//------------------------------//
// Episode 2: The Rise of Ganon Part 2 
// Story: The Equestrian Wind Mage: Season 2 
// by LordSiravant 
//------------------------------//

I apologize in advance for the buttload of filler that follows the fight with Ganon, but I have a story to set up, so it was necessary. Enjoy.

~~~~~~

Episode 2: The Rise of Ganon Part 2

Silence fell over Vaati's group as they beheld the Dark Lord Ganondorf in his full glory, sneering at them. Ganondorf halted about fifty paces from them and stared them all down, sending a ripple of fear down all the opposing heroes' spines. But they were not about to back down. "Ganon!" Twilight yelled. "This is your only warning! Leave Ponyville now or we'll be forced to use the Elements against you!"

Ganondorf laughed and held his arms out. "By all means, try, little worms! Show me their power!"

Vaati severely hoped that was little more than overconfidence on Ganondorf's part.

Twilight looked to her friends. "Okay, girls! You know what to do!"

The others all nodded as the jewels on their necklaces started to glow, Twilight's tiara doing the same. Vaati and Ganondorf both looked on as the Mane Six slowly rose into the air, a bright light surrounding them all. Suddenly a Rainbow of Light shot forth from the Elements and shot towards the waiting King of Darkness with blinding speed. Ganondorf raised his fist up towards his face with the back facing outwards, allowing the Triforce of Power to be seen as it began to glow with growing power. And then the Rainbow was upon him, spinning around him like a vortex of swirling color. At that moment, a great sphere of light surrounded the evil king, erecting a barrier of holy magic between himself and the Rainbow of Light.

The swirling rainbow began to constrict, pushing against the light barrier with all its might in an effort to reach its target. Vaati watched with bated breath as the Elements of Harmony and the Triforce of Power fought one another with all their might. The sorcerer was unsure whether or not he should help. Would things go wrong if he did? He was afraid to find out. He could see Twilight and her friends gritting their teeth in exertion. He could barely see it, but it appeared Ganondorf was struggling as well, his fist shaking as he put all his strength into forcing back that blasted rainbow.

Slowly but surely, the barrier widened, pushing back the Rainbow of Light as the Dark Lord's superior stamina began to win out over that of the Element Bearers. It was to be expected; they had never used their Elements against an opponent who had the ability to fight back against their power. Finally the King of Darkness let loose a mighty bellow, and the barrier exploded outwards, shattering the Rainbow of Light like an eddy of multi-colored glass. The shockwave blasted back Vaati and the Element Bearers too quickly for the sorcerer to erect his own barrier to protect them. With a cry, each of them crashed painfully to the ground, each of their respective Elements flying off their body and settling in the dirt.

Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity were knocked clean out, overwhelmed by the explosion of power. Even the other three, having a higher tolerance for pain, were too dazed to put up any more of a fight, moaning collectively as the triumphant Ganondorf lowered his fist and approached them, panting from the exertion but grinning darkly nonetheless. Vaati, however, still had enough in him to unsteadily drag himself to his feet, causing Ganondorf to halt as the weakened sorcerer stepped between his enemy and his friends.

Ganondorf sneered. "Pathetic Wind Mage, have you learned nothing from our last meeting all those years ago?"

Vaati's palms crackled with energy. "You will not come any closer to my friends," he said, his voice a deadly calm despite his fatigue and the fear running through him.

Ganondorf scoffed. Vaati yelled as a ball of energy formed in his hands and flew at the Gerudo. Unfortunately for the Wind Mage, over a thousand years' worth of experience battling the accursed Hero of Legend had made Ganondorf an expert at Dead Man's Volley, and he nonchalantly deflected the energy sphere back at its owner with an idle backhand. Vaati, having little experience in the deadly game, did not time his response right, and cried out as he was struck by his own attack, collapsing to his knees as agony and electricity wracked his entire body.

Suddenly he felt something tug on his cape and lift him into the air. He looked up to see the face of Ganondorf level with his own, smirking triumphantly. Ganondorf raised his free hand and flexed his fingers ominously. "As I told you before, the power of that silly hat, even augmented by that worthless Light Force, could never compare to the power of the Goddesses. You are nothing to me, boy."

Vaati only had time to widen his eyes in terror before Ganondorf's fist crashed into his chest, painfully knocking the wind out of him. The next blow hit him in the stomach, wracking his body with unfathomable agony. Another brutal punch; Vaati felt his ribs crack. The sorcerer let out pained grunts and gasps as each blow came, breaking bones with every punch. Those members of the Mane Six who were still conscious could only look on in shock and horror as Ganondorf let loose a brutal beatdown on their friend. Soon Vaati's cries died down to weak whimpers as tears welled up in his eyes from the agony.

And then the final blow came, smashing into the mage's face. And then Vaati's world went black as the bloodied, bruised Hylian went limp in Ganondorf's hold. Ganondorf looked him up and down with disdain before roughly tossing him aside with enough strength to crash through the wall of a house. Vaati did not move any further.

Twilight's whole body shook as she tried to get it to move, but all it did was heighten her pain. "V-Vaati!" she whimpered.

Suddenly a shadow fell over her. Her eyes darted up to see Ganondorf looming over her, his eyes aglow with malice. He raised one hand, and Twilight gasped as her Element of Harmony rose into the air, followed by the others, which all swirled around the King of Darkness. "The power of these Elements amazes even me," Ganondorf drawled. "Their power very nearly matched my own. But in the end, not even they can compare to a relic forged by the gods themselves. Still, such power is not worthy of pathetic insects like you. Such relics belong in the hands of one who understands true power. These Elements of Harmony now belong to me!"

"THINK AGAIN, TYRANT!" a new voice abruptly boomed, causing Ganondorf to turn towards its owner.

Flying in the air was Princess Celestia herself.

