//------------------------------//
// Chapter 7: Escape 
// Story: Legend of Zelda : Twilight Sparkle 
// by The_Artificial_Alicorn 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 7

 

Escape

 
“Link, No!” Twilight exclaimed as she started towards the now sealed doorway. She turned to Celestia. “We have to help him! There’s no way he’ll-”
 
“No,” the princess interrupted firmly, stopping Twilight in her tracks. The kind, matronly expression that Celestia seemed to embody was gone, replaced by the grim visage of control. “We have to get you and your friends to safety,” she explained curtly as she began to descend the spiraling staircase, lighting the way with her horn.
 
Twilight’s ears drooped, and she looked back towards the doorway with worry.
Spike looked crestfallen as he rode on Twilight’s back. “But…” he started, but the words died in his throat.
 
Applejack nudged the distressed unicorn in the side, staving off the impending worst-case scenarios that were invading the purple duo’s thoughts. “Don’t y’all go worryin’ now, sugarcube," the orange farmpony assured. "Ah’m sure Link’s more capable o’ whoopin’ those monsters’ flanks than... than all o’ them royal guard ponies combined.” She smiled encouragingly, but it was a strained smile.
 
Epona nodded in agreement. "Applejack's right. Link will be fine. He did do this kind of thing before anyone else in this entire world, you know."
 
"Princess," called one of the three royal guards from further down the staircase. "We need to move, now."
 
Twilight reluctantly followed the others single-file down the narrow staircase, the bright glow of Celestia's horn contrasting sharply with the oppressive darkness that surrounded them.
 
Another tremor shook dust and pebbles from the ceiling. One pebble bounced down the stairs, each resounding clack growing ever fainter, before it faded away entirely.
 
"How far down do these stairs go?" asked Rainbow Dash some time later, her sudden comment startlingly loud after the long silence.
 
"This staircase leads to the base of the castle, where it then cuts through to the other side of Canterlot Mountain," Celestia explained. "We should reach the tunnel soon enough."
 
Eventually, the ground leveled off and the walls widened into a long, arched tunnel, allowing the group to travel a bit more comfortably. The pebble lay at the base of the steps.
 
"Whoa, creepy,” Spike commented, peering into the depths of the tunnel. The blackness that had made its home in the passage was thick and oppressive, as if it were actively fighting against the light of Celestia's horn.
 
The group continued on, their hoofsteps on the stone echoing down the otherwise silent corridor. Every noise Twilight made seemed to stand out sharply, as if she were desecrating the eldritch silence that had been present in the tunnel since its construction. She hardly even dared to breathe the stale, musty air.
 
How could this have happened? she pondered as they walked. They had to have crossed an ocean to get to Equestria, and travel a few hundred miles inland to reach Canterlot. How did an invasion force get here unnoticed? Twilight realized that she had no clue how big the attacking army was. Was it a small strike team of those flying monsters? Perhaps it was an entire legion of those horrid black beasts a hundred-thousand strong. She shuddered at the mere concept of such a fate befalling Canterlot.
 
Mom and Dad are probably terrified… I hope they’re okay. What if- Twilight stopped herself before she could finish the thought, and decided to take stock of their situation.
 
Princess Celestia led the group, lighting the way with her horn and walking with a stiff, urgent gait that betrayed no emotion. Two pegasus guards flanked her on either side, stoically attentive as ever. Behind them, Applejack and Epona traveled side-by-side whispering in hushed tones and glancing suspiciously at the darkness beyond their bubble of light.
 
Twilight felt Spike absently shift on her back, and she turned her head to check on him. “How’re you holding up, Spike? You’ve been pretty quiet.”
 
The young dragon sighed. “I dunno…” His voice was low, in both volume and tone. “This is all just so unexpected…”
 
Twilight exhaled slowly. “Tell me about it.”
 
“Then again…” Spike was sounding a tad more upbeat. “The last invasion didn’t stand a chance against all of us! Who’s to say this one will be any different?”
 
There were a thousand reasons why this invasion was very different. The words were on the tip of Twilight’s tongue, but she restrained herself. They didn’t need such pessimistic thoughts at a time such as this.
 
