Equestrian Epona

by Shritistrang


A Sign of Loyalty

Rainbow Dash groaned as she opened her eyes. "Ooooh… where am I?" She wanted to push herself up, but her whole body felt soggy and weak. She felt nothing but wet sand on her hooves and wings.

"Rainbow Dash, you're okay!"

Before Rainbow could even take a look at her surroundings, her vision was blocked by a big amount of orange as the little pegasus filly began to nuzzle her happily.

"Gah! Scoots? Hey hey, I'm happy to see you, too, but gimme some room to breathe."

"Oops, sorry about that," Scootaloo chuckled sheepishly and let go of her idol.

Rainbow took a deep breath. "That's better. Now… where are we? And where are the others?" She looked around and saw nothing but sand in front of her and water behind her. And a couple of palm trees growing nearby. In fact, she was lying in the shade of the nearest one.

Suddenly, a coconut fell down from the tree, barely missing her. "Whoa! Watch it! What gives?"

"Hehe, sorry bout that, partner," came the all-too familiar voice of a certain cowpony. "I'm not used to bucking coconuts out of palm trees. Quite different from apples, ya see?"

"Applejack?" Rainbow was finally able to push herself up to a standing position. She saw her earth pony friend standing next to the tree, giving it another solid kick. "Uh… what are you doing there?"

"What does it look like?" Applejack grunted. "We have no food or drinks, and these coconuts are good for both. If I can make myself useful for once, I'm gonna do my darn best to do it."

"What are you talking about?" Rainbow asked.

"She's upset that she wasn't able to help her Mom and Apple Bloom," Scootaloo explained.

"Darn straight!" Applejack shouted as she kicked the tree one more time. "I promised myself to take good care of my Mom as soon as I knew she was back. And I PROMISED her I'd make sure Apple Bloom won't get into trouble. And I couldn't do either!" Another powerful kick. "Dagnabbit!"

"Is there really no sign of them?" Rainbow asked. "Not one?"

Scootaloo sadly shook her head. "Sweetie Belle is gone, too. Rainbow Dash, what am I going to do if they don't come back? I mean, how can there be the Cutie Mark Crusaders when two of them are gone?" She tried fighting back her tears, but failed. "They have to be all right, Rainbow. They just have to!"

Realizing how miserable both of her current companions felt, Rainbow felt it was up to her to cheer them up. Even though she didn't know if she could actually do a good job with it. Where was Pinkie Pie when you need her?

"Hey…" she said, giving Scootaloo a winghug. "I'm sure they're gonna be fine. They… they're probably looking for us right now. And… AJ, if your mom is with the squirts, she can look after them. She told us she's this big adventurer in that world she came from, right? So they're in good hands… right?"

"But don't you see, Dash?" Applejack said. "I wanted to protect them. I wanted to make sure she would never have to leave again. And now I lost both her and Apple Bloom!" Tears of anger streamed down her face as she kicked the tree so hard that the trunk splintered and the whole tree fell down. "Celestia dangit! I can't even protect them from an overgrown squid!" She closed her eyes. "Do ya know what it's like, Rainbow? To lose your Mom and Dad and to know that you'll never see them again? Spending yer whole life tryin' to support and protect yer family, raising a little sister with no parents? And then she comes back… like a miracle… and you know, you'll be one big, happy family again… and then the same cruel fate takes away both her and your sister? Do ya know what that's like?"

"Actually… I do know. Sorta."

With wide eyes, Applejack looked back at her friend. "Wha… what did you just say?"

Scootaloo also looked up at the older pegasus in confusion.

"You know," Rainbow said. "I can't say I know exactly what you had to live through when your parents disappeared. Since I still had my Dad. And I had no siblings or a farm to take care of. But still… when I was young, my Mom died as well. Leaving both me and Dad with no one else at our side."

Rainbow looked down into the wet sand as she was forced to relive these memories. She had buried them away, under a thick blanket of cockyness and competitiveness. But now that she had to cheer up her friend, she had to think of it again.

"My Mom… was a great flyer," she said. "She was no Wonderbolt, but still one of the best weathermares of her time. Even though my big dream had always been becoming a Wonderbolt, I decided to start with being like her. She taught me how to fly at a very young age. She and Dad took me to the races. She was even best friends with one of the Wonderbolts, Surprise. But then, one day… she was gone."

