Episode 19: Harmony and Power Part 2 – The Return of Demise
Everyone was deathly silent as the newly-restored Demon King looked himself over, flexing his fingers. A chuckle escaped his throat, a deep rumble that echoed chillingly in the souls of all who heard. And then Demise looked up, staring down at the unmoving body of his former host and reincarnation.
"Extraordinary," Demise boomed at last with a toothy grin. "Even I could not have counted on such a display of power in my wildest dreams. At long last, I am reborn."
Soon Demise's eyes fell upon the Wind Mage lying on the floor, having since changed back into his Hylian form. Vaati was barely conscious, but he was staring at Demise, and his expression was one of utter and incomprehensible despair. At this, Demise laughed. "Why do you look so melancholy, half-breed? You were instrumental in the rebirth of your king! Your true king!"
Finally Vaati spoke, shivering with fatigue and terror. "I-I don't understand…why? Why did the Elements bring you back?!"
Demise chuckled again. "They attempted to sunder what remained of my spirit, but as I felt the Triforce of Power being drawn from my incarnation's body, I clung to it and used it to protect myself from the Elements' power. Thus freed from my host, and with the Triforce of Power under my control, I could finally restore my form once again. At long last, I am free from that wretched half-existence I condemned myself to for the sake of preserving myself."
Knowing that Vaati was no threat to him, Demise then turned his attention towards the horrified Mane Six, and all of them quailed before his wicked gaze, despite their efforts to remain strong. Laughing at their fear, he mocked, "You had the courage to fight my hatred's incarnation, to turn his many plans on their heads, and yet now you waver?"
Demise raised his fist, showing the Triforce of Power. "As you should, you meddlesome little pests. While it is true my descendent and I grossly underestimated your capabilities and your courage, now that I am restored, and with the Triforce of Power under my control, I am greater now than when I faced the first reincarnation of the First Warrior all those millennia ago. You and your Elements are no threat to me."
Demise extended his arm towards Vaati. "Go; tend to your sorcerer. I will not stop you."
Twilight and the others nervously glanced at Demise, expecting some sort of ruse, but the Demon King stepped aside, allowing them to reach Vaati freely. As they collectively rushed over to him, Twilight at the head, Demise said behind them, "But when you are finished saying your goodbyes, it will be time for us to move on to the next order of business. Namely, your unconditional surrender and pledge of servitude to me."
"Stick it up your flank, grease-wad!" Rainbow shouted without even looking at Demise, and thus did not see the rage that flashed in the First Demon's eyes as he waited.
Twilight knelt down at Vaati's side as the others stood worriedly around him, checking him over for injuries. "Vaati, look at me!" Twilight commanded. "Are you alright?"
Vaati fixed his horror-stricken gaze on her, and he whispered, "It's over, Twilight…in trying to defeat Ganon, we just made things worse. We…we failed. Oh Goddesses, we failed…"
Twilight shook her head. "No, Vaati! There's still a chance!"
"Twilight…I have no strength left. It took everything I had to wear Ganon down long enough for you to use the Elements. I-I can't help you anymore…"
Twilight looked up to where Demise stood patiently before she stared Vaati hard in the eye, a determined look etched on her face. "You just hang tight here, Vaati."
Twilight stood up, that determined glare now focused on Demise. "We'll take it from here."
"Twi, are ya sure about this?" Applejack asked.
"We've been relying on Vaati for so long, but now it's all up to us," Twilight said. "We can do this; we've faced villains like him before."
Swallowing their fear, the rest of the Mane Six fell into step beside Twilight as they approached Demise, each of them readying their respective weapons. Demise utterly towered over them all, but they did not relent. "Now comes the time," Demise declared. "Kneel before me. Surrender yourselves to my will, and I will grant you a place of honor at my side as I impose my authority on the entirety of this world. Then I shall return to the Dark World and reclaim my rightful throne from that skulking dream walker who currently sits upon it."
The Mane Six shared a concerned glance at the mention of the aforementioned "dream walker," the memories of their nightmares still fresh on all their minds.
"After that, I shall regain Lord Majora's favor by seizing the remaining parts of the Triforce and ensuring the demon tribe's reign over Hyrule forever!"
"No," Twilight responded curtly and clearly.
Demise glared down at the tiny pony. "No?" he repeated, a dangerous edge in his voice.
"No," Twilight repeated for emphasis. "We are not going to stand by and let you terrorize the ponies of Equestria and beyond. All of us would rather die than be subject to the self-destructive rule of a mad tyrant like you."
"Everything you've done…all the ponies ya've hurt, all the people ya've cursed…Y'all are gonna get what's been comin' to ya for a long, long time!" Applejack declared.
"Ponies have died because of your stupid obsession with power!" Rainbow snapped. "And it's gonna stop right bucking now!"
"In the time since Vaati came here," Rarity added, her voice one of tranquil, dangerous fury, "I have found myself befriending the monsters you have for so long taken for granted. Honorable, loyal, if sometimes uncouth, and because of your pettiness and spite against a goddess who spurned your arrogant demand of courtship, all of them are cursed to follow the orders of whomever summons them. You may think of them as just mindless fodder to throw against your enemies in droves, but I have seen that each of them is their own person, and all of them, even the ones we were forced to fight against, have been hurt by your wickedness. Rest assured, you will feel every ounce of pain and sorrow you have ever inflicted upon others before you are destroyed."
"You've hurt countless people and ponies, and you've made even more sad!" Pinkie declared. "For thousands of years, people have lived in fear because of all the things you've done, all the innocent people you hurt! And if there's one thing I can't stand, it's people being sad and getting hurt! You're going down, you jerk!"
"I hate violence of any kind," Fluttershy spoke, her voice for once stern and without any sense of timidity. "I value the lives of all living things, whether pony, animal, or monster. But you…you've hurt, even killed countless innocent people and creatures for no reason other than spite and your sick lust for power. I hate people like you. And I try my hardest not to hate anypony. But you deserve it. And you definitely deserve what we're going to do to you!"
The rest of the Mane Six regarded Fluttershy's words with shock and a minor hint of worry. It was a jarring sign that what they had seen and done over the course of their journey had irrevocably changed each of them. But they put this aside and all glared daggers at Demise, who finally chose this moment to reply.
"So you defy me? I give you a generous offer, and you spit in my face? Would you rather I tear you asunder with these claws?"
"You clueless moron! Your offer sucks!" Rainbow shot back. "We like Equestria just the way it is, and we don't bow to anypony but the Princesses!"
