Equestria Warriors: Displacement of a Hero

It was strange, waking up inside the castle after I moved out months ago. Even stranger were the two mares clinging to me in their sleep. And yet it felt right. Doing my best not to wake them I slipped out of bed, got dressed and made my way down to the kitchens for some breakfast. As I approached the door I caught the smell fresh baked bread emanating from inside. I heard my gut growl at that moment and walked in, finding Celestia sitting at the small table in the corner eating some bread and butter.

“Morning…” I greeted her tiredly as I sat down and tore off a chunk of the bread, eating it slowly. The Princess nodded to me with a smile and slid the butter dish towards me.

“I hope you slept well. Today is a big day for you.” She smiled kindly as I spreabutetter on another piece of bread. I sighed and nodded, remembering that I was to enter the Sacred Grounds today. I had seen their entrance a long time ago, back when I lived here at the castle. It was down in the dungeon, near where Princess Zelda slept in her amber tomb. I took a bite of my bread and thought for a moment before speaking.

“I am unsure if I’m truly worthy of that sword Celestia. I… I don’t know if I’m really ready..” I told her with a small frown as she placed her hand on my shoulder.

“No one is ever really ready when responsibilities are thrust on them. Do you think I was truly ready to rule this land when Mother went to sleep?” She asked as I looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

“I guess… no?” I answered and she nodded.

“I had been alive for hundreds of years by then, but had never really had much responsibility placed on my shoulders. I hated the idea of ruling. But when Mother sealed herself, everyone turned to me for leadership. So, what I think I’m saying Johnny is that it’s ok to feel unsure of yourself. Just do your best, and everything will be fine.” She smiled before getting up from the table.
“Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some royal duties I need to attend to.” She said with a wink before leaving me alone in the kitchen.

“She’s right… I can do this…” I reassured myself as I walked back to my room. Applejack and Dashie had already woken up and smiled at me as I entered, both of them giving me a nice warm hug.

“Mornin’ hun.” AJ said as she kissed my cheek.

“Yea, morning.” Dashie grinned smugly as she kissed my other cheek. I chuckled and kissed them both.

“Morning to you both. You sleep ok?” I asked as they nodded.

“It was definitely better than my bed at home…” Rainbow Dash yawned as she stretched a bit.

“Yeah, but it was nice… y’know…gettin’ ter sleep in the same bed an’ all…” Applejack nodded as she blushed. I smiled and rubbed her cheek before I sat on the bed.

“Today is going to be challenging for me. Not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. I do not know what I’m going to encounter in the Sacred Grounds, but I know I can face that challenge knowing you’ll be by my side.” I told them as I looked up, both of them giving me the same confident smile. I finished gearing up as the two of them got dressed and soon we made our way to the dungeon.

“It’s… down here?” Dashie asked as we passed the room Zelda was in.

“Yeah, I saw it once when I was down here before. Didn’t know what it was until I got a vision of it in my dreams.” I told her as we approached a stone door, the mark of the Triforce barely visible on its surface.

“What does that mark mean? I’ve seen it before.” AJ asked as I moved to place my hand on it.

“It’s the Triforce. A symbol of the goddesses.” I answered as the same mark appeared on the back of my hand, the bottom right piece glowing brighter than the others.
“And a symbol of their chosen wielders.” I said as I placed my hand on the stone. The Triforce instantly lit up and glowed for a moment as the door slid down into the floor.

“Woah… that’s some powerful stuff there…” Dash muttered as we stepped through the doorway. It led to a circular room with three more doors leading off, each bearing the symbol of one of the goddesses.

“So what do we do now?” AJ asked as I looked at the doors. I approached the one bearing Farore’s symbol and placed my hand on it. The mark glowed a soft green and the door opened.

“I need to face these challenges myself, so wait here. Please.” I said as I looked at them. Their faces told me they didn’t want to, but they nodded and stepped back.

“We’ll be right here… when you come back.” Dashie said sadly as I gave them a small smile and charged off into the darkness.

I walked down the dark corridor until I saw a light ahead. I ran towards it and suddenly found myself in a place I prayed I’d never see again. My dad’s ratty old trailer outside Las Vegas. I was in my room, the walls covered in old video game and movie posters, and my bed a total mess. I looked in the mirror I had on my dresser and sighed as I still looked like Link. I took a deep breath and stepped out into the hallway, the smell of cigarettes and body odor hitting me hard as I walked towards the living room. Sat in his disgusting old Lazyboy recliner sat the source of a lot of my childhood trauma, sipping a beer as he watched a football game. My father, Sonny Sikes, the King Con of the strip. And I hated him with every fiber of my being. When I lived here with him as a kid he would torment me in his drunken rage, throwing empty beer bottles and beating me. I never had the courage to stand up for myself. And now here I was, presented with another chance.

