The Portal of Adlez

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Epilogue

Chapter 1

Connor Hebert lived in the land of Hyrule, and spent his days selling portraits in the Castle Town market. He made a living, that was sure enough, but as far as resting on easy street? -Not a chance. Connor, who had grown up far from parents and only had obligations to himself, lived within his means, and that meant drawing the vain people who passed by him every day. He always had to dress up the crowds he drew; to draw a picture of a customer as they actually looked was to ask for no payment. And payment meant food, and food meant another day in which to draw disgruntled patrons. A circular life, to be sure, and quite monotonous.

What Connor longed for he didn’t know; what kept him going was a mystery. He simply knew somewhere inside him that there would be something, someday, that would make the rest of the days worthwhile, and with this attitude, he went forth, and drew the ugly men and the fat women and smiled and made them handsome and thin.

Connor lived, in fact, on the outskirts of the Lost Woods, and made the journey to Castle Town each day. The rent was cheaper there, and besides, he liked the song that constantly played out of it. He almost never had visitors; although one day a small boy dressed in green had come in to break his pots and cut down his shrubbery. Connor hadn’t liked that, but he was too polite to say anything, and simply repeated the same thing whenever the boy talked to him. Eventually he left and went into the forest, and that was the last Connor had seen of him. Life went on.

Over time, however, Connor had come to realize the magnitude of the vector relating to the increase of the monster population in Hyrule. While he didn’t know what a vector was, he knew that it meant that the monsters were multiplying like crazy. Connor had no fear, and routinely battled monsters on his way to the market, picking up their rupees (and occasionally a skull or two), but things were getting to be too much. Then came the day when Hyrule castle separated from the land, and darkness reigned supreme.

This was a bad thing from Connor’s stance in life. Less and less people had been coming to the market, and he was getting hungrier and hungrier. He began to wonder what else he could do for food. However, the farmers were cruel and made him pay an exorbitant price for milk, and there was a constant battle for control of the ranch. The volcano kept exploding. Connor decided that instead of trying to buy food, he’d find it. The best place close to him was in the forest.

Connor hitched on his blade, a fairly strong L-2 white sword that had served him well. He added his adventure pouch, to carry mushrooms, and his wooden shield so he could bounce pebbles back at pesky talking shrubs, and set off into the forest.

He wasn’t in there often; he always ended up back at the beginning somehow, and was never sure which way to go. This time, though, he was just looking for mushrooms (and perhaps some small game), and so let his mind wander as he passed through the logs that divided the different sections of the forest. As he traveled, he added a few funguses to his pouch, but he would need more. He continued moving, wandering deeper. He had begun to follow the song, because he liked the melody of it. Soon he came to a large temple-like building, and decided to see what was inside it. Instead of food, perhaps, he’d find something he could hock for bread.

Lacking a hookshot, Connor had to climb the wall to the entrance, much like an assassin in a white hood. When he reached the top, he headed inside. Within, he found some pesky ghosts, but luckily, he remembered Ghostbuster’s number and they took care of the problem. That cut out about half of the temple, and when Connor finally reached the door at the end (he was hoping there was some sort of treasure inside) he found a teenager dressed in green sleeping next to the door. It looked like he was trying to regain health, but Connor wasn’t too concerned. (Come to think of it, he looked a lot like that little kid that had broken his family vase, except older…) What Connor noticed was the Big Key hanging from his belt. Looks like he won’t miss that, Connor thought.

After carefully unlocking the door, Connor watched with an open mouth as the lock mysteriously disappeared. Must be some great loot in here, he thought, if it’s protected by magic locks. Until he heard the laughter echoing the empty hall he had reached, and the strange man coming out of the painting toward him…

*** *** ***

When Connor had awoken, he had found himself lying face down in a patch of grass. He didn’t remember much about what had recently happened, besides hearing

“You are not He. You are of no use to me, and therefore have no reason to live- No!! Where are you sending him?”

After that, all Connor remembered was a blinding flash of light.

Connor didn’t know where he was, but the first thing to deal with was the fact that he was still hungry. Pushing up and maneuvering into a sitting position, he found that he still had his sword, shield, and pouch. He looked around to find himself in an orchard, with blue sky all around him and….

APPLE TREES! Connor’s stomach lurched expectantly. The apples all looked delicious, and Connor was just rising to pick a few dozen pouchfuls or so when he heard a voice from behind him.

“WHAT in tarnation’ ahr you?”

Connor froze. It hadn’t occurred to him that this orchard had belonged to someone. In fact, not much had occurred to him besides the need to eat. He turned slowly around, an apologetic smile already on his face, and his mouth dropped open.

Standing before him was… well, it looked a little like one of those ponies from Lon Lon ranch, but this one was a bit smaller, and very different looking. Connor had never had a marshmallow, but if he had, he would have made the comparison instantly. The pony was orange, with a yellow mane and a brown hat on, and Connor was fairly sure it was she that had talked. Even so, he glanced around for another possible source for the voice, not ready to descend into complete madness yet. In doing so, he noticed that the pony had a trio of apples on each flank. Maybe a tattoo?

Connor tried to find a voice. “Are you…. Did you just….Hello?”

The orange mare looked at him with shock. “ You cain talk!”

“You can talk!”

Applejack peered intently at Connor’s hands. “What in the name of awl things apples ahr those? And hay, how’re ya standin’ on yer hind legs fer so long?”

Connor was stupefied. He was sure he was still in Hyrule, knocked out on the floor of that large circular room with all the paintings, and that evil man on the horse was going through his pockets for change. This couldn’t be real.

The orange mare, who he simply thought of at this point as “orange pony” was getting over her shock. “Well, Ah don’t know where ya come from, or how ya came to be in mah orchard, but ya look hungrier than Pinkie when she spies them cupcakes. Why don’t ya’ll come on wit’ me.”

Connor, realizing that the pony did not intend to trample him, and was in fact going to feed him, was able to recover some of his social capabilities. Walking forward to catch up with the orange godsend, he said,

“My name’s Connor. I don’t know where I am, or what’s going on, but I am hungry. Thank you for taking me with you. Who are you, and where am I?”

The pony looked over at him curiously. “Why, this here’s Ponyville! Name’s Applejack. Ah run this here apple farm with mah family. Best apples in all of Equestria!”

Connor couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “So, there are no other humans around? You’re all ponies?”

“Hu-what? Is that what ya’ll calls yerself? Ah ain’t seen anything like you before, if that’s what yer askin’.”

Connor cursed under his breath. No other humans. Still, this pony seemed kind enough, and if the rest of them were like her, he might be able to tolerate it here until he could find a way back to Hyrule.

*** *** ***

***Author’s Note: If you made it this far, you’re okay. In my professional opinion, this chapter was THE WORST. Sorry about it. :) It gets better from here.***

Chapter 2

“Where are we going now, AJ?”

Connor, having been fed most graciously by the Apple family (Applebloom was his favorite, she was SO CUTE!), was now walking down the path next to Applejack, presumably on their way into town.

“Ah’m goin ta take ya to see a friend of mine, Miz Twilight Sparkle,” Applejack said. “She’s the smartest pony around these parts, and she might know what ter do with ya’ll.”

Connor had, of course, either become more acclimated to the existence of squishy, talking ponies, or his mind had finally broken and he was gibbering somewhere on a couch. Either way, he wondered what the other pony would be like.

They had reached the outskirts of town. Connor could just see ponies mulling about in the streets, shopping, or simply enjoying the day. He was about to enter eagerly when, for the second time that day, he heard an unfamiliar voice behind him.

“Applejack! Hello! And – What in Celestia is that?”

Connor turned to see another pony, this one lavender, with large, innocent purple eyes. While Applejack’s were green and with freckles around them, this pony’s eyes were large and round, and had a certain quality that suggested she spent more of her time inside reading than outside working.

Applejack trotted forward to the other pony. “Twilight! Jus’ the pony ah wanted to see!”

Twilight nodded slightly, her mouth still agape as she looked with disbelief at Connor. Applejack followed her gaze and cleared her throat.

“Uh, yeah. Twi, this here’s Connor. He ain’t from ‘round here, and he don’t know how he got here, but ah found him in one of mah orchards and thought you might know what ter do. He’s harmless, and he can talk. He’s-” Applejack broke off, her brow furrowing for a moment.

“How do ya say it… scented!”

Twilight looked confused for a moment, then smiled. “You mean ‘sentient’?”

Applejack’s face brightened. “Yep, that one!”

Connor, who had stayed where he was for this interaction, started forward towards the lavender pony. He began to put his hand out to shake, then thought better of it and put it back.

Awkwardly, he said, “Yeah, I’m Connor. I don’t know how I got here. I was in the land of Hyrule one second, and the next I was here. AJ tells me there’s no other humans here?”

