The Legend of Equestria: Majora's Mask

by xombiekilla

Chapter one: Prologue

Equestria is a magical land where two rulers, Celestia and Luna, control the sun and the moon. These two rulers take their duties very seriously and work tirelessly to ensure that the celestial cycles are maintained without any disruptions.

After successfully saving their home from the Dark Lord Sombra, Celestia and Luna decided to take a well-deserved week-long vacation to relax. However, they knew they couldn't leave their duties unattended, so they devised a plan to entrust their most trained and loyal lieutenants to manage the celestial cycles via the sundial.

Celestia and Luna assigned their highest-ranking commander this crucial task, promising to reward them handsomely upon their return. The two rulers had complete faith in their lieutenants and believed they would carry out their duties with utmost care and precision.

With a nod of agreement from Celestia, they departed, leaving their lieutenants in charge. The lieutenants were thrilled to be entrusted with such an important task and worked diligently to maintain the celestial cycles without disruptions.

---

"Hey sister, why did we choose to go through Everfree? I'm not afraid of being here, but I'm curious." As the party journeys deeper into the forest, they come across a clearing with dense trees that obscure their view beyond twenty feet. "Oh no, this wasn't part of our vacation plans, sister. I didn't expect us to get lost in the heart of Everfree."

Princess Celestia approached her sister, Luna, with a look of regret. "I am sorry, Luna," she began. "The guide I spoke with in Ponyville assured me that the route through this forest would be a shortcut to reach Rainbow Falls. However, I was mistaken, and we got lost."

Celestia's tone was sincere as she continued to explain the situation. "I regret causing confusion and any inconvenience this may have caused us. It was my mistake, sister, and I take full responsibility for our predicament."

Luna listened attentively and could sense the sincerity in Celestia's voice. She appreciated that her sister took responsibility for the situation and was willing to apologize.

"We will find our way out of this forest together, Celestia," Luna reassured her sister. "Mistakes happen, but what's important is learning from them and moving forward."

"Well, what if we fly up high to check if we can find a way out of here?" Full of enthusiasm, Rainbow flies high to the treetops to scout the landscape from the skies. She looks around but finds that the air is dense and foggy. The air around them is unsettling, and they all begin shivering in trepidation at something unpleasant. "Okay, then. Skies are a no-go. Ponyfeathers."

"Well, shucks. There's got to be a way out of these woods, guys. The bad part is that we don't travel here much, and Zecora's House is nowhere around here." Applejack snorts, her chagrin unsubtle as she scrapes the ground with her hooves, "If we make tracks that we can recognize, then I reckon that we'll be able to come back here to regroup if necessary."

"Yeah. Good thinking, Applejack. Alright, everypony. We should be safe as long as we all stick together." Twilight finishes as a strange pale-blue light shines in the gaps between the trees, catching Luna's attention. Her gaze fixes on the odd anomaly, inviting her as if it were a siren's call. "Um... Luna? Hello, Luna. Are you okay? Speak to us."

"L-Light—So blue—So beautiful..." Luna said as Luna's gaze became fixed on the blue fog, and she walked toward it in a trance-like state. Celestia and Twilight tried to stop her, but she seemed unresponsive to their calls.

"Luna, stop this at once! If this is some joke, it's not funny," Celestia tries to get her attention.

Celestia's urgency was met with silence. Twilight spoke up, "She's not responding, Celestia. That light doesn't seem normal."

"No, it's not," Celestia said as she stepped into the mysterious blue fog; Celestia, Twilight, and the rest of the team raced to catch up with her. They knew they couldn't lose her in this strange and unknown place.

As they entered the fog, they were surrounded by the blue mist, which was becoming increasingly difficult to see. But they pressed on, calling out for Luna as they went. Suddenly, they stumbled upon an enormous tree stump. Its center was split open, revealing a dark tunnel with roots intertwined along the ceiling.

Celestia, Twilight, and the team looked at each other, unsure what to do next. It was clear that they had stumbled into something far beyond their understanding.

"Okay, this is just perfect. Getting my coat all dirty was totally not one of my plans for today," said Rarity, looking at the black tunnel in the stump with apprehension. "So... did Luna go in there?"

