Author's Note

This chapter is a crossover with Men10doh_Mike.
Here is a link to his story

The Grand Galloping Gala

I leaned back in my seat as the train rumbled along down the track, relaxing as Spike took a nap. I reached into my pocket and pulled out a small bag. I held the small leather pouch containing the stones that world's Celestia had given me, feeling their energy radiating outwards. I smiled and tucked them back in a pouch on my belt as the train pulled into the station. Deciding not to wake Spike I picked him up and carried him out. Stepping off and onto the platform I looked around and sighed.

“Canterlot. Feels like it's been ages.” I muttered to myself as I began my walk through town, looking into the shop windows as I hum a tune. As I passed one shop I paused, looking at a fairly innocuous object sitting in the window. It was a simple potato ocarina, with a single triangular green gem in its mouth piece.

“Well well we'll, what have we here…” I muttered as I stared at it through the glass. It looked just like how Jeff had described it. Stepping inside a small bell jingled, alerting the shop owner to their new customer. A small green mare walked out of a backroom and bowed.

“Welcome to Odds and Ends, an Emporium of Wonderful things!” She said with a cheerful smile.
“How can I help you today?” She asked as she looked up at me. I politely returned the smile and pointed to the window.

“I was curious about the ocarina. How much is it?” I asked her as she looked where I was pointing. She tapped her chin for a moment before looking back at me.

“Well, I think I'd let it go for… twenty bits.” She decided as I looked in my wallet. All I had in bits was maybe eight at most. I looked up at her with a chuckle.

“Seems I don't have enough bits, will Rupees work?” I asked, pulling a yellow gem out. She thought for another moment before nodding, grabbing the ocarina from its display and putting it in a small pouch.

“I'll take that rupee now.” She said as I handed her the gem. She slid the pouch towards me and bowed.
“Thank you for your patronage sir!”

“Thank you as well.” I replied with a wave as I exited the shop, feeling a gust of wind push against me as I stood there for a moment. Turning around I found an empty, derelict shop.
“What the….” I blinked, making sure I was seeing right. I had the pouch in my hand, so I knew I hadn't imagined it. I tried to brush it off, walking away and just telling myself it was some kind of magic. That had to be it. I kept walking, not paying attention to where I was going and slammed into someone, knocking me to the ground. Thankfully I hadn't dropped Spike.

“I'm so sorry, are you alright?” A male's voice asked as I looked up, finding an armored white unicorn stallion offering me a hand. I nodded and took it, standing up and dusting myself off.

“I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going.” I told him with a small bow. He chuckled and held up a hand.

“It's alright. I'm not hurt at all.” He reassured me. He offered his hand and I took it, shaking it as he introduced himself.
“I am Shining Armor, captain of the Solar Guard. What's your name?” He asked with a cheerful smile.

“Link.” I answered, watching as his face fell a little.

“Link? As in the Hero? What are you doing out here, dressed like that?” He asked as I motioned for him to quiet down. He leaned in and I whispered to him.

“I don't like drawing attention to myself. And I needed to do some shopping.” I told him as he calmed a bit. He nodded and stood up.

“Then let me walk with you, I am curious to know more about you.” He told me as we both began walking. He asked about where I was from, and I had to lie and tell him I was from the old Kingdom of Hyrule. He nodded and asked about how life in Equestria was, and I answered honestly. I told him about some of the wonderful ponies I met, the adventures we'd been on. And when I mentioned Twilight he smirked, telling me a few stories about their childhood together. We had a good laugh and stopped, arriving at my destination.

“Shining, you are a good guy. I hope we run into each other again. And.. is it possible for you to deliver this one to your sister?” I asked as he chuckled.

“Of course. And next time, let's try not to actually run into each other.” He answered as he took Spike from my shoulder. The little dragon stayed fast asleep as Shining Armor waived and wandered off. I turned towards the building in front of me, a blacksmith, and entered. A dark brown earth pony was hard at work in the forge, hammering away at a rough sword-shaped object on an anvil. He looked up and set his hammer down, walking over with a smirk.

“Welcome to the Silver Steel Armory, my name’s Steel Forge, what can I help you with?” He asked as I pulled the bag of gemstones from my belt, along with a drawing of a shield.

“I'd like to commission this, if you can manage it.” I told him as he took the drawing and stones, looking them over. He scratched his chin and nodded.

“Yeah… I think I can do it. It'll cost ya though.” He told me as he walked us to his desk.
“There's a commission fee of fifteen Rupees, and we'll talk about the price when you come to pick it up.”

“Sounds good to me. I heard you had the best forge on Equis, so I know your work is worth the price.” I said with a smirk, handing over the gems as Steel Forge gave me a proud nod.

“Come back in a few weeks, should have it finished by then.” He told me and I nodded, leaving the shop and making my way to the castle.

“Wonder what the girls will be wearing…” I muttered as I walked along the cobbled streets, approaching the gates casually as a guard approached me.

“Halt. Only royalty or invited guests may enter.” She said, slamming her spear end on the ground.

“I am Link, here on invitation to the Grand Galloping Gala from Princess Celestia herself.” I replied with as much authority as I could muster. She looked me over, obviously not buying it one bit as I sighed. I accessed my inventory and swapped outfits, now wearing my normal hero's tunic. Instantly she backed up, realizing I had been telling the truth and allowed me to pass. I walked up to the front doors and they opened on their own, letting me into the grand entry hall. A very familiar face was waiting for me.
“Hello, Morning Breeze.” I smiled as she bowed towards me.

“Master Link, a pleasure as always.” She said as she smiled in return. She seemed to be blushing slightly, but I wasn't sure.
“Welcome back to Canterlot Castle.”

“It's good to be back. Is there a room I could use? I would like to get changed before the Gala.” I asked as she nodded.

