Legend of Zelda: Hero of Equestria

by Klearsky52

The Fairy Pieces: Part Two

“Ah’m waitin’,” Applejack said, her stern expression burned permanently in Link’s mind. Link’s senses were suddenly hyper. Details that he would have previously not noticed were now standing out more. Anything, just anything to look at but Applejack’s face.

“Now you’ve done it,” The fairy whispered in his hat. “You can’t bullshit your way through this one.”

“I know goddess dammit!” Link thought in his mind. He was vaguely aware that his tunic was starting to get drenched in his sweat. He had a thought that if he had worn his chainmail armor, the whole thing would’ve been clanking because of how bad he was shaking right now.

“Um…” he started to answer. He quickly racked through his brain for Applebloom’s advice. He needed a vague truth or white lie. He quickly steeled his expression and hoped he wasn’t sweating anymore. “I...was looking for something.”

Applejack raised a brow, “What were yah looking for?”

“Drat! What do I say now?!” Link thought frantically. “I was looking for some small animal that ran in here.”

Applejack narrowed her eyes, making Link gulp. “Yah can cut with the lies right now. I can tell when yer not bein’ truthful.”

Link froze. “What did I say that tipped her off?”

“You idiot! The great fairy pieces aren’t animals. They are part of a sentient being! Stupid!” The fairy hissed in his hat. Link groaned, having missed that small detail.

“I was looking for...somepony,” Link said, wincing when he looked up at Applejack’s eyes. “I thought they had ran in here.”

“Ah didn’t see anypony run in here,” Applejack frowned before a look of realization spread across her face. Link hoped she didn’t think what he thought she thought. “Speaking of ponies, ah don’t believe ah know you, and ah know everypony in town! What’s yer name?”

Link gulped as he felt his temperature shoot up. This was the moment he was afraid of during his entire journey. It was even worse since he didn’t know if his fake name would count as a half-truth or complete lie.

“My name…” Link mumbled pathetically. His eyes darted around the room, trying to find inspiration for his next response. His ears were pressed to his head against his will. His legs started to shake subtly along with his whole body. The moment of truth was at hand. Link had never been so afraid of telling the truth in his whole life. “My name is…”

“Rift? What are you doing here? Big sis’ too!”

“Thank you so much Applebloom! May the goddesses above bless you!” Link cried in happiness internally. Sure enough, Applebloom was standing in front of the entrance of the barn, a confused expression on her face. Meanwhile, another being didn’t share Link’s happiness.

“GODAMMIT! YOU BULLSHITTED YOUR WAY THROUGH AGAIN! WHAT IS IT WITH YOU AND RANDOM CLOSE SAVES!?” The fairy ranted in his hat. Link couldn’t help it. He snorted without meaning to, desperately trying not to laugh. He already knew the fairy was pissed off by his seemingly goddess level luck, but this was seriously pushing it.

“Applebloom?” Applejack asked, walking closer to her. “I thought yah were at Rarity’s place. What’re you doin’ here?”

“Scootaloo left early, so ah thought I should come back home,” Applebloom responded. She looked over at Link questioningly. “What were you doing with Rift?”

“Ah found him in the barn looking for somethin’,”Applejack said. She turned to Rift. “So, yer the pony mah sister was talking bout’. Nice to meetcha!” She slapped his back hard, making him cough out in surprise. This was a complete turnaround from her previous behavior. Link learned that he would never get mares, immortal and mortal alike.

“Ah’m grateful for yah to spend some time to help Applebloom an’ her friends on their project,” Applejack said, nodding appreciatively at him. Link raised an eyebrow at the statement.

“Project?” He looked over at Applebloom and saw her smiling nervously at him, her eyes telling him to go with it. “Oh I see. That was probably what Applebloom told her sister so that she wouldn’t get in trouble.”

“It was no problem,” Link said, still carefully minding his words. “She...seemed like in trouble so I...helped.”

Applebloom shot him a grateful look, to which Link shot back with his own, much to her confusion. Applejack looked at him with her ears folded in.

“We...may have gone off on the wrong hoof,” she said before she perked up again. “Mah name’s Applejack, co-owner of Sweet Apple Acres. Nice to meetcha Rift!” Applejack held Link’s hoof and shook it rapidly, making him dizzy.

“I-it’s n-nice t-to m-meet you t-too,” Link tried to say, the constant up and down motion of his hoof making his voice echo. Once she had released his hoof, he wrung up it up and down to dispel the pain.

“Applebloom? Applejack? Y’all are here?” a new voice called out.

“We’re here!” Applebloom called out. Link froze in shock.

“That voice...it can’t be-!?” Link thought frantically. He looked over to confirm his suspicions. Granny Smith was standing with Big Mac at the barn entrance, holding her cane. “Oh dear goddess…”

“I wonder how you’re going to weasel out of this one,” the fairy grumbled. Link ignored him as he tried to think of ways to still stay undercover. The only pony who actually saw up close at the reunion was here. Link tried to hide most of his face under his cap while the Apple family talked amongst each other.

“Who might this young one be?” Granny Smith asked. Link flinched as Applebloom and Applejack pushed him forward to meet her.

“This here’s Rift!” Applebloom said. Link raised his face up, but still kept it hidden within his hat. He thought he saw something flash through Granny Smith’s eyes but dismissed it as his imagination acting up under stress. “He’s new to Ponyville!”

Granny Smith looked at him for a moment before she smiled, startling him. “It’s very nice to meet yah, Rift. If yah need anything, come to us.”

“So she doesn’t remember how I look like,” Link thought as he shook hooves with Granny Smith and Big Mac. “Don’t know whether I should feel relieved or insulted by that.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Link said, shifting around nervously. He walked out of the barn with them. “But I think I overstayed my welcome here and I still have some other business to conduct. I’ll see you later?” “Hopefully never.”

“Stop by here when you can!” Applebloom called out to him as he left the Apple Farm rather quickly.

“Wouldn’t count on it…” he mumbled to himself but still smiled and waved. The fairy shuffled around in his hat, obviously annoyed.

“Mark my words, colt,” he said, breathing heavily. “All that luck you’ve been shitting out lately will go straight back up your ass in due time. Mark my words…”

Link just rolled his eyes and continued forward back to town. Despite his almost traumatic experience, he still had a task to do. Those Great Fairies weren’t going to find themselves.

“I don’t think I can survive another experience like that,” Link thought to himself. His fairy partner was right. He was pretty lucky but he couldn’t rely on luck all the time. “I definitely don’t want to encounter them again. At least not yet.”

Meanwhile, the very ponies he was thinking about were having opposite thoughts.

“He’s a strange colt, isn’t he?” Applejack said. Applebloom nodded in agreement. Big Macintosh just shrugged his shoulders, staying true to his reputation of a stallion of few words.

“He’s nice but I know he’s hidin’ somethin’,” Applebloom said. “Other than that, I don’ mind if he comes over a few times.”

“Let’s not pry too far into his business,” Applejack warned. “Ah don’ mind if he comes here too, but don’ go askin’ him bout’ that kind of stuff, okay?”

“Fine,” Applebloom grumbled. They all shared a small laugh. While everypony else chuckled, Granny Smith only smiled sadly. She looked back at the dirt path leading to Ponyville.

“His business is actually more connected to you more than you think,” Granny Smith thought, her eyes suddenly narrowing at the retreating figure of their newest guest. “You may think you have me fooled, but I never ever forget the faces of my grandchildren. Apples treasure family more than anything else after all.” She sighed through her nose and started to walk back to the house, her cane oddly shaking in her hoof along the way. “But it is because the Apples love their family that they would go great lengths to protect them. Despite being an outsider, I believe you have a heart of an Apple, Link. I will play along to your facade for now. The secrets that surround your father’s murder will be revealed soon. All in good time.”

XxX

“Do you sense any other Great Fairies?”

“We only have one more to collect. I will tell you as soon as I find them,” the fairy huffed. It was very obvious that the fairy was still pissed about what happened back at Sweet Apple Acres. Link thought it was pretty childish of the fairy to think that way.

“Shouldn’t you be happy that everything turned out alright instead of becoming a disaster?” Link asked, annoyed. “I might not have been able to look for your mistress if I was caught.”

“I’m mad because of how your luck seems to save you right at the perfect moment,” the fairy responded. “Honestly, you seem like somepony from a storybook or something. Nopony as young as you should be surviving in the situations you get yourself into.”

“Trust me, I don’t want to have any danger as well,” Link said. “Trouble seems to always find me.”

“Understatement of the year,” the fairy quipped. Link just grumbled as he entered upon the market area.

“You find anything yet?” Link asked again. Instead of the expected denial, the fairy bobbed up and down in his hat.

“A faint signal near here,” the fairy said. “And about time too! I’m getting tired of staying with you in this stuffy hat. The quicker the better!”

“You always find a way to insult me in each response,” Link sighed, more or less used to the fairy’s behavior. “Just show me the way.”

The fairy complied with his demand and told him the directions. He walked through the market area to find a store that seemed to be in the shape of a gingerbread house. Various candies were used to be spelled out into letters.

“Sugarcube Corner…” Link read out before facehoofing. “This is a public area, isn’t it?”

“Yep,”

“The Great Fairy piece is also in there?”

“Got that right,”

“Fantastic…”

Link entered the store. He was surprised to find the inside to be shaped like any other candy shop. It was rather plain which was alright with him. Very few ponies were inside, which was even better. Less ponies to worry about if they saw any Great Fairies.

“Its definitely somewhere around here…” the fairy murmured in his hat. “But where exactly?”

Link walked deeper into the store and looked around. Everything seemed to be ordinary.

“Maybe it’s at the back of the shop,” the fairy murmured before suddenly perking up. “Wait! It's close to us now! Behind you!”