Demise bared his teeth in a snarl. "So be it, worms; if you will not kneel, then you will perish!"
Demise threw his hand up, readying the Triforce of Power to blow them all away. But then, the Elements of Harmony flashed, followed by the Triforce of Power, and Demise's attack petered out. The Demon King regarded this with shock, looking at his wrist. "What?! The Triforce of Power is…resisting me?!"
The Mane Six collectively looked down at their Elements, and realization crept over them. Twilight smiled. "The Elements…they must be…communicating with the Triforce of Power! They're telling it to resist him! Don't you see, girls?! This is why they brought him back; so we can destroy him again, and this time completely!"
Hearing this, Demise growled as he summoned the Trident of Power, commandeering it for himself. "I will not be destroyed a second time. I will crush you all, and your world will be under my foot for eternity!"
Before Twilight could reply, the Elements flashed again, their aura enveloping their weapons. "What the…?" Applejack marveled.
And then the Elements vanished, their essences becoming absorbed into their weapons. Twilight's halberd soon turned golden, pink stars matching her Cutie Mark emanating from the head. Pink butterflies grew from and hovered over Fluttershy's crossbow, which she regarded with awe and delight. Blue and yellow balloons coalesced around the head of Pinkie's axe, while Rarity's saber glittered like blue diamonds. The tip of Rainbow's spear sparkled with multicolored electricity. And finally, little apple images floated out of Applejack's horseshoes. All of them felt more invigorated than they had ever felt before. Even Demise could feel their power, and for one fleeting moment, uncertainty gripped him. Not one to be cowed, though, Demise readied the Trident. "Fools! Now you die!"
Demise fired a blast from the Trident at the Mane Six, who quickly scattered. Demise immediately went for who he knew to be their leader, Twilight, bellowing as he brought the Trident down over her head. However, Twilight blocked with her halberd, and sparks flew from the two enchanted weapons as they clashed. Suddenly Demise felt a crossbow bolt charged with the power of Kindness pierce his back and howled with pain and rage. Smashing his fist into the ground, he knocked Twilight away and sent a burst of dark energy flying from his fingertips towards Fluttershy, who swiftly dodged. He turned back towards Twilight, only to see Rainbow bearing down on him, her spear aimed right for his forehead. Demise growled and raised the Trident, spinning it in front of him with the speed of a fan. Rainbow abruptly changed course right before she could hit the fan, sharply shooting upwards over his head. Demise turned around to face her, but did not see Applejack come up behind him. Suddenly the Demon King felt something smash into his back with enough force to send him careening face-first into the wall, his back smoldering where Applejack's hind legs had bucked him.
Demise detached himself from the crater shaped like himself and turned, his eyes ablaze with hatred. He made a sweeping slash with his Trident, sending a large wave of dark energy slicing through the air towards them. However, those who could fly dodged, while the others just slashed with their Element-empowered weapons, dispelling the attack. Demise threw the Trident at Rarity, who was closest to him, but then the Mane Six did something unexpected; they all concentrated their power on the Trident, and the terrible weapon of darkness vanished from the world, where it could hopefully never again resurface in Equestria.
"Impossible…" Demise snarled.
With nothing to rely on now but his physical strength, Demise leapt into the air and raised his fist, aiming for Applejack. Applejack leapt aside before he could hit her, and his fist smashed into the floor where she had just been, leaving a smoking crater around him. The Demon King snarled. They were quick; too quick. Demise lifted his arms, causing several large pieces of rubble to rise into the air around him, and these he hurled simultaneously towards all the Mane Six. However, the Mane Six all either dodged or shattered the pieces of rubble with their weapons as they advanced on him together. Rarity slashed her sword through the air, sending a hail of blue diamonds at Demise, who threw his arms over his face and growled as he felt the diamonds dig into his skin.
Demise stepped back, glancing between the Mane Six as he considered his options. There were too many of them, and they were all fiendishly quick and out for blood. Clearly his humanoid form wasn't cutting it with these whelps. He needed to go bigger. Demise pointed a clawed finger at the gathered ponies. "I admit you're doing well, but your resistance ends here!"
Demise cast his gaze heavenward and spread out his arms as a change overtook him. His body became a swirling mass of darkness that began pulsing and expanding into a new form, one that didn't look even remotely humanoid. Soon the mist became demonic flesh once more, and the Mane Six looked up in shock at Demise's new, massive form.
It now stood well over fifty feet tall, taking up almost half of the Throne Room. It had a squat, bullet-shaped body suspended by four long, almost skeletal hands, as well as a short, thick tail and a large, lizard-like jaw protruding from the main body, filled with massive, razor-sharp teeth. Numerous black tentacles sprouted from all around its body, which, oddly enough, stood erect as they curved towards Demise's face. The entire body was covered with the same black scales that had been present on his humanoid form. There were no eyes.
Demise let out a piercing roar, which caused all the walls of the Throne Room to explode outwards, glass and stone falling in pieces down into the rest of the castle below, exposing the battlefield to the elements. The sky was heavily black with clouds, red streaks of lightning flashing within as peals of thunder rumbled. The crimson flashes of lightning momentarily illuminated Demise's body, but for the most part, it remained concealed by shadow. The Throne Room doors were now blocked by rubble, preventing any idea of escape. But escape was not on the Mane Six's minds as they stared down Demise's ultimate form.
"Come on, girls!" Twilight called over the howling winds and roaring thunder. "Let's end this!"
They all rushed at Demise, who attempted to crush them with his four hands, but they lithely dodged as they struck at his body. However, his increased size had also increased the thickness of his scales, and even with the power of the Elements, they could not pierce his body armor. Demise whirled around, waves of darkness billowing out from his body and forcing them back.
"Great, what do we do now?" Rainbow demanded.
"We need to find some sort of weakness," Twilight surmised. "Something that isn't protected by his scales."
Suddenly Demise reared back on his hind legs and smashed his hands against the ground, sending out a shockwave of dark red and black electricity. Applejack yelped as she was caught in the blast and thrown against the wall. "APPLEJACK!" everyone cried out.
Applejack, thankfully, quickly recovered and shook herself. "Ah'm alright. Just a little shaken up."
Demise stomped forward, trying to flatten the ponies beneath him, but even in this enlarged form, he was considerably slow, and the Mane Six were able to stay out of range of his attacks. Abruptly Demise felt something crawling up his back, and roared as he tried to throw the pony off, to no avail. Soon the Element Bearers saw Pinkie appear on Demise's forehead, intent on her prey. And then they discovered what she was going for; with a crazed yell, she jumped up and smashed her axe into a glowing white X pulsing on Demise's forehead. Demise screeched as he reached for her, but Pinkie nimbly dodged his clawed hands and landed gracefully on the ground.