"Rainbow, I… I had no idea," Applejack said, completely astonished. "Why'd you never tell us?"

"Would it have changed anything?" Rainbow asked. "We're still good pals, no matter what happened in my past."

"I was always surprised why you'd never tell us anything 'bout yer family," Applejack said.

"Rainbow, I'm so sorry to hear that," Scootaloo sniffled and gave her a big hug.

Rainbow smiled. "Thanks, kid. I got over it at some point, y'know? I know my Mom wouldn't want me to mope and whine for the rest of my life. She always told me to follow my dreams, so I did. I became a weathermare and moved to Ponyville, where I met all of you guys."

"I'm mighty sorry, Rainbow," Applejack said, her voice filled with honesty. "I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions like that when I said you'd have no idea what I feel like. Turns out you do… now I feel awful."

"Ah, you couldn't know," Rainbow smiled. "And your Mom did come back after all. I mean, she wasn't really dead, was she? My Mom, on the other hoof… yeah, she ain't coming back. Not after being hit by that meteor…"

Applejack froze. "What… did you just say?"

"She was hit by a meteor," Rainbow said. "Yeah, I know. Pretty hard to believe, right? But I guess that's what my Mom wanted to go out like… getting crushed by a meteor sounds like the most awesome way to die, right?" She chuckled a bit at her own black humor.

"But… wait. That can't be right. That's just how my Mom and Dad died… I mean, disappeared… I mean… it couldn't have happened to both your Mom and my parents, right?"

"What?" Rainbow gasped. "You're telling me the same thing happened to them? But that's impossible!"

"Twilight told me that meteors don't happen that often," Scootaloo spoke up. "Except when there's the occasional meteor shower."

Surprised, Rainbow looked down at her. "When did Twilight teach you THAT?"

Scootaloo smirked. "At Twilight Time."

"Well, there was one when I was ten," Rainbow said. "It was Summer, I think. Mom was doing her morning routine of cloud-busting when it happened. A big, glowing hunk of rock that fell right out of the sky, barely missing Cloudsdale and flying straight at her. I wanted to fly over to her, to tell her to watch out… but my Dad held me back. Said it was too dangerous." Now a single tear appeared in Rainbow's eye as well. "Mom saw the thing, of course. But there were other kids in the sky at that time, playing tag among the clouds. My Mom pushed them out of the way right before… before…" She hid her face in her wing.

"So she died a hero," Applejack said softly. "You can be might proud of yer Mom, Rainbow." She then thought of something. "But wait… Summer? In the morning? The meteor that got my parents also fell at Summer. And I was also ten at that time."

"Do you think it might be the same one?" Scootaloo gasped.

"That might just make sense. Think about it, Rainbow: If you imagine a trail going through Cloudsdale and in the direction that meteor was falling… where would it end?"

"Ponyville…" Rainbow muttered. "No, not directly Ponyville… but its outskirts… and that's where's…" She gasped. "Sweet Apple Acres!"

"Yer darn right," Applejack nodded grimly. "I remember the day as clear as apple cider… the sky was turning dark, Dad called us to stay inside… but Mom had been plowing the fields. She had problems getting the plow off in time, so my Dad ran back to help her. But they didn't make it in time…"

"I don't believe it!" Rainbow shouted. "You mean the same meteor took away both our parents at the same time? What are the chances of that happening?"

"Could have been a coincidence… but the more I think back to that day… that meteor looked very strange. I'm no expert, but do meteors glow dark blue like that one did? I barely thought about it, since I was just a kid back then."

"It was a strange color," Rainbow admitted. "I'm sure a nerd like Twilight could tell us what that means… too bad she's not here now."

Applejack gritted her teeth. "Dang meteor… making ponies' lives miserable like that…"


"Over there! I see land!" Sweetie Belle shouted with excitement.

"Finally," I sighed. "My hind legs are hurting. And my fur's all soggy. I hate it when that happens."

"Why, Mom? You afraid of the water?" Apple Bloom said teasingly.

I smirked at her. She got that snappy mouth from me. "Watch your mouth now, missy. Or it's straight back to Ponyville with you."