“Of course. This way sir.” She told me and began leading me down a hall. We walked for a while before stopping in front of one of the rooms.
“Here you are sir, would you like to use the shower? I can fetch you some fresh towels.” She offered and I nodded. With a small smile she bowed and walked off, leaving me alone for the moment as I walked inside. I looked around the room, feeling a bit nostalgic from my early days here in Equestria. It felt like a lifetime ago, yet it had only been a few months. With a chuckle I pulled the suit bag from Rarity out of my inventory, setting it on the bed. I opened it up, revealing a crisp blue suit coat over a green dress shirt with a pair of white dress pants to go with them.

“Outdone yourself again Rarity.” I chuckled to myself as I unequipped my outfit, leaving me in a pair of dark blue undergarments. I was checking myself out in the mirror when the door opened and Morning Breeze stepped in, freezing a bit as she saw me.

“Oh, uh, I can um… come back in a moment sir.” She said as she inched back towards the door.

“It's all right, I was just getting in the shower.” I said calmly, entering the bathroom and closing the door, feeling very flushed from embarrassment. I heard Breeze place the towels on the table and exit the room, and I made sure to get cleaned up quickly. Once I dried myself off, I put on the suit and checked myself in the mirror.

“Definitely outdone herself. Gotta make sure to thank her.” I told myself as someone knocked on the door. I looked up and called out to them.
“Come in.” I told them as the door opened and Morning Breeze walked back in. I gave her an apologetic smile and she smiled back.

“A fine suit sir. It fits you well.” She told me as she helped fix my collar. I chuckled and pulled her into a hug.

“Thanks. For everything you've done for me… and the Princesses.” I told her as I felt her return the hug. I patted her back and pulled away.

“Thank you sir. That means a lot.” She told me as she bowed once again. She walked to the door and turned to face me.
“When you are ready, walk down the hall, the Gala will be in the Grand Ballroom.” She said before walking out. I smiled after her and turned to see the pouch sitting on the bed. I picked it up and dropped the ocarina into my hand. Instantly I heard a voice call out to me from the instrument:

“To the one that finds my token, I am Michael, Displaced as the Hero of Time, Link. I will always help up-and-coming heroes, so if you need anything I may be able to help with or just want a sparring partner just say the phrase. ‘I call forth the Hero of Time to aid me in my time of need,’ then play any note on this Ocarina to summon me, Heed my warning though, if your heart is filled with darkness know my token will disintegrate if you try to attempt to summon me.”

“Well, here goes I guess…” I muttered as I took a breath.
“I call forth the Hero of Time to aid me in my time of need.” I recited the line before playing a bit of Epona's Song. As soon as I finished playing, a soft and motherly voice called out to me.

“The Summoned displaced wishes to bring extra party members with them, will you accept them?”

'Damn, am I accepting collect calls now?' I chuckled to myself.
“Yes.”

“Please stand by, they will appear shortly.” A few moments pass then three pillars of blue light fade into view. From the pillars, three silhouettes appear and softly float down to the ground and land with soft clicks of boots and hooves. The blue pillars fade away and reveal Mike in a cyan tunic and hat, his Twilight wearing standard librarian attire as she would normally wear, and a third person who looked nearly identical to Mike, minus the hat, but had the color scheme of Dark Link. Mike raised his hand with a wave.

“Yo, Johnny my man, it’s been too long.” He said with a big smile.

“I just saw you last week.” I said in confusion before it clicked.
“Wait, time works differently between worlds, I forgot.”

“Yep, it’s actually been about three weeks give or take a few days since we helped Jeff for me.” Mike said as he walked up to me and offered a fist bump, which I accepted.

“No shit? Man. I'm still sore from all that.” I chuckled before turning to his companions.

“Hey, I'm Johnny. Welcome to my world.” I said with a bow.

“Hi, Mikie’s told us a lot about you, my name is Twilight Spa-"

“I know who you are, Miss Sparkle. I too have one of you in my world. In fact, she's here tonight.” I told her with a grin.

“Oh really, that’s amazing!” Twilight said with a squee of glee. “I wonder if she has extensive notes on you, like I have for Mikie.”

“Oh boy does she. Four volumes. And it's not even half of it.” I sigh, giving a small smirk.

Stars form in Twilight’s eyes as she just imagines the notes as the darker twin of Mike walks up next to him and bows with a smile.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Cole, Cole Macgrath.” He said in a refined tone.

“Nice to meet you too…” I said politely as I gave Mike a questioning look. Mike quickly and discreetly nodded.

“My brother said you were a capable fighter and puzzle solver when he told us of your little adventure with Jeff.” Cole said with a warm smile.

“Really now?” I said with a surprised smile.
“Well, being in the Army does make one a good fighter. The puzzle solving is a natural talent.” I chuckled as I began to feel more at ease around Cole.

“So… What did you call me for bud? Not that you would need a reason too.” Mike asked curiously.

“Right…. The thing is… I'm going to propose to my two special someponies tonight, and I needed a friend here for… emotional support. Since it'll be in front of all the Royal, and most prestigious, ponies in Equestria.” I laughed a bit nervously.

“Really? That’s wonderful, I hope they say yes to your proposal.” Twilight said with a warm smile.

“Wait… why would all of the royalty and nobles be here?” Mike asked, a little confused. I gave a small chuckle.

“For the Grand Galloping Gala, of course.” I smiled meekly.

“Huh, time does work differently, ours is happening in a week.” Cole pointed out.

“Well if that’s the case, it’s a good thing Rarity finished our suits a few days ago.” Mike said with a chuckle.

“My dress isn’t finished yet so I’ll have to stick with my normal outfit, I hope Princess Celestia doesn’t mind.” Twilight said with a giggle.

Without skipping a beat, I pulled my scarf from my inventory and tossed it to Mike.
“You can wear this. It's not much, but it'll help you stand out a bit.”

Twilight walks up next to Mike and he passes her the scarf.
“Are you sure? This looks really important to you, I wouldn’t want to damage it or anything.” She said a little apprehensive.

