The ancient woods connecting the lands of Termina and Hyrule were a dark and mysterious place. Evil beings were said to lurk behind every tree and in every shadow. Few ponies traveled through these woods, for misfortune plagued anypony that was brave or foolish enough to wander through the forest. A thick fog blanketed the forest at any given time, it's cold embrace expanding through the trees.
Link was one of the few ponies that could cross through the forest successfully. He, along with his dearest friend, Epona, walked through the forest, trying to reach the land of Termina. They had traveled together ever since they first met back in the lands of Hyrule.
The dense fog had made it hard for either of them to see. They could barely make out the nearly non-existent path that they were using as their guide. This path wasn't the quickest way through the woods, but it was the safest. Speed was of the essence, however. Dusk was slowly approaching them.
The only sound that broke the eerie silence of the forest were the soft thuds of Link's and Epona's hooves against the moss covered floor of the forest. Despite the evil legends that were told about this ill-fated forest, a tranquil calm seemed to have settled in. The sun cast long shadows through the forest as it sunk deeper into the horizon. A renewed vigor filled the two ponies' steps as they continued along the path. Dusk was slowly approaching, and neither one of them wanted to have to make camp in the forest. They knew that this was most likely going to be their only option as the sun continued it's slow decent.
The two ponies wordlessly continued, grateful that their journey through the malevolent forest was slowly coming to a close. Suddenly, a weird sensation permeated the air. Link felt a shiver run through the entire length of his body as he could feel the presence of some ominous entity creeping up on him. He shrugged it off, thinking that it was just his paranoia getting the best of him.
He swiveled his head to the side as he heard the sound of a twig breaking somewhere in the forest. He stared off into the woods, trying to look through the fog that had continued to irritate him. He turned forward just in time to stop himself from running right into Epona. She was sitting in the middle of the path, gazing off into the distance. Link knew that Epona's eye sight was much greater than his in this fog. She turned to look at him, her big amber eyes washing over Link. Her eyes betrayed her fear, and Link returned her gaze with a look of worry. He turned and pulled out his sword that rested in a sheath on his back. He held it in his mouth, peering off to where Epona had been staring off just moments ago. He contemplated strapping his shield on, but knew that it would just slow him down. Speed might be the only thing that could save them if something decided to attack. He signaled to Epona to continue moving. They weren't going to wait around for whatever creature resided amongst the fog and trees.
Link and Epona set off at a brisk pace, hurrying to get out of the forest. They felt as if some creature were watching them. A few minutes passed, and they felt the same calm feeling creep back into the forest. They slowed down to a walking pace. The sun was a tiny sliver resting on the horizon. They quickened their pace yet again to beat the darkness that was seeping into the forest.
Epona jumped as she heard a branch break in the distance along with the sounds of rustling leaves. Link felt the familiar sense of evil fill the air once more. Without hesitation, Link stopped and pulled his shield from his pack. He no longer cared about speed. Whatever creature was stalking them was obviously able to match their pace, so he was better off being protected if they had to fight. He watched as Epona pulled out a small dagger that she used for protection out of her pack, gripping it in her mouth. Link slowly slid his front right hoof through the straps on his shield. He pulled the straps, feeling them tighten around his leg. He readjusted his grip on his sword, and signaled to Epona to move forward. They cautiously made there way further through the forest, constantly looking around for any sign of danger hidden amongst the trees.
A rustling broke the silence. Link pricked up his ears, trying to identify the source of the disturbance. He gazed off into the woods, a flicker of motion catching his eye. Whatever it was, it was gone before Link could get a good look at it.
