A Link to Equestria

by Wandering Quill

The Ruins

“Alright, let’s try this just one more time,” the mint green unicorn quietly spoke. Her gilded lyre was encased in a similarly colored glow before floating up in the air. She experimentally plucked all of the chords in a quick succession, the melodious tune it produced appearing to appease the mare. With the patience of a teacher, she trotted off the makeshift stage, boxes containing merchandise meant for tailoring composing its floor. “Are you ready?”

The light gray filly on the stage gave a faint nod, coughing twice to clear her throat. Then, the lyre’s strings were magically plucked once more. Slowly, the notes it created began to merge into a consistent, tuneful song, and when the filly thought she was fully emerged in the composition, she closed her eyes, and her mouth opened slightly, producing a faint hum very much attuned to the melody it accompanied.

The other mare closed her eyes as well, gradually raising a hoof. As if the filly was watching, her voice grew louder with the limb’s ascent, which brought a smile to the instrument’s owner. The foreleg was lowered, and the filly’s voice followed. This was their routine; no words or eyes were necessary for them to continue synched mutually. The player eventually allowed herself some more freedom, and instead of monotonous, up and down movements, her foreleg began to draw exquisite forms in the air.

Then her part ended, and the filly’s voice was the only sound that entertained the wax models around them, their magnificent attire the perfect garments for spectators of such a show. The older pony’s eyes remained closed, so that she could better experience the gentle voice of her student.

With an enthusiastic crescendo came the peak of the performance, and then her voice grew quiet. The lyre’s chords were plucked twice, and the instrument was lowered to the ground again.

“You’re getting better every day, Sweetie Belle!” the mare praised with a grin, walking closer to the stage.

The filly returned the gesture. “Thanks, Miss Heartstrings! You know you were a big help with this!”

“Please, just Lyra is good,” she quickly corrected, picking her instrument’s cover with her magic. “And trust me, Sweetie, it’s all you. I’m just guiding you, that’s all.”

“I’m just really glad my sister found you to do this! You’re the best musician ever!”

“Eheh, you flatter me,” the mare giggled. With the lyre in the bag, she opened the curtains. A frown scarred her features when she was met with the same downpour she’d endured on her way to the boutique. “I can’t believe it’s still raining… we haven’t seen the sun all day.”

Sweetie Belle hopped off the ‘stage’ and moved closer to her teacher. “Maybe Applejack asked the weather ponies to make it rain longer.”

Lyra didn’t reply; her attention was fixated on the ongoing rain. Something about it awakened her innate unicorn senses, as though the responsible one for the creation and durability of the storm was magic. This particular type of magic, however… it wasn’t the type she’d wanted to feel.

“Miss Heartstr- I mean, Lyra!” Sweetie’s voice broke her focus; she shook her head and searched for the unicorn filly, only to find her already at the door with a crimson cape on her back, a blue and yellow emblem adorning the place where her cutie mark would be. “I’m going out to meet Applebloom and Scootaloo! They said they had a new idea for us to try!”

“Oh, huh, yes,” the mare stammered, scrambling on her hooves towards the door with the lyre’s case floating beside her. “I shouldn’t stay much longer either. Bon-Bon’s gonna get her tail in a twist if I don’t get home soon.”

“I understand,” the filly giggled. “Rarity’s just like that, too.”

The fatigue of their previous escapades across Equestria was beginning to take its toll on the purple mare. Galloping as fast as she could manage (luckily, Link didn’t seem to be nearly as fast as her), the trees and bushes on the sides of the road blurred past her. A rainbow-colored streak of light overhead served as their guide, stretching all the way from the fields around Ponyville to the ends of the Everfree Forest.

The pony’s mind continuously replayed the contents of the parchment in a continuous attempt to decipher its meaning. Why did the princess have to be so cryptic about something this urgent? Surely, whatever she had been told to find was crucial in their struggle against Ganondorf and Nightmare Moon’s alliance.

To find Harmony. To find three relics.

But above all, to find her where it had all begun.

“Where’s Rainbow headed?” she distractedly asked between gasps for air. Olivia took the cue and flew higher above; luckily, the pegasus’s signature move had cleared much of the fog that stood in her way, a hazard that would otherwise have kept the three grounded adventurers in the dark for much of the trip.

Having taken a glance, the fairy descended to their level again. “The Palace of the Sisters,” she quickly chimed.

The definition of place as a palace befuddled the Hylian boy. If it was such a prominent place that it was a palace, then why was the landscape nothing but trees and hills? “Palace?” he asked while he had the chance.

“Ruins,” the fairy briefly explained. “Princess Luna and her sister lived there about a thousand years ago. It was abandoned after an incident, and it’s been decaying in the forest since then.”

