Episode 1: The Rise of Ganon Part 1
Episode 1: The Rise of Ganon Part 1
Princess Luna shuddered as she slept, a particularly vivid dream playing out in her mind. Images of fire, death and destruction swirled around her head, sending a cold chill down her spine. Monsters, many of which were familiar to her, ruthlessly attacked innocent people, not just ponies, but all manner of creatures that called Equestria home, guided by the will of an unknown master.
And then she saw him. Mane red like fire. Yellow eyes aglow with malice. A bipedal body taut with muscle and steeped in fearful armor. And on his thickly-gloved fist, a strange design gave off a strangely holy aura, three triangles arranged into a larger triangle, but two were only outlines while one was filled in, as though it were incomplete. The man laughed, a deep-throated bellow of a laugh that promised death to all who stood against him.
Luna attempted to seize control of her own dream, to glean more information from this ominous portent of doom. But the minute she tried, it all fell away, and she found herself awakening in a cold sweat. Even still, the face of the man she had seen was forever burned into her memory? Who was he? She did not know; what she did know was that he posed a threat to the entirety of Equestria.
Luna rose from her bed and groggily trotted through the castle towards the Throne Room, where she knew her sister would be. As she gave a curt nod towards the guards and opened the door with her magic, she took note of the worried expression etched on her sister's face as she busied herself with signing papers presented to her by a scribe, which expertly vanished the moment she saw her sister.
"Why, Luna, you're up early," Princess Celestia greeted, lowering the stack of papers. "Something troubling you?"
Luna's frown deepened. "Indeed. As I noted that something troubles you as well, dear sister."
Inwardly cursing at her sister's perceptiveness, Celestia handed the rest of the papers to the scribe. "I'll finish these later. For now, leave us."
The scribe looked irritated, but said nothing as she bowed and left the room, shutting the great doors behind her. Once they were alone, Celestia got straight to the point. "What did you see?"
Celestia knew the only reason her sister was up this early in the day was due to a dream that foretold urgent events, especially considering how involved she had gotten in last night's Hearth's Warming celebration at Vaati's palace. "Tell me what troubles you first," Luna replied. "If the same thing is subconsciously causing us alarm, I want to know."
Celestia sighed. "Just this morning, I sensed something unusual in our land. Unusual, but familiar. It was the same feeling I had when Vaati, and then his palace, appeared in our lands."
Luna looked worried. "Someone else has now come to Equestria from another world."
Celestia nodded. "It seems so. I don't know who, nor do I know their intentions. But I cannot help but feel concerned."
"If my dream is any indication, you should be," Luna warned. "I witnessed a being much like Vaati wreaking havoc throughout Equestria. But not only ponies suffered, but all creatures that live in and around Equestria were tormented by his conquest. Diamond Dogs, Griffons, even Changelings. And to make matters worse, his minions are the same as Vaati's."
That heightened Celestia's alarm. "Could it be? Has another of Hyrule's villains come to our land?"
There were many reasons why one could and would dismiss these omens. But not Luna. "Sister…I think so."
XXXXXX
Deep within the Everfree Forest…
Animals of all shapes and sizes fled as one as the strange light had flashed, incinerating all the trees within a ten-foot radius. And as the light dissipated, a man slowly rose to his feet and took in his surroundings. And then he laughed as he realized that he was once again free.
His laughter died down, though, when he took note of how…different this environment felt. He knew the magic of the Lost Woods. This was not the Lost Woods. The magic here was similar, but different. In fact, he could feel more magic running through the land beneath his feet than he had ever felt before.
Was he not in Hyrule then? If not, where was he?
He aimed to find out.
And take this land and make it his own, whatever the answer.
XXXXXX
Palace of Winds, Ponyville…
"Dad!"
"…"
"Dad!"
"…nrgh…"
"Daddy!"
"Ugh…"
"Sigh…Dad, Dad, Dad, Dad, Daddy, Dad, Dada, Daddy…"
"For the love of the Goddesses, Scootaloo, what?!" Vaati the Wind Mage groaned, reluctantly sitting up in his opulent bed and rubbing his eyes.
When he opened them, he found himself staring into the excited eyes of his foster daughter as she hovered in the air. A wide grin was plastered on her face as she waited for her surrogate father to notice what was different about her. She watched as Vaati's eyes slowly gained focus. It seems he had partied harder at the Hearth's Warming party last night than he had anticipated, Scootaloo noted with amusement. Suddenly Vaati blinked in realization. "Scootaloo…are you flying?!"
Scootaloo did a loopty-loop in mid-air. "My wings finally came in!" she declared, looking at her now fully-grown wings. "Isn't it great?!"
Vaati smiled. "Yes. Yes it is."
He then fell back into his bed. "It would be nicer if you had waited until I was already awake."
Scootaloo frowned. "Dad…it's almost noon."
"…It was a long night."
"A long night of drinking yourself under the table with Princess Luna, you mean," Scootaloo replied with a smirk. "You laugh a lot when you're drunk, by the way."
