Harmony of Heroes: Ultimate Multiverse Explorers [Parallel Quest]

Chapters

Chapter 1: A New Adventure, and A New Friend
Chapter 16: The Water Temple: A Trial of Courage and a Show of Power.
Chapter 2: A New Ambition and First Contact.
Chapter 3: A Potential Threat and a Glimpse of Power
Chapter 4: Prospects and Perspectives.
Chapter 5: A Bond Forged and A Decision Made
Chapter 6: Confrontation and a Prelude to Revelation
Chapter 7: A Moment of Calm.
Chapter 8: Bonding with a Brawl.
Chapter 9: A New Legend is Told.
Chapter 10: Approaching the First Temple.
Chapter 11: The Forest Temple
Chapter 12: Down the Well in search of Truth.
Chapter 13: Death Mountain and The Fire Temple.
Chapter 14: The Zora's Domain.
Chapter 15: The Water Temple; Prelude to Courage.
Chapter 17: The Shadow Temple.
Chapter 18: Across the Desert
Chapter 19: The Spirit Temple; Shaded Ambitions and Elemental Rage.
Chapter 20: Ganondorf's Castle; Face the Dark Lord!
Chapter 21: Ganon The Demon King.
Chapter 22: To a New Realm.
Chapter 23: Seeds of Deception
Chapter 24: Revelation of evil; Prelude to discovery.
Chapter 25: Skirmish in the Living Forest.
Chapter 26: Escaping Outworld; Eve of Revelation.
Chapter 27: A moment of discovery.
Chapter 28: Training and a Package.
Chapter 29: The Constable's Chance.
Chapter 30: Revelations and the Battle for Outworld.
Chapter 31: Battle for Earthrealm! A Titanic Reveal!
Chapter 32: Battle of Ying Valley

Chapter 1: A New Adventure, and A New Friend

About two years ago, the young filly named Sweetie Belle had been accidentally sent to another dimension by Twilight Sparkle. In this dimension that had been given the name of Dream Universe, Sweetie Belle landed in the castle of the self-proclaimed king of Dream Land: King Dedede, on a star-shaped planet named Popstar.

She began working for Dedede who trained her to fight in the hope of defeating the local hero, Kirby. But the filly ended up having many adventures beside said hero, making many friends, saving the kingdom, the world, and even the universe, becoming Queen of the sky kingdom of Floralia, and gaining powers beyond anything she had imagined.

After saving the God named Void from his hate, Sweetie Belle was able to return to Equestria aboard the dimensional spaceship Lor Starcutter of which she had become the captain, and there, she protected the kingdom from a bunch of villains before she returned to Dream Land, ready to accomplish her original goal: defeating Kirby.

In the following cosmic fight, Sweetie Belle ascended and became the Alicorn of the Void.

After accomplishing her goal, she returned to Equestria for a well deserved rest.

Her classmates had watched the fight against Kirby, so they already knew that she had ascended, but they still congratulated her, going a little too far as they now considered her a princess, like all the other alicorns. She had to remind them that she was already queen of another kingdom and that she wasn't intending to become a princess of Equestria, and so, that as long as she was in Equestria, or even anywhere else outside of the Dream Universe, she shouldn't be considered royalty.

There was also a little jealousy from Diamond Tiara who had been really shocked to see Sweetie Belle reach her dream. But knowing that the filly now could destroy a whole planet as if it was nothing, she controlled herself and remained friendly enough. Besides, antagonizing Sweetie Belle would also antagonize Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, which she didn't want to after they helped her discover her real talent.

A platform for the Lor Starcutter was built beside Twilight's castle, and beside it, there was now also a portal to Dream Land, built with the help of Magolor using the technology of the Ancients, the civilization that created the Dream Universe long ago.

Scootaloo took a very close interest in this advanced technology. She just found it very fascinating and regularly talked of how she could improve her scooter with it. Or, heck, how she could build an actual spaceship which would be MUCH better than a simple scooter!

Sweetie Belle began to teach her friends and a few others how to use their inner energy. She would call it Soul Energy, but this wasn't the same Soul Energy as in the Dream Universe. The Dream Universe's Soul Energy didn't exist in Equestria. But at least, the energy that replaced it was close enough, and the way to discover it was pretty much the same as what Sweetie Belle did the first time. It took however longer for many to discover it, but once they did, it wasn't long before they all could call it. Creating and throwing energy balls, however, was still above their level.

As a result of her over a year of being away, Sweetie Belle was behind everypony else in classes, so she studied a lot to catch up. She also studied magic with the help of Twilight and Starlight, to get inspirations for... tricks she could do in the future, with magic or other energies. She couldn't wait to see her future enemies' reaction when she will turn a simple stone into a gun. She had certainly loved to see Twilight's face when she did it in front of her! Of course, there wasn't any bullet, so it was okay. Sweetie Belle conveniently forgot to say that she could simply fire beams with it but, oh well, it wasn't as if she hadn't already a beam gun constantly on her forehead (the horn), and that she could fire more beams just from the air around her. Anything could be used as a weapon by her. Especially since she became an alicorn.

Which meant that she had to relearn to control her powers. She controlled them perfectly... before, but as an alicorn, if she didn't watch out, she could disintegrate a whole mountain very easily, forcing her to be very careful around everything whenever she used even an ounce of her powers. She went into the Everfree Forest to learn to control her powers without risking anypony's life, but after leveling a big chunk of the forest, she began to use a deserted planet in the Dream Universe as her training field. Void also helped her a lot.

It still took several months before she felt comfortable enough with her new powers that she dared to use them in the middle of Ponyville. Until then, the magic lessons with Twilight and Starlight weren't even in the castle, but in that cavern where a dragon had slept a few years ago, in a nearby mountain.

A few more months later, she felt that she was ready. That she had enough control to do what she wanted to do: go out and explore the Multiverse, or rather, the Omniverse, as it was really called. But since the majority knew it as the Multiverse, even most Gods, then she will stick with it for now.

She was really missing going on adventures. She gained a taste for them in the Dream Universe, and she loved discovering new stuff and making new friends.

She wanted more.

So, like she said back on Popstar, she waited for a week-end and warned everypony that she would go. Rarity accepted after a resigned sigh, knowing that there was no changing her mind and that, anyway, she should worry more for whoever or whatever would try to hurt her. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo wanted to come, but their families refused, having no idea if the universe Sweetie Belle will find herself in will be dangerous or not.

"I promise that I will try to find a safe universe so I can bring you next time," Sweetie Belle said. "If that's alright," she then said while looking at Applejack and at one of Scootaloo's aunts.

They both nodded with Applejack saying "If that's safe, then alright, sugarcube." This brought back a smile on Apple Bloom and Scootaloo's muzzle.

"So, you will be taking the Lor?" Scootaloo then asked.

"Uh-uh," Sweetie Belle answered with a shake of her head before she smirked, materialized an energy sword, and used it to cut the space open, creating a rift.

"Show off," Apple Bloom said with a giggle, and Sweetie Belle answered her by sticking out her tongue at her.

"Anyway, I will try to come back before the end of the week-end, but Void told me about how some universes have their time passing faster or slower than ours, so I have no idea when I will be back. Say sorry to miss Cheerilee for me if I don't come back in time. Oh! I almost forgot!" A small earpiece device appeared beside her, and she quickly put it on. "He also told me that I was lucky to fall into an universe where the inhabitants were speaking the same language as me, but it won't be the case for all universes, so Magolor created this multiversal translator for me. Don't ask how it works, please. Ask Magolor directly if you want to know. Hey! Look! It can even turn invisible!" she shouted as she proceeded to demonstrate by pressing a small button on the device.

Twilight nodded in understanding. "Like this, the natives will ask less questions if... when they see you. I suppose it's why you aren't wearing your uniform too."

Sweetie Belle, who was indeed not wearing clothes, nodded. "Yes, so they won't think directly that I'm some alien and panic. They may just think that I'm an unknown species of animal or whatever."

The filly then exchanged some quick hugs with Rarity, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo before she stepped through the portal which closed behind her.

Little did they know the meeting she was soon to have.

Rota Bage woke up with a start as her senses alerted her to a powerful presence entering the area, but looking around, the only thing that seemed to be out of place was a Galarian Ponyta with wings on the path below her.

Wait, since when did Galarian Ponyta have a winged variant?

And since when were wild GALARIAN Ponyta even found in Kanto?

She then checked her energy senses and began to mentally scold herself, Dumbass, that’s not a Pokemon, it’s an Equestrian alicorn. Wait. What’s it doing here?

Her thought was interrupted as a nearby trainer called out the Equine, thinking it to be a Pokemon, and intent on capturing it. Kids can’t even tell a native creature from an alien? Then again, I thought it was one too, so eh. Rota refocused in time to see the kid, who Rota recognized as an up-and-coming trainer named Ed, call out four of his Pokemon, the other two having apparently been knocked out with ease. Let’s see what happens here.

The alicorn raised a shield, sending a Fire Blast, Thunder, and Shadow Ball back at Ed’s Magmar, Jolteon and Gengar, the last one dodging it, while his Machamp went in for a Dynamic Punch, only for the alicorn to stop it and raised in midair with it’s magic.

Sending the Machamp into the Magmar with a punch, the alicorn dodged a Quick Attack from the Jolteon, and tried to counter the Gengar’s Sucker Punch. Despite the surprise when it couldn’t punch the ghost, it immediately retaliated with a beam that sent the Gengar flying into the trunk of the tree Rota was sitting in. Recovering from the jostling of her perch that resulted in, she looked back to the battle to see the alicorn slam the Jolteon and Magmar’s heads together, knocking them out, with the crowd slack jawed in awe.

Ed, who Rota had watched beat Blue Oak, the former champion and current practical Gatekeeper for the Kanto Regions entrance to the Indigo Plateau, literally yesterday, was beaten by a small pony-like creature.

Rota was about to drop down and confront the alicorn herself when an old man in what looked like a bomber jacket stepped forward, saying, “Call back your Pokemon, kid. My turn. I know just what to do to defeat it.”

Seeing him call out an Electrode made Rota facepalm with a groan as Ed quickly did as asked, everyone moving away. That’s not gonna work, it’s just gonna escape it somehow.

"Use Explosion!”

The Electrode started to glow, then released a small explosion, sending smoke and dirt everywhere.

The old man started to gloat, until the smoke cleared, revealing a hole in the ground where the alicorn had been standing immediately prior.
See?

Sensing the alicorn’s energy suddenly teleporting into a more secluded spot behind her, Rota decided she’d seen enough to justify a confrontation. Shifting her weight backwards, she landed into the shrubbery with a flip and started to make her way to the alicorn’s location, running through the brush, vaulting over the occasional log, and ultimately just flowing through her environment.

Spotting the alicorn as it shapeshifted into a human (which immediately sent Rota on high alert), Rota rolled her eyes as she saw the alicorn finish her disguise, leaving her hair the same. “You know they got a good enough look at you that leaving your hair that coloration would be a dead giveaway, right,” she asked out loud as she stepped forward into the light of the clearing.

“Uh I-” the shapeshifted alicorn stammered.

“Don’t bother trying to lie to me. You can hide your physical form, but not your ki,” Rota cut her off, followed by asking “How about we introduce ourselves?” Sticking her hand out to the clearly young Equestrian filly - Rota hadn’t been to any Equestria’s in a while, but the human form this one took all but confirmed it - Rota gave off her normal introductory spiel.

“My name is Rota Bage. I’m a member of the Saiyan Race, native to a universe I doubt you’ve ever heard of, I’m 28 years old and I travel the multiverse both for fun and correcting injustice.” As she gave her introduction, Rota stood firm, 5 foot 6 compared to the other girls 5 foot even-ish, her tail swaying behind her.

Though she seemed distracted by the latter, the alicorn answered her after a moment. “Nice to meet you, my name’s Sweetie Belle. I only recently became an alicorn, but was born a unicorn. It’s complicated. I’m from a universe that I’m not going to assume one way or another of you knowing about it, 13 years old, and I’m just looking to do, actually much the same thing you do, ma’am.”

“Is that so? Well, how long have you got to stick around this universe?” Rota asked in pleasant surprise.

“Tomorrow evening at latest. I’m not sure about the time difference.” Sweetie Belle said as she rubbed the back of her neck.

“Yeah, that always sucks. How’s this sound? I’ll show you around, maybe help you get started on the local form of entertainment before you need to go home. In exchange, I want to have a fight of my own with you,” Rota said with a bit of a challenging air at the end.

Really, writer? You’re not gonna make this easy on me, are you? As Sweetie Belle thought this, a small spider like Pokemon started making a web in the shape of a word and caught in her peripheral vision.

No.

Well buck you too. “Deal, but we’ll have to have the fight tomorrow. I don’t want to risk hurting anyone this early into my visit.”

“I was thinking similarly. Anyway, Viridian City’s closest so change your hair and let’s get going.” the tailed woman, Rota, said as she gave a smirk. Changing her hair to a light auburn with a quick ruffling, Sweetie stepped up beside Rota as the two went back towards the path Sweetie fought the Trainer, Ed, on.

The two soon returned to the path to see the crowd dispersing, Sweetie following Rota towards Viridian City. Neither paid any mind to the three trainers still staring at the hole the filly had dug.

Author's Note

I would like to thank Lucar for giving me the encouragement needed to get this written in the first place.

Anyways, first story, and it's a retelling of an in-progress story that I'm helping write. :ajbemused:
That irony aside, I hope this does better than I fear.

Rota Bage is my Female Saiyan OC, made in Xenoverse 2.

Hope to see you again.

Chapter 16: The Water Temple: A Trial of Courage and a Show of Power.

Link stared dumbly at the giant mushroom-shaped cloud of smoke in the distance. One moment, he had been about to fight some black and transparent doppelganger, and the next, he was back on top of Death Mountain, on a cliff, watching as about a fourth of Hyrule suddenly exploded and most of the rest was ravaged by the force of the explosion.

Rota then came out of Instant Transmission, with Marko in tow. “What the hell was that!?!” The Saiyan demanded.

Sweetie Belle groaned loudly before answering.

“Pretty much what would happen if I decided to stop caring who or what gets hurt or worse when I go all out…” the filly answered morosely. “That double of me used one of my most powerful attacks, and this is the result…” she said, waving at the disaster. “Bright side? Monster’s dead. Down side? So are the Zora and anyone within about five miles of the Water Temple, including everyone in Lon Lon Ranch, a good chunk of Kakariko village, and-” She pointed at the crater with a hoof.- “Lake Hylia is now Crater Hylia.” She groaned again. "Why did there have to be a fight against a double? If I had known, I wouldn't have entered that room! I just wanted to help!"

Link looked sadly at the filly as tears began to show in the corner of her eyes, and he began to pet her while Rota suddenly took Sweetie Belle into a hug to calm her. "It isn't your fault. We just got unlucky to encounter such a challenge," the Hylian said.

Then, suddenly, everything flashed and they felt themselves floating as the ground disappeared under them. Not long later, they felt the floor again, and the world came back to them.

To their shock, they were back inside the Water Temple, in front of the door leading to the place with the doubles, as if all this disaster never happened.

"It must be the Goddess of Time!" Navi immediately understood. "She brought us back in time! It must have really been bad if she intervened personally."

Marko snorted with annoyance. “That’s an understatement,” he quipped while giving Sweetie Belle a side-eye.

At this moment, they began to hear a divine feminine voice speak to them in their mind. "I personally apologize for what happened," she said, sounding VERY annoyed. "Farore placed this challenge to test the four of you without thinking or taking precautions concerning your power." They quickly understood that she was mainly talking to Sweetie Belle while including Link and the siblings in the conversation. "I will have a word with her. If you still wish to pass this challenge, then pass this door with the Hero of Time and you will each be transported this time to different pocket dimensions instead of an illusionary room. If you don't, then just let the Hero of Time pass the door alone and wait. May the rest of your quest not have further incidents like this one." And at this, the voice stopped talking to them.

Sweetie Belle sighed in relief. "Thank you, Goddess of Time! And slap Farore for me, please!"

Link rubbed his head. "Huh... So I guess that we can continue our quest. So, will you three go fight your doubles?"

Marko shrugged as he answered, “Doesn’t seem to be much else to do, so I guess.”

Sweetie Belle gave it a moment of thought. “Hmmmm… Alright, I need to let off some stress from that incident, anyway.”

Rota stayed silent as she crossed her arms. Marko, understanding her problem, simply came up to her and gave her a hug. “You don’t have to do it, if you don’t want to.” The human said to his Saiyan sister.

Rota took a deep breath as she steadied herself. “I can’t let my fears control me forever. I need to face it at some point.”

The Saiyan then turned toward Link and Sweetie Belle with her resolve steeled and told them, “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

So the four of them passed the door, and Rota found herself back on the infinite ocean with ruins and the small island. Only, this time, there was no fog, Link, Sweetie Belle, and Marko were somehow gone, and the entrance and exit door weren't here.

She walked toward the island, but stopped before fully crossing it. There, she closed her eyes, took a big breath, and started charging her power subtly.

She took her next, near-hesitant steps forward, passing the Island. Once past the tree, she opened her eyes, revealing them to be glowing with power.

When she stepped back on the water, she immediately remarked that her reflection had disappeared, but she didn't mind it as she continued to advance and build her power, fully slipping into a pseudo Super Saiyan state..

Upon feeling her dark double (categorized in her mind simply as ‘Dark Rota’) rise from the water, Rota turned to face her.

As one, the two Rota’s dashed toward each other, meeting with a clash of fists.

Dark Rota then twirled around, grabbing Rota’s arm and tossing the true Saiyan over the Shadowy reflections shoulder, only for Rota to land on her feet and reverse the grapple into a slam, sending Dark Rota crashing into the surface of the water as if it were stone. The double kicked herself free, then flipped to her feet while Rota recovered and returned to her stance.

With a flicker of movement, the two combatants began exchanging strikes at hyperspeed. Rota slammed an overhand strike into Dark Rota’s guard, only for the shadow to unleash a blast into the Saiyan’s torso, sending her flying. Recovering in midair, Rota Bage felt a sensation, much akin to her natural Zenkai Boost, but… different.

With a roar as Dark Rota slammed a kick into the Saiyans head, Rota transformed, a blue aura overtaking her, sending the double flying before it recovered.

When the light receded, Rota slowly came down to the ground in what seemed to be an altered version of her Super Saiyan 4 form, her eyes, hair and tail now glowing blue, and she could feel her power had grown beyond anything mortal.

Rota Bage then flicker-stepped in front of her shadowy doppelganger, winding up an uppercut to the gut. The blow landed, sending the shadow careening through the air. It recovered and landed on its feet, looking up only to see Rota already in front of it, connecting with an upward swinging kick, sending Dark Rota into the air.

Rota then lifted her right hand, palm facing upward, charging a large ball of blue energy above it.

“I won’t let fear stop me ANYMORE!”

With her cry, she threw the energy ball at Dark Rota, impacting and engulfing the doppelganger and causing it to burst, blowing the shadow apart.

With the death of the doppelganger, the pocket dimension began to fade back into a room within the Water Temple, Sweetie Belle fading into focus beside the Saiyan, the filly having already finished dealing with her double.

Sweetie Belle whistled, impressed by Rota’s new form. “Now that’s interesting.”

Rota, on the other hand, looked at her body, as if astounded that she had this power. The only comparison she had for the power she felt from herself was from…

“I think this may have been a gift… or an attempt at an apology from Farore,” Rota quipped as she receded back to her base form. Noticing she was still only in her bra, she snapped her fingers, and, in a flash of light, the Saiyan was once more clad in her sleeveless shirt and vest.

Within moments, Marko appeared, kneeling on the ground, out of breath and covered in cuts, but seeming more sore than anything.

“I may have overdone it with the Kaioken… just a bit,” the human quipped, but neither Sweetie Belle nor Rota were amused as the latter dug through another pocket on her vest, pulling out a small box-like case.

“Eat a Senzu and leave to dumb quips to me, OK bro?” Rota asked as she shoved the case into Marko’s hands.

“Alright, sis.”

“Quick question,” Sweetie Belle said.

“Shoot,” Rota replied.

“Kaio-what?” The filly asked with a tilt of her head.

“Kaio-Ken. It’s a technique that multiplies the user's power for a time, but the longer it’s used, or higher the multiplier you stack on, the more it’s going to tear at the body.” The Saiyan’s explanation was quick and concise. “Some call it the Kaio-Crap technique because of that last point, actually.”

The filly giggled at that.

It was at that moment Link appeared, himself kneeling and covered in even more cuts than Marko was. As Marko’s injuries healed, he stopped Link from wasting his potions, handing him one of the Senzu Beans as Rota explained them to Sweetie, and Link due to proximity.

“The beans are Senzu Beans, they can heal any non-lethal injuries, while also effectively acting like a very large meal, depending on the appetite,” The Saiyan said, prompting Link to take the bean from Marko and eat it.

The restorative effects were near instant upon swallowing. Though his stomach lurched a bit from the sudden filling effect.

Marko put his hand on the Hylian’s shoulder to help steady him. “Careful. It’s always a bit disorienting for the first few times,” the human said. “C’mon, the exit’s open, now.”

Link nodded and the group advanced through the previously locked door. On the other side, they ended up in a smaller room with just a big chest and a Time Block. Link opened the chest and got a new Hookshot that was longer, the Longshot.

"Now, I will be able to reach all the targets," said Link.

“Alright, now we can reach the door to our next target. But in order to OPEN the door, we still need the key.” Rota pointed out.

Meanwhile, Sweetie Belle sang the Song of Time, making the Time Block disappear and revealing a hole to jump in.

They all jumped in the hole and dropped in a cavern with a river that they had to jump in to continue. Following the current, they had to avoid many vortexes on the way. At the end, to continue, Link had to climb on a small platform and fire an arrow at an eye-interrupter to open a gate. He then used the Longshot on a chest that was behind the gate to rapidly reach it and open it to get a key as Sweetie Belle and the siblings followed him. Following the path eventually led them back in the room with the statue of a serpentine dragon with a crystal in the mouth. From here, they returned to the main room of the temple.

Now, thanks to the Longshot, they could explore rooms and passages Link couldn't reach before. The fastest to explore was the South passage of the second level that Link couldn't enter because of the gate closing too quickly.

But first, they had to lower the water to the second level so they could reach the eye-interrupter and fire at it with the bow. So they first returned to the room where they found Ruto and lowered the water to the first level. Then, they entered the pillar and climbed until reaching the second level where they raised the water. Thanks to this, they will be able to hit the eye-interrupter thanks to the platform floater now being just in front of it. They then circled the pillar to the South part, went on the platform floater, and Link fired an arrow at the eye-interrupter before using the Longshot on the target behind the opened gate to enter the passage before it would close.

In this passage, they just had to push the block they had pulled at the beginning, letting them reach a room that was behind it. In the room was a chest with a key.

This left them only one passage left unexplored: the North one on the first level. With the water already raised, all they needed to do was to jump in the water (Link with the boots) and to enter the passage before popping out of the water in the next room. There, they discovered a Longshot target, and Link had to climb on a ledge to reach it and pass above spikes that blocked the way.

Using a first key to unlock the door, they entered a room where they had to traverse a large pit full of water with strong currents. There were some vortexes, a lot of Blue Tektites, and even rolling boulders at the bottom in case Link had the idea of using the boots to traverse. First, they killed the Tektites, and from there, they carefully swam to the other side where they went to the next room.

It was another room with water, this time in a lower lever. There were some Stingers (small manta-ray-like enemies) that they killed before they could jump out of the water to attack, and they spotted a switch in the water. However, it was one of those switches that were only activated when something remained on it. The heroes remarked that a part of the South wall was cracked, and another part was looking weird (hitting it with the sword confirmed that it could also be destroyed). Destroying the two parts with bombs, they revealed a U-shaped passage with a block. So Sweetie Belle entered the passage by the right to push (or rather kick) the block until a corner. Rota then entered the passage by the left and pulled the block until it was out. After that, Marko kicked the block to make it fall into a hole right on the switch. This had the effect of raising the water level for them to reach the exit.

The door was barred behind them after they entered the next room, and the exit was too. It was rather simple to open and reach it however. They just had to step on a switch to make the bars disappear and jump from water pillar to water pillar that had activated through a pit to reach it before the bars returned. There were two Blue tektites at the end, but Sweetie and Rota quickly dealt with them.

Passing the door, they were back in the room with the rolling boulders, in one of the alcoves from which the boulders (and the water) came. There, they waited for a boulder to pass before they jumped in the water into an underwater passage that led to a locked door, out of water. In the room behind the door was the fancy chest containing the Big Key. From there, it was easy to return to the main room. However, with the water only raised to the second level, the dragon statue with the Longshot target wasn't raised so they couldn't reach the ledge to the final room. So they first had to go all the way back into the alcove with the blue plate to raise the water to the third level.

With the water raised, Link was able to use the Longshot on the statue and to go on the ledge. They then just had to climb a sloping hallway while avoiding Spike Traps on the way, sliding back down before reaching the door with the golden lock.

They opened it and entered the last room of the temple.

The room had a large pit filled with water with four platforms in it. Spikes also were on the walls at ground level all around. Navi immediately felt something wrong with the water and warned them that it wasn't natural, a statement backed by the Bage siblings’ energy senses. So, keeping an eye on the water, they jumped on one of the platforms.

They saw something moving in the water and followed it with their eyes. The thing revealed to be some kind of orb that could not only move freely in the liquid, but that could also control it as it raised some water to form some kind of tentacle with the orb inside. The tentacle then attacked them, but it was easily avoided. It was quickly clear that the orb could only form one tentacle at a time…

“Are you fucking kidding me? Is that all?” Rota complained. “After the Fake Ganondorf and Volvagia, that’s lame.”

Link simply shrugged before they avoided another tentacle. Link then grabbed the Longshot and managed to get the orb out of the water before hitting it with the sword. The orb, however, quickly bounced back in the water.

Marko sighed, bringing up his hands as electricity sparked between them. Once the next tentacle came out of the water, the sorcerer blasted a beam of lightning at it. The electricity quickly spread throughout the water and damaged the orb. The tentacle tried to slam down on Marko, but he easily avoided the attack, with Link taking the opportunity to use the Longshot to pull the orb out of the water.

As it attempted to return to the water, Rota took a stance, pointing her right index and middle fingers at her forehead. This time, however, energy began to spark at the tips of her fingers.

Once the orb jumped beyond the ledge over the water, Rota let her attack fly.

“SPECIAL BEAM CANNON!”

She pointed her fingers at the orb, unleashing a beam of purple energy surrounded by rotating yellow-orange energy that drilled through the orb, causing it to burst like a balloon.

With the orb destroyed, the water in the room disappeared into the ceiling before a familiar blue light appeared in the center.

“That was supposed to be one of Ganondorf’s top monsters?” Navi asked in confusion.

"Apparently," said Link. "My double had been harder to fight than that thing."

Stopping thinking about this disappointing monster, the heroes entered the blue light and, like previously, they were transported in a crystal to the Chamber of the Sages. This time, the blue pedestal glowed with the blue light, and Ruto appeared in it.

"Link..." she began. "I would have expected no less from the man I chose to be my husband."

"You have to tell me how this happened by the way," Sweetie Belle said to Link while giving a tap to the back of his leg, making the Hylian blush.

Ruto giggled at the scene before she continued. "Zora's Domain and its people will eventually return to their original state. As a reward... I grant my eternal love to you." She blew a kiss at Link at this, winking, making the Hylian blush even more, to Sweetie Belle's amusement. However, Ruto's expression turned sad. "Well, that's what I want to say, but I don't think I can offer that now. I have to guard the Water Temple as the Sage of Water... And you... You're searching for the princess, Zelda?"

"Uh..."

"Hah! You can't hide anything from me!"

"Waaaait... Do I smell a love triangle?" asked Sweetie Belle as she looked mischievously at Link. "What a lady killer. I'm frankly not surprised."

Rota and Marko both gave Link a look that spoke similar thoughts.

Link groaned at this. “Please… Stop…”

Sweetie, Rota and Ruto all laughed.

"Princess Zelda is alive, I can sense it, so don't be discouraged," reassured Ruto once she calmed down. "I can tell that nothing will stop you in your quest for justice and peace... You must take this medallion... Take it respectfully!"

She then raised her arms, and a blue medallion appeared above Link who took it.

"I guess I won't be able to keep you, Sweetie Belle," Ruto then said to the filly who giggled at this.

Sweetie Belle quickly used her powers to create a plushy that looked like her before she gave it to the Zora princess. "You can't keep me, but you can keep her. Take care of her."

Ruto giggled and took the plushy. "I will. Thank you."

It was then that everything was plunged in light.

"If you see Sheik, please give him my thanks. Ok?"

They appeared back on the island in Lake Hylia that was slowly filling back up. There, they found Sheik who was observing the water. They immediately ran to him, and Link passed Ruto's message.

"Ruto wanted to thank me? I see... We have to return peace to Hyrule for her sake too. Don't we?" Sheik waved at the lake as the water finished rising. "Look at that, Link, Sweetie Belle, Rota, Marko. Together, you four and Princess Ruto destroyed the evil monster! Once again, the lake is filled with pure water. All is as it was here."

However, as Sweetie Belle, Link and the Bage siblings observed the beauty of the filled lake, Sheik stepped back. When the heroes turned toward him, he was already gone. They however heard someone plunge in the water.

"And he's gone. So, I guess this leaves two temples. But where do we go now?" wondered Sweetie Belle.

"I don't know," answered Link before he approached a pedestal that read "shoot for the morning light." However, it was starting to get late in the afternoon.

After Link read the pedestal for her, Sweetie Belle wondered, "Do we use the Sun's Song, or do we camp and rest here?"

"I wouldn't mind a rest," replied Link. "And I'm hungry. We haven't eaten since this morning. There's a fishing spot not far."

"No thanks. I tasted meat once and it was horrible. I will install the camp while you go fishing," the filly said

"I'll help you." Rota offered, Sweetie Belle popping a pair of tents in her arms immediately after.

Link nodded and went to fish.

And so, they spent the night on the island. Link eventually returned with some fishes and, apparently, a 'new' song. He met an old scarecrow friend, and now, thanks to a song, he could invoke another scarecrow in some places that he could use as a Longshot target. He supposed that it was the song he should have played back in the Fire Temple to reach that elevator.

As Marko cooked and while the group ate, Sweetie Belle and Rota began to ask Link the story of how Ruto chose him as her husband, and despite the embarrassment, he told them. They then talked about various things before going to sleep early, making sure that they would wake up at sunrise so Link could do what was written on the pedestal.

Author's Note

For those wondering why I'm showing Rota's fight against her double and not Marko's, let's consider that a hint on which OC is getting equal billing to Sweetie Belle once I've got the whole team (My OC family and the original UME group) all together.

Chapter 2: A New Ambition and First Contact.

Author's Note

Hey! Chapter two!

I figured, since I never described my OC, Rota Bage, last chapter I would provide an image in this Author's note upfront.

Enjoy the story.

EDIT: This was indirectly brought to my attention, but I feel it pertinent to note two things right off the bat:
1) Terastallization is not a thing in this Pokémon universe, like in the original story.
2) Pokémon can know up to 8 moves each in this story. This is a nice number that just makes sense as a hard limit to me.

Chapter 2: A New Ambition and First Contact.

As Sweetie and Rota walked down the route towards Viridian City, they decided to talk about the universe they were currently in. Sweetie Belle was in awe at the sheer magnitude of wondrous things she’d heard about. The Pokémon of this world were really amazing, and the humans who had come up with such devices to work with them were not far behind. The Pokémon League Challenge, while a little complicated, really piqued the interest of the disguised filly. Questions flew from her mind and mouth as if at once.

“But if Ghost Types aren’t possible to get here in Kanto, why hasn’t anyone made it so they are?” was the latest such question. Thankfully, Rota was willing and able to answer, for the most part.

“From what I remember reading in the news, the Pokemon League Administration is trying to set up an area that Ghost Types feel comfortable roaming in. Considering they typically prefer places like graveyards and old battlefields, that’s easier said than done.” the Saiyan woman replied before spotting a city ahead. “There it is, Viridian City,” she said as she swept her arm in front of her as if presenting the city to the filly-turned-human.

Sweetie’s eyes widened as she took in both the City, and the large structure that seemed to loom over the city. Not to say the city itself was not impressive, given the size of it. It seemed more akin to a section of Manehattan than a regular city, but there was still plenty of open space for people and Pokemon to wander and train in. Entering through the gate, they immediately had their attention drawn by a young woman who seemed to specialize in Grass types training against a young man who seemed to be a Flying Type specialist. Seeing Sweetie’s attention fixated on the battle, Rota thought maybe a trip to a particular building was in order.

“If you think this is fun to watch, let me show you where the real fun tends to happen in this city,” she said as she led Sweetie Belle to a building that was located on a hill overlooking the city. “This is the Viridian City Pokemon Gym, currently run by former Pokemon League Champion of Kanto, Blue Oak. Remember what I said about the Pokemon League Challenge?”

Sweetie thought back to their conversation, recalling that Rota had explained the Pokemon League Challenge on the way to the city. “The one where trainers get eight badges so they can challenge the Champion?”

“Little more complicated than that, but good enough for now. This is one of the buildings where those trainers would face the person in charge of it to try and claim their badge. These are the Gyms, and the ones in charge are the Gym Leaders. While most Gyms have a type specialty and adjust their teams to the challenger, Blue doesn’t do either, using a team of various types that he handpicked to be a worthy test for those looking to advance to the Indigo Plateau,” Rota elaborated as she pointed to the building overlooking the town on the nearby mountain. “Come on, let’s see if he’s got a challenger, you’ll see what I mean,” the Saiyan said as she and the disguised filly entered the building, checking in at the desk as spectators. Entering the next room through a side entrance, they saw two people, one coming up a set of stairs, the other more prominent figure, Blue Oak, stood at the other end of the area the stairs led to.

Taking seats close enough to watch the battle, the girls saw Blue call out an Exeggutor, a bipedal fat palm tree with three faces, as the challenger brought out a Butterfree, a purple butterfly like Pokemon with white and black wings.

Settling in to watch the action, the challenger called out for the Butterfree to use Bug Buzz, launching sound waves from its wings to impact the Exeggutor, knocking it out near immediately. Calling back the Exeggutor and sending out a Rhydon, a bipedal gray dinosaur like Pokemon with a drill-like horn, Blue took out the Butterfree with Stone Edge, the Rhydon sending a pillar of stone to strike the butterfly Pokemon with a punch to the ground, knocking it out in one blow. The challenger called back the unconscious Butterfree, then sent out a Tentacruel, a Jellyfish-like Pokemon with a blue top portion that had two red hemispheres and a pincer-like extension coming down from its black body, along with 8 tentacles. Blue called out for Rhydon to use Earthquake. The Pokemon roared as it stomped on the ground, causing it to shake and causing Tentacruel to stumble before being struck by a rupture in the stone.

Sweetie Belle was amazed. “Whoa, these Pokemon are something else! Not just any creature can casually cause an earthquake on command!”

“And this is just the start. Watch and learn,” Rota said as the two continued to watch the battle.

The Challenger, seeing his Tentacruel was still in the fight, called out for it to use Surf, the Pokemon creating a massive wave of water that seemed impossible for Blues Rhydon to dodge.

Blue, however, smirked as he called out, “Break the wave with Thunder, then use Supercell Slam to attack!”

Rhydon’s horn began sparking with electricity before it launched a powerful bolt of lightning at the massive wave, causing it to break beneath Tentacruel. The challenger’s Pokemon fell towards the ground, only to be sent flying across the arena as Blue’s Rhydon slammed into it with its body covered in electricity. Tentacruel slammed to the ground unconscious as its trainer stood dumbfounded, before crying out, “WHAT?!?”

Blue chuckled as he pulled out a pair of plastic cases, each with a yellow disc inside. “I equipped my Rhydon against Water Types. Sorry to burst your bubble, but I let you beat my Exeggutor easily to let your guard down. Starting from me, relying on Type advantage to brute force your way through isn’t gonna be enough. As a former Champion, I happen to have a lot of experience with this. TMs exist for a reason. Watch and learn.”

From that point, the battle would be better described as a calculated deconstruction of the challenger’s team by Blue. Using moves, not only to damage, but to buff his Pokemon, debuff the challenger’s Pokemon, setting up hazards, and forcing the challenger to waste time healing status conditions from his Pokemon. He put up a valiant fight, managing to knock out Blue’s Pidgeot, but ultimately, the Gym Leader came out on top, and then some. The challenger, a boy no more than 14 years old, groaned in defeat as he said, “Man, no wonder you’re a former champion. Why aren’t you a member of the Elite Four, instead of a Gym Leader?”

“Eh, I prefer being a Gym Leader. It gives me the opportunity to teach promising trainers like yourself that things aren’t gonna be simple in the big leagues. Like I said, TMs exist for a reason. Starting from me, it’s gonna be important to know all the moves your Pokemon can learn, not just naturally, but through TMs and other means. Take some time after healing your team to study and train, and try again another day, OK?” Blue replied with a slightly dismissive air towards being an Elite Four member.

“Alright, I’ll do that and when I do come back, I’ll be better prepared,” the trainer replied with a determined fire in his voice.

“That’s the spirit!” the Gym Leader praised as he shook the young man’s hand. As the young man turned and left, Blue looked to Sweetie Belle and Rota Bage, the only two people sitting in the spectators' seats. Recognizing Rota from yesterday, he called out in greeting, “Hey Rota, finally taking me up on that offer or just watching again?”

“Just watching today, Blue. I’m also showing a new friend around the region,” the Saiyan replied, ruffling Sweetie Belle’s hair with one hand. The two stood up from their seats and met Blue, who was approaching them, halfway. “This is Sweetie Belle, she’s a ‘visitor,’ like me. Sweetie Belle, this is Blue Oak, one of Kanto’s former Champions, currently the Viridian City Gym Leader, and, for all intent and purposes, the unofficial Gatekeeper of Kanto’s side of the Indigo Plateau.”

“‘Visitor,’ eh? I gotcha. So, what’d ya think about that battle, Sweetie Belle?” Blue said, his smirk turning to a friendly grin.

“It was amazing! These Pokemon can do so much! I might just join the League Challenge myself, when I have the time.” Sweetie responded enthusiastically, though a tad down when she remembered she only had two days to be here.

Blue opened his mouth to speak, but then something sounded off in his pocket. Pulling out a small flat rectangle, a cell phone, if Sweetie remembered Rota’s explanation right, and checked the alerts, only to let out a sigh before moving towards the exit. “Looks like we’re gonna have to clear something up, if the message I just got from my Gramps is any indication. Come on,” he said as he waved for Rota and Sweetie to follow him.

“Can’t we just let them think I’m a Pokemon?” Sweetie asked.

“As funny as that would be, it would lead to a lot of trainers looking to battle and catch you. Better to nip this in the bud now, before it propagates,” Rota replied with a chuckle. “Though, I can name at least 3 people who would still want to at least see our fight, even after clearing it up. And I guarantee at least one of them will be watching personally, if I know him well enough,” she then mused aloud, with an air of resignation at the end.

“Mikey?” Blue asked.

“Mikey,” Rota confirmed with a nod, before turning towards Sweetie Belle, who had taken the moment they weren’t focused on her to turn her hair back to its natural colors. “This universe is no stranger to the concept of the Multiverse. Several Pokémon are actually aliens from other version of this universe, and I’m well known to be an interdimensional traveler, thanks to being friends with some people in high places,” she said as they spotted a reporter and a cameraman interviewing the three trainers that Sweetie and Rota had left staring at a hole in Route 22, along with an older man in a lab coat drawing something in a sketchbook.

“-when the smoke cleared, there was a hole where it was before the Explosion, so it must have used Dig to escape it. We stared at it for a while, but the Pokemon never came back out. It probably either kept digging or Teleported away," the young trainer, Ed, finished describing the encounter.

“And you’re certain this Pokemon was a Legendary one?” The journalist, a brunette woman with purple eyes, asked into her microphone before holding back towards the trainers.

“Either that or a ‘Visitor’, like that one lady with the tail. Uh.. what’s her name?” Ed’s friend spoke up.

“My name is Rota Bage, and the creature you encountered is indeed a Visitor, though not quite like me,” Rota said as she stepped forward, her tail swishing back and forth in agitation. “From what I can tell she’s from a species where her kind is capable of powers unlike anything Pokemon can do, though some are similar. One of them-,” she paused as she gestured towards Sweetie Belle, the filly dropping her human disguise with a twirl and a flash of light green, revealing her true Equestrian self. “-is the ability to shapeshift into other forms to better hide their presence. Though, as Ed has clearly explained by now, her adorable appearance hides a large amount of strength. Though my question is, how well can she control it? I plan on finding out tomorrow before she leaves, but let’s let the gal speak for herself for a bit.”

Both Rota and the Cameraman turned to Sweetie Belle, only to see her being hugged by the Journalist like a cat, though not exactly struggling to get out of it, what with the ear scratches the filly was leaning into. Rota, Blue, the old man in the Lab Coat, the Cameraman and the old man in the bomber jacket barely managed to stifle their laughter at the scene.

The younger trainers and a few nearby spectators, not so much, which caused both the Interviewer and Sweetie Belle to jump apart in surprise, the former picking her microphone back up in a scramble.

“Ahem, Right, um, I suppose the first thing is introductions,” she said as held the microphone towards the filly, who seemed a little nervous looking at the camera. Seeing Sweetie’s nervousness, the lady whispered to Sweetie Belle, “Just take a deep breath, pretend the camera’s not there, and focus on me.”

Sweetie Belle followed her advice and turned fully toward the Journalist, deciding to simply summarize herself entirely here and now. “My name is Sweetie Belle, I am an Alicorn, destined to be the Goddess of the Void, but until then, I’m just looking to explore the Multiverse, have adventures, make some friends, and make bad guys wish they never tried anything while I’m around.” She then teleported next to Rota, forcing everyone to turn towards her, “And Rota here’s been a massive help in understanding this universe. Unfortunately, I can only stay for a couple days, at most, since I’m not really sure if time moves faster here or at home, and I’m only here for the weekend.”

The Journalist nodded and said, “Well, I hope you enjoy your visit, and maybe we can catch a glimpse of what I imagine to be quite the battle from what Miss Bage has said.” She then turned to the cameraman. “There you have it folks, what was thought to be a new Legendary status Pokemon turned out to be an exceptionally powerful Visitor from another Dimension having a bit of fun. Will she enter the Pokemon League Gym Challenge? And if she does, will she be able to be beaten? Only time will tell, and I assure you, when it happens, you’ll hear it live on PokeNews Network.”

“Hey…” Rota and Sweetie turned around at the sond of the hesitant voice of Ed, who was looking at the ground as he rubbed the back of his head, “I wanted to apolgi-” he began before being interrupted by Sweetie Belle holding her hoof out, the filly flying in place in front of him.

“Don’t worry about it. It was still a fun fight, in my opinion,” the filly said.

Ed chuckled and gave Sweetie’s hoof a fist bump, both of them smiling. “Yeah, I thought so, too,” he replied, before turning towards a building with a red roof and the shape of some kind of ball, a Pokeball, Sweetie mentally reminded herself.

“That’s a Pokemon Center, the free healthcare facility for Pokemon Trainers to use to heal their Pokemon or switch them out in the PC, if they don’t have a PokeLink,” Rota said, noticing the filly’s raised eyebrow at the building. “They also serve as public housing, to those without a place to stay for the night including a free meal in the morning.”

“Oh, right I did a number on his Pokemon…” The filly said with a wince as she landed.

“Oh, well, that’s a part of Pokemon Battles. Not like they can’t take it,” The Saiyan said with a shrug. She then turned to the Lab coated Old Man, who was talking with Blue, “Hey, Professor Oak, you have some starters ready for Sweetie Belle to pick from?”

“Oh, uh, well, yes, but they’re back at my Lab in Pallet Town, so we’ll have to continue this there,” the old man, Professor Oak, said as he put his sketchbook away.

“Alright, Sweetie and I will meet you there. See ya.” Rota said as she led Sweetie towards the South Gate.

Grandfather and Grandson looked at each other for a moment in silence. Professor Oak, eventually, broke the silence. “This is going to be an eventful few days, isn’t it?”

“Probably,” Blue said with a shrug.

Chapter 3: A Potential Threat and a Glimpse of Power

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 4: Prospects and Perspectives.

Rota Bage and Sweetie Belle, the latter back in her human form, emerged from Route 1 to be greeted by the sight of what could more fittingly be called a large village than a town. A set of residential buildings spread throughout a large field overlooked by a three story building beside a cliff overlooking the ocean is what the town ultimately amounted to.

“This is Pallet Town,” Rota confirmed with a smile. “Good to see it hasn’t changed much in the past few years. Anyway, the Lab is right over there, so let’s get going.” With that, she led the disguised filly through the small town to the Lab.

Looking into the windows, the pair saw Professor Oak along with Blue and a few other people, likely Professor Oak’s assistants, performing various duties inside, Blue helping Professor Oak with something involving the three red and white spheres, the Pokeballs, on a table.

“Alright, here we are,” Rota said as she and Sweetie came in through the entrance, attracting the attention of all the occupants, most of who returned to their tasks, save for Blue, Professor Oak, and a bearded man in with a green hoodie that had a stylized S for a logo embroidered onto it.

The last one stepped forward as he spoke up. “Ah, Rota, I'm glad to see you, and not for the usual reason this time I assure you.”

“So you’re not gonna ask me to join Team Sky, again?” Rota asked with a subtle glare at the man.

“O-of course not! Besides, I’m a little busy tracking down what seems to be a variant of Team Rocket who have been capturing Pokémon all over this world,” The man replied nervously.

“Hey, we just saved Mew from being captured by a group of thugs belonging to a group called Team Rainbow Rocket on our way here!” Sweetie Belle said in realization.

“Oh you did? Wonderful! You must be quite powerful, little one. Unfortunately, I do not endorse child labor, so I cannot, in good conscience, try to recruit you.” The man said, almost regretfully.

“I doubt she’d be interested in joining your team of birdkeepers, Mikey,” Rota openly mocked him in reply.

“BIRDS ARE NOT THE ONLY CREATURES OF THE SKY THAT WE WELCOME! Or have you forgotten who wields the Dragon of Sky Pillar in this world?” The man, Mikey, replied with a sudden and near dramatic fury.

Rota, meanwhile, smirked as she replied, “I remember nearly bringing your team's base down on your head with it when you were still an evil team back in Hoenn. What was your goal back then? ‘Expand the sky?’ How does one even do that?”

Rota and Mikey stared each other down for a moment, before suddenly.

“Pfff." They both suddenly started laughing as Mikey patted Rota on the back before they finally calmed down.

“Anyway, the kid said you two had just taken down what sounds like a group of the guys my team is working with Magma and Aqua to track down, preventing them from capturing Mew. Is that right?” Mikey asked his question with his face becoming serious.

“Yeah, and they seemed to have some tech that, honestly, shouldn’t have worked here in Kanto, now that I think about it.”

“What kind of technology would work elsewhere but not in Kanto?” Blue asked in confusion.

“The Ferrum Region has a unique phenomenon called Synergy. It’s basically the whole reason their battles are the way they are there, the way I understand it. However, they use special earpieces to make the Battles easier to coordinate and keep track of. This earpiece also holds a special stone that allows humans and Pokémon to experience the Synergy phenomenon, effectively allowing the trainer to command their Pokémon as if they were a part of each other,” Rota explained. “There are two reasons it shouldn’t have worked in that instance. First is the Synergy phenomenon requires a constant flow of the appropriate energy that can only be found IN the Ferrum region, where it practically saturates the land. Second, and this is important, it only works with certain Pokémon. None of the thugs were using Pokémon it works with, and yet I didn’t hear a single one of them give their Pokémon an order. Did you, Sweetie Belle?”

Sweetie thought back to the fight. “No, I didn’t. But if that means they’re able to use that phenomenon with any Pokémon-”

“What’s stopping them from doing it with more powerful Pokémon?” Mikey said as he exited the Lab, his phone already in hand.

A moment of silence fell upon the lab as everyone left in it pondered that exchange.

“I’m guessing that we’ll get involved with that at some point, but for now, let’s refocus on why you two came here originally. The starters are here on the table, Sweetie Belle. Your choices are between the Fire type Starter, Charmander, the Water type Starter, Squirtle, and the Grass type Starter, Bulbasaur,” Professor Oak said, gesturing to the table with the Pokeballs.

“Thank you,” Sweetie Belle said as she approached the table.

“Hey, Sweetie, I gotta go take care of something,” Rota said. “Think you can handle yourself for a bit?”

“Hm? Oh yeah, I should be fine, take your time.”

As Rota left Professor Oak’s Lab, she pulled out her own cell phone, quickly looking for and calling a specific number. She made sure her points were straight in her head before the person she was calling picked up.

“This is Looker with the International Police. May I ask who’s calling and why?” The voice on the other side was professional and slightly gruff.

“Looker, it’s Rota. I heard that the Hoenn Teams are working together in regards to an investigation. Do you know anything about that?”

“Yes, I’m the one helping coordinate their efforts with Interpol, actually. I just got off the phone with Mikey a bit ago, so the only thing I’ll be needing clarification about is the report of a Visitor by the name of Sweetie Belle. Namely whether or not she’s stable with her power.”

Rota looked back into the Lab through the window, seeing the assistants forming a circle as Sweetie Belle used the Squirtle to battle Blue using the Bulbasaur. Curiously, Blue seemed to be the only one actually giving orders. “That’s what I intend to find out over the next day or two. But if she is stable, this may end up being my only real chance at being able to leave this dimension until Dawn’s back from her vacation to Alola, so…”

“Volunteers don’t need to give notice for vacation time. Besides, you’re overdue, as far as anyone here cares,” Looker said with a friendly tone. “Like I said, just make sure she’s stable and not a threat before you go.”

Rota began bouncing on her toes in excitement. “Thanks, Looker. I’ll send you a message before we leave, if all goes well.”

As she hung up her phone, Sweetie Belle came out of the Lab holding a pamphlet, essentially the local map.

“Here, let me give you a little something to help you read that,” Rota said as she put a hand on the disguised filly’s head.

The next instant Sweetie Void groaned as she seemed to make a realization.

“Why didn’t I think of the fact I don’t know the local language?”

**Meanwhile, in Ultra Space**

Giovanni sat at his desk, taking in the report he was just given. Across from him sat the one who gave him the report, Neo, his arms crossed as he slouched forward in his seat.

Behind the high ranking grunt sat Ghetsis along with versions of other evil team leaders.

Archie, leader of Team Aqua, who, in their world, had succeeded in their goal to expand the seas, using the Legendary Pokemon Kyogre.

Maxie, Leader of Team Magma, who had done the same with the lands in his own world with Groudon.

A version of the Team Sky leader, Mikey who had rebranded his team as Team Nightsky and wore an eyepatch and darkened the skies of his world wielding a Shiny Rayquaza.

Lysandre, the leader of Team Flare, who used the Legendary Pokemon Xernias to grant immortality to himself and a select few others and wiped all other life from his world.

Cyrus, the emotionless leader of Team Galactic, who managed to capture avatars of the Legendary Pokemon Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina, and bring about his ‘perfect world.’

Finally, Giovanni spoke. “While it is unfortunate that we have been discovered far sooner than expected, there is still one good thing we can take from this. The Synergy devices worked flawlessly, you said?”

Neo glanced up to meet Giovanni’s eyes as he answered. “Yes, they did. Pretty sure it’s why we lasted that long against that Visitor.”

The leader of Team Rainbow Rocket smiled malevolently. “Excellent. You’ve done well, Neo. Keep up the positive results. You’re dismissed.”

Neo gave a huff as he walked out of Giovanni’s office, heading down to his quarters.

On his way there, he pondered the potential consequences of double crossing Team Rainbow Rocket for the betterment of his world compared to the few attachments he had amongst them. Namely, his squad.

Too soon to act, either way. Just gotta wait until an opportunity shows up.

Author's Note

This chapter is shorter than usual, because I didn't feel it would be worth making it much longer than it is now.

Also, GO TEAM SKY!

Chapter 5: A Bond Forged and A Decision Made

As Sweetie Belle and Rota Bage left Pallet Town, the former talked to her Squirtle, which she nicknamed Tank, with some questions about her new friends' evolutions, eventually leading to the following line of questions and answers.

“What’s Gigantamax?” Sweetie demanded as she showed Rota her PokeDex, displaying an image of Gigantamax Blastoise.

“It’s a subtype of another phenomenon called Dynamax, basically something that the Galar Region has that lets them turn their Pokemon into giants, with Gigantamax Pokemon being more powerful, having a different form, and often having their own exclusive Max Moves, which are variants of normal moves used in the Dynamax and Gigantamax states,” Rota answered as she handed the PokeDex back to Sweetie Belle, right before a Rattata made itself known, challenging Sweetie Belle and Tank.

“Someone seems to have chosen violence today,” Rota commented while Sweetie Belle and Tank prepared for battle. The Rattata immediately went for a Tackle, with Tank responding by turning around, seemingly without Sweetie’s order.

But Rota knew better. She’d been around telepaths before.

As the Rattata stumbled from colliding head first into a Squirtle shell, Tank jumped backwards, tackling the purple rodent to the ground. Seeing her chance, Sweetie Belle pulled a PokeBall from her backpack and threw it at the Rattata, successfully catching it.

“Yes! Now to find out the gender,” Sweetie said, before Rota interrupted with the answer.

“It’s a male. You can check the PokeDex to be sure, but last I checked, female Rattata have a lighter coat and shorter whiskers,” she said.

“Huh. Well I have a good name for you, already.” Sweetie let the Rattata out of the PokeBall, with it still looking beat up, but now pacified.

