible compared to hers. Tightening her hands into fists, she looked up to see Ganon standing at the far end of the courtyard.
"It's late. Why are you out?" Zelda spat at him. His approach made her feel tense.
He was silent as he approached her. A few feet in front of her, he kneeled down. "Can you walk?" he asked. Zelda couldn't tell if he was genuinely concerned, but it made her feel pleasant to have him show some distress over her well-being.
Her lips tensed, as she was reluctant to answer. Carefully, she was able to get on her feet without his help. He stood up, looking at her with an intent she couldn't identify.
"I'm fine," she said finally. Closing her eyes, taking a deep breath. Mustering up her courage, she returned his cold gaze with her own. "I apologize for being unreasonable with you," her voice gave a quiver at the end. As soon as the words left her lips, relief washed over her.
"I apologize for threatening you," Ganon responded after a pause.
His apology caught her off-guard. Taking a step back, she felt her knee collapse under her. He grabbed one of her arms, and helped her straighten up. Zelda felt her face heat up as she shook off his arm. Cautiously, he released her, expecting her to fall down again.
"Will you be able to make it back to your room?"
Zelda grabbed her sword and sheathed it. Her legs were shaking, coinciding with the few steps she took, but she was determined to try and hide further weakness in front of Ganon. In that moment, she realized she felt as if she were in the presence of a king. Before, she had never noticed how he carried himself with confidence and his words were carefully articulated.
"Before you go back, we should discuss how you are going to obtain the master sword, Zelda."
"We can't do this tomorrow? It's late."
"I would rather give you more time to think about the task at hand. Then, if you approve, we can depart tomorrow," his voice showed a hint of warmth.
"Then, I would like to have this discussion someplace with a seat," she said.
Ganon led her back into the castle through a long dark hall. The castle seemed to only have long dark hallways, she thought. As they walked, she felt a heavy weight lifting from her shoulders. She was happy that they apologized. Even if the apologies sounded deceitful, she knew they were true. This change in attitude would be permanent, she hoped.
"If you didn't mean your threats, then why did you make them, Ganon?"
"They are… Instinctive. It is odd to want to both kill you and be your ally. Regardless, I will not kill you."
"That doesn't make me feel any better. You still want to kill me."
"All you need to know is that I will not kill you, no matter the circumstances we find ourselves in."
Ganon turned to a door that was in the middle of the long, dark hallway. Opening it, Zelda saw a luxurious sitting room. It had three magnificent chairs, fluffy pillows on each piece of furniture, and two couches, which looked as though they would hug every inch of her. The pieces were circled around a large fireplace that gave the room a source of warm light. He took a seat in an armchair, and she sat on the couch.
Ganon explained to her that they would need to travel back to the forest, and swamp to retrieve pieces they unknowingly left behind. Then, they would travel to the desert from which he was banished to collect the final piece. When they have all of the pieces, then they must go to the Temple of Time. There, they would place the stones in their correct space and open the doors to the sacred room where the master sword resides.
"Where is the Temple of Time?" Zelda asked.
"It's located somewhere far off. The Royal Family kept it a secret from the public and the secret died with them. Theoretically, I should know where it is, but I do not. Only princess Zelda from previous lives would have known. Do you happen to have any recollections of its location from past lives?"
Folding her hands in her lap, she stared into the fire, hoping it would give her the answer he was looking for. In all of the memories she could reach, there was only Link. The few times she did remember the temple, it was in the background of the memory. Any recollection she tried to sift through brought up Link as the focus. When she was tired of seeing Link's warm smile, she sighed and shook her head, feeling disheartened.
"The Link in your memories is not who he is today," Ganon stated firmly.
She glared at him, "Maybe it's because power has contaminated him."
He looked away, into the fire. Briefly, she saw a smirk begin to form. It faded before she could analyze it. "Now that you're aware of what we must do, perhaps you should go and rest," Ganon suggested, looking back at her. His green eyes gave no hint of emotion.
Zelda stood and left, looking back to Ganon once more before leaving. It startled her when he was looking at her. He switched his gaze to the fire and she left. Back in her room, she leaned her sword against the wardrobe, removed her cloak, and climbed into bed.
The following day, she woke and wandered to the dining area. Ganon, Epona, Amelia, and Oroth were all talking happily until she walked in. Taking a seat at the last open spot, she served herself and ate. The conversation carried on.
"…We simply couldn't get them to budge, Ganon. The goblins were so adamant in demanding that they must see you, and only you! So, we decided to use bombs to startle them away," Amelia exclaimed.
