//------------------------------// // Cupcakes at Sugarcube Corner // Story: The Legend of Zelda: Wielders of Harmony // by My Little Epona //------------------------------// The trip back to the mainland was as calm as the trip from there had been wild. Without help from the turtle, it took approximately a day and a half to reach Baltimare, time which was spent healing. Link finally gave in to Saria’s constant nagging, letting her help him with his injuries—and he had to admit, he healed much faster with her help. As for Lyra…..it was harder to tell. Black burn scars were streaked over her face, vivid against her coat. She spent almost the entire journey curled up in a corner of the boat, hiding under a tarp and refusing to look at anyone, only moving so Saria could treat her. She wouldn’t even talk to Bon Bon…..something that worried everyone. The arrived at Baltimare late at night. Since Bon Bon had been working all day, Epona voted to take over the ship when night fell, and Bon Bon told her to wake her up if she needed any help. Unfortunately, this resulted in Bon Bon being woken up almost every ten minutes…..until she decided to just stay awake. However……now she was a bleary-eyed, barely-conscious mess. The old captain, Port Side, seemed very happy to see his ship again. He seemed surprised to see it was still in one piece…..and the others voted not to tell him that they hitched a high-speed ride on a sea turtle. After cleverly dodging his probing questions about the journey, Bon Bon thanked him, and they left to find a deserted alleyway so they could warp back to Ponyville. Thankfully, not many ponies seemed to hang out in this section of the docks, and they only walked a short distance before finding a passageway between two tall, dark, deserted buildings. Link played the Minuet of Forest, and the world faded away, replaced by the soft green that came with warping. Once it blurred back into focus, Link recognized the edge of the Everfree forest. It was early noon, and they were encased in shade, just beyond the reach of the sunlight. One of the first things Link noticed was the fact that all of his leftover wounds were healed. The black and red streaks covering the exposed parts of his hooves were completely gone, not even leaving a scar behind. “Guys!” Lyra said, startling everyone. “Are the burn marks gone? Please….tell me they’re gone.” “Hang on, hold still for a second.” Bon Bon said, grabbing Lyra’s shoulder. “Um….yep. They’re gone. Don’t worry.” “Thank Celestia.” Lyra let out a relived sigh, flopping down. Link raised an eyebrow, opening his mouth to ask her if that’s what she had been moping about the whole time. “We should probably report back to Princess Twilight.” Epona said, cutting Link off almost as soon as the words were about to form. Link shut his mouth. Now that he thought about it, it was probably best if he didn’t say that…. “I’m sure she’d like to know that we’re back.” Bon Bon agreed. “I concur.” Octavia said. “Who’s Princess Twilight?” Darunia asked. “She’s the Princess of Friendship.” Vinyl said. “She doesn’t actually rule over a domain like the rest of the princesses, but she lives in the Ponyville. She’s been helping us.” “Wait, there are more princesses?” Saria said, confused. “In Hyrule there’s only one.” “Two.” Link corrected. “You forgot Princess Ruto. But, that’s beside the point. Are we going to see Princess Twilight or not?” “Yes. We are. Let’s go.” Epona said. The others voiced their agreement, and the group trotted away. It wasn’t long before they entered Ponyville…..and not long until a familiar pink pony caught sight of them. “HEY, GUYS!” Pinkie Pie called, pouncing on them. Link stifled a groan. “Omigoshomigoshomigosh!” She said. “It’s you, Lonk! You’re here! Where did you go??” “It’s Link, actually.” Link sighed, rubbing his forehead. “And….I went on….a quest…?” “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!” Pinkie’s deranged screech scared everyone. She bounced up and down, circling Saria and Darunia….both of whom looked uncomfortable and slightly worried. “More new ponies!” Pinkie’s smile was so wide, Link didn’t think it was even possible for her mouth to be that large. “Now we can have an awesome party!” She reached into her fluffy, vibrant pink mane, pulling out a clipboard and pen. “Where did she even get that?” Link asked. “It’s Pinkie