"It ain't like you could send me back now, with no boat and all," the little seedling said in that sassy tone of hers.

"I wish I had a boat right now," Sweetie groaned. "I love to get wet in the rain, but I've had enough of water for several days to come. If I see anymore water after this, it will be too soon."

"Be careful what you wish for, Sweetie Belle," I said. "When we're crossing the desert, you'll be wishing for water faster than you think. And I mean fresh, sparkly water to drink, not this salty sea water."

Together, we put the last bit of distance behind us and finally reached the shore. I watched with amusement when Apple Bloom was so relieved to be back on dry land that she tried kissing the ground, only to get a muzzle full of sand.

Sweetie Bell tried standing up on her feet, but I saw right away that she was wobbling. Quickly, I ran over to catch her before she fell. "Careful," I said. "You're not quite all right yet."

"Yeah, I feel dizzy," Sweetie nodded. "Apple Bloom must have hit me harder than I thought."

"Sorry…" Apple Bloom muttered sheepishly.

I knelt down next to the little unicorn. "Come on, climb on up. I can carry you until you're feeling better."

She smiled gratefully as she got up on my back. "Thank you, Mrs. Apple. You know, my Mom would have done the same thing, but honestly, I don't think she's as strong as you."

"You'd be surprised how strong mothers can get when it's about their children," I smiled. "But I'd like to meet your mother some time. What's her name?"

"Oh, her name is Pearl. Pearl Belle, and she's an amazing mom. She taught me how to cook."

"If y'all can call turning toast into greyish sludge cooking…" Apple Bloom muttered.

"Hey!" Sweetie shouted.

I looked back at the little filly on my back with awe. "Did you say Pearl? Why, that's one of my best friends back when I was still living in Ponyville."

"You're friends with my Mom?" Sweetie Belle gasped. "Wow, Apple Bloom! Our moms were best buddies and we never knew."

"You're right, that is kind of cool," Apple Bloom grinned. "Say, did you and Mrs. Belle form your own secret club when you were young, just like us?"

"No, seedling," I chuckled. "You need to remember that I lived in Manehattan when I was your age. I was a couple of years older than Applejack is now when I moved to Ponyville."

"Oh, right. But it's still cool."

It was then that I heard some voices coming from behind the nearest dune. Voices that sounded pretty familiar. "Well, what do you know?" I said. "I think we found the others."

Together, we walked up the dune until we reached another small cove, where we saw Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo sitting underneath a palm tree and talking. However, the captain was nowhere in sight.

Scootaloo was the first one to spot us. "Apple Bloom! Sweetie Belle!" she shouted with excitement.

"Hey, y'all!" Apple Bloom waved and half ran, half slid down the dune to meet her friend. I followed her a bit more carefully, with Sweetie on my back.

Rainbow Dash and Applejack stopped their conversation and stood up. "See? Toldya they'd be alright," Rainbow grinned.

"Yeah yeah, don't tell me you weren't worried as well," Applejack shot back.

"Hey, you guys!" Scootaloo shouted. "Where have you been? And what's wrong with Sweetie Belle?"

"Apple Bloom knocked me out with her hoof," Sweetie grinned. "And you know what happens when earth ponies throw their weight around."

"I'm not that heavy," Apple Bloom blushed.

"Hah! I always told AJ all those apple pies go right to her flank!" Rainbow laughed.

"Why, you little…" Applejack grumbled.

"Before you two start throwing punches, can we maybe calm down for now and decide our next steps?" I asked.

"Oh, right. Sure, Mom," Applejack muttered,

"No prob," Rainbow said, scratching the back of her head.

I cleared my throat. "First of all, has any of you an idea where the captain might be? Because we didn't see him anywhere on our way to the shore."

"I have no idea where he could have disappeared to," Applejack said. "What about you, Rainbow?"

"Not a clue," the pegasus shrugged. "Last time I saw him was when that tentacle thing sank our ship."

"You don't suppose… he didn't make it?" Scootaloo gasped.

"Well, you know the old saying that a captain always goes down with his ship…" Rainbow muttered.

"Stop that, yer scaring them," Applejack said. "We have no reason to believe anything bad happened to him until we know for sure. Maybe he was washed ashore somewhere else."

