Cries of Fluttershyby The Dark Lord LinkChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 4Chapter 1Guided by figures, sculpted in ivory. Place, where absence of life. Does. Not. Mean. Morality. Imagination is one with memory. And memories are so real. Unveiling the mystery. Storm choirs are wailing. Splendid structures. Going out...searchlight. -Vader, When Darkness Calls A dark shadow moved in the dim halls, silently treading along so as not to alert any "suitors" on patrol. The slow dripping sound of water caught the ears of this lurker. A few torches were lit, but the rest were long since diminished. It was cold and damp, the total opposite of the world he was in only days before. A silent sob echoed down the hallway, and the shadow stopped in its advance. Instinct kicked in, and the shadow reached up to place an armored left hand on the hilt of a sword. Silence followed as this lurker listened intently. Drip...drip...drip...drip... All was silenced again, but the chilling air had yet to subside, even as the shadow inched near a lit torch. Sharp, voided eyes gazed with piercing intensity through the darkness. As this figure inched forward, the glint of black steel shimmered from its form. Slowly, detail became visible to those with sight. Long blonde hair in wavy fashion graced this armored shadow's head, long pointed ears twitched at every drip of water that sounded, and thickly armor fitting a design of ferocity and death clung to their figure. A short, tail like hat hung from the back of their head, whipping back and forth in the opposite direction with each move. A long black cape kept the shadow warm in these dreary passageways of rubble and stone as it was dragged along behind the figure, even at full height. Rodents shuffled around in the corners, letting out small "eeps!" to mark their presence. The occasional scratching could be heard from the large insects inhabiting the walls. The dark figure watched the rats scurry about, non affected by his presence. But a small shuffle of iron chains put him back on edge. The smell of blood, dry or fresh, filled his nostrils. Something akin to rotten flesh and the stink of death pervaded the air suddenly. The dark figure pressed his back lightly against the wall, spreading his hands along them to keep from touching a “passer by” who might be walking his way now. The sound of equine hooves slowly treading about close by caused the dark figure's eyes to narrow readily. “...H-hello...?” A very familiar voice called, whimpering and sniffing. The figure's eyes widened with shock, cleaning out his left ear with an index finger to make sure he heard right. “...Angel...please...I...c-come back...” The cracking voice called again, still moving around in the darkness, unaware of the lurker's presence. The figure moved his lips, he recognized that voice. Silently, he spoke the name of that voice...but he was no fool. He dare not call out and give his position away to a hoax. More shuffling, seemingly moving away from the unnamed figure, but there was no relaxing now. The familiar voice continued to sob silently, but what words were spoken were drowned out by the echoes from the stone passages. The dark figure felt anger swell in his heart, to hear that soft and kind voice so wracked with sorrow and grief, pain and loneliness...it was unbearable. But he knew this was likely a test, and he would not fail it. Too much was riding on it. This had to be a nightmare. The lurker forced his own inner turmoil down, and continued his advance. Careful not to step on any of the creatures below his feet for fear of alerting his unknowing companion. Using his hands, he felt along the walls, searching for the end of the hall he trudged in. Wisely, his ears searched for signs of the voice's return, but there was no other noise but the dripping water and the cackles of the torches. He had a lantern of his own to use, but only a fool would unleash that light while hiding from an unknown entity. The unlit device hung lifelessly at his side, barely slapping his thigh as he moved. The voice sounded again, still as sorrowful as ever. Whatever had been the case, the voice obviously was powerless to leave the vicinity. More of the iron chains dragging on the cold, wet floor resounded, approaching the hidden figure. The source of the voice must be incapable of seeing in the dark, for it had not spotted the lurker when it called down his hall. With that in mind, the lurker swiftly, but silently shifted his position from the wall, to a large, thickly beam holding the roof up. The lurker hugged his back towards the damp cement, hand on the hilt of his sword, ready to draw if he was discovered. The voice shuffled closer ever so slowly, blind to the hidden swordsman in hiding. Again, it called out to that name, only to be met with the unforgiving silence. The voice stopped all movement, likely to sulk a bit before resuming its endless search. It cried. A heart wrenching cry. The dark armored warrior used all of his will power to keep from looking at the voice. It took everything he had. And it wasn't easy. “My love...where did you go...? Please come back...I'm so cold...” The voice wept. The dark warrior quietly grunted painfully at the silent plead. He had to get away before he did something he'd regret. Again, he silently shifted his position to another beam, looking to distance himself from the voice. “Why did this happen...? Please...come back...” But he stepped on a small piece of wood from the rotting trim nailed to the walls, letting a resounding crack echo. The sound of chains shifting in reaction to the noise was heard, and the lurker knew the head of the voice had looked up in his direction. “Is that you I hear...? Angel...?” As strong willed as the warrior was, he felt his fear rise. If he was found, it would be difficult to combat a foe in utter darkness. Already, he witnessed horrors here that shamed his nemesis in all senses. At least, what little he knew of his nemesis' dealings. The chained hooves moved towards him. “...Don't leave me again...” The voice muttered, sounding slightly agitated. The dark warrior moved further away, trying to remain as silent as he could, but he was getting clumsy. His armored boots came close to scrapping the stone floor. Such a mistake would be costly to him if he was discovered. The steps increased, seemingly encouraged by the presence of the lurker. The black knight stopped in his advance, perhaps he was making a noise only that voice could hear? He would take no chances, he squeezed himself carefully into a crevice, taking great care not to scrape his armor on the stone. The steps inched closer. “W-where did you go, my love...? Come back! Come back! Please...don't leave...! I don't want to be alone anymore...” Panic and fear mixed with loneliness began to retake the voice. The steps were now right next to the dark warrior, who held his breath. A sniffing sound was heard. The lurker could only smell the same taint that had pervaded a large radius of the voice, but it had apparently picked up on a new scent. “Uh...? L-Link...? Link, is that you I smell...?” The voice called again. “....Link, please save me...! Please! I...I-I don't want to be here anymore...” The voice was now sobbing again, desperate for salvation. Link could only turn his head away, inching himself deeper into the crevice. Mentally, he threw his desire to reveal himself down a deep dark chasm in his mind, but the sincerity of the voice was the rope for his desire to climb back up. The voice kept moving hurriedly around in the corridor, blindly searching for him. A smack sounded, and Link felt a small vibration nearby from the wall. The voice hit itself head on. “O-ow...Why is this h-happening...?” 'She must be blind...' Link concluded mentally. He pondered if it was wise to light his lantern, he desired so much to see what had taken the form of the one equine friend of his who was close to his heart than the others, as close as one other. Finally he decided he had to know what he was dealing with. He reached for his lantern, silently unclipping it from his belt and turning a small shaft on the side which fed more oil into the base. He gathered some magic from the fire goddess, Din, and breathed into the glass, causing a small flame to ignite silently. He held it up, listening intently as the voice moved over to the end of the hall he currently hid himself within. “Wait! L-let me find you! ...I-I can smell you close by, just stay there!” The voice pleaded. Link knew it was a matter of time before it pinpointed his exact position. He must be quick. He left the crevice, his heavy boot steps hitting the stone floor and noisily echoing as he moved further away from the voice. The voice heard the boot steps and gave a weak pursuit. “No, wait! Stay! Come back!” Link hopped over a large wooden beam that lay on the floor, concealing himself within a room and silently shutting the bar door. The voice passed by without knowledge of his change in course. The voice hit what sounded like hollow suits of armor and collapsed with a yelp of pain and fear. It whimpered as it tried to stand, but was incredibly weak and barely managed to get back up on all fours. The rodents in the room scurried from the loud clanging noise, and the idea that his closer friend might be the true owner of that voice steadily consumed Link. He waited until the hoof steps were further away before slightly tilting his head around the corner of the door and raised the lantern. What he saw caught his heart in his throat. There stood a once beautiful and innocent pony with a coat of gold and a main of pink. Her eye sockets were empty, not but black voids and her tears were of blood. Her mouth, toothless and agape, bled. Her neck was encircled by a large wheel, likely a torture device to keep her from slipping, to keep her conscious. Her body was horridly scratched and blood covered her form. She blindly looked from one end of the hall to Link's direction, sniffing. She was blind, for her nonexistent vision had gazed right at Link, but she had not noticed his obvious figure. More blood dripped from her eyes as she sobbed again, dropping to her knees and lowering her head in total obscurity. 'By Oni...' “Fluttershy...” Link muttered ever so quietly under his breath. There she lay, sobbing in the middle of the hallway. Her coat middled with dirt and her own blood, and her mane mangled and filthy. Link would never forget that image before him. Lost in his own grief for the once pure being who held a special spot in his dark heart as his friend, he approached her corrupted figure. His white eyed vision focused purely on Fluttershy's body, funneling to her and blurring everything around her to total ignorance of the environment. She kept her head low, her voice now only a whisper. Her breathing was shaky and so was she, which could have been caused by her time that she was obscured here from the outside world. In his slow advance, she seemed to mind the rodents running around her corrupted form. Likely wishing they could be as friendly as her mice friends back home. At last, Link dropped to his knees, no longer caring for wise decision making. Fluttershy was alerted by the loud clang caused by the steel guards strapped to Link's knee high boots hitting the stone floor. She looked up, not knowingly that he was sitting directly in front of her, mere inches away. Her sobbing continued, for she believed that now she had gone totally insane. Her hope of surviving and reuniting with her old friends slipped away. Link's hand reached up and caressed Fluttershy's crest, the only thing he could attempt to do to comfort her. She gave a small gasp in reaction to the contact. “Hush now, my little pony...it's alright,” Link spoke softly as he continued to comfort her. “...You came back for me... Please...don't leave me again...” Chapter 2Is it because...I have a pair of wings...? Would you be the same... If I shed my pair of wings? -Vader, Wings (for Fluttershy) The rites are drawn...to celebrate, The fall...that never happened. Over. And over...you kill the same god... Whose name, I don't even know... -Vader, Wings (for Link) The tortured body of Fluttershy rested in the strong arms of the dark armored Link as he quietly searched for the exit in the endless maze of earthly stone, her hurt body wrapped up carefully in the black cape of the armored Hylian to keep her warm. She was too weak and blind to walk on her own, even so, he would of carried her still. There was no telling what she had gone through down in this haunted, hellish web of tunnels beneath the surface of the world. And if they were attacked, he wanted to ensure she could keep up with him. Link was busy watching the many entrances to go down and thinking who, or what, would want to do this to his friend. She was likely the most gentle soul he knew, in all his numerous adventures did he ever meet anyone who came close to her level of kindness. He contemplated the many methods he could requisition to use on the one responsible should he find them. Plenty of dark thoughts were entering his mind, and soon he noticed it was getting harder to keep up with them. He stopped his march. This place was trying to throw him into total madness, if he allowed this, he would lose. And Fluttershy would again be alone in the dark, to die a lonely death with no sight and no one to see her safe. … It's amazing how a small, innocent creature like this pony could turn a corrupted soul who's darkness was beyond his own comprehension, that dwelt in a world of eternal shadow for a millennium to change so abruptly. He was once a mighty emperor, a feared king, a powerful warlord who was never challenged for his strength, and a fierce dark shadow so black that the most evil of devils shied from his presence. Not even the three goddesses and all their benevolence could revive the light that was stolen from him by his enemy. Yet this once pure being he held carefully in his arms had reversed a thousand years of pain and suffering, igniting his ebony heart and bringing some semblance of light back. He didn't understand anything anymore. Nothing could ever make sense now. How could anyone ever desire to harm this angel? He felt Fluttershy shift in her position, moaning painfully as she used her sore muscles to try getting comfortable. She never deserved this. In Link's steady marching, he came upon another torture chamber. Perhaps he could find a tool to remove the torture device surrounding Fluttershy's neck. It would hurt getting that thing off her, as he can see several small spikes were embedded in her neck as points where their entry would not cause death, only severe pain. Likely, the spikes were embedded in nerve joints. If Fluttershy lowered her neck, or closed her mouth for too long, the device would constrict and drive the spikes further in. There was a compressor device attached to the metal wheel with a thin piece of wire wrapped around her neck and hooked in her mouth that did this. When elevated wrongly, gravity activated the compressor. He couldn't tamper with the wiring either, or it would activate, at least that was what she told him. For only Hell knows how long Fluttershy has remained awake and standing. Only the Gods knew just how tired she really was. He could probably of guessed if she still had eyes, but the poor creature was robbed of it. And that, of all her injuries and scars, must've hurt the most. Not just physically, but mentally. For the idea of never being able to see again was the worst fate to bestow upon any being. And Fluttershy...was the last being who could deserve such a fate. Link himself would not have the will to live on if he had lost something so precious as the gift of sight. Link pushed the steel cage door open with his right shoulder and closing it with his left foot. His dark gaze examined the layout of the room, taking note of a stretcher in the middle with freshly installed chains. Along the walls, various blades and tools to inflict as much pain as possible were hung. Link took in all of them, searching for something that could relinquish the unholy device around his dear friend's neck. She had not said a word since he picked her up. But neither has he, he couldn't think straight with Fluttershy's condition clouding his mind and judgment. Every now and then, she would let out an “eep” of pain or surprise, but nothing more. The only sound aside from Link's boot steps was her hagged breathing. Link placed the pony down on the table as carefully and gently as he could. “Stay here, I'm going to search this place for something to get that...damned thing off your neck.” “Okay...” Link walked over to the northern end; several sharp, rusty blades for various forms of dismemberment or “surgery” hung loosely. Not one of them looked like they could saw through the metal binder. He picked up a thickly hand grinder, it was bent out of shape for unknown reasons and if he was to use it properly, he'd have to straighten it out. He searched for a hammer of some type, something he could use to bend the grinder back into its proper geometry. A man-sized sledge hammer laid against the western wall. It was massive by all standards and the weight of the bulky head would make reforging the grinder easy work. A vise bolted to the work bench against the eastern wall beckoned Link to use it as a grip, giving him the ability to use the hammer with both arms and allowing for more control with his swings. But he needed a furnace to heat up the steel paddle so that he could reforge it properly. Only there was none. “I'll need to make a fire, I've found something that could work, but I need to fix it first.” Link spoke to his charge, who was busy looking around blindly as she tried to get her barrens. She gave him a nod to acknowledge his words, but remained silent. He could tell she was traumatized. The more he thought on it, the more anger swelled within him. But he was wise enough to channel that anger into determination to punish the one responsible. And he will. Pieces of an old broken bench and some wooden doors dry enough for burning lay in one corner, hidden in the eastern end of the room. Link gathered as much as he could and placed it in an empty and dry corner. Before lighting the wood, he felt a sudden urge to lock the door. The hair on the back of his neck stood in warning. Danger was close by, he could feel it. But the halls were deathly silent. “Fluttershy, is there something here I should know about?” Link asked quietly as he locked the door and approached the pony. She turned her low head to his direction as she tried to remember. “Y...yes...The m-monster that d-did this to me...” She turned her head away. Link's eyes narrowed. All his mind could think was lock Fluttershy here and rip the halls apart looking for the entity responsible. But he knew that was likely what the enemy wanted him to do. '...If you don't come to me, I will come to you.' Link swore in his mind to the unknown being. Link grabbed two rocks left from the damaged walls and dropped to one knee. He began hitting the rocks against each other hard and fast, causing sparks to fly. It took several minutes of silence between the two and slapping the rocks against each other for a small flame to ignite. Link blew at the embers, trying to raise the flame and make it hotter. The fire needed to be hot enough to loosen the metal. After getting the fire started, Link gathered some dry wood around and added it in. As he waited for it to all catch fire, he sat next to Fluttershy, overlooking the many scars left on her once elegant body. And then he noticed something terribly wrong. “Fluttershy...what...happened to your beautiful wings...?” Link demanded in a hushed voice, horrified to his core. The young pony looked to the small stubs that her elegant wings once were. A long silence followed, with the dark warrior slowly loosing the strength he had for so long. As he waited for Fluttershy to explain, he felt tears in his eyes for the first time in an extremely long time. Who could commit such a crime against the elegance of nature itself? To such a wonder upon his life? “...I lost them...I was...forced to give them up,” She explained nonchalantly. “It was the only way to get free...” His painful tears aside, Link shook like he never shook before. His fists tightened harder than he ever had them. Blood drew from the palm of his hands from his fingernails cutting into his flesh. But he didn't care, all he could see was red. His hatred was slowly consuming him, the need to annihilate the demon who dared to do such an unthinkable thing! They MUST pay! What hurt the most was he was powerless to reverse this all. He had the dark powers of Kingdom and the shadow people at his command, and yet in all that ability, not one thing could reverse what was done. Mentally, he began to turn on himself, why had he not been stronger? How could he let this all happen to her? She was the brightest of his newfound friends and now her life is ruined. “When I was caught, they brought me down here...They...hurt me...” She continued, resting her head against his arm. “I managed to offer a deal, for freedom...” Link had gently wrapped his arms around her form, trying to keep her warm. She was shaking, but not from the cold. She was shaking from the experience. Link lowered his head, letting his face be buried in her mane. The dark shadow loomed about in the room, gathering the many tools it had just finished using. Fluttershy's body was strapped down, her form writhing in pain from the horrendous torture session. Before her eyes were taken, she had seen portraits of Pegasai ponies on the wall, her captor had embedded many numerous knives into the wings of the portraits, showing an obvious distaste for the Pegasai. This senseless hate was not limited to her brethren, but to anything bearing a pair of wings, feathered or not. Stuffed bats and birds hung from the ceiling by their necks, only frightening the holder of kindness more. But her biggest fear was now looming over her once more. She could feel the evil wind of the creature burning her face, a stench so foul her stomach could not hold no food. Broken, Fluttershy could only lie there and wait. But a thought had since entered her mind when the 'thing' was not around. Maybe it had targeted her because of her gift of flight? Now was her chance to find out, for the devil was making sure she did not die after all it had put her through. “...W-why...? I-is it...b-because I ha-ave...wings? W-would y-you stop i-if I gave th-em to y-you...?” A long silence followed, the creature and its clawed hands had stopped working roughly on her injuries when it heard her offer. The only thing Fluttershy could do was pray to Celestia that it accepted. For she did not know how much longer she could take the nightmare. It had put her through so much that she was willing to sacrifice her wings to stop the onslaught of torture. “'Give up your wings, pony, and you can go free' was what it said...I didn't want it to hurt me anymore...so I gave them up. When it was all finished, it drug me away and left me...I-I haven't heard it come around s-since...” Link didn't move. His grip on the pony tightened in sorrow. If he could of given his life, he would of gladly done so to spare her from that experience. How could she live now? Her life will be not but an eternal mental hell surrounding this morbid place. With no eyes, she could not return to her life as the caretaker of the wild. And now, without her wings, she can't return to Cloudsdale. The very place she was born. What would the others say? Could they take this pain? He himself was barely getting by knowing only what her body could tell. The shear idea would haunt him forever. His mind began to numb...his breath grew rough, his grip tightened further. With an expression that could melt the heavens and the underworld in fear, Link raised his head. He only felt one thing now. Not pain, not sorrow, not happiness, not absolution... Just. Hate. Tearing his tunic's sleeves, Link wrapped Fluttershy's legs to keep the wounds from getting dirty. He had no medicine from his home world with him, leaving him to survival tactics to keep her from catching any infections. The grinder had been burning in the fire for an hour now, slowly reaching the appropriate level of heat. He began to wrap her head up, covering her sockets for now they were useless to her. A thin strip from his cape covered her waist and engulfed the stubs of which Link could not bare to look at without busting a hole in the wall with the sledge hammer to relieve his anger. Even then, he refused to show his temper, he didn't want Fluttershy to become anymore uncomfortable than she already was. He had taken his hat off and used it as a cleaning cloth, heating up some water he gathered from the dripping ceiling in a bucket and using the warm water to clean Fluttershy's body. With each eep the pony emitted, another surge of sadness washed over him, immediately swallowed by his steadily growing rage which hangs by a thread now. Another bucket was currently being boiled to ensure purity for her to drink. Her mouth was ungodly dry and she was dehydrated more than than could be allowed. But he had no hay for her to feast on. The most he could do was get some liquid back into her system to help her recover faster. “Link...what happened?” The question caught the dark king off guard. And more importantly, he wasn't sure what she meant. If she meant why they were down in this abyssal pit of despair, he had no clue. “What do you mean?” “The war...who did you fight against?” That was just it, the war had yet to start when Link was brought here. The day it happened, he wasn't expecting it, it felt like a vacuum of dark air, ancient and evil, sucked him up and spit him into some distant dimension where the war either never happened, or was lost. “I never fought in your princess' war. It hadn't started for me.” He knew it confused her. “It was but a day after meeting the dual princesses that I was attacked by a dark cloud. It had a power I never felt before, and was clearly stronger than me. When it engulfed me, I blacked out from the intensity of that ancient-like magic.” He paused as he washed the cloth in the warm water and continued giving the pony a bath. He briefly checked the fire to see it was nearly finished heating the steel grinder up. “When I woke up, I was down here with no knowledge of how I came to be here or how much time had passed. The last thing I remember was leaving the castle and walking through a dark forest on my way back to the gates of Tartarus to summon my army...” Fluttershy's confused expression met Link's blank one. “...But...um...I saw you leading your troops to Canterlot...” Link raised his head from the cut he was cleaning and looked to Fluttershy's nonexistent eyes in confusion. “That's impossible, I haven't had the chance to summon the troops yet!” “If...if you didn't really fight in the war, who...?” She stopped mid sentence to think. Link claimed he had yet to partake in the war on Celestia's behalf, so who else could command his dreaded army? “It doesn't matter. What does matter is I get you out of here.” 'And find the one responsible for this...' He added darkly. He grabbed the bucket of drinking water and set it aside in the coldest spot to allow it to cool before he let Fluttershy drink. He pulled the steel grinder from the fire, it glowed red from the heat. Grabbing the man-sized sledge hammer, Link placed the grinder in the vise and tightened it up. Checking the door to ensure nothing could sneak in, he raised the heavy tool over his head and brought it down hard. But he forgot to warn Fluttershy... CLANG! Fluttershy squealed and jumped in surprise and almost fell off the bench, Link took notice and dropped the hammer. He rushed to her side, scorching himself by accidentally falling on the fire in his rush to reach her side. Ignoring his burns, he wrapped his arms around her in an attempt to silence her fears. His hand passed over her crest back and forth while the other rubbed her nuzzle in soothing motions. He brought a finger up to wipe away her fresh tears. “I'm sorry, Fluttershy, I should of told you I was about to start...” He hushed the pony who was shaking in terror. She finally calmed back down, and Link let her have a nice drink from the bucket, now that is was perfect temperature. He let her drink her fill before he let her go to finish the task that must be done before they could continue. “Ready?” He asked her, receiving a meek nod. She was still drinking from the bucket. Again, Link raised the massive hammer with a great intake of air, and exhaled quickly as he brought it crashing down. Another thunderous clang erupted as he worked, slowly straightening the very thick piece of metal. With what seemed like an hour of work, the grinder was reforged properly and ready for the next step. Miraculously, the teeth of the grinder were intact, but some needed replacing, so the warrior took a chisel and using a much smaller hammer head, began eating away at the grinder after heating it back up to soften the metal. When he was finished with a freshly made grinder in his hand, he stuck the tip into a drain filled with murky water and listened to the hiss that followed. Steam protruded forth from the metal as all traces of the reforge were removed. Giving the tool a quick look over, Link analyzed the device surrounding Fluttershy's neck. “It's done. All we have to do now is see if it will cut through the ring.” He announced. He approached his equine friend who had shifted her black gaze to his direction to show she was paying close attention to his plans. Link sat next to her, placing the grinder down and gently took hold of Fluttershy's neck. She let him look at the device, twisting her neck to allow him to see all angles of the device and its entry points, gathering information on how best to cut it without activating it. Finally, he had seen enough. “If it starts to hurt, let me know.” She nodded. Link picked the grinder back up and gently began to saw away at the top of the ring. She tensed as the vibration irritated the spikes in her neck, but she said nothing. Link continued to saw carefully away, watching as the dust-sized particles of metal fell around Fluttershy's coat, Link's lap, and the bench they sat on. Slowly, the grinder ate away, eventually reaching the middle of the ring's outer line. Link wanted to quicken his pace, for he sensed she was feeling a little pain from the grinding and wanted to get it done faster. Suddenly, a loud booming slam resounded down the hall, with a snarl and in reaction, Link's left hand reached up and ripped the Master Sword from his scabbard and pointed it at the door. Fluttershy let another silent yelp out at the sudden sound, pressing herself closer to Link's armored chest for protection. Link watched the door in silence with a powerful glare as Fluttershy hid her face in his armor, trying to regain control of her breathing. A large portion of Link wanted to leave her here and hunt down the cause of that noise, for he knew it was the being responsible for this treacherous condition of Fluttershy's. But another part of him demanded he not leave her side. His burning hatred for the creature responsible was slowly bleeding right through his conscious, but his desire to protect the Element of Kindness washed away the river of anger rising in the black lakes of his heart. Fluttershy, on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with the cause of that noise, and she didn't want Link to chase after it. But her fear had engulfed her so badly that she couldn't plead to her protector to stay away from it. Her voice had caught in her throat and her heart was pumping adrenaline throughout her hurt body, numbing most of the pain she was in. Her mind grew dazed at the thought of encountering the abomination haunting the catacombs they were lost within. The lightheaded feeling she was now experiencing was almost too much for her to stay conscious. She held tightly to his armored waist, hoping her action would speak for her. Link was fighting himself back from storming out and laying waste to the halls. His vision was growing red with his rage, the utter need to brutalize the insolent being was getting the best of him. Fluttershy searched for her voice, temporarily forgotten in the face of panic. Reaching deep, she found a word and breathed it in. “D-don't...” Fluttershy barely croaked out, voice wracked by her horror. She couldn't muster anymore than that, there was more to it, but her throat refused to loosen enough for her to speak clearly. Her words did not reach him. Slowly, with his fury in full control, he started to stand, silently prying Fluttershy from his waist. He did not take his eyes off the door leading to the halls. “Don't leave this room.” He commanded darkly. Fluttershy blindly reached out with her hooves as she attempted to regain grip on her friend, but her hooves fell on empty air. The sound of his heavy boots stalking the sound leading away from Fluttershy brought her great fear. The door opened and closed, and a chain was wrapped tightly around the hinges to ensure no unauthorized intruding. Seeing that she could not change his set mind, Fluttershy pulled the cape over her head and lowered herself as far as she could go without triggering the device. Link walked loudly, making sure whatever was down here heard him in the hopes it would come face to face with his presence. He examined all rooms on the way towards the noise, ensuring that he left no stone uncovered. The Master Sword shimmered dimly in the abyssal darkness, providing some light to his search. His long Hylian ears listened intently, searching for signs of life, or movement of any kind. But all he could hear was the dripping droplets, the torches cracking, and the rodents squealing and scratching in the hollow walls. A few bugs flew about, some crawling on his face only to be slapped viciously away. Then he heard it. A grunting growl. It was monstrous in sound, a total abomination of nature. And it was behind him. Link turned sharply and swung, but the blade cut air only and the hall was empty. The sounds of chains rattling across the floor, and a chained door being shaken resounded. Then, a blood curdling scream. “AAAH!!!” ...It was Fluttershy... Fluttershy was breathing heavily as she fell off the table, pushing her self back against the wall and underneath the work bench in which Link used to reforge the grinder. Something was beating on the cage door and it sounded angry. She screamed again, hoping Link would hear her. She had no words left to cry, all she could do was let out scream after scream. The creature at the door continued to beat at the bars, fruitlessly trying to gain entry but the thickly chains Link placed all around the hinges held tight. She could hear the door shake violently, and feel the hateful and evil glare of a pair of eyes on her form. “Fluttershy!” Link's voice called from afar, and she could hear his hasty approach and the rattling of his armor hitting his equipment attached to it. What was at the door seemed distracted by the approaching warrior, and Fluttershy brailled about for a new hiding spot, one which concealed her form from view at the door. She heard Link's running boots rapidly approaching at swift speed, and the creature attacking them moaned again. That was it for her, she pressed her hooves against her closed ears to block out the sound and sobbed in terror. “Fluttershy!” Link ran as fast as he could possible without tripping over his own feet, sheathing his sword to give him extra balance for speed. He reached the door where Fluttershy was concealed safely within, and he spotted a malformed bipedal like creature hidden by total Darkness. The creature was trying to see his approach, but the lack of torches in the vicinity made spotting each other difficult, for all they could see was black outlines of themselves. But he was coming in too fast to stop and draw his sword and begin hacking away at the abomination before him. When Link was in range, he took flight. Bringing the heel of his right boot up to the head of the monster in a crushing blow that struck the chin of the head. All of Link's three hundred pounds of muscle and armor hit full force like a boulder crashing down the side of a mountain. Both of them went crashing down to the stone as the monster gave a howl of pain from the blow, but Link managed to roll upon impact and stand back up. Not wasting a moment, he initiated Mortal Draw and brought the Master Sword down in a powerful chop. But the glimmering holy blade struck the stone, sending debris flying and shrapnel struck Link's face leaving deep gashes in his cheeks, forcing Link to cover his face in reaction. Blood drew forth from the wounds, but the sting was ignored as he lowered his hand to reveal his murderous expression. Baring his teeth to the shadows, Link searched for the creature. But it was gone. There was no trace that it had ever been here. “I will find you, demon! I will hunt you down, to the center of this earth if need be! If it's the last thing I do, I will find you!” Link roared in anger, his voice echoing down the empty halls and back to him. Fluttershy's whimpering reached his ears, his anger subsided at her voice, and he looked for her. She was not on the table anymore, and he couldn't spot her. “Fluttershy, where are you?” Link called. The frightened pony inched her self out and gave a weak “here” in reply. “I-is it...safe?” She asked as Link made sure the halls were empty. “Yes...for now. However. I feel it will return...soon,” He answered, leaving the last part to himself. CLING... The ring had been broken, and now Link could pry it off. He analyzed the spikes to make sure there were no teeth to keep them from coming out, but there were none, luckily for Fluttershy. “This may hurt...I'll be as careful as I can,” Link warned as he helped Fluttershy to her feet. She whimpered as he set the grinder away, most of its teeth now eroded once again. He had spent allot of time watching for the creature's return, but managed to saw four sides parallel to each other on the ring of death as he dubbed it. All that was left to do was pull each side out. There were only four spikes and he managed to separate each one from the other. Before hand, he broke the triggering device and removed a small string that went straight to Fluttershy's mouth and was hooked in. But unlike the rest of the device, the mouth piece was utterly harmless and only served to trigger the device if her jaw was closed. When he removed it, he watched in satisfaction as she sat on her hind legs and moved her jawline back and fourth, up and down in relief. Now she was able to be more comfortable when resting. “Try to remain relaxed so they can come out more easily,” Link instructed as he gripped the first one. Fluttershy took a deep breath and released it. “Rest your head on my shoulder. That should ease the pressure on your neck...” She did as he instructed, resting her jaw on his left shoulder which was now armor-less as he worked tirelessly to break through the ring of death. Taking a breath of his own, Link slowly began pulling the first quarter of the ring from the top of Fluttershy's neck. He felt her tense at first, gulp, then relax again as he gently pulled it free. Some blood came out as he did so, prompting more cleaning before he let the journey proceed. In a matter of minutes, Link had removed the ring entirely and tossed it harshly out side the room. He then torn more pieces from his own tunic and cape to tie Fluttershy's neck with until he got more water to clean the wounds with. One thing he knew was certain now. He wasn't going to make the same mistake of leaving Fluttershy alone again. He will patiently wait for the thing to return, and then like a cat does a mouse... He will pounce. Chapter 3Nails burn and disrupt my skin! Spear touches my heart with its cold... Applause rises suddenly, Now it's time to die...! The soil is soaked by my blood... Lady Death gave me a kiss for goodnight... No pain nor light anymore... Dignity just died tonight! -Vader, Come and See My Sacrifice I had a dream... I was traveling far among the stars, Worlds behind the gate. Where the night is a shield against the light. I clad my wings. I descended, with fire and death. Bringing them fear and pain... Turning their land into my domain... -Vader, I had a Dream The fire cackled a lullaby, letting its own music sooth her troubled soul. Her protector had since given her another bath, washing away the blood drawn forth by the removal of the accursed ring. For the first time in a time she had long since lost sense of, Fluttershy could rest her mind, body, and conscious. Her head throbbed with a powerful headache caused by her insomnia, she needed to rest so badly... Her friend, however, would not sleep. He had lit the torches to keep the room warm for her, and with his sword in his hand, sat next to her. She used his lap as a bed, resting her head on his right leg in an effort to relieve the sore of her neck. His right hand rest on her shoulder, gently massaging the kinks in her muscles caused by the creature's treatment. The door was locked tight, and barred with wooden barricades. The hair on Link's neck had stood again, warning him of impending danger. But for the longest time, nothing moved in the halls. The rodents didn't seem to feel any immediate danger, for they scurried about as if these halls were a paradise. He scoffed mentally at them. How could those rats stand living down here? Did they not know what this pony barely dazing off in his lap had gone through? He damned this morbid place. Everything down here was twisted to its core, like a tree that was warped about in the powerful winds of a hurricane. There were no beds about, at least not in this room. The work bench was full of splintering wood, so Fluttershy could not sleep on it without being hurt. She had enough of Hurt. So for now he will play her bed. It didn't matter to him how much she slept, he was willing to sacrifice his own comfort for her recovery. The lulling sounds of the torches and the dancing shadows upon the walls moving in graceful rhythms were tearing at his subconscious. No, he had to remain awake. He must protect Fluttershy. But he hadn't slept in days himself. Not since he was called here. His strength could only carry him so far before he would have to rest. No one was invincible, and his nemesis was a testament to that. The rats mocked him as he sat there, squeaking their taunts to his dwindling resolve to remain awake. He uttered a low feral growl at them, glaring a tidal wave of knives at them. He hated rats with a passion...they were everywhere. No matter what you do, or how many you kill, they keep coming back. An admirable trait, but one he still hated that they, of all creatures, had. Fluttershy shifted with a split second moan, his warmth providing her a great amount of comfort from the bitter cold dark. Link gave her a small smile, she was stronger than he was. His admiration for her could only grow more, for he knew in his heart that anyone...anypony else wouldn't of had the will to live after that experience. He couldn't live in her “hooves”. For all he cared, she would of made a better ruler than he would. Of all that he had been through in a thousand years, it didn't even touch what she had been through in only what could have been a matter of days. She was a much better example to follow than he was, and he was proud of that. He respected her so much for that. He quietly laid his sword down and reached for the drinking bucket. As he took a sip, his mind wandered back to the forest beyond Canterlot. Was the Dark Shadow responsible for this all? Could it have been the creature commanding the villainous bastard spawns haunting these walls? The lack of knowledge was eating at his patience. He should of spent more time with Twilight and her library. It was a chance to gather much needed information of Equestria history, mythology, legend, and fairy tells; but he passed it up. He felt like a fool now, his naively thinking that the princess's enemies would be beaten back quickly and he could return to the Dark World, erasing his presence from this beautiful world was foolish...he had no desire to taint it with his unholy existence, and now it cost not only him, but countless others and most importantly, Fluttershy. But it seems that even a world as much affiliated with Light had its own Darkness. A revelation he feared, and regretted. From the fire's musical dance, to the melodic sound of the dripping water, Link's mentality began to succumb around itself. Slowly and without knowing it, he drifted to sleep... Link was standing in the middle of a beautiful field of green grass next to a gathering of trees, mountains stood tall and mighty in the distance, piercing the skies with their jagged tops. Cloudsdale hovered nearby, the city of the Pegasai. The only thing that did not belong with this scenery was him. It was so bright and colorful, warm and soothing. A serene voice reached his ears followed by giggling, a familiar shy and gentle voice. Link raised his head in search of it, his dark and borderline-evil armored figure, an eyesore for the environment. The Master Sword was not on him, but it didn't make a difference to the Dark Sovereign. All he was focused on was that angelic voice. It sung a soul calming song, the birds even sang along to that rhythm. 