“Good thing you thought of that already. Or… at least my Twilight did. She cast a protection spell on that, as well as my normal garments. They will self repair over time.” I smiled reassuringly.

“Smart,” Mike said as he closed his eyes for a moment. And instantly his outfit swapped to a forest green tuxedo with the Hylian royal family symbol above the jacket’s breast pocket. He even still had his sword and shield on thanks to Rarity putting holes in the back so Mike could wear his leather belt under his suit jacket. “Kinda wish I asked you to do that, Twily.” He said with a chuckle as Twilight put on the scarf.

“Umm, mind if I use your bathroom to change into my suit, I uh…” Cole said embarrassed.

“By all means, go right ahead. It's all yours.” I nodded to him.

“Thanks…” Cole said as he walked away into the bathroom to change.

“So, what did AJ say when you told her I said she was an amazing chef?” Mike asked as he adjusted his triforce cuff links. I chuckled a bit and smiled.

“She said, and I quote ‘Weren't nothin at all. But thanks anyhoo’” I smirked.

Mike chuckled. “How’d I know she’d say that.” Cole exited the bathroom in a suit mirroring Mike’s but in black instead of green. He too also still had his weaponry on.

“Sorry, I don’t have the same special powers my brother has.” Cole said as he leaned against the wall.

“It's alright. You both look real snazzy to boot.” I nodded approvingly. Feeling a bit left out, I equipped my own gear, my Master Sword and a worn Royal Guard shield appearing on my back.

“Oh I forgot to say while we were last with Jeff that My brother, Spike and I have been officially knighted in our world, we’re part of the royal guard now,” Mike said with a proud expression. “They’ve grown so much better in their training.” Cole blushed a little from the praise. I grinned and clapped Cole on the shoulder.

“Congrats man. You guys seem to have been working really hard. And if you're half as good as Mike here, you earned it.” I told him encouragingly.

“It wasn’t easy but Spike and I have really shown improvement, We even helped take out go… uhh…” Cole drew a blank at the name of something. “What was her name again?” He asked.

“Queen Gohma…” Mike said, his mood darkening a little. I shuddered at the mention of that infernal arachnid.

“I hate Spiders…” I grumbled.

“Ditto to the thousandth percent.” Mike said looking down and his hands and remembering some pain. I put a hand on his shoulder.

“Hey, it's alright man. Let's put that behind us for now. After all, tonight is the party of parties. And I have a big surprise nopony will see coming.” I smiled with a wink.

Twilight gave Mike a hug and a peck on the cheek. “He’s right, Mikie, there’s no reason to think back on that hard-fought battle,” She said giving Mike a lift in mood. “We can treat this ‘adventure’ as a mini vacation.” Mike nodded and smiled again.

“Yer right,” Mike took a deep breath. “So when’s the party start?” Mike asked.

“Oh, it's already started. But not for very long, maybe thirty minutes at max?” I said as I moved to the door.
“I don't think we missed much.”

“Oh we should get going then.” Twilight said following me hand in hand with Mike.

“Don’t want to keep the princesses waiting for their snappily dressed hero.” Cole said with a chuckle.

“Oh ha-ha.” I smiled, leading them down the hallway.

“My bro’s right though, that outfit looks good on ya, Johnny.” Mike complimented honestly.

“It's my Military Dress uniform. I got to design it when I made Captain.” I said as we approached the ballroom.

“Wow, bigger than I expected,” Mike said as he looked around at the large crowd of ponies. “Lots of… faces… hope my social anxiety doesn’t flare up.” He said with a nervous tug of his shirt collar.

“Don't worry Mike. We all have your back.” I gave him a reassuring nod as a soft yet deep voice spoke up in front of me.

“It seems we have… unexpected guests.” Luna mused as I turned to face her. I gave a short bow before speaking.

“Princess Luna, may I introduce Mike and Cole Macgrath, as well as Mike's fiance Twilight Sparkle. They are from another world.” I added as she had looked at me confused for a moment. She nodded understandingly as I explained it to her and she gave Mike and his party a short curtesy.

“Then I welcome you to this Ball, please enjoy yourselves. I will inform Celestia so she is not surprised.” The Lunar Regent nodded before drifting off into the crowd. I let out a sigh after she left.

“Huh, yer Luna doesn’t speak in ye Olde English still?” Mike pointed out.

“Heh, she does when she gets surprised or frustrated. Kinda cute.” I smirked with a shrug. I turned back around to the crowd and spotted Rainbow Dash looking around nervously. I waved her over as soon as she saw me, and I introduced her to Mike, Cole and the other Twilight.

“Nice to uh.. meet you.” She said, giving Mike's Twilight a confused look.

“Hi Rainbow, or… Johnny’s Rainbow, this must be really confusing.” Twilight said with a wave.

“You have no idea…” Dashie nodded before smirking a bit.
“I gotta go get our Twilight, Johnny, she's gonna blow her lid when she meets herself!” She said and in a flash of color, she was gone.

“Welp… Only a few moments of peace- I mean uh…” Mike trails off as Twilight looks at him with a disapproving frown. “Nothing… Twily.” He said sheepishly, making Twilight giggle and smile. Then, from across the ballroom.

“WHO'S HERE???” Yelled the voice of my Twilight.

“Here we go.” Cole said with a chuckle and an amused smile. In a matter of moments, my Twilight came running up, sliding to a stop in front of her doppelganger.

“Oh my Celestia, there is another me.” She said as she looked Mike's Twilight over.

“Hi me, I’m you from another Equestria,” Mike’s Twilight said as Mike tried to pull away from her to not get mixed up in the double Twilight study session only to be pulled back by his Twilight.

“Well obviously you are, but look at you!” My Twilight squealed giddily.
“I never thought I'd actually get to meet myself like this! I gotta take notes!” She cried before pulling a notepad and paper out of thin air.

