(Three days later...)

The heat was the first thing that Sheik noticed as he emerged from the swirling golden-white colored portal behind him. He glanced around, shaking his mane out as he did so. It wasn’t as hot as the Barren Wastes or the Gerudo Desert proper, but still. A light breeze brushed his muzzle and he silently welcomed the reprieve, taking in a deep breath and glancing at his surroundings.

He glanced around suspiciously—the Princess’s spell had landed him in a dark crevice of some sort…it looked like two large boulders that had been worn down by wind, rain…and judging from the huge jaggedy hole that split down the middle of both gigantic rocks, a lightning bolt.

He cocked his ears—he didn’t hear anypony outside, and judging from the sun’s position, it was almost nightfall here. He slipped like a snake out of the fissure, turning to look at the town he could see in the distance. Princess Zelda’s words echoed in his head—she had already gone through and left this portal open for him.

“The portal shalt send thee where Skyward is. Find her, bring her to the Lost Woods so she may claim the Blade of Evil’s Bane…”

Granted the town was likely where Skyward was, but where to start looking? He couldn’t just up and ask anypony…he knew Skyward was likely trying to keep a low profile. He didn’t want to wait till nightfall…the grasses were tall enough to be sure but even then, he still ran the risk of being seen. Goddesses, he hated grasslands—absolutely no cover to be had.

“…fer buck’s sake! Git ‘im t’ the Hospice…dammit, we’re gonna need somepony from Canterlot t’ remove this ding danged zappin' pigsticker…”

He ducked back behind the crevice, using his magic to hide himself in the shadows as a large wagon pulled by three earth ponies rolled by. Seeing an opportunity, his horn glowed a soft crimson before he vanished…and reappeared under the wagon as he clung to it using his magic, using the cloak he had brought with him to make sure he would go unnoticed.

Once he entered the town proper, he let go and rolled, letting the dust hide his descent as he slipped into the shadows of a building close by. He had donned a cloak so he would be inconspicuous amongst the ponies here—his Sheikah garb would most certainly give him away. He wandered through the town, pretending to pull out a folded piece of paper—anypony looking would think him to be looking through a map.

“…honestly, Applejack; how much more do you need?”

Sheik stopped in his tracks, turning his ears towards the voice he could hear. He knew that voice—Lady Rarity. He turned towards the white unicorn mare’s voice, following the sound of their conversation.

“…gonna need, Rare—this might be something she can eat…”

He followed the two mares—intrigued by the orange coated mare who was clearly picking out items from a shop…mostly spices, like cinnamon and allspice. She tossed her long blond mane over her withers and shook her head at Rarity.

“Ya know Skyward’s gonna need this stuff. Now come on, we need to get back soon.”

The Sheikah stallion frowned—why would Skyward need spices and apples? Unless she was making something? There was Haylian apple pie to be sure but…that required something else that he knew Equestria didn’t have…

He shook his head…he’d ponder that later. He followed the mares discreetly, blending in with the shadows—to a large building with a big red cross and two apple trees on the front sign. The scent of medicine reached his nostrils and he frowned, but he followed them inside, using his magic to blend in with his surroundings. Sheikah weren’t just masters of stealth, they were deadly assassins and very good at subterfuge—which means that from the second the mares opened that door he was able to use his Sheikah abilities to blend in—using illusion magic to mask himself as a staff member so he could come and go as he willed.

He followed the mares to the courtyard of this strange place—but from the smell alone he had to guess he was in some sort of odd healing temple. He noticed there was more than one mare in the courtyard—including Lady Rarity and Lady Rainbow Dash. He sat under one of the large apple trees—was this where Skyward was? He couldn’t see her anywhere…

“Ah’m sorry, can we help ya with something?”

Sheik was snapped out of his musings by the sharp country accent addressing him. He turned and stared into a pair of brilliant emerald eyes—the same ones that belonged to the orange coated mare. He was completely surprised…how had this mare seen him?

“Applejack, are you all right? There’s nopony there…”

“Horseapples there ain’t, Rarity…come out or Ah’m gonna get right rough with ya,” came the growled response.

Repressing his laughter, the impressed Sheikah stallion smiled as he appeared, letting his magic fade as well as dropping the cloak. He bowed to the startled mare, giving her a smile—or as best he could since his wrappings prevented them from seeing his face.

