Dawn of the final day:
24 hours remaining
After a perilous journey through The Great Bay Temple, they finally made it back to the rocky island on the surface of Seaquestria, where they were greeted by Silverstream. She mistook Hero for Mikau. Everyone climbed off the tortoise's back and onto the land. The first thing they noticed was the absence of toxic minerals and murkiness in the water. The ocean was once again clear and pure, and the dark clouds had disappeared, replaced by clear blue skies.
Silverstream was overjoyed at Mikau's success, cheering him and his new friends on. "You did it, Mikau! I can't believe you actually did it. Well, actually, I can because you're awesome." Everyone was in high spirits, and they prepared to re-enter the undersea kingdom to return to Novo with bittersweet news.
However, the tremors returned, shaking the land of Termina once more. Despite this, they pressed on, venturing into the kingdom. Along the way, Silverstream hugged Mikau's left arm, nuzzling him affectionately. "Are these new friends you've made in your travels, Mikau? Hi guys."
Silverstream waved happily to them, admiring Mikau's different mane color, "Did you dye your mane at the bottom? It's kind of nice, strange, but nice," Silverstream said as Hero nervously rubbed the back of his head with his right forearm, knowing that this would be difficult to explain. Despite the awkwardness, they continued on, making their way into the main throne chambers with heavy hearts.
Once they were back inside, the group walked straight toward the gigantic oyster where Queen Novo was seated. She saw their return and exclaimed with delight, "Mikau, I knew I could count on you. Excellent job. But now... you can remove your mask."
"What are you talking about, Mother? Isn't that Mikau?"
"No, my daughter, he is... and he isn't. Remove your mask now!" she ordered with great authority, as the other hippogriffs and seaponies gathered around.
"Well, there's no point in hiding anymore, Hero. She knows who you are, but not what happened." Twilight sighed with sadness as Hero removed his mask and felt Mikau's sorrows being lifted from him. Once he was a unicorn again, everyone gasped in shock.
"M-Mikau? Where is Mikau? Where is my beloved?" Tears welled up in her eyes as she hugged her mother. Hero explained what had happened. "He's d-dead? N-No..." She broke down in tears and snuggled into Novo's side as she tried to console her daughter. Hero then went on to explain Mikau's wishes and why he had come.
"They what?! Those damnable Amor Pirates have killed Mikau and stolen my daughter's eggs?! This is unacceptable. Amor Cadenza has transgressed against us for the last time." Novo's eyes blazed with fury and she vowed to seek justice. "You also say that you have saved her eggs? Where are they, then? In the ocean laboratory? You better be telling me the truth."
"He is Your Highness. I was also held captive by them, but Hero and the other guys saved me. I am a friend of theirs." Twilight spoke up, and Novo's eyes softened slightly at hearing this.
"I will make them regret this foolish decision. But first things first, Silverstream?" Novo turned to her daughter, who had been crying incessantly. "You still have your children to care for, but I will do my best to help you."
"T-Thank you, Mother..." Silverstream was still hiccuping from crying. Novo then hummed her song to her to soothe her. Her humming matched the notes of the New Wave Bossa Nova precisely on the dot. Everyone in the room, including Silverstream, was calming down. Once she had finished her song, Silverstream fell asleep on her side.
"There seems to be more to you than just appearances. What is your name?" Hero told her who he was. "Hero... courageous, poignant, and resolute. I've seen that you are a hero, befitting your name."
Hero explained what Mikau had told him. "So he tried to rescue her eggs but got stabbed by one of the Amor Lieutenants and then died. But before that, you used a special song, The Song of Healing, to heal his sorrows and burdens to ease him into the afterlife?"
He nodded as Novo looked at him sternly but with concern. It seemed she knew all about this song and what it was designed to do. "Do you have any idea what you've done?" Hero also nodded. "You are prepared to endure this even further, to the very end?"
Hero nodded again, affirming his unshaken will. "Hmm... this will not be an easy quest for you. Those who take on the sorrows and burdens of others are often forever condemned to never finding peace in their lives. It's an arduous path, not for the faint of heart." Hero felt melancholy at this revelation. He did not precisely know this, but he felt as if he would eventually have figured it out.
"But you... you're determined to do whatever is right, no matter what, at any cost, even if it means you might have to sacrifice everything you have?"
Hero braced himself with a tempered will and nodded as Novo looked deeply at him before speaking, "Commendable for such a young boy to take on such a difficult task. You have a very pure and courageous soul who will endure much. Be prepared for that in your future." Hero bowed before Novo in respect and gratitude at her understanding of his plight.
"Yeah. Hero is just awesome like that. He's taken on many threats and monsters, saving all of Equestria from the King of Evil, Sombra, and even going out of his way to save others, even if they had nothing to do with him. That's why we love him." Rainbow said as she hugged him at his side, which made him blush lightly.
Everyone in his group cheered in agreement as Novo still sought out the retribution of those Amor Pirates. Hero then waited to see if there was anything else he could do for Novo.