Demise's toothy maw opened wide, and a light grew in his throat. "Everypony scatter!" Twilight cried.
Suddenly a massive wave of white-hot flames rushed out of Demise's mouth, the great demon swinging his head about as he breathed fire around the whole arena. Twilight was forced to erect a shield around herself and her friends so that Demise's fire passed them by. Soon the flames subsided, and Demise roared again, frustrated that he had failed to destroy his puny foes. The Demon King picked up a large piece of rubble and enveloped it with dark magic before hurling it at Twilight. Twilight erected another shield, but it shattered as the cursed rubble exploded against it, knocking Twilight on her back in a daze.
"Twilight, are you okay?!" Rainbow cried, rushing to her side.
Twilight sat up and shook her head. "Ugh…yeah, I'm okay. We know his weakness now. It's that glowing mark on his forehead. And I think I have an idea…"
Demise bellowed and began stalking towards the Mane Six, dark energy pouring from his body and exuding an aura of unparalleled hatred and malice. "What's your plan, Twilight?" Rarity asked as they all warily watched the approaching titan.
Lightning flashed again, illuminating Demise's approaching form in a hellish glow before all plunged into eerie, oppressive darkness once more. Seeing this, Twilight said, "I'm going to need all your help for this."
"What do you need us to do?" Rainbow asked with a determined look.
"I want all of you to tap fully into the Elements and tell them to join together to form some kind of weapon. And then we're going to smash it right into Demise's ugly head."
"Well, we'd better do it quick, y'all!" Applejack exclaimed as the ground shook with increasing intensity as Demise closed in on them. "He's gettin' close!"
"Alright! Together!" Twilight cried. "We have to do this together!"
The Mane Six all closed their eyes as they focused all their willpower on the power of the Elements, feeling their power mesh with their very souls and they collectively pressed a single command into them. Suddenly, to their surprise, something happened they did not expect. Their weapons disintegrated into beams of light that then washed over each of them, surrounding them with light until they became multicolored beams of light themselves and were absorbed into the blazing aura of light. Demise halted his approach, regarding the scene before him warily. The swirling mass of elemental energy rose into the air, the light so bright and full of positive energy that Demise was actually forced to shrink back, the feeling of that light on his scaly skin like that of one who was standing in front of the very sun. It burned like fire, and Demise hissed as he recoiled. Forced to look away, he did not see the essence of the Elements and their bearers fuse together into a single instrument, a golden spear glittering with all the colors of the rainbow. The light around it faded enough to where Demise could see the instrument of his doom approaching.
The Demon King bellowed with fury and mounting fear as he unleashed another stream of fire from his mouth. However, the flames had no effect on the Spear of Harmony as it hovered ominously over Demise. Seeing this, Demise bellowed again, and this time, there was no mistaking the fear in his bestial voice. Demise backed up, but soon found himself teetering on the edge of the battlefield. He had nowhere to go, nowhere to flee.
Demise could do naught but howl in impotent rage and despair as the Spear plunged out of the sky and burrowed itself deep in Demise's skull right through the center of the scar that had once contained the Sealing Spike. A screech of agony rent the air as Demise writhed about, futilely attempting to wrench the weapon from his body even as the power of the Elements coursed through his veins, dissolving his body from the inside-out. As Demise continued to writhe and scream, the Spear of Harmony was consumed by light, causing Demise to stand still in the middle of the Throne Room, frozen in place. And with one last bellow, the Demon King's terrible voice was silenced, and this time for good as the Spear exploded, taking Demise's body with it. Consumed by the light, the Demon King's body was rent asunder, leaving nothing behind but ashes that were swept away by the howling winds.
The Rainbow of Light did not stop there, though; with Demise destroyed, the Triforce of Power meshed with the Elements, and a ring of energy exploded outwards, spreading throughout Equestria with awe-inspiring speed. Suddenly many things happened at once.
Hundreds of thousands of monsters from every walk of life appeared as if from nowhere all around Equestria. The monsters that were already alive, both those of Vaati and Ganon, suddenly felt something shatter within them, as though some shackle had at last been broken. Vaati's monsters looked at each other in awe. Nigellas felt it, stopping mid-sentence while he had been coaching Sweetie Belle. Maulgrim merely stood still as a statue in the Imperial town square as he realized the impossible. The survivors from Ganon's attack on the Crystal Empire halted their retreat as they felt an unexpected change come over them. The monsters outside the Throne Room abruptly stopped cold, looking at one another and themselves with utter confusion and shock, which Chrysalis and the others regarded with surprise and wariness. Within the Diamond Dog Mines, Sul-Kat-Na laughed from his cell as he realized what had just happened. Within the still-standing prison tower in Cloudsdale, Shanzom the Golden and all his Wizzrobes appeared once more, and the Grand Overseer could not help but smile. It was over; monster-kind was free at last.
But the monsters weren't the only ones affected by the burst of light. It washed over every building, through everybody it touched. Wounds, no matter how grievous, were instantly healed. Vinyl Scratch still sat in her chair, her shoulders heaving in a silent sob as she continued to grieve for Octavia.
"Nnnh…V…Vinyl?"
Vinyl's head shot up and her eyes widened, not believing what she had heard. But then she saw Octavia, the pony that she had thought dead, sitting up in her bed as though she had just woken up from a long nap.
"TAVI!" Vinyl cried, tearfully embracing her best friend.
Several of the patients regarded this with utter shock, and then, one by one, other ponies and creatures thought dead reawakened. Cloudchaser woke up and was immediately assaulted by her jubilant sister as she cried tears of joy. Caramel flailed under his sheet, shouting for somepony to get it off him as he tangled himself further in it. Seaswirl sat up, knocking off her sheet as she pried off her helmet, regarding the huge dent in it with shock. Derpy and the Doctor fell on their behinds as Raindrops also jolted awake, before she too was ensnared by Derpy's ironclad hug. Doctor Whooves couldn't help but laugh in exhilaration, thanking whatever gods he could think of for this utter miracle. Within the hospital, Fleetfoot sat bolt-upright in the morgue with a gasp, scaring the daylights out of the doctors as she clutched at her chest, which had been fully healed, not even leaving a scar. News of this quickly reached the other Wonderbolts, who all sought her out and they tearfully embraced, thanking Mother Faust that they were reunited again.