“Truly thou hast a keen eye to see within the shadows, milady…one is impressed…”

“Sheik? Is that…ha, it is you! We’re glad to see you!”

“Goodness, are you all right? Please tell me that disgusting excuse for a prince did not harm you, did he?”

Applejack blinked, shaking her head and glancing at her friends. “Wait, hold on…this is Sheik?”

Rarity nodded, smiling. “One and the same! Come, sit! Spike, would you get him something to drink?”

The Sheikah stallion was surprised and pleased at the warm greetings he was getting from the mares and was pleasantly surprised when the young dragon came up to him and offered him a cool cup of cider for him to drink. He thanked the young dragon as the crimson eyed stallion removed his head wrappings and shook out his mane—finding the dragon’s name was Spike—drank to ease his thirst, then spoke to the mares as they settled outside to talk. His features were lean and chiseled, yet narrow. His mane was the color of straw in the sun and his eyes were a warm crimson hue, while his coat as well as his horn was a light caramel tan color.

“How’d ya…oh, hayseeds, please tell me Ganondorf didn’t open another portal?”

He shook his head at the orange coated mare, giving her a reassuring smile. “Nay, Lady Rainbow Dash. The King of Evil didst not open another portal. One is here of mine own accord; one shalt inform all of thou about it later. Yet, where is Skyward?”

“She’s laid up in bed restin’…she got hurt pretty bad,” Applejack replied, and the crimson eyed stallion stiffened.

“Wait. Skyward hath been injured?!”

“Yeah. She took one hay of a beating, Sheik—she won’ be able t’ do much fer a coupla weeks at th’ most. Why?”

“Please. Tell one what happened, I beg of all of thou. Time is of the essence, even more so now…”

The six mares looked at one another before Applejack stepped forward. She began telling Sheik about the Nettles foalnapping her little sister and her friends, and how they had set a trap for them. How Stinging Nettle had double crossed his own siblings, almost killed one of his brothers, and he had tried to take Apple Bloom…

Rarity broke in at this point. “…and Skyward just went berserk with rage! She whipped out her sword, screamed a battle cry and charged right after that horrible vandal! And as she did so, storm clouds blacker than ink started rolling in, lightning and thunder aplenty as if it was going to rain, and then she vanished…”

“And then we saw her fighting with Stinging Nettle! It was SUCH an epic fight—they were kicking and biting and she was using her shield to block his kicks…ohh she took a nasty blow to the right leg but she kept right on going! And she sliced him a few times with her sword! And then she raised her sword high—and they both charged at one another…”

The whole time she was talking, Pinkie Pie reenacted the whole battle, and then Applejack came back in.

“An’ when they collided, this HUGE blue lightnin’ bolt just tore down outta nowhere and slammed right into the ground where they were! Skyward came out okay with Apple Bloom—but Stingin’ Nettle…well. He got flash fried an’ Skyward’s sword is still stuck in his corpse…nopony’s tried to remove it.”

Spike snorted. “More like they can’t because it’s still electrified—Broad Brim tried to and ended up getting shocked pretty good.”

“She collapsed soon after Applejack recovered her sister. The doctor told us she needs to rest for about three weeks—she lost a lot of blood and she had cuts all over her body. Her cutie mark appeared during the fight, we think…she didn’t have it before,” Twilight Sparkle offered.

“Her mark…ah. I see now. She tapped her ancestor’s power even as her cutie mark revealed itself. An uncontrolled Skyward Strike…”

“Ha! See, told ya that name wasn’t dumb,” Rainbow Dash crowed, and Rarity shook her mane, rolling her eyes. “Honestly, though, it doesn’t really suit her, Rainbow Dash…”

Sheik barely hid a snicker behind one hoof. “Thou wouldst be correct. In truth it is an ancient power that the first Hero of Time was able to use. It is a sword strike performed through Farore’s chosen, empowered with the wrath of the Goddess of Courage herself.” The straw maned stallion replied.

“Still wonder if she should’ve chosen that as her name instead of Skyward Spirit,” Rainbow Dash mused, and Sheik cocked his head.

“Skyward Spirit?”

