//------------------------------//
// Chapter 4 "Meet the Royals" 
// Story: The Fall of Link 
// by Mr Zelda C Brony 
//------------------------------//

“Hey Link you want to go to Rarity’s with me? I think she has your suit finished.” Spike called out into the library. 
It had been 2 days since Link was evicted from the Hospital and had come to stay in a spare room in the Ponyville Library with Twilight Sparkle and her assistant Spike. Already though he had seemed to become part of their little group to where he was often asked to help out Twilight or to hang out and ‘Bond’ with Spike, that’s how Twilight put it.
“Yeah, sure Spike” Link replied “I can’t tell you how glad I will be when I can wear my real clothes instead of this outfit” he stated motioning to the said outfit, ‘this outfit’ consisted of a rough looking shirt that had been cobbled together from a variety of pieces from a couple of different types of fabric all badly stitched together by Link himself. This shirt was accompanied by a pair of dark brown pants, which barely fit him and still left his ankles slightly exposed, provided by Twilight’s kind friend Applejack who got them off an old scarecrow she had found in her barn. 
The only reason he wore this outfit was because he was informed by Twilight the outfit he was wearing when he first arrived in Equestria had been badly ripped, burned, torn, and bloodied due to his gruesome battle with Ganondorf. Upon arriving at the library Twilight’s friends had been waiting for them, he later learned that Twilight had sent a message ahead to call them there, only to hear many a shocked gasp.
He gave a sort of smile as he thought back on that day.




*Flashback* 


= Arrival at Library 1st day out of Hospital (or really more like 1st hour) =




*Gasp* went all 5 ponies currently gathered in the main room of the Library. The reason for their surprise was the very tall figure currently entering the Library directly behind their friend Twilight.
Now each of the ponies gasped for a different reason. Pinkie Pie, a pink pony with cotton candy looking hair, gasped because he was a new person/pony in Ponyville and therefore needed a party for him. Rarity gasped after catching a look at his outfit and his build thinking that it would be great to attempt making clothes for him and she also gasped at seeing the amount of damage to his outfit which she thought was a crime against fashion to ruin something so wonderful. Fluttershy gasped after realizing he was a new creature she had never seen and wanted to learn more about him. Rainbow Dash gasped thinking he might be a possible attacker and a danger to Equestria. While Applejack gasped from his build the amount of strength he might possess and the possibility of getting his help on the farm to finish up with bucking season. Then they all began to overcome the few things keeping their questions at bay and opened up.
Link was very surprised that there were others within the Library and wondered why they were there to begin with then they all seemed to solve something and their mouths opened wide.	At first it was a torrent of words that just about overwhelmed Link until Twilight stepped in.
“Girls, girls please Mr. Link just left the Hospital and he most definitely does not need to be berated with questions at the moment” Twilight says sounding horrified by her friend’s actions.
There were mumbled apologies from the other 5 mares in the Library.
“But darling” stated a bright white Unicorn with a carefully styled purple mane sounding almost frantic “you simply cannot wear such a tragedy in fashion like that. I mean honestly that beautiful outfit just ruined by those rips, tears, burns, and … IS THAT BLOOD!!!!!” the white unicorn almost screeched sounding more and more frantic “you just have to let me fix it for you” she said with an air of finality that did not encourage argument.
“Oh Rarity” grumbled an orange Earth Pony wearing a cowboy hat “it always turns to fashion with you doesn’t it?” 
“Well, of course it does Applejack” the white Unicorn, or Rarity, stated sounding wounded “Fashion is an important part of life”
“But wait” stated the bright pink earth pony, “you can’t fix his outfit he has nothing else to wear and he has to have that EXACT outfit for later or else he can’t finish his quest!” she finished brightly looking up from a strange glowing rectangle in her hooves.
“Umm Pinkie none of that made any sense except the part about how he has nothing else to wear, also where did you get that strange device?” stated a cyan blue Pegasus with a rainbow colored mane and tail.
There were mumbles of agreement all around the room as Pinkie Pie quickly hid the device with a look of innocence on her face.
“I hate to say it Rarity” stated Twilight “though most of what Pinkie said, as Rainbow Dash pointed out, is weird and makes no sense, she is right. According to Lyra, humans have strange nudity taboos and wear clothes whenever in public and most of the time in private as well” Twilight said giving an apologetic look to her white friend
“Well… I could…. He could…..” Rarity said floundering for a way to satisfy her desires to repair his outfit.
“Umm if it helps I could make a temporary outfit if I had some string, a needle, some cloth scraps, and maybe some already made pants” Link stated. Speaking for the first time to the five mares, shocking all of them.
“Oh wow! H-he can talk” said a small, timid voice from a quiet looking yellow pegasus with pink mane and tail in the back of the room “that’s amazing” she said rapidly flying to be right in front of Link “I’m Fluttershy and it’s so nice to meet you”
“Um, well it’s a pleasure to meet you as well Miss Fluttershy” Link said giving a slight bow and a small smile.
“Oh my, what type of creature are you? I’ve never seen a creature like you before, are there others of your kind or *gasp* are you the only one of your kind!?!?” said Fluttershy becoming very interested in Link and his possible endangered spot in nature.
“Fluttershy I think you may be hurting him” stated Twilight noting the look of pain on Link’s face and the fact that his fingers, on his arm that Fluttershy was gripping, were turning pale from a lack of blood flow.
“Oh!” Squealed a startled Fluttershy “I am so sorry, I didn’t know!” Fluttershy quickly released poor Link’s arm and backed away about a foot from Link.
“It’s alright” said Link with a grimace as he restored blood flow to his lower arm and fingers “I’ve had to deal with worse over the course of my life” he stated giving a small grin to the poor yellow Pegasus
“Umm hey guys I hate to ruin introductions but we need to hurry up and finish this flashback for the poor writer so he can get back on track!” stated Pinkie Pie brightly “Also Rainbow before you ask, Link here is not a spy he is a hero! And Fluttershy, Link is not alone he is a human from a land called Hyrule. Well, I think that’s all. BACK TO YOU MR. WRITER!!” Pinkie Pie said finishing it with a scream at the end while slipping the strange glowing tablet away and out of sight again.
*sigh* Pinkie Pie as much as I appreciate the help you can’t keep breaking the fourth wall all the time. I know some people love it, but others see it as a way for writers who are lost to move the plot along so instead of breaking the fourth wall with your tablet. HELP ME GOSH DANGIT!!!!
After everyone finished staring at Pinkie Pie as she walked off talking about planning a party and arguing with someone called “Mr. Writer” about story ideas and plot concerns, everyone pitched together and helped Link make a new outfit into which Rarity changed him into in under a minute flat after which she galloped off to her boutique to repair his clothes while everyone else headed back home. Twilight then arranged a place for Link to sleep as the day drew to an early close for all the ponies and Link himself.