“Oh no, I left my notepad back home,” Mike’s Twilight said with a frown. “Do you have any spare notepads, Me?” She asked her twin.

“A note taker without a notepad?! Unacceptable!” My Twilight said with a huff and summoned a second notepad and pencil.
“Luckily I keep spares!”

“Twily, I love you with all the fiber in my being, but can I please go someplace else?” Mike asked. “I’ve had enough testing done to me to know where this is going.” His Twilight hesitantly let go of his hand and took the notepad and pencil from herself.

“Okay, you can go, but before you go,” She quickly hugged Mike and pulled him into a kiss. I snickered as my Twilight looked from her twin to Mike and then to me. I put my hands up and back away a bit.

Mike’s Twilight pulled away from their kiss and turned back to her twin. “So what kinds of magic do you know?” She said as Mike walked away from the two Twilights with Cole following him.

“Oh all kinds of Magic…” My Twilight began to say as I followed after Mike.

“They'll be busy till you need to go.” I chuckled as I looked around the room.

“Let’s just hope your Twilight doesn’t induce any more testing of my powers or magic,” Mike said holding his head. “I love her but the tests where she studied my whole body front to back top to bottom was…” Mike trailed off. “Slightly invasive.” He finished.

“Same to you man. I don't think I could handle any more probing for information.” I shuddered at the thought. At that moment AJ found us, giving me a big warm hug.

“Heya shugah. Who’re your friends?” She asked, still holding on to me.

Mike chuckled. “Hey it’s me, Goku!” He said then started laughing. Cole stood there not getting the joke with a super confused look on his face. I sighed and smacked Mike upside his head.

“Ow, sorry I couldn't resist,” He cleared his throat, waved, and put a hand on his belt. “Howdy pardner, mah name’s Mike, I’m just a southern cowboy thrown into a different world completely different from my original world, I’d tip mah hat to ya but I ain’t got one on.” He said with a southern accent. She giggled a bit and looked up at me.

“I like this one,” She said, looking back at Mike.
“Applejack. A pleasure tah meet ya.” She chuckled.

Cole waved. “My name’s Cole, I’m Mike’s twin brother as you could probably tell by the way we look.” He said still looking at Mike confused at that earlier joke.

“Nice tah meet ya Cole, I hope mah Shugah Cube here ain't bein’ a bother.” She smirked at me. I chuckled at her antics and gave her a kiss.

“You're such a goof.” I smiled as I brushed her hair up. I turned to Mike and Cole, still smiling.
“You guys wanna see something awesome?”

“I don’t see why not,” Mike said with a smile. “Yer not gonna do a backflip outta nowhere are ya?” He asked with a chuckle. I smirked and shook my head.

“Something even cooler.” I winked as I pulled the Audivox Orb out of my inventory. I whispered something to it before tossing it up into the air. It stopped and floated about thirty feet above us as the air began to shimmer, the visage of Dragon Roost Island slowly forming above our heads.

“Uh… What in god’s good name is that?” Mike asked confused, Cole looking confused as well.

“That is the Audivox Orb,” I said with a smile as the music started playing, “and this is the first dance.” I said with a wink as the music began to play.

“What is this song?” Applejack asked as we danced. I gave her a twirl before I answered.

“Remember the island we went to? With the Rito people?” I asked her, to which she nodded.
“This is the song of the island, brought to life.” I said with a warm smile.

Mike is tapping his boot to the beat of the song with his eyes closed. “Ahh, just how I remember it, That Audivox Orb is pretty neat, Johnny,” Mike complimented. “Is that what you were talking about when we were helping Jeff?”

I gave him a nod as I twirled AJ about, smiling as the song began to pick up tempo. I looked down at her and smiled, praying to the goddesses for my first miracle of the night.
“Hold on tight.” I smirked as she tightened her grip. The song reached its peak as we spun, AJ looking down to find us dancing in thin air. She looked at me and I winked, and we danced faster as we kept up with the music.

“Nice move, Johnny, didn’t know you could do that, I’m kind of jealous.” Mike said clapping a bit.

“That is pretty impressive,” Cole said honestly. “Seems your music and dancing have drawn a crowd though.” He said looking around the room at the crowd of ponies staring at me and AJ dancing in the air. We danced until the song ended, slowly floating down to the floor in each other's arms. I stepped back as the Orb dropped into my hand, and I nodded slightly. Stowing it away I sighed, feeling relieved as the crowd erupted in applause. I looked around in surprise, momentarily forgetting I was at the Gala as Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy walked over to us.

“Wowie Link! That was some awesome dance moves!” Pinkie cheerily said as Rarity looked at Mike and Cole with narrowed eyes.

“Uhh… Bro, why is his Rarity looking at us like that?” Cole asked a little scared.

“Huh, no idea… I’ll ask,” Mike said with a chuckle. “Hello, Rarity Belle, is somethin’ botherin’ you?” He asked as he smiled. She looked him and Cole up and down for a moment before speaking.

“Where did you get those garments? They clearly have my stitching and flourish to them, but I have never made such clothes before…” She asked with a slight frown.

“Oh, well we got it from you… Well, at least our Rarity in our world.” Mike said casually. She raised her eyebrow in disbelief.

“Your Rarity? In your world? What sort of nonsense are you saying?” Rarity scoffed as Pinkie leaned over in front of Cole, squinting really close to his face.

“Uhh… Is there something on my face?” Cole asked as he leaned away from Pinkie a bit. She then smiled and giggled.

“Of course something’s on there! It's your face!” She laughed before bouncing away to who knows where.

Mike watches the pink deadpool bounce away and chuckles. “Every Pinkie is the same, funny, crazy, and random.” Mike said with a shake of his head. Rarity huffed and looked at me.

“You know these two? Is what they say true?” She asked me, to which I nodded. She looked back at the twin Links and huffed before walking off, leaving Fluttershy alone with us.

