Friendship From Across Time

Chapters

A Strange New Land
Settling for the Night
Setting Into Motion
Leading to Destiny

A Strange New Land

A blade of grass lightly grazed her cheek, alerting her that she was slowly returning to the world of the conscious, her mind and senses steadily returning to her as well.

“Tw-Twlight?”

And it was immediately apparent that not all was as it had been.

Instead of skin with a light coat of sleek lilac fur was the familiar yet still incredibly foreign sensation of bare flesh, the night air proving to be merciless against her now defenseless body rendered with no natural outer protection from the elements.

Save for the fabrics that encased her naked form, somewhat alleviating the chill of the midnight breeze.

“S-Spike?” The former Alicorn stammered, her eyes opening and half-expecting to see a purple canine before her with peculiar green markings.

Instead, what met her eyes was that of a small dragon with the same colored scales and green fins and underbelly as she had seen and known in Equestria. Only, his appearance was perhaps a little more reptilian, traits similar to that of lizards present in the small dragon’s design, even a little hint of crocodilian elements as well.

Reaching out instinctively to make sure the small drake was real, Twilight viewed her hand, another anomaly making itself known at that very moment. While it had been some time since she had inhabited the body of a two-legged creature, some further examination made her doubt that her new form was indeed that of a human. While her hooves were gone and her body transformed from a quadruped to a bipedal being, the same as what had occurred when she entered the portal found in the Crystal Empire and encountered a former student of her teacher, yet, unlike before, there were a significant amount of changes.

She could’ve been wrong, yet the recently-transformed young woman found that she recognized some of the articles that rested on her new shape, the clothing in itself similar to fashions from territories outside Equestria, around the southeast, near the land of the Kirin and Saddle Arabia. Although, while perhaps Rarity would’ve recognized such from her own study into such things, Twilight Sparkle found that these garments resembled those of that area from centuries ago.

Upon her was a kurta, a loose-fitting tunic of semi-transparent fabric in a light blue color with a modest high neckline, a choker, and several necklaces composed of a mix of beads and pearls, mostly of the same colors that composed of her equine form, a familiar-looking gemstone resting at the center of the collection of jewelry. It was a little too much in her eyes, yet, given she had quite literally woken up wearing it, it must’ve been given to her. Yet when was that? She couldn’t recall ever receiving these, let alone the clothes on her back.

She couldn’t remember anything.

“Twilight? Are you ok?” Spike questioned, watching as the former pony tried to stand, first rising to all fours, then slowly to her knees, her legs covered in hot pink churidars or trousers that gathered at the ankles worn underneath the kurta. Her back hooves, or, rather, feet, were covered in violet slippers that curled at the ends, giving the ensemble an almost exotic look, if not perhaps a little playful.

“I-I think so,” the transfigured Alicorn answered, holding her head as a sudden pang assaulted her, her mane converted into long, indigo hair tied in a low ponytail, yet the prominent purple and pink streaks present in her mane and tail rested in the fibers atop her head. “But…” she began, gazing out at the vast, seemingly endless sea of grass. She pulled the flowing scarf wrapped around her body, a dupatta of light lilac, closer to better shield her from the night wind. “Where…?”

West

“...am I?”

When she moved for forehoof to try and prop herself up on the sparse amount of grass available, the cyan pegasus came to see something very wrong. Specifically, she no longer possessed hooves.

“What the hay?!” Rainbow Dash shouted aloud, forgetting everything else save for the strange, new body that she now inhabited.

She brought her forehoof, what used to be anyway, to her face, the elongated appendages emerging from the center, the bizarre limb far from anything she had seen, let alone experienced firsthand. A small test showed that the “things” at the end moved. Scrambling to find something of a known comparison to what she saw, this new limb somewhat resembled that of a money’s paw, only far less covered in hair. The same applied to her lower half, only the digits were far shorter and stout, yet were equally as responsive. Only, these lower limbs seemingly rested in a pair of brown, leather sandals.

“What the…?” and as she continued to analyze herself, it became clear that there were more changes than just becoming another creature. Her blue coat was gone entirely, replaced with a near-hairless skin of deep bronze.

While she was no fashionista, let alone concerned with such things as Rarity, Dash couldn’t help but liken the clothing on her new form to garments and styles found in Saddle Arabia, although the conditions of her attire could’ve been better. It would probably make Rarity flip.

While it was somewhat exotic, it was nothing fancy. Rainbow found that the outfit appeared as if it had seen better days. A blue, sleeveless vest rested on her shoulders covering a white top with peculiar red and blue markings in rectangular patterns across the chest. Her midriff was bare and a pair of pants rested on her legs that went to below her knees, the ends torn open and hastily sewn back together. The colors were splotchy and beige, several colorful patches presumably covering holes in the article of clothing.

Wait a moment, the pegasus thought. Twilight…she described something like this once. Yes, when she had gone through the portal at the Crystal Empire.

What did she call this thing, this being? It had a name, but what was it?

South

“A monkian? No, that wasn’t it. Maybe a humanky? No, that’s not it either.”

Pinkie Pie pondered just what Twilight had referred to the creatures she had seen on the other side of the portal that one time, for there was no other explanation as to what had just happened to her. Her pink coat was gone, replaced with peach-colored flesh with barely any hair, save for her eyelashes, brows, and what was on her head. If there were any positives to note at the moment, at least it was that her typical, bouncy locks of hot pink hadn’t been altered.

Although, that was perhaps the only trait she kept from her time as a pony.

Her apricot-colored body was small and short, daresay, childlike in a sense, Pinkie found herself dressed in leaves and green dyed clothing, a pair of boots on her lower half, and a small headband of green atop her head. If she didn’t know any better, she would’ve assumed that she indeed was a child.

Still, a child what? What was the name of those creatures?

“Oooh! I remember!” Pinkie said aloud, her mind finally retrieving the information she wanted. “A human!” she then paused. “But…” she examined herself, tracing her long bendy things (fingers? She couldn’t remember what they were called exactly) over her legs, her…higher legs (arms?), chest, neck, face, and ears…?

Her ears? Where were her ears? Everything else on her face was in place, even if her snout was considerably smaller, yet her ears had moved entirely! Where were…?

Fingers fluttered over flesh, finding the sensation of cartilage meeting her, yet they were not covered in fur. And yet, that wasn’t what she found odd about them.

Twilight

“What is it?” The former Alicorn questioned the small drake, Spike peering up at her inquisitively.

“Your ears,” the dragon answered, gesturing to the portion above of her body. “They’re…” he paused, unsure how to convey what he was seeing.

“They’re what?” Twilight inquired, reaching up to feel her ears, quickly discovering what had caught the baby dragon’s attention.

From the feel of things, they were the same as she had before when she had briefly inhabited a human body. Yet, as she felt higher up, she found that no curve circles back to the head. Rather, it kept rising and rising until it came to a rounded yet still prominent tip.

“Well…I’ll give you this,” Twilight said, still noticing Spike’s eyes locked onto them. “They’re…longer than before.”

By Celestia’s Sun, they wiggled too! Quite easily!

Rainbow Dash

“Ok, don’t panic,” she thought, trying to gain her bearings as it slowly dawned on her that she probably wouldn’t be returning to her original shape any time soon. “This…this is doable,” the transformed pegasus forced herself to breathe, already missing the presence of her wings, let alone hooves. “If Twilight could do it, so can I!”

To prove this to herself, Rainbow Dash made an effort to stand, yet found her legs not cooperating with what she wanted to do, her body only serving to fall forward onto the ground, face planted in the dirt. Spitting the foul contents out, Dash reached up to try and grip at her hair, only for her fingers to brush against her ear, the curved shape significantly smaller than those she bore when she was a pony.

Pinkie Pie

“...I don’t remember Twilight saying stuff about their ears being this long.”

True, there was a possibility she was misremembering things, the incident at the Crystal Empire had occurred years ago (almost six seasons worth, in fact), yet nowhere in her Alicorn friend’s recounting of her time at a place called “Canterlot High” did she mention the “humans” having elongated ears.

Looking up, Pinkie began to survey her surroundings, realizing that she wasn’t exactly in the same place she had been, yet where had she exactly gone? She was somewhere else, looking for someone important.

Or someones?

She couldn’t remember.

Twilight

“So, you can’t remember anything? At all?”

Twilight shook her head, trying to remember how to properly use a bipedal form again after so long of being an equine. “Nothing,” she sighed. “I don’t suppose you remember anything, do you?”

Spike pondered, searching through his most recent memories. “Well…I do know that your idea of a school didn’t exactly go well, and you were kinda letting it all out…”

Oh yeah, that. Not one of her prouder moments, but…wait. “Say that again,” Twilight asked. “The first part.”

“You crying into a pillow and going through hundreds of tissues?”

“No, not that, before.”

“Your idea for a school-”

“Yes! That!” Twilight cried out. “Oh my Celestia, I remember…”

…

Equestria

Canterlot Castle

Throne Room

“Where Yona?! This all pony’s fault!”

“You’re pretty quick to blame them, aren't you? Where are you hiding them, yak?!”

“Look, can’t we focus more on finding our students instead of-”

“Nice try! One of you is probably hiding the whole lot of them!”

“Please, every creature!”

The voice of the ivory, rainbow-haired mare brought the six representatives of the differing races to attention, the darkly colored hippogriff approaching the three members of royalty.

