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// the hero's (Short) crusade 
// Story: The Hero of Time in Equestria 
// by Mikoyose 
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	Link sits down at a table next to Fluttershy as they wait for their food. When Mr. Cake brings their food: a chocolate muffin for Link and a vanilla cupcake for Fluttershy, Link grabs his rupee pouch and pulls out a blue rupee, and a red rupee “Will this cover it?” he asked Mr. Cake who returns his gaze curiously before saying.
“It’s seven-teen bits.” Link puts his rupees away.
“Fluttershy I don’t have any... ‘bits’, I only have rupees, sorry for asking but can you pay?” he whispered, looking at her.
“It’s okay.” She said taking out the seven-teen bits and paying for their food.Link thanked her with an apologetic expression on his face, Fluttershy gives him a smile. “You’re welcome Link.” When they finish the food Pinkie pie bounces back out with a large cake that read ‘Welcome to Ponyville Link’ above a crude icing image of link. She placed it on their table a big smile on her face, Link took a slice and bit into it.
“This is an amazing cake Pinkie pie!” he said before eating the rest of the cake with the ponies in the establishment, when it was gone Link leaned back in his chair, several plates and the cake tray-cleaned- in the center of the table, and pats his stomach with a big smile “That was some of the best food I’ve ever had.” He said with a little burp; he reached into his pouch and brought out a bottle of milk, uncorked it, to drink half of it before returning it.

Link and Fluttershy left sugar cube corner to see twilight sparkle when a small rabbit came bounding towards Fluttershy, “Hello Angel, why are you here?” the rabbit makes some gestures, making Fluttershy gasp and fly back towards her cottage. Stopping and flying back to Link “I’m sorry Link but there’s something important I have to do I hope you don’t mind.” She said looking at the ground, Link smiled saying.
“It’s alright, bye.” Fluttershy looked at him then turned and flew away. Link began exploring Ponyville talking to the ponies, and just looking at the town, at some point he saw a farm in his peripheral vision and turned towards it. Wondering if someone he knows might be there, he equipped his bunny hood and took off running towards the farm. He arrived at the gate and unequipped the bunny hood -putting it away- before looking at the sign to see the apple on the arch of the gate. 

He walked onto the farmland hearing the clopping of hooves at work; he was looking at the acres of apple trees seeing some of them shake violently before the apples fell off and he was interested. He cautiously walked towards the nearest shaking tree where he saw an orange pony with a blonde mane wearing a hat. He walked up to this pony seeing her bucking the trees “So that’s what was causing them to shake.” Link said startling the orange pony that jumped and turned, head down, ready to charge.
“Who the hay are you?” she said scraping the ground with a hoof while Link held his hands up to show he meant no harm.
“My name’s Link, I’m new here in… uh… Ponyville.” He said, seeing the pony raise her head giving him a questioning glance.
“Well then Link, ah got to get back to work.” The pony said turning and walking away; Link stared after her for a moment before continuing his exploration of the farm.

After walking for a few minutes, he saw a red maned filly galloping towards a tree house and decided to follow her up into the tree house to see what she was doing. Sneaking up the ramps towards the wooden structure and peeking through the window he saw another two fillies: one white with a horn on its head, and a purple and pink mane, and the other was orange with a purple mane, wings folded at her sides. The white one had seen him and screamed “Monster!” pointing at Link with her hoof, the other two looked and screamed with the white one startling Link and making him fall off the tree house. He let out a yell and hitting the ground with a groan. As Link laid there a large red horse came from the direction of the barn, stopping above Link staring down at him.
“Is this the monster?” it asked as the red maned filly came down the ramp.
“Yeah that’s it big Macintosh, it was staring at us through the window.” She said staring frightened at the nervous Link. 
“W-well I just saw her run in there and was curious to see what was there.” Link said intimidated by the horse.
“What happened? Where’s the monster?” the orange pony from earlier galloped in and looked at Link on the ground.
“Oh, it’s him again.” She said trotting over “What’s the meanin of spyin on mah sister and her friends huh?”

“I didn’t mean to scare her I was just curious as to where she was going in such a hurry.” He said trying to calm himself down. 
“Don’t hurt him Applejack; he’s not going to do anything.” A small voice said before Fluttershy flew down beside the orange and red ponies.
“Well if Fluttershy says he won’t do anything, I trust her.” The pony named Applejack said backing away from Link enough to let him stand. Link stood up and looked at Fluttershy.
“Thank you Fluttershy, and hello my name’s Link.” He said to big Macintosh, Applejack, and the red filly who was joined by her friends. “What in Celestia’s name is that?” Applejack said pointing at Link's sword, he grabbed it and unsheathed it before holding it out.
“This is my sword, I use it to kill monsters in Hyrule.” He said, sheathing it again. He noticed that the fillies began whispering and looking at him over their shoulders; they nodded -in a silent agreement- before the red maned filly trotted up to Link and looked up at his face. 
“Hi mah name’s Applebloom, and this is Sweetie belle, and Scootaloo.” She said pointing at each filly in turn, Scootaloo and Sweetie belle trotted up to Applebloom they each stared up at Link. 

