Vaati's Wrath
Goodness knows I wished I could recall where I got this one...
After climbing a series of stairs, and battling a significant number of creatures of the dark, Link and company could hear the sounds of rushing wind as they approached the staircase to the rooftop, feeling it's buffeting effects as they got closer.
"Miss Twilight, you mentioned that Vaati might have the Elements of Harmony. What… should I expect? Is it possible for him to use them?" Link asked, readying the Four Sword and his shield. Coming beside him and looking beside her through her bangs, Twilight was silent for a moment as she pondered his question.
"Honestly… I don't know. As far as I can determine, he shouldn't be able to. The last two enemies we've faced didn't do anything except attempt to prevent their use, mostly by preventing anypony from getting to them, but… Vaati is something else, a whole level above those guys. The best advice I can give is to be on your toes." Twilight finished, staring at Link as he nodded silently.
"Come on, kid! You're not getting cold feet, are ya?" Rainbow Dash teased, getting an angry scowl from Link. "Haha, yeah! We're gonna kick his flank, there isn't any other way this'll go down!"
"We're behind you on this a hundred percent, partner!" Applejack exclaimed giving Link a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
"I still detest sending a child into combat, but… you certainly know how to handle yourself, and your Goddesses do seem to think you're capable. I will assist you in any way I can!" Rarity announced, earning nods from the group.
"Anypony willing to hurt Princess Luna like that needs to be dealt a lesson!" Pinkie Pie shouted, startling Fluttershy.
"Uhm… what Pinkie Pie said… because nopony hurts my friends and gets away with it!" Fluttershy said in her best attempt to declare her feelings. Smiling, Link turned to his friends to thank them, but found his words cut short when a blackened tentacle tightly gripped him and yanked him up the stairs, eliciting a cry of surprise from him as Navi spun around in the air from the speed of the tentacle.
"I thought I had gotten the message across back inside that courtyard." Link heard Vaati's voice, right before he felt himself slammed against the floor, causing stars to dance within his vision as Vaati picked him up once more.
"Yet here you are before me, again. And still alone, I see. I-" Vaati stopped short of his monologue when he came upon the sight of the six mares that had witnessed Link snagged from the room below.
"Remove your grip from that child this instant, you ruffian!" Rarity shouted at Vaati, who seemed taken aback by her hostility. All was silent at the top of the tower, save for the howling wind of the whirling storm above them. And then Vaati burst into laughter, going so far as to wipe a tear from his eye.
"For a moment, Maiden, I honestly thought you were going to do something more productive than yell. Would've been a first." Vaati jabbed, sighing as the laughter finally left him. "Now, Maidens, seeing as you are all here and I can see you all firsthand..." he started, just as a tentacle slammed into the roof above the staircase and removing any quick attempt at escape. "I must admit, that you are all quite beautiful, and shall all make fine wives..."
"Uhh… thanks?" Applejack replied, squirming due to the uncomfortable atmosphere that filled the air.
"...for me." Vaati finished, earning looks of disgust and shock.
"How would that even… work?" Link wondered aloud, chin scrunched up in confusion. Vaati furrowed his brow and simply threw him into the floor, before picking him up again.
"Hey, you oversized storm cloud, pick on someone your own size!" Navi shouted, speeding right towards Vaati's eye and slamming into it. Vaati released Link in surprise, watching as Rainbow Dash zipped over and caught him.
"I'm gonna… buy the farm..." Link mumbled in his daze, while Rainbow Dash tried to snap him out of it.
"I HAVE grappled with a God already, if you recall, you little light ball! Behold, the powers of the Night that Everypony fears!" Vaati shouted, before eliciting a grunt. "Every… 'pony'… again..." Vaati mumbled to himself, as the loudest noise was a slight howl of the wind.
"Sooo… uhm… why-" Pinkie Pie had begun to ask Vaati, before he cut her off.
"I DON'T KNOW! I've said things with 'pony' so much recently its-" Vaati began to bemoan his new vocabulary, courtesy of Luna's powers, when movement on the ground attracted the attention of his eye. A large force of Knights were quickly approaching the tower.
"Interruption after Interruption! Bah!" Vaati shouted as he slammed a few of his tentacles against the roof of the tower, causing a large amount of vibrating to rattle Link and company. "However, you are too late! I already have a complete understanding of this power over the moon and stars! BEHOLD!" Vaati shouted, as he began to glow a dark blue not unlike Luna's own aura. As the group up on the roof looked around, the clouds surrounding the tower dispersed, and the sun suddenly shot down from it's noon-hour perch, instantly turning day into night as the moon took it's place.
"Is this Nightmare Moon, all over again...?" Twilight mumbled as she exchanged worried glances with her friends. "Nighttime Eternal?"
"Oh ho ho! No, Twilight Sparkle! I do not bring an Eternal Night. I bring a CATACLYSM! One to reshape the world as I see fit!" Vaati exclaimed, before he made a few quiet grunts as he screwed his eye shut in concentration. With one final warcry, Vaati thrust a series of Tentacles in the air, as 'his' magical aura shot forth from them, encapsulating the moon.
"Oh no… OH NO! I have no experience with this kind of… Must find Tatl..!" Navi mumbled incoherently, as she suddenly dove into Link's cap.
"The… moon it's..." Link squinted his eyes, having fully come to and witnessing the spectacle, as Rainbow Dash placed him on the floor.
"Hyrule's Moon is falling!" Rainbow Dash cried out, watching as the moon inched closer and closer towards the earth.
"Stop this nonsense you foul monster!" Rarity shrieked, unable to remove her gaze from the Moon, which had grown to be quite large and began to feature a red glow around the bottom as it pushed against the atmosphere.
"Vaati, this ends now!" Link shouted, drawing the Four Sword and using it to sever one of Vaati's tentacles as the demon was distracted by the moon.
"GRRAAAAH! Foolish child!" Vaati shouted at Link, as he regrew the injured limb with ease. "You may wield the Four Sword, but haven't you stopped to wonder why it hasn't enacted it's magic?!" Vaati screamed, as Link chanced a glance to the blade, the dull grey of the steel failing to reflect the red glow from the moon. "Because I have destroyed it's magic! The magic that sealed me within the Dark World, and another within itself, it no longer resides within the blade!" Vaati explained, narrowly missing Link as he swiped at Link with a tentacle.
"Without that cursed blade's magic, you have a naught's hope of defeating me! So enjoy your doom, Link! It's all you have left!" Vaati shouted, as he began to battle with Link. All the mares could do was watch as Link kept Vaati at bay. Slowly, the moon grew closer and closer. And all Twilight Sparkle could do was drop to the floor and weep.
"All we wanted to do… was figure out what was wrong..." Twilight mumbled to Fluttershy, who had come to her side. "We wanted to befriend the Hylians… but all we did was doom them. We brought a large amount of good power to Hyrule, so if it's anything like Equestria… then of course it would balance itself by fueling evil."