Glancing past Spike towards the rear of the group, Twilight could see Rainbow Dash drape a comforting wing over Fluttershy and speak encouragingly to her. Fluttershy, the poor thing, was barely holding herself together, and she seemed to jump at every hoofstep. Either that or she was shaking uncontrollably from fear, which was just as likely. Rarity and Pinkie Pie also seemed to be doing their best to keep the pegasus’s spirits up, but it seemed to be for their sakes as much as it was for Fluttershy’s sake.
 
The last guard trailed behind them all, periodically checking behind them to make sure nothing was following them.
 
"Wait," one of the guards ahead commanded several minutes later, causing Twilight to jump at the sudden noise. They all stopped in their tracks.
 
"What-" Twilight stopped when the guard motioned for them to keep silent.
 
"I heard something, listen..."
 
She listened intently, her ears twitching and turning to try to find the sound the guard has heard.
 
Then, she heard it. It was a very faint crackling sound, like that of a small electric discharge.
 
The guards drew their swords, clutching the hilts in their mouths, and scanned the tunnel intently.
 
"What is that strange noise?" Rarity asked, tilting her head in inquisition.
 
“Ooh! I know! I know! It sounds like one of Twilight’s sciencey thingamabobbers when you pour orange marmalade on it... except less explosioney,” Pinkie Pie added helpfully.
 
Fluttershy’s eyes drifted upwards and her eyes grew wide as she saw a brief spark of red jump across the ceiling. "Um-" Her voice seemed shaky and weak. "W-what is...that?"
 
Slowly, they all looked up. Celestia's horn shone brighter to reveal the roof of the tunnel, and what they saw was horrifying.
 
The ceiling was alive, churning with small, black, tentacle-covered things.
 
One of them leapt from the ceiling, and landed on one of Celestia’s guards, clinging tightly to his face. Red arcs of electricity raced across his body, and he crumpled to the ground, convulsing in agony. Twilight pried the creature off with her magic, and hurled it to the side. It struck the wall with a resounding CRACK, and exploded into bits of black dust, which soon faded out of existence.
 
The guard didn’t get up.
 
As if on cue, the hundreds of creatures blanketing the ceiling surged down the walls towards them, red bolts of electricity racing through their ranks.
 
There was a brilliant flash of golden light, and a wall of solar magic blew back the creatures, creating a clear path forward. Celestia followed the blast with a wide beam of intensely hot magic. The ranks of shadow monsters thinned considerably, but there were still far too many for them to hope to fight alone.
 
There was only one option for them now.
 
“Run!”
 





 
Link buried his fangs into the neck of a Twilit Kargaroc, clamping his jaws tight around its throat as it shrieked in alarm and pain. With a sharp tug, he liberated the monster's trachea from its body, and the Kargaroc fell to the floor writhing and gurgling.
 
Link abandoned the body quickly, and the immaterial black shrapnel of the Kargaroc's self-detonation whipped by him as he bounded toward his next target. A few pegasus guards were currently locked an aerial combat with two of the remaining four inter-dimensional beasts. The other Kargarocs were harassing several unicorns, who struggled to land their bolts of magic on the surprisingly agile monsters. Link crouched low, before launching himself off the ground.
 
The wolf latched onto the wing of his foe, catching it unaware, and the added weight sent them both tumbling to the ground. A flailing talon raked across Link's haunch, and Link backed out of the monster's reach, wincing at the stinging pain of the shallow, but sizeable wound. The Kargaroc righted itself and trumpeted angrily at the creature that had dared to attack it. It lunged, the action augmented by a flap of its powerful wings. Link sidestepped before tackling the off balance creature to the ground.
 
A well-placed bite and a tug later and there were three attackers left. A metallic shriek of pain marked a hit from the unicorn guards, and soon after, another monster left the land of the living. The pegasi were showing similar success, but at the cost of several troops, who fell to the ground with crushed bones, missing limbs and massive lacerations where the talons, teeth, and club-like tails had exacted lethal force. With the unicorn guards free to assist, however, the remaining attackers were overwhelmed, and systematically defeated.
 
A few spears were pointed Link's way after the guards had dealt with the airborne threat, but those who had seen Link's transformation and aid quickly dispelled any misconceptions.
 
"Whoa, there, Lightning Shield," said a guard to a pegasus who was brandishing a spear at Link and Midna. "They’re on our side. Took out three of the bastards on their own..."
 