Watching as the dead all came back to life around her, Berry Punch blinked and muttered, "That's it; I'm quitting the booze."
Back in the Throne Room of Canterlot Castle, the storm dispersed, the crystals containing the Princesses shattered, and they and Vaati were healed of all their wounds and fatigue. Celestia, Luna, and Cadance lowered to the ground, landing on all fours as they spread their wings out and opened their eyes. Vaati got to his feet, and he and the Princesses watched as the Elements and the Triforce of Power separated. The Mane Six appeared from multiple blurs of light, but mysteriously, the Elements themselves were nowhere to be found. The Triforce of Power hovered in the air, spinning slowly as it radiated a holy aura.
Celestia looked away from the holy relic and smiled at Vaati and the Mane Six. "I'm so proud of you all. Because of your valiant efforts, Demise's taint has been totally purged from existence."
Celestia's words seemed to spur Luna into action, and she rushed over to where Ganondorf lay. The others soon followed, watching as Luna knelt down next to the fallen king. Ganondorf weakly opened his eyes, and to everyone's surprise, they were no longer a poisonous yellow, but a hazel-nut brown. Ganondorf blinked once as his eyes focused on Luna.
"Demise…" Ganondorf croaked. "Is he…?"
Luna nodded with a sad smile. "Yes. The Demon King is completely and totally eradicated."
Ganondorf managed a weak smile. "Ha…at last. At long last…my nightmare is over."
His eyes flitted between them. "The Wind Mage…bring him to me," Ganondorf pleaded.
Vaati hesitantly stepped forward. Ganondorf raised a hand, beckoning him. "Come closer, Vaati."
Vaati knelt down beside the dying Gerudo, and Ganondorf clasped both his massive hands over Vaati's own, which were tiny by comparison. "I would make…a last request of you…sorcerer," Ganondorf said.
"What do you ask of me?" Vaati asked warily.
"The Triforce of Power…it is yours now. Do with it…what I could not. Use it to usher in a new era of peace and prosperity in Hyrule, for all to share. Promise me, Vaati…"
Vaati looked into Ganondorf's pleading eyes, which now seemed far more human than they ever had before, and he slowly nodded his head. "I promise."
Ganondorf's grin returned. "Ah…I can see my sisters now. My people…I accept myself into Din's waiting arms…Thank you…all of you…at last, I can…rest…"
The last breath rattled out of Ganondorf's body as he slackened, his hands going limp, his eyes gazing at a sky he could no longer see. The King of the Gerudo had finally attained his final peace in the realm beyond death. Vaati and Luna stood, and everyone took notice of the Triforce of Power still floating in the air, as though waiting for its new master. Vaati simply stared at it, overcome by awe.
Seeing this, Luna nudged him. "Go on, Vaati. Take it; it's yours now."
Vaati looked at her, then at all of his friends. They all smiled, ushering him on. Finally Vaati turned back towards the sacred relic.
I never imagined that, after coming here to this new world and starting a new life away from villainy, I would still, in the end, come into the possession of no less than the Triforce of Power itself, Vaati thought. Fate really does have a strange sense of humor.
Putting all this mentally aside, Vaati slowly stepped forward and reached for the golden triangle. With a start, the moment he touched it, he felt a tingling sensation in his wrist as the Triforce of Power vanished from view. And then the mark of the Triforce appeared on his hand, with Power filling in one gap. The Wind Mage felt power like nothing he had ever felt before coursing through him. He now felt like he could do anything.
As Vaati marveled at the new power he had received, Twilight realized that the Elements of Harmony were no longer there with her or her friends. "What?" she exclaimed. "Where'd the Elements go?"
Celestia smiled. "You and your friends tapped so deeply into their power that your very souls merged with them. The Elements of Harmony are a part of you now, just as the Triforce of Power is now a part of Vaati. You are no longer their bearers; you have become the Elements themselves."
Cadance smiled as well. "Which means that you now carry their power no matter where you go. As long as you and your friends remain true to each other, your power is incalculable."
Luna came up to Vaati's side as he finally lowered his hand. "Are you well, Vaati?" Luna asked.
Vaati gazed deeply into her eyes, and he realized just how much he had missed looking into those enchanting orbs, and he embraced the surprised Moon Princess. "Better than I've ever felt before, now that you're back," he whispered in her ear.
Luna merely smiled as she leaned into his embrace.
XXXXXX
Canterlot Throne Room, the next day…
With Ganon gone, the Princesses were free to restore the entire castle to its former state, and now it looked as good as new. The entire room was packed with ponies, monsters, and all manner of denizens of Equis. Standing at the head of the crowd, closest to the thrones, were Vaati, the Mane Six, and all the companions they had traveled with. Behind them stood the various monster leaders, now free of Ganon's influence and holding no quarrel with each other or the ponies of Equestria. Maulgrim stood together with Sul-Kat-Na, Shanzom, Karuna, and a number of other Blin chieftains, as well as Discord, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Chief Thunderhooves, and Chancellor Geoffrey, with little Prince Garrett beside him. Celestia, Luna, Cadance, and Shining Armor all stood at the head of this crowd, staring down at Equestria's greatest heroes.
"Vaati Picoru, Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Daring Do, Ahuizotl, Gilda, Rover, Zecora, Trixie Lulamoon, and Queen Chrysalis," Celestia declared loud enough for the whole crowd to hear. "All of you have shown great courage in the face of overwhelming enemy force, and you triumphed most spectacularly. Not only by defeating Ganon, but by liberating him, all of monster-kind, and the entire world of Hyrule from the wicked legacy of Demise. I present each of you with these Medals of Valor, as a sign of Equestria's utter gratitude for the service you performed it."
She and her fellow Princesses laced the medals around each of the heroes' necks. Rover fingered his with utter fascination. "So shiny," he murmured to himself in reverence.
Chrysalis looked down at hers, not quite comprehending its significance, but accepting it without complaint nonetheless.
Ahuizotl inspected his with a thoughtful look, while Daring, Gilda, Zecora, the Mane Six, Trixie, and Vaati smiled proudly as they regarded their own.
Satisfied, Celestia looked up towards the crowd. "However, this day does not belong to one being, or even to a few, but to all. It was through the combined efforts of ponies, Changelings, Diamond Dogs, Buffalo, Darknuts, Moblins, and Wizzrobes that Equestria was saved from a future of darkness and enslavement. I cannot begin to thank you properly for what you have done for us, but know that Equestria is forever in your debt. Queen Chrysalis…" At this, the Changeling ruler looked up at her. "I know that your primary concern has always been feeding your people. As a reward of thanks for your people's aid, the doors of the Crystal Empire will remain forever open to Changeling-kind, so that you may feed off the energy of the Crystal Heart. Furthermore, your people will be welcome in all parts of Equestria, so that you may find reasonable ways to gather more love energy to feed your people."