Vaati groaned as he rubbed his forehead. "Give me a break, kid. I've never had alcohol before. Ugh, I'm not even sure why I thought it was a good idea anyway."
"The Princess said you needed to let loose," Scootaloo answered, her grin widening. "And boy did you ever."
Vaati frowned at her. "I need to stop letting you hang out with Nigellas. That damned Wizzrobe's corrupting you."
"I used to live with an abusive, alcoholic father," Scootaloo replied with a more serious expression. "I've seen a lot worse, trust me."
Choosing not to reflect on her past, Scootaloo's expression returned to its previous deviousness. "Besides, I saw plenty before Uncle Maulgrim decided I didn't need to be in a room full of drunken adults and sent me off to bed. Like you and Princess Luna giving each other bedroom eyes…"
Vaati's face went beet-red. "B-b-bedroom…what?!" the sorcerer spluttered.
Scootaloo giggled. "It doesn't take an expert, Dad. You two are totally into each other."
"Be that as it may, that does not mean we are…we…"
Vaati gritted his teeth angrily as he felt his cheeks flush at the concept of himself…fooling around with someone, as it were. Despite always thinking himself a ladies' man, never once had he actually considered the concept of sex. Why would he? He was a kid when he first rose to power, and had never had the opportunity to be schooled in the idea of 'the birds and the bees'. That and he didn't mature for hundreds of years due to his extended stay in the Four Sword. While his maturity was growing now that he was free of the sword permanently, he had still gone without the dreaded "Talk". Oh, he understood well enough what it was by now, but the idea of actually partaking in it was one adventure Vaati was pretty sure he'd like to avoid until he was ready.
"For Din's sake, Scoots, she's a horse! And I'm a Hylian!"
"So?" Scootaloo asked. "I'm pretty sure the odd Diamond Dog-Pony couples out there do the nasty too."
"Thank you, Scootaloo, for sharing that most wonderful of images with me," Vaati sarcastically replied. "Now I don't think I can sleep anymore."
"Great! Now you can go flying with me! Ooh, ooh! Can Rainbow Dash come too?! Please, please, pretty please?!"
Vaati's eyes narrowed. "Well played, worthy adversary. Well-played."
Scootaloo grinned. "I learned from the best."
"I don't recall teaching you."
"I wasn't talking about you."
Vaati's left eye twitched. Damn you to the bowels of Tartarus, Nigellas. Damn you.
XXXXXX
Vaati grumbled incoherently as he shielded his eyes from the warm rays of the sun, following Scootaloo as they approached Rainbow Dash's cloud house. Vaati frowned as he looked up at the logic-defying structure. The last time he had come to this building, Rainbow Dash had stupidly tricked him into tasting rainbow fluid, and the feedback from the ensuing agony blew the house to bits. Not pleasant memories.
Nevertheless, the sorcerer kept his thoughts to himself as Scootaloo excitedly called out Rainbow's name as she flew up to the house. After a moment, Rainbow came out, smiling at her number one fan…no scratch that, number one niece. "Hey Scoots! What's…"
And then her eyes widened as she realized what Scootaloo was doing. "Scoots! You're flying!"
The two pegasi shared an excited hug and laughed together. "Dad 'n I just wanted to come and see if you wanted to fly with us!" Scootaloo explained.
Rainbow grinned. "I'd love to, squirt!" She looked over the edge of her house and saw Vaati down below, looking bored and still somewhat sleepy. "I ain't got much else to do today. Besides, Vaati could use a little wakin' up anyway, amirite?"
They shared a giggle as Vaati, having overheard their exchange, grumbled to himself, wiping the sleep out of his eyes. He tried to assure himself that spending time with his daughter in her special moment was worth the tired feeling, but his burning eyes cried out in protest in his mind, begging to be closed. But he knew Rainbow was right; a little flying would do wonders for waking him up. With that in mind, the sorcerer changed into his mighty demon form and stretched out his wings.
"Shall we fly, then?" he inquired in a lazy tone.
Rainbow shook her head. "You're such a showoff, you know that?"
"Pot calling the kettle black, I see," Vaati replied without skipping a beat.
"We'll see about that!" Rainbow challenged, flying off into the air.
Vaati rolled his eye as he took to the air as well, followed closely by an ecstatic Scootaloo. "You don't even know what that means, do you?"
The denizens of Ponyville looked up as they saw a huge shadow pass over them, their sudden fear evaporating when they saw it was only Vaati flying alongside Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo.
Wait, Scootaloo?!
It was no secret in the town that one of the young pegasus's greatest desires was to fly. And now that they saw her achieving her dream with their own eyes, many cheers rose up as ponies waved and called out Scootaloo's name, cheering her on. Scootaloo swelled with pride at the congratulations and praise. Rainbow looked at her and grinned. "Whaddaya say, kid? Ready to wow 'em?"
Scootaloo matched her grin and nodded her head. The two pegasi then began performing a series of aerial maneuvers around Vaati's much larger form. "Yes, that's fine, use me as a stunt object, why don't you?" he spoke up indignantly.