The castle guard, thankfully, was very disciplined, and Lightning Shield quickly withdrew his weapon. "My apologies, you two."
 
"We need to get to Ponyville," Midna said to the guards, forgoing any formalities. "What's the quickest way to get there?"
 
"There's a train that runs from here to Ponyville," stated another guard. "Maybe you could use that?"
 
Midna and Link nodded. Whatever this “train” was, it was bound to be a form of transportation. "Show us the way."
 
Half-a-dozen guards agreed to lead the two foreigners to the train station, Lightning Shield being one of them, and they cautiously filed out of the throne room's massive doors.
 
The halls outside the throne room seemed untouched by the siege at first, but gradually, signs of combat appeared in the form of blood splatters, fallen weapons, and finally, the corpses of Royal Guards.
 
"Celestia help us...,” murmured one of the guards at the sight of the charred bodies of several of his comrades scattered across the floor in one particular hallway. A four-foot crater was present in the center of the floor, charred black from intense heat.
 
A guard examined the hole with a disturbed fascination. "What in the world could have caused this?"
 
"Let's not stick around to find out." Midna urged Link forward with a slight kick to his sides, and his indignant glare went unnoticed.
 
Taking care to step around the bodies, the procession of guards led Link and Midna further through the castle, occasionally happening upon further signs of battle, but not encountering any resistance.
 
"Looks like the Night Guard are doing their job...,” commented Lightning Shield when he glanced out of a window. Following his gaze, Link was surprised to see the imposing black forms of Twilit Kargarocs vanishing left and right as the familiar bat-winged pegasi expertly swooped and slashed, working in perfect coordination to defend the castle. He had to agree: the Night Guard was doing its job.
 
Lightning noticed Link's look of admiration towards the Night Guards and chuckled. "They're something' else, aren't they?" He moved away from the window. "Come on, just a little further to go and we'll be out of the-"
 
"LOOK OUT!"
 
Lightning was cut off as a sharp BOOM shook the ground, and several guards cried out in shock and pain.
 
Another crater had made its home in the floor, and their group was down by three
guards.
 
"More enemies incoming!"
 
Through a door at the end of the hall burst three creatures that Link had never seen before. They vaguely resembled wild boars, with their short legs and tusked snouts, but they had manes of writhing black tendrils, and red geometric lines etched their way across their leathery, black, hairless skin. A bleached, skull-like mask adorned each of their faces, with two beady, soulless red eyes glaring piercingly through their sockets.
 
The three boar-creatures charged at them at an alarming speed, snorting and screeching in grating metallic voices.
 
A unicorn guard took the initiative to fire a beam of magic at one of the charging beasts, and its right foreleg ceased its movement. The unfortunate beast tumbled to the ground, its stride broken, and after a brief flash of red electricity coursed across its prone form, it violently exploded.
 
The concussive force sent the other two crashing into the walls, and they, too detonated, leaving gaping holes in the floor and walls, which creaked and groaned disconcertingly.
 
A Night guard burst through the doors, her golden eyes darting around the room searching for her missing quarry until her gaze rested on Link. In the brief second of eye contact, Link recognized the mare as the same guard that collected him and Twilight from Ponyville.
 
In a flash, she bit down on the hilt of a small throwing knife on her armor and flung it with deadly accuracy at the wolf.
 
Link snapped himself out of his thoughts and threw himself to the side, the blade missing by the width of a hair, before Lightning Shield stepped in between them. "Stop! He's on our side!"
 
The night guard eyed the wolf suspiciously before sheathing a short, curved blade that Link hadn't even seen her draw. They really are something else.
 
"Damn, sorry about that," she apologized quickly. "I'm Shadow Sprinter,” the Night Guard said to Link with a quick nod. “Where're you Goldies headed? Is the Princess safe?"
 
"She had just gone through when we were attacked," Lightning explained, readjusting his spear in his grip. "She had to seal off the entrance and we got left behind."
 
The Night Guard grunted before motioning towards their non-pony company. "So what's with them?"
 
"We were with Celestia when the attack started," Midna explained. "Long story short, we saw our guard friends here getting their asses handed to them, so we stepped in to help, got left behind in the process as well."
 
