The hours had rolled slowly until the wall clock silently struck 1. Link turned to the side and saw Navi pretending to sleep on his nightstand inside the little gold hat he usually wore. With a quiet sigh, he moved to sit on the edge of the bed. "Navi, c'mon. Time to go."

With a cute little stretch, Navi sat up and "yawned". "Already? Aww... I like it in the past. It's peaceful." She gave a glance to the night sky; the moon was shining eerily through the few clouds that obstructed its view.

"I know, Navi, I know. But we have to." Navi gave a muffled grunt of protest, but flew up and handed him his hat all the same. Link collected his gear and strapped it tight. The two of them made their way slowly and carefully to the stairs and down to the main room of the library. To their surprise, Epona sat wide awake on the couch with an empty mug. "I thought you said you don't drink tea."

Epona looked over at him. "It was coffee before it was an empty cup. Technically, it was an empty cup before it was a cup of coffee, then it became an empty cup. You're welcome."

"And how many times did you fill and empty it?" Link asked, concerned.

"Just the once. I'm fine, trust me." Epona looked at him straight on with the widest eyes he'd ever seen on her.

"Maybe you shouldn't drink that either..."

"Maybe you shouldn't make a habit of sneaking out at night," she fired back.

That caught Link off-guard. "That's fair..." He walked over and sat down. "What's got you up so late, anyway?"

Epona seemed to settle down, as if on cue. "You, of course. You're not getting away that easy this time."

"It's too early for chess," Link joked.

"I know, you goof. I wanna talk about where you go." Link fell quiet. "This may take a bit. Can you sit down?" Link took it as a request and set his stuff aside before parking it next to her. "I never got the chance to ask where-"

Link instinctively held up a hand. "No, I'm sorry. I don't know where you went, either." He saw that he hit the nail on the head as she stopped her sentence to frown a little. "I was actually hoping to avoid this question." Link let out a breath he'd been holding. "Ponyville isn't what it is now, and none of you are still in it."

Epona looked confused, but only slightly. "That's one way to answer it. Have you called for me yet?" Hesitantly, Link shook his head no, which was barely visible in the darkness of the room. "Why not?"

"If you're safe, I'd rather you stay safe, until I can receive you. Ponyville isn't going to cut t the way it is now, but I'm working on making it a better place. And wherever you are, I know you're just fine."

"You don't know that. How could you? You never called for me."

"I don't even know where you would go," he argued.

"You never asked!" she almost shouted. The sharpness in her tone made it clear she was frustrated. "I uprooted my life - little though it was - to come here for you, and you've done nothing for me so far."

Link's expression changed to sadness. "You're right. Between everything that's been going on, I haven't had the time to properly sit down and learn about you. But I'm here right now, and I've been more than interested in hearing about it."

"You better not be just saying that." She narrowed her eyes at him, to which he simply smiled. "Fine. What do you want to know?"

"Let's start with the easy question: where are you from?"

Epona shifted on the couch. "it's a small town just north of Canterlot and a fair bit east called Reverie. You're not likely to find it on a map, unless they've got a really complete one. I was born there, grew up there, and recently moved out of there." She gave another sigh, though it sounded more like a standard exhale. "When you called me the first time, I was climbing a nearby mountain, even though I knew the dangers."

"Yeah, mountain climbing is risky business," Link admitted.

"You don't know that mountain like I do," Epona argued.

"Tell me about the town. What's it's story?" Link slanted the topic.

"Reverie? Let me think... Well, there's many different kinds of ponies, of course. And most of them are nice. Some of them are glad I'm gone though." She hesitated a moment. "Reverie itself hasn't been around for very long. Maybe a few hundred years? That's why you may not find it on a map."

Link leaned back. "Yeah, that is pretty new."

"Well, kinda, anyway. Reverie, where it sits now, wasn't there first. It used to be further up the mountain. They moved away because of the dragon they sealed away inside it."

"Wait a sec, there's a dragon sealed up inside that mountain?" Epona nodded. "That complicates things a bit."

"Oh?" Epona asked. "Why?"

Link leaned forward again. "It's that same mountain I have to go up and into. There's a friend of mine stuck inside, and I need to get them out."

"Which one?"