“If I may, Princess Celestia,” the hippogriff began, bringing out a scroll for the mare, the darkly-colored Princess Luna to the left, and the smaller Twilight Sparkle to the right. “When the School of Friendship was closed under the recommendation of Chancellor Neighsay,” the Solar Monarch nodded, all the while trying to comfort Twilight, the memories of her dream falling to pieces still fresh in her mind. It was so close to actually being realized, and now this happened. “We all took our respective students home, yet, not but a few days ago, each of them disappeared!”

The three Princesses gasped. “What do you mean? They’re just gone?!” Twilight exclaimed, clearly in shock.

“Exactly,” the hippogriff, Sky Beak, answered with a confirming nod. “But, before leaving, they left each of us a note,” he explained further. “They claimed that they were unhappy that none of them had the chance to properly say goodbye, and soon it became clear that they didn’t want to stay separated. So,” he finished, clearly his throat. “They seemingly ran away to stay together.”

It was then that the lilac Alicorn’s utmost fear transformed into total elation. “I can’t believe it…”

“I know, I thought Ocean Flow and I taught Silverstream better than to just go off and-”

“They DID learn something about friendship!” it was then that Twilight saw her declaration perhaps wasn’t the best thing to say at that moment. “Oh, uh, sorry.”

“Regardless,” Sky Beak continued. “Silverstream couldn’t have done this on her own, nor could any of the others,” he then turned to the other representatives. “Not without help from someone like one of you!”

“Now, hold on, Sky Beak, let us be rational about this,” Princess Celestia interjected, yet the hippogriff continued, clearly fired up by the prospect of his missing child.

“I respect you greatly, but make no mistake, Rulers of Equestria,” the quadrupedal, bird-like being explained. “If my daughter is not found soon, then I can guarantee that there WILL be retaliation against whoever is responsible!”

“Oh yeah?! And who says YOU’RE not the one responsible?!” a blue dragoness, Ember, quite literally roared. “We dragons are going to burn down every single one of your kingdoms until we find which one of you is hiding Smolder!”

“Tell it to the Griffin Army, you winged little lizard!” the aged griffon, affectionally referred to as “Grandpa Gruff” by his fellow flock, threatened back, his protruding eye staring down the dragoness.

“Yaks fight griffons AND dragons!” The burly, horned dweller of the north, Prince Rutherford, declared, getting in between the two.

Thorax, the only one among them who appeared to have no confrontational bone in his insectoid body, merely winced as he witnessed the infighting between them all. “Not to sound selfish, yet the Changeling Empire won’t be able to handle an international indecent like this,” he nervously said. “If the Changelings get blamed for this-”

“What are you mumbling about over there?”

The green creature sporting impressive horns widened his eyes. “Oh, uh, nothing. I wasn’t-”

“What are you discussing in private, Shapeshifter?” Ember inquired, narrowing her eyes, gesturing an accusing claw in his face.

“Sh-Shapeshifter?” Thorax whimpered. “But…we’re friends…right?”

“ENOUGH!!!”

The argument immediately died down, the room growing dark and foreboding as if a storm had quite literally manifested in the chamber itself. All representatives, as well as Celestia and Twilight, directed their attention to the now-angered Luna, her patience had reached its limit.

“THOUST SHAN’T DO NONE OF THESE THINGS!!! NAY, NO CREATURE SHALL ATTACK ANOTHER THIS DAY, OR ANY DAY!!! CEASE THIS BICKERING AND FOCUS THOUST EFFORTS ON THINE TRUE TASK!!!”

“But Silverstream and the others-” Sky Beak protested, yet the Princess of the Night continued.

“THEY SHALL BE FOUND SAFE AND UNHARMED, I ASSURE YE,” she responded, voice still booming and loud, yet significantly less furious than before. “BUT FIGHTING AMONGST THINESELVES IS FOR NAUGHT. IT WILL DO YOU NO GOOD AND ONLY LEAD TO THOUST OWN DESTRUCTION. OR WORSE.”

Neither Celestia nor Twilight said a word, yet both noticed the darkly-colored mare’s features falter somewhat. Still, it became clear that something had to be done, as Luna’s tone could only go so far.

“We will begin by searching everywhere from Canterlot to Ponyville!” Celestia declared. “But until then, I ask that you reconvince to the Grand Hall!” the Solar Princess then turned to the lilac Alicorn. “Me and Luna will handle things here, you check Ponyville,” she directed the smaller Princess of Friendship. “We must find those six,” she then paused, biting her lip. “Or, I’m afraid that our very nation, our very world might be put into chaos!”

…

Rainbow Dash

“Yeah! That was it! Six of the students had gone missing, and Twilight came to us to help find them!” the rainbow-haired humanoid said aloud, memories flooding back at a rapid rate to where she was having difficulty keeping track of it all at once. “Let’s see, what were their names?”

…

Ponyville

Sugarcube Corner

“Ok, so, let’s review,” Twilight began, Spike’s claw pointed at the piece of paper with each of the missing student’s representation drawn on the left side.

“Smolder, Ocellus, Silverstream, Yona, and Gallus, all disappeared together,” Spike recounted to the other ponies, who were all huddled up around the board. “And…that’s all we know,” he admitted sheepishly.

“I say that they’re probably just hidin’ somewhere,” an orange mare with a blonde mane and tail fashioned into low ponytails with a sporting cowboy hat of brown theorized. “After all, the notes said that they didn’t wanna be separated from each other.”

“True,” a light purple unicorn agreed, although she still had her doubts. “Although, some of them know magic. Maybe they used some sort of spell to make themselves disappear?”

“Oooh! Oooh! I’ve got an idea!” Rainbow Dash declared aloud. “Maybe they’re undercover!”

“Or…” Pinkie Pie interjected. “Maybe they were attacked and viciously devoured by a ferocious shrimp!”

Silence fell over everypony in the building.

“...shrimp?” a palish-yellow pegasus with a light pink mane and tail with turquoise questioned. “I never knew they could attack…”

“They don’t!” the pink earth pony responded. “That’s why nopony expects it.”

…

Pinkie Pie

“And then…” she pondered, slowly piecing together what had happened before she had awoken in this strange shape. At least, what she could recollect and hope was the correct recalling of events. “And then, someone entered the bakery,” she remembered aloud. “But…it wasn’t one of the missing students…”

Sugarcube Corner

The ringing of the bell indicated that somepony else was approaching, a young stallion of soft yellow with seaweed green hair entered, holding a list in his mouth. He appeared casual at first, yet his eyes fell on the list of missing creatures currently being discussed by the ponies and dragon.

“Whoa!” the young pony winced, almost dropping the list before quickly catching it again. He gave an awkward smile before approaching the counter.

“Hi, Sandbar!” Pinkie Pie greeted, going into business mode and producing a few boxes of cupcakes. However, before she handed them to him, she took one last look over. “You having a party or something?”

“Huh? Oh, uh, no!” the other pony shouted. “I mean, no, it’s not that,” he said more calmly. At least, he tried. “I’m just…got a bit of a craving for sugar at the moment.”

Pinkie pondered this for a moment. “Good enough answer for me! Let me get the door!”

Back at the discussion, an ivory unicorn mare with a uniquely styled violet mane and tail decided to put in her two bits about the situation. “We need to think like our students,” she said. “If we were in their position, and couldn’t see each other ever again, what course of action would we take?”

“Oooh, I know!” Pinkie interjected. “I’d find a place we could all hang out and eat lots of cupcakes!”

Silence again.

“What?”

“Wait a moment,” the pale-yellow pegasus, Fluttershy, began. “Wasn’t Sandbar friends with them all at school?” she inquired. “And he did just come in and get all those cupcakes.”

“He was at the farm earlier this morning, asking for a wagon of apples,” the orange earth mare, Applejack, informed the pegasus and the others.

“And I saw him earlier shopping for some pillows and blankets!” the ivory unicorn, Rarity inserted afterward.

It soon dawned on them all just what had happened, let alone what they had just let slip right away in front of them.

“He must be taking all that stuff to the other students!” Rainbow Dash declared with a gasp of realization. “We gotta follow him!”

…

“Although…I don’t remember following them here.” Pinkie Pie mused, the night wing chilling her arms, forcing her to stand and work with her strange but still functioning legs. She then looked ahead, spotting a peculiar landmark nearby.

Twilight Sparkle

“Look!” Spike told the transformed Alicorn, gesturing just ahead of them.

Indeed, before them stood something worthy of investigation. But a short distance away was a towering, white gate of stone with a drawbridge pulled upward and divided from the rest of the land with a dense and deep moat.

Gathering her bearings, Twilight Sparkle stood up on her two feet and took ahold of Spike, placing him on her shoulder as he held onto the scarf wrapped around her form, the two of them approaching the expansive barrier that stood between her and what could be the answer to her current dilemma.

Rainbow Dash

“Ok, I think I got it,” the former pegasus strained, finally managing to stand upright after more time than she would’ve liked to admit. Still, she managed to do it, eventually. “Still…now what?”

Now what indeed, she thought, for where to go seemed like a question that had multiple answers. The region she found herself in was rather rocky and devoid of vegetation, although there were some sparse patches of grass here and there, yet the flora mostly consisted of cacti and other dry plants built for a hotter, more unforgiving climate.

Still, it did her no good just standing around.

Thus, with a small bit of preparation, Rainbow stepped forward, going closer to a split canyon that contained a narrow passage, the sound of rushing water meeting her ears. While she was not exactly into reading as much as Twilight in regards to general history, she had been enough places to know that a water source was almost always a good guarantee a civilization of some kind was nearby.