"Poor captain…" Apple Bloom said. "Should we go find him?"

"But we still need to find Rarity," Sweetie Belle protested. "She's in danger too, remember?"

"Well… I guess that's true…" Applejack said. "Still, I'd feel bad not to look for him."

"We can't look both for him and the guys who kidnapped Link and Rarity," I said. "And unlike the captain, we actually have a lead to where they brought those two."

"What kind of lead are you talking about, Mom?" Applejack asked in confusion. "And where in Equestria did you get it? You didn't tell me anything about it when we were on the ship."

"No, that's because I didn't hear it until later, when the fillies and I were in the water," I said. "Link played this magic song on his ocarina, that's how I always manage to find him. He stopped playing some time ago, but I know it came from that direction." I pointed my hoof at what must have looked like any other sand dune. But I was certain Link was in that direction. I could feel it.

"So… what you're saying is that we should go and walk right into the middle of the desert, with no clear clue except for a song that only you hear? Is that it?" Rainbow asked. The skepticism in her voice was abundant.

"Yes, that's exactly it. Now, are you girls coming?" I asked.

"Well, all right," Applejack said. "We just packed a lovely bunch of coconuts, so we should have enough to eat and drink… at least for now. So, let's go, everypony."

"Come on, Applejack!" Rainbow shouted. "Don't you think that's a bit… I dunno… weird?"

"Yeah. But since I trust my mom, I'll believe it. She says we're following a magic song, so we're following a magic song. Besides, it's not what happened to us made always that much sense either. I mean, an evil doppelganger of Princess Cadance? Dark vines that take over Ponyville? Cotton candy clouds filled to the brim with chocolate milk?"

"All right, all right, I get it," the disgruntled pegasus snorted. "But I want a mug of free cider when all of this is over, okay?"

We then set off. On our way, Applejack addressed me: "You know, Mom? There's something we've been talking about, I think you should know about that…"


"So, are there any other songs you can play?" Rarity asked. "I'd love to hear them. The beautiful music sure helped me forgot the dreadfulness of the place we are stuck in."

"Well, there are several songs I've learned," Link said as he walked alongside the two ponies. "And most of them have some sort of magical effect. The Song of Storms for example creates a heavy downpour of rain, anywhere I am… which I assume would be very helpful in the desert, as soon as we're out of these ruins. Then there's the Sun's Song, which helps me to quickly change from day to night, and back again."

"Wait, what?" Daring Do asked. "That's impossible! Only Luna and Celestia are powerful enough to control the sun and the moon. You can't tell me a simple song can unleash the power of an alicorn."

"I don't think it affects the sun directly. It rather speeds up time, so dusk or dawn come quicker. There are a few other spells I can use with the Ocarina of Time which also affect time, but they didn't work ever since I left Termina… I wonder why that is."

"Whatever. As long as your little instrument doesn't help us escape this place, I don't see it to be very useful," Daring muttered. "Now, only through this room and we should reach the exit in no time…"

Link opened the door and nearly hit his head when he walked in. "Dang, this place really was built with ponies in mind," he grumbled. "All the passages are so narrow."

"Truth to be told, darling, I doubt you'd even be able to fit through the door of my boutique like this… which is a shame, since I have so many new ideas for an outfit that would look dashing on your two-legged frame."

She wanted to go after him, but all of a sudden, the door shut itself in-between Link and the ponies. Not only that, but a heavy portcullis fell down in front of it, blocking off their only entrance.

"What the hay?" Daring shouted. She pulled at the metal bars, but they wouldn't budge. "Dangit Link, what did you do? Open the door!"

"Oh, I'm afraid he won't be able to help you," a smug voice came out of the darkness behind them. "He is going to have enough problems of his own. I'd hate to be in his skin right now. I mean, these witches certainly hold a strong grudge against him."

The grinning form of Ghirahim appeared out of the shadows. "Unlike them, however, I am not here to play. I am here to gather the sage. So, little miss white horse, I would be incredibly delighted if you didn't waste any more of my valuable time and let yourself be sacrificed, so the first step of the ritual can be completed."

"Beg your pardon?" Rarity shouted. "I will most certainly not go with a horrible stallion such as yourself. You are cruel, uncouth and have no fashion sense whatsoever."