'So soothing...' Link turned around to see Fluttershy the way she was before he was taken, totally the opposite of how she was when he found her in the caverns. Her gorgeous ocean deep blue eyes, the cutest thing he ever saw, admired the scenery as she played with her bird friends, singing with them. Link lost all consciousness. He stood there, mindlessly watching her play, carefree, as if what she had gone through never happened. Her eyes and her wings were there... Is this a dream? If it is, he felt compelled to enjoy it while it lasted before reality reared that hideous head of its. Fluttershy flew around, somersaulting in the air as she had fun with the winged animals. She was so pure, so untouched by negativity and virgin to sin. As she played, she noticed her friend watching her. He looked the same he always did, cold and hard outwardly. But he felt quite the opposite inside. He was on the verge of happy tears at the sight of her happiness. Only moments ago she was dressed in the black rags of his tunic and cape, sightless and flightless. And now, she was the way she should of always have been. Unscathed and untouched by evil and harm. Fluttershy giggled at his seemingly stupefied expression. She hovered towards him, a graceful smile on her golden face. She must of smelt something she was allergic to, for she sneezed a cute sneeze. 'Ugh...my heart...I can't feel my heart...' Link mentally moaned as he resisted the urge to grasp the spot on his armor where his heart would be. Even a sneeze was not limited to her grace and overall adorableness. She hovered in front of him, smiling broadly as the sun illuminated the morning dew-ridden fields. Link raised his hands before him as he always did when she approached. Fluttershy lightly landed into his arms, her extremely light weight not helping his internal damage. 'Why must she be so fluffy...?' She continued to hum her song, watching in amusement as Link's long ears twitched to every note. He pulled her into a warm embrace, trying his hardest not to succumb to his increasing sorrow of what he would have to leave behind when he woke up. The longer he held her, and the more he felt her coat in his hands, the more his spirit cried in pain. '...I think I'm...going to die...' Fluttershy felt his turmoil, and confusion became her expression. “Link? Are you okay?” The pony asked in her gently calm voice. His legs gave out. That was it. He wasn't the black king of the Sheikah, he wasn't the great hero of time, he wasn't the slayer of evil or the wielder of the blade of Evils bane. He was just the child he had always been, Link. One sniff escaped him, he no longer had the emotional strength he had built over a thousand years. Fluttershy had conquered him, completely. He was now reduced to the boy who had left Kokiri forest so long ago to complete an impossible quest. The burden he felt that day was revived and came crashing down heavily upon his shoulders. She did what no one else ever could of possible. She broke Link, the hero of time. Whether she intended or not, made little difference. The king was broken, his soul shattered by her kindness and happy nature. It was all just too much for the warrior, he couldn't hold his emotions any more. It had been so long since he felt something in him this strong, this bond that was forged by her friendship. So; he began to pour his sorrow into her soft, pink mane. Like a river, the warrior let his tears flow for the second time for the same reason. Fluttershy. Link opened his eyes, his face felt slightly wet and his eyes were puffed. He brought his sword arm up to wipe himself, and much to his chagrin, he had bled his sorrow in his sleep. His white eyed gaze lowered to the bundle of hurt gold and pink in his lap. Fluttershy's stomach rose and fell gently, indicating she was sleeping peacefully. His mind reverted to the dream, and his sorrow he mended to hatred. His ghostly eyes disappeared behind the lids, veiling his internal struggle. Madness was seeping through him like a knife through water, leaving no safe spot to retreat to. Revenge was often a foolish thing to seek in his world, but he needed it so badly...for Fluttershy and himself. Her suffering had reached him in ways no one thought possible. Yet her strength held him back from going berserk. Oh, how he wanted so badly to unleash himself upon this world and make anything remotely responsible for the wrongful turn of events, pay a horrid price. However. He knew she wouldn't want that. Fluttershy had always forgave and forgot, something he used to be able to do. Yet even after what she was put through, she showed no hate, just initial fear and of course, traumatized. She was already fearful of her own shadow, now who knows how much she would have to adjust to. He never felt so strongly about leaving his home and permanently residing in a world he did not belong in. If this was not a nightmare for him to wake up from, he would renounce himself of all his responsibilities and become Fluttershy's caretaker. The pony groaned tiredly, shifting a bit to try and wipe her face of the effects of sleep with the blunt sides of her hoof. She tapped on his leg, making sure she was still laying in his lap. Slowly, she sat up with more strength now than she had before her nap. Her long mane obscured the bandages around her eyes and head, her ears twitched to the sound of the wood burning nearby. Link watched her as she lowered her head, still dreadfully tired. “Can't sleep?” He asked quietly. She looked up to his head and nodded. “I keep having nightmares...” Link's already grim expression intensified at her words. This was to be expected though, but he had hoped that his presence would silence her fears. But his presence was not enough. A loud growling was heard from the halls, Link viscously stabbed the Master Sword in the direction of the door, again snarling as it caught him off guard. Fluttershy squealed in terror, it was the same thing that had attacked the day before. She stumbled into Link's chest, hiding herself in his cape again. She fumbled to get behind him, doing all in her limited power to hide. Link briefly glanced at her and pulled her close to show he wouldn't let it come near her. She shivered, her squealing coming out shaky. Link's heart beat quickened with the adrenaline pumping rapidly through him. All exhaustion was forgotten in both of them, now listening intently as they attempted to get an idea of the creature's proximity. 'It must have awakened...or the light disturbed it...' The sounds of chained feet on the cold stone echoed as the creature wheezed. Link's grip on his sword tightened until his knuckles were white, his face twisted in a lethal combination of hatred, rage, and lust for blood. “Is that him?” Link's low, angry voice asked to his frightened friend clutching his chest in her hooves. Surprisingly, Fluttershy shook her head. Link raised his eyebrows in bewilderment. He knew there were other creatures down here all out for their blood, but he had been counting on the creature that did this to Fluttershy to be hunting them. “The one before, was that him?” Again, Fluttershy shook her head. He doubted now if it was hunting them at all, for she wouldn't forget that particular creature. Not after all it put her through. The rattling was getting closer. Link began to think quickly, he had no desire to cross with the creatures below the surface unless it was the one he sought. If this one found him, with his luck it would escape and bring more with it. Odds the king didn't want to take a chance on with Fluttershy around. He quietly turned over the work bench, listening to the creature as it moaned and stumbled about nearby in the halls. Fluttershy was holding on to Link's right leg, whimpering at the sounds the devil was emitting. Link reached down and picked the pony up below her shoulders like a puppy, giving her a quick word of encouragement and placing her behind the wooden structure. He picked up the cape she was encased with while sleeping and wrapped it around her, effectively making her harder to spot in the dark corner, where the light from the torches were not reaching. “Stay put. If one comes in here, don't make a noise. I have to confront this one...” Link uttered low enough for Fluttershy to hear without letting the creature alert to their presence. She shook her head in disagreement, silently pleading not to go toe-to-toe with the monster lurking in the darkness. Link ignored her whispers as he placed the Master Sword in its scabbard and picked up the man-sized sledge hammer. He eyed the head with it, letting himself picture what he could do with this kind of force behind a single swing. The warrior doused the lantern and put out the torches as quietly as was possible. Inching himself closer to the door, he waited for the creature to pass by. Another grunt as he listened and waited, holding the great hammer up, ready to charge out. His heartbeat was surprisingly steady, his breath weary, and his eyes sharp. A shadow passed by, it was huge, even for him. The figure was wide and muscular like, and seemed to possess two large horns. 'What devilry is this...?' The beast searched for something. Moaning and grunting as if it was straining behind some invisible force. Link's eyes slew the darkness with their soft glow, he tried his hardest to scrutinize the beast before him, looking to gather any detail he could to make some form of strength and weaknesses. When the beast stepped closer to the light, but not directly into the glare of the torches, Link could faintly see what looked like pickaxes with single heads embedded in the seemingly overly muscular shape of the monster. One in each shoulder blade, and chains wrapped around the heads with the tail end dragging across the floor. Link carefully undid the barricades, moving the wood to create a dozen barriers in Fluttershy's direction. The chain would prove the most difficult to remove, as it was long and thickly. Carefully, he placed the hammer down, keeping his eyes on the creature as it searched about in one of the rooms. Link slowly pulled the chain inch by inch from the steel bars making the door. Despite the warmth of the camp fire behind him, he was sweating. Anxiety of the coming conflict was clouding his concentration. His hands shook slightly, allot was riding on the coming moments. If he made one mistake, he could be defeated and Fluttershy might be found. He wasn't about to let that happen again. The chain slid free of the door, hanging limply in his grasp. Link wrapped it around his right fist, and lifted the massive hammer with his left. He carefully pried the creaking door open, slow enough to not prompt any noise from the rusty and dry hinges. Link put one boot out side the cell, inching out as silently as a cat. He should strike the beast from behind, and the blow had to be a crushing kill blow. His dead serious face watched the creature as it moaned and stumbled about on some empty storage boxes in the room two doors past his. Link pressed his back against the dark wall, concealing himself in shadow. He moved forwards, stealthily closing the distance between himself and his target. The creature began to turn and almost spotted him. Link almost threw himself into the door next to him, trying not to be spotted. He hugged the wall on the inside as the creature made a noise that sounded like it was startled by Link's swift moving feet. He peeked around the corner, a pair of glowing red eyes scanned the halls. A puffing snort escaped the nostrils of the beast as it watched for further movement. It began to walk back in the direction it came from, Link's direction. This was it. Link held the great hammer up, ready to bring the crushing blow right into the middle of the beast's face, hopefully crushing the skull upon impact. The heavy steps sounding like stomps of the monster grew louder as it approached. Link's heart rate increased in anticipation. He waited for the right time to strike, letting the creature come closer to the door he hid within. And then a giant hand quickly reached around the corner of the door and gripped Link's neck tightly. The warrior king gasped in shock as the strength of the beast was pressing the air from his lungs quickly. Link felt himself lifted up off his feet, his armored boots swaying to and fro, frantically reaching for the ground. Link's right hand reached up to grab the beast's large paw, prying at the fingers. The beast pulled Link from behind the door and held him up before it. The creature appeared to be a minotaur, explaining its abundance of muscle, the devilish horns, and the snout snorting in his face, bellowing the hair that covered his eyes. Link struggled to breathe, its grip tightened and he was beginning to go numb. The great hammer Link held hung limply in his left hand, barely able to keep his grip on it with the loss of oxygen. The creature roared at him. Its glaring red eyes twisted with senseless hate for the living, it seemed agitated further that he had intruded upon its territory. Blood drew forth from Link's mouth, indicating his throat was taking more pressure than it was meant to. Link tried to roar back in defiance to the devil before him, but his voice was concealed with in his vocal cords. “Leave him alone!!!” A sudden shrill and angry scream came from Link's left, he managed to look up in time to see Fluttershy come crashing into the minotaur's midsection, catching the beast off guard. As both the injured pony and the stunned minotaur went down, Link fell to the stone floor. He gasped for air, sucking in all he could and spitting blood out. Anger swelled with him, his rage returned full force as his white gaze began to see nothing but red. Slowly as he breathed heavily, he looked towards the minotaur which was standing back up. Fluttershy was already stumbling clear of the two, her purpose having been fulfilled. Link grabbed the long grip of the sledge hammer and used it to help lift him to his feet. His face now twisted into purest malice, he took the sledge hammer with both hands and approached the minotaur, still on its fours trying to breath itself. Link stole a glance at Fluttershy who was now shaking, her sudden rush of bravery now gone and replaced with self shock. She seemed dazed herself, dizzy from her head and shoulder striking the beast's rock-hard chest. Link reached the foe, he took the handle and brought it under the neck line and pulled up, gripping the minotaur in his own lethal choke hold. Link used all his strength as he pulled up, trying to either cause internal bleeding or better yet, break the demon's neck quickly. He had to hurry, he felt that roar it gave him had alerted others lurking in the darkness. The beast brought an elbow up and struck Link's chest, the impact stunning Link again, but leaving him unharmed due to the thickly armor he wore. It stood, growling as it met his height and exceeded it. Link raised the hammer to make quick work of the demon, but a crushing fist sent him crashing into the wall with a grunt. More blood escaped him as he felt his nose break upon impact. That did it for him. Link recovered quicker than the demon could reach him and launched his right fist still encased with the thick chains straight at the beast's snout. The blow caused the minotaur to stumble clumsily, giving the warrior enough time to draw his sword. 'It's weaker than a typical minotaur, I don't usually fare so well against them...' Link noted, glad for this all, for it was difficult for him to see the beast in these dark halls. Using his right hand to wipe some of the blood that came close to his eyes from his mouth and nose while he lay, Link slashed at the beast. It dodged quickly, throwing a strike at his side. Link put one foot forward to stop himself from losing balance, turning the force into leverage for another strike. The blade came down on the creature's head, but it moved a second early allowing the sword to hit and slice off one of its horns. Ir roared in pain, lashing out at Link in spite and a desperate retaliation. Link managed to avoid this strike, launching his right fist at the beast's chest while putting his right foot behind its to keep it from stumbling. The minotaur crashed back down to the stone, and Link brought the Master Sword down at its skull. The beast launched its clawed foot that would of cut Link wide open and leave his intestines hanging had he not wore the armor. Link was pushed off his feet once again, rolling back until he found the sledge hammer. As the minotaur stood, Link sheathed the Master Sword and picked up the hammer. With a rage-filled roar, Link swung the hammer and struck the beast in its right rib cage. The resounding cracks brought the dark king a sick satisfaction as it yelped in pain from the blow. He sent his left boot to meet the beast's right cheek, then Link maneuvered his heavy figure to bring his chained fist back into the cerebral of the minotaur, using all the force pushing his body as extra power. The blow knocked it out cold, for it didn't move again after it collapsed to the floor and exhaled once. Catching his breath and resting from his painful battle injuries, Link looked around. Fluttershy had been listening to the battle, pressing herself against the stand of a torch to stay clear of the two power houses locked in the struggle. Looking at his bloody hands, Link grabbed the other horn of the beast and drug it into one of the rooms. He searched for a table, there was only one in this room, and it had straps. Link grinned darkly, his teeth red from bleeding. He heaved the minotaur up and laid it flat on the torture table. He moved the beast until its head hung off the table, then strapped its body down. He left, looking for the sledge hammer. Before picking it up, he decided to return Fluttershy to her hiding spot, opting to play it safe. “Fluttershy, I'm coming,” Link called, reaching the frightened and distraught pony and lifting her up as he did before. With Fluttershy safely hidden away, Link picked up the sledge hammer and walked into the room where his unconscious opponent lay. His dark glare burned the unconscious monster's skull, just willing it to be set aflame. He lifted the great hammer and brought it down on the beast's head, a sickening rip sound echoed in the halls, blood spewed from the neck, and the sound of a hammer striking the cobble stone floor resounded. Link left the corpse in the room, its head in his hand and the hammer strapped to his back by some skin mesh he “acquired” from the beast's hide. Link stumbled forward, still very dizzy from the blows he took to his head from those grotesque fists of that minotaur. He supported himself against the wall next to the door where Fluttershy hid herself, using his arm to keep him level. He spat more of his inner fluids that broke out during the battle. Judging by his performance, he comprised that he was getting rusty with his ability to fight. Either that, or just tired spiritually, a thousand years would do that. “Link?” “It's alright. It's dead...” Link answered. Suddenly, the sound of rapidly approaching feet and apelike grunts sounded from the hall. In surprise, Link looked up to see a horde of creatures tackle him to the ground. Countless fists and claws punched and tore at his defenseless figure, with only his arms to cover his head, and his armor protecting his torso. Blow after blow struck his figure, and he grunted in pain with each hit that missed his armor. Massive fists landed on his face, claws scratched at his flesh and costing him more blood. He could feel them dog pile on him, all their weight making it extremely difficult to breathe and refill his lungs with the air they so desperately desired. “Link!” Fluttershy's voice called, he could hear her leaving her spot. Luckily, it didn't feel as if any of the horde was breaking off to attack her. Her voice gave him strength. Something snapped in his chest and his eyes dimmed to the red he tried so hard to control. The swallowing waves of the oceans of his anger came toppling down on him as hard as the horde was attacking. Link's eyes shot open. He had enough. The mental image of Din, goddess of fire, forced itself upon his conscious, her fierce glare commanding him to repel his oppressors. Fire lashed out, grasping his soul with strong arms and hurling his body down a flaming pit of Hell itself. Energy formed in his hands as he grew stronger, enforced by his need to protect his friend. That mental image of Din nodded her head, now was the time to unleash himself. The fire had left his mind, becoming physical and a resounding explosion burst from Link's armored form. Thick walls of flame and hatred spilled forth of his will, consuming and incinerating the creatures with a hiss and a scream from the pressure. The monsters flew back, repelled by the king's will to survive for Fluttershy's sake. Where he once was curled into a ball to protect his unarmored head, Link stood tall and mightily. His hands were raised, afire from the ancient spell that won many of his battles for him. Link charged his dark energies into the flames and created a barrel of sorts over his head. With eyes of crimson red rage, the king threw his balled fists forward and releasing the energy he charged. A funnel of the flames shot from his fist, piercing the darkness sharply and burning holes through the last of the horde still approaching. He heard Fluttershy scream in surprise from the intense heat he was radiating. He himself was sweating harder then he was moments before. Luckily for him, he was protected by the goddess from the fires. Link canceled the spell, seeing his foes defeated and gone, no longer hearing their roars, but smelling their burned flesh. Oh, how he waited for this moment, he needed to relieve this pent up rage. However, it cost him allot, for he now felt too weak to move forward or repel another assault from a horde. And suddenly he sensed another danger, futilely he drew the Master Sword and his black Hylian shield, taking a defensive stance to ready himself for another onslaught. But what attacked was not physical. A deep dark shadow consumed the halls and crashed head-on into the king's waiting shield. In reaction as it reached him, Link swung the evil-repelling sword, but to no avail. He felt himself grabbed by a thousand crudely shaped hands and lifted from his feet. Pain began coursing him as if he was being bludgeoned while wearing no armor. He tried to scream his discomfort, but his voice had left him. Something gripped his heart, the very center of his power was being prodded by cold...ghastly claws. Whatever it was, it took hold of his power, his ability to manipulate the darkness to suit his will... And ripped it from his soul. The dark shadow released him, leaving as fast as it came. Link fell to his feet, his body going numb as his jaw hang open. His now white eyes began to roll up to the back of his head, as the world around him began to blur from his sight. He faintly saw Fluttershy approaching his collapsing figure as he fell back. His head struck the cobblestone hard, quickening his descent to unconsciousness. Whimpering from the events unfolding around her, Fluttershy approached the trail of Link's smell. Looking around in other directions and smelling nothing but the burn of flesh and bone. Her hoof stepped on a corpse and it crumbled beneath her light weight. She let an eep go as she ran forward to her friend. She heard him fall down, the heavy thud and resounding clang of his armor pinpointing his location for her. She felt his hand with her hoof, and received no reply in-turn. “Link...? C-can you hear me?” Her voice fell on deaf ears, for the king had lost his spirit and had slipped to a coma. The cloth wrapped around Fluttershy's eyes grew wet once more as her sorrow reached out to him. She laid next to him, resting her head on his chest which did not move. She pressed the side of her head against his neck, hearing a faint pulse, but smelling plenty of blood that she was sure was his. A tiny hint of breath escaped his nostrils, indicating he was still faintly alive. There was nothing she could do to revive him. She was blind and flightless, and he was heavy and hurt while she was still recovering and not strong enough to move him. All she could do, was wait. Wait for an absolution that may never come, wait for a miracle that may never release them of this Hell, or wait for a death that will only keep them reliving this pain. She rested her head upon his chest, dropping her eyelids as she was still used to having them open. She never wanted this, she couldn't believe how it had come to this. It seemed hopeless now... Chapter 5I have roamed the unseen lands. My body drenched with sulfur blood. I walk Their paths and read Their books, None led to cleanse me... So cursed I dwell in silence. In darkness as my guide... To the next who say: "I am..." And walk His way... Again... Vader – Impure She stirred gingerly, listening to the rodents in the halls, whispering their awakening calls. Her mind was foggy, garbled messages from her previous time before the substitution of sleep had taken her suddenly struck her mind like angry dogs on the offense. Her sadness returned, she felt how cold he had gotten, in fact, his low temperature and shivering was possibly what had revived her conscious. It was scary how sick he had become, she feared his life hung by a thread of will to live. Gently approaching where she sensed his fore head would be, she checked his breathing. A slight wheeze with every breath, greeted her hearing. Hanging her head, Fluttershy cursed her current condition. If only she had her eyes, she could help the king in his escalating fever. But alas, she was blind and flightless. Her vision, once vivid and filled with the beauty of the Equestrian world, was lost to history in the depths of these caverns. It was of the most rarest of occasions that Fluttershy would feel bitter and angry... But this would prove quite justified. An unholy creature had taken her once innocent form and corrupted it. And now, its likely master, has grounded the most powerful being she knew besides her closest friends and the two princesses. The only friendly she knew still alive at this point could very well be dead soon if she could not awaken him. Something must be done, it would not be easy, but a way was there to those with the will. And she had the will, now to find the way... A dark laugh echoed in the depths of his consciousness, taunting, and eerie to the bone. His vision was fuzzy, all light had a tailing trail of some kind like spiritual orbs. A voice groaned, though he could not register that it was his voice, not as he wiped his hand across his hair. A splintering silence had followed, the darkness seemingly vanishing and a modest light prevailing in the endless caverns. With his vision slowly recuperating from the blows he received prior, the detail of the rustic décor and the brown walls of the tunnels greeted him with morbid curiosity. His dark and brooding figure swooned from a dizziness, as if he had too much to drink at the great dining halls of the Sheikah. He felt sick, yet he could not release his stomach's holdings for some reason. It was torturous, his body ached and joints refused aggressively to respond to his commands of movement. No memory of what had happened would unveil itself in his mind as he stumbled into the wall, panting as if he had just ran a marathon with no rest. His chest burned as if flaming tar was poured on the spot where his heart would pulse ever so slightly in the flesh. His mind remained hazed and his senses frazzled, unable to smell and unable to hear. A long and constant ringing was all he could hear in the bowels of his drums. The skin beneath his armor was moist from respiration, dripping wet with sweat. Singeing heat greeted his touch as he prodded himself in search of injuries, surprised to feel nothing out of place. But he knew something was missing from his person, it was not a limb, though. It was not any of his armor, nor his weapons; his favorite hat remained in place as well. No, none of that was the problem. He felt nothing. No emotion, no hate nor love, no contempt nor happiness...he was numb all over, aside from his aching body, his emotions were not there, simply gone. Again, a dark chuckle surrounded him. But Link was too distracted to notice the disturbance in the atmosphere. Boot steps resounded in the halls as Link continued to recover slowly, his hearing began to return, vaguely picking up each step the entity made as it approached him. More chuckles came into hearing distance, just beyond the point of recognition, but evident enough to be known. The king rose to his full height, the boot steps has stopped behind him. He turned to meet the source of the boots, his vision still playing tricks with his mind. With the pace of a snail, his vision steadied as he braced himself against the wall. Before him stood himself, as if he was standing before a mirror. A sinister smile graced the lips of this doppelganger, and another dark laugh resounded lightly in the caverns but definitely not from the silhouette. But it was obvious that the voice was that of himself. Confusion hit the king's first wave of thoughts, what was this? Some trick of the shadow? And then it hit him, what shadow? His memories were creeping back into his mind, subtle enough to escape his grasp but an achievement easily gained through the weakened lord of darkness. The doppelganger waited, seemingly aware of the inner turmoil the king was experiencing and adamantly content in waiting for the former hero of Time to recover completely or at least to a moderate state. The king swayed a bit more, nearly tripping over a pile of rubble at his feet, but the doppelganger reached out, holding the king right-side up. Gradually as Link's vision cleared, more detail became present in this copy of himself. The other Link did not have the white eyes of Erebus, the spirit of Darkness. Instead, Link gazed rather drunkenly into the eyes of his childhood. Piercing deep, oceanic blue, and colder than ice with an edge stronger than steel. It had been a long, long time since he saw his own eyes...The more he gazed at them, the more he felt that they were stolen from him and replaced by the white gaze of Erebus. “Who...” He tried to speak, his voice scathing and raspy, as if he had just emerged from a long journey in a desert world with no water. The shadowy silhouette that took his form seemed more of a ghost now, waves of dark tendrils hung from its sides and waved idly as it stood still, holding the king up with surprising strength. He heard his own voice laughing around the corners. “Be still, lord of Kingdom. Let yourself recover in full before you question what your eyes see and your mind seeks.” For the longest time, she had no clue on what could be done. Nothing seemed to work on him, she tried calling his whole name, yet he did not move. She nudged his head aggressively, hoping the force of movement would awaken him...it did not. She struck his chest, clubbed his head with her hooves, pulled on his ears with her teeth, stomped in water puddles in the hopes that the splashing reached his face. Nothing was working. Exhausted from her quest to salvage her friends consciousness, she laid beside him as she had done before. With a heavy and sad sigh, Fluttershy's weary head sought respite on the king's neck line, her ears twitching to his breath. The cold had returned, forcing her to huddle close to his motionless figure like a dog would its master for warmth and security. She really, really hated the odds set against her. With no way to gain her barrings, nor a guaranteed method of snapping Link from his slumber, she gave in. Letting another exhale loose from her nostrils, the golden pony began reminiscing memories with her friends. She remembered all the times they spent together at the Gala, or partying at Sugar Cube Corner. Among those memories came the times when her shy nature played a role in making her friend's day for better or for worse. She remembered fearing the mighty dragon that took perch in a cave on top of the mountain peaks close to Ponyville, just passed Whitetail Wood. At the end, her courage emerged when her friends failed to remove the creature on their own. Oh how she wished she could be that strong without becoming a monster, like the time when she learned to be “assertive”. She could use that courage and strength now... The king had recovered enough to stand on his own power, though he still needed the wall to steady his heavy frame, the doppelganger had released him and took a step back to look Link over. With his body now stabilized against the rustic yet sturdy wall, Link centered his gaze on the entity before him. “Who are you?” He managed to croak out, entering a coughing fit immediately after words. The spiritual copy' remained silent, but Link's frown grew deeper. The haze and fog of his mind had cleared further enough for him to gain control over his thoughts. With the escalating lack of noise from the image aforementioned, the dark lord's patience grew thin as did his own expression. “Speak!” The spirit simply pointed to the king's chest, letting its voice which was no different than Link's own in all aspects be heard. “I am you, I am that which makes you...you.” With that revelation, the spirit began to circle Link, taking in the details to be sure of something the king could only guess at. With a weak growl, the king forced himself to turn and face the spirit, bearing a heavy glare of warning. Again, the spirit laughed, only louder. “You need not fear me, but you should fear the fact that we no longer are one.” “And exactly why should you and I be one?” “Without me, you are simply a shell to be discarded. I am the gears that move you. If I do not house myself within you, we simply cease to exist. Vanishing from existence will be our fate without the connection that we were meant to maintain.” The king of Kingdom's frown deepened, his brows furrowing in light of the spirits words. “I am looking over you to see if my lack of inhabitance within your shell has begun to erode you as you sleep, the yellow pony at your side and the fabled blade wielded by all of your predecessors, discarded on the cold ground nearby.” “What?” “You still do not grasp it? The answer is simple, Onigami Son. I am the embodiment of the Hero's spirit in which Farore lady, goddess of Courage, created to be incarnated within every destined one's body. Our connection is mandatory, if you are to remain in existence.” Link's mouth hung agape at the spirit's words, disbelief written across his face as everything that had happened began resurfacing from the dark sea of the sleep he was in. Everything dawned upon him, the battles, the quests, the death and revival, to the war that lasted for a millennium and longer still; to the deal, the new world and the caverns to which have put him to the test of Will. Lastly, he remembered defending Fluttershy's hurt form from the darkness that surrounded this place. “Fluttershy!” He suddenly realized that she was no where to be found. In an attempt to search for her, the king took a step forward but tripped on his wobbling feet. Hitting the cold stone hard, he groaned but refused to be silenced. Clawing at the floor, Link drug himself in an attempt to find his friend. The spirit's hands found a way around his shoulders, stopping the king from advancing further. “It's no use, hero of Time. We are standing in a plane where she does not physically or spiritually exist.” At his words, the dark lord stopped, taking a deep breath as his struggle left him depleted of the little energy he retained. He could feel a sudden weakness throughout himself, as if he was nearly dead and dying. The spirit pulled the king to his feet once more, propping him against the wall. “Where...are we, than? And why are we no longer apart of each other?” Link weakly asked of his soul. “The dark shadow you faced earlier, the one that escaped Tartarus and created this plain to which you struggle to survive upon, has detached us. So long as you remain within this Netherworld, you're life is threatened.” Link nodded whilst he regained his breath. He raised his hands to his face, looking upon them with disbelief. He could not feel his fingers, the touch was so dead that it spun him into a dimension of horror and contempt he had never been to in all his long life. Like the void in which the shadow had shown him how it had gotten free, Link bore no weapons nor will to command the shadows around him. His eyes rose to the Hero's Spirit, idly standing before him with a dull, dead look upon its face. “How can we undo this trickery?” “Firstly, you must awaken. The longer you stay here, the more likely your body will simply die in the physical world. Already, your breathing grows more shallow, bringing more fear for your health to the pony you have sworn to protect.” “Is there a way for me to awaken here?” “...Sadly, no. It must be done within the true plain. But, I wager that the holy spirit of Kindness will soon know what she must do. As for how to regain me and all the powers that you once held, you must gather my essence from the blood of the damned. Only then can we be reunited.” “Will I be able to live without you in the true world?” “Yes. But I hold all of the powers from both your heritage and the curse of Ganondorf. Without me, you cannot return to the rightful dimension of this world where you truly belong, where she is safe from this shadow, and where the war has yet to begin. Only through me can you return to the realm we were meant to be.” In the long wait for a ray of hope to shine down upon her, Fluttershy remembered all the times she spent with Link in the wild woods of Whitetail during Spring. He would watch over her as she picked flowers from the ever lasting glades, playing his ocarina and occasionally developing tunes for her songs. Fluttershy's mind stopped at one particular day. The wind was pushing the sunny heat from the fields, providing a freshness and a comforting cool aside from the ever enjoyable warmth of Light. It was the day when Link told her about his adventures and how music played a major role in his quests. He would name a tune and teach her the song with his Ocarina and she would try to develop lyrics to them all. Finally, she recalled one particular song in which intrigued her deeply. Link called it the Sonata of Awakening, stating that old legends from a world parallel to his own told that the song was imbued with the power to awaken even the deepest of slumbering spirits. It was said that the Sonata of Awakening could even revive the dead lost to eternal sleep. According to the dark lord, he had proven the legends true when he raised a sleeping temple in a swamp land and awoken an ancient leader of a long extinct kingdom that only remained by the curse of the land. It dawned on her that this song could possibly be exactly what she needed to revive him. However, her glee had turned sour when she remembered that the songs only wielded their power because Link used a magical instrument to harness them. That was what she needed, his Ocarina. Sadly, she could not play it. Ponies weren't gifted with fingers... But perhaps, she thought, she could sing at it and the notes would carry the magic of the Ocarina into his ears. It was worth a shot. Making her way around to his left, Fluttershy's nose smelt about for the item of desire. It had a certain scent that was unknown, but unique to everything, had it not of been for that fragrance the Ocarina emitted, her mission would be far more difficult than necessary. Sticking her maw into Link's tunic at the neck line, her searching nose located the legendary artifact. Gently, she picked it up with her teeth, careful not to chip it or break it, and retreated from the king's pockets. Success! The item in her lips, she used a hoof to locate Link's head, navigating the object to his ears where she gingerly placed it so that the holes faced her friend and the shaft pointed towards herself. Fluttershy thought long and hard on the words to which was spoken to her by Link when she inquired of his Ocarina. A specific song was needed to activate its energies when one other than he needed to wield its powers. 