The heroes were standing in front of the entrance of their main gathering hall when something peculiar caught their attention. As they gazed through the mysterious mirror, they saw what appeared to be a transparent yak levitating near the entrance. The ponies, except for Hero, gasped in surprise. The yak seemed genuinely shocked that they could see him.

"No... It cannot be... can you see me? If that is the case, then you are the one that I was told would be here by our great elder who said that a miracle would await our tribe in the form of one who can see the unseen." The yak said in an ethereal voice as then guided the heroes with him, "follow me, please. I have something I must show you."

Rainbow was skeptical of the yak's intentions, "You seriously think we can trust this guy? He's like a creepy phantom, right?"

"Well, Rainbow, just remember what Zecora had taught us; we should take another look before we judge the cover of the book." Fluttershy sagely replied, urging the group to take a chance and follow the yak. The yak nodded and led them past the yak village, closer to the cabin they had just come from.

As they approached the cabin, the yak led them to a tall climbing wall with a cave entrance at the top. "I think he wants us to go in there to follow him. I'll be willing to trust him."

"I just hope you're right about this, Fluttershy." Rainbow was there to help Pinkie, and Fluttershy helped Hero. Together, all four reached the top of the climbing wall and entered the mountainous cave.

After following the Yak Phantom to a cave up the high icy mountains, Hero saw an obelisk-like tombstone in the cave's center. Suddenly, his soul manifested in front of it to speak to the group.

"I was told that you were the one I should wait for. When I was alive... Yes, when I was alive, I was Darmani. I was a proud yak warrior sent to Snowhead to drive away a monster," Darmani said.

"But a strong gale blew me off the mountain, and here I am. It's infuriating that my fellow yaks will starve and freeze to death and that I have failed them. I can do nothing more than see them die without me," he added, pinching the bridge of his forehead with his ethereal cloven hooves in frustration.

"If you're capable of magic, then I beg of you, please, I ask that you bring me back to life. And if this is an impossible request, at least heal my sorrows. Please heal my sorrow and pain to put my wounded soul at ease," he pleaded to the group, despair etched into his ethereal features, putting his hooves together like a beggar.

"Hey, Hero, remember what Flam told us about that song that helped to heal your soul? We should use that on him," Pinkie said confidently, as Hero nodded in agreement.

As Hero pulled out his ocarina, he played the melody, The Song of Healing. The pink healing magic swirled around Darmani as the transparent warrior was sent aghast. He clutched his head with his cloven hooves as his face tilted upwards, facing the ceiling as he relaxed in bliss.

"T-That tender melody... It's so soothing. It feels as if my sorrows are all... m-melting away," Darmani said in tearful relief.

Suddenly, Darmani could be seen surrounded by his people. They had come to support him in his darkest hour and show him they believed in him. Their cheers echoed throughout the valley, filling the air with hope and optimism that Darmani had not felt in a long time.

As he looked around at the sea of faces surrounding him, Darmani felt a lump in his throat. These were his people, the ones he had sworn to protect and serve, and they were here for him in his time of need, and he had failed them. Tears began to well up in his eyes, and before he knew it, they were flowing down his cheeks in a torrent of raw emotion.

The tears were like a dam bursting, releasing all of the pent-up sadness and pain that Darmani had been holding inside for so long. The emotions poured out of him like a river, expressing the depth of his despair and the weight of his burden.

The tears sparkled in the night sky, catching the light of the stars above and reflecting the pain that Darmani felt within. But they also held a glimmer of hope, a sense that perhaps things could get better, that he was not alone in his struggles; there was now hope that his people could be saved.

As his ethereal body gradually faded away, he shed any regrets and sorrow and vanished with a sense of calmness and satisfaction. The vision ended with the manifestation of his grief, sadness, and hopes into a wooden mask of a yak that clattered onto the rocky ground of the hollow floor at their hooves. "I have made my final request to you. My people will believe you to be me. I will hold no regrets. All I ask from you is that you save my home. If you do this for me, my gratitude for your kindness shall know no limits."