Link smiled down and crouched patting each of their manes “Hello Scootaloo, Applebloom, and Sweetie belle.” He said, still smiling they looked at each other nodded then looked back at Link.
“Do you really kill monsters?” Scootaloo said her eyes wide with excitement.
“Well yes I –“he was cut off as the fillies yelled.
“The cutie mark crusaders monster fighters!” with large grins, the other ponies and Link stared at the fillies.
“No, you can’t be doing that.” Link said with a serious face as he looked into the eyes of the ‘Cutie mark crusaders’ “It’s way too dangerous, I have no idea how many times I’ve had to run from fights because I was outmatched or overwhelmed.” He said with a sympathetic smile “But if you want I could help you some other way.” They looked at him smiling again as they said in unison.
“Okay, Cutie mark crusaders and Link join forces!” they galloped off stopping and turning back to Link after a few steps “Uh. you have to follow us Link.” Sweetie belle said.
“Oh, okay be right there.” He said taking his bunny hood out making Fluttershy gasp.
"Is that a rabbit's ears?” she said hiding behind big Macintosh.
“What? No it’s fake but it helps me run faster.” Link said putting it on his head to run after the Cutie mark crusaders, the ears bouncing as he ran.

He was keeping up with them easily; when they reached the barn Scootaloo had gone inside to grab her scooter, Sweetie belle and Applebloom got on while Link kept up by running. The scooter flew through the streets making ponies gallop out of the way or jump away. Link was falling behind as he apologized for the young ponies who had stopped outside of a house built into a tree. When he caught up the crusaders were knocking on the door “Twilight! Are you home? We want to know if you need help with anything.” Sweetie belle said taking a few steps back from the door. 
“No I don’t need your help right now.” A voice said from the other side of the door before it was enveloped by a purple aura and opened to reveal a lavender pony with pink streaks through her dark purple mane. 

“But if you want you can-“ she stopped seeing Link wearing his bunny hood her mouth seemed to hit the floor, Link also noticed a sparkling in her eyes, she moved around the crusaders, completely ignoring them, as she walked up to Link looking him up and down; examining him, “What is this creature?” she wondered while staring at his pointy ears then at the bunny hood, “It has two sets of ears, stands on its hind legs, its fore hooves seem to split five ways at the end of each leg.” She said while analyzing him. 
“Um… Hello my name’s Link, what are you doing?” he asked shocking Twilight.
“You can talk? You’re a sentient being!” she said with a smile “Link let’s go inside so you can answer some questions.” She said walking around the crusaders again; they followed Link into Twilight’s house. 

“Please sit down.” She said to Link pointing at the couch.
“Okay.” He said as Twilight went up the stairs. The Cutie mark crusaders began walking around, picking up books and rearranging them on the shelves, occasionally placing one on the table or around it stopping occasionally to check their flanks, their ears falling in sadness that lasted a few seconds. “Hey what are you three doing?” Link asked as they checked their flanks again.
“Oh, we’re looking to see if we got our cutie marks.” Applebloom said.
"Apparently we're not librarians." Scootaloo said while Link looked at them with confusion.
“What’s a cutie mark?” as the question left his mouth Twilight came back down the stairs with a quill, and a very long scroll floating behind her.
“Well a cutie mark is a mark fillies get on their flanks when they learn their special talent.” She said looking at the star on her flank. 
“Oh so it's something like this?” he said, holding up his right hand, the triforce symbol glowing into existence on his skin, the bottom right triangle glowing brighter than the others.
“What is that?” Twilight asked while the crusaders kept trying to get their cutie marks by writing with the quills in their mouths until they dropped the ink on the floor and covered it up with a book, hoping Twilight wouldn't notice.

Link looked at the glowing triangles as they disappeared “That was a symbol of the goddesses. It’s a very old legend in Hyrule.” He said before jumping as books fell down from one of the shelves on top of the crusaders. “Oops.” Applebloom said earning a disapproving gaze from Twilight, before they ran out the door Scootaloo said.
"Meet up with you later Link" closing the door behind her. 
“Anyway tell me what is this legend? And what is Hyrule?” Twilight said the quill and paper floating at the ready.