“How do you feel about the name Ratzo, little guy? You can talk, I'll understand you,” the disguised filly said, causing both Ratzo and Rota to raise an eyebrow at her. Ratzo’s other eyebrow soon joined the first one when Sweetie Belle healed him while petting him on the head.

“Showoff,” Rota said to the sight.

After getting the name situation sorted out and Ratzo informed on the basic gist of Sweetie Belle being a Visitor from another dimension, the four of them made their way to Viridian City, Rota leading the group to a restaurant in town for a meal, after Rota challenged a few willing trainers to battles for the money.

Once the four of them had eaten their fill, the younger three being quite astonished at Rota’s appetite, they saw that the sun was setting and Rota suggested they head to the Pokemon Center for the night.

Checking in for the night, the two were led to a room with a pair of beds and a nightstand with a radio on top. Lying down for the night, the group was soon mostly asleep, Sweetie Belle staying awake the longest, before deciding to turn on the radio, only to hear the voice of a Pokemon the filly turned human swore she recognized.

As Sweetie Belle drifted to sleep with the assistance of the Singing Jigglypuff, she already knew she wanted one of her own to sing along with.

*That night, in the Ferrum Region…*

Neo was currently skulking about an old forgotten bunker, looking for something he knew to be here, under Giovanni’s orders.

His mind wandered back to his brief meeting with Giovanni that led to this as he walked towards the room he knew any remaining research notes would be stored in.

Neo was just exiting his Quarters when he heard his name called. Turning to face the speaker, he found Giovanni approaching with a familiar smile on his face. A smile that always came before a mission he knew would go smoothly.

“I’d like for you to revisit your old home Region and retrieve something for me. From what I understand, you helped store it away in the first place, so getting it out shouldn’t be too difficult. Text me when you find it,” he said, not even stopping to ensure Neo had understood what he meant. He did. But he really wished he didn’t.

Coming back to the present, Neo entered a room with stacks upon stacks of paperwork, all stored in neat labeled boxes and covered in dust.

Approaching one box in particular, left by itself in the corner of the room, he looked at the label to confirm it was what he was looking for. He then gave a slight grimace as he got that confirmation.

Synergy Fusion Burst Phenomenon.

Pulling his phone from his pocket, he took a picture of the box and sent a message to Giovanni with it, saying “Found it.”

With a flash of light, he and the research were teleported out of the bunker and to the Rainbow Rocket castle.

The next morning, Sweetie Belle and Rota, after eating a breakfast provided by the Pokemon Center with the former’s Pokemon, (Sweetie Belle was mildly astonished when another guests Snorlax challenged Rota to an eating contest… even more so when Rota won), went to check out the Library. As many questions as the Saiyan woman had answered, there were still a great many details that escaped her knowledge, thus the research trip while the disguised filly determined what other Pokemon she wanted to catch to round out her initial team before she and Rota had their bout.

“So, the quickest way to get a Ghost type would be to go to Johto. Not a problem, since I was gonna head there anyway to stop by the Dragons Den,” Sweetie Belle thought aloud.

“I’d recommend waiting for tonight to catch your Ghost, but you said you were leaving this evening. Speaking of which…” Rota commented before pausing, causing Sweetie Belle to lower the book in her face to meet the older woman’s now slightly nervous gaze. “I mentioned before that I travel the Omniverse, but it’s not as easy for me as it might be for you. I often end up having to wait for natural rifts or asking the current Champion of Sinnoh to open a rift out for me. From how you talk about just leaving as if it were easy for you, I assume you can open your own rifts… and I’m gonna be honest, you are way too young to be traveling the Omniverse by yourself, for my-”

“Of course you can come with me! I’d very much like you to meet my sister and our friends,” Sweetie cut off Rota with an excited whisper. Excited enough to cause everyone nearby to shush her. Reigning in her excitement as the two of them began to pack up and leave the library, she then added, “Though, I’d also like for them to see our fight, so do you think we could wait until after we leave this dimension to have it? I think I know somewhere we’ll be able to have it without hurting anyone else.”

Rota gave it some thought. “Mmm. Alright, but only because I’ve been wanting to get out of this dimension more than I’ve been craving a brawl. Don’t get me wrong, this place is fantastic for a vacation, but getting involved in its problems is a major headache. Something I have a distinct feeling you’ll be quite familiar with if we end up roped into this anymore than we already have been.”

As the two walked into Viridian Forest, Sweetie Belle took on her pony form before dashing off into the bushes, likely in search of a Pikachu den for a Pichu. Rota, meanwhile, just shrugged and walked around the more open part of the forest, simply admiring nature. At least, until she felt something ping her energy sense.

“What the heck!?!” She called out as she whipped her head around in the direction she felt the ping. Taking a moment to probe further, she found that whatever had caused the reading had fled without leaving enough of a trail to follow it.

“Well, that was weird,” Rota commented right before she heard the bushes rustling behind her. Turning around she saw Sweetie Belle walk out of the brush with a Shiny Pichu on her back.

“Hey Rota, meet Volta. Volta, this is Rota, she’s a friend of mine,” the filly said.

“Pichu!” the baby pokemon cried exuberantly.

“Nice to meet you little one. OK, Sweetie Belle, what next?”

“Next I’d like to find a Jigglypuff. I heard one singing last night, and I knew I just needed to have one of my own to sing with!”

“Well, they’re more common in the bushes and caves of Routes 3 and 4, so unless we get lucky on the way, we’ll need to go there.”

With that, the two (five, counting Pokemon) made their way to Route 3, the closer of the two, in search of a Jigglypuff.

*Meanwhile, in Ultra Space*

Neo, fresh off his retrieval of the notes on the phenomenon known as Synergy Fusion Burst, was walking through the Rainbow Rocket Castle, as he usually did, unless given a mission or in the training yard. His mind was at war between decisions. Should he remain loyal to Rainbow Rocket? Should he jump ship and turn himself into the authorities of the world they were threatening?

As he rounded a corner, he heard something.

A voice?

No, multiple voices.

Following the voices to another hall, he heard them coming from a room with its door slightly ajar.

Giovanni was meeting with Faba, a Pokemon Scientist who once worked for the Aether Foundation. Or at least a version of him. Neo listened closely to the conversation.

“So, what do you think?” Giovanni asked.

“I think it’s brilliant! If Archer’s mission to Orre is successful, then I should be able to finalize what will be needed for our goal.” Faba responded.

This brought a malevolent smile to Giovanni’s face. “Good. At long last, the power of divinity will belong to me.”

Neo quickly and quietly made his way to the Transporter room as Giovanni and Faba began to laugh.

Alright, decision made.

Rota was standing outside the Dragon’s Den in Johto, talking on her cell phone as she waited for Sweetie Belle, the two of them having just come from one of the many abandoned properties that were home to Ghost type Pokemon where the filly literally turned the shadows against the Ghastly she caught and name Smiley. Although Rota still had a crick in her neck from the song induced sleep Sweetie and the Jigglypuff she caught, named Lulla, had put the Saiyan into.

“...und außerdem, ist sie kaum mehr als ein Kind,” (“... and furthermore, she is little more than a child”), she said.

“Selbst wenn sie so mächtig ist, wie sie scheint, wäre es besser, mehr Hände in Bereitschaft zu haben, falls sie gebraucht werden,” (“Even so, if she's as powerful as she seems, it would be better to have more hands on standby in case they're needed,”) a male voice responded.

Rota gave a sigh, letting the arm holding her phone fall to her side. “Yeah, you’re right. Alright, but finding each other won’t be easy.”

“If things go as they always seem to with us, we’ll reunite in due time. For now, I gotta go take care of something. Love you, sis.”

“Love you too, bro.” With that Rota hung up as Sweetie Belle exited the Dragon’s Den, Great Ball in hand.

“I’ll introduce you to him in a bit. For now, let’s find somewhere to relax.”

Soon after, they were in a semi secluded field with a lake nearby, Sweetie Belle letting out her Pokemon for a little meet and greet between them, Rota and herself.

By the end of it, Rota only had one thing to say.

“I’m glad I met you as a friend and not a foe.”

Sweetie Belle giggled in response.

Author's Note

If my German is atrocious, I blame Google Translate.

Anyway, I've made the decision to include more of my OC's in this story, and I'll tell you now, they're all family to Rota.

Chapter 6: Confrontation and a Prelude to Revelation

*While Sweetie Belle and Rota were catching Draco the Dratini*

Neo warped into Viridian Forest running like a Mightyena was chasing him. Because one was.

Freaking May with her freaking suspicions! Of all times for her to have one, it had to be now, he thought as he ducked under a Shadow Ball sent at him by his pursuer before dashing off to the left, narrowly escaping the beast's jaws. He had managed to swipe some Synergy devices on his way to the transport room, only for the Team Night Sky admin, a version of the Team Sky admin May Birch, daughter of the Hoenn Professor specializing in Pokemon Habitats, to come in with Mightyena already lunging for him. He barely got the transport through before it could clamp its jaws down on him, but before he could relax, the Mightyena had been warped in after him. Thus beginning the chase.

“AFTER HIM! DON’T LET THAT TURNCOAT GET AWAY!” Neo could hear her barking orders to her Pokemon as a Corviknight pursued him overhead, acting as a tracker for his location for the others. He barely evaded Mightyena again when a Hawlucha dropped towards him with a Flying Press, forcing him to jump aside to dodge it.

Rolling to his feet and running away again, Neo felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up upon hearing the faint sound of another warp followed by a mechanical whirring and stomping, joining the pursuit. Looking back, his fear was confirmed.

May had joined the chase herself in a Mecha Tyranitar exosuit.

Neo was barely able to dodge a Fire Blast only to be launched by the explosion from the impact, the flames scorching his back.

Sweetie Belle and Rota were about to set off toward Pewter City (Sweetie Belle wanted to see a Geodude, for some reason) when a series of explosions from the forest in the distance caught their attention.

“Huh, seems like something’s happening. What do you say we check it out real quick?” Sweetie asked.

“If nothing else, to find out who’s letting off attacks that recklessly,” Rota answered.

The pair took off to the air towards the explosions, quickly hearing the sounds of a chase happening as they drew closer. Picking up speed, Sweetie Belle dove into the canopy while Rota stayed above it.

It wasn’t much longer until Sweetie Belle spotted what looked like a robotic Pokemon (why does it look like a Tyranitar? Sweetie briefly wondered before refocusing) firing at a young man with dark skin and brown hair, who seemed to be familiar to the filly.

“I knew you were too soft to stay loyal if you knew the truth, Neo. You put up a tough front, but I know a bleeding heart when I see one. Can’t tell you how many of them I’ve had to put down on Giovanni’s orders,” a female voice sounded off from the Mecha Tyranitar. A voice Rota recognized.

“Hey May!” She called out from above and behind, drawing her attention before slamming a side kick into the head of the mech, tearing it off and revealing the young woman inside with a black bandana and a cybernetic eye. “Not one I know, which means, I don’t have to feel guilty about doing thi-WOAH!” Rota proclaimed as she grabbed May by the throat before she had to duck and dodge the arms and tail of the mech, still being controlled by the latter. Rota was forced to jump away to avoid the Hawlucha coming in to support May, while the Corviknight and Mightyena were thrown to the ground behind May and her Hawlucha, Sweetie Belle landing in her Pony form, ready to fight.

May growled as three more Pokemon were released from the exosuit, a Salamence, a Decidueye, and an Altaria, before addressing Rota and Sweetie Belle. “Looks like I’ll also have to get rid of you two. Can’t risk anything going wrong for Team Rainbow Rocket,” she said as the Hawlucha put the discarded head of the Exosuit back over her own, the Exosuit auto-repairs locking the head back on. With a flash of light from the Exosuits eyes, the Pokemon at her side attacked Rota and Sweetie in unison, the Hawlucha and Decidueye targeting the Saiyan while Salamence and Altaria went for the filly.

Jumping up to escape the two pronged attack, Rota immediately sent a ki blast at the Decidueye. She couldn’t harm it hand-to-wing, since it was an Alolan variant, rather than one from Sinnoh, so she needed to keep it back and blast it from a distance. The Hawlucha, she could handle just fine, as she intercepted an Aerial Ace from it with an Ki infused punch, stopping it dead, only for it to grab her as the Decidueye came in striking Rota with a Sucker Punch. With a growl, Rota spun in place, slamming the clingy Hawlucha into Decidueye and sending both flying, only to be struck from behind with a beam of energy from May in her Exosuit. Putting her left index and middle finger to her forehead, Rota warped out of the attack and, still flying from the impact of the blast, slammed a punch into the Exosuit’s back, sending it stumbling with a large dent in it. May then turned and slammed the Exosuit’s arm into the Saiyan, causing a burst of Steel Type energy on impact, sending Rota tumbling through the air, until she caught herself with a flip. The Exosuit then launched a stream of fire from its mouth. Rota dashed off to the side while sending energy blasts at her opponent.

Meanwhile, Sweetie was dealing with the pair of Dragon Flying types that were Salamence and Altaria, ducking between biting jaws and a pecking beak, often making them hit each other. After a minute of this, Sweetie decided to actually fight and caught Salamence's electrically charged jaws as they were about to clamp down on her. Gritting her teeth through the electricity, she lifted the dragon-like creature over her head and slammed it onto the cloud bird (Sweetie was curious as to how that was a dragon) then spun around and launched Altaria, using Salamence as a Baseball bat, at the Exosuit as it turned to follow Rota with it's Flamethrower. Looking Salamence in the eye, Sweetie could tell the beast was unconscious, so she left it in favor of dealing with May in the Exosuit.

The Exosuit launched a bolt of electricity from its mechanical maw at the filly, only for Sweetie to put up a mirror shield, sending the lightning back at her attacker. The suit sparked for a moment, but seemed otherwise undamaged. The Exosuit braced itself before suddenly rocketing forward at the filly, only for someone to suddenly appear in front of Sweetie Belle and catch the exosuit mid charge.

The person, a man with brown hair in a ponytail-esque style, similar skin tone to Rota, then lifted the Exosuit over his head and tossed it into the air. Rushing at it faster than Sweetie Belle could see with her eyes (She could keep track of him with her energy sense just fine), he then slammed a punch into it, tearing both the head and an arm off, revealing May, before he grabbed her by the throat and pulled her out of the falling Exosuit.

“Alright, now to get you taken in- OW!” The man said before May shoved a taser into his wrist, causing him to drop her. Rota shot up to catch her, but with a flash of energy, May, her Pokemon and the Mecha Tyranitar all vanished before anything could be done.

“DAMN IT!” Rota cursed as she landed. “She got away.”

“Yeah, warped out of this dimension, it seems,” the man said as he landed next to Rota.

“Well, nice to see you again, at least, Marko,” the Saiyan said as she looked at the taller human man.

“Same, sis,” he replied.

“Hey, Rota, who’s this?” Sweetie asked, startling the two of them as they turned to the filly now right next to them.

“Oh, right, Marko, this is Sweetie Belle, the kid I told you about over the phone when you called me earlier. Sweetie Belle, this is my older brother, Marko,” Rota introduced.

Sweetie looked between the two, seeing… very little resemblance between them.

“I’m adopted,” Rota sheepishly blurted out when Sweetie opened her mouth to ask.

“Ooooh. Well, nice to meet you, sir,” the filly said as she hovered up to eye level with Marko, hoof extended.

“The feeling’s mutual. Now, I recall there being someone else here…”

“Over here! I’m fine, mostly,” the young man that May and her pokemon had been pursuing called out as he came out from a hole on the nearby cliff face. Rota’s eyes immediately narrowed as she saw his face.

Reddish brown hair under a cap with a mega stone on the brim, purple eyes and dark skin. It was him.

“You were that grunt that led that team trying to catch Mew, weren’t you? Why the sudden change of heart?” Rota demanded.

“Yes, I am that guy. As for the change of heart…” He paused, then took something out from his carrier bag.

A small earpiece with some kind of gemstone in it.

“A Synergy device? OK, that confirms that theory, but what else do you have for reasoning?”

Neo looked Rota in the eye.

“Giovanni wants Arceus.”

Roughly three hours later, the four were at the local Police Station, Neo being held in an interrogation room, while Sweetie, Rota and Marko, while technically free to leave, felt they at least needed to make sure things wouldn’t get worse while they were gone.

“Well, this will likely mean I’m going to be VERY late for school…” The filly lamented as they waited for Detective Looker to finish questioning Neo.

“Dialga agreed to shift us in time enough to where you would have just left seconds ago when we leave,” Marko said, hoping to at least assuage Sweetie Belle on that front.

“Oh, thank Void.”

“Did you have to bug Dawn on her vacation?” Rota asked in slight annoyance.

“She was on her way back to Sinnoh, anyway,” Marko replied, causing Rota to look at him confused. “Team Rainbow Rocket’s already made the news worldwide. The League Association’s even considering lifting the team size restriction, just to be safe, and the Ferrum League’s recently reported some old files going missing from storage.”

“Well, the latter is confirmed by our friend here to already be in the hands of Rainbow Rocket,” Looker said as he, a slightly younger blonde man with a beard, trenchcoat, and red scarf and Neo came into the room the three were in. “However, his willingness to share what he knows of their research and plans will help us at least keep even with them.”

“It’s the least I could do,” Neo said when they looked at him.

“Alright, then. We’ll be back eventually, I can guarantee that much,” Marko said as he shook hands with the detectives.

“And we’ll be holding out just fine, knowin’ your timing.” The blonde one said with a Scottish/West Galarian accent..

“Most likely, Deadtective. But still,” Rota said as she and Sweetie left, followed by Marko.

As the trio left the Police Station, they noticed it was getting late in the afternoon, near evening in fact. Sweetie Belle, deciding it was as good enough a time as any, decided to head home. She couldn’t spend all her time here worrying, even if she were sent back to when she just left there upon going back. Leading Rota and Marko into a field outside the city, she reared up on her hindlegs and grabbed the space in front of her and opened a rift. Like a door.

Because she can.

Luckily it was one tall enough that Marko, at 6 foot even, needed to only slightly duck his head to get through it.

With a brief chuckle from Rota and a momentary dumbfounded stare from Marko, the three traversed the rift to Equestria.

Author's Note

So, few things to note:

1) I got the Mecha Tyranitar Exosuit idea from Pokemon Black 2 and White 2's PokeStar Studios, specifically, the Big Monsters series, and the Mecha Tyranitar 2, with a few liberties taken, of course.
2) Team Nightsky May is pretty much May with an unhinged obsession with her version of Mikey, the Leader of Team Nightsky, that she's got nothing resembling a conscience anymore.
3) The Deadtective is the original creation of YouTuber DeadBedSpread, and, while I should have addressed this prior, Team Sky and Team NightSky are the original creation of MandJTV, also on YouTube.
4) Marko image for consistencies sake.

Chapter 7: A Moment of Calm.

The ponies that had seen Sweetie Belle off had expected to go about their weekend and hear from the filly afterward.

So it was to the surprise of all of them when, seconds after Sweetie Belle’s rift had closed, another one opened… in the shape of a door? Well, Discord was getting a chuckle out of it, but it stopped dead as he and the rest of the room were shocked by two bipedal beings walking through it.

First was a feminine looking one with light brown eyes, black hair and a tail in a black and dark purple checker pattern shirt, black sleeves covering two thirds of her upper forelimbs, a pair of black pants, what looked to some of the older ponies to be gloves like the bipedal races of Equus sometimes wear, and a pair of black boots with purple tip and back.

Second was a male figure, taller than the female and muscularly built, with brown hair pulled back in a tail of sorts and yellow eyes, himself clad in a red shirt and black pants with red gloves and boots.

Both were wearing a curious device on the left side of their heads.

Upon straightening up and finding himself at eye level with the bottom of a chandelier, the male gave a deadpan look and said (somehow understandably, to the shock of all), “Oh, great.”

Finally, Sweetie Belle came through the rift, wearing a set of saddle-bags that she didn’t have before leaving, closing it like a door just like she opened it, and quickly got to addressing the obvious.

“So, first things first, these are a couple of friends I met in the world I just came back from, and the reason we’re back so soon is because that universe’s God of Time helped us out. All other questions are waiting until everyone is here to listen,” she said as Twilight summoned a stack of paper and a quill while Pinkie Pie (who had left, along with Fluttershy) suddenly appeared next to her, causing a slight jump from the purple alicorn.

“I’ll go get Fluttershy,” Rainbow Dash said before flying off to Fluttershy’s cottage.

After she returned with Fluttershy in tow, Sweetie Belle levitated a set of six red and white balls out of her saddle-bags, then gestured to the pair who arrived with her, the shorter one first.

“This is Rota Bage, and her brother Marko. They’re a pair of siblings who travel the multiverse, pretty much looking to do what I want to. Yes, Marko is human. No, Rota only looks human, she is from a race known as Saiyans, that is similar to humans with… some differences,” she said while giving a slight side-eye at the woman’s tail, now swishing back and forth in agitation and drawing the attention of Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom.

“First off, it’s only during a full moon that particular form becomes an issue. Second off, even then, it only happens WHEN I LOOK at the full moon,” Rota said, also somehow understood by the ponies.

“As for how you can understand us, it’s thanks to these devices we’re wearing,” Marko said, tapping his earpiece. “They effectively act as multifunctional earpieces, able to let the wearer talk with others regardless of language barrier or distance, among other things. Any other questions regarding myself and my sister, I’m going to have to ask to hold on to them for a bit so we can explain about the world we met in, which I bet at least some of you will very much like,” he finished with a glance at Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and the fillies as Sweetie, still levitating the balls, then released from them her Pokémon, Smily immediately going into a bit of shadow, to stay out of the light, while Volta immediately climbed onto Sweetie Belle, perching to see over her head as electric sparks discharged from her excitement. The Pokémon stayed silent, Sweetie having told them about her translator that let her talk to them.

“The world we met in was one that, at first, looked a lot like this one, here. There were two primary differences between there and here, however. The wildlife are creatures known as Pokémon, which come in a variety of species, elemental attributes - yes, they are able to use elements, no it is not magic… as far as is known, at least,” Sweetie Belle said, seeing Twilight raise her quill to ask a question. “There are somewhere around 1000 species of them spread across 18 differing Types, and they require conditions that cannot be found in their natural habitat to grow and mature, eventually going through a process called Evolution. This latter part is where the other primary difference between our world and that one comes in. The dominant species, humans.”

“This world you visited has humans there, as well?” Twilight asked in wonder.

“Yes, and it is through cooperation that both parties ultimately benefit with the Pokémon getting the conditions to mature and evolve, while the humans, who have based quite a bit of the culture and society around Pokémon, get companionship, entertainment in the form of Pokémon battles and contests-”

“Battles? Isn’t that… cruel?” Fluttershy asked.

“Only if the Pokémon is being forced into it, which is considered a criminal offense and often is punished by a minimum of 40 years in prison,” Marko said. “The people in charge of the government are not exactly tolerant of mistreatment of Pokémon, given how integral they are to their society. Besides, even in that admittedly worst case scenario, Pokémon are rather resilient. Sweetie Belle, from what I understand, managed to easily dispatch some rather powerful specimens all by herself with little effort, and while she was likely holding back, they are able to withstand anything short of an internal explosion, and even that would leave no external damage, with some exceptions.”

“Now then, how about we get to introducing Sweetie’s Pokémon Pals, talk about them and their species a bit and then discuss the main forms of entertainment in that world?” Rota spoke up as soon as Marko finished, looking to move the conversation forward. The gathered listeners, most especially the fillies, gave agreement, as Rota then gestured to Sweetie Belle.

Taking the cue, Sweetie first pointed at Volta, still perched on her head letting out sparks of excitement as she waved at the ponies.

“This is Volta the Pichu. She’s an Electric type Pokémon, and pretty much the Pokémon equivalent of a child. While normally Electric Types are able to control their electricity, Volta, like any Pichu, tends to discharge it when she’s excited, like now. So, no bear hugs… yet,” she said, looking at Fluttershy toward the end, who looked ready to give her the mother of all hugs.

Pointing to Tank next, Sweetie continued, “This is Tank the Squirtle.”

“Really?” Rainbow Dash said with a deadpan expression.

“It’ll make more sense when he’s all grown up and evolved. Like Volta, Tank is technically a child, younger than Sweetie Belle. Not by much, comparatively, but still,” Marko said. With Sweetie Belle’s gesture, he continued, “Squirtle and its line of evolutions are Water Types, meaning that they mostly live in or around and can control and launch water.” Tank let out a small spout of water from his mouth to demonstrate. Sweetie Belle then gestured to Ratzo.

“This is Ratzo the Rattata, a Normal type Pokémon. Normal types are pretty basic in comparison to something like an Electric type, but they can utilize a wider variety of moves of different types, which we will explain momentarily,” the filly said, before moving on to introduce Lulla.

“Lulla the Jigglypuff, one of two members of my team to be a dual type, her’s being Normal and Fairy. This means that, while she is mostly normal, in comparison to other types, she does have Fairy like attributes, namely her songs which can put every-being around her to sleep,” she quickly summarized before moving onto Smiley, the Ghastly in the shadow cast by a stand up mirror.

“This is Smiley the Ghastly, a Ghost and Poison type Pokémon,” the filly said.

“G-g..ghost?” Fluttershy asked in fear.

“While I have no doubts Smiley appreciates the snack that is your fear, you have nothing to be afraid of, so long as you don’t aggravate him. Ghost type Pokémon tend to either manifest or breed in places where many living beings have been killed or dead ones buried, though they are rarely connected to that death themselves.” Marko once more quickly worked to assuage.

“Besides that, Smiley does admittedly have some bad breath,” Sweetie Belle teased with a smirk.

“It’s not my fault Poison types typically have an odor they release,” Smiley grumbled in response while Marko translated that little tidbit to Twilight for her notes.

“Just teasing you, buddy. Moving on, out of my Pokémon friends, we finally have Draco the Dratini. He’s a Dragon Type Pokémon,” she said, while waving to Draco, who reared up in an attempt at majesty, but ended up looking adorable.

“Awww,” the mares and Sweetie Belle’s friends cooed at the sight, though Draco didn’t seem disappointed with the response. He knew he looked cute.

“He doesn’t look like a dragon,” Spike said from his place next to Twilight, who spoke up with a slight clarification.

“Actually, Spike, there are multiple types of dragons, all under different categories that they prefer. Draco seems to be a type of limbless dragon known as a wyrm. Spelled with a Y instead of an O,” the alicorn said with a side eye to a confused Rainbow Dash.

“Even if that weren’t the case, it would make more sense when he’s all grown up,” Sweetie Belle said.

“Speaking of growing up, it’s about time we explained those two primary forms of entertainment to the humans of that world: Battles and Contests,” Rota said with a clap. “We’ll start with battles, since that’s the more widely known form, outside the obvious movies and picture shows. The Pokémon League Association, the governing body of that world, has a special competition of sorts, known as the Pokémon League Challenge.” And so, the three explained the Pokémon League Challenge and the Pokémon Coordinator’s Contest, as well as some of the nuances related to Pokémon themselves.

At some point, the group decided to move the conversation over to Sugar Cube Corner, where, in typical Pinkie Pie fashion, a ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party was already set up and ready to go. The party went smoothly, aside from an incident with the Flower trio, allowing both the Pokémon and the visiting Bages to integrate into town without issue. By the time the party ended, it was getting towards evening. However, one last little note of excitement got the attention of everyone there.

“So, Marko wants in on our fight?" Sweetie Void asked with a raised eyebrow.

“For some reason, yeah. Is that alright with you?” Rota answered.

“Of course it is! The more the merrier, I say,” the filly affirmed with enthusiasm that quickly spiraled into the whole town wanting to watch the brawl. Since it was getting late, however, it was agreed the fight would be held the following day, since it was still the weekend.

As Sweetie Belle curled up in her bed back at the Carousel Boutique that night, she felt a thrill at the thought of a challenging fight soon to come.

The next day, Sweetie Belle, Rota and Marko all met in a field outside of Ponyville, the filly opening a rift as the town gathered around a large orb that showed an image of a deserted planet that had a rift open there as well.

Stepping through the rift, the three combatants entered the Dream Universe.

“We should have plenty of room to fight here. I found this abandoned planet during the Jamba Heart incident, and more recently explored it to see if there was any life here. There used to be, but not anymore,” Sweetie Belle told the siblings.

“Mm. Well, that certainly seems to be the case,” Marko said as he looked at a set of ruins in the distance.

“Alright, then. Shall we?” Rota said as she took a fighting stance while looking at the filly. Sweetie Belle jumped back and prepared to fight herself as Marko sighed while assuming his own fighting stance.

After a moment of silence, the siblings and alicorn rushed forward, Rota and Marko pulling back their respective left and right fist while Sweetie Belle cocked her front hoof.

Author's Note

Sorry for the style of Cliffhanger, but I felt, if I included the actual fight in this chapter, it would take much longer to publish, so I'm cutting it off here.

Chapter 8: Bonding with a Brawl.

The two on one collision of power ended up sending the combatants away from each other. All three recovered near simultaneously, Marko and Sweetie Belle charging back at each other while Rota circled around. Sweetie threw another punch, but Marko caught her hoof and slammed the filly into the ground, once, twice, thrice, before spinning his arm around while still holding her then throwing the filly into the distance.

As soon as Sweetie Belle recovered, Rota struck from behind, sending the alicorn flying the opposite direction, only for Marko to suddenly appear in front of her and unleash a burst of energy from his hand that she barely blocked with a shield, still being sent flying another direction from the attack. With a laugh, the filly caught Rota’s leg as the Saiyan tried to kick her from above then threw her towards the charging Marko, halting his momentum, then shot a beam at the siblings that Rota met with a beam of her own. The beams clashed, causing a swell of energy at the center.

Seeing the clash slowly going out of Rota’s favor, Marko took a stance that Sweetie Belle, though just barely able to see it, recognized instantly.

“Kamehame-HA!” Marko shouted as a beam of red energy mixed with Rota’s own blast against Sweetie’s, adding enough power to start to reverse the clash. Realizing this, the filly raised a shield around herself, blocking the blast and obscuring her vision just enough to not see Rota until the Saiyan’s fingers, coated in purple energy shaped like claws, stabbed into her shield. Rota then pulled her arms wide, shattering the shield and momentarily shorting out Sweetie Belle’s magic. Luckily, she still had her other powers and training, quickly falling back to her martial arts training as Rota engaged her with a rush of blows, the two exchanging strikes as they flew through the sky. Marko quickly revealed himself once more, taking potshots at Sweetie Belle with finger beams and energy balls. Though she was still holding her own well, the filly knew she needed to get more serious if she wanted to actually win this fight.

With that thought, Sweetie Belle redirected a punch from Rota, then slammed a punch of her own in her cheek, sending the Saiyan crashing through the remains of three buildings, then caught Marko’s flaming fist as he tried to punch her. Spinning around to gain momentum, the filly then threw the human at a nearby mountain, causing a crater to form around him on impact. As Sweetie Belle dusted her hooves off, she was caught off guard by a sudden and very loud shout, accompanied by the distinct sensation of rising energy.

Looking back in the saiyan’s direction, the filly was somewhat shocked to see a golden aura suddenly in her face before she was sent flying from a boot to the face from Rota herself. Recovering from the blow, Sweetie saw that Rota had changed. Her once-black hair was now glowing with golden energy, her eyes, previously a light brown, were now cerulean, and even without her ability to sense energy, Sweetie Belle could easily tell that Rota was much more powerful now. Her quickly healed broken nose was a testament to that. A similar shout and surge of power erupted from Marko’s location as the mountain erupted akin to a volcano, the older Bage sibling emerging from the molten rock wreathed in flames, his skin now a more scale-like consistency.

Looking between the two of them, Sweetie Belle couldn’t help but smile with glee. Rota’s voice broke the filly from her reverie, bringing her back to the moment.

“This is where things get a little more exciting,” the Saiyan said before she suddenly vanished. But Sweetie Belle could still sense her, like with Marko. She turned around as she dodged a punch from Rota, the two soon vanishing along with Marko, the only visible sign of their fight at this point being the shockwaves from when their blows would either land or clash.

The crowd in Ponyville was going wild, cheering on Sweetie Belle and the Bage siblings in equal measure. However, there were a few in the crowd that were busy discussing amongst themselves.

Twilight, Applejack and Rarity looked at the viewing sphere in shock and awe at the events transpiring. Not only had the siblings not been lying about their power, but they had apparently been HOLDING BACK during the incidents with Rainbow Rocket they had been told about. (which did next to nothing to discourage Sweetie Belle and her friends from deciding to spend Spring Break there, much to the annoyance of their respective guardians.)

The surprises would keep coming, however, as Twilight spotted a familiar sight out of the corner of her eye. A team of Pegasus royal guards escorting a chariot carrying Princesses Celestia and Luna, the latter of which seemed both annoyed at something and intrigued by the viewing sphere the ponies were gathered around.

Twilight quickly went to greet the Princesses. “Hello, Princesses, I assume you got my letter?”

Celestia smiled at her former student, then replying, “Yes, we did, though I will admit, Luna only heard of it after dealing with something rather… strange in the Dream Realm. Even for its standards.” She shuddered at the memory of her singular venture into the Dream Realm courtesy of when Starlight Glimmer swapped her and Luna’s Cutie Marks. Looking over to the viewing orb in the center of the crowd, most of whom had heard her and gave a bow, to which she simply gestured for them to rise, returning their attention to the sight that previously held their attention, she continued, “And I, myself, have some concerns about these beings. The one called, ‘Rota,’ in particular, if what Luna told me of her dream last night was any indication of her waking mind.” Looking at the viewing orb, the sight of Marko launching seemingly hundreds of flaming energy blasts at Sweetie Belle, the filly practically dancing between them, only to be met once more by Rota suddenly appearing with a punch that Sweetie blocked, the force still sending her into one of the blasts.

“I can certainly attest to having concerns of my own, but she seems able to control herself. Rota doesn’t really strike me as the kind to simply start a fight for no reason,” Twilight said.

“While that is among my sister’s concerns, I believe she was more referring to the mention in your letter of a transformation triggered by looking at the full moon. I cannot say much about her dream aside from what I have told Tia without breaking confidence, but I can, at the least, assure you, she seems more concerned with ruining buildings than harming others while in that form,” Luna said, her eyes locked onto the viewing orb showing the fight. “I myself find it more concerning that both she and her brother seem to be at least on par with Sweetie Belle at the time I dueled her, and yet they still hold back their strength to a large degree.”

Twilight gulped as her and Celestia’s attention went to the orb.

Sweetie Belle was now flying erratically while sending projectiles of all kinds, her whip separated into its multi cannon form to facilitate a faster firing speed. Marko charged at her, striking her with a burning combo of punches that the alicorn interrupted with a cannon turned beam sword, only for Rota to reappear behind her and slam a kick on top of the fillies head, sending her crashing back to the ground.

The siblings then charged up and fired a volley of blasts at Sweetie Belle, causing explosions that she was able to protect herself from by turning to metal. Bursting out from the smoke cloud, Sweetie punched Rota, sending her flying back for a distance, then turned her attention to Marko, blocking his overhand strike, only for an uppercut from the other hand to catch her in the gut, making her cough up a bit of spit and opening her up to a flurry of punches from the enhanced human, who then sent her flying with an uppercut. As Sweetie recovered, Rota reappeared again and punched the filly in the cheek, sending her flying into a mountain.

The siblings took a moment to build their energy back up, expecting Sweetie Belle to charge back in again.

So, it was quite a surprise when Sweetie’s own power spiked before the mountain disintegrated as her mane and tail seemed to turn into flames the same color of green as her magic. Marko and Rota barely had time to react before the alicorn was suddenly behind them, waiting for them to respond in kind.

Marko gave another sigh before he and Rota’s auras flared causing the air itself to quake at the sudden spike of power all in one place.

On Planet Popstar, Void was enjoying a day with his sons, Galacta Knight sparring with Meta Knight nearby as Kirby busied himself by gobbling as much of the food as he could, when he felt the sudden surge of power. It seemed to get Kirby and the Knight’s attention as well, the former stopping in the middle of eating a strawberry shortcake and the latter two halting their sparring. Void turned his gaze upwards as he honed his senses on the source of power.

With a shock, he realized the source of it.

“Poyo?”(“Sweetie Belle?”) Kirby asked.

“It’s Sweetie Belle. But she’s not alone. She seems to be with two other very powerful beings,” Void answered his son’s question.

“Father, could you open a viewing rift for us to see what’s going on? It could just be her and them showing off, for all we know, but we should still see if it’s important,” Galacta Knight said as he and Meta Knight approached. Void nodded before sweeping his hand out in front of him, a screen-like rift opening and showing Sweetie Belle flying in front of two other beings.

“Oh, I think I know the universe these two are from. Nice kid, their creator deity, even if he hasn’t grown up in the time since I last saw him. Anyway, they, thankfully, seem to be on an abandoned planet, so let’s just enjoy the show,” the god said upon seeing the manifestation of the humanoid's power.

The siblings power spiked as Marko’s brown hair turned a glowing orange, his eyes flashed red and his aura flared into a mix of white and blue with red sparks, while Rota’s transformation seemed covered her in red fur, her top and sleeves exploding (her bra, thankfully, was unaffected) as her own aura mixed with her brothers. Sweetie and Rota smirked at one another while Marko rolled his eyes, before the three of them started their fight anew. Marko moved beside Sweetie Belle and struck at her with a flaming punch that she blocked, only for Rota to slam a kick into Sweetie’s side, sending the alicorn flying before she recovered, intercepting an energy punch from Rota with one of her own. The resulting clash of energy burned and carved the planet beneath them as they held their ground. This was interrupted by Rota pulling her fist back and twirling past Sweetie before kicking the filly from behind, sending her into a flaming elbow strike from Marko, followed by three punches and ending with a kick that sent Sweetie flying for a bit.

Recovering from the blow, Sweetie Belle called her cannons back to her, having sent them back to her pocket dimension before unleashing her power. Surrounding her horn with her cannons, she began to charge energy into them, intending to at least fire off an Ultimate Doom Laser.

“Final push. Here we go!” Rota called as she and Marko came up side to side with each other. Marko took the same stance as earlier, his hands at his right pulled behind him as if holding something, this time charging much more energy between his palms as he called out the attack’s incantation. Rota took a similar stance, her hands at her left, clawed and both facing forward.

“Ka-me… Ha-me...”

“Galick Gun…”

Sweetie Belle fired her Ultimate Doom Laser at the siblings as they unleashed their own massive beams.

“HA!”

“FIRE!”

The beams clashed causing a massive swell of energy. The filly and the Siblings tried to overpower one another, only for the clashing energy beams to detonate, unleashing a massive explosion that forced the combatants to guard themselves in order to not be sent flying.

As the smoke cleared, all that was left of the area of the planet they had been fighting on was a crater roughly the size of the Everfree Forest in width, and thrice as deep. The three combatants powered down and grouped up near the edge of the crater. Marko and Rota breathing hard while Sweetie Belle seemed fresh as ever. “That was a lot of fun,” the filly said.

“Yeah, it was…” Rota said while panting, her top having changed to a purple shirt with a black sleeveless vest.

“Here, let me heal you,” Sweetie said before using her powers to restore Marko and Rota to the state they were in before. Only, upon finishing, the filly noticed that Rota’s power seemed to grow exponentially during the healing process. The raised eyebrow on her face was noticed by Rota, who took a guess as to what the question was and answered as she stretched her limbs out.

“Saiyan's have a genetic quirk that allows us to grow stronger when either recovering from a nearly lost fight or when fighting a tough opponent. What you’re sensing is that, but happening at the rate you healed me, if I had to guess,” she supplied.

“Oh. That’s neat,” the filly replied as she opened a rift back to Equestria.

“Well, now that we got that sorted, let’s take a few weeks for a break before we go gallivanting off to another universe, eh? I know I’m looking forward to a bit of quiet,” Marko said as they traversed the rift.

“Agreed,” the filly and Saiyan said in sync, before looking at each other and giggling.

It was then that Sweetie Belle noticed Celestia and Luna approaching them and waved at her. “Hey, P- Celestia and Luna. I suppose Twilight sent you a letter?”

Marko and Rota saw the Equestrian Diarchs approaching and quickly bowed at the waist in respect.

“You need not bow to us, noble warriors. Greetings, Sweetie Belle. Yes, Twilight did send me a letter, though I didn’t get to read it until after Luna and I had met for a meal,” Princess Celestia said.

“And yet, twas not till we saw you battle that we truly understood the truth of your assessment. A thrilling bout, indeed,” Luna spoke up. “Though, that leaves the question of why you wished to have the bout in the first place.”

“Two reasons. First, I just wanted to cut loose a bit. Second, he wanted to know if she’s able to control her power,” Rota said without hesitation, jabbing a thumb at Marko next to her.

“I’d say that battle was proof enough of it. For now, we’re just gonna take it easy until we’re ready for a new adventure,” he spoke up finally.

At that, the crowd began to disperse. Rarity and her friends all went back to their homes, Sweetie Belle following her sister while the Bage siblings were taken to Twilight’s castle, the purple alicorn wanting to ask some questions about the pair’s power. As the days went by, Sweetie Belle and the Bage siblings did as proposed and relaxed, letting the stress of their recent travels/adventure loosen up until they were ready. In that time, Sweetie Belle talked to Magalor about getting a new translator that would allow her to read other languages, a fault found in her earpiece translator. Within a week, most of which was spent distracted by Magalor running Rota and Marko through various tests and interviews, the pair and Sweetie Belle had Magolor's confirmation of the new translator: a nanobot that would integrate itself within the language center of the subjects brain, translating all vocal and literary stimulus into a language said subject understood.

Two and a half weeks later, the three decided they were ready and met up on the outskirts of town, ready for a new adventure.

Sweetie Belle opened a rift then looked at her two new companions before the three of them stepped through into a new world.

Author's Note

I'm gonna be honest, if this chapter were the length I wanted it, I wouldn't be releasing it until next year.

So I decided to work with what I could think of and get it out when I can.

Also, the reason for Rota's top changing is because each of my 5 DB OC's can change their clothes with a snap of their finger. Relatively basic spell in their universe, but still tricky to master when you aren't naturally inclined towards magic.

Chapter 9: A New Legend is Told.

Stepping out of the other side of the rift, Sweetie, Rota and Marko found themselves in what looked like a town much akin to Ponyville. The fact that it seemed to be abandoned and destroyed did not sit well with the three, however. Off in the distance, a volcano looked to be on the verge of eruption.

They looked around in silent contemplation, wondering what could have happened here, when suddenly, Marko thrust a kick behind him as a loud banshee-like screech rang out, freezing all three of them in place. Not even their eyes could move. Thankfully, they could still use their powers.

Sweetie Belle summoned one of her cannons to use as a beam sword and swung in the general direction the offending screecher flew towards, hearing the sound of energy cutting flesh and a weight hitting the ground. A few seconds later the three could move again and immediately prepared for a fight, now noticing several zombie-like creatures that had shambled out of the rubble, alerted by the cry of the now-fully-dead creature, its torso cut diagonally in half. Looking up, they saw the skies were covered in unnaturally dark clouds.

“Well then, ruined medieval world, undead roaming, likely some kind of evil overlord’s doing. Guess we’re cleaning up here?” Rota asked while sending a volley of crescent shaped ki blasts that cut up the mask bearing undead around them.

“People will likely need help, and besides it could be fun,” Sweetie Belle said as she called two more cannons-turned-beam-swords to slice the creatures apart.

“There’s some kind of barrier around the castle, over there. Doubt we’re getting through it the direct way without risking the planet with it,” Marko said as he simply fired explosive ki blasts to destroy the creature's heads and upper torsos. “First things first, let’s clear out these things, then find someone local, get somewhere safe, and get some information regarding what’s going on, here.”

With a chorus of agreement from the girls, the three continued to blast and cut their way through the destroyed town.

A young man wearing a green tunic and a green hat came out of the temple at the edge of the town and looked around in horror at the state of the town and of the world in general. The destroyed buildings, the dead trees, the covered sky, the volcano in the distance...

A little ball of blue light with wings then came from behind the man. "Oh... Link... It's horrible! Look at the state of Hyrule!"

The named Link grit his teeth. "Don't worry, Navi, we will fix this, and Ganondorf will pay."

Navi then noticed a commotion in the main square of the destroyed town. "Hey! What is that?" She flew closer to have a better look. "ReDeads! A lot of them! And they're attacking a pair of people and… a small white horse levitating 3 swords of light?”

Link drew his sword and shield, then charged towards the horde of ReDeads, not even thinking to question the bit about the small horse. Though as he got closer, he determined that he needn’t have worried, since the people seemed to be using what Link assumed to be magic to defend themselves along with the small horse and her blades of light, killing the undead creatures before they got in range for them to use their shriek.

While the ReDeads could simply use it from a distance, they don’t believe that gives them enough time to approach, completely ignorant of the fact that they could simply shriek repeatedly to achieve that effect. Considering that their minds were barely capable of registering using the shriek from point blank as a tactic in the first place, they could be somewhat forgiven for not realizing that simple truth.

Link, for one, was grateful as he decapitated one of the creatures from behind.

None of the three were expecting help when they noticed the man with a green tunic, but they weren’t going to complain. The only problem was he didn’t seem to have a means of combat that kept him away from the zombies, meaning he had to get up close and personal with them to use his sword. That, of course, led to the inevitable result.

“AAAAAAAAAAAH!”

All four frozen momentarily, Sweetie Belle sent a magic blast at the offending shrieker, saving the man from being attacked. After they regained their ability to move, Marko put his hands next to his face and cried out his next attack.

“SOLAR FLARE!”

A blinding flash of light encompassed him, forcing Sweetie, Rota and the man in green to cover their eyes. The zombie creatures, on the other hand, seemed to burn to ash as the light encompassed them. Once the light died out, the group looked around and saw that the creatures had indeed burned away.

Sweetie Belle blinked the leftover spots out of her eyes, while Rota, Marko and the man in green uncovered their eyes and looked around. The last one spoke aloud, amusement in his voice.

“And that’s why ReDeads are always found outside of direct sunlight,” he said with a chuckle as he stowed his sword in its scabbard. Marko raised an eyebrow at the young man before one of Sweetie’s beam swords went flying between them, impaling another ReDead that came out after Marko’s attack in the skull.

“Let’s get out of here then do introductions, alright?” The filly asked.

Raising an eyebrow then shaking his head, the man agreed and led the group out of the square towards a large hole in the wall that led to a field. After traveling for about an hour, the group decided to rest and get introductions done. Sweetie Belle presented herself and the Bages, first.

“Alright, now that we have a moment, let’s introduce ourselves. I’m Sweetie Belle, and these are my friends, Rota Bage and her brother Marko,” the filly said, gesturing to each appropriate person as Rota stuffed what looked like a large dumpling into her mouth. The man in green nodded in acknowledgement and greeting.

“Nice to meet you. My name’s Link,” he said.

A floating blue sphere with wings then made itself known as it said in a high pitched feminine voice, “And I’m Navi, his Fairy companion!” The fairy then fluttered around Sweetie, Rota and Marko as if inspecting them. “Hmmm, two of you seem like Hylians, but I don’t recognize your style of clothing. And you, little one, I don’t recognize either. And I know a lot of stuff about a lot of things!” She proclaimed proudly.

“You not knowing about us is expected considering we’re from another universe,” Rota blurted out after swallowing her mouthful.

“REALLY!?!” Link said with a sudden childlike exuberance, causing Marko to deadpan.

“You just woke up from an enchanted sleep or something, didn’t you?” He asked, causing Link to look at him strangely.

“How’d you know?” He asked.

“It’s the only thing I’ve seen that can cause a full grown man to act like an 11 year old child when introduced to aliens. How about you start explaining what happened to this world, though? That’s the more pressing issue I’d say,” Marko replied, to which Link nodded and began explaining.

Link apparently grew up in a forest Southwest of here, in a people of eternal children named the Kokiris, under the protection of the Guardian of the forest, the Great Deku Tree. But then, a man named Ganondorf, who led his people, the otherwise all female Gerudo, came and began to attempt to steal the keys to open the Sacred Realm where an omnipotent artifact, the Triforce, was kept. The Great Deku Tree was the keeper of one of the keys and refused to let Ganondorf take it, and so, the man sent a curse that slowly killed the tree. By the time Link managed to destroy the cause of the curse, it was too late, and the Great Deku Tree died after revealing to Link everything, that he was actually a Hylian, about Ganondorf, the keys, the Triforce, and so on. The tree also gave the key he was keeping, an emerald.

And so, Link left the forest in a quest to stop Ganondorf from taking the Triforce. He managed to find two other keys, a ruby kept by the Gorons in the volcano (named Death Mountain... Nice!), and a sapphire kept by the Zoras at the other end of the river. With the three stones in his possession, Link went to the Temple of Time only to find the town on fire just as Zelda, the princess of Hyrule, escaped, chased by Ganondorf himself. In her escape, Zelda threw at Link the Ocarina of Time, another key to open the Sacred Realm.

So Link went into the Temple, placed the three stones at their place, and played with the Ocarina the Song of Time to open the gates to the Sacred Realm, where Link found the Master Sword. However, because Link was destined to be the Hero of Time but was too young, he was put into a sleep of seven years. Ganondorf, who had followed Link into the Temple, took the occasion to enter the now open Sacred Realm and get his hands on the Triforce.

With it, Ganondorf conquered Hyrule, and seven years later, here they were.

Well, that sucks.

At least that explained why Links reaction to Rota’s statement about her, Marko and Sweetie being aliens was so childish. He reacted like a child, because he IS a child, just in an adult's body. And aliens were cool to children. Even if one of them was a filly that didn’t even reach his knees.

Anyway, in order to stop Ganondorf, they needed to find five sages to destroy the barrier surrounding him and the castle so they can face the Dark Lord.

As of right now, their objective was the sage of the forest, who may be a childhood friend of Link. However, they first had to go to Kakariko Village, at the base of Death Mountain, where they will apparently find a way to reach and save the Forest Sage.

To put it simply, time for an adventure!

“Can we join you!?!” Sweetie and Rota asked excitedly… and simultaneously.

Link shrugged as he replied, “I don’t see why not.”

"Yay! Uh, wait a minute, please."

Sweetie Belle materialized a paper and a pen and wrote something on it.

Rarity was busy sewing a new dress when a paper appeared just in front of her, slowly floating down. Using her magic, she grabbed it and began to read.

Dear Rarity

Gone on an adventure to save a world from an evil overlord. May be gone for several days. Say sorry to Miss Cheerilee. Bye!

-Sweetie Belle

Rarity groaned and rubbed her face.

Before going to Kakariko Village, Link decided to pass by the Lon Lon Ranch, the buildings that were visible further on the field. Link thought that, since they will be constantly traversing Hyrule Field left and right, it would be better to have a mount than to do it on feet. And the Ranch had some horses that he could use, including one that he befriended seven years ago. He hoped that the horse was still alive and he was very worried about her.

Upon entering the Ranch, they quickly discovered that it had also been affected by Ganondorf's conquest despite everything looking okay from outside. When they reached the paddock where the horses were exercising, they encountered Ingo, a man who had been previously a worker. But, somehow, he managed to become the boss, and he forced the previous boss, Talon, out of the Ranch. And now, he was attempting to gain the favor of Ganondorf by attempting to raise a horse that would be perfect for him.

That cowardly opportunist...

But, no matter how much Sweetie, Rota and Marko wanted to punch the guy, they kept their cool. Ingo proposed to Link to ride one of 'his' horses in exchange of ten rupees, the local money (which were precious gems of various colors), and Link accepted. Link then entered the paddock, ignored the horse proposed by Ingo (probably the one that he intended to give to Ganondorf), and used the Ocarina to play a song, and the next instant, a horse approached him.

A horse that looked strangely like Sweetie Belle when Sword Kirby had been on her back.
And now that she thought about it, Link's green hat was very similar to Sword Kirby's hat.

She facehoofed. Seriously?! Okay, good one, but really, Writer, I so want to hit you right now.

A set of clouds in the distance subtly formed words that only the filly seemed to notice. References for the win

As Link was busy riding the horse and having fun with Rota and Marko watching him, Sweetie Belle then looked around at the Ranch, but there wasn't much to see. A house, a barn, and a tower behind the paddock, and there were some chickens around. Cows could also be heard from the barn, and Sweetie Belle could see a red-haired girl looking from behind the corner of the barn at Link riding the horse with fondness.

Ingo, impressed by Link's talent at riding the horse, then proposed to him, in exchange of fifty rupees, to race him, and Link accepted. So they raced around the paddock (Ingo using his best horse), and Link defeated him easily, much to his shock. Wanting to correct this humiliation, Ingo proposed another race, and this time, if Link won then he would be able to keep the horse he was riding.

And he won again.

"What's up with that horse?! Is that Epona? How did you tame that wild horse right under my nose?!" yelled Ingo from the back of his horse, not believing what happened. "I was going to present that horse to the great Ganondorf... But I bet it on the race and lost! Shooot!"

Oh, so it was actually Epona that he wanted to give, not the other horse. Oh well.

But then, Ingo calmed down and chuckled before making his way to the gate that connected the house and barn to the paddock area.

“As I promised, you can keep the horse… However,” he said as he began to close the gate, “I’ll never let you leave this ra-” Before he could finish, or the others even register, the sound of an impact rang out and Ingo was suddenly embedded into the cliff behind him, unconscious as blood trickled from his open mouth with a few teeth missing, while Rota stood, leg positioned as if she had just launched a kick, near where Ingo stood seconds prior. Marko let out a sigh as Sweetie, Link, the redhead, Navi and even Epona stared in disbelief at the tailed woman.

“I never thought I’d see the day where you losing your temper would be satisfying to see, but that guy deserved it.” He then turned to the others in the group. “Let’s go.”

Link nodded, and they moved to the exit. As they passed beside the girl, she said, "Take care of Epona, please." Link nodded, and they were out of the ranch.

Now, to Kakariko Village.

