Legend of Zelda: The Equestrian Hero

When Luna and Link visited Ponyville, the town remained as silent as usual. She couldn't tell if the citizens were terrified of monsters or refusing to leave their homes. It could be both, as a horde of beasts attacked the town a few weeks ago. The duo, along with Rarity, entered Twilight's castle. The Cutie Mark Crusaders had been asking Discord, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie about the Element bearers. While Fluttershy and Pinkie were telling them that the others would come back, Discord mentioned Ganondorf's actions. Sweetie Belle turned, then froze. Her eyes met Rarity's. The younger unicorn raced into Rarity's embrace.

"What about Applejack?" Apple Bloom inquired.

"And Rainbow Dash?" Scootaloo added. "Whoever this Ganondorf is, I hope he gets what he deserves."

"He'll get it soon enough," Link said. "It won't last forever."

Rarity released Sweetie Belle from her hug. "Prior to Ganondorf taking over Equestria, I had planned to submit my latest creations to a fashion show. It wouldn't be the first time, though. My friends and I went on adventures before, putting my career on temporary hold. We have to put Equestria first, despite not ruling the land. There's always the next fashion show, so it's not much to complain about."

Sweetie Belle tilted her head. "Can I do it for you? I'll take pictures."

Rarity smiled. "Aww, darling. It's so sweet of you to offer some help, but I want you to stay safe. Equestria's still in serious danger."

"I'll take an adult. I'm not in elementary school anymore, remember?"

"Look, Sweetie Belle. There are monsters. Besides, Link and Luna will take care of the problem."

Sweetie Belle sighed. "I see. My friends and I will wait until Ganondorf is defeated."

Everypony gathered in the dining hall, where the silverware and plates had been arranged. On the center of the table stood a dark chocolate cake with buttercream frosting. The plate next to the cake contained vegetable sandwiches. Luna found herself staring at the cake. Last time she had a delicious dessert, it was when she ate dinner with Celestia in Canterlot Castle. Everypony occupied the seats. She gazed at the window. Starlight and Trixie could have been here. A frightening thought flashed into her mind. At first, she dismissed it. Yet it became clear. She was unaware of her friends staring at her until one of them spoke.

"Luna, are you okay? You zoned out," Link said.

"Of course," Luna replied. "It's just that I have an inkling."

Discord snapped his talons and summoned a white potion. "Twilight Sparkle used this. It made her see into the past. I adjusted it so you can observe what's happening to Starlight Glimmer and Trixie. Also, if you take a second sip, you'll gain insight as to what goes on inside the castle."

Luna eyed the potion skeptically. "Didn't this give her nightmares after the plunderseeds disappeared? I could witness something that might disturb me."

"Here, drink it." Discord placed the potion in front of Luna's plate. "Don't you want to know?"

Luna inhaled sharply, then exhaled. "Alright. Here goes." She levitated the flask to her mouth and ingested the concoction. She let out a gasp as a vision of the Crystal Empire flooded her mind. In the vision, Starlight and Trixie journeyed to the outskirts of the empire. Dark clouds engulfed the sky, obscuring the sun. A pair of ruby eyes gleamed ominously, and a chill stampeded down her spine. What was that? The scene fell away, replaced by the dining hall and her group of friends.

Luna panted as she attempted to compose herself. "He ambushed them."

"Is it Ganondorf?" Discord asked.

"No. A different enemy." Luna sipped the potion again, and another scene played out. "Tia?" She watched as the alabaster alicorn descended into the underground prison. A trio of silhouettes waited in a prison cell. Cadence? Shining Armor? Flurry Heart? Celestia approached the iron bars and proceeded to speak to the family. Flurry Heart was sniffling, while Cadence and Shining Armor tried to comfort the tiny alicorn.

Luna shook her head as the vision receded. "Ganondorf captured Cadence and her family."

"Can I visit the Crystal Empire? I'll search for Starlight and Trixie," Discord said.

"You may. However, if you side with a villain, Celestia and I won't trust you. Neither will Twilight and her friends."

"Oh, relax. I didn't join Chrysalis, so I won't assist this bad guy."

"You must keep your promise. I don't want things getting worse than they already are. Celestia is locked inside Canterlot Castle, and Cadence's family is imprisoned. Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Twilight Sparkle are still scattered somewhere else."

Discord nodded. "I'll keep my promise. Do you think Sombra is the one who ambushed Starlight and Trixie?"

Luna's aura gripped a sandwich and brought it to her plate. "It's a possibility. If Chrysalis and Sombra team up with Ganondorf, it could spell doom for Equestria."