Chrysalis was awed by this. "…you speak the truth?"
Celestia smiled warmly. "I do."
She then looked up past Equestria's heroes, towards the gathered monster leaders. "Maulgrim of the Darknuts, Shanzom of the Wizzrobes, Sul-Kat-Na of the Lizalfos, and esteemed chieftains of the Moblin tribes, step forward and be honored."
The Black Knight, Grand Overseer, and Son of Dragons strode up to them alongside the Blin chiefs. "Your peoples have been given the chance to rebuild and start new lives in our world," Celestia decreed, "away from those who might harbor resentment towards you for deeds long since passed. You have but to ask, and Equestria will set aside whatever territory you ask for in order to rebuild your cities and livelihoods."
Each of them bowed grandly. "You honor us, Princess Celestia," Maulgrim rumbled. "We Darknuts were also known as the Cliff Lords because we preferred to build our citadels within the mountains. There are many such peaks to choose from here."
"We of the Lizalfos thrive in the forests and swamps," Sul-Kat-Na stated. "Lands such as these would be greatly desirable to us."
"All I ask for is a manor worthy of the Wizzrobe Order," Shanzom declared. "A headquarters of sufficient size to accommodate as many Wizzrobes as possible, while also containing enough space for a good-sized library. We care not where it is."
"We ask for farmlands," Karuna said. "Enough to feed ourselves and grow. Enough to establish cities worthy of the great Blin strongholds of old."
"Then you shall have all these things and more," Celestia declared proudly. "My ponies, in a gesture of friendship, will aid in the construction of your cities, if you so desire. And may we look forward to profitable trade agreements in the future between all our great nations."
She then turned her attention towards Geoffrey and Garrett. "Chancellor Geoffrey, the death of King Galdoria is a truly sad affair. I will dispense aid to your kingdom to help it rebuild its economy and infrastructure. It's the least we can do for the courage one of your own demonstrated."
Gilda visibly preened at this, and Rainbow jokingly nudged her. Geoffrey bowed humbly. "Thank you, Princess. King Galdoria was proud and stubborn, but I will not deny whatever aid you can give us as he did."
And then Celestia's smiling gaze fell upon Vaati. "And last but most definitely not least, you, Vaati, have demonstrated valor, courage, and leadership that many Equestrians will aspire to for ages to come. I know of no one else quite worthy of this title, and thus I hereby grant you a most honorable rank, one fit just for you."
Celestia nodded to Luna, who proudly approached bearing a shimmering silver cuirass with gold trimmings, perfectly suited for Vaati's size. "From this day forth," Celestia proclaimed, "you shall be known as Vaati Picoru, Mage Knight of Equestria!"
Luna smiled proudly as she fitted the armor over Vaati's surprised form, and he could tell as soon as she fastened it on that it was enchanted with powerful spells of protection. But as she began to step back, Vaati finally took a chance he had been putting off for far too long, and placed his hand beneath her cheek, gently turning her surprised face towards his. And then he leaned forward and embraced her in a passionate kiss. Luna went still as a statue, her wings flaring out and standing erect, but then fell into it with utter pleasure, working her mouth feverishly against his. A raucous din rose up as the entire crowd hooted, hollered and whistled in total approval. Seeing this, Daring and Ahuizotl shared a glance and smiled at one another. "Dang, look at 'em go," Rainbow snickered.
Twilight and her friends all shared a glance before they all nodded, and suddenly Vaati and Luna found themselves caught up in the collective embrace of the Mane Six. Celestia smiled at this; the worst had yet to come, but she was confident that when Majora chose to attack, Equestria would be ready for him. The power of friendship had proven itself once again.
XXXXXX
Canterlot Castle, Princesses' bedroom, that evening…
While the day had been full of joy, especially with the confirmed news of all the casualties of the Battle of the Crystal Empire having been restored to life, when evening came, Luna's melancholy had returned. Celestia did not fail to notice this as she settled down in her bed. "What's the matter, Lulu?" Celestia asked.
Luna sighed as she looked out the window at her glorious night. Without turning around, she said, "It's not fair, Celie. All those people and ponies restored to life…and yet those whom had died in their dreams were not. Pipsqueak is gone forever."
Celestia sighed sadly as well. "There's nothing anypony can do. They had all been dead for several days already, many of them already returned to the earth. Their souls have already passed on and accepted our dear mother's embrace."
"It's not fair, though!" Luna cried, whirling around. "They were just children! Just children, Tia…"
Celestia flew from her bed and wrapped her sister up in a hug. "I know, Luna. I know," she said soothingly as Luna cried into her chest, once again vowing in her mind to exact vengeance upon Majora and his vile spawn for the crimes they had committed.
XXXXXX
Golden Oaks Library, Ponyville…
The "We-Saved-Equestria" celebration was in full swing, and Pinkie had gone all-out in setting it up. Vinyl was back in business as the premier DJ in Ponyville, and she looked happier than anypony had ever seen her before as she expertly manned her dubstep equipment. Ponies danced with Changelings, while others conversed with various monsters, Griffons, and a few Diamond Dogs. In the midst of it all, Vaati spoke with Maulgrim and Nigellas.
"Are you sure about this?" Vaati asked.
Maulgrim nodded, idly swirling his drink in his hand. "I must look to my own people now, Vaati," he said.
Vaati was still getting used to being addressed by name by his former underling.
"While I am no longer bound to call you Master," Maulgrim continued with a smile, "it will not stop me from calling you friend."
Vaati couldn't help but smile back.
"The doors of Lupay will always be open to you," Maulgrim vowed.
"Touching," Vaati replied in good humor.
Maulgrim chuckled and clapped a hand on Vaati's shoulder.
"That's so bloody typical of you," Nigellas cut in with a snort. "I hope you at least plan to visit once in a while."
"So you intend to stay at the Palace?" Vaati asked incredulously. "What about the Order?"
Nigellas scoffed. "The Grand Overseer's put me on a…shall we say, extended assignment, to, by his own words, maintain a diplomatic affiliation with the sorcerer that succeeded where even the greatest heroes failed. I'm not going anywhere, sir, and neither are all our boys who've been living in the Palace all this time. Ponyville is our home now, and nothing's gonna change that. Besides…" The Wizzrobe stole a glance at Scootaloo, where she was playing with her friends as well as Ruby and Prince Garrett, under the watchful eye of the Griffon Chancellor. "…I've gotten rather attached to that kid of yours."