Link whirled around only to see his vision fill up with pink hair. He immediately jumped back, startled by the sudden invasion of space. A pink mare stared at him with big blue eyes, her smile reflecting the lights in the shop.

“Hi there!” she greeted cheerfully. Link stared back at her, still in shock to reply back. “My name’s Pinkie Pie! What’s your name? I don’t know who your are, which is strange since I know everypony here! ButwaitifIdon’tknowwhoyouarethenthatmeansIhavetothrowapartyforyoubutIdon’thaveenoughsuppliesbutIcouldjustgetthemfromsomewherethenIwould…”

“This is Pinkie Pie? I read that she was energetic but…” Link thought, ignoring her continued banter. “This is on a whole other level.”

“andthentherewascakeeverywheresoitwashardtocleanupafterourselvesand…” Pinkie Pie continued before Link suddenly raised a hoof. She stopped talking immediately, her smile still bright. Surprisingly, she didn’t look offended.

“Err…” Link found himself in an awkward silence. He desperately tried to find someway to restart the conversation.

“Wait a minute…” he thought. He looked at Pinkie Pie again. She was still smiling at him pleasantly, waiting for him to say something. ”The fairy detected another piece behind me but…”

“I could've sworn it was behind me,” his partner whispered in his hat, as if he was answering Link’s thoughts. “I still feel it now!”

“Pinkie Pie...right?” Link started cautiously. The pink mare nodded her head vigorously. Her eyes displayed a surprising amount of innocence and wonder.

“That’s right!” She said enthusiastically. Then her eyes grew even bigger, if that was even possible. “I've never seen you before! And I know everypony in town! Are you new here? Wait, that's a stupid question. If I've never seen you before and I know everypony in town then you must be new here! Are you-?”

“One at a time please!” He threw up his hoof again, silencing her once more. “Can you go a bit slower-”

“Oh!” She suddenly interrupted him. She started twitching in random places.

“Now what!?” Link thought in exasperation. He continued to watch her twitch uncomfortably. Surprisingly, nopony seemed to notice.

“Twitcha twitcha twitcha,” she continued, her eye vibrating. “Oh! A different pattern. Oh I see…”

“What does she see?” Link was definitely getting more and more weirded out. He idly wondered if the fairy shared his thoughts.

“Oh!” She was decidedly done with her spasm. She looked at Link seriously, surprising him. The atmosphere suddenly went tense. He didn't dare say anything.

“This…” Link started to sweat at a faster pace. He found his eyes were glued to hers. Those blue eyes seemed to turn red. An unknown pressure seemed to weigh down on him. It took all his willpower not to turn his legs into jelly at that very moment. “This...feels nothing like when I was with Applejack. What...is with this intensity!?”

“Child of courage,” she suddenly said. Link looked at her, back straight and eyes wide. None of his actions were of his own will. It was pure instinct. “Weapon of power. The locked wisdom.”

Pinkie Pie looked like she was in a trance. Her face was devoid of emotion. Link looked and he swore her eyes were red now. “Two avengers rise from the fall of their masters. An eye drops of red tears. The ice shall melt, revealing an eternal fire. Warmth shall spread north while cold shall spread south. Night’s song shall illuminate the day. Three keys will unlock a dying weapon of good and a former weapon of evil. Two powers will rest as one, bringing forth the third lost to this world. A retainer of harmony will show the truth, hiding behind the lies of our eyes.”

Pinkie Pie suddenly gasped. She started coughing and wheezing. Link didn't say anything. He couldn't do anything after what he had heard. The whole experience was nightmarish, seemingly taken straight out of a horror movie. It was eerily quiet. He looked around to see nopony in the shop. He could've sworn there were ponies earlier.

“Those words…”

“Huh?” Link thought. He definitely recognized that robotic female voice. “Is that you?”

“I appear before you once more, master,” the mysterious voice answered his question. “I apologize for my...absence. I imagine there are many things you are feeling about my return.”

“Damn right!” Link silently raged. The voice left him when he had a lot of questions to ask. “Where were you!?”

“Increased contact with you has become dangerous, master,” the voice replied. “I humbly apologize for the inconvenience I have caused with my leave.”

“Why has it become dangerous?” Link asked before remembering where he was. “Wait, I'll ask you later. There are more pressing matters at hand.”

“What...the fuck was that?” The fairy asked, voicing the question before Link could.

Pinkie Pie seemed to be stable. She took a deep breath and looked at him.

Her eyes were blue.

“What...was that?” Link gasped out. The oppressive force was gone now, leaving him feeling drained and tired. Pinkie Pie just looked at him with a confused expression on her face.

“What was what?” She asked innocently. It took all of Link’s leftover strength not to scream at the girl.

“Did you remember anything what you said at all?” Link asked calmly. Pinkie shook her head.

“I remember my Pinkie senses going off…” She started. Link wondered just what a Pinkie Sense was. “And then everything just went black and I saw you staring at me like you were...scared at me.” She sniffled at the end.

Link wasn’t surprised. The whole event was terrifying. Even he wanted to forget it now. “So she doesn't remember anything. Fantastic.”

“Is it true?” She asked him, snapping him out of his thoughts. “Are you...s-scared of me?”

Link blinked. “She must really be hurt by me.” He unknowingly smiled despite everything that happened. “Guess she really does want everypony to be happy.”

“No,” he answered, hoping that he didn't sound overly familiar. “I actually hope we can be...friends.”

At that word her whole expression brightened up instantly. Link was surprised at the quick change of emotions. “Seriously, do all mares have this quirk? I will never ever understand them.”

“I would love to be friends!” She said enthusiastically. “Oh wait! I don't even know your name yet! We can't be friends if I don't know your name!”

Link involuntarily flinched, though Pinkie didn't seem to notice it. “You can call me...Rift.”

“Rifty it is!” Pinkie said. Link inwardly blanched. His cool name had been cutified. “Let’s become best frie-”

At that moment, two growls could be heard. The guilty ponies held their stomachs in hunger. Link realized it was almost lunchtime.

“...you hungry?” Pinkie asked the obvious question with Link answering with an embarrassed nod. “I could serve you if you want! I can enjoy lunch with my two new friends!”

“Oh I don't want to impose,” Link immediately declined before he frowned. “Wait, two new friends?”

“Uh huh,” she affirmed. “You and my other best friend. I can introduce you to him! Or her. I don't know which one is right.”

She ruffled her bouncy hair. It wiggled for a moment before a certain pink creature flew upwards into view. Link’s jaw dropped. He could feel his fairy partner bouncing excitedly in his hat.

“The last great fairy piece!” he said in hushed excitement. Link was amused at how childish the fairy was acting. He usually was the one that put Link down and tried to act like an adult. “It's here! The last one is here! We can finally save my mistress!”

“How are we going to get it away from her?” Link whispered to the fairy. The fairy immediately stopped dancing around.

“...you ass,” he mumbled, making Link grin. He ignored the sudden offended bray he heard outside. “You couldn't let me have my fun any longer?”

“You're the one who always ruins it for me,” he answered. Satisfied with his temporary win, he tried to look for a way to get the fairy and still keep Pinkie in the dark. He was startled when he found a plate full of food shoved right in front of his nose.

“Eat up!” Pinkie said, her bright smile. Link just shook his head.

“I'm sorry, but I don't exactly have any money,” Link said, turning his pockets inside out. Pinkie Pie just laughed.

“This is for this one time for my new friend,” she said. Link was about argue further before his stomach disagreed with him. He blushed as he took the plate and started ravaging through it, leaving nothing behind. “Thank you.”

“You're losing track of your target,” the fairy suddenly hissed. Link almost choked. He had momentarily forgotten about the great fairy piece. He saw it hovering around Pinkie’s head. “Get it quickly so we can save my mistress!”

“So where did you meet your new friend?” Link asked. He was trying to lead the conversation so Pinkie can give it up willingly.

“Outside!” She answered. She rubbed the great fairy piece affectionately. The piece flew a bit closer towards her. Link could hear the protective growl his partner made when Pinkie touched it. “Poor thing was wandering all around the town before I found it. It stuck around with me so I thought it wanted to become friends!”

“Pinkie…” Link paused. He had to word out his next phrase carefully. “...don't you think it might be lost? That its family is looking for it?”

Pinkie’s eyes widened and she looked at the great fairy piece with a hint of sadness. “I-is that true? Are you really lost?”

The fairy piece spluttered before launching a glob of goo at her face.

“You totally are! I should've tried to find your home immediately,” Pinkie continued, completely unfazed by its actions. “I'm such a bad friend…”

“No need to worry!” Link said quickly. He did not want another crying mare at his hooves. “I think I saw its friends somewhere near here!”

“Really?” She asked. Link nodded his head. “Can you take him then? I can't leave the store. Most ponies come here for dessert after the lunch rush comes.”

He nodded his head quickly and opened his hat. He ushered the fairy piece in before Pinkie could see anything inside his hat. “I'll go right alway. Thank you for the lunch! I will repay you.” Before he could leave, he remembered something. “Oh! Before I go, can I make you promise something?”

Pinkie looked at him, surprised. “What, new best friend?”

Link but his lips and looked around. “Can you not mention that I took this fai- creature back to its home.”

“I'll Pinkie Promise,” she said. “Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!”

Link looked at her weirdly. He remembered Fluttershy did the same exact thing. He shrugged his shoulders and waved his hoof. “Thanks and goodbye!”

Pinkie waved goodbye and said something, though Link couldn't hear her due to him rushing out of the store as fast as possible. After he ran, he stood there, gasping in the middle of the street.

“Finally…” he huffed. “The task...is finally complete.”

“We finally did it!” the fairy cheered. Link smiled in spite of himself. He had fulfilled one promise. He then frowned. Though he acted like it, he couldn't just forget what had happened with Pinkie before they became friendly with each other. The memories of when she said those phrases and the intense atmosphere made him shiver.