Author's Note

Things are getting a little chaotic IRL, in addition to my Autism and ADHD making it hard to focus on writing, but here's the next chapter.

Rota's reaction is pretty much mine when I first read Lucar's version.

Chapter 10: Approaching the First Temple.

Link, Sweetie, Rota and Marko didn’t have to travel long to get to Kakariko Village, just across a nearby stone bridge and up some stairs carved into the cliff-face. This still left enough time for Link to be informed of Rota and Marko’s power and for him to be amazed by their ability to fly without any visible means.

Link had to leave Epona at a wooden wall at the entrance of the village before they entered the settlement.

It was a really small village, with a few houses made of stones or bricks, that had for the main landmark a windmill in front of a dried up well. It looked very peaceful despite Ganondorf, but that peace was spoiled by the clear threat of Death Mountain looming above. The village had been apparently a village of Sheikah, a people who served the Royal Family of Hyrule, but now, most of the Sheikah were gone, leaving the village almost abandoned until Impa, one of the last Sheikah, opened it for the other inhabitants of Hyrule who couldn't live in Hyrule Castle Town. Now, the village apparently served as refuge for some survivors of Hyrule Castle Town because Link recognized some of them, and some shops had been relocated here.

There was another problem that had made itself known as they entered the village, however.

“So, this Sheik person didn’t tell you what it is you’re looking for here?” Rota asked as her tail swished in agitation.

“No. He just said that it’s here in Kakariko village. I don’t think he quite knew either, actually,” Link replied.

With a sigh, Rota concluded, “So we’re gonna be looking around and asking questions. Got it.”

So they began to look around while talking to the villagers, hoping to find something, even just a clue. However, nobody knew anything, although some of the inhabitants talked about some legends and rumors and other info about the village. Like, apparently, there was once a house at the current emplacement of the well, and something that the proprietor once possessed may be now hidden at the bottom.

Thinking it to be a better lead than the nothing they had beforehand, the group decided to investigate the bottom of the well. Upon climbing down, they found out that not only was there barely room for the four of them, but any further progress was blocked by a large boulder.

Marko eyed the boulder with a mix of suspicion and curiosity before thinking aloud, “There’s some kind of seal behind this boulder, keeping it in place. But why block off a well? It’s not like anyone’s coming down here.”

Rota, as she climbed back up the well behind Link, answered with a thought of her own. “Maybe it’s meant to keep something from coming up. You told me that seals tend to work both ways.”

“We’d be better off asking around some more, I’m sure,” Link said.

When they asked an old man what happened at the well, he informed them that Impa apparently sealed a powerful dark spirit in there before making the tunnel collapse. This resulted in the well drying up, but at least, the dark spirit couldn't hurt anyone anymore. And at least, the river wasn't far to compensate. When asked if there was another way to enter the tunnel, he assured that there wasn't as far as he knew, and it was better this way.

So the group continued their search. Rota was drawn to the windmill from the sound of a Phonograph being played in an enchanting melody that the Saiyan woman could tell was driving the windmill. Entering the windmill, Rota and Link encountered a man playing the mechanical instrument. Which struck Rota as weird to see in a world that had yet to develop hand-held ballistic weapons, but nice to listen to regardless. She was lost in the tune to the point where she started to hum to the tune, only to stop when a storm suddenly started inside the windmill drenching her, Link and the bard, who glared at her.

“I’m guessing this is your first time with bardic magic, eh? Gotta be careful with putting power in your voice with certain tunes, lass. Lucky the windmill’s been remade to withstand a storm inside it since that kid with the ocarina came here some 7 years ago,” he scolded.

Rota chuckled sheepishly as she shrugged, replying “Sorry, it’s a habit I’m trying to break.” Meanwhile, Link seemed to think about something.

“Ocarina?” He asked, thinking out loud. Reaching into one of his pockets, Link pulled out a small blue ocarina marked with the Triforce.

“That ocarina! It looks just like the one that kid had!” The bard said suspiciously.

Then Link played the melody that the bard had been playing, and, just like with Rota and her accidental use of magic, summoned a storm inside the windmill. Navi came out from under Link’s cap and spoke up. “Wow! I guess we found what we’re looking for!”

“Glad I could return the favor, then.” The bard said through clenched teeth.

Rota decided to press her luck on a gut feeling that she knew might get her in trouble, asking a single question. “Was the windmill at all connected to the well, do you know?”

The bard nodded as his eye twitched.

“We’ll be going now,” Link said as he, Navi and Rota hurried out of the windmill. Once outside, they were met with Marko and Sweetie Belle, the former stood with his arms crossed, the latter looking at the windmill curiously.

“I’m guessing you found something?” Marko asked with a knowing tone.

“Apparently, I came here 7 years ago and taught the Phonograph player in the windmill a song that can summon storms, and drained the well by the same occasion,” Link answered easily. Marko stared at him for a moment. Then promptly facepalmed.

“So time travel is now a factor in play. Grand,” he said as he dragged his hand down his face. “At least it’s easier for us to travel through time than it is for us to travel through the multiverse, eh Rota?”

“Provided there’s no blocks in the timeline and the deity in charge of time here is more like Dialga than our old boss, I should be able to pull it off,” Rota answered. “We might end up a bit younger, but nothing we can’t get used to or fix.”

“But how would Link go back in time in the first place?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“We’ll figure it out later. For now, let’s just investigate the graveyard,” Link said.

"Time to hit some ghosts, I guess," said Sweetie Belle with a giggle.

So they went to the graveyard, the entrance being just in front of the staircase leading to the windmill.

It was your typical graveyard. Tombs lining beside the paths. There was also a small wooden hut at the entrance, probably belonging to the guardian or gravedigger.

Link looked around, hand under his chin in thought. "Mmh... I don't see where... Wait." His eyes settled on a tomb at the left, near the corner of the graveyard, and he walked toward it. "This tomb wasn't here seven years ago."

"How can you tell?" asked Navi. "I don't remember all the tombs!"

"I counted," simply answered Link.

"Isn't it normal? People die in seven years. It's normal for new tombs to appear with time," said Sweetie Belle.

"Some tombs hide tunnels with treasures or other stuff. Maybe that’s the case for this one," informed Link.

Sweetie stared at Link for a moment before Rota spoke up in his defense. “You’d be surprised what people are willing to let slide or do for the sake of either convenience or the greater good. Besides, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do, even if you don’t like it.”

Navi then spoke as Link went to check out the new tomb. “It’s how Link got his shield, after all.”

“Better than paying eighty rupees for one, at least.” Link agreed before reading what was engraved on the tombstone. "Here lies Dampé... Oh..."

“The old gravedigger?” Nave asked.

Link nodded before Marko’s voice sounded off in the hut. “If the gravedigger’s dead, then I doubt he’ll mind if we look at his journal.” Sweetie Belle nearly gave herself whiplash with how fast her head swung towards the man to see him walking out of the hut with a book in hand. “From what I can tell, he, or more accurately at this point, his spirit is challenging anyone brave or stupid enough to claim his keepsake, a ‘treasure that stretches and shrinks,” he said before closing the book and putting it onto the table just inside of the hut.

Rota suddenly felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up and gave whatever was behind her a smack with her tail hard enough to be comparable to a whip. She then jumped forward with yelp as whatever it was seemingly burst into flame and nearly scorched her tail.

Navi was immediately in her face, both telling her off for not watching her back and questioning her ability to harm spirits without weapons, while Link and Marko moved the stone lid of the tomb, revealing a hole. Link jumped in after a quick glance, followed by the rest of the group, Rota and Navi last due to being the furthest away from the tombstone.

After they all landed from the surprisingly painless fall, the group spotted the spirit of Dampé the Gravekeeper. With a ghostly whisper, he reiterated the challenge to race him, or more exactly, keep up with him, since Link could not keep up due to Dampé being able to float. Marko and Rota, on the other hand, simply pulled Link and Sweetie Bell on their respective backs and changed forward, easily keeping pace with the spirit. The tomb itself, however, soon revealed to be a maze of tunnels with no way to know where to go, leaving them no choice but to follow Dampé, who knew where to go. But the ghost was quite the mischievous one as he playfully sent fireballs from his lantern to put fire on their path and hinder them, in addition to being faster than expected for the siblings. Marko took a deep breath, still running, and exhaled a frosty mist that Sweetie Belle could tell was some kind of magic, putting out the fireballs. She could also faintly hear what sounded like distant shouting on the edge of her hearing.

“What kind of magic is that?” The filly asked.

“It’s a magical language from a universe we visited some time ago. We’ll explain another time,” Rota replied.

They eventually reached the finishing line after a circling cliff above a seemingly bottomless pit. There, Dampé congratulated them for keeping up with him and decided to reward them with his treasure called the Hookshot as Link and Sweetie Belle got off of Marko and Rota. He then proposed to them to come again one day so they could race again before he disappeared and a big chest appeared in his place. Link opened it, taking the Hookshot, which was pretty much like a grapple with an arrow head linked by a retractable chain to a handle.

“Looks like this is what we’re looking for,” Rota said as Link put the Hookshot on his belt.

“Certainly,” he answered before the five of them moved to the next room to hopefully find an exit they didn’t need to backtrack through a maze to get to. Much to their disappointment, there was only a pair of large cubes stacked on top of each other with the Hyrule Royal Crest on them against the opposite wall.

"Drat," said Sweetie Belle.

"Wait, I have a feeling. Link, use the Song of Time on these cubes," instructed Navi.

Link nodded and took his ocarina before he played the Song of Time.

And the power the song commanded swept over the three visiting travelers as if they had entered the presence of divinity.

The next instant, a light materialized around the cubes and engulfed them before they just disappeared, letting the group enter a hole in the wall that had been hidden behind. They then climbed a staircase…

Which led them right into the upper level of the windmill, to their surprise as they began to hear the familiar song while they climbed. They jumped from the upper level and landed just in front of the man who jumped in fright at their sudden arrival.

"What the...?! You? Where do you come from?!"

"Uh... Your windmill is apparently linked to Dampé's tomb," said Sweetie Belle.

"Say what now? Are you talking about this passage with the staircase at the upper level? But it was blocked!"

"We unblocked it."

The guy put a hand on his face and groaned loudly. "Now I will have to ask someone to do something about this! The last thing I want is for a ghost to come here!"

As if on cue, the sound of an explosion followed by a slight rumbling sounded off, then followed by Rota calling out, “I blocked it off again!”

“Thank you!” The bard called back.

After that, they decided it would be best if they headed out to the Kokiri Forest and left Kakariko village to do so, Link on Epona’s back with Sweetie Belle behind him while Rota and Marko flew overhead, all heading south.

"Hey, I wanna try something," said Sweetie Belle on the way.

"What is it?" asked Link.

Sweetie Belle cleared her throat before she began to sing the dubbed Song of Storms, and to Link and Navi's astonishment, clouds appeared in the sky (the dark clouds constantly covering it were only above Hyrule Castle Town) before it rained.

"Yes! I did it!" shouted the filly when she saw that she succeeded.

The next instant, Navi was right in front of her face, to the point that Sweetie could almost distinguish her head through the blue light. "HOW?!"

Sweetie Belle smirked at her. "I'm a filly full of surprises."

"That's not an answer!"

Link laughed before he stopped Epona, took his ocarina, and played another song. The next instant, the clouds dispersed and the sun appeared in its full glory high in the sky when it had been about to set a few seconds earlier.

Sweetie Belle stared at Link. "You have a song to control the Sun? I am SO going to use it once I'm back home! Do you have one for the Moon too or does this song work for both the Sun and the Moon?"

Rota and Marko, meanwhile, simply took note of the songs and flash-dried themselves off with a burst of energy before they started back on the road.

Link left Epona in front of the tunnel that served as the entrance to the forest before they entered it, Link feeling nostalgic. After crossing a wooden bridge, they traversed another tunnel before they entered the village of the Kokiris.

Only to be almost immediately attacked by a carnivorous plant that was promptly put on fire by Sweetie Belle.

Meanwhile, Link and Navi looked around at the seemingly deserted village, seeing more monsters here and there in the obscurity.

"This is as I feared..." said Navi. "Without the Great Deku Tree, the monsters overrun the village. But shouldn't a new Deku Tree sprout be born by now to take his place?"

"Ganondorf," Link simply replied. "He did something. I'm certain. I... I hope everyone is okay..."

Sweetie Belle looked around at the monster infested village and said, "How about Rota, Marko and I clean the place while you go see if your friends are there? Maybe they are simply in their houses where they are safe from the monsters?"

Link nodded and went toward the nearest house, leaving Sweetie Belle and the Bages to do as she said. The filly and Marko started by doing some pest cleaning by eliminating those things hidden under fake autumn leaves and firing nuts while Rota took care of the octopus-like things that hid in water and fired rocks. Once they were done with all of them, they proceeded to weed the place, getting rid of the carnivorous plants.

These monsters were so easy that, after eliminating the octopi like ones, Rota pulled a small bottle from a pocket in her vest and planted some seeds from it into the ground and poured a bit of the green liquid over the seeds. Within a minute, 8 green skinned creatures with three digit limbs ending in claws climbed out of the dirt and looked at the Saiyan woman expectantly. Rota gave them simple instructions.

“Alright, Saibamen, if it doesn’t look like a man or woman about your size at most or any of the people with me, kill it.”

With a chorus of screeching cries, the Saibamen descended upon the remaining carnivorous plants, splitting the seam in their heads apart to spray a white acid at them, ensuring that regrowth would be difficult, at best. After the last of the carnivorous plants were dead, the Saibamen took up positions as if they were guardsmen defending the village, allowing Sweetie Belle, Rota and Marko (after Rota explained to Sweetie Belle what the Saibamen were) to explore a bit.

Eventually they found themselves at the front of the corpse of the Great Deku tree.

Sweetie Belle, Rota and Marko could all immediately see how majestic the tree had been when it was alive. It was immense, with a face like the one of an elder sage. But now, its bark had lost its color, and it missed its leaves. It really was a sad sight.

After remaining a moment to look at the tree, they turned around to return to the village, only to see Link approaching, looking up at the tree. He then stopped beside Sweetie Belle, looked down, and stopped moving, remaining silent as he paid homage.

After about one minute, Sweetie Belle broke the silence to ask, "So, is everyone okay?"

"Yes. They are all alright, just stuck in their homes because of the monsters, like you thought. I haven't seen Mido however, but he's apparently in the Lost Woods. I wouldn't worry about him," answered Link. He then looked back at the tree. "He... He was like a father to me. He is the one who raised me since I was a baby."

“I’m sorry…”

“You three have nothing to be sorry about…” Link then frowned. "It's Ganondorf who should be."

With a subtle aura radiating from her, Rota all but snarled out her answer. “He will be. I promise that much, personally.” Marko then spoke up, allowing Rota to go check on the Saibamen as she had intended

“This might be a bit insensitive, but, how did he raise you? I doubt it was by himself, considering he doesn’t seem to have the kind of limbs to do so,” he asked.

Link laughed. "Yes, actually, the Kokiris did most of the work. He was just supervising to make sure that they didn't screw up. But he was always there when I needed him and his sage advice." He then turned around. "Let's go. We have a forest to save," he said before he walked away.

Marko followed immediately while Sweetie Belle took one last look at the once mighty tree.

They quickly crossed the village, meeting up with Rota who was currently in the middle of watching the Saibamen tear a carnivorous plant up by the roots, some of them digging at the dirt and mixing bits of their acid into it, as if trying to make it either harder or more painful to the carnivorous plants to grow back. Sweetie, Rota and Marko followed Link and Navi to a tunnel that led to a place called the Lost Woods. A place that earned its infamy through being a maze that seemed to shift around its occupants to make them lose their way… or their lives. Adults lost in the woods would become Stalfos, the living skeletons of those who got lost in those woods, while children lost in the woods would become Skull Kids, little creatures in garb thankfully friendly to children but feared adults. However, those with a fairy companion were spared from this fate, making Marko real happy Navi was with them, at least.

However, a merry tune that Link identified as Saria's Song could be heard coming from one of the paths, helping them find the right way to Saria who Link thought was the Forest Sage that they had to save. Despite the ambience of the forest, the song easily cheered them up, and it was with smiles that they followed the song until they found their path blocked by a Kokiri who was none other than Mido.

"Uh? What are you? Though one of you wears Kokirish clothing, you can't fool me! I promised Saria I would never let anybody go through here."

Link just smiled before he took his ocarina and played Saria's Song, to Mido's shock.

"That melody?! Saria plays that song all the time! You... Do you know Saria? That song... Saria taught that song only to her friends..."

“They honestly thought you were a Kokiri like them, didn’t they, Link?” Rota blurted out in wonder, causing Mido to look at Link in shock.

“Link?!? W-”

“In their defense, it wasn’t like they needed to know, under the circumstances,” Link grumbled.

“TIME OUT! Link, is this really you? Last I heard… you… just disappeared after the Great Deku Tree’s death! A-and you’re huge now! Why?” Mido asked, tears rolling down his cheeks at the mention of the Great Deku Tree’s fate.

“Long story short, he’s not a Kokiri, he’s a Hylian from outside the forest, and now he’s here to set things right.” Sweetie Belle explained, causing Mido to stare at her.

“You can talk?”

“Yes, now can we pass? We don’t exactly have the luxury of time.”

“Alright, I guess I should…”

Before anything else could be done or said, Rota put her pinky fingers to her mouth and gave a sharp whistle. Within seconds, a trio of Saibamen appeared in front of her and she pointed at Mido and gave them new orders.

“Obey him. Make sure the others know.”

At once and as one, the pair took up positions at equidistant points to allow a bare minimum of two individuals to tackle anything trying to get past while one ran back to the village..

“These are Saibamen, they are plant-like creatures with the minimum intelligence to take simple orders, for example, I have a set of them under orders to basically keep the village clear of monsters,” she explained.

“Not much good that’ll do when they keep coming back,” Mido grumbled.

“We’re working to put an end to that,” Link said as he put a hand on Mido's shoulder before he walked beside him, quickly followed by Sweetie Belle, Rota, Marko and Navi.

Mido followed them with his eyes as they disappeared into the woods. "Since when did he become so cool?"

The group eventually reached a meadow in the heart of the forest. They however had to go through some narrow passages guarded by Moblins, huge monsters looking like bulldogs that charged at them if they spotted them. No way for Link to attack them from the front without being impaled by their spears. He could only use the Hookshot and his bombs to attack them.

Sweetie Bell and the Bages, on the other hand, had no issue dealing with them using their plethora of ranged attacks. In this instance, Rota stepped forward and pointed her right hand at the small horde, then let loose a volley of beams that ripped through their heads and upper torsos, leaving burnt flesh in its wake. By the time she was done, only the big Moblin at the back was left alive. Not for long, though, as Rota put one last blast through its heart, sending it stumbling onto its back. The path cleared, they climbed the big staircase to the entrance of the temple where there was a large pedestal with the symbol of the Triforce.

Link knew this place as Saria's secret spot where she loved to play her Ocarina on a tree stump, but to their surprise, she wasn't present!

But then, who played the song that guided them? Was it still Saria but from a different place?

Then, a blond man with red eyes in blue outfit with a white clothes possessing a red crying eye symbol and hiding most of his face landed from one of the cliffs surrounding the place and walked toward them.

"The flow of time is always cruel... Its speed seems different for each person, but no one can change it..."

Sweetie Belle decided to not comment on the fact that she did know, or heard of at least one being able to do what he just said, and that she will eventually be able to do it too as easily as she could breath.

"A thing that doesn't change with time is a memory of younger days..." continued Sheik. "In order to come back here again, play the Minuet of Forest." And then, Sheik took a lyre and proceeded to teach Link a song that could apparently teleport him to the pedestal here anytime he played it. Very practical if they needed to come back without having to traverse the forest again.

Once they were done, Link then asked "Is there a way to return back to seven years ago? I may need to get an object that may be important but that isn't accessible anymore today. Do I need to play the Song of Time?"

"If you wish to return to the time you left, then you simply need to put the Master Sword back into its pedestal in the Temple of Time," answered Sheik. "You will be returned to your younger self, back when evil hadn't yet fully settled in this land. However..." He glanced at Sweetie Belle and the Bages “Whether your companions can join you or not is subject to the will of the Goddesses.”

Sweetie, Rota and Marko nodded, the Saiyan responding, “Figured as much.”

Sheik stared at Sweetie Belle and the siblings a few seconds before he looked back at Link, said, "Link... I'll see you again..." took a few steps back, and threw a Deku Nut at the ground. The Deku Nut let out a flash, and the next thing they knew, Sheik had disappeared.

"What is he? A ninja?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"A what?" asked Link.

"Nothing. Let's just enter the temple."

It turned out that it was here that the Hookshot was needed, as the staircase to the entrance of the temple was destroyed so he had to plant the Hookshot in a branch of a tree above it to reach it. If Sweetie Belle had known, she could have simply levitated Link with her without even needing the object.

But at least, now, they entered the temple.

Author's Note

It is starting next chapter that my skill at writing is tested...

Anyway, hope you enjoy the story, so far.

Chapter 11: The Forest Temple

The ambience was immediately different inside the temple. Its mostly ruined state overrun by the vegetation of the forest gave it a mysterious and mystical feeling, but the atmosphere of the place made Sweetie Belle, Rota, Marko and Link absolutely anxious and uncomfortable with a constant feeling of danger and... wrongness. It was crushing!

In the first room, the grass had totally covered the ground, vines and ivy were everywhere on the walls, and there were two trees. The four heroes barely took a few steps before they were suddenly attacked by four wolf-like creatures that Navi identified as Wolfos. The wolves were easy to defeat, but they weren't dumb beasts; if attacked from the front, they protected themselves with their sharp and solid claws, forcing Link to attack when they had their back turned. Beside that, they used the usual tactic of wolves: walk around the target and strike from their blind spot. Too bad for the wolves that Link wasn't alone, so the four heroes each took a Wolfo, ensuring that they wouldn’t get overwhelmed.

Or rather, Sweetie played with hers while Rota and Marko dealt with theirs with a single strike each and Link fought his opponent. Sweetie jumped on its head while avoiding its claws and turned the fight into a rodeo. When Link finished off his, Rota appeared in front of Sweetie’s Wolfo and jabbed a finger through its throat, piercing it, and leaving it to fall, Sweetie Belle snapping its neck to minimize the creature's suffering.

“You could’ve at least killed it quickly,” the filly scolded.

“I didn’t want to risk hitting you,” the Saiyan replied.

Either way, with the Wolfos dead, nothing stopped them from continuing to the next room, but instead, Link went to climb on the vines.

“Thinkin’ there’s something worth the trouble up there?” Marko asked

“That’s been the case, so far,” Link answered.

“Lemme check it out, flight will be faster than climbing,” Rota interjected.

She did so and found out that there was indeed a small treasure chest at the top of one of the trees which would have forced Link to use the Hookshot to reach it. Inside, she found a small silver key that Link immediately put away in one of his seemingly bottomless pouches on his belt.

They then passed the door, traversed the hallway that followed (killing a giant Skulltula, a spider with its back looking like a skull), and entered what seemed to be the main room of the temple. There, they witnessed four colored flames (red, blue, green, and purple) disappearing before Poes of corresponding colors appeared and exited the room in four different directions. The disappearance of the flames caused a small elevator in the center of the room to move into the ground, becoming unusable.
“Welp, time for a Poe hunt, I suppose,” Rota mused.

“Seems like it,” Navi agreed.

“The hard part is going to be finding the Poes. You and I can’t sense undead due to them lacking Ki, and I doubt it’ll be a short task, considering most of the doors in this room are either blocked off or out of conventional reach,” Marko retorted.

Indeed, beside where they came from, the room had five other entrances, but most of them were blocked or couldn't be reached in the case of the East door (not without flying, at least) as it was on a ledge without any way to get on it. The West door had chains with a lock, the Northwest door was behind one of these time cubes like in the tomb, and the Northeast door was blocked by bars. For this last one, an interrupter looking like an eye was present on the wall above, and it was easy to understand that they had to fire something at it. Link attempted the Hookshot, but it didn't work. Only the North door, on top of a staircase, was already open.

“While we could bypass the majority of them and unblock the Northwest door with the Song of Time, I think we should go through the North door, which- Hey, it’s unlocked!” Link said from beside the door in question.

“His quest, his decision,” Sweetie Belle said, wanting to get a move on.

Meeting up with Link at the North door, the group passed through, entering another hallway with a flying skull that Navi identified as a Blue Bubble.

"What the heck is that name? Why name flying skulls 'Bubbles'? It totally ruins their creepy nature, and they look nothing like bubbles," said Sweetie Belle after they dealt with the skull.

Link shrugged. "No idea."

They then entered a round room, only for bars to drop and block the door behind them, trapping them inside. The next instant, a set of four Stalfos appeared, armed with strangely shaped orange/red swords and simple shields. They each took one on and learned they were fierce warriors, more than capable of keeping up with three of the four warriors, blocking or parrying their attacks, but Link was smart and waited for them to open their guard to hit them.

Rota blasted the shield of her opponent and used the smoke to cover her approach, allowing her to deliver an energized punch that blew through the creature's shield, then unleashing a burst of energy that vaporized the upper portion of its body, causing the rest of the bones to fall apart.

Marko summoned a sword into his hands and gave an overhand swing, a torrent of flame obscuring the Stalfos vision. Marko then flicker-stepped in front of them and gave a rising slash that was parried, then gave a kick to the shield, knocking it away as he cut the Stalfos from shoulder to hip, then let out a burst of energy that blew the skeletal creature apart.

And Sweetie Belle just knocked her target's shield away before slicing it vertically in half. She then simply watched the others dealing with their Stalfos.

When the last one was dead, the bars blocking the door disappeared, and a chest with another key appeared in the center of the room.

"Is there even anything challenging to you?" asked Navi to Sweetie Belle.

"Of course. There is always something stronger than you. But definitely not these Stalfos. They were good, but nothing compared to Meta Knight or Galacta Knight. Now these ones are challenging warriors that would kick Link's butt in a few seconds even in a simple sword fight. But I'm sure that Link would be able to fight them with some training, he is a natural with a sword."

"Uh, thanks. How strong are they?" asked Link.

Sweetie Belle grinned. "To give you an idea, their strikes are so fast that they break the sound barrier. By the time you register that you have been hit, they have turned you into little cubes."

".....Wow... Yeah, I will need a LOT of training if I want to face them. But since they certainly live in another dimension, I don't think this will happen."

"Galacta can slice space open to jump through dimensions. He could perfectly come here if he wanted, and if he knew where this universe is in the multiverse. Or I could lead you to them."

Link shook his head. "No thanks."

“I’m game, if they are. I’ve been meaning to work on my swordsmanship, anyway,” Marko said, once more summoning the sword he used to his back.

At this, the group returned to the main room, and this time, chose to see what was behind the cube blocking the Northwest path. After making the cube disappear with the Song of Time, they passed the door that was behind and entered some outdoor area with some ruins and a small stream with a bridge.

After slicing one of these carnivorous plants named Big Deku Baba and dealing with an Octoroc (the octopus thing) in the water, they looked around and saw a well at the left as well as a path in the upper level that couldn't be reached (again, not without flying). However, there were some vines covering a wall in the right that Link could climb to reach another passage, but Sweetie and the Bage Siblings had to deal first with a few smaller Skulltulas (named Skullwalltulas, because they needed a different name because they simply walked on the wall) that were on the way.

There was a door in the passage that led to a small room where they had to kill a Blue Bubble to continue. By killing it, they also made a big chest appear, the chest revealing to contain the map of the temple.

"Already?" asked Navi in wonder.

Link shrugged as he looked at the map. "I'm not complaining. This place seems vast. The inside of the Great Deku Tree, the Dodongo's cavern, and the Great Jabu-Jabu were nothing compared to it. I hope we will find the compass quickly too."

"I smell a routine," remarked Sweetie Belle.

"You are right. In all dungeons, there are always three items in common beside the keys: the map, the compass, and the big key to the room where the big bad guy of the dungeon awaits. The compass indicates the position of all the treasures and other important elements inside the dungeon where it is found. So finding the map and the compass early is very useful."

"Seems like we made the right choice taking this path first," said Rota to this before they continued.

They reached another outdoor area that was behind the Northeast door of the main room. Positioned on a balcony in the upper area, they could see to their left another balcony that had a target above it that might as well have told them to go across. Link used the Hookshot and was pulled across to the other balcony, landing on a pressure switch, draining the wells below. While he did that, Sweetie and the siblings cleared the room of monsters, namely Deku Babas (normal and big) Skulltulas, and Octorocs in the water, as well. Link then jumped from the balcony and landed with a roll to keep from getting hurt while Rota jumped up to a chest on another balcony and opened it, finding some rupees that she gave to the Hylian.

With the well drained, they guessed that they had to go there next, and so, Sweetie jumped in it while Link used a ladder and the Bage siblings decided to wait up top, arriving in a sewer where they found another small chest with a key.

"That makes three keys," said Sweetie Belle. "Seems like there's nowhere else to go in this part of the temple."

"Let's return in the main hall, then," said Link before he began to climb the vines here to return in the West outdoor area, followed by the filly and the siblings.

From there, they returned to the main room and used the first key to open the West door. After traversing another hallway with a Skulltula, they entered a room where they had to pull and push two giant colored blocks (one blue and one red) into holes to reach upper levels. Instead of simply carrying Link, they decided to place the blocks so Sweetie Belle, Rota and/or Marko wouldn't have to carry Link each time they returned to this room.

It was really easy. They just had to follow the arrows. And Sweetie Belle and the Bage Siblings even kicked the blocks to make them slide into the holes instead of pushing them. Placing the red block opened the way to a ladder that led to the top level of the room where there was a locked door under an eye-interrupter that was guarded by two Blue Bubbles. After killing the skulls, they unlocked the door with one of the keys.

“Woah!” Sweetie Belle shouted when she saw what was next while Rota rubbed her eyes as if to clear them.

A Twisted corridor!

Link scratched his head while Marko raised an eyebrow as they looked at the corridor in wonder. “Well…. That’s new…” The Hylian said.

“No kidding. I’ve been on a lot of adventures, but I’ve never seen anything like this,” Sweetie said before smiling excitedly. “This is one of the big reasons I started to explore new worlds! To discover new wonders like this!”

Marko then spoke up. “Well, Rota and I have seen this a couple times, but it’s still weird to look at.”

“And it is really confusing to walk through for the unprepared,” Rota interjected, before striding forward. “The trick is to not think about it. Something I think you can manage.”

The Saiyan’s words proved true as she kept walking forward on the ground despite the warping of the room making it become the wall.

So they advanced in the twisted hallway until reaching a weird room with a pillar at the center. There, Navi warned about a monster hanging from the ceiling and Sweetie used one of her cannons to fire a beam right above her without even looking before stepping to the side, killing some disembodied monstrous hand that fell where she had been.

"A Wallmaster! Be careful! If it grabs you, it transports you back at the entrance of the temple!" warned Navi. "More will probably come to take its place. Look at the shadow at your feet or hooves."

"Thanks. Link, step aside," instructed Sweetie Belle before she fired another beam, killing another Wallmaster. Link quickly moved aside to avoid it as it fell from the ceiling. "As nice as it is to kill these abominations of nature, we should continue." Another pair of Wallmasters hit the floor as Rota and Marko killed them with beams of their own.

So they jumped on the central pillar, and jumped toward the next door at their right, which was also locked. They quickly unlocked it as Sweetie killed a last Wallmaster.

They entered a room with a staircase and a painting of the red Poe beside it. When they approached the stairs, the red Poe disappeared from the painting with a laugh.

"Oh! It thinks it's smart, hiding in a painting!" said Sweetie Belle as she frowned at the now empty painting. She then cut the painting to shreds with one of her beam swords. As they moved down the stairs, they saw more paintings, and Sweetie and Rota fired a beam at the one with the red Poe in it. The painting burned, but the Poe moved to the last painting. With nowhere else to go, the Poe was forced to go out of the painting when Marko jumped and slashed at it. The Poe was then easily sent to the afterlife, freeing the red flame and materializing a small chest with a key.

“One down, three to go.” Marko said as he dispelled his blade.

“I really don’t know how I would have done this without you guys,” Link said.

“I’m sure you’d have had to find something to force it out,” Navi proposed.

“The dungeon item,” Link replied with a nod. Seeing the curious looks from his companions, he explained. “In some dungeons, there’s an item somewhere that helps in progressing in the dungeon. Inside the Deku Tree, it was a slingshot. Inside Jabu-Jabu, it was a boomerang. And in this dungeon, I’m willing to guess that it’ll be something to fire at these eye-interrupters and the paintings.”

“So that’s something else to find besides the big key and the compass. I doubt it’ll be long considering the number of those interrupters around,” Sweetie said.

The group then moved toward the exit door at the bottom level of the room. The next room was a circular room just above the one they had fought the four Stalfos, visible through the hole in the center of the floor. Bars blocked the exit and another Stalfos came to challenge them only to be near-instantly defeated. A platform carrying four more Stalfos descended from the ceiling, covering the hole in the floor and battle resumed. Sweetie and the Bage siblings dealt with theirs only for Sweetie and Rota’s to start reforming. Rota leveled her palm at the skeletal creature, charging a sparking ball of purple energy, then launching it at the Stalfos, completely disintegrating its skull, while Sweetie used a shield to crush hers as Link finished dealing with his, Marko having burnt his to ashes. Once the four were all dead, a large chest appeared in the center of the room.

Inside it, Link found a bow and a quiver full of arrows.

“Perfect. Now you have a reliable means of ranged combat for this era. Doubt that slingshot you mentioned is big enough to use comfortably,” Rota said with a cheeky smirk, to which Link deadpanned.

“Let’s just backtrack and check out what those eye-interrupters are blocking, alright?” Link asked, receiving a confirmation from the rest.

"There was one in the main hall and two in the room with the blocks. The one in the hall should be just a shortcut to reach the East outdoor area if needed," said Navi.

The group nodded before they exited the room through the West door, making a quick trip to the main hall to activate the interrupter there. They then went to the block room and to activate another that dropped a chest with more arrows out of seemingly nowhere. Finally, they activated the last interrupter above the door in the twisted hallway.

This had the effect of untwisting the hallway, turning it back to normal. Thanks to this, they were able to enter the room with the Wallmasters with a different angle, letting them reach a very well decorated chest that contained the big key that they were looking for.

“All that remains to be found is the compass,” Sweetie said as Rota raised her hand above herself and fired an energy blast, a Wallmaster falling onto her uplifted palm a second after that she tossed off to the side.

"The compass isn't really needed anymore now that we have the big key," said Link. He then looked at the hole that previously led to the door to the red Poe's room. "I think that we should jump in it. It probably leads somewhere new now."

“Question,” Rota said while raising her hand. “How do we get back to the room you got the bow in? The hallway leading there is untwisted, leaving it inaccessible.”

"Good point, but I may have an idea. Have you remarked that the interrupter above the door to the hallway was silver while all the others were golden?"

“Yeah, what abo-OH! You’re thinking that it could be used again?"

"Maybe."

"Nice thinking! Hmm... Maybe one of us should go down the hole first to see if this isn't a trap."

Link agreed, and Sweetie Belle flew down the hole. She discovered that it led to a room with two Blue Bubbles that she quickly killed, unlocking a door. Seeing that there was a path, she flew back up to the group and told them about it. She then carefully levitated the Hylian down the hole, while the Bage siblings floated down under their own power, into the room where they passed the unlocked door.

The door led back to the West outdoor area, in one of the alcoves on the path in the upper level. Following the path, they dealt with a Big Deku Baba that blocked the way and entered a door in another alcove that led, according to the map, to a room without other exits, meaning that it probably contained a treasure. There, they had to fight a cousin of the Wallmaster named Floormaster (so it just walked on the floor with its fingers). It wasn't hard to kill, but once it was defeated, it separated into three smaller Floormasters that Rota quickly destroyed with beams. This materialized a chest with a key.

They then returned in the outdoor area and passed the last door at the end of the pathway which led back to the room with the blocks, on a ledge that made it inaccessible from this side. Returning to the top level of the room, they used the bow on the silver interrupter, which had for effect to open it again, twisting back the hallway so they were able to return to the room where they found the bow. From there, they passed the East door to continue the exploration of the temple.

The next room was exactly like the room of the red Poe, but this time, the paintings were of the blue Poe. Using his bow, Link helped Sweetie and the siblings in destroying the paintings one by one until the Poe was forced out, and the heroes quickly dealt with it, freeing the blue flame and materializing a big chest containing the compass.

“That’s two,” Rota said.

“About time…” Link grumbled.

They climbed to the upper level of the room and used one of their two keys to unlock the door there, entering a room similar to the one with the Wallmasters. Speaking of, Sweetie Belle immediately killed one above Link. From the angle they were, nothing could be done in this room, so they had no choice but to jump down and climb back up to the only exit at the right leading to the hallway which wasn't twisted. After dealing with two Green Bubbles (same as blue, but with green flames and just flying back and forth in a path without minding the heroes as long as they weren't in the way), they unlocked and passed the door at the end and entered a room that had a pit filled with lava with moving platforms on it.

They could tell that, under normal circumstances, Link would have had to position himself to shoot an arrow through the torch to thaw out the frozen over interrupter. Under the current circumstances, Marko decided to show off by simply scooping a blob of the molten rock up and tossing it on the ice, allowing Link to spend only one arrow to activate it without worry for the rest. As expected, this made the twisted hallway orient so the heroes could reach the previous room in the right angle to reach a hole they (Link) couldn’t previously.

Jumping into the hole, the group landed onto a checkerboard floor with a staircase leading to the East outdoor area, on a ledge. There was also a path south, but a ceiling crusher made it dangerous. There were holes in it that let them escape getting crushed (at worst), but Skulltulas lurked in them, forcing the heroes to be ready to swing, at least. On the way, they had to walk on a pressure switch to unlock the door at the end, and they opened a small chest with more arrows for Link.

Passing the door, they entered the room where the green Poe awaited them in its portrait. Link fired at it with his bow, but instead of forcing the Poe to come out, it caused a bunch of blocks to drop from the ceiling. The blocks formed an image of the green Poe, and they had to push them to reconstitute it. With some teamwork, they managed to do it very rapidly, starting with Sweetie kicking away a blue block that had nothing to do among the others. Once the image was reconstituted, the blocks disappeared in the floor and the green Poe appeared and quickly joined the other two in the afterlife.

"One left," said Link. "But where could the last one be? We explored all that we could access in this part of the temple."

"I only see one possibility: the purple Poe probably appeared in one of the already explored rooms now that the three others are gone," guessed Navi.

"Which leaves us to explore the temple again until we find said room," Sweetie Belle said with a sigh while Rota groaned and dragged her hands down her face.

Thankfully, they didn't have to go far to find the purple Poe. After passing a door and traversing another hallway with a Skulltula, they returned in the main hall from the East door on the ledge. There, they found the purple Poe in the center of the room, doing they-weren't-sure what.

“Why do I feel like it was waiting for us?” Marko asked.

This drew the Poe’s attention. Upon looking at them, it laughed and created three duplicates that turned out to be illusions. With a growl of impatience, Marko flicker-stepped to the center of the room, level with the Poes, and unleashed a horizontal ring of flaming energy outward, damaging the real one and destroying the illusions, then Link took the opportunity to fire an arrow at it. The Poe disappeared and tried to repeat the process, but Rota sent it to the afterlife early with a drilling energy beam between its eyes before it could. The flame it bore surged to the empty torch.

With the four flames back in place, the elevator lifted back up from the ground.

"Finally! Now, we can reach the big bad guy and save your friend!" Sweetie Belle said.

Link nodded. "Let's hurry."

They walked on the elevator, and it led them to the basement of the temple, in a somewhat circular room where they discovered that they could make the wall spin by pushing the 'handles'. They had to do it to open the way to alcoves where they had to walk on switches to raise grids that blocked said alcoves as well as the path to the final room. Three switches for three grids. In one of the alcoves was also a chest guarded by a Skulltula, the chest containing arrows.

Once the way was open, they unlocked the final door with the big key and passed it. In the last room, they climbed stairs to an arena with the Triforce symbol in the center and surrounded by six pictures, and Sweetie Belle had a feeling of how the coming fight would play out. Rota shared the sentiment, saying, “Keep an eye on the paintings.”

However, nothing came to attack them. Frowning, Rota walked to the exit of the arena, only to be blocked.

“That’s more like it.”

She, Sweetie and Link then heard Marko yell from behind them and turned around as the 6 foot tall man was tossed at the 5 '7 Hylian, knocking them both to the ground.

The attacker was revealed to be a dark-skinned man on a huge black horse that had appeared out of nowhere. The man had red hair and a large pointed nose, and was wearing some black and brown leather outfit that didn't seem to be quite an armor but still seemed solid enough. He still had pieces of black armor that covered the shoulders, the knees, and the back of the hands, and he also had armored brown boots. Said black armor pieces even had yellow gems encrusted in it with spikes on the knees. Finally, the guy had a jewel on his forehead. As for a weapon, the man used a three-bladed spear.

Marko and Link recovered while Rota made a comment. “If that isn’t at least what Ganondorf looks like, I’ll eat vegan for a week.”

“That’s it,” Link confirmed as he drew the Master Sword.

Then, after a small chuckle, the man put on some skull mask that let out blue fire from the eyes before they began to glow.

And the horse began to float in the air.

Definitely not magic, the filly thought with a frown as she felt the energy used by the guy. The energy felt more like the energy the Poes used. Supernatural.

Rota and Marko seemed to have similar thoughts from the looks on their faces.

Ganondorf then entered one of the pictures with his horse as he let loose a deep, dark cackle.

Sweetie, Link and the siblings went back to back, each one keeping at least 2 of the portraits in their sight.

Sweetie Belle saw Ganondorf appear in one of the pictures, his horse galloping down the path in it, and she readied a beam for when he would start to come out. However, to her surprise, the man turned around.

At this instant, Link fired an arrow at another picture, and Sweetie Belle looked and saw that he hit another Ganondorf who had been in the process of exiting the picture. Ganondorf then retreated into the picture and disappeared in it.

She had been facing an illusion. Too bad for him, it could have worked if Link had been alone, which wasn't the case here.

Ganondorf still tried his luck with this, only he used more illusions to trick the four heroes, three this time plus the real one. It still wasn't enough however as Sweetie Belle still managed to fire at the real one as he was exiting one of the pictures. Ganondorf then tried a third time with five illusions, meaning that there was a rider in all the pictures. It was Rota's quick reactions that let her fire at the real Ganondorf just before he managed to fully exit one of the pictures.

Ganondorf then left his horse as it disappeared back into the picture, the man floating around them as they surrounded him. Rota took to the air and tried simply blasting him behind his back with an energy ball, but he quickly spun around and bashed it back at her with a swing of his spear. Rota deflected the blast back, turning it into a high speed game of pong. Eventually, Ganondorf missed and was struck out of the air by the blast, stunning him long enough for the rest to get some blows in. However, he didn’t remain stunned for long, and after unleashing a burst of energy to force the heroes away, he began to levitate again as he raised his spear.

Lightning erupted from the spear, forcing the heroes to move in order to dodge the bombardment. The warlock eventually sent another energy blast at Link, who barely dodged it as he was still running from the lightning. As Ganondorf began to cackle, Sweetie materialized and used her whip to wrap his ankle and slam him into the ground, forcing him to stop and allowing Link to jump at him and slash him with his sword, only to receive a punch in return that sent the Hylian onto his back as Ganondorf recovered. The warlock then grabbed the whip still wrapped around his leg and yanked to send Sweetie into the air before returning her slam with one of his own. Sweetie Belle managed to protect herself by turning into metal, but it still hurt.

Marko slammed a punch into the back of Gaondorf’s head, sending him stumbling. The warlock then slashed the tip of his spear at the sorcerous Bage sibling, who summoned his sword to parry and counter with a spinning slash as he circled around his opponent. Ganondorf recovered from the attack and floated back into the air and sent an energy ball at Marko, who knocked it back with a baseball swing of his sword. The warlock avoided the energy ball as well as Link’s arrow before sending fireballs all around the arena. Upon seeing the heroes avoid them, he prepared to send another energy ball, only for Rota to flicker-step in front of him, knocking the ball towards the wall and slamming a punch into the man’s masked face, forcing him to drop the spear. The Saiyan woman then followed with a punch to the gut, sending him up, where Marko appeared and slammed his balled fists into his back, sending him crashing into the ground.

Link then jumped over to Ganondorf and impaled him with his sword, Sweetie following suit right after, followed by Marko. When the man moved to lift himself, Rota Instant Transmissioned in front of his head and stomped hard enough to crack the floor beneath it.

With little more than a quiet gurgle, Ganondorf’s body burst into blue flame as it began to crumble to dust.

Then, a portal appeared in the center of the arena, and the burning man slowly began to float toward it as a voice was heard.

"Mmh... That looked a little too easy for the four of you. I should have put more power in this phantom. At least, you all showed some good skills. Just know that it won't be as easy against the real me!"

"I should have known..." muttered Sweetie Belle.

The fake Ganondorf then began to disappear into the portal. "What a worthless ghost that was! I will banish it to the gap between dimensions!!" shouted the real Ganondorf as the ghost finally disappeared and the portal closed.

And then, everything was silent until a blue light appeared in the center of the arena where the portal had been.

"Yeah, that guy seemed far too weak for being an evil overlord worthy of the title," commented Sweetie Belle. "Just a pale copy. This Ganondorf may actually be a real piece of work, especially if he can open portals to the void just like that. And apparently, he's watching us."

Link nodded before he walked into the blue light, quickly joined by the filly and siblings. A crystal then appeared around them and transported them to the Chamber of Sages, in the middle of the Temple of Light in the Sacred Realm.

It was a seemingly endless blue chamber with several blue pillars. They were on one such pillar, on a symbol of the Triforce, surrounded by six pedestals, green, red, blue, orange, purple, and yellow. Each pedestal was emblazoned with a symbol.

Another blue light then appeared on the green pedestal, and out of it came a young green-haired girl in Kokiri clothing.

Seeing how Link looked at her with fondness, it was obvious that the girl was Saria. So Sweetie Belle, Rota and Marko remained behind as Saria began to talk.

"Thank you... Because of you, I could awaken as a Sage... As the Sage of the Forest Temple..."

"Saria..." muttered Link as he knelt to be at the same height as the girl. "I'm so glad you are alright. I... I missed you."

Saria smiled back at him. "I missed you too. I always believed that you would come back, although this is not to stay like I would hope. This is just not your destiny. And this is not my destiny to remain at your side. We can't live in the same world... But it is nice to see you again."

"I'm sorry..."

"And I'm sorry too. At least... As the Forest Sage, I will help you. Please, take this medallion." Saria then raised her arms, and in a flash of light, a green medallion appeared above Link, slowly floating down until he took it. The Forest Medallion.

While he took it, Saria looked at Sweetie Belle and the Bage siblings before saying, "Please, take care of him," before the area was plunged into light.

"Saria will always be... your friend..."

The next thing they knew, they were back in front of the Great Deku Tree. Sweetie Belle looked up at Link just in time to see him swiping tears. She put a hoof on his leg while Rota put a hand on his shoulder.

"This may be a goodbye, but remember, Friendship is eternal, no matter the distances, just as long as you don't forget her."

Link looked down at the filly and smiled before he knelt to pet her in thanks.

It was then that they spotted a little tree sprout now present just in front of them. The next instant, it fully came out of the ground, knocking the three of them on their back as the sprout revealed to be much bigger and possessing a face. When they recovered, they looked at the sprout in astonishment.

"Hi there!" began the sprout. "I'm the Deku Tree sprout! Because you four and Saria broke the curse on the Forest Temple, I can grow and flourish! Thanks a lot!"

"Oh... Hey! We had been talking about you! We were wondering why you hadn't sprouted! That was as we thought, in the end," Sweetie Belle said.

"Indeed. The curse placed by Ganondorf was stopping me, and because of this, I couldn't do my duty. But now, at least, I will be able to protect the Kokiris and keep the monsters away. I am sadly not as powerful yet as my father, so my influence won't spread far."

"At least, the Kokiris will be safe as long as they remain in the village," said Link. "Then, I will defeat Ganondorf, and they will be able to wander the forest like before."

"I know you can do it, especially with the help of your friends. I can feel a great power in her. Ganondorf should be worried." The sprout laughed at this before he proceeded to reveal to Link his origins.

Link knew that he was Hylian, but he didn't know how he ended up in the forest under the care of the Deku Tree and the Kokiris. Apparently, before the King of Hyrule managed to unify the country, there had been a great war. To escape it, a Hylian mother came into the forest with her baby boy. However, the mother was gravely injured and had no choice but to entrust the baby to the Deku Tree before giving her last breath. The Tree accepted, sensing the great destiny of the boy, and so, the child was raised as a Kokiri.

This child was Link, whose destiny was to save Hyrule by breaking the curses on all the temples before defeating the source of the evil: Ganondorf.

The sprout then wished them good luck before they left him to continue their quest, their job in the forest done.

However, it was starting to get pretty late, and they hadn't eaten anything since they respectively arrived in this world and woke up from the seven-year-long sleep. So they decided to spend the night in the village where the thankful Kokiris didn't mind giving them some food (Sweetie had left her Pokemon in Equestria, by accident, and the Saibamen were more interested in sleeping than eating, though Rota’s appetite sure shocked them). Link still had his home here, but it was rather small now, leaving Link no choice but to sleep on the floor while he left his old bed to Sweetie Belle. The filly at least gave him a sleeping bag that she had in her pocket dimension, making it bigger because it was too small for him. The Bage siblings, meanwhile, were fine sleeping on the floor, though Rota was curled up like a cat at the foot of Link’s old bed while Marko sat in a meditation pose.

And so, they all spent the night in peace and relative comfort.

Author's Note

It is at this point I am starting to regret the ambition of my goal.

Regardless, I will forge on.

Stay true to you.

Chapter 12: Down the Well in search of Truth.

Author's Note

Just like Lucar with his original fic, I am not doing the Gold Skulltula Quest.

The amount of backtracking that is involved in the main story is already a bit tedious for my autism to handle, I am not adding what amounts to 100 instances of Gilded Pest Control for a heart piece that I can't incorporate in terms of story lore and a bigger wallet for Link.

It would be Christmas IRL by the time I get out of this arc if I do that, anywhow.

Without any further ado, enjoy this second new chapter in a single day.

Chapter 12: Down the Well in search of Truth.

After a good night’s rest, the four heroes were ready to continue their adventure. Rota left the Saibamen to the Kokiri and, under the goodbyes of the latter, she, Sweetie, Marko and Link left the village and forest. They found Epona where they left her the previous day and, after giving her some pets, Link climbed on her, followed by Sweetie Belle, who sat on her rump, while the siblings, as usual, flew close by.

Navi reminded them that they should return to the Temple of Time so Link could return to the past to search for whatever was hidden at the bottom of the well in Kakariko village, so they journeyed toward Hyrule Castle Town. Upon reaching it, the area immediately darkened, reminding them of the state of the town.

They left Epona before the broken drawbridge and traversed the moat to enter the town. When they saw that the ReDeads were back everywhere, Link had the idea of using the Sun's Song, which had for effect to stun all the ReDeads, and Sweetie Belle took the occasion to kill all of them rapidly, opening the path to the Temple of Time.

They entered the building, Sweetie and the Bage siblings amazed that, despite everything going on, the inside was still pristine. Not a trace of dust, rubble or overgrowth could be seen on the wall and checkerboard floor. The stones that were the key to Hyrule’s Sacred Realm were present on the pedestal.

Sweetie, Rota and Marko could all feel the divine presence that protected this place. But this led to the question of why the immediate area around the building was free of ReDeads, whereas they seemed to infest the town beyond.

Leaving that to be answered later (if ever), they also saw a large pedestal emblazoned with the symbol of the Triforce, like the one in front of the Forest Temple.

When they passed the still open doors leading to the Sacred Realm where the Master Sword's pedestal was, they found Sheik waiting for them.

"You destroyed the wicked creatures that haunted the temple and awakened the Sage..." he began. "But there are other Sages who need your help. In order to awaken all the other Sages, you must become even more powerful. You must travel over mountains... under water... and even through time..."

Link nodded as Navi said "We were just about to place the Master Sword back in the pedestal like you said. We have something to do in the past."

Sheik nodded. "In order for you to return here quickly, I will teach you this song... The song to return to the Temple of Time... The Prelude of Light..."

Link and Sheik then both took their instrument, and the Sheikah teached the Hylian the song. As they played the song, a light appeared above them, bathing the room in its warmth.

"As long as you hold the Ocarina of Time and the Master Sword, you hold Time itself in your hands..." then said Sheik once they were done. "Now, if you wish to return to your original time, place the Master Sword in the Pedestal of Time. But remember what I said."

“Whether or not we can come is dependent on the will of the Goddesses, we know,” Rota said while nodding. She then placed a hand to her chin in thought. “Although, I think I have a way to at least make sure we’re not misunderstood. I doubt just holding onto him will do… Maybe the Song of Time mixed with my Instant Transmission? It is capable of moving the user through time, under the right circumstances. Or we could try the Song of Time while holding on to him…”

Sheik repeated Rota's gesture as he thought about it. "Going in his clothes wouldn't work. Navi would return to the past with Link because she also slept seven years with him, but that wasn't the case for the three of you." He then looked back at the Saiyan. "As for the Song of Time... It can let you go to the past, but it would depend on the Goddess of Time, as you have clearly ascertained. Maybe she will let you follow Link, or maybe she won't. You can't be certain."

“I figured the Song of Time was more like a way to contact the Goddess for help. Glad to hear that is the case,” Rota said in reply. “Mmh... Now I wonder if it can be used to call Gods of Time in other universes," she thought aloud before she looked at Sheik. "At least, we can try to use the song now and see if the Goddess of Time will let us go to the past with Link. If she doesn't..."