'Elements of Harmony...where did you go? We needed you now more than anything...' Twilight thought to herself, only hearing the combined sobs of her friends, the nervous groaning from Rainbow Dash, Link and Vaati battling, and the ferocious sound of a large blaze burning in the sky above as the Moon plummeted ever closer towards Hyrule. And just as Link found himself bested, just as the Moon was only a few thousand feet above Hyrule and sucking light objects into the air, a miracle occurred. Above the tower, six pieces of jewelry flashed into existence, spinning in a perfect circle very rapidly, and fired a massive rainbow colored beam of energy towards the moon, the effect washing out the entire land in a light brighter than that of the day.
Very quickly, the moon was found to be in it's proper position in the sky. Link, badly bruised and beaten, watched in awe as the jewelry ceased their spinning, and floated down towards the six mares, the five necklaces attaching themselves around Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy, whereas Twilight Sparkle donned a Tiara.
"Impossible! I hold within me the powers of gods! And some pathetic children's jewelry thwarted me?" Vaati screamed in a rage.
"Not children's jewelry, Vaati… these are the Elements of Harmony! Prepare to have a taste of of it!" Twilight shouted, drying the tears in her eyes as they suddenly filled with a white light. She, and the rest of the girls, floated into the air, as the familiar rainbow glow grew out from a central point that was being fed by the light of each of the Elements.
"Not today!" Vaati shouted, focusing on a point on the tower closer towards the ground. Striking it, he flew away from the tower as the entire structure leaned towards it's wound, launching Link into the air right as the Rainbow magic shot forth from the Elements. As Link and the Bearers of the Elements plummeted towards the ground, the Four Sword proceeded to swallow the Rainbow Magic and glowed a brilliant white as Link retained his grip on it. Even as he fell, his gaze never left Vaati, and he watched as the demon flitted into the Lost Woods. Upon losing sight of him, Link returned his attention to the situation at hand; his plummet towards the ground, as the tower was falling behind him.
"Hang on, kid! I'm coming!" Rainbow Dash shouted, zipping towards Link and grabbing hold of him with only inches to spare between the ground and the tower. As Rainbow Dash slowed to a halt a distance away from the tower, she let Link go near the ground as the roar of the tower's collapse was heard. As she looked Link over to make sure he was alright, she took notice of the slight glow the Four Sword featured. "So...what's with the glowing?" Rainbow Dash asked, prompting Link to hold the Four Sword in front of him.
"I have no ide-AAAHHHH!" Link shouted, as he found himself encased in a flash of light.
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"And then you...?" Twilight Sparkle asked Link, who was picking at a scuff on his green tunic.
"Yeah, I split into four. Kind of makes sense, with there only being 'one' Four Sword and the legend called for Four heros." He replied, looking towards the rising Sun.
"And you thought there was four swords..." the Blue Link snickered, mocking the Green Link.
"Correction: WE thought there were four swords." the Purple Link piped up, causing the Blue Link to scowl.
"Who asked you, egghead..." the Blue Link mumbled.
"Hey! What do each of us call each other? We can't ALL be Link, that'd just be confusing! No fun at all!" the Red Link exclaimed.
"Oooh! Oooh, I know! Pick me!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, waving a hoof in the air.
"What is it Pinkie?" Rainbow Dash asked, still staring directly at the four Links.
"We'll call them by the color of their clothes! Green, Red, Blue, and Violet!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed. Green, Blue, and Red all looked at their purple duplicate for a moment, before all three snorted in laughter.
"I'll… just go with Vio, thanks." Violet asked, grumbling as he scowled at the other boys.
"Why? What's wrong with violet?" Twilight asked, feeling slightly self conscious as she sat down.
"Heh heh, nothing wrong with the color… it's just that 'Violet' is a girl's name in Hyrule." Green explained, having collected himself. Twilight sighed in spite of herself, and began to glance around.
"Well, now that your names are settled, I think we've all spent enough time sitting around here. We should make our way back to the ruins." Twilight suggested, much to the confusion of her friends as she picked herself up off the grass and wandered towards the massive rising dust-cloud.
"Shouldn't we just make our way back to Hyrule Castle instead?" Applejack quizzed Twilight, having trotted up to her and matching her pace.
"When we were falling, I caught a glimpse of Hylian soldiers running away from the base of the tower. They'll be looking for us, I'm sure." Twilight explained.
"That means Ruul and Princess Celestia are probably there, too! Let's not keep them worried, guys!" Red exclaimed, running after Twilight and Applejack.
"Wow, guy is pretty excitable." Blue commented, before running after Red. Green looked towards Purple, and the pair shared a shrug as the rest of the group followed suit. They all remained silent for a while (save for Red and Pinkie Pie, who were both yammering constantly), until Fluttershy trotted closer towards Twilight.
"Uhm, T-Twilight?" Fluttershy asked cautiously, as a question burned on the front of her mind.
"Yeah, Fluttershy?" Twilight asked, glancing towards her friend as she continued her forward trot.
"I was just wondering… why did Link get split into four when he was hit by the Elements?"
"Well...I'm not entirely sure...but I have a theory." Twilight explained, taken aback slightly when she noticed everyone seemed to be listening, some of them motioning for her to continue. "Ah, well… as Green had suggested, the Four Sword wasn't a single blade of a set of four, but a Single blade that splits itself and it's wielder into four."
"Vaati himself said that he sapped the Four Sword of it's magic, hence why it never enacted it's magic on Link the moment he drew the blade, and why it wasn't inflicting grievous harm to him. I suspect that, when Link was launched into the path that the Rainbow Magic had flown along and was struck by it, the Four Sword pulled the raw magic into itself in an effort to regain it's abilities. It waited until Link was in a safe position, and then… split itself and him into four." Twilight summarized.
"Yer makin' it sound like tha sword is alive, Twi'...is it?" Applejack asked, glancing back at the four heroes, who had all unsheathed their respective blade to inspect them.
"It's possible that it has some form of sentience. In my studies on the Elements themselves, I've discovered a trend towards a form of sentience as well. Which means its possible that inanimate objects infused with copious amounts of magical energy can possess the ability to think and reason. In fact, I once tested the Element of Magic's self preservation response by tying a rope to it, dangling it over a vat of molten iron, and then letting go of the rope-" Twilight had begun on a tangent, before being cut off by Rainbow Dash.
"Wait, wait, wait, you almost melted the Element of Magic down into raw gold just to make sure it could protect itself? Are you nuts!" Rainbow Dash blurted out, completely blown away by Twilight's recklessness.
"I had safety measures in-place to ensure it wouldn't actually fall inside the vat! It was just an experiment to see if the Elements could sense their environment!" Twilight snapped back, starting a large argument to heat up. Blue leaned over to Vio, whom had crossed his arms and looked towards the ground in thought.
"So, uhh… what's up? You've been pretty quiet since we started walking, Vio." Blue asked, hoping to strike up a conversation.
"Oh, what's this? Blue interested in what an 'egghead' is thinking?" Vio deadpanned, earning him a scoff from Blue.
"Not really, dude, just bored. And by bored, I'm saying that I'm dying a little inside. So anything that's on your mind should help keep me from ringing myself." Blue explained, waving a hand towards Vio.
"Do you recall what Vaati had said, back up on the tower? About the magic of the Four Sword. He mentioned being sealed away in a place called the 'Dark World'. That, and that another had been 'sealed away' within the Four Sword."