“Who was that girl?” the voice asked him. Link’s heart gave out a big thump, startling him.

“Is that you?” Link asked. He felt a wave of confirmation flow through him. “I guess so. That was Pinkie Pie, an element of harmony.”

“Element...of harmony?”

“Yes. They were the ones that saved the world many times from big threats.”

A short silence permeated through the air. “Word memorization complete. Scanning to make copies of memory.”

“What?” Link asked. “What do you mean by that?”

“It is none of your concern, master.” The voice said. Link felt the familiar feeling of frustration come back to him. “It pains me to hide these things from you, but it must be done if you are to go on the right path.”

“There you go with your paths again,” Link angrily thought. “I just wish you can reveal everything to me already.”

“Everything requires time,” the voice said. “But there is one piece of advice I would like to give you.”

“What is it?” Link asked. He felt a wave of uncertainty wash through him.

“...be wary of Pinkie Pie,” the voice said. Link immediately frowned but stayed quiet. “There is...something about her that makes her stand out from others. A distinct aura in her...”

“What do you mean by that? Or are you going to keep your reasons to yourself?

“Your annoyance is justified, but I do not know the reason myself.”

“Oh,” Link felt somewhat stupid in that moment. He felt some amusement from his mysterious informant.

“I must go now,” the voice declared suddenly. Link’s eyes widened.

“When will you be back?”

“I do not know. Contacting you is already dangerous. I do not know who will be tracking me.”

“Tracking you?”

"I must go now. I look forward to when we can talk, master.”

“W-wait!” Link said before stopping. He sighed. “I guess I'll see you later...uhhhhh.” He felt even more amusement enter his thoughts, making him blush in embarrassment. “I don't even know your name.”

“My name…” the voice mused. Link felt a wave of nostalgia flow through him this time. “It has been a long time since with have heard it with my own audio processors…” A short silence followed after. “Very well. You may call me...Fi.”

“Fi?” Link asked. He felt of jolt of emotions run through him all at once, leaving him gasping. He regained his composure after some time. “What was that!?”

“Forgive me, master,” Fi said. Her tone sounded sad. “It has been...too long since I have heard my own name. You are almost a carbon copy of my old master. Hearing it with your voice...sounded exactly like my old master calling me.”

Link didn't know how to respond to that. Fortunately, Fi broke the tense atmosphere for him. “I must leave now, master. I look forward to our next meeting.”

With that, he felt the connection between them fade away.

“-ink! Link, can you hear me!” The fairy called inside his hat. Link blinked, brought back to reality.

“What do you need?” He asked. He heard the fairy sigh in relief.

“Finally!” He said. “I've been calling your name but you wouldn't respond. It was like you were in some sort of trance or something.”

Link let a smirk play on his lips. “Was the great and almighty fairy actually worried about me? I feel so honored!” He heard the fairy splutter in his hat.

“Whatever! I wasn't worried about you! I was only worried because you are the only pony that can actually bring the fairy to my mistress!” The fairy huffed. Link just sighed. He thought about his earlier comversation with Fi. He finally got the name of his mysterious voice. He felt surprisingly satisfied. He was one step closer to figuring what was going on with him.

“Fi huh?” He thought in his mind. He rolled the name around his mind a couple times. “Speaking of names…”

“You can do whatever you want,” Link blinked when he heard that.

“What?”

“You can do whatever you want,” the fairy repeated. “The spring is closed at this time. Do whatever you want for now. I'll take care of the fairy pieces in your hat.”

Link frowned. “Why is it closed at this time?” He could literally feel the fairy rolling his eyes.

“We don't want any unnecessary ponies coming around there while they're up and about, do we?” He answered. “Use common sense for once.

“Hmm,” Link then remembered what he was about to do. “I did remember you saying that I could name you whatever you want…”

The fairy quickly panicked inside his hat. “W-what!? When did I promise that!?”

“Yesterday,” Link narrowed his eyes. “Don't tell me you're going to break your promise.”

He heard the fairy sigh inside his hat. “Dammit, I did promise, didn't I…”

Link grinned, “Are you ready?”

The fairy didn't even hesitate, “Hell yeah I'm ready! I can take any crap name you can give me!”

“Hold on, let me think of one,” Link put on his thinking pose. A lightbulb appeared over his head. “Oh yes. This is perfect.”

“Lay it on me,” the fairy dared. Link grinned maliciously.

“Alright then, I SHALL DUB THEE!” A short pause. A few ponies from the side looked at him but he didn't care. Salvation was upon him. “LINK JUNIOR!”

Silence filled the air. The fairy broke it in the only way he knew how. “That has got to be the most dumbass name I have ever heard. How you ever let that...thing...in your head is beyond me. Hell, I bet it's beyond anyone.”

“And it's your name now,” Link grinned. The fairy continued to rant.

“The sheer...stupidity...that has just entered my ears made me lose a few brain cells.”

“And it's your name now,” Link repeated, his shit-eating grin still on full blast.

“I'm pretty sure I lost a few IQ points with just those two words.” He started sobbing. “Oh goddess! Why do you have to punish me in this way? Making me pair up with him.”

“And it's your name now,” Link repeated again, his grin not fading a bit. The fairy finally registered his words in his mind.

“No way in hell am I accepting that name!” The fairy roared in his hat. Link became annoyed as well.

“And why not?” He asked heatedly. The fairy bonked his head hard, making him rub it in pain.

“Did you seriously ask that question?” The fairy asked incredulously. “I would’ve accepted any name. Heck, I was expecting something demeaning, like calling me stupid or something. But you took it to such a sheer level of wrongness that even I can't comprehend it! Me! An adult! You must be sick in the head to ever come up with those two disgusting words. Naming me as your junior. Huh! Who do you think you are?”

“Well what do you want to do?” Link huffed childishly. Looks like his salvation would have to wait for another time.

“Isn’t it obvious?” The fairy asked. “I make a name for myself.”

“What!?” Link cried out. “But I was going to name you!”

“After what I found out going through your head, you don't deserve a second chance!” The fairy said. “Hmmm, what is a good name for me…”

“Not fair…” Link whined. He was this close to revenge. He wanted to be the one with the last laugh.

“There's still time left,” he reminded himself. “You have until night to have the last laugh. Then you won’t ever see him again. Salvation shall be mine!”

“I found it!” The fairy shouted triumphantly in his hat. Link raised an eyebrow.

“So what'll it be?” He asked. Though he didn't show it, he was actually interested in what the fairy would name himself.

“Better than your piece of shit name,” the fairy shot at him. A short pause followed after. “It will be Meriadoc.”

“Meriadoc?” Link asked. He tested the name a few times in his head. “Doesn't sound much better than mine.”

“Shut up!” The fairy said. “The name was from one of the Great Fairy’s story she used to tell us. A band of adventurers going to a forbidden place. Meriadoc was one of their names.”

“Hmmm…” Link was in deep thought. Another lightbulb appeared over his head. “Merry it is!”

The fairy spluttered. “Merry!? Don't butcher my name!”

“You ready to go, Merry?” Link playfully sang out. He could hear the frustrated groans coming out of his hat.

“It's Meriadoc, dammit!” The newly named Merry shouted back in frustration. “Don't make my name all cutesy!”

“Sorry, can't hear you Merry,” Link said, purposefully drawing out his name to mock him. Merry just huffed inside his hat and didn't say anything. While it wasn't what Link exactly wanted, it would have to suffice for now. “Score one for me!”

Link looked at the sky. The sun was descending down to the horizon slowly but he still had some time before he would go back to Lyra’s house. “How much more time till the spring opens?”

“A couple of hours at most,” Merry grumbled. “Tell you what, I'll wake you up at night. That way nobody will see us going into the house. Then it will be the last day I see you, Rifty.”

Link stopped and coughed. He glared up at his hat weakly. He could feel the fairy grinning cheekily at him. Guess it wasn't his score after all.

“Another late night,” Link sighed, still miffed by Pinkie’s nickname. “Fine. I'll be done with your deal and can get out of your hair.”

“Damn right!” Merry agreed. “I'm pretty sure I got dumber just sticking around with you.” Link just shook his head in exasperation.

“I guess I should head home right-!” Suddenly, Link’s ears perked up. He thought he heard something. “That familiar voice...it can't be!?”

“What's wrong?” His fairy partner asked, only to suddenly yelp as Link ran forward. “What are you doing!?”

“Not now!” Link barked, effectively silencing him. “Dammit, I know she told me that the villagers didn't like her but…”

He arrived at the outskirts of the town only to widen his eyes in horror. Four ponies surrounded Irene. Irene herself was lying on the ground, beaten up and bruised. A trail of blood dribbled down her mouth and forehead. Despite that she still maintained a look of defiance on her face. Link looked around desperately. The ponies that walked by either hurried along or hid to watch.

Link crept closer behind them. He cringed when he saw one of them kick her repeatedly. Irene coughed out some blood.

“...stupid bitch. Just won't die, will she?” He heard one of them say. He grit his teeth but refrained from doing anything. The guards were blocking their view of each other. Link needed a clear understanding of their positions in order to initiate a surprise attack.

“The little fucker tried to zap me! Can you believe it!? Zebra lovers like you should just stay on the ground, groveling at our hooves,” he heard another sneer. Link quietly strapped his shield to his right hoof while handling his sword with his magic. Link found out that it saved magic power by not levitating the shield around him all the time in battle.

He crossed the field sideways, still in crouch position. Now that he got a good look at them, he saw two guards and two villagers. “The villagers should be easy to beat, but those two guards…”

Steeling his resolve, he suddenly rushed at them. He flipped his sword and smashed the hilt at the back of villager one’s head. He quickly crumpled down, alerting the other three of his presence.