Pie. Don’t question it.” Vinyl said. “Tell me, do you have an opinion on balloons?” Pinkie asked. Both Saria and Darunia didn’t answer, looking lost. “No? Okay, what about pinatas?” “Pinkie.” Bon Bon sighed, interrupting. “We really don’t have time for a party….” “She’s right.” Link confirmed. “We don’t have time to stop. We need to keep going.” “….oh.” Pinkie Pie wilted a little, shoving her clipboard back into her mane. “That’s….that’s okay….I’ll just be going….” “Well, you can’t throw a party…..” Epona said. “But why don’t you walk with us? We’re just heading to the castle.” At Epona’s suggestion, Pinkie Pie perked back up instantly. “That would be absolutely funciting!” She chirped, jumping up and down. “You know, like fun and exciting!” “Got it.” Link said. “Can we please go?” “Yup!” Pinkie took off, bouncing, and the others followed at a slightly slower pace. They reached Twilight’s castle—thankfully it was a cloudy day—and Pinkie shoved open the massive door, letting them into the front hall. “TWILIIIIIGHT!” Pinkie Pie yelled, the sheer force of her voice lifting her up into the air. All the Hyruleans winced, covering their ears. “Pinkie…….” Princess Twilight sighed, trotting into the hall. “You know, you could just come find me. There’s really no need to—oh!” Her face lit up as she caught sight of the others with Pinkie. “Link!” She cried, galloping over to them. “You’re all back! And okay?” “Yup.” Link said, with a smile. “That is, more or less.” “Here, come with me!” The princess said cheerfully. She lead them all into the next room—that is, the map room. “How did your journey go?” “It started out pretty uneventful.” Link said. “But then—oh! I just realized. I need to introduce you to my friend—Princess Twilight, meet Darunia of the Gorons.” “It’s wonderful to meet you!” Twilight said, beaming. She offered for a hoof. “Well, uh….the same to you, your highness.” Darunia took the preoffered hoof, shaking it awkwardly. “Darunia is the leader of the Gorons in Hyrule.” Link explained. “He’s also—” “Um...guys?” Vinyl interrupted. “Your cutie marks are all flashing. Again.” “Our what?” Darunia asked. “Cutie marks.” Vinyl repeated. Link, startled, looked for Darunia’s mark—surprised he hadn’t noticed it before. As Darunia’s flank was visible, Link could see it—it was the sign of fire, bright red, the same as on the fire medallion. “Where are we going now?” Octavia wondered. Link followed her line of gaze, watching the glowing marks spiral through the air, settling on the map again—this time, much closer to Ponyville than the Dragonlands. “Neighagra Falls?” Princess Twilight said, raising an eyebrow. “That seems...unexpected.” “Not entirely…...” Link sighed. He knew exactly why they were going there…..and he couldn’t say he was overjoyed about it. “Getting there will be a little more difficult.” The princess frowned thoughtfully, rubbing her chin with a hoof. “Though the train passes there….there’s no station. Most ponies just take a Pegasus chariot, but this is an awfully large group for a Pegasus chariot….” “And in any case, we’re not leaving yet.” Lyra piped up. “Because Bon Bon needs to sleep.” “Sleep?” Princess Twilight glanced at the pony in question, apparently just now noticing Bon Bon’s lined eyes and stumbling walk. “Oh—I see. You know, if you want, you can temporarily stay in a guest suite.” “Are you sure?” Bon Bon said, blinking rapidly and rubbing her eyes. “I don’t want to impose….” “Of course!” The princess said. “You don’t look like you could make it to your house. It’s not a bother at all—as you can see, we have plenty of space! I’ll get Spike to show you to a room.” “In that case….” Bon Bon gave an exhausted smile. “I would appreciate that so much….” Twilight nodded, giving Bon Bon a bright smile. “Spike!” She called. A creature that Link guessed was a dragon came running in. He was very short, with purple scales...and no wings. If anything, he looked more like a Dinolfos hatchling. Why is there a dragon here? Link thought. “Yes, Twilight?” The dragon—who Link realized was Spike—smiled at the princess, standing at attention. “Could you show Bon Bon to the nearest guest suite, please?” Princess Twilight asked. “Sure thing!” Spike said, gesturing to Bon Bon. “Thank you.” Bon Bon said, following Spike out of the room. “Okay, since Bon Bon needs to rest, now we have a little time to figure