The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.

Chapters

Chapter 1: Welcome to Koholint Island.
Chapter 2: Around Mabe Village.
Chapter 4: Power of the Roc.
Chapter 5: Kidnapped!
Chapter 6: Into the Swamp.
Chapter 7: The Grotto's Strength.
Chapter 8: Golden Leaves of the Castle.
Chapter 9: Dungeon of Keys.
Chapter 10: Speed of the Pegasus.
Chapter 11: The Desert's Secret.
Chapter 12: Dungeon Creator.
Chapter 13: Behind the Waterfall.
Chapter 14: To Swim Like a Fish.
Chapter 15: The World of Colour.
Chapter 16: The Power of Colour.
Chapter 17: Into the Catfish's Maw.
Chapter 19: The Warning.
Chapter 20: The Island's Dark Secret.
Chapter 21: River Rapids of the Face.
Chapter 22: More Power!
Chapter 23: Facing the Face.
Chapter 24: To Fly Like a Bird.
Chapter 25: Tower of the Eagle.
Chapter 26: Riddle of the Tower.
Chapter 27: Battle on the Aerie.
Chapter 28: A Sword Like No Other.
Chapter 29: The Final Dungeon.
Chapter 30: Return of Former Forces.
Chapter 31: A True Boxing Match.
Chapter 32: Fire Versus Fire.
Chapter 33: The Final Nightmare.
Epilogue: Awakening!
Prologue: Lost At Sea.
Chapter 3: The Forest's Secret.
Chapter 18: A Game of Cat and Mouse.

Chapter 1: Welcome to Koholint Island.

Author's Note

Disclaimer: I do not own anything regarding the Legend of Zelda, the Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, and My Little Pony: Equestria Girls. These are the properties of Nintendo and Hasbro respectively.

Welcome to Koholint Island. Surely there's nothing strange about this island... right?

Cast of characters appearing in this chapter:

Sunset Shimmer: Link
Princess Twilight Sparkle: Fairy Partner
Starlight Glimmer: Marin
Sunburst: Tarin
Flash Sentry: Owl

Chapter 1: Welcome to Koholint Island.

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.
By Ganondorf8.
October 26, 2019.
Chapter 1: Welcome to Koholint Island.

Without my strength, my chances of surviving in the middle of the ocean were extremely slim. As my lungs filled up with water to the point of bursting, I prayed for a miracle to occur, any miracle would do. I didn't care at this point. I then noticed a small piece of debris, from what remained of the boat I started this whole mess on, bobbing on the water's surface and I knew it was my only means of salvation. Without my strength, it was doing nothing more than taunting me. No! I had to be strong! I had faced far worse things than drowning. (Drowning was still a bad thing though)

Somewhere from below, a strong current blasted me upward to the surface where I immediately grabbed on to the debris, and pulled my head and upper body out of the water. That was without a doubt a close call! As I lay on the debris breathing heavily, I looked down to see what could have saved my life. There was nothing down there--this was because it was far too deep to see anything--so I assumed that a random fissure had erupted resulting in the current. That was the scientific conclusion albeit an extremely random one. The other option involved a more obscure thought... some kind of monster that lurked below the surface.

In any case, I was alive though little good that did me. I was still stuck in the middle of the ocean without a means of getting anywhere. I lacked any means to defend myself so if it was a monster that caused the current, I would be nothing more than its next meal, small as I was. At least it wasn't raining anymore as the storm had since died down. Huh... one positive amongst so many negatives. You'd think this was something I'd have gotten used to by now. Looking around and seeing nothing for what felt like an eternity, I surmised that I would only last maybe three or four days at the most out there. I had no food and while the water was slightly salty, it would keep me hydrated despite the danger of it.

"If I ever wind up on dry land any time soon." I said to no one. "I'm not going to be going swimming for a very long time to come." My heart having since slowed down its beating to its normal pace, my next course of action was to figure out where I could go from here. I needed some time until my strength came back and without the storm, I wasn't going to be thrown about the waves or drown. I allowed the piece of debris to take me wherever the water's flow was going as I had no other options. Again, I prayed for a miracle to occur but perhaps I had pushed my luck when it came to praying.

Several hours had passed--maybe it was longer than that--and I continued drifting on the debris which had slowly become my companion. I didn't talk to it or anything but I was beginning to lose my grip on reality. I wanted to call out for help but who was going to respond out here? No one! I was alone. For the first time in what felt like forever, I was truly alone without anyone. It reminded me of my days being the bad girl at Canterlot High. Everyone were playthings to me for my own amusement. I didn't care about their feelings so long as my own desires were filled even if it meant destroying their friendships. Reflecting back on it, I really was a jerk.

Things had gotten better for me since then but my current plight had brought those old memories up to the surface so to speak. I reflected on the day when I returned to Equestria and reconciled with Princess Celestia. That day was one of the scariest ones I've ever experienced. I was afraid my old teacher would banish me from Equestria in exile to the desolate wastes beyond the border, but it was with the help of Princess Twilight that we embraced and overcame a dark moment in our respective pasts. If I survive this, I will make an extra effort towards visiting Equestria more often than I do.

Suddenly, the water began to turn and soon formed into a tidal wave. My problem had just gotten even worse. "My strength hasn't fully come back yet." I said to myself as I began to get pulled along. "Guess I'm riding this one out until it either calms down or I smash into something; preferably the latter in this case." The wave increased in intensity and I did everything in my power to keep from being dragged down underwater. Without much strength, my chances of survival were slim but I had to do something. Just when things had reached their zenith, I noticed something off in the distance.

I was shocked to say the least. "An island!? Since when was that there!? It wasn't there when I looked that way last!" Sure enough, the wave was headed towards an island that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, yet something felt strange. Since when did an island have a large polka-dot egg resting on its highest peak? I'd seen some weird things in my life but this had taken the cake. I had no time to try and figure out the importance of the egg if it had one at all. The wave continued to increase its intensity until it eventually came crashing down onto a beach with me with it.

Despite all odds, I had survived my ordeal and made it to land. Still, I didn't see this island before until now. I wasn't about to complain mind you as it was better than the alternative of not finding land. With what little strength I had left, I walked onto the beach, each step weighing me down before collapsing to the ground. I turned over onto my back and looked to my left and right in hopes that someone had noticed me. There was no one nearby and I was just too exhausted to keep my eyes open. As my eyes closed and I fell unconscious, I could barely make out what appeared to be two figures headed in my direction.

"Whew! That was some wave weren't it, Marin?"

"Huh? Oh yes, it certainly was."

"Who knows what ended up gettin' washed up on the shore this time!"

"Yes."

"Is somethin' bothering you?"

"You know, I've been thinking about that, Tarin. Ever wonder if something exists beyond this island?"

"That question again? I know you're curious about where certain things on this island come from, but there's no real reason to think about such things. We've been living here for as long as we can remember yet it wasn't until some weeks ago that you began being curious about what lies beyond the ocean. Marin... I honestly don't know what to tell you. I've tried everything ta explain it but you keep on thinkin' about it."

"Still... You come here every week to see what washed up on Toronbo Shores but you never question where it comes from?"

"Nope."

"But why?"

"Because there isn't a reason behind it. I'm a simple man, Marin, and I don't go out of my way to try and understand things I don't get. I admire you for wanting to understand the unknown but maybe you should stop before you become obsessed with it."

"I guess you're right."

"Don't up upset now."

"I'll be okay."

"Listen... Why don't you go to your usual spot on the beach and practice your singing? I know that always makes ya feel better. As for me, I'm going to look around and see what I can scrounge up. Who knows? I might get lucky and find something of real value. I'm getting tired of constantly finding debris even if I don't know where it comes from."

"Alright, Tarin... I'll go."

"Just be careful of the monsters."

"Why should I?"

"For some reason, they're really aggressive today. I mean, they always have been on the mean side but now they have taken it up a notch. If you're findin' yourself in a heap of trouble, just holler and I will come running to your aid. In any case, we'll go back home in about fifteen minutes so we won't be here long."

The man known as Tarin turned and walked towards the water's edge where he began looking around for anything he could find. He was so concentrated on his task that he completely ignored what looked to be an spiky creature mere feet away from him. The creature didn't move or anything but in a panic, Tarin leapt back only to notice something bobbing up and up in the water's edge. Landing on his rear and quickly picking himself up and dusting off sand that had clung to his clothes, he inched around the spiky creature before walking to the object that had caught his attention.

Scooping it up with his hands, he was surprised to discover that it was a shield though it had seen some slight damage most likely due to having been in the water. It wasn't anything fancy but Tarin could take pleasure knowing that he found something most unusual. Normally for him, all he ever found was the occasional fruit having fallen from a nearby tree, or pieces of wood that drifted onto the shore. While he never questioned the latter, he took pleasure in picking up the debris as it meant either keeping it or selling it to someone. Tarin didn't view himself as a merchant but more like someone who was just curious by nature.

He took a closer look at the shield. "Well how about that? Someone has gone and inscribed something on this thing." He said to himself. "I'm sure that can be removed by the witch beyond the woods. Now let's have a look closer. Hmmm... 'Sunset Shimmer'? What kind of name is that? Whoever they were, they obviously lost this thing somewhere and aren't coming back to claim it any time soon. Sunset Shimmer... I don't know anyone like that on the island. Best not ta dwell on it otherwise it could give Marin another excuse ta continue wanting to know what lies beyond the ocean."

Rather than throw away the shield, Tarin carefully placed it into his backpack before resuming his task of looking for anything else on the beach. The woman known as Marin meanwhile walked along the beach making sure to constantly check all around her in case any creatures decided to attack her. While they showed signs of animosity, none of them made any kind of advances so she knew not to worry about it. Still, 'Marin' chose to remain cautious as she never knew what might happen beyond the village she and Tarin came from. As she continued walking, thoughts echoed throughout her mind.

Tarin was easy going and never afraid to be boisterous. As for her? She was more aloof and wanting to keep things a secret. In her heart, she always believed there was more to her life than what appearances showed. For the last few weeks, she believed that the island would receive something special. She didn't know what it was apart from one thing that constantly appeared in her dreams. One day, a visitor would come to the island, a visitor from beyond what you can see. This visitor would change the course of fate. Marin strongly believed her dream even if Tarin constantly dismissed her.

"Maybe today is going to be the day." Marin said to herself. "My dream of the visitor to this island... maybe they will finally come and deliver unto us the message and change our fate for the better." She looked around and saw nothing out of the ordinary. She sighed. "Nothing... there is no one here apart from the local creatures. Maybe Tarin was right all along and that I'm just being delusional." She shook her head. "No! I have to believe that my dream will come true. If it does then perhaps my other dream will become a reality." She looked up at the sky to see some seagulls flying about. "I must believe."

Suddenly, she noticed something in the sand that immediately caught her attention. "Huh? Is... is that a girl lying on the beach?" She quickly ran over towards what she saw and her heart began beating erratically. "It is a girl!" Marin couldn't contain the excitement of finding someone. "I've never seen her before in my life. Gasp! Is it possible? Is this girl the one that we have been waiting for?" She looked closely at the girl and noticed that she was unconscious. "I must get her back to Mabe Village quickly. Oh my gosh! I need to calm down! But, this is just so exciting! Tarin! Tarin!"

Tarin responded from far away. "What is it?"

"You need to come here quickly!"

Back in the human world, my friends had confronted Ganondorf, and were demanding he tell them what happened to me. Though he had told them the truth, or what constituted as truth, they refused to believe him, thinking that his words were false. If only they had remembered the adventures in both Hyrule and Termina. Had they, they wouldn't be saying that he was lying and not digging an even deeper hole than they had already dug. The Demon King was more powerful than all five alicorns, the Six Pillars of Old Equestria, and the strongest of unicorns combined. To test his patience was asking for death.

"Where is Sunset Shimmer?" Applejack asked.

Ganondorf laughed. "You already know the answer to your question, honest one, yet you refuse to believe my words."

"There's no way she can be trapped in that there video game!"

"Then you are ignorant of the truth before your eyes." Ganondorf said, his eyes partially glowing an eerie red that made Fluttershy hide behind a couch. "The child has been sent into that world by me, the world you had barely witnessed. It was fate that she was intended to go there."

"Fate deciding one's outcome is pure nonsense." Twilight Sparkle said. "I've done a few studies on it and have come to the logical conclusion that fate has no effect on what someone chooses to do with their life." She then walked over to a nearby table that was stacked with several folders, picked one up, and began to flip through it until she came to a stop. "As you can see, I have the charts and diagrams to prove it." My friends sighed knowing Twilight had once again taken things a tad too seriously what with her penchant for wanting logical reasoning to prevail over anything fantastical. "So your notions of fate are baseless."

That immediately caused Ganondorf to laugh. "No wonder that you are the inferior version of the alicorn." He looked at Twilight directly, his gaze piercing her soul causing her to drop her folder where its pages scattered about the floor.

"What?"

"You feel inferior to your other self." Ganondorf answered. "She has everything while you have nothing. Is that what you expect me to say? Heh! Then you clearly have much to learn about the powers that have been bestowed upon you."

Twilight had no response to his words so Rarity substituted for her. "You horrible beast! How dare you insult her insecurity like that!? I'll have you know that Twilight is content with not being the same as Princess Twilight. In fact, they are both successful individuals who have forged their own paths in life!" She then closed her eyes before coughing knowing she was getting carried away. "Ahem! Don't listen to this... what was his name again?"

Rainbow Dash moaned as she slapped her forehead. "Ganondorf! His name is Ganondorf! Seriously!? You didn't hear me mention it earlier?"

"I was fixated on the jewel on his forehead, darling!"

"Seriously!?"

"Quite!"

Ganondorf laughed once again. "The child was right about all of you as I already knew. Despite your ignorance, you possess great power, and your strong bonds make you a force that all have fallen to. Ignorance... It is most unfortunate that you never could help the child in her times of despair."

"What are y'all talkin' 'bout?" Applejack asked.

"Again, you refused to believe her story, what she experienced."

"It's not like it's true."

"Do not deceive yourself, honest one!" Ganondorf said as he raised his right hand to the side of his face. He clenched it into a fist before a golden mark appeared on the back of his hand, a mark that my friends began shaking their heads repeatedly. "Do not deny the truth, children. You know it to be true. The child, Sunset Shimmer, possesses this very mark, but had tried to hide it in the hopes that it was merely a dream. She has since accepted it for what it is and tried explaining things but you cast her aside, doubted her words, and left her alone to suffer what fate has bestowed upon her."

Twilight picked up her folder. "Fate doesn't decide your life! I... I have research to back me up!"

Fluttershy then chimed in. "Oh dear! Did we truly not see Sunset was experiencing something terrible? How could we be such terrible friends!?" She tried to prevent herself from crying but tears began to trickle down her cheeks. "This is becoming a nightmare!"

"And not the fun kind." Pinkie Pie added.

"The child isn't the only one who possesses this divine mark." Ganondorf said. With a snap of his finger, an image of what looked to be Princess Twilight appeared briefly in front of my friends before disappearing. Their expressed looks of shock were all the Demon King needed to see before laughing once more. "The alicorn also possesses the divine mark and she too has been cast aside by those she believed would help her. No one from her world can fathom the divine power she wields thus she has been forced to endure her pain alone. At least the alicorn can be with the one person who has the same curse as she does."

"You mean Sunset Shimmer?" Fluttershy asked. Ganondorf nodded prompting her to gulp and turn a ghostly white. "Oh dear."

"Then we need to get in there and get them both out!" Pinkie Pie shouted. She dashed out of the room only to come back seconds later with a puzzled look on her face. "Um... How do we get in there? I don't think we have any magic that can transcend the space-time continuum on a dimensional plane." Everyone else looked at her with surprise. "What!? We really don't have any."

"Your magic is limited to the confines of your world." Ganondorf said.

"And what does that mean?" Applejack asked.

"It means that our magic is from Equestria." Twilight answered. "But because it was brought to this world by Sunset when she stole the other me's crown, what we have is a condensed version. In other words, weaker. Even if we were to combine our magic together, without Sunset, we wouldn't be able to do what Pinkie said. Even if she were here, our chances would still be extremely slim. We'd have to boost our magic a hundred fold."

"So we can't do anything for Sunset or Princess Twilight?" Pinkie Pie asked.

Twilight nodded her head slowly. "Nothing."

"I can't even begin to imagine what Sunset and Princess Twilight must be going through." Fluttershy said.

"Those two are the least of your concerns." Ganondorf said. Before my friends could do anything, the door to the room suddenly burst into flames followed by the windows. It looked like they were about to choke to death on smoke only for them to discover that this was no ordinary fire. "These dark flames have ensnared you in this room, and you will not leave until I have finished with my task here."

"What task?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"All will become clear in time."

"What do you make of her, Tarin?"

"I've never seen anyone like her before on the island."

"Just looking at her makes me feel like she's fated to change our lives."

"Really, Marin? That's what you see in her?"

"And what's wrong with that?"

"Nothin' at all!"

"Then why say it like that?"

"Just because you found her washed up on ta shore doesn't mean she's anythin' special. Then again, I've never seen her on the island before so maybe you have a point. In any case, we should let her explain herself when she wakes up."

"Who knows how long that will be."

"At least we know she's alive."

"I'm thankful for that. I mean, when I first found her on the shore, there was nothing apart from her. Could she... could she have come from beyond what we can see? If so then that reaffirms my belief that she will change our lives."

"I ain't going to question you, Marin."

"And why not?"

"I know better not to... Hey! Well would you look at that? She's wakin' up!"

"Uhhhh... my aching head." I said as I finally opened my eyes after what felt like forever. As soon as my body figured out I was sleeping in a bed, I sat up and began to check out my surroundings. The bed itself was really comfy, the kind that you'd want to sleep in for days at a time if not weeks. I found myself inside of what appeared to be a small house and judging from the décor, it was simplistic in design. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary though I had to be cautious. This wasn't my world so there was telling what could happen. Rubbing my head, I began contemplating my next move when I was suddenly interrupted by a familiar voice.

"I thought you'd never wake up! You were tossing and turning for a while before you settled back down again."

"Huh? Starlight Glimmer?" I asked upon seeing who it was. Sure enough, it was indeed Starlight, Princess Twilight's former pupil, and someone who once came back with me to the world I called home because she was curious. If not for her, Juniper Montage would never have changed her ways and me and my friends would've perished in that mirror Juniper had which used Equestrian Magic from the portal. "Why are you wearing that strange get-up?" Starlight was wearing a blue dress with a red strap wrapped around her torso, had a flower in her hair, a beautiful pendant around her neck, and was wearing sandals.

"Starlight Glimmer?" Starlight responded with a puzzled look on her face. "What a strange name. My name is Marin." She performed a curtsy that showed off her beauty. " You must still be feeling a little woozy. You are on Koholint Island!"

"I'm where!?" I exclaimed upon her saying that.

"Um... Koholint Island."

"Where is that?"

Starlight shrugged. "No one on this island knows exactly where it is, but it's here and we live on it."

"That's not exactly what I asked but... I guess I can live with that."

"Anyway, when I found you on the beach a few hours ago, Tarin and I brought you back here to our house for you to recuperate." Starlight said as she pointed to both Tarin and the house in its entirety. "This is Mabe Village, one of two settlements here on Koholint Island."

I then looked over at Tarin again and was surprised as to who it was. "You... Aren't you Sunburst?" Though I've never met him in person, I knew who he was thanks to the descriptions of him courtesy of both Princess Twilight and Starlight. Unlike Starlight, he was dressed in an orange shirt, green pants, brown shoes, and had a yellow neckerchief around his neck with a blue pin at the front. He also had a backpack on his back that was filled with mushrooms. I had no idea why he had them but I wasn't about to ask. From what I know, mushrooms could be deadly as some strains were poisonous while others weren't.

"Sunburst?" He asked with a puzzled look. "No, I don't know who that is. The name's Tarin!"

"Tarin here is my father." Starlight said.

My jaw dropped and my eyes bugged out. "You're his daughter!? But you..." I quickly stopped myself before I could say something stupid. Both Starlight and Sunburst looked the exact same age so doubting their claim would no doubt land me in trouble and I was already in plenty. "Never mind. Forget about it." I then changed the subject. "Koholint Island? What about the strange egg at the highest point of the island?"

"You mean the Wind Fish Egg?" Sunburst asked. I nodded which caused him to get excited. "Everyone around here knows about the Wind Fish Egg. I'm surprised that you don't know anythin' about it. No one knows where it came from but it's been up there on Mt. Tamarach since the very beginning. No one ever goes up there due to how difficult the terrain is unless they were crazy or curious."

"I think I might want to take a look at it."

"Nothin' wrong with that."

"By the way, what is your name?" Starlight asked.

"I'm Sunset Shimmer."

Both Starlight and Sunburst looked at each other for a few moments before the former answered. "That is a very interesting name. It definitely is unique. By the way, since you look as though you're a lot better, why not take the time to look around our village? I'm sure you'll find it most comforting but do beware of Bow-Wow. He won't bite or anything but he can surprised anyone without warning."

Getting up from the bed and making sure to put it back the way it was, I was about to leave when Sunburst stopped me. "Before you leave and explore the village, why don't you listen to what I have to say. I actually knew your name was Sunset Shimmer before you went ahead and said it."

"That's surprising." I said.

"You think it's weird or something?" Sunburst asked. I then noticed he had something behind his back and was trying real hard to present it to me. "It's not that weird at all. You see, I saw it on the back of this shield which I found down by the beach earlier. I planned on either selling at the shop or keeping it for myself. Good thing I didn't make a decision yet otherwise you'd probably be wonderin' what happened to your stuff." I couldn't believe it! The shield that I started this journey with had survived the storm from earlier. It had taken some damage (It never was a good shield) but it should still be useful.

Taking it off of his hands, I slung it onto my arm where it hanged a little loosely. At least now I had the means to defend myself form anything that would get in my way. Despite how pleasant this village was according to both Starlight and Sunburst, the areas beyond its borders were likely teaming with monsters bent on killing me. It was obvious considering that this was what happened in my previous two adventures. Danger lurks beyond a safe haven and only those with the proper gear could make it through. Unfortunately, I didn't have the sword I had with me on the boat so I had no means of fighting.

"Thank you."

"If you decide to leave the village, you should head south to Toronbo Shores." Starlight said.

"And why is that?"

"That was where I found you when you washed up on the shore earlier." Starlight answered. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that she clenched her left hand into a fist but quickly hid her hand behind her back upon seeing that I was watching her. "If you head south, please be careful. Monsters live there but ever since you showed up on the shore, they have increased in both number and aggression."

"Not sure why they have become nasty." Sunburst added. "But, it is what it is so you'd best be careful. By the way, Sunset Shimmer! Some other stuff like your shield may have washed up on the beach. I can't say for certain since I didn't have enough time to look what with Marin finding you unconscious there. Like she said, watch out for monsters. Ever since you showed up, I've seen 'em all over the place!"

What both of them said about the monsters didn't make much sense. Why would their numbers increase all of a sudden and become more aggressive all because I showed up on this island? It's not like I was special or anything. Then again, if my previous adventures had taught me anything, it was that I had a much bigger role than anyone thought. At least now I knew where to go first though to be honest, I wish it didn't have to be where I washed up. It felt like having to go through the experience again only without the raging waters of the ocean having almost killed me.

Leaving Starlight and Sunburst's house, I was surprised at how tranquil Mabe Village was. In terms of space, it was actually quite roomy as various buildings were scattered about all over the place rather than being clumped together in close quarters. Several people were out and about so at least I wouldn't be out here on my own. Turning to the north, I gazed up at the very sight that stood out above all others, the Wind Fish Egg. Seeing it a little bit closer than before, it truly was a sight to behold. Never had I seen an egg so huge in my entire life. Not even the Rocs from Equestria had eggs that big.

It then dawned on me that I was going to be on my own for this adventure. The first time, I had Spike for a partner, though he never understood the true nature of what was going on no thanks to Ganondorf. The second time, Princess Twilight herself came along, and while she did start off not understanding, she quickly regained her memories and together the two of us overcame incredible odds in order to save one world and restore two. Princess Twilight... I wonder what she was doing in Equestria right now. Probably preparing for her coronation and freaking out over it. How I wish I could see her again.

Suddenly, a familiar voice echoed around me. "Sunset! Sunset Shimmer!"

"Huh?" I said as I looked around to see who it was. I couldn't see anyone so perhaps it was just my imagination.

"Sunset!"

SMACK!

"What the!?"

"Ouch! Well, that didn't quite go as expected."

Looking down at the ground, I saw a small fairy wearing a purple robe, but it was the star shaped cutie mark and the alicorn wings that made me recognize who it was. I didn't care how she got here. She was here with me once again. "Princess Twilight..." I said, tears streaming down my face. "You're here in this world too." Cupping my hands together and getting down onto my knees, I picked Her Highness up (More like Her Majesty since she would become the next ruler of Equestria) and she looked up at me.

"I didn't think I would ever find you." Princess Twilight said as she brushed herself off.

"What do you mean?"

"I was in Equestria looking over plans for the reconstruction of Canterlot Castle on account it was destroyed by Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow, when all of a sudden there was this bright flash of light and I found myself on this strange island and as a fairy again." Princess Twilight answered. The look on her face was one I was all too familiar with. She often had such a look whenever she was 'Twilighting', a verb her friends in Equestria had created because of her tendency to freak out over the smallest of details. "But I don't need to remind you since you asked about it some time ago."

"I had the same thing happen. You know, the bright flash of light."

I then explained how I got here to Princess Twilight and she was in complete shock. "You almost drowned in a storm!? I'm sorry that I wasn't there to help you, Sunset, but I'm here now and it looks like we're both in this adventure for the long run."

"How long were you looking for me?"

"For several hours at least."

"Wow..."

"When I first came to this island, I was at this giant tower in the northeast corner." Princess Twilight said as she pointed in that particular direction. She dropped her head in embarrassment upon realizing that I couldn't see what she was talking about from where we currently were. "Ahem! You'll just need to believe me here. Anyway, this tower appeared to be dedicated to an eagle but it was locked and being the curious pony I am, I wanted to see what was in there." I rolled my eyes. It was just like her to want to see something for research and curiosity purposes. "So I flew across the island until I came to this village..."

"And discovered that I was here."

Princess Twilight nodded. "Yes. I'm so glad that I found you, Sunset. So... where do we go first?"

"According to Starlight and Sunburst, we need to go to the beach where Starlight found me unconscious..."

That was when Her Highness cut me off. "Wait! Starlight and Sunburst are here!?" I nodded and her jaw dropped. "I don't believe it! They ended up coming to this world as well but I don't think they have the memories you and I have. Which means they are portraying two characters who are native to this world."

I nodded. "Starlight is called Marin while Sunburst is called Tarin." I made sure not to mention the father-daughter thing to Her Highness. I don't think she could handle it. "Since we don't have anywhere else to go, we might as well check out the beach properly this time."

Princess Twilight nodded, signalling that she would follow me everywhere and once again serve as my fairy companion. I then began to head westward or what I assumed to be that direction until I was startled by what looked like a bowling ball with fangs attached to a spike stuck in the ground via a chain. Such a creature was one I had never seen before. Not even the most dangerous monsters in Equestria were this bizarre looking. Despite this creature barking at me, it didn't try to attack or anything so I knew not to be afraid. Walking past the creature, I reached a crossroads that presented two directions.

One headed what I assumed was north towards a large, looming forest, while the other one headed towards the ocean, the direction I needed to go. There was also a building that featured a stone book on top of it. Such a thing usually meant library and I knew Princess Twilight would want to check it out at some point. Turning left and walking south, I saw a couple of kids playing around with a ball though they looked awfully familiar. Walking past them--I had every intention of speaking to them when I got back--I continued on but not before looking inside of the building that had the book motif on top.

As expected, it was a library, but not the kind that existed in say Canterlot or the Crystal Empire. This library was small and only had shelves that went around the interior, but then there were eight books places onto eight different tables, and one additional book had been placed on the furthest shelf in a precarious manner. It was as though someone wanted to make sure it was noticeable by having it placed so awkwardly. It was too high for me to jump so that idea was already out. As for the other eight books, one looked barely touched while the others had considerable wear on them. Libraries were places of knowledge yet this one had me suspicious.

Princess Twilight, as I knew she would, wanted to explore, but she knew that we needed to explore the beach first. I told her that we would come back to the library when were done with our errand so she didn't have to wait long. Leaving the library and walking south, I came upon a sign that was pointing in two directions. The first direction pointed south towards the beach, the way we were going, but the other pointed eastwards towards a place called Tail Cave. Why give a cave such a distinction via a sign? Already, Koholint Island was proving itself ever mysterious and I doubted it was going to be the last occurrence.

"Do you see those small ledges, Sunset?" Princess Twilight asked as she floated over to the edge of a ledge with the ground carrying on below.

"What about them?"

"You can hop down from up here to down there though you will have to walk back up the long way round." Her Highness then pointed to an octopus like creature that was scuttling about on the lower ground. Every now and then, it would spit out a rock that sailed across a large distance until it disappeared. "That is an Octorok. I believe we've seen them during our adventure in that world with the falling moon. Anyway, you can use your shield to protect yourself from the rocks they spit. You can't bounce them back and without a sword, you'll need to avoid them at all costs."

Fortunately, the Octorok wasn't that fast so I could easily outrun it. Unfortunately, there were several moving about so I needed to watch where I walked. Raising my shield and stealing myself, I jumped down to the lower ground where the Octorok began firing rapid shot rocks at me. Despite my shield's condition, it managed to protect me from the rocks. I kept on moving south when another Octorok began shooting rocks. Luckily, I had moved out of its range and kept walking. I then jumped down one more ledge where my feet landed on some sand, indicating that I had reached Toronbo Shores.

Now that I was awake and not on the verge of death, I could get a better appreciation for what the beach was about. There was nothing out of the ordinary aside from some spiky creatures blocking the way forward. Additional Octoroks were also scuttling about so I kept my shield raised knowing they would shoot rocks at me. A nearby sign revealed that I kept going forward, I would reach a place called 'Sales' House of Bananas'. Looking at Princess Twilight, she shrugged and I couldn't blame her. I mean, I've seen shops back home selling specific items but not necessarily bananas. Usually, that would involved going to the local marketplace.

"What of those spiky creatures?"

"They are Sea Urchins." Princess Twilight answered. "Best not to touch them unless you want to have spikes embedded into you. Surprisingly, they are very light in terms of weight and can be pushed about using your shield. Oh, and they won't actually do anything effectively making them harmless."

"Makes me wish I had a sword."

"You did what you had to in order to survive in the storm."

I sighed. "Maybe I was being too cautious."

"I'd have done the same thing, Sunset."

I smiled. "Thanks, Twilight."

Raising my shield, I walked up to a Sea Urchin that was next to the sign, and pushed it forward with rousing success. Princess Twilight was right about them lacking weight, and I guess I should be thankful Sunburst found my shield when he and Starlight found me earlier. Still, without a sword, I doubted I could keep on using a shield for everything. The Sea Urchin had no reaction to my pushing it and so I moved forward only to be stopped by two more that were blocking the path. Since there was no other way around, I pushed one forward enough for me to slip past the other only for another Octorok to pelt me with a rock--it shattered upon hitting my shield.

Since I couldn't go in the water (I could but it was likely too deep for me), I turned left and pushed another Sea Urchin forward to get past it and the other one that was blocking the way and entered a clearing. There was more of the beach further ahead but my focus was on something that was barely in the water at the beach's edge. Upon a closer inspection, my heart leapt at finding the sword I dropped earlier during my harrowing experience in the storm. It had to have been a divine miracle that it ended up here instead of being forever lost in the ocean's depths.

Reaching out for the sword, I was about to draw it from being embedded in the sand when the sound of a large bird echoed all around. Suddenly, a giant owl appeared from the west before landing on a high-up platform and settling down. Someone was riding on it and jumped down and I immediately recognized them as Flash Sentry. Once again, he was portraying a character who was most likely the owl on its own but being an extension rather than a separate entity. He was wearing armour this time instead of being bare-chested or wearing a tunic like he was the previous times.

I then turned to Princess Twilight in order to gauge her reaction. Even though she hasn't seen him in what could be described as years, I wondered if she still had any kind of attraction towards him seeing as she was once smitten by him. She didn't do anything unusual indicating she had gotten over him. Me? I'll admit that back in the day, I used him to become popular for my own selfish reasons, but we did become good friends afterwards. But, I suppose over time, those feelings I thought were stupid may have actually been real and that I do have some kind of affection towards him.

"So you are the lass who owns that sword?" Flash Sentry asked as he petted his owl companion who hooted in return.

I nodded. "Yes, this sword is mine. I thought I had lost it but that isn't the case." I made sure not to mention about me being trapped in the storm and throwing my sword away. I wasn't doubting him or anything but the fact that this island felt strange made me want to keep that a secret.

"Now I understand why the monsters are starting to act so violently."

"You mean they haven't always acted like that?" Princess Twilight asked.

Flash Sentry nodded. "For a long time, they have been peaceful though on occasion they have caused trouble for the locals. But now, things have changed and it is because of the presence of you, lass. A courageous lass has come to wake the Wind Fish... that being you."

"That egg has a fish in it!?" I exclaimed. My mind felt like exploding upon hearing that.

"So it is said."

"That makes no sense."

"It is also said that you cannot leave this island unless you wake the Wind Fish."

Him saying that made my jaw drop and my heart come to a complete stop. Did he just say that Princess Twilight and I were trapped on this island!? How can an island keep anyone from leaving to go somewhere else? I thought of trying to prove him wrong by jumping into the ocean and swimming away but my chances would have been extremely slim. I guessed I had to take his word for it. One thing did bother me however. How did he expect me to make my way up to where the giant egg was resting!? It's not like I was skilled at mountain climbing and it probably was protected by powerful monsters.

Princess Twilight then spoke up. "Why can't Sunset leave the island?"

"That is a question I cannot answer yet."

"Ah, but you can at a later date?"

"Correct."

"Now we're getting somewhere."

The owl next to Flash Sentry hooted prompting him to climb onto its back. "You should now go north, to the Mysterious Forest, located beyond the village. Before that, I suggest you speak to those who live in the village. You may find help from them that will prove beneficial for the future. Once you have finished with your preparations, I shall wait for you at the forest's entrance."

With that, he took to the sky, and fly north towards Mabe Village leaving me and Princess Twilight to ponder our next move. Our next destination was set though why couldn't he have told us now rather than have us wait until we got to the forest he mentioned. I sighed knowing that it wasn't really that big of a deal since it wouldn't take long to get back there. Then I remembered my sword being stuck in the sand. I now had a means of fighting off any monsters. Huh... Well what do you know? My sword has my name engraved on it. It was a nice little touch that I appreciated.

Grabbing the sword by the hilt, I pulled it out of the sand and lifted it above my head in triumph. I then swung it around a few times just to get in some practice before I started to use it properly. Despite not having been on an adventure for some time, swinging the sword around felt natural, as though I hadn't forgotten my skills. At least I wasn't accidentally throwing the thing around like I did a long time ago. Now that I had my sword, I could follow Flash's advice and go back to Mabe Village, but then the rest of Toronbo Shores remained unexplored and checking it out could prove useful.

To Be Continued.

Chapter 2: Around Mabe Village.

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.
By Ganondorf8.
October 30, 2019.
Chapter 2: Around Mabe Village.

"I'm off to the Mysterious Forest, Marin!" Sunburst announced to the entirety of Mabe Village.

"You didn't need to let everyone know what you're doing, Tarin." Starlight moaned, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "I sometimes question why you do such things in the first place knowing full well how our business doesn't have to be heard by everyone else."

"Did you say somethin'?"

"Huh? Who me?" Starlight then assumed an innocent look that came off as her being absent-minded. "No, I didn't say anything, Tarin. You must be hearing things." She then stopped with the look and adopted a more serious expression. "So you're going to look for toadstools again?"

Sunburst nodded. "You know me all too well."

"I ought to since I am your daughter and all."

"Toadstool pickin' has always been my thing around here." Sunburst said, showing off the toadstools in his backpack. Some were showing signs of decay and Starlight hoped he would throw them away before they went bad. "Besides, I feel like having some for dinner tonight! I know you aren't too keen on them, Marin, so maybe I could find you something else to eat, or you could actually try them."

"I'd rather not eat them."

"Suit yourself."

"How long do you plan on being gone this time?"

"Why, Marin..." Sunburst began. "You make it sound like I don't know how to judge time let alone figure out when to come home."

Starlight, arms folded, leaned forward as a means of intimidation. "The last time you went to pick some toadstools, you were gone for three days and by the time you came back, you looked as though you had gotten lost or something." She then pointed to a chest of drawers near Sunburst's bed that was filled to the brim with toadstools. "Keep this up and the forest is going to run out of toadstools. Besides, why not use what you have? Why go there to get more?"

"I'm just compelled to go get some."

"This is a losing argument isn't it?"

"You worry too much, Marin."

"Someone has to."

Sunburst then placed his hand on her shoulder. "I might not be the most insightful person around, but I know what my priorities are... most of the time. I'll only be gone for about an hour or so before coming back. Finding them toadstools has become a might hard these days. I'll be lucky enough ta find even one let alone two. If'n you see that Sunset Shimmer, tell her where I've gone in case she's curious about me."

"I wonder if she will figure it out."

"Figure what out?"

"The secret of the Mysterious Forest." Starlight answered. She grabbed a piece of paper and presented it to Sunburst. On the paper was the drawing of what looked like a key but one end was shaped like a creature's tail. Sunburst had no idea what to make of it but Starlight certainly did. "They say that this key is hidden somewhere deep in the forest and can open up a cave just north of the beach. No one has ever been in there before and I was curious as to what it contains. Sunset Shimmer definitely looks like she might have an interest in finding secrets but maybe that's just me talking."

"That is you talkin'!"

"Can I help it if I'm interested in her?"

Sunburst raised an eyebrow though he avoided laughing or making any kind of remark in case it offended Starlight. He knew her way of thinking and despite his laidback attitude, he knew better to overstep his boundaries. "Whatever that Sunset Shimmer does is her own business. I admit that I am a bit curious about her but I reckon she prefers to keep to herself." He then stepped outside of their home and looked upwards at the clouds. "Reckon it'll be a perfect day for toadstool pickin'. Who knows? I might just try one there and then instead of waitin' to get back home and eat it. What about you, Marin?"

"Me?" Starlight then used her innocent look again. "I was thinking of maybe going into people's homes and smashing their pots for the fun of it." As soon as she said that, she waggled her finger and laughed it off much to Sunburst's confusion over the matter. "Did I say that? No, you must be hearing things. I definitely didn't say anything of the sort. I think I will go the statue in the village square and practice my singing. If Sunset Shimmer pays me a visit when she comes back from Toronbo Shores, maybe she will tell me about herself."

"Yer more curious than I am."

"I can't help it!"

"It's not good for your health."

After thinking things over and consulting with Princess Twilight on the matter, I decided to explore as much of Toronbo Shores as possible. While going back to Mabe Village was essential in progressing the adventure, the beach might hold something of value that would otherwise be lost were I to ignore it. Besides, I also needed to understand the lay of the land as I currently lacked a map. Fortunately, Her Highness said that she would keep track of where we have been on this island by making a makeshift map. It would gradually fill in as we explore more of our surrounding until it was finally complete.

She also suspected that the library would also house a map of the island for convenience sake. I promised we would check out the library in greater detail upon going back to the village as I knew better than to deny Princess Twilight a chance to explore a new library. I'll admit that my own curiosity of what it contained was pretty strong. Now that I had both a sword and shield, monsters wouldn't be a problem unless my sword was useless against anything with, a thick hide, could use the terrain to its advantage, or something far worse. Another thing I would require was money.

One golden rule of any adventure was to have the means of buying items from shops. Though I couldn't even begin to remember much of the stuff I purchased during my previous two adventures, I knew that I needed money. How much money? I wouldn't know until I actually went into a shop and saw what they had. There should be a shop somewhere in the village so paying it a visit was a must. Then again, a shop could be down here on the beach. The likelihood was pretty slim but you never could tell when it comes to adventure. The money would come from defeating monsters and opening treasure chests so I had a lot to do.

Heading across the beach, Princess Twilight and I encountered some large crabs scuttling about. According to Her Highness, they don't have a specific name so we both agreed to call them Giant Crabs for novelty sake. She did say that they would damage me upon contact and are surprisingly durable, one hit with my sword wouldn't be enough. They weren't much for attacking anyway so they weren't exactly dangerous, but defeating them could give me rupees, the currency that this video game world enjoyed. A couple of Giant Crabs came close but several sword swings took them out with one of them leaving a green rupee behind.

"One down, countless more to go." I said to myself as I picked it up. I had no idea if the wallet I had--something I didn't figure out until that exact moment when I picked up the rupee off the ground--could be upgraded or if it was just the one size for the adventure but I had one for money storage. "Here's hoping there will be larger rupee amounts aside from one otherwise it'll take days if not weeks to collect enough rupees. Heck! I don't even know how much anything at the shop costs so I could be wasting time." I really should've gone to the shop at the earliest opportunity rather than go down to the beach.

Another monster then appeared, rising up from the sand. This one had four spikes on top of its head and looked like a mass of jelly given how rubbery its body was. I raised my shield where it collided into it before sinking back down. Princess Twilight knew what this one was called, a Leever. She said they lurked underground in areas filled with sand and would pop up to attack anything that ventured into its territory. I do recall encountering some in previous adventures but perhaps my memory of them was faint because they weren't all that memorable compared with other monsters I had seen in the past. Rather than deal with them, I allowed them to move on past, or whatever constituted for their movement.

"I hope you're not going to be avoiding monsters all the time." Princess Twilight said.

"Not all of them are being aggressive." I said.

"True, and while I don't exactly approve of attacking whatever gets in your way, you will need to destroy them." It felt weird hearing Her Highness say such things, but I knew she was only trying to tell me the truth in a way that wouldn't upset me. She knew how this adventuring would affect my psyche and was doing her best to show me the positives. "Some monsters will make attempts on your life and you must be prepared for them."

"Is it like that for you back in Equestria?" I wanted to quickly retract that statement but found that I couldn't.

Princess Twilight sighed. "Sometimes, I wish monsters would choose a more friendly path as opposed to simply being aggressive. I know they can't help it as it's in their nature but you'd think they would have some semblance of common sense."

"And the villains?"

"They can make a choice."

"Not all of them did."

"And look what happened to them." Princess Twilight paused to think about something and I knew what it was. She was thinking about Tirek, Chrysalis, and Gozy Glow, the three villains who almost brought Equestria under their dominion, and who refused friendship to enter their hearts. Now they were a stone statue for practically eternity, forever frozen in place for eons until someone declares them deserve a second chance at life. "At least those three weren't killed despite their intention of doing so to everyone else."

"But then this world is different from Equestria."

"Yes, you do have a point."

"You know that I need to talk to you sometime about your coronation among other things, right?"

Princess Twilight nodded. " I know, Sunset. I've actually been meaning to talk to you about it as well, but I didn't have the time what with needing to repair the castle, getting all of the various accommodations in place, table and seating arrangements for various creatures, etc."

"You look like you're about to freak out."

"Can you really tell?"

I nodded. "I know you, Twilight, and I know your mannerisms. I will talk to you about it but perhaps at various intervals during this adventure. No fair in saving it all for a massive stress dump later which wouldn't do either of us any good." I had to change the subject which is when I noticed a building on top of the next ridge. It stuck out like a sore thumb seeing as there were no other buildings in the area. "That building up there could be a good place to check out." Continuing our beach trek was bearing little in the way of progress so once we were done visiting this place, we would go back the way we came and check out the library.

"Thanks Sunset."

"For what?"

"For changing the subject, giving me some space, and for being a good friend."

"It's the kind of person I am and besides, I had a very good teacher who taught me so much." I said, smiling. I then walked up to the building and a sign out front revealed that the place was called 'Sale's House O' Bananas'. It was named well since there were trees bearing bananas on their branches situated on either side with one of them housing a monkey who wasn't keen on seeing me. It began tossing coconuts yet none of them hit me so it had merely wasted its time and quite possibly food. "Judging from the location, I'm surprised this place doesn't get many visitors if any at all."

"Bananas are seen as an acquired taste."

"Who told you that?"

Princess Twilight blushed. "Princess Celestia..."

I rolled my eyes. I should have known that it was my old teacher who would've told Her Highness about that. Princess Celestia had this strange fascination towards bananas though no one, not even her sister, Princess Luna, ever figured out the reason. It was one of the princess' more bizarre qualities which most ponies in Equestria didn't understand. Among the different kinds of fruit that are transported around Equestria, bananas were very rare as only specific locations grew them, namely tropical locations. Don't even get me started with import fees. I heard those were a real pain to deal with.

Upon entering the shop, I heard a familiar sounding voice... "YEAH!"

Even Princess Twilight recognized it. "Only one pony says 'yeah' like that."

Standing in front of us near several crates of bananas was Bulk Biceps. Whether he was a human or a pony, he stood out for his absurd physical prowess compared with all those around him, yet despite this, he was really gentle. He wore his usual attire that I saw him wear at Canterlot High but also a hat made out of straw. If he wanted to depict himself as living in the tropics and being surrounded by tropical décor, wearing a hat would definitely do it. If I remembered my previous adventures, he portrayed giant character so it felt strange seeing him at regular size like me.

"Welcome! YEAH! Welcome to Sale's House O' Bananas!" Bulk Biceps said.

"Thank you." I said.

"I'm Sale and this is my house!"

I decided to go along with it. "You have quite the variety of bananas."

Again, Bulk Biceps used what could arguably be his iconic word. "YEAH! I have a huge assortment of bananas, but I don't get many customers around here as I'd like. At one time, people from the nearby village came here in droves for my bananas, but when those monsters started to infest the area, only the bravest come here."

"That sounds terrible." Princess Twilight said.

"Now I have so many bananas that I don't know what to do with them."

Princess Twilight then had a thought. "What about monkeys?" I was surprised Her Highness knew what a monkey was. Then again, Equestria was a kingdom teaming with all kinds of animals including exotic ones, and in her letters she said that the pony version of Fluttershy had an animal sanctuary. Such a place having monkeys around would make sense as to why she knew what one was. Or, she was using some kind of divine magic to figure it out. "Surely, you would allow them to take your bananas."

"YEAH! Well... I would but monkeys don't usually frequent this area of the island."

"What about the one just outside?" I asked.

"That one is more interested in coconuts than bananas."

"Oh."

"I do know of a small group of monkeys though." Bulk Biceps then looked at his inventory of bananas before hollering out a 'yeah'. He then looked at a picture of something, mumbled to himself, and then looked at me again. "Somewhere east of the village is a castle where monkeys like to hang near. What are they doing there? Who knows? No one really knows what monkeys get up to. I suppose if you were to give them some bananas, they might do something."

"Can you give me some bananas?"

Bulk Bicep's eyes then lit up. "YEAH! I mean... I can but I need something first."

"Do you need money?" Princess Twilight asked.

Bulk Biceps blinked and tilted his head to one side momentarily. "Money? No, I don't sell my bananas. I prefer to trade. Maybe that's another reason why people don't come here that much anymore. Do you have any canned food?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"Canned food! YEAH!"

"That is what you said, right?"

"Selling bananas isn't my actual hobby." Bulk Biceps answered as he licked his lips. "My hobby involves collecting rare and unusual canned food. Sure, it sounds strange but then you haven't met my brother. He's an artist who lives in the Animal Village on the opposite end of the island. YEAH! Ahem! Yeah, strange hobbies do run in the family. If you have any canned food, give it to me and I'll give you some bananas. Good deal? YEAH!"

I shrugged my shoulders, an indication that I had no canned food, but I had to know more. "Why canned food?"

"What can I say? I just love the stuff."

I frowned but made sure he didn't notice. "So... If I were to get you some canned food, would you give me some bananas?"

Bulk Biceps nodded feverishly. "YEAH! YEAH! I'll do that for you. Now, if you want to get some premium canned food, you should talk to Madam MeowMeow. She is a pet lover who feeds her pets canned food as often as possible. She lives in the village north of here so she's the one to talk to. I don't particular care what kind of canned food it is so long as I can satisfy my belly."

Nodding slowly whilst presenting a nervous grin, I said that I would come back later with the canned food that he wanted, and stepped backwards until I was outside. That's when I stuck out my tongue in disgust. Did he honestly want dog food!? When he mentioned pets, that was what immediately came to mind. But, I supposed if it would get me some bananas for the road, then who was I to question Bulk Bicep's tastes. I didn't encounter anyone by the name of Madam MeowMeow--the name was definitely on the nose with her fascination for pets--so perhaps someone in the village would know of her.

"CRRAACCKKLLEE! FWWOOSSHH! You called upon me, master?"

"We detect a presence on the island that did not exist before until now."

"What is it?"

"An outsider, one from beyond the ocean, has come to this island."

"Is that going to be a problem, master?"

"For now, they are of no threat to us, but they will become a problem should they collect that which you and the others guard."

"The instruments? No one on the island has ever bothered to try and collect them. They are all too content with living out their lives in ignorance since they don't know what this island really is."

"Such ignorance can be placed upon you."

"I don't understand."

"No... We do not expect you to understand the nature that is the Nightmare. Already, one of those who exists has been thinking about awakening the dreamer. At first we thought this to be an error but she has proven otherwise. She and their kind must never know this island's secret. Our dominion must remain intact. The binding must remain intact. Should this one continue her misguided approach, we shall have to kill her. We will allow one of the dark ones to handle such a simple task."

"And what of the outsider?"

"We do not fear them."

"I never asked that, master."

"Listen well to our words. The outsider is of no threat to us so long as they do not start collecting that which the Nightmare guard. Should they do this, our grip will loosen and all we have sought will become nothing more than a dream. Should this outsider enter the Tail Cave, the Moldorm must kill them, and things shall continue as always. Our power has enhanced it, just as it has enhanced you and the other Nightmares."

"About Moldorm, master."

"Yes?"

"He's... not particularly bright."

"All of you are mindless drones in our eyes."

"As you say, master."

"You shall use our power to commune with the other Nightmares and inform them of the outsider. They must know that this one poses a threat to us. Protect what you guard from them otherwise they will destroy you. Our power cannot save you from destruction. Keep our words in your mind at all times."

"As you command."

On the way back to Mabe Village, I decided to do a bit of grinding. I'm a video game player so grinding is practically second nature to me. Princess Twilight didn't understand what that meant (I think she did but might have forgotten) so I explained it to her. By going back and forth between two areas, I could continuously defeat monsters in order to obtain rupees and purchase any items at the shop. Her Highness reminded me of what she said about not liking me attacking these creatures despite it being a necessity, yet I reminded her she was entitled to speak her mind and not hold it in.

In total, I spent about ten minutes and accumulated roughly twenty rupees. In addition to the one I picked up on the way to Bulk Bicep's location, I had twenty-one. What would that allow me to buy? Honestly, not much if anything at all. Again, I hadn't seen what the shop had in terms of stock so going there and seeing for myself would let me gauge as to how much grinding would be necessary. Deep down, I was praying for good pay-outs from treasure chests. From what I remembered, higher valued rupees were inside of treasure chests so finding them was essential, no ifs and or buts.

Since I couldn't jump up to the higher ledges, I had to walk back to the village via the long path. Along the way, I noticed some strange holes in the ground that looked like they went nowhere. Peering down into one, I saw nothing but infinite darkness so falling down into one wasn't in my best interest. At least Her Highness didn't have to worry about such things as she could fly and wasn't pinned down. It wasn't all bad though. I got to take in more of the beautiful scenery of Koholint Island despite seeing only a small portion. I hoped this would be a consistent thing.

Upon entering the village, I entered the library in order to give it a better comb over. Princess Twilight flittered about, her eyes glossed over seeing so many books, and waiting to see what kind of knowledge we were going to uncover. Her happiness quickly dashed after checking several books on two shelves and I asked her what was wrong. She told me that the books on the four shelves contained no words. In fact, they didn't have any titles. They were simply there for cosmetic purposes. That didn't sound right so I grabbed a book to see for myself, and sure enough, it had blank page.

I checked another book... the same result. I checked another... same thing. I checked a third... again, the same thing. I was completely dumbfounded by this discovery though that wasn't how Her Highness felt. She felt angry that she had been cheated out of vast knowledge. To be fair, I couldn't really fault her for being like that. While my desire for knowledge wasn't at levels of insanity like Princess Twilight's, I did desire to indulge in my curiosity every now and again. Since the vast majority of books were utterly useless, we turned our attention towards the eight on the individual tables plus the one on top of the bookcase.

Princess Twilight immediately checked that latter one first since I couldn't climb up there (I mean, I could but some strange force was preventing me). Unfortunately, she was too small to open it but she did manage to read the name of the book, 'The World of Colour', an odd name to be sure. Colour was all around us so why have a book dedicated to it? I could've run at the bookshelf to knock the book down (I actually couldn't even run as again, a strange force was stopping me) but instead I looked at what else was there. One was about advanced fighting techniques, another on item management, and a third on music.

Then I checked the next one. "How about that, Twilight?" I announced. "This one features a map of Koholint Island.

"Let's take a look." Princess Twilight said.

I opened the book and a detailed drawing of the entire island was presented before us. "Not as big an island as I was expecting."

"At least we now have an idea of what we've got to deal with later."

I pointed to a tall tower in the northeast corner. "I take it that this is where you came into this world from?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "Yes. As you can see, Sunset, that tower stands out pretty well compared with everything else shown here. It looks to be the tallest landmark on the island barring the mountain range the tower is situated on. Like I said before, I couldn't see any way inside but maybe we'll get a chance when the time comes. There are also two shrines over here near some sort of rapids, a desert, a swamp, a forest, and a castle."

"That must be the place Bulk Biceps mentioned."

"It's not that far from here."

"But..."

Princess Twilight looked confused. "But what?"

"If I know this video game franchise (I'm starting to at any rate), I'm going to need something important before I can access the path to that castle." I answered. It was like that during my previous two adventures (I don't recall the exact details) so it happening this time was a given. I really wanted to take this map with me but again the strange force prevented me from picking the book up (What was with this force anyway? I'm getting really vexed here) so I'd have to memorize as much as possible and rely on my own map for guidance. Her Highness was better with maps so I could simply ask her.

There was only one book left and Princess Twilight flittered over to it. Her eyes lit up upon seeing it. "Sunset! Look at this!"

"What is it?" I asked as I walked over.

"This last book is called 'Dark Secrets of Koholint Island'." Princess Twilight answered. She had that look in her eye of curiosity but I was a bit more hesitant. A book with that kind of name could mean big trouble, but it could also mean important information that we could use for this journey. "What do you think, Sunset? Should we read it? I know my curiosity is strong but don't open it unless you really want to."

"Um... Let's go for it." I then opened the book only to be surprised by its contents. "What in Celestia!?" Yes, Princess Celestia's name was used as a noun, and her name was ideal in this situation. "I can't see what the words say! Can you?"

Princess Twilight got as close to the book as possible without plastering herself up against the pages. She shook her head to confirm that she couldn't read it either. "Not even my current size is enough to figure out anything. Unless you can find something that can make these words bigger, there's nothing we can do with this book. I suppose a magnifying glass may work but who would carry one of those on an island like this?"

"Not exactly a common item."

"It's all I could think of."

Crap! Who in their right mind would make the words in a book so tiny that you needed a magnifying glass!? I supposed that this was intentional since learning about any dark secrets this early on would make the overall experience less fun. Despite the library having little in the way of reading material, it did have valuable information I needed to come back later in order to uncover. I could also come back to check the map every once in a while in case I needed to remind myself where a particular location was. Leaving the library with a dejected look on my face, I turned towards the two children who were throwing a ball.

I immediately recognized the one on the left as Applebloom and the one on the right as Sweetie Belle. If I was right then Scootaloo wasn't far away since all three of them tended to be categorized together. In previous adventures, they were always separated from each other so it was nice to see at least two of the Cutie Mark Crusaders (In Equestria while in the world I called home, they are simply The Crusaders) having fun. I was impressed with how they kept tossing the ball back and forth without ever dropping it. In terms of what they were wearing, they wore simple clothes, a usual thing for common villagers.

"We was both wonderin' when you would pay attention to us." Applebloom said.

"Sorry if we aren't exactly stand out characters." Sweetie Belle added.

I bowed slightly before addressing them. "Sorry but I was busy trying to get to the beach."

"Not much is down there aside from some really scary monsters." Applebloom said.

"According to the other villagers, those creatures have been getting nasty for some weird reason." Sweetie Belle said. Even as they were talking, they continued to toss their ball back and forth which coloured me impressed. "We figured you are new around here since you're different from everyone else we know. Nothing wrong with that but you do have this air of mystery surrounding you."

"We're both kids so we don't know any better."

"That's not necessarily a bad thing." I said.

Applebloom nodded as she tossed the ball. "We've been thinkin' 'bout going over to the Trendy Game to see if we can win that 'Yoshi Doll' that our little sister would love. But we don't no money and besides, reckon that game is mighty difficult. Unless y'all have excellent concentration, ya ain't gettin' anythin'."

"I heard that the shop has gotten in some new items, Joonya."

"What!?" Applebloom exclaimed as her eyes lit up. "What are y'all talkin' 'bout, Kidoh?"

"One of the prizes is this weird looking seashell." Sweetie Belle answered, catching the ball but this time holding on to it. "I've heard mama and papa talk about how collecting seashells can make someone very happy. There's even a house somewhere beyond Mabe Village dedicated to seashells but none of us have ever seen it. I hear there are at least fifty of them located across the island but don't take my word for it. I'm just a kid."

"Any other prizes?"

"Suhni said that when she went in there last time, they also had some kind of giant heart, and even a stone slab."

"Where does the owner find such things?"

"I don't know but it does sound exciting."

"Reckon those prizes are bound ta get people into that shop and spend all their rupees." Applebloom said. She then briefly looked in my direction hinting that she suspected that I would be interested in what was on hand at this shop. In truth, I was interested in the giant heart though a part of me wanted to know about the stone slab. "Kidoh? Aren't y'all 'spposed ta give this girl some kinda message or somethin'?"

Sweetie Belle then turned to face me. "Marin said she was looking for you. If you want to know where she is, she is by the statue of the famous Rooster of Mabe Village. She goes there to practice her singing. Why does she do this? Don't ask me. I guess so long as it makes her happy then it makes us happy too. Anyway, we need to get back to doing what we were doing when you got here."

"Come speak to us again sometime."

A part of me felt uneasy around Applebloom and Sweetie Belle. They both appeared oblivious as to what was happening around them, but at the same time they had great insight even if they were depicted as children. I then remembered a 'Yoshi Doll' being mentioned as a prize at this Trendy Game place. Yoshi is a video game character associated with Mario, but why was he being represented in a completely different franchise? It wasn't a matter of me not understanding but rather questioning something that smelled like a crossover promotion. A part of me did want to win the doll though. Who knows? It might prove useful sometime.