“N-nice to meet you, I'm Fluttershy….” She introduced herself quietly.

“Hello, Fluttershy, Is your evening going alright? No panic attacks I hope.” Cole said in a calm and gentle tone. She nodded and stood right beside me, looking a bit nervous.

“Y-yes, it is. Thank you…” She replied quietly.

“Good, is Angel doing ok?” Cole asked with a smile.

“He is, thank you for asking. He's being a really brave boy for me right now, staying home by himself.” She nodded with a small amount of pride in her voice.

“That’s nice, oh by the way, my name is Cole, it’s nice to meet you.” Cole said with a chuckle.

“And I'm Mike, we’re twin brothers,” Mike said with a smile. “Obviously…” He said quietly berating himself.

“Cole… and Mike…” She said as she looked at your faces, memorizing them like she did with all her friends.
“You look a lot like Link… if you didn't notice already…” She said with a small smile.

“Yeah, that we do… That we do,” Mike said with a chuckle. “We’re not so different from each other, all three of us were thrown from our original homes into present-day Equestria, though Cole and I are from a different world separate from this one.” Mike explained.

“I know it’s a bit complicated, but it’s the truth, Miss Fluttershy.” Cole said with a chuckle. She looked into both of their eyes and nodded.

“I see. I hope your world has my friends in it. I feel like we would get along really well.” She said with a small smile before hurrying off to find Rarity. I watched after her with a smile as I felt a hand on my shoulder.

“Are you going to introduce me to your guests Johnny?” Celestia asked as I turned to find her beside me, dressed like you'd expect a princess to look. I nodded and turned to Mike and Cole who drew their swords, pointed them down to the ground, knelt down, rested their hands on their pommels, and bowed their heads in respect. Celestia giggled slightly at them in amusement.

“There is no need for such formalities, please rise and introduce yourselves.” She told them as she smiled and rested her hands in front of her. They both stood back up but kept their swords and hands still.

“Princess, allow me to introduce to you my friend Mike, and his twin brother Cole.” I said as she stepped closer and held out her hand to Mike.

“So you are the one who aided Johnny recently. It is nice to finally put a face to the name.” She smiled at him.

Mike shook her hand and smiled. “I am, it’s a pleasure to meet you, your highness.” Cole nodded.

“Nice to meet you, Princess.” Cole said with a smile. Celestia bowed her head slightly and smiled.

“Heroes like yourselves are rare flowers. It brings me great happiness to know your world has you both,” She smiled again, “but I am sure my counterpart has already told you as much, no doubt.”

“Yes she has, she even knighted my brother, Spike, and I not too long ago.” Mike said with a proud pose. Celestia smirked at the mention of Twilight's adopted dragon, pleased knowing Mike's Spike was doing well for himself. I sighed with a smile and gave the Princess a wink as all of my friends gathered around us. Even both Twilights had made their way over, despite still talking between themselves.

“Some things just don't change Celestia…” I whispered to the Solar Regent with a chuckle, which she returned.

“Indeed.” She agreed.

Mike and Cole both sheath their weapons. “Well, this gala is already going good, I hope our gala goes just like this one.” Mike said as his Twilight grabbed ahold of Mike's hand and gave him a peck on the cheek. This made Celestia beam with joy as she patted Mike's Twilight affectionately. I smiled as well until I remembered something I needed to do. I dug into my inner coat pocket, which was acting like my pouches, and pulled out three rings. I held them in my hand and stared at them as I took a breath.

“You can do this…” I told myself as I looked over to AJ and Dashie. Mike gave me a reassuring pat on the back and I gave him a thankful smile as I stepped forward. Standing in front of them I cleared my throat.
“Applejack? Rainbow Dash? I uh… have something I wanted to ask you both.” I said nervously, looking at them as they looked at each other with a smile. I took another breath and got on one knee.

“I know I'm not from this world, and have little to offer other than myself. But would you both do me the greatest honor… and marry me?” I asked them as I felt my whole body burn with anticipation.

“Of course I do.” Applejack nodded and I slipped her ring on, the deep blue gem twinkling like the night sky.

“You already know I say yes.” Rainbow Dash grinned and I slipped her ring on, its bright red gem flashing like a small sun. I stood up and put on my own ring, with its glittering green gem set right in the center. Without a word I pulled them both into a hug as Rarity tried to hide herself, tears of joy rolling down her cheeks. Everyone else clapped for us as I smiled.

“Aww, how cute,” Mike said as he held up Twilight's hand and kissed her ring. “I hope you’re gonna be as happy as us my brother of courage.” He said with a warm smile.

“Yeah, congrats,” Cole said while clapping. “I wish you the best of luck from here on out.”

“Thanks guys. I'm really happy you're here for this.” I smiled as the doors to the Ballroom were blown off their hinges. I looked at Mike and Cole, drawing my sword, and charged towards the danger.

“What the hell?!” Mike shouted as he drew his blade and held his Twilight behind himself.

“Damn, I should’ve kept my mouth shut, I jinxed us.” Cole said annoyed as he drew his sword and shield. Standing in the now open door was the Gerudo King himself, looking much like he did in Twilight Princess.

“You who follow the light… You will fall!” Shouted Ganondorf, drawing his massive iron cleaver and leveling it at me.
“And you, hero, shall not see the light of day.” He cackled as he snapped his fingers. Instantly all of my friends, Rarity, Pinkie, Fluttershy, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Celestia were all entrapped In large dark crystals. I watched helplessly as they rose into the air and vanished, turning towards Ganondorf with pure hate in my eyes.

“Big mistake pig.” I growled as dark smoke seemed to radiate off my body.

“You got some nerve showing your big ugly face here, King of Evil!” Mike shouted as he let go of his Twilight’s hand and pulled the Mirror Shield from his back. “Twily, get outta here, get to safety.” Mike said, prompting her to quickly vacate the room.