things out.” The princess tapped her hooves together thoughtfully. “If your group keeps growing like this, transportation is only going to get more difficult….let’s think.” “Well, you can think at Sugarcube Corner!” Pinkie announced, startling everyone. “If I can’t throw a party, I can at least give you cupcakes!” “Cupcakes actually sound good.” Princess Twilight admitted. “Does anyone object?” “Um….” Link said hestitantly. “What are…..cupcakes?” Pinkie Pie gave a shrill, high gasp, clutching her heart with a hoof. “Come. With. Me.” She demanded. “Now! No arguing!” “But—” Link said. “NO ARGUING!” Pinkie screeched, shooting out the door. “Guess we’d better go, then.” The princess chuckled. “It’s probably not a good idea to keep Pinkie waiting.” “Can I excuse myself from this?” Vinyl asked. “Or will Pinkie murder me? Cause I gotta go home and get..something.” “I’ll convince Pinkie to keep her murderous tendencies under control.” Princess Twilight said with a smile. “Go ahead.” “Thanks!” Vinyl trotted away. Spike the dragon came back into the room. “Hey, Spike, we’re going to Sugarcube Corner!” The princess said. “Would you like to come with us?” “No thanks!” Spike said. “I’m right in the middle of a Power Ponies comic….and I stopped at a cliffhanger. I might come along later!” “Okay, then. If Bon Bon wakes up while you’re here, could you tell her we’re at Sugarcube?” “Sure!” “Great, thanks!” Princess Twilight said, waving at Spike as they left. Link felt slightly uncomfortable walking through town. Their group attracted a lot of attention—Link would’ve liked to say it was because of the princess, but he guessed it had more to do with the fact that a giant, rock-like pony was walking with them. In fact, they seemed to barely notice Princess Twilight. Pinkie Pie met them about halfway through their walk, and spent the rest of the time bouncing up and down impatiently and telling them to hurry. Sugarcube Corner, was a small, strange-looking building not far from the castle. It almost looked like a house made of sugary treats…..and now it wasn’t surprising that Pinkie lived there. Darunia got stuck in the front doors at first, and after a lot of shoving, the others decided to let the princess use her magic to teleport him inside….surprisingly, there were no side effects—even though Link half expected Princess Twilight’s horn to spark and blow up half the building, Darunia ended up safely inside. “What can I get you all?” Pinkie asked once they were inside, seated on low stools that lined a counter. “Can I have chocolate and mint?” The princess asked. “I want cotton candy!” Lyra said, raising her hoof. “Um….really quick….” Darunia said. “I actually….only eat rocks….” “Okie dokie lokie!” Pinkie chirped. “In that case, I’ll just be getting you some of our famous rock candy then!” “Rock candy?” Darunia said. “You’ll love it.” Pinkie assured him. “I, uh….still don’t know what a cupcake is….” Link said. Epona and Saria nodded their heads in agreement with him. “No problemo then!” Pinkie said. “I’ll just surprise you! I’ll be right back in a second with your sweet treats!” She skipped away. “So.” Princess Twilight said, turning to Link. “How’d your journey go?” “Oh—” Link said, somewhat surprised. He wasn’t expecting such a direct question. “It was...well, pretty good. The first few days were smooth sailing, I mean, we were just on a train….then with Bon Bon’s help, we found a ship pretty easily, and crossed the ocean faster than we thought we would, all thanks to a giant turtle.” “Turtle?” The princess echoed. “Don’t ask. We didn’t hit any trouble when we first arrived at the Dragonlands either…..well, until we met Volvagia.” “Who’s Volvagia?” The pony next to him asked, cocking her head to the side. “A giant, demon-like dragon from my world.” Link explained, making gestures with his hooves. Princess Twilight frowned thoughtfully, tapping her hooves together. “Then…..why is it in ours?” She wondered. “I wish I had an answer to that.” Link said. “But, we defeated Volvagia and found Darunia. Lyra was injured….but now she’s okay.” “Sounds like quite the adventure!” The princess said. “It’s only going to get better.” Link assured her. “CUPCAAAAKES!” Pinkie shouted, making everyone jump. The pink pony came bounding in, carrying a tray—which, miraculously, didn’t dump it’s load. “Chocolate mint...” She slid one to