//------------------------------// // Episode 4: Pestilence and Decay Part 1 // Story: The Equestrian Wind Mage: Season 3 // by LordSiravant //------------------------------// Because I love you all so much, here's another one. XXXXXX000XXXXXX Episode 4: Pestilence and Decay Part 1 – The Battle of Hyrule Castle Everyone in the courtroom simultaneously gasped in horror. Shooting a glance at Vaati, Daphnes yelled, "Who is attacking us, man?! Speak up!" "N-never…" the soldier whimpered. "N-never have I s-seen such an army! S-Stalfos from the s-south, and G-G-Gohma f-from the north! More than I've ever s-seen!" All color promptly drained from the faces of every person in the courtroom. Daphnes then rounded on Vaati, pointing an accusing finger at the Wind Mage. "You! You sent them here, didn't you?! I knew it! Your rescue party finally arrives!" The king drew his sword with an ominous 'shink', striding towards Vaati with murder in his eyes. "Not while I have anything to say about it! You will not threaten Hyrule again! By the time your servants reach you, your head will already be mounted in the town square for all to see!" "You stupid old man!" Vaati yelled, struggling in his chains. "Are you out of your goddessdamned mind?!" Daphnes, however, was not in a listening mood. His hate-filled eyes wide, Daphnes raised his sword over his head, looming over the helpless mage. "For the good of Hyrule!" he roared, and brought his sword down upon Vaati's head. Suddenly there was a bright flash of golden light, which sent the king stumbling back, his sword shattering. He shook his head and turned to see that Zelda, his beautiful daughter, was standing protectively between him and a surprised-looking Vaati, her arms outstretched as a golden shield of holy light protected them from harm. "Zelda!" Daphnes exclaimed. "W-what in the Sacred Realm are you doing?!" "I'm doing what is right, father!" Zelda shot back, glaring at the king with fierce, unwavering determination. "Right?! This isn't right! He's a monster! A villain! An abomination in the eyes of our fair Goddesses!" "What do you know of our Goddesses' thoughts?! You do not speak for them!" Daphnes's eyes narrowed. "Zelda, my child. You are not in a right state of mind. Step aside, and let me put an end to this madness." "No. You will have to kill me." Vaati's eyes widened in shock as Zelda said this, followed by all the other onlookers. Daphnes recoiled as if struck. "M-my child, I…" "Do not forget, father, that I am the very reincarnation of Hylia's spirit! I, more than you, know of the Golden Ones' thoughts and desires. I can also see the truth in people's hearts, and I see that Vaati is not the evil we once knew. Time and again, the voices of the Princesses before me have gone unheard, ignored as childish ramblings by their fathers, brothers, and husbands! And every time, Hyrule is plunged into chaos as a result of this ignorance! I have had enough! I will not let the cycle repeat itself! You will not kill Vaati! I WON'T LET YOU!" A heavy silence followed as father and daughter stared each other down. The air was thick with tension, and no one else dared move or make a sound. Until Link slowly stood from where he was, and walked over to Zelda's side, folding his arms as he too faced his king. "Neither will I," he vowed resolutely. Daphnes recoiled once more. "Wha…Link?" "I trust Zelda completely. For countless eras, my ancestors have served hers with unwavering loyalty, all the way back to our divine origins, and I'm not about to break that cycle. If Zelda says Vaati is redeemed, I believe her." Daphnes's eyes darted between his daughter and her fierce protector, unsure of what to do. Then he whirled towards where Impa was standing and cried, "Impa! Won't you do something?!" Impa, however, only stared back at him impassively, her arms folded to let everyone know that she would not draw her weapon. "Ggh!" Daphnes groaned as he realized now that he truly was alone. His eyes were wild, and it was easy to see the dawning madness glinting in them. "C-cursed…all of you…all of you are cursed!" Daphnes stumbled back, his eyes unseeing as he succumbed to a total breakdown. "My daughter…the hero…Vaati has cursed them all! Hyrule is doomed! HYRULE IS DOOMED, DAMN YOU!" WHACK! Everyone reacted with surprise as the king suddenly groaned, his eyes rolling back in his skull as he fell forward and collapsed to the floor, unconscious. Behind him stood Agahnim, lowering his large knife, the pommel of which he had