We're back again! Woo! And thanks for the favourites and follows and reviews and things, so far it's motivating me to keep going! Anyway, this chapter is a pretty short one, so to make up for that the next update will be a lot sooner. But before you rush off into it, I have a problem, and I'd like your advice. I want to give Link a friend/sidekick from Hyrule, and currently the choices are Zelda or Navi (as a fairy sent by the Great Fairy to help him, as opposed to the OoT story and stuff). I really enjoy writing both of these characters, though my Navi is deliberately OOC since I've never played OoT (I know I know get over it). My version is just as annoying, only she's well aware of it and likes to wind people up by being a smart alec with a bad attitude (and believe me, she is SO FUN to write). Also, because I know someone will ask otherwise - don't ask about Midna. Hush hush stuff going on there. SO you either get the more subdued but infinitely more in-character Zelda, or the loud-mouthed OOC Navi. So think about it and tell me at the end!
"…and then, if your attacker comes at you like so, you must counter with THIS!"
"What're you doing?" Pit gave Marth a funny look as he entered the room. The prince smiled a slightly sheepish smile back.
"Teaching Miss Sparkle in the art of sword fighting, of course," he said, the blue aura around Falchion disappearing, letting the weapon drop to the floor with a clatter.
"It's very educational," said Twilight, her own sword of magiterial disappearing. "Not that any of the oozes will be carrying swords, but still!"
"I thought you were meant to be making posters," said Pit.
"Oh, Applejack was almost finished anyway."
"And now I'm done!" said the pony, tapping her hoof at the piece of parchment on the floor, surrounded by paintbrushes and quills.
"Wow, that looks great. You got the flag and everything!" Rainbow Dash said, clearly impressed. Pit took a look at it, and was pleased with what he saw.
"Good job," he said, nodding. "Now we need to duplicate about two hundred copies and fly them off."
"That's the easy part." Twilight trotted over and aimed her horn at the paper. Dozens of sheets started to fly from it, one after the other at a furious pace. It was barely a minute until five stacks of posters had settled just behind the unicorn.
"I see you have made the posters. Excellent," Luna's voice echoed around the room, and the alicorn herself was standing in the doorway, accompanied by Link. "The lower areas of the castle are clear. We fixed as many of the walls as possible, but we're still far from being ooze-free. We have to fix the castle if it is to become a base of operations."
"Well, you know how this place is meant to look more than anyone else, so you're in charge of that. Take whoever you want tomorrow to fix it."
"Oh, I…yes, Captain. I will gladly help to restore my castle to its former splendour."
"I think it's about time we eat," said Applejack. "Posters and castle can wait 'til tomorrow, don't y'all think?"
"I know I think that," said Pit, trotting over to his saddlebags. "You guys can have some of my food; I was planning on sharing anyway."
"That's mighty kind of you, Captain. I'll see what I can do," she said, taking the small bag Pit produced from him. She disappeared off to make dinner for the seven of them.
Pit returned to his seat in front of the map. He looked across it. The figures that Luna had conjured up had disappeared, but she noticed him looking at it and put them back with a flick of her horn. He looked thoughtfully at the ooze sitting on Canterlot. He wanted that to be gone in the next two weeks tops. He also thought about Trottingham – the one place the oozes weren't ever going to reach unless they managed to get onto a boat, somehow. Manehatten and Vanhoover were clear, but the former was at risk of being invaded. Manehatten had to stay clear. A lot of ponies lived there, not to mention all the ones that had fled there from their homes. If there was one thing he was certain of, it was that all the areas that were clear of ooze would have to stay that way. It would make his job a lot easier.
"Pit?" The pegasus looked up as Marth came over.
"Yeah?"
"I wanted to say that…I suppose that, back in that whole 'Smash' business, I never really took you seriously. You looked too young to be of any real merit," he said, looking sheepish again. "And I have been completely proven wrong. I did not realise the extent of your military knowledge. And I wanted to say that you don't have to rest this all on your shoulders. I don't doubt that you are capable of it, but…still, you are more than welcome to bestow any tasks to me. If you find that it's getting too much. I am a military leader too, you know."
"I know. Maybe later. Right now I need everything in my head and not other people's. I can't control stuff when it's in other people's heads."
"Well, you could with a mind control spell, but that's besides the point," said Twilight, looking up from the book she had levitated from her bag. "And Marth is right, Captain, you shouldn't feel like it all rests on you."
"It should rest on me," said Luna bitterly. "I should not have to hand control to somepony else. I am meant to be doing all of this myself. I am just too weak to be able to do so…"
"Oh Princess, you aren't weak. Equestria has never had to deal with something like this before; I think it was very commendable that you weren't too proud to not be able to ask for help."