The purple unicorn mare with a tri-colored mane and tail resembling the hues of dusk nodded at him with a smile. “Mm-hmm. Her coltfriend Trouble Shoes told her that and she accepted his suggestion. He told her she’s like she’s a guardian spirit that watches over ponies and steps in to help when they need it—and to be honest…it fits her pretty well.”

Sheik barely held back the belly laugh rising inside of him even as he couldn’t hold back a broad grin at this news—a coltfriend? Skyward—wait, Skyward Spirit had a coltfriend here in these lands? Ohhh just wait till he told the Princess about this development! He was incredibly pleased to hear she had found somepony to love—he would have to see who this stallion was for himself.

“Skyward Spirit, eh? Fitting…very fitting indeed. Especially considering how much she resembles her five-time great grandsire Skyward Sword. But, one fears her being injured poses a very serious problem…”

“Why’s that, Sheik?”

“Princess Zelda hath gone into hiding once more, but Her Royal Highness sent me to fetch her, for now is the time for her to claim something Time Link left for her. Hayrule needs to know she exists…that their Heroine hath not abandoned them. Also, we need her help to turn the tide of battle—the King of Evil is enraged at losing the Goddess Stones, and sent an horde of monsters riding demonic boars to lay waste to Lon Lon Ranch and its surrounding settlements.”

The Sheikah stallion looked at the six mares and one dragon with a grim look on his muzzle. “Skyward Spirit may be the only pony who canst turn the tide and help to drive the wretches off. Because once those beasts see her, armed with the Blade of Evil’s Bane and bearing the cutie mark that all the Heroes of Time hath held, they very well may turn tail and run. If not…well. The Haylian Army will fight all the harder for knowing Time Link lives on in his great-niece.”

“But she’s injured, Sheik! She can’t even fight in her state right now,” Twilight Sparkle cried, looking worried, and the crimson eyed-stallion looked thoughtful, putting a hoof to his muzzle and closing his eyes, clearly thinking.

“Fret not. One may hath a way to heal her to full, however, thou all must give credence to a lie that she is still here once she recovers, for once she does, she wilt be called to war, if only for a brief time.”

The six mares looked at one another. “This won’t be easy, Sheik, but we’ll give it our best.”

“Then one shalt return soon. Be ready. And…t’was nice to meet all of thou…one didst not expect to be recognized or greeted so warmly.”

“Pfft…I told ya, you’re one of us, buddy, and don’t ya forget it,” Rainbow Dash proclaimed, giving the straw maned stallion a playful shove.

“Any friend of Skyward’s is a friend of ours,” Applejack chimed in and earning a warm smile in return towards all of them.

“One appreciates that. Ah—pray, one last thing…dost any of thou hath a bottle on thee?”

“A bottle? Liiike…what kind of bottle?”

“One with a broad mouth, body and a cork, if thine hast one?”

“Hmm…OOH I GOT IT! Be right back!”

The pink party pony was gone with a PIZZZZOW and was back within two seconds with a DING!—holding an empty, cleaned glass milk bottle and a large cork stuck in the top of it.

“It’s glass, so be careful okay?”

Sheik was impressed, pricking his ears at the pink puffy maned and tailed light pink mare. “Thou art swift on thy hooves to be certain…ah…”

“I’m Pinkie Pie! Nice to meetcha, Sheik! Hey, what kinda cake do ya like?”

Twilight Sparkle was swift as she put a hoof over her party pony friend’s mouth to quiet her. “Pinkie, if he’s still around later on you can ask him that. Remember, he has to get something for Skyward so she can heal, cause she’s needed back in her world right now.”

“Ohhhh riiiight! Well, I’m still planning a party for him anyway!”

Applejack came up next to the obviously surprised and confused Sheikah stallion. “Pff, this is Pinkie Pie we’re talkin’ ‘bout here, Sheik. She throws a party for anypony she considers a friend; she did it fer Skyward when she first came here. Yer no different, Sheik—ya might be a pony from Hayrule, but we don’ give a wax green bean about that. Yer one of Skyward’s friends, that makes ya our friend too.”

Sheik smiled softly. “Truly, Skyward Spirit is a blessed mare to hath such caring friends. Now...I shalt return.”

He re-adjusted his head wrappings, raised a hoof and with a BANG he was gone in a puff of white smoke.