Although it made many of the guards glare at Midna, the Night Guard seemed impressed by this, even if she made no verbalizations to prove so. Instead, she simply nodded and addressed Lightning Shield once more. "Are you heading to the rendezvous point?"
 
The guard shook his head. "No, the train station at the east end if the city."
 
The Night Guard gave a dry laugh at that. "Really, Lightning? That's clear on the other side of the city, and you've got only three… four others to watch your back?" She poked a hoof playfully at Lightning's chest plate. "I'm going with you, and you can't stop me." She turned and started towards the door she had entered through, giving a glance back at an exasperated Lightning Shield. "What? You mad that your little sis’ is helping your sorry flank?" With that, she drew her sword and pushed open the door, checking the world beyond before waving the others to follow.
 
"Siblings," one of the guards sighed sympathetically.
 
"Tell me about it," Lightning responded with an eye roll, before following his dark-haired sister out into the warzone that was Canterlot Proper.
 





 
Twilight would never be able to go through a dark tunnel ever again after this. Her legs burned and her chest ached from the prolonged gallop. She could hear her friends around her, panting, galloping, and flying as fast as they could, but she kept her head down and concentrated on outrunning the swarm of Twilit Vermin that had already claimed a clumsy guard pony who had taken a tumble during their flight.
 
An intense blast of heat came from before her as Princess Celestia sent another wave of fiery magic crashing into the swarm. Dozens of little echoing Piff's marked the destruction of the monsters, but for every one they killed, countless more seemed to take its place in the relentless chase through the tunnel.
 
“Whee! Can’t catch me little squiggle monsters!” giggled Pinkie Pie as she ran tantalizingly close to the horde of bloodthirsty Vermin. One attempted to leap out at the pink pony, but she simply bounced ahead and out of reach, before blowing a raspberry behind her.
 
“Pinkie! Cut that out! It’s dangerous!” Twilight called back to the veritable fountain of cheer.
 
“Okie-dokie-lokie!” Pinkie stuck her tongue out one last time at the Twilit Vermin before sprinting to catch up with everyone else.
 
“We need to be careful, and make sure we don’t tri-” Twilight was cut off when her forehoof clipped her other and she was sent careening to the ground. Spike cried out in surprise, gripping onto Twilight’s mane for dear life. Time seemed to stop for a moment, and the icy chill of terror swept through Twilight’s body.
 
"Twilight!" cried her friends in alarm as they stopped to try and help her, but Twilight waved them on.
 
“Just keep running!” she shouted at her friends as she scrambled back to her hooves. Just before the swarm was upon her, she enveloped herself in a bubble of magic, and winked out of existence. A split second later, she was back ahead, galloping full speed with her friends once more.
 
"Princess," panted Twilight. Her legs felt like jelly, and she knew they wouldn't keep their pace up forever. "How long?"
 
"Almost...there..." Celestia replied, firing off another spell over her shoulder.
 
Sure enough, the tunnel began to get gradually lighter before a thin ring of bright sunlight could be seen in the distance.
 
A thin ring.
 
"The exit is BLOCKED!?" cried Rainbow Dash in horror.
 
"Hold on, my little ponies!" Celestia called out, before gathering magic in her horn. In a brilliant explosion of golden light, the seven mares, baby dragon, royal guard, and the alicorn simultaneously teleported past the boulder obscuring the exit, and into the outside world.
 
They came crashing down to the dirt in an undignified heap, exhausted, trembling with adrenaline, but alive. The dust settled, and after letting the crisp mountain air soothe her aching lungs, Twilight gave a sharp chuckle. She was alive, and for some reason that felt like the most amazing thing in the world. The group simply lay there, catching their breath, until they felt it necessary to untangle their bodies lest their dignity be damaged permanently.
 
After her eyes adjusted to the harsh sunlight, Twilight found that they were situated on a rocky ledge, wide enough for trees and shrubbery to grow, but small enough that the sheer drop was still well within reach. Twilight saw Fluttershy take several steps away from the cliff, and decided to copy her friend; such a fall would not be a pleasant one.
 
“With all due respect, your majesty,” the guard grunted exhaustedly, shaking his head. “I never...want to do that aga-” A jet-black aura cut him off by clamping around his neck and yanking him into the air. The terrified stallion pawed at his throat, mouth struggling to take in air, before his head was wrenched to an unnatural angle with an audible, bone-crunching noise. The lifeless body was catapulted off the edge of the cliff and into the abyss below.
 