"The bombs did what we wanted, but they also destroyed the hideout they had created. We couldn't get back the amulet they stole," Oroth nodded solemnly with his arms crossed.
Ganon chuckled, "It can be replaced. While we are gone, however, I would like you to hire new hands for this dying castle. When I return, I will hopefully be able to see it restored to its former glory. The goblins were a good ally for a time, but I think it would be wise to end it, or at least shoo them away."
The conversation carried on with Ganon explaining some goblin politics and how he became their leader in a way. It was all a misunderstanding, according to him. Zelda believed he did it on purpose. She looked to Epona, since she hadn't heard her speak or laugh yet that morning. Epona was smiling, but not adding to the conversation. When they made eye contact, Epona winked at her.
Together, they packed up the carriage for the journey ahead. It was expected to be short, now that they knew where to go. Epona estimated that the journey would take them four weeks. Oroth and Amelia spent some time showing Zelda how to communicate with them using the harp that Zelda's necklace could turn into. With last minutes words of advice from Amelia and Oroth, they headed off.
"How did you figure out about the harp in the forest, Zelda?" Epona asked.
Zelda explained how she had encountered some traps and eventually found herself in a room with a restless Gohruma. Her babies were ready to attack when her necklace appeared in her hand. As she was fighting the babies and Gohruma was thrashing about, Zelda said the rest was instinct. If she whispered a request from the goddesses, requesting that it become her voice, it became a harp. Learning the melody was harder to comprehend but her hands seemed to have it memorized. When she played, the snakes fell asleep near instantaneously.
Epona expressed interest in the traps, and the fighting. She made fun of Zelda for her sword-fighting skills but also complimented her on the improvements. The conversation then geared toward fighting techniques.
Epona was riding with Zelda and Ganon on the carriage. Ganon sat in the middle of them, as he was the driver, but Zelda and Epona carried their conversations around him until he grunted at them. Eventually, they crawled into the back and continued conversing.
The carriage was old fashioned in the sense of its design. It was a box just tall enough for Ganon to stand in it, and just long enough for him to lay in it comfortably. The driver's seat was wide, giving ample room for the three of them to sit with him; the only problem was him having to sit in the middle. A light metal, made in the Goron's mountain specially for the carriage, covered the two walls that faced away from the trail. Covering the entrance behind the driver's seat and the back were multiple layers of heavy cloth and leather as thick and heavy as their cloaks covered the outermost layer of the carriage.
Ganon brought the carriage to fast halt when he heard a yelp from the back accompanied by a crashing noise. Angrily, he pulled the cloths back behind the driver's seat to see Epona and Zelda both holding fake swords and practically on top of one another. "It's not what it looks like," Epona exclaimed loudly. Ganon rolled his eyes and closed it. Zelda watched him disappear behind the cloth and looked to Epona with a frown.
"I wouldn't have fallen if we weren't in a carriage," Epona shrugged.
"Well, it looks like he's stopping for the night so we can practice some more. Can you get off of me, please?" Zelda asked with annoyance evident in her voice. Epona had fallen on her when the carriage hit a bump. The fall knocked them into the pan and cutlery corner of the carriage.
"You will practice sword fighting with me this time," Ganon's annoyance was evident as he pulled the cloths back once more. This time, he was speaking through the back of the carriage. Pulling the cloths back, his fowl expression made Epona shudder.
Zelda cringed, "I don't want to fight you. You're obviously stronger than me and you're the tallest person I have ever seen," she complained.
He smirked, "That should make it a challenge for you. Epona can give you tips on stance, but I will teach you how to truly defend yourself."
Zelda gulped and looked to Epona, silently demanding help. Epona shrugged and looked back to Ganon, "She won't even be able to land a hit on you."
He didn't respond. Turning away, he left to tend to the duties of setting up the carriage for the evening. Zelda and Epona didn't move to help until he called them from outside requesting assistance. After the horses and carriage were tended to, Ganon brought Zelda further into the meadow, Epona following her. They had stopped for the evening just outside of the forest. This time she didn't need to carve little wooden dolls to preoccupy her, she thought.
Epona stood behind Zelda when Ganon got into his stance. He was wielding a single sword that seemed too small for him. "Are you sure you want to fight me?" Zelda asked once more. She had repeatedly asked him when they were setting up for the evening. Each time, he would chuckle or ignore her. Looking across at one another, it was the first time Epona didn't need to show her the stance to use.