The Legend of Equestria: Majora's Mask

by xombiekilla

Chapter twenty-one: Dawn of the First Night (IV)

Night of the first day:
60 hours remaining

Night fell upon them as the team made their way through Ikana Valley. They came across equine skulls glowing in blue fire and bat wings on the back of their heads. The skulls were chuckling in a phantom-like tone, searching for ponies and creatures to curse. Twilight warned her team to avoid them, saying, "Ponyfeathers. Blue Bubbles. Don't let them get close to you, or you'll be cursed; Hero doesn't need to worry."

They continued through the lifeless valley of death until they reached a sealed gate guarded by an impish, black-robed Abyssian. The guard's face was concealed by a black cloth.

"Creatures full of life as you have no reason to be in Ikana; state your business!" demanded the guard.

"We need to get through. Let us pass!" Twilight said sharply to the guard.

The guard chuckled and replied, "Only those who can see the spirits here can enter. They have the special ability to understand them. But wait... your group does give off a familiar spiritual scent." The guard sniffed as his head turned to Hero.

"Hmm... yes, I believe you can enter here. But be mindful of your actions, or the spirits might not like you." He tapped his cane onto the rocky ground to open the gates, and they passed through as his body vanished into a black mist.

---

Once in the Ikana Kingdom, the group arrived at a forked path that was divided into two directions. The left path led to the graveyard, and the right led to the settlement and castle. Although reluctant, they decided to take the left path first and cut through the cemetery filled with Stalponies.

"Ahhhughhh... Eww, they're all bony and dead. Keep them away from me!" The sight of the Stalponies repulsed Rarity as they approached the group with the clattering of their bony hooves.

"Stay alert, everyone. We need to make our way through this area to get to Starlight. I have a feeling she's somewhere around here," Twilight confidently said. They ran through the cemetery, avoiding any fights that could slow them down.

Finally, they reached the end of the cemetery and saw a trail leading to a gate. However, they were blocked by a gigantic Stalpony Skull with a ceremonial headdress that indicated its authority.

"Seriously? How are we going to get past this guy?" Rainbow exclaimed, attempting to punch the skull to no avail.

Hero remembered a time when he had used a song taught by Thorax to enter Woodfall Temple and suggested they try a similar approach. He then took out his ocarina to play the Sonata of Awakening, and the skull was surrounded by a swirling green magic of rousing vigor, lighting up the eyes of the giant Stalpony with an orange ember as it yawned.

"Who are you, travelers?" The giant skull said in a low and gravelly tone. "Nevertheless, I must test your mettle to see if you're worthy of being my equal. Try to catch me as I go," said the Gigantic Stalpony before erupting from the earth, breaking the top of the gateway that looked like a stone bridge and turning around to walk away as fast as possible.

"Fast is what we do, right, guys?" said Rainbow, chasing after the giant Stalpony as they ran after him through the trail. Hero shot an arrow at him, making him yelp in surprise, and the fight began. The giant Stalpony tried to stomp on them with his front hooves, but everyone dodged him swiftly. Hero used his blade, knowing that too many slashes would eventually dull it, giving him a significant advantage.

After several slashes, the giant Stalpony tried to jump up to crush the ponies under him, but they all dodged again. Hero then moved in to deliver his second volley of slashes to the bony giant as he groaned in pain, hiking up his hind hooves before he slammed down onto his haunches.

He looked at the pony who defeated him and waved his hooves defensively, saying, "Wait! The defeat is mine. I yield."

The bony giant then offered his flat hoof to the party, and he lifted them to the top of the gateways where he was resting to speak with them. "I am Captain Keeta. I was a known and respected general of the Ikana military. We fought in a pointless and bloody war that killed all of us. So much loss was unnecessary, all because of this curse that was laid upon us."

"Why did you want to test us?" Twilight asked Keeta.

"I wanted to be sure that the one who woke me would be the one who could save us from this ancient curse of death and darkness. I am now satisfied. But I do have one last request, if I may."

"Pretty bold to say to us after we beat your bony butt," Rainbow interjected.

"Rainbow?!" Twilight scolded her, before turning back to Keeta. "What would that be?"

"Oh, my beloved soldiers in Ikana Graveyard, loyal to me and our kingdom even in death, such wonderful soldiers that I am very grateful to have in my company. They fight even still, never realizing there is no longer any need for such hostility anymore. I am deeply sorry if they attempted to bring you harm."

"I have a special item in this chest for you; use it to show them my authority to make them yield. When you reach them, tell them that the fighting is over, that the war has finally ended." Keeta stared at Hero attentively before saluting at attention. "Captain, Sir! Permission to be relieved from my civic duty, Sir?"

After a short pause, Hero saluted with his right forehoof as Keeta did in kind. "Yes, Sir!" Keeta said before he fell apart into dust and crumbled away, his soul finally satisfied.

"Okay, Hero, that was cool. Now, let's get that item he left for us," Rainbow said as Hero opened his chest to get his mask. It looked just enough like Captain Keeta himself. "Now, those boneheads should be a bit nicer to us if they think we're in their company."

Hero nodded as he put on Keeta's mask, another mask that would not transform him, much to his joy. They made it back to the graveyard and saw their friends sitting around a campfire, laughing as if they were sharing jokes. One Stalpony was using a dead tree limb as a swinging pole for his arms while hanging onto it.