"Not sure, but I can narrow it down to 5. I already recued Fluttershy from the Temple of Nature. So this next temple, the Temple of Temperance, should have either Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack or Pinkie. I'm sure there's a way to determine which one it is, but I haven't found enough to establish a pattern."

Epona let out a breath she was holding. It was still too dark to see much beyond a few inches in front of his face, but he could guess her expression.

"I'll save whoever it is. Doesn't matter." He patted his pocket. "I've been writing it all down, by the way. You're still gonna read it when I'm done?" Epona visibly nodded back at him. "Good. Now, I'm sorry, but I have to go."

"Travel safe." Epona curled up and finally fell asleep on the couch.

Link gave a silent nod, collected his things and left the library. It took them some time to get to the Sword of Masters. Link walked a little slower than he had the first time he set out for it.

Sensing something must be weighing on his mind, Navi flew out in front of him. "Hey Link... I know you well enough to guess when something's bothering you. Can you tell me what it is?"

Link chuckled through his breath. "You know me well enough. Yeah, something's got my attention. This mission we're on... We're making a difference, right? We're making progress?"

"Of course we're making progress. We rescued Fluttershy, you said it yourself. You've got some new powers, some new weapons, and some new allies waiting for you in the future."

"You don't think they'll all agree, do you?"

"They might. With hope."

Link stopped walking. "Even if we end up freeing the other four friends, what guarantee do we have that Starswirl the Bearded's plan will work?"

"You've been second-guessing yourself for a while now..."

"I don't know if what we're doing will be enough, or even if it'll faze him. I mean, he had to have gotten himself locked in the forest somehow... And the strongest magic at the time was most likely the Elements of Harmony. Depending on when it happened, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, or maybe just the first one, blasted him with that rainbow laser hard enough to bind him to a tree. But look at him." Link gestured forward to the darkness. "He's still so strong, even after getting imprisoned here. Imagine how much stronger he'll be when he's free. The Sages might beat him as he is, but in the future, he's already free and I'm 7 years too late to stop him."

Navi flew to his face and dimmed her light. "Link, calm down. I'm not sure I can help get your mind right. But I bet Angel Bless can. Maybe you can ask her to walk you through some healing?"

"You think she'd even want to?" Link doubted.

"Hey, you're helping her out with the whole 'bandit' situation. The least she could do is offer her counsel, right? Especially if she thinks you really need it."