*End Flashback* 




So Spike and Link started to head over to the Carousel Boutique and upon entering they were greeted by an ecstatic Rarity who could not wait to reveal her newest masterpiece to Spike and Link.
“Oh do come in please you simply can’t make me wait any longer!!” Rarity said almost screeching into poor Link’s ears as she dragged the two of them into the other room which seemed to have a catwalk with a small room at one end of it.
“I just recently had this put together and I’ve been dying to try it out” Rarity was hopping for joy at the thought of finally utilizing the newest addition to her Boutique. 
She then led Link into the room at the end of the catwalk, after getting Spike to sit at the other end with the help of a large ruby. In the room was Links’ gear and clothes, all of which looked as if they had just been created that very morning, even his tunic looked as if it had never been worn before. 
“Why Rarity, they look amazing!” Link said astonished by the transformation of his gear. 
“Oh Darling it was nothing, though I was unable to do anything about that sword it just would not leave its sheath or respond to any of my magic it caused me no end of trouble!” Rarity stated sounding slightly frustrated at her inability to completely refurnish all of the gear.
“Oh, I’m sorry about that Rarity” Link said feeling slightly guilty that his gear had caused the fashion obsessed Unicorn problems “but it can be very selective about who it allows to wield it”
“Wait” said the unicorn sounding surprised “that sword has magical enchantments?”
“Well, yes and no” the hero hesitantly replied “it is a sword capable of magic but it is also magical itself and houses within it a magical being from the goddesses, tasked with protecting the sword and aiding the sword’s wielder in any way possible.”
“That is amazing” stated Rarity slightly slack jawed “but you must be careful dear, if Twilight were to hear of its magic, she will want to study it to no end and you might never get it back.”
“Ok, I’ll keep that in mind, thanks Rarity” the hero replied quickly committing her statement to memory.
“Oh but here I am flapping my gums when I should be letting you get back into your gear!” Rarity said with a slight gasp eager to see Link back into his original outfit so as to see if she had correctly mended the items.
“Oh alright Rarity I’ll get changed as soon as possible” Link said, a small smile on his face as Rarity hurried out of the small changing room.
It only took Link a few minutes to get fully changed back into his original gear, and on his way to show it off to Rarity and Spike he dropped his makeshift outfit into a nearby garbage bin ‘won’t be needing those ever again’ thought Link with a smile of satisfaction.
“Oh Link you look just absolutely marvelous!” Rarity said ecstatically as Link emerged from the curtained section of the boutique to show off himself in his original outfit.
“Well Rarity, most of the credit goes to you since you are the one who mended it after all” Link said, ever the modest one.
“Well Link we should be heading back now.” Spike said with a little sigh at the prospect of leaving his precious Rarity. “Twilight wanted us to get back to the Library as soon as we could after you got suited up again. She said something about a big plan that she can’t wait for or something like that.”
“Ok then Spike let’s go, bye Rarity and thanks again for mending all my gear for me.” Link said as he left the boutique dragging Spike behind him.
Upon arriving at the Library they were immediately greeted by Twilight Sparkle whose mane was not in good shape and she also had a slight twitch in her right eye. All of these signs, as Spike and Link had learned, meant that Twilight was greatly stressed about something that was extremely important to her.
“Ah Link, Spike you guys are finally here! I was worried you guys wouldn’t show then what would I say to Celestia!” Twilight said getting very close to shouting.
“Don’t worry Twilight we’re here now okay” Spike said speaking slowly in an attempt to calm her down.
“But that’s part of the problem Spike we’re all here when we need to be at the train station!” Twilight said nearing full-panic mode.
‘Oh dear’ Link thought shaking his head sadly ‘this is going to be a long day.’