“What the-” villager two started to say but Link quickly slashed at him, interrupting his sentence. Unfortunately, his sword was blocked by guard number two. All of them jumped away from each other. Link stood over Irene protectively, his eyes darting between his opponents, trying to asses their strength.

“L-link?” Irene coughed out. He didn't turn back to look at her. One moment of weakness could be his demise. “W-why are you…”

“You're my friend,” Link quickly answered. He narrowed his eyes when he saw the two guards brandish their swords. “I can't just stand by and watch my friends get beat up like that.”

He looked back at his opponents. They glared back at him.

“What the-!?” One of the guards said, surprised. Link could hear the obvious feminine tone she had. “He's just a little colt! What are we standing around for?” The other two agreed with her and charged.

The villager was easy to deal with. He just smacked him with the flat of his blade, making him retreat and hiss in pain. “Heh, what a wimp.”

The guards were much harder to fight. The female guard descended upon him so suddenly that he barely had enough time to raise his shield. The weapon scraped the edge of his shield but was still enough to block it. “What speed! Just what kind of training did she do to get that fast?”

Link could tell that the other guard was used to taking hits rather than dishing them out. His strike was slow and predictable. Link easily ducked under the blade and tried to lash out at his hooves. The guard unexpectedly seized his blade. He gripped it harder, the edge of the sword not cutting through his skin at all. Link quickly smashed his shield on the guard’s face, allowing him to loosen his grip enough to take his sword away.

He jumped back to where Irene was. He noticed the guards walking around him on opposite sides. Orca’s teachings quickly flew through his mind.

“They know I can't protect my back and front at the same time,” Link thought, gritting his teeth. He circled around Irene protectively. She had fallen unconscious during his exchange with the three of them. “They also know I can't protect Irene at the same time. If they get to her, they can use her as a hostage. Dammit, what should I do!?”

The villager came rushing at him again, his hoof extended. Link sidestepped easily and butted his hilt against his head. He immediately fell like his other partner.

The female guard rushed at him just as he was done dealing with the villager. She slammed the flat of her sword into him. Link quickly grabbed Irene and shielded her while he slid on the ground. He coughed out some spit before standing back up again. The quick guard descended upon him again. She slashed downwards, aiming at his back. He quickly pivoted around with his back hoof, parrying her sword. Her flinch was all the time he needed to smash his shield against her face, quickly following up with a slash to the stomach. The guard grunted as she jumped back, nursing the shallow cut.

“You'll pay for that, colt,” she snarled. Link paid no mind to her words. He lifted his hoof up and tilted it towards him, taunting her to attack him. She took the bait and rushed forward. This time, he was ready.

He sidestepped earlier than he usually would. Correct in his calculations, the mare zoomed right past him with a battle cry, exposing her back. Link whacked the hilt of his sword to her neck, finally disabling her. He wiped the sweat from his forehead as she fell to the ground. “For all the speed she puts in her strikes, it surprisingly isn't strong. She must have trained for quick kills to vital spots.”

He looked back at the last guard. It seemed that he waited out the fight. Link glared at him, walking forward menacingly. The guard heeded his challenge, raising up his own sword.

Link began the first move. He rushed at the guard and circled behind him. He slashed at his back, only for his sword to bounce off of his armor harmlessly. The guard immediately whirled around. He smashed the flat of his blade against Link’s face. Link jumped back and snorted, blood and mucus flying out of his nose. He gingerly touched it and winced. “My nose almost broke with that one strike! It's a miracle that I'm even conscious right now.”

Link’s vision started to blur. The guard started to charge at him slowly. Link dodge around and looked around frantically. “In all the fighting, I've somehow lost Irene! I can't see anything right now so finding her would be a pain.”

The slow guard rushed at him again. Link’s senses were too disoriented to do a parry. They locked swords instead, a battle of strength that Link knew he was losing. He stared at the face of his attacker and his vision cleared for a moment. His eyes widened.

The pony’s eyes were black.

Blam!

Before he could think of anything in this new revelation, a trail of rainbow smashed into the guard. He flew all the way and smashed into a tree, toppling it over. Link noticed somepony else standing there. The way it reared its wings made Link instantly know it was a Pegasus.

“Awww yeeeaaahh!” His savior cried out in victory. “Rainbow Dash saves the day once more! Let me hear it! Let me hear it!” A few cricket chirps broke the pause. “Oh shit! Tend to the injured first!”

The now-revealed Rainbow Dash looked towards him. Link stumbled, trying to maintain his balance. “This is Rainbow Dash?”

“You alright?” Rainbow asked. Link nodded, wincing in pain. “No you aren't. That was a pretty stupid question to ask. That snout definitely should not be turned that way. Here, it's better to fix the problem early on.”

“Wait what are you-?” Link was about to ask before Rainbow quickly snapped his snout into place. Link screamed in pain, dancing away from her while holding his nose. He didn’t even know that his nose was turned that way in the first place!

“Jeez, calm down,” Rainbow grumbled, holding her ears. She looked around and widened her eyes. “Is that-? Zecora’s granddaughter!” The pair rushed over to where she was lying at. Link was relieved to find that she was okay.

“Thank goddess,” Link said, exhaling. Rainbow Dash looked at him sharply, making him flinch.

“Did you do this to her?” She asked sternly. Link quickly shook his head, ignoring the protests of pain his nose made.

“N-no! There were these four ponies that were bullying her and I tried to stop them! Pleasedon’tkillme!” He hid his head under his hooves. He knew he was sort of acting childish right now but he had seen what that mare had done to that stallion. He had the thickest armor Link had ever seen yet she just smashed into him just like that, knocking him out in one hit. He could not take on an opponent like that right now.

“Whoa whoa! Calm down for just a second,” Rainbow said, waving her hooves in a placating manner. She seemed to be flustered by his actions. “I believe you. There's no way a simple colt like you could've done all this damage. I also saw that guard attacking you.” She looked around and saw the unconscious bodies. She whistled in respect. “Damn, you did all this? You even took out one of our best guards. That earth pony definitely was fast. Well, not as fast as me of course.”

Link blinked. Now where had he heard that before…

“Hold on, Twilight can handle this,” Rainbow said. “She can teleport everypony out and heal everypony good. I'll get her here quickly.”

Rainbow Dash zoomed away, leaving him with Irene. His eyes were wide because of how fast she flew and away and how he was going to be meeting one of the four princesses of this land.

True to her word, Rainbow Dash teleported here in a purple flash with Twilight Sparkle.

“I swear if this is another one of your pranks-!” Twilight seemed to grumbled before her eyes widened. She looked around at the unconscious bodies before she finally rested her eyes on Link. “Oh my goodness!”

“I told ya I wasn't lying!” Rainbow Dash smirked triumphantly. Her expression turned serious. “So stop dawdling and teleport them already! You aren't an Alicorn for nothing and this colt here needs some medical attention. Don't worry about me, I'll fly back to the library.”

Twilight seemed to be on the verge of tears. “O-oh goddess. Is that Irene?”

“Move!” Rainbow barked. Twilight jumped as her horn flared to life. Link’s vision started to turn purple, a familiar pulling feeling starting to take hold of him.

“Oh not aga-” he started to say before everything turned purple.

He and the others teleported at the library. Two seconds later, Rainbow flew in through the window. Link’s face turned to a more prominent green than his natural fur color and hurried to a corner. He promptly threw up the contents of whatever Pinkie had fed him in the afternoon.

“Eeeewwwww…” Link turned back to see Twilight and Rainbow wrinkle their noses in disgust, though there was some sympathy in their eyes. “First time teleporting?”

He shook his head, still feeling queasy. “I did...teleport before but I...didn't get this sick.”

Twilight’s horn lighted up and Link’s nausea immediately disappeared. “That should help for now. Don't worry about the mess. I'll have Spike clean that up later. Though, I do want to know why everypony is either unconscious or injured.”

“Can this wait until after everypony’s healed? Don't mind all the ponies bleeding on the floor?” Rainbow Dash asked sarcastically. At Twilight’s continued glare, she sighed. “Alright, I’ll give you a short version. Ponies were bullying Irene again only they got her good before she was able to stun them. This colt here saved her and knocked out two of the regular folk and that female guard. That big guard gave him some trouble before I zoomed in to rescue him. Happy?”

Twilight frowned when she turned back to Link. He flinched under her glare. “Is that true?”

Link froze, unable to say anything. The weight of the situation finally hit him all at once. Here was Princess Twilight Sparkle, standing right in front of him in her regal Alicorn self, interrogating him about a possible case of assault. He honestly never thought he would meet one of the three royals that help keep this land in peace. He had been taught that they deserved no higher honor in this land. He gulped and gathered his courage.

“N-no y-your majesty,” he stuttered. For added measure and respect, he bowed low, ignoring the small popping sounds coming from his back. “I s-swear that I never did such a thing!”

Twilight’s expression softened. Though it was quickly replaced with annoyance when Rainbow Dash started laughing. Hard.

“Now I know you didn't attack Irene,” Rainbow dash said, gasping to regain her lost air. “You’re not from here, are you? I've personally haven't seen you around and I basically know all the colts and fillies myself!”

Link shook his head, though he winced because of his nose. Twilight noticed this and walked up to him.

“Did you forcefully try to put his nose back in place, Rainbow?” Twilight asked, touching it gingerly. Link hissed in pain. “Your back’s scraped up too.”

Link blushed at that. He had forgotten to put on his chain mail armor before rushing to save Irene.

“I can fix all this,” Twilight said with a firm nod. “But this will hurt. A lot.”

“What-?” Link started to ask before Twilight’s horn flared up. His nose started fixing itself while making some very audible bone snaps. The skin on his back started to regrow itself painfully. Link bit his tongue to keep from screaming while Rainbow and Twilight cringed. Link was about to say something angrily before he realized who performed the spell. He bowed low again. “Thank you, your majesty.”