Many of the ponies laughed in response, but even so, the sorcerer's mood was only slightly soured. He couldn't really be mad considering how happy his daughter was. None of them noticed as Diamond Tiara, awkwardly walking on prosthetic limbs and accompanied by Silver Spoon, looked up as well and saw the display. Once upon a time, they would have lamented the fact that one of their main weapons of torment towards Scootaloo was no more, but now all they did was smile at how happy Scootaloo seemed to be.
As the trio flew over the town in the direction of the Everfree Forest, each of the other Mane Six, out doing their own thing, stopped to wave at them as they passed, smiling widely as they saw Scootaloo having the time of her life flying on her own. As they left the outskirts of Ponyville and passed over the boundaries of the Everfree Forest, Vaati sighed. "Alright, I give. This was a good idea. I haven't just gone out flying in ages. I needed this. And congratulations, Scoots. It's about time you got to share the skies with their master."
"Someone's got a high opinion of himself," Rainbow jibed with a smirk. "Master of the skies, huh?"
Vaati fixated his ponderous eye upon the sky-blue pegasus. "Are you challenging me on my own turf?"
"Your turf?" Rainbow laughed. "As if! I'm the fastest pegasus in all of Equestria! I can fly circles around you in the time it takes you to blink, big guy!"
Vaati's eye narrowed. "Speed does not necessarily equate mastery of the skies."
Rainbow got in his face and grinned. "You're just trying to justify being slow as molasses. I bet Scoots and I could beat you any day of the week!"
Scootaloo looked on with interest as her dad and favorite aunt's egos clashed. "Is that so?" Vaati growled. "Alright, I'll play your game. Scoots, you up for a little race?"
Scootaloo grinned. "Heck, yeah!"
Vaati's great eye scanned the landscape until he spotted a distant mountain range. Gesturing towards it with a wing, he declared, "The first one to reach that mountain range wins!"
The three competitors lined up alongside one another on a cloud, the pegasi crouching like cats about to pounce while Vaati began to build up a cyclone beneath his body. "Ready, set, GO!" Rainbow cried, zipping off past Vaati and leaving her trademark multicolored trail behind her.
Scootaloo was not far behind, flapping her wings so fast that they buzzed like an insect's. Vaati was slow to start, but as the cyclone generated by his magic grew in strength, his speed began to increase. Flapping his wings with all their strength, Vaati flew faster than he ever had before. The wind howled behind him as the great eye soared after the two pegasi, who were a significant distance ahead of him already.
XXXXXX
As the man trudged through the thick underbrush of the unfamiliar forest, he stopped suddenly as he felt a familiar presence quickly nearing his location. Blinking in surprise, he looked up through a break in the trees just in time to see two brightly-colored winged horses fly by, one of them leaving a rainbow trail in its wake. He furrowed his thick eyebrows in puzzlement at the bizarre scene.
And then his puzzlement turned to shock when he saw a great shape pass over him, the wind nearly strong enough to rip his cloak off his back. As the wind died down, the man took to the air to confirm what he had seen. Hovering over the forest canopy, he watched the retreating figure of the giant winged eye as it pursued the flying horses towards a distant mountain range. His eyes narrowed ominously.
"The Wind Mage…" he spoke to himself in a deep, baritone voice. "So Vaati is here as well."
The man then flew after the Wind Mage. If anyone could tell him where he was, it was Vaati. And he also planned to bring the arrogant fool under his heel, just as he had before a hundred years prior.
XXXXXX
Despite putting all his strength into his flight, by the time Vaati had reached the mountains, Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo were already waiting for him, and had been waiting for several minutes. The two pegasi were perched on a cliff top that led into a cave (that Rainbow had made sure contained no dragons). Vaati changed back into his normal form as he descended, glaring at the smug victors.
"It would be wise to remove those snide grins off your faces," Vaati warned between pants.
"You did your best, Dad," Scootaloo replied, hugging the flustered sorcerer.
"We still did better though," Rainbow cheekily butted in.
"I could have teleported in front of you two anytime I wanted," Vaati retorted.
"But then you would've been cheating," Rainbow countered.
"Like that's a foreign concept to you," Vaati sneered.
"Hey, I only cheat when I'm losing!"
Vaati smirked. "Exactly."
"But since I'm so awesome, I almost always win anyway, so I don't need to cheat!"
Vaati pursed his lips. "Touché, Rainbow. Touché."
The three of them sat on the ground to catch their breath and observe the view. Scootaloo inspected her wings. "My wings hurt."
"My everything hurts," Vaati replied with a groan as he leaned his head back.
Rainbow rolled her eyes as she leaned her head back too. "Wimps," she muttered under her breath.
But before Vaati could voice a retort to that, a new voice spoke that made Vaati's eyes snap open and widen in shock. "Well now, what's this? The once-great Wind Sorcerer Vaati, lying down with common animals. How trite."
That voice…
That was a voice he had not heard in a hundred years. It was a voice he thought he would never hear again. It was a voice that Vaati feared with every fiber of his being.
