Link wakes up in Equestria as a pony. He's lost the Master Sword, the Ocarina of Time, and Navi is nowhere to be seen. On the bright side....now Epona can talk.
Link wakes up in the middle of a field outside of Ponyville. He has no idea of how he got there--last he remembers he was in Hyrule. But with barely an explanation, he's plunged into a crazy adventure with his newfound friends--an adventure that will save Equestria.
The creaking song of crickets punctuated the hazy, summer-like feel of the air. The sky above was deep blue, deeper than a river, deeper than a sapphire. Spatters of fluffy clouds drifted lazily through this endless expanse of blue, occasionally shedding small wisps of white.
Link blinked.
That was all he could see right now—the sky, the clouds, the overwhelming brightness.
No wait...there was more.
Now a butterfly flickered aimlessly into his range of vision, it’s vibrantly amythest wings reflecting the sunlight and making him squint painfully.
After the insect vanished, Link let out a shaky, painful groan, making an attempt to raise himself to a sitting position.
Why did he feel so…...weird?
His senses finally seemed to be clearing, and he registered the fact that he was lying in the middle of some sort of grassy meadow. He wasn’t far from what looked like a town, the faint breeze carrying the creak of wagon wheels and babble of voices, even from this distance.
His thoughts were still foggy, but it came to him that this far from a town, monsters usually lurked. The significant lack of a familiar weight on his back told him his sword was missing, as well as his shield.
I lost the Master Sword? He thought, shaking his head in attempt to clear it. That’s really not good. I need to hurry and get to the town before danger strikes.
However, when Link made a valiant effort to stand, his legs buckled and he crashed back to the ground.
Muttered a curse under his breath, he looked up from where he’d face-planted in the grass. What was wrong?
He glanced down at himself, wondering why exactly his limbs felt all wrong and his center of gravity had changed and why….well, why he couldn’t even stand on his own two feet anymore.
His jaw dropped.
Where he was used to seeing….well, his own body, he seemed to have taken on an equine form. His arms and legs had turned into four furry, hoofed limbs. His tunic was still in place, but his inventory pouch seemed to have turned into some type of saddlebag.
SWEET HYLIA WHY AM I A HORSE? He thought, leaping to his feet—er, hooves. Now that he knew...well, what was wrong, he seemed to be able to keep his balance. Wobbling slightly, he balanced on his back legs….all four felt unnatural.
Something was seriously wrong here. He needed to figure out what was happening…..now. This was all way too strange.
What was his last memory? How had he ended up here?
He remembered…..riding Epona. It was just another day, and he had been galloping through Hyrule Field. He was heading for Zora’s Domain, wanting to talk to King Zora about...something. Everything was fuzzy…..it was hard to remember.
There had been some unexpected lightning storm….well, not totally unexpected, as Hyrule was prone to strange and unforseen weather. There’d been lightning all around, striking the ground near them….Epona had panicked….then after that it was all darkness.
Link had a feeling that if his mind didn’t feel like it was wrapped in cotton, he could focus better. Also, he needed to get to the town before he was attacked.
He set off at a hasty clip, although it felt quite strange walking on hooves instead of the two feet he was used too. Maybe he could find someone there who would help him with…...whatever had happened.
As he approached the town, however, he became more and more confused.
It didn’t look like any town in Hyrule that he knew of…..in fact, it had to be one of the strangest towns he’d ever seen. Well, perhaps not the strangest. But it was certainly something he’d never seen beofre.
He was about on the outskirts of the place now, and he still hadn’t caught sight of anyone else. Not a single other person was within sight, despite the cries of the busy marketplace ringing through the streets.
“OH. MY. CELESTIA.”
A sudden, shocked-sounding cry made him spin around, automatically reaching for his sword….except he didn’t have it anymore. He’d faced thieves before, and he wasn’t unused to meeting unsavory characters in alleyways such as this. He was sure that even without his weapons, he could hold his own in a fight.
Now that he was facing whoever had shouted, he realized that perhaps he wouldn’t need to fight. The creature in front of him looked quite like his current form—it, too, was a horse….except...not.
It had a vibrant green coat, pale blue mane streaked with white, and, of all things, a short spiraled horn protruding from it’s forehead.
It stared at Link with an expression of shock and excitement that bordered on mania.
“Can….I help you?” Link asked, his voice cracking with disuse. It made him realize he didn’t know how long it had been since he last spoke.
“WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT HUMANS?” The strange, horse-like creature flung herself bodily at him, crashing into him and knocking him down from his already precarious perch. “ARE YOU A HUMAN???? YOU WILL TELL ME RIGHT NOW!”
Link let out a loud cry of surprise, scrambling backwards over the ground as the green horse advanced menacingly.
“Don’t go!” The creature begged. “TELL ME EVERYTHING YOU KNOW!!!!”
Naturally, at that, Link fled.
This time he opted to stand on all four hooves, as that was what the horse creature had been doing. Whyon earthwas she so ridiculously obsessed with humans? He was a Hylian anyway, not a human. Why was she a horse as well? He had so many questions that weren’t getting answered….
Once a safe distance from the overexcited green creature, he paused to get his breath back. He was surprised at the rate at which he was able to cover the ground—it was almost like riding Epona, except he was just running by himself. Had this new form enhanced his natural abilities?
“SURPRISE!”
For yet the second time that day, Link nearly jumped out of his skin.
The vibrant pink horse in front of him had an unbelievably curly, snarled mane and was...grinning. Why was she grinning? It looked so unnatural on an equine’s face. She shouldn’t be grinning. HORSES SHOULDN’T BE ABLE TO GRIN!
“Sorry, silly, did I scare you?” The horse giggled, causing Link’s focus to snap away from his mental breakdown and back to her. “Hi! My name is Pinkie Pie. Are you new here?”
Pinkie….what? Pinkie Pie? Why did the world no longer make sense.
“Hellloooo! Do you speak, strange pony I just met inside this dark alleyway?”
A….pony? Was that what he was…...what this creature and the other was?
Strange.
He’d seen ponies at Lon Lon Ranch, but never in this eyeball-achingly vibrant color. Nor with such an...um….squishy body. Also, last he checked, the ponies in Hyrule couldn’t talk.
“Hmmm. Okay, then. Can I guess your name? Silent Greeny! Greeny Shutmouth! Um….Mystery Green! Ooh, I like that one do you like that one? So, Mystery Green, I need to throw a ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party for you! So ahead of time, WELCOME TO PONYVILLE!”
Completely overwhelmed by this energetic, bouncy...pony, if that's what she was….Link galloped away again.
What was with this town?
And what on earth was going on?
“Hey, are we playing tag?” The pink pony appeared in front of him, as if she’d bent space and time, again with that disturbing grin on her face.
Link gave a strangled yelp, backpedaling furiously, and caught sight of the manic green pony in the background, galloping towards them.
He spun around, dashing in a direction that pointed away from both the green and pink ponies.
He had positively no idea what those two wanted, but it definitely couldn’t be good. He needed to find someone sane in this town….someone who could help him.
His path of flight took him into what seemed to be the town square—a large, paved courtyard with a fountain in the center. It reminded him vividly of Hyrule Castle Town, his gaze following the fountain as he dodged around it.
His preoccupation cost him, and he slammed into someone in his way.
The pony he’d hit let out a yelp of surprise and pain, falling over and scattering her armload of books on the street.
“Oh!” Link looked up from his new seat on the hard ground, rubbing his head. “I’m sorry—let me help you!”
The pony, one with a purple coat, a horn, and…..were those wings? Well,never mind that that right now…..blinked as Link started gathering the spilled books for her.
“Oh—thank you.” She said.
“Hey, Mystery Green! Are you it, or am I? You have to set out the rules before you start playing, silly!”
“YOU WILL TELL ME EVERYTHING.”
At the call of those two voices, Link froze, his face set in an almost comical expression of pure terror.
“Um….” The purple pony looked between Link’s face and the two new ponies behind him. “Are you okay…?”
Link didn’t respond.
“Okay.” She sighed, rubbing the point of her muzzle with a hoof. “What’s going on now?”
“He knows.” The green pony raved, a sort of mad glint in her eye. “He knows, princess. And I’m going to find out.” “Clarification, Lyra, if you please.” The purple princess pony rolled her eyes. “What does he know?”
“Humans.” That one word was enough to make the princess slam a hoof into her forehead, groaning.
“Well, we were just playing tag, Twilight!” Pinkie Pie said innocently, bouncing up and down. She seemed to possess this kind of boundless energy, and couldn’t hold still.
Princess Twilight gave a long, patient sigh.
“First of all, Lyra.” She said evenly. “Humans. Do. Not. Exist.”
“But-but—he was walking—!”
“No. They’re not real, okay? Just fantasies. Now please….stop annoying this poor stallion.”
“But—”
“Lyra! Please!”
Lyra subsided, slinking away, but not without a fair share of dirty looks and muttering.
“Okay, Pinkie, what do you want?” Twilight asked.
“I just want to throw a ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party for the new guy!” Pinkie said, bouncing up and down on one leg.
“Oh, right.” Twilight turned to Link, who was standing with an awkwardly held armful of Twilight’s books, completely lost as to what just happened. “What’s your name?”
“What? Oh, it’s Link.” He said.
There was a moment of awkward silence.
“Link….” Twilight said, waving a hoof. “Link what?”
“Just….Link.” He said.
“Well then, welcome to Ponyville, Link!” Pinkie Pie leapt upwards, throwing her forelegs wide and scattering confetti through the air. Confetti that she’d seemed to pull from nowhere.
“Um…..right.”Link said, handing Twilight her books back. “Could someone kindly point me to the nearest inn?” “The nearest what?” Pinkie asked, looking confused.
“‘Inn’ is an old word for hotel.” Twilight explained to her energetic friend. “And if you’re looking for hotels, there are two of most significance in Ponyville. There’s the Mareiot hotel, but if you’re looking for something more fun and foal-friendly, there’s always Great Horse Lodge.”
Link blinked, looking utterly confused.
“Oh…kay...” Twilight said, rolling each syllable over her tongue. “I can show you to Mariot hotel, if you like...”
“Oh! Um,no, it’s fine.” Link said politely, stepping back. “I can just find it on my map. Thank you for your help!” He craned his neck to the side, flipping the saddlebag open, and pulled out a scroll of parchment. After unrolling it, he frowned at what it seemed to entail.
“Something wrong?” Twilight asked.
“My map...isn’t working.” Link said, turning it upside down to look at it from that angle.
Twilight and Pinkie exchanged looks.
Pinkie twirled a hoof in circles next to her head, indicating the universal sign for “crazy”. Out of the corner of his eye, Link noticed their confusion, and decided to explain.
“I have a map that’s enchanted.” He said. “Whenever I come to a new place, it automatically documents it. But now….” He lifted the piece of paper to show what seemed to be a blind earth pony’s attempt at a portrait of Discord’s head while the god was sneezing.
In other words….she couldn’t make heads or tails of it. It was a giant, scrawly mess of ink.
“There may be something wrong with the spell used on it.” Twilight suggested. “If you like, I can try running a magical scan and see if the problem can be fixed.”
“You can do magic?” Link said hesitantly.
“Um….well, yeah.” Twilight frowned, raising an eyebrow. “I’m an Alicorn. Anypony with a horn can do magic...”
Link nodded, handing the map over, eyeing her horn curiously. Twilight squirmed, a little uncomfortable with the scrutiny, but then tore her focus away from him and centered it on the map.
Her horn lit up with a sparkling magenta aura, and she focused it into a wide beam of colored light. This spotlight moved back and forth over the surface of the paper, piercing through the intricate levels of the spell as she searched for abnormalities. But then...something happened.
A strange sensation gripped her, like plants entwining around her horn, trying to worm their way into her mind. The invisible vines tightened their grip, yanking on Twilight’s horn like they were going to rip it out of her head.
Twilight cried aloud in pain, breaking the spell.
There loud crackling noise, a flash of sparks, and a burst of light exploded between the princess and the map, throwing each backwards.
“Twilight!” Pinkie cried, bouncing over to her fallen friend. Link ran over the where the map lay on the ground, perfectly unharmed, and stuffed the offending item into his saddlebag. Then he galloped over to Twilight’s prone form.
She lay spreadeagled on the ground, her mane sticking on end, eyes wide with shock and wisps of steam curling off her horn.
“I’m so sorry.” Link apologized profusely. “Are you okay? I honestly had no idea that would happen.”
“Neither did I. I’ve never felt magic like that before.” Twilight’s expression was dazed. “Where in Equestria did you get that?”
“What?” Link asked, startled at this abrupt change of subject.
“Where did you get that? It was a new form of magic!” Twilight said again, trying to her eyes to focus.
“Um….a friend.” Link said, keeping his words vague.
“Yeah, but who?” Twilight pressed, her curiosity temporarily overpowering her sense of respect for others.
Link blinked at this sudden interrogation, taking a step back.
“I’d….rather not mention it right now.” He said slowly.
Twilight sighed, getting unsteadily to her hooves. Pinkie Pie, as usual, bounced up and down.
“Now can we throw a party?” She begged.
“Well, about that.” Link hedged. “I thank you for the offer, but….I’m afraid I do not have time for play right now. I have to find out where I am.”
“Oh!” Twilight said. “Well, thisis Ponyville.”
“…..where’s that?” Link asked.
Twilight raised an eyebrow.
“Equestria…?” She offered.
“...right.” Link said. “And where, exactly, is that?”
“Geezy wheezy, Linky.” Pinkie Pie said, balancing on her forelegs. “Where did you come from?”
“I’m from the land of Hyrule.” Link informed them.
“Well, that’s a funny name.” Pinkie giggled. “Where is High Rules? Is there a Low Rules?”
“I...what?”
“Well, High Rules sounds like a BIIIG place!”
“It...is...”
“Does it have a lot of rules? It sounds like it does!”
“Um…..”
“How do you get around in High Rules?”
“Well, you see—” Link started, then he suddenly jumped, craning his neck around and digging frantically through his saddlebags.
He looked up, panicking, and scanned the ground nearest to them.
“Hey, is something—?” Twilight started, but was cut off as he dashed away.
“Hey! Wait up! I want to hear more about High Rules!” Pinkie galloped after him.
Twilight sighed, staring at the books she was supposed to deliver to her personal library.Well, this stallion had a new form of magic. She could come back for the books, but this stallion might disappear forever.
She stacked her precious cargo in a sheltered corner of the square, then ran after Link and her friend.
He actually left the town, leading them to the middle of one of the many meadows that surrounded Ponyville. He dug desperately through the grass, ripping up clumps of knotted green roots clotted with dirt.
“What..was....” Twilight gasped, bending over as her chest heaved, exhausted from the sudden mad dash. Pinkie Pie was unaffected, but she was Pinkie Pie, and Twilight was surprised that Link hadn’t even seemed to break a sweat. “W-what is going on? What’s wrong?”
“I dropped something really important.” Link muttered in a distracted manner, continuing his mad search. “I absolutely need it.”
“Well, what did you drop?” Twilight sighed.
“My ocarina!”
“Your oca-who whatty what pineapples what now?” Pinkie asked.
“What...who...where….Where did you get pineapples?” Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow. Pinkie merely shrugged, looking as lost as Twilight was.
Link stopped tearing up the meadow, running a dirt-covered hoof through his blond mane.
“Quick question—why is this ocarina thing so important to you?” Twilight asked.
“It’s….a little bit complicated.” Link sighed. “But I absolutely need it.”
“Okay.” Twilight tapped a hoof to her chin, seemingly in thought. “Do you think you may have dropped it in town?”
“Maybe?” Link said. “But I didn’t remember seeing it on the way back.”
“You were running like the wind.” Twilight said. “How could you have seen it anyway?”
“It’s purple.” Link shrugged. “It’s rather eye-catching.”
“HEY GUYS!” Pinkie Pie yelled, making them both jump. “Did you two notice there’s a body lying in the grass here?”
“A what?” Twilight yelped. The two trotted over to where Pinkie was bouncing up and down.
There was, in fact, the limp form of a pony lying on the ground. She was quite larger, larger than Link or any of the others. Her creamy white mane was in shambles, her tan-colored coat streaked with grass stains. She had a white blaze on her muzzle, and socks of the same color on every hoof.
She looked so...familiar.
“Wait a second….” Link gasped. “Epona?”
The pony twitched, her dark brown eyes flickering open. She let out a moan, rolling over, and her confusion-blurred gaze met Link’s.
“Epona?” Link said again, trying to make sense of what he was seeing.
The pony who looked so much like his horse squinted, as if trying to recognize Link. Then her eyes flew wide open, and her jaw dropped.
And then….well, then she started screaming.
She looked at Link and screamed. She looked at Twilight and Pinkie Pie and screamed. She looked at the surroundings and screamed. She looked at herself and screamed. She screamed at her ability to scream.
At this point, Link decided to take action before his eardrums burst.
He dug desperately through his saddlebag, then stuffed a carrot in her mouth. Her screams stifled, Epona sat up, chewing furiously. Her eyes were still wide with shock, darting wildly from pony to pony.
After swallowing, she took a deep breath.
“You...horse...” She stuttered. “What...I...horse...I…” She looked like she was about to dissolve into screams again, so Link crammed another carrot into her mouth.
This one she chewed a lot slower, though still with a breathless air of shock. After devouring this vegetable, she seemed to be slightly calmer.
“Link….” She said slowly. “Just how long have you had those carrots?”
“…….what?” Link asked, surprised at the question.
“Those carrots.” Epona repeated. “They’re a little stale. How long have you had them?”
Link shrugged. Epona made a face, running a tongue over her teeth.
“Okay, what?” Twilight chose this moment to jump in. “How exactly do you know her?”
“Um...to be honest, it’s kind of a long story.” Link said. “But…..where I come from, she’s a horse.”
“Oooh! Oooh! I know what a horse is! They’re like bugbears, but purple!” Pinkie asked.
“Um...not even gonna ask.” Epona blinked. “But they’re kind of like you. Just bigger….and less colorful...and they can’t tal—sweet Hylia, I can talk. I can….talk. I can talk, Link! I CAN TALK!”
“Yes.” Link sighed, rubbing his ringing ears. “You can talk.”
“What in Celestia’s name is going on?” Twilight moaned.
“Yeah, I’m not entirely sure myself.” Link sighed.
“Where are we?” Epona asked, scrambling to her hooves.
“Random question.” Link said, eyeing her. “Have you always been this….intelligent? I mean, I know horses are intelligent, but...I mean...like this intelligent.”
Epona frowned, pondering the answer.
“I honestly don’t know.” She confessed. “I mean...I remember all these things from adventuring with you. But I don’t remember...ever realizing they existed. It’s strange. Like…my senses are suddenly so much sharper and clearer. I can..understand your voice. And...well, it’s complicated.”
“Huh.” Link frowned thoughtfully.
“Raise your hoof if you’re totally lost!” Pinkie said, bouncing up and down with her hoof in the air.Twilight raised her hoof.
“Sorry.” Link chuckled. “I realize this is the most unsatisfactory answer ever, but….it’s hard to explain.”
“Where are we?” Epona asked again. “Link, have you checked your map yet?”
“Well...I did, but the map isn’t working.” Link said. “Apparently we’re near Pony Village in the land of Equestrian. But other than that...I have no idea how to get back to Hyrule.”
“And what about warping songs?” Epona asked, brushing a hoof over her disheveled mane. “Have you tried those?”
“Well, about that….” Link trailed off, wincing in anticipation for what would surely come next. “I sort of….lost the Ocarina of Time.”
“You WHAT?” Epona yelled, making everyone flinch. “Link, how could you! That’s the sacred instrument of the royal family you justhappened to misplace! Princess Zelda basically trusted you with her life when she gave you that! How did you even manage to lose it?”
“You know, I think I liked it better when you couldn't talk.” Link mumbled, rubbing his ringing ears.
“It’s a good thing I can!” Epona said furiously. “Otherwise you would—”
“….what?” Link asked once she stopped abruptly. “You would what?”
“Sssh!” Epona hissed, her ears twitching.
She suddenly whirled around and faced towards the town, every muscle in her body tense.
“Hey, are you okay?” Pinkie asked.
“Mmm? Oh, yeah, I’m fine.” Epona said, a distracted air about her words. “It’s just….someone’s playing my song.”
“Wait….really?” Link gasped. “How? How would anyone here even know you’re song?”
“I don’t know.” Epona murmured. She stretched her neck out, sniffing the wind, looking as if she desperately wanted to run away. “But what if it’s the ocarina?”
“It...actually might be.” Link said. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw both Twilight and Pinkie Pie exchange helpless, confused looks.
“Should I...follow it?” Epona asked.
“Go for it.” Link sighed. “Nothing to lose either way.”
Epona nodded, kicking up her heels, and galloped away. Link followed her, though behind, as it seemed there was no way he could even come close to matching her speed.
After a second, the beating of hooves on ground behind Link told him that the princess and her friend were probably following them. He felt bad for not being able to give them satisfactory explanations for everything that was happening, but…..
Would they even believe him if he told them?
Epona’s wild path of flight lead them towards the town again, unsurprisingly, but she veered away from entering it directly. Instead she ran towards a small, strange-looking cottage on the outskirts of the place. It’s strangest feature was it’s paint job—one side of the house was purple, the other a plain tan. Even the roof was thatched with different types of straw, one half of it being darker than the other.
“Hey!” Pinkie’s voice called out, hard to hear over the thunder of hooves. “That’s Octavia’s house. Her half-sister, Vinyl Scratch, lives with her there.”
“Strange.” He heard Twilight murmur. “Why would those two come here?”
Once again, Link wished he had an explanation to offer. But in this case, he himself had not even an inkling of knowledge as to what was happening.
“It’s definitely coming from here.” Epona said, screeching to a stop on the dirt path. Clouds of dust rose from beneath her, making Link cough as he came up beside her.
He stumbled, cursing his newly four-legged state. He wasn’t a stranger to crawling through tunnels when it was needed, but this was an entirely different sensation in itself.
Epona approached the front of the cottage, preparing to knock.
Without warning, a storm erupted in the sky above them, drenching them in an instant. Rain poured down like a waterfall, the rippled waves of dark clouds flickering with ice-blue lightning.
At the sudden booms of thunder, Epona gave a startled yelp, diving beneath the nearest bush and throwing her arms over her head.
“Where did that come from?” Twilight yelped. A strange shield of sparkling magenta appeared above her and Pinkie Pie, splitting the downpour and protecting the two.
Link shook his head, his sodden blond bangs flopping obnoxiously in his face. He was no stranger to harsh weather, and this sudden tempest was no different than millions of others he’d faced in Hyrule.
“Epona.” He sighed, fruitlessly trying to wring water out of his tunic. “Honestly?”
Epona’s only answer was a stifled whimper, barely able to be heard.
“Come on….” Link coaxed. “I have more carrots….”
The bush rustled, indicating Epona’s shifting position.
“I promise they’re...at least….sort of fresh-ish.” Link said. “Come on out. I promise you won’t get struck by lightning.”
The tip of Epona’s muzzle appeared from the bush’s rain-drenched leaves.
“Come on...” Link stepped backwards, holding out one of the vegetable in question.
Epona exhaled slowly, slinking out of the bush, and snapped the treat off Link’s hoof.
“For the record…..no one else is ever going to know about that, okay?” She mumbled, spitting shreds of orange.
“Yes. Whatever you say.” Link sighed. “Are you okay now?”
Epona nodded, licking her lips, and Link moved his hoof up to knock.
“Wait a second!” Epona slapped his hoof away, seconds before he hit the door.
“Ow, Epona.” Link complained, rubbing the bruise that was now forming. “What ever was that for?”
“Hey! Listen!” Epona ordered.
Link made a noise that was part sigh, part groan, then did as she commanded.
Thought it was hard to hear over the din of the storm, he could faintly hear airy musical notes being played—a song he definitely recognized as the melody that could control weather. The rainstorm above them dispersed as quickly as it had formed, leaving four sopping ponies standing in the sunshine.
“Yes!” Link cried triumphantly. “They definitely have the ocarina!”
“How do they know the songs?” Epona wondered.
“That’s….a fair point.” Link realized, tapping a hoof to his chin. “How do they know the songs?” “Hey, there’s another one.” Epona said, her voice dwindling to a whisper as the quiet strains of another tune reached their ears.
This song Link knew quite well, having composed it himself. As the piece drew to a close, it was accompanied by sudden and loud yelps of surprise from within.
“A scarecrow probably just sprouted from their floor.” Link noted. “May I knock now?”
“Sure.” Epona moved away. “We know for sure that they have the ocarina now!”
“Well, one can only hope.” Link knocked on the door.
Within a few seconds, it was opened by a pony with a creamy white coat, curly blue and pink mane, and turquoise eyes that were lined with exhaustion.
“Oh, hello, princess.” She said, addressing Twilight first. “Hello, Miss Pie. Hello...stranger. How can I help you?”
“Hello, Bon Bon. It’s nice to see you. We think someone here might have something of his.” Twilight said, pointing a hoof at Link.
“Is it that strange musical instrument?” Bon Bon said bluntly, skipping the pleasantries.
“Maybe? Actually, most likely.” Twilight said. Link tried offering a smile to support her claim.
Without another word, Bon Bon stepped aside, gesturing for them to come in.
The inside of the house was just as strange as the outside. Once again, it was cut abruptly in half, half the floor being black carpet, the other beige hardwood. The purple-walled side was a mess, scattered with records, pieces of recording equipment, and electronic instruments. The other part was as opposite as it could possibly be—impeccably clean floors, tastefully arranged furniture, and a double bass leaning against a corner wall.
Three ponies were standing in the middle if the house, grouped around a straw-stuffed scarecrow that had somehow sprouted from the hardwood. One pony had a light gray coat and dark gray mane, one other was another horned pony with a white coat and electric blue mane, and the last was the insane green pony….Lyra. At the sight of this last one, Link wanted to dive behind the nearest piece of furniture and hide.
The gray one was puffing on what was definitely theOcarina of Time,stopping now and then to stare at it in astonishment.
“Ya see, it was dropped by this weird new stallion I met in town.” Lyra seemed to be in the middle of explaining where she’d gotten it. “Do you know what it is? Why does it look so weird?”
“Octavia, can I please have a turn?” The white pony begged.
Octavia began playing a new tune, a cheerful, pleasant-sounding song that made the ponies in the immediate vicinity smile. With a sinking heart, Link recognized it was the Sun’s Song.
“Wait!” He cried. “Don’t finish that—!”
Ironically, before he could finish his sentence the world was plunged into total darkness, and Link’s last few words were cut off with sudden screams. In the confusion that ensued, Link lunged for where he’d seen Octavia last, and somehow managed to grab the ocarina from her hoof.
He raised it to his lips and played the same song she’d just performed, except this time it brought back the vanished light.
“Okay, that’s totally awesome. Can I have a go?” The white one asked, reaching out a hoof for it.
“I’m sorry, but absolutely not.” Link said firmly, backing away.
“Aww, come on.” She complained, pouting.
“Well, that certainly is a curious instrument.” Octavia said, her gaze riveted on it. “Where ever did you acquire it?”
“It was given to me by a friend.” Link sighed, delivering the familiar answer. Then he turned and wheeled on Lyra, who was standing by with a guilty face, looking like she wanted to hide.
“Why did you take the ocarina?” He asked.
“You dropped it!” Lyra protested.
“And when did I ‘drop’ it?” Link demanded.
“When you fell over.” A faint smirk flickered over Lyra’s face. “Maybe if you hadn’t fallen over, you wouldn’t have dropped it.”
“You knocked me over!”
“Pssh.” Lyra waved a hoof in dismissal. “Please.”
Epona grabbed Link before he could throw himself at the obnoxious green mare.
“Well….” Lyra inched to the side a bit, then suddenly threw herself in front of the door.
“Now you can tell me everything you know!” She demanded. “Because I’m not letting you leave until you do.”
“I have better plans than sitting around being interrogated by you.” Link snapped, his patience with this maniac wearing dangerously thin. He took a deep, calming breath, turning to the princess and Pinkie Pie.
“Thank you for your help.” He said. “I promise I won’t be such a burden for much longer.” Then he lifted the ocarina and played a song—the Serenade of Water.
The notes of the haunting melody rang out in the sudden silence of the house—everyone stood frozen, spellbound by the music.
Link finished the song, closing his eyes and expecting the sudden lurch and tingling, rushing sensation that came with warping.
But...nothing happened.
“What?” He stuttered. He turned the ocarina over in his hooves. It looked fine….
He played the song again, watched silently by everybody in the room, and this time kept his eyes open as the melody ended.
There was a flash of light from the ocarina, and several blue-tinted sparks rained down on the ground, but otherwise nothing else happened.
“Is...it broken?” Epona asked hesitantly.
“No.” Link said shortly, not meaning to be so sharp with her, but his frustration was overflowing. “There is no way I’ve broken the royal family’s sacred instrument…..”
“If you did, Princess Zelda would probably murder you and throw your body in the moat.” Epona agreed.
Link ignored her, playing the tune yet a third time, but was awarded with nothing but another flash of sparkles.
“Um….oh, goodness. In Celestia’s name, would anypony care to explain what’s going on?” Octavia asked.
Link sighed—looks like it was time for another unsatisfactory explanation.
“This instrument, the ocarina, is magical.” He explained, lifting it up to show them. “That song I just played was supposed to warp me to a location in my homeland.” “Maybe it really is broken.” Twilight said.
“I really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really hope that is not the case.” Link moaned.
“Well….what about Saria?” Epona suggested. “You could try contacting her, and seeing if that works.”
“I’m not sure that’ll work either, because the way the song worked...well,it merely forged a connection between our fairies.” Link said. “And Navi...well….she’s disappeared.”
“Wait, seriously?” Epona instantly began glancing around, her head snapping from side to side. She searched the air around Link where Navi usually hovered, going so far as to pull off Link’s hat and check it. “How did I not notice that before?”
“So, like...what in the name of Discord’s scruffy mane is going on?” The white horned pony asked.
“I, too, am quite lost.” Octavia commented.
Bon Bon let out a log, drawn-out sigh, sitting down.
“Tell me.” Lyra demanded yet again.
“It’s….a little hard to explain.” Link said yet again, then shot a sideways glare at Lyra.
“Just try playing the song.” Epona said, nudging Link. “What’s the worst that could happen?”
“At this point, I’m scared to ask.” Link sighed. “Here goes nothing.”
He lifted the ocarina to his lips and played Saria’s Song. The music captivated his unwanted audience as before, except this time around several of the ponies broke small smiles, tapping their hooves lightly to the bouncy, playful song.
“Did it work?” Epona whispered as soon as he had finished.
“I don’t know...” Link glanced sadly at the ocarina, wishing there was some visible sign for confirmation. He was desperate to talk to someone who wanted understand...someone he didn’t have to constantly be saying things like ‘it was given by a friend’ or, ‘it’s hard to explain’.
“….hello?” A high, childish voice, badly distorted by crackles of static, could be heard emanating from the instrument in his hoof.
“Oh, thank the goddess—is that you, Link?” Saria cried.
“Yes, it’s me? Are you okay?” Link asked frantically.
“I’ve never been more happy to hear your voice….” Saria said. “Please help me!”
“Where are you?” Link repeated, clutching the ocarina in his hooves and staring at it, willing it to tell him the answer to his question. “Are you okay?”
“Oh, no, I’m not! I’m in this dark forest place—I don’t think it’s Hyrule! I have no idea how I got here…..or how to get back!”
“What happened to your fairy?”
“He disappeared! I don’t know what happened, but he’s gone….”
“Navi disappeared on me too. Can you describe your surroundings?”
“It’s all just dark forest...oh Link….I’m so scared. Please help me.”
“Is that all you can see? Just forest?”
“Yes! Wait...now I can see this stone ruin ahead.”
“What does it look like?”
“Like….like a castle….ow!”
“Saria??? Are you okay???”
“Yes, I am, I just tripped.”
“Oh. Do you...still look like yourself?”
There was a second or two of breathless silence. Then an unbearable, high-pitched crackling noise emitted from the ocarina, fading in and out. For a second, Link panicked, thinking the connection was going to break. But then….
Then he realized Saria was crying.
“No! I don’t!” She gasped out between static-marred sobs. “I’m some sort of strange creature—I have no idea what! Link….did I….turn into a monster?”
“No, I promise you didn’t.” Link said, wishing he could instantly warp to her. “I’m going to get to you as soon as possible.” “Oh, thank Hylia!” Saria cried. “Please, Link...please hurry.”
“Just try to remain calm.” Link tried to make his voice as calming as possible. “I’ll promise I’ll be—”
The static abruptly vanished, along with Saria’s voice.
“...there...soon.” Link finished.
“Kay...what the heck was that?” The white pony asked.
Link ignored her, a curious combination of panic and determination coursing through his veins. He whirled around to face Twilight, who was standing stock-still, staring at the ocarina in alarm.
“The place she described.” He demanded. “Where is it?”
“I..what?” Twilight stuttered, unable to tear her eyes away from the instrument. “What was that?”
“The forest. Thecastle ruins.Where is it?” Link repeated.
“I...I’m not sure...” Twilight trailed off uncertainly.
“Just tell me where the forest ruinsare!” Link shouted. Twilight recoiled, eyeing him apprehension.
“Sorry.” Link took a deep, shaky breath, running a hoof over his face. “Please. Just tell me.”
“There’s the Everfree forest.” Bon Bon said when Twilight didn’t respond. “It’s right outside Ponyville.”
“Great. Thanks.” Without another word, Link trotted out of the house, shoving Lyra away from the door as he went.
“Hey!” Lyra complained. “What was that for?”
Link didn’t even acknowledge her, his anxious trot slowly speeding towards a shaky gallop.
“Wait, Link!” Epona called. Hoof beats thundered on the path behind him, but he didn’t turn around.
“The Everfree is a very dangerous place!” To his surprise, the voice lecturing him was Twilight’s, rather than Epona’s as he had expected. He glanced out of the corner of his eye to see the princess trailing him anxiously, Epona trotting silently by her side. To his dismay, the rest of the four ponies in the house had decided to come after him as well.
Why were they here?
This was none of their business. They had no reason to be here.
“No pony should ever go inside!” Twilight cried. “It’s full of deadly creatures, and plants, and—”
“Know what?” Link interjected. “I actually don’t care. I’ve been in plenty of dangerous places.”
“Think about this, Link.” Epona tried. “Do you even have a weapon? Or a shield?”
“I have the Kokiri sword.” He said.
“And you really think that’s going to do much against any creature you meet inside that forest?”
“It has before.”
“This isn’t Hyrule, Link! Things are a bitdifferent here.”
After that last statement, Link stopped so suddenly that Twilight almost crashed into him.
“You think I don’t know that?” He demanded. “I wake up a horse, and I’m stuck with whatever these things are.” He waved his front hooves in the air. “But I.Don’t. Care. Did you get that this time?”
Epona frowned slightly, meeting Link’s eyes in a staring match. He held her gaze steadily, refusing to blink.
“What about a shield?” She asked.
“I can use anything as a shield.” Link snorted. “And for that matter, I can use anything as a swordtoo. I could use a tree branch as a sword. I could use a pot lid as a weapon. I think I’m all set.”
Epona sighed.
“You know….” Twilight cut in. “The Everfree forest is huge. It’ll take you forever to find your friend—and you’ll get so lost.”
“Or...he could just mark a trail.” Bon Bon offered, cutting into the argument. Twilight shot her what she obviously hoped was a surreptitious glare, but Bon Bon just shrugged.
“This is not the first time I’ve explored a huge place.” Link said. “I know how to do basic things like ‘not get lost’ and ‘not get attacked by huge things with teeth’.”
“But...but...” Twilight spluttered.
“That trail thing is, like, a totally awesome idea!” The white pony with the horn piped up, cutting through Twilight’s attempts to bring back her dignity. “To mark it, I bet I could use this ultra cool trick Neon’s been teaching me—”
“Wait….what?” Link asked. “Excuse me. Who said you’re coming with me?”
“Wha?” The pony asked, looking confused. “Whaddya mean?”
“Who said you’re coming with me—that any of you are coming with me?” Link repeated, waving a hoof to indicate the group as a whole.
“Well, of course we are coming with.” Octavia said, sounding surprised. “Why wouldn’t we?”
“I….what?” Link turned to Twilight. “Is this normal?”
“Is what normal?”
“Uh, the fact that random peop—er, ponies that I just met want to come with me into a dangerous forest?”
“Oh, that.” Twilight let out a small chuckle. “Actually, you have no idea.”
“Okay….look. I still can’t have anyone coming with me.” Link said.
“Why not?” Lyra pouted.
“Because you…..well, you’d slow me down.”
“Yeah, well, you’re letting her go with you!” Lyra protested, pointing at Epona.
“Yeah, well, she’s different.” Link retorted.
“Why?” Lyra let out a half smirk. “Is she your marefriend or something?”
Epona stuffed a hoof in her mouth, making a startled spluttering noise.She began coughing, beating herself in the chest, until she finally dissolved into a massive fit of laughter. Link stepped away from her as she rolled over the ground, beating a hoof on the path, emitting loud guffaws.
“What’s a marefriend?” He asked, confused.
“That’s...wow.” The white pony said. “You must lead a lonely life.”
Link sighed.
“Look, I really don’t have time to talk about this right now.” He said. “I need to get moving,soon, or—”
“Wait a second.” Twilight interrupted. “Where did Pinkie Pie go?”
“What?” Though he was annoyed at being interrupted, Link glanced around. And sure enough, the energetic, vibrant pony seemed to have disappeared.
“TWILIIIIIIIIGHT!”
Never mind. There she was.
A streak of magenta blurred over the hill nearest to them, heading straight for the group.
“Twilight Twilight Twilight Twilight Twilight!” Pinkie cried, jumping into the air with each word.
“Woah, woah, woah.” Twilight said, alarmed, her head bouncing up and down as she tried to follow Pinkie’s eyes. “Calm down. What’s wrong?” “Oh, it’s Princess Celestia!” Pinkie said. “She’s here!”
“Wait, what?” Twilight froze.
“She’s here! She’s here in Ponyville and she didn’t tell anypony she was coming!”
“WHAT?” Twilight yelled, the sheer force of her yell lifting her into the air. She turned into a purple streak, quite similar to Pinkie’s magenta streak, blazing over the hills towards the town.
“C’mon, you guys!” Pinkie cried. “The princess is here!” She dashed off again, soon vanishing.
“Do physics not apply to this world?” Link asked. Without waiting for an answer, he turned back to the path and started trotting away again.
At this point Epona stood up, still chuckling weakly, wiping her watery eyes with a hoof.
“Wait.” She said, giving a small cough, brushing dirt of her coat. “Maybe this princess person can help us.”
“Okay….think about this.” Link sighed. “Saria is in that forest. She’s scared, alone, most likely in danger, and I need to get to her as soon as possible.”
“But the purple princess is correct.” Epona reasoned. “It could honestly take you weeks to find Saria. If you talk to this other princess….”
“Look, Epona. No offense, but I’m not you. You can’t convince me to forsake this for carrots.”
“Hey.” Epona frowned. “I’m getting used to this, okay? Just like you. And you have no idea what sort of creatures you’ll meet in that forest, or even where to go.”
“I can figure it out.” Link waved away her argument with hoof. “This is not the first time I’ve explored forests.”
“But something tells me you won’t just be smacking Deku Scrubs with a sword this time. This land is different than what your used too. How are you even intending to hold your sword?”
“I’ll just…..oh.” Link glanced down. “Good point. But you get the same answer! I’ll figure it out.”
“You’re going to get yourself killed.”
“Stop arguing with me!” Link snapped. “I used to tug a rope and you would go where ever I wanted! Why are you doing this?”
“Because I can talk.” Epona gave a small smirk.
“Uuugh.” Link groaned, rubbing his face with a hoof. “Fine! I’ll talk to this other princess. For a horse, you’re annoyingly reasonable.”
“No need to sound so surprised.” Epona snorted.
Link gave a long, drawn-out sigh, turning to the four ponies who were standing behind him and definitely not listening to every word he said.
Not creepy at all….He thought, but all he said out loud was “Could someone please take me to the princess?”
“Certainly.” Octavia said, beaming. “She’s sure to be in Princess Twilight’s castle. Just follow me!”
“Thanks.” Link said, falling into step behind her.
“So, I have a few questions.” Octavia said.
“Um….really?” Link asked, inching away slightly.
“Why, yes! They’re about that strange instrument. What did you call it? An ocarani?”
“Ocarina—”
“Yes, that. Where’s it from? How’d you get it? How was it made? What material is it? How could one make it hersel—er, themselves? Why is it’s color so strange? Why is it so magical? How does it control the sun?”
“Look, a...well, a friend of mine gave it to me.” Link sighed. “It’s from my homeland. I quite honestly have no idea how it was made, or what it was made from. So...that means I don’t know why it’s color is like that or how you could make one yourself.”
“What about it’s magical properties?”
“Well….it doesn’t so much control the sun….as well, time.” Link explained. “It’s actually a day later than it was earlier this afternoon, but no one noticed because it was just a minute or so of darkness. It’s….well, it’s hard to explain.”
“You know, if there’s any chance...” Octavia said sweetly. “Could I take one small peep at it again? It’s quite fascinating...”
“Sorry, no.” Epona jumped in from her position walking behind the two. “The ocarina is much too important to risk.”
“Oh.” Octavia visibly deflated. “Fine.” She huffed and trotted ahead of them.
“Thanks for saving me from that interrogation.” Link sighed. “I was starting to worry that if I didn’t say she could play on it, she’d just take it from me.”
“Well, with Navi gone it’s the least I could do.” Epona chuckled. At that, Link glanced away, watching his hooves.
“I wonder what happened to her.” He said. “I mean….she was annoying at times, but I still miss her.”
“I’m sure she’ll turn up.” Epona said.
Link nodded, then bumped into Octavia.
“Ack!” He said, stumbling back.
“We’re at the castle.” Octavia said, rather grumpily.
“What castle?” Link asked, looking up. He immediately wished he hadn’t.
The castle, if that’s even what it was, seemed to be made of some sort of reflected material. The already-vibrant sunlight was amplified as it hit it, and Link’s eyes burned in agony just looking at it for a few seconds.
“What the HECK is THAT?” Epona yelled, throwing her arms over her head and falling to the ground to protect her eyes.
“And this is, like, why I wear these shades all the time.” The white pony said.
Link blinked furiously, eyes smarting and tearing up, trying to see through the glare that was blinding him.
“Here, I’ll help you.” Octavia sighed, taking his hoof and leading him forwards. “You get used to it. Vinyl, could you escort...I’m sorry, what’s your name? Apony?”
“Apony?” Epona snorted. “My name is Epona, thank you very much.”
“Kay, got it.” The white pony, who Link now realized must be “Vinyl”, moved forwards to help Epona.
Once Link entered the castle, he was able to see again. The interior of the castle seemed to be made of crystal, and he guessed that's what the exterior must have been made of. The reflected light suddenly made sense.
They were standing in the middle of a long hallway, and Princess Twilight was standing near the end of it, where tall doors lead to more rooms within the castle. The princess was talking to a tall white pony with wings and a horn, a pony who stood nearly twice as tall as the purple princess. Her mane and tail were rippling in the air, as if blown by an invisible breeze.
One look, and Link could tell this new pony was the princess. It wasn’t just the crown on her head or royal regalia she was wearing, she just….radiated power. Her face was gentle, with a constant smile, but something told Link she could be dangerous if she wanted to be. From the start she had an impression on him….rather like when he’d first seen Princess Zelda.
This was no princess…..this was a queen.
“….and this new magic did not merge smoothly with your own?” Link caught a snatch of their conversation as he trotted closer.
“Yes, it was so strange.” Twilight responded. “I don’t get it. Why would his magic not mix well with ours?”
“That is an excellent question, Twilight.”
“Oh!” Twilight said, noticing Link near them. “Princess Celestia, this is Link. He’s the one I was telling you about.”
“…….hello, my little pony.” Princess Celestia said, giving Link a smile.
“Your majesty, I have come to plead for your help.” Link said, lowering his head in a bow.
“Rise.” Princess Celestia said, nodding. She seemed almost surprised to be addressed so formally. “It is excellent to be meeting you, after hearing much about you from my student.” She nodded at Twilight. “What is it you would you need my help with? I am surprised…..I have heard that you have astounding magical artifacts of your own.”
Link glanced at Twilight, confused as to what the princess was talking about, and she mouthed “the map”.
“Oh!” Link said, surprised. “I was not aware the map I carry was considered ‘astounding magic’…. where I am from, it is quite common for travelers to carry one.”
“Interesting.” The princess said. “Is there any chance…could I see it?”
Link nodded, flipping open his saddlebag again and pulling out the map. A rippling, sparkling golden aura appeared on Princess Celestia’s horn, like the one Link had seen on Twilight’s when she’d tried to look at it. The same aura surrounded the map, lifting it into the air.
“Fascinating.” Princess Celestia said, raising her eyebrows interest.
“Please be careful, princess.” Twilight begged. “That thing did not enjoy me trying to examine it.”
“Don’t worry, my faithful student.” Princess Celestia gave her a reassuring smile. “I have satisfied my curiosity.” The map floated back down to Link, who took it again.
“I have a feeling you aren’t from around here, are you?” She asked.
“I guess, well….I guess you could say that.” Link chuckled awkwardly.
“So, now, my little pony, we come to the manner of your plea. What have you come here to ask me for?” The princess asked.
“I have a very close friend of mine who’s lost in the nearby forest.” Link said. “I need to find her. She’s scared and alone….she needs my help, but I’m not sure exactly where she is.”
“Oh! Well, that is a simple matter to fix.” Princess Celestia said. “You can use a tracking spell to find her. My faithful student, Twilight Sparkle, can help you with that.”
“Er, yes...I could.” Twilight said. “I mean, I can!I know a few basic tracking spells. But you’ll need to have some sort of item that your friend had a close personal attachment too.”
Epona nudged Link, who jumped slightly. He hadn’t even realized she was standing behind him.
“The ocarina?” She whispered.
“Oh...I think I have something.” Link dug through his saddlebag.
He pulled out another ocarina, almost a mirror to the Ocarina of Time, except this one was made of wood, crudely carved…...made by the hands of a child.
“It used to belong to my friend.” He explained. “What do you think…?”
“That should work!” Twilight said.
“Could I ask you one more question?” Princess Celestia asked.
“Anything, your majesty.” Link responded, giving another respectful nod.
“The sun….it was pulled beneath the horizon earlier.” The princess said thoughtfully. “Was that caused by something of yours?”
“Yes, in a way.” Link nodded. “But it wasn’t so much the sun being pulled down….as time itself being altered.”
“Most interesting.” Celestia said, nodding, a contemplative frown on her face.
Link nodded.
“So…..Princess Celestia, could you excuse us to try the spell?” Twilight asked.
“Oh, certainly.” The princess smiled. “Be careful, Twilight. We don’t want the magic to explode in your face again, do we?”
“Oh no.” Twilight gave a nervous laugh. “I will be very careful from now on. Follow me, Link.”
Link gave one last bow to Celestia, then followed Twilight out of the hall, Epona trailing them.
Twilight lead him to a large, round room. In the center was placed a table surrounded by chairs...well, Link couldn’t decide if they were large stone chairs or thrones. Superimposed on the table itself was a shimmering, translucent map of what Link supposed was Equestria.
“Could I have the ocarina?” Twilight asked. Link hesitated for a second before handing it over to her.
Twilight floated it in her magic, setting it down on the table.
All of the sudden, Link felt the strangest sensation in his inventory. The saddlebag was jerking and twitching at his side, vibrating weirdly.
Link frowned, craning his neck over to flip it open.
Almost immediately, he was slapped in the face by a roll of paper. He reeled back, blinking confusedly, and saw his map soar through the air. It began hovering above the table, revolving slowly in place.
“What the...” Twilight said, alarmed.
There was a brilliant flash of white light, and the map clattered harmlessly back down onto the table.
“What was that?” Twilight raised an eyebrow, grabbing it in her magic. “Wait a second….”
“What is it?” Link trotted over, rubbing his face. He gasped.
His map, instead of being a smeary, unintelligible mess, was now a perfect rendition of the same map on the table.
“I’ve never seen anything like this!” Twilight cried, thrusting the map into Link’s shocked hooves. “Why does your magic follow none of our rules? Why did it suddenly work when it touched the map? Why did it react so crazily to my magic? Why does none of this stuff make sense???”
“I….” Link said, at a loss for words.
"Please." Epona cut in. "The spell?"
“Oh right.... the spell." Twilight sighed. "Oh! We could use your map for the spell now. Why didn’t I think of that earlier?” She let out a surprised giggle. “It would certainly be a lot easier.”
There was a magenta flash from her horn, and the ethereal sculpture on the table disappeared. She set Link’s map down, spreading it out and securing the rolling-up ends with small weights.
“Do you….think that’s a good idea?” Link said hesitantly. He didn’t want to question the word of a princess, but….. “You know, considering the last time you used your magic on this….”
“Well, only one way to find out!” Twilight said gaily. Link gave a nervous swallow, watching Twilight as she placed Saria’s ocarina on the map.
A stream of color issued from Twilight’s horn, but instead of it exploding like Link thought it would, the ocarina lit up in a flash of light. A thick black line appeared on the map, cutting a sharp streak across the paper, from what Link supposed was Ponyville to the middle of a forest.