Walking back into the village, I decided to make my way over to where this rooster statue was only for my attention to be caught by someone who I knew, but not that well due to her attitude and lack of appreciation towards friendship. Holding a broom and sweeping the ground in a cheerful manner was Vignette Valencia, a girl obsessed with online popularity that she never understood friendship until Rarity was the first person to offer it to her. She still had a lot to learn but she had showed signs of progression last I checked. In my opinion, Vignette was more towards being a drama queen than anything else. Huh... No wonder Rarity liked her.

"Yahoo!" Vignette shouted.

"Is this the one you told me about who had a magical phone?" Princess Twilight asked.

I nodded. "Equestrian Magic escaped from the portal and corrupted her phone. It allowed her to teleport people to other locations although she only managed to get the one location to work with her phone."

"Compared to what I've faced, you and your friends have been lucky."

"We have more modern conveniences as opposed to ancient evils."

"Call me jealous."

"Don't be." I then turned to Vignette. "Um... What are you doing?"

"Me? Why, I'm sweeping everything I come across." Vignette answered. She paused for a moment to show off her broom before resuming her work. "You would be surprised as to how dirty this village and even this island can be. Every time it looks like I'm done, somewhere else gets dirty and I have to go and clean it. At this current pace, my broom's thistles will wear out leaving me with no means of doing what I do around here."

"Then why not slow down?" Princess Twilight asked.

Vignette then laughed. "Aren't you a funny one! If I did that then everything would just get dirty again. By the way, my name is Grandma Yahoo! My name may sound funny to a pair of youngsters like yourselves but my husband has always appreciated it."

"You're married!?" I asked with a concerned look.

"Why shouldn't I be?"

"It's just that..." I decided to stop talking because once again I knew that bringing up anything sensitive would just make everything awkward. Vignette had the appearance of an eighteen year old but was dressed like someone who was in her sixties or seventies. I chose to try a different tactic in the hopes of getting some information out of her. "Ahem! Do you think you can help me and my friend out? We're looking for some information and the library didn't exactly provide us with much."

"The Mabe Village Library only has enough information for someone of the adventuring type." Vignette said as she stopped sweeping before resting her arms on her broom. "We usually don't go in there since my husband provides us with all the help we need. He may not look like much but he's a fountain of knowledge. Ulrira can tell you just about anything you want but he does have this weird quirk about him."

"Weird... quirk?"

"I think it's best for you two to actually go and see him in person." Vignette answered, sighing. "I do love him very much but Ulrira really needs to come out of his shell. See this house right here?" She then pointed her broom at a house that was right next to all of us. "Me and Ulrira live here though I'm rarely at home what with my cleaning taking up so much of my time, but Ulrira never leaves home and prefers to rock on his rocking chair. Once you've spoken to him, come back outside and talk to me again. I'll explain anything he says that you don't quite understand."

Vignette sounded a little dubious but I chose to take her word for it. Walking around to the front of the house, I could hear the sound of someone rocking back and forth in addition to them mumbling some words. The weirdest thing I heard though was a sound of a telephone. Most people these days used cellphones or iPhones to communicate with people but hearing a phone from decades ago was completely unexpected. Could it be that this Ulrira used such an ancient device (Okay, perhaps I was exaggerating on that)? Now I was really curious to learn more about him.

Upon entering the house, Princess Twilight exclaimed at the exact same time. "Discord!"

"Um..." Was all the reply we got.

Sitting in the rocking chair was Discord, the Lord of Chaos, and now a truly reformed villain. Despite some of his recent actions according to Her Highness, Discord had proven himself a true friend. To see him here of all places certainly took me by surprise, yet it was his calm demeanour that truly surprised me. Rather than causing a scene, bending reality to his will, or doing something beyond our understanding, he was simply sitting in his chair, and looking rather pale. Was he sick? He didn't seem to be but one could never tell with him. On a table next to him was a telephone as I expected but something felt off.

A few moments ago, he was mumbling something as I heard him from outside, yet the moment I came in here, he had gone deathly quiet. I thought about walking back outside in order to see what he'd do next as a means of a test but chose not to. Like Vignette, Discord was dressed like an old man (Technically, he was over 1,000 years old so I wasn't wrong) and even had a pair of glasses in his shirt pocket. As I continued looking at him, he continued to look limp until he eventually turned his head to the side. Normally, Discord craved attention so it felt weird seeing him wanting to not look directly at me.

I waved in an attempt to start a conversation. "Hello there."

Discord waved in response but his hand movement was clearly nerve-wracking for him. "Um... err..."

"He's having trouble talking." I said to Princess Twilight.

Princess Twilight nodded. "Maybe he's too nervous to speak to us directly? I know this sounds weird given how we're looking at Discord but since this isn't 'him', but maybe we should leave and speak to Vignette again as she suggested."

"You may be right."

Discord then leaned forward slightly. "Um... How to say... Please call... Outside."

That was all I needed to hear to get the hint that he wouldn't talk to me in person. To think that Discord would end up being shy in this world. If this were Equestria, he'd have ripped apart the fabric of reality whilst changing his appearance to whatever suited the current scenario he had created. In order to talk to him properly, I had need of a telephone but where would I find one on an island in the middle of nowhere? How would a phone even work? Did I remember how such an old device even worked. So many questions and while there were answers, they weren't exactly simple.

Leaving the house, Vignette greeted me with a shaking motion of her head. "Judging from your expression, you found out Ulrira's quirk."

"How do you live with that?" Princess Twilight asked.

"It took many years for me to figure that one out." Vignette answered. "As you saw, Ulrira is incredibly shy and doesn't like talking to people in person. He's even like that with me which does make our relationship awkward. But, he managed to find a workaround that not only benefitted him but everyone across the island. About fifteen years ago, Ulrira went around building telephone booths into trees and having the wires connect back to him. He got to speak without needing to see anyone and people could talk to him for advice on just about anything that was on their mind."

"He built telephone booths?" I asked.

"There should be about a dozen or so across the island."

"Wow..."

"So yes, if you wish to speak to Ulrira, it must be through one of the telephone booths."

"And where can I find one?" Vignette then pointed to a tree that had an image of a telephone on top of it causing me to slap my forehead in response. "Oh!" Princess Twilight chuckled at my blunder much to my chagrin and I eventually giggled as well.

"Are you sure he built them fifteen years ago?" Princess Twilight asked.

"He might have had some help from the Animal Village." Vignette answered. I was wondering why Her Highness asked that question but then I noticed the reason why. Vignette appeared confused by the question and looked to want to be somewhere else. "It's been a long time since so my memory is a little hazy. Anyway, if you want to speak to Ulrira, it has to be by telephone, but know that he tends to drag on just because he's happy talking to someone. I must get back to cleaning up around here so please excuse me. Hopefully, my broom doesn't give up on me now when I'm so bogged down by work."

As she resumed cleaning and made sure to move away from us, I turned to Princess Twilight and asked her why she questioned Vignette's accuracy. She said that she wanted to test her to prove a theory but so far she didn't have enough evidence to come up with an ideal conclusion. I pressed for more information and she replied by saying Vignette's answer was solid but something felt off about it. Aside from that, Her Highness couldn't say anymore. I had my own suspicions but mine were more towards the island in general as opposed to just one person as it was with Her Highness, but perhaps we could eventually pool our resources together.

Walking over to the telephone booth, I entered it and was surprised to see that the only thing inside was a single telephone resting on top of a table. There was nothing else of interest so it felt weird seeing such an ancient device being propped up like it was. Princess Twilight asked me to explain to her what a telephone was and I struggled with explaining it. I told her that people used to use these a long time ago as a means of communication but improvements with technology made them obsolete aside from people who insisted on using them and not embracing modern conveniences.

Upon approaching the telephone, I picked it up and for a brief moment, I felt embarrassed. I mean, I've never used one before until now (Cellphones were way more convenient and had so many bells and whistles) but this was a perfect opportunity since very few of these existed back home and were owned by very eccentric people. I then realized Discord never gave me his number. How was I supposed to phone him without it? The answer then quickly became apparent as the phone lacked any dialing numbers (They were referred to as rotary phones) and was simply connecting me.

BRRIINNG! BRRIINNG!

"D'oh ho ho! This is Grandpa Ulrira!" Discord answered on the other end.

"So this is your preferred method of talking?" I asked.

"I just can't help talking to people over the phone."

"I've heard that you are knowledgeable of all things on Koholint Island."

"There is nothing about this island I don't know about." Discord said. Now that he was speaking to me via phone, he sounded exactly like he normally did only without the reality bending that he was well known for. "Anyway, ask me anything about this island. If you ever find yourself lost, feel free to give me a call."

"Don't hang up!" I had a feeling he was planning on doing that so I made sure to bring it up before he did it."

"Sounds to me that you're lost and don't know which way to go."

Even though I actually did, I chose to humour him. "Yes, I do need help."

"D'oh ho ho!" Discord laughed, the sound of his rocking chair echoing through the phone. "Have you ever been to the Mysterious Forest. Lots of strange things happen there all the time since it is mysterious and all. You should look for toadstools that grow there and give one to the Witch who makes Magic Powder. I know she would love it if someone could give her a toadstool."

"Why would I need a toadstool?"

"You never know when it might come in handy."

"Anything else?"

"I was planning on saving this one for later, but you sound like you really could with some help." Discord began laughing which made my temper flare up but I knew he was only trying to help in his own way. "Ever been to the Trendy Game in Mabe Village? They have a 'Yoshi Doll' that's all the rage these days. I hear that Mamasha is looking for one to give to her child and is willing to reward anyone with a ribbon."

"A ribbon."

"You have to start somewhere."

"Anything else?"

"Oh ho ho! I can't give you everything all at once. If I did that, you'd either forget it all or you'd make the journey too easy."

"Guess that does make sense."

"I hope you call me via phone as often as possible." Discord said, his chair no longer rocking. "If you need help, I'll tell you what I know, but if you really need help, you can always ask that fairy that flitters about around you. Bye!"

CLICK!'

"He hung up."

Princess Twilight then comforted me. "Don't feel bad about it, Sunset. Discord gave us some pretty good information and he was right about me giving you more help since I'm always on hand while he's stuck using one of those telephones. Now, he said that we need to find a toadstool in the Mysterious Woods." She landed on my shoulder and began going through her thinking of the solution phase. "Ah-ha! Sunburst would know something since that backpack of his looked crammed to the brim with toadstools. We just need to talk to him."

"Do we even know where he is?"

"No, but Starlight definitely does."

"Okay, and where do you suppose she is?"

Her Highness then looked down at the telephone and I immediately knew what she was thinking about. I couldn't possibly ask Discord to tell me where to find Starlight. Sure, he was a fountain of knowledge but asking him about where to find one person felt extremely lazy. No, I had to find Starlight on my own. Since she looked like someone who rarely went anywhere, she was likely still in the village (Good thing it was such a small village). Leaving the telephone booth, I began looking around for any signs of Starlight. Sure enough, I spotted her standing next to a statue singing.

About ten seconds later, I was at the statue and it depicted a rooster of some respite. According to an epitaph near the base of the statue, it read that this was the final resting place of the legendary 'Flying Rooster'. It also said that no one was permitted to open up the grave and disturb the bones. While I was tempted to satisfy my curiosity, I ignored it and focused my attention on Starlight, who was singing to herself with only a dog running about for company. She had an excellent singing voice I must admit yet what she was singing sounded slightly familiar. Had I heard it before? Or maybe a variation of it?

Upon seeing me, Starlight stopped singing. "I see that you're carrying around a sword."

I nodded. "It was on the beach where you found me."

Starlight was ecstatic. "How wonderful! I hope that you stab as many of those creatures as possible, over and over, no remorse."

"What!?"

"Huh?" Starlight then gave me an innocent look. "I didn't say anything. You must be hearing things. I certainly didn't say anything sinister." I had no idea if this was a quirk that the character she was portraying did or whether some aspects of her old way of thinking were coming back to the surface, but I made sure to pay some snippet of attention towards it just in case it happened again. "By the way, Tarin went to the Mysterious Forest." Now Starlight was acting like herself. "If you want to speak to him, you'll have to go there. He said that he won't be back for a few hours."

"How convenient that he'd be there."

"As for me, I'll be standing right here in front of this statue singing my song. It's a lovely song isn't it?" Starlight said. She began to sing using her beautiful voice which caused the nearby dog to start barking in unison. It seemed her song had quite a powerful effect on animals. Suddenly, she stopped and looked at me. "This song is called 'Ballad of the Wind Fish'. Why is it called that? No one knows for certain but I like the name."

My jaw dropped. I had heard that name before! In my last adventure, it was a song that was performed by the Indigo-Gos (I was amazed that I actually remembered the name of their band since it had a long time since then) though it only resulted in me obtaining one of many masks. Starlight could potentially be a major character in this world so learning more about her song and even how to play it could prove essential. Right now, I needed to focus on the task at hand, going to the Mysterious Forest and finding Sunburst. It sounded like a simple enough task but I knew better than that. I knew it wasn't going to be easy.

Leaving Starlight to her singing, I headed west back to where the library was and then turned right where I saw the massive expansion that was the Mysterious Forest. Given how dark the tops of the trees were, it looked pretty foreboding though I had been through my share of forests. Besides, it's not like I would be going in there with bravado. I had the means to protect myself and I had Princess Twilight to turn to for guidance. My resolve set, I walked towards the entrance of the Mysterious Forest only for a hooting sound to stop me, and the arrival of Flash Sentry atop his owl.

To Be Continued.

Chapter 4: Power of the Roc.

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.
By Ganondorf8.
November 6, 2019
Chapter 4: Power of the Roc.

The well looked like a typical well one would find on a farm at first glance, but once I got closer, I saw that it was lacking certain features. For one thing, there was no bucket for people to scoop out water. Actually, this made sense since there was no water in the well to begin with. Why would a village build a well without any water in it? Another odd thing I noticed were some stairs that back to the surface but again why have such a feature? Did anyone even know this well existed? The more I thought about it, the more my head ached over such sheer stupidity, but perhaps there was more to it than that?

Peering down into the well for a closer look, it looked like something sparkly was down there but I couldn't quite see it. I then thought I could simply climb into the well and use the stairs to reach the object but wooden stakes prevented me from doing so (Was there anything on this island that wasn't beyond the most basic of human functions!?). Fortunately, there was another way in and that involved jumping down from a high-up ledge. A time waster? Definitely. Impractical? Obviously. No other options? None whatsoever. Grumbling under my breath, I walked up to the high-up ledge, cut down a couple of bushes, and jumped down into the well.

THUD!

SPLASH!

That wasn't the most graceful landing since I landed on my butt but I didn't sustain any injuries despite how long of a drop it was. The bottom of the well was completely empty aside from a tiny pool of water that served as a decorative piece. Why doesn't anyone from the village fill this well up with water? There's no excuse for it! At least my plunge wasn't a total loss. The sparkly object from before was one of those giant hearts that I'd seen in the forest. Grabbing it, I felt a familiar warmth that made me feel like I had forgotten about an old friend who I hadn't seen in years. I needed to collect as many of these as possible.

With that task done, I walked up the stairs and was back outside. I had every mind to tell someone about the lack of water but I doubted anyone would listen to me. If they hadn't noticed the well was empty before, they weren't going to notice it now. Walking eastward, I walked up to the house where that strange bowling-ball like creature resided out front and almost got scared to death by it when it suddenly lunged at me only for the chain to stop it mere inches from me. Why did it try to attack me? Was this its means of communication? If so then I couldn't understand since I could talk with horses and not whatever this thing was.

A familiar voice then came from within the house. "BowWow! You know better than to scare someone!" Coming out from the house was a young girl who I recognized because of our history, and when I say it like that, said history isn't entirely inaccurate due to magical interference.

"Isn't that Wallflower Blush?" Princess Twilight asked.

Sure enough, the owner of this creature was Wallflower, the one who used the Memory Stone in order to make everyone at Canterlot High hate me again back when I first enrolled there. Though I did forgive her for what she did to me all because of feeling like an outside, a small part of me couldn't accept her apology as she almost cost me and my friends everything. She chose me specifically because I had everything while she didn't and she believed I had placed everyone under my power. It was an experience I hoped to never have to go through again in my entire life.

"It is." I answered in a soft voice.

"I still can't believe that she was the one who found the Memory Stone."

"Well, it wasn't entirely her fault you know."

"How do you figure that?"

"Clover the Clever buried the Memory Stone in an area of forest." I answered. "Since Wallflower was the only member of the school's Flower Club, it made sense that she would eventually stumble onto it. I know that Clover was a brilliant pony since he was Starswirl's apprentice but maybe leaving behind instructions on how to use the stone wasn't one of his brightest moments."

"If only I had been there with you." Princess Twilight said, her expression turning into sorrow. "I could've talked to her much sooner and maybe prevented you from having to go through all that anguish. I know it's been some time since it happened but the scars don't heal up straight away. What you went through is something no one should endure. You've become a better person, Sunset, and hopefully Wallflower will never forget it." Her Highness then looked at Wallflower who was busy looking at her pet. "Maybe we ought to pass a law preventing magical artefacts from being sent to another world."

"You will be the next ruler of Equestria so you would have the authority to do that."

"Good point."

Wallflower finally noticed I was standing there and bowed slightly. "I am so, so sorry that my precious Bow-wow frightened you so much. He usually is very peaceful and loves nothing more than to sleep outside in the warm sunlight. I guess all those monsters outside of the village have put him on edge." She took a closer look at me which made me feel uneasy but I refrained from saying anything to offend her. "You must be that girl Marin and Tarin brought back several hours ago. Everyone was wondering as to whether you would pull through seeing as you were unconscious."

"This might sound strange, but what kind of creature is BowWow?"

"He's a dog."

This thing is a dog!? It doesn't even closely resemble a dog in any way shape or form. I was about to correct her when I quickly remembered that this island was filled with strange creatures. Her pet was just one of them. Now that I could get a better look at this 'dog' of hers, I must admit that it was pretty fearsome despite it having a simplistic appearance. Its teeth were large so I doubted anyone would try to attack it otherwise they would regret it. The chain was bolted to a wooden stake to keep it from running away but I figured it was too loyal to Wallflower to want to run off.

"Is he the only one of his kind?"

"Oh no." Wallflower answered while shaking her head. "I have two more like him though they are much smaller in size." She pointed to her house. "One lives there with me since he's too small to be out here on his own." She then pointed to a small house that was an extension of her own. "The other prefers her own place though she is very fickle. I don't know why but she loves any and all cosmetics."

"Like... a ribbon?"

Wallflower nodded. "Why yes! She's been yammering on about wanting all manner of accessories but I just can't get her any. I know that Mamasha, who lives in the house that's next to the Dream Shrine, has a ribbon that my precious pup would love, but that would involve me winning that Yoshi Doll in the Trendy Game Shop. I'm no lover of games so you can see that I'm in quite a bind."

"And BowWow?"

"I'll be leaving to take him on his daily walk once I've finished with my errands."

"How interesting."

"To be honest, the place that I like to take BowWow has become very dangerous what with those monsters." Wallflower said. She patted BowWow on the head and he purred like a kitten which surprised me. She reminded me of Fluttershy as she could tame any beast. "If those horrible Moblins weren't hanging around, I would take my precious little BowWow to his favourite spot with no problems. But, as long as they are around, I can't risk his safety. Anyway, I'm sorry again for BowWow scaring you earlier. I'll be sure to remind him to not do that whenever you come around."

Turning around, Wallflower went back into her house. Despite talking about her pets as though they were the most precious things in the world (I had no problem with this since I felt the same way towards my own pet, Ray), she did provide me with some valuable information. The most important one involved her one pet that desired a ribbon. Discord mentioned in his phone call about how I could get one but it involved getting the Yoshi Doll and giving it to someone else. I was planning on getting the doll anyway if not for the mission but because I wanted to prove to myself that I could play and win such a simple game.

Unlike most of the buildings in Mabe Village, the Trendy Game Shop featured a sign above the entrance with a drawing of a crane on it. Before going inside, I couldn't help but notice a large assortment of bushes behind the place. Though cutting them down could be seen as being environmentally insensitive, I could earn some extra rupees in the process since they were needed in order to play (I never knew anyone who offered a chance to play a game for free). I began cutting the bushes by going across the top row though I was only earning rupees once every four or five bushes, but then one bush gave me something else entirely.

"What is this?" I asked. The bush I had just cut left behind what looked like a seashell.

"This is called a Secret Seashell." Princess Twilight answered.

"And you know this how?"

"Never underestimate my ability to dispense wisdom upon you, Sunset." Princess Twilight answered as she stuck out her tongue in a playful manner. "Now, I don't exactly know what these are for, but you should collect as many of them as possible. Some are going to be hidden out in the open while others are going to require some careful thinking. If I'm correct, there are roughly fifty of these seashells scattered across Koholint Island." My jaw dropped in response causing Her Highness to giggle. "I don't think you'll need that many otherwise we'd be spending days if not weeks trying to find them all."

"How many do you suggest?"

"I'd say twenty-five might be enough."

"Will you keep a record of how many I have?"

"Of course I will."

It was then my turn to giggle. "You always were good at managing so many numbers at once." Checking my wallet, I only had about eighty rupees so hopefully that would be enough to get that doll. Walking inside the shop, I was surprised to see a massive system built into the floor. There was a conveyor belt at the back along with one to my left with the former having items on platforms that slid back and forth to give of the impression that there was a challenge. I could see several items of interest including another giant heart (Princess Twilight said it was called a Piece of Heart, a name that I had forgotten until now), a shield that was just like what I had, and two different rupees.

My eyes were on the Yoshi Doll which actually looked adorable. It reminded me of the parakeet I tried to win at that crooked game the Flim-Flam Brothers operated. I then looked up and saw the eponymous crane itself. In front of me were two buttons which most likely controlled where the crane would move. It looked simple enough but surely there was more to it than that in addition to some trickery from the owner. Looking back up at the crane, it had been used quite a lot as it looked pretty worn. If I weren't careful, those eighty rupees weren't going to last very long.

Speaking of the owner, they turned out to be Ember, ruler of the Dragon Lands--essentially the Dragon Lord. According to Princess Twilight, Ember had greatly improved relations between dragons and ponies. Sure, there was still some awkward moments but the two sides were stronger than they had ever been prior. Seeing her in a place like this felt weird as she commanded respect amongst her subjects (Also fear despite her size) and had a short temper, but she was here and I needed to win that Yoshi Doll and perhaps other things depending on time and money.

It was Ember who chose to speak up first. "Welcome to the Trendy Game..."

"You sound less than enthusiastic."

"You'd be too if you didn't have customers coming through your door." Ember said in a sarcastic tone. "I used to get everyone in the village in here all the time to play this game and rake in the cash but things have gotten slow in the past several months. The villagers complain that my game is rigged on account that my crane has seen better days. It's vintage! Why replace something I've had for years!? On top of that, they're more interested in saving their rupees for whatever the Item Shop next door brings in. If this keeps up, I'm going to go out of business!" Her cheeks began turning red before she looked away from me.

Even in this world, Ember was still prideful. I made sure to play that to my advantage. "Well... I came here with some rupees to spend so perhaps I could take a crack at this game... unless you don't want my business."

"What was that?"

"I've got money for you."

Ember's face lit up like a big red apple. "Well why didn't you say so!? First, I need to see if you actually do have the money. I'm not doubting you or anything but I need to make sure you aren't trying to con me." Wow! She was accusing me of being a con artist when she was doing that herself. Opening up my wallet and dropping some rupees on the table, her eyes widened and she had a grin smeared over her face. "Okay, now we're talking business. One game is only ten rupees to play."

As I gave her the money, I couldn't help but notice what she was wearing. Her outfit reminded me of those barkers one would find at a carnival only without the hat; striped shirt, black pants, a bow-tie, and maybe suspenders. If this were Equestria, Ember would've died from embarrassment over wearing such an outfit. I was still surprised at one other thing about her, namely, the fact that she was a human instead of a dog like Spike was (Princess Twilight's assistant Spike and not the pet of Twilight Sparkle) Why did this happen? I don't know. Mirrors to different worlds always were fickle in how they operated.

"So how does this game work?"

"See those buttons over there?" Ember asked as she pointed to the two purple buttons I saw earlier.

I nodded. "Are those the controls?"

"I'd have berated you for wasting my time, but I'll let it slide since you did pay me money." Ember answered. No wonder few people ever came in here. With an attitude like hers, she was practically the worse kind of company you'd want to have. "Those buttons move the crane according to the direction labelled on them. The rest is just timing. Will you walk out of here with a prize or with an empty wallet? Either way, this should be good."

Walking up to the buttons, Ember called out good luck with that sarcastic voice of hers. I decided to tone her out and focus on what was before me. Judging from the basic set-up of this game, I was basically playing a video game (Yes, I knew what I said would make me roll my eyes in response) but a really basic one. The Yoshi Doll was what I definitely needed but that Piece of Heart also proved tempting. Thinking it over for a few seconds, the doll was the priority since someone really wanted it. It was right next to where the crane dropped off the prizes so why did people have trouble?

Pressing the button, the crane moved forward until I let go where it stopped. I then pressed the other button until I let it go when the crane was right above the Yoshi Doll. I couldn't tell if I had calculated everything correctly so hopefully this would work out in my favour. With a loud creak, the crane lowered down, opened up its claws, and clamped onto the doll before pulling itself back up. It looked like I was going to win when the doll slipped through the claws and fell back down. Just like that, my heart broke upon me failing. Oh no! It was the parakeet fiasco all over again.

"That didn't work." Princess Twilight said.

"The crane is too slow not to mention it's pretty old." I whispered.

Princess Twilight was surprised when I motioned to keep her voice but she quickly figured out that we needed to make sure Ember didn't hear us. "I agree, Sunset. Because of its slow descent and poor maintenance, getting any prizes from this game is going to come down to luck. Luck is already on your side. The Yoshi Doll is now a bit closer to where you need to drop it to pick it up, but it also landed on its side so that could be problematic."

"What if I run out of money?"

"On the one hand, you could grind for some though that would take some time." Princess Twilight answered. "Or, you could attempt to win either the red rupee or the purple rupee in order to get more money and offset what you've already spent. Remember that the purple rupee is worth fifty, the red one is worth only twenty. It really all depends on how far you want to go with this until you've finally had enough."

"No... I don't want a repeat of the parakeet incident."

"From what you told me, that was a very embarrassing moment for you."

"I need to play smart... and play fair."

Ember then called out from where she was standing. "Looks like you blew it!" She then reached out with her hand and I immediately knew what that gesture was. "If you want to play again, just toss me another ten rupees."

"Fine!" I said as I reached into my wallet and tossed her enough rupees.

"I can watch you do this all day!"

"Are you enjoying me suffer?"

Shaking her head, Ember sighed. "No... I can see the look you've got in your eyes. I used to see it so many times when people frequented this place. They were so determined to win one of those prizes that they ended up bleeding away all their rupees. I enjoy it when patrons pay me but even I know that some have a tendency to go completely overboard. Just cause I act like a jerk doesn't make me one. I'm just surly because of not having any customers for so long. I can only keep myself amused for so long with my own thoughts before I have to take it out on someone."

I was surprised by her sincerity on the subject though she didn't acknowledge that the crane's poor condition was an issue. "Well... Since I don't plan on stopping until I get my hands on that Yoshi Doll, expect me to keep paying in order to keep playing."

"Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you."

I could tell that she was trying to save face but it wasn't really working. Not only did she need to make the equipment better, she also needed to ditch the attitude and make this place feel more welcoming for the other villagers. Ember was right about one thing though. I had that competitive look in my eyes according to her. Whenever I had such a look. my temper would consume me since I desired victory above everything else, and I become quite possibly the biggest jerk of all time. My friends were understanding about it but deep down in my heart I knew they hated it. Winning was fine but not if it consumed me.

Pressing the two buttons again in the right order, I attempted to go for the Yoshi Doll even though Princess Twilight did warn me that it would be difficult for the crane to grab since the doll was now laying down on its side. Moments later (More like minutes later due to how slow the crane moved), the crane moved back into position, the doll still remained where it was, and I felt dejected knowing I failed. Ember reached out with her hand and asked if I wanted another go and without saying another word, I tossed her ten rupees and tried again. The crane moved like before, grabbed the doll, lifted it up, and again the doll slipped out and landed back where it was.

Again, Ember asked if I wanted to have another attempt whilst reaching out with her hand, and again, I tossed over ten rupees and was prepared to press the button when a thought crossed my mind. Since Princess Twilight was with me, I could have her try and fix the crane to make it work better, but I knew that would be cheating. Sure, I was beginning to get desperate at that point but if I were to resort to cheating, I'd be betraying my own oath as someone who had changed from her past misdeeds. Even Princess Celestia would be ashamed and seeing her cry would just be devastating.

No... I had to do this legitimately! Pressing the button, the crane moved forward and upon pressing the other one, it moved until it stopped above the Yoshi Doll. It then dropped down, opened its claws, clasped onto the doll, and began lifting it up. I could immediately see the doll slipping but I hoped I was going to be lucky this time around. As the crane moved back into place, the doll still being held in its grip, it stopped above the small conveyor belt and dropped its prize. Whew... For a moment there, it looked like I would fail again but luck ended up being on my side this time.

"You did it, Sunset!" Princess Twilight exclaimed.

"Wow... Didn't think you'd win." Ember said in shock.

"Surprised?" I asked.

Ember nodded. "It means I can finally put something else up as a prize for once! Geez! I've been waiting for someone to win of these prizes. It also means all those complaints about my game being rigged don't mean a thing now."

I was going to say something about that but chose not to. I knew it meant getting into an argument with Ember over ethics and while I could've totally won (I wasn't bragging here as personal experience was on my side) I decided it wasn't important in the grand scheme. She then asked me if I wanted to play again for ten more rupees. Shaking my head, she shrugged but wasn't upset about it. In her mind, someone had finally won a prize and now a new prize could be obtained. She did say that something new would be on display the next time I came by. That Piece of Heart would have to wait until I got more rupees.

Picking up the Yoshi Doll, I immediately squeed but not loud enough for Ember to hear me. If not for the fact that I had to give this to someone else, I'd have seriously considered keeping it for myself. Did I really need a plushie? They are oh so adorable and so squeezable but I was trying to compensate for the fact that I couldn't win that crooked game. I did actually win the parakeet only to end up throwing it away because I was too angry to care. (I believe a young child ended up getting it so it wasn't a complete waste) Like I said, my competitive nature can be a serious problem for me.

Leaving the Trendy Game Shop (I had every intention of coming back), I was immediately surprised by the sound of: "Whoa! You won the Yoshi Doll!" I knew it was Scootaloo and not because it was voice. The other two Cutie Mark Crusaders were over by the library and the three of them were always hanging out together so having two around and not the third would've just been plain ridiculous. Like Applebloom and Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo was wearing casual clothing typical of children yet why was she over there instead of playing with her friends? Also, how did she know about the Yoshi Doll?

I had to know. "You know about the doll?" I asked.

Scootaloo nodded. "Of course I know about it. My sisters and I have been trying to win that doll forever! We kept on going into the Trendy Game Shop in the hopes of winning it but we always ended up a bit short and out of rupees. How did you manage to pull it off?"

"It took perseverance." I answered. It then occurred to me that the Crusaders in this world were all siblings. Huh... This was actually pleasing. Because of their strong friendship, I always believed they could've been sisters in another life time. It was nice to see it actually happen.

"Wow! You're so cool!"

"I wouldn't go that far."

"Our mom has been desperate to find one!"

"Your mom?"

"Yeah!" Scootaloo answered, nodding her head. "She's been wanting to get a Yoshi Doll for our youngest sister for a long time but never could afford to buy one. Then, when we heard that the Trendy Game Shop had one, my sisters and I decided we could win it for her. If you could give that doll to our mom, I'm sure she would be eternally grateful."

"Well... I was planning on giving it to her."

"Really!?" Scootaloo then began jumping for joy. "You're the best, ma'am! I know my little sister will love that doll to pieces. I'm certain you're a little bit upset over having to give up on something you spent all your hard-earned rupees on winning, but I can tell that you're doing the right thing. You might not know this but our mom can be jealous when someone has what she wants, but don't let that be a form of discouragement. She'll understand once she gets a proper explanation."

"And where does she live?"

"Back at our house, the one up north with the two doors." Scootaloo answered, pointed her finger in that direction. "Why do we have a house with two doors? You know, our papa never really did explain that. I guess he just really liked having that feature and we all went with it. Speaking of my papa, you might want to listen to what he has to say. It could prove to be very useful. He always keeps on saying that to prove a point."

Thanking Scootaloo for the advice, I made my way up to where her house was passing by Starlight as she continued to sing by the statue of the Flying Rooster. That's when I noticed another building but whose entrance was being blocked by three heavy boulders. Methinks I needed to come back here once I possessed more strength but for now, my focus was on giving this doll over to someone who truly needed it. The house itself looked like every other house in the village and upon going inside, it was very roomy, to the point where it looked like it could house more than dozen people as opposed to simply six.

I immediately recognized the mother as Juniper Montage. She had come a long way since getting jealous over not being cast to play Daring Do. Her uncle, Canter Zoom, had been so impressed with how much she had changed since her movie studio ban, he rescinded it though she insisted on remaining at her job since it gave her the chance to earn some money on the side and talk with many different people. Who knows? Maybe one day, Juniper will finally get that big break and star in a movie that was designed specifically for her. She definitely had charisma on her side and she did show signs of being a good actress.

Juniper's husband was a much older character, who Princess Twilight recognized as Chancellor Neighsay. He was the head of the Equestrian Education Association and was essentially the one who decided which school in Equestria was accredited and therefore given a huge advantage in many different fields. He used to hold a huge hatred of non-ponies to the point of racism but he changed his opinion when six students, five of whom were non-ponies, saved his life when Cozy Clow attempted to take over Her Highness' school. I was curious as to what Scootaloo meant about him having something important to say.

It made sense to talk to Juniper first so I did. "Hello there."

"Oh my, hello." Juniper said. "It's not everyday that we get visitors around here."

"You have a quaint little home here."

"Why thank you." Juniper said, smiling. "My four children can be quite a handful you know. Some say that because they all look alike, I have trouble trying to determine which one is which, but I personally don't think so. Each of them have their own distinct likenesses which make them oh so precious. I take it you've talked to Suhni, my daughter who likes to hang out by the Trendy Game Shop. Of course you did as she often tells people to come up here to our home."

"I heard that you were looking for something from that place."

"My baby has been wanting a Yoshi Doll for some time now."

"How can you even tell?"

Juniper smiled as she nuzzled her baby with her nose. "A mother always knows what her children want. I tried to buy one from someone who had one but to no avail, but then I heard that there was one at the Trendy Game Shop as a prize, but I couldn't get it there either." That's when she noticed what was in my hands. "Is that... It is! It's the Yoshi Doll! You were able to win it? Oh my! I mean... I'm impressed that you managed to do what so many weren't able to. I'm very happy for you." She tried to grab it from my hand only to pull back knowing that she'd be setting a bad example for her child.

"Do you want it?"

"What!?"

"Do you want this Yoshi Doll?"

"Are you giving it to me?" Juniper asked. I nodded and handed it over when tears began trickling down her face. "Oh thank you! Thank you! You are indeed a generous person! I know my baby will be so happy with her new doll. When she grows up, I'll tell her that she had a guardian angel in the form of a young girl with flaming hair. And now I give you something in return as it's the polite thing to do. My baby has outgrown this ribbon so you may have it. I hear that Madame MeowMeow's smallest pet is fascinated with ribbons so perhaps this might be something to consider."

Juniper then handed over the ribbon to me and I took a good look at it. It wasn't anything fancy but was straight to the point. At least it wasn't damaged or anything otherwise she'd have been embarrassed at ripping me off. Still, I knew where this was going but first I needed to have a word with Chancellor Neighsay, who had been watching the entire time. He certainly didn't look the part as his facial features clashed with his clothes yet it couldn't be helped. As I approached, he began looking around and acted all fidgety but perhaps it was simply nerves because of having so many children in his life.

"You must be the proud father."

"Yes, I suppose you could say that." Chancellor Neighsay said. His voice didn't match the part either. He sounded like someone who had lost all the joy in his life and was trying real hard to make it work only it wasn't well... working out. "I saw that you gave my wife that Yoshi Doll. I appreciate you wanting to give that up to make my littlest one so happy. I knew there were still good people out there in the end. Anyway, let me introduce myself. I am Papahl. My wife over there is named Mamasha. And you are?"

"I'm Sunset Shimmer."

"And I'm Princess Twilight Sparkle." Princess Twilight added.

Chancellor Neighsay looked at us both with a confused look. "Princess!? Your fairy is a princess? Will wonders never cease. On a similar note, I've never seen a fairy up close before nor has anyone in the village. In fact, fairies are very rare creatures on Koholint Island so seeing one hover around you means you're someone very special. By the way, you should know that later on, I'm going to be lost somewhere on the Tal Tal Mountain range."

"I'm sorry, what!?" I exclaimed.

"Later on, I'm going to be lost somewhere on the Tal Tal Mountain range."

"I heard you say that, but why?"

"I honestly don't know why." Chancellor Neighsay said, shrugging his shoulders. "No doubt that you are going to end up paying a visit to those mountains so I might as well give you something to look out for. The Tal Tal Mountains can be a treacherous climb especially without a proper means of swimming as well as possessing that fish-like key. But, you don't need to worry about me. I've got everything I need for the journey so it's just a matter of you getting to me."

"When do you plan on leaving on this journey of yours?" Princess Twilight asked.

"Not at the moment as I still need to take care of Mamasha and the kids."

"So then later on?"

"Most likely."

"You also mentioned a key."

"A fish-like key." Chancellor Neighsay said. "I've heard rumours that such a key exists on the island and serves as the way to solve the puzzle of the waterfall. I've never found this key nor do I plan on trying to look for it. If you want to then go ahead. I won't stop you from trying. Now, I need to get prepared for my mountain trek, but I do have one word of advice when it comes to finding me. Bring along some vittles for me."

Since there was nothing else for me to do, I thanked Chancellor Neighsay for his 'words' and took my leave of their house. Why would he choose to get himself lost? That made absolutely no sense at all. Being a heroine sometimes was a strange occupation as it involved dealing with eccentric characters but helping people out was what I did. At least I got some information from him, namely, the fish-like key he said could solve a puzzle involving a waterfall. It sounded like it was something I'd have to deal with later but not right now since going to the mountains wasn't in my current plans.

With the ribbon in hand, I could now give it to Wallflower's pet that was looking for a new accessory. Walking back down and towards her house, I began thinking about whether I should leave Mabe Village and check out the Tail Cave since I had the key to open it up. As much as I wanted to keep checking out the village, I needed to progress with this adventure otherwise I'd never get anywhere or move closer towards going home. Reaching Wallflower's house and entering the other door, I immediately noticed the remains of some kind of animal though what it might have been was a mystery. (Good thing Fluttershy wasn't here to see that.)

In the middle of this house was a small bowling-ball like creature that was half Bow-Wow's size. In hindsight, I should've asked Wallflower as to what kind of 'dogs' her pets were as it'd save me some time trying to figure that out on my own. Walking up to it, it surprised me by speaking instead of barking which was what I expected. "Welcome to my house! Aside from my owner, no one else has ever come in here. I'm CiaoCiao! Can I tell you something?"

I nodded. "Um... sure...?"

"Makeup! Jewels! Dresses! I want it all!"

"But aren't you a 'dog'?"

"Sure, but I can have fantasies like everyone else."

"I guess so."

"Oh, and some new accessories would be nice." The little creature then noticed the ribbon in my hand and began barking. "Oh! That ribbon! That's exactly the kind of accessory I need to make my feel good. Give it to me! If you do, I'll give you my dog food which is in this can."

If not for the fact that she said 'can', I wouldn't have agreed to such a trade. But, she did and that was enough for me to hand over the ribbon. CiaoCiao, as she called herself, placed the ribbon on her head (Or in her case the back of her head) and handed over the canned dog food before she resumed doing whatever it was when I came in. Even though this was dog food, meat was meat regardless so now I had something to give to Bulk Biceps in exchange for some bananas. Hopefully, he'd be okay with this otherwise this trade was a bust. Good thing this can hadn't been opened as the strong smell would've made things awkward.

Now it was time for me to go to the Tail Cave. Turning right, I walked across the village, reached the library, turned left and headed south as though I was going to the beach, but instead of jumping to the lower ledge, I went left and along a line of trees that served as a border. It had been a while since I came this way so I forgot about the Octoroks. Case in point, one pelted me with a rock and I raised my shield to protect myself from further attacks. Swinging my sword, I defeated each Octorok in one hit with one dropping a green rupee that I picked up until I reached a series of holes in the ground.

Since I couldn't jump over them despite actually being able to (Those restrictions again), I had to walk the long way around which meant dealing with a couple more Octoroks, and also cutting some bushes just to see if there were any rupees hidden within them. Walking back past the holes but now from the other side and going south, I turned left and discovered a cave entrance that was sealed shut with iron bars. Three statues were located out in front with each depicting a weird green blob-like creature with a long tail, the same one that was on the key I found in the Mysterious Forest.

"Could this be it, Twilight?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "Those statues have the same tail shape as the Tail Key from the forest."

"That's what I thought." I said as I took out the key from my pocket and looked at it and the statues for comparison. "Guess we might as well open up the cave and find out what's waiting for us inside."

"There should be a keyhole on one of those statues."

A quick search revealed that the keyhole was located on the base of the middle statue. Placing the Tail Key into the lock and turning it before pulling it back out, the keyhole disappeared which was followed by a rumbling sound. I thought it was an earthquake at first but it was actually two iron bars dropping down granting me access to the cave. There was no turning back for me now. I had to go inside and find the instrument Flash Sentry mentioned when I encountered him after getting the Tail Key. Stealing myself, I walked forward and down some stairs into the Tail Cave.

As I entered, a name appeared in my head telling me that this was 'Level 1. - Tail Cave'. "What do you think, Twilight?"

"No doubt about it, Sunset." Princess Twilight answered. "This has the familiarity of a dungeon like the ones we went through before."

I wanted to moan but I knew that Her Highness was right. It also explained why Flash Sentry was so keen on having me come here in the first place. Legend of Zelda games were known for their dungeons as being places players had to go in order to acquire new items, defeat powerful monsters, and obtain key items that were necessary in order to reach the end. They were essentially hurdles that needed to be overcome. I didn't know how many dungeons were on Koholint Island but I knew that I was going to be tested by them. Sighing, I began looking around and seeing what I could do.

The entrance room featured eight statues, four on each side in an L-formation, of one eyed creatures that I couldn't even begin to imagine what they were. Two ways forward presented themselves, one to the north and one to the west. Both ways could be fraught with danger but this was part and parcel with being on this journey. I wished that I had a map of some kind because walking around without was something I'd rather not deal with. Since this was Level 1, it should be an easy dungeon... in theory. Even something easy could become pure disaster if I wasn't careful.

"Which way should we go?" I asked Princess Twilight.

"That's for you to decide. This is your adventure after all."

"You're on it too you know!"

"Yes, but I'm your fairy partner who guides you." Princess Twilight answered. "You're the heroine so you have to choose where we go." I wished she didn't have to tell me the truth like that, yet she was once again correct. Ganondorf wanted to put me through this in his bid to make me his servant and he was doing a good job of things so far (Note the sarcasm here in my thought process).

"Might as well go left."

"Alright, but be careful, Sunset."

Entering the room that was to the left, I raised my shield upon seeing two monsters with large shells that covered their entire bodies save for their eyes and feet. "Not even less than five minutes into this place and already we run into monsters." I swung my sword in hopes of defeating them quickly only for it to bounce off. I tried again and the same thing happened. "My sword is completely useless against them."

"These are Hardhat Beetles." Princess Twilight said though she had to speak up to drown out the sound of my shield being banged into repeatedly. "Their thick shells render them immune to most physical attacks. Explosives work exceptionally well against them. Even though your sword can't hurt them, you can use it to push them back under they are either out of your way or pushed into the abyss."

"My sword won't break will it?"

Princess Twilight shook her head. "That sword is pretty sturdy so I doubt it would shatter. Besides, this is the first dungeon. Encountering something that could break your weapon this early in the adventure would be really unfair now wouldn't it?"

With this piece of information, I began swinging my sword against the Hardhat Beetles and sure enough, they got pushed back until they dropped into the abyss. As I watched them plunge into the infinite darkness, my heart started beating quickly. I didn't want to end up like those monsters so I moved away from the edge only to hear something fall from above and landing behind me with a soft clinking sound. Turning around and looking down, I saw a key which must have fallen when those monsters were knocked into the abyss. From what I remember, this key was needed to open up a locked door somewhere.

Entering the next room, the door immediately locked behind me. "We're trapped in here!"

"Calm down, Sunset."

I did some quick breathing to calm my nerves. "Sorry, but the door locking behind us caught me by surprise."

"Something in this room is preventing us from leaving." Princess Twilight then noticed a treasure chest positioned in front of two statues. "That chest could also unlock the door if you open it, but it feels too easy since it's just here without anything guarding it."

"A trap?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "Most definitely. I'm going to say a monster or two are hiding and are waiting for you to move towards the chest. I know it's not an actual trap otherwise we could see some kind of mechanism in place. Better keep your shield raised just in case."

I took several steps forward and several Green Zols popped up from the ground. Sure, they weren't strong on their own but together they were annoying. As I began to cut them down, they bumped into me which was when I realized that the Guardian Acorn I picked up back in the Mysterious Forest had long since worn up. I thought it was still in effect but their attacks proved otherwise. As I defeated the last one, it dropped a green rupee and the door also unlocked. I then opened up the chest and took out a Compass. This could show me certain things on a map but without said map it was useless.

"Better keep this Compass regardless of its lack of functionality right now."

"Ah, but it has a new feature."

"What do you mean?"

"This Compass will make a tone indicating any keys within the rooms we visit." Princess Twilight answered. "It won't reveal their locations but you won't be going around quite as blind as you were before. Also, it reveals the location of the boss monster though that will definitely require a map."

I stand corrected. Pocketing the compass, I walked back to the entrance of the Tail Cave before heading north through the door I didn't originally take. The instant I entered this room, the Compass made a slight dinging sound indicating that there was a key somewhere in this room. Two Red Gels were flanked either side of me and a Hardhat Beetle lurked on the other side of a weirdly shaped hole. I also saw a button which practically begged me to active it and see what happens. I dispatched the Red Gels with ease since they were relatively weak and waited for the Hardhat Beetle to scoot itself around to the other side.

A couple more hits and it was knocked into the abyss where it plunged into the darkness below. With that problem solved, I walked around and pressed the switch which caused a treasure chest to materialize via a dropping twinkling star (A very nice effect in my opinion) up in the top right corner of the room. Opening the chest, I took out another small key. While I was hoping for a map, another key wasn't necessarily bad though I was curious as to how many keys I'd need to unlock every door in this dungeon. From there, I headed east through the door next to where the chest appeared and entered the next room.

This room featured two Keese as well as two sets of bones that suddenly got up and began moving around. "That's something you don't see everyday."

"That is a Stalfos." Princess Twilight said. "When you try to attack them, they like to leap backwards in order to avoid your sword. Aside from that, they will do their best to avoid you and won't ever attack. There are other kinds of Stalfos out there who behave differently so I'll be sure to inform you when we run into them."

About time I faced a monster that didn't want to attack and was more about self survival. One swing took care of both Keese though I had to chase after the two Stalfos as their constant jumping made them annoying to deal with. Luckily, they had basic intelligence and could easily be backed into a corner (I actually did that). One sword swing was enough to defeat each one and another chest appeared as a result which I opened. Inside was a Map which I gladly took before unfurling it and seeing what kind of layout it had. Now I understood why it was called the 'Tail Cave'.

"This map is in the shape of a blob with two eyes and a tail!"

Princess Twilight then looked at it. "Quite an interesting design choice. Sunset, thanks to that Compass, we can now see the locations of all treasure chests." Her Highness pointed to a skull located near the tail's tip. "That must be where the boss monster is lurking. If our previous adventure taught us anything, it's that we'll need a special key in order to access it. I wouldn't be surprised if it was guarding the instrument Flash Sentry mentioned.

"At least this is a small dungeon."

"Yes, but future ones are bound to be much larger."

Sighing, I knew that would be the case. Pocketing the map, I turned my attention to a panel in the door that had an outline of a figure on it. "This looks like one of those revolving doors that you always see in those movies on television." I quickly altered the subject in case Her Highness didn't understand what I meant. "Or rather that you see in ancient ruins."

"Like at the Castle of the Two Sisters!"

"Just like that." I said smiling. "I think with enough pressure, I can get us to the other side, but there was that other pathway in the previous room that could house something useful and maybe bring us back to the other side of this panel by taking the long way around. Let's just say that I want to avoid as much backtracking as possible." Looking at the map again, the panel lead to another room so we weren't going to be trapped or anything. "I'll check out the other room."

Princess Twilight nodded. "Fair enough, Sunset. Just let me use some fairy magic to mark this panel's existence on the map in case you want to check it out later." She concentrated and used a tiny magic burst to create a mark which didn't burn the map. "Were you worried? Don't be! I've used magic like this before on even smaller things and with way less power. I'll tell you more about it sometime if you remember to ask."

Heading back to the previous room, I continued going west and entered the room beyond that though I had to avoid the Hardhat Beetle which had since respawned. In this next room, four Keese immediately attacked but by quickly raising my shield, I blocked their efforts and managed to take them down with a few sword swings. No... I wasn't being complacent due to how weak the monsters were. I knew that stronger ones would show up sooner or later. What I was facing so far was merely a warm-up for what was to come. Defeating all four Keese unlocked a door (I hadn't noticed until it rose upwards nor the one that locked behind me upon entering) but first I wanted to observe my surroundings.

Apart from the four statues in the middle, the entire outer edge of the room featured cracked floors. I merely ignored it all and entered the next room which was much bigger in scope than the previous room and I was blocked by two dark crystals. This was a blessing since on the other side of the crystals was a long segmented worm like monster bouncing back and forth between four statues via sliding on the floor. Princess Twilight explained that we were looking at a Mini-Moldorm. Unlike bigger versions which had strong shells protecting their bodies, the small version lacked this which made it vulnerable. It was erratic in its behaviour so I had to be cautious.

She also brought up other monsters and obstacles in the room. Ahead of us was a locked door but 'guarding' it was a Blade Trap. According to Her Highness, these traps were placed into the dungeon a long time ago to catch unexpecting adventurers off guard. The blades were sharp and also indestructible so avoiding them was all I could do. Near a treasure chest was a Spark, a monster that clung on walls or other surfaces and moved around rather quickly. Most conventional means didn't work but Her Highness said that a certain item worked well against them, an item I lacked.

Breaking the crystals, I got hit by the Mini-Moldorm before I could block it with my shield. I had no idea how much damage I had taken and was starting to feel weak but I had to keep going despite my pain. Swinging my sword in a fit of desperation, not only did I connect with the Mini-Moldorm, I also connected with a Keese that had flown nearby defeating both at the same time. From there, I decided to unlock the door and take my chances rather than fight off additional monsters with low health. Dodging the Blade Trap, I unlocked the door and entered a room that had a very unique fixture.

"Is that... a statue of an owl?"

"Yes, but it seems to be missing its beak."

"I wonder if that's important?"

"The only way we'll know for sure is to perhaps find where it is and see what happens." Princess Twilight answered. "Because of that hole in the ground, you'll need to walk around if you want to reach that door on the other side."

"But it's sealed shut."

"I'm sure we can figure out how to unseal it." Princess Twilight then noticed my exhaustion and immediately addressed it. "You really need to get some hearts otherwise you're going to die." Going... to die? It had begun sinking in as to one of the bigger drawbacks of being on this adventure. "Okay, those hearts are now top priority!" She began breathing heavily and was mere moments from hyperventilating but she quickly calmed down. "Sorry about that, Sunset. I know you've been in this position before but I can't help but be worried. Maybe defeating those Red Gels will give you some hearts?"

"Let's hope that they do." I'll be honest... I didn't like being on death's doorstep either. It was a reminder that Ganondorf wanted me to suffer to the point where I would swear fealty to him in exchange for ending my pain and succumbing to power's temptation. In addition to the two Red Gels, there were two additional Sparks moving along several blocks acting as obstacles. Hitting any either of them would most likely mean death and I had to avoid that at all costs. Walking along, I waved my sword around and attracted the Red Gels to come closer before attacking. Each dropped a heart which I gladly picked up. Crisis averted!

Avoiding the first Spark and barely avoiding the second, I walked back the way I came until I reached the closed door and the owl statue. Without the beak, it definitely looked weird but why not have it to begin with? "Twilight?" I began. "Does it sound like this statue is trying to say something?" Pressing my ear against it, it sounded like words were trying to be spoken through the hole but I couldn't make anything out.

Princess Twilight then did the same thing and nodded her approval. "This statue could be another means of providing you with advice. Between it and Discord, I feel like my own
usefulness is starting to take a hit."

"I'll always need you, Twilight." I said smiling.

"Thanks, Sunset." Princess Twilight responded by smiling. "But to be fair, I don't know everything so this statue could have information beyond what I know. Again, if we can find a beak for it, we can hear what it's trying to say." She then looked at a few additional blocks by hovering around them. "You know... I think this statue would've told us how to solve this puzzle though honestly, it's easy to figure out."

I looked at them myself and pushed the one that didn't match up resulting in the door unlocking itself. "Guess that could be considered a freebie huh?" In the future, it wasn't going to be quite as easy. Entering the next room, I saw what I thought were Hardhat Beetles but these had spikes on their shells. "What can you tell me about these?"

"Those are Spiked Beetles. Unlike their 'cousins', these ones have even stronger shells so no amount of swordsmanship is going to work." Princess Twilight answered. "But, you can use your shield to flip them over thus leaving them utterly helpless. Don't move towards them. Let them come to you instead."

One of them then suddenly began running towards me so upon raising my shield, it bounced off of it and landed on its back where it flailed about helplessly. On the one hand, I felt bad for taking advantage of this weakness, but on the other hand, I didn't have any other choice. In these fights for survival, such tactics were considered. Slashing it with my sword, it was still flailing about which meant at least two strikes were needed. Hitting it again, the Spiked Beetle disappeared in a puff of smoke (All monsters did this by the way) but then the other one charged at me. I raised my shield just in time where it bounced back, landed onto its back, and flailed as I struck it twice.

This caused a flight of steps to appear. "Guess we have to go down to the next level." I then noticed another owl statue embedded into the wall. "I'm going to take a guess here and say that statue would've told me about flipping those Spiked Beetles over with my shield." Ignoring the holes, I walked downstairs and entered an underground tunnel complete with old rickety ladders, wild vines growing out of control, torches on the wall, and platforms. That's when a familiar enemy appeared from under the platform I was standing on. "Now wait just a minute here! A Goomba!? Seriously!?"

"Is something wrong?"

"Goombas are Mario related enemies, not Legend of Zelda related."

Princess Twilight had no idea what I was talking about so this time I had to be the one to explain a monster. Goombas were the most common enemy in the Super Mario Bros. series of video games. (Some of my favourite video games no less) not to mention the most basic. Seeing them here in this world felt completely out of place. Then it hit me! BowWow... CiaoCiao... they were both Chain Chomps, another Mario enemy. How did I not recognize something so obvious!? Ugh! I slapped my forehead so hard, it left an imprint of my hand on my face. Did that mean other Mario enemies were elsewhere?

Upon finishing my explanation, Princess Twilight comforted me and I smiled back. She always had her way of making me feel better... both versions of her. I couldn't let such a gripe cloud my judgement as it'd cause me to make careless mistakes. I then noticed that the platforms were arranged so that I could jump from platform to platform, but without being able to jump, it felt like an oversight or something. In any case, I dropped down to the ground and stepped on a Goomba, flattening it. It left behind a recovery heart and I collected it even though it wasn't needed since I was at full health.

For the remainder of the room, I climbed up and down ladders, slashed Goombas with one sword strike, and dropped down once or twice before climbing up a ladder which took me to another room. I had no idea where this was on the map so I took it out and glanced at it. According to the map, I was now on the bottom left after coming from the top left. Also, this path was nothing but a dead end so why even bother with such a design? Unless... this was intentional and something of great importance was at that dead end. I might as well have a look since it shouldn't take long.

Walking north, I came upon a recovery heart, but it had wings and was floating above me just out of grabbing range. I ignored it and kept on going and immediately stopped when two Blade Traps from either side collided with each other with a loud clank. As they moved back into position, I walked by them and up to a treasure chest flanked by two torches and surrounded by the endless abyss. Opening it, I was disappointed to find that it contained a feather. Really!? A feather!? Was this some kind of joke!? I had every mind to throw it into the darkness below but then I suddenly felt rather light.

"Were you thinking of throwing that away, Sunset?"

I slowly nodded. "I was but as I continue to hold it in my hand, I feel lighter than I've ever been."

"That's because you've picked up a Roc's Feather." Princess Twilight said. I looked at it and couldn't believe what she said. Rolling her eyes, Her Highness continued. "This feather is from a legendary creature that possessed special powers revolving around flight. If one were to hold one of its feathers, they would feel as light as the air itself and be able to jump great heights when they couldn't before. If combined with speed, you could even jump across the longest gaps with ease. Of course, I don't know where you'd find something capable of providing more speed."

"You mean... I can finally jump?"

"Yes."

"About time."

Princess Twilight chuckled. "And you were going to throw away such a valuable treasure."

I blushed. "Okay, so I didn't think things through there."

Again, Princess Twilight chuckled. "It's one of your many charms that I admire."

"Heh..." I blushed again only to quickly shake my head to regain my composure. "Anyway, I need to try out this Roc's Feather and I know exactly on what." Walking back, I used the feather to jump over the Blade Traps and did so with a flip. Upon landing, I felt absolutely invigorating. "That, was, awesome! The flip makes it extra cool! Good thing I'm used to doing such things otherwise that would've made me sick." Heading back , the flying recovery heart was still there so I jumped and grabbed it. Landing wasn't an issue since the height gained wasn't much but it didn't really need to be.

Going back down the stairs, I simply jumped from platform to platform, flipping each time, and generally enjoying the experience. At the end, I climbed the ladder and back into the room where those Spiked Beetles were (They hadn't respawned) and it was there that I knew not to play around with my new item. I had to be serious now and use it appropriately in order to progress and also reach things I couldn't get to before. Also, I didn't need to constantly hold onto it. I could still fight and do other things whilst having it in my pocket for safe-keeping and use it when needed.

In the next previous room, I jumped over the abyss, skipping the two Sparks and headed back into the large room with the Mini-Moldorm. I jumped over both it and the Blade Trap before turning left and approaching a treasure chest which was being protected by another Mini-Moldorm and a Spark. As soon as I got close enough, the Mini-Moldorn charged at me but I managed to deflect it with my shield but it was persistent. It charged again but I used my sword to defeat it. Since I couldn't defeat the Spark, I waited for an opportunity to open the chest, and when it came via the Spark moving to the other side of the chest, I opened it, took the small key and moved back when it came back around.

Jumping over the second Spark, I walked towards a locked door but there was a Stalfos and two Keese in the way. The Keese went down quickly but the Stalfos jumped backwards to avoid me only to get trapped in a corner by the door. Two hits were enough to defeat it where it dropped a rupee that I picked up. I was then about to press on when another chest materialized behind me where the other one was. It was backtracking but at a very basic level so I could let it slide. Walking back to this other chest and jumping over both Sparks, I opened it and took out a red rupee.