“You can hold a lot more magic radiation than most your age,” she noted, surprised. “It made it a lot easier to heal you.”

Link felt up his completely-healed back. Suddenly, they heard a groan and immediately turned to the source of the noise. “Irene!”

They all rushed over to her. Irene blinked her eyes slowly before looking at them. “W-what just happened?”

“What happened was those stupid pony supremacists beat you to a pulp,” Rainbow growled, startling Link. “Honestly! I thought Twilight made it clear that she doesn't tolerate racism in this town. Yet look what happened to you!”

“It's fine,” Irene said weakly. Twilight’s horn started to glow again, fixing up her bruises. “I just didn't act fast enough in time. Good thing...Rift was there with his fancy shmancy sword tricks to help me out.”

Link’s eyes widened as he remembered something important. He felt up his back and found nothing. “My sword and shield! It's gone!”

“You probably left it at the field,” Rainbow assured. “I can go get it back quickly.”

“Wait,” Twilight frowned. “Are you talking about real swords and shields? You are way too young to be handling those! You could get hurt!”

“Relax Twi,” Rainbow said. Link raised an eyebrow at the nickname. “This isn't your average colt playing pretend guard with his friends. He actually knows how to handle the stuff. He even beat one guard! That is awesome. Well, not as awesome as me but-”

“I get your point,” Twilight interrupted. “I'll see for myself.”

Rainbow Dash nodded and zoomed out the window. She came back two seconds later. “Oh, it looks like Zecora is coming. And boy does she look mad! Be ready to expect her Twi,”

Twilight nodded and Rainbow Dash zoomed out again. After another moment the library doors burst open. Zecora stood in front, her cloak billowing in the wind and her eyes red. Despite the warning they received, they still weren't prepared for what came next.

“WHO HAS HURT MY LITTLE LAMB!?” Zecora yelled. The sheer intensity of her voice caused Link and Twilight to be blown back. An owl flew in after her, settling on a perch at the top of the library. “I SHALL MAKE SURE THEY ARE ETERNALLY DAMNED!”

“Calm down, Zecora!” Twilight yelled back. Zecora walked into the library, her eyes stern. She quickly rushed over to Irene and gave her a small hug, minding her injuries. “I can see you received the letter Owlicious delivered.”

“Your owl got rid of all my pests. I thank you, but I am of need of rest,” Zecora said quietly. Irene chuckled, causing Zecora to turn her head sharply at her.

“Still don't let up on the riddles?” Irene asked with a small smile. Zecora breathed through her nose deeply.

“Are you alright? Or do we need to go to a hospital tonight?” Zecora asked. Twilight coughed quietly, causing everypony to look at her.

“She will be fine in the morning,” Twilight said. She gestured over to Link. “I guess you should be thanking him. Rainbow told us he saved her.”

Zecora turned around and finally noticed Link in the same room. She bowed her head gratefully. “We meet again, young colt. It is good to see you are still as strong as a steel bolt.”

At that moment, Rainbow Dash entered through the library door. She was carrying the sword with her teeth while the shield laid on her back. “Sorry it took so long. It was starting to get dark outside, making it hard to find.”

Link nodded his thanks at her. He took his belongings and rubbed his cheek against them possessively.

“Miiiiinnnneeee~” he sang in bliss. Everypony in the room looked at him weirdly.

“I still don't believe you should have a sword,” Twilight said again. “You could get hurt using that.”

Link smirked as he detected a challenging tone in her voice. He twirled the blade around him expertly, minding his surroundings. He ended his masterful display by flipping it two times before sheathing it. He heard a whistle from Rainbow.

“Now that,” she said, gesturing over to him. “Was awesome.”

“I...do have to admit that it was impressive,” Twilight said, flustered. Link blushed from the praise.

“Thank you for the compliments, your majesty,” Twilight fidgeted uncomfortably when she heard that.

“Please don't use the honorifics,” Twilight said. Link looked at her, confused. “I know I'm a princess and all, but I do prefer my real name over all those. Just call me Twilight.”

“Alright then...Twilight,” Link said uncomfortably. It didn't sit right with him, calling one of the most revered figures in the world so casually.

“It's good to know that some unicorns are training to be guards instead of some fancy magical engineer,” Irene said. “Even though cutie marks dictate our special talent, some just aren't enough to make a good living. We are in need of some unicorn guards anyway.”

“Right,” Link said nervously. “Training to become a guard. Totally.”

“I hope I don't disturb our hand,” Zecora said. Everypony turned towards her. “But for my Irene, I refuse to not take a stand!”

“Hold on a minute,” Twilight said. “Guards are trained to be stoic and unbiased in every situation. The villagers are understandable, but I simply refuse to believe that the guards acted like this randomly. Let me conduct a spell check on them right now.”

Twilight’s horn lit up again, surrounding the still unconscious bodies in a purple glow. Link observed her quietly while she worked. “So this is an Alicorn…”

She wasn't all that scary as he initially thought she’d be. Even though he had read that she was kind and considerate, if a bit bookwormish, the things she and her other friends had done had left him with the impression that they were these impressive figures that would tower over everypony else. He had thought that for all the mane six, but meeting the stuttering Fluttershy rid him of that notion. The others weren't so bad either. He was still scared of Applejack, but that was for different reasons. All of them seemed rather down to earth and normal save for a few big differences. Ponies Link thought that he could get to know with little trouble.

Twilight deactivated her magic. She had a troubled expression on her face. “I-I can't detect anything!” She cried out in frustration. “It doesn't make sense. There are absolutely no signs to show why this happening! I can't count how many times a guard has started to attack a random civilian. I don't want to have to suspect the whole guard regimen, but that is what it seems I must do since I can't tell when another guard will go rogue!”

Link raised an eyebrow throughout the whole rant. “Guards attacking random civilians? It's happening here too?”

Irene sat up with some difficulty. Zecora tried to push her down again but she waved it off. “You shouldn't blame yourself over it. We've reported this to the princesses many times, but even they have no idea what's going on.”

“Irene's right,” Rainbow said. She bumped her hooves together, a determined expression settling on her face. “If only we just had one lead! Maybe then we could solve this problem.”

“No lead?” Link thought. He slowly raised his hoof.

Twilight turned to him. “Did you want to say something?”

“It was just...um…” Link started to say. “I think I might have something.”

“Really!?” Twilight jumped towards him, their muzzles almost touching each other. “If you have anything, please tell us! Even a theory can help!”

“They had black eyes,” Links said quickly, startled by the sudden invasion of space. “I was locking swords with that big guard. I saw his face and his eyes were completely black.”

Twilight moved away from him, deep in thought. “Are you sure this is true? This information is worthy of bringing to the princesses themselves, you know?”

“Orca said the same exact thing,” Link thought, chuckling to himself quietly. “Yes, I am completely sure.”

“I am not satisfied with this outcome,” Zecora said, her eyes closed. “I most definitely need a bottle of rum.”

“I don't like it either,” Irene said. She slowly got on her hooves and winced. “But it's the best we got so we’ll just have to take it. At least we got more information about our guard troubles. Maybe the next time we come to this town, it will be safer for us.”

Link continued to hear the rest of the conversations until he felt his hat shuffle. He moved away from the others inconspicuously and looked up at his hat. “Did you need something?”

“The spring should open soon,” Merry whispered. Link could feel the fairy pieces fly around his hat excitedly at the mention of it. “Find a way to go to it. I want to get out of here as fast as possible!”

Link nodded and suddenly cleared his throat. Everypony stopped and turned towards him.

“It's getting quite late and I need to return home,” he said, looking out the window. The sky was dark, the moon shining brightly in the sky with many stars. “Is there anything else you needed?”

Twilight shook his head. “No and you're right. We can continue this discussion tomorrow. Whoever is taking care of you must be worried sick right now!”

Link nodded his head, thinking of Lyra and Bonbon. He would get a stern talking to once he got home. But resolving the fairy case was much more important. “Yes. Thank you again...Twilight.”

Irene walked up to him shakily and pointed her hoof in his face, surprising him. “You have a lot to answer for,” Irene said heatedly. “Don't get me wrong, I am grateful for you saving me. But there too many confusing things going on. Some of them revolve around you and I want to solve them once and for all. I'll talk to you about it tomorrow.”

“Okay...then,” Link said, fidgeting nervously. He sighed in his mind. It seemed that he had gotten caught in one of his own web of lies. He would need to think of a way to evade her questions tomorrow, while still getting her to cooperate with him.

Irene nodded in satisfaction and walked back. Link tried to ignore the confused and pointed looks everypony else gave him after her confrontation. He really couldn't stay in this town long. Keeping up a facade around so many ponies really took a toll on his mental strength.

“I will see you later,” he said quickly. He made his way towards the door. “Hopefully my lead will help you!”

He quickly exited the library before anypony else could say goodbye. Irene nodded towards Zecora.

“We shall take our leave too,” Irene said, tugging on Zecora’s cloak. “I hope you punish those guards real good. Bye!”

They left the library as well, leaving Rainbow and Twilight alone with the pile of still unconscious ponies.

“His name is Rift, isn't it?” Rainbow asked. She put her hoof to her chin and gained a thoughtful expression. “I heard Scootaloo talking about him. She seemed really grateful to him, more so than usual. I wonder what he did for her…”

“Hopefully nothing too bad,” Twilight said. She looked at the door and frowned. “He seems like a nice colt, but there is something about him that I can't put my hoof on. Something about him that either of us don't know.” She paused for a bit. “His behavior was like as if he was acting something out.”

“You’re going too much into detail again,” Rainbow grumbled, annoyed. “Remember the last time you did that? He probably had a way different life than most other colts his age. You're acting as if he was some criminal or vigilante of the night.”