used to knock out the king, as he declared, "The king is, for the time being, no longer in a state of mind to rule the kingdom!" The robed Shiekah looked towards Zelda as she lowered her shield. She didn't approve of what Agahnim had done, but the time to reprimand him would come later. "You are in command now, Princess," Agahnim said gravely. "Our enemies are approaching our very gates from all sides. What will you have us do?" There was a pause as Zelda took in the knowledge of her new responsibility before she finally answered, "Agahnim, take my father to the castle and keep him safe! Impa, begin evacuating all our civilians to the catacombs! Link, I need you to help me rally our soldiers!" Then Zelda turned towards one of the guards holding Vaati's chains, holding out her hand. "Give me the keys, soldier." Her tone brooked no argument. "Y-yes, Your Highness," the soldier complied, giving her the keys. All watched as Zelda knelt down by Vaati and stuck the key in the lock. The young princess looked into Vaati's eyes, red and blue irises locked together. "If you are really with us," she whispered imploringly, "help us." Vaati nodded, a silent moment of understanding passing between them as Zelda turned the key. With a resounding clink, the lock opened, and the chains slid off Vaati's body of their own accord, allowing him a moment to stretch his limbs. "Goddesses, those were heavy," he murmured. And then he was suddenly tackled by all his friends as they cried jubilantly over his newfound freedom, ignoring his cries of protest. However, Celestia cleared her throat, reminding them all of the situation at hand. Turning towards Chrysalis, she said, "Since the Gohma have chosen to surface here…" "Say no more, Celestia," Chrysalis interrupted knowingly. "I remember where the portal is. I will return with my armies as quickly as possible. Do at least try to leave some for us." "Only if you hurry," Celestia replied. With that settled, Celestia turned towards Zelda and said, "I will help you fight this evil. After all, it serves a force we both call our enemy, and you need all the help you can get." "As will I," Luna declared. "With my powers and those of my sister combined, we are strong enough to face entire legions of foes." "And there's no way we're gonna hide in some catacombs while the rest of you risk your lives!" Twilight cried as she and her friends summoned their Elemental Weapons. "We're gonna fight too!" Maulgrim hefted his broadsword over his shoulder as the Darknut Lord boomed, "Long have our peoples been adversaries due to the manipulations of Demise. No more. I will fight beside you in your darkest hour." "It's not like we have much of a choice anyway," Nigellas added with a shrug. "They probably plan on slaughtering anything behind these walls with a pulse regardless of allegiance." XXXXXX Northern Hyrule Field… Swarming towards the shining white citadel of Hyrule's crown jewel was a massive army of Gohma, well over a hundred thousand strong. Larvae, Soldiers, Armogohmas, and even a handful of Queens scuttled towards the castle walls like a wave of gigantic cockroaches descending upon a slab of rotting meat. At the rear of this immense host, far away from any threat of harm was a gigantic centipede-like demon with a single, blue eye glaring at Hyrule Castle as it focused its massive willpower into directing the swarms. Iemanis himself was here. The Lord of the Gohma clacked his mandibles together as he hissed in a thundering voice, "I was told by the king that his bratty whelp was here. Should he turn his powers against us, it could cause…problems." You leave the Wind Mage to me, Iemanis. That is why I am here in the first place. Iemanis turned to see a humanoid golem forged of enchanted obsidian approach his side, its hands folded in prayer. An Avatar of Majora. Glaring with his avatar's large round eyes, Majora hissed, Even with his newly-acquired Triforce of Power, I still possess the means to subdue his magical abilities, even if only temporarily. If he shows his face, I will handle him. You focus on coordinating your attack with Gomess. Iemanis bowed his ponderous head. "As you will it, Great One." As Iemanis returned to directing the huge Gohma swarm, Majora glared at the stronghold of his age-old enemies. If the Wind Mage has made it back here, then it stands to reason his wretched friends came with him. My dear sisters have made their move, now it's my turn. XXXXXX … My student… The time…the time has come at last… This is what you are destined for… The powers of evil are making their move…they strike at the very heart of Hyrule… Go now…go to their aid… You must…open the sealed door… Awaken the bodyguards of Hylia… Open the Silent Realm!