Princess Twilight said it was worth twenty rupees so I made back some of the money I spent at the Trendy Game Shop. Before moving on, I took out the map and looked at it again to see what remaining rooms I hadn't yet explored. Her Highness noticed two locks located in this very room. "It looks like we have a choice. Either we unlock one door or the other. Since you have both keys, it comes down to making a choice."

"Hmmm..."

"Either way, there will be a little bit of backtracking."

"We should unlock this door first." I said, pointing to the lock on the map that was in front of us. "Might as well see what the unexplored rooms contain before coming back and going the other way. There aren't many rooms left to explore in this place so it's safe to say we're almost finished.."

"Don't be too cocky, Sunset. You never know what lurks in those last rooms."

"Agreed."

Walking back the other way again and jumping over the two Sparks again (It may have been repetitive but it was necessary for me to get used to using the Roc's Feather) and unlocking the door, I entered a room with the abyss cutting me off from reaching the next door. But... since I had the Roc's Feather, I could just jump across without worry. There were two more Sparks and a Stalfos present but I ignored and went for the north room since something about it seemed off. Upon a closer look in this room, it was the weird floor that made me suspicious in addition to three weird looking creatures that defied normal convention.

To Be Continued.

Chapter 5: Kidnapped!

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.
By Ganondorf8.
November 9, 2019.
Chapter 5: Kidnapped!

The three creatures were round in shape with blue feet and lacked pupils in their eyes but it was the symbols on their chests which were their most striking feature. Four symbols would rotate every second and I immediately recognized what they were: a club, a diamond, a spade, and a heart, what you'd find on playing cards. Aside from this distinction, they weren't attacking me or anything but rather just pacing about. As I continued gazing upon them, I could see an owl statue behind them. If my suspicion was correct, it would tell me how to defeat them which kind of ruins the purpose of the statue being there in the first place.

"I hope you're not a fan of gambling, Sunset." Princess Twilight said.

"The thought never crossed my mind." I said.

"In a way, these creatures give off the impression that you are gambling on getting the right symbol to show up." Princess Twilight giggled slightly and I couldn't help but chuckle a little myself over her attempt at a joke. Pinkie Pie had obviously been a strong influence on her. "These are called 'Three-of-a-Kind', a rare monster that only show up in specific places as a means of testing people. Do you see the symbols on their chests?" I nodded and she continued explaining. "Whenever you hit one, it will come to a stop as well the symbol on its body. If you can match them up, they will all be defeated at the same time."

"It's like playing poker."

"I thought you said you weren't a fan of gambling?"

I shook my head. "I'm not but I did study about the game for a school project once. Three-of-a-kind is a reference to a hand one can play in a game of poker." Her Highness then looked at me with a disappointing glare which made me very uncomfortable. She didn't believe what I said about the project so I needed to prove it. "The idea wasn't mine! Rainbow Dash thought about it and we all agreed though Applejack was concerned. We didn't actually gamble since we're underage and all but considering what we do with our magic, we do essentially play a game of poker with our lives being on the line against our own will."

"You didn't need to give me an explanation."

"It's all I could do to explain myself."

"I believe you, Sunset."

"Really?"

Princess Twilight smiled. "Of course I do. I know you and your friends wouldn't do anything that made you question your own ethics. Me and my friends have the same kind of moral code although ours is tested way more often than we would like. After all, we deal with magical problems every day, sometimes several times while your group probably deals with such things maybe every other day or once a week."

What Her Highness said wasn't wrong mind you. Me and my friends didn't face as many problems as she and her friends did, but in some ways I wasn't upset about it. Sure, I'd love to deal with more magic based problems but considering what Her Highness endures isn't probably good for the stress levels, I'm probably lucky that my problems don't come up quite nearly as often. Still, I do yearn for a challenge. Just not something like this where my life is constantly in danger from creatures and circumstances well beyond my comfort zone. Equestria was dangerous but not this dangerous!

Moving towards the Three-of-a-Kind, none of them paid any attention to me other than continuing to move back and forth. I then struck one where it came to a stop and the symbol on its chest displayed a spade. Striking the second one shortly after, I was disappointed when its symbol displayed a diamond which meant I had to try again. Since it didn't matter at that point, I struck the last one where it displayed a club causing all three to reset themselves. I tried again making sure to strike them at just the right time resulting in two with hearts and the other with a spade.

They reset again and out of frustration, I struck all three at once giving me a diamond and two clubs. Okay, this was way easier than I was making it out to be. I should've done this in one attempt, two at the most yet this was just making me more and more mad. Breathing heavily, I calmed down and assessed the situation carefully. Timing was obviously key and I needed patience for it. Focusing my strength and swinging my sword whilst allowing my arms to lead the way, I struck each Three-of-a-Kind one by one with each one's chest symbol stopping on a diamond which caused all three to disappear at once.

"You did it, Sunset!"

I breathed softly. "I just needed to remain calm and let my body do the work. Still, that should've been way easier than it was." I then stopped talking as a treasure chest materialized next to the owl statue and upon opening it, I took out what appeared to be a beak made of stone. "I guess this must be the Stone Beak for those statues." I took a closer look at it and it appeared cracked in one or two places. "I'm guessing this only works here and in no future dungeon we come across?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "That is most likely going to be the case. We should treat this Stone Beak like a Dungeon Map or Compass and expect to find a new one each time. Now that we have it, we don't really need to use it since we figured out those other hints on our own." She then looked at the statue that was in this room. "You know, out of curiosity, do you want to know what this statue is saying?"

"I've been wanting to do just that."

"Oh?"

"I want to know if my suspicion was right." I answered. Walking up to the owl statue, I pressed the Stone Beak up against it and was taken aback slightly when its eyes glowed and it began speaking. 'Turn aside the spined ones with a shield.' My heart sank as that wasn't what my suspicion was. Then again, being given a hint for the very thing you had to do would've been both stupid and impractical. "I thought it would bring up those creatures."

"Maybe not but at least we now know how to use those statues."

"I guess so."

"By the way..." Princess Twilight began. "I've been meaning to inform you of something I noticed a while back in a previous room." Her Highness then dove into my pocket which made me react with a shock before she pulled out the map and unfurled it. "Sorry about that. Ahem..." She began combing it before pointing excitedly at a room I hadn't accessed. "I noticed a cracked wall at this point earlier! If you had a bomb, you could blow up the wall and gain access to that room. It does have a treasure chest which may or may not contain something useful for the dungeon or for later."

"What about that other lock in the big room?" I asked. "There was a chest beyond that as well."

"Looks like it's a toss-up between the two."

"Not really." I said as I showed my lack of bombs. "Without any bombs, that sealed room is off-limits. If I remember to come back here with some, I'll check that room out but for the time being, we should use my one remaining key on that lock." Grumbling under my breath, I should've gone to an item shop and inquired about purchasing some bombs. Surely there was such a shop back in the village. "Well, we might as well do that backtracking I dislike oh so much."

Putting the Stone Beak in my pocket, I walked back into the previous room where the two Sparks continued to move around the room. I ignored them and went back into the large room which was where Princess Twilight said the cracked wall was located. I was tempted to check it out but decided otherwise since without bombs, it would've been pointless not to mention a waste of time. Where the Stalfos and Keese were previously (They hadn't respawned yet) by the now unlocked door was a path on the other side of the blocks which would lead to the other lock.

Walking around to the other side of the blocks, I kept going until I reached a gap which would've prevented me from progressing further, but since I had the Roc's Feather, I could jump over it. Before doing so, a Hardhat Beetle came charging towards me so I swung my sword and kept pushing it back until it fell into the abyss. From there, I jumped across the gap and came upon a most curious object. According to the map, this was the lock that required a key but it was merely a block with a lock engraved on it. I'd never seen anything like this before in my previous adventures so I expected that such a lock would come up later on in future dungeons.

I thought about sticking the small key into the top of the block but then I noticed that there were slots on each side. Since it didn't matter which slot I used, I inserted the key into the leftmost slot. The block glowed for a brief moment before disappearing allowing me to continue on to a chest. It had to contain a key since the Compass made a noise (Something I had completely forgotten about until it made that noise) to inform me as such. Whatever was in there must be important as why else protect it with a lock? Opening the chest, I took out a much larger key. It had horns and a red jewel embedded in the center.

"That is a Nightmare Key." Princess Twilight announced. "With this, we can open the door that leads to the Nightmare's lair."

"What is a Nightmare in this context?"

"I'm not entirely sure."

"I guess using your fairy magic to access information about this world doesn't provide you with all the answers huh?"

"No, it doesn't."

I then had a thought cross my mind. "Do you think anyone in the village knows what a Nightmare is? Or maybe Flash Sentry might be a better choice to ask. I mean, he seems to know an awful lot about this island, perhaps more than Discord himself." As I stared at the key, it felt like my heart was being gripped by something powerful as though it were warning me about what was waiting for me beyond that final locked door. "Guess we should go back and find out for ourselves."

"It appears to be our only option."

Placing the Nightmare Key in my pocket (Again, I just had this feeling of dread), I began the short trek back to where I was before. Since I was still in the same room, I didn't have to worry about fighting any monsters, but when I got back to the room where I needed to jump across to progress, the Stalfos had respawned and began jumping about. Rather than go out of my way and attack it, I simply ignored it and the two Sparks before jumping over the abyss and continuing on. Upon entering the next room, the door locked behind me but before I could access things, something rolled into me causing me to trip and fall onto my butt.

Getting back up, I looked down and saw that what tripped me up was a bar covered in spikes that stretched from one side of the room to the other. But, it was the pink creature on the other side that definitely caught my interest. Judging from the expression on its face, it was the one who threw the spiked bar at me. Despite having a derpish looking face, this thing looked intimidating. It lacked any feet so perhaps it couldn't move but since this world had already surprised me time and time again, I couldn't even trust my own instincts. What I did know was that this was going to be a fight.

"Are you okay, Sunset?"

"Yeah!" I answered as I rubbed my butt. "That spiked bar just came out of nowhere you know?"

"This creature is different from the others so far." Princess Twilight said. "It's not a boss monster nor is it a regular one but rather a sort of mid-boss. The way forward and backward is blocked so you've no choice but to fight Spike Roller." She quickly turned to face me. "That's the name of this monster by the way. That spiked bar will cause you damage but you have the Roc's Feather now so you can jump over it. Whenever it pushes that bar, you can jump over and attack it but it will jump around in an attempt to get to this side of the room. It will then push that bar the other way and rinse and repeat."

"Not as bad as I thought."

"I think this fight is meant to test you on using the Roc's Feather."

"Isn't it strange that we're two rooms away from this Nightmare?"

"Yes, but don't expect this to happen in every dungeon."

Spike Roller then pushed the spiked bars with its hands causing it to roll along the ground towards me. This time, I was prepared for it and jumped over it with the Roc's Feather prompting it to start jumping about in its bid to reach the other side of the room. Surprisingly, it was way more agile than its appearance suggested not to mention being able to leap quite the distance despite not having feet. I swung my sword and managed to hit Spike Roller twice (I'd have connected more often if not for it being out of range) before it reached the other side and immediately pushed the spiked bar back the other way.

I wasn't ready to dodge the bar this time and it tripped me up again. As I landed on my butt, Spike Roller jumped past and to the other side of the room and pushed the bar again. I barely got to my feet and jumped over it as Spike Roller came back the other way repeating its attack pattern. One thing I hadn't noticed before until now was that every time it landed on the ground, it would make a squishing sound which made me shudder. I've heard some weird sounds before but nothing quite like that. Swinging my sword, I hit Spike Roller three more times which is when an idea came to mind.

Just before it pushed the spiked bar, I ran up and jumped over it enabling me to continue the assault. For a 'mid-boss' this wasn't difficult at all but I knew that there were stronger ones waiting in future dungeons. It was best not to be cocky otherwise I'd be inviting death upon myself. When I hit Spike Roller this time, my blows accidentally pushed it forward and over the spiked bar which it most definitely wanted. It pushed the bar and I jumped over it when it began making its way back by jumping. Okay, this was really starting to get annoying.

While I enjoyed getting to use the Roc's Feather in a combat scenario, I wanted to end this fight on account that it had dragged on for too long. Spike Roller reached the other side of the room and pushed the bar only for me to jump over and accidentally ran into it. On the one hand, I cursed myself for being careless since I had been doing a decent job of avoiding it entirely. On the other hand, its body was incredibly slimy. Good thing Rarity wasn't here otherwise she'd have freaked out on me. Luckily, my blunder proved to be advantageous and I managed to hit it a few more times which turned out to be enough.

Upon the last hit, Spike Roller came to a stop and began shivering whilst the spiked bar also stopped. It then began to explode in an array of purple explosions before blowing up completely in one final explosion along with the bar disappearing into thin air. This caused both doors to open in addition to a strange portal appearing in the center of the room. My focus was on the fairy that appeared where Spike Roller had exploded and I picked up and felt immediate relief. As for this portal, it looked safe but I wasn't entirely sure. Since I didn't really see any problems (Famous last words), I stepped into the portal and it whisked me away.

Opening my eyes, I discovered that it had brought me back to the start of the dungeon. "Well what do you know?"

Princess Twilight was elated over what I had done. "That was warping magic. Sure, it's on a more basic level compared to unicorns and alicorns being able to teleport wherever we want, but that was absolutely thrilling not to mention informative from a looking ahead perspective. This warp isn't particularly useful since this dungeon is short, but future dungeons will certainly utilize this magic better. You can use this warp to get back to a dungeon entrance if you feel the need to leave in order to get supplies. It does appear that defeating a mid-boss is required so finding one has now become a priority."

"Do you think it's one warp point between two locations per dungeon?"

"I'd like to think so."

"Makes sense otherwise it'd be too easy."

"So, do you want to leave the Tail Cave and get some supplies?"

I thought about it for a moment before shaking my head. "No, I think I'm ready to take on whatever this Nightmare is." Checking my sword arm, it was shivering ever so slightly but that's because my nerves were acting up. "Grabbing that fairy after defeating Spike Roller was worth it otherwise I'd have strongly considered leaving. Hopefully, this Nightmare isn't as difficult as we're making it out to be."

"Only way to know is to face it."

Stepping off the warp (I had to do this in order to use it again which made no sense) and stepping back on, I warped back to where Spike Roller was and entered the north room where I immediately jumped over two Blade Traps that almost sliced me apart. "Wow! That was way too close!"

"Guess this place still has a couple more tricks up its sleeve." Princess Twilight then bopped me on the head and pointed at a special looking lock. "Well... At least we now know what the door to the Nightmare's lair looks like." She also noticed a stairway behind four statues. "I don't know what could be down below but perhaps it's best not to find out. Then again, we might get an answer once we go inside and confront this Nightmare."

Walking around the statues and jumping over the remaining Blade Traps, I took out the Nightmare Key, inserted it into the lock, and unlocked the door before opening it. In the next room, there was no sign of anyone or anything. It was an empty room though the floor had four holes in each corner with cracked tiles in-between. In front of me was another door sealed firmly shut and the one behind had now been sealed as well. "I was expecting something but this room is completely empty."

"There has to be something in here."

"But where?"

Princess Twilight shrugged. "I don't know where but I can definitely sense a presence in this room." Suddenly, a large shadow appeared in front of us and Her Highness immediately warned me of it. "Something is on the ceiling and it looks like it's dropping down from above.

The shadow got bigger and bigger until a massive shape landed with a thud that dust rose up from the ground upon impact. Princess Twilight and I were looking at what appeared to be a bigger version of the Mini-Moldorm. Unlike that one, this one had more sinister looking eyes and a shell protecting the end of its tail. This was the Nightmare! I had no doubt about it and yet while I was putting on a brave face, a part of me wanted to flee and not look back. I knew that I shouldn't be afraid and yet I couldn't help myself. Was this an unforeseen power exclusive to it or did the other Nightmare possess it?

"So this must be Moldorm?" I whispered.

"It makes sense given the similarity to the small version."

I then realized something I hadn't noticed before until now. "The Tail Key! The map of this dungeon! Those statues outside! They all bear a resemblance to this thing! Why did I not put two and two together until now!?"

Before Her Highness could say anything, the Moldorm decided to speak instead. "BUZZZZZ! BUZZZZ! OUTZZZIDER!"

"It can talk?"

"Apparently but only in crude terms." Princess Twilight answered.

"OUTZZZIDER! DESTROY OUTZZZIDER!" Moldorm said. So far, it wasn't moving or anything so perhaps it was waiting for me to make a move? Then again, it could be pacing itself before making a move. Or it could be something else entirely. In a battle of wits, the Moldorm was clearly winning. "YOOOU ARE OUTZZZIDER! BUZZZZ!" Without warning, it began moving around, its segmented body shimmying about which made it look both difficult and awkward. I then noticed that the shield on its tail opened up to expose a glowing ord. That had to be the weak point but I was more concerned with its movement.

"Okay, now what I do?" I asked as I raised my shield in hopes that it doesn't come my way.

"You saw how that orb on its tail appeared right?" Princess Twilight asked. I nodded and she continued. "That's the only weak point that Moldorm has. If you try to hit it anywhere else, it won't do a thing. Also, every time you strike that weak point, it will increase its speed for a while but will eventually calm down. It will eventually keep that speed as an act of desperation so be prepared for it."

"Anything else?"

"Those cracked floor tiles."

Before I could say anything, Moldorm slithered along and pushed me back because of my shield and onto a floor tile. It immediately cracked and I scrambled to reach a safe tile. I had no idea what was down below and I'd rather not know. With my shield raised again, I began breathing heavily since that was a close call. "Okay, you were saying?"

"You pretty much did all the explaining for me."

"Lucky me!" I said whilst moaning.

"Aside from one thing." Princess Twilight said. She then told me to get out of the way as Moldorm slithered by and I barely managed to avoid contact with it. "If you fall, you should end up in the basement below. Those stairs we saw in the previous room connect to said basement." Her Highness was pretty sure of herself about that but I chose to trust her judgement as I knew she wouldn't give me false information. Falling down below means you'd have to come back here and try again, but it would mean Moldorm resets. Meaning if it had been wounded prior to your drop, its health would be fully restored."

"Oh come on!"

"This is a boss monster and that means it's going to hurt a lot if it hits you."

Given my low health overall (It was full but low in that I didn't have many hearts), Moldorm could kill me in a few hits so I had to really play things carefully. When it slithered by me again in a bid to push me back, I struck the weak point on its tail. It definitely had an effect since it immediately curled up before stretching back out, but then it began speeding up and was gunning for me, its weak point now closed. I tried to jump over Moldorm with the Roc's Feather but was knocked back by its body before I could make the jump. Ouch! The knockback pushed me into the wall and I moved away in case another floor tile cracked open.

Moldorm kept moving fast until it slowed down and its weak point opened up again. From what I could tell, it was trying its best to attack me but because of how awkwardly shaped it was combined with the battlefield, I had the advantage albeit a small one because of it wounding me. Raising my shield, I moved in closer and swung my sword only for the weak point to elude me. It wasn't really trying to keep it from me so it came down to just being lucky. Swinging a few more times and failing on each one, I took a crazy risk by jumping back and forth across the room a couple of times.

This confused Moldorm and I struck its tail again but it was clearly not happy about it. "BUZZZZZ! DIE OUTZZZIDER!"

"Is that all you can really say?" I asked.

"BUZZZZ! YOU MUST DIE OUTZZZIDER!"

"Best not to provoke it." Princess Twilight said.

"Agreed."

Good thing I heeded Her Highness' advice as Moldorm sped up again and came right towards me. With my shield, I was pushed back a few times only for the floor tile I got pushed onto cracked causing me to drop into the abyss below. Luckily, my reflexes were either incredibly sharp or it was just pure dumb luck as I grabbed the edge and pulled myself back up. Good thing Moldorm had moved away otherwise I'd have likely died from being unable to defend myself. Moldorm slowed down again, its weak point exposed once again but I wasn't about to mess around after almost having to start over again.

Striking its tail, it turned red and began moving around at top speed with no signs of slowing down. Her Highness said that this would happen when it was in an act of desperation but what she didn't mention was how its tail was now completely exposed. I'd say one more hit was enough to defeat Moldorm but now the battle had just gotten much harder because of its change of tactics. Moldorm continued moving about but began focusing its attention squarely on me. Jumping over it, I then tried jumping back to confuse it again but it knew what I was doing and slammed into me as I landed.

"Sunset!" Princess Twilight cried as I slammed into the wall and landed on a regular tile.

"I'm okay." I groaned as I slowly got back up.

"I forgot that you endure a lot of physical punishment on these adventures."

"Heh... It builds character."

"Among other things by the looks of it."

Sarcasm aside, Princess Twilight knew that I was barely holding on so I needed to finish this fight now. Moldorm continued to move around at top speed and showed no signs of caring as to where it was going. Stealing myself and my shield raised, I opted not to use the Roc's Feather as it was proving ineffective now against Moldorm. I began following it around as best I could making sure not to go too far since one more hit would kill me or at least knock me out. Swinging my sword whilst keeping my distance, I kept failing to connect and began panicking until a random sword swing actually did connect.

The final hit first caused Moldorm's tail to shatter followed by each of its three segments to explode one at a time before its head started exploding numerous times before disappearing in a final explosion. This unlocked both doors but I was more interested in the giant heart that dropped down from above and landed in the center of the room. If I remembered correctly from previous adventures, defeating a boss monster resulted in a Heart Container which would make me stronger as well as survive much longer. Grabbing it, the warmth it gave my body was most appreciated and I felt like I could do anything.

"That... Could've gone better." I said as I dusted myself off.

"You did it, Sunset!"

"Not without your guidance, Twilight."

"What are teachers for?"

I laughed. "You still are my teacher despite how far I've come." I then took on a serious look. "If that Nightmare was that difficult, I hate to imagine what the others ones are like. I think things are only going to get harder from here. At the very least, that Heart Container increases my chance of surviving whatever comes our way next." I then looked through the final door of the dungeon. "Guess the instrument Flash Sentry mentioned must be in there."

"A given seeing that Moldorm had been guarding it."

Entering the final room of the dungeon, the door locked behind me, but my eyes were clearly focused on what lay in front of me. Sitting on top of a raised platform was a cello that twinkled despite there being no light in here aside from various torches. Walking up to it, I couldn't help but wonder as to its exact purpose on this island. Flash Sentry only said for me to come in here and collect it. He never mentioned anything about why it was necessary. Another thought then crossed my mind. Would I have to play it? I could play the guitar but any other instrument? That was a pretty tall order."

Picking up the cello, I looked at it. "Okay? Now what?"

"I don't know." Princess Twilight said. "I assume we can leave but with the door locking us in, I'm not sure how we can do that."

"You have received the Full Moon Cello!" A familiar voice said as it echoed throughout the room. Suddenly, a flashing light shone from behind me and I whipped around to see what was causing it. Someone then stepped out from the light and stood before me wearing a beautiful white gown, white high-heeled shoes, and was giving off a warm radiance. "Are you two surprised to see me?"

"Princess Celestia!" Princess Twilight and I both exclaimed. We knew this was Princess Celestia as she had wings coming out from her back despite lacking her horn. Her hair shimmered about though I wondered how she was taking the fact that she had a human body and not a pony one.

"How wonderful to see you both again." Princess Celestia said. She then glanced at us both before taking a second look. "So this is what you look like when you are in the other world you call home, Sunset. No doubt it took some time for you to get used to not having hooves. I'll admit that I was surprised at first when I saw myself with this form but I have since gotten used to it. And you, Princess Twilight... To think that a fairy form is what you were given."

"Hang on..." I began. "You have your actual memories?"

"Princess Twilight informed me of your 'adventures' Sunset and how many of us were dragged into these worlds without us remembering anything afterward when you changed things back to the way they were." Princess Celestia answered. "For some reason, I have my memories although I am also restricted in that I must carry out a specific function. To think that you, my former student, must endure such hardship as this. I wish I could accompany you but I am unable to do so."

"Sunset? Do you think this is Ganondorf's work?" Princess Twilight asked.

I nodded. "No doubt about it, but since we don't know the full extent of his power, we can only guess as to his intentions."

Princess Celestia then spoke up. "As I said, I am unable to come with you. I can only provide you information on the instrument that you have acquired in addition to guiding you to where you need to go next. And I'm not the only princess who has been trapped like this. Both Princess Luna and Princess Cadance await in future dungeons for you two. They will offer guidance like I am but with restrictions.

"Will we see you again?"

"You will." Princess Celestia answered smiling gently. "I will appear again in Level 4 so know that we will meet again. Now, allow me to fulfill my purpose for being here. You have collected the first of eight instruments that are necessary to awaken the one who sleeps within the egg. While this instrument on its own won't do much, it will serve its true function once all of them have been collected. I believe a certain Flash Sentry can provide more information."

"So where do we go from here?"

"Swamp..." Princess Celestia began answering. "A path opens... in the blooms. Your next goal is there but you will need something special in order to reach it. Though you might not understand it right now, you must go back to the village. Once there, all will be revealed." She then began fading away. "It looks like my time here is over but you now know what must be done next. Do not be concerned for my well being. We shall meet again later when you reach the fourth level. Now... Listen to the tone of the Full Moon Cello and reflect upon the journey that now opens up before you."

"Thank you, Princess Celestia." Princess Twilight said.

As the princess disappeared, the Full Moon Cello began to play on its own. The music coming from it made both of us feel incredibly warm as though we were floating away on clouds and we continued to be mesmerized by it as everything went white. When I woke up moments later, I found myself back outside of the Tail Cave. Despite not entering that one room due to having no bombs and enduring a powerful Nightmare, I'd say the dungeon experience was a pretty good one. Now that I knew where we were going next, I decided to going back to the village would come second as I needed to make a quick stop over at Bulk Bicep's place.

Heading back to the main route, I suddenly stopped upon hearing the sound of a familiar bird. Flash Sentry then appeared on his owl and landed on a lone tree. "It appears you succeeded in acquiring what you sought from the Tail Cave. What you hold in your possession is an Instrument of the Sirens."

"Instrument of the Sirens?" I repeated.

Flash Sentry nodded. "Yes, a sacred instrument imbued with a great power. I must admit, at first I did not believe you were real. I thought that you were nothing more than an illusion meant to confuse me and all those who dwell on this island. But, I know that you are indeed real for you have achieved a task no one has ever done before. That instrument, along with the seven others in the set, has the power to awaken the Wind Fish."

"That explains it then."

"Without all eight, the Wind Fish will remain asleep."

Princess Twilight then spoke up. "We were told that our next destination is a swamp."

"Ah yes." Flash Sentry said. "I know what the spirit princess speaks of. Listen carefully! You must collect all eight instruments. I was instructed to give you directions so allow me to explain what the spirit princess mentioned to you. Your next goal is north, beyond the Mysterious Forest, in an area called Goponga Swamp. There awaits the Bottle Grotto! But, you properly reach it, you will need a power that is beyond human."

"What can you tell us about the Nightmare?" I asked.

Flash Sentry didn't say anything which made me wonder if he either knew and refused to say or he knew nothing and was as in the dark as I was. Before I could question him further on the subject, he commanded his owl to take to the sky and soon disappeared over the horizon leaving me and Princess Twilight with many questions but no answers to them. At least we knew where to go next but I wished he had explained what the Nightmare was. Goponga Swamp... I'm no stranger to swamps since I explored one in the last adventure and Equestria had its share of swamps scattered around the land so this was going to be nothing new for me.

"What do you think, Twilight?"

Princess Twilight shrugged. "I'm not a big fan of not being given answers to all of our questions. I'm glad that both Princess Celestia and Flash Sentry have told us where to go next but it's just so annoying that the latter said nothing about the Nightmare."

"Like you said, we can't learn everything at once."

"The Nightmare is different!"

"True since we've defeated one but I guess we'll either have to ask someone else or hope that Flash Sentry addresses it next time."

"So... we're going back to Bulk Biceps?" Princess Twilight asked. "Let's make it a quick trip since Princess Celestia said we need to go back to Mabe Village and even though she is the princess--and the ruler still--we should follow her advice if we want to progress this adventure."

I rolled my eyes. Princess Twilight needed to relax a little when it comes to assuming the throne once Canterlot has been repaired. Sure, becoming the next ruler after the current ones had done so for over 1,000 years is nothing short of extreme stress but I know Her Highness can do it. Besides, she'll have her friends for support in addition to Spike so it's not like she's going to be on her own during her reign. I am curious if she will wind up taking over for Celestia with the School for Gifted Unicorns. If Celestia is retiring as she said she would, Twilight would inherit the school as well as the throne. That should definitely make her happy.

Heading back to the main route, I defeated the Octoroks who had respawned due to me being in the Tail Cave for so long. One or two of them dropped rupees which I picked up but aside from that, I had no trouble getting back and going south towards Toronbo Shores by jumping down from off the ledges to make it quicker. Reaching the beach and ignoring the monsters, it didn't take much longer to reach Bulk Bicep's place. Walking into his home, he was still standing by his boxes of bananas but now he was busy drinking out from a coconut that was on a nearby shelf.

Upon seeing me, he waved with his free hand. "YEAH! Good to see you again!"

"It's been a while hasn't it?" I asked.

"No one has been by since you came so I wonder if I'm doing something wrong?" Bulk Biceps shook his head hard and laughed. "Nah! I'm guessing the villagers just can't deal with all those monsters running all over the place. "YEAH! Surely business will end up booming before I know it." As he talked, I took out the can of dog food I acquired from CiaoCiao and he immediately took notice of it. "Hey! What have you got there?"

I showed him the canned food. "Is this what you wanted?"

"YEAH! Oh yeah! That's it!"

"Um... this is dog food you know."

"To me, any food in a can is food for my belly!"

I shuddered at the thought of giving him dog food but he was very insistent about it. I knew that I shouldn't since it was nothing short of humiliating for the poor guy, but those bananas were going to be useful according to what he said before, and I couldn't refuse him since he was being so generous. I decided to ask him honestly. "Do you really and truly want to eat dog food? I'll only ask this of you once."

"For heaven's sake, man, give that to me! YEAH!" Bulk Biceps kept on nodding as though the dog food was absolutely vital to his survival. "Please? I'm going to lose it if I can't get that can off of you! YEAH!" I couldn't say no after that little display. Handing over the can, he smiled as he held it in his hands. "Thank you! YEAH! I'll take that!" He then tossed the can into the air before eating it whole without taking the dog food out of it. I was going to say something about eating the can but I decided otherwise since he looked really happy. "YEAH! That was great! Best food I ever ate!"

"Glad you're happy about it."

"Since you went to all that trouble, here are those bananas I promised you." Bulk Biceps then walked over to his banana hoard, grabbed a bunch, and walked back over before handing them to me. "These bananas will definitely get the attention of those monkeys over by the castle. Oh, and be sure you say hello to my brother for me. It's been ages since I last visited but you know how business can get. YEAH!"

Taking my leave after thanking him for the bananas, I began to go back to Mabe Village. As I made my way back, I couldn't help but wonder why he wanted dog food. It was canned food like he said he wanted but dog food!? I don't think I'll ever live that moment down because of it. He also ate the can which was a whole other thing. Defeating more Octoroks whilst going the long way, one of them dropped a Guardian Acorn which I grabbed though in hindsight, why couldn't I have gotten one before Moldorm!? Fighting it would've been way easier if I had one with me at the time.

Sighing, I continued on my trek to Mabe Village but when I approached the outskirts, something was clearly wrong. I could hear the sounds of panicked voices everywhere and they were calling out for help. Had something happened during my absence? I slapped my forehead upon thinking that. Of course something happened! Why wouldn't it? Entering the village proper, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle were both jumping up and down in a mad panic. When they saw me approach, they immediately raced towards me and began speaking over each other in hopes of getting my attention.

"You're back!" Applebloom shouted.

"Thank goodness you're back!" Sweetie Belle shouted.

"It's terrible!"

"It's awful!"

I then interrupted them. "Calm down! Both of you! Now, tell me what has happened."

"It's serious, like really serious!" Applebloom said.

"The Moblins... They came to the village." Sweetie Belle said.

Princess Twilight then whispered to me about the Moblins as she had more to say about them. While they were known for frequenting forests, they also existed in other areas as well though not places suited them. Despite their lack of intelligence, they were courageous beings who always fought until the very end even if it meant being killed. She also said that in many cases, Moblins were lead by a chieftain or boss who was bigger and had a commanding presence. Then I began thinking about it. What if my actions in the Mysterious Forest attracted them here? Had I been the cause of this unfortunate incident?

Applebloom then continued. "At first, them Moblins were all lookin' 'round tryin' to see which places they could attack. There must'av been at least ten of 'em! We were all hidin' 'cause none of us can stand up ta them. Then they all decided ta go to the house. I can't believe this is happenin'! It's gotta be a dream or somethin'."

I could tell Applebloom was distraught since she was confusing her sentences. "Why did they go to the house?" I asked Sweetie Belle.

"They did something horrible there." Sweetie Belle answered. "They wrecked the place and were laughing about it while we all cowered in our homes. Then they did something over at BowWow's house! I know Madam MeowMeow is fine as she's been in a panic since those Moblins left. But, those Moblins... BowWow!" She began to calm down. "You know, I think you should go over there and speak with her about it."

"Please! Ya gotta help her out!" Applebloom shouted.

"I think you're Madam MeowMeow's best bet."

At least I now had an idea as to what had happened. Moblins had attacked the village but didn't destroy anything. Monsters were usually known for causing destruction although that wasn't always the case. Some of them were misunderstood as people didn't understand them which resulted in the stereotypes associated with them. In this case, the Moblins had clearly caused some destruction yet why visit two locations and then leave? It made no sense. In any case, they had paid a visit to Wallflower Blush so I raced over to her house to see what she had to say.

She was screaming but upon noticing me, Wallflower calmed herself. "It's terrible! My precious BowWow! He was dognapped by... Moblins! I don't know why they decided to target my home but all they took was him. Why!? He had caused them no harm! I know this is awfully sudden but I need someone, anyone, to find BowWow. To think that he is the Moblin's prisoner in their lair."

"Do you know where I can find this lair?" I asked.

"Are you going to find him?"

I nodded. "It's what I do."

"Oh thank you!" Wallflower shouted. "I know that the Moblins come from beyond the Mysterious Forest, but I'm afraid I don't know exactly where. With the forest teaming with monsters these days, going through the forest is a fools errand only foolhardy people would attempt to cross." She then thought of an idea. "But, I believe Grandpa Ulrira would know where those Moblins are hiding. He knows much about Koholint Island but he doesn't like speaking in person. Perhaps you should use the telephone in the village and ask him for help. Please! I'm practically begging you to bring BowWow home!"

"I'll get him back."

"I'm at my wits end!"

Leaving Wallflower (I didn't want because of the circumstances but I had to because of the circumstances) I was slowly piecing together what happened as I made my way over to the telephone in order to talk to Discord. Moblins had kidnapped BowWow for reasons not yet known and that they live somewhere beyond the Mysterious Forest. Since there has been no ransom note, either the Moblins haven't sent one or are too stupid to have done it. I'm going to believe in option one since they had to have intelligence to pull off a kidnapping during the late afternoon hours. Arriving at the telephone booth, I went inside and picked up the phone.

BBRIINNG! BBRIINNG!

"D'oh ho ho!" Discord answered from the other end of the phone. "Hello, this is Ulrira!"

"Do you recognize my voice?" I asked.

"Ah, you're the one who called me earlier."

I nodded even though he couldn't see me. "Yes, and I need your help about something regarding Moblins."

The sound of a rocking chair echoed through the phone as Discord began thinking about what I asked of him. "Moblins you say? Hmmm... Yes... I can tell you plenty of things with regards to Moblins. But, I don't think you want to hear me drone on since it sounds like you're in a hurry. D'oh ho ho!"

"Is that so?"

"Oh yes, but you can't access the mountains unless you can jump."

I paused for a moment before speaking. "Seriously?"

"Holes dear girl!" Discord answered. "Holes prevent you from getting there but you can if you can jump, d'oh ho ho! You sound like an adventuring type so surely you know exactly where to go from here. I hope that is what you wanted to know! Don't go falling into any holes now!

CLICK!

Putting the phone down and leaving the telephone booth, I frowned at Discord's choice of words as well as his attempt at making a joke. Despite that, at least he provided me with directions on where I could fine the Moblins. Good thing I had the Roc's Feather in my possession otherwise BowWow would forever be lost and Wallflower would be devastated. Having to backtrack through the forest wasn't my idea of fun as backtracking was something I despised so much, but I didn't really have much of a choice unless I could somehow warp around the island thus cutting down on time.

Princess Twilight suggested I go through the forest as soon as possible but I decided to go back to the Trendy Game Shop. Her Highness thought I was being self-fish for wanting to choose playing a game over rescuing someone's precious pet, yet I told her that the Piece of Heart that was there as a prize could help me eventually become capable of surviving even longer on the island. She said that was a good idea though it could take some time to win since we both knew Ember had been accused of running a crooked game by everyone else. I had the rupees to spend so hopefully it wouldn't take long.

Entering the Trendy Game Shop, Ember was surprised to see me. "Didn't think you'd be back so soon!" She immediately pointed to something on the floor where the Yoshi Doll once stood and I looked for myself. "As you can see, I've added a new prize to be won. Never thought I'd actually get to put out anything new again." It was an exact likeness of CiaoCiao yet now in figurine form judging from the shine it gave off. "By the way, what was with all that noise earlier? Did those kids cause another disaster or what?"

"Moblins attacked the village and kidnapped BowWow." I answered.

"What!?"

"Nothing else was taken."

"Then what the heck are you doing in here!?" Ember exclaimed, her voice clearly addressing her anger. "You should be going after those Moblins and bringing BowWow back, not wasting time here playing games! I mean come on! You're a hero aren't you!? Then do your job!"

"I came here to win that Piece of Heart."

"What, you mean that thing?"

I nodded. "I'm not leaving until I get it."

"Then here, take the thing!" Ember left her desk, ran up to the Piece of Heart, and tossed it my way where I grabbed it. "Normally, I don't give away stuff for free but you need to go and rescue that dog right now! I mean come on! What the heck are your priorities here!?" I was surprised that Ember clearly was putting the priority of an innocent soul ahead of earning money from her game. "Why are you still here!? Get going already!"

"Um... thank you?"

"I'll let this freebie slide because of the current situation." Ember said as she calmed down and returned to her desk. "But don't expect me to do this again. I have to earn a living like everyone else you know. Be glad that I'm nice unlike the shopkeeper next door about stuff like that." She flicked her hand constantly which meant she wanted me gone but what she said had me curious so I inquired about it. Moaning, Ember continued. "Fine! I'll tell you! That girl has a really weird temperament. You buy from her, everything's fine. You steal from her, you'll wind up paying the ultimate price."

"As in death?"

"That's what they say anyway." Ember answered shrugging her shoulders. "You don't look dumb enough to actually attempt to steal anything. Hey, don't think of that as an insult but rather a friendly warning." Her hand flicking got really intense and I knew she was out of patience. "Now get out of here and save BowWow! Oh, and be sure to come back here later. I'll have something new for you to win."

Why was I not surprised that Ember would do a shameless plug for her business. Oh well. It was her way to ensure that I would come back later and I had every intention of doing so as there could be one or two more items I wanted to win. I wouldn't know what until she had restocked. Leaving the Trendy Game Shop with an unexpected freebie in hand, (At least I didn't spend any rupees) I wasn't going to delay things any longer. BowWow needed to be rescued and I had a pretty good idea as to where the Moblins were hiding. I began heading towards the entrance to the Mysterious Forest.

CRRACCCKKKLE! FWOOOOSH!

"You wished to speak with me, master?"

"We are very upset right now, Hot Head."

"What do you mean?"

"Our first Nightmare, the Moldorm, has been destroyed by the Outsider. We felt its evil essence fade away into nothingness when she delivered the final blow. We thought that it would defeat her but it did not live up to our expectations."

"Moldorm was weak anyway."

"Explain this to us."

Hot Head gulped. "Well, you see, master. Moldorm lacked any real intelligence and was all about making noises and generally being a nuisance. The fact that it was one of us is shocking if you want my opinion. No wonder the Outsider took care of it so easily. Compared to the rest of us, Moldorm was pathetic."

"We created the Moldorm to protect the Full Moon Cello."

"And it failed at that."

"So you are saying that we are at fault for creating a flawed Nightmare? That we placed our faith in a worthless creature? That we made a mistake!? Perhaps you should have been used instead of the Moldorm to guard the cello. We would've given the Moldorm a far greater distinction. Perhaps we should destroy you now and create something new to guard the drum. Yes, we like that idea very much."

"Wait! Wait!" Hot Head exclaimed. "I didn't mean it like that! I'm your best Nightmare by far."

"We have trouble believing that."

"I shall protect the drum with my very existence."

"We know because that is the reason for your very being. With the Moldorm gone, only seven Nightmares remain to keep the dreamer asleep. That is still plenty for our desires to remain fulfilled but the Outsider must be dealt with. We cannot allow her to continue acquiring the remaining instruments. Hot Head, you shall communicate with the Genie at once and command them to end her life."

"And what of you, master?"

"We shall wait until the night creeps across the land. Then, we shall visit the Outsider in her dreams. We wish to see what kind of person she is. In our mind, she is not a concern for us and is beneath our notice. We shall weaken her resolve, shatter the confidence, and whatever remains shall be easy for the Genie. The monsters... They must become more enraged at the thought that the Outsider invades their world. If the Nightmares will not do then the lesser ones must carry out our task. Either way, she must be stopped at any cost. Come... Come forth nightfall and allow darkness to blight out all light in its wake."

"As you wish."

"We shall remain the masters."

"Yes."

"Let none awaken the dreamer."

Unlike my previous excursion through the Mysterious Forest, this latest attempt wasn't nearly as long. For one thing, I had a much clearer idea of where I was going. Second, I knew how to take care of the Moblins. Still, backtracking wasn't my favourite thing to do and I knew it would happen again in the very near future. As I went through the forest, I picked up a glowing upside-down triangle called a 'Piece of Power' according to Her Highness. She said as long as the effects continued, damage I inflicted to monsters doubled and would even be pushed back upon being hit.

The thought was one I didn't appreciate though. As much as I liked the idea of having more power to defeat monsters, it made me fearful of what Ganondorf wanted, making me his devout servant and embrace power. The 'Piece of Power' reminded me of his Triforce piece and I doubted that it was a coincidence. Hopefully, I wouldn't acquire this kind of temporary ability all that often. I much preferred having a defence increase seeing as I took a lot of damage. Her Highness did say I couldn't have both a Piece of Power and a Guardian Acorn at the same time since one would override the other.

When I reached the tree blocked by three boulders, I thought about heading left since I didn't go that way before, but my heart was telling to go right towards Koholint Prairie since it was a familiar area to me. As I left the forest and the shadow lifted from me to reveal a beautiful sunset, I knew that I had to rescue BowWow before the sun went down otherwise I'd exhaust myself from a lack of sleep and eventually be forced to rest. Who knew what horrible things the Moblins were doing though come to think of it, I wondered if BowWow was in fact taking card of them since he was quite vicious.

"Okay, we're back in Koholint Prairie." I said.

"When we were here before, we could only go in the direction of Trixie's hut." Princess Twilight said. "But now that you have the Roc's Feather, we can go north with you jumping over those holes that previously blocked the way."

"And I can get that Piece of Heart as well."

"I still can't believe Ember gave you that other one for free."

"It wasn't my fault you know, Twilight."

"No, I guess not." Princess Twilight said as she shook her head, her eyes closed. "I'd say it was Ember's compassion towards BowWow that made her realize that she needed to help you along by forcing you out of her shop and giving you what you needed. You never know what someone might do when under the right conditions. Now, Discord said the Moblins live in the Tal Tal Mountains. According to the map of Koholint Island we saw back in the library, those mountains are north from here. I'd say we're on the right track, Sunset. It also means caution is needed here as the Moblins might be preparing for your arrival."

"How many of them do you think there are?"

"We won't know until we get there."

"Might as well just take it for what it is then." I said. I then jumped over the gap heading north, grabbed the Piece of Heart which immediately gave me the familiar warmth that I loved so much, and leapt over the other gap before walking forward and stopping. "What is that over there on our left?" Behind a boulder was what appeared to be a swamp like area filled with stranger water, even stranger vegetation, and looked to be sharks swimming about in said water.

"That must be the Goponga Swamp that Princess Celestia and Flash Sentry told us about."

"Guess we have to get access to it from the other side."

Princess Twilight nodded. "Most likely. Once you have the proper strength, you can easily access the swamp from this side." She then bopped me on the head once again to get my attention (I didn't mind her doing this as it often proved very useful). "Look over there, Sunset!" I looked and saw a cave entrance that featured an animal-like skull above it. "That must be where the Moblins have their base of operations."

"I hope you're ready for a siege."

"I've had more than my fair share of those."

Walking slowly towards the Moblin's hideout in case there was an ambush, I noticed a different kind of owl statue a few meters away from the entrance. Unlike the ones that we saw in the Tail Cave, this had a beak and wasn't embedded into the wall. I was curious as to what it had to say so I walked up to it. 'THE WIND FISH IN NAME ONLY, FOR IT IS NEITHER'. I had no idea what that meant nor did Princess Twilight but we didn't have time to ponder over the meaning if there was one. We were about to enter the Moblins' hideout, BowWow's fate now rested on our shoulders.

To Be Continued.

Chapter 6: Into the Swamp.

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.
By Ganondorf8.
November 11, 2019
Chapter 6: Into the Swamp.

Breathing, I steeled myself and entered the Moblin's lair. For a place that was supposed to be their base of operations, there was hardly anything in there. No tables, chairs, beds, or even the most basic of fixtures. It was merely a cave interior. Perhaps they had only just recently moved in? Or they simply didn't care for such things? Whatever the reason, I had to focus on rescuing BowWow and returning him safely to Wallflower, who must have been beside herself with grief. My one concern was how big of a cave system their lair truly was. I could be exploring it for hours on end all while dealing with hordes of Moblins.

Speaking of which, I was greeted by one Moblin who was surprised that I had come through the front door. "Ennh? Who's this suspicious-looking runt!? How did you manage to find our lair so easily?"

"I just followed the clues and that was it." I answered.

"You're stupid to have come here alone!"

"If anyone is stupid, it's you guys for kidnapping a dog!"

The Moblin certainly didn't handle that well. "Those townsfolk are cowards for not wanting to come here so they sent you instead? We're glad that they did because now we get to have some fun at your expense. And don't think we'll be overlookin' that insult. You'll wish you hadn't poked your nose where it don't belong! Okay boys! Let's get rid of her!"

It then began charging towards me and I parried with my shield. Was this one Moblin seriously going to fight me all by itself? Also, where were these 'boys' that it mentioned just now who were to kill me? Either they were hiding or this Moblin felt pretty sure of its own confidence. In any case, since I had experience fighting other Moblins in the forest, this wouldn't take long. It lunged again with its sword only for me to parry it again and respond with my own sword swings. Two strikes were enough to defeat it and unlock a door that I had only just noticed had been sealed shut.

"That... Was too easy."

"Agreed." Princess Twilight added. "I suspect we'll have a much harder time in the coming rooms. Even though Applebloom and Sweetie Belle told us how many Moblins attacked the village, that was just the raiding party which means this place could be crawling with them. I'm sure you've taken that into consideration, Sunset, so all I can suggest here is to keep calm otherwise they'll completely overwhelm you."

Entering the next room, my heart froze upon seeing four Moblins all with spears. One of them then spoke up. "What the!? Our buddy weren't kiddin' when he said someone suspicious came into our lair!"

Another Moblin added its thoughts. "How did you get past our buddy anyway!?"

It didn't take them long to figure out that I had defeated their fellow Moblin though it was funny seeing them trying to put two and two together. Once they realized what had happened, they began throwing their spears at me. My shield proved invaluable as their spears bounced off harmlessly but because so many were being thrown my way, I couldn't get close enough and counterattack as I kept getting pushed back. It seemed numbers proved effective in this instance which made these Moblins more difficult. I eventually lowered my guard only to quickly put it back up when two spears lodged themselves into my left leg.

Was the pain unbearable? Big time! But, I couldn't stop otherwise they would just swarm over me and that would be the end of it. Rather than trying to fight them all at once, I opted to target one at a time and hoped the rest would keep their distance. Dropping my guard again, I struck the Moblin closest to me twice, defeating it only for the second to hit me in the back with another spear. Good thing I had my sword's scabbard there as that would've killed me in any other situation. Spinning around, I struck the second Moblin and defeated it leaving just two more left.

Their numbers dwindling, you'd think they would've surrendered, but they kept on fighting as though their lives meant nothing. I felt sorry for them because of this. Why not admit defeat and surrender instead of being stubborn about it? Pride meant nothing if you just threw away your life. No doubt these Moblins had too much pride otherwise they'd realize that they had little chance of defeating me. On a side note, the Piece of Power had since worn off so I couldn't taken advantage of its power until I got my hands on another one. Swinging my sword again, the third Moblin was soon taken down leaving me with one more.

Alone, the last Moblin kept throwing spears though since the odds were against it, I kept my shield raised and for a few seconds, watched as its spears harmlessly bounced off with a clanging sound. When it paused to catch its breath, I swooped in and swung my sword twice and that was it. The doors then unlocked but before I would continue on, I had a quick matter of pulling out spears from my leg and back to deal with. Fortunately, the leg wounds were minor so I could still walk about. As for my back... Again, the scabbard saved me from being skewered to death from behind.

Once I was ready, I went into the next room where once again, the doors locked, but my main concern was with who was waiting for me. Princess Twilight had told me that Moblins were often lead by a boss or chieftain and this Moblin definitely fit such a description. Taller than the ones I had seen previously (Also looking more bulkier judging from the belly), no doubt this one was stronger than its brethren. In terms of intelligence, well... The jury was still out on that. As for BowWow... If he wasn't in the next room, then I wouldn't even know where to begin looking as I doubted this Moblin would be willing to tell me anything.

"What!?" The Moblin Boss exclaimed. "How did you manage to beat my boys?"

"I'm not as weak as you all thought I am." I answered.

"Why are you even here anyway!?

"To save BowWow!"

The moment I said that, the eyes of the Moblin Boss squinted. "So... That's what this is all about. I could tell that you were an adventurer on first glance and not just because you've got a sword and shield." It then stomped its foot on the ground as a means of intimidation. "You must be an assassin sent by Madam MeowMeow to rescue the mutt! I never thought she would resort to asking a hired sword."

"I'll give you a chance to surrender!"

"What was that?"

"You heard me."

The Moblin Boss laughed. "Me? Surrender!? Hah! Thats not going happen, girl! To surrender would be a huge disrespect to all Moblins everywhere! You want the mutt? You'll need to get through me first! I've actually been itching for a fight all day!" It cracked its knuckles and adjusted the horns on its head. "You think you can get me!? Wrong! It is I who will get you!" It then began throwing spears which were much larger than what the regular Moblins tossed albeit slightly slower. I swung my sword in hopes of inflicting some damage but it deflected my blows by using its own arms as a makeshift shield.

"This isn't going to be easy, Sunset." Princess Twilight said.

"I didn't think its arms could bounce my sword swings away like that."

"So long as it knows you're attacking, it can always deflect even the strongest of blows." Princess Twilight said. "No, this doesn't mean attacking it from behind. It will use the same technique if you do. No, this calls for a more unusual approach. See those horns on its head?" I nodded and Her Highness continued. "They aren't just there for show you know. After a while, it will attempt to charge into you using those horns. If you can avoid being skewered and perhaps force it to run into a wall, it should be vulnerable to attacks. The only problem is knowing exactly when it will attack like that."

"Should I keep my shield up?"

"Yes."

"Works for me."

"Patience is the key here, Sunset." Princess Twilight said. "Just wait for the Moblin Boss to charge at you and take advantage when it smacks into a wall. I don't know how much stamina it has so this could take a bit of time."

After throwing several spears, the Moblin Boss then jumped forward slightly only to resume throwing them. Despite being bigger, they were indeed slower so avoiding them without using my shield was an idea I could consider, but I chose to keep my shield out because I didn't want to make any mistakes. After failing to skewer me, it suddenly pounded on its belly whilst making a growling sound before charging straight at me, horns ready to impale themselves into my flesh. I managed to move aside just in time while the Moblin Boss crashed into the wall, landed on its butt, and was stuck in a daze.

Striking it a couple of times with my sword, it quickly regained its composure and began throwing spears at me again. I wasn't fast enough to avoid the first spear which lodged itself into my left arm (This happened to be the arm I had my shield slung on) causing me to wince in pain. I quickly pulled it out and raised my shield as it continued throwing before pounding its chest which meant it would charge at me again. Sure enough, it did just that and like before, it crashed into the wall which dazed it. Striking two more time, it got back up and charged without warning.

The horns barely scraped me but I felt the full force of its power behind its drive. While I wasn't pushed into the wall, the Moblin Boss managed to stop itself from crashing again before resuming its spear throwing. Despite getting slightly hurt, the experience gave me an insight on its attack pattern. If throwing spears didn't work, charging would, and if it were really desperate, continue charging until it was successful. Like Princess Twilight said, this was all about patience. The Moblin Boss charged at me again only to stop halfway, jump back a bit and charge again where I dodged by running to the side and it crashed into the wall again.

Hitting it again, it got back up and began looking around to see where I was before turning around and reacting by throwing more spears. Since I knew the attack pattern, I kept my shield raised and the spears bounced off harmlessly. It then pounded its chest, charged at me and hit the wall when I stepped aside. Landing on the ground in a daze, I hit it two more times when it suddenly fell down and started to explode many times before exploding entirely. It did leave behind a fairy upon defeat which I picked up and both doors unlocked as a result. I had hoped for a final bit of dialogue but it wasn't meant to be.

"It put up one heck of a fight." I said as I recovered my composure.

"You did take some nasty hits along the way."

"I could've done that better."

"Patience ended up being a great ally for you." Princess Twilight said. "The only question that remains now is... Where do you suppose BowWow is? If he's not in the next room and there is more to this lair, we could be spending quite a bit of time tracking him down. Also, you're not exactly in peak condition so being cautious is highly recommended. Either way, I don't think Mabe Village will have any Moblins problems ever again. Without their boss, the rest of them are going to fight for their own survival."

Our question was quickly answered as upon entering the next room: "Hey!" I called out. "There he is!" Chained to a rock was BowWow himself and he looked completely fine despite what he had been through. "At least we don't have to explore any further."

"I'm surprised that they kept him here like this."

"I guess they were afraid he would come after them if he were in the same room they were in."

Princess Twilight floated over to BowWow, who began whimpering in her presence, and pointed at me to come on over. "The last link of the chain is connected to the rock by a form of magic... which does explain how they were able to bring him here to begin with. That same magic should let you bring him along as we go back to Mabe Village." BowWow seemed like he didn't want to go back home just yet as he continued whimpering. "Hmmm... It sounds like he wants to get out and explore Koholint Island."

"Are you sure about that?" I asked as I removed the chain from the rock. "I mean, he's just a family pet and Wallflower clearly pampers him. I can't imagine taking this little fella on our journey to Goponga Swamp since we have to go there once we've dropped him off back home." Upon mentioning the swamp, BowWow began barking loudly and was pulling me towards the door like he really wanted to visit it. "Well, Twilight? What do you make of this?"

"Discord should have an answer for us."

"But the nearest telephone is back in the village."

"Perhaps there is one waiting for us on the other side of Goponga Swamp?"

"You think so?"

"Vignette did say that Discord built many telephone booths across the island." Princess Twilight answered. "That means we're bound to run into many of them as we continue exploring and one could very well be where I said it would."

Despite being a fearsome looking beast, BowWow was surprisingly cute once you got past the exterior. I could tell that he was happy to have been rescued though Wallflower would be even more happy once he was back home where he belonged. I was concerned that some people might not appreciate having a dog like BowWow enter their home so I'd have to be careful as to which houses I visited. While it would be fine in the village, everywhere else was a different story. Headed back through the previous rooms, I exited the Moblin's lair when a familiar sounding bird indicated another appearance from Flash Sentry.

Taking a few steps forward, I looked up and saw his owl landing on a ledge above the entrance to the lair. Flash Sentry then looked down to address me. "Now what do you have with you here, young lass?" As his companion tilted its head, he lurched forward to get a better look. "Hmmm... That is a fearsome-looking animal you have there. I would wager that the monsters of the island wouldn't be able to defeat such a powerful beast. In fact, I'd say it would make rather short work of them."

"I need to ask you something..." I began.

"You now have what you need for Goponga Swamp."

"Can you please answer my question?"

"What is on your mind?"

"What can you tell me about the Nightmares?"

Flash Sentry went silent and for a moment I thought he would give me the cold shoulder again, but I was honestly surprised when he actually provided a response. "There is much that I cannot tell you until much later, but what can be said should be enough to satisfy your curiosity." Not exactly what I wanted but I supposed anything was better than getting no answer at all. "The Nightmares each guard one of the instruments needed for the dreamer to awaken. Each is stronger than the one before it. You can never leave this island until all eight have been bested. While some may be strange, do not underestimate their power."

I wasn't liking the sound of each being stronger than the next. Moldorm proved to be challenging and it was only the first Nightmare. I really needed to become stronger if I were to stand a chance of defeating them. My mind then zoomed in on what Flash Sentry said about having all I needed for Goponga Swamp. I didn't acquire any new items since the Tail Cave aside from BowWow although he was a pet as opposed to an item... wait a minute! Was BowWow required to complete this Bottle Grotto? How could that be? I had to take him back home. I couldn't keep him for a while as Wallflower would truly become devastated.

Thinking quickly, I pitched another question to Flash Sentry. "What should I do with this dog?"

"You will find out when you speak with the elderly grandfather." Flash Sentry answered. Again, that wasn't the exact answer to my question. In fact, he was purposefully avoiding answering them directly and is instead throwing it to either someone else or giving me little details. "He will tell you what you must do. Remember, the next instrument awaits for you in Goponga Swamp."

And with that, he took to the sky again via his owl companion leaving me to think about all he said. On the subject of the Nightmares, he clearly knew more about them than he was letting on so perhaps I could ask him about them next time I run into him. With Goponga Swamp though... He was definitely referring to Discord, the elderly grandfather, as Flash Sentry referred to him as. Why not tell me directly instead of having me speak to someone else? It didn't really matter though as I had planned on speaking with Discord albeit much sooner than I had originally planned.

BowWow, in the meantime, just kept on bouncing around without a care in the world. At first, he was quite fearsome especially since I didn't know what to make of him, but now, I felt way more comfortable and I'm sure he felt the same way. Flash Sentry said something else about BowWow... Oh yeah! The monsters would be afraid of him. Could BowWow defeat any monsters that got in my way? If that was true then he'd be a fantastic asset on my journey. But, Wallflower is waiting for his return and I'd feel awful for not bringing him back to her. With my head held low, I began to make my trek back to Mabe Village.

That's when Princess Twilight bopped me on the head. "Is that Zecora!?"