The demon lord grimaced as Rarity's words hammered in. "You… you have the gall to insult my sense of fabulousity? You, a common beast of burden? A horse that happens to have a horn and the ability of speech dares to insult the great demon lord Ghirahim?"

"Demon lord my flank!" Rarity shouted. "You are nothing but a horrendous brute!"

"You… filthy animal!"

"Uncivilized ruffian!"

"Stuck-up bitch!"

"Pompous bastard!"

"Mule!"

Rarity gasped. "Oh, it is ON! Daring, let me at this fool! Nopony calls Rarity Belle a mule!"

"Rarity, stand back," Daring muttered. She was growing increasingly irritated by the two unicorns' exchange. It was time to focus back on action, and she was the mare for the job. "I'll handle this."

"Oh, how amusing," Ghirahim chuckled. "The little winged horse thinks she can protect the horned horse."

"Stop with the insults already!" Daring shouted. "And stop saying horse, we're PONIES! For crying out loud, have you ever taken a look at yourself? You're a pony, too."

Ghirahim grimaced. "I am NOT a pony!" He lowered his head and started charging a powerful magical blast… but while the magic was building up in the tip of his horn, Daring's whip wrapped itself around it.

"Gotcha now, twinklehooves!" she grinned and gave the whip a good yank, making the demon lord stumble, interrupting his concentration.

"You CRETIN!" he shouted. "You will die for that." With a relatively simple spell, at least for him, he summoned his sword, a curved black blade, and cut the whip in half. "See how good you fare with no weapon, horse."

"Pony! And I have a name, you know," she said. Ghirahim growled and lunged at her, but she spread her wings, leapt up into the air and slammed her hooves down on his skull. "It's Daring Do!"


"Daring! Rarity!" Link shouted. He pressed his ear against the door, but couldn't hear anything. At least not from behind the door. What he heard, though, was the quiet chuckling of two female voices that approached him from behind.

"You want to leave so soon, honored customer?" Aloe said as she stepped into view to his left. "That's so bad, we haven't had the chance to show you our hospitality yet." The red gemstone on her headband shone in a crimson light, and her mane transformed into a plume of fire.

"Don't worry about your friends, Mr. Link," Lotus said as she stepped forth in the opposite corner of the room. "They are taken care of. As for you, why don't you try our newest treatment? A treatment of skin-scorching flames and bone-chilling ice!" The blue gemstone in her headband shone in an ice-blue light, and her mane transformed into an aura of coldness.

"You know, you aren't very threatening when you still talk like spa owners," Link said, grabbing the hilt of his hammer. "You try very hard to be like the witches I once fought, but you aren't like them at all. So why do you want to have revenge again?"

"Be quiet!" Lotus shouted. "We are Twinrova, the twin elders of the Gerudo tribe from Hyrule, the personal servants of the great Ganondorf and your mortal enemies!"

"You are also ponies," Link pointed out while he and the sisters circled each other slowly. "You lived in Ponyville and obviously had some sort of friendly relationship with Rarity. Who are you trying to fool, Lotus?"

"Shut up! I'm Kotake!" she yelled. "And you will die!" She shot a beam of ice out of her gemstone, which Link skillfully dodged.

"Keep telling yourself that, Lotus," Link said. On the outside, he was controlled, even cocky. But on the inside, he was very nervous. Unlike the last time he fought Twinrova, he didn't have his Master Sword. Even worse, he didn't have the Mirror Shield. But the witches didn't have their brooms either, so maybe he could defeat them in a ground battle. But first, he had to try something else.

"What about you, Aloe?" he asked the other sister, who hadn't even attempted to attack him yet. "You don't seem as convinced as your sister. Do you really want to do this? Or do you still prefer servitude to a master who isn't even here anymore? Heck, you're not even who you once were anymore."

"I'm sorry, Link," the pink pony said. It was honest regret he could hear in her voice. "But I have no other choice. You have your destiny and we have ours. Didn't you learn anything from your endeavors? A person's fate is set in stone. You were chosen by the Triforce of Courage. We were chosen to be the reincarnations of Twinrova. There is no way around this!" And she shot a hot lance of fire at him.