… … … XXXXXX "What sort of situation are we facing?" Vaati demanded as he strode with his friends and Zelda down the street towards the south wall. "Gohma from the north, Stalfos from the south," Zelda informed him. "Both forces together hundreds of thousands strong." "How many men do you have?" Zelda's face became grim. "Less than ten thousand. Another sign our once-great kingdom is fading." "Enough of that talk!" Vaati snapped. "Tell your men to focus their attention on the Stalfos. Leave the Gohma to me." "Vaati!" Twilight cried. "There's hundreds of thousands of those things out there!" Vaati cast a smug look over his shoulder. "My dear Twilight, in all the years you've known me, now you choose to doubt my abilities?" Thrusting his arms out, the sorcerer quickly became the fearsome winged eye, and Zelda couldn't help but falter in her step momentarily before catching herself. "You forget; even before I gained the Triforce of Power, my strength was well-suited for combatting entire legions of foes! This will be easy!" "Nonetheless, I have no intention of letting you face such foes on your own," Luna spoke sternly. "What else do you expect me to do, sit on my flank and watch? I think not! Besides, there's no fun to be had in sitting on the sidelines!" "I'm afraid I must agree with my sister," Celestia proclaimed, approaching Vaati's other side. "Even with power as great as yours, you are still but one individual. The goal of our enemies lies inside the walls. You cannot possibly be able to focus on every last one of them at once. Even as you cut down hundreds and thousands, thousands more will rush past you to get at the city." Vaati rolled his single eye with a groan. "UGH! Fine! Luna, take out their left flank! Celestia, take out the right! I'll cut through their middle!" "Princess Luna, what do you want me to do?" Scootaloo demanded with a crisp salute. "Yeah, what about us?" Rainbow cried. "Help the rest of them deal with the Stalfos," Luna commanded, unfurling her wings. "Go!" As Vaati and the two alicorns sailed over the north wall to meet the Gohma hordes, Zelda put a hand to her chest and silently prayed, Good luck out there, Vaati. Yet all the same, the young princess could not help the feeling of sickening dread that washed over her, a primal warning from within the depth of her being that told her that something was watching them all. Something far more vile than any Gohma or Stalfos. XXXXXX Vaati, Luna, and Celestia took a moment to appreciate the sheer size of the opposing force. Thousands upon thousands of Gohma seethed in an unruly mass, seemingly stretching from one end of northern Hyrule Field to the other. A hundred thousand eyes glared as one at them. And at all of this, Vaati only laughed. Then he pointed a single gilded claw at them and hissed, "To Stone With You." A flash of bright light issued forth, bathing the Gohma in its power, and when it receded, well over a thousand Gohma were reduced to mere statues. But this did nothing to halt their advance, for Gohma felt no fear. They felt nothing but a single, driving hunger, guided forth by the unseen will of their master and creator, and they pressed on, eager to devour everything in sight. "Go to it, girls," Vaati commanded. "And try not to get caught in the crossfire." Celestia and Luna merely nodded in reply, before flying off in opposite directions to deal with the Gohma army's left and right flanks, unleashing spells of destruction upon them without mercy. Without further ado, Vaati cackled as he thrust out his arms, his horns glowing as ominous clouds gathered, blotting out the sun. The wind began to howl, whipping about with increasing force. And then, at the Wind Mage's command, a great tornado lanced out from the sky directly in the middle of the Gohma swarm, sucking countless thousands into the infernal cyclone. Razor Wind spells rushed through the zephyrs, ripping apart whatever was caught in the swirling cyclone of death and releasing Gohma blood as a gruesome downpour of rain. Vaati laughed madly, seemingly drunk on his newfound power. "Behold, you loathsome bugs! You stand before a god! A God of Winds! I am Vaati, the Wind Mage, and I…" His reverie was abruptly caught short by a sudden and alarmingly powerful blast of energy that struck