Twilight reeled back with a cry of shock, her eyes whipping about the area. Her gaze was drawn to the lone path down the mountain when an icy, baritone voice reached her ears.
 
“I must congratulate you on your timely escape, your majesty.” The dull thump of heavy steps reached their ears, followed by another, and another.
A tall, armored figure stepped into view. It towered above them on its hind legs, with metal and black leather armor covering its body. Its hairless skin was a dark olive color, and its fiery red and orange hair was pulled back tightly against its skull. A beak-like nose protruded from its face, and its crimson eyes seemed to hide an unimaginable power. An empty scabbard, ornately decorated, rested against its hip, but the intense magical power Twilight felt radiating from the scabbard could not be ignored.
 
Twilight heard Epona gasp at the sight. Twilight's brain quickly put Epona's reaction and Link's story together, and she did not like the results. She felt as if she had plunged into the Arctic Ocean.
 
"However," Gannondorf continued stopping several yards from a bristling Celestia. "I cannot let you continue." He raised his right hand and pointed it directly at Celestia, his fingers spread wide, and a ball of crackling black energy grew on his palm.
 
"You underestimate my strength, creature," Celestia growled as she spread her wings aggressively. Her billowing ethereal mane grew more erratic in its movement, and began to resemble an active flame rather than a pastel rainbow. "Now leave us be, or I will not hesitate to send you to the depths of Tartarus myself."
 
Twilight backed away further, her eyes flicking back and forth between her mentor and the demon before them. She had never once seen Celestia openly threaten anypony, nor had she seen the alicorn exude such raw, unbridled anger.
 
The sphere of dark magic was now convulsing and shifting erratically, barely contained within Gannondorf’s control. His vicious smile grew only wider at hearing Celestia's threat. "I have no intention of letting you do so," he responded, before shifting its aim and blasting the magical projectile straight towards a wide-eyed Twilight Sparkle.
 
The dark magic seemed to shudder in anticipation as it came screaming towards the unicorn. She slammed her eyes shut, only vaguely aware of her own shriek of terror. There was an ear-splitting CRACK of the projectile's impact, and a cry of pain that wasn't her own, followed by the dull thump of a body hitting the ground.
Twilight tentatively opened her eyes to see Celestia's unmoving body on the ground before her. The previously flame-like mane was now dull and pink, rather than its ordinary rainbow. Twilight and her friends gaped at the sight in shock, but the biped simply returned his predatory smirk. Fluttershy's frightened sobs were the only sounds breaking the stunned silence.
 
"Are you ready to send me to Tartarus yet, princess?" he mocked.
 
“WHY YOU-” A rainbow blur rocketed over Twilight, but was thrown back by a weak golden flickering of magic, and Rainbow Dash landed unceremoniously on her back next to her friends.
 
Celestia stirred, and planted a hoof firmly on the ground, her mane flickering back to life. Gannondorf's self-satisfied grin fell, replaced by an irritated scowl. Shakily, the alicorn attempted to rise, and Twilight rushed to her teacher's aid. "Go," the princess whispered to the unicorn. "Take your friends and go. Let me handle this fiend."
 
"But princess, I could-" Twilight started, but Celestia cut her off with a pleading gaze. For the first time ever, Twilight saw fear in her mentor's eyes.
 
"I am growing tired of your stalling, horse!" growled their adversary, and he began to advance towards them. "Surrender to me and I might spare your lives." His right hand closed over the empty air above his scabbard, and with a flash of light, a startlingly white sword of energy was drawn from its sheathe. His hand crackled with energy, and a golden triangle burned brightly upon its surface. He grimaced and faltered slightly as a dull red glow flickered in his chest, but it faded as he continued towards them. “What will it be?”
 
"THOU SHALT NOT HARM MINE SISTER, FOUL BEAST!" boomed the distant voice of an angered goddess, and the place where the biped was standing became engulfed in a blinding beam of bright blue light. The resulting sound was so explosively loud that it sent clouds of dust and dirt billowing off every surface. The blast of magic ceased after a long while, leaving a charred crater and the strong smell of ozone in its wake, and Princess Luna, clad in black-plated armor, swooped down to land beside her solar sister. "Tia, by the heavens, art thou hurt?"
 