The Princess of the Sun was terrible to behold. Upon her arrival, she had seen the destruction the strange man had wrought. Her faithful student and her friends all lay scattered around the town square, half of them unmoving. Vaati was nowhere to be seen. And then pure, blind rage took hold, transforming her normally-multicolored mane and tail into a raging flame. Her eyes glowed a blinding white as she bellowed at the King of Darkness. "YOUR TIME ON THIS EARTH ENDS NOW, EVIL KING! YOU WILL PAY FOR HARMING MY SUBJECTS!"

A mighty beam of sun energy exploded from her horn and made a beeline straight for Ganondorf, who raised his fist and brought the Triforce of Power to bear, deflecting the energy and scattering it in all directions. Suddenly, Ganondorf was struck from behind by another beam, this one of dark energy of a non-evil variety. The blow broke Ganondorf's concentration, causing Celestia's beam to hit him as well, the combined attacks causing Ganondorf to roar in pain before an explosion surrounded him. As Celestia and Luna watched the dust fall, their jaws dropped as Ganondorf actually rose back to his feet and laughed. "So you are the Princesses of this land! You certainly have impressed me with your power. But your efforts are in vain! Only the Hero of Legend has the ability to defeat me! All other beings, no matter how powerful, are still beneath me! Look well! I defeated your ultimate weapons, and now they are mine to wield! You think you can do better, worms?!"

"You think you can use the Elements of Harmony?!" Luna bellowed, just barely managing to keep her own rage in check, lest she risk falling back under the spell of Nightmare Moon. "Fool! The Elements cannot be used for evil purposes! They are unequivocally a force for good! They will deny you, King of Darkness!"

Ganondorf's smirk fell. "If that is the case, then I shall destroy them instead! Such a power should not exist if I cannot control it!"

"It is not so simple!" Celestia roared. "The Elements are pure magic, and cannot be destroyed! It is YOUR efforts that are in vain, Evil One!"

Ganondorf gritted his teeth. "It matters not! If I cannot control them, then I will still deny you their power! We will meet again very soon, Princesses! And then your thrones, and your world, shall be mine to subjugate, mine to dominate, mine to rule!"

"NO!" both Princesses cried, unleashing the full extent of their power.

But Ganondorf was already gone, having teleported away just before their attacks hit the ground where he once stood. And with him went the Elements of Harmony.

Luna snorted in anger, whipping her head about. "Where is he?! WHERE IS HE?!"

Celestia's rage fizzled out as she felt the evil king's presence vanish. "He is gone, sister," she spoke softly as the dark clouds above them began to dissipate, allowing the sunlight to stream back into the pockmarked town.

Luna whinnied, enraged. "NO! He cannot be allowed to escape!"

"Luna, my student and her friends are hurt!" Celestia sharply retorted. "Vaati could be hurt! They are our priority now!"

At the mention of the sorcerer, Luna's rage was replaced by worry as she glanced around the town, her panic rising. "Vaati? Vaati, where are you?!"

Celestia was at Twilight's side in an instant, kneeling down at her side. Miraculously, the young unicorn was still somewhat conscious, but it was obvious she was in a lot of pain. "P-Princess…" Twilight moaned weakly.

"Rest, my faithful student," Celestia softly spoke, draping an elegant wing over her weakened pupil.

"Princess…I'm sorry. I…I failed. I failed my friends. I failed Ponyville. I failed you."

Celestia gently nuzzled Twilight, tears streaming down her eyes. "You did what you could. I do not hold it against you. Oh, how did it come to this?"

She looked over to see her sister gasp in horror as she finally discovered Vaati's resting place. Parts of his violet robes could still be seen from under the rubble, but the sorcerer was not moving. "No…dear Mother, no," Luna whispered as she magically flung the boards and plywood aside, revealing the still sorcerer.

Luna's breath caught in her throat when she saw him. His face was bruised and bloody, his clothes were torn in several places, and his eyes were closed. "VAATI!" Luna cried, rushing to his side and lifting up his upper body with her wing. "Vaati, do not pass from this world yet! Please!"

She pressed her ear against his chest and breathed a sigh of relief when she felt a heartbeat, however faint. "We must get him and the others to the Wind Palace at once, sister!" she cried. "Vaati's wounds are grave!"

Celestia nodded in agreement before magically teleporting herself, her sister, the Mane Six, and Vaati up to the Palace of Winds. No sooner had she done so when Derpy looked out the window and saw them, turning her head to announce their arrival. The great oak doors of the palace swung open so forcefully it was a surprise they weren't ripped off their hinges. Nigellas strode out, gasping as he saw the state his lord was in, who was draped over Luna's back like a bloodied sack of grain.

"Sweet Farore's navel, what in the blazing hellfire happened down there?!" the Wizzrobe screeched.

"No time for an explanation," Celestia spoke with authority to match Vaati's own, causing the Wizzrobe to freeze in bewilderment. "Get them all to your infirmary, now."

Nigellas nervously saluted. "R-right away, Your Majesty!"

He turned to several ponies who had begun to gather around the scene. "Go make yourselves useful, collect the wounded, and follow me to the infirmary! Quickly, now!"

Lyra, Derpy, Bon Bon, a heavily-muscled pegasus named Snowflake, and Doctor Whooves all immediately complied, hoisting the Mane Six over their backs, Lyra carrying Fluttershy, Bon Bon carrying Rarity, Snowflake carrying both Rainbow Dash and Applejack, Derpy carrying Pinkie Pie, and the Doctor carrying Twilight. As they all followed Nigellas through the palace halls towards the infirmary, accompanied by the Princesses and the still-unconscious Vaati, Whooves whispered to Derpy, "It's a right shame the TARDIS didn't survive our encounter with the Zerg. I could have done something to help these poor chaps with that Ganon fellow."

Derpy sighed. "Yeah. I hate feeling helpless, now that I've gotten used to saving Equestria behind everypony's backs with you."

The Doctor glanced up at the unicorn on his back, who had finally slipped into unconsciousness. "We may still be able to do something later on. I have a feeling the opportunity may yet present itself."

"I just hope it isn't anything like our encounter with the Alicorn Without A Face," Derpy replied with a shiver. "I still have nightmares about that."