Pinkie Pie

“Ok, so we followed Sandbar to the Everfree Forest,” the former pink pony said, recounting her steps, pacing back and forth. “And this does indeed look like a forest,” she admitted, gazing at the expansive collection of trees and other flourishing flora before her. “But…something about it doesn’t look the same.”

She wasn’t daft enough to believe she was still in Equestria, goodness no, yet Pinkie herself couldn’t help but find it ironic that she ended up near a location very similar to the one she had just visited not long prior. Still, this was no time to dwell. She had to remember!

“We followed Sandbar to the Everfree Forest,” she repeated. “It took a while to get through, but we did it,” she continued. “And then…” she paused, her expression faltering. “...then nothing.”

As much as she hated it, she couldn’t remember anything afterward. Once she and the rest of her companions had entered the dense woodland, everything was a blur.

Still, the former earth pony couldn’t help but lay eyes on the expansive sea of greenery a short distance away. She didn’t entirely understand why, yet, in the limited range of understanding she had, Pinkie wondered if maybe approaching this particular forest would bring back memories of just how they followed Sandbar.

As well as got here.

Twilight Sparkle

“I don’t understand,” the Princess sighed, Spike riding on her shoulder. “You’re still a dragon, yet I’m the one that’s changed.”

“So, what does that mean?” the baby dragon questioned, not entirely understanding what she was getting at.

“I’m…not entirely sure myself,” Twilight confessed. “Still, the world we previously visited had life forms such as this, I think,” she said, once again grazing her elongated ears. “But this place looks more like Equestria than where we went.”

“How is that?” Spike asked.

“Well, in that world, you certainly weren’t a dragon,” the indigo-haired woman answered. “Yet humans presumably exist here. At least, human enough I think.”

“But, if I’m a dragon, then does that mean creatures such as hippogriffs, changelings, griffons, all of those exist here too?” Spike inquired.

Twilight considered this possibility. “Maybe,” she responded. “But, for now, we need to find some help. Then we can start asking questions.”

“Hey, look! We’re there!”

Turning her head forward, Twilight saw that they had finally reached the gate, the torches blazing in the night, serving as the only source of light besides the moon. If only she had her horn.

“HALT!” a voice shouted, the woman stopping in her tracks. “WHO GOES THERE?!”

Looking upward, Twilight and Spike saw that they weren’t alone, two figures standing atop the gate, dressed in armor, and gazing at them with suspicion. “Oh, uh, begging your pardon, sir, but would you mind letting me see your ruler?”

The two exchanged a baffled glance. “Ruler?”

“Yes, your King, Queen, Princess, whoever is in charge, could I please seek an audience with them? My dragon and I need assistance.”

“Dragon?” one of the soldiers asked. “Did you say, dragon?”

Twilight and Spike glanced at one another. “Um, yes? Why?”

More silence, and then the two began conversing, although they kept their volume low to make sure there was no one else to hear it. Still, if only she could see better! A glow spell would do nicely…?!

“Huh?”

“What the…?”

Just then, from her forehead, a signature purple glow manifested, shining upward in a small beam and lighting the way in front of them, casting everything in its range in a violet hue.

“Oh, so it IS you,” one of the soldiers above stated aloud. “Then that means…?” he paused. “Do we let her in?” he asked his comrade.

“The Princess’ Attendant said that the lady would arrive with a baby dragon.”

“And I’ve never seen a dragon up close, yet that looks like one to me.”

“Excuse me, gentlemen?” Twilight inquired. “Can you hear me?”

The soldiers redirected their attention from each other to the woman below. “What do you call yourself, stranger?” One of them inquired.

“Twilight Sparkle,” she answered. “Oh, of Equestria.”

“I’m Spike.”

The two men turned to face each other. “She’s taught it to speak?” One asked.

“I didn’t think they were capable of such things!”

“Excuse me? Gentlemen?”

“Ah, yes, sorry!” The sound of a mechanism being unlocked. “We’ve received word that the King has been expecting you for some time now.”

“The King?” Twilight was puzzled, yet continued to pry. “The King of this place?”

“Hm, you must be from out of the country, given your attire and complexion,” one of the soldiers remarked. “Although you still seem to have some Hylian lineage.”

The woman curled her brow. “Hylian?”

“Of course!” A soldier answered. “Where do you think you are? You’re in the Kingdom of Hyrule!” He said. “And you’ve come here to educate the King’s daughter!”

Author's Note

Lost interest in the last one I was writing so I decided to try this. This is sort of based on another story of mine related to Ocarina of Time, only it’s more from the perspective of the characters outside of Link. Yet he still is an important figure.

I’m having trouble with putting images in. Any hosting sites that work, because post images is kinda giving me grief.

Update: Nevermind, I found the problem.

Settling for the Night

“The King’s…daughter?”

“Yes, of course!” the soldier shouted back. “They reported that a woman with a dragon specimen would be coming to educate the Princess!”

King. Princess. Twilight Sparkle mused over this, realizing that perhaps her situation wasn’t as hopeless as initially suspected. If these people, long-eared or otherwise, had a system of government similar to hers, then maybe she could get an audience with the ruling class sooner than she thought.

Still, she knew nothing about this supposed teaching position.

“Just go with it,” Spike urged her. “At least until we get inside maybe.”

True, Twilight thought. It wasn’t the truth, but, at the moment, potential survival hinged on making the right decisions. “Y-Yes, that’s right,” she answered. “I’m here on behalf of the King! To serve as a teacher to the Princess…” she paused, wondering if she should inquire about the royalty’s name.

“Zelda.”

Twilight and Spike glanced at each other. “Zelda?” they both asked in unison.

“The King hadn’t told you of her name yet?” the other soldier questioned, then thought on it for a moment. “Then again, given it is our King, he probably would prefer to tell you so himself.”

“Tell me what?” Twilight inquired.

“Never mind that,” the first soldier to speak answered. “It’s only natural he wouldn’t relay all the details as to why your task is so significant. Nevertheless, given that you are now here, we shall open the way for you.”

The drawbridge began to slowly lower, the chains echoing throughout the night as the mechanism controlling the bridge was manipulated, eventually coming to a halt when it met the space in between the ground and hollowed-out earth composed of the moat. Silence once again took over the entire area.

“Go forth,” one of the men shouted. “Your way is set out for you.”

Twilight nodded. “Thank you.”

She took a step forward, soon traveling across the bridge and through the gate, leading to a darkened town that reminded the transformed alicorn of Ponyville. A fountain situated in the center of the small town held a symbol in the middle that immediately drew Twilight’s attention, the woman approaching the triangular emblem that was seemingly resting on a bird with stylized features, Philomena or an adult Peewee coming to mind.

“What is it?” Spike questioned, still riding the woman’s shoulder, noting her supposed fascination with the decoration in the fountain.

“This…” Twilight began, somehow feeling compelled to reach out. “I’ve…seen it.”

“Seen what?”

“This,” the woman responded, continuing to reach out, fingertips about to graze the surface of the iron shaped into a perfectly angular and symmetrical triangle. “I…I think I’ve heard its name too.”

Spike took a look at his caretaker, the eyes of Twilight glazed over as if she saw visions that the little dragon couldn’t visualize himself, her expression torn between fascination and a slight hint of trepidation. Still, she nonetheless appeared magnetically drawn to the triangular shape.

“The Power of Gold…” she said mindlessly, memories she was never even aware of before flashing before her eyes the longer she studied the triangles. Three perfect triangles. “Three Crests for Three Sisters…”

“Twilight?” Spike asked, beginning to grow a little uncomfortable with his companion’s current state.

“Power…wisdom…courage…” just barely there.

“Twilight?!”

“...Triforce…”

“Hey!”

The sudden emergence of an unfamiliar voice broke the woman from her stupor, eyes returning to normal and the water of the fountain was still and reflecting the moon. Twilight and Spike turned to see an elderly woman (perhaps around Granny Smith’s age) dressed in ornate robes approaching them, seemingly rather displeased with the two of them.

“Are you the one the King called for to teach the Princess?” The woman questioned, crossing her arms to shield herself from the chill in the night.

“Oh, uh, yes, that’s right,” Twilight answered.

“Well, you certainly could have arrived at an earlier hour,” the woman remarked. “I spent all day waiting for you to arrive!”

“Oh, very sorry about that,” the transformed Alicorn apologized. “The journey here was a little longer than expected.”

“Never mind that,” the woman chided. “You’re here now, so let me escort you to a place for the night.”

“A place?” Twilight asked. “You mean you’re taking me to the King?”

“What? Don’t be so daft, woman!” The old crone scolded. “The Castle is sealed up for the night, no one gets in or out, so you’ll have to stay at the temple.”

“Temple?” Spike inquired, garnering the robed lady’s attention.

“You taught this little monster to speak?”

“Hey, I’m no monster!” The purple dragon protested. “I mean, there was that one time I grew all big and scary, but circumstances were a little complicated at the time…”

The old woman appeared perplexed, yet nonetheless continued. “Either way, access to the Castle is unavailable at the moment, so you’ll have to stay here.”

“And where exactly is here?” Twilight inquired.

“My home, and yours for the night,” the woman answered, gesturing to a towering structure of Gothic architecture a short distance away. “The Temple of Time.”

Pinkie Pie

Well, it might’ve not exactly been the Everfree Forest, but it was almost just as thick! This time, she had little to no sense of direction here.