Celestia shook her head. "I will be fine, dear sister,” she croaked. “Thank you."
 
A bestial, rage-filled roar cut off any further dialogue as a smoking, leather-clad hand, clutching a glowing white sword, rose from the crater and planted itself upon the blackened soil. Gannondorf lifted himself out of the crater, eyes burning with rage, and with a mighty swing of his sword, he sent a radiant arc of magic rocketing towards the group.
 
Twilight could only remember the brief glow of Luna's horn before the world went dark.
 





 
The once majestic city of Canterlot, the shining gem of Equestrian might and prosperity, was coming apart at its seams.
 
Citizens of the city, both nobles and commoners alike, were rushing through the streets, ushered towards an evacuation point by the Royal Guards. A coordinated effort from the pegasus guards managed to repel the aerial attacks of the plethora of Twilit Kargarocs, which swooped and blared, frustrated, as their efforts were foiled. The spears and swords of the guards, as well as the magical blasts from unicorn guards, court mages and citizenry alike, kept the invading force at bay, but the numbers were quickly overwhelming them.
 
Link, Midna and their impromptu escort were in the middle of the throng of citizens, heading towards the train station, when there was a chorus of shouts from a nearby street. Bodies were thrown aside like ragdolls as the huge, shambling beast erupted from the boulevard. It swept the gaze of its shield-like mask across the crowd before settling it upon Midna and Link.
 
Lightning Shield blanched at the sight of the creature he had seen only hours ago in the throne room. It was a creature that was very recently another continent altogether. “Oh buck.”
 
The guards began backing away as the beast lumbered towards them, but Link crouched low to the ground, growling menacingly. “Link, what are you doing? We don’t need to fight,” hissed Midna in his ear, but Link ignored her, keeping his eyes on the Shadow Beast as it began circling them. Midna grunted in irritation. “Let me guess, you want to protect these ponies?”
 
Link broke his death-glare to nod at Midna, but the moment he did so, the Shadow Beast charged at him with a speed that belied its size. Link leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding the upward swipe of the creature’s claws. When Link pivoted and leapt towards the beast, a backhanded swipe knocked him out of the air.
 
Dazed, but alive, the wolf sprang up, and backed away from the Shadow Beast. “They’ve gotten smarter,” Midna noticed, mirroring Link’s own observations. The two combatants circled each other at a safe distance, watching the other’s movements.
 
“Hey! Ugly!”
 
The Shadow Beast turned just in time for a large chunk of stone, lobbed by a unicorn guard, to slam into its face. A massive spider web fracture appeared in the mask’s surface, and the beast let out a loud, echoing shriek that brought everyone to their knees. Link’s ears flattened against his skull to drown out the horrid sound, as did the other guards’, but the enraged Shadow Beast raised its claw to deal a finishing blow to the unicorn mare.
 
Midna nearly toppled off Link as he bolted towards the monster, whose back was exposed to them. Swiftly, silently, Link leapt up to the beast’s back and dug his claws in. Ferociously, Link ripped and tore at the beast’s back, sending hot jets of vaporous blood shooting out of the gaping wounds. The Shadow Beast thrashed and shrieked in agony, but Link held on tightly, until at last, the monster collapsed to the ground, the geometric red designs on its skin dimming and going dark. With a hot blast of air, the beast exploded in a cloud of tiny black particles that drifted skyward, before vanishing altogether.
 
Panting heavily, Link cast a tired glance to Midna, who nodded and withdrew the amber crystal. With another spark of magic, Link’s form was once more engulfed in darkness, and when the Twilit energy dissipated, the green-clothed pony stood where the wolf once did. Link trotted over to the unicorn guard, who was staring at him with wide eyes. “Are you alright, Ma’am?” he asked.
 
The guard blinked her bright blue eyes and stammered, “Y-yes… Thank you.” Her armor, Link noticed, was not gold like that of the other guards. It was silver, and centered upon her chest plate was a stylized, symmetrical cross. A satchel was strapped across her back, with the same symbol upon the clasps. Link looked back to the mare’s face. She looks strangely familiar…
 
“Hey, Private Sapphire!” Lightning Shield called as he galloped over.
 