“Oh, I’m pretty sure I know where you’re headed now.” Twilight said nervously. “Please be careful….those ruins aren’t dangerous within themselves, but the path certainly is.”
“Okay, then. Thanks for your help.” Link said, gathering up his map. “Now that I know where I’m going, I—” He stopped abruptly.
Standing in the doorway were Lyra, Bon Bon, Octavia, and Vinyl, staring at him.
“Are you planning on following me everywhere?” Link sighed. The four didn’t say a thing, simply standing, eyes wide.
Link squirmed, a little uncomfortable with the scrutiny.
“Are you going or not?” Epona said, nudging him. Link nodded, trotting forwards and trying to avoid looking at the others.
Still, they said nothing….just stared at him with an unblinking gaze. Well, except for Vinyl. She was still wearing her glasses.
Link paused as he passed them, waving a hoof energetically in front of Octavia’s face. When he got no reaction, he began to get worried.
“Look….are you okay?” He asked.
“We’re going with you.” Was Lyra’s way of answer.
Link groaned, slamming a hoof into his forehead.
“For the last time, you can’t come!” He said.
“And why not?” Octavia said.
“Listen.” Link said, desperate to make them understand. “I, for sure, am going to get into a fight of some kind out there….and I can’t focus on that if I know there are five others I need to protect.”
“Five?” Epona interrupted. “Are you counting me?”
“Well...yeah.” Link said, surprised. “I thought you were coming with me.” “Of course I’m going.” Epona rolled her eyes. “But you don’t need to protect me. I can fight.”
“Really?” Link raised both of his eyebrows. “I had no idea.”
“Well, what did you think I did every time you had to leave me in Hyrule Field?”
Link opened his mouth to respond, then hesitated.
“You have a good point.” He admitted.
“Exactly.” Epona said, grinning.
“Okay, you’re fine, but that still leaves four others I’d need to protect.” Link pointed out.
“You know….I might surprise you.” Bon Bon said, a small smile on her face.
“Ooh! Ooh!” Vinyl jumped up and down, looking surprisingly like Pinkie Pie. “Can I bring my bass cannon?”
“Your...what?” Link said, alarmed.
“Bon Bon’s taught me some stuff.” Lyra said, grinning. “Plus, I’ve got magic!”
They all looked at Octavia.
“A lady never gets into fights.” She sniffed.
“Okay.” Link sighed. “You three...well, you have me convinced. That and I just don’t have the energy to argue with you anymore. But she can stay.” He pointed at Octavia.
“Naaah.” Vinyl protested. “I can cover for my sis!” She draped a hoof over Octavia’s shoulders.
The walk to the Everfree Forest was quite short….something that surprised Link.
Sure, they’d stopped once or twice so the tagalongs could pick up a few necessary items—Bon Bon had wanted to bring a strange black bag, and Vinyl had wanted to fetch her “bass cannon”….a terrifying looking machine that Octavia assured them had the abilities of mass destruction.
But aside from that, it was nothing more than a short trip to the forest, just outside the outskirts of Ponyville. Link wondered how ponies that were so innocent as these could live next to somewhere so potentially dangerous. The Lost Woods were far from harmless, but they also held no great threat to the safety of the forest children, and even then the Great Deku Tree had forbid entry without permission. He wondered, somewhat morbidly, if anyone had ever wandered in on whim and gotten lost.
It seemed easy to get lost in this place.
It wasn’t exceptionally dark, but something told Link that would change as they journeyed deeper. There was no defined path, so they were traveling somewhat blindly, guided only by the map. The foliage over head was incredibly thick, filtering the light into thin streams of gold, and vines draped down to ensnare unsuspecting creatures walking below.
Soon, the trees became so thick that the forest became pitch-black, like the last few hours before dawn. Both Vinyl and Lyra were now providing the light, their horns glowing with color—one magenta, the other golden brown. Bon Bon stood at attention, eyeing the woods around them with suspicion.
But so far….all was silent.
“Ugh!”
Well….mostly silent.
Link let out a weary sigh, glancing at Octavia. He still had no idea why she wanted to come so badly. She seemed to hate walking….especially on the muddy forest floor. In fact, in some ways she reminded him of Princess Ruto. A small smile flickered across his face at the thought. Yes….this pony and the princess of the Zora would most certainly get along.
“Hey, does anyone know what kind of creatures live in this place?”Epona asked, jerking Link out of his thoughts. Her voice was hushed, seemingly smothered by the darkness and the foliage all around.
“I do.” Bon Bon said. “But the ones we want to look out for are Timberwolves.”
“What are Timberwolves?” Epona asked.
“Well, you see—” Bon Bon began. The sound of a snapping twig caused her to slam her mouth shut, and she frowned, peering intently into the shadows. Link, following her example, held up a hoof to stop the group.
There were a few tense seconds of silence.
“Well, there’s your answer, Epona.” Bon Bon sighed.
There was a low, ominous growling from the trees. Dark, strange creatures emerged, pacing in circles around the six ponies. Link could barely see them beyond reach of the provided light, but he caught sight of rough, textured limbs, long, narrow snouts, and shining green eyes.
In short…..
They looked absolutely terrifying.
“These are Timberwolves?” Link said, keeping his voice low.
“These are Timberwolves.” Bon Bon repeated, sighing. “And they are not friendly.”
“Of course they’re not.” Link groaned. “Goddess forbid this quest should be easy.”
He craned his neck over very slowly, keeping an eye on the circling wolves. They didn’t seem keen to make any moves. He flipped his inventory open, biting down on the jaw of the KokIri sword….as that was the only way he could think of to hold it. It was the weirdest thing ever, but if it worked….well, who was he to complain?
He drew his head back, sliding the sword free of the saddlebag.
“Wait, WHAT THE—” Lyra yelled, staring at his sword in utmost alarm.
The loud, sudden noise seemed to irk and startle the Timberwolves, who leapt into action, snarling viciously.
Epona bucked the nearest one directly in the face, causing it to shatter into a million pieces. Bon Bon, to Link’s surprise, balanced on one of her back hooves and spun around, her outstretched leg hitting another squarely and sending it flying. Lyra, taking the opportunity, blasted the dazed wolf her friend had just kicked with a golden brown laser. Vinyl let out an insane laugh, and a massive stream of blue light issued from her “bass cannon”, accompanied by a truly terrible sound. To Link, it sounded like someone was torturing a cucco.
And Octavia…..well…..
Octavia let out a startled yelp, scrambling to the top of the nearest tree like a deranged squirrel.
Link readjusted his jaw, trying to figure out how he could swing his sword this way. It severely limited his range of movement, as well as countered every thing he’d ever learned about sword fighting.
As a kid, his method had consisted of swinging the sword wildly back and forth, hacking crazily at anything in his way.
And, for the most part, it had worked.
But once he had grown, the enemies he faced were considerably harder to defeat, and he began talking to others to try and learn more techniques. He’d actually learned the most from the Gerudo soldiers, once he’d gained access to their fortress. They’d taught him that a sword was nothing more than an extension of his arm, his arm an extension of his body. But now….well, he no longer had arms. Should he be thinking of the sword as an extension of his head—?
The snarl of a Timberwolf distracted Link from his thoughts, and he instinctively swung his head to the side as one of the creatures pounced at him. The sword—though time and use had dulled it’s edge—sliced neatly through the wolf’s front leg.
Epona brought her hooves down on another Timberwolf, pulverizing it. Octavia shrieked in terror, scrambling higher up the tree as a wolf pacing below snarled and snapped at her.
Bon Bon and Lyra went back to back, the former becoming a literal tornado of swiftly delivered blows, the latter using her magic to sheer through those who had fallen.
Link attempted to perform a spin attack, but his end result was extremely crooked.
It...sort of worked.
He injured several of the wolves surrounding him, but his center of gravity was different than he was used, and he misjudged the distance the attack would take him. His sword slammed into the bark of a tree, becoming stuck fast.
A Timberwolf slunk near him, growling, seeming to sense that he was temporarily defenseless. Link tried to let go of his sword so he could attack it as Epona and Bon Bon would, but he found out his jaw had cramped up, frozen around the grip. He jerked his head to the side desperately, but his blade had sunken to deep into the tree. The wolf lunged.
Epona brought her front hooves down hard, crushing it’s front leg into splinters. The wolf let out a high-pitched whimper, leaping back, away from her.
The rest of the pack seemed to have had enough now. They slunk back into the forest, licking wounds dripping green sap, some hopping on three limbs, or even crawling on two.
“Well.” Epona sighed, breathing heavily. After a quick glance over the group, apparently checking if anyone was injured, she turned to Link, raising an eyebrow.
“What happened with you?” She asked.
“Help.” Link groaned through his locked jaw.
“Well.” Epona said, giving a small smirk. “Happy you let the others come now?”
Link rolled his eyes, gesturing towards the tree. His meaning was plain….help me get out now.
Epona turned, balancing on her front hooves, and bucked the tree in which Link was stuck. By some miracle, her back hooves hit it just above where the sword was lodged, and the tree cracked in half, sliding over and crashing to the ground. Link staggered free.
“Jaw cramps are common in Earth Ponies that use their mouths all the time, especially if they’re not used to it.” Bon Bon assured him. “I’m sure you will. You just have to press here.” She motioned to where her lower jaw connected to her neck.
Link, though apprehensive, tried it—and his jaw unlatched, letting his sword drop to the ground.
“Thanks.” He said, wincing.
“Hey, can I see the map?” Epona asked. Link nodded, massaging his jaw, and handed it over to her.
“Looks like we’re not far from this castle place now.” Epona remarked. Link perked up, his ears jumping upwards.
“Then what are we waiting for?” He asked, tossing his sword back into his inventory pouch.
“Wait, real quick before we go…..” Vinyl interjected. “How the heck does that thing work?” She pointed a hoof at Link’s saddlebag.
“What, this?” Link raised an eyebrow, lifting the pouch slightly with a hoof. Vinyl nodded.
“This,” Link sighed, “once again, is magic. Everyone in my home village has one. In fact, when they become twelve, it’s a mark of age to receive an inventory pouch like this on their birthday. Because when they turn twelve...”
“Because when they turn twelve?” Vinyl prompted when he trailed off and didn’t continue.
“Nothing.” Link said quietly, shaking his head. “Let’s go.”
He turned around and began walking, answering Vinyl’s question in his head.
Because when they turn twelve….they never grow up.
After some time passed, they came upon the ruins they were searching for. They consisted mostly of tall, peaked towers, shattered walls, and dark windows like splashes of ink. Everything was bound down with weeds, vines draping and curling over the pointed roofs, shedding leaves over the scene. Link could tell this once used to be a beautiful, lively place….but now?
It was completely abandoned.
“Whatis this place?” Epona asked.
“Whatever it is…...it’s where Saria is.” Link said, checking the map again to be sure. He glanced over the canyon that separated them from the building, eyeing the rickety rope bridge that spanned across it.
“Who wants to go first?” Lyra said, hiding partially behind Bon Bon. “Too bad none of us are Pegasi.”
“Well, it has to be done.” Link sighed, putting a hoof carefully on the first slat. It creaked ominously, trembling beneath his weight, but held.
He took a deep breath, trotting with extreme caution, aware of the dangerous swaying beneath his hooves. This bridge was obviously not usedto the burden of a pony. Link wondered how many had come this way, and what this place even was.
Though the crossing was perilous, Link made it safely to the other side. It took a long time for the others to come, as Lyra took some convincing to make her cross. Epona went last, as she was the largest—and probably heaviest—of them all.
“Where are we?” Link asked once everyone was across.
“What is this place anyway?” Epona added.
“This...” A familiar voice said, “is the Castle of the Two Sisters.”
In unison, all six of the group whirled around, coming to face a pony only Link recognized.
“…...Sheik?” He said, gaping.
“The one and only.” Sheik replied with a small bow.
“What….are you doing here?” Link asked, recovering from his initial shock. He’d never seen Sheik as a pony. It was strange.
Sheik paused thoughtfully, plucking a chord on the harp he always carried. It was strange, the way he carried it with his hooves. He was standing on his hind legs, and Link supposed he should have expected, holding the harp in the curve of his right foreleg, while plucking the string with the tip of his left hoof.
“There is much happening in this world.” He said by way of reply. “Momentous events are unfolding…..andyou, hero chosen by the gods, have crossed both time and space to get to this land. Fear not. You are here for a reason.”
“What exactly is going on in Hyrule?” Link asked. “And Equestria, for that matter?”
“Only time will tell.” Sheik said, the one eye that was visible on his face closing meditatively. “But you must travel across this world in search of those you knew in Hyrule. Many familiar faces will join you on this journey….and only when it is complete will you return to whence you came.”
“Can you at least tell me why the Ocarina of Time isn’t working?” Link sighed. “Well, it’s working, but none of the warping songs are working.”
“Evil clouds this place...clouds many places in this land.” Sheik responded. “When—and only when—that evil has been defeated, then one by one the sacred songs will be restored.”
“Thanks.” Link said. It was hard to get a straight answer out of Sheik, and when one did manage to do so it was merit of a celebration.
Sheik nodded, then turned to leave.
“Wait—can I ask one more question?”
He then paused, hesitating….and gave a nod.
“…….where did Navi go?” Link asked.
“Well…..perhaps, she is closer than you think.” Sheik’s response was thoughtful, as if he himself was pondering the answer. Then, in a flash of light and smoke, he disappeared.
“So….who the heck was that?” Lyra asked.
“It’s a long story.” Link offered, the same unhelpful answer he was getting tired of giving.
“Of course it is.” Bon Bon sighed. “Let me guess—he’s a friend of yours.”
“I really wish Sheik could give a non-cryptic answer for once.” Epona groaned.
“Well, at least know we sort of know why we’re here.” Link said, turning back to the castle. He trotted forwards, entering the building carefully.
He found himself in a long, dilapidated hallway. Or was it a throne room?
At the end a shattered throne sat, draped with cobwebs. Tattered tapestries hung from the walls, waving in a faint breeze. There was a massive, jagged hole cut in the ceiling, and the outside sun shone in, hazy with dust.
Everything was perfectly quiet…..
“Saria?” Link called softly, stepping further in. “Are you here? Saria….”
He trotted carefully over the threadbare carpet, it’s faded colors nearly hidden by age and grime. He coughed as his hoofsteps sent up clouds of filth, and paused a second to wave it away from his face.
“...Link?”
At the call of his name, Link whirled around, finding himself staring at a pillar.
“Saria?” He said.
Saria emerged from behind it, her face streaked with mud and tear stains, her hair full of twigs and leaves. She began running for Link, then tripped over the uneven ground and fell.
“Are you okay?” Link asked, galloping over to her.
“I’m not!” Saria cried, standing again….on her hind legs. She stretched out her arms—no, now they were forelegs—a question in her eyes.
“What happened?” She asked tearfully. “What’s….what’s wrong with me?”
“Sssh.” Link said gently, hugging his friend. “It’s nothing bad, I promise. It’s hard to explain, but as you can see, I look the same as you do.”
“Where….where are we?” Saria sniffed.
“This is the Everfree Forest.” Link said. “Well, it’s a castle in the forest.”
“Why do you look so weird too?”
“It’s pretty tough to explain.” Link said. “But I’ll tell you everything once we get back to the town. I promise.”
Saria hesitated a second, then nodded. Link helped her climb onto his back, and she wrapped her forelegs around his neck to hold herself steady. Link turned, trotting back to the others, who stood just outside the castle’s entrance.
Link smiled.
Everything would be okay.
As if it was listening, the ground gave a feral growl, beginning to shake.
Link stumbled over the rolling and pitching floor, nearly falling over. Saria screamed in fright, squeezing her eyes shut.
The ground beneath Link’s hooves split open, revealing a black chasm below. Link gave a yelp, leaping to one before he fell, trying desperately to keep his footing in the earthquake.
“Watch out!” Epona shouted. Link glanced at her, and saw the group pacing the edge of the earthquake, trying to figure out how to get in. Strange….the earthquake was in the castle only.
Link suddenly had an idea. He crouched on the ground, keeping low to hold his footing.
“Heads up!” He shouted to Epona. Then, detaching Saria’s forelegs from his neck, he bucked her high into the air.
Saria screamed, flailing desperately as she soared across the ground. By some miracle Link had been able to aim just perfectly, and Epona leapt up and caught the child.
Link began running towards them, stumbling across the trembling ground. It seemed almost as if the earthquake was starting to calm itself, and he glanced behind him at the widening crack in the ground. Then he slammed into a wall.
Link reeled back, blinking confusedly. There….was nothing in front of him. What had he hit?
He tried to dash forwards again, again hit the same invisible barricade. The contact sent millions of iridescent ripples spreading across empty space, briefly outlining the obstacle. It certainly was a barricade, spreading from one wall to the other and completely blocking his path. Link pounded a hoof against it, but jerked it back when it shocked him.
“Link!!!” Saria cried, still clinging to Epona. “Look behind you!”
Link whirled around, his eye immediately catching on the split in the ground. Something….was rising from inside it.
He had the same wiry, dark frame, vibrant red hair, and elaborate costume of the Demon King. Except….where this pony’s face should have been was nothing but a sharp-boned mask shaped like a skull. He handled a long, razor-tipped spear in it’s hooves, his cape flapping behind him as he rose into the air.
Phantom Ganon swung his spear, slamming it down into the ground. The tip fizzled, sending out organized waves of rippled lightning.
Link leapt over them, then ducked behind a pillar to think as well as pull out his sword.
I have my bow, he thought, trying to readjust his jaw so it was more comfortable.But I have no idea how to operate it with hooves. And for that matter, I barely know how to use my sword.
He glanced out out from behind the pillar, but had to jerk his head back to avoid being skewered by a spear thrust.
No matter. I’ll adapt.
Without warning, the pillar shielding him shattered, spewing bits of stone shrapnel. Link leapt away, tucking and rolling over the uneven ground, then sprang to his hooves as he ended up out in the open.
Ganon extended a hoof above his head, and a crackling, glowing ball of electricity formed above it. He swung his foreleg forwards, hurling it straight towards Link.
Almost instinctively, Link swung his head to the side, and the tip of his sword hit it lopsidedly and sent it hurtling off towards the side. It slammed into the wall, dissolving in a shower of sparks.
Flashbacks to his first fight with this creature reminded him how he was supposed to defeat it, but it would be so much harder wielding his sword in this way….
Almost before he had time to recover from the first one, another sphere came flying in his direction. But this time, he was a bit more prepared, and managed to almost perfectly deflect it.
Phantom Ganon swung his spear around, smacking it back.
Link uttered a curse that was muffled by the sword hilt in his mouth. How come Ganon could use his hooves to hold weapons but he couldn’t?
Link deflected the orb again, and this time Ganon’s swing went wide and missed it. It slammed into his body, exploding in a burst of sparks, and he floated slowly to the ground, completely paralyzed.
Link leapt over the ground to where he now crouched, crackling with small shocks. He swung his head, relapsing into his child-aged mode of attack—randomly, violently hacking away at whatever he could reach.
This is so much harder! He thought, internally cursing. Already he could feel his jaw begin to ache from the strain of trying to cut through the sinewy muscle of Ganon’s Phantom. There was no blood from this creature, as it wasn’t Ganon itself….it was nothing more than an imitation of his power, a ghost of the skill the King of Thieves would really have had.
Ganon revived, kicking Link away from him. Link flew backwards, landing hard on the ground.
“Ow.” He groaned, rolling over. Something in the side he had landed on had snapped, causing him intense pain.
“Watch out!” Epona cried. Link glanced up, seeing another ball of lightning hurtling his way.
With a yelp, he scrambled out of the way, gritting his teeth as his ribs gave screams of protest.
From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a vibrant flash of light, and he turned towards it, distracted. Vinyl and Lyra had shattered the barrier between them and the arena, and shimmering shards of rainbow light rained down. It was strange….it was so beautiful, but so sinister.
In the midst of his distraction, Link failed to notice the sphere of electricity currently careening towards him….and he was hit.
He was no stranger to pain, but sometimes he felt as if he’d rather experience anything other than this. It was tingling, persistent, and sharp, like a million acid-coated needles piercing his skin. And if that wasn’t enough, it was accompanied by temporary paralysis. Link collapsed, gasping as the full effect of the attack washed over him.
He wondered why Phantom Ganon didn’t rush forwards and end him now. Perhaps this creature really was nothing more than a percentage of everything the real Ganon was….including intelligence.
From his frozen, crouched position on the ground, Link saw the five who had accompanied him leap forwards, into the battle. Well, except Octavia. But this time, Link did not begrudge her staying behind, as she was comforting Saria.
Somehow, the other four’s hodgepodge of badly aimed, rather weak attacks seemed to work, and Ganon was defeated.
He rose into the air, trembling silently, his body deteriorating….and he vanished in a burst of blue flames.
“Link!” Saria cried as soon as Ganon disappeared, racing over to him.
“I’m okay.” Link answered her unspoken question, coming out of the paralysis, shaking off the last bits of tingling pain.
“Are you sure?” Saria asked anxiously. “I’m so sorry you had to get hurt for me.”
“I promise I’m fine.” Link tried to smile, but his side gave another twinge and it ended up more like a grimace.
“You need a doctor.” Saria cried, turning to Epona. “Can you please help, miss?”
“Don’t worry.” Epona promised. “Everything’s going to be okay. Link, can you walk?”
Link slowly got to his hooves, gritting his teeth and ignoring the screaming pain in his side.
“I’m fine.” He said tersely.
“Like heck you are.” Epona snorted. “Get on my back.”
“What?” Link yelped.
“You do know it’s nothing new, right?” Epona rolled her eyes. “Just do it. I’m sure it’ll be a lot more comfortable for you if you get on, rather than me lifting you on.”
Link let out a long, drawn-out sigh.
“Fine.” He grumbled.
Epona slid underneath him, lifting him up. Link grimaced, trying to keep the weight off his injured side.
“We can cover you in the forest if anything attacks us.” Bon Bon promised.
“What...evil….what was that….” Octavia gasped. “Come on. Focus, Octi.” Vinyl sighed, dragging her sister along.
Epona set off at a trot. Link inhaled sharply at her jolting gait, and she slowed to a walk.
“Wait.” Link gasped out once they’d exited the castle. “Just wait a second.”
“I must say you’re getting quite good at guessing when I’ll appear.” Sheik said from his perch upon one of the castle’s shattered wreck of a wall right above them.
“I’m noticing a pattern.” Link, a faint smile on his face.
Sheik leapt lightly to the ground, then paused, looking over the castle thoughtfully.
“The cloud of evil surrounding this place…..it has been dispersed.” He eventually said. “That Phantom you fought is but one of the many trials you will face….for Ganon is in Equestria.”
“What?” Link gasped. Epona followed suit, clapping a hoof to her mouth in alarm.
“Um….should we be worried?” Lyra asked, a nervous tremble to her voice.
“Definitely.” Saria said grimly.
“The King of Evil will stop at nothing to fulfill his aims.” Sheik warned. “He has but one objective...to conquer this land and use the power he gains to bring Hyrule further under his grasp.”
“I’m not going to let that happen.” Link promised.
“I know that.” Sheik said, giving him a nod. “But you still have many trials to face….many trials indeed.” He paused, plucking a chord on his harp.
“Though Hyrule has suffered much, it can find healing.” He said. “The sweetness of nature has brought us many things. Life is found within the forest, remedy within the glade. As the ages past, the dark scars that mar the surface of our beautiful land will close and seal themselves forever. Come….perform the song of nature’s melody.”
Link nodded, sliding off Epona’s back. His side gave another sharp-edged twinge, but he ignored it as he picked up the ocarina.
Together, he and Sheik played a duet...the Minuet of Forest, the song of the Forest Temple.
This time, Link reflected on how he held the ocarina. It felt so strange…..earlier, he’d barely been thinking about it, so payed no mind to how he played the instrument. But now, even when he was concentrating on it…..somehow his brain knew exactly how to swivel his hooves around and position them to cover the holes needed…..
If he didn’t know how to sword fight, at least he could play the ocarina.
Once the song was finished, Link felt a strange sensation in his body. It was like every one of his cells gave a lurch, and a tingling rush spread through his body, quite different from the pain he’d felt earlier. The world faded away, replaced with a backdrop of soft green.
As his vision disappeared, Link heard one last murmur from Sheik.
As the haze of green blocking Link’s vision cleared, he recognized the reforming scenery as the edge of the Everfree forest where they’d entered. He felt the sun-warmed texture of stone beneath his hooves, and he glanced down to see a large, raised platform marked with the Triforce.
How could the symbol of the royal family be here, in a place far from Hyrule, where the mark of the Wingcrest wasn't even known?
“So….anypony else feel like we’re about due for an explanation now?” Bon Bon asked.
“We can’t stop to talk now!” Saria protested. “Link’s still hurt!”
“But...I’m not.” Link said, amazed. All traces of pain in his side had vanished completely.
“Wait, really?” Saria said, frowning curiously. She tapped a hoof gently against his side.
“Does this hurt?” She asked.
“Nope.” Link shook his head.
Saria tackled him with a hug, bursting into tears. He stumbled, falling backwards onto the platform.
“I was so scared!” She cried. “I had no idea what to do or what was going on. I was so confused….and it was dark…..and….what even is going on???”
“I owe you an explanation now, don’t I?” Link asked. Saria took a deep breath, nodding, and scooted back.
“Okay, I’m ready to hear.” She said, wiping tears from her eyes.
“So, there’s really no easy way to say this.” Link sighed. “First of all…..do you know what a horse is?”
“Yeah, I do.” Saria nodded. “I’ve seen pictures.”
“Basically, now we’re creatures that are like horses.” Link explained. “They’re called ponies. They’re stockier, shorter, and...usually not this colorful. Also, they usually can’t talk.”
“Why….why did we turn into these…..ponies?” Saria asked, staring at one of her hooves.
“I honestly have no idea.” Link admitted. “But, well…..we are. It feels weird, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah….it does.” Saria stood carefully, wobbling on her hind legs. “I’m supposed to stand on all four fee—hooves now, right?”
“Yeah.” Link said. “It takes some getting used to. But you’ll get it, I promise.”
Saria sighed, slowly lowering herself down to stand like the rest of them.
“Where are we?” She asked.
“We’re in the land of Equestria, near a town called Ponyville.” Link said, glancing over the fields to the town in question.
“How far away from Hyrule are we?” Saria asked, frowning quizzically.
“My only guess?” Link said, giving a dry chuckle. “Very far.”
“Okay, I’m just going to interrupt here.” Lyra said. “Why did you say ‘we’re creatures that are like horses’? And why was she on her hind legs?” She pointed at Saria. “And why...why….why everything????”
“I think some ponies here desire an explanation.” Epona commented.
“Yeah, I guess they do.” Link sighed. “But I have something to say first. I think…..well, I know….anyway, I owe you an apology.”
Everyone looked surprised, and Bon Bon raised an eyebrow.
“For what?” Octavia asked.
“For the way I was acting earlier.” He explained. “I really never should have yelled at you, or shoved Lyra…..but I was really worried about Saria. I realize it’s not much of an excuse for my behavior. But….she’s my oldest and closest friend, and I’d never want anything to happen to her. In my panic, I just….wasn’t thinking. I’m sorry.”
“Apology accepted.” Lyra said with a smile. The others nodded in agreement, similar smiles blossoming on their faces.
“Thank you for apologizing to them, Link.” Epona said warmly.
“Now, I think an explanation is in order.” Link said. “So….the easiest way I can think of to say this is, well…...Epona, Saria, and I….we’re not from around here.”
“Well, yeah.” Vinyl chuckled. “That was pretty obvious.”
“I’m sure it was.” Link said. “But….we literally aren’t even from this world. At least….that’s what I think is happening right now.”
“Wait a second.” Bon Bon shook her head as if trying to make sense of this, holding up a hoof. “Other worlds? How???”
“The truth is….Lyra’s actually right.” Link sighed. “Humans exist.”
“…………….what?” Bon Bon said. “Surely you can’t be serious!”
“I am.” Link said. “I realize it may be sort of hard to believe—”
“I KNEW IT.”
“—but only for some people, it seems.”
“People.” Octavia noted, cocking her head to the side. “Not ponies.”
“I knew it I knew it I kneeeew it!~” Lyra sang, bouncing up and down.
“Great.” Bon Bon said. “Now she’s going to explode.”
“But I’m not a human.” Link added.
There was a loud popping noise, and Lyra fell to the ground from the middle of a leap.
“Way to burst my bubble.” She groaned. “Did anyone else hear it?”
Link gave her a worried glance.
“If you’re not a human...or...whatever….what are you?” Vinyl asked.
“I’m a Hylian.” Link responded. “Humans were our close cousins.”
“Were?” Bon Bon commented, raising an eyebrow.
“Years of cross-marrying and mingling caused it so no one is purely human anymore.” Link explained.
“So….what’s the difference?” Lyra asked. “Between humans and…..heliums, or whatever you said.”
“Hylians?” Link said, almost wincing at the wild mispronunciation.
“Yeah! Those.” Lyra said. “What’s the difference between them?”
“Well, we look almost exactly the same.” With the point of his hoof, Link traced the outline of a stick figure in a patch of dirt on the stone. “But while humans have rounded ears….” He drew two curves onto the side of the circle-shaped head. “Hylians have pointed ones.” He added small points. “The legend is that our ears are pointed so we can hear the voice of our patron goddess, Hylia.”
“This is SO COOL!” Lyra cried, leaping up. “I knew it, I knew it, I knew it….”
“How on earth did you get to this world?” Octavia asked, ignoring Lyra’s happy, energetic…graceful…dancing next to her.
“I honestly have no idea.” Link admitted. “Hopefully….‘time will tell’.”
“So, who’s your friend that you were talking about?” Bon Bon asked curiously. “The princess one?”
“Princess Zelda. That’s her name.” Link said. “She lives, well….lived in Hyrule Castle. She’s the one who gave me the ocarina. But her family was overthrown by Ganondorf, the King of Thieves. And….I need to stop him before Hyrule is thrown into utter chaos and destruction.”
“So….would the princess know how to make one of those ocarinas?” Octavia asked curiously, seeming to not even hear the “chaos and destruction” part.
“I have no idea.” Link said. “But even if she did know how, I doubt you could make another one like the Ocarina of Time. I mean….it’s a sacred magical artifact that belongs to the Hyrulean Royal Family. You don’t find one of those just lying around in a treasure chest.”
“Oh……….very well then.” Octavia said, sighing.
“Octi, why do you want one so badly?” Vinyl asked. Octavia shuffled her hooves, looking a little embarrassed.
“No reason in particular.” She said eventually. “I’d just….love to play those amazing songs again.”
“I’m sorry, but you can’t.” Link said apologetically. “But I was wondering….how do you even know those songs?”
“I don’t know.” Octavia shrugged. “I just….did. Once I touched it…..they just….came pouring into my mind. It was a flood of notes and music and...and….never mind.”
“Oh…..kay...then...” Link trailed off, raising an eyebrow.
“Can I ask a question?” Saria asked. Without waiting for answer, she pointed a hoof at Epona. “Who’s she?”
“Me?” Epona said, surprised. “Oh, I was Link’s horse back in Hyrule.”
“Oh.” Saria nodded. “Wait. What?”
Epona chuckled. Saria looked confused.
“So...that guy earlier.” Bon Bon suddenly cut in, changing the subject. “The mysterious one.”
“Sheik?” Link asked.
“Most likely. But he was talking about ‘trials’ and such. What….did he mean by that?”
“Well...with Sheik, it’s hard to tell.” Link admitted. “But I’m pretty sure I’m supposed to find some friends of mine that have probably been transported to this land. And then I can go home.”
“But how will you know where your other friends are?” Lyra asked.
“I have no idea.” Link sighed.
“Well, then you’re lucky you have us as friends!” Vinyl said, grinning.
There was an awkward silence.
“…..friends?” Link repeated, raising an eyebrow. “You do remember that we met just today…..right?”
“Yeah. So?” Lyra said.
Link looked from face to face, utterly confused. This concept of friendship was very…..different from what he was used to.
“You know….” Octavia suggested, breaking into the silence that had descended once again. “You had probably better see Princess Twilight again and tell her everything that happened.”
“I suppose I should.” Link agreed, sighing. “I’m sure she would like an explanation as well.”
Princess Twilight paced in endless circles. It seemed her hooves had already worn a groove in the floor around the shimmering map-table. It made Link tired just to look at her.
“So many things….” She murmured. “They all make sense now! Like your weird magic, and your weird clothes, and….well, everything!”
“Any idea how I could have ended up in this world?” Link asked. “What brought me here?”
“Well...it depends.” Twilight said thoughtfully. “What do you think….well, what sort of magic in your world could make you travel across time and space?”
“I’m honestly not an expert on this.” Link admitted. “But...it may have something to do with my last memories of Hyrule.”
“And that was?” Twilight asked.
“Well, I was riding through a field, and then was trapped in the middle of a lightning storm.” He said. “Epona threw me, and then….I woke up in a field outside Ponyville.”
“Well, with what we know...” Twilight said, rubbing her chin with her hoof. “It could be any number of things. I have no idea right now. I need to do research. Lots and lots of research. So much research!” Link eyed her with alarm as the pitch of her voice rapidly rose.
“Guys?” Epona said, cutting into Twilight’s tirade about research. “There’s this weird picture on my...er...um...side. Yeah. My side. And it’s glowing. Why?”
“What?” Twilight glanced over at her. “Oh, that’s a Cutie Mark! And….oh. Sweet Celestia, you’re all glowing!”
“What?” Link yelped. “Is that even supposed to make sense?”
“Look at us!” Saria said. There was flashing light not only from the mark on Epona’s “side”, but coming from underneath Link’s tunic and Saria’s jumpsuit as well. Twilight sounded like she was hyperventilating, and fanned herself with a hoof.
“You’re all being called by the map!” She said.
“I’m sorry.” Link said, rubbing the bridge of his—nose? Muzzle?—with a hoof. “You totally lost me. We’re being called by the what?”
“The map.” Twilight repeated, pointing at the table in question. Ah. That map. Link followed her line of gaze to a spot high in the air, and caught sight of three glowing marks hovering there.One was the Wingcrest of the royal family, colored gold as it was usually depicted, but the right-hand piece of the Triforce was emerald green. Another was the jade-tinted mark of the forest—four curves forming a spiral-like shape. And the third was the Triforce again, enclosed in a copper-colored horseshoe. They spiraled through the air, eventually settling on the map….rotating slowly around a volcano across the ocean from Ponyville.
“The Dragonlands?” Twilight said, soundingpuzzled. “Why on earth would the map send you there?” Link stared at the volcano a second, completely at a loss for words.
“Well, I guess we’d better start packing for a trip to the Dragonlands!” Lyra said cheerfully.
“I have always wanted to travel the world.” Octavia agreed.
“It’ll be so dang awesome to see new places!” Vinyl added.
“Just another mission…...” Bon Bon sighed, mostly to herself, it seemed.
Link stared at them for a second. Not this again….
“Hey….Epona? Saria?” He said. “Can I talk with you guys really quick?”
“Um, sure.” Epona said. She and Saria followed him, trotting to a corner of the room, away from the others.
“They can’t come.”Link said.
“Why not?” Epona asked. “I think we’ve both seen that their companionship could be very beneficial. In fact, without them you probably would have been….how do I put this delicately….an abandoned corpse picked clean by wolves?”
Saria shuddered, squeezing her eyes shut. Link shot Epona a frown.
“Sorry.” Epona sighed. “But I’m right. I, too, probably would have been…..er, deceased by this point.”
“But I’m more prepared now.” Link argued. “I know that things are….well, different in this world. And I can face it now. I don’t need others to help me anymore.”
“But do you even know what you might run into in that place?” Epona asked, pointing a hoof at the volcano on the table.
“I’m sure the princess would help me if I asked for advice.” Link said stubbornly. “I really don’t need four others trailing me, watching me in case I need help.”
“Hey. Listen.” Epona paused, looking as if she was considering her words. “I know you’re….used to traveling alone. But it seems to me as if the companionship of these other ponies could be...good for you.I don’t think you’d be sorry if you brought them.”
“What do you think?” Link asked, turning to Saria, desperate for a second opinion.
Saria just shrugged helplessly.
“Fine.” Link sighed, turning back to Epona. “You win.”
“Good.” Epona gave a small smile. They trotted back over to the group, Link’s head drooping with defeat.
“Well...” He sighed. The four he was talking to obviously tried not to look too anxious.
“You all can come.” He said.
“YES!” Lyra said, jumping up and down. “I mean….that’s cool. Very cool.”
“You can probably take the train as far as Baltimare.” Twilight suggested. “And then, it’s just a boat ride to the Dragonlands. Would you like me to see if I can set something up for you before you go? Just so you know for sure that you’ll have a ride?”
“No thanks.” Surprisingly, it was Bon Bon that spoke up. “I’m pretty sure I can find us a ride, at least. And we can handle train fares by ourselves.”
“Um….” Link said awkwardly. “What’s a train?”
“Oh!” Twilight looked startled. “Well….do you know what a wagon is?”
Link nodded.
“Imagine several wagons with roofs, all linked to each other….and they’re not being pulled by horses.”
“Okay….then...” Link trailed off. “Well. That sounds strange.”
“But it’s fast.” Bon Bon said. “And we can get to Baltimare easily.”
“Be careful on your journey!” Twilight said. “Though the Dragon Lord is friendly to ponies, not all of the dragons themselves are….trust me. I speak from experience.”
“Okay, got it.” Link said, nodding. He was still a little weirded out by the idea of a horseless carriage.
“Shall we meet at the train station?” Octavia asked. “In...say…..twenty minutes?”
“Sounds good to me.” Said Bon Bon, grabbing Lyra and beginning to drag her away. “I have to go make sure Lyra packs what she needs to. Such as basic necessities, like a toothbrush.”
“But I remembered it last time!” Lyra protested.
“Yeah, but that time to forgot toothpaste. I had to let you use mine, which, lemme tell you, is gross.”
“What, sharing toothpaste? You obviously had no siblings.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
As the door slammed behind them, their bickers faded into silence.
“We should go too, Octi.” Vinyl said. “Those socks aren’t going to pack themselves!”
“Socks?” Octavia spluttered. “Who said I wore socks? Now you’re just being crazy!”
“But your drawer is full of them.” Vinyl said, looking confused.
“Let’s just go.” Octavia grumbled.
“I promise I’ll make Link wait for you.” Epona said, grinning, as they turned and began trotting away. They laughed, but Link just rolled his eyes.
“Well, you ready to go now?” Epona asked.
“I am...” Saria said in a quiet, faintly confused voice.
“Yeah, let’s go.” Link turned around to leave, hoping maybe he could ask someone outside for directions to this “train”.
“Hey, can you wait a second?” Twilight asked.
“Yeah?” Link said, turning around. “What is it?”
“Your journey is sure to be a crazy one….” Twilight said, trailing off. Link blinked at her, wondering where she was going with this.
She held out a book.
“Would you mind keeping a journal?” Twilight asked. “I know it’s pretty weird to ask…..especially since we just met today. But….this is such a new experience. Other worlds--! Ah, never mind. I’m getting distracted. All I’m trying to say is thatI’d love to document this….you know, for history. But if you don’t want to do this, that's totally fine as well! Don’t feel pressured to do this. Really. Don’t.”
“Actually, it’s fine.” Link said, cutting into her nervous-sounding ramble. Hetook the book from her hooves, tucking it into an open space in his inventory. “It’s probably a good idea. I must admit I’ve never thought of doing this. I should, though.”
“Well, that’s great!” Twilight smiled, letting out a faint sigh of relief. “Have a safe journey. Hopefully, this friendship problem won’t be too hard to figure out. It’s pretty strange that the map is calling total strangers from a different universe all the way across the ocean. But I hope everything goes well!”
“Um...yeah.” Link said, somewhat lost. “But thanks for all your help.”
“What do you mean I can’t bring it?” Vinyl’s whine grated painfully on Link’s ears. He winced, stepping away from her.
Octavia smacked her forehead with a hoof, groaning.
“Listen….” She said slowly. “I’m pretty sure the Friendship Express doesn’t allow weapons of mass destruction to travel like this.”
“But I need it!” Vinyl protested, wrappeing her forelegs around the body of her bass cannon. Octavia rubbed the bridge of her muzzle, forehead creased in an expression of irritation.
“Okay...” She eventually said. “What about your bass cannon junior? I’m sure that’s small enough to be legal…...but we can hope it’s not.”
“Oh!” Vinyl perked up, seeming to not here the whispered end of that sentence. “You’re right! Just wait here a sec!”
“But if the train comes, we can’t wait—” Lyra started, then choked on the cloud of dust Vinyl had left as she sped away.
“Don’t worry.” Octavia assured them with a sigh. “She’ll back soon.”
“I hope so—” Bon Bon started.
“Back!” Vinyl cut her off, screeching to a stop right next to them, almost as if she’d never left.
“Wait—but—how—” Link stuttered, looking from her to the new black, box-shaped object she was carrying. It was impossible for someone to run that fast.
“Actually, you know what?” He sighed. “I’m just….not gonna ask.”
“That’s probably a wise decision.” Bon Bon agreed.
“Um...guys?” Saria interrupted. “What’s that?” She pointed off into the distance.
“That?” Bon Bon said. “That would be the train.”
Link’s first impression of the “train” was that it was big. Big and loud. The princess had been right—it did look a lot like a string of wagons, but he had no idea how it could be moving by itself. He decided it was probably just magic or something…..
The train came barreling into it’s station, letting out a blast of steam as it screeched to a stop. The doors shot open, disgorging a crowd of ponies from inside. Within the hustle and bustle as the ponies sorted themselves out, calling to friends, picking up luggage, or checking for all their family members, the small group went unnoticed.
Once the platform began to clear, Bon Bon motioned for the others to follow her. She took the lead, which Link was glad for, as he had no idea what they were supposed to do next. A pony wearing a hat took their “tickets”, pieces of paper apparently supposed to let those on the train now that they were allowed to be here.
Another pony, also in a hat—what was it with these ponies and hats?—directed them to the two rooms they had rented for this journey. They were quite spacious, as apparently Rupees were worth more in this world than they did in Hyrule. It’d taken a bit of figuring, but eventually it was Bon Bon who realized their worth, because Link had told her they were solid gems.
“So, who wants to get food?” Vinyl asked as soon as they’d set down their baggage. “Cause after all this excitement, I’m STARVING!”
“Me too!” Lyra agreed.
“Why not.” Octavia said, shrugging.
“Saria, do you want to come with us?” Epona offered.
“I….” Saria said, looking hesitant. She still seemed scared and shaky from the adventure of earlier. But, after a second of consideration, she nodded.
“Great!” Epona smiled warmly at her. Saria seemed to ease up a tiny bit.
“Link, would you like to come with us?” Lyra asked. “Or….something?”
“No thanks.” Link shook his head. “I’m really not that hungry.”
“Okay.”
The others turned, trotting out of the room. As they left, Link heard Epona talking to Saria.
“You know,” she said, “Link’s told me a lot about you!”
“Really?” Saria asked, sounding surprised, and then the door swung closed behind them.
Link gave a small smile. It sounded like Saria would be okay.
He sighed, reclining on the floor, and opened his new journal.
The First Day of the Journey, he wrote,around noon.
Princess Twilight asked me to keep this journal while on my adventure. I’ll oblige, even if it’s much harder to write with these strange new appendages. I hold the pencil by clamping it between my two front hooves, then suspend it above the paper and write.
Do ponies use their mouths to do this? Is that what I should be doing?
Well…..it doesn’t matter much now.
I may as well begin this journal by talking about my companions.
Four ponies have chosen to come with me on this journey. I’m not sure if I should be flattered they care….or worried that they’re so interested in a random stranger.
Lyra, as I can see, is obviously obsessed with finding out about the bipedal world...that must be the reason why she chose to come.And I guess Bonbon is coming because she’s Lyra’s best friend?
But why Octavia or her sister Vinil Vinnil Vienil however you spell her name?
You know, in spite of their tendency to be stubborn, confusing, and occasionally loud….I’m sort of glad they’re coming with.
Sort of.
I think in some ways, Epona may be right….though I would never admit it to her. I do owe them for their help within the forest….but I’m so unused to traveling with others. It’s so strange to look up and see flesh and blood bodies eager of conversation….rather than the endless stretches of Hyrule Field.
Whenever I talked, it was usually to Epona. Sure, Navi would have probably been a more likely candidate for conversation, but I guess I liked venting my thoughts to someone who wouldn’t know how to interrupt me. Maybe that’s why Epona now knows so much.
This mode of writing is starting to make my hooves ache.
This is a random change of subject, but I feel I must get it out somehow. Curse this new body!It’s stunted all my abilities completely. I can barely play the ocarina anymore….let alone swing a sword. Or even use a shield! Would it be okay if I practiced in this trane train during the journey?
…...yeah, probably not.
Link paused for a second, considering his next words.
You know, it seems Saria isn’t finding herself too out of place among these ponies, he continued. It’s funny….it’s hard to believe she’s not the same thirteen year old who gave me her ocarina as I left the forest. I’m still not entirely sure of her mental age….I guess that’s one thing I should have payed more attention to during the Deku Tree’s lessons. I do remember that the KokIri, mentally, age much slower than Hylians. But I’m just not sure how much slower. But now that Saria’s no longer scared and confused, she’s…..so much more mature than I remember. She’s still the kind, sweet, helpful girl she always was...but she’s much more serious. More reserved, most likely more dignified as well.
Though the KokIri stay young all their lives, do they truly remain children?
Well, Mido hadn’t changed a bit in seven years…..maybe Saria’s just different. She knows firsthand what lies outside the Deku Tree’s protection. The darkness that this world truly contains…..rather than the multicolored vibrancy of children’s imaginations.
I think I hear the others returning now. Yes...that’s Saria laughing. It’s good to hear she’s getting along with the others.
My hooves are sore.
Even though the injuries I retained from Phantom Ganon are healed,the fight left me tired out. I think it’s time I conclude this journal entry.
In fact, it has only been around twenty minutes since I opened my eyes, and as a consequence my hooves are rather unsteady. I hope my handwriting is still legible.
But as for the event itself….
Everyone was sleeping peacefully, and then the most horrid sound went off. It seemed that Vinnil, who had gotten “bored”, decided to awake us with her new bass cannon jr. I believe she calls it a “boom box”?
It’s strange.
The sound had us all immediately awake and out of bed, ready to be attacked by some ferocious monster. But all we saw was Vinyl, sitting with her boom box….completely unscathed.
Why all of her favorite songs include the tortured screams of cuccos….I will never know.
It took us all quite a bit of time to recover from the traumatic experience, but it certainly did nothing to curb the appetites of these peo ponies. In fact, it did not take them long before they decided to get something for breakfast.
When they left, I chose to stay behind….perhaps I’ll eat later.
For some reason, I am not very hungry. I’m not entirely sure why, but...whenever I think of the others I’ve befriended, wandering around this land with no clue of where they are….it sort of kills my appetite.
I wish that this train would go faster. I want to reach these “Dragon Lands” as soon as possible.In fact...I want to finish this quest as soon as possible.
Not that I’m not enjoying my time with these ponies. But I...honestly miss Hyrule. It’s sweet green fields, the peaceful stretch of lake Hylia….
Above all I miss my human body.
Ah, I think the others are returning now. They sound quite talkative, so it’s probably best I draw this entry to a close.
May the goddess protect you.
--Link
Afternoon of the Second Day--mid-afternoon.
Today, I learned much about those who have accompanied me. (I finally learned how to spell Vinyl’s name correctly, for one)
On the subject of names, I learned that everyone has peculiar last names. Octavia’s is Melody, Vinyl’s is Scratch, Lyra’s is Heartstrings, and Bon Bon’s….well, she says her name is just Bon Bon.
Among this onslaught of information, Saria decided to introduce her last name as well, which is “Deku”. When she said this it startled me, as I had almost forgotten the communal last name all Kokiri share. As technically we were all brothers and sisters under the parentage of the Deku Tree, we had the same last name….“Deku”. Once I realized I was a Hylian rather than a Kokiri, I decided that I wouldn’t use that name anymore….as it didn’t seem right. So I became just Link…..and memories of the name I once owned drifted away.
I feel I’m getting too melancholic now. So perhaps I should lighten the mood.
In addition to names, today I also learned a bit about Equestria….mostly about the Dragonlands. I learned they are a very hot, volcanic place across the ocean—and, unsurprisingly, full of dragons.They are ruled by a Dragon Lord, who holds almost total dominance over them all. Apparently, these dragons are quite different from the one I met in Hyrule….that is, Volvagia. They have intelligence, and are capable of reason.
I learned all of this from Lyra, who is surprisingly knowledgeable about this land.
Of course, her help did not come for free. In return for the information she gave me, she asked many questions about Hyrule. I answered them as best as I could….she asked much about our culture, and to be perfectly honest….as someone raised in a isolated village with totally different customs from the outside world, I was not of much help.
But now, she seems to be satisfied.
She’s currently sitting across from me, looking over the extensive notes she took during her interrogation. (I mean that term in the best way possible) Bon Bon is sitting next to her, reading a book. Vinyl went off somewhere….to be fully honest, I’m not entirely sure where. Epona’s sleeping...but on the floor beneath me, as she’s too large for a bed.Octavia and Saria are sitting on a chair not far from her, playing the ocarina together. Saria borrowed back her old ocarina from me, and lent her current one to Octavia.