"That's… yeah, I remember him saying something like that. So..." Blue trailed off, mind racing. "Vio, you're saying that Vaati isn't the only danger loose in Hyrule?" Blue blurted out, ensnaring the attention of the entire group. As Green, Red, Blue, and the girls all stared at him, Vio sighed.
"Yeah, that's what it sounds like. But if my suspicions are correct, it's not just Hyrule that’s in trouble anymore. I think Equestria is in for it's own hardships. I'm pretty sure we saw Vaati fleeing into it, right after the Four Sword swallowed that Rainbow light."
"... What?! Oh no! No, no, no, no, not good! We have to get back to Equestria, now!" Twilight shouted, galloping forward for a moment only to have her tail ensnared within Applejack's teeth.
"Naw jusc wade an ackle-ucking inute, Twi'!" Applejack commanded, promptly spitting Twilight's tail out once she had calmed down. "What do ya think we can even do? The Elements of Harmony missed Vaati completely, and nothin' has ever dodged that Rainbow Magic blast thing it does." Applejack argued, turning to look towards the four boys. "Ah mean, sure, tha Four Sword is all powered up now n' all, but what good kin' it do when Vaati is runnin' around with Princess Luna's power?"
"I know that it's dangerous, Applejack, but the Elements haven't failed us before! Remember Nightmare Moon? The Nightmare had it's own abilities AND Luna's then! If the Elements saw fit to refill the Four Sword with the powers to smite evil, then we shouldn't sit around and do nothing as Vaati roams the worlds and destroys them!"
"Ah think yer missin' the point completely, Twi! Ya knew what sort of magic to expect from Black Snooty, but this time it's bigger than that! We're talkin' about a huge, floatin' eyeball of immense power, and a malice ta match it's ego!"
"Applejack, have you forgotten that we're the Bearers of Harmony? What do you think Equestria would think of us, what the Princesses would think of us, if we just stood by and did nothing because we had no idea what exactly to do? I for one don't want to forsaken my homeland because I'm too scared to do anything!" Twilight snapped at Applejack, who's face scrunched up in anger in response.
"You take that back, right now!" Applejack shouted, as she advanced upon Twilight. Fluttershy stomped on the ground in a loss of patience as she let loose a growl. As the boys watched, along with the rest of the mares, Fluttershy unleashed the most frightening expression of sheer, unbridled irritation, that their minds went blank, save for the thoughts of obeying their Overlord's every whim.
"That is enough from you two!" Fluttershy shouted in a demonstration of her true maximum volume. Suddenly realizing her actions were being obtuse, Fluttershy let loose a sort of squeak as she collected herself, speaking as she pawed the ground with a hoof. "T-Twilight, we're all s-scared. M-me most of all. But I don't think that A-Applejack really means we s-should sit around. I mean, V-Vaati came from Hyrule, right? Won't there be books about him?" Fluttershy suggested.
"I think that's the best idea right now, researching about Vaati back inside Hyrule Castle's libraries. Vaati has already admitted that he had been calling and controlling the monsters, and he'll doubtlessly be organizing his armies as we speak, so I think that maybe Green, Red, Blue, and Myself should head towards the Lost Woods and make sure Vaati didn't place any obstacles in the way into Equestria." Vio suggested, attempting to steer the conversation further towards a resolution.
"Oh good, we get to carry out butts back towards the Lost Woods to check for and fight something that may not actually be there. Sounds. fun." Blue exclaimed sarcastically, swing his arms out to accentuate his last few words.
"Would you rather be reading books?" Green smirked as he wiggled his eyebrows at Blue.
"Eugh… touche." Blue admitted, tightening his belts in preparation for the trek.
"Well, we'll leave you now, then. We'll be sure to let everypony know you're okay, Li-...erm...boys." Twilight said with a lopsided smile.
"Bye, Twilight! We'll be fine, don'tcha worry!" Red announced, looping his arm through a disgruntled Vio's. The other two sighed and ventured forth through the trees as the mares watched.
"It's so unfair for such young boy to shoulder this kind of responsibility. He should be out playing with friends, not slaying beasts..." Rarity lamented as Twilight prepared a group teleportation spell.
"Not to mention, being split apart like that… I remember Pinkie Pie being all depressed when she just made clones of herself, but this… it really must feel awful not being whole." Rainbow Dash thought aloud, squinting absent mindedly at the sky as the group of mares suddenly found themselves enveloped in a slight glow.
"At least it gives him a chance to come to terms with, and accept, who he is inside!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed happily just as the group had enough time to give her confused expressions, shortly flashing from existence right after.
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"Oh man, so hungry..." Green groaned, hunched over in discomfort as the quartette of boys continued their relentless march over Hyrule Plains towards the Lost Woods. Vio sighed as he looked back towards Green.
"We warned you to get something more than a handful of berries from the bushes before we left the thicket back at the river."
"Well excuse me for wanting to stop the bad guy and save the day before sunset..." Green grumbled. Red simply laughed, and plopped down on the ground.
"Maybe we should take a quick break! No one likes a bunch of killjoys!" Red exclaimed, procuring a bright red apple, holding it out to green as he dropped onto the grassy plain.
"Hey, that doesn't sound half bad right now, a good snooze..." Blue piped up, joining Red on the ground as he lay down and closed his eyes. Vio looked on to the pair with a look of anger, before turning his gaze upon Green, who smiled sheepishly.
"Vio… he has food, I can't just ignore this." Green said, sitting down upon the slowly swaying grass as it blew around in the wind, and began savouring the apple Red had offered him. Vio looked down at the three of them, incredulous. Staring only for a moment, Vio snorted angrily and sat down in a huff.
"The longer we waste time lollygagging, the more chaos Vaati could be wreaking in Equestria! If we find anyone hurt because we sat around, I'm holding the three of you accountable!" Vio growled, before turning himself away from the three.
"Ehh, a little swish, bang, boom with the Four Sword, and everything'll be fine." Blue mumbled as he waved off Vio's concerns.
"Come on, Vio! Everyone needs a break every now and then, even us. I mean, up till now, we've been running around non-stop since we stumbled into Equestria and saved Miss Fluttershy." Red offered, attempting to appease Vio. All he got in return was some grumbling. After that, all the group could hear for a few minutes was the sound of the light breeze and Green munching away at the apple. Just as Blue sat up to wake up from his short nap, he gave a low whistle as he looked in the direction of the tower that had collapsed only hours ago.
"Vaati really did a number on that tower… he really is that dangerous, huh?" Blue asked rhetorically as he looked over the tall debris field in the far distance.
"Which is why we shouldn't be sitting around. Logic dictates that the longer we delay, the more entrenched Vaati can become." Vio spouted off as he sat up himself.
"Wouldn't it also be logical to learn more about him, first?" Red asked, dusting the rear of his red tunic off as he sat up.
"That's why our Pony friends went to Hyrule Castle, dummy." Blue snapped at Red, who scowled.