These particular woods had already made themselves known as rather perplexing, Pinkie finding that she was already more than a little lost, the towering trees surrounding her all seemingly working to add to the overwhelming confusion she felt.

Still, regardless, she told herself not to panic, looking upward to the sky to see at least some of the foliage of the canopy had been parted, allowing her to see the moon from above. While it had been some time since she had first met Twilight, let alone first used the Elements of Harmony, it still felt odd after all these years NOT seeing Princess Luna’s image in the astral body, let alone a trace of it here.

“Guess they don’t have a Nightmare Night here,” she assumed aloud, continuing on her way. She didn’t know where that was, yet she had to keep going. “Come to think of it, I haven’t seen anyone here. What do these creatures do for fun?”

Walking along further ahead into the dense forest, the pink-haired child was so preoccupied with searching for any sign of someone else, perhaps one like herself, that she was completely unaware that a pair of eyes was currently keeping track of her progress, all the while debating on what exactly should be done with this new intruder.

Twilight

The towering structure loomed over both Hylians and the dragon, the shadow cast by the building and the light of the moon shrouding the three in darkness. The holy woman went up to the doors and thrust them open, displaying surprising strength for someone her age.

“There’s a small shed in the back. You can lead your pet there for the night.” Twilight’s guide informed her, that it did not take long for either her or Spike to deduce what she meant.

“Oh, uh, Ma’am, I can assure you that my pet,”

“Pet?!”

“Sorry, I mean, Spike here, won’t cause any trouble.”

“Animals aren’t allowed in the temple,” the nun lectured. “I’m not having any accidents happen on my watch.”

“Hey, I don’t do that!” Spike protested, quite offended that this old bag was insinuating that he was on the same level as Applejack’s dog, Winona! “I didn’t even NEED to be trained to go outside,” he muttered.

“Hm? You speak?” The old nun asked, going up to the little dragon on Twilight’s shoulder. “Not bad Hylian either,” she observed.

“What?”

“Tell me,” the woman asked the indigo-haired traveler. At least, that was the story Twilight was going with for the time being. “How long have you had this…” she paused, looking over the adolescent drake. “Specimen with you?”

“Since he was an egg,” Twilight answered. “In fact, I actually hatched him myself.”

“It’s true, Princess Celestia-” Spike began, yet he was quickly shushed by his caretaker, the nun in turn confused as to what exactly he meant.

“Princess who?”

“Oh, uh, the ruler of my country,” the dark-skinned woman answered. “Princess Celestia of Equestria.”

The nun raised a brow. “Princess? If she rules, should she not be Queen Celestia?”

Twilight bit her lip. “Well, she technically co-rules with her sister, Princess Luna-”

“Wait a moment, two rulers governing a country, at the same time?” the old woman questioned, clearly baffled by such a prospect. “Was this the result of an armistice or treaty?”

The pointy-eared woman (formerly Alicorn pony) was confused. “What do you mean, exactly?”

“What else?” the older woman inquired. “Such an arrangement could’ve only come about through some sort of civil war!”

“War?” Twilight’s eyes widened. “Oh, no, there was nothing like that!” she answered. “I mean, none in the history of OUR kind,” then again, her very journey began due to the conflict between the Two Sisters being renewed the day she went to Ponyville, yet she didn’t know if she could classify that as a war, per se.

Although, the ramifications of that battle were felt by all involved for the next thousand years.

“Then it’s an odd system,” the old woman noted, then shrugged after some thought. “Then again, I suppose ours is just as strange to some outsiders.”

Twilight and Spike gazed at each other. “And what would that system be?”

The nun stepped through the door, motioning for the other woman to enter, seemingly forgetting or not bothering to make Spike stay outside. “You’ll find out when you meet the King tomorrow. Although, if you’re fortunate,” she chuckled dryly. “You might meet our own Princess yourself.”

Rainbow Dash

If only she had her wings.

No, scratch that. If only she were a pony in general, then maybe she’d have some semblance of control over something. She had gone without wings before (albeit briefly), she could do it again, it was just working with these two legs instead of four! And what were these stranger things at the ends of her forelimbs? Were these what Twilight had called “hands?” If so, the transformed pegasus found the strange appendages to be completely repulsive!

Still, regardless, it would’ve perhaps been easier if she had been an equine, or some four-legged creature at the least. She could work with that, yet this body was just too foreign and strange to her, everything felt wrong and unfamiliar, barely able to maneuver it. Just how did her friend survive, let alone succeed in retrieving the crown back when she entered through that portal?!

“Ooof!”

Tripping over her feet yet again, Rainbow Dash propped herself up with her arms, fingers digging into the cracked dirt in order to gain some sort of solid support. Celestia, she must’ve looked as pathetic as she felt, flopping around like some fish or parading around like she was some animal disguised in a pony suit.

“I…I can do this,” the formerly cyan pegasus said, trying to rise once again. “It Twilight can do it…then…I can…to!”

Hoisting herself up on some sizable rocks, the rainbow-haired humanoid got to a standing position, although that was as far as she could get, her legs still feeling quite unsteady underneath her. Still, she was up now, it was just a few steps forward.

Of course, that led to the next issue of where to go from there.

Learning to walk was one thing, yet what good was that if she had no idea where to walk to? So far, there was nothing but dried terrain and any flora was minimal at best, plants mostly dried to their roots or cacti that would only serve to give her some acupuncture therapy than anything else. And, even more, no source of water in sight.

“Huh?”

At least, not at first.

Twilight Sparkle

“This architecture,” Twilight observed, slowly following the nun through the expansive main hall of the Temple of Time as it was called, the archways and pillars serving to hold up the building, the windows allowing pale moonlight to seep in from the outside, providing a small amount of natural light. “It looks reminiscent of Thirteenth Century Equestria.”

Still, if that was the case, thought Twilight, just what sort of time period was this place in?

“What was that?” the nun asked.

“Oh, nothing,” Twilight answered. “Just…observing your land’s unique style of building things.”

The old woman hummed. “This place is more than just a demonstration of ‘unique style’,” she told the younger of the two. “Where you stand is perhaps the most important location in all of Hyrule, as well as it's most sacred,” she informed. “I don’t suppose your Princess spoke to you regarding any of this?”

“Oh, well,” Twilight bit her lip, trying to conjure up an excuse. “Princess Celestia…didn’t get much time to tell me much. There was…another crisis involving missing students-”

“Students?” the nun asked, raising a brow.

“Uh, y-yes, students! Princess Celestia, she runs a school, you see,” the tan-skinned woman answered. “And…and I happen to be one of her most trusted subjects, so she saw fit to send me to teach the Princess here,” so far, the nun seemed to be buying it. “And, there was an incident regarding some of those students going missing, so she’s currently putting out a search.”

The old woman raised a brow, clearly somewhat skeptical, yet nonetheless brushed it off, continuing on her way to show Twilight her temporary quarters. “Well, if you are one of her best, then tutoring the King’s daughter should be no problem for you,” reaching a wooden door at the back of the ornate and polished temple, the nun opened the slab of wood to reveal a single bed situated in the corner with a worn out desk and chair to the left. “Until tomorrow morning,” the nun alerted the younger woman. “After that, you go to the Castle. This isn’t an inn, after all.”

“Oh, no, of course not,” Twilight answered, stepping into the small room, a single window allowing moonlight to seep in and cast the tiny space in a slight hue of pale. “Well, thank you for the accommodations, I guess-”

SLAM!

The old nun shut the door, cutting off the conversation, as well as cementing that she had no interest in the other woman aside from leading her here. “...this is goodnight.”

Spike huffed, migrating off his caretaker’s shoulder and onto the ground. “Oh, forget her,” he told Twilight, climbing up onto the semi-soft mattress filled with straw, adjusting himself until he got in a comfortable position. “At least we got a place to sleep.”

“True,” Twilight agreed, noticing that it barely took any time at all for the baby drake to immediately slip down into unconsciousness, lightly snoring away as if he were dead to the world. Going over to the bed, Twilight sat down and placed her hand on his scaled back, violet eyes turning upward as she spotted the moon outside, shining its lesser light down on the world, wherever this world was. Still, one factor still continued to perplex her.

What occurred between when they began the search for the missing students and now?

Pinkie Pie

“Ok, retrace your steps, Pinkie,” the bipedal humanoid creature said aloud, mind racing to try and remember just what happened before the sudden loss of memory. All the while, continuing to walk through the forest, which seemed to be growing more and more dense. “Sandbar went into Sugarcube, then we followed him to the Everfree Forest,” she reminisced, memories of the journey through the familiar yet still perilous woodland slowly coming back to her. “We got to the Castle of the Two Sisters, saw that they were in trouble, and then…” she closed her eyes, trying, fighting, desperately clawing for anything that would give her a clue, anything that would provide her with just a sliver of what she was missing from her mind. “And then…”

She bit her lip, trying to focus.

They were attacked.

Attacked by…by…

…

“Puckwudgies!” Fluttershy cried out, spotting the spiky creatures firing multiple quills at the six youths. “Hurry! Take cover!” she shouted, hoping that they would hear her, despite her tendency to keep quiet. Silence would do her no good now.

Not needing to be told twice, the six students from the closed School of Friendship rushed back into the Castle of Two Sisters, the Puckwudgies noticing that the intruders were attempting to escape. They were all about to fire at the fleeing six until a forcefield of glowing magenta manifested in between them and the smaller, more aggressive beings, saving them from receiving a rump full of quills.

