Legend of Rarity: One Pony Band of Time!

Chapters

First Introductions
The Great Blankflank tree
Intense Negotiations
The plains
The Princess
The Diamond Dogs
Diamond Dog Cavern
Pink Ponies and Apples.
Seapony Domain

First Introductions

The Legend of Rarity:

One pony band of time.

There is a legend...a legend of times long past...a legend that speaks of a colt...a colt who traveled through time...to save the forgotten land of Equestria.............

“Hello, Link. Wake up. The Great Blankflank Tree wants to talk to you! Link, get up! Hey, c'mon! Can Equestria’s destiny really depend on such a lazy colt?!”

Link sat up, yawned, and sat on his bed.

“You finally woke up! I'm Spike the Dragon. The Great Blankflank Tree asked me to be your partner from now on. Nice to meet you!”

Link was still unsure of what was going on.

“Hey! Listen!”

Link shot Spike a death glare, feeling like that phrase was about to become a big part of the rest of his life. Slowly but surely, he pulled all four hooves together, gathered his mind, and trotted outside to meet another day in the great Blankflank Forest.

Link stood outside on his balcony. Why did he get the tree with the ladder? Ponies couldn’t climb ladders easily...regardless, we stumbled his way down the ladder 3 hooves to the ground.

“Hey!”

Link turned around and stared Spike down.

“...um...we should get to seeing the Great Blankflank Tree!”

Link ignored him and went around trotting about the town. He leaped from ledge to ledge over the community pool, mysteriously gathering bits over his head and depositing them in his wallet, stored in a place even more mysterious. He trotted about the town, engaging in one-sided conversations with the locals. One of them mentioned something about “Z-targeting”. He wasn’t exactly sure what she meant, but he just smiled and moved on.

“HEY!”

Link sighed and turned to Spike.

“We should get to seeing the Great Blankflank Tree!”

Begrudgingly, Link agreed, and trotted over to the entrance to the Great Blankflank Tree. To no surprise, Whiny Guardian, the local whiny guardian, stood guard over the entrance guarding the Great Blankflank Tree.

“What business do you have with the Great Blankflank Tree? Hm? You ain’t even got a Drag...oh. Well STILL. Hey, no fair...your dragon is cooler than mine!” Whiny complained, ranting on about Spike.

“Look, Whiny, we need to see the Great Blankflank Tree”. Spike pleaded.

“No way. If I don’t see her, neither do you.” He Whined. “Unless you get a...sword...and shield! Yeah!” He though, thinking they could never find such items. “When you find those, come back to me, and I’ll let you through!”

Link turned around and trotted off the other direction.

“Er...he’s only the most Annoying Blank flank! Uh...heh...Yeah! Now let’s go find a sword and shield! I think you can buy shields at the store!” Spike said, releasing some helpful information Link couldn’t have possibly ever have thought of himself. Shields and other goods from a store? It didn’t make sense!

Link trotted to the store. He avoided the annoying filly sitting on top, screaming about “Z-targeting”. Once inside, he looked at assorted items arranged neatly on shelves. He saw a Blankflank shield.

“Yo Link, ya want something?” Said Haggle Barter, The shop keeper.

Link Looked at the shield.

“Ah, the blankflank shield!” He said, grabbing a blank piece of wood with absolutely no detail on it. “That’ll be 200 bits.”

“What?” Said Spike. “200? We can only carry 99!”

“Well then I’ll make it 50.” Haggle Barter said. “Just because you’re a nice guy and you’re bound to save the world someday.”

“Ahem...no spoilers?” Said Spike.

Link wasn’t exactly sure what he meant by that, but he ignored it and pulled 50 bits from his mysterious storage place and plopped them on the desk.

“What’s that mysterious goo all over it?” Said Haggle.

Link shrugged.

“You don’t say much, do you?”

“No, not really.” Said Spike. “It was a tragic childhood accident...ever since he got that concussion from falling out of his house, he’s only been able to verbalize loud moans, assaulting screams, and vocalizations of agony.”

Link lightly hit Spike in the arm, hoping to tell him to be quiet.

“In fact,” Continued Spike, “I wouldn’t be surprised if he were genuinely retarded.”

Link left the store with the shield slung on his back, spike with a black eye.

“Ow...kay. I get it. Now let’s find a sword.”

Link trotted around Blankflank Village, occasionally rolling, since it moved him faster. Link spotted a pony on the farmland continuously doing backflips. Since he had nothing else to do, he engaged in another one-sided conversation with him.

“Hey, Link!” Said Jumpy. “How’ve ya been? Wanna know how to do a backflip? Just press z, move backward, and then press a!”

Link stared at him. He seriously didn’t understand this talk of A and B and Z and C buttons.

“Oh yeah, the sword you want is right through that hole.” Jumpy pointed to a rather conspicuous hole with huge, lighted arrows pointing to it. “You’d have to be genuinely retarded not to miss it!”

“Well...” Began spike. Link shot him a death glare. “He’s genuinely a really smart guy!!! heh...”

Link crawled through the tunnel, complete with lights, music, and annoying dragon creatures. Once on the other side, he was nearly trampled to death by giant rolling balls, Hoofiana Jones style.

After solving a rather easy puzzle, making more bits mysteriously appear above his head, and opening a giant chest in melodramatic fashion, complete with spinny moves and floating items, he crawled through the tunnel again , back to Jumpy, who never ceased jumping. He trotted over to Whiny, and engaged in yet another one-sided conversation.

“YOU HAVE A SWORD AND SHIELD?” He screamed, Whining again. “NOT FAIR!!! HOW COME YOU GET TO SEE THE GREAT BLANKFLANK TREE AND I DON’T?” Whiny continued for a good 30 minutes before he finally got out of the way and let Link through.