“Then we’ll wait here or see if we can clear out the ReDeads,” Marko said when Rota paused.

This made both Link and Sheik chuckle before Link moved to plant the Master Sword in the pedestal. Sweetie Belle went to sit beside him and began to sing the Song of Time just as Link planted the sword while Rota nd Marko stood nearby, Rota with two finger from her left hand pointed at her forehead while Marko held her shoulder. A blue light then surrounded the four of them and everything was plunged in light. When the light disappeared, Sweetie Belle opened her eyes and looked at Link to see if it worked.

And yes, it worked. Link now looked as tall as the Master Sword planted in the pedestal, and his Hylian Shield looked very huge on his back. He also had a more juvenile look.

Yes, it was Link when he was eleven years old. They both successfully traveled seven years back in time.

But then, why was Link looking that tall compared to her? She should be about half his size now, but to her, he still looked almost as tall as he was when he was an adult.

Looking over to where Rota and Marko last were, Sweetie saw that they looked pretty much unchanged, aside from seeming younger themselves. Rota looked over at Sweetie Belle and stared for a moment… Then.

“Pfff AHAHAHAHA! Sweetie Belle... if I were still… as old as I was before… this would not be… as funny as it is for me… I swear. HAH!” Rota managed to sputter out between laughing fits before falling to her back guffawing. Marko, meanwhile, simply gave Rota an unamused look before telling it to Sweetie Bell straight.

“Sweetie Belle, you’re 6 years old, now.”

“WHAT!?!” The filly near literally squeaked, her voice also more high pitched than before.

Link giggled at her reaction after seeing Sweetie Belle’s younger form, while Navi began to circle her as she playfully said, "I didn't think that you would become even more dangerous by going to the past. But look at you now, people and monsters will die of heart attack just by looking at you."

To this, the now six-years old filly answered with a pout, and the next instant, Navi dropped to the ground with a "Urk!" making Link and Rota laugh even more.

Sweetie Belle giggled too. "Be lucky I didn't rejuvenate all the way back to a newborn foal, or trust me, you wouldn't have lasted one second." She then looked at Link with puppy dog eyes. "Right, Link?"

Link quickly put a hand over his eyes and looked away. "Arg! Don't look at me like that!" He then dramatically put a hand on his heart. "Arg... I'm dying... The Gods will have to find someone else to defeat Ganondorf..." And he dropped on the ground with a "Bleh!"

Sweetie Belle raised her forelegs. "MWAHAHA!!! I killed the Hero of Time! Everyone will fear my cuteness! And I will rule the world as the most adorable overlord of all time!" She maintained her pose for a few seconds before dropping in laughter. “No thank you! I’m already a queen of a kingdom in another world, that’s enough for me.”

Link and Navi both laughed as they got up from the floor before the Hylian said, "Wait, you're a queen?" in shock.

"Yeah, long story. But no need to call me queen, your majesty, or whatever. I don't care about that, and I'm not ruling yet anyway. There's a regent in my place for now. And really, I'm only queen because a king gave me the title after we killed the previous ruler who had become evil."

"I would like to hear this story. Sounds interesting," Link said.

"You have no idea. I will recount it to you while we go to Kakariko Village if you wish."

“Now this I’d like to hear as well,” Rota said while Marko rolled his eyes.

Link nodded before he equipped himself with a smaller sword and a wooden shield, both of Kokiri origin.

They then left the temple, and Link smiled when he saw the not yet ruined town around. It was slightly damaged by Ganondorf's raid before he got the Master Sword, but it wasn't destroyed yet. The sky was still clear, Death Mountain didn't seem about to erupt, and Hyrule Castle was still present in all its beauty in the place of Ganondorf's Castle.

Of course, he knew that it was only a matter of time before Ganondorf came back and assaulted the town with an army of monsters and the full power of the Triforce.

When they reached the market, it was bursting with activities. People were everywhere, shopping, talking to each others, and there was even a couple who danced. Despite what happened, and what will happen, the citizens of the town still lived without care in that calm before the storm.

Then, a woman spotted Sweetie Belle, and the next thing she knew, she had to escape a crowd of people wanting to snuggle her, with Link and Rota on the floor laughing as Marko simply thumped his head against a nearby wall.

Link obviously didn't have Epona at this time, so they simply walked to Kakariko Village, Sweetie Belle recounting how she became Queen of Floralia on the way. About Sectonia and her fall into madness because of a cursed mirror. Of her foalnapping and how her friends traversed many trials to save her. Of the fight against her brainwashed-self followed by the one against Sectonia to save the world.

To hear that the queen couldn't be saved from her madness was saddening, but Link knew that, despite their best efforts, not everyone could be saved, like he couldn't save the Deku Tree.

He also understood that the filly beside him really had shown only a small fraction of her powers and that the Deku Tree sprout was right, Ganondorf should be worried.

Eventually, they arrived at Kakariko Village.

Seven years ago, the village wasn't yet as big as it was in the future, having not yet taken in the citizens of Hyrule Castle Town who had escaped, although some houses were already being built. And without the threat of Death Mountain nearby, the village was as peaceful as it could be.

And of course, the well wasn't dried yet, as the heroes saw when they walked to it after losing several minutes because of Sweetie Belle being snuggled, petted, and pampered by several people on the way.

Six-years old Sweetie Belle really was too adorable for her own good. It was already at the limit when she was thirteen-years old, but now…

Thankfully, the pettings stopped when Marko started glaring at anyone approaching that even looked at Sweetie Belle adoringly, letting them finally get to the well.

“Alright, you know what to do, Link,” Rota said as she gestured at the windmill.

Link nodded. “You three, wait for me here.”

As the Hylian walked away, the filly, Saiyan and human looked at the windmill as the last muttered "The poor guy..." When Link entered the building, they couldn't hear him play the Song of Storms, but they could tell when he played it as the wheel began to spin faster and faster a few seconds later. Link then quickly ran out of the building in panic under the screams of the man muffled by the sound of the rain and thunder. Meanwhile, Sweetie Belle and Rota saw the well being drained.

When Link joined them, Sweetie Belle pointed at the well. "It worked!"

“I’ll wait up here, in case anything makes it out behind your backs, and so there is a little more space. Rota, you should be able to follow them in,” Marko said.

With a chuckle, Rota followed the children down the well and traversed the tunnel that the boulder was blocking off in the future, only to quickly reach what seemed to be a dead end with a very small passage. Too small for an adult to crawl through.

"Seems like even if we had managed to come here in the future, you wouldn't have been able to continue without my help," remarked Sweetie Belle.

"One point for the kid-side," said Link to this.

“I’ll Instant transmission beside you when I can sense you’re in a large enough room,” Rota said while she leaned against the side of the tunnel.

Link then crawled through the passage, followed by Sweetie Belle who didn't need to crawl. On the other side, they then just had to jump down a small ladder to reach a corridor.

To their horror, the corridor had some dried blood covering the walls, and for a reason that was probably not good, there were chains hanging from the walls and ceiling. As for the floor, it was actually a grid.

They were so shocked that they missed Rota coming out of Instant Transmission a little ahead of them. The Saiyan woman, unlike the Hylian boy and Alicorn filly, was not very shocked to see her surroundings. Off put, to be sure, but not shocked.

“Geez. I thought a place like this would have been part of the castle, not beneath a cozy little village,” Rota said, a nervous edge entering her tone.

“What is this place?” Sweetie Belle demanded.

“If the Sheikah are like any other groups that work for their government leaders in the shadows, then these would be the local operatives…. Interrogation chambers, let’s call them,” the Saiyan said, her voice carefully controlled to keep from trembling.

Sensing she was trying to stay calm herself in order to keep them calm, Link made a decision. “Let’s get this done as quickly as possible so we can leave.”

With a confirming nod from Sweetie and Rota, the trio pushed forward, dealing with a Skulltula only to find a dead end when Navi spoke up… from next to a skeleton propped up against the back wall.

“Hey. I think I can hear the spirit of this skeleton… talking…” the fairy said. “‘Find the Eye of Truth,’ he keeps saying… over and over…”

Creepiness aside, Link crossed his arms as he gave thought to the spirit’s words. Rota, scratching her head, voiced a thought aloud.

“OK so that confirms that what we’re looking for is an object of some kind. Maybe a lens or magnifying glass that can see through illusions?” The Saiyan pondered aloud.

“That’s what it seems to be,” Navi agreed.

"Of course! It's obvious!" shouted Sweetie Belle. "And if this is like with the Forest Temple, then this means that this place will be full of illusions and invisible stuff, and we will need this object to reveal them! Like..." She pointed at the wall behind the skeleton. "This wall! Now I'm sure that it's an illusion, or at least part of it!"

Having the same conclusion, Link approached the wall and attempted to touch it with his hand, only for the hand to pass through it as if the wall didn't exist. With a nod to Sweetie Belle, he then passed the wall, followed by the others.

The next part of this seemingly new dungeon was pretty much in the same style than the previous hallway, only the floor was made of stone bricks instead of being a grid. It really looked like a real dungeon, including chains hanging from wooden planks against the walls. Just in front of the entrance was a small pit filled with water coming from two small streams at the left and right. And a big Green Bubble passed before it and followed the right stream before disappearing around a corner.

Sweetie Belle looked at the water. "If this place is as filled with illusions as we think, then I propose that we walk in the water. Like this, we won't risk falling into a pit."

“Agreed. In the water, we’ll at least be able to see the pitfalls before we fall into them,” Rota concurred. “But, now, which way do we go? Left or right?”

In the end, they randomly chose right. Following the stream, they followed the same path than the Green Bubble they saw earlier and rounded a corner to the left. Not minding the green Bubble further in front of them, they continued to follow the stream, passed beside a grid without door behind which a Like Like (a cylindrical yellowish gooish monster that could eat objects like shields) could be seen, and rounded another corner to the left where Sweetie Belle finally killed the Green Bubble with a beam while passing in front of a scary picture that apparently said "Danger below".

Link threw a Deku Nut under the picture, and the nut fell through the floor, revealing it to be a pit hidden by an illusion. Meaning that they did well to walk in the water. There really were hidden pits in this dungeon.

Not minding a small passage where Link would have to crawl through, they then reached the origin of the stream, or streams as it also seemed to be the origin of the other stream, meaning that they would have also ended up here if they had taken the left.

So this place had formed a square.

The water was coming out of the mouth of a weird statue head in the wall, and a Triforce symbol with a blue center could be seen under the water.

Link immediately understood what he had to do as he took the ocarina and began to play a song. Then, as if by magic, water stopped to come out of the mouth of the statue, and the water present in the room began to drain, including in the small pit below the statue.

"What was that song?" asked the filly.

"Zelda's Lullaby," answered Link. "It's actually a song transmitted in the Royal Family that Zelda taught me. As you saw, it activates mechanisms and opens paths. So it seems that the King participated in hiding this place."

Sweetie Belle and Rota nodded in understanding.

If the water drained here, then it meant that the water in the pit at the entrance was also drained, certainly allowing them to reach an important room. So they returned to the entrance, this time by the left path, passing beside another small pit with metal grating above it. They hesitated to see what was beyond that pit, but they decided to see first what was in the pit in front of the entrance, so they continued. They also saw a door that didn't seem to be able to be opened from this side, unless they had to walk on a switch to open it.

Back at the entrance, they jumped in the now empty pit and found a small chest containing bombs as well as a small passage, again. They went through it, killed another Skulltula, climbed some vines, and passed a metallic door.

Before she even saw the room properly, Rota was on high alert, her every instinct telling her to keep her guard up. Turning to face the room in full, the group found themselves gobsmacked at the new room.

Frankly, ‘room’ seemed to be too civilized of a descriptor for this space, more fittingly describable as the den of a bloodthirsty creature, judging by the bones littering the ground, as well as ‘decorating’ the walls. In four spaces in the room, there were long, gangly, pale arms ending in hooked hands and covered in blood stretched toward the ceiling.

As mentioned, Den of a Bloodthirsty Creature. But what put off the heroes most was… where was the creature itself?

Rota put her hand above her head, palm facing up. Energy gathered into the shape of a disc, before the Saiyan hurled it at one of the arms, cutting it in half in an attempt to draw out the creature. But that did nothing of the sort, as a new hand grew to replace the severed one.

“Looks like one of us will have to bait it out, then,” Sweetie Belle observed.

Link sighed. "I'll do it."

The boy then approached one of the arms and, faster than he could blink, the arm grabbed his head, and a horrifying pale creature came out of the ground beside him.

The nightmarish creature looked like a fat zombie without legs, with small pink arms without hands, and with a long neck with a lipless bald head that showed to all its dentition, and like the arms coming out of the floor, its body was covered in bloodstains.

Rota, more out of fear than anything, blasted it with an energy disc powerful enough to go straight through the creature’s neck… and the wall for a good mile behind it before it eventually dissipated. The creature’s head fell to the ground as green blood began oozing from the creature’s neck in spite of the burns sealing its wound shut. The dead body fell lifelessly to the ground, along with the arms, its head rolling away from the small impact.

Sweetie Belle got goosebumps as she looked at the corpse of the monster. "I have seen some really creepy stuff in my adventures, but that thing easily reaches the top five. What a horrible monster."

“You said it best,” Rota agreed.

"That was a Dead Hand," informed Navi. "Probably one of the most terrifying monsters that can be found. Thankfully, they are very rare."

"Yeah, thankfully. Are you alright, Link?" the filly asked the boy.

"Yeah, the hand barely hurt. Thanks for the save," Link answered as he nodded at Rota. Then, he opened the chest, finding in it some purple object with a lens with the drawing of an eye on it. "This must be what we’re looking for, a lens that reveals the truth." He immediately tested it, seeing that it worked as he was able to see an invisible chest in the room. He could even see through the chest, seeing that it contained a golden rupee (worth two hundreds rupees). "I already love this object."

"So, we have the Lens of Truth. That means that we can now see through the illusions. Should we continue to explore this dungeon with it?" Rota inquired.

Link nodded, albeit hesitantly. "There may be other useful treasures."

So, with the help of the lens, they continued their exploration of the place and indeed found some more treasures, although none as important as the lens itself. Thanks to the lens, they could see the fake walls and floor, discovering a secret room. They also explored the secondary passages they had spotted earlier but hadn't minded. Sweetie Belle also flew into one of the pits previously hidden by the fake floor to see where they led and discovered another floor with a pit filled with green poisonous water and several paths.

In the lower floor was a map of the dungeon, and in a small secret room behind bars, they found the compass. They also found some keys here and there that let them reach other treasures. However, they ended up having to fight more monsters including ReDeads, Wallmasters, Gibdos (mummy monsters), the Like Like they had seen earlier, some Fire Keeses (bat monsters in fire), and even a Beamos (a statue with a rotating eye that fired a beam that Link could only destroy with a bomb). By the same occasion, Sweetie Belle and Rota discovered the existence of Bomb Flowers, which were plants with bomb-looking fruits that could explode, so they could be used as replacement bombs to save real bombs.

By the time they left the well, they were richer by some rupees, some more ammunition like Deku Nuts for Link, and even a spare Hylian Shield in case a Like Like manages to eat his current one. Link also got a fairy that he put in one of his bottles.

Sweetie Belle wondered about the moral of trapping a fairy in a bottle, but apparently, it was okay. If Link was knocked out, the fairy would come out of the bottle to heal him, saving his life.

With the lens in their possession, the trio met back up with Marko on the surface and the group returned to the Temple of Time to return to the future, also making sure to fill Marko in on what he missed down in the well.

"Rota! If those flowers are explosive, don't juggle them!"

Chapter 13: Death Mountain and The Fire Temple.

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 14: The Zora's Domain.

"Let's return to the crater," Link suddenly said before he turned around to reenter the crater of Death Mountain.

"Huh? Why?" asked Sweetie Belle at his side.

"I was never able to explore the crater before, for obvious reasons. It's important to explore everywhere, you never know where you may find something useful. A secret grotto with a treasure inside, or even a Fairy Fountain with, if we’re lucky, a Great Fairy."

“Fairies? In that heat? Are you sure?” The filly questioned.

“Need I remind you that Navi spent the whole time we were in the temple at our side and she’s just fine?” Rota snarked as Marko nodded.

“Yeah, we fairies can survive in any environment in this world,” Navi confirmed.

“Good point,” Sweetie conceded.

So they returned to the crater, searched, and found something. However, it was blocked by solid boulders that couldn't be destroyed even with the bombs. But then, having a hunch, Link used his hammer, managing to destroy the boulders and free the path.

The tunnel behind the boulder led to a Fairy Fountain, a very enchanting place full of fairies with a Triforce symbol at the front. Standing on it, Link played Zelda's Lullaby, invoking a Great Fairy.

She didn't look at all like Sweetie Belle and the Bage siblings expected... Fairies were generally small and adorable...

Not this one.

The Great Fairy was actually very tall, easily dwarfing the three humanoids, had only a light cloth covering her body and two long socks covering her legs, and had a lot of makeup. She didn't even have wings like all the other fairies.

But the filly, Saiyan and Human could feel the power she commanded. Despite her appearance, she was clearly a force to be reckoned with.

As proof of her power, she enhanced Link’s magic reserve, effectively doubling the amount of magic he could utilize before needing to recharge.

And before leaving, the fairy gave one last piece of advice. "You are going to the Zora's Domain now, right? Then, I suggest that you keep a spare bottle empty. You will need it. If you don't want to empty the ones you possess right now, then you should return to Hyrule Castle Town. A man there will give you another bottle in exchange for a... favor."

With these words, the Great Fairy disappeared.

Sweetie Belle and Link turned to stare at each other while Rota and Marko respectively dragged her palms down her face and slapped his own forehead.

“A man? In that place infested with bloodthirsty zombies?” Sweetie Belle wondered.

Link shrugged before Rota cut in. “Moving past the fact that, vague as they can be, deity-like beings never outright lie about their own worlds in a situation like this, you would be AMAZED at the lengths some people will go to in order to do something they’ve set their mind to. Long story short, if she says there’s someone in that town, then there’s someone there.”

Link then said his own thoughts. “Besides, a fourth bottle could come in handy in other ways.”

“Alright then. Back to Hyrule Castle Town it is." The filly conceded.

So Link played the Prelude of Light to warp to the Temple of Time, gaining time. Sweetie Belle and the Bage siblings followed him with a teleportation and Instant Transmission, respectively.

Back in Hyrule Castle Town, they left the Temple of Time, quickly killed the ReDeads around, and began to search for that man.

They found him inside the old guardhouse, beside the drawbridge.

The man was very... weird... to say the least. He was cloaked, only had one eye, loved Poes, and even was able to keep spirits in cages.

Then he told them that he would buy any Poe they would bring him, and there were apparently ten large ones haunting the Hyrule Field that he would like to have. If they managed to bring the ten big Poes to him then he would recompense them.

What he forgot to say, that the Great Fairy also didn't think about, was that they needed an empty bottle to keep the Poes trapped, so they still needed to empty one of the ones they had.

Thankfully Sweetie Belle was there. She could perfectly keep a ghost trapped thanks to her powers.

So, with the help of Epona (that Link had to call with her song), they wandered Hyrule Field in search of the Poes, finding them one by one. As soon as they found one, Sweetie Belle trapped it inside a magical cage that she kept levitating beside her. Once they had the ten Poes, they returned to the guardhouse and gave them to the man who gave a bottle in return.

With the bottle in their possession, they then went toward the river and went up it.

The river was full of Octoroks, but thanks to a magical floating plant that Link had apparently planted seven years ago, they passed above most of it before landing not far of the entrance to the Zora's Domain, which was hidden behind a waterfall. Link playing Zelda's Lullaby at the right place parted it, opening the way for them.

They entered the Zora's Domain…

Only to look in horror as they discovered the place entirely frozen, and not a single Zora could be seen.

Link grit his teeth. "Here too..."

Sweetie Belle huffed while Rota and Marko seethed with rage, the former flashing into Super Saiyan momentarily as flames subtly wreathed the latter. "Seems like there really isn't a place on Hyrule that has been spared by Ganondorf. Let's still search to see if we can find the Zoras."

Link nodded and, once the siblings had calmed down a bit, the group began to search. But they couldn’t find the Zoras anywhere, not even in the houses. What confused them most, however, was the presence of what seemed to be red ice blocking off what Link remembered was the shop entrance.

Link sighed at this. “Of course…”

“Something you need in here?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“A blue tunic. If the next temple is where I think it is, then I’ll need that tunic to breathe underwater,” Link confirmed.

“Right, the next temple is likely underwater. Though for now, we’ll need to melt this ice.” Marko pondered before turning his attention to the red ice. He then gestured for the others to get out from in front of him as he leveled his palm to it. He then unleashed a torrent of flames on the red ice, melting the normal ice around it, but not affecting it directly. “Damn.”

Not sure what else they could do about the red ice, they continued to explore the Domain, eventually going to the King's throne room. There, they found the Zora King himself trapped in more red ice.

"Oh no..." said Sweetie Belle as the Bage siblings hung their heads in respect..

Link sighed. "In the end, there's nothing we can do here... No, wait... There may be something."

"Really? What?"

"Follow me."

Link entered a tunnel that was behind the frozen king, followed by the filly. Midway through the tunnel, which was also filled with frozen water, they reached a point where the water wasn't frozen, but very cold. Eventually, they reached the Zora's Fountain, which was the den of the Great Jabu-Jabu, now gone too. The Fountain was only partially frozen however, and it was snowing. A fog also limited their view.

"As I thought..." muttered Link before he looked at the group. "I remember that there is a cavern that I couldn't reach before. Now that the water is partially covered in ice, maybe I will be able to enter it. We may find something in it."

Sweetie Belle, Rota and Marko all nodded in understanding.

So they went on the ice and jumped from ice platform to ice platform, dealing with Octoroks on the way, before reaching the cavern Link talked about, and they entered it.

The cavern was absolutely frozen, filled with stalactites that could fall anytime to impale them, so they made sure to destroy all of them for their security. On the way, they also found more of that red ice, thankfully not blocking the path, just being a small obstacle to circle. They however had to also destroy stalagmites blocking the way.

They then reached a room with the ground covered in slippery ice. Some enemies looking like statues of ice named Freezards were present, sending streams of ice at the heroes and even sliding on the ice to charge at them. The Freezards weren't hard to approach and to destroy once the heroes avoided the streams, but a Blade Trap (a metallic object covered in blades that kind of reminded Sweetie Belle of Gordos) circling the room made the task much more dangerous because it was easy for them, especially Link, to slip into its path.

So Marko simplified things by carrying Link to the center of the room where the Hylian used Din’s Fire, killing almost everything in the room. The survivors were then picked off by Sweetie Belle and Rota.

Their destruction caused bars blocking a passage between two crystals of red ice to rise, letting the heroes continue.

"Uuh... Is it just me or is this cavern actually a dungeon?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"It seems to be," Link agreed. "I frankly didn't think that we would be exploring a dungeon in this cavern, so close to the Zora's Domain."

Following the new passage, they reached a new room with a giant spinning blade and some silver rupees floating here and there. The blade wasn't a big problem as it was high enough that Link and the siblings could avoid it by ducking, and the blade passed above Sweetie's head (it was good to be small!).

It wasn't the first time they saw those silver rupees. Back at the bottom of the well, there were some of them on the bottom floor. They had to take all of them in order to open the path for them to return to the top floor.

If it was the same thing here, then it meant that they had to find all the silver rupees in the room while avoiding being beheaded by the blade. No problem! Although, as they entered the room, some jars acted like the tiles back in the Fire Temple, levitating and charging at them. Sweetie Belle and the Bage siblings simply destroyed them with their beams.

Three rupees were all over the room, a fourth was hidden in a small alcove behind stalagmites, and a fifth was up in the air. Link could reach it by jumping from a ledge (where an exit of the room was), but Rota simply flew to it. With the five silver rupees in their possession, the bars blocking the exit on the ledge disappeared, letting them continue.

Following the path, fighting a Freezard and avoiding more Blade Traps moving back and forth, they reached a third room also with slippery ice floor. There were some more Freezards as well as many Ice Keeses that the heroes quickly dealt with, mainly Sweetie Belle with her beams. More Blade Traps were also present, but they weren't dangerous as long as the heroes followed the path formed by the platforms that they climbed on.

On one of the platforms, they found a blue fire that wasn't natural, like Navi noted. The fairy also said that this fire could probably be used for something.

It wasn't hard to guess what that something was: melting the red ice. Speaking of, there was a crystal of red ice covering a big chest further.

But now, they had to bring the fire to the red ice, and using a Deku Stick didn't work. Link also fired an arrow through it, but no luck either.

Marko tried controlling it, but could only call a handful of it to him at a single time.

Seeing that gave Rota an idea. She grabbed Link’s empty bottle and told her brother to try and put the blue fire in it. Somehow, it worked.

“OK, that’s new even for us,” the Saiyan said as she handed the bottle back to Link while Marko took another handful of blue flame and tossed it on the red ice trapping the chest.

“It at least explains why the Great Fairy told us to have a spare empty bottle,” Navi said.

Sweetie Belle stared at the fire in the bottle in wonder. "Okay... Even for me, this is very far-fetched. And I saw many weird things in my adventures. Fire in a bottle, really..."

“At least, now, we can melt the red ice,” Link said as he moved to the chest that Marko freed from the ice. Opening it up, he found a map of the cavern.

“Hopefully there are more of these blue flames. Having to come back here every time we need one would get annoying quickly,” Marko said.

Link agreed, but he only had one spare bottle. He could empty the others, but he didn't want to release the fairy and to waste the potions he bought.

For now, he stowed the bottle of fire on his belt and they returned to the room with the spinning blade where they used the fire to melt some stalagmites of red ice blocking another exit that led to a room that was a dead end. But within said dead end room was possibly some form of treasure.

So they entered the room and immediately spotted another big chest trapped in red ice. Thankfully, there was a blue fire in the room too, so they destroyed the many stalagmites that were a little everywhere, filled the bottle with the fire, and used the fire on the red ice to open the chest and get the compass in it. Link then filled his bottle again with the fire and they returned to the previous room for the third time, this time using the fire to melt a wall of red ice blocking the last exit..

The passage led to a huge room with a strangely checkered ice floor and a big ice block. Blue fire was present in an alcove too far up to reach it with a jump, silver rupees were around mainly on pillars, and some Ice Keeses too.

Their goal: push the ice block around so they could use it to reach the silver rupees and the blue fire that they needed to melt the red ice covering one of the rupees in another alcove. The problem? Because of the slippery floor, once the block was pushed, it didn't stop sliding until it was either stopped by an obstacle or fell in a pit surrounding the area.

“So, we can either let you do this while Sweetie, Marko and I deal with the Keeses, or one of the three of us capable of flying can just go around and grab the silver rupees with the bottle, if it isn’t Marko,” Rota said.

“Let’s do the former, looks like fun. Just make sure those Keeses don’t get annoying,” Link answered, receiving a trio of nods in return.

It wasn't hard in the end. Link managed to push the block toward the alcove with the fire to get it before pushing the block into the pit around. As he thought, a new block appeared at the beginning, and he managed to push it toward the alcove with the rupee trapped in ice. He then pushed the block in the pit again to reset it.

Instead of losing time by pushing the block to the alcove with the fire, he then gave the empty bottle to Sweetie Belle (who had let the Bage siblings handle the Ice Keeses) so she could fly to the fire with it and fill it. Meanwhile, Link pushed the block around to get the four remaining silver rupees (one of them didn't even need the block to be reached), doing a full loop with it before he pushed it toward the ledge on which was the now opened exit.

The next passage held some Freezards that they had to deal with before they reached a wall of red ice. Rather than have Link use the bottled blue fire, Marko simply went back to the previous room, grabbed a handful of it from the alcove, came back and tossed it on the red ice wall, melting it in one go. The group then continued before they passed a door camouflaged in the ice, entering a beautiful room with walls full of little blue lights.

Behind them, bars appeared to block the door.

And suddenly, a White Wolfos appeared.

Easily killed. It wasn't because it was white that it was harder to kill than the normal Wolfos. It was just as easy.

Just after it died, a big chest appeared, containing iron boots for Link.

To put it simply, the boots were so heavy that, while Link won't be able to run while wearing them, he will be able to walk in the bottom of the water without the whole floating part. Useful to explore the seabed, without forgetting that Link will be able to resist strong currents and to step on rusted switches without using the hammer.

And since the next temple was apparently under water, these boots will quickly get many uses.

Rota smirked before speaking. “Well, you’ve got some timing there, Sheik.”

Link and Sweetie Belle gave a slight jump as they turned around at the proclamation to see, sure enough, Sheik was behind them. They hadn’t even heard him enter! Marko, on the other hand, was as calm as Rota.

“Seriously, he’s a ninja…” Sweetie belle muttered to herself.

“If you’ve come seeking to meet the Zora, you have wasted your time… Save for one, they are all trapped beneath this thick sheet of ice we now stand over,” Sheik said, foregoing greetings.

The four heroes sighed in relief at this. “So they are safe, in a way,” Link said.

“For a moment I was afraid it was like with the Gorons,” Sweetie Belle added.

Sheik nodded at them before he continued. "I managed to rescue the Zora princess from under the ice, but... she left to head for the Water Temple..."

Link groaned at this, covering his face with one hand.

"This ice is created by an evil curse..." continued Sheik again. "The monster in the Water Temple is the source of the curse. Unless you shut off the source, this ice will never melt..." He then fully looked at Link. "If you have courage enough to face the danger and save the Zoras, I will teach you the melody that leads to the temple."

Link nodded and prepared his ocarina.

But before, Sheik continued to talk. "Time passes, people move... Like a river's flow, it never ends... A childish mind will turn to noble ambition... Young love will become deep affection... The clear water's surface reflects growth... Now listen to the Serenade of Water to reflect upon yourself..."

At this, he finally took his lyre and taught Link the song.

Between Sheik's words as deep as the sea and the song, Sweetie Belle couldn't help but reflect on her own personal growth since... Since that accident. Time sure passed since then, and Sweetie Belle was now a very different filly than she was back then. It certainly wasn't the Sweetie Belle of back then who could have snapped the neck of a wolf, dying or otherwise, without even giving a second thought. The Sweetie Belle of back then would have frozen in horror at the sight of the Dead Hand. And she knew that these changes will continue as time continues. How different will she be by the time she finally becomes a Goddess? She could only guess. She just knew that, when she will be a Goddess, she will be beyond Time, but does it mean that she will stop changing? Stop growing?

Rota and Marko, on the other hand, glanced at each other with a familial fondness as they reminisced on the memories of them and their siblings, sharing a hug.

After they were done, Sheik left like he always did, leaving them to continue, both their journey and their reflections.

"He sure knows how to make us think upon our life," commented Sweetie Belle.

Link nodded. "Yeah..."

Rota and Marko both just grunted in affirmation.

Continuing, they approached a hole full of water and Link equipped the boots before jumping in it, followed by Sweetie Belle and the siblings. At the bottom of the hole, Link opened a door that led to a path eventually coming out of water and leading back to the first room where they fought the first Freezards. There, Link took off the boots before they left the cavern.

“We have some blue fire, right?” Navi suddenly asked. “We’ll need it to thaw out the King Zora.”

Checking his spare bottle, Link found that the blue fire was still there and sighed in relief.

Returning to the throne room, Link handed the bottle of blue fire to Sweetie Belle, who poured it over the frozen King Zora’s head. Within seconds, the king was free.

"Oh! I've come back to life!" shouted the regal fat fishman before he looked down at the filly who jumped on the platform facing the king, followed by Link and the Bage Siblings. "Is it you who saved me?"

Sweetie Belle nodded. "Uhuh! We got the blue fire in the cavern behind the Fountain! Uh, speaking of, I should return to get more fire to melt the red ice blocking the shop." She then bowed to the king before teleporting away.

The king then looked at LInk. "I think I recognize you. You saved my daughter seven years ago."

Link nodded. "And now, I must go to the Water Temple to save your people trapped under the ice."

"Aah... The Water Temple. You will need to breathe underwater to enter it. There. As an expression of my gratitude, I grant you this tunic. With this, you won't choke underwater. Sadly, we only have the one to give at the moment."

Marko spoke up for himself and Rota. “I know a water-breathing spell. Should last long enough to let us help in the Temple.”

Regardless, Link received the tunic he needed.

With it and the boots, he was now ready to enter the Water Temple.

Sweetie Belle then appeared beside them. "It's done. The red ice blocking the shop is gone. The shopkeeper Zora is still in it, so you will be able to buy stuff in it if you want. I also filled the bottle with another flame just in case."

Link nodded. "Thank you Sweetie Belle." He took his ocarina. "Now, let's go to the Water Temple."

And he played the Serenade of Water, warping to the Water Temple.

Sweetie Belle and the Bage siblings all sung the Serenade too, following Link.

The group warped to Lake Hylia. Or what was left of it, as they found out once their vision cleared.

The lake had been drained almost entirely!

"Seems like the Domain isn't the only place that has been affected by this monster," noted Sweetie Belle.

Link nodded before he put on the blue tunic. "Can you breathe underwater?"

"Yeah. Don't worry."

Marko then cast his Water-breathing spell on himself and Rota, granting them both roughly twelve hours reprieve from drowning.

With this done, Link nodded and approached the edge of the island they had warped on, equipped the boots, and jumped, disappearing in the little water that remained. Sweetie Belle followed, deciding to turn into metal to also walk at the bottom without problem. The Bage siblings, meanwhile, were able to use their flight to maneuver underwater just fine.

They landed just in front of the entrance to the temple.

"Alright! You all cleared the first two temples as if they were nothing! I'm sure you will have no problem with this one, too!" said Navi at this moment.

Sweetie Belle groaned while Marko facepalmed and Rota deadpanned at the fairy. "You just had to say that..."

Author's Note

Murphy and I have an interesting relationship.

We'll see how his law manifests next chapter.

Chapter 15: The Water Temple; Prelude to Courage.

After entering the temple, Sweetie Belle and Link followed the passage, getting out of the water on the way, until it led them to a huge flooded room with a giant central pillar. They were at the top level as more of the room could be seen under the water. Blue Tektites (same as the red ones except that they could float on water) were visible here and there, and there were a lot of Hookshot targets.

Exploring the surface, they found a passage at the right that led back underwater only to be a dead end for now, the path being blocked by a grid. There was however a block that they pulled, but once in place, it blocked the passage and couldn't be pushed back where it had been. This meant that to continue here, they would have to find a way to make the grid go away so they could push the block out of the way.

After returning to the flooded room, they spotted a door on a ledge on the opposite side of the room from the entrance. The ledge could be accessed only by using the Hookshot on a target on a dragon statue at the edge. However, the target was too far for Link, so he couldn't reach the door yet. A quick look by Sweetie Belle informed him that it was the door leading to the golden-chained door anyway. A locked door was also present at the left of the entrance, above a platform floating on the water.

And so they were left with only underwater to go. However, Link couldn't reach the middle and upper level doors and passages because he couldn’t swim well, and the Iron Boots dragged him straight down past them to the bottom.

Ultimately, they decided to explore what Link was able to to avoid missing anything.

The bottom level had four passages, but one between two torches particularly attracted their attention, so they went in that one first after fighting a few spiked balls simply named Spikes. Following it, they quickly entered a room where they found none other than the Zora princess herself, Ruto.

Obviously, she was surprised to see someone inside the temple. "Oh... You... If I'm right... Link?!" Upon recognizing Link, her expression immediately morphed into joy. "You're Link, aren't you? It's me, your fiancée, Ruto! Princess of the Zoras!"

"Fiancée?" half-shouted Sweetie Belle and Rota.

Link couldn't say anything however, not only because he couldn't talk underwater, but also because Ruto suddenly hugged him, which made him very uncomfortable.

"I never forgot the vows we made to each other seven years ago!" she continued before she flicked his nose. "You're a terrible man to have kept me waiting for these seven long years..." she playfully scolded. But then, her expression turned somber as she released Link. "But now is not the time to talk about love..."

"Yeah, we must save your people," said Sweetie Belle, finally managing to gain the attention of the Zora who looked down at her.

The next instant, Sweetie Belle was lifted and trapped in a bear hug by the princess. "Why, aren't you one of the most adorable things I even saw? Who are you, and what are you? I am so keeping you!"

Sweetie Belle teleported out of Ruto's arms before saying, "I'm Sweetie Belle, an alicorn pony. I'm helping Link in his quest to save Hyrule from Ganondorf. And now, we're trying to free your people from the ice."

Ruto immediately grabbed the filly again to continue to hug her. "So you saw it. I was trapped too until a young man named Sheik got me out... But the others are still in it... Even Father..."

"We saved him," said Sweetie Belle at this, deciding to let the princess hug her. "We got rid of the red ice that covered him. He's safe. However, we couldn't do anything for the others."

"So Father is safe? Oh, I'm so glad! I can't thank you enough!" shouted the princess in joy as she cuddled the filly. "But the others must still be saved... So you are here to help? To destroy the monster responsible for this?"

The heroes all nodded.

"Very well then! Let me help you! In this temple, there are three points where you can change the water level. One of these points is just above us. Let me guide you to it."

Then, without releasing Sweetie Belle, she swam up followed by Link (who had to take off the boots) and the Bage siblings. They passed in front of a cracked wall that could certainly be destroyed by a bomb (which wouldn't work because it was still underwater) before they arrived at a hole in the ceiling where the water stopped. There, Ruto finally let Sweetie go so she, Link and the siblings could get out of the water.

Ruto then pointed at a Triforce symbol that was on the wall, on some plate that glowed green. "Play the same song that you use to open the way to the Domain, and you will be able to lower the level of the water all the way to the bottom. It should open you WAAAAAHHH!!!" Ruto was suddenly grabbed by something underwater, and before the heroes could do anything, she was gone. Sweetie Belle quickly jumped in the water to try to save her, but Ruto had already disappeared.

"Buck!" She got back out of the water. "That thing got her!"

The heroes exchanged worried looks before Navi said, "Don't worry. I'm sure we will save her."

Link nodded determinedly. "We must hurry to complete this temple."

He then took his ocarina and played Zelda's Lullaby in front of the Triforce symbol, successfully lowering the water level all the way to the bottom. After that, they passed the door that was in the room.

In the new room, bars appeared to block the door they just passed, trapping them in it and forcing them to fight a bunch of Spikes, which wasn't hard. Killing the Spikes made a big chest containing the map of the temple appear. After taking it, they returned to the previous room where they jumped in the hole now emptied of water, falling back to the room where they found Ruto.

With the water gone, a torch now had a flame that Link used to light two other torches, unblocking another barred door that led them in a room with three Shell Blades, shells with spikes. The shells were solid, so Link had no choice but to attack them when they had their mouths open. They had to be careful because, as they approached to make them open their mouths, the shells could suddenly turn around and jump toward them to hit them with their spikes. A small chest with a key appeared once all the shells were killed.

Now finished there, the heroes returned to the big room, now totally empty of water.

Thanks to the map, they saw that the South passage led almost directly to a dead end, so it would be rapid to explore. So they went here first until they reached a dead end with a cracked floor. With a bomb, Link blew it up, revealing a hole with water. They jumped in it and followed the passage (killing a Shell Blade on the way) until they left the water in a long room with a switch on a platform in the middle. Pressing the switch caused the water level in the room to rise a bit, making a dragon statue with a Hookshot target rise too. Climbed on another platform, Link used the Hookshot on the target to reach the ledge on which the statue was. Two Blue Tektites awaited them here, but the heroes made short work of them. They then hit the crystal behind the statue to raise the gate of some kind of cell in the back, letting them reach a small chest with some bombs as well as several jars with various stuff in them.

It wasn't much but Link didn't say no to more bombs as he will be apparently using them a lot in this temple.

Done in this passage, they returned to the main room. Here, they now had to choose between a passage to the West, a passage to the North, and a locked door at the foot of the central pillar.

Deciding to open the locked door last just in case the key could be needed elsewhere, they went to the nearest passage: the West one. It was blocked by a block, but thanks to the floating platform having lowered all the way down with the water, Link was able to reach it and to push it. Sweetie helped him by simply kicking the block to make it slide until it fell into a hole with water. They jumped in the water after the block and followed the revealed underwater passage until they popped out of the water in a room separated in two by a pit.

Hitting a crystal beside them made a pillar of water raise up. It was so powerful that when Link jumped on it, he was able to walk on it, using it as a platform to reach the other side of the room where Sweetie Belle killed a Blue Tektite with a beam. After passing a door, they then entered a room half-filled with water, the filled part having the statue of a dragon that looked serpentine like Volvagia. The body was coming out of the floor and was entering a wall beside a passage, and the head was coming out of that same wall at the other side.

A crystal was inside the mouth. Link was able to hit it with the Hookshot by standing on the body, opening a gate inside the passage. It didn't remain open long however so Link used the Hookshot again to reach the area behind the gate before it closed, Sweetie Belle and the Bage siblings having already killed the Shell Blades present here. They then popped out of the water further up in front of a chest with a key. Hitting another crystal here opened the door again for them to retrace their steps. In the room with the pit, Link used the Hookshot to reach the other side, a target being present just below the edge.

"You know, with all these targets, some of them being out of range for your Hookshot, I'm starting to think that you will get a longer one somewhere in this temple," commented Sweetie Belle.

Link and the Bages agreed. It was logical.

Back in the main room, they then went to explore the last passage, the North one, only to find out that they needed water here.

So this left them with the locked door at the foot of the pillar. Climbing on another platform that could float on water that let them reach the door, they unlocked it and entered the pillar.

They walked on another platform floater at the beginning of a small path with spikes at both sides. Advancing carefully, they then looked around once they reached the end, finding a Hookshot target further up on a platform in a corner.

Above the platform was a Triforce symbol on a red plate, so Link immediately played Zelda's Lullaby, making the water rise to the second level. The platform floater from the beginning raised up with the water, revealing a new passage that was under it. So they went to explore this passage instead of passing the door that was beside them.

The passage led to a room that was entirely underwater with two grids in the ceiling, as well as a crystal which, when struck, opened one of the grids, dropping several Spikes and Shell Blades. Their death caused the other grid to open up, leading them to an out-of-water dead end with a chest holding a key.

With the new key in their possession, they returned inside the pillar, climbed out of the water in front of the exit door in the second level, and passed it.

With the water raised to the second level in the main room, they had the choice between two new passages (South and East) and a new locked door (West again). But first…

“Say, wasn’t there a cracked wall back in the room we first found Princess Ruto in?” Rota asked suddenly. “The water was a little high up to do anything about it, but with the water at its current level, we should be able to reach it.”

“You’re right! We should go check it out,” Navi agreed.

“Huh. I noticed at the time, but had almost forgotten.” Link said. “Thanks.”

"The East passage doesn't lead far too," Marko remarked as he and Sweetie Belle looked at the map. "And the South one leads back to the hallway with the block we pulled just after entering the temple. In the end, it doesn't matter where we go first. They each lead to dead ends with probably a chest."

"Let's start with the cracked wall," Link decided.

So they jumped in the water and returned to the room where they found Ruto. They then popped out of the water just in front of the cracked wall, as they thought. So Link used a bomb to blow it up, discovering a secret room with a chest containing a key.

Next, they went to the East passage where Link had to carefully use the Hookshot to not hit spikes while getting on a platform. Another shot with the Hookshot and they were in a room with a crystal and a big chest in a pillar of water. Hitting the pillar caused the water to disappear, but not long enough to reach the chest in time by running. The solution would be to hit the crystal with a projectile while being beside the water, but Link simply decided to hit the crystal and to let Sweetie Belle open the chest, getting the compass. While returning to the main room, they watched out to not accidentally jump on the spikes.

Finally, the South path... which was blocked by a gate, and to open it, Link had to hit an eye-interrupter in an alcove just below. However, opening the gate wasn't enough because Link couldn't reach the passage in time before it closed. There was a Hookshot target, but it was too far.

“Looks like we’re coming back here, unless you want one of us to just rip the bars out,” Rota quipped as they all made the realization.

“No, let’s just go to the locked door,” Link replied.

And so they went to the Western door, unlocked after climbing onto the platform floater. In the room behind, they had to hit a crystal to raise up a water pillar to reach the room above. However, the pillar was too far to be on it while hitting the crystal with the sword so it would raise up with them on it, so Link used his bow while Sweetie Belle killed a Blue Tektite that bounced on them from the hole above. Once in the room above, they passed the only door here.

This led them just in front of the third Triforce symbol, this time on a blue plate, back in a small alcove in the main room in the upper level (with bars blocking the door behind them). Link played Zelda's Lullaby and the water was raised back to its original level. Then, they climbed on the platform floater in the West and unlocked the door here.

After killing a pair of Keese, they saw that they had entered a huge room with a big waterfall that went into a seemingly bottomless pit. Platform floaters with Hookshot targets were on the waterfall, moving down it and disappearing in the pit only to be replaced by new ones at the top. But first, they had to go down by jumping on two successive platforms, the second one moving up and down back and forth. From the second platform, Link then used the Hookshot to move from platform to platform and climb the waterfall until reaching the top where he used the Hookshot one last time to reach the exit, which was locked.

After unlocking it, they entered a room with a red crystal on a pillar and three statues of dragon heads on different platforms. Like in a previous room, hitting the crystal (with a projectile) made the level of the water in the room rise along with the statues. However, there, Link couldn't use all of the statues because the second's target was just above the water, meaning that Link would fall in the water if he used the Hookshot on it and he would have to restart from the beginning. The problem was that the second statue was on a narrow path, so the heroes had to hit the crystal again to lower the water level along with the statues so Link could climb on the head of the second statue and pass it. They then raised the water level and the statues again so Link could Hookshot the third statue to reach it. They had to lower and raise the water level a last time so Link could climb on the head of the third statue and use it as an elevator to reach the exit. While Link and Marko worked on traversing the Hylian through the room, Sweetie Belle and Rota killed the many Blue Tektites in the room to gain time, as well as the Like Like at the exit, behind spikes. The killed Like Like let Link use the Hookshot a last time to pass the spikes without risk, reaching the exit door.

They passed it, and entered... a strange place.

It seemed to be an infinite ocean disappearing into a fog, with ruins here and there and a small island with a single dead tree in the middle.

Were they still inside the temple? It looked like this as they could see an exit door at the other side, but then, what was this place? A pocket dimension inside the temple?

Whatever this place was, it was putting the entire group on edge.

After recovering from the shock of finding such a place in a temple, they carefully advanced, discovering that they somehow could walk on the water, adding to the unnatural feeling of the place.

“Okay, not the strangest thing we’ve encountered, but still off-putting.” Rota noted.

“First time we’ve had a room like this,” Marko said, expecting an immediate quip from his Saiyan sister. When she failed to respond, he turned to face her.

Only to find her staring at him, Sweetie Belle, and Link’s reflections in horror.

Looking down at hers, he quickly found the reason for her horror.

“Where’d our reflections go?” He asked aloud, alerting the Hylian and filly, who had gotten closer to the exit to the phenomenon.

The group then spotted their reflections… facing them from the island.

The color drained from Rota’s face as the reflections then rose from the water in translucent shadowy forms.

As Marko and Link prepared fight their respective shadows, Rota noticed the shadow of Sweetie Belle start to glow.

“Oh SHIT!” The Saiyan said as she grabbed her human brother and dipped into Instant Transmission immediately after Sweetie Belle teleported herself, Link and Navi out of the temple, following the fillies power as far as she could. The last thing heard before they warped out was the faint slap of Marko's shadow doing a facepalm.

The next instant, the Water Temple, Lake Hylia and a good amount of land around disappeared in a huge explosion that could be seen from everywhere on Hyrule and even on the lands around.

Nothing was left of the lake but a big crater, and the lands around were totally ravaged.

Din and Nayru, respectively Goddess of Power and Goddess of Wisdom, were glaring at Farore, Goddess of Courage. Both Goddesses had their arms crossed in visible annoyance, and Din was even repeatedly tapping the ground with the front of her foot while the third Goddess was looking at them sheepishly.

"I didn't think she was that powerful!" then said the Goddess of Courage.

"And you didn't think to ask me, the Goddess of Power, to see if creating a double of her was alright," stated Din.

"Or at least to create a pocket dimension for them to fight without risking the destruction of Hyrule," added Nayru.

"How was I supposed to know that the double would just... blow up? It could have simply sent some powerful beam or I don't know, which would have only partially destroyed the temple and it would have made itself disappear! But no! It exploded!" shouted Farore in exasperation.

The two other Goddesses just sighed and shook their heads at this.

"At least, Era will be able to fix it," muttered Nayru.

"Speaking of, be ready to face her, Farore," Din said. "She will be in a very bad mood now that she has to fix your screw up. This era already makes her prickly, and the intervention of these outsiders hasn't helped although she has been nice to them."

Author's Note

Am I delaying having to write the fight between my OC's and their shadows by following the original beats this closely?

Yes.

Am I sorry?

No.

Chapter 17: The Shadow Temple.

Author's Note

So, I'm just gonna anounce that, for those of you paying attention to the terminology being used, "Flash-step" will now be "Flicker-step." Because I think it sounds neat.

Now I just need to edit the previous chapters to reflect that...

Chapter 17: The Shadow Temple.

When morning came, the first thing Link did upon waking up before even taking a breakfast was to go at the pedestal and shoot an arrow at the rising sun, right between two pillars further away. The next instant, an arrow with its tip in an orange crystal fell from the sky between the pillars, giving Link the ability to shoot fire arrows using a little quantity of his magic.

Something that will be very useful for Link. He will be able to light torches more easily and to put monsters on fire, which will be very effective against ice ones like Freezards, without having to use Din's Fire which uses a lot of magic.

After breakfast, the heroes decided to return to the Temple of Time thinking that they may find Sheik who would give them at least a clue of where to go next. If not, they were thinking of going to Gerudo Valley, the only place that Link hadn't fully explored yet, not even as a child, because Gerudo guards blocked the way.

From what they knew, the Gerudos were a fierce people living in the desert, entirely made of women warriors thieves. Ganondorf had apparently been their king, being the only male who was born in a century. Outside of Ganondorf, it was very not recommended for men to go to the Gerudos.

Which may be a problem because Link was a man, along with Marko.

But right now, Link played the Prelude of Light to warp to the Temple of Time, followed by Sweetie Belle and the Bage siblings.

But Sheik wasn't here, to their disappointment.

"So I guess it's off to the desert," said Navi.

But the second the group stepped out of the Temple, Marko sensed a dark magical presence coming from Kakariko Village.

“We gotta help them!” Link said as the group charged through the hoard of ReDeads. Upon leaving town, they looked in the direction of Kakariko Village.

And saw smoke rising from its location. Having a bad feeling, they didn't even take time to call Epona, running instead across the bridge and up the stairs to the village.

Finding it partially on fire.

"What happened?" asked Sweetie Belle.

Before Link could answer, he spotted Sheik facing the well, and he ran toward him, followed by the filly and siblings.

"Sheik! What happened!" the Hylian shouted.

"Get back, Link!" replied the Sheikah who seemed nervous.

Suddenly, the wooden beam above the well was ejected by an invisible force that then caught Sheik and threw him down the stairs to the well. Link and Marko went to see if he was alright while Sweetie Belle prepared her weapons and Rota dropped into her fighting stance to defend from whatever invisible thing just got out of the well. The thing, however, seemed to turn into a shadow that began to move around on the surfaces. Seeing this, Sweetie Belle also turned into a shadow and followed it. When the two clashed, the thing was forced out of its shadow form, and Sweetie Belle immediately got out of her shadow form too before she managed to hit it with her sword.

There was a deep groan of pain before the thing turned back into a shadow and fled toward the graveyard. A white-haired woman in light armor then came and followed it, and Sweetie Belle and Rota followed them. In the graveyard, they saw the shadow-thing climb a cliff at the back of the graveyard, and the woman jumped on it. When Sweetie and Rota went to follow them, they saw them enter a small tunnel leading to a large door with the Sheikah symbol (the crying eye) that closed behind the woman, in front of many torches currently off.

“Drat…”/Damnit…”

Looks like the next location has been found.

Sweetie Belle and Rota returned to Link, Marko and Sheik just as the Sheikah was getting up and told them what happened.

"That was Impa, the leader of Kakariko Village", informed Sheik.

"So that was her? I suppose that I should have guessed. Was that thing the evil spirit she had sealed in the well?" asked the filly.

Sheik nodded. "Yes. And now, he has fled into the Shadow Temple, and Impa has gone after it to seal it again. But the power of the spirit seems to have grown since last time. I'm not certain she will be able to best it this time."

Marko scoffed. “Considering it just broke the last one, that’s obvious.”

Sheik nodded again. "Impa is one of the six Sages. You must destroy the evil spirit and save her! Let me teach you the melody that will lead you to the Shadow Temple." He then took his lyre. "This is the melody that will draw you into the infinite darkness that absorbs even time... Listen to this, the Nocturne of Shadow!"

He then began to teach Link a sinister song. Once he was done, Sheik assured them that he will take care of the village while they go save Impa and deal with the spirit. He then used a Deku Nut to disappear.

The heroes didn't lose time and used the Nocturne of Shadow to warp on the cliff behind the graveyard. There, they traversed the small tunnel and reached the entrance of the Shadow Temple with all the torches. They easily guessed that they had to light all the torches. However, lighting them one by one wasn't the right method as the flames rapidly disappeared, meaning that they had to light all of them at once. Link understood how, warned Sweetie Belle and the siblings to move away, walked on a platform in the middle, and used Din's Fire. This successfully lightened all the torches, opening the door.

And they entered the Shadow Temple.

Following the hallway entrance, they traversed a pit using the Longshot before reaching a dead end with a scary face carved in the back wall. When they approached, a mysterious voice coming from nowhere told them that they needed the "eye of truth", and Sweetie Belle immediately equipped the Lens (that Link had given her), seeing that the carved wall was an illusion. So they passed it and entered the first room.