"Thank you Twilight Sparkle, but I am afraid of what is to happen, and Princesses are not meant to be 'afraid'." The sad expression she'd be wearing before snapped to an angry one in a split second. She got very rapidly to her hooves, her voice rising. "In my day the Princesses were all-powerful! They never needed to ask for help, they could take every problem in their stride. AND THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE BEEN REDUCED TO!" The ears of every pony in the room flattened back as her volume went up further. "COMMON PONIES AND FOREIGNERS!" Her eyes flashed, and with a poof of angry purple clouds she vanished.
Rainbow Dash was the first to break the silence that ensued, looking even more windswept than usual.
"Did she just call us 'common ponies'? I thought she was our fr-" she started angrily.
"Rainbow, she didn't mean it," said Twilight, gently pulling her friend down from the air. "She's probably just stressed."
"I know I'd be stressed if I were in her place," said Applejack, reaching for the hat that had been blown off. "She's in charge of the whole kingdom. She's prob'ly just' feelin' a little bit afraid, that's all."
"Still…rude!" said the cyan pegasus, though she'd calmed down as quickly as Luna had gotten angry.
"AEEK!" Twilight jumped a foot in the air a loud crack of thunder rippled across the castle, so close that it made the floor shake.
"Woah!" Pit was startled almost as much. "Where did that come from?"
The clouds, which had been a peaceful grey before, were now a threatening shade of black.
"Looks like the Princess is having a bit of a hissy fit," said Rainbow. "I always forget she can control weather. Who does she think she is, a pegasus?"
"Not so much a hissy fit as letting out her feelings," said Marth, who'd walked to the window. "She can control weather? That's very interesting."
"Hers is only fake. It's not really there. Only pegasi can really control the weather."
"How do you control the weather?"
"Well, we got a weather factory in Cloudsdale that makes all of the weather for the whole of Equestria. Depending on what kinda weather you want depends on what kinda crystal you use to power the machine…thingy," she said eloquently.
"Wait wait wait, hold up a second," said Pit, his eyes widening with realisation. "Does that mean you could make it really really cold? Cold enough to freeze the oozes?"
"Yea, but not now. The snowflake crystals we use to make snow are only around at certain times of the year, and right now isn't that kinda time," Rainbow Dash pulled a face.
"Oh. Is there any other way you can make snow?"
"I don't think so," she shook her head, her multicoloured mane flying. Pit's face fell, that particular idea shrivelling up. It might have died out completely had Rainbow Dash not started so violently she fell over onto her back. "WAIT!"
"What? What?" he zipped up to her, giving her an eager look as she rolled to her hooves.
"Before the weather machines were invented, pegasi had to make weather the hard way! It was really, really hard, only pegasi that had been trained for years could do it, and even then, only the best made the cut. I don't think anyone even knows how to do it the old way anymore."
"Then maybe we should make that a goal," said Twilight. "If anyone could do something like that, it would be you, Rainbow. I'll research it!"
"Twilight, you and your researchin'," Applejack commented. Pit took this to mean that the unicorn liked to look stuff up a lot. That could be useful.
"Alright, Twilight, that's a great idea. Do you want to do that tomorrow?" he asked her. Now it was her face that lit up.
"I would love to! But I'll need somepony to come with me to the castle library; I'm not going on my own."
"If you don't mind, Miss Sparkle, I will volunteer for that. I have a fair amount to learn about Equestria, it seems," said Marth. Twilight smiled at him.
"Of course. That's OK, right, Captain?"
"Er, sure! So, recap, plans for tomorrow: Princess Luna will begin reparations on the castle (er, if she's up to it), Rainbow Dash will fly the posters to Cloudsdale, Twilight and Marth will begin research on making snow. Applejack, what do you want to do?"
"I want to go to Ponyville an' see mah family. But 'cuz that ain't gonna happen, I guess I'll stay here and help the Princess," the earth pony replied. Pit nodded.
"OK. I promise that when we get enough people – er, ponies - here, you guys can go to Ponyville and visit your friends there, try to help in the search for this missing friend of yours."
"Thanks, Cap," said Rainbow, looking grateful. Pit shrugged, his wings following in the same motion.
"I know I'd want to do that if I were where you were. And Link…er…" he frowned at the pony who was sprawled across the floor, sleepily lifting his head when he heard his name. "Link, you can stay with me. We're going to explore a bit." Link's ears perked up at the mention of 'explore', and he nodded eagerly. "Great. Then it's all settled."
"An' tea's ready too. Apple stew," said Applejack, tapping the side of the cauldron over the fire to emphasize. "Bowls are in mah bag."
And to a volley of thanks and praise, the ponies began their dinner.
I need to write more LARGEHAM!Luna, 'cause Large Hams are just OUTRAGEOUS. Anyway, before you write me a wonderful review telling me who Link's sidekick/friend should be and suggesting any Brawlers or background ponies to add, you should head over to my deviantart profile (eggplantwitch dot deviantart dot com), 'cause I've been adding a bunch of supplementary art recently, and hopefully by the time this chapter goes up Applejack's poster will also be among my gallery. So stroll down there to entertain yourself while Chapter 6 gets sorted out!