“Finally!” Said Spike. “Now we’re getting somewhere!”

The Great Blankflank tree

Link and Spike traveled a long, winding road before finally coming out in a great clearing, where a large, mystical tree, the Great Blankflank Tree, awaited them.

“Oh, Colt without a dragon......” Began the Great Blankflank Tree. “The time has come for you to learn your destiny...”

“Oh boy! I LOVE fortunetelling!” Said Spike.

The Great Blankflank Tree continued as if undisturbed by Spike’s interruption.

“...Let me tell you a story...” Said the Great Blankflank Tree, launching into a long, detailed story of the founding of Equestria.

“Long ago, the barren land of Equestria was nothing more than an empty wasteland. The world had no life...no water...just flat, empty land. Three goddesses descended from the heavens and brought life to the land. Celestia, the goddess of magic, brought form to the earth, creating continents, rivers, lakes, streams, mountains, valleys, and deserts. Trollestia, the goddess of courage, used her powers to bring life to the earth, creating Pegasi, Griffons, Earth ponies, Unicorns, and more. Molestia, the goddess of power, just sort of slacked off and made sexual advances on the other two, as well as the creations of Trollestia. Tired with her, the other two goddesses ascended into the air, forcing Molestia with them. The three goddesses, sisters, formed the twiforce. It is said that three people in the land of Equestria, the living incarnations of the goddesses, hold the pieces of the twiforce.”

The great Blankflank tree paused. Spike sat still and attentively.

“And as for you, colt without a dragon, have you not noticed your lack of a dragon? Long ago...you were brought to this forest and held hosta-er-safe. You are not actually a blankflankian, colt without a dragon...You are an Equestrian!”

Link was taken aghast by this new news.

“Didn’t see that coming!” Said Spike.

“Oh colt without a dragon...I have but one final request from you...I have been cursed by a terrible fate...even now, my life force is slipping...”

Link looked above him to see a green bar rapidly declining.

“I don’t have much time...please...fulfill my desires and come inside me...”

“WHAT?” Yelled Spike. “Great Blankflank Tree...that’s a bit personal!”

“Colt without a dragon...There is something deep inside me...a curse brought about by an evil person...they hope to control Equestria...Please, colt without a dragon...Come inside me...and set me free.”

Link nodded, awaiting some sort of magical portal to appear. Instead, The Great Blankflank Tree opened up his...Mouth? Link never noticed it before, but the Great Blankflank Tree didn’t move any sort of lips or orifice while talking. Come to think of it, neither did anyone else in the town.

“Quick,colt without a dragon...come inside me, with haste! Do not dillydally! Get inside me and do your business...”

“You’re not very good at those jokes, Great Blankflank Tree.” Said Spike.

“Regardless, enter me and destroy the evil within...”

And with that, Link and Spike entered the great Blankflank Tree’s mouth, hearing a noise behind them slightly resembling “suuuucker...”.

Link played it off and set off to destroy this “great evil”.

***

Once inside the Blankflank Tree, Link looked around. Not much seemed too sinister in the tree. He saw some giant spiders crawling around on one side of the wall, seemingly not doing much damage to the tree. Link noticed a small chest on one of the ledges. Without much hesitation, he trotted over and opened it. Inside was a slingshot. Link wasn’t exactly sure how well he could operate a slingshot with hooves, but nonetheless he kept it and stored it. Link then looked at his next task: A giant web closing up the floor. Up high above the ground, with ladders, was a ledge. Link looked at Spike.

“You kinda don’t want to climb those ladders, do you?”

Link shook his head.

“You’re one whiny filly, you know that?”

Link grabbed a hold of Spike’s tail as he began to climb the ladders.

“Almost...there...” Gasped Spike, exhausted from exertion.

With that, Link bit Spike’s tail and jumped off the ledge, aiming for the web, hoping to use gravity to his advantage. It worked, And the web broke, making sickening snapping noises. Link and Spike fell into a conveniently placed body of water. Both drug themselves to the edge of the water and settled down.

“Where are we?” Said Spike. For the encyclopedia of knowledge, he sure didn’t know very much. “Why is it so dark?”

Link looked around. It WAS very dark, and a pungent odor wafted about the room. Link wasn’t exactly sure what that smell was, but he sensed danger. In what he felt was the only sensible move, he looked up at the ceiling. There, stuck on the ceiling, as if by some invisible hand, was a giant Cheerilee. Link suddenly stood very still, not making any sudden movements.

“Pst...Link...That’s a giant Cheerilee. They may be huge, but their hearts are small. Try using your sword on her flank, her blind spot.”

Link still didn’t want to move. Alas, he, in a very awkward movement best not described within the contents of this tome, drew his sword and kept it clenched firmly in his teeth. He looked up at the Cheerilee, waiting.

“Sorry to ruin the intense cinematic moment, but should i wake it up?”

Link looked over at Spike, frustrated. He nodded and Spike let out a large, flaming green fire up at Cheerilee. Cheerilee roared, opening her one giant eye and staring down at the purple dragon. Spike ran behind Link for cover. Link sighed and readied himself. Cheerilee let out a loud, blood-curling roar and dropped to the ground. The fight was about to begin.

