//------------------------------// // Return of Chaos // Story: A Link to Equestria // by Wandering Quill //------------------------------// ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ ~-~-~-~-~-~▼~-~-~-~-~-~ “Why did you release him?!” “Now, now… did you not miss me? I honestly feel offended,” the draconequus spoke instead, further aggravating Raindow’s already blazing annoyance. “After all, we never even got to say goodbye!” A deep, short snigger from the creature called Discord’s attention to his side. “And who, pray tell, are you?” “Spirit of Chaos,” it said with a bow. “I am Ganondorf. I was the one who freed you.” “Yes, I seem to have gathered as much. For the record, I’m not a genie; I don’t grant wishes. I like what you’ve done with the place, by the way. Loving the chaos.” “SILENCE!” Even the chimera cringed at the sheer power that the man’s holler possessed all of a sudden. He’d seen it a few times in the past – the distant past, no less - but in all occasions, it had been vociferated by the same entities: monarchs. Merely knowing this… thing… dominated such ability was petrifying enough for him – and there seemed to be no greater joy for the cloaked fiend than to witness his subjugated grimace. “Ah… so you know…” the man spoke, grinning deviously. “Who… are you? Why did you free me?” “I have awakened you so that I may offer a proposal that may benefit both of us,” Ganondorf continued. The spirit’s expression slowly softened, curiosity beginning to overlap panic. “And what does such offer entail?” “It is simple.” The swordsman spun in place, raising his sword. The nature of the deal dawned upon Discord when the tip of the blade pointed towards the ponies who spectated the negotiations. “We destroy our common enemy.” “I see… Though you seem to be forgetting an important detail.” The way the thief’s mouth contorted when Discord closed in so that their heads were side-to-side could be seen from miles away. “They are the Elements of Harmony.” Confidence flashed across the ponies’ face for the briefest moment – a moment interrupted by the crescent of devilish laughter that erupted from the man, his head leaning back as if to properly project his voice – apparently surprising even the spirit himself, who instantly removed his hands from the creature’s shoulders and slowly backed away. When his mirth ceased, Ganondorf abruptly faced forward again. He raised a hand, and it was as though the menacing storm clouds that above spiraled down towards his palm, where a swirling ball of darkness began to take shape. Forming a fist, the orb exploded, and in its place floated a jewel fitted box, its gilded, indigo color extremely familiar to all of those present. “The Elements!” “Give those back!” “Rainbow, don’t-!” Applejack still tried, but it was already too late, as the cyan pegasus was already airborne when the warning came. “Insolent pony,” Ganondorf simply grunted, his timing perfect when the sword was dropped to the ground so that the hand that wielded it could be raised directly at the pony who bulleted his way. As the man drew closer, Rainbow closed her eyes and braced herself for the impact, teeth clenched in a demonstration of fierce fortitude… Yet the crash never happened. She knew she was still in the air, and no matter how much she squirmed, her hooves never touched the ground. Her throat ached; something firmly gripped her around her neck, impeding all of her movements. “These toys are too much for you to handle!” The man’s voice snapped her eyes open, and before she could realize what had happened, his fist connected with her chest with astonishing power, hurling the pegasus across the air and back to her friends, sliding to a halt just steps away from them. “Rainbow!” the unison wave of gasps cried out, the remaining ponies rushing to her side while Discord inched farther away from Ganondorf, his renewed cackling none the more contagious. “You do not understand the powers you wield,” the thief continued, taking hold of the box to open the lid. His smile grew wider as the natural shimmer of the jewels bathed his features, his free hand digging hungrily into the container to grab all of them at once. The spirit of chaos winced at the boldness of the man, his two previous encounters with the relics having been events he’d rather forget. “These… things…” he added, his voice becoming tinged by anger. One by one, the gem-studded tiara and necklaces fell to the grass, a pile beginning to take shape. Rid of the objects, it was as if his left hand had caught on fire when it curled into a fist and burst into a dark violet flame; the man arched the arm back, and his intentions suddenly became clear: “THEY ARE WORTHLESS!” The personification of anarchy himself became appalled as Ganondorf’s fist shook the