They get along surprisingly well….in fact, I did not expect a friendship such as their own to exist. Despite the age difference, Octavia seems to look up to Saria.
Ah...now she’s teaching her some of the basic songs I heard her play when she was first learning. They’re quite simple, consisting mostly of scales, along with the occasional chord progression.
.....to be quite honest, I hope Saria doesn’t teach her the song she taught me….that is, her song.
Saria’s Song.
It may be strange, but I’ve always felt as though that song was ours, and ours alone. It was my one link to the past when I left the forest. My one link to her.
It feels special.
Perhaps...perhaps it is just me. The close quarters of this compartment must be getting to me. Perhaps I should leave and stretch my legs.
It would do me good.
May the goddess protect you.
--Link
Night of the Second Day, late night.
It is quite late—or should I say early? I’ve lost track of time. Perhaps I shouldn’t even be dating this entry as “dawn”.
Currently, I’m writing this by the meager light of the moon that shines through the window. I should be sleeping….but for some reason it escapes me tonight.
The sky outside looks so peaceful. Less stars adorn the sky than in Hyrule, but the moon seems ten times larger and brighter than it does back home.
Heh…“back home.”
I don’t exactly have a place to call home, do I? I am a wanderer, sleeping wherever night finds me. Though Saria and the Deku Tree assured me I always have a place in the forest...Mido told me to never return. It’s ironic that after all these years, I’m still following the orders of someone who used to be my greatest enemy. I remember thinking he was evil incarnate.
Now….I know just what true evil is.
Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I’d never left Kokiri Village in the first place. If I’d stayed safe, completely unaware of what was occurring outside of our haven until it confronted us directly.
I would’ve been different….no doubt, when it came, I would have cowered in the face of evil.
I should be glad I had to leave...I should be glad I was tossed into this insane adventure.
I should be glad I was forced to grow up.
Well, this entry has escalated greatly since I started. That is surely a sign that I need sleep.
Afternoon of the Third and Final Day, early afternoon.
Today has been an eventful day—in fact, so eventful I didn’t even have the chance to write until now.
I spend most of today learning about the culture of these ponies—and I must say they come up with some strange things sometimes. Their holidays, for one.
I mean, who celebrates a holiday that revolves specifically around dressing in costumes and begging for candy?
But aside from my newfound knowledge on their society, I have also spend quite a lot of time learning to function with this new body.
Apparently, ponies do write things with their mouths. I find it strange, but I agree that the way I do it tends to be slow business, as well as making your hands hooves cramp up.
The hardest thing so far is trying to figure out how to lift and carry things without my hands. I also attempted to practice with my sword….
I’ll be honest, even if it hurts my pride.
That did not end well.
Not only did I end up almost giving Lyra a free haircut, but I managed to lose control of my sword and actually cut myself on the face.
Saria bandaged it—I had no idea she was studying healing, but her method certainly worked. I may have a faint scar, but for now I’m just getting over the embarrassment of having a massive wad of cloth taped to my face.
I concluded that using my mouth to wield my sword maaay not be the best idea. But how else am I to do it? I still haven’t worked up the courage to try and use my bow….
Actually, Bon Bon has offered to help me with relearning my skills. I’m kind of….glad I have others to accompany me. It still feels strange, but these ponies are starting to grow on me.
Well. It seems I spoke too soon. Octavia just got in an argument with Lyra.
I suppose….I really should go help Epona break it up….
May the goddess protect you (and me!).
--Link
Night of the Third and Final Day, late evening.
I’ve been told that tomorrow, we’ll finally reach our destination.
I’m anxious to be there...in fact, I wonder if my nerves will even let me sleep tonight. I know it’s a seaport town we’ll be arriving at, called Baltimare.
How these ponies come up with such strange names for their towns, I have no idea.
I hope we will not have too many problems securing a ride across the ocean. I’m beginning to wish we’d taken the princess’s offer of help, even though I trust Bon Bon to find us something. I wish the Bolero of Fire would work….I’m betting it would take us straight to the place we need to go. It would certainly be a lot faster than this train ride...even though I’m grateful for the extra time to reassert control over my own body.
I’m sure I’ve said this before, and I’m definitely sure I’ll say it again, but….
If there was one thing I expected to happen to me on my main quest, it was not traveling across time and space and turning into a horse. Or pony. Or Earth Pony. Or whatever these strangely adorable, squishy-looking creatures are called.
I’m so confused by this point.
Well, the others are deciding to turn off the lights now. This is where I must end my entry, for I can’t see the moon through it’s veils of cloud tonight. It may be some time before I can write again, as our adventure resumes tomorrow.
Even bigger than Goron City, which was by far the biggest city Link had seen in his travels. Massivestone buildings towered above them, glass windows reflecting the sunlight. Hordes of ponies clogged the streets, calling out to each other.
After only a few minutes, Link was completely overwhelmed. The crowds, the noise….it was a far cry from the small-sized towns of Hyrule.
“Where should we go now?” Vinyl asked, shouting over the clamor. “Any ideas, guys?”
“Yes, in fact.” Bon Bon said. “Just follow me, guys. Try to keep a low profile. And stay alert, okay?”
She lead them through overcrowded streets, occasionally pausing to wait for gaps in traffic. The others followed, pushing their way through crowds. Link was surprised at the attitudes of the ponies here as opposed to Ponyville, as several snarled at them, even barking swears as they tried to keep sight of Bon Bon.
After a while, the crowds blocking the sidewalks thinned out, and Link and the others were able to follow her with ease. However, Link wasn’t quite sure he liked where they were going.
The buildings began to look more dilapidated, sometimes leaning against each other like drunks on their way home. Gangs of unsavory looking ponies began to prowl the streets, but one look at Epona’s powerful leg muscles was enough to keep them away.
“Where are we going?” Lyra asked, wrinkling her nose in disgust as she stepped over a wad of trash plastered onto the grimy street.
“Sssh. Just stay next to me and keep your mouths shut.” Bon Bon hissed, pausing next to the door of a sketchy-looking bar. “Please. If you want to keep your heads.”
“What?” Vinyl yelped.
“Could you elaborate, please?” Octavia asked, frowning.
Without responding, Bon Bon marched straight inside.
“Just trust her, guys!” Lyra said, following without a shred of hesitation. Epona, Link, and Saria exchanged looks, but trotted in as well.
“What on earth are we even doing in here?” Link whispered, moving next to Bon Bon.
“Why are we somewhere so….scary-looking?” Saria asked, her eyes roving nervously around the dim, rowdy room. It was crammed with all manner of colorful characters, and she squeaked as one looked at them, hiding behind Link.
Bon Bon ignored the uncertainty radiating from the others, trotting straight past the tables to the back. There, Link caught sight of an older-looking pony with a wizened face and long white beard, sitting next to a game board. The game looked totally unfamiliar to Link.
“That’s a Pony Sho board.” Lyra whispered, seeing Link’s blank look. “It’s a really old game. I didn’t even know Bon Bon knew how to play…..if fact, I didn’t know anypony actually still knew how to play it in the first place.”
“Can I have this round?” Bon Bon asked, sitting down across from the stranger.
“Of course.” He said, giving a half-smile. “Your move first, friend.”
Bon Bon slid a tile out from a pile of circular tiles next to her, placing it on the board.
“Aaah.” The stranger breathed. “I see you favor the Silver Horseshoe gambit. Not many still cling to the ancient ways……” He gazed at her in a searching manner. “But those who do….”
“….can always find a friend.” Bon Bon finished the sentence, meeting the stranger’s smile with her own. The others hung back, sensing that they shouldn’t interrupt this moment...but also they were seriously confused.
The two began shifting tiles around the circular game board, moving so fast that after a few seconds, Link lost track of who’s turn it was even supposed to be.
Then suddenly, they both stopped, smiling triumphantly. It took Link a second to realize why, but then he looked down at the board. They’d moved all the tiles in an organized pattern, making the shape of a large horseshoe.
“It is excellent to see you, my dear friend.” The stranger said, shaking Bon Bon’s hoof over the table. “It is not often that you see one young as you as a member. Well. What is it you desire?”
Ignoring the incredibly confused looks on the faces of her friends, Bon Bon smiled at the stranger.
“My friends and I need somepony to lend a boat to us.” She said. “We need to cross the Celestial Sea.”
“Aaah.” The stranger nodded, deep in thought. “I know just the right pony for you. His name is Port Side. He lives down by the docks, in the third alleyway from the right. Straight down the street.”
“My pleasure, young one.” The stranger smiled. “May fortune guide your path.”
“And yours.” Bon Bon gestured the others, leading them back out of the building and onto the grimy streets.
“Care to explain what we just saw there?” Vinyl asked.
“Actually, I don’t.” Bon Bon said. “Let’s go, guys. I think I can get us a ride across the ocean.” Without room for another word, she set off at a brisk trot.
“Bonny!” Lyra huffed, trying to catch up with Bon Bon’s quick steps. “What the heck was that?”
“Well, as I just implied….I can’t tell you right now.” Bon Bon sighed.
“Okay, can you at least tell us where we’re going?” Epona asked, carrying Saria on her back—apparently, the young Kokiri was too short to keep up. “Cause I have to say this whole thing is looking more and more suspicious. Are you an assassin?”
That comment made Bon Bon stop in her tracks, causing a pileup of ponies behind her as the group crashed into her.
“What?” She spluttered. “An assas—what even? Where did you get that?”
“I don’t know!” Epona said, stepping back, Saria still clinging to her neck. “What if you’re leading us into an alley to kill us or something?”
“That’s insulting.” Bon Bon said, frowning. Her frown deepened as she realized no one else was speaking up against Epona.
“C’mon, guys!” She protested.
“This is pretty fishy.” Octavia reasoned. Even Lyra was looking put-off.
“Fine.” Bon Bon sighed. “We’re going to find somepony who can probably help us. His name is Port Side, and he lives in this conveniently dark, deserted alleyway. Trust me now?”
“That’s the Bon Bon I know!” Lyra said, grinning happily as she locked her forelegs around her friend’s neck in a hug. “I’d know that dry, sarcastic sense of humor anywhere!” Bon Bon chuckled, returning the hug.
“Okay.” Link agreed. “You ponies don’t seem like the type to murder each other anyway.”
“Not sure if that was a compliment, but….thanks?” Bon Bon said. “Now, can we please get moving?”
The others nodded, agreeing, and followed Bon Bon into yet another fishy-looking section of town. This time, it was a dank, dark, deserted alleyway framed by towering buildings. Several of the windows on said buildings were boarded over, but the wood was rotting and fragile. It didn’t look like anyone had been there for a long time.
“Just try to stay quiet.” Bon Bon ordered, knocking on a door next to them that Link hadn’t seen. After a second, the top part of the door flipped open, and the wrinkled face of a toothless, grizzled old stallion poked out.
“Eh?” He muttered, eyeing them suspiciously. “Wha do ye want?”
“We require a boat.” Bon Bon said, her voice calm, a friendly smile on her face.
“Oh, ye do, do ye?” He snorted. “What for?”
“We need to reach the Dragonlands.” Bon Bon explained. “It’s very important.”
“Hah!” The old stallion gave a wheezy snort of laughter. “Nopony is going to be crossing the Celestial Sea any time soon. Beat it!” He withdrew his head, slamming the door shut.
Bon Bon frowned, knocking again.
“I told ye to go away.” The stallion snorted, cracking the door. “Ye won’t be getting anything from me!” He slammed it again.
Bon Bon knocked for a third time.
“What?” He yelled, throwing it open. “Why won’t ye just go away?”
By way of answer, Bon Bon held up a gray leather bag that she’d seemed to pull from nowhere. She dangled it in front of the stallion’s face, and it chinked curiously.
“Where did she get that?” Vinyl whispered. Lyra shushed her.
“I think...” Bon Bon said, her words portrayed in an offhand manner. “I think maybe we can come to an agreement.”
At this, the old man’s eyes lit up greedily. He glanced nervously from side to side, as if checking for others perhaps hidden in the shadows, then creaked opened the door.
“Why don’t ye go ahead and come on in?” He muttered.
The inside of the shack was dank, damp, and smelled like fish. Torn fishing nets hung from the ceiling, forcing the others to duck under them The grimy windows let in streaky rays of blue-tinted light.
The old stallion led them to a worn table surrounded by two wobbly chairs on either side. A single oil lamp lay in the center of the table, casting a faint golden pallor on it’s surroundings.
“Now.” He said, easing himself into one of the chairs. “Just why are ye all here?”
“Mr. Port Side, I was told that you have a boat.” Bon Bon said in a business-like tone, sitting in the other chair and tapping her hooves together. “My friends and I would like to borrow it.”
“Who told ye that?” Port Side snorted.
“Somepony who is very fond of Pony Sho.” Bon Bon responded.
“Hmph.” He muttered. “Those pesky Silver Horseshoe members think they can send random strangers to me and get away with it. I never should have joined their order.”
“Mr. Side. We seem to be getting off track.” She said very calmly. “I repeat—do you have a boat we can borrow?”
The old man sniffed, slowly raising himself off the chair. He then trotted over to a large, tarp-covered object and banged a hoof against the side. Link realized that the boat—which was probably what the object was—was too large for the building. A hole had been chopped in the ceiling, and another makeshift roof built over that.
“Of course I have a boat!” Port Side said. “I couldn’t call myself a sailor if I didn’t have a boat, now could I?”
“We’d like to borrow it for a few days.” Bon Bon repeated. “With your expertise, how long do you think it would take to cross the sea?”
“With a fair breeze?” He asked. “A day or so. Mebbe longer. But that’s only if the sea monsters don’t get ye!”
“S-sea monsters?” Octavia said nervously, causing the others to jump slightly as she spoke up. Bon Bon ignored her, plopping the bag of bits down on the table. “Well, do we have a deal?”
“Aye.” The old man sighed, turning to shake her hoof. “I do hope ye know how to sail….”
“If I were you…” A smirk flitted over Bon Bon’s face. “I wouldn’t worry about that.”
Link wasn’t sorry to leave the questionable section of Baltimare.
They now stood at the end of the docks, watching Bon Bon examining the boat along with the old sailor. The sky was a clear, endless blue, the sea below reflecting it like a sapphire mirror. A crisp breeze blew from over the waves, and the air smelled like salt.
“Well, everything’s shipshape!” Bon Bon said happily, trotting down the gangplank. The ship wasn’t large, it resembled a small fishing trawler, but she seemed to be pretty pleased with it.“We can get started as soon as Vinyl and Octavia come back. Or, you know, whenever you’re ready.”
“Great.” Link said, giving a relieved sigh.
He glanced over the scenery before him again, but his gaze fell on Saria, who was sitting at the edge of the dock, legs dangling over the edge.
He trotted over to her, easing himself down to sit next to her. At first, she didn’t seem to notice. She was staring at the water below, quietly puffing on her ocarina. After a second, Link realized she was playing her signature song.
“Hey.” Link said, keeping his voice low. “So….how you doing?”
“Do you want an honest answer?” Saria said, then blew another wavering note. “I have no idea.” She lowered the ocarina, still staring, wide-eyed, at the ripples beneath. “I mean….new worlds, colorful horse-like creatures, our fairies missing, new bodies of all things….it’s a lot to take in.”
“Heh.” Link gave a half smile. “I know how you feel.”
“I mean...everyone’s so nice, and they’re all doing their best to make me feel comfortable.” Saria said thoughtfully. “I think I’m really beginning to like Octavia. She seems to genuinely want to be my friend. It’s...a nice feeling.But…….it’s not just the shifted center of gravity or the talking animals that are so strange. It’s you.”
“Wait, what?” Link blinked, startled. “What do you mean?”
“Well, the last time I was able to talk to you—and I mean, really sit down and have a long chat—you were thirteen. Thirteen, Link! You’ve changed so much….you’ve, well….you’ve grown up. And I’m trapped in the body of a twelve year old with a fifteen year old mind. I’m supposed to be twenty-one!” Saria seemed to be spiraling into insanity, her voice growing louder with every word, and she clutched her head with both hooves. “And none of this is even supposedto bother me! Every other Kokiri in existence—they all knew we’d be twelve till we died! But I’m surrounded by others who are so much more capable than me, all because of the fact that I’ll never grow! And it infuriates me! Why? Why? Why am I so different?”
There was a breathless pause after her last words. Link stayed silent for a second, pondering his next words.
“Well….” He said thoughtfully. “I guess….I always knew you were different. To me.Not bad different….just….different. As a child, you were my only friend. You were the only Kokiri who had changed over the seven years I was gone, and even now you keep changing. You’re set apart. Saria...you’re literally destined to save the universe.”
“I know….” Saria sighed. “It’s just…..so hard to process how different everything feels. You’re different. I’m different. This world is different.”
“Yeah...” Link scratched the back of his head with a hoof, feeling awkward. “I’m sorry you had to get dragged into this. If it was up to me….you’d live the rest of your life in perfect happiness. You’d be in Kokiri Village, with no memory I ever existed. You’d be just like everyone else….with no worries.”
What Saria did next surprised Link.
She broke down, covering her face as she tried to hold back quiet sobs.
“I-I’m scared.” She admitted. “Really, really scared. I have a part in this world I’m not sure about….what if I mess it up? And even if I don’t make a huge mess out of everything, what’s next? Outside of the Light Temple, I have no purpose! What do I….what do I do?”
“Oh, Saria.” Link said, hugging her trembling frame. “I know you have plenty of purpose. You just….. haven’t seen it yet.”
“….do you know why I started studying healing?” Saria said quietly, surprising Link again. He answered honestly, shaking his head.
“I wanted to be worth something.” She admitted, her voice so quiet Link could barely hear her. “I wanted to know how to do something that could help others. I mean, defeating Ganon would certainly help others, but…..I want to have some other purpose. Something others are going to know about. What….what else can I do?”
“Right now?” Link asked. “All you need to do is be here. That’s the best thing you can do.”
A few seconds passed. Octavia and Vinyl came back with supplies for the trip, but tactfully ignored the two sitting at the edge of the dock. They talked with Bon Bon and Lyra, but kept quiet so as not to disturb them. Eventually, Saria stopped crying.
“You ready to get moving?” Link asked her. Saria nodded, giving a weak smile. Link gave her shoulders a final squeeze, then stood up and walked to the others.
“We’re ready.” He said.
It didn’t take them long to get everything aboard the ship. Everyone was polite enough to not mention Saria’s tearstained face, or the fact that she seemed to be awfully attached to Link all the sudden.
“So...” Lyra said, sounding slightly nervous. “I forgot to ask. Does anypony know how to sail this thing?”
Bon Bon grinned.
“I’ve got you covered.” She said, waving to Port Side as he walked away up the dock.
Link walked up to the prow of the ship, turning to look over the sea. He felt Saria sidle up next to him, and moved aside slightly so she could get a clear view too.
He couldn’t see the land that lay ahead...but he knew it was there.
He just hoped they could get to this place without getting attacked.
It’d been a few hours since the group had set out at sea.
Currently, Bon Bon was trying to teach Lyra, Vinyl, and Epona how to sail. Epona was really the only one listening—Lyra kept getting distracted by Vinyl, who was more interested in tinkering around with her boombox. Octavia was sitting with Saria, and they—yet again—were playing the ocarina together.
Link, however, sat in the prow of the ship. He was trying to think of something to write in his journal, despite the fact that his handwriting would be quite shaky from the rocking of the ship.
Noon of the Fourth Day, he wrote, late noon.
But after that….he couldn’t think of anything else.
Link heard Bon Bon groan.
“I give up!” She said, tearing at her mane. “You can go do whatever you want. I don’t care anymore.” Epona patted her on the back as she began banging her head repeatedly on the ship’s mast. Lyra and Vinyl slowly backed away from the Earth Pony.
“Hey!” Lyra said, trotting over to Link and sitting down next to him. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.” Link said, slightly surprised, and closed the book. He steeled himself for another barrage of questions about Hyrule.
“What’s it like moving from hands to hooves?” Lyra asked.
It took Link a second to register just what she’d said.
“What????” He eventually managed to say.
“What was it like moving from hands to hooves?” Lyra asked again. Now she was levitating her notebook in front of her. Yep, she was here to take notes again.
“Well….” Link said, trying to figure out what was going on. “It’s…...strange…..? I guess?”
Lyra nodded thoughtfully, scribbling the notes down on her book. “Did you use your hands to fight?” Link blinked, utterly bewildered. What was going on?
“Yeeeess….?” He said slowly.
“Do you use your mouth now?” Lyra asked, scribbling down more notes without looking at the paper. Link squirmed, uncomfortable as her eyes bored into his face.
“Why do you want to know?” He sighed. “….you okay, Lyra?”
“Can you teach me how to fight?” Lyra asked.
Was this what she wanted all along???
“Why?” Link said, a little less confused, but still confused nonetheless. “You have magic, right? Isn’t that what you use to fight?
“No, like with a sword.” Lyra insisted, bouncing up and down with suppressed excitement. “Please?”
“Why do you want to learn it so badly???” Link asked. Lyra was confusing the heck out of him. Lyra glanced suspiciously from side to side, then motioned for Link to lean closer. Link rolled his eyes, but humored her.
“Because I want to be just as cool as Bon Bon.” Lyra whispered into his ear.
“Bon Bon?” Link asked, raising an eyebrow as he leaned back.
“Yeah, haven’t you seen just how cool she is?” Lyra demanded in a furious whisper. “She has those ultra cool karate skills, and she always knows what to do! I think she can do anything.” Link eyebrow traveled farther up his forehead.
“I wanna be just like Bon Bon when I grow up.” Lyra sighed.
“When you….grow up.” Link stated in a monotone. He was truly and utterly lost. “Aren’t you the same age as Bon Bon?”
“Well….I’m a year younger.” Lyra admitted. “But Bon Bon is so much cooler and more mature than me! I’m scared to ask her for help….I want her to think I’m cool Please can you teach me?”
“Um….” Link said, blinking. “I don’t really think I’m fit to teach anyon—any...pony. Not right now, at least.”
“Oh.” Lyra sighed. “Okay….I should probably go help Bon Bon then. Let me know when you feel like you can teach!” She got up and skipped off.
Link shook his head. He was sure he’dnever understand what went on in Lyra’s head.
All the talk of sword fighting reminded him that he should probably practice. Especially as he was probably going to face another boss in the Dragonlands.
This time, he wanted to be prepared.
Link stood up, pulling the Kokiri sword from his inventory. He clenched his jaw around it, trying to find a good position.
Ugh….he thought. Still can’t get over how weird this feels.
Lyra saw him and turned to watch, followed by Vinyl. He immediately felt self-conscious, but tried to focus on his sword only.
Okay….basic exercises.
He began running through the basic routines he constantly practiced, twisting and flipping the sword around as he tried to adjust.
Before long, his jaw began to cramp up again. He stopped, massaging it impatiently. If this was going to keep happening every time he held his sword…..well, that would certainly be annoying.
He took hold of the hilt and ran through the series again. Then without warning, his sword slipped. He yelped, leaping away and dropping it.
“Did it scare you?” Epona chuckled as she walked past, carrying a rope over her shoulder.
“It’s not funny.” Link mumbled rather crossly. “I’ve already cut myself once. I don’t want to lose an eye.”
“Well….” Epona said thoughtfully. “Have you even tried using your hooves for a sword?”
“Hah.” Link snorted, tapping the tiny handle of the blade in question. “There’s no way I could hold that with these clunky things.”
“Okay, okay!” Epona said, holding out her hooves. “I’m just trying to help.”
“Yeah, thanks.” Link sighed. “Well, look…...I really appreciate it, but I think I need to figure this out on my own.”
“Well, I think that’s just what you think.” Epona commented, then trotted away.
After a second of trying to piece together that confusing sentence, Link gave up. He rubbed the still-healing scar on his face thoughtfully, considering her words. After a second, he tossed his sword back into his inventory, sitting down with a thump.
Saria noticed and put away her ocarina, trotting over to him. Octavia continued playing, picking up Saria’s melody where she’d left off.
“Hey.” Saria said, sitting down next to him. “Now that I’m no longer an emotional wreck, I think it’s time for me to askyouthe question. So, how are you doing?”
“You really, really,really don’t want an honest answer.” Link mumbled.
“Mmmmm….” Saria said thoughtfully, her tone making it clear that she disagreed with him.She blew a single fluting note. This time, the music was extremely quiet, so only Link and her could hear it. It was the familiar melody of her song, but much slower. Link exhaled deeply. It had a calming effect on him.
“I guess you could say I’m struggling.” He eventually admitted. “In more ways then one.”
“Oh?” Saria said, then continued the gentle music.
“Yeah.” Link sighed. “I’m the only one here still not used to being a pony. Well...I mean….Lyra and Bon Bon and the others were already ponies. And Epona was a horse….hmm. Maybe I’m not using the best comparisons.You were the only one who used to walk on two legs.” He gave an awkward chuckle.
Saria giggled, but then her expression grew serious.
“You know…..I think I might know what your problem is.” She said thoughtfully. “And why it seems hard to you.”
“Really?” Link said, surprised. “What?”
“I think…..you’re still fighting.”
“What? What do you mean?”
“I think….you’re trying to reject your new body. Because you think it doesn’t feel right. But….I have a feeling we’re going to be like this for a long time. I….personally, would suggest getting used to it.”
And with that, Saria stood up and left, leaving Link’s thoughts whirling in circles.
He supposed she was right—he was stubborn, and didn’t want to change. But the fact that she said it…. she who knew him better than anyone….didn’t make it any easier to accept.
“LAND HOOOOO!” Vinyl suddenly yelled, startling Link out of his thoughts.
“Sweet Celestia, Vinyl.” Octavia groaned. “You don’t need to yell!”
“Land?” Lyra said, confused. “We can’t be there yet!”
“Oh, not like big dragon-filled land.” Vinyl explained. “Think tiny island. Very tiny.”
“Okay.” Bon Bon said. “Now we have two options—we could stop for a quick break, or could continue. Would anypony like to stop?”
“I don’t know about everybod—everypony else, but Iwould like a chance to stretch my legs.” Saria offered. “Any...pony else?”
“Sure!” Vinyl agreed.
“Why not?” Octavia sighed, still rubbing her ears.
“I’m game!” Lyra chirped.
Link just shrugged.
“Okay, then. Got it.” Bon Bon begantwisting the wheel sharply from side to side, and the boat slowed down unexpectedly. Once it was at a crawl, Epona rushed over to lower the sail. And she only got tangled up in rope once.
After they’d been brought to a complete stop, Saria revealed that she actually wasn’t entirely sure how to swim. Then they realized that she was so short, the water would definitely cover her head—so Epona carried her to the island.
It was an extremely small piece of land. The crest of it was almost perfectly round, and the sand that covered the ground was coarse and scratchy. The only signs of life to be seen were the stubby, stunted trees dotting the ground, their scraggly roots spread desperately throughout the sand.
“This is a weird island.” Lyra noted, eyeing the perfect roundness and nearly dead trees.
“I’m just glad to be on land that isn’t moving.” Vinyl said, sitting down with a thud.
“You’ll get used to the boat eventually.” Bon Bon promised.
Saria sat down, still holding her ocarina—Link hadn’t even noticed she’d brought it across.
He supposed he could understand her need for it. It was the one thing she still had from Hyrule. It was rather like the ocarina she’d given him—even when he didn’t need it anymore, he’d clung to it because of the memories attached.
He guessed Saria just needed the comfort of those memories all the time.
Saria began tentatively whistling a tune….a new one that Link had never heard before. He marveled at how much better she was at playing than him, even with her hooves. The song began with two notes—if he had to guess, he thought they were E and F in an A major scale. Then the same two notes repeated twice, but staccato, and then trilled into a more intricate melody for a single measure. It was a fun-sounding song. “You know...” Octavia said thoughtfully. “I don’t think you’ve taught me that one.”
“That’s because I just made it up.” Saria explained. “Would you like me to teach you now?”
“Sure!” Octavia sat down and took the instrument Saria held out to her. Huh….so Saria carried both ocarinas with her everywhere.
“Can I learn it too?”Link asked. Saria beamed, nodding.
She played the song again, but slowly. Link and Octavia followed. Octavia picked it up quicker than Link….but she had spent the last few days doing practically nothing but playing the ocarina. Link played it a lot slower than the other two, his notes wavering uncertainly. The song was a little more difficult than he was used to.
“You forgot to play the E twice before the final note.” Saria pointed out.
“Oh, got it.” Link said, playing the song again, but even slower. “I’m not used to playing sixth notes.”By this point, the others had sat down to watch. Vinyl was humming along to the song as Octavia played, tapping her hooves.
“This sounds great!” Saria said happily. “Octavia, can you slow down a bit so Link can play along with you? I want to try something.”
“Sure.” Octavia nodded.
“Great!” Saria said. “Okay now. One…..two…..one two three four….”
In accordance with the beat Saria counted out, Link and Octavia launched into the song. Saria followed up, bringing in a background that was a lot more complicated—it consisted mostly of chords.
“That was cool!” Vinyl said, once they’d finished.
“Yeah, it sounded really neat.” Lyra agreed.
“It almost sounded like—” Bon Bon started speaking, but her sentence was cut off as the ground began shaking. Trees cracked, toppling over as they island began torise into the air. Sand trickled off the sides, revealing smooth green plates beneath.
“EVERYPONY!!! GET BACK TO THE SHIP QUICK!!!!” Bon Bon yelled. Lyra panicked, making a flying leap into the air….which obviously didn’t work very well. She fell with a loud splash, yelling and spluttering as she floundered in the waves.
“Saria!” Epona said, grabbing the filly. “See those ropes on the deck? I need you to toss one to Lyra and one to us. Hurry!” She placed Saria on her back, bucking her high into the air.
Saria yelped in alarm, flailing her limbs, but actually managed to land on the deck. She stumbled, recovering from the momentum, then leapt for the ropes. She grabbed one of themand looped it quickly around the mast, tying a hasty knot. She then tossed it to the struggling Lyra, who grabbed it and held on for dear life.
Saria’s next move was to grab the second rope and do the same—except this one she threw at the group still stuck on the island. To Link’s surprise, the rope actually made it across the churning waters, and Epona snatched up the end before it could slip down.
She speedily tied a loop in the end—how she did it with hooves Link had no idea—then tossed it over her own neck.
“Quick, go across!” She ordered, bracing her feet on the ground.
“Wait, what?” Link yelped. “What about you? Why?”
“I’ll be fine!” Epona insisted. “I’m just filling in for a tree, okay? Go!”
Link raised an eyebrow. Without question, Octavia grabbed rope quickly, sliding across. Epona took a deep breath, gritting her teeth as the rope cut into her neck.
Vinyl followed quickly, then helped Saria pull up a spluttering Lyra. Bon Bon then gestured for Link to cross, but he shook his head.
“You go first.” He said.
“But...” Bon Bon protested.
“Guys.” Epona groaned.
“SWEET CELESTIA WHAT IS THAT?!?” Lyra suddenly shouted, startled them as she pointed a hoof at something behind them. Link whirled around. Behind him, there was a giant, scaly head hovering, connected a long neck. It blinked it’sempty yellow eyes in a dazed manner, dripping water over the ground and washing away even more of the sand.
“Is that a turtle?”Bon Bon gasped.
“JUST GO!” Link whirled around, yelling at Bon Bon. She jumped, clearly startled, and did so.
“Go ahead now, Link.” Epona said, her face scrunched in pain.
“Nope.” Link shook his head. “I have a plan. Jump off the turtle!”
Epona raised an eyebrow, looking skeptical.
“Just trust me!” Link said.
“...I do.” Epona said. “Fine!” She leapt off the turtle’s back, yelping as she hurtled through the air. Before she hit the water, she managed to pull the rope off her neck, and hooked a foreleg through the loop before splashing down.
Link flipped open his inventory, snatching up a particular item. He aimed carefully, then flipped a trigger. The pointed tip of his hookshot rocketed from the grip (which he now held with his mouth) and slammed into the side of the boat. The chain retracted, pulling him quickly across.
He ran over to help the others pull up Epona from the water, then they all turned around to watch the massive turtle begin to swim away—much faster than Link would have thought possible.
“Wait a second!” Bon Bon gasped, then grabbed Link’s hookshot from where it lay on the ground. She pointed it at the turtle, then fired.
“What are you—” Link started, confused. But then the hookshot caught on the shell, and the ship jerked violently forwards. Everypony fell over, and the ship sped across the waves, being pulled by the giant turtle.
“THIS IS BY FAR THE STRANGEST THING I HAVE EVER SEEN!” Saria yelled, clutching desperately onto the rope that she had thrown to Lyra earlier.
“NOT FOR ME!” Vinyl whooped. “VISIT MY DISCO AND YOU’LL SEE WEIRDER!”
The group arrived at the Dragonlands much sooner than was expected. The giant turtle had pulled them across the bouncing waves at a rate much faster than was thought possible. However, there was one downside to their early arrival.
By this point, almost everybody was seasick.
“Hey, guys!” Bon Bon said, gripping the rail and staggering to her feet. “I’m pretty sure we’re here!”
She crawled over to where the hookshot was attached to the mast—something she had done after it had successfully latched onto the turtle.
She fumbled with it, yelling curses when it seemed to evade her grasp.
“Link!” She yelled. “How do you detach this thing?”
“Push the button, Bon Bon!” Link called back. Bon Bon pushed a button.
The hookshot didn’t detach, but the chain began to retract anyway, and the mast it was attached to creaked ominously, the wooden fibers trembling.
“Wrong button!” Link shouted.
He leapt to his feet, stumbling over to where Bon Bon stood, and rammed the right button. The hookshot detached instantly, spiraling back into the grip.
Now that what propelled it forwards was gone, the ship screeched to a sudden stop. Waves of spray were kicked up in front of it, and everypony fell over again.
“That is not how physics work!” Link groaned, prying his forehead off the wooden deck.
“What are physics?” Vinyl asked curiously, standing up to watch the turtle sink beneath the waves.
“You know what?” Link sighed. “Just forget I asked.”
Bon Bon stood up, beginning to put things back together. Many things had fallen over and rolled wildly over the deck during the mad, hours-long ride.
Saria ran to the side of the ship, throwing up into the ocean.
“Anypony know what that thing was?” Epona groaned, lifting her head from where she lay on the deck.
“That was a Celestial Sea Turtle.” Lyra said, looking greener than usual. “They’re giant sea turtles that can sleep for so long, they can begin to look like mini islands. I’ve heard about them, seen plenty of pictures….but I never thought I’d meet one.”
“I, personally, hope I never have to hitch a ride on a giant sea turtle again.” Link said, feeling weak in the knees and he turned to gaze over the sea.
“Well, everypony, we’ve arrived at the Dragonlands.” Bon Bon said.
That was enough to get everyone off the ground and at the edge of the ship, looking over the horizon.
A gritty, black sand beach stretched before them, reaching far past their eyes could reach. The boat drifted closer, finally landing with a crunch as it bumped into the shore.
Link leapt over the side of the vessel, landing with a splash in the water below. He shivered. The waves were ice-cold, something he wasn’t expecting for the volcanic land of the dragons.
The rest of the group followed him down, and they trotted up the beach.
“The sand almost feel sharp.” Link commented, wincing and lifting his hooves.
“I don’t like it.” Saria said. She gazed over the bleak landscape, devoid of any trees or signs of green life, and shivered slightly.
“You know, I think it feels weird because it’s shattered lava.” Bon Bon noted. “Careful. It might actually cut you.”
“Oh.” Epona looked at the ground uneasily. “Well, where to now?”
Link tapped his chin with a hoof for a second, thinking. Then he held it up and pointed to a boulder not far from them.
“Wait…...we should go to the rock?” Lyra said, looking confused.
“Nope.” Link shook his head.
“I must say, you’re starting to develop quite a knack for this.” Sheik said, stepping out from behind it.
Vinyl and Octavia jumped, letting out yelps. Lyra reeled back, clutching her heart. Bon Bon struck a defensive stance, looking startled. Saria squeaked and hid behind Link. Only Link and Epona remained unaffected by Sheik’s sudden entrance.
“Quick question.” Link said, by way of greeting. “How’d you get across the ocean so fast?”
“Magic?” Sheik suggested, shrugging.
“Yeah...” Epona sighed. “I’m getting the impression you don’t actually know yourself.”
“Or maybe I just don’t want you asking too many questions.” The fabric of Sheik’s mask wrinkled, as if he was smiling underneath it.
“I’m assuming you still can’t give us any answers?” Link said. “That is, answers to the questions I asked you last time we met.”
“I’m afraid I still cannot.” Sheik shook his head, plucking a chord on his harp. “But believe me—in time, all things will be revealed.”
“Yeah, I guessed you’d say that.” Link sighed. “Well, now I suppose I have to find Darunia and defeat whatever evil awaits me next?”
Sheik nodded, seeming to not be even remotely surprised by Link’s guess.
“Follow the rising sun.” He said, pointing a hoof to what Link supposed was the east. “For there, you will find what you seek.”
“Great.” Link said. “Thanks.” Sheik nodded, then disappeared in a puff of smoke.
“I swear...” Lyra muttered. “I will never get used to that.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Link agreed. “At least, in the beginning.”
“We should probably get moving.” Bon Bon said. “I want to get off the beach. It’s so open—it’s making me nervous.” The others agreed, and they trotted away in the direction Sheik had indicated.
The Dragonlands were an extremely bleak place. The ground had now shifted from a beach of dark sand to sharp rocks, sticking up in jagged spikes. The air was flecked with drifting ash.
Link glanced around, on the watch for monsters. This seemed like the type of place for them to dwell.
“You know, you don’t need to be so tense!” Lyra said, startling him. “The dragons here are under orders to be nice. So they won’t hurt us! Hopefully. Maybe. Actually, I don’t know.”
“Yeah, that doesn’t make me feel better.” Link said, not lowering his vigilance. “At all.”
“Hey, um, guys?” Saria asked, pointing something out ahead. “Does anyo—anypony know what that is?” All Link could see was a shadowy shape, bombarded by trials of gleaming crimson that flickered and moved.
“That looks like two dragons.” Bon Bon said. “It also seems like they’re harassing somepony!”
“Should we go help?” Vinyl asked.
“Well, of course.” Octavia said. “We can’t leave somepony hanging, can we?”The others agreed, and they set off at a run.
As they drew closer, Link recognized the pony being annoyed by the dragons.
Is that...he thought. No way. It can’t be that easy.
“Darunia!” He yelled, putting on a burst of speed. Hearing Link’s cry, the pony paused in combat.
Yes...it certainly was Darunia. There was no mistaking that hulking, rocky frame. Who else could it be?
One of the dragons swept his tail at Darunia’s feet, knocking him over. He fell to the ground with a mighty crash, giving a loud yelp.
Without thinking, Link leapt to the defense of his friend. He flipped his inventory open, grabbing the first thing that came to his hooves—this time, it was Biggoron’s Sword.
He swung it wildly at the dragons, who backed away instantly. In some part of his mind, he realized he was using his hooves to hold the weapon, but he shoved the thought away. He brought his focus to the dragons before him, who were hissing menacingly and circling.
“Wait!” Bon Bon gasped, dashing up to them. The others had caught up with Link—even Saria, but she was riding on Epona’s back.
“There’s no need for conflict.” Bon Bon said, stepping between Link and the dragons. “What’s going on?”
“That pony was eating my hoard!” One of the dragons rasped, pointing a talon at Darunia. The Goron-turned-pony himself was standing behind Link, looking confused. “And that pony just threatened me with that sword!” He turned to point at Link.
“Well, maybe if you weren’t about to attack—wait. Dragons can talk?” Link blinked, surprised.
“Well, duh we can talk.” The other dragon snorted, rolling it’s eyes. “Where have you been, weirdo?”
“Everypony—everybody, just calm down.” Bon Bon said, holding out her hooves as if to separate the two. “We’re just here to find someone.”
“Actually, this is him.” Link said, gesturing to Darunia.
“What’s goin’ on?” Darunia asked in a whisper.
“I’ll tell you in a second.” Link responded.
“Him?” Bon Bon said, barely glancing at Darunia. “Ah. I suppose I should have guessed. Well, now we’ll just leave peacefully, okay? We don’t want any trouble.”
As one of the dragons opened his mouth to respond, the ground began shaking. Everybody stumbled, and Link almost dropped his sword.
The two dragons yelled at the top of their lungs, sprinting away. They disappeared much faster than Link would have thought possible.
“It’s that cursed lava dragon again!” Darunia yelled.
Volvagia paused in his flight, hissing angrily at him. Without warning, he dove down, sweeping his tail towards Darunia and catching him across the chest. The sturdy Goron was thrown backwards, crashing into a tall spire of rock, which crumbled over him.
“Darunia!” Saria cried, rushing over to him. After a second of hesitation, Octavia followed her.
Volvagia made a sharp, high-pitched growling noise that sounded awfully like a laugh, then turned and doveback into the fresh pool of lava he’d just created. The impact of him hitting the lava put pressure on the shattered landscape, and cracks spread farther over the ground, glowing ominously.
“Be really careful, guys!” Link said, slinking back from the place where the boss had just disappeared. “He could come up anywhere!”
“Link, how do we defeat this guy?” Epona asked, frowning suspiciously as she looked around.
“Um...just smash his head with a hammer!” Link said. “That stuns him, then you can hit him with a sword!”
“Okay, does anypony have a hammer?” Lyra yelled.
“I didn’t think to bring one!” Vinyl admitted.
With a new tremor throughout the ground, Volvagia broke through the crust once again. Except this time, only his head emerged, and he whipped around the long, fiery strands of mane that attached to his head. After that, he froze, watching the ponies smugly, as if daring them to try and come near.
Epona accepted the challenge, running over, and slammed her front hooves down on him as hard as she could. Volvagia keeled backwards, stunned, and Link took this opportunity to leap forwards with a slash from Biggoron’s Sword. It sheered cleanly through part of Volvagia’s mane of fire, and the glowing, feathery strands dropped to the ground, melting into a pile of red-hot mush.
“Yes!” Vinyl whooped. “Who needs a hammer when Epona’s around?”
Volvagia hissed at them. Obviously, Link cutting his mane didn’t hurt. The dragon reared back, spitting a mouthful of fire at the group.
Lyra leapt in front of the group, creating a shield with her magic. The fire hurtled into the barrier, then recoiled and slipped around the edges of the golden bubble.
Volvagia gave up, slinking back into the lava and disappearing.
“Here.” Link said, turning to Lyra. “I’ve got something for you.”He reached into his inventory and pulled out the Megaton hammer, tossing it to her. It slammed into the ground near her hooves, causing a mini earthquake.
“Ack!” Lyra yelped, jumping. “Don’t do that!”
“Sorry.” Link said. “But anyway, I can’t carry this in my mouth….so it’s all yours. For now. Just watch out for that hair flip thing he does when he comes up.”
After a moment of hesitation, Lyra levitated the hammer upwards. It bobbed unsteadily through the air, and her eyes lit up alarmingly.
“Hey, Link!” Bon Bon said. “Can I borrow that grappling hook thingy you have?”
“The grappling what?” Link asked, raising an eyebrow.
“The thing we used for the turtle!” Bon Bon explained. “Can you give it to me?”
“Oh. The hookshot?” Link tossed it to her. “Sure.”
“Great.” A menacing grin lit up on Bon Bon’s face.
Volvagia broke through the ground again, and the group scattered to dodge the lava that splattered from the impact.
Lyra threw the hammer at him with all her might. It hurtled through the air, smacking him upside the head before crashing to the ground.
“Well.” Link commented, running for the dragon. “That’s something I never thought of.”
Volvagia recovered from the stun before Link could reach him, shaking his head and slipping back into the lava with a splash. Link flinched, leaping backwards and away from the burning droplets.
Lyra ran over to the crater she had made, picking up the Megaton hammer again.
One of the already-made holes in the ground began bubbling, heralding another attack.
“Watch out!” Epona warned, pointing to that one.
“Yep, he’s coming up again!” Link said.
Volvagia appeared again, but this time he leapt from the hole, soaring up into the air. He circled around, twisting his body into a spiral, glaring menacingly down at the ponies below.
Link braced himself, expecting some sort of fire blast from above—but then he saw Volvagia recoil in mid-air, letting out a roar of pain.
“Gotcha!” Bon Bon shouted, and that was when Link noticed the long, thin chain stretching from Volvagia to Bon Bon. She’d launched the hookshot at him, and the sharp metal tip had buried itself in his side. The dragon seemed to change his mind about being in the air, diving instead for a crack in the ground below.
“Bon Bon, detach it now!” Link shouted. Bon Bon hurriedly jabbed the button, and the hookshot’s chain spiraled back into it’s grip as Volvagia disappeared again.
“Great!” Link praised. Bon Bon nodded, grinning.
“Watch out!” Epona called, instantly jerking Link’s attention to her. “He’s coming!” She pointed a hoof to where one of the cracks in the ground was, indeed, bubbling again.
“I can get him!” Lyra said, running directly for the hole.
“Wait!” Link cried. “Don’t—”
His warning was too late. As Volvagia came up, hisburning mane hit Lyra straight across the face. Lyra let out a scream of pain, collapsing back, trails of smoke coming off her charred green fur.
“Lyra!” Bon Bon cried. She leapt to her friend’s rescue, followed by Epona.
Epona distracted Volvagia by stunning him yet again, and Bon Bon threw Lyra onto her back, galloping to safety.
Link decided to take a leaf from Lyra’s book, throwing his sword like a boomerang. It soared in an arc through the air, slicing a gash across Volvagia’s face. The dragon recoiled, hissing in pain, blood pouring from his face.He slid back into the lava, casting a malevolent eye on Link.
Saria and Octavia had taken over Lyra, carrying her back to where they were still tending to Darunia—it was far enough out of harm’s reach.
Vinyl trotted over to where Link’s sword had clattered to the dusty ground, picking it up.
“Wow, sweet!” She whistled.
“I gonna need that back, Vinyl!” Link said.
“Aaawww…...but everypony else gets a cool weapon!” Vinyl protested. “Can’t I use this?”
“But you have your boombox!” Link pointed out. “Why don’t you use that?”
“I didn’t bring it!” Vinyl said.
“What???” Link yelled.
Volvagia broke through a new section of ground, and they scattered to avoid him. Bon Bon, using her mouth, picked up the hammer Lyra had discarded and tried tossing it at the dragon. It staggered drunkenly through the air, then crashed to the ground several feet from Volvagia. He gave a growling, sharp laugh, and spat a fireball at them. Vinyl shielded them with a bubble of vibrant, translucent blue.
“How could you not bring your boombox?” Link asked once Volvagia has disappeared again. “It was literally your only weapon!”
“I didn’t know we’d be fighting a dragon!” Vinyl argued.
“This is the freaking land of dragons!!!!” Link shouted.
Volvagia, once again, shattered the ground next to them, far sooner than they were expecting. Drops of lava splattered down around them, and Vinyl dropped Link’s sword to protect them with another magical shield. Link picked up the discarded sword, and when Vinyl dropped the barrier, Epona rushed forwards to slam her hooves down on Volvagia again. Link followed up behind her, fitting in another good slash. Up close, he could see the effect his earlier attack had left on Volvagia. The exposed skin within the wound was charred completely black, and the blood was baked onto his face. Volvagia’s eyes glittered with a combination of agony and rage. Then he vanished beneath the lava.
“Look.” Link said, trying to block the malicious expression on the dragon’s face from his mind. “Vinyl, you can have the smaller sword. But I need this big sword. Deal?”
“Fine.” Vinyl agreed. “Deal.” While Link handed her the Kokiri Sword, Bon Bon ran to pick up the Megaton hammer again—somehow managing to hold both it and the hookshot.
Without a warning, Volvagia burst out of one of the pre-made holes in the ground. Instead of pausing there, he leapt into the air, once again spiraling around them. A deep, unearthly roar ripped itself from his throat, and fiery rock began to rain down from the sky.
“I got this, guys!” Vinyl said, creating another shield with her magic. One of the falling stones shattered her shield of energy like a dome of fragile glass, causing the others to scatter.
“New plan!” Link called. “No shields! Just avoid being crushed!”
“Smart plan!” Epona agreed.
Vinyl dealt with their new situation by blowing up any rocks that came near her with her magical lasers. Bon Bon found and outcropping of rock to crouch beneath. And Link did the same thing he’d done during the original boss battle—watched the ground for shadows and moved out beneath them. After a while, he noticed that Epona was doing the exact same thing.
Huh. He thought. I wonder how she knew to do that?
When the rain of burning hail stopped, Volvagia twisted around and dove for the ground again. This time, he didn’t aim for one of the holes—he aimed for Saria and Octavia, who were hanging on the sidelines of the battle, far enough so that they hoped they’d be out of danger.
Volvagia’s gaze flickered to Link for a second, and what seemed to be a dull pallor of triumph burned in his eyes. He reared back, fire building up at the corners of his mouth.
“No!” Link shouted, tossing his sword aside and galloping desperately for the defenseless mares.
He leapt in front of them, yanking his shield out of his inventory in the lick of time. The blast of fire he was expecting hit him like a cannonball, super heating the metal of his shield and searing his limbs. He gritted his teeth, ignoring the blistering pain racking his body.