Whooves said nothing, preferring not to reflect on their harrowing ordeal with the Slender Pony.

XXXXXX

Eventually, they reached the infirmary, where all the wounded heroes were deposited on beds and their carriers dismissed. Celestia and Luna stayed, watching over them as Nigellas and the Wizzrobes assigned to the infirmary hurried to ready a batch of Red Potion for them all, harvesting the heart-shaped fruits of the life-giver plants growing in a special garden and grinding them into a thick paste before thinning the mixture slightly with fairy spring water. Nigellas silently lamented to himself; while they could harvest the life-giver plants indefinitely, the fairy spring water would run out eventually and there would be no way to replenish it. Once the potion was ready, Nigellas came back into the room with seven containers on a platter. "They need to be awake before I can administer this," Nigellas spoke to the Princesses. "Otherwise they may choke on it."

Celestia stepped forward. "I can help with that. I know a spell that will open an unconscious pony's airways so they can be administered medicine without fear of choking on it."

"…That's awfully convenient," Nigellas commented. "But I'm not stupid enough to refuse it. Do what you will."

Celestia nodded before performing the spell required, allowing the Wizzrobe to pour the Red Potion down the patients' throats. The effect was immediate; bruises vanished, blood returned to the veins, and cuts disappeared, leaving no scars. Nigellas and the Princesses winced slightly as they heard an uncomfortable cracking noise as Vaati's ribs and other broken bones repaired themselves. Once the healing was complete, Luna spoke up. "Now what?"

"Now, we wait," Nigellas answered. "Their wounds were severe, especially Lord Vaati's. They will need to rest before they are fit to leave."

The two alicorns nodded. "We understand," Celestia said. "We have a few royal duties we must attend to, particularly concerning how we will deal with Ganon. But we will return when we are done."

Nigellas nodded. "Sounds fair enough. They should be awake by then."

XXXXXX

Several hours later…

After declaring to the populace that a powerful sorcerer had entered Equestrian territory, Celestia sent several platoons of guards to search across the land for any sign of Ganondorf with orders to report on his activities. After hearing the news, Shining Armor and Princess Cadance immediately selected a group of guards to accompany them to Equestria and aid in the search, for they were incensed that this fiend had dared to harm their sister. While the Crystal Pony soldiers joined the Equestrian Guard in their hunt, Shining and Cadance went straight to the Palace of Winds looming over Ponyville as it always did, and noted with discomfort at how empty the town was. With Ganondorf loose, the citizens had decided to stay within the relative safety of the palace for a little while longer until they felt comfortable enough to return to their homes. As it so happened, Celestia and Luna arrived at the same time, allowing them to guide Cadance and Shining to the infirmary.

"Is Twilight going to be alright?" Shining asked.

"She is expected to make a full recovery, along with everyone else," Celestia answered. "The Wizzrobes are excellent healers."

"I still can't believe this," Cadance said. "Just one villain after another, getting worse each time. First there was Queen Chrysalis, then King Sombra, and now some other psychopath from another world entirely! At least we had Vaati around for the first two, but this Ganon individual, I heard, actually beat him! Is that true, Aunt Celly?"

Celestia nodded gravely. "Ganon comes from the same world as Vaati, and was apparently an even bigger threat to them than Vaati was during his time as a villain. If I am to understand, Vaati was actually forced to do his bidding once."

Shining's brow furrowed in deep concern. A short while afterwards, they reached the infirmary, where Nigellas greeted them. "Aye, you came just in time. The others are still waking up, but Master Vaati is already coherent enough to speak to you."

"Thank you, Nigellas," Celestia replied, stepping inside alongside Luna.

Seeing Cadance and Shining, Nigellas tipped his wizard's hat. "Lovely to see you two again, even though it's, once again, during a time of crisis."

Shining and Cadance both sighed. "It really is getting ridiculous," Cadance muttered.

"If you're here to see Miss Twilight, go on in," Nigellas offered. "I'm sure she could use your support right now. The fight with Ganondorf hurt a lot more than just her body."

"Thanks," Shining replied with a nod before following his wife into the infirmary.

The room was now filled with visitors, including all three Princesses, Shining, Spike, Nigellas, all three Cutie Mark Crusaders, and Maulgrim. Celestia came over to Vaati's bed, and noted with concern that the normally-unflappable sorcerer was staring off into space, with a deeply troubled look on his face. Scootaloo had tried getting his attention before, but the sorcerer just kept staring ahead, so she just settled for curling up at his side. As soon as she saw Celestia, she bowed her head out of respect. "Hello, young Scootaloo," Celestia greeted.

"Hey, Princess," she droned sadly.

Celestia turned her attention towards the silent sorcerer. "Vaati?" she spoke. "Vaati, I must speak with you."

Vaati was quiet for several more long moments, until he finally answered, "This is my fault."

Celestia shook her head. "Don't say that, Vaati."

Vaati finally turned his head to look at her, frowning angrily. "It's the truth, Princess. This is my fault, in more ways than one. I hesitated during the fight instead of helping out, and Twilight and the others paid for it. And it's my fault that Ganon is even here in the first place. First it was me. Then it was the Palace of Winds. And now Ganondorf. I think my impromptu move here has triggered a cataclysmic event. The dimensional boundaries between Hyrule and Equestria are beginning to fray. I'm certain of it. The two worlds could bridge together in the near future, and who knows what that will bring?"

At that moment, Luna approached his bedside. "I will not deny that such a thing intrigues us."

Vaati's frown deepened. "What it means is that Equestria has gotten caught up in the longest-running, bloodiest cycle of death and war in the history of all worlds; the Golden Trio Cycle. Whenever Ganon is freed, resurrected, or reincarnated, he menaces the land, causing misery for all its people and making war against them in pursuit of collecting the two pieces of the most powerful relic in Hyrule that he does not possess, the Triforce of Courage that the Hero carries, and the Triforce of Wisdom housed within Princess Zelda. Ganon himself possesses the Triforce of Power, which augments his strength to a terrifying degree. It is then that the Hero of Legend is reincarnated as well to oppose him, with the Princess of Destiny to guide his way. After much bloodshed and chaos, the Hero defeats Ganon. He always has. And then a century or so later, the process repeats itself. Woe was the day I was inadvertently caught up in it."