“So this is that Ganondorf guy you talked about, Mike?” Cole asked as he walked with Mike toward where I stood shields at the ready. As they got closer, they could see the smoke around me thicken as I gripped my sword tightly, my body trembling as I glared at the Demon King.

“Such pathetic creatures. I will enjoy ending you quickly.” He grinned before charging. I leapt at him and our blades collided, sending out sparks and shockwaves as I fought for control.

“Cole, I know you want to show your mettle, but make sure the civilians are okay, Johnny and I should be enough to at least hold back Ganondorf's assault!” Mike shouted, making Cole look over to his brother.

“Are you sure?” He asked, earning a nod from Mike. “Alright then, be careful!” Cole quickly ran around the ballroom helping civilians escape.

“I’m with you Johnny!” Mike said as he ran up next to the clash of blades. He could see my eyes, once bright blue, were now being stained with red as I pushed Ganondorf's blade towards him.

“I can do this myself!” I roared as I knocked the Demon King's blade aside, moving in for a kill shot and getting violently punched in the gut, sending me flying back and hitting the ground hard. I panicked when I saw my hearts drop down to one, looking up at Mike in fear.

“Toryah!” Mike yelled as he tried to attack Ganondorf from behind. Seeing the attack coming, Ganondorf quickly spun around and hit him with the flat side of his blade, knocking the wind out of him. Spinning around, Ganondorf sent him flying across the room into a pillar to my left. He lands on the ground in a sitting position and holds his stomach in pain. “S-son… of a…” He said with pained breath, blood leaking from his mouth.

“Mike!” I cried out as I shakily got to my feet, my sword knocked out of my hand. All I could do was back up slowly and watch as the King of Evil slowly walked towards me, laughing at my condition. I watched as he raised his blade before looking at Mike.
“Shit…” Was all I could say before I was cleaved in two, my torso falling to the floor as my legs stood there.

“JOHNNY!!” Mike shouted at the top of his lungs.

Ganondorf smiled at his handiwork and turned, walking out of the Ballroom the same way he came in.

“Y-you… Bastard, if I had my light arrows you would’ve been toast…” Mike said with fury in his voice.

I was once again in darkness, the sound of wind howling in my ears.

“So, you finally showed up.” A voice called to me. I opened my eyes to find myself in a grayed out wasteland littered with wrecked vehicles and buildings.
“Over here bud.” The voice called again from my left. I looked over and saw a figure sitting by a fire, watching me as I got up slowly and moved closer.

“Who are you? And better yet, where am I?” I asked them as they chuckled.

“Where you are is the In-between. And as for who am I,” they said as they dropped their hood, revealing an older version of my own face, “I'm you.” He gave a grin as I raised an eyebrow.

“You're me? But doesn't this break some kind of time-space law?” I asked as he chuckled.

“Only if it happened in the realm of the living. This place is more like purgatory for our soul. Each and every incarnation of it ends up here. At least the ones sent to Equestria…” He frowned slightly as he tossed a log on the fire. I watched him and tried to figure out what version of me he was.

“You were… a Jedi?” I asked him. He nodded slowly before showing the saber hilt on his belt.

“Very perceptive of you. Yes, I was displaced as a Jedi Knight. Lived out a long and peaceful life on my Equestria. At least until the Empire arrived…” He said sadly as we both watched the flames.
“That's the thing with some Displacements… they bring more than just you to the world. It's almost like they tailor-make each one for the one being displaced.” He said as he looked at me.
“Judging by your getup I'd say you got sent to a mash-up of Hyrule and Equestria yea?” He asked and I nodded.

“Yea, and I'm trying my best to be a hero the people need.. and sometimes doubt if I can be…” I sighed as he chuckled.

“Welcome to the club. We all feel like that at first kid. You just gotta trust in yourself. Besides, you're a lucky one.” He told me with a warm smile.

“How so? It's obvious I died.” I groaned as he chuckled again.

“But that's the thing kid, you have Game Over mechanics on your side. You can go back and keep fighting!” He laughed, pulling his saber from his belt.
“I am not so lucky. My world fell because I wasn't strong enough to take on the entire Empire on my own. Who really could? But for me, the fight’s not over.” He said as he handed me the hilt. I took it and saw how damaged it was, and that it was missing its Kyber crystal.
“Take this. I know it will help you in the future, as it helped me.”

“Are you sure? I'm not sure I could take your weapon. Won't you need it?” I asked as he shook his head.

“When the time is right, you will fix this saber and free my spirit. But until then…” He stood and I followed. He put his hand on my shoulder and smiled as a bright light began to envelope us.
“The Force will be with you. Always.” He told me as I was blinded.

A bright light filled the room where my body had been, blinding Mike temporarily. When it faded, I stood there intact.

“Who the hell just flash-banged me?” Mike said, still furiously covering his eyes. I blinked at him in confusion.

“What?” I asked. He stared at me as if he had seen a ghost, speechless. I tilted my head, not remembering I had died right away.

Standing from his sitting position painfully, Mike quickly grabbed me and pushed me out of the room in the opposite direction Ganondorf left.

“Hey, hey! What's the matter? Did I beat him?” I asked in confusion.

“SHH!, Shut up, Ganondorf just left the other way…” Mike said quickly. “And the fight wasn’t even close, brother.” Mike coughed up a little blood.

“Oh…” I said quietly as I began to remember the fight. I held my gut and began having a panic attack as well as hyperventilating.
“Oh sweet Jesus….” I whispered as I began to cry. Mike painfully sheathed his weaponry and embraced me in a hug.

“It’s alright, brother, calm yourself,” Mike said, patting my back. “You’re not alone, I’ve been there as well.” Mike admitted as he shed a tear.

“They're all gone…” I cried into Mike's shoulder.

“Not all of us, young hero. Not all of us.” Luna said as she appeared with Cole from around the corner.