Intense Negotiations

Link galloped about the room, dodging attacks from Cheerilee, looking for an opening in her state. Spike kept up with him, screaming, crying, and hollering, making a loud ruckus. Link was annoyed, but he had far more problems to worry about at the moment. A tentahoof slammed down in front of Link, forcing him to stop. Spike let out a large whelp and ran off the other direction. Cheerilee looked and swung a tentahoof at him, slamming him against the wall, unconscious. Link look at the scene in awe. He stopped moving momentarily, staring at Cheerilee. Cheerilee didn’t do anything. She sniffed the ground, looking directly at Link. Link then realized: Cheerilee was blind. Link quietly dropped his sword and equipped his slingshot. He shot the wall on the opposite corner, forcing Cheerilee to turn around, exposing her flank to Link. Link picked up his sword and dashed at her, slicing her flank. Cheerilee Screamed in pain, turning around and swinging a tentahoof at him.

Link dodged quickly, rolling away as to reduce sound. Cheerilee stopped, sniffing the air. Link slowly backed out of her range. Regardless, She sniffed him, and swung at him again. He rolled again, quickly grabbing his slingshot and firing a Buckeye at the opposite wall. Cheerilee swung her tentahoof at that wall, and Link made another daring dash toward her with his sword, slicing her other flank. Cheerilee roared in pain, slamming to the ground with a satisfying THUD!!!!. Link took advantage of the opportunity to lunge forward and stab his sword into her head, rendering her further incapacitated. She screamed, hollered, and, in a blind rage, all puns intended, stood up and galloped about the room, before colliding headfirst into the wall,killing her.

A small blue light shone in the middle of the room.

“Ugh...What happened?” Said Spike, from the other side of the room. Link grabbed him and stepped onto the blue light.

Light surrounded him on all sides, warm and carefree. So carefree, he nearly urinated under the resilient warmth of the light. Before he knew it, he was back in front of the Great Blankflank Tree.

“Oh boy without a dragon...you have done well...the curse upon me has been lifted...but I am afraid i will not be much longer...Take this...”

The Great Blankflank Tree shook his leaves and a shining green stone dropped down in front of Link. He grabbed it between his hooves and stored it in his mysterious storage place.

“That is the Blankflank stone...” Began the Great Blankflank Tree. “With this stone...you can open the doors to the Temple of Time...But first...you must find the other two precious stones...One from the seaponies in the great Equestrian Sea...the other from the Diamond Dogs by brokeback mountain...Oh, boy without a dragon...my final request has been made...I must pass on...Did you understand?”

Link shook his head, hoping another explanation of the events would convince the Great Blankflank Tree to live. Eventually, he gave up hope and nodded. The Great Blankflank Tree slowly took his last photosynthetic cycle and passed on to Tree heaven. Link would have given him a proper burial, but her was far too large for that. with a tear in his eye, Link headed out of the forest to the great Equestrian plains.

Shortly before leaving, he heard a voice.

“So...um...you’re leaving?”

Link turned around to see Fluttershy, his best friend through the years. Link nodded.

“I knew it’d be soon...I knew you weren’t like the rest of us. And I don’t mean that in a bad way. Just...um...yeah. Please be careful, Link. I’ve always...” She trailed off.

“Here...I want you to have this...If that’s ok with you...” She said. Link nodded again and accepted her gift.

“I was going to give this to your for your birthday tomorrow...but it seems I’ll have to give it to you early...I hope that’s ok...”

Link nodded again. Fluttershy handed him a small instrument, like a flute, and looked away.

“Just...Just don’t forget about us...ok?”

Link looked at the flute.

“Be safe, ok?” Said Fluttershy, reassuring herself it would be ok.

Link nodded and trotted off into the great Equestrian Plains. Fluttershy looked at him until she could no longer. With a tear in her eye, she slowly trotted home.

The plains

Link left the Blankflank forest behind and ventured out into the bright sun, shining resiliently across assorted lakes, rivers, plains, and mountains surrounding the area. He took a deep breath. Fresh air. He liked this area a lot. And so, he put on hoof in front of the other and started trotting forward.

Suddenly, a large WHOOSH came out of nowhere and a giant owl appeared in front of him.

“So, the boy without a dragon has matured...” It said.

“Huh? Who are you?” Asked Spike.

“I am many things...but you may call me Owloicious.”

“Huh...” Said Spike, on edge. Link sensed Spike didn’t much care for him...or her. He wasn’t exactly sure.

“You, boy without a dragon...Link, is it? Your journey has just begun.”

“Duh...” Said Spike, under his breath.

“Across the plains are the Equestrial mountains. A group of gem-hunting canines, called Diamond Dogs, have made their living there. The spiritual stone you need next is there. But be weary...Diamond Dogs will not just give up precious gems without cause...You may need to suck a few...er...do a few favors for them.” Said the owl, losing composure at the end.

Spike found a break in the narrative and spoke: “So we need to find these Diamond Dogs, suck a few favors, whatever that means, and then they’ll give us what we need?”

“Yes. Now go, Link, make haste!” Said Owloicious as she flew away, in a nondescript direction.

“That guy creeps me out.” Said Spike. Link sensed a rocky relationship between the two.

Link then turned his attention to the rolling plains in front of him. He looked for the mountains, way off to the west. He started heading in that direction.

Soon enough, he hit a small village. Ponyville, said a local sign. Link trotted in and looked for the entrance to the mountains. He was stopped short by a pink pony, smiling ever so happily at him.

“Hello...” She said. “My name is Pinkie Pie...proprietor of the Happy Mask Shop...Can i interest you in this fox mask?” She said, nearly forcing it in his hands. Link shook his head. “That’s too bad...come back if you change your mind...” She said, giving a creepy laugh as he trotted away.

“Man...what’s her problem?” Asked Spike. As if Link knew. Link located a winding trail to the mountains, guarded by a guard standing guard. Link approached him, attempting to get through.