The unicorn jumped in surprise and saluted. “Lieutenant Lightning, sir!”
 
“What in Tartarus were you thinking, attacking the monster like that?” Lightning’s face was scrunched up in irritation. “You are in the Medical Corps. You should know better than to charge in on your own! You don’t have the training!”
 
“That bastard killed my sister! What was I supposed to do?” the unicorn shouted back, tears in her eyes, and immediately looked guilty for doing so.
 
Suddenly, it clicked in Link’s mind; this was Emerald’s sister.

“Sapphire, I know,” replied Lightning softly. “But we can’t let our emotions cloud our judgment. Do you think Emerald would have wanted you to die because you acted without thinking?”
 
Sapphire shook her head, not saying a word.
 
“Where’s the rest of your squad, Private?” asked Shadow Sprint from behind Link.
 
Sapphire sighed. “Don’t know… We… we got separated when… the big monster attacked.”
 
“Come with us,” Link suggested. “I’m headed to Ponyville to meet up with Princess Celestia. We’re going to try and stop this – all of this - and I think we could use your help.”
 
Link could see a flickering of determination in the peach-coated unicorn’s eyes. “Anything to get back at those things.”
 
“Alright,” Lightning said, getting everyone’s attention. “We need to move out before we run into more trouble. The train station’s not too far from here.”
 
Link nodded. “Lead the way.”
 





 
Zelda stood in the woods, concentrating on keeping the small stones free from gravity's pull in her magical cerulean grip. It was a strange sensation, using magic. It was as if Zelda had multiple, ethereal arms; she simply wanted it to happen, so it did, much like moving an arm or leg. The magic usage, however simple Zecora had made it sound, was physically taxing. Sweat dripped down Zelda's muzzle. Her breaths became heavier by the moment.
 
The lights around the stones flickered, and her grip faltered.
 
"Do not push your magic's power, or you will faint for many an hour," warned the cryptic zebra beside her. "Lower the stones, for you've done well. Your magic is strong, as I can tell."
 
Zelda nodded, and let the stones drift towards the ground, before the magical grip winked out. She took a deep breath, and let it out slowly, trying to slow her exertion-driven heart. "That was exhausting..." she sighed, accepting the gourd full of water offered to her by Zecora. She sat and gulped down half of its contents before removing it from her lips. "And you say this is the most basic of magic?"
 
"Indeed it is." Zecora nodded sagely. "But, do not fret. Your magic is young as of yet. Your strength will grow as muscles do, with practice, faith, and patience, too."
 
"If you say so..." A gust of wind rustled the hair on Zelda's body. It was an alien sensation, to be sure, but not an unpleasant one. She closed her eyes and let the wind ease her tired body.
 
Zecora chuckled from beside her. "The winds are soothing, are they not? Especially on a day so hot."
 
"Zecora," Zelda started. "Why do you live out here on your own? You said there was a town nearby, why not there?”
 
“The answer is simpler than it may appear,” Zecora took a deep breath, inhaling the earthy scent of the forest. “I simply like the atmosphere.”
 
The princess smiled at the direct, lighthearted answer from the usually cryptic zebra. “I can see why. This forest is beautiful. It’s so full of life and color that it’s hard to imagine that the monsters you described live out here as well.”
 
The zebra’s expression soured, before she rose to her hooves. “We’ve been out for much too long. Let us go,” she started in the direction of her home, but stopped and looked back at Zelda expectantly. “Come along.”
 
Zelda lifted herself up, idly impressed at Zecora’s innate rhyming ability. As they walked, her thoughts drifted back to how difficult it was to carry only a few small stones in her magic, when she had just previously used her newfound telekinetic powers to impale a hydra’s heads with some brittle wooden planks. Now, she felt like her magic was an arm that had lost its feeling from being slept on wrong, and could only fumble around drunkenly at her instruction. Then again, she thought. It is magic, after all... Who knows what kinds of rules it follows.
 
“You are a most determined one... Release the stones. Practice is done.”

Zecora’s chuckling snapped Zelda from her thoughts. Instantly she noticed the idle glow of her horn, and the weight of the stones floating behind her. She sighed. This is going to be frustrating...