"They did, in a sense."

"Except that Ganondorf and Sombra aren't aware of each other... yet." Luna drank her tea. "Say, aren't there some locations we can explore next?" She retrieved a map from her saddlebag, then unfurled it.

Discord grabbed the map. "For starters, there is a floating isle west of the White Tail Woods, above the undiscovered west. Unless you have wings, you can't access it. You can teleport to it, though." He conjured an illustration of the isle.

Luna scrutinized the illustration. "So, we go into the mountains to discover the isle?"

"Well, if you ascend a mountain, you'll see the isle a little better."

"Every spellcaster knows that to teleport to an unknown area, you must have an idea of what the destination looks like."

"Speaking of destinations, there is another temple in the San Palomino Desert. At one point, you'll have to investigate the Frozen North. After Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Twilight Sparkle are rescued, I'm thinking we all storm Canterlot Castle and stop Ganondorf. Since you're the princess, you'll lead the way."

Luna wore a determined grin. "It doesn't sound too far-fetched. We'll show him, and he'll regret it."

Discord crossed his mismatched arms. "That's the spirit. Despite being a damsel sometimes, you're a courageous warrior at heart."

Luna glanced at Link. "Let's travel to the floating isle. Equestria is waiting, and we must not tarry any longer."

The group ate in silence, and Luna collected a few sandwiches for the journey ahead. So far, they hadn't encountered Chrysalis and the rogue changelings. She guided Link outside. Gray clouds eclipsed the sky. Thunder boomed, and the rain poured onto the streets. Luna conjured a barrier around the duo as they galloped onward. Watery droplets bounced off the magical shield. They had a kingdom to save, and they weren't about to give up. Her horn glowed. An aura enveloped them, and they teleported to the White Tail Woods.

The duo had walked for an hour. A dirt path led them further into the undiscovered west. Eventually, they stepped off the dirt path and approached the mountains. Jagged mountain peaks rose above the dark clouds like tall shadows in a thick fog. The rain had moistened the ground. Clumps of dirt latched themselves onto Luna's hooves. Animals pattered through the underbrush. A breeze whistled along the slopes. She continued onward, and Link followed her. They turned a corner and ascended a towering hill. To their right, an isle hovered. Large stone towers stretched toward the heavens, their roofs resembling sharp spears. A group of purple bipeds lunged at the duo, wielding wooden swords. Link waved his blade at the monsters, then sliced them.

Luna tossed powerful blasts at the bipeds. A gigantic fruit-like plant with propeller leaves emerged from the ground, then swooped down at the duo. She glimpsed a tiny root beneath its base. Her horn emitted a kinetic spell, sending the beast backward. A thunderbolt zigzagged along the horizon, accompanied by an echoing clap. She analyzed the isle from a distance. It might be bigger than it looked. Closing her eyes, she poured her energy into her magic. The spell transported the duo to the isle.

A swarm of rogue changelings trailed behind a familiar silhouette. If it was Chrysalis, what was the former changeling queen doing here? The silhouette entered a tower. Did the swarm intend to populate the isle? Chrysalis wouldn't be above that. Luna and Link strolled through the main entrance. A chasm separated each platform. If a pony were to fall into the gap, that pony might plummet to the bottom of the mountain.

"If there is a loose tile, it means a tile worm is present. Also, keep on the lookout for dynalfos, helmasaurs, and kargaroks," Link said.

"Don't forget the rogue changelings," Luna replied as she scanned the area. "They can disguise themselves as anypony and anything. If necessary, I will cast a spell that allows us to see past the illusions."

"Sounds like the Lens of Truth."

"Is the Lens of Truth a Hylian artifact?"

"Yes. It can be used to perceive things that are not visible. Also, it shows fake walls and floors."

As soon as Luna performed the spell, she detected large worms hiding beneath specific tiles. The duo moved past the tile worms and jumped onto the nearest platform. A steel gate retreated into the arch. They stepped outside, and the wind blew the rain across the stone bridge. A dynalfos charged at them. Link pulled a shield from his saddlebag and levitated it. He bashed the shield against the dynalfos' chest, then leaped above the dynalfos and sliced its head in a vertical motion. After landing behind the dynalfos, he hacked and slashed the creature's back. The dynalfos fell into the abyss.

Luna and Link trotted onto the bridge and cantered toward a door. They found themselves in another room. This chamber had fans inside the walls. The fans emitted huge gusts of wind in various directions. Much like the other chamber, this one had yawning holes. A pair of changelings advanced forward, snarling. Luna pointed her horn at them as though it was a rapier. She volleyed a series of kinetic blasts at the changelings, and her enemies ducked each spell.