"I believe so, Rarity. This light led us here, so it's our only lead. I shall go first, and everyone should follow closely behind me," said Celestia, taking the lead as they entered the tunnel.

"It's so dark and quiet in here. Twilight, can you use your magic to light this place up?" asked Fluttershy, hugging Rainbow Dash for comfort.

"It's okay, Fluttershy. We're here for you. Just stay close to me, okay?" said Rainbow Dash, reassuring her friend.

Twilight tried to use her magic to light up the tunnel, but her horn flickered instead. "What?! My magic isn't lighting this place up, Celestia."

"I cannot use my magic in this tunnel either," said Starlight, also trying to light up the tunnel.

"Let me try then," said Celestia, closing her eyes to focus her magic. However, her magic didn't work either. "Oh, dear. My magic isn't working either."

They were now more nervous than ever, fearing they couldn't fly, use magic, or see where they were going. As they continued through the tunnel, the black atmosphere faded into a strange, wavy void of distorting energies in inconsistent patterns and weird light warping.

---

The group suddenly finds themselves lost in unfamiliar territory as the path they came in from disappears. Even Hero, who had been calm until now, is starting to feel anxious. The emptiness continues until they finally reach the end of it and find themselves back in the forest. But something is not right. The tunnel they had come through is now gone, and the group is understandably confused.

"Oh no, the way out is gone. What do we do now?" Fluttershy shivers as they all feel unsure of where they are until they catch up with Luna. Luna is curled up in the fetal position, with her hooves on her face, struggling with something.

"Luna! Are you okay? We were so worried about you—Oh!" Celestia sees Luna struggling and screaming, pounding her hooves on her face and flailing on the ground. She desperately tries to remove a strange-looking mask from her sister's face. "Oh God, Luna!? It'll be okay. Your sister is here now."

Luna's body falls limp onto the grassy terrain of the forest as she cries out, "S-Sister...help—" Everyone stares in horror as her body rises and floats, without her even using her wings.

"I do not know who or what you are, or why you want my sister, but I demand that you release her immediately!" Celestia demands.

The mysterious mask is using Luna's voice as a proxy to speak. It seems to have no intention of relinquishing the vessel it recently occupied. In fact, it scoffs at the notion of giving it up. "This thing? Give it up? Why would I ever do that? It has been far too long since I've had a vessel to occupy—She wasn't doing anything too useful so I did you a favor and got rid of her for you."

"Oh no, you will not! You will give her back to us right now!" Celestia, however, is outraged by the mask's words and demands that it return Luna immediately. She charges at the masked entity, intending to take back her sister's body. But the masked princess is quick to respond, using her forehooves to block Celestia's advance.

Then, with a burst of magical force, the entity slams Celestia into an oak tree. The impact is so severe that Celestia cries out in pain, her back colliding with the tree trunk with a sickening thud. Despite the agony, Celestia remains determined to rescue her sister from the clutches of this malevolent force.

"You are annoying to me now. Our playtime has come to an end. All of you shall begone!" The masked alicorn roars, using its evil magic to make all the ponies except Hero vanish. He reaches out to them with his hooves, but all have silent looks of shock as each of them disappears. The masked princess addresses Hero, "This leaves you then, I suppose. You're not as annoying as that white one was. I think I'll have some fun with you, though."

Hero puts on a brave face and maintains his posture against the possessed mare before him. "Oh? Do you think you can take me on as I am now? You're a stupid little fool if you think that. Such arrogance deserves punishment."

The masked mare wiggles her mask using her hexing magic and aims it at Hero. He curls up in a defensive manner, trying to block the harsh and evil waves that emanate from the mare's mask, but to no avail. He then runs for his life, surrounded by a swarm of changelings with different colors, each one seemingly more terrifying than the last.

As he runs, Hero's vision begins to blur, and he feels a sense of vertigo, making it difficult for him to keep his balance. The changeling mirage, which is gigantic and colorful, is furious, and it's rapidly gaining on him. Hero can hear it getting closer and closer, and he knows that he's running out of time.

Suddenly, the changeling mirage catches him, and everything goes black. Hero feels a tightness in his chest as he is consumed by the changeling. His consciousness fades, and he is left alone in the darkness.