“I see,” the boy hummed in reply.

Not far ahead, a rather large gap on the ground separated them from the remainder of the forest. Twilight’s horn lit up immediately, and before they could object, the three were on the opposite side of the bottomless valley after a flash of light.

When the vegetation began to grow excessively tall, the dark green tones of the woods began to mingle with grayer shades that delicately hid themselves behind overgrown shrubbery. Link narrowed his eyes, and sure enough, a good look revealed that these abnormal colors were in fact the derelict walls of a much greater structure, one which’s towers loomed over them already. Long vines fell from their windows like the ropes of a thief, and several holes blemished the façade of the fortification.

The end of the rainbow was precisely within the castle grounds, much to Twilight’s relief; it spared them from a longer run, and she was unsure if she’d handle another mile galloping like that.

“Hey Twilight!” the fairy called from her side, a distraction from the chase that she welcomed. “About that Light Force thing you found…”

“Oh! Right! It’s actually a good thing that the princess sent that letter! There was a passage in the Sky Book that mentions that when Nightmare Moon attacked Equestria, the ponies repelled her armies with the power of three objects!”

Olivia stopped momentarily over the middle of the castle’s dried moat, flying back to Twilight’s side once both of her companions had jumped across. “The three relics?”

“Yes! And it was written in the Sky Book that the three relics had immense power when they were fused together!” her voice echoed throughout the empty halls. “So if we find these relics, we can fight back Ganondorf!”

“I don’t think it’ll be that simple,” Olivia deadpanned, and Link couldn’t help but nod in agreement. “They might have countered Nightmare Moon back then, but you’re dealing with her and Ganondorf now!”

“It’s our only choice! We need to find those things…” Twilight trailed off once the doors to the ancient courtyard came into sight.

Figuring the barriers were most likely deteriorated by time, both her and the boy made one last effort and rammed against them, effectively tearing through the wood as if it was paper and drenching the twosome in splinters, dust and foliage. With the rupture of the doors, however, came a rumbling noise from above; Olivia rushed forward as the ceiling began to collapse, its old support having been removed, and the fairy had barely made it out of harm’s way when the entirety of the arch crashed down, sending a thick cloud of dirt into the air.

When he thought the worst of the smoke was past, Link uncovered his face and looked around. Twilight was just next to him, while Olivia had apparently opted to take flight to a higher position.

“You two okay down there?” the sprite asked with a little more enthusiasm than she really intended.

“Dandy,” the boy coughed, slowly getting back on his feet.

The unicorn followed soon after, shaking the dust off her head. “I’m okay.”

Her gaze drifted towards the sky, from whence the rainbow streak of light descended upon the middle of the wild courtyard, where the otherwise messy vegetation was flattened, suggesting something had obviously crash-landed there.

“Okay, help me find her! She has to be somewhere around here!” she hurriedly instructed, beginning her search with Link and Olivia in tow.

The experience was short-lived, however, as the treasure at the end of the rainbow was, indeed, exactly where the streak of light faded to nothingness, the trail of crushed grass instead serving as their guide through the maze-like garden. The path was littered with all sorts of wooden boards, evidently pieces that had been torn off a larger object, and batches of familiar, sky-blue feathers occasionally decorated the foliage and the ground.

Their owner was found just ahead, beyond the meadow, at the foot of the garden’s delimiting walls. Of her, however, they could only see the multihued tail, which slithered from underneath the white unicorn who was lying on top of her and against the wall in a heap. A Stetson hat adorned the unicorn’s head while a pair of roughed up saddlebags rested on her back, thorns and leaves randomly sticking out of the dirty packs.

“Rarity?” Twilight gasped, practically galloping to her fellow unicorn’s aid. Once confirmed that she was still conscious, Twilight dug her head under Rarity’s body and pulled up, hoping to bring the unicorn back on her feet. “What happened? And why are you wearing Applejack’s hat?”

“Hey Twilight! There’s another one in here!” Olivia called from the air.

Seeing the unicorn was already busy, Link unsheathed his sword and took matters into his hands. Instinct told him to cut down the immense vegetation before him – something he almost did, only to be reminded of his weapon’s lack of sharpness and being forced to simply use it to set the blades of grass aside, grumbling all the way through the activity.

As per the fairy’s warning, an orange pony came into view a few steps into the foliage, and Link rushed to its aid immediately. From the fallen branches next to it and its position, he could only assume that, just like the pegasus, this mare had also fallen from the sky – a rather lengthy fall at that. Several twigs were stuck to her mane, and plunging through the tree had left quite a few scratches on most of her body. The boy was really starting to regret not paying better attention to Malon’s instructions about Epona.

