Remember what I said about uploading once a week? Yeah, fuck that, here's another episode. Next one will be here soon.
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Episode 3: The Bridging of Worlds Part 3 – The Trial of Vaati
The moment Link arrived, it was all over for the last of the Shadow Nightmares. With three skillful swipes of his powerful blade, the last two Shadow Crawlers were slashed to ribbons, the sizzling remnants collapsing to the floor. Five guards lay dead, with several others wounded which the surviving soldiers immediately began tending to. Once he was certain the scene was safe, the boy hero sheathed the Blade of Evil’s Bane and approached Princess Zelda, who had returned to attempting to heal the injured Wind Mage. Watching her with bated breath were Impa and two strangely colored horses with large, intelligent eyes. Furrowing his brow at this, Link demanded, “What are you doing? Vaati brought those monsters here to rescue him, didn’t he?”
He was immediately taken aback by the hostile glares of the Equestrians, but Zelda ignored him, focused on her magic. Impa looked up at the young hero and said, “It wasn’t Vaati who summoned those creatures. In fact, they were here to kill him, and we chose to intervene.”
Link blinked in surprise. “They…what? Since when did monsters try to kill their own leaders?”
“Those monsters are not the kind you are used to fighting, Link,” Impa explained. “Those monsters do not call Vaati master. Their kind hasn’t been seen since the Demon Wars. Those were Shadow Nightmares, spawn of the nightmare demon Dethl, who we just so happened to have encountered attempting to torture the Wind Mage to death.”
Link dared to inch a little closer, and could indeed see the dreadful, unnatural wound that Zelda was struggling to heal. “I don’t understand,” he muttered. “Who’s Dethl, and why’d he try to kill Vaati? And for that matter, why’d you stop him?”
Zelda finally chose this moment to speak, releasing a shuddering breath as her spell petered out. “Link, this is not the time. I’ll explain my reasons, but right now, I need your help. My Triforce powers alone aren’t enough to combat this magic. It’s powerful, far stronger than I thought possible for a demon.”
Link looked surprised. “Are you…really asking me to save Vaati’s life? After I was specifically called here to end it?”
“LINK, FOR DIN’S SAKE, HELP ME!” Zelda outright shouted. “I DON’T CARE WHO HE IS! I WILL NOT LET ANYONE DIE IN MY CHARGE! Especially not after what I saw…”
Link’s eyes darted between Zelda, the unconscious sorcerer, Impa, and the Equestrians before he reluctantly nodded. “Okay…okay, I’ll help. I trust you, Zel.”
Zelda breathed a sigh of relief she hadn’t realized she was holding. “Alright, I need you to place the hand with your crest over the hand bearing mine,” she explained. “Together, wisdom and courage should suppress this evil power.”
Link nodded wordlessly, kneeling down by Zelda and placing his hand over Zelda’s. The moment he did so, their respective Triforce marks lit up as Zelda attempted her spell again, this time with much more power behind it. The small glow quickly glowed brighter and warmer as it washed over Vaati’s exposed injury. Before their eyes, the black veins faded away, the deadened skin returned to its normal color, (normal for Vaati, anyway) and the mage sucked in a deep, gasping breath. His eyes widened as he seemed to dimly realize he was still alive. “Vaati! Vaati!” Twilight and Luna both cried, hoping he would recognize them.
But fatigue quickly claimed him, and the sorcerer fell unconscious again. Zelda and Link slowly stood up, with Zelda regarding Vaati with a sympathetic expression.
“Okay, that was weird,” Link observed. “So you’re gonna tell me what’s going on now, right?” He shivered at the withering look the smaller pony was shooting him, noticing how she was standing defensively between him and Vaati. “And why is that pony staring at me like I did something wrong?”
Zelda grabbed Link’s hand and led him towards the door. “Wait for me. I’ll be outside in a moment.” She then dipped her head back into the dungeon. “Will you be alright down here?”
“Go,” Luna commanded, kneeling down by Vaati’s body and draping a wing over him. “I am not leaving his side again while I know that monster is still out there.”
“I’m staying too,” Twilight said, kneeling at Vaati’s other side. “After what happened, I’m not letting him out of my sight again. He needs us.”
Zelda nodded grimly and shut the door while Impa turned her attention towards helping the guards deal with the dead and wounded before delivering news of the attack to the king.
“Okay, I’ve been hearing conflicting stuff,” Link began. “First I hear Vaati the Wind Mage is back, then I’m told to come to Hyrule Castle so I can apparently execute him personally, and then I find you trying to save his life after some other demon comes in and tries to take over his spot as the big boss of monsters? What is going on, Zelda?”
Zelda sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, not knowing where exactly to begin. “When you had your last fight with Vaati seven years ago…it turns out you didn’t actually kill him. You somehow sent him to an alternate dimension populated by the intelligent equines you saw in there. Vaati chose to reform himself and built a new life for himself in their world over the last seven years. Even I can sense that he is not the same Wind Mage we saw last.”
As she suspected, Link looked like he didn’t believe it. “That’s crazy. Vaati’s been that giant, evil eye for over a thousand years. Why would he suddenly turn nice in just seven?”
“Link, you said you trusted me, did you not?” Zelda abruptly asked.
Taken aback, Link stuttered, “W-well yeah, of course!”
“Then can you trust me to believe that I am right?”
“About Vaati?”
Zelda nodded tiredly. Link looked uncertain as he answered, “I…I don’t know. I mean…your father’s been ranting on about Vaati cursing everyone he’s come into contact with ever since I got here. I honestly don’t know what to believe.”
“There is going to be a trial tomorrow,” Zelda chose to explain. “The people of Equestria who have known him intend to speak in his defense.”
“And why are you defending him?” Link asked. “After all, you’re the one he kidnapped and whisked away to that Palace of his. And he did the same thing to your grandmother, and her grandmother, and of course tried to kill your great-great-great-great grandmother by turning her to stone and trying to suck the Light Force out of her body!”
Zelda sighed. “Link, do you remember the tale of Batreaux?”
Link looked confused by this abrupt change of subject. “Uh…no? I won’t deny something about that name rings some kind of bell, but other than that, I’ve got no clue what you’re talking about. What does this have to do with Vaati?”