“Shut the door!” the lilac Alicorn yelled, and the massive barrier between the inside and out shut, blocking any entry. “All right, girls,” Twilight began, the creatures’ attention now centered on the Princess of Friendship and her companions. “Let’s deal with these guys first!”

…

“And then, after we sent them off, we went into the Castle,” Pinkie Pie remembered, her two feet continuing to take her forward, yet that was the only thing she was certain of. “But…when we opened the door…”

After that, nothing.

The pink-haired girl sighed in frustration, unsure of anything after that. It should’ve ended there, she thought. They had saved the six young ones from danger, and thus, in doing so, proved Twilight’s theory of friendship being possible between all creatures, no matter the species. With that, they could be returned to their families, and the School of Friendship would be reopened! That was how things usually went! Everything was then wrapped up nice and tight without any loose ends! Maybe with a song or two thrown in!

…so why did she feel that there was so much more that she was missing?

Rainbow Dash

“By Celestia’s Mane and Luna’s Tail…” the transformed pegasus said in awe, mouth agape as her deep magenta eyes took in what was before her.

A vast valley of rock and canyon halved vertically before her, separated by a raging, roaring waterfall and rushing river down below. Yet serving as a a link between both ends was an incomplete bridge with little more than the foundation set. Everything else was completely missing. Still, there was nothing on this side, so Rainbow found that there was little good waiting on this side of the divide. Besides, someone had to have made this, she thought, so perhaps they were further ahead, past the unfinished bridge.

Of course, it was then that she became painfully aware that she was lacking in wings, and thus, a means to simply do a small flutter over the gap. Meaning, she would have to cross on foot, unsteady as she was. A fact she both despised yet ultimately had to swallow as the only means to get what she wanted.

“Hey, I’ve got this,” Dash told herself. “Wings or no, I’ve gotten pretty far with just two legs! Surely I can get across this!”

Approaching the beams of wood, the tan-skinned woman steadily stood on one of them, the passage narrow, but it provided a way across. The trick was just navigating there.

Slowly, she migrated forward, holding onto the side as she inched along, trying her best to not look down-

SNAP!!!

The wood beneath her broke through, gravity taking Rainbow Dash before she had time to process just what was happening. A terrified scream echoed throughout the valley until it was silenced by the waves below, swallowing her body and taking it to the depths.

Twilight Sparkle

“Guys?” Twilight’s voice echoed throughout the main hall, with no sign of the students anywhere.

“Hey, you can come out now! The Puck…whatevers are gone now!” Rainbow Dash assured, yet still, they received no response. The Castle was completely quiet, as if the youths had never been there to begin with.

“This is getting a little spooky,” Spike declared, inching closer to Twilight, who was now proceeding with caution. “Where could they have gone?”

“Anywhere, as far as I know,” Twilight answered. “Which is why we need to start searching, now.”

…

Within the confines of her mind, Twilight reminisced on what occurred during those moments, her memory opened up and more free to suggestion and possibility due to the state of unconsciousness. The woman was nestled up with the baby dragon, all the while unaware that she was being observed.

And said observer was about to make themselves known.

Author's Note

I'll have images next time. I'm torn between how to do things regarding them, as I'm kinda torn between both screencap fakes and comics.

Setting Into Motion

The way was sealed off entirely with no way to get in, through, or past.

Just as the old hags promised.

Hissing in frustration, the darkly-cloaked figure clenched his fists as he stood at the head of a flowing, raging waterfall, impassible by normal means, yet there was a secret way in. The only problem was that he could not find anything so far. No mysterious out-of-place rock, no particularly sturdy tree branch, no indication of any sort of switch or button that would allow for entry into the realm that rested behind the waterfall.

He was completely locked out.

“They could have been a little more specific,” he muttered under his breath, knowing that there was no further use in staying here, lest someone see him and he would draw too much suspicion.

After all, his kind wasn’t exactly welcome in these parts, despite the dear King of Hyrule’s wishes to unite the countries’ people. It would be extraordinarily worse if he was caught, a man.

One of their men.

Still, he wondered if his subordinates at the other supposed entryway were having any better luck.

Miles Away

“This is hopeless,” the woman in red groaned. “We’re never going to find the way inside through all this water!”

“Calm yourself, Aveil!” Her companion chided, dressed in pink and looking out at the expansive lake. “Although, if there were a passage into the heart of Zora’s Domain, what better place than one where you’d drown trying to get to it?”

Both women were well-built and defined in muscle and shape, radiating both an unusual yet powerful strength, but with an edge of femininity added to their collective image. Aveil possessed a red cloak while her comrade was garbed in pink, the shawls shielding them from the night air. Still, they would do them little good to help them breathe underwater.

Then, in the distance, the woman saw something. “Hey, Nabooru,” Aveil spoke up. “What’s that?”

The other woman, Nabooru, gazed in the direction of interest and found herself looking upon a shape halfway submerged in the water, motionless and still, yet…strangely recognizable.

“Hey, wait!” Aveil protested, Nabooru navigating her way around the portions of land situated around the lake, finally reaching the mysterious shape and finding that her discovery was larger than initially suspected.

Aveil reached her position and was about to give her a piece of her mind for daring to leave her behind (let alone for some sea monster or even a Zora themselves to snatch up), yet her words never manifested as she too was robbed of speech at what was before her.

Or rather, who.

Temple of Time

Castle of the Two Sisters

“This place is big and dangerous,” Twilight Sparkle thought aloud. “They could’ve gone anywhere.”

The search for the six students had begun, the six ponies having taken a lower route via a clue of one of Gallus’ discarded feathers.

“Still,” Rainbow Dash observed, retrieving one of the griffon’s blue feathers. “Why would they go anywhere in the first place? After all, the puckwudgies were gone, right?”

Indeed, the lilac Alicorn thought, purple eyes glancing around the library. So far, they had searched every other area that they had previously explored the last time they were here, yet there was no sign of the six youths anywhere. However, one of the griffon’s feathery leftovers sat atop of a peculiar text that none of the others had noticed until now.

Or rather, Spike had taken notice, quite literally tripping over it.

“What the…?” the small dragon looked to find a peculiar book with a plain brown cover, yet opening its contents proved to bring forth yet another mystery, for the pages were hollowed out and in a seemingly unreadable language full of characters the drake had never seen before.

The only element he could discern was a set of what appeared to be three golden triangles resting in spaces hollowed out in the book, apparently just for them. “Spike? Are you ok?” The drake heard Rarity ask, the ivory unicorn and the other ponies gathering around both him and the book.

“Yeah, but…” he trailed off, eyes centered on the set of three golden objects, the ponies being drawn in as well by the sight of them.

“What do you think it is?” Fluttershy questioned, reluctant to touch it, let alone get too close, lest it do something not in their favor.

“I don’t know,” Twilight answered. “I don’t remember seeing this book, let alone this…thing last time we were here.”

Spike found that no ill-effect awaited him upon touching the golden triangles, so he took them and began to turn and analyze them. They may have not been jewels, but their shimmering surface began to make his mouth water.

“Well, if they went in here, then they couldn’t have gone anywhere else,” Applejack observed, noting that there was only one entrance into the library, yet the library of this ancient place was, in itself, a large place with many hidden areas and doors, many of which they had probably yet to uncover since their last visit here. “But,” she surveyed the room with her green eyes, trying to find any hint of evidence as to where they could’ve gone. “So far, we’ve got nothing but this to go off of,” she replied, picking up the blue feather with her hoof. “It just doesn’t make sense.”

“Well, at least he has an area narrowed down we can search,” Twilight suggested. “Maybe we should split up and check various sections of the library to see if any of them are there.”

“Split up?” Fluttershy questioned, growing rather anxious. “You mean, alone?”

“No, not exactly,” Twilight said. “We’ll be in groups of two,” she then glanced at Spike. “Or, in one of your cases, three,” she clarified. “And we’ll just go through the places we both know and haven’t checked yet.”

“If that’s the case, I’m going with Rarity,” the drake declared. “I mean, this place isn’t exactly the safest and all.”

The ivory unicorn giggled. “Thank you kindly, Spike,” she said. “I wholeheartedly trust you with my safety.”

“All right,” Twilight said, glancing in the direction where she planned to search first. “Let’s go!”

Present

Pinkie Pie

There it was again.

The pink-haired youth turned to find nothing behind her yet again, but that was far from easing the growing chill crawling up her spine. Instead of going forward, she stopped, surveying her surroundings, eyes peeled for a sign of anything that may have been wrong or off. Yet from what she could see, there was nothing but forest, forest, and more forest! The only other soul that could’ve been here had to either be as lost as she was, or they were keeping track of her.

Neither of which exactly guaranteed her safety.

“Uh…hello?” Pinkie Pie said, receiving no answer save for the chittering of crickets and the occasional hooting of an owl. “Is anyone there?”

She still heard nothing but didn’t feel secure, blue eyes darting around, spotting and tracking every shadow and darkened corner nearby. Then, in the corner of her eye, she thought she noticed something. A particular tree is a short distance away, and the bark is seemingly going in the wrong direction in one spot. Hesitantly, albeit more from general unease than pure fear, Pinkie approached the tree, resting her hand on the surface. From what she could tell, it appeared normal, not to mention felt the same as bark. The skin on these new hands of hers was at least receptive to touch, she realized.

It was then that the bark shifted, almost rippling as if were made of water. Pinkie drew her hand back and stepped away, the strange section of the tree slowly transforming into what resembled a crooked face.

