The Legend of Equestria: Majora's Mask

by xombiekilla

Chapter eleven: Dawn of the Second Night (II)

Night of the second day:
36 hours remaining

As the dark wizard launched fireballs, the team dodged them. Hero curled up into a steel ball while the dark wizard fired a flaming blue beam at him. However, the beam bounced off Hero's steel plating and hit the wizard instead. "Awesome, you just gave him a taste of his medicine. Good thinking, Hero," Rainbow remarked.

The wizard became more desperate for victory and fired more fireballs, but they bounced off Hero's steel plating, dealing no damage. "Woo! We got him good now, guys," Pinkie cheered her group on.

The wizard then hopped from one bonfire to another, using them as ambush points to hit Hero and his friends in their blind spots. But the beam of focused blue fire bounced off Hero's steel plating again and hit the wizard, causing his pale blue flesh to melt off, revealing his skull with blue embers for eyes. "Eww... yucky. His face is all melty," Pinkie remarked.

"Oh dear, that be so painful for him; I'm sorry," said Fluttershy sympathetically upon seeing the enemy writhing in pain.

Rainbow reminded her, "He's our enemy, Fluttershy. We can't show him any mercy." Hero used his hooves to strike the ground, stunning the demon, and then delivered two well-aimed hind kicks to knock him into the wall. The dark wizard attempted to fire a beam of blue fire at Hero, but it only caused him to curl up into a sphere. As the beam hit him one last time, the wizard's body decayed and melted into the earth, leaving him to perish before their eyes and the gates to open.

A chest appeared in front of them and Hero opened it to reveal a Hero's Bow with fire magic already tied to it. Rainbow cheered, "Aww, sweet! This'll make our job in here much easier, Hero." The four heroes celebrated their small victory and proceeded to the next room where the wizard was guarding another key that would unlock the final path to the temple's central core.

After obtaining the second key, they opened the door to the third path and found themselves in a room that appeared to be a meditation room. The frozen incense candles that would otherwise create a peaceful lavender scent hinted at the room's purpose. The room had a fire puzzle that required Hero to use his bow to light up the candles.

He took off his yak mask, felt relief as Darmani's sorrows were removed from his body, and then used his bow to shoot five fire arrows to light up the room. A chest appeared in the center, and Hero found the key to the deepest core of the temple inside.

"Alright then, let's go and confront this monster," Rainbow declared as they left the room and entered the main sanctum. All four stood facing the door where the monster was waiting, and with the key they had acquired, they unlocked the door and entered.

---

Hero noticed a roundabout loop around the spiral staircase leading to the main sanctum of the Snowhead Temple. To their right, there was a massive monster encased in ice. Hero used fire arrows to melt the ice and free the monster.

As the ice melted away, the mechanical terror was unleashed. The creature was covered in steel plating and had the evil eye of Majora on its back. It resembled a gigantic mechanical yak, but its face had an uncharacteristic centaurian appearance. The creature charged towards the group, and Hero was knocked over as it ran past them. "Whoa! After that bull thing, guys!" Rainbow exclaimed.

Masked Mechanical Blight

𝔾𝕠𝕙𝕥

Rainbow turned to Hero as they both watched Goht racing away. "We have to catch up to him and slow him down. Even if you have to use your whole body to run him down, do it!"

Hero nodded, reattaching the Yak's mask to his face with a sickening crunch. He hiked his back up, growing bigger, and then screamed out from the transformation. In a flash, he became a Yak again.

Hero curled up in his steel plating and rolled after Goht. Using his magic, spikes shot out of Hero's body, and he moved like a motorized wheel after the monster, using the dunes on the ground to close some distance with Goht. Rainbow watched in awe as he chased the giant monster.

Hero's bigger, armored body collided with Goht's, forcing him into the wall. Sparks flew between their bodies, and the creature wailed in panic at being forced to crash and fall over on his side. "Oh, yeah! You're awesome, Hero, "Rainbow cheered as Goht flailed his mechanical limbs to get up.

Hero unfurled from his curled form and ran up to Goht's underbelly. He used his might to strike into it using his hooves to warp and bend the plating on the beast. The exterior plate fell off after Hero stamped onto it, and everyone saw the yellow and evil eye of Majora glaring at them as the ponies reared their heads back in disgust.

Hero spun around to deliver a swift hind kick to the eye, causing the flailing Goht to cry out in pain. The beast then stood up as the eye shrank back into his stomach, and he charged again, this time firing out a ball of electricity to try to hit the heroic group chasing him down.

Hero curled up in his steel plating again and took chase of Goht as they circled the round core of the temple. Using another dune, Hero launched onto the beast, rolling up to smash into him as he roared from being hit. Running into him a second time caused their bodies to spark from the impact, and the mechanical beast, steel against steel, was creating a buzzing metallic noise as Goht tumbled over again, panicking as his limbs were flailing.

"Woo hoo, for Rarity, and Darmani! Let's go get him, Hero!" Pinkie cheered as Hero toppled the beast.

Fluttershy whispered "Yay!" as she cringed and covered her face with her forehooves. seeing Hero striking the evil eye again with his hooves, making it swell up like an infected cyst as the beast roared out of pain.