“Take him for a moment, He…” Mike hesitated for a moment. “Experienced the cold hand of death for the first time,” Mike said, bringing a cold chill to Luna and Cole. “I gotta go grab some stuff from the ballroom real quick.” Mike said as he walked back into the ballroom. Luna knelt beside me as I shook, from fear or anger I could not tell anymore. My mind was racing with everything that had happened, and I was beginning to fade from consciousness.

“Rest hero, I will watch over you…” Luna calmly reassured me, stroking my head as I passed out.

Luna's POV

I held Johnny in my arms as Mike filled me in on what had happened in the Ballroom. I listened as he told me of Ganondorf's appearance and how Johnny had his friends and loved ones sent off to the far reaches of time and space. When he got to the part when they fought the Demon King I could see something bothered Mike greatly.

“You need not tell me if it troubles you, Michael.” I told him with a reassuring smile.

“I could’ve prevented it, is all I'm sayin’, Lulu,” Mike said as he scolded himself. “If only I didn’t lose my most important items.” He took Johnny’s chest strap off and sheathed his sword and shield, resting them next to him.

“You did what you could, my child, and I'm sure he knows that. It is all we can do now to pray he pulls through this internal struggle of his.” I sighed as I looked up.

“This is turning out to be one hell of a vacation.” Cole jokes trying to lift the mood. I snickered at the joke, giving the dark hero a faint smile.

“Indeed it seems to be for you.” I nodded.

Mike remembered something important and gained a worried expression. “Did my Twilight get out to safety?” He started looking around in a panic.

“Yes, she is currently in my study behind a magic barrier. We can go let her out now I suppose.” I nodded, trying to stand while carrying Johnny's limp body.

“Cole, grab Johnny, your silver gauntlets will make him weightless, I’ll carry his gear for now.” Mike said, making Cole nod and stand next to me.

“Don’t worry, Princess Luna, I got him.” Cole said as he quickly lifted Johnny onto his shoulder effortlessly.

“Thank you, now follow me.” I told them and began leading them up to my study.

“I wonder how you’re still with us, Lulu?” Mike asked. “Celly was taken for christ sake.” He pointed out. I nodded and thought for a moment as we walked.

“Perhaps it is because I was not around when he was sealed away. I was, after all, sealed off on the moon until recently.” I theorized aloud, looking at Mike with a shrug.
“And another thing Michael, how do you know our nicknames? Only Celestia and myself know of them.” I asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Actually, my Celestia and Luna had a big meeting with me and another Hylian and I kinda overheard your nicknames,” Mike admitted casually. “It stuck and I’ve been calling you two those names and have never been told not to, kinda force of habit now.” He said with a wave of his hand.

“Are we getting close to your study, Luna?” Cole asked, getting tired of carrying Johnny.

“Yes, it's right here.” I answered him as we stopped in front of double doors. I waved my hand in front of them and the light simmered for a moment. Opening the door we found Mike's Twilight pacing back and forth, looking worried to no end.

“Hey, Twi…” Mike is cut off as Twilight quickly tackles and hugs him, nearly knocking him over.

“You’re alright!” She shouted in worry. Mike barely kept his footing and hugged her back.

“I’m good, but Johnny… not so much.” He said making Twilight look to Johnny worried.

“Is there anywhere I can put him down comfortably, Luna?” Cole asked.

“On the sofa, here.” I pointed to a plush couch against the wall. Cole nodded and gently placed Johnny onto the couch as Mike shuffled over and placed Johnny’s gear on the ground next to him, still in a death grip hug with Twilight.

“So what happened after I left the ballroom?” Twilight asked as Mike shuffled them over to a couple of chairs. I gave Mike a pained frown, wondering how he would tell her. Mike sighed deeply and looked into his betrothed’s eyes.

“Remember in that fight with… Gohma?” He asked making both Twilight and Cole’s expressions darken. “Our host suffered a similar fate, to what I did… ‘Sept my death was a bit ‘cleaner’ than his.” He said with air quotes.

“What do you mean?” She asked not liking where the conversation was heading.

“He was bisected… at the hip… clean in half…” He said causing Twilight to gasp and look visibly sick.

“But…” She said looking at Johnny. “He looks alright now, what happened?” She asked, confused.

“No idea.” Mike shrugged as he sat down with Twilight.

“He has been touched by divine hands, that much is certain. I can feel the power on him, even though it fades.” I said as I placed my hand on Johnny's forehead.
“I am worried for him… no being has had to endure so much pain in such a short amount of time…”

“Only reason I didn’t pass out after I died and revived was I had time to think about what happened, that and Grim helped ease my mind.” Mike said as he started to feel the pain in his gut again.

“Did he remember what happened? After he reappeared?” I asked him.

“I uh… Hinted at it as I pushed him out of the room, didn’t think he’d pass out though, sorry.” Mike apologized sincerely as he pulled a small energy bar from his inventory.

“It's quite alright, my guess is that he had a moment of amnesia and you reminding him triggered the memory full bore…” I looked at Mike with an understanding sigh.
“I have eased his mind, and he should wake soon.”

“Good, I hope his health was recovered when he respawned, I don’t have many recovery items on me.” Mike said as he bit into his energy bar.

“I should be able to heal any injury he may have, do not worry.” I assured him as Johnny groaned and opened his eyes.

Johnny's POV

I was floating in darkness, unable to see or hear anything as I drifted. I remembered Mike telling me I died, then getting overwhelmed as my mind forced me to relive the moments before it. It was excruciating to watch, but I couldn't look away. But as I was watching it unfold everything had gone black, and then I was here.

“Do not worry…” A voice called out as I saw a bright light shine on me through the darkness. It enveloped me and I soon found myself awake in Luna's study, surrounded by Mike and his friends as well as Luna.

“Hey you, you’re finally awake….” Mike said jokingly as he chuckled. “You were trying to fight Ganondorf, right?” He asked in a Nordic voice.

“Oh for fuck sakes Mike…” I chuckled weakly as I tried to sit up, making Mike start laughing hard.