"I'm not gonna play up how much I 'need' therapy. I'm gonna be honest," Link solidified. "It's the best policy, after all."

~~~~~~~~~

Link returned to the future and sheathed the Sword of Masters with practiced ease. He and Navi made their way to Ponyville. After heading through the gate, they walked to Town Hall where they expected to find Angel Bless. Looking through the entrance, he saw her face down on many a stack of papers while the nearby candle was burning its last. The moment he stepped through the doorway, she snapped awake with a jolt. "Ungh... morning...?"

His eyes went a little wide, then looked around the room. "Yeah, about 2:30, actually."

Angel Bless stared with half open eyes at the clock on the wall and growled. "Okay, when you said 'early', I didn't you think meant before sunrise."

Link let out a chuckle as he approached the desk. "Can I ask you for something?" She turned to look at him directly. "I need your advice, or at least your medical opinion." She gestured to the seat opposite her for him to sit. As he did, she stood up. With her magic, she took the empty mug on her desk and went for the coffee maker. "I've been having doubts about whether what I'm doing will be enough or not..."

"It has to be," she replied. She turned a little to have him in eyesight. "We have problems if it isn't."

"I'm not asking a citizen who lived through The Fall. I'm asking a senior officer in Her Highness' Royal Guard Medical Division. Diagnose me. I was to know what the real problem with me is, if there is one." Link almost looked desperate.

Angel turned more fully. "What you're asking of me is to do something I haven't done in years. And this, after a-" she again looked at the clock, "-one, two three, four hour nap. So forgive me my sharpness, but I will be needing at minimum one mouthful of coffee before we get into it." She turned back to the almost done coffee pot. "So give me just a minute, will you?"

Link went quiet with a nod as Angel went about fixing up her morning drink. When she returned to the desk, she took a drink, then placed the mug on it and stayed standing. Angel walked calmly to a nearby window. "Okay. What's going on? In more detail, if you please."

"My friends are in temples across Equestria. When I freed the first one, she gave me a power. It stands to reason that the other 4 will as well. My concern is, that what if, even will all their help, it's still not enough?"

"When did this doubt start to sink in?"

Link hunched forward. "Recently, I suppose. One time, he took another friend of mine. A group and myself went to go save her, but we ended up under his influence. I was spared, but what if it's there, somewhere deep down?"

"Then you wouldn't be sitting there telling me about it... The gates wouldn't let you in, remember?" Link sighed. "It sounds like whatever is going on with you, it's all in your head. Self-induced. But don't worry. It's a survival instinct, and from what I can tell, yours are strong." Link looked down at the table. "Did he do something to you?"

"Yeah..." He folded his hands. "I walked through the portal he made, to find her. We all did, but different portals. In the realm beyond... He made me face my greatest fear. And sure, it took the shape of myself, and he was strong. But the fear was that I wasn't going to be strong enough to overcome him."

Angel's voice quieted. "Oh, I see. His influence isn't magic. He messed with your mind. That's not something people shake off easily. I'm sorry, I don't think just one session is going to help, but thank you for trusting me enough to share."

Link sighed and looked at her. "Yeah." He straightened his back in the seat. "Now, about that group."

Bless started, "That group has, thankfully, left us alone."

"Good."

"Today's the day you hear from them, right? It's Tuesday?" Link nodded. "Okay, good. What do you think they'll say?" Bless asked, sounding nervous.

"I hope they'll join. And, I hope none of them are under his influence. Kind of. I'm not sure if it would be better if they were or weren't, but either way, I hope they agree to join up."

Angel Bless had almost stared a hole through him. "Tell me why, again, you want them to join so badly?"

"They'd be a great help here. If they're willing."

"Is that all?"

"No," he replied quickly. "No it's not..." Bless sat back and, through the dim light of the moon, narrowed her eyes at him. "I don't expect to storm Ganondorf's castle on my own. And while they need a lot of work to actually be useful to me, it's better than sending ponies who actually have a home here." Link tried to word it nicer, but the harsh truth came out.

And the resulting bluntness caused Angel to laugh. She calmed down quickly, but the sudden outburst made Link feel mildly uncomfortable. "Oh, you must forgive me. Of all the ways you could have said that, that way was the least expected. Well, for your sake then, I hope they pass the test."

"Me too," he agreed.

"Which leaves the matter of their weapons." She looked to the spear hanging on the wall. "The swordsman and archer I'm not too concerned about. We have a smith and plenty of material to make more bows. That one with the spear is going to have to get one that isn't military grade. "

"Actually, you mind if I have that?" He pointed to the weapon.

Bless sighed. "You already took the daggers. Now you want their spear? Why?"

"Practice. Also it may come in handy if I'm ever disarmed. It has before."

Bless gave him a look. "Sure. But I better not find out you gave it back to them." Link shook his head. "Good."

"I'm still keeping those daggers by the way. The unicorn assistant I'm not too concerned about either. Which leaves the matter of the whip. To my knowledge, it's a magical item."

Angel downed the rest of her coffee. "Yeah, that. It's a low-level item. It reconnects its severed bits, so you can't really destroy it. There were only a few dozen made."

"I cut it up pretty good, but if it reassembles, then he should still have it, right?" She nodded. "Then that settles that. They've still got several hours. Is there a spot I can sit down in here?"

Angel pointed to a spot near the wall. "Over there should be out of the way enough. But do you mind if I get your help later?"

"Not at all." He stood up and walked over to the spot she pointed at. Once there, he set his stuff aside and sat back against the wall. He closed his eyes and contemplated in internal reflection.

~~~~~~~~~

Hours passed before the sun fired its beams into the room. Link opened his eyes and looked around. Angel had already started her day as she was nowhere near. He stood up, gave a big ol' stretch and gathered his gear before heading out to find her.

Angel Bless had gotten an early start on her day. Within her field of view coming out of the cafeteria, she saw Link come out of Town Hall. The two locked eyes, but only Link walked to meet her. Angel stayed put and waited, making occasional glances at the scroll in front of her held by her magic. When he finally got to her, he gave a wave. "Mornin'," she greeted. "And not a moment too soon. 'bout halfway through my list for the day and I'm going to need to have you take over. I have another list to make, and I'd like to get that done."

