I don't own anything to do with Zelda.

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"What do you mean the door isn't there!" Link looked at the irate Impa and sighed.

"We beat it. We've got another hour to three hours until it appears, I think."

"You think?"

"I just figured out how to do this a week or so ago. Give me a break," Link snarled back at Impa. The two of them glared at each other, silent, until Lugh whipped his tail, hitting both of them squarely in the back.

"Damn horse," Impa muttered, glaring at him. "He's too much like Epona."
"Yeah," Link agreed, glaring at the innocent looking horse. "You think they're related?"

"It'd make sense." The two of the watched Lugh, who was now acting like a normal horse, and he appeared to have no intention of doing anything else. After a little bit, Link sighed and sat down. He was not going to stand for an hour or three.

"Hey Impa," he hazarded, "What is Zelda like now?" Impa turned to look at him. She walked over and too sat down, beneath the tree. Leaning back on its trunk, she looked up into its wide spreading branches.

"Very similar, I think, to the Zelda you knew. She gained her memories back when she was fourteen, if memory serves me correctly. But she is more tactful and not as cautious when it comes to non political things. She has had a court upbringing, not one of a Sheikah.

"She looks the same and likes many of the same things. She drives her father crazy with all of her requests to go out of the town. He worries too much, but she goes out on unapproved trips too much. She's a good girl." Link nodded, looking down at the grass between his feet. It was dark green and moist, an oasis of life with the tree in the barren wasteland the plains had become. From this little outpost of life, grass would spread and grow until it became the tall, sharp grass that he knew.

A whirring sound caught his attention. He stood up, looking around. Impa looked at him, confused, until she too could hear the noise. Link grinned.

"The door is here!" he told her jubilantly. "That's what the noise is, the door!" Impa shook her head, amused. One to three hours? Maybe thirty minutes.

When the door solidified, Link reached to what appeared to be thin air and opened it. Then, he grabbed Impa's hand and pulled her through, closing the door behind him.

Impa blinked; they were now standing in the Chamber of Sages. Link smiled.

"I liked this trip more," he said jokingly. Impa nodded.

"Come, we need to get out of here." Link nodded, looking around.

"I wonder… I wonder where Rauru is?" he said absent mindedly.

He moved on. Link jumped, hearing his older self speak.

The others will tell you about it later, now you must hurry. Get the Master Sword and get outside! The undead have almost made it through the defenders.

Pale, Impa began to stride towards the exit, Link not far behind her. The Door of Time stood closed, but once Link pulled the Master Sword from the Pedestal of Time, the Door opened. Sounds of the battlefield could be heard; swords clanging on bone and metal; commanders yelling out orders; the hisses of the undead and the screams of the dying.

"I'll take care of the Skull King," Impa said briskly as they ran to the Temple of Time's entrance, "You find the princess and whatever form Ganon has taken." Link nodded, and the two burst out of the Temple, running to help fight the horde of undead.

---

Shoving the princess behind her, Allya fought Atro as well as she could. The witch was strong, despite her frail appearance, and used magic instead of weapons for the most part. Atro had made a bee line for Zelda once she saw her, and the princess had been caught off guard. While she had managed to get a shield up in time, she had been pushed back into a precarious position. Allya made it there in time, much to the witch's disgust.

"Sha'oka!" Zelda shouted, and Allya ducked. A blast of light shot from the princess, hitting the witch square in the chest. Atro flew back, landing on a piece of rubble. Just as she was about to get up, a loud whinny pierced the air and two large hooves came crashing down on the witch's body.

Epona snorted, shook her head at the two, and ran to the right, where she began to wreck havoc on the undead there. Zelda smiled weakly at the mare's actions; thankful, for once, of her bloodier nature. Epona had escaped from the pen where the war horses were being kept not long after the fighting began, eager to join in the fray.

"Nabooru wants you to get back, behind the front lines," Allya said hurriedly as she pushed the princess towards the safer areas. Zelda nodded, exhausted. She had used up a good deal of her magic fighting the undead and shielding the soldiers. Nabooru's orders made sense, for she would be more protected in the back.

A shriek broke off their departure from the front lines. Standing beside her sister's crushed body was Lacsis. Snarling, she turned towards Allya and Zelda and fired two powerful magical blasts. Zelda threw up a shield, but in her tired state, it was not enough to fully block the shock wave from the attacking spell. The two were sent flying back.