Twilight Sparkle blew out a breath and shook her mane back before she turned to look at the others. “Okay girls—we’ve got a job to do. Let’s hurry before he comes back.”

*************

Sheik did return, and with a glowing winged little ball of pink light in the bottle he was ‘holding’ in his magic. Twilight Sparkle led him inside and put a hoof to her mouth to indicate to be quiet. The Sheikah stallion nodded as he followed the purple unicorn mare into the next room…

The crimson eyed stallion stopped short, a grin forming on his muzzle at the tender sight before him. Sleeping on the bed, looking wan and weak, her coat a shade lighter than it was due to blood loss, was Skyward. Mentally the stallion sighed to himself—she had earned her full name, rightfully so, and he had to remember to call her as such.

But it was the other occupant of the room who also had him grinning like a foal—a stallion who was clearly much larger than the normal sized stallion. An Earth Pony too no less—he had to bite back a loud guffaw at that…clearly the jewel apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Skyward’s mother Inferno Flare had been quite taken with Mossy Boulder when she had first met him as well, but it took the Captain of the Haylian Royal Guard almost a full two moons before he worked up the courage to court Skyward’s mother openly.

The stallion was clearly a rugged, rustic earth pony, his coat a deep nut brown, almost a dark vermilion it seemed to him, and he bore white markings on his hooves and a matching blaze right down his muzzle. His eyes were the color of new leaves in spring, his dark brown mane was unruly and his matching tail was shortish, but it suited him. He looked like a draft horse and had the muscle behind it, but he was clearly gentle and caring. And it was plain as day how much he loved the sleeping Haylian mare. He was curled around her protectively, but not so he would crowd her considering her injuries. The gentle nuzzles to her ears and light kiss to her muzzle while she slept, closing his eyes to rest his muzzle in her mane.

Twilight Sparkle approached the bed, making the stallion raise his head, cocking an eyebrow at the stallion behind her.

“Trouble Shoes, this is Sheik. He’s a friend of Skyward’s. He says he has something to help her get better.”

“Ah know. Ah could hear th’ lot o’ ya out in th' courtyard. Thankfully nopony else seemed t’ notice—they had t’ bring in another pony who tried t’ git Sky’s sword outta Stingin’ Nettle’s corpse an’ got zapped all but good.”

Sheik stepped forward, inclining his head to the larger stallion, seeing the worry and the sorrow writ clearly on the larger pony’s visage. “Then thou knowest what will happen next, good stallion. She is needed. And, knowing her, she wilt come back to thou in one piece. She not only has Hayrule to fight for now. She hath her friends…and you, now as well.”

Trouble Shoes breathed out a pained sigh, glancing at his marefriend. He sorely wished she didn’t have to do this. He wanted to protect her, to ensure she would never have to raise her blade or shield again. But after everything he had heard and had been told…he knew there was no way in hay Skyward would abandon her homeland unless she knew it was at peace again. “Ah wish there was somethin’ Ah could do t’ help her.”

Sheik shook his head at him, gesturing at him with one hoof even as he levitated the bottle close to the sleeping Haylian unicorn mare. “Ye already have. A pony that fights to return to the ones they love is a pony far stronger than the one who fights alone. Ye hath given her that strength, simply because ye love her so dearly, as she loves thou in return. And that is also something none of the other Heroes of Time hath ever had--somepony to give them that strength.”

The red aura from his horn removed the cork and the little ball of pink light flew out…circling around the injured Haylian mare. Her wounds began to close, her color slowly began to return as the little fairy restored Skyward Spirit’s vitality. The little pink fairy did not disappear, however…it flew back into the bottle, which Sheik closed, and he pulled another bottle filled with a blue substance out of seemingly nowhere.

“Awaken, Skyward Spirit. Heed me now—Hayrule needs thou,” Sheik commanded, and Skyward mumbled and rolled over towards Trouble Shoes, nuzzling into his chest.

The sound of mares laughing, and giggling made the two stallions smirk and chuckle themselves, and Trouble Shoes nudged his sleeping marefriend gently, but insistently until she stirred.

“Sky, honeylove, wake up. Ya got a visitor an’ Ah don’ think he wants t’ be kept waitin’.”