“Uh uh...” The guard said. “Nopony gets through without the King’s permission. Dangerous things have been happening up there recently...so the royalty closed it off. Sorry kid. Come back with permission.” He said, standing firm.

Link turned around and trotted off the other direction.

“Well...guess we gotta go to Canterlot...” Said Spike. “Gotta get permission from the royalty.” He noted, defeated, as if abandoning all hope. Link nudged him a bit and trotted out of Ponyville, back to the Great Equestrian Plains. Spike dragged his feet a bit, but soon followed Link back out.

Link looked at the fresh, rolling plains again. He soon spotted Canterlot and took off in that direction. Suddenly, he was conscious of the time. Daylight was decreasing rapidly, and he didn’t like being outside after dark. He galloped as fast as he could to the gates. He knew he’d be cutting it close if he made it.

Link soon spotted the outline of Canterlot against the back of the setting sun. Link Pushed even further to make it. He was within a few hundred feet. The gates were rapidly closing. Link approched, jumped for the gates, and barely snuck himself over the drawbridge before the gate shut behind him. Link stopped a bit to catch his breath before continuing on into the bustling nightlife that was Canterlot.

Canterlot was a huge bustling city, the likes of which Link was not accustomed to. Many Ponies lined up each side of the town square, huddling beside shop stalls like angry mobs. One filly’s pet dog ran loose, causing chaos amuck the square. Link stopped, taking in its splendor, when he suddenly felt lighter.

“Hey!” Yelled Spike. “He stole some of your bits!”

Link took off after the pony Spike pointed at. Link was unsure how he managed to slip into his mysterious storage spot, much less why. The Blankflank Forest was such a nice place. Why did people feel the need to pilch here?

Link eventually caught up to the conniving culprit and concocted a crazy, morally questionable plot to exact revenge.

“Hey, man, I didn’t mean it! Take it back!” Said the thief pony. Link gave him a crazy, deranged stare, slowly pulling his sword out from his sheathe. The pony stared at him, scared. Link stomped one hoof and made the thief flinch, causing him to run away. Link gathered up the bits, put them back in his mysterios storage place, and trotted off toward the castle.

“That was a great filler chase scene!” Said Spike. “I’ve never seen a more useless cinematic sequence designed to add words to a story like THAT before!”

Link shrugged him off and continued on toward the castle. Several guards stood by a rail. Link approached them.

“Halt! Who goes there?” One of them asked.

Link stared at them.

“Uh...mute, eh? Regardless, the royalty is not seeing any visitors. Recent threats to the castle prohibit us from allowing newfoals in the castle. We’re sorry for the inconvenience.” Said the other one. Link turned right around and searched for a way around. Several vines lined a wall. Link grabbed ahold, putting all ladder fears aside, and climbed up. He came up on a ledge overlooking the small, petty guard station. Link followed the ledge onward, past the guard station. Once he felt pretty sure he was out of eyeshot, he jumped off the ledge a few hooves down to the ground. He scouted the guards along the castle. He made an assessment and slowly, stealthily, (Despite Spike making constant noises) traveled to the edge of the castle, swimming in the moat. He followed the moat to a small building next to a sleeping colt. Link put his hooves on the edge and pulled himself up.

Link looked around and saw a small bit of light coming from a water path that fed the moat. Link couldn’t make that jump himself. Spike couldn’t help him either. In fact, he wasn’t entirely sure where Spike went. He must have dillydallied and got lost behind him. Link looked around. Several large, hefty crates lined the odd building, some sort of delivery. Link pushed them around as to get a ledge to jump from. Link then Climbed on top of them, got a galloping start, and jumped to the ledge. Soon, he crawled into the hole and found himself inside the castle walls.

The Princess

Link, now inside the castle walls, looked around to get a grasp of his current surroundings. He hid behind some bushes and looked inward, toward the courtyard. Several guards patrolled the area in a seemingly fixed pattern. Link planned his strategy and carefully and quietly trotted.

The first area wasn’t hard to clear. Link mostly stayed on the opposite side of the bushes the guards were patrolling. Link trotted past the area and surveyed the garden. Several guards patrolled here. Link looked around and found his answer. He crawled on top of the grape vines and carefully trotted across the top, jumping down and surveying the next area.

The next area was a fountain type deal, Not well guarded at all. Link simply snuck by the one guard and soon found himself in a private garden. Link looked around. Standing at the center of the garden was the most beautiful filly he had ever seen. White hair, a small, with horn, and a gentle purple mane completed her look. Link could only see her from behind...but she had a wonderful plot, too. Link slowly approached her. She was peering intently through a window, as if trying to see something. Link remained behind her until she turned around. She gasped at the sight of him.
Link, now inside the castle walls, looked around to get a grasp of his current surroundings. Link casually strolled the surrounding buildings, occasionally avoiding guards, and soon found himself in a private garden. Link looked around. Standing at the center of the garden was the most beautiful filly he had ever seen. White hair, a small, white horn, and a gentle purple mane completed her look. Link could only see her from behind...but she had a wonderful plot, too. Link slowly approached her. She was peering intently through a window, as if trying to see something. Link remained behind her until she turned around. She gasped at the sight of him.

“Oh goodness...you gave me a fright there for a minute. Say, just how did you slip by the guards? No matter. I have urgent business and perhaps you may be able to assist me.”

Link looked at her.

“Hey, wait up!” Link turned around and saw Spike running up behind him. “Sorry, I got caught up in busin...” He stopped, looking at the girl. “Hey...what’s your name?”

“I am Princess Rarity.” Began Rarity. “And who might you two be?”

“I’m Spike and that’s Link...but you can call me whatever you want...” He said, drifting off.

