//------------------------------//
// Tales of Times Gone By 
// Story: My Little Pony: Into the Wild 
// by MoonGuard97 
//------------------------------//

Just a few minutes after Twilight's...curious exchange with Link, everything was packed and ready for their departure. It was still early in the morning, so the air was pleasantly cool, and morning dew sparkled on the grass in the sunlight filtering through the trees along the side of the road. Zelda sat on the seat at the front of the wagon, guiding the horse, while Link and the others walked either along side or ahead of them.

Twilight could tell that her friends were all starting to feel a bit better than the day before. Pinkie Pie was bouncing along next to the cart with the CMCs, playing games and telling jokes and generally keeping them entertained while Applejack chuckled at their antics from a few paces ahead. Starlight had taken to sitting with Zelda and answering her questions about Equestria, occasionally asking a question or two of her own. Normally, Twilight would have loved to take part in such a conversation, but right now she was content just to listen. Rarity was at the front of the group with Link, casually chatting about this or that (though she seemed to be sneaking peaks at his outfit from time to time), and Fluttershy hung toward the back, giggling in quiet conversation with the squirrel still tucked inside her mane. Spike had opted to sit with Twilight in the wagon bed and keep her company. The entire scene gave one a sense of peace and comfort.

At least, until you noticed Rainbow Dash flying overhead, a spear from Link's collection poised in her hooves. She was apparently still tense after their encounter with the lizard creatures yesterday, and had insisted on being ready for anything. Link apparently didn't mind and had happily lent her the weapon. If Twilight had to guess, their group was too large for him to protect on his own in the event of an attack, and he was probably glad for the extra help.

It made her feel a bit uneasy.

They made it over the bridge with no problem and the path took them into the heart of the woods. This forest felt so different than what she had become accustomed to. Sunlight streamed through the brightly colored canopy above, and she didn't feel any of the unease or hostility she usually felt when traversing the paths through the Everfree, though she was certain that these woods held their own variety of dangers. Still, she couldn't deny their beauty.

Before long, they emerged on the other side of the forest, and immediately came to the large trench the ponies had crossed the day before, cutting right across the road.

"Crap," Link muttered, crouching down and looking into the trench. "I forgot about this one."

It did pose something of a problem; there was no way the wagon would be able to cross that large of a gap. Looking in either direction, Twilight could see that the closer end of the trench disappeared into the woods to their right, but they wouldn't be able to get the wagon through the trees, either. The only path they could take was in the other direction, where the furrow disappeared into the southern part of the field where the ponies had spent the majority of the previous day. Link took note of this and groaned.

"Looks like we're taking the long way there," he announced.

Zelda's brow furrowed in concern. "That's a long way in the wrong direction. It would take us at least an extra day to reach Rito Village."

"Yeah, it will," Link agreed. "But until the stable can fix the road, it's the only way to get the wagon across. Unless any of you ponies have a magic trick to get us across?"

"Maybe," Starlight said. "I could teleport the wagon, but I don't want to risk that with Twilight, and she's in no condition to climb this thing again."

"There's a big enough blanket back here that we could make a stretcher with a couple spears," Spike suggested.

"Okay," Link nodded. "Let's do that, then. Rainbow!"

The prismatic pegasus quickly appeared in front of him. "Yeah?"

"Come help me with this. We'll need your spear."

The two of them set to work making a stretcher on the ground while Spike and Fluttershy helped Twilight get down out of the cart. As soon as she was out, Starlight's horn lit up, and a bright flash pulled the wagon out of existence before a second flash deposited it on the far side a second later, safe and sound. The horse, however, was another matter. He apparently didn't like blinking through space, and immediately panicked, stamping the ground and jumping all around, bucking this way and that and screeching at the top of his lungs.

"He's gonna break the wagon!" Applejack yelled.

Fluttershy dashed across the gully and tried to calm the pore thing down, speaking softly and slowly and making calming gestures, but the horse paid her no mind, continuing to buck the wagon. The driver's seat was already smashed to pieces. She tried using the Stare, but he was thrashing around too much for her to keep eye contact. 

"Release the harness!" Zelda called.