ground underneath them with its sheer power, a precisely aimed action that audibly shattered the artifacts into countless golden fragments that were scattered to the seven winds by the resulting shock wave. “You… you destroyed the Elements…” surprisingly, the spirit had been the first to speak up, the ponies too stunned to even move just yet. “Ahahahah! You destroyed the Elements of Harmony! Oh, this is-” “SILENCE, I SAY!” Ganondorf retorted instantly, retrieving his sword. “My task – OUR TASK – is not yet complete! While the five of them live… Then there is still work to be done!” The distinctive cry of a horn in the distance brought the man back to his feet, his gaze directed to the burning city next to them. Something soared in the middle of the blaze columns of smoke that rose to the sky, headed their way at impressive speeds – which for him was apparently a cause for joy, if his quiet snicker was any indication. Discord followed his eyes, and saying his reaction was much milder would be a massive understatement. “Ah, I was beginning to question when they would arrive,” Ganondorf spoke, perhaps too contentedly for Discord’s liking. “You mean to tell me that the one in the lead…” “Yes. The other half of the Light Force.” As if on cue, the regal alicorn of the night descended upon the gardens, a fierce glare scarring her features as she flared her midnight blue wings so that the baffled ponies behind could be protected. Her guard landed next to her just moments after, a pair of sentinels carrying with them a somewhat charred wagon. Ganondorf remained impassive to the abrupt increase of his enemy’s numbers, much unlike his ally. “We meet again, Princess Luna!” “THE PLEASURE IS ALL YOURS, NIGHTMARE MOON. IF I NEVER SAW YOU AGAIN, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN TOO SOON.” “Luna! Please! Can I not be content for meeting my mother? Perhaps you, too, should share my happiness; you are, after all, seeing your own spawn!” “ENOUGH OF THIS! CEDE MY SISTER’S LOCATION AND SURRENDER, AND PERHAPS I WILL NOT BE SO SEVERE IN YOUR PUNISHMENT!” “Ah, but how will you accomplish that? I hold all the cards… do I not?” The statement clung to her mind like a leech, consuming the willpower she had been garnering while overflying what remained of her city. The disgraceful scenario she’d encountered awakened a thirst for revenge that – she refused to admit – she had been craving. Knowing who was responsible for it only served to rouse the fire that burned within her. No. She wouldn’t forfeit to such a foe. She’d done so once – the result had not been optimal. “…I will fight you.” Grabbing the cape on her back with her teeth and tossing it away, she lowered her head and spread her forelegs, hoping to appear threatening to the enemy. Her horn flared to life for safe measure, and the guardsponies followed her lead, hoisting their spears. “This time, I will not lose.” “…you share your sister’s stubbornness,” Ganondorf spoke after a moment of contemplation, raising the sword. “You also share her ingenuity.” “ALL OF YOU!” The hastiness in the princess’s voice stirred the ponies from their trance, though fear was still patent in their eyes. “BOARD THE CHARIOT AND FLEE!” “B-But we can’t just go’n leave ya here! How’re ye-” “THAT WAS NOT A QUESTION!” Her will inevitably came to pass with the assistance of the cart’s soldiers, who took the more relentless mares and readily tossed them into the wooden contraption. “Do not let them escape!” the evil man issued as soon as the rudimentary chariot left the ground. He only had the chance of watching Discord take off after it before a rampaging Luna required his immediate attention, raising his sword at the last possible second to stop the alicorn’s assault and lock horn and sword in a lethal duel. Higher above, the Night Guard struggled in their journey away from the arena, a task made much more complicated by the storm that raged over the lands. Knowing that one of the mares in the wagon had passed out from the shock didn’t help either, and they could only imagine what they still had to go through before reaching Ponyville. “Everything okay back there?!” “We’re fine! Just get us to Ponyville!” “We’re doing the best we can! The storm’s starting to get really violent!” “Wind’s getting too strong! We got a hurricane coming up!” the other guard alerted. “Hurricane?! What the hay are the pegasi back in the weather factory doing?!” the guard began to trail off when a gust brought him higher than his teammate, nearly tossing the ponies in the back out of their transportation. “Brace yourselves, this is about to get nast-WHOA!” the guard exclaimed before the wind treated them and their cargo like a ragdoll, constantly shoving the pilots in every direction while the ponies in the back suffered