A face that looked directly at her and smiled.

“Hi.”

Twilight Sparkle

“I don’t understand,” the lilac Alicorn mused aloud, trotting around the hidden study of The Two Sisters. “We’ve searched everywhere in this library and still, no clues as to where they could’ve gone!”

“Maybe they’re somewhere else in the Castle?” Applejack suggested, the Earth pony having decided to accompany the Princess of Friendship.

“It’s possible,” Twilight Sparkle admitted. “But, if that’s the case, then they truly could be anywhere.”

Hidden Room

“Just how many of these do you think there are here?” Pinkie Pie questioned, she and Rainbow Dash having stumbled upon this small section of the library by pure accident. Although, it looked as if it had been visited recently.

“Not sure, although we’ll have to tell Twi when we find the students,” the cyan pegasus responded. “Still, the only hint is this single feather,” she remarked, holding the object of interest. “So either a hole opened up in the floor and swallowed them…”

Unknown Chambers

“This seems to be a bit of a special room, doesn’t it?” Fluttershy pondered aloud, noting how several of the texts located in this room were of fairytales and other literature usually meant for young foals.

“Agreed, darling,” Rarity remarked, examining the decor and wallpaper, which was remarkably well-preserved, despite the literal centuries that this structure had been through. “It’s almost as if this place has been completely untouched, save for a select few.”

“Then what do you think it’s for?” the pale-yellow pegasus questioned. “From what I’m aware, neither of the Princesses had children. Well, outside of Cadance, of course.”

“Indeed,” the unicorn agreed. “I dare say, it’s almost as if this place was a tribute to somepony or creature. But who?”

Spike, all the while, paid them no heed, trying to fidget and toy with the three triangles he had found in the text. So far, he was experiencing no luck, as none of the three wished to fit together in any way. At least, until he tried to stop forcing them atop of one another, and laid them side by side. But still, something appeared off. Where would the third one fit?

“You know,” Fluttershy spoke, nervously bringing her foreleg up. “Maybe we should get back with the others,” she bit her lip. “Don’t you feel like you’re being watched?”

“Oh, don’t be so skittish, darling,” Rarity reassured the pegasus. “There’s not a soul in here but you, me, and little Spike here,” she then gestured to the small drake, who had just placed the last triangle atop the other two. “Spike?”

The baby dragon held the complete puzzle, three golden triangles fashioned into one with three individual sections, each glowing brilliantly as if they were made of shimmering gold held underneath the light of Celestia’s morning rays. Next everything was consumed in light, no pony or dragon having a chance to react before golden hues of brilliant majesty overtook their vision.

And finally, everything went dark and still.

Pinkie Pie

The magenta-haired girl stepped back, bringing her hand close as if to shield it from the bizarre and somewhat frightful display that was before her. “Wh-What the…?!” she stammered, feeling uncharacteristically tense and, dare she say, scared.

“Greetings, child,” the “tree,” said, or rather, the face imposed on the trunk. The voice was male and old, yet it bore no warmth or any sense of friendliness. “Hmm…you look different than that old fool’s other children.”

“Old fool?” Pinkie questioned aloud. “That’s not very nice. Sure, people can be a little loopy, but calling someone a fool…” she then paused, realizing the other portion of his statement made little sense. “Wait…children?”

“Yes, children. That is what you are, yes?” the face asked her. “Are you not one of the Kokiri?”

“Kokiri?” the girl questioned. “That’s a funny word. But I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t play dumb with me!” the face bellowed in rage. “You’re dressed in their clothes! You have their mark and scent all over you! You must belong to that blasted rival of mine!”

Pinkie was becoming more than a little nervous in this…thing’s company, wondering if she should make her exit soon. Still, if that was the case, in which direction?

“No matter, whether you tell the truth or not. In the end,” the face presented her with a twisted yet gleeful grin, Pinkie’s pointed ears hearing howling in the distance. “You’ll spend your last moments regretting ever setting foot in my territory.”

Twilight Sparkle

One moment, she was searching through the old castle’s library, and the next, she was yanked off her hooves and tossed into a void with seemingly no end, her senses robbed from her and everything completely black. She couldn’t do anything but merely be. Exist here, in the darkness of this unknown space, completely alone with no one around to hear, let alone help her.

“AJ?” Twilight Sparkle called out. Or rather, she thought she did, communicating however she could at the moment that she was looking for anyone. She couldn’t even feel her muzzle move to form sounds, as if her very thoughts were all left of her very being. “Spike?” no answer from either the Earth pony or the little dragon. “Pinkie? Fluttershy? Rarity? Rainbow Dash?”

Nothing.

She was completely alone.

…

“...Princess…”

“Huh?”

“Star-keeper, Galaxy-holder, Ambassador of Goodwill to All,” a voice echoed in the darkness, childlike and mellow, yet it held a particular sense of intrigue and curiosity to it as if the Alicorn’s very presence amused them. “Your journey is well underway to where you are now needed.”

“Wh-What?” Twilight stammered, realizing that she was slowly regaining her shape back, albeit only partially. It looked almost as if she were outlined with some sort of thin light, her dimensions present, yet her form was overall non-corporal, non-solid, and almost mist-like in function and movement. If she had to compare it to anything, it was as if all the atoms in her body had loosened and simply shifted left to right with her motions, yet there was no pain.

“But, it would perhaps help if you saw my face in a way you would understand,” the childlike voice added, another shape forming before the somewhat transparent Alicorn, a quadrupedal form of what appeared to be an Earth pony mare with a light green coat and a forest-green mane and tail, her mane somewhat short and curled upward at the ends, a vibrant yellow follow behind each ear. Her eyes were a brilliant green, almost emerald, and she wore a chipper, innocent grin on her face. “This better?” The last detail of this pony was a brilliant yet otherworldly marking on her flank, a golden triangle surrounded by vines and flowering plants that appeared to glow.

Twilight was unsure of how to respond other than simply nodding. But still, she couldn’t stop herself from asking. “What…Who…are you?”

She giggled. Of all things, this mystical…whatever they were, giggled at the Alicorn’s bewilderment. “Yes, well, that’s right! I’ve seen you, but you haven’t seen me!” the green mare exclaimed. “I suppose introductions are in order then,” she then extended a hoof. “I am Farore, the Third and Youngest of the Three Sisters of Gold, creator of the flora and fauna of this world,” she paused. “And I am well aware of you and your comrades, Princess Twilight Sparkle of Friendship.”

Pinkie Pie

The combination of the face’s words, plus the distant howls growing ever closer served as no better motivation for Pinkie than to begin running. Running where, she didn’t know, yet at least she knew she was running away from the danger. At least, she hoped so.

Still, she knew that she couldn’t go on like this forever. Already, her legs were sore from the good distance she had traveled beforehand, and the lack of any sense of direction only served to make her feel less and less like laughing in the face of whatever trouble had found her. Still, just what had that face meant when he (it?) said what they did? Kokiri? Was that what she was?

It perhaps would explain the ears, seeing as Twilight mentioned nothing of that upon returning from her trip to another world.

Of course, what also wasn’t recounted in the Alicorn’s trip was the ever-present sounds of howling and low growls from predatory creatures Pinkie couldn’t see, yet all her other senses alerted her that they were on her tail, sighting glowing eyes in the darkness of the forest floor. Above wasn’t much better, shapes jumping from tree to tree watching and following her every move, Pinkie running so fast that she had completely lost track of everything else, save for getting away.

For one of the few times in her life, she found herself legitimately afraid.

Then, just as her anxiety reached its peak, she felt something swift and sharp smack her on the back of the head, just above her neck. This motion sent her to the ground, both from the force and the angle of the hit, consciousness fading from the pink-haired girl as her green-clad body found itself unable to move any further, the world around her fading to black as the steps of her pursuers drew closer, Pinkie able to feel hot breath on her face as something fierce and hungry approached.

Then she was aware of nothing else but stillness and the dark.

Twilight Sparkle

The Alicorn floated in the vast, endless space of what appeared to be a void of swirling galaxies and stars, small planets and asteroids able to be seen passing down below. “Wait,” she then began, realizing something. “You know me?”

The mare that identified herself as Farore nodded. “You’re probably wondering how, right? Truth is, I’ve actually seen you before. Several times, in fact.”

The lilac Alicorn’s eyes widened. “Wait, what?”

“But rest assured, I had no influence on any factor of your life, I merely observed. Your world is strangely fascinating,” Farore explained. “Yet it is because of these observations, I believe that you and your companions are the perfect candidates to send.”

“Send?” Twilight questioned.

“There’s much that you need to learn, yet now is not the time to explain, for time itself is of the essence,” the green mare told the Princess. “As one of the Three Creators of this world, I am one of those that see and know all that occurs within,” she clarified. “And my Sisters and I have received a prayer from one of the players in this most current cycle.”

“Cycle?”

“Yes, the Cycle that this world’s history is based on,” Farore told the Alicorn. “The Maiden of Light has sent out a plea for help in her task against the King of Darkness, and the Hero shall perhaps benefit from the answering of this prayer as well.”

“Maiden? King of Darkness? I’m sorry, but what do you mean?” Twilight asked. “Where’s Spike? Where’s my friends? Do you know where they are?”

“They shall join you in time,” Farore told her. “But first, you must visit the Maiden of Light in her Castle. Aside from her attendant, you are the only one that is able to help her at this moment. Your friends shall take care of the others that reside in this tale.”

“Tale?”