"How did that happen?" Luna asked.

Vaati glanced aside and noticed that everyone was staring at him, interested to hear his reply. The Wind Mage sighed. "It happened more than a hundred years ago…"

XXXXXX

The Four Sword Sanctuary, Hyrule, one hundred and twelve years ago…

Link was unarmed and had no way of fighting the dark doppelganger of himself prancing about, laughing mockingly at him. "You do have a way of fighting back, silly," Shadow Link cuckolded, skipping over to the Four Sword. "Pull it out and fight me!"

Link feverishly shook his head. "No way! If I pull it out, I release Vaati the Wind Mage!"

Shadow Link pretended to ponder that tidbit of information. "There is that one little snag. But it's not like you have a choice in the matter. Unless you pull out that sword and defend yourself, I'll just kill you where you stand. Either way, my boss will be quite happy!"

The dark mirror image drew its sword and pointed it at Link. "Your choice. You got ten seconds before I slice that empty noggin of yours right off your shoulders."

Link stood rooted to the spot.

"Ten…"

Link did not move, his eyes darting about in panic.

"Nine…"

Link began to hyperventilate, unsure of what to do.

"Eight…"

He looked towards the Four Sword sitting in its pedestal.

"Seven, getting testyyyyy…"

Link gulped and did what he knew he had to do. He rushed over to the Four Sword and reached towards the handle. Then he hesitated, knowing what would come if he did pull it out.

"Six…"

Link's hand trembled.

"Five…"

With a shuddering breath, Link gripped the handle of the sword and slid it out of its pedestal, raising the blade into the air. Suddenly he felt a weird sensation coursing through his body, and then three identical copies of himself, only with violet, red, and blue clothes, appeared at his side, standing in the exact same position. Before they could even comprehend what had just happened, a harsh wind began to blow. Shadow Link giggled maniacally as storm clouds began to converge over their heads, lightning flashing from within. A shape began to rise up from the Green Link's blade and form over their heads. A large, spherical body with golden horns, three pairs of bat-like wings, and a single red eye. Link knew the legend well enough; this was Vaati, the infamous Sorcerer of Winds.

"AH HA HA HA HA HA!" Vaati laughed. "I am free once again! Hyrule and its Princess shall be mine once more!"

The great demon orb unleashed a great tornado, which sent the four Links flying into the wall, knocking them unconscious. Then he flew off in the direction of Hyrule Castle, intent on his conquest. Shadow Link smiled darkly as he slid back into the shadows. "Buddy, you're in for a rude awakening when you get there."

Vaati flew across the skies, cackling in savage merriment as he saw the puny citizens of Hyrule scatter below him. Oh, how good it felt to be back! The demon eye spied Hyrule Castle just ahead and descended towards it, thinking little of the fact that smoke was rising from several parts of the castle. With a mighty roar, he burst into where he knew the Throne Room to be and announced, "Princess Zelda! I, Vaati the Wind Mage, have returned! Become my bride, and I shall spare your…"

Vaati trailed off when he finally surveyed the scene. It was not Princess Zelda that awaited him, but a man, a tall man with features as evil-looking as Vaati's own. In his hands was a black trident with a red jewel set on its head just beneath the prongs. The man smirked. "I've been expecting you, Sorcerer of Winds."

Vaati's eye narrowed. "Who are you?"

The man chuckled. "I am Ganondorf Dragmire, King of Darkness, Wielder of the Trident of Power, and your new master."

Vaati's wings flared out in anger. "WHAT?! My new master?! Fool! The Wind Mage answers to no one!"

Ganondorf grinned savagely, holding up the Trident. "You will answer to ME."

The Wind Mage drew back as the King of Darkness hunched over, growing in size and shape until a great blue armored Moblin-like creature stared back at him, its height greater than even that of the winged eye. Brandishing the enlarged Trident, the beast unleashed a deep-throated laugh. "Behold, Wind Sorcerer! I am Ganon, Holder of Power and the new ruler of this world! I am the creator and destroyer! Before this hour is through, you will bow down to me!"

Two of Vaati's wings grew into arms tipped with razor-sharp golden claws. Electric-blue magic flared between his horns. "I'll not bend my knee to an oversized Moblin!"

"You will bend it to your king!" Ganon roared, swinging his trident at Vaati.

The great eye saw it coming and grabbed the Trident in his mighty claws, attempting to wrench it out of Ganon's grip. Suddenly a burst of dark energy surged through the Trident, forcing Vaati to release his hold on it. Ganon followed up with a salvo of energy balls from the Trident. Vaati defended himself by moving his arms in the way of the blasts, grunting as he felt a painful tingling sensation in his arms. Then Ganon rushed forward, slamming full-force into Vaati, throwing all his weighty bulk behind the blow. Vaati quickly recovered, and the two mighty demons clashed arms, coming to a standstill in the middle of the Throne Room. With both of Ganon's arms occupied, Vaati's eye flashed before an intense beam of energy slammed directly into Ganon's chest, throwing the King of Darkness across the room, where he landed on his back.

Seizing the initiative, Vaati sent his own energy balls hurtling into the downed Ganon, causing him to roar in pain. Even so, the mighty beast managed to rise to its cloven hooves and twirled the Trident over his head, causing a multitude of fiery bats to circle around him before he lowered the Trident, sending the horde of fire bats at Vaati. Raising his arms, Vaati created a tornado around himself that absorbed and dissipated the bat-shaped fireballs.