A high pitched whistling noise filled the air. Link flinched as he felt something whiz by his ear. The world seemed to slow as he watched the source of the whistling fly forward, heading straight for the back of Epona's head. He was powerless to save her. The projectile made contact with the back of Epona's head with a dull thud. She fell to the ground, knocked out without realizing what had hit her. Link rushed forward to check and see if she was okay, and heard the same whistling sound again. He dropped to the ground and watched as two more projectiles flew right above him. He spun around to look for who ever was shooting at them. His friend was injured, and he had to get her to safety. But there was nothing he could do while this creature continued to attack them from afar. He peered into the fog, which had let up slightly as the day slowly came to an end. Link saw the outline of a dark figure, resting upon the branch of a tree a few yards away from them. The creature that had been stalking them was sitting on the branch, two dull, yellow eyes permeating the fog. The creature jumped from the branch, snapping it in two. Link had never seen anything move with such speed. He could barely keep track of the creature as it bounded from branch to branch, snapping off most of them with the strength of it's jumping. Before long, Link had lost sight of the creature. Link heard a soft "twang", and heard the whistling once again. He spun around, putting his shield up to cover his face. He felt to thuds as the projectiles contacted with his shield mere seconds later.
He gazed down at the ground at what had been fired at him. Two small, round objects rested on the ground in front of him. The two projectiles were nothing more than Bullet Seeds, a common sight throughout the region. They were easy to find, very resilient, and very dangerous. Link looked up in time to watch the creature bolt from another branch, landing deeper in the forest. Link listened for the sound of the whistling, preparing himself for another bombardment of seeds. Silence settled back in as Link strained his ears. He sat there listening for another attack. A few minutes passed, and not a single thing was heard other than the light rustling of leaves as a slight breeze blew through the forest. Link looked around, trying to see if the creature was still watching him. He decided that it was safe now, and walked over to Epona to make sure she was okay. She was laying on the forest floor, still knocked out from the hit she took. She was still breathing, which was a good sign. Link reached down, attempting to pick her up. He didn't want to wait until she woke up while that creature still lurked amongst the depths of the forest.
As he was about to place her on his back, he heard the whistling noise yet again. The weight of Epona slowed him. He attempted to place her back on the ground and raise his shield, but he was too slow. The seed connected with the side of his head, sending a screaming jolt of agonizing pain through his skull. Link gritted his teeth on the handle of the sword, biting down on it as he tried to ignore the pain. He teetered to the side, the pain making him dizzy. He watched through his blurred vision as the same creature who had been stalking him this whole time jumped down from a branch, landing on the ground with a dull thud. Link's vision slowly started to grow dark as he watched the creature slowly make it's way toward him. The creature walked on all fours. Two small balls of light bobbed next to him, one yellow, one purple. They bounced up and down like the werelights of a swamp, hypnotizing Link with their graceful movements. Link bumped into a tree in his dizzy stupor, leaning against it to support his weight. He unclenched his jaw and dropped his sword on the ground. His strength slowly started to ebb out of him with each throb of pain. As the creature loomed closer to Link, he could feel an intense evil emanating from it. Link slowly slunk to the ground, unable to hold himself up anymore. The creature continued to stalk towards him, it's yellow eyes piercing through him. A wicked giggle emanated from the creature. Link felt a shiver of fear run through him as the giggle echoed amongst the trees, the shrill laugh piercing his ears. His blood curdled as the laughter grew louder as the creature walked closer.
Another throb of pain shot through Link's head. The pain was growing more and more intense with each passing second. He gazed at the forest floor, trying to stay awake. The ground spun before him, making him nauseous. His stomach churned as the ground started spinning faster. The moss and grass flew in front of Link's eyes, making it look like nothing more than a green blur. He heaved, the nausea overwhelming him. He hadn't eaten much during the day, but whatever he had eaten was now resting in a heap on the forest floor. Link spat out a bit of bile, then looked up. The creature was right above him, staring down at him. He identified the creature that had been stalking him, a Zebra. Why a Zebra was so far from it's home in the woods of the Kokiri Forest back in Hyrule perplexed him. The Zebra loomed over him, staring down at him. Unlike the other members of its kind, this one adorned a very strange, ornate mask. Link couldn't make the details out, his vision was too faded. He could only make out the light pattern of stripes adorning the beast that stood before him.