Volvagia hissed in disappointment, reeling away once he saw his plan to attack the weak was thwarted. He wheeled around, but then let out an earth-shattering roar of pain. A good shot from Bon Bon had lodged itself in his scales, right underneath his arm. Bright orange blood dripped from the wound, splattering as it hit the ground below.
He dove straight for the lava, threatening to either break the hookshot or drag Bon Bon in with him. She detached it quickly, a triumphant smirk on her face.
“No one hurts Lyra!” She shouted.
Link breathed heavily, ignoring the pain from that simple act. He put out a section of his tunic that was on fire, ignoring the smoke curling off his clothes and red-hot surface of his shield.
“Link!” Saria cried. “Are you okay?”
“Just fine.” Link said, trying for a grin, but it ended up more like a grimace. The searing pain was overloading his nerves, being replaced with nothing but a blank tingling.
“Watch out!” Epona called, bringing his attention back to the battle behind him. “He’s coming back again!”
Link turned around, stumbling over to Epona. His pain-numbed limbs refused to work properly, and he almost fell—thankfully, Epona caught him, steadying him.
“Woah.” She said.
“I’m okay.” Link said instantly, without waiting for the question. Epona raised an eyebrow, a skeptical expression on her face.
Volvagia came up again, whipping his head around. Bon Bon leapt forwards, bringing the Megaton hammer down, and Vinyl slashed at him with the Kokiri sword. Link had to admire the smoothness with which they’d picked everything up—especially Bon Bon.
Volvagia shook off his daze, ducking back under the lava.
“HOW IS HE NOT DEAD YET???” Vinyl yelled. “ALL YOU HAD TO DO WITH THE FIRST ONE WAS KICK HIM A COUPLE TIMES!!!!”
“Just watch out for bubbling holes!” Epona warned. “Now, Link. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I...guess I’ve been better.” Link admitted. “But I’ll be fine.”
“You know, I think I know why you almost fell over.” Epona commented. “Ponies aren’t exactly meant to stand on their hind legs.”
“Wha?” Link said, confused, looking down. That’s when he realized, indeed, that he was standing on his hind legs. In fact...now that he thought about it….he’d spent this entire fight on his hind legs, wielding his sword with his hooves.
No wonder it’d felt so much more natural.
“Guys….it’s bubbling again!” Vinyl shouted, pointing a hoof at one of the jagged cracks in the ground. Link shook off his stupor, running to pick up his sword again.
Volvagia emerged, emitting a savage hiss. Epona waited for him to perform his first attack and then pause, then leapt forwards with another blow.
Ignoring the shooting pain in his limbs, Link followed up with a spin attack—one that was slightly less lopsided than the first one he’d attempted.
The sword sheered cleanly through Volvagia’s thick scales, and Link landed what he hoped was a killing blow.
As the attack ended, he braced himself to end the momentum of the spin. He still ended up staggering a little—if it was hard getting used to being a pony, it was even harder to be a pony on his hind legs. He teetered, almost falling into the lava. Epona quickly grabbed him, pulling him back.
Volvagia let out an agonized screech of pain, staggering backwards and into the air. Blood poured down from his neck and face, sizzling as it hit the rock below. His arms waved feebly in the air, reaching for nothing in particular—and he alighted on top of a rock, talons scrabbling in the slippery blood.
He let out a final, enraged roar, then exploded into black ashes.
What had once been a formidable enemy floated gently in the breeze, settling down in a thick bed on the ground.
“So….what in Din’s name just happened?” Darunia asked, startling Link. He hadn’t known the Goron was awake.
“I’m glad to see you’re okay.” Link sighed, letting himself flop to the ground. His limbs let out a cry of protest at the movement, and he bit his tongue to keep himself from flinching.
“Lyra!” Bon Bon cried desperately, running over to her friend. “Are you okay?” Lyra groaned, shifting slightly.
“It feels like my body was submerged in molten lava.” She moaned, keeping her eyes squeezed tightly closed.
“Just lay still.” Saria ordered. “Guys, we need to get Lyra some help now. Lyra and Link.”
“You know, I’m actually fine.” Link said, sitting up to make it more believable. “I’ve had injuries that were much worse than this. It’s Lyra that needs the attention. You know…..I could probably just play the Minuet of Forest—and not only would we be back in Ponyville, but we’d probably healed too. Like it did last time?”
“But we can’t do that.” Vinyl reminded him. “Cause that old dude needs his boat back.”
“Captain Port Side.” Bon Bon corrected. “And she’s right. I’d hate to betray his trust like that.
“Right.” Link sighed. “I forgot about that.” He guessed he’d just have to live with this pain a little longer. Well, it wasn’t really a big deal. He could stand it.
“You know, you all did quite admirably in that fight.” Sheik’s voice emanated from behind them. This time, he caught Link by surprise, and Link yelped with the rest of them.
“How did he….?” Octavia marveled. “Okay, raise your hoof if you saw him come up. Did anypony see him?” The response was a collective head shake.
“You know, most people don’t.” Sheik said with a soft chuckle. Then he cocked his head to the side, looking over Link.
“You’re not looking so good.”He commented.
“Eh, I’ve been better.” Link agreed. “But hey, it could always be worse.”
“Um….everyone?” Darunia said, his voice hesitant. “Am I the only one seeing a group of dragons flying this way?”
“Me and my big mouth.” Link groaned, getting to his feet slowly.
The colored specks on the horizon drew nearer, eventually alighting on the rocky ground in front of the group. These dragons looked nothing like Volvagia—just like the other two earlier. The first one Link noticed was a pale blue colored one at the head of the flock. She (he assumed it was a she? It certainly looked like a female) was shorter than most of the others, but radiated a sense of authority. Her scales were a pale, slightly cloudy blue, specked here and there with slivers of a dark sapphire. Her wing membranes were lavender-colored, with a gradient from dark to light. She held a long, golden staff topped with a ruby in one talon.
“Greetings, Dragon Lord.” Bon Bon said, bowing before her. After a second, she glanced at the others and motioned for them to do the same.
The Dragon Lord (Lord? Lady?) fiddled restlessly with the ruby on the tip of her staff, watching them as they lowered themselves into positions of respect. Except for Lyra—she was still lying down, outstretched on the ground.
I remember what Princess Twilight said….. Link thought. The Dragon Lord...or lady...or...whatever….. anyway, she’s friendly. So hopefully, we don’t need to worry.
“Go ahead and rise. So…..what’s going on?” A voice said. Link glanced up briefly, discovering it belonged to the Dragon Lord.
“It’s rather a long story.” Bon Bon admitted, straightening up. “I’ll do my best to explain it to you—if you wish.”
“Yeah, sure.” The Dragon Lord said. Bon Bon launched into the story of their journey. The other dragons wandered over, losing interest in the story, and finding the strange ponies more interesting—specifically, Darunia.
One poked his rocky shell curiously, and he automatically retreated, giving the offender a glare that made them step back as well.
“Anyway.” He said, talking in a low voice and trying to ignore the others. “Are you okay, Link? What’s going on?”
“I’m fine.” Link said, keeping his voice quiet as well. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Saria flinch and hide behind Octavia as one of the dragons eyed her curiously. “And….you know, now’s not really a good time for the whole story. I can tell you in a second.”
“Did you defeat Volvagia?” Darunia asked. Link nodded.
“That’s my Sworn Brother!” The Goron cried all of the sudden, thwacking Link on the back with a hoof. “Never lets that pesky dragon live!” Link went flying, sprawling face-first on the ground.
“Darunia!” He hissed in what he hoped was a discreet voice—but judging by the stony silence of everyone around them, Darunia’s comment hadn’t gone unheard. “We are literally surrounded by dragons.”
“Oh.” Darunia gave a sheepish chuckle, rubbing the back of his head. “Right.”
“Okay, so……..I get your story and everything.” The Dragon Lord waved a talon at Bon Bon, who looked uncomfortable. “But what in Tartarus is going on with them?” She pointed at Link and Darunia.
Octavia gave a shocked gasp, clutching Saria’s ears and glaring at the dragon. Saria froze in the middle of trying to duck away from Octavia, looking confused.
“Oh.” The Dragon Lord said, grinning awkwardly. “Sorry for the language.” Link pried his face off the ground, crawling slowly to his hooves.
“Not my best day.” He sighed, brushing himself off. Eventually, he turned to Ember.
“I must apologize, your majesty.” He said, hoping he was getting the title right.
I don’t want to offend her…...
“Ugh, just call me Ember or Dragon Lord or something.” She said, shivering and scratching her arm. “Titles like that make me itchy.”
“Oh.” Link blinked, surprised. “Okay. Well, anyway, your maj—uh, Dragon Lord….I’m sorry for all the fuss.”
“Yeah, so, about that.” Ember said. She pointed a claw at the breaks in the ground, where the lava below was shimmering, occasionally bubbling up between the cracks. “What the—er, I mean, what on earth happened here?”
“There was a dra—er, creature here that was attacking us. His form of attack was to break through the ground and breath fire, then dive below again and come up somewhere else.”
“Gotcha.” Ember said. “What happened to the creature? Cause if there’s some monster in my kingdom, I want to know.”
“He’s….gone, actually.” Link said, trying to keep his words vague.
“Dead?” “Er…..yes.”
“Okay, so I don’t have to worry about it.” Ember said. “Good.” Link blinked at her in surprise. He wasn’t expecting a reaction like that.
Well, at least she doesn’t know it was a dragon……..
“We’re really, really sorry, Dragon Lord.” Bon Bon jumped in. “We’re only here because we were trying to find somepony, and we found him, so we can get out of your mane now!
“Eh, there’s really no need to apologize.” Ember said, waving a talon. “I just came because two of my subjects came running into the throne room, screeching about ponies attacking some monster. I was worried that it would be a threat to the rest of my subjects.”
“Don’t worry.” Link assured her. He didn’t know what to make of this dragon. She was a ruler, that was for sure……….but she didn’t seem like any ruler he’d ever met.
“It’s been dealt with.” Bon Bon continued.
“Yeah, I get it now.” Ember said.
“I’m glad.” Link said. “Now….we should probably be going soon….” He bit his lip, hoping he hadn’t offended her.
“I concur.” Sheik said, stepping forwards. Once again, Link jumped with the others. He’d forgotten Sheik was there.
Everyone fell silent as the mysterious pony stepped forwards. Link noted that somehow, Sheik’s mere presence made others look to him for guidance—even the Dragon Lord.
There’s more to this guy than meets the eye.
It’s really too bad he never gives a straight answer.
“This is a land built upon friendship.” Sheik said, strumming a single, thoughtful chord on his harp. “It’s an unbelievable force that, given time, can grow strong enough to bind others so closely they can never bear to be apart. This passion…..it will guide you. Listen to this song…..this song dedicated to the power of the heart…..”
Link nodded, reaching for his ocarina at the same time that Sheik lifted his harp.
The Bolero of Fire was quick—quicker than Link was used to playing with his hooves. He’d played it plenty of times before, but this time it was a totally new experience.
It took him a couple tries, but eventually, he was able to play it correctly. The duet between harp and ocarina was remarkable, and as Link played, he felt a rush of emotions coursing through him, so fast he couldn’t pinpoint one.
The world faded into red, and Link felt the sharp tug then weightless, drifting sensation of warping. His cells tingled, and for a second he couldn’t tell if he was floating up or plunging down. His sense of touch brought him to as his rough stone scraped against his hooves, and the red dissipated, the scenery reforming as the sandy beach, next to the moored ship.
As soon as they landed, Link rushed for the ocean. He threw himself into it, both sighing with relief and wincing in pain as the icy salt water lapped against his wounds. Back on the shore, Saria pulled a bottle of water out of her inventory, pouring a little over Lyra’s face. Lyra hissed in pain, gritting her teeth.
“Hey, look.” Vinyl said. “There’s that same stone platform thing like outside the Everfree forest! Does anypony else think that’s weird? It wasn’t even here when we landed.”
“Definitely strange.” Epona agreed.
“So….what’s goin’ on?” Darunia asked. Link stood up reluctantly, his tunic completely soaked.
“It’s….quite the story.” He said. “But, long story short, we’re trapped in a world that’s far from Hyrule. We still don’t know why we’re here, but we’re surrounded by friendly horses who are willing to help. You know what a horse is, right?” “Yeah, I do.” Darunia said. “Which explains the new getup. But who are all these people?”
“Let’s go around.” Link sighed. He addressed the others one at a time, pointing a hoof at each. “This is Epona, Lyra, Bon Bon, Octavia, Vinyl, and Saria.”
“Actually, I know who she is.” Darunia said, pointing at Saria. Saria gave him a smile, briefly pausing in her work on Lyra to run over and give the Goron a quick hug.
“Really?” Link asked, surprised.
“Well, yeah.” Darunia shrugged. “We had plenty of time to talk while in the Light Temple.”
“Oh, right.” Link said. “I should have guessed.”
Saria pulled a new object from her inventory—something Link hadn’t seen before. It was a small canister with a screw-on top. Saria gripped it in her mouth, struggling to open it.
“Here, I can get it.” Lyra offered weakly, her horn sputtering. A flickering golden aura surrounded the container, and the top popped off.
“Thanks.” Saria said, dabbing on a green cream that was inside the canister. It was almost the same color as Lyra’s coat.
“When did you start learning healing?” Link asked, shaking water from his tunic and trotting over to the shore. He sat next to Saria, sniffing the container curiously. It smelled like mint.
“I actually started learning as soon as you left.” Saria said, a small smile flickering over her face. “Because I always knew that someday….you’d come back to me. Whether you were limping, or crawling, or being carried by someone else—I knew you’d come. And, you’d probably be injured.”
“Very perceptive.” Link commented. Saria giggled.
“But anyway….” She continued. “No matter what state you were in, I wanted to be able to help you. Remember when you used to run to me after you fought with Mido?”
“Oh, you just had to bring those up…..” Link gave a chuckle. “Yeah, I remember. All too well. Remember after we almost burnt down Fado’s house, and the Deku Tree made us say five nice things about each other?”
“That was hilarious!” Saria laughed. Then her face grew thoughtful “But….what’s totally crystal clear for me is….how you always said that I make everything better. No matter what, I always tried to be there for you. Even when you left…..I knew you’d come back. You always did.” Saria smiled, a faint flush of pink on her face.
“Welp, to the collective relief of everyone here, I’m bringing this to a merciful end. Because it’s just….weird.” Epona sat down with a thud between them. Link jumped, yelping, as she almost sat down on him.
“I did eventually come back, right?” Link said, talking over and around Epona, who huffed.
“But then you were tall!” Saria said mournfully. Link laughed.
“Okay….I’m done with Lyra now.” Saria said, standing up. “How do you feel?”
“Better.” Lyra sighed. “Thanks.” Bon Bon hooked a foreleg over Lyra’s shoulders, helping her stand.
“Okay, Link. Now it’s your turn!” Saria announced.
“You know, actually, I’m fine.” Link said. “I really appreciate the offer—but as I said, I’ve suffered far worse than this. It’ll heal quickly….within the week or so, that is. I hope.”
“Seriously?” Saria said, raising an eyebrow. “After all that about how I learned healing for you and how you said I always made everything better, you’re still stubborn?”
“Well….okay, it’s because I feel like Lyra really should be getting more attention.” Link argued. “I’m fine! I promise!”
“Come here and behave!” Saria said, leaping around Epona, who was still sitting between them.
“I’m fine!” Link said, scooting away.
“I know where you’re ticklish.” Saria threatened.
“I’m not anymore.” Link said, smirking. “I grew out of it.”
Saria raised an eyebrow.
“Hey!” Link protested. “It’s a thing.”
Saria gave a frustrated growl, leaping on top of him. He yelped, shaking her off and running to the other side of Epona. She leapt up, chasing Link as he looped around the ponies.
“Darunia!” She said, panting and trying to keep up. “Help me please!”
Darunia looked at Link, who was nearing him. “You wouldn’t do that to your Sworn Brother, would you?” Link pleaded.
“Sorry, little guy.” Darunia said, and tripped Link. He went flying head over heels, crashing to the ground.
The trip back to the mainland was as calm as the trip from there had been wild.
Without help from the turtle, it took approximately a day and a half to reach Baltimare, time which was spent healing. Link finally gave in to Saria’s constant nagging, letting her help him with his injuries—and he had to admit, he healed much faster with her help.
As for Lyra…..it was harder to tell.
Black burn scars were streaked over her face, vivid against her coat. She spent almost the entire journey curled up in a corner of the boat, hiding under a tarp and refusing to look at anyone, only moving so Saria could treat her. She wouldn’t even talk to Bon Bon…..something that worried everyone.
The arrived at Baltimare late at night. Since Bon Bon had been working all day, Epona voted to take over the ship when night fell, and Bon Bon told her to wake her up if she needed any help.
Unfortunately, this resulted in Bon Bon being woken up almost every ten minutes…..until she decided to just stay awake. However……now she was a bleary-eyed, barely-conscious mess.
The old captain, Port Side, seemed very happy to see his ship again. He seemed surprised to see it was still in one piece…..and the others voted not to tell him that they hitched a high-speed ride on a sea turtle. After cleverly dodging his probing questions about the journey, Bon Bon thanked him, and they left to find a deserted alleyway so they could warp back to Ponyville.
Thankfully, not many ponies seemed to hang out in this section of the docks, and they only walked a short distance before finding a passageway between two tall, dark, deserted buildings. Link played the Minuet of Forest, and the world faded away, replaced by the soft green that came with warping.
Once it blurred back into focus, Link recognized the edge of the Everfree forest. It was early noon, and they were encased in shade, just beyond the reach of the sunlight.
One of the first things Link noticed was the fact that all of his leftover wounds were healed. The black and red streaks covering the exposed parts of his hooves were completely gone, not even leaving a scar behind.
“Guys!” Lyra said, startling everyone. “Are the burn marks gone? Please….tell me they’re gone.”
“Hang on, hold still for a second.” Bon Bon said, grabbing Lyra’s shoulder. “Um….yep. They’re gone. Don’t worry.”
“Thank Celestia.” Lyra let out a relived sigh, flopping down. Link raised an eyebrow, opening his mouth to ask her if that’s what she had been moping about the whole time.
“We should probably report back to Princess Twilight.” Epona said, cutting Link off almost as soon as the words were about to form. Link shut his mouth. Now that he thought about it, it was probably best if he didn’t say that….
“I’m sure she’d like to know that we’re back.” Bon Bon agreed.
“I concur.” Octavia said.
“Who’s Princess Twilight?” Darunia asked.
“She’s the Princess of Friendship.” Vinyl said. “She doesn’t actually rule over a domain like the rest of the princesses, but she lives in the Ponyville. She’s been helping us.”
“Wait, there are more princesses?” Saria said, confused. “In Hyrule there’s only one.”
“Two.” Link corrected. “You forgot Princess Ruto. But, that’s beside the point. Are we going to see Princess Twilight or not?”
“Yes. We are. Let’s go.” Epona said. The others voiced their agreement, and the group trotted away.
It wasn’t long before they entered Ponyville…..and not long until a familiar pink pony caught sight of them.
“HEY, GUYS!” Pinkie Pie called, pouncing on them. Link stifled a groan.
“Omigoshomigoshomigosh!” She said. “It’s you, Lonk! You’re here! Where did you go??”
“It’s Link, actually.” Link sighed, rubbing his forehead. “And….I went on….a quest…?”
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!” Pinkie’s deranged screech scared everyone. She bounced up and down, circling Saria and Darunia….both of whom looked uncomfortable and slightly worried.
“More new ponies!” Pinkie’s smile was so wide, Link didn’t think it was even possible for her mouth to be that large. “Now we can have an awesome party!” She reached into her fluffy, vibrant pink mane, pulling out a clipboard and pen.
“Where did she even get that?” Link asked.
“It’s Pinkie Pie. Don’t question it.” Vinyl said.
“Tell me, do you have an opinion on balloons?” Pinkie asked. Both Saria and Darunia didn’t answer, looking lost. “No? Okay, what about pinatas?”
“Pinkie.” Bon Bon sighed, interrupting. “We really don’t have time for a party….”
“She’s right.” Link confirmed. “We don’t have time to stop. We need to keep going.”
“….oh.” Pinkie Pie wilted a little, shoving her clipboard back into her mane. “That’s….that’s okay….I’ll just be going….”
“Well, you can’t throw a party…..” Epona said. “But why don’t you walk with us? We’re just heading to the castle.” At Epona’s suggestion, Pinkie Pie perked back up instantly.
“That would be absolutely funciting!” She chirped, jumping up and down. “You know, like fun and exciting!”
“Got it.” Link said. “Can we please go?”
“Yup!” Pinkie took off, bouncing, and the others followed at a slightly slower pace. They reached Twilight’s castle—thankfully it was a cloudy day—and Pinkie shoved open the massive door, letting them into the front hall.
“TWILIIIIIGHT!” Pinkie Pie yelled, the sheer force of her voice lifting her up into the air. All the Hyruleans winced, covering their ears.
“Pinkie…….” Princess Twilight sighed, trotting into the hall. “You know, you could just come find me. There’s really no need to—oh!” Her face lit up as she caught sight of the others with Pinkie.
“Link!” She cried, galloping over to them. “You’re all back! And okay?”
“Yup.” Link said, with a smile. “That is, more or less.”
“Here, come with me!” The princess said cheerfully. She lead them all into the next room—that is, the map room. “How did your journey go?”
“It started out pretty uneventful.” Link said. “But then—oh! I just realized. I need to introduce you to my friend—Princess Twilight, meet Darunia of the Gorons.”
“It’s wonderful to meet you!” Twilight said, beaming. She offered for a hoof.
“Well, uh….the same to you, your highness.” Darunia took the preoffered hoof, shaking it awkwardly.
“Darunia is the leader of the Gorons in Hyrule.” Link explained. “He’s also—”
“Um...guys?” Vinyl interrupted. “Your cutie marks are all flashing. Again.”
“Our what?” Darunia asked.
“Cutie marks.” Vinyl repeated.
Link, startled, looked for Darunia’s mark—surprised he hadn’t noticed it before. As Darunia’s flank was visible, Link could see it—it was the sign of fire, bright red, the same as on the fire medallion.
“Where are we going now?” Octavia wondered. Link followed her line of gaze, watching the glowing marks spiral through the air, settling on the map again—this time, much closer to Ponyville than the Dragonlands.
“Neighagra Falls?” Princess Twilight said, raising an eyebrow. “That seems...unexpected.”
“Not entirely…...” Link sighed. He knew exactly why they were going there…..and he couldn’t say he was overjoyed about it.
“Getting there will be a little more difficult.” The princess frowned thoughtfully, rubbing her chin with a hoof. “Though the train passes there….there’s no station. Most ponies just take a Pegasus chariot, but this is an awfully large group for a Pegasus chariot….”
“And in any case, we’re not leaving yet.” Lyra piped up. “Because Bon Bon needs to sleep.”
“Sleep?” Princess Twilight glanced at the pony in question, apparently just now noticing Bon Bon’s lined eyes and stumbling walk. “Oh—I see. You know, if you want, you can temporarily stay in a guest suite.”
“Are you sure?” Bon Bon said, blinking rapidly and rubbing her eyes. “I don’t want to impose….”
“Of course!” The princess said. “You don’t look like you could make it to your house. It’s not a bother at all—as you can see, we have plenty of space! I’ll get Spike to show you to a room.”
“In that case….” Bon Bon gave an exhausted smile. “I would appreciate that so much….”
Twilight nodded, giving Bon Bon a bright smile.
“Spike!” She called. A creature that Link guessed was a dragon came running in. He was very short, with purple scales...and no wings. If anything, he looked more like a Dinolfos hatchling.
Why is there a dragon here? Link thought.
“Yes, Twilight?” The dragon—who Link realized was Spike—smiled at the princess, standing at attention.
“Could you show Bon Bon to the nearest guest suite, please?” Princess Twilight asked.
“Sure thing!” Spike said, gesturing to Bon Bon.
“Thank you.” Bon Bon said, following Spike out of the room.
“Okay, since Bon Bon needs to rest, now we have a little time to figure things out.” The princess tapped her hooves together thoughtfully. “If your group keeps growing like this, transportation is only going to get more difficult….let’s think.”
“Well, you can think at Sugarcube Corner!” Pinkie announced, startling everyone. “If I can’t throw a party, I can at least give you cupcakes!”
“Um….” Link said hestitantly. “What are…..cupcakes?”
Pinkie Pie gave a shrill, high gasp, clutching her heart with a hoof.
“Come. With. Me.” She demanded. “Now! No arguing!”
“But—” Link said.
“NO ARGUING!” Pinkie screeched, shooting out the door.
“Guess we’d better go, then.” The princess chuckled. “It’s probably not a good idea to keep Pinkie waiting.”
“Can I excuse myself from this?” Vinyl asked. “Or will Pinkie murder me? Cause I gotta go home and get..something.”
“I’ll convince Pinkie to keep her murderous tendencies under control.” Princess Twilight said with a smile. “Go ahead.”
“Thanks!” Vinyl trotted away. Spike the dragon came back into the room.
“Hey, Spike, we’re going to Sugarcube Corner!” The princess said. “Would you like to come with us?”
“No thanks!” Spike said. “I’m right in the middle of a Power Ponies comic….and I stopped at a cliffhanger. I might come along later!”
“Okay, then. If Bon Bon wakes up while you’re here, could you tell her we’re at Sugarcube?”
“Sure!”
“Great, thanks!” Princess Twilight said, waving at Spike as they left.
Link felt slightly uncomfortable walking through town. Their group attracted a lot of attention—Link would’ve liked to say it was because of the princess, but he guessed it had more to do with the fact that a giant, rock-like pony was walking with them. In fact, they seemed to barely notice Princess Twilight.
Pinkie Pie met them about halfway through their walk, and spent the rest of the time bouncing up and down impatiently and telling them to hurry.
Sugarcube Corner, was a small, strange-looking building not far from the castle. It almost looked like a house made of sugary treats…..and now it wasn’t surprising that Pinkie lived there.
Darunia got stuck in the front doors at first, and after a lot of shoving, the others decided to let the princess use her magic to teleport him inside….surprisingly, there were no side effects—even though Link half expected Princess Twilight’s horn to spark and blow up half the building, Darunia ended up safely inside.
“What can I get you all?” Pinkie asked once they were inside, seated on low stools that lined a counter.
“Can I have chocolate and mint?” The princess asked.
“I want cotton candy!” Lyra said, raising her hoof.
“Okie dokie lokie!” Pinkie chirped. “In that case, I’ll just be getting you some of our famous rock candy then!”
“Rock candy?” Darunia said.
“You’ll love it.” Pinkie assured him.
“I, uh….still don’t know what a cupcake is….” Link said. Epona and Saria nodded their heads in agreement with him.
“No problemo then!” Pinkie said. “I’ll just surprise you! I’ll be right back in a second with your sweet treats!” She skipped away.
“So.” Princess Twilight said, turning to Link. “How’d your journey go?”
“Oh—” Link said, somewhat surprised. He wasn’t expecting such a direct question. “It was...well, pretty good. The first few days were smooth sailing, I mean, we were just on a train….then with Bon Bon’s help, we found a ship pretty easily, and crossed the ocean faster than we thought we would, all thanks to a giant turtle.”
“Turtle?” The princess echoed.
“Don’t ask. We didn’t hit any trouble when we first arrived at the Dragonlands either…..well, until we met Volvagia.”
“Who’s Volvagia?” The pony next to him asked, cocking her head to the side.
“A giant, demon-like dragon from my world.” Link explained, making gestures with his hooves. Princess Twilight frowned thoughtfully, tapping her hooves together.
“Then…..why is it in ours?” She wondered.
“I wish I had an answer to that.” Link said. “But, we defeated Volvagia and found Darunia. Lyra was injured….but now she’s okay.”
“Sounds like quite the adventure!” The princess said.
“It’s only going to get better.” Link assured her.
“CUPCAAAAKES!” Pinkie shouted, making everyone jump. The pink pony came bounding in, carrying a tray—which, miraculously, didn’t dump it’s load.
“Chocolate mint...” She slid one to Twilight. “Cotton candy….” That one went to Lyra. “Lavender and vanilla….” That one was Saria’s. “Lavender and white chocolate.” One was given to Octavia. “Caramel...” She handed one to Epona. “Chocolate and hazelnut...” Link received one. “And some rock candy!” She dumped a pile of glistening, multicolored rocks in front of Darunia. “Enjooooy!”
“Is she always like this?” Link asked, eyeing the hyperactive pony.
“Always.” The princess chuckled, taking a bite from her cupcake.
“You know,” Saria said, sounding surprised, “this thing is actually pretty good.”
“Definitely!” Epona agreed agreed. Inspired by his friends, Link took a tentative nibble.
The first thing he noticed was that it was sweet. Very, very,verysweet. But then, he tasted the underlying hints of something nutty….almost masked by the sweet, rich, dark flavor.
“This is amazing.” Link said. Pinkie beamed.
“Well, now that we are properly energized, to business!” Princess Twilight said, her mouth full. “How can you get to Neighagra falls?” Pinkie leaned against the counter, obviously taking interest in the conversation.
“I’ve actually been thinking about that….” Octavia said. “What if we rent more than one Pegasus chariot? It’s kind of a lot….but what other option is there? If we ride two at a time—except Darunia, of course—then we’d take up...five? Five chariots? Yeah, five.”
“Actually….” The princess said. “That’s not a bad idea.”
“That’s a super, duper, trooper idea!” Pinkie said, bouncing into the air. “As soon as Bon Bon’s awake, you can zip-de-do-da off to the falls!” In spite of himself, Link had to smile at Pinkie’s utter weirdness. He didn’t understand it, but weird was a mood that looked good on this energetic pony.
“Great!” The princess smiled, then turned to Link. “Did you ever get a chance to write in that journal I gave you?”
“I certainly did!” Link said, flipping open his inventory. “Would you like to see it?”
“Sure.” Princess Twilight agreed. Link pulled it from his inventory, handing it to her. Twilight lifted it with her magic, beginning to read.
“Sorry for the handwriting.” Link apologized. “I’m still kind of getting used to it.”
“No problem.” Twilight said. “I barely even noticed.”
Now that Twilight was reading, Link turned to Epona, who was sitting next to him.
“So.” He said. “How are you doing? We haven’t really had a good time to chat since we left for the Dragonlands.”
“I’m all right.” Epona said amiably. “How are you?”
“…..getting better.” Link said, adding a dry chuckle. Epona laughed.
Darunia and Pinkie struck up a conversation about rocks. Octavia and Saria began talking about composing music, and the different instruments Octavia played. Lyra, however……
Lyra simply sat by herself, staring at her cupcake. She hadn’t even touched it.
“Um...” Link said, glancing at her. “I’ll be right back.” Epona followed Link’s line of gaze, then nodded when she saw what he was looking at.
Link trotted over to the forlorn pony, taking a seat on the stool next to her.
“Hey.” He said. “How you doing?”
Lyra shrugged without making eye contact.
“You okay?” He asked.
Lyra nodded, her gaze still focused on the treat below her. Link raised an eyebrow.
“You say that you’re okay, but you haven’t touched your bowl cake?” He said.
“Cupcake.” Lyra corrected, her voice a monotone.
“Oh.” Link gave an awkward chuckle. “Right.”
There was a second of silence—well, silence at their end of the counter. The others were still talking. Lyra nudged the cupcake in front of her, getting a bit of swirling, blue and pink frosting on her hoof.
“You’re allowed to talk about it, you know.” Link said. Lyra blinked, finally looking at him, her expression startled.
“Talk about what?” She asked.
“What’s bothering you.” Link said, raising both of his eyebrows.
Lyra looked away again, sighing.
“I guess…..” She said, tracing circles on the counter. “I guess I’m just mad. At myself, that is.”
“For what?” Link asked, surprised.
“I was stupid...” Lyra muttered. “I got myself badly injured.” She shivered. “Till that moment…..I didn’t know what pain felt like. Now I do….and I don’t ever want to feel it again.”
Link stayed quiet, listening,
“And it was all because I didn’t pay attention!” Lyra said. “To you, or to what I was doing. And that’s why I got those horrible burn marks on my face….I was so worried they wouldn’t go away. That I’d be stuck with them forever! It….still feels like they’re there.” She unconsciously glanced to the side, checking her reflection in the side of a glass display.
I guess it was her first time being injured…Link thought.At all.
“I just wish I could have been more of a help.” Lyra sighed, burying her face in her hooves.
“You were a big help!” Link insisted, patting her on the back.
“But I made things harder for everypony!” Lyra protested.
“Give yourself more credit.” Link said, forcing her to make eye contact with him. “You helped, even if you don’t think you did.”
“But you did so much better than me….” Lyra sighed, laying her head on the counter. “The only reason you got hurt was because you were protecting us! I got hurt cause I was stupid.”
“Okay….the first time I fought Volvagia?” Link said. Maybe a story would help. “I almost died.”
“What?” Lyra’s head jerked up so fast she winced, rubbing the back of her neck.
“Yup.” Link said. “I actually had to retreat so I could heal myself. Then, on my second try…..I walked into lava.”
“You what?” Lyra blinked, completely surprised.
“Had to retreat again.” Link laughed at her expression. “It wasn’t until my sixth try that I actually managed to defeat him—and even then I only barely survived. He was a tough boss.”
“So….” Lyra said slowly. “In the Dragonlands….that was your seventh go?”
“Yup!” Link said again. His cheerful tune prompted a smile to rise on Lyra’s face, but then it faded.
“How do you take this so lightly?” She asked. “You almost died…..and you’re practically laughing about it.”
“Well, it’s because looking back, I can see what I did wrong the first five times.” Link said. “And I laugh at the naive mistakes I made. I learned from those mistakes—that’s why it was okay to make them. If we’d lost back there on the Dragonlands—we would have retreated, healed up, and regrouped. Rinse, repeat. For as long as it would take.”
Lyra stared at her hooves for a second.
“…..thank you.” She said quietly. Link smiled. He didn’t have to ask what she meant.
“Any time.” He said, patting her on the back one last time. He stood up, trotting back to his original seat. As he watched Lyra, he saw her stare thoughtfully at the counter for a little bit…..then her face broke out in a smile, and she took a huge bite of her cupcake.
“Good talk?” Epona asked.
“Good talk.” Link confirmed.
“You’re a really sweet guy.” Twilight said all of the sudden, startling Link. She looked up from the journal she was still reading. “You really care about Saria, don’t you?”
There was an extremely awkward moment of dead silence. Saria stared at her hooves, looking as if she wished the floor would swallow her up.
Link considered his answer. Of course he cared about her. She was his oldest friend. But how could he say that without sounding like a creepy weirdo?
“Um….” He said eloquently, ignoring Epona’s badly-disguised snickers.
Lyra burst into sudden laughter, startling all of them. Octavia straight-up jumped, leaving her seat for a few seconds. The others stared at Lyra as she banged a hoof weakly on the counter, eyes streaming.
“I don’t even know why I’m laughing!” She said, trying to apologize. Her uncontrolled humor sent the others off, somewhat bewilderedly. Then they looked at each other and also began laughing, just from their own reactions.
Eventually, the mirth subsided, and Octavia patted a teary-eyed Lyra on the back, wiping water from her own eyes.
I feel….really good right now. Link realized. He glanced at the others—Pinkie Pie practically lying on the counter, wheezing; Saria, Lyra, and Octavia giggling every time they made eye contact; Darunia asking what the joke was about even as he recovered from the mirth; Twilight and Epona leaning on each other as they recovered their breath.
It’s these moments….Link thought. These little, seemingly insignificant moments…
Memories sprung to the front of his mind—playing hide and seek with the Kokiri, playing music for the Gorons, helping the builders in Kakariko village, playing the Zora’s diving game, helping Malon on the ranch…..
These are the moments that make an adventure truly amazing. It’s not the fighting, or the endless praise for being a hero….it’s these times when I can relax and talk. When I can spend time just relaxing…..
Through the entire day, in fact. And night...and even halfway into the next morning. Thankfully Twilight had offered Link, Epona, Saria, and Darunia a place to stay in her castle, which they grateful accepted.
When Bon Bon finally did wake, she apologized over and over again for sleeping in.Link kept insisting that it was fine…and it was.
It had been good to take a little time to relax.
Twilight lead them to the rental, and they were able to get five chariots without too much trouble. The Pegasi stallions that were going to pull the chariots seemed to be amazed that they were getting payed in full gems, and didn’t ask any questions. Next was just figuring out the seating.
Saria went with Epona, because she was the smallest among them and balanced out Epona’s large size.Darunia, naturally, got his own, and Lyra and Bon Bon opted to sit together. That left three ponies and two chariots left.
In an uncharacteristic streak of introvertacy, Vinyl requested to sit alone. After making sure Octavia was okay with it, Link agreed. That left one chariot, and Octavia sat with Link.
The journey there was slow and uneventful, made longer by the uninteresting scenery of clouds that stretched around them. Link opted to spend the entire time reading a book Twilight had given him, learning about Equestria—more specifically, Neighagra Falls. He was thankful Octavia didn’t try and engage him in conversation, as the book was quite fascinating.
On the other hoof, his companion spent a majority of the time scribbling something down on a piece of paper that was weighted down by rocks. Link once tried to sneak a look and figure out what it was, but it seemed to be nothing more than a bunch of lines and dots, so he gave up and continued reading.
From time to time he looked up, checking on the others, and saw Lyra and Bon Bon talking by themselves. However, he couldn’t see Vinyl—or even hear any noise from her chariot, which he found surprising. If anything he would’ve expected her to be listening to music, or something.
After a few hours of travel, they arrived at their location. It took some persuading to make the Pegasi leave them and return to Ponyville, but after many reassurances that they had a plan for getting back to the town, the stallions galloped into the air and vanished.
The group took a short break, partaking in a small meal, then were ready to begin the next step of their quest.
“Apparently this place is a huge tourist attraction.” Link informed them. He turned, examining the landscape surrounding them.
They stood on the border of a forest, shielded by a canopy of leafy branches above them. Warm sunlight filtered through the trees, reflecting off the massive blue lake several paces away.The sapphire-tinted waves rippled in a faint breeze, and though they were a mile or so away from the attraction itself, the faint roar of the waterfall could be heard.
“But it’s an…‘off season’?” He continued, turning back to the others. “What does that mean?”
“It just means it’s not busy.” Bon Bon explained. “This place gets really popular in the fall and winter. But in spring and summer, Seaward Shoals—a seaside town north-east of here—is more popular.”
“It’s good that this off season thing is happening!” Epona said. “That way we don’t have to explain ourselves to other peo—ponies.”
“Yup.” Link agreed. “Now, we should really start searching for the next person.”
“How about we split up for this?” Lyra suggested. “We’d cover more ground.”
“That’s a good idea.” Link agreed.
“I’m going with Octi!” Vinyl whooped. Octavia sighed, rolling her eyes.
“We should form two groups.” Epona decided. “One of Saria, Octavia, Vinyl, and Darunia. The other group can be me, Link, Bon Bon, and Lyra. That way there’s a Unicorn with each group. Oh, um...can you Unicorns make...flares with your horns or something?”
Vinyl and Lyra nodded.
“Great!” Epona smiled. “If you run into trouble, send up…a red flare. If we find who we’re looking for, send up a green. If we need to meet again, send up a yellow, and we’ll get back to this spot asap. Stay together at all costs. Got it?”
“Sure.” Link said. The others nodded in agreement.
“Yeah, before we go though.” Vinyl said, waving a hoof in the air. “Who are we looking for again?”
“Ah.” Link involuntarily gave a sigh. “Her name is Ruto. At least, that’s who I assume we’re looking for here. She’s blue, and...um...looks like a fish. Yeah, that’s all I got. Any other questions?”
Saria raised a hoof. Link nodded at her.
“Do we have to look for her?” She mumbled.
“Yeah, we do.” Link said. “And Saria...try not to be rude, please.”
Saria rolled her eyes, an action that seemed quite out of character. The Equestrians exchanged confused glances. The older Hyruleans exchanged knowing ones.
“Come now.” Darunia said kindly. “It’s not going to be as bad as you think.”
“Yeah, I don’t know about that.” Saria frowned, a frown settling into her features.
“At this point, I’m too afraid to ask.” Octavia said loudly, breaking the tension as it was forming. “Now, we should really head out.” She turned to Saria, placing a hoof on her shoulder. “Are you ready to go?”
The young girl gave a gusty sigh, but nodded. The first group trotted away into the trees with promises to be careful. The second group left the forest,beginning to scout along the edge of the lake.
“So….this fish pony.” Bon Bon said. “Her name is ‘Ruto’, right? And she’s blue? Anything...else?”
“She probably has a fin or two sticking out of her arms?” Link offered. “I don’t really know, to be honest. When people turn into ponies weird things happen.”
“I wish we had a tracking spell like the one we used on Saria.” Epona sighed. “Or stupendous good luck like we did with Darunia. Maybe we’ll just trip over her buried in the sand or something.”
“I...might be able to perform a tracking spell.” Lyra offered. “I’ve never done it before, but I’m willing to try! All we need is a personal item…”
“Afraid I don’t have one of those…” Link said.
“Yeah.” Epona sighed. “Thanks for offering, but….oh well.”
Link turned away from the others, looking out over the surface of the lake. It rippled alluringly, flickering light dancing on it’s surface, the depths beneath shrouded in blue darkness.
“You know….” He said. “I can check inside the water.”
“I feel kind of nervous about that.” Epona said, frowning. “Besides, what are the chances of her being there?”
“Um, extremely high.” Link raised an eyebrow at Epona’s hesitation. “Of all places, that’s probably the one place she will be.”
“Or inside a giant fish deity.” Epona pointed out.
“Excuse me,” Lyra said, shaking her head, apparently unable to stay quiet after that comment. “A giant what?”
“Giant fish deity.” Link repeated. “I really hate to say this again…but it’s a long story.”
“Of course it is.” Bon Bon sighed.
Link took a step closer to the lake, releasing his bag and setting it on the ground before digging through his inventory.
“Link….” Epona muttered.
“Just trust me.” Link pulled a large, dark blue tunic from his inventory. It was a bit of a hassle getting it on over his green one, but he finally managed to figure it out which limbs when in which places. He tugged his green hat off his head, pulled on a blue one, then tucked the first one into his inventory, which he buckled back onto his belt.
“I don’t know about this.” Epona tried again.
“I’ll be careful!” Link promised. “Keep combing the shore. I’ll be back in ten minutes—I promise.” Epona sighed, clearly still uneasy about it.
Link stepped out of his regular boots, replacing them with his heavy ones.
“Are those things soled with iron?” Bon Bon asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Yup.” Link said, straining to raise his feet. It was the weirdest feeling—having four legs, but only his back end weighed down.
He stepped into the water, then gave Epona a questioning glance, waiting for a final word of approval.
“...fine.” Epona gave in. “Be careful.”
“When have I not been?” Link grinned, beginning his journey forwards.
“Many, many times before.” Epona muttered, a disapproving look on her face. “Be careful.”
“All right.” Link chuckled sheepishly. “Fair point. See you soon!”
He waded farther out, dragging his iron-clad feet along. Thankfully, the water helped with the weight a little bit, making his steps easier.
The lake lapped against his legs, chilly against his coat, repelled from the slick fabric of his tunic. It rose up his body, reaching his shoulders, his neck, the tip of his chin. And then finally he submerged, coming into an entirely different world.
Once the shimmering blue of the surface closed over Link’s head, his first instinct was to hold his breath. It took him a few seconds to relax, breathing deeply of the cool damp air around him. Soft ripples washed over his body, carrying the presence of small, unseen creatures.
The sensation was nothing new, but it never stopped feeling strange.
Beneath the surface, everything was blue. The sun filtered through the waves above, creating hypnotic patterns of flickering, iridescent light on the sandy ground. Tall water plants sprouted from the same ground, pushing their way through roots, pebbles, and sand to create a forest of green that rippled in the currents. Tiny, many-colored fish darted through the air, diving behind rocks and foliage to hide from this sudden intruder in their home.
Link took a step forwards, pushing aside the weeds with a hoof. However, they refused to be tamed, the thick lengths of slick green fighting back against his effort. Sand swirled up from his heavy hoofsteps, clouding the water.
The stubborn plants, in addition to the sand, were making it nearly impossible for Link to see anything past the tip of his muzzle. After a few seconds of frustration, he flipped open his inventory, yanking out the Kokiri sword.
The fact that the grip was wet made it especially hard for him to maintain a good hold on it with his mouth. He clenched his teeth down on it, swinging his head from side to side and slashing a path through the thick plant life. Curtains of green drifted to the side, fish and other creatures dashing back and forth as their cover disappeared.
After a few minutes of struggling, Link came to a small clearing. He paused, looking up and watching the sunlight dancing on the surface of the water.
A faint smile flickered over his face.
Under the water, it looked just the same as Hyrule.
With a start, Link realized that it had probably been ten minutes already.
I should head back, he thought.
It was no easy task to shake off his heavy boots underwater, but he eventually managed. Fighting the facts that his body now wanted to drift upwards, and that he had no way to keep a solid grip on the boots, he managed to shove the item into his inventory and begin his journey upwards.
The natural buoyancy of his body took over, pulling him towards the surface.Plants brushed against his legs, threatening to entangle him, but he managed to kick them off.
He drifted high enough to see above the forest, and his eyes met with a hypnotic, endless field of rippling green, all beneath the diamond-blue of the sky-like water.
It was quite calming to look at, really.
After a few seconds, Link’s head broke the surface. He took a deep breath, gulping down the air. It was probably just his mind playing tricks on him, but it always seemed that he could never get enough oxygen beneath the water.
The shore was a ways off, but not so far that he couldn’t see the brown form of Epona pacing nervously at the edge of the lake. He struck out, swinging his arms and legs in wide strokes. He was surprised to find that it was easier to swim than he thought it would be. It actually didn’t feel all that different from when he was a human.
Link’s hooves touched ground, and he trotted up the beach, water pouring off his perfectly dry tunic.
“There you are.” Epona sighed, sounding relieved. “I was beginning to worry.”
“See anything?” Lyra asked hopefully.
“Nope.” Link pulled off his hat, shaking his dripping hair—the only thing on him that really got wet. “I’m going to go again, but this time a little bit farther. There’s no need to worry. I haven’t seen anything down there that’ll be a threat.”
“Yet.” Epona muttered.
“This time I’ll be gone a little longer.” Link said, turning back to the water. “Okay?”
“Fine.” Epona sighed. “Okay. You’re probably right, that is the place she’s most likely to be.”
“No kidding.” Link rolled his eyes. “Who knew the fish pony would be in the water?”
Epona gave him a look. He chuckled.
“Before I go,” Link realized, “have you seen any sign of her up here?”
“Not really.” Bon Bon said, trotting over. “Beach seems to be pretty empty.”
“Okay. I’ll keep looking, then.”
Link slid his heavy boots on, walking back into the lake. The water rose around him again, eventually swallowing up even the tip of his hat.
Now that he was totally submerged, he threw himself forwards, yanking his iron-clad hooves up above him and entering a forwards roll.
Water rushed past him in a dizzying flash of bubbles, his momentum carrying him much farther than a normal step would.
After he came to a stop, he paused a second, letting the spinning in his head clear. Then he rolled forwards again.
The scenery flashed past much faster now. Each roll took him farther than before, tearing through weeds and rocks, kicking up sand in dark clouds, sending creatures skittering away from him.
But still….he found nothing.
Link sighed. He was incredibly dizzy now, both from rolling and from the lack of proper oxygen under the water. He waited a few seconds for the worst of the spinning to fade, then prepared to lift off and swim back to shore.
A flash of brilliant blue appeared in his peripheral vision, causing his nerves to jump. He spun around, heart pounding, searching for it.
All he saw were the endlessly rippling sheets of green, but now they seemed...sinister. They were hiding something.
The flash reappeared, this time on his other side, and he whirled around again. It disappeared into the plant forest with a flash, leaving a cold sense of foreboding behind.
Maybe it was…Ruto? Link took a deep breath, stepping forwards to where it had vanished.
The plants waved slowly, betraying nothing.
Link opened his mouth, trying to call the princess’s name. Nothing but a rush of bubbles issued from his mouth, accompanied by a warped burbling noise. He sighed.
I should return to shore. He thought. At the very least, I need to let the others know I found something….wether it’s Ruto, or….something else.
He shook off his heavy boots, tucking them back in his inventory. As the sudden release of weight caused him to drift upwards, he looked down, unease prickling along the stretch of his spine.
It looked as if there was nothing below….but he could feel something watching him. Eyes traced his every movement—he just didn’t know what they belonged to.
Link struck out before even reaching the surface, his strokes clumsy and slow underwater. Panic fueled his system, giving him unbelievable power as he sped across the surface. The shore grew nearer and nearer, until his relieved hooves touched sand again.
“You’re back already?” Epona seemed surprised as he stumbled up the beach. “That was…sooner than I expected.”
“There’s something down there.” Link gasped, clutching the stitch in his side. “I was….worried.”
“Was it Ruto?” Epona asked. Lyra and Bon Bon trotted over to them, looking curious.
“I don’t know.” Link admitted, finally regaining his breath. “I couldn’t tell. Whoever it was, they were keeping their distance. I just….had the feeling I was being watched. I’m not sure what to think.”
“Hmm.” A frown creased Epona’s face as she turned, scanning the surface of the water.