Hero hesitated before picking up the wooden mask. As he examined it, he felt uncertain about what would happen if he put it on. Nevertheless, he gathered the courage to place it near his face, but to his horror, the mask clamped onto his skin with a sickening crunch. It fused with his flesh and fur, causing him immense pain. He fell to the ground, writhing in agony as his body experienced a sharp ache from his head to his hooves. He also noticed that his heart was pounding faster than usual, and his voice had deepened to the tone of an adult yak.

With a sickening sound that made Hero's stomach churn, he felt his bones snapping and readjusting. He could feel his organic muscles contorting and twisting in ways that made him want to scream out in agony, hoping that the pain would soon subside. However, as he screamed, he felt the wooden mask of the yak merging into his facial joints, and his panic only grew as he raised his head and clenched his eyes tightly.

Then, in a flash, the pain vanished, and Hero opened his eyes to find himself looking at his reflection on the hollow ground. He gasped, seeing that he had become a large and robust yak. His body was covered in brown fur, and he had a light tan belly. He had a hulking frame and cloven hooves, which were incredibly sturdy and robust.

As he looked himself over, he noticed an armored-plated ornament on his back, which he realized would provide him with excellent protection. He also had a nose ring, which he found exotic and beautiful. His two yak horns had golden braces, which made them look even more impressive. Tribal tattoos were embroidered on his chest, and he had armored plating on his back, which made him look even more intimidating.

Overall, Hero was amazed at his new form. Though he had been terrified at the start, he now felt strong, and he knew he could take on any challenge that came his way. His mane and beard were mostly Darmani's, but it was dyed black at the tips of his mane to signify his fusion with the yak warrior and Hero's blue eyes.

Fluttershy looked on in astonishment and exclaimed, "Hero? You're so big now!" Rainbow, standing next to her, couldn't help but agree.

"He seriously just healed that guy's soul and became a yak... wow," she said, looking at Fluttershy. "You were right, Fluts. You shouldn't ever judge a book by its cover. All that guy wanted was to be laid to rest peacefully, and after what he's been through, I guess I can't blame him."

As they stood there in amazement at Hero's transformation, they realized that his newfound strength could come in handy for helping the yaks. Pinkie suggested, "Hero, test your new might on that tombstone. Try to push it." Rainbow was shocked at Pinkie's boldness and warned her, "Are you nuts, Pinkie? That's Darmani's gravestone. Seriously?"

Undeterred, Pinkie replied, "I can feel warmth from under here. Can't the rest of you feel it, too?" They all placed their hooves onto the rounded ground of the gravestone and then gasped in unison.

"Y-Yeah. We can feel that too. But why? Well, Hero, you do what you have to do, okay? But I did not suggest this."

Hero stepped forward, took a deep breath, and pushed the tall obsidian obelisk back. The giant slab of rock was pushed back, and an overflow of hot and steaming water came forth. The room was filled with what that Gabora guy said: hot spring water. Despite not reaching the cave exit, the water was warm and pleasant. "Pinkie... how do you do these things? Honest question," Rainbow asked.

"I don't know. I used my pinkie sense, which sensed warmth from the ground here," Pinkie replied calmly.

"Well, whatever that was, keep doing it for us, okay?" Rainbow said, acknowledging her unique ability.

"Okie, Dokie, Lokie. I have a bottle that we can use to scoop some of that water up," Pinkie suggested.

Fluttershy, who had been quietly observing, came up with an idea. "Oh, we can use that stuff to melt the ice at that smithy place." The group agreed that this was a great idea.

"Man, screw that Zubora guy. He's a real piece of work. He was treating that big guy like he was a dummy. Not cool," Rainbow said, expressing her frustration towards Zubora's behavior.

"I get it; it's not cool because of the weather here. Right, Rainbow?" Pinkie asked.

"Yes, Pinkie. So, Hero, you think you got the general feel of that new body down pat?" Rainbow asked.

Hero nodded to Rainbow, feeling a sense of pride and accomplishment. "Awesome, buddy. You never cease to amaze us. You know that?" Rainbow said, praising Hero for his courage.

Hero blushed slightly as his cheeks flushed, and then he nodded as they made their way out of the cave, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.