"I will most definitely have to take diplomatic affairs into consideration when it comes to doing things," Maulgrim said. "But I will make it a point to visit when I can. You have my word on that."
Vaati looked between them and broke out into a small fit of chuckles. "You know…I was so used to calling you my servants, that I never bothered to take note of the fact that you two in particular became so much more to me. And now that the curse is lifted, it's finally become clear to me. You were never just servants; you were my friends. And I do hope our paths cross again more than once in a blue moon."
"Well, when you put it that way, I guess it'll all depend on your girlfriend's moods, won't it?" Nigellas cheekily replied.
Vaati's cheeks blazed scarlet, causing Maulgrim and Nigellas to laugh uproariously.
"You know, I think that Blueblood whelp was having chest palpitations in the back of the crowd when you two were eating one another's faces," Maulgrim snickered. "It would have been funny had it not been so pathetic."
"Rarity told me about him," Vaati responded, shaking off his blush. "Celestia and Luna's nephew, right? I was told he was a pompous twat."
"Aye," Nigellas spoke up, snorting laughter. "And that little snogging session you had with his Aunt Luna's gonna stir up a Dark World of a storm amongst the rest of his fellow idiot nobles!"
"I hope you're ready for a scandal, Vaati," Maulgrim chuckled.
Vaati puffed his chest out a little. "I think those scandals need to be prepared for me."
The three of them laughed, enjoying what time they had left together.
Meanwhile, Daring and Rainbow were holding their own conversation.
"So this is gonna be your last book?" Rainbow asked, more than a little disappointed.
Daring nodded. "Yeah. After everything that's happened, I think it's about time I hung up the pith helmet, as it were."
"But why?" Rainbow pressed. "I mean…I enjoyed them so much, especially since they all turned out to have actually happened!"
"Well, Dash, think of it like this," Daring answered. "For years Daring Do has been saving Tenochtitlan Valley on her own, fighting the forces of Ahuizotl and every other nut that stirred up trouble. But everything changes in this one book, changes so drastic that, even if it didn't really happen, how could I continue it? I unintentionally got wrapped up in events way bigger than anything I've ever been in, and in the process, Ahuizotl saved my life, and we ran away together and ran into another group of heroes already in the middle of their own important quest to save Equestria, and Daring Do's long-lost daughter, whom has never once been mentioned in the series, happens to be amongst them, and then Ahuizotl and I help you fight a megalomaniacal king I'd never even heard of before all this. Admit it, story-wise this would be very confusing to follow."
Rainbow chuckled. "I guess truth really is stranger than fiction, huh? But you're right; that would confuse a lot of fans. How're you gonna convince everypony that everything that happened was real? That's a pretty big pill for anypony to swallow."
"Well, firstly, when I go on my book tour, I'm taking him with me," Daring replied, jerking her head towards Ahuizotl, who was idly sitting in a corner of the library away from the crowd, petting Princess. "There's nothing else like him anywhere in our world. Even his own kind apparently all differ in appearance. So him being there would definitely be proof enough."
"His own kind?" Rainbow repeated in confusion.
Daring looked troubled for a second, but then hid it behind a smile. "You'll just have to wait until the book's out before I answer that. But I will say he's not the first of his kind you've met."
Rainbow grumbled. "Why do you eggheads always have to be so cryptic?"
Daring laughed. "It's one of the perks of being booksmart, kid!"
Rainbow couldn't help but chuckle back. "So…if you're not gonna be writing books anymore, what are you gonna do?"
Daring smiled. "Well, first I'm gonna firmly establish myself as a part of my daughter's life." Rainbow smiled at that. "And then, I'm gonna take up an offer an old friend of mine says is still open."
Rainbow's brow furrowed. "What friend?"
Daring's grin widened. "Remember how you found out that I, Daring Do, went to college with the Wonderbolts?" Rainbow nodded, not entirely sure where this was going. "Well, as it so happens, before I…shall we say, left, Captain Spitfire offered me a position with the Wonderbolts. When I saw her again in the Crystal Empire, she offered it to me a second time, in the wake of Fleetfoot's miraculously-temporary death. Even though Fleetfoot's thankfully back in business, Spits is still dangling the job in front of my face."
Daring trailed off there, savoring her daughter's suspense. "A-are you g-g-gonna take it?" Rainbow stuttered, desperate to know.
After a few moments just to build suspense, she nodded her head. "I already said yes, actually. They're probably having my suit made as we speak."
Rainbow began to hyperventilate, overcome by awesomeness. "Omigosh, omigosh, omigosh, omigosh, omigosh!"
"Put in a good word for you too, while I was at it," Daring continued. "And Spits sounds pretty interested in you, kid."
Rainbow couldn't hold it together anymore; with a loud gasp, she fell over in a dead faint.
"So all this time, all I needed to do was add some baking powder?" Gilda asked incredulously as she and Pinkie discussed baked goods.
"Well, sure!" Pinkie replied. "They don't bake right otherwise!"
Gilda smiled wanly. "Heh…Y'know, I was half-expecting you to say 'friendship' or somethin'…I guess…I guess you are pretty okay, after all."
Pinkie's smile widened. "I heard that Griffons really do have a huge sweet tooth. You should add more to your repertoire!"
Gilda quirked an eyebrow. "Like what?"
Pinkie's grin became conspiratorial. "Cupcakes, for starters."
"Well, I'm gonna need the recipe for that, then," Gilda answered.
"Don't you worry!" Pinkie proclaimed. "We got recipes for baked goods that'll make any Griffon's mouth water!"
Gilda chuckled. "You know…after everything that's happened, you guys've inspired me. When I go back to Griffonstone, I'm gonna try and make some more friends. Who knows? Maybe it'll help expand my business."
"That's the spirit!" Pinkie declared, wrapping an arm around Gilda's shoulder.
Chrysalis, being the antisocial sort she was, had already departed for her hive in the Badlands, but a number of her Changelings had stayed behind to enjoy the party, and Rover had similarly rejoined his pack in their mines, content to return to their endless quest for more gems. Trixie was not present either, for she was in the process of moving into Canterlot Castle to continue her studies with Luna.
Zecora was speaking amicably to the ponies of Sunnytown, who were ecstatic that they could come to consider the zebra that had once kept them confined to their formerly-cursed town a friend. Ruby, Scootaloo, and Prince Garrett patiently waited for Sweetie Belle and Applebloom to join them again, for Applejack and Rarity had pulled them aside for some sisterly bonding.