Rarity ignored him and looked at Link. “Link, hm? Not exactly the prettiest name out there but it will have to do. Say...can I trust you with a secret?” She asked, looking deep into Link’s eyes. Link nodded and let her continue.

“I feel something awful is about to happen across Equestria...and I feel that colt in there might have something to do with it. Please...look inside the window.”

Link looked inside the window, seeing what he presumed was the king, and a darker, sinister looking griffon with strange jewelry and piercings.

“That’s Gildadorf......” Rarity began. “My father trusts him...but i sense something evil about him...please...” She continued. “Keep this a secret from others. Can I trust you to do that?.”

Link nodded and turned around in the other direction.

“Oh wait!” Said Spike. “We need to get to Equestrial mountains!”

“Oh, yes. I forgot you need permission for that. Well...It may not be much in the way of proof...but I want to teach you this. Do you have some sort of instrument?”

Link reached into his Mysterious storage place and pulled out his rounded flute.

“An Ocarina?” Rarity began, producing one herself. Link nodded and let her continue.

“This song has been handed down in our family for generations...I feel something good will happen if I teach it to you.”

Link readied his instrument. Rarity played a little, simplistic tune. Link played along. Afterwards, Link wrote the song down so he could remember it.

“Goodbye...Link. May we meet again under better circumstances...” Rarity said, trailing off. Link then headed back towards where he came from, back to the fountain. Almost as he neared the door, fireworks started going off as if from nowhere, and a light blue unicorn appeared in front of him. She donned a cape and hat, each lined and outfitted with stars.

“The simplicity of youth...passing by in but an instant. Relishing these moments, where love blossoms...creates a better path in maturity.” She said. Link wasn’t exactly sure where she was going with this, but he listened anyway.

“My name is Trixie.” She said. “I am Rarity’s personal guardian. My people are a proud band of warriors....however, I am the last of my kind. I am a Sheika. I am the Great and Powerful Trixie, the proud Warrior. Our kind has served the kingdom as personal guardians for generations. Peaceful times are drawing to a close. An evil is across the land...I can sense it.” She said. “Come. I will escort you out.” She said, putting one hoof in front of her and showing him the way.

As Link left the castle to go back to the Plains, Spike walked behind him, as if in a trance.

“Wasn’t she the most beautiful thing ever?” He asked. Link sensed there would be a bit of competition. Link rolled his eyes and headed back toward Ponyville.

The Diamond Dogs

As Link rolled back into Ponyville, he was pestered by that Pink Pony with the masks again.

“Please, sir...” She started “Take a mask...it’s free...but if you sell it, be sure to bring it back to me...”

Selling masks? Why not. He had a feeling it wouldn’t be the only largely insignificant thing he’d be doing that would get him somewhere. She hoofed him the mask, a large, white mask with a faint resemblance to bunnies.

“That is Angel’s Mask...It is a favorite amongst children...” She said. And with that, Link left her to her to her business and traveled to the gate.

“Halt! Who...oh, it’s you.” Said the guard. “Did you come back with permission, kid?”

Link pulled out his ocarina and started playing the song Rarity taught him.

“Oh...the Royal Family Etude...” Said the guard. “Only the Royal family knows that...I didn’t recognize you, colt. Please, come on through. I’ll tell my son you said hello.”

The gates soon opened and Link trotted upward to Brokeback Mountain.

As Link strode up the mountain, several giant spiders attacked him. Not sure what the best thing to do was, he slashed at them with his sword until they all disappeared, from which he collected assorted goodies, including bits. He wasn’t sure why creatures would be dropping bits, but he accepted it and put them in his wallet.

Soon, he strode up towards towards the Diamond Dog’s domain. As far as he could tell, anyway. There were several giant holes in the ground, but one large, central hole from which anypony could get in as well. Link decided to try his luck there and hop in.

Link was suddenly sliding down a dirt path, unable to control himself. Spike was screaming at the top of his lungs like a little filly. Link was sure he felt some moisture after that.

Link and Spike soon crash-landed onto some hard ground, toppling over each other.

“Ugh, my head...” Complained Spike. Spike did a lot of complaining, and Link didn’t particularly care much for it. As Link pulled himself together, he spotted some canine feet. He looked up directly into the face of a Diamond Dog.

“You trying to steal gems! You must go!” He shouted.

“No, we’re not trying to steal your gems...” Said Spike.

“Then what you here for?” He said again.

“We need your spiritual stone...” Said Spike. At this, the Diamond Dog erupted into uncontrolled anger.

“WE CAN’T GIVE THAT UP, NO! IT IS OUR LIFESAKE, YES!!!”

“Calm down.” Said Spike “We need it to save the world, alright?”

“Hmm...” Said the Diamond Dog, contemplating. “Spot, Rover, come here.” At this, two other larger, sturdier Diamond Dogs appeared from the shadows. The first Diamond Dog turned to the other two and started whispering.

“Hey, are you guys done?” Asked Spike. The Diamond Dogs ignored him, whispering amongst themselves once again. Spike groaned and said it again a little louder. Again, he was met with blatant ignorance.

“HEY, LISTEN!!!” Yelled Spike. The Diamond Dogs turned around, a rather annoyed look on their face. Their under eyelid was twitching.

“Tell little one to shut up! We are conferring for options!” Said the leader. Spike groaned and settled down, defeated. Soon afterwards the Diamond Dogs turned to face Link.

“We may have worked out deal, yes? You meet with Cheif, Yes! Follow me!”

Link followed the head Diamond Dog through a large, central chamber with well lit interior, past a small corridor filled with large rocks, and into a medium sized room comparative to what he had seen so far.