the wrath of the cyclonic drafts. Up became down, and the guards, exhausted from fighting against the vicious breeze, resigned to their fate, allowing themselves to be cradled by whatever this gale had in store for them. Surprisingly enough, it was as if they were disregarded by the tornado, as they plummeted to the lake below just when their resistance wore off. It was the cargo that this sentient storm seemed to want. “Fluttershy, wake up! Come on, snap out of it! We gotta get outta here!” the rainbow-maned pony practically screamed while shaking her friend back and forth. The pegasus did come to, and only didn’t plunge back into a deep slumber because of Rainbow’s perseverance. “No! Don’t go away again! I – we – need you! We gotta fly out of here!” “I-I can’t do this! The wind is too strong!” “We’ve been through this, Fluttershy! We’ve done something like this before! But now, it’s doing it or kicking it!” No sooner had she finished talking than the cart toppled, the five mares being forcefully pulled out and strewn haphazardly across the sky. Dash was the first to take the matter into her own hoof, beating her wings as fast as she could to pierce the air current and grab whichever pony was closer to her. Applejack’s grip was as strong as always, the two hooves intertwined while they pulled each other mutually, until the cowpony’s forelegs were crossed around the pegasus’s neck. Fluttershy, however, still battled two enemies at once: her mind and the rainstorm. Luckily enough, Pinkie – who seemed to be having too much fun with the way she orbited the eye of the storm – crashed against the yellow pegasus, the result being similar to her friend’s, much to Rainbow’s relief. A quick search revealed that Rarity had somehow clung onto the cart, her screams nothing but hums in comparison with the wind that boomed in her ears. Without further ado, the pegasus shot in her direction, summoning whatever strength she had left to aid her. But the twister had other plans. “It’s been fun playing with you five again! What a shame that your other friend couldn’t join in,” the storm’s amused voice boomed; one too familiar to not recognize. “Discord!” Rainbow promptly yelled. Any other words died in her throat as the wind began to pull her farther and farther away from her goal. “Ah yes, the Element of Loyalty strikes again! I should be careful, maybe! Another one of your ‘friendship’ beams might hit me while I’m not looking!” “We’ll get you for this!” “Oh, I’m sure you will. In another lifetime, of course. Right now, I have a… deal… I have to stick to… but the contract never stated how I’m supposed to get rid of you!” Rainbow could feel the draconequus voice whispering the next words in her ear, as if he was right beside her. “And just like last time, I’ll do it slowly… One by one, I’m going to break you apart... and when you’re within an inch of giving up… I’ll take your power, and claim the world for myself… I am stronger in chaos… and if Nightmare Moon wants chaos… then I am the right spirit for it!” “Y-You… traitor!” “Now now, Rainbow Dash. No strong words. How about we calm you down by starting with your struggling friend over there?” “You wouldn’t!” “Once more, I feel offended. It is as if you do not know me. I’m just going to have some fun!” The wind somehow stopped blowing, and Rainbow began to feel Applejack’s weight again, the drafts no longer supporting both of them. Fluttershy seemed to fare similarly, if against her will, but thankfully so. However, her eyes went wide upon noticing where this storm had moved to, like the world itself was distorted by the sheer force this whirlwind possessed, effectively ensnaring the fashionista and her cart inside its walls of wind. “Well, that was fun! I will be seeing you again soon! For now… arrivederci!” And with that, the tempest disappeared altogether, the abrupt stop of the wind making momentum kick in and catapult the cart and its contents to the distance, the previously muffled shrieks of panic bellowed by the pony inside it now very clear for everypony to hear. “Rarity!” Rainbow still yelled, taking off without a moment’s hesitation. But the speed at which the wagon was being carried proved to be far too great for the already tired pegasus. “Dang it, I can’t… get… to her…” “Y’gotta get’er, Rainbow!” Applejack called from her back. “The way she’s goin’, she’ll be cockatrice fodder… or worse!” “I know, I know! But the only way I’ll get to her in time is…” “Then do it, Rainbow! You’ve done it before! Thrice!” “But it was different! I wasn’t-” “Consarnit, Rainbow, do it now or Celestia help me I’ll…” Whatever threat she was about to utter faltered with the pegasus’s sudden increase of speed, the cyan mare having ducked her head to as to obtain greater speeds. Applejack could