Rainbow and Scootaloo recoiled slightly at the unexpectedness and harshness of the voice, and the three of them gawked at the giant of a man looming menacingly over them. His short hair was red like fire, his eyes yellow like the desert sun, his armor black as night, and his skin darkened by years of desert exposure.
Vaati's jaw slackened. "There's just…no way…no way," he stammered as the dark man's sneer widened. "I-it CAN'T be…"
Scootaloo instinctively inched closer to the Wind Mage, intimidated by the other man's presence. Rainbow scrambled to her hooves and got into a defensive stance, also feeling that something was off about this stranger. "Vaati, who is this guy?!" she demanded.
When she looked to the mage for an answer, she felt a dark feeling in the pit of her stomach as she saw his expression. His face was white as a sheet, and his expression was one of pure fear. Whoever this guy was, Vaati was terrified of him.
The man's grin focused on her, causing her to involuntarily shudder. "So the common animals can talk, can they? How intriguing."
He stared at the trio like a predator, as if waiting for the first member to stupidly draw attention to themselves so he could strike. "Surely, then, the Wind Sorcerer has told you about me. After all, if any power in Hyrule could overshadow his, it would be mine. I am the wielder of the Triforce of Power. My name is Ganondorf Dragmire, King of Darkness. You may now kneel, lowly creatures."
Rainbow's fur bristled as her confidence returned. "No way! I don't bow to anypony but the Princesses!"
Ganondorf's sneer deepened into a dark scowl. "Princesses, you say? Then that means this is not Hyrule. That land has only ever had one princess at a time for all its history."
He bent down and seized Vaati by his tunic and held the much smaller wizard up to his level. That snapped him out of his terrified reverie as the mage teleported out of Ganondorf's grasp and reappeared by Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo, positioning himself in front of his daughter to shield her from the Gerudo King. Frowning at the boy's impudence, Ganondorf lowered his empty hand and spoke, "Wind Mage, you are familiar with its citizenry, it seems. Where am I, boy?"
Vaati gulped down his fear and answered, "This is Equestria. This world is completely separate from Hyrule. I-I don't understand! How did you get here?!"
"In truth, that is a mystery to me also," Ganondorf plainly admitted. "I should have returned to Hyrule after the seal keeping me in the Sacred Realm had broken. But in the end, it matters not. I will find a way back to Hyrule and reclaim my rightful place as its ruler…but not before I have brought this world under my reign as well. And you, Vaati, are going to help me."
Vaati gritted his teeth. "I will not."
Anger flashed in Ganondorf's poisonous eyes. "What did you say to me, you petulant brat?"
That glare would have cowed any other man. Even Vaati had to keep his knees from buckling, but the sorcerer held strong, matching Ganondorf's glare with his own. "I said I'm not going to help you. I have retired from my life of villainy to live out the rest of my days here in peace. I've made friends, I live in comfort, and I have a family to call my own. And I'm not giving it all up to serve the interests of a delusional madman after all I've done to make myself a well-respected member of this kingdom!"
Ganondorf's eyes darted down to the small orange pegasus that clung to Vaati's leg and trembled under his sinister gaze. "How truly pathetic you have become, sorcerer," he coldly mocked. "Instead of conquering this world for your own, you have chosen to integrate yourself into its people. That is no life for one of your caliber. Your kind belongs at my side, for me to send out whenever the peasantry thinks it has any power for themselves and to quash their thoughts of rebellion. I did not give you a choice in the matter, Vaati! You will join me, or else you will DIE!"
"HEY! News flash, buddy!" Rainbow interrupted, flying over Ganondorf's head. "He said no! Now you better take your crazy 'take over the world' plans and high-tail it outta here, or we'll open a can of whoopass on your greasy hide!"
Ganondorf sneered. "Mouthy little beast. What can you or the Wind Mage do to hurt me? Only the powers of the Master Sword and the Arrows of Light have ever been able to bring lasting harm to me. As long as I have this…" Ganondorf held up his right hand, where the Triforce of Power glowed intensely through his glove. "…I am invincible here. But I am a generous king, and I will forgive you for your insubordination, worm, if you bow down to me."
"You're a king without a people," Rainbow retorted with a glare, causing Ganondorf to blink in shock. "Oh yeah, Vaati's told us plenty about you, Ganon. And let me tell you somethin'; I'm an Element of Harmony! My friends and I use them to kick jerks like you to the curb all the time! Just last month we blasted another King of Darkness into oblivion!"
"Rainbow, the Crystal Heart did in King Sombra," Vaati interrupted. "You guys were too busy trying not to get killed by demon wolves."
A glint appeared in Ganondorf's calculating eyes. "Is that so?"
Rainbow arrogantly puffed out her chest. "Yeah, that's so!"
Vaati didn't like where this was going.
"Then it seems I will have to test the power of these so-called 'Elements of Harmony' for myself soon enough. Then we shall see whether or not their power is worthy of my possession. And then I shall bring these so-called Princesses of yours to heel as well. Now fly, the lot of you. Warn your friends. Warn everyone. Tell the world that it shall soon belong to Ganondorf!"