With a sigh and a sleepy yawn, the bluesteel Haylian mare woke up, blinking sleepily at her coltfriend, who nuzzled her lovingly. “Wha…”

“Well now, Skyward Spirit. One canst see that thou ist in very good hooves. Thou wilt take good care of her; one trusts?”

Trouble Shoes glanced at Sheik as he pushed the Blue Potion into Skyward Spirit’s mouth and barked a sharp command for her to drink it—the tone he used was pleasant enough but he could hear the undercurrent of warning in the other unicorn stallion’s tone, never mind the narrowed eyes with a deadly look that promised a painful end if he did anything stupid to hurt her. He had been shovel-talked without a single threatening word and he knew it, but he expected no less from a pony who clearly knew his marefriend well and considered her a friend.

“Ah plan on it, Sheik. Ya have mah word on it. Honestly Ah’m th’ one who’s not worthy of her.”

Sheik snorted. “Skyward Spirit wouldst tell thou otherwise, one is certain, and likely kiss thou senseless in the process to prove it. Awaken, Heroine! Now!”

Skyward Spirit grimaced as she finished drinking the Blue Potion Sheik had all but shoved in her muzzle and did a double take upon seeing him. “Sheik? The buck art thou doing…wait. Didst Ganondorf open another…”

The Sheikah stallion shook his head. “One shalt tell everything to all present later but for now, we must hurry. Hayrule is in grave danger, and thou must come with me to aid in ensuring the death of Ganondorf’s strike force before they reach Lon Lon Ranch.”

Skyward Spirit’s eyes narrowed, and she got out of the bed…then blinked, ears straight up and then she began checking herself---

No bandages, no cuts, no visible sign of blood or stitches…

Had she been able to move without pain?

“One used a fairy on thee from a Fairy Fountain. Get thine armor and let us go, swiftly now,” Sheik said gently but firmly, and Skyward lit her horn, ‘reaching’ for her chainmail armor. She donned it, locking her shield to her back, but paused, turning to look at Trouble Shoes. She moved towards him and pulled him close for a fierce kiss that threatened to light the air on fire around them. The others would’ve been laughing and giggling, but they all knew why. She was going to battle, going to war; they were not going to deny her a goodbye embrace.

“I wilt return to thou…I promise,” she whispered to him, eyes shimmering with tears of love and sorrow.

The huge stallion pulled her close to him, inhaling her scent and nuzzling her mane. “Ah’m gonna hold ya t’ that, sugarcube.”

She turned to her friends, giving them each a tight hug, before she turned to follow a smiling Sheik…

“Wait! Wait a moment!”

The ivory unicorn mare fidgeted before she lit her horn, summoning her saddlebags. She 'opened' them, and then levitated something towards the bluesteel unicorn mare. “I had the feeling you’d need these someday. So, here…”

Sheik couldn’t hold back a howl of laughter at seeing the look on Skyward Spirit’s face as she beheld the outfit Rarity levitated towards her, but he had to hoof it to the white unicorn mare—she was talented indeed!

It was a perfect rendition of Time Link’s original outfit. Only, this one was differently colored, a warm olive green, and the traditional hero’s tunic fit perfectly over her chainmail armor. There was even the same long tailed cap Time Link once wore—only it had been carefully mended, covered with the same olive-green fabric and reinforced. Even though she had a different colored coat, mane and tail and was a unicorn, not an Earth Pony…

The cutie mark on her flank showed otherwise.

“Mine sword…”

“Leave it for now. One hath weapons thou can borrow when we arrive.”

“Sheik…one hath a request to make.”

The red eyed Sheikah stallion cocked his head at the Haylian mare, who looked at him unerringly.

“Mine friends and mine coltfriend should see one claim the Master Sword. They hath been there for me since one met them. They should see this for themselves; for once one does so, t’will likely not happen again in our lifetimes.”

Sheik regarded her and he sighed, shaking his mane, but he had to admit she had a point. This wouldn’t likely happen again in his lifetime, and it wasn’t something to miss—to see a Hero of Time born anew…or in her case, Heroine of Time.

“Very well, but they must do as one says and they must remain on the sidelines. Then, once it is done, one wilt bring all of them back here. Gather close, everypony—and mind what one says.”

With a flash of white and a sharp BANG—

All the ponies were gone.