2 HOURS LATER
CANTERLOT




“So let me get this straight your mentor or teacher whatever you call her happens to be the ruler of your entire country?” Link stated with a tone of disbelief.
“Yeah pretty much” said Twilight with a small smile.
Link, Twilight, and Spike were walking down the main street of Canterlot on their way to the Palace to meet Celestia, the teacher of Twilight whom Link very much wanted to meet after hearing about her. 
Halfway to the palace though, Twilight decided to send Spike off to go get some supplies for which she gave him plenty of money to do. After a few seconds of reluctance Spike set off, but was soon going at a run after Twilight told him that the extra money was for a nice gem lunch if he met them back at the station in about 5 hours.
Upon arriving at the castle where Twilight’s mentor lived and worked. Link noticed many guards dressed in golden armor standing by all the doors which made him very curious. What was even stranger was that he saw a garden filled with statues. But that was not what puzzled him, what puzzled him was that the layout of the garden looked just like the personal garden at Hyrule castle, the one that he snuck through when he first met Princess Zelda.
The duo walked through the doors after Twilight and the guards exchanged a few words, which Link did not hear since he was lost in thought, but he snapped back to the present as the grand doors opened.
“Might I present the Royal Princesses; Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Princess Cadance” announced one of the many guards in the room.
Link after hearing this statement suddenly took off… right at the Princesses. 
Everyone in the room froze for a few seconds as Link started his mad dash across the short span of distance between him and the Princess’, but the guards quickly started moving the moment Link started pulling his sword out of its sheath and let his shield slide into place on his arm. 
The guards were a few feet behind him when he suddenly did a snap turn and slid a few meters until he was posed in a battle ready position located at a short distance from all three Princesses with such an icy cold look on his face that it could have frozen a volcano in under second.
The next moment Link was thrown into a wall and was highlighted by a lavender aura identical to the one on Twilight’s now glowing horn.
“Link what the buck are you doing?!?” Twilight demanded. An ocean of anger threatening to pour out of her eyes. ‘I cannot believe he would do something like this to me’ Twilight thought, shocked ‘he seemed fine on the train, a bit distant but fine… so why would he…..’ Twilight’s thoughts were interrupted by Links reply to her earlier question.
“I am attempting to ensure the safety of certain individuals!” Link said sounding slightly panicked as he rapidly searched the room with his glancing, wide eyes.
“And just how is running at the Princesses’ ensuring someone’s safety?” Twilight questioned, worried she had slammed Link against the wall too hard.
“Well if you remember Twilight, things happen to Princesses’ whenever I’m around so this time I was going to make a pre-emptive strike by guarding them before anything could happen!” Link declared looking proud at attempting to stop misfortune.
“Well, in that case” Princess Celestia said standing up, her now full appearance seemed to calm everyone down. “I assure you, Mr. umm Link was it? That my niece, sister, and I can defend ourselves quite well.”
Shortly after that was all sorted out Twilight, Link, and the Princesses went to a private council chamber and shared information.