Twilight. “Cotton candy….” That one went to Lyra. “Lavender and vanilla….” That one was Saria’s. “Lavender and white chocolate.” One was given to Octavia. “Caramel...” She handed one to Epona. “Chocolate and hazelnut...” Link received one. “And some rock candy!” She dumped a pile of glistening, multicolored rocks in front of Darunia. “Enjooooy!” “Is she always like this?” Link asked, eyeing the hyperactive pony. “Always.” The princess chuckled, taking a bite from her cupcake. “You know,” Saria said, sounding surprised, “this thing is actually pretty good.” “Definitely!” Epona agreed agreed. Inspired by his friends, Link took a tentative nibble. The first thing he noticed was that it was sweet. Very, very,verysweet. But then, he tasted the underlying hints of something nutty….almost masked by the sweet, rich, dark flavor. “This is amazing.” Link said. Pinkie beamed. “Well, now that we are properly energized, to business!” Princess Twilight said, her mouth full. “How can you get to Neighagra falls?” Pinkie leaned against the counter, obviously taking interest in the conversation. “I’ve actually been thinking about that….” Octavia said. “What if we rent more than one Pegasus chariot? It’s kind of a lot….but what other option is there? If we ride two at a time—except Darunia, of course—then we’d take up...five? Five chariots? Yeah, five.” “Actually….” The princess said. “That’s not a bad idea.” “That’s a super, duper, trooper idea!” Pinkie said, bouncing into the air. “As soon as Bon Bon’s awake, you can zip-de-do-da off to the falls!” In spite of himself, Link had to smile at Pinkie’s utter weirdness. He didn’t understand it, but weird was a mood that looked good on this energetic pony. “So….is transportation settled?” Princess Twilight asked. “I’d say it is!” Octavia said. Saria agreed. “Yeah….sure.” Epona nodded. “Great!” The princess smiled, then turned to Link. “Did you ever get a chance to write in that journal I gave you?” “I certainly did!” Link said, flipping open his inventory. “Would you like to see it?” “Sure.” Princess Twilight agreed. Link pulled it from his inventory, handing it to her. Twilight lifted it with her magic, beginning to read. “Sorry for the handwriting.” Link apologized. “I’m still kind of getting used to it.” “No problem.” Twilight said. “I barely even noticed.” Now that Twilight was reading, Link turned to Epona, who was sitting next to him. “So.” He said. “How are you doing? We haven’t really had a good time to chat since we left for the Dragonlands.” “I’m all right.” Epona said amiably. “How are you?” “…..getting better.” Link said, adding a dry chuckle. Epona laughed. Darunia and Pinkie struck up a conversation about rocks. Octavia and Saria began talking about composing music, and the different instruments Octavia played. Lyra, however…… Lyra simply sat by herself, staring at her cupcake. She hadn’t even touched it. “Um...” Link said, glancing at her. “I’ll be right back.” Epona followed Link’s line of gaze, then nodded when she saw what he was looking at. Link trotted over to the forlorn pony, taking a seat on the stool next to her. “Hey.” He said. “How you doing?” Lyra shrugged without making eye contact. “You okay?” He asked. Lyra nodded, her gaze still focused on the treat below her. Link raised an eyebrow. “You say that you’re okay, but you haven’t touched your bowl cake?” He said. “Cupcake.” Lyra corrected, her voice a monotone. “Oh.” Link gave an awkward chuckle. “Right.” There was a second of silence—well, silence at their end of the counter. The others were still talking. Lyra nudged the cupcake in front of her, getting a bit of swirling, blue and pink frosting on her hoof. “You’re allowed to talk about it, you know.” Link said. Lyra blinked, finally looking at him, her expression startled. “Talk about what?” She asked. “What’s bothering you.” Link said, raising both of his eyebrows. Lyra looked away again, sighing. “I guess…..” She said, tracing circles on the counter. “I guess I’m just mad. At myself, that is.” “For what?” Link asked, surprised. “I was stupid...” Lyra muttered. “I got myself badly injured.” She shivered. “Till that moment…..I didn’t know what pain felt like. Now I do….and I don’t ever want to feel it again.” Link stayed quiet, listening, “And it was all because I didn’t pay attention!” Lyra said. “To you, or to what I was doing. And that’s why