At the word ‘human’, Twilight’s eyes lit up. “LYRA!” she exclaimed. Applejack and Connor exchanged confused glances.

Twilight continued. “Sorry, I just realized something. I’ll go look in my library for something to help you, um, Connor. I also need to talk to someone. In the meantime- Oh! Why don’t you go to Fluttershy’s cottage? I’m sure she’ll be able to take care of you.”

Connor didn’t know who this ‘Fluttershy’ was, but at the moment he could really use a place to sit down, and maybe a nap.

“That sounds alright,” he said.

Twilight beamed. “Good! I’ll go see what I can find. Maybe Princess Celestia knows…” The lavender bookworm galloped off in the direction of the town, still talking to herself.

Applejack turned to Connor. “Ah’ve got to get back to the farm now, Big Macintosh’ll be needin’ help. Fluttershy’s cottage is down that path, there.” She indicated a small trail off the main road. “Will ya’ll be okay, findin’ it on yer own?”

Connor nodded. “Good. Fluttershy’s a little timid, so be careful, but she’s got a heart of gold.”

With that, Connor said goodbye to Applejack, and turned toward the woods as the orange mare galloped off. With any luck, this “Fluttershy” would give him a bed. He’d had enough excitement for one day, and wanted nothing more than to lay down and sleep for a day or two. He adjusted his sword and shield on his back, and then started into the woods.

He followed the small trail for a few minutes, admiring the trees and the abundance of animals. This place was a far cry from the quiet yet ever-present threat of the Lost Woods. Connor wondered briefly if the teen in green had woken up, and whether or not he had met the strange character in the painting. He decided the kid looked like he had things under control. If Hyrule needed to be saved, why not him?

He had come to a small bridge crossing over a creek that looked like it had so many creatures living it that there was no room for water. He crossed over easily, and saw the small cottage that he was approaching, with bird houses hanging off of every available hook. He took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself for another strange talking pony. He strode up to the door of the cottage and knocked.

From behind the house, he heard, “Oh, I’m back here! Come around! ….If that’s okay.”

Connor, who would have rather gone inside and gone to sleep, dragged himself around the side of the small cottage. He turned the corner cautiously… and stopped so fast he almost started moving backward.

Ahead of him, wearing a small straw hat with a light green bow and holding a small trowel in her mouth, was the most stunning creature Connor had ever seen. She was a bit small, petite almost, and the most delectable color of golden yellow Connor had ever seen. Her mane was a light shade of pink, and the color of it complemented her coat so beautifully that he had to rub his eyes to make sure that he was actually seeing what his eyes told him was there. He had never seen perfection before, and he was suddenly sure this was as close to it as he was going to get.

The pony with its back to him then began to speak, and Connor was sure the voice had changed significantly since he heard it barely 30 seconds ago. Gone was his tiredness, his confusion, his worry over returning to his home. Nothing remained except awe and worship for the beautiful creature standing before him and speaking with the voice Connor was sure belonged to a goddess somewhere.

“There you go, Mister Mole. Your burrow’s all fixed up!” The pony, who’s name Connor somehow managed to remember through his blown mind as Fluttershy, began to turn to him.

“Now, what can I help you- EEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!”

Having caught sight of Connor, (all six feet of him) standing there on his strange looking ‘hind legs’, Fluttershy screamed loudly. However, all of her training with Rainbow Dash hadn’t been for nothing. She reacted to the monster before her, pushing off from the ground and unfurling her wings from her sides. Connor had somehow missed these before, and the sight of this beautiful creature spreading wings and rising into the air before him made him fully and completely believe for a second that he had indeed died and gone to heaven and an angel now was before him. His amazement, plus his overwhelming state of body and mind, made him physically fall to his knees. He realized that the apparition before him was leaving, and terror welled up in him. He started to speak, to try to keep her from abandoning him.

“Wait…. Please wait!”

The pink-maned pony slowed her ascension. She turned back slowly, still hovering at her height of about seven feet above Connor’s head. She gazed fearfully at him, and Connor felt his heart skip a beat as he looked into her deep, cyan eyes. He realized she was waiting for something more, and attempted to marshal his thoughts together into coherent speech.

“My…. My name’s Connor. I’m new here in town- I mean new here in… [where was here again? Oh right] …uh, Equestria.”

Fluttershy lowered her hover about half a foot. She still looked unable to say anything.

Connor prompted her. “Are…. Are you… Fluttershy?”

The yellow mare lowered another two feet. She opened her mouth, and that quiet yet entrancing voice once again washed over Connor like the sun on a bright spring day.

“Um, yes…. Uh, well, if you don’t mind me asking…. Are you… a monster?”

Connor almost laughed in spite of himself. Living in Hyrule, he had seen so many monsters, he knew what they looked like. The thought of himself as one was quite humorous, yet to the delicate beauty before him he was sure that’s how he appeared. He cleared his throat, and then started to speak quietly and as gently as he could.

“No, I’m not a monster. I’m from another land, somewhere else, a place called Hyrule. I’m not here to hurt you. I could never- uh, I mean… I really like your… mane?”

Fluttershy looked confused. Connor paused, realizing he was losing it slightly. She was just so… Through a great effort, he pulled himself back together and continued.

“Anyway, I met Applejack and… the purple one, and they said that you might be able to… take care of me for a little while?” Connor’s cheeks burned as he realized how many different ways what he had just said could be taken.

Fluttershy, however, didn’t seem to notice. She lowered herself down slowly, coming to Connor’s eye level. Just then, a noise came from behind her. Her wings, which were not the strongest to start with, snapped inward and she began to fall (even in falling, she was graceful, Connor thought). Then he lunged forward, throwing his arms out and diving to the ground in a forward leap that would be remembered as the greatest example of a fencing fleche ever. He caught the beautiful yellow mare with both arms, and the sensation of her fur on his bare skin was one of the most wonderful he could remember. Then he hit the ground with a grunt.

“Oh my! Oh I’m so, so sorry! Are you okay? Thank you for catching me! I didn’t hurt you, did I? Oh my! I’ll get off of you now!”

Connor, who never wanted her to get off of him for the rest of both their natural lives, sighed as she got up and got to her hooves. She turned around to find the source of the noise that had frightened her, and found that it was just the mole whose burrow she had fixed. She smiled at him, to reassure him that she was alright, and then turned back to Connor, who was just getting up off the ground. She looked at him curiously, now that her fear was set aside. At last, she smiled radiantly at him, and Connor felt his feet lift off the ground and begin to hover as he was filled with inner bliss at the sight of her beautiful face.

He looked down, somewhat surprised to see that his feet were still touching the ground. He looked back up as Fluttershy began to speak.

“Oh, I’m glad you’re not a monster. Monsters are SCARY. I’ve never seen a pony like you before… What are things like where you come from?”

Connor relaxed, things were going better. “Where I come from, everyone looks like me. And there are monsters there too, and ponies, but nothing like you. You’re…” He broke off, realizing that he might be going too far again.

Fluttershy looked into his eyes with her large and innocent ones. “Yes?”

Connor flushed again. “…a bit smaller than ponies there. Yeah. But they can’t talk. The ones from my home, that is.”

Fluttershy smiled at him again, and began to walk around the side of the cottage. “Why, that’s just so very interesting! I want to hear all about it! Why don’t you come inside, and I’ll give you something to drink.”

Connor followed her eagerly, his weariness now nothing but a distant memory. “Thank you. I appreciate you taking me in!”

“Oh, I like to care for all creatures, and to help anyone who needs it. It’s my special talent.”

Connor suddenly noticed the trio of butterflies on her flank. Their wings were the same color as her mane, and their delicate images seemed to capture the essence of Fluttershy’s personality. Come to think of it, Applejack had had apples on her flank… and the purple one, who Connor remembered as Twilight, had had a star. Those marks must have something to do with their abilities or nature, he realized.

They had reached the door of the cottage, and Fluttershy pushed it open and let him into the small room beyond. It was simple and quaint, with a couch and a hearth and places for small creatures scattered just about everywhere. There were mouse holes, more bird houses, a rabbit hutch… Connor didn’t know how she stored any food for longer than 5 minutes.

“Angel! Are you in here?”

Connor heard a small sound from the rabbit hutch, and turned to it in time to see a small white bunny appearing from within it. It stretched, yawning, and then started fearfully at the sight of Connor.

“It’s okay, Angel Bunny. He’s not a monster. His name is Connor, and he’s going to be here for a little while.”

