I see three peaks,

One for Hell. One for Heaven. One for Grand Mystery...

In Hell three lakes:

Of burning tar. Of vermin and of ice – all brimming with sinners.

And Devils, larger than Daemons, with horns made of fire!

Then I see Heaven on the second Mountain...

City of gold and honey, with saints...

All joyful, and towering in their glory.

Then I see, two priors and innocent youth,

Snatched, suddenly...from amidst their host by flying devils,

And carried to Hell...

While Uzza, one of four guardians. And Angels...pay no heed to this rape...

Aeons go past, and the plagues, get unleashed.

City of Good...is under siege...

Black Moses...is my name.

And these are visions,

From Egypt's guardian Seraph.

-Vader, Revelation of Black Moses


CRIES OF FLUTTERSHY

Pain coursed his side, the presence of bruises and cuts, rather large ones, infected his body where his armor did not protect him. He felt lifeless, almost entirely numb to the touch, and his senses were drastically low, but not low enough to silence his injuries. He had never felt so tired in all his time in existence. All that was desired of the king right now was sleeping for a month or two, there was no will in him to even flop over to a more comfortable position.

His left arm was worse off, it felt like something had grabbed it and shook him about like a rag doll with it. Link tried to move it, but it barely complied.

Link used what he had to open his eye lids, which had never been so heavy before. From what detail he could make out from his blurring, drunken like stupor, he was lying in the middle of some black void where the cold wind seemed to be the only sign of life. But it didn't feel like natural wind, not of winter cold or of Mother Nature. It felt hideous and evil, inconceivable and malicious.

'Where am I?'

There must have been a thousand or so souls in this void, it was like a pit in Hell for the mind itself. He could hear them spiritually crying, moaning, and shuffling on. Like a mob of ReDeads.

He wore nothing but his clothing and armor, everything else did not exist here. All of his gear, sword and shield, was missing. Link groaned, placing his more compliant right hand up against his temple.

Gradually as his strength and ability to use his left arm returned, he rose to his feet. The air about was still frightfully cold, and it smelled rancid. As if the decay of countries were in procession.

Suddenly, the thousand or so souls seemed to turn their sorrowful and hateful gazes upon him. Though he could not see them, he felt their presence. The heavy feeling of burning hatred for him weighed on his shoulders. He was not welcome here.

"Oh ye hero of eternity untold...Bear thee witness to reason of thy torture. Know now why thou shall suffer fate's cruelest grip. For ye, dark king, possess no right to invade our dark domains..."

The voices of the darkness, powered by the countless presences, whispered eerily to him. The sense of threat was high here, but no attack would be made.

Visions began to penetrate his mind, and he felt as if needles were being thrust upon his head. Link growled at this sign of force, before the pain began to grow as the visions grew vivid. Before he could try to retaliate by any means available, he was on his knees, roaring his discomfort.


In a world of eternal shadow, where the night had conquered the day and the sun was as pale and dim as the moon; a dark empire ruled here. The shadows of the people hid in the darkness, calling to the spirits lost in the Netherworlds to guide them amongst the starry Reich of their lives.

In the fields of red, a dark army as vast as the eye could see in disciplined ranks and grand formation, marched their endless steady march. All spears cutting the bloody skies as they moved, their shields drenched in demon blood to ward of the enemies of Kingdom. All light threatened by the dark flags carried by the bearers. The soldiers showed faces grim and hidden beneath thick helmets with eyes soulless and adversed of free will and evil minds. They sung a war song of waiting, of times of new orders rising, of eons where the evil king was smashed, ruined and splintered at the mighty hands of Sheikan king, Link Nohansen Hyrule.

From afar, atop a mighty black marble castle reaching beyond the clouds on the top of a dark mountain, standing in the balcony of a throne room, a man clad in black draconian armor bearing the divine trinity symbol on his chestplate, watched his army march...waiting...protecting...

Upon his head rested the crown of Darkness, worn only by the Emperor's of the Sheikan heritage. Like his armor, it was black with gray bolts, crude in appearance and had one standing spire with horn like wings of black ivory. His deep, ghostly white eyes, a curse from his crusades, analyzed all corners of the massive force.

His enemy was since driven back, but he knew, in time, they would return. So for now, he would patiently await the next war. The armor is ready, the weapons are sharp, the soldiers are fit, the fortresses are built, and the generals are fresh from battle and full of experience. At the snap of his fingers, they would kill all in his path.

The king smiled a dark smile. His vengeance was yet to be completed. He was counting on the enemy's retaliation. He was ready for it.

A dark, menacingly ominous chuckle erupted from his throat, his voice deep and growling. This time, there wont be another Shadow War, there wont be a fall back, there wont be an evil king...

Vengeance, would be his.


Link grunted in defiance of the pain, but he couldn't help it. He was powerless to resist the images unraveling in his mind's eye.


Strong winds billowed about, leaves whirled in small torrential waves of gusts, littering the cobblestones of a beautiful mountainside castle city. Equine figures pranced to and fro, each with an errand to run, or a date to keep. The sun was high and the day was warming, spring had come and the flowers grew wildly about, and the city smelt of pine and rose.