Ganondorf's menacing laughter echoed in Vaati's mind even after he had grabbed hold of both Rainbow and Scootaloo and teleported them all back to Ponyville, appearing in the main hall of the Palace of Winds. "Scootaloo, go to your room, and stay there," Vaati commanded.
Too afraid to object, Scootaloo complied. "We have to find the others," Vaati bade, running out the door of his palace with Rainbow in tow. "NOW."
XXXXXX
Golden Oaks Library, several minutes later…
Once all of the Mane Six, as well as Spike, Maulgrim, and Nigellas, had gathered in the library, Applejack asked, "Now what in the heck's goin' on, Vaati? Why'd ya ask us to wear our Elements?"
"Yeah, you're acting really weird," Twilight Sparkle said to Vaati and Rainbow as she fiddled with her tiara.
"If you don't mind me inquiring, sir, why in blazes do you look like you've seen a ghost?" Nigellas added.
"Quiet, all of you! And listen up!" Vaati declared with authority, shutting everyone up. "All of Equestria's in danger!"
"Again?" Rarity voiced with a sigh.
"Yes, again! This morning, while Rainbow Dash and I were flying with Scootaloo, we were confronted by someone I have not seen in over a hundred years. Someone I didn't think could ever get to Equestria. But against all common sense, he has. Ganon, Hyrule's King of Darkness and the only man who has proven to be my superior when it comes to magic, has come to Equestria via unknown means with intent to conquer."
Everyone cringed at the sound of metal clanging against wood and looked over to see that Maulgrim had dropped his sword in his shock, not even registering he had done so. "My Lord," the Darknut slowly spoke. "Surely you jest…"
That heightened the seriousness of the situation. None of them had actually seen the commander of the Darknuts, stoic and unflappable Maulgrim, actually look afraid before.
"The King of Darkness," Nigellas muttered, pulling the rim of his hat down. "The fudging King of Darkness is here! Nayru's mammaries, we're toast!"
"Now everypony calm down!" Twilight interrupted. "I'm sure that if we work together, we can…"
Nigellas picked her up and held her at eye level. "Miss Twilight, you do not understand at all what this means. We are talking about a man who has the power of the Goddesses at his fingertips, has the clout to summon and control beings like Maulgrim and I, has on several occasions KILLED spiritual beings just like Discord, possesses an inability to die and/or stay dead, and, as the icing on the proverbial cake of our approaching doom, is the reincarnation of the most powerful Demon King to ever walk the earth, who cursed us bestial folk to serve as his kind's fodder forever as punishment for standing against him! Only one man has ever beaten him, and he is not in Equestria!"
"Okay…uh, please put me down," Twilight replied in a small voice.
"Oh…sorry," Nigellas sheepishly replied, setting the unicorn down.
"Well, maybe we can bring that guy to Equestria!" Pinkie Pie spoke up. "That way, that grumpy old meany-pants won't be a problem!"
"If you've figured out a way to do that, then be my guest," Vaati answered before he realized who he was talking to. "On second thought, please don't."
"It's okay!" Pinkie replied cheerfully. "He's not supposed to show up until next season anyway!"
Vaati just gave her a blank stare, unsure of how to respond.
"So, any idea where this Ganon feller might be?" Applejack asked.
Vaati's frown deepened. "Do not concern yourself with finding him."
Fluttershy gulped, fearing the answer. "Um…w-why?"
"Because he's already looking for us."
Twilight's color drained from her face. "You mean he's coming to Ponyville?!" she half-shrieked.
Rarity and Applejack gasped. "O-our families're in danger!" Applejack cried.
"My sister!" Rarity added. "Oh, I have to get her out of here!"
Trying to avoid a panic, Twilight took charge of the situation. "Alright, everypony, listen up! I'll go to Mayor Mare and have her issue an evacuation order. We'll relocate everypony in town to Vaati's Palace, where they'll be safe while we deal with Ganon when he arrives!" She glanced up towards Vaati. "Does that sound like a plan?"
"There's more than enough room for everybody at the palace," Vaati replied. "My monsters will also be there to protect them in case Ganon somehow sends up any minions of his own. Be aware though, Twilight. Ganon employs many of the same minions I do. Moblins, Darknuts, Wizzrobes…if they accompany him, do not hold back. All my minions wear my sigil somewhere on their body or clothing. If you don't see it, or if they attack you first, put them down without hesitation. But the most important thing here is to deal with Ganon himself. He personally wants to test the power of the Elements of Harmony against his own, so we have little choice but to answer his challenge."
Twilight turned to Spike. "Spike, I want you to send a letter to the Princesses telling them what's going on. Then I want you to go to the palace with everypony else."
"H-huh?! But why? I wanna help!" Spike begged.
"Ganon and his minions will kill you in a heartbeat, Spike!" Vaati answered. "You're too small to do much damage here! Now do as you're told!"