The atmosphere was oppressively reminiscent of the well for Link Sweetie and Rota. But neither they nor Marko paid it any mind as they walked in the room, which had a statue of a bird on a pillar in the center surrounded by several smaller pillars with skulls on them that served as torches (however the skulls revealed to be illusions thanks to the Lens of truth, except for one). There was a normal lighted torch, and a large pit with the head of a huge statue on the back wall that had its mouth wide open and its tongue sticking out, a barred passage being inside. Link couldn't reach the tongue with a jump however.

There were several more of these 'face walls' around, but most of them were real. Only one other wall, at the left of the entrance, was fake.

When Link approached a part of the central pillar that could be pushed to make it and the statue rotated, another voice said "Make my beak face the skull of truth. The alternative is descent into deep darkness." So, with the help of the Lens, Link turned the statue until it faced the only real skull on the pillars around, opening the passage inside the statue head. But Link still couldn't reach it.

So they went through the second fake wall and passed the door that was behind it, entering a room with skulls in small alcoves in the walls that seemed to talk to them.

"One who gains the eye of truth will be able to see what is hidden in the darkness."

"Shadow Temple... Gathered here is Hyrule's bloody history of greed and hatred..."

And other joyful stuff like that.

Some walls were fake, and behind one of them at the right, they found another door that led to a small dead end room that was like the one where they fought the Dead Hand, filled with skeletons. A ReDead was present as well as a couple of Keeses that, once killed, revealed a big chest containing the map of the temple.

The map revealed that the temple really was entirely underground, and that they were on the top floor. It will also be very useful in seeing where the secret passages were.

Map in hand, they returned to the previous room, listened to the skulls say their dark stuff, destroyed the floating jars attempting to ram them, and eventually entered a second room like this one with more talking skulls. In this room, behind another fake wall, they found another door.

When they saw the long pale bloody hands coming out of the ground in the next room, they immediately understood that they were up against a Dead Hand. Marko, having only heard secondhand about the creature, volunteered to draw it out, approached one of the hands, and was grabbed.

Before the creature could even lower its head after emerging, Link, Sweetie Belle, and Rota were hacking and blasting at it, while Marko simply flash burned the hand holding him. Within seconds, the Dead Hand was killed and a large chest appeared in the room.

Opening the chest allowed Link to claim a pair of winged boots, which allowed him to hover, at the cost of having no traction, making the Hylian easily slide when walking with them.

Link quickly used them to cross the pit in the room with the bird statue, entering the passage they opened earlier. In the following hallway, they walked down a slope to the second basement of the temple into a small circular room with a Beamos in the center. A bomb quickly destroyed it. With the Beamos gone and with the help of the map and the Lens, they could choose between three paths (one being behind a wall that they had to destroy with a bomb).

One of them was locked, so they needed to get a key.

They first chose the path leading to the smaller room where two Gibdos awaited them. Killing them revealed the big chest with the compass.

"We barely started the temple and we already got all the main items except the Big Key," Link said in astonishment.

"Good!" said Sweetie Belle. "With all these illusions, I was afraid of missing a chest."

Returning in the room where they destroyed the Beamos, they took the other path and entered a larger room that reminded of one of the rooms of the Ice Cavern: there were two giant blades-here, bloodied scythes held by two statue of reapers- spinning, and they had to get five silver rupees. At least, here, the ground wasn't slipping, and there were open cells where they could hide from the scythes, but there were wooden obstacles all over the room. The method to get the rupees was the same: Link and the Bage siblings simply had to duck to avoid the blades, and Sweetie was too small to fear them. Obtaining the five rupees opened the way to a small chest containing the key they needed.

With it, they unlocked the door in the third path and passed it, entering a S-shaped hallway that led to the third basement of the temple. Several Skulltulas attempted to block their path but were easily killed. Toward the end of the hallway, they also had to pass two guillotines before rounding a corner with a Wallmaster.

Sweetie Belle killed it like she killed all the others. "When will they understand that they will never have the drop on us?"

"Never," Rota answered with a chuckle at the filly’s pun.

They then entered a large bottomless cavern where they had to jump on several floating platforms with more guillotines (and avoid a Red Bubble jumping out of nowhere). When they reached a platform without a guillotine, they had to fight a Stalfos.

From there, they could choose between two paths, one leading to a platform hanging from the ceiling with chains that served as an elevator, and the other going through two invisible platforms. They took this second path first. They then entered a room with two more spinning scythes, invisible this time, with a Like Like that Sweetie killed with her beams. Killing it as well as some Keeses in the room opened the way to two chests (one of them invisible) containing a blue rupee and a lot of arrows.

They returned in the cavern to the platform where they fought the Stalfos and jumped this time on the platform elevator. There again, there were two paths for them, one with a Beamos and five silver rupees, and one with more invisible platforms. This time, they took the first, destroyed the Beamos, grabbed the silver rupees while avoiding the circling Blade Traps, and passed the now open passage.

The room it led to had two spikey platform smashing the ground in front of them. To help them avoid a gory fate, they found a cube thanks to the Lens that they pulled, then pushed under the platforms until it was right between the two so the two platforms stopped from smashing the room by it. Thanks to it, they were able to explore the room without risk.

There were several cells in the room, and inside one, in a chest, they found some more arrows. Another cell was empty. There was another cell in the upper level of the room, but they had to pull the block to the end of its path to use it as a platform. They jumped on a ledge, and then, jumped on one of the smashing spiked platforms to reach another ledge with a switch that made a chest fall from the ceiling on a third ledge. While on the second ledge, they entered the third cell and opened another chest with another blue rupee. They then jumped on a spiked platform again to reach the third ledge and open the chest that fell from the ceiling, obtaining a key.

They returned to the big cavern and took the last path with the invisible platforms (passing another guillotine). The last invisible platform moving left and right, they had to be careful. After it was a locked door that they opened with the key they just got.

Entering the next room, Sweetie Belle immediately informed the group of some invisible spikes while Rota sent a pair of energy discs to kill the ReDeads. Their death revealed another chest with a blue rupee. From their perspective entering, there was a barred door to their left and a locked door across the room on a platform. There was even an invisible platform in the back-left corner, and there were also several invisible Longshot targets (including one above the invisible platform). Finally, there were five silver rupees. To obtain some of them, Link had to use the Longshot on the targets. Sweetie Belle and the siblings helped him to gain time.

Getting the five rupees unlocked the barred door, which led to another door with a giant skull torch between two staircases leading up. There were also four smaller skull torches in the four corners, suspended against the walls, and a slow Spike Trap was moving back and forth in front of the giant skull.

What they had to do here was pretty simple. The giant skull revealed to have a hole in the top, and there were Bomb Flowers in the upper level. After dealing with some Keeses (unlocking the door that had barred itself behind them), Link took one of the Bomb Flowers and threw it in the hole in the skull, destroying it and revealing a key that they immediately used in the previous room to unlock the door on the platform.

They entered a hallway filled with Spike Traps and giant fans that regularly blew strong winds. Link had to use the iron boots to not be pushed by them, Sweetie Belle used her metal form, and Rota and Marko simply braced themselves against the gale-like winds. After dealing with a Skulltula, they reached a pit where they waited for the fan at the end to turn off so Link could take off the boots and use the Longshot on a beam to cross it.

Jumping down a ledge, they reached a room with a bottomless pit where they had to cross a stone bridge with fans at both sides, the air they blew threatening to push them beyond the edge into the pit. So, using iron boots and metal form, they crossed it and avoided the fireball sent by an eye-interrupter that was actually a trap, above a door. There was also a fake wall at the left.

They first passed the door and entered another small room filled with skeletons where they had to kill two ReDeads before opening an invisible chest that contained only a few arrows. Back on the bridge, Link then used the winged boots to reach the fake wall and pass the door behind.

Another room filled with skeletons, two Spike Traps, two Gibdos, and some floating jars attempting to ram them. However, killing the Gibdos only revealed a chest with a blue rupee. The exit being locked, they had to continue to search, Rota eventually blasting a cracked pile of dirt in a corner where the compass indicated that there was another chest. Destroying the pile did reveal an invisible chest containing the key they needed to unlock the door.

They entered probably the most particular room of the temple, and of all the temples they explored until now (without counting the illusion room with the dark doubles). They were at the entrance of a cavern with a river on which was a boat!

"I don't know why but a boat traversing an underground river gives me a strange sinister feeling," commented Sweetie Belle as she contemplated the boat. It wasn't helped that the 'river' seemed to be actually made of a supernatural fog instead of water, that ghostly winds with faces from beyond the grave could be seen in the cavern further, and that the figurehead looked like a zombie holding two bells and having a red cloth on its head.

“Many religious groups and mythologies throughout the multiverse have legends of a river across which souls would need passage, and in every single one of those legends, there were always two things in common.” Marko rattled off, before gesturing to the boat. “A boat and a boatman, tasked with ferrying qualifying souls across the water to the other side.”

“Hyrules version of such legends say that the only souls allowed on the ferry are those of the damned, to be taken to where they would face eternal torture as punishment for their sins,” Navi said.

“So, the creepiest dungeon we’ve traversed yet is a set of former torture chambers. I am not surprised, at fucking all,” Rota commented.

There was a ladder to reach a ledge from which they could access the boat, but they first had to pull and push a cube to it to reach it. Once on the boat, Link went on a Triforce symbol and played Zelda's Lullaby (it seemed so out of place here...), and the boat began to move, floating up and down in the river.

Two Stalfos came one after another during the ride, but the heroes quickly got rid of them before they reached the end of the cavern, and so, of the ride. The boat hit the wall at the end and began to 'sink' in the 'river', and the heroes hurried to jump onto the platform at the left. There was another platform across a smaller 'river', but first, they went to a door at the end of the actual platform, after a broken bridge.

The new room had an invisible maze that turned visible thanks to the Lens. Floormasters were present, and there were three exits. They first went to the South one that led to the smallest room where there were two beams forming a cross with chains and a lot of blood below it.

Sweetie didn't want to know what horrors happened here. Rota and Marko were fairly certain of what horrors happened here.

There was an invisible Floormaster that was quickly killed, revealing a chest with a key and unlocking the door that had barred itself behind them.

Back in the invisible maze, they went this time to the West exit and entered a room like the one with the giant skull, only this time, there were three skulls on a round spinning platform. Like in the first giant skull room, they climbed the stairs and used the Bomb Flowers to blow them up one by one. However, in the end, they contained nothing of importance except some rupees and some ammunition for Link.

So this left the North exit, leading to a room with two wooden spike traps slowly closing on them. Sweetie Belle quickly put a shield around herself and Link, allowing Rota and Marko to use twin explosions of Ki to destroy the spikes without burning them. When the spikes were gone, Sweetie then incinerated the two ReDeads that were behind them so Link could reach the two chests they guarded. A small one contained a blue rupee, and the other, a fancy chest, contained the Big Key.

Having finished exploring this part of the temple, they returned where they got off the boat, and Link fired an arrow at the group of Bomb Flowers next to a large damaged pillar at the other side of the small 'river'. The arrow created a chain reaction ending up in a huge explosion that made the pillar fall to become a bridge to cross the 'river'. Once on the other platform, the heroes used the key they got to unlock the door here.

The room after it seemed to just be a large bottomless pit between the entrance and the exit, which was the golden-locked door. However, thanks to the Lens, they could see that there were actually some invisible platform that Link could reach with the winged boots. Moving from platform to platform carefully, they reached the golden-locked door and opened it.

All there was behind was a small room with a pit. They had no choice but to jump in it.

They fell on what looked like a giant drum surrounded by some poisonous looking stuff.

Then, two giant disembodied hands appeared and began to play on the drum (a bongo?), making the four heroes bounce on it. The evil spirit then fully revealed itself. An upside-down beheaded torso with two handless arms and a red eye surrounded by flaps on the neck. While the eye looked at them, it was actually the torso's back that was facing them, and the heroes could see the backbone through the dark, bluish-greyish skin. The spirit then turned invisible, only letting its hands visible as they continued to play the bongo. It also began to sing with a deep voice.

Sweetie Belle handed the Lens to Link so he could keep track of the body while she, Rota and Marko dealt with the hands. The filly and siblings all flew to stop bouncing while the Hylian equipped the winged boots.

“I can’t do anything to the spirit with its eye protected by those flaps,” Link warned.

“Rota, you and Sweetie take one hand, Link and I will take the other. Link, try to keep an eye on the body. If it does anything, let us know. Got it?” Marko barked out orders to keep the situation in their favor.

The others nodded and Link took his bow.

Link's boots quickly revealed to be a hindrance however. Because of the lack of traction, and so, of the sliding they caused, it was very hard for Link to avoid the spirit's hands when it decided to attack, and Marko couldn’t protect him forever. So he eventually took them off, deciding that he preferred being bounced around than risking being killed. Sweetie Belle and Rota didn't have this problem however with the former’s wings and the latter’s abilities and quickly managed to injure the left hand, stopping it from playing. Link took his time targeting the other hand as it rapidly moved around while still playing and attacking, and was able to hit it with an arrow after Marko missed with a flame lance. With both its hands hurt, the spirit attempted to ram Link with its body, the flaps protecting its eye moving out of the way. Marko, seeing Link’s stance, quickly turned around and shot a beam at its eye, stopping the spirit in its charge and stunning it. The four heroes then repeatedly attacked the eye until it recovered and restarted to play the bongo again.

However, the spirit became more vicious. One of his hands violently hit the bongo, making Link bounce high in the air. The other hand then attempted to slap Link while he was in the air to send him flying toward the poisonous stuff. Sweetie Belle pushed him out of the way just in time.

It then targeted the filly and Rota, first clapping its hands to crush the former, then, after the latter stopped that with a flicker-step to get in place, attempting to hit them both repeatedly while playing the bongo. The hands were fast and well-coordinated, so even they had to use a few teleportations and after-images to save themselves until Link managed to hit the right hand. With one less hand to worry about, Rota easily hit the other hand, then the eye when the flaps opened again, getting the spirit stunned.

When it recovered after several more hits, the spirit became more violent in its manner of playing the bongo, and Link was forced to put on the winged boots because of how he was now constantly bounced left and right. The hands were much more frantic, moving rapidly all around the bongo while playing it, becoming hard to hit, and the body itself began to randomly sweep the bongo or to smash it, and Link had to constantly warn Sweetie Belle and the siblings. The spirit even had the idea of placing its hands between the heroes before moving them out of the way at the last seconds, causing the heroes to shoot at each other accidentally. The spirit laughed when this happened.

Having enough, Sweetie Belle boosted her own speed by accelerating her time and fired two beams with great precision at the hands, hitting the two of them, before she fired at the eye when the flaps moved out of the way. With the spirit stunned, Link immediately ran (or slid because of the boots) to it and finished the spirit.

Screeching in agony, the spirit frantically played the bongo before stopping, its body darkening. It then fell on the drum and disappeared in shadows, its soul going to the afterlife for a well-deserved boat-ride.

The blue light then appeared, and Sweetie Belle, Link and the Bage siblings entered it to be transported to the Chamber of the Sages.

There, the purple pedestal glowed, and out of it appeared the white-haired woman possessing a light armor Sweetie Belle saw previously, Impa. The woman had such an aura... It was clear that she wasn't one to be messed with. She was a real warrior.

"The boy with the noble Zelda's ocarina... As I expected, you have come. I am Impa, one of the Sheikah. I am Princess Zelda's caretaker, and I am also the Sage who guards the Shadow Temple," Impa presented herself. Then, she began to reminisce. "We Sheikah have served the royalty of Hyrule from generation to generation as attendants. However... On that day seven years ago, Ganondorf suddenly attacked... and Hyrule Castle surrendered after a short time. Ganondorf's target was one of the keys to the Sacred Realm... the hidden treasure of the Royal Family... the Ocarina of Time! My duty bound me to take Zelda out of Ganondorf's reach. When I last saw you, as we made our escape from the castle, you were just a lad... Now I see that you have become a fine hero... with the help of that impressive little filly and those equally impressive foreigners."

"I'm sure he could have become a hero without our help. He is very resourceful," Sweetie Belle said as the siblings nodded.

"I don't doubt," replied Impa before she looked back at Link, seeing the worry in his eyes. "There is nothing to worry about... The princess is safe now. Soon, you'll meet Princess Zelda face-to-face, and she will explain everything... That is when we, the six Sages, will seal up the Evil King and return peace to Hyrule. I have to stay here... You go to Princess Zelda's side and protect her on my behalf. Now I put my power, which should be helpful to you, into this Medallion!"

Impa raised her arms, and a purple medallion appeared above Link.

She then looked at Sweetie Belle, Rota and Marko. "I can see in your eyes, behind that fake innocence, that you each went through a lot. I know that I can count on you too."

Sweetie Belle, Rota and Marko nodded, and the area was plunged in light.

"Please, look out for the princess!"

They then were back in the graveyard, on the pedestal on the cliff leading to the entrance of the Shadow Temple.

"That temple was certainly something," commented Sweetie Belle. "It was more straightforward than the others, but it had so many more traps and tricks, many of them mortal. I'm really glad to be out of it."

"Me too," said Link. "That place was just full of wrongs."

"I wonder how the last temple will be," wondered the filly.

"We will see soon enough. Time to go to the desert."

"Okay."

Sweetie Belle suddenly sent a beam at Link and Marko, and in a flash, the boys became girls! They looked down at their new bodies, one in horror, the other with annoyance.

"EEEEEHHH?!!! WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!!" Link yelled at the filly who simply grinned.

"Didn't you say that men weren't welcomed at the Gerudos', Linkle?" Sweetie Belle then burst into laughter.

“Just turn them back Sweetie Belle. We’ll deal with it when we get there.” Rota said, pinching the bridge of her nose as she chuckled as well.

"But it would make things so much easi-!”

“JUST…. Do it. Please?” Rota asked the filly.

Sweetie Belle stopped laughing and pouted. "Spoilsport!" She then turned Link and Marko back to normal. "Don't complain when we end up fighting an army of warrior women. You're lucky I'm here to help you."

Link grumbled something unintelligible before he just walked beside Sweetie Belle and jumped down the cliff to the graveyard, followed by a snickering filly and fairy, as well as a slightly amused Saiyan and human.

Marko then leveled a cheeky smirk at Rota, asking the first question on his mind. “You just want to have a brawl against the Gerudo, don’t you, sis?”

Rota simply gave him an equally cheeky smirk as the group proceeded on their journey.

Chapter 18: Across the Desert

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 19: The Spirit Temple; Shaded Ambitions and Elemental Rage.

They entered the Spirit Temple for the second time and went toward the small hole they could crawl through (destroying the floating jars on the way), only to find a Gerudo in front of it, looking down at it on a knee. When they approached her, she heard them, got up, and turned around. She was obviously surprised to see a child in this place as she stared at Link.

"What is a kid doing in this place? How did you even reach this place?"

Link shrugged. "Long story."

"Whatever. It doesn't matter in the end how you came here, you came just in time. I have a favor to ask you. But first, I have to ask. Are you a follower of Ganondorf?"

With the woman being a Gerudo, the heroes would be tempted to lie and say that they were to avoid a fight. But they easily detected the anger and hate hidden in her voice when she pronounced the name of the Dark Lord, and they immediately understood that this Gerudo didn't seem to have a great respect toward him, contrary to the others.

"No, we aren't," Sweetie Belle, Link, Rota and Marko answered at the same time, showing as much hate toward the man in their voice as they could.

The Gerudo eyed the filly upon discovering that she was a sentient being too and not just a pet, but still talked as if it was nothing.

"You have got guts. I think I like you. Very well. First of all, let me introduce myself. I am Nabooru of the Gerudo. I'm a lone-wolf thief."

"Oh, we heard about you! We were told that you were Ganondorf's second-in-command!" Rota blurted out. She then more sheepishly continued, "So... We were expecting to eventually fight you... But it seems like we had nothing to worry about."

Nabooru let out a chuckle at this. "So not only are you not followers of Ganondorf, but you are enemies of him? Uhuhuh. That's perfect. As you guessed, I'm not on his side either. We may be both thieves, but I'm completely different from him. With his followers, he stole from women and children, and he even killed people! Kids and foreigners like you may not know this, but the Gerudo race only consists of women. Only one man is born every hundred years... Even though our laws say that the lone male Gerudo must become King of the Gerudo, I'll never bow to such an evil man! I'm only his second-in-command because I have no choice!"

"Well then, give us seven years and we will get you rid of him," stated Sweetie Belle with a big grin.

Link and the Bages nodded with a determined look.

Nabooru eyed the group a few seconds at this, determining that they were serious. "What are your names?"

"Link."

"Sweetie Belle!"

“Rota Bage.”

“Marko Bage.”

This time, the Gerudo eyed them with a "Seriously?" expression. "What kind of names are these?!"

"Hey!" shouted both kids while Rota shrugged and Marko facepalmed.

Nabooru shook her head to recover her focus. "Well... Anyway... Like I said, I want to ask you a favor... Will you go through that tiny hole and get a treasure that's inside? The treasure is the Silver Gauntlets. If you equip them, you can push and pull very heavy things!"

Sweetie Belle and Link exchanged a glance at this. It was exactly what Link needed to pull that big block.

Nabooru recognised their expression however. "No, no, no, kids! Don't even think of taking this treasure for yourself! The Silver Gauntlets won't fit a little kid like you if you try to equip them! So I want you two to be good kids and to give them to me or your elders here! Ganondorf and his minions are using the Spirit Temple as a hideout. Only the Silver Gauntlets will allow one to sneak deep into the temple. Once there, I'm going to steal all the treasures inside and mess up their plans! So, can I count on you?"

Sweetie Belle glanced at Link and raised an eyebrow at him. Link answered with a shrug before replying "Alright. But let's make a deal. If you somehow fail to mess up their plans, then I want you to come back in front of the entrance in seven years, and once we come back, you will give us the gauntlets so WE can go into the temple and deal with Ganondorf and his minions. You should recognise us easily."

Nabooru let out a small snort. "It would be hard to mistake a young man with a little white winged and horned equine, to say nothing of your other companions. Very well. But I don't doubt that I will succeed. I am not the second-in-command for nothing. Now, let's give Ganondorf and his followers a big surprise, shall we? If you can successfully get the Silver Gauntlets... I'll do something great for you!"

The heroes nodded, and Nabooru moved out of the way to let them enter the hole.

So Link and Sweetie Belle crawled through it, finally beginning their exploration of the Spirit Temple while Marko waited outside with Nabooru, both to save on room like the well and to chat with the Gerudo, if possible, and Rota followed the kids in with Instant Transmission.

The first room they entered had a small path with a Spike Trap leading to a small curved staircase. However, they didn't have to follow the path as they could just climb on the ledge at the right and reach the main part of the room, where there was another Spike Trap circling an Armos Statue. Some Keeses, normal ones and fire ones, were also flying around. When he saw the Fire Keeses, Link immediately replaced the Deku Shield he was using with the Hylian Shield. The Hylian Shield was too big for him and he could only use it as a back shield, but at least, it won't burn if one of the Fire Keeses or any other fire enemies that may be in the temple managed to land a hit.

But he didn't have to worry as Rota quickly killed the Keeses as she came out of Instant Transmission. When the two other doors in the room remained barred, they understood that the Armos Statue was actually a real Armos, and Link threw a bomb at it. The explosion caused the statue to animate, taking on a more monstrous form, before it erratically moved around until it exploded. Then the bars on the doors disappeared.

Now, they had to choose between the two doors, one left and one right, and another hole to crawl through between them. They first decided to crawl through the hole, only to find out that they couldn't go far because they were blocked by a locked door. So they returned to the room and decided to take the left door.

The room behind it was separated in two by a bottomless pit, and they were immediately assaulted by a Stalfos that Link had some more difficulty to kill. Thankfully, he could count on Sweetie Belle and Rota’s help. Once they dealt with the Stalfos (with Rota simply tossing its head down the pit), Sweetie Belle then quickly killed the Green Bubble that was flying above the pit, in front of what seemed to be a grating bridge that could be lowered thanks to a crystal behind it. Link used the boomerang to activate it, and they traversed the pit. At the other side, they destroyed a couple of floating jars before opening a chest that only contained a blue rupee.

Passing the door at the right, they entered the next room, only for the door to be barred behind them. The room itself had a Z-shaped narrow path above a bottomless pit, the exit being just at their right in the bottom of the Z. However, it was barred too. In the middle of the Z, in a round part, with a Spike Trap circling a jar, and behind it was a new enemy named Anubis. Navi warned them that it was only vulnerable to fire, and they also remarked that it repeated Link's every move and that it sent a fireball each time that Link used his sword to destroy the jars on the way.

“Of all the times Marko would come in handy,” Rota grumbled as she peppered the creature with rapid fire beams, alongside Sweetie Belle using fire beams. The thing was dead before it knew it, opening the way. They could have also hit the crystal at the right to activate a circle of fire at the North end of the Z before tricking the Anubis to move into it, but it was faster with the beams and Fire.

Passing the exit, they entered another room separated in two by a pit, only, this time, a fence fully stopped them from crossing the pit. Navi warned about the presence of Wallmasters, and Sweetie Belle immediately fired above her, killing one that dropped on her before she slapped it to the side. While Sweetie Belle and Rota dealt with the Wallmasters, Link quickly killed a Fire Keese before he went to grab the five silver rupees in this part of the room. To get some of them, he had to climb on the fence. When the last rupee was grabbed, the middle part of the fence lowered to become a bridge for them to cross the pit. After killing a few more Keeses that were at the other side, Sweetie Belle and Link then each lit a torch here, making a small chest containing a key appear.

Finally, they passed the last door which led them back in the room where they destroyed the Armos. With the key in their possession, they were able to open the locked door at the other side of the hole, entering a vertical passage with a wall that they could climb. However, they first had to kill a couple of Skullwalltulas.

In the room at the top were two more Skullwalltulas as well as two Lezalfos, the first ones that Sweetie Belle and Rota encountered, tall bipedal warrior lizards, not hard to kill thankfully. Activating a crystal on a ledge at the South dropped two chests, one containing a blue rupee and the other some special mouse-shaped bombs named Bombchus.

They weren't sure what to do next as the exit was barred, but there was a sun in the middle of the floor that was very suspicious. They then remarked a part of the wall partially covered by boulders out of which some sunlight was coming. However, the boulders were too high to be destroyed with a normal bomb.

So Link used one of the Bombchus he just got, and Sweetie Belle and Rota witnessed a bomb mouse running up a wall by itself for the first time in their lives. The Bombchu successfully exploded on the boulders, blowing them up and revealing a big hole through which more sunlight came. The sunlight reached the sun on the ground, which began to glow and... smile very creepily before the exit opened.

“Well… that happened,” Rota idly quipped.

"Okay. Let's note this. The weird suns need sunlight," Sweetie Belle instructed.

Link and Rota both nodded.

Passing the now unbarred door, they entered what seemed to be the main room of the temple. It was very huge, with a big statue of a snake woman looking like the colossus outside. An exploration of the room led them to see that they couldn't do much however.

They came from a door at the West in the middle level of the room. Two sets of stairs were leading to another door just above, but said door was barred. There was a similar path in the East, with an East door in the middle level, two sets of stairs, and another door, this time locked, above. Between the two paths, at the top of a staircase accessed from the bottom level of the room, was another barred room. In the bottom level was also a blue switch that had to be held down to maintain the West door of the upper level open. To do this, they had to push an Armor Statue that was beside the middle level West door on it. Another switch was on a ledge in the upper level, East, but couldn't be reached yet. Finally, at the bottom of the statue, in front of it, were two torches that had to be lit to materialize a big chest containing the map.

With nothing else to do, they returned to the middle level West path by climbing a wall, then climbed the two sets of stairs to the opened door in the upper level. In the following hallway, they rounded the raid stairs and entered the next room, the door getting barred behind them.

In this room: three Beamos, three Spike Traps moving back and forth here and there, a window through which sunlight was coming, several torches off, five silver rupees, and four blocks with a sun on one of them. They began by destroying the Beamos. Then, they took the silver rupees, lightening one of the torches. With Link not able to use the bow as a child, he had to use the newly lit torch to light the others with the help of a Deku Stick (and Sweetie Belle using fire powers). Lightening all the torches made a small chest containing a key drop. Finally, they pulled the block with the sun to the sunlight, making the sun glow and smile and unblocking the exit.

After climbing two successive sets of stairs in the next corridor, they unlocked the door at the top and entered a throne room with several pillars at both sides of a carpet leading to the throne. Throne on which an imposing armored figure armed with an axe was sitting without moving. Behind the throne, on the walls at both sides, were crossed pairs of axes, and the exit, barred, was between them.

"Uh oh..." Navi began upon spotting the figure on the throne. "An Iron Knuckle... Those guys are forces of nature. Be careful. Thankfully, their heavy armor makes them very slow. As long as you avoid their weapon, you should be alright. Hit it to wake it up."

Link nodded, carefully approached the throne, and hit the Iron Knuckle with his sword before quickly running back. Now awake, the Iron Knuckle slowly got up before it swung its axe, destroying the throne as if it was nothing before slowly approaching the heroes with heavy steps. Between the heavy armor entirely covering its body and the fact that it was towering above them, the Iron Knuckle was very intimidating, but it didn't stop the heroes from approaching to battle it.

As Navi said, the Iron Knuckle was very slow, so it was very easy for the heroes to avoid its axe before counterattacking. But the battle was a long one because of the heavy armor, and Link's Kokiri Sword didn't do much damage. Still, little by little, hit by hit, the heroes managed to wear it out. Then, with a lucky hit, Link was able to knock the armor from its body, which was good and bad. Good because the Iron Knuckle was more vulnerable. Bad because it was now moving faster.

But it didn't change much in the end, the heroes still were able to avoid its weapon without problem. Deciding to end the poor thing's suffering, Sweetie Belle eventually sliced the axe, leaving the Iron Knuckle with just the handle to use as a staff. It was proof of the monster's skill that it immediately adapted to its 'new' weapon without even being shocked by the fact that it had been sliced as easily as butter, but it was much less dangerous, and Sweetie Belle continued to cut it piece by piece. Thanks to Sweetie Belle dealing with the weapon, Link had less problem approaching the monster to attack it, only for the Iron Knuckle to suddenly throw what remained of its weapon before grabbing Link by the head. Link immediately reacted by piercing the arm with his sword, forcing the Iron Knuckle to release him before finishing it with a few quick swings.

As it died, the Iron Knuckle didn't even fall on the ground. It just dropped on its knees and stopped moving. To ensure that it wasn't a trick, Rota beheaded it with a Ki blade around her hand..

The death of the Iron Knuckle opened the door behind what remained of the throne.

The filly smiled at her friend. "You really have gone far to be able to fight such a brute despite being a kid. If we encounter another Iron Knuckle once we're back to the future, I'm sure that it will be nothing to you."

"Thanks," Link replied with a smile at the compliment before they passed the door and traversed a passage leading outside of the temple, on the colossus' right hand.

Here, an old acquaintance of Link, none other than a giant talking brown owl that Link told Sweetie Belle and the Bages about, was awaiting them, much to the boy's surprise. Link hadn't expected to see the owl again. He hadn't seen him in a long time.

"Hey, what's up, Link? Surprised to see me? A long time in this world is almost nothing to you, is it? How mysterious! Even I thought that the tales of a boy who could travel back and forth through time were merely legends. And now, you are accompanied by a pair of strange creatures who aren't of this world. Sweetie Belle and Rota Bage, if I am not mistaken? Hoot!"

The named pair nodded, Sweetie Belle replying, “Uhuh! It’s nice to meet you, Mister Owl!”

"Hoo hoo hoo hoot! You are so innocent-looking. It is hard even for me to believe that you are hiding such immense power that could rival with the Gods themselves. And yet, you tone it down to let Link follow his destiny and mature as a hero, just following him and helping him in his quest. You have all my respect. I just hope that this power won't eventually blind and corrupt you like it blinded and corrupted so many people."

Rota sneered at that, noticed by the owl who cleared his throat. (Which was weird to hear.)

Sweetie Belle shrugged. "I can count on my friends to make sure that it doesn't happen."

"Yes. We can always count on true friends. It's very sad that many tend to forget it. And now, you can include Link as one." The owl then looked back at Link. "Link, you have fully matured as an adult. From now on, the future of all people in Hyrule is on your shoulders. Maybe it's not my time anymore. Here is my last piece of advice. Two witches inhabit this temple. In order to destroy them, turn their own magic power against them. Hoo hoot! Do you want to hear what I said again?"

"No thanks."

"I will continue to watch you... Hoo hoo hoo hoot!" The owl then took off and flew away into the desert.

“Not as talkative as you said he’d be,” Rota quipped once the owl was out of eyesight.

"You got lucky. He can really go on and on when he wants," replied Link.

Just after that, they found a big chest containing the Silver Gauntlets that they searched.

But then, they heard yelling from down in front of the entrance. Looking down, they saw Marko get frozen solid and Nabooru disappearing down a black hole seemingly created by two old witches circling it on their brooms. Before Sweetie or Rota could even act, the hole closed, and the witches returned inside the temple.

"They must be the two witches that we must defeat by turning their magic power against them," said Navi. "I don't think we can do anything for Nabooru right now. We must return to the future if we want to save her."

Sweetie Belle growled. "I guess... Or Rota and I can just go and save her right now. It wouldn't take us long."

"How about no? As I see it, Nabooru seems to be the Sage of the Spirit Temple, and so, it is Link's duty to save her," Rota countered with an authority in her voice that reminded the filly that Rota was the adult in the situation... literally.

"Alright..." Sweetie Belle with a resigned sigh.

After petting the filly a little, Link took his ocarina and played the Prelude of Light to warp to the Temple of Time, Sweetie Belle following him with a teleportation, and Rota going to unfreeze Marko then singing the Prelude of Light to follow as well. They then returned to the future before Link used the Requiem of Spirit to warp back to the entrance of the Spirit Temple.

Back in the entrance hall, Link equipped the gauntlets and pushed the giant block in the right until it fell in a hole, letting them pass. They then entered a mirror version of the room at the opposite side, except that instead of an Armor, there was a Beamos that was easily destroyed. There wasn't a hole to crawl through too, the locked door being directly accessible. Destroying the Beamos, however, didn't open the other doors. Looking around in search of what they missed, they found a crystal in the ceiling that they activated. This time, the doors were opened.

After a brief look at the map, they went left first, entering a room with a sandy area below in the second half, and a lone platform in the back-left corner. After quickly killing a Wolfos, Link stood on a Triforce Symbol and played Zelda's Lullaby, making a big chest drop from nowhere on the lone platform. Link then used Longshot to reach it and open it, getting the compass. After returning in the first half of the room by jumping down on the sand and climbing up a wall, they returned to the previous room.

They took the right door this time, entering a bowled, rectangle-shaped room with three rolling boulders where they had to get five silver rupees. To get the first one, Link had to use the winged boots before they separated to get the four others in the cubbies at both sides of the room. Once they got the five rupees, the door at the end opened, and they were able to enter a small room with a chest that they opened after killing a Like Like dropping from the ceiling, getting a key.

They returned to the room where they destroyed the Beamos again and opened the locked door, entering a passage that went up like on the other side of the temple. They had to deal again with a dropping Like Like, as well as some floating jars, before they could climb the wall (Link using the Longshot to gain time). In the room at the top, they heard the distinct sound of something invisible moving, so Sweetie Belle used the Lens of Truth to discover that there was a Floormaster that was promptly incinerated by Marko. Once the Floormaster was gone, they looked around to see what they had to do.

It wasn't hard to guess. There was a window from which sunlight came. In the middle of the room, in the sunlight, with some snake statue with a mirror that deflected the light, the statue possessed two handles to spin it. Finally, on the walls were several suns.

So, after explaining the puzzle to Marko, they pushed the handles to turn the mirror so it would deflect the sunlight into the suns. Suns number one and two burned and each let a small chest drop. The third sun remained, glowed, and smiled, unlocking the door. The fourth also burned, making another Floormaster drop. While Sweetie Belle killed the walking hand, Link went to open the chests only to get some rupees and... a freezing trap trapping him in ice. He was, thankfully, quickly able to escape from the ice by himself.

“And here I was hoping to avoid trapped chests,” Marko said with a hand rubbing his brow.

“Well that’s a thing we need to watch out for, now,” Sweetie complained.

"Seems like it..." Link groaned.

They passed the door, and they were back in the huge room with the big statue, on the East path this time. The East door at the top being locked, they couldn't continue directly. Instead, after dealing with an Armos, Link was able to reach the switch on the East ledge at the top thanks to the winged boots. The switch being rusted, he had to use the hammer to press it, unlocking the door at the top of the stairs between the two paths. Before passing it, however, Link was able to jump on the statue's left hand from the ledge where a Triforce symbol could be seen. He then played Zelda's Lullaby, making a chest drop on the statue's right hand. Thanks to the Longshot, he was able to reach it, getting a key. Another chest had appeared on the ledge with the rusted switch, but this one only contained a blue rupee.

They first went to the South door that they unlocked with the switch, the door leading to what seemed to be a dead end room where they had to push two giant blocks to reach the end. Nothing indicated that there was something interesting here, not even the compass, but they still went here just in case there was some mechanism that needed to be activated. Instead, they found a rusted switch that, once pressed, activated an elevator that was a shortcut between this place and the entrance hall.

They returned in the giant room with the statue, and this time, after using the Longshot to return to the East path, used the key to unlock the top East door. They rounded another red staircase like the one in the West side, this one having a Beamos, and entered a room with narrow pathways above a pit with three Anubis, a Beamos, and a switch that activated a circle of fire. Sweetie Belle quickly destroyed the Beamos with an explosive ball while Marko, having been informed of their fire weakness, reduced the three Anubis to ashes with a storm of fire lances. With all of the enemies destroyed, the doors opened except one at the right of the entrance that was locked.

Next was a room with four Armos Statues around a blue switch and a Spike Trap moving back and forth at the left, and a sun on the wall not far from a window with sunlight. The switch, like all the blue switches, had to be held down. Pressing it opened the barred door at the right, but not the one at the left. To open the left door, they didn't doubt that they would have to find a way to deflect into the sun.

So they went to search for a real statue to push on the switch while destroying the ones revealed to be real Armos…

Which turned out to be all of them.

Which also meant that they had to bait the last Armos to jump on the switch. However, baiting the Armos on the switch and reaching the door in time before it moved from the switch wasn't easy. So Sweetie Belle decided to bait the Armos while Link and the Bages remained beside the door. Then, once the Armos stepped on the switch, she teleported to the door and they all quickly passed it. They then climbed the corridor that followed (opening two invisible chests on the way that contained some rupees) and entered another Throne room with an Iron Knuckle.

This time, Sweetie Belle and the Bages let Link deal with it to see how he would fare. He needed to test himself to face Ganondorf after all. And as the filly expected, the Hero of Time made short work of the armored foe now that he was an adult and armed with the Master Sword.

They then passed the door that the Iron Knuckle was guarding and, like in the opposite side of the dungeon, entered a passage that led outside of the temple, on the left hand of the colossus. On it, they found another big chest that contained a new shield for Link: a mirror shield! A shield that could reflect light and projectiles of energy!

"Exactly what we needed to deflect the light on the sun," Sweetie Belle said.

They then returned to the temple and went back to the room with the Armos. Here, they quickly destroyed the remaining Armos before Link used the mirror shield to deflect the light on the sun to make it glow and smile, opening the left door. The room behind was a small one with just a chest containing a key that they used back in the room where they destroyed the three Anubis.

The room behind was another climbing passage with two Beamos at the bottom of the wall that could be climbed, and a Skullwalltula on said wall. The wall was actually made of several sections that were moving left or right, each section having parts that could be climbed and parts that couldn't. At both sides of the wall were spiked walls all the way to the top.

The trap was intimidating...

But Link was able to pass it thanks to the Longshot.

Sometimes, Courage needs to make way for Wisdom to make your life easier.

At the top, two more Beamos with a Spike Trap between them were present and promptly destroyed before the heroes passed the door behind them.

They climbed some stairs leading to a barred door with the Triforce symbol just in front. More stairs at the left were leading to another door, this one accessible. But first, Link played Zelda's Lullaby on the symbol and unlocked the first door, letting them enter a room with several Fire Slugs, a fancy chest surrounded in fire, doors all over the walls around, and a floating platform above the chest with a switch. There was also a Longshot target on the ceiling, but it wasn't above the platform.

The doors, as indicated by the maps, were all fake ones, so the heroes destroyed all of them after dealing with the slugs. Behind one of the doors, they found an eye-interrupter that, once activated, made another floating platform appear just under the Longshot target. Thanks to it, Link was able to reach and press the switch, letting Sweetie open the chest and get the Big Key in it.

They then returned in the previous corridor and climbed the stairs to the second door that led to the upper level of a room with four big chains and a giant mirror in the ceiling, above the lower level. There was also a sun on the wall, and a crystal on the bottom level. Activating it (after dealing with the many floating jars here) opened the East door in the upper level. Having nothing more to do in this room for now, they passed this door.

Almost upon entering the next room, they were assaulted by a Lezalfos that was easily killed by Link and Rota while Sweetie Belle and Marko spotted a sun near the ceiling. Thankfully, sunlight was coming from a mirror in a neighboring room. Once the Lezalfos was dead, Link used the mirror shield to deflect light on the sun, making it burn and revealing a chest that contained bombs.

They then went to the mirror and dealt with some White Bubbles (they were just Bubbles without fire randomly spinning around with brusque moves) before they blew up a cracked wall. They then spun the mirror so it faced the newly revealed room where there was another mirror. When they then went into this third room, another Lizalfos came, only to be speared by Sweetie Belle. With the Lezalfos now a wall decoration, Link spun the second mirror so it faced the bars separating this room from the one with the giant mirror on the ceiling.

They returned to said room, the mirror on the ceiling now deflecting the light to the ground. Here, Link used the mirror shield to deflect the light on the sun on the wall. As a result, this caused the platform in the middle of the floor to be lowered to the room with the giant statue, stopping just in front of the head. Having an hunch, Link then used the mirror shield again to deflect the light on the statue.

This made the statue's head crumble, revealing a secret passage with the door to the witches visible behind the bars. Link then used the Longshot on the bars to join them, and the bars moved out of the way to let them reach the door.

After opening it, they entered a third throne room where they finally encountered the two witches who were facing an Iron Knuckle on the throne.

"Oh oh oh! Looks like someone is here, Koume," began one of the witches who looked above her shoulder at the heroes, revealing to have a blue crystal on her forehead.

The other, Koume, looked too, this one having a red crystal on the forehead. "Hee hee hee! Looks like it, Kotake!"

“Is it just me or are these two older than Roshi?” Rota whispered to Marko.

“Seems like it,” he replied in an equal whisper.

The two witches really were old. They were two Gerudos, with really big crooked noses and big, round, bulging eyes. Their hairstyles were tied in giant buns. In one word, they were ugly!

"What outrageous fellows they are to intrude so boldly into our temple... Ho ho ho!" said Kotake as the witches took off on their brooms.

"We should teach these outrageous fellows a lesson! Hee hee hee!" finished Koume before they separated and faced the Iron Knuckle, which looked... different than the ones the heroes fought.

"Oh, loyal minion..." began Kotake as they flew to the sides of the armored foe.

"Destroy these intruders on out behalf!" finished Koume before the two witches disappeared.

The Iron Knuckle then rose from its throne and raised its arms... only to see that it didn't have a weapon. It then snapped its fingers, making an axe appear, before it went on the offensive.

Despite everything, the fight was as easy as the previous one against an Iron Knuckle, and even more because, this time, Sweetie Belle and the Bages helped Link. So the fight was rapidly over as the armor was destroyed, revealing that the Iron Knuckle had been none other than Nabooru mind controlled by some piece of clothing that fell too, freeing her.

Nabooru then fell on the floor disoriented. "Unnnh... Where am I...?"

But before the heroes could explain the situation, Kotake appeared. "Well, well... Looks like she's back to normal... Koume..."

Koume then appeared at the opposite side. "She's just a little girl, but she commands a lot of respect among the Gerudo, Kotake..."

"Maybe we should make her work for the great Ganondorf for a little while longer! Ho ho ho!"

"Then we should brainwash her again! Hee hee hee!"

They were then both slammed by a beam that sent them flying into the wall. "Hyaaarg!?"

“Yeah, I don’t think so.” Rota said as she and Marko took their combat stances. “We’re still here, y’know? Do you really think we would let you brainwash Nabooru again without acting?"

At the same moment, Link and Sweetie Belle ran to Nabooru to protect her, bow ready to fire an arrow. "As she said!"

Nabooru stared at the man protecting her, then at the filly, then at the siblings. "Wait... You are..." she began, only to be interrupted by two laughs.

"Hee hee hee hee hee hee!"

"Ho ho ho ho ho ho!"

The two witches recovered from the beam, amused.

"You four think that you can face us?" said Koume.

"Us, the Twinrova sisters? Who are feared among the Gerudo?"

"Very well then. We will allow you to amuse us. Nabooru. Be a nice girl and wait for us here."

"You poor fools don't know that you just made the last error of your lives."

The two sisters then disappeared like they appeared.

Sweetie Belle, Link and the Bages immediately went to pass the door at the back of the round, certainly leading to the arena where the sisters were waiting for them.

"Wait! Link! Sweetie Belle! Rota! Marko!" suddenly shouted Nabooru, gaining their attention. "Make them regret having been born for me!"

The heroes all gave her a grin, Rota shooting her a thumbs up while Sweetie Belle said, “Count on us!”

They then opened the door, traversed the following hallway, and entered a large room with several platforms, including a giant one in the center that certainly served as the arena. They climbed on it...

And they began to hear one of the witches talk from nowhere. "Look at these stupid kids! They came on their own to offer themselves as sacrifices to the great Ganondorf..."

Their laughs then resonated all over the room before two circles of magic, one red and one blue, appeared on two of the four platforms surrounding the big one.

Out of the red circle came Koume who said, "With my flame, I will burn them to the bone!" Then, she flew on her broom and spun before, in a small explosion of her, her hair turned into pure fire before she laughed mockingly again.

Then, Kotake came out of the Blue circle and said, "With my frost, I will freeze them to the soul!" Then, like her sister, she flew, spun, and turned her hair into ice in a small explosion of ice.

They then circled above the heroes, holding each other's hand, before they flew to opposite sides of the arena.

"Ready your shield, Link. I think that you already understood what to do," instructed Sweetie Belle.

Link nodded and took his shield.

Just at this moment, Koume charged magic and sent a powerful fire beam from her broom at Link. The Hylian intercepted it with his shield and deflected it toward Kotake just as she passed not far, burning her.

"AAAAAAAHH!!! Hothothot! Watch out, Koume! He has the Mirror Shield!" shouted Kotake.

"That little... AAAAAAHH!!!" Koume was suddenly interrupted by an ice beam fired by Sweetie Belle freezing her.

"Grrrrr... And it looks like the filly knows some powerful magic too. This may not be as easy as we thought. Let's up the game, Koume!"

"With pleasure, Kotake!"

At this, both witches circled the arena while raining fire and ice all over it, forcing Link to face upward to deflect them in random direction while Sweetie Belle also used a mirror shield to protect herself, the Bages simply tanking the attack. Some of the deflected projectiles managed to hit the witches, ice hurting Koume and fire hurting Kotake, but not as effectively as the beams. Then, while the heroes were occupied defending themselves, Kotake flew behind Link and fired an ice beam from her broom at him. Link immediately turned around and used the shield to deflect the beam. However, Koume had the good idea of flying where Link couldn't reach her with it. However, Rota flicker-stepped into position to redirect the blast with a Ki shield over to the Flame Witch, freezing her.

"AAAAAAHH!!! And now they use teamwork too!" Koume yelled.

"But our teamwork is better! We are twins after all! There's nothing better than twins!" Kotake yelled back.

Then, both witches began to charge their beam at the same time, Sweetie Belle and Link deflecting the fire and ice with their respective mirror shields. When the Bages went to redirect the beams to the Witches, however, they proceeded to shift their beams to target the floor, causing large areas to become infernos or ice traps. Then, they made the beams follow the grounded heroes, forcing them to run away to not be caught in the burning or freezing areas. Rota struck Koume in the back with a thrust kick, stunning the witch, then sent her into the floor with a flip kick to the head. Meanwhile, Marko hammered Kotake with a barrage of burning punches, sending her slamming into her sister with one final hammer-like blow.

Before Sweetie and Link could attack, however, the sisters erupted in an explosion of fire and ice, the two hags merging to become a very beautiful young woman who was also very tall. The crystal on her forehead was much bigger, left side blue and right side red. Her hair was tied into two ponytails, the left side made of ice and the right side made of fire. Finally, she was holding the two brooms as if they were now magic scepters (ice one in the left and fire one in the right).

And she was glaring daggers at the heroes as she growled in fury, floating up into the air before unleashing a momentary storm of fire and ice with a shriek, Sweetie Belle throwing up a shield to protect herself and Link and forcing Rota and Marko to power up to Super Saiyan and Drake Soul (the wreathed in flames with scaly skin form), respectively, in order to withstand the attack.

She stopped her attack and swept beams of Fire and Ice at the Bage siblings, fire at Rota and ice at Marko, trying to get them to move. Rota did, but Marko simply met the beam of frost with a beam of flame. Sweetie Belle shot an ice beam at Twinrova as Marko’s fire beam overwhelmed the witch’s ice beam, the conflicting energies causing a burst of energy when she tried to even it with her own fire beam, sending her falling out of the air, her magic temporarily shorted out. Rota flicker-stepped above Twinrova and slammed her into the ground with a double foot stomp.

Bashing the Saiyan away with her brooms, Twinrova scrambled to her feet just in time to dodge a swing from Link, only to be met by Sweetie Belle with a spinning kick to the jaw. Rota flicker-stepped to the other side of the witch and the two girls began to beat her back and forth between them, each blow forcing Twinrova to spit up more and more blood.

With a furious scream, the witch’s magic reignited with another explosion of fire and ice, forcing the Saiyan-filly duo back. Before she could do more than float back into the air, though, Marko suddenly appeared behind her and punched her with an energy-infused fist, then sent an explosive energy ball at the witch. The detonation shorted out Twinrova’s magic long enough for Link to engage her up close and strike her a few times with the Master Sword, before impaling her in the gut.

Kicking Twinrova off of his sword, Link stepped back as she faded into two balls of light that turned back into Koume and Kotake.

"Ouch! What fresh kids!" Koume began to yell. "This time we will get serious. Right, Kotake?"

But then, a divine light appeared and enveloped them while a halo appeared above their head and they began to float, the two of them becoming blue.

"What?" shouted Kotaked upon seeing the halo on her sister's head. "Hey, Koume, what is that above your head?"

"I don't know, but you have one over your head too, Kotake!"

It was then that they understood as they looked up at the light and down at their floating, blue body.

"But I'm only 400 years old!" yelled Koume in panic and rage.

"And I'm just 380 years old!" yelled her sister in the same state.

"We're twins! Don't try to lie about your age!" rebuked Koume .

"You must have gone senile!"

"Who are you calling senile?! Is that how you treat your older sister?"

"We are twins! How can you be older?"

"Keeeyaaah! How heartless you are!"

"How can you be so ungrateful?"

"You're heartless!"

"You ungrateful..."

Their bickering was suddenly interrupted by the light glowing stronger as they floated toward it. As they disappeared in it, they yelled a last warning at the heroes. "We'll come back to haunt you!"

And the light disappeared, before the familiar blue light appeared on one of the platforms.

But the heroes were too busy laughing after the scene they just saw. "The two are going to the afterlife, and the last thing they do is bickering! They were sisters alright!" said Sweetie Belle between giggles.

"Is that how all siblings are?” Link asked.

“Yes.” Sweetie and the Bage Siblings said simultaneously.

As they calmed down, they jumped on the platform with the light and entered it, and they were transported to the Chamber of the Sages.

There, as they landed, the yellow pedestal began to glow with the blue light, and Nabooru appeared.

"Kids, let me thank you. Heheheh... In the end, I really did fail, and you had to come and save me. You really are impressive warriors, you two." She sighed. "I messed up... I was brainwashed by those old witches and used by Ganondorf to do his evil will... But isn't it funny? That a person like me could turn out to be the Sage of Spirit? And now I'm going to fight them as one of the six Sages! Heh heh... I'm going to pay them back for what they did to me!"

"And it won't be long before you will be able to make them pay. Our next target is Ganondorf's castle," said Link.

Sweetie Belle nodded. "We will need the power of the six Sages to reach Ganondorf."

"Then let me give you this, kids... No... Heroes. Instead of keeping the promise I made back then, I give you this medallion! Take it!"

Then, Nabooru raised her arms, and a yellow medallion appeared above Link.

Sweetie Belle grinned at the woman. "We will totally make Ganondorf regret what he did to you."

"I don't think he even has the ability to regret," replied Nabooru with a chuckle.

The area then plunged in light.

"If only I'd known you would become such a handsome man... I should have kept the promise I made back then..."

They landed back in front of the colossus.

"Geese, Link! You collect them!" The filly exclaimed

Link blushed, then coughed. "We... We must return to the Temple of Time. I received a vision from Rauru telling me that someone was waiting here."

"Aww... And we weren't included in the vision?"

Link shrugged with a grin. "Hero of Time privilege." He then took the ocarina and played the Prelude of Light, warping to the Temple of Time. Sweetie Belle and the Bages followed him with a teleportation and Instant Transmission, respectively.

When they appeared at the usual place in the Temple of Time, on the pedestal with the Triforce symbol, they immediately heard a familiar voice behind them.

"I have been waiting for you, Link."

The four of them turned around to look at the entrance of the temple, finding Sheik here.