Allya was the first to stand up, albeit a little shaky. Taking a defensive position, she prepared to deal with the onslaught from the witch. Suddenly, though, her sword was down, and her arms felt like cooked noodles. Dark magic encircled her body as the witch seeped the very life from her limbs. She could do nothing. Another blast from the witch sent her flying, and her head hit a large rock, causing blood to seep from the back of her head. Groaning, she stood, only to be hit across the face with the witch's staff. She fell, her hand only inches away from a discarded sword.

"Oiy!" Zelda cried frantically, "Over here you old nag!" Snarling, the witch turned towards the princess, her other target in her revenge. Taking advantage of the moment, Allya grabbed the sword to stab the witch, only to have a Stalfo behind her stab her in the back as she stood. Zelda screamed, unbelieving, as her guardian coughed up blood, stared at the sword sticking out of her belly, and then closed her eyes for the last time.

Grinning, the witch turned back to Zelda and began to advance. The princess stood before her, tears running down her cheeks, and a determined set to her jaw. Lacsis never made it, though, as she was knocked to the side by the princess's new guardian.

Epona, after knocking over the witch, knelt before Zelda. Snorting with impatience when the princess did not get on fast enough, the mare then took off. Zelda was forced to cling to the mare's wiry mane as she twisted and leapt, trying to get to a safer place. The mare reared, bucked, kicked out, and ducked her neck, all the while keeping a fairly stable back so the princess would be able to keep her seat. Zelda gained even more respect for Link's riding abilities; the mare would be counting on him to help balance her if he were the rider. Epona had cuts all over her, though she did not seem to notice. The mare had obviously become a feared force on the battlefield, as many undead shied away from her when they passed them.

That ended, though, when a Stalfo suddenly jumped into the mare's path, holding a long barbed spear. The force of impact threw the princess off balance, and she was thrown from her seat when Epona twisted, trying to rid herself of the painful weapon. The wind knocked out of her lungs, she none the less scrambled to a more sheltered spot. Epona thrashed wildly in her last moments, killing the Stalfo and every other undead near her. Zelda watched with unbelieving eyes. She could not accept the fact that Epona was dying; the mare that had for so long caused headaches and laughs was now dying. She would not accept that Link's horse, his best friend, could die.

"EPONA!" she screamed, sobbing. Tears streamed from her eyes, but there were not enough to hide the thrashing of the noble mare from her. Nor were her screams loud enough to drown out the sounds of the mare's shrieks and of her last, tortured breaths.

Finally still, there lay the most valiant horse she had ever known. Creeping out from her safe spot, Zelda knelt before Epona. In the noise and clamor of battle, this one area was silent now that she had stopped screaming. Sobbing silently, she touched the mare's face. The reality of it all finally hit her. Epona was dead; Allya was dead; who knew, even her father might be dead.

"Poor, poor princess," a voice crooned maliciously.

"To loose such a friend," another continued. Zelda looked up, and through tear filled eyes, saw the remaining two witches: Lacsis and Cloto. Lacsis was decidedly worse for wear, and hung back. Cloto, however, stood very close to Zelda, a sword in her hand.

"But the friend deserved it," Cloto growled as she spat in Epona's direction.

"Bitch!" Zelda screamed, leaping up. How dare this woman patronize her? How dare she mock the deaths of Epona and Allya? How dare she spit at Epona? Forgetting her depleted magic, Zelda began to attack. Her blows, however, were deflected, and she was soon on the defensive. One particularly strong blow sent her falling to the ground, where she landed on her stomach.

Groaning, Zelda tried to get up. A lance of fire across her lower back stopped her. Screaming, she fell back onto the rocky ground.

"How does it fell, princess, to be wounded?" Cloto cackled, handing her sword to Lacsis. The weakened witch slunk off, taking with her the bloodstained blade. Zelda managed to stand, though her balance was poor.

"Time to die, princess," Cloto giggled, "Unless, of course, you promise to serve the Lord Ganon."

"Never," Zelda spat, as she gathered the last of her magic.

"Then die!" Zelda brought her arms up, intending to summon Divine Light. The spell would cost her body, condemning her spirit to the Sacred Realm until it moved on, much like Rauru. She never got the chance as once again she was pushed back. This time, though, the pusher did not wear the dark Sheikah tunic. Instead, he was in a familiar forest green tunic and wore a familiar green hat and bore a familiar and powerful sword.