"My dearest daughter is sleeping now, but you can return if necessary. Mikau chose you for a reason, so I am honor-bound to accept that he chose you as a catalyst for his strength. Remember to use the form of a hippogriff well and with good intentions."
"May you find solace and peace in your life as you do in helping others find theirs. Though you are a small boy now, you still have the heart of a stalwart warrior; never let that light from within you ever wane," Novo said as Hero bowed to her to show his appreciation and respect.
The group of sea ponies transported the team to the shore. Two group members went into the ocean laboratory to retrieve seven hippogriff eggs for Novo, while the rest knew that idling there wouldn't do them any good. So they left for Termina. The moon was drawing closer, and the end was approaching. Twilight was stressed out as Rainbow said, "That moon is coming down? That's not good. We don't have much time then. We need to know where Starlight is."
"Twilight, Hero knows a song that can rewind time; we'll have to use that to buy more time to save Starlight."
"The Song of Time? The only ones to know that song are Equestrian Royals. Celestia must have taught that to him because she knew we would need it." Twilight reasoned that Celestia always had a reason for her decisions. "Normally, turning back time is illegal in Equestrian Law, but right now, it's a necessary evil to save the friend we love."
"Well... if it helps you to feel better about it, Twilight, we're technically not in Equestria right now. So, take advantage of everything we have to save this land, Luna, our last friend, and stop Majora." Rainbow ensured that Twilight and Hero led the group through Termina Field as the rumbling became more frequent.
Suddenly, they heard a southern accent that sounded like Applejack. "Hey, you! What do you think you're trying to pull by stealing my image, huh?!" They all looked to their right to see Applejack, but she shrugged at them and said, "That didn't come from me, guys."
"Over here, you idjits," they followed the familiar voice to see someone who wore a black stetson and a black vest. There was also a scar on her right cheek. This must have been Termina's version of Applejack. There were also three other ponies, parallel copies of Fluttershy, Rarity, and Rainbow. They, however, looked to Applejack as their leader, it seemed.
"What's the big idea, huh? Stealing our faces? This is our turf, understand?" The Termina Rainbow said as the other two nodded their heads in agreement.
"Let me guess. You're the version of me that's nice, sweet, and meek, huh? How disgusting." This Fluttershy was the very opposite of the Equestrian version of her, who had an angel bunny who looked terrified of her but stayed with her out of that fear.
"I say we take everything they've got, darlings; It could be worth a lot of bits, Applejack." That version of Rarity appeared to be selfish and spiteful, not generous and humble.
"Especially for trying to borrow our faces, too. I think that's mighty appropriate." Termina Applejack introduced herself, "I'm Applejack the Malicious, and this is your unlucky day!"
"I don't think so. We're powerful magic users if you're unfamiliar with what an alicorn is. So, if you get in our way, it won't end well for you. This is your only warning, Applejack." Twilight felt strange; addressing one of her best friends in such a hostile manner wasn't what she was used to doing.
"Your fancy magic doesn't frighten us, you know. So, how was your trip to the Amor Fortress? I ensured to lock you up there after Amor Cadenza paid me well for my efforts."
"You struck me from behind. The Applejack I know isn't a coward. She's a brave and honest pony." Twilight scoffed as she glared at this twisted version of Applejack.
"How dare you call me a coward, you varmint."
"Well, only cowards strike their foes from behind. Let's see how well you manage this when I know your presence." Twilight then lit up her horn to conjure a powerful gravity spell to knock Terminian Applejack away. With a shocked expression, she was flung into the massive hollow log leading toward the swamps. Her other three cohorts rushed to her aid and decided that messing with Twilight's group was no longer a priority as her group made their way into Clock Town.
Rainbow was visibly upset as she spoke up, "Guys, that was so messed up. I am not that kind of pony." She was offended by her counterpart's egotistical and selfish behavior. Even when she was proud, she didn't let it cloud her judgment. But this version of her didn't seem to care, and it was clear that it had hurt Rainbow deeply.
Rarity was equally appalled by her own counterpart's behavior. "I am not greedy like that. Why, I never!" she exclaimed, her frustration evident in her tone. She couldn't believe that there was a version of her that was so pitiful and selfish.
Fluttershy had a look of horror on her face as she spoke up, "Oh dear, this version of me is so mean and rotten. That's just horrible," she said, shaking slightly as she hugged Twilight, who returned her gesture with a reassuring smile.
Twilight, ever the problem-solver, turned to Pinkie and asked, "Hey, Pinkie, what's your opposite version like? I'm curious." Her face was sad, knowing that they only had a limited amount of time before the moon would crash into the surface.
Pinkie took a deep breath before responding, "She's so negative and depressed. She believes that life is meaningless, but that's just not true." Her voice was filled with empathy and concern for her alternate self.
Twilight nodded in agreement, "You're right, Pinkie. It isn't. Maybe we can do something for her. We don't have much time, though, as the moon is fast approaching the surface." The urgency in her voice was palpable as she looked up at the ominous moon.
With no time to waste, Twilight, her friends, and Hero quickly made their way to the South Clock Town District, determined to help Pinkie's alternate self before it was too late.