Spike gritted his teeth in frustration. "I'm not too small…"
"My Lord, how can we help?" Maulgrim offered despite his fear of Ganon.
"Aye, we might not be much use against the Evil King himself," Nigellas added, "but we might still be able to do something about any minions of his."
"If I know Ganon well enough," Vaati replied, "he may actually come here alone. In that case, it'll be just me and the Elements against him. If he does show up with minions, however, keep them distracted and don't let them interfere. Considering the Elements' power, they should be able to put a stop to Ganon. But for now, I want you to assist in the evacuation. Make sure everybody doesn't go crazy."
"Well I can't guarantee that, sir, but I'll sure as Dark World try!"
XXXXXX
Over the next hour, a mass exodus of confused, frightened ponies headed for the palace in the sky. Those that flew, flew. Those that could teleport did so. Those who could do neither were teleported en masse by the many Wizzrobes that had been sent down to aid them. As Derpy Hooves, with her young daughter Dinky on her back, flew up to Maulgrim as he directed the crowd, she asked, "What's going on? Why's everypony being moved to the big sky castle?"
"A powerful force of evil is headed for this village," Maulgrim replied. "The Elements of Harmony and Lord Vaati will deal with him while the civilians hide in safety. Now hurry; time grows short. We know not when Ganon will arrive."
Derpy gulped as she flew towards the palace, wanting to get her daughter out of danger.
"Are ya sure ya don't want me to stay 'n help?" Big Macintosh asked his younger sister.
Applejack feverishly shook her head. "No way, Big Mac. Ah need ya to look after Granny Smith 'n Applebloom 'til Ah come back, y'hear?"
"Y-you will come back, right?" Applebloom asked with wide, terror-filled eyes.
"'Course Ah will, Applebloom," Applejack answered warmly, ruffling her little sister's mane. "Ah've faced worse. Now go on, y'all!"
Applejack watched as her family headed up to one of the waiting Wizzrobes and was teleported away. She didn't want to worry them, but she was scared that she might actually not come out of this one. If everyone's word was to be believed, Ganon would be the most powerful, deadliest enemy she and her friends had ever faced. But she was an Element of Harmony. Surely her bond of friendship with the others would shine through, just as it had before.
Wouldn't it?
"Sweetie Belle, you stay safe with your cousins, understand?" Rarity said to her little sister.
"I-I don't understand! Where are you going?!" Sweetie Belle cried, confused and afraid. "It's something really bad, isn't it?! You never wear that necklace for anything else!"
Rarity tightly hugged Sweetie. "Hush, dear. Everything will be just fine. I'll come back for you when it's all over. I promise."
Sweetie looked up at her big sister with tear-stained eyes. "Pinkie Promise?"
Rarity smiled and did the immortal gestures. "Cross my heart, hope to fly. Stick a cupcake in my eye."
Meanwhile, Twilight hugged Spike before sending him on his way. "I promise I'll be fine, Spike."
"I know," Spike assured her. "You always come back! I'm not really that worried…I just wish I wasn't left out of the action so much."
"I know, Spike. You'll be old enough, one day."
Spike frowned, the memories of his birthday breakdown fresh on his mind. There were still places he occasionally hurt from his tussle with Vaati as the transfigured sorcerer had clobbered some sense back into his then-giant head. "Do you really believe that?"
Twilight's face fell. Spike had a point; she knew nothing about dragons, and it could very well be the case that he could not physically mature without a hoard of his own. "I don't know."
"Just go give that Ganon guy what-for, okay?" Spike asked, hugging his caretaker again.
Twilight smiled. "I'll be sure to."
After making sure Angel took care of the animals for her, Fluttershy joined the rest of the group in the town square as the last of the townsponies disappeared into the Palace of Winds, leaving Ponyville eerily silent and devoid of life. All of them took a moment to swallow their fear and mentally put their trust in one another and their Elements of Harmony. They had defeated Nightmare Moon; surely they could defeat Ganon. And with Vaati at their side, they were certain that they had the power to bring down this King of Darkness who dared to threaten their homes, families, and livelihoods.
"Has Spike sent the letter to the Princesses?" Vaati asked.
"Yes," Twilight answered with a nod.
"Good. The sooner they get it, the better. If the Elements and my strength prove to be insufficient, we will need their help. Fluttershy, you have a method of contacting Discord, wherever he is. If things start to go wrong, use it. The thought alone makes me cringe, but he may be required as well to halt Ganon's onslaught."
Fluttershy tentatively nodded, holding a small gold coin with Discord's stupidly-grinning face on it close to her chest before ensconcing it in her wing.
"Anything we should know before we get into this?" Twilight asked, standing by Vaati's left side. "Strengths? Weaknesses?"