"Link, the Hero of Time... You have overcome many hardships and awakened the six Sages. And now, you have a final challenge-a showdown with Ganondorf, the King of Evil... Before that... I have things I want to tell only to you and your companions. Please listen. Another unknown legend of the Triforce passed down by the Shadow Folk, the Sheikah..."

"If you would seek the sacred triangle, listen well... The resting place of the sacred triangle, the Sacred Realm, is a mirror that reflects what is in the heart... the heart of one who enters it... If an evil heart, the Realm will become full of evil; if pure, the Realm will become of paradise.

The Triforce... the sacred triangle... It is a balance that weighs the three forces: Power, Wisdom, and Courage. If the heart of the one who holds the sacred triangle has all three forces in balance, that one will gain the True Force to govern all. But if that one's heart is not in balance, the Triforce will separate into three parts: Power, Wisdom, and Courage. Only one part will remain for the one who touched the Triforce... the part representing the force that one most believes in. If that one seeks the True Force, that one must acquire the two lost parts. Those two parts will be held within others chosen by destiny who will bear the Triforce mark on the backs of their hands."

"Seven years ago, Ganondorf, the King of Thieves, used the door you opened in the Temple of Time and entered the Sacred Realm. But when he led his hands on the Triforce, the legend came true. The Triforce separated into three parts. Only the Triforce of Power remained in Ganondorf's hand. The strength of the Triforce of Power enabled him to become a mighty, evil king, but his dark ambitions were not satisfied. To gain complete mastery of the world, Ganondorf started looking for those chosen by destiny to hold the two other Triforce parts."

Sweetie Belle and the Bages began to eye Link, seeing where this was going.

"The one who holds the Triforce of Courage is... you, Link!" announced Sheik at last, confirming Sweetie Belle's suspicion. At this revelation, Link looked at the back of his hand, discovering that he did have the glowing mark of the Triforce of Courage. "And the other, who holds the Triforce of Wisdom..." then continued Sheik. "is the seventh Sage, who is destined to be the leader of them all..."

At this, Sheik showed the back of his hand, revealing the glowing mark of the Triforce, this one the Triforce of Wisdom.

Then, there was a flash.

And where Sheik stood, a totally different being was now standing. A blond woman in a royal purple and white-pink dress, bearing golden pauldrons and clothing with the symbols of Hyrule, as well as a golden tiara on her head.

"It is I, the Princess of Hyrule, Zelda."

Link, Sweetie and Rota stared at the princess with their jaws dropping while Marko simply bowed his head in respect.

Sweetie Belle then glanced at Link. "See? Even the princess doesn't mind being a boy for who knows how long! How come you made a drama about being a girl for just a few hours?"

Link groaned.

Author's Note

For those wondering why I'm not having Rota take Marko with her during Instant Transmissions in the past, that's because it would risk leaving part of one of them behind due to her body having the training of herself at 21, when she could only manage herself safely.

Also, if you have better music suggestions for the second phase of the Koume and Kotake/Twinrova fight, I'm open to suggestions.

Chapter 20: Ganondorf's Castle; Face the Dark Lord!

Zelda was amused, although curious, about what Sweetie Belle said and Link's reaction. Link, being a girl? Well, she supposed that it could have been useful to him to pass the Gerudos without problems, but were they talking about him really becoming a girl, or just disguising him as one? Could Sweetie Belle really do this? Without the help of the Triforce? Maybe Zelda should have observed the filly a little more as Sheik. Also, Link doing a drama about being a girl would have been funny to see. It’s not like she intended to correct them by telling them that she hadn't really been a boy as Sheik.

Link glared at Sweetie Belle before he looked back at Zelda. "I'm glad that you are alright, princess."

Zelda smiled warmly at him. "I'm sorry for worrying you. I had to disguise myself to hide from the King of Evil. Please forgive me..."

"We understand, princess. Don't worry," Sweetie Belle reassured. "I don't want to think how things would have gone if Ganondorf had gotten his hands on the Triforce of Wisdom."

Link and the Bages nodded.

"Thank you," said Zelda before she went to explain something about what happened seven years ago, and what she did.

When Ganondorf attacked the castle, and when Zelda escaped with the help of her attendant, Impa, she saw Link and entrusted the Ocarina of Time to him, believing that as long as Link would have it, Ganondorf would never be able to enter the Sacred Realm. But then, when Link took the Master Sword, he was plunged into a seven years-long sleep, leaving the Sacred Realm open, which Zelda hadn't predicted. And so, Ganondorf took the occasion to enter the now open Sacred Realm, take the Triforce, and turn the Realm into a realm of evil before conquering Hyrule.

"I passed myself off as a Sheikah and hoped that you would return. I waited for seven years... And... Now you are back. The dark age ruled by Ganondorf the Evil King will end! The six Sages will open the sealed door and lure Ganondorf back into the Sacred Realm. I will then seal the door to the Sacred Realm from this world. Thus, Ganondorf the Evil King will vanish from Hyrule. Link... In order to do this, I need your courage again. Please protect me while I do my part again. And here is a weapon that can penetrate the Evil King's defenses... The power given to the chosen ones... The sacred Light Arrow!"

Zelda then raised her arms, and a circle of light appeared around her. Light gathered above her arm, materializing into an arrow with a yellow crystal that she gave to Link, giving him the ability to fire arrows of light.

Then, suddenly, the whole temple began to shake. As the heroes and the princess began to understand what was going on, a purple crystal came from nowhere and trapped Zelda as the familiar voice of Ganondorf resonated.

"Princess Zelda... you foolish traitor! I commend you for avoiding my pursuit for seven long years. But you let your guard down... I knew you would appear if I let these kids wander around!"

Link attempted to save Zelda by hitting the crystal, but the Master Sword only bounced on it. However, Rota powered up, her hair and eyes flashing blue as she forced her fist through, then pried the crystal apart alongside Sweetie Belle, freeing the princess.

"What?!"

“OK. Triforce of Power, no joke.” Rota said as her eyes and hair returned to normal.

Sweetie Belle nodded. "Yeah, that crystal was solid. You alright, Princess?”

Zelda took a big breath to calm down as Link went to her side, ready to protect her. "Yes. Thank you. I'm sorry, I let my guard down. But it won't happen again."

The shaking gained in intensity as they could hear Ganondorf growl. "It seems like the Triforce of Courage isn't the only thing that I underestimated. To destroy that crystal...You were still hiding a lot of power despite everything you demonstrated."

"You have no idea, Ganondork!" shouted Sweetie Belle.

"Ganond...?!"

"Ganondorf!" shouted Link. "Your reign of terror will end tonight! I swear on the Goddesses!"

There was a few seconds of intense silence as the shaking stopped before Ganondorf replied calmly. "Very well. Come to my castle." Suddenly, everything shook again, the intensity so great this time that parts of the temple began to crumble.

"Let's get out of here!" shouted Zelda.

The group quickly ran out of the temple back to the marketplace where Sweetie Belle and the Bages quickly killed the ReDeads here. Then, there was an intense light at the top of the tallest tower of Ganondorf's castle.

"That is if you can reach my castle!" they could hear Ganondorf yell before a huge fireball was sent from the castle at them. The group quickly ran out of the impact area, the ball destroying a huge section of the marketplace including the path leading to the Temple of Time. At the same moment, the group could see countless Stalchildren (small skeletons the size of children) approach from the path leading to the castle.

"Princess. I recommend that you remain at our side to avoid any further attempts from Ganondorf to kidnap you," said Link as he took his weapon.

"Don't worry. We will protect you," said Sweetie Belle.

Zelda giggled. "Thank you, but I can fight. I was trained by Impa." She then looked at the approaching army of monsters with worry. "But I am not certain that we can pass all these monsters. I only see Stalchildren, but I wouldn't be surprised if there are other monsters closer to the castle."

Rota grinned at that. “Let them come. More of an opportunity for me to test this new power for a bit, at least,” She said before ascending to her God Ki Super Saiyan state, her hair and eyes turning a glowing sapphire blue.

Marko smirked at the transformation. “Super Saiyan Blue. Guess one of the goddesses was impressed with you, sis,” he commented as he summoned his sword.

Zelda looked at the form in wonder. "A gift from Din. Your brother is right, the Goddess was impressed."

"The monsters won't matter for me and the Bages," reassured Sweetie Belle. "Link, however... Well, you weren't bad against the Gerudos, but you still took a small beating."

"Monsters aren't as skilled as Gerudos," Link said. "Don't worry for me. At worst, I still have fairies."

"Alright. But I hope that you won't mind if the Bages and I take most of the fun. You wouldn't want to reach Ganondorf out of breath," Sweetie Belle said with a grin before she materialized her ten swords.

Meanwhile, Zelda infused her arms with magical energy, readying herself. "Thank you for the thought."

Then, the first Stalchildren entered the marketplace, and the two Hylians, one alicorn filly, one Saiyan and one Human charged at them.

Sweetie Belle reached the monsters first thanks to her speed, and she began a deadly dance with her ten swords levitating around her, slicing dozens of monsters in a few seconds. To the swords, she added her hooves, punching and sending balls of energies, killing even more monsters.

Rota used a similar tactic, covering her limbs in Ki and using that to cut through the monsters, along with blasts of her own. The Saiyan then vanished and reappeared on the other side of the horde she’d been attacking, the monsters all falling apart at once as she moved on to the next group.

Marko slashed with his sword, cutting through swathes of monsters as more still burned from the waves of fire that surged with every swing. He then threw his sword so it spun like a buzzsaw as he began blasting every monster around him in a circle with fire lances and explosive energy blasts. Once he was done blasting, he caught his sword and swung with a rising cut that unleashed a wave of fire.

Link was behind them, beginning to swing his sword around at any monster that survived the trio’s assault. Zelda was at his side, helping him, destroying the monsters attempting to attack from behind with blasts of energy from her hands. Then, when she saw a small group of four Stalfos approaching, she sent a strange little ball of red energy that she controlled to slowly make it float to them. When the ball reached the Stalfos, she then made it explode, not killing the Stalfos but sending them on the ground where Sweetie Belle finished them one after another.

"Was that Din's Fire? It doesn't look like the Din's Fire I use," Link said in wonder.

"I have better magical control, so I can use Din's Fire, Farore's Wind, and Nayru's Love in ways you can't," explained Zelda. To demonstrate her point, she then used Nayru's Love, the crystal enveloping her and stopping all attacks from the Stalchildren from reaching her. But not only it did that, but the crystal also rapidly spun around her, hurting the monsters that it hit before disappearing.

"Nice!" said Link.

Zelda then eyed Sweetie Belle as the filly rained explosive beams in a large area in front of her, killing countless monsters including a whole pack of Wolfos and some Lezalfos. "But she's clearly beating me in this domain. She may actually be even more powerful than Ganondorf with the Triforce of Power."

"She is," confirmed Link. "In the Water Temple, there was a challenge where we had to defeat doubles of each of us. Her double... used a powerful explosive attack that blew up the whole lake and even more. The Goddess of Time had to intervene. And the worst part? When we did the challenge again, this time in pocket dimensions to avoid a repeat of this disaster, she and the Bages finished their fights well before me, and she looked as if she hadn't fought at all. As if she very easily defeated her double when it took me everything to defeat mine. If they had wanted, they could have gone to defeat Ganondorf right away. There was even that owl who said that her power rivals that of the Gods. Especially since Rota got that form."

"And this really seems to be the case. They demonstrated skills, with weapons, magic and even their own bodies, far beyond both yours," said Navi. "We can be happy that they’re friendly."

Zelda decided to approach Sweetie Belle, quickly followed by Link. The filly, at this moment, was facing two Iron Knuckles. She managed to grab the battleaxe of one of them, then used it to slice the disarmed Iron Knuckle vertically in half before she threw the axe at the other, beheading it.

"Are you a Goddess?" Zelda asked the filly at this moment.

“Not yet," answered Sweetie Belle.

A whole column of Stalfos, ReDeads, and Gibdos was approaching, but Rota appeared in front of them, a blue energy ball in each hand, and used them to launch energy missiles at the horde, the blasts sending bits of the monsters flying all over.

“‘Not YET’?!” Zelda repeated.

"Long story," said the filly at this before she killed a Stalfos and used its shield like a frisbee to behead a few other skeletons.

By now, they were already halfway to the castle, and the number of monsters was diminishing as they were slaughtered by the heroes, mainly Sweetie Belle and the Bages. At this moment, more giant fireballs were sent from the tallest tower of the castle, adding to the chaos. Lightning also began to rain all around the castle from the dark clouds above.

One of the fireballs came right at the heroes, and Marko intercepted it, slicing it into several smaller fireballs that rained all around them, burning the monsters instead.

"The short one is that I got lucky enough to become friends with a God, and he showed me how to become very powerful. Then, I ascended into an alicorn, pretty much mortal Gods in my realm, and became even more powerful. Thanks to what I became the alicorn of, I'm now bound to eventually ascend into a God. The weapon and fighting skills, however, came with lots of training, a lot of determination, and many adventures and battles against powerful opponents. From strong, powerful and skilled friendly rivals to a Dark God passing by eldritch abominations with god-like powers and even a reality-bending supercomputer... Uh... Advanced technology stuff."

"And... You are the alicorn of what, exactly?" asked Zelda.

Sweetie Belle smirked as her shadow suddenly extended in a wide area around her, and all monsters caught in it disappeared in it, never to be seen again. "Void."

"Void? As in darkness?"

"True Darkness, Nothingness, from which everything came and toward which everything goes. The space between universes. By being the Alicorn of the Void, I have very great control over the Void Energy that comes from it." Sweetie Belle could see the hunger to know more in Zelda's eyes. She had seen the same eyes from Twilight. "How about I tell you about the void after we are done with Ganondorf? Speaking of... we're here!"

"What?"

Zelda looked around, and to her shock, they were already in front of Ganondorf's castle. In the area around them were the remains of countless monsters of all kinds, mainly Stalchildren, all the way to the town. Not a single monster was still alive. The Princess of Hyrule hadn't paid attention at all. She hadn't even remarked that she had stopped fighting as she talked with Sweetie Belle, who had her ten weapons back at her side.

The castle was now looming above them, floating above a large crater. They were facing the entrance, but it was out of reach for Link and Zelda. As they began to wonder how to enter it, they suddenly began to hear a voice.

"Can you hear me? It's Rauru, the Sage. We six will gather our power to create a bridge to the castle where Ganondorf dwells... The castle's keep, which is known as Ganon's Tower, is protected by six evil barriers. Bring down the six barriers, and you will be able to confront the Evil King."

Then, balls of light of different colors rained from the sky in front of the heroes and materialized a bridge of light to the entrance.

"Thank you, everyone," Zelda said before they advanced on the bridge and entered the castle.

Inside the castle, an organ could be heard being played, giving a good "evil ambience" to the place. The group ran down some stairs in a hallway and reached a door, Sweetie Belle destroying two Beamos on the way while Link, Zelda and the Bages (Rota having powered down to her base form, for now) killed some Stalchildren that guarded the place.

After the door, they entered the main room of the castle, a pathway going up and down stairs surrounding the central tower of the castle. The tower was surrounded by a powerful barrier that even Sweetie Belle wasn't sure if she could destroy. The shield was powered by six beams of energy colored like the elements of the temples: yellow for light, green for forest, red for fire, blue for water, purple for shadow, and orange for spirit. The beams were coming from prisms above doors with the symbols of the corresponding element/temple above. More Stalchildren were present everywhere in the room along with countless Keeses.

Deciding to go counterclockwise, they went to the right and passed the door with the forest symbol. It led to a round room where they had to fight a simple Wolfos that was rapidly killed, materializing a chest with a blue rupee. They then had to light five torches (one being above the exit door), which was also rapidly done between Sweetie Belle, Zelda and Marko's magic and Link's fire arrows, opening the exit door.

Then was a room with a bottomless pit, with only a few platforms here and there. They had to go from platform to platform to collect five silver rupee while being careful of the fans that were on the walls. A Beamos, in the center, was quickly destroyed by Rota to make the task easier. Also, they had to press a switch to make a small pillar with Longshot targets appear so they could reach one of the rupees.

In the room just after, it was only a matter of firing a light arrow at the sphere surrounded in green energy, destroying it and allowing Saria to use her power to weaken the barrier before transporting the group back to the main room.

Moving to the right, they went down stairs and opened the door representing the Water Temple.

Well, more like it represented the Ice Cavern seeing what awaited them behind. The room was entirely covered in ice, with stalactites and stalagmites, including some stalagmites surrounding a familiar blue fire. There was also a chest containing a blue rupee, some Freezards rapidly destroyed, and a wall of red ice blocking the exit.

"Do you still have the blue fire in one of the bottles?" asked Sweetie Belle.

Link took the bottle in question and showed it, the bottle still containing the blue fire from the Ice Cavern. "Yes, I still have it. I was starting to think that we wouldn't need it." He then went to use the blue fire on the red ice blocking the exit before taking another blue fire just in case.

The room after was a room like in the Ice Cavern where they had to push blocks of ice around. A First block had to be pushed to fill a hole, and a second block then had to be pushed toward a ledge with red ice at the top. The red ice melted, and they were able to press a rusted switch with the hammer, opening the exit.

Then was the room with the sphere surrounded in blue energy. Like the previous time, Link fired a light arrow to destroy it, allowing Ruto to use her power.

Next was the Shadow Temple door. It led to a huge cavern that glowed purple with a bottomless pit covered by a purple mist. While Sweetie Belle killed a Green Bubble, Link used a fire arrow to light a torch, making a path appear. While Link and Zelda traversed the path with the aid of the Bages, Sweetie Belle opened a chest containing a blue rupee before joining them. On the new platform, Zelda dealt with a Like Like, letting Link shoot another fire arrow on one of the torches again to make the path to the next platform appear. There, Sweetie Belle let Link use the Lens of Truth to see the invisible paths, one leading to a rusted switch that opened the exit, the other leading to said exit. On the way, Link had to jump on a platform further down to press another rusted switch to make a big chest drop. When Sweetie Belle opened the chest, she got what was certainly called the Golden Gauntlets (seeing how they had gold on them, like the Silver Gauntlets had silver on them). She gave them to Link when he came back with the Longshot. By the same logic as the Silver Gauntlets, the Golden Gauntlets will let Link push and pull even heavier objects.

After that was the room with the sphere covered in purple energy. It was promptly destroyed, letting Impa use her power.

Next was the Fire Temple door, leading to another large cavern, this one filled with lava with only a somewhat narrow zigzagging path and some platforms on it, including three of these platforms that sank in the lava once someone stepped on them. Here, they had to collect five silver rupees. To their annoyance, it turned out that the zigzagging path was also sinking, so they had to hurry up and not remain on it. Thankfully, Link had the winged boots, Sweetie Belle and the Bages could fly, and Zelda could use Farore's Wind to teleport.

While moving on the path, they had to watch out for Red Bubbles suddenly jumping out of the lava. They rapidly got a first rupee on a sinking platform, then another on a round platform with a pillar spewing two streams of fire while spinning. A third rupee was under a huge and heavy pillar of stone that Link was able to grab and toss thanks to his newly obtained Golden Gauntlets, and a fourth rupee was on another round platform with a Fire Slug. Then, they were able to use the tossed pillar as a platform to reach the last rupee on another sinking platform.

With the five rupees, they could enter the room with the sphere (after using the Longshot to reach it). They destroyed it, letting Darunia do his job.

After Fire came Light, but first, Link had to grab and toss another pillar of stone blocking the door. The room after it was another round room with six chests. Having a bad feeling, they used the Lens of Truth to see what was in the chests, also seeing that there was an invisible Skulltula in the center of the room and some invisible Keeses. They did well as, while they weren't able to see what was in the chests to their annoyance, they found out that all the chests that hadn't a Keese on them were traps. The others contained rupees and arrows. Finally, when they killed all the enemies, another chest containing a key appeared in the center. They used the key to open the exit.

The next room was just a small hallway with a Triforce symbol where Link had to play Zelda's Lullaby to make a chest containing another key drop, and the key was immediately used.

The last room before the sphere was another round one with two boulders circling a central platform. Again, they had to get five silver rupees to continue. Two were in the center, two were in alcoves, and one was on the central platform, reached with the Longshot.

They didn't immediately reach the sphere after that. They had to use the Lens of Truth to find a hidden passage leading to it. With the sphere destroyed, Rauru could use his power (letting Sweetie see how he looked, a chubby old man, for the first time).

Last was the Spirit Temple door. The room behind was... dangerous. There was a Beamos in the center, which was alright, but what was less alright were the four Armos statues here and there, each with a Spike Trap between them and the closest wall. A fifth Spike Trap was also moving back and forth behind the Beamos. And of course, there were silver rupees right in the paths of the Spike Traps, forcing them to move some of the statues (after destroying the Beamos) to have time to get the rupees without being hit by the Spike Traps when the statues were too close to the walls. A last rupee was above where the Beamos had been, and Link had to use the Longshot to reach it.

The next room had them having to fight two Fire Slugs. Hitting a crystal present here dropped a chest containing Bombchus. Link had to use a Bombchu toward bars so the bomb could climb them, reach the other side, and hit another crystal to open the door beside the bars. Passing the door, they then eventually reached a room with four suns and a hole in the ceiling blocked by a lot of spider webs. Zelda and Marko used their magic to burn the webs, letting sunlight come from the hole (although one could wonder where the sunlight was coming from since the sun was covered by dark clouds outside the castle), and Link used the Mirror Shield to deflect the light on the suns. Meanwhile, Sweetie Belle and Rota had to deal with Wallmasters (it was pretty much their specialty at this point). Three of the four suns burst into fire when hit with light and didn't do anything. The exit opened only when Link found the right sun.

The last sphere was then destroyed, and Nabooru could use her power.

When the group was sent back to the main room, they saw the barrier break, letting them finally access Ganon's Tower.

"Before we go," said Sweetie Belle. "When we were battling all these monsters outside, I noticed a secondary path at the right of the castle. I used a shadow to have a look here and there was another of these pillars that Link now can grab with the Golden Gauntlets. It certainly leads somewhere."

"So close to Ganondorf's castle?" wondered Navi.

Link shrugged. "I might as well go have a look. There could be something useful against Ganondorf."

Zelda and the Bages nodded. If there was even a small chance of finding something that could make the fight against Ganondorf easier, they should take it.

So they quickly exited the castle, followed the direction given by Sweetie Belle, and found the path with the pillar at the end. After tossing the pillar, they discovered a tunnel that led into a Fairy Fountain with a Great Fairy. And none other than the Great Fairy of Courage enhanced Link's defensive power, reducing the damage he will take from now by half!

"Wow! I didn't expect that we would find something THAT useful!" said Sweetie Belle.

"Me neither. Thank you, Sweetie Belle, for finding this path," said Link.

“I’d definitely say that was worth the detour,” Rota said.

They returned inside the castle and entered the tower (the entrance being inside the mouth of the sculpted head of a monster). Inside the tower, they ran up some stairs in the left, eliminating some Fire Keeses on the way, and passed a door at the top that led to an arena with two Dinolfos (pretty much like Lezalfos but stronger and better equipped). They were still easily killed however, and the group continued climbing the tower to the next room.

They now had to face two Stalfos easily killed too. Killing them not only opened the way, but also let them reach a fancy chest with a Big Key. After climbing more, they then entered a third arena with three Iron Knuckles, one in white armor, one in black armor and one in gray armor.

They weren't much better than the Dinolfos and Stalfos. Sweetie Belle killed one in two seconds, and Link and Zelda easily got rid of the second while Rota and Marko eliminated the third one. After defeating them, they climbed more stairs and reached the golden-locked door.

They opened it.

And entered a large room with a central pillar and three exits, two of which were barred. The organ was very clear now. Ganondorf was just above!

They went to the only exit that wasn't barred and opened the door. Then, they climbed a last set of stairs before they opened another door.

Ganondorf's room... was immense. A huge chandelier was far above under a stained glass, monstrous gargoyles looked down at them, and there were large windows everywhere in the walls. Before the heroes, up some stairs, was the giant organ they heard since they entered the castle.

And playing it was the Dark Lord himself: Ganondorf.

Suddenly, both Link and Zelda felt something in their hand, and as they looked, they could see their Triforce part glow.

Ganondorf stopped playing.

"The Triforce parts are resonating... They are combining into one again..."

The heroes all exchanged glances before they carefully advanced. The filly and the Hero of Time had their weapons ready, the Princess had magical energy enveloping her arms, ready to send a spell and the Bages stayed ready to surge their power.

"The two Triforce parts that I could not capture on that day seven years ago... I didn't expect they would be hidden within you two!" Ganondorf then let out a dark chuckle. "And now, finally, all the Triforce parts have gathered here!" With a dramatic flip of his cape, he turned around to face the group. "These toys are too much for you! I command you to return them to me!" he shouted as he raised a fist, showing the Triforce of Power.

The next instant, waves of darkness hit the group, but they resisted. But with all this darkness, Navi was forced to remain away from Ganondorf.

With a cackle, Ganondorf then jumped from the organ toward the group who quickly ran away while the organ disappeared. Ganondorf then punched the ground as he landed, destroying the red carpet and causing some of the blocks forming the floor to fall, creating a central platform of two by two blocks. Finally, a really big, heavy-looking sword appeared in his hand as he looked between Link, Zelda, Sweetie Belle, Rota and Marko, deciding who to attack first.

Rota didn’t give him time to choose as she lunged for the Gerudo King. Ganondorf readied to slash her, only for Rota to flicker step behind him and send him stumbling with a kick to the back before jumping away to avoid getting struck by the warlock’s backhand.

The blow didn't seem to hurt him, shockingly. Well, it at least got his attention

Link took this occasion to join Ganondorf too and managed to land a hit before he and Ganondorf clashed. Link then made a quick move to the side, letting Ganondorf's sword hit the ground, before slashing him on the side, managing to hurt him, unlike Rota, only to be punched on the cheek hard enough to send him to the ground. Ganondorf readied his sword, only for Marko to appear and slam an palm strike into the tyrant’s gut, forcing the breath from his lungs. He followed up with an uppercut to the chin and a hook to the cheek, which more annoyed Ganondorf than anything before the warlock grabbed Marko's next strike and threw him to the side.

A powerful beam suddenly hit Ganondorf from behind, surprisingly hurting him, and he quickly turned around and deflected a second from Sweetie Belle. With a large jump, he came to her with a downward slash that the filly avoided before she bucked him right in his crotch, her back legs infused with energy.

Ganondorf held back a yell of pain and kicked the filly. Sweetie Belle jumped away to avoid it, but Ganondorf then sent a ball of energy at her. She slashed at it and sent the ball back at him, and he punched the ball back at her. Before this could evolve into a ping pong game like in the fight against the fake Ganondorf, the Dark Lord was suddenly hit from behind by a light arrow, stunning him. Sweetie Belle, Link, and Rota quickly took the occasion to hit him with everything they had. Zelda and Marko, seeing that they couldn't hurt him, stood to the side, ready to intervene. Ganondorf eventually recovered and attacked Link who jumped away.

It was only at the last second that Ganondorf saw that Link had left a bomb at his feet, and, though unharmed, the Dark Lord was blown a few steps back by the explosion before he also took a beam of the same light than the Light Arrows from Sweetie Belle and a blast of God Ki from Rota, causing him to nearly fall from his feet then was sent flying backwards by a boot to the torso by Marko. Suddenly, Ganondorf’s sword was covered in fire, and he slashed the air several times, sending many fiery waves at his five opponents, four of whom did their best to block or avoid them.

Marko simply used his fire immunity to power through the waves, grabbing a bit of fire on the way, and punched the tyrant in the jaw with a flaming fist. Ganondorf lashed out with a pommel strike to the gut, driving the air from the superhumans lungs, only for Marko to grab the arm and drop, unbalancing Ganondorf right into a Ki-laced kick from Rota. Marko then charged forward, driving Ganondorf back-first into a pillar only to take a knee to the chest and a forearm smash to the back, knocking him to the ground. The Warlock then sent an energy ball to clash with one that Rota sent at him.

After the clashing blasts exploded, the next thing Ganondorf knew, as the smoke cleared, he was hit by a light arrow, stunning him, and he was assaulted from all sides again. Eventually, he enveloped a fist in darkness and struck the ground, sending a shockwave of darkness that sent the heroes flying, giving him space. He then jumped back on the central platform, floated up, raised an arm, and sent countless projectiles of darkness everywhere in the room. It didn't work, each of the heroes having a means to shield themselves from them. Seeing this, Ganondorf assembled energy and flew toward Sweetie Belle. The filly barely flew out of the way, and Ganondorf hit the floor instead, causing the block it hit and the ones around it to fall. His attempt was rewarded by an uppercut to the chin that sent him flying right into the chandelier, and they both crashed back on the central platform.

Ganondorf blew his way out of the remains of the chandelier with a shockwave, and Link jumped to land in front of him to have another go. And this time, he signed to Sweetie Belle, Zelda and the Bages to let him fight, and they accepted with a nod.

So the Hero of time and the Dark Lord began to duel on the central platform, mainly with their swords, but also using whatever other tricks such as magic, objects for Link, and punches and kicks for Ganondorf. The Dark Lord was slashed dozens of times, but each hit only phased him a little. On the contrary, Link wasn't hit a lot, but each time that it happened, it took a lot from him.

Then, when Ganondorf did a horizontal slash, Link took the occasion to jump on his sword before planting his sword in the Dark Lord's torso, dealing a lot of damage. Not done yet, he used the torso to jump away from Ganondorf, and in the middle of the jump, Link took the bow and fired another light arrow, stunning him. Link then continuously slashed at Ganondorf until he was forced to jump away by a desperate swing of the Dark Lord's sword.

But it seemed that Ganondorf finally reached his limit as he dropped his sword and began to cough up a lot of blood, a hand on his torso.

"The Great Evil King Ganondorf... beaten by these kids?" He was particularly eyeing Link who managed to defeat him in their duel, even though Sweetie Belle and the Bages also did a lot of damage in the fight. "Link...!"

Then, he screamed and began to glow, and the whole room shook and fell apart as everything was plunged in light. When the light disappeared, they were now somehow on the roof, very damaged, and Ganondorf fell on the floor.

Zelda sighed. "Ganondorf... Pitiful man... Without a strong, righteous mind, he could not control the power of the Gods... and..."

She was interrupted by the whole castle shaking and beginning to crumble. Quickly, Sweetie Belle teleported them outside, and they watched as the building sunk into itself until nothing remained but ruins.

"It's over... It's finally over..." sighed Zelda in relief and joy.

But then, as Navi apologized for not being of any help in the battle, they heard something in the ruins of the castle. Carefully, Sweetie Belle, Link and Rota went to investigate, leaving Zelda and Marko on the bridge that connected to the castle's back entrance that they hadn't been able to access previously.

Then, a wall of fire appeared and surrounded the area, separating the trio from Zelda and Marko. Ganondorf, still alive, then flew out of the ruin, his eyes glowing yellow, rasping hard. He then raised his right hand and called for the Triforce of Power. His body then began to glow, and to transform.

Before the heroes, Ganondorf grew in size, and his shape changed. His skin became a dark shade of blue with fur covering some parts, his feet turned into hooves, a long scaly tail appeared, and the head became the one of a pig or a boar with sharp teeth poking out and two large horns coming out of the sides. Finally, two giant swords materialized in his hands as the beast landed.

"I am the Demon King! I am... GANON!!!"

Author's Note

So, should I keep the songs Lucar used, or would it be cool if I used a different soundtrack?

Public poll, leave your answer in the comments.

Hope you're enjoying the story.

Stay true to you.

Chapter 21: Ganon The Demon King.

The beast was looming before the heroes under the darkness of the clouds, his features barely visible, only his glowing eyes which glared at them with pure malice.

Then, with a roar, Ganon charged at them through the ruins.

Sweetie Belle met his swords with hers, but Ganon's strength was such that he easily knocked them out of the way despite the filly using her ten beam swords at once, five for each of Ganon's swords. She still sent one of her swords to slash at Ganon's torso, but to her shock, it didn't have any effect.

The three heroes then quickly avoided another attack from Ganon, Link rolling to the beast's hooves before he slashed at them, only for the Master Sword to not have any effect either. He then had to run away as Ganon attempted to crush him under his hoof. Meanwhile, Sweetie Belle continuously attacked Ganon, but each of her attacks were met with failure to hurt the Demon King.

Rota then charged in to try for herself, powering up to Super Saiyan Blue. Using an after-image to feint for the torso, the Saiyan rocketed into Ganon’s jaw headfirst, surprisingly harming the beast, and causing him to stumble backwards. Ganon recovered quickly, however, slapping Rota away with a back hand.

Rota caught herself in midair as Marko cried from across the fire, “HEY!” Once he had the others' attention, he said, "The head and the tail! Try to hit the head and the tail!”

Sweetie Belle looked at the head, then at the tail, seeing that the tail didn't seem to be as solid as the rest of the body. And both she and Link had seen Ganon’s reaction to Rota headbutting his chin. "Of course! Thank you Marko! Link! Try to use the light arrow on his head!"

Zelda then said, "There's magic in this fire that is stopping us from traversing even with Farore's Wind! Sorry we can't help more!"

Rota reassured them with a quick, “You’re fine!” as Link nodded to both Sweetie Belle and Marko, jumped back to avoid a swing of Ganon's left sword, and took his bow before firing a light arrow right on the crystal that was part of the crown on Ganon's forehead. It had the effect of stunning the beast, and Sweetie Belle and Rota took the occasion to savagely attack respectively the tail and the head until he recovered only two seconds later and spun with his swords, knocking Sweetie Belle's swords away and forcing the Saiyan-filly duo to fly out of range.

Ganon then glared at Link and suddenly jumped toward him, smashing the ground. Link avoided him with a roll, ensuring that he was behind Ganon, and quickly attacked the tail once before he ran away to not be hit by the counterattack. But then, Ganon raised his swords, covered them in electricity, and with a vertical swing, sent the electricity at Link in the form of a disk that he barely avoided by jumping to the side.

Rota flicker-stepped to Ganon’s tail, grabbed it and pulled as hard as she could, the Demon King roaring and struggling against the Saiyan. Sweetie Bell tipped the scales in Rota’s favor by ramming into the top of the beast’s head, sending him sprawling to the ground as the Saiyan then powered up further, electricity emitting from her aura as she ascended to a Blue equivalent to Super Saiyan 2, her hair growing out a bit as she began spinning Ganon by the tail before flying upwards while still spinning and then releasing the Dark lord, sending him crashing into the ruins of the castle, destroying them even more.

With a roar, Ganon leapt from the ruins and, with shocking speed for his size, closed the distance between himself and the heroes, blocking Sweetie Belle and Rota’s beams and blasts with his swords and arms. Link, meanwhile, took the opportunity to get behind the beast, only to be forced to shield himself when Ganon suddenly turned around while slashing at the Hero of Time. He managed to block in time, but was still sent backwards from the force of the blow. Sweetie tried going for the tail, but ended up getting batted away by it.

As Ganon brought one blade down on Link, who rolled aside to dodge it, Rota flew at the Demon King and punched him in the cheek while Link climbed up his arm and then slashed the beast's head with the Master Sword.

Hitting the head with the Master Sword was the most effective against Ganon. It even stunned the beast to the point of making him kneel, causing the wall of fire to disappear, and Link took the occasion to attack the head again, joined by Sweetie Belle and Rota while Zelda and Marko entered the arena before the fire returned.

Ganon got up, roared, and sent several disks of electricity at the heroes and at Zelda before he jumped toward the princess who used Farore's Wind to teleport away behind him, and she quickly attacked him with bursts of magic to either distract or blind before teleporting again.

Before Ganon could decide what to do next, he was slashed in the face by Marko, his sword now larger and glowing with the divine blue light of God Ki, courtesy of Rota sharing a bit of her own with him, making the Demon King flinch, before Sweetie Belle fired from her horn a beam of light, stunning the Demon King! The heroes who could harm him attacked from all sides while the beast was down.

With a roar, Ganon repelled all of them with his swords while he accumulated dark energy in his mouth and fired another powerful beam at the filly who teleported out of the way. Ganon then put an arm in the way of a light arrow fired by Link before he breathed several fireballs that went after the heroes. Rota and Marko took the occasion to fly above the battle and rain energy blasts and energy cutters onto the beast’s head while the others tried to keep his attention on them. Ganon, however, charged dark energy into his mouth and then swept it across the sky, trying to hit one of the Bages. But then, Sweetie Belle conjured a fist shaped shield below Ganon’s chin and used it to punch his mouth closed, causing an explosion of energy that left him stunned again. Link and Marko used the occasion again to attack the tail while Sweetie Belle and Rota slashed and blasted at the head.

Ganon then fell on his knee again, weakened, and Zelda took the occasion to use her most powerful light magic on him.

"I'm using my power to hold the Evil King! You use your sword and deliver the final blow!" she exclaimed before she was left drained. Using this magic took everything she had left.

Link's Master Sword then began to glow, feeling that it was time to end the Evil.

So Link slashed at Ganon's head several time before he planted the sword in through the crystal on the forehead.

Roaring in agony, Ganon stood up and began to slash around wildly.

"Six Sages... Now!" yelled Zelda before she summoned a ball of intense light.

In the Chamber, the Sages used their power to open a vortex to the Sacred Realm.

And Ganon disappeared in it, the Sacred Realm becoming his prison.

Sweetie Belle, Link, Zelda, and the Bages then found themselves in an infinite expanse of sky in all directions, somehow standing on an invisible floor.

Sweetie Belle didn't question it. With all that holy magic stuff they used, getting transported to a sky realm to have a little post-Evil-Overlord's-defeat chat wasn't a surprise, and the Gods probably had something to do with it.

"Thank you, Link... Thank you, Sweetie Belle… Thank you, Rota… And thank you, Marko… Thanks to you, Ganondorf has been sealed inside the Evil Realm!" began Zelda. "Thus, peace will once again reign in this world... for a time."

"Yeah..." Sweetie Belle began with a frown. "Ganondorf still has the Triforce of Power. I fear that he may eventually break the seal and escape."

"But this won't be before several centuries... I hope," Navi said.

Link sighed. "I suppose that nothing can be done about this..."

Zelda sighed too. "And all of this is my fault..."

"Why do you say that?" Link asked.

"I tried to control the Sacred Realm. I was young, and I couldn't comprehend the consequences. Ganondorf entered the Sacred Realm and took the Triforce of Power, becoming a threat that will plague Hyrule for generations. And I dragged you into it too," Zelda said as she looked at Link.

"It's alright," Rota said. "You wanted to do what was right to stop Ganondorf from entering the Realm and taking the Triforce, and you were just a little girl. Nobody holds it against you."

"But at least, I want to make up for my mistake," said Zelda before she looked back at Link. "You must lay the Master Sword to rest and close the Door of Time... However, by doing this, the roads between times will be closed..." She then extended her hand toward him. "Link, give the ocarina to me..."

Link understood what she wanted to do. "You are going to bring me back to seven years ago."

Zelda nodded. "Even a little before, before Ganondorf could enter the Sacred Realm. You will warn my past self and my father of his threat... and all this tragedy will be avoided. And you will be able to live the life that was stolen from you."

Link took the ocarina and stared at it, then at Sweetie Belle and the Bages.

"So I guess this is goodbye?" Rota asked.

"Unless you find a way to use the Song of Time and go back in time without the help of the Goddess of Time, it seems like it," answered Link with a sad smile as he gave the ocarina to Zelda.

Sweetie Belle then frowned in thought. "Actually, I may not need. If you are able to stop Ganondorf before he could enter the Sacred Realm, then this will create a split timeline, becoming a parallel universe. Then, all I will need to do is to find this universe to find you again. The hard part will be finding the right universe among the infinite parallel versions of this universe... Wait a minute..." She facehoofed. "Of coooourse! Link, bring us with you!"

"What?"

"You see, I come from an absolutely unique universe in the whole multiverse. It would be long to explain, but to put it simply, this universe doesn't even have a past or a future, it only exists in the present. No time travel unless it is to return before the time-split point from which my universe was born. I can't call past or future versions of me to join me because there is only me. Follow me until now?"

"I... think?" said Link with hesitation.

"Yes, I understand," Zelda said with a nod.

“Observation 27 of Time Travel: The Fabric of Time won’t allow unique individuals to interact with themselves from another point in the same timeline, with exception to Acausal Beings, molding the timeline in question to make it so they are not able to,” Rota and Marko rattled off simultaneously.

Sweetie Belle raised an eyebrow at the siblings’ near-automated response.

“Our whole family has connections to our universe’s entity governing time,” Rota said, hoping it would satisfy Sweetie Belle’s curiosity. “Anyway, you were saying?”

"Right. So if I go back in time with Link, then... Darn, how to word it... Despite the time travel, I will be able to return to my universe and I will know where his universe is. I will not need to search. Bringing the Bages mostly makes sure they don't left behind."

"But then, you will return to your universe seven years younger," warned Zelda.

"That's no problem," said Sweetie Belle with a big grin before her age suddenly regressed until she was six years old. "I can change my age at will! And I should be able to do something similar for the Bages."

Link, Zelda and the Bages jaws all dropped before Link gave her a deadpan look. "Then why did you remain a six-years old when we got back in time?"

"Because it was fun! And it didn't change anything in the end!"

Link and Marko facepalmed, while Rota and Zelda giggled.

"And you know what this means too?" asked Sweetie Belle as she looked back and forth between Link and Zelda. "That I could bring Link back from his universe to visit you, Zelda, and vice versa!" She then frowned again, this time in annoyance. "I just need to find a way for you to communicate to me through dimensions. I really need to start to think about this if I want to keep contact with all the friends I will make in my adventures."

She was then grabbed by Zelda who hugged her and petted her in thanks (and not just because six-years old Sweetie Belle was adorable). "I am happy to hear this, Sweetie Belle. So this won't be a final goodbye."

Sweetie Belle nodded before she flew out of Zelda's arms and returned to her normal age beside Link who began to pet her too, with the Bages.

Zelda then began to play her lullaby with the ocarina, and the four heroes were enveloped in a blue light as they began to float before everything flashed.

"See you soon..."

They were back in the Temple of Time, in front of the Pedestal of Time. The Master Sword was already back in it, and the column of blue light disappeared.

After looking around a bit, they looked at each other, seeing that they were now seven years younger, that they were back seven years to the past. How long before Ganondorf's attack? They weren't sure.

Then, they exited the Master Sword's room, and since the gems weren't on their pedestal as Link hadn't placed them yet, the doors closed behind them.

"So you're gonna warn the royal family about Ganondorf. Then what?" asked Sweetie Belle as she returned her and the Bages to their normal ages.

"I need to verify when exactly we are. Depending on that, I may have to go help the Great Deku Tree, help the Gorons, and save Ruto inside Jabu-Jabu again. If we are early enough, then this may not be needed. Then, well... I'm not sure..." Link said with a sigh. "I guess that I will see. But I don't think that I will be able to do as Zelda said, live the life that I would have lived without all these events. I just... can't... Not after all this..."

"Yeah. Going through something like that really changes a person. I went through something similar. After going through adventures and fighting monstrous abominations, I just can't settle on a 'normal' life. Or I wouldn't be here. I guess this is up to you to find out what you will do with your life from now on."

Link nodded. "So, will you return to your home now?"

"Yeah, now that it's over. I don't think that you will need us to stop Ganondorf. Without the Triforce of Power, he isn't that dangerous. And also, I have school to go," she finished with a giggle. She then hugged Link, nodded at Navi, and opened a rift. "Goodbye! See you next time!" And she passed it.

The rift dropped Sweetie Belle and the Bages in her chamber in the Carousel Boutique, and she quickly saw through the window that it was night outside. Silently, she led Rota and Marko outside, the former keeping her eyes pointed at the ground and shut, letting Marko guide her to Twilight’s Castle. The filly then verified the date on the calendar and saw that it was the night from Sunday to Monday.

Perfect timing! She didn't miss school!

And a quick check of a nearby clock let her know that it was a little over 3AM.

Well, she may as well go have a quick nap. She couldn't wait to recount her adventure to her friends.

Author's Note

Quick head's up: I will not be doing Undertale for the arc after the next chapter, due to personal reasons.

While this is a good thing for diversity of events, I still need to decide what will be taking it's place. I will put up a blog post at some point asking anyone interested for their suggestions.

Chapter 22: To a New Realm.

The next day, Rota Bage was sitting in a section of the Everfree Forest, pretty much the only place on Equus where she could do her current activity safely.

Namely, meditation to reign in her control over her energy. The divine energy she’d gotten from her last adventure had increased her potential, but the method had come at a cost. Her normally seamless control over ambient Ki, effectively allowing her a near-limitless supply of energy, had been shot.

Seriously, she dumped enough energy to blow up a star into one of her punches and only a quarter of it actually ended up lasting to the impact, and on top of that she couldn’t sense a damned thing. She needed to redo her energy control exercises.

She had just gotten done with the mandatory portion of the meditation and was about to test her control with a simple method she’d previously found effective…

That was until she felt a familiar feeling to what Marko had shared with her using a Detect Magic spell.

Having a suspicion, Rota began counting down.

Where it was a sunny day mere moments ago, it was now in the midst of a small downpour.

Hearing a set of giggles from her left, combined with the fact that a certain filly had yet to learn how to suppress her energy signature, told the Saiyan exactly what happened.

“At least you’re not screwing with the day/night cycle. But now, someone’s gonna have to explain to Applejack, Rainbow Dash and potentially Rarity why you knowingly brought your friends into the Everfree Forest, regardless of how safe they are with you,” the Saiyan said, prompting the giggling to cease in favor of a brief silence, then a brief pop as Sweetie assumedly teleported herself and her friends, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, away.

Rota then sighed before letting herself return to her meditation. A few minutes later, Rota’s body began to emanate a purple aura, her hair and tail flashing the same shade of purple for a few minutes, then eventually fading back to its natural black tone as the aura faded.

Coming out of her meditation, the Saiyan looked up to see the Pegasi on the weather team clearing out the parts of the sudden storm that creeped over to Ponyville.

With a content smile, Rota once more returned to her meditation. She might as well reaffirm her control over her Saiyan instincts with some projection training.

The next day, with the CMC:

Scootalink climbed the long spiral staircase to Ganon Bloom's room, hoping that she wasn't too late to stop her from taking the Triforce of Wisdom from Sweetie Belda. When she reached the double door that was the entrance of the room, she bucked them open and ran in.

"Release Sweetie Belda, Ganon Bloom!" she yelled as she pointed her sword in direction of the Dark Lady threateningly.

This didn't faze Ganon Bloom who remained seated on her throne, chuckling darkly. "Ya're too late," she said. Then she raised her right forehoof and showed the Triforce mark, two of the three triangles composing it now glowing. "Only one left."

Scootalink growled, both in anger at Ganon Bloom and in worry for Sweetie Belda. "What have you done to her, you monster?"

In answer, Ganon Bloom just smirked and, with a flick of her hoof, made a crystal float down from the ceiling, the former bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom trapped in it. "Want her? Very well. Ah'm done with her." The crystal disappeared, and Sweetie Belda was propelled right toward Scootalink who caught her. The pegasus still ended on her back, but at least, the princess was safe.

"Ugh... thanks. I'm sorry, I could do nothing," Sweetie Belda said as she got up.

"Eh. No worries. I will still get her."

"At least, let me help you. We will have better chances if we work together."

Scootalink nodded, and they both faced Ganon Bloom, ready to fight her.

"Sweetie Belle! Here you are!" suddenly shouted a familiar voice, interrupting their game.

The fillies groaned and turned toward the approaching lavender alicorn.

"What is it, Twilight?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"Is it true that you are the one who started the rain yesterday just by singing?" asked the mare. "Wait, what were you doing, you three?" she then asked when she remarked the filly's disguises and the wooden swords.

"Just playing," answered Scootaloo. "I'm the Hero, Sweetie Belle is the Princess, and Apple Bloom is the Dark Lord."

Apple Bloom nodded. "It's based on Sweetie's previous adventures."

"And to answer your first question, yes! It's true! A little trick that I got from this adventure."

"Can you show me?" asked Twilight.

Sweetie Belle thought about it for a few seconds before grinning and smiling. She then sung the Song of Storms, and the next instant it began to rain all over Ponyville.

Twilight gawked. "That's... incredible!"

"I just made it unto a downpour, but if I wanted, I could put more power and turn it into a real storm, and even into a hurricane. And... I suppose that with more control, I could turn this into a snowstorm, I'm not sure," Sweetie Belle informed. "I'm sure that I can teach you to do it. All you need to do is to sing the Song of Storms while putting some magic in your voice, not unlike the Royal Canterlot Voice. Anypony can do it."

Twilight was visibly shaking in excitement now. "Can you sing this Song of Storms again, please?"

"I can do better," replied Sweetie Belle before she materialized a piece of paper and a pen. She wrote the song on the paper and gave it to the mare. "Here you go, the Song of Storms. You just need to sing the beginning to create a storm, but I will let you test if singing more of it is useful. And you don't even need to sing it. Playing it with an instrument works too. Any instrument, except maybe some percussion instruments."

Twilight looked down at the paper with the song. "This will revolutionize weather management!"

Sweetie Belle then grinned even more. "I also got a song to control the cycle of day and night. It may ask for more power however."

Twilight eyed the filly at this. "You are not foaling with me, uh?"

"Nope! Want proof?"

"NOOOO! If you move the sun and the moon now, it may cause panic! I will talk to Celestia and Luna about this, and if they agree, we will test this song tonight."

Sweetie Belle nodded.

Twilight then asked if there were more songs ("Yes, there are, but I don't think they will work in this world.") before she returned to her castle to send a message to Celestia and probably to experiment with the Song of Storms. The rain stopped not long after, and the fillies were able to continue where they stopped.

"Be ready to bite the dust, Ganon Bloom!"

"Then come, Scootalink!"

That evening, Sweetie Belle was on a balcony in Canterlot Castle with Twilight, Celestia, Luna and (for reasons known only to Celestia) the Bages at her sides. The princesses had agreed to test the Sun's Song and to let Sweetie show it to them, and now, they were gathered here to witness the miracle. Twilight even had some machines installed to read the amount of power needed to sing the song and make it work, to see if anypony could use it.

"Everything is ready, Celestia," said the lavender mare.

Celestia nodded and looked toward Sweetie Belle. "You can do it."

The filly nodded in turn and sang the Sun's Song. Almost immediately, the Sun fully disappeared beyond the horizon, and the Moon rose from the opposite direction and took its place.

The princesses could only look in wonder. Then, Twilight looked at the readings from the machines, and her jaw dropped. "Oh my... Celestia! Look at these readings! I could have used this song while I was still an unicorn! That's still a lot of power needed, but far from the amount you and Luna usually use to move the Sun and the Moon! Any pony with enough power in them could do it! Starlight could do it! Rainbow could do it! Applejack and her brother could do it too!"

Celestia and Luna looked at the readings, then exchanged a glance before they both turned toward Sweetie Belle.

"You must not tell anypony you don't trust about this song. And if you already told somepony about it, you must make them promise to not tell anypony without your agreement. If somepony with bad intentions was to get their hooves on this song..." Celestia said.

"Or, worst, all of Equestria learns about this song and the ponies begin to abuse it, and the cycle of day and night as we know it will cease to exist," Luna said.

Sweetie Belle, Twilight, and the Bages agreed.

"However, the song will be very useful," began Twilight. "If we could find a way to make the song play automatically each morning and evening, we would be free of this duty of controlling the Sun and the Moon.”

Luna nodded. "An automated instrument powered with a magical crystal that could replenish itself with the ambient magic. This can easily be done in a few days."

"As for the Song of Storms, it will be a boon without doubt, but I fear the pegasi's reaction," said the Alicorn of the Sun. "I will have to go to Cloudsdale to talk to them and see if we can come to an arrangement."

"I'm glad that my adventures help Equestria. Too bad we can't use the Ancient's technology, yet," Sweetie Belle grumbled.

If only they could find a way to bring huge quantities of Matters from the Dream Universe. Sweetie Belle could open a giant rift, but it would be too risky for the two universes. Thanks to the Void Energy, she could create Matters like Void, but it would take forever. No, their best bet was to wait to build Matter generators, and only then they will be able to use the Ancient technology freely.

"It's only a matter of time," assured Twilight. She, Magolor, Susie, Marko and other scientists from both universes were working hard to study the Matter generator of the Lor Starcutter.

The following days for Sweetie Belle were split between school, playing with her friends or helping them to find their Cutie Marks, and training her Pokémon. She hadn't come back to bring them to Hyrule on the last adventure because it had been just too dangerous and they were just not strong enough yet. This needed to change so her Pokémon could follow her no matter what.

So she made them face either each other or Saibamen (Rota had somehow managed to get the Flower Trio to grow them in mass) in duels, or made them attack targets such as dummies or rocks.

Tank entered his shell and quickly moved to the side to avoid Volta's Thunder Shock. He then came out and immediately countered with a Water Gun followed by a Tackle. Volta avoided the Water Gun with a jump to the side, but didn't see the Tackle until it was too late and was rammed and sent flying in the air. When she crashed, she was KO.

"Yes!" shouted Tank in victory under the applause of the watching ponies (Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and a few classmates) and the other Pokémon.

"Good job Tank!" congratulated Sweetie Belle before she healed Volta who got up after that. "You did well too, Volta. You two are becoming very good!"

"Really?!" asked Volta with her big, round eyes looking at Sweetie Belle in joy.

"Yes, you are," said Sweetie Belle while petting the little Pokémon.

It was at this moment that Tank suddenly began to glow before changing shape, to the wonder of the ponies. He visibly became taller, his tail became longer and thicker, and two small wing-like appendages appeared on the sides of his head. The glow then disappeared, revealing the new Wartortle to everypony.

"Ahah! Yes! Yes! I evolved!" he yelled.

Sweetie Belle squealed and hugged him. The spectators then approached to have a better look at the Wartortle, all of them amazed to finally see the evolution of a Pokémon, especially Twilight who was wondering how this worked.