“What is your business?” Said the chief. The other Diamond Dogs pleaded their case, whispering in his ear. The chief nodded and shook his head at random points, seemingly agreeing with them for the most part. After their conference was done, he dismissed them, leaving Link and Spike alone with him.

“I hear you need the spiritual stone.” He said. Link nodded and let him continue. “That spiritual stone,” He said, pointing to a red, glowing crystal behind him. “Is the pride of our community. We cannot just give it away, you see. We need you to do something for us.” Link put a hoof over Spike’s mouth before he blabbed off about how much work it would be. Link signified he was listening, and the chief continued. “Diamond Dog cavern, our main source of food and gems, recently came under infestation by a rather large, frightening creature. We sent our greatest warrior in there...but he did not return. We fear the worst. If you can go into Diamond Dog cavern and slay this beast, and see if our warrior is alive, we will give you the spiritual stone.”

Link nodded, assuring the chief he would take care of it. The chief has a shocked look on his face. He wasn’t expecting that from this earth pony. Yet, he undertook the job. “The entrance is also blocked by a large boulder. You will need to use these” He said, handing Link some bombs. “to blow up the rock. Good luck in there.” The chief turned his back to Link. “Feel free to join us for dinner.” He said. “The least we can do is feed you before you die.”

Link declined the offer and instead trotted out of the hole towards Diamond Dog cavern, obviously the one with the huge boulder in front of it. Link pulled 2 bombs from his storage place, lit them, and ran away from the blast radius. The rock exploded into several tiny bits, revealing a large hole in the side of Brokeback Mountain. A very unfortunate metaphor, but Link trotted inside the hole nonetheless and began searching for the fallen warrior and the terrible Beast.

Diamond Dog Cavern

Link trotted in the cavern system, getting a glimpse of his surroundings, trying the glean a bit of where to go and what to do. This entire cavern was more of a maze than anything else. Link felt like Theseus in the Labyrinth.

“It sure is hot in here...” Said Spike, fanning himself with his claw. Spike did a lot of complaining. Definitely not a good ratio for how much he actually helped Link. Regardless, Link was stuck with him, and he couldn’t complain.

As Link walked further along the system, he was met by a fork in the road.

“Go left!” Said Spike. Link ignored him and went right, where there was light. The left tunnel was dark, and Link didn’t like the dark. As he trotted along, his front hooves slid out from under him, as the ground crumbled beneath him, looking over a cliff. Below, he saw gratuitous amounts of lava. Link couldn’t gain much traction and was slowly slipping. Spike grabbed his tail and pulled as hard as he could, bringing Link up from the cliff.

“That was a close one!” Said Spike. Link nodded at him, motioning his thanks. Looking around, Link noticed several smaller pillars that were within jumping range, leading to a small opening below. Link hopped to them one by one, carefully aiming so as not to fall. Link eventually hit the bottom and trotted through the opening, spotting another set of pillars. A thunderous roar resounded in the background. Something was angry. Link could sense it. If he could only triangulate the sound through the caverns, he could save the Diamond Dog’s food. What did they even eat? Link didn’t notice any vegetation in the caverns.

The roar resounded again, louder this time. Was the creature approaching him?

“Sounds like it’s getting louder.” Said Spike. “Shouldn’t we be trying to find it?” Spike once again offered useless commentary that Link already figured out.

Link Trotted and jumped the second set of pillars in a pretty much straightforward fashion, zigging and zagging as needed. Spike followed suit, making short work of it. Link finished that set of pillars and trotted off on a rocky path with an upward spiral, almost systematically carved. Link spotted a Diamond Dog up ahead. Link galloped toward it and approached it.

As Link approched the Diamond Dog, link noticed peculiarities about this one. He was well built, muscular. He had a brand on his left arm, possibly the mark of a warrior. Perhaps this was the warrior they had talked about. Link looked at him closer, to which his leg was suddenly grabbed by the Diamond Dog.

“Help...me...” He said. He was on his last push of life. Link knew he didn’t have much longer. Link motioned for him to get on his back and he helped the Diamond Dog upon him. Link then trotted the upward spiral until he came out on a flat surface. He placed the Diamond Dog down and motioned for Spike to take care of him. The thunderous roar erupted ahead of him, as well as shaking ground. Whatever it was, this creature was very large, imposing...and loud. Link readied his sword as he carefully trotted forward further into the cavern systems.

The roars he heard were getting faster, rapid, almost urgent. He navigated the cave system with ease following the sounds, until he approached a large clearing. the roar was loud, but Link saw no monster in sight. Link readied his sword and slowly trotted forward.

Suddenly, a giant manticore dropped down in front of him. Link was caught off-guard, falling back on his flank, dropping his sword momentarily before regaining his composure. The manticore raised its head, staring Link down. Link froze. Maybe it was blind, too. Link discovered he’d have no such luck as the manticore charged at him. Link rolled left, out of the way of the manticore, the opposite direction of his sword. Link quickly spun around and made a daring gallop towards it as the manticore charged at him again. It had a lot of speed for a monster that big. Link dove for his sword, grabbing it by the tip of the handle before rolling, narrowly missing the manticore. the manticore spun again, charging at Link. Link once again dove, evaluating his strategy against this creature. Link got an idea and galloped against the wall. The manticore charged at him again. Link rolled out of the way, letting the manticore smash its head against the wall. In its small, confusing moment of vulnerability, Link came up and stabbed it in the stomach. The manticore screamed primal fury, dripping blood. Link quickly removed the sword and galloped away. The manticore, slow to get up, Searched the room for the pony. Once spotted, it charged again.