“You shall understand later,” the green mare informed her. “But, before you meet her, or any of the others, you can’t stay as you are now,” her eyes then closed. “Your form must change.” Then, the mysterious pony vanished from sight, as if she were never there.

Twilight Sparkle looked around, yet found no sign of anyone or anything. “Farore? She called out, yet received no answer. “Farore?! Anyone?!”

She was about to shout fruitlessly again, if not to have some illusion of power over the situation, yet before she could do so, Twilight felt her body shift. The sensation wasn’t painful, yet she could feel it, she was changing. Forelegs transformed into arms, her snout into a nose and mouth, and mane into a full head of hair with her tail and horn vanishing entirely. Yet, during this process, the Princess spotted something in the distance, dim at first, but fastly approaching and growing brighter by the second.

Three brilliant triangles presented themselves before her, their light all encompassing and consuming, she soon knowing nothing but the light and what its power was doing to her.

“May your Way lead to the Triforce.”

Author's Note

A small preview of a minor character from the manga, albeit one that hasn't been mentioned again.

Leading to Destiny

From what she could tell, even in her half-awake state, she was no longer cold, nor wet, the light crackling of burning wood meeting her ears. Shifting in the confines of her blankets, the tan-skinned woman opened her magenta eyes to see that she was situated in a small room that was furnished with practically nothing save for a pile of straw and a burning torch centered in the middle of the room.

“...the drowned rat rises from the dead.”

Rainbow Dash turned to see two figures standing in the doorway, one dressed in red and one in purple. The woman who was garbed in violet and sporting a veil that concealed her mount and nose from view, yet her eyes bore an alluring but dangerous glint. The woman in red grinned, seemingly bemused by the transformed equine’s puzzlement.

“What is this place?” the rainbow-haired woman questioned, trying to rise from her sheets. “Where am I? How’d you-” She got no further as, when she tried to walk, she found her legs give out from underneath her, falling to the floor, face mere inches away from the torch. She drew back, yet found herself unable to rise from her sitting position, her body still incredibly weak.

“Well, for one thing, you may as well stay put, as what good will answering your questions be if you go and get yourself killed?” the woman in red teased, crossing her arms.

The woman in violet approached, Dash, noticing a sizable spear in her possession, her arms toned and muscled, indicating she knew how to use it well. Before the former pegasus could protest, she was yanked off the floor and to her feet, unsteady as they still were. Yet the woman simply held Dash there until she eventually got her bearings, apparently in no mood to wait for her recovery.

“I thought you told me to stay put,” Rainbow stated, a slight growl in her voice.

“Correct,” the woman in red responded. “But mainly so you don’t go anywhere we don’t want you to,” she explained. “We found you by the edge of Lake Hylia, half choked on water. I had assumed you were dead at first, yet you surprisingly showed signs of life.”

So these people were her rescuers? To an extent, perhaps she should’ve been thankful. Yet such a thing wasn’t exactly the easiest when one of them kept twisting Dash’s arm to keep her upright and standing.

“Although what surprises me most is the fact that none of this has washed out,” the woman in red stated, brushing her tan fingers through the former pony’s ponytail. “How much dye did you use to get it like this?”

“Dye?” Rainbow inquired. “Oh no, lady, this isn’t dye. It’s all natural.”

Her interrogator crossed her arms. “Either way, you still couldn’t keep the red out entirely, could you?” she asked, gesturing to the red stripe present in the colorful fibers. “Regardless, however you managed to accomplish getting such an array of colors, it ultimately doesn’t matter. At the moment, you’re needed.”

Rainbow raised a brow. “Needed?”

“Yes,” the woman in red answered. “Now that you’re awake, you’re due for a meeting with our King.”

Twilight Sparkle

“Mm?” the small stray ray of sunlight meeting her skin was enough to steadily rouse her from sleep, the indigo-haired woman rose from her bed to find Spike snoozing close by, her body having been an ideal source of warmth during the night. The door to the small room opened, revealing the nun from last night, already dressed in her ceremonial robes, this action caused the little dragon to shoot right up from his dreams.

“I’ve just had a word with the Princess’ Attendant,” the old woman said. “She’s waiting for you outside to escort you to the Castle.”

…

“Did you dream anything last night?” Spike questioned, he and Twilight set out of the Temple of Time, following the old woman who kept up the building.

“Aside from having the biggest jewel sundae ever, no,” Spike answered. “Although some of the sprinkles kinda tasted like feathers.”

“That’s cause I found you eating the pillow,” Twilight remarked.

“Oops.”

“Look alive! You’re in the presence of a servant of the Royal Family!” the nun called out, regaining the attention of her two guests. Leading them both out of the temple, the young woman and dragon came to see a figure with grey hair tied in a low bun and fierce, piercing ruby-red eyes with markings on her tanned skin. She wore what appeared to be a tight-fitting bodysuit with silver armor, boots, and it was clear that, as they approached, she was studying the both of them as if they were some undiscovered animal or creature never seen before. “Lady Impa, I present to you,” the old nun began, turning to face the youngest of the three women. “What was your name again?”

“Twilight, ma’am,” she answered. “Twilight Sparkle of Equestria.”

The figure raised a brow. “Equestria?” she asked. “Just how distant a land is this?”

“Um…that’s…sort of up for debate,” Twilight confessed. “I’m not exactly sure of it myself at the moment.”

The woman appeared unimpressed, crossing her arms and staring down at the younger of the two. “Those ears,” she observed, noting their pointed shape. “You have Hylian blood in your veins.”

“I do?” Twilight asked. “Oh, um, y-yes, of course!” she declared. “I mean, is there a reason I shouldn’t?”

The other woman, Impa, seemed bemused by the answer, a grin coming to her face. “It’s the only reason the council even considered allowing the Princess to have a teacher,” she explained. “Although, I can’t guarantee your…complexion won’t garner a few looks.”

Twilight didn’t understand. “What do you mean?”

“It matters not,” Impa ultimately said. “Your presence here won’t be for long, and you’ll stay mostly out of sight of those in town,” she explained. “Thus, I say it’s best I take you to the Castle now.”

Pinkie Pie

Blood was pumping through her entire body, a sharp slap to the back of her neck. Then, nothing.

Now, she found her senses slowly returning to her, along with the knowledge that she was still in potential danger. Bolting upward, Pinkie Pie found that the darkness of the night was gone, along with any signs and sounds that hinted at unfriendly and dangerous things following her. The morning had come, the sun beating down on her fair face and momentarily blinding her. But the presence of dawn, along with the chirping of birds and light skittering of squirrels and other critters indicated that whatever danger she had encountered, it had long past.

Come to think of it, she didn’t believe she was in the same location she had been in either. But last night, the forest had been so dark and twisted, she had little idea where she was going in the first place. Still, regardless, she knew she couldn’t stay here forever. She had to find help, or at least some form of a clue as to where the missing students were, otherwise…?

CRUNCH!

A branch had been broken underfoot, gaining the pink-haired girl’s attention, her wild locks bouncing as she whirled her head to the side. “Hello?” she questioned, blue eyes wide and peeled for any sign of intelligent life. Well, about as intelligent as herself. “Is anyone there?” she asked, yet again, she received no answer. “Well, if you can hear me, could you help me out?” no reply, yet she couldn’t help but feel that someone or something was there. Something that understood her. “I’m lost around here, and I’m looking for somepony. Well, that and some creatures too, but that’s beside the point,” she said. “I just…need help getting through here. Do you know how to?”

It was subtle at first, barely noticeable in the thick foliage, yet steadily, the rustling and shaking of leaves grew closer and more active. This pattern continued until, finally, a figure stepped out from the bushes, similar in height to Pinkie herself, and bearing the appearance of a child as well.

Her hair was short and green, and her clothes were seemingly sewn from green cloth with a dark turtleneck underneath her small dress. A pair of green boots and a green headband finished the girl’s attire, the only part of her that wasn’t green being her surprisingly vibrant, sapphire-blue eyes.

The girl parted her lips and began to speak. And, even more, Pinkie could understand her. “Are you a new Kokiri?”

Twilight Sparkle

“This place looks nice,” the transformed Alicorn remarked, violet eyes taking in the various buildings and structures surrounding her and her guide, noting the fountain that she had seen last night reflecting the sun in its clear, shimmering surface. “What is it called again?”

“Castle Town,” Impa answered. “It’s been completed but a short time ago, so everyone is still getting somewhat accommodated,” she informed Twilight. “Although, those that live here either can afford to, or run a business that’s critical for everyone else,” she continued. “The only exception is the Ranch outside here and by Kakariko.”

“Kakriko?” Spike questioned.

Impa raised a brow. “You taught this little one to speak?” she questioned Twilight. “I wasn’t aware dragons could learn the common tongue.”

“What? Of course, dragons can talk!” Spike protested. “There’s an entire region filled with dragons that can do it too!”

“Is that so?” Impa questioned. “Then your land of Equestria is quite different from ours. Dragons do no such thing here.”

The purple drake was puzzled. “They don’t?”

“Far from it,” the older woman answered. “There was actually an incident sometime before I was born where a dragon requested that the Princess of this land be given to it as a sacrifice.”

Both dragon and transformed Alicorn stopped in their tracks upon hearing this. “Wait,” the young woman stammered. “...what?”

“But that’s ancient history by this point,” Impa mentioned. “If you want more information about such things, you can find them in the Castle Library.”

“Library?” Twilight inquired, almost childishly excited. “Y-Yes, of course! Sorry to take up your time, I’ll just research later. Oh, if I may, Miss Impa.”