'That which links he who wields Courage to the flows of Time itself...' The words sounded so familiar, echoing from the reaches of memory... She knew that it was said before by somepony else. And then she remembered. * “This song has served me thousands of times... The goddesses call it the Song of Time. It is the song that links he who wields Courage to the flows of Time itself, so that he may fight in the past, present and future for a greater purpose. It is said that those who know this song by heart, who are pure of heart, will be bestowed with the power of Music, which emulates many, many things in my world... Even other songs.” * It took her a few minutes to find her singing voice, but she would need more than just that, she would need to put all of her heart and soul into the tunes for it to work. Normally, she had no trouble, for every song she hummed or sung, it came from her beating organ in the center of her chest. It was all just a matter of how her notes entered the Ocarina, it had to carry the instruments magic into the air around lest her efforts be wasted. She took a deep sigh, gathering air into her lungs in preparation. “I hope this works...” “...Blinded, with focus, wielding all to come with no boundaries to cross. Heavens, rain mystery, light our stage oh so true, hidden by the lies of man kind... With this Song I pray that ye will answer me when I call... Songs of old tolls we sing again... With hope that you will hear our fall from the sky and grace. Goddess, so wise and glorious please give me aid in this crusade...” Her words echoed across the crumbling, rotten walls, the lyrics sung with the rhythm of the song. An aura of mystery began to surround her, though none could see it, even if Fluttershy would still bear her eyes, it would have been an illusion to her sight. The magic was flowing, her efforts were indeed working. With haste, she sung the next song. “Sleeping and weary, tired oh very, wake up and hear my tale... Beyond death or slumbering voids, revive to this tune, my weeping query.” With the last enchanting resignation of her voice, another refreshing feeling protruded upon herself. A sudden and impossible wind bellowed across the caverns, kicking up dust and pushing against both Fluttershy and the king's unmoving form. All desire for sleep had left her, and she was revitalized with new energy. It felt as if her efforts were once again fruitless, however, for nothing aside herself seemed affected by the tunes. But after what seemed like ages of constricting silence with her breath held caught in her throat, Link exhaled loudly. What sounded like the lament of countless souls suddenly invaded her hearing. A piercing signal struck both her mind and Link's, a signal of waking, a line so long and strong that which could pull the dead from the firmest grave. She felt his eyes shoot open, evident by the following hysterical coughing and gasping and the painful growl. He tried to fight the inevitable sickness that washed over his body, but despite his strength, it proved too much for the warrior. Consistent spazzes wracked his form, sending waves of discomfort through his large frame. More coughing ensued from his throat, his muscle's tensing with ever pulse. He struggled to fight the urges to vomit, the veins on his head presenting themselves showing the pressure he exerted to prevent his sickness from overcoming him. “Link...? A-are you going to be alright?” Fluttershy whispered, her words almost drowned by the sounds of the dark lord's suffering. Link's body had locked up, preventing movement of all kinds. His saliva escaped his lips, though he tried to keep the flows within his mouth. His efforts proved fruitless, so in an act of defiance, he pushed with his lungs, letting a mist erupt. Though, with no air in his lungs, and his body tight and locked, he collapsed again. His defenses came crashing down and what ever was being held within his stomach came out. The taste was rancid, the acid burned his mouth. He did not want to hold it in any longer, it was just too much. He coughed and spat all he could, his muscles slowly unlocking as he lay there in agony. “O-oh...my...” The element of Kindness took great pity upon her friend, she heard it all and the stench of what had been released had reached her. In caution, she approached him, following the sounds of his large lungs breathing heavily. Sweat formed all over the king's head, what strength he still wielded now entirely gone with no sight of return in the near future. He managed to push himself over and onto his back. He sighed, still trying to gain his breath. Fluttershy managed to find Link, lying flat on his back, no energy to move any further. His eye lids felt heavy, but with the effects of the Sonata, he could not close them. It only added to his torture. Fluttershy examined her friend with her ability to visualize the world with scent, he still bore the injuries from the horde, and whatever attacked him afterwords had also left a scratch or two. Though she knew he was still alive and now some hope within their grasp, it left to question the strength of his mentality. Was he still there? Was he still awake and conscious, true? She intended to find out. With her analysis and diagnoses of Link done and his injuries accounted for, she tried moving him with her head, nudging and tugging like before as if to gain his attention. “...Easy, my friend. I just need to recuperate...” He gasped between words, clenching his eyes shut with every heave of his armored chest. '...Now, all have to pay...' The last of his words to the demon shadows played through his hazed mind. As his breath eased further, his eyes opened. The gaze he gave was sharp and hard, not an essence of weakness within. Just a burning desire. Chapter 6Damnation marches in, Apocalypse foretold by myths, Earth's realm ends in pain As the rivers run red, With the blood of the suffering Humanity punished for all its sins. Bow Down...As the heavens collide Bow Down...For the sins of the flesh!!! –Vader: As Heavens Collide My piercing eyes never fall asleep I smile to the tears going down your cheek My cold touch is what you fear in the night My breath is the path to the gate of your Hell My power may steal your voice from a throat I am the low in this world of sin Unknown, untouched... Unknown, untouched... Unknown, untouched... Unknown, untouched, in my domain! In my domain!!! –Vader: I Am Who Feast Upon Your Soul Dark, unnaturally deformed devils of the caverns swarmed his vision. Ducking beneath the swing of another Minotaur, the king channeled energy into the right hand side spike on his shoulder armor. Within the blink of an eye, it was pulsing with frost magic. Charging at the one behind the first, he threw himself at the creature's waste, wrapping his large arms around its figure and puncturing the devil's chest with the empowered tower on his shoulder. Within moments, the once living beast had frozen over. It shattered when the monster and Link crashed to the floor. Fluttershy hid herself in a small room, using her senses to buck whatever dashed past the doorway, or was sent flying by her friend's furious assault. Her legs still hurt, but the young Pegasus was determined to invoke some assertiveness and take a page from the warrior's book. She will fight by his side, never again will she allow herself to be threatened or put in harm's way. Fluttershy was glad that the monsters' attention was not currently on her, at the moment. Her determination was high, but her ability to move was limited by her still sore injuries. The king slammed his fist into the snout of another monster, one possessing horns in its maw, horns it implored to rip his face to shreds. Luckily, through his aggressive attacks, Link still possessed a level head and upbeat senses, allowing him to counter and retaliate. Though he was still slightly dazed from the effects of the coma and the songs Fluttershy sung to revive him. Oh, he would not be bested again. His guard will not be dropped. The time for rest is over, he would see to it that everything in his and Fluttershy's path, bled to the death. Another brutish bipedal monster heaved a wooden table over its hideous head, bringing it crashing down on Link's back. The Hylian fell with a snarl, but managed to roll over and launch a spiked kick into his approaching adversary's hip structure, forcing it to give way and lose balance with a shriek of pain as the sharp, needle sized blades bolted to the back of the dark lord's heels dug deep to the bone. Releasing his foot which ripped skin and muscle, Link launched a spin kick at the large, nightmarish brute, removing its feet from beneath it and quickening its descent to the floor. More monsters came screaming, the hero of Time jumped to his feet and slapped the palm of his right hand into the fist of his left. Rearing his left arm back, a wind-like vortex formed over his arm pushing it back in a winding motion. Taking a step forward, Link released the thunderous punch into the chest of the first beast to reach him. The powerful spell of the Titan' Fist invoked thousands of pounds of pressure, allowing Link to send the demon flying back into a group of others. Quickly looking over the spot where his fist connected, he noted with glee that the demons chest had imploded upon itself, bleeding threads of the skin and organic tissue lay about in a large hole. Another monster screamed loudly to his left, its quick feet making short time to reach the target. Link turned and flung his shield up, blocking a jagged blade attached to the monster's arm from cleaving his head in two. A resounding clang bellowed about the hallway, leaving a ring in the large ears of the Link. Pushing the beast back, Link rotated his grip on the shield so the edge was parallel to the floor and launched his right arm towards the stunned demon. The edge of his shield, sharp and straight, tore through its neck and decapitated the brute's head. Picking up the sledge hammer, Link whirled about on his boots and smacked another goblin-like demon with his shield. It spun in a circle stupidly, allowing Link enough time to bring the hammer vertically down on its head, caving in the skull. Fluttershy could hear where the monsters were, shadows of this darkness. Her ears twitched from side to side, the ability to pinpoint the location and origin of a noise was very strong with her. Heavy steps, unlike the unique ones of her friends whose was equally heavy in its own right, pounded by, closing in on her. She smelled a jagged piece of wood about the length of her forefoot, resting next to her. The approaching threat was several seconds from her, so she picked up the wooden shred and tossed it towards the sound. Her aim, although not entirely straight, connected with the beast all the same. A grunt and the crashing sound of both the wooden plank and the threatening steps she heard were sent to the floor. From the sound of the plank bouncing off the brutish beast's head, she hit it hard as it didn't make much effort to get back up. Smiling at her work, she noted that she was getting better at defending herself. Link, in the midst of a power struggle with a cannibalistic Minotaur, took note of Fluttershy's archery. He gave a dark grin at her work, even without her eyes or wings she still could “see” what was around her. The pride he felt in being her friend was swelling. “Link, watch out!” A club slapped him from his thoughts and he landed on his right arm. A pair of teeth grabbed and punctured a vulnerable part of his arm. The Minotaur was all over him, beating at his chest and sinking its rotten teeth into his arm, where the armor did not cover. He tried to break free, kicking and squirming in the beast's grip, but to no avail. It was locked on tight. With a disgruntled and slightly painful grunt, Link powered the fingers of his free hand and released a barrage of lightning into the Minotaur's eyes. The blast and torture exerted upon it forced the creature to scream and release Link's arm. It flung itself back, writhing in pain and clutching its melted face, still roaring. Looking around, he noticed the rest of the creatures were momentarily immobile, slipping on the blood of their brothers and the numerous crushed bodies and limbs of their fallen comrades. He knew he had little choice, even now the venom and infection from the Minotaur's teeth was moving in his veins. Taking a deep breath, Link called on his magic and concentrated on his arm and body as a whole, allowing the darkness he carried to push the bacteria and venom from the wound. It poured out in a mix of sickly color. Red and yellow, disgusting... Now that he had cleansed himself, it was time for the next step. He must hurry, every second he waits the enemy manages to slip closer to his prone form. Turning his focus to fire and his right hand, he channeled the energy of Din into his right arm, the fabric and his flesh becoming retardant to the heat. His arm ignited, a fierce fire burning over his palm and fingers, giving a large glow about the hall. With hesitation, he finally placed his hand over the wound... The first thing he registered was the smell of singing flesh, then the burning sensation on his skin. Growling and groaning, he forced the fire to close his wound before whipping his hand back. Smoke rose from the spot, it felt like a red hot iron plate was slapped over his upper arm. The burn continued to pester his nerves, he shook from the feeling. Snorting, he rose to his feet. Grabbing the downed and injured Minotaur, Link threw it against the wall violently, and placed both hands on its shoulders. Giving a loud and blood curdling roar, a show of the inner beast he held, he watched as the aura of the Minotaur became visible and pulled it into his own aura. The body of the screeching beast began to rot in his grasp, charring black and falling to a crumbled heap of embers. Releasing the corpse from his grasp, with a large ferocious scowl on his face, Link gave another mighty roar as the life-force from the demon revived his energy. He sheathed the hammer, drawing the Master Sword in its place. Holding the sword with both hands, he gave a challenging grin to the rest of the creatures who still struggled to find a footing in the mass of blood and bodies. “Come for free suffering...” The challenge in his dark and ominous voice rumbled throughout the area. The fiends began howling in anger at his taunting. He widened his stance, giving him full control over momentum to be spawned by the first attack. Fluttershy could hear her attacker stirring from the hard blow to its hard and stubborn head, there were no more enemies that could broadside her in the immediate area, so she ventured out from the room she hid herself in. Trotting over to the large swine on the floor, she painted the scene out in her head using her senses. With the coordinates in her mind on the location of its head, she turned and put everything she had in to her hind legs, bucking right on target. She heard a sickening crack and the lack of noise from her opponent proved that she broke its neck with the kick. She shuddered, the old Fluttershy wanting to apologize hysterically... But things were different. This thing wanted to end her life, she had to defend herself. It was just registering that fact that proved difficult for her. She had never resorted to violence before. Dropping her head, she made quick to return to her hiding spot, not wanting to involve herself in another life or death struggle. It was better if she left Link to do it, he needed to channel his rising aggression. She only wanted to get out of here and forget this place... Though she worried for her friend, something told her that if she interfered in the battle, he'd be hurt or killed. Best if she closed the door and let him focus. One of the brutes had managed to stand, it held two large crude clubs, one had a nail sticking out of the head of the weapon, likely the determining factor in gaining an advantage over enemies. Despite the beast's size, and weapons of choice, Link didn't want to wait for it to come to him. “Die!” Link cried after charging forward and tackling the large monster, it wheezed what breath it held as it was knocked clear out of its lungs by the sheer force of impact caused by Link's heavy frame colliding with its own. Upon striking the ground, Link grabbed its head and slammed it down on the stone as hard as he could. With it stunned, he stood and slashed at another monster, taking it down as it clumsily attempted to defend against his precise assaults. The others were still struggling to gain ground. Link brought the Master Sword down on the heart of the first devil, ending its unholy life. Ripping the sword free, he took a look at the others who were now on their knees and hands. He became annoyed by their lack of stability. He wanted to fight, now! But his shoulder began to ache, his ability to swing with his weapon arm was severely hampered now, until he can heal it. There had to be another way to destroy the last of these damned beings. They would not stop following him until either he or they were dead. Looking around, he noticed the roof of the hall seemed weak at one spot; the wheels of his dark mind began to form a plan. Sheathing his shield, he reared back and tossed the Master Sword at the Minotaur to the farthest right of this group. Now empty handed, Link pointed both bald fists at the floor. A wind like aura began gathering around his arms, another show of his dark gifts from the Evil King who hoped to use him. When the hum had ceased, and he felt enough power had been charged, he punched forward with both fists, making sure to plant his feet firmly. A large blast was released, pushing everything with great force back, all the demons were forced off of the slippery blood and broken forms onto clear and dry ground. Above them, the stone ceiling seemed to be failing. Drawing the sledge hammer, Link approached the Minotaur whom his sword was still embedded in, and retrieved his blade. Placing the hammer down, he quickly heaved the heavy corpse of the slain Minotaur over his head and tossed it at the others, grounding them again. His shoulder began pulsing new waves of pain through his nerves, complaining about the weight he just pressured the wound with. Gripping his arm briefly, he retrieved the hammer and ran over to the group of minions. Looking up as they moved the heavy body off of them, he stepped back and brought the hammer up in a reverse vertical swing. Upon colliding with the roof, it caved in. Heavy stone blocks pounded down on the minions, burying them alive. A chain reaction began, the path had lost some of its support and was now crumbling down. Link jumped to the side, rolling upon landing and dashing away towards the hall where Fluttershy hid in one of the rooms. The collapsing bricks were closing in on him, frantically, he increased his speed, almost tripping on his legs as they burdened to carry his weight as fast as possible from the impending doom of stone. Taking another jump just as he reached the corner, the hall had been sealed off. He turned about, gasping for breath as he watched the dust and pebbles settle. Taking deep breaths, he rested himself again the wall, gripping his arm. It must have been the burning he used to amputate the wound so it would not get infected. He felt weak, the adrenaline from the battle having given out on him, bringing him down into a state of exhaustion. Without the adrenaline in his veins, the pain he felt in his arm grew more vigorous. He winced whilst opening and closing his fist, moving the muscles of his arm. The wound was tender, and very sensitive. Standing, with his hand still clasping his left arm, he made his way gingerly back to the room where Fluttershy waited. With the cavern caving in and the resounding silence, she had opened the door and was twitching her ears to and fro, searching for noise, her snout in the air trying to pick up any scent besides that of blood and burnt flesh. She turned her head to Link, recognizing his boot steps. Though, she took note he was walking slowly, almost limping. He watched her with a somber expression, mouth slightly agape, still out of breath. With each exhale, a mist spawned from his lips. Perspiration or simply moisture of the air. It was quite cold here, too. Already, she had picked up his lantern which he left in the room when the they came upon the large group of beasts lurking in this hall. She held it up in her maw, offering it to him. With his good hand, he took it gently and walked into the room with Fluttershy following him. “You're walking strangely...What's wrong?” “One of the damned things bit my arm... And another one slammed a table on my back.” He sat down on the cold floor, letting the cool climate take the heat of battle from him. He drew the Master Sword, concentrating briefly. The mark of the Triforce on his left hand began to glow, and the jeweled eye on the hilt followed with its red tint. Slowly, he placed the tip on the surface of the stoney floor, opening his eyes in time to watch as a silent wave of energy shaped in a circle expanded outward to all areas. Immediately, the atmosphere felt lighter and not as threatening or ominous. Breathing a sigh of relief, both felt a dark weight on their shoulders lifted with the purifying spell. Fluttershy began to smell Link's arm, finding the burned spot. She could still feel the heat coming off it, the burn was pretty bad, too. The skin had smoothed over, but it was definitely going to get infected. That would disable his sword arm, leaving both very vulnerable here. Most of Link's fighting ability depended heavily on his left hand, if it was injured severely like so to the point where he couldn't use it to maximum performance, it wouldn't take much for his offense to fail. He was very fierce, no doubt in her mind he would fight regardless of injury limitations. A fact that worried her. If she couldn't fix his arm up, he'd be gruesomely hurt...or killed. She didn't want to lose another friend, and she couldn't take another minute of loneliness in this hell. The dungeons were crawling with evils, all waiting for unsuspecting ponies or knights like Link to stumble in blindly with no defense, ready to pounce at a moments notice. “...Link, do you have anything that heals?” The shy pony asked quietly, breaking a silent Link's thinking. Responding to her question with a tired grunt, he began digging in his pouch with his good hand, pulling one of his legs closer for comfort. Fluttershy continued to look him over, using her hooves to feel for more injuries by touching the aggravated spots and listening to Link for sounds of pain or discomfort. Digging deep into the magical pouch crafted by the child-like Kokiri from the forest he was raised in, Link searched for magic potions or gauze to wrap his arm in. Not finding any, he retreated his hand from the infinite pockets of his pouch and closed the flap. “I possess no sort of healing objects...” Fluttershy stopped her braille search, taking a moment to think... Pushing off her friend's leg, she began to search the immediate area for any plant-life; herbs or any chemicals that she may recognize to produce healing proportions. Her nose led her to the walls, up on the tables, dangerously close to a lit torch, and finally under the door. Link watched her the entire time, not sure what she was looking for. “What are you looking for, my dear?” Fluttershy waited to reply, still deciphering the scents her nostrils captured from beneath the door. There was the blood of the ghouls haunting the halls, slain by her friend, burnt flesh from one of his fire attacks...lots of dust... and rats. Lots of rats. Not detecting a smell of plant-life, she sighed sadly. “I was looking for some herbs... Twilight taught me a thing or two about chemicals...” She said shyly. Link hummed to himself in thought, there were plenty of rooms in the halls, some were empty and some were filled with odd things. Most were used for torture chambers, and he was certain that one held Fluttershy at one point... His face became grim, shooting a hardened gaze to Fluttershy briefly, he looked her over. Taking in all that his tunic and tattered cape shreds had wrapped, he remembered that not only was he after the Shadow of a thousand souls...but Fluttershy's captor. Giving a low growl of contempt, he rose to his feet once more. The spirit of Heroes said that he must gather the blood of the fallen in order to regain it. The Shadow must have spread his essence into its servants' blood in a well-planned attempt at hiding it from him. It expected him to run and try to escape without ever once making a stand... What an act of jest. However, the spirit had neglected to mention the nature of this “gathering”. Was he supposed to carry the spilled blood, drink it, or burn it? In all the infinite space of his two Kokiri pouches did he have that many bottles, so choice one was out of the question. Choice two disgusted him deeply, he was not a blood drinker... And choice three would take way too long. Blood doesn't burn easily, it usually just evaporates. Approaching the door, with Fluttershy leaping to the side to remove herself from his pathway, he opened it and looked at the carnage he left behind. A sick satisfaction dwelt in his stomach, the site of the massacre brought joy to his darkest desires. “...W-what is it?” He heard Fluttershy ask behind him. Link continued to take in the blood ridden walls, trying to figure out what he was supposed to do with all that liquid. A sudden shiver ran up his spine, he felt a presence of non hostility tap into his mind and begin projecting images of him standing in the middle of a large group of enemies, then over to a scene where they were felled by his sword, not a singly one standing but him and Fluttershy. Finally, he saw himself raise his left hand, the pulsing emblem of the Triforce shining forth. His vision watched as the blood rushed up his legs, past his chest plate and into his eyes. When the images left, his head jolted back from the imaginary force of the dream. Placing his right hand over his scalp, he squeezed his eyes shut. The Triforce of Courage was obviously the key to recalling his lost fragments of the Hero's Spirit to his vessel. But hesitation set in, exactly what would happen if he absorbed that vile blood into his eyes, would it corrupt his vision? Would it blind him? Or would it simply make him sick? ...Only one way to find out. “Wait here.” Taking a step outside and closing the door behind him, he carefully walked to the center of his war spoils. Puddles of red and black life, the treasures of his quest, lay in waiting. Reaching the center of the hall, where the battle was most heaviest, he pushed all thoughts from his mind. Searching deep into the Triforce he held with his will, he located the eye of control. Pressing his will to command the ancient relic dwelling in his flesh, he felt the mark ignite with the holy grace of Courage. Raising his hand high and squeezing his fist tight, he waited for the right moment. The sounds of liquid bubbling reached his ears. Furrowing his eyebrows in puzzlement, Link cracked an eye at his surroundings. The blood was moving, like a body of water being pushed by the wind. A sudden presence of great evil tug at his senses... 'Something is very wrong here...' Opening both eyes, he watched as the blood began combining with other puddles, rising up and taking a shape he slowly began to recognize. The figure that was still forming began to look almost exactly like... Link's face bore horror, he dared his eyes to lie to him, closing them and trying to wish they were merrily deceiving him. Opening them again, the shape had not changed! Link reached for his his sword. “What the-?!” Before he could finish his remark of surprise, the spawn of the demon's blood launched itself forward and sent a punch to the dark king's chin, the force of the blow being too strong for Link to withstand it and retain his footing. He was sent crashing back into the ground, bouncing like a ball and flailing like a rag doll, until finally coming to a complete stop on his stomach. Groaning in both pain and shock, Link rolled over to face the demonic being who had finished mutating itself so that it now looked... whole. It bore flesh, clothes, eyes, a nose, ears, and a mouth. It had all the features needed to pass itself off as one with the living. As he attempted to stand, drawing his sword, the demon slapped the evil-repelling blade from his hand and wrapped its hands around his throat, the petite figure exerting immense strength and lifting the king's heavy frame from the spot where he fell. Still holding the king firmly, it tossed Link into the wall and raised him as far as its arms would reach. Link's legs kicked for ground, his arms wrapping around the wrists of his oppressor's vice-like grip. He continued to wiggle in the demon's grasp, trying to break free. His eyes locked with the spawn's red gaze. His shock began drying, being burned away by his growing anger, the hatred he held in his heart. His grip soon grew stronger, drawing a weary glance from the creature holding him against the wall to fall to his fists. With a muffled growl, Link began exerting his own raw strength and might against the force his enemy was using. Slowly, its hands lost their hold on his neck. Quickly, Link brought both legs up and kicked hard off the chest of this thing. It bounced off the wall parallel to Link's, allowing him to land on his feet. Bringing both hands up to his throat, he coughed and gasped, recovering as much as he could before the demon could get up. The door Fluttershy hid in opened, and the little pony stepped out, looking away from the battle in confusion as she searched for the source of the noises and sounds of struggle coming from the hall. Her head turned to Link's direction, her ears catching the sound of him coughing hysterically. “Link! A-are you alright?” The king took notice of his friend who was rapidly making her way towards the sounds of his coughing. Link raised up his palm in a motion for her to stop, trying to force the word out. She could not see his hand signs, not as she reached him and began looking around. “G...ugh...Go! Get...away!” He pushed his friend with both hands back in the direction of the room. He heard running footsteps from behind, looking around he saw the figure launch a running kick at his forehead. Link ducked, grabbing the attacker's foot and sending it crashing into the floor beside them. “What was that?!” Fluttershy jumped in panic, still very skittish of her surroundings. Link continued to push the Pegasus into the room, until she was back in. Jumping to the spot where his sword lay, Link dropped on top of the blade, rolling over and grabbing the hilt. Before he could make a stand, the demon was already all over him. Grabbing his foot, it hurled him into the wall, forcing the stone to crack beneath the weight of his body and the momentum of the throw. Link dropped to his knees, slightly dizzy from his head striking the concrete. Shaking himself free of the blow, he looked up, raising the Master Sword. Once again, the creature proved impossibly faster than he was. With a club it had picked up that was left behind by the previous horde he slaughtered, it brought the wooden weapon down on the back of his head. Upon impact, Link gave a short grunt before his world began to slow significantly down. The power of the blow had hit home, he will soon lose consciousness. Already, his eyes made for the back of their lids, but he fought them out, willing himself to stay awake. “Fluttershy...” He whispered, “I must...protect...Fluttershy...” His vision began to swim, blurring in and out of focus. His hearing was beginning to fail, all he could hear was the club dropping to the ground. The dark king began to sway, his sense of balance leaving him quickly... He watched with his hazed vision as the demon marched over to the door and entered. “No...Zelda...don't...do it...” His words fell on deaf ears. He heard Fluttershy scream his name, Link lost his control over his legs, falling forward. Moving his hands, he pushed and pushed, but his strength wasn't there. The Spawn had hit him too hard. Forcing his head up with his gaze locked on the room where Fluttershy was hiding, he pushed himself forward. The Spawn appeared in the door, Fluttershy on its shoulders, kicking and squirming beneath its strong hold. Giving a defiant and spiteful growl of warning, Link watched as the devil took off at a full run down the hall, kidnapping his friend. It was all that he could see before his will finally shattered. Link's eyes closed on him, giving in to the blow to his head, and forcing him into an unwanted slumber. He could still hear her cry his name in fear and panic... “...Link...! ...Help me...!” Chapter 4I see three peaks, One for Hell. One for Heaven. One for Grand Mystery... In Hell three lakes: Of burning tar. Of vermin and of ice – all brimming with sinners. And Devils, larger than Daemons, with horns made of fire! Then I see Heaven on the second Mountain... City of gold and honey, with saints... All joyful, and towering in their glory. Then I see, two piors and innocent youth, Snatched, suddenly...from amidst their host by flying devils, And carried to Hell... While Uzza, one of four guardians. And Angels...pay no heed to this rape... Aeons go past, and the plagues, get unleashed. City of Good...is under seige... Black Moses...is my name. And these are visons, From Egypt's guardian Seraph. -Vader, Revelation of Black Moses Pain coursed his side, the presence of bruises and cuts, rather large ones, infected his body where his armor did not protect him. He felt lifeless, almost entirely numb to the touch, and his senses were drastically low, but not low enough to silence his injuries. He had never felt so tired in all his time in existence. All that was desired of the king right now was sleeping for a month or two, there was no will in him to even flop over to a more comfortable position. His left arm was worse off, it felt like something had grabbed it and shook him about like a rag doll with it. Link tried to move it, but it barely complied. Link used what he had to open his eye lids, which had never been so heavy before. From what detail he could make out from his blurring, drunken like stupor, he was lying in the middle of some black void where the cold wind seemed to be the only sign of life. But it didn't feel like natural wind, not of winter cold or of Mother Nature. It felt hideous and evil, inconceivable and malicious. 