Link still managed to dodge, but the fire singed parts of his tunic. The hotness was so painful that he was even forced to drop his hammer. He gritted his teeth. He had to come up with something. Attacking them heads on was very risky, but what else could he do?

"Poor Hero of Time," Lotus said mockingly. "You should have known that you cannot dissuade us from our path. You are out of options, aren't you? Why don't you use your spells? Your magic arrows? Oh, that's right… you can't!" She giggled. "I sensed it when I put you in that cage. You have no magic whatsoever left in your body. Wasn't it given to you by one of the great fairies in Hyrule? Whatever happened to it, I wonder…"

"Can it be that a normal Hylian's body can only hold up magic for so long?" Aloe smirked. "You have to be born a natural magic user, like us. Or Princess Zelda. I was honestly surprised that you were even able to still use the light arrows on our master."

"The great fairies kept giving me gifts," Link calmly replied. He figured it wouldn't hurt to give them that information, and keeping them talking might give him the time he needed to come up with an idea. "But soon after Ganondorf was defeated and I was sent back to my own time, the magic left me and I only had my basic tools and weapons. I had no magic at all when I set out on my next adventure. I regained the ability to use the fire, ice and light arrows during that quest, but I lost the magic again soon after that journey was over."

"I knew it," Lotus said smugly. "Why are you even trying to use magic at all? You are not fit for it. You are an amateur who has to rely on magic bottles and potions to replenish your mana. We are the true masters!"

"If that is true, then why haven't you regained your ability to fly already?" Link asked with a smirk. He had a plan. But for it to work, he had to provoke one of the sisters, and Lotus seemed the obvious choice. "Should be no problem at all for a true 'master of magic' to make a broom fly. I heard even unicorn fillies in this world can do it. Oh, I'm sorry, I must have forgot: You weren't born as unicorns, who are the most gifted ponies in this world. You are earth ponies!"

"SHUT UP!" Lotus shouted as she shot another beam of ice at him. Link once again dodged, and the attack left a widespread cover of ice on the floor. Before it could melt away, however, Link took his boomerang and threw it.

The thrown boomerang spun through the air and flew right over the frozen ground. The rapid spinning weapon absorbed some of the cold the magic ice was giving off and got covered in a thin sheet of frost. The boomerang kept on flying, directly towards Aloe, who was so surprised that she was unable to evade the projectile in time. The boomerang smacked into her face, and the ice it had absorbed shattered in an icy explosion. Aloe cried in pain as the cold extinguished the flames on her head, turning them back into a regular mane. The blow of the weapon itself knocked her whole body back into a pillar. She slid down to the floor with a groan.

Link caught the boomerang on its way back and looked at her. "I'm sorry about that, too. But this time around, I'll make sure not to hurt you too much."

Lotus gritted her teeth. "You think you've won because you got one hit on my sister? Think again, Hero of Time, because I won't fall for the same trick."

"Will you knock it off?" Link sighed. "Seriously, why are you even trying anymore? Let's say we keep this up. I beat you again, we get out of here, if the princess of this land is kind enough, you will be imprisoned. Maybe you'll break out and try again, which means I get to beat you again. Even if at some point I'm forced to kill you, which I really don't want to do, you might get reincarnated again and the same thing starts from the beginning. Do you want it to keep going like that?"

"Shut up! I'll beat you!" she shouted.

"Lotus… please stop…" came a soft voice from the ground. Both Link and Lotus were surprised when they saw Aloe looking at her sister from the ground, with tears in her eyes. "Link is right, we… we have to stop this. We have to break the circle. We don't have to do this anymore."

"Sister, what… what are you saying?" Lotus muttered in confusion. "We agreed on this… ever since we found out… we agreed we had to kill the Hero of Time for what he did to us."

"But that wasn't us," Aloe said. "Don't you get it? Maybe we once were those witches in a former life, maybe that's why we can use their powers, but they weren't US! We are not Kotake and Koume, we are Aloe and Lotus Blossom!" The tears started flowing down her face. "I don't want to do this anymore, Lotus. I was unsure of it from the very beginning. But I didn't want to disappoint you. I was afraid that… that we would drift apart if I told you what I really felt. So I stayed at your side and kept telling myself that maybe you were right. And maybe I would accept it some day. But I couldn't. I just couldn't."