Then without warning, the lake exploded.
A mass of shimmering blue charged out, slamming straight into Link. He crashed to the sand, a wave of water flooding his face. Epona yelled a garbled curse—she’d gotten a face full of water too—and Lyra panicked, sending a stream of vibrant red light from her horn. Bon Bon’s only reaction was a startled gasp as she reared on her hind legs, preparing to attack the intruder.
Link coughed up a mouthful of water, blinking wet sand out of his eyes, and found himself pinned to the ground with a pony on top of him.
Her skin was shimmering blue, sleek and scaly rather than furred. Shimmering, flickering fins sprouted off where her forelegs bent, also forming a skirt-like ruffle off her back end. Her back hooves were strangely shaped, splitting into a distinct three-toed, webbed foot. Her large, purple eyes stared at Link, wide with excitement.
“Link!” She cried, hugging him. “It’s you!”
Link gave a sigh. He now felt rather foolish for having panicked.
“Sorry...” Lyra said sheepishly. “Was I…not supposed to panic?”
“Hello, Princess Ruto.” Link groaned. “Would you, uh, mind getting off me?”
“Oh—! Of course!” Ruto stood up, stumbling slightly. She rose onto her back hooves, quite similar to how Link had stood upon his arrival to Equestria.
Epona trotted over, grabbing Link’s foreleg and pulling him off the ground. She began brushing off some of the wet sand that now coated Link’s tunic.
“Thanks.” Link sighed, trying to help her. They weren’t getting very far—the sand seemed to have a mind of it’s own. Link guessed he would probably have to dip into the lake again to get it all off.
“Who’s she?” Ruto snapped, glaring suspiciously at Epona.
Oh, no. Link thought.
“She’s my—” He said hastily, but Ruto stepped forwards, throwing out a hoof and cutting him off.
“Look, sweetie.” She said, a condescending smile on her face. “I can’t blame you—any of you—” here she gestured to Bon Bon and Lyra, who were looking confused. “—for chasing Link. But I hate to tell you….he’s already taken.”
Epona rolled her eyes. Lyra and Bon Bon exchanged confused, slightly uncomfortable glances. Link groaned loudly, burying his face in his hooves.
There was a second of silence. Link wished he could’ve grabbed his sword and cut the tension.
“Heh.” Ruto giggled. “It’s kind of cute how you’re still here. But maybe you didn’t understand. You can leave now, because Link is mine. Isn’t that right, my fiance?” She leaned on Link, a satisfied smirk on her face.
“Wait, fiance?” Bon Bon raised an eyebrow.
“Link!” Lyra said. “You didn’t tell us you were engaged! Congratu—”
“Well, that’s because I’m not.” Link groaned, shoving Ruto off his back and stepping away. The Zora fell onto all four hooves, a pout on her face.
“Wait, you’re not?” Lyra said, a confused expression on her face.
“Oh, he definitely is.” Ruto said, trotting over to Link, except this time she opted to walk like the rest of them. “We’ve been engaged for seven years.”
“We’re not engaged!” Link said, stepping away again.
“GUYS!” Saria and the others exploded out of the trees a few feet away, sprinting for them.
Great. Link thought, stifling a groan. Just what we need now…
“Are you okay?” Darunia asked urgently.
“Yeah!” Saria said, panic on her face. “We saw your signal and—” She broke off.
There was a second of silence, broken only by the heavy panting of Vinyl and Octavia.
“Oh.” Saria said, her voice and expression totally deadpan. “You found her.”
“Yep.” Link said, an uncomfortable smile on his face.
“Um…do we know each other?” Ruto asked, squinting at Saria. The Kokiri frowned.
“Oh wait!” Ruto said. “Now I remember.” She turned to Darunia. “You’re the big dumb one,” she said, “And you’re the vertically-challenged one who was obsessed with Link.” With that comment, she’d turned to Saria. “Did I get it correct?”
Darunia frowned. Saria gave an uncharacteristic growl.
“Ruto, please don’t be so rude...” Link sighed, rubbing his forehead.
“Well, if my dearest fiance tells me too, I will!” Ruto giggled, her entire manner changing. “Why don’t you introduce me to the rest of your lovely friends?”
“That emphasis was totally unnecessary.” Link muttered. Out loud, he said, “Fine.”
He turned to the others, pointing to each as he said their names. “This is Lyra, Bon Bon, Vinyl, Octavia, Epona, Sa—”
“Yes, I know the child and the giant.” Ruto waved a hoof at them in dismissal. Link began massaging his forehead again, a pained expression on his face.
“Everypony….” He sighed. “Meet Princess Ruto. She’s the princess of the Zora, an aquatic race of fish-like people from Hyrule.”
“I’m also his fiancee.” Ruto added. Saria’s scowl only deepened.
There was an extremely, extremely long second of awkward silence.
“Well.” Epona said, then gave a rough cough. “Excuse me. Um. Anyway. So….now we can leave this place! We have Ruto, so—”
“But I don’t want to leave.” Ruto interrupted. “There’s no one here—which means no one will see me. Don’t get my wrong, I can pull off anything, but the body of this kind of beast is anything but comely.”
Now it was the Ponyvilleians’ turn to frown, looking insulted.
Congrats, Ruto. Link stifled another groan. In less than ten minutes, you managed to get everyone here to dislike you.
“Well, we’re on a quest right now.” Epona said,obviously trying to explain. “And now we have to return to a village and figure out what to do next. You see, this is kind of a different world from Hyrule, and—”
Ruto gave a long, loud yawn, completely drowning out Epona’s next words.
“Oh, sorry.” She said, though it sounded as if she didn’t mean it. And her next words confirmed that. “I just...really don’t care about any of that.”
Epona blinked, clearly taken aback.
“...where were we?” Ruto said, apparently oblivious to the expressions of everyone around her.Lyra, Bon Bon, Octavia, and Vinyl’s shock, Darunia’s unhappy frown, Epona’s disbelief, and Saria’s deep scowl.“Oh yes—I’m not planning on going anywhere any time soon.” She grabbed Link’s foreleg, making him jump. “Come swimming with me! That water really is quite lovely. Small comfort, but all the same.” Now, the collective reaction of the group seemed to be utter shock at Ruto’s attitude.
“Look,” Link said quietly, trying to ignore cold silence and judging glares of the others. “We can’t do that right now, okay? We need to go back—”
“Of course we have time for it!” Ruto giggled, dragging him towards the water.
“Hang on a second.” Epona said, her face grim as she trotted towards them. Link gave a nervous swallow. But to his surprise, she freed him from Ruto’s grip, instead of knocking the Zora princess unconscious like Link thought she would.
“I just need to talk to him for a second.” She said, ignoring Ruto’s indignant sputters as she dragged Link in the opposite direction.
“I can walk, you know.” Link raised an eyebrow. Epona ignored him.
“We really don’t have time for this.” She said, trying to keep her voice to a level where only Link could hear it, which was difficult in the icy silence. “How are we going to get her to come with us?”
“Look…” Link sighed. “I’ll just….I’ll just try talking to her, okay? I think she’ll listen.”
“I’m not so sure about that.” Epona said dryly.
“Okay, long enough!” Ruto trotted over, grabbing hold of Link again. “Come!”
All Link had to offer was a helpless shrug as he was dragged bodily into the lake. Epona facehoofed.
Ruto refused to let go of him, even in the water. She towed him a ways out from shore, then finally set him free.
Link opened his mouth to talk, but Ruto flipped over, causing a wave to wash over his head and his words to dissolve into splutters.
“It’s much better now that those other people are gone.” Ruto commented, ignoring his wet coughing.
“Look, Ruto...” Link said, treading water. He tried to maintain eye contact, but Ruto kept circling around him, making him dizzy. He shivered. She almost looked like a shark.
“This quest really is important.” He tried. “We do need to go back to that village.”
“Oh, surely it’s not that important.” Ruto giggled.
“Does the fate of the two entire worlds and universes sound important?” Link asked.
Ruto paused for a few seconds, clearly thinking, then shrugged.
Link sighed.
“Okay.” He said. “We really need to get back to shore now. Okay?” He turned around, preparing to swim.
Ruto popped up in front of his face, close enough to be uncomfortable, causing him to yelp and backpedal furiously.
“Come now!” She said. “We at least have some time to swim.”
“Listen to me!” Link begged. “Please.”
“I’m listening.” Ruto batted her eyelashes.
Link bit his tongue, fighting back the urge to groan again.
“Ganon. Is. Threatening. Everyone’s. Life.” He said, slowly and clearly. “And we need to defeat him. The next step in the quest is to go back to the village. And we need you.”
Ruto nodded, frowning intently.
“So...” Link said. “Do you get it? We need to go back now.”
“Okay, fine, but there’s one thing I want to show you first.” Ruto insisted. Link let out a frustrated sigh.
“We don’t have time!” He snapped. “We need to go!”
“I insist.” Ruto said, as if she had a choice. Link rolled his eyes, but Ruto grabbed him, yanking him beneath the water.
There wasn’t much Link could do against her now. She had a vise-like grip on him, and they were swimming along far too fast for Link to grab on to anything.
He sighed, finally giving in, and let her drag him to the center of the lake.
Ruto finally slowed down, causing Link to crash into her. He shook his head, giving her a glare, but she tugged on his arm, pointing at something before them.
He sighed, turning to look, and his mouth dropped open.
There was a tall, forbidding-looking boulder planted firmly in the sandy ground. It was alien to it’s surroundings—black as night, big enough to be an island, crushed strands of plants sticking out from beneath it.
Link tried to ask Ruto what it was, but all that came out of his mouth were a bunch of bubbles and garbled noises. The Zora giggled at his efforts, shrugging helplessly.
She pulled Link closer to the rock, tapping a section of it, as if telling him to look. He peered closer, and his gaze met with a thin black crack in the stone, barely perceptible, running upwards and out of sight.
“What is it?” He mouthed. Ruto looked at him, confused.
Link sighed, tugging his foreleg from her grasp and swimming down towards the bottom. Using the tip of his hoof, he wrote a word on the sand.
Door?
Ruto shrugged. She pointed towards the surface, then grabbed Link’s arm and dragged him upwards. Their heads broke the surface, and Link inhaled deeply, gulping down the welcome oxygen.
“The crack runs all the way up and over, like a giant door.” Ruto said. “But look at what’s at the top!”
Link caught sight of a giant, blue crystal set in the rock, right at the surface of the water. It looked faintly familiar...in fact, he felt like he should know what it was. But he couldn’t place exactly where he’d seen it before.
“I kind of want to touch it.” Ruto admitted.
“I feel like that’s a bad idea.” Link warned.
“I’m going to touch it.” Ruto said.
“What?” Link yelped. “Did you not hear what I just said?”
The Zora ignored him, swimming over to the rock, and tapped a hoof against the solid blue facets of the gem.
It moved.
Ruto backpedaled furiously, grabbing Link on her way. The crystal rotated, then popped free of the rock.
A furious, muted rumbling echoed through the air, like an underwater earthquake. Then the boulder cracked open.
Endless black appeared beyond it, sucking in the water like an animal lost in the desert. The two Hyruleans were yanked along by the force, hurtling towards the dark abyss.
Link managed to grab a passing rock, wrapping both of his forelegs around it. Ruto sped past him, reaching out desperately, but she was swept out of reach and vanished into the blackness beyond.
The entire lake drained, swallowed into the depths of black chasm. It left Link clinging to the edge of a slippery spire of rock, water coursing off him, several feet above the wet sand and tangled weeds that made up the lake bed.
Oh, great.
Link carefully relaxed his hind legs, sliding his hooves along the surface of the rock. They met with a slight indent, providing minimal relief to his tense forelegs.
“Okay…” He muttered to himself, trying to crane his neck and look downwards. “Easy…”
With slow, cautious movements, he relaxed his left foreleg, trying to bring it down. This way, he could eventually reach the bottom.
Without warning, his hooves slipped on the slick rock, causing him to fall.
“No!” Link cried, reaching out for the spire, but there was no place for him to find a hold that would stop his plummet. He crashed to the ground in an undignified spray of wet sand, his yelp muffled by the muddy water that splashed into his face. He was unharmed, thankfully, for his fall had been cushioned by the tangled net of weeds that covered the ground.
“Ow.” He groaned, carefully sitting up. A painful lump was rapidly forming on his head, emblazoning where he’d fallen on it.
“Link!” A panicked cry made him turn his head, wincing at the movement. He watched the group of his friends run up to him, struggling through the slew of wet sand and tangled waterplants.
“Are you okay?” Saria asked, checking him over. “Where were you hurt?”
“Nowhere.” Link sighed, wiping mud off his face. “I’m fine. Don’t worry!” Saria reluctantly retreated.
“What the heck happened?” Epona asked, raising an eyebrow. “We were standing at the shore, and….the water just decided to go on vacation.” She glanced up at the yawning cavern mouth before them. “And what is that?”
“Well...” Link said, standing up. “Call me crazy, but I think we have a temple to explore.”
“A what?” Octavia asked. “A temple.” Link repeated. “Also known as a dungeon.” The Ponyvilleians gave him blank looks.
“It’s a big building full of puzzles.” He sighed. “Do…you ponies not have that here?”
“What kind of land has a bunch of random buildings full of puzzles just lying around?” Vinyl snorted.
“That’s not normal?” Epona frowned, a quizzical expression on her face. Link shrugged. Vinyl shook her head.
“Well...” Darunia said. “I suppose we need to go in?” He eyed the temple entrance nervously.
“Yeah, we do.” Link confirmed the Goron’s suspicions with a nod. “Is there something wrong?”
“I don’t...particularly like water.” Darunia admitted. “Mainly ‘cause I can’t swim—I’ll sink like a stone!”
“Welp, you don’t need to worry, buddy!” Lyra gave him a cheery wink. “I’ve got you covered on that!” Darunia didn’t look very reassured.
“Any more objections?” Link asked. “We really should go.”
His question was met with silence as the others turned, looking towards the entrance.
“All right.” He said, moving to face the same direction. “Let’s go, then.”
The group marched forwards, entering the dark.
The first obstacle they faced was….water.
Somehow, the temple was even further underground than the entrance, leaving them standing on a ledge several feet above a massive building filled mostly with water. There was a square-shaped structure set in the center, a wide walkway bordering it’s edge.Even though they were deep underground by now, light filled the air, filtering from some unseen window in the rocky ceiling above.
There was a loud clicking noise from below. Link glanced down.
A Tektite crouched on the surface, spindly legs twitching as it bounced for them, sending ripples dancing from it’s feet.
“What the heck is that?” Octavia’s tone was disgusted, and she stepped away from the edge of the platform.
“That’s a Tektite.” Link informed her. “Don’t worry—they’re relatively harmless. They’re mostly just annoying, to be honest.”
He turned and leapt off the platform, ignoring the startled shouts from the others as he splashed into the water only a few feet from the enemy. A stroke or two helped him reach the solid ground of the walkway, and he scrambled up onto the cold stone, whirling around as the Tektite clicked it’s warning again.
It made a leap for him, but he pulled out the Biggoron’s sword, slicing it cleanly in half. The two halves of the Tektite dropped onto the water, disappearing in a puff of black ash. Link snagged the green rupee it left behind, tucking it into his wallet.
“All right!” After a brief scan of the area, Link called up to the others who still waited above. “It’s safe to come down now!”
“You do remember I can’t swim, right?” Darunia retreated from the edge of the platform, a nervous expression on his face.
“Don’t worry.” Lyra promised. She looked at the water, a frown of concentration coming over her face. Her horn lit up with a shimmering golden light, and a freezing wind seemed to blow through the temple. Link shivered. With a slow creak, ice crept over the water, freezing it completely solid.
“All right.” The mint-colored Unicorn wiped beads of sweat off her brow, a triumphant smile on her face. “We can jump down now. Darunia first, while the ice is strongest.”
The Goron swallowed nervously, clambering carefully over the edge of the platform. He clenched onto it with his hooves as best he could, sliding slowly down the wall, stretching out to his full height. Once again Link was reminded of just how large and powerful his Sworn Brother was.
Darunia let go of the platform, dropping heavily onto the ice. It creaked dangerously beneath his weight, making the group draw a sharp breath—a breath they let out when the ice held. Darunia picked his way across the makeshift platform, skidding slightly, but safely reached the solid stone where Link was.
Now it was time for the others to make their way down. Vinyl and Bon Bon both chose to jump—the latter landing a lot more gracefully than the former. Lyra and Octavia slid down the wall in the same way Darunia had, landing with a slippery thud. Saria was reluctant to go, as the way seemed much farther for one so small, so Epona lowered her down with her front hooves.
There was a moment of panic when Epona—the last one down—broke through and disappeared with a splash. Thankfully she popped up seconds later, teeth chattering from the magical chill, and made it safely to the walkway.
“Okay…now for the matter of weapons.” Link began rifling through his inventory. “Do you guys want the same ones as last time? That is, when we defeated Volvagia?”
“Yes!” Vinyl cheered. Lyra nodded, a grin on her face. Bon Bon agreed with a nod as well, one much calmer than Lyra’s.
“Okay...hookshot.” Link tossed the weapon named out first, and Bon Bon caught it in her front hooves. “Now for the Kokiri Sword.” That Vinyl held in her magenta-tinted magic. “And last but not least, the Megaton!” This last weapon went to Lyra, who seemed all too happy to hold it again.
“Hey...” Saria said, her voice thoughtful. “Do you still have that fairy slingshot?”
“I do.” Link raised his eyebrows in surprise. He wasn't expecting Saria to ask for a weapon.
“Well...” Saria sounded timid. “Can I…use that? I want to help.”
“Absolutely.” Link gave her a smile. “I’m glad you do.” He tossed Saria the slingshot, and she caught it in her mouth.
“All right.” Now he turned to Epona and Darunia. “Do you guys need any weapons? I don’t have much left, but…”
“Does it look like I need a weapon?” Epona scoffed. Then, without waiting for a response, she continued. “No thanks. I’m good.”
“I…don’t even know how I’d hold one.” Darunia admitted. “I’m sure I’ll survive without one.”
“Fair enough.” Link chuckled. He then turned to Octavia, who was standing awkwardly to the side, watching the others testing out their new weapons.Bon Bon had creatively used some rope (where on earth had she gotten that?) to create a makeshift belt that held the hookshot to her side, and Saria had figured out how to hold the slingshot in her front hooves, pulling the pouch back with her mouth.
“What about you?” Link asked. Octavia jumped at being addressed. “Do you want to use something?”
So you can stop hiding behind Vinyl, he mentally added.
“Well...” Octavia tapped a hoof to her chin, looking tentative. “What do you have?”
“Hmm...” Link dug through his inventory. “I have a bow and arrow, several sticks, a boomerang, bombs, two bottles, and a headband with bunny ears.”
“A headband with….what?” Octavia raised both her eyebrows, looking alarmed.
“Bunny ears.” Link shrugged. “It helps me run fast.”
“Okay then...” Octavia said. “Do you really consider a bottle to be a weapon?”
“Never underestimate a bottle.” Link said firmly.
“I guess I’ll go with…the boomerang?” Octavia decided, still looking unsure. “I mean…I don’t really know what else I could use…”
“Whatever you think works for you.” Link said, holding it out to her. “Maybe later, I can teach you how to really use it.”
Octavia cautiously took it from him, craning her neck out and very gingerly clamping her jaw down on the end of it. Bon Bon noticed and trotted over to her, using what was left of her mysterious rope to make another belt for Octavia.
“Okay.” Epona said, once she’d finished. “We ready to go now?”
“Yup.” Link nodded. “I know where to go—I remember most of this temple from my first run-through.” He sighed. “Prepare yourselves for a lot of walking. And a lot of water.”
“Should we be worried?” Vinyl asked, raising an eyebrow.
“It’s just long.” Link sighed. “Very, very long.” He shook his head, bringing himself back to the current matter. “Okay. To start, we need to go underwater—how are we going to manage that?”
“Piece of cake.” Lyra said, a smirk on her face. “Well...actually not. More like a piece of toffee—hard to chew. But I digress. If Vinyl can give me a power boost with her magic, I can create a force field that should keep out water.”
“Sounds good.” Link agreed. He looked to Darunia for confirmation. The Goron swallowed, looking nervous, but gave a nod.
An aura of shimmering, rippling magenta covered Vinyl’s horn. She gave a loud yelp as it was ripped from her, swirling towards Lyra like a mist. It was absorbed by the magic already decking out Lyra’s horn, and the aura of gold swelled, becoming more orange in color.
There was a bright flash, and a large, bubble-shaped force field appeared, becoming the same unusual shade of tangerine that Lyra’s magic had been.
“Wait.” Saria frowned. “How is the shield going through the stone?”
The others glanced down. Sure enough, the glowing bubble that currently encased the group passed through the stone below their hooves, pushing back the water where it touched.
“I altered the spell so it only affects objects with a certain molecular structure.” Lyra said. The others blinked at her.
“Wha?” Vinyl asked.
“It’s solid to ponies and water, but nothing else.” Lyra sighed.
“Oooooh!” The group said in unison, understanding dawning on them.
“I didn’t know you could do that!” Bon Bon said.
“I did go to school with Princess Twilight, you know.” Lyra mumbled.
“So...should I be helping?” Vinyl commented. “Ya know, doing something to maintain the mole cubic jar structure and all that?”
“Molecular.” Lyra corrected, rolling her eyes. “And no, I can hold it for now. At the most, I may need you to occasionally open a pathway for others to get in and out of the force field, but since you’ve given me that boost I needed to spark the field, I can keep it in place.”
“Great.” Link said. “Now...um…can you let me out so I can show you the way…?”
“Yeah, sure.” Lyra nodded towards the other Unicorn in the group. “Vinyl, to open a hole in the field, you need to light your horn and stick it straight into the wall.Focus on enlarging the field of magic around your horn, almost as if you’re creating your own force field.”
“Cool.” Vinyl said, huffing out a breath. “Okay. I got this. I think.”
“Just make sure your horn is lit.” Lyra warned. “Otherwise this thing will blow up in our faces.”
“Kay.” Magenta sparked on Vinyl’s horn, and she carefully inserted it into the wall of the field. A hole appeared, shimmering around the edges with the color of Vinyl’s magic.
Link carefully stepped around the Unicorn, slipping through the gap. Once he was through, Vinyl stepped away from the wall, and the hole snapped closed with a popping noise.
“All right!” Link said. “Follow me.”
He turned, diving into the water. The weightless feeling of being underwater rushed over him, along with a pressure on his lungs. It took him a second to relax, reminding himself that he could breath, he wasn’t going to drown.
Somehow, without realizing, his instincts had taken over and planted the iron boots on his hooves. Their weight pulled him lower, dragging him towards the bottom of the temple.
A muffled splash from above told him that the others had followed. A large shadow appeared, casting Link into darkness, and he struggled to move away from beneath the force field before he was crushed.
Eventually, they touched down on the sandy ground, sending up a gentle cloud of silt. Link had to stifle a laugh at the others in the force field—they’d all rolled to the bottom of the bubble. Darunia was crushed beneath the others, Saria was trying to stay on top to avoid being crushed, and the Unicorns were struggling to keep their horns away from the edges of the force field.
After they’d rearranged themselves and got situated, Link motioned for them to follow him. He made his way across the ground, heading for the place where he knew he was supposed to. The others rolled their hamster ball of magic behind him, throwing themselves against the walls to keep it moving.
There…was no door.
Link froze.
There was, without a doubt, supposed to be a door there. He remembered it clearly—the door lead to a hallway, and that hallway lead to a room with two unlit torches—it was where he’d met Ruto again after all those years…
And there was no way he could forget that.
After a second, he began tapping the wall, searching for the door. It had to be here somewhere.
“Is there something wrong?” Lyra’s voice was warped and muted by the water, but he could still hear her. Link ignored the question, continuing to search along the length of the wall where the door should be.
After a second, he confirmed it—there really was nothing there. Link turned around, trying to figure out how to tell the others.
“What’s going on?” Octavia called from where she was stuck behind all the others. “Why are we just standing here?”
An idea came to Link. With the tip of his hoof, he wrote the word “door” on the sand, and added an arrow pointing towards the wall. He then drew his hoof across the word, slashing it out.
“Oooh. There’s no door?” Epona asked. Link nodded, grateful there was someone who could translate him.
“Is there supposed to be?” Darunia asked. Link nodded again.
“So...what now?” Bon Bon asked.
“I assume Link will do what he normally does.” Epona said. “Wander around aimlessly till you find somewhere you’re supposed to go?” Link gave a sheepish grin, nodding once more.
“Lead the way.” Epona grinned. Link took a deep breath, then set off in a random direction, searching for another door on the bottom floor.
It wasn’t long before he found one—one leading to a hallway very similar to the one that should have been.
Is this where I should go? Link wondered. Did I mess up, or something..?
There was quite a bit of shuffling as those in the force field tried to figure out how to fit through the door. Eventually they all managed to crowd into the hallway, forming an awkward, double-layered single file—or what vaguely resembled one.
They trotted along the passage, eventually entering a room at the far end, and the others could spread out within their force field.
An iron grate slammed closed over the entrance behind them, locking them in the room. Enemies swarmed the floor—clam-like creatures who hissed angrily, mouths widening to reveal strands of sticky pink stretching out inside.
“What the heck are these things?” Lyra asked, looking alarmed.
“They’re called Shell Blades.” Epona explained, watching them with wary eyes. “You have to aim for the soft spot inside their mouth to defeat them!”
How does she know all this? Link wondered. He made an attempt to draw his sword, but it was too large and unwieldy to use underwater. He instead reached for a spare arrow, clenching the wooden shaft in his jaw.
The nearest Shell leapt for him, spinning in midair so the sharp spikes on it’s back were pointed straight at it’s target. Link dodged to the side, letting it soar gracefully past him and clatter to the ground. It turned again, readying to attack once more,and he took the opportunity to lunge forwards with the arrow.
He managed to stab the inside of it’s unprotected mouth, and the creature split in half, crumbling into black ash that dissipated in the water.
One of the enemies lunged for those sheltered in the force field, causing a panicked shifting of bodies. Epona shoved the others aside, slamming her hooves down on the Shell, and it shattered to pieces.The last one was promptly dealt with by Bon Bon, who used the hookshot to spear the inside of it’s mouth when it was opened to attack them.
Wow, Link thought. She picked up that weapon fast.
The iron bars over the doorway slid upwards, vanishing into the stone ceiling, and the way out was opened again. Light shimmered in one corner, and a wooden chest appeared. Link put the arrow back into his inventory, trotting over and tugging open the heavy lid.
Water rushed into the previously-empty cavity of the interior, thrusting out a small metal key. Link quickly snagged it, wincing as he bit down a little too hard.
“That’s a key.” Epona explained to the others, once again making Link wonder just where she had learned all this. He had talked to her a lot when she was just a horse, but had he really bothered to explain what a key was? “It opens a locked door somewhere in the temple.”
“Oh!” Saria said. “I think I know where! There was a locked door up where we first started…do you think we should go back there?”
Link nodded in response to Saria’s question, slipping past the force field and back into the hallway.
“Here we go again.” Lyra groaned.
Once again, they all had a bit of difficulty trying to squeeze through the hallway again. Link was glad that he wasn’t in the force field…
Eventually, they managed to make their way through, and spread out slightly once back in the open space of the ground floor.
Link paused for a second, tapping a hoof to his chin as he tried to figure out how to get the others back up to the highest platform again. It would be simple enough for him, but for those trapped in the force field…not so much.
He sighed. He had come to the realization that in order for the others to get back up, they would need to pop the force field.
“How are we going to get back up?” With impeccable timing, Vinyl’s voice rang out with the question. Link frowned for a second. Now there was just the trouble of figuring out how to tell them. He pointed at himself, then pointed inside the bubble, a questioning look on his face.
“Sorry, not possible.” Lyra said. “Not without breaking the force field, that is.”
Link frowned thoughtfully. He pointed at the force field, then mimed sticking a pin inside a balloon.
“You want us to pop it?” This time it was Bon Bon who deciphered him. Link nodded.
“I still can’t swim!” Darunia chimed in. Link gave a warped-sounding groan, facehoofing. He’d forgotten about that.
“Is that the only way of getting up?” Epona asked. Link shrugged helplessly. As far as he could tell, it was. Epona frowned, tapping a hoof to her chin in an almost identical movement to Link’s.
“Okay. Are any of us strong enough to tow Darunia up?” She turned to the others.
“Maybe a few of us could.” Bon Bon offered.
“And us Unicorns could use magic as well.” Vinyl pointed out. Lyra nodded.
“Okay.” Epona said. “Bon Bon, Lyra, Vinyl and I will help pull Darunia upwards. Saria, you can also ride on my back, if you need to. How’s that sound?”
“I can swim.” Saria insisted. “I’ll be fine.”
“All right.” Epona took a deep breath. “Are we ready?” There was a communal nod of agreement.
The aura of magic on Lyra’s horn fizzled, fading away. There was a loud pop, and with a flash of quickly-quenched sparks, the magical barrier disappeared. Water crashed into the empty space, battering the group with currents that threatened to scatter them.
They all managed to get a hold on Darunia, who was heavy enough to stay in place. Once the water had settled, Epona waved at the others to follow her, gripping Darunia’s foreleg and pulling him upwards. Bon Bon followed suit, gripping the Goron’s other foreleg. There was a rush of multicolored bubbles from the two Unicorns, and Lyra and Vinyl floated upwards by themselves, bracing against Darunia’s sides. Link swam over to the others, helping lift Darunia as well. Octavia and Saria locked forelegs, helping each other upwards.
Eventually, they broke the surface. Everyone except Link inhaled deeply, dragging air into their lungs. They helped Darunia over to the platform, then crawled up themselves, wringing out sopping manes and checking to make sure weapons were still in place.
Link gave them all a second to recover their separate breaths, then moved on to the locked door in the center of the wall behind them—the door indicated by Saria. He stuck the key into the heavy padlock that lay at it’s center, twisting it to the side.
It vanished, and the lock dropped to the ground, allowing the door to slide open.
“R-ready?” Link asked, coughing slightly as his voice broke. It’d been a while since he spoke.
The others nodded, following him through the entrance.
This time, they were in the structure centered inside the temple.Water filled a majority of the space—the only thing that was really visible were the damp stone walls and the platform that lay directly across from them. More objects—other platforms, perhaps?—were submerged, but Link couldn’t see clearly enough to identify what they truly were.
“Wait here.” Link said.
He crouched, preparing himself, then sprang across the distance, aiming for the other platform.
His front hooves just barely reached it, and his front half crashed painfully on top of the solid level, but his back half slid into the chill of the water.
“Link!” Saria cried, sounding worried.
“I’m fine.” In contradiction to his words, Link winced a little. The rough stone had scraped the top layer of skin off his hooves, and tiny bloodstains appeared on the platform. He just hoped Saria wouldn’t see.
Link clambered up, biting back a yelp as the abrasions on his hooves stung painfully.
The wall next to him was emblazoned with a decorative picture of the Triforce, telling him exactly what he needed to do here. He pulled the Ocarina of Time from his inventory, preparing to play.
When he did play, he was struck with a wave of longing for the green fields of Hyrule—Zelda’s Lullaby always seemed to do that for him.
Link loved this song. It hadn’t been the first one he’d learned—Saria’s Song held that place in his heart—it was the melody of the royal family, clearly marking him as a messenger from them. Not to mention he’d learned it from the princess herself.
When he was young, he hadn’t realized the full gravity of that situation. He’d barely even known who the princess was, having just come out of Kokiri forest, exposed to the world for the first time. The only thing he’d known was that she was…rather pretty.
And now…the song of the princess, her lullaby….he was playing it.
The stone trembled beneath his hooves, accompanied by a loud, rushing, roaring noise. The water surrounding him frothed and heaved, slopping over the edge of the platforms. The others shied away from the waves, alarmed, but Link welcomed their cool relief on his scratched hooves.
The water level sunk lower, vanishing into some unknown place, revealing levels below that had otherwise been hidden by the depths.
“Wait...” Once Saria had got over her awe of the changing water level, she glanced down. “You’re stuck.”
“Nope, I’m not.” Link assured her. “Hey, Bon Bon, see that target on the wall?” He pointed to a circular mark near the Triforce. “Can you shoot it with the hookshot?”
“Um...sure.” Bon Bon complied with the request, and went flying through the air, landing lightly next to him.
“Okay, now we both can get back.” Link said. “Just aim for the—”
“Here.” Bon Bon handed him the hookshot. “Hold this.”
“Uh…okay?” Link took it from her. “What’s up?”
Bon Bon didn’t respond, instead crouching…then gave a mighty leap into the air. Lyra shrieked in terror, but her friend made it safely across, landing on the other platform inches from the edge.
“Bon Bon.” The mint Unicorn gasped, clutching her heart. “Never do that again.”
“Sorry.” Bon Bon gave her a sheepish grin.
Link crossed the gap again with the hookshot, then gave it back to Bon Bon.
“All right. Let’s see what areas opened up.” He made his way back out, the rest of the group filing behind him.
Outside the water had vanished as well. They now stood three stories above a stretch of empty wet sand. Link shuddered, trying not to think about what would happen if any of them fell.
“What’s next?” Darunia asked.
“Well, if my dungeon-diving senses aren’t getting rusty, there was a door over this way blocked by a floating box.” Link lead them around the nearest corner. On the other side, a Tektite waited, but Link kicked it away easily.
It fell off the edge of the platform. Link didn’t wait around to see what happened to it.
“Called it.” He grinned. There was a door there, now accessible to them.
He breathed deeply, attempting to calm his nerves as he took a small step backwards.
“Wait a second, Link.” Vinyl said. “You’re not going to—”
Without waiting for her to finish her sentence, Link leapt forwards, soaring across the deadly drop beneath them. He landed lightly on the narrow ledge that bordered the door, clinging tightly to the wall.
After a second, he carefully moved sideways, sliding the door open. He slipped inside, holding the door open with a hoof.
“Okay, come across!” He said.
Lyra was first, easily leaping across and trotting into the next room. The others followed—Darunia had some trouble getting through the door, and there was a harrowing moment when he slipped slightly…but they all made it through fine.
Link gave a sigh of relief, finally letting the door slide closed. It slammed shut, iron bars crossing over the entrance.
“Not again!” Link groaned. “As if this dungeon wasn’t bad enough…this is going to be one of those dungeons, isn’t it?”
The room was relatively large, lending enough room for the group to spread out. A treasure chest was placed on one end of the room, surrounded by a ring of crackling fire. Enemies appeared, crawling for the group—massive, burning slug-like creatures.
“These are called Torch Slugs.” Epona warned. “When the fire on their back is extinguished, they’ll run away. They need to be destroyed before they relight!”
“Got it!” Lyra said. Link couldn’t help but feel that what Epona said was extremely, extremely familiar.
Vinyl attacked first, slicing at one with the Kokiri Sword. The flames on it’s back sputtered out, and it let out a croak of alarm, slimy body rippling frantically as it tried to escape.
“HahaaAAAah!” Vinyl gave a cry of victory, swinging the blade wildly over her head. It cut into the body of the enemy with a satisfying squish, and the Torch dissolved, disappearing in a puff of black ash.
Darunia defeated the next one by inhaling deeply, blowing out the flames with one massive breath. When it tried to run away, he slammed his hooves down on it, crushing it easily.
Link defeated the final one in the same way Vinyl had defeated hers, excepted with less….vigor.
Interesting. He thought. So the size of rooms and platforms have adjusted to fit a larger group, but not the amount of enemies….
The iron bars over the door vanished, and the ring of fire around the chest flickered out. Link tugged open the chest—a much easier task out of water than in it—and found a scroll of yellowed parchment inside. He rolled it open, finding a detailed map inked on the other side.
“Sweet!” He said. “This is the dungeon map. Okay…there’s another place we can reach from the top level!There’s a door on the opposite side from this room.”
“Why do dungeons involve so much dang running around?” Vinyl sighed.
“I have no idea.” Link admitted.
He gave a sigh. This could take a while.
Many hours passed.
They’d been through several rooms, killed several enemies, and solved several puzzles. The dungeon was very different than the one Link had experienced in Hyrule—the puzzles were much more difficult, requiring several minds to solve rather than one.
And the group was much better at dungeons than Link thought they would be.
Octavia was surprisingly good at solving puzzles, and had noticed several patterns in rooms where the others hadn’t. Vinyl had come up with many, many, many unusual, out-of-the-box ideas that had actually worked. Lyra had a never-ending zeal that drove them all forwards, but Bon Bon was always there to balance that out—making them pause, think, and keeping them from rushing head-first into traps. Darunia often came up with simple, clear solutions where the others were overthinking, and Saria used her small size to her advantage, slipping into places the others couldn’t reach. Not to mention she was a lot handier with the slingshot than Link had thought she’d be.
And Epona….
Epona was almost as good as Link was. It was almost as if she’d been through all these places firsthand.
“Hey, Link.”
Link was jerked out of his thoughts by Bon Bon’s voice. The group had been walking along a long hallway, and now they paused in front of a locked door. Epona took the key they had won from the previous room, inserting it into the lock and giving it a twist. The chains dropped away, lock falling to the ground with a clatter, and they all entered the room.
The room was exceptionally strange. There seemed to be no ceiling or walls, and the floor was a glassy stretch of water that reached on forever. A single, lone tree sprouted from the center of the room(?), it’s bone-pale branches sleek and leafless.
“What the heck is this place?” Saria asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Forget what is this place, how is this place?” Vinyl said, dashing off to the side. “We’re still inside a building! How are there no—? Ow!”
She sat up, dazed, rubbing her muzzle with a pained expression.
“Yep.” She said. “There are walls.”
The others scattered, trotting away to investigate. The door had locked behind them, so clearly there was something they needed to do in this room—there was only one door, after all.
Link frowned, glancing down at the floor. He knew there was something out-of-the-ordinary about this particular place, he just...couldn’t recall just what it was. He’d been through so many temples, they all seemed to blur together in his mind.
The floor below his hooves was shining and flawless, even with the tiny ripples marking it’s surface. It was perfect…undisturbed by any reflection…
Wait…
Reflection…
With a jolt, Link remembered the room. He glanced frantically towards the tree in the center, the tree that seemed so innocent and unassuming, yet held dark power. Saria stood near there, approaching the trunk curiously.
“Saria!” Link cried. “Look out!”
The Kokiri whirled around, looking alarmed…just in time for the dark form of a shadowy creature to leap from the surface of the water, looming above her.
Time seemed to slow down.
From the corner of his eye, Link saw Epona pounding across the ground, heading desperately for Saria, who was still standing and staring at Link with a worried expression, unaware of the danger lurking above her. The dark creature brought it’s hooves down in a pointed blow, aiming for Saria’s unprotected head. If it had struck her, it would definitely have split her skull open and killed her.
Luckily, Epona reached her first. The Earth Pony leapt forwards, bowling the creature over seconds before it would have struck. Saria let out a shrill scream of alarm, dashing away as they rolled over. There was a cold, angry hiss that sent chills up Link’s spine. The creature vanished into the water, leaving nothing but a soaked Epona and a Saria trembling with fear.
“What the heck was that???” Octavia screeched, glancing around nervously. Saria rushed for Link, hiding behind him as she scanned the ground with a terrified expression. The others trotted over, some looking concerned, others grim.
“It’s okay, Saria.” Link said. In reality, he had been terrified. If the enemy had managed to reach Saria before Epona had…
He smothered the shudder trying to force it’s way through his limbs. He didn’t want to scare Saria.
Epona trotted over, shaking her sopping wet mane out of her face.
“Thanks.” Link told her. Epona barely nodded, her gaze fixed on the ground, eyes narrowed in scrutiny.
Link stepped carefully away from Saria, gently pushing her back when she tried to follow him. He approached the tree, drawing his sword.
The figure appeared again, sprouting from the ground, sudden and startled enough to make Link jolt backwards a little.
The figure was a pony, the exact size and stature as Link, even wearing an identical outfit. Every aspect of the pony was black—it’s clothes, it’s skin, even the locks of it’s mane that stuck out from beneath the pointed hat that emblazoned it’s head. The eyes on it’s face were soulless red, a hungry glow emanating from them.
“It’s….you.” Lyra realized, her voice a hoarse whisper as she glanced back and forth between Link and his Shadow.
“It’s not.” Link insisted. “It’s just a shadow, and we need to defeat it as soon as possible! There’s no way it can stand against all eight of us—!”
He was interrupted by another figure forcing it’s way from the watery ground. It strutted closer, a menacing air of confidence about it’s stride.
“Is that me?” Epona gasped.
Dark Epona gave a hoarse, grating chuckle, pulling up beside Dark Link. The two began circling the group, watching them with glowing, narrowed eyes.
And that was when Link noticed that none of the group had reflections.
Oh sh—he thought.
Six more figures erupted from the water beside the tree, water droplets flung from cold black limbs, six pairs of menacing eyes glaring at the group of their living counterparts.
The dark forms of Lyra, Bon Bon, Vinyl, Octavia, Saria, and Darunia began circling with Dark Link and Epona, pausing when they faced their real forms.
“Watch out...” Epona whispered.
Unearthly screams echoing from the shadows’ mouths, as if it was some twisted form of a battle cry. They lunged forwards, raising dark weapons, ready to attack.
(Gore and Profanity tags added to this chapter) The next few minutes were chaos.
Most of the group scattered, ducking under attacks from the dark creatures. The only ones that still stood were Bon Bon, Link, and Epona, the last of whom reacted first to the assault.
She spun in place, lashing out with her back hooves. Her shadow anticipated the attack, rapidly whirling around and returning the same attack. The two ponies collided sharply, sending sparks flying through the air. Epona let out a sharp yelp of pain, leaping forwards.
“So that’s what that feels like.” She muttered.
Link ducked under a swipe from Dark Link’s sword, trying to get around to the back of his enemy. The shadow twisted around, keeping his face towards him.
“WATCH OUT!” Lyra yelled, crashing into Link and knocking them both to the ground. Link’s shadow ducked down as well, just in time for a vertical beam of pitch-black to go whistling over their heads.
Link could feel an unbearable chill as it passed.
Dark Link hissed a warning at Dark Lyra, who had been the one to launch the attack. She offered an apologetic hiss in return, then fixed the real Lyra with a menacing glare.
“Lyra, why don’t you attack her?” Link asked, leaping to his feet in time to dodge a blow from his dark form.
“She’s...it’s...” Lyra shrugged helplessly, terror in her eyes.
“You have to fight.” Link insisted. “You don’t have a choice.” Lyra swallowed nervously, backing away from Link as his shadow advanced once again.
Link leapt into the air, managing to clear Dark Link’s head. There was a high-pitched whistling noise, as well as something barely nicking his back hooves, and Link realized that he’d narrowly avoided a strike from his shadow’s sword.
In the split second of time he’d gained when he landed, Link checked up on the others. Epona had reared onto her hind legs, beating at Dark Epona with her front hooves—rather like the way Link had seen horses fight at Lon Lon Ranch before. Saria was running away from her shadow, occasionally glancing behind her in panic. Dark Saria was following at a leisurely pace, seemingly in no hurry to end her prey. Vinyl had collected herself enough to attack her dark from, and was swinging the small blade of the Kokiri sword wildly left and right. Her shadow seemed to have adopted her fighting strategy—wild and uncontrolled. Bon Bon had thrown herself fully into the fight, launching flurries of impressive kicks and punches towards Dark Bon Bon. Lyra seemed to have worked up the courage as well, and was jets of sparkling gold at her shadow. And Octavia had taken the same path as Saria, running from Dark Octavia as fast she she could.
Link turned his attention away from the others, focusing on his own opponent. Dark Link lunged forwards with a slice, which Link quickly blocked with his own sword.
“Two can play at that game.” He growled.
Dark Link’s eyes narrowed, and he attacked with renewed vigor, forcing Link to leap backwards—he didn’t think he could hold up against the force behind the blow. His shadow was much more balanced than he was, and seemed to have already mastered wielding Biggoron’s Sword.
“Look out!” Bon Bon’s shout of warning was partnered with a clinking, rattling sound, and Link darted backwards again. He was just in time to avoid the deadly point of the hookshot, which hurtled past him at a high speed. It gave a jerk as it reached the end of it’s flight, chain temporarily going slack, then retracted just as quickly as it’d come out.
Link sprang over the retreating chain, swinging his sword in a downwards strike.His shadow was prepared, however, raising it’s own weapon in an effortless block. Their blades locked together, each shoving at the other with all their might, both refusing to step down.
A high-pitched scream of fear temporarily distracted Link, and he risked a glance towards where it came from. Saria was trapped against one of the invisible walls, finally having reached the end of space she could retreat to, and her shadow was looming menacingly over her.
I have to help her…Link thought, giving a grunt as his dark form shoved harder against his own blade.
He put his balance in jeopardy, swinging his hind leg around and kicking Dark Link in the stomach. The shadow flew back, caught by surprise.
Link stepped forwards as far as he could, lashing out with his sword. The tip of the blade just barely caught Dark Link in the chest, tearing easily through the black tunic and skin beneath. The shadow hissed in pain, falling back, temporarily out of commission.
Link leapt away, galloping for Saria. He slammed head-first into her unsuspecting shadow, sending her flying through the air. A shiver ran over his body as his shoulder made contact with the small body—it was freezing.
Dark Saria flipped over in mid-air, landing on her hooves with a snarl. Link moved protectively in front of the real Saria, holding his sword at the ready.
The shadow leapt forwards. Link slashed at her, but she ducked under his blade, planting a forceful kick on his ribs.
Dang it, why is she so small? Link bit back a yelp, whirling around and trying to find her.
Taking advantage of not only her miniature size, but also Link’s temporary confusion, Dark Saria ducked under him again and kicked his legs out from underneath him.
Link rolled forwards, springing back up again. The shadow circled him warily, snarling angrily.
There was a sudden flash of light, and Dark Saria’s head jerked forwards with a painful-sounding snap. She whirled around to see the real Saria standing up, holding her slingshot with a scared but determined expression.
A freezing cold body slammed into Link’s, purposefully knocking him to the ground. He managed to recognize it as his own shadow, who had struck while he was distracted by Saria’s.
Link rolled over, knocking his shadow off his back. He leapt up, grabbing his sword, and managed to strike another blow on Dark Link’s foreleg.
The shadow growled angrily, staggering back onto his hooves. He seemed much less reluctant to wield his sword now, trickles of smoke leaking from the wounds on his chest and foreleg.
“WATCH OUT!” Epona hollered. Link automatically ducked—and it was a good thing he did, because the body of Dark Epona flew through the air, slamming into his shadow. They both rolled over, crashing into the invisible wall and falling to the ground.
Link used the precious time he’d gained with this to check up on the others.
Darunia was engaged in an earth-shaking tussle with his shadow, who looked worse for the wear. As Link watched, Dark Darunia was slammed into the ground, forced down with the sheer weight of the real Darunia. Link bit back a shudder at the terrifying enraged expression on Darunia’s face—he’d forgotten just how dangerous his Sworn Brother could be if he wanted.
Epona was galloping towards the groaning forms of her and Link’s shadows, who were disentangling themselves. She seemed to be favoring her left foreleg, and there was a cut streaked across her cheek, dried blood smeared into the fur of her face.
Lyra was locked in a fierce magical duel, beams of gold and black weaving around the two. Every now and then one of them would pull out the Megaton Hammer—whether shadow or real—launching a bone-crushing blow that was usually dodged. They seemed to be the most evenly matched—right down to the amount of damage each one had sustained.
Bon Bon had her dark form in a headlock, and was struggling to remain dominant in the fight. Dark Bon Bon was fighting against her living counterpart as hard as she could, yanking herself from side to side in an effort to free herself.
Dark Vinyl was nowhere to be seen—Link guessed she’d already been defeated. It didn’t entirely surprise him, given the amount of power Vinyl put behind every strike from her side.
The white Unicorn was currently battling Dark Octavia, occasionally aided by Octavia herself—who looked like she had no idea what she was doing.
A flash of light in Link’s peripheral pulled his attention to Saria, who was continuing launch vast numbers of Deku seeds at her shadow. Dark Saria staggered to and fro, dazed and blinded by the constant flashes and tiny puffs of smoke.
Epona gave a loud yell, and Link turned around in time to see her force her shadow against the wall. She turned, bucking her hooves against Dark Epona’s unprotected body.
There was a sickening crunch, and the shadow’s eyes widened with shock and pain. She coughed, and a puff of smoke trickled from her mouth. Epona’s dark form dissolved into a cloud of black ash, blowing away and disappearing.
Link’s shadow finally regained it’s feet, turning and charging towards him. Link blocked it’s attack, then tried for one of his own, only to have his sword rebound against the other’s.
The two Links backed a few feet away from each other, eyes narrowing simultaneously. They were at a stalemate, waiting to see who would attack first.
As it would turn out, neither of them struck the next blow—that action was reserved for Bon Bon. The hookshot buried itself in Dark Link’s side, causing him to give a loud screech of pain. He gasped and stumbled to the side, digging his hooves into the ground in an effort to hold against the force of her hurtling towards them.
Bon Bon collided sharply with Link’s shadow, sending him crashing backwards, then back-flipped to land on her hooves. She took up a position next to Link, eyes narrowed and hookshot held at the ready.
Dark Link heaved himself upright, huffing painfully. He attempted a weak swing towards Link, which was easily blocked. The mere force of that made him cry out in pain, stumbling back.