The citizens seemed to live in bliss, not touched by the darker side of reality at all. They lived as if the city was paradise.

High atop the towering towers of the grand castle, an Alicorn watched humbly as the pony folk scurried about, untouched by trouble. Peace was reigning in the land for the longest time since the crowning of the dual thrones.

The white Alicorn's aura like mane flowed like that of a river, rainbow in color and soft to the touch. Upon her flank, the symbol of a sun glowed in the day light. Her Han purple eyes soft and gentle, rested on the horizon.

"Princess Celestia, please pay attention..."

A voice spoke to her left, sounding slightly agitated with the princess. She let out a silent, and unnoticeable sigh, turning to meet the royal counsel. Several other ponies stared back at her, some neutral, some pitying her, others aggravated by her lack of attention.

What more could they ask of her? She had ruled a thousand years and longer, each and every day raising the moon and setting the sun. She was chained to the throne, watching the kingdom prosper and keeping the days in natural motion with her powerful magic. She never had time to herself to enjoy the small things in life.

But if she didn't take to her responsibilities again soon, there may never be a chance to.

"Do continue, Trixie," Princess Celestia acknowledged. The aforementioned azure unicorn stood from her chair, giving a spiteful glare to the noble who insisted she speak to the princess before she was ready. She had been Celestia's wandering knight before her time in a small town where she was bested by another unicorn. All under orders of the princess to test the friendship bond of her chosen, under the image of a boastful magician. A trial that proved successful.

Trixie cleared her throat, her blue star-filled cape hiding most of her golden armor as she stood higher.

"The outer kingdoms are all growing uneasy. The new leaders are corrupt and lustful to gain more power for themselves. Their citizens support them as well. Talk of war in favor of expanding their boundaries run rampant across the lands and Equestria is the center of the bulls-eye,"

Another unicorn stood from his spot.

"Such treason! We should act immediately, we must send our finest stallions!"

A round of cheers greeted the call for war.

Princess Celestia stood, a disapproving look upon her equine face.

"No. I will send emissaries to see that Equestria is safe from the growing threat of-"

"But princess, other nations such as Equine Kingdom, Irefoal, Poligon, and Fillypan have already tried...the royal visors were the first casualties of this world-wide war," Trixie interrupted.

Princess Celestia's eyes widened, that didn't sound like the allies she had a month ago, not at all. What could of possibly of happened to them all to become so murderous? Did they too feel threatened by the other growing nations? War had not existed in generations, not since Nightmare Moon was defeated. Surrendering the hope of avoiding this danger, Celestia lowered her head.

"Is there no pony else we can turn to?" She asked.

Trixie shook her head.


Princess Celestia paced back and forth in her chambers, thinking deeply of the solution. She could send her six chosen, but by the descriptions Trixie gave her, that would be foolish. She herself could try, but doubt kept her from trying. The foreign nations had indeed grown unruly and hostile.

Many palace visitors spoke of relatives being held as prisoners of war. But what war? She had never issued any order to her royal troops.

They must've grown paranoid of the other war mongering nations, for they wouldn't have any other reason to arrest traveling ponies without call for threat. Celestia felt saddened by this change in the world. Peace was never more prominent until her rule, and now it was crashing down around her. All her hard work to forge impenetrable alliances were wasted.

Another mare, Alicorn is type with a dark nightly blue mane and coat entered the room. Her mane was aura like, much like Celestia's.

"Sister?"

Princess Celestia stopped, turning her depressive gaze to her younger sibling, the princess of the night. She seemed to wait for Celestia's answer to the situation, one the princess felt was the highest risk, but now necessary.

On any other given day where the kingdom was threatened, she would increase the defenses around the land, but with the world turning on itself, her soldiers wouldn't last long in a full-fledged attack by multiple nations. And she would not risk the lives of those who proudly defended their nation at her behest.

"Luna, I think we need to open the portal..."

Princess Luna lowered her head too. The portal had not been opened since before their birth, for the previous rulers felt contact with outer lying dimensions was not safe for their citizens.

The princess stood in what looked like a cave with many stalagmites, many having disintegrated in the middle, leaving sharp points on each side. Celestia walked softly in, keeping a wary eye on her surroundings. It had been more than a thousand years since this cave was intruded by anyone, at least to her knowledge.

Ancient and powerful runes were carved into the stone walls, some primal paintings of ponies also graced with Old Age décor. Altars sculpted from the marble floor stood at several points in the timeless cave. Many things happened here, things that history failed to record, tales the future generations were forbidden to know of.

It was considered a great insult to the ancient rulers of Equestria to step foot in these caves without consent of the Grand Mystery and her eternal knowledge of all things that are, that were, and that will come to pass.

But this must be done. She would not let her kingdom fall and her people suffer in favor of an old fairy tale.