"Where?" I asked looking around but finding no sign of her.

"Over there!" Princess Twilight answered as she pointed to the east. Sure enough, standing next to a sign and holding a shovel was Zecora. She looked like she was a complete daze as she hadn't noticed us but why was she here of all places? Shouldn't she be hanging out at a graveyard or something? "I think we should talk to her, Sunset. I know we've got to make our way to the other side of Goponga Swamp but Zecora could provide us with more information. Despite her eccentric nature, she's a fountain of knowledge."

"Does she still rhyme?"

"Yes. Why?"

"We might need someone to translate." I said jokingly.

Princess Twilight chuckled. "Oh come on, Sunset! It's not that bad once you get used to it."

"I've only met her a few times and I'm still not used to it."

Walking up to Zecora, she noticed me approach and shuffled her body in order to greet me. "How about that? I am honestly surprised! I didn't think I'd get to see anyone make it out here with these very eyes." Already, her rhyming made me feel confused but Princess Twilight insisted on not letting it get to me. "To reach this place is no mean feat so that makes you a hero that can't be beat. This may come as a surprise but perhaps you can help me out with something." She didn't rhyme that time. No doubt that was because who she was portraying normally didn't rhyme.

"Are you a local gravedigger?"

"I do dig up stuff, yes, but I do not work in the graveyard for it's too rough."

"There's a graveyard here?"

Zecora nodded. "A graveyard does exist near here though I suggest you steer clear. That place is haunted by ghosts who don't take kindly to those who enter their domain. I did hear that a strange place lies beneath it but to gain access to it is near impossible. A special combination you need if you are to perform that little deed. Anyway, my name is Dampé, and my job around here is to dig up interesting stuff." Dampé... I remember now. This was the third time Zecora had portrayed this character so at least there was some consistency. "I would ask you to come right now but you appear to be busy and to ruin that is what I cannot allow."

"Then why ask me for help when you don't need it?"

"Oh I will need your help you see but not until you are free."

"Free of what?"

"Any burdens."

I then looked at BowWow bouncing around me and her words made sense. "Oh."

"You need not worry about making me wait for I am quite patient." Zecora said, her shovel clinking as she adjusted it by shimmying a little. "When you have some time to spare, come and see me in my shack over there." She then pointed to a house that looked like someone had cobbled it together without much thought. It looked more like a stack of stone blocks rather than a house but who was I to question it. "Believe me, you will want to pay me a visit. I can provide you with a lot that will turn you into a real hotshot."

Rather than walk over to her home, Zecora simply stayed put next to a sign that said that her house was indeed over where she said it was. While I was curious as to what she meant about providing me with a lot, but without proper context, I wasn't entirely sure if I could believe any of it. I asked Princess Twilight what Zecora meant and even she didn't quite understand her words. In any case, Her Highness said we should come back here later and would remember this location. To be fair, getting back here would be difficult unless I could find one or two shortcuts to cut down on the time.

Looking up at the sky, I noticed that the sun had finally gone down and it was nightfall. As much as I wanted to find the nearest phone and speak to Discord, I knew that I'd completely exhaust myself without resting. Making sure that there were no monsters, I walked back past the Moblin's lair and near to where Goponga Swamp was (That boulder would keep any monsters on the other side from reaching me). BowWow quickly curled up and fell asleep and I would soon do the same, Princess Twilight landing on my hat and snuggling up into it to keep herself warm. Good thing it wasn't cold otherwise I'd be shivering.

A few hours had passed and I was still asleep and dreaming about being at home with my friends. I missed them so much and I wished that this journey could be over as soon as possible though knowing Ganondorf, he would make it last as long as necessary in order to make me suffer emotionally. Curse that man! Why couldn't he accept the fact that I was a changed individual who no longer had any inclining of evil within her heart? If I could go back and prevent all of this from happening, I would even though it would mean not remembering any of the experiences that made me a better person.

Ganondorf... One day, I would defeat him for good and end this torment of my life that he was enjoying oh so much. I'd also be helping Princess Twilight, who had also become his victim, and whoever was supposed to wield the Triforce of Power. I don't know when all of this would happen but I would make it happen. As the night continued and my dreams shifted from my friends, to being with Princess Celestia, to experiencing my own graduation and becoming an alicorn princess, something felt wrong. I wanted to wake up but I couldn't as though a dark presence were keeping me asleep.

The dream of me being an alicorn was replaced by a barren wasteland, one where there was no trace of anything other than sand. I tried calling out for help but no one heard me. I was experiencing a nightmare. I was sure of it! Again, I tried to wake myself up but couldn't. The dark presence had ever intention of keeping me asleep until it was done with me. At first, my initial suspicion was that this involved Ganondorf, but it couldn't be him. This presence felt different. It felt foreign, more sinister in its approach, more vindictive.

Suddenly, a pair of red eyes appeared before me. "Hello?" I called out.

"We have been watching you, Outsider."

"We? Who is this 'we'?"

The eyes soon formed into a face followed by a body that was made entirely of shadow. "We know that you destroyed the Moldorm. Though it was the weakest of the Nightmare, we are angered that you have done this to us."

My entire body froze upon seeing what was standing before me in my dream. Though I had never seen him in person (No one had in well over 1,000 years) I knew all about the stories and believed them to be just that, stories. Standing before me was the legendary Grogar though legendary was a bit of a stretch. Among the evil ones that have plagued Equestria, Grogar was the one who created much of it as legends depicted him as the 'Father of Monsters'. While his power was stripped from him by another legend, Gusty the Great, he faded away into history until he became the focus of many a scary story for fillies.

Discord pretended to be him in order to give Princess Twilight and her friends confidence, but this had to have been the real Grogar. The glowing red eyes and the evil aura that emanated from his body made me frightened though that was the least of my problems and then there was that giant eyeball on his chest. I know the proper Grogar didn't have one of those so this had to be something this version possessed. Despite his imitation, Discord was so terrifying in his portrayal that the other villains were genuinely afraid of Grogar to the point where he controlled their every move. That's how I felt right now. Was this Ganondorf's intention? To have Grogar weaken my resolve through being a nightmare until I either succumbed to the Demon King or be killed by him?

"Who... What are you?"

Grogar, pausing between breaths, squinted his eyes before responding. "We are known as Dethl. We are the Nightmare. You, the Outsider, have come here to ruin what we have set out to achieve. Why did you come to this island? Do not attempt to deceive us or you shall wish you had never been born." Unlike Flash Sentry, Grogar was providing me with some answers although most of them were flying well over my head. "Why was he calling me 'Outsider'? How could I ruin something if I didn't know what he meant? "Our patience is not a strong one, Outsider, so do not push it."

"I was brought here by an evil man."

"Do you deceive us!"

I knew he wouldn't believe that even though it was the truth. "I'm being honest!"

Grogar's eyes began to glow... All three of them. "Very well... You have tested our patience, Outsider, and now you shall suffer for it." I was expecting him to immediately bombard me with nightmares the likes of which I had never seen before, but instead he did nothing which made me wonder if he was all he was making himself out to be. "You are beneath us even though you are interfering with our vision. We shall allow the Nightmares to destroy you."

"You'd rather not have that glory yourself?"

"The Nightmare shall cleanse you from this place and all shall continue as before."

My attempt to get him to take me seriously wasn't exactly working but maybe that was a good thing. I had to know what he meant about me being a threat. I mean sure, my efforts so far on Koholint Island have done a little good but what Grogar was implying made little sense. "Why do you think of me as an outsider?" I asked hoping he'd take the bait and perhaps answer the question. "What could I do to someone like you?"

"Our vision must remain."

"What does that even mean?"

"The Nightmare... They shall end you."

"Oh come on!"

Grogar then began to fade away into shadows. "Outsider... Pray to us that you shall be destroyed soon. Otherwise, we shall not be as merciful as we are now. You do not wish to incur our wrath for it cannot be contained. Be destroyed... All shall continue as before..." I tried calling out to him to explain but he completely disappeared but not before the dreamscape began crashing down around me.

"WAAAAH!" I yelled as I woke up.

"Sunset!" Princess Twilight exclaimed. "Did you have a nightmare?"

"More than you realize."

I then explained what happened in my dreams to Princess Twilight and upon finishing, she definitely took it the way I was expecting her to. "What!? Grogar!? As in, the ancient monster of Equestrian legend!?" I nodded and Her Highness immediately comforted me. "I wish I could've been there, Sunset. What you experienced is something no one should ever have to endure no matter who they are. Even though Discord pretended to be Grogar, we never did confirm as to what happened to the real him. If he's here on this island and possesses either his own magic or some other kind of dark power, we're in a lot of trouble."

"Didn't you drain the magic from his bell though?"

"Yes, but since this is a different world, draining his bell means absolutely nothing."

"Well that's disheartening."

"Did Grogar say anything to you?"

At first I didn't want to think back on what I experienced during the night. Sure, it was just a dream, but it felt incredibly real to me. If not for the fact that I could wake up, I'd probably be dead or something. Princess Twilight encouraged me into explaining what happened by using what she called her 'friendship charm' and I couldn't say no to her (I knew she made that term up). "He asked me what I was doing on this island and said I was a threat to his vision."

"Did he explain what he meant by vision?"

I shook my head. "Judging from how he was talking, he has every intention of having the other Nightmares kill me and doesn't think I'm going to be a problem."

Princess Twilight flew back and forth as she took in everything I had said. "This does make things more complicated. If Grogar has something to do with the Nightmares, or worse still, be one of them, he's going to become a problem especially when we get much further into this adventure." She continued flying about before stopping and snapping her finger. "We can't really do much about Grogar! I know that sounds bad but we don't really know what's going on here. I'd hoped we'd have gotten answers from Flash Sentry but he's proven to be just as cryptic and I really hate that!"

"Like you said, we can't learn too much too soon."

"There are exceptions!"

Petting BowWow on his head (Or as close to that as possible given his shape) I hopped up onto my feet before clenching my hand into a fist. "We'll just have to worry about dealing with the likes of Grogar later. Right now, we should focus on finding a telephone so we can ask Discord what to do next." I was trying to be as positive as I could despite the nightmare I endure, but it was going to be difficult ignoring Grogar's presence on the island. You could say that he was the Equestrian equivalent of Ganondorf... a truly horrifying notion if there ever was one.

Since I had been all over the island that I could reach with the items and equipment in my possession, the only direction I had yet to explore was beyond the treasure chest that contained the Tail Key. That meant more backtracking even if it was brief since it wasn't far to the Mysterious Forest. As I began making my way to the chest, I continued thinking about everything Grogar said to me. Much of it had sailed over my head because of the cryptic nature behind it, but what was apparent was that I posed a threat and he clearly didn't appreciate my being here despite it not being intentional.

I knew that being told too much too soon often ruined the experience when playing a video game, but Princess Twilight was right when it came to exceptions. Why couldn't anyone be honest with me about Koholint Island? It was just an island out in the middle of the ocean and nothing more... right? Surely it couldn't be housing some kind of dark secret that could ultimately be a massive game changer? Knowing my luck, it was definitely going to be option two, the dark secret. I really should stop cursing myself with these thoughts because all it does is make me very upset.

Entering the Mysterious Forest and quickly dealing with a couple of Moblins, I walked past the tree with the boulders blocking it and thanks to the Roc's Feather, I could jump over to that empty treasure chest instead of going around the long way. At least when it comes to coming back this way, it won't take as long as I could just jump over gaps. Heading west of the chest, the way onward became narrow which made combat more difficult. Case in point, a Moblin was blocking me and there was no way around it. Luckily, its back was turned so two sword wings defeated it and I kept on moving.

Turning to the right, the shadowy veil that covered the forest lifted once again and the trees parted to reveal a new area of the island. As I tried to take it all in, BowWow was barking more than usual. What surprised me the most was him telling me to dig in-between his barking. It made sense that he could talk since that other Chain Chomp, CiaoCiao, talked up a storm, but I couldn't do anything to satisfy BowWow's curiosity. Without a shovel, I wasn't going to be digging any time soon. I didn't even know where to begin trying to find one. I really ought to visit that item shop Ember kept on talking about.

There were many holes to be found in this area so had I tried to progress without the Roc's Feather, I'd have been forced to go back. Since I did have it, I could go further although a house directly in front of me might contain someone who could give me advice. I could also see a telephone booth to my right and I was so happy to find one out here. More Moblins were patrolling the area along with a monster that looked very familiar. It took a couple of seconds to recognize the dreaded Like-Like though it looked more cute than what I had seen on my previous journeys.

"Shall we check out that house, Twilight?"

Shaking her head, Princess Twilight insisted otherwise. "I don't think whoever lives there would appreciate you bringing a dog into their home. We should come back later once we've returned BowWow home to Wallflower. In the mean time, you should watch out for those Like-Likes moving about."

"I already know about them."

"Not these ones." Princess Twilight said. "The Like-Likes of Koholint Island can't eat clothes and shields but they can trap you in their mouths and suck the lifeforce out of you unless you wiggle enough to break free. Ranged attacks work best here as you won't need to get close. Since you don't have any, you'll just have to avoid unless you want to be crazy and try to take them out. Then again, you could always have BowWow deal with it."

"Why would I have him do that?"

"I think you'll be in for a pleasant surprise." Princess Twilight answered whilst winking.

Taking her word for it, I moved to the right when a Like-Like began approaching. Without any kind of command, BowWow lunged forward and ate the monster in one go without even batting an eyelid. "Wow! Now that was something!"

"See?"

I nodded. "Yeah, but I think BowWow takes his time when it comes to attacking."

"Well, he is rather fickle and he's not your pet so I take it he won't always want to eat something."

"Guess we won't get a chance to experiment since we have to bring him home."

"Let's wait and see what Discord has to say first."

It felt weird hearing Her Highness say that about Discord. In the past, she usually dreaded having to listen to his advice since it was about second guess, misinformation, and him trying to teach a lesson through chaotic means. And this was after he had reformed thanks to Fluttershy. No doubt he would still perform his usual brand of trickery since he was a spirit of chaos but he would be much more mellow rather than being a jerk. I envied Her Highness for having a spirit of chaos on her side. It secretly made me wish me and my friends had our own magical being from Equestria backing us up. Entering the telephone booth and asking BowWow to heel, I picked up the phone and waited.

BBRRIINNG! BBRRIINNG!

"D'oh ho ho! This is Ulrira once again." Discord said on the other end of the line.

"I'm glad you answered." I said.

"Oh it's you again, the one who likes listening to an old man prattle on." Discord said as he rocked back and forth in his chair. "You must really be having trouble if you keep on calling me in hopes of getting advice. I'll continue sharing my knowledge with you but hopefully some things you can figure out without my help."

"I've rescued BowWow!"

"Is that so? Just give me a moment." Discord said. Even though I couldn't see him, I could hear the sound of someone shuffling along the carpet, calling out to someone, and then talking in words I couldn't understand. This kept going for a couple of minutes before the shuffling occurred again and Discord spoke again. "Sorry to have kept you waiting there. I just went and called over Madam MeowMeow to tell her the good news. D'oh oh oh! Never have I seen her so happy. I thought she was going to cry like a leaky faucet or something. Anyway, she wanted to give you a message."

"And what's that?"

"She will give you a proper thank you when you get back to the village... but after you've taken BowWow for a walk."

"Come again."

"Take BowWow for a walk."

I frowned. "Seriously!?"

"It's what Madam MeowMeow told me to tell you." Discord answered. "I mean, she would likely have taken him for a walk but since you were in the right place at the right time, she figured you wouldn't mind taking him for a walk." He then began chuckling to himself which made me a bit annoyed. "Oh don't worry. It's only for a short walk and then you can bring him back home to her."

The idea of dog-walking wasn't really new to me, but I've never had to walk a 'dog' quite like BowWow before. It's a shame that in her panicking, Wallflower never mentioned anything about what her pet liked. I couldn't really blame her though she didn't know what to do at the time. Since Discord had just been speaking with her, perhaps he could tell me about where to take BowWow for a walk without me going back there and asking her directly. If BowWow had to be taken somewhere that wasn't near where I had to go, the backtracking would simply be unbearable.

Gulping, I decided to ask the question. "Where should I take BowWow for his walkies?" I nearly threw up inside my mouth upon me saying that last word.

"D'oh ho ho! You're taking this awfully seriously aren't you?"

"I should be going to Goponga Swamp but I must take care of BowWow first."

"The swamp you say?" Discord went quiet which made me wonder if he knew something about where I had to go next. "You know, that place is filled with Indigestible Flowers, and they've grown like weeds over the years. Nothing can take care of them... well... except for BowWow." My heart skipped when I heard him mention BowWow. "For some reason, he just loves eating such flowers so Madam MeowMeow has someone bring a sample or two to the village so he can have a little treat. Sure, it's dangerous work but she appreciates the person for going out of their way for BowBow."

"BowWow loves Goponga Swamp?"

"Of course." Discord answered as he laughed in his usual manner. "Madam MeowMeow would take him there herself but those monsters are in the way and the swamp itself isn't exactly the safest place to go. Say, why don't you take him for a walk there? You'd be doing him a favour, Madam MeowMeow a favour, and apparently yourself a favour. That's three favours all at once, a fantastic morning right there if I ever saw one. Well, if you need anymore help, feel free to give me a call though do try and figure out the problem without me."

CLICK!

I couldn't believe it! BowWow was my key to reaching the Bottle Grotto located in Goponga Swamp. Talk about a coincidence! Good thing that Wallflower wanted me to take him for a walk otherwise there was no way I could progress any further and my journey would be over. Leaving the telephone booth, I walked left until I entered Goponga Swamp. It was exactly what my mind imaged it would be, a foul looking area filled with unusual plant life, foul smelling water, and creatures lurking just below the depths. A nearby sign said for everyone to keep out except for BowWow. Since I had him with me, I could enter the swamp and reach the next dungeon.

"This place... reminds me of Everfree Forest." Princess Twilight said.

"Is it because of how foul it is?"

"Something like that."

"So how do I use BowWow."

"You saw how he chomped down on that Like-Like earlier, right?" Princess Twilight asked. I nodded and she continued. "As Discord said, there are flowers here that only BowWow can consume so let him have his way with them. By the way, Sunset. Did you know that this is the actual swamp portion of Goponga Swamp? The area where that house and the telephone booth were are also part of the swamp but located on more normal terrain. I never guessed Koholint Island had so many diverse ecosystems all on one island. If not for us being in a dangerous world, I'd so be writing stuff down for research purposes."

I rolled my eyes. "Only you would see this place for research."

Princess Twilight couldn't help but laugh at that. "Hey! It gives me an incentive. Anyway, you should let BowWow deal with all those flowers. There are two kinds here though to be honest, neither of them are going to be an issue when it comes to BowWow. The Goponga Flowers can actually be defeated using a special item but you don't have it yet. Luckily, they don't do anything so we're safe. The Giant Goponga Flowers are a different issue however."

"How so?"

"If you get too close to them, they can and will launch fireballs." Princess Twilight answered. "They can also inflict pain if you touch them so be sure BowWow can take care of them as he isn't affected. The giant versions aren't very common so we won't have many to deal with. Oh, and we also have to deal with Piranha. These fish lurk below the surface and will leap out at you if you're not careful. BowWow should be able to eat them as well but if he can't get to them in time, you can easily take them down with your sword."

Stepping into the swamp, I already felt uncomfortable and this was just the beginning of the misery that was to come. A Piranha then leapt out from the water and slammed into me inflicting a tiny bit of damage, but before it could go back down, I swung my sword, striking it twice to defeat it and picked up the recovery heart it dropped. Heading north towards the cliff that overlooked this area and heading right, BowWow went straight to work and ate two Goponga Flowers allowing me to move forward. A Giant Goponga Flower then spat out its fireball but I managed to avoid it by stepping backwards.

BowWow then ate it whole (He was definitely going to be full after this assuming that he did get full) but I couldn't relax as another Giant Goponga Flower decided to spit out a fireball which landed mere inches away from me. BowWow ate this one up too allowing me to walk around and reach a treasure chest that was cleverly hidden. Opening it up gave me fifty rupees, a hefty sum which will be useful later, and I immediately doubled back before heading right. An entrance inside the cliff could be seen surrounded by numerous Goponga Flowers and one boulder so I allowed BowWow to do his thing.

I had a feeling that BowWow couldn't be taken inside so I told him to wait for me here until I returned. While he waited, he could eat as many monsters and flowers as he wanted and his immediate bark indicated happiness. That one boulder was likely there so I could enter this place on my own in the future without needing BowWow. Entering the cave, I was surprised to see roughly a dozen pots split between two sides of the room. A chest was also present to the left surrounded by those pots and in the middle were two torches. Swamp water filled the entryway but stopped quickly as you go a bit further in.

In my mind, the voice from before told me that this was 'Level 2. - Bottle Grotto'. After finishing observing my surroundings, I shook my feet to dry them off. "Well... This place feels way less hospitable than Tail Cave was."

"Though BowWow had to remain outside, he'll be fine since he's got plenty to eat."

"I should open that treasure chest first." I then walked up to a pot and tried lifting it only to find that I couldn't. "What the!?" I tried lifting it again and I still failed. "Why can't I lift this stupid thing!?"

Princess Twilight then floated over to take a close look for herself. "These pots are made of some kind of heavy plaster. Your current strength isn't going to work here. Unless you can find a means of increasing your current strength, these pots aren't going anywhere any time soon. Once we find the Dungeon Map, I'll be sure to mark the entry room down with my fairy magic to remind you to come back here."

"Guess I've no choice." I moaned as I let go of the pot in defeat."

"Remember that we need to find a map, Compass, Stone Beak, and Nightmare Key for this dungeon in addition to a potential item."

"Let's get moving." Walking into the next room, everything suddenly went dark and I couldn't see a thing aside from a Spark that was moving around the walls. "Ugh! I can't make out as to whether any of these doors are locked or not."

"Do you recall when you used Magic Powder back at Trixie's hut?" Princess Twilight asked. I nodded in response as Her Highness continued. "You can use the powder to light up any unlit torches but don't waste it otherwise we'll have to pay her another visit to get more. In other words, better make sure each use counts. I believe it's possible to get some additional powder from small satchels that hover in the air like that recovery heart we saw in a similar manner after you got the Roc's Feather. If such satchels are in here, making a mistake might not necessarily be bad."

As I took out the Magic Powder, I couldn't help but respond to that. "Are you saying I make mistakes?"

"Don't we all?"

"Pretty much." Sprinkling the Magic Powder on the two torches, they both lit up the room and the door to my right unlocked. "Well... At least we now know which way to go next since we need a small key in order to go left." The Spark had since moved to the other side so I quickly moved before it came back and entered the next room. Two Stalfos greeted me in this room, one that was white which I had seen before, but it was the yellow one who was different. "What do you know about this Stalfos?" I asked Her Highness.

"Yellow Stalfos are more courageous than their counterparts." Princess Twilight answered. "They can suddenly lunge at you with no warning so always make sure you keep an eye on them at all times. Like regular Stalfos, the yellow ones take the same number of hits to be defeated so don't expect them to put up much of a fight."

I went for the regular Stalfos since I was already familiar with it thanks to fighting them back in Tail Cave. It tried jumping away but I managed to trap it into a corner before defeating it using two sword swings. As for the other one, it tried to lunge at me but I raised my shield to block the attack before striking it with my sword. A small key then dropped down from the ceiling upon defeating the Yellow Stalfos leaving me with two options: use the key on the door south of me or on the one from the previous room with the Spark. Thinking it over for a few seconds, I decided to go back and unlock the door in the previous room.

Avoiding the Spark again, (I really wished I could defeat these monsters and not have to worry about them hounding me) I went around the exterior of the room and unlocked the door to the next room. As I walked into it, the sound of blades suddenly came at me. Good thing I didn't walk any further as two Blade Traps ended up colliding with each other though my heart didn't appreciate it. The blades moved back to their original positions and I walked past only for three Keese to start fluttering about. I kept swinging my sword around and eventually they each met their end leaving me to deal with more darkness.

With two dark rooms already and at the start no less, I feared that I could run out of Magic Powder. While I wouldn't mind speaking to Trixie again, I didn't want to have to go through all that backtracking. Sprinkling more Magic Powder on both torches, they lit up and unlocked the door allowing me to continue. This room was also dark. Arrggh! Why does just about every room in this place have to be shrouded in darkness!? To make matters slightly worse, a single Hardhat Beetle was on the other side of a gap trying to reach me only to fail because it couldn't jump.

Checking my Magic Powder, I had about fifteen uses left before it was gone. If anymore rooms required me to use it, I was going to run out relatively quickly. Lighting the two torches and jumping over the abyss using the Roc's Feather, I quickly knocked back the Hardhat Beetle with my sword until it fell into the darkness below. Opening the treasure chest, I took out a Stone Beak which was much better than what happened in the previous dungeon. Now all I needed to do was find an Owl Statue and see what it had to say. With no other way forward, I had to backtrack to the other previous room.

It didn't take long for me to get back to where I picked up the small key but without another one, that locked door was denying me access to another room. As I went right, I noticed two weird tiles on the floor. While I was a little curious, there wasn't anything I could do about them. In the next room, I saw something unusual in the center. "What is that?"

"A Crystal Switch." Princess Twilight answered. "When activated, they cause certain floor tiles to rise up while others will lower down. This should effect all such tiles throughout the dungeon so some serious planning is needed." She then looked at the owl statue hidden behind a statue that a Spark was rotating around. "I have a hunch that the statue will repeat my words which makes getting that beak a little wasteful."

"No... I'm sure it will reveal information that you yourself don't know."

"I hope so."

Walking up to the owl statue whilst avoiding the Spark, I placed the beak on the statue and it responded. 'Part of the floor is raised. Tap the shining crystal'. Her Highness was right about it repeating what she just said. "Okay, so how does one tap a shining crystal?"

"Your sword should work."

"Oh." I wanted to kick myself for acting like an idiot. Of course I had to use my sword or something similar. Hitting the switch, it caused a row of blue blocks to drop down whilst raising some orange blocks further south up and blocking a treasure chest along with another switch. "That didn't quite work."

"Not necessarily." Princess Twilight said. "You should be able to hit the other Crystal Switch with your sword by adjusting the angle of your swing. Oh, and there's a Sword Stalfos lurking around behind that chest." I looked at what she was talking about and saw a skeleton wearing a cloak that covered its body aside from its face and wielded similar armaments to me though much weaker. "They behave essentially the same as the Moblins from before that have swords and shield so you just need to parry them before attacking. Don't let the lack of any facial expressions frighten you."

The Sword Stalfos then shuffled forward upon seeing me and swung its sword only for it to bounce off my shield. It reeled back and was defenseless allowing to hit it two times with my own blade (One hit wasn't enough) and then I activated the Crystal Switch. The orange blocks dropped down allowing to me to open the chest and take another small key. Now I could go back and open that other locked door from earlier but first some manipulation was required. I hit the switch again raising the orange blocks allowing me to go past the blue ones as they had been lowered, but before leaving the room, I hit the other switch and the blocks switched roles.

I did this because in the previous room, the orange blocks would have been raised and I'd be unable to progress, but that had been taken of so I went back into said previous room and unlocked the door before proceeding. There were four pots in the middle of this room along with... a Shy Guy... Are you freaking kidding me!? First a Chain Chomp, then a Goomba, and now a Shy Guy makes an appearance in a Legend of Zelda Game. This isn't Mario you know! Calming down in my head, I noticed that the Shy Guy wasn't moving so perhaps it hadn't noticed me but as soon as I started moving, it also began moving. In fact, it was moving at the same time as I was, but opposite of me.

"Um... Twilight? Why is this Shy Guy coping me?"

"Shy Guys, also known as Mask-Mimics in some circles, copy your every moment." Princess Twilight answered. "When you move, they will move but in the opposite direction that you're going in which can be very confusing at first. For example, they will go left when you go right. Their masks protect them from all sword attacks so a frontal assault won't work. You need to use a Spin Attack to defeat them when your back and its back are facing each other. Before I forget, you can use other means to defeat Shy Guys but right now you don't possess any such items so you've no choice but to use the Spin Attack."

"How do I use a Spin Attack again?"

"Hold out your sword and it will charge up with power and then you release it in the form of a spin."

"Didn't I use such a technique in the past?"

"You did but not all that often."

Holding out my sword, it charged up as Her Highness said and I began making my way around the room. The Shy Guy was following my movements but backwards and after some careful maneuvering, I managed to get my back and its back to face one another. This was definitely a monster that required a ton of patience to deal with. Releasing the spin, the Shy Guy got knocked back and was defeated in one hit, dropping a single rupee which I picked up. A chest then materialized up in the top right corner so I opened it to reveal a Compass. While it wasn't the Dungeon Map, having this meant I'd know which rooms had hidden keys in them.

Since I knew what the special function of the Compass was, Princess Twilight didn't need to explain it to me again. Going back into the previous room, the two Stalfos, both regular and yellow, had respawned but I ignored them since I wanted to keep going. Leaving me behind, I went back into the room with those Crystal Switches, but I was curious about what was to the right since it wasn't locked or anything. Entering this next room, there was an oddly coloured tile which meant something would show up on it. Two more Shy Guys were here but a wall of blocks prevented me from reaching them. I had to come around from another direction.

The Compass made a noise indicating that the odd-coloured tile would be where a small key would appear. Remembering that, I went back to the previous room and walked south striking both Crystal Switches to help me progress. I walked into the next room which featured another Crystal Switch, more blue and orange blocks, and of course, the abyss. A regular switch was also present and the tone from the Compass meant another hidden key. Perhaps the most important thing was a bag floating above the abyss with a number ten on it. The bag looked identical to the one my Magic Powder was in... Yep, definitely important.

Jumping across using the Roc's Feather, I grabbed the bag along the way and my Magic Powder was back to full capacity. Now I didn't have to worry about running out. Reaching the other side, I hit the switch which caused another chest to materialize. Jumping again and opening the chest, I took out another small key. From there, I jumped back until I was halfway across before turning right and jumping to move forward. Upon entering this next room, I turned around, held out my sword and charged it up because of the two Shy Guys. Moving backwards was weird but I released my spin when their backs were up against mine, defeating them both.

The small key in question materialized on the other side of the wall of blocks which meant more backtracking for me. I wished Princess Twilight could fly to the other side of the room, pick it up, and bring it back over to me, but her small size and limited magic would've made it near impossible. This is what got me so annoyed with backtracking. It was an attempt at padding more than anything else and showed a clear lack of taste. But, I had no other choice but to go through with it otherwise this journey wasn't continuing. I sighed as I began trekking back to where I was before.

If there was a bright side, there were no monsters along the way aside from the one Spark so this wasn't as bad as it looked. Over the course of the next few minutes, I jumped back across the abyss, activated the Crystal Switch to change the coloured blocks around, picked up the key, went back, activated the switch again, jumped back across the abyss and back to where I had defeated both Shy Guys. Ugh! This was something I had to really get used to as it was clearly going to be an issue especially in future dungeons which would be huge in size compared with what I'd already experienced.

Moving onto the next room, a locked door could be seen in the top right corner and two Spiked Beetles were scuttling about. Princess Twilight then brought up a point. "In rooms like this one, Sunset, you don't need to defeat all monsters to progress. If you don't feel like defeating them, you can avoid them and go straight for the locked door. It would mean giving up on getting any rupees or recovery hearts from them but it's your decision."

"I want to keep going."

"The backtracking got you down?"

I nodded. "How'd you figure?"

"Lucky guess."

I rolled my eyes. "Really?"

Princess Twilight stuck out her tongue. "No."

That made me feel a bit better if I were to be honest. I really despised backtracking! Ignoring the two Spiked Beetles and unlocking the door, I entered the next room which turned out to be a dead end. There was no other way forward unless something happened in this very room. Not much was in here monster wise aside from another Spark and two Keese, but there was another owl statue along with two blocks that were very suspicious. As much as I wanted to hear what the statue had to say, the puzzle here was pretty obvious to solve. Taking out both Keese with a couple of sword swings, I pushed the two blocks towards one another.

Why was it I could push those but not lift up pots!? This island wasn't just mysterious but also ridiculous! Sighing, I waited to see what would happen next. Suddenly a flight of stairs appeared indicating which way to go next. Heading down them and into an underground passage, I could see several spiked pits and a platform that moved up and down. As I climbed down to the bottom of the ladder, I had a feeling in my gut I'd be backtracking through here as well because why not? Using the Roc's Feather, I jumped across the spiked pits with ease though I was forced to wait until the platform lowered down enough for me to get onto it.

It moved up to where another ladder was and I climbed to enter the next room. I really wished I had a Dungeon Map right now so I could see where I was in the dungeon because right now everything just looked the same. To make matter worse, I couldn't see much because of the darkness. There was a Spark moving around that gave off some light but it clearly wasn't enough to give me actual vision. I could barely see two unlit torches and a flying recovery heart situated on a platform in the middle of an abyss. Lastly, I could see a Keese in the darkness because its yellow eyes gave off a faint glow.

As much as I wanted to use Magic Powder, I chose not to and hoped the Spark was enough. Jumping to the platform with the recovery heart, I regained my full health before jumping to the other side and defeating the Keese before it could do anything. I then found myself in front of another panel like what I saw back in Tail Cave. Since I knew what to do, I pressed my back up against where it flipped around to the other side placing me in a room where my heart immediately stopped upon seeing a large hulking creature stand before me. It looked like the panel had thrown me into a trap.

To Be Continued.

Chapter 7: The Grotto's Strength.

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.
By Ganondorf8.
November 13, 2019.
Chapter 7: The Grotto's Strength.

The hulking creature that stood before me was humanoid in shape but that was as close to a human as it would get. For one thing, it had orange skin... Come to think of it, many humans had different skin colours back home so this wasn't exactly unusual. This creature did have a single eye instead of two, something humans normally don't have unless they were wearing an eyepatch to cover an eye others weren't meant to see. It wore pretty shoddy clothing but I doubted that it even cared since it was a monster and all. What really made me uneasy was that goofy expression on its face. It looked happy...

Suddenly, without warning, the creature lumbered forward, picked me up with both its giant hands, and tossed me over to the other side of the room. I landed on my stomach instead of in the wall (The wall would've been way more painful) and as I got back onto my feet, I was grabbed a second time only now I tried to free myself from its grip. For a creature with a goofy face, it had a lot of power on its side, and perhaps wasn't all that smart. As I continued trying to free myself from its clutches, it hurled me back the other way to where I entered the room from. Was this creature trying to prove a point by throwing me both ways?

"This isn't going very well." Princess Twilight said.

"I don't like being thrown around like a ball." I said as I got back up.

"This creature is called Hinox, a Cyclops like monster that's all about brute force." Princess Twilight said. "When it sees something in front of it, it will try to grab it in order to toss it somewhere to prove how powerful it is. Because it relies so much on power and size, it lacks any defence so you should be able to easily connect with your sword. Hinox also aren't very fast so you can outrun it. But, you should know that there is more to it than appearances suggest."

I moaned. "Of course there's something else."

"I'm not sure why it does this but--" Before Princess Twilight could finish what she was saying, the Hinox tossed something my way. I couldn't quite make out what it was but when the object suddenly exploded, pushing me back into the wall, I pretty much figured it out. "Well... Guess you just found out, Sunset."

"It can toss bombs!?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "It's a special technique that all Hinox are capable of. It can only throw one bomb at a time but they are larger than your average bomb and do possess a wider radius upon exploding. "You can't pick these bombs up so don't even try. I don't know why Hinox are capable of throwing bombs around but I think it might involve a hereditary trait passed down from generation to generation."

"Now's not the time to think about that kind of stuff!"

"No, I guess not."

The Hinox then lumbered towards me again (That goofy expression on its face is going to make me lose my concentration if this kept up) but I moved aside as it tried to grab me with its hands. I took advantage of its slow speed by swinging my sword quickly and inflicting as much damage as I could. It then quickly turned around which caught me by surprise as it grabbed me and threw me into the wall. Slumping to the ground only to pick myself up moments later, the Hinox lunged at me again all in an attempt to grab me. It really had a one track mind but I wasn't complaining as it meant an easy attack pattern.

Avoiding its hands, I swung my sword quickly inflicting more damage. I had no idea how many hits I was dishing out since it looked like it wasn't feeling anything but I had to hope I was actually doing something rather than say make it mad. Turning around, Hinox threw a bomb this time which exploded upon hitting the ground. The explosion didn't crack the ground so knowing that was a relief but the force of the explosion did push me back into the wall though it didn't hurt. It then lunged at me just as I was getting back up, grabbed me and tossed me across the room where I landed on my butt.

Before I could get up, Hinox tossed another bomb at me so I rolled sideways like I was trying to put myself out in order to avoid getting caught in the explosion. Getting up, I ran to the side as it lunged at me yet again. When I hit it this time, it collapsed to the ground and flailed its arms as it began exploding. Seriously!? I only had one more hit to go!? One big explosion later, Hinox had been defeated and a fairy appeared along with a portal that went back to the entrance of the dungeon. Grabbing the fairy to regain back my strength, both doors unlocked allowing me to progress further.

"That... That gave my body a workout." I said as I sat down momentarily.

"I'm surprised that you can take so much pain."

"If this weren't a video game world, I'd have broken my bones several times over by now."

"At the very least, you defeated the Hinox and can now go back to the start of the dungeon whenever you want." Princess Twilight then pointed at the door indicating that we should get going seeing as BowWow was still waiting for us outside. "I know BowWow can take care of himself but he's surely wondering what's taking us so long in here."

"Makes me wish I had a map!"

"I'm sure we'll get one soon enough."

"Before we go on, I do have a question."

"What's that?"

I had to think hard on this for a moment before asking in case I accidentally said it wrong or offended Her Highness. "So... Your coronation... Are you going to invite me? I mean, I haven't received anything yet and I figured you'd want me to come."

Princess Twilight was shocked very briefly before she had a confused look on her face. I think she assumed I was going to ask her if she was ready to assume the throne or whether she had any second thoughts on succeeding Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. "What!? You haven't received an invitation, Sunset?" I shook my head in response. "I thought you'd have gotten it by now. I know my becoming the next ruler might make you upset because of what happened in the past but maybe the mail carrier in your world can't understand ponish."

"Why would I be upset?"

"Because... you know..." Princess Twilight was trying hard not to make it awkward but she was doing a good job of that.

It then hit me that she was referring to the fact that at one time, I was on my way to becoming a princess, but my falling out with Princess Celestia at the time pretty much destroyed any chances of my becoming an alicorn. Not a day went by that I regret abandoning Celestia. My stubbornness always was one of my more pathetic qualities. "Twilight..." I began. "I have long accepted the fact that I will never ascend and become an alicorn. Sure, my work in dealing with the wild Equestrian Magic has made me a better person by showing me how to be responsible and have humility, but what you've done is the stuff of legend."

"Sunset..."

"Do I still wish I could become an alicorn?" I nodded to my own question. "It's a dream that I continue to hold in my heart even though I know it can't happen. Reality can be a real downer for a lot of people, myself included, but that's just the way things are."

"Maybe you will ascend one day."

"If I do... I'll know that I have fully come around."

Princess Twilight had to know that the only one who's fault it was for me going down a dark path in life was myself. I thought I knew everything and believed myself better than everyone else back then. My lack of humility and understanding friendship is what ultimately denied me my chance of becoming an alicorn, but it showed that I truly wasn't ready for such an honourable commitment unlike Her Highness who had the proper credentials. My life has changed for the better since then and it's something I'll continue improving on because I want to make my own legacy without being afraid of what others might say because of what happened long ago.

Reconciling with Princess Celestia was one of the biggest steps I took to overcome my troubled past. I've not completely gotten over it mind you as my temperament still causes me problems where I lash out in sheer anger over even small little things but I'm doing my best to keep such emotional outbreaks under control. If I were to become an alicorn, what would I be the princess of anyway? My first choice would be Princess of Empathy given how people tell me their problems and I listen to them whilst sharing knowledge of my own experiences to help them become better as individuals. Someday... the dream will become real.

Getting back to the task at hand, I entered the next room and came upon quite an awkward sight. There was a staircase in the middle of the room but I couldn't reach it because of the pots and stone blocks that were blocking my way and I couldn't do anything as I didn't have the strength to lift the pots. My only option was to ignore the stairs and keep going. There was also a flying recovery heart but I didn't need it since the fairy helped me recover my health after fighting Hinox. I could also see an Owl Statue but again it was being blocked by pots so its information was currently inaccessible.

"You really need more strength, Sunset."

"If I had access to my magic, I could easily do just that."

"But you don't and neither do I." Princess Twilight said. "It's just like that Termina world which prevented us from using our natural magic. We both had to use the magic of that world in order to do anything. The same thing most likely applies here so the easy way out is a no-go."

I sighed. "I know you're right, Twilight, but I just wish..."

"You and me both, Sunset."

"Come to think of it, I might know what I'm getting here."

"Oh?"

"It's obviously something that will increase my strength." I answered. "I know it can't be a potion as it has to be something that I'll have on my person for the duration of this adventure and not have to be used sparingly." I then thought about other Legend of Zelda games (Thank Rainbow Dash for constantly bringing them to Pinkie's parties) and how they handled strength. "The only thing that comes to mind is a bracelet."

"Like what you wear on your front hooves or in your case your wrists?"

I nodded. "I hope it isn't too gaudy."

"You sound like Rarity."

"Eh, she's been an influence on me."

"That figures."

Jumping over the first hole, I got hit by a Keese as I landed (The little bat had been lurking on a statue so I couldn't see it properly) so I retaliated with my sword though when it was defeated, it dropped its reward, a Piece of Power, into the abyss below, and I felt dejected. I could've used it but oh well. Perhaps another opportunity will come along despite how random items from monsters could be. Jumping the next gap whilst collecting the flying recovery heart in the process, I jumped over the last gap but before moving on, I realized that I could reach the Owl Statue since the pots weren't blocking it.

Slapping my forehead for not realizing that, I jumped over one more gap and placed the Stone Beak up against the statue to hear it. "First, defeat the imprisoned Pols Voice. Last, the skeletal Stalfos..." I recognized what the Stalfos was, the kind that wielded a sword, but I had no idea what a Pols Voice was. I was probably going to find out soon enough what the latter was though why have it imprisoned? Monsters worked better if they were able to reach their victims though maybe I could use this to my advantage. Jumping across the gap again, I entered the next room only for something to suddenly pull me.

"Twilight! What is that!?"

"That's a Vacuum Mouth."

"A what!?"

"Vacuum Mouths are unusual monsters that don't move nor are they aggressive." Princess Twilight answered. She then felt herself being pulled about so she grabbed onto my hat for her own safety until things went back to normal. "They have the ability to pull anything towards them be they you or other monsters. Every five seconds, they will attempt to do this which can make them really annoying though you know it's happening because of a whooshing like sound. Extreme caution is needed here, Sunset. If you get sucked into a Vacuum Mouth, it will send you right back to the beginning of the dungeon."

"That's going to be problematic."

"You should also know that this monster can't be defeated."

Grumbling to myself, my attitude quickly disappeared when three Keese, also in the room, were pulled towards the Vacuum Mouth where they were consumed by it. At least that thing was good for something. Once the whooshing died down, I quickly walked up to a treasure chest before it happened again (Obviously it was too heavy to be pulled about) and opened it where I took out the Dungeon Map. Finally, now I could see what this place looked like. Why did I have to wait until now before I could get a map again!? Why not give it to me much sooner and not have to worry about finding my way around blindly?

"Look at that, Sunset." Princess Twilight said as she scanned the map for herself. "The dungeon is in the shape of a bottle."

"Bottle Grotto..." I said sarcastically. "Ohhhh! It's named that because it's in the shape of--yeah I get it!"

Princess Twilight then pointed to the skull mark in one of the rooms on the other side of the dungeon. "The Nightmare is right over there so we need the Nightmare Key in order to get into that room. Now... Where do you suppose it could be?"

I shrugged. "No idea but then we don't have many chests left to open."

"By the way... You might want to leave this room before you get sucked away."

At that moment, the Vacuum Mouth began to pull me towards it again so I quickly moved in the other direction to pull myself away, succeeding in my effort, and entering the next room which was filled with more pots though these were truly blocking my way forward. There was a flying Magic Powder bag though I didn't need any right now though since it was here, it probably meant I would need to use it. I also spotted another treasure chest not blocked by anything so I opened it up and took out a red rupee that was worth twenty. I really need to pay a visit to the item shop when next I'm in Mabe Village.

Since there was nothing else I could do, I decided to use my one remaining small key to unlock the door to my left. Unlocking it and walking into the next room, I was plunged into the darkness due to the torches being unlit. Yep, that Magic Powder bag in the previous room was there for a reason. There was also something else in here lurking about in the darkness but what it was I didn't know because of how dark it was. However, I could hear something like eerie laughter. Raising my shield, I slowly moved forward so that I wouldn't be caught by surprise but something passed right through me which made me feel really uneasy.

"I... I felt a presence."

"What's that behind you?"

I turned around and saw what had just gone right through me. Though it was difficult to see, I could tell what it was based on the facial features. "A Boo!? I just had a Boo pass through my body! Another Mario enemy!? How many more of them are here on this island!?" I then explained to Her Highness that Boos loved chasing after their victims to scare them but were incredibly shy if you were to stare at them. "By staring at a Boo, they won't make a move because of being afraid until you turn your back. It's strange that these Boos aren't shying away when I look at them."

"That's because these are different."

"How so?"

"In this world, a Boo lurks in the shadows but don't shy away when you look at them." Princess Twilight answered. I could tell she wasn't a fan of the darkness since she kept darting her eyes back and forth, and to be honest, I wasn't either. This is why I didn't like how there were so many dark rooms in here. "Your sword has no effect on these ghosts but they are vulnerable to bright light, as is befitting a ghost that lurks in the darkness."

"The torches!"

Princess Twilight nodded. "Yes. Good thing you have Magic Powder. By the way, Boos are extremely rare monsters. They are so rare, they only exist in this very room and nowhere else on the island. You only have to deal with them once."

Taking out the Magic Powder, I quickly lit both torches which caused the Boos to writhe in pain before I eliminated both of them with my sword. Despite being a rare monster, they weren't really a problem unless one didn't have the means to deal with them. As I pondered over the fact that another Mario enemy had appeared in a Legend of Zelda game, another treasure chest materialized next to the door. Walking over and opening it up, I took out bracelet with a blue jewel embedded into it. It gave off a powerful vibe as I looked at it and a voice was telling me to put it on.

"Is this what I think it is."

"You've found a Power Bracelet."

"Power Bracelet?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "It's a piece of equipment that you can place on either of your wrists. As long as you have it on you, you will have great strength, the kind you've never felt before even though you had great strength in the last adventure. With this, you can pick up pots and stones with ease. No doubt this item is going to be invaluable. Trying using this new strength in previous rooms, Sunset. You might uncover things that had to be ignored before."

Her Highness reminded me of when I was a Goron during my adventure in Termina. Sure, that form was slow and bulky because of the stomach, but it was a form that had so much power, it felt like I could smash anything that stood in my way. The Power Bracelet wasn't on the same kind of level but it would give me strength regardless. I wondered if there was any limitation on how much power I could lift but it was something I was sure to find out soon enough. I then placed the Power Bracelet on my right wrist and my body felt a huge surge of power flowing through it. This was definitely going to be fun now.

Going back into the previous room, I walked up to the pots that were by the treasure chest and tried to pick one up. This time, I lifted it as though it were nothing but air and when I tossed it at a wall, it shattered into pieces which made me feel really good. While it wasn't the same as being a Goron, I could now utilize enhanced strength but with restrictions. Picking up more pots and throwing them about, I cleared a path and reached another Crystal Switch. Before striking it, the Compass made a sound indicating a key was nearby. An upcoming treasure chest most likely had said key in it.

Hitting the switch, the orange blocks rose up while the blue ones went down. The problem was that I needed the orange ones down or else I couldn't open the chest them up (A very weird mechanic and one I was certain would come up again) so hitting the switch, the blocks switched back and I opened the chest taking out the small key. I couldn't progress any further as the blue blocks were blocking my path and I doubted the Roc's Feather would let me jump over them. A little backtracking was in order. A few whacks against the Crystal Switch later and I was now on the other path. (The abyss was what separated both paths in two)

Since the blue blocks were down, I could progress past the chest and I did so whilst defeating another Keese. Orange blocks soon meant jumping over to the other side where I could see a Hardhat Beetle scurrying about. Jumping over and quickly hitting it upon landing, the Hardhat Beetle fell into the abyss allowing me to continue. I soon came across yet another switch that was protected by several Keese and a Yellow Stalfos in the corner pretending to be a pile of bones. Raising my shield, I approached the Keese where they began swarming me but their attacks bounced off allowing me to take them out with ease.

The Yellow Stalfos in the meantime got up and walked over to me and it was here where I learned it had another means of attack. It could jump into the air and perform a ground pound which is exactly what it did. It couldn't jump over the stone blocks but I could swing my sword through them which shouldn't even be possible. Was I defying physics? Probably best not to think about it too much otherwise I'll only get a headache. Swinging through the blocks, I hit the Yellow Stalfos twice, defeating it and picking up a green rupee it dropped giving me somewhere over fifty rupees. (I don't know how many rupees I had now)

Unlocking the door and entering the next room, I was surprised to see two rabbits hopping around. At least, they looked like rabbits. "Okay, let me just say that whatever those things are, they are adorable to look at. Fluttershy would definitely agree with me."

"That cuteness is what makes them dangerous."

"I figured they were monsters."

"This is a Pols Voice, supposedly the ghost of a rabbit." Princess Twilight said. The ghost of a rabbit... I couldn't help but feel sorry for it. Her Highness then continued. "The cuteness causes many adventuring types to lower their guard and that's when they will slam into them. Depending on the location, some Pols Voice can be attacked with swords while others, such as what we have here, are unaffected by swords. You'll need to use something unconventional which should take you long to figure out given what's in this room. Want to hear a little fun fact?"

"What would you describe as fun?"

Princess Twilight answered in a singing voice. "Research!" She then went back to her regular voice as I rolled my eyes. "Anyway, Pols Voice have large ears because they were once rabbits in their former lives, but those ears also serve as their weakness. They are particularly vulnerable to certain kinds of sounds. It has to be a very high-pitched sound effect like say, from an instrument, and one you can play so don't bother to try and see if you can use that Full Moon Cello."

"Does that instrument actually do anything?"

"It will once you get all eight."

Quest items always did nothing other than being used for one thing and then that was it. I then had a thought. "Unconventional... unconventional... Ohhhh..." All those pots lying around meant they could be used on the Pols Voice. Sometimes, I wondered why I couldn't figure things out straight away even when it was so obvious? I really need to not overthink things so much as I just embarrass myself as a result. Picking up a pot and tossing it, it smashed against the Pols Voice and it was defeated in one shot. "Wow... They're not sturdy by any means."

Princess Twilight nodded. "Like I said, unconventional. By the way, if you were to use your Magic Powder on them, they will be stunned for a couple of seconds so you can use that if they jump around too much for you."

"Yeah, but Magic Powder is limited."

"True so you'll have to think about when to use it."

Picking up pots to throw them aside in order to move forward, I threw one at the other Pols Voice without realizing it as well as one at a Red Gel, defeating both of them. Doing so revealed a staircase that went down into another underground tunnel which was my means of moving on. Suddenly, Princess Twilight reminded me about the other stairs we found some time ago we couldn't reach because I didn't have the strength to lift the pots. Taking out the map and checking it, the room in question was the one south of where I picked up the map. It meant more backtracking but it wasn't too bad. There was something else though that I noticed.

"According to this map, the other staircase leads to a room that's south the previous one we were just in."

"Really?"

I pointed at the map for clarity. "Right here!"

Princess Twilight then looked at the map for herself. "You're right, Sunset. Why would they need to have another staircase there when it leads to where we are now? Hold on! Let me take a closer look at this map." Her Highness then combed it for any other inconsistences but found nothing. "From what I can gather, this additional underground passage is meant to act like some kind of shortcut only it doesn't really do a good job."

"What should we do?"

"We could skip that passage and just go south from the previous room."

"You want to explore that passage anyway, don't you?"

"Was I being too obvious?"

I winked. "I know how you work, Twilight. You never could pass up the opportunity to learn new things." Heading back to the previous room and walking south, I entered a room where a Sword Stalfos, a Keese, and a Pols Voice were located with the latter being sealed behind stone blocks. A staircase nearby confirmed that this was where the passage connected to from the other side so we knew that we had saved some time. "Why is that Pols Voice trapped like that?"

Princess Twilight then bopped me on the head in excitement. "Do you remember what that owl statue said about defeating monsters in a specific order? I'm betting that this is where it has to be done. Also, listen!" The Compass then made its sound indicating a key was in here. "Do you remember, Sunset? I obviously do but I'm wondering if you remember. I'm not teasing you or anything but I'm just your partner. You're the heroine here so you need to know this stuff by memory."

"Yeah, I remember. Also, I know I've got to figure it out otherwise what would be the point?"

"I was afraid you'd be getting lazy as a result."

"What? Lazy? Me? Never!"

"I can however tell you more information." Princess Twilight said. She quickly floated over to the stone blocks before coming back in case it caught the attention of the two remaining monsters. "Those stone blocks can be pushed so you need to figure out which ones can be moved in order to free the Pols Voice. Also, you only have three pots to work with to defeat that Pols Voice."

I figured that if I used all of the pots, I'd have to leave the room and then come back again in order to respawn them. Sure, it wasn't backtracking but rather slight inconvenience, the fact was it'd waste a few precious seconds, something that was best to avoid in my own opinion. Avoiding the Keese and Sword Stalfos as best as I could, I began pushing the Stone Blocks hoping one of them would move. At first, they all felt pretty fixed in place until one suddenly moved forward upon me pushing it. Now I was starting to get somewhere. Logic would be to push the block right next to this one because of obviousness.

Sure enough, pushing this other block was successful and the Pols Voice began to hop about, leaving its previously secluded area. Walking back to the pots, I made sure to watch it closely and to ensure the Keese and Sword Stalfos didn't get in my way otherwise I'd be doing this puzzle all over again. The Pols Voice continued hopping around until it was finally in my sights which was when I tossed the pot. It connected and the ghost rabbit disappeared in a puff of smoke. I wasn't done yet since I had to defeat the Keese next. Looking around to see what happened to it, it had been flying around the stairs so I quickly dispatched of it.

That left just the Sword Stalfos who charged at me and managed to hit me in the arm because of not noticing it in time. I raised my shield and waited for it to strike again which it did causing to reel back from being parried and two sword strikes defeated it leaving no monsters left. A treasure chest then materialized opposite the staircase by the way I came in, I walked over, opened it up, and took out the Nightmare Key. Now that I had a free moment to take a better look at the Nightmare Key, it definitely had an evil presence surrounding it despite being a larger than normal key. I felt that way regarding the one from Tail Cave.

"Now we can go back to that other staircase." I said as I pocketed the key.

"Can we see where this staircase goes?" Princess Twilight asked, her face giving off a 'pretty please' look.

"Okay, okay." I answered as I threw up my hands. "We'll take a look because you can't help being curious. Actually, I'm a little bit curious about what the path contains. Besides, it probably couldn't be important if it could be ignored." Walking up the stairs and into the underground passage (Shouldn't that be an overhead passage since we're going up and not down in this case), I gritted my teeth because of seeing yet another familiar monster. "Why is this thing even here!?" Coming out of what looked like pipes was a Piranha Plant. "Twilight, we've got another Mario themed enemy here."

"That explains why you look so angry right now."

"What next!?"

"Well, as you can see, Piranha Plants only come out of those pipes." Princess Twilight answered. "If you stand next to the pipe or on top of it, the Piranha Plant won't emerge so you can easily move past it. When they do pop up, they will attempt to bite you. Aside from that, they don't really do much else."

"So we can go back now, right?"

"Yes, but first, I want to see that Dungeon Map one more time." Princess Twilight answered. I took out the map and showed it to her and she began to scan it over with that sharp gaze of hers that is fixated on even the most miniscule of details. "It looks like you missed a treasure chest right here!" She pointed at the entrance of the Bottle Grotto. "You couldn't reach it before because you lacked strength but not you can. Do you want to go back for it?"

Looking at the map myself, I could go back but then it would involve some backtracking even though I had the warp panel in place to get me back to the start. Since we were pretty close to the Nightmare, that had to take precedence. "I'll open up that chest after we get the second instrument. Besides, you know how I feel about backtracking. I want to do as little of it as possible if I can help it."

Princess Twilight couldn't help but laugh. "Fair enough, Sunset. Let's take that other passage then." As I began making my way over to the other staircase, Her Highness quickly went silent before she asked me a surprise question given the current moment. "Do you still want to come to my coronation? I'm sure you were sent an invite but I'll send out another when this is all over."

"Of course I want to come."

"I don't think the rest of your friends can come because it would lead to some confusion."

"You could use magic for that."

" I guess?"

"They'd love to come, Twilight." I said. In my defence, my friends had seen Equestria with their own eyes though it was because we had to use that portal on the deserted island in order to get everyone back home safely to shore after the boat sank during the cruise. They haven't really said much about the experience (I wouldn't have either if I had been in their shoes) since it happened but I know both Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle do bring it up with me every once in a while.

"I'm sure I can figure something out."

"They are a part of your life even if you don't see them often."

"Okay, you've twisted my hoof, Sunset. I mean, leg."

Having reached the other staircase, I walked down into the underground passage and saw more pots along with two platforms that looked like they could be weighed down. I'm not that heavy (I'm really not I'll have you know) though my equipment does add a little weight to me. Thinking about it, those pots would add more weight to what I already had which should be enough. Getting off the ladder and stepping on the first platform, it slowly lowered down allowing me to keep moving where I climbed another ladder and over to the other platform which had a weird expression appear on it.

Okay, so this other platform needed a pot for extra weight. Still, why the facial expression? Ignoring the weirdness, I went back, picked up a pot and stepped on the platform again with my additional weight. It was enough to make the platform lower down granting me access to the final ladder. Climbing it and entering the next room, I could see that I needed to jump to reach the door that needed the Nightmare Key. Making my way south, I jumped over both gaps and stood before the door. Breathing in deeply, I unlocked the door and entered the room and noticed something really weird.

"Is that... a bottle?"

"It looks like it."

As both doors locked, I took a couple of steps forward to get a better look at the bottle. "It certainly looks exquisite but what is it doing here?" It was bigger than your average bottle and it wasn't corked but still, the fact that it was here struck me as odd. "Well... We're here now so what happens next?"

"Maybe you should rub it?" Princess Twilight asked. I tilted my head as a means of mocking her. "What? That's what usually happens when someone finds a bottle even though you usually do that with a lamp."

Since I couldn't come up with an idea of my own, I decided to take her suggestion and attempt to rub the bottle. Suddenly, it began to rattle indicating that something was inside and my first though was a small little creature had gotten itself stuck in there. The bottle then jumped up, landing on its bottom before something popped out. It looked like a clown what with the makeup and the attire though the tongue sticking out wasn't exactly clown-like. It also had no legs though that probably wasn't as important. Was this the next Nightmare? No, it couldn't be. A clown was supposed to be stronger than Moldorm?