Twilight frowned some more before sighing. “You're right. I guess I am going way into depth with just a few details. He was also nervous because of meeting me. I need to stop this bad habit.”

Rainbow Dash smiled at her victory. “I'm glad you understand. It's getting pretty late now. Gotta fly!” She zoomed out of the library in a burst of rainbow. The wind from her acceleration caused all of Twilight’s notes and papers to fly over the place. She groaned and tried to pick up everything with her magic. Seems like she wasn't the only one with a bad habit.

XxX

Link quickly found the path to the outskirts again. He looked up to see the now completely dark sky. The crescent moon seemed dim compared to other nights. Barely any stars were shown up in the sky. It still was a beautiful sight but it could not compare to other nights he had seen. Maybe Princess Luna was having an off day?

He followed the dirt road leading to the old abandoned house. It was just yesterday that he had visited this place. Link was surprised that he was able to find all of the fairy pieces in just one day. Merry couldn't detect any others in town so they assumed they were done. Then Link would be done with his task and he can finally leave this blasted town. Staying near the Apple Farm had him on edge the whole time in case he accidentally ran into them in broad daylight.

He arrived at the old house and entered carefully in fear the whole structure would collapse. Merry flew out of his hat, his pink glow lighting up the area around him. He flew around in excitement.

“Home sweet home!” He yelled with a big whoop. The call echoed around in the wide, empty space. “My place of peace. Now just to give back the fairies to my mistress and we can get out of each other’s hair.”

Link nodded in agreement. He climbed through the debris once more and climbed down the stairs. The same hole was in the basement, seemingly endless like his hat. Merry quickly flew through it. Link hesitated but jumped.

After a moment, a light appeared at the bottom. Despite having done this twice before, Link found himself clenching his eyes shut and flinching. He gently floated down and touched the ground. He opened his eyes and saw the beautiful sight that is the fairy spring. When he floated down, all the fairies that were present started to chatter among themselves. Merry flew down and joined his kind, just as excited as they were.

“Have you found all of them?” Many fairies asked at once. “Please save our mistress!”

“Calm your yapping!” Merry barked. Many of the fairies backed off at once, though they looked annoyed. “What do you think we came here for?”

“We don't know why you're so angry,” one fairy retorted. “We had to wait here all this time while you got to go out and find them! Just because we don't have that special sensing talent you have doesn't make you better than us!”

Merry was about to say something, but someone beat him to it. “SILENCE!”

Everyone froze. They looked to see a fairy glowing red. She then floated up to Merry. “Fighting amongst ourselves will do nothing. I am happy to see you safe, dear.”

Link blinked. He had forgotten that Merry had a mate.

“I'm uh...fine, honey,” Merry said. Merry looked extremely nervous, glowing green in fear. “Nothing...was going on.”

“Is that so?” His mate said, her voice eerily sweet. Her comforting aura turned dark and malicious, making her appear bigger than the rest of them. Despite not being the target of such anger, Link involuntarily shivered. He could see all the other fairies, including Merry, hug together in fear. “Then tell me to my face that you were not picking a fight with the others just now, hmmm?”

“No sir!” Merry cried out in fear. Link wanted to laugh but held it in in fear that such a terror would be directed at him. “I did not mean to sir!”

“Who are you calling sir?” The female fairy turned back into pink, but the foreboding atmosphere remained. Merry spluttered.

“No...uh...ma’am...uh…” If it wasn't clear enough already, this fairy was utterly whipped by his mate.

Link suddenly felt daring. The scene before him was just too sad to watch. “H-hello,”

“What!” The fairy turned to him. Link was about to brace himself before everything faded away, leaving a comforting, soothing aura. The fairy herself stopped shaking. “Oh! It’s you Link!”

Link blinked. He looked around, up and down. Where was the monster before?

The fairy turned even pinker, if that was even possible. “I'm sorry you had to see such a...shameful...display. I trust you have been taking care of my mate?”

Link blinked some more. He was serious, where had that terrifying creature scamper off to? “Y-yes I have been. He is not harmed at all.”

The fairy looked happy before suddenly zooming at his face. Link fell down on his flank, startled. “But you're not okay! Some cuts are on your nose and back! My foolish mate must've forgotten to heal you after you protected him from whatever danger you faced.”

Link turned and felt his back and nose. He was surprised that the fairy was able to see his back through his tunic. “They are fine now. It was healed recently.”

“Very poorly in my opinion,” the female fairy huffed. “Whoever did this obviously isn't skilled in healing magic. They left it unfinished. Here, let me heal it for you.”

The fairy circled around, showering sparkles all over him. He immediately felt his back and nose heal whatever Twilight couldn't get to. It wasn't painful like before. It felt more like a huge weight has been lifted off his back. He finally felt at ease, whereas before he was tense because of the chance he might run into one of the Apples. “All done. You poor dear. Having all those injuries for just a small colt! Be more careful from now on, ‘Kay?”

Link nodded in an almost dreamlike state. It had been a long time since he felt like this.

He snapped himself out of his bliss when all the fairies looked at him as if he was a God that descended down to earth. “What?”

Merry floated up to him. “It's nothing. Get the pieces ready. Our mistress shall be arriving soon.”

Sure enough, a familiar horde of ugly fairies appeared before him. He felt the fairy pieces start going wild in his hat. He took it off and closed it so they wouldn't escape.

“You have returned, hero,” the many fairies announced. Every fairy stood to attention at the squeaky, yet authorative voices. Even Link felt his back straighten up. “It seems you have completed your task.”

“Yes,” Link replied. He opened his hat and allowed the pieces to return to their owner. They quickly flew to the rest of their brethren. All of them rejoiced amongst each other, circling and dancing.

“Finally,” The Great Fairies said. There was a tone of immense relief in their voices. “I can finally be...complete again.”

Suddenly, a white glow covered all of them. They started to merge into a big, white blob. The white blob then formed into a shape of a pony. The light filled the whole spring, blinding Link and all the other fairies still there. Once it died down, the Great Fairy appeared in all her glory. She descended down until she just barely floated above the ground.

“It is nice to be in this form again,” the Great Fairy cheered. She flew around the spring as the other fairies cheered and danced in celebration. Link himself was smiling, happy for finally completing his task. The Great Fairy floated in front of him. She exudes an aura of kindness and gratitude. “I deeply appreciate the effort you went through to get my parts back. It must’ve been hard to remain incognito while searching for those pieces.”

“You have no idea,” Link thought to himself. “It was. I don't want to sound greedy or anything but you did say there was going to be a reward…?”

“Ah, yes.” The Great Fairy said in realization. “That.” She put her hoof in her chin in a very obvious thinking position. “Hmmmm…”

“You didn't even know what the reward was gonna be from the beginning, did you?” Link deadpanned. The Great Fairy chuckled to herself, embarrassed.

“Even immortals make mistakes?” The Great Fairy said, her face all cutesy and adorable. At Link’s blank stare, she sighed. “To tell the truth, I didn't even know what I can give you. I would give you another spell, but you didn't even master Farore’s Wind yet. You didn't study at the library like I asked you to, did you?”

Link blushed in embarrassment. He hoped he could've gotten by her! “Errr...no.”

“Then you better stay one more day,” The Great Fairy ordered. Link’s eyes widened in fear.

“B-b-but…!” He spluttered. The large fairy flicked her hoof and a zipper appeared on his lips, shutting it tightly.

“You aren't going to argue out of this one,” The Great Fairy scolded. If it weren't for the fairy floating, the whole scene looked akin to a mother scolding her child. “I already know about the Apple Family thing. Don’t ask how I know, immortals like me just do. Mastering Farore’s Wind can help you get a wide range of abilities. Plus, the other fairies can be able to grant you access to the other spells. But to perform Farore’s Wind, you must understand the spell’s components itself. That is where the library will be useful.”

Link grumbled to himself when the zipper disappeared. He hated reading. He didn't get how he must read in order to perform the spell, but if the Great Fairy said it will work then he must try it out.

“One day,” Link said, holding up a hoof. “Just one more day. I don't like being on edge like this all the time. The sooner I'm out of here, the better.”

The Great Fairy nodded. “That is understandable. Now that this whole problem has been solved, let us move on to other matters.” She turned towards Merry. His wings seemed to stiffen up and beat slower. “Come on here, young one.”

Merry immediately flew up and stood to attention. “Y-yes mistress?” He answered her call, his voice quavering slightly.

The Great Fairy smiled at him. “You have done me a great service. I have never been so proud and appreciative to one of my little fairies before.”

“Y-your praise is too much for me, mistress,” Merry said in a deep voice. Everyone in the room clapped their wings or hooves together softly. “But, however, I have another task for you.” Merry bobbed up and down automatically. “This goes for you too, Link.”

Link raised an eyebrow. “But I thought that you didn't have anything else for me to do here.”

“Not here,” The Great Fairy corrected. “It spans all across Equestria.”

At that, Link’s eyes went wide. He was sure Merry’s reaction was exactly the same also. “What do you mean.”

“I do not know how my other sisters are doing,” The Great Fairy roamed around the spring, deep in thought. “Thanks to you, Link, I now know that my sisters, Forest and Sunset, are doing well. But there are many of us laying across Equestria. It would spell disaster if they were in the same predicament I was in.” She paused and looked at the both of them. “Which is why I want Merry to travel with you, Link.”

Silence filled the spring. The fairies muttered amongst each other. It was Link and Merry themselves that broke the awkward atmosphere.

“WHHAAAAAAAAAT!?” They both yelled. Even the Great Fairy cringed at their volume.

“Y-you want me to go with this dolt!?” Merry cried out in disbelief. “I had to bear him for two whole days! That's enough to make anyone go insane! Why would you do this, my mistress!?”