Hero marched out, and a couple of yaks looked at him in shock. "Can it be? It is. It's Darmani!" Both yaks cheered when they saw him emerge from the cave entrance.

"Even though we saw him falling to his death, he still came back to us in spirit, refusing to let go of his life just to save our village." They began to tear up with gratitude and pride.

"Wait then, if you're still alive, I wasted my time chiseling that gravestone for you, didn't I? Hmph." They were still overjoyed to see their proud warrior back, even if he wasn't who they thought he was. "Our village is getting worse due to this awful cold. Food was more difficult to find, so our chief had to give out strict provisions to each of us. I hope this cold ends soon."

"Y-Yeah; we can usually handle the cold, but we've never had anything this bad before," The other yak said while chattering his teeth from the bitter cold, both shivering.

"We'll help out Darmani here, okay, guys? We'll find out where that temple is and stop that monster." Rainbow pledged to them. They cheered as the heroic group left them to their business, saying out of their reach, "Hero, I feel guilty making these guys think you're their warrior, Darmani. I-It's probably best that we never tell them." Hero nodded his head in agreement. They made their way down as Hero jumped off and landed on the ground, making a few cracks in the earth below... he felt no pain whatsoever.

"Alrighty then, Mr. Showoff, let's not do anything too dangerous here; you're still getting used to being a Yak. Hey, are those steel plates on your back? They seem to have tribal designs embroidered onto the metal. Try to experiment with everything Darmani can do."

Rainbow wanted to see the fullest extent of this new form Hero had obtained. She then saw Hero curl up into a steel sphere and propel forward like a wheel as she watched in awe. "Hey! You come back here, buddy! Be careful where you're going in that... How can he even see where he's going in that? Well, let's not question it. Follow that sphere, guys!"

Fluttershy and Rainbow carried Pinkie as she cheered for their advancement toward the Yak Village. They decided to go to the smithy to use the hot spring water.

As they entered the cabin, they saw the shopkeeper, Zubora, sleeping on the couch. Pinkie took out the hot spring water and poured it all over the frozen hearth, melting the ice and making the hearth ready to use. Seeing this, the giant stallion was overjoyed and exclaimed, "Ugoh-ooooh!!! Ugoh! Ugo-a-go-go!"

"Gabora!" Suddenly, the irritated shopkeeper woke up and saw the thawed-out hearth. He grinned and said, "Uh? Oh! You've done me a great favor. Now, then... this hearth can finally go to work for me! Heh-heh-heh-heh... thanks!"

Rainbow pointed her hoof at him and said, "Right then, buddy. We helped you, and now you help us. You said that you can sharpen weapons and forge blades. We want you to look at Hero's sword here. Do you think you can do that?" Rainbow then gave the sword to Zubora, who inspected it, gasping in surprise.

"That is a Classical Equestrian Knight's Blade; you no longer find too many of these made. The edge is a bit dull, though... The hilt and the handle are of very decent craftsmanship. Did you make this?"

"We didn't. But the smithy at the Canterlot Castle did; Hero had that sword for a long time."

"I can tell; the blade has some wear marks. But we can sharpen it up, so there's no problem. It'll be a razor blade, more fortified with additional metal ingots to temper the blade. Because you got my business back up and running, I don't have much bargaining ground to make, so I'll do this for free to show my gratitude to you guys."

Fluttershy was grateful for Zubora's friendly attitude and said, "Well, that's nice of you to do."

"I'll have to hold on to your blade for the rest of tonight, and since it's approaching morning, all of that time too. It should be ready by nightfall tomorrow."

"It'd be bad for my business if I ever did that. I'll be ready by then, trust me." Hero didn't have his blade, so he would have to rely on his yak strength until he got it back.

Hero curled up and rolled in his armored steel yak plating as they walked out of the cabin and ventured outside towards the Yak Village. He used his magic to shoot spikes out of it, which helped them to travel faster. The other three ponies followed close behind him as they sped towards their destination at the break of day.

The Legend of Equestria: Majora's Mask

by xombiekilla

Chapter nine: Dawn of the First Night (II)