"Come on Link... Wake up... Hyrule needs you. Your friends and Epona need you. The Princess needs you." Midna whispered in his ears.
"My dear Midna, I am afraid that being in the catatonic state that he is, he won't be able to hear you. All that we can do for him has already been done. The only thing left to do is wait for him to awaken." Impaz informed her while gently pulling her away from the hero that was laid on the table.
Midna sighed in defeat and allowed herself to be led away from her best friend. She wished desperately that there was something that she could do to help rather than just sitting around and waiting. She felt guilty for being unable to stop the attack or at least help Link fight them off.
"Oh I'm sorry... I just really wish that there was some way to help." She stated.
"Well if you'd really like to do something, maybe you should go and bring Epona back here, ready for when he will travel again." The small old lady suggested.
"Of course! I can't believe I forgot about her. I'll be back in no time!" Midna exclaimed excitedly and rushed out of the building.
Maybe there wasn't a way to help Link directly right now, but the least that she could do was bring his horse back to safety for him.
"This next memory is quite dark, I should warn you. There are only three left now, but they will not be easy on you. Are you sure you're ready for it?" Hylia warned.
"Not exactly... But there's no time for me to be ready. The Princess needs my help, and I have to do whatever it takes." Link replied determinedly.
Although he was not quite sure how he'd gotten to this point, he had not forgotten the current situation nor the quest that he'd been on when he had somehow ended up here. There were so many questions that he wanted to ask the Goddess, but at the same time he knew that there was absolutely no time to waste... so he settled on the most important question only.
"Um... Erh... Goddess, I was just wondering if I may ask you how it is that I got here?" He stammered nervously.
"Oh you poor boy... You really have no clue, do you?... Very well then. I shall explain. You see, you're not physically here. That nice companion of yours and yourself were out in the woods when you got attacked. You got hurt pretty badly and right now your physical body is banged up in Kakariko, whilst your mind is here... working through your trauma in attempt to become stronger to stand a better chance at fighting Zant." Hylia explained.
Panic and fear coursed through him as he took in what was being said. If he wasn't physically here, but rather unconscious in Kakariko Village, then that meant that no progress was being made in his quest and with each second that passed, the Princess was in greater danger. He couldn't stand the idea of being too late to save her. His desperation to get back to his physical body grew stronger than ever.
"Let's see these last three memories please, so that I can finally get back to my body and save her." Link requested in a voice that was monotonous.
"Very well then, let's go." Hylia agreed and began leading him down yet another tunnel.
This one led him back to his former home village, where he had been residing when the Twilight invasion had begun. Being back now, Link felt a mix of both comfort and pain. The people here had treated him like one of their own for as long as he was there, they were like family to him. But he couldn't help feeling the absence of the one who mattered most out of all there. Ilia. Though he knew that because this was only a memory, she was still alive here.
"When was this?" Link asked curiously.
"Stay focused. You shall remember when you witness this." Hylia told him.
Link did not bother to argue with this and instead turned his attention to the scene that was unfolding in front of him.
Ilia, with Epona's reigns in her hands, leading the horse along with her, approached Link's old house. The young girl turned around to face Epona and placed a hand on her muzzle, stroking gently with her fingers.
"Do not worry girl, I know that Link will take good care of you. He has the most gentle heart in the entire kingdom, other than the Princess herself of course." She soothed the horse.
Turning around, she lets go of the reigns and heads towards the house, up the wooden ladder and knocks gently on the front door. In only a second, it opens and Link stands before her. She smiles at him sweetly before gesturing for him to step outside with her for a moment.
Present Link watched intensely as his past self smiled back and followed through with Ilia's request, coming outside and shutting the door behind him before gesturing for her to climb down first. Once they were both on the ground below, the girl walked forward, bringing him to Epona.
"Master Link... This my loyal mare, Epona. Unfortunately father says that we can no longer keep her because we do not have enough rupees to feed ourselves. Since I know that you travel a lot, which must get tiring, and I know that you will look after her properly, I would like for you to become her owner." Ilia explained, her voice solemn but hopeful.
Link's heart sank as he heard her little speech. He wished that there was some way that he could help Ilia to keep the horse that clearly meant to much to her. But there was only one thing he could think to do.
"Yes, Ilia, I would be honoured to own Epona. However I see that she means a great deal to you, so I will take her in as long as you promise to come visit her as often as you can." Link requested.
"Oh Master Link! I would love that!" The young girl shrieked in delight.
"Thank you for trusting me with her." He replied as she fussed over Epona's windswept mane.
"You're welcome. I will take her now to get her ready for you. Meet me at the Faron Spring in exactly one hour." Ilia told him as she began to lead the horse away.
"Yeah, you got it." He called after her.
As the memory came to an end, Link turned back to the Goddess. Though he was particularly fond of it, he had buried all of the meaningful moments that he shared with Ilia, ever since her death. His heart had not been able to bear it and he couldn't afford to let himself weaken before Hyrule was not under threat and the Princess safely in his arms once again.
"Why would you show me that?" He questioned, barely able to form the words.
"Because... In order to stop the creature's from Twili getting into your head, you need to feel your pain and deal with it accordingly." Hylia stated knowingly.
"Here's the thing though, I just don't know how to do that." He admitted.
"It is very simple Master Link. All you have to do is talk." She answered.
"But I do talk..." He corrected her, confused by her words.
"Talk to the Princess, she is the one can help you heal." She explained.
"I do... But it is impossible for me to do so right now because-" Link began to ramble.
"Don't be so sure about that." Hylia interrupted.
"What are you...?" He began to question but trailed off when he turned around.
Mouth open wide in shock, Link almost couldn't believe his eyes. Stood by the entrance, the glowing light of the outdoors outlining her perfect body, was Zelda.
"It's okay Link... This is her spirit. I am keeping her safe from Zant, while her physical body is in his presence." Hylia assured him.
"P... Princess." He greeted in a stammer.
"Hello Link, my valiant Knight." She greeted, as he walked towards her.
There was so much that he wanted to say, yet he knew that he did not have much time with her. He wished with his whole heart that he could stay in this moment forever, but it just wasn't possible. Instead, he would make the most of these precious minutes that he did have.