Angel looked suspiciously at Connor. He hopped over to where he was standing, and circled him warily. Connor bent down, and reached out a hand to pet him. Angel was confused, and then put out a paw and shook hands. Connor laughed at the little bunny’s dignified expression as he hopped away, and then Fluttershy was back, carrying a small tray with a glass of water on it, which Connor took gratefully. He looked around for a moment before taking off his gear and seating himself on the couch with a sigh and closing his eyes. He took a long sip of water, and let it run down his throat as he felt the insanity of the day retreating. He opened his eyes to see that Fluttershy had seated herself comfortably on a rug, looking at him patiently. She sat almost like a dog would, but to compare her to a dog would be a horrible injustice. Her ethereal face was turned up in concern as she gazed at him from under her long, flowing mane. She really was the loveliest thing he had ever seen, Connor thought.

“…So… this is a very nice cottage…” Connor kicked himself mentally for his inablity to come up with a better line than that.

Fluttershy smiled charmingly again. “Thank you. It’s nice here.”

“Have you always lived here?”

“Oh yes. Ever since I left Cloudsdale.”

“Where’s that?”

“It’s one of the Pegasus cities. Where I grew up.”

“Oh. I grew up in near the Lost Woods in my land. It’s a dark place with a few monsters and lots of creatures. It’s easy to get lost.”

Fluttershy shivered. “Oh, my. That sounds just like the Everfree Forest. It’s dark and scary there.”

“Where is it?”

Fluttershy glanced out the window. “Over there, just past the fence.”

Connor looked. Sure enough, there was a large forest, much darker and denser than the one he had passed through on his way to the cottage. The trees were so bunched together that the darkness beyond them seemed impenetrable.

“Wow. Why do you live so close?”

“Oh, well, it’s where the animals are. I’ve only been inside a couple of times.”

Connor nodded. “I only went into the Lost Woods when I needed to.”

“Oh, yes. Can you tell me about your home?”

“What do you want to hear?”

“Oh, absolutely everything!”

“Well….”

*** *** ***

Chapter 3

Connor stretched out on the couch. Fluttershy had offered him her bed, but he wouldn’t allow her to give it up. Plus, he fit better on the couch; pony beds weren’t as big as human beds. No, he was fine on the couch. He would have been fine on the floor, too, because all he could do was smile. The yellow mare he had met just hours ago had completely engulfed his mind, and he found himself forgetting about getting home to Hyrule for long stretches of time. Now, as the moon rose and the birds fell quiet, he felt comfortable knowing that she slept nearby, just up the stairs. He closed his eyes and let the events of the day wash over him as he fell into a deep sleep.

….A sleep which was broken most abruptly an unknown time later. It was still dark, the moon still hung in the sky, and yet Connor was on his feet, crouching, feeling adrenaline coursing through his veins. Why was he up? What had happened….?

There! It came again. A feminine scream. Connor knew of only one individual around that would be making that sound. He looked around wildly, a third scream forcing his head to turn even faster and his heart to beat at triple its normal rate. He concluded that the sound was coming from outside the cottage, and, snatching up his sword, he charged out of the small house.

Coming outside, he glanced over to see Fluttershy backing away from a red monster waving a large machete. The creature was stalking toward her, its beady black eyes filled with malice and glee as it closed the distance between it and its victim.

Bellowing, Connor charged the brute, hoping to distract it from Fluttershy. He was successful in this, and the monster turned to see him running full tilt at it, sword at the ready. The red beast gave a screech, and turned to face him, waving its machete threateningly. Connor, however, had recognized it and its kind. …Bokoblins? Here? His thoughts ran wild, but he had no time to meditate on them now. He had reached the enemy, and brought his blade up to meet the other as it sliced toward him sideways. Having forgotten to grab his shield, he was stuck with parrying without it.

The beast, surprised Connor wasn’t in two pieces, tried again, a fierce downwards cut that would have caught Connor right on the shoulder had he not blocked it with his own blade. He then took advantage of the enemy’s position (who had stopped, confused again) and brought his sword down in a diagonal slash that took the beast across the chest and knocked it flying onto its back. Connor knew better than to let it up (a wounded animal was always more dangerous) and took his chance to leap onto the beast, exclaiming loudly and driving his blade into the creature’s neck and through it into the ground below. The Bokoblin fell still, and then disintegrated briefly into black dust which blew away into the night.

Connor remained kneeling where he was for a second, catching his breath. The danger was over; the adrenaline began to drain from his system, and his heartbeat began to slow. He rose, leaving his sword partially submerged into the ground where it was, and looked around.

He caught sight of Fluttershy, trembling by the small chicken coop she kept. Connor approached her carefully, seeing the fear still in her large cyan eyes. He knelt down before her, bringing his hands up to her head. After a moment’s hesitation, he began to run his hand down her neck, feeling the soft fur there and letting his fingers play through her mane. Her trembling began to subside, and gradually she turned her head up to look at him. Connor kept quiet, waiting for her to work herself out, and continued to stroke her mane gently. Not that he minded this; he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to stop stroking her soft hair without being forcibly removed from it. Eventually Fluttershy spoke.

“Um, thank you…for saving me… that monster was scary…”

Connor smiled gently and continued to caress her light pink tresses. “No problem. I’ve dealt with that type before. Do you know where it came from?”

Fluttershy had closed her eyes, and moved her head slightly so Connor could continue sweeping his hand down her neck and onto her back.

“Oh, that feels good. Your… hands, you called them? They’re much softer than hooves…” She suddenly realized he had asked a question. “Oh, the monster… Well, I woke up when I heard the chickens starting to make noise, and I flew out to see what was the matter… I found that big dumb meanie wandering around, coming from the forest. When he saw me, he started toward me, growling. That’s when I screamed, and then you came out and....”

Fluttershy paused, reddening slightly. “…You were very brave. That was a big creature…”

Connor felt his own face flush. He was glad it was dark. “...Nah, he wasn’t that big. I’ve seen bigger. But I want to know where he came from; he’s from where I used to live.”

As if they both knew the answer, they turned together slowly to look at the Everfree forest. Its dark depths looked back intimidatingly at them. Nothing else stirred from within the woods.

Connor suddenly felt very exposed, out in front of the treeline. With tremendous effort, he let his hand fall from Fluttershy’s mane. He didn’t fail to notice the small sigh that escaped her when he did so, and the slight slump of her shoulders.

He rose to his feet, and beckoned to Fluttershy. “Come on. The chickens are quiet now, and I don’t think there’ll be any more monsters. Come back inside and go back to sleep.”

Fluttershy looked trustingly up at him. “Um, what about you?”

“I’m going to stand guard out here for a little while, just in case there are more.”

Fluttershy began to protest. “Oh, no, you don’t need to do that! I can watch, or I can get Angel to watch, he’ll wake us if anything-”

Connor quieted her with another pat to the head. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. Go back to sleep, I’ll watch your chickens.”

Fluttershy gave him another uplifting smile, and by the light of the moon Connor could see the gratitude in her eyes. He suddenly felt like he could stand out here all night, on one hand if need be, to make her happy. To cover these thoughts, lest they show on his face, he made a show of going over and retrieving his sword from the ground where he had left it. He checked it, then turned to see Fluttershy still looking at him.

“Go ahead! I’ll be fine, really.” He smiled reassuringly.

“…Well, alright. Thank you… Connor.” (Connor felt his feet trying to leave the ground again as she said his name.) Fluttershy gave him one more heartbreakingly adorable look and then turned to go back inside. Connor gazed after her until the door was closed, and then continued looking, imagining her still there. Eventually he sighed contentedly, and turned back to watch the woods, in case anything else tried to come out of it that would try to harm her.

*** *** ***

The next morning, Connor awoke to see Fluttershy standing next to the couch he had returned to, carrying a tray with breakfast on it. He had stayed outside until he saw the sun breaking through the trees, then come inside to try to catch a few more hours of sleep. Fluttershy had found him when she had come down to take care of the early birds. He stretched, and then rose to a sitting position. As soon as he had removed the tray from her mouth, she began to ask questions.

“Are you okay? Are you tired? You didn’t stay out all night, did you? You didn’t have to do that!”

Connor grinned tiredly. “Aw, now, I couldn’t not protect a beautiful creature like you!”

As soon as he had said it, Connor regretted it. What was he thinking? Compliment her like that? He might as well have told her he was… well, nevermind. Stupid sleep deprivation.

Fluttershy, as expected, blushed a scarlet deeper than Big Macintosh’s coat and lowered her head slightly.

In a quiet voice, she said, “Oh… um… Thank you…”

Connor kicked himself again. “Oh, I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to be… suggestive or anything… I mean… well, that is… ”

He stuttered on until Fluttershy looked up again at him, a friendly smile on her face. “Oh, um, that’s okay. I thought you were joking, and I didn’t think you were mean like that.” Her face took on an anxious look. “You weren’t joking, were you?”

Connor felt his heart leap. “N-No! Not at all! I do think you’re beautiful! I mean… yeah!”