"Didn't we meet you before?" The male changeling asked.

"You were with Chrysalis?" Luna replied as she unfurled her wings. "Even in an unpopulated area, you're still a danger to Equestria."

"Did you realize that the great Chrysalis had to scour Los Pegasus for several days? She was close to going insane."

The female changeling glowered at Luna. "Meanwhile, Thorax the traitor is lounging on Chrysalis' throne. He usurped her in the name of friendship! I bet Starlight encouraged him. Where is she?"

Luna widened her stance. "You can't keep feeding on other ponies' love. If you and your leader wreak havoc in Equestria, there will be consequences."

Both changelings dived at the duo, and one of them rammed into Link. He swiftly got to his hooves and swung his sword at the aggressors. The insectoids unleashed their magic at him, but he deflected the blows using his shield. Just then, a horde of changelings, led by a larger insectoid, surrounded the duo in every direction. He prepared to spin his sword in a clockwise motion. Luna flapped her wings and ascended into the air, her horn brimming with magical energy.

"You have an alicorn princess with you?" The leader asked.

Link spun his blade and sliced through the insectoids. The changelings were sent skyrocketing outside. Luna slammed her magic against the creatures, finishing them off. The stallion and the alicorn battled the swarm, not missing a single changeling. Fifteen minutes later, the insectoids escaped the room. Luna and Link proceeded into the next room. A treasure chest idled in the upper left corner of the room. A helmasaur lunged at the duo. Link sidestepped the incoming blow, then stabbed the helmasaur's back. The spiked armor flew toward the wall and clattered against the floor.

Link opened the chest, revealing a map of the isle. Compared to the other temples, this dungeon didn't seem as complicated. Similarly to City in the Sky, all he did was avoid falling into the abyss. The duo strode into the adjacent room. A flight of stairs ascended the round walls. Parts of the stairs were missing. A chasm yawned in the center. Kargaroks loitered by the steps.

Luna led Link onto the stairs, and they began moving up the steps. The kargaroks screeched at them. She shot a kinetic spell at the winged beasts, while Link unleashed a flurry of arrows. They continued navigating the staircase. As they reached the top, a trapdoor opened above them. Soon, they meandered onto a roof. A tall silhouette lingered, and it was accompanied by a pack of smaller changelings.

"Look who's here," an all-too-familiar voice said.

"Chrysalis! Where is the hostage?" Luna replied.

"You mean the rainbow one, right? I trapped her in a cocoon so she wouldn't flee."

"You're desperate for revenge. If you don't change your ways, Celestia and I could send you to Tartarus. Starlight once offered you a hoof of friendship, and you rejected it."

Chrysalis' eyes gleamed eerily in the darkness. "You and your army of pastel-colored friends destroyed my hive! I'll have my minions reproduce more changelings, and we'll usurp Thorax!"

Luna narrowed her eyes. "The reformed changelings won't allow it. You don't gain love by draining others."

"You're going down."

"No. You are!"

Chrysalis let out an aggressive hiss as she crept forward. A sickly green aura encased her horn. Due to the lack of light, she resembled a demonic bug. She circled the duo as if contemplating her next move. Then, she advanced at Luna. Both mares took to the air, attacking each other. Their horns clashed, and they maintained eye contact. A silver-blue aura exploded from the tip of Luna's horn, and it crashed into Chrysalis' body.

Chrysalis descended to the roof. "You Equestrians sure are formidable. Well, except for your sister. I took her down. She's so weak."

"Tis a lie!" Luna's voice veered into the Royal Canterlot Voice. "Do not insult my sister, or you'll regret it!"

"We could battle all night in the middle of the rain. Or..." Chrysalis rose to her height. "I could find an unpopulated area to form my new hive."

"As an alternative, you and your cronies might wind up imprisoned."

Chrysalis beckoned her minions to the edge of the roof. "I'm not about to rot behind bars while your precious Starlight tries to offer that friendship nonsense!"

Luna summoned a spell. "You and your minions won't be able to harm anypony. Instead, you'll be sealed away." A bright flash penetrated the sky, and the changelings disappeared.

Luna and Link crossed the bridge and entered the neighboring tower. She spied a cocoon, then unsealed it. Rainbow Dash emerged from the cocoon. The changelings might be clever, yet the insectoids chose the wrong location. In this case, Chrysalis' subjects had decided to stay in the undiscovered west. Luna and her friends left the isle. Her next stop was the San Palomino Desert.