"Ganon draws power from a holy relic called the Triforce of Power," Vaati explained, scanning the bright, snowy landscape for any sign of their approaching foe. "He stole it countless centuries ago in an effort to seize the complete Triforce, which contains the power of our Creator Goddesses and can grant any wish when fully assembled. He failed, and thus was left with only one of three separate pieces, the other two going to the Legendary Hero and the Princess of Hyrule. But the part he has is the most powerful physically, and strengthens his magic exponentially, made worse considering he was a skilled sorcerer before he even touched the Triforce. He favors dark magic, often combining it with physical attacks such as punches and kicks. He may also use a sword, with which he is quite proficient. But he is at his most dangerous in his demon form."
"Demon form?" Rainbow interrupted. "You mean he has a crazy body power-up thingy too?!"
"Indeed. He takes the form of a giant blue-furred Moblin-like beast in armor, and carries a truly awesome weapon called the Trident of Power, rumored to have once been wielded by the Dark God Majora himself. If he takes that form, get as far away from him as you can. He can shoot devastating barrages of energy balls and lightning bolts from that trident that will incinerate you instantly, as well as throw the damned thing like a boomerang. He will also start teleporting like mad, making it frustratingly difficult to score a hit on him."
Twilight frowned at Vaati's pause. "You…didn't say what his weaknesses are."
Vaati gave her a serious look. "Truthfully speaking, other than the Master Sword, the Four Sword, the Silver Arrows, and the Light Arrows, all of which were designed specifically to either kill him or kill other powerful evil beings like him, I don't think he has any weaknesses. He survives half of his battles with the Hero of Legend despite him carrying all that anti-evil weaponry and is just sealed away for a time, and the other times, when he actually IS slain, he is simply reincarnated as part of an unending cycle, that is if his servants don't resurrect him first. He even survived his own execution, for Din's sake! He simply shrugs off every other thing anyone has ever thrown at him, be it sword or spell."
"Well, if all those weapons were specifically meant to defeat people like him, then maybe the Elements of Harmony will work!" Twilight explained. "They're pretty much meant for the same thing!"
Vaati looked up as the skies began to darken, thick black clouds obscuring the winter sunlight and casting the town in shadow. Lightning flashed overhead, but no rain fell. Vaati peered into the unnatural darkness. "For the sake of Equestria, you had better be right," he warned ominously.
The clouds were so thick that they could not see outside the boundaries of the town; it was too dark. It was almost as if night had fallen. "Be ready, girls," Vaati advised. "That means that he is close."
Soon afterwards, Fluttershy yelped in fright as she beheld a humanoid shape slowly emerging from the darkness, its yellow eyes boring into them. The whole group tensed as the figure strode out of the darkness, a savage grin adorning his facial features. Lightning flashed behind him, bathing the Dark Lord in a terrifying glow as he chuckled menacingly at the enemies gathered before him.
Ganondorf had come.
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I laughed so hard at that, and why does not have a TvTropes Article?
Also Pinkie's comment about Link, is that actual confirmation or is it her just making stuff up?
Already off to good start...I wonder what will happen...
MFW S2 of this is up:
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Huh, only the second paragraph, and we already have the King of Evil… THIS IS GOING TO BE GREAT!
We all thought this…
… Do you think something as trivial as that's going to stop the shippers?
Oh, trust me. There's way worse. Gentlemen, prepare yourselves for what lies below in green...
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Oh, PLEASE. You have yet to see the worst of it. By the way, if he wants to stand a chance of surviving his now smartass-ified child, he'll need to resort to… the dad jokes.
YOU DID IT! YOU ACTUALLY DID IT! YOU USED MY LINE! GOD BLESS YOU, MY FRIEND! MAY YOU GET EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT FOR CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR!
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Join the club.
OMG
I didn't expect it to come so soon.
You are just soooooo awesome.
3647697
Yes.
3647816
GAH, WHY WOULD YOU POST SOMETHING LIKE THAT???? Also I'm surprised you didn't catch the subtle reference to the CD-i games.
3647855
I know.
3647914 Of course I would get an answer more jagged than a Zigzagoon.
3647914 now that the readers (also known as Piranhas) have smelt blood in the water. its time for a feeding frenzy!
3647697 It's confirmed. I can't remember where but at some point the author wrote down that Link would show up in Season 3.
This... this is the first chapter, right? 'Cause it's just that boss fights usually come a lot later. You didn't, like, forget a couple of filler chapters or anything?
*sees a story
Well that was quick honestly wasn't expecting it till next year.
well better get reading.
That's my reaction to seeing this.
Awesome start. Can't wait to see how this season turn's out.
So if Ganon is in Equestria... does that mean The Golden Trio Curse will carry over to this world as well?
Technically your a Picori.
Well this is escalating quickly.
I am really curious to see how well the elements fare against Ganondorf. From all appearances the things are pretty damn powerful, but then Ganondorf is holding a third of the power needed to make a world from scratch.
Hm... nevermind that he also has... the very sword used to attempt execution upon him, can likely 'blend in' by taking the form of a 'normal' boar, can be further resurrected like Dracula by sprinkling the blood of his slayer upon his ashes, can, as of Twilight Princess, possess the body of a resident force of light, the incarnation of, according to Skyward Sword, the goddess Hylia, is able to freeze an entire civilization, create simulacrums in his image (Phantom Ganon), etc...