Fluttershy’s smile lit up his world, brighter than the sparkle of Celestia’s sun and the white gleam of Luna’s moon combined.

“Oh, well, thank you.”

Connor felt a dumb grin on his face. Shaking his head slightly to remove it, he said stupidly, “Um, no problem!”

Silence descended between the two then, as Connor began to eat his breakfast. To break the awkwardness, he asked,

“So, you’ve never seen a monster like that before? This is the first time?”

Fluttershy whimpered at the thought of the red creature that had attacked her last night. “No, he was the first. Um, why?”

Connor chewed thoughtfully. “Well, I was thinking last night. I came from Hyrule. Then another monster came from Hyrule, coming out of a forest that looks suspiciously like the Lost Woods by me. I wonder if there’s a connection between my world and yours…”

Fluttershy considered this. “Well, it is true that strange things happen there. I’ve only been inside a few times, but I know that magic works differently there.” Her eyes lit up. “Oh! If anypony knows, it’s Twilight! She’s very smart, you know.”

Connor remembered the purple pony from the day before. “Oh, yes, I met her. She said something about helping me, then ran off.” He finished eating and stood up. “Can we go see her?”

Fluttershy nodded. “Oh, yes. As soon as I finish with the animals, we’ll go.”

*** *** ***

Chapter 4

Connor felt the sun on his face and a slight breeze through his hair as he walked next to Fluttershy on their way into town. He had strapped on his sword and shield, in case anything else decided to mistake them for lunch. However, the woods were quiet, and Fluttershy was relaxed and happy as she trotted along next to him. It really was beautiful here, Connor thought. Much more serene than Hyrule. And the mare beside him wasn’t hurting the view either. Connor grinned.

They rounded the next bend in the woods and Ponyville came into view. Having detoured from it yesterday, Connor was quite curious to see what it was like, and craned his neck to see into it.

It was still relatively early on a Sunday morning, and so there weren’t many ponyfolk about. The few they did pass jumped at the sight of Connor and trotted nervously to the other side of the street. Connor smiled awkwardly at most of them, but it was Fluttershy’s presence that made them relax. Everypony knew Fluttershy was afraid of nearly everything, and if she would walk with this tall swordsman, then he probably wasn’t vicious. All the same, the two talked to nopony other than each other until they reached the large treehouse that was Twilight’s library home.

When Connor knocked, the door swung open slightly. From within, he heard, “Come in, it’s open!”

As they entered, the voice continued. “Spike? Is that you? Back from Canterlot already?”

As Connor paused to stare at the vast quantity of books around him, Twilight came into view. She stopped when she saw them, momentarily surprised again by Connor’s semi-frightening appearance. Shaking it off, she smiled at them.

“Oh, hello Fluttershy! And… Connor, was it?”

Connor nodded. “Oh, good. I’m afraid I haven’t found anything of use yet, there’s not much here on two-legged creatures besides bears that like to be taller. But I think if-”

Connor cut in with a smile. “That’s alright; I’m not here for that. I want to know everything you can tell me about the-” here he glanced at Fluttershy- “Everfree forest.”

Twilight looked confused. “Why would you want to know about that?”

“Because a creature from my home land came out of it last night and attacked Fluttershy.”

Twilight paled. “…Oh my. I’ve been in there before, but only once have I gone any farther than Zecora’s hut.”

Seeing Connor’s confused expression, she added, “Zecora is a zebra who lives not far into the woods. She seems to never have trouble with the creatures there.”

Connor nodded, and Twilight continued. “…But I know that the forest goes on for miles and miles. Oh! Hold on, I may have a book here somewhere-” With that, the lavender mare turned and disappeared up the stairs. As she went, she threw back over her shoulder, “You two make yourselves comfortable!”

Connor, who was sure she had more than a book somewhere (more like a couple million), noticed a small couch in the corner of the room they were in. He walked over to it and seated himself, taking off his gear and leaving it leaning on the arm of the furniture. Fluttershy gazed after him, her expression unreadable. Connor decided to try something (he’d already done one stupid thing today; why not go for another?). He smiled gently at the yellow mare and then patted the couch next to him.

Fluttershy seemed taken aback for a split second, and then smiled hesitatingly. She crossed the room to the couch, and climbed up to sit by him, her deep cyan eyes never leaving his. She curled up into a soft ball next to him, and Connor enjoyed the way her tail was lightly touching his leg. He extended a hand cautiously, and, after making sure that Twilight was still far upstairs (he didn’t know if what he was doing was accepted or not; pony manners seemed to work the same as human ones, but he didn’t want to take too many chances) he began to stroke her mane like he had the night before. This time, Fluttershy was not in a state of near-shock, and she closed her eyes and began to sigh softly as he ran his hand down her neck and back up. She began to hum gently, a tune Connor had never heard but instantly liked. They sat in this comfortable quiet for a period of time somewhere between a split second and forever, Fluttershy gradually moving her tail to cover Connor’s leg a bit more than before. Connor was genuinely excited by this; he wasn’t sure what he was doing, but he knew he liked the golden and pink pony next to him…. a lot. He decided to leave things where they stood for now.

As if on cue to ruin the rest of the moment, Twilight began to come back downstairs. Fluttershy opened her eyes and stopped humming, and Connor let his hand fall back to his side. However, he noticed she let her tail remain where it was.

Twilight, who Connor had by now rightly pegged as not being the most socially aware pony, noticed nothing unusual, and eagerly came over to the couch to show them the book she had found.

“Look! It’s called The Truth and the Myth of the Everfree Forest. I knew I had one here somewhere! I’m sure it can help us, it’s got some of the latest research. Your mention of the forest reminded me of something important I’ve read in it that should explain things.”

Twilight climbed up right between the two on the couch, which Connor disliked immensely. However, in the interest of solving their mystery, he kept quiet. He looked at the book held in place by the purple mare’s magic. This was a first for him; though the Apple family and Fluttershy had told him about the different types of ponies and what unicorns could do, he had not until this moment seen magic used. The book seemed to waft gently in the air, and was surrounded by an opaque aura of energy the same color as Twilight herself. Connor noticed this same aura around the pony’s horn.

Twilight, meanwhile, was flipping through the pages at a fast clip, looking for something.

“No… not here…. Where is it? Maybe in the…. Ah ha!”

The pages stopped turning, and Connor saw a picture of a large boulder with a hole in the center of it. Twilight began to read the writing beneath it:

The Portal of Adlez is a large slab of cordite with a perfect circular hole in the middle of it. It is located deep in the Everfree forest, to the northwest. Thought to be left by an ancient civilization, the portal has unusual properties. Unicorn magic is made null by it, and any magic directed at the Portal is twisted and bent around it, almost as if it were refracted like light through water. The hole is big enough for two ponies to pass through side by side, and perhaps three ponies tall. There seems to be nothing magical about the Portal itself besides its curious aversion to magic, and the feeling of dread and evil that one gets while near it.

Twilight stopped reading. “No, that’s not quite right. Hang on, let me see… somewhere at the end here…”

She skipped ahead in the chapter about the Portal. Connor read a few lines here and there, and managed to pick up that ‘cordite’ was an extremely tough mineral, destructible only by large-impact or small, concentrated explosions. The name “Portal of Adlez” was coined by one of the few explorers to push into the Everfree forest and return, and his explanation for the name was nothing more than “It seemed correct. Perhaps a little backwards, but correct in some way.”

“Here we go!” Twilight finally located the section she was looking for.

VII. Legends of the Portal

The Portal has its share of myths and so called ‘occurrences’ over the years. However, the curious thing regarding this artifact lies in the fact that all the myths have one main thread: the appearance of two-legged creatures. Ponies wandering the forest claim to have met creatures who speak the same tongue as they do and. These reports vary regarding how the creatures react to the ponies who discover them. Some scream and run away, some try to ask questions, and some attack at first sight. It is also important to note that these creatures do not always appear the same; there seem to be more than one type of “two-legger”. However, this is just a theory, and no respectable explorers who have ever come to the portal have ever encountered these “beasts”. In the scholarly interests of this book, the authors will regard these creatures as the myths they must surely be.

Twilight stopped reading, and let the book settle to the ground. She and Fluttershy turned slowly to look at Connor. All had come to the same conclusion.

Fluttershy spoke first. “Um, well… now we know how you got here, don’t we?”

Twilight frowned. “No, actually, we don’t. Connor, didn’t Applejack say she found you in one of her orchards?”

Connor was wondering this, too. “Yeah, I woke up in the middle of it. But-” He broke off, remembering his final moments in Hyrule.

“No! Where are you sending him?”

Twilight and Fluttershy looked anxiously at him. Connor continued, unsure of himself.