“During the Era of Sky, before the Kingdom of Hyrule came to be, our ancestors lived in the floating continent known as Skyloft. And among them secretly lived a demon named Batreaux. Batreaux was a terrible beast to behold, with great horns, burning eyes, and large wings. At night, the Remlits that roamed Skyloft turned demonic because of his nearby presence, and would aggressively attack anything they saw. Your ancestor at that time realized something was amiss and confronted Batreaux, only to find that he was not the evil being he was assumed to be. Batreaux’s visage was hideous indeed, but he dressed himself in the clothing of humans, and he had attempted to hide his wings beneath a cloak. In short, he only wished to live peacefully among humans because he did not want to remain in the service of the dark powers that continued to ravage the world during that time. Instead of cutting him down, your ancestor helped him. Through methods now lost to time, he enabled Batreaux to become a human, and he lived out the rest of his days as a friend to the people of Skyloft.”
Link blinked several times, uncomprehending. “So…what does that have to do with Vaati?”
Zelda smacked her forehead in exasperation. “Honestly, Link! You are so dense sometimes! Like Batreaux, Vaati was once a being that served evil, but eventually he decided that he no longer wanted to follow that path, and in his most desperate hour, a kind soul stepped in to help him start a new life. And I do not believe we have the right to take that away from him because of events that are long since in the past.”
“Are…are you saying you forgive him for kidnapping you?” Link asked.
Zelda nodded her head resolutely. “Yes. I forgive him.”
Link just stared at her silently for several long minutes, the expression on his face difficult to read. Zelda held his gaze, not daring to look away. She could see that countless thoughts conflicted with each other in the boy hero’s mind. And then, Link bowed his head and slowly shook it, releasing a light chuckle. “That’s so you, Zel. You always have this strange habit of trying to see the good in everyone.” Link looked up at his closest friend, and that carefree, mirthful glint in his eyes that Zelda adored so much came back at last. “I said I trusted you, and I meant it. If you say Vaati’s a changed man, then I’ll stand by it.”
Zelda returned his smile as she sighed in relief. “Thank you, Link. I knew I could count on you.”
But then Link’s smile faded. “But, Zelda…if the trial rules against Vaati…your father could still ask me to kill him. What’ll you do, then?”
That resolute look in Zelda’s eyes did not fade as she firmly replied, “It won’t come to that. Even if I have to put my faith in the Goddesses utterly and completely to turn the situation in our favor, I won’t let it.”
Link quirked an eyebrow. “You think the Goddesses would actually favor Vaati?”
“Link, nothing happens without a reason. The visions I’ve received…I think the Goddesses may have had something to do with all this. The Equestrians…even Vaati himself. Ever are they always at work, sowing the seeds of fate that will help us stand against the powers of evil. And evil is coming, Link. An evil the likes of which we have not faced since the very dawn of Hyrule. At it now threatens Equestria as much as Hyrule.”
Link let out a disbelieving chuckle. “You’re making it sound like…” Suddenly he stopped at the serious expression on Zelda’s face, and his eyes slowly widened in understanding. “…like Majora himself is returning.”
Zelda grimly nodded. “Yes. New Sages have not been declared in a century, and evil times have befallen all the other races in some way or another. This all speaks of the return of our first and greatest evil, and Equestria is the key to stopping him. How, I know not, but they are the key…and so too may be Vaati, for together with the Equestrians, he did the impossible; he destroyed Ganon, completely and utterly, ending the legacy of Demise once and for all. They even managed to free the many monster tribes that had served the demons for so long that virtually all of Hyrule has long forgotten that they too were born of Farore’s gift of life.”
Link’s eyes nearly bugged out of his skull. “No way…they killed Ganon for good?!”
Zelda nodded. “And in doing so, the Triforce of Power has found a new master in Vaati.”
Link couldn’t help the look of alarm that creased his face. “He has the Triforce of Power now?”
“Fear not, Link. I do not think Vaati will misuse it as Ganon did. My dreams prophesied that the Triforce would come together at last to face the evil, with the aid of the Equestrians. And my prophesies have never been wrong.”
Link heaved his shoulders, knowing the many stories about the prophetic dreams of Hyrule’s princesses in ages past. “No, no they haven’t,” he admitted.
Zelda’s eyes flitted towards one of the nearby stained glass windows depicting the royal crest. “If all that has happened is truly the will of the Three, then I have faith that the people of Hyrule will make the right decision.”
The princess then turned back towards Link. “If you wish to understand things better, perhaps you should talk to the Equestrians and see for yourself what they know.”
Link’s eyes darted towards the dungeon’s door, mulling the possibility over. “Well…if you say they aren’t cursed, then I’ll try. But…that small one was giving me a nasty look. Are you sure she won’t try to stab me with that horn on her head if I approach her?”
Zelda managed a light, girlish giggle. “I’m afraid I can’t promise that, Link.”
Link glowered, but there was a good-natured gleam in his eyes. “Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence.”
Zelda straightened herself, her face business-like once again. “Now, I have to go help set up Vaati’s trial. I can only hope he’s recovered enough by tomorrow morning that he can be there to speak in his own defense.”
Link nodded. “Good luck with that.”
As Zelda was heading off, Link remembered something. “Oh! Tell Agahnim my grandpa says hi!”
Zelda waved her hand dismissively to indicate she had heard him as she left Link alone in the hall. The young hero looked towards the dungeon entrance again for several moments before he finally squared his shoulders and muttered to himself, “Okay, Link. You fought giant monsters and crawled through trap-ridden dungeons to rescue a princess. Yeah, this’ll be easy.”
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Luna and Twilight looked up from where they were watching over Vaati as they heard the door creak open again. Twilight’s eyes narrowed at the sight of their new visitor.
“It’s that hero of theirs,” she muttered to Luna, both of them standing as Link approached.
Link did not fail to notice them standing protectively between him and Vaati, sizing him up suspiciously. Jeez, are they really that worried I’m going to try and kill him right here? Link wondered.
Luna’s eyes narrowed as she looked the legendary Hero of Hyrule up and down. He was a teenager from the looks of it, about seventeen years of age, not yet a man. He was dressed in a forest green tunic, with off-white leggings and brown boots. He was wearing a green, pointed cap on his head, under which was a messy mane of blond hair. Like Vaati, his ears tapered sharply to a point. He had youthful, boyish features, with bright blue eyes that spoke of a battle-hardened soul, but at the same time, a soul full of kindness and generosity.