That would probably work. With room to run around and get his bearings, the horse would calm down much more quickly. Fluttershy switched her attention to the harness and worked to undo the straps as fast as she could. The instant the last one fell free, the horse took off running as fast as he could into the field.

And kept running...

And kept running...

And...oh, ponyfeathers.

"Whelp," AJ strolled up next to her as Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo carried Twilight over the furrow. "Guess he won't be pullin' the cart no more."

Fluttershy hid her blush behind her mane. "Sorry. I didn't think he would panic that much."

"Well," Zelda said as Link helped her over the edge. "I suggest we find a way to pull the cart soon, or we're going to lose more than a day's time."

"Aw, don't worry 'bout that none." The group looked over at Applejack, who was just finishing strapping herself into the harness. 

"Ah'm a right bit stronger than ah look." She stated matter-of-factly, flashing a grin. "This'll be foal's play."

"Are you sure?" Link asked. "I don't want you to feel like you have to. I could find another--"

"Now listen here, darling." Rarity interrupted. "The two of you have been nothing but helpful toward us since the moment we met. You saved us from those creatures, gave us food and shelter, eased Twilight's pain, and are now taking an extended trip on our behalf. All that, and you've asked nothing in return, even when Spike ate your money. Now, you may be willing to help us freely, but you must understand that, for the duration of this journey at the least, we will do our part to ensure that everything runs smoothly."

Link opened his mouth to argue, but the look on both Rarity's and Applejack's faces made it clear that the matter wasn't up for discussion, so he promptly shut it.

"Well, thank you, then."

Applejack tipped her hat. "Eeyup!"





The next several hours were spent much the same as before. The group all chatted merrily amongst themselves, Hyrule's sun rose steadily over their heads, and nothing challenged them as they forged deeper into the heart of the country, though they did have to cross another several furrows.

"Hey, Mister Link?" Applebloom asked as she clambered out of the third channel to cross their path.

"Just call me Link, Applebloom," Link chuckled, reaching down and helping her over the edge.

"Okay, then. Link, what are these things?"

"Yeah!" Sweetie Belle teleported across. "I've noticed that they all have magic around them. What's that all about?"

"Ah wasn't gonna say nothin'," Applejack cut in, still hooked up to the wagon. "But ah'm curious too. These things...they don't feel natural."

Link and Zelda looked around to find seven curious sets of eyes silently begging them to share what they knew. 

Well, Link thought, I guess it's only fair. It is kind of a big piece of recent history. Still, I hope this is the last time I have to talk about it.

Link started back on the path, collecting his thoughts. The others shared confused looks before silently following behind him. Nearly three minutes passed in silence before he spoke again.

"Most of you were outside at the time, but your princess has already heard this story."

"Oooh! Is it story time? I love stories!"

Link smiled at Pinkie Pie's antics and waved away the colorful bits of paper she seemed to have pulled from nowhere, while Zelda covered her ears against the painfully shrill frequency of her excited squealing.

"Anyway, I'm sure you all noticed the ruins when you were on the road yesterday." He saw them all nod in the corner of his vision. "Well, a long time ago, those ruins were cities, towns, and various other settlements. It's said that, a little over a hundred years ago, Hyrule was a flourishing kingdom with a rich culture, living in a time of revolutionary breakthroughs in science and technology. Strong alliances existed between the land's various cultures, and people lived happily, without worry for what the future might hold. There aren't many left who lived back then, but the few who remain say it was a paradise, a perfect kingdom."

Fluttershy noticed that both Link and Zelda had a far-off look in their eyes. "W-what happened...?" she asked timidly.

This time, it was Zelda who spoke. "Over the years, it has become known simply as the Calamity, but those who have studied what few writings remain of Hyrule's ancient history know that its true name was Calamity Ganon, an ancient evil that had threatened the land once before, ten thousand years prior, and was prophesied to return."