"HO HO HO! I was wondering when you would get here."

"Are you... a clown?" I asked.

"Appearances can be deceiving, HO HO HO!" I could tell that it was having fun with the fact that I had no idea what this thing was. "HO HO HO! You're not very smart are you if you don't recognize a Genie when you see one."

"A Genie? Can't say that I have."

"Wow... That's quite depressing."

"Where the two of us are from..." I began as I pointed to Princess Twilight as well as myself. "Genies aren't really a thing though we do have a Draconequus which is probably the same thing except for being more chaotic instead of what you are." I knew what a Genie was based on my readings of fairy tales and I was certain Her Highness knew that as well. I just felt giving this Nightmare a taste of its own medicine.

"In any case... HO HO HO! I'm your bad guy this time! HO HO HO! Let's get this started shall we?" The Genie then conjured up a number of fireballs and began juggling them in the air before it began moving, the bottle it was in surrounded by a strange mist. As it continued juggling, it kept on dodging every time I moved closer until it started tossing the fireballs. It was now my turn to dodge.

"Oh crap!"

"Be careful you don't get burned." Princess Twilight said.

The fireball barrage was a lengthy one as shots continued to get thrown my way. While I managed to avoid the first five shots, the remaining ones hit their target, me, because I got completely exhausted after dodging too many. The good news was that I didn't get burned by the fireballs. The bad news was that it hurt pretty bad despite the damage being minimal. Just when it looked like it wouldn't end, the Genie finally stopped throwing fireballs before taunting me and disappearing back into the lamp (I had to admit that it had a pretty good aim despite looking like a clown). The bottle began bouncing around so I struck it with my sword causing it to stop moving.

"Uh, I can't move!" The Genie said.

"That should take of you for the moment." I said.

"HO HO HO! Good thing I'm still alright."

"What do you mean?"

"That sword swing of yours didn't do a thing to me all, HO HO HO!" The Genie answered as it continued laughing. "Your little sword won't break this bottle no matter how strong of a blade you possess. Ha! Even the walls here look tougher than that dinky little thing, HO HO HO!"

"Its got a point." I said not realizing until too late that I had unintentionally made a pun.

"Then I think you should turn the tables on it, Sunset." Princess Twilight said. "Since it just said that the walls are stronger than your sword, use them to shatter its bottle which is pretty much the only thing preventing you from inflicting any damage to it. That bottle looks heavy but you can easily lift it up thanks to the Power Bracelet."

I knew that Her Highness was trying not to give away too much information in the hopes of me trying to figure it out on my own, but since the Genie went ahead and practically gift-wrapped the solution, she confirmed that what it said was correct about what I had to do. Picking up the bottle, I walked to the closest wall and tossed it where it slammed into the wall and cracked a little before landing. I had to keep on doing this until the bottle shatters completely? Yeah... A very tedious method if there ever was one but I didn't have much of a choice since I couldn't really do anything else.

The Genie immediately popped out of the bottle. "NYAH NYAH! You can't hurt me as long as I have my bottle." It then began creating fireballs and started juggling them which meant going through its barrage again. Already, I could see why this Nightmare was more annoying than Moldorm. Repetitiveness was something I didn't appreciate in the least and this battle so far was clearly going in that direction. It then threw its fireballs and I dodged each one since it was the same pattern as before. "HO HO HO! You are going to burn to a crisp by my glorious fireballs." When the barrage ended, the Genie went back into the bottle prompting me to use my sword to stun it.

From there, I picked up the bottle and threw it against another wall where it cracked even more. I had no idea how many times I needed to do this but what I did know was that I had to keep on going. The Genie emerged again without taunting me and immediately began another barrage of fireballs after conjuring them up (It didn't juggle them this time). The mist surrounding its bottle protected it from any attacks which was why I couldn't speed up this process much to my annoyance. Just like before, the barrage was the same pattern so avoiding it was easy and upon finishing, the Genie went back into its bottle.

Hitting the bottle with my sword and picking it up, I tossed it once more into another wall where this time it actually broke. Finally! That took way too long! The Genie, who had briefly been stunned, was definitely not happy what had just happened. "WAAAH! What... What have you done?"

"I shattered your bottle." I answered.

"That was my home."

"While I am sorry for that, I had no choice."

The Genie began fuming. "You... You broke my bottle! How could you!? Why would you!?"

"Because I couldn't attack you otherwise." I answered sarcastically. "Besides, this battle was really getting boring what with you repeating the same attack pattern and me responding to it in kind. Now that the bottle is no longer in play, perhaps we can pick things up a bit?"

"Why you... You... You make me hopping mad!"

"Now things are about to get difficult, Sunset..." Princess Twilight began.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Without its bottle, the Genie can no longer hide from you which means you can finally damage it with your sword." Princess Twilight answered. "But, that does mean it's going to be attacking differently than before, and it definitely looks like it's about to lose its temper. The Power Bracelet is no longer needed for this battle so it comes down to your sword. Be careful as who knows what it'll do."

The Genie disappeared only to reappear moments later though now there was two of it. Both of them began spinning around in a circle and continued doing this over and over until I got so dizzy that I thought about throwing up. Suddenly, one of the Genie's vanished leaving the other to toss a fireball that struck me in the back. Before I could retaliate, it vanished leaving me to wonder where it was. When it showed itself, there were two again and they began spinning around like before. While it had resumed attacking in a pattern, the Genie had stepped up its game by dropping the goofy act and was being serious.

"Okay, I wasn't expecting this to happen."

"You need to remain calm."

"I know."

"Watch both Genies carefully and when one of them disappears, strike the other one before it tosses its fireball."

The two Genie's reappeared and began spinning around me. Heeding Her Highness' words, I readied myself and waited for one of them to disappear. When it happened, I swung my sword and got in a few hits though I did end up getting hit in the chest by the fireball at close range. While that shot pushed me back, it didn't hurt that badly which made me think that perhaps this Nightmare was all bark and no bite. Again, it was supposed to be stronger than Moldorm according to Flash Sentry? Okay, maybe more strategic in its attacks and timing but being stronger? I just couldn't see that.

As the Genies came back and began spinning, I chose to remain in the middle of the room. Why? I figured it would give me the best chance to move and dodge when the real one throws its fireball. If I were in the corner, it could become problematic. One disappeared and I attacked the other whilst dodging its fireball this time. After a few hits, it disappeared and I wondered how long this was going to take. Moldorm only took four hits while the Genie had been hit at least six times now. If I had to give props to this Nightmare for one thing, it was the fact that it had tons of durability.

Once more, the Genies appeared and began spinning around. At least they weren't picking up speed otherwise I'd be throwing up like crazy by now. Waiting patiently, one of them disappeared but before I could strike the real one, it struck me in the chest with its fireball. Shoot! I was so close to ending this but now I had to keep on going for another round. I tried striking the remaining Genie but it vanished just as I was about to connect. Waiting for the next assault, both Genies reappeared and repeated the process. Yeah, this really needed to end as this was really getting annoying.

When one disappeared, I rushed forward and attacked the other one as fast as I could. Three strikes with my sword turned out to be enough as the Genie suddenly stopped, flailed its arms about and started exploding. Four small explosions later and it finally blew up in a big explosion leaving nothing behind. Finally! I had defeated this Nightmare! While it wasn't as difficult as Moldorm in some ways, it was difficult in others. It also meant six more Nightmares were waiting for me in the remaining dungeons. Like Moldorm before it, the Genie had left behind a Heart Container which I gladly picked up.

"You did it, Sunset!" Princess Twilight exclaimed happily.

After feeling the warmth from the Heart Container go through me, I dropped to my knees. "Whew! That was just tedious to no end."

"Like I said, it was all about being patient."

"Yeah, but something bothered me during that fight."

"What was that?"

"According to Flash Sentry, the Genie was supposed to be stronger than Moldorm." I answered as I got back onto my feet. "While I did see some aspects of that when fighting that Nightmare, other signs suggested otherwise. I guess strength doesn't have to be the main focus when it comes to these Nightmares because if it had been, the Genie quite possibly could've been too strong for me to defeat." Stretching my arms, I looked at the door that lead to the final room of the Bottle Grotto. "I've had enough of being in here so let's go get that instrument and take BowWow back home."

"And that remaining treasure chest?"

"I'll be sure to pick it up despite what I said."

Before doing anything else, I grabbed the Heart Container that had been left behind by the Genie upon its defeat. After what I had been through, I really needed the pick-me-up it provided as well as my health being restored. My body felt warm as the containers and Pieces of Heart usually did upon me getting them. While it annoyed me that I had to defeat powerful monsters--the Nightmares in this case--in order to acquire these health boosts, I supposed it was meant to be seen as a form of accomplishment knowing I overcame incredible odds and I'd be rewarded accordingly.

Walking over to the door, I entered the final room where the door sealed itself shut behind me. To my right was the second Instrument of the Sirens, a horn that was sparkling in the light of the two torches either side of it. Since this was when Princess Celestia made herself known, I expected Princess Luna or Princess Cadance to show up. Grabbing the horn, I lifted it up and took a closer look at it. Like the Full Moon Cello, the instrument that was now in my hands was absolutely beautiful. If I could, I'd have played it right there and then but since my expertise was the guitar, all I could do was add it to my growing collection.

"You have acquired the Conch Horn!" A familiar voice echoed all around me.

"Is that?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "It's Princess Luna."

As if on cue, the Princess of the Night, her official title, appeared before us wearing a dark blue gown, dark blue high-heeled shoes, and was giving off a cold radiance despite being a being of goodness. Her black wings reminded me of Nightmare Moon, Princess Luna's form from over a thousand years ago, a form that resulted in her banishment, and despite not having her horn, her hair shimmered in the same way as Princess Celestia's. Compared with her older sister, Luna was more aloof in her mannerisms and tended on being rather dramatic when it came to wordplay.

"Strange that I have this form as opposed to my usual alicorn stature." Princess Luna said.

"You eventually get used to it."

"Ah, I see that you have come, Twilight Sparkle." Princess Luna said. She then turned to face me. "So you're the heroine of this strange world, Sunset Shimmer? Hmmm... I must say that I am surprised Twilight wasn't chosen to be the one to save the day, but perhaps you being the one is a blessing."

"More like a curse." I said.

"Yes... My sister did say something about you experiencing a problem but she did not know what."

"It's... very complicated." Princess Twilight said.

"I shall take your word for it." Princess Luna said. She then walked up to me before placing her hand on my shoulder. "With this instrument, you only have six more to find before you can awaken the fish-like thing that currently sleeps in the giant egg." Pausing for a moment, she took in the fact that I had to wake up a sleeping fish. "And I thought the wild creatures of Equestria were strange. I must admit, Sunset Shimmer, that you have quite the burden placed upon your shoulders."

"I'm used to it." I said.

"Be that as it may, I wish that I could help you but that is beyond my means."

"Princess Celestia said something to that effect." Princess Twilight said.

"While I have my memories of Equestria, they are of little help in this strange world." Princess Luna said. Like I said, she was dramatic with her wordplay. "Whoever managed to bring us here is a being of great power. This is evidently true if such a being was able to ensnare myself, my sister, and even Princess Cadance... Oh, and you yourself, Twilight."

"You have no idea." I said. I could try to explain about Ganondorf to Princess Luna but I didn't exactly do so with Princess Celestia. While I had no doubt that they would listen to what I had to say, whether they believed it or not was another thing altogether. For now, it was best not to bring it up and perhaps explain things later when all three princesses had gathered together. Looking at Princess Twilight, I nodded while Luna was briefly distracted and she nodded in kind confirming that we were going to tell them eventually. "Are you able to tell us where we have to go next?"

"Now that I can help you with."

"Glad to hear that."

Princess Luna paused for a moment before attempting to speak using her Royal Canterlot Voice. Quickly realizing that wouldn't be very effective not to mention embarrassing on her part, she spoke with her usual tone. "Prairie... prairie... The prairie is waiting... I know this does not make sense but I am permitted by this world to provide more detail. In the village where you were brought to, Sunset Shimmer, the remaining way out cannot be accessed without power. You possess that power now so you can proceed. Someone... there is someone waiting out there to speak with you in a house."

"I take it you can't say anything else?"

"I am not permitted to speak any further on the matter."

"Guess we'll have to figure the rest out on our own." Princess Twilight said.

"You do have the grandfather who is shy to call on for assistance."

"Oh yeah, Discord!" I exclaimed.

Princess Luna was taken aback when I said that. "Discord is in this world with us? Even the Lord of Chaos isn't immune to this being who brought us here? I am surprised that one can control the likes of Discord given his nature. Still, it is pleasing to know that he is being helpful in this world, a sign that he has truly become a force for good despite still wanting to play tricks on occasion." She then began to fade away which meant her time here was over. "I must take my leave of you both now. We shall see each other again in Level 5. What that means I do know but I am to tell you about it. Now... listen well to the Conch Horn."

She disappeared and the horn began playing its music. At one time, I had considered taking up the horn as an instrument, but since I was part of a rock n' roll music band, a horn, especially one that was more towards archaic, would've made me look pretty out of place compared with my friends using more modern instruments. Everything then went bright and soon I was standing back outside the entrance to the Bottle Grotto. BowWow was happy to see me and I knew that he had to be taken home, but first there was that one treasure chest that had yet to be opened. Good thing it was just inside so I wasn't going far.

Walking back into the dungeon and leaving BowWow behind it (Only briefly this time since I was going to be quick), I picked up the pots blocking the chest and tossed each one aside until I opened it taking out a purple rupee worth fifty. Good thing I decided to come back here now otherwise I'd have completely forgotten about this. With nothing left to do, I walked out of the dungeon and reunited with BowWow. He immediately consumed the Goponga Flowers that had been blocking the dungeon entrance allowing me to finally leave the swamp and plot my next course of action.

"We need to take BowWow home..." I began. "I think Wallflower has waited long enough."

Princess Twilight nodded. "I know, but before you go back to Mabe Village, why not use the Power Bracelet out here? I'm sure it will have some practical uses over than allowing you to lift up pots."

"Like?"

"Making shortcuts."

Looking ahead at the boulders off in the distance, I knew what Princess Twilight was hinting at. With the Power Bracelet, I could now go back to Koholint Prairie rather than have to go the long way round though there was that one house to the west that I've yet to visit. Perhaps I could go there later on whenever there was a free moment. It would mean backtracking over there unless I could use warp magic and cut down on some serious time. Walking forward and lifting up a boulder, I tossed it aside and jumped over the holes in the ground. I was back near Trixie's place and the Mysterious Forest yet there was one place I had yet to see here.

I continued going south until I reached a boulder that was blocking some stairs that went down to a desert-like area complete with strange vegetation. Before lifting the boulder, I looked around to see if there was anything suspicious, and the only thing that came to mind was a single gravestone. Shouldn't that be in an actual graveyard instead of here? Perhaps there was to it than appearances suggested. It was probably something I couldn't do anything about until I had the proper means to do so later. That's when I noticed something else in the sand, or rather, a lot of somethings.

"What in the world are those?"

"Zombies."

"As in the walking undead!?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "You'd be surprised as to what can lurk around on this island. Anyway, Zombies aren't very strong and can be taken out in one hit from your sword, but the problem is that they keep on appearing even after you defeat them. In other words, they will never stop coming out of the ground. I don't think you get anything from defeating a Zombie so you should probably avoid them. If it's any consolation, they can only be found here and in the graveyard."

"So there is a graveyard."

"Somewhere near the middle of the island if I remember rightly."

"Okay, we can come back to this gravestone later." I said as I turned around. "Let's take BowWow home!"

"I have lived for countless millennia, across different time periods, died many times." Ganondorf began. "Different versions of me exist who have sought to plunge the world into darkness and rule it with an iron fist. Such versions are weak, arrogant, ignorant, and fail to grasp what is truly important. I come from a time where I wield the true power and have become wizened with knowledge. I still seek dominion over all I survey but I prefer a far more intricate method. I seek power from others to add to my own and servants who possess great potential should they be worthy enough for me to show them."

"So that's why you want Sunset!" Rarity shouted. "You see her as having great potential!"

Ganondorf laughed. "More than you realize, generous one. You children do not know as much about your friend as you believe. Answer me this question. Has she ever told you why she came to your world so long ago?" The silence from my friends was all the proof he needed to know. "As I thought, the child kept you in the dark."

"What does that prove?" Applejack asked. "If Sunset doesn't wanna explain herself about her past then I reckon that's her right. There are things about our pasts that we ain't shared with her because such things can only cause pain and misery."

"Friendship can be complicated but it's what keeps us together." Pinkie Pie added.

"Ironic isn't it, that she would not tell you of such a thing." Ganondorf answered.

"Um... How do you know so much about Sunset?" Fluttershy asked. Everyone else then blinked upon realizing that Fluttershy had made a valid point. While I knew Ganondorf could read the minds of others among other things, my friends didn't know and they were about to find out. "I mean, I'm not trying to be offensive, Mr. Ganondorf, but you do seem to know so much about Sunset so I was curious. Do you know our secrets too?"

Slowly nodding, Ganondorf chuckled slowly so as to instill a sense of fear. "I can read all of your minds, kind one. No matter how hard to try to hide your secrets, nothing can be hidden from me. There are other powers I possess that are far beyond your mortal minds but perhaps I shall reveal a few of these as time progresses. The child... At one time, she was destined to become a princess. Everything was in her favour to become one. But, fate took her down a dark path and had she stayed on it, she would have become a powerful sorceress and have conquered everything she wished."

"Good thing Sunset changed her life for the better." Twilight Sparkle said.

"And you can relate, magic one."

"If not for our friends, I'd still be at Crystal Prep and being miserable."

"Had you not been coerced by the alicorn, the child, your precious Sunset Shimmer would have remained on the dark path." Ganondorf said. It looked as though he was building up his anger but it was merely his dark aura. "She is destined to become the strongest of her kind and I can guide her to that destiny by having her forsake her current path. What you all believe in leaves her weak, useless, and unable to realize her true potential. You yourself, magic one, possess great potential but you are now lost because you have chosen to embrace the light and companionship. The child has not entirely embraced it yet."

"What do you mean?"

Ganondorf laughed. "The child still has some reservations about her life. A small part of her desires power above all else but she cannot come to that conclusion as what she has now is blocking her from true greatness. She will become my obedient servant, cast aside this pathetic existence of hers, and become the princess destiny decreed." He continued laughing but hadn't noticed what Rainbow Dash was doing. "And then there is the alicorn... the one who shall inherit her world. Her fate is intertwined with that of the child as she also possesses great potential. But, her purity is too strong and so it must be removed."

"Okay! That's enough!" Rainbow Dash shouted as she grabbed some wires.

"And do you intend on ending this experience, loyal one?"

"I pull out these cables and you're done!"

"Do that, and the child shall remain lost... forever."

"He's bluffing." Twilight said.

Ganondorf laughed once more. "Do you think I am bluffing, magic one? Go ahead... loyal one... do what you intend on doing." Rainbow Dash struggled for a few moments on whether to pull out the cables and turn Ganondorf off, but she knew she couldn't risk my life (Nor did she know that countless other lives hung in the balance. "You could not carry out your intention... how amusing. You lack the ferocity to do what is needed. Now that you all know about the past of the child, it is time to move to the true reason I have come here. I shall claim your precious magic but also indulge in seeing your greatest fears realized."

"We ain't afraid of nothing!" Applejack shouted. "Besides, we've been there before when someone tried usin' magic on us."

"My magic is ancient and far more potent than what you wield."

"Is that 'spposed to scare us."

"You will learn soon enough." Ganondorf said. "But before I subject each of you to your own individual fears... being trapped in this screen has been amusing for a while but now that little charade is over. I shall come forth to your world and subject to you fear in person."

While making my way back to Mabe Village, I had to go through the Mysterious Forest again. During that trek, I made a few detours because now that I had the Power Bracelet, areas that were previously inaccessible were now open. First, there was that cave surrounded by three boulders. By lifting one up and tossing it away, I discovered a Piece of Heart but couldn't pick it up as it was located on a small platform surrounded by a massive abyss. I had to abandon it until I could come back with a means of making it across. After that, I remembered the one Piece of Heart hidden behind some heavy skulls near where I found the toadstool.

Going back that way wasn't too much of a chore since the Moblins at this point were simple enough to deal with. It helped that BowWow was with me and that he consistently devoured any monsters making it even easier. He did tell me at one point to dig but I couldn't without a shovel. Entering the cave and getting past the Green Zols (Again, BowWow made this practically a non-issue), I moved the stones as well as lifted and tossed the skulls allowing me to reach the Piece of Heart. Even though backtracking wasn't my favourite thing to do, the fact I was collecting items necessary for my success was worth the effort.

After going back the other way and exiting the cave where I entered it from, I continued going south making sure not to get lost (Despite having gone through the forest at least four times now, I still wasn't confident when it came to exploring this place). Near the southern end of the Mysterious Forest, there was a boulder that had been blocking a treasure chest and had been taunting me for some time. Lifting the boulder and tossing it aside, a Red Gel behind it did surprise me though BowWow quickly took care of it with a single chomp. Opening up the chest, I was surprised to see a Secret Seashell.

This was only my second one overall including the one I found behind the Trendy Game Shop. What was the significance of these seashells? All Princess Twilight told me was to collect as many of them as possible. In any case, I hoped to find out what they were for. With nothing else left for me to do, I finally left the Mysterious Forest and was back in Mabe Village where everything had returned to normal before the Moblins attacked. No doubt BowWow was happy to be back home since it had been over a day since the kidnapping. While I had the urge to explore, BowWow's return was my first priority.

Walking south and nearing the library, I was greeted by both Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle with the former speaking first. "Wow! You brought back BowWow! I can't believe y'all managed to beat those Moblins!"

"How did you manage to defeat the Moblins?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"I tracked them down to their lair and got BowWow out of there." I answered.

"No wonder you managed to beat them!"

"I did have to fight off several of them including their boss."

That made Sweetie Belle very ecstatic. "Wow! You are really awesome, miss! No one in the village has ever managed to stand up to the Moblin Boss before. He always acted like a bully all because he was stronger than everyone else and believed he could do whatever he wanted."

Apple Bloom didn't look so sure. "Y'all may have defeated the Moblin Boss, but what's ta stop him from comin' back here and messin' things up again. Without y'all around here to keep 'em in check, they could attack the village and kidnap BowWow all over again. While they ain't the sharpest tools out there, Moblins are pretty tenacious critters and understand the meaning of wantin' revenge."

"You don't have to worry."

"How come?"

"The Moblin Boss is gone."

"Gasp! That means the Moblins will never bother us again!" Sweetie Belle said.

"Hoo-wee! It's a plumb miracle." Apple Bloom added. "By the way, why are we two kids keepin' this here miss from returning BowWow to his home? The answer ta that is we shouldn't and we should get back ta playin' catch. Madam MeowMeow is sure ta give y'all a reward for bringin' BowWow home. By the way, Marin wanted ta speak with y'all about somethin' mighty important. She didn't exactly say what but you should pay her a visit. How do I know this? I'm just a kid. I ain't 'spposed ta know stuff like that."

"If you want to talk to us later, we'll be over by the library." Sweetie Belle then started to head down to the library with Apple Bloom in tow but suddenly stopped before coming back like she had something else on her mind. "My sister was actually being serious about talking with Marin. She seems to have taken quite an interest in you, miss. We're just kids so we don't know what Marin has in store but it's probably best not to keep her waiting too long. She has a weird way of saying things sometimes that makes me question her."

As she turned and ran off to join Apple Bloom, I couldn't help but be curious as to what Starlight wanted. The last time I had spoken to her, she said she was going to be by the statue of the Flying Rooster. If I was right, she should still be standing over there. Before I deal with her, I had to return BowWow to Wallflower as it wasn't fair keeping her waiting any longer than necessary. Heading towards Wallflower's house, I could see her looking about, but Zecora was also present, her standing by the well. How did she get down here!? I'll deal with her later as I really needed to finish my current errand.

The moment Wallflower noticed BowWow, she threw her arms up in the air like she didn't have a care in the world. "BowWow! My poor precious BowWow! I never thought I would see you again after those nasty Moblins kidnapped you."

"It wasn't easy but I managed to bring him back to you." I said.

"Did Grandpa Ulrira give you my message of taking him for a walk?"

I nodded. "I took BowWow to Goponga Swamp which was where I needed to go personally."

"While that swamp is definitely a horrid place, my BowWow just loves eating the flowers that grow there." Wallflower said. She patted BowWow on the head and he purred like a little kitten which looked adorable. She then took the chain from me and attached it to a pole that was stuck in the ground before addressing me again. "Much better! I truly appreciate what you did for my poor precious BowWow and I know he feels that way too. You no longer have to worry about him scaring you. You are such a nice girl and that means you deserve a reward for such efforts."

"I don't need a reward."

"Nonsense!"

"The satisfaction of bringing him back to you is all I need."

Wallflower laughed. "Such a modest girl you are. I will give you a reward and I won't take no for an answer. First of all, allow me to give you this!" She raised her hands to her mouth and at first I thought she was going to kiss me. She then giggled and instead gave me a hug so powerful, it felt like my spine would break due to her strength. "And now for your other reward. For an adventurer like yourself, you should go to the local Item Shop. I hear they recently got in a stock of bombs. I'd never use any myself what with them being so loud and dangerous because they explode."

She handed me a red rupee before turning around and walking back into her house. While I didn't want to take her money, she was very insistent on it so it was probably for the best to accept it and not upset her. Wallflower also mentioned about how bombs were now being sold at the Item Shop. From what previous adventures had told me, bombs were very important so getting some was definitely in my best interest. First, I needed to talk with Zecora since she was here in the village for some reason. I wonder if was to do with that job she asked me about from before?

To Be Continued.

Chapter 8: Golden Leaves of the Castle.

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.
By Ganondorf8.
November 17, 2019.
Chapter 8: Golden Leaves of the Castle.

As I walked back to where Zecora was standing, I was still curious as to how she managed to get all the way here from up by Goponga Swamp. From what I had been told about her from Princess Twilight, she was known for making long treks from the Everfree Forest to Ponyville and back then. Had she done just that? Made her way through the Mysterious Forest, passing all those Moblins and reached Mabe Village? Or had she found another route I wasn't aware of? Also, I still didn't know about this job she mentioned before. As much as I wanted to offer my services, I had to get to the next dungeon which was somewhere in the prairie.

Upon seeing me approach, Zecora turned to me and smiled. "Ah, it is good to see you again."

"How did you manage to get here!?" I exclaimed.

In her usual manner, Zecora answered with a rhyme. "How I got here to the village you shouldn't worry but it looks like I caught you in a bit of a hurry. How unfortunate as I assumed you had finished your other errands. Perhaps I am wrong and you are done so why not come with me and have some fun? Come with me to my shack."

"Isn't your shack back by the swamp?"

"You have the means to easily get around."

"As much as I would like to help you with this job of yours, you haven't actually said what it is."

Zecora nodded. "This is true. I have not yet told you of what I want you to do but when I do tell you then I hope you will see it through." She then looked at me as though there were something off about me which made me feel uneasy. "I can tell that adventure is what you seek so permit to mention a little sneak peak. What I have for you to experience will definitely make it worth your while and no doubt you will succeed with style. The point I'm getting to is I'll reward you very handsomely for helping me out."

"What kind of reward?"

"Rupees, Heart Containers, and so much more."

"I'm listening..."

"Such treasures are of real importance to one such as yourself." Zecora said with a smile. She knew that I was now fully interested in what she wanted to say because she said the right words, namely rupees and health. "While you are free to come and visit me at my shack, perhaps you consider taking things back? I know that confused you so let me rephrase that. I want you to come to my shack in order to help me but I think it's too early for you to do so."

That made me annoyed. "Then why bring it up in the first place!?"

"Because I wanted to know if you were committed."

"Seriously?"

Zecora nodded. "If you weren't committed then it would result in your life becoming lost. I need those who can stand up to the task and that involves someone who possesses power, wisdom, and courage. Right now, you don't look very committed to me so please ignore what I said and you may go free."

"I am committed!"

"Are you certain?"

I nodded fiercely. "Without a doubt!"

"That's all I needed to know." Zecora said. "I will return to my humble and wait for you there and in the meantime you should continue your quest so fair. I believe there is a place out in the prairie which beckons one such as you and no doubt you will win through. I don't know what you'll find but hopefully it should be something kind. Once you've done your business, come and see me and I'll explain everything."

In my mind, I was ready to burst into sheer rage. Why did Zecora tease me like that!? She wants my help but now doesn't!? Couldn't she make up her mind or something!? Then again, she always was cryptic with her words according to Princess Twilight so rather than be outraged, I needed to think things more clearly. Zecora obviously needed help but perhaps thought I couldn't handle whatever she was planning? I've had experience being an adventurer... plenty of it by my account, but since that was across different worlds, to Zecora, what I've been on Koholint Island didn't impress her.

Still, I was curious about those rewards and how I was supposed to get them. Did she want me to perform some kind of fetch quest? Explore a dangerous place where few would ever dare tread? Or maybe she wanted me to fight a powerful monster that had never known defeat? Again, her cryptic nature meant me not knowing the exact details until I actually paid her a visit to her house and inquired further. Even if I were to pester her about what she was talking about, she wasn't likely to tell me anything until I did what she asked. Guess that chalked up something else I'd have to come back to later.

Leaving Zecora to eventually make her way back home, I began to think about where Princess Luna had directed me to next. She mentioned the prairie was waiting for me. I had already been to a prairie, the Koholint Prairie, the area where Trixie lived, but I had already explored every bit of that area aside from the other house that had been blocked by a boulder that required the Power Bracelet to lift it. A dungeon entrance would never be that obvious. I mean, they have in my previous adventures but this island obviously played its own rules so what I believed no longer applied.

From what I could recall from the map of the entire island Princess Twilight and I saw in the library, there was another prairie just beyond the village. I couldn't recall the name of it nor could I remember how big it was. Was that where I needed to go? I wished I'd been given more clarity by Princess Luna about the subject. I considered asking Discord if he knew anything about this other prairie but I suspected he would only tell me about specific things. Then an idea popped into my head! Applebloom mentioned Starlight wanting to talk to me! I hoped she would have an answer.

I made my way over to the statue of the Flying Rooster and sure enough, Starlight was still standing there singing. As I approached, she stopped and turned to face me. "Oh! I was wondering where you've been, Sunset Shimmer. You came back to the village a while ago only to leave again. I can tell that you have quite a busy schedule so I appreciate you taking some time to speak to me."

"I was told you wanted to see me?" I asked. I was also curious about the song she was singing but was afraid she would take offence. I think I will slide in that question after I ask about the other prairie. "May I ask you a couple of questions? It would really make me very happy."

"Really?" Starlight's face then lit up. "Of course I'll answer your questions." She then turned her attention towards her home. "Tarin finally came back from the Mysterious Forest after what felt like forever. I thought the Moblins had hurt him or much worse but as soon as he came home, he went right to sleep for a nap though why? Why would anyone want to sleep on such a nice day? That was yesterday when you weren't here. Right now, he's eating bananas from a strange fellow who sells them on the beach in exchange for canned food. I don't think he will give you any of his. Ha! Tarin always was selfish when it came to sharing."

"O... kay?" I don't know why Starlight mentioned all of that. It wasn't relevant to what I needed to know. Was she trying to have a normal conversation with me? Granted, I didn't really see anything wrong with that, but I did need to know about what this other prairie was.

"I'm sorry... Was that boring?"

"N-no! Not at all."

"Then what is your first question?"

"Do you know what the prairie is beyond the village?"

"Of course I do!" Starlight answered, cupping her hands together. "I've been through there many times on my way to the Animal Village on the other side. Ukuku Prairie is very large and it can be easy to get lost if you don't know where you're going. Until recently, I could walk across the prairie freely, but ever since those boulders appeared, no one can leave the village in that direction. It's so sad because I love going to the Animal Village, but without strength, I'm stuck here."

The Power Bracelet was required to leave the village! I had a feeling that was going to be the case. In these kinds of journeys from what I've seen, whenever I acquired a new item, it was needed in order to access a new area that was previously inaccessible. I already had that experience with the Roc's Feather so now it was the Power Bracelet's turn. I doubted I could get to this Animal Village Starlight mentioned without another item so finding the next dungeon was even more important (Along with the next instrument and the Nightmare). The journey would be a rough one so I had to go to the Item Shop after this.

"Anything important out there?"

"Like what?"

"Important places?"

"There are a few of them." Starlight answered. I could tell she wasn't liking my question but I needed her to remain focused on giving me the information I needed. "There is a castle whose owner abandoned it and now lives somewhere out there in Ukuku Prairie. There's also a beautiful mansion that's dedicated to seashells. I never did visit it because it was out of my way and it seemed more suspicious than anything else. Lastly, a place called Key Cavern exists, but no one can go in because someone lost the key a long time ago. Other than that, nothing else comes to mind."

"What about that song?"

"The song I'm singing?"

I nodded. "I was curious about it."

"This song... It means an awful lot to me you know." Starlight said as she blushed ever so slightly. "Whenever I can find the time, I will sing it to my hearts content. To be honest, I never did figure out the actual meaning behind the song, but I don't care because I can sing it without anyone judging me." The moment she said that, my body went as cold as ice and she clearly noticed. "Have you heard of it before, Sunset Shimmer? If so then maybe I can teach you the song."

"I... I... I don't have an instrument."

"That's too bad."

"But I would like to learn."

Starlight smiled. "You're such a sweet girl, Sunset Shimmer, but I don't think you have the kind of singing voice that I do. No, I think you'd be better off with an instrument. I do know that one such instrument exists in the village." She then changed the subject much to my surprise. "I would love to know some more information about you. Huh? What? No, you clearly heard me wrong. I mean..." I knew she was lying but why even do that? It's not like I was going to look down on her for it. Despite what it looked like, I had been known to lie for a variety of reasons. "Maybe... Can you talk to me later? I want to sing right now."

And just like that, Starlight began singing leaving me to my own devices. There had to be some kind of significance to that song! I mean, why else would she sing it and not know what the meaning behind it was? I had to find out its secret. I then realized this was yet another item being added to a plate chock full of things that required my attention. I needed to practically be in three places at once! First Zecora, then Ukuku Prairie, and now Starlight. Fortunately, Starlight had provided more information than I initially expected. The prairie was definitely worth my interest even if I didn't need to go there.

Before leaving Mabe Village, I was going to visit the Item Shop and get some supplies. My experiences in the Bottle Grotto reminded me that I needed to always keep stock of my current inventory otherwise I'd end up making things worse for myself. As I began heading towards the shop, I noticed Princess Twilight had been awfully quiet. While I understood that as my fairy partner, she wanted to take a step back and allow me to do most of the talking, but I valued her wisdom because she clearly knew plenty more than I ever hoped to. She didn't need to remain quiet as that would just be offending her integrity.

"Twilight..." I began.

"What is it?" Princess Twilight asked.

"You don't need to be quiet on my account." I answered with my head lowered a little. "If you want to say something to those we encounter, feel free to speak your mind and not allow me to do everything. I value your input more than anything!"

"Oh I'm not bothered by that."

"You're not?"

Princess Twilight shook her head. "Nope! The reason I've been quiet is that I'm taking all this information we're getting and storing it aside for safe-keeping. While I can't write it down in a journal or notebook, I can use my fairy magic to keep the information stored away until needed. Anyway, Starlight gave us a lot of info. I'm just so proud of what she did for us even though she clearly didn't have to."

"Put the fan-gushing aside, Twilight."

"Oh! Right!" Princess Twilight blushed as she coughed. "The house dedicated to seashells might have something to do with those Secret Seashells you've been finding. That's just a guess since I have no idea what they even do. The castle is sure to have a library and I don't need to tell you how I feel about that!" I rolled my eyes because Her Highness just loved libraries--they were basically a second home for her away from her own.

"And this Key Cavern?"

"That could be a dungeon."

"You think so?"

"I don't know that either." Princess Twilight answered. "If Flash Sentry were here, he'd probably tell us that but we haven't seen him since you rescued BowWow. I think this is something we'll have to figure out on our own. Now, can we finally go to the Item Shop? I know you want to go there badly which is why I knew to say that. Ukuku Prairie sounds pretty dangerous so getting stocked up is highly recommended."

Her Highness didn't have to tell me twice. It didn't take long for me to reach the Item Shop (The sign above the entrance depicted a pot. Not exactly the image I'd have used but it wasn't really my choice) and walking inside, I was surprised at two things. One, there were some really strange items for sale. Two, Aria Blaze was standing behind the cash register. I knew that the other two Dazzlings had to be on this island seeing as Adagio already was. Unlike her and Sonata, Aria was the brooding member of their trio. She preferred to have an emo like persona and always clashed with her 'sisters' because she felt like it.

"Why is she here?" I whispered.

"I'm guessing she was the right fit for whoever worked here in this world." Princess Twilight answered.

"This isn't going to go well."

"We've dealt with her in the past and we can do it again."

"Ahem!" Aria coughed, getting our attention. "If you two are going to be whispering amongst yourselves, you can take such business outside. I don't really care what you're saying but it just looks bad for business. Tch! Like anyone even comes in here these days."

"I'll do the talking." I whispered as I walked over to Aria whilst Princess Twilight nodded. "I didn't mean to offend you." I spoke in my regular tone.

"Judging from that weird get-up, you must be some kind of adventurer." Aria said. Not even a minute in here and already I was struggling not to throttle her. The Dazzlings, back in the real world, were still antagonistic despite no longer being threatening ever since they lost their magic. Even after seeing them at the Post Crush concert, I couldn't trust them for an instant, but I could do so in this world. Aria then continued. "Like, welcome to my shop. As you can see, I've got all kinds of things someone like you would want. I have basic items and even some rare finds."

"May I have a look?"

"Sure, but don't steal anything."

"Why would I do something like that?"

Aria's eyes then narrowed and I knew I wasn't going to like what she was about to say next. "Stealing is something I really don't take too kindly. If you steal something from me, everyone in the village will forever refer to you as 'Thief'. No matter how hard you cry and beg, that name's gonna stick!" She took a deep breath before continuing on. "If you come back in here after stealing something, everything will end with my special technique!"

"Meaning?"

"I'll make you regret coming back in here by shooting you with lightning." Aria answered, her face becoming sinister with her expression. "That's what happened to the last person who tried stealing something without paying. You'll likely die from my technique so let my words be your only warning. Don't steal!" She then resumed her normal expression, or whatever constituted as such for her. "Now, if there's anything on the shelf you like, bring it over and I'll see how many rupees you've got."

"What do you have?"

"Can't you see for yourself!?" Aria snapped before quickly calming down. "No... no... Can't afford to lose another customer." She then walked over to where the items were located and began to explain. "I've got Recovery Hearts, Bombs, a Shovel, a shield, a Piece of Heart, and this weird tile. There! That's everything I've got for now. You better be interested in these otherwise I'm gonna get real mad."

"I would like some bombs, please."

"That will be twenty rupees for ten bombs." Aria said. I handed over the money and she gave me the bombs in a bag. "Thank you very much for the purchase, and thank you for not stealing anything. I have a feeling you're going to be quite the regular customer."

I had about a hundred rupees on me now and even though I wanted to buy everything she had, I knew that was possible as some items looked really expensive. I asked her about the shovel and she said that it was worth two hundred rupees, the same with the Piece of Heart. Yikes! No way could I afford either one for now. The shield wasn't necessary because of already having one on my person and hearts weren't all that important since I could find them whenever monsters decided to drop any upon defeating them. All that remained in her stock was the weird tile as she called it.

"What about that tile?"

"Oh that?" Aria answered. "It's something I acquired a while ago but no one seems interested. According to Dampé, it holds a power that can create a dungeon room or something like that, but she was being so annoying with her rhyming that I'm not even sure she's right." She sighed heavily. "It costs 1,250 rupees. I know it's a hefty price but considering these are hard to come by, you might have some interest in it. Who knows, not that I care. Anyway, are you going to buy anything else?"

"You know Dampé?" I asked, making sure not to mention the name Zecora.

Aria nodded. "Despite not living around here, she does come by every once in a while. Sure, she looks weird but believe me, I've seen weirder than her. When she found that I had that tile, she went on a spiel about it to the point where I thought I was going to get bored to death."

"I might be interested in it... Later on down the road."

"Not like it's going anywhere!"

Thinking that ten bombs weren't enough, I decided to buy ten more which left me with only eighty rupees left. I had a feeling that the shovel was going to be very useful so I needed to start saving up my rupees. The Piece of Heart would most likely be an impulse purchase and as for the tile... Zecora would need to fill me in on that. Aria was right about me being a regular customer as she had exactly what I needed. Hopefully, the shovel wasn't going to be needed until much later on (Famous last words right there). Since I didn't need to buy anything else for now, I thanked Aria and she hoped to see me again later.

Leaving the Item Shop, there was nothing else for me to do in Mabe Village so it was finally time for me to start the next stage of this journey. Heading eastward towards the east exist of the village, Starlight had been right about boulders blocking the way out. A nearby sign said that ahead was both Animal Village and a place called Kanalet Castle which Starlight had also mentioned. Picking up a boulder and tossing it aside, I continued on and immediately noticed a cave nearby. I felt compelled to check it out, so I did and entered it and came across both a treasure chest and a Piece of Heart surrounded by more boulders and some skulls.

Two Green Zols popped up but I quickly defeated them both with my sword though neither dropped anything. From there, I began pushing boulders around (These weren't the heavy ones mind you) to reach the treasure chest and opened it up to reveal a purple rupee which I took. I did have to leave the cave and go back in to reset everything because I couldn't reach the Piece of Heart. When back inside, I moved the boulders in a different pattern and lifted the heavy skulls, tossing both aside before grabbing the Piece of Heart. It's warmth made me feel better but I knew I still needed more to improve my health.

Heading back outside, I saw an Octorok, but something was different about it. "Why does that Octorok have wings?"

"Because it's a Winged Octorok." Princess Twilight answered. "Unlike regular Octoroks, these ones have wings which they can use to fly for a limited amount of time. If you try to attack them, they will take to the air and land behind you before spitting out a rock at you. To defeat them, you can either use the Roc's Feather and attack them in the air or wait until they land before striking. If you're not confident with fighting aerial enemies, they can be ignored entirely."

Then I noticed a strange marked platform. "Hey!" I shouted while pointing at it. "What's that?"

"Let's take a look." Princess Twilight suggested. I made my way over to the platform making sure to avoid the Winged Octorok (I did cut down the grass along the way acquiring several rupees in the process) and when I reached the platform, I saw that it had some kind of sun-like symbol etched into it. Her Highness then took a closer look at it and as she did, she constantly tilted her head as she pondered over many possibilities, and upon coming back over to me, her shrugging shoulders told me she had no clue. "Well I'm stumped. I've never seen anything like it before."

"Could it be magical?"

"Maybe but I didn't feel anything."

"Should I try using an item?"

Princess Twilight shook her head. "I don't think the Roc's Feather and Power Bracelet will help here, Sunset." She scratched her head and continued tilting it as her though process began going into overtime. "Okay! How about this for an idea... Just walk onto it."

"Wat!?" I frowned.

"It's all I can think of."

"Fine..." I stepped onto the platform and it began glowing in a bright blue light. "Don't... say... a word..." Her Highness nodded knowing that her idea was the solution. I couldn't believe that's what it took though it didn't explain what was supposed to happen. "Guess we'll need to find another one like this somewhere. Surely this has to be magic?"

"Until we find another one, we can only assume."

Stepping off of the platform, I looked around to see what I could do next. The tell-tale sign of a telephone was the best place to start since I could do with Discord confirming a couple of things for me. There was a path heading south as well as continuing going east but my first priority had to be Discord. I wasn't abusing his services seeing as he insisted on me phoning him up whenever I needed his help, but I always feared that he wouldn't be able to give me the right kind of advice for a given situation. Princess Twilight had filled the void but not even she had all the answers. Walking around a tree and entering the booth, I picked up the phone and waited.

BRRIIINNG! BRRIIINNG!

"D'oh ho ho! Hi, it's Ulrira!" Discord said on the other end.

"It's me again." I said.

"You know, I ought to know your name since I, well, don't know it."

"My name is Sunset Shimmer."

"I shall remember that name from now on whenever I hear your voice." Discord rocked in his rocking chair as I could hear it in the background. "Anyway, have you talked to everyone on the island yet?"

I was taken aback by his question. "How could I have talked to everyone when I haven't even explored roughly half of the island yet?"

Discord laughed. "D'oh ho ho! I guess I should've been a bit more specific there, but judging from your response, that would be a no. Not to worry though because I am here to help you figure out where to go next." While his laughing at me was annoying, I couldn't hold a grudge since he did admit he was at fault. "There is a woman named Richard who lives southeast of the village in Pothole Field. Why not pay her a visit? I know she is someone you haven't met yet. I know what you're thinking so let me put that thought to rest. Yes, her name is Richard but it's best not to question her name choices."

"Why do they call it Pothole Field?"

"You might not see it straight away but once you start cutting down those shrubs, the name will make sense pretty quickly." Discord was about to hang up (I knew this because I could hear him tapping the phone on his end) when he suddenly remembered something. "You know, someone like you should pay a visit to the Seashell Mansion in Ukuku Prairie. Sure, it might not be an exciting place, but the Great Fairy knows how to take care of it. I know little about it but she definitely does. Don't worry about not finding it. You can't miss it. That's all I can tell you for now, bye!"

CLICK!

Thanks to Discord, Princess Twilight and I now had more information with which to work with. First, we needed to speak to this woman named Richard. Yes... I actually was wondering why she was given a male name, but like Discord said, it was best I didn't question it otherwise I wouldn't be getting her help. He also gave us the name of that house Starlight mentioned that had to do with those Secret Seashells, and that Adagio herself was the caretaker since she was portraying the Great Fairy like she had on previous adventures. A shame that he didn't say where I could find it but he said I couldn't miss it.

Leaving the telephone booth, I also thought about this place called Pothole Field. A pothole was a hole in the ground that formed due to the earth eroding over time resulting in said hole and causing headaches for people both on foot and on the road. On Koholint Island, the equivalent here were those holes I had been seeing everywhere... oh no. An entire field comprised entirely of those!? I had a feeling I'd have to explore it as why else would it have a name like everything else did? Sometimes, these adventures really took their toll on me emotionally but there wasn't much that could be done other than accept it.

Just as I was about to head south, I saw another Winged Octorok but it was looking in the other direction and hadn't bothered to notice me. However, the other monster nearby clearly did and came at me with sword and shield at the ready. "Is that a Moblin? I mean, there is some similarity but I can't quite place it."

"This is a Boarblin." Princess Twilight said. "It's a relative of the Moblin and so you'll find that they have the same attack patterns as their counterparts. Meaning you'll encounter ones with spears and others with swords and shields like the one before you. Boarblins make their home here in Ukuku Prairie but they also live in the Tal Tal Mountains so expect to see them later on when we eventually have to go up there."

Since that was the case, dealing with Boarblins wasn't going to be much of an issue. Raising my own shield, I parried the sword of the Boarblin causing it to rear back and drop its guard long enough for me to hit it twice with my own sword. It disappeared upon defeat in a puff of smoke much like every monster on this island and it left behind a Guardian Acorn which I picked up which provided a temporary defence boost. Ignoring the Winged Octorok, I kept going south only to discover that I couldn't go any further due to numerous holes in the ground blocking the way. Even with the Roc's Feather, I wasn't about to jump across so many holes.

In fact, I would need a lot of speed before jumping in order to reach the other side. Since that way wasn't possible for now, I decided to double back and go the other way south I had originally intended before taking the detour towards the telephone booth. Heading south along the side of a cliff, I went around the corner and came across an interesting place, and one that was very familiar. Much like Tail Cave before it, I had come across a gated cave, and because I was more wizened than before, I knew that this had to be the next dungeon. Statues placed in front of the entrance depicted a one-eyed creature of unknown origin.

Walking up to the one statue that had a keyhole on it, I read what it said. "It says 'Insert Slime Key here'... Slime Key?"

Princess Twilight shrugged. "I guess we need to find this key in order to enter this next dungeon." She then took a closer look at the landscape. "It looks like you need to unlock the entrance from here and then go around counter-clockwise a ways to reach the other side."

"Ugh! Backtracking!"

"It can't be helped."

I grumbled to myself but I knew Her Highness was right. I then had another thought. "How do we even begin to figure out where this Slime Key is? Flash Sentry hasn't shown up for a while and he was the one who told us about the Tail Key."

"Yes, that is a concern we can't ignore." Princess Twilight began flittering about which meant she was in deep thought so I kept quiet while she tried coming up with an idea. A couple of minutes later, she came up with a possible solution. "We might need to talk to this Richard that Discord mentioned. If anyone knows about this area, it would be her. I'm not entirely confident about this, Sunset, but I can't really think of much else aside from her."

"Let's hope we can find this Pothole Field soon." I said. Since the only way forward was to go south, I ignored the entrance to the Key Cavern (What does a Slime Key have to do with a Key Cavern apart from the two having the word 'key' in their respective names?), and kept moving, turning left where I slapped my forehead upon realizing that this was the place. We had arrived in Pothole Field.

"It doesn't look like there any holes here." Princess Twilight said as she observed the area. "Then again, Discord did say we'd find out when you cut down the shrubs." She then tried counting how many shrubs were presented but quickly stopped when it became apparent that there were too many. "This Richard lives here... and I think that house at the southern end of this field is the precise location. At least we didn't have to look too hard." She then noticed I had an angry look on my face and my left eye was twitching. "Um... Sunset? Are you okay? Do you want to vent out your anger?"

"No..." I answered as I calmed down. "I keep forgetting that we're on an island and things are a lot closer than I think."

"I can see why something like that would annoy you."

"I was about to explode but realized it'd be a waste of time."

"Well, talking to Richard should definitely be worthwhile.

I nodded. "Hopefully she can lead us to this Slime Key."

As I walked south towards the house, I couldn't help but take in the surroundings of this area. The immoveable stones were a sign of craftsmanship but at the same disappointing because they forced me to go the long way around due to not being able to move them. Also, those shrubs could surely provide me with rupees and if my previous adventures were any indication, leaving and coming back would respawn the shrubs, a perfect grinding place if I needed it. Soon, I reached the house and the outside had surely seen better days. Moss was growing on the roof in several places and a couple of vines were sprouting about.

Entering the house, the interior was way better which made me wonder why allow the outside to fall into a state of decay. There was several frogs hopping around and a giant frog statue located by a desk reinforced that Richard had a fascination with them. There was also a bed, a couch, various photos, trophies, other nick-knacks, a withered plant, a living plant on a nearby table, and finally, a bookshelf containing books. With all this stuff, you could live here for months on end without any problems, but no kitchen meant having to go out in order to acquire food for survival.

Princess Twilight then bopped me on the head. "Sunset..."

"What?"

"It's... it's... it's Tempest!"

Looking at Richard herself seeing as I glossed over her as I was looking at the décor, she indeed turned out to be Tempest Shadow, or Fizzlepop Berrytwist though only a select few were allowed to call her that. I never met Tempest personally, but Princess Twilight told me all about how she joined the Storm King, serving as his personal weapon, instigating an attack on Equestria, stealing the magic of the princesses, and ultimately finding out that she had been used all along. Upon reforming, she went off to let others know of the Storm King's defeat, reconciled with an old friend, and eventually helped to defeat Lord Tirek, Chrysalis, and Cozy Glow.

And I thought I had a storied and troubled past. Tempest definitely put me to shame on that front but unlike me, she had trouble embracing some of Equestria's more intriguing ways to the point where she felt uncomfortable. Her Highness had hoped to make her another personal student but Tempest declined saying she needed to figure things out on her own. I'd say she had succeeded there given that she appeared in the final battle for the future of Equestria. If she hadn't then she wouldn't have shown up. Her most distinguishing feature was a scar running down her right eye and of course, her broken horn, arguably her true distinguishing feature.

In this world though, she was a human and so didn't have her horn (It was for the best come to think of it). Princess Twilight was clearly nervous about talking with Tempest due to previous encounters, but I didn't have such feelings since this was my first time meeting her... well... this version and not the original. I decided to break the ice. "Hello there. I was told that someone lived here and that someone was you."

"Salutations!" Tempest said, flipping back her cape and striking a pose. "My name is Richard and I welcome you to my villa!" There was a brief awkward silence between us as I tried to make sense of why she was acting like an aristocrat but Tempest eventually broke the silence. "You wouldn't know by the look of me but I used to live in the castle."

"What castle would that be?"

"Kanalet Castle!" Tempest was clearly stunned by my question. "Do you mean to tell me that you've never heard of it before?" I shook my head and she was even more stunned but quickly regained her composure. I noticed she clenched her hand into a fist, a sign of volatile temperament, but then she saw me looking and quickly stopped. "Really!? Come on! I know for a fact that everyone on the island knows about Kanalet Castle." She sighed before sitting down on a chair. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. You look like you're from somewhere where knowledge of my existence and castle are limited."

"You could say that."

"And why say such a thing?"

"I'm... Not from around here." I answered. I couldn't tell Tempest that I wasn't from the island. Well, she wouldn't believe even if I told her, but then I didn't want to bring too much attention to myself. "Anyway, I'm here because you can help me."

"Allow me to finish my story first." Tempest said as she flipped back her cape again. I held out my hands and motioned for her to continue. "Some time ago, I lived in the castle and everything was wonderful, but then it all fell apart when my servants went berserk. I was forced to flee here to this villa where I have remained ever since, my servants blind rage consuming them even now. There... I have finished my story so now you wish for my help?"

I nodded. "I'm looking for the key that opens the Key Cavern in Ukuki Prairie."

"You speak of the Slime Key, yes?"

"That's the one!"

"I may just have what you're after..." I knew that Tempest was going to ask me something since I could tell by the tone in her voice. "Sure, I'll let you have the key but it's not going to be quite so simple. Nothing in this world is free you know. If you want the key, you must first collect the Golden Leaf I left behind in the castle when I fled. Actually, there are five such leaves, and I want them all. If you help me than I will help in return. We shall both benefit."

"I don't have much of a choice do I?"

Tempest nodded. "Not if you want to get your hands on that key."

Then I nodded. "I agree to your terms."

"Smashing!"

"How do I get into the castle?"

"My servants have closed the drawbridge so you cannot go in that way." Tempest answered. She got up from her chair, rubbed her chin, and began pacing back and forth as she thought about how to solve this little dilemma. "My castle is frequented by monkeys, adorable little fellas, who love bananas more than anything else. If you were to placate them with their favourite food, you might be able to get inside via their assistance. You will also need to get yourself a shovel."

"Come again?"

"You will need a shovel."

"Oh."

"Good luck!"

Crap! I don't have a shovel! I thought I wouldn't need it until later on and not right away. Without enough rupees on hand to buy one, I could only do so much in the castle before being forced to backtrack. I could see myself going back and forth several times before I was finished with this errand. I only had 130 rupees in total and the shovel cost 200 so I needed to get my hands on another seventy from somewhere. It meant I had to grind for a while. At least I didn't have a time limit unlike my previous adventure, but grinding was something that was tedious because it was a waste of time.

Telling Tempest that I would be back, I left her villa and began thinking about where to go next. Unfortunately, I couldn't get into Pothole Field proper as I suspected she was the only one who knew how to get in there. That meant my grinding had to be somewhere else. I could remain in this area and cut down the shrubs and respawn them all by entering and exiting from the village but I had no idea how long it would take before getting enough. No... That was too much grinding for very little profit. Sighing, I decided to keep on moving. Perhaps there might be something in this Castle Kanalet that could give me plenty of rupees.

As I began heading east, it turned out that getting the bananas from Bulk Biceps was the smart thing for me to do. If Tempest was right about those monkeys, they were my key to entering the castle through an unorthodox manner. Heading around a corner, seeing so many inaccessible shrubs teased me like you wouldn't believe. The rupee potential was immense and I couldn't do anything about it. I could even see a Piece of Heart hiding amongst the shrubs up in the top right corner of Pothole Field. Again, another moment of teasing right there. Upon leaving the area and re-entering Ukuku Prairie, I decided to go right. It was inevitable to me at this point that I had no choice but to backtrack.

"Is that... A flying mushroom?" I asked upon seeing a winged mushroom with eyes flying about.

"That's a Zirro." Princess Twilight answered.

"It looks harmless."

"Wait for it..." I had no idea what Her Highness meant until it suddenly dropped a bomb that exploded a second later. "Zirro attack by dropping bombs and if you get caught in the explosion, you will take a lot of damage. As such, these monsters are one of the most dangerous on the island. They are swift at flying which makes them difficult to hit but when defeated, they tend to drop fairies though not always so don't rely on them for a quick healing fix. This would be a case where I recommend you avoid the monster given how it poses a major threat because of those bombs."

"Good idea."

"By the way, there's a telephone booth up ahead."

"Perfect!"

"You need to talk to Discord again?"

I nodded. "That and get some shelter seeing as there are monsters everywhere around here." Sure enough, several Winged Octoroks were also in the immediate area and combined with this Zirro enemy, I didn't want to end up getting overwhelmed. Making a mad dash, I ran into the telephone booth before stopping and breathing heavily. "Whew! That was a bit too close for comfort though there is the issue of dealing with them upon going back outside again." Once I recovered, I picked up the phone.

BRRIIINNG! BRRIIINNG!

"D'oh ho ho! Ya, it's Ulrira!" Discord said upon answering. "Sunset Shimmer? You're calling me again so soon? You must really be having some trouble. D'oh ho ho! Sorry for the laugh but I find it charming how you need me again. Now don't tell me! Let me guess what the problem is. Hmmm... Golden Leaves... You say you haven't found all five of them yet? I hear they are hidden in some very weird locations."

"How did you know what I was going to ask?"

"There is little on this island I don't know about."

"So... can you help?"

Discord laughed. I couldn't be mad at him for the constant laughing because he had been incredibly helpful. "I'm going to do something different for you this time. I'll give you two hints for the price of one since you sound utterly desperate. Now, those Golden Leaves... Most of them you can easily find but you should ask the crow at the castle. I'm sure he can help find one for you."

"And the other hint?"

"I didn't forget." Discord answered, his chair rocking in the background once more. "A shovel... Did you purchase a shovel from the Item Shop? I highly suggest that you buy one as soon as possible otherwise you're not going to get any further. Don't knock shovels though. D'oh Ho Ho! Get it? Ahem! You may find something if you dig here and there. What might be buried under the ground? It's best to discover such things on your own. No sense in revealing everything now is there?"

"No... I guess not."

"I hope that answers your concerns, bye for now!"

CLICK!

I wished he didn't hammer home the fact that I needed the shovel. It wasn't bad enough that Tempest told me I needed one but now Discord as well. At this rate, I was expecting someone else to tell me the same thing. Ugh! Why were rupees so hard to come by!? Without a shovel, my journey had come to a crashing halt, but it wasn't entirely over since there were things I could still do before I had truly hit a dead-end. My options included going to the Seashell Mansion, checking out Kantalet Castle, and grinding for rupees. I ultimately decided on the first option since option three could be done along the way.