“Well-met, Link, Hero of Legend,” Luna greeted with a stern expression. “To what do we owe the pleasure of thy visit?”
Link blinked in surprise. “You people actually still talk like that? Even Zelda’s ancestors stopped that centuries ago!”
“I hope you will forgive me,” Luna replied, slightly irritated. “I’m still in the process of adjusting to modern dialects. Now stop avoiding my questions. Why are you here?”
“I…I wanted to talk to you,” Link hesitantly answered. “About Vaati, I mean.”
Luna and Twilight shared a glance before Twilight responded, “Alright, ask away.”
Link cleared his throat to steel his nerves. “Um…before I do, um, is it alright if I ask you your names? Mine’s Link.”
Link tried to flash a friendly smile, but he could see that the two Equestrians still didn’t trust him, which was an unsettling feeling, as virtually everyone Link came into contact with worshipped the very ground he walked on.
Deciding it would be impolite to refuse him, Twilight introduced herself first. “I’m Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia’s personal protégé, bearer of the Element of Magic, and Vaati’s best friend.”
“And I am Princess Luna, Alicorn Goddess of the Moon, Princess Celestia’s younger sister, and Vaati’s lover.”
Link’s eyes went wide. “No way! I know Vaati’s always had a thing for princesses, but I didn’t think he was into be…”
And then Luna was right in the boy hero’s face, her eyes slitting like a cat’s and her teeth sharpening slightly. “Finish that sentence,” she growled in cold fury. “I bucking dare you.”
“S-s-sorry, m-ma’am,” Link whimpered.
The young hero had fearlessly faced down giant monsters, dungeon traps, and Vaati himself, but if one thing truly frightened him, it was an angry girl. Girls were scary when they were mad. Satisfied at the result, Luna drew back, her face returning to normal. “Now, ask your questions. But do not think to insult us like that again. We are NOT beasts.”
“I’m sorry,” Link answered honestly. “Really, I am. That was uncalled for, and I apologize.”
Luna nodded curtly to indicate she accepted his apology before saying, “Now, what do you want to know?”
“The whole story,” Link immediately answered. “Zelda told me some stuff, but she said I should come to you if I want to know everything. So…how exactly did you guys, well, meet him?”
Twilight shared a glance with Luna before she finally sighed and stepped forward. “It happened seven years ago. I was out in the Everfree Forest, looking for magical herbs…”
Over the next two hours, Twilight regaled to Link the story of how Vaati had come to Equestria, from the moment she had found him in the forest after the energy discharge dropped him there, to the many tales of their adventures together. The reformation of Discord, the defense of Canterlot from the Changelings when they and Equestria were on hostile terms, the battle to liberate the Crystal Empire from King Sombra, and finally their quest to defeat Ganon after his sudden arrival in Equestria. She told him about how he had taken Scootaloo in and raised her as his own after finding out about her abusive, alcoholic father, and Luna occasionally added her own comments about her views of certain events. When it was finally finished, Link put a hand to his forehead and whistled. “Goodness, that’s one heck of a story.”
“You don’t believe us,” Luna frowned.
Link shook his head. “No, that’s not it. After everything you just told me…well, I don’t think anyone would be able to come up with a lie with as many details as you gave me. I…I believe you guys.”
Twilight’s eyes widened in amazement. “B-but, I thought…”
“I know what the king asked me to come here for,” Link interrupted plainly. “And at first, I was ready to carry it out. But now, after everything else I’ve learned, well…” He stole a glance down at Vaati. “…I guess it goes to show that anyone can change if they really want to. And it’s our duty to give them a second chance, because everyone deserves one.”
Twilight and Luna could barely contain their relief at hearing this, and the daggers in Twilight’s eyes vanished. Without that hostile look in them, Link had to admit that those large eyes made these ponies look really adorable. He tilted his head downwards a bit and couldn’t help but chuckle wistfully a bit. “You know, I guess I envy Vaati a little now. I know it sounds weird to hear me say this, but…for all his power, Vaati has friends, real friends who look at him like a person, instead of a hero. And me? The only person like that I know is Zelda, but…she’s the princess, so I don’t get to talk to her much, and everyone else I talk to always gives me this…look, like I’m a giant among them, and they almost worship the very ground I walk on. Sometimes…sometimes I yearn for the days when I was just Link the Goatherder, not Link the Hero.” Twilight and Luna watched as Link’s expression became sad. “Even my friends Malon and Ilia don’t look at me the same anymore. Everyone’s so wrapped up in my famous deeds that they’ve forgotten that I’m still a person.” The young hero sighed in melancholy. “Sometimes…I wish I wasn’t some legendary hero.”
Suddenly they heard Vaati twitch on the ground and went silent, turning towards the sorcerer as he slowly came to, groaning. “Urgh…what…?” he muttered groggily as his eyes blearily opened.
He tried to put a hand to his forehead, but as his arms were still chained to the wall, he was unable to do so. The jerk of his arm as it failed to do what his body asked it to seemed to snap the Wind Mage out of his grogginess as his eyes widened. “What…? Urgh, the dungeons. Of course…”
He then happened to notice that he wasn’t alone as his eyes snapped towards his visitors. “Luna? Twilight?” he asked. His eyes then narrowed as he saw who else was with them. “What is he doing here?”
Link nervously scratched the back of his head. The last time he had seen the sorcerer, they had been trying to kill each other, so the current situation was a little awkward. “Um…hi?” Link managed with a weak smile.
It was then that Vaati noticed a draft, and looked down to see that his favorite tunic was ruined, having been ripped open to expose his chest and torso. His cheeks instantly went red as a cherry as he instinctively tried to cover his modesty, to no avail thanks to the chains. “GAHH!” Vaati yelped. “This is embarrassing! Out! Out with all of you!”
However, instead of complying, Luna and Twilight collectively glomped him in utter happiness. “Vaati, you’re okay!” Twilight cried through happy tears.
“Oh, Vaati my love! I’m so relieved you’re alright!” Luna bawled. “I feared for a moment I had lost you!”