“Grab me a beer boy.” He called from his chair, his voice grating against my ears like sandpaper.

“Get it yourself you lazy bum. I’m not your servant.” I snapped at him, watching as he turned to face me, his face coated in stubble and cheeto dust.

“You mouthing off boy?” He asked as he got up from his seat and numbered over.
“You disrespecting me? IN MY HOUSE?!” He spat as he raised his fist to hit me. He swung down, aiming for my face as I caught his wrist and looked him dead in the eye.

“I am not afraid of you anymore dad. You do not control me.” I told him calmly as the room faded to black. Before I knew it I was back in the central hub, the door sliding up behind me. The symbol etched on the surface remained lit as I looked at the girls.
“One down. Two to go.” I said with a forced smile, the two of them hugging me quickly.

“You got this hun.” AJ reassured me as she stepped back.

“Yea, you’re gonna rock the last two!” Dash agreed. I nodded with a small smile and approached the door of Power. Touching the stone surface its symbol lit up and tye door slid open. I gave the girls a wink and charged in.

I ran forward through the darkness until I entered a large chamber. I recognized it as the miniboss room in Twilight Princess’s Temple of Time dungeon. And that meant I knew my foe. It stood in the center of the room, a tall dark knight clad in heavy armor.

“Darknut.” I sighed as I drew my sword and shield.
“Let’s dance fancy pants.” I chuckled as I ran forward, rolling under the enemy’s attack as it swung its heavy cleaver, and attacking it from behind. I managed to knock off a few pieces of armor before it made another swing at me, this one connecting and sending me flying. I hit the ground hard and rolled, managing to get to my feet and looking at my foe.

“That wasn’t nice.” I grinned as I charged in again, managing to take off a few more bits of armor and avoiding his strike. After landing a few more strikes and finishing off his armor, the Darknut threw its massive cleaver at me and drew a large broadsword. I rolled to the side to avoid getting hit by the massive weapon, getting to my feet in time to lock blades with it.

“Impressive. Most impressive.” He said, surprising me. I never would have thought that monsters in games could speak. I pushed him back and leveled my shield.

“So the bucket head speaks. This world is full of surprises.” I huffed as I leapt forward, slashing at his chest only to be blocked. I got knocked back slightly and growled.
“You are one tough cookie.”

“You are an admirable foe as well.” He grunted as he stepped forward casually.
“But your luck is about to run dry, hero.” He said as he slashed down at my head.

“Perhaps. But not today!” I chuckled as I blocked his blade with my shield and stabbed him in his gut. He clutched at the wound and reeled back, groaning in pain before falling on his back. His sword clattered to the ground, his breathing labored as he looked at me.

“Well done… Hero…” He said weakly before turning into a purple explosion. I sheathed my sword as the room went dark, and found myself back in the main room. Dash was fast asleep in a corner, snoring softly as AJ came up to me.

“Hey… you doin’ ok?” She asked me as I gave her a hug.

“Yea, just getting a little worn out.” I sighed as I rubbed her back.
“Tell Dash I’ll see you both soon.” I said with a wink as I approached the third door. Like the two before, it glowed as I touched it, the stone sliding down and I walked calmly into the darkness.

I walked down the darkened hall, feeling my way along until I came to another stone door. I placed my hand on it like the others, but instead of opening like before, words appeared. As I read them I realized it was a riddle.

’The fool wastes me, The average man spends me, And wise man invests me, Yet all men succumb to me. What am I?’

“Hmm… what could this mean…” I thought aloud as I tried to think.
“Is it… Time?” I asked as the door glowed brighter, vanishing and opening up to the next hall. I pushed on, the wall guiding me as I approached another door. As soon as I touched this one, another riddle appeared.

‘The more you take, the more you leave behind. What am I?’

“Well that’s easy. It’s Footsteps.” I said confidently as the door vanished like before. I sighed and shuffled on, eventually coming to a third door.