'Where am I?' There must have been a thousand or so souls in this void, it was like a pit in Hell for the mind itself. He could hear them spiritually crying, moaning, and shuffling on. Like a mob of ReDeads. He wore nothing but his clothing and armor, everything else did not exist here. All of his gear, sword and shield, was missing. Link groaned, placing his more compliant right hand up against his temple. Gradually as his strength and ability to use his left arm returned, he rose to his feet. The air about was still frightfully cold, and it smelled rancid. As if the decay of countries were in procession. Suddenly, the thousand or so souls seemed to turn their sorrowful and hateful gazes upon him. Though he could not see them, he felt their presence. The heavy feeling of burning hatred for him weighed on his shoulders. He was not welcome here. “Oh ye hero of eternity untold...Bear thee witness to reason of thy torture. Know now why thou shall suffer fate's cruelest grip. For ye, dark king, possess no right to invade our dark domains...” The voices of the darkness, powered by the countless presences, whispered eerily to him. The sense of threat was high here, but no attack would be made. Visions began to penetrate his mind, and he felt as if needles were being thrust upon his head. Link growled at this sign of force, before the pain began to grow as the visions grew vivid. Before he could try to retaliate by any means available, he was on his knees, roaring his discomfort. In a world of eternal shadow, where the night had conquered the day and the sun was as pale and dim as the moon; a dark empire ruled here. The shadows of the people hid in the darkness, calling to the spirits lost in the Netherworlds to guide them amongst the starry Reich of their lives. In the fields of red, a dark army as vast as the eye could see in disciplined ranks and grand formation, marched their endless steady march. All spears cutting the bloody skies as they moved, their shields drenched in demon blood to ward of the enemies of Kingdom. All light threatened by the dark flags carried by the bearers. The soldiers showed faces grim and hidden beneath thick helmets with eyes soulless and adversed of free will and evil minds. They sung a war song of waiting, of times of new orders rising, of eons where the evil king was smashed, ruined and splintered at the mighty hands of Sheikan king, Link Nohansen Hyrule. From afar, atop a mighty black marble castle reaching beyond the clouds on the top of a dark mountain, standing in the balcony of a throne room, a man clad in black draconian armor bearing the divine trinity symbol on his chestplate, watched his army march...waiting...protecting... Upon his head rested the crown of Darkness, worn only by the Emperor's of the Sheikan heritage. Like his armor, it was black with gray bolts, crude in appearance and had one standing spire with horn like wings of black ivory. His deep, ghostly white eyes, a curse from his crusades, analyzed all corners of the massive force. His enemy was since driven back, but he knew, in time, they would return. So for now, he would patiently await the next war. The armor is ready, the weapons are sharp, the soldiers are fit, the fortresses are built, and the generals are fresh from battle and full of experience. At the snap of his fingers, they would kill all in his path. The king smiled a dark smile. His vengeance was yet to be completed. He was counting on the enemy's retaliation. He was ready for it. A dark, menacingly ominous chuckle erupted from his throat, his voice deep and growling. This time, there wont be another Shadow War, there wont be a fall back, there wont be an evil king... Vengeance, would be his. Link grunted in defiance of the pain, but he couldn't help it. He was powerless to resist the images unraveling in his mind's eye. Strong winds billowed about, leaves whirled in small torrential waves of gusts, littering the cobblestones of a beautiful mountainside castle city. Equine figures pranced to and fro, each with an errand to run, or a date to keep. The sun was high and the day was warming, spring had come and the flowers grew wildly about, and the city smelt of pine and rose. The citizens seemed to live in bliss, not touched by the darker side of reality at all. They lived as if the city was paradise. High atop the towering towers of the grand castle, an Alicorn watched humbly as the pony folk scurried about, untouched by trouble. Peace was reigning in the land for the longest time since the crowning of the dual thrones. The white Alicorn's aura like mane flowed like that of a river, rainbow in color and soft to the touch. Upon her flank, the symbol of a sun glowed in the day light. Her Han purple eyes soft and gentle, rested on the horizon. "Princess Celestia, please pay attention..." A voice spoke to her left, sounding slightly agitated with the princess. She let out a silent, and unnoticeable sigh, turning to meet the royal counsel. Several other ponies stared back at her, some neutral, some pitying her, others aggravated by her lack of attention. What more could they ask of her? She had ruled a thousand years and longer, each and every day raising the moon and setting the sun. She was chained to the throne, watching the kingdom prosper and keeping the days in natural motion with her powerful magic. She never had time to herself to enjoy the small things in life. But if she didn't take to her responsibilities again soon, there may never be a chance to. “Do continue, Trixie,” Princess Celestia acknowledged. The aforementioned azure unicorn stood from her chair, giving a spiteful glare to the noble who insisted she speak to the princess before she was ready. She had been Celestia's wandering knight before her time in a small town where she was bested by another unicorn. All under orders of the princess to test the friendship bond of her chosen, under the image of a boastful magician. A trial that proved successful. Trixie cleared her throat, her blue star-filled cape hiding most of her golden armor as she stood higher. “The outer kingdoms are all growing uneasy. The new leaders are corrupt and lustful to gain more power for themselves. Their citizens support them as well. Talk of war in favor of expanding their boundaries run rampant across the lands and Equestria is the center of the bulls-eye,” Another unicorn stood from his spot. “Such treason! We should act immediately, we must send our finest stallions!” A round of cheers greeted the call for war. Princess Celestia stood, a disapproving look upon her equine face. “No. I will send emissaries to see that Equestria is safe from the growing threat of-” “But princess, other nations such as Equine Kingdom, Irefoal, Poligon, and Fillypan have already tried...the royal visors were the first casualties of this world-wide war,” Trixie interrupted. Princess Celestia's eyes widened, that didn't sound like the allies she had a month ago, not at all. What could of possibly of happened to them all to become so murderous? Did they too feel threatened by the other growing nations? War had not existed in generations, not since Nightmare Moon was defeated. Surrendering the hope of avoiding this danger, Celestia lowered her head. “Is there no pony else we can turn to?” She asked. Trixie shook her head. Princess Celestia paced back and forth in her chambers, thinking deeply of the solution. She could send her six chosen, but by the descriptions Trixie gave her, that would be foolish. She herself could try, but doubt kept her from trying. The foreign nations had indeed grown unruly and hostile. Many palace visitors spoke of relatives being held as prisoners of war. But what war? She had never issued any order to her royal troops. They must've grown paranoid of the other war mongering nations, for they wouldn't have any other reason to arrest traveling ponies without call for threat. Celestia felt saddened by this change in the world. Peace was never more prominent until her rule, and now it was crashing down around her. All her hard work to forge impenetrable alliances were wasted. Another mare, Alicorn is type with a dark nightly blue mane and coat entered the room. Her mane was aura like, much like Celestia's. “Sister?” Princess Celestia stopped, turning her depressive gaze to her younger sibling, the princess of the night. She seemed to wait for Celestia's answer to the situation, one the princess felt was the highest risk, but now necessary. On any other given day where the kingdom was threatened, she would increase the defenses around the land, but with the world turning on itself, her soldiers wouldn't last long in a full-fledged attack by multiple nations. And she would not risk the lives of those who proudly defended their nation at her behest. “Luna, I think we need to open the portal...” Princess Luna lowered her head too. The portal had not been opened since before their birth, for the previous rulers felt contact with outer lying dimensions was not safe for their citizens. The princess stood in what looked like a cave with many stalagmites, many having disintegrated in the middle, leaving sharp points on each side. Celestia walked softly in, keeping a wary eye on her surroundings. It had been more than a thousand years since this cave was intruded by anyone, at least to her knowledge. Ancient and powerful runes were carved into the stone walls, some primal paintings of ponies also graced with Old Age décor. Altars sculpted from the marble floor stood at several points in the timeless cave. Many things happened here, things that history failed to record, tales the future generations were forbidden to know of. It was considered a great insult to the ancient rulers of Equestria to step foot in these caves without consent of the Grand Mystery and her eternal knowledge of all things that are, that were, and that will come to pass. But this must be done. She would not let her kingdom fall and her people suffer in favor of an old fairy tale. Strapped to her side, was a dusty old book taken from the largest wing of the royal library. The cover read “Dimensional Occult and Supernatural Summoning”, by Starswirl the Bearded. It was deemed the proper spell book to revive a mighty warrior unto this world as an ally. It was just a risk of finding the right coordinates to locate a helpful, benevolent soul who would partake and answer a plea for help. Celestia took a deep sigh, activating her horn and lifting the book she was steadily growing fearful of using. She came upon an altar written with ancient symbols indicating a summoning ritual of sorts. Placing the book down, she flipped it open with a gust of her left wing, her eyes sharply reading every word on every page as she searched for the proper locator and summoning spell. Secretly, she hoped against fate to find a spell specifically to summon a knight who could be trusted, but such hope was naïve of the princess. Finally, she stopped on a page showing a symbol of a circle with many crosses. It brought her great fear and hesitation to perform the ritual, but it must be done. Fetching a chalk piece enchanted by herself for magical properties from her pouch, Celestia copied the symbol's sharp and ominous design in a clearing on the floor. Princess Luna stepped up behind her, having followed her sister to the cave. She would need her help for the ritual, one could not rip open a portal to a realm between realities and dimensions without balancing Light and Darkness. Celestia turned to see her sister there, waiting to read her lines from the book. She smiled at Luna, glad to know her younger sibling was willing to help her in something so dangerous. Luna returned her smile with a wink of encouragement, all the while helping draw the circle's dark spots with a black chalk piece to represent the balance of Darkness. Luna read her lines from the book, as Celestia put the final touches on the symbol. When both were finished, they stood on opposite sides of the circle, facing each other. Nodding their heads, they closed their eyes and concentrated on the incantations within the spell. Focusing on powerful magic in the longest stretches of their conscious, their horns began glowing their element. As their horns charged, the night began to fall quickly. Ancient shadows moved around the cave, dancing in the light of the dual princesses' growing power. Lightning struck outside, cleaving a gnarled old oak right down the middle. The wind stirred, bringing leaves to life and sending them into flight. Celestia's concentration reached new levels as a faint glimmer began to resonate in the circle, showing the spell was taking its intended effect. Her mind created a message to send throughout the other worlds, hoping one would call back in the darkness. A large black ball had formed over the symbol within the princesses' circle. Lightning energy cackled about, striking some of the stalagmites and breaking them off. The energy being poured into the ball was growing stronger. Celestia released her message, allowing it to channel through her horn's magic and into the black void. The dark king sat upon his throne, one fist holding his head up as he watched the moon rise to the heavens above from his throne room. The dimly lit halls of the Black Fortress were silent, the troops all standing guard in the halls and the servants bustling by, but none interrupted the king's thoughts. Suits of armor lined the walls in disciplined ranks, all standing on stands with many battle damage to show their worth, the plaques at their feet telling the history of wars long forgotten by the Sheikah. Many torches were lit, but it didn't stop the eternal cold and the absorbing darkness from stealing the warmth and shunning light. Swords and shields hung from the walls, all still sharp, but obviously worn. A symbol of three triangles forming a bigger triangle was painted behind the mounts, a symbol of the Hylian and Sheikan race's coexistence. Outside the castle walls, many troops marched in and out, all being moved throughout the land to keep security tight and the risks low. Archers lined the battlements with spears and javelins as secondary ammo, troops patrolled the gates and commanders shouted orders back and forth as they marched. The rhythmic sound of the steel boots stomping on the marble and the dirt was music to the king's ears. Such a gift to him from his enemy, a gift that will prove the evil overlord's downfall. Behind him stood the eight daughters he created with his new found power to rule his army in his absence. They too were silent, busily analyzing the world maps of the enemy's kingdom and planning their own entries for their regiments. He placed a very nightmarish helm on his head, it's visor covered his mouth entirely, and left a very narrow line of sight. He could feel himself immediately imbued with endless energy from the accursed thousands residing in the helm's unholy and ancient metal. His left eye grew brighter, whilst his right dimmed to total black, like a Valentia and a shroud of shadow seemed to pull at any little light in the throne room. It was pitch black in color, bearing a brush on the top with black horse hair and seven spikes, three on the left and right, and a single one in the center pointing forward. In Link's hand was a fistful of auburn hair, his nemesis' from the last time they fought. The trail was proving difficult to trace, likely the evil king was hiding himself with his witch's magic.Even with the Black Eye, his sight was limited. *Help...* Link's eyes shot open, his hand dropping the hair and ripping the Master Sword from its resting place next to his arm rest, and his free hand removing the Black Eye from his head. The generals became alert at the king's sudden reaction, all drawing their weapons and surrounding him like bodyguards. The king's eyes searched the roof of his castle for the voice, it didn't sound as if it was of this world physically. The generals whispered to themselves, wandering if they should call for the troops or if the king was just having a vision. Whatever the case, they didn't leave their formation that encircled him. Link's white eyes continued to search, the voice had disappeared now, but such rare occurrences like that never go without reason in this world. For in this world, nothing was by mistake. And that voice certainly implied no foul play. He reached out with his mind, using his will to tap into the magic used by that message. He could feel the faint threads of a foreign power, one he never sensed before in his numerous conquests through the Dark World. It was strange, filled with light, making him picture a beautiful realm with scenery such as lush, green grass and healthy trees that welcomed him. It was other worldly... It was benevolent. Very pure, no taint, and no imbalance of Light or Dark. The threads he held in his mind depicted a cave of marble and rune, a towering castle of shining stone, and a world of life where love and kindness prevailed. This could not be of this world. This was definitely something from beyond the stars of Nayru- *Help us...* It called again, breaking his hold of the threads and causing him to flinch in surprise. “...Milord?” One of his generals whispered. Link looked just a bit longer, tracing the signals he was receiving from that voice. He detected the hints of hesitation and doubt in the voice. Sensing emotions in these signals meant the energy behind the call was very prominent and recent, also that allot of magic was being used to ignite the spell. The king raised his hand, signaling the generals to leave. Although hesitant to leave, they nodded and made themselves scarce. With the great oak doors leading to his throne room closed, Link focused his own magic to try and respond to the signal. His conscious forgot the world around him, he was now standing in a black void within his mind. He looked up, searching for a figure, but he saw no one. “Ye who calls forth from the dark, reveal thou self to me.” His dark voice called into the infinite abyssal void. For a time, his call was met with total silence, obscured of any reply. Then, he felt a slight tingle, a possible sign that the joint entity was trying to enter the void. Something soft brushed against the mental chains surrounding his grasp of this connection, something akin to a rose pedals. It smelt of sunflowers suddenly, where as he smelt of blood and death. “Greetings. My name is Celestia, princess of Equestria.” “Greetings, Celestia...Why have you come before me?” “My country is threatened by powerful foes, and I seek an ally to help me defend my subjects...” Link raised an eyebrow at the shadows, whatever it was that called to him managed to remain hidden from his gaze. But this was a most unusual request, especially from another world. The last time he involved himself in the affairs of another realm, he was betrayed, killed and reborn in flames against his will as the king of Darkness. He had plenty cause to deny this request. But somehow...he didn't have the heart to. It was his only one weakness left, his hidden kindness that he tried to hide from the living. To make matters worse, there was no trace of deception in the gentle voice. All was as told, this was purely a request for assistance from one ruler to another. “Before I decide, I would like to see whom I am speaking with.” It was a simple enough request, and one this Celestia owed him at least. “...I apologize...but I can not find the energy lane to incarnate my image unto this plane...” Link hummed to himself in thought, not being able to see the other was the next best thing to luring someone unwise into a trap. But again, there was no hint of lie in this voice or the presence he felt. Link lowered his head in thought. His people were still at war with the evil king, but he knew that any chance of the war picking back up anytime soon was very slim to nonexistent. He still had responsibilities to tend to, but he could leave the Sheikan queen to attend to those and the spawns of his blood could control the Dark Army. As much as he wanted to say no, just so he could keep an eye on the evil king, the last remaining side of his old self compelled him to accept. There was no way around this, he could not deny this soul her request. He never would have been, even if he spent another thousand years in misery, locked in his fortress while the enemy laid waste to his kingdom. Link sighed in defeat. “Very well... Open a portal to your world, and I shall answer your request in person.” The emotions from the other entity picked up, there seemed to be a glee he had not felt in a long, long time. 'I hope I don't regret this...' A cold wind billowed around the dark forest, the ancient and gnarled trees bore the faces of souls sent to suffer eternal damnation for their sins. The moans of the bark, and the rustle of the leaves proved to be more eerie to the woodlands than the king could think was possible. Then again, he hadn't stepped foot in here for a millennium. His memory of this place and what it was capable of was very blurred. But he remembered enough to find the spot that this Celestia had described during their conversation in the void. He could feel the energy of the portal pull him to the spot that would take him to her world, like a hound, he tracked it by the scent of the benevolent magic it harvested to rip through the dimensions. He heaved a breathe, smelling that sunflower scent. He knew he was getting close, for now the smell of vanilla pervaded through the area, sharp as a knife. A hum nearby caught his ears as he rode upon the black war stallion, clad in armor closely resembling his. The steady trot of his beast echoed on the rocky trail throughout the pitch black wood. The king's senses were on high alert, these trees were guarded by powerful spirits who didn't take kindly to otherworldly forces. Namely him, for he was not originally from the Dark World. They wouldn't be too happy to feel such bright, enigmatic aura flowing around their bark. The chance of their agitation was only increased by his presence, no matter his destine position in the chain of this grand picture painted by the gods. The king's large war stallion neighed as he too felt the strange power. The beast's crimson red eyes cautiously scanned about as he snorted and lobbed his head up and down to show his anxiety. Link gave the big horse's neck a few pats to ease his tension, hoping he wouldn't try to buck him. At last, in a small clearing where very little of the moonlight reached, a large dimensional rip rumbled unsteadily, barely just keeping itself from going haywire and dispersing. Link brought his stead to a halt, the beast giving him a grunt at the sudden pull of the reigns. Dismounting with a heavy thud and clink of his armor against his equipment, Link analyzed the portal. It looked very strange, compared to the ones he was used to. This one seemed to be the total opposite of the world he stood in, showing a scenery of green grassy fields and tall, lovely mountains. It was so bright, he almost had to shield his eyes from the scenery. He turned to his horse, giving it a pat on the maw. And to ensure he cause no panic to the people of this new world, he pulled a large, black cloak with a low hood from the saddle bag. Dousing his armored figure, and pulling his hood over his head, he made sure his face was hidden. “Go home.” He commanded. The stallion gave no objection, turning around and slowly walking out with his head low, relieved of the pressure caused by the reigns. With his ride gone, Link approached the portal. He eyed it cautiously, still wondering if this was some trick of the evil king's, he had been fooled before. The smell of clean, crystal air and the lush green grass beckoned him on. It was so enticing, like a seduction from a mistress and it was hard to resist taking in another breathe of this beautiful world's heavenly atmosphere. With a final sigh, Link placed his right hand through to portal. It was warm on the other side, very welcoming indeed. Seeing that nothing bad had happened yet, he placed his left through the rip and finally pushed his whole body through. As his existence was shredded by time and space, his vision watched a spiraling black tornado suck him closer and closer until the scenery changed drastically. Link tried to stand, he remembered this all. It was his first time entering Equestria, but the point the shadow was trying to convey to him had yet to dawn on him. Was it angered just because he arrived in this realm? He pushed himself back up to a vertical base, coping with the pain in his head as he watched. The runic carvings of the cave remained dim for a time, the princesses could not make out what was on the other side of the rift they had cut with the power of their horns. The world beyond theirs seemed black, and it reeked of an odor they had never smelled before. It did not bring them any comfort, but this only confirm what Celestia had predicted during her discussion with the strong voiced entity in that connection. She had chosen a world of strong warriors who live on the battlefield and die in the war zone. She just hoped that whoever this warrior was, he could be trusted enough to walk among her pony folk. The elder princess couldn't help but feel a little fearful. Although, she truly feared nothing but the well being of her ponies, she couldn't help but be mortified by the unknown. All her life she knew what would happen, what to expect, but these situations always brought her fear. The time Luna was consumed by the evil of Nightmare Moon was the first time, Discord's attempts to overthrow the kingdom was the second, and now, the arrival of this Link was her third. Though she felt no evil in him, it was still clear he was surrounded in a deep shadow of mystery. And his voice...she could of sworn was the equivalent of something that crawled right out of Tartarus. The aura from the rip grew dark and menacing, something dangerous was approaching and fast. The two shared a look before bracing themselves for the visiting force. Whatever came through that portal, they were ready to fend it off should it become a threat. Energy tendrils spiraled about, like electrical waves in a turbulent sea. A whirlpool of wind surrounded the rip, opening the connection to full strength and seemingly sucking in something from the other world. The energy ball blackened, bringing an uneasy feeling in the dual princesses as they watched a black form piece together in the center of the chaotic gateway. The clinking of metal armor was heard as this hidden silhouette spawned forth from the portal in the opposite end of the circle, away from the two princesses. They could faintly make out a hilt sticking up from the figure's left shoulder, likely his weapon. He seemed to be kneeling down, as if this alien had just landed from a long fall. Slowly the portal dispersed on itself, sealing the new life form in Equestria. A black cloak with no real decoration or character of any kind covered his form, and the secrecy and mysteriousness of the entity sent chills down Celestia's spine. Luna however, did not seem intimidated by the darkness flowing from the supposed “Link”. They made no attempt to speak, desiring to see what he would do first. Link stood up slowly, feeling a little sore as it had been a very long time since he traveled in that fashion. He snapped his neck to the side to help alleviate the pain, viewing the cave around him from the narrow vision provided by the low hood covering his head. Usually when he entered a new dimension, the atmosphere of the world would try to affect him in some way, so he waited patiently for his body to give some kind of transformation. After a while, nothing happened. 'Strange...' Seeing the wind rustle some dust at his armored boots brought his curiosity out. Bending down again, he passed his gloved hand across the floor and analyzed the particles sticking to the fabric. Passing his fingers through it confirmed that it was not so different from his realm. Wiping his hands clean with patting motions, Link stood back up and approached the wall, his eyes peered curiously at the hieroglyphs, a sudden fascination for the meanings behind the drawings manifested in him. But he did not come here for a history lesson, much to his changrin... Repeating his previous action with the dust on the floor, Link felt the walls and noticed that the stone in this world was no different either. Deciding that enough evidence of the similarities between his world and Equestria had been presented to safely assume the only adjusting needed was to fit in with the realm's inhabitants, Link turned to face a table with a set of books sitting about, opened and unattended. Water dripped from the rocky cavern walls, revealing to him that he stood in a mountain somewhere. Ignoring the books and the intricate writings and symbols, Link dipped his index finger into a puddle and placed it into his mouth. It seemed safe, no taste and no smell. “Hmph.” Now he wondered where his otherworldly friend was. Link opened his eyes, glaring at the shadows around him. This was definitely why he was sentenced to suffer, this is why Fluttershy is to suffer at the hands of this alternative reality. He knew he was in the wrong universe, the world he was in now was not the same world that Celestia summoned him to. It was clear to him. The shadowy deity was angry at his trespassing, it was jealous of his presence. Why, eluded the king. “You would send an entire world to a future of pain and death to sate your own hatred for me? How pathetic...” Link spoke out, his voice strained by the needle-like feeling in his head. “Silence thou tongue, blasphemous one...behold further the tale of thy sin, and wallow within sorrow.” Waiting was out of the question in his mind, he must seek Celestia out and learn more of this threat. Perhaps he could help lead her troops, rather than bring any of his here? He would rather have the former, this world reminded him of Hyrule, and he did not want to stain it with the shadows and horrors of the Dark World and Kingdom. He turned around and immediately spotted an Alicorn, staring intently at him. At first, he was startled by the presence, and astonished that he had not been warned by the power lurking deep within him, courtesy of the evil king. That had to mean something, but he was too surprised to process that. He gazed long and silently at this pony, taking in her celestial white mane, the sun symbol on her flank, and the strange auraish mane with the colors of the fabled Northern Lights surrounding her. 'A pony. ...How intriguing.' Link stifled a chuckle. He couldn't believe he had been so careless to not notice a pony standing behind him. Another one stepped into his view, this one deep shadowy blue in color with the same odd aura-like mane only it looked as if he was staring into a window that led to the stars. 'Two ponies? This can't get any more interesting.' Something compelled him to speak, though he didn't know why. It wasn't as if these ponies would understand him. “Where's your riders, hm?” He presumed he would receive no answer, but he was wrong. “I beg your pardon?” The white mare spoke whist tilting her head to the side slightly, sounding confused. Link stared for a moment, showing no sign of reaction. He shook his head, thinking he was hallucinating. There was no way a pony could talk, no way in Din's name. The other mare let out a bout of giggles as she stepped up. “I do believe our guest is shocked, dear sister.” Again, Link stayed silent, processing the phenomenon unraveling before him. The two sisters sat down before him, the bright one with a small welcoming smile and the dark one showing an amused grin. 'I must be going insane...' Link scratched his head in thought. He was in a new universe separate from his own, perhaps the dominate intelligent species happened to be ponies? Made more sense to him than Tingle's disturbingly obsessive fascination with the fairies did. He shuddered at the memories... “Forgive me, I was not aware of what shape the people of this world would take.” Link apologized, feeling foolish and scolding himself. The two sisters nodded in unison, accepting his apology. “I am Princess Celestia; mare of the Sun and ruler of Day.” Celestia greeted with a radiant smile and soft yet wise voice. “And I, am Princess Luna; mare of the Moon and ruler of Night.” Luna introduced, voice strong and firm with a smile of her own. Link felt his eyebrow raise (though the dual rulers could not see due to his cloak), never would he expect the voice of Celestia to belong to an Alicorn, but he shouldn't feel surprised. Her voice matched her form, the resemblance was plain as the day she claimed to rule. And, if the rulers are ponies, he assumed their people were also ponies. He made a mental note to not show surprise the next time a pony spoke to him, regardless if they could see it or not. In an attempt to cover his discomfort at the oddness about, he introduced himself. “I, am King Link Nohansen Hyrule; lord of Kingdom...” Link gave a slight bow in proper greeting. He left out the fact he was the Emperor of Darkness, lest he be seen as a threat to this world of light. Normally he'd care less what any one creature of any race or place of birth would think...but he felt a rising desire to enjoy this place. And if hiding a part of his identity would ensure that, he was glad to sacrifice a bit of pride. “Before we speak further, may I request you reveal yourself to us, good king?” Celestia politely asked, keeping her friendly demeanor in place. Uh oh. Link feared this would come to light eventually. He could think of a few things that would happen if he lifted the hood from his face, one would be the loss of trust from his pony companions, and two would be the possibility of a fight to the death due to his seemingly evil appearance. It's hard to show loyalty to Good when one looks like the god of an evil race bent on war and spreading dark clouds and corrupting innocent minds. Once again, courtesy of the evil king. 'Curse that damned Gerudo...' “Very well. But swear to me you will not jump to conclusions based on appearance.” The two mares shared a look, but nodded nonetheless. “We believe in not judging a book by its cover. You need not worry, king Link.” Luna assured, moving her hoof up and down in a gesturing motion. He didn't know why, but he felt he could trust them. Slowly, Link reached up to grab the hood. Pulling it off his head, and letting it rest on his back, he opened his eyes and waited to be called a demon for his orbs had no visible pupils, they were veiled in white by the deep magic of the Dark World. It was a great factor when he intimidated a politician or ruler from another country during court, but it was also a curse that shied the living from his gaze. A shame he did not want. His heavy gaze pierced the two like a red hot iron piece through snow, both of the princesses merrily widened their eyes slightly at the sight. He pulled the cloak off, revealing the dark armor that was thickly and bulky. The shoulder guards were roundish, and designed so that they protected his biceps and moved with his shoulders, they bore blue trimming with symbolic carvings. The chestplate was not shaped into a typical chestplate, but seemed like a disk that graded down at the edge, providing heavy protection to his heart, it was a deep blood crimson shade in color also bearing dark symbols. The abdominal end of the chestplate was black with blue trimming, wrapping around Link's form perfectly. His hip was protected by chaps as thick as his upper armor with blue triangles embedded within, and his boots were encased in the metal. They can see what looked to be a large, tetragon-shaped shield as black as the rest of his armor covered his backside hidden beneath the large billowing cape. He was truly fit for all-out war. They also felt a strangely benevolent energy coming from the large sword sheathed beneath the shield. But there was taint in that energy, it was touched by darkness. That sensation made the dual rulers wary. Link lowered his head, waiting for their response. “Well...You surely have surpassed my hopes.” Celestia commented light-heartidly, attempting to lower his tension. Link lifted his head up, a little confounded. Luna nodded in agreement. “Yes, such a figure will surely bring hesitation to any enemy!” The two rulers led the recloaked king down a long, lonely road littered with auburn leaves and lined with great oaks. The environment was peaceful, and the temperature was cool, but not unpleasantly cold. The wind kissed Link's cheeks with a gentle breeze, it played with Celestia and Luna's manes as well. The tree limbs fidgeted a bit against the invisible force of nature, showing defiance. They had said that this road led to the capital of Equestria, Canterlot. It must have been that great silver castle shining in the distance as they left the cave earlier on. According to Celestia, she was the ruling figure amidst her younger sister, but she needed the approval of the council before she can accept aid from a foreign power. Luna grumpily admitted that the council was comprised of stubborn, pompous and incompetent imbeciles who have long since been corrupted by the political ways of government. Alone, they would not be able to sway the council's mind, so they hoped the king could do so instead. He had ways to get what he wanted from a stubborn fool in a position of power. Many would call those methods brutal and terrifying. At least for his target. It would be a while before they arrived, and at Link's request, his presence was to be kept as much a secret from the citizens as was possible in the Alicorns' power. Although ignorant as to why, they agreed. Link's main concern was not doing what his nemesis managed to do every time he entered another world, and that was burn it with his impurity. He wasn't fearful of this threat, he wasn't fearful of publicity, he just wanted to preserve innocents. Mainly because he failed to preserve his own. It was a frightful experience to have your light taken from you, to be infested by an evil radiation. He didn't want anyone going through it. It was a fate not even the lowest scum deserved. 'Well, maybe.' They exited the woodlands, coming up open a dirt road leading to the gates of the royal city, Canterlot. Wildlife ran rampantly about, scurrying to the sides in fear of the cloaked king. The dual princesses took note of this, the creatures felt something worth being fearful of, and that answered many of their own questions that had yet to be asked. “Enough!” Link roared as it shook the images from his mind's eye. All was still now, the piercing gazes of the shadows itself fixated on the angry, now mortal king of darkness who dared to interrupt the show. “I've seen enough.” Link claimed forcefully. He wanted to awaken from this so he can make sure that Fluttershy was alright. But this pointless theatrical movie of his arrival to his current predicament was only wasting his time and enraging him further than he already was. “We have but one more vision to enlighten you with, oh pretentious one.” “No! No more images! Release me at once from this void, or I will unleash a fury that which has not been seen in all of Hell!” Without giving him a reply, another force of images struck his conscious and forced their way into his mind's sight. Giving another roar in protest, but unable to break free this time, the king fell to his knees once more. “It has been decided. I will raise ten thousand strong from my world and bring them here to fight for you, princesses of Equestria.” “Only ten thousand? ...It's less than half of what I had hoped...but I will take whatever you can give me, my liege.” Celestia nodded as she sighed. She really had hoped he could provide an entire military force of drones so that her people would not have to fight at all, but such a desire was unlikely and naïve. Still, it was ten thousand of her ponies she would not need to put at risk. Link hummed to himself. “My people are still at war with a ruler of evil. Ten thousand is a less than savory number for me as well, Celestia. But I can't risk revoking anymore than that. If I do, it is likely our lines will be weakened, and the enemy's victory would be easier to achieve. I am sorry.” “No no, we are grateful to have any help at all. Ten thousand should do nicely.” Luna spoke up. The council chamber's had since emptied upon their arrival, all untrusting of King Link and his mysterious presence. The only other soul left behind was the armor-clad knight, Trixie, who guarded the door. “Trixie, bring me the world map.” Celestia requested, receiving a nod from the azure pony knight. Her horn glowed with the mystical power it possessed and brought a map from a high shelf nearby to lay flat and cleanly on the long table before the three rulers. Link examined the map from beneath the thin gap of his hood, reading the many names and different landscapes as Luna began pointing at Equestria with her hoof. “This is Canterlot, and south of the royal city is a precious little town, Ponyville. Our Equestrian heroes reside here. They wield ancient and powerful artifacts that represent six elements, all forming Harmony: Kindness, Generosity, Loyalty, Magic, Honesty, and Laughter. Together, they form the most powerful force in our world's known history and future. If we can bring the six Elements of Harmony before our enemies, the war may be won by the power of Friendship.” Link raised an eyebrow at it all. Wars were not won in his world through any of these six elements and certainly not through friendship. War in his world was won through: Blood, Massacres, Strategy, Armed Forces, Violence, and Ruthless Conquest. He can see now that this wasn't going to be easy for him to adapt to. And, he was rather hoping he'd fight this war his way. For he only knew how to fight it in his own fashion. What was more simpler than to lead a great army to an enemy army, charge, kill, and claim victory through enemy subjugation or overthrowing their capital and leaders? They want him to escort these six “heroes” to the source of this disturbance so that they may unleash the power of Friendship? This is going to be more harder than he thought... He grunted as he fought the dark magic infesting his head with these redundant images of events only a few days old. But no matter how much he struggled, his will was nothing compared to this infinity. As if he was banished to a place where no will but the that of this entity could exist. “Here, is thy moment to which we stopped from coming to pass... But came to be nonetheless due to thy connection with time itself... The sin of one named Link, and the justification of thy punishment.” Dark, ominous winds bellowed about the midnight hours of the night. The trees were dead, or dying due to the deathly radiation spewing forth from the gates of a fiery temple entrance. The king himself stood but meters from this accursed place, it reeked of wicked intent and devilish rule. This, was the gates of TarTarus, portal to the dead and the realm of the Underworld where all things Dark and Evil resides. This was where he would traverse through time and space to the Dark World, to assemble his chosen army. He stepped forth, pausing before thinking deeply of the consequences of opening these demonic gates. The guardian, Cerberus was removed by Princess Luna herself so that he may do what needed done: bring forth the greatest army Equestria ever saw. He placed his hands on the hot, yet cold stone of the old gates. The white stone, a sign of purity in the standing seal of the Wise Ones who once ruled Equestria vibrated with mixed energies; both holy and unholy. A great evil waited on the other side, this he could feel deep in his bones. Hair stood on end as he heaved the mighty gates of stone open, ready to stop whatever escaped before he can reach his realm and return with the chosen forces. As the stone doors ceased to touch one another, the great gates slammed open, forcing the king to lose balance and fall forward. A dark cloud exploded from the inside of the crimson world of hate and ill. The force and density pushed the king back off the ground and sent him deep into the woods, the sheer thickness of it blotting out the shimmering moon. Recovering, and drawing the sacred blade from its resting place, Link carefully approached the opened doors. Searching for what may have bled out, but seeing and feeling nothing. Whatever was inside, may have escaped while he was airborne, meaning he would have to search the world for the escaped shadow and return it to its prison. Not seeing anything to battle, Link stepped into the red world and closed the doors behind him. He had allot of work to do when he returned... “This, is why ye suffer. We, are that which escaped. And we vowed to punish the first creature thine eyes rested on upon resurrection. That, foolish king, is now thy curse. As long as we are free, you will suffer in our darkness.” Now free of the tormenting shadow's grip, Link stood back up and bared his teeth. His hatred was now at new heights, he bled and breathed nothing but anger for this wretched orb of evil veiled in this disgusting darkness. His eyes burned with the lust to kill it, burned red with contempt and spite. He desired revenge. For this thing tormenting him had dragged the innocent Fluttershy into the midst of a childish and blind grudge, dragging her screaming into the deep dark and sending its servants to mutilate her at his expense. All because it wanted to smite him. It only shattered his loose chains holding his dark-side in check. He may not have possessed his tortured soul any longer, nor did he possess the power he once did, but he was still strongly connected to the Darkness, and it fueled his vengeful spirit. He chuckled, at first lowly, and than it reached a crescendo of cackles in his dark and twisted voice. “Before this moment, I was only out to slay the one responsible for torturing the pony you forced to share this supposed “fate” you chose for me. But now...-” His skin tinted sickly blue, his eyes blackened until a very small circle of white could be seen as his only thread of grip on sanity was left. His mouth contoured to show fangs, his armor blackened further and absorbed the energy of rage and hatred bleeding from both him and the souls he was surrounded by. A nasty growl came from his throat as he spoke one last time. A black blade materialized in his left hand, ragged and claw-like in shape with what seemed like an eye in the hilt. It oozed in black substance as its master held it firmly. “Now all have to pay.” With that, the demon creature standing where king Link once stood launched itself at the shadows with a terrifying cry of inner pain and bloodlust. It bit and clawed and sliced at whatever it could before it was drowned in shadow and silenced.