"You don't waste time, do you?" He took the scroll from her magic and gave it a look. "'Take note of Chef's stock'. You just did that one I take it?"

She nodded. "Which is why I need to make that list soon. If I don't, the ponies here may run dry, since it takes a few days to get that process settled. And, with at most 6 more mouths to feed, we'll need more than normal. I just hope the farm has as much as we'll need."

Link nodded as well. "Yeah. And even if they say no, you'll have extra for those that are already here."

"Exactly. Oh, and... Do you need a quill?" She offered her own. Link drew his from his pouch. "Nope. Okay. Just, come by the desk when you've got that filled out." She started heading back to Town Hall, leaving Link standing there with a half-furled, poorly-written scroll that barely passes for a to-do list.

"Let's see what else there is... 'Take not of Forge's stock', 'Take note of Carver's stock', 'Take note of Patrol's stock', 'Take note of' ... " Navi paused to try and sound out the word. "Lapi... pidare... rist..." She ran her finger under the word to try and help. "Lapidarist? What's that?"

"I don't know. We can ask her when it comes to that." Link looked ahead, then around to the next destination.

After the checklist's near completion, Link returned to Angel to ask about what that last word was. She chuckle and explained it was a jewelry maker, but the position is for somepony versed in enchantments, not just accessories. He thanked her for her help, got the location of the building and left.

When he stood in front of the half-torn establishment, his jaw fell open. "You've gotta be kidding me... Carousel Boutique, what happened to you?" Even as broken-down as it was, Link still was able to recognize the building where he got his new outfit.

Link stepped beyond the opening where the door usually was and took a slow look around. Navi also gave a look. "This place... It's really bad in here... Hey, what do you think Rarity would say if she saw it like this?"

"I don't think her brain would be able to accept that her fine building has gone through this horrible a makeover. So I don't know, burn it down I guess?" He picked up an old pair of scissors from nearby box. "Whoever moved in certainly did some rearranging."

"Welcome in," a gruff, old stallion greeted. He muscled his way from the top of the stairs to the lower floor. He wore a black apron tied behind his neck and back with some small hammers in his pouches. "What can I do for ya?"

Link cleared his throat and focused on the stallion. "I'm here on Angel's order to take stock of what you've got and make note of what you may need."

The stallion slowly turned his head to the calendar on the wall. "That time already?" he asked. "I s'pose it is," he grumbled. "Gimme a minute."

He walked about his space with a careful eye, mentally keeping track of his inventory. To Link, it appeared that the stallion was simply looking for something in particular, as he never landed his gaze on a spot for more than half a second. As the stallion continued, Link looked at his surroundings once more. The curtains were torn or missing, the fabric organizer - that one piece of furniture that reached the ceiling that held all the rolled up bolts of fabric - was filled with knick-knacks and bits and bobs while the vast majority of everything else was in boxes scattered about. It was truly a foreign place to him.

When the stallion came back, he was mumbling something incoherent, as far as Link could tell. Then, much louder he said, "Well, ain't you gonna write this down, or you gonna 'member it?"

Link's shoulders dropped before he reached for his quill and ink. He set the latter aside and readied the quill. "Go for it." Item by item, and as best as he could transcribe, Link wrote down everything the stallion rattled off. "That's quite the list," Link admitted, holding his quill up and to the side. "But, the others wrote the list themselves."

"'Most others' ain't been alive long enough to got a steel trap for a mem'ry. Them wet behind the ear ponies've got it easy, what with the scribblin' and scrawlin' they does to keep track o' their own stuffs. i's downright ain't right, ya know?" The stallion looked at the quill and scroll. "Ah, but ye'r one o' em, so eh." He shrugged.

Link let the ink dry before putting his things away. "I appreciate your candid reply."

just as he turned to leave, Navi said, "C'mon Link. That list is done. We better get back to Angel Bless before she thinks we've been gone too long."