When their friends saw Hero and his group, they all stood up but noticed Keeta's mask on Hero's face, one of the stalponies was looking away as one of them nudged him with his bony hoof to get his attention. They all approached the group in a straight and horizontal line, saluting and saying together, "Captain, Keeta, Sir. We're ready for duty!" Hero then let them relax and one of them said, "W-We were not slacking off, Sir, we swear." Rainbow snickered to herself, seeing they really weren't that bad.

"We're ready to defend our home from intruders!" Hero told them that the war was over and that they no longer needed to fight. "Oh? That is... relaxing news, Sir. Thank you." Hero saw the gravestone glowing a brilliant white and ordered them to smash it. "You want us to smash that gravestone? Yes, Sir!"

They all saluted as they smacked the chiseled stone slab until it was destroyed, revealing an underground stairway. "There. It is done. What will you have of us now that we no longer need to fight?" Hero dismissed them and said their service was more than sufficient. "We deeply appreciate your kind words, Sir." Hero then entered the tunnel under the gravestone with his friends.

---

Once they entered the room, they saw an expansive area with an Abyssian Iron Knuckle standing still, waiting for his next challenger. "Oh, clop. An Iron Knuckle. That's not good."

"No, Rainbow, it's not. Hero, please be careful; these guys are very formidable," Twilight warned as Hero nodded. He struck the first blow, which activated the Iron Knuckle as he began to move slowly toward him with his two-handed, gigantic axe, ready to harm him. The metal clanking onto the stone ground added more tension to the scene.

The armored knight then swung his axe, smashing through one of the several pillars in the room, crumbling it into rubble with just one swing. As he slammed his axe onto Hero, Hero jumped to the side to avoid it. He slashed the straps on the Iron Knuckle's back to loosen his armor so the plating would fall off. He gasped, "Huh?" and looked at his now vulnerable chest and then back at the group.

"Good, Hero. He's able to be attacked upfront. Watch out for his ax attack everypony. Keep your distance," Twilight advised the group as Hero slashed the Iron Knuckle's helmet off. The empty helmet flew off and rolled away from him, clattering onto the floor. It was revealed to be a Doberman pincher head with a slightly flatter snout and beady red eyes.

He growled at them, bearing his teeth in a snarl. "Oh, dear, now he's mad." Twilight gulped as she saw his angry face. He was done playing around.

He threw his axe at Hero, and Hero jumped to the side to avoid the spinning weapon as it got stuck in the wall. Once his heavy armor was knocked off, he pulled out his long and lithe blade, leaving him dressed only in his chainmail armor, making him more agile.

He ran towards Hero faster and more purposefully. "Woah now, he's kinda quick?! Keep on your toes, Hero. Come on, man," Rainbow cheered for Hero.

Hero then managed to hop around to his blind spot as he slashed at his back with a four-hit combo. The last strike sent him sprawling to the floor as he kicked back up using his arms as a counterbalance, instantly standing up.

Hero then stunned him after jumping over the Iron Knuckle's horizontal slash and using the butt-end of his blade to strike him in his face to daze him. Hero then jumped over his head to deliver a swift vertical incision onto his head as he was too stunned to fight back.

Wasting no more time, Hero leaped into action to deliver a strong warcry and a swift vertical slash into the back of his head. That blow finished him off as he flew back, wailing in pain, dropping his blade before dying away in blue flames. "That was so awesome, Hero. He was no match for you. How are you this good at fencing at such a young age?"

Hero shrugged, honestly not having a good answer for her other than just practicing. The curtain covering the stage unfurled back, opening up the location.

After the evil magic that had sealed it was lifted, the room was illuminated with a pale blue light. They heard a voice emanating from the stage at the end of the room, where a slab of chiseled stone lay, saying, "You have released me? Incredible. How can I ever repay you? Your kindness is immeasurable."

The hero had liberated the soul of the first of the two composer brothers, who said, "I thank you for freeing me from the bonds created by my brother. I am Flat." He looked at the team with melancholy as he sadly stated, "My foolish brother made a deal with a demon of immense power and traded his soul, and now he cannot escape his choice. I will teach you an ancient song that conveys poignant emotions, restores life, and purifies wickedness from troubled spirits. Remember this well, the Song of Storms."

Base, bottom, high; base, bottom, and high notes; Hero played the Song of Storms on his ocarina, and a swirling silvery-white magic aura emitted from his body, rising to the crypt's ceiling. Dark clouds formed as the room filled with rain and crackled with thunder. "O foolish brother, understand that this is not my hatred, but the sorrow I feel. The rain is the tears I shed for you, and the roaring thunder is my anger for your decision," he said.

"He sealed me away here so I could do nothing about his deeds. His betrayal of me and my trust indeed hurts," he continued. He relaxed slightly, "But you can bring light to this land stained by blood and darkness. Then I offer my blessing to help my brother and anyone else who crossed his destructive path."

Hero nodded, and so did the rest of Twilight and her friends. Twilight spoke to Flat, "We promise to make him see the light, Flat. I hope you can rest peacefully now." Hero and his friends saw him smiling as he vanished into the afterlife.

"Then I shall await you, my dear brother. Please, do not make your brother wait long," he said as he disappeared. Twilight and the team exited their room to return to Ikana Graveyard. Hours passed, and the dawn of the second day drew among them.