Chapter 1Guided by figures, sculpted in ivory. Place, where absence of life. Does. Not. Mean. Morality. Imagination is one with memory. And memories are so real. Unveiling the mystery. Storm choirs are wailing. Splendid structures. Going out...searchlight. -Vader, When Darkness Calls A dark shadow moved in the dim halls, silently treading along so as not to alert any "suitors" on patrol. The slow dripping sound of water caught the ears of this lurker. A few torches were lit, but the rest were long since diminished. It was cold and damp, the total opposite of the world he was in only days before. A silent sob echoed down the hallway, and the shadow stopped in its advance. Instinct kicked in, and the shadow reached up to place an armored left hand on the hilt of a sword. Silence followed as this lurker listened intently. Drip...drip...drip...drip... All was silenced again, but the chilling air had yet to subside, even as the shadow inched near a lit torch. Sharp, voided eyes gazed with piercing intensity through the darkness. As this figure inched forward, the glint of black steel shimmered from its form. Slowly, detail became visible to those with sight. Long blonde hair in wavy fashion graced this armored shadow's head, long pointed ears twitched at every drip of water that sounded, and thickly armor fitting a design of ferocity and death clung to their figure. A short, tail like hat hung from the back of their head, whipping back and forth in the opposite direction with each move. A long black cape kept the shadow warm in these dreary passageways of rubble and stone as it was dragged along behind the figure, even at full height. Rodents shuffled around in the corners, letting out small "eeps!" to mark their presence. The occasional scratching could be heard from the large insects inhabiting the walls. The dark figure watched the rats scurry about, non affected by his presence. But a small shuffle of iron chains put him back on edge. The smell of blood, dry or fresh, filled his nostrils. Something akin to rotten flesh and the stink of death pervaded the air suddenly. The dark figure pressed his back lightly against the wall, spreading his hands along them to keep from touching a “passer by” who might be walking his way now. The sound of equine hooves slowly treading about close by caused the dark figure's eyes to narrow readily. “...H-hello...?” A very familiar voice called, whimpering and sniffing. The figure's eyes widened with shock, cleaning out his left ear with an index finger to make sure he heard right. “...Angel...please...I...c-come back...” The cracking voice called again, still moving around in the darkness, unaware of the lurker's presence. The figure moved his lips, he recognized that voice. Silently, he spoke the name of that voice...but he was no fool. He dare not call out and give his position away to a hoax. More shuffling, seemingly moving away from the unnamed figure, but there was no relaxing now. The familiar voice continued to sob silently, but what words were spoken were drowned out by the echoes from the stone passages. The dark figure felt anger swell in his heart, to hear that soft and kind voice so wracked with sorrow and grief, pain and loneliness...it was unbearable. But he knew this was likely a test, and he would not fail it. Too much was riding on it. This had to be a nightmare. The lurker forced his own inner turmoil down, and continued his advance. Careful not to step on any of the creatures below his feet for fear of alerting his unknowing companion. Using his hands, he felt along the walls, searching for the end of the hall he trudged in. Wisely, his ears searched for signs of the voice's return, but there was no other noise but the dripping water and the cackles of the torches. He had a lantern of his own to use, but only a fool would unleash that light while hiding from an unknown entity. The unlit device hung lifelessly at his side, barely slapping his thigh as he moved. The voice sounded again, still as sorrowful as ever. Whatever had been the case, the voice obviously was powerless to leave the vicinity. More of the iron chains dragging on the cold, wet floor resounded, approaching the hidden figure. The source of the voice must be incapable of seeing in the dark, for it had not spotted the lurker when it called down his hall. With that in mind, the lurker swiftly, but silently shifted his position from the wall, to a large, thickly beam holding the roof up. The lurker hugged his back towards the damp cement, hand on the hilt of his sword, ready to draw if he was discovered. The voice shuffled closer ever so slowly, blind to the hidden swordsman in hiding. Again, it called out to that name, only to be met with the unforgiving silence. The voice stopped all movement, likely to sulk a bit before resuming its endless search. It cried. A heart wrenching cry. The dark armored warrior used all of his will power to keep from looking at the voice. It took everything he had. And it wasn't easy. “My love...where did you go...? Please come back...I'm so cold...” The voice wept. The dark warrior quietly grunted painfully at the silent plead. He had to get away before he did something he'd regret. Again, he silently shifted his position to another beam, looking to distance himself from the voice. “Why did this happen...? Please...come back...” But he stepped on a small piece of wood from the rotting trim nailed to the walls, letting a resounding crack echo. The sound of chains shifting in reaction to the noise was heard, and the lurker knew the head of the voice had looked up in his direction. “Is that you I hear...? Angel...?” As strong willed as the warrior was, he felt his fear rise. If he was found, it would be difficult to combat a foe in utter darkness. Already, he witnessed horrors here that shamed his nemesis in all senses. At least, what little he knew of his nemesis' dealings. The chained hooves moved towards him. “...Don't leave me again...” The voice muttered, sounding slightly agitated. The dark warrior moved further away, trying to remain as silent as he could, but he was getting clumsy. His armored boots came close to scrapping the stone floor. Such a mistake would be costly to him if he was discovered. The steps increased, seemingly encouraged by the presence of the lurker. The black knight stopped in his advance, perhaps he was making a noise only that voice could hear? He would take no chances, he squeezed himself carefully into a crevice, taking great care not to scrape his armor on the stone. The steps inched closer. “W-where did you go, my love...? Come back! Come back! Please...don't leave...! I don't want to be alone anymore...” Panic and fear mixed with loneliness began to retake the voice. The steps were now right next to the dark warrior, who held his breath. A sniffing sound was heard. The lurker could only smell the same taint that had pervaded a large radius of the voice, but it had apparently picked up on a new scent. “Uh...? L-Link...? Link, is that you I smell...?” The voice called again. “....Link, please save me...! Please! I...I-I don't want to be here anymore...” The voice was now sobbing again, desperate for salvation. Link could only turn his head away, inching himself deeper into the crevice. Mentally, he threw his desire to reveal himself down a deep dark chasm in his mind, but the sincerity of the voice was the rope for his desire to climb back up. The voice kept moving hurriedly around in the corridor, blindly searching for him. A smack sounded, and Link felt a small vibration nearby from the wall. The voice hit itself head on. “O-ow...Why is this h-happening...?” 'She must be blind...' Link concluded mentally. He pondered if it was wise to light his lantern, he desired so much to see what had taken the form of the one equine friend of his who was close to his heart than the others, as close as one other. Finally he decided he had to know what he was dealing with. He reached for his lantern, silently unclipping it from his belt and turning a small shaft on the side which fed more oil into the base. He gathered some magic from the fire goddess, Din, and breathed into the glass, causing a small flame to ignite silently. He held it up, listening intently as the voice moved over to the end of the hall he currently hid himself within. “Wait! L-let me find you! ...I-I can smell you close by, just stay there!” The voice pleaded. Link knew it was a matter of time before it pinpointed his exact position. He must be quick. He left the crevice, his heavy boot steps hitting the stone floor and noisily echoing as he moved further away from the voice. The voice heard the boot steps and gave a weak pursuit. “No, wait! Stay! Come back!” Link hopped over a large wooden beam that lay on the floor, concealing himself within a room and silently shutting the bar door. The voice passed by without knowledge of his change in course. The voice hit what sounded like hollow suits of armor and collapsed with a yelp of pain and fear. It whimpered as it tried to stand, but was incredibly weak and barely managed to get back up on all fours. The rodents in the room scurried from the loud clanging noise, and the idea that his closer friend might be the true owner of that voice steadily consumed Link. He waited until the hoof steps were further away before slightly tilting his head around the corner of the door and raised the lantern. What he saw caught his heart in his throat. There stood a once beautiful and innocent pony with a coat of gold and a main of pink. Her eye sockets were empty, not but black voids and her tears were of blood. Her mouth, toothless and agape, bled. Her neck was encircled by a large wheel, likely a torture device to keep her from slipping, to keep her conscious. Her body was horridly scratched and blood covered her form. She blindly looked from one end of the hall to Link's direction, sniffing. She was blind, for her nonexistent vision had gazed right at Link, but she had not noticed his obvious figure. More blood dripped from her eyes as she sobbed again, dropping to her knees and lowering her head in total obscurity. 'By Oni...' “Fluttershy...” Link muttered ever so quietly under his breath. There she lay, sobbing in the middle of the hallway. Her coat middled with dirt and her own blood, and her mane mangled and filthy. Link would never forget that image before him. Lost in his own grief for the once pure being who held a special spot in his dark heart as his friend, he approached her corrupted figure. His white eyed vision focused purely on Fluttershy's body, funneling to her and blurring everything around her to total ignorance of the environment. She kept her head low, her voice now only a whisper. Her breathing was shaky and so was she, which could have been caused by her time that she was obscured here from the outside world. In his slow advance, she seemed to mind the rodents running around her corrupted form. Likely wishing they could be as friendly as her mice friends back home. At last, Link dropped to his knees, no longer caring for wise decision making. Fluttershy was alerted by the loud clang caused by the steel guards strapped to Link's knee high boots hitting the stone floor. She looked up, not knowingly that he was sitting directly in front of her, mere inches away. Her sobbing continued, for she believed that now she had gone totally insane. Her hope of surviving and reuniting with her old friends slipped away. Link's hand reached up and caressed Fluttershy's crest, the only thing he could attempt to do to comfort her. She gave a small gasp in reaction to the contact. “Hush now, my little pony...it's alright,” Link spoke softly as he continued to comfort her. “...You came back for me... Please...don't leave me again...”
Chapter 2Is it because...I have a pair of wings...? Would you be the same... If I shed my pair of wings? -Vader, Wings (for Fluttershy) The rites are drawn...to celebrate, The fall...that never happened. Over. And over...you kill the same god... Whose name, I don't even know... -Vader, Wings (for Link) The tortured body of Fluttershy rested in the strong arms of the dark armored Link as he quietly searched for the exit in the endless maze of earthly stone, her hurt body wrapped up carefully in the black cape of the armored Hylian to keep her warm. She was too weak and blind to walk on her own, even so, he would of carried her still. There was no telling what she had gone through down in this haunted, hellish web of tunnels beneath the surface of the world. And if they were attacked, he wanted to ensure she could keep up with him. Link was busy watching the many entrances to go down and thinking who, or what, would want to do this to his friend. She was likely the most gentle soul he knew, in all his numerous adventures did he ever meet anyone who came close to her level of kindness. He contemplated the many methods he could requisition to use on the one responsible should he find them. Plenty of dark thoughts were entering his mind, and soon he noticed it was getting harder to keep up with them. He stopped his march. This place was trying to throw him into total madness, if he allowed this, he would lose. And Fluttershy would again be alone in the dark, to die a lonely death with no sight and no one to see her safe. … It's amazing how a small, innocent creature like this pony could turn a corrupted soul who's darkness was beyond his own comprehension, that dwelt in a world of eternal shadow for a millennium to change so abruptly. He was once a mighty emperor, a feared king, a powerful warlord who was never challenged for his strength, and a fierce dark shadow so black that the most evil of devils shied from his presence. Not even the three goddesses and all their benevolence could revive the light that was stolen from him by his enemy. Yet this once pure being he held carefully in his arms had reversed a thousand years of pain and suffering, igniting his ebony heart and bringing some semblance of light back. He didn't understand anything anymore. Nothing could ever make sense now. How could anyone ever desire to harm this angel? He felt Fluttershy shift in her position, moaning painfully as she used her sore muscles to try getting comfortable. She never deserved this. In Link's steady marching, he came upon another torture chamber. Perhaps he could find a tool to remove the torture device surrounding Fluttershy's neck. It would hurt getting that thing off her, as he can see several small spikes were embedded in her neck as points where their entry would not cause death, only severe pain. Likely, the spikes were embedded in nerve joints. If Fluttershy lowered her neck, or closed her mouth for too long, the device would constrict and drive the spikes further in. There was a compressor device attached to the metal wheel with a thin piece of wire wrapped around her neck and hooked in her mouth that did this. When elevated wrongly, gravity activated the compressor. He couldn't tamper with the wiring either, or it would activate, at least that was what she told him. For only Hell knows how long Fluttershy has remained awake and standing. Only the Gods knew just how tired she really was. He could probably of guessed if she still had eyes, but the poor creature was robbed of it. And that, of all her injuries and scars, must've hurt the most. Not just physically, but mentally. For the idea of never being able to see again was the worst fate to bestow upon any being. And Fluttershy...was the last being who could deserve such a fate. Link himself would not have the will to live on if he had lost something so precious as the gift of sight. Link pushed the steel cage door open with his right shoulder and closing it with his left foot. His dark gaze examined the layout of the room, taking note of a stretcher in the middle with freshly installed chains. Along the walls, various blades and tools to inflict as much pain as possible were hung. Link took in all of them, searching for something that could relinquish the unholy device around his dear friend's neck. She had not said a word since he picked her up. But neither has he, he couldn't think straight with Fluttershy's condition clouding his mind and judgment. Every now and then, she would let out an “eep” of pain or surprise, but nothing more. The only sound aside from Link's boot steps was her hagged breathing. Link placed the pony down on the table as carefully and gently as he could. “Stay here, I'm going to search this place for something to get that...damned thing off your neck.” “Okay...” Link walked over to the northern end; several sharp, rusty blades for various forms of dismemberment or “surgery” hung loosely. Not one of them looked like they could saw through the metal binder. He picked up a thickly hand grinder, it was bent out of shape for unknown reasons and if he was to use it properly, he'd have to straighten it out. He searched for a hammer of some type, something he could use to bend the grinder back into its proper geometry. A man-sized sledge hammer laid against the western wall. It was massive by all standards and the weight of the bulky head would make reforging the grinder easy work. A vise bolted to the work bench against the eastern wall beckoned Link to use it as a grip, giving him the ability to use the hammer with both arms and allowing for more control with his swings. But he needed a furnace to heat up the steel paddle so that he could reforge it properly. Only there was none. “I'll need to make a fire, I've found something that could work, but I need to fix it first.” Link spoke to his charge, who was busy looking around blindly as she tried to get her barrens. She gave him a nod to acknowledge his words, but remained silent. He could tell she was traumatized. The more he thought on it, the more anger swelled within him. But he was wise enough to channel that anger into determination to punish the one responsible. And he will. Pieces of an old broken bench and some wooden doors dry enough for burning lay in one corner, hidden in the eastern end of the room. Link gathered as much as he could and placed it in an empty and dry corner. Before lighting the wood, he felt a sudden urge to lock the door. The hair on the back of his neck stood in warning. Danger was close by, he could feel it. But the halls were deathly silent. “Fluttershy, is there something here I should know about?” Link asked quietly as he locked the door and approached the pony. She turned her low head to his direction as she tried to remember. “Y...yes...The m-monster that d-did this to me...” She turned her head away. Link's eyes narrowed. All his mind could think was lock Fluttershy here and rip the halls apart looking for the entity responsible. But he knew that was likely what the enemy wanted him to do. '...If you don't come to me, I will come to you.' Link swore in his mind to the unknown being. Link grabbed two rocks left from the damaged walls and dropped to one knee. He began hitting the rocks against each other hard and fast, causing sparks to fly. It took several minutes of silence between the two and slapping the rocks against each other for a small flame to ignite. Link blew at the embers, trying to raise the flame and make it hotter. The fire needed to be hot enough to loosen the metal. After getting the fire started, Link gathered some dry wood around and added it in. As he waited for it to all catch fire, he sat next to Fluttershy, overlooking the many scars left on her once elegant body. And then he noticed something terribly wrong. “Fluttershy...what...happened to your beautiful wings...?” Link demanded in a hushed voice, horrified to his core. The young pony looked to the small stubs that her elegant wings once were. A long silence followed, with the dark warrior slowly loosing the strength he had for so long. As he waited for Fluttershy to explain, he felt tears in his eyes for the first time in an extremely long time. Who could commit such a crime against the elegance of nature itself? To such a wonder upon his life? “...I lost them...I was...forced to give them up,” She explained nonchalantly. “It was the only way to get free...” His painful tears aside, Link shook like he never shook before. His fists tightened harder than he ever had them. Blood drew from the palm of his hands from his fingernails cutting into his flesh. But he didn't care, all he could see was red. His hatred was slowly consuming him, the need to annihilate the demon who dared to do such an unthinkable thing! They MUST pay! What hurt the most was he was powerless to reverse this all. He had the dark powers of Kingdom and the shadow people at his command, and yet in all that ability, not one thing could reverse what was done. Mentally, he began to turn on himself, why had he not been stronger? How could he let this all happen to her? She was the brightest of his newfound friends and now her life is ruined. “When I was caught, they brought me down here...They...hurt me...” She continued, resting her head against his arm. “I managed to offer a deal, for freedom...” Link had gently wrapped his arms around her form, trying to keep her warm. She was shaking, but not from the cold. She was shaking from the experience. Link lowered his head, letting his face be buried in her mane. The dark shadow loomed about in the room, gathering the many tools it had just finished using. Fluttershy's body was strapped down, her form writhing in pain from the horrendous torture session. Before her eyes were taken, she had seen portraits of Pegasai ponies on the wall, her captor had embedded many numerous knives into the wings of the portraits, showing an obvious distaste for the Pegasai. This senseless hate was not limited to her brethren, but to anything bearing a pair of wings, feathered or not. Stuffed bats and birds hung from the ceiling by their necks, only frightening the holder of kindness more. But her biggest fear was now looming over her once more. She could feel the evil wind of the creature burning her face, a stench so foul her stomach could not hold no food. Broken, Fluttershy could only lie there and wait. But a thought had since entered her mind when the 'thing' was not around. Maybe it had targeted her because of her gift of flight? Now was her chance to find out, for the devil was making sure she did not die after all it had put her through. “...W-why...? I-is it...b-because I ha-ave...wings? W-would y-you stop i-if I gave th-em to y-you...?” A long silence followed, the creature and its clawed hands had stopped working roughly on her injuries when it heard her offer. The only thing Fluttershy could do was pray to Celestia that it accepted. For she did not know how much longer she could take the nightmare. It had put her through so much that she was willing to sacrifice her wings to stop the onslaught of torture. “'Give up your wings, pony, and you can go free' was what it said...I didn't want it to hurt me anymore...so I gave them up. When it was all finished, it drug me away and left me...I-I haven't heard it come around s-since...” Link didn't move. His grip on the pony tightened in sorrow. If he could of given his life, he would of gladly done so to spare her from that experience. How could she live now? Her life will be not but an eternal mental hell surrounding this morbid place. With no eyes, she could not return to her life as the caretaker of the wild. And now, without her wings, she can't return to Cloudsdale. The very place she was born. What would the others say? Could they take this pain? He himself was barely getting by knowing only what her body could tell. The shear idea would haunt him forever. His mind began to numb...his breath grew rough, his grip tightened further. With an expression that could melt the heavens and the underworld in fear, Link raised his head. He only felt one thing now. Not pain, not sorrow, not happiness, not absolution... Just. Hate. Tearing his tunic's sleeves, Link wrapped Fluttershy's legs to keep the wounds from getting dirty. He had no medicine from his home world with him, leaving him to survival tactics to keep her from catching any infections. The grinder had been burning in the fire for an hour now, slowly reaching the appropriate level of heat. He began to wrap her head up, covering her sockets for now they were useless to her. A thin strip from his cape covered her waist and engulfed the stubs of which Link could not bare to look at without busting a hole in the wall with the sledge hammer to relieve his anger. Even then, he refused to show his temper, he didn't want Fluttershy to become anymore uncomfortable than she already was. He had taken his hat off and used it as a cleaning cloth, heating up some water he gathered from the dripping ceiling in a bucket and using the warm water to clean Fluttershy's body. With each eep the pony emitted, another surge of sadness washed over him, immediately swallowed by his steadily growing rage which hangs by a thread now. Another bucket was currently being boiled to ensure purity for her to drink. Her mouth was ungodly dry and she was dehydrated more than than could be allowed. But he had no hay for her to feast on. The most he could do was get some liquid back into her system to help her recover faster. “Link...what happened?” The question caught the dark king off guard. And more importantly, he wasn't sure what she meant. If she meant why they were down in this abyssal pit of despair, he had no clue. “What do you mean?” “The war...who did you fight against?” That was just it, the war had yet to start when Link was brought here. The day it happened, he wasn't expecting it, it felt like a vacuum of dark air, ancient and evil, sucked him up and spit him into some distant dimension where the war either never happened, or was lost. “I never fought in your princess' war. It hadn't started for me.” He knew it confused her. “It was but a day after meeting the dual princesses that I was attacked by a dark cloud. It had a power I never felt before, and was clearly stronger than me. When it engulfed me, I blacked out from the intensity of that ancient-like magic.” He paused as he washed the cloth in the warm water and continued giving the pony a bath. He briefly checked the fire to see it was nearly finished heating the steel grinder up. “When I woke up, I was down here with no knowledge of how I came to be here or how much time had passed. The last thing I remember was leaving the castle and walking through a dark forest on my way back to the gates of Tartarus to summon my army...” Fluttershy's confused expression met Link's blank one. “...But...um...I saw you leading your troops to Canterlot...” Link raised his head from the cut he was cleaning and looked to Fluttershy's nonexistent eyes in confusion. “That's impossible, I haven't had the chance to summon the troops yet!” “If...if you didn't really fight in the war, who...?” She stopped mid sentence to think. Link claimed he had yet to partake in the war on Celestia's behalf, so who else could command his dreaded army? “It doesn't matter. What does matter is I get you out of here.” 'And find the one responsible for this...' He added darkly. He grabbed the bucket of drinking water and set it aside in the coldest spot to allow it to cool before he let Fluttershy drink. He pulled the steel grinder from the fire, it glowed red from the heat. Grabbing the man-sized sledge hammer, Link placed the grinder in the vise and tightened it up. Checking the door to ensure nothing could sneak in, he raised the heavy tool over his head and brought it down hard. But he forgot to warn Fluttershy... CLANG! Fluttershy squealed and jumped in surprise and almost fell off the bench, Link took notice and dropped the hammer. He rushed to her side, scorching himself by accidentally falling on the fire in his rush to reach her side. Ignoring his burns, he wrapped his arms around her in an attempt to silence her fears. His hand passed over her crest back and forth while the other rubbed her nuzzle in soothing motions. He brought a finger up to wipe away her fresh tears. “I'm sorry, Fluttershy, I should of told you I was about to start...” He hushed the pony who was shaking in terror. She finally calmed back down, and Link let her have a nice drink from the bucket, now that is was perfect temperature. He let her drink her fill before he let her go to finish the task that must be done before they could continue. “Ready?” He asked her, receiving a meek nod. She was still drinking from the bucket. Again, Link raised the massive hammer with a great intake of air, and exhaled quickly as he brought it crashing down. Another thunderous clang erupted as he worked, slowly straightening the very thick piece of metal. With what seemed like an hour of work, the grinder was reforged properly and ready for the next step. Miraculously, the teeth of the grinder were intact, but some needed replacing, so the warrior took a chisel and using a much smaller hammer head, began eating away at the grinder after heating it back up to soften the metal. When he was finished with a freshly made grinder in his hand, he stuck the tip into a drain filled with murky water and listened to the hiss that followed. Steam protruded forth from the metal as all traces of the reforge were removed. Giving the tool a quick look over, Link analyzed the device surrounding Fluttershy's neck. “It's done. All we have to do now is see if it will cut through the ring.” He announced. He approached his equine friend who had shifted her black gaze to his direction to show she was paying close attention to his plans. Link sat next to her, placing the grinder down and gently took hold of Fluttershy's neck. She let him look at the device, twisting her neck to allow him to see all angles of the device and its entry points, gathering information on how best to cut it without activating it. Finally, he had seen enough. “If it starts to hurt, let me know.” She nodded. Link picked the grinder back up and gently began to saw away at the top of the ring. She tensed as the vibration irritated the spikes in her neck, but she said nothing. Link continued to saw carefully away, watching as the dust-sized particles of metal fell around Fluttershy's coat, Link's lap, and the bench they sat on. Slowly, the grinder ate away, eventually reaching the middle of the ring's outer line. Link wanted to quicken his pace, for he sensed she was feeling a little pain from the grinding and wanted to get it done faster. Suddenly, a loud booming slam resounded down the hall, with a snarl and in reaction, Link's left hand reached up and ripped the Master Sword from his scabbard and pointed it at the door. Fluttershy let another silent yelp out at the sudden sound, pressing herself closer to Link's armored chest for protection. Link watched the door in silence with a powerful glare as Fluttershy hid her face in his armor, trying to regain control of her breathing. A large portion of Link wanted to leave her here and hunt down the cause of that noise, for he knew it was the being responsible for this treacherous condition of Fluttershy's. But another part of him demanded he not leave her side. His burning hatred for the creature responsible was slowly bleeding right through his conscious, but his desire to protect the Element of Kindness washed away the river of anger rising in the black lakes of his heart. Fluttershy, on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with the cause of that noise, and she didn't want Link to chase after it. But her fear had engulfed her so badly that she couldn't plead to her protector to stay away from it. Her voice had caught in her throat and her heart was pumping adrenaline throughout her hurt body, numbing most of the pain she was in. Her mind grew dazed at the thought of encountering the abomination haunting the catacombs they were lost within. The lightheaded feeling she was now experiencing was almost too much for her to stay conscious. She held tightly to his armored waist, hoping her action would speak for her. Link was fighting himself back from storming out and laying waste to the halls. His vision was growing red with his rage, the utter need to brutalize the insolent being was getting the best of him. Fluttershy searched for her voice, temporarily forgotten in the face of panic. Reaching deep, she found a word and breathed it in. “D-don't...” Fluttershy barely croaked out, voice wracked by her horror. She couldn't muster anymore than that, there was more to it, but her throat refused to loosen enough for her to speak clearly. Her words did not reach him. Slowly, with his fury in full control, he started to stand, silently prying Fluttershy from his waist. He did not take his eyes off the door leading to the halls. “Don't leave this room.” He commanded darkly. Fluttershy blindly reached out with her hooves as she attempted to regain grip on her friend, but her hooves fell on empty air. The sound of his heavy boots stalking the sound leading away from Fluttershy brought her great fear. The door opened and closed, and a chain was wrapped tightly around the hinges to ensure no unauthorized intruding. Seeing that she could not change his set mind, Fluttershy pulled the cape over her head and lowered herself as far as she could go without triggering the device. Link walked loudly, making sure whatever was down here heard him in the hopes it would come face to face with his presence. He examined all rooms on the way towards the noise, ensuring that he left no stone uncovered. The Master Sword shimmered dimly in the abyssal darkness, providing some light to his search. His long Hylian ears listened intently, searching for signs of life, or movement of any kind. But all he could hear was the dripping droplets, the torches cracking, and the rodents squealing and scratching in the hollow walls. A few bugs flew about, some crawling on his face only to be slapped viciously away. Then he heard it. A grunting growl. It was monstrous in sound, a total abomination of nature. And it was behind him. Link turned sharply and swung, but the blade cut air only and the hall was empty. The sounds of chains rattling across the floor, and a chained door being shaken resounded. Then, a blood curdling scream. “AAAH!!!” ...It was Fluttershy... Fluttershy was breathing heavily as she fell off the table, pushing her self back against the wall and underneath the work bench in which Link used to reforge the grinder. Something was beating on the cage door and it sounded angry. She screamed again, hoping Link would hear her. She had no words left to cry, all she could do was let out scream after scream. The creature at the door continued to beat at the bars, fruitlessly trying to gain entry but the thickly chains Link placed all around the hinges held tight. She could hear the door shake violently, and feel the hateful and evil glare of a pair of eyes on her form. “Fluttershy!” Link's voice called from afar, and she could hear his hasty approach and the rattling of his armor hitting his equipment attached to it. What was at the door seemed distracted by the approaching warrior, and Fluttershy brailled about for a new hiding spot, one which concealed her form from view at the door. She heard Link's running boots rapidly approaching at swift speed, and the creature attacking them moaned again. That was it for her, she pressed her hooves against her closed ears to block out the sound and sobbed in terror. “Fluttershy!” Link ran as fast as he could possible without tripping over his own feet, sheathing his sword to give him extra balance for speed. He reached the door where Fluttershy was concealed safely within, and he spotted a malformed bipedal like creature hidden by total Darkness. The creature was trying to see his approach, but the lack of torches in the vicinity made spotting each other difficult, for all they could see was black outlines of themselves. But he was coming in too fast to stop and draw his sword and begin hacking away at the abomination before him. When Link was in range, he took flight. Bringing the heel of his right boot up to the head of the monster in a crushing blow that struck the chin of the head. All of Link's three hundred pounds of muscle and armor hit full force like a boulder crashing down the side of a mountain. Both of them went crashing down to the stone as the monster gave a howl of pain from the blow, but Link managed to roll upon impact and stand back up. Not wasting a moment, he initiated Mortal Draw and brought the Master Sword down in a powerful chop. But the glimmering holy blade struck the stone, sending debris flying and shrapnel struck Link's face leaving deep gashes in his cheeks, forcing Link to cover his face in reaction. Blood drew forth from the wounds, but the sting was ignored as he lowered his hand to reveal his murderous expression. Baring his teeth to the shadows, Link searched for the creature. But it was gone. There was no trace that it had ever been here. “I will find you, demon! I will hunt you down, to the center of this earth if need be! If it's the last thing I do, I will find you!” Link roared in anger, his voice echoing down the empty halls and back to him. Fluttershy's whimpering reached his ears, his anger subsided at her voice, and he looked for her. She was not on the table anymore, and he couldn't spot her. “Fluttershy, where are you?” Link called. The frightened pony inched her self out and gave a weak “here” in reply. “I-is it...safe?” She asked as Link made sure the halls were empty. “Yes...for now. However. I feel it will return...soon,” He answered, leaving the last part to himself. CLING... The ring had been broken, and now Link could pry it off. He analyzed the spikes to make sure there were no teeth to keep them from coming out, but there were none, luckily for Fluttershy. “This may hurt...I'll be as careful as I can,” Link warned as he helped Fluttershy to her feet. She whimpered as he set the grinder away, most of its teeth now eroded once again. He had spent allot of time watching for the creature's return, but managed to saw four sides parallel to each other on the ring of death as he dubbed it. All that was left to do was pull each side out. There were only four spikes and he managed to separate each one from the other. Before hand, he broke the triggering device and removed a small string that went straight to Fluttershy's mouth and was hooked in. But unlike the rest of the device, the mouth piece was utterly harmless and only served to trigger the device if her jaw was closed. When he removed it, he watched in satisfaction as she sat on her hind legs and moved her jawline back and fourth, up and down in relief. Now she was able to be more comfortable when resting. “Try to remain relaxed so they can come out more easily,” Link instructed as he gripped the first one. Fluttershy took a deep breath and released it. “Rest your head on my shoulder. That should ease the pressure on your neck...” She did as he instructed, resting her jaw on his left shoulder which was now armor-less as he worked tirelessly to break through the ring of death. Taking a breath of his own, Link slowly began pulling the first quarter of the ring from the top of Fluttershy's neck. He felt her tense at first, gulp, then relax again as he gently pulled it free. Some blood came out as he did so, prompting more cleaning before he let the journey proceed. In a matter of minutes, Link had removed the ring entirely and tossed it harshly out side the room. He then torn more pieces from his own tunic and cape to tie Fluttershy's neck with until he got more water to clean the wounds with. One thing he knew was certain now. He wasn't going to make the same mistake of leaving Fluttershy alone again. He will patiently wait for the thing to return, and then like a cat does a mouse... He will pounce.