The evolution really boosted Tank's capacities. After that, he won all his fights (except against Drako who, despite being just a Dratini, was still much stronger), and he became much more effective on the farm.

It was really then that the ponies understood how right Sweetie Belle had been. The Pokémon needed to fight, and they needed someone to guide them for this.

In the following days, the Pokémon evolved one by one. First, Smily who evolved into a Haunter (he retained his round gaseous head, but his entire body became purple and he gained spiky protrusions and two disembodied hands, making him look more like a ghost), then, Ratzo who evolved into a Raticate (he looked more like an actual rat, chubby-looking with brown fur instead of purple, and he could now stand on his back-legs), and Drako evolved into a Dragonair (looking more elegant, with a horn on his head, wing-like appendages on his head, blue crystal orbs now present under his chin and on his tail, and his snoot was now blue).

Lulla needed a Moonstone to evolve, so she had to wait for Sweetie's next excursion to the Pokémon world. As for Volta, to become a Pikachu, she didn't really need to fight. She needed something else: love and friendship. It was just a matter of waiting until she got enough.

Sweetie's Pokémon team was starting to look great, and it made many of her classmates envious. Many now wanted their own teams of cool Pokémon.

Maybe Twilight and Magolor will start to work on a portal to the Pokémon Universe.

Speaking of Magolor, he finally finished creating a translator like he and Sweetie talked about between Sweetie’s adventures and enough for her and the Bages, at that. One glass of water each later to swallow them, and Sweetie, Rota and Marko could now understand all languages, written and talked. It was quickly tested on the Ancient writing and on the language from Hyrule, and after seeing that it worked, Magolor and Susie began to work to mass-produce it.

The next weekend

“Are you sure you don’t wanna come with us?” Sweetie Belle asked Marko for the fifth time… in about as many minutes.

“Yes, I’m sure. I'll need to up my training if I want to keep up with you and Rota, especially since she shared some God Ki with me. Besides, she should be enough company for your next adventure,” Marko answered.

“Alright. If you’re sure,” the filly (finally) conceded.

With a subtle momentary glare at nothing in particular, Sweetie Belle went outside to meet up with Rota so they could go to a new universe. The two met up near the market and, after taking a moment to gather Sweetie’s Pokemon, were seen off by a few shoppers and merchants wishing them well.

Passing through the rift, the two found themselves in what seemed to be some kind of temple. Immediately in front of them was a courtyard area with Dragon Statues that Rota identified as a Lung dragon in design.

Before they could note much else, a voice sounded off.

“It would appear the greater Omniverse has brought a surprise to the two of you as well as myself and my companions.”

Turning around to face the voice, the pair saw a man, a bit shorter than Marko, and not as built, but Rota immediately recognized him. Divinity or not, he still knew the humble monk the God before them once was.

The man, clad in a white oriental style shirt and black pants with a red dragon design on it, and his eyes and tattoos glowing with power, brought his hands together, fist in palm and bowed to Rota, who copied his gesture.

“Liu Kang. Good to see you again.”

Author's Note

This came to me on a whim, and I felt no desire to resist it.

This will take a bit of time, since I'm doing something that I have no personal experience with.

If anyone reading this story would like to help with writing, send me a PM and we'll discuss details.

Chapter 23: Seeds of Deception

Author's Note

Hey, been a bit, hasn't it?

In my defense, I did say it would take awhile for these chapter to come out, though this one was not for the reason I thought.

Seriously, trying to minimize changes requires some creative liberty.

Chapter 23: Seeds of Deception

The man, Liu Kang, addressed Rota.

“It is great to see you again as well, Rota Bage. Though it is your timing that seems to be of unique serendipity,” he said. He then turned his attention to Sweetie Belle. “But that can wait for a moment. Who is your friend?”

Sweetie Belle shifted into an anthropomorphic form, with a sleeveless shirt and baggy pants like Rota, and bowed to the clearly powerful being as the Saiyan introduced her.

“This is Sweetie Belle, Alicorn and Godling of the Void.”

“The Void?” Liu Kang repeated with a look of worry. “Such a destiny is one full of trial and strife. Are you certain?”

Rota deadpanned before Sweetie herself spoke up. “I’ll be honest, I am wondering why I became a godling, but I like to think I’ll be ready for the trials ahead.”

Liu Kang smiled at her answer. “A surprisingly self-aware mindset, for one so young.” He then bowed to Sweetie Belle. “I am Liu Kang, Protector of Earthrealm, and God of Fire. Come, we have a pressing matter to discuss. Your arrival at this time is likely no accident.”

“So you need some help with something?” Sweetie Belle asked as the girls followed the Fire God into the building behind him. He spoke quietly and hurriedly as he led them to another section of the temple.

“What I am about to tell you is knowledge that must never be shared within my universe without my permission. Do you understand?” Receiving an affirmation from the Alicorn, Liu Kang continued. “This universe is a single timeline, each one crafted by a being known as the Keeper of Time.” He proceeded to explain his past, how, in the direct previous timeline, he had been mortal, but then, through a series of events Sweetie could barely keep track of properly, he became the new overseeing God of this universe, and crafted the very timeline in which they were now standing.

Sweetie Belle was more interested in the idea of an entire realm of powerful martial artists that Outworld seemed to promise. Something in the flames caught her eyes. A series of embers that formed a set of words.

Snakes wear many patterns

Why the cryptic message, Author? Sweetie thought. Liu Kang noticed the embers himself and smirked.

“Fitting advice given my worries,” he muttered into Sweetie’s ear before he continued his explanation where he’d paused, on how he’d ensured that one individual in particular, a man named Shang Tsung, would remain powerless.

But somehow, he was defying that fate.

“I will be sending a group into Outworld in order to capture Shang Tsung and bring him to me for questioning. He has likely infiltrated Outworld’s royal court so-” But he was interrupted by Rota.

“We can’t trust the authorities and we’ll need to be quick and quiet. Never did like empires, anyway. Too much chance for corruption at all levels.”

“I assure you, Outworld fares much better now than in the past. For now, let me introduce you to the three who you would be accompanying on this mission,” Liu Kang said as he brought them to a pagoda near an arch that both Sweetie and Rota could tell bore great power. In front of it were three human men in what seemed to be modified tactical gear. A brown haired man with a cocky attitude that seemed to brighten on seeing Rota, a black haired one with a red overcoat and an intense aura who rolled his eyes at the first one’s ogling, and one with a wide brimmed hat that Sweetie and Rota immediately noticed had a sharpened edge.

“Whoa-ho-ho, who is this beauty?” The cocky one asked.

“Someone who has no interest in males, PlayBoy.” Rota responded bluntly. “Also, just to get it cleared up, she’s 13,” she continued with a pointed thumb at Sweetie Belle.

“We are not bringing a child into this,” the man in the hat immediately spoke up in objection.

“Sir, would you like to see my memories of the worst thing I’ve ever had happen to me?” Sweetie Belle asked with a sweet tone that was somewhat sickening considering the question.

“Pfft, fine. What’s the worst-” His eyes flashed and he suddenly flailed back in panic, instinctively assuming his fighting stance as Sweetie forced the memory to reenact itself like he himself had been the one to experience it. Suddenly, he didn’t seem so confident as he once more spoke up. “OK, objection withdrawn.”

Rota raised an eyebrow at the filly. “What the hell did you show him?”

Sweetie Belle shrugged as she answered, her tone suddenly slightly somber. “The first time I took a life.”

“…”

“...”

“... Well, then.” Liu Kang decided to move the conversation forward after the brief silence. “Moving on, these three are Johnny Cage”- He said gesturing to the one Rota called PlayBoy,- “Kenshi Takahashi,” -The man with the red overcoat,- “and Kung Lao,” the man in the hat.

“Hey, I’m Sweetie Belle.” The filly introduced herself with a wave.

“I’m Rota Bage,” the Saiyan followed up with.

“I have asked you all to search for Shang Tsung and bring him to me for questioning,” Liu Kang said, drawing the attention of the others. He then pulled out a small device that looked like a mystic compass. “This talisman is attuned to Shang Tsung’s chi. Follow it to him.”

Kenshi took the talisman, and Liu Kang spoke again.

“And be careful. May the Elder Gods protect you.”

“Are we there yet?” Johnny asked for the umpteenth time on the journey so far. He and Sweetie Belle had been alternating asking the question for the past 2 hours.

“For an action movie mega star who does his own stunts, you are complaining a lot about this trip. While I can understand the length being cut for the sake of filming, I still imagine you’ve at least been in similar-seeming treks to this one in your movies,” Rota pointed out.

“What can I say? These boots aren’t made for walking,” Johnny said.

“If that is the most pain you feel today, consider yourself lucky,” Kung Lao attempted to retort. But Johnny was exceptionally full of himself at that moment.

“Oh, I’m already lucky. I’ve got Sento strapped to my back,” he bragged.

“I will reclaim it, Cage.” Kenshi insisted determinedly.

“Got three million? It’s yours,” Johnny countered matter-of-factly.

“You know I don’t have it,” the swordsman reproached.

“I bet your Yakuza pals could come up with it. Oh, that’s right; you blew them off.” Johnny retorted smugly. “If there’s one thing Hollywood has taught me it’s to never burn bridges-UGH!” The film star was interrupted by Rota driving a crouching straight punch into his gut just above his groin.

Standing back up to look Johnny Cage in the eye, Rota Bage proceeded to scold him harshly. “If you knew the Yakuza one-fifth as well as you think you do, just because you’ve studied history, then you would’ve already given that sword to Kenshi and started finding ways to make up for the money it cost you.”

Kenshi then pulled Rota away and put his flashlight in Johnny’s face. “The Yakuza are leeches, bleeding out those too weak to resist. I grew up in that life, and I never understood it. Why my gain required others’ pain. I got out. I need my clan out too. We can’t be part of their crimes any longer.”

After a brief moment of tenseness, the talisman began to let off a subtle chiming sound. Kenshi and Rota moved on towards the direction it indicated, leaving Johnny to nurse his wound. Kung Lao and Sweetie Belle walked past the film star and looked at him disapprovingly. Johnny groaned as he followed behind them.

Some time later, the five found themselves on a cliff overlooking some form of settlement. A large crowd of humanoids were gathered near one cliff-face, armed guardsmen herding up what looked like spiked, fanged humanoids as if they were wild beasts.

Watching the events down below them, the group tried to keep an eye out for Shang Tsung, Sweetie Belle pulling out a parchment with a drawing of his face for her own benefit.

Johnny glanced over at Kenshi while recording the events on his cellphone. “What’s your precious say?” The film star asked the swordsman.

“That Shang Tsung is among those… things,” Kenshi replied.

Johnny then started chuckling. “Oh, my fans are gonna go nuts, cosplaying them at Cage Con.”

Then the group saw another of the creatures being dragged out of the sole building by a pair of guardsmen, bringing them down to the courtyard area.

Another man, in flowing robes with a distinct feeling Sweetie Belle got from just looking at him, soon approached the restrained creature from behind. From their perch, the group could faintly hear him say something about extracting bone marrow.

“That’s Shang Tsung!” Kung Lao exclaimed.

“Let’s jump him after he’s done,” Johnny said. He then started to reminisce about something. “In ‘Fists of Iron,’ we did this thing whe-”

“We’re not basing strategy on your movies, Cage,” Kenshi interrupted as Shang Tsung plunged the large needle in his hand into the back of the neck of the creature restrained before him, withdrawing it once it was full of marrow.

As Shang Tsung stepped back, the creature that was restrained then broke the rope binding his hands behind his back and thrust a pair of blades coming from his forearms into the chins and through the heads of the guards holding him. He then faced Shang Tsung, who prepared to defend himself. At the same time, the rest of the guards were suddenly swarmed by the rest of the creatures they were herding.

As the group watched the creature attack Shang Tsung, Johnny commented, “On second thought, this scene’s playing fine without us. *yawn* Yeah, I say we let them finish it.”

Only for him to then notice the others, starting with Sweetie Belle and Rota, had already started to run down to try to save Shang Tsung. They needed him alive, after all. With an exasperated sigh, Johnny rushed to catch up.

The creature had headbutted the sorcerer to the ground and was about to tear into him with his blades when Rota flicker-stepped between the two of them and caught the former’s forearms while Sweetie Belle wrapped some magic chains around the latter. The creature kneed Rota in the gut, trying to force the Saiyan back, to little effect. He then lifted himself into the air, using Rota’s grip as leverage, and double kicked the Saiyan into Sweetie Belle, causing the filly to accidentally dispel the chain holding Shang Tsung, Kenshi jumping onto the creature as he landed on his feet.

Shang Tsung scrambled to the edge of the crowd of creatures as their backs were turned, then, to the shock of the heroes, he turned into one of them with a flame passing over him. The shapeshifted sorcerer then growled like one of the creatures and stalked into the crowd as they closed in on the group of five.

“How did he do that?” Kung Lao asked, bewildered, before he, Johnny Cage and Sweetie Belle prepared to fight the crowd, the filly shifting into an older form of herself, sans wings as their apparent leader got Kenshi off of him and faced down the swordsman and Rota. The creatures were the first to attack, two facing each fighter at a time.

Johnny booted one of his opponents in the crotch, then punched the other in the jaw before sending the second to the ground with a spin kick to the head. He then turned his attention to the first, being forced to protect himself from their spiked arms being used like clubs, parrying one away and clocking the creature with a punch to the jaw.

Kung Lao mostly redirected his opponents blows to make them trip over themselves, occasionally lashing out with a fluid combo of strikes, or swinging his bladed hat around to ward away the creatures. A swift wheel of punches to the torso of one sent them stumbling, followed by a sharp elbow strike into a side-kick targeting the sternum of the other to send them to the ground.

Sweetie Belle used a tepe kick to halt the momentum of one of her opponents, sending them sprawling to the ground. While that one scrambled to its feet, the other one roared and swiped at Sweetie, the temporary mare blocking and deflecting the strikes with small magic shields. After a moment of this, Sweetie pulled her hands back into her right side and quickly charged an energy ball enough to send the creature flying back after releasing it. The first one then leaped at Sweetie Belle again, the anthro-pony stepping aside and slamming a back elbow into the creature's shoulder-blade, then sending it stumbling to the ground with a kick to the head.

However, the rest of the crowd closed in on them soon after, threatening them with greater numbers.

While that was happening, Kenshi and Rota were dealing with the lead creature.

“I would have killed him but for you,” he snarled at them. (At least, they were pretty sure this was a male.)

“I get why you’d want to, but you can’t,” Kenshi tried to reason with him, but his choice of words only further angered their already irate opposition.

“*RAWR* You’re his minions. You’ll die in his place!” he roared as he sprouted blades from his forearms. Kenshi drew his sword and Rota dropped into her fighting stance as the creature charged at them, swinging his blades as he lunged and spun around, never leaving his back turned on either of them long enough to allow an advantage, when he wasn’t straight up sending the blades as projectiles at the pair. Kenshi used his katana to parry and push the arm-blades around, while Rota settled for just timing her blows and striking hard when Kenshi had his attention, one such blow to land this way being a thrust kick that sent the creature sprawling to the ground.

After scrambling back to his feet, the creature snarled, jumped at the pair, and, in blatant defiance of physics, spun like a saw blade at them! Rota and Kenshi dove to the sides to dodge the attack, but the Saiyan then found herself the target of the creature’s arm-blades, rolling out of the way of a diving attack that drove the blades into the rock beneath them. This hardly seemed to bother the creature, as he simply snapped them off and grew another set in their place, ceasing their growth just after his knuckles. He then threw a punch at Rota that she pushed aside then hit him with a punch to the jaw, causing him to tumble, but the creature recovered in the same motion as his fall with a roll. Rota followed up with a kick that was deflected, then she and the creature began an exchange of strikes, blocks and parries. The exchange ended when the Saiyan ducked beneath a spinning backhand with an arm blade and then swept one of the creature’s legs out from under him with her tail, then landed a rising hook kick to send him spiraling to the ground.

Kenshi then stepped forward while sheathing his sword. “Now please, let us explain.”

The five were soon in a circle as the creatures surrounded them. Johnny glanced back at Kenshi and Rota, saying “You got us into this, how are you getting us out?”

“I know what this looks like, but we don’t work for Shang Tsung,” Kenshi continued.

The head creature, having gotten to his feet, looked at the group suspiciously. “If not, why save him?”

“Because Liu Kang, the Protector of Earthrealm, wants to question him. He thinks Shang Tsung may be a threat to both our realms,” Kenshi answered. He then held out his hand in greeting. “My name is Kenshi Takahashi.”

The head creature gave a snarl as he glared at the offered hand. “Our kind do not shake hands.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend,” Kenshi apologized as he retracted his hand.

“Don’t you know what we are?” The leader demanded.

“I would think the answer to be an obvious ‘no, we don’t,’” Rota commented with a raised eyebrow.

The creature spread his arms wide in gesture to the crowd around them. “We are victims of Tarkat. The disease is not easily gotten, but you can’t risk more close exposure.”

The heroes looked around in shock, Sweetie Belle feeling tears begin to form in her eyes.

“It disfigures, then debilitates,” the leader continued. “In time, it will turn us all into bloodthirsty monsters.”

He then finished with a grave tone.

“Death is our only release.”

“So you weren’t always like this?” Kung Lao asked.

“I was once a rich merchant. But when I became ill, I was banished. Now I run this colony.” The infected man said. He then introduced himself.

“I am Baraka.”

“Do you know what Shang Tsung wants with your bone marrow, Baraka?” Rota asked.

“No, I don’t,” Baraka answered. “But he comes here each month to harvest it.”

“Release us and we’ll capture Shang Tsung. And we’ll find out why he’s been coming here, I promise,” Kenshi pleaded.

Baraka looked to the crowd to his left and right as he considered the proposal. He then waved an arm as he said, “Let them go.”

“Thank you. We won’t let you down.” Rota assured Baraka while Kenshi pulled out the talisman that they had been using to find Shang Tsung…

Only to find it broken.

“Damn. This was guiding us to Shang Tsung. Now we can’t find him,” he said.

A quick glance shared between Rota and Sweetie Belle confirmed that neither of them had thought to memorize Shang Tsung’s energy signature either, so they couldn’t substitute for it. However, Baraka then made an offer.

“His laboratory is near. I’ll take you.”

As the morning sun rose over the nearby forest, the group of heroes followed Baraka to a large structure on the other side of a river, a pair of water wheels turning with the flow of the current. A bridge connected the tower to the shore of the other side of the river.

"Any idea what's waiting for us?" Johnny Cage asked.

"No. I've never been inside," Baraka answered.

"Stay here," Kenshi said, speaking to Baraka and the girls. "We'll check it out."

With that, Kenshi, Johnny, and Kung Lao proceeded towards the bridge leading to the entrance of the laboratory. To pass the time while they waited, Rota decided to meditate while Sweetie Belle decided to talk to Baraka.

Or at least she tried, as any attempt at starting a conversation died on the pony’s lips before she could speak up when a throwing star suddenly came whizzing out of the brush behind them and nearly embedded itself into her eye, Sweetie Belle leaning ever so slightly back to avoid it. The shuriken, slightly aglow with energy, then hit the back of Rota's head as if she'd been shot by a 10 gauge shotgun slug before falling to the ground. That, in and of itself, just annoyed her, but she then suddenly felt herself grow woozy and sluggish. It didn't take long for her to realize what happened.

"Rota!" Sweetie Belle came to the Saiyan's side as she near drunkenly stumbled to her feet. "What was that?"

Baraka gave a snarl as another voice answered her question. "A simple enchantment to enhance impact. That much is standard training." As the pair turned to where the voice was coming from, they saw that they were no longer alone. A set of what seemed to be soldiers like they saw at Shang Tsung's side at the colony came out of the brush. Most of them seemed human, save for two who stood slightly taller than the rest.

One was a four armed humanoid that looked part dragon, to Sweetie Belle's eyes. It stood with a threatening pose that already told the filly it knew how to use it's four arms to great effect.

The other was looked more like a dragon in humanoid form, standing a good half a head taller than the four-armed humanoid at his side. His head was adorned by horns that curled up and behind him, and in his left hand, he held a massive battle-axe

The one who spoke was a human-seeming man at the latter's side opposite the four armed humanoid.

"The toxin it's laced with, on the other hand, is a power suppressing tranquilizer that I've had to source myself," he said with a proud yet slightly sadistic tone to his voice. "Well worth the effort for it's effectiveness in dealing with Saiyans."

At that, Rota fell to her knees, groaning as her head and stomach started throbbing, spots filling her vision. The soldiers also began to surround them, threatening impalement on their spears should either charge.

Baraka gave a slight snarl as he, reluctantly, raised his arms in surrender, Sweetie Belle, following suit. It seemed like the safest thing to do was give up.

At that moment, a snarling roar was heard from the building across from them. The soldiers looked in shock at the sound, only for the horned humanoid with the axe to bellow out some orders.

"Reiko, keep these three detained. Goro, with me."

"Yes, General Shao," the two at his side responded immediately. The human, Reiko, closed the circle with his fellow soldiers, his arms crossed as if he were standing around casually, as opposed to capturing prisoners, while the four armed humanoid, Goro, followed the General.

It didn't take too long for Sweetie Belle to decide that she didn't like Shao.

After a few minutes, they hadn't moved an inch and Sweetie was starting to get suspicious.

This is gonna be a cliffhanger, isn't it?

As she thought that, something caught Reiko's eye that made him smirk. Turning to see what he had noticed and the filly saw the General approaching again.

The General then spoke.

"Take them to Shang Tsung's facility for him to deal with. No loose ends."

Sweetie Belle, meanwhile, noticed a set of chains in the trees above arranged in the shape of a set of words.

Just play possum.

Turning back to General Shao, she was suddenly struck in the jaw by Reiko, despite him still being a good foot further than his arms length from her. Falling to the ground in shock, Sweetie Belle made a decision as she saw Rota finally lose consciousness.

You better not get me killed, Author.

Chapter 24: Revelation of evil; Prelude to discovery.

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 25: Skirmish in the Living Forest.

Led by Ashrah and her enchanted blade, the group walked through the Living Forest with renewed focus, searching for Quan Chi.

The blade glowed subtly brighter and brighter as they continued on their path.

“Quan Chi is close. The emanations of his evil grow stronger,” the repentant demoness said as she observed her weapon.

“That is a powerful weapon,” Baraka commented.

“And my perfect ally,” Ashrah responded. “As I smite the evil it finds, I am further purified.”

“Now, I’ve done steps, so I’m all for self-help,” Johnny said before asking, “But since when does a demoness want to be less evil?”

“I had spent eternity damned to the Netherrealm,” Ashrah began to explain as the group stepped around a stone. “I had assumed that was all there was to existence. But then, I saw Earthrealm, saw Outworld. Saw that there was a better way to live. And to have it I needed to cleanse my soul. My sister demons were furious at my change of heart. Kia and Jataaka were the first to hunt me.”

“Is Quan Chi also a demon?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Actually, he’s an outworlder,” Ashrah answered, surprising the filly. “But he mastered the dark magic needed for unfettered travel to my realm.”

An insect flew in front of Syzoth for a moment, only to fall prey to the Zaterrans' lashing tongue as it was drawn into his mouth. Watching Syzoth’s snack with a small grimace, Johnny asked his next question. “Any idea how he buddied up with Shang Tsung?”

“They share a common benefactor. She plucked them both from obscurity, taught them everything they know,” The demoness explained. “I’ve never met her, but there’s no question she’s a sorceress beyond compare.”

Ashrah’s sword then glowed with a light that seemed to sing with power.

“Quan Chi is near.”

Meanwhile, as the heroes were walking, another group was standing around a large golden structure, one of them casting a spell into it. As the man cut off his magic for the moment, he looked to his companions.

“I am ready for your contributions,” he said.

A woman with red hair, clothing that resembled a mix between armor and a dress and large bat-like wings approached first, handing the tattooed man half of a red jewel.

“Excellent, Nitara.” the tattooed man praised before addressing a more haphazardly dressed man. “I need yours as well.”

The dark haired man looked at the jewel half in his hand. “Darius and I have been thinking, sorcerer-” But said sorcerer interrupted him.

“Do not try to renegotiate, Havik,” he warned.

“We need proof that you’ll deliver,” Havik demanded, only for another male voice to scoff.

“That he has already delivered for Nitara’s Vaeternians is all the proof you need,” said a woman in dark clothes and heels with eyes black as pitch from her place next to the source of the scoff, a large light blue skinned humanoid with pale orange hair, a large blue overcoat and a black bandana, as well as scars adorning the majority of his exposed body.

“Sareena is right,” Nitara agreed. “Because of Quan Chi’s magic, my realm’s people are no longer poisoned by sunlight. We have finally escaped the shadows.”

“Rest assured,” Quan Chi said. “The spells you will receive will bring down Orderrealm’s government.”

“When will we have them, Quan Chi?”

“After the attack on Earthrealm… which could be called off if the soul stealer’s efficacy isn’t demonstrated promptly.”

With that, Havik relinquished the jewel half to Quan Chi.

Putting the two halves together, the sorcerer grinned in satisfaction.

The heroes spotted Quan Chi and his group from around a corner, Johnny stepping forward a little while pulling Kanshi’s hand off his shoulder.

“Well, this plot just got thicker,” he quipped in spite of the concern in his voice.

“Earthrealm is in grave danger,” Ashrah told the group as she turned to face them. “Just one soul stealer can kill hundreds of thousands. If he unleashes a battery of them-”

“Millions will die,” Baraka finished for her, to which Kung Lao nodded.

“He must be stopped.”

“Looks like he’s got an old pain in my ass working for him, too. Bojack,” Rota observed aloud. “He’s a space pirate with nothing but pillaging planets on his mind. Not sure how Quan Chi and Shang Tsung got a leash on him, though. Sweetie, you and I will handle him together. Everyone else, pick a target and take ‘em down.”

The group stepped forward, but Johnny stopped Kenshi for a moment.

“Whoa there, big fella,” he said. “This stops where you get off.”

Sweetie and Rota stopped, looking curiously at the men’s exchange.

“You heard her,” Kenshi argued. “Millions could die.”

“Which is why we don’t want you tripping us up out there,” Johnny countered. “Now. Give me your sword.”

“Why?”

“Just give it.”

With that, Kenshi took his current sword off of his back and held it out to Johnny, who took it… and then took Sento from his back and put it into Kenshi’s hand.

“What?!” The swordsman asked in astonishment. “I can’t- not when you’re-”

“You saved my life,” the A-lister replied in assurance.

“It’s yours.”

After giving Kenshi’s shoulder a pat for reassurance, Johnny walked away as Kenshi seemed conflicted. As the A-lister reached Sweetie and Rota, the Saiyan made a quip of her own.

“You did good, Cage.”

Johnny gave a chuckle as he responded, “Like you said, I can find ways of making back the money.”

The heroes charged toward the clearing that held the Soul Stealer, intent on stopping it from being activated quickly, Rota even going so far as the launch an energy disc at the sorcerers arms, only for Bojack to flicker-step between Quan Chi and the disc and disperse it with a swipe of his energy-covered fist.

“Quan Chi!” Nitara said as drawing the attention of the others toward the heroes, who all readied to drop into battle stances.

Quan Chi addressed his interlopers, starting with Ashrah.

“Ashrah, yet again you evade capture,” the sorcerer said. “And now it appears you’ve found allies.”

“We are joined against you, sorcerer,” Ashrah retorted. “You won’t be stealing any souls.”

With a flourish of the repentant demon's sword, the two sides charged at one another. Ashrah’s blade clashed against Nitara’s claws as Syzoth joined the repentant demon against the Vaeternian while Baraka tackled Havik into the side of the Soul Stealer. The hot-headed terrorist fought back with a knee to the former merchant’s gut followed by a right cross to the cheek. Havik dodged Baraka’s own counter and hit him from the other side.

Kung Lao was facing off against Sareena. The monk came in with a jumping roundhouse kick that the demoness dodged, following up with a kick that was blocked along with a quick flurry and an overhand strike. Sareena then struck back with a blow to the gut into a spinning kick to the cheek followed by another punch to the torso, driving Kung Lao back.

Johnny Cage engaged a dark skinned man with an orange and black outfit and sunglasses with a flying side kick into a spinning back fist. His opponent, Darius, blocked the kick and shrugged off the backfist, then landed a torso punch followed by a rising kick that blew through the A-lister’s attempted block. Spinning with the momentum, Darius hit a right hook on Johnny, only for the A-lister to dodge the next uppercut and lash out with a kick to the head, stunning the terrorist long enough to let Cage to launch a jumping overhand that was barely blocked.

Rota Bage and Sweetie Belle, meanwhile, went straight for the Space Pirate, Bojack, who met their respective punch and kick with a punch of his own, stopping the two dead before they flew back. Only for the Pirate to flicker-step behind them and launch Rota away with a kick before swinging the leg back at Sweetie Belle. The filly weaved under the kick and launched upward, hitting the Space Pirate with an uppercut that sent him stumbling. Rota took off her vest, used a re-equip spell to swap to a sturdier set of full-handed gloves, jumped onto Bojack’s back and wrapped her vest around his face, obscuring his vision and using it as leverage to try and throw him. The Space Pirate simply tore the vest apart by pulling his head forward, making the Saiyan stumble, and allowing him to slam a knee into her torso. Sweetie Belle managed to land a side-kick on Bojack’s cheek, allowing Rota to surge her power and launch a flurry of blows at Bojack, giving him little time to recover. Sweetie Belle, feeling her power slowly return to her as they fought, surged her own power akin to Rota, her aura coming out as green as her magic, and so the filly joined the Saiyan’s flurry, forcing the Space Pirate backwards, finishing their combination attack with a synchronized pair of spinning back kicks to Bojack’s torso, driving him back. Rota took the slight lull in combat to warn Sweetie Belle of an observation she made.

“He’s holding back, trying to stall us,” the Saiyan muttered just loud enough for the filly to hear.

At that moment, Quan Chi completed his spell, activating the Soul Stealer and causing a wave of dark magic to wash over the combatants, halting the battle as all stopped to watch what happened next unfold. A green pillar shot to the sky as the souls of the dead came floating out of the trees around them, leaving the plantlife dead and dying, the faces on the trees replaced by skulls. The souls wailed as they were drawn toward and congregated near the basin of the Soul Stealer.

Seeing the way they were congregating, Johnny said, “My God… It’s a…. soulnado.”

With another incantation, Quan Chi began to fuse the souls into a single being. Rota tried launching another Ki blast to stop him, while Sweetie Belle summoned and tossed one of her cannons akin to a chakram blade. Bojack flickerstepped to protect the Sorcerer, flaring his own power to disperse or deflect the attacks.

“OK, that’s new,” Rota noted with a slight bit of worry in her tone.

“What dark magic is this?!” Ashrah questioned as she stared at the being that now floated in front of Quan Chi. A question answered by the being itself.

“We are Ermac.” It’s voice sounded echo-y, as if multiple were speaking at the same time. “A collection of souls, bound by Quan Chi’s magic.” (“That explains the voice thing,” Sweetie Belle mused mentally.)

“We live to obey his commands.”

Quan Chi pointed at the group of heroes while Bojack stepped aside.

“Kill them,” he ordered.

Ermac floated down to the ground, sending a green bolt of magic at Johnny Cage that sent him flying on impact. The other heroes charged at the new foe, but he launched more magic bolts at them to repel them. Baraka got close enough to make Ermac use telekinesis to send him into the air and then throw him to the ground backfirst.

This last interaction allowed just enough time for Rota to flickerstep up close to the construct and kick it hard enough to send it flying through a tree to it’s right, her left. Ermac recovered quickly and retaliated by using his telekinesis to simply blast away the Saiyan and Syzoth, who tried pouncing on him as Rota rushed back toward him and turned his attention to the approaching Sweetie Belle, though not before striking and throwing Ashrah, who had been tossed the construct’s way by Bojack.

Sweetie Belle recalled her currently summoned cannon, summoned the rest of them, formed them into the whip form and then shifted into staff form. Twirling the staff around her to build momentum, she formed a shield into a striking surface at one end, jumped and brought it down on Ermac’s head.

Or at least, she had intended to, before Bojack caught her midjump and blasted her away with an energy ball to the gut, sending her flying into a tree at the opposite end of the battlefield. Rota saw that, then roared as she ascended to Super Saiyan and, in a fit of rage, punched Bojack hard enough to punch into his chest and nearly come out the other side. She could definitely feel a lung, but she didn’t even bother noting it as she tore her fist out of the Pirate’s torso, and used the momentum to drive a kick into Ermac that sent the construct tumbling toward Kenshi and impaling him onto Sento. The sword seemed to absorb power from Ermac as he remained impaled on it. Bojack, his wound still half open, but healing more quickly than expected, then surged his own power, his wound healing over near instantly the moment his aura flared as Ermac blasted Kenshi and Sento away from him.

With a mighty laugh, Bojack launched at Rota, launching a kick that the Saiyan dodged before catching the return swing of the leg. Rota then spun with Bojack in her grasp and tossed him headfirst into the Soul Stealer, shattering it on impact.

“NO!” Quan Chi cried as he recovered from his own fight with Ashrah.

The furious Saiyan turned to him as the souls still within the basin escaped.

“Oops,” she said to mock him as one of the souls managed to latch onto the sorcerer and drain part of his essence before being destroyed as Quan Chi lost consciousness.

“Since that didn’t kill you, I will,” Ashrah said as she brandished her sword.

“Wait,” Rota said simply as Sweetie Belle managed to get back on her hooves and walk over to beside the Saiyan, who was now calming down at the sight of the filly up and moving.

“He’s too dangerous to let live,” Ashrah argued.

“He’s also our best shot at learning what Shang Tsung has planned,” Rota countered. “Once Liu Kang’s questioned him, then we can see about letting you kill him.”

Ashrah sighed as she brought her blade back to her side. “Very well.”

The rest of the group reconvened around the unconscious Quan Chi.

“Well… clearly, I underpaid for that,” Johnny quipped, referring to Sento. “Did you know what it could do?”

“The legends never mentioned mystical powers,” Kenshi answered. “The souls of my ancestors live within it. They intend to guide me.”

“Just don’t forget who gave it to you, Takahashi,” The A-lister said in reply.

“I won’t, Cage,” the Blind Swordsman promised.

“Alright, now that we’ve got the apparently bound sword addressed,” Rota said as she got up from lifting Quan Chi onto her shoulder, “let’s get this prick to Earthrealm.”

Johnny turned to the Outworlders with the group. “I know home's here for you, Baraka… but Syzoth, Ashrah… you can come with if you want.”

Rota and Sweetie Belle gave a knowing glance at one another as Johnny finished his offer.

“I’m sure Liu Kang will welcome you.”

“I’ve never had a home,” Ashrah said as a smile began to grace her lips. “That would be wonderful.”

Meanwhile, back with the Watching Entity, the being was now keeping half an eye on the plans of Shang Tsung to see if They needed to intervene earlier than expected.

Watching the shape-shifting sorcerer within his base of operation located in a remote fortress in China on Earthrealm, the Watcher saw as Shang Tsung opened a portal to summon another being. Seemingly a woman… but the Watcher saw through the disguise as if it weren’t there.

“Hmmm…. Now this is interesting… A shame you’re more trouble than you’re worth…”

The Void itself, once more, trembled at the ire of the Watcher.

“Though, you may make a decent snack, at the very least.”

Author's Note

Yeah, I'm using Bojack just to have an opponent that Sweetie and Rota wouldn't obliterate instantly, and gave him regeneration to make it more likely he'd survive.
What of it?
Also, I'm sorry it took this long to get this chapter out, but I can't promise it won't take as long for the next chapter.
Damn you to the depths of Baraka's trousers after Chili night, ADHD and Autism, as well as the motivational issues that come with you.

Stay true to you.

Chapter 26: Escaping Outworld; Eve of Revelation.

The sun had set in Outworld, as the group finished putting on disguises consisting of festival attire while waiting for Syzoth to return from scouting out their path. Though, Sweetie Belle needed a moment to mentally reset herself from seeing Rota willingly tear her own tail out of her back, much less with the surprising casualness the Saiyan did so with, just to avoid an accidental transformation. Once done, the filly, under the careful eye of Rota, shapeshifted herself into a human form, this time a grown woman dressed as if she were an Outworlder attending the festival.

As the rest were adjusting to their new outfits, Johnny finished putting a hood on Quan Chi’s head as he lay unconscious against the wall of the all they were huddled up in to make sure he wouldn’t be recognized as they brought him to their destination.

“Nighty-night, sweet Prince of Darkness,” The A-lister quipped before standing and turning to the others as they tested their mobility in their temporary garb. “Oh! Perfect,” he complimented. “You’ll fit right in.”

Ashrah seemed to have an issue with her disguise and chose to speak on it. “You couldn’t steal a more functional hat?”

“What?” Johnny asked in slight exasperation. “It hides your face.”

“Also, it looks good on you,” Sweetie Belle said as she put on a mask she pulled out of… her shirt.

“I still don’t know about this,” Kenshi said worriedly.

Rota agreed. “I’m with Kenshi here, carrying him around will put eyes on us that we don’t want,” she said referring to Quan Chi.

Johnny looked between the two of them and the unconscious sorcerer in disbelief, then gave his counterargument. “Look at it out there. It’s like Mardi Gras. People will think he just partied too hard.”

A slight thumping sounded off before Syzoth slid off of the roof, along with another individual, a woman just under Rota’s height, clad in what seemed to be a customized shinobi uniform of some kind, with glasses on her face, half covering a scar across her nose. Before anything could be brought up, Kung Lao addressed her with information that cleared suspicion before it could take root.

“Hey, I remember you. You were with the group of Lin Kuei that tested Raiden and I,” he said as if reminiscing, before saying to the others, “She works for Liu Kang. We can trust her, whoever she is.”

“Nice to see you again, Kung Lao. My name’s Selia Fukuro, no need to give me your names, I’ve been following you the whole mission, along with my colleague, who’s staying low until we can extract, unless something goes wrong otherwise, ” the woman gave with little fanfare. “Stepping in before now would have gone against orders, though I’ll admit we were rather tempted to in the Living Forest.”

“We’ll sort personal issues out properly later. For now, I assume you and Syzoth scouted out our route,” Johnny asked the pair.

“Go toward the stage, then turn right to reach the gateway,” Syzoth replied. “But there are soldiers and constables everywhere.”

“Are you sure these are enough? One person spots us…” Kung Lao reasoned, voicing his doubts regarding their disguises, “...and we are dead.”

“Which is why Selia and I will create a diversion,” Syzoth countered as Selia nodded.

“They’re out for you, too, Syzoth,” Kenshi reminded the Zatteran, then addressed the new arrival. “And will likely figure out you are with us, Selia.”

“To catch us…” Syzoth said as Selia put her hands in front of her in a hand sign, “they must see us,” he finished as both him and her vanished.

“Damn,” Johnny said in praise. “You didn’t tell me you could go full Predator.”

Amidst the cheerful revelry of the crowd, the group tried to remain subtle as Kung Lao and Johnny carried Quan Chi with them toward the portal gateway. However, before they could even reach the stage, they ran into a squad of patrolling soldiers that seemed primed to arrest them.

Kenshi, sensing the situation thanks to Sento, commented, “We could use that diversion.”

As if on cue, some fireworks went off, flying around haphazardly and striking the buildings and decorations, setting them ablaze! As the crowd fled in panic, the group looked at the growing flames, Rota rolled her eyes. “What is it with shinobi and committing arson as a distraction method?”

“It works, now let’s get going,” Ashrah argued as the group hurried toward their destination.

Selia kept an eye on the group from above, keeping hidden both in the shadows and with her shinobi mysticism, as well as using the fireworks to cover her louder actions, even going out of her way to set a few more as necessary, trying to keep the group able to move toward the gateway. Out of the corner of her eye, however, she noticed Syzoth crawling across a rooftop… and then as she looked over properly, noticed that General Shao and the First Contable of Sun Do, Li Mei, had also spotted him as he scurried away. Seeing Shao assign Reiko to join the chase with Li Mei, Selia rerouted to try and help him. Syzoth had just gotten to a perch to hang from when Reiko took out a shuriken and tossed it at the Zaterran, the star cutting across the back of Syzoth’s upper arm, causing him to cry out as he fell to the street below. Selia tossed out an impact smoke bomb near Syzoth and ran over to help him get moving again, fleeing the continued pursuit of The First Constable and Shao’s Most Trusted Soldier. The two ran into the smoke as it parted, but Syzoth and Selia were already gone, with the only sign of their direction being the blood that Syzoth was leaving behind.

The pair of rogues lead the authorities through the crowd, trying to at least keep them from finding the main group, who were now getting just past the stage when Sweetie Belle, Rota and Kenshi noticed Syzoth and Selia’s energies near them. Looking back, the three saw as Selia and Syzoth ran through the crowd, Syzoth clutching his arm. As the pair ran off, Li Mei and Reiko showed up, seemingly tracking the other pair by Syzoth’s blood.

“You two go, I’ll help Ashrah keep the other’s safe,” Rota said before Kenshi and Sweetie Belle ran toward what seemed like an impending scuffle.

The pursuit ended near the entrance to a dockyard, both rogue’s dropping their invisibility as Li Mei and Reiko caught up to them.

“Green blood?” Li Mei questioned. “You’re Zaterran. How can you-”

“There is quite a lot you don’t know, First Constable.” Selia interrupted, placing herself between the opposing duo and Syzoth. “Like what the General is actually up to.”

“Surrender and I’ll hear you out,” Li Mei negotiated with an admittedly authoritative tone. “I can’t if you resist arrest.”

“Once you have us under arrest, the General will expedite us straight to execution, assuming Reiko doesn’t just slit our throats while your back is turned,” Selia argued as she took on a loose combat stance. “I’m sorry, but we’ve got to go.”

Sweetie Bell suddenly teleported herself and Kenshi next to Syzoth, healing the Zaterran quickly as she took on her anthro form while another pair of women came, evening the odds between the two sides. The new arrivals were a woman dressed in a royal blue dress-like attire that was more fanciful than the rest of the populace and armed with bladed hand-fans, with her companion, a dark skinned woman garbed in a more monastic style set of robes colored yellow and armed with some sort of rod that could turn into a three section staff. The battle began with both sides splitting off into four individual duels.

Selia engaged Li Mei with a combo of strikes that sent Li Mei reeling for a moment, but the First Constable recovered and performed a series of spinning kicks that summoned purple spectral dragons. Selia managed to dodge most of them but was quickly forced to block a pair of energy infused punches that still sent the Shinobi stumbling. She recovered in time to parry a right hook with her left arm, then pulled back the other arm and focused a spiraling sphere of blue energy into her palm, then shoved it into Li Mei’s torso while crying out, “Rasengan!” The sphere erupted into a unidirectional blast of energy, sending Li Mei flying backwards for several feet. The First Constable leapt back up to her feet and used a burst of energy to lunge at the Shinobi.

Reiko rushed at Syzoth with red energy coating his limbs, which seemed to extend the reach of his strikes, throwing the Zaterran off slightly. Syzoth quickly adapted, slamming an elbow strike into the soldier’s torso then slashed him with an uppercut, shifting his arm midswing. Reiko rolled with the momentum and tossed a set of shuriken at Syzoth, who swiped them out of the air with his tail, only to end up being picked up by the soldier and thrown to the ground. Reiko straddled Syzoth’s torso and rained blows down on the Zaterran. Syzoth defended himself as best he could, eventually spitting out a spray of acid that the soldier dodged at the cost of control of his opponent, letting the Zaterran shove Reiko off of him.

Sweetie Belle ended up facing off against the seemingly royally dressed lady with the fans. She heard the lady in yellow call out, “Be careful, Princess,” shocking the filly as she realized who she was facing.

Seriously, Author? Are you TRYING to get me to hate you?

Princess Kitana lashed out with a spinning back kick that Sweetie Belle deflected before pulling out her whip. Using it in staff form in tandem with her wings (protected by a form-fitting magic shield), Sweetie began an exchange with Kitana, parrying and dodging the princess’s fans while fighting back without hurting the princess too much. Loosening three cannons into their whip mode, Sweetie swung her staff, wrapping the whip end around Kitana’s arm. With a firm yank and a quickly called-out apology, the filly threw the princess into another woman garbed in yellow that came out of some form of invisibility on impact, sending them both to the ground and drawing the attention of the dark-skinned warrior woman, who had been fighting Kenshi.

Before she could act, however, a series of impacts rang out as she, Reiko and Li Mei were suddenly sent flying into the surrounding structures. In front of the Earthrealm group, a human woman, a bit shorter than Selia, appeared. Her skin was a bit pale, and a white outline emitted from her form while her clothes seemed almost ethereal in color. Her hair was a snowy white and her right arm seemed to be mechanical.

Sweetie Belle could instantly tell that she was the one who took out Li Mei, Reiko and the woman in yellow. Turning to the group and revealing her glowing green eyes behind a blue visor-like scouter, the woman nodded to Selia and then spoke in a slightly high-pitched German accent that gave an ever so slight echo.

“Introductions later. We must extract.”

Meanwhile, as the fight between Sweetie Void’s group and their pursuers was ending, the other group, consisting of Ashrah, Rota, Johnny Cage and Kung Lao carrying Quan Chi were making their way towards the portal gateway as quickly as possible with drawing attention. Unbeknownst to them, however, they had already been spotted and were now being followed by General Shao and a group of his elite.

Before they could get much farther, Quan Chi began to wake up with a groan. As the sorcerer steadied himself while backing away from Johnny and Kung Lao, who then gave him a small beat down before he ran off, Rota detected Sweetie Belle’s energy signature (as well as another that she recognized but couldn’t quite name) above and behind them as they faced off against General Shao, Goro, and a group of soldiers. As the group prepared to fight, Johnny made a comment.

“If this were one of my movies, this is where we’d be saved by a plucky, comic sidekick.”

As if on cue, a volley of green energy blasts rained down between the two groups, forcing them to step back a little further. Sweetie Belle and the glowing woman landed at the front of the Earthrealm group while Kenshi, Syzoth and Selia came down from the roof using a pair of ropes like ziplines.

Rota recognized the human woman immediately

“Nikoletta!?” She asked in surprise.

“Not now, schwester,” the woman said as she glared at General Shao.

“Well, we’re saved, I can tell that much,” Johnny quipped before he suddenly gave a lunging side kick to Goro, making the Shokan stumble as the fight commenced.

Sweetie Belle used two sections of three cannons in staff mode as escrima sticks to strike at the soldiers, keeping the remaining four in her pocket dimension. She kicked one soldier’s shield hard enough to shove him away and off his feet, then spun as swept another soldier’s legs out from under him. While the filly was getting back to her hooves, Ashrah parried another guard's blade, protecting Sweetie Belle, who returned the favor by knocking out the guard with a punch to the nose. Turning her attention to another guard, the filly beat his blade aside with one stick and smacked the side of his head with the other, then slammed the first one into his opposite cheek.

Rota tore her festival disguise off and threw it into one soldier’s face then roundhouse kicked him in the head, knocking him out near instantly. Rechambering the leg, she hit the next soldier with a flurry of kicks then sent him flying into another pair of soldiers with a kick to the torso, the three of them crashing to the ground in a pile. Returning to her stance as another set of soldiers charged her, the Saiyan backhanded one while punching another, sending them to the ground. Catching the next soldier’s punch, Rota punched him in the torso, then hit him with a hook to the jaw, knocking him out. The last soldier to attack her was armed with a wide bladed spear, using it with quick thrusts to keep Rota from approaching. Assistance came when Kung Lao used his hat to cut the spear-head off and then knocked the soldier out with a rising kick to the chin.

Selia was helping Johnny face Goro, who himself was helped by another pair of soldiers. Selia deflected one soldier’s punch, catching the arm and putting it in a lock. Spinning her captive around, she rammed him headfirst into the other soldier’s crotch. Finishing him off with a spinning heel kick as she moved closer to the fight between Johnny and Goro, the Shinobi leapt and struck a flying knee into the Shokan’s back, making him stumble into a punch from the A-lister, stunning Goro for a moment. Taking advantage of his daze, Johnny spun into a kick, striking Goro in the cheek and sending him stumbling into an energy-laced lariat from Selia. The force of the strike made Goro flip in the air and come back down hard on his front.

Nikoletta, Syzoth and Kenshi faced off against General Shao. Syzoth and Nikoletta engaged Shao, with Kenshi turning his attention to the remaining soldiers. The Zaterran spun while cloaking, launching a strike that the General caught, only for Syzoth to reveal it was his tail that had been trapped. Kenshi slammed the pommel of Sento into Shao’s back, driving the wind from him and allowing Syzoth to strike with a dragging whip of his tail, sending the General off his feet.

Recovering with a role, Shao sneered at Syzoth as he got back to his feet. “It’s unlike Shang Tsung to leave loose ends.”

“Now that I’m free of him, I’ll reveal your conspiracy to all of Outworld,” Syzoth swore.

The General laughed mockingly. “You’ll do nothing of the sort,” Shao retorted as he prepared for kombat. “Dead men tell no tales.”

Shao suddenly rushed Syzoth with a flurry of cleaving swings of his axe. Syzoth managed to dodge as best he could, then, after the General brought his axe down in an overhead swing, struck back with an uppercut that caused Shao to stumble into a punch from Nikoletta’s robotic arm. Syzoth kicked him in the side, leading to the two of them beating him down for a moment before the General held his hand out toward his axe, both glowing with red and black magic. The axe returned the Shao’s grasp and he immediately swung it across, driving Syzoth back, only for the blade to pass right through Nikoletta as if she weren't there. A look of disbelief crossed the General of Outworld’s face before the Metal Armed Ghost knocked him out cold with an energy infused flash kick.

“Dead men, maybe. But I’m a dead woman,” she quipped.

Looking back to the others just as they finished off the last of the soldiers, they took a second to breathe before the crowd parted, revealing a Centauren armed with a large falchion and joined by several more guards charging toward them.

“We must go,” Syzoth ordered. “Now!”

With one last punch to keep Goro down from Johnny, the group fled from the guards, managing to reach and go through the portal before the guards could reach them.

Emerging from the portal back in the Fire Temple on Earthrealm, the group turned to see the portal still open and got ready in case some soldiers came through. Thankfully, the portal closed before any did as Liu Kang approached the group from behind.

"Johnny, Kenshi, Kung Lao, Sweetie, Rota, Nikoletta and Selia," he greeted the lot, before noticing Kenshi's eye's.

"By the Elder Gods!" The Fire god said in horror.

"Princess Mileena has Tarkat... And my younger sister is a fucking ghost possessing her own damn corpse... Liu Kang... I need answers for that second one... and I need them soon," Rota demanded through grit teeth in a tightly controlled and intentionally kept low voice, getting in Liu Kang's face.

"Answers will come soon, schwester," Nikoletta gave in a tone that spoke of her already accepting her words won't work. "Please remain calm."

"I WILL CALM DOWN WHEN I KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON, NIKKI!" Rota practically exploded in annoyance, shocking Sweetie Belle and the rest of the group.

"Regardless, it would be best if you all took some time to rest and recover," Liu Kang suggested in a patient tone. Rota snorted before grumbling out an agreement, soon echoed by her stomach.

While most of the group went to relax a bit, Sweetie Belle and Johnny approached Liu Kang and told him bout what happened, presenting Syzoth and Ashrah to him shortly into it.

The news of Shang Tsung and Quan Chi working together gave the Protector of Earthrealm a surge of concern.

"A new deadly alliance?" He asked with worry. "Come, all of you," he then requested. "You must tell me all you know."

Syzoth and Ashrah followed without a word while Sweetie and Johnny stayed back for a second and gave each other a worried glance before following suit.

The Observer in the Void noted the developments on both sides of the current situation and debated with itself.

Should They reveal Themselves early simply to ensure Their entertainment doesn't end?

Or would it be more interesting to see how events unfold as they are now?

With a moment's consideration, the Devourer made Their choice.

Time to say hello, I suppose.

Author's Note

I went back and forth for a bit on how to make this chapter flow properly IMO.

Settled on something I like, hopefully others do too.

Nikoletta's.... condition will be explained in further depth next chapter, but those of you who are familiar with Nickelodeon in the mid 2000's might know of a certain tv show... starring a certain adolescent who got into an accident... and woke up with Snowy White Hair and Glowing Green Eyes.

Anyway, see you guy's next chapter.

Chapter 27: A moment of discovery.

Later that evening, Liu Kang paced around a large brazier surrounded by pillars wrapped in dragon decorations as he pondered the information that had been given to him by the group he had sent into Outworld.

“Shang Tsung and Quan Chi once more conspire against Earthrealm?” The God of Fire asked his companion, circling the opposite side of the brazier from him, a tall dark skinned man with an esoteric style of dress. “What Johnny, Kenshi, Sweetie Belle and the Bages report should not be possible. You witnessed how I rewrote history,” Liu Kang continued. “I gave the sorcerers meaningless lives… They should have never gained power, let alone joined forces.”

“And your work was flawless,” the rugged man reassured. “Such would their lives have been, had someone not interfered.”

This gave Liu Kang pause as he turned to his friend. “Interfered? What do you mean?”

Said friend approached the brazier between the two of them and channeled his power into it, mystic sand shaping to show the events of the past. Two sets of figures materialized into view from the sand: The distinct forms of Shang Tsung and Quan Chi, and another person, female and cloaked. The shapes played out the events of each sorcerer’s deal with the woman.

“Both sorcerers were visited by this person,” the deity of time said as Liu Kang studied the woman. “It is her intervention that bent the arcs of their lives.”

“Who is she?”

“Unknown. Her identity has been obscured from the Hourglass.”

“Who could have that power?” Liu Kang questioned. “Is it Kronika, somehow resurrected?”