When Hero's vision clears, he feels strange. He looks into the lake next to the trees where the possessed princess is floating to see his reflection. In the lake's reflection, his body looks like a changeling: a lime-green body, blue compound eyes, yellow underbelly, cyan insectoid wings, and a pair of light-orange mandibles on his forehead with a slightly curved horn. He screams in shock as the masked alicorn gawks at him and then laughs. "Wow.. now that is a perfect look for you. You'll be lost in these woods looking like that forever. Thanks for the amusement."

The masked alicorn then leaves Hero to his own devices as he hurries around the forest to collect himself. He sees a glimpse of the possessed mare fleeing into an ancient stone building that appears to be secured by a mechanical door held firmly shut. The lever on its right side gives Hero the idea of using it. Once he opens the door, he steps in as the hallways distort, and it feels like the gravity is shifting upside-down.

---

As the Hero enters a stone room, he is greeted by a massive machine that resembles a clock tower. The machine is held together by gears, cogs, and winding beams of various sizes, and the sound of a clockwork machine with flowing water fills the air. The automatic door behind him closes, and he notices a set of stairs leading up to the second floor. As he climbs the stairs, he admires the intricate details of the tower. The gears and cogs are finely crafted, and the winding beams are sturdy wood. The room feels like a massive mechanical marvel, and he can't help but feel impressed by its complexity.

As he approaches the doors, he hears a giggle behind him. Turning around, he sees a stranger standing before him. "You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?"

The stranger is a tall and lithe stallion with a tan coat, striped shirt, and blue pants. He wears a purple jacket over his shirt and a vast brown leather backpack on his back adorned with various masks. The stranger introduces himself as Flam, the happy mask sales pony, with a friendly smile. Flam's crimson-red mane and red mustache complement his sapphire-blue eyes, which sparkle with urgency.

"Excuse me. Pardon my rudeness. Allow me to introduce myself; I am the happy mask sales pony, Flam. At your service."

The Hero feels like he's experiencing deja vu with this guy. He could swear they had met before at some point. "I hope you don't think of me as rude, but I've been watching you back there. I know of your tragedy, and I know of a way to restore you to your former self." Hero chitters in glee as Flam continues, "Unfortunately, I am a very time-oriented stallion, and I need to be out of here in exactly three days from now."

"So, I have a proposition for you: If you can find an instrument capable of channeling magic in this town, I can restore you to normal. In exchange, I want to ask you a favor. You saw that strange mask on that alicorn's face, yes? It is called Majora's Mask, and its capabilities are unbelievable."

"You cannot begin to comprehend its evil power—I must get this mask back before my three days here are up. I shall be good on my word if you are good on yours. Is it a deal, then?" Hero nods as he shakes his hooves with Flam, who laughs joyfully and relieved, "Oh, good lad, I knew I could count on you. Remember to bring back an instrument capable of channeling magic to me to fulfill my end of the deal. I wish you luck."

Comments

[Joe Toon]

Don't forget to add the sub-tag of Legend of Zelda.

[xombiekilla]

I won't

[AstralFlare42]

“Light... blue... beautiful...” She walked towards it like a zombie as Celestia and Twilight tried to stop her.

Crap. Looks like the aliens from Skyline are here.

I know that may not be the case, but I had to point that out.

[xombiekilla]

11189897
Was that a movie?

[Leviathan Eclipse]

"Well, what if we fly up high to check if we can find a way out of here?" Full of enthusiasm, Rainbow flies high to the treetops to scout the landscape from the skies. She looks around but finds that the air is dense and foggy. The air around them is unsettling, and they all begin shivering in trepidation at something unpleasant. "Okay, then. Skies are a no-go. Ponyfeathers."

This is pretty abrupt. When did the mane 6 join in?

Also for better context I'd suggest specifying that this was the 2nd or 3rd time Sombra was defeated because otherwise it comes across like Celestia and Luna beat him the first time and the mane 6 weren't involved.

[Leviathan Eclipse]

I'm really digging the idea of keeping 'Hero' mute.

[xombiekilla]

11899896
Yeah, that was a deliberate choice. Link is a known mute, a man of action rather than words. Hero is technically a male, but he's intended to be non-binary, as his role partially serves as a placeholder for the reader and still his own character with his own origins and story.