"The scholars recognized the signs of Ganon's return," Link continued. "They warned the royal family, and the king took action to prevent what would be the end of the world." The Cutie Mark Crusaders, plus Fluttershy, had all gone wide-eyed with fear. Fluttershy's squirrel friend retreated into the safety of her mane. "Back then, most of Hyrule's history books were still intact," Twilight ground her teeth at the thought of lost books "and they were able to find how the ancients defeated Calamity Ganon. They had built an army of machines, spider-like soldiers called Guardians, and four great weapons called Divine Beasts, to weaken him. A great hero led the army, wielding the sword that destroys evil in his fight against the demon, and the princess used the her magic to seal Ganon away."

Link and Zelda now seemed to be taking turns telling the story. "The king thought that he could defeat the Calamity in the same way his ancestors had, and set the kingdom to work searching for these great machines. For a time, they say things looked hopeful. The four Divine Beasts were each found and repaired, as was a portion of the army of Guardians. Each race volunteered a champion to pilot the Divine Beasts, and a new hero was chosen to wield the sword of legend. The princess, too, was tasked with learning to use her power to recreate history."

The two of them went silent, and stayed that way until Rainbow Dash grew impatient. "Well?!" she exclaimed, waving her forelegs wildly. "Don't leave us hanging! What happened next?!"

Zelda lowered her head, grateful that her tears were hidden by her loose hair. "Everything went wrong. The power of the Calamity was greater than w--than they had anticipated, and the beast used it to put everything to ruin. The Divine Beasts were corrupted, trapping their pilots within. The Guardians, tasked with protecting the hero, turned against him. And the princess failed to use her power."

There was a collective gasp from those who hadn't already heard the story. Link gave Zelda a sympathetic look, unnoticed by the ponies, before continuing where she left off.

"Well, while the stories all pretty much agree on those first two, not all of them say the princess failed completely. In fact, recent history pretty much confirms that she was able to use her power eventually, but it was only after the capital city fell. She and the hero were able to escape the initial onslaught, and fled to Fort Hateno, in the east, where the greatest battle of the war would be fought. Legions of Guardians came up against what remained of the Hylian army."

"The hero led the battle, defeating dozens of the machines before his wounds became too great for him, and he collapsed on the field of battle."

Rarity screamed at the thought of such a brave hero failing to save the day. A few of the more sensitive ponies were crying now. Link continued the story.

"This is where most of the stories say the princess was finally able to unleash her power, defeating the remaining Guardians in a single divine blow." He chuckled. "In fact, the bards are fond of saying that it was only after seeing her 'brave and heroic love' fall that she 'found the righteous rage within herself' to 'deliver upon her foes the wrath of the heavens.'"

Everypony laughed at that, with the exception of Zelda, whose ears, Twilight noticed, were turning bright red as she absolutely refused to look at Link. The alicorn giggled behind her hoof. Apparently, Zelda was easily embarrassed by overly prosaic romance.

The mood now lightened a little bit, Link kept going.

"After that, the princess and the hero all but disappear from the legends. The hero's life was entrusted to an ancient tribe called the Sheikah, who used their technology to put him in a deep sleep for a hundred years while his wounds healed, and the princess returned to face Calamity Canon, using her power to keep him locked away in Hyrule castle until the hero could return to finish the job."

"Did he?"

Link turned to glance at Scootaloo. "Hmm?"

"The hero! Did he come back?"

Zelda smiled gently. "Actually, yes, he did."

Applejack's eyebrows shot up. "Really? After bein' so badly hurt that he couldn't stand, an' then bein' put ta sleep fer a hundred years, y'all expect us ta believe that he just got back up?"

"I must admit," Rarity added, "That is quite a tall tale."

"Well," Link scratched the back of his neck, "I doubt it was as simple as 'just getting up'..."

"But yes," Zelda finished. "The hero and the princess did, in fact, come back. It's much more recent in history, but after a hundred years spent recovering from his wounds, the hero returned and reclaimed his weapon from where it had been enshrined, used its power to free the Divine Beasts from the Calamity's control, and fought his way into the castle to put an end to the Calamity once and for all."

"The resulting battle completely destroyed what was left of the castle before moving to this very field, where the hero and the princess were able to work together to finally not just seal the Calamity, but completely destroy it."

A loud cheer erupted from Pinkie Pie and the fillies as they all jumped up and down in the air, more confetti erupting around the party pony. Where did she keep getting that?