him with enough force to knock him right out of the air. You talk too much, blasphemer. Vaati landed hard on the ground, and without his guidance, the magical cyclone faded, dropping countless shredded Gohma corpses to the ground. Whatever magic that had struck him burned like eldritch fire, and without warning, the demon eye shrank involuntarily back into the Hylian mage, who lay convulsing on the ground, unable to move. "Guh…guh-arrrgh…" he groaned, unable to form words through his pain. He was barely aware of a massively-tall figure striding purposefully towards him, its very footsteps making the earth shudder beneath him. His head soon began to clear enough that he glared at his approaching foe. And when he recognized said foe, hope seemed to die within him. The only god here is ME, Wind Mage, Majora hissed through his Avatar, evil intent burning in those remorseless, unblinking eyes. Vaati groaned as he tried to bring his magic to bear in an attempt to defend himself, but gasped as he realized that no magic was forthcoming. "W-what…? What have you done?!" Vaati cried angrily, with no small hint of fear lacing his tone. I suppressed your magic, fool. Did you really think I would simply let you lay waste to my forces while they were helpless to stand against you? I took you to be more clever than that, sorcerer. Vaati's eyes widened before darting to his wrist, where the Triforce mark was flickering weakly as it struggled to overcome Majora's magic. "H-how? The Triforce of Power…" At this, Majora laughed, his eldritch voice booming across the battlefield, and a great sense of fear enveloped the city of Castle Town, and for a moment, all its defenders fell still in dread. Did you honestly believe I could not overcome such a miserable trinket? Though temporary the spell is, it is still enough time to undo you! The Triforce is but a pathetic fragment of a far greater power, a great power to which I am their equal! I have no use for it, I have no need for it. It shall burn with the rest of your kingdom and its peoples! The Avatar of Majora pointed at Vaati's weakened form and declared, Devour him, spawn of Iemanis! Devour him and the Golden Power he contains! And the Gohma hordes surged forth, closing in on the Wind Mage. Vaati's eyes widened in fear. This…no! How can this be the end?! And then there was a flash of light and a burst of darkness, from which emerged the two alicorn sisters, standing protectively between Vaati and the god that meant to destroy him. "Not on my watch!" Luna growled ferally. "Begone from here, spawn of the Void!" Celestia demanded. "Lest I rend you asunder with my light!" But Majora was not intimidated. Only annoyance and sheer, incomprehensible hatred burned in his eyes. You are fools to challenge me. Time and again, my servants and I have proven our power to be greater than yours. Impertinent curs, this is my hour! Your blasphemous existence ends here! "Luna, get Vaati to safety!" Celestia commanded, getting into her battle stance. "Sister, no!" Luna cried. "You cannot face this foe on your own!" You cannot face me together. You will not escape me. And then Majora threw his Avatar's hand up, and immediately he erected a shield of darkness around himself and his enemies, trapping them inside. Both princesses cursed under their breath; Majora had no intention of letting any of them escape. Taking an ominous step forward, the Dark God's Avatar hummed with growing energy. I have been waiting for this moment for far too long. At last, I shall have the pleasure of taking your lives with my own hands. "I dare thee to try!" Luna shouted, power growing behind her words. Dark power. Celestia sharply glanced at her sister as she felt a horrifyingly familiar power surge through Luna's body. "L-Luna…?" she whispered, desperately hoping it was not what she feared. Right before the change utterly consumed her, Luna gazed sadly into Celestia's eyes. "Forgive me, sister." Majora chose to watch impassively, intrigued by Celestia's reaction to her sister's growth in power. "Luna, no!" Celestia cried, but it was too late. A wave of darkness exploded from Luna's body, threatening to knock Celestia over. And when Celestia looked upon her sister again, she found herself staring at the being she had believed to have been forever vanquished, a visage she had hoped never to see again. Nightmare Moon opened her catlike eyes and bared her fangs in a bloodthirsty grin as she stared down the Avatar. "Bring it on, you egotistical sack of