//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: The Broken Bond // by Norkix //------------------------------// The wind rushed in my ears as I ran through the forest, chasing a glimmer of sky blue light. "Navi!" I called. "Navi, come back!" The trees to my left were lit briefly by and I changed my course, running after the light as fast as I could. "Navi, please! I need you!" The light stopped in a glade a stone's throw away. I ran headlong into it, a grin spreading across my face. I'd found her! I'd finally found her! "Navi," I said softly, walking towards the sky blue orb of light that contained my best friend. "I finally found y-" A loud knock roused me from my slumber. I opened my eyes blearily and slowly rolled my legs out of the covers, sitting on the mattress as I buried my face in my hands. That dream... Why that dream... Knock knock knock. "Hey, y'all okay in there?" came Applejack's muffled voice from the other side of the door. "Yeah," I called back, pulling myself together. The door opened and Applejack and a new pony walked into the room. She was a unicorn with a light purple coat and a deeper purple mane and tail with a pink streak running through them. Her eyes reminded me of Princess Zelda's with the intelligence behind them and the way they seemed to analyze me even with a casual glance. Speaking of Zelda... was that a tiara on her head? My breath caught in my throat as the unicorn turned, revealing the elegant wings folded at her side. A winged unicorn? This place just keeps getting more and more crazy... "Link, this here's Princess Twilight Sparkle," said Applejack. "Also one of my best friends." Princess... I knelt on the floor, bowing my head to her. "It is an honor, milady," I said formally. "Oh, there's no need for that, really," Twilight said, blushing lightly and waving a hoof. "Just Twilight is fine." I smiled as I rose. Chalk up one more for similarities to Princess Zelda. I was liking this strange new world more every minute. "Very well, Twilight," I said, opting to stick with a formal tone for now. "Applejack said you might be able to answer some questions I had." "And I also warned ya," Applejack cut in with a sly grin at Twlight, "that Twi here'd have just as many for you." "And you were right about that, Applejack," Twilight said, looking back at me. A strange look passed over her features, almost like recognition. "Would you mind leaving us alone?" "Ah..." Applejack's gaze moved between me and my swordbelt. "I mean... I trust y'all, but..." I was reluctant to part with my trusty blade, but I wanted to gain the trust of these creatures more. "Take it with you if it makes you feel better," I told Applejack. "I don't mind." With a grunt in acknowledgement, Applejack took up my swordbelt in her mouth and walked out of the room, kicking the door closed behind her. Twilight turned to me, a serious look appearing suddenly on her face. "Who are you?" she asked, advancing on me slowly. "I told you, my name is Link," I said. I was starting to get a little nervous; this was a drastic and sudden change from the lighthearted pony I had been conversing with only seconds ago. "Are you from Canterlot High? Did something happen?" There was an edge of desperation to her voice. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Princess," I told her. "I came from a land called Hyrule. I was in the Lost Woods looking for my friend and-" "Waitwaitwait, stop for a second," Twilight said, shaking her head. "I've never heard of anyplace called Hyrule before, and as far as I know the mirror only leads to Canterlot High, so-" "Mirror? What mirror?" I was starting to get frustrated. This pony didn't make any sense! "The... Crystal Mirror?" Twilight said, cocking an eyebrow at me. "The mirror that's the gateway between my world and yours?" "I didn't come here through a mirror," I said. "I came through a log tunnel." "A log tunnel?" Twilight asked skeptically. I sighed. "As I was saying, I was in the Lost Woods in my home country of Hyrule, looking for my friend Navi." I explained the mechanics of the log tunnels. "So, when I heard the cry for help, I went through the log tunnel it was coming from and-" "And ended up in the Everfree..." Twilight mused. She started to pace, brow furrowing in deep thought. "But how did it take you to an entirely different world?" "It's not the first time," I said. Twilight stopped pacing and blinked her lavender eyes at me. "About a month ago, I got trapped in a land called Termina by falling into a large hole in the Lost Woods. Termina was like an alternate dimension to my homeland. If that can happen, I have no doubt that the Lost Woods could send me to another world." "Strange," Twilight said. "I've only ever seen bipedal creatures at Canterlot high, although you don't seem like exactly the same kind of species as them." She moved in close to me, and I recoiled a bit, more than a little unnerved at the way she was examining me. "Uh, look," I stammered. "I appreciate you all helping me and everything, but I need to get back to searching for my friend-" "Oh, you're looking for somepony?" I was starting to notice that Twilight had an annoying habit of cutting people off. "Yes," I replied patiently. "My fairy companion, Navi." "Fairy?" Twilight scoffed. "Fairies don't exist, silly." It was my turn to cock an eyebrow. "Let me get this straight," I said. "You're a bunch of talking ponies with unicorns, pegasi, and mixtures of both-" "Alicorns," Twilight interjected. "Alicorns, whatever the hell you call them. You've got all that going on here, but you don't have any fairies?" I was incredulous. Twilight shook her head. "Could you... maybe describe this Navi?" I thought for a moment, wondering how to describe the appearance of fairies. "Well, she's going to look like a sky-blue orb about this big around," I made a small circle with my thumbs and forefingers, "with wings coming out the back. Reason being is that her body gives off a natural glow that obscures her true body." Twilight put a hoof to her chin and scratched for a moment. "You know," she said slowly, "I do think i remember seeing a funny-looking parasprite a while ago... Sky blue like you said, but it was daytime so I don't know whether it was glowing or not." My heart jumped. It was an unlikely chance, but it was a lead. "Where? When?" I pressed excitedly. Twilight shook her head, waving a hoof impatiently. "That'll have to wait. We have more pressing matters to discuss." She narrowed her eyes at me. "I understand that you killed a manticore." I nodded. "It was attacking three young girls. I was only doing what anyone with the ability would." "Be that as it may," Twilight said, "we do not take kindly to killers here in Equestria." My mouth opened and closed several times as I struggled to process what she had just said. Did she just imply that I was a criminal? "But... it was a monster, was it not?" I asked. "The way I see it, I did you a favor. It won't be terrorizing anyone else who goes into that forest and it can't get out and attack any villages either." Twilight gave me another hard look. I once again got the feeling that she was analyzing me, almost like she was trying to read my mind or something. "Clearly, you come from a society where this type of behavior is accepted, maybe even praised. Here in Equestria, however, we try not to take lives if we can avoid it. One of my friends was able to stop a manticore from attacking us by realizing he just had a thorn stuck in his paw and taking care of it." I wanted to argue that the manticore was clearly planning on getting some kind of meal out of the three fillies, remembering the long strands of saliva that dripped between its teeth when it roared at me, but I knew better than to argue with a princess. "I understand," I said humbly. "If you want me to leave or serve a sentence of some kind, I will do it." "It's not my place to make that judgement," Twilight said, shaking her head. The look in her eyes was serious. "I've sent a letter to Princess Celestia, our ruler. She'll be the one who decides whether you'll be punished or not."