Strapped to her side, was a dusty old book taken from the largest wing of the royal library. The cover read "Dimensional Occult and Supernatural Summoning", by Starswirl the Bearded. It was deemed the proper spell book to revive a mighty warrior unto this world as an ally. It was just a risk of finding the right coordinates to locate a helpful, benevolent soul who would partake and answer a plea for help.

Celestia took a deep sigh, activating her horn and lifting the book she was steadily growing fearful of using.

She came upon an altar written with ancient symbols indicating a summoning ritual of sorts. Placing the book down, she flipped it open with a gust of her left wing, her eyes sharply reading every word on every page as she searched for the proper locator and summoning spell. Secretly, she hoped against fate to find a spell specifically to summon a knight who could be trusted, but such hope was naïve of the princess.

Finally, she stopped on a page showing a symbol of a circle with many crosses. It brought her great fear and hesitation to perform the ritual, but it must be done.

Fetching a chalk piece enchanted by herself for magical properties from her pouch, Celestia copied the symbol's sharp and ominous design in a clearing on the floor.

Princess Luna stepped up behind her, having followed her sister to the cave. She would need her help for the ritual, one could not rip open a portal to a realm between realities and dimensions without balancing Light and Darkness.

Celestia turned to see her sister there, waiting to read her lines from the book. She smiled at Luna, glad to know her younger sibling was willing to help her in something so dangerous. Luna returned her smile with a wink of encouragement, all the while helping draw the circle's dark spots with a black chalk piece to represent the balance of Darkness.

Luna read her lines from the book, as Celestia put the final touches on the symbol. When both were finished, they stood on opposite sides of the circle, facing each other. Nodding their heads, they closed their eyes and concentrated on the incantations within the spell. Focusing on powerful magic in the longest stretches of their conscious, their horns began glowing their element.

As their horns charged, the night began to fall quickly. Ancient shadows moved around the cave, dancing in the light of the dual princesses' growing power. Lightning struck outside, cleaving a gnarled old oak right down the middle. The wind stirred, bringing leaves to life and sending them into flight.

Celestia's concentration reached new levels as a faint glimmer began to resonate in the circle, showing the spell was taking its intended effect. Her mind created a message to send throughout the other worlds, hoping one would call back in the darkness.

A large black ball had formed over the symbol within the princesses' circle. Lightning energy cackled about, striking some of the stalagmites and breaking them off. The energy being poured into the ball was growing stronger.

Celestia released her message, allowing it to channel through her horn's magic and into the black void.


The dark king sat upon his throne, one fist holding his head up as he watched the moon rise to the heavens above from his throne room. The dimly lit halls of the Black Fortress were silent, the troops all standing guard in the halls and the servants bustling by, but none interrupted the king's thoughts.

Suits of armor lined the walls in disciplined ranks, all standing on stands with many battle damage to show their worth, the plaques at their feet telling the history of wars long forgotten by the Sheikah. Many torches were lit, but it didn't stop the eternal cold and the absorbing darkness from stealing the warmth and shunning light.

Swords and shields hung from the walls, all still sharp, but obviously worn. A symbol of three triangles forming a bigger triangle was painted behind the mounts, a symbol of the Hylian and Sheikan race's coexistence.

Outside the castle walls, many troops marched in and out, all being moved throughout the land to keep security tight and the risks low. Archers lined the battlements with spears and javelins as secondary ammo, troops patrolled the gates and commanders shouted orders back and forth as they marched. The rhythmic sound of the steel boots stomping on the marble and the dirt was music to the king's ears. Such a gift to him from his enemy, a gift that will prove the evil overlord's downfall.

Behind him stood the eight daughters he created with his new found power to rule his army in his absence. They too were silent, busily analyzing the world maps of the enemy's kingdom and planning their own entries for their regiments.

He placed a very nightmarish helm on his head, it's visor covered his mouth entirely, and left a very narrow line of sight. He could feel himself immediately imbued with endless energy from the accursed thousands residing in the helm's unholy and ancient metal. His left eye grew brighter, whilst his right dimmed to total black, like a Valentia and a shroud of shadow seemed to pull at any little light in the throne room. It was pitch black in color, bearing a brush on the top with black horse hair and seven spikes, three on the left and right, and a single one in the center pointing forward.

In Link's hand was a fistful of auburn hair, his nemesis' from the last time they fought.

The trail was proving difficult to trace, likely the evil king was hiding himself with his witch's magic. Even with the Black Eye, his sight was limited.

*Help...*

Link's eyes shot open, his hand dropping the hair and ripping the Master Sword from its resting place next to his arm rest, and his free hand removing the Black Eye from his head. The generals became alert at the king's sudden reaction, all drawing their weapons and surrounding him like bodyguards.

The king's eyes searched the roof of his castle for the voice, it didn't sound as if it was of this world physically.

The generals whispered to themselves, wandering if they should call for the troops or if the king was just having a vision. Whatever the case, they didn't leave their formation that encircled him. Link's white eyes continued to search, the voice had disappeared now, but such rare occurrences like that never go without reason in this world. For in this world, nothing was by mistake.

And that voice certainly implied no foul play.