Epona…

But now was not the time for regrets or longings; leaning in, he confirmed that at least she was still breathing before walking around to throw his arms beneath the pony. She was fairly bulkier than Twilight was, but that didn’t keep him from at least raising her head and promptly slapping the side of her muzzle in a light manner. For all intents and purposes, these creatures seemed more akin to men (or women, as it seemed) than to most others horses he’d seen before.

Luckily, this technique did provide positive results, as a groan escaped the pony soon after. Satisfied with his results, Link helped her get up, which the mare eventually managed, despite groggily so.

“Hoowee… some wild ride that was, RD…” she mumbled, rubbing her head with a hoof. When no answer came, her leg stopped moving and she experimentally opened an eye, opening both upon noticing that the creature before her was not a pony – or anything else she knew. “What manner’a curse d’you have for yer hair t’fall off like that? ‘N what’s with t’getup?”

Link was about to object, but the pony never gave him the chance, as she backpedalled away from him just instants after talking, as though he was the single most terrifying thing she’d ever seen.

“Y-You! Ya look like th’thing that had the Elements!” The boy’s grin immediately contorted into a frown. “Who’re you?! Whadda’ya think ye’re doin’ to Equestria?!”

“Whoa, whoa! Let’s all calm down here!”

The pony’s eyes went wide at the sight of the fairy’s descent. “’N ya got parasprites! ‘N a weapon! Get the hay’way from me, ya… ya… thing!”

Link’s quick placement of his shield that moment was what saved him from potential beat-up at the hooves of the mare, as she speedily turned and swung her back hooves at the boy, a kick powerful enough to throw the Hylian off his feet and possibly leave quite the mark on the protective gear.

The mare was far from done, however, as she readily leaped towards him, forelegs raised in anticipation to trample her foe under hoof. Link barely had time to gasp before rolling sideways, very narrowly avoiding the attack.

Then he did the next best thing – the same technique he’d been taught by the Lon Lon Ranch managers back when his steed refused to cooperate.

He jumped onto her back.

“Ya dogs sure have a likin’ for ridin’ ponies, don’t’cha?” the mare commented, and in those few seconds where she didn’t move, Link thought he’d conquered her.

She wasn’t about to give up, of course, and the boy held on for dear life when the mare started trashing as violently as possible for her stature, nearly hurling Link across the air in the several instances where her balance shifted from front to back.

The Hylian was just as relentless, though, and Epona had been a big contribution for his heightened perseverance. He couldn’t tell which of the two mares was the most aggressive when unwilling to cooperate, but he knew that this time, he had two ways to reason with her.

“Olivia!!” he exasperatedly called while the fairy danced around them, constantly attempting to approach the pony without getting hit.

“We’re trying to help, here! We know your friend, Twilight Sparkle!”

“Ya got Twilight?! Now ye’re really gettin’ it!” True to her word, the mare leaped and turned in the air, whipping Olivia with her tail before returning to dealing with her rider.

“Thanks for nothing!” Link satirized; he knew it was time to take another approach. Once the mare raised her forelegs in another attempt to rid herself of him, the boy rose to his feet and back flipped off her back, hand reaching into his pockets already.

The mare snorted and backed away ever so slightly, facing Link with her head lowered, ready to ram at him at any moment. When the boy’s hand left his pocket, the mare rushed forward – she was not about to let her opponent use a weapon of any kind.

What met her was not a blade, however; it was an instrument.

It could be a trick, she told herself. Just trying to fool me.

No matter how hard she tried, however, she couldn’t find it in her to carry on – the determination that propelled her had been inexplicably lost.

All because of that song. The melody that the boy was playing in the pale blue instrument he held in his hands, eyes closed as though it allowed him to become abstracted of the world around, from the impending threat she constituted.

It was such a simple tune… yet it had the power to soothe her. To prove, once and for all, that the Hylian did not mean any harm. The mare found herself walking towards him, taking short, quiet steps, her eyes shining in wonder. Even Olivia, who still tried to recover from the unexpected strike, fluttered closer out of curiosity.

And then it ended, and the boy opened his eyes and lowered the ocarina.

“Ye… How’d ya know that song?”

The fairy prepared to translate, but surprisingly, Link didn’t speak. Instead, he walked closer, raising his free hand with the clear intent of placing it on her head. She recoiled at first, moving her head away from the hand in a vague movement.

But Link’s hand remained in the air, palm opened in her direction. She eyed it hesitantly, occasionally shifting her gaze back at the boy. When instincts she didn’t even know she had kicked in, her head finally rested upon the hand, allowing it caress the side of her face. Link’s expression greatly softened, and he let out a long sigh.

This was close, he thought to himself. She really is just like Epona.