But Ganon was not yet finished. With a snarl, Ganon threw his Trident like a boomerang, which hurtled into the tornado. Panicking, Vaati released his control of the wind, but the Trident kept going, blue fire trailing out of it. The dark weapon sliced into Vaati, causing him to cry out in pain. The weapon returned to Ganon's hand before he strode forward, raising it over his head. Vaati looked up just in time to see the King of Evil slam the Trident over his head, an explosion of dark energy destroying most of the Throne Room.

Ganon lowered his Trident and peered through the dust and rubble. When the dust cleared, there lay the defeated Wind Mage, so utterly beaten that he had shifted back into his Hylian form, which had not been seen since his first rise to power. As the sorcerer weakly looked up at him, Ganon sneered, returning to his Gerudo form. Crossing his arms in triumph, Ganondorf said, "You may now kneel, worm."

When Vaati looked up at him, the mage's face was contorted in pain and no small amount of fear. With no other choice, Vaati dragged himself to his knees and bowed before his conqueror, all semblance of dignity utterly crushed. Ganondorf's sneer widened. "Good move, Vaati. Now, do not tarry. You have work to do. Seal away the Shrine Maidens so that they cannot interfere with my plans."

Ganondorf glanced aside as a shadow materialized beside him. It stood taller than he, but had broad shoulders similar to his. Its body was black, with runes glowing bluish-green all over its body like tattoos. Two great horns curved inward and then outward over its head. "The Four Sword Heroes will no doubt be here soon, my shadow. Do not let them reach the first Shrine Maiden."

Phantom Ganon wordlessly nodded before disappearing in a cloud of black smoke with an echoing laugh.

XXXXXX

Present day…

"I did as he asked," Vaati finished explaining. "I sealed the Shrine Maidens away and helped Ganon spread his darkness across the land. It was then that I began to reclaim my true self. I guess you could say my defeat at Ganon's hands was the shock I needed to begin second-guessing my life choices. I could not fight against Ganon, not directly at least. And my pride prevented me from going to the accursed Heroes for help. There was only one way I could resist him and deny him his ultimate victory; when the Heroes came for me, I threw the fight and allowed them to seal me away again. He lost his chief puppet then. I was confident they would defeat Ganon again, and as I looked through the history books the Wizzrobes collected for me each time I returned, I was right. Ganon was indeed sealed in the Dark World not long after I was defeated. But unfortunately, he has seen fit to not only return, but to show up here, of all places."

Everyone collectively released a breath they didn't realize they were holding. "My word..." Cadance whispered. "How awful!"

Shining's face was stern. "Such a fiend can't be allowed to roam freely across our lands!"

Vaati shook his head. "Search all you want. You will not find him unless he wants to be found."

"My guards, as well as those of the Crystal Empire, are searching high and low for him," Celestia interjected. "I'm considering even asking Queen Chrysalis to be on the lookout as well. Luna had a dream about Ganon shortly before he arrived. In it, it was not only ponies that suffered, but all manner of beings, Changelings included."

"Then I know what Ganondorf is doing," Vaati replied. "He's currently attempting to establish a foothold in Equestria, as well as hide the Elements of Harmony away. He will likely place each Element under the guardianship of a powerful monster, which will also serve as a means for Ganon to control the locals in each area. In the meantime, he will also focus on building an army. Once he has done those things, he will undoubtedly march on Canterlot and attempt to seize your thrones and declare himself the new ruler. He is anything if not consistent."

If Celestia and Luna were troubled by this, they did not show it. However, Shining was less inclined to keep his emotions in check, looking up at Celestia and saying, "Your Majesty, I strongly request that all our guards return to Canterlot at once so we can beef up its defenses!"

Vaati gave a mirthless chuckle. "You saw how my monsters tore apart the Changelings almost effortlessly, did you not?"

"Yeah?" Shining replied.

"Ganondorf employs many of the same creatures, and they will show even less restraint than my own servants did. I do not recommend facing them in open combat, especially if Ganondorf decides to lead from the front, in which case every last one of your men will be dead in about five minutes."

"We can't just do nothing, Vaati!" Cadance cried. "The safety of Equestria is at stake!"

"And the Crystal Empire, the Griffon Kingdom, the Diamond Dog tribes, the Changelings, and every other nation around Equestria. If he gains control over Equestria, he'll eventually spread his dominion around all the other territories. And unlike most people in this world, Ganondorf has the means to do it. He can summon an endless number of completely subservient monsters that will never think to rebel against him. I agree; something must be done. But it must be done by those who are capable of fighting Ganondorf on his own terms."

Luna looked worried. "You intend to face him again?"

"I know," Vaati replied. "Both times I've faced him, he deftly defeated me. And he defeated the Elements of Harmony and now has them in his possession. But the Elements can be recovered. And when we face him again, all of us will work together. I'll wear him down as much as I can, and then we'll use the Elements to finish him off."

"And what of the rest of us?" Shining asked. "Our guards can do something to help, surely?"

"That's up to your Princesses to decide," Vaati answered. "I will assign my monsters to guard Ponyville during my absence. Whether you leave a contingent of your guards to help them is up to you, Princess. But after Ganon conquers Canterlot, and he will, so don't try to correct me, he will send his soldiers around the country to oppress the other villages and towns so they'll know who's in charge now."

Luna's brow furrowed. "What makes you so certain Ganon will succeed in conquering Canterlot?"

"Ganon is powerful enough to lay waste to any shield Shining here puts up in less than an hour, and he has a nasty habit of conquering castles thought unconquerable. Hyrule Castle has never been taken by an invading army, but Ganon has always near single-handedly penetrated its strongest defenses and seized control. The Hero is pretty much Hyrule's only line of defense against him. The Crystal Empire is much more remote, and it will take some time before Ganondorf is ready to assault it. I urge you both to stay there for the time being. Canterlot is not safe, but as long as you are, the populace won't give in to despair."

"You ask us to hide while Ganon assaults our home and people?" Luna spoke harshly. "No! If Ganon seeks to take our thrones, he will have to pry our cold corpses from them first!"