“Well excuse me for being me! You don't exactly see me jumping for joy either!” Link retorted. Both of them butted their heads against each other, fierce expressions on their faces.

“ENOUGH!” Merry and Link sprang apart from each other, standing firm at the Great Fairy’s authorative voice. “I do not understand why you would oppose this idea so vehemently! Both of you are acting like children.”

“I am a child,” Link pointed out. He shut his mouth with a little “eep!” when he saw the Great Fairy turn her red eyes to him.

“The reason being for this idea is because I do not know if my sisters have a fairy with the special talent Merry has. Since you will be traveling, you are bound to run into more of my kin. If they have the same kind of trouble I had, at least you and Merry can help them. You have to be careful around some of my sisters, though. Some still don't trust ponies to this very day. The three you have met, including me, were lenient since we live near civilization. And don't think your help will go unrewarded.

“I understand,” Merry said dejectedly. He perked up, his wings beating vigorously. “I will not fail you, mistress.”

“I'll help too,” Link said. He looked up to Merry. “I guess we'll be in each other's hair longer.”

“Yes,” Merry grumbled. “Though it might not be so bad traveling with you…”

“What was that?”

“Nothing you need to concern yourself about.”

“It's settled then,” The Great Fairy said. “You two will travel and find the rest of my sisters. Please report your findings to me when you return to town.”

“Of course, mistress,” Merry said with a bow. She smiled

“You better do what I asked you to do for that spell, Link,” the Great Fairy said.

“Fine. I'll go to the library,” he grumbled, saying the word library as it was the most vile thing to ever exist.

The Great Fairy smiled before the rest of the fairies swarmed her, asking her many questions. “One at a time, my little fairies.”

“Guess I'm stuck with you for a little while longer, Rifty,” Merry grumbled. “The goddess above sure knows how to pick my nerves.”

“She knows how to pick my nerves to, Merry,” Link said in the same tone. Merry’s mate flew up to them, her wings flapping excitedly.

“Oooohhh! You guys named each other,” she said excitedly. Link looked at her weirdly and Merry sighed.

“Yes. This infernal pony just insisted upon it,” Merry replied.

“It's still nice,” she said before frowning. “But I was almost sure you would choose your name as Meriadoc. You always did love that character in the story.”

“Yes!” Merry cried out in happiness. “You understand-!”

“But I like Merry more,” his mate interrupted him. “After all, Meriadoc is just...a really weird name.”

“...huh?” Merry said, his hope dropping drastically. His mate continued without mercy.

“It's just so...old sounding!”

“Ghk!” Merry looked like he got punched in the gut.

“It's just out of style! Nobody in their right minds would name their babies Meriadoc! Much less themselves.”

“Argh!” Merry’s left wing bent at an odd angle, making a snapping sound.

“I'm pretty sure if I were to find out my mate’s name is actually Meriadoc, I would divorce immediately.”

“Ugh!” He started twitching in pain, his head steaming as the incomprehensible words entered his mind.

“It's just stupid!”

“Urk!”

“Too complicated!”

“Gah!”

“And weird to say!”

“ARRRRGH!”

“But I'm glad that you decided to call yourself Merry,” his mate ended, not knowing the brutality of her words. She looked down at the mutilated mess on the ground that was Merry. “Huh? What's wrong dear?”

Link couldn't hold it in anymore. He laughed hard at his partner’s fate. The whipped fairy laid on the ground, his body bent at odd angles and foam dripping out of his mouth. His eyes were unfocused, giving him the look of a madstallion.

“Nobody…understands...my pain,” he gasped out. Link laughed harder, garnering the attention of the Great Fairy. She flew over and looked at the exaggerated scene.

“Oh my,” she said, though there was some amusement in her voice. “This certainly won't do. Here, this should help.”

Some sparkles surrounded Merry. He immediately shot up then flew around shakily.

“Ugh…I had a terrible dream,” he said groggily. “My own mate said that Meriadoc was a terrible name.”

The mate in question was about to open her mouth before Link plugged it with his hoof. “Nope! That was just a dream!”

“Some dream it was,” he muttered. Link smiled nervously before remembering something important.

“Oh crap! I gotta go right now!” he said, grabbing Merry and running to the hole in the ceiling. “Crap! Lyra and Bonbon are going to be really mad!”

“Let me teleport you in front of their house,” the Great Fairy said. “It's the least I can do.”

Link nodded, not caring about the nauseating effects it will create afterwards. He said his goodbyes and closed his eyes before he glowed softly, then disappeared.

The Great Fairy smiled. “It is getting late, my little fairies. I advise you to rest now.”

The fairies nodded and dispersed. The Great Fairy sighed and wrung her head back. “Such an eventful day it was, isn't it, my friend.”

“Guess I can't really hide from you,” the mapmaking fish rose to the surface. He had an uncharacteristically grim expression on his face. “Hello to you too, old friend.”

“You know what happened today,” it was a statement. Not a question.

The fish laughed. “You kidding? I was in the sink when that whole nightmare fiasco happened.” He huffed at the side, grimacing when he remembered the whole experience. “Mare really needs to wash her sink after cooking something.”

“It seems fate has been written once more,” the Great Fairy said gravely. “Relay me all the words you heard in that shop.”

“Before I do, answer my question,” the fish said. “Did you really send your best tracking fairy just to find your sisters?”

The Great Fairy was silent for a moment. “No,” she admitted. “There is something more to...Merry...than what meets the eye.”

“Such as,” the fairy prompted. The Great Fairy turned her grave eyes to him.

“Such as seeing the Truth,” she finished. The fish spluttered.

“You can't be serious!” The fish cried out in disbelief. “He can see through the Lies!?”

“Not entirely,” The Great Fairy said. “But just enough to move along Link’s journey.” She closed her eyes and sighed. “For the reincarnation to be so young. I still cannot believe it.”

“Fate does whatever it wants,” the fish said, shrugging his shoulders. “But I do believe I have a prophecy to tell you, don't I?”

XxX

It was nighttime at Canterlot. The moon glowed dim with few stars in the sky. Princess Celestia's noticed this as she stood out the balcony.

“Wonder what has upset my sister this time?” She asked herself. Truth be told, she could not get any sleep. Ever since the afternoon, she had been on edge. Many things weighed her mind down, enough to make concerned ponies point out she literally had bags under her eyes at day court. The situation on Appleloosa, the new dark presence in Equestria, and those rogue guards were on the front of her mind.

She shook her head. Her job as princess was progressively getting worse and was showing in the day court. Staying true to their greedy little minds, the nobles tried to take advantage of this situation politically. Whenever she saw such a problem arise, she shut it down immediately. But all actions had consequences, since some unsavory rumors about her started to spread around shortly after she did this.

She sighed to herself. Maybe it was time to have a little chat with her little sister. She had something much more darker in her mind to ask her little sister.

Though it seems she was not the only one with a troubled mind. After finding out her room was empty, she went to the dining hall and found her pacing around, her brow furrowed. Her face lighted up immediately when she saw Celestia.

“Sister!” She called but then frowned. “What are thou doing up at this hour? Thou should get some sleep!”

“Language, Luna,” Celestia said tiredly. She let a small smile play on her lips when she saw Luna stutter before she composed herself. “It's been a long time and you still haven't had a grasp at the common tongue yet.”

“I apologize, sister,” Luna said, bowing her head low. “Lots of things plague...my mind. I revert to the old tongue under stress.”

“No need to tell me that,” Celestia said. Her smile disappeared. “What has been troubling you?”

“Dream walking,” Luna muttered. Her face screwed up in frustration. “We...er...I find myself unable to diminish some nightmares. Again.”

“Is it those two again?” Celestia asked. Luna nodded tiredly. “You never tell me what's in those nightmares. Are you willing to share what's got you so scared about them now?”

Luna looked at her sister before sighing. “Even I myself can't decipher it. One thing is I can't track it. Those two ponies are anywhere in the world but I can't pinpoint their location.”

Celestia frowned. “That certainly is a problem. Have sensed anything...malicious...about these two ponies?”

Luna shook her head, “Nay, sister mine. I believe them to be innocent. Just under the work of some complicated spell even I can't break.”

“Can you tell what happens in these nightmares?” Celestia asked. Luna nodded.

“The first pony didn’t have a standard nightmare,” she explained. “But I could not see anything at all. But the second…” She shivered and hugged herself. “Is not pleasant at all.”

“What happens sister?” Celestia asked urgently. She had known Luna for a long time and she was never scared of any dream ever. For this one to actually get a response out of her…

“One thing is this wasn't a nightmare,” she said. “More like a...memory flashback.”

Celestia’s eyes widened. It was worse knowing whatever had her scared actually happened and was not a work of fiction by the mind.

“It was too hazy for me to see, but I could hear a lot of screaming.” Luna said. “There was a lot of...red mixing with blue. There was also a lot of...ice. Ice was everywhere. The atmosphere was terrifying. Then everything went black with a final cry of a colt calling out to his parents.” She closed her eyes and exhaled. “It seemed this memory happened when this stallion was a colt.”

“How horrible,” Celestia said softly. Luna nodded her head.

“Quite,” she agreed. “Though, thou hast yet to tell me what ails your mind.”

“Just the usual,” Celestia answered. “Appleloosa, guards, and the rest.”

Luna nodded before frowning. “Sister, I have question if I may ask?”

“You just did ask,” Celestia joked. Luna pouted and turned away. “But in all seriousness, what is on your mind?”

Luna looked uncomfortable before she decided to just spit it out. “Have you felt the magic presence midday?”

The atmosphere immediately became chilly. Celestia narrowed her eyes, making Luna even more uncomfortable. She finally bowed her head and turned away from her, brooding.

“So it was enough to wake you up,” she muttered. “...Tell me what you felt from it.”