“Well, before I was knocked out and found myself here, I was attacked by a phantom of some sort… right before I lost consciousness, I remember the phantom screaming at another entity, and a white light…” Connor’s eyes went wide. “I think something sent me here! To…protect me from that apparition? No, that doesn’t feel right… It was my own fault I was in that mess. There’s another reason… I’m not sure. But I think I was sent through the portal and then further, out of the forest, so whatever sent me knew I would be safe from the monsters within.”

Twilight pondered this. “Well, let’s assume your hypothesis for the time being. If that’s true, then what sent the thing that attacked Fluttershy?”

“Well, this is another guess, but before I left Hyrule I saw a large amount of evil gathering in the land. The people were terrified into staying in their houses, and monsters like that one roamed free. However, this came about because of some evil mastermind… there was something behind it all; though the monsters were just stupid brutes, they obeyed something smarter than themselves. I’m sure whatever it was wanted complete control of Hyrule, and…” Connor shrugged. “Why stop there? If there was a portal to another land to control, why not utilize it to enter that world, and take it over too?”

Fluttershy shuddered. “Oh, how horrible. Is that really what your land was like?”

Connor sighed. “By the end, yes.”

Twilight sat, thinking to herself. Finally, she reached a decision. “Alright. This seems serious. I mean, it’s not every day that two legged creatures begin to invade Equestria, right? What did you call them? Bokoblins?” Connor nodded.

“Right. I think it’s time for a letter to Princess Celestia.”

*** *** ***

***Author’s Note: When Twi says “It’s time to send a letter to Celestia”, it often means about the same thing as “AWWW YEAH, SH*T’S GOIN DOWN” on earth. Don’t you think so?***

Chapter 5

Twilight trotted over to her desk. Her assistant was absent, so she’d have to-

“TWILIGHT! Twilight!!!!!!!!!”

A small purple and green reptile burst into the library, yelling at the top of his little lungs. He stopped short when he noticed Fluttershy on the couch, and, more importantly, Connor.

Spike stood with his mouth open, staring at the strange two-legged…thing with the tiny mane on top of its head sitting calmly next to Fluttershy. He would have continued gawking, trying to figure out exactly what he was looking at, had Twilight not rushed over.

“Spike! Spike, what is it? SPIKE!”

Spike pulled himself together. Keeping a wary eye on Connor, he told Twilight:

“Okay, well, I was in Canterlot, and you know how it is there, all the people clamoring for the Princess’s attention- I mean, have you seen them? They’re like-”

Twilight was impatient. “YES, Spike, I sent you there. And I lived there for a long time. I know how it is. What were you going to tell me?”

Spike shook his head to clear it. “Oh, right. Okay, so I was picking up those extra supplies you ordered when Princess Celestia herself appeared right next to me! I mean, she just showed up!!! I don’t know how you magic ponies do that, it’s honestly kind of scary. I mean, what if you just-”

“SPIKE! WHAT DID SHE WANT?”

Spike looked blankly at Twilight. “Oh, well, I don’t know. She’s waiting outside to talk to you.”

The effect this simple, seven word sentence had on the little purple pony was astounding. Twilight made a small squeak and went rigid. She glanced around at the library, noticing everything that was out of place, and tried to clean in every direction at once, resulting in her magic making things slightly worse than they currently were. She galloped around the room, trying to put things back in order, muttering to herself.

Connor watched this display with a mixture of fascination and amusement. He had, of course, never met Princess Celestia; merely heard stories from Applejack and Fluttershy. Apparently she rose the sun every day. Connor had, in fact, never met royalty, as the royal family of Hyrule was often reclusive, and besides he didn’t care much for prim and proper processions. Still, he was put on edge by Twilight’s sudden change in behavior.

Twilight, meanwhile, had either decided that the room wasn’t going to get any better or had somehow convinced herself that what she’d done had actually had a positive impact. Either way, she trotted to the door, magically fidgeting with her mane to make it neater. She opened the door, smiling nervously.

“Princess! I’m so so sorry to keep you waiting! Spike didn’t mention right away that you were here, and then- well- then I- Hi!”

Connor heard a gentle yet powerful voice coming from outside. “That’s perfectly alright, Twilight Sparkle. I’m sorry to intrude on you so suddenly.”

“Oh, it’s no intrusion, Princess! None at all! No, come right in! Please!”

Twilight was practically hopping from her nervousness, and could barely stand still as the Princess entered the library. Spike had gone upstairs, and from the silence above it could be assumed he was taking a nap.

Connor’s first impression of the Equestrian royalty was tall. The princess of the sun was a towering pony, at least two of Twilight high. She nearly had to bend to come through the doorway, and when she was inside, Connor noticed to crown and necklace she wore to signify her power. Then the next most striking aspect of her appearance hit him: her mane.

Celestia’s mane was long, longer than anypony’s he had seen up until now. It flowed down her neck and nearly to the floor of the library, wafting gently as if blown by a gentle breeze. Whereas the manes he had seen up until had been mostly one color (two or so, max) Celestia’s mane was every color between light green and purple on the visible spectrum. Her tail was made of the same royal material. It shimmered and sparkled and certainly gave her the appearance of a goddess, which, Connor supposed, she was.

That realization led to his final shock about the regal pony standing before him. She had wings anda horn. Connor had heard that the Princess was omnipotent, but to have as much power as that- well, Connor was afraid for anypony who tried to cross her.

Breaking his gaze at the princess, Connor glanced over to see that Fluttershy had gotten off the couch and was kneeling with her forelegs bent. Feeling self-conscious, Connor got off the couch, and, casting about for something proper to do, drew his sword from its sheath next to him and knelt on one knee, leaning on his blade. It was a pose he had seen knights in Hyrule hold, and he decided it would be the best thing to try.

Celestia seemed slightly annoyed, yet unsurprised at the show of reverence. “Please rise, both of you. This isn’t a formal visit.”

Connor rose to his full height, which was about the same height as the Princess herself. She considered him in silence, with eyes that seemed to stare into his soul. Connor squirmed under the gaze, but refused to break eye contact. Finally, Celestia spoke.

“You are the one who came into Equestria? Yesterday?”

“Yes, your highness.”

“And you were the one who appeared in Sweet Apple Acres?”

“Yes, your highness.”

“Your name is Connor?”

“Yes.”

“And you are from…Hyrule? With no idea of how you came to be here?”

“Yes.”

Celestia examined him more closely. Moving nearer to him, she gazed into his eyes. Connor blinked. Celestia raised one hoof in front of his face, and kicked him in the stomach with it, knocking him backwards onto the couch and making the world spin.

Twilight and Fluttershy were shocked. Small cries of “Oh, my!” and “Princess!” rebounded from the walls.

“Son of a moblin-” Connor leapt back up, ready to defend himself, only to find the Princess holding a hoof out, to stop him this time, with a contrite smile on her face.

“My apologies, Connor.”

Connor gaped at the abusive royal pony in front of him. Celestia continued.

“…You see, monsters have a way of disguising themselves magically, so their real identity is indistinguishable from the appearance they have decided to take on. In this way my court has been infiltrated before. However, to surprise the monster, and cause a spike in brainwaves-” Here Celestia glanced at where Connor was rubbing his stomach- “often causes the disguise to shimmer slightly, or become opaque, so as to see through it to what really lies behind it.”

Connor was beginning to understand. He nodded, still breathing slightly harshly.

Celestia smiled at him. “You are who you say you are, Connor. I apologize for my actions again.”

Connor found himself smiling back at the white Alicorn before him. “I understand. It needed to be done.”

The Princess of the Sun nodded. “Exactly. Now, I have come to confirm the stories I have been hearing about two-legged creatures in the Everfree Forest. I see by the one standing before me that they are true. What else can you tell me?”

Twilight, Connor, and Fluttershy briefly explained Connor’s appearance, the bokoblin, and the Portal of Adlez. When they had finished, Celestia nodded once more, and turned to look out of the window.

“I see. I had feared this would happen. I will confess I already know of the Portal, but I had hoped to keep it secret for longer. Ah, well, I should have known my favorite student would have dug something up on it.” Celestia smiled at Twilight.

The lavender mare lapped up the praise, and her smile became even larger than when she had first seen the Princess in the doorway. “Thank you, Princess!”

The Princess of the Sun continued. “You see, a long time ago, when I was still fairly new at ruling Equestria, the Everfree Forest was nothing but a regular forest. Nothing strange happened, the clouds needed pegasi to move them, and the plants grew when the earth ponies allowed them to. However, things began to change.”

Celestia lowered her head.