He reached out with his mind, using his will to tap into the magic used by that message. He could feel the faint threads of a foreign power, one he never sensed before in his numerous conquests through the Dark World. It was strange, filled with light, making him picture a beautiful realm with scenery such as lush, green grass and healthy trees that welcomed him. It was other worldly...

It was benevolent. Very pure, no taint, and no imbalance of Light or Dark. The threads he held in his mind depicted a cave of marble and rune, a towering castle of shining stone, and a world of life where love and kindness prevailed.

This could not be of this world. This was definitely something from beyond the stars of Nayru-

*Help us...*

It called again, breaking his hold of the threads and causing him to flinch in surprise.

"...Milord?" One of his generals whispered.

Link looked just a bit longer, tracing the signals he was receiving from that voice. He detected the hints of hesitation and doubt in the voice. Sensing emotions in these signals meant the energy behind the call was very prominent and recent, also that a lot of magic was being used to ignite the spell.

The king raised his hand, signaling the generals to leave. Although hesitant to leave, they nodded and made themselves scarce. With the great oak doors leading to his throne room closed, Link focused his own magic to try and respond to the signal.

His conscious forgot the world around him, he was now standing in a black void within his mind. He looked up, searching for a figure, but he saw no one.

"Ye who calls forth from the dark, reveal thou self to me."

His dark voice called into the infinite abyssal void. For a time, his call was met with total silence, obscured of any reply. Then, he felt a slight tingle, a possible sign that the joint entity was trying to enter the void.

Something soft brushed against the mental chains surrounding his grasp of this connection, something akin to rose pedals. It smelt of sunflowers suddenly, where as he smelt of blood and death.

"Greetings. My name is Celestia, princess of Equestria."

"Greetings, Celestia...Why do you call into this domain?"

"My country is threatened by powerful foes, and I seek an ally to help me defend my subjects..."

Link raised an eyebrow at the shadows, whatever it was that called to him managed to remain hidden from his gaze. But this was a most unusual request, especially from another world. The last time he involved himself in the affairs of another realm, he was betrayed, killed and reborn in flames against his will as the king of Darkness.

He had plenty cause to deny this request. But somehow...he didn't have the heart to. It was his only one weakness left, his hidden kindness that he tried to hide from the living. To make matters worse, there was no trace of deception in the gentle voice. All was as told, this was purely a request for assistance from one ruler to another.

"Before I decide, I would like to see whom I am speaking with."

It was a simple enough request, and one this Celestia owed him at least.

"...I apologize...but I can not find the energy lane to incarnate my image unto this plane... I am, unfortunately, unfamiliar with your world's sentient structural design."

Link hummed to himself in thought, not being able to see the other was the next best thing to luring someone unwise into a trap. But again, there was no hint of lie in this voice or the presence he felt.

Link lowered his head in thought. His people were still at war with the evil king, but he knew that any chance of the war picking back up anytime soon was very slim to nonexistent. He still had responsibilities to tend to, but he could leave the Sheikan queen to attend to those and the spawns of his ritualistic doings could control the Dark Army.

As much as he wanted to say no, just so he could keep an eye on the evil king, the last remaining side of his old self compelled him to accept. There was no way around this, he could not deny this soul her request. He never would have been, even if he spent another thousand years in misery, locked in his fortress while the enemy laid waste to his kingdom.

Link sighed in defeat.

"Very well... Open a portal to your world, and I shall answer your request in person."

The emotions from the other entity picked up, there seemed to be a glee he had not felt in a long, long time.

'I hope I don't regret this...'


A cold wind billowed around the dark forest, the ancient and gnarled trees bore the faces of souls sent to suffer eternal damnation for their sins. The moans of the bark, and the rustle of the leaves proved to be more eerie to the woodlands than the king could think was possible.

Then again, he hadn't stepped foot in here for a millennium. His memory of this place and what it was capable of was very blurred.

But he remembered enough to find the spot that this Celestia had described during their conversation in the void. He could feel the energy of the portal pull him to the spot that would take him to her world, like a hound, he tracked it by the scent of the benevolent magic it harvested to rip through the dimensions. He heaved a breathe, smelling that sunflower scent. He knew he was getting close, for now the smell of vanilla pervaded through the area, sharp as a knife.

A hum nearby caught his ears as he rode upon the black war stallion, clad in armor closely resembling his. The steady trot of his beast echoed on the rocky trail throughout the pitch black wood. The king's senses were on high alert, these trees were guarded by powerful spirits who didn't take kindly to otherworldly forces. Namely him, for he was not originally from the Dark World.

They wouldn't be too happy to feel such bright, enigmatic aura flowing around their bark. The chance of their agitation was only increased by his presence, no matter his destine position in the chain of this grand picture painted by the gods.

The king's large war stallion neighed as he too felt the strange power. The beast's crimson red eyes cautiously scanned about as he snorted and lobbed his head up and down to show his anxiety. Link gave the big horse's neck a few pats to ease his tension, hoping he wouldn't try to buck him.