... Ponies be screwed... but you know what? Some insane nut in me wants to see Ganondorf be more than the big bad overwhelming force of dark nature. I mean... Wind Waker's expansion, or at least... that timeline's version of Ganondorf... got expanded upon well.
Hm... Perhaps we'll see the Helmasaur King and Trinexx... Perhaps.
oh god he is here already dear lord....
im not sure if the elements would work with gannon because hyrulian magic is diffrent to equestrian magic by their magic "fingerprint" such as every type being unique if not then trow my idea out the window
How did I not notice this being posted?!
3648028 Unless it's a Hopeless Boss Fight, which is pretty much a given at this point.
3648295
That... had not occured to me. It's been such a long time since I've played a game that wasn't Pokémon that I'd not even considered that.
The thing is, that is not the better option, because that means that this story is probably going to be 20+ chapters of Equestria, Lava-and-Brimstone Flavor...
3647914 Okay, two things.
1.) Will Vaati do dad jokes?
2.) WHAT CD-I REFERENCE? HOW DID I MISS THAT?
3648323 Well, the description pretty much tells us that Ganon takes over during the season start. The only thing I don't like about how this is going is that the whole Hopeless Boss Fight thing is kind of overdone already. Still, there might just be a surprise in the outcome, and as long as most of the story is good I won't complain.
3648228
Have you ever seen the Hyrule: Total War play through's on Youtube? The maker has greatly expanded the backstory of the LoZ, in a way that I like a lot more than the direction it is currently in. He makes Ganon, the Moblin King, into a villain I love and respect, and created an interesting take on the history of Hyrule and Majora. You should check it out, it is all very good.
You have made my christmas.
The way you are stating how Ganondorf is, it sounds like only one person can help... Link. When or if Vaati has to explain or meet with him ,the reaction of either party will be hilariously great!
I FOUND THE CD-I REFERENCE!!!! What do I get?
this story = the milk in this clip for me!
-eye twitches like crzy-
Holy artifact to slay Black Ginger..... Other than the elements, I can't think of much. Even then, there's no telling WHAT they'll do to him. They've yet to kill anyone....think....
Lesse, Vaati has some of the power from the Minish Cap; the only artifacts in Equestria are the Crystal Heart, the Tree of Harmony, and the Elements...
Damn, I can't think of much. Other than Vaati crossing beams with the elements or something.
Insta fave/thumbs up, dood!
why? because I liked the first one, dood! Onward to reading land!
The only thing that bugged me about this chapter is this line from Pinkie Pie
. I'm not a fan of when she blatantly breaks the forth wall like that. I don't mind when she has random meta knowledge but breaking the forth wall like that doesn't work for me in a semi-serious story like this. Despite all that this story is an inst-fave
HUZZAH! The fun has been doubled.
I laughed my head off when it got around this scene:
But, sadly for the gang, all good things must come to an end...and what an end it has brought! The first chapter of Season 2, and already, things are not looking good, and even Pinkie brief fourth-breaking comedy does not eased the trouble they are in. Ganondorf is definitely not someone you should underestimated or take lightly, that for sure. And, what worse, the heroes are ill-equipped for his nature, only aimed with the Elements of Harmony, and who know how that will work against him. The only good news is that the citizen of Ponyville have been evacuated to safety...safe for now, that is.
Good grief, I've played multiple LoZ games, but never one with Ganondorf in it (known to my brother and myself as Grampandorf). I never realized how scary he is!
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Need i say more o3o
I kid i kid, AWESOME FIRST CHAPTER BRO!!
Well, the Elements of Harmony should work upon him. {I might call bullfeathers if not.} But this is Ganon.
He refuses to die.
Though, he might be smart and try and separate the Elements before they can activate. {Kind of like Discord.}
Yaaaaay season 2 !! weeeeee
I've waited for this. Now, I can post this:
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I really hope link is gonna make an appearance at some point
how will this go without Link or anyone from hyurle ??
Did Pinkie say something about Link in the next season or was I not supposed to see that? (There goes Pinkie breaking the 4th wall again..
)
By the way Link can kill Ganon a million times but he still seems to come back in the next game or so
Sorry mane 6! 
The only thing I can say is that it will be a Curb Stomp Battle...not in the Elements favor.
3651421The author's already stated in the past that Link will make an appearance, but I'm pretty sure that isn't supposed to happen till the 3rd season if I remember correctly
WEWT!
Finally, my favorite fic gets updated :D
3649381 Shush. She's speaking of next season as the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. *aside glance*
3652265 sure she is
When it comes to Ganondorf, I love his Twilight Princess rendition the best; yes, I've grown up with A Link to the Past (Best one I've played before playing TP), but he just seems more awesome in that gothic-like setting
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Nigellas is my favorite character moreso than usual because of this...
3648228
Well, I can assure you there is more to this Ganon than meets the eye.
3647946
But of course.
Uh oh! Spaghettios!
...
I don't know what to say to that.