"Who asked you, jerk? I was asking Vio." Red replied, turning up his nose. Green suddenly tossed the core of the apple away and wiped his mouth clean with the sleeve of his tunic, and quickly stood up and looked towards his three parts.
"Alright, seriously, guys. We can't be snapping at one another like this! We're not TOO far off from the Lost Woods right now, we should be able to get there around dusk. So let's do this!" Green exclaimed, slamming a fist down onto his palm to excite the other three as he glanced between them all.
"...Were you not the one who agreed with Red and take a break? What's with the sudden change?" Vio asked half-heartedly, as he retightened the belt to his sheath upon standing up.
"Actually, all I wanted was the apple, I could have walked and eaten it, but Red and Blue wanted a break, so I figured a compromise was in order." Green explained with a sheepish grin and a shrug of the shoulders.
"...Whatever. Let's just get moving so we don't miss the sunlight before we get into the Lost Woods." Vio grunted, watching as Red and Blue stood up and readied their equipment.
"Alright! Towards the Lost Woods!" Green exclaimed as he shot forward, much to the chagrin of Blue.
"Oi, who said you get to be in the front!"
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"Should we...?" Vio wondered aloud as the four Heroes stood near the edge of the woods before them, earning him some stares. Noticing this, he clarified himself.
"I'm wondering if we should attempt to push on through to the log tunnel right now, with the Sun nearing sunset." Vio explained, while simultaneously pointing towards the slowly reddening sky.
"Hey, you were the one who was whining about stopping for a break, you don't get to chicken out!" Blue growled suddenly, frowning at Vio as he stepped closer towards the woods.
"Chicken--? Are you serious? You three never even gave me the option of us continuing on without a break, so don't you dare question my courage!" Vio shouted back at Blue.
"Then what’s the problem now, huh? Go on...?" Blue mocked Vio further, shooing him towards the woods as he wore a large smirk.
"Oh come ON! Could you quit it with the instigating? It's making you look like a fool!" Green snapped at Blue, who turned and snarled.
"Says the guy so stupid he can't even keep himself fed properly!"
"Uhh...guys?" Red asked out loud as the other three began to bicker amongst each other.
"Hey, I just didn't want to sit around and eat a big meal, and allow Vaati to run around in Equestria as he pleases!"
"Guys? Hellooo?"
"You don't get to say that, Green! You still opted to encourage a break, I was the one who wanted to move on!"
"Could you all stop fighting for a sec, there is--"
"And what little good that break did, wittle Vio is whining like a big, tired bab--"
"SHUT UP AND STOP FIGHTING FOR A MOMENT!" Red exclaimed at the top of his lungs, startling his three companions. Noticing their stares, he proceeded to point to the large swarm of bandits glaring at them from the treeline, a few of them chuckling menacingly as their eyes gave off a soft red glow.
"Oh." the three boys replied in unison, before scrambling to don their shields and unsheath their blades as the bandits attacked.
"I'd recommend a line formation, guys!" Vio blurted out as the first Bandit came upon him and immediately fell to Vio's blade. As they grunted in agreement, all four heroes formed a straight line to meet their foes head on, grunting and yelling as they swung their Four Swords at the bandits, all groaning and turning into purple smoke as they met their ends.
As the onslaught continued, bandits soon began to swarm the hillside behind them, causing a groan from Vio.
"Is this going to end anytime today? Guys, the hillside! We need to enter into a diamond formation!"
"Gotcha!" Green exclaimed, parrying a blow from a bandit before getting into position, with the other boys quickly following suit after dealing with their own enemies. As they raised their shields in preparation for a charge, the heroes watched with unease as the bandits formed a tightly packed circle around them, all seeming to be waiting for some sort of command.
"Are these guys mindless, or just stupid...?" Blue muttered as he glanced side-to-side, seeing only enemies.
"I think they're going to charge, guys..." Red mumbled, hiding behind his shield a little more. As Green glanced around, an idea popped up in his head, and after quickly thinking about it, he nodded to himself.
"Crazy idea here, guys, bare with me, but what if we all charged up for a spin attack?"
"... We'd just take each other out? Brilliant plan, Green, why didn't I think of it myself? Oh, wait, that's right! It's because I'm not suicidal!" Blue snipped, to which Green frowned.
"No, I mean… instead of each individually spinning on the spot, why don't we all strafe sideways around a center point; so our spun direction is constantly facing outward?"
"That… that might work, actually. I'm up for giving it a shot." Vio agreed, turning his blade towards the center of the group as he began charging it.
"Hey, I'll admit it, I've got nothing better up my sleeve… but if we die, I'm still blaming you." Blue complained as he mimicked Vio's movements, his sword joining Vio's.
"Heh heh, this should be fun!" Red said with a smile, similarly charging his blade.
"Alright then, let's wait for their move...!" Green exclaimed, putting his blade into the center to charge it, the four blade lightly touching one-another. And as the boys stood perfectly still, sweat dripping down their faces from the exertion of battle and of maintaining their blades' charge, a slight shuddering of the ground caught their attention.
"Oh my Guh..." Blue trailed off as he caught a glimpse of the source, of which being a giant of a man, clad in crude metal armor as he was flanked by similarly armored bandits. Snarling at the boys, the giant slowly pulled a rather dangerous looking blade, complete with a gruesome hook at the end, away from a sheath at his waist, and pointed it at them.
"GOOO!" the giant exclaimed as he raised his hooked blade into the air, watching as the bandits under his command instantly rushed towards the boys with thunderous roars.
"Now! Diamond Spin Attack!" Green shouted as the bandits were mere feet away. Just as the first Bandits raised their weapons to strike, the four heroes quickly moved as one cohesive unit, flooding the area with an immense, glistening rainbow shockwave that instantly struck down the majority of the bandits surrounding them. Gawking for a moment, the Giant bandit was speechless.
"BACK!" the giant ordered his surviving minions, few in number. As they piled up around the Giant, it was quickly apparent to everyone, the boys included, that the Bandits were in some serious trouble. Grumbling, the giant bandit pulled out a whistle and used it, only to climb aboard a cart pulled by a pair of horses. As the remaining bandits panicked and attempted to pile on, the horses panicked and bolted, ripping out of the bushes of the forest and up the path that winded alongside it and into the sunset, spilling a chest and a few bandits on the way who simply sprinted after their leader.
"Well that was… interesting. Was that rainbow...?" Vio wondered quietly, breaking the silence as he sheathed his sword after he was unable to notice any changes. Taking a quick breather, the boys took notice of the lone chest laying on it's back upon the path. Being the closest, Red immediately wandered over and flipped it over before flipping the lid over.
"Hey guys, they had a bunch of Red Potions! Most of them are broken from the fall, but I think a few potions survived, so there is enough for all of us!" Red informed the others as he hunched over the chest, pulling the surviving potions from amongst the broken glass and spilt Red Potion.
"Hey, that's great! Now we shouldn't have any problems with these woods!" Green exclaimed happily, pumping his free hand in the air as he began to slip his shield onto his back.
"Don't get over-confident, Green… Red Potion won't do you any good if you get killed." Vio replied darkly, causing a frown on Green's face while Red shivered at the thought.