“Urgh…why is my shirt ripped open?” Vaati demanded in confusion. “Just like…in my dream…”
He trailed off as the memory of his horrifying nightmare hit him full-force. He looked down at himself again, only to see that the horrific injury he had sustained in that dream was not present on his body. “The dream…what…?” he stammered.
Luna’s face became grave. “What you endured was not a normal dream. You were attacked, in the same manner as Twilight and the others were over the course of your journey for the Elements. Only this time, the fiend responsible was attempting to kill you. I stopped it.”
Vaati released a shuddering breath as his worst fears were confirmed. “T-that thing…” he stuttered. “Everything that happened to us…i-it was all his doing.”
Luna’s head lowered sadly. “I know. I have confronted it before, and when I did, it killed innocent ponies just to make me suffer. Pipsqueak and Babs Seed were two of its victims.”
A tear trailed down Vaati’s face as he finally uttered the bombshell he himself had only just heard. “That thing is my father.”
Twilight gasped, and Luna sighed in melancholy. “I…had my suspicions,” she admitted. “I had hoped I was wrong.”
Vaati shook like a leaf, his chains rattling as he was overcome with emotion. “I-I really am a monster. It’s w-why I always l-looked different from the other Minish. C-Chip…that bastard w-was right. The whole t-time, he was right. His little ‘monster hunts’ were c-completely justified. M-my mother, she…s-she died of grief over having spawned me. With her last breath, s-she cast me as-s-side in disgust. T-the healers wouldn’t e-even touch me. I was meant to be hated and feared…”
The minute those words left his mouth, Twilight fiercely hugged him again and cried, “I refuse to believe that! You are not a monster, and you are my closest, dearest friend, and I love you very much!”
“As do I,” Luna agreed, tenderly nuzzling Vaati’s shoulder. “No matter what that wicked fiend has told you, know this; you are our friend, my love, our hero, and our hope. Evil may have created you, left its mark on you, even tried to force your destiny upon you, but evil does not rule you. Not anymore. You broke its hold over you and forged your own path, and that in and of itself proves you are stronger than the hatred of Majora and all his vilest servants.”
“I…thank you,” Vaati uttered, overwhelmed by emotion. “I love you both…”
Link couldn’t help but be moved by this show of support, even though it was for a former enemy, and he couldn’t suppress the smile that fought its way across his face. That settled it; come what may, he was going to stand by Vaati’s side and give him a second chance.
“Now, can anyone fix my shirt?” Vaati abruptly asked. “I really don’t want to go out looking like this in public.”
“Maybe I do,” Luna replied with a sultry smile. “You Hylians are surprisingly handsome without clothes.”
Vaati’s face went red as a tomato as Luna turned towards Twilight and Link. “Leave us. Vaati and I would like some…time alone.”
“Ho boy,” Vaati muttered in a small voice.
Twilight blushed as well as the implications of Luna’s request sunk in, and even Link’s cheeks turned a light shade of pink. “Um, you guys have fun now,” Twilight said as she headed out.
Vaati and Link locked eyes for the briefest of moments before the young hero had the audacity to wink conspiratorially at him before he too left the dungeon. As they were left alone, Luna smiled as her horn glowed, shutting the door of their cell and locking it with an ominous clink, her half-lidded, seductive eyes never leaving Vaati’s own. Not one to be outdone, Vaati managed a coy smile. “You’re not playing very fair, you know,” he said. “I have no way to defend myself.”
Luna knelt down, positioning her body over his legs as she asked, “Do you trust me?”
Vaati smiled. “Absolutely.”
With that, the alicorn princess leaned her head in, and she and Vaati engaged in a gentle, passionate kiss. Alicorn and Hylian worked their mouths against each other’s, their tongues dancing and coiling around each other with wild abandon. Their breaths were heavy, and their eyes closed as they lost themselves in their own pleasure. Luna broke away from Vaati’s lips, trailing down his neck as she planted gentle kisses on his skin. Vaati let loose a quiet moan of pleasure as Luna’s lips hovered over Vaati’s exposed chest. Her breath felt hot against his skin, and he shivered as he felt goosebumps rise.
Luna gently left a trail of kisses as she traveled down his chest all the way to his belly, and for a moment, her head hovered near his navel, where she knew he had once endured unimaginable pain. She smiled; she would change that. Lowering her head, Luna’s tongue flicked out, and Vaati let out a louder groan of unrestrainable ecstasy as her tongue sensually licked his belly button. She started out by wiggling her tongue in the center of his navel, causing Vaati to involuntarily squirm at the ticklish, erotic sensation. She couldn’t help but grin at this; she now knew his deadly weakness. Her tongue frolicked inside his navel for a few more moments before it began to circle around the oval innie a bit, leaving a light trail of saliva. She flicked her tongue some more, dancing around the sorcerer's sensitive belly button as he squirmed and moaned in erotic pleasure.
Finally Luna began to work her way up his body again, licking and kissing teasingly as she did so. Vaati shivered, his goosebumps rising further at her gentle, sensual touch. Her tongue slithered over his left nipple, and she could feel it harden as she did so. Ever so slowly, she inched her body closer to his until they were pressed together, Luna’s fur warm against Vaati’s chest as she kissed and sucked at his neck, moaning a little herself in enjoyment. The two of them could both feel their quick, powerful heartbeats pounding against their ribcages, as though their very hearts were fighting to break out of their own bodies to join one another in their gentle display of purest, deepest love and trust.
Having left a pair of small, dark hickeys on Vaati’s neck, Luna whispered in his ear, “I love you, Vaati.”
Vaati smiled as he turned to face her. “I love you too.”
The two of them shared another passionate kiss, which lasted only a minute but felt like an eternity before Luna again worked her way down his chest before toying with Vaati’s navel. Vaati let out a stifled, decidedly-unmanly giggle as he griped, “Bloody Dark World, you’re the kinkiest princess I’ve ever met.”
Luna left his belly button alone for a moment and looked into his eyes, her eyelashes fluttering cutely. “And that bothers you, my love?”
Vaati smirked. “Next time, you get to be chained up.”
Luna laughed softly. “Unfortunately for you, I find myself looking forward to the experience. Now brace yourself, for you are at my mercy for the rest of this night!”
Vaati’s eyes narrowed slightly. “I’m afraid I have to protest at this—gah!”