horseapples!" Celestia found herself shaking profusely, her mind involuntarily flashing back to over a thousand years ago, an event that had left her alone for a millennium and scarred for an eternity. "L-Luna…" she whimpered. Nightmare Moon glanced over her shoulder, and to Celestia's immense surprise, it was not an expression of loathing in her sister's eyes, but a look of impatience. "Are you just going to stand there shaking like a leaf, sister, or are we going to send this thing back to oblivion?" There was, surprisingly, far less bite in the word 'sister' than Celestia had expected. Could it be? Had her sister actually managed to tame her own dark side? Majora cackled again. How interesting. To combat pure darkness, you choose to give in to your own inner darkness. Nightmare Moon chuckled grimly. "Give in? Hardly. My time with Vaati has shown me that even my inner darkness can be tamed. I may be Nightmare Moon, but I am also Luna. And I will die a thousand gruesome deaths before I allow you to harm the man I love!" Evil power suffused Majora's entire frame as he boomed, All the power in the world will not stop me from achieving my ends. Despair and die! Majora's Avatar threw its hands out, sending a blast of dark magic at the Princesses. Together, Celestia and Nightmare Moon erected a shield that dispelled the attack. Nightmare Moon summoned her scythe, while Celestia readied her halberd, and together they lunged at Majora. However, Majora raised a fist to block Nightmare Moon's swing, while with his other, he seized hold of Celestia's halberd and ripped it out of her magical grip before snapping it in half with a squeeze of his hand. How weak. Majora attempted to punch Celestia, but she strafed out of the way and sent a beam of solar energy slamming into his shoulder. This, however, had little effect on the magic-resistant Avatar, which turned towards her and retaliated with a scorching laser from its eyes. Celestia shielded herself, causing the beam to ricochet off her barrier and slam into the barrier trapping them in this battlefield. Suddenly Majora realized he could no longer move his hands as Nightmare Moon attempted to telekinetically pin him in place. But the God of Evil would not be denied. With an enraged roar, he broke free of his restraints just as Nightmare Moon meant to cleave his Avatar in two and landed a punch directly in the midnight alicorn's face, sending her flying into the barrier, which shocked her body and caused her to slump to the ground by the still-weakened Vaati, momentarily dazed. "Luna!" Celestia cried, barely dodging an energy blast from the Avatar. With vengeance on her mind, Celestia's own rage began to take hold, and her colorful mane became a raging inferno, and her eyes became pure white. "YOU WILL DIE FOR HARMING MY SISTER, EVIL ONE!" Oh, spare me your rhetoric. Why do you continue to fight when you clearly see that it is hopeless? "BURN!" Celestia unleashed the fullest extent of her wrath in a massive solar beam directed at Majora. The god-possessed golem shielded itself with darkness, holding its ground despite Celestia's efforts. And then another beam joined in from behind, a dark beam of similar might as Nightmare Moon rose to her hooves, murder in her heart. With this combined assault, even the Avatar's shield began to buckle from the immense strain. Despite the severity of their struggle, the battle outside went on without them. Realizing that Vaati had not been able to stem the tide of Gohma, Zelda was forced to split the forces of Hyrule between the north and south walls. Even as Hylian knights and crossbowmen manned the parapets, the Gohma swarms reached the foot of the walls, and like the arachnids they were, began to climb up the white stone with ease. Crossbowmen fired their darts at point-blank range, knocking hundreds of dead Gohma off the walls. But hundreds more climbed past the falling bodies of their kin in their rush to get at their enemies, and soon they emerged over the parapets, and with a ferocious hunger, Larvae and Pincers attacked the Hylian soldiers, ripping and tearing with their claws and leaping at throats with their chittering cries. Scootaloo cursed under her breath as she saw the Gohma quickly begin to overrun the Hylian soldiers. Dammit, if only Sweetie Belle were here! Her singing would get these guys into deadly shape real quick… However, she had no way to contact her best friend and fellow Crusader back in Canterlot, and resigned herself to making do with what