Fluttershy was standing alone near the drink table, a troubled look on her face. Suddenly she noticed a flash of light in her peripherals and turned.
"Ah, there's my little Flutter Butter!" Discord happily crowed, sweeping Fluttershy off her hooves and hugging her against his chest like a teddy bear. "I'm just so positively delighted to see you again, I'm just radiating rainbows!"
And indeed he was, the rainbows in question crawling out the door like multicolored caterpillars. Fluttershy smiled faintly. "I'm so glad to see you too, Discord," she said.
Discord held her up to eye level. "Oh, dear Fluttershy, you should be happier than this! Ganondork's defeated and everything's back to normal! Though I am gonna miss all that chaos…"
Fluttershy averted her gaze. "I-I am, but…"
"But what, Fluttershy?" Discord asked, and with a flash, Fluttershy was sitting on a shrink sofa while Discord sat in the therapist's chair, wearing a gray suit and oversized glasses and carrying a pen and notepad. "Just tell ol' Doctor Discord what's on your mind!"
Trying to ignore the stares she and Discord were receiving, Fluttershy sighed. "I've done…I-I've done a lot of things, Discord. While we were on our quest, I…there were a lot of times I did things that I never imagined I would ever do. I-I killed people. I mean, I know it was necessary, and I know that some of them were just mindless, evil creatures that would have hurt innocent ponies had they been left alone, but…most of them were the monster peoples, sentient beings that could have been friends if it hadn't been for Demise's curse. I'm so glad that that curse has been lifted, but…it doesn't change what I was forced to do, and the fact that…that it isn't so hard for me anymore."
Discord arched an eyebrow as he scribbled down notes, which were actually just random drawings of himself and Fluttershy doing increasingly odd things. "And what do you mean by that?"
Fluttershy sniffed, starting to cry as she continued. "Killing doesn't bother me so much anymore. I…I've gotten u-used to it, and…t-that scares me. I-I feel l-like a killer! I-it just seems so w-wrong for me t-to feel like this! I…"
She was cut off as she found herself in Discord's embrace in another flash. "Shh, there there," Discord said with surprising tenderness, stroking her hair. "You're not a killer, Fluttershy. You love and value life just as much as you did before. But now I think you're realizing that sometimes you have to take a life in order to save one."
Fluttershy said nothing as she cried into his fur.
"Scoots?"
The filly in question turned to see Vaati approaching her, a concerned look on his face.
"Hey, Dad."
"I'm sorry that I haven't really paid much attention to you ever since I returned," Vaati guiltily said. "With all the celebrating, I got a little carried away."
Scootaloo scrunched her nose in such an indignantly cute way that Vaati was surprised his heart didn't explode out of his chest. "You're still not paying much attention! Don't you see something different about me?"
Vaati blinked before he realized that there was indeed something different about Scootaloo; her flank was now adorned with a Cutie Mark of her very own.
A depiction of the irritatingly-familiar Hylian Shield.
"Whu…? How…wha?" Vaati stuttered incomprehensibly. "Scootaloo…you…"
Scootaloo smiled. "I got it; I got my Cutie Mark."
"But…the Hylian Shield…h-how?"
Scootaloo's smile fell. "When my friends and I faced down Majora, we made a vow; we would defy him with every fiber of our being. We would do whatever it took to stop him from ruining Equestria. And that's when we got these. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle have 'em too."
Vaati couldn't stop his eyes from watering as he croaked out, "I missed you, Scoots."
Scootaloo flew into his arms and they embraced. "I missed you too, Daddy," she whimpered as tears fell down her cheeks.
Vaati pressed his cheek into the little filly's orange fur, nuzzling her. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there to protect you."
Scootaloo closed her eyes and smiled. "You had the whole world to save, Dad. And I think I can take care of myself, you know."
Vaati sniffed as he closed his eyes. "It doesn't change the fact that I couldn't protect you from my enemies, and now you've gotten caught up in all this chaos. I wanted to keep you out of it, but it seems fate has other ideas. I hate it, Scoots. I couldn't stop Majora from taking what remained of your innocence. I took you in, promised you a happier childhood, and look what happened…"
Scootaloo tightened her hug, smiling as she felt Vaati's hand comfortingly rubbing her back. "Majora has taken a lot of things from us. But there's no way in Tartarus he's gonna take away my childhood. He almost broke me once; I won't let him do it again."
Vaati could no longer hold back his tears. "I'm so proud of you."
Scootaloo choked back a happy sob. "I-I love you so much, Daddy!"
"I love you too, Scoots," Vaati tearfully replied.
Twilight observed all of these conversations from midway up the stairs, but had, for the most part, refrained from taking part in the festivities herself.
"How come you aren't down there with everybody?" someone suddenly asked from behind.
Twilight turned to see Spike looking at her worriedly. The young unicorn sighed heavily. "I don't know. Guess I'm just not in the mood to socialize right now."
"Something bothering you?" Spike asked.
Twilight stared at the assembled party below her and said, "All of this…it's just a temporary reprieve, isn't it? We may have defeated Ganondorf and destroyed Demise for good, but there are bigger forces at work out there, and they also bear evil intentions towards Equestria. I have no idea when they'll strike, but I know it will be soon. We got lucky that the Elements and the Triforce of Power working together were able to revive everypony who was killed during the Siege of the Empire, but will we be so lucky in the future? When Majora chooses to attack, it's likely more ponies will die, and this time we won't be able to bring them back. And then…then there was the nightmares. We each got one after we retrieved our Elements, except for me. I didn't have my Element at the time, but I got one anyway. When we faced Demise, he mentioned something about a dream walker sitting on his throne. Is there a connection? There's so much about this that I don't understand. I-I don't know what's going to happen, and that scares me."
Spike hugged the pony he considered to be his big sister. "We all still got a tough road ahead of us. But don't you guys worry; with the Elements' power and Vaati on our side, I think Equestria's gonna do just fine."
Despite Spike's reassurances, Twilight still felt a sense of terrible foreboding. "I hope you're right, Spike."