This is sad. Link thought, watching his shadow’s pitiful attempts to regain control over his trembling limbs. I should put him out of his misery. He swung his sword up and around, and this time Dark Link was too weak to stop it. The blade sheered cleanly through his neck, and he had melted into smoke almost before his decapitated head hit the floor.
At almost the same time, there was a massive, earth-shaking thud, and Darunia gave a triumphant yell. Link glanced over to see him standing over his shadow form, who’s head was bent at a wrong angle. Dark Darunia faded away, the same way as Link and Epona’s shadows had. Now all that was left were Saria’s, Octavia’s, and Lyra’s dark forms.
Epona leapt to the defense of Saria, who seemed to be starting to tire. The smaller shadow slid under the larger pony’s defenses, kicking her back legs out from underneath. Epona fell heavily to the ground, giving a grunt of pain.
Saria shot another seed at her shadow, but the dark form was catching on and managed to dodge it. Link tried for a swipe at her, but she ducked under his blade again. Link had learned from last time, however, and kicked her away when she tried to attack his unprotected midriff again.
Bon Bon raised herself on her hind legs, preparing to join the fight. Dark Saria noticed, spinning around and preparing for attackers on all sides—but then a boomerang slammed into the side of Bon Bon’s head.
Her eyes rolled back and she collapsed, face-planting in the water.
“SWEET LUNA ON A TRICYCLE I’M SO SORRY!” Octavia screeched.
Luna on a what? Link galloped over to Bon Bon, nudging her over so she wasn’t muzzle-down. He glanced up, deciding to take another moment to check up on the others.
Their condition had barely changed. Vinyl was still locked in combat—quite literally, as her sword was locked with Dark Octavia’s boomerang. Vinyl’s battle strategy—if Link could even call it that—didn’t seem to be working with her this time. She looked rather the worse for wear, and it didn’t seem like Octavia’s shadow was even remotely close to tiring.
As for Octavia herself, she was galloping for the fallen Bon Bon to retrieve her weapon. Link bit back a sigh—she clearly needed to be taught how to properly use it. But that was a matter for another time.
Lyra seemed to be faring nearly the same as before, still exchanging blows with her evenly-matched shadow. Lyra’s approach to the combat seemed to be getting more and more confident, instead of the timidness with which she’d began the battle.
Someone slammed into Link’s back, knocking him forwards. Judging by the minimal weight as well as the chill that ran over his body from the touch, it was Dark Saria.
Her forelegs wrapped around Link’s throat, constricting his airways.
He coughed, rolling onto his back and trying to shake her off. Her grip tightened, making him gag. His chest convulsed as his lungs desperately tried to suck in air, but to no avail. Darkness bubbled in his vision, threatening to overtake his senses.
Suddenly, there was a loud, crunching thud, and the pressure was relieved. Dark Saria slid off Link’s back, dissolving into a cloud of smoke.
Link gasped, inhaling deeply. The air scraped against his raw throat, making him cough.
A large yellow hoof loomed in his vision, and Link looked up to see Darunia.
“Thanks.” He rasped, taking the offered limb. The Goron heaved him upwards, brushing remnants of ash off the blue tunic.
“I’m just sorry I didn’t act sooner.” He apologized. “It was hard for me to strike a blow—that thing looked so much like Saria…”
Link nodded uncomfortably. To be honest, he’d barely thought of that. All he saw in the shadowy creatures were monsters—nothing even close to the companions he’d come to know and care for.
“The battle’s not won yet.” Epona declared, limping over to them. “We’ve still got two more.”
“Better than eight.” Link sighed. “Hey, you okay?”
“I’ll be fine.” Epona insisted, curling her right foreleg underneath her. “I just...got caught without warning.”
“What’s next?” Saria asked, trotting shakily over. She had an uneasy expression on her face.
“Darunia, can you and Saria go help with Dark Octavia?” Link said. “Epona and I can help Lyra.”
“Roger that.” Darunia said, giving a salute. “Er...what about Bon Bon?”
Link looked towards the unconscious mare, startled. He’d almost forgotten about her.
“…she’ll be fine.” He decided. “For now. Let’s go!”
They all turned, charging back into the fray.
Dark Lyra caught on to the approaching ponies right away, whipping a beam of magic towards them. Link ducked down, sliding under it, while Epona managed to leap over. Though, as she was trying to keep weight off her injured leg, she stumbled as she landed, forcing Link to steady her.
“Help!” Lyra begged, pulling up a force field just in time to deflect a deadly jet of black.
“HYAAAH!” Link gave a loud yell, leaping mightily through the air. He swung his sword downwards, directly over the black Unicorn—then rather ungracefully met with a black force field, which turned away the point of his blade before slamming into his face. He rolled off the dome, falling to the ground with a groan.
Not how I imagined that would go...he thought, groggily raising his head.
“Watch out!” Epona called from where she’d taken up a position on the other side of Dark Lyra. Link rolled out of the way just in time for the shadowy hammer to slam into the ground inches from his head, causing a mini earthquake. He stifled a yelp, scrabbling onto his feet and backing away.
“I can’t land a blow!” Lyra cried, her voice aggravated. Epona lunged forwards in her own attempt at attack, but was repelled by a force field again. Her hooves clattered against the black barrier, sending off sparks.
Link quickly made a decision, spinning around and galloping towards the other fight being waged across the room.
“Saria!” He called, trying not to dissolve into a coughing fit. “Toss me the slingshot!”
The Kokiri made note of his request, whipping her head to the side and throwing it across the room. She ducked under an attack from the boomerang, attempting to land a kick on Dark Octavia’s lower body—eerily similar to what her shadow had done—but the black earth pony managed to block her, knocking her backwards.
Link caught Saria’s discarded weapon in his mouth, dashing back to the fight with Dark Lyra. He balanced on his hind hooves—something that was starting to feel more natural—and held the handle between his two front hooves. Using his mouth, he loaded a Deku Seed into the pouch, pulled it back, then let it fly.
Dark Lyra easily dodged it, shooting him a smirk. Her eyes glimmered, seeming to say something to him: Is that the best you have? Pitiful.
Link bit back a growl, reloading the slingshot. Before he could fire, Lyra’s shadow shot a beam of magic at him, forcing him to drop the seed and duck.
Epona lunged forwards again, beating at the barrier that had instantly sprung up at her approach. Dark Lyra gave a hissing, snarling laugh, but Epona firmly continued, sending showers of sparks raining onto the ground.
Darunia gave a cry of pain, but Link was too preoccupied with Dark Lyra to do anything more than acknowledge it in the back of his mind.
The force field remained in place, even with Epona’s incessant attacks on it. Lyra charged forwards, slamming the point of her horn into the straight into the barrier. It pierced through, making the shield explode in a shower of sparks.
The three attackers were thrown backwards—Lyra’s shadow was merely forced to the ground.Link slid across slick floor, dazed. Dark Lyra staggered to her feet, smoke trickling across her face. Before she could launch attacks on any of the downed warriors, Epona leapt upwards, dashing over and bucking her in the chest.
Dark Lyra slammed into Link, sending them both rolling backwards.
Link groaned, dragging himself into a sitting position. Lyra’s shadow jerked her head backwards, trying to impale him with her horn. Link yanked his head to the side just in time, locking his forelegs around her throat.
Lyra’s shadow slammed her elbows back, desperately trying to dislodge him. Link winced, ignoring the battering and pulling her farther backwards.
Dark Lyra made a gurgling, choking noise, switching to trying to pry his forelegs from her neck. Her attempts grew weaker and weaker, eventually pausing all together.
She dissolved into ash, leaving him to slump back, arms empty.
Link’s whole body ached. Bruises were rapidly forming on his limbs, especially where Dark Saria had kicked him. His throat was raw and pulsed with pain—also courtesy of the shadowy Kokiri.
For one that had been so small, she certainly had been deadly.
Vinyl gave a loud, annoyed scream, causing Link to turn in alarm. He caught sight of the remaining battlers—Darunia was lying on the ground, clutching a deep gash in his left hind leg. Saria was hovering over him nervously, a bruise on her face from where she’d been knocked aside.Octavia had given up, retreating to behind Darunia, and was watching Vinyl battle her shadow with a guilty expression.
Vinyl herself seemed to be reaching the end of her patience. She gave a wild swipe, only to have it turned aside by a clever move on Dark Octavia’s behalf.
Having knocked the sword to a place where it wouldn’t be much of a worry, the shadowy earth pony moved in on Vinyl’s vulnerable body, catching her across the cheek with the sharp metal edge on the front of the boomerang.
Vinyl stumbled back, trying to wipe the blood away, but only succeeded in smearing it across her white fur.
I should help her…Link tried to get up, but his bruised limbs refused to cooperate.
“DAMN YOU!” Vinyl lunged forwards, burying the Kokiri Sword up to it’s guard straight into Dark Octavia’s body. The real Octavia didn’t even seem to notice the language uttered in front of Saria’s young ears—she flinched as if it was she that had been stabbed, clutching her midriff with a terrified expression.
Her shadow stumbled backwards, a look of shock and agony chiseled onto it’s twisted features. Trickles of smoke dripped from her mouth, and she faded away, leaving the Kokiri Sword to clatter to the ground.
“Finally.” Link sighed, relieved. Epona trotted over, offering her right-hand foreleg to help him up. Link gave her a look and pushed it back, not wanting to injure it further. Epona shrugged, limping back, giving him space to stagger to his feet on his own.
“Is everyone okay?” Link asked, trotting over to the others, Epona and Lyra following him. They all nodded, gaze fixed on Vinyl.
The white Unicorn was staring at the Kokiri Sword, chest heaving. Her magenta eyes burned with a strange flame—they almost looked…red.
“….Vinyl?” Link said. With the call of her name, she seemed to snap out of it, jerking upwards with a startled expression.
“You okay?” Link repeated. She nodded, brushing a lock of disheveled mane out of her face.
“Perfectly fine.” She trotted over, picking up the sword again. Link didn’t miss the way Octavia flinched at the clinking noise it made, or the way her wide and frightened eyes tracked it through the air as Vinyl levitated it before him.
There was a loud clatter, and the bars covering the door slid upwards. With a flash of light, a chest appeared near the tree in the middle, causing ripples to spread over the water.
This time, Saria was the one to trot over and open it, revealing a key. The key was large and heavy, decorated with a red gem.
“That’s the Boss Key.” Link explained, taking it as Saria handed it to him. “Now we can get to the Boss Fight and finished this accursed temple.”
The others raised eyebrows at Link’s unusually vehement tone.
“…sorry.” Link said, shaking his head. “I don’t know what got over me. I just can’t wait for us to be done.”
“So, know we’ve got more fighting to do?” Vinyl groaned. “But we just finished!”
“I know.” Link sighed. “I just wish we were in better condition.” His gaze roved over the group. Bon Bon was still lying several feet from them, out cold. Lyra’s horn had cracks along it, presumably from when she’d made the dark force field explode. Both Darunia and Epona had leg injuries, though Epona’s seemed to be more related to a twisted ankle, while Darunia was covering a blood-seeping gash. Saria had numerous bruises, and Vinyl…
…well, Vinyl had definitely looked better.
“Well, you can be.” Saria said, flipping open her own inventory. “I have elixirs and heartfruits for us.”
“Heartfruits?” Darunia echoed, raising an eyebrow.
“More commonly known as hearts.” Link said. “They help replenish energy and heal injuries.”
“I’m not quite sure what to do about her, though.” Saria nodded towards Bon Bon.
“Bon Bon!” Lyra yelped, apparently just noticing her unconscious friend. She galloped over, shaking her by the shoulders. “Speak to me!”
“I’m sure she’s perfectly fine.” Octavia said awkwardly, causing the others to jump and look at her. It was the first time she’d spoken since the end of the fight. “I may have...knocked her out by accident.”
Lyra shot the Earth Pony a glare.
“Sorry.” Octavia whispered, shrinking away. This was a reaction Link found odd for the high-mannered mare.
“It’s fine…I guess.” Lyra sighed, brushing back her mane. “I know how to her wake her up, anyway.” There was a flash of magic from her horn, and Bon Bon jolted upright with a yelp, startling everyone.
“Sorry, Bon.” Lyra apologized. “You were kind of…unconscious.”
“Sweet Celestia my head.” Bon Bon’s face contorted in an expression of agony and she doubled over, pressing her hooves to her face. “What happened?”
“Somepony doesn’t know how to use a boomerang.” Lyra mumbled.
“Well, I’m sorry!” Octavia protested. “You try throwing a weapon with your mouth! And besides, why on earth would I know how to use a boomerang? I don’t go on adventures, I play the goddess-damned cello for Celestia’s sake!” She immediately clapped a hoof over her mouth, staring at Saria in shock and horror.
“I’m sorry.” She squeaked.
Link raised an eyebrow at the group.
“...are you sure you’re okay?” He said.
Octavia nodded, rubbing a hoof against her forehead with a pained expression.
“I’ll be fine.” Bon Bon sighed. “Don’t worry about me.”
There was a second of awkward silence.
“Well…um…I have elixirs for us.” Saria said again. She reached into her inventory, extracting a few bottles filled with red substance, as well as a few crimson-colored, heart-shaped fruits. She passed them around—Epona, Darunia, Bon Bon, and Vinyl got the elixirs, though Link had passed up his to give it to Bon Bon in the first place. Link, Saria, and Octavia got the heartfruits—though Lyra had grumbled that since Octavia was barely injured, she didn’t even need it.
“How did you manage to stay practically unscathed?” Link asked.
“I...don’t know…?” Octavia looked down, refusing to make eye contact with anyone.
“She ran away.” Vinyl said, the cold tone of her voice making everyone jump. “That’s literally all she did. She ran away till I came to help her, again.”
“Seriously, again?” Lyra sighed.
“Why are you beating me up about this?” Octavia demanded. “Oh yeah, I’m used to fighting ponies who know how to copy my every move, including moves I don’t even know how to do. And I’m also totally okay with killing somepony who looks just like me.”
“Bon Bon had no trouble with it!” Lyra snapped.
“Oh, so just because your best friend was fine with murdering another pony, I should be too!” Octavia retorted. “And just why was she so good at fighting that pony, hm? No normal, innocent civilian of Ponyville should be able to do that!” Lyra jerked back, a shocked and insulted expression on her face.
“Guys….” Link interrupted. “You do know that those weren’t actually ponies, right? They were just reflections...”
“They didn’t seem like just reflections.” Saria piped up, giving a shiver. “Watching myself die by the hands of my friend…even though it wasn’t really me…I don’t know what to think.” Darunia gave her a worried look. Saria shot him a faint, reassuring smile.
“They didn’t seem like reflections to me, either.” Bon Bon admitted. “Link...what exactly were those things?”
Link sighed. He was hoping that he didn’t actually have to tell them this, but…it seemed as if he had no choice now.
“They were…a physical manifestation of the darkness within us.” He said quietly. “Facing the evil within ourselves is probably one of the hardest things we’ll face on this quest. It was…for me, at least.”
The others looked down, eyes wide with shock as the fight that happened before came into perspective.
“So those things…were us.” Lyra said.
“Yes, in a way.” Link gave an exhausted sigh, rubbing his face with a hoof. “They had consciousness and intelligence just like us…they shared every memory…”
“I just killed a pony.” Vinyl whispered, her eyes glued onto her reflection in the watery floor. “I just killed my sister.”
“Half-sister.” Octavia corrected in a quiet mutter—Vinyl didn’t seem to hear her.
“No, you didn’t.” Epona said. “You just conquered the worst parts of yourself and Octavia. There was nothing in those creatures worth saving. In fact, Vinyl, the fact that you managed to defeat yours first is quite admirable.”
“…I was worried about Octavia.” Vinyl admitted. “I…didn’t want her to get hurt…I wanted to hurry and help her in any way I could.” Octavia looked up, surprised.
“Well…” She said uncomfortably. “Thanks.” Vinyl nodded, not meeting the eyes of the other pony.
“…so.” Link said. “Now that things are talked out, are we ready to go now? We have the boss key, we can go defeat the boss and save Ruto, then return to Ponyville.”
“To be perfectly honest, I’m not sure if I want to rescue that Rito girl.” Lyra muttered.
“Ruto.” Link corrected.
“I hate to agree with Lyra’s statement, but...I agree with Lyra’s statement.” Bon Bon sighed.
“I wish we could just skip over her and find the next Sage!” Saria snapped. Everyone looked at her, surprised by her angry outburst.
“Why do you wish that?” Link asked, uncomfortable with where this conversation was heading.
“I’m sick of her arrogant attitude.” Saria continued. “It drives me crazy—she’s not special, she’s not better than us, no matter what she thinks.”
Epona frowned slightly, looking closely at Saria.
“Oh.” She gave a sputtering noise that it took Link a second to recognize—but then he realized Epona was laughing.
“You’re jealous.” She said.
“W-what?” Saria protested, looking hot and indignant. “I’m not! She just drives me up the wall!”
“Hey.” Link jumped in. “I know that...you all may not have had the greatest first impression of her…”
“You kidding?” Lyra raised an eyebrow. “‘The body of thiskind of beast is anythingbut becoming.’” She quoted, face scrunching up in an impression of Ruto’s.
“Okay, okay, I get it.” Link rubbed a hoof against the bridge of his nose. He was beginning to get a headache. “But…it’s not exactly nice of you to be talking about her like this, okay? She is royalty, and she will be traveling with us—”
“It’s not exactly nice of her to be so rude to us either.” Saria interrupted, a stubborn expression on her face—an expression that Link knew too well.
Hylia give me patience. Please.
“She’s not usually so rude, you know.” He said, in a last ditch effort to support the Zora princess. “Look…all I’m asking is if you could try giving her a second chance. It’s not that hard.”
Without waiting for a response, he turned to Epona.
“We need to leave.” He said. Epona nodded in agreement, and the group trotted for the door, enveloped in a frosty silence.
It didn’t take them long to make their way back through the temple, eventually arriving at the door to the boss fight.
The journey had been anything but comfortable. Everyone was still tense from the post-battle argument, so there had been no interaction other than what was necessary.
Bon Bon and Lyra were avoiding Octavia, but the musician was avoiding Vinyl for some strange reason. Vinyl herself was staring at the ground, a troubled expression on her face. Saria was avoiding Link, and refused to meet his eye any time he looked at her.
In all, Epona and Darunia were the only ones who still seemed to be in a somewhat-good mood. Link himself was stressed out from the sudden inability of the others to get along, as well as the fact that Saria refused to acknowledge his existence any more.
Link pulled out the boss key from his inventory, stuffing it into the massive, decorative lock and giving it a twist. The chains clattered loudly as they dropped to the ground, and Link flinched at the sound.
The door creaked open slowly, revealing a hallway veiled in darkness.
“Ready?” Link asked, as he’d done before almost every room earlier.Epona and Darunia nodded, and there were one or two tentative nods from Lyra and Bon Bon, but for the most part the group remained in chilly silence.
Link sighed. So much for the teamwork they’d all had earlier.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” He muttered, trotting forwards. The others followed him, and they vanished into the shadows beyond.
The heavy door creaked shut behind them, shutting off any means of escape.
The boss room was almost exactly as Link remembered it.
It was the same square shape, with the same large hollow that took up most of the floor. Water filled this hole, coming only an inch or so below the wide stone walkways that surrounded it on all sides. Occasional platforms dotted the water, placed in a symmetrical pattern. A wooden band was bolted to the slimy stone walls, and large metal spikes protruded from it—they looked dangerous, but were blunt and relatively harmless. They could leave a nasty bruise, however.
The only thing that had really changed about the room was it’s size. It was now so vast—it was nearly the size of Castle Town Square.
The gilded door slammed shut behind the group, making them jump and jolt forwards into the room. The ponies split into clear groups—Lyra and Bon Bon in one, Octavia and Saria in another, and Vinyl by herself.
Link bit back a sigh, eyeing the divided groups. They were standing as far apart from each other as they could get, shooting one another suspicious looks, as if they expected the others to randomly turn and attack them.
The teamwork they’d had earlier had vanished completely. Link had no idea of how to get them to work together again.
He glanced away from the divided ponies, trotting over to the pool in the center of the room. The water was deep and clear, and Link could see straight to the bottom—
“What the?” He gasped, jolting backwards.
“What?” Epona asked, galloping over. “What is it?”
Though they tried to hide it, the others were obviously interested, and glanced over in Link’s direction.
He pointed a hoof into the water. Even though he didn’t touch the surface, tiny ripples flickered across the pristine, blue-tinted depths, as if the liquid was responding to him being close to it.
At the bottom of the pool was Ruto.
The Zora princess was thrashing desperately, back pressed up against the rough stone wall. She was kicking furiously at something circling her—something that was too small for Link to see. The most he could was that it was red. Why was she so afraid of it?
“What the heck is she doing?” Saria asked. Link jumped slightly—he hadn’t heard her approach.
Ruto twisted at an odd angle, kicking off the wall and soaring for the surface of the water—only to be yanked backwards by some invisible force.
She slammed roughly into the bottom of the pool, her face contorting in pain. The blurry, small red object began spiraling faster, and she folded her hooves over her face in a fruitless attempt to protect herself.
Without warning, Ruto was suddenly thrust upwards, and the group jerked backwards as the surface of the water exploded. Link blinked furiously, trying to clear his vision—but it was hard with the heavy downpour of waves beating at them from all sides.
A massive, thick tentacle of water appeared. It was faintly iridescent, it’s side pulsing with an energy that Link knew wasn’t friendly. Ruto was clutched in it’s grip, the tip of her muzzle barely above water, limbs trapped against her sides.
“L-link!” She gasped, voice high-pitched with fear. She tried to say more, but her words dissolved into bubbles as she was sucked back beneath the surface, forced to the bottom of the pool.
More tentacles appeared, crawling from the surface of the water and waving in the air, as if taunting the group to dare and attack them.
The battle had begun.
“Okay, first things first.” Link stepped back from the pool, keeping a wary eye on the nearest limbs. He didn’t remember this particular boss being that bad…
“Avoid the—”
Without waiting for him to finish the sentence, Vinyl gave a loud war cry, dashing for one of Morpha’s limbs. It easily dodged her wild sword strike, slipping behind her and winding around her hind legs.
Almost before she’d seen what was happening, it jerked her backwards, dragging her back end into the water.
“HELP!” She screamed, hooves scrabbling uselessly against the stone walkway.
“—tentacles.” Link finished his sentence with a sigh, dashing to the Unicorn’s rescue. Epona followed.
She grabbed Vinyl’s front hooves, barely keeping the pony above the surface of the agitated water. Link brought out his sword, slashing at the water surrounding Vinyl’s submerged body.
His blade met with tension, tearing through it like it was the flesh of a Torch Slug. The liquid slackened, and Vinyl flew free, crashing into Epona.
“Listen to me!” Link shouted, hoping the others could hear him. Bon Bon was next to him, having gotten separated from Lyra, who was now grouped with Octavia, Saria, and Darunia. The four were trapped on the other side of the room, dodging blows from Morpha’s other tentacles.
“We have to make a plan!” Link continued. “Avoid the tentacles, spikes, and watch out for the red, orb-shaped amoeba that will come up eventually!”
“DID YOU GET ALL OF THAT?” Epona bellowed, making Link flinch and cover his ears. Through the wall of translucent, waving limbs, Link thought he could see a nod or two from the other side.
We’ll come up with a better plan once we’re together in one group again.
The water in the pool roiled, coursing up and swallowing the path behind both groups. It forced them to run up the sides of the room—it was that or be consumed by the tsunami behind.
A tentacle burst from the water in front of Link, slamming into the wall and forming a barricaded in front of them.
Link bit back a curse. He didn’t know if they could dodge this one.
“On your right!” Darunia gave a mighty leap, soaring from the back of the group to the front. He rolled himself into a ball, crashing forwards, and his rocky shell burst through the congealed water.
The tentacle began to reform almost instantly, pulling it’s spilled matter from the floor. But the others were already through, leaving it behind.
Almost simultaneously, both groups skidded to a stop in corners at the back of the room. The water behind them ebbed, slinking back into the pool.
Tentacles crept from the liquid, slinking reluctantly from safety. Link still had no idea why Morpha chose to expose itself—his only guess was that it had some sort of sight organism in the amoeba, and it needed to reorient itself with the positions of the other ponies.
Two pulsating red orbs appeared, drifting slowly up the tentacles—one near Link, the other on the opposite side of the room from its twin.
“There’s two of them?” Link yelped.
Bon Bon readied the hookshot, aiming for the one nearest to them. But before she could fire it, the amoeba was knocked from the protection of its watery shell—by the boomerang.
The astonished eyes of everyone tracked the weapon’s curving path. Octavia caught it, looking equally astonished as she watched the defenseless Morpha bounce over the ground.
Epona recovered from the shock first, taking advantage of the orb’s vulnerability. She leapt forwards, slamming her front hooves down on it and crushing it against the floor.
It flattened, bunching up and sliding out from beneath her feet. It staggered back towards the water, either dazed or injured by the Earth Pony’s attack.
The other orb escaped, traveling back down it’s tentacle to safety.
Morpha renewed it’s attacks.
Two tentacles surged from the water, driving the groups from the corners. It shoved them into each other, forcing them from two to one. Eerily similar to the groups, the two limbs joined together, forming one long band of water that fenced them in.
It tightened, forcing them against the wall. They crowded together as closely as the could, crammed between the water and the spikes.
The waves were too tall to jump over—Link recognized that at a glance. It was a clever move on Morpha’s part. The space was too crowded for anyone to use their weapons, and they were stuck jostling and bumping into one another.
How can we get out?
“Link!” The stallion in question jumped as his name was called. He glanced down, lifting a foreleg in surprise—Saria was crouched beneath him, hiding from the stumbling hooves of others larger than her. “I have an idea.”
“What is it?” Link asked, raising an eyebrow.
“I need you to buck me into the air.” Link began to laugh, but then frowned when he realized she was serious.
“Don’t be ridiculous.” He said, grunting slightly as he shoved against Darunia’s bulk, which was getting pushing against him. There was no way he could toss her up like that—he had no space, for one.
“Please.” Saria begged. “We’ll get the others to clear a space. Just trust me.”
Link realized, with some shock, that he didn’t particularly want to trust her. She’d spent a better part of their time traveling up to the boss room moping around simply because he’d defended Ruto, refusing to speak to him. After that kind of childish behavior, he had no faith in any kind of plan she would come up with at the moment.
But…he had no other ideas.
“Fine.” He agreed, against his better judgment. Saria’s face broke into a relieved grin.
“GUYS!” She called, shoving against the others around him. “Move please! We need just a little bit of space!”
The tentacle tightened further, making the space smaller. With some grumbling, Lyra perched on Bon Bon’s back, Octavia clung to Epona, and Vinyl clambered on top of Darunia. This, miraculously, gave Link and Saria the space they needed.
“On three.” Saria crept out from underneath him, preparing herself.
“One…” Link counted. “Tw—”
“THREE!” Saria yelled, leaping onto his back.
Link gave a startled yelp, his instincts taking over and launching her high into the air—much higher than he would’ve if she’d gone at the agreed time.
He had to admit it, she was clever.
Saria soared through the air, curling into a ball to avoid the ceiling, barely clearing the top of the pulsating, translucent wall. She landed roughly on the other side, limbs splayed out on the ground, and gave a cry of pain. But she staggered to her feet and pulled out the slingshot, blasting a hole straight through the wall behind her—a hole that all too quickly began to close.
“Link!” She called, blasting it open again.
Link realized what she wanted. He leapt forwards, tucking his limbs tight against his body, and slid cleanly through the tiny space.
When he landed, he spun around, turning and slashing straight through the wall. The tentacle fell to the ground, melting into harmless water that trickled into the pool.
“Thanks!” Link said, shooting Saria a grin, completely forgetting his earlier hesitation. Saria paused for a second, then smiled back, and Link could feel part of the ice between them thawing away.
Those who had been trapped spread out, gathering around Link with expectant looks.
Oh, finally. He resisted an eye roll.Now they want a plan.
“We need to work together.” He said, raising an eyebrow. “Does everyone get that now?”
There was a general chorus of nods.
“Okay. Plan—split up into two groups, one with Bon Bon, the other with Octavia. That way each group has someone who can make Morpha vulnerable.”
“Morpha?” Darunia echoed.
“The squishy red orbs.” Link clarified. “They’re both part of the same consciousness…I think. Anyway, that’s Morpha. The boss. You two.” He turned to Bon Bon and Octavia. “When the orbs come up, aim for the one nearest to you. Everyone else, once the orb is defenseless, attack. Got it?”
This time around, the nods were more firm and universal.
“Speaking of orbs,” Epona warned, “here they come now!”
The two amoeba appeared again, floating up their respective tentacles. Bon Bon and Octavia—by some miracle—aimed for opposite ones, forcing them from the safety of the water. Vinyl dashed for the one Octavia had pulled, sinking the Kokiri sword into it with a satisfying squish. Darunia lunged for the other one, slamming his massive hooves down on it and crushing it completely flat.
Maybe we can still work together. Link thought, a tremor of hope running through him.
Saria dashed for the one Darunia had attacked, sliding under him and bucking it with all her might. The injured orbs bounced away, sinking back into the pool of water.
“Take that!” She yelled, bringing a smile to Link’s face.
“Great job, everyone!” He praised, much more hopeful than before. “Now that’s what I’m talking about!” The group flushed with pride.
“Okay.” Link said. The phase where Morpha would take its turn to attack was quickly approaching. “Now, we—”
A tentacle leapt from the water, slamming into the midst of the group. Link bit back a curse, scattering with the others.
Too late. We’ll form a plan on the run.
“Wait!” Vinyl cried, skidding to a stop. “It’s got Octavia!” Link started, whirling around, his hooves slipping slightly from his sudden reversal in movement.
The tentacle hadn’t retreated back to the pool yet, still pinning the Earth pony against the wall. Octavia struggled and kicked, straining to keep her muzzle above the water.
“H-help—!” She gasped, but her cry was cut off in a splutter as she was sucked into the body of the congealed limb.
She moved slowly along it’s length—so slowly, in fact, that Link felt as if Morpha was playing with them. Octavia’s eyes were wide with panic, and her limbs seemed to be frozen against her body, cheeks bulging with the last breath she’d been able to take.
Oh, right. The realization struck Link like a lightning bolt. If she gets suck beneath the water, she’ll drown.
Instinct took over, and he leapt forwards, swinging his sword towards the tentacle. The water shimmered strangely, and a patch of iridescence formed where Link’s blade would make contact.
The Biggoron’s sword clattered uselessly against the limb, skating over the surface as if it were ice. Link collided sharply with it next, falling to the ground, dazed.
“Ow.” He groaned, staggering to his feet. He attempted another blow, but the water solidified again, and the sword was turned aside. Octavia continued her slow descent, face beginning to tint red.
Desperation overtook Link, and he drove towards the tentacle again—but this time with the flat of the blade.
It worked. He shattered through the hard exterior, slamming into Octavia, and the Earth Pony was flung from the tentacle’s grip.
Link’s world turned to a rush of bubbles and spinning platforms, then water enveloped his limbs. He was sinking into the main pool of water—as soon as he’d entered it’s clutches, Morpha’s limb had sucked him below.
Under the water, it was freezing cold.
Link’s teeth chattered incessantly, gaze darting around the shadowy corners of the pool—and that’s when he realized his mouth and eyes were the only parts of him that could move. His limbs were completely immobilized by the sentient liquid, and his hooves were still clenched around his sword, frozen in place.
From the corner of his eye, Link could see Ruto trapped in a corner, flattened against a wall. He tried to turn his head towards her, but his neck was affected like the rest of his body.
The water around him tightened somehow, forcing the sharp edge of his sword towards his body. Link gritted his teeth, straining against the pressure, but the blade continued to steadily inch closer.
It bit into the side of his leg, tearing a long gash in his tunic and leggings. A trickle of blood clouded the water, accompanied by throbbing pain. In his peripheral, Ruto gasped, looking horrified.
Without warning, a loud splash and a rush of bubbles filled Link’s vision. Lyra appeared, wrapped in a field of orange that pushed the water back.
She encased the both orbs in her force field, performing something that looked rather like a spin attack—but with her hammer. Both amoeba were hit, flying backwards from the force.
The pressure around Link vanished, and he took a deep breath, biting his lip as water rushing into the gouge on his leg.
Lyra’s force field shattered, and she kicked off the bottom of the pool, grabbing Link’s foreleg as the currents tried to rip her away.
A rush of golden-tinted bubbles poured from her horn, and the force blasted them both upwards, rocketing them out of the water.
The crashed roughly onto the stone platform, teeth chattering, Lyra gasping for air.
“T-thanks.” Link choked out, managed to fit the words between violent shudders. He winced as his bleeding leg gave a twinge—without the icy water surrounding it, the full force of the pain was rushing in.
Lyra opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off—quite literally—by a massive tentacle slamming into the wall right behind her. She leapt to her feet with a yelp of terror, staggering backwards.
The orbs reappeared, pulsing in a way that made Link think they were—it was?—angry. He staggered to his feet, biting his tongue to keep back the strangled cry of pain that tried to force it’s way from his throat.
Bon Bon and Octavia both aimed for the same amoeba, and their weapons collided, clattering uselessly to the ground.
“Hey!” Bon Bon gave an uncharacteristic scowl. “You made me miss!”
“Well, it’s not my fault that you’re a terrible shot.” Octavia sniffed. Her provocation surprised Link.
So much for teamwork. He stifled a groan.
“Don’t talk to my friend like that!” Lyra joined the argument.
“Don’t talk to my sister like that!” Vinyl snapped, siding in next to Octavia.
“Dash it all, I’m your half sister.” Octavia groaned.
“Not a time for your picky musician perfection!” Vinyl hissed, face twisted in an uncharacteristic expression of anger. Octavia recoiled from her, fear briefly flashing across her face.
“FOCUS ON THE FIGHT!” Bon Bon yelled, facehoofing.
In almost ironic contrast to her words, a tentacle from Morpha caught them off-guard, sweeping the whole argument into the water. Well...most of the argument, that is.
In the split second of time before she was hit, Lyra disappeared in a flash of golden light, reappearing next to Link. He jumped back, giving a yelp of alarm.
“You can teleport?” He asked.
“Bon Bon!” Lyra cried, seemingly not hearing him. She reached out a hoof to the settling water, eyes wide with panic.
“We have to find some way to help them.” Link quickly recovered from his shock, wracking his brain for a plan. “Or else…they’ll drown down there.”
“Not on my watch.” Lyra growled, digging her hooves into the ground. She reared onto her hind legs, and a steady hum permeated through the air as golden light built on her horn.
“Lyra…?” Link said, stepping back.
Lyra slammed her front hooves down, sending a shock wave rippling across the room. The pool exploded, spitting it’s entire contents into the air.
The force of the explosion sent Lyra flying backwards, and ducked down, barely avoiding the spikes before she hit the wall. Water rained down, icy waves washing over the ponies still standing. The orbs hit the ceiling, falling to the ground, defenseless.
Link took the chance, impaling the nearest amoeba. He embedded his sword into the wooden band the spikes protruded from, trapping Morpha in the air.
The orb sputtered, deflating into a dried-out, black husk.
Darunia slammed his body into the other orb, crushing it between his side and the wall. The metal spikes snapped like twigs against his rocky shell, falling to the ground with metallic clatters. Both amoeba shriveled into husks, vanishing in twin puffs of black ash.
Those who had been swept into the water fell roughly to the ground, soaking wet and gasping for air. The remaining liquid dried up, vanishing into thin air.
Morpha was defeated.
Ruto appeared over the edge of the pool, trying to climb onto solid ground. Her eyes were wide with some unknown emotion, and she was gasping...but not from lack of air.
Link limped over to her, sticking out a foreleg and helping her over the edge. She collapsed to the ground, curling into the smallest ball she could manage.
Link slowly knelt next to her, wincing in pain.
“You okay?” He asked, his voice soft. Ruto’s breath hitched, and she began to quietly cry. Link wrapped his forelegs around her neck, pulling her up into a hug. She buried her face in his tunic, trembling.
The others sorted themselves out, slowly gathering around Link. The air was thick with tension…or was that pity? Even Saria looked uncomfortable, as if she didn’t know what to feel.
The Zora eventually managed to regain control over herself, pulling back from Link and wiping tears from her eyes.
“Feeling better?” Link asked, uncomfortably aware of how loud his voice seemed in the sudden silence of the room. Ruto took a deep, shaky breath, nodding slightly. Link gave her a sympathetic squeeze, then stood up, forcing back a wince.
“How’s everyone doing?” He turned his question to Epona, gently pulling Ruto to her feet. The princess leaned heavily on him, eyes fixed on the ground.
“Um…we seem good.” Epona glanced over the group. “A few bruises here and there, and we all look pretty shaken, but I don’t think there are very many major injuries.”
“Except for Link’s.” Saria cut in, trotting over to him. “Hm?” Link glanced down. His tunic and leggings were ripped, stained with dripping crimson. “Oh yeah—that. Don’t worry. I’m fine.”
Saria’s only answer was a disdainful snort, and she pulled a roll of clean bandages from her inventory, beginning to wind them around his leg.
“I’m out of elixirs.” She explained. “So I have to resort to traditional methods.”
“All right, what’s next?” Epona asked. “The door’s still locked…”
“Well, if my suspicions are correct, then…” Link pulled away from Saria’s grip, trotting over to the edge of the pool. The Kokiri gave an indignant snort, following him and continuing her process.
“Yep!” Link pointed a hoof at a swirl of blue light that was now glowing on the bottom of the empty pool. “We just need to step into that.”
Saria tied off the bandage, and he immediately leapt down, trying to avoid putting weight on his injured leg. To his surprise, Ruto followed almost instantly afterwards, staggering a little as she hit the ground.
Epona came down next, then turned and lifted Saria to their level. Darunia dropped down, barely able to squeeze between the platforms. The Ponyvillians followed, sliding in around those who were already squeezed in.
They all—somehow—managed to pile into the portal, and the world vanished in a rush of sparkling blue.
When the scenery reformed, it wasn't at all what Link was expecting. The group had reappeared on a tall, island-sized rock, high above the dry lakebed below.
Oh. Link realized. We’re standing on top of the Water Temple.
“Huh.” He said. “I didn’t think we’d teleport here.” “Well, where did you think you’d teleport to?”
This time, it was only Darunia and Ruto who jumped at Sheik’s voice ringing out behind them.
“Where were you when we first arrived?” Link asked, turning to face him. “You usually show up when we first get to a place, but you were mysteriously absent.”
“It was not my place to interfere at that time.” Sheik replied, plucking a chord on his harp.
Ruto backed away from the new pony, clutching Link in fear.
“Hey.” Link glanced at her, surprised. “Don’t worry. He’s on our side.”
Sheik stepped closer, lowering himself into a bow before Ruto.
“Hello, princess.” He said. “I sense this must be a very…strange experience for you.”
Ruto didn’t respond. Her gaze was fixed on the ground, and she was blinking hard.
“You don’t need to be so afraid anymore.” Sheik’s voice was quiet, but it rang out in the silence that had settled over them.
There was a second where no one dared to say anything. Ruto blinked harder, retreating further behind Link.
“Odd.” Sheik drew back, his voice somewhat amused. “Even with reassurance, your heart still races. You have no need to fear.”Ruto glanced up, looking startled and confused.
“We should now turn to the next song.” Sheik moved from Ruto to Link. “Time…time is nothing more than a river.”
“Does he do this every time?” Lyra said in a loud whisper. Epona shushed her.
“It flows, unstoppable, bringing with it changes that make people you once knew seem like strangers.” Sheik continued as if he hadn’t heard Lyra’s interruption. “With this river, childish minds will turn to noble ambition, and young love will become deep affection…the clear surface of the water reflects growth…
The song was delicate, made even more so by the harp’s crystalline sound. Link lifted the ocarina to his lips to join in the song of slow, boundless notes…and the manner of the group changed.
The last shreds of icy tension still lingering faded away, replaced by deep calm. The world disappeared once again, replaced by a backdrop of rich, saturated blue...much darker than the kind that had appeared in the temple.
Once again, the world reappeared, this time as the border between forest and sandy shore. The lake was—miraculously—brimful of water once more, stretching off into the distance. The sun was low in the sky, licking the top of the gentle ripples with the pale yellow light that would later turn gold. The air had shifted—it was now faintly cool, and tiny whispers of breeze ruffled the lake’s surface and lifted strands of mane off their owner’s skin.
Link tapped the large stone platform beneath his hooves. It was unnaturally cold to the touch, as if it had just appeared rather than spending all day soaking in the sun—which Link guessed it had. He didn’t remember seeing it when they first arrived.
He attempted a step forwards, in order to back away and examine it more closely. These things really were a mystery to him.
He found himself blocked by Ruto, who was clinging tightly to his foreleg, eyes wide with terror.
“Hey, Ruto.” Link said gently, all too aware of how his voice rang out in the unusual silence. “Do you think you could let go?” The Zora jolted slightly at his request, stuttering an unintelligible apology as she stepped back.
“…you okay?” Link asked, raising an eyebrow. Ruto averted her eyes, nodding.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” He insisted. She took a deep breath, letting it slowly, then nodded again. Link reluctantly gave in, but shot her a worried glance.
“Well…” Epona said, in an obvious attempt to break the heavy silence. “I guess we should, you know, probably get going now…? You know, return to Ponyville and all that…”
“Yeah.” Link glanced up at the sky. The sun was inching ever nearer to the horizon, almost reaching, but not quite yet…that would change soon. “We really should.”
“Ugh. All this teleporting is making me nauseous.” Vinyl grimaced. A heavy silence followed her statement—a silence that felt too heavy. Now would be the time for someone else to speak up, perhaps with an agreement…?
But no. The moment of silence stretched on, until Link finally raised the Ocarina in defeat. The familiar notes of Minuet of Forest washed over them, and once again the scenery blurred and smudged away, vanishing into glittering green.
This time, when the world reformed, it was the familiar forest edge. Link let out a sigh of relief, stretching his back leg—the pain was completely gone. His clothes were still torn and stained, but the skin-toned fur beneath was whole.
“What on earth happened?” Ruto asked in a shocked, loud voice. “Where are we?”
The reaction of the group was universal.
As one, they all turned, shooting her unfriendly looks—even Darunia. Link and Epona were the only ones who didn’t react. Ruto shrank back, looking as if she wished she could hide.
Link bit back a sigh, laying a hoof on Ruto’s shoulder. Though his movement was gentle, she jerked upwards, startled.
“Come with me.” Link said quietly. “We…should talk.”
He lead her a short distance away, along the treeline—close enough to see the others, but far away enough so that hopefully his voice wouldn’t carry.
“Look…” He said, trying to think of a way to…gently start the conversation. “I, well…don’t think my friends are…particularly fond of you right now.”
“Really. I had no idea.” Ruto gave an eyeroll, at the same time avoiding Link’s gaze. “Of course…” Her head dropped, and her voice quieted to a nearly-indecipherable mumble. “I made the worst first impression anyone could…”
“But that can be fixed.” Link said, internally breathing a sigh of relief that Ruto knew what she’d done wrong. “All you have to do is apologize.”
“But I am a royal princess, and heir to the throne of the Zora!” Ruto gasped, looking scandalized. “I would never apologize to a bunch of—”
“Ruto…” Link said in a warning tone. The princess dropped her head again, staring at the ground.
“Come to think of at, your behavior earlier wasn’t very royal or princess…ess…ly.” Link gave a small cough, hoping she wouldn’t notice his slip up. “You were downright rude, in fact.”
“Link!” Ruto gave him a hurt look.
“I’m just being honest.” Link insisted. “In fact, that’s exactly what they all thought of you.” He jerked his head back towards the group. So please, for the happiness of everyone on this quest, please for the love of Hylia, just apologize.”
The Zora glanced away, a stubborn expression settling over her face. Link bit his lip—he had to get to her before she pushed him away.
“Just...do it for me.” He said quietly. “Please?” His hoof reached out, resting on her shoulder, and she glanced upwards. Her gaze met his—and she gave a frustrated sigh, looking away again.
“Fine.” She grumbled. “...for you.”
“Thank you.” Link’s face broke into a relieved smile. Ruto’s expression softened, and she nodded. The two trotted back to the group.
When they arrived, the expressions of the others had not changed. Cold disdain was directed at Ruto from all around…well, except from Saria.
Saria’s face had a look of downright loathing.
Ruto backed away slightly, kicking a hoof against the ground, looking tempted to run in the opposite direction. Link gave her an encouraging nudge.
The Zora princess took a deep breath.
“I have something I want to say to everyone.” She blurted. She inhaled again, letting it slowly, then continued.
“I’m…sorry.”
Unfriendliness changed to surprise.
“Really, really sorry.” Ruto pressed on, her words gathering speed, like a horse beginning a race. “I didn’t mean to insult you, or seem so pushy, or drag you into danger…I was just…really scared.”
The surprise moved to an odd mixture of shock and confusion.
“Scared of a multitude of things.” For a second, the princess’s words tripped over themselves, and she had to pause a second. “Scared of suddenly showing up in a strange place, scared of being stranded and alone, scared of this new body…I spent days like that. All I could do was cower at the bottom of that lake. Then Link came, and…I don’t remember a time when I’d ever felt more relieved. But then…I saw you all.” She gestured at the group with a hoof. “And I had a new thing to be afraid of. I…was scared you would take Link away from me.”
A ripple of emotion went over the group. Ruto seemed to sense this, and picked up courage for her next words.
“I know, I know, it’s ridiculous now that I look back on it. But…I was scared—no, terrified. At that moment, Link was my only…heh, link to sanity. No pun intended. My way of dealing with that fear was to act in a way I’m definitely not proud of. I’m a princess. I should have known better, should have had better control over my emotions…” She straightened her back out, raising her head. “I’m not expecting you all to forgive my behavior—in fact, I don’t know if I’ll ever forgive myself for it. But…if you could just give me a second chance…”
She trailed off, leaving the implied question mark hanging heavily in the air. The others exchanged glances, but ultimately, silence reigned.
Then Lyra stepped forwards.
“I understand losing control sometimes.” She said, patting Ruto’s shoulder. The Zora jolted slightly at the contact, but didn’t pull away. “I forgive you!”
“I guess it’s cool.” Vinyl shrugged. “I mean, you didn’t bother me all that much. I have a pretty thick skin.”
“I suppose I can forgive you.” Octavia nodded. “That was an excellently worded apology…”
“You want a second chance?” Bon Bon said. “Yeah, I think I’d be willing to offer that.”
“I certainly forgive ya!” Darunia grinned. “Just glad ya apologized!”
Epona merely nodded, but a smile crossed her face all the same.
There was a second of silence.
The group all looked at Saria.
“No.” She scowled, standing up and walking away.
“Oh, dear Hylia, here we go again.” Link groaned, rolling his eyes. “I’ll be right back.” He trotted after the rapidly-departing Kokiri, who’d sped up once she noticed Link following her.
They stopped a long distance away from the group, just under the treeline. Saria sat down on the mossy ground, her back to Link.
“Are you going to make me go back and tell the fish princess I forgive her?” She asked, her voice snide. Link chose to ignore her tone.
“I can’t make you.” He said. “But I can’t deny that it would be nice if you would…”
“No.” Saria said instantly, her voice almost a growl. Link sighed, sitting down next to her.
“And why not?” He asked.
“Because there’s no way I’m apologizing to someone like her!” Saria snapped.
“…why not?” Link repeated.
“Because she’s pushy and arrogant and rude!” Saria exploded, crossing her forelegs. “She refuses to talk to anyone who she thinks is ‘lower’ than her, and worst of all, she treats me like a kid!”
“Well, to be perfectly fair, you are kind of a kid.” Link pointed out.
“No I’m not!” Saria protested, stamping a hoof. “Technically, I’m older than you! I can be helpful and wise and contribute just like the rest of you ‘grown-ups’.” She paused for a second, an expression of doubt briefly darting over her face. “…right?”
“No, of course.” Link assured her. “And you’re right, sort of—you are older than me year-wise, but not physically or mentally. But I digress. You can be helpful—you’ve been very helpful, in fact! But right now…you are acting like a child.”
“No I’m not!” Saria screeched, pouting and stomping a hoof, then paused for a second. “…oh.”
“Yeah.” Link nodded. “Now you see?”
“…yeah.” Saria parroted, kicking a hoof against the ground.
“Besides,” Link pressed, “what makes you think all that about Ruto? You can’t tell that at a single glance.”
“I do know more about Ruto than you think.” Saria grumbled.
“How?” Link asked. “When have you ever had the chance to get to know her?”
“The Light Temple, of course.” Saria said. Link blinked, surprised.
“Huh?” He said. “How?”
“After the Sages enter the Light Temple, we just kind of...stay there.” Saria explained, a sigh plain in her voice. “There’s nothing to do there except for us to talk to each other…which Princess Prissy-scales refused to. I got to know Sir Rauru and Darunia really well, and sort of Impa…but Ruto isolated herself from everyone and refused to talk to us, calling us ‘peasants’.” She snorted. “Darunia’s the Goron Chieftain and Sir Rauru’s a legendary mage who built the Temple of Time! We’re not peasants!”
She paused for a second, taking a breath to calm herself.