only smile at the show. “That’s right! Giddyup, pony!” ~-~-~-~-~-~▲~-~-~-~-~-~ ~-~-~-~-~-~▲▲~-~-~-~-~-~ Sparks flew into the air every time their powers clashed, a magical sphere charged with electricity colliding with the sharp edge of his sword, only to ricochet back at its creator, who found himself immobilized before the power of the sacred arrows and thus forced to land. Link didn’t want to waste his chances, and immediately leaped onto the central pillar unleashing his fury upon the King of Thieves, Ganondorf, each swing of his blade a dedicatory to those who had helped the hero and those who had fallen in combat for the same goals. Though the Gerudo managed to block some of the hits with his armored limbs, he still could not avoid the greater damage that the Hero of Time could still cause. When he sensed that his foe could no longer protect himself from the final, deadly blow, Link gripped the Master Sword ever tighter and plunged it into the man’s chest, removing it immediately after with the sickening noise of metal slicing through bone. “Link…” it coughed with a hand over its chest, spraying a cloud of crimson blood with his name. Somehow, Link knew what would happen next: the castle would crumble around him, and he and Zelda would have to escape as it ruined around them; when they reached safety, the castle would fall apart entirely, and the ultimate beast, Ganon, would appear. His heart stopped when none of that happened. “…you cannot kill me… fool…” the man snarled. Without any warning, Ganondorf darted forward, digging its fist in the young man’s stomach. “I am the Prince of Darkness…” His vision blurred every time his hand twisted in place, but Link still couldn’t move. He had his sight fixed on the man’s malevolent eyes, where the desire to see the hero dead burned intensely. “You cannot stop… the eternal night… perpetual twilight…” “Wake up…” ~-~-~-~-~-~▲~-~-~-~-~-~ ~-~-~-~-~-~▲▼▲~-~-~-~-~-~ “TWILIGHT! WAKE UP! TWILIGHT!” The boy’s mind hadn’t even finished understanding whether or not this was already reality when he leaped off the bed and grabbed hold of his equipment before tumbling down the stairs with the sword raised; there he was met with the sight of a lavender unicorn lying over her side on the wooden floor, and right beside her… “DRAGON!” his voice seemed to startle the creature as well, but that didn’t matter, as Link was not about to give the monster an opportunity to strike, instead swinging his improvised sword in hopes that it was not that resilient. But the purple-scaled dragon was not about to give in, having narrowly dodged his strike and grabbed a weapon of its own – a sealed scroll? – to hold it as though it was a real blade. This shouldn’t be too difficult, the swordsman thought after realizing their size discrepancies, the fiend barely reaching his shoulder’s height. The dragon struck first, and Link skillfully blocked the hit with his shield. Taking the moment of proximity for his advantage, the boy swung the sword again, this time successfully smacking the edge against his enemy’s arm so that its lowly weapon could be dropped. Seemingly confused and with the wooden blade pointed at his chest, the dragon slumped to the ground on its knees, surely ready to… …beg for forgiveness? “LIIIIIINK!” the fairy’s voice called from the top of the stairs at an increasingly high volume. “Stand back! It’s dangerous!” he warned as soon as Olivia was by his side, a hand keeping her back while the other held the sword in place. “It did something to Twilight!” “P-PLEASE, DO WHATEVER YOU WANT T-TO ME, J-JUST LEAVE H-HER ALONE!” a third, unfamiliar voice stammered between desperate sobs. Tracing the sound to its origin, he was astounded to find that it belonged not to some person/pony in the room, but to the pleading dragon beside him. Utterly confused, the boy turned to the fairy for enlightenment. “Not all dragons are trying to eat people, you know,” she stated flatly. Link felt his cheeks grow warm in embarrassment. He’d only seen maybe one or two dragons in all of his life, and all of them were trying to kill him and or an entire population; needless to say, his opinion on them was not the most positive. “And put that away, you’re starting to scare me too.” The dragon’s supplications slowly ceased as the sword was sheathed; he was clearly just as confused as the swordsman who stretched his hand out, declaring an unspoken truce. It eyed his hand with apprehension, tentatively raising its own before accepting the offer at last. “Great! Now that we’re all settled…” the fairy chimed in, fluttering to the dragon’s side. “I’m Olivia, this is Link, he doesn’t get a word of what you say, sorry for attacking. Are we good?” Way to make it awkward, Olivia. “Huh, I… suppose?” the dragon spoke, his words