XXXXXX
Throne Room, Palace of Darkness, the Dark World…
King Dethl sat on its throne, glaring down at its subordinates as, one by one, they entered the Throne Room. Veran, that seductive siren, swayed her hips as she walked in alongside her hulking lover, General Onox. Dethl, however, was immune to such a seductive display, for it did not comprehend any concept of sexual desire. Ghirahim came in next, casting his eyes towards the floor and trying to make himself look as inconspicuous as possible. Then came the delightfully-mad archmage and high priest, Yuga, using that silly magical paintbrush of his as a walking stick. Shortly afterwards came the Lich Queen Gomess, surrounded as always by her horde of demonic bats, as well as the gigantic, centipede-like Lord of the Gohma, Iemanis, whose body alone took up almost half the room, even when coiled. Then finally their new Equestrian allies joined them, starting with King Sombra, who eyed his Hyrulean cohorts warily. Behind him came a ram, almost as tall as Princess Celestia herself, with blue fur and demonic, pupil-less red eyes. He had a bit of an underbite, revealing two large, sharp canines that had no business being on a ram's face. His nose was strangely humanlike. Around his neck, he wore a red collar, with a golden bell dangling down his chest. He regarded the majority of the Hyrulean demons with a mask of neutrality that nevertheless carried the distinct impression that he thought many of these beings to be beneath him. This did not go unnoticed by most of them, but for the sake of their king's patience, they refrained from calling the newcomer out on his arrogance.
"Everyone is here?" Dethl demanded.
"Everyone, Your Majesty," Veran replied.
Dethl eased itself off its throne and joined them. "Good; let us conduct our business. This here is our newest Equestrian ally, one of the Children of Krastos that Lord Majora has truly deemed worthy of joining us. His name is Grogar."
At this, Onox scoffed. "What can this sheep possibly do?" he rumbled.
Grogar glared at the General of Darkness, and without a word, his dark blue horns glowed yellow, and Onox's gauntleted hands flew to his throat, for he could no longer draw in breath. Onox fell to his knees, gagging as he desperately tried to suck in air. Veran angrily moved to attack Grogar, but Dethl abruptly spoke up. "That's enough, Grogar! You've made your point."
Grogar smirked as he released his hold on Onox, who immediately hunched over, sucking in deep, labored breaths. "You would do well to hold that tongue of yours, wretch," the demonic ram spoke in a deep, sinister voice. "I do not tolerate disrespect from anyone."
Onox looked up at him, glaring through the three eyeholes arranged in a triangle on his helmet. "Now that…introductions are out of the way, let us move on to more important things," Dethl bade dismissively. "We have organized our plan of attack on Hyrule and Equestria. And each of you shall play an important part in this grand scheme."
"And what exactly is this grand scheme of yours, Your Highness?" Yuga asked, idly swishing his paintbrush as he had a tendency to do.
Glancing between them, Dethl replied, "The most important bastions of defense in Equestria are Canterlot and the Crystal Empire. They must fall if we are to have any hope of securing Equestria. As King Sombra is intimately familiar with the defenses of the Empire, and is of course eager to reclaim it for himself, he will organize a force of the Master's spawn to march on the Empire. To do that, first, Blind the Thief will steal their primary means of defense, the Crystal Heart, and deliver it to Sombra. Onox, in the meantime, you will focus on bringing the dragons under your control. Once you have secured dominion over their kingdom, we want you to lead a force of them to aid Sombra's conquest."
Still glaring daggers at Grogar, Onox growled, "As you wish, my King."
"Once the Empire is retaken, you will take your dragons and assault Canterlot, while Sombra consolidates his position in the Empire," Dethl ordered. "If the dragons prove insufficient at destroying Canterlot, raze the countryside instead. Reduce as many of their miserable cities as you can to smoldering firepits. Once Equestria is totally under our control, we will send a host of Shadow Nightmares to bolster Sombra's forces so that he can begin bringing the other nations to heel, starting with the yaks, and in the process, he will take control of the Windigoes, which we will then use to keep the Changelings busy until Iemanis can deal with them personally."
Iemanis smirked. "Those petulant gnats are an insult to the Gohma. Though my connection to the Gohma Ganon summoned was weak, I could still glean some information about these worthless creatures. I look forward to devouring their queen myself."
Dethl then fixed its ponderous gaze on Iemanis. "In the meantime, on the Hyrule end of things, you and Gomess will take a combined army of Stalfos and Gohma and lay siege to Hyrule Castle. The sheer numbers of both your respective forces should be more than enough to crush the Princess Zelda and her loathsome people."
Gomess grinned. "After my plague runs its course, there will be quite a wonderful number of corpses to commandeer. So many souls to reap, so little time."
Grogar's brow furrowed. So she, too, is a necromancer. Intriguing. I'll have to keep an eye on that one.
Dethl began glancing at the others as it spoke to each of them in turn. "Next, Grogar will lead an army of his Trogals to intercept any Hyrulean aid that may attempt to relieve the Hylians. As he engages these enemy forces, Yuga will then sweep in with a second force consisting of Church Followers and crush the enemy between them. Veran will then mop up any other resistance that remains with some Nightmares and Spawn. In the meantime, we will focus on ushering in the Great One's freedom. Do you have your orders?"
All of them nodded, save for Ghirahim, who uncertainly spoke up, "And…what would you like me to do, Your Majesty?"
Dethl glared at him, a glare that was shared by Veran, Onox, Gomess, Sombra, and Iemanis. "When we've come up with a task we aren't certain you will utterly fail at, we'll let you know. In the meantime, why don't you go skulking back to your little hole in Thieves' Town? Blind could always use some help with cleaning his underground palace! Gwo hoh hoh hoh hoh!"
The other demons joined their king's laughter at Ghirahim's expense, though at least Yuga refrained from joining in, as it was well-known that the two of them considered each other friends. Once that had died down, Dethl said, "The preparations for this will take several years, but in the meantime, there are a few other things we want done. Sombra, order the Disciples under your care to sow the seeds of chaos amongst the people of Equis. The less organized they are, the better. Turn friend against friend, nation against empire. And as always, recruit anyone you can. There is a place in the Master's house for all. Grogar, you spoke to us of other Children who have not been tainted by the disgusting promises of friendship. See if you cannot recruit these other Children to our cause."
"Mm, Tirek in particular will take some…convincing," Grogar surmised. "He's a rather independent sort. And the Smooze is utterly mindless and uncontrollable. That one should best be left alone."
Dethl nodded in acknowledgment of this before saying, "When we are ready, we will strike like a dagger at the hearts of all those who dare stand against Majora and the demon tribe! And darkness will rule Hyrule and Equestria, FOREVER!"
All of them laughed, as within the Pyramid of Power far away from the Dark Palace, Majora stirred as the power sealing the doors of his prison flickered ever so slightly…
END OF SEASON 2