"Loving the feel-good vibe there, Vio. Really, thanks for that." Blue grumbled as he snatched a Red potion tossed towards him from Red, making sure to tuck it away into his adventure pouch.
"Look, it's not like I WANT to be talking like this, but I just can't ignore the possibility--"
"Vio, I'm sorry, but I'm sure we're all kind of aware of the danger." Green explained, looking apologetic as he shrugged. Just as Vio was about to grumble, all remaining light from the sun disappeared in a sudden darkening, as the Moon took to it's own place at the opposite end of the sky, partnered by an ominous wolf howl.
"Aw, crud!" Blue blurted out, glancing towards the forest with a wary gaze as a light wind rustled the leaves of the trees.
"Should we maybe make camp and wait until the morning...?" Red asked the group, as the darkness inside the Lost Woods became all the more apparent as they peered into the trees, unable to see all that well.
"That lantern would be really handy right now..." Green thought out loud, frowning as nothing but pitch blackness further in greeted him.
"Well, Red has a good idea I suppose; we might as well make camp here and wait for morning..." Vio grumbled, glaring at the forest as it stood in it's seemingly self induced darkness before him.
"Alright, well, I'll go get some wood for-- " Red began to volunteer, before spotting a glow in the sky a distance away in the night sky, his actions perking the curiosity of the other three as they also looked towards it.
"What's that, there in the sky?" Red asked, unaware that the others had already begun watching it.
"I dunno, Vio? You're the egghead, any ideas?" Blue harassed Vio, smirking slightly as Vio growled.
"No idea. You're the voluntary cannon fodder aren't you? Why don't you go out and look?" Vio prodded in return, earning him a growl from Blue.
"Would you two quit bickering? We should spread out into the bushes here, so we can ambush whatever it is, assuming it's something from Vaati." Green suggested, thumbing towards the bushes as he looked behind him.
"Ack! Let's do hide quickly, that thing is moving really, really fast!" Red exclaimed, sprinting into the bushes as the edge of the Lost Woods. Glancing back, the boys were shocked to see the glow much larger, revealing a silhouette.
"Guys, you all really need to work on your hiding skills..." Rainbow Dash's voice called out from the air, garnering a collective sigh of relief from the four boys. As she landed, aided by a lantern being held by Fluttershy via her mouth, Green, Red, Blue, and Vio all approached the pair of pegasi.
"So did you find anything out in Hyrule Castle? Specifically, how he managed to bleed Princess Luna dry of her powers?" Vio asked, sheathing his Four Sword as he glanced between the two mares.
"Nothing concrete, just some vague mentions about the same sort of stuff happening in MORE ancient legends filled with MORE heroes. Seriously, you guys… are like, MAGNETS for this stuff, based on how much Twilight is spewing out about Hyrule's monsters and it's history." Rainbow Dash commented before fishing out a bright-pink, candy-coated letter, quickly handing it to Vio, who simply casted a confused stare towards the carrier, who shrugged in tandem and turned her own gaze towards Fluttershy.
"Mh? Hm." Fluttershy grunted softly upon noticing the attention. "S-sorry, uhm, Pinkie Pie wanted to give you four that key. She told me it unlocks her party supply shed, and you'll find something useful once we get to it." Fluttershy explained, pawing at the ground slightly. "S-she didn't, uhm, explain what was inside, exactly..."
"Heh, if I know Pinks at all, it'll probably be something that explodes." Rainbow Dash said with a chuckle, as Fluttershy giggled in tandem. "Anyways, were you guys about to head into the forest? It's lookin' pretty dark." Rainbow Dash pointed out as she waved a hoof towards it, not noticing the expression on Blue's face.
"Really? Hadn't noticed." Blue mumbled sarcastically, before Green spoke over him.
"Yeah, we were planning on it, but we kind of got in a little late and missed out on the sunlight to get through..." Green explained, frowning as he pointed towards the rising moon. "But, now that you two are here with a Lantern, we'll be able to get through in one piece!"
"If you two are here, where are the rest of you? Did something happen?" Vio finally edged in, his curiosity getting the better of him.
"Ah, nothing bad, really, they're still back in Hyrule castle getting Princess Luna ready to travel back home." Rainbow Dash explained, before quickly frowning slightly. "That, and one of your Oracle people wanted to talk to Apple Bloom, or something."
"Wait, one of the Oracles is talking to Apple Bloom? Which one?" Vio asked incredulously, obviously taken aback at the news.
"Uhh… I dunno, why?" Rainbow Dash asked, confused by the surprise of not only Vio, but of the other three hylian boys, as she glanced between the four of them, all of whom shared very similar surprised expressions.
"Well, considering the three Oracles almost never talk to anyone but Princess Zelda, each other, or the animals that live in the castle courtyard… getting summoned by one of the Oracles is a HUGE deal." Vio explained, still trying to comprehend what it was about the filly could possibly interest one of the Oracles so much.
"Don't forget, Farore spoke to us once!" Red offered as way of reminder. Blue simply snorted.
"Yeah, only because we protected our cousin. Not a peep since, and we're supposed to be the 'Legendary Hero'. Just goes to show how much of hermits the three of them've become."
"Hold up a sec, here, isn't Farore one of your Goddesses?" Rainbow Dash asked, surprising Fluttershy as she gave her a silent, amazed looked. "What? I pay attention to the stuff I read sometimes."
"Oh, I'm sorry Rainbow Dash, it's just, you normally only pay attention to books if it's about Daring Do.." Fluttershy apologized, pawing at the dirt trail nervously.
"Well, uhh, anyways… you're right, Farore is one of our Goddesses. All three of our Oracles are each named after one of the three Goddesses. I couldn't exactly tell you why, even I don't really know." Vio explained, crossing his arms and frowning. Just as a short silence fell over the group, Green broke the silence.
"Well, we're burning up time, let's get moving! To Ponyville!"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Well, it looks fine, Vio. I can't see any issues from here." Green said from his post at the doorway into Fluttershy's cottage. It had been a relatively short jaunt through both the Lost Woods and the Everfree Forest, but upon reaching the cottage on the way to Ponyville, the group realised that they were going to need supplies fairly quickly, as well as funds, so they made a quick stop to grab a map of Equestria, as well as letting Fluttershy grab her bag of bits.
"I still think taking that break was needless! You could have eaten the apple while walking." Vio admonished Green, who simply looked down at the doorsill in guilt.
"Do you see pillars of fire shooting out from Ponyville? Hear any shrieks and shouts from the Ponies indicating that demons from the underworld are running around?" Blue asked Vio, who simply shot a deadpan glare in his direction. "Exactly. Don't try and fix what isn't broken."
"Hey, Rainbow Dash, where is Pinkie Pie's shed?" Red asked, looking over the large key intently as he swung his legs around under his seat at the kitchen table.
"Eh, it's in the Alleyway behind Sugarcube Corner. Hard to miss, with the giant 'Party Supplies' sign plastered over it." Rainbow Dash answered, smacking her lips as she finished making a peanut butter and jam sandwich on the nearby counter.