“Even if that were possible, which it isn’t for reasons your little construct friend would be better suited to clarify than I am,” a voice said from the door to the side of them, raising their guard as the being literally manifested itself into the form of an androgynously built person, dressed in an opulent robe that seemed to shift between black and gray with their movements at that spot, “I’m afraid that isn’t the case here.”

“Who are you?” Liu Kang demanded as readied his flame. “And how much do you know?”

“I’m the one who set Sweetie Belle on the path to become a Godling of the Void.”

That answer made the true nature of this being clear to Liu Kang and the Time Deity, bringing even more tension to the room.

“As for how much I know of this little situation… well let’s just say, I don’t normally like being a Deus Ex Machina, but there’s not much chance this is getting sorted out in a timely manner, otherwise.”

Liu Kang stared at the being with caution. “If you are what you claim to be, then I suspect that knowledge comes with a price of some kind.”

The being gave an unnervingly wide grin in response.

Sweetie Belle, Rota and Nikoletta sat around a table, all eating at their own paces as the last caught her (adoptive) older sister up on what happened to her to be able to assume the form she could.

“It actually relates, somewhat, to how Bojack gained his own regenerative ability,” the living ghost (that’s the simplest way Sweetie Belle could understand it without forgetting the actual wording) prefaced before diving in properly. “I was chasing him down across various universes, using the portals he opened with an invention of mine he stole to pursue him. Just as he was about to open another one, I launched a Big Bang Attack at him, causing the device und portal to detonate into something more akin to a blackhole.” She paused, transforming into her ghost form, and looking down at her body before she spoke again. “When I woke up, I was like this und in the care of the Shaolin Monks. Liu Kang told me about the condition I was in, und I started researching…” another slight pause as Nikki smirked at Rota, who smirked back, “und training. A local in this universe who had gone through a similar experience in his youth helped me understand what had happened to me.”

Returning to her human form, Nikki set about explaining her own abilities, and how her alternate form allowed her to perform ghost-like acts. While flight was something she had been capable of through her Ki training and had retained after her ‘half-death,’ as she referred to it, her new ghostly powers now gave Nikoletta the ability to phase through obstacles, vanish into thin air, teleport short distances, telekinesis, and the ability to infuse her energy blasts with something called, ‘Ecto Energy,’ which seemed to act as a more volatile form of Ki.

Additionally, the form itself seemed to act a transformation as well, boosting her power when she was actively in it.

Sweetie Belle was… torn on the subject. On one hoof, she was excited to meet another member of Rota’s family, and another powerful fighter. On the other hoof…. She was technically dead. Kinda. Sweetie Belle shook her head, not wanting to think about it too hard.

Rota gave an uncertain hum as her half-regrown tail swished behind her. “Sounds like you're fine… but we should probably bring Marko into the loop,” she said while looking over at Sweetie Belle.

Nikki perked up at the mention of the sister’s older brother. “Oh, you already found him? Wunderbar. Although, we would have to see if the potion restraining Sweetie Belle’s power has worn off und wait until it does so if it hasn’t by now.”

Suddenly, a rift like Sweetie Belle’s opened above the table, pointed at the floor next to it between Rota and Nikoletta. The next second, Marko came falling out as if he had been physically thrown through it, his sword following suit right after. Recovering from his sudden stop with a groan, he sat up, dressed slightly differently than he had been last time they saw him. Most prominently, in place of gloves, he wore orange bracers with gray trim.

Getting to his feet, he dusted himself off while grumbling loud enough to be heard. “Well, that was unpleasant.” Then he looked up and noticed where he was. “Oh, hey girls.”

Nikki then wrapped him in a hug, with Marko reciprocating quickly. “Schön dich wieder zu sehen, Bruder,” she said fondly. (“Nice to see you again, brother.”)

“Schön dich auch zu sehen, schwester,” he replied. (“Good to see you too, sister.”)

“Wenn wir auf Englisch umsteigen könnten, wäre das für Sweetie Belle praktischer,” Rota said before addressing Sweetie Belle. “Sorry, we tend to speak in Nikki’s birth language within the family.” (“If we could switch to English, that would be more convenient for Sweetie Belle.”)

Only for Sweetie Belle to respond in a way that left the siblings shocked. “Es ist in Ordnung, ich kann verstehen, dass man sich beim Sprechen mit der Familie wohl fühlen möchte.” (“It's alright, I can understand wanting to be comfortable when speaking with family.”)

The silence was only filled with Sweetie Belle’s giggling at the Bage’s stunned expressions at the filly speaking in Nikki’s native language.

Rota broke the silence. “Anyway, Marko, what happened to make you come flying out of that portal?”

“I needed the entirety of who had already been gathered and didn’t feel particularly patient,” an unfamiliar voice said from the entrance. Turning to see who had spoken, the group saw Liu Kang joined by two others, what Sweetie Belle could tell was the local Time Deity equivalent and a woman who seemed to put even the Deities who had entered with her on edge.

“Sweetie Belle, this… woman… wished to-”

“Let’s not be coy, Sweetie Belle. I’ve been watching you for a long while,” the woman said as she spawned a chair to seat herself at the table. That… shouldn’t have- “Been possible?” Sweetie Belle jumped as her thoughts were spoken aloud. “Don’t worry too much, that’s just a bit of fun. Now then, since I’ve had a proper look at you personally, I can see that I needn’t have feared for your power.”

Sweetie Belle leveled an uncertain look at the woman. “Why would my power be any of your concern?”

“Because I’m the one who set you down the road to acquire it all. It would have been such a shame to see that hard work amounting to wasted time,” the woman replied in a voice of clear false innocence. “Regardless, it seems the potion wears off faster the more power you use, but it’s not going to be easy calling it forth in the first place.” The woman then leveled a knowing smile at the filly. “Not that that will be an issue for you to do. You might even be able to recover fully before the little issue I wished for you to address needs it.”

Sweetie Belle raised an eyebrow at that, with the attention of the Bage’s and the local Gods firmly on the mysterious woman. “What issue?” Sweetie asked.

“Oh, just a couple of gods that want to have their way with a large chunk of the omniverse and an army willing to do anything to stop them, even if it costs entire universes to do it,” the woman said casually. “The army is technically the more immediate threat, though I imagine you’d rather get this business with the Deadly Alliance wrapped up first.”

The responses to the information differed for each.

The Bages looked between each other with looks of concern and seemed to have a silent conversation amongst themselves.

Liu Kang called to his friend, Geras, for the group to be left alone while they began to plan out how to best use information that had apparently been given in exchange for this meeting.

Sweetie Belle gave some thought to it as she considered it.

She’s fought a god before, so it shouldn’t be too much more diffi-

“Void barely qualifies as above a First Category God. These two are not quite as powerful, but still very dangerous,” the woman interrupted Sweetie Belle’s thoughts.

“Oh… That might not be so easy on my own, then.” Sweetie Belle gave aloud. “But what do you mean by Categories?”

The woman smiled at Sweetie Belle’s curiosity. "In the Omniverse, one of the most known facts is that there are three categories of Gods. The first category encompasses all the Gods that are representations of forces of nature or ancestral principles. Fire, Water, Creation, Destruction, Day, Night, Chaos, Marriage, Nature, and so on. In a way, the alicorns, Discord and any mortals with God Ki are such Gods, but in a more minor league. Most legendaries from the Pokémon universe can be put in this category too. Some are totally immortal, others just ageless. And they don't all have the same level of power. Trust me, Discord, for all his Chaos, wouldn't stand a chance against the Gods of Chaos from the Warhammer 40k universe. And I hope for you and for your friends that you will never find this universe. Or at least not before you're ready. It's really bad."

“Can confirm. I was there ONCE. I’m never going back,” Marko commented.

"First category Gods are absolutely everywhere, so prepare to encounter a lot of them through your adventures. Also, many of them have egos that would put Rainbow Dash's to shame, so you will certainly end up fighting a lot of them."

“How do you know-”

“We’ll get there. Second category are the Gods powerful enough to create AND destroy universes at a whim. There too, their level of power can differ from one God to another, and some can be killed while others can't, but the common point is that they all can both create and destroy, contrary to Gods of Creation who can just create and Gods of Destruction who can just destroy. Void is an example of a Second Category God, as I said. Kirby is well on his way to become one. Same for you once you mature a little. By the way, can you hurry and sail that ship?"

Sweetie belle groaned as she fell back in her seat. “Not you too. I don’t even have a name to call you by.”

The woman sighed. “Just call me DD. Anyway, then comes the third category. The Gods that are, to put it simply, truly omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. In some terms, TRUE Gods. Like what you're supposed to become once you fully ascend. Remember your Soul form? Well, third category Gods are just the level above. You were missing the omnipresent part."

“And you’re a Third Category God, yourself?” Rota asked suspiciously.

"I was, once. But then, I became something else. Like I said, it's common knowledge among the Omniverse that there are three categories of Gods. But what is less known is that there's actually a fourth category, which I'm in. We are given a really nice, self-explanatory name: the Devourers."

Sweetie Belle gulped as the Bages suddenly tensed up as if ready to jump into a fight. Hearing that name gave them all a bad feeling.

"To become a Devourer, a third category God must absorb another third category God. Needless to say, the resulting being is powerful beyond imagination. Devourers are feared all over the Omniverse even among Third Category Gods. Some roam it devouring everything on their way, others prefer to just devour their favorite dish: Third Category Gods. As you may have guessed, I'm the second type. So you have nothing to fear from me, for now. But you understand now why I acted so you would ascend into a third category God."

Sweetie Belle, by now, was shaking in fear as she understood that this entity wasn't kidding. In the future, that thing will come to end her existence, no matter what. And she won't have the power to stop her. What really scared her was that she could feel nothing from her. Not an ounce of power. DD was telling her that she was powerful beyond everything she could think of, and yet, it was as if she was sitting beside a newborn foal. Some beings were able to hide their power, but they still let out something. But not DD. Besides her presence, there was nothing. And Sweetie Belle was certain that DD could hide her presence too if she wanted.

Nikoletta chimed in, seeing that Sweetie Belle was a tad scared to do so. “That… doesn’t make sense. Why did you… do that to Sweetie Belle rather than target an existing Third Category God?

DD gave a sadistic grin that informed Nikki exactly the kind of answer she was about to get. "That's my little thing. You see, rather than attacking Gods directly, I find it more enjoyable to help mortals ascend into godhood, living through all kinds of entertaining adventures, before I come and do my stuff. Also, I like to give them a fighting chance. Like what I'm doing right now. Now that you know about me, you will try to find a way to stop me. Your chances of succeeding are low, very low, but at least, now, you have some chances. It's less boring that way. And I'm not a total jerk either. Just another warning. The more they devour Gods, the more powerful a Devourer becomes. I devoured six Gods so far. Oh, by the way, they say hello."

"They're still here?!" Sweetie Belle squeaked out in shock.

"Yeah. The devoured Gods become minor, background voices in the mind of the Devourer. It's also the case for any other beings devoured, but Third Category Gods are easier to hear and acknowledge. However, besides communication between each other and me, they can't do anything else. Buuuut at least they have each other, and me. We're like a family! And I can't wait to have you join us! Unless you manage to have us join you." DD then reached out to grab Sweetie Belle, only for Rota to grab her arm while Marko kicked his sword up into his hand then placed the tip at their throat and Nikki leveled the palm of her mechanical hand at the Devourer while charging an energy blast. A moment of tense silence fell upon the room.

Until…

“Hahahaha. Message received,” DD said as she pulled her arm away from Sweetie Belle, prompting the Bages to stand down. “But regardless, that's still not before a long time. And you still have that threat to face before. I don't want you to get killed now that you have gone so far and you have grown on me, so I will help you. But not too much or it would be boring."

No one said anything as DD marked a small moment of silence. Sweetie Belle simply waited for her to continue while trying to control her panic. She didn't want to devour OR be devoured!

"While I had expected you to ascend when I sent you to Dream Land, I didn't expect the events that I set in motion by doing this. During your fight against Kirby, when you were in your Soul form, you remember when you punched Void into another dimension?"

"Yeah, I remember..."

"Weeeell... That dimension of darkness was a prison to a powerful evil entity of light. It had been trapped here by a powerful ancient civilization billions of years ago. When you punched Void into that dimension, you disrupted it enough to start the process for the entity to slowly free itself. This entity is just a first category God, a God of Light, but it is a very dangerous one that will threaten countless universes. And the worst part is that it's not alone. That entity has a counterpart of Darkness that had been trapped in a dimension of light. You see, the dimension of darkness was using the entity of Darkness as a power source to sustain itself and keep the entity of Light trapped, and the dimension of light was doing the same with the entity of Light as the power source. But now that the entity of Light has started to free itself, the dimension of darkness has started to weaken, giving power for the entity of Darkness to start to free itself too. Eventually, the two will be free to plunge universes into light or darkness."

“OK, then why don’t YOU go and fix it? Why bother asking us?” Rota demanded in hostility as she sat on the arm of the chair Sweetie Belle was sitting in. It didn't escape the filly's notice that Rota had placed herself between Sweetie and DD.

“Let's not abuse the deus ex machina too much. I did say that I want some good shows, and you fighting these entities promises to be good. Besides, they are not the more immediate of the two threats, if you remember earlier,” DD answered with a chuckle.

Marko narrowed his eyes at DD. “The army willing to end universes to stop them?”

“Somewhere out there, because of the imminent threat of these two entities, a powerful army is preparing to face them. But their method of preparation will be very bad for the health of countless beings across universes. You will have to start to gather strong allies to hope to face it and save everything you hold dear. The only problem is that you have nothing to pinpoint where you will need to go to face this army and stop it from swallowing worlds. This is where my help will come. I will guide you so you will always be where you're needed. Maybe, one day, you will find a way to follow this army through the Omniverse, but until then, you can count on me. However, don't count on me to directly lead you to their HQ. You wouldn't be ready anyway."

"Uugh..."

"Don't worry. I'm sure that you can do it. You just have to repeat what you did to fight Void, on a larger scale. And you should start soon after this current situation is resolved. Don't worry about Team Rainbow Rocket. The League can take care of them for now, and your presence will change very little. You still have some time before the army starts to take action, enough to relax for a bit first, but the more allies you will find, the better it will be. Be sure to let Discord know about all this, by the way. With his powers, I'm sure that he will be of great help."

"If you say so..." Sweetie Belle said with a resigned sigh. Then, with a determined expression, she stared back at DD. "We will defeat Team Rainbow Rocket, this army, these two entities, and even you. But, uh, if I defeat you, could I avoid the whole devouring part? You know, like, letting you go?"

"Not unless you want to see me come back for a second round. Once you are a Goddess, I won't stop attacking you until one of us devours the other," DD answered before she licked her lips. "Why deprive myself of a good, well deserved meal because of a minor setback like a defeat? I will only stop if I have no other choice."

"But I don't want to become a Devourer!"

"Aww. It's not so bad to be a Devourer. If you desire, you can perfectly be a Devourer but not devour anything. You will have that hunger for more Gods constantly gnawing at you like you constantly crave for sweets, but I'm sure that this won't be a problem. Now, I think it's time for me to leave you. I gave you a lot to think about, and you need to process all this before you start training. I'm rooting for you kiddo. Until next time."

Then... she was gone. Just gone.

Throughout the day, each member of the little group of multiverse travelers processed the information they had been given and prepared in their own ways prior to their martial arts training.

Marko sharpened and oiled his sword as he pondered the information. He couldn’t see the point in the timing of it all. DD made it sound as if she were telling them this earlier than she expected to. Regardless, both the army and the gods were a threat to many people. And anyone who gave open threats was someone Marko felt compelled to stand against. With his family at his side, he’d stand against this all the same. It was just a matter of gathering allies. But first, he felt that he needed to change his hair.

Nikoletta was performing maintenance on her robotic arm as she thought about the situation. Nikki wasn’t sure why DD had chosen that particular Sweetie Belle of all beings in the multiverse for this life, but she was certain of one thing. She couldn’t do this alone. So, as soon as she finished her maintenance, she pulled out a very special cell phone that she rarely used and began to send a pair of text messages.

Rota and Sweetie Belle were sitting side by side on a bench in the Fire Temple, both wanting to talk, but neither was sure what to say.

Then Rota gave a sigh. “Guess I should have expected this kinda shit when I asked to come with you, huh?”

“Honestly, that was a new one for me, too…”

Silence fell for another moment.

…
…
…

“Rota?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you think we can win?”

“...”

“I don’t know…” Rota then turned to Sweetie Belle with a reassuring smile on her face. “... But then again, who knows about anything before they’ve tried it?”

Sweetie chuckled at that before she scooted off the bench. “Well, we won’t improve our chances just sitting down.”

Rota jumped to her feet. “Damn right. Let’s get started.”

Author's Note

Well, this took less time than I expected it to.

Hope I explained things satisfactorily, other than the fact that Bojack was technically put into a similar state as Nikki in the accident she talked about, but was found by Shang Tsung and Quan Chi's benefactor.

Either way, see you next chapter.

EDIT because I'm a dumbass: Thanks to Lucar for helping me write this chapter.

Chapter 28: Training and a Package.

Sweetie Belle (swapping between her anthro and true forms), Rota and Nikoletta were all training with Kung Lao and Johnny, along with Raiden, the Champion of Earthrealm, and, from what Sweetie could tell, possibly the most humble person to ever exist.

Seriously, he won a martial arts tournament between Earthrealm and Outworld, despite a last minute substitution he couldn’t prepare for… and he still seems surprised when it’s brought up!

At least, he was a skilled fighter, in addition to wielding an amulet that allowed him to command lightning.

For the past 30 minutes, the group had been training in a free for all sparring match while Sweetie Belle’s Pokemon trained with the Shaolin Monks and Marko and Kenshi had a duel of their own.

Rota blocked a left hook from Johnny, grabbed the arm as she turned and threw him over her shoulder towards Nikki, who vanished before reappearing right behind Rota, right arm ready to punch. Rota met Nikki’s punch with a back-elbow strike, the clash sending a shockwave strong enough to force most of the rest of the combatants to brace against the momentary gale of wind.

The sisters broke the clash and began to exchange strikes, blocks and parries, until Kung Lao sent a blunt training version of his chakram hat flying between them, forcing the sisters to break apart. Kung Lao caught his hat and spun into a kick across Rota’s cheek while Raiden paired off against Nikki with an electrified cart wheel. Sweetie Belle had already been engaged with Johnny, deflecting a punch before firing back with one of her own.

At the same time, elsewhere in the courtyard, Sweetie’s Pokemon were having a surprisingly productive training session with the Shaolin Monks. Currently, Volta was working on her speed and reflexes by running a somewhat roughly thrown together obstacle course.

Then again, her options were either that or dodge a staff-wielding monk for three minutes like Ratzo had before her, so she was just working what she felt comfortable with.

Lulla was being taught how to effectively use her Moves that weren’t Sing while Tank was in a spar against another monk, working on his defensive abilities. Smiley was simply being supported through his own self-given task of building a tolerance to sunlight. It was agreed he would be most effectively taught during the night when they would have him utilize both his Pokemon moves and ghostly nature to find and destroy a series of wards that the monks were already placing.

Drako was working on his accuracy with his own moves. His Dragon Rush may be powerful, but it was way too obvious for a sufficiently prepared opponent to dodge, even with evolution increasing his abilities and size. However the Dragonair was trying to find ways to circumvent or at least mitigate the chances of that happening. His current idea was simply to keep them guessing what attack he’d use and it seemed to work well for him. None of the monks training with him had been able to do much since he started doing so, at least.

Such was the plight of one particular monk that was paralyzed with a Thunder Wave then sent flying across the courtyard with a Dragon Tail.

Just as Marko and Kenshi were winding down from their own sword training, the monk that Drako sent flying landed at their feet, still writhing as electricity sparked over him. Looking across the courtyard, the superhuman gave the pseudo-legendary Pokemon a scolding deadpan, causing the latter’s bravado to quell a bit as the groups all ended their training, Smiley returning to his Pokeball.

“Alright, good progress everyone,” Johnny called out as he rotated his right arm to relieve the tension in it. Agreements came from all the others, with Marko even surprising Drako with some praise despite the scolding look just a bit ago.

“Pretty sure Drako’s on the verge of evolution again, given his performance during training.”

Meanwhile, with the Hourglass.

Geras channeled his power into the Hourglass, an artifact which governed the very timeline this universe existed in, searching for signs that the Devourer was either right or wrong. They were notorious for their vague words, and the greater omniverse was vast. There was the chance they were wrong and this wasn’t who They claimed it to be.

“Who are you?” The Guardian of the Hourglass mused aloud. Then he noticed it.

The time crystals the Benefactor was made from.

It couldn’t be…

“They were right,” Geras said in grim shock.

That afternoon, the group were all relaxing when, suddenly, a burst of energy coalesced into the courtyard. The energy seemed to solidify into… a cardboard box? Nikki saw the curious object and smiled.

“Ah, so he was able to deliver my package after all,” she said. “Wunderbar.”

The energy finished solidifying, and what remained as an aura faded into the environment. Nikki went up to the box and opened it up, revealing the contents within. Bracer-gloves, black and gray with purple highlights and screen, and a chest piece, purple with black highlights with white lining on the chest piece, which was attached to a black short-sleeved hoodie.

“Armor?” Sweetie Belle questioned aloud.

“A very special armor I had specially crafted for Rota. I admit, I didn’t think that he could actually do it, but I am glad to be wrong.” She then noticed a tape recorder with a note saying, ‘Play me,’ attached to it.

“Hey howdy hey, Nikki Bage, Benny Sharp here! I don’t normally do deliveries, but something came up and I don’t think I’ll be able to wait for ya’s to get back to my universe while I’m at the garage. Thanks to you paying up front though, I was able to make this hazardous environments suit ya ordered have a trackin’ function so ya sista won’t risk leavin’ it behind in case she gets into a… I don’t know, a freak gravity well or something? Had to have a friend help me get it to fit into and working in just a chest plate, I'll admit. It also blocks that Blutzwave stuff, but don’t ask me how I found that out. Not exactly proud of how I went about it. Also, eh.. My friends’ll be real mad if they find out this next bit, but uh… The gauntlets have the same tech as my Multiverse Jumping Wrist Watch Things in them, letting the user jump between universes and dimensions. I call them the Jump Bracers. The hoodie configuration for the under-suit of the armor acts as a neural interface in place of having the whole darn thing not be able to come off, but also limits the amount of protection it gives her to stuff that don’t come natural with the environment. Silver-lining, she’ll be able to fly in space without a helmet, long as she keeps an energy shield on, which I’d call a net positi-”

“Hello, can you tell our mutual friend Tayrun Janavaar I would like to speak with him?”

“What in the name of common decency are you doing here!?”

The recorded message ended on that… admittedly unsettling exchange.

“Well, that’s something we may need to follow up on later… But for now-” Nikoletta began, looking back to the box, only to see it was emptied of its contents. Looking to their left, the group saw Rota wearing the armor, looking right at the setting full moon. A smile worked its way onto her face as the truth of the recording’s statement sunk in.

As long as she was wearing the chestpiece, she wouldn’t transform into her great ape form.

Before there could be any celebration or further tests, however, a large burst of energy sounded off from the horizon, six pillars of green magic piercing the sky.

Having a bad feeling, Nikoletta held her mechanical arm in the direction of the pillars...

At which point, it began to glow with ecto energy.

Seeing this, Rota and Sweetie Belle dashed off to find Liu Kang.

Author's Note

Short chapter because I wanted to get something out before the month ended.

Also, Benny Sharp is the creation of PopCross Studios on Youtube.

Seriously, go check him out.

Will Benny come into play later?

Maybe.

But that depends on the events of a story I have no say in, so nyeh.

The armor is my way of justifying some later events in the story (Anyone who remembers the next non-pokemon universe to be visited in the original after the arc this one's replacing, you'll understand why that's important.) As well as making sure they can get home after this arc.

See you next chapter.

Stay true to you.

Chapter 29: The Constable's Chance.

Author's Note

Made some edits to chapter 28, and have recently gotten my shit together enough to crap this out, thank to some advice from PopCross Studios and their recent video on their own writing process and advice to other writers based off of his own experiences.

It's actually helped me a lot.

Anyway, see you guys next time.

Chapter 29: The Constable's Chance.

Making their way through the temple, Sweetie Belle and Rota kept stealing glances toward the pillars of soul magic in the distance. If those were Soul Stealers, then they needed to get to Liu Kang and do something. Finding the Fire God near his portal to Outworld, he explained what was going on without prompting.

“It would appear the Devourer was correct in that there are more than one timeline running together,” he explained as he opened the portal. “And I have a suspicion that the true benefactor of Shang Tsung and Quan Chi comes from beyond that veil. At this point, I have no choice but to bring my concerns to Empress Sindel.”

“Wouldn’t that mean revealing your role as the former Keeper of Time for this timeline, though?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“The circumstances have left me with no alternative, I’m afraid,” Liu Kang responded in a tone of acceptance. “I will not ask you to stay here, but I must ask that you both remember that this is intended to be a peaceful visit. And you, Rota, can also help to prove my claims.”

“Understood,” the Saiyan-Filly Duo said from behind the FIre God.

With an appreciative smile to them both, Liu Kang stepped through the portal, Sweetie Belle and Rota following right after.

Stepping through the portal in Sun Do, the trio were immediately met with Li Mei and the rest of the Constabulary of the city. The First Constable stepped forward to address the arrivals.

“Return home, Lord Liu Kang,” she said with a slight glance at Rota and Sweetie Belle. “Even disregarding these two’s prior disruption of the Lantern Festival, I am to let no-one pass.”

Liu Kang stepped forward. “We must see Her Majesty. She must call off her attack on Earthrealm.”

“Her decision was unwise… but she no longer seeks my counsel, and I doubt she’s interested in yours.”

“The Empress has been deceived,” Liu Kang responded. “Shang Tsung and General Shao have fomented this crisis as a means of stealing her throne.”

“General Shao!? I knew that shinobi was right about him hiding his true intentions.” Li Mei exclaimed. “But join Shang Tsung?” She gave a sigh of disbelief. “I knew he couldn’t be trusted. Were I still Umgadi, he never would have breathed the same air as the Empress. My palace sources told me he arrived out of nowhere, and immediately had the Empress’s ear.” Li Mei noticed that that last statement caused both of Liu Kang’s companions to look… a mix of angry and distraught.

“He gained her trust by treating Princess Mileena’s condition,” Sweetie Belle whispered on the verge of tears.

“Condition?” Li Mei questioned.

“Tragically,” Liu Kang explained quietly, “Princess Mileena is afflicted with Tarkat Disease.”

“Tarkat!?” Li Mei exclaimed in quiet shock. “The Empress must be beside herself. If Shang Tsung found a treatment, no wonder she embraced him.”

“We have told no-one in either world who didn’t already know before now.” Liu Kang explained. “I trust that you, of all people, will keep this secret.”

With a sigh, Li Mei responded. “Of course. Were it made public, it would bring down the royal family.”

“Li Mei, Empress Sindel needs our help.” The Fire God beseeched the First Constable. “Will you join my friends and I in aiding her?”

Li Mei responded with no hesitation.

“Emperor Jerrod’s death, the pain it caused Empress Sindel, has always haunted me. I failed the royal family once,” She said with determination. “I won’t do so again.”

Within the next few minutes, the group was in a small carriage of sorts, being escorted by the Constabulary through the streets of Sun Do while they talked through the situation.

“Everything now makes sense,” Li Mei said. “My Umgadi contacts had said the General’s soldiers had been encroaching. But I still can’t fathom it. General Shao committing treason?”

“Knowing just the fact that Shang Tsung and Quan Chi are in on it already tells me they’re the ones to blame for that,” Rota said. “Probably played to his vanity like they always have, the damn snakes.”

“He may be unstoppable,” Li Mei confessed. “The Umgadi don’t have numbers and my constables aren’t trained for war.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll help protect the Empress, as well.” Sweetie Belle said from next to Li Mei. Before the conversation could continue, the carriage stopped with the beast pulling it letting off a whinny like sound as it reared.

Looking out the window behind her, Li Mei addressed one of her constables. “Driver, what is it?”

Getting no response, she then stood up and opened the door to see what was going on. A group of soldiers had cut off their route and were standing off against the constables.

Looking back to the group, the First Constable said, “I may need that help right now.”

Opening the doors wide to exit the carriage, the group saw Reiko and Motaro walking up to the front of the soldiers.

“Return those three to the portal gate, Li Mei.” Reiko ordered, seeing Liu Kang, Rota and Sweetie Belle. “They aren’t welcome in Outworld.”

“I won’t support the General, Reiko.” Li Mei retorted. “Nor his plot to usurp the throne.”

“Then you won’t live to see the new regime,” he responded before giving Motaro a look.

At which point, the Centauren grabbed the contable in front of him and tore his arms off before rearing back and kicking him away as the soldiers and constables engaged in battle.

Li Mei closed the door to give a situation report. “They have us surrounded.”

“Liu Kang’s no stranger to kombat, Li Mei and you saw Sweetie Belle fight at the Lantern Festival,” Rota snarked in reply.

“And what about yourself?” The First Constable retorted.

“I can handle myself.”

“Then let’s get out there,” Li Mei affirmed before shoving open the doors, immediately charging into the fray with a pair of kicks to two soldiers, sending them to the ground, followed by sweeping the next soldier’s legs out from under him.

Liu Kang engaged a Soldier that charged at him, kneeing his sword arm and then grabbing him and tossing him to the ground while Sweetie Belle, in her natural form, tackled another guard trying to attack Liu Kang from behind, grabbing him around the torso and flipping in the air before slamming him into the ground.

Rota, meanwhile, decided to send a message upon noticing Reiko and Motaro were the only ones actually using enhancements of any kind among the soldiers. As her first opponent swung for her neck, she simply crossed arms and craned out her neck.

The blade met her flesh…

Only to snap as if it were a wooden stick swung against a steel pole.

With reflexes quicker than any save Sweetie Belle could see, Rota grabbed the broken sword tip, threw it into the soldier’s foot, pinning it to the ground, then finished the poor sod off with an uppercut that nearly took his head off.

Reiko saw this as he threw another constable to the ground and snarled. “I knew you were going to be a problem. Should have just killed you myself.”

Rota glared back at him. “We’ll see how your bite compares your bark, lapdog,” she retorted as she took on her fighting stance. Reiko immediately threw a set of shuriken and charged forward. Rota simply flared her aura, sending the shuriken bouncing to the ground without even touching her. She then flicker-stepped to above and in front of Reiko and slammed a punch into his head, driving it through the dock below, and knocking him unconscious.

Meanwhile, Sweetie Belle had teleported to each soldier individually and knocked them out quick and easy, typically with a metal hoof to the jaw. Although the last one she managed to spook into jumping into the water, which was a little funny for the bystanders observing.

As the constables gathered the soldiers and placed them under arrest, Li Mei, Liu Kang, Sweetie Belle and Rota gathered back in the carriage, the First Constable noting the reinforcements will be arriving for the soldiers at some point as Rota closed the carriage doors.

As the group made their way through the palace and into the garden, they were confronted by the two Umgadi women who were at the Lantern Festival.

“Word of his arrival precedes you,” the dark skinned Umgadi said, pointing her weapon at Liu Kang. “Surrender if you wish to remain unharmed.”

“Let us pass, Tanya.” Li Mei pleaded with the Umgadi woman. “The Empress and her family are in danger. He brings word that Shang Tsung and General Shao plot against her.”

Tanya sneered in disbelief at her words. “The General? Have you been so easily taken in by lies?” She then got into a combat stance as she finished speaking. “Once again, you prove incapable of protecting the royal house.”

Before Li Mei could assume her own combat stance, Sweetie Belle stepped forward, shifting into the anthro form Tanya had seen her in at the festival, making the Umgadi pause in shock as the Alicorn put her hands in front of her in surrender.

“We just want to talk to the Empress. We don’t want to fight.” She spoke in a calm if pleading tone.

Tanya stared at Sweetie Belle for a moment. Then her companion spoke.

“The Empress said that if the Alicorn from the lantern festival were to step forward, she would hear them out.” She said with an accent not dissimilar to Syzoth. “This is the Alicorn from then, you and I both know it to be. And Princess Kitana can confirm it, she dueled her personally.”

Another nearby Umgadi confirmed the statement, a whole squadron of them arriving.

Tanya looked Li Mei in the eye, who seemed as shocked by the Alicorn’s shapeshift as the Umgadi had. She then addressed Liu Kang.

“It would appear the Empress will hear you out after all.”

Chapter 30: Revelations and the Battle for Outworld.

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 31: Battle for Earthrealm! A Titanic Reveal!

Within the hour, the group, joined by Selia Fukuro, a pair of shinobi in more traditional garb, one colored yellow and the other colored gray, were standing outside of a fortress on Earthrealm in a remote Chinese mountain range. With a look between themselves, the Bages and Sweetie Belle, the filly in her natural form, flew up, Rota calling back, “We’ll try to keep attention on us for as long as possible.”

Meanwhile, inside the fortress as the heroes gained entry, Shang Tsung and Quan Chi stood before a well, watching as the soul magic coalesced into the form of a golden crown. Shang Tsung, seeing that the infusion was complete, then took the crown and admired it.

“We are ready,” he told Quan Chi.

“And the soul stealers?” The pale sorcerer wondered.

“Keep them running,” the shapeshifter responded. “If nothing else, the collected souls will be useful to keep Bojack and his underlings around. Speaking of which.” As he spoke, another shape formed from the soul magic. In mere seconds, Bojack reformed in front of the sorcerers before descending to the ground in front of them.

“I presume from the fact you came here through the Soul Stealers that the General’s attempt for the throne was unsuccessful?” Shang Tsung asked the marauder.

“Not only that, but the Bages are much stronger than the last time I faced them, to say nothing of the alicorn,” Bojack answered. Then, turning his gaze to the battlements, he gave a slight glare. “Additionally, they seem to have already arrived,” he said as he nodded where he was looking.

Turning to look for themselves, the sorcerers spotted the source of the marauders ire.

Floating above the battlements were the four figures who had given their plans the most trouble of all.

Rota, her purple aura encompassing her.

Marko, his red blade drawn and flaming magic wreathing his body.

Nikoletta, her ghostly green aura and glowing eyes making her seem akin to a spirit of vengeance.

And Sweetie Belle, dressed in an armored pink bodysuit with a star at each flank, four golden gauntlets with embedded gems for each of her hooves, a neckerchief and a crown made to look like some form of stalk with a flower on the front and a red cape with white trim billowing in the wind beside her.

Nikki gave the crown Sweetie Belle wore a raised eyebrow, but shrugged it off. She’d explain when it became relevant.

Bojack flew upward to meet them, his underlings, and fellow remaining members of his race, the Hera Clan, coming up from behind the opposite battlement while Shang Tsung and Quan Chi hurriedly made their way inside the fortress’s depths.

“Four vs five. Heads on swivels, girls,” Marko advised as everyone readied to fight.

“The numbers will only be a momentary problem. Just need to hold out a bit, meine geschwister,” Nikki said, her scouter pinging a powerful source of energy that Rota also noticed.

“I thought I had some weird timing,” The Saiyan muttered to herself, just loud enough for Sweetie Belle to catch, before the aerial battle began in earnest. Sweetie Belle managed to send a telepathic message to the royal family and Liu Kang that the Sorcerers likely knew about Shao’s failed grab for the throne before she clashed with the sole female in the opposing group, Zangya.

Sweetie Belle and her opponent met with a clash of elbows, sending a shockwave of energy pulsing outward on impact. Sweetie Belle, however, smirked as she called the energy to her, absorbing it, causing the Hera Clan woman’s eyes to widen in shock before the alicorn filly swept her foreleg out sending her opponent flying backwards. Sweetie Belle then flew past her, hitting her with a spin kick from the opposite side that sent her flying again upward. Zangya recovered and surged her power, seeming to kick off a transformation, turning her blue skin to green and her orange hair to red, her muscles and energy respectively swelling and surging as her vest and sleeves burst from the force of the transformation.

Sweetie Belle surged her power in kind, coating herself with a green aura akin to the one from the Living Forest, then rushed forward at the same time as her opponent. Zangya managed to beat Sweetie Belle to the punch, literally as the Heran woman’s longer arm let her punch strike the alicorn filly’s cheek, sending her reeling back. Recovering, Sweetie blocked the next blow and stretched her hind leg out to kick Zangya in the gut. As the Heran woman tried to catch her breath, Sweetie Belle grabbed her by the head and dove toward the ground at an angle, before suddenly stopping halfway and then throwing Zangya the remaining distance.

The Heran woman’s body carved a trench across the mountain range before she crashed into the ground a long distance away. Before Sweetie Belle could do anything else, her limbs were suddenly restrained with some kind of wire, some of it even squeezing around her horn. Looking around, she saw that the only unoccupied Hera Clan member, Bujin, had decided to try wrapping her up. A simple burst of energy saw the wire destroyed and the Hera Clansman bracing himself from the blast. Bujin, after the brief gale, transformed like Zangya and engaged the filly, managing to hold his own better than Zangya had.

Nikoletta, meanwhile, was facing Bido, both in their respective transformed states. The German Phantom phased in and out of corporeality as she dodged the bearded Hera Clansman’s barrage of energy bullets. She returned fire with a volley of ecto-energy blasts, forcing the pirate to dodge and allowing her to teleport in front of his path to send him crashing into the mountainside opposite the fortress with an energy punch from her left hand.

As Bido recovered, Nikoletta dashed towards him, charging up energy in her robotic right hand. The Hera Clansman guarded his head, but Nikki just targeted his torso instead, punching him in the chest and driving him through the mountain. As Bido came flying out the other side, Nikki flicker-stepped ahead of him and slammed a double axe-handle blow into his back, sending him careening into the ground.

Nikoletta then charged ecto-energy and ki into a large ball and launched it at Bido. However, the pirate had recovered enough to deflect the ball away from himself, sending it toward Sweetie Belle! However, instead of detonating on the filly, the energy ball seemed to be absorbed by her body. As she absorbed the energy, Sweetie’s power spiked to a level that gave even the pirates and the Bages pause for a brief moment as most eyes went toward her. Her attire also seemed to shift in color, but with the aura around her, it was hard to tell. With a wink, the filly clapped her forehooves together, causing a sonic boom right in the face of her current opponent. Opening her forelegs revealed a rift in space from which shot a large laser, burning Bujin away.

Marko only took a brief glance at the filly before he took advantage of the distraction offered by the display of power to run his opponent through with his blade. With an echoing incantation, the Dragon Soul cast a spell that caused the Hera Clan swordsman to begin to burn away starting from the wound caused by Marko’s red blade. As his flesh turned to ash, Kugo tried to take one last swing with his own sword, only to be engulfed from his right, Marko’s left, by a large blue beam finishing the pirate off.

Looking to his left, he saw another Saiyan woman, this one dressed in a modified chest plate with a purple underlayer, with a skintight pair of pants, boots and wristbands that all matched the coloring of the underlayer for the torso, save for the boots, which had a trim to match the chestplate. Her hair and tail were brown with her irises a shade of brown so deep, they might as well have been black, with red lipstick. Marko addressed her as he recalled his sword from its plummet to the ground.

“Nice to see you again, Diane,” he said in greeting. “Thanks for finishing that guy.”

The Saiyan smirked as she replied. “Marko, wasn’t it? No problem. You seem to have gotten stronger since we last met.”

Any further discussion was cut off by a series of impacts close to the mountainside that the fortress was built into. Turning their attention that way, Marko, Diane and Nikki, the last one pulling her boot out of her now-very-dead opponent’s chest, saw that Rota was currently in her Saiyan God form, her hair, tail, eyes and aura all glowing with a fierce crimson light, and battling Bojack, who had taken on his own Full Power transformation. Additionally, Sweetie Belle, her mane and tail alight with green fire as her own eyes glowed with power, had joined her in battle.

The Saiyan-Filly Duo collided with the Marauder in a clash of pure power, sending both sides flying backwards for a second. As Bojack caught himself, Marko’s blade came at him like a buzz saw, cutting off his arm while Marko appeared behind him and caught the blade and slashed him across the back. The Soul Stealers had been destroyed, but that didn’t stop Bojack’s regeneration as his arm began to grow back with a purple glow.. But before Bojack could even flex his newly regrown arm, Sweetie Belle tackled into him, her horn piercing into his gut. The filly kept flying as she charged a ball of energy at the tip of her horn, burning the Marauder from the inside as she dragged him towards the mountain.

With a shout of determination, Sweetie Belle launched the energy as a beam, sending Bojack crashing into the mountain side.

As the dust cleared around Bojack, the last thing he saw before his life ended was the sight of two Saiyans charging at him, both glowing with blue light of the Super Saiyan God.

“How is it they’re unaware that the Soul Stealers are shut down?” Mileena asked as she and the rest of her group snuck up on Shang Tsung and Quan Chi.

The group of Earthrealmers and Outworlders had managed to sneak into the fortress and destroy the Soul Stealers while Sweetie Belle and the Bages fought the Hera Clan before making their way down to the depths with Ermac in tow. The addition of Ermac had come about from Mileena’s aid… by which, she beat the tar out of him until his soul was able to take control. Regardless, the reunion between the Empress and Emperor and their children had been grand, if short-lived. Now that they were down here, they could see that Shang Tsung was now wearing a crown he had forged with soul magic, allowing him to bring the warrior statues that the heroes were hiding amongst to life. A set of them stood before him and Quan Chi, going through some basic martial arts motions in unison.

“We’re deep within the mountain,” Smoke replied. “Nothing outside of it would be noticed unless it affected the interior.”

Liu Kang looked at the sight with contempt. “Look at them conspiring. It is history we should not be repeating.”

“We must take the crown,” Scorpion said. “Without it, he can’t raise more warriors.”

“Our odds will improve if we can surround them,” Sindel observed.

A couple seconds later, the cavern shook as a portion of the ceiling behind the soldiers in front of the sorcerers suddenly collapsed. A cloud of dust and dirt obscured the vision of the sorcerers for a moment. But just as the cloud began to clear, Bojack’s head came falling out from it, bouncing off the debris before coming to a stop right in front of Shang Tsung and Quan Chi.

Looking up from the severed head, the pair saw the sight of the four most powerful fighters they’d ever seen in front of them, along with another newcomer who seemed to be just as powerful.

Rota and Diane, standing side-by-side.

Marko at Rota’s left, his blade resting on his shoulder.

Nikki at Diane’s right, her eyes and hands glowing with ecto-energy.

And Sweetie Belle, standing in the center of the group, seemed like a Goddess as her uniform seemed to shift to better reflect her current self, as opposed to her past. The symbol on the cape, formerly depicting a peace sign, now showed a rainbow tree-like flower growing from a black heart, with the same heart now adorning each flank. The armored heart on her chest and gauntlets turned from red to black. Her flower on her crown was now rainbow colored, and her cape and gauntlets were now a dark shade of pink, the cape now lacking the white trim. Pure Void Energy pouring from her eyes, glowing with power, completed her look of wrathful divinity.

Shang Tsung raised his hand to his crown to draw on its power, but before he could get halfway, Nikoletta used her telekinesis to pull it off of his head to her hand and grabbed it. With a wave of her other hand, she sent a wall of energy balls that destroyed the no-longer animated warriors.

Sweetie Belle gave her wings a magic-infused flap and caused a gale of wind that nearly sent the sorcerers off their feet to clear the cloud. As the wind swept up the cavern to the opening at the top, the rest of the group came out from their hiding spot behind the sorcerers. Finding themselves surrounded and outnumbered, Shang Tsung and Quan Chi, seeing no feasible alternative, surrendered.

“Thanks to Sweetie Belle and her companions, this fight is won before it can begin,” Liu Kang declared as he descended the stairs to confront Shang Tsung.

“The fight, perhaps,” Shang Tsung retorted smugly, “but not the battle.”

“Speaking of which,” Sweetie Belle said, suddenly right in front of the sorcerers, making them both jump. “Who is this mysterious benefactor of yours?”

A sudden burst of energy from the crown in Nikki’s hand interrupted any response. The burst freed it from her grasp and sent it clattering to the floor beside the severed head of Bojack.

Everyone watched it as it began to glow with soul magic, Shang Tsung chuckling at the sight.

“Speak of the Devil” the sorcerer said. “Sweetie Belle, Liu Kang. Meet Damashii.” (“Sweetie Belle, Liu Kang. Meet Deception.”)

“Who uses the word Deception in any language as a name?” Rota blurted out in wonder, her autistic mind only subconsciously remembering the translator microchip currently embedded into it.

Rota’s comment came as a mass of mystic sand coalesced around the crown, solidifying onto the form of some… uncomfortably familiar faces. Namely, Geras, Sindel, Raiden, and an android with a brain for a powersource and large claws that didn’t sit quite right with Nikki… and at the front, holding the crown was…

Another Shang Tsung.

“One who intends to deceive their own pawns.” Liu Kang answered before addressing the local Shang Tsung. “You are the victim of such deception, sorcerer.”

“You are not Damashii…” the local Shang Tsung said in wonder, “You’re me.”

“More accurately, you are me,” the invader corrected. “A poor facsimile, anyway, made lesser by Liu Kang’s meddling.”

As both Shang Tsungs looked at Liu Kang, Sindel stepped forward, demanding, “What’s happening here? Who is he?!”

“This Shang Tsung is whom I battled for the Hourglass.” Liu Kang answered. “I thought him dead.”

“As I did you, Liu Kang.” The invading Shang Tsung responded. “It turns out, our battle released mammoth energies which ripped apart our universe fabric of time apart. The fight had at least two conclusions. In one, I was the victor,” the titan sorcerer explained. “In the other, it was you.”

He turned back to his minions as he continued explaining. “Bojack and his underlings' arrival in my timeline made me learn of the Greater Omniverse relatively early into my reign as Keeper of Time. Even then, it was eons still before I discovered the truth of the outcome of our battle. Once I did, I knew the path forward.” Titan Shang Tsung shifted into his disguise before continuing in the feminine voice he'd used in it. “I took this form and infiltrated your timeline. I elevated these wretches, giving them great power.” He said, referring to the local Shang Tsung and Quan Chi. “Together, they sowed discord among the realms, and assembled for me the Dragon Army. I led them to believe they were aiding my conquest of Earthrealm and Outworld. But my intent is to exterminate all life in this timeline, and then merge it into my own.”

“You promised us realms.” Local Shang Tsung questioned as his Titan counterpart shifted back to his natural form. “Now you leave us to slaughter?”

“You were pawns, not partners,” the Titan sorcerer clarified. “Your purpose served, you will be sacrificed.”

“We served you loyally.” Quan Chi retorted. “Built you the Dragon Crown!”

“This?” Titan Shang Tsung asked with a chuckle. “It is a toy. I do not need it to control the Dragon Army, only the souls contained within.” With no further explanation, he crushed the crown, freeing the trapped souls and directed them to the Dragon Soldiers.

“Goodbye, Liu Kang.” Titan Shang Tsung said as he and his Geras prepared to leave. “Neither you nor your timeline will be missed.” With that, the two teleported away in mystic sand, barely avoiding an energy ball that Rota sent out of impatience. The android wasn’t so lucky, as it was directly impacted by the energy. But the blast didn’t seem to do anything, besides push it back a few steps.

As the android recovered, Dark Sindel and Dark Raiden (as categorized in Sweetie Belle’s mind) prepared for kombat.

And then Diane flicker-stepped between the two and knocked their heads together hard enough to cause both to explode.

“Fuck those two wastes of time.” She said as she shook the blood off her hands. She then noticed a discrepancy. “Where’d the android go?”

An energy blast suddenly pierced Sindel from behind, revealing the android now at the far end of the room before it disappeared in a pulse of light. Sindel dropped to her knees before being caught by Jerrod. Kitana and Mileena were beside them in moments.

“Mother, you can’t go.” Kitana pleaded. “Not yet.”

“It’s my time, dear,” the dying empress comforted her younger daughter, before addressing her husband. “At least… we had a few hours more.”

“Mother!” Mileena said as Sindel reached for her.

“You are now Empress.” Sindel told her oldest daughter. “Rule well.”

With teary eyes, Mileena answered. “I will. Father and Kitana will help me.”

With those words, Sindel breathed her last breath.

Jerrod closed her eyes in respect, only to notice her soul seeming to meld with his form. “Of course.” He said in realization.

“Vhat did you just do, Herr Jerrod?” Nikoletta asked.

“I collected her soul.” He answered with a comforting look to his daughters. “It resides within me. She is safe.”

As the Dragon Army began to move, Sweetie Belle decided to just mass teleport everyone out of the fortress. So she grabbed everyone in the group with her magic and did exactly that. Reappearing on a cliff outside the fortress, the group caught their breath and got some manner of proper introductions for those necessary sorted when they spotted the Dragon Army beginning to march out of the Fortress.

“Moving an army that large throughout the realms isn’t gonna be easy, even with magic.” Marko noted.

“Indeed, he would need a portal of some kind,” Kitana agreed.

“More than one.” Liu Kang clarified. “He will need a nexus of portal gateways.”

“It must be nearby.” Mileena proposed. “We follow them, they’ll lead us to it.”

“Agreed,” Liu Kang answered. “But we cannot strike until Raiden and Kung Lao arrive.”

“That the Lin Kuei won’t aid us is unforgivable.” Smoke lamented. “Bi-Han has corrupted them totally.”

“When this crisis ends, we’ll deal with that one,” Scorpion assured him.

“This is just the opening skirmish in a war.” Rota said. “I’d bet ‘Titan Shang Tsung’s prepared his timeline for it, meaning that, as we are, we are outnumbered. While Diane, my siblings, Sweetie Belle and I are powerful, that doesn’t mean it’d be easy.”

“I might have some friends willing to help, but I don’t know how many would be available right now,” Sweetie Belle said as she took off the crown she’d been wearing the whole time.

“My counterpart stated that your battle with him ripped time’s fabric, creating, and I quote, ‘AT LEAST two timelines.” Shang Tsung said to Liu Kang, almost as if in thought. “How likely is it that it wasn’t torn apart further? If there are two timelines, can’t there be more?”

“Thank you for the explanation of how an individual universe becomes a self-contained multiverse, Sherlock.” Rota said with an annoyed tone. “Now can you tell us how this is relevant to our problem?”

“You said we lack numbers as we are,” Shang Tsung answered. “We might find them in other timelines, not just other universes.”

“OK, allow me to indulge with a counterpoint.” Rota retorted. “Even if there are more timelines making up this multiverse, the only one who can make that kind of search is the deity who CREATED one of those timelines, provided they have the power of a Keeper of Time. And last time I checked, Liu Kang specifically GAVE UP his power over time so he could just be the guardian of Earthrealm, and while, yes, there are ways for a God or God-like being to regain that power, those ways typically have some kind of drawback.”

“Regardless, that is a moot point. I left my power to fade when I first surrendered it,” Liu Kang confessed.

“That may be so Liu Kang,” Geras said, almost hesitantly. “But I, for one, could not leave such things to chance.”

“Geras?” Liu Kang questioned his old friend.

“When you gave up control of the Hourglass,” Geras explained. “I worried that one day, you would find you needed it. So rather than take the chance you wouldn’t need it and let your power dissipate, I collected it. To this day, it remains safely stored.”

“Why did you never tell me this?” Liu Kang asked in surprise.

“Because the process of restoring your power is likely irreversible.” Geras explained. “Returning to the life you have now as Earthrealms Protector, a life you cherish, may be impossible.”

“And you did not want me tempted to make that sacrifice…” Liu Kang interjected in understanding. “Unless it was absolutely necessary.”

“Correct,” Geras confirmed.

“Thank you Geras.” Liu Kang said. “You have saved us with your wisdom.” He then asked, “Now. Where have you stored my power? We must retrieve it.”

“It is at the Fire Temple.” Geras answered. “Stored in the Jade Jaguar gifted to you by the Great Kung Lao.”

The Android reappeared in the fortress right where it had been before. It moved to make it's way out of the fortress and into the valley nearby. It's slender frame allowed for quick traversal of it's environment. The few beasts that attempted to trouble it were quickly put down by it's mechanical crustacean-eque claws.

Once in the valley, the android admired the work it's client had going, even as it continued it's march to Titan Shang Tsung.

"Doctor Wheelo," A voice greeted the android.

Looking to the side, the robotic Doctor Wheelo turned to see the version of Geras loyal to Titan Shang Tsung.

"Geras," Wheelo replied and he stopped. "I trust that you are aware of my report?"

"I will speak to Lord Shang Tsung of it. For now, aid in overseeing and protecting the construction of the gateways," the construct ordered as he marched forward.

"Gladly," the synthetic voice of Doctor Wheelo dripped with delight. "I was hoping for the chance to test my new strength."

With little more fanfare, the robotic doctor went to carry out his orders, as Dark Geras climbed a set of stairs to meet Titan Shang Tsung.

"Yes, Geras?" The Titan Sorcerer asked his servant.

"Liu Kang and the Alicorn have proven more powerful than anticipated. They and their allies have escaped the fortress," The construct said.

"Forget the others, find Liu Kang and the Alicorn." Titan Shang Tsung demanded. "They alone threaten my plans."

Author's Note

And to the surprise of, I'm gonna guess exactly no one, I've had some troubles getting the motivation to write this.

The new OC introduced, Diane, actually belongs to a friend of mine on Discord, used with permission. If you see this Alex, please let me know how I did writing her, I'm somewhat scared I screwed up a bit.

For reference on the Dialogue in Parenthesis, that's basically the version that anyone with the translator hears as it's being spoken.

Shang Tsung said "Meet Damashi."

What Sweetie Belle, Rota, and Marko all heard was "Meet Deception."

Because Damashi is Japanese for Deception.

Also, yes, Rota's autistic like me.

Might explain why she's more willing to talk before fists start flying.

Chapter 32: Battle of Ying Valley

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