At last, in a small clearing where very little of the moonlight reached, a large dimensional rip rumbled unsteadily, barely just keeping itself from going haywire and dispersing. Link brought his stead to a halt, the beast giving him a grunt at the sudden pull of the reigns.

Dismounting with a heavy thud and clink of his armor against his equipment, Link analyzed the portal. It looked very strange, compared to the ones he was used to. This one seemed to be the total opposite of the world he stood in, showing a scenery of green grassy fields and tall, lovely mountains. It was so bright, he almost had to shield his eyes from the scenery.

He turned to his horse, giving it a pat on the maw. And to ensure he cause no panic to the people of this new world, he pulled a large, black cloak with a low hood from the saddle bag. Dousing his armored figure, and pulling his hood over his head, he made sure his face was hidden.

"Go home." He commanded. The stallion gave no objection, turning around and slowly walking out with his head low, relieved of the pressure caused by the reigns.

With his ride gone, Link approached the portal. He eyed it cautiously, still wondering if this was some trick of the evil king's, he had been fooled before. The smell of clean, crystal air and the lush green grass beckoned him on. It was so enticing, like a seduction from a mistress and it was hard to resist taking in another breathe of this beautiful world's heavenly atmosphere.

With a final sigh, Link placed his right hand through the portal. It was warm on the other side, very welcoming indeed. Seeing that nothing bad had happened yet, he placed his left through the rip and finally pushed his whole body through.

As his existence was shredded by time and space, his vision watched a spiraling black tornado suck him closer and closer until the scenery changed drastically.


Link tried to stand, he remembered this all. It was his first time entering Equestria, but the point the shadow was trying to convey to him had yet to dawn on him. Was it angered just because he arrived in this realm? He pushed himself back up to a vertical base, coping with the pain in his head as he watched.


The runic carvings of the cave remained dim for a time, the princesses could not make out what was on the other side of the rift they had cut with the power of their horns. The world beyond theirs seemed black, and it reeked of an odor they had never smelled before. It did not bring them any comfort, but this only confirm what Celestia had predicted during her discussion with the strong voiced entity in that connection. She had chosen a world of strong warriors who live on the battlefield and die in the war zone.

She just hoped that whoever this warrior was, he could be trusted enough to walk among her pony folk.

The elder princess couldn't help but feel a little fearful. Although, she truly feared nothing but the well being of her ponies, she couldn't help but be mortified by the unknown. All her life she knew what would happen, what to expect, but these situations always brought her fear. The time Luna was consumed by the evil of Nightmare Moon was the first time, Discord's attempts to overthrow the kingdom was the second, and now, the arrival of this Link was her third.

Though she felt no evil in him, it was still clear he was surrounded in a deep shadow of mystery. And his voice...she could of sworn was the equivalent of something that crawled right out of Tartarus.

The aura from the rip grew dark and menacing, something dangerous was approaching and fast. The two shared a look before bracing themselves for the visiting force. Whatever came through that portal, they were ready to fend it off should it become a threat.

Energy tendrils spiraled about, like electrical waves in a turbulent sea. A whirlpool of wind surrounded the rip, opening the connection to full strength and seemingly sucking in something from the other world. The energy ball blackened, bringing an uneasy feeling in the dual princesses as they watched a black form piece together in the center of the chaotic gateway.

The clinking of metal armor was heard as this hidden silhouette spawned forth from the portal in the opposite end of the circle, away from the two princesses. They could faintly make out a hilt sticking up from the figure's left shoulder, likely his weapon. He seemed to be kneeling down, as if this alien had just landed from a long fall.

Slowly the portal dispersed on itself, sealing the new life form in Equestria. A black cloak with no real decoration or character of any kind covered his form, and the secrecy and mysteriousness of the entity sent chills down Celestia's spine. Luna however, did not seem intimidated by the darkness flowing from the supposed "Link".

They made no attempt to speak, desiring to see what he would do first.

Link stood up slowly, feeling a little sore as it had been a very long time since he traveled in that fashion. He snapped his neck to the side to help alleviate the pain, viewing the cave around him from the narrow vision provided by the low hood covering his head.

Usually when he entered a new dimension, the atmosphere of the world would try to affect him in some way, so he waited patiently for his body to give some kind of transformation. After a while, nothing happened.

'Strange...'

Seeing the wind rustle some dust at his armored boots brought his curiosity out. Bending down again, he passed his gloved hand across the floor and analyzed the particles sticking to the fabric. Passing his fingers through it confirmed that it was not so different from his realm.

Wiping his hands clean with patting motions, Link stood back up and approached the wall, his eyes peered curiously at the hieroglyphs, a sudden fascination for the meanings behind the drawings manifested in him. But he did not come here for a history lesson, much to his changrin...

Repeating his previous action with the dust on the floor, Link felt the walls and noticed that the stone in this world was no different either.

Deciding that enough evidence of the similarities between his world and Equestria had been presented to safely assume the only adjusting needed was to fit in with the realm's inhabitants, Link turned to face a table with a set of books sitting about, opened and unattended. Water dripped from the rocky cavern walls, revealing to him that he stood in a mountain somewhere.