lingering in the air for a moment; he could swear that the fairy was expecting something else from him. “I’m… Spike?” “We’re all good then! No need to go around fighting, right? Right! Now if you’ll both excuse me, there’s a mare passed out on the ground!” “I-I dunno what happened, she was just talking to me about some big breakthrough she made in… huh… what was the name… Light Force or something!” the young drake quickly spoke, running to meet Olivia next to the fainted mare. “Then I went to the kitchen for a moment and I heard something crash, and when I got here, she… she…” “She’s still breathing,” the fairy observed. “Maybe she’s just tired. We’re all tired, and Celestia knows I still need some sleep. But she… she’s been running too much for too long.” Suddenly, Link felt proud of his endurance. “I-I can go get the nurse Redheart! She’ll know what to do!” “Do it, then. We’ll take care of her for now,” Olivia instructed. With a nearly imperceptible nod, Spike hurried out the house. “Major breakthroughs, huh?” Olivia echoed once the dragon was away, leaving Link to bend down and inspect the unicorn himself. “You think it’s got something to do with how we’ll take those two down? I’d like some sunshine just about now. Hey, what’s that in your hand?” At first, the boy raised an eyebrow, questioning what the fairy could mean, until he noticed that the triangular birthmark on his left hand was, indeed, shimmering. He knew what it was, and what it meant – how could he not, with Ganon’s continuous boasting of his own. But even from the Gerudo’s wicked bragging he could learn something. And if there was something that their encounters had taught him, was that every time these marks made their presence known… “The Triforce parts are resonating,” he spoke, more to himself than to the sprite. “But I’m the only one with a part… right?” “Seems that thing on your hand isn’t the only sparkly thing here,” Olivia commented from Twilight’s side. Link cast her a questioning look, moving closer to see what she was referring to. Indeed, on the mare’s flank, the same star-shaped symbol he’d seen before emitted a bright yellow light, akin to the one he possessed. He felt tempted to touch it, but never had the chance as the pony started groaning right when his fingers were inches away from her coat. “Huh… what… what happened?” she groggily asked, attempting to get back on her hooves only to be struck down again by a strong headache. “According to your dragon friend, you passed out.” “Really? Urgh… Must’ve hit something…” “Spike said you discovered something about the Light Force.” Link winced at Olivia’s straightforwardness. “What did you find?” “I… wait…” Twilight’s ears twitched as a distant rumbling shook the foundations of the tree. “Do you hear that?” “Twilight!” the dragon’s voice called from outside, its owner running through the door instants later, panting heavily while a hand pointed to the sky outside. “There’s – huff – something – puff – you gotta see!” This seemed to stir the mare up immediately, the three occupants of the library quickly joining the dragon at the doorstep to marvel at the spectacle that took place over the far off forests: a magnificent ring, one dyed with all the colors one could possibly imagine, claimed the skies with its glory, spreading apart the dark clouds that dared approach it. A single, rainbow streak shot from it, apparently directed at the woods bordering Ponyville: the Everfree Forest. A sudden burp called their attention back to the ground, however, and while Olivia stared in what could only be assumed was disgust, Twilight was rendered speechless by the materialization of a white scroll from within the green fire the dragon spewed. It was sealed with a crimson lace and the unmistakable gilded seal of the Canterlot Royalty, and that detail alone filled her with indescribable happiness. “A letter?” Olivia queried, fluttering closer to the object. “Not just any letter,” Twilight fondly replied, unfurling the scroll with her magic. “It’s a letter from Princess Celestia.” “C-Celestia? B-But… wasn’t she…” “My faithful student, I do not have much time, so I will be swift. As I am sure you are aware by now, you are in possession of a power that Nightmare Moon and her ally hungers for. It pains me that I have burdened you with such great responsibility, but the greater good so required. Please, accept my apologies. I am waiting for a signal so that you may receive this letter. A signal of hope, one which you – all of you – recognize universally as the symbol of what brings you together. I have thus received it, should you be reading this. In the final hours in which I may be of assistance, I can only provide so much help. Find me where it all began. Find the three relics of Equestria. Find HARMONY.”