Once everypony stopped cheering and/or laughing, Link continued once more.

"To answer your question, Applebloom, these trenches are are scars, the aftermath of that battle, made by the Calamity's magic blasts. If you go a little ways to the south, you'd see a group of what look like craters. Really, they're the Calamity's footprints."

"The ground is still contaminated by the power from those blasts. That's likely why they feel unnatural, Applejack, or why they cause your horn to resonate, Sweetie Belle."

Applejack let out a low whistle. "That musta been some mighty pow'rful magic if it could last this long."

"You said this was recent history." Starlight noted. "You also said that the hero was put to sleep just over a hundred years ago, and that he slept for roughly a hundred years. Just how recently did this happen?"

Link looked at Zelda. "What's today? Tuesday?"

The ponies all blinked in confusion, but Zelda just nodded.

"Right, then that would make it exactly three weeks ago."

The two of them didn't know it was possible for a pony's jaw to literally hit the ground.





If the sun moved the same here as it did back in Equestria, Applejack guessed it was about half past noon.

After Link and Zelda had finished their story, the rest of the morning had been passed in random conversation. Rainbow Dash had switch places with Applejack and was now pulling the cart and talking with Link about the various weapons in his armory, Fluttershy, Twilight, Starlight, and Zelda were all sitting in the back of the wagon, the latter three making observations and speculations about the various ruins they passed, and Spike was standing in the ruined driver's seat with the spear Rainbow had borrowed, keeping watch.

As for AJ, she simply walked in silence, letting the sun warm her back and feeling the earth under hooves. The path they walked on was obviously well traveled, as the ground was hard and bare, but every once in a while she'd wander off the beaten path and delight in the soft, grassy soil just beside it. It was good soil, she could tell. Nice and rich, perfect for planting crops. Maybe, just maybe, she'd plant a few trees here. She'd need something to do while they looked for a way back home, after all, and it would be nice to be able to leave something behind when they left. She figured she wouldn't be much help in figuring out a solution, anyway. Research and magic and all that weren't exactly her strong suit.

As they crested a small hill, a ruined structure came into view near the path. Link pointed to it.

"Let's rest there for a while. It'll be nice to sit in the shade, and I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm hungry."

Pinkie Pie suddenly popped up between Zelda and Fluttershy, causing Zelda to scream and fall backward.

"Hungry? I'm hungry! Can we have cupcakes?"

"How did you...?" Zelda muttered.

"Well, ah don't know 'bout cupcakes, but a nice cool apple an' pear salad sound's pretty good right 'bout now."

Everypony voiced their agreement. Link and Zelda didn't know what this "pear" stuff was, but if it went with apples, it would probably be good.

The structure looked like it had once been a small military watchpost. It would have boasted only one room, presumably to house the few soldiers who would have stayed there, and some arches surrounding a fire pit on top for the posted guard to keep watch. A mostly intact staircase led to what remained of the second level, and the first level was missing an entire wall, forming a perfect place to rest in the shade while they enjoyed a meal.

And that they did. As soon as they reached the outpost, Rainbow Dash unhitched herself from the cart and plopped down in the shade while everypony else got to work. Applejack grabbed the basket she had packed that morning, and she and Applebloom went to work cutting fruits and tossing them into a large bowl Pinkie Pie had gotten from...somewhere. Link, having helped the princess out of the cart and over to a soft patch of grass in the shade, and now having nothing better to do, pulled a dagger out of his belt and sat down with the Apple sisters to help prepare the meal.

Pears, he discovered, looked like deformed green apples with leathery skin. Out of curiosity, he popped a slice in his mouth and was surprised to find that it tasted nothing like an apple. It was sweeter and juicer, with a soft, grainy texture that would have been unpleasant in an apple. He liked it.

"Wow," he said, eyes wide. "Those are good."

Applejack raised an eyebrow. "What? Y'all never had a pear before?"

Link shook his head, his messy hair flopping in front of his eyes. "No. In fact, I don't think we have pears in Hyrule."