Ignoring the books and the intricate writings and symbols, Link dipped his index finger into a puddle and placed it into his mouth.

It seemed safe, no taste and no smell.

"Hmph." Now he wondered where his otherworldly friend was.


Link opened his eyes, glaring at the shadows around him. This was definitely why he was sentenced to suffer, this is why Fluttershy is to suffer at the hands of this alternative reality. He knew he was in the wrong universe, the world he was in now was not the same world that Celestia summoned him to.

It was clear to him. The shadowy deity was angry at his trespassing, it was jealous of his presence. Why, eluded the king.

"You would send an entire world to a future of pain and death to sate your own hatred for me? How pathetic..." Link spoke out, his voice strained by the needle-like feeling in his head.

"Silence thou tongue, blasphemous one...behold further the tale of thy sin."


Waiting was out of the question in his mind, he must seek Celestia out and learn more of this threat. Perhaps he could help lead her troops, rather than bring any of his here? He would rather have the former, this world reminded him of Hyrule, and he did not want to stain it with the shadows and horrors of the Dark World and Kingdom.

He turned around and immediately spotted an Alicorn, staring intently at him. At first, he was startled by the presence, and astonished that he had not been warned by the power lurking deep within him, courtesy of the evil king. That had to mean something, but he was too surprised to process that. He gazed long and silently at this pony, taking in her celestial white mane, the sun symbol on her flank, and the strange auraish mane with the colors of the fabled Northern Lights surrounding her.

'A pony. ...How intriguing.' Link stifled a chuckle. He couldn't believe he had been so careless to not notice a pony standing behind him. Another one stepped into his view, this one deep shadowy blue in color with the same odd aura-like mane only it looked as if he was staring into a window that led to the stars.

'Two ponies? This can't get any more interesting.'

Something compelled him to speak, though he didn't know why. It wasn't as if these ponies would understand him.

"Where's your riders, hm?" He presumed he would receive no answer, but he was wrong.

"I beg your pardon?" The white mare spoke whist tilting her head to the side slightly, sounding confused.

Link stared for a moment, showing no sign of reaction. He shook his head, thinking he was hallucinating. There was no way a pony could talk, no way in Din's name.

The other mare let out a bout of giggles as she stepped up.

"I do believe our guest is shocked, dear sister."

Again, Link stayed silent, processing the phenomenon unraveling before him. The two sisters sat down before him, the bright one with a small welcoming smile and the dark one showing an amused grin.

'I must be going insane...'

Link scratched his head in thought. He was in a new universe separate from his own, perhaps the dominate intelligent species happened to be ponies? Made more sense to him than Tingle's disturbingly obsessive fascination with the fairies did. He shuddered at the memories...

"Forgive me, I was not aware of what shape the people of this world would take." Link apologized, feeling foolish and scolding himself.

The two sisters nodded in unison, accepting his apology.

"I am Princess Celestia; mare of the Sun and ruler of Day." Celestia greeted with a radiant smile and soft yet wise voice.

"And I, am Princess Luna; mare of the Moon and ruler of Night." Luna introduced, voice strong and firm with a smile of her own.

Link felt his eyebrow raise (though the dual rulers could not see due to his cloak), never would he expect the voice of Celestia to belong to an Alicorn, but he shouldn't feel surprised. Her voice matched her form, the resemblance was plain as the day she claimed to rule. And, if the rulers are ponies, he assumed their people were also ponies.

He made a mental note to not show surprise the next time a pony spoke to him, regardless if they could see it or not. In an attempt to cover his discomfort at the oddness about, he introduced himself.

"I, am King Link Nohansen Hyrule; lord of Kingdom..." Link gave a slight bow in proper greeting. He left out the fact he was the Emperor of Darkness, lest he be seen as a threat to this world of light. Normally he'd care less what any one creature of any race or place of birth would think...but he felt a rising desire to enjoy this place. And if hiding a part of his identity would ensure that, he was glad to sacrifice a bit of pride.

"Before we speak further, may I request you reveal yourself to us, good king?" Celestia politely asked, keeping her friendly demeanor in place.

Uh oh. Link feared this would come to light eventually. He could think of a few things that would happen if he lifted the hood from his face, one would be the loss of trust from his pony companions, and two would be the possibility of a fight to the death due to his seemingly evil appearance. It's hard to show loyalty to Good when one looks like the god of an evil race bent on war and spreading dark clouds and corrupting innocent minds. Once again, courtesy of the evil king.

'Curse that damned Gerudo...'

"Very well. But swear to me you will not jump to conclusions based on appearance."

The two mares shared a look, but nodded nonetheless.

"We believe in not judging a book by its cover. You need not worry, king Link." Luna assured, moving her hoof up and down in a gesturing motion. He didn't know why, but he felt he could trust them.

Slowly, Link reached up to grab the hood. Pulling it off his head, and letting it rest on his back, he opened his eyes and waited to be called a demon for his orbs had no visible pupils, they were veiled in white by the deep magic of the Dark World. It was a great factor when he intimidated a politician or ruler from another country during court, but it was also a curse that shied the living from his gaze.