Link prepared his strategy again, lining up against the wall. Expecting the manticore to hit the wall, he rolled out of the way. The manticore, smarter than that, stopped and swung a paw at Link, backpawing him across the room. Link Flew across the room, smashing hard against the opposite wall after rolling on the ground a few times. Link would have to develop his strategy differently. The manticore was smarter than the cheerilee.

Link watched as the manticore charged at him. Link readied his slingshot and fired a buckshot ball into the manticore’s eye, temporarily blinding him. Link then dashed forward and sliced his underbelly, making a notable incision under his belly. It wasn’t enough to cut through, but the Manticore felt it’s pain as he stumbled back, landing on Link’s tail. Link tried to wriggle himself free, but the weight of the manticore was too much for him. The manticore, now fully recovered from the shot, noticed the pony under him. He grabbed him and crushed him beneath his paws, before throwing him against the wall. The manticore, feeling he had defeated his prey, let out a victory roar. A smaller, more incessantly annoying noise followed it.

The manticore turned around to see a Diamond Dog, one he thought he killed earlier, charging at him with a...was that a dragon on his back?

The Diamond Dog charged the manticore. He flung Spike ahead of him to distract him. Spike clawed at the manticore’s face, moving just fast enough not to be caught, letting the manticore claw himself in frustration. The Diamond Dog, in the meantime, started clawing at the Manticore’s stomach, following the lines of an earlier scratch. He eventually broke it and ripped it open as far as he could, draining the manticore of life. The Diamond Dog stepped back, far away from the manticore as it fell to the ground, dead. Spike hopped off and ran over to Link.

Link lay as if lifeless where he was thrown. His ribcage was crushed, 3 of his legs were broken. Spike produced a red liquid out of his storage and fed it to Link. Link immediately felt better, a warm, happy feeling floating across him. He felt his ribcage mend together, his legs conjoin, and his head reform. Link slowly stood up on his own as Spike handed him his sword. Link nodded to him, a major appreciation. Spike simply smiled as looked at the Diamond Dog.

“Elixir of life! Old hag in Ponyville sells it!” He said. “ But first, we thank you! Come! See the chief!”

Link followed the Diamond Dog out of the caverns back toward the Chief’s quarters. The diamond Dog proceeded to tell the Chief about Link’s heroism, recalling the story, never once mentioning the Diamond Dog’s involvement in killing the manticore. Link thought this was peculiar.

“So, you have destroyed the beast?” Link nodded. “So it was a manticore...” He said, trailing off. “I was not expecting you to complete this job, honestly. I misplaced my faith in you. We are forever in your debt.” He said, reaching for a large, bright red stone behind him. “For that, we trust you with our spiritual stone. I have a feeling it will be in the right hands.” He said, facing Link. “You will forever be passed down in history. We owe our lives to you. Thank you.”

And with that, Link and Spike headed down the mountain, down towards Ponyville to stock up on the red elixir.

“Wait!” Shouted a voice from behind him. It was the Diamond Dog from before.

“I didn’t tell Chief about what I did, no. You were real hero, you were.” He said, smiling. “We can be brothers, yes?”

Link nodded and the Diamond Dog smiled, running off back towards his underground abode. And with that, Link and Spike actually left the mountain towards Ponyville.

Pink Ponies and Apples.

As Link traveled down the mountain, passing the gate, the guard stopped him.

“Hey...is that an Angel’s mask?” He asked. Link had forgotten all about it. Link grabbed it and handed it to him. “My kid’s gonna love this! Thanks, buddy!” He said, handing Link 50 bits. Link graciously accepted them and turned around quickly to see the face of Pinkie Pie, the mask salespony. She smiled at him oddly, the smile she always wore.

“So you sold the first mask...” She said, chuckling a slightly creepy chuckle. “Good...good...Now...I’ll collect my part of the deal...” She said, collecting 20 bits from Link. “If you ever wish to sell another mask...find me.” Link nodded and she bounced off. An odd way to travel about, but she was an odd character. Link passed it off and looked for an old hag’s shop.

As Link traveled about Ponyville, looking at all the shops, He noticed a shooting gallery, homes, radio towers, a well, and...a shop! Link trotted in quickly.

As Link pushed open the door, a voice rang out from the back. “Hold on one second, be right there! My shelves, you see, are very bare.” Link looked around, noticing, as she said, empty shelves. Link did note that there were several red potions, like the one he drank in Diamond Dog Cavern.

Suddenly, a zebra appeared in front of him. “What can I do for you this day? Please, please...enjoy your stay!”. She spoke in odd rhymes. Link motioned towards a red potion.

“We’ll take one of the red potions.” Said Spike “It may come in handy later.”

The zebra took a look at Link. “You, oh you, I’ve gotten word! The Manticore you killed while bored?” Link didn’t think he was bored, but he went along with it. “That Diamond Dog you met, I owe him big, I shan’t forget. I’ll give you one of my precious red brew, no charge, my friend, I thank you!” Link reached out and accepted the potion.

“Anyways, My name’s Spike, that’s Link. Who’re you?”

“Zecora’s what I go by.” She said. She didn’t rhyme that time.

“Well, nice to meet you! Said Spike. We’ll probably be back around. See ya later!”

Link and Spike left the shop. He just had to collect one more spiritual stone, but was unsure where to get it. Seapony domain. But where exactly was it?

“Hey, listen...” Said Spike. “The Seapony domain is probably located by the waterfall in the plains. Let’s head there.” Spike said, producing one of his more helpful sentences. With that, Link trotted out to the plain.

As link trotted comfortably around the plain, looking for the waterfall, He noticed a small ranch. He trotted towards it, exploring the world a bit.