Luna had a confused expression on her face but relented anyway. “It felt neither malicious nor comforting. What is it, sister mine?”

“I do not know,” Celestia admitted. “I wish I could make sense of all this.”

“Darkness has come to Equestria once more,” Luna muttered. “And it isn't like others. It is waiting for something.”

“That it is,” Celestia agreed. “But we can't do anything to alert the general public for now. There are others that would benefit from the chaos this information may cause.”

Luna closed her eyes, but opened them once more in surprise when Celestia touched her shoulder.

“I also have a question for you.” Celestia said. “You know I trust and love you, yes?”

“Implicitly so,” Luna replied. “Why do thou say this, sister?”

“Because it seems you don't extend the same trustworthiness to me,” she said, narrowing her eyes.

“How can thou say something like this!?” Luna said, reverting back to her old speech in shock. “Thou were the one that brought us back from the moon and help adjust to life in this age. How can thou say we don't trust thee with our lives!?”

“Really then?” Celestia asked. “Then I hope you don't mind me asking a question.”

“Ask and we shall give the truth!” Luna declared. Celestia smiled. Her trap was set.

“Oh really?” Celestia asked once more. “I want ask a certain question about a certain somepony we haven't seen in awhile.”

“Yes?” Luna asked. Not long after did her eyes widen in horror. “Sister, thou don't mean-?!”

“I do,” she said. “And I know you know something so please keep to your promise and answer truthfully.”

She breathed in deeply and looked into her little sister’s grief stricken eyes. She didn't want to do this. She didn't like doing this. This was her little sister, who was currently cowering under her hard gaze. She didn't want to intimidate Luna this way but it seems it was the only way if she wanted a straight answer.

She breathed in and out and decided to stop stalling.

“Where is Discord?”

XxX

Shionne looked around at the room she had been in when she was only a little filly. There was no toys or novelties in here. Just the same bed and dresser she used so long ago. It brought back painful memories once more. She closed her eyes and wished the images would just leave from her head.

She heard a knock from the door. “Come on already! The great elder wants to speak with the two of us!”

Shionne opened the door to see the face of the blue haired pony that brought her back. Miyu stared back at her, her grin still in place. Two crossbows were strapped over back in an odd fashion so she could still use her wings. A cutie mark of two crossbows crossing each other with the familiar backdrop of the eye rested on her flank.

“Are you brooding again?” Miyu asked in exasperation. “You know that isn’t healthy for you.”

“Whatever,” Shionne mumbled, pushing past her. Miyu harrumphed and turned away, her nose in the air.

“Still giving me the cold shoulder,” she said with a pout. Shionne rolled her eyes. She was more or less used to her behavior by now. “Come on. The elder is waiting for us.”

They walked through the twisting tunnels to the council room. Shionne tried not to let Miyu’s staring bother her. She knew she was fascinated by her. The child prodigy that could even go out on missions with the adults. The one that took the clan training seriously with no complaint. The one that was named the shining example of discipline and grace.

Shionne snapped out of her bitter thoughts when they arrived. They could see the old mare look at them seriously from the stand.

“I trust your remedial training has been going well?” The elder asked, straight to the point. Shionne nodded wordlessly. They couldn’t send one of them out with only rusty sword skills to rely on after all. “Then I have an assignment for the both of you.”

Shionne perked up at that. She could sense Miyu’s excitement as well. “Already?”

“Yes,” she answered. She looked at the paper in her hand in disgust. “There have been several sightings of that group near this area. I want you to investigate and see if these claims are true. Be careful around there. Make sure you’re not seen by anypony.”

“Permission to speak, elder?” Shionne asked. She took the paper from the elder’s hand and looked at it.

“Permission granted.” The elder said. Shionne peered at the paper closely, her eyes narrowing.

“This seems like some backwater village,” she said. “But it seems you don’t like this place too much. What happened, if I may ask?”

“There are too many bad memories of that place,” she snarled suddenly, startling the both of them. “Too many bad ponies...all caused by him.”

“When do we leave?” Miyu asked.

“By first light,” the elder answered. “Hurry and pack up now. And I must say this again. Be careful. There are many eyes watching around, even if it is some village.”

“Understood,” Shionne said. Internally, she was frowning. She had signed up for this just to search for Link, not investigate some silly rumor. But she knew what she was getting herself into when she asked for help. Help them first and then they will consider helping her.

“Come,” Shionne said to Miyu. She followed behind closely. “Let us do what the elder has assigned us.”

XxX

Darkness permeated through the air, save for a few candles lighting up the tunnels. The air was filled with stench of corpses and blood, for that was all that laid in these caverns.

White Cloak floated another dried up dead pony and threw it in the pile. He walked back and checked on the current cauldron. It was full with blood. He untied and levitated the pony from the ropes above the cauldron. He threw him into the pile. The pony flopped with the rest, his eyes glazing over as death came to claim him. He turned back to the tunnel.

“MASTER!” White Cloak called into the darkness. “CAULDRON’S FULL!”

Purple Cloak trotted forward from the tunnel, muttering to himself listlessly.

“I'm so close,” he cackled as he went up to the cauldron. “This one try should work. I'm sure of it.”

“That's what you say all the time,” White Cloak retorted. “I seriously advise you to give up, master. These experiments are beginning to get dangerous. That last explosion almost killed us.”

“I'm close to figuring it out,” Purple Cloak repeated. “Shut up and let me concentrate.”

Purple Cloak’s horn started to glow. The blood in the cauldron turned black, raising up and setting next to them in a blob. It started to take shape until a snout and hooves formed. Dark red eyes filled it's sockets as its ears flickered to life. A dark shape rested before them once the transformation is done.

Purple Cloak immediately collapsed from exhaustion. White Cloak caught him, staring at his master’s creation at all. “I-it actually worked…”

The dark pony looked towards Purple Cloak, who was still gasping and wheezing at the ground. He regained his composure and looked at his accomplishment gleefully. “Do you know see what I’m trying to accomplish?”

White Cloak shook his head, still staring at the pony shaped figure in awe. “While I must say your feat is amazing, I still fail to see why we need it.” e resembles the pony you just drained?” Purple Cloak pointed out. White Cloak looked closer and widened his eyes. “Yes, you realize now. This spell allows me to literally clone ponies using dark magic. They will gain all of that pony’s properties and still also have the capacity to grow stronger on their own.”

“This will work on anypony?” White Cloak asked. Purple Cloak nodded.

“Yes and no. I do not know what the spell would do if the golden blood of the immortal is used, but any mortal is safely within our limits,” Purple Cloak said cheerfully. “But I’m still not complete yet.”

“What more is there to do when you have a spell as powerful as this?” White Cloak asked incredulously. Purple Cloak wagged his hoof like he was berating a colt.

“You’re letting your arrogance get in the way of your logical thinking again, my little servant,” Purple Cloak said. “It still takes all of the pony’s blood to work. I doubt ponies would just let us suck them dry like vampires so easily. Like I said before, I need to be able to use only a few drops of blood.”

“I see,” White Cloak murmured. “I have a question for you master on a completely unrelated note.”

“Yes?” Purple Cloak asked. White Cloak shuffled around nervously.

“What...was that powerful magic presence I felt earlier in the day?” He asked slowly. “It was unlike anything that I felt before.”

“Oh. You mean that one,” he said in a bored tone. “Let’s just say that it was fate working in our favor.”

“What do you mean by that?” White Cloak asked, confused. Purple Cloak narrowed his eyes and waved his hoof over the dark pony. It immediately dissipated into smoke, absorbed by Purple Cloak.

“Nothing, my little servant,” he said. “Nothing at all.”

Author's Note:

So I may have been a little late again. Okay maybe not a little wait but 8 weeks wasn't that bad, right? Oh who am I kidding? I promised you guys that I would upload this chapter way long back and I didn't. From now on, I'm not promising anything regarding chapter updates or schedules. I'm extremely sorry for the long delay, but I can't guarantee that I won't do it again. Now that the dreary stuff is over, let's talk about this chapter.

This chapter is frickin' huge! Easily surpassing my other one by a longshot. I didn't have time to edit this so if you find any mistakes, please tell me so I can fix them. I also wanted some feedback on that fight scene. I still find myself doubting that I can write proper fight scenes and want your feedback on where I can improve. I also want to know your thoughts on this chapter of course.

I'm uploading this really late so I don't have much more to say. Thank you for those that have kept on sticking with this story despite the long delays. I still don't plan on canceling this story anytime soon. See you later, my readers.

Edit: I just wanted to add that I thought the whole Applejack confrontation seemed awkward to me, as well as the Shionne part. Does anyone else think so? Like I said before, I couldn't really check over this like I wanted to. Thanks for all your support!

Comments

[GemiNiah]

Wow it's been two months and we're glad to see you with another chapter :D (and very long one too...15k....thats cool), unfortunately I have no experience with editing and the like except drawing -_- . Anyways keep.this up man!

[KingJoltik]

That was good. Wow...I am kinda bummed that he mainly got away scot free with the Apple family though I am glad Granny Smith noticed him. I am very impressed, I especially like the fact that he was able to get Pinkie to not go crazy and find out everything about him. Nice to see someone write a Pinkie where they aren't too out there and just suddenly know everything because its Pinkie.

[KingJoltik]

I read this again and...I still love it! Though that being said, since Orca and the map fish showed up in this story...I wonder if Ravio could appear in pony form at some time?! I mean, it could fit as some shop Link ends up at. Heck, you don't have to do the end game twist or anything, just have him in as the greatest Zelda series shopkeeper!

[Klearsky52]

7573582

Thank you so much for liking it! Now that you mention Ravio, that gives me something to think about...

[KingJoltik]

7574228 Of course I like it my friend! This is an awesome story!

[KingJoltik]

I hope this story isn't done...I'd love to see what happens next.