A shame he did not want.

His heavy gaze pierced the two like a red hot iron piece through snow, both of the princesses merrily widened their eyes slightly at the sight.

He pulled the cloak off, revealing the dark armor that was thickly and bulky. The shoulder guards were roundish, and designed so that they protected his biceps and moved with his shoulders, they bore blue trimming with symbolic carvings. The chestplate was not shaped into a typical chestplate, but seemed like a disk that graded down at the edge, providing heavy protection to his heart, it was a deep blood crimson shade in color also bearing dark symbols. The abdominal end of the chestplate was black with blue trimming, wrapping around Link's form perfectly. His hip was protected by chaps as thick as his upper armor with blue triangles embedded within, and his boots were encased in the metal. They can see what looked to be a large, tetragon-shaped shield as black as the rest of his armor covered his backside hidden beneath the large billowing cape. He was truly fit for all-out war.

They also felt a strangely benevolent energy coming from the large sword sheathed beneath the shield. But there was taint in that energy, it was touched by darkness. That sensation made the dual rulers wary. Link lowered his head, waiting for their response.

"Well...You surely have surpassed my hopes." Celestia commented light-heartidly, attempting to lower his tension.

Link lifted his head up, a little confounded. Luna nodded in agreement.

"Yes, such a figure will surely bring hesitation to any enemy!"

The two rulers led the recloaked king down a long, lonely road littered with auburn leaves and lined with great oaks. The environment was peaceful, and the temperature was cool, but not unpleasantly cold. The wind kissed Link's cheeks with a gentle breeze, it played with Celestia and Luna's manes as well. The tree limbs fidgeted a bit against the invisible force of nature, showing defiance.

They had said that this road led to the capital of Equestria, Canterlot. It must have been that great silver castle shining in the distance as they left the cave earlier on.

According to Celestia, she was the ruling figure amidst her younger sister, but she needed the approval of the council before she can accept aid from a foreign power. Luna grumpily admitted that the council was comprised of stubborn, pompous and incompetent imbeciles who have long since been corrupted by the political ways of government. Alone, they would not be able to sway the council's mind, so they hoped the king could do so instead.

He had ways to get what he wanted from a stubborn fool in a position of power. Many would call those methods brutal and terrifying. At least for his target.

It would be a while before they arrived, and at Link's request, his presence was to be kept as much a secret from the citizens as was possible in the Alicorns' power. Although ignorant as to why, they agreed.

Link's main concern was not doing what his nemesis managed to do every time he entered another world, and that was burn it with his impurity. He wasn't fearful of this threat, he wasn't fearful of publicity, he just wanted to preserve innocents.

Mainly because he failed to preserve his own. It was a frightful experience to have your light taken from you, to be infested by an evil radiation. He didn't want anyone going through it. It was a fate not even the lowest scum deserved.

'Well, maybe.'

They exited the woodlands, coming up open a dirt road leading to the gates of the royal city, Canterlot. Wildlife ran rampantly about, scurrying to the sides in fear of the cloaked king. The dual princesses took note of this, the creatures felt something worth being fearful of, and that answered many of their own questions that had yet to be asked.


"Enough!" Link roared as it shook the images from his mind's eye.

All was still now, the piercing gazes of the shadows itself fixated on the angry, now mortal king of darkness who dared to interrupt the show.

"I've seen enough." Link claimed forcefully. He wanted to awaken from this so he can make sure that Fluttershy was alright. But this pointless theatrical movie of his arrival to his current predicament was only wasting his time and enraging him further than he already was.

"We have but one more vision to enlighten you with, oh pretentious one."

"No! No more images! Release me at once from this void, or I will unleash a fury that which has not been seen in all of Hell!"

Without giving him a reply, another force of images struck his conscious and forced their way into his mind's sight. Giving another roar in protest, but unable to break free this time, the king fell to his knees once more.


"It has been decided. I will raise ten thousand strong from my world and bring them here to fight for you, princesses of Equestria."

"Only ten thousand? ...It's less than half of what I had hoped...but I will take whatever you can give me, my liege."

Celestia nodded as she sighed. She really had hoped he could provide an entire military force of drones so that her people would not have to fight at all, but such a desire was unlikely and naïve. Still, it was ten thousand of her ponies she would not need to put at risk.

Link hummed to himself.

"My people are still at war with a ruler of evil. Ten thousand is a less than savory number for me as well, Celestia. But I can't risk revoking anymore than that. If I do, it is likely our lines will be weakened, and the enemy's victory would be easier to achieve. I am sorry."

"No no, we are grateful to have any help at all. Ten thousand should do nicely." Luna spoke up.

The council chamber's had since emptied upon their arrival, all untrusting of King Link and his mysterious presence. The only other soul left behind was the armor-clad knight, Trixie, who guarded the door.

"Trixie, bring me the world map." Celestia requested, receiving a nod from the azure pony knight. Her horn glowed with the mystical power it possessed and brought a map from a high shelf nearby to lay flat and cleanly on the long table before the three rulers.