As he trotted in, a yellowish pony trotted past him, at full speed. She ran over to an apple tree, bucking it, making apples fall into assorted baskets. As she turned around, she noticed Link.

“Well Howdy! Didn’t see ya there, partner!” She said, extending a hoof. Link shook it and let her continue. “I’m Applejack! What’s your name?”

“He’s Link” Said Spike. “And I’m Spike.”

“Pleased to meetcha!” Said Applejack. “I’m just buckin’ the apples while my dad’s away. He went to the castle at Canterlot to deliver some apples. He probably took a nap again.” Link confirmed it and looked at her. “You know...” She said. “You don’t look like a Link to me. I think I’ll call you Sugarcube!” She said. Link looked at Spike. Both of them shrugged at each other. Link wasn’t white, and he was wearing green clothing. “You just look like a good thing, like a sugarcube, Sugarcube!” Link gladly accepted the explanation.

Link began to turn around to leave, But Applejack called out. “Hey! I uh...Don’t get very many visitors...It gets more boring than roadkill out here. Can I teach ya somethin’?” She asked. Link looked at her as she coughed. “I will sing to you the song of my people...” She said. Link prepared himself for a nightmare. As Applejack started to sing, It surprisingly wasn’t bad. Link pulled out his ocarina and played it back to her. “There ya go!” She said. A Loud “EEYUP!” resounded. Suddenly, a large, red Clydesdale galloped towards him, stopping in front of him. “Hey, Big Mac!” She said, rubbing his snout.

“Eeyup.” He said.

“Big Mac seems to like you. Maybe he’ll come in handy to you. Take him with ya...but be careful. I don’t wanna lose him. He’s my favorite.” She said.

Link accepted the offer but wasn’t exactly sure what to do with him.

“Can we ride you?” Asked Spike.

“Eeyup.” And with that, Link and Spike hopped on top of Big Mac and galloped away from the ranch, faster than Link could ever run. Link controlled him, looking for the waterfall. Link had never ridden another horse before. Horses riding horses...For some reason, “horseception” resounded in his mind. He put that thought away as the Seapony domain drew nearer to him. As he neared the river, Big Mac stopped suddenly. Link hopped down, as Spike asked him “You scared of water?”

“Eeyup...” He said, sadly.

Link graciously thanked him for the ride and trotted off towards Seapony domain.

Seapony Domain

Link trotted upstream, Looking out for an obvious domain. Spike trailed behind him, taking his sweet time.

“Can we go swimming, Link? I mean...we haven’t really ever taken a shower since this adventure started, you know...” Link didn’t even think about that aspect. Link motioned that he’d get his chance later. With that, Link and Spike continued upstream until they reached a large waterfall. Link tried to gallop through it but the current was too much. As Link pulled himself to dryer land, he noticed a strange engraving on a stone nearby.

“Only those who know the Royal Family May pass.” Apparently Seapony domain had its share of problems, much like the Diamond Dogs. Link brought out his ocarina and played Rarity’s song. The waterfall gracefully, mysteriously, and majestically opened up, revealing a passageway in which Link could see Seaponies. Link hopped over to it and trotted inside the domain.

As Link trotted about the domain, looking for someone in authority, the Seaponies stared at him. He didn’t detect anything malicious...just curious. Several of them whispered to each other whilst looking at him.

“Where are his fins?” He overheard one of them say. Link ignored them, seeing as they had obviously never seen an Earth pony before. Link trotted up a spiraling rock, past a shop, where he noticed a giant Seapony sitting before him.

“Hm?” He said, noticing Link before him. “Earth Pony? We haven’t seen any of you around for quite a while. Obviously you’re with the Royal Family. What can I do for you?”

“Well I’m Spike, and that’s Link.” Started Spike. “We need your spiritual stone to save Equestria. kthxbai.”

“Hm? Spiritual stone? Actually, we’re having a bit of trouble with it. Our grand Seapony, Steven Magnet, seems to have swallowed it. Even so, My daughter has gone missing in search of it. I do hope she’s ok...” He drifted off. Link knew he’d have to fetch her if we was going to get the spiritual stone.

“Want us to go in and search for her?” Asked Spike

“Would you?” He asked.

“We’ve done a lot already, might as well.”

“Oh, Splendid!” He said, scooting over to his right, revealing a small path towards a giant lake. “Please hurry...I miss her.” And with that, Link and Spike headed out towards the lake.

Once there, a giant Seaserpent lay before them. Maybe this was Steven. In front of him was a younger, cute Seapony with legs. She looked at him.

“Oh dear...Father sent you, didn’t he?”

Link nodded.

“Steven hasn’t been acting right lately...” She said, turning to look at Steven. “He used to be jolly, but now hes monotonous, depressed...” She said. “And because of that, so am I.”

Link rolled his eyes. Fillies always with their sad sob stories. Emotional appeals always trying to impress the colt...wait a minute...

“He and I are connected. What he feels, I feel. I have to go in there and find what’s upsetting him, and get our spiritual stone. Give this to my father.” She said, handing Link a note. She then dropped a fish to the ground, and Steven promptly opened his mouth. She went right in, Steven’s mouth closing behind her. That couldn’t be safe.

“That can’t be safe...” Said Spike. Link rolled his eyes again and turned around, trotting off towards the large Seapony. Link returned to him and handed him the note. After reading it, he became furious.

“She’s doing WHAT??? Oh, I hope she’ll be ok...IF SHE MAKES IT OUT ALIVE, I’M GOING TO KILL HER!!! After I make sure she’s safe, of course...” He said, battling with himself. Link rolled his eyes yet again and turned around to the lake, where he needed to catch a fish. He had to go in after her. It was the only way.