A faint whisper sounded in Link's ear. It was unlike anything he had ever heard before. The whisper was soft and high pitched, like that of a child. But a demonic rumble seemed to back the child's voice as it spoke. Link's mane stood on end as the Zebra giggled again, then spoke, "Goodnight...". The Zebra then turned around, and jumped up on it's front legs. It kicked with all of it's might, hitting Link in the middle of his face. The last thing that Link heard was the faint giggling of the Zebra as he slowly slipped into unconsciousness, the darkness finally consuming him.
~~~~~
The Zebra looked down at the limp body in front of him. A wicked smile adorned his face, hidden beneath his mask. The two orbs of light slowly floated next to him, gazing down with him.
"Took you long enough!" the voice came from the white ball of light. The small fairy flew over to Link's body, observing it. "He nearly escaped!"
"Hey, leave the Skullcolt alone!" the purple light bobbed ferociously as he scolded the other fairy. "He was trying his best!"
"I have better aim than that!"
A low rumble filled the air as the Skullcolt growled at the two fairies. He slowly lifted his mask up, letting it rest on top of his head. Underneath of the mask was the innocent face of a young colt. His dull, green eyes were fixed on the two fairies floating in front of him. "Both of you, knock it off." His voice boomed around them, echoing until it finally trailed off a few seconds later. He walked, glancing down at Link once more, taking note of the hoof print that he had left on Link's face. He smiled at the imprint he had left, then quickly trotted over to Epona's body.
She was laying on her side, still knocked out from the hit she had taken to the back of her head. Her brown coat made her almost blend in with the ground, but her white mane stood out against the mossy floor of the forest. The Skullcolt undid her saddle bags, then carefully pulled the bags off of her. He dumped the contents of the bag on the ground, eying the pile. A slight frown splayed across his face as he saw that nothing of value was in the pile. A half eaten apple, a few scrolls, a pen, a small container of ink, and a vial of red liquid were the only things he had found. The vial of red liquid caught his eye. He plucked it from the pile, holding it in his hooves. He swirled it around, watching the liquid swish around within the vial. He removed the cork from the top with his teeth, letting the scent of the concoction waft up to him. A pleasant scent graced his nostrils. It smelled like a mix between crushed rose petals and raspberries. He brought the vial up to his mouth, taking a small sip out of it. The liquid stung his tongue, causing his eyes to water. He felt a burning sensation as the liquid trickled down his throat. Despite the bitter taste, he could feel a small burst of energy run through him. His fatigued limbs no longer ached after the long bit of running and he had to do to catch up to the two wanderers. He quickly finished off the vial, feeling power course through his limbs. He couldn't help but smile as the euphoric sensation washed over him. He eyed the vial, wishing he had more to drink, then tossed it to the side. The vial landed on a mossy patch.
The Skullcolt looked down at Epona again. He could have sworn he saw her before, but he couldn't quite place a hoof on where he had seen her before. He shrugged it off, and made his way over to Link. He noticed the green tunic and pointed green hat adorning the small pony. A jolt ran through him as he remembered where he had seen these two ponies before. He stood there, gazing at the small green pony. Minutes passed, and he continued to stare at the motionless body.
"What's the matter? Aren't you going to search him for anything?" the white fairy asked. The Skullcolt remained in place, his eyes never wavering from Link's body. "Hello? Earth to Skullcolt? Are you even listening?" She flew in front of the Skullcolt's eyes, trying to get his attention. She watched as a glistening tear escaped his eye, tumbling down his face.
"I...I've seen these two before..." the Skullcolt's voice was very shaky. The demonic undertone that usually graced his voice was gone. Another tear rolled down his face, falling to the ground. He closed his eyes, letting the sadness overwhelm him. The purple fairy flew over to him, resting on the tip of his snout.
"What's wrong? I haven't seen you this sad since the day we first met," the Skullcolt just gazed at the fairy, tears continuously flowing down his cheeks.