Link examined the map from beneath the thin gap of his hood, reading the many names and different landscapes as Luna began pointing at Equestria with her hoof.

"This is Canterlot, and south of the royal city is a precious little town, Ponyville. Our Equestrian heroes reside here. They wield ancient and powerful artifacts that represent six elements, all forming Harmony: Kindness, Generosity, Loyalty, Magic, Honesty, and Laughter. Together, they form the most powerful force in our world's known history and future. If we can bring the six Elements of Harmony before our enemies, the war may be won by the power of Friendship."

"I beg your pardon?" He tried, but Celestia meerily smiled at him and repeated herself.

Link raised an eyebrow at it all. Wars were not won in his world through any of these six elements and certainly not through friendship. War in his world was won through: Blood, Massacres, Strategy, Armed Forces, Violence, and Ruthless Conquest. He can see now that this wasn't going to be easy for him to adapt to.

And, he was rather hoping he'd fight this war his way. For he only knew how to fight it in his own fashion. What was more simpler than to lead a great army to an enemy army, charge, kill, and claim victory through enemy subjugation or overthrowing their capital and leaders? They want him to escort these six "heroes" to the source of this disturbance so that they may unleash the power of Friendship?

This is going to be more harder than he thought...


He grunted as he fought the dark magic infesting his head with these redundant images of events only a few days old. But no matter how much he struggled, his will was nothing compared to this infinity. As if he was banished to a place where no will but the that of this entity could exist.

"Here, is thy moment to which we stopped from coming to pass... But came to be nonetheless due to thy connection with time itself... The sin of one named Link, and the justification of thy punishment."


Dark, ominous winds bellowed about the midnight hours of the night. The trees were dead, or dying due to the deathly radiation spewing forth from the gates of a fiery temple entrance. The king himself stood but meters from this accursed place, it reeked of wicked intent and devilish rule. This, was the gates of TarTarus, portal to the dead and the realm of the Underworld where all things Dark and Evil resides.

This was where he would traverse through time and space to the Dark World, to assemble his chosen army. He stepped forth, pausing before thinking deeply of the consequences of opening these demonic gates. The guardian, Cerberus was removed by Princess Luna herself so that he may do what needed done: bring forth the greatest army Equestria ever saw.

He placed his hands on the hot, yet cold stone of the old gates. The white stone, a sign of purity in the standing seal of the Wise Ones who once ruled Equestria vibrated with mixed energies; both holy and unholy. A great evil waited on the other side, this he could feel deep in his bones.

Hair stood on end as he heaved the mighty gates of stone open, ready to stop whatever escaped before he can reach his realm and return with the chosen forces. As the stone doors ceased to touch one another, the great gates slammed open, forcing the king to lose balance and fall forward. A dark cloud exploded from the inside of the crimson world of hate and ill. The force and density pushed the king back off the ground and sent him deep into the woods, the sheer thickness of it blotting out the shimmering moon.

Recovering, and drawing the sacred blade from its resting place, Link carefully approached the opened doors. Searching for what may have bled out, but seeing and feeling nothing. Whatever was inside, may have escaped while he was airborne, meaning he would have to search the world for the escaped shadow and return it to its prison.

Not seeing anything to battle, Link stepped into the red world and closed the doors behind him. He had allot of work to do when he returned...


"This, is why ye suffer. We, are that which escaped. And we vowed to punish the first creature thine eyes rested on upon resurrection. That, foolish king, is now thy curse. As long as we are free, you will suffer in our darkness."

Now free of the tormenting shadow's grip, Link stood back up and bared his teeth. His hatred was now at new heights, he bled and breathed nothing but anger for this wretched orb of evil veiled in this disgusting darkness. His eyes burned with the lust to kill it, burned red with contempt and spite.

He desired revenge. For this thing tormenting him had dragged the innocent Fluttershy into the midst of a childish and blind grudge, dragging her screaming into the deep dark and sending its servants to mutilate her at his expense. All because it wanted to smite him.

It only shattered his loose chains holding his dark-side in check. He may not have possessed his tortured soul any longer, nor did he possess the power he once did, but he was still strongly connected to the Darkness, and it fueled his vengeful spirit.

He chuckled, at first lowly, and than it reached a crescendo of cackles in his dark and twisted voice.

"Before this moment, I was only out to slay the one responsible for torturing the pony you forced to share this supposed "fate" you chose for me. But now...-"

His skin tinted sickly blue, his eyes blackened until a very small circle of white could be seen as his only thread of grip on sanity was left. His mouth contoured to show fangs, his armor blackened further and absorbed the energy of rage and hatred bleeding from both him and the souls he was surrounded by. A nasty growl came from his throat as he spoke one last time. A black blade materialized in his left hand, ragged and claw-like in shape with what seemed like an eye in the hilt. It oozed in black substance as its master held it firmly.

"Now all have to pay."

With that, the demon creature standing where king Link once stood launched itself at the shadows with a terrifying cry of inner pain and bloodlust. It bit and clawed and sliced at whatever it could before it was drowned in shadow and silenced.