The machine exploded as the monster overheated, and Goht got up. The evil eye shrinking back into its stomach, he stood up and shook off his exterior plating from the beating of Hero's hooves. Once again, he charged but launched more electric balls of pure energy and dropped bombs from behind to keep as much distance as possible.

"Is he... pooping out bombs? Classy..." Rainbow furrowed her brows in frustration as Hero retook chase. Hero caught up to him, using a dune to strike him on his back to make him wail in pain. He then used another one to run at Goht's side to knock his balance over, causing the beast to panic more. Once the last strike was made, Hero toppled the beast again. Goht flailed his limbs and wailed from being knocked over.

Hero wasted no time striking the evil eye again as it swelled up; he delivered his final barrage of brutal yak stomps and kicks into the beast's weak point. This time, the eye popped and exploded out dark and evil magic, like inky, dark-purple blood, as the monster Goht was running away in fright of the end of its foul existence.

Its swaying movements were clumsy and weak as it crashed into the side of the wall, and a volley of boulders from the ceiling fell on top of its twitching body. It let out one last wail of agony before perishing into rusted scrap metal and rotting away. A mirage of Majora rose from Goht's remains.

"Hero, nice job, man." Rainbow hoof bumped Hero as the team felt transported to a different plane of existence. Their visions turned bright and brilliant white.

---

Four ponies stood atop a tall, ancient pillar of earth. They were astonished to see a second freed alicorn giant approaching them, chanting its gratitude for their bravery and kindness. "Hey, that's like the giant we met after we fought that first big meanie, Hero," said Pinkie as she recalled their fight with Odolwa.

Fluttershy noticed the thankful look in the giant's beady eyes. "Wow, he's so big but so peaceful," she remarked.

"This adventure is so wild and awesome, guys! I never thought I'd ever see anything like this in my life," exclaimed Rainbow whose jaw hung in astonishment.

"He's trying to speak to us. Let's hear what he has to say," said Pinkie, waiting for the giant's words.

"Thank you... travelers... release the last two of us... then call us," said the giant, bidding farewell as it walked away, chanting its song. The ponies' vision then vanished, and they found themselves back in Snowhead.

---

As they exited the temple's main sanctum, they found themselves witnessing a beautiful scene. The ice had melted and spring had returned to the mountains. The trees were now abundant with fruit. "So cool, and now I have no problem with saying that," exclaimed Rainbow as she breathed in the warmer springtime air. They took off their coats, no longer needing them.

The team returned to Yak Village and entered the gathering hall, only to be met with an unexpected sight. The yaks were glaring furiously at Hero, preparing to charge into him all at once. The chief intervened and said, "Stop! No, he is not Darmani, but he did carry out his wishes. He saved our village and our people."

"He was the blessing that I have foretold," the chief continued. Hero then explained to them what he did. "So, he wanted to be brought back to life. This wasn't within your power to grant, so he asked for his soul to be healed instead?" Hero nodded, affirming that statement. "Always thinking of his people, even carrying all of the burdens that came with it—just as a proud warrior should."

"The least that could have been offered for Darmani was peace. So tell me, who are you?" Hero revealed his name. "Hero? A name that is much befitting of you, indeed. You were brave enough to have made it so far and successfully fulfilled Darmani's wishes."

The other yaks then cheered for Hero, knowing that he did what he did to save everyone and his friend. "You also had a personal friend to save, too? So, this wasn't something you could walk away from," the chief remarked. Hero shook his head sadly.

"You are more than welcome to return to our village. We would like you to attend his ceremonial burial, Hero." Hero nodded in excitement, happy to do so. "Excellent. Thank you for showing your respects to Darmani."

---

The yaks have gathered at the center of their village after recovering Darmani's body from a trench earlier. They have commenced with their ceremony. A small group of musician yaks stood ready with their ceremonial instruments, playing a tune that looked almost like ceremonial bagpipes but was different.

They all gathered around Darmani's body, including his younger brother, whom they had lulled to sleep with a lullaby earlier. He looks as if he is refusing to accept that his big brother is gone, but even he braces himself to be strong. They wept for the loss of their fearless warrior who sacrificed everything he had for his village.

Darmani paid the ultimate price, but he still managed to save the town from beyond his grave. Everyone had a moment to show respect as the chief approached Hero. "And you, Hero. You carry an unfathomable burden, one that no other can carry. You have the might of Darmani to help you in your battles ahead. It's how he always lived his life to protect us."

After burying Darmani's body, they covered it with a slab of chiseled obsidian that functioned as a lid. They also chiseled a statue of the heroic Darmani as his gravestone. On his epitaph, it read: "Here lies the mighty warrior Darmani the Third; valiant warrior, honorable yak, and savior of his people. May his journey to the afterlife be one of peace."

"We are proud to consider you one of us in deeds and bravery. May your travels be eased with the help of a yak's might. I can sense your journey will not be easy." Hero bowed in gratitude as he removed his mask, feeling Darmani's sorrows pulled from his body as he returned to normal.

The yaks collectively gasped in surprise as they saw what Hero looked like. The group then waved goodbye to the yaks as they saw a few searching the mountains for survivors and sending food to them. Hero and his friends checked on Rarity as the dawn of the final day broke for the heroes.