“If I’m thinking right, this should be the last one.” I thought aloud again as I placed my hand on the door. Instantly the text appeared:

’An old man wanted to leave all of his money to one of his three sons, but he didn’t know which one he should give it to. He gave each of them a few coins and told them to buy something that would be able to fill their living room. The first man bought straw, but there was not enough to fill the room. The second bought some sticks, but they still did not fill the room. The third man bought two things that filled the room, so he obtained his father’s fortune. What were the two things that the man bought?’

“Oh wow, this one’s a head scratcher…” I muttered as I tried to think.
“What would cost only a few coins but manage to fill a room? Uh…. Perfume?” I asked and was met with a sharp electric shock. I shook my head, looking up at the riddle with a frown.
“So that didn’t work… uh… Matches?” I asked again and the door slid down, revealing I had made my way back to the main room. Rainbow Dash had woken up from her nap and smiled at me. AJ looked over with a smile as well as I walked forward. As soon as I entered the center room, a set of stairs fell into place that led down even further. Looking at AJ and Dashie I nodded and together we walked down the stairs into the unknown.

“Jeez, you’d think there would be a light or something down here. I can’t see anything!” Dash grumbled as we delved deeper.

“There probably used to be torches down here, but they’d have long burned out by now.” I suggested.

“That would make a lot of sense.” AJ agreed as she held my arm.
“Seein’ as how were probably the first living things down here in centuries.”

“That would seem to be the case.” I nodded as I saw a faint light up ahead.
“But I think things are about to get better. There’s light down there.” I told them as I began to be able to see things better. We made it to the bottom and found ourselves in a large round room ringed with large statues, and stained glass windows depicting the ancient sages lining the walls. I smiled to myself as I recognized it as the same room the master sword was held in the Windwaker.

“Is that sunlight?” Dash asked as we stepped forward and looked up. Sure enough there was a shaft leading to the surface, letting a beam of sunlight shine down.

“An’ look at those windows,” AJ said as she stepped up to the one depicting Saria, “who d’you reckon these people were?”

“Those are the seven sages of old. Once, long ago, they aided my ancestor in a fierce battle over the fate of Hyrule.” I explained as I stepped towards the middle of the room, where a gleaming sword sat in its plinth.
“Their spirits still guard this place, waiting for the hero… for me… to come back..” I said solemnly as I looked down at the blade of evil’s bane.

“Then don’t keep them waiting.” Dashie smirked as she stood to my left.

“Yea. You said they’ve been waitin’ for ya, so pull that sword an’ show them your here.” AJ grinned as she stood to my right. I grinned at them as well before turning to the sword.

“Thank you. Both of you. You’ve believed in me, even when I didn’t believe in myself.” I told them as I gripped the hilt, giving it a sharp tug as I felt my chest burn slightly. With a grunt I watched as the three blessings I had been given flew out of my chest and began circling us. Above our heads, the statues moved one by one, aligning above us and making a ring as the orbs of light spun faster.

Then the music kicked in, the familiar tune filling me with confidence as I gripped the hilt and pulled, the sword finally giving and I held it up as the music crescendoed, the blessings vanishing as I held the blade in my hand.

You got the Master Sword! This legendary blade is filled with a light that drives away the darkness!

“Ha! Hyat! Heyaaaaat!” I yelled as I gave the sword a couple swings before sheathing it with a flourish.

“Thank you Link…” A voice in front of us called. Looking up we saw the seven sages from the windows. I stepped forward and kneeled.

“No, I must thank you. For all you’ve done for Hyrule, and its successor Equestria.” I told them as I looked up.
“I know it was through all your power together that Zelda was able to trap Ganondorf in the Arbiter’s Grounds. And I will finish what you could not all those years ago.” I told them as one by one they faded away, smiling and proud until only Saria remained. She gave me a soft smile and stepped forward.

“You remind me of a very good friend, Link.” She said, her voice sounding far away as she began to fade.
“You’ll be a great hero. I have faith….” She smiled again as she faded away, leaving the three of us alone once again.

“Goodbye Saria. I hope your Link was as great a hero as he could be.” I said quietly before turning back to my girls.

“Were those… their ghosts?” Rainbow Dash asked as I smiled and shook my head.

“I’m not sure. But their souls are at peace now. I can feel it.” I sighed, a single tear rolling down my cheek as I hugged them both.

“Come on Sugar Cube, let’s get out of here.” Applejack said as we began to walk back up the stairs. I looked back one last time, silently thanking the sages once again before leaving for the world above.