While Vaati had been speaking, Luna had plucked a feather from her wing in her magical hold, and rudely cut his indignation short as she twirled her feather in his navel with a smug grin. Vaati’s squirms increased as he began to giggle uncontrollably. “Ah! Haha! Heeheehaha! S-stop it, damn you! Ahahahaha!”
Luna’s grin widened as she continued to playfully torture her lover, caressing his belly button with her feather as he struggled and begged for mercy in vain. “Tremble in fear, Vaati the Wind Mage, for I have found your ultimate, deadliest weakness!” Luna laughed, reveling in her fun. “How ironic that your greatest weakness is not the Four Sword, or the Arrows of Light, or some other divine power, but a mere feather dancing in your navel!”
Vaati’s cheeks were red as he continued to laugh. The sensation was equally ticklish and erotic, and though he begged for release, a part of him deep down never wanted it to end. He was at her mercy, and Luna was a relentless tormenter. The feather continued to twirl, caress, and flitter across his navel and other parts of his helpless belly, and all he could do was squirm and writhe, but for the most part, it only made things worse for him as the feather stubbornly honed in on its tender target.
This torture session seemed to last forever, but eventually Luna finally withdrew, allowing Vaati to catch his breath. The sorcerer took several deep, labored breaths before he finally muttered, “You will tell no one.”
Luna laughed again, holding the feather up mock-threateningly. “Do not fear, my love. This is a secret that is mine alone to know…and to exploit!”
And then she was at it again, her feather teasing his navel while he was powerless to do a thing about it. The torment seemingly went on forever, until eventually, the two lovers tired themselves out, and outright passed out into the realm of sleep, with huge, idiotic smiles on their faces. Luna was snuggled up close to Vaati, her head resting on his chest while the feather lay forgotten on Vaati’s tummy. And thus they stayed like this for the rest of the night.
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The next morning, Castle Town Courthouse…
The courtroom was packed with townspeople who were there either to serve as jurors, or just wanted to catch a glimpse of the Wind Mage’s true form and the weird talking ponies that were so keen to defend him. The ponies in question, as well as Chrysalis, Maulgrim, and Nigellas, all sat in the row of seats reserved for witnesses. The Mane Six cast furtive, nervous glances all around the room, quick to avert their gaze if someone caught them staring. There was suspicion in almost all the Hylians’ eyes, and the words “cursed” and “under the Wind Mage’s spell” were muttered under their breath with great frequency. Zelda, Link, and Daphnes were all seated in special places just for them so they could oversee the trial. Celestia stoically kept her gaze centered on Agahnim as the Shiekah judge ascended to his seat that overlooked the entire room.
As soon as he was seated, Agahnim banged the gavel three times to quiet the chattering townsfolk. Below him, Impa cleared her throat and declared in a voice that, while not loud, managed to successfully carry across the whole courtroom, “Order! This court is now in session! People of Hyrule vs. Vaati the Wind Mage.”
Agahnim lifted his gavel and declared, “Bring in the prisoner!”
As one, the people in the courtroom turned to see Vaati being led in chains by several Hylian soldiers. His wrists and legs were shackled together, and for extra measure, an iron ring was locked around his neck, with light magic-infused arrowheads jabbing threateningly at Vaati’s neck. His tunic had thankfully been repaired by some impromptu help from Rarity, and it looked good as new. Despite his many enchanted shackles, Vaati held himself proudly, and as he passed by where his friends were seated, he gave them a trusting nod before sitting down in the defendant’s chair. Soon afterwards, Luna entered the room from the same direction Vaati had come, and she took her seat next to him without a word.
“Princess Luna?” Agahnim asked curiously.
“I am here to act as Vaati the Wind Mage’s defense attorney,” was Luna’s reply.
Immediately the room erupted in harsh whispers. One man in particular, the prosecutor, a man of small stature with official-looking clothing that Vaati noted bore significant resemblance to the royal announcer that had been present at the Picori Festival Ceremony countless centuries ago, indignantly shouted, “What is this?! This beast cannot act in Vaati’s defense!”
“I’ll have you know, you arrogant oaf, that I am well-versed in matters of the law!” Luna retorted angrily. “I took the time to read up on the various nuances that distinguish your laws from our own as well.”
“That’s enough, from both of you!” Agahnim snapped. “Pompus, Luna, approach the bench.”
Luna and the aptly-named Pompus stood before Agahnim’s podium as Pinkie quietly snorted laughter at the prosecutor’s hilariously-fitting name. “Now,” Agahnim began in a low voice, leaning down so the two of them could hear him. “I want this to be perfectly clear. There will be no name-calling, no unprofessional attitudes, or attempts to draw the trial away from the matter at hand. We are not here to determine Vaati’s guilt in the actions he committed in the past. We are here to determine whether he has repented enough that the people of Hyrule are willing to forgive him for his crimes. Am I understood?”
“Yes, sir,” Luna and Pompus replied in unison before heading back to their respective seats.
“You may begin,” Agahnim called out. “Pompus, call your first witness.”
Pompus nodded before saying, “I hereby call Master Link to the stand!”
The crowd murmured as Link took the witness stand until Agahnim called for silence again with a smack of his gavel. Steepling his fingers together, Pompus began, “Master Link, was Vaati the one who kidnapped our fair Princess Zelda seven years ago?”
Deciding that the truth was the best course of action, Link replied, “Yes.”
“You were there when he swept into the castle throne room and whisked her away, were you not?”
“Yessir,” Link answered.
“Objection!” Luna interrupted. “I thought we weren’t here to determine Vaati’s guilt for his past crimes!”
“Overruled,” Agahnim replied. “But get on with your point, Pompus.”
“Ahem, anyways, surely it was a frightening experience, Master Link?” Pompus continued. “If I recall, a number of castle guards were badly injured, and the whole kingdom was thrown into chaos, again! You had to fight horrific beasts in order to rescue her, for what would have become of her had you not done so? No doubt he would have forced himself upon her and robbed our crown jewel of her purity for his own perverted desires!”
“OBJECTION!” Luna outright screamed, her cheeks burning scarlet at the prosecutor’s presumptuous claims.
“Withdrawn,” Pompus immediately replied smugly, knowing that the jurors were now all wondering the same thing. “Now, when you reached the Palace of Winds and confronted the Wind Mage, in what state was our fair princess?”