"Rainbow Dash, where should we go and eat? Oh." Fluttershy suddenly spoke aloud, having come back down the staircase that led to the upper floor, only to notice Rainbow Dash with an open maw hovering over the sandwich. "Well, I guess you won't be needing breakfast."
"Heh, I COULD use some food right about now." Green smiled sheepishly, staring at the sandwich as his stomach gave a little gurgle. The other three boys simply nodded in unison as their stomachs offered similar noises. Fluttershy simply giggled.
"Wow, I didn't know the cafe opened so early! It's only, like, five in the morning!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed loudly, only blushing as she heard a series of bangs from window shutters slamming closed. Hearing a polite cough behind them, the group turned to see the ever-professional waiter pony standing before them.
"Ah, Madams, good morning, how may I help you all?"
"Wow, wow, wow, hold up, did you just call us four GIRLS?" Blue blurted out in a rage, fists balling up as he was being held back by Red and Vio. The waiter gasped deeply, before bowing his head.
"You have my SINCEREST apologies, sirs! Please forgive me for my ignorant assumptions, but I have never seen your kind before."
"Ah, don't worry about it, Mister, Blue here is just a hothead." Green explained, making sure to speak over Blue's grumbling.
"Nonetheless, I must apologize in proper! Name any food item, and I'll shall have it brought out to you post-haste." The waiter instructed, to which the four Links began to wonder.
"Didn't Apple Bloom say that her family's Apples are really good?" Red asked aloud, upon which the waiter's ears drooped dramatically.
"Ah… alas, we are completely out of apples from the Apple family..."
"Wha- huh? How could you be out of apples? Isn't Big Mac delivering them?" Rainbow Dash suddenly cut in, confused over the turn of events. But the waiter simply shook his head.
"No, Madam, he hasn't. We are not certain as to why, and I was about to go and inquire them about the cause of the delay." The waiter explained, seeming to grow irritated as he thought about the shortage.
"Oh, drat. I was looking forward to trying out some of their Apples… uh, do you guys have a menu, then? I can't really speak for the rest of the guys." Green requested, and sure enough, they found themselves seated inside the cafe, complete with menus.
As the boys looked through the list of breakfasts available, they became quickly aware of how difficult it was going to be to read Equestrian text, finding it quite foreign to them, and so simply opted for a giant fruit salad (Sans the apples, of course) to share amongst themselves and the two mares. As they quickly dug in with shocking speed, the waiter approached the table with another, smaller menu.
"And what would you all like to drink?" The waiter asked, and upon seeing the four boys hunch over their menus in deep concentration, he turned his attention to Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.
"Apple Cider for me, if ya got any left." Rainbow Dash answered quickly, handing over her menu with a wing to Fluttershy, who simply piled it upon her own.
"Earl Grey tea, please." Fluttershy said quietly, handing over the two menus to the waiter, who grasped it in his magic. "Boys? Is everything alright?"
"F-fine! Fine! Everything is okay, Uhm, w-we would like, uhh..." Vio blurted out, looking incredibly flustered as it appeared that he was floundering for a word, and instead opened to simply point out the large image of the fizzy drink that adorned the menu. "...this?"
"Ah, a morning glass of Sarsaparilla? Interesting choice, sirs! I shall have the drinks out shortly." The waiter bowed slightly, before grasping the remaining menus and wandering back into the kitchen, and Blue quickly rounded on him.
"I wanted that cool brown drink at the bottom of the menu! Don't go around making choices for me!" Blue snapped at the target of his annoyance, who simply harrumphed.
"Yeah, ‘cause you definitely knew what it was you'd have been getting! I didn't even know what I ordered for us until he said it's name!"
"What? You were going to get espresso? Kid, do you LIKE bouncing off of walls?" Rainbow Dash asked, looking at Blue with an incredulous stare.
"Uh, no? I think that's Red's deal, not mine." Blue offered with a blank expression, thumbing towards the subject at hand, who had begun launching small items across the room using his fork as a pseudo-siege engine. Fluttershy simply looked at the four boys for a moment, before a look of understanding appeared upon her face followed by some giggles.
"Oh, I'm sorry, but, none of you could read the menu, could you?" Fluttershy asked quietly, the four boys going rigid, only for Green to break.
"No, we couldn't… it's not that we can't read at all! We just couldn't understand that written language!" Green rushed to inform the two mares, who simply smiled in understanding.
"Hey, no worries. We couldn't even understand your world's writing until Twilight borrowed a dictionary and used a spell to translate it all in our heads on the fly. We'll just have to zap you with it, but the other way around… but that's only temporary." Rainbow Dash frowned slightly, happening to glance out the window and have her eyes land upon a particular building that sparked an idea.
"Hey… might be an idea to stop by the schoolhouse and see if Cheerilee has any books that might help you four out."
"So long as we don't have to stay in it for long..." Blue grumbled, viciously snatching a piece of watermelon from the salad and quickly gnawing on it.
"Well, this stinks." Green said suddenly, crossing his arms and frowning. While on their way to the Schoolhouse, they had made a short detour through the marketplace to visit the Apple family's stall, only to find it deserted, having apparently been in that state for a few days.
"Yeah, you're telling me! I was really looking forward-!" Red began to whine, before Green raised his hand and shook his head.
"No, I mean that something seems off." Green explained to Red, before turning his attention to Rainbow Dash. "Has 'Big Mac' been late often before?"
"I don't think he really ever has… except for those two different times Discord ran around town." The Rainbow Dash offered. Raising an eyebrow, Rainbow Dash cut in before Green could ask.
"Long explanation, we'll tell you about him later. But I'm basically saying almost nothing stops Big Mac from delivering on time."
"I think I see where Green is taking this..." Vio said quietly as he began glancing around.
"Oh well… let's stop by the Schoolhouse, anyways..." Red moaned, looking seriously down in the dumps over the lack of apples being available. As the group made the short trek towards the Schoolhouse, they could hear the sounds of children playing and laughing in the playground, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy became confused. Wandering around the side of the building, they found the source.
"Why are they all still playing outside? Class should have started by now..." Fluttershy spoke in a worried tone, only to be overheard by one of the little Pegasus colts playing, garnering his attention long enough to notice the two Mares at the gate entrance.
"Oh, hi Miss Fluttershy, hi Miss Rainbow Dash! Miss Cheerilee told us to come out here while she went over to Sweet Apple Acres to see why Apple Bloom hasn't been coming to school. I dunno what's taking her so long, though. Or Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, cause they went with her." The colt offered as way of explanation. Suddenly, something clicked within the four boy's heads simultaneously.
"Okay… which way is Sweet Apple Acres?" Green asked, noting the direction in which Fluttershy pointed with a hoof, her expression one of extreme worry. Before the four boys were able to get far in the direction, Rainbow Dash stopped them.
"Guys, before you go, we should stop at Pinkie Pie's shed. She may be random and a little wacko at times, but if she says she has something useful for you, it's best to trust her."
One street corner later, after leaving poor Fluttershy to look after the foals, Rainbow Dash and the four heroes came upon Sugarcube Corner. Quickly walking across the roadway towards the alley beside it, a sidelong glance indicated to Red an apparent lack of Apple based pastries, meaning to him that a great apple injustice was being committed. Big Mac MUST be hoarding all the apples to himself! As he glanced towards the ground in anger over the selfishness of the stallion, Blue let out a low whistle as the other three boys and Rainbow Dash crowded around the now open alley shed.