"These two ponies...I know them from back home..." The Skullcolt sat down. "Back when I was just a young Zebra, I used to live in the Lost Woods of the Kokiri Forest. I would frolic about without a care in the world... That is... until the other Zebras turned on me." The Skullcolt paused, letting a small sob escape him. "They all hated me. They called me a freak... an outcast. They wanted nothing more than to see me suffer. One day, when I was walking through the woods, they ambushed me. I was nearly killed on that day... after they had left me there to die, I slowly made my way to a secret meadow out in the forest. Few knew of it's location, so I figured it was a good place for me to go and pass on to the void. At least then, I would've been able to die in peace... as I neared the meadow, I could hear a soft tune being played. It was a very joyous tune. The notes seemed to have a magical property. The very forest seemed to dance along with the melody. As I neared the meadow, the music got louder and stronger. I emerged through the bushes surrounding the meadow. Three ponies were standing in the middle of it, playing the beautiful song that I was hearing. I tried getting closer to them without them seeing me, but they noticed me. Black and white doesn't really blend in too well with the lush green grass in that forest. They stopped their music, and just stared at me," the demonic edge was slowly creeping back into the Skullcolt's voice. "The brown pony ran up to me and gasped when she saw all of my wounds. Before I could protest, she was digging in her bags, looking for medicine. She patched me up, and gave me a strange blue liquid that would help with the healing process."
"So... you're saying that these two ponies that you nearly killed stopped you from dieing...?" The white fairy said. "What a way to repay them..."
"Tatl, shut up! Let the Skullcolt go on with his story!" The purple fairy hopped off of the Skullcolt's snout and floated over to the white fairy. The white fairy shied away and landed on a small yellow flower. "Okay, go on with your story," the purple fairy said as he landed on a flower next to Tatl.
"Well, after they healed me up, they continued playing their song. I sat on a small stump, watching them dance around the meadow as they played. I pulled out the flute that had been passed down through my family, and I started to play along with them. Before I knew it, I was dancing along with them, having a good time. When we all grew tired, they were actually nice enough to let me join in with them when they ate lunch. I had finally made some friends, and I was truly happy for the first time in my life. That is, until they came back." The Skullcolt's voice had regained the demonic tone that it once had before. His voice seemed to rumble as he continued to speak. "The other Zebra's returned, angered by the fact that I was still alive. They charged at me, attempting to finish off the job. Before they could make it, this pony," he signaled towards Link, "already had his sword pulled out, and he was slashing wildly at them. He slaughtered them without a care. The sacred meadow that was once my safe haven was being painted in the blood of my own kind."
"But what does it matter if they were your own kind? They were trying to kill you!" Tatl said, angered by the Skullcolt's words.
"The forest was our home. Our sanctuary. Strangers usually come in, and get lost, and we are kind enough to lead them out. We lived in that forest due to the fact that the ponies outside of the forest were afraid of us. The forest was our home, and they were killing us on our own ground. If we fight each other, then it's our personal issue. But if they come in there, and start slaughtering our kind..." the Skullcolt's voice trailed off as he looked back down at Link's body. He pulled the mask down over his face, letting his anger flow through him. "This one... he killed my brothers... my sisters... my own kind... I don't care if they wanted me dead... Outsiders aren't allowed into our forest just so they could murder us..."
The eyes on the Skullcolt's mask seemed to glow more intensely as his anger boiled up inside of him. He walked over to Link, letting his rage over take his body. He took a deep breath, then brought his front hoof back. He released all of his pent up rage into Link's body as his kick connected with Link's stomach. The force of the kick sent Link tumbling a few feet, and he came to rest against a tree. The Skullcolt walked over to Link yet again, and viciously began digging through his bags. He felt around, looking for a certain object. His hoof brushed against a smooth, wooden object. He pulled it out, and in his hands lay a small blue instrument. He eyed it carefully, turning it around in his hooves. He brought it up to his mouth, blowing into the mouthpiece. A short, high note rang out. He placed his hoof over one of the holes and played another note. This time, it was a low note that resonated through the trees. He continued playing the small instrument, giggling at the tune he was playing. He stood up on his hind legs and began to dance around as he played. His light melody seemed to bring a renewed life to the forest. The trees and plants seemed to dance with him as he played his tune in the darkness of the night.