"Jus' a minute, fella. That little lady just call you 'Link'?" Link turned back at him and gave a single nod. "You wait right here." The stallion quick-turned and walked off. He started rummaging through box after box trying to find something. That time for sure, Link thought he was searching for something. "See, when I moved in here, I had to do a great deal o' siftin' an' sortin'." The stallion returned with a little felt black box. "This little guy was tucked away in a secure bigger box what needed a key. Didn't find no key, but I managed to fiddle it open and that there was inside it. Along with a little written note that said 'To Link'. And that's you, so here ya go."

By request, Link took the black box in his hand and gave it a once-over. This has to be from Rarity. Nopony else would prepare something like this. When he lifted the lid, he saw the coolest red earrings he'd ever seen. They were circular, though no bigger round than the tip of his index finger for the hole. Around each earring were what looked like red spikes. From their weight, Link estimated them to be no different to the ones he's already wearing. "Was there anything about what they were for?"

The stallion shook his head. "At any rate, their magic should help out somewhat. Even if'n red ain't your color."

"I'm sorry, magic?" Link looked at them again, that time with the gift he got from Fluttershy. Sure enough, they were filled with magic that shifted between a light purple and a deep red. "Hmm... And it does... what, exactly?"

"Them's'll protect against powerful heats. Strong magic, they's got." The stallion gave a toothy smile.

"I'll be sure to put these to good use." Link tucked the box of earrings away into his pouch. "Thanks again. I'll get that list back to Angel. I was actually headed there since you were the last stop on my trip."

"Ah, be seein' ya then." The stallion waved Link off before heading back up the stairs.

Link left the building as he said he would and returned to Town Hall. He knocked on the door before entering. "Hey, I'm back." He set his gear to the side of the desk and asked, "How long has that stallion been working on jewelry and such?"

"Longer than I've been alive," she replied. "Made sure I knew it too. Why?"

"Just curious. Anyway, here you go." He handed over the completed list and any extra information he had.

Angel Bless glanced over it. "Carver needs more applewood. Good news, since the farm should have plenty of that. I'll tack on a note with this shipment request."

"Hey, I got a question..." Link started.

"You asked one already."

"Another question then." Link noticed the silver studs in Bless' ears. "Can you swap out my earrings for these ones?" Link held open the box he was given.

"Sure, but..." Bless looked at the earrings in his ears. "Can't you do it yourself?" He simply shook his head. "Then sure. Have a seat." She took his box and placed it on the table. Angel stood up and walked to just behind him. With her magic, she pinched the bits at the lobes, causing them to click. As she released the pinch, Link felt the earrings fall away. Angel replaced the ones in the box with the ones she removed. He saw that they had hinged open slightly. Again, Angel gave his lobes a slight pinch as another, slightly louder, click was heard. "All set. They're pinch-locks. Whoever made these red ones copied the design from those first ones you had in." Angel returned to her seat as Link reached up to feel them with his hands.

"Thank you for telling me that." He stowed the box away in his pocket. "Just in time, I think. Those guys should be here soon enough."

"Then you better get out there soon." He got up and headed for the door with his gear. Angel stood and headed for the door as well, hesitating slightly before adding, "I really hope this goes well."

Link nodded once. "Me too." He exited the building, closing the door behind him. The two ventured to the south gate. "JJust so we're clear, this... barrier you have on the gates... What do they actually do?"

Angel looked up at the walkway for the archers. "The barrier scans the bodies of all who pass under for signs of Ganondorf's influence. If it comes back positive, it refuses them outright. In either event, the gate lets me know magically that a threshold has been crossed. Doesn't tell me who, but it lets me know it was something with a pulse. If anypony is under his power, then I would need to step out of the safe zone to purify his influence from them, providing they were willing to let me."

"They have to be willing?"

"No, but it would certainly help for their morale."

"Wait wait wait, backtrack... You can purify intent?" She nodded. "How'd you learn that?"

"It was in a book. I found it in Town Hall. 100 Useful But Not Easy Spells by Star Point. I don't remember the number of the spell, but it was definitely closer to the back of the book." Link chucked once through his nose at the mention of that book. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing. Just that... That book is familiar to me. It has the same spell in it that was used to make my pouch. Good to know it's still getting some use. At least now I know why Ganondorf would really want to take down this little, out-of-the-way place."

"Why's that?" she asked, genuinely unsure.