“That song ya played…” the mare spoke in a hushed tone. “Ah haven’t heard it in years… Ah dunno how ya got ta learn it, but… if ya know it, then Ah trust ya. Name’s-”

“Applejack! Link!” a different voice answered. Their moment completely ruined, the pair turned to find five other mares approaching from the shrubbery. Twilight was the first to emerge, watching the two with an awkward gaze. “Huh, I see you’re already acquainted.”

“T-Twilight! Huh, great ta see ya!” Applejack promptly replied, shaking Link’s hand off and heading to the unicorn’s side. “How’s RD?”

“Tsk! Like you need to ask!” The pegasus herself answered, descending next to them from within the foliage. “I’ve had bigger crashes! This was nothing!” She paused upon noticing Link’s presence, furling her wings. “So this is the hero guy?”

“Link,” Twilight corrected. “The fairy is Olivia.”

“Fairy, huh?” Rainbow echoed, walking closer. “You sure this isn’t a parasprite?”

“Pretty sure, Rainbow,” Twilight flatly replied, turning to Link afterwards. “There’s something here you’ve got to see. I think it’s in Hylian.”

Rainbow raised an eyebrow at her friend’s calm demeanor. “Twilight, but what about the-”

“I’ll get to that.” And with that, she disappeared in the middle of the tall grass.

Once Applejack and Rainbow followed her, Olivia slowly descended to Link’s side. “That song you played… that’s the song you played for your horse, isn’t it?” When Link simply nodded, the fairy seemed to sigh. “That was a bold move. Could’ve gotten you killed.”

“But it didn’t,” he swiftly replied with a smile, leaving Olivia to stare incredulously at his back while he moved away.

Their location wasn’t far away; in fact, it was precisely where they had found two of the ponies, just at the foot of the palace’s wall. While Twilight appeared to be focused on a particular spot on the wall, Applejack and Rainbow paid assistance to the other unicorn, who rested against the wall just steps away from the others.

“See here?” Twilight called. Indeed, the writing on that particular stone was in Hylian. “Can you read it?”

“Stand on the mark of the Royal Family and play the song that will prove your connection to them,” Olivia recited instead, receiving a frown of mock annoyance from Link.

“Royal Family?” Twilight repeated. Much to her surprise, Link wielded a confident smirk. “What?”

“Zelda’s Lullaby,” the Hylian said, suddenly bending towards the ground with his ocarina in hand. To the eyes of the others, it was as if he had suddenly lost his mind.

He was quick to prove them wrong, however, with the discovery of a triangular crest imprinted on the ground, beneath the thick foliage. Signaling the mare and the fairy to step back, he began playing the instrument.

For a moment, he thought he’d already forgotten the song. With every note, instances of his past, his moments with the princess of Hyrule, flashed in his mind. Of all the times when this exact same tune had been all the proof he needed to demonstrate that he was the Messenger sent by the Royal Family.

But why is this here?

“Link!” Twilight’s voice broke his focus on the song. He realized he must have played it at least twice – but it had provided results.

Where the stone wall, overflowing with vines, used to be was now a massive, pristine arch. A gust of air rushed past them, allowing them to feel its millenary purity flow through their hair and manes.

And on either side of the arch, in both Equestrian and Hylian, was inscribed a name, from top to bottom.

One they could now say in unison.

“Temple of Time.”

“Lyra! You’re back!”

The unicorn shook her head quickly, sprinkling the house’s entrance with the drops of rain caught in her mane. The pale cream earth pony giggled at her friend’s dog-like behavior before drawing closer and pecking her on the cheek.

“So, how was the lesson?”

“She’s getting really good!” Lyra cheerfully replied, accompanying Bon Bon to the living room. “Good thing Rarity hired me to do it; we really needed those bits.”

“Ah, yes… the… stylist…” the other pony’s voice was practically dripping with disgust. “Honestly, I don’t know if it’s a good idea that you hang around there too often.”

“Come on, Bonny, what’s the big deal?”

Find it…

Lyra’s ears twitched. “Did you hear that?”

“Hear what?”

The legacy must shine forth…

An ethereal, incorporeal voice – the unicorn was sure she could hear it. Bon Bon frowned, walking closer to touch her muzzle with a hoof.

“Lyra? Are you feeling alright?”

“I must find my heir,” The vagueness in her friend’s voice scared the earth pony. She began to tap Lyra’s face repeatedly, but the unicorn did not respond; instead, the lyre’s case was enveloped by a light green glow, and the mare turned to leave. Despite Bon Bon’s calls, Lyra only stopped at the door to absently stare back at her and utter something before leaving altogether. “I must awaken the heir of my Light Force.”