Zelda, now curious, hunched over Link's shoulder to examine the fruit. "I think you're right. This doesn't look like any species of fruit that I'm familiar with. I don't remember reading about it either." She grabbed a slice from off of his knife. Her eyebrows shot up. "You're right though; they are quite good. Save the seeds for me, would you? I'd love to try to grow them when we get home."

Link just nodded and Zelda stood back up (though not before sneaking another slice out of the bowl). "You know," she stated. "I think we may have a few other fruits that would taste wonderful with these." She went outside and rummaged through one of their food sacks before returning with a large green melon and a small bag of berries.

"Hey, yeah!" Link exclaimed, reaching for another bag hanging from his belt. "Hey Spike!"

Zelda took the dagger from him and started slicing the hydromelon as the dragon looked up at Link. He held up a handful of chickaloo nuts.

"Give me a roast?" Link asked. He tossed the nuts in the air, and Spike blew a quick tongue of fire. The green flames roasted them perfectly, and they fell into the bowl, joining the medley of fruits.

"Thanks." Link reached into another pouch and tossed a blue rupee over to Spike, who caught it excitedly.

"Awesome!" He broke a large piece off and stuffed it in his mouth. "You know," he said once he finished chewing, "The gems here taste different than back in Equestria." He bit off another piece, waiting until he swallowed before continuing. "Like, back home, the green ones were always my favorite, but here, they're kind of bland. I really liked that purple one I found under a rock yesterday, though."

Oh, perfect, Link rolled his eyes. I swear he's trying to eat me out of house and home.

He wasn't the only one worried about it though. "Well Spike," Zelda spoke up, already halfway done with the hydromelon. "I'm afraid that if you like the purple ones, you'll have to find them yourself, because they're rather expensive."

"Really?" Rarity asked, intrigued. "Gems like that are quite commonplace in Equestria."

"Yeah!" Pinkie offered. "My sister Maud lives in a cave full of them!"

"Well, I'm not saying they're entirely uncommon here, but while Equestria uses...what were they called? Bits? Yes, that seems right. While Equestria uses bits for currency, Hyrule uses those gems."

All eyes turned to Spike as he shoved the rest of what everypony now realized was a portion of Link and Zelda's money in his mouth. "Waith, weawy?"

Zelda nodded. "They're called rupees, and each color has a different value. The green and blue ones are only worth one and five, respectively, which is why we don't mind sharing them with you, Spike." Spike acknowledged her with a thumbs up. "However," she continued, "There are several other colors after them, each of them increasing in value. For example, the next denotation of rupee after blue is red, which is worth twenty rupees." Everypony's eyebrows shot up. "Then comes purple, which is worth fifty rupees, and the last two are silver and gold. They're both quite rare, and are valued at one hundred and three hundred rupees, respectively."

Everypony's jaw dropped. Spike paled under his scales as he realized he'd straight up eaten the equivalent of fifty bits.

Link noticed. "Hey, don't worry about it," he comforted the dragon, placing a hand on his back. "Like Zelda said, we've got no problem sharing our green and blue rupees with you. A lot of those gemstones you found earlier sell for quite a bit, so we can make the money back pretty easily as long as you stay away from those. Plus, Zelda and I have a rule for anyone who travels with us: you find it, you keep it. So any rupees you find lying around are yours to munch on."

Spike's face lifted a little at that. The salad they had all been working on was now ready, the result of their efforts being a beautiful medley of crunchy apples, juicy pears, sweet wildberries, and cool hydromelon garnished with roasted chickaloo nuts. Their makeshift shelter descended into near silence, with their collective chewing the only sound to be heard as they all reveled in this simple pleasure. The hydromelon's natural chill helped to stave off the heat of the day, and mixed wonderfully with the sweetness of the pears, which in turn contrasted the slight tart of the wildberries, and the crunch of both the apples and the nuts added the perfect blend of textures. The meat eaters of the group also enjoyed some boar jerky from Link's stash of dried foods. Rainbow Dash, a little extra hungry from pulling the wagon, happily accepted the jerky when offered, though Applejack politely passed, saying that just the fruit was enough for her. Much to Twilight's surprise, however, Spike, who had never shown any interest in eating meat despite his draconic heritage, asked for a piece as well. She wasn't sure how she felt about that.