"What do we have here? Come to Papa!" Red could hear Blue exclaim, rustling with a small bag.
"What is it? Apples?" Red queried, stepping onto his toes in an attempt to get a better glimpse of what everyone was interested in.
"No, Red, BOMBS..." Blue corrected him, turning as he cradled one of the light blue death bringers in his hands, practically drooling. "Man, I can't wait to try-"
"'For Vio.'" Vio suddenly blurted out loud, having tilted his head and looked at the tag that happened to be dangling down from the rope used to tie the bag closed. "How...could she have even-?"
"Trust me, Vio? Don't question it. Even Twilight couldn't answer that one. Just accept it as 'Pinkie being Pinkie', and everything will be okay." Rainbow Dash sagely instructed, to which Vio slowly nodded. Blue simply pouted as he handed the small bomb back.
"Stupid things are tiny anyway, probably wouldn't even break glass." Blue grumbled as he glared at the ground. Vio simply sighed.
"Fear not, Blue. Maybe we'll find you something cool wherever Vaati is."
"Oh, you miscreants needn't have to look far for me." a smooth, spine-chilling voice called out from the mouth of the alleyway. As the five of them twisted around in haste, they came upon the sight of a pale skinned Hylian sorcerer, wearing a grin of twisted mirth as he chuckled at the group.
"V-Vaati? But you're-!" Vio stammered, surprised by the new form his enemy had taken. Vaati simply chuckled in reply before actually responding.
"Hylian? Close, but no. Technically the only surviving member of an ancient race that died off long ago. Thanks to these new, godly powers I've plundered, my memories of my life before taking on the form you saw before have begun to return, and as such, my ability to retain this form has, once again, become open to me."
Without warning, Red charged at Vaati and struck at him with a wild swing of the Four Sword, only for it to slide right through him and into the dirt ground below his feet. Vaati simply laughed.
"Insolent child! Did you honestly think I would appear unprepared against the Four Sword?"
"Hey! Give Princess Luna her powers back before I lay a beat down on ya, you creep!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, glaring and snorting in anger as she prepared to charge, pawing at the dirt in the alleyway.
"Are you honestly THAT dull witted? Or did you not notice how your compatriot here simply fell through me?" Vaati insulted the proud Pegasus, smirking as she simply gritted her teeth in anger.
"Now that the theatrics are over… I see that you've restored power to the Four Sword. In record time, I might add. Honestly, I'm impressed, I did quite a bit of damage to it's magic this time around." Vaati spoke smugly, crossing his arms as he smiled and glanced between each member of the group. He closed his eyes, however, and shook his head.
"Of course, it was probably the power of those trinkets you Ponies hauled around with you. I suppose I have only slightly more to concern myself over, at this point. Or Perhaps not." Vaati finished with a small laugh that could chill boiling water.
"W-what do you mean by that, huh?" Blue challenged Vaati, garnering the Sorcerer's complete attention.
"Ever the over-confident and rude fool, Blue. But I suppose I can explain." Vaati said with a nod of his head, casting his arms out to his side as a small gust of wind continually kicked a light amount of dust inside the alleyway.
"I'm sure, by now, you're all suspicious of the state of the farm and it's inhabitants and visitors, just outside of this pathetic little village? Yes, it has been seized. I won't drag this on in a guessing game, as much as I do love the occasional puzzle, but the culprit would indeed be me." Vaati said with a smirk, as his image floated up off the ground slightly.
"Now, I've been considering the fact that, while I am quite a bit more powerful than any other time I have raged across the lands, thanks to your keeper of the night, I am still able to find a weakness. Namely, that while in my current state, the Four Sword could do little to slay me, your Elements of Harmony are more than capable of rendering me quite vulnerable to that accursed blade's powers, what with being able to seal Luna's powers not too long ago." Vaati explained, clearly unhappy as he crossed his arms and frowned darkly, looking upon the group.
"So that was the scenario I have been attempting to find a manner of overcoming. And let me tell you, I found it rather grating. That is, until a few of my Moblins stumbled upon a quaint little apple farm, inhabited by none other than three of the four living family members of Honest Applejack's family? Quickly, I exerted my power and captured the three of them. Why? I think that is fairly obvious at this point in time." Vaati explained with sadistic glee.
"So I can use them to protect me against the use of the Elements of Harmony!"
"You sicken me...!" Green exclaimed harshly, drawing his Four Sword in a rage. Vaati simply laughed.
"That's not even the best part! Imagine my glee when a local teacher, the sister of Generosity and the biggest fan of Loyalty appeared, looking for little Applebloom!"
"S-Scootaloo! No!" Rainbow Dash cried, fear and adrenaline rushing into her system as she stared at the villain before her helplessly.
"Yes, Rainbow Dash. I have your precious Scootaloo. Now, I've said too much, so I'll leave you a message to share with your friends: 'Attempt to use the Elements of Harmony, and they all die.'" Vaati stated in a tone of finality. Looking between the enraged faces of his direct enemy, Vaati simply smiled.
"Now, that doesn't stop YOU boys from trying to save them. I'll give you four a fair chance, if you feel capable of defeating me. If you do, please, come and join me and my minions at the farm. I'll be sure to greet you in a manner befitting your place in my heart." Vaati goaded the four boys, before disappearing into the gust like dust, his laughter still faint in the air.
"No! Get back here you monster!" Rainbow Dash shrieked, diving past the boys and towards Vaati's last position as he finished turning into a dark dust. When she landed and fell onto her stomach, she dropped her head into her outstretched forelegs and simply lay there for a moment. As Red approached her, she quickly stood up, sniffling.
"I'm… sorry guys. But I can't help with my element, I guess… which is kind of weird, considering by Loyalty's very nature, I should be. I-it's just..." Rainbow Dash struggled, opting to not look at the boys as she was tearing up.
"Rainbow Dash… we understand, Don't worry. Even though it's an obvious trap he's laid, I think Vaati has overlooked a key point in the relationship forged between the Elements of Harmony and the Four Sword." Vio explained, walking up on Rainbow Dash's right side. As she turned and looked at him with a pair of wet, confused eyes, he elaborated.
"Vaati himself said it: the Four Sword's magic was restored with the magic from the Elements of Harmony. And in doing so, I think part of it's magic was imbued in the Four Sword."
"Imbued...? What do you mean? The Four Sword acts like a miniature version of the Elements?" Rainbow Dash asked, intrigued. Turning to look at the others, Vio gave them all a smile and a nod, the three of them returning the gesture as they pulled out their blades and exited the alleyway, Rainbow Dash following them out of intrigue.
"Alright, Diamond Formation! Charge blades!" Green shouted in the street, startling the ponies gathered on it as they went about their day. As they all watched, the swords that the boys held within the center of their formation began to glow and arc with what looked like an electric rainbow.