“…I must confess I didn’t know what to do. At first, it was just an aura of evil that pervaded the entire forest, but soon…creatures began to appear inside of it, attacking the ponies that lived there. I sent a few royal battalions to aid them, and without much trouble the monsters were driven back. Then I myself ventured into the forest, to try to discover what it was that was causing this evil. I finally came upon a…. well, I’ll call it a hole for your benefit. It was a hole in the fabric of reality, leading to another land, another dimension. I could feel the power emanating from it. There was something, some force, directly on the other side, that was feeding its power into the hole, into Equestria. I consulted with some of my magic advisors, and, as quickly as I could, encased the hole in the Portal that stands there today. The cordite that surrounds it is the strongest in the land, and the magic that binds the hole is the strongest I could muster. I added the anti-magic incantation to keep anypony from bothering it and possible unleashing the evil again. The hole was closed, and the Everfree forest returned to normal. The battle with the monsters that had happened there faded into history, and only I and my advisors knew of the Portal. When it was finally discovered, I simply allowed ponies to think it was left there by an ancient race.”

Twilight, as respectfully as she could, broke in. “I’m sorry, Princess, but hold on. The Everfree forest has always been odd and unnatural!”

Celestia shook her head. “No, my faithful student. It has been like that relative to you. About five hundred years ago, I began to feel the evil in the forest again. It grew slowly, however, so I left it alone. Because of the slow change, ponies just decided to move out of the forest, instead of trying to stop it. The forest became the empty den of monsters it is today. Slowly, as the power seeped through cracks in the cordite, the magic of the other land began to corrupt the forest, and it began to behave on its own, as you know it. The creatures of the woods were taken over by it, and some mutated to become monsters. Still I did nothing, because nopony lived there, and nothing ever came out of it. The forest was a self-contained cesspool of evil , but it did not spread.”

Celestia turned to face them. “Until now. Now two legged creatures are appearing from the forest in many places, and, unfortunately, they are all of the monster persuasion Connor and Fluttershy had the misfortune to meet last night. In fact, Connor is the only sentient, kind, bipedal creature to appear. I am afraid the entire woods will be overrun, and soon after, Equestria. I need to find a way to close that portal.”

The princess fell silent. Connor mulled over what he had heard. Finally, he stood from where he had been sitting on the couch again.

“I want to help you stop it. This is coming from my land, and I have a responsibility to.”

Celestia looked grave, but nodded. “Thank you, Connor. I appreciate your help. Perhaps, if we can figure out a way to close the Portal, I can send you through it first, to return to your life.”

Connor’s blood froze. The world turned grey around him as he realized what the Princess had just said. Go back… back to Hyrule… Yes, back to his life. Things would get better, he could live by the Lost Woods again, Castle Town would revive. Life would be good.

But… That yellow mare…

Connor shook off the thoughts that were warring in his brain, and spoke to the Princess again.

“We’ll see. The first thing is to find out how to close it.”

The Princess agreed, then turned to go. “I need to return to Canterlot now, I must gather soldiers. Luckily, I know where the Portal is, so we won’t have to travel overland through the forest; we can fly there. Still, I don’t know how many monsters there may be, especially around the Portal, and we will need protection. I shall return to collect you shortly, at Fluttershy’s cottage, if possible.”

Connor acquiesced, and the Princess took her leave. Connor sighed and turned to the mares still standing next to him, and spoke to Fluttershy.

“Would you like to go now? I suppose I need to get back to your cottage to await the Princess, and I would feel much better if you would come with me so I could be sure of your safety.”

Fluttershy, unexplainably downcast, nodded silently. Connor turned to Twilight, and thanked her for her hospitality and her help in everything. Twilight nodded, and then her eyes sparked.

“Oh! I almost forgot! I wonder if the Princess will need the Elements of Harmony for this! I should ask her!”

The purple pony ran out after the alicorn, leaving Fluttershy and Connor alone. The yellow beauty was still dejected, and even her pink mane seemed a shade darker than usual. Connor reached down to stroke her mane, and smiled at her, prompting a small smile in return. Still, the walk back to the cottage was mostly silent and uneventful, and Connor wondered where he had gone wrong with the pony.

*** *** ***

Chapter 6

Upon reaching the cottage, Connor and Fluttershy entered and found Angel napping in a ray of sunlight. He woke when they opened the door, and, after giving them a rude look, hopped away to sleep upstairs. Connor closed the door behind him, letting it shut with the smallest whisper. He turned to see Fluttershy standing in the middle of the room looking at him with her deep cyan eyes, part of her face obscured by her mane. She still seemed doleful, but determined to get through it.

“Um… is there anything I can get for you before you go? Something to eat, or drink, or something you might need?”

Connor thought. “Hmmm… would you happen to have a canteen of water I could take with me?”

Fluttershy nodded quickly and went to her kitchen to fetch it. Connor looked around the small cottage, missing it already. Just one day here, and he had already come to love it….

The golden mare flew gently back into the room, a canteen with a rudely fashioned strap attached to it held in her mouth. After depositing it carefully in his hand, she said,

“I hope the strap fits. That’s designed to be carried in saddlebags, and since you don’t have those, I tried to make it fit your height. You’re very tall, you know. And handsome.” Fluttershy blushed. “I mean, for a two-legged creature- I mean- um, you’re very nice...” She trailed off, looking down and her mane falling once again in front of her face.

Connor put the strap around him, and knelt in front of the pony. He brushed her mane out to the side, and, delicately holding her face in his hands, gazed into her eyes. Slowly and gently, he said,

“I like you too, Fluttershy. You’re the nicest pony I know, and the most graceful and beautiful thing I’ve ever met. I-” Connor bit his lip, holding back what he almost said. Fluttershy looked imploringly at him.

“… And I’m going to miss you.”

Fluttershy blinked, then nodded. She gently licked his cheek, and Connor put his arms around her. He thought it might have been odd, but she seemed to fit very well into a hug.

From outside, they heard the clatter of hooves and the whinnying of several ponies.

The Princess’s royal guard and chariot had arrived.

*** *** ***

Connor glanced over the side of the princess’s chariot. Below him, he watched the Everfree Forest rushing by, the treetops aiming up at them like the pointing fingers of an accusatory child. To the left and right of them flew the royal guards, and one small detachment flew ahead, scouting for any signs of danger- or the Portal. Celestia knew approximately where it was, but to actually find it was a different matter. The Everfree Forest did that; it seemed to always be rearranging, without regard for order or sanity. Connor knew the trait well. The Lost Woods had always seemed that way to him.

A lone soldier flew up next to the chariot, addressing the Princess of the Sun.

“Princess Celestia, your highness. We have positively identified monsters moving about through the trees below us. The unicorns in our squadron have detected a significant amount of hostiles. How do you wish us to proceed?”

Celestia’s already unreadable expression tightened. “Continue forward. Find that Portal.”

The centurion nodded. “Yes, your majesty.”

He veered sharply off to rejoin his group. Connor watched him go, then tapped the Princess on the side. She turned to him.

“Excuse me, your Highness, but Applejack told me a few stories about the Elements of Harmony. Twilight ran after you to find out whether or not they would be useful. Are they not? They sound pretty powerful…”

Celestia was already shaking her head. “I’m afraid not, Connor. You see, the Elements of Harmony work so well to save Equestria because they can bring harmony back to the land itself- hence the name. However, in this case, the chaos is seeping from another world, and so the Elements have no sway over it. They would be as much help as a flyswatter in a swarm of parasprites.”

Connor didn’t understand this comparison, but felt that the present wasn’t the time to question it. He took a sip of the water Fluttershy had given him. It was cold and sweet and refreshing, and the sight of the canteen made him think about the yellow mare he had said goodbye too not half an hour earlier.

“….um, Connor? Can- Will I ever see you again?”

“I don’t know. I’ll do my best to.”

Connor shook his head, hard. He needed to get those thoughts out of his head. He had been thrown into this CRAZY world less than twenty-four hours ago, and here he was next to its ruler, fighting to save it. Things change, he thought. At least it’s more interesting than starving to death next to the Lost Woods.

“HALT!” Celestia’s booming voice cut into Connor’s thoughts. She seemed to have the ability to raise or lower her voice to any level at will. One of the perks of being omnipotent.

The alicorn stood in the chariot, looking at her troops who had begun to hover in place before them. Connor braved a look over the front and saw below them a large clearing, with the unmistakable stone arch of the Portal of Adlez in the center, surrounded by red bushes.

Wait, Connor thought. Red bushes…?

Celestia addressed her troops, saying, “We fight today for Equestria, for order, for harmony, and for the triumph of good over evil. Look below you, those of you who haven’t.”

The soldiers glanced below, and a few unicorn horns glowed. Several of the less- self controlled ponies gasped.

Celestia confirmed their looks. “Yes, what you see below you is a tidal wave of evil flooding from the rock structure in the middle. This structure is called the Portal of Adlez, and we are here to stop that wave of monsters, and ‘plug the hole’. I shall take care of that.”