she had: herself. With a speed that nearly rivaled her long-standing idol's, the young pegasus captain flew to the north wall in time to see a well-armored man get torn to shreds by several Gohma, the less ornately-clad soldiers helpless to save him as the Gohma continued their relentless assault. She distinctly heard one of them cry, "The captain! The captain is dead!" "All of you! Rally around me!" Scootaloo cried out. One of the Hylian soldiers turned towards her as the others focused on fighting off the Gohma onslaught. "Who the hell are you?" he demanded suspiciously. "Scootaloo, Captain of Princess Luna's royal bodyguards. I'm taking command of the north wall." "Why in the Dark World should we listen to a talking pony?!" the man demanded. As if in answer, a Gohma larva came screeching over the wall right at Scootaloo, who whipped around and plunged her spear into its eye, flinging the corpse into another charging Gohma and knocking both off the wall. One leapt at her from behind, but without looking, she drove the butt of her lance into its face before twirling it in her hoof and stabbing the downed monster. "Any more questions?" Scootaloo demanded firmly, feeling very much like a badass. The nearest soldiers gawked at her for a moment before they stiffly saluted. "What are your orders, Captain?" the first one that had addressed her spoke crisply and professionally. "Fight to the last man and don't let any of these monsters into the city!" she answered before she cried out, "GUARDSPONIES, TO ME!" Shortly afterwards, the guard detail, comprised of ten Thestrals, five unicorns, and five pegasi either flew or teleported over to the wall, slicing, slashing, and blasting any Gohma that dared cross their path. The beleaguered Hylians could not help but let out a rallying cry as they redoubled their efforts. "Guardsmen, make sure to kill any Gohma that get past the wall into the city!" Scootaloo ordered. "Stand to your posts, men! FIIIIGHT!" Meanwhile, Zelda oversaw the defense of the southern wall, observing worriedly as the vast legions of Stalfos closed in on them. The undead horde came in all shapes and sizes; Hylian, Zora, Goron, even a fair number of undead Moblin Puratamu, Dark Stalfos still clad in the Darknut battle armor they wore in life, Wizzrobes re-raised as dreaded Scythe Lords, and even animals such as Stalhounds and Dark Keese, as well as numerous Anti-Fairies. There was even a Stallord looming towards the back of the undead host. Arrows were virtually useless; unless they managed to directly hit a skull, the skeletal warriors and ReDeads just kept coming, unhindered by the deadly rain. Dozens of Stalfos carrying ladders rushed past their marching comrades, heaving said ladders onto the walls, each with a Dark Stalfos clinging to the top rung that leapt into battle once the ladders were lifted into place. Twilight blasted one Dark Stalfos off its perch before it could engage, and then she enveloped all the ladders in her magic. With great effort, she hurled all of them, with Stalfos warriors still attached, into the far rear of the enemy forces, the heavy timbers smashing hundreds of Stalfos and effectively rendering them incapable of assaulting the walls effectively for some time, giving the defenders vital breathing space. Twilight collapsed on her belly, panting heavily in exhaustion, and thus did not notice the hundreds of Hylian eyes all regarding her with varying degrees of awe and shock. As Rainbow tended to the tired unicorn, Zelda gaped, "I never…that was…I've never seen a telekinesis spell of such magnitude before in my life!" Rainbow grinned. "Yeah, Twi's pretty awesome like that." Rarity brushed aside her hair as she said, "We may look cute and cuddly, Princess, but we have faced our fair share of dire, world-endangering threats. This gruesome horde is simply Tuesday for us." The Equestrians' confidence was inspiring and infectious, and it emboldened the soldiers to hold firm in the face of their innumerable foes. Arrows, bombs, and bomb arrows rained down upon the living dead swarming below the wall, creating a grisly ring of bones and decayed flesh all around the city perimeter. Occasionally a magic blast from Rarity or a now-recovered Twilight would disintegrate one of the larger Stalfos when it came too close to the gates. Despite the odds, the defenders of Hyrule were holding their own. That is, until a silent order was given, and on both sides of the city, the largest behemoths of the enemy forces began to