"Because this place has someone who is powerful enough to cleanse ponies of his influence." Angel gave a small nod in understanding.

The two got to the gate. Link walked out while Angel stayed behind. He started walking toward the tree line, glancing along its edge to spot any movement, stopping about a minute's walk from the gate. It took a few minutes, but he finally saw movement from the trees. The whole squad of six stepped out into the open, wearing the same black cloaks he saw them in the first time they met. Quietly, Link shook his head. He stood firm against their approach, careful not to show any aggression with the crossing of his arms.

Then, all at once, with the male earth pony in the lead, the group stopped just a few feet short of him. "Morning," he greeted.

"Morning to you and yours. Still wearing the cloaks?" Link asked.

"Yeah. We had them made for us when we first got together. Would be a tragedy if we had to give them up," he admitted. "But what about you? That gold really is blinding. Sure we can't get a black one made for you?"

"I'll pass, but I appreciate the offer." Link gave a slow smile. Slowly, he glanced to the other five, their faces clearly visible as their hoods were down. As he examined their expressions, he found each one to be relaxed. Not sensing an attack in the slightest, he uncrossed his arms and held them at his side, placing his left on his hip. "Well, it's time. Could I have your answer?"

The members of the group looked silently between each other, unsure of who should give the answer. At the same time, Link was watching their eyes, to see who they decided on.

"Alright. You." Link nodded at the unicorn who stood at the earth pony's side. "What's the answer?"

"We've all decided, to accept your offer and join the resistance," she said slowly. "It wasn't unanimous; 2 of us were firmly against. The other three votes swayed the majority."

Link tilted his head slightly. "Five votes for six ponies?"

The center earth pony raised his hoof. "My vote doesn't count since they seem to refer to me as team leader." He gestured to those behind him. "Your group still willing to put us up?"

"I wouldn't be giving you the choice if they weren't." Link corrected the angle of the tilt of his head and smirked. "I've got a few questions if that's alright with you."

"We've got all day."

"Good. Which of you said 'no' and can I ask why?"

One of the pegasi lurched forward and snarled, only stopped by the stallion's strong foreleg. "You shot me in the wing!"

"Yes, I did, but you shot first. I was in the process of accepting your surrender. I would happily have let you go, even if you didn't fire. And you missed, but I'm sure you can work with the archers here to improve." Link opened his arms in an attempt to accentuate his offer.

"I don't want no help from you or them," she countered, struggling against the stallion.

"Are you at least healing well?"

"What do you care?" she asked, looking back at her bandaged wing. "I can't fly for another week because of you." She glared back at him. "Imagine if you couldn't walk for that long. How would you feel?!"

"Hurt. And wanting revenge. But if you don't join us, you'll never get that chance."

That shut the mare up. She even stopped struggling. She huffed at him and regained her calmness. "Fine."

"Who else?" He asked, looking between them.

The stallion removed his foreleg from in front of the pegasus and raised it. "That would be me. There's no doubt you're a top-class fighter. And while it would be an honor to learn from you, you did break my only weapon."

"Did you know we have a blacksmith here in Ponyville? That shipment you were set to intercept carried valuable ores intended to resupply our smith and allow him to make more weapons. Perhaps you could learn a thing or two from him and make a weapon that could rival mine."

"Well," the stallion's tune changed, "you don't need to ask me twice. I always wanted to make my own weapon. That one you snapped like a tig I bought for cheap on the... well, not from a proper vendor."

Link added, "If it makes you feel better, my sword's a magical item. And we have somepony versed in magic items here, so you might be able to enchant yours how you want."

"Alright alright, you've done enough convincin' me," he shrugged and turned away. The others could see he was almost excited to join up.

"Three to two... Which one of you was the deciding vote?" The mare with the heavy accent raised her head some. "What convinced you?"

"These other sods," she gestured to the two who voted against, "ain't got the good sense to side with' the winnin' team. Ye got heart, an' I'd be a fool not t' back ya!"

"I appreciate your confidence. There's no sense drawing this out. Would you all follow me?" Link about--faced and began the walk back to the gate.

The lead stallion walked quickly up next to him and asked, "well, you haven't met them properly yet, but what do you think of them now?"