Vaati sat up and gripped Luna by the shoulders. "For the love of the Goddesses, Luna, don't give him the opportunity! If you get yourself killed, I'll never forgive you!"

Luna smirked. "In that unlikely event, I wouldn't be alive enough to care."

Vaati just glared flatly at her. "You have a poor sense of timing when it comes to humor, love."

"I swear, it's like watching an old married couple," Nigellas whispered to Twilight, who was watching the two dark magic users with mild amusement from her bed. "Not that I know anything about marriage."

Having overheard the Wizzrobe's comment, Luna's violet cheeks flushed a bright scarlet, while Vaati glared murderously at his servant, attempting to suppress his own blush. "Nigellas. Out. Now."

"Sir, I'm in charge of the infir…"

"I SAID OUT!" Vaati yelled, pointing a finger at the Wizzrobe's feet. Suddenly, the hem of Nigellas's robe caught fire, causing the poor wizard to cry out in fright.

"GAH! WHY IS IT ALWAYS MEEEEEEE?!" Nigellas screamed as he rushed out of the room to find some water before he was incinerated.

"Jeez, Dad," Scootaloo commented. "That was a little harsh, don't you think?"

"He deserved it," Vaati flatly replied.

"Nice to see you're back," Twilight spoke up, catching Vaati's attention.

"Save the sarcasm for later," Vaati snapped irritably, groaning as he stood up from his bed. "We have planning to do. Ganondorf is scattering the Elements as we speak, likely bringing other territories under his heel in the process. He may also be building an army. If that is the case, I estimate he will march on Canterlot to usurp the Princesses in about three days' time. Now, everyone come with me. I have a small room I use for situations like this in the lower levels of the palace."

XXXXXX

Palace War Room, Level B1…

Vaati led the Mane Six, who were all finally awake, Shining Armor, Maulgrim, Nigellas, (who had happened across an Aquamancer Wizzrobe, who had a good laugh at Nigellas's expense before putting the fire out) and the three Princesses over to a black iron door. "Ladies and gentlemen," Vaati began.

"Gentlecolts," Shining quietly corrected.

"My annoying comrades," Vaati pointedly amended as he opened the door. "Welcome to my war room."

"Well, it's about time you showed up!"

The whole group paused in surprise as they saw that someone else had beaten them to the war room, someone composed of many animal body parts and was sitting in a chair upside down on the ceiling. His eyes glowed with merriment in the dim light. Vaati sighed. "Discord."

"Don't look too happy to see me," Discord drawled as he finished his glass of chocolate milk, the empty glass disappearing as Discord dismissed it. "Yeesh, it's been almost two months since we saw each other! Aren't you the least bit happy to see your old pal Discord?"

"We are not friends," Vaati replied sourly. "I merely tolerate your presence, and only when you haven't redecorated my palace."

"Now, before you say anything, this chair didn't come from your precious palace," Discord interrupted.

Rarity, looking closer, recognized said chair. "Wait…is that my fainting sofa?!"

Discord looked down (up?) at it. "Is that what you use it for? Sheesh, calling you a drama queen would be an understatement."

"Discord, we're here for something important," Vaati snapped. "So unless you want to be a part of this, get lost. Like you were when Ganondorf came."

"Hey, don't pin the blame on me!" Discord pouted, putting his paws up. "I was in Zebrica trying to teach the locals how to dance the polka! If somepony…" Discord glared disappointingly at Fluttershy, who tried to hide her face in her hair out of shame. "…had bothered to use the little coin I gave her to keep in touch with me while I was out and about, I would have helped you out! Scout's honor!"

Vaati just glared at him for a moment before tiredly shaking his head. "Fine. Everyone take a seat around the table. You're fine where you are, Discord."

"Of course I am! I'm fine wherever I go!"

Vaati just shook his head as he and everyone else took a seat around the large oak table. Printed on its surface was a highly detailed map of an unknown continent. Noticing this, Vaati looked up at Nigellas and said, "Get the map of Equestria. This doesn't need to display Hyrule anymore."

"This is Hyrule?" Twilight excitedly asked, scrutinizing as many details as she could as Nigellas conjured the map he had acquired some time before.

She pouted as Nigellas covered the table's surface with the map face-down and touched his finger on the middle. When he removed the map, a more detailed version of it was now painted on its surface. The ponies sans the Princesses 'ooh'ed at that. "A special kind of table," Vaati explained. "The result of an old experiment of mine."

"An impressive feat of magic," Celestia commended.

"Yes it is," Vaati preened before getting down to business. "Alright. We have no idea where Ganon is at the moment, and any attempts to find him will end in failure or loss of life if someone is unlucky enough to actually stumble across him. What we do know is that he is likely going to pull the same stunt he does with every magical artifact he finds that responds positively to heroes; scatter them across all corners of the land, enslave the nearby locals, and put a powerful monster in charge of guarding each Element. After he's done that, he will march on Canterlot and attempt to either capture or kill you two."

He glanced at Celestia and held Luna's gaze for a moment before returning to the map, indicating each spot as he listed it. "Some likely places where he might place an Element would be the Griffon Kingdom, the Changeling Hive, and the Everfree Forest. I can't say where he could put the rest, but we'll have to find that out some way."

"Even when separated, Twilight and her friends still maintain their connection with their respective Element," Celestia explained. "With a little focusing spell, you can pinpoint where each one is."

"I can do the spell!" Twilight spoke up. "That'll help a lot!"

"The Element Bearers and I will search for the Elements of Harmony," Vaati continued. "The rest of you will focus on finding a way to resist Ganon through strength of arms. Most of my troops will remain here to guard Ponyville and the Palace of Winds, but I can send some to aid your own forces. I'd rather not summon more, as the ones here now have grown accustomed to being around ponykind."

"Meanin'?" Applejack asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Meaning we are more inclined to defend you with our lives for reasons other than just following orders," Maulgrim rumbled, risking an aside glance at Rarity just quick enough for no one to notice. "Which will make us fight that much harder to ensure your protection."