It was true. The ‘bushes’ Connor had seen was in fact the ground, which was covered, flooded, and swarming with monsters. They spilled out of the Portal and spread into the forest, seemingly unceasingly.

Celestia nodded at Connor. “This is Connor. He is a two-legged ‘human’ who will help us. He has nothing in common with the beasts below us besides the land he hails from. He is to be treated as a friend and an ally.”

Connor looked out at the legion of soldiers, and they looked back stoically at him. He took that as a sign of acceptance, and listened as Celestia continued.

“The battle plan is simple. I need to find a way to close the Portal. To do this, I need to concentrate. You will protect me and kill as many of the enemy as possible while I focus all of my magic. Any questions?”

There were none. Celestia nodded grimly. “Then, for Equestria’s sake…”

“ATTACK!” The battle cry rebounded from the soldiers, and they began to dive towards the clearing below them. The pegusi hit first, spreading their wings and bucking the enemies closest to them. The unicorns landed next, carrying themselves and the earth ponies in their magic. All began to engage the enemy, driving them back and creating a space for the Princess to land.

Connor stood up shakily in the chariot. He drew his sword, relishing the sharp snick it made as it drew clear of its sheath. He glanced at Celestia, who nodded as her horn began to glow. Connor looked at the forest floor several hundred feet below him, and placed one foot on the side.

“Jump, Connor.”

Connor jumped.

*** *** ***

Chapter 7

Skydiving was an interesting experience for Connor. He had lived all of his life on the ground, and so was still unsure of how he liked flying. Now he was plummeting towards a horde of bloodthirsty monsters, trusting only the magic of a being he had met hours ago.

Well, too late to worry about that.

As Connor passed the treetops and began to distinguish individual monsters, he rotated his body so he was falling feet first, his sword and shield at the ready. At the same time, he felt Celestia’s magic enveloping his body, slowing his descent enough to cause him to land safely. On top of a moblin.

Connor drove his feet into the pig-like creature’s face, knocking it down, with Connor landing on top. He drove his sword into its throat, then turned toward the Portal. Enemies were swelling forth from it at top speed. Connor brandished his sword, daring them to come closer. Remembering a taunt he had heard in Hyrule somewhere, he opened his mouth and shouted,

“COME AT ME, BRO!”

The beasts heard him, and raising their collective weapons, rushed him. Connor grinned and raised his blade to meet them head-on.

The first creature to reach him received a blade through the neck. A bokoblin charged Connor from the side, and he wasted no time slicing his blade sideways, through the already-dissolving first enemy, and slashing the new one a new furrow in its chest. The enemy went flying back, where he was taken care of by a nearby earth pony soldier. Connor turned back to face the enemies already coming to take the place of the two he had bested. He was ready to slay.

Meanwhile, Celestia had landed safely in the space created by her royal guards. While she could have destroyed the monsters besieging them herself, she needed to concentrate her power on the Portal. Though she had projected quite an air of confidence, she truly was not sure what to do with the gate of evil before her. To destroy the cordite surrounding it would be to open the rip wider, but to allow it to stay would be to allow the seepage to continue. It was a knotty problem, Celestia thought, as her horn began to glow. She carefully removed the anti-magic enchantment and then set to work on the hole itself.

However, the second Celestia’s magic began to touch the Portal, it ceased to spew enemies. Connor drove his blade through the belly of the Moblin he was currently fighting, then turned to shield-bash a second beast and slice its head off with a quick horizontal slice. He stood knee-deep in a pile of black dust that the monsters dissolved into upon death. The creatures were being defeated, and the royal pony soldiers began to drive the others apart, either killing or driving the rest into the forest.

Celestia gaped at the now-silent Portal before her. She began to approach it, then stopped. Something was happening to the Cordite ring. It was bulging, expanding, cracking, and the magic in the center was glowing brighter.

Celestia and Connor both reached the same conclusion simultaneously. “STAND BACK!” and “TAKE COVER!” exploded from their mouths, and the soldiers reacted, without a moment to lose. The Portal swelled once more, then the cordite exploded outward, spewing rock everywhere. The magic in the middle increased in diameter, no longer being held by the unforgiving rock barrier. It grew until Connor was sure it couldn’t get any larger, and then something began to materialize in it. He saw one huge arm, then another, with two armor-plated knees below them. Then the hands shimmered, and an axe the size of one of Applejack’s trees appeared in them.

The Iron Knuckle stepped from the Portal, and swung its weapon threateningly. Connor gasped and took a step back. It was larger than any knight he’d seen before, in fact, larger than any anything he had seen. He had no time to reflect upon this, however, because the Portal behind the behemoth had changed: It was still growing larger, but Connor felt the slight rush of air past his face in its direction and understood that it had begun to draw matter to it, instead of expelling monsters.

The Iron Knuckle glanced around. It immediately caught sight of Celestia, standing with her mouth agape at the monstrous soldier. Connor noticed something odd; instead of drifting down to the ground like usual, the royal pony’s mane was flowing horizontally, right toward…

The Portal.

Connor’s brain finished putting the pieces together, and spit out the finished inference. His mouth gaped wider, then immediately kicked into gear as fast as it could.

“PRINCESS!!!! MOVE!!!!”

Celestia turned toward him, breaking her semi-shock with the Iron Knuckle. Her face was a raging turmoil of worry, fear, and confusion.

Connor was running toward her now, throwing his blade casually back into its sheath. “BACK UP!!! PRINCESS!!!! GET AWAY FROM IT!”

Even as he spoke the Princess of the Sun’s mane was beginning to be drawn into the Portal. Connor, upon reaching the ruler of all of Equestria, tackled her headlong, driving her sideways, and farther away from the insidious Portal. She fell on her side, rolling to her feet immediately, and staring at Connor.

Connor climbed to his feet, keeping an eye on the Iron Knuckle. The rest of Celestia’s force was now engaged in battle with it, though it wasn’t proving to be easy. Connor winced as another battalion was swatted through the air with one sweep of the axe. He looked back at the Princess, who was still stunned.

“I suppose I owe you an apology now, Princess, for acting without explanation. Don’t you see?!! Whatever’s on the other side of that, whatever evil entity, has been waiting for you! That’s why the monsters stopped coming when you touched it; it sensed you! It sent out that thing to keep us busy while it sucked you through!! Whatever it is, it’s intelligent. It knew you would return to it if it meant saving Equestria, and it wanted to abduct you through that Portal, probably to take your powers to add to its own. With the omnipotent ruler of Equestria in its power,it would be child’s play to conquer Hyrule, and since this land would have no ruler, to conquer here as well!!!”

Celestia’s eyes went wide. Connor continued.

“And now, we’ve got to find a way to plug that hole and finish this!”

*** *** ***

Chapter 8

The Iron Knuckle is among the nastiest of Hyrule’s enemies. Covered from head to toe in armor, brandishing a blade heavier than a collection of Twilight’s favorite books, and able to take on an entire force of the Equestrian Royal Army and win, it was a formidable foe.

Celestia had touched upon a plan. “Connor, that thing’s huge. Perhaps if we force it back into the Portal, it’ll create a disturbance in the singularity large enough for me to seal it once and for all!”

Connor nodded. “Sure, like plugging a drain.”

The alicorn frowned. “But how can we force that creature backward?”

This was true. The knight stood well over Connor’s head, and with all the armor it was wearing, it was easy to imagine it strolling casually through gale-force winds without a problem. Not much could make it go anywhere.

Still, Connor intended to try.

“I’m on it, Princess,” he said, before drawing his sword and shield and charging at the creature.

The Iron Knuckle finished off another wave of ponies, and turned as it saw Connor charging at it with all the force he could muster. The monstrous enemy made a sound equivalent to a chuckle in the human language, and raised its axe to strike Connor down.

“NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!”

The Knuckle paused. Something else foolish enough to attack it?

Out of the sky came a yellow and pink blur, flying faster than she had ever flown before. She dive-bombed the knight and began to fly around its head, distracting it. The monster swatted this way and that, trying to stop the annoying pest that was attacking it. One of its massive hands swung sideways, and, while it was unable to catch the elusive Pegasus, it did manage to backhand Connor, who flew several feet sideways, and landed on the ground unconscious.

*** *** ***

“Connor…. Connor…. Can you hear me?”

Connor opened his eyes to find himself floating in a dark purple expanse, with a doorway of bright light before him, and another doorway behind. The darkness proceeded on in all other directions for as far as Connor could see.

The voice he had heard was coming from the second doorway. Connor squinted, and made out an outline of a person coming through the brightness. It was-

Connor’s mind reeled. “You? Why? What?”

The teenager in the green tunic smiled slightly. “No time. This is important. By the way, thanks for stealing my Big Key.”

“Sorry.”

“S’kay. But you need to know a few things. One, don’t worry about Hyrule. I’ve got that under control. My destiny, all that. But youhave another destiny. When you were talking earlier? About “something sending you here”? Well, it was a good guess.