“She…she was in a crystal cage of some sort, floating in the air,” Link answered, delving into his memories. “But she was awake and unharmed, if that’s what you want to know.”
Pompus pursed his lips under his thick white mustache which were connected to his sideburns like he had swallowed something less than appetizing. “The Princess was not harmed?”
“No.”
“Then you arrived in time, Master Hero, and all of Hyrule thanks you for it. No further questions.”
Pompus sat down, after which Luna arose and approached Link. “How long was Princess Zelda in captivity?” she asked grimly.
Link’s brows furrowed as he thought. “Uh…almost two weeks. That’s how long it took me to beat all the monsters that were holding the keys to his Palace and reach him.”
“Two weeks, hm?” Luna repeated before rhetorically addressing the whole room. “Would it really take more than two weeks for someone to, as you said, Mister Pompus, force themselves upon the Princess? If Vaati were as vile and lecherous as Pompus has suggested, would he not have stripped her and forcibly bedded her the moment she was at his mercy?”
Link stammered, not knowing how to respond. “Er…I…don’t know? I mean, it’s not like I know the guy personally. We never met or spoke to each other until we fought, so I don’t really know what’s ever going through his mind.”
“So you don’t really know Vaati or his motivations.”
“Well, I assumed his motivations were the same as they had been the last few times he’d been released. Capture Zelda, force her to marry him, and use her royal influence to take over Hyrule.”
“You assume. Did Princess Zelda tell you anything about her time in captivity?”
Link scratched the back of his head absently. “Well, not much, to be honest. She was happy to be rescued, but…at the same time, I noticed that, while we were leaving the Palace, she kinda had this…sad look on her face. But when I asked her about it, she just shook her head and said that it was no longer Hyrule’s problem.”
“I see. No further questions.”
“You are dismissed then, Link,” Agahnim declared with a nod, and Link returned to his seat. “Now, Luna, you may call your first defense witness.”
“Very well. Thus I call Twilight Sparkle to the stand.”
Twilight felt a bead of sweat trail down her forehead as she felt the eyes of countless bystanders staring into her back. Folding her ears against the side of her head, Twilight stood up and made her way to the witness stand, keeping her gaze centered on the floor until she reached it, after which she made sure to keep her eyes on Luna.
“Twilight Sparkle, how long have you known the defendant?” Luna asked.
“Um…since he first came to Equestria,” was Twilight’s hesitant answer.
“Under what circumstances did you come to know him?”
“Well, I was in the Everfree Forest looking for magical herbs, when out of the corner of my eye, I saw this flash of light in the bushes. When I went to investigate, I found him lying unconscious. H-he was covered in so much blood, I thought he was dead at first. But I was able to figure out he was still alive, and I went to my friend Fluttershy for help. But since he wasn’t like anything we’d ever seen in Equestria, she didn’t know how to deal with him, so we took him to our hospital in Ponyville, where I live. We were able to nurse him back to health, and when he came to, he told us some stuff about himself.”
“Such as?”
“Well, he told us he had come from Hyrule, and that he had meant to escape from what he said was ‘a battle he’d been participating in for too long’. When we said we weren’t sure we would be able to send him back to where he came from, he decided he would stay in Equestria instead.”
“And at any time during his stay, did he do anything that you felt could have possibly threatened the ponies of Equestria?”
“No,” Twilight answered, this time with utter conviction. “Vaati can sometimes be a little crass. He speaks his mind plainly and he’s often condescending towards people who annoy him, which usually boils down to everypony but you and me. But when we gave him a chance, he also proved to be one of the truest friends I ever made. He’s as important to me as any other member of my family.”
Beaming, Luna said, “No further questions.”
As Luna sat down at Vaati’s side, Pompus got up and stood before Twilight, clasping his hands behind his back. “So, is that all you know about the sorcerer’s past? He never mentioned anything about his past deeds in Hyrule?”
“Well, not at first,” Twilight answered uncertainly. “During the first few months of his stay, he was pretty secretive about his past. There were some things about him that were admittedly, well, a little scary, but as time went on, he eventually opened up to us more…especially to me.”
“Really? Did he tell you about how, when he first attempted to take over Hyrule, he turned the Princess of that time to stone, and then later did the same to all the other inhabitants of the castle, even the castle servants who were no threat to him? Did he tell you about how he unleashed monsters from the Bound Chest in search of the Light Force, and that when he realized it was housed in Zelda, he attempted to draw it out of her body, which would have killed her? Did he tell you about how he brought misery and suffering to the land as a gigantic demon eye, destroying towns and crops with his windstorms, every time he was released from the Four Sword? Did he tell you of the time he joined forces with Ganon himself to drown out the light of our world?!”
“Yes, he told us all of those things,” Twilight answered plainly. “He told us about his past deeds as a villain in your world, but how about I tell you what he’s done for us? As that gigantic demon eye, he helped us defeat the Lord of Chaos, Discord! And then he helped us stop Canterlot from being overwhelmed by a Changeling invasion when our nation was still on hostile terms with them! And then he helped us liberate the Crystal Empire from the grip of King Sombra, an evil tyrant just as terrible as Ganon! And then, he helped us do something even your Hero has failed to do; kill Ganon for good!”
“This is outrageous!” Pompus cried. “How could Ganon have made it to your world?! And why would Vaati suddenly decide to resist him rather than join him as he did the last time he was freed?!”
“Because Ganon forced him to work for him, you pompous ass!” Twilight yelled before catching herself. After allowing herself a minute to calm down, she continued. “When Ganon manipulated the Hero of that time into releasing Vaati, the first thing Vaati did was go straight to Hyrule Castle to kidnap Zelda again. But Ganon beat him to it, and basically told Vaati that he worked for Ganon now. Vaati didn’t like that idea, and they fought. But Ganon was the victor, and Vaati served him afterwards out of fear. When the Hero confronted him, Vaati intentionally threw the fight and let them seal him away again. You hear me? He let the Hero beat him that time, because he would have rather been imprisoned again than be another one of Ganon’s minions.”
That managed to cause a significant stir amongst the jurors, who all murmured amongst themselves before Agahnim banged his gavel again, calling for order.