I got those horrible burn marks on my face….I was so worried they wouldn’t go away. That I’d be stuck with them forever! It….still feels like they’re there.” She unconsciously glanced to the side, checking her reflection in the side of a glass display. I guess it was her first time being injured…Link thought. At all. “I just wish I could have been more of a help.” Lyra sighed, burying her face in her hooves. “You were a big help!” Link insisted, patting her on the back. “But I made things harder for everypony!” Lyra protested. “Give yourself more credit.” Link said, forcing her to make eye contact with him. “You helped, even if you don’t think you did.” “But you did so much better than me….” Lyra sighed, laying her head on the counter. “The only reason you got hurt was because you were protecting us! I got hurt cause I was stupid.” “Okay….the first time I fought Volvagia?” Link said. Maybe a story would help. “I almost died.” “What?” Lyra’s head jerked up so fast she winced, rubbing the back of her neck. “Yup.” Link said. “I actually had to retreat so I could heal myself. Then, on my second try…..I walked into lava.” “You what?” Lyra blinked, completely surprised. “Had to retreat again.” Link laughed at her expression. “It wasn’t until my sixth try that I actually managed to defeat him—and even then I only barely survived. He was a tough boss.” “So….” Lyra said slowly. “In the Dragonlands….that was your seventh go?” “Yup!” Link said again. His cheerful tune prompted a smile to rise on Lyra’s face, but then it faded. “How do you take this so lightly?” She asked. “You almost died…..and you’re practically laughing about it.” “Well, it’s because looking back, I can see what I did wrong the first five times.” Link said. “And I laugh at the naive mistakes I made. I learned from those mistakes—that’s why it was okay to make them. If we’d lost back there on the Dragonlands—we would have retreated, healed up, and regrouped. Rinse, repeat. For as long as it would take.” Lyra stared at her hooves for a second. “…..thank you.” She said quietly. Link smiled. He didn’t have to ask what she meant. “Any time.” He said, patting her on the back one last time. He stood up, trotting back to his original seat. As he watched Lyra, he saw her stare thoughtfully at the counter for a little bit…..then her face broke out in a smile, and she took a huge bite of her cupcake. “Good talk?” Epona asked. “Good talk.” Link confirmed. “You’re a really sweet guy.” Twilight said all of the sudden, startling Link. She looked up from the journal she was still reading. “You really care about Saria, don’t you?” There was an extremely awkward moment of dead silence. Saria stared at her hooves, looking as if she wished the floor would swallow her up. Link considered his answer. Of course he cared about her. She was his oldest friend. But how could he say that without sounding like a creepy weirdo? “Um….” He said eloquently, ignoring Epona’s badly-disguised snickers. Lyra burst into sudden laughter, startling all of them. Octavia straight-up jumped, leaving her seat for a few seconds. The others stared at Lyra as she banged a hoof weakly on the counter, eyes streaming. “I don’t even know why I’m laughing!” She said, trying to apologize. Her uncontrolled humor sent the others off, somewhat bewilderedly. Then they looked at each other and also began laughing, just from their own reactions. Eventually, the mirth subsided, and Octavia patted a teary-eyed Lyra on the back, wiping water from her own eyes. I feel….really good right now. Link realized. He glanced at the others—Pinkie Pie practically lying on the counter, wheezing; Saria, Lyra, and Octavia giggling every time they made eye contact; Darunia asking what the joke was about even as he recovered from the mirth; Twilight and Epona leaning on each other as they recovered their breath. It’s these moments….Link thought. These little, seemingly insignificant moments… Memories sprung to the front of his mind—playing hide and seek with the Kokiri, playing music for the Gorons, helping the builders in Kakariko village, playing the Zora’s diving game, helping Malon on the ranch….. These are the moments that make an adventure truly amazing. It’s not the fighting, or the endless praise for being a hero….it’s these times when I can relax and talk. When I can spend time just relaxing….. With friends.