Before long, they were all finished with their meal, and it was time to get back to the trail.





We're making good time crossing the Great Field. Once we lost our horse, and Applejack and Rainbow Dash began pulling the cart instead, I thought for certain that it would cost us a significant amount of time. It seems that I was wrong, however, as the two of them seem to be able to pull the cart at a faster rate than that of a normal horse without becoming exhausted. It puzzled me at first, how could something so small be so powerful. When questioned about it, Applejack claims that her strength comes from her earth pony magic. The other ponies confirmed this, but also informed me that the Apples are known to possess strength far superior to that of the average earth pony. It's a shame, really, because it leaves me without a baseline of average earth pony strength for my research. I suppose I could use Pinkie Pie in the study instead, but I'm not entirely sure that's a good idea at this point. I might not be as...patient...with her as Link is.

Rainbow Dash, who, as a pegasus, does not possess fortified strength, claims that she became strong over the course of several years competing with Applejack. You know, it's funny; she reminds me a lot of Revali. Her competitive impulse and almost arrogant self-praise are traits I'm sure he would have appreciated. However, she also reminds me of Link, from before the Calamity. Everything she does seems to be in the interest of her friends, whether it be pulling the wagon or patrolling the skies. She never seems to be far from the princess's side, either.

It really is uncanny.

On another note, the ponies asked about the Calamity today. I realize that not everybody knows the whole story, but to have to tell the entire tale from beginning to end was more...it was more difficult than I would like to admit. I think Link thought so as well. It's not pleasant to have to recount our failures to others. Still, I think

"Hey, Zelda?"

Zelda looked up from her journal. It was dark now, the sun having set behind the Gerudo mountains about an hour ago. They were, in fact, making good time, being about halfway across Hyrule Field in just one day. Of course, the fact that no monsters had challenged them along the way certainly helped. They were currently camped out under a tree beside the road, and after a dinner of leftover salad, most everypony was already asleep, with just the two humans and Applejack being left awake.

Said pony currently stood in front of her with an expectant look on her face. She placed her pen between the pages and quickly closed the book before AJ could see the writing on its pages.

"Is something wrong Applejack?"

The farmer rubbed a hoof over her fetlock. "Er, no, not really. It's...it's just..." She put her hoof back on the ground and met Zelda's gaze. "That story you an' Link told us all earlier, about the...Calamity?"

Zelda nodded. "What about it?"

"What...what happened to 'em? The the hero an' the princess, I mean."

Zelda sighed. They were bound to ask eventually.

"Well," she started. "It's not exactly a happy ending, so we didn't want to bring it up around the fillies. A hundred years of using her power to keep the Calamity at bay took its toll on the princess, and her body gave out during the final battle. The hero died of his wounds shortly after Ganon was defeated."

Applejack nodded, but still didn't seem convinced. "How...how do y'all know all this?"

"We were there." Link's voice cut in. The two turned to see him sitting in the tree, keeping watch.

"We weren't there for the actual fight," he continued, gazing out into the night. "But we were staying nearby at the time. Once the sounds of battle died out, we went to see what was going on. When we got there, the princess was already dead and the Calamity destroyed, but the hero was still alive."

Zelda sighed. "We tried to treat his wounds, but they were just too severe, and we were too late to keep him from dying."

Link nodded grimly. "He told us his tale, then passed on before we could get him to a proper healer. His last request was that we take the sacred blade and return it to its resting place in the Lost Woods. He and the princess are both buried in the Kakariko Village cemetery now."

Applejack chewed her lip and nodded. "Alright. I jus' noticed you didn't say what happened to 'em earlier. Thanks."

Zelda smiled. "Of course, Applejack. I'd probably be curious, too."

"Well, 'night." AJ turned and sauntered off.

"Goodnight Applejack." Link called. Once she was gone, he glanced down at Zelda, who smiled at him before going back to her journal.

Still, I think we were able to avoid suspicion.





A short ways off from where Zelda wrote in the lantern light and Link kept watch in the tree, Applejack laid down on a blanket next to Rainbow Dash.

They're lyin'.