But Twilight wasn’t finished. “And the reason Vaati did those terrible things was because, his entire life, he was treated like a monster because he looked different from the other Minish.”
The crowd gasped and murmured again, causing Twilight to look around in confusion. “What? You didn’t know? Vaati was originally a Minish. He had his purple hair, pale skin, and red eyes even as a Picori, and he was relentlessly bullied for it. He had no parents, and thus lived in an old orphanage and was always looked over for adoption until he was chosen by the Minish Sage Ezlo to be his apprentice. Vaati’s dream was to become a great sorcerer, but when Ezlo wouldn’t actually start teaching him magic, Vaati felt betrayed and turned on him, using Ezlo’s Wishing Cap to become the Hylian you now see before you, and the rest is history. He was only a monster because society decided that was what he was from the moment he was born, and he had no one to love him, no one to care for him, or call him friend, or anything. He was alone. What would any of you have done in his position?”
The jurors, she noted, were now the ones averting her emotion-filled eyes, as she had successfully struck a chord in them. “He became a villain because he felt that that was the only thing he was destined for, but beneath that hardened exterior he built around himself was a scared, lonely child who had been hurt so many times that he actually started believing he really was a monster. I’m not saying that the crimes he committed weren’t wrong, or that he was justified in his actions, only that no one is a monster just for the sake of being a monster. When he came to us, we saw that, despite his rudeness and tendency to be blunt with his opinions, he desperately wanted a friend. He wanted to belong. He wanted to stop being alone. And we gave him that, and none of us regret it for a second!”
Her friends, and even a few of the jurors and other onlookers appeared to have been moved by her words. Not knowing how else to proceed, Pompus stuttered, “U-uh, no further questions,” before returning to his seat.
“You are dismissed, Twilight Sparkle,” Agahnim spoke, his eyes as impassive as ever. “Pompus, do you have any other witnesses?”
“Yes, Your Honor,” Pompus replied, standing up. “I now call Princess Zelda to the stand!”
Everyone watched as the princess daintily made her way to the witness stand and sat down, folding her hands in her lap as she waited for her interrogation.
“Your Highness,” Pompus began. “Describe the events of your kidnapping with as many details as you can recall. Describe how you felt as it happened.”
Normally, someone who had undergone such a frightening experience would lose a lot of details in their memory out of fear, but not Zelda, thanks to her Triforce of Wisdom. “On that day, seven years ago, my father and I were tending to matters of state as we normally do. As the location of the Four Sword Sanctuary had been lost to time for more than a century, I was not able to ascertain that Vaati had escaped again until it was too late. The next thing I knew, an explosion tore the ceiling apart, and numerous soldiers were badly hurt by the rubble. I saw that great demon eye that had plagued my ancestors in ages past, and when it looked right at me, I screamed in fear. In an instant he grabbed me and escaped, heading for the Palace of Winds. He was commenting about how kidnapping me was getting to be so easy that it wasn’t as fun for him anymore. When we arrived, he immediately trapped me in a crystal prison, which he admitted was as much for my own protection as it was meant to hold me captive, as he didn’t trust his monsters to leave me be in his absence. For three days I was alone in that enchanted prism, its magic keeping my body in a sort of stasis so that I did not require food or drink, before he finally returned from hiding the keys to the Palace amongst several old dungeons protected by his monsters. But then, after that, I…I noticed some kind of change come over him. I expected him to try to seduce me, or boast about how he would defeat Link and conquer Hyrule, but instead, he would just stare out the window, like his mind was clouded by so many thoughts that it was making his head spin. This strange silence went on for days, until the very day Link came for me. And then, for the first time, he spoke to me, truly spoke to me. He didn’t speak as a tyrant, a conqueror, or a bloodthirsty madman, but as a man who was no longer sure of himself and his place in the world, and he asked me if I knew what it was like to be trapped in a constantly-repeating cycle. In truth…I…I did know what that was like. Every day in the castle is the same; I help my father deal with affairs in the kingdom, and then I smile and wave as my father does the real work with foreign dignitaries. I’m waited on hand and foot by the castle servants, but they’re more interested in pleasing the Royal Family than, well, helping us come to terms with our own problems. Because sometimes the people of Hyrule forget their heroes are human too. Vaati admitted that he realized he had trapped himself in pretty much the same cycle that bound Link and I to Ganon, and he wanted out. But he didn’t know how to do so. When he ultimately fought Link, I…I admit, I found myself praying to the Three that somewhere, somehow, someone would give him that chance. Someone would show him how to break free, to become his own person, rather than as the villain everyone thought him to be.” And then she smiled warmly. “And my prayers were answered.”
Pompus was silent for several moments as he pondered what else to say. “Erm…Princess? Do you…forgive Vaati for what he did? Not just you, but to all your ancestors?”
Zelda took a deep breath, and with a resolute look in her eyes, she declared not just to the prosecutor but to all who could hear her, “Yes. I, Zelda of Hyrule, forgive Vaati the Wind Mage for what he has done. And as your princess, I implore the good people of Hyrule to do the same.”
There was more muttering and some louder arguments before Agahnim silenced them again. “Order! Order!”
Pompus opened and closed his mouth several times like a fish out of water, unable to form words. If the Princess had forgiven Vaati, then his argument was crumbling fast. Finally, he realized he could do no more with this one and uttered, “N-no further questions.”
As Pompus sat back down, Luna stood and declared, “The defense rests, Your Honor.” After all, Luna already knew she had Zelda’s support, and the Hylian Princess had done a good enough job of pleading Vaati’s case on her own terms, thus doing this part of Luna’s job for her.
Agahnim nodded. “Very well. You are excused then, Princess.”
Zelda returned to her seat, pointedly ignoring the look her father was giving her as Agahnim cleared his throat. “Princess Luna, your next witness?”
“I call the captain of my Royal Guard, Scootaloo, to the stand.”
Everyone watched as the young, orange-coated pegasus mare trotted purposefully up to the podium, clad in the dark blue armor of Luna’s Night Guards. She had foregone her helmet, and thus the enchantment that made her take the appearance of a thestral was not present, allowing her fuscia mane to cascade down the sides of her face. Despite the fact she was of a totally different species, several Hylians secretly found her appearance to be strangely alluring. Scootaloo sat tall and proud as Luna began her line of questioning.