"Link," she breathed, smiling in relief.

---

Impa found herself on the opposite side of the battle than Link. Running to find the Skull King, she slashed at undead from the protection of her shadows. None could see her in them, but she could still be hit. Seeking directions from Darunia, who was surprised and glad to hear she had returned, she made her way to where the Skull King was. She soon saw him, and her blood ran cold.

Her shadows arched in front of her, covering the Sheikah and Hylians before her. As she ran forward, she gave commands to stay calm and to stay put. Snarling, she attacked the Skull King, putting all her frustration and anger behind her attacks.

The undead King had been surprised to see Impa attack him; he thought that she and Link were still safely back in time three hundred odd years ago. He was able to be pushed back by the furious Sage, though he quickly regained his footing.

The Skull King was not able to attack with fire anymore, though he gained the mastery of dark magic. It was a limited mastery, when compared to that of Ganon and Ganondorf, but it allowed him to keep alive. It annoyed Impa.

I'm here; get him pinned against a rock, Darunia's voice said in her mind. Grinning, Impa attacked wildly, pushing the less skilled swordsman back until he was pinned underneath her blade.

Now don't move,Darunia commanded. Flames shot towards them, and Impa felt her hair stand up on the back of her neck. She was in the middle of the flame stream, yet she was not being burnt. The Skull King was experiencing something else all together. Screaming in pain, he writhed as he tried to get away from the burning fire and the entrapping sword. Darunia's flames were hotter and more painful than any other fire, even more so than molten lava. They were the Sage's Flames, and they derived their power from the fiery passion that Din exuded in all her actions. They were also sacred flames, and thus were that much more painful to the undead.

"You can move now," Darunia's gruff voice rang out. Impa stood back, glad to no longer be surrounded by fire. Turning, she called her shadows back to her. The king stood, as did the Sheikah and Hylian knights around him. Impa rushed over to the last one to stand and threw her arms around his neck.

"You damned fool," she murmured, clinging to her husband in a rare show of affection. The past few months, without his presence, had been hard, and when she saw him standing in front of the Skull King, she had panicked. This was one of the few times she allowed herself to panic, and it was caused by the fact that she could not picture life without him.

"But of course," Dir'ath replied, chuckling as he returned the embrace. Shaking her head, Impa pulled out of the embrace. She turned to look for Jaeh, who had stepped forward, a relieved grin on her face.

"He's all yours now," she said jubilantly, causing everyone around them to laugh.

Impa smiled, though it was only a half smile. "Come, we need to find Link. Has Ganon appeared, in any form?"

Darunia shook his head, "No, thankfully. I think the witches were using the battle to summon him somehow." Impa nodded and was about to speak when another Sage put in her two cents.

"Then let's find those damned witches." They turned and saw Nabooru, leaning heavily on Kai'shya, her second in command.

"You're staying here," Impa said, frowning, as she took in the Spirit Sage's injuries. One of her eyes was shut due to a gash above her eyebrow, and her left leg looked like someone had cut one of her tendons.

"Da-" Nabooru slumped forward and was caught by a slyly grinning Kai'shya. Her left hand retreated from Nabooru's neck, where she had applied pressure to a key nerve in order to knock out her stubborn Queen.

"I'll get her to the healers," the thief promised. "You go on." Nodding, the group set out. Kai'shya and a Hylian knight stayed behind to carry Nabooru to the healer's.

---

Link watched the witch with a wary eye. He mirrored her movements, never getting too far from Zelda, who was still lying on her stomach. When she had tried to get up, he had told her to stay put. She was less noticeable and less likely of getting something into her wound. The princess had done as she was told, and now she watched the two with wide eyes. Link had not seen Epona yet.

Finally the witch attacked, hissing. Link blocked her attack with ease, moving in to attack. The sound of metal on metal rang across the relatively silent field, yet neither fighter noticed the lack of undead. They had disappeared with the final death of their leader, as he was the one who kept them alive.

Cloto growled as she stepped back, after being blocked again. Link was giving her no openings, and the witch was frustrated. She wanted so much to take revenge on him for banishing Ganon, but she knew that the more important task was to return Ganon to Hyrule. She was torn, between two tasks, and it showed. Her mind was elsewhere, arguing with itself, and her defense was sloppy.