Chapter 3Nails burn and disrupt my skin! Spear touches my heart with its cold... Applause rises suddenly, Now it's time to die...! The soil is soaked by my blood... Lady Death gave me a kiss for goodnight... No pain nor light anymore... Dignity just died tonight! -Vader, Come and See My Sacrifice I had a dream... I was traveling far among the stars, Worlds behind the gate. Where the night is a shield against the light. I clad my wings. I descended, with fire and death. Bringing them fear and pain... Turning their land into my domain... -Vader, I had a Dream The fire cackled a lullaby, letting its own music sooth her troubled soul. Her protector had since given her another bath, washing away the blood drawn forth by the removal of the accursed ring. For the first time in a time she had long since lost sense of, Fluttershy could rest her mind, body, and conscious. Her head throbbed with a powerful headache caused by her insomnia, she needed to rest so badly... Her friend, however, would not sleep. He had lit the torches to keep the room warm for her, and with his sword in his hand, sat next to her. She used his lap as a bed, resting her head on his right leg in an effort to relieve the sore of her neck. His right hand rest on her shoulder, gently massaging the kinks in her muscles caused by the creature's treatment. The door was locked tight, and barred with wooden barricades. The hair on Link's neck had stood again, warning him of impending danger. But for the longest time, nothing moved in the halls. The rodents didn't seem to feel any immediate danger, for they scurried about as if these halls were a paradise. He scoffed mentally at them. How could those rats stand living down here? Did they not know what this pony barely dazing off in his lap had gone through? He damned this morbid place. Everything down here was twisted to its core, like a tree that was warped about in the powerful winds of a hurricane. There were no beds about, at least not in this room. The work bench was full of splintering wood, so Fluttershy could not sleep on it without being hurt. She had enough of Hurt. So for now he will play her bed. It didn't matter to him how much she slept, he was willing to sacrifice his own comfort for her recovery. The lulling sounds of the torches and the dancing shadows upon the walls moving in graceful rhythms were tearing at his subconscious. No, he had to remain awake. He must protect Fluttershy. But he hadn't slept in days himself. Not since he was called here. His strength could only carry him so far before he would have to rest. No one was invincible, and his nemesis was a testament to that. The rats mocked him as he sat there, squeaking their taunts to his dwindling resolve to remain awake. He uttered a low feral growl at them, glaring a tidal wave of knives at them. He hated rats with a passion...they were everywhere. No matter what you do, or how many you kill, they keep coming back. An admirable trait, but one he still hated that they, of all creatures, had. Fluttershy shifted with a split second moan, his warmth providing her a great amount of comfort from the bitter cold dark. Link gave her a small smile, she was stronger than he was. His admiration for her could only grow more, for he knew in his heart that anyone...anypony else wouldn't of had the will to live after that experience. He couldn't live in her “hooves”. For all he cared, she would of made a better ruler than he would. Of all that he had been through in a thousand years, it didn't even touch what she had been through in only what could have been a matter of days. She was a much better example to follow than he was, and he was proud of that. He respected her so much for that. He quietly laid his sword down and reached for the drinking bucket. As he took a sip, his mind wandered back to the forest beyond Canterlot. Was the Dark Shadow responsible for this all? Could it have been the creature commanding the villainous bastard spawns haunting these walls? The lack of knowledge was eating at his patience. He should of spent more time with Twilight and her library. It was a chance to gather much needed information of Equestria history, mythology, legend, and fairy tells; but he passed it up. He felt like a fool now, his naively thinking that the princess's enemies would be beaten back quickly and he could return to the Dark World, erasing his presence from this beautiful world was foolish...he had no desire to taint it with his unholy existence, and now it cost not only him, but countless others and most importantly, Fluttershy. But it seems that even a world as much affiliated with Light had its own Darkness. A revelation he feared, and regretted. From the fire's musical dance, to the melodic sound of the dripping water, Link's mentality began to succumb around itself. Slowly and without knowing it, he drifted to sleep... Link was standing in the middle of a beautiful field of green grass next to a gathering of trees, mountains stood tall and mighty in the distance, piercing the skies with their jagged tops. Cloudsdale hovered nearby, the city of the Pegasai. The only thing that did not belong with this scenery was him. It was so bright and colorful, warm and soothing. A serene voice reached his ears followed by giggling, a familiar shy and gentle voice. Link raised his head in search of it, his dark and borderline-evil armored figure, an eyesore for the environment. The Master Sword was not on him, but it didn't make a difference to the Dark Sovereign. All he was focused on was that angelic voice. It sung a soul calming song, the birds even sang along to that rhythm. 'So soothing...' Link turned around to see Fluttershy the way she was before he was taken, totally the opposite of how she was when he found her in the caverns. Her gorgeous ocean deep blue eyes, the cutest thing he ever saw, admired the scenery as she played with her bird friends, singing with them. Link lost all consciousness. He stood there, mindlessly watching her play, carefree, as if what she had gone through never happened. Her eyes and her wings were there... Is this a dream? If it is, he felt compelled to enjoy it while it lasted before reality reared that hideous head of its. Fluttershy flew around, somersaulting in the air as she had fun with the winged animals. She was so pure, so untouched by negativity and virgin to sin. As she played, she noticed her friend watching her. He looked the same he always did, cold and hard outwardly. But he felt quite the opposite inside. He was on the verge of happy tears at the sight of her happiness. Only moments ago she was dressed in the black rags of his tunic and cape, sightless and flightless. And now, she was the way she should of always have been. Unscathed and untouched by evil and harm. Fluttershy giggled at his seemingly stupefied expression. She hovered towards him, a graceful smile on her golden face. She must of smelt something she was allergic to, for she sneezed a cute sneeze. 'Ugh...my heart...I can't feel my heart...' Link mentally moaned as he resisted the urge to grasp the spot on his armor where his heart would be. Even a sneeze was not limited to her grace and overall adorableness. She hovered in front of him, smiling broadly as the sun illuminated the morning dew-ridden fields. Link raised his hands before him as he always did when she approached. Fluttershy lightly landed into his arms, her extremely light weight not helping his internal damage. 'Why must she be so fluffy...?' She continued to hum her song, watching in amusement as Link's long ears twitched to every note. He pulled her into a warm embrace, trying his hardest not to succumb to his increasing sorrow of what he would have to leave behind when he woke up. The longer he held her, and the more he felt her coat in his hands, the more his spirit cried in pain. '...I think I'm...going to die...' Fluttershy felt his turmoil, and confusion became her expression. “Link? Are you okay?” The pony asked in her gently calm voice. His legs gave out. That was it. He wasn't the black king of the Sheikah, he wasn't the great hero of time, he wasn't the slayer of evil or the wielder of the blade of Evils bane. He was just the child he had always been, Link. One sniff escaped him, he no longer had the emotional strength he had built over a thousand years. Fluttershy had conquered him, completely. He was now reduced to the boy who had left Kokiri forest so long ago to complete an impossible quest. The burden he felt that day was revived and came crashing down heavily upon his shoulders. She did what no one else ever could of possible. She broke Link, the hero of time. Whether she intended or not, made little difference. The king was broken, his soul shattered by her kindness and happy nature. It was all just too much for the warrior, he couldn't hold his emotions any more. It had been so long since he felt something in him this strong, this bond that was forged by her friendship. So; he began to pour his sorrow into her soft, pink mane. Like a river, the warrior let his tears flow for the second time for the same reason. Fluttershy. Link opened his eyes, his face felt slightly wet and his eyes were puffed. He brought his sword arm up to wipe himself, and much to his chagrin, he had bled his sorrow in his sleep. His white eyed gaze lowered to the bundle of hurt gold and pink in his lap. Fluttershy's stomach rose and fell gently, indicating she was sleeping peacefully. His mind reverted to the dream, and his sorrow he mended to hatred. His ghostly eyes disappeared behind the lids, veiling his internal struggle. Madness was seeping through him like a knife through water, leaving no safe spot to retreat to. Revenge was often a foolish thing to seek in his world, but he needed it so badly...for Fluttershy and himself. Her suffering had reached him in ways no one thought possible. Yet her strength held him back from going berserk. Oh, how he wanted so badly to unleash himself upon this world and make anything remotely responsible for the wrongful turn of events, pay a horrid price. However. He knew she wouldn't want that. Fluttershy had always forgave and forgot, something he used to be able to do. Yet even after what she was put through, she showed no hate, just initial fear and of course, traumatized. She was already fearful of her own shadow, now who knows how much she would have to adjust to. He never felt so strongly about leaving his home and permanently residing in a world he did not belong in. If this was not a nightmare for him to wake up from, he would renounce himself of all his responsibilities and become Fluttershy's caretaker. The pony groaned tiredly, shifting a bit to try and wipe her face of the effects of sleep with the blunt sides of her hoof. She tapped on his leg, making sure she was still laying in his lap. Slowly, she sat up with more strength now than she had before her nap. Her long mane obscured the bandages around her eyes and head, her ears twitched to the sound of the wood burning nearby. Link watched her as she lowered her head, still dreadfully tired. “Can't sleep?” He asked quietly. She looked up to his head and nodded. “I keep having nightmares...” Link's already grim expression intensified at her words. This was to be expected though, but he had hoped that his presence would silence her fears. But his presence was not enough. A loud growling was heard from the halls, Link viscously stabbed the Master Sword in the direction of the door, again snarling as it caught him off guard. Fluttershy squealed in terror, it was the same thing that had attacked the day before. She stumbled into Link's chest, hiding herself in his cape again. She fumbled to get behind him, doing all in her limited power to hide. Link briefly glanced at her and pulled her close to show he wouldn't let it come near her. She shivered, her squealing coming out shaky. Link's heart beat quickened with the adrenaline pumping rapidly through him. All exhaustion was forgotten in both of them, now listening intently as they attempted to get an idea of the creature's proximity. 'It must have awakened...or the light disturbed it...' The sounds of chained feet on the cold stone echoed as the creature wheezed. Link's grip on his sword tightened until his knuckles were white, his face twisted in a lethal combination of hatred, rage, and lust for blood. “Is that him?” Link's low, angry voice asked to his frightened friend clutching his chest in her hooves. Surprisingly, Fluttershy shook her head. Link raised his eyebrows in bewilderment. He knew there were other creatures down here all out for their blood, but he had been counting on the creature that did this to Fluttershy to be hunting them. “The one before, was that him?” Again, Fluttershy shook her head. He doubted now if it was hunting them at all, for she wouldn't forget that particular creature. Not after all it put her through. The rattling was getting closer. Link began to think quickly, he had no desire to cross with the creatures below the surface unless it was the one he sought. If this one found him, with his luck it would escape and bring more with it. Odds the king didn't want to take a chance on with Fluttershy around. He quietly turned over the work bench, listening to the creature as it moaned and stumbled about nearby in the halls. Fluttershy was holding on to Link's right leg, whimpering at the sounds the devil was emitting. Link reached down and picked the pony up below her shoulders like a puppy, giving her a quick word of encouragement and placing her behind the wooden structure. He picked up the cape she was encased with while sleeping and wrapped it around her, effectively making her harder to spot in the dark corner, where the light from the torches were not reaching. “Stay put. If one comes in here, don't make a noise. I have to confront this one...” Link uttered low enough for Fluttershy to hear without letting the creature alert to their presence. She shook her head in disagreement, silently pleading not to go toe-to-toe with the monster lurking in the darkness. Link ignored her whispers as he placed the Master Sword in its scabbard and picked up the man-sized sledge hammer. He eyed the head with it, letting himself picture what he could do with this kind of force behind a single swing. The warrior doused the lantern and put out the torches as quietly as was possible. Inching himself closer to the door, he waited for the creature to pass by. Another grunt as he listened and waited, holding the great hammer up, ready to charge out. His heartbeat was surprisingly steady, his breath weary, and his eyes sharp. A shadow passed by, it was huge, even for him. The figure was wide and muscular like, and seemed to possess two large horns. 'What devilry is this...?' The beast searched for something. Moaning and grunting as if it was straining behind some invisible force. Link's eyes slew the darkness with their soft glow, he tried his hardest to scrutinize the beast before him, looking to gather any detail he could to make some form of strength and weaknesses. When the beast stepped closer to the light, but not directly into the glare of the torches, Link could faintly see what looked like pickaxes with single heads embedded in the seemingly overly muscular shape of the monster. One in each shoulder blade, and chains wrapped around the heads with the tail end dragging across the floor. Link carefully undid the barricades, moving the wood to create a dozen barriers in Fluttershy's direction. The chain would prove the most difficult to remove, as it was long and thickly. Carefully, he placed the hammer down, keeping his eyes on the creature as it searched about in one of the rooms. Link slowly pulled the chain inch by inch from the steel bars making the door. Despite the warmth of the camp fire behind him, he was sweating. Anxiety of the coming conflict was clouding his concentration. His hands shook slightly, allot was riding on the coming moments. If he made one mistake, he could be defeated and Fluttershy might be found. He wasn't about to let that happen again. The chain slid free of the door, hanging limply in his grasp. Link wrapped it around his right fist, and lifted the massive hammer with his left. He carefully pried the creaking door open, slow enough to not prompt any noise from the rusty and dry hinges. Link put one boot out side the cell, inching out as silently as a cat. He should strike the beast from behind, and the blow had to be a crushing kill blow. His dead serious face watched the creature as it moaned and stumbled about on some empty storage boxes in the room two doors past his. Link pressed his back against the dark wall, concealing himself in shadow. He moved forwards, stealthily closing the distance between himself and his target. The creature began to turn and almost spotted him. Link almost threw himself into the door next to him, trying not to be spotted. He hugged the wall on the inside as the creature made a noise that sounded like it was startled by Link's swift moving feet. He peeked around the corner, a pair of glowing red eyes scanned the halls. A puffing snort escaped the nostrils of the beast as it watched for further movement. It began to walk back in the direction it came from, Link's direction. This was it. Link held the great hammer up, ready to bring the crushing blow right into the middle of the beast's face, hopefully crushing the skull upon impact. The heavy steps sounding like stomps of the monster grew louder as it approached. Link's heart rate increased in anticipation. He waited for the right time to strike, letting the creature come closer to the door he hid within. And then a giant hand quickly reached around the corner of the door and gripped Link's neck tightly. The warrior king gasped in shock as the strength of the beast was pressing the air from his lungs quickly. Link felt himself lifted up off his feet, his armored boots swaying to and fro, frantically reaching for the ground. Link's right hand reached up to grab the beast's large paw, prying at the fingers. The beast pulled Link from behind the door and held him up before it. The creature appeared to be a minotaur, explaining its abundance of muscle, the devilish horns, and the snout snorting in his face, bellowing the hair that covered his eyes. Link struggled to breathe, its grip tightened and he was beginning to go numb. The great hammer Link held hung limply in his left hand, barely able to keep his grip on it with the loss of oxygen. The creature roared at him. Its glaring red eyes twisted with senseless hate for the living, it seemed agitated further that he had intruded upon its territory. Blood drew forth from Link's mouth, indicating his throat was taking more pressure than it was meant to. Link tried to roar back in defiance to the devil before him, but his voice was concealed with in his vocal cords. “Leave him alone!!!” A sudden shrill and angry scream came from Link's left, he managed to look up in time to see Fluttershy come crashing into the minotaur's midsection, catching the beast off guard. As both the injured pony and the stunned minotaur went down, Link fell to the stone floor. He gasped for air, sucking in all he could and spitting blood out. Anger swelled with him, his rage returned full force as his white gaze began to see nothing but red. Slowly as he breathed heavily, he looked towards the minotaur which was standing back up. Fluttershy was already stumbling clear of the two, her purpose having been fulfilled. Link grabbed the long grip of the sledge hammer and used it to help lift him to his feet. His face now twisted into purest malice, he took the sledge hammer with both hands and approached the minotaur, still on its fours trying to breath itself. Link stole a glance at Fluttershy who was now shaking, her sudden rush of bravery now gone and replaced with self shock. She seemed dazed herself, dizzy from her head and shoulder striking the beast's rock-hard chest. Link reached the foe, he took the handle and brought it under the neck line and pulled up, gripping the minotaur in his own lethal choke hold. Link used all his strength as he pulled up, trying to either cause internal bleeding or better yet, break the demon's neck quickly. He had to hurry, he felt that roar it gave him had alerted others lurking in the darkness. The beast brought an elbow up and struck Link's chest, the impact stunning Link again, but leaving him unharmed due to the thickly armor he wore. It stood, growling as it met his height and exceeded it. Link raised the hammer to make quick work of the demon, but a crushing fist sent him crashing into the wall with a grunt. More blood escaped him as he felt his nose break upon impact. That did it for him. Link recovered quicker than the demon could reach him and launched his right fist still encased with the thick chains straight at the beast's snout. The blow caused the minotaur to stumble clumsily, giving the warrior enough time to draw his sword. 'It's weaker than a typical minotaur, I don't usually fare so well against them...' Link noted, glad for this all, for it was difficult for him to see the beast in these dark halls. Using his right hand to wipe some of the blood that came close to his eyes from his mouth and nose while he lay, Link slashed at the beast. It dodged quickly, throwing a strike at his side. Link put one foot forward to stop himself from losing balance, turning the force into leverage for another strike. The blade came down on the creature's head, but it moved a second early allowing the sword to hit and slice off one of its horns. Ir roared in pain, lashing out at Link in spite and a desperate retaliation. Link managed to avoid this strike, launching his right fist at the beast's chest while putting his right foot behind its to keep it from stumbling. The minotaur crashed back down to the stone, and Link brought the Master Sword down at its skull. The beast launched its clawed foot that would of cut Link wide open and leave his intestines hanging had he not wore the armor. Link was pushed off his feet once again, rolling back until he found the sledge hammer. As the minotaur stood, Link sheathed the Master Sword and picked up the hammer. With a rage-filled roar, Link swung the hammer and struck the beast in its right rib cage. The resounding cracks brought the dark king a sick satisfaction as it yelped in pain from the blow. He sent his left boot to meet the beast's right cheek, then Link maneuvered his heavy figure to bring his chained fist back into the cerebral of the minotaur, using all the force pushing his body as extra power. The blow knocked it out cold, for it didn't move again after it collapsed to the floor and exhaled once. Catching his breath and resting from his painful battle injuries, Link looked around. Fluttershy had been listening to the battle, pressing herself against the stand of a torch to stay clear of the two power houses locked in the struggle. Looking at his bloody hands, Link grabbed the other horn of the beast and drug it into one of the rooms. He searched for a table, there was only one in this room, and it had straps. Link grinned darkly, his teeth red from bleeding. He heaved the minotaur up and laid it flat on the torture table. He moved the beast until its head hung off the table, then strapped its body down. He left, looking for the sledge hammer. Before picking it up, he decided to return Fluttershy to her hiding spot, opting to play it safe. “Fluttershy, I'm coming,” Link called, reaching the frightened and distraught pony and lifting her up as he did before. With Fluttershy safely hidden away, Link picked up the sledge hammer and walked into the room where his unconscious opponent lay. His dark glare burned the unconscious monster's skull, just willing it to be set aflame. He lifted the great hammer and brought it down on the beast's head, a sickening rip sound echoed in the halls, blood spewed from the neck, and the sound of a hammer striking the cobble stone floor resounded. Link left the corpse in the room, its head in his hand and the hammer strapped to his back by some skin mesh he “acquired” from the beast's hide. Link stumbled forward, still very dizzy from the blows he took to his head from those grotesque fists of that minotaur. He supported himself against the wall next to the door where Fluttershy hid herself, using his arm to keep him level. He spat more of his inner fluids that broke out during the battle. Judging by his performance, he comprised that he was getting rusty with his ability to fight. Either that, or just tired spiritually, a thousand years would do that. “Link?” “It's alright. It's dead...” Link answered. Suddenly, the sound of rapidly approaching feet and apelike grunts sounded from the hall. In surprise, Link looked up to see a horde of creatures tackle him to the ground. Countless fists and claws punched and tore at his defenseless figure, with only his arms to cover his head, and his armor protecting his torso. Blow after blow struck his figure, and he grunted in pain with each hit that missed his armor. Massive fists landed on his face, claws scratched at his flesh and costing him more blood. He could feel them dog pile on him, all their weight making it extremely difficult to breathe and refill his lungs with the air they so desperately desired. “Link!” Fluttershy's voice called, he could hear her leaving her spot. Luckily, it didn't feel as if any of the horde was breaking off to attack her. Her voice gave him strength. Something snapped in his chest and his eyes dimmed to the red he tried so hard to control. The swallowing waves of the oceans of his anger came toppling down on him as hard as the horde was attacking. Link's eyes shot open. He had enough. The mental image of Din, goddess of fire, forced itself upon his conscious, her fierce glare commanding him to repel his oppressors. Fire lashed out, grasping his soul with strong arms and hurling his body down a flaming pit of Hell itself. Energy formed in his hands as he grew stronger, enforced by his need to protect his friend. That mental image of Din nodded her head, now was the time to unleash himself. The fire had left his mind, becoming physical and a resounding explosion burst from Link's armored form. Thick walls of flame and hatred spilled forth of his will, consuming and incinerating the creatures with a hiss and a scream from the pressure. The monsters flew back, repelled by the king's will to survive for Fluttershy's sake. Where he once was curled into a ball to protect his unarmored head, Link stood tall and mightily. His hands were raised, afire from the ancient spell that won many of his battles for him. Link charged his dark energies into the flames and created a barrel of sorts over his head. With eyes of crimson red rage, the king threw his balled fists forward and releasing the energy he charged. A funnel of the flames shot from his fist, piercing the darkness sharply and burning holes through the last of the horde still approaching. He heard Fluttershy scream in surprise from the intense heat he was radiating. He himself was sweating harder then he was moments before. Luckily for him, he was protected by the goddess from the fires. Link canceled the spell, seeing his foes defeated and gone, no longer hearing their roars, but smelling their burned flesh. Oh, how he waited for this moment, he needed to relieve this pent up rage. However, it cost him allot, for he now felt too weak to move forward or repel another assault from a horde. And suddenly he sensed another danger, futilely he drew the Master Sword and his black Hylian shield, taking a defensive stance to ready himself for another onslaught. But what attacked was not physical. A deep dark shadow consumed the halls and crashed head-on into the king's waiting shield. In reaction as it reached him, Link swung the evil-repelling sword, but to no avail. He felt himself grabbed by a thousand crudely shaped hands and lifted from his feet. Pain began coursing him as if he was being bludgeoned while wearing no armor. He tried to scream his discomfort, but his voice had left him. Something gripped his heart, the very center of his power was being prodded by cold...ghastly claws. Whatever it was, it took hold of his power, his ability to manipulate the darkness to suit his will... And ripped it from his soul. The dark shadow released him, leaving as fast as it came. Link fell to his feet, his body going numb as his jaw hang open. His now white eyes began to roll up to the back of his head, as the world around him began to blur from his sight. He faintly saw Fluttershy approaching his collapsing figure as he fell back. His head struck the cobblestone hard, quickening his descent to unconsciousness. Whimpering from the events unfolding around her, Fluttershy approached the trail of Link's smell. Looking around in other directions and smelling nothing but the burn of flesh and bone. Her hoof stepped on a corpse and it crumbled beneath her light weight. She let an eep go as she ran forward to her friend. She heard him fall down, the heavy thud and resounding clang of his armor pinpointing his location for her. She felt his hand with her hoof, and received no reply in-turn. “Link...? C-can you hear me?” Her voice fell on deaf ears, for the king had lost his spirit and had slipped to a coma. The cloth wrapped around Fluttershy's eyes grew wet once more as her sorrow reached out to him. She laid next to him, resting her head on his chest which did not move. She pressed the side of her head against his neck, hearing a faint pulse, but smelling plenty of blood that she was sure was his. A tiny hint of breath escaped his nostrils, indicating he was still faintly alive. There was nothing she could do to revive him. She was blind and flightless, and he was heavy and hurt while she was still recovering and not strong enough to move him. All she could do, was wait. Wait for an absolution that may never come, wait for a miracle that may never release them of this Hell, or wait for a death that will only keep them reliving this pain. She rested her head upon his chest, dropping her eyelids as she was still used to having them open. She never wanted this, she couldn't believe how it had come to this. It seemed hopeless now...
Chapter 5I have roamed the unseen lands. My body drenched with sulfur blood. I walk Their paths and read Their books, None led to cleanse me... So cursed I dwell in silence. In darkness as my guide... To the next who say: "I am..." And walk His way... Again... Vader – Impure She stirred gingerly, listening to the rodents in the halls, whispering their awakening calls. Her mind was foggy, garbled messages from her previous time before the substitution of sleep had taken her suddenly struck her mind like angry dogs on the offense. Her sadness returned, she felt how cold he had gotten, in fact, his low temperature and shivering was possibly what had revived her conscious. It was scary how sick he had become, she feared his life hung by a thread of will to live. Gently approaching where she sensed his fore head would be, she checked his breathing. A slight wheeze with every breath, greeted her hearing. Hanging her head, Fluttershy cursed her current condition. If only she had her eyes, she could help the king in his escalating fever. But alas, she was blind and flightless. Her vision, once vivid and filled with the beauty of the Equestrian world, was lost to history in the depths of these caverns. It was of the most rarest of occasions that Fluttershy would feel bitter and angry... But this would prove quite justified. An unholy creature had taken her once innocent form and corrupted it. And now, its likely master, has grounded the most powerful being she knew besides her closest friends and the two princesses. The only friendly she knew still alive at this point could very well be dead soon if she could not awaken him. Something must be done, it would not be easy, but a way was there to those with the will. And she had the will, now to find the way... A dark laugh echoed in the depths of his consciousness, taunting, and eerie to the bone. His vision was fuzzy, all light had a tailing trail of some kind like spiritual orbs. A voice groaned, though he could not register that it was his voice, not as he wiped his hand across his hair. A splintering silence had followed, the darkness seemingly vanishing and a modest light prevailing in the endless caverns. With his vision slowly recuperating from the blows he received prior, the detail of the rustic décor and the brown walls of the tunnels greeted him with morbid curiosity. His dark and brooding figure swooned from a dizziness, as if he had too much to drink at the great dining halls of the Sheikah. He felt sick, yet he could not release his stomach's holdings for some reason. It was torturous, his body ached and joints refused aggressively to respond to his commands of movement. No memory of what had happened would unveil itself in his mind as he stumbled into the wall, panting as if he had just ran a marathon with no rest. His chest burned as if flaming tar was poured on the spot where his heart would pulse ever so slightly in the flesh. His mind remained hazed and his senses frazzled, unable to smell and unable to hear. A long and constant ringing was all he could hear in the bowels of his drums. The skin beneath his armor was moist from respiration, dripping wet with sweat. Singeing heat greeted his touch as he prodded himself in search of injuries, surprised to feel nothing out of place. But he knew something was missing from his person, it was not a limb, though. It was not any of his armor, nor his weapons; his favorite hat remained in place as well. No, none of that was the problem. He felt nothing. No emotion, no hate nor love, no contempt nor happiness...he was numb all over, aside from his aching body, his emotions were not there, simply gone. Again, a dark chuckle surrounded him. But Link was too distracted to notice the disturbance in the atmosphere. Boot steps resounded in the halls as Link continued to recover slowly, his hearing began to return, vaguely picking up each step the entity made as it approached him. More chuckles came into hearing distance, just beyond the point of recognition, but evident enough to be known. The king rose to his full height, the boot steps has stopped behind him. He turned to meet the source of the boots, his vision still playing tricks with his mind. With the pace of a snail, his vision steadied as he braced himself against the wall. Before him stood himself, as if he was standing before a mirror. A sinister smile graced the lips of this doppelganger, and another dark laugh resounded lightly in the caverns but definitely not from the silhouette. But it was obvious that the voice was that of himself. Confusion hit the king's first wave of thoughts, what was this? Some trick of the shadow? And then it hit him, what shadow? His memories were creeping back into his mind, subtle enough to escape his grasp but an achievement easily gained through the weakened lord of darkness. The doppelganger waited, seemingly aware of the inner turmoil the king was experiencing and adamantly content in waiting for the former hero of Time to recover completely or at least to a moderate state. The king swayed a bit more, nearly tripping over a pile of rubble at his feet, but the doppelganger reached out, holding the king right-side up. Gradually as Link's vision cleared, more detail became present in this copy of himself. The other Link did not have the white eyes of Erebus, the spirit of Darkness. Instead, Link gazed rather drunkenly into the eyes of his childhood. Piercing deep, oceanic blue, and colder than ice with an edge stronger than steel. It had been a long, long time since he saw his own eyes...The more he gazed at them, the more he felt that they were stolen from him and replaced by the white gaze of Erebus. “Who...” He tried to speak, his voice scathing and raspy, as if he had just emerged from a long journey in a desert world with no water. The shadowy silhouette that took his form seemed more of a ghost now, waves of dark tendrils hung from its sides and waved idly as it stood still, holding the king up with surprising strength. He heard his own voice laughing around the corners. “Be still, lord of Kingdom. Let yourself recover in full before you question what your eyes see and your mind seeks.” For the longest time, she had no clue on what could be done. Nothing seemed to work on him, she tried calling his whole name, yet he did not move. She nudged his head aggressively, hoping the force of movement would awaken him...it did not. She struck his chest, clubbed his head with her hooves, pulled on his ears with her teeth, stomped in water puddles in the hopes that the splashing reached his face. Nothing was working. Exhausted from her quest to salvage her friends consciousness, she laid beside him as she had done before. With a heavy and sad sigh, Fluttershy's weary head sought respite on the king's neck line, her ears twitching to his breath. The cold had returned, forcing her to huddle close to his motionless figure like a dog would its master for warmth and security. She really, really hated the odds set against her. With no way to gain her barrings, nor a guaranteed method of snapping Link from his slumber, she gave in. Letting another exhale loose from her nostrils, the golden pony began reminiscing memories with her friends. She remembered all the times they spent together at the Gala, or partying at Sugar Cube Corner. Among those memories came the times when her shy nature played a role in making her friend's day for better or for worse. She remembered fearing the mighty dragon that took perch in a cave on top of the mountain peaks close to Ponyville, just passed Whitetail Wood. At the end, her courage emerged when her friends failed to remove the creature on their own. Oh how she wished she could be that strong without becoming a monster, like the time when she learned to be “assertive”. She could use that courage and strength now... The king had recovered enough to stand on his own power, though he still needed the wall to steady his heavy frame, the doppelganger had released him and took a step back to look Link over. With his body now stabilized against the rustic yet sturdy wall, Link centered his gaze on the entity before him. “Who are you?” He managed to croak out, entering a coughing fit immediately after words. The spiritual copy' remained silent, but Link's frown grew deeper. The haze and fog of his mind had cleared further enough for him to gain control over his thoughts. With the escalating lack of noise from the image aforementioned, the dark lord's patience grew thin as did his own expression. “Speak!” The spirit simply pointed to the king's chest, letting its voice which was no different than Link's own in all aspects be heard. “I am you, I am that which makes you...you.” With that revelation, the spirit began to circle Link, taking in the details to be sure of something the king could only guess at. With a weak growl, the king forced himself to turn and face the spirit, bearing a heavy glare of warning. Again, the spirit laughed, only louder. “You need not fear me, but you should fear the fact that we no longer are one.” “And exactly why should you and I be one?” “Without me, you are simply a shell to be discarded. I am the gears that move you. If I do not house myself within you, we simply cease to exist. Vanishing from existence will be our fate without the connection that we were meant to maintain.” The king of Kingdom's frown deepened, his brows furrowing in light of the spirits words. “I am looking over you to see if my lack of inhabitance within your shell has begun to erode you as you sleep, the yellow pony at your side and the fabled blade wielded by all of your predecessors, discarded on the cold ground nearby.” “What?” “You still do not grasp it? The answer is simple, Onigami Son. I am the embodiment of the Hero's spirit in which Farore lady, goddess of Courage, created to be incarnated within every destined one's body. Our connection is mandatory, if you are to remain in existence.” Link's mouth hung agape at the spirit's words, disbelief written across his face as everything that had happened began resurfacing from the dark sea of the sleep he was in. Everything dawned upon him, the battles, the quests, the death and revival, to the war that lasted for a millennium and longer still; to the deal, the new world and the caverns to which have put him to the test of Will. Lastly, he remembered defending Fluttershy's hurt form from the darkness that surrounded this place. “Fluttershy!” He suddenly realized that she was no where to be found. In an attempt to search for her, the king took a step forward but tripped on his wobbling feet. Hitting the cold stone hard, he groaned but refused to be silenced. Clawing at the floor, Link drug himself in an attempt to find his friend. The spirit's hands found a way around his shoulders, stopping the king from advancing further. “It's no use, hero of Time. We are standing in a plane where she does not physically or spiritually exist.” At his words, the dark lord stopped, taking a deep breath as his struggle left him depleted of the little energy he retained. He could feel a sudden weakness throughout himself, as if he was nearly dead and dying. The spirit pulled the king to his feet once more, propping him against the wall. “Where...are we, than? And why are we no longer apart of each other?” Link weakly asked of his soul. “The dark shadow you faced earlier, the one that escaped Tartarus and created this plain to which you struggle to survive upon, has detached us. So long as you remain within this Netherworld, you're life is threatened.” Link nodded whilst he regained his breath. He raised his hands to his face, looking upon them with disbelief. He could not feel his fingers, the touch was so dead that it spun him into a dimension of horror and contempt he had never been to in all his long life. Like the void in which the shadow had shown him how it had gotten free, Link bore no weapons nor will to command the shadows around him. His eyes rose to the Hero's Spirit, idly standing before him with a dull, dead look upon its face. “How can we undo this trickery?” “Firstly, you must awaken. The longer you stay here, the more likely your body will simply die in the physical world. Already, your breathing grows more shallow, bringing more fear for your health to the pony you have sworn to protect.” “Is there a way for me to awaken here?” “...Sadly, no. It must be done within the true plain. But, I wager that the holy spirit of Kindness will soon know what she must do. As for how to regain me and all the powers that you once held, you must gather my essence from the blood of the damned. Only then can we be reunited.” “Will I be able to live without you in the true world?” “Yes. But I hold all of the powers from both your heritage and the curse of Ganondorf. Without me, you cannot return to the rightful dimension of this world where you truly belong, where she is safe from this shadow, and where the war has yet to begin. Only through me can you return to the realm we were meant to be.” In the long wait for a ray of hope to shine down upon her, Fluttershy remembered all the times she spent with Link in the wild woods of Whitetail during Spring. He would watch over her as she picked flowers from the ever lasting glades, playing his ocarina and occasionally developing tunes for her songs. Fluttershy's mind stopped at one particular day. The wind was pushing the sunny heat from the fields, providing a freshness and a comforting cool aside from the ever enjoyable warmth of Light. It was the day when Link told her about his adventures and how music played a major role in his quests. He would name a tune and teach her the song with his Ocarina and she would try to develop lyrics to them all. Finally, she recalled one particular song in which intrigued her deeply. Link called it the Sonata of Awakening, stating that old legends from a world parallel to his own told that the song was imbued with the power to awaken even the deepest of slumbering spirits. It was said that the Sonata of Awakening could even revive the dead lost to eternal sleep. According to the dark lord, he had proven the legends true when he raised a sleeping temple in a swamp land and awoken an ancient leader of a long extinct kingdom that only remained by the curse of the land. It dawned on her that this song could possibly be exactly what she needed to revive him. However, her glee had turned sour when she remembered that the songs only wielded their power because Link used a magical instrument to harness them. That was what she needed, his Ocarina. Sadly, she could not play it. Ponies weren't gifted with fingers... But perhaps, she thought, she could sing at it and the notes would carry the magic of the Ocarina into his ears. It was worth a shot. Making her way around to his left, Fluttershy's nose smelt about for the item of desire. It had a certain scent that was unknown, but unique to everything, had it not of been for that fragrance the Ocarina emitted, her mission would be far more difficult than necessary. Sticking her maw into Link's tunic at the neck line, her searching nose located the legendary artifact. Gently, she picked it up with her teeth, careful not to chip it or break it, and retreated from the king's pockets. Success! The item in her lips, she used a hoof to locate Link's head, navigating the object to his ears where she gingerly placed it so that the holes faced her friend and the shaft pointed towards herself. Fluttershy thought long and hard on the words to which was spoken to her by Link when she inquired of his Ocarina. A specific song was needed to activate its energies when one other than he needed to wield its powers. 