“Scootaloo, describe your relationship to the defendant.”
“He’s my adoptive father, Your Majesty.”
This caused yet another stir before Agahnim quelled it.
“Describe to the court how this arrangement came to be.”
Scootaloo sighed as she delved into the less pleasant memories of her childhood. “Before Daddy came to Ponyville, I-I used to live with my real father in an old shack by the nearby lake. He was an abusive drunk, who blamed me for all his problems, and he hit me a lot. One day he got totally fed up with me and threw me out of our house in the middle of a rainstorm, and told me never to come back. I went over to a nearby tree to try and hide from the rain, but I was so cold. I was cold on the inside just as much as I was on the outside. I felt like no one loved me, a-and I just wanted to…t-to disappear. I was a little foal then, and for some reason my wings weren’t growing in, and my dad told me I was a failure because I couldn’t fly like other pegasi my age. I was broken. And then…then Vaati found me. I don’t know why he was out in that storm too, b-but he found me, and when he saw my bruises, he took me right up to his palace, where he and his monsters looked me over and fixed me up. He asked about what had happened to me, a-and I was afraid to tell him, but I ended up telling him about my dad. He…he went to our old shack and confronted my dad, telling him how horrible he was for treating me like that. And then he said he would look after me himself if he had to, a-and…I-I didn’t know what to say. Then my real dad attacked him. Surprised him and hit him upside the head with an empty cider bottle. T-then…then he tried to kill me. Vaati came to, saw what was happening, a-and…he almost died saving my life. My dad stabbed him in the middle of their fight, and he would have died had we not gotten a Red Potion to him in time. I was by his side the whole time he was recovering, and when I woke up the next day, I found him just finishing up writing out a certificate of adoption. For me. He took me in and raised me as his own because he couldn’t stand to see me suffering like he did when he was a foal. He’s my daddy now, and I don’t care what any of you think about him; I love him very much!”
Luna’s smile widened. “Nothing further, Your Honor.”
Pompus was outright pulling at his hair in frustration. After a story like that, it was clear to see that Vaati was actually starting to gain some sympathy from the crowd. And with the knowledge that they all knew what Vaati had done, but chose to forgive him anyway, meant that his arguments would have no effect in swaying them. He had thought this would be easy, but he turned out to have been ill-equipped to handle the raw emotion of the Equestrians’ ironclad defense.
Seeing this, Luna smirked. “What’s the matter, prosecutor? You seem rather flummoxed. Are you starting to realize that this wouldn’t be as easy as you thought? That perhaps you’re realizing now that you, like everyone else in Hyrule, were too quick to judge Vaati to see how much he has changed and grown as a person? No one wanted to get to know him, so he lashed out. But when we extended our own hooves in friendship, he accepted and allowed himself to grow into a true friend and a hero in his own right. People of Hyrule, the decision falls to you now. There is no denying that Vaati has committed terrible actions in the past. But if your Hero, your Princess, and we of Equestria are all willing to forgive him despite knowing what he has done, then do you think he deserves your forgiveness as well?”
And then, in order to further strengthen Luna’s case, Applejack stood up and cried, “He helped keep mah family safe! Ah stand with Vaati!”
Then Rarity stood and declared, “He has been a kind and generous individual through and through since day one! I stand with Vaati!”
“He helped us kick major flank and helped me reunite with my long-lost mom!” Rainbow Dash cried as she hovered in the air. “I stand with Vaati!”
“He’s kept the ponies of Ponyville safe and happy, always giving us a reason to smile when things get hard!” Pinkie Pie cried jubilantly. “I stand with Vaati!”
Fluttershy, mustering her courage, stood as well and spoke, “He helped my friend Discord see the same thing he did, that there’s another way to live your life, that you don’t have to be a monster because people say you are! I stand with Vaati!”
And then Nigellas stood up, raising a gloved fist. “He treated us monsters like people rather than disposable fodder like the other wankers that summoned us! I stand with Vaati!”
And then Maulgrim rose, towering over every other individual in the room as he boomed, “Through his honor and courage, he freed all of monster-kind from the curse of Demise and gave us back our true livelihoods! I stand with Vaati!”
Smiling broadly, Celestia stood and proclaimed, “Vaati showed my sister the light in the darkness, how to be true to herself without giving in to her own inner darkness. For showing her utter, tender love when she needed it most, I stand with Vaati.”
After a moment, Chrysalis grumbled to herself, resenting the fact that she indeed felt a small measure of gratitude for what Vaati ultimately did for her people, despite their ugly history. “Although it pains me to say this, he granted my people, who feed off the positive energy produced by love, a way to feed ourselves without threatening the ponies of Equestria, allowing our peoples to forge a truce when we otherwise would have sought each other’s destruction. He also saved my people from destruction at the hands of Ganon through his accursed Gohma. I, to my deep resentment, stand with Vaati.”
The whole courtroom was silent as they marveled at the show of support for the Wind Mage. Vaati couldn’t fight the smile that forced its way across his face.
After a few more court actions that weren’t nearly as important or eventful as what had just happened, Agahnim turned towards the jurors. “All our voices have been heard. Has the jury reached a verdict?”
One of the Hylians, a middle-aged man with rotund features, stood up as he held a slip of parchment in both hands. “We have, Your Honor.”
“In the matter of determining whether Vaati the Wind Mage has performed enough recompense in the land of Equestria to warrant an official pardon in Hyrule, how do you find?”
There was a heavy pause as the man looked at the slip of paper that would seal Vaati’s fate, whatever it might be. Hylian and Equestrian alike subconsciously leaned in, awaiting the verdict with bated breath.
“We, the people of Hyrule, find the defen…”
But before the man could finish the sentence that would literally determine Vaati’s life, there was a resounding crash as the courtroom door slammed open as a Hylian soldier rushed inside, short on breath. “Y-Your…Your Majesty!” the soldier rasped. “Your Majesty!”
Angered at the poorly-timed interruption, King Daphnes stood from his seat and shouted, “What is this?! What’s going on?!”
Zelda realized the man’s eyes were wide with terror as he fought for breath, and dreaded what he had to say next. Finally, after regaining his breath, the soldier cried, “Your Majesty, Hyrule Castle is under attack!”