>”Hiyaa!”
>There is a mighty roar of pain and defiance, as the mighty Ganon is struck again.
>An explosion rocks the foundation of what was once Ganondorf’s spire as the wielder of the Triforce of Power retaliates against the Hero of Time, blade crashing against the ruins of his black castle.
>Almost immediately after a hiss of agony is heard from the site.
>”I’m using my power to hold the Evil King!  Use your sword to deliver the final blow!”, the Princess shouts to the bearer of the Triforce of Courage.
>Thrice more the Gerudo King roared in pain, before there was finally silence in Hyrule Castle Town.
 
>But you don’t know anything about that.
>Because you are Epona
>A horse
>You are currently munching on the last carrot that your partner left for you.
>It is a really good carrot.
>Did I mention that you’re a horse?
>And there are a lot of noises coming from the town Link walked into.
>It is really scary.
>Almost as scary as the ghost floating in the distance.
>They ignore you, but that doesn’t stop them from being terrifying.
>Every instinct that you have screams that you should run back to the safety of the ranch.
>Even with the ugly hylian who gave you soft carrots and then tried to ride you, you could rest easy without hearing the roar of predators and the laughter of spirits.
 >But you don’t run.
>You’ll never run.
>Or at least you’ll never run far.
>And you will always come running back if you hear Malon’s Song
>Unless there are stairs in the way.
>Inclined death traps, those things were.
>As you thought that, you became saddened.
>Because you had just finished your crisp carrot.
>Before you could sink into depression you heard Malon’s Song.
>From inside the town.
>You don’t like towns too much.
>Too many hylians touching you.
>Especially the little ones that pulled your tail.
>So in most cases you wouldn’t go into a town, even if the song played
>But your instincts told you to go to Link.
>And this time you listened to them
 
>”I will not be sealed away, not again.  Not this time.”
>The great beast Ganon spoke, voice strained by the damage the blade had done to his throat.
>”Sages, use your magic, now!”
>And as Zelda’s voice resonated with each of the six sages, they poured their magic into once again sealing Ganondorf within the evil realm.
>This time, however, Ganondorf was ready.
>Clutching a mysterious diamond shaped red gem, that increased the already tremendous power granted to him by the Triforce of Power he wove together a desperate spell of roiling and expanding darkness.
>As the sage’s spell hit, the new power of Ganondorf consumed it.
>The spell shimmered and became unstable, the diametric opposites conflicting with one another.
>One to banish the darkness to where it belongs.
>One to engulf the light and all those who defend it.
>And like most unstable spells, they worked exactly as they were meant to.
 
>With her knowledge of the magic at play Zelda knew that she and Link had to get away quickly.
>”Link, holding the King of Evil at bay has drained me of all my magic.  We must make haste or this new spell will doom us along with Ganondorf.”
>Link’s first action was to pull a bottle from one of the many satchels on his belt, only to see that he had already drained the bottle long ago.
>Without the magic to use Farore’s Wind, and with the shimmering bridge of the sage’s dissipated, he used the last tool at his disposal.
>The very Ocarina of Time, gifted to him to play the song to call his second oldest companion.
>It was a move of desperation, even now more than half of the platform had been taken up by the expanding spell, and Epona never came within any city’s limits.
>Link was ready to consider using his hover boots and golden gauntlets to at least attempt to save Zelda, until he heard the sweetest sound to grace his pointed ears.
>The sound of a mare’s neigh.
 
>You are Epona again.
>You are once again a horse.
>And you have no idea why you decided to go into the city
>The small humans yanking on your tail are far preferable to the shambling ones that scream at you.
>The utter terror they made you feel only sped your running.
>What kind of place did your partner get himself into this time?
>Following the sound of Malon’s Song you see Link and a woman.
>You also see a roiling blob of glittering shimmering darkness.
>There’s also the 50 foot gap, under which lava churns, to a raised platform where Link looks on in fear.
>Which scares you even more, since Link has never shown any fear before.
>So you do the obvious thing.
>You continue to gallop with all you have to the edge of that gap.
>With one mighty leap you barely manage to make it.
>Within seconds Link and his friend are on your back, ushering you to make the leap again.
>So after a snort you charge the lip of the platform and leap.
>The added weight didn’t stop you, though you were still worried that you wouldn’t make it.
>As worried as a horse can be anyway.
>As you flew however you noticed something odd.
>You’re still in the air.
>In confusion you look around you.
>Looking back you see your partner firing shimmering gold projectiles at the spell, trying to get it to release you.
>It doesn’t work, so you do the only think you can think of.
>You try your best to buck Link off of you.
>You whinny, you snort, and you flail.
>You do everything in your equine power to pass the message to your friend that he should try to leap to safety.
>He doesn’t even try to pull his feet from the stirrups.
>Once he is out of magic fully he reaches behind him to his friend riding you, and throws her as far as he can.
>It isn’t very far, as she too is caught up in the magic that seeks to pull you in.
>Looking back to see the spell come ever closer he sighs.
>Idiot! Get off of me and run!  You can make it, you always make it!
>He sighs and puts his hands on the sides of your neck and lowers his forehead to the back of yours.
>You stop your struggles, and your cries.
>You understand.
>You never abandoned him.
>He’ll never abandon you.
>And you don’t feel any fear or pain as the spell swallowed you both.