“...Impa shall do,” the older woman answered. “Now, shall we?”

The three continued on, the town just becoming active as the sight of the Castle soon became discernable in the distance.

Rainbow Dash

Whether she wanted to or not, it seemed that the transformed pegasus had no choice but to see the King of these women, having been led out of the small hut she had been in and out into what appeared to be an abandoned, deserted city in the middle of a barren wasteland.

“We’ve been advised to treat you lightly due to your injuries,” the woman in red informed Rainbow. “However, if you lag behind, we will force you to catch up.”

“Don’t worry about me,” Rainbow Dash assured her. “Uh, I don’t think I caught your name, Miss…?”

“Aveil,” the woman in red answered. “Although we don’t have time for introductions at the moment. For the time being, you’ve been summoned, and thus, your appearance before the King is the utmost precedent.”

“All right then, Aveil,” Dash replied. “Just why has your King summoned me or whatever?”

“Good question,” Aveil confessed. “Personally, I wouldn’t have bothered to pull you out of the lake in the first place.”

The rainbow-haired woman did a double take. “...I’m sorry, what?”

“That was Nabooru’s idea,” Aveil chuckled. “It wasn’t until we saw what you were that our King even bothered to allow you to be brought back here.”

“Nabooru?” Rainbow asked, turning to the woman in purple that was forcing her along from behind, Aveil walking in front of the three.

“Oh no, this is just some nameless guard,” the woman in red said with a dismissive wave. “Nabooru is with our Lord. Although, I would perhaps consider thanking her as well, considering she was the one that ultimately convinced the King to see you.”

“You’re so compassionate,” Rainbow answered with a roll of her eyes. Still, one thing perplexed her. “You said something about seeing what I was. What do you mean?”

“Hm? What do YOU mean?” Aveil redirected the question. “You mean to say you don’t know what you are?”

“...a human?” Dash asked.

“Not exactly,” Aveil said. “But it looks like you’ll have your questions answered soon,” she then gestured ahead, a towering, grand fortress of aged brick before them. “The King awaits you inside.”

Pinkie Pie

The pink-haired girl tilted her head. “Kokiri?”

“Yeah, Kokiri,” the green-haired girl responded. “Like, you know, a child of the Great Deku Tree?”

Pinkie was still unsure of what she meant. “Great Deku Tree,” she thought aloud. “Uh, they wouldn’t happen to have a scary face that can show up in various places at once, would they?”

The other girl was now the confused one. “Um, no,” she answered. “The Great Deku Tree is nothing like that,” she said. “If anything, he’s probably the one that can best answer your questions, if you have any.”

“Oh really?” Pinkie asked, growing a little more optimistic. “Well, if that’s the case, where is he?”

“Back in the Kokiri Forest, where I live,” the girl with green hair responded. “Although, if you’re a Kokiri, you should be there too,” she then began to examine her, as if she were some strange new specimen or animal. “Maybe you’re just a new one.”

“New one?” Pinkie Pie inquired.

“Still, if you are, then your seed landed rather far from where the others did,” the other girl mentioned. “Regardless, we should probably get you to the Great Deku Tree,” she took her hand, beginning to lead her through the dense woodland. “By the way, if you’re a Kokiri, then we should probably get to know each other,” she said. “My name is Saria. Yours?”

“Pinkie Pie,” Pinkie responded. “Of course, it’s short more for Pinkamena Diane Pie, but that’s a little long for ponies to say.”

Saria stopped in her tracks. “Ponies?” she asked. “What’s that?”

The pink-haired girl paused, wondering if perhaps that little slip would be causing her trouble. “Uh…yeah. It’s what I, I mean, what I’ve…seen, before I came here. In these woods.” she fibbed. Applejack would perhaps be a little disappointed, yet sometimes white lies were a necessary evil.

“Really?” Saria questioned, thinking on this for a moment. “Maybe some creatures from the outside are actually coming into the Lost Woods,” she mused aloud. “Either way, it’s not good for us to stay out here too long. This place can get a little peculiar if you go too far in.”

Rainbow Dash

While it was somewhat relieving to be free from the harsh heat of the sun beating down on her flesh, the interior of this fortress left much to be desired in the eyes of the brash former pegasus. An interior designer she was not, yet the furniture and decor were indicative of limited materials, having mostly been composed of ropes and colored feathers along with any other fabric that could be used in whatever twisted collage that hung on the wall.

Not to mention the sight of several animal skulls being proudly displayed brought a sickening sensation to her stomach, although she tried to conceal her disgust from her captors. If Fluttershy were here, she would probably flip, Rainbow thought, thoughts dwelling then on the yellow pegasus.

Her friend.

“All right, enough lollygagging,” Aveil said, gesturing for the guard to push Rainbow Dash forward. “The King is waiting.”

With little else she could do, and being robbed of her precious wings, the transformed pegasus continued walking through the winding corridors of the building, all the while letting her mind wander.

Wander to a place far from here, where the sun was a comfort instead of a burden, and the environment was inviting and homely. Where there were others like her that weren’t driven by such hostility.

A place where six familiar faces resided, and now were ripped away.

“Guys…” Rainbow muttered under her breath. “Where are you?”

Twilight Sparkle

There it was, the Castle.

Or, at least, a Castle. True, if she had to be honest, this Castle Town was no Canterlot, yet it was pleasant enough to where it could fit in as something of a Ponyville for the people here. The structure in itself was a brilliant ivory with blue rooftops that came to a pointed head, surrounded by lush greenery and flora that, while plentiful, felt a little more maintained than that of the Everfree Forest.

“Halt!” A guard called out, resembling the two men stationed at the gate last night. “Who goes there?”

“Relax, soldier,” the older woman assured him. “I’m here with our dear Princess’ new teacher.”

“Hm?” he then noticed Twilight and Spike. “Ah, they already came?” he examined them more closely. “And they have a dragon for a pet?”

“Hey, I’m not a dog, you know!” Spike protested.

“It talks too?” the soldier questioned. “Now that must be magic!” his eyes then turned to Twilight herself. “Where do you hail from, my lady?”

“Equestria, sir,” Twilight answered. “It’s…quite distant from here.”

“Equestria,” the soldier pondered this name aloud. “Is your land known for its horses?”

“Um, you could say that,” Twilight replied, not entirely sure of what else to say. “They’re our pride and joy, after all!”

Impa chuckled. “Is that so?” she questioned. “If that’s the case, then perhaps you should visit the Ranch outside of Castle Town. It’s where all of our steeds were bred.”

“Steeds?” Twilight asked. “You mean…you ride them?”

“What else are the beasts for?” Impa inquired. “It’s not as if they can make conversation.”

Both Twilight and Spike exchanged a knowing glance with each other.

“Yet we are wasting time here. So, if you may, my good man,” the older woman requested the soldier to open the gate.

“Yes, of course, Lady Impa.” he responded.

With that, the bars parted, allowing for the three to access the area beyond, crossing over to a small bend where a tiny field of fertile green grass and plentiful flowers of pale yellow.

“Marigolds,” Twilight observed as she followed Impa along the path. “So, this place has some things in common with home after all.”

Pinkie Pie

“So, you’re a Kokiri?” Pinkie asked.

“That’s right,” Saria answered.

“And…so am I?” Pinkie inquired.

“Yes,” the green-haired girl responded. “At least, you look like one of us.”

“Us?”

“Yeah, didn’t you know?” Saria asked. “There’s more than just me,” she said. “We have a whole settlement where we live.”

“A settlement?” Pinkie thought about this. “So…has anyone else come through recently?” she questioned.

Saria pondered this. “From what I’m aware, no,” she shrugged. “But, still, I am curious about something.”

“Oh yeah? What’s that?” the pink-haired girl asked.

“Well, not to be rude, but…” Saria began, shifting a little in her position. “If you’re a Kokiri, then where is your fairy?”

Pinkie raised a brow. “Fairy?” she questioned. “Is that like a Breezy?”

“Breezy?” Saria asked. “Like the wind?”

“Well, no. That would be Windigos, I think.”

“Windigos?”

Pinkie parted her lips, about to speak, yet a voice shouting from afar caught both their attention.

“Saria?! Saria?!”

The green-haired girl turned her head. “What the…?”

“Saria!!!”

A small, glowing orb of green tore through the leaves of the bushes surrounding the two girls, kept airborne by a pair of insect-like wings affixed to their back. The glowing creature saw the two and immediately flew over to the one in front, clearly more than a little frazzled.

“Saria, there you are!” the fluttering thing shouted, flying close. “Where have you been?! We’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

Saria sighed. “Sorry, Compa,” she apologized. “But the Great Deku Tree said that she was still out here and possibly in danger. Besides, it’s not my fault you overslept.”

“Yeah, because I was watching over you!” the winged creature argued back. “Still, I’m glad you’re safe. But what do you mean the Great Deku Tree said…” they paused, noticing the other girl never seen before. “Oh, who are you?” they asked.

“Pinkie. You?”

“Compa,” the smaller being answered. “Saria’s guardian fairy.”

“Oh, so you’re a fairy,” Pinkie observed. “Hm…you’re not too far from a Breezy, to be honest.”

“Breezy?” the fairy asked.

Pinkie was about to answer, yet stopped upon hearing shifting in the bushes, everyone pausing and growing still.

Something or someone was coming.

Author's Note

Vacationing soon, so I'm trying to get various projects updated.