Leaving the telephone booth, I went to the right and began avoiding the Zirro as it was gunning for me and came upon a fork in the road. On my left was Kantalet Castle which wasn't where I wanted to go right now so heading right was my choice. I walked south and looked behind quickly to see that the Zirro had chosen to go back the other way so I didn't have to deal with it for a while. More Winged Octoroks were now in front of me and just ahead were several Boarblins. The Guardian Acorn, long since having worn off, meant my normal defence was in play so I hoped to take care of these monsters and not take too much damage.

The Boarblins all had spears so with my shield raised, I barrelled my way into them. Spears were flying and bouncing off my shield while my sword swung about in hopes of connecting with these monsters. Rocks were also flying everywhere thanks to those Winged Octoroks but my shield deflected away the rocks and while I wanted to defeat them, they were more of a nuisance rather than an actual threat. Defeating the Boarblins proved extremely lucrative as each dropped a blue rupee that were worth five apiece giving me fifteen more to my total of 130 to 145 so now I needed fifty-five more.

My path then went left and up the hill where even more Boarblins with spears were waiting for me. I applied the same tactics I used on the other ones just now and overcame them after having to repel so many spears. To my delight, they also dropped blue rupees which I collected giving me even more--I now had 160 rupees. That's when my jaw dropped upon seeing two magnificent sights. The first was Kanalet Castle which was massive. It couldn't hold a candle to the likes of Canterlot for example but still, it was very impressive. Did Tempest truly live here in this world?

The other was what had to be the Seashell Mansion. It was obvious because of the giant seashell built into the side and the exterior looking like a beach. Walking up to and entering it, I couldn't believe at how it was just as magnificent on the inside as it was outside. What stood out most of all was a fixture that had green liquid oozing at the bottom. I hoped that liquid wouldn't leak out or anything or I'd be in a lot of trouble. This place screamed seashells because of how many hung from the ceiling and overall, the setting made me feel quaint like I had no troubles in the world.

Upon taking a step forward, Adagio appeared before me as I was expecting thanks to what Discord told me. "We meet again, young girl. I suspect that you already knew I was going to be here so I need not introduce myself. Welcome to the Seashell Mansion. I serve as the guardian of the mansion. There is no doubt in my mind about you. You are the one who can overcome the darkness."

"The darkness?" I asked.

"This island is coated in a darkness that must be purged."

"I've already defeated two Nightmares."

"A small amount of progress but you must go further." Adagio said. She walked toward me and I couldn't help but feel inferior to her because of what she was. I was also expecting her to suddenly backstab me yet she smiled with such a gentle smile that my worries quickly melted away. This island needs you, young girl. Only you can overcome the darkness that chokes it with its vile essence. As you are now, you possess great power, but you can become even more powerful through the Secret Seashells."

"And how do I do that?"

"By collecting them and coming here, you will be able to acquire the Ultimate Sword."

I was liking the sound of that. My current sword was doing well for me but I felt that without a Piece of Power, I often struggled against strong monsters, and this was especially true with the Nightmares. "I only have two Secret Seashells so far."

"That is not enough for you receive the sword." Adagio said sadly as she shook her head. "You would need at least twenty-five shells before it can be bequeathed unto you. A daunting task but one I know can be achieved by you, young girl. The shells are hidden well in places overlooked by most while others hide in plain sight but require something special such as an instrument or perhaps a means of digging. Right now, nothing will happen here so you should return later when you have collected more. As always, please visit one of my many fairy fountains scattered across the island. And... Perhaps you might find my secret fountain."

"Secret fountain?"

"In the world of colour."

Before I had a chance to ask for more details, Adagio disappeared leaving me alone in the mansion and with a lot to think about. I definitely wanted a stronger sword but to have to find so many Secret Seashells? It was a daunting task especially since I had no idea where they were. I doubted Discord could help me and Princess Twilight already said she knew little about them which left me to find them on my own. Even if I was given hints by Adagio, using an instrument and digging with a shovel (Another thing I needed it for), I didn't know where to dig or where to play a song.

Leaving the mansion, I made my way back down the hill and around in order to make my way to Kanalet Castle. None of the monsters had respawned so it was clear sailing though the ones that I ignored previously attacked and I avoided them but took a couple of hits in the process. At least that Zirro didn't hit me with any bombs otherwise I'd practically be crawling my way up to the castle drawbridge. Once at the drawbridge, I began looking around for any signs of a monkey. To my left were several holes I couldn't jump over without any speed so going right was my only option.

Walking along, I reached a dead-end but looking left, I saw a monkey who appeared to be suspicious since it was just standing there. "Well... We found a monkey, but how am I supposed to communicate with it?"

"Can you speak monkey?"

"No, and I don't think it knows sign language."

"Good thing I do."

"Sign language?"

"No... Speak monkey." Princess Twilight answered. I wasn't even going to ask how she knew how to do that. I was just going to stand here and let her do what she usually does, perform some kind of miracle that would even make Pinkie Pie jealous. Her Highness floated down to the monkey who immediately took a liking to her. "Hello. I am Princess Twilight Sparkle, and I was wondering if you can help me and my friend here."

"Kiki help fairy!"

"Ah, so your name is Kiki?"

"Yes! Kiki named Kiki! You want help from Kiki? Need bananas!"

"Is that so?"

"Have bananas?"

"What is that monkey saying?" I asked.

"Kiki here says that he will help us out if we can give him some bananas." Princess Twilight answered. "Take out those bananas and place them in front of him. I'd do it myself but they are a bit too big for me to carry and my fairy magic is limited. I'm sure he will do something once he gets his hands on them." Since I didn't understand the conversation, I had to trust in her judgement. Reaching into a pocket, I took out the bananas and placed them in front of the monkey named Kiki before stepping back and Princess Twilight resumed. "Here you go! I hope you are satisfied with these?"

"Bananas! Bananas! Oooh! Ooh! Kiki! Monkeys! Come! Repay her! Kiki!" Wait? Did he just say monkeys? Sure enough, various monkeys came out of nowhere from all directions and began creating something. I couldn't see what it was due to so much dust but I was amazed at how many of them there were. A few seconds later and the monkeys had finished what they were doing, a bridge that allowed me to enter the castle grounds without needing the drawbridge. "Monkey business! Done! Bye bye! Oooh! Kiki!" As they left, one of them dropped a stick which I decided to pick up. Yes... An actual stick.

"Um... What do I need a stick for?" I asked.

"I don't know but you should take it anyway." Princess Twilight answered.

"Yeah, I guess it couldn't hurt."

"Now we can access the castle."

"I'm still upset at the fact that I don't have a shovel."

"You're only forty rupees shy of buying it from Aria so perhaps some grinding is in order?"

Though it pained me to want to admit it, I had no other choice but to grind for the remaining rupees. Perhaps I should've explored the island further instead of wanting to rush ahead with the journey or maybe I should've tried winning those purple rupees from the Trendy Shop Game? Sadly, what's done was done and I had to grind as a consequence. Crossing the makeshift bridge, I entered Kanalet Castle but not the castle proper and began looking around. According to Tempest, her servants went berserk and there was no doubt I would be fighting some of them in my search for the Golden Leaves.

Walking forward, things were not only beautiful but relatively peaceful. Nothing was attacking me which made me nervous as who knew what lurked on the other side of those castle walls that separated the inside from the outside. There was a telephone booth which made me curious as to how Discord managed to get one out here of all places, but I knew that if I needed his help for anything, I could phone him from here instead of going back to the other one. To my left was a shrub that was suspicious since it was on its own and surrounded by lovely flowers. Slashing with my sword, the shrub revealed a staircase and my way forward.

Going down the stairs, I entered an underground passage that was swarmed with some Goombas. I thought about using my sword at first but then an idea hit me. What if I jumped on them like you do in a Mario game. It's not like I was going to lose any sleep over it if I chose to go with the sword. Jumping on both Goombas and flattening them, each dropped a heart which I picked up to restore my health back to full. If that happened every time, they were definitely useful whenever I encountered them. I then used the Roc's Feather to jump over a few spiked pits and stepped on a couple more Goombas before reaching the ladder.

Climbing, I was now in the inner walls of the castle's outside area. "Okay, so there are five Golden Leaves in here?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "We know that one of them has to do with a crow so that leaves only four more to find. I suggest looking around the outside as thoroughly as you can before heading inside. I have a feeling the Golden Leaves are scattered about both in and out of the castle. Remember that Tempest's servants are going to fight you with every intention of killing you so you need to take them seriously. Now... which way should we go? Left, or right?"

I looked in both directions and saw that both had an armoured soldier waiting for me. "Both directions have their problems."

"Yes." Princess Twilight said. "Those are Darknuts. Despite having a strange name, they are formidable warriors who can deal quite a bit of damage if you're not careful. In terms of fighting style, they are the same as both Moblins and Boarblins so you're not at a complete disadvantage. Keep your shield raised at all times and watch out for their swords."

I decided to go left though to be fair, both directions were sure to have their own additional obstacles for me to deal with. Upon seeing me approach, the Darknut charged forward with its sword raised and when it collided with my shield, it got parried back but I was pushed back in the process. Her Highness was right about them being formidable. As I regained my composure, the Darknut had done the same and thrust forward with its sword. My shield protected me again but again I got pushed back. I wished I had something to stun it with but I didn't so I'd just have to be a tad more aggressive.

Raising its sword again, the Darknut was about to strike when I thrust with my own sword. We both hit each other and while it took some damage, I felt like I had gotten hit by a truck because of how powerful it was. I struck again defeating it before dropping onto one knee as I reeled from the blow. I wasn't in mortal peril or anything but that sword strike definitely did a number on me. I could only fear the kinds of monsters that awaited for me both inside the castle and later on in future dungeons. Once I felt ready to continue, I got back up and walked after the corner and spotted a crow looking down at me from a tree.

"That must be the crow Discord mentioned."

"And it is an enemy."

"That figures."

"Crows on Koholint Island are usually seen in graveyards or wastelands but to see one around here is pretty rare." Princess Twilight said. She then quickly realized something and began bopping me on the head (One of her favourite things to do) to get my attention. "When Discord said for you to talk to the crow, I believe he meant attacking it in order to acquire one of those Golden Leaves that Tempest talked about." Darting around, she quickly came up with an idea. The crow won't do anything since it thinks itself safe so maybe doing something to provoke it will guarantee results."

The only thing I could think of was rolling into the tree but I don't think I'm able to because of this world's physics so I decided to go with the next idea. I tried to see if I could hit it with my sword and coax the crow into attacking me. Swinging my sword, it connected with the tree with a loud thud and the crow attacked as expected. It was quite fast since it was a bird and all and began pecking me as thanks for hitting the tree. After enduring this for several seconds, I swung my sword which connected and I kept on swinging, connecting a second time which defeated the crow and leaving behind a Golden Leaf... As well as many bruises.

"It's... Quite beautiful." I said as I picked it up and carefully pocketed it.

"Yes, and you need to find four more."

"I hope I won't need a shovel to find any that may be buried."

"We won't know until we explore this castle." Princess Twilight then looked at my wounds. "That crow took its toll on you so maybe we should go back the other way? That would throw you into the path of the Darknut and the one you defeated proved how strong they are. I know you like being a little reckless and at times that can be helpful, but maybe you should slow down a tad, Sunset? Seeing you get hurt makes me really upset."

I nodded. "Yeah, I'll slow down."

Heading south and running into no additional monsters, I had to admit that the castle grounds were peaceful aside from said monsters of course. Again, Canterlot had this place beat, the same with Princess Twilight's castle but props for whoever designed this place overall. Walking around the corner, I could see the other side of the drawbridge. If I could lower it down, going in and out of this place would be a whole lot easier for me. To my left was the castle entrance but I needed to keep checking around outside. Another Darknut was on patrol so I carefully moved closer with my shield raised.

It noticed and charged at me with its sword and I parried with my shield. Like with the previous one, I got pushed back every time because of its power. The Darknut continued pounding against my shield until my back was up against the wall but then I figured I could use that to my advantage. As it swung again, I quickly stepped to the side but not before getting nicked in the arm and the Darknut's body shook upon striking its sword against the wall. Two sword strikes later and I prevailed though my arm felt sore from being hit. My heart sank upon seeing a second one patrolling nearby yet it hadn't noticed me and continued on with its patrol.

Slipping past and around the corner, I came across six holes in the ground. Five of them were in the formation of a pentagon with the last one being in the middle. Something about them felt off to me as though something was going to happen. Suddenly, something popped out from a hole, threw a bomb, and went back down again. I barely had enough time to avoid getting caught in the explosion's blast. Whatever did that appeared from another hole and repeated its attack before disappearing again. The bomb exploded leaving me worried that I was eventually going to get blown up by a bomb.

Princess Twilight told me to get back and I did. "This is a Mad Bomber!" She shouted as it popped out from yet another hole before tossing a bomb and diving back down. The bomb was no where near me when it exploded so that one could be best described as a dud. "This is the only enemy like this on the island! Anyway, he was once one of Tempest's servants who went berserk. As you've already guessed, he will come out from a hole at random and toss a bomb at you. These explode almost immediately so watch out for those. You need to predict his movements and attack quickly."

"Do you think he has a Golden Leaf?"

"Only way to know is to defeat him."

"So it's like playing Whack-A-Mole?"

"Yes, you could say that."

Approaching the six holes, the Mad Bomber appeared from the top right hole and tossed a bomb. I panicked and stepped back as it exploded, the explosion radius was one I hadn't paid much attention to until now, so I needed to otherwise I was going to get hurt severely. He dove back down and I waited for him to make his next appearance. He popped up from the lower left hole and as he tossed his bomb at me, I responded by striking him as much as possible before he went back underground, the bomb exploding in the meantime, my back feeling it as that could've been bad.

The Mad Bomber popped up one hole north of where he was before and tossed his bomb. I tried to see if I could use my shield to knock it back at him but he quickly ducked back down leaving that idea a bust. I backed away as the bomb exploded so perhaps just attacking repeatedly was the best approach. For the next couple of minutes, the Mad Bomber would pop out from a hole, toss his bomb, and quickly disappear before I could reach him. While this strategy of his annoyed me because of how predictable it was as well as being slow, it was proving itself to be very effective. If I got too close, he would dive down.

He eventually popped up from the middle hole and I managed to hit him many times before he tossed his bomb. I stepped back and it exploded though I wasn't far back enough and got caught on the fringe of it. Meaning, I didn't take as much damage. He reappeared in the same location which was perfect timing as I struck him more times, and it turned out to be enough as he disappeared in the usual puff of smoke monsters did upon defeat and leaving me another Golden Leaf. Two down, three more to go. Looking forward, I could see one of the initial Darknuts which meant I had gone in a complete circle.

"I don't see anymore Golden Leaves out here."

"Then the rest must be inside the castle."

"One can only hope." I said as I gulped. "I mean, if only two are inside and the other is out here but I can't see it, it means I'd need to grind rupees to buy the shovel and I'd have to leave and come back again."

"Unfortunately, I can't pinpoint their exact location."

I shrugged. "It's what it is, Twilight." I looked at my wounds and while I was bruised all over as well as suffering from some minute bleeding, I could continue on though I would be sure to take things slowly as I expected more Darknuts were waiting inside. "Makes me wish I had an empty bottle or two with which to store potions and fairies in them."

"You've not found any so there's not much you can do about it." Princess Twilight then looked up at the sky and quickly pointed at the sun. "I'd say we've got about a couple of hours before the sun goes down. Once we're done here, we'll go back to Tempest with however many Golden Leaves you found and ask if you can stay the night. I know you've explored worlds like these after dark but I think you need sleep especially after all you've been through as of late. As for me, I need to do some map charting. While we did see a map of the island in the library, you need your own map and it should be easy for me to make one."

I smiled. "What would I do without you?"

"We're friends, Sunset." Princess Twilight answered, smiling back. "Now, we should probably continue by going into the castle. Make sure you don't lose those Golden Leaves otherwise Tempest is probably going to be pretty angry with you."

Nodding, I went back the way I came making sure to avoid the Darknut I had ignored before and went around the corner until I was back at the castle entrance. There were shrubs in front of the entrance prompting me to cut them down in hopes for some rupees or even recovery hearts. The latter ended up being more frequent which I appreciated in this case since I was expecting strong opposition inside. Entering the castle through the front door, the evil aura I felt all around made me feel uneasy. Breathing in and out and steeling myself, I walked forward and was prepared to take on what awaited.

To Be Continued.

Chapter 9: Dungeon of Keys.

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.
By Ganondorf8.
November 20, 2019.
Chapter 9: Dungeon of Keys.

I had to say this about the interior of Kanalet Castle, it definitely looked spotless despite it being filled with berserk servants. Like the outside however, the interior just couldn't hold a candle against the likes of Canterlot but you had to give props to the designer. To think that in this world, Tempest Shadow used to live here but was forced to flee. Come to think of it, she never explained why her servants turned against her. That's a pretty important detail right there she neglected to tell me about, but I couldn't really do much about it since I was here and all, and yet I could always ask when I come back.

Walking forward slightly before stopping and looking to my left, I could see a Darknut was pacing back and forth. Since there was only one of them around, I should have no trouble defeating it though something else was making me think that perhaps my confidence had been misplaced. A Red Gel bouncing about nearby wasn't the issue but rather the skull surrounding by flames. On the one hand, it looked familiar like I had seen it somewhere before, but my mind was drawing a complete blank. On the other, all it did was bounce off of anything considered a wall.

"What is that thing?" I asked.

"That's a Bubble, and not the kind you blow from a bubble maker." Princess Twilight answered.

I rolled my eyes. "I know that."

"Bubbles are said to contain the spirits of the dead." Princess Twilight said. She then pointed at it and I watched as it bounced off the walls going past me only to bounce back the other way and around the corner. "In some worlds, you can use your sword against them but only if their flames are removed. In this world however, swords have no effect and they are immune to most conventional means. You're lucky that they aren't invincible which is the case in one or two worlds."

"How do I defeat them?"

"Magic Powder is surprisingly effective."

I took out the bag containing Magic Powder and glanced at it. "Really? This stuff will work on those Bubbles?" I then put it back in my pocket as I didn't want to accidentally use any and thus having less to work with later. "No offence, Twilight, but I can't really imagine it doing anything other than fan their flames or make them twinkle."

I could tell Her Highness was ignoring my bad attempt at a joke so as not to laugh. "Using Magic Powder on Bubbles turns them into fairies which I know is very helpful to the likes of you, Sunset, but it's not easy to hit them with the powder. Their movement is erratic and you might end up wasting precious powder that you might need to light up torches or solve some other kind of puzzle. One other item is effective on them but you don't have it so there's no point in worrying about it. Just make sure to avoid them if you feel you can't sprinkle any powder on them or if you're running low."

"Magic Powder is precious... too precious."

"So it seems."

"One other thing... Can they inflict damage to me?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "They can. In some worlds, they can even drain your magic but you don't have any so that doesn't apply here. They are usually found in dungeons so seeing one here in this castle is very surprising. Oh yeah! Bubbles won't alert other monsters as they basically play by their own rules."

The way Her Highness described them, Bubbles were a combination of annoying, helpful, and being complete enigmas. I guessed it just depended on the current situation as to what they would be for me. Still, the fact that yet another monster that was immune to swords made me feel dejected. I really needed to get my hands on additional items that could be used for offensive purposes aside from sheer practicality. Perhapt the next dungeon would provide something along those lines? Of course, I first needed to get the key from Tempest that would allow me to enter said dungeon so thinking too far ahead wasn't a wise idea.

Choosing to make my presence known to the Darknut, I went around the corner and was surprised that there was a second one (It had to have been hiding behind the first one which was why I didn't notice). Luckily, both of them were throwing spears so getting pushed back wouldn't be an issue. Both Darknuts began throwing their spears and I deflected them using my shield. As each spear bounced off, I was surprised they didn't surrender or perhaps run away to get some assistance. They could clearly do so and I'd be unable to do anything about it so why continue in a losing skirmish?

Oh well. It was best not to think about it and instead take them down. When both realized that I gotten too close for them to attack, they attempted to move backwards in order to get more room but I made sure they wouldn't get the opportunity. Two strikes from my sword defeated both (Spear-throwing Darknuts were surprisingly much easier than their sword and shield counterparts) and the Red Gel got caught in my sword swings as it split into two smaller pieces before being defeated with one more sword swing. The moment the Red Gel was fully defeated, a Golden Leaf dropped down from above.

Picking it up, I now had three which meant only two more were remainig. Hopefully, they were inside the castle and not buried outside otherwise I'd have to grind and backtrack in order to buy the shovel from Aria and come back here with it and dig up the entirely of the exterior. Moving forward, I was caught by surprise by both variants of Darknuts with the sword wielder striking my chest which did hurt a little bit. Raising my shield before it could hit me again, I parried it back and managed to defeat it due to it being pushed up against a wall leaving only the spear thrower who tried to distance itself from me.

Two more sword swings defeated it and it dropped a blue rupee which I collected. Moving on, another spear throwing Darknut began throwing its weapon though it was being supported by a Keese instead of say another Darknut. I took down the Keese in one shot when it flew at me but attacking it caused me to get distracted and get hit in the leg with a spear. I pulled it out and tossed it aside where it clanged on the ground before taking out the Darknut before anymore spears came my way. It left behind a blue rupee as well which I took giving me roughly 170 rupees. (At this point, I had no idea as to the exact amount but it was a high number)

Behind this Darknut was a switch that definitely screamed important. I stepped on it and everything began rumbling. "What's going on?"

"The drawbridge is lowering outside."

"Does that mean we can come and go as we please?"

"Yes so we don't need to take that underground path."

"But what if the servants decide to leave and torment the rest of the island?"

"I don't think that's going to happen." Princess Twilight answered. The tone in her voice made me feel reassured but my concern was still a legitimate one. "I have a feeling these servants will remain here in the castle and go about their business without even knowing what just happened outside. That's actually something I've been noticing so far on this journey. The monsters are clearly capable of moving to other areas of Koholint Island yet they choose to remain where they are. It's like a force is telling them to maintain this posture though I don't yet know why this is."

"Another mystery, Twilight?"

"Either that or they just prefer to stick to their own territories."

I had to admit that Princess Twilight being around did give me some incredible insight as to what was going on with regards to Koholint Island. Granted, a lot of her observations were consistent with what I experienced on my previous adventures (From what I could remember since much of it had become really fuzzy as of late) such as monster behaviour, things not being what they seem, and even being surprised. But, there was plenty that just didn't make sense. Why did this island exist? What was up with the giant egg? Where did these Nightmares come from? Do the people of the island know what's going on? So many questions but little to no answers.

Walking up a small set of stairs and going back the other way, I came upon some more stairs that went up to the next floor of the castle. Going up and reaching the next floor, I couldn't see any crazed soldiers but there was something in front of me that looked too suspicious to ignore. At first, I thought it was more Darknuts so I went down another small set of stairs only to breath a sigh of relief at seeing two statues embedded into the wall. They depicted Darknuts, or rather, their helmets, but both showed visible cracks. My brain told me to use some bombs since cracked walls could be blown up using them and I needed an excuse in order to try them out.

Taking out a bomb, I placed it on the ground and backed away before it exploded. Upon exploding, the cracked helmet statue shattered revealing a Darknut had been hiding inside of it waiting to attack anyone curious enough. Okay, how could it have survived being trapped in solid stone without being able to breathe!? I supposed it didn't matter since it was no longer entirely human what with having gone berserk. This Darknut had a sword and shield which it used to push me back and even strike me in my arm twice due to me not being prepared to deal with an attack coming from a wall.

I regained my composure and used my shield to parry it back causing it to get pushed into a wall where I slashed it twice with my sword. Upon its defeat, the Darknut left behind the next Golden Leaf which meant only one more remained. I had a suspicion that blowing up the other cracked statue would release another Darknut though I doubted it would have the final leaf so ignoring it, I resumed walking on the main pain. Nothing else attacked me aside from a Spark but I merely walked past it as it continued down the hallway though where did that Bubble go from the previous floor? Did it just disappear without a trace?

Choosing to ignore those concerns, I turned right only to hear the sound of someone or something swinging about something heavy. I couldn't see what it was due to the walls being too high but my brain was telling me that a fierce battle was approaching and that I needed to be ready. The hallway then went back the other way before turning left in a sort of twisted manner and before me was an exit from the castle. Heading back outside onto a parapet, another entrance was right nearby and since there was nothing else out here, I re-entered the castle where an entrance suddenly closed itself.

I noticed that the said entrance had a strange symbol on it. "Twilight? What do you suppose that symbol is?"

Princess Twilight floated over to it for a closer inspection before coming back over to me. "It looks like one of those pots that you picked up back in Bottle Grotto. In fact, there are several of those pots in this very room. I wonder... Do you need to throw one of those pots at the door in order to open it?"

"That's definitely a new one on me."

"You might as well try it, Sunset."

Picking up a pot, I walked up to the door making sure there was some distance between me and it, and tossed it where it smashed the door open. "Wow... I can't believe that actually worked. I'm just surprised at it more than anything else. I have a feeling this is going to become a regular thing in the future." Good thing I had the Power Bracelet otherwise I wouldn't have been able to do that. Picking up the remaining pots and tossing them, none provided me any rupees though one did leave behind a Recovery Heart which I picked up before entering what could be the final room.

This room definitely looked like a throne room what with the tapestries though no throne and no carpet leading up to said throne were clearly missing. I knew Tempest said she was forced to flee but did she seriously take a chair with her? That sounded rather foolish given that one's life is more important than a seat. No... I couldn't image her of all ponies doing anything she'd deem pointless. I then noticed someone else was present, and he definitely gave off an evil vibe though the ball and chain in his hands was also a clear sign. That's when I realized that was the sound from before.

"Who is that?"

"A Ball and Chain Soldier." Princess Twilight whispered prompting me to lower my voice too. "Like the Mad Bomber you saw outside, this enemy is the only one of his kind seen on the entire island, and believe me, you need to handle him carefully. That swinging ball of his can do a lot of damage not to mention protect him from attacks until he throws it. When it's thrown, he leaves himself vulnerable until he pulls it back. You can only hit him when he's vulnerable otherwise you're doing nothing."

I then made an observation. "Judging from his armour, this guy must have been one of Tempest's servants before going berserk. (Now that I thought about it, what I just said was pretty much a major understatement) In fact, I'd go as far as saying that he was her most loyal servant seeing as he's in this throne room. I can't even imagine what Tempest experienced when he turned against her. Loyalty is a powerful thing but not even it is immune to the corrupting powers of darkness."

"I don't think these servants had any choice."

"That's why I think we should ask her about it."

"About what?"

"Why her servants went mad."

Princess Twilight nodded. "Ah, yes, the one searing question we don't yet know about. I am curious as to the reason behind all this. Who knows? It might help us understand more about the evil presence throughout this island, and why Grogar has something to do with it." My eyes then noticed that the ground was cracked in several places. "Uh oh. I've got a feeling that my weight and his weight combined could cause the floor to give way. It's best I defeat him quickly otherwise it's going to get really difficult." Again, I am not heavy but my equipment adds to it--no doubt this guy probably felt the same way.

Striking my sword on the ground to get his attention, the Ball and Chain Solider began shuffling forward before swinging around his mace. (That was the actual name of his weapon though some call it a morning star) Since I wanted to gauge how strong he was, I raised my shield and allowed him to throw it at me, and I got pushed right back into the door which had locked from the other side upon my entering this room. Wow! I had to make sure not to get hit by that mace under any circumstances. By repelling him, the Ball and Chain Solider shuffled back before swinging his mace and tossing it at me again.

This time, I moved to the side just as the mace crashed into the ground. Since I had to end this quickly, I struck the Solider as many times as I could before he pulled his mace back and shuffled back to where he was before. Now I wished I had a Piece of Power or better yet, the ability to perform a jump attack. Both options would allow me to take him down quickly but because I lacked one and couldn't perform he other for some reason, this was all I could do. He swung his mace around before tossing it and I dodged again but this time, it bounced off my shield, allowing him to swing at me again.

I felt a huge pain in my leg as the mace connected though it was more on the side of the spikes as opposed to directly in the middle. If it had been the latter, my leg would've been bludgeoned right off. Despite suddenly bleeding, I had to keep going otherwise the Solider was going to pick me off if I decided to tend to my wound. He swung his mace around before tossing again where I limped to the side and barely missing getting hit again. With what little time I had, I struck him as many times with my sword as possible until he pulled back the mace and shuffled to the right.

Princess Twilight then asked me if I was okay and I said yes though in truth my leg was in quite a bit of pain. The bleeding would eventually subside and I'd be able to walk on my leg properly since my body could take more force in this world than it could back home, but for the moment, I had to limp about and hope not to get hit again. The Soldier tossed his mace hitting my shield but falling to the left where he got stuck. A free opportunity if I ever saw one so I used it and struck him again with my sword. I thought that had been enough to defeat him but he still kept going. No wonder Tempest must have liked this guy so much.

Since I didn't like being stuck by the door, I began to move around the room with my shield raised in hopes that he would follow along and attack. Sure enough, as he swung his mace, he turned around in order to keep up with me, and when he threw it, it crashed into the wall with a thud. He began pulling it as hard as he could in order to pull it out and I limped on over and attacked him again. He still wasn't finished which made me wonder how much punishment could one soldier take? The Soldier shuffled south towards the door which gave me more room to maneuver before swinging the mace around again.

Despite him hitting me with that mace (To be fair, it was my fault since I dodged at the wrong time), the rest of the time he hadn't been able to hit me. If he had been a Nightmare, this would've been a lot more difficult and probably filled with other attacks aside from this one routine. But, he was merely a strong enemy who was really good at his job. The Solider tossed his mace which I avoided by limping to the right and it crashed into the ground and I attacked him. A few hits ended up being what I needed resulting in his defeat where he disappeared in a puff of smoke--the mace just disappeared without any fanfare.

As I stood there having won the battle, the Ball and Chain Soldier left behind the final Golden Leaf. "Why am I not surprised!" I moaned as I looked down at my leg. It had indeed stopped bleeding so that was a relief, but I could still feel a searing pain coursing through it. I needed to rest here for a while before being able to walk on it properly but before doing that, I picked up the Golden Leaf. "Of course the strongest enemy in this castle would be holding on to one. Gah!"

"Are you alright, Sunset?"

"I've felt better."

"Your leg looks pretty bad."

"This has become pretty normal for me you know."

Princess Twilight couldn't help but nod in agreement. "At least you didn't lose any body parts." She quickly covered her mouth before bowing. "Sorry, I meant to say you didn't suffer any worse injuries. Still, I think you need to find one of those bottles and have some kind of potion or fairy inside in case you need to health yourself something fierce. Even though we haven't seen any bottles, they must certainly exist on this island as when does an island not have bottles!?" Her Highness then calmed down. "Anyway, we've got the Golden Leaves so that should definitely please Tempest."

"And we didn't even need a shovel."

"About that..."

It was at that moment when I realized it. "You've got to be kidding me! I need the shovel in order to get the Slime Key!?" And here I thought I needed to backtrack to the castle in order to get all the Golden Leaves. Nope! The backtracking involved going to Tempest, give her the leaves, go and buy that shovel, then go back to Tempest, get that key, and use said key to unlock Key Cavern! I just wanted to smash my head against the wall in sheer frustration. "If not for collecting all five leaves, I'd really be in a foul mood. But, I can look past it since it does mean having to take a smaller backtrack session than I initially thought."

"Do you want to go back to Tempest now?"

"I need to rest my leg first."

"Okay, but not too long as the sun is beginning to set."

"Hot Head... Hot Head... We call upon you."

CRRACCCKKLLE! FWWOOOOSSSH!

"I am here... My master."

"Ah... There you are."

"Um... You don't look particular happy right now."

When I saw Grogar in my dreams the previous night, I wasn't able to get a good look at him, and it turned out that I was fortunate. Despite looking like the ancient evil of Equestria that he was: an old goat (He was actually a ram) with large horns, blue skin, yellow eyes, and wore a sash around his neck with bells featured on it, in this world, he was even more hideous because of having in the center of his chest, one singular eyeball. This eye acted so independently, one would think it were a separate entity. He was also black in colour and surrounded by shadows as though he was one. Truly he was the stuff of nightmares.

"First the Moldorm, and now the Genie... Both of these Nightmares have been cast to the ether." Grogar said in a calm voice. "The Outsider has defeated them both and retrieved the instruments they were guarding. It seems we were wrong about this girl. She possesses great courage to want to defeat the Nightmares and undo our work. Still, she is of no threat to us but more importantly, she has shown signs of weakness."

"What do you mean?"

Grogar laughed. "The castle of the foolish woman who lost her followers... The Outsider struggled against the strongest among them and he was a mere human. If she has trouble against the likes of a pitiful human, she will soon perish and we can continue on as before. We are amused but it seems you are not, Hot Head. Do you have doubts about our words? I command you speak now."

"It's just... The Outsider has defeated Moldorm and the Genie. Sure, they both ended up failing to stop her because they were weak, but I don't think the next Nightmare is going to put up much of a fight. If anything, you should revive our fellow Nightmares and have one of them guard the next instrument. Surely, master, you can revive either of them. They are simply nightmares and can easily be brought back but with slightly different personalities."

"You speak of the Slime Eye?"

"Yes."

All three of Grogar's eyes narrowed which made Hot Head very umcomfortable. "Tell me, our loyal servant. Why do you suspect the Slime Eye is unsuitable for the task with which it was assigned by us? Do you question our decision? You think that Nightmare is unworthy?"

"I do."

"Then share with us your concerns."

"It's just... Slime Eye is pretty immature, even for a Nightmare. All it does is joke around and do practically nothing. In fact, it has little in the way of power and I suspect that it will be destroyed by the Outsider relatively quickly."

"So you say we were wrong about the Slime Eye?"

"I think a stronger Nightmare or a different one is needed."

Grogar then slammed both his hooves down causing everything to rumble and several bolts of lightning to strike all around. "You dare question us! Perhaps it is you who should be guarding the instrument that has been hidden in the Key Cavern! Yes! We shall have you moved there and the Slime Eye placed somewhere else." He then slammed the ground again causing fiery pillars to rise up. "We can create a new Nightmare to guard the final instrument that was assigned to you."

"What!? No!"

"You question us again?"

"I'd rather not be sent to Key Cavern since the Outsider is heading there next."

Grogar laughed before dismissing the pillars. "Ha! Just as we thought! You prefer to save your own skin and allow others to do the work! We were wise to have made you the strongest of the Nightmares, Hot Head. You rely on such deceit in order to instill fear upon the others but we instill that same fear upon you. Let this be our only warning. We can replace you at our leisure and we will not hesitate to do so. Do not question us again!"

"Yes... My master..."

No wonder Hot Head chose to bend its will to the likes of Grogar. When you had a being as strong as he was who controlled whether you lived or died, you would want to ensure you were of the former because survival was essential. It also showed that the ancient ram didn't care about his servants so long as they did exactly what he wanted. Question him and your life was practically forfeit. One had to wonder if the other Nightmares had their own misgivings of Grogar or Hot Head was the only one. Sure, it desired to maintain whatever Grogar wished to keep in place, but it possessed a conscience that openly questioned its master.

"Now... The Outsider has proven to be a nuisance." Grogar began scratching his beard first with his hoof and then with a shadowy limb. "Despite her weakness, she continues to be a worry and that cannot continue. Though she cannot defeat us, the rest of the Nightmares are a different matter. We must ensure that our desire remains! Perhaps we shall employ something special. Yes... A special Nightmare, one that exists outside of those who already exist. There will come a time where she will become curious and discover the graveyard's secret, and that is when her curiosity will kill her."

"There are other Nightmares?"

"We have infinite Nightmares at our disposal."

"I see..."

Grogar laughed. "Like we said, we instill fear upon you, Hot Head! Soon... the time shall be right for us to enter the dreams of the Outsider again. We must get a better understanding of how she works."

Once my leg had recovered to the best of its abilities, I began making my way back to Tempest's villa. Fortunately, it meant not having to run into any other Ball and Chain Soldiers or even any additional Mad Bombers. Unfortunately, all the other enemies inside the castle were fair game because they could respawn. Leaving the castle and going back in via the other entrance on the upper level, I didn't run into any problems which was fine with me as I'd rather avoid any encounters until my leg had fully recovered. Walking down each hallway, I began thinking about my experiences so far on this journey.

I was still enduring hardship, the one thing Ganondorf wanted me exposed to in his desire to make me his servant, by getting hurt by monsters, traps, and more, yet I managed to prevail through it all. A lot of it came down to luck obviously in addition to skill, but I felt that this was merely the beginning of my suffering. Koholint Island had its dark secret which hadn't become known to me yet but the time would come when they would. I feared what would happen when I got to that point but for the time being, it was something I couldn't allow worry me otherwise I'd be of no use to anyone.

As I reached the stairs to the lower floor, I reminisced about when I first started using a sword. I recalled times where I accidentally tossed it because of not understanding how to hold onto it or getting a firm grasp of combat. It was a miracle I managed to hold my own for so long without really screwing things up. Back then, I was naive and believed magic was all I needed to overcome my problems in this video game world. Sure, magic has helped but relying on skill proved just as important if not more so. Had my sword skills not improved, this journey would've ended before it had even begun.

Going back downstairs, I could see that the Darknuts had indeed respawned, but again, I wasn't going to fight them. The first Darknut that had been guarding the switch paced back and forth as though it were bored guarding something that now no longer had a purpose. It probably wanted some action but it wasn't about to get any. When its back was turned, I quietly slipped past (I also avoided waking up the Keese sleeping nearby) and down the hallway to where the other Darknuts were. The Bubble was also here which complicated matters as it could get in my way.

Choosing to wait for the Bubble to pass and go back the way I came, I dashed past the remaining Darknuts as best as I could, my leg throbbing because of applying so much pressure onto it, and went back outside before they knew what had happened. Once outside, I checked to make sure my leg hadn't gotten any worse. Sure enough, it was fine though throbbing like mad. Since the drawbridge was down, I walked south and left the castle and raised my shield immediately since the Zirro and Winged Octoroks were now going to become problems as they frequented this part of Ukuku Praire.

Luck had to have been on my side again as I weaved in-between the monsters though my back felt the explosions from the Zirro's bombs. As I looked up at the sky, the sun had indeed gone down for the night as Her Highness had stated so getting to Tempest was more important than before. Monsters had a tendency to be more active at night as well as be more powerful because light had gone away for a time and darkness reigned supreme. Walking at a brisk pace for my leg's benefit, I headed south alongside the cliff and a row of trees before reaching Pothole Field.

That's when I heard the sounds of the monsters beginning to lurk all around me. Like I said, the night made them active. I had to get inside before they had the chance to swarm and take advantage of my slightly weakened state. Turning right at the bottom of Pothole Field and continuing on, I eventually arrived at Tempest's villa and went inside where I immediately dropped down to the ground from a combination of exhaustion and feeling relieved knowing I made it before anything could've gone wrong. Getting back up on to my feet, Tempest was surprised at seeing what I did.

"You look as though you've been through an awful lot." Tempest said.

"Those former servants of yours gave me quite the workout." I said.

"Well, they were trained to protect me after all."

"Anyway, I've come back with all five Golden Leaves."

Hearing that made Tempest very happy. "Ahhh, Très bien! You have no idea how much I appreciate you for what you have done for me. I knew asking you to find them was the wise thing to do. No doubt that you are a true heroine!"

Princess Twilight then whispered in my ear. "Sunset... What does 'très bien' mean anyway?"

"It's French though I'm surprised she actually knows a few words." I answered whilst whispering. "I believe it means 'good job' or 'well done' or something like that. I'm not exactly fluent in the language so don't ask me to translate any books that are written in French."

"I won't." Princess Twilight whispered as she softly chuckled. "Now, you should ask her if you can sleep here for the night. Your leg definitely needs to recover especially after running out of the castle like you did. In the morning, we can ask her about why her servants went mad as well as why we need a shovel in order to get the Slime Key. Considering that you went and brought her those Golden Leaves and risked your life, she is obliged to answer any of your questions without hesitation."

"Are you sure about that?"

"About staying here for the night?"

"That and the questions."

"If she is as noble as she claims to be, then she will agree to both."

I then turned to Tempest. "Um... Would it be okay if I spend the night here in your villa? I don't really have anywhere else to go and as you can see, I'm basically a wreak what with having to deal with your former servants. Also, I've got a couple of questions I'd like to ask but that can wait until morning. I can sleep on the floor or even in that chair of yours since I figured you'd want to have the best thing, that being your own bed."

"Of course you can spent the night here." Tempest answered. "You've done me a service and I must do the same in kind."

Pointing to the couch I saw during my last visit, I walked up to it, laid down, made sure my leg was in a good position, and went to sleep while Tempest went to sleep in her own bed which was what I was expecting. Nothing happened during the night (I didn't receive a visit from Grogar or even from Ganondorf which was even better) though I did dream about being at home with my friends and having the time of our lives. Truly, did I miss them and hoped I would reunite with them again. My leg completely recovered and upon waking up when the sun rose to signal the start of a new day, Tempest was back where she had been standing before.

First, I shook my leg to confirm that it had indeed gotten better. When I felt assured that it was, I spoke with Tempest. "Do you know why your servants suddenly went berserk and forced you to flee from your own castle?"

Tempest sadly nodded. "Things were so peaceful until a strange dark presence began covering my castle in its foul miasma. I don't know why I wasn't affected, but my servants succumbed and became maddened by the touch of evil. I tried to help them only to be rejected which is when I fled. Since then, my castle has become a haven for darkness, a place where the light can never truly shine again."

"I... I might have killed a couple of them."

"You had no choice."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Tempest said as she struck a pose. "You did what you thought was best for your own survival. My servants would have wanted you to bring them their final rest if it meant no longer being berserk. Perhaps one day, I shall return to my castle and regain control. It would mean having to fight those who once served me but there is no choice. The darkness that tainted them cannot be undone. As for the source of this evil... I do not know other than one thing... This evil holds sway over this entire island and desires it remain. Any deemed interlopers are surely seen as threats to its foulness."

I was impressed with her choice of words. "Now... I only have one more thing to ask. Where is the Slime Key?"

"Ah yes, the key to Ukuku Prairie."

"That's the one."

"If you move this statue, you will find your reward." Tempest said. She then pointed at the frog statue before striking a pose. I didn't think that statue was anything more than a decoration that she had that showed off her fascination towards frogs. " Behind the statue lies an underground path that will take you into Pothole Field itself. From there, you will need to make your way to a statue of an owl and dig around for the key. Yes, I buried it after finding it one day."

"I do need a shovel!"

"I did say you needed one."

"I'll be back as soon as I can."

Tempest had a puzzled look on her face as I left her villa in a panic all because I did need the shovel. On the positive side, I didn't need it in order to collect the Golden Leaves, my initial fear, but on the negative, I needed it to dig up the Slime Key which she buried for a stupid reason, a reaffirmation of my original thought on the idea. Why bury an important thing like a key to a dungeon!? As I rubbed the bridge of my nose in frustration, there wasn't anything I could do other than backtrack as well as grind. Back outside, I began cutting down shrubs in hopes of getting enough rupees in order to buy the shovel. (Only thirty left)

My effort proved worthwhile as I collected a number of green rupees and by the time I was done cutting, I was still short by about twenty-two rupees. Heading back towards the village and cutting down more shrubs, fewer rupees appeared to my dismay but then I cut down some more that where the cave I uncovered upon first entering Ukuku Prairie. These gave me a few more rupees but it still wasn't enough for the shovel. Picking up the boulder and tossing it aside, I entered Mabe Village and went straight for the huge path of shrubs where I found my first Secret Seashell which felt like so long ago.

Cutting them down netted me more green rupees (Why couldn't they provide the five rupee ones instead?) and when I cut the last one, I had a total of 192 rupees. Shoot! I only needed eight more. Sighing, I left the village by tossing aside the boulder before immediately walking back in where the shrubs had instantly respawned. (This was what they called video game logic, something best not to think about otherwise I'd get annoyed) Going back to the shrubs, I cut them down again giving me 203 rupees, enough for the shovel. I didn't care if this would leave me broke!

Entering the Item Shop, Aria was surprised to see me in an agitated state. "Huh... What happened to you?"

"Don't ask." I said as I groaned before slowly walking over to where the shovel was.

"Not like I actually care or anything."

"I had to grind for money."

Aria smiled. "Hah! Only an adventurer would resort to something like that! Well, you got what you paid for when you signed up for the job, or probably forced in your case." I felt like slamming her face into the ground but I knew that she made me walk into that one. I couldn't help but crack a smile prompting her to do the same if only very brief. "So, you want to buy that shovel do you? Got an interest in digging things up? Well, don't let me stop you from having fun. Anyway, that'll be 200 rupees for that. No discounts or anything like that. Sorry, but I'm not running a charity here."

Grabbing the shovel, I placed it on the counter before emptying out my wallet save for three rupees. "This. Was. Worth it!"

"Never thought I'd say anyone be obsessed with wanting a shovel." Aria said. Shrugging, she removed the price tag before handing the shovel over to me. "You're the first person to buy one of my expensive items since ever. Yeah, I know business is hard, but we all have to make do. Guess this means I can finally get on with that order I've been meaning to do. When you next come here, I'll have something you'll really want. Don't leave and then come back inside! That won't work!"

"I'll take your word for it."

"Come back later."

Putting the shovel on a clip on my scabbard (Which I had for some reason), I left the Item Shop and began to make my way back to Tempest. Picking up the boulder and tossing it, I left the village, went east, ignored the monsters, went south, walked past the entrance to Key Cavern (Though I'd come here once I had the key because backtracking), continued going south, and re-entering Tempest's villa. Huh... That didn't feel quite as taxing as I thought since I focused on what was important instead of exploring. But, I knew I would eventually have to backtrack again because video games loved making players endure it.

"You weren't that long." Tempest said.

"It's because I know the way back." I said.

"Do you have a shovel?"

"I do."

Tempest then struck a pose. "Très bien! I knew you wouldn't allow the sting of defeat to get you down for very long. Now, please move that statue and claim your prize. There are no monsters lurking around in Pothole Field but walk slowly. Believe me, you'll thank me for the knowledge."

Stepping backwards to grant me access to the statue, Tempest wished me luck and while I thanked her, I still wished she had the Slime Key on her person. Pushing the statue of the way and heading down into the underground passage, I walked forward whilst defeating a couple of Green Gels that popped up. A nearby boulder was blocking a treasure chest so I pushed it into the abyss, jumped across with the Roc's Feather, and opened up the chest which contained a Secret Seashell. With three shells, I doubed back, defeated another Green Gel and went upstairs to another level. From there, I walked down some stairs before heading back outside.

"Well... That was an experience." Princess Twilight said.

"Yeah, well, we've got another one right here."

Looking at the huge number of shrubs, Princess Twilight was inclined to agree. "I see your point, Sunset." Her Highness quickly began formulating an idea. "Use that spin attack of yours to cut many shrubs at once."

Holding out my sword and taking a defensive stance, I waited for the tip of the blade to shine before unleashing it, cutting down an entire circle of shrubs around me. When I finished my spin, both Princess Twilight and I dropped our jaws in shock. "What..." I could barely utter a sentence. "Are you seeing this?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "Now we know why they call this Pothole Field." There were holes all around me aside from safe spots in the form of ground. "This means that there are countless other holes all around along with one direct route. I recommend moving slowly through here, Sunset. If you fall down a hole, it won't mean you die or anything. Instead, you will reappear back on solid ground though you will be penalized with some damage."

"I always thought falling down into the abyss meant instant death."

"Maybe in some other worlds but not this one."

"Imagine that."

"Best not to utilize it as a crutch."

Nodding, I began to cut my way forward through the field. Even though I now knew that I could fall into holes with only a minimal punishment, I wasn't about to take advantage of it through acts of recklessness. I was going to treat holes as being instant death scenarios. Cutting the shrubs, I was getting some rupees out of them and deep down, I knew I was going to need more than ever before since expensive items had a tendency to be required in the Legend of Zelda series. At least that was something I remembered despite not remembering other things that were as important.

As I went right, then down, then right again, I then went up before finding that my path forward was blocked by holes. I then tried swinging my sword in the hopes of being able to cut the shrubs on the other side of the holes and was surprised that I had quite a bit of reach. Upon revealing the way forward, using the Roc's Feathr, I jumped over and landed on the revealed ground and contemplated my next move. I could go left as the owl statue was in that direction but I could see the Piece of Heart from before practically calling out to me. Cutting my way over to it, I made an awkward jump over two holes in a row and barely managed to grab it.

Picking up the Piece of Heart, I felt its warmth embrace me and if I was right, this was my fourth one which meant my overall health had increased. While I didn't mind needing to collect four in order to increase my health, the Heart Containers were much better as they increased health outright rather than every four with the pieces, yet the containers being in the hands of the Nightmares was annoying. With that done, I jumped back over the holes and walked left, cutting down more shrubs and collecting whatever they dropped (It was only four rupees and a heart) before reaching the owl statue.

Like the one outside the Moblin's Lair, this one had a message which I listened to by placing my hand on its head. 'IN SOIL SLEEPS SECRETS, BENEATH YOUR SOLES...' I frowned upon hearing its message. It was a dead giveaway that I needed to dig right in front of the statue. I was expecting a more cryptic clue but I shouldn't be complaining as it could've been a lot worse. Taking out my shovel and digging at the statue's base, a strange looking key popped out and landed on the ground. The head looked like the statues of the slime creature I saw in front of the dungeon albeit flatter.

"This must be the Slime Key." I said as I picked it up.

"Now you can open up the gate near where Tempest resides."

"Which means more backtracking."

"At least it's only a short amount." Princess Twilight then noticed a boulder to the left of the owl statue. "Then again, I don't think you need to backtrack at all. You can pick up this boulder and go straight to where you need to insert that key." Her Highness then remembered what we saw when we initially found the dungeon entrance. "You do need to backtrack as you have to enter the dungeon by going around Pothole Field and approach via the north. In any case, you should let Tempest know we've got what we came for."

Picking up the boulder and tossing it aside, I walked out of Pothole Field and up the stairs where the entrance to the Key Cavern was. With the Slime Key in hand, I inserted it into the lock, turned it, and turned it back before removing the key from the lock. The keyhole then disappeared and soon after, everything started rumbling as I watched the gate blocking the dungeon entrance opened with two iron bars dropping down. Now I had to backtrack around as I couldn't walk past the statues as immovable stones in-between them prevented me from simply walking past them and going inside.

Placing the Slime Key in my pocket, I began making my way back to Tempest's place. At least there were no monsters so I didn't have to worry about being attacked, but then the thought of what could be waiting for me ahead in the next dungeon began gnawing at me. Tail Cave and Bottle Grotto had proven simple enough despite some deceptions along with some unique monsters, but Key Cavern was likely going to increase the overall difficulty which meant I had to be more careful from now. Was I afraid? No. Nervous? Yes. But, I didn't have any other choice since I couldn't leave the island until I had all eight instruments.

Approaching Tempest's place and walking inside, I took out the Slime Key and showed it to her. "I've got it!"

"I knew you would dig it up eventually." Tempest said.

"What will you do now?"

"Right now, I must remain here and think about everything that has happened." Tempest answered as she struck a pose. "Someday, I will go back to my castle and free my servants from what controls them, but that will require planning. Though I wish you could join me my friend, I know you have your own mission to accomplish. Let me give you a piece of advice as you will need it for the Key Cavern. Explosives are going to be very helpful in there so make sure to have them on hand. Also, speed is the key!"

I had bombs so that piece of advice was helpful though I didn't know what she meant about speed being key. I guessed the only way I'd find out was to enter the dungeon and see it with my own eyes. Thanking Tempest, she performed one final pose before I exited and headed to the right. As expected, the shrubs I had cut down had since respawned because of entering a building and coming back out. I also knew that I first needed to unlock the entrance to the Key Cavern as an iron gate was blocking the way.

Walking back to where I found the keyhole, it occurred to me to that I needed to backtrack to reach the other side as there was no way through on this end. (Definitely a stupid design choice right there) Inserting the key and turning it to the right before turning it back and pulling the key back out, everything began vibrating as the gate slowly dropped down granting me access... Almost as again, I had to backtrack. Heading back yet again (At least I was getting exercise out of this as well as seeing the scenery), I walked past Tempest's place and went north by the row of trees from before. As I left the field behind me, I could see a small lake behind trees and I hoped it didn't mean needing to swim across it.

Reaching the end of the row of trees, I turned left then left again and walked back the way I came but from the other side, and I could see that I didn't need to swim. Instead, I just needed to jump across some small islands to reach the dungeon. One island was isolated by itself and had a single shrub on it. No doubt it contained something as why else make it so obvious, but I couldn't reach it by jumping and upon closer inspection, the water looked too deep for me to swim in. Again, I'd have to come back if I wanted to investigate. Jumping over the water via the islands with the Roc's Feather, I reached the other side, walked up to the dungeon entrance and went inside

Upon entering, the voice from before told me that I was now in 'Level 3. - Key Cavern'. Already, I could see that the puzzle from the castle was being used, that being needing to throw a pot in order to smash my way through the door. And in my mind, I was expecting it to show up later and not so soon. There was also a path to the right so I decided to see what was over there before going the apparent way forward. Heading right and walking into the room, I could see a treasure chest, but also one of those Vaccum Mouths from Bottle Grotto directly in front of my prize.

"What do you think, Twilight?"

"You can't reach that chest, Sunset." Princess Twilight answered.

"Figures."

"That Vaccum Mouth is positioned in a way that if you were to try and walk over there..." Princess Twilight interrupted herself by pointing down at a stone near my feet and asking me to throw it towards the weird entity. I did as she asked and the stone went careening into the abyss leaving my heart pounding. "As you just saw, there's no way to reach that chest. If you had more speed, you might be able to make it before you get pulled into that abyss. When we find that Dungeon Map, remind me to put a mark for this room and we'll come back later. I suspect the chest contains something of value."

Heading back to the entrance room, I picked up a pot and threw it at the door, smashing it to pieces and walking into the next room. Raising my shield quickly, I parried the attack of a Sword Stalfos who had charged at it, and I struck it twice with my sword when its guard was dropped. There was a Red Gel bouncing around nearby... And then there were two bombs that were walking around!? They looked similar to the classic Mario enemy, Bob-ombs, but not exactly one-to-one. "Twilight? Why are those bombs moving?"

"Those are Bombites."

"Creative name."

Princess Twilight giggled. "The name is cute but they aren't to be taken lightly. They can only be found in this dungeon so expect to see them pop up around here. The red variation you see here will bounce off the walls when hit with your sword. At this point, their fuses will light and eventually explode, or they will explode upon contact with anything. You can use this to defeat other monsters but I wouldn't rely on it."

"There's another kind of Bombite."

"Yes."

"I take it I shouldn't worry about them until later?"

"I'll let you know when we eventually find them." Princess Twilight answered. She then saw something sparkling down the left side path. "Before we move on, could you go down this path on the left? There's something there that I want to see, but you should get rid of the remaining monsters first."

"Sure, I can check it out." I didn't know what was on her mind but I wasn't about to deny her such a simple request. The two Bombites then came towards me by waddling and I hit the one that was the closest to me where it bounced into the other one causing a massive explosion that pushed me back several inches. Ignoring the Red Gel, I took the left path only to be blocked by what looked like green crystals. "Is this what you wanted to see?"

"I saw them sparkle earlier and was curious." Princess Twilight floated over and touched one of the crystals only for nothing to happen. "I keep forgetting that there are things I can't do because of being a fairy. Sunset? See what you can do about it?" I then tried striking it only for my sword to bounce off. I then tried picking it up which didn't work either. "Neither sword nor strength can remove these crystals. Hmmm... Something else is needed then. Hopefully, what lurks beyond isn't too important."

Knowing me, somehing was important and I'd need to come back and figure it out. Heading back the way I came, the two Bombites had already respawned and in a panic, I struck one where it bounced off the walls, bumped into me causing a bit of damage, bounced off the Red Gel, and finally exploded. I quickly defeated the Red Gel with a sword strike before hitting the other Bombite, pushing it back where it bounced off three walls before exploding. This caused a treasure chest to materialize on top of a different coloured floor tile from the rest which I had only just noticed. (I needed to be more observant about my surroundings)

Opening the chest, I took out a small key and proceeded into the next room since it was the only way I could go. In this next section, two doors immediately locked themselves and four Green Zols popped up from the ground. I swung my sword once and defeated all four with two of them dropping green rupees which I picked up. That caused both doors to open along with another treasure chest materializing but not on a special tile. Opening it up, I was suddenly attacked by a Green Zol that had hidden inside of it instead of actual treasure. I had fallen victim of a trap even if said trap wasn't threatening.

Quickly disposing of the Green Zol, I walked into the next room and was attacked by two regular Stalfos. Both of them jumped away from me in hopes of surviving, but the wall didn't exactly do them any favours. I merely kept swinging my sword until both were defeated. Looking at how the tiles were arranged, something was supposed to appear on the one tile that was different but nothing happened which made me wonder if I missed something. I hear heard the sound of something bouncing on the other side of the wall... which was beyond where those two green crystals were. I knew it! Something important did lurk beyond them!

Moving on into the next section, two more Green Zols popped up from the ground and I defeated them in the usual manner. One of them dropped a Piece of Power which I immediately picked up because I could do with double the offensive power. A treasure chest was present but it couldn't be opened because the orange blocks were preventing me from reaching it so I needed to find one of those Crystal Switches. In front of me were some stairs and since there was no where else to go, I went down them and on to another floor where I quickly came to a realization.

"There are so many locked doors!"

"This is the 'Key Cavern' you know."

"I didn't think it would be taken literally."

"Four locked doors and one small key."

"Which door should I unlock?"

"It's your choice, Sunset."

I wasn't thrilled about that. As I pondered over what to do, four more Green Zols popped up behind me and thanks to the Piece of Power, when I struck them with my sword, they went flying across the room before disappearing in puffs of smoke. A Red Gel that was already in the room bounced towards me only for it to get pushed back when I defeated it. Once the room had been cleared of monsters (Strange how there were so many slime based creatures), I resumed thinking about which door I should unlock with my key. Rather than come up with a convoluted method, I just pointed at a door at random and hoped it was right."

"That one!" I announced pointing at the door to the left of the staircase.

"Let's hope it was the right choice." Princess Twilight said. I could tell she was nervous and to be honest, so was I. Walking up to the locked door, I unlocked it with the key and entered a room that had an abyss right in the middle along with two conveyor belts on either side. "This could prove tricky to navigate so use your Roc's Feather wisely." Her Highness then pointed out two weird creatures, one on each side of the abyss. "These are Pairodds, strange bird-like creatures that can teleport if you rush at them recklessly. They will constantly warp in this manner in order to avoid you. They can also throw projectiles which you can easily avoid."

"How do I defeat what can teleport?"

"If you could run faster, you can defeat them before they teleport."

"Too bad I don't have fast feet."

"Then you'll need to rely on your own ranged attacks." Her Highness went down to the pocket where I store my bombs (Don't ask me how that works because I would be here for hours coming up with some kind of explanation) and feverishly pointed at them. "Bombs will work but you need to aim carefully. Pairodds can easily frustrate anyone what with their knack for teleporting so patience is needed. Since that one is standing next to you, why not defeat it with a bomb before it even knows what's happening."