"I'll answer you once we all get inside," Link replied, barely glancing to him. When they got to the gate, everypony halted behind Link. "Alright. I'm going to go in there. Then, one at a time, I don't care who goes first, you'll all try and cross into Ponyville. Understood?" Before receiving an answer, Link walked beyond the threshold, stood beside Angel and turned to the group. "Just like that."

"This is some kind of test, right?" the male pegasus asked. "Nothing to it." He stepped forward and through the gate. "Well, I pass. Now, gimme my daggers back."

"Earn them," he ordered. "Next."

Slowly, and with much sideways glancing at the others who had started looking at her, the earth pony mare walked through with no problems. She exhaled a breath of relief as she took the pegasus' side behind Link. "Piece o' cake."

"Good. Next." The leader was next, and he stepped through without a word. "Next." Link kept an eye on that one as he walked behind link to stand with the other two.

The unicorn stallion walked straight up to Link. "You really think there's a place for me here?"

"Let us both hope so." Link offered. "Next." He paid special attention to that one.

The unicorn mare was next. She approached the gate, but stopped just inches from passing through. She had the look of somepony terrified on her face; she had wide eyes, a slightly open mouth trying to breathe steadily and her eyes themselves were darting side to side, trying to find a way to escape. "Come on, get over here," her leader demanded. After a few moments, she took a step backward.

The last one of the group outside stepped behind her and opened her wings, wincing a little and her bandaged one still hurt. Her cloak opened up to show off the wingspan of the pegasus archer. "You're going through that gate whether you want to or not."

"I can't! Don't make me!"

"You chose to do this," the leader said, stepping closer to the gate. Link put his hand out to stop him. "Hey, what-"

"She's influenced by the Evil King," Link said flatly.

"No," the stallion said, looking at her. "You? Since when?"

"I'm not! I swear it! Just don't make me come in there... It feels wrong. Like it's going to kill me soon as I set hoof past this gate." Her shaking eased up and her darting eyes fixed on her leader. "I'm begging you, I changed my mind I want to go back."

"No, it's too late for that. 4 of us are here, and that's more than two. Come on, we still have a majority vote," the leader reasoned.

Angel stepped up to the gate. "It's me you sense, then?" She lit up her horn.

The unicorn backed up in surprise, toppling over the pegasus in the process. Link thought for sure she'd run away, but she only got as far as 20 feet before she stopped and looked back. His arm was moved out of the way by the leader as he rushed up to the gate, not leaving. The unicorn in response moved further away, stopping about 30 feet from the gate. Link narrowed his eyes as he may have figured something out. He turned to the village with his special eyes and saw that only Town Hall was alight with Angel's magic. When he turned to the gate, it looked like it had a white screen over it. "His magic works by making you believe something that is close enough to real to be believable, or by making whatever aspect of you he wants get reversed, like believing that light is evil and dark isn't." He looked directly at the unicorn. "You want to stay together?"

"I only want to be next to him. I can't leave his side."

"I see." Link walked over to the lead stallion and put his hand on his shoulder, kneeling down to see face to face. "We can fix your friend, but we need you to trust us. Do you?"

"She's not right, I know that. Can you really set her straight?" Angel gave an affirming nod. "Okay, I trust you. What should I do?"

"Get about 30 feet away from the gate. Start backing up." As he said this, the stallion started backing away from the gate. In kind, the unicorn started forcibly walking toward the gate. "Angel, can you purify her from this side of the gate?"

"Only if she's close enough," she admitted.

"She's coming," Link noted, standing up and moving to the side.

One of her teammates approached Link. "Will she be alright after this?" the stallion asked.

"Those under his influence, once purified of it, lose their memory of ever being influenced at all. we'll soon find out just how long she's been entranced by him."

It took a few moments, but the mare was finally dragged to the gate. The leader stopped just shy of 28 feet, to allow some room to move. Angel started casting her spell. The stallion shouted at her. "You promised we'd always be together. I won't believe those words came from him."

The unicorn mare braced for impact, like she was about to get blown away, but the spell that washed over her came as warmth, and spread from her face to her tail. Instantly, she calmed down, steadied her breathing and fell forward, landing right on the line between inside and outside the gate. The stallion rushed over and pulled her through the rest of the way, resting her head in his lap. When she opened her eyes and saw him, her first question was, "Where are we?"