“I figured Ruto couldn’t be too bad.” She admitted. “Maybe she was just unused to being with others… maybe she’d never had a friend…who knew. But every time I tried to talk to her, she would smile condescendingly and call me “sweetheart” or “sweetie”. She talked to me like I was a three-year-old who needed to have everything explained to her! I hated it. My point is, I gave Ruto a chance. Plenty of them, in fact. I’m not giving her another one now.”
“Okay, so I realize that your…acquaintance got off to a rocky start.” Link said, trying to figure out what to do with this new deluge of information. “And…I don’t know what was up with her then, but I can promise you that she’s more than she seems and how she acted. I understand you’ve given her a chance before, and got your feelings hurt as a result—”
“It’s not just about hurt feelings.” Saria interrupted, muttering.
“Well, what is it about, then?” Link asked.
“I don’t want to talk about it.” Saria frowned, crossing her forelegs again.
“Well, if you don’t want to talk about it, I can’t help you.” Link pointed out. Saria looked away with a stubborn expression, reminding Link so much of Ruto he had to choke back an incredulous laugh.
After a second, Link sighed.
“I can’t fully understand your problem,” he said, “but I really wish you’d try just one more time. This time, it’s not just you initiating it—she’s trying as well.”
Saria groaned, rolling her eyes.
“Do it for me?” Link begged. “Please?”
Saria finally caved, letting out a long sigh.
“I’ll…try.” She mumbled. “…for you.”
“Thank you.” Link gave her a genuine smile, and a tiny smile flickered over her face in return. Link stood up, then stuck out a foreleg and helped her up. They both trotted back to the group, where Ruto was looking nervous, fidgeting restlessly in place.
“I’m willing to forgive Ruto.” Saria said, her words rushed like she was forcing them out,. The Zora breathed a sigh of relief, visibly relaxing.
“Thank you.” She gave Saria the tiniest smile. The Kokiri’s resolve faltered for a second, and she looked unsure of what to do next.
“Now that that’s all over, I suppose we should go see Princess Twilight again?” Lyra said,stepping in.
“You suppose correct.” Link bobbed his head in a nod. “Now it’s time for us to go see what our next destination is, and then figure out how to get there, and…yep. All that.”
“Adventuring is exhausting.” Vinyl sighed.
“That it is.” Link agreed.
The journey back to Ponyville wasn’t long—in fact, the sun still hadn’t set by the time they reached the outskirts of the town.
Along the way, the group briefed Ruto on what had happened so far, and what possibly came next. Link was glad to see that for the most part, they were beginning to accept Ruto—even Saria. Well, sort of.
Saria was lagging behind the group, tail dragging, a sulky expression on her face. She truly was acting like a child at the moment.
Link bit back a sigh as he caught sight of the Kokiri. At least she wasn’t staring at the princess with utmost loathing anymore.
As they trotted through the town, they attracted even more attention then usual—and Link didn’t have to be a genius to guess why.
He assumed it not only had to do with the blue fish pony, but also with the deadly weapons the others were carrying—which he forgot to take back before they entered the town.
Ponies began to trail them, whispering to each other while the group’s backs were turned. Link began to feel uncomfortable.
After a while of this, they finally arrived at Princess Twilight’s castle. The light-blinded Ruto was lead up to the door, and Lyra knocked, the sound resonating through hall within.
The purple, lizard-like creature—Spike, Link remembered—opened the door.
“What the—” He began, eyes widening in alarm. “Oh, wait. It’s you guys again. Wait a second, is that a sword?”
“No?” Vinyl suggested, quickly tossing the blade behind her.
“Maybe I should take these.” Link said, grabbing the weapons from those around him and quickly stuffing them into his inventory. Spike stared the small leather bag like it was possessed.
“…Spike?” Lyra said.
“Oh, right. Sorry.” Spike blinked rapidly, tearing his gaze away from the inventory. “Uh, c’mon in.”
“Thanks.” Bon Bon gave him a smile. “Is Twilight home?”
“Yup.” Spike closed the doors behind the group, blocking out the curious crowd. “I’ll go get her—you can wait in the throne room, if you want.”
He lead them to the familiar map room, then trotted away, vanishing into a hall beyond. Ruto wandered around in circles, staring at the glittering crystal walls and ceiling, stretching up far, far above them. An expression of unbridled awe was plain on her face.
Link turned, examining the map closely for the first time since he’d arrived. Usually, he just glanced at it briefly, but now he was looking over the full stretch of the land.
Equestria…was huge.
Hyrule was not a tiny kingdom, but it certainly didn’t compare to Equestria. If Link had to guess, one could probably fit three or four of Hyrule into Equestria’s borders…
“Hey, uh, guys?” Vinyl said. “Your cutie marks are flashing again.” She indicated them with a hoof.
“WHAT IS HAPPENING?” Ruto shrieked, panicking, jolting forwards as if trying to escape the flashing blue on her flank. Her cutie mark was the sign of water—six spires, shaped something like diamonds, pointing outwards to form a shape rather like a flower.
“Calm down.” Link sighed, grabbing her foreleg and forcing her to hold still. “You’re not going to die.”
Saria rolled her eyes at the Zora’s reaction, trotting over to the table.
Glowing holograms of the cutie marks appeared—five different symbols, all circling round each other. Nine pairs of eyes tracked them as they floated slowly downwards, settling on the map…
On the Everfree Forest.
“Wait…what?” Epona blinked in confusion. “Haven’t we already been there?”
“We have.” Link confirmed, racking his brain. A frown appeared on his face. “I…don’t know what’s going on.”
“Hey, you’re all back!” Princess Twilight galloped into the room, shedding feather quills and pieces of paper…somehow. “That was quick!” She skidded to a stop beside them.
“…what’s going on?” She asked, apparently just noticing the confused gazes of the others, all fixed on the map.
Lyra pointed in silence. Twilight looked over.
“Oh, I see you have your next destination already!” She said. “The forest again?”
“It doesn’t make any sense, though!” Link said, looking up to meet her eyes. “We’ve already been there…why would we need to go back?”
“We can’t just barge in without a plan, too, like we did last time.” Epona pointed out. “Since we don’t know where we’re going, we’d be stumbling in blind.”
“And I have no idea what we’re looking for.” Link tore a hoof through his mane, frustrated. “I’m completely lost!”
“Well, uh…you don’t have something we can place a tracking spell on, like we did last time?” Twilight asked. “Another instrument, maybe…?”
“Only other instrument I have is the Ocarina of Time.” Link sighed, pulling it out to show her.
“Would you like me to just try the spell out anyway?” Twilight offered.
“Well…I guess.” Link gave a shrug. “I’ve got nothing else…might as well give it a try.”
The Ocarina was enveloped in magenta light, levitating through the air to the table—along with Link’s map. The table shimmered, and the three-dimensional hologram of Equestria disappeared.
A jet of color hurtled from Twilight’s horn, colliding with the two objects in a burst of sparks. To Link’s surprise, a thick black line appeared on the parchment, pointing at almost the exact same place it had earlier in the adventure.
“I honestly didn’t think that would work.” Link admitted.
“Huh.” Twilight rubbed her chin with a hoof. “I think I know where you’re going. The Tree of Harmony—it’s in a ravine near the Castle of the Two Sisters.”
“So, not very far then.” Link grabbed the two objects from the table, tucking them back into his inventory. “Thank you, your highness.”
He turned back to the group.
“Guess we’d better get moving.” He said. “I don’t want to be in that forest after dark—so we’d better move quickly.”
“Do we really have to do it today…?” Vinyl groaned. “We’ve been through a lot. Can’t we wait till tomorrow? Please?”
“The Minuet of Forest healed and re-energized us.” Link pointed out. “I’d rather do it now than wait. We’ll be fine!”
“I’m with Link.” Epona said.
“Me too!” Ruto piped up. That was when Twilight noticed her.
“Oh, is this the other pony you were looking for?” She said, pointing at the Zora. Link nodded.
“Princess Twilight, meet Princess Ruto of the Zora.” He said. “The Zora are an aquatic race of fish-like creatures who live in Zora’s Domain, the source of all water in Hyrule.”
“Nice to meet you!” Twilight held out a hoof for Ruto to shake, and after a second of hesitation, the Zora took it.
“Oh, do you want me to come with you to the forest this time?” Twilight offered. “Since you don’t know what you’re heading into.”
“Thanks a lot for the offer, but…I think we’ll be fine.” Link glanced over the group, who nodded wearily, giving in with sighs.
“We’ve been through a lot.” Link continued. “I don’t think the forest will prove too much of an obstacle for us.”
“Okay, if you insist.” Twilight gave an understanding nod. “Good luck! Be careful.”
“Ready to go?” Link asked, turning to the group. There was a general noise of agreement—not very encouraging, but it was enough for him.
They turned, trotting out of the castle.
They’d defeated Phantom Ganon—though that was more of an accident than anything. They’d defeated Volvagia. They’d defeated not only their shadow forms, but also Morpha.
Hopefully, they were prepared for whatever fate might throw at them next.
The journey through the Everfree was surprisingly quick, as well as completely uneventful.
Perhaps too uneventful.
In any case, it made Link worried.
The trees were silent on either side of them, betraying none of the usual scurrying, crackling, rustling noises you would expect from a forest. Not even a breath of wind reached through the branches, though one would have been welcome in the heavy, thick quiet. Even the sound of their hooves crunching on dead leaves and fallen sticks underfoot seemed stifled, as if they were wrapped in fabric.
They followed the map to the best of their ability, though the trees were thicker than ever and blocked a majority of the sun’s light—not to mention the sun had been hidden behind heavy cloud cover when they lost sight of it, and it didn’t seem like it’d changed now.
The marked path lead them safely through the darker part of the forest, till they burst out of the trees and were presented with a deep gorge inches from their hooves. A crude, winding staircase was chiseled into the rock, leading downwards to the canyon floor, many, many feet below.
The group was silent as they descended, single-file, down the rough, uneven steps. Link glanced uneasily at their faces, but as far as he could tell, there was no leftover hard feelings from the temple…they were simply…silent.
Maybe they sensed the magnitude of this moment too. Link couldn’t tell why, but something about now felt extremely important.
Once they reached the bottom of the gorge, it was much easier going. There were no trees in their way, the only obstacles were perhaps the large stones that dotted the path. They quickly reached the end, coming across a tall, sheer cliff wall…as well as a tree.
Before they’d reached the forest, Lyra had told Link everything she knew about the tree. It was a source of magical energy for Equestria, as well as a place where Princess Twilight and her friends laid the “Elements of Harmony” for safekeeping. Of course, when Link had asked what the Elements of Harmony were, that lead into a whole new story, and Link’s head was still spinning from the deluge of information.
But he couldn’t deny the truth that the tree really was awe-inspiring.
It’s tall, thick trunk was deep purple, glowing with an ethereal light that reminded Link of the Ocarina of Time. Crystalline branches stretched out above their heads, dripping strings marked with balls of silver light. Five symbols sat in various places among the branches, colored gems that looked as if they were part of the tree itself—a deep purple diamond, a sky-blue balloon shape, a ruby lightning bolt, an orange apple—which seemed backwards—, and a pale pink butterfly…but all were dwarfed by the massive magenta star glowing in the center of the trunk.
Link felt someone’s elbow dig into his ribs, and he glanced over, seeing it was Epona who had nudged him. She pointed a hoof towards the bottom of the trunk, and his eyes followed it, catching sight of what she was staring at.
His mouth dropped open.
Blade buried deep in the stony ground, rich, amethyst-colored wings glinting in the light of the tree…was the Master Sword.
Link trotted slowly over to it, his hoofsteps loud, the sound echoing against the barren walls.
“How on earth did this get here?” He asked of no one in particular, voice heavy with disbelief.
“What is it?” Lyra asked curiously, taking a few steps forwards. It looked as if she wanted to come closer, but also as if she was wary of the blade.
Link could feel it too. A powerful, pulsing energy that went straight to his core, deeper and more ancient then anything he’d ever felt before…
Even from Princess Celestia, who’s presence had stuck with him even after she’d gone.
“It’s the Master Sword.” He said simply. He knew they wouldn’t understand, but his mind wasn’t on his words—it was focused on the sword.
“Pffft.” Vinyl snorted. “What a dorky name.” Link tore his gaze away from the blade to shoot her an annoyed look—but he had to admit, it probably would sound strange to someone who’s never heard of it before.
“It has the power to cut back evil and seal it in the Dark World, not to mention it was once used to carve an island of land from the earth and send it above the clouds.” He said. “And that’s just some of the legends surrounding it.”
“…significantly less dorky.” Vinyl gave the sword a nervous look, taking a step back.
A tingle of energy went up Link’s spine, making him pause in his pacing. His eyes roved over the length of the blade that was above ground, fixing on the golden gem set into it’s handle.
It felt like it was…speaking to him.
“I think…I have to pull it up.”
“I think you’re right.” Epona agreed, trotting up next to him. “I mean, I can’t think of anything else you would do with it.”
“Is it gonna, like…blow up or something?” Saria asked hesitantly, looking as if she didn’t know what to feel.
“No. Don’t worry.” Link shook his head.
“Well, good.” Lyra sighed. “I don’t know about anypony else, but I think we’ve been through quite enough today, without having to worry about magic swords blowing up.” A chorus of agreement answered her words.
Link took a deep breath, clamping his jaw down on the handle. He had to say he didn’t know how he felt about holding a sacred weapon with his mouth, but…the grip was too thin for him to use his hooves with it.
He tugged his head carefully upwards, bringing the sword along with it. It offered no resistance, sliding easily from the stone, as if it was coming straight from a sheath.
Link lifted it into the air, holding it above his head. A beam of sunlight broke through the clouds illuminating the scene in a flash of dying gold.
“Anypony else think he looks like he’s posing for a portrait?” Vinyl asked in a loud whisper, completely ruining the drama of the moment. Link bit back a sigh, lowering the blade, and the chink in the clouds was quickly filled.
A sudden, cold wind fanned against the group, making Link shiver. He turned, wondering where it came from, and his mouth dropped open in shock.
The sword clattered to the ground, mirroring the click of talons on rock as a massive owl descended from the air, landing next to the others.
That was…unexpected, to say the least.
A strangled squeak punctuated the air, like a mouse that had been stepped on. It took Link a second to realize that the sound had come from Ruto, who galloped and dove behind Link once again.
“Kaepora’s not going to hurt you.” Link sighed, stepping aside to reveal her cowering on the ground. “It’s perfectly fine.” He understood her skittishness—this world was surely alarming, but it was starting to get old.
“That is…a big bird.” Lyra blinked several times, taking a step back.
“We meet again, young hero!” Kaepora hooted jovially. At his voice, Ruto let out another yelp of alarm, streaking to hide behind Link again.
“Aaaand it talks.” Bon Bon sighed. “Of course it talks.”
“Calm yourself, princess.” Kaepora’s voice was faintly amused. “I mean you no harm, hoo hoo!”
Even with reassurance, it took Ruto a few seconds to crawl out from behind Link, an embarrassed flush on her face. She straightened up, staring at the ground.
“It’s great to see you, Kaepora.” Link said, which wasn’t exactly a lie, but it also wasn’t the whole truth. It was great to see him, but at the same time….they could be here a while. “I was wondering when you’d show up.”
On the bright side, it was much easier to get a straight answer out of Kaepora than it was to get one out of Sheik. At least Kaepora didn’t talk in riddles.
Once he did start talking, however, it was impossible to get him to stop.
“You, young hero, have come such a long way on your quest.” Kaepora’s head twisted upside down, as it did occasionally, and Link heard a muffled cry of alarm from Octavia.
“It doesn’t feel like I’ve come a long way.” Link admitted. “It feels like I’ve just started, to be honest.”
“Remember, you only have two sages left to find, hoo hoo!” Kaepora twittered.
“Oh, wow.” Link realized, eyes widening. “You’re right. That’s…wow. Where did the time go?”
“Are you sure there are only two?” Saria piped up, eyebrows raised in surprise. “Because…it feels like we just started yesterday, or something!”
“You have come a longer way than you realize.” Kaepora said, ruffling his wings. “And I realize that all of you must have a great many questions.”
“Hell yes!” Link cried, relief flooding over him. Maybe now they’d finally get some answers.
Octavia gave a scandalized gasp, reaching for Saria, but the Kokiri ducked easily under her outstretched forelegs. Link ignored them.
“I’m willing to answer as many of them as I can.” Kaepora said. “There may be some I do not know…or that I cannot tell you.”
Of course. Link stifled a sigh. Well, some answers were better than no answers. He glanced over the group.
“Well, who wants to go first?” He asked.
Surprisingly, the first one to raise their hoof was Ruto. Kaepora gave her a nod.
“Why are we horses?” She asked, then shot a quick glance at the Ponyvillians. “No offense, of course. I’m just curious.”
“Now that is an excellent question to begin with.” Kaepora offered her what Link supposed was a smile, which looked beyond strange on a bird’s face.
“Equestria is not only a different land from Hyrule,” the owl said, “it’s also a different world entirely. A different dimension, even. Any creature that enters this world cannot maintain its original self, so it’s turned to a pony.”
“But why pony?” Darunia added, confused. “Why can’t we ‘maintain our original selves’?”
“Because the majority of the magic-bearing population in this world are ponies.” Kaepora explained. “As you have seen, Hyrulean and Equestrian magic does not mix well. The body attempts to cope with all the magical energy in the atmosphere, the energy it’s unused to, by changing to that of a creature that can bear it.”
“Wait…” A thoughtful frown crossed Lyra’s face. “Does that mean if we went to Hyrule…we’d be humans?”
“Yes, you would be.” Kaepora nodded. A huge smile broke over Lyra’s face.
“Calm down.” Bon Bon sighed. “We’re probably never going to Hyrule, so don’t get excited about it.” The mint Unicorn deflated slightly.
“Coincidentally,” Kaepora added, “the fact that magic does not mix is why the hero’s map was a mess of ink when he first arrived.”
“Wait, how did you know it was messed up?” Link demanded. “Actually, know what, never mind. But what do you mean by ‘magic not mixing’? Surely we don’t all have magic, right? Just the Equestrians?”
“No, you all have some form of ‘magic’.” Kaepora said. “The breath that passes in and out of your lungs…that is magic. The energy that makes your hearts beat in your chests…magic as well. I suppose you could say that life itself is magic.”
“…what?” Saria had an expression of utmost confusion stamped on her face. Link had to agree with her.
Maybe he was wrong about Kaepora not speaking in riddles.
“Magic is a more…abstract concept in Hyrule.” Kaepora admitted. “It’s not the easiest to explain. Sometimes it takes a more corporeal form, such as in the royal princess’s powers or the triforce, but other times…well, it’s quite complicated.”
“Oh…kay then.” Link blinked. “But wait, then why did my map reset when it touched Princess Twilight’s table?”
“The map fed off the magic from the table, and reoriented itself with the new terrain.”
“Oh well.” Link sighed. “I suppose it makes sense.”
“Any other questions?” Kaepora asked.
“I’m just wonderin’ why all the baddies from Hyrule keep showing up here.” Darunia admitted. “As well as those temples—and also, why did the temples show up? Well, only one temple so far, but…ya know.”
“Ah.” Kaepora nodded. “I’m afraid…I have no answer for that.”
“You won’t tell us, or you actually don’t know?” Epona asked, raising an eyebrow.
“I truly do not have an answer.” The owl admitted. “No doubt it will be revealed to you later.”
“Oh well.” Darunia sighed. Link felt inclined to agree with him.
“Now I have a question.” Epona said. “When Link first arrived, he didn’t have the Master Sword. And then, it randomly shows up here. Why?”
“That was direct intervention on my part.” Kaepora admitted. “I knew that, in his current form, the hero was unprepared the wield the Master Sword as of yet. I was drawn to this tree, this overabundance of harmonic energy, and left the Blade of Evil’s Bane in it’s care. By that point, I knew that only the Tree would determine when the hero was ready.”
“How could the tree determine when he was ready?” Epona demanded. “It’s a tree!”
“The Great Deku Tree was also a tree.” Saria pointed out.
“…good point.” Epona admitted. “I’ll roll with it.”
“Anything else?” Kaepora asked. “My time here is growing short. I must be on my way soon, so I have time for one more question.”
This time, it was Link who raised his hoof. Epona’s comment about the Master Sword had lead him to realize what else was missing. All eyes fell on him, as if they sensed something important was about to happen.
“Where’s Navi?” He asked.
“Ah.” Kaepora shuffled his wings, an odd combination of relief and discomfort on his face. “I was wondering when you would ask that.”
“There’s an answer, right?” Link pressed, taking a step forwards. “Please tell me there’s an answer.”
“Of course. Don’t worry.” Kaepora heaved a sigh. “First of all…do you know what a fairy is?”
“Um…” Link was caught off guard by the question. “…a fairy?”
“Wait, really?” Saria raised an eyebrow. “You don’t know what a fairy is?”
“I give up.” Link sighed. “What is a fairy?”
“Perhaps the Sage of Forest can provide us with an explanation?” Kaepora asked, indicating Saria with a wing.
“Well, um…” Saria shifted from hoof to hoof. “I think I can. A fairy is a being of, quite literally, pure magic. They originate from the Deku Tree—he spends years gathering his energy, then crafts it into the form of a sentient orb of magic. Is, um…that right?”
“Very good.” Kaepora looked pleased, nodding his head. “And, as I told you before, you know that Hyrulean magic and Equestrian magic doesn’t mix well.”
Link nodded.
“Therefore, it is physically impossible for a fairy to enter this world. As you yourselves change form, a fairy’s subconscious will try and cope as well, and by that…they enter the body of the nearest creature.”
“What do you mean?” Link asked, confused.
“Your companion is much closer than she seems.” Kaepora gave a slight chuckle.
“Can I get a clearer answer?” Link asked with a sigh. He really is just as bad as Sheik.
“Very well.” Kaepora said. “Navi is standing right next to you.”
“What?” Link yelped, startled, and jerked his head to the side.
Epona stared back at him, looking just as confused.
The others were only able to stare at her, mixed expressions of confusion and shock on their faces. Well, for the Equestrians, it was mostly confusion—except for Octavia. Link guessed that Saria had told her about fairies, and what they were.
Ruto and Darunia also looked confused, but Saria’s expression was shocked. Her eyes were wide, mouth hanging open slightly.
“Oh, good one.” Epona chuckled, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes. “I really thought you were serious for a second…” Her voice trailed off as she noticed Kaepora’s grave expression.
A frown set over her face.
“You were serious?” She said. “No way. It doesn’t make any sense.”
“It doesn’t?” Kaepora said simply. “Think.”
Epona glanced at Link, her expression begging him for assistance, but all he had to offer was a helpless shrug.
It did make sense.
Looking back, Link didn’t know why he hadn’t noticed it earlier. It was so obvious.
“No way.” Epona repeated, shaking her head. “I mean…how? Is she in me, or…”
“Your bodies and minds fused perfectly.” Kaepora shuffled his wings, head twitching from side to side. “Your personality was dominant over hers, and she gave you your ability to speak, think and feel…like everyone else.”
Epona’s eyes widened, face sinking into a helpless expression. But then she frowned, shaking her head stubbornly again.
“I can’t believe it.” She admitted. “If I was Navi, wouldn’t I have…I don’t know, memories or something? If our ‘bodies and minds fused perfectly’?”
“You do.” Kaepora confirmed. “You remember journeying through the Temples, you know how to explore them and solve puzzles. Every time you come across a creature from Hyrule, you know exactly what it is, and how to defeat it. Those were all from Navi’s memories with Link, as well as her vast store of knowledge.”
“It can’t be true.” Epona shook her head yet again…but there was something different in her tone now.
Something fearful.
As if she knew the truth, but didn’t want to admit it.
“Link just talked to me a lot.” She argued. “Maybe I didn’t know what he was talking about at the time, but now I do, because I can remember him talking to me and understand what he’s saying. He did tell me a lot of things!”
“But he distinctly describe to you every enemy?” Kaepora pressed. “Exactly what his fairy companion said about them—their weak points, how to defeat them?”
Epona glanced away, her face expressionless.
“No.” The owl answered for her. “He didn’t. But you knew anyway.”
“Please, no.” Epona shook her head harder—not as if she was disagreeing, but as if she was trying to shake something free. Her voice was choked with fear.
What is she so worried about? Link wondered, taking a step towards her.
“Your memories are returning, are they not?” Kaepora bobbed his head in a nod. “Don’t try to fight it—it will, ultimately, benefit you.”
“Make it stop!” Epona wailed. “I don’t want this!” She clutched at her head, stumbling backwards.
Link stepped toward her again, hoof out uncertainly, unsure of what to do. She was hunched over, trembling, eyes squeezed shut.
“Do not fret.” Kaepora assured him. “She is not in any danger—neither is she feeling any pain. But have two memories of the same moment, both from different viewpoints…I imagine it is quite confusing.”
“Get them out!” Epona lunged forwards, slamming her head into a rock.
“Woah!” Link said, alarmed. She reeled back, ready to hit herself again; but he wedged himself between her and the stone, shoving her away as best he could. She was much larger than him, and definitely stronger—he didn’t know how long he could hold her.
“Little help?” He called to the others. Darunia, as well as the Ponyvillians, trotted over instantly. Saria hung back—a wise move on her part, as her small body could be all-too-easily crushed beneath Epona’s flailing hooves. Ruto stayed behind as well, but more from fear and alarm than thought of personal safety.
Darunia took Link’s place, and the burly Goron was much more capable of holding the thrashing Epona back from the rock. When she spotted an opportunity, Bon Bon darted close, grabbing Epona’s left foreleg and holding it down. Lyra and Vinyl both lit their horns, securing Epona’s back legs with magic. Link followed Bon Bon’s example, darting forwards in an unguarded moment and holding her right foreleg.
Epona twitched and thrashed beneath their grip, threatening to throw them off at any second.
“Can’t you help us?” Link demanded, glancing at Kaepora. He gave a small yelp as Epona’s foreleg jerked upwards, her knee nearly slamming into his chin.
“There is nothing I nor any of you can do to help her right now.” Kaepora said calmly. “She’s beyond reason.”
“I thought you said she wouldn’t be in pain!” Saria called.
“She isn’t.” The owl hooted. “She is very, very confused. The most you can do is wait it out.”
Link bit back a groan.
After a few agonizing seconds, Epona fell still. She pushed everyone off her and took a step back, chest inflating with a deep, shuddering breath.
“I remember.” She said, voice cracking with some unknown emotion.
“In my mind’s eye…I can see Link descending into a dungeon, leaving me behind in the sunshine. But at the same time, I’m standing right next to him, staring into the blackness.
“I can feel myself soaring over a wall, freedom bubbling through my veins. But I also see myself leaping over that same wall, and I’m annoyed, because I’m struggling desperately to keep up…
“I’m tiny. I’m lightweight. I can fly. But I’m also heavy and powerful, confined to the ground.
“Navi….she’s my intelligence.”
“What?” Link said, frowning in confusion. He had been following her, for the most part, till that sentence.
“She’s the only reason I’m speaking right now.” Epona said, meeting his eyes with a helpless expression. “She’s the only reason I can understand what you say. Without her, I’m who I really am. I’m an animal.”
...that’s what she was so afraid of, Link realized.
“Take them back!” Epona begged, turning to Kaepora. “I don’t want to know who I am. I was happier thinking I was just like the rest of them. Please…take them back.”
“I can’t.” Kaepora admitted.
Epona’s ears drooped, and she dropped to her knees, burying her face in her forelegs. Link trotted over to her, patting her back sympathetically.
“Wait a second.” Saria frowned. “If Navi became Epona…then what happened to Gation?”
“Who’s Gation?” Vinyl asked, raising an eyebrow.
“He was my fairy.” Saria explained. “I woke up without him…does that mean he turned into somebody too?”
“Yes.” Kaepora confirmed.
“…who?” Saria asked, when he didn’t elaborate.
“The pony nearest to you when you appeared in Equestria…but also, a pony who is very near and dear to you now.”
“A pony who is…” Saria trailed off. “It couldn’t possibly be who I’m thinking.”
“There’s a high chance it is who you’re thinking.” Kaepora hooted.
“Just tell us who it is.” Link sighed, looking up from Epona.
“Well…” Saria bit her lip. “Okay. It’s…you.”
She turned to Octavia.
All eyes leapt to her.
The Earth Pony took a step back, eyes wide with shock.
“…me?” She said, raising both eyebrows.
Saria nodded. Octavia glanced at Kaepora…who also nodded.
“But how?” She cried.
“There are two reasons.” The owl said. “One—you were the pony closest in position to Saria at the time when she appeared in Equestria.”
“That’s right.” Vinyl realized. “You took a walk near the Everfree that afternoon.”
“Two—” Kaepora continued. “You and Saria are very, very similar.”
“…no we’re not.” Octavia protested. The Kokiri shot her friend a hurt look, which the Earth Pony didn’t seem to notice.
“She’s sweet,” Octavia continued, “sincere, kind, gentle…and I’m……not.” Saria’s frown straightened out, turning to a touched smile.
“Don’t sell yourself short.” She said, giving the gray pony a gentle nudge.
“You are more alike than you realize.” Kaepora agreed. “You both have a deep-seated love for music, a love that has shaped and commanded your life. You both know what it is like to lose someone…then, later, to find that someone, only for them to have changed so drastically you barely even recognize them. You also both long to be more than you already are—to do something more than you already do.”
“What the heck is he talking about?” Vinyl asked, frowning and raising an eyebrow.
Saria and Octavia exchanged tentative glances, then both looked down, staying silent.
“So if they’re both alike, does that mean Epona and I are alike too?” Link asked, continuing to pat the back of the other pony in question.
“Of course.” Kaepora hooted, head twitching. “You’re both kind, generous, and courageous. Not to mention that as horse and rider, you already share a deep bond.”
At the word “horse”, Epona gave a small moan.
“Is there really nothing you can do to take these memories back?” She asked quietly, lifting her head from her forelegs.
“No…” The owl sighed. “I’m afraid there is not.”
“So, wait, if I am a fairy as well…” Octavia said. “Then why don’t I have any memories?”
“They have not been triggered yet.” Kaepora explained. “As soon as Epona started thinking about it, it happened for her, but that was because she already had some of those memories—just from a different viewpoint. But you have never been to Hyrule, and have never shared any of the experiences that Saria and Gation did—unlike Navi, Link, and Epona.”
“That…does sort of makes sense.” Octavia admitted. Her gaze flickered to Epona. “But…I’m not sure I want them triggered.”
“It will be very, very different for you than it was for her.” Kaepora assured her. “You will not experience any of the confusion or turmoil that she did.”
“But…why would it be different?” Octavia asked.
“Well, for one, you’re intelligent.”
The last comment had come from Epona. Link glanced at her. She forced herself to stand up, limbs trembling dangerously.
“Youhave a mind.” She said, voice tight with an odd combination of anger and hopelessness. “Youcan think for yourself.Youdidn’t steal somepony else’ consciousness.”
“Neither did you, not exactly.” Link said, trying to reassure her. “I realize this is confusing, but you need to calm down. Try taking a deep breath.”
“But I’m not who I thought I was.” Epona said helplessly. “I’m an animal. When this is all over, Octavia can go back to being herself—nothing will change. She won’t turn into a barely-intelligent creature…” Here she stopped, taking another deep breath.
“Why did it have to be me? I would have been so much happier going through this adventure as a dumb animal. Not knowing what it’s like to feel, think, and speak…
“But now I know what it’s like to be alive. Well, to truly live, that is. And the very idea of going back to dim memories and the barest comprehension of events…it’s torture.”
Link placed a hoof on her shoulder, then changed his mind and pulled her into a hug. Epona returned the hug, and despite being much taller than him, buried her face in his shoulder.
“I’m sorry.” Link said. It was all he could say, really. He wished he were better with words, so he could come up with something more comforting, but…
He just wasn’t that kind of person.
“The night is upon us.” Kaepora said, breaking the silence. “And I must depart soon.”
Link bit back a shiver, suddenly noticing how dark and cold it was. The last slivers of warmth had vanished, and a cold breeze blew through the gorge. The tree, glowing behind them, was the greatest source of light.
“There is one more thing I must do.” The owl continued. “And that is to restore the memories of Gation.”
Octavia kicked a hoof against the ground, glancing away with a hesitant look on her face.
“Everything will be fine.” Kaepora assured her.
“…very well.” Octavia sighed, giving in. “Let’s get this over with.”
There was a second of silence that dragged on, almost painful in the cold night.
“Is something suppose to be happening…?” Octavia trailed off, blinking furiously. “…oh my. Okay. This….is strange.”
She glanced up, eyes roving aimlessly over the stone walls, over the sky.
“Why do I feel so weightless…?” She murmured. “Is this what a Pegasus feels like?”
“What can you remember?” Kaepora hooted. Octavia closed her eyes, frowning slightly.
“…lots of green.” She said. “All I can see from Hyrule is green. And trees—lots and lots of trees. Saria...you spend a lot of time sitting in one forest glade.”
“I did.” Saria admitted, a small giggle slipping from her lips.
“…was that it?” Octavia asked, a frown breaking over her face as she glanced at Kaepora. “I was somewhat expecting it to be a lot more…drastic.” Her gaze flickered briefly to Epona, then back.
“As I said,” Kaepora explained, “Your memories are very different—you never shared any of them, so you didn’t experience any of the disorienting confusion that Epona did. Plus, Saria’s memories are not as dark and violent as Link’s are.”
“Hey!” Link protested. He wasn’t entirely sure how to take that statement—but it felt like it might be an insult. “Most of the dungeons weren’t that dark…just…most of them…”
“I must leave now.” Kaepora glanced at the sky. “I would not suggest tarrying long. As the night grows darker, the beasts of the forest will gain more courage.
“Have faith, hero, and see out your journey till the end!”
The owl took to the sky, his massive wings silent. A dark silhouette crossed the star-studded sky, then vanished into the distance.
“So…” Link said, biting his lip. “I just realized something…sort of important.”
“What is it?” Bon Bon asked, apparently the only one unaffected by the massive amounts of unbelievable information that’d just been dumped on them.
“I can’t use the Master Sword,” Link said.
“That is kind of important,” Bon Bon agreed.
“Whaddya mean?” Darunia asked, looking confused.
“It’s too large for me to hold in my mouth,” Link explained, “and anyway, that’s extremely dangerous and almost resulted in me cutting my head off. But it’s also too small for me to hold in my hooves. So…that’s a problem.”
“You know…I think I can help you with that,” Bon Bon said.
“Really?” Link raised his eyebrows in surprise.
“Really?” Lyra echoed, sounding just as surprised as him. “How?”
“We just need to return to Ponyville,” Bon Bon said, ignoring Lyra’s question. “I have something that’ll help.”
“But what do you have?” Lyra repeated stubbornly. Bon Bon hesitated a second.
“…you’ll find out,” she said. “But we should leave. Soon. It’s late, and the longer we stay the more dangerous the forest gets.”
“Yeah, we should go,” Link agreed. He grabbed the ocarina, holding it out.
“Ugh,” Vinyl groaned. “I’m getting so sick of teleporting. What is this, the fourth or fifth time today?”
“Well, hopefully it’ll be the last time for today,” Link said. “Is everyone ready?”
He glanced around at the others, who nodded. Saria took Octavia’s hoof, as the Earth Pony still looked somewhat dazed.
The cheerful, waltz-like tune of the Minuet of Forest felt out of place in the dark, cold gorge, and so did the twinkling rush of green that overtook their vision, sweeping them away.
As soon as they landed again, Bon Bon took off instantly, trotting for the town.
“We need to put distance between ourselves and the forest,” she explained, looking back at the others. “Timberwolves are bold at night, and we’d be easy pickings on the border. They’re scared of the light—they won’t come near the town.”
“That’s a good idea.” Link glanced uneasily at the forest behind them. In the dark, it seemed even more gloomy and menacing than usual, and made him want to hurry.
Bon Bon trotted off again, and the group quickly followed, steps hastened by the ominous presence behind their backs. Indeed, there was a unanimous feeling of relief when they finally reached the outskirts of Ponyville.
The streets were still and silent, littered with scraps of paper and the occasional loose piece of foliage. The only light came from the brilliant silver moon above, as well as the inconsistent streetlight that cast pools of golden light on the dark stone.
Bon Bon didn’t even slow down, winding her way between buildings and trees, until eventually she stopped in front of a squat building who’s door was covered by a multi-colored awning.
“A candy shop?” Saria commented, looking confused.
“My candy shop,” Bon Bon corrected, a small smile on her face. She produced a key from…somewhere, then slid it into the lock. The door creaked open, letting the ponies file into the building. Darunia couldn’t fit through the door, so Lyra attempted the teleportation spell on him, which worked, to the relief of everyone.
The shop beyond was dark and clean, and pale beams of moonlight streamed through the tall, frosted glass windows. Tables sat in various locations over the tile floor, and chairs were stacked on top of them—sometimes four, but most often three.
Bon Bon squeezed between the tables, and the others followed her example, trotting after her into the next room.
This one looked like an average living space—it was a hallway that ended in a bookcase, and two doorways led to a living room or dining room, respectively. The cream-colored Earth Pony went directly to the bookshelf, taking hold of a red-bound volume on the middle shelf.
“What in Celestia’s name are you doing?” Lyra asked, sounding bewildered.
As if in response to Lyra’s question, the book suddenly leapt from Bon Bon’s grasp, snapping back into it’s place. A creaking noise filled the air, punctuated by sharp clicks, then the bookshelf detached on one side, swinging open like a door. Bon Bon took hold of it, opening it all the way, revealing a large closet on the other end.
The walls were covered in all kinds of strange things that Link couldn’t even begin to describe. Weapons of all shapes, sizes, and kinds; odd devices that shone with the gleam of metal; and curious-looking outfits that made Link wonder just who Bon Bon was, exactly.
The Earth Pony stepped forwards into the closet. She rifled through the objects, eventually emerging with a tangle of solid metal and leather straps clutched in her hooves.
“Hold out your hoof, please,” she said to Link. With some hesitation, he did so, and Bon Bon slid the object she was holding onto his left foreleg.
Now that it was stretched out, Link could clearly see it’s shape, though he still couldn’t tell what it was exactly. It consisted of two cylinder-shaped pieces of metal, both connected by a sleeve of leather. One of the metal pieces rested all the way at the top of his hoof, and the whole contraption was held up by a leather strap that fastened around his neck. The other cylinder covered his hoof entirely, almost up to the joint, making a clinking sound when it touched the floor. A hook-like object protruded from the left side of the hoof cover, though what it’s purpose was Link couldn’t tell.
“Okay. Could somepony give me the sword?” Bon Bon glanced over at the group of ponies standing in the hall behind Link.
“I’ll get it,” Saria quickly volunteered. She stood on her hind legs, inserting her head into the leather pouch that hung from Link’s side.
A shocked gasp rang up from the Ponyvillians—except for Bon Bon—when the Kokiri’s head vanished entirely into the seemingly-small confines of the inventory. But Saria emerged unscathed, struggling with the weight of the sacred blade in her mouth.
Bon Bon carefully took it from the filly, lifting Link’s foreleg and sliding the hilt into the hook on the hoof cover. It clicked easily into place, leaving Link with the sword securely attached to his left hoof.
“Woah,” Link said, blinking in surprise.
“Hang on a second…” Bon Bon grabbed his hoof, fiddling with something on the right side of the metal. “There’s a switch…”
Suddenly, the sword spun around, folding up the side of Link’s leg. He let out a yelp, jerking his head to the side just in time to avoid the tip of the blade impaling his lower jaw.
“Sorry,” Bon Bon said as he stuck his leg out straight, eyeing the tip of the sword with some trepidation. “It was really built for a knife, not a full-length sword. But I think it’ll do.”
“A knife?” Lyra cried, making Bon Bon flinch, as if she’d forgotten the mint Unicorn was there. “Where did you get this? What’s going on? Why do you have a secret…whatever this thing is?” She gestured at the closet and its alarming contents.
“There’s…something you need to know about me,” Bon Bon sighed. “That all of you need to know. First of all…my name isn’t Bon Bon.”
“What?” Lyra cried. Vinyl frowned, looking confused. Octavia raised an eyebrow. And the Hyruleans just looked confused…except for Epona.
Epona was staring at the ground, looking lost. Link lowered his metal-and-leather-covered hoof to the ground, providing him with enough balance to raise his other foreleg and lay a hoof on her shoulder. She gave him a faint smile.
“It’s…Special Agent Sweetie Drops,” Bon Bon continued. “I work for a top secret, anti-monster organization known as S.M.I.L.E. Or at least, I did, till a Bugbear escaped from Tartarus. The operation was shut down, and the agents were forced to go into hiding. I came here, under the guise of ‘Bon Bon’.”
“So…” Vinyl said, who seemed to be the only pony who wasn’t extremely alarmed. “Does this have anything to do with that weird old guy in Baltimare?”
“It does,” Bon Bon—or Sweetie Drops, or whatever…confirmed, nodding. “He was part of the Order of the Silver Horseshoe—which was the group that inspired S.M.I.L.E. When the princesses took over, the need for something like the Order diminished. Then the E.U.P. was formed, and S.M.I.L.E. came from that, and…it’s complicated.”
“Okay, I’m sorry,” Link held up a hoof. “But I’m so, so lost.”
“Sorry,” Bon Bon sighed. “I’ll try to explain better. But really, I’m not even supposed to be talking about this…”
“Know what? I can’t believe this,” Lyra said loudly. Bon Bon flinched again, her ears flicking back against her head.
“Please listen to me, Lyra,” She said hurriedly. “If you can just sit down, I promise I’ll explain everything.”
“No!” Lyra shouted, backing away. “I can’t believe you hid something like this from me!”
“We can talk this out,” Bon Bon tried.
“Was our friendship just part of the cover-up too?” Lyra demanded, backing away. “The sleepovers, those long walks in the park, deep discussions over ice-cream…that was all a lie, wasn’t it?”
Bon Bon hesitated. Lyra burst into tears.
“I never should’ve trusted you!” She yelled. Bon Bon stepped back, looking as if she’d been physically hit. Her face was stamped with an expression that Link thought he’d never see on the usually-stoic Earth Pony.
“Listen,” Bon Bon said quickly. “I need you to promise me you won’t tell anypony. I can’t have my secret getting out.”
Lyra fled the room without responding, dashing back into the darkened shop. The front door slammed open, and Link could feel the force of the door shuddering through the floor under his hooves.
“Wait!” Bon Bon cried, running after her. Link trotted after her, holding his neck carefully to keep the sword from gouging him. The others followed, albeit somewhat slower.
Link paused in the doorway, watching Bon Bon throw open the loose-hanging door. But Lyra was gone, leaving nothing but the sound of her sobs echoing through the room, and the clatter of her hooves as she vanished up the dark streets.
“Do you want us to go after her?” Link asked quietly. The cream Earth Pony didn’t respond for several seconds, standing frozen at the door and staring at nothing.
But then she turned, and her face was unreadable.
“No.” The door was closed, somewhat forcefully, behind her, and the click lock was heard. “If Lyra doesn’t want to be my friend…so be it. This whole mess was the reason I never told her in the first place.”
The sounded…backwards to Link. But he didn’t think he was one to challenge Bon Bon at the moment. Maybe later, when they’d both had the chance to cool down a bit, he could talk to them. He didn’t want their friendship to end like this.
And he couldn’t help but feel partially responsible.
These ponies were his friends now. He wanted to help them.
Bon Bon pushed wordlessly past the group, closing the bookshelf again. After helping Link detach the Master Sword, she lead them all into the living room.
The decoration of the room was…interesting, to say the least.
Everything was in shades of pastel pink, blue, and yellow, and nearly every texture was striped. Strings of lights hung from the ceiling, and as Link looked closer, he could tell that they were shaped like Bon Bon’s cutie mark. All the furniture was soft and oversized, and a massive, bear-shaped stuffed animal sat in one corner.
All in all, it didn’t strike Link as something Bon Bon would like. But considering she was trying to pose as someone else, he supposed it made sense, and fit in with her whole aesthetic as a candy maker.
Bon Bon took a seat on the blue and white couch—striped, of course—then gestured for the others to do the same. Link sat next to her, and Ruto quickly squeezed into the remaining space next to him.
Octavia curled up in a bean bag chair across the room from them, and Saria clambered into her lap, leaving the gray Earth Pony looking surprised, but happy. Vinyl claimed a two-seater, and when neither of the remaining Hyruleans followed her, stretched out over the whole thing.
Epona curled up on the floor, and Darunia sat next to her—there was no chair that would fit him.
After they were all settled, Bon Bon took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a second.
“What do you want to know?” She asked.
“It’s probably best if you just start from the beginning,” Link admitted. Bon Bon gave a nod of agreement.
“A long time ago,” she said, “before Equestria was even founded, the three pony tribes were in utter chaos.”
“Sweet Celestia, that’s the beginning?” Vinyl raised both eyebrows. “We’ll be here for a looooong time.” She glanced towards Octavia, as if expecting a reprimand, but the gray Earth Pony was avoiding her eye.
“In the midst of all the chaos, a group was formed,” Bon Bon continued, ignoring the interruption. “The group transcended the boundaries of being from a different race, and was dedicated to bringing peace, beauty, and balance back to the world. The renowned Unicorn sorceress, Clover the Clever, was a part of this group. Eventually, the group—which became known as the Order of the Silver Horseshoe—succeeded in bringing the Alicorn Princesses to the throne and ending the war. With peace finally restored, a need for a group such as the Order dwindled, and the Order themselves faded into the background of history, letting the Princesses take the lead.
“Of course, evil still existed. When powerful villains rose up and attacked Equestria, putting the peace in jeopardy, the Order was always there to rise up and restore harmony.
“When Princess Celestia’s sister, Princess Luna, turned to Nightmare Moon and was banished, the Order suggested to Princess Celestia to form a special guard. She did, and this became the E.U.P, directly inspired by the Order of the Silver Horseshoe. As time passed, it became clear to Celestia she needed something that was a step higher—ponies who would willingly volunteer for dangerous missions, who could be trusted with darker secrets that lurked in the shadows of Equestria’s history. This is how the organization that I am a part of was formed. S.M.I.L.E.—Secret Monster Intelligence League of Equestria.
“The Order of the Silver Horseshoe and S.M.I.L.E. aren’t so tightly interwoven now as they used to be, but still rely on each other at times. I joined S.M.I.L.E when I found my life as a candy maker lackluster. At first I did it just for the thrill, but then continued as a desire to serve Celestia once I saw how deeply she relied on us.
“S.M.I.L.E. was terminated a while ago, as I explained earlier, when a Bugbear escaped. And…it was partly my fault. But the agents were scattered across Equestria, and I…ended up here. That was when…when I met Lyra. Bon Bon’s voice faltered with the name. Link laid a hoof on her shoulder.
“I didn’t want to tell her, because I knew that someday, some danger would come creeping to find me,” Bon Bon said quietly. “I wanted to keep her out of it, but…I guess that was a bad idea.” She looked down. “I had no idea she would react so…violently. But…she really is my friend. And I don’t know what I’ll do without her.”
“We’ll fix it,” Link promised. “We’ll find a way. It’s been a trying day, and she’s probably really stressed right now—we all are.” He glanced around the room, and the others nodded.
“I certainly hope that’s it,” Bon Bon sighed. “And it’s not just because I failed as a friend. But, in any case, nothing will be fixed tonight. It’s really late—Link, you and your friends can stay here tonight, if you want.”
“Thanks,” Link said, “I appreciate it.” Bon Bon nodded, giving him a weary smile.
“Octi and I should be heading out now too,” Vinyl said, standing up. “Well, uh…good night. See you all tomorrow?”
“Yep, I guess so,” Link sighed. The idea of heading out again immediately in the morning made him want to dive under the couch and stay there for a week.
But he was just tired. That would change with some sleep, right?
“Bye.” The two who were leaving waved goodbye to those staying. Saria gave Octavia a hug.
Link bit back a sigh as he watched the two musicians trot away, then followed Bon Bon as she lead them up a staircase to a floor above.
Today had been a lot, even for him.
He was glad they could finally take a break, although it would be a short one.
When Link woke up, the room was dark and still. Pale gray light filtered in through the gaps between the curtains, and the air was filled with the sound of his friends breathing.
Link sat up slowly in the small bed, peering over the side at his friends, who were sleeping on the floor. Bon Bon apologized over and over again for only having one guest room, but the others insisted it was fine. They also insisted Link take the one bed for himself, because he was the one who’d gotten injured the most during their previous battle with Morpha.
He insisted he was fine, because the song had healed all his wounds, but…
it seemed his friends could be exceedingly stubborn when they wanted. And now they were sleeping on the floor, propped up on piles of scattered blankets and pillows. Darunia couldn’t fit up the staircase, so he was still downstairs in the living room.
“HI!”
A loud shout made everyone in the room leap up, startled and confused.
“Wass happening?” Saria asked, blinking blearily and wiping the drool off her face.
“I’m Pinkie Pie!” The sudden interloper grinned at everyone, throwing the blinds up to let light pour into the room. “And I’m here to made you all confused.”
“What?” Link said.
“It worked!” Pinkie cheered.
“Dang it, it’s not THAT day, is it?” Epona groaned.
“It certainly is!” Pinkie cheered. Link looked at Epona, confused.
“Sorry,” she said. “Fourth wall breaks aren’t really my thing, it’s kind of out of character. I’ll keep quiet next time.”