"Now! Diamond Spin Attack!" Green shouted, and the four boys gave a war cry as they spun in a wide arc, a circle of pure Rainbow magic bursting out and harmlessly phasing through the nearby buildings and ponies as it gave them a sense of warmth. Rainbow Dash simply stared in awe, as the dazzling colors of the rainbow magic shot out for a distance around the boys before dissipating.
A few minutes later, the boys and Rainbow Dash found themselves just outside of Ponyville again, on the road that led to Sweet Apple Acres, holding a quick discussion.
"So, like I said, I'm gonna go back into the Everfree and find everypony and warn 'em about what Vaati is up to. You guys get in there, kick some monster flank, and save everypony on the farm, okay?" Rainbow Dash rehearsed, flexing her wings as she prepared to fly away.
"You make it sound like this is gonna be hard..." Blue joked, shuffling his shield into a more comfortable position within his grip as Rainbow Dash gave a quiet chuckle. Lifting off the ground, Rainbow Dash stayed for a moment to look the boys over.
"Just… be careful, okay guys? Last thing I need is for Rarity to lose it on me because her little sister is kidnapped and I got you guys hurt trying to save her." Rainbow Dash asked, a little calmer when each one of them nodded silently. Watching her fly away for a short moment, the four boys quickly entered into a jog as they made their way towards Sweet Apple Acres.
As they silently continued their journey, a large, red barn began to come into view, flanked by a farmhouse and rolling hills filled with apple trees surrounding the area.
"So, you've come… foolish children!" Vaati's demonic voice boomed out from behind them, as a massive gust of wind that sent the four heros sprawling. Looking up, they all quickly came upon the sight of Vaati's familiar form of a giant, demonic eyeball.
"Give us back our friends!" Red shouted at the familiar shape, getting up from the dirt path with sword in hand. Vaati simply laughed at the display.
"Gwoh hoh hoh! Yes, I suppose I can show you your precious 'friends' one last time..." Vaati mused, and with a plume of dark smoke blasting forth from the ground underneath him appeared the captives, tied up to poles that had been imbedded into the ground.
"Ha! See, you giant eyeball! I TOLD you Link was coming to save us! He's a Knight of Hyrule!" Scootaloo suddenly declared, having caught sight of Green and promptly began celebrating her personal victory.
"Yeah, uh, all… four of him?" Sweetie Belle ended with a question, eying each of the different colored boys in front of her.
"G-girls, please! Quiet down, don't draw attention to yourselves!" frantically exclaimed a mare, who featured a red-purple hair coat and mane of two alternating tones of a light pink, and a trio of smiling flowers as her cutie mark.
“You boys need ta’ take off and get ta’ safety!” a large, red stallion shouted at them from his position high up on the pole, grunting as he struggled against his bindings.
"EHH? Whosit-?" An elderly, lime green mare suddenly shouted aloud, as if waking from a nap. "Mah Celestia, you sure are a big feller, ain'tcha? Are you the stallion mah oldest Granddaughter keeps yammerin' on about?" she asked, looking up towards Vaati, as the flying demon simply stared back incredulously, unable to think of a proper reply. Closing his lone eye and sighing in annoyance, Vaati turned his attention back onto the four boys.
"... Moving on, I believe it's about time for this charade to come to completion, wouldn't you agree?"
"I couldn't agree more, Vaati. It's time you went down like the spawn of Tartarus you are!" a familiar voice rang out behind the boys, and as they turned their heads, they came face-to-face with an enraged Celestia.
"Ahh… Princess Celestia. I'm glad you could finally join us during this special moment of my own glorious victory." Vaati gloated in amusement, followed by further cackling from the demon.
"The only thing you'll be achieving is an eternity in an endless void, demon!" Celestia declared, splaying her wings out as she prepared for a fight.
"Gwoh hoh hoh! Look at this, everypony! Your precious Goddess of the Sun thinks herself capable of defeating me!" Vaati cackled, before glaring towards the combined threat before him. "You lack the Elements of Harmony, and as such the Four Sword is powerless before me!"
"Vaati, you've failed to take into account the type of magic that now powers the Four Sword! A fatal mistake that you won't survive to correct!" Vio suddenly declared, quickly charging his sword as he charged towards the monster, the sight of the Rainbow Magic flowing around it seemingly unphasing Vaati.
With a war cry, Vio leapt into the air and unleashed a spin attack upon the face of Vaati, a cry of surprise emanating out of Vaati as Vio landed just underneath him with a victorious smirk. And then Vaati laughed.
"Fools! Did you honestly expect the meager level of Rainbow Magic contained inside that cursed blade to be capable of stopping me?" Vaati asked the party before him, Vio having quickly jumped back and out from underneath him. Suddenly a wind began to howl harshly, as Vaati glared in unbridled rage at his foes.
"You are naught but candlelight to the wind! And when I snuff you all out, true darkness will reign in a manner of which that pathetic cur Nightmare Moon could only DREAM of!" Vaati declared, his voice echoing over that of the massive twister that formed atop the four boys, quickly picking them up much to their surprise. Reaching out, Vio managed to grab hold of Celestia's outstretched foreleg and held on for dear life, the pair of them only able to watch in horror as Vaati vanished into thin air and the twister began to carry away Green, Red, and Blue.
"SWEETIE BELLE! SCOOTALOO!" the captured mare shrieked, able to do nothing except watch the two fillies get sucked out of their bindings and into the twister as well. And just as suddenly as it appeared, the twister disappeared, leaving behind only the faint, fading sounds of the screams of the terrified children it had stolen as they were flung far across Equestria.
The cry of Celestia's despair could be heard across Equestria.
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Ok, I have to admit, this has really gotten me thinking, and I can't wait to see where this fic will go on from here!
I have a question, though: Did you plan on going Four Swords Style from the beginning, or did it evolve from the way your readers imagined link to be Toon Link?
Also, do I sense a little bit of a reference to a certain Four Swords video, found in each of the Links' Personalities?
i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff26/marvlove/dancingwhiteninja.gif
Which Zelda is this set in? Is it independent of the timeline? Perhaps it is a continuation?
Going to Falo this.
....Four Swords...Majora's Mask...Ocarina of Time... And I'm pretty sure there's another couple references ahead for us...What...the...hell....So much LInk-ity goodness....
3518639
Yes, it was going to be Four Swords style right from the start.
Also, Four Swords video? Well, is I'm assuming right, you're talking about the Four Swords Manga...in which you'd be totally right that their personalities are influenced by it, but only to a certain point. More on that to come.
Hmm I had an idea for a Zelda crossover. With Equestria having lots of fantasy elements it fits nicely.
Might have to read this story soon and see how my ideas compare to the authors. :)
I have a fic like this.
I believe the Diamond Formation Spin Attack's name is "Super Spin Attack" and I think that "Harmonic Magic" would be a better name for the type of magic the Elements of Harmony make.
Holy cow, guys. I wasn't expecting even this level of attention from a single, extremely late update.
But hey, not gonna see me complaining. I'm sure the same goes for Nihatclodra.
Now link be getting bowz and a fewz of
containers
Link clearly has never heard of clop before.
4492932 i think link means how would it work because vatie was a giant tentacle monster at the time and did not know vatie could shrink :P