Following Her Highness' advice, I took out a bomb and tossed it at the Pairodd where it exploded though the monster merely teleported to the other side of the room after taking damage from the explosion. I was beginning to see how these creatures behaved and came up with something creative. Taking out another bomb, I placed it down and immediately jumped over to where it had teleported using the Roc's Feather, and it teleported back to its previous location only to be blown up moments later. The other Pairodd didn't react at all to what just happened so I repeared the process.

I tossed a bomb at it which caused it to teleport to the other side, then I planted another bomb, jumped over the abyss, and watched as it got blown up when it teleported back. If my strategy had one obvious problem, using more bombs than necessary was pretty much it. I only had twenty bombs... well... sixteen now and I had a hunch I needed to save them for future puzzles in this dungeon. Good thing I didn't land on any of those conveyor belts during my jumps otherwise I'd have plunged into the abyss. (The same with my bombs) Suddenly, a key dropped down from above, landing on the conveyor belt opposite where the abyss was situated.

Without thinking, I jumped back over and grabbed it before it fell into the abyss, but I landed on the conveyor belt and was pulled by it into the abyss. Reacting like I normally did during such tense moments, my hands caught the edge of the ground enabling me to pull myself back up and I walked off of the other conveyor belt onto safe ground. Whew! That was way too close for comfort. Leaving the room, I now had to choose which of the remaining doors I should unlock next. A thought then occurred to me. If there were keys behind each of these locked doors, why even explore them? Granted, there was no way of knowing whether my theory was right or not.

Choosing to go clockwise, I unlocked the north door and entered a room with the Crystal Switch and an Owl Statue. There was also a Yellow Stalfos that came to life as well as a new monster on my left. I mean, it looked like one of those Sword Stalfos only without a sword and shield. Princess Twilight then explained. "What we've got here is a Shrouded Stalfos. It's slower than most Stalfos types and prefers tossing spears or even arrows in your direction."

"So... Just like the spear throwing Moblins and Boarblins?"

"Only slower."

I went after the Shrouded Stalfos first as I didn't want to have to deal with any spears. It tried to back away in order to throw its weapon but I managed to get close before swinging my sword twice to defeat it. That was easy but then the room was on my side. The Yellow Stalfos meanwhile lumbered towards and leapt up before dive-bombing me but it bounced off my shield by accident since I hadn't raised it. It writhed in a bit of agony so I quickly dispatched it before it could suffer any further humiliation. This made a small key drop down from above but now I had another decision to make.

"Should I unlock another room or open that chest on the previous floor?"

"It's up to you."

"I think I'll go for it, Twilight." I said with a smile on my face. "I mean, it's just back up the stairs so it's not really backtracking. Besides, if I unlock the next room, I'm going to forget all about the chest until later and that would truly be backtracking."

"We really could do with that Dungeon Map."

I nodded. "I hope I find it as soon as possible." Hitting the Crystal Switch, I went back into the previous and up the stairs before opening up the now accessible treasure chest and finding the Stone Beak inside. "Huh... It's no map but this will definitely come in handy." Putting it in my pocket, I went back down to the lower level and into the same room because of the Owl Statue being there.

"That took about ten seconds or so, Sunset."

"But no Dungeon Map yet."

"We'll find it eventually."

Placing the Stone Beak where it was supposed to go, the Owl Statue began speaking. "To defeat the black monster with the hard shell, feed him something explosive." I had no idea what it was talking but it sounded like I needed bombs so making sure not to waste anymore was a priority. Removing and putting away the Stone Beak, I went back into the other room and decided to go and unlock the south door. Unlocking it and entering this room, I could see so many conveyor belts (They were actually all individual tiles that moved in different directions based on what the arrows on them were pointing in) that I stopped moving and began assessing things.

Two pots were in the middle of the room along with a Green Zol, a Shrouded Stalfos, and a Pairodd. Of the three, the Pairodd was going to be the problem. I couldn't use the trick with the bombs from before but perhaps I could use the conveyor belts to my advantage. Attacking the Green Zol first and defeating it upon which it dropped a rupee--the Piece of Power had since worn off--I tried attacking the Pairodd only for it to teleport to another location leaving me to deal with the Shrouded Stalfos who began throwing spears. Using my shield, I deflected its spears and defeated it with two sword swings.

The Pairodd didn't move so I began my strategy. It was a little awkward at first what with my directions suddenly changing on me, but I kept it teleporting from side to side though it did manage to hit me a couple of times with what looked like shurikens made out of energy. Eventually, my tenacity paid off and I defeated the Pairodd resulting in another small key dropping down from above, and I quickly caught it before it could plunge into the abyss. Come to think of it, I could've made this easier by using one of those two pots as surely that would've defeated it in one hit rather than two.

Going back into the main room, there was only one door left to unlock, so I unlocked it and entered yet another room with conveyor belts. This was starting to get on my nerves though this time, there was no abyss to worry about. Instead, the path was linear though twisted because of the corners yet it ended by stairs that went up to the previous floor. I could see another Pairodd as well as two Keese but perhaps I could ignore all of them? Well... the Pairodd I could ignore because I didn't want to deal with it because of what it did. Stepping on to the conveyor belt, I let me move me along and during that time, I swung my sword and defeated both Keese as they flew my way.

As for the Pairodd... it simply teleported to another part of the room where it fired its projectile, but I ignored it and kept walking until I reached the stairs. If not for the blocks that forced me to follow a linear path, I could've just gone straight across and reached the stairs just like that. Heading up the stairs to the previous floor, a different coloured tile to my left indicated something would appear there. So far, Key Cavern was proving to be difficult because of having to manage so many keys, but I was managing to hold my own and I hadn't taken much damage though I was certain that would soon change.

"Twilight?"

"What is it?"

"Are you as curious as I am as to why I've seen so many slime-like monsters in here?"

"Yes, the thought has crossed my mind." Princess Twilight answered. "Even though they aren't very powerful, they have been appearing in greater numbers in this place more than anywhere else thus far. They are even starting to appear in treasure chests like that one we saw earlier. It's possible that there is a slime-like creature that serves as their master and that it could be waiting for us somewhere in this dungeon."

"A giant slime..." I then shuddered at the thought. "I'd rather not have to think about it."

"That could actually be it."

I buried my head into my hands and groaned. "I hope that's not going to the Nightmare I've got to defeat. I mean, I'm not afraid of fighting monsters since it's what I've been doing when we started this journey, but there are just some things one should never fight because of sheer absurdity. A giant slime would be something absurd." Regaining my composure, I shook my head before slapping both sides of my face. "Just have to grin and bear it."

"Just like me when I have to fight a giant monster that's threatening Ponyville."

Both of us then had a good laugh before I continued on. As soon as I stepped off of a raised platform where the stairs from below lead me to, a Green Zol popped up and I swiftly defeated it. Looking at the room after defeating it, it went around the platform and it made me wonder if there were more of those Zol hiding underground waiting for me to walk on by and attack in the process. Walking around the edge of the room, sure enough, more Green Zols popped up from below and I defeated each of them until I got back to where I started only for two of them to show up.

Defeating them gave me a small key--I didn't need to keep track since I only had the one right now--which dropped down from above so I collected it and moved on. In this next room, the obvious signs were indicating that this was the central area of the dungeon. Several doors lead to other rooms and several keyhole blocks showed that I needed to collect even more keys before I would reach my end goal. Which way would I go next? I had no idea but what I did know was that this meant that the Key Cavern was about to throw away the proverbial kid gloves and give me a real rough go of things.

To Be Continued.

Chapter 10: Speed of the Pegasus.

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.
By Ganondorf8.
November 23, 2019
Chapter 10: Speed of the Pegasus.

I didn't have long to try and come up with a decision on where to go from here as two Shroud Stalfos began approaching me, their spears being hurled in my direction. Good thing my eyes noticed them when I came into this area otherwise I'd be a pincushion right now. Raising my shield, their spears bounced off and I went after them before they could throw anymore at me. Two sword hits on each of them was enough and both dropped green rupees which I picked up. With that problem taken care of, the issue of which way to go next could be properly decided on.

As I saw before, there were several keyhole blocks, but upon a closer inspection, they were arranged in a square pattern leading to a staircase after the last one, My gut was telling me that the stairs would take me to the Nightmare so that would be the last place to explore. That left where I was supposed to find the Knightmare Key as without it, I couldn't unlock the door where it lurked. In addition, I needed to search for the dungeon item. Every dungeon had one of these and hopefully, this one would give me the means to run faster. The evidence of the item being faster speed was pretty strong given how I couldn't reach that one chest back at the start.

Since those two Shrouded Stalfos came from the upper left corner of this central area, I decided to check that direction first. While monsters generally weren't a strong indication of hiding something important, I guessed I was just curious in case the theory could be proven wrong. Heading northeast and entering another section, my eyes caught sight of a treasure chest but there was no way of reaching it from this side. I needed to approach from the other side though how I was supposed to do remained unknown for now. I could also hear something slithering about... something that was big judging from how loud it was.

Focusing on where I was, I saw an Owl Statue and two Yellow Stalfos so I walked forward where they immediately jumped to life--or whatever it was for them--and began leaping in an effort to drop on me. Both missed their target as I stepped back as they landed on the ground and I responded with my usual sword swings. As both disappeared in a puff of smoke, I was surprised by a Green Zol popping up from nowhere which somehow managed to hit me. Being a weak monster meant nothing if you could catch someone by surprise. Defeating it and picking up the blue rupee it dropped, I began assessing the area.

Another treasure chest, this time located on a high up platform, taunted me because again, I had no way of reaching it. Next to the Owl Statue was a door which I could walk through, but it was the tiles on the ground that truly piqued my curiosity. It was blatantly obvious that they were pointing south since they were in an arrow formation on the ground, but I was curious as to what information could be gleaned from the Owl Statue as why have it here to begin with? Taking out the Stone Beak, I placed it where it needed to be and it began revealing its secret. 'Poke suspicious parts of the wall with your sword and listen to the sounds it makes.'

Putting the Stone Beak away, I turned to Princess Twilight. "What does it mean by suspicious parts?"

"Do you remember seeing that cracked wall back in Tail Cave?" Princess Twilight asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, what about it?"

"This is similar to that except that the wall is solid instead of cracked." Flying south according to the tiles on the floor, Princess Twilight pointed at the wall where the arrow was pointing towards before moving over slightly. "First, use your sword and strike this part of the wall." I walked up and struck my sword on the wall where it made a clanging sound. "Your sword won't shatter if you strike these walls, Sunset. That blade looks pretty sturdy as though it had been forged by an expert. Okay, now strike where I was pointing at initially." I did so and a different sound occurred. "And that's how you can tell the difference."

"The different sound indicates it's hollow."

"Yes."

In my mind, I wanted to kick myself because I had done something like this on my previous journeys. How could I have forgotten something so simple? Despite not wanting to go through these adventures, deep down, I actually did miss some aspects of it because they proved to be incredible life experiences. Since my sword clearly couldn't destroy this part of the wall, I had just the thing in mind that would work. Taking out a bomb and placing it down on the ground and stepping back, it exploded a few seconds later revealing a path forward. No doubt other such hidden paths were in future dungeons so I needed to remember this.

Entering this hidden room, I saw two more Shrouded Stalfos though they had their backs to me which meant I could sneak up on them without them noticing. I did exactly that and defeated them both before they even knew what happened. With them gone, I could see that once again the way was blocked. "Wow... No way can I make that jump!"

Princess Twilight nodded. "The Roc's Feather can only do so much on its own. It looks like you need to do a running start and leap across the abyss with speed on your side. I'll mark down this room with my fairy magic once we find the Dungeon Map. Or we could simply remember this location for later."

"At least I know how to reach that one chest in the previous room."

"The one on the high ledge?"

"Yeah."

"There's no doubt that you need fast feet."

"Too bad I couldn't just whip up a spell that would give me the speed I need to jump across."

"If you could, it wouldn't be much of a challenge not to mention breaking this world's rules."

I sighed. " I know, Twilight. I just wanted to make a point about it." I then looked at how far the gap was and quickly did some calculations in my head. "I'd need to start running from that wall over there in order to have enough speed and momentum to jump across and not plunge down into the depths below. I'd also need to get rid of any monsters as they would disrupt my momentum which would be disastrous." That's when I noticed a crack in the wall I just mentioned. "Huh... There was another way in here." Taking out another bomb, I walked up to the wall and placed the bomb down where it exploded leaving a hole behind. "That should provide additional speed."

"Guess we should continue searching."

Heading back the way I came and going through the door that was next to the Owl Statue, it suddenly locked behind me as well as the door in front. My eyes then noticed three of those Bombites waddling around but they were a different colour. "These are Bombites, right?"

"They are but these are the other kind I mentioned before."

"What's different with these ones?"

"When you strike this kind of Bombite, they don't bounce around and explode." Princess Twilight answered. "Instead, they will begin to follow you and explode when the timer on their faces reach zero. You can use your sword to keep pushing them back so that you don't get caught in the explosion and suffer heavy damage. Only three of this kind of Bombite exist so you only have to deal with them right here and no where else."

"That's been a trend I've noticed."

"Take what you can get from it, Sunset."

"That sounds an awful lot like something Rarity would say."

"She can be very persuasive."

Chuckling quickly in response to that, I took a step forward which caught the attention of all three Bombites. Hitting them all with my sword, they got pushed back as Her Highness said they would, but she didn't tell me about the grins they would provide after getting hit. Their expression quickly changed to a number three and I knew what that meant. I continued hitting them back and away from me as the timer changed from three to two then one and then... BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! They all exploded in succession resulting in both doors unlocking. Unlike the regular Bombites, these weren't really that bad.

Entering the next room, several Green Zols popped up from the ground and a Shroud Stalfos began throwing its spears at me. Ignoring the Zols, I went straight for the skeleton as it was the bigger threat and while I did defeat it after two sword strikes, I got hit several times by the Zols. Luckily, two of them dropped Recovery Hearts so it wasn't all bad. There was also a treasure chest which I opened and took out a Compass. Though a map would've been preferred, I wasn't going to disrespect a compass since it informed me of hidden keys whenever I entered rooms with it in my possession.

I was then about to go back when I thought of something. Since both the Owl Statue and Princess Twilight told me about suspicious walls, I walked over to the left wall and started swinging my sword against it. The first two sections I hit sounded identical but when I stuck the third section, it made a different sound indicating it could be destroyed. Taking out another bomb (I needed to be cautious now about using them as getting more would require leaving Key Cavern and coming back after replenishing my supply), I placed it in front of the wall where it exploded and revealed a new way forward.

Heading into this room, the Compass made its usual sound informing me that a key was in here. There were also three regular Bombites so I needed to deal with them quickly before anything could go wrong. Striking one of them with my sword as it drew closer, it bounced off the wall and a fence that divided the room in half somewhat, and exploded upon hitting the second Bombite causing a chain reaction resulting in the other two exploding at once. Just thinking about being caught in such explosions made me shiver. Sure, I could survive but I'd rather not have to experience it if at all possible.

When the smoke cleared, a small key dropped down from above so I walked around and picked it up. That gave me two keys: this one and the one I picked up earlier when I went though all those locked rooms on the lower level of the dungeon. Before leaving the room, I tossed the pots and collected a single green rupee (It was better than getting nothing) before going back. I ignored the 'other' Bombites which had since respawned and continued backtracking until I was in the central area again. The two Shroud Stalfos had also respawned but I chose to walk past them since I needed to focus on my next objective.

Not even their spears were enough to get my attention and they eventually gave up and resumed doing whatever it was they did. Going left since it was the path I didn't take originally, four small Red Gels and a regular sized one were now blocking my path. It took one sword swing to defeat all five at once and doing this unlocked two doors which had previously locked themselves when I approached. Entering the next room, two Pairodds were here but the sound made by the Compass indicated a key was hidden in here. That meant needing to defeat these two monsters to get it.

"Twilight? Do you think these Pairodds can teleport out of this room?"

"I don't think so. Why do you ask?"

"I just have this feeling that they might do that."

"You don't have to worry about it." Princess Twilight patted me on the head which was more like an extremely gentle tap. "I've been studying their teleportation capabilities and have concluded that it's pretty limited compared to what we magic users in Equestria can do. They can only teleport short distances otherwise had they stronger power, they'd be warping all over the place and you couldn't defeat them."

"And their ranged attack?"

"Another kind of magic."

"Not everything is magic you know, Twilight."

"Can't blame me for trying."

Adjusting my belt, I then had to ask this next question. "You're not jealous of this magic are you?"

"Pfft! Of course not!" Her Highness was being sincere if only a bit childish with her response. "Magic like those Pairodds use is the kind you learn in your first year of magic school or even before that if you happen to be a prodigy." She then pointed at my Magic Powder bag without accidentally spilling its contents. "That powder can be considered basic as far as magic goes but it was crafted with care so it's sort of an exception. Guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm not jealous but rather, a little flustered at being forced to use fairy magic instead of what I can really do."

"You said it yourself about breaking this world's rules."

Princess Twilight sighed. "You're right. I just needed to vent a little."

I could understand Her Highness wanting to vent out frustration that's been bottled up inside her. Heck, I've done this more times than I'd like to remember. Magic is not just her specialty, her entire life revolved around it. At least she never experienced a lengthy time without it. I did back when I first came to the world that was now my home. I never thought I'd get to use magic again let alone do so via my horn back in Equestria. I could understand how Her Highness missed using her true magic despite not much time had actually passed. That was more of her freaking out too soon.

The two Pairodds hadn't done anything this entire time which was surprisingly, but then Her Highness did need a moment to let out that frustration so I could appreciate these monsters showing some kind of kindness. Since I didn't want to waste anymore bombs (I had about thirteen left which while still plenty, could easily be depleted at any moment), I decided to go with a more direct approach. Swinging my sword, both Pairodds teleported and appeared behind me before firing their magical shuriken. I walked back as fast as possible before swinging only for them to teleport back to where they were before.

I kept repeating this and eventually I managed to move faster than they were teleporting. I had done this tactic before in a previous room but without any conveyor belts, the process took longer as I needed to keep up with them with my own speed. Their shuriken did connect a couple of times because they were difficult to avoid as I was concentrating on hitting them, but both eventually were defeated leaving behind another small key which dropped down from above before landing on a different coloured tile. Picking it up, the only way I could go forward was by using the panel in the wall.

Pressing my back against the panel, it flipped over to the other side taking me with it, and I was in a small room with another panel on the opposite wall. There were also monsters in the form of two Red Gels and a Yellow Stalfos to take care of first. The Yellow Stalfos leapt into the wall before coming down but I dodged it by walking to the right. I then attacked its vulnerable self, defeating it in two hits before attacking both Gels causing them to split up. (I forgot that Red Gels divided in half if struck provided they were regular sized) Defeating the now four Gels in a single sword strike, I could hear something materialize but I didn't know what it was.

"I hope that was a treasure chest that just appeared on the other side of this wall."

"Let me check." Princess Twilight floated up to see what it was. "Yep! It's a treasure chest! Guess being able to still fly can come in handy."

"Feeling better now?"

"Yes, much better." Princess Twilight then tapped me on the shoulder which was unexpected given how she had a penchant for wanting to bop me on the head. "Before we move on to the next room, I want to thank you for listening to my little venting episode earlier. Guess I still have some stress over ruling all of Equestria despite generally being good about it. I knew you were a good listener, Sunset. After all, you are quite empathetic."

"I have experience, Twilight." I pressed my sword into the ground and leaned on it. "I've been in those kinds of situations before both where I live and in Equestria. With your guidance, my own intuition, and our friends, it's easy for me to share my stories to those who need to hear them. I listen to their woes and respond in the right manner which helps them change their perspective for the better. Princess Celestia always was right about me needing humility. Before, it never registered with me as I didn't believe it was important. Once I understood how important it was, I just went with it."

"I've got a question for you now."

"What's that?"

"When I assume the throne, you should come back and serve as a speaker."

"Speaker?" I then leaned off of my sword. "Speaker of what?"

Princess Twilight giggled. "I was at first thinking you could speak to young creatures, but Trixie has that covered at the School of Friendship. Then I thought maybe an advisor but that was offered to Spike since he's been there for me from the beginning. Sonmambula does do public speaking but more towards the philosophical. You could be a speaker for creatures who lost their way or who are having trouble figuring things out."

"I'd have to leave my home though."

"It's an idea. We can work out the kinks later."

"First, you need to assume the throne." I stuck out my tongue since I knew I was right.

We both then laughed for about a minute since again, Her Highness couldn't be crowned Her Majesty until the castle had been repaired. She was still a regular princess who could relax and enjoy life before needing to be serious and govern Equestria accordingly. Sure, she was going to struggle at first. This was often the case whenever someone new came to a throne as they needed to implement their own ideas whilst following some from their predecessor. It would take roughly a year before she had settled down and get adjusted but knowing her, she could do all that in about several months.

Getting back to the journey at hand, I pressed my back against the second panel in the wall. It flipped over along with me and I immediately got my sword and shield ready as there were two regular Bombites along with a Sword Stalfos. The Stalfos hadn't noticed me because of several pots blocking its vision but the Bombites could clearly see me. I then hit the one nearest to me where it bounced back and forth off of two walls quite rapidly. For a moment, it looked like it would explode in my face with how fast it was bouncing, but instead, it exploded causing another chain reaction involving the other Bombite.

Its explosion didn't catch the attention of the Sword Stalfos. On a slightly different topic, I was genuinely surprised that the pots didn't shatter from the explosions. They had to have made from really stern material to not shatter like that. Speaking of the pots, I had an idea pop into my head. I picked one up, walked around the rest, and tossed it at the Sword Stalfos to see what would happen. It smashed into it and defeated it instantly which caused my jaw to drop. Really!? How could pots be more powerful than a sword!? No... Luck had no involvement at all with this. It me feel dejected as my sword was proving inefficient against a decorative piece.

I then noticed a bomb with wings floating above and I grabbed it by jumping with the Roc's Feather. It had the number ten on it which I assumed meant I had received ten bombs, a blessing for me as now I twenty-three of them. Of course, there were probably going to get used up before long given how this dungeon was operating. Bombs were a commodity so keeping my supply intact was essential. I then took out the Stone Beak and placed it on the nearby Owl Statue to hear its message. "If you can't destroy a skeleton with your sword, try using a bomb." Use a bomb? I... Didn't know you could do that.

Choosing to ignore the remaining pots, I moved on and found the chest Her Highness noticed earlier. Opening it up, I was happy to see that it contained a purple rupee. That was going to give me quite a rupee boost since the majority of what I had got used to buy that shovel. Heading back and to the right, the room I needed a bomb to open up the entrance to could be seen from up where I was. Of course! This was to show me that there was an additional room beyond the Compass' location. Quite clever for the dungeon. Since continuing on would probably lead nowhere, going back was all I could do.

Heading back and past the chest, I came to a block which I pushed allowing me access to the central area again. The Red Gels were back so I took them out once they saw that I had pushed the block. The only way to go now was north was through the one unlocked door I never explored. Walking north and entering this next room, it locked behind me, but I was more focused on what was in front of me. Standing--or whatever constituted as such--were two creatures that looked like snakes. Neither one moved which made me wonder if were asleep or something, but then they began slithering about... And completely ignoring me.

"I was wondering as to when we would come upon a mid-dungeon boss monster." Princess Twilight said in an excited voice. The two snake-like creatures occasionally opened their mouths whilst making a weird noise before closing them again before slithering forward and repeating the process. "Sunset... You need to handle these monsters differently in that you only have a limited inventory to defeat them with."

"What does that even mean?"

"These are Dodongo Snakes." Princess Twilight answered. She then pointed first at my sword before shaking her hands rapidly. "Don't even bother using your sword here as it won't hurt them at all. In fact, no weapons can hurt them! You can't even lift them up even with the Power Bracelet." She then pointed at the pocket that contained my bombs. "Because they are relatives of sorts with the Dodongo, only bombs can inflict any kind of damage. You do remember Dodongos, don't you? You know? Those dinosaur like monsters from before which could breathe fire?"

I gasped. "I remember having trouble with them... Except when I was a Goron."

"Those Dodongos were vulnerable to the sword but not these ones."

"So I should throw bombs at them?"

Princess Twilight shook her head. "Their thick hides make them immune to bomb explosions, but their insides aren't protected as such if you get my meaning. This is why I said you only have a limited inventory. Those twenty-three bombs are all you've got. If you run out, that's it! You'll be trapped here... Forever."

"Seriously!?"

"I'm not kidding here."

"Judging from how they're moving, I don't think they intend on attacking me."

"That's probably both your positive and negative." Princess Twilight said. "On the positive, you don't have to worry about being counter-attacked so you can take your time dealing with the Dodongo Snakes. On the other hand, you need to place bombs down exactly when they open their mouths otherwise they might ignore them, and a bomb will have been wasted. Patience and timing is key."

"I won't lie Twilight..."

"About what?"

"These snakes are really weirding me out."

"It's best to ignore that and focus on defeating them."

Kind of hard to do that what with them being so big in size and having that creepy factor all around them. Since I couldn't tell the Dodongo Snakes apart, I decided to focus on defeating one at a time instead of both. They continued slithering about whilst making their weird noise which just made me shudder. No, I wasn't afraid of them but rather it was their overall presence which made me shudder, and especially that noise. But like Her Highness said, I have to ignore the creepy factor and focus on defeating both snakes. Taking out a bomb and waiting for the left Dodongo Snake to approach, I placed it on the ground and it gobbled it up.

Moments later, the bomb exploded causing the body to inflate before it quickly shrank down. As if these things couldn't get anymore creepy, they managed to raise the bar without doing anything to warrant it. Knowing I had damaged one Dodongo Snake, I made sure to focus on it and temporarily ignore the other. After being stunned from the explosion, it regained its senses and began slithering forward before suddenly turning to the right. Following it, I placed another bomb in front of its mouth only for it to turn left and ignore my bomb which then exploded doing nothing at all.

I was also surprised to see that the explosions didn't faze the Dodongo Snakes in any way. Wow... Princess Twilight was right. No weapons could hurt them. The left snake eventually turned around and was slithering towards me though not intentionally as I doubted it was even thinking. I placed another bomb only it clipped the mouth and wasn't swallowed resulting in another dub bomb which exploded. I remembered I needed to be careful not to get caught in the explosion otherwise I'd be in a lot of pain. Walking around to where the left snake was moving, it then turned around much to my annoyance.

Despite not attacking, they were unintentionally being crafty. When the snake turned left, I placed a bomb in front of its mouth only for the other snake to push it aside with its body as it slithered by. Crap! Three wasted bombs in a row! I needed to do better or else I'd run out and then be utterly lost. The left snake then slithered forward until reaching where I entered the room before heading right. Checking to see where the other one was--it was hanging by the right-hand wall and I hoped it would stay over there--I waited for the first snake to turn left and then placed a bomb which this time was consumed.

The bomb exploded causing the body to inflate again before going back to normal. I was about to place another bomb on the ground when the second Dodongo Snake decided to make itself known, and bump into me causing me some damage and getting pushed. It then slithered along with the other one and both were heading left towards the left-hand wall before one snake turned left. This was the one I hadn't been focusing on so I left it alone and continued following what I had been attacking. This Dodongo Snake kept moving south so I got in front and placed a bomb which it ignored but when it suddenly turned to the right, I got in front and placed another bomb.

It swallowed the bomb and it exploded causing the entire Dodongo Snake to pop like a balloon. "Wow... I wasn't expecting that to happen."

"Well... You defeated it so I guess that's what matters."

"Yeah, but I've wasted four bombs and been successful three times."

"You should still have sixteen bombs which ought to be enough to defeat the other one."

I quickly checked to make sure that Princess Twilight's number was correct. Sure enough, she was right. "Hopefully, the Nightmare doesn't need me to use bombs in order to defeat it otherwise I'll really struggle against it." I then noticed that when the first Dodongo Snake popped, it left behind a fairy which I touched resulting in a restoration of health. A shame I lacked a bottle to catch it with but I couldn't do much about it.

The remaining Dodongo Snake didn't even care that its comrade was defeated. In fact, I don't even think it noticed since it didn't have any eyes. Walking around and going in front of it, it opened its mouth and I placed another bomb which got swallowed and exploded causing its body to inflate momentarily. After that, the snake began slithering forward before heading left then left again then right all while keeping its mouth closed. Why was it suddenly doing this? I didn't see the other one doing it. Was it perhaps it knew its comrade was gone and was now applying some kind of defence mechanism?

If that was the case, these Dodongo Snakes reiterated my stance on them being tricky. The snake then turned right and slithered along the back of the room where I placed another bomb only for it to turn right and ignore it. Crap! Another bomb wasted. I quickly got in front and was about to place another bomb when it turned left forcing me to walk around and get in front again where I placed my bomb hoping the snake would eat it. It did, much to my surprise, resulting in my bomb exploding and the body inflating before shrinking again. It then continued slithering around, its mouth remaining closed until it eventually opening it up again.

During this whole experience, I was actually ignoring the weird the Dodongo Snakes had been making as well as their appearance. I guessed they were just like every other monster on the island only being both unique and creepy in their own way. It then turned around and began slithering towards me. I knew it wasn't trying to attack me but rather it just wanted to go in its current direction because it could. Placing another bomb in front of it, it opened its mouth only to close it and turn right and my bomb exploded which made me feel really annoyed so I went around and placed another which got swallowed.

The bomb exploded and the remaining Dodongo Snake popped which ended the battle. It too left a fairy behind upon its defeat though I didn't really need it since my health was already at maximum. What was actually more important was the portal appearing that I could use as a short-cut back to the beginning of the dungeon, and since there was that one treasure chest I couldn't open back at the start, I appreciated having a warp. But, without a means of running fast, that chest was still impossible for me to reach along with jumping across the abyss in that other room I uncovered via a bomb.

"That... Was more annoying than anything else." I said as I wiped my brow of sweat.

"But you did it all the same!"

"Yeah, but I did use a lot of bombs, more than I was hoping."

"If you were thinking of beating both Dodongo Snakes without missing a single bomb explosion, luck really wasn't on your side." I knew Princess Twilight was trying to tell me the honest truth so I couldn't criticize her thought process. "You did really well though, Sunset. You were tested on how to use unorthodox battling styles so now you can apply this for future battles by using things besides a sword."

That's when I noticed something. "Twilight? Does that path south there go back to the previous area?"

Flying over to check it out, Princess Twilight came back and nodded. "You actually had a means of escaping were you to run out of bombs. I... I honestly didn't know that path was there so what I said about you being trapped forever was a lie. Then again, using that path would've punished you as the Dodongo Snakes would've regained their full health and respawned if one of them had been defeated."

"So it was a double-edged sword kind of scenario?"

"Yes."

"Oh well." I said as I headed towards the way out. "Let's just keep on going. If I'm right, we should be able to access another treasure chest I couldn't reach before." Entering the central area again, the chest in question was in plain sight as now I could reach it. Walking up to it, I pushed a couple of blocks aside to form a path, and upon opening the chest, I took out a pair of boots that had little wings, two on each side, on each of them. "Um... Why do I need a new pair of boots?"

Princess Twilight gasped. "Those are the Pegasus Boots!"

"The what now?"

"With those boots, you can now run really fast by dashing."

"Is that so?"

"Also, if you combine the boots with the Roc's Feather, you can jump much further than before." Her Highness' explanation right there made that large gap I saw earlier make more sense now as I had the means to make it over to that other treasure chest now. "Plus, you should be able to shatter those green crystals. You've definitely found a fabulous item, Sunset, and one which has so much utility. I suggest putting on your new boots and never take them off though it does mean you can't use those old ones. Ever wonder what's it's like to move really fast like Rainbow Dash? These boots will answer that question."

Without doing a thing, the Pegasus Boots disappeared from my hands and magically appeared on my feet, replacing my old boots as if by magic. I then paced about a couple of times before jumping up and down as a means of getting used to wearing them. They were definitely comfortable and the wings were really cute. Now to put them to the test. Hopefully, nothing was going to go wrong. Walking to the green crystals, I tried to see if the boots could allow me to shatter them. I did a small hop before dashing forward with my sword thrust forward, shattering both crystals before I slammed into a block.

"Wow... What a rush!" I said in a daze.

"You can stop running whenever you want and not simply crash into something."

"Good to know."

"Also, you can cut down grass and shrubs more easily with the Pegasus Boots."

Now that's what I called utility. These boots could now make grinding a lot easier in addition to dealing with backtracking a lot quicker. While some aspects of this journey are now more bearable, it didn't make things easy overall as the difficulty was only to ramp up from here. Pushing the block, I needed to go back to the start of Key, so ignoring the two Shroud Stalfos who had respawned once again, I made my way back over to the portal and used it to reach the entrance. Heading right, the Compass made its noise indicating that a key was within the treasure chest guarded by the Vacuum Mouth.

Dashing forward, the Vacuum Mouth attempted to pull me into the abyss but I was moving too fast for it to do so and my sword eventually went right through it, destroying it and leaving the chest unguarded. Opening it up and taking the key, I thought about warping back to the Dodongo Snake room, but there were a couple more things for me to do that involved using my new boots. Heading back to the entrance and then walking north, I struck a Bombite which bounced off the walls a few times before it exploded. Ignoring the other monsters, I began dashing and shattered both green crystals which blocked me previously.

I kept on running and destroyed a Red Gel which was just there for some reason. This was what made that bouncing noise way back when I first came this way so now I could deal with the rest of the puzzle. Backtracking and ignoring the other monsters until I was back on the other side of where the Red Gel was, I quickly took care of the two Stalfos which caused another treasure chest to materialize. Opening it up, I took out a gold rupee which sparkled in a very bright light. I asked Princess Twilight what its value was and she responded by saying 300 rupees which almost made me faint. Where was this when I needed it long ago?

In any case, I could afford that Piece of Heart in the Item Shop, or I could save up for something much bigger. Pocketing my sudden wealth increase, I went back south only to see that there was a door to my left which I never checked. Entering this room, a chest was on top of a raised platform, and the line of blue blocks leading up to it revealed why I never came in here to begin with. Better late than never, right? Defeating a couple of Keese that were nearby, I began walking around until I reached the chest only for a Sword Stalfos to block my way. I parried its sword strike with my shield and with two sword swings, defeated it.

Opening the chest, I took out the Dungeon Map. "Um..."

"We could've checked this room much sooner..." Princess Twilight said in a pained voice.

I smacked my head against the empty chest. "That's what I get for not double-checking!"

"At least we can now see what this dungeon looks like from a layout perspective." Princess Twilight said. Unfurling the map, we both saw that Key Cavern comprised two levels, a floor and a basement, with the former in the shape of a large key, and the latter in the shape of a small key. The Nightmare was located on the lower level and the one unopened chest was on the other side of the giant gap. "When you look at this dungeon's layout, it's not really that bad. At least we know where to find that Nightmare Key. We should head back to where you battled those Dodongo Snakes via that warp."

"We're almost done with this place."

"Only a couple of rooms remain."

Pushing a block which allowed me to leave the room instead of going back the other way, I south back towards the entrance, again, ignoring the monsters, and used the warp to teleport myself back to the Dodongo Snake area. From there, I went south and turned left since this was the direction where that gap was. Thanks to me having blown up that other entrance earlier, I did a small jump before dashing forward, and upon seeing the gap, I immediately jumped over and landed safely. Never had I made such a leap like that before. I could still feel the adrenaline surging through me. I really needed to do that again, but not here of course.

As soon as I said that, I walked up the stairs only to find another gap to jump over. Granted, this one was smaller, but still, I had to jump it. Dashing forward and jumping over this gap, I opened the treasure chest on the other side and took out the Nightmare Key. Putting it in my pocket, I jumped down and ignored all monsters that were trying to get my attention since there was no need for me to fight any of them. It didn't take long for me to reach the first of the four keylock blocks and when I got there, I took out my remaining keys and inserted the first key into the lock where it disappeared.

Following the path, I unlocked the remaining three blocks before heading down the stairs to an underground passage only to discover something unexpected. "What in the world is that supposed to be!?" Blocking my way forward was a giant red stone that had an angry face on it. "It looks like another Mario enemy but not."

"This is another trap, Sunset, but one that only exists right here in this underground path."

"Who do you suppose put it here?"

Princess Twilight shrugged. "Beats me, but this is known as a Mega Thwomp. No matter what you do, it won't budge from its place of rest nor will it simply drop down on its own, but you do have the means to force it to drop."

Looking at my feet, seeing the Pegasus Boots clued me in on what she meant. "Ohhhh... I have to dash into--yeah I got it."

Dashing into the Mega Thwomp, it suddenly cracked and its expression changed from angry to shocked at it dropped down onto the spiked floor below. Dropping down on top of it and continuing forward, I had to dash again in order to jump over another spiked floor--which I did--and climbed up a ladder. A Piranha Plant in a pipe then blocked my path so one swing of my sword defeated it though letting it go back down would've worked too. Climbing down another ladder, I entered the basement where green crystals were scattered everywhere. There were also three Pairodds but now I could attack them before they had a chance to teleport.

Using my new-found speed, I dashed into each Pairodd, defeating them in one hit (I guessed even dash attacks were more powerful than regular sword swings) with the door opening upon defeating the last one. There was no reason to shatter all the crystals and a flying Recovery Heart wasn't needed either since it had been a while since I last took damage so I moved on to the next room. In this room, the Compass beeped which immediately made no sense. The only locked door required the Nightmare Key so what did the beep mean? Looking around at what I had to deal with, several Keese were perched on platforms and the entire floor comprised of conveyor belts.

Raising my shield and stepping onto a tile, I allowed the conveyor belts to take me around the room. Each of the Keese attacked me only to be deflected by my shield and I swung my sword defeating each one in turn. Two of them dropped green rupees which I collected and when all of them were gone, a small key dropped down from above and landed on the ground where it began moving about on the conveyor belts. Despite not needing to pick it up, that was exactly what I did anyway because I couldn't ignore a key. Still, a question loomed in my mind and hopefully Her Highness had an answer.

Princess Twilight, however, went ahead and addressed it. "An extra small key... Hmmm... Why would this be here right before the Nightmare's door?"

"That was going to be my question."

"Sunset? Let me look at the Dungeon Map again." I took it out and Her Highness combed it over. "There are no more locked doors aside from the one that the Nightmare Key has to unlock and there are no hidden rooms." I could tell she really wanted an answer and to be honest, I was curious about this as well. "I do have a theory but I need to keep looking at the map to reach an answer." Continuing to comb over the map, Princess Twilight soon reached a conclusion. "You know those locked rooms that had keys?"

"What about them?"

"It's possible that you didn't need to unlock one of those rooms."

"And what does that have to do with the extra key?"

"Everything, Sunset." Princess Twilight answered. "If you had ignored one of those rooms, you would have still collected enough keys to reach this room. The extra key could then be used to unlock that ignored room... Though it would still result in getting an extra key that does nothing."

"You lost the answer?"

Crestfallen, Princess Twilight slowly nodded. "My only remaining answer is that whoever made this dungeon created an extra key that served no purpose. Oh well. It's not like this key can be taken to another dungeon."

"It sounds like an oversight."

"You could be right."

During the conversation, the conveyor belts took me all over the room and I ended up in the lower left corner. Making my way back to the door, I used the Nightmare Key to unlock it and entered where it closed behind me. To my surprise, the room was completely empty much like how it was with Moldorm. "Okay? The Nightmare is supposed to be here, right?"

"Something's wrong."

"Hello?" I called out. "Is anyone there?" I got no response but instead, a few Green Zols dropped down from the ceiling which I immediately took care of. "I wasn't expecting any regular monsters to be in here." I then tried calling out again. "Where are you?"

This time, I got a response. "NEENER NEENER! You can't find me!"

"Wanna bet!"

"NYAH NYAH!"

"Okay, this Nightmare is starting to annoy me."

Princess Twilight then bopped me on the head. "Look at that shadow on the ground in the middle of the room, Sunset. Do you suppose that the Nightmare is on the ceiling?" She looked up and bopped me even harder. "Up there! It's up there on the ceiling!" I then looked up for myself and sure enough, the Nightmare was right there. "How about that? It turned out to be a giant Gel after all."

I moaned. "Why did it have to be that!? I was only kidding earlier!"

"You found me quicker than I thought."

"And what do they call you?" I called up to the giant Gel."

"I am known as Slime Eye." The name made sense since it was a giant blob with a singular eyeball. Still, I wished it could've been something else since what I predicted was meant to be a joke and nothing more. "NYAH NYAH! I'm up here and you're down there! What can do you now? Not much so you might as well leave."

"Don't listen to him, Sunset." Princess Twilight said.

"How do I get him down?"

"You can't throw bombs up there as they won't reach high enough and you've got no other projectile weapons." When she looked at my Pegasus Boots, Her Highness slapped her forehead in sheer disbelief. "The answer is right there on your feet, as in, the footwear, the Pegasus Boots. Running into walls causes a slight tremor from what I saw when you ran into those stone blocks. Perhaps you can bring Slime Eye down here after all."

My first thought was to toss my sword up and see if I could knock this creature down but decided against it as it would've been too embarrassing. (Pinkie Pie would've found it hilarious though) so I went with Princess Twilight's idea. Performing a little hop and dashing forward with my sword out, I crashed into the back wall which left me stunned for a second but proved effective as Slime Eye dropped down from the ceiling, landing on the ground with a loud squishy sound. Upon getting a better--also closer--look at him, aside from the giant eyeball, there wasn't really anything else other than a clear slimy body.

Despite my annoyance that a giant slime was the Nightmare, I was also curious as to why have something like this? Moldorm proved challenging because of its behaviour and sudden speed bursts and the Genie was a taxing fight because of having to wait for the perfect opportunity to attack. A giant slime though? I just couldn't picture a difficult battle. Just looking at this thing made me feel uneasy inside. It's body jiggled because of how squishy it was and the eyeball was actually looking directly at me. Slime Eye could probably end my life just with looks alone.

"So you brought me down did you?" Slime Eye asked.

"I said I would." I answered.

"You must really want to fight huh?"

I pretended to agree with him despite my reservations. "Well, you are the Nightmare and I have already defeated the previous two."

Slime Eye looked like he was annoyed but I couldn't really tell. I mean, how can you tell what his emotions are? "I was thinking of taunting you again, but you brought me down from the ceiling so the taunting will just have to be skipped. Let's see if you can figure out what to do now."

I raised my shield expecting Slime Eye to lunge at me or even jump in an attempt to squash me, but neither of these things happened. Instead, he just remained in place, looking at me with his eyeball, a strong gaze piercing my very soul. That's when I realized that his eye was his weak point so I struck it with my sword which caused him to start splitting into two pieces each half with their own eyeball. I decided to wait and what he was going to do next and my answer came as the two halves came back together forming one whole. Again, he chose to do nothing but remain still.

Hitting the eye again to start splitting Slime Eye in half, I continued attacking the eye on the left which caused the two halves to split even further until only a thin strand of slime was holding them together. Thinking that I could continue hitting the eye to break them up, I attacked it and nothing happened. Worse still, the two halves slowly began merging back into one before Slime Eye was completely whole again. That idea clearly didn't work so another tactic was needed. Wracking my brain for any ideas, it eventually occurred to me that boss monsters were vulnerable to items found in dungeons though the idea was kind of lost on Moldorm.

Attacking Slime Eye to begin the splitting up process, I continued hitting his left eye until I was back where I was before. I needed to use the Pegasus Boots in some way since that was the item I found in here but I still couldn't see it. Princess Twilight eventually spoke up. "Think, Sunset... What can those boots do?" No wonder Her Highness has proven how essential she has been to my survival. She saw how I was struggling and provided me with important insight after letting me try and figure it out on my own. "Sorry for not saying anything sooner but I thought you already knew the answer."

"Now I do."

"It should take one push to break Slime Eye into two smaller pieces."

Just as he was starting to merge back together to form one whole, I dashed into the thin strand of slime and began pushing it back. Slime Eye was clearly uncomfortable with having his body being stretched like that but I kept on pushing until the strand snapped splitting Slime Eye and me crashing into the wall. Shaking my head after getting stunned, I turned around and saw the two Nightmares look at each other as though neither one understood what had just happened. They eventually figured out that I had done something to them and began moving about while I raised my shield in preparation for what they were going to do.

Even though they were now smaller, the Slime Eyes, well, eyes, were still their weak point and I figured hitting them anywhere else would do nothing. Before I had a chance to attack either one, both of them suddenly leapt upwards and for a moment, I thought they were going back up to the ceiling. Both of them landed on the ground seconds later, the impact of their landing shook the ground causing me to trip resulting in my landing hard on my butt. One Slime Eye bumped into me inflicting some damage but I got back up before it could do the same thing again. Now I knew what they were trying to do.

It was a clever tactic: Jump up, come crashing down, I trip up, they bump into me, rinse and repeat. Both Slime Eyes began moving about by making short hops all while keeping a close watch of my actions before both of them jumped upwards again. This time, I was ready as I jumped myself with the Roc's Feather as both crashed into the ground. I then began attacking a Slime Eye by hitting its eye several times before it disappeared in a puff of smoke. Did it seriously go down that quickly!? I was expecting to have to go through several volleys of sword hits and not just the one.

The remaining Slime Eye then jumped into the air and I jumped only doing so a little too soon so when I landed, it landed afterwards causing its tremor and I tripped again. I fell on my butt again but fortunately, it was too far away to bump into me so getting back up, I struck the eye of Slime Eye a couple of times when it leapt up again. My eyes then noticed the circular shadow on the ground so I made sure I kept my distance as it was aiming at me. Just before it landed, I jumped to avoid the tremor and upon Slime Eye hitting the ground, I attacked its eye a couple more times which was enough.

It began exploding several times before disappearing completely in a final explosion causing both doors to unlock and a Heart Container to appear in the middle of the room. My opinion on the fight was mixed at best. "That... That actually wasn't bad at all." I said as I swung my sword back and forth.

Princess Twilight nodded. "For a Nightmare, Slime Eye was much easier than Moldorm and the Genie were."

"I only got hit once during that entire fight."

"A sign of improvement."

I shook my head. "Had Slime Eye been stronger and actually did more, I'd have taken a lot more damage and would probably on my last legs right now. Still, why have such an easy boss to serve as one of these Nightmares? Grogar must have made a serious miscalculation to have chosen that to guard an instrument."

"I also see it from a different perspective." Princess Twilight said. "Key Cavern was filled with hidden monsters, rooms with traps in them, and those jumps you had to make. Had you fallen foul to most of those and had barely gotten to Slime Eye, he would've killed you in one or two hits. He thought you were exhausted but that clearly wasn't the case. Anyway, that's three Nightmares defeated."

"Only five more left including Grogar."

"Let's collect the instrument and we can leave this place."

Before doing so, I picked up the Heart Container which appeared after Slime Eye was defeated. I felt its warmth make me stronger than ever and that meant my chances of survival had further increased. With that done, I walked into the final room where the door closed behind me and before was the third instrument and it was... a bell? Really? A bell!? Were they actually viewed as instruments? Apparently, that was true here. I normally associated bells as what you'd hear upon entering a shop or used to make a loud noise to annoy someone. I guessed I shouldn't question it as I'd come across as condescending.

Walking up to the bell, it sparkled in the same manner as the Full Moon Cello and the Conch Horn before it so I knew it was legitimate. Picking it up off the ground, I decided to shake it and see what happened. Sure enough, it let loose a small chime which made me smile. Okay, so maybe a bell can be an instrument. Now... in terms of princesses, the only one left excluding Princess Twilight was Princess Cadance. Among the other three alicorns, I hadn't interacted with her as much if hardly at all because I couldn't really find any common ground, that and she ruled over the Crystal Empire, where the original portal was.

"Okay, we now have the bell."

"Where do you suppose Cadance is?"

I shrugged. "She should be here by now."

"Maybe she got lost?"

"That would make her look bad, wouldn't you think?"

"I guess."

"You have received the Sea Lily's Bell!" A voice called out from nowhere.

"That must be her now, Twilight."

Sure enough, the radiant beauty of Princess Cadance (I was being serious about the beauty because she was well known for it amongst her subjects in addition to her great wisdom and general ease of approaching her) finally made her presence known. Like Celestia and Luna before her, Cadance wore a beautiful gown that featured a crystal heart pattern including an actual crystal heart sewn into the center of it with the colours of the gown being in varying shades of pink, blue, and purple. Her wings shone in the same colours and as for her hair... You get the picture by now.

"I am so sorry for being a bit late." Princess Cadance said. "I'm still having a bit of trouble getting used to having a body like this. I don't know how you can manage to move about so easily with only two legs, Sunset Shimmer, but I can't help but be a little jealous." She then turned to face me directly. "I believe the last time you and I saw each other was when you came to the Crystal Empire in order to apologize to me for what you did when you stole Twilight's crown."

Princess Twilight was shocked to hear that. Sunset! When did you do that!?"

"It was something Princess Celestia arranged for me." I answered. "I wanted to apologize to Princess Cadance for my past actions when I abandoned my studies and Equestria. I'll be honest in saying I don't have much in common with Cadance and we don't interact that much so finding a common connection with her hasn't been easy."

"Sunset Shimmer came to see me about several months after reconciling with Princess Celestia." Princess Cadance said. "We didn't want you to know, Twilight, in case you wanted to take over the entire explanation leaving Sunset with little to say herself." Her Highness then blushed in the presence of her sister-in-law before sharing a giggle with her. "See? Sunset and I both knew you would react like that. Anyway, you now have three of the Instruments of the Sirens. Only five remain until you can awaken the dreamer. By the way, do you two know when everything will change back to normal?"

"That depends on me and Sunset defeating Grogar." Princess Twilight answered.

Princess Cadance gasped. "Grogar!? You mean the ancient evil of Equestria? That Grogar? But, I thought he was Discord in disguise according to what you told me."

"Apparently, this is the real one."

"And defeating him will fix this?"

"Not necessarily." I answered. "We still have the elephant in the room... namely, Ganondorf, the Demon King. It's going to be up to him as to when everything goes back to normal and we all get to go back to our respective worlds. There's no doubt he'll want to fight me again as a means of testing me because of his desire of making me his servant. Just because my magical prowess continues improving by leaps and bounds doesn't mean I'll become corrupted by it."

"You must not allow him to corrupt you, Sunset Shimmer."

"I won't."

"Believe in yourself and your friends and nothing can stop you." Princess Cadance turned to Princess Twilight. "Twilight... I know you will look after Sunset as you've been doing so from the very beginning. Continue guiding her along as always and she will do the same for you." She then faced me again. "Listen closely now to my words as I shall reveal where the next instrument lies. Waterfall... It is hidden in the waterfall."

"A waterfall?" Princess Twilight asked.

"You will find it at the base of the mountain range of this island."

"That should be easy enough."

Princess Cadance shook her head. "Unfortunately, it's not that simple, Twilight. You first need to travel to the eastern part of the island in order to acquire something that will help you unlock the way forward. But, you will need the songstress you know in order to get past an obstacle blocking your path. Also, have you seen the Dream Shrine located in the village? Go there in order to get a special item as without it, your journey cannot be finished. I wish I could say more but I'm refrained from helping any further. However, a certain man both of you know can provide you with those missing answers."

"Flash Sentry..." I said.

"Yes, that would be him." Princess Cadance began to fade away. One last thing... If you're having money troubles, why not speak to Zecora some time. You don't need me to explain why you should do that. "This isn't the last time you'll be seeing me. You will get to see me again when you reach Level 6. Until then, listen to the chimes of the Sea Lily's Bell, and good luck."

As she disappeared, the Sea Lily's Bell began to chime very softly. Compared to the previous two instruments, it wasn't loud nor did it follow in the same tune, but instead it just felt soothing as though my troubles were melting away. As everything went white, I began thinking about what Princess Cadance said. What she said about Zecora was blatantly obvious given there was no sugarcoating it but she was right about me needing more rupees. Zecora did say helping her would be worth it for me. As for this Dream Shrine... surely someone in the village can explain what it is... Maybe even Discord himself.

The moment I walked out of Key Cavern and back outside, the flapping of a bird indicated that Flash Sentry was about to make his presence felt. Sure enough, his owl companion could be seen flying over this way at quite the pace. It eventually stopped before slowly lowering down until it landed above the dungeon entrance. Petting the owl before scratching the underside of its beak, Flash Sentry climbed down and sat down next to his friend. "How many instruments have you gotten so far?"

"I have three." I answered back.

"And you have also defeated three of the Nightmares."

"What else can you tell me about them that I am allowed to know?"

"Some of the Nightmares may not appear strong to the likes of you, but they strike fear into the hearts of those on this island." Flash Sentry answered. "However, the ones that remain shall test you in ways you have yet to understand. Strength alone is not going to help you. You will need wisdom and courage to overcome them."

"If that's all you can say right now then I'll accept it."

"In time, more will become clear to you."

"What about the instruments?"

"When you play the eight instruments in front of the egg, the Wind Fish will waken and you will be able to leave this island."

"As you've said before."

Flash Sentry then climbed back onto his owl companion. "The spirit princess has told you where the next instrument lies, but she was not able to guide you to the item you need in order to reach it. Right now, you cannot enter where you must go so long as water continues to run. Young lass, you must now hasten to the Yarna Desert. It is located beyond a place called Animal Village which is to the east. The one who first found you... Her voice must be heard by those who enjoy it most. The dark, monstrous inhabitants of the sand will show you the way to your goal."

With that, he took to the sky on his companion leaving me plenty to think about. On the one hand, I needed to go to this Yarna Desert which is where I needed to find something that could help me reach whatever kind of dungeon lurked behind a waterfall. I was concerned that I was being taken away from where I was supposed to go. It wasn't backtracking but rather deviating from the main path. I also had the Dream Shrine back in Mabe Village and what Zecora wanted from me. So many options yet two were required and the other being an option that had benefits attached to them.

First, I needed to speak to Discord since he could shed some light on where I had to go next. Jumping across the islands in the lake until I got to the other side, I then began dashing and to my amazement, the speed was just as incredible out here like it was indoors. Granted, I did have to stop and change direction to avoid crashing into walls or obstacles of a similar nature but at least now I could backtrack with some speed on my side. Heading south and going past Tempest's villa, I approached Key Cavern again from the south before heading left as the nearest telephone booth was in that general area.

Seeing the telephone booth, I dashed forward only to accidentally run into the tree to the right of it, and to my surprise, a Secret Seashell fell out from it. Picking it up before a monster could step on it, or even me for that matter, I now had four of them though I needed a lot more than that if I wanted that ultimate sword. Now that I had the Pegasus Boots on my feet, were there other places I could now go which were previously inaccessible? Surely there were such places. With more items, the more my exploration would open up. Entering the telephone booth, I picked up the phone and waited.

BBRRIINNG! BBRRIINNG!

"D'oh ho ho! This is Ulrira speaking." Discord said. "I know it's you, Sunset Shimmer, as who else would call me?"

"I need your help." I said.

"Of course you do as why else would you phone me!" Discord went silent for a few moments before speaking again. "Have you ever heard of the Dream Shrine? It's a place located in the northeast part of the village. Anyone who goes in there gets to dream about this strange place where a great treasure is hidden. What treasure is it? You should ask Papahl's wife about that as she knows a lot about that shrine."

Princess Cadance did say that the item in the Dream Shrine was necessary for me to finish this journey. I had to go there as soon as possible because if I don't collect it now, I'll no doubt forget about it and be in a panic later. I then thought about the desert Flash Sentry mentioned. Since Discord knew so much about Koholint Island, he should be able to tell me exactly what I'm looking for. "Um..." I began but had difficulty coming up with a good way to ask. "I need to find something among some sand." Seriously!? That was my method!? That was a terrible execution."

"Sand, you say? You mean the Yarna Desert?"

"Yes."

"D'oh ho ho!" Discord laughed though this time he was allowed to get away with it since I screwed up with my request. "In the Yarna Desert, which is located in the southeast of the island, you will find something called the Angler Key. A key like that in a desert is pretty unusual isn't it? It would work better somewhere with plenty of water. Hmmm... How much more obvious do I have to be? If you're still having problems, well... I'm not sure what I can do for you. Bye!"

CLICK!

'Angler Key'? So that was what I needed to find in the Yarna Desert? Discord didn't say where in the desert it was so that was something I needed to figure out on my own. I also needed to bring Starlight with me since she was the songstress Princess Cadance mentioned. I had no idea how I would convince her to come with me. Leaving the telephone booth and heading back north, I noticed Sunburst standing by a tree trying to poke something. Maybe he can help me with Starlight. He is her father after all in this world. Okay, now I was starting to get somewhere with all of this.

To Be Continued.

Chapter 11: The Desert's Secret.

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.
By Ganondorf8.
November 27, 2019.
Chapter 11: The Desert's Secret.

"Let's hope that Sunburst can give us the right information." I said.

"Sunset?" Princess Twilight began. "Have you thought about how you're going to be handling so many objectives? After all, you've been given quite the list. I don't want you feeling overwhelmed in any way. Besides, I've been there plenty of times and all it does is cause stress."

"What do you suggest?"

Princess Twilight took a deep breath. "First, we should speak with Sunburst since he's right over there. After that, we should pay a visit to this Dream Shrine. Whatever treasure is in there is one you need otherwise we're never finishing this journey. Next, go to the Item Shop as I know you want the Piece of Heart Aria was selling. Then you can go to the Trendy Game since I'm certain Ember restocked on rare items. Next, will be the Animal Village followed with the Yarna Desert, and hopefully the next dungeon. Did I miss anything? I'm pretty sure I covered just about everything."

"You forgot about Starlight and Zecora."

"Oh... Right." Princess Twilight then blushed but I couldn't blame her. In fact, I was surprised that she went and told me everything I needed to take care of. "Starlight... She can be slotted in after you finish the Dream Shrine. As for Zecora... Her hut is on the way towards the next dungeon so we could go off the main path and visit her. Now that should be everything we need to do."

I nodded. "I don't think you missed anything."

"We might as well get this started then."

"Hopefully, Sunburst can help out."

To be honest, I wasn't confident that he could give us some answers. From what Princess Twilight told me about him, he was quite an amazing wizard even though he dropped out from Princess Celestia's School of Gifted Unicorns. It showed that you didn't need a fancy school in order to be successful. (Princess Celestia is never going to hear me say that otherwise I'd never live it down) He used to be Flurry Heart's Crystaler but since she's older now, he isn't needed aside from special occasions. According to Her Highness, he was selected by Starlight to become the School of Friendship's new Vice Headmare. Quite the promotion I'd say.

However, in this world, Sunburst doesn't exactly think clearly. I mean, I've no personal issues with him but the character he portrays isn't exactly all that bright. More like, a curious individual who doesn't quite use his brain to understand things. In some ways, Sunburst is living the dream which I've secretly wanted on rare occasions... To be able to relax and not have to worry about anything. A world where its problems never bother you. With what I have to do, problems always find their way to me despite not wanting any. I guessed it was a personal sacrifice seeing how much of what I've experienced was by my own doing.