In the end, that is what killed her. A dip of the sword, a twist of the feet as she prepared to flee; those tiny movements doomed her when she paused, still wishing to exact her revenge on the Hero of Time. The Master Sword slid up through her ribs, ending her inner struggle. One witch now remained.

Link pulled his sword out of the witch and hastily wiped it before her returned it to the scabbard. He then ran to Zelda, who had raised herself to a sitting position.

"Zelda?" He asked, worried, "Zelda, are you okay?" The princess looked up at him, her eyes full of tears. Shaking her head, she let her head fall onto Link's shoulder as she sobbed. Her hands clung to his tunic, and soon her whole body shook with her cries.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," she sobbed into his shoulder, "I couldn't save her; it's my fault."

"What is?" Link asked confused. His arms were wrapped around her waist and shoulders as he tried to comfort her. "What is it Zelda?" As he tried to calm her, he noted with that her wound had clotted over; the gash was not deep.

The princess looked up, and then she looked to her right. Link followed her gaze, and his heart sunk. There lay Epona, sprawled amongst the bones of the undead. Shaking, Link stood and walked over to where she lay, kneeling beside her. Unbelieving, he extended a shaking hand and barely touched Epona's nose. It was cold. He hastily withdrew it, only to grab her mane as he hunched over, crying.

Two arms wrapped themselves around his waist, and a head leaned against his back. Link straightened and turned to look at Zelda. Shaking, he withdrew his hands from Epona's mane and clung to Zelda. The two sat there, clinging to one another for support and reassurance.

A whinny broke the silent spell that had descended over the area. Looking around, Link saw nothing at first. Then, rising from every dead Hylian, Gerudo, Sheikah, Goron, and Zora came a silvery light.

"The spirits…" Zelda breathed, watching in amazement.

Do you know where they go? A voice asked in their heads. Link looked around wildly, until he heard an amused whinny come from beside him. Slowly he turned, unbelieving. There stoodEpona, or at least, her spirit. The mare shook her mane in amusement and proceeded to explain what was going on to the confused pair.

You know the story of Great-Granny, the first Epona, she began. Silly Malon named me after her. But we are the Spirit Horses! We carry the dead from this world to the next; it is the price that the First Herd pays in order that they and their descendents would be safe.

"You… you're related to the Horse Daughter?" Zelda asked weakly. Epona nodded her head vigorously.

I act more like Great-Grandsire though. My brother is boring and acts like Great-Granny.

"Brother?" Link asked, amazed. Epona nodded in agreement and then sent out an earsplitting whinny. It was answered, many times, until a herd of Spirit Horses could be seen, lead by a mare that bore a great deal of resemblance to Epona. Shocked, Link and Zelda stood. The spirits of the dead soldiers walked over to the horses and mounted them until only one remained. Zelda's breath caught in her throat; it was Allya.

I'm sorry, Princess, the spirit said, bowing.

"No," Zelda denied, "Don't be. It is I who should be sorry." She then bowed, showing her appreciation and respect of the noble Sheikah. Allya nodded, touched, and turned to Epona. The mare walked over, and Allya mounted.

I'll be waiting for you, Link, so don't you forget it! And with that, the mare turned to follow the herd. Link watched them go, until only a single Spirit Horse was left. Instinctively, he knew that it was the first Epona. The mare bowed before Link and then reared up, letting out a familiar earsplitting whinny before she too turned and disappeared. Link turned to Zelda, confused as to what Epona meant. The princess shrugged, wincing at the act. She opened her mouth to say it was nothing, but fainted before she could get even a word out of her mouth. Her extensive use of magic and the loss of blood had weakened her to the point of exhaustion. Smiling weakly, Link carried her to where he could see Impa and the king standing with Darunia and Ruto.

They too had seen the departure of the spirits, but they had not heard Epona's words. Impa clasped Link's shoulder, looking at him worriedly. He shrugged, smiling sadly. Epona would be waiting for him, he told her, and that was all that mattered.

"Come," the king said softly, "It's over."

The battle was over; they had won.

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A/N: I think the hardest thing in the chapter was to kill Epona. I love that horse….

The Fiercesomest Dragon Ever: Hehe, its okay to be nit picky.

Parselmaster: Thanks, and I am thinking about other stories to deal with this concept.

Justin Time: Hehe, fast enough?