*3 Hours Later




“Well that could have started better but I think the end result was ok” Twilight said with an exhausted smile as they exited the castle. Link was with her, whistling a peculiar tune and looked slightly sad as he did so.
“Yeah, sorry about that Twilight” Link said a bit sheepishly.
Twilight was about to respond when there was a sudden commotion near the center of town that caught her attention.
“Now what in Tartarus could that be?” Twilight asked out loud
Suddenly a large pony with a brown coat and a white mane and tail came barreling at Link.
“Epona!” Link shouted looking as surprised as Twilight as he ran to his loyal steed. “Now how on earth did you get here?”




Back in Hyrule
30 Minutes Before




“Man I’m bored” stated Ganondorf quite plainly though no one was around to hear him. “Maybe I shouldn’t have sent Link to the abyss so quickly at least then we could have a rematch every now and again but NOOOOO! I just had to feel great and send him away, well look how long that lasted! *sigh* what is there to do..?”
Suddenly two old ladies who looked identical but wore different colored identical outfits and riding brooms came flying forward. “Lord Ganondorf” cried one of them.
“What is it? Can’t you see I’m moping?” Ganondorf asked rising in anger.
“Why yes my Lord but that is why we have come so soon. We have found the heroes horse!” Cried the other witch in a great hurry to appease Ganondorf’s wrath.
“What you mean that thing he calls Epona?” Ganondorf asked feeling curious.
“Yes my Lord the very one!” Stated the witch feeling pleased that Ganondorf’s anger was fading.
“Bring me the horse! I shall tame it and ride it through the town to crush the last remnants of hope!” Ganondorf declared proudly, and loudly.




25 Minutes Later




“…. Do you think he will be okay?” asked one of Ganondorf’s many minions
“I don’t know” responded another “that fall looked like it hurt and he was pretty angry….”
“STUPID HORSE!!!” Screamed Ganondorf, his green face darkening to almost black.
“That’s IT! I’ll send you to the same realm I sent your master! That will teach you to make a fool of GANONDORF!” Ganondorf then began to prepare his magic, but in a nearby corner where she lay in her cage forgotten, Navi watched…and waited.
‘Link is not in the empty realm but I do know that where he is will soon be in danger…he might need his horse.’ Navi thought as she readied her magic.
Smiling menacingly, because well gosh darn it he was evil after all, Ganondorf released his magic and it glowed so darkly that no one near, except Navi, noticed the small point of green at the center of the spell.




5 Minutes before Link and Twilight leave the Palace




Epona picked herself up feeling slightly dizzy after her quick dimension hop, courtesy of Ganondorf Travel ‘we do evil, with a smile!’ She noticed she was somewhere very new and on the outskirts of a large town. Suddenly Epona smelled her master and dear friend, Link. Kind of hard not to as he was the only human and he had not washed recently, she turned towards the source of the smell and set off in a quick gallop.
And finally back to the present
“It’s got to be a sign from the Goddess!’” Link said a large smile on his face “I mean for Epona to show up AND to have all my gear in her saddlebags it’s just amazing!”
“Yeah” said Twilight in reply ‘almost like a quick shortcut in a story done by an author who was at a loss and needed a quick way to get someone ready for an adventure… nah’
Shoot she’s figured me out! I have to be more careful from now on!
Don’t worry Mr. Author! We can keep Twilight clueless for a bit longer to where she won’t remember this!
PINKIE GET BACK IN THE STORY!!!!
But when do I get involved again? *pouty face*
Next chapter now GO!
Ok! Ok fine I’m going but you better keep your promise…or else.
FINE! PINKIE PROMISE!
Really?
YES! Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye! THERE! HAPPY!?
Yep! But remember, “NO ONE BREAKS A PINKIE PROMISE!” *leaves and slams door*



So now with our Hero re-united with his dear horse and all of his gear, and money which has mysteriously turned into bits…don’t ask me how or I’ll just say MAGIC and be done with it. They returned to Twilights, so they can sleep and prepare for the next day.