“Fourth wall?” Ruto said, raising an eyebrow.
“Yeah, you know.” Epona said. “When you look at the audience and talk to them.”
“The audience?” Link commented. “What is even going on?”
“here, let me show you.” Pinkie pushed a hoof against Link’s head, turning it to look at you. He jolted backwards, alarmed. “WHY ARE THERE PEOPLE LOOKING AT US???” He yelled.
“Oh, silly, cause we’re just in a story!” Pinkie giggled. She turned to wave at me. “Hi, MLE!”
“Hi, Pinkie.” I temporarily stopped typing to wave back.
“SWEET HYLIA WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME!” Link dropped to the ground, throwing his hooves over his head.
“Can I see?” Saria asked. Pinkie helped her break the fourth wall too, and her eyes widened in alarm.
“There’s….what the heck is that?” She asked. Pinkie looked at whatever it was she was looking at. “Oh…I don’t know.” She looked alarmed, surprising for Pinkie Pie. “Yeah, they’re normal--” She pointed at you-- “But…I don’t know what THAT is.”
“Oh, Sweet Hylia…it’s terrifying.” Saria murmured. “I…why are there so many—actually, what are those? Eyeballs or arms?”
“No idea. And I’m pretty sure the toes aren’t supposed to be there.” Pinkie agreed. “Now, everyone, wave goodbye to the audience because we have to go now.”
“Bye!” Saria said cheerfully, waving at you. Link was too busy having an existential crisis to be as nice, so Pinkie made up for him by waving both of her hooves.
“Where are we going?” Ruto asked, who was taking this much better than Link.
“Well, we’re not going anywhere,” Pinkie corrected. “But the author is hungry, so she needs to go and eat lunch before she starts licking her computer.”
“Bye!” Epona, Ruto, Saria, and Pinkie waved happily at you. Link buried his head under a pillow and freaked out.z
At least, that’s what Link assumed it was. He couldn’t see anything outside, other than the thin streams of light filtering into the dark room between the curtains.
He bit back a yawn, sitting up in the bed. It seemed he’d woken up before the rest of his friends—or, at least, the two that were currently in the room. Both Saria and Ruto were fast asleep, sprawled on the makeshift beds of pillows and blankets they’d made on the floor.
The night before, Bon Bon had apologized over and over again for only having one guest room. It had taken numerous repetitions of “it’s okay” and “it’s fine” in order to get her to stop. The others had insisted that Link take the bed, as he had been the one that was most injured during the battle with Morpha.
He had tried to insist that he was fine, because the Minuet of Forest had healed him, but…
It seemed that all of his friends could be extremely stubborn when they wanted.
And so, he’d gotten to sleep on the soft mattress, while the others camped out on pillows and blankets on the floor. Saria was currently curled up in a ball, buried mostly by a blanket, which covered all of her body but her nose. It was oddly cute.
Ruto was sprawled out as far as her limbs could reach, drooling on a pillow. Link clapped a hoof to his mouth just in time to muffle the laugh threatening to emerge—the Zora didn’t look anything close to a princess now.
Epona, however, was nowhere to be seen—something that surprised Link. Maybe she’d woken up earlier, and was now downstairs with Darunia.
As for the Goron, he’d been too large to fit up the stairs—at least, without Unicorn assistance. Considering that the only one who’d known the teleportation spell was Lyra, the only option was for him to stay downstairs and sleep in the living room.
I hope Bon Bon is asleep, Link thought. He was a light sleeper—which came from spending multiple nights outside in the wilderness—and had woken up numerous times to the sound of her crying softly in the next room. If he had been even a slightly heavier sleeper, he wouldn’t have heard her at all.
The pale, cold light blinked out of existence for a moment and Link raised himself higher to see a shadow moving beyond the curtains. He knew a balcony lay directly outside of the room…someone must be on it.
Hmm. Maybe Bon Bon wasn’t asleep after all.
Link slid out of the bed, landing softly on the carpet. He winced as the floor gave a loud creak, but aside from Ruto twitching in her sleep, the two didn’t respond.
The stallion tiptoed over the sleeping forms of his friends, slipping quietly passed them. He paused at the sliding door—a new concept for him, in Hyrule doors didn’t slide—and looked over the room. He was instantly transported back to his childhood in Kokiri Village, the race of children had constantly had large sleepovers, most often around the roots of the Deku Tree. He could still remember them staying up late into the night, inventing stories about what the outside world was like…
Link shook his head, freeing himself from the nostalgic thoughts. He eased open the sliding door, slipping through and onto the wooden deck.
“Good morning, Link.”
“Oh,” Link said, surprised. “Good morning, Epona.”
The toffee-colored Earth Pony gave a nod of recognition, then returned to staring out over the town. It was mostly still so far, but Link could feel rather than see or hear the flurries of activity starting up as ponies began the day.
The stallion took a seat beside Epona, noting the dark circles beneath her eyes, like bruises.
“Did you sleep at all?” he asked.
“I slept enough,” Epona responded, which wasn’t much of an answer, but Link supposed he had to take it.
They sat in silence for a few seconds.
“So…” Link said, “how are you doing? A lot of crazy stuff happened yesterday, and…well…”
“I’m…still figuring it out,” Epona sighed, rubbing a hoof against her face. “Sorry.”
“Don’t apologize,” Link said. “It’s fine. Do…you want to talk about it? I don’t know, maybe it’ll help.”
“It…well, it might,” Epona admitted quietly. “Okay, then. It’s…well…I just don’t know what to do. I…don’t want to go back to Hyrule.”
Link glanced at her in surprise.
“I don’t want to lose my intelligence,” Epona clarified. “I mean, a part of me knows I won’t entirely lose my intelligence, because Navi will still exist, and she’ll have m—um, our memories, but she as Epona won’t—I mean, me as Epona won’t, and…ugh, this is making my head hurt.”
“I know,” Link sighed. “This whole thing is a huge mess.”
Epona hesitated a second, then spoke up again,
“I’m…sorry for breaking down the other day,” she said quietly. Link looked up at her, surprised, but she was staring at the wooden deck beneath her hooves. “I just didn’t want to accept the truth. Some part of me always knew I was Navi…perhaps the part that also wondered how I knew so much about everything. But the part of me that wanted desperately to believe this was permanent was stronger and wrote it off as you just telling me about a lot of things.
“I’m honestly…really embarrassed. You had to hold me down.” she buried her face in her hooves. “What if the others see me differently after that? What if they don’t see me as strong anymore?”
Link…didn’t know what to say. He could help Saria, he could help Ruto, but somehow…with Epona he felt lost.
“…I don’t know what the others will think,” he admitted. “But I can tell you this: My opinion of you won’t change.”
“But what is that?” Epona asked, looking at him.
“You’re strong,” Link said, “but you’re also human—er, pony. Or…whatever. But you’re my closest companion—both of my closest companions, in fact. And you’re the one who’s been supporting me since the start. This is going to sound like the cheesiest thing I’ve ever said, but…you believe in me.” He smacked a hoof against his face. “Wow, that was cheesy. But you get the point. The least I can do is believe in you too.”
A small smile flickered over Epona’s face, holding for a few seconds before fading away.
“Thanks,” she said quietly. “That makes me feel better.”
“I’m glad,” Link said, letting out a breath he hadn’t even known he was holding. “This thing is really complicated.”
“I know,” Epona sighed. “My memories are all mixed up—it’s like having two lives overlapping each other in my head, and each time a sensation triggers a memory…it’s like they both instantly fight to be the first to relay. Seeing myself from Navi’s perspective, it’s…well, I feel strong. I’m tall and powerful, and I can literately crush enemies beneath my hooves. It’s…awe-inspiring. I’m in awe of myself.”
She gave a small, humorless chuckle.
“That does make me sound narcissistic. But as Navi, I’m…small. And weak. And helpless. The mere thought of having to enter combat terrifies me. There are two completely different personalities inside me, and I’m torn between them, hovering on the edge of both consciousness. If I tried hard enough, I wonder, could I slip entirely into one? Could I become just Navi if I tried? What would happen to Epona? Ugh.” she pressed a hoof to her head. “I need to stop.”
“I’m sorry,” Link said, because it felt like the right thing to say at the moment.
“It’s not your fault,” Epona said.
“It kind of is,” Link pointed out. “You were with me when we got transported here…or, whatever happened. But if you hadn’t been there, then you wouldn’t have come here or gotten turned into Navi.”
“It’s still not your fault,” Epona insisted. “You didn’t know it was going to happen, you couldn’t control it. And…besides, I’m glad I got to experience the world with such clarity. Even if…I’m going to lose it.”
“I wish you could stay like that,” Link admitted.
“Yeah,” Epona sighed.
There was another longer period of silence, stretching on long enough to be awkward. But then, with a faint screech, the door slid open behind them.
Link glanced over his shoulder. Saria trotted into the light, looking groggy and confused. Her mane looked like a nest for small animals, and a small trickle of drool was on her chin.
“What’re you doing?” she yawned.
“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Link chuckled. “We’re talking. How are you doing?”
“It’s too early to tell,” Saria sighed, plopping down next to Link and rubbing her eyes with a hoof. A small pout appeared on her face.
“It’s so cloudy,” she complained. “I was hoping today would be sunny, at least. But it’s gray and cold…I don’t want to go anywhere…” She sighed.
“I was thinking about that,” Link said. “Maybe we don’t have to go anywhere just yet. After everything that happened yesterday, it’d be great to just lay low for a day or two. Take a break from adventuring. It tired even me out, and I’m used to this sort of thing.”
“Does that mean we can stay in Ponyville for a day?” Saria asked.
“That’s the plan,” Link informed her.
“Yay!” the Kokiri cheered. Epona smiled and gave a nod of agreement.
“Now if only the sun would come out,” Saria sighed, seemingly suppressing a small shiver. “I wish we could make the clouds go away.”
“You know…” Link said, a smile spreading over his face, “I think we can.” He fished the Ocarina out of his ever-present inventory, playing the lively tune of the Song of Storms. The clouds melted away like smoke in the wind, and a warm, golden light flooded the sleepily-stirring town.
“Now today will be perfect,” Saria smiled, stretching out her forelegs to welcome the heartening glow.
“We’ll still need to visit Princess Twilight today,” Link informed her. “But after that…well, we can do whatever we choose too.”
Today will be great, he thought. But…we should probably get it started now.
-------------
The glittering, crystal castle loomed at the edge of the path.
Bon Bon had provided everyone with handy pairs of blacked-out glasses, apparently called “sunglasses”, that allowed them all to brave the glaring light that was refracted off the star-shaped tower.
The early morning hours had passed without much event—that is, unless one counted Bon Bon having to remove part of a wall to let Darunia out of her house. Before that, the Earth Pony had treated them all to a simple breakfast before Octavia and Vinyl had arrived, and the whole group had set off towards the castle.
By now, other ponies were out and about, filling the streets with friendly chatter. A couple were commenting on the “surprising change of weather”, which Link didn’t entirely understand. But he assumed that they’d been awake earlier, and had seen when he’d cleared the clouds.
The group of Hyruleans and Equestrians came up to the door of Princess Twilight’s castle and Bon Bon knocked. The Princess answered the door almost immediately, surprising Link.
“Oh, hello!” she said brightly. “There you all are! I was wondering where you’d gone. I was starting to get worried, even.’
“We spent the night at my house,” Bon Bon explained. “It was late by the time we got back, and we didn’t…want to bother you.”
Among other things, Link added internally.
“Well, come in!” Princess Twilight ushered the group into the palace. Link let out a sigh of relief, finally able to take off his sunglasses.
They were lead into the familiar map room—or, at least, there was usually a map there. Now it was simply a table, surrounded by six chairs.
“Okay, tell me what happened.” The Princess slid into one of the chairs—a tall white throne with the mark of a magenta star at the top of it; a star, Link realized, that was also her cutie mark. She gestured for the others to take seats, which they did—all except for Darunia, who was once again too large to fit into one of the seats.
“We made it through the forest without difficulty,” Bon Bon started, “and arrived at the Tree of Harmony like you suggested.” She looked to Link.
“There,” Link said, taking up the thread of the story, “we found an object from my world called the Master Sword. It’s a weapon of immense power that I lost when I first woke up in Equestria.”
There was a scratching of pen on paper.
Link glanced over at Princess Twilight, where the sound seemed to be coming from. She noticed him watching, and the scroll and quill hovering in front of her face disappeared in a flash of magenta. She grinned sheepishly.
“Well, um…” Link said, somewhat confused. “After that a creature who was originally from Hyrule came over to us. I believe he’s a guardian spirit, of sorts? But he answered a few questions about what’s happened to us. After that we returned.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, what were the questions he answered?” the Princess asked curiously.
“One, how the sword got to the tree,” Link explained. “And also what happened to a good friend of mine who went missing when we arrived. Turns out…she’s actually Epona.”
The Earth Pony in question winced a bit as he gestured towards her. Twilight raised an eyebrow at the oddity of that statement.
Link didn’t blame her.
“TWILIGHT!”
The entire group leapt in unison as the door to the room slammed open with enough force to send bits of crystal raining from the ceiling. A Pegasus raced inside—or at least, Link supposed that he (she?) was a Pegasus. All he could really see was a suspended blur of blue and rainbow.
“What is it, Rainbow?” Princess Twilight said, and it took Link a second to realize she was addressing the Pegasus, who proved herself to be a girl. The apparently-named “Rainbow” screeched a stop inches from the Princess’s head, and Link had to admire her agility.
“Something really weird happened with the weather,” Rainbow said conversationally, as if she hadn’t just crashed through the door with the speed of a rolling Dodongo. “There was a rainstorm scheduled for today, but the sky is somehow totally clear!”
“Really?” the purple Alicorn raised an eyebrow. “Did Sunshower misplace a breeze again?”
“Nah, we checked that already,” Rainbow shook her head, finally landing. “Apparently she wasn’t on duty today. And even if that did happen again, we could find the clouds. But…they’re just gone.”
Epona and Link exchanged looks. Epona shrugged helplessly.
“Huh, weird,” Princess Twilight commented. A frown crossed her face. “There were clouds scheduled for today, right?”
“Yup,” Rainbow bobbed her head in a nod.
“So, uh…” Link spoke up, “I think I may know what happened to your clouds.”
“Really?” the Princess sounded surprised. “How?”
“No, not how,” the Pegasus said. “Who. Who are you ponies? Or…” her eyes roved over the odd statures of Ruto and Darunia. “…are you ponies?”
“Rainbow!” the Princess hissed. “Don’t be rude!”
“No, it’s fine,” Link assured her. “We are ponies. For now—but that’s a completely different matter.”
“Uh…okay,” Rainbow said, sounding way less surprised and suspicious than Link thought she’d be. “Where are you guys from?”
“A…different land?” Link offered, not sure if he should tell her the truth or not. Would they panic?
“Cool,” the blue Pegasus definitely didn’t sound all that interested in their ethnicity. “But how do you know what happened to the weather? And what happened to it?”
“I accidentally got rid of it,” Link admitted. “I had no idea weather here was ‘scheduled’. And…I don’t know exactly what happened to it. But it’s gone now.”
“How’d you get rid of it?” the Princess asked.
For an answer, Link pulled out the Ocarina of Time and shrugged.
“Ah,” Princess Twilight said. It seemed she understood enough about the magical instrument to know it was capable of unusual things.
“So…I’m lost,” the blue Pegasus spoke up. “What is that and how did it get rid of the weather?”
“It’s a foreign magic,” the Princess offered, then turned back to Link. “Any way you can bring back the clouds?”
“Not without making it pour down rain and lightning as well,” Link said, replacing the ocarina in his inventory.
“Oh well,” Princess Twilight sighed. “Rainbow, I think you’ll just have to tell the Weather Captain—what was her name again? Clear Skies?—that the light showers will need to be postponed to another day. Not tomorrow, tomorrow we need sunshine, but maybe the day after that?”
“Yeah, sure,” Rainbow nodded. She turned around, then paused when she saw the group of others. “Guess I’ll…um, see you around?” she offered. Before the others had a chance to respond, she vanished in a rainbow blur.
“All right, now that’s resolved,” the purple Alicorn said. “What are you planning on doing next?”
“Well, none of us are ready to jump right back into another adventure,” Link said. “I think the decision is unanimous that we need a day or two to relax before the next step of our quest?” He glanced at the others in the group. They nodded.
“Well, I’d be perfectly happy to offer you all a place to stay while you’re here,” the Princess smiled. “As I’m sure you’re aware, the palace has lots of room.”
“Yeah,” Link chuckled. “Thanks a lot!”
“Well, if you’re taking a break from adventures, what are you planning on doing today?” Princess Twilight asked. “If you don’t mind me asking, that is.”
“I’m not entirely sure,” Link admitted, glancing around at the others. “Any ideas, guys?”
“Well, I need to tend to my business,” Bon Bon spoke up. “Even if it’s only open for today.”
“I have tons of stuff I could work on!” Vinyl said. “You know, songs and all that crap.”
“I…could visit an old friend,” Octavia said quietly. Both Vinyl and Saria shot curious glances at her, but she avoided their eye.
“And what about you guys?” the Princess gestured at the Hyruleans. “Our town has a lot of cool places you could visit. Sugarcube Corner, Carousal Boutique, the Gem Caverns…”
“That sounds like fun,” Link said. “But now that I think about it, is there a seamstress or tailor in this town? I have a tunic that needs mending.”
“There is one indeed!” Princess Twilight smiled. “I can show you guys where she is, if you want.”
“Thanks,” Link said again. “Thank you so much for your hospitality, Princess. It’s so kind of you.”
“Of course!” the Princess laughed a bit. “I’d be some ‘Princess of Friendship’ if I turned away anypony, let alone visitors from another dimension! I must admit I’m a bit of a scholar, so your journey fascinates me as well.” She sighed.
“I wish I could go with you…but I have duties that hold me here.”
After a second, she shook her head and smiled again.
“But it’s okay,” she said. “Shall we go?”
“Yes,” Link confirmed, nodding. “Let’s go.”
The group trotted out of the castle, waving goodbye to each other before splitting up and heading off towards their separate designations.
Link and the others trotted along the road, listening to a running commentary from the Princess. She chattered on about Ponyville’s history, the events that took place, and the ponies there. She occasionally stopped to wave to friendly passers-by or greet friends.
She’s nothing like you’d imagine royalty to be, Link thought. She’s a Princess for the people—one who knows almost each by name. It’s incredible.
“HELLOOOOOOOOO!”
Link flinched at the sudden, high-pitched scream that greeted them. Ruto let out a startled yelp, diving to hide behind him. Saria winced, flattening her ears against her head. The only one’s who greeted the pink Earth Pony with smiles were Princess Twilight and Darunia.
Pinkie Pie gave Princess Twilight and Darunia enthusiastic hugs.
“Hi, Twilight!” she chirped, bouncing up and down. “Whatcha doing?”
“Hi, Pinkie,” the Princess smiled at her enthusiastic friend. “We’re going to Rarity’s. What about you?”
“I’m just bouncing around, looking for purpose in life,” Pinkie said. “And the fourth wall. It hasn’t been broken yet today, and I need to fix that!”
Link raised an eyebrow, but Princess Twilight just gave a smile.
“Never mind,” Pinkie said. “Just broke it!”
“You’ve met Link and the others before, right?” the Princess asked, gesturing around. “I mean, I’m assuming you have.”
“Yepperdoodles!” Pinkie grinned. “Are they staying? Please tell me they’re staying!”
“We are,” Link confirmed. “For two days only, though.”
“Yay!” the vibrant Earth Pony leapt into the air, spawning hooffuls of confetti that shot out from her like they were being ejected from a cannon. “Now we can finally have a party! But first, I have a really super-awesome idea.” she turned to Darunia. “Have you seen the Gem Caves yet?”
“No, I haven’t,” the Goron answered. “I’m heard of them, though. I’d like ta see ‘em before we leave again.”
“I have to take you, then!” Pinkie chirped. “It’s a must-see for rock lovers!”
“Well, if my friends can spare me,” Darunia chuckled.
“Sure we can!” Link nodded, smiling. “We’re not really going anywhere important, so unless we’re ambushed by Dodongos, I think we’re good.”
“Alrighty then,” Darunia chuckled. “Count me in!”
“Let’s go!” Pinkie bounced away, leading the Goron off on a different path. Princess Twilight gestured for the rest to follow her, and they continued on down the path.
After some time, they arrived at a tall, elaborate building. The Princess pushed the door open, trotting inside as a bell jingled somewhere.
“Welcome to the Carousal Boutique!” a white Unicorn trilled, trotting into the round room that greeted them as they entered, “Where every garment is chic, unique, and magnif—oh! Twilight!” She gave the Princess a hug. “Well, what brings you here? Do you need a gown for some formal event?”
“Hi, Rarity,” the Alicorn smiled. “I’m actually not here for me.” She gestured to the Hyruleans who stood behind her. “I’m here for them.”
“Oh!” Rarity said, noticing the group. “How can I help you?”
“Um, hi,” Link said. “My name is Link. I have a tunic that needs mending.” He pulled out the blue folds of the Zora tunic, which had a long rip in the side left over from the battle with Morpha. A generous portion of it was also stained deep red, though it appeared purple on the blue fabric.
“What a unique design!” Rarity said, taking hold of it in her shimmering, blue magic aura. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a piece of clothing like this. Oh dear, but what’s this stain?”
Link opened his mouth to say “blood”, but then hesitated. These ponies didn’t seem like they’d react very well to copious amounts of blood, such as was staining the tunic.
“….juice,” he finished lamely. “Fruit juice.”
Epona shot him an amused look.
“What a shame,” Rarity sighed.“This really is a fine piece of fabric. Well, let me see what can be done!”
“Thanks,” Link said. “Do you accept gems as payment?”
Without warning, Ruto spoke up, startling Link.
“Did you make that?” She asked, pointing to a long, elegant gown stationed on a rack that lined one of the walls. It was made of blue silk and had a long, trailing train.
“Oh, yes, darling!” Rarity laughed. “I’m a dressmaker—it’s what I do!”
“It’s stunning!” the Zora smiled, amazed. Link blinked in surprise. He’d never seen Ruto like this—starry-eyed over a piece of clothing.
“Why, thank you!” Rarity beamed. “What’s your name, darling?”
“I’m Ruto,” the Zora replied.
“Welcome to Carousal Boutique, Ruto!” Rarity said. “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a pony quite like you before.” She eyed Ruto’s split-toed back hooves, slick blue skin, and shimmering webs.
“That’s because, um…” the Zora said uncertainly, “I’m not quite from around here.”
“Where are you from?” Rarity asked curiously.
Ruto looked to Link. Link looked to the Princess.
Princess Twilight sighed.
“Don’t tell anyone,” she said, “but they’re actually all from a different dimension. We don’t know why or how they’re here, but they are. They’ve been off on a…quest, I guess? for about a week now, only occasionally coming back here.”
“In my world,” Ruto spoke up proudly, startling Link yet again, “I’m the princess of an an aquatic race known as the Zora. My father is the King.” With those words, she seemed to straighten up, an odd expression crossing her face—something like a gentle smile and a proud smirk mixed together.
“Oh, my,” Rarity said. “That sounds simply delightful! Well, not the fact that you’re stuck in our world. But please, tell me more about the Z…Zroa? Zora! I’m sorry.”
Link blinked. The Unicorn seemed way less surprised than he thought she would be—like Rainbow earlier, but more interested. He glanced at the Princess.
“This isn’t the first time this has happened,” Princess Twilight chuckled in response. “Our world crossing with another.”
“Would you…perhaps mind staying for a cup of tea?” Rarity asked Ruto. “I’d love to hear more about your world and your race. But only as long as you want too!”
Ruto looked to Link, unsure. He gave her an encouraging smile.
“We have nothing else planned,” he said. “You might as well. I think you’ll enjoy it.”
The Zora nodded, a smile spreading over her face.
The remainder of the group waved goodbye to the two, trotting out of the boutique.
I’m glad Ruto found someone to talk to, Link thought. They seem like they’d get along very well.
“Watch out!” A voice squealed at them almost as soon as they’d emerged. Before Link had time to react, something crashed into him from the side, sending all four ponies sprawling in a tangle of limbs. Link looked down, startled, and caught sight of a white Unicorn filly struggling to her feet, looking apologetic.
“I’m so sorry!” she squeaked, looking over those who were still on the ground. “Sorry, Twilight! Sorry, strangers!”
Two other fillies leapt up and joined the Unicorn—a yellow Earth Pony, and an orange Pegasus who was lugging a scooter behind her. They began brushing the dirt of each other as Link, Saria, Epona, and Twilight stood again.
“Girls, how many times have I told you to watch out?” Princess Twilight sighed. “Somepony could have been seriously hurt! Please look where you’re going.”
“Ah’m so sorry!” the Earth Pony wailed in a distinctive accent. The other two nodded furiously, righting a dented wagon from where it lay on it’s side, wheels spinning.
“Are you okay?” Link asked Saria, who was brushing dirt out of her mane. She nodded, and this was when the others seemed to catch sight of her.
“Oh, hiya!” the yellow-coated filly chirped. “You’re new here!”
“Yes…?” Saria raised an eyebrow, looking over the group. They all smiled brightly at her.
“Ah’m Apple Bloom,” the Earth Pony said, “and this is Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo!” She gestured to the other two fillies, who waved and called cheery greetings. “Nice t’ meetcha! What’s your name?”
“I’m Saria,” the Kokiri said hesitantly. “Nice to meet you too, I guess?”
“What were you doing, girls?” the Princess asked. “On another adventure?”
“In a way,” the Pegasus, Scootaloo, said. “We’re going to get our cutie marks in caring for animals! Fluttershy said she’d help us.”
“Hey!” Sweetie Belle chirped, turning to Saria. “Do you have a cutie mark?”
“And those are…what again?” Saria asked, blinking.
“Ya don’t know what a cutie mark is?” Apple Bloom frowned. “Huh. Now that’s the strangest thing Ah’ve ever heard.”
“A cutie mark is something that appears when a pony discovers their true talent,” Princess Twilight explained. “It’s the basis of who they are and what they’re meant to be.”
“Oh,” Saria realized. “That doesn’t help.”
“Twilight’s cutie mark is a star,” Apple Bloom explained, pointing at the Princess. “It means tha’ she’s really good at magic and can do a lot of spells. We’ve been trying ta get our cutie marks for ages now.”
“I…um, like nature,” Saria offered. “So like…animals and plants. And music. Does that count?”
“Hey, tha’ means ya could totally help us!” Apple Bloom cheered. “If ya like animals and nature, that is. You already have your cutie mark, but we can still be friends!”
“Um…” Saria looked hesitant.
“I think you’d have fun,” Link said, giving her a small nudge. “C’mon. If Ruto and Darunia are finding peo—ponies to spend the day with, there’s no reason you can’t too.”
“Okay, then,” Saria said. “I’ll go with you, I guess.”
“Yay!” the three cheered. “Cutie Mark Animal Caretakers! Let’s go!” They raised their hooves in the air, bumping them together in a three-way high-five. They looked at Saria.
A small smile flickered over her face, and she reached up to join the high-five.
The three fillies ran off, practically dragging Saria with them and chattering to her excitedly.
“I’m glad she can find some friends,” Link commented, watching them run away.
“Well, as long as everypony else is finding something to do, is there anything I can do?” Epona asked, turning to the Princess. “Anypony who could use my help, or…I don’t know. Something I can help with.”
“You know, actually…” a smile spread over Princess Twilight’s face, “I think I know the perfect pony.”
------------------
“That’s…a lot of apples,” Link said.
“Welcome to Sweet Apple Acres!” Princess Twilight cheered, spreading a hoof to indicate the rolling hills of fruitful trees surrounding them. “Run by the Apple family, home of the famous zap apple jam!”
“Sounds…neat,” Link said. He wasn’t sure what else to say.
It was a lot of apples.
The Princess lead them down the crest of the hill they stood on, into a large, fenced-in yard. A tall red barn stood in front of them, and a clucking bird strutted through the sparse clumps of grass poking up here and there in the hard-packed dirt. Link couldn’t help but automatically scoot a few inches away from the bird.
“A.J.?” Princess Twilight called. “Applejack?”
“Ah’m here, sugarcube!” an orange Earth Pony with a straw-colored mane trotted around the corner of the barn, pulling a wooden cart loaded with barrels behind her. On closer inspection, the barrels proved to be full of round, glistening red fruit. “Well, now! Great to see ya, Twi. What’re you here for?”
“Meet Epona,” the Princess smiled, gesturing to the much taller Earth Pony standing behind her. “If it’s okay with you, she’d like to help out at the farm for the day!”
“Well, Ah have no problem with that,” Applejack said cheerfully. “Nice t’ meet ya, Epona!”
Link wondered if maybe Applejack and Apple Bloom were related. Their manner of speech sounded extremely similar.
“It’s great to meet you too,” Epona said, sounding more cheerful then she had all morning. Even with just the farm-like aesthetic surrounding them, she seemed to be gaining more energy. “I’m glad to have this opportunity to work with you.”
“Aw, no need ta be so formal,” Applejack chuckled. “It’s a bit unusual to have somepony just come along and volunteer, but Ah’m happy t’ have ya! Never seen a mare as tall as you are, and I think ya’d do great here! Makes me think Ah’ll have t’ make sure ya don’t buck over the tree while applebucking!”
Though it was clear Epona had barely understood a word, she chuckled anyway.
“Well, we might as well get t’ it,” Applejack said, unhitching herself from the wagon and stepping over to another one—this time it was empty. “Follow me, Epona! Ah’ll make an apple farmer of ya in no time.”
Epona nodded, shooting Link and Princes Twilight a smile and a wave before following the Earth Pony around the edge of the barn and disappearing.
“It always makes me so happy to see other ponies making friends,” the Princess mused once they’d gone. “With everypony else occupied…do you have an idea for anything you want to do?”
“I was thinking about that,” Link admitted. “Does this place have a library?”
-----------------
“Does this place have a library?” Princess Twilight snorted.
Link stared. He didn’t have many other libraries to compare this one too, but he could bet that it was still impressive, even when put into a comparison.
It stretched on for rows and rows of shelvespositively overflowing with books—no surprise there—only broken up by occasional cluster of tables nearly hidden under piles of loose paper and scrolls.
“I’ve spent a long time collecting valuable books and artifacts,” the Princess said proudly, spreading a wing to indicate the room as a whole. “We have the largest collection of ancient tomes found anywhere—well, except maybe the Canterlot Library. Call me or Spike if you need anything, okay? Feel free to read whatever! Just be careful…because if you break my books I WILL hurt you.”
“W-what?” Link stuttered, jerking away from Princess Twilight in alarm.
“Nothing important,” the Princess smiled disarmingly. “Just be careful.”
“Oh…kay…” Link said, very nervously directing his gaze away from the Princess and back over the room. “Thank you, Princess.”
“Please, call me Twilight,” the other pony said with a smile. “All my friends do. Enjoy yourself!” She trotted out of the room.
Link trotted forwards into the library, eyes roving over the tall shelves.
There was a lot he wanted to know.
He had a lot of work to do.
-------------
As it turned out, he spent the rest of the day reading.
It didn’t take him long to find the history and geography section, and he spent almost the entire time researching Equestria and its different customs. Once again, he was struck by just how large the world was—and how rarely diverse the species were. Sure, there were different types of ponies…but in the end, they were all ponies.
In Hyrule, they had not only the Hylians, but also the Gorons, Zora, and Shiekah—though it was admittedly rare to see any of the shadow-folk walking about in broad daylight, or even in their home, Kakariko village. Some had even begun to theorize that they were nearly extinct, and Impa was the only one left; though the existence of Sheik seemed to disprove that fact.
But in the end, they were all vastly different species, while the ponies seemed to share more common customs and happenings than in Hyrule. It was a fascinating point of view.
Link himself wasn’t very interested in history or geography, but something about this world had managed to capture his interest. Maybe it was the fact that they’d be stuck there for Hylia-knows how long, or maybe it was the fact that it was so vastly different from Hyrule, and yet…very much the same.
Link let out a sigh, shoving away the heavy tome he’d been reading. He leaned back on his chair, trying to turn his thoughts to other things.
Thinking about Hyrule made him homesick.
“Link!”
The stallion turned his head as his name was called, catching sight of Vinyl standing just inside the door. She was staring at the bookshelves with a face akin to what Link thought his must have been upon entry.
“Hey, Vinyl,” he said, pushing his chair back and trotting over to her. “What’s up?”
“I’m bored,” Vinyl sighed, temporarily making eye contact with him, but only to break it almost immediately. “This library is huge!”
“I know, right?” Link agreed.
“I’ve never actually seen it before,” Vinyl admitted, “but…wow. It’s huge. So many stories, just waiting to be read…” She grabbed a book from where it lay on a nearby table, staring at the cover with fascination.
“I didn’t know you liked books,” Link said, surprised. “You didn’t strike me as a…very bookish pony.”
“It’s a well-kept secret,” Vinyl admitted. “Wouldn’t really fit with the image, you know? ‘Wild DJ’ would definitely clash with ‘mare who likes curling up with a good book in her spare time’.”
Link didn’t bother to ask what “DJ” meant.
“I’m…actually writing a story about our adventure,” the Unicorn said shyly, looking embarrassed. “It’s from my P.O.V., but…you know…I’m having a lot of fun with it.”
“That’s amazing!” Link praised, smiling. The idea of having a story written about him felt…odd. “What’s it called?”
“Oh, oh!” Vinyl bounced slightly. “It’s an EPIC title. You’re going to love it. It’s called…wait for it…druuuuumroll…THE LEGEND OF LINK!”
“Wow,” Link chuckled. “That…makes me sound a lot cooler than I am.”
“What do you mean?” Vinyl snorted. “You’re awesome, dude.”
“I’m not exactly a legend,” Link pointed out.
“Eh,” the Unicorn shrugged, seeming to sense there was no use arguing about it. “I’ll sleep on it, I guess. Do you know where the others are?”
“They’re off doing…stuff,” Link said, realizing he had no idea what they were all doing. “I haven’t seen them since this morning.” He glanced up to the windows, noting the orange tint of the light that streamed through them.
“We should probably go find them,” Vinyl said. “The sun’s beginning to set and stuff.”
“Yeah, I agree,” Link said, marveling at the abrupt passage of time. It barely felt like it’d been an hour, let alone an entire day.
Vinyl replaced the book and they both trotted away.
----------------
For some reason, Link’s instinct was to head for Sweet Apple Acres first. Maybe it was because he wasn’t entirely sure where everyone else was at the moment, but he knew for sure that Epona would be somewhere in this orchard.
It didn’t take long for Link and Vinyl to reach the barnyard, what seemed to be the hub of the entire orchard. As they stood in the lot, trying to figure out where to go, a dark red stallion appeared from around the corner of the barn.
“Oh, hey Big Mac!” Vinyl greeted him. “Is Applejack working?”
“Eeyup,” the stallion said by way of response, pointing a hoof towards a path that lead out of the yard.
“Thanks!” Vinyl gave him a wave, trotting away. Link followed aftergiving a small nod of recognition to the stallion.
“Eeyup,” Big Mac shrugged, turning away to do other things.
The two followed the path, which wound between uncountable rows of apple trees. As they went, the trees steadily lost their fruit, eventually becoming nothing but large shapes made from fluffy green leaves. There were no ladders, how did these ponies pick the fruit?
Eventually, a loud sound penetrated the serene quiet of the path. A heavy thud permeated the air, and Link nearly jumped at its suddenness. It was followed by faint voices, carrying on a conversation that was indecipherable from their current distance.
“Um, hey?” Vinyl called. “Anypony?”
“Over here!” a warm country voice called to them, a voice Link assumed was Applejack’s.They followed her voice, which was closer than they thought, stepping off the path and trotting through the trees.
Another thud filled the air, much closer, and the two rounded a corner just in time to see a whole tree-load of fruit drop neatly off the branches and pile into wooden buckets beneath.
Link raised an eyebrow. This was magic he hadn’t seen yet.
The two searched-for mares were standing beneath the tree, and as the intruders watched, Epona grabbed the handle of one bucket in her mouth and lifted it straight off the ground. She placed it in the back of a wagon, then moved to grab another one.
At first glance, Link was immediately glad Epona had been able to work with Applejack for the day. She was covered in sweat, dirt, and looked significantly happier than she ever had since last night.
“Hi, Link!” she greeted him cheerfully, apparently unaware that her mane was full of leaves and twigs.
“Hi,” Link smiled, feeling a weight lift off him than he hadn’t even known was there. “How’re you doing?”
“I’m doing great,” Epona said. Applejack chuckled, observing the exchange.
“Epona here is the hardest worker Ah’ve ever seen,” she interjected, “which is high praise from an Apple, I tell you!”
“I’m just glad I could make myself useful,” the caramel-colored mare said, smiling at the farmer. “Solving puzzles is great and all, but…sometimes I just miss getting work done.”
“Er, right,” Applejack said, looking a bit confused. “Lemme tell ya, nothing better than some good honest work!”
Epona nodded fervently, apparently in agreement. Link shrugged, indifferent.
“Sorry to interrupt your hard work,” Vinyl said, “but we’ve gotta head off now. Sun’s setting, and all that.”
“Oh, you’re right,” Applejack glanced up at the sky. “Sometimes ya just get swept up and forget what time of day it is.” “Right,” Link said, completely understanding. It happened all the time when he was exploring a dungeon.
“Well, its been wonderful to have ya here!” the farmer smiled, shaking Epona’s hoof. “Ah’ll certainly miss ya tomorrow. Unless you’re available…?”
“Afraid not,” Epona sighed, with a quick glance at Link for confirmation. He nodded in agreement. Today had been great, but tomorrow would be different. And after that, it was back to the adventure.
“Ah well.” Applejack sighed. “Ah suppose it was worth a shot.”
“AJ!AJ!AJ!”
Four fillies came dashing over the crest of a nearby hill, one of them shouting in a high-pitched, familiar voice.
“Well, hey there, Apple Bloom.” Applejack turned to face them as they skidded to a stop near her. “How was ya’lls day? What is it?” She gasped, “did ya’ll get your cutie marks?”
“Well…no,” Apple Bloom said. “Not this time. Buuuut we made a new friend!” she gestured to Saria, who was standing in their midst and smiling shyly.
“Howdy,” Applejack said warmly, tipping her hat. “Nice t’ meet ya! What’s your name?”
“I’m Saria,” the Kokiri introduced herself.
“And she’s SO COOL,” Sweetie Belle squeaked out. “She can talk to animals, just like Fluttershy!”
“Really?” Applejack looked surprised. “That’s unusual. Ah’ll be honest, Ah never expected to here that.”
“She’s been in the Everfree Forest twice!” Scootaloo said, “AND hasn’t gotten hurt at all.”
“If she’s been in there, an’ she was okay…why can’t we go?” Apple Bloom whined.
“Now, ya’ll know this,” Applejack said sternly. “The Everfree Forest is a real dangerous place. Ah can’t speak for Saria, but Ah know the dangers of the woods, and Ah’ve told you them many times too.” She began to lecture the three and Link took this opportunity to approach Saria, who stood slightly to the side, looking awkward,
“Hey,” he said, ruffling her mane affectionately. “Had fun today?”
She nodded, beaming.
“Wait, do ya’ll know each other?” Applejack asked, breaking off in the middle of her talk to look at Saria and Link.
“Yeah,” Link nodded. “She’s…well, I guess you could say she’s my sister.”
Without warning, Saria wilted a little, looking put-off. Link didn’t notice.
“That's real sweet,” Applejack smiled. Link nodded in agreement.
“AJ,” Apple Bloom whined, taking this opportunity when her sister had ceased her lecture, “I know why you said we can’t go in the forest, but if Saria’s been in there, it can’t be that bad, right?”
“No, it’s bad,” Link said, causing the fillies to look at him in surprise, as if they hadn’t noticed him till then. “The only reason Saria was in there—and ended up okay—is because she had a group of…” he paused to mentally count, “…eight others who are all older than her, and some of us have combat experience. If it had been just me and her, I would’ve avoided the forest or made her stay behind.”
“…oh.” The fillies wilted slightly.
“Yeah, you three should definitely avoid the forest,” Epona said, brushing dirt out of her mane. “It’s not a place for fillies like you.”
“Aaaw,” they all said simultaneously.
“Well, ya’ll we’re heading off before these three came along, don’t let us keep you!” Applejack said.
“Do we have to go now?” Saria said unhappily. Link nodded gently.
“Bye,” the Kokiri sighed, turning to them. “I had a lot of fun with you tod—oof!” She collapsed onto the ground under the weight of three young fillies all throwing themselves on her at the same time. They locked their forelegs around her, seeming reluctant to let go.
“Bye!” Sweetie Belle squeaked unhappily.
“We don’t want you to go…” Apple Bloom sighed.
“…but we hope that maybe we can see you again!” Scootaloo finished.
In spite of herself, a smile crossed Saria’s face, and she stood up again.
“I hope that maybe I can see all of you too,” she said, giving them one last hug. “Bye.”
“Bye!” they chorused, finally releasing her.
With a parting wave, the group trotted off, making their way along the path out of the orchard.
“Hey.” Link smiled at Saria, who had her head down and looked gloomy. “So, you had fun today?”
Almost instantly, the Kokiri perked up again, nodding furiously.
“I met an amazingly kind and gentle pony named Fluttershy,” she said. “Also, did you know I can talk to animals?”
“No, I didn’t,” Link commented, surprised. “That’s really neat. How’d you find out?”
“Fluttershy has an adorable, fluffy bunny named Angel,” Saria said. “When we first started talking, he started complaining about how the Cutie Mark Crusaders were really loud and usually destroyed a bunch of stuff. I mean, I think they’re really nice, but I started talking to him and asking him why and it turns out that Fluttershy can talk to animals too! This sounds…childish, but…if I ever grew up I’d want to be her.”
“That’s really great,” Link said warmly.
“Yeah,” Saria agreed, sounding slightly embarrassed for sharing so much. “Meeting Fluttershy was the best thing that happened today, and figuring out I could talk to animals was next to that. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were really, really nice to me…and they seemed to think I was amazing.” Another smile flitted over her face. “I wish every day could be like today.”
“Me too,” Link admitted.
“What did you do today?” Saria asked curiously.
“I just read a lot of books,” Link said. “I don’t know if you’d find it very fun, but I learned a lot about Equestria. For instance, did you know there’s a floating city that they use to control the weather?”
“Really?” Saria frowned, looking thoughtful. “That’s kind of weird. Does weather…not happen on its own here?”
“Apparently,” Link informed her. “Except for the Everfree Forest. In there, all the weather happens by itself. It’s considered an oddity to everyone else.”
“Huh.” Saria looked curious. “It kind of makes me want to go back in there now.”
“No,” Link said, so abruptly that Saria giggled. He smiled, but it was tight.
He didn’t feel safe in that forest.
“Hey, look, guys,” Vinyl grabbed their attention by pointing a hoof at someone trotting through the streets of Ponyville. “It’s Pinkie Pie and Darunia!”
The two ponies were, in fact, approaching the group. The pink Earth Pony was bouncing along happily, and Darunia was carrying too large canvas sacks on his back—Link could only assume they were rocks of some kind.
“Hey.” Link smiled at his Sworn Brother. “How was it?”
“The rocks down there are outstandin’,” the Goron raved excitedly. “The variety was greater than any I’ve ever seen in Hyrule, even in Dodongo’s Cavern!”
“And they were delicious,” Darunia continued, apparently not noticing the small pony’s interruption. “I’m not usually one to like gems all that much, but these were all better than any I’ve ever had!”
“Absolutely,” Pinkie agreed, bobbing her head in an energetic nod.
“Wait a second,” Link said, confused. “You eat rocks?”
“Of course, silly!” the Earth Pony giggled. “How would I know they’re yummy if I haven’t tried them?”
“Ponies eat rocks?” Link asked, looking to Vinyl with a raised eyebrow.
“Hey, where’s Octavia?” Saria piped up. “I haven’t seen her yet.”
At the mention of the musician’s name, Vinyl seemed to shrink, as if she wished she could disappear.
“I…um, know where,” she stuttered. “I saw her on the way to the castle. She’s…well, I don’t think she’s really ready to hang out with us right now. She’ll come when she’s ready.”
“Okay…?” Link said.
Vinyl looked away. Saria looked worried.
The group continued on, Pinkie Pie included. It didn’t take long for them to reach the boutique—Ponyville was a small town, after all. Though the building was closed, Pinkie Pie shoved the door and bounced right in without knocking; and after a second of hesitation the others followed.
“—and that’s what happened with Lord Jabu-Jabu,” they heard as they came in.
“Oh, how dreadful!” The reply came from what Link guessed was Rarity. “I’m glad you got out of that in one piece. Your Link does sound like a dashing hero.”
“Oh, he is,” Ruto sighed dreamily.
Everyone in the group glanced at Link, who was trying furiously not to turn red.
“Where are they?” he said hurriedly.
“Oh, excuse me,” Rarity said. “I think somepony just walked in. I’ll be right back!”
She appeared in the main area, looking disapproving.
“Excuse me, we are closed—” she said, then noticed them. “Oh! Hello, everypony.”
“H-hi,” Link stuttered, still trying to get over his embarrassment. “We’re…uh, here to pick up Ruto.”
“Very well, darling,” Rarity said. She briefly disappeared back through the door, then came back a few seconds later with the Zora Princess in tow. Ruto was wearing a heavy, pearl necklace that wound in several loops around her slim neck.
“Hello, everyone,” she said, sounding less-than-happy to see them. Link supposed she must have been getting along very well with Rarity, then.
“Hi,” Epona said, when Link didn’t respond. “It’s time to go.”
“Oh well,” she sighed, turning to Rarity. “Goodbye—oh!” her eyes widened as Rarity gave her a hug.
The white Unicorn backed away, smiling.
“It was wonderful to meet you, darling,” she said. “I’m so very glad we had the day to chat.”
“Y-yeah,” Ruto said, still sounding surprised by the display of affection. “Um, thank you for letting me wear your necklace. I assume you want it back now.” She began to take it off.
“No, no, keep it!” Rarity insisted. “It looks simply marvelous on you—and I can never wear pearls anyway, they don’t stand out enough against my coat. But it’s a piece of jewelry fit for a princess.”
A huge smile broke out over Ruto’s face, and it was with great reluctance that she bid Rarity goodbye and retreated from the boutique with the others.
“There you are!”
Link bit back a sigh as a voice greeted them almost immediately and Bon Bon trotted over.
“We seem to have a lucky streak of running into people,” he commented.
“That’s cause the writer’s a lazy hack who doesn’t know how to do transitions,” Pinkie said, out of nowhere.
“I’ve been looking for you,” Bon Bon said as she reached them. “It wasn’t that hard to find you, all I had to do was ask around for a giant pony made of rocks.”
“That’s me, right?” Darunia asked.
“Who else?” Bon Bon smiled. Link noticed the smile looked forced.
“Anyway,” the candy maker noticed him looking and shook her head slightly, as if to clear it. “I came to tell you that you all should come back to my house for dinner—Pinkie Pie included.”
“Sweet!” the pink Earth Pony cheered. “Free food! Next best thing to free cupcakes!”
“Thanks,” Link said gratefully, just then realizing how starving he was. He hadn’t eaten since the morning.
“Well…c’mon,” Bon Bon turned, beginning to walk away. The others followed.
“Wow, she really is bad at transitions,” Pinkie Pie commented, but no one seemed to hear her this time...except the editor, who gave a snort and a bemused expression the writer's way.
It didn’t take long for conversations to strike up, everyone talking about their different escapades of the day. Link remained quiet, temporarily speeding up his pace to reach Bon Bon, who was slightly ahead of everyone else.
“Hey,” he said, pulling up next to her. “I just wanted to say…um, thank you so much for all your hospitality.”
“It’s nothing,” Bon Bon said, though the reply sounded automatic.
“No, it’s everything,” Link insisted. “We’re all a bunch of strange-looking creatures from another dimension and you basically followed us blindly into peril. Since then you’ve shown us immeasurable kindness and generosity. What made you do it? What made you stick with us in the first place?”
“I…did it mostly for Lyra at first,” the cream-colored mare admitted quietly. “I knew that there was no way I could keep her curious spirit at bay and she was definitely going with you guys, no matter what I said. I figured I might as well tag along and keep her out of harm. But after getting to know you and the others…there’s no way I can leave now. You all are my friends now.”
“…I promise we’ll get Lyra back,” Link said.
“It’s…not really a matter of ‘getting her back’,” Bon Bon pointed out. “It’s a matter of getting her to understand. She doesn’t get why she was kept in the dark for so long. Lyra is…stubborn. I know a lot about her, but…somehow I just don’t know what I can do to convince her now.
“We’ll do whatever it takes,” Link promised.
“You seem…extremely invested in this,” Bon Bon noted. Link didn’t know what to make of her words—her tone was blank and unassuming.
“It’s…well, it’s cause I feel responsible for what happened,” he sighed, deciding to just say what he really felt.
“It’s not your fault,” Bon Bon insisted.
“I still want to help,” Link said firmly. “Just…will you let me help you fix this?”
“Yes,” Bon Bon said. “And thank you. For caring, I mean.”
“Any time.” Link smiled. “We’ll get Lyra to see. I promise.”