“Huh?” Cole and Twilight both say super confused as Luna giggled, being clued in from watching my memories.

“Sorry…” Mike wiped a tear from his eye. “Sorry, I couldn’t help myself, bro.” He chuckled. I managed to sit up and gave him the bird.

“I hated Skyrim… damn game gave me migraines for days…” I grunted as I rubbed my face.

“Am I missing something here or…” Cole said still confused.

“Nothing important, bro, just a game back on earth that’s joked about constantly for its iconic writing,” Mike said his laughter finally calmed down. “So, how you feeling, Johnny my man?”

"I don't know…” I said as I stretched.
“I feel alright, just something feels off..” I frowned as I looked at my hands.

“What do you mean?” Cole asked curiously.

“I feel… colder… like when the shadows took over…” I looked up, one of my eyes it's normal blue while the other was a deep crimson. Twilight gasped.

“Your eyes, Johnny, one is red like Cole’s…” She said then caught herself looking over to Cole.

“Huh, what does that mean?” Cole asked a little confused. I gave Mike a worried look as I got up and looked in a mirror.

“Uh…” Twilight said, at a loss for words.

“Damn, I was hoping to never have this conversation…” Mike said quietly. “We’ll talk about it when we go back home, bro, don’t want to bother our unrelated friend with our personal business.” Mike poorly deflects.

“Oh… Okay?” Cole said as he starts thinking to himself, trying to piece together what Twilight meant. I went up to him and patted his shoulder.

“Don't worry about it, Cole. I'll wear it like a badge of Honor. And as a reminder. One for all the amazing friends I have, and that includes you.” I gave him a reassuring smile.

Twilight and Cole both smile, though Mike frowns as he stands up.

“Hang ten, I gotta do somethin’ real quick.” Mike walked out of the study, closing the door behind himself in a hurry.

“Wonder what’s eating him?” Cole asked with a raised eyebrow. I gave him a shrug and walked back to the sofa.

“Who knows honestly. We heroes often think and work in mysterious ways.” I smirked before looking at the floor with a frown.

“Are you alright, Johnny? You’re looking a bit down.” Twilight asked with a worried tone of voice.

“Well… I am. My fiancé's were kidnapped along with my friends, as well as Celestia. And I have no clue where they could be…” I said slowly as I closed my eyes.
“I just wish I had a clue where to start…”

Twilight quickly moved from her chair to next to me on the sofa and gave me a warm hug. “I’m sure you will figure that out, Johnny,” Twilight said trying to cheer me up. “Knowing what Mikie told me, I just know you’ll get everypony back without a doubt.”

“Thanks, Twilight. You're right, if I am patient and listen like I should, the way forward will present itself.” I nodded with a small smirk. As soon as I spoke something on my belt beeped at me, making us all jump in surprise.

“What on equis was that?” Twilight said as she pulled away from me, looking me over trying to find the noise.

“I-I feel like I've heard that noise before,” Cole said with a hand to his head in slight pain. “Some kind of annoying reminder noise from a game?” He wondered out loud as I checked my belt, pulling out the Sheikah Slate as the screen lit up.

“It's the Sheikah Slate. This thing’s been quiet for months now, why did it start up?” I asked as several markers lit up. I tapped one and the map zoomed in on the castle.
“What on Earth…” I muttered as I tried to understand what was going on.

Mike walked into the room with a stern expression. “I’m back, sorry ‘bout…” He spots the Sheikah Slate. “What… How… Why do you have that?” He asked confused as he walked up and looked over my shoulder at the screen.

“What are these colored icons?” Twilight asked. I looked at them carefully and realized they lined up with my friend's coat colors.

“I think…” I thought aloud, “that these are the locations of the dungeons that they got sent to…” I looked at some that were grayed out and wondered what that meant.

“Well, lucky you, you have a map that tells you where to go,” Mike said with a smile. “That makes things a billion times easier.”

“Maybe. There's no telling how dangerous those dungeons will be. And some are grayed out too, so I might not be able to get to some of them…” I frowned as I looked at him.

“And that’s the twist,” Mike said with a frown. “I wish I could help ya there, but I’m sure you’ll figure it out, with help from the lunar princess.” He smiled at Luna and patted my shoulder.

“Thanks, Mike. I owe you. More than you know man.” I told him as I stood and offered him my hand.
“I hope we meet again soon.”

“Don’t worry, Johnny, the second I find your scarf, I’ll call you,” Mike said as he grabbed my hand and shook it. “Maybe next time we’ll have an ‘actual’ vacation.” He said with a big grin as Twilight stood up and took off my scarf.

“Before we go, here’s your scarf back, Johnny,” Twilight held out my scarf for me to take. “Thank you for letting me borrow it.”

“It's alright,” I told her as I tossed it back on, looking just like my old self, “maybe next time I'll have Rarity whip up a dress for ya.” I said with a wink.

“Sorry our visit went south at the end, hope we didn’t cause that,” Cole said with a nervous chuckle. “Though it was nice meeting you, Johnny.”

“You're fine, I was bound to meet that damned pig anyway. I'm just glad you guys were here, and had my back.” I said as I shook Cole's hand.

Mike, Twilight, and Cole moved to an empty part of the room and stood together. “To send us back, say this, ‘Hero of Time, you may return to your world’, then play a note on the fairy ocarina.” Mike said with a smile. I gave him a sad smile as I pulled out the ocarina.

“I'm gonna miss you man.” I told him before standing up straight.
“Hero of Time, you may return to your world…” I said before playing Zelda's Lullaby.

“See you again soon, my brother of courage!” Mike said with a two-finger salute, as three pillars of blue light surrounded Mike, Cole, and Twilight. They were lifted into the air and then with a flash of blue magic they disappeared into the void between realms.

“Travel safe…” I whispered as Luna moved beside me, giving me a hug as my friends vanished.