lumber forward, twenty Armogohmas on the Gohma side, and the Stallord on the Stalfos side. At the sight of these titanic foes, the Hylians' courage began to waver. Zelda paled as the Stallord unfurled its wings. "No…there's no way we can stop these things from getting into the city…" She turned around and could see that people were still being evacuated. Just when hope had begun to spawn in her chest, darkness had enveloped it like a disease until it withered to crushing despair. The Stallord was now airborne, flying towards the walls with an eldritch roar, claws outstretched and corrosive air pouring from its mouth. Men cried out in fear, throwing down their weapons and scrambling for cover. One man tripped and fell over the side of the wall, falling to his death in the city below. The Stallord was almost right on top of them. And then came a flash of blinding white light, from which a beam of bright blue energy emerged and struck the Stallord in its skull, utterly obliterating the dracolich's head and throwing its body backwards, where it landed amongst its smaller brethren and crushed many more. Everyone lowered their arms and blinked as the light faded, revealing a strange figure, one that the Element Bearers immediately recognized to their shock. Twilight was the first to speak. "D-Diamond Tiara?!" Indeed it was, but something had drastically changed about the former bully. She was older now, and her body from the neck down was encased in a strange, humanoid bodysuit with long, thin arms. The joints were like those of an elemental golem, joined together by orbs of pink energy. After all these years, she still wore her signature tiara on her head, but the look on her face was not hostile and mocking like it had often been in the past, but calm and subdued. Her time with the mysterious Oocca had granted her wisdom beyond her years. "Long time, no see, Miss Twilight," Diamond greeted with a slight tilt of her head. Zelda gawked for a moment before she shook her head to clear her thoughts. "Is that…an Oocca chassis?!" "You must be Princess Zelda," Diamond said, bowing respectfully. "I'm Diamond Tiara. I am all that remains of the Oocca legacy. Before she passed, Ooccoo, my mentor and the last of her kind, gave me a task that will ensure that you win this battle, and lend you a powerful force with which to defend yourselves against the might of Majora." "W-what sort of force?" Zelda asked disbelievingly. "They have not served on the battlefield since the Demon Wars of ages past," Diamond explained gravely. "But they are the bodyguards of Hylia, your ancestor, and thus yours." Zelda's eyes widened in comprehension. "Y-you mean…the Guardians of the Silent Realm?!" Diamond nodded. "I know where the gate is, and I possess the means to open it. However, only you can awaken the Guardians and lead them into battle." "Where is the gate?" Zelda demanded. "I can't just leave my soldiers here!" "It is in the castle, rest assured," Diamond replied. "If you wish to survive this onslaught and those still to come, you must come with me." She then spared a glance at the Element Bearers. "I know these six enough to know that your men are in good hands under their leadership. Now come; time is of the essence, Princess." Meanwhile, the fight between the Princesses and Majora's Avatar raged on, heedless of the swarms of Gohma scuttling past in a mad rush to get into the city. Nightmare Moon wiped a globule of blood from the corner of her mouth as she stared down the Avatar. Though the attacks of her and her sister had caused some damage, Majora had shrugged it off and was fighting back with little hindrance. Both alicorns were breathing heavily with fatigue, and at this, Majora laughed, his eldritch voice chilling even Nightmare Moon's blood. How truly pathetic. This is but an avatar, an infinitesimal manifestation of my power, and yet you are at the end of your rope. Do you see now that your attempts to hinder me are without hope? My power is immortal, fools, and the time has come for you to wither and die before my greatness like the pests you are. And then, from between Celestia and Nightmare Moon, a shot of powerful energy slammed into the Avatar, sending it crashing into the barrier. To the surprise of everyone, this shattered the barrier. Celestia and Nightmare Moon turned to see Vaati, having recovered his energy, back in his demon form, his eye still glowing faintly. "Do you ever shut up? I'm starting to think you drone on and on just so you can