Applejack mouthed a silent "oh" as she understood. Rarity seemed to as well, for she smiled up at the proud Darknut. "Are you saying that we're worth fighting for?"

Maulgrim was thankful the lovely unicorn could not see the rosy blush tinge his dog-like face through his omnipresent helmet. "I am, my lady."

Nigellas scoffed. "You're such a hopeless romantic, you know that?"

"Moving on," Maulgrim interrupted with some force. "Please continue, sire."

Vaati's eyes narrowed momentarily as he observed the scene. Something was definitely starting to form between those two. Was Maulgrim falling for Rarity? A Darknut falling in love to begin with was such a foreign concept to the sorcerer's mind, but he shook all these thoughts aside as he resumed. "With that in mind, a few of my Wizzrobes will be added to your unicorn ranks, some Darknuts will bolster your Earth Ponies, and if you're patient enough, I can summon some Kargarocs and possibly the Helmaroc King, if Ganon hasn't already done so, to aid your pegasi warriors."

"What are Kargarocs?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Large birds of prey that can be trained into war birds," Vaati explained. "The Helmaroc King is the largest of them all, and is intelligent. That may not come as a surprise to you all, considering the unusually high level of intelligence this world's animals possess, but Helmaroc is capable of telepathy."

Vaati noted how disconcerted Fluttershy looked at the idea of using birds as war beasts. He inwardly sighed. She's going to find a lot of her ideals crushed in front of her before this adventure is through, he thought to himself before he went back to his explanation.

"Once that is done, I highly suggest evacuating Canterlot's citizenry to the outer towns and villages, leave a skeleton crew behind to tempt Ganon into attacking so he'll be distracted, and make the Crystal Empire your temporary capital for the time being. It's much more defensible than Canterlot, it's more remote, which will give you more time to focus on beefing up its defenses, and it has its own means of defense that should deter Ganon's advance for a while longer."

"I think it's a good idea, Your Majesties," Shining said. "Vaati has a good point. The Crystal Heart's magic is stronger than anything Cadance and I can conjure. We also found a few of Sombra's old weapons he had kept in storage. We were originally going to destroy those frightful devices, but now it sounds like we may need them after all. Better that they should now serve the cause of good."

Vaati quirked an eyebrow. "What manner of weapons would these be?"

Cadance repressed a shudder. "Tower-mounted crystal stake hurlers."

"Tower-mounted ballistae that could fire multiple projectiles at once," Celestia explained. "King Sombra built them in an effort to kill me and Luna before we could reach him. It was indeed a miracle we actually managed to avoid them all. We destroyed them before moving on to Sombra himself, but I should have known he would have kept spares. They're highly effective against large groups of flyers, and can be used to devastating effect against ground forces too."

"I still feel uncomfortable with using weapons designed by that awful bastard of a king," Shining sighed. "But if it helps defend the Empire, I'll have them set up right away."

"And what should I do?" Discord asked, craning his head over Vaati's face. "You've ignored me this entire conversation."

"You have our full permission to give Ganon and his minions as much hell as you can give them," Vaati answered, smirking. "Sow the seeds of chaos in Ganon's perfect order."

Discord grinned from ear to ear and spun around in the air, laughing joyously. "Oh, now this is going to be fun! Finally I can inflict some good old-fashioned chaos without repercussions!"

"However," Vaati interrupted, "do not make yourself directly known to Ganon. At least, not yet. He'll tear you apart in seconds if he gets ahold of you. Remember that I thrashed you, and he has beaten me twice, once while I at full power."

Discord's smile faltered. "Will do," he assured them.

Vaati turned to his two chief minions. "Maulgrim, Nigellas, you two will be in charge of Ponyville's defenses. If need be, teach the townsfolk how to defend themselves. You may not like it, but you will have to give them each monster's specific weaknesses. Such knowledge will increase their chances of survival."

Maulgrim nodded. "I understand, sire."

"If it helps, we'll do it," Nigellas agreed.

Vaati stood up from his chair. "Alright, if that's all settled, I have summoning to do. The Princesses will evacuate Canterlot and bait Ganon with a few soldiers staying behind, who will evacuate as well once Ganon launches his attack, before going to the Crystal Empire to help strengthen its defenses. Discord will go undercover and harass Ganon and his troops however he can. Girls, use whatever means necessary to locate your Elements. Do not be troubled if you do not find them all; it probably means Ganon still has them in his possession and hasn't found a place for them yet. Once you've found them, we can begin our search."

"Sounds like a plan," Twilight agreed.

"Council adjourned, then," Vaati announced, heading towards the door. "I'll be on the roof of the palace. Find me there when you've got something."

XXXXXX

Twilight and her friends all sat in a circle on the floor of the palace's library, Twilight spoke up. "Okay, girls. When I perform the spell, I want you all to focus as much as you can on your connection to each of your Elements. Try to see what they see."

The whole group nodded, after which Twilight lit up her horn, feeding her magic into her friends' minds to focus better on their connections to the Elements. They all closed their eyes and bowed their heads, furrowing their brows as the minutes ticked by. Finally, Twilight canceled her spell, bringing everypony back to wakefulness. Twilight shook her head. "I didn't see anything. Ganon must still have my Element."

"Me either," Rainbow added in disappointment. "Guess he still has mine too."

"And mine," Rarity included.

Pinkie's hair deflated slightly. "He's got mine too."

"Um…I,uh, I saw something," Fluttershy spoke up. As the others looked to her for an explanation, she continued, "I saw tunnels and caves. They looked like the old Diamond Dog tunnels from when they captured Rarity." Rarity smirked at that, remembering the admittedly-profitable experience. It fell when Fluttershy shivered terribly. "I also saw…I saw…" She gulped. "I saw a dragon."

Everypony went still. "H-he got a dragon to guard the Element of Kindness?!" Rainbow gawked. "How?!"