'That which links he who wields Courage to the flows of Time itself...' The words sounded so familiar, echoing from the reaches of memory... She knew that it was said before by somepony else. And then she remembered. * “This song has served me thousands of times... The goddesses call it the Song of Time. It is the song that links he who wields Courage to the flows of Time itself, so that he may fight in the past, present and future for a greater purpose. It is said that those who know this song by heart, who are pure of heart, will be bestowed with the power of Music, which emulates many, many things in my world... Even other songs.” * It took her a few minutes to find her singing voice, but she would need more than just that, she would need to put all of her heart and soul into the tunes for it to work. Normally, she had no trouble, for every song she hummed or sung, it came from her beating organ in the center of her chest. It was all just a matter of how her notes entered the Ocarina, it had to carry the instruments magic into the air around lest her efforts be wasted. She took a deep sigh, gathering air into her lungs in preparation. “I hope this works...” “...Blinded, with focus, wielding all to come with no boundaries to cross. Heavens, rain mystery, light our stage oh so true, hidden by the lies of man kind... With this Song I pray that ye will answer me when I call... Songs of old tolls we sing again... With hope that you will hear our fall from the sky and grace. Goddess, so wise and glorious please give me aid in this crusade...” Her words echoed across the crumbling, rotten walls, the lyrics sung with the rhythm of the song. An aura of mystery began to surround her, though none could see it, even if Fluttershy would still bear her eyes, it would have been an illusion to her sight. The magic was flowing, her efforts were indeed working. With haste, she sung the next song. “Sleeping and weary, tired oh very, wake up and hear my tale... Beyond death or slumbering voids, revive to this tune, my weeping query.” With the last enchanting resignation of her voice, another refreshing feeling protruded upon herself. A sudden and impossible wind bellowed across the caverns, kicking up dust and pushing against both Fluttershy and the king's unmoving form. All desire for sleep had left her, and she was revitalized with new energy. It felt as if her efforts were once again fruitless, however, for nothing aside herself seemed affected by the tunes. But after what seemed like ages of constricting silence with her breath held caught in her throat, Link exhaled loudly. What sounded like the lament of countless souls suddenly invaded her hearing. A piercing signal struck both her mind and Link's, a signal of waking, a line so long and strong that which could pull the dead from the firmest grave. She felt his eyes shoot open, evident by the following hysterical coughing and gasping and the painful growl. He tried to fight the inevitable sickness that washed over his body, but despite his strength, it proved too much for the warrior. Consistent spazzes wracked his form, sending waves of discomfort through his large frame. More coughing ensued from his throat, his muscle's tensing with ever pulse. He struggled to fight the urges to vomit, the veins on his head presenting themselves showing the pressure he exerted to prevent his sickness from overcoming him. “Link...? A-are you going to be alright?” Fluttershy whispered, her words almost drowned by the sounds of the dark lord's suffering. Link's body had locked up, preventing movement of all kinds. His saliva escaped his lips, though he tried to keep the flows within his mouth. His efforts proved fruitless, so in an act of defiance, he pushed with his lungs, letting a mist erupt. Though, with no air in his lungs, and his body tight and locked, he collapsed again. His defenses came crashing down and what ever was being held within his stomach came out. The taste was rancid, the acid burned his mouth. He did not want to hold it in any longer, it was just too much. He coughed and spat all he could, his muscles slowly unlocking as he lay there in agony. “O-oh...my...” The element of Kindness took great pity upon her friend, she heard it all and the stench of what had been released had reached her. In caution, she approached him, following the sounds of his large lungs breathing heavily. Sweat formed all over the king's head, what strength he still wielded now entirely gone with no sight of return in the near future. He managed to push himself over and onto his back. He sighed, still trying to gain his breath. Fluttershy managed to find Link, lying flat on his back, no energy to move any further. His eye lids felt heavy, but with the effects of the Sonata, he could not close them. It only added to his torture. Fluttershy examined her friend with her ability to visualize the world with scent, he still bore the injuries from the horde, and whatever attacked him afterwords had also left a scratch or two. Though she knew he was still alive and now some hope within their grasp, it left to question the strength of his mentality. Was he still there? Was he still awake and conscious, true? She intended to find out. With her analysis and diagnoses of Link done and his injuries accounted for, she tried moving him with her head, nudging and tugging like before as if to gain his attention. “...Easy, my friend. I just need to recuperate...” He gasped between words, clenching his eyes shut with every heave of his armored chest. '...Now, all have to pay...' The last of his words to the demon shadows played through his hazed mind. As his breath eased further, his eyes opened. The gaze he gave was sharp and hard, not an essence of weakness within. Just a burning desire.
Chapter 6Damnation marches in, Apocalypse foretold by myths, Earth's realm ends in pain As the rivers run red, With the blood of the suffering Humanity punished for all its sins. Bow Down...As the heavens collide Bow Down...For the sins of the flesh!!! –Vader: As Heavens Collide My piercing eyes never fall asleep I smile to the tears going down your cheek My cold touch is what you fear in the night My breath is the path to the gate of your Hell My power may steal your voice from a throat I am the low in this world of sin Unknown, untouched... Unknown, untouched... Unknown, untouched... Unknown, untouched, in my domain! In my domain!!! –Vader: I Am Who Feast Upon Your Soul Dark, unnaturally deformed devils of the caverns swarmed his vision. Ducking beneath the swing of another Minotaur, the king channeled energy into the right hand side spike on his shoulder armor. Within the blink of an eye, it was pulsing with frost magic. Charging at the one behind the first, he threw himself at the creature's waste, wrapping his large arms around its figure and puncturing the devil's chest with the empowered tower on his shoulder. Within moments, the once living beast had frozen over. It shattered when the monster and Link crashed to the floor. Fluttershy hid herself in a small room, using her senses to buck whatever dashed past the doorway, or was sent flying by her friend's furious assault. Her legs still hurt, but the young Pegasus was determined to invoke some assertiveness and take a page from the warrior's book. She will fight by his side, never again will she allow herself to be threatened or put in harm's way. Fluttershy was glad that the monsters' attention was not currently on her, at the moment. Her determination was high, but her ability to move was limited by her still sore injuries. The king slammed his fist into the snout of another monster, one possessing horns in its maw, horns it implored to rip his face to shreds. Luckily, through his aggressive attacks, Link still possessed a level head and upbeat senses, allowing him to counter and retaliate. Though he was still slightly dazed from the effects of the coma and the songs Fluttershy sung to revive him. Oh, he would not be bested again. His guard will not be dropped. The time for rest is over, he would see to it that everything in his and Fluttershy's path, bled to the death. Another brutish bipedal monster heaved a wooden table over its hideous head, bringing it crashing down on Link's back. The Hylian fell with a snarl, but managed to roll over and launch a spiked kick into his approaching adversary's hip structure, forcing it to give way and lose balance with a shriek of pain as the sharp, needle sized blades bolted to the back of the dark lord's heels dug deep to the bone. Releasing his foot which ripped skin and muscle, Link launched a spin kick at the large, nightmarish brute, removing its feet from beneath it and quickening its descent to the floor. More monsters came screaming, the hero of Time jumped to his feet and slapped the palm of his right hand into the fist of his left. Rearing his left arm back, a wind-like vortex formed over his arm pushing it back in a winding motion. Taking a step forward, Link released the thunderous punch into the chest of the first beast to reach him. The powerful spell of the Titan' Fist invoked thousands of pounds of pressure, allowing Link to send the demon flying back into a group of others. Quickly looking over the spot where his fist connected, he noted with glee that the demons chest had imploded upon itself, bleeding threads of the skin and organic tissue lay about in a large hole. Another monster screamed loudly to his left, its quick feet making short time to reach the target. Link turned and flung his shield up, blocking a jagged blade attached to the monster's arm from cleaving his head in two. A resounding clang bellowed about the hallway, leaving a ring in the large ears of the Link. Pushing the beast back, Link rotated his grip on the shield so the edge was parallel to the floor and launched his right arm towards the stunned demon. The edge of his shield, sharp and straight, tore through its neck and decapitated the brute's head. Picking up the sledge hammer, Link whirled about on his boots and smacked another goblin-like demon with his shield. It spun in a circle stupidly, allowing Link enough time to bring the hammer vertically down on its head, caving in the skull. Fluttershy could hear where the monsters were, shadows of this darkness. Her ears twitched from side to side, the ability to pinpoint the location and origin of a noise was very strong with her. Heavy steps, unlike the unique ones of her friends whose was equally heavy in its own right, pounded by, closing in on her. She smelled a jagged piece of wood about the length of her forefoot, resting next to her. The approaching threat was several seconds from her, so she picked up the wooden shred and tossed it towards the sound. Her aim, although not entirely straight, connected with the beast all the same. A grunt and the crashing sound of both the wooden plank and the threatening steps she heard were sent to the floor. From the sound of the plank bouncing off the brutish beast's head, she hit it hard as it didn't make much effort to get back up. Smiling at her work, she noted that she was getting better at defending herself. Link, in the midst of a power struggle with a cannibalistic Minotaur, took note of Fluttershy's archery. He gave a dark grin at her work, even without her eyes or wings she still could “see” what was around her. The pride he felt in being her friend was swelling. “Link, watch out!” A club slapped him from his thoughts and he landed on his right arm. A pair of teeth grabbed and punctured a vulnerable part of his arm. The Minotaur was all over him, beating at his chest and sinking its rotten teeth into his arm, where the armor did not cover. He tried to break free, kicking and squirming in the beast's grip, but to no avail. It was locked on tight. With a disgruntled and slightly painful grunt, Link powered the fingers of his free hand and released a barrage of lightning into the Minotaur's eyes. The blast and torture exerted upon it forced the creature to scream and release Link's arm. It flung itself back, writhing in pain and clutching its melted face, still roaring. Looking around, he noticed the rest of the creatures were momentarily immobile, slipping on the blood of their brothers and the numerous crushed bodies and limbs of their fallen comrades. He knew he had little choice, even now the venom and infection from the Minotaur's teeth was moving in his veins. Taking a deep breath, Link called on his magic and concentrated on his arm and body as a whole, allowing the darkness he carried to push the bacteria and venom from the wound. It poured out in a mix of sickly color. Red and yellow, disgusting... Now that he had cleansed himself, it was time for the next step. He must hurry, every second he waits the enemy manages to slip closer to his prone form. Turning his focus to fire and his right hand, he channeled the energy of Din into his right arm, the fabric and his flesh becoming retardant to the heat. His arm ignited, a fierce fire burning over his palm and fingers, giving a large glow about the hall. With hesitation, he finally placed his hand over the wound... The first thing he registered was the smell of singing flesh, then the burning sensation on his skin. Growling and groaning, he forced the fire to close his wound before whipping his hand back. Smoke rose from the spot, it felt like a red hot iron plate was slapped over his upper arm. The burn continued to pester his nerves, he shook from the feeling. Snorting, he rose to his feet. Grabbing the downed and injured Minotaur, Link threw it against the wall violently, and placed both hands on its shoulders. Giving a loud and blood curdling roar, a show of the inner beast he held, he watched as the aura of the Minotaur became visible and pulled it into his own aura. The body of the screeching beast began to rot in his grasp, charring black and falling to a crumbled heap of embers. Releasing the corpse from his grasp, with a large ferocious scowl on his face, Link gave another mighty roar as the life-force from the demon revived his energy. He sheathed the hammer, drawing the Master Sword in its place. Holding the sword with both hands, he gave a challenging grin to the rest of the creatures who still struggled to find a footing in the mass of blood and bodies. “Come for free suffering...” The challenge in his dark and ominous voice rumbled throughout the area. The fiends began howling in anger at his taunting. He widened his stance, giving him full control over momentum to be spawned by the first attack. Fluttershy could hear her attacker stirring from the hard blow to its hard and stubborn head, there were no more enemies that could broadside her in the immediate area, so she ventured out from the room she hid herself in. Trotting over to the large swine on the floor, she painted the scene out in her head using her senses. With the coordinates in her mind on the location of its head, she turned and put everything she had in to her hind legs, bucking right on target. She heard a sickening crack and the lack of noise from her opponent proved that she broke its neck with the kick. She shuddered, the old Fluttershy wanting to apologize hysterically... But things were different. This thing wanted to end her life, she had to defend herself. It was just registering that fact that proved difficult for her. She had never resorted to violence before. Dropping her head, she made quick to return to her hiding spot, not wanting to involve herself in another life or death struggle. It was better if she left Link to do it, he needed to channel his rising aggression. She only wanted to get out of here and forget this place... Though she worried for her friend, something told her that if she interfered in the battle, he'd be hurt or killed. Best if she closed the door and let him focus. One of the brutes had managed to stand, it held two large crude clubs, one had a nail sticking out of the head of the weapon, likely the determining factor in gaining an advantage over enemies. Despite the beast's size, and weapons of choice, Link didn't want to wait for it to come to him. “Die!” Link cried after charging forward and tackling the large monster, it wheezed what breath it held as it was knocked clear out of its lungs by the sheer force of impact caused by Link's heavy frame colliding with its own. Upon striking the ground, Link grabbed its head and slammed it down on the stone as hard as he could. With it stunned, he stood and slashed at another monster, taking it down as it clumsily attempted to defend against his precise assaults. The others were still struggling to gain ground. Link brought the Master Sword down on the heart of the first devil, ending its unholy life. Ripping the sword free, he took a look at the others who were now on their knees and hands. He became annoyed by their lack of stability. He wanted to fight, now! But his shoulder began to ache, his ability to swing with his weapon arm was severely hampered now, until he can heal it. There had to be another way to destroy the last of these damned beings. They would not stop following him until either he or they were dead. Looking around, he noticed the roof of the hall seemed weak at one spot; the wheels of his dark mind began to form a plan. Sheathing his shield, he reared back and tossed the Master Sword at the Minotaur to the farthest right of this group. Now empty handed, Link pointed both bald fists at the floor. A wind like aura began gathering around his arms, another show of his dark gifts from the Evil King who hoped to use him. When the hum had ceased, and he felt enough power had been charged, he punched forward with both fists, making sure to plant his feet firmly. A large blast was released, pushing everything with great force back, all the demons were forced off of the slippery blood and broken forms onto clear and dry ground. Above them, the stone ceiling seemed to be failing. Drawing the sledge hammer, Link approached the Minotaur whom his sword was still embedded in, and retrieved his blade. Placing the hammer down, he quickly heaved the heavy corpse of the slain Minotaur over his head and tossed it at the others, grounding them again. His shoulder began pulsing new waves of pain through his nerves, complaining about the weight he just pressured the wound with. Gripping his arm briefly, he retrieved the hammer and ran over to the group of minions. Looking up as they moved the heavy body off of them, he stepped back and brought the hammer up in a reverse vertical swing. Upon colliding with the roof, it caved in. Heavy stone blocks pounded down on the minions, burying them alive. A chain reaction began, the path had lost some of its support and was now crumbling down. Link jumped to the side, rolling upon landing and dashing away towards the hall where Fluttershy hid in one of the rooms. The collapsing bricks were closing in on him, frantically, he increased his speed, almost tripping on his legs as they burdened to carry his weight as fast as possible from the impending doom of stone. Taking another jump just as he reached the corner, the hall had been sealed off. He turned about, gasping for breath as he watched the dust and pebbles settle. Taking deep breaths, he rested himself again the wall, gripping his arm. It must have been the burning he used to amputate the wound so it would not get infected. He felt weak, the adrenaline from the battle having given out on him, bringing him down into a state of exhaustion. Without the adrenaline in his veins, the pain he felt in his arm grew more vigorous. He winced whilst opening and closing his fist, moving the muscles of his arm. The wound was tender, and very sensitive. Standing, with his hand still clasping his left arm, he made his way gingerly back to the room where Fluttershy waited. With the cavern caving in and the resounding silence, she had opened the door and was twitching her ears to and fro, searching for noise, her snout in the air trying to pick up any scent besides that of blood and burnt flesh. She turned her head to Link, recognizing his boot steps. Though, she took note he was walking slowly, almost limping. He watched her with a somber expression, mouth slightly agape, still out of breath. With each exhale, a mist spawned from his lips. Perspiration or simply moisture of the air. It was quite cold here, too. Already, she had picked up his lantern which he left in the room when the they came upon the large group of beasts lurking in this hall. She held it up in her maw, offering it to him. With his good hand, he took it gently and walked into the room with Fluttershy following him. “You're walking strangely...What's wrong?” “One of the damned things bit my arm... And another one slammed a table on my back.” He sat down on the cold floor, letting the cool climate take the heat of battle from him. He drew the Master Sword, concentrating briefly. The mark of the Triforce on his left hand began to glow, and the jeweled eye on the hilt followed with its red tint. Slowly, he placed the tip on the surface of the stoney floor, opening his eyes in time to watch as a silent wave of energy shaped in a circle expanded outward to all areas. Immediately, the atmosphere felt lighter and not as threatening or ominous. Breathing a sigh of relief, both felt a dark weight on their shoulders lifted with the purifying spell. Fluttershy began to smell Link's arm, finding the burned spot. She could still feel the heat coming off it, the burn was pretty bad, too. The skin had smoothed over, but it was definitely going to get infected. That would disable his sword arm, leaving both very vulnerable here. Most of Link's fighting ability depended heavily on his left hand, if it was injured severely like so to the point where he couldn't use it to maximum performance, it wouldn't take much for his offense to fail. He was very fierce, no doubt in her mind he would fight regardless of injury limitations. A fact that worried her. If she couldn't fix his arm up, he'd be gruesomely hurt...or killed. She didn't want to lose another friend, and she couldn't take another minute of loneliness in this hell. The dungeons were crawling with evils, all waiting for unsuspecting ponies or knights like Link to stumble in blindly with no defense, ready to pounce at a moments notice. “...Link, do you have anything that heals?” The shy pony asked quietly, breaking a silent Link's thinking. Responding to her question with a tired grunt, he began digging in his pouch with his good hand, pulling one of his legs closer for comfort. Fluttershy continued to look him over, using her hooves to feel for more injuries by touching the aggravated spots and listening to Link for sounds of pain or discomfort. Digging deep into the magical pouch crafted by the child-like Kokiri from the forest he was raised in, Link searched for magic potions or gauze to wrap his arm in. Not finding any, he retreated his hand from the infinite pockets of his pouch and closed the flap. “I possess no sort of healing objects...” Fluttershy stopped her braille search, taking a moment to think... Pushing off her friend's leg, she began to search the immediate area for any plant-life; herbs or any chemicals that she may recognize to produce healing proportions. Her nose led her to the walls, up on the tables, dangerously close to a lit torch, and finally under the door. Link watched her the entire time, not sure what she was looking for. “What are you looking for, my dear?” Fluttershy waited to reply, still deciphering the scents her nostrils captured from beneath the door. There was the blood of the ghouls haunting the halls, slain by her friend, burnt flesh from one of his fire attacks...lots of dust... and rats. Lots of rats. Not detecting a smell of plant-life, she sighed sadly. “I was looking for some herbs... Twilight taught me a thing or two about chemicals...” She said shyly. Link hummed to himself in thought, there were plenty of rooms in the halls, some were empty and some were filled with odd things. Most were used for torture chambers, and he was certain that one held Fluttershy at one point... His face became grim, shooting a hardened gaze to Fluttershy briefly, he looked her over. Taking in all that his tunic and tattered cape shreds had wrapped, he remembered that not only was he after the Shadow of a thousand souls...but Fluttershy's captor. Giving a low growl of contempt, he rose to his feet once more. The spirit of Heroes said that he must gather the blood of the fallen in order to regain it. The Shadow must have spread his essence into its servants' blood in a well-planned attempt at hiding it from him. It expected him to run and try to escape without ever once making a stand... What an act of jest. However, the spirit had neglected to mention the nature of this “gathering”. Was he supposed to carry the spilled blood, drink it, or burn it? In all the infinite space of his two Kokiri pouches did he have that many bottles, so choice one was out of the question. Choice two disgusted him deeply, he was not a blood drinker... And choice three would take way too long. Blood doesn't burn easily, it usually just evaporates. Approaching the door, with Fluttershy leaping to the side to remove herself from his pathway, he opened it and looked at the carnage he left behind. A sick satisfaction dwelt in his stomach, the site of the massacre brought joy to his darkest desires. “...W-what is it?” He heard Fluttershy ask behind him. Link continued to take in the blood ridden walls, trying to figure out what he was supposed to do with all that liquid. A sudden shiver ran up his spine, he felt a presence of non hostility tap into his mind and begin projecting images of him standing in the middle of a large group of enemies, then over to a scene where they were felled by his sword, not a singly one standing but him and Fluttershy. Finally, he saw himself raise his left hand, the pulsing emblem of the Triforce shining forth. His vision watched as the blood rushed up his legs, past his chest plate and into his eyes. When the images left, his head jolted back from the imaginary force of the dream. Placing his right hand over his scalp, he squeezed his eyes shut. The Triforce of Courage was obviously the key to recalling his lost fragments of the Hero's Spirit to his vessel. But hesitation set in, exactly what would happen if he absorbed that vile blood into his eyes, would it corrupt his vision? Would it blind him? Or would it simply make him sick? ...Only one way to find out. “Wait here.” Taking a step outside and closing the door behind him, he carefully walked to the center of his war spoils. Puddles of red and black life, the treasures of his quest, lay in waiting. Reaching the center of the hall, where the battle was most heaviest, he pushed all thoughts from his mind. Searching deep into the Triforce he held with his will, he located the eye of control. Pressing his will to command the ancient relic dwelling in his flesh, he felt the mark ignite with the holy grace of Courage. Raising his hand high and squeezing his fist tight, he waited for the right moment. The sounds of liquid bubbling reached his ears. Furrowing his eyebrows in puzzlement, Link cracked an eye at his surroundings. The blood was moving, like a body of water being pushed by the wind. A sudden presence of great evil tug at his senses... 'Something is very wrong here...' Opening both eyes, he watched as the blood began combining with other puddles, rising up and taking a shape he slowly began to recognize. The figure that was still forming began to look almost exactly like... Link's face bore horror, he dared his eyes to lie to him, closing them and trying to wish they were merrily deceiving him. Opening them again, the shape had not changed! Link reached for his his sword. “What the-?!” Before he could finish his remark of surprise, the spawn of the demon's blood launched itself forward and sent a punch to the dark king's chin, the force of the blow being too strong for Link to withstand it and retain his footing. He was sent crashing back into the ground, bouncing like a ball and flailing like a rag doll, until finally coming to a complete stop on his stomach. Groaning in both pain and shock, Link rolled over to face the demonic being who had finished mutating itself so that it now looked... whole. It bore flesh, clothes, eyes, a nose, ears, and a mouth. It had all the features needed to pass itself off as one with the living. As he attempted to stand, drawing his sword, the demon slapped the evil-repelling blade from his hand and wrapped its hands around his throat, the petite figure exerting immense strength and lifting the king's heavy frame from the spot where he fell. Still holding the king firmly, it tossed Link into the wall and raised him as far as its arms would reach. Link's legs kicked for ground, his arms wrapping around the wrists of his oppressor's vice-like grip. He continued to wiggle in the demon's grasp, trying to break free. His eyes locked with the spawn's red gaze. His shock began drying, being burned away by his growing anger, the hatred he held in his heart. His grip soon grew stronger, drawing a weary glance from the creature holding him against the wall to fall to his fists. With a muffled growl, Link began exerting his own raw strength and might against the force his enemy was using. Slowly, its hands lost their hold on his neck. Quickly, Link brought both legs up and kicked hard off the chest of this thing. It bounced off the wall parallel to Link's, allowing him to land on his feet. Bringing both hands up to his throat, he coughed and gasped, recovering as much as he could before the demon could get up. The door Fluttershy hid in opened, and the little pony stepped out, looking away from the battle in confusion as she searched for the source of the noises and sounds of struggle coming from the hall. Her head turned to Link's direction, her ears catching the sound of him coughing hysterically. “Link! A-are you alright?” The king took notice of his friend who was rapidly making her way towards the sounds of his coughing. Link raised up his palm in a motion for her to stop, trying to force the word out. She could not see his hand signs, not as she reached him and began looking around. “G...ugh...Go! Get...away!” He pushed his friend with both hands back in the direction of the room. He heard running footsteps from behind, looking around he saw the figure launch a running kick at his forehead. Link ducked, grabbing the attacker's foot and sending it crashing into the floor beside them. “What was that?!” Fluttershy jumped in panic, still very skittish of her surroundings. Link continued to push the Pegasus into the room, until she was back in. Jumping to the spot where his sword lay, Link dropped on top of the blade, rolling over and grabbing the hilt. Before he could make a stand, the demon was already all over him. Grabbing his foot, it hurled him into the wall, forcing the stone to crack beneath the weight of his body and the momentum of the throw. Link dropped to his knees, slightly dizzy from his head striking the concrete. Shaking himself free of the blow, he looked up, raising the Master Sword. Once again, the creature proved impossibly faster than he was. With a club it had picked up that was left behind by the previous horde he slaughtered, it brought the wooden weapon down on the back of his head. Upon impact, Link gave a short grunt before his world began to slow significantly down. The power of the blow had hit home, he will soon lose consciousness. Already, his eyes made for the back of their lids, but he fought them out, willing himself to stay awake. “Fluttershy...” He whispered, “I must...protect...Fluttershy...” His vision began to swim, blurring in and out of focus. His hearing was beginning to fail, all he could hear was the club dropping to the ground. The dark king began to sway, his sense of balance leaving him quickly... He watched with his hazed vision as the demon marched over to the door and entered. “No...Zelda...don't...do it...” His words fell on deaf ears. He heard Fluttershy scream his name, Link lost his control over his legs, falling forward. Moving his hands, he pushed and pushed, but his strength wasn't there. The Spawn had hit him too hard. Forcing his head up with his gaze locked on the room where Fluttershy was hiding, he pushed himself forward. The Spawn appeared in the door, Fluttershy on its shoulders, kicking and squirming beneath its strong hold. Giving a defiant and spiteful growl of warning, Link watched as the devil took off at a full run down the hall, kidnapping his friend. It was all that he could see before his will finally shattered. Link's eyes closed on him, giving in to the blow to his head, and forcing him into an unwanted slumber. He could still hear her cry his name in fear and panic... “...Link...! ...Help me...!”
Chapter 4I see three peaks, One for Hell. One for Heaven. One for Grand Mystery... In Hell three lakes: Of burning tar. Of vermin and of ice – all brimming with sinners. And Devils, larger than Daemons, with horns made of fire! Then I see Heaven on the second Mountain... City of gold and honey, with saints... All joyful, and towering in their glory. Then I see, two piors and innocent youth, Snatched, suddenly...from amidst their host by flying devils, And carried to Hell... While Uzza, one of four guardians. And Angels...pay no heed to this rape... Aeons go past, and the plagues, get unleashed. City of Good...is under seige... Black Moses...is my name. And these are visons, From Egypt's guardian Seraph. -Vader, Revelation of Black Moses Pain coursed his side, the presence of bruises and cuts, rather large ones, infected his body where his armor did not protect him. He felt lifeless, almost entirely numb to the touch, and his senses were drastically low, but not low enough to silence his injuries. He had never felt so tired in all his time in existence. All that was desired of the king right now was sleeping for a month or two, there was no will in him to even flop over to a more comfortable position. His left arm was worse off, it felt like something had grabbed it and shook him about like a rag doll with it. Link tried to move it, but it barely complied. Link used what he had to open his eye lids, which had never been so heavy before. From what detail he could make out from his blurring, drunken like stupor, he was lying in the middle of some black void where the cold wind seemed to be the only sign of life. But it didn't feel like natural wind, not of winter cold or of Mother Nature. It felt hideous and evil, inconceivable and malicious. 