"But… but Ghirahim told us… he could come back. If we help him free Demise, Ganondorf might come back, too. And the glorious old days…"

"Those are Kotake's memories playing a trick on you!" Aloe shouted. "Don't you get it? Ganondorf was a monster! And Twinrova, they were the servants of a monster! He invaded other countries, burnt cities down, killed men, women and children alike. Do you want to be like that? We almost killed Rarity, for Celestia's sake! She's one of our oldest friends!" She couldn't stop crying. "And we almost killed her friends, too by leaving those Stalfos in our basement. I only did it because I knew they could deal with it. They already fought dangerous foes like the changelings. They saved all of Equestria again and again and we were supposed to kill them? No, Lotus. I could never do that. That's why I left something behind in the cellar. A clue that will help them find us. They will come here and defeat the bad guys, like they always do. They will help us. Please, Lotus…" She looked up at her sister pleadingly.

"You… you betrayed me?" Lotus muttered. "You left them a clue even though I told you to clean up the whole room? To take everything with you?"

"I did it to save us!" Aloe shouted. "I didn't protest when Ghirahim or Demise gave us those orders, because I was afraid for my life. We are trapped in this, Lotus. We need their help to get out of it. So please, stop while you can and stop attacking Link!"

"Your sister is right, Lotus," Link said. "I don't know if it was my fate to defeat Ganondorf or not. But I know that you can change yours. Right now. It is up to you."

Lotus hesitated. "I… I don't know…"

But suddenly, the entrance to the room exploded inwards when both the portcullis and the door itself were blown apart by a powerful blast of magic. Lotus gasped and jumped in front of her sister, to shield her from the incoming debris, while Link raised his arms in front of his face.

When the dust settled, Link saw a motionless body lying amidst the rubble. The body of a pegasus with a grey mane.

"Daring!" he shouted in surprise.

Ghirahim entered the room, walking slowly. In his magic grasp, he held the helpless Rarity. "So irritating when lowly creatures keep struggling because they think they can win," he chuckled. "But it is over. I now hold in my grasp the first of the seven sages of Equestria. And I will now begin to weaken the seal on my master's prison by killing her… which will be a personal enjoyment."

He summoned a small, blood red gem. "See this trinket, my little horse? This is the vessel for your soul. After you die, it will be kept in here for eternity, while you suffer. Does that sound promising for you? Because it does for me. For all those rude and nasty names you called me, I will enjoy this. All I have to do is to touch you with this crystal and…"

"NO!" Link shouted as he ran towards them. Ghirahim merely looked in his direction, and a barrier of dark magic sprouted up in-between them. Rarity tried her best to escape the demon lord's spell, but his magic was far more powerful than her own. She shivered when the small crystal moved closer and closer to her body…

'So this will be it,' she thought as she closed her eyes. 'Goodbye, my friends. Goodbye, mother and father. Goodbye… Sweetie Belle…'

The crystal touched her head and she expected to die.

But nothing of the sort happened.

"What… what is this?" Ghirahim muttered in annoyance. "She's the Sage of Generosity! This crystal was supposed to force out her true heritage and then trap her soul inside forever! This is impossible! Unless…" His hateful gaze wandered over to the two twins. "You!" he hissed.

"You failed, Ghirahim," Aloe said defiantly. "You will not be able to free Demise… because Rarity is NOT a sage of Equestria!"

"You…" he gritted his teeth in anger. "You lied to me… you deceiving, little witches… so you decided to side with the dirty Equestrians after all… so be it! You will die a slow, horrible death…"

He grunted when a hoof came out of nowhere, smacking him in the face. The impact was so hard that everyone in the room heard his nose break. He was flung backwards, through the door and into the corridor, while Rarity safely dropped on her hooves.

Panting, Daring Do pulled back her hoof. "Get your… hooves off… my FRIENDS!" she said.

Aloe gasped. "Sister! Do you see it? Her cutie mark! It changed!"

Everyone looked at Daring's flank in surprise. And, true enough, instead of the compass rose she had seen most of her life, it was the image of a red, crystalline lightning bolt.

"The Element of Loyalty," Lotus muttered. "Daring Do is Equestria's Sage of Loyalty."