"I-I don't know," Fluttershy answered. "I've never seen a dragon like that before, not even during the great migration. It had a long body like a snake. I-its hair was on fire. Its scales looked like they were made of l-lava. It almost looks like a sea serpent, only with fire instead of water."

Twilight quirked an eyebrow. "I know dragons can sit in lava like it's water. But a dragon made of lava just sounds ridiculous."

"Like crocodiles made of rock and wolves made of wood?" Rarity pointed out.

Twilight opened and shut her mouth, realizing that the fashionista had a point. "Ah saw sumthin' too," Applejack interrupted. "Ah think mah Element's been taken to the ol' castle in the Everfree Forest! That Ganondorf feller's got some really creepy magic skills, 'cause Ah saw all kinds'a undead monsters, pony n' otherwise, lurkin' about the place. O-one'a them was a dragon zombie that looked like it'd been dead for a while before."

Twilight frowned. "So, the only two Elements we can find, and dragons guard them both. At least they're close."

"With Vaati and me around, we won't have any trouble with those overgrown lizards!" Rainbow boasted.

Twilight stood up. "Alright, let's go find him."

They all went up to the roof of the palace and stopped cold at what they saw.

Looming over the Sorcerer of Winds, and glaring at them with pupil-less, predatory eyes, was the biggest bird any of them had ever seen.

Its plumage was mostly dark-blue, with magenta and white end feathers on the wings and three yellow and green tail feathers trailing out behind it. A steel helmet covered its face. The huge bird of prey screeched at them, which sounded more like a deafening roar due to its titanic size. Fluttershy fell on her back and pointed her legs up in a rigid position, while Rarity collapsed in a dead faint. "Hold, you great, stupid chicken!" came Vaati's sudden voice. "They are neither food nor intruder!"

The giant helmeted hawk shut its beak and glanced curiously at the Wind Mage. "Twilight and company, meet the Helmaroc King," Vaati greeted, gesturing towards the massive blue hawk. "My single most powerful servant."

The Helmaroc King projected its unspoken question into the sorcerer's mind. Sire, you know these creatures?

"I do," Vaati answered. "I consider them friends and allies. You will consider them the latter, that's an order. The former is up to you to decide in due time. Familiarize yourself with their thoughts, but do be gentle; several of them scare easily."

The great hawk's gaze focused on the group of ponies, and they could each feel something subtly probing their minds, something bestial yet carrying an air of magnificence and royalty. Twilight stood rooted to the spot as she looked into the glowing yellow orbs of Helmaroc's eyes.

Do you fear me?

Twilight gulped. She could not stop her mind from responding with a definite 'yes'.

Yet you do not fear my master, he who bested me as Lord of the Skies. Why?

Twilight mustered her courage and organized her thoughts. This creature was telepathic; jumbled thoughts were akin to spoken gobbledygook. Because Vaati is my friend. Now why did you choose to serve him?

I was the Lord of the Skies before him. He defeated me. I had to.

Why didn't you stab him in the back, like I'm sure you could have?

Because I respect and fear his power.

You might not know this, but telepathy is a two-way street, Helmaroc King, Twilight replied, and she could sense the bird's mild surprise. I'm a high-class magician who comes pretty close to Vaati in terms of raw magical ability. Granted, he's more refined, but I'm getting better too. And I've studied telepathy, and I can see that you serve him for reasons other than him beating you. At first it was out of respect, but I can see that's changed over the centuries, even if you didn't bother to notice. You serve him for the same reason I'm not scared of him; he is our friend.

Helmaroc was silent for several moments, before it suddenly made a series of squawking noises that could have been interpreted as laughter. You are as keen and sharp of wit as he, Twilight Sparkle. Lord Vaati has chosen his friends well.

Twilight let loose a sigh of relief that she had apparently fallen into the mighty beast's good graces. Vaati smirked. "Good. Now that we're acquainted, your assignment, Helmaroc, is to take your flock and fly for the Crystal Empire far to the east of here. An alicorn named Princess Celestia will meet you not far from the outskirts of Equestrian territory to guide you the rest of the way. You shall aid her pegasi warriors in defending the Empire from Ganon's attack, which is soon to be coming."

The Helmaroc King chirped. So Ganon has found his way to this land too?

Vaati nodded. "Time grows short. I have other matters to attend to, namely searching for important relics Ganon has scattered that are necessary to defeat him. Now fly!"

Helmaroc bowed his head before unfurling his great wings and taking to the skies, flying off into the distance. Vaati then turned to his companions, Rarity and Fluttershy back on their feet now that the giant bird had gone. "Now, tell me you found something," he said.

Twilight nodded. "We did. Ganon still has most of the Elements. But he's apparently put the Element of Kindness in the Diamond Dog caverns and the Element of Honesty in the old abandoned castle in the Everfree Forest."

"Any idea on what beast guards them?"

"Some sort of fire serpent-dragon-thing guards Kindness and an undead dragon is guarding Honesty," Twilight answered.

Vaati groaned and put a hand over his forehead. "For the love of the Goddesses, he's not pulling any punches this time, is he? Volvagia and a Stallord?! He really has it in for us…"

"They won't be a problem, will they?" Rainbow uncertainly asked.

"Stallords are truly dangerous creatures, and it's damn hard to kill something that's already dead, especially when it's freaking huge. Volvagia is known as the Goron's-Bane, as it loved to feast on the Goron people. This is the second time Ganon's revived it, and it sounds like he's enticing its loyalty by offering the Diamond Dogs as an alternate food supply."

Fluttershy gasped. "Oh no! Those poor creatures!"

"Honesty is closest," Vaati said. "We'll retrieve it first, then move onto Kindness. Hopefully Ganon will have found a place for the others by then."

"Right! Now let's go save Equestria!" Rainbow declared, flying up and pumping a hoof in the air.

XXXXXX

"The adventure begins…

The sorcerer and the Carriers of Harmony walk towards their destiny…

Unknowing of what fate lies in store for them, and their precious world…

And we will be watching all the while...

Gwo hoh hoh hoh hoh…"