'Where am I?' There must have been a thousand or so souls in this void, it was like a pit in Hell for the mind itself. He could hear them spiritually crying, moaning, and shuffling on. Like a mob of ReDeads. He wore nothing but his clothing and armor, everything else did not exist here. All of his gear, sword and shield, was missing. Link groaned, placing his more compliant right hand up against his temple. Gradually as his strength and ability to use his left arm returned, he rose to his feet. The air about was still frightfully cold, and it smelled rancid. As if the decay of countries were in procession. Suddenly, the thousand or so souls seemed to turn their sorrowful and hateful gazes upon him. Though he could not see them, he felt their presence. The heavy feeling of burning hatred for him weighed on his shoulders. He was not welcome here. “Oh ye hero of eternity untold...Bear thee witness to reason of thy torture. Know now why thou shall suffer fate's cruelest grip. For ye, dark king, possess no right to invade our dark domains...” The voices of the darkness, powered by the countless presences, whispered eerily to him. The sense of threat was high here, but no attack would be made. Visions began to penetrate his mind, and he felt as if needles were being thrust upon his head. Link growled at this sign of force, before the pain began to grow as the visions grew vivid. Before he could try to retaliate by any means available, he was on his knees, roaring his discomfort. In a world of eternal shadow, where the night had conquered the day and the sun was as pale and dim as the moon; a dark empire ruled here. The shadows of the people hid in the darkness, calling to the spirits lost in the Netherworlds to guide them amongst the starry Reich of their lives. In the fields of red, a dark army as vast as the eye could see in disciplined ranks and grand formation, marched their endless steady march. All spears cutting the bloody skies as they moved, their shields drenched in demon blood to ward of the enemies of Kingdom. All light threatened by the dark flags carried by the bearers. The soldiers showed faces grim and hidden beneath thick helmets with eyes soulless and adversed of free will and evil minds. They sung a war song of waiting, of times of new orders rising, of eons where the evil king was smashed, ruined and splintered at the mighty hands of Sheikan king, Link Nohansen Hyrule. From afar, atop a mighty black marble castle reaching beyond the clouds on the top of a dark mountain, standing in the balcony of a throne room, a man clad in black draconian armor bearing the divine trinity symbol on his chestplate, watched his army march...waiting...protecting... Upon his head rested the crown of Darkness, worn only by the Emperor's of the Sheikan heritage. Like his armor, it was black with gray bolts, crude in appearance and had one standing spire with horn like wings of black ivory. His deep, ghostly white eyes, a curse from his crusades, analyzed all corners of the massive force. His enemy was since driven back, but he knew, in time, they would return. So for now, he would patiently await the next war. The armor is ready, the weapons are sharp, the soldiers are fit, the fortresses are built, and the generals are fresh from battle and full of experience. At the snap of his fingers, they would kill all in his path. The king smiled a dark smile. His vengeance was yet to be completed. He was counting on the enemy's retaliation. He was ready for it. A dark, menacingly ominous chuckle erupted from his throat, his voice deep and growling. This time, there wont be another Shadow War, there wont be a fall back, there wont be an evil king... Vengeance, would be his. Link grunted in defiance of the pain, but he couldn't help it. He was powerless to resist the images unraveling in his mind's eye. Strong winds billowed about, leaves whirled in small torrential waves of gusts, littering the cobblestones of a beautiful mountainside castle city. Equine figures pranced to and fro, each with an errand to run, or a date to keep. The sun was high and the day was warming, spring had come and the flowers grew wildly about, and the city smelt of pine and rose. The citizens seemed to live in bliss, not touched by the darker side of reality at all. They lived as if the city was paradise. High atop the towering towers of the grand castle, an Alicorn watched humbly as the pony folk scurried about, untouched by trouble. Peace was reigning in the land for the longest time since the crowning of the dual thrones. The white Alicorn's aura like mane flowed like that of a river, rainbow in color and soft to the touch. Upon her flank, the symbol of a sun glowed in the day light. Her Han purple eyes soft and gentle, rested on the horizon. "Princess Celestia, please pay attention..." A voice spoke to her left, sounding slightly agitated with the princess. She let out a silent, and unnoticeable sigh, turning to meet the royal counsel. Several other ponies stared back at her, some neutral, some pitying her, others aggravated by her lack of attention. What more could they ask of her? She had ruled a thousand years and longer, each and every day raising the moon and setting the sun. She was chained to the throne, watching the kingdom prosper and keeping the days in natural motion with her powerful magic. She never had time to herself to enjoy the small things in life. But if she didn't take to her responsibilities again soon, there may never be a chance to. “Do continue, Trixie,” Princess Celestia acknowledged. The aforementioned azure unicorn stood from her chair, giving a spiteful glare to the noble who insisted she speak to the princess before she was ready. She had been Celestia's wandering knight before her time in a small town where she was bested by another unicorn. All under orders of the princess to test the friendship bond of her chosen, under the image of a boastful magician. A trial that proved successful. Trixie cleared her throat, her blue star-filled cape hiding most of her golden armor as she stood higher. “The outer kingdoms are all growing uneasy. The new leaders are corrupt and lustful to gain more power for themselves. Their citizens support them as well. Talk of war in favor of expanding their boundaries run rampant across the lands and Equestria is the center of the bulls-eye,” Another unicorn stood from his spot. “Such treason! We should act immediately, we must send our finest stallions!” A round of cheers greeted the call for war. Princess Celestia stood, a disapproving look upon her equine face. “No. I will send emissaries to see that Equestria is safe from the growing threat of-” “But princess, other nations such as Equine Kingdom, Irefoal, Poligon, and Fillypan have already tried...the royal visors were the first casualties of this world-wide war,” Trixie interrupted. Princess Celestia's eyes widened, that didn't sound like the allies she had a month ago, not at all. What could of possibly of happened to them all to become so murderous? Did they too feel threatened by the other growing nations? War had not existed in generations, not since Nightmare Moon was defeated. Surrendering the hope of avoiding this danger, Celestia lowered her head. “Is there no pony else we can turn to?” She asked. Trixie shook her head. Princess Celestia paced back and forth in her chambers, thinking deeply of the solution. She could send her six chosen, but by the descriptions Trixie gave her, that would be foolish. She herself could try, but doubt kept her from trying. The foreign nations had indeed grown unruly and hostile. Many palace visitors spoke of relatives being held as prisoners of war. But what war? She had never issued any order to her royal troops. They must've grown paranoid of the other war mongering nations, for they wouldn't have any other reason to arrest traveling ponies without call for threat. Celestia felt saddened by this change in the world. Peace was never more prominent until her rule, and now it was crashing down around her. All her hard work to forge impenetrable alliances were wasted. Another mare, Alicorn is type with a dark nightly blue mane and coat entered the room. Her mane was aura like, much like Celestia's. “Sister?” Princess Celestia stopped, turning her depressive gaze to her younger sibling, the princess of the night. She seemed to wait for Celestia's answer to the situation, one the princess felt was the highest risk, but now necessary. On any other given day where the kingdom was threatened, she would increase the defenses around the land, but with the world turning on itself, her soldiers wouldn't last long in a full-fledged attack by multiple nations. And she would not risk the lives of those who proudly defended their nation at her behest. “Luna, I think we need to open the portal...” Princess Luna lowered her head too. The portal had not been opened since before their birth, for the previous rulers felt contact with outer lying dimensions was not safe for their citizens. The princess stood in what looked like a cave with many stalagmites, many having disintegrated in the middle, leaving sharp points on each side. Celestia walked softly in, keeping a wary eye on her surroundings. It had been more than a thousand years since this cave was intruded by anyone, at least to her knowledge. Ancient and powerful runes were carved into the stone walls, some primal paintings of ponies also graced with Old Age décor. Altars sculpted from the marble floor stood at several points in the timeless cave. Many things happened here, things that history failed to record, tales the future generations were forbidden to know of. It was considered a great insult to the ancient rulers of Equestria to step foot in these caves without consent of the Grand Mystery and her eternal knowledge of all things that are, that were, and that will come to pass. But this must be done. She would not let her kingdom fall and her people suffer in favor of an old fairy tale. Strapped to her side, was a dusty old book taken from the largest wing of the royal library. The cover read “Dimensional Occult and Supernatural Summoning”, by Starswirl the Bearded. It was deemed the proper spell book to revive a mighty warrior unto this world as an ally. It was just a risk of finding the right coordinates to locate a helpful, benevolent soul who would partake and answer a plea for help. Celestia took a deep sigh, activating her horn and lifting the book she was steadily growing fearful of using. She came upon an altar written with ancient symbols indicating a summoning ritual of sorts. Placing the book down, she flipped it open with a gust of her left wing, her eyes sharply reading every word on every page as she searched for the proper locator and summoning spell. Secretly, she hoped against fate to find a spell specifically to summon a knight who could be trusted, but such hope was naïve of the princess. Finally, she stopped on a page showing a symbol of a circle with many crosses. It brought her great fear and hesitation to perform the ritual, but it must be done. Fetching a chalk piece enchanted by herself for magical properties from her pouch, Celestia copied the symbol's sharp and ominous design in a clearing on the floor. Princess Luna stepped up behind her, having followed her sister to the cave. She would need her help for the ritual, one could not rip open a portal to a realm between realities and dimensions without balancing Light and Darkness. Celestia turned to see her sister there, waiting to read her lines from the book. She smiled at Luna, glad to know her younger sibling was willing to help her in something so dangerous. Luna returned her smile with a wink of encouragement, all the while helping draw the circle's dark spots with a black chalk piece to represent the balance of Darkness. Luna read her lines from the book, as Celestia put the final touches on the symbol. When both were finished, they stood on opposite sides of the circle, facing each other. Nodding their heads, they closed their eyes and concentrated on the incantations within the spell. Focusing on powerful magic in the longest stretches of their conscious, their horns began glowing their element. As their horns charged, the night began to fall quickly. Ancient shadows moved around the cave, dancing in the light of the dual princesses' growing power. Lightning struck outside, cleaving a gnarled old oak right down the middle. The wind stirred, bringing leaves to life and sending them into flight. Celestia's concentration reached new levels as a faint glimmer began to resonate in the circle, showing the spell was taking its intended effect. Her mind created a message to send throughout the other worlds, hoping one would call back in the darkness. A large black ball had formed over the symbol within the princesses' circle. Lightning energy cackled about, striking some of the stalagmites and breaking them off. The energy being poured into the ball was growing stronger. Celestia released her message, allowing it to channel through her horn's magic and into the black void. The dark king sat upon his throne, one fist holding his head up as he watched the moon rise to the heavens above from his throne room. The dimly lit halls of the Black Fortress were silent, the troops all standing guard in the halls and the servants bustling by, but none interrupted the king's thoughts. Suits of armor lined the walls in disciplined ranks, all standing on stands with many battle damage to show their worth, the plaques at their feet telling the history of wars long forgotten by the Sheikah. Many torches were lit, but it didn't stop the eternal cold and the absorbing darkness from stealing the warmth and shunning light. Swords and shields hung from the walls, all still sharp, but obviously worn. A symbol of three triangles forming a bigger triangle was painted behind the mounts, a symbol of the Hylian and Sheikan race's coexistence. Outside the castle walls, many troops marched in and out, all being moved throughout the land to keep security tight and the risks low. Archers lined the battlements with spears and javelins as secondary ammo, troops patrolled the gates and commanders shouted orders back and forth as they marched. The rhythmic sound of the steel boots stomping on the marble and the dirt was music to the king's ears. Such a gift to him from his enemy, a gift that will prove the evil overlord's downfall. Behind him stood the eight daughters he created with his new found power to rule his army in his absence. They too were silent, busily analyzing the world maps of the enemy's kingdom and planning their own entries for their regiments. He placed a very nightmarish helm on his head, it's visor covered his mouth entirely, and left a very narrow line of sight. He could feel himself immediately imbued with endless energy from the accursed thousands residing in the helm's unholy and ancient metal. His left eye grew brighter, whilst his right dimmed to total black, like a Valentia and a shroud of shadow seemed to pull at any little light in the throne room. It was pitch black in color, bearing a brush on the top with black horse hair and seven spikes, three on the left and right, and a single one in the center pointing forward. In Link's hand was a fistful of auburn hair, his nemesis' from the last time they fought. The trail was proving difficult to trace, likely the evil king was hiding himself with his witch's magic.Even with the Black Eye, his sight was limited. *Help...* Link's eyes shot open, his hand dropping the hair and ripping the Master Sword from its resting place next to his arm rest, and his free hand removing the Black Eye from his head. The generals became alert at the king's sudden reaction, all drawing their weapons and surrounding him like bodyguards. The king's eyes searched the roof of his castle for the voice, it didn't sound as if it was of this world physically. The generals whispered to themselves, wandering if they should call for the troops or if the king was just having a vision. Whatever the case, they didn't leave their formation that encircled him. Link's white eyes continued to search, the voice had disappeared now, but such rare occurrences like that never go without reason in this world. For in this world, nothing was by mistake. And that voice certainly implied no foul play. He reached out with his mind, using his will to tap into the magic used by that message. He could feel the faint threads of a foreign power, one he never sensed before in his numerous conquests through the Dark World. It was strange, filled with light, making him picture a beautiful realm with scenery such as lush, green grass and healthy trees that welcomed him. It was other worldly... It was benevolent. Very pure, no taint, and no imbalance of Light or Dark. The threads he held in his mind depicted a cave of marble and rune, a towering castle of shining stone, and a world of life where love and kindness prevailed. This could not be of this world. This was definitely something from beyond the stars of Nayru- *Help us...* It called again, breaking his hold of the threads and causing him to flinch in surprise. “...Milord?” One of his generals whispered. Link looked just a bit longer, tracing the signals he was receiving from that voice. He detected the hints of hesitation and doubt in the voice. Sensing emotions in these signals meant the energy behind the call was very prominent and recent, also that allot of magic was being used to ignite the spell. The king raised his hand, signaling the generals to leave. Although hesitant to leave, they nodded and made themselves scarce. With the great oak doors leading to his throne room closed, Link focused his own magic to try and respond to the signal. His conscious forgot the world around him, he was now standing in a black void within his mind. He looked up, searching for a figure, but he saw no one. “Ye who calls forth from the dark, reveal thou self to me.” His dark voice called into the infinite abyssal void. For a time, his call was met with total silence, obscured of any reply. Then, he felt a slight tingle, a possible sign that the joint entity was trying to enter the void. Something soft brushed against the mental chains surrounding his grasp of this connection, something akin to a rose pedals. It smelt of sunflowers suddenly, where as he smelt of blood and death. “Greetings. My name is Celestia, princess of Equestria.” “Greetings, Celestia...Why have you come before me?” “My country is threatened by powerful foes, and I seek an ally to help me defend my subjects...” Link raised an eyebrow at the shadows, whatever it was that called to him managed to remain hidden from his gaze. But this was a most unusual request, especially from another world. The last time he involved himself in the affairs of another realm, he was betrayed, killed and reborn in flames against his will as the king of Darkness. He had plenty cause to deny this request. But somehow...he didn't have the heart to. It was his only one weakness left, his hidden kindness that he tried to hide from the living. To make matters worse, there was no trace of deception in the gentle voice. All was as told, this was purely a request for assistance from one ruler to another. “Before I decide, I would like to see whom I am speaking with.” It was a simple enough request, and one this Celestia owed him at least. “...I apologize...but I can not find the energy lane to incarnate my image unto this plane...” Link hummed to himself in thought, not being able to see the other was the next best thing to luring someone unwise into a trap. But again, there was no hint of lie in this voice or the presence he felt. Link lowered his head in thought. His people were still at war with the evil king, but he knew that any chance of the war picking back up anytime soon was very slim to nonexistent. He still had responsibilities to tend to, but he could leave the Sheikan queen to attend to those and the spawns of his blood could control the Dark Army. As much as he wanted to say no, just so he could keep an eye on the evil king, the last remaining side of his old self compelled him to accept. There was no way around this, he could not deny this soul her request. He never would have been, even if he spent another thousand years in misery, locked in his fortress while the enemy laid waste to his kingdom. Link sighed in defeat. “Very well... Open a portal to your world, and I shall answer your request in person.” The emotions from the other entity picked up, there seemed to be a glee he had not felt in a long, long time. 'I hope I don't regret this...' A cold wind billowed around the dark forest, the ancient and gnarled trees bore the faces of souls sent to suffer eternal damnation for their sins. The moans of the bark, and the rustle of the leaves proved to be more eerie to the woodlands than the king could think was possible. Then again, he hadn't stepped foot in here for a millennium. His memory of this place and what it was capable of was very blurred. But he remembered enough to find the spot that this Celestia had described during their conversation in the void. He could feel the energy of the portal pull him to the spot that would take him to her world, like a hound, he tracked it by the scent of the benevolent magic it harvested to rip through the dimensions. He heaved a breathe, smelling that sunflower scent. He knew he was getting close, for now the smell of vanilla pervaded through the area, sharp as a knife. A hum nearby caught his ears as he rode upon the black war stallion, clad in armor closely resembling his. The steady trot of his beast echoed on the rocky trail throughout the pitch black wood. The king's senses were on high alert, these trees were guarded by powerful spirits who didn't take kindly to otherworldly forces. Namely him, for he was not originally from the Dark World. They wouldn't be too happy to feel such bright, enigmatic aura flowing around their bark. The chance of their agitation was only increased by his presence, no matter his destine position in the chain of this grand picture painted by the gods. The king's large war stallion neighed as he too felt the strange power. The beast's crimson red eyes cautiously scanned about as he snorted and lobbed his head up and down to show his anxiety. Link gave the big horse's neck a few pats to ease his tension, hoping he wouldn't try to buck him. At last, in a small clearing where very little of the moonlight reached, a large dimensional rip rumbled unsteadily, barely just keeping itself from going haywire and dispersing. Link brought his stead to a halt, the beast giving him a grunt at the sudden pull of the reigns. Dismounting with a heavy thud and clink of his armor against his equipment, Link analyzed the portal. It looked very strange, compared to the ones he was used to. This one seemed to be the total opposite of the world he stood in, showing a scenery of green grassy fields and tall, lovely mountains. It was so bright, he almost had to shield his eyes from the scenery. He turned to his horse, giving it a pat on the maw. And to ensure he cause no panic to the people of this new world, he pulled a large, black cloak with a low hood from the saddle bag. Dousing his armored figure, and pulling his hood over his head, he made sure his face was hidden. “Go home.” He commanded. The stallion gave no objection, turning around and slowly walking out with his head low, relieved of the pressure caused by the reigns. With his ride gone, Link approached the portal. He eyed it cautiously, still wondering if this was some trick of the evil king's, he had been fooled before. The smell of clean, crystal air and the lush green grass beckoned him on. It was so enticing, like a seduction from a mistress and it was hard to resist taking in another breathe of this beautiful world's heavenly atmosphere. With a final sigh, Link placed his right hand through to portal. It was warm on the other side, very welcoming indeed. Seeing that nothing bad had happened yet, he placed his left through the rip and finally pushed his whole body through. As his existence was shredded by time and space, his vision watched a spiraling black tornado suck him closer and closer until the scenery changed drastically. Link tried to stand, he remembered this all. It was his first time entering Equestria, but the point the shadow was trying to convey to him had yet to dawn on him. Was it angered just because he arrived in this realm? He pushed himself back up to a vertical base, coping with the pain in his head as he watched. The runic carvings of the cave remained dim for a time, the princesses could not make out what was on the other side of the rift they had cut with the power of their horns. The world beyond theirs seemed black, and it reeked of an odor they had never smelled before. It did not bring them any comfort, but this only confirm what Celestia had predicted during her discussion with the strong voiced entity in that connection. She had chosen a world of strong warriors who live on the battlefield and die in the war zone. She just hoped that whoever this warrior was, he could be trusted enough to walk among her pony folk. The elder princess couldn't help but feel a little fearful. Although, she truly feared nothing but the well being of her ponies, she couldn't help but be mortified by the unknown. All her life she knew what would happen, what to expect, but these situations always brought her fear. The time Luna was consumed by the evil of Nightmare Moon was the first time, Discord's attempts to overthrow the kingdom was the second, and now, the arrival of this Link was her third. Though she felt no evil in him, it was still clear he was surrounded in a deep shadow of mystery. And his voice...she could of sworn was the equivalent of something that crawled right out of Tartarus. The aura from the rip grew dark and menacing, something dangerous was approaching and fast. The two shared a look before bracing themselves for the visiting force. Whatever came through that portal, they were ready to fend it off should it become a threat. Energy tendrils spiraled about, like electrical waves in a turbulent sea. A whirlpool of wind surrounded the rip, opening the connection to full strength and seemingly sucking in something from the other world. The energy ball blackened, bringing an uneasy feeling in the dual princesses as they watched a black form piece together in the center of the chaotic gateway. The clinking of metal armor was heard as this hidden silhouette spawned forth from the portal in the opposite end of the circle, away from the two princesses. They could faintly make out a hilt sticking up from the figure's left shoulder, likely his weapon. He seemed to be kneeling down, as if this alien had just landed from a long fall. Slowly the portal dispersed on itself, sealing the new life form in Equestria. A black cloak with no real decoration or character of any kind covered his form, and the secrecy and mysteriousness of the entity sent chills down Celestia's spine. Luna however, did not seem intimidated by the darkness flowing from the supposed “Link”. They made no attempt to speak, desiring to see what he would do first. Link stood up slowly, feeling a little sore as it had been a very long time since he traveled in that fashion. He snapped his neck to the side to help alleviate the pain, viewing the cave around him from the narrow vision provided by the low hood covering his head. Usually when he entered a new dimension, the atmosphere of the world would try to affect him in some way, so he waited patiently for his body to give some kind of transformation. After a while, nothing happened. 'Strange...' Seeing the wind rustle some dust at his armored boots brought his curiosity out. Bending down again, he passed his gloved hand across the floor and analyzed the particles sticking to the fabric. Passing his fingers through it confirmed that it was not so different from his realm. Wiping his hands clean with patting motions, Link stood back up and approached the wall, his eyes peered curiously at the hieroglyphs, a sudden fascination for the meanings behind the drawings manifested in him. But he did not come here for a history lesson, much to his changrin... Repeating his previous action with the dust on the floor, Link felt the walls and noticed that the stone in this world was no different either. Deciding that enough evidence of the similarities between his world and Equestria had been presented to safely assume the only adjusting needed was to fit in with the realm's inhabitants, Link turned to face a table with a set of books sitting about, opened and unattended. Water dripped from the rocky cavern walls, revealing to him that he stood in a mountain somewhere. Ignoring the books and the intricate writings and symbols, Link dipped his index finger into a puddle and placed it into his mouth. It seemed safe, no taste and no smell. “Hmph.” Now he wondered where his otherworldly friend was. Link opened his eyes, glaring at the shadows around him. This was definitely why he was sentenced to suffer, this is why Fluttershy is to suffer at the hands of this alternative reality. He knew he was in the wrong universe, the world he was in now was not the same world that Celestia summoned him to. It was clear to him. The shadowy deity was angry at his trespassing, it was jealous of his presence. Why, eluded the king. “You would send an entire world to a future of pain and death to sate your own hatred for me? How pathetic...” Link spoke out, his voice strained by the needle-like feeling in his head. “Silence thou tongue, blasphemous one...behold further the tale of thy sin, and wallow within sorrow.” Waiting was out of the question in his mind, he must seek Celestia out and learn more of this threat. Perhaps he could help lead her troops, rather than bring any of his here? He would rather have the former, this world reminded him of Hyrule, and he did not want to stain it with the shadows and horrors of the Dark World and Kingdom. He turned around and immediately spotted an Alicorn, staring intently at him. At first, he was startled by the presence, and astonished that he had not been warned by the power lurking deep within him, courtesy of the evil king. That had to mean something, but he was too surprised to process that. He gazed long and silently at this pony, taking in her celestial white mane, the sun symbol on her flank, and the strange auraish mane with the colors of the fabled Northern Lights surrounding her. 'A pony. ...How intriguing.' Link stifled a chuckle. He couldn't believe he had been so careless to not notice a pony standing behind him. Another one stepped into his view, this one deep shadowy blue in color with the same odd aura-like mane only it looked as if he was staring into a window that led to the stars. 'Two ponies? This can't get any more interesting.' Something compelled him to speak, though he didn't know why. It wasn't as if these ponies would understand him. “Where's your riders, hm?” He presumed he would receive no answer, but he was wrong. “I beg your pardon?” The white mare spoke whist tilting her head to the side slightly, sounding confused. Link stared for a moment, showing no sign of reaction. He shook his head, thinking he was hallucinating. There was no way a pony could talk, no way in Din's name. The other mare let out a bout of giggles as she stepped up. “I do believe our guest is shocked, dear sister.” Again, Link stayed silent, processing the phenomenon unraveling before him. The two sisters sat down before him, the bright one with a small welcoming smile and the dark one showing an amused grin. 'I must be going insane...' Link scratched his head in thought. He was in a new universe separate from his own, perhaps the dominate intelligent species happened to be ponies? Made more sense to him than Tingle's disturbingly obsessive fascination with the fairies did. He shuddered at the memories... “Forgive me, I was not aware of what shape the people of this world would take.” Link apologized, feeling foolish and scolding himself. The two sisters nodded in unison, accepting his apology. “I am Princess Celestia; mare of the Sun and ruler of Day.” Celestia greeted with a radiant smile and soft yet wise voice. “And I, am Princess Luna; mare of the Moon and ruler of Night.” Luna introduced, voice strong and firm with a smile of her own. Link felt his eyebrow raise (though the dual rulers could not see due to his cloak), never would he expect the voice of Celestia to belong to an Alicorn, but he shouldn't feel surprised. Her voice matched her form, the resemblance was plain as the day she claimed to rule. And, if the rulers are ponies, he assumed their people were also ponies. He made a mental note to not show surprise the next time a pony spoke to him, regardless if they could see it or not. In an attempt to cover his discomfort at the oddness about, he introduced himself. “I, am King Link Nohansen Hyrule; lord of Kingdom...” Link gave a slight bow in proper greeting. He left out the fact he was the Emperor of Darkness, lest he be seen as a threat to this world of light. Normally he'd care less what any one creature of any race or place of birth would think...but he felt a rising desire to enjoy this place. And if hiding a part of his identity would ensure that, he was glad to sacrifice a bit of pride. “Before we speak further, may I request you reveal yourself to us, good king?” Celestia politely asked, keeping her friendly demeanor in place. Uh oh. Link feared this would come to light eventually. He could think of a few things that would happen if he lifted the hood from his face, one would be the loss of trust from his pony companions, and two would be the possibility of a fight to the death due to his seemingly evil appearance. It's hard to show loyalty to Good when one looks like the god of an evil race bent on war and spreading dark clouds and corrupting innocent minds. Once again, courtesy of the evil king. 'Curse that damned Gerudo...' “Very well. But swear to me you will not jump to conclusions based on appearance.” The two mares shared a look, but nodded nonetheless. “We believe in not judging a book by its cover. You need not worry, king Link.” Luna assured, moving her hoof up and down in a gesturing motion. He didn't know why, but he felt he could trust them. Slowly, Link reached up to grab the hood. Pulling it off his head, and letting it rest on his back, he opened his eyes and waited to be called a demon for his orbs had no visible pupils, they were veiled in white by the deep magic of the Dark World. It was a great factor when he intimidated a politician or ruler from another country during court, but it was also a curse that shied the living from his gaze. A shame he did not want. His heavy gaze pierced the two like a red hot iron piece through snow, both of the princesses merrily widened their eyes slightly at the sight. He pulled the cloak off, revealing the dark armor that was thickly and bulky. The shoulder guards were roundish, and designed so that they protected his biceps and moved with his shoulders, they bore blue trimming with symbolic carvings. The chestplate was not shaped into a typical chestplate, but seemed like a disk that graded down at the edge, providing heavy protection to his heart, it was a deep blood crimson shade in color also bearing dark symbols. The abdominal end of the chestplate was black with blue trimming, wrapping around Link's form perfectly. His hip was protected by chaps as thick as his upper armor with blue triangles embedded within, and his boots were encased in the metal. They can see what looked to be a large, tetragon-shaped shield as black as the rest of his armor covered his backside hidden beneath the large billowing cape. He was truly fit for all-out war. They also felt a strangely benevolent energy coming from the large sword sheathed beneath the shield. But there was taint in that energy, it was touched by darkness. That sensation made the dual rulers wary. Link lowered his head, waiting for their response. “Well...You surely have surpassed my hopes.” Celestia commented light-heartidly, attempting to lower his tension. Link lifted his head up, a little confounded. Luna nodded in agreement. “Yes, such a figure will surely bring hesitation to any enemy!” The two rulers led the recloaked king down a long, lonely road littered with auburn leaves and lined with great oaks. The environment was peaceful, and the temperature was cool, but not unpleasantly cold. The wind kissed Link's cheeks with a gentle breeze, it played with Celestia and Luna's manes as well. The tree limbs fidgeted a bit against the invisible force of nature, showing defiance. They had said that this road led to the capital of Equestria, Canterlot. It must have been that great silver castle shining in the distance as they left the cave earlier on. According to Celestia, she was the ruling figure amidst her younger sister, but she needed the approval of the council before she can accept aid from a foreign power. Luna grumpily admitted that the council was comprised of stubborn, pompous and incompetent imbeciles who have long since been corrupted by the political ways of government. Alone, they would not be able to sway the council's mind, so they hoped the king could do so instead. He had ways to get what he wanted from a stubborn fool in a position of power. Many would call those methods brutal and terrifying. At least for his target. It would be a while before they arrived, and at Link's request, his presence was to be kept as much a secret from the citizens as was possible in the Alicorns' power. Although ignorant as to why, they agreed. Link's main concern was not doing what his nemesis managed to do every time he entered another world, and that was burn it with his impurity. He wasn't fearful of this threat, he wasn't fearful of publicity, he just wanted to preserve innocents. Mainly because he failed to preserve his own. It was a frightful experience to have your light taken from you, to be infested by an evil radiation. He didn't want anyone going through it. It was a fate not even the lowest scum deserved. 'Well, maybe.' They exited the woodlands, coming up open a dirt road leading to the gates of the royal city, Canterlot. Wildlife ran rampantly about, scurrying to the sides in fear of the cloaked king. The dual princesses took note of this, the creatures felt something worth being fearful of, and that answered many of their own questions that had yet to be asked. “Enough!” Link roared as it shook the images from his mind's eye. All was still now, the piercing gazes of the shadows itself fixated on the angry, now mortal king of darkness who dared to interrupt the show. “I've seen enough.” Link claimed forcefully. He wanted to awaken from this so he can make sure that Fluttershy was alright. But this pointless theatrical movie of his arrival to his current predicament was only wasting his time and enraging him further than he already was. “We have but one more vision to enlighten you with, oh pretentious one.” “No! No more images! Release me at once from this void, or I will unleash a fury that which has not been seen in all of Hell!” Without giving him a reply, another force of images struck his conscious and forced their way into his mind's sight. Giving another roar in protest, but unable to break free this time, the king fell to his knees once more. “It has been decided. I will raise ten thousand strong from my world and bring them here to fight for you, princesses of Equestria.” “Only ten thousand? ...It's less than half of what I had hoped...but I will take whatever you can give me, my liege.” Celestia nodded as she sighed. She really had hoped he could provide an entire military force of drones so that her people would not have to fight at all, but such a desire was unlikely and naïve. Still, it was ten thousand of her ponies she would not need to put at risk. Link hummed to himself. “My people are still at war with a ruler of evil. Ten thousand is a less than savory number for me as well, Celestia. But I can't risk revoking anymore than that. If I do, it is likely our lines will be weakened, and the enemy's victory would be easier to achieve. I am sorry.” “No no, we are grateful to have any help at all. Ten thousand should do nicely.” Luna spoke up. The council chamber's had since emptied upon their arrival, all untrusting of King Link and his mysterious presence. The only other soul left behind was the armor-clad knight, Trixie, who guarded the door. “Trixie, bring me the world map.” Celestia requested, receiving a nod from the azure pony knight. Her horn glowed with the mystical power it possessed and brought a map from a high shelf nearby to lay flat and cleanly on the long table before the three rulers. Link examined the map from beneath the thin gap of his hood, reading the many names and different landscapes as Luna began pointing at Equestria with her hoof. “This is Canterlot, and south of the royal city is a precious little town, Ponyville. Our Equestrian heroes reside here. They wield ancient and powerful artifacts that represent six elements, all forming Harmony: Kindness, Generosity, Loyalty, Magic, Honesty, and Laughter. Together, they form the most powerful force in our world's known history and future. If we can bring the six Elements of Harmony before our enemies, the war may be won by the power of Friendship.” Link raised an eyebrow at it all. Wars were not won in his world through any of these six elements and certainly not through friendship. War in his world was won through: Blood, Massacres, Strategy, Armed Forces, Violence, and Ruthless Conquest. He can see now that this wasn't going to be easy for him to adapt to. And, he was rather hoping he'd fight this war his way. For he only knew how to fight it in his own fashion. What was more simpler than to lead a great army to an enemy army, charge, kill, and claim victory through enemy subjugation or overthrowing their capital and leaders? They want him to escort these six “heroes” to the source of this disturbance so that they may unleash the power of Friendship? This is going to be more harder than he thought... He grunted as he fought the dark magic infesting his head with these redundant images of events only a few days old. But no matter how much he struggled, his will was nothing compared to this infinity. As if he was banished to a place where no will but the that of this entity could exist. “Here, is thy moment to which we stopped from coming to pass... But came to be nonetheless due to thy connection with time itself... The sin of one named Link, and the justification of thy punishment.” Dark, ominous winds bellowed about the midnight hours of the night. The trees were dead, or dying due to the deathly radiation spewing forth from the gates of a fiery temple entrance. The king himself stood but meters from this accursed place, it reeked of wicked intent and devilish rule. This, was the gates of TarTarus, portal to the dead and the realm of the Underworld where all things Dark and Evil resides. This was where he would traverse through time and space to the Dark World, to assemble his chosen army. He stepped forth, pausing before thinking deeply of the consequences of opening these demonic gates. The guardian, Cerberus was removed by Princess Luna herself so that he may do what needed done: bring forth the greatest army Equestria ever saw. He placed his hands on the hot, yet cold stone of the old gates. The white stone, a sign of purity in the standing seal of the Wise Ones who once ruled Equestria vibrated with mixed energies; both holy and unholy. A great evil waited on the other side, this he could feel deep in his bones. Hair stood on end as he heaved the mighty gates of stone open, ready to stop whatever escaped before he can reach his realm and return with the chosen forces. As the stone doors ceased to touch one another, the great gates slammed open, forcing the king to lose balance and fall forward. A dark cloud exploded from the inside of the crimson world of hate and ill. The force and density pushed the king back off the ground and sent him deep into the woods, the sheer thickness of it blotting out the shimmering moon. Recovering, and drawing the sacred blade from its resting place, Link carefully approached the opened doors. Searching for what may have bled out, but seeing and feeling nothing. Whatever was inside, may have escaped while he was airborne, meaning he would have to search the world for the escaped shadow and return it to its prison. Not seeing anything to battle, Link stepped into the red world and closed the doors behind him. He had allot of work to do when he returned... “This, is why ye suffer. We, are that which escaped. And we vowed to punish the first creature thine eyes rested on upon resurrection. That, foolish king, is now thy curse. As long as we are free, you will suffer in our darkness.” Now free of the tormenting shadow's grip, Link stood back up and bared his teeth. His hatred was now at new heights, he bled and breathed nothing but anger for this wretched orb of evil veiled in this disgusting darkness. His eyes burned with the lust to kill it, burned red with contempt and spite. He desired revenge. For this thing tormenting him had dragged the innocent Fluttershy into the midst of a childish and blind grudge, dragging her screaming into the deep dark and sending its servants to mutilate her at his expense. All because it wanted to smite him. It only shattered his loose chains holding his dark-side in check. He may not have possessed his tortured soul any longer, nor did he possess the power he once did, but he was still strongly connected to the Darkness, and it fueled his vengeful spirit. He chuckled, at first lowly, and than it reached a crescendo of cackles in his dark and twisted voice. “Before this moment, I was only out to slay the one responsible for torturing the pony you forced to share this supposed “fate” you chose for me. But now...-” His skin tinted sickly blue, his eyes blackened until a very small circle of white could be seen as his only thread of grip on sanity was left. His mouth contoured to show fangs, his armor blackened further and absorbed the energy of rage and hatred bleeding from both him and the souls he was surrounded by. A nasty growl came from his throat as he spoke one last time. A black blade materialized in his left hand, ragged and claw-like in shape with what seemed like an eye in the hilt. It oozed in black substance as its master held it firmly. “Now all have to pay.” With that, the demon creature standing where king Link once stood launched itself at the shadows with a terrifying cry of inner pain and bloodlust. It bit and clawed and sliced at whatever it could before it was drowned in shadow and silenced.