listen to the sound of your own voice!" By this time, Majora had gotten to his feet, his Avatar's chest smoking from the intense energy discharge and its eyes aglow with malice and wicked mirth. Back in action, I see, halfbreed. "Give it up, Majora!" Celestia declared. "You're outnumbered and outmatched!" However, Majora laughed again, in a way that suggested he knew something they didn't. You're absolutely right. Three against one is hardly fair. Isn't that right, my two Hands? Before any of them could reply to this odd remark, two portals, one bathed in fire and the other in blinding stars and dark energy, opened up on either side of the Avatar of Majora. From each emerged an equine figure, glaring at Celestia with pure loathing. Celestia's jaw dropped, her fiery aura extinguished as anger was replaced by shock and incomprehensible heartbreak as she recognized the two ponies, even with the wings, slender builds, and ethereal manes. "No…" she breathed, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. "It's so wonderful to see you again, Princess," Sunset Shimmer greeted with an evil smirk, standing beside Starlight Glimmer, both of whom were in forms similar to Nightmare Moon. XXXXXX Hyrule Castle Catacombs… Zelda hesitantly followed Diamond Tiara deep into the bowels of a series of catacombs even she had not known about, with only the glowing light emanating from the plasma energy of Diamond's Oocca suit to provide any light. After what seemed ages of navigating through dark, winding tunnels, they finally reached a large chamber. At the far end before them sat a great face of stone, flanked by two stone hands. The moment Zelda's eyes fell upon the stone effigy, memories long-buried rose to the surface with a vengeance, reaching all the way back to the first Princess of Hyrule. Stepping forward with eyes wide, she slowly murmured, "That…that's the guardian of the Silent Gate. Gohdan…" Diamond strode up to the face of Gohdan and put her artificial hand on an engraving on the tip of its nose, pouring the characteristic energy of the Oocca into its ancient gears. "Gohdan, He who guards the Silent Gate, awaken!" Diamond intoned, recalling the words Ooccoo had told her. The statue shuddered as its eyes suddenly glowed to life, while Diamond continued, "The Enemy of old seeks to rise once more, to bathe the World of Light in the throes of darkness! On behalf of the Oocca, I break the first lock!" The left hand of Gohdan balled into a fist as a pulse of energy reverberated through the walls behind it. Watching this, more memories entered her mind, of the time when Zelda the First had created this seal with the help of Ooccoo, and she stepped forward slowly, almost as though she were in a trance. Diamond looked up, knowing that the Princess knew what needed to be done now. "Your turn, Princess," she said, stepping back. Zelda took Diamond's place before the nose of Gohdan and placed her palm on the hand-shaped engraving. Immediately the Triforce mark on her hand blazed to life as she uttered the words that had been waiting to be invoked since ancient times. "The time of darkness is upon us once more. Awaken, Guardians of the Silent Realm! Awaken, and defend the legacy of Hylia and all that she loves!" With that, the second seal was undone as Gohdan's right hand clenched. Slowly, the mouth of the statue began to open, revealing a doorway bathed in light, so that nothing could be seen of the other side. Zelda and Diamond Tiara stepped back, waiting for whatever might happen. And then a figure emerged from the gate, carrying a flanged mace of great size, enough to easily rival the mightiest Darknuts'. It was a man of metal, not flesh; long, spindly arms looked almost skeletal, but their appearance belied their incredible strength. The figure was clad in grey and white robes, with angular gold twining all over. Its face was like a mask, square, with three red eyes arranged in a triangle and a triangular hole serving as a mouthpiece. Long, metallic "ears" each had a golden triangle dangling from the end. More like it came after, as well as floating constructs with no legs that carried a short sword in each hand, marching in perfect procession. Zelda marveled as her Guardians filled up the entire chamber in neat, orderly rows, silent as the realm they stood sentinel over. And then, as one, they knelt and put their free hands over their chests, in reverence to their once-divine charge. After eons of sleep, the Silent Realm Guardians would fight again.