"Ponyville," the stallion answered. "And we're safe here."

"I see... And... who are they?" she gestured to Link and Angel... and the rest of the team. The last member had also walked through to stand at her side.

"You don't know these ponies?" Link asked, looking around. "Well, guess he's been in your head since before the 6 of you got together."

"Which is strange, since we came straight out of Canterlot with these guys. We'll figure this out," the leader affirmed.

"I trust you," she confirmed. "I may not trust them, but I trust you."

"You don't have to trust them. I trust them. That should be enough. For now." The leader stood up and helped her to her hooves. The two looked at Link. "Can't thank you enough for everything you've done so far." He looked at her. "I'll tell you later."

"Hope so. I feel like there's a lot I missed."

Link raised his hands and stretched some with a little grunt and sigh of relaxation. "Well, I'm sorry to leave you all like this, but I have somewhere to be, and not a whole lot of time to make it there." He looked down at Angel. "Mind if I say something back in your office?" She shook her head and they all made their way to Town Hall. Angel invited only Link inside, making the other 6 stand on the lawn.

Before Angel even made it to her chair, Link said, "I recall you said something about the mining ponies going missing. Know anything else about it?"

"Nope. All we know, or knew, was that they disappeared from their village and nopony's heard from them since."

"Right... Well, that's settled." Link let her have her seat before continuing. "Next, I recently learned how to teleport. Is there a spot I can use as an anchor to return to here?"

"I don't follow."

Link tried again. "There are a few methods of teleporting, you know that much, right?" Angel Bless nodded slowly. "I don't know their names, but basically the most costly is pointing at a map dot that isn't from memory or somewhere you've been before. The second most expensive is to a place from memory. I imagine the clearer the memory, the less it would cost. And the cheapest, for you, is a place within line of sight. Simple here-to-there spellcast." He held up his index finger. "I can do a fourth kind. See, I'm able to insert my teleport magic into an object, and so long as that object retains my spell, I can return to it whenever I want. The initial cast, because I'm not that versed in it yet, costs a great deal. But the follow-up - the actual teleport - costs next to nothing to cast."

"I see. Well," she gestured to his resting spot from earlier. "I can keep that spot free from obstruction. Would that be alright?"

"I would appreciate that greatly." Link walked over and placed his hand on the floor. Green magic ran down from his shoulder to his palm and entered the flooring. a strange glyph appeared briefly before fading away. "All set."

"What if you didn't put it into an object, like a floor or wall?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"Then the spell becomes vulnerable to dissipation after use. Somepony could come along and move it, most likely, or just get rid of it entirely. At least if it's hidden inside a room that's already magically protected, it should get by anypony trying to look."

Angel tilted her head. "What makes you think it's protected?"

"Please. I saw the amount of magic you dumped into this building. You fortified it enough to basically guarantee no force could come in uninvited, magic blast or physical threat. I'm not that easy to fool."

"I should hope not." She smirked. "Well, I imagine you'll have to get going now."

"Yeah," he admitted. "Oh, before I go, that mining village I talked about?" She nodded. "I'm heading up that way. My friend needs saving. I'll do what I can to find out what happened to those missing ponies, and hopefully get there in time to save them if they need it, but I'm unfortunately unable to make that promise."

"You'd do that?" Link nodded that time. "Well, in that case, if you do manage to find them, could you tell them that I sent you up there to do that part of the mission? It would serve to bolster our reputation with them and put us in better standing."

"Yeah, I can do that for you." He turned to the door, waving behind him. "Well, I better move. She won't save herself." Before Angel could ask, Link exited the building, letting the door close behind him. "I imagine she'll want to see each one of you, so you should decide who goes in first while you're waiting out here." He gave a glance to the leader. "You're probably first in line, by the way."

The stallion watched as Link walked on. "You're not staying?"

"No," he replied, barely turning his head back to him. "I've got work to do," he admitted. He faced forward and once again set out to the mountain.

Author's Note

It's been a few months, but absence is not idleness. I've been getting advice on how to structure the content of this chapter in a way that makes sense to someone who isn't from the fandom. I think I did pretty well. Feedback helps.