You were sent to that land by the Goddess, to save its inhabitants. You were meant to appear to help them against the other hordes coming. Without you, they’ll fail. The Goddess rescued you from Phantom Ganon and used the opportunity to send you out of Hyrule, into Equestria, and farther, so you’d be beyond the reach of any monsters.

It was hoped you’d take to your surroundings and join them, which you did. You have thanks from higher powers.”

Connor had many questions. “Wait, so the forests… they are linked! The Portal in Hyrule is in the Lost Woods!”

The young man with the strange triple-triangle design on his hand rolled his eyes. “Of course. Didn’t you notice the similarities between them, Connor? You’re a smart person.”

“Alright, fine, but then what about-“

The Hero of Time held up his hand. “No more. You’re still asleep now, and you need to get up. Someone- or should I say some mare- needs your help. This time, you’ll have no more backup. Good luck, Connor.”

The brightness began to fade in on Connor as he was drawn backwards into the doorway leading back to Equestria. The lad turned to go back through the one leading to Hyrule, then stopped.

“Oh, one more thing. Iron Knuckles have a slit in the back of their armor that shouldbe large enough for your blade. A bit of a design flaw, don’t you think?”

The brightness surrounding Connor was now absolute, and his only option was to return to consciousness.

*** *** ***

Sounds revolved around Connor, enveloping him in a cacophony of turmoil. He rolled over on his side and brought a hand to his head, to cradle the throbbing he felt there. He didn’t want to get up; it was too early. He squeezed his eyes tighter shut, thinking, Later….

A high-pitched feminine cry caused him to rethink his decision to rest longer. He sat up and his eyes snapped open. Reality came rushing back at him like a train, filling his vision and brain with the images around him. Everything came into focus, and the memories of the past few hours came on the run, distributing themselves across his brain with the businesslike manner of a good secretary filing papers. He got to his feet. He needed to finish this.

The Iron Knuckle had finally succeeded in capturing the yellow mare, and held her in its giant fist as if wondering whether to crush her or simply step on her. Fluttershy squirmed and shrieked, but to no avail.

Connor, picking up his sword from where it had fallen next to him, pulled himself together. The backhand had certainly put him out, and he was sore all over, but no bones were broken, and he had business to attend to.

“HEY! JERK!! PUT HER DOWN!!”

The behemoth paused, and looked around. It saw Connor, and somehow recognized him as the small being that had been yelling at it earlier. It casually tossed Fluttershy aside, raising its axe to face the Hylian again.

Connor watched helplessly as the unconscious body of the pegasus tumbled through the air- only to be caught by the magic of Princess Celestia, who set her down gently out of harm’s way and then teleported to Connor’s side, careful to keep back. The Portal was sucking things in with greater force now, though it seemed to be focused mainly on the Princess. She kept away from it as she spoke in his ear.

“Its armor is enchanted, any magic used to pierce it fails. Any ideas?”

Connor nodded grimly. “Forget using your magic to fight him for now. I just need you to push him down. Can you do that?”

The Princess of the Sun nodded. “Absolutely. Now?”

“No. I’ll tell you when.”

With that, Connor once again charged the knight, who was waiting for him. Connor watched the axe carefully this time, and when he saw it about to come down, he threw himself to the side.

The axe buried itself in the ground from the sheer force of the blow, and the Iron Knuckle paused momentarily to free it. That was all the time Connor needed to pick himself up from where he had dived and dart around the back of it. He wasted no time in finding the chink in the armor he had been advised about, and, with all the force and anger he could muster, drove his blade in as far as it would go, lodging it up against bone . The titan stiffened, then began to turn, screaming in rage and anger.

Connor dodged again and shouted for all he was worth. “NOW, PRINCESS! FLIP HIM!”

Celestia complied, and the white aura of her magic engulfed the enemy, causing him to fall backwards onto Connor’s blade. The hilt touched the ground and dug in, becoming a fulcrum. The knight’s weight caused it to rock back up on the other side, not unlike a seesaw, now with only the hilt and its head touching the ground.

Connor saw a chance. “ONE MORE TIME, PRINCESS!!!!”

The magic surrounded the giant again, and this time he was pushed backwards to topple onto his face, the blade sticking out from his back with the hilt pointed towards the sky.

This, however, was not Connor’s main intention. What he had intended was to get it closer to the magic link between the worlds. He noticed that the Knuckle’s feet were now just touching the Portal. A tendril of magic reached out and grasped the monster’s leg, then another. It began to be drawn backwards into the rip between the worlds, filling the hole.

Connor realized he was about to lose his sidearm. “My sword!”

Celestia heard him, and used her magic to withdraw Connor’s blade before it was enveloped by the Portal. She tossed it next to him, and then closed her eyes to focus on shutting the Portal.

“CONNOR! He’s large enough! I can close it! Get through it, NOW! I can only hold it so long before it breaks free! You can still return to Hyrule!”

He stood before the Portal, feeling the suck of it on his clothes, and he could almost see the Lost Woods beyond it, and, just through them, his house…. Home…

The Hylian took one step towards it, then another. Then another. He reached out to touch the magic, the energy sending out another feeler to grasp him. He was going-

“Connor! Um…. Don’t….”

That voice.

With a great effort, Connor wrenched his hand back from the Portal and looked around him. He saw Fluttershy rising to her hooves, swaying slightly, but nonetheless awake and alive. Her face was full of pain and longing.

“Don’t go… Connor… Please…”

Connor gazed at her, his eyes filling with tears. Then he glanced back to the Portal, seeing his old life there, his house, his land. His heart filled with indecision.

Celestia broke in, in a frenzy of panic. Her horn was glowing so brightly it was hard to look at.

“CONNOR!!! YOU HAVE TO GO NOW, OR NEVER!!! I CAN’T HOLD IT ANY LONGER!!!”

Connor turned back to Fluttershy. Her eyes were wide, the widest he had ever seen them, and tears glistened under them.

Connor looked back to the Portal, and made a motion toward it-

He kicked the Iron Knuckle the rest of the way into the magic, and then turned from it. Turned away from Hyrule, turned toward Equestria.

Toward Fluttershy.

“Seal it, Princess.”

*** *** ***

Epilogue

The battle was over, Connor thought. The Portal had been closed, and the rest of the Royal Army was fanning out through the forest, exterminating most of the rest of the monsters. Celestia had returned to Canterlot to check to see if any news had come in regarding any stray beasts in Equestria. The clearing was emptying, and all that was left was the heaps of broken cordite. Even the dust the monsters had disintegrated into was blowing away.

Tiredly, he picked his sword up and returned it to his sheath, next to his shield. He walked over to Fluttershy, who was looking at him very shyly. He knelt before her and winked.

“My lady.”

Fluttershy smiled entrancingly. Connor felt he could become lost in those eyes, staring forever into their depths. She spoke back, playing along.

“My knight.”

Connor laughed at the thought of being someone (or somepony)’s knight, and sat himself down next to her roughly, sore from the fighting. He began to run his hands over her mane like he had done before, and this time she didn’t hide her pleasure at his touch. She laid down in his lap, resting her head on his thigh and looking up at him as she sighed gently. Connor felt happier than he ever had in Hyrule. A question occurred to him.

“Fluttershy, why did you come here? And how did you find the Portal? Even the Princess had some trouble finding it.”

Fluttershy looked fairly proud of herself for her accomplishment. “Oh, well, as soon as you left, I felt terrible. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something awful was going to happen to you, and I couldn’t even concentrate on taking care of the animals. After I tried to feed Angel birdseed for the third time, he convinced me to come after you. I talked to some of my bird friends, and one of them thought that she had seen a clearing much like the one in the picture while flying over the forest. I followed her, and I found that meanie knight about to attack you! I panicked, and then I remembered what Rainbow Dash would do.”

Connor had heard tales of the brightly-colored Pegasus from Applejack. “Oh, so that’s why you attacked him! You brave little fighter, you.” He winked again and ruffled up her mane a little, then smoothed it down as she grinned slightly up at him.

Silence fell upon them as Connor realized that this cleared up everything…except the future.

“So… you really wanted me to stay?”

Fluttershy blushed deeply. “Um… well… yes…. kind of…. um….”

Connor smiled and ran his hand through her mane again. “Aw, nevermind, you don’t have to answer that.”

Fluttershy smiled nervously. “Well, um, I’m glad you picked Equestria…”

Connor shook his head. “I didn’t pick Equestria.”

The yellow mare gave him a confused look. “What…?”

Connor raised her head in his hands and whispered into her ear.

“I picked you, Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened in surprise and happiness, and Connor leaned down to kiss her.

Life in Equestria was going to be good.

*** *** ***