Equestrian Magic running wild in the world I called home... Had I never left Equestria, such problems wouldn't be plaguing my adopted home. Of course, my friends wouldn't be my friends and their destinies would be totally different. In that sense, destiny proved to be very effective in the end despite my actions. What would've happened had I not left? I'd have likely been punished by Princess Celestia and banished from Equestria to the desolate wastes beyond its borders. Or, I'd have been sent to Tartarus, a far less punishment compared to the wastes as Tartarus actually has some semblance of quality.

I supposed what I did was a double-edged sword. It was both a blessing and a curse at the same time. If I could, I'd like to go back in time and undo everything, but that would be selfishness on my part. The past is one that shouldn't be changed just because you messed up. What happened is history and must remain as is otherwise everything else gets thrown out of whack resulting in who knows what. Still, I do wish I could fix my mistake. Believe me, I have plenty of those still lingering despite how much I've changed. Just because I don't share them doesn't mean they don't exist.

Princess Twilight then began bopping me on the head to indicate that I needed to stop daydreaming and begin my long list of objectives. Even though I really should stop doing that (The daydreaming thing in case it wasn't obvious) I couldn't help it as it helped me understand myself. Her Highness knows it's something I have to do to give myself piece of mind but maybe I shouldn't let it drag on because she just floats there and watches and can't do anything as she can't read my mind. When you've got a lot on your mind, you tend to forget about all facets of reality until you are forced back into it.

Walking over to where Sunburst was, I was confused at seeing him attempt to hit what looked like a beehive. I'm no bee expert but what he was doing was both wrong and utterly insane given how volatile bees were. Again, his curiosity meant he wasn't thinking. Now that I thought of it, this was the first time I'd seen a beehive on any of the trees around here. Why not have them on any of the other trees? On the subject of Sunburst, judging from the sweat trickling down his brow, he had been here for some time. It made sense since I had been traipsing about in a dungeon for several hours or so.

Sunburst then noticed me. "Why, if it ain't Sunset Shimmer! It's me, Tarin! I hope you ain't forgotten about me!"

I shook my head as I approached. "There's no way I could forget the likes of you."

"Glad ta hear it." He then looked up and down at me and for a moment, I thought he was doing it for intimate reasons. "Wow! Your clothes look like they've been through the ringer not ta mention them scars you've got. I knew you were the adventurin' type but you're taking it to an extreme. You know, I'll bet Crazy Tracey could help you out."

"Who?"

"Ain't you ever heard of Crazy Tracey?" I shook my head and Sunburst was surprised. "And hear I thought everyone knew about her given how she likes ta advertise herself and her business with them fliers. Well, let ol' Tarin explain things ta you. You know that Witch who lives on the other side of the Mysterious Forest? Well, Crazy Tracey was once her apprentice before she went and started her own potion makin' business. Her potions can heal any kind of wound and can even bring ya back ta life if you happen to kick the bucket. She does have a weird pricin' system though."

"Where can I find her!?" I asked in an excited frenzy.

"She lives near the Witch in Koholint Prairie but ya needs strength to move them boulders."

If this Crazy Tracey does what I think she did even with Sunburst's description of her, she was someone I needed to see as soon as possible. Considering how often I've taken a beating on my journey from all sorts of monsters, having a potion on hand would improve my chances of surviving especially if it could save me from being killed. I didn't know what he meant by 'weird pricing system' but I supposed it was something I'd find out. If her location was accurate, this Crazy Tracey was on my way to the next dungeon so paying her a visit wasn't out of the question either.

Now I needed him to answer my next question. "Um... Do you mind if I take Star--I mean, Marin--to Animal Village?" In hindsight, even though I had a good idea as to the kind of residents living in this village, I actually didn't know anything about it.

"Hmmm... Marin usually goes there on her own without me."

"Is that so?"

Sunburst nodded. "Marin goes there to sing songs to the animals. In case ya were wonderin', that's why they call it Animal Village. Everyone there is an animal of some kind but despite this, it is recognized as the sister village of our Mabe Village. As for Marin going... She needs ta be in the right mood otherwise she ain't gonna wanna go. You can ask her yet I don't think she'll be interested. Maybe if you went yourself, ya can convince her to come along on yer next visit."

I didn't like the sound of that at all. If I understood him correctly, Starlight wasn't going to go to Animal Village without a good reason. I'd need to go there in person, talk to some of the animals, come back to Mabe Village, then ask her if she wanted to come, and then make my way back over there again. It was backtracking of the absolute worse kind but one that I most likely couldn't avoid because of story progression. These role playing video games often had some really annoying quirks like this which you couldn't walk around because you'd miss out on something important. Ugh!

"Are you sure about that?"

"Marin can be pretty stubborn that way."

"Oh..."

"Sorry about that, Sunset Shimmer."

"It's not your fault."

Sunburst then changed the subject. "Now, I betcha wonderin' what I'm doing here. See this here honeycomb?" I nodded and he continued. "I was hankering for some honey but I need some way of disturbing them bees." He then noticed the stick in my pocket and his eyes lit up. "Say... I see ya have a nice stick. Can I borrow it for a second?"

I had completely forgotten that I acquired it from the monkey's earlier when I needed to get into Kanalet Castle. Nodding, I took out the stick and handed it over to Sunburst who began poking the beehive several times, exactly what I knew he was going to do. After several taps, the beehive dropped to the ground and we both remained still because of knowing what was about to happen next. Sure enough, bees began coming out from the beehive and immediately began chasing Sunburst. He began running around the tree in a panic with the bees chasing him and after doing this a few times, he left with them in hot pursuit.

My reaction to that display was shedding a single tear of sweat. On the one hand, I felt sorry for Sunburst as he was likely going to get stung many times. On the other, it was his own ignorance which caused him his predicament. I was about to leave when Princess Twilight pointed at the ground and I looked down. The beehive was still there so I picked it up seeing as the bees had upped and abandoned it. Taking a closer look, it wasn't a beehive but rather a honeycomb. I had no idea who would want a honeycomb but surely a recipient would eventually come up.

Now there was no reason for me to remain in the area so I began to make my way back to Mabe Village. As I started walking, I thought about what Princess Cadance said about needing the treasure from the Dream Shrine. If it was that important, surely someone else would've made an attempt to get it. Then again, people on this island seemed rather oblivious about most everything regarding monsters and other forms of danger. How could they not see it!? In any case, Juniper was the one I needed to talk to about the Dream Shrine as that's what Discord recommended when I spoke to him before seeing Sunburst.

Once I reached the edge of Mabe Village having avoided the Flying Octoroks, I picked up a boulder, tossed it aside and proceeded towards where Juniper lived. Seeing Scootaloo standing nearby doing nothing in particular, I waved to her and she responded in kind. Could she provide me with some additional information? Maybe but first I should focus on the adults given how the kids around here often contradicted themselves. Entering Juniper's house, it had changed a little since my last visit. Her youngest child (Still couldn't believe that she had children in this world) was happily playing with the Yoshi Doll I gave her which felt like a long time ago so I was happy to see that had worked out.

"Oh!" Juniper said as I approached. "You're the nice girl who gave me the Yoshi Doll."

I then noticed that Chancellor Neighsay wasn't around so I inquired about him. "Um... Where did your husband go?"

"Papahl?" Juniper answered as she stared at the empty space where he once stood. "My husband left some time ago to get lost in the mountains. I know that sounds weird for anyone to say but you have to admire his determination. I do wish he had taken some vittles with him as he's surely starving by now. If I remember, Papahl isn't too particular about anything but he does like pineapples."

I didn't have a pineapple so Chancellor Neighsay would be someone I'd have to deal with later. I then steered the subject towards what I wanted to know. "Um... This might sound strange, but what do you know about the Dream Shrine?"

"Quite a bit actually."

"Why is that?"

"My family has lived next to it for many years now." Juniper answered. "As such, we've seen many people go in there in hopes of finding the treasure hidden there. No one has ever succeeded because of the strange creatures that lurk within the dream world within the shrine. They look innocent but are deadly because of their touch. One person who attempted to get the treasure said something about needing a lot of speed. I never did understand what he meant by that."

"I think I do."

"Really? Then you might be able to succeed."

"Guess it's time for me to take a nap."

"No one is in the Dream Shrine as those boulders blocking the entrance keep out those without strength." Juniper said. "I hear that the bed inside is made of the finest quilt ever known to exist anywhere. You fall asleep on it, you won't want to wake up. But, you look as though you won't let such a thing happen to you. Nice girls like you deserve a chance to be worthy of obtaining whatever is in the dream world."

Thanking Juniper for the words of encouragement, I left her house, walked over to the Dream Shrine, picked up and tossed aside a boulder and went inside. "Huh... I was honestly expecting something more given it is a shrine and all." The interior of the shrine consisted of a single bed and nothing more.

"Beggars can't be choosers, Sunset." Princess Twilight said.

"I suppose not."

"Remember that in this dreamscape, any damage inflicted upon you by any monsters will be real and will carry over back to the waking world." Princess Twilight said. She sounded pretty confident and I wasn't about to question her since she often was right about that sort of thing. "Once you go to sleep, you will cross over and begin whatever waits for you on the other side in the dream. In fact, let me sleep with you and I should be able to join you."

"Um, Twilight?" I said in a nervous voice. "You might want to choose your words better."

"Why?" Princess Twilight was clearly confused here. "I was being honest and..." It then clicked for Her Highness as to my meaning. "Ohhhh..." And as expected, she blushed and immediately turned her face away from me. "What!? You know that's not what I mean, Sunset! I... I just said it wrong!" I burst out laughing much to her annoyance but eventually after letting it all sink in, she began laughing until we both started crying. "Okay, that's enough about my blunder. At least it happened like this and not when I'd be ruling Equestria."

"You'll be fine ruling Equestria."

"I know."

CRRAACCKLLE! FWWOOOSSHH!

"I am sorry to inform you, master."

Grogar motioned Hot Head to be silent with a wave of his hand. "We are already aware that the Slime Eye has been defeated by the Outsider. Unlike the previous two Nightmares, she showed no signs of struggling and overcame him easily. Perhaps your words had some weight to them after all." Grogar then went silent before his eyes burst into flames. "We knew all along that the Slime Eye was a worthless creature. We allowed that one to guard the bell as he begged us for our favour. He pleaded so hard that we weren't moved by tears but by how utterly pathetic it looked."

"Then why didn't you replace him sooner?"

"The other Nightmares were guarding their respective instruments."

"So now three of us are no more."

Grogar nodded. "It shows you, Hot Head, that incompetence is a pestilence that needs to be rooted out. We Nightmares rule this island and it shall remain as such. The weakest amongst us have proven how useless they were and could not overcome one little girl. However, the Moldorm and the Genie proved that the Outsider is not invincible and can be overcome under the proper conditions."

"In what way, master?"

"She struggles against overwhelming odds."

"That does explain why Slime Eye failed."

"Do not presume you can fault us for not heeding your words." Grogar's eyes burned even hotter than before forcing Hot Head to squirm knowing he didn't have any leverage given his position as a mere servant to the ancient ram. "Remember that we can replace you at our leisure, Hot Head. Questioning us would result in us destroying you. Though you are our strongest Nightmare, you are nothing but fodder which can be pushed about whenever we wish. Know your place, servant!"

"I... I apologize, my master."

"As you should."

"The Outsider should be making her way over to Angler's Tunnel."

"And which of the Nightmare's guards the instrument?"

"The Angler Fish."

Grogar went silent as he began mulling over what Hot Head had told him. The servant felt anxious as he awaited the next words of his master but soon the wait was over and the ancient ram began to speak. "The Angler Fish is perhaps the most useless Nightmare among us. All it cares about is food and is oblivious to what it's supposed to do. We had hoped for a better Nightmare but no other was capable of swimming."

"What can we do, master?"

"It is what you shall do for us."

"I don't understand."

"We don't expect you to understand what is beyond your comprehension." Grogar said as his horns began conjuring up some kind of magic. "To us, you are not to understand but to obey us without question." He then finished his magic, a bauble of some description, which he passed over to Hot Head. "Give this to the Angler Fish and it shall become more ferocious in its nature. Though its desire for food cannot be removed, it will focus on killing the Outsider. Do not plunge into the depths or else your flames will forever be gone."

"I shall do as you command."

"That is your purpose to me."

"Anything else?"

Grogar nodded slowly. "There is a place below the graveyard which the Outsider will eventually explore such is her curious nature. A special Nightmare has been placed there by us which guards special powers she will strive for once she learns of it. Inform that Nightmare to kill her! It must not allow its belief of pacifism to cloud its judgement."

"I obey."

"As you shall." As Hot Head disappeared, Grogar began talking to himself. "This Outsider has proven to be more of a nuisance than we thought. If she continues with her progression, she will truly become a threat to our plans. But... she is also steering towards knowing a dark secret. Should she continue, she will learn what this island truly is. Once she finds out... heh, heh, heh... we shall enjoy seeing that for ourselves. Enjoy playing about little girl. Let ignorance be blissful as it blinds you from Koholint's true nightmare. Hopefully, you will be dead, for your own sanity."

Climbing into the bed of the Dream Shrine and pulling up the covers, I soon drifted off to sleep as though my body couldn't help itself. Princess Twilight rested her body on the pillow, her tiny self pushing against my hair for her own warmth. In my mind, various images appeared including but not limited to: the various places I had been to on my journey, a mysterious building, a giant turtle, and even what looked like a cascading river. Were these premonitions of what was coming? If so, I had plenty to worry about since I knew things would only more difficult from here.

Upon waking up, I found myself in a ruined temple given how many places had crumbled away and the floor itself had seen better days. As Princess Twilight had calculated, her sleeping with me enabled her to be here as well. Judging from the overall size of this area, it wasn't going to take too long for me to find this treasure, but then some weird looking monsters might have a thing to say about that. Waddling about were brown creatures with large black eyes and mouths who looked really simplistic in design, yet I could sense they possessed a hidden power despite all appearances.

Her Highness told me that these were called Arm-Mimics. Much like Shy Guys, these monsters could mimic my every move, but there were some differences. For one thing, my sword could do no damage to them at its current level. Were it stronger, I could defeat them easily. Second, they were the strongest monsters on the island as getting by them would cause me to lose three full hearts or rather sustain heavy damage. Lastly, they only existed in a few places so I wasn't going to have to fight them that often. She then said I could use spin attacks though with how narrow the path ahead was, that wasn't a good idea.

But, she did say that Arm-Mimics could be defeated using the Pegasus Boots since a dash attack was stronger than a regular sword swing. No wonder no one had been able to successfully acquire the treasure of the Dream Shrine. Those who came here lacked the necessary items and were felled by the Arm-Mimics. Since I had what they didn't, perhaps I'd be the one to obtain it. Each Arm-Mimic was positioned on broken floor tiles so I needed to dash quickly or else I'd be taking a nasty plunge. I then noticed some of them were standing next to one another in small rows. Perhaps I could take multiple out at once?

Dashing forward, I rammed into the first Arm-Mimic, defeating it before it even knew what happened. I kept on dashing, defeating another two before crashing into the wall though at this point, I had gotten used to being dazed after hitting it. Turning to the right, I dashed again, plowing through five Arm-Mimics in two groups, picking up a blue rupee and two green ones along the way. Turning right and dashing, I went through the final six before hitting another wall which dazed me for a moment. That was surprisingly easy but Her Highness said that was due to being in a narrow passageway. Had it been more open, I'd have had way more trouble.

Turning right, I saw a green crystal but before going that way, I saw a treasure chest which I wanted to open. Walking up some stairs, I opened the chest and took out a silver rupee which according to Her Highness, was worth one hundred rupees. My wealth was slowly amassing and soon there would be nothing expensive that was beyond me. Going back to where I was before and dashing through the green crystal and hitting some boulders which acted like walls, I could see something twinkling to my right. Walking up some more stairs, I soon came upon the treasure of the Dream Shrine.

"Is that...?" I asked.

"It is, Sunset!" Princess Twilight answered. "It's an Ocarina."

"What are the odds that it would be this of all things!?" I was surprised to find that people had been trying to claim an ocarina. Either they knew what it really was or they thought it was some kind of valuable jewelry. I picked the ocarina up and gazed at it. "Guess I know what I'm going to be doing with this." When it came to the ocarina, my experience with one were quite vast. After all, I had to play one during both of my previous adventures as it was an essential item necessary for me to reach my final goal. Would it be like that this time? That was difficult to determine.

"You do remember how to play one, right?"

"I hope so." I then placed it up to my lips and began playing some notes. "Okay... I am a little bit rusty as I haven't played an ocarina for months, but I'm sure I'll get used to playing one again soon enough."

"Who do you suppose can teach you any songs?"

"Well... The only one I know would be Starlight."

Princess Twilight nodded. "If you ask her nicely, she should teach you that song of hers, 'Ballad of the Wind Fish'. But... I suggest getting used to playing that thing before you ask otherwise she might not take it too kindly. Now, since there's nothing left for us here in the Dream Shrine, we can leave and go back to the waking world. If you go back to the entrance we started at when we first came here, you should wake up in the bed we fell asleep in."

Heading back to the entrance of the shrine (I jumped down from a high-up ledge which saved me some time), I walked out and just like that, I was back in the bed of the actual shrine itself, and checking my hand, I was still holding the ocarina. While I was happy that I brought it out of the dream realm, it was best not to think about it otherwise I'd just be giving myself a headache. Climbing out of the bed whilst making sure to tuck it in for whoever would come here next, I walked out of the shrine, picked up a boulder, and tossed it aside before walking south to the Flying Rooster statue.

Starlight was still standing there singing and when she noticed me approaching, she stopped and turned to face me. "Sunset Shimmer! So good to see you again. I knew you couldn't keep away from me since my lovely song has completely mesmerized you." I then tilted my head in response prompting her to shake her head several times. "Huh? What? No, that's not what you heard. You must be hearing things again."

"I need to ask you something." I said.

"What is it?"

"Will you come with me to the Animal Village?"

"I'd love to come but I'm too busy."

I frowned. "What!?"

"I need to continue practicing with my singing." Starlight then twirled about which had nothing to do with singing at all. "Sorry if I disappointed you but I just don't have the time to visit the Animal Village." She then noticed the ocarina in my hand and got excited. "Is that an ocarina? You never told me you had one of those. Why not play something on it and I'll give you my opinion."

"I'm a bit out of practice."

"I'll be the judge of that." I then played for about a minute and upon stopping, Starlight had covered her ears with her hands and quickly removed them when she saw that I had seen her do so where she shook her head several times like before. "No... You didn't see me do anything. I was just listening to your playing. If you want my opinion, you're not very good at using an ocarina. It's like you've never played one." She saw that I was paying attention prompting her to shake her head again. "Did I say those words? No, I couldn't possibly have criticized you for that, Sunset Shimmer. You must have heard me wrong."

It was clear that Starlight had an axe to grind but pretended to be ignorant about it. Since there was nothing else I could do right now, I took my leave and she hoped I would get better at playing the ocarina as well as hear her sing her song. As I walked away, I felt dejected knowing she didn't want to go to the Animal Village. She needed to be there in order to deal with something which would enable me to reach the Yarna Desert. But... She clearly showed no interest in going. Grumbling under my breath, it meant backtracking was definitely happening since I had to go the village and then come back here to pick her up before going back there again.

Seeing both the Item Shop and Trendy Game Shop in front of me, I decided to skip going to the latter since I needed to spend my rupees on getting that Piece of Heart I saw earlier which cost the same amount of money as the shovel. Besides, after what Starlight just put me through, I wanted to get on with story progression. Aria greeted me as I entered the Item Shop in her typical inattentive manner but I would let that slide as that was practically her personality in a nutshell. If she could, she wouldn't be here right now and would probably just be lounging around, but she had a service to perform and in her eyes, I'm a figurative meal ticket.

"Oh... You came back again." Aria said sarcastically. "How did that shovel work out for you? Just so you know, I don't do any returns so if you're thinking about asking for your rupees back, that isn't happening in this century."

"On the contrary, that shovel has already proven useful."

"Huh... At least someone cared enough to buy it."

"Is that Piece of Heart still available?"

Aria pointed to it on the shelf in a sarcastic manner. "Well duh! If it wasn't then you wouldn't be here now would you? It's still 200 rupees so now's your chance to get it before someone else does." Sarcasm aside, I knew I could trust her as she'd only be lying to herself if her establishment wasn't a legitimate one. Walking up to and picking up the Piece of Heart, I took it to her desk and she rang it in on her cash register. "It's all yours now. Again, no refunds."

I felt the warmth coming from the Piece of Heart though Aria chose to ignore me since she had money in her eyes. (Not literally mind you but she was basically happy that she had earned even more money than before) I was about to leave when my eyes noticed a new item on the shelf. "What can you tell me about that one?" I asked as I pointed to it.

"You mean the Bow?" Aria asked prompting me to nod in return. "I'm going to assume you know what a bow is otherwise I'm never going to let you live this one down. But, I'll mention that it's made from a master craftsman who knew what they were doing when they put it together. It also comes with arrows since no one is stupid enough to sell a bow without any arrows to use. All together, this bow and arrow set costs 980 rupees."

I would've fainted upon hearing her say that, but then I had long gotten used to expensive items being a thing on these adventures. In my mind, I had a sneaking suspicion that this bow wasn't going to be cheap and Aria quickly proved it to be true. 980 rupees was a huge amount but considering how useful a bow could be, picking it up became another priority albeit one that would take a long time because of the price tag. At least she told me the truth when it came to the condition. It definitely looked brand new and what she said about it being made by an expert made sense.

"Would you be willing to lower the price a little?"

"No dice."

"I thought I'd try at least once."

"If I had some kind of membership thing going on, I'd have given you a discount." Aria said as she folded her arms and leaned back a little. "But as it is, I'm not interested in doing anything lame like that. You want that bow, you'd better pay me the full amount otherwise it isn't going anywhere." She then snapped her finger to get my immediate attention. "And don't even think about trying to steal it from me. Remember what I said would happen if I catch you doing that?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I remember."

Aria smirked. "Sorry, but that's just how my business works. I doubt anyone in this village let alone this whole island could afford that bow. I'd say you've good a pretty good chance of getting it. Whether you can actually do so remains to be seen, but considering you bought both that shovel and Piece of Heart, you definitely know how to get money which makes me jealous as I never could do anything like that." She then turned to a door behind the shelf. "I've got to go in back to get something else so mind leaving for now and come back some time later?"

Before I even had a chance to say anything, Aria pushed me out of the shop before turning her back and walking over to the door she looked at prior. While I could've gone back in and gave her a piece of my mind, I decided against it since a shouting match with Aria would do neither of us any good. Besides, I had hung around Mabe Village long enough as I needed to make my way over to the Animal Village. If what I've heard was true, it would be a village of animals. Hmmm... I wondered if anyone from the world I called home would be there. Would they appear as animals or maybe a combination of human and animal? Guessed I'd find out when I got there.

Heading to the eastern exit of Mabe Village, I picked up and tossed the boulder before continuing on. First, I walked past the strange tile which I had activated a while ago though I still didn't know what it was supposed to do, then travelled north then right, then south until I was stopped by a strange looking rock formation. It bore a striking resemblance to one of those Boarblins (At least their head) but what was it doing out here? I quickly looked around to see if any of them were nearby as I thought they would come after me if I did what I was about to do. I couldn't see any so I could proceed with my next action.

Taking out a bomb and planting it at the base of the rock formation, it exploded causing the formation to be reduced to rubble. Just as I was about to move on, I was suddenly bitten in the ankle by what looked like pincers, and attached to them was a long insect-like monster. I had seen some of them lurking in various holes but never paid much attention to them since I always avoided them. This one clearly took advantage of me having stopped to destroy a rock formation. Princess Twilight said that this was a Pincer... Really!? They actually went with that as the name? Talk about running out of creative names.

Anyway, she said that Pincer's lurk within holes and come out to strike when someone draws near. In order to defeat them, I had to attack them after luring them out from their holes which wasn't an easy task. Luring them meant getting so close that I could get attacked before I could do the same. Since their range wasn't long, Her Highness suggested I could simply avoid them if I didn't think I could defeat them. Stepping away before the Pincer had a chance to bite me again, I ignored it and continued on by going up some stairs, walk across a raised area, and then back down using a rope ladder.

I recognized this area as one of Discord's telephone booths was nearby. So the path I took was merely a shorter route to Kanalet Castle? I really needed to have a proper map but the only one was back in the library and I doubted I could simply take it with me for my own personal use. Sighing, I began thinking about which way to go next. The Seashell Mansion could be seen from here but I didn't have enough Secret Seashells so heading over there wasn't necessary until I found more seashells. If I could find one or two, I'll strongly consider going back and see if Adagio will give me a reward.

Heading to the right and then going south away from the castle, I felt really compelled to go to the Seashell Mansion, but again, I didn't have enough. (Four Secret Seashells wasn't going to do much of anything, not even register a little blip) so shaking my head to clear my mind of temptation, I kept going south until some Boarblins came into view. None of them had noticed me and I had every intention of keeping it that way. Continuing south was a no go for now so I went left towards what looked to be a river. Unfortunately, I lacked the proper means to swim which meant this was another dead end.

"I don't like getting turned around in circles!"

"The lack of a map is definitely annoying." Princess Twilight said.

"Even though I can swim, this world probably took that away from me."

"If that's the case, we need to find another means of getting across the river." Princess Twilight then noticed a single shrub which immediately drew her suspicions. "Sunset... That shrub over there looks out of place. I wonder... Could you cut it down? I want to know if my theory about it is right." I did what she asked and sure enough, the shrub had been hiding a hidden staircase to an underground passage. "Yes! Once again, my theory got proven correct!"

"No need for smugness now, Twilight." I said as I rolled my eyes.

"To be honest, I'm surprised that whoever hid this staircase didn't do a better job of it."

"You think it was meant to be found?"

"Maybe."

"Do you think it could get us to the other side of the river?"

"Only one way to find out for certain."

Heading into the underground passage, it comprised of a watery floor with several deep areas which I couldn't cross without drowning. Why couldn't I swim!? Why did this world love taking away such basic skills like swimming? Breathing, I regained my composure and focused on getting through here. I could see fins in the water indicating possible monsters, but it appeared Princess Twilight had no idea what they were. Since that was the case, I raised my shield before moving forward slowly in case I got attacked by these things. At the end of the passage was more stairs as well as green crystals so I knew what to do.

Avoiding the underwater monsters, one suddenly jumped out only to bounce off my shield. In that brief moment of seeing it, it turned out to be a Piranha, the same one I saw way back in Goponga Swamp. Why it was suddenly here was beyond me but I wasn't about to inquire about it since it wasn't really important. Once I was close enough, I dashed along the rest of the way using my Pegasus Boots, shattering the green crystal and running up the stairs. When I got back outside, I found that I had crossed the river via an underground route, but there had to be an easier way... and that's when it hit me.

"Twilight... We have to eventually bring Starlight through all this."

Princess Twilight nodded. "Considering how many monsters have either projectile attacks or lurk about, it's going to be a difficult escort mission. Starlight might choose to go off in her own direction which could further complicate things." Her Highness began thinking of ways we could escort Starlight but she eventually shrugged her shoulders. "Sorry, Sunset, but this is something I can't seem to get a grasp on. If Starlight stays close to you, she'll be okay but the moment she wanders off, the monsters are likely to attack and even kill her if they got the opportunity to do so."

I shuddered. "That can't happen, Twilight!"

"Exactly!"

"Maybe we should explain things to her?"

"That might work."

Heading south, I could see a Piece of Heart hidden behind a tree, but my eyes were more interested on seeing a number of houses. A sign nearby said that this was 'Martha's Bay', a new area of the island for me. Another sign then said that I had reached 'Animal Village' which meant I finally made it. Given how grueling it was to get here, bringing Starlight to this same place was going to be a real nightmare. Some of the animals were exactly that while others resembled familiar faces but now in animal form... anthropomorphic if I remember rightly. Quite a strange approach but one I wasn't about to question.

"So... Where should we look first?"

"According to Flash Sentry, we need to reach the Yarna Desert."

"Where was that again?"

"On the other side of the village."

"I don't suppose we can speak to a couple of villagers before we continue?" After going through so much hassle, I wanted to relax a little and speak to some of the animals. "They might be able to tell us more about the desert since it's practically right next door."

Princess Twilight nodded. "I agree with speaking to some of the animals." She then gave me a smirk. "And I know you want to relax, Sunset. Come on! I know you so well, I can recognize your mannerisms from a mile away! We can rest here for a few minutes if you need to. No sense in exhausting yourself. Besides... I want to observe these animals for research. It's not everyday something like this happens."

I rolled my eyes again. "I knew you had an ulterior motive." I then chuckled. "It's fine, Twilight. We can talk to one or two of the villagers. In fact, once I get that key, we can spend as much time as necessary talking to every last villager." Looking around at the different houses, I decided the one right by the entrance would be our first choice. "Let's check this house out first." Entering the house, it was certainly spacious and filled with all kinds of items. There was definitely a tropical vibe going on and it made me feel at ease given what I experienced before arriving here.

I then spotted a young rabbit who didn't resemble anyone I knew. He spoke with quite the high-pitched voice. "Wow... I don't think I've ever seen a human come here for quite some time what with the outbreak of monsters. Since I'd be rude which would reflect poorly on our village, I welcome you to the Animal Village, sister village of Mabe Village. Judging from your equipment, you must be an adventurer so no doubt you want to go to the Yarna Desert."

"Was I that obvious?"

"Eh... All adventuring types from what I've seen like to go there."

"What can you tell me about it?"

"Well, I do know that dark monsters plague that place." The rabbit answered. "Because of that, no one here in Animal Village would dare venture into those sands. Luckily, none of the monsters come this way so we're safe despite being so close to such a nest. Now, if you want to go there, you can find a path to the south of the village, but you might not be able to get through if that lazy walrus is still in the way."

"Walrus!?"

The rabbit nodded. "He loves sleeping in front of the entrance. Nothing can make him move."

That definitely changed my plans and for the worse. If what the rabbit said was true, I couldn't gain access to the Yarna Desert until I dealt with a walrus. Yes, it sounded silly but considering what I've seen on Koholint Island, this was a normal occurrence. Thanking the rabbit and leaving his house, I looked around to see where the path south was. Sure enough, it was next to a house that looked isolated as no other houses were near it which made me a bit concerned. As I walked over to the house, I looked around to take in more of the village. What stood out the most was a large area that lacked any grass. Perhaps a possible meeting area?

Reaching the house by the path south, I walked inside and found myself inside of what appeared to be a kitchen. Pots, pans, and other cooking utensils were everything and there was even a large fish in one corner. Normally, kitchens tended to be messy but this one was clearly organized. My eyes then turned towards a large grizzly bear standing behind a couple of pots and clearly cooking something, but I was surprised that this bear was Granny Smith. I mean, it had her facial features but a completely different body. I wasn't going to let this distract me otherwise I'd come off being insensitive as well as a jerk.

"Oh! Welcome to my kitchen!" Granny Smith said. "I am the Chef Bear! I think you already know what I do 'round here but in case ya don't, I prepare all ta food for the animals of this here village, and they appreciate me fer doin' so. Y'all seem like you've got somethin' bothering ya so why not tell me and maybe I can help."

"I wanted to go to the Yarna Desert but a walrus is blocking the way."

"The Yarna Desert!?" Granny Smith exclaimed and almost dropped the spoon she was holding. "Ain't nobody goes there unless they want to get themselves killed by those monsters who've made that place their home. But... judgin' from yer getup, y'all are an adventuring type which means my words mean nothin'. Well... I suppose I've got ta give ya credit for bravery but y'all are also plumb crazy for even thinking about it. However, I'm sure you've been told about that walrus sleeping by the entrance ta the desert, right? So long as he's sleeping, nothing can be done to make him budge."

"Nothing at all?"

"Well... There is one thing."

"And what's that?"

"Everyone here in Animal Village love listening to sweet little Marin's singing." Granny Smith answered. I was in shock when she said that. Starlight was practically a celebrity around here based on that statement. "If that walrus will move for anyone, it's gonna be fer her. Granted, y'all would need to bring Marin here, but it ain't easy what with them monsters roaming outside. Marin normally doesn't come here without a good reason but I reckon if ya bring up your problem, she'll come without questionin' ya." Granny Smith looked at the food she was cooking before sighing. "Say... Can I ask ya somethin'?"

I nodded. "What do you want?"

"I could do with somethin' special to put into my dishes."

"You look as though you've got plenty of ingredients around here."

"This stuff!? Nah!" Granny Smith waved her hands which I hadn't noticed until now were wearing yellow oven mitts. "I was hopin' ta find somethin' with more juice... somethin' with a lot of kick ta it that will really knock give everyone's taste buds a run fer the hills." She then noticed the honeycomb sticking out of one of my pockets and reacted as though she was about to be robbed or something like that. "Hey! That honeycomb y'all have there in yer pocket! I recently ran out and I could do with having another in stock. How 'bout it? Will ya trade me it for a pineapple?"

"A pineapple?" I asked with a confused look. "Aren't they more exotic than a honeycomb?"

"I'm a bear."

"That makes sense." My brain then felt like it had been struck by lightning. Granny Smith just mentioned a pineapple! Juniper earlier said that when Chancellor Neighsay left to become lost in the mountains, he didn't anything with him to eat. She stated that pineapples were what he liked. "Okay, you've got yourself a trade!" Normally, I wouldn't have made such an agreement but because it was something I needed, it all fit perfectly with the grand scheme. I handed over the honeycomb and Granny Smith gave me one of her finest pineapples. It certainly was very juicy so hopefully it wouldn't ruin this tunic of mine.

"Honeycombs are a rare delicacy."

"Some people tend to do crazy things to get one." I said in a poking reference to Sunburst.

"Thanks to y'all, I can now add some real flavour to these here dishes." Granny Smith said as she placed the honeycomb to one side. "Now like I said before, that walrus ain't gonna budge unless Marin were ta sing to him. Not even he can resist her singing abilities. If you can get Marin ta sing ta that tub of goo, he'll surely move aside and allow y'all to enter the desert, but reckon I should warn ya. Yarna Desert is home ta somethin' mighty dangerous that other monsters keep away from it. I heard this monster has a key in its possession though I ain't got no idea what it's even used for."

Thanking Granny Smith for both the advice and the pineapple, I left her house and walked south, leaving the village, and discovering that I had taken the wrong path. The path I needed was on the other side of the village but it wasn't a total loss as from this position, I could see the walrus in question. He was definitely a heavy sleeper as I could see a bubble coming out from its nose which was both cute and disgusting. I listened in on what it was dreaming about and it said two words... Marin... Twice. No doubt I needed Starlight for this but getting her here was going to be the problem. How was I supposed to do just that?

As I turned around, I almost leapt out of my skin upon seeing the same raised platform I saw when I left Mabe Village. How convenient was that? A pretty good one. Yes, it was the same platform as it even had the strange symbol on it. The other one didn't do anything despite possessing magic so what would happen were I to step on this one? The only way I could find out was by actually doing it. Closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, I stepped onto the platform and suddenly, I began spinning around in circles until I was whisked away by the magic contained within the platform.

"Uhhhh... What just happened?"

"We teleported!" Princess Twilight answered.

"We did what!?"

"Those raised platforms use an advanced form of teleportation magic." I could tell Princess Twilight was very excited about this prospect. Me? I was still feeling pretty woozy what with having been spun around many times before what happened actually happened. "We teleported from Animal Village to Mabe Village in an instant which means we now have a means of going back and forth without you needing to backtrack."

My eyes lit up upon hearing that. "Did you say... No backtracking?"

"Not as much but generally speaking... Yes."

"Better than nothing I suppose."

Princess Twilight then had a thought. "If this magic was able to teleport us both, you might be able to teleport back to Animal Village with Starlight in tow. I'm not sure if you can do that because if you could, you won't need to take her through Ukuku Prairie and that underground passage. Unfortunately, I'm basing this information off of my own experiences with how magic works and this is Equestrian Magic mind you."

"That would make my life a little easier."

"What do you want to do, Sunset?"

I thought about it for a while before agreeing with Her Highness. "Okay, I'll ask Starlight if she will want to come with us this time. After all, she now has a reason for wanting to go to the Animal Village because of that walrus."

"And how do you plan on coming through to our world?" Rarity asked.

"Yeah!" Rainbow Dash added. "I mean, as awesome of a video game character you are, you're just that, a video game character. It's not like you're real or anything. What we deal with is real life stuff including Equestrian Magic."

"Um... Did y'all just call him awesome?" Applejack asked.

"I retract my previous statement."

Applejack slapped her forehead. "This ain't no time to be praisin' this Ganondorf feller. We need ta get Sunset back before anythin' else gets worse. Who knows what she's goin' through right now in that there video game world. She could be hurtin' real bad or worse, she could even be..."

Rarity quickly interjected. "Don't you dare finish that sentence!"

"I ain't gonna!"

Ganondorf laughed at what had just transpired. "You believe me to be nothing more than a pile of data for your own amusement? Is that how you feel, loyal one? It seems that you are all trying so hard to pretend that this experience is naught but a dream, but the reality is that this is merely the start of a nightmare, a nightmare of darkness, hatred, and malice. Given how much your lives have changed because of the actions of the child, what you deem real no longer holds any true meaning. Your world is one where magic holds sway, controls your very destinies, and cannot be discarded as being false."

Rainbow Dash attempted to unplug the television again only to fail. Everyone else looked at her and questioned why she was trying something she knew had already failed. She said she thought the first time was just a mistake on her part and believed it would work this time. Clearly, it didn't! Ganondorf, in the mean time, laughed before his image disappeared from the television and everything went back to normal. At first... that's what my friends believed and assumed they had eaten some bad food and began cleaning up. Suddenly, a nearby recliner became shrouded in darkness and my friends watched as the Demon King himself appeared before them... In person.

"Much better..." Ganondorf snapped his finger which changed the recliner into a throne that looked like it had been forged from the purest of hellfire. "As you can see, what you assumed was nothing but a false hope. The barrier between the worlds has been damaged for some time and shows no signs of repairing itself."

"What do you mean by barrier?" Twilight Sparkle asked.

"All worlds are connected to one another by the gap that exist between dimensions, magic one."

"I didn't know that was even a thing."

Ganondorf laughed. "There is much that escapes you, magic one. As a result of various circumstances, the barriers that separate worlds from one another have weakened to the point where even the smallest of manipulations can cause adverse effects that can send anyone or anything to other worlds. It is not by my hand that this has happened... no. It has been this way for a long time and you have the child to thank for that among others. By travelling between worlds, other entrances are beginning to open which causes the barrier to weaken."

"What does that have to do with you?"

"I am able to appear in your world because the barrier has weakened."

"Sounds to me that you're not as powerful as you claim to be." Rainbow Dash said.

Ganondorf responded by glaring at Rainbow Dash where she was suddenly paralyzed and unable to move. "You shall be the first to experience her fears, loyal one, but before I subject you to such torments, I shall answer the remainder of the magic one's question. The child, the alicorn, the sun, and even her own sister, the moon, have travelled between worlds resulting in the barrier weakening. Should it continue, it will shatter and then darkness shall spread forth and consume everything in its wake. No... This is not my true desire but rather it is a means to an end for me."

"In what way?" Twilight asked.

"Seeing so much misery is a nourishment to me." Ganondorf answered as he clenched his hand into a fist. "The impending destruction would feed my hunger for power and only make me stronger. It also allows me to reach other worlds that have tried so hard to keep me from entering them and controlling them. I can easily traverse to different dimensions already but that would cost much power, power which I would prefer to use on bringing about darkness. Why waste power when it is easy to manipulate others?"

"And Sunset Shimmer?"

"Another means to an end."

"You're heartless!"

Ganondorf laughed once more. "The magic one has quite a strong bond with the child... how amusing. You are all fortunate. The child has yet to learn this information though I doubt it would be of any use given what she is currently doing. Will you end up telling her what you have now come to know? Perhaps... But then once I have finished with you, you might not want to tell her." He snapped his finger which caused all of my friends to become paralyzed save for Rainbow Dash who had become unfrozen. "Do not worry, loyal one. They have merely been frozen by my power and will remain as such until I no longer have use for you."

"Big mistake buddy!" Rainbow Dash shouted.

"You think to fight me, loyal one?"

"With my speed, you'll never catch me."

"Is that so?" Ganondorf asked as he leaned forward. "Your speed is indeed a powerful ability, but perhaps it is used by you to hide the fact that you are insecure about yourself and you fear rejection from those you aspire to become?" Rainbow Dash's sudden silence was all he needed to see before he laughed. "Good... My words have pierced your soul and now nothing can help you now. Such bravado, loyal one... And yet... It will be broken and what remains will be a mere shell of what it once was. Your element shall shatter... it is inevitable. It will shatter and the magic contained within will belong to me."

Heading back into Mabe Village, I immediately went to the statue of the Flying Rooster as that was where Starlight was, but to my surprise, she was no longer there. I began to think about where she might have gone but my mind was drawing a blank. I then checked her house only to find Sunburst there. He had survived his encounter with the bees but he had received numerous bee stings as a result. Asking him about Starlight, or rather Marin so as to not confuse him, he answered by saying that she left the village after he came back from his misadventure and said she was going to the place where she first found me.

From what I remembered, Starlight said she found me on the beach, Toronbo Shores, but because of how expansive it was, it could take some time for me to find her. Leaving the house, I began making my way to the southern exist of the village as going south was where I needed to go to reach the beach. With the Pegasus Boots, I could get down there much quicker than simply walking. Dashing past BowWow, stopping before I hit the wall of the library, and turning left, I dashed forward south, jumping down from the high-up ledges until I reached Toronbo Shores proper.

Since the only direction I could go was east, I dashed across the sand, taking out Octoroks and Giant Crabs that happened to get in the way, past Bulk Biceps' place, and kept on going until I ran into a couple of boulders that were blocking both a treasure chest and the way forward. Lifting up a boulder and tossing it aside, I opened up the chest which reward me with a purple rupee, but I knew deep down I needed more rupees in order to get my hands on that bow... way more. Continuing east would take me away from Toronbo Shores and there was no sign of Starlight anywhere.

I wasn't about to question Sunburst's knowledge of his own daughter in this world but perhaps those bee stings muddled up his memory? Sighing, I was about to turn around and head back to the village when I suddenly heard a familiar singing voice. Turning my attention southward, my eyes lit up upon seeing Starlight standing in front of a log. How did she manage to make her way down here without having to deal with any of those monsters? Starlight was acting just like Zecora in this regard only the latter went even further. Shrugging my shoulders and accepting it despite the shock value, I approached Starlight.

"Oh! Sunset Shimmer!" Starlight said as she turned to face me. I suspected she saw my shadow unless she sensed I was approaching. "I'm glad you found this place. This is where you washed up when you first came to Koholint Island. I came here in order to think about some things but with you around... this is a good sign if there ever was one. Will you stay and talk to me for a while? I promise it won't take very long."

I nodded. "Sure, I've got some time."

She then sat down on the log and patted it next to where she was to coerce me into joining her. I sat down next to Starlight and we both stared out at the ocean. Despite the current circumstances of my being here thanks to Ganondorf, I couldn't help but admire how beautiful and peaceful everything was. Even the seagulls flying about made me feel at peace like nothing in my life was going wrong. If I could, I'd stay right here for hours on end, yet I knew that I couldn't because my journey needed to continue. Starlight turned her face away from me out of the corner of my eye which made me think perhaps she was upset.

"I wonder where these coconut trees come from?"

That was certainly an unexpected question. Thinking fast, I came up with a response. "Some say that they are native to tropical climates like this but others have been trying to debunk such an idea for years."

Starlight giggled. "Is that what you think? Tarin says there is nothing beyond the sea so how did such trees end up on this island? I've been thinking about that and many other questions for as long as I can remember. Have I managed to come up with answers to them? No, but that adds to the intrigue, I think. One day, those answers will come. As to what Tarin said about the sea, he is absolutely wrong about it. In my heart, I believe there must be something over there."

I never knew she felt that way. Again, I needed to come up with a response to her. "Sometimes, I think about what may exist beyond the lands where I come from." I wasn't telling her a lie as the thought had crossed my mind long ago when I was younger. I always thought there were lands beyond Equestria. I mean, they do exist but back then, it was nothing but a thought which sometimes kept me up at night.

"When I discovered you, Sunset Shimmer, my heart skipped a beat."

"How come?"

"I've always believed that someone would one day come to this island and give us a message." Starlight answered as she resumed looking out in the ocean. "The message would be about what lies beyond the ocean and how we could leave and perhaps journey to such places in order to expand our horizons. I believe you, Sunset Shimmer, have come to deliver that message for us."

"I'm not sure how I'd go about explaining it."

"It will come to you when you're ready."

Starlight was really making me think about things I never once considered before. Was my coming to this island not just part of Ganondorf's plan? Was there another motive that was beyond what even he thought about? I didn't have an answer for either of those questions and I knew Starlight wouldn't understand either. I decided to ask the next question and I had a pretty good one in mind based on what we were seeing down here at the beach. "Do you have any dreams? You know, like, things you want to accomplish some day? My dream is rather complicated but it revolves around empathy."

"A seagull."

"Huh?"

"If I were a seagull, I would fly as far as I could."

"Is that your dream?"

Starlight nodded. "I would fly to faraway places and sing for many people. If I were to make my wish to the Wind Fish, I wonder if it would come true? We've often believed that our wishes could be granted by the Wind Fish if we were to go up to the egg and make a request."

"If you can do that then go for it."

Starlight turned to face me and smiled prompting me to do the same in return. "I want to know everything about you..." She suddenly blushed before saying that wasn't what she meant though from my perspective, she was overstepping some boundaries. She then saw that my expression then went glum indicating that I had something on my mind. "I like to see you be happy, Sunset Shimmer, so please tell me what's wrong."

"I need you to come with me to the Animal Village and wake up the walrus sleeping there."

"Huh?" Starlight asked with a puzzled look. "The walrus? He wants me to go to him? Well, all right. Let's go."

And with that, Starlight was now accompanying me on my journey. Normally, this was where I would pick up a new item and hoist it above my head, but I wasn't going to do that with her as it would be both awkward and insulting. She wasn't an item but rather a living person and deserved to be treated like my equal. Hopefully, she could keep up with me since I had every intention of using the Pegasus Boots to make my way back to Mabe Village. Also, I had no doubt the monsters wouldn't bother her but then there were mainly focusing their efforts on me much to my annoyance.

Walking up north, Starlight followed behind me and showed no immediate signs of falling behind. I then dashed forward with the Pegasus Boots and quickly looked behind to see if she was struggling. To my surprise, she was running at a speed which rivalled the boots. Wow... She was quite the athlete despite her appearance. I didn't need to worry about her falling behind as she proved she could hold her own. Once I reached the far western edge of Toronbo Shores, I waited for Starlight to catch up before heading north, and this was where the true test would begin.

As I walked back, I attacked some Octoroks in case any of them attempted to attack Starlight, but every time I defeated one, she was very happy about it and insisted that I kept on going and show no mercy at all. Was she secretly psychotic? She had been saying such things before only to quickly backtrack on them in order to save face. Even Princess Twilight was concerned that perhaps Starlight had questionable motives which were a closely guarded secret. It was probably for the best not to inquire about any of it in case Starlight got offended or even make herself act even worse than she already was.

Once we were back in Mabe Village, I dashed up to the library, turned right, and dashed across the village with Starlight running right behind me, but then she suddenly stopped upon us reaching the Trendy Game Shop. She said she always wanted to go inside but never thought of doing so because she wanted to have an escort with her. Princess Twilight said we needed to get to Yarna Desert but Her Highness suggested I show the Trendy Game to Starlight. I asked her why I should and Her Highness responded by saying Starlight needed to experience it for herself and that we wouldn't get another opportunity.

It didn't make sense to me but I went along with it. Entering the Trendy Game Shop with Starlight, Ember was surprised to see me. "Hey! It's been a while since I last saw you here, and you even brought a girl with you! Not sure why you did but who am I to judge a person."

"Sunset Shimmer?" Starlight asked. "This place looks amazing."

Ember shouted in response. "Of course it looks amazing! I've done everything to make this game the best thing in Mabe Village."

"May I try?"

"You want to play?"

"Yes."

"That will be ten rupees."

"May I play, Sunset Shimmer?"

I nodded and walked over to Ember before handing over ten rupees. "Thanks for the patronage as always. Now, turn your attention to the prizes as I've added some new things since you were here last." I looked at the conveyor belts and sure enough, she was being honest about what was available compared with before. "As you can see, there are still the regular prizes but also an adorable figurine of a Goomba, another figure of a Spiny, and a Secret Seashell." She looked at Starlight who had since walked up to the controls. "Want me to teach you how to play this game? I can give you some pointers."

"No... I think I've got it." Starlight pressed the button and the crane immediately went to the right. As I watched it move across the ceiling, it stopped before Starlight pressed the other button to make it go down where it stopped again... right above Ember's head. Uh oh! This was about to become both awkward and funny. Come to think of it, how did she manage to make the crane move in that direction? I wasn't able to do that when I played this game initially. In any case, the crane latched onto Ember's head and pulled her up. Dragons were known for their anger and she was clearly expressing that anger.

"Hey! Put me down! That's an order!" Ember was so mad that she looked like she was about to breathe fire.

"I'm almost done." Starlight clearly was oblivious to Ember's predicament as she watched the crane move back to where it started from.

"Oof!" Ember exclaimed as the crane let go of her head and she dropped onto the ground, landing hard on her butt. "That... Wasn't a very pleasant experience. You know, maybe I should oil that crane sometime." She rubbed her butt before doing the same with her head. "Miss... You're pretty good. You're a pro aren't ya? Pros aren't allowed in here otherwise my business would be ruined. Ow..."

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"My head and my butt hurt right now!" Ember answered as she got back up. "Of course I'm not okay! In fact, I think I deserve some kind of compensation given what just happened to me, but perhaps we can both benefit from this. If you give me fifty rupees as compensation, I will give you one prize of your choosing. Only one! I'm not running a charity here but I'll be honest in saying that girl definitely showed me a neat little trick just now."

"I'll take the Secret Seashell."

"You want that thing? Fine by me!"

Handing over the fifty rupees (So much for what I got from that treasure chest down by the beach), Ember handed me the Secret Seashell giving me five now in total. She then ushered me and Starlight out so that she could find herself an icepack for her head. We went back outside and since there wasn't really anything left to do, I decided to take her to the walrus in order to get him to move. Heading to the edge of the village and tossing aside a boulder, it was here that the final test would commence. Would Starlight be teleported with me or would I be going on my own?

If it was the latter, I'd have to take her to the Animal Village by going the long way around. I walked up to the raised platform, gulped, and closed my eyes as I stepped onto it and began spinning around in circles before being whisked away. Moments later, I was back at the other platform and immediately looked behind me to see if Starlight was there. To my surprise, she had been warped with me. Wow! I should never have doubted the power of warping magic! Stepping into the shallow pool of water, I went north into the village proper where a rabbit reacted upon seeing Starlight indicating that she was quite popular.

Heading to the left and then left again upon seeing the other exit path, I walked south past the raised platform and left again, walking past a row of trees before finally reaching the entrance of Yarna Desert and encountering the walrus. Upon getting a closer look at him, he was clearly dreaming about Starlight as he continued to say her name. The animals were right about no one being able to move this tub of blubber given how big he was. He had to have weighed at least a couple of tons and I doubted the Power Bracelet could've allowed me to pick him up and carry him around.

Starlight giggled. "Yes, it's that lazy walrus. So, you need to get past him, Sunset Shimmer?"

I nodded. "It's vital."

"Then let's give him a little surprise!" Starlight took a few steps back before she began to sing 'The Ballad of the Wind Fish'. At first, it looked like the walrus wasn't reacting to her song, but that quickly changed when he suddenly opened his eyes and began swaying back and forth. He then started to flop up and down which caused a slight tremor because of his weight and repeated this motion again before jumping up really high only to splash down in the water below. Starlight giggled again. "Wow! He certainly woke up with a start! Now you can gain access to where you want to go."

"I don't know how I can begin to thank you."

"Well..." Starlight was then interrupted when a rabbit came up from behind her and began making some noises prompting her to turn around. "Oh... He's calling me... It's the same as always every time I come here." She looked back at me. "Sunset Shimmer, I'm going to the Animal Village and will be there for a while. Please drop by when you've finished with your errand in the desert. Also, can you please show me your ocarina when you visit? Perhaps there is a way for you to pay me back."

With that, Starlight turned around and walked off with the rabbit leaving me to finally access Yarna Desert. That was certainly quite the experience but I knew it wasn't over yet as now there were the dark creatures of the desert waiting for me. "Twilight? You've been pretty quiet this whole time and here I thought you'd be elated to see Starlight again."

"To be honest, I wanted you to speak with her more than me." Princess Twilight said.

"Why?"

"She is really fascinated by you, Sunset, and not because of her own volition."

"It does border on creepy if you ask me."

Princess Twilight nodded. "I suppose she can't help it as she's only portraying a character in a video game. I will admit that having Starlight travel with us was an interesting experience and it did reinforce some new theories of mine regarding Koholint Island. I haven't quite finished them yet so you won't be able to hear them right now. Let's just say that I need you to interact with a few more people before I can reach a definitive conclusion."

"I understand."

"If my theories are correct, they may shed some light on what this island is all about."

Walking into the Yarna Desert, the temperature immediately got hotter and I began to sweat. Fortunately, I had experience being in a desert on my first journey, but since that was a long time ago, I didn't remember everything about it. Hopefully, what I did recall would be enough for me to find the Angler Key. It quickly became apparent that this desert had once thrived with life judging from the assortment of skulls all over the place though what they once were was something I probably didn't want to find out about. There were also a number of palm trees which provided some shelter but I was going to need more than that to make it through here.

That's when I saw something. "Twilight? Are my eyes playing tricks on me?"

"Why are you asking me that?"

"I can see moving cacti."

"Oh, those are monsters."

"What!?"

"Those are Pokeys." Princess Twilight answered. Another Mario enemy!? I was too hot from the heat to even complain this time. "While these cacti don't necessarily attack you, be careful when you swing your sword at them. One of their segments will start rolling around if you attack a Pokey and will continue rolling until you either attack it or allow it to eventually disappear on its own. The segments are what can damage you, Sunset."

"This will make it awkward for me to attack them."

"They are slow so you can easily outrun them." Princess Twilight then motioned me to look to the southeast where a Leever suddenly came up from the ground before it quickly went back down underground. "Because we're walking on sand, be careful of any Leevers that might be under your feet."

"You know..." I began. "Despite this being a desert, it's rather small in size."

"There is more to explore further north."

I slapped my forehead. Yet another one of my awkward moments right there. Ignoring the Leever, I walked north and into the next part of Yarna Desert. Not only were there Pokeys but also regular cacti that I was certain would damage me if I were to walk into one because of being distracted. To my right were cacti galore and the path was being blocked by some of them which meant having to go another direction. The Pokeys hadn't noticed me and I intended on keeping it that way until I gotten that key. I had to admit that whoever hide the key I needed was pretty smart in doing so. Not many people would think of looking in a desert.

Speaking of desert, the shovel would really come in handy here as there surely had to be items buried below the sand. But, I don't think I was willing to dig up the entire desert as that would take me hours if not day toiling in such humid conditions. When I was finished here, I needed to rest at a house back at the Animal Village for the night. Though I wasn't looking up at it, I could tell the sun was close to setting due to my shadow slowly getting larger along with those of the cacti, palm trees, and even Pokeys. Continuing further north whilst avoiding a Leever that popped up nearby, I reached a large quicksand pit which felt suspicious.

"This looks dangerous."

"Be sure not to sink."

Suddenly, a voice called out from somewhere. "So... You have made it this far, Outsider!"

"Who are you?" I called back.

"I am Lanmola and you have entered my lair. Outsider... You are nothing more than an annoyance! You continue getting in the way of the Nightmares! As such, you must be dealt with... permanently so become a lost relic of the desert."

Nightmares!? This creature knew about them. "What do you know about the Nightmares?"

"More than you know, Outsider." The Lanmola answered. "I also know that you have come to this desert in search of the Angler Key. I happen to have the key in my possession and will not relinquish it to the likes of you, but, if you managed to defeat me, then it shall become yours. Judging from that stupid look on your face, you really don't have a clue as to the true nature of the Nightmares. I'm guessing the same is true about this island in your feeble mind. Know this, Outsider! Continue down this path and a horrible reality awaits! But, since I know you're too stubborn to run away, you shall be swallowed whole by the dark sands."

Suddenly, the quicksand began to rumble before part of it started to rise up from the sand. Moments later, a giant centipede emerged from the sand where it hovered just slightly above it before borrowing back down. "A centipede... I have to fight a centipede? Well... It's no different than fighting Moldorm since it was a kind of insect."

"As this insect said, it calls itself Lanmola." Princess Twilight said. "Only one exists on Koholint Island but don't underestimate it. As you can see, you're standing on quicksand which is slowly pulling you towards the center, and if you end up sinking, you might end up drowning. Or, you could end up in an underground tunnel. I don't know what will happen but you should probably avoid it at all costs."

"Does the Lanmola get affected by the quicksand?"

"No."

"Crap!"

"You need to attack either the head or the tail as the body has some kind of thick armour-like plating."

That was going to make it difficult because of the quicksand, In fact, I'd go as far as saying that the quicksand was an even bigger threat than the Lanmola. Still, I couldn't underestimate it as Her Highness said. As long as I stayed away from the center of the pit, I should be fine. Raising my shield and waiting patiently, I immediately forgot about the sand and was beginning to get pulled towards the center. My movement speed had been drastically reduced as a result of the sand which gave the Lanmola some advantage but I had been in tough situations before and this was no different.

Just then, the Lanmola rose out from the sand and began moving across the quicksand pit. Its head was too far away for me to hit with my sword so I waited for the tail to appear which it did moments later. I attacked it as many times as possible before it too was out of my reach before the Lanmola went back into the sand. On a side note, it had a cute little propeller on the tip of the tail. Perhaps that was what allowed it to move about in the air. In any case, I had to wait for my next chance to attack. Since I had to constantly worry about sinking, I kept on moving about by sticking close to the edges of the pit.

"You continue to be annoying, Outsider!" The Lanmola hissed.

"Get used to it!" I shouted back.

"Do not interfere in the affairs of the Nightmares!"

It then appeared from a different part of the quicksand and immediately rammed into me without a care. Though I took some damage from the collision, I was more concerned about being pulled to the center. It had occurred to me some time ago that I couldn't use the Pegasus Boots as while it would allow me to move more quickly, it could cause some unnecessary traction which could result in some unintended consequences. The Lanmola then went back under the sand and I moved about in hopes of predicting where next it would appear. It then emerged right behind me and I was rammed by it again.

As I recovered from being attacked, the Lanmola's tail tried to hit me. I couldn't defend myself with my shield so I took the hit but I did manage to hit it in return several times before it went back under the sand. It then emerged directly in front of me which was certainly unexpected and again, I allowed myself to take damage as it meant dishing out some, but it was becoming obvious that getting hit so many time was beginning to take its toll. Case in point, my legs started to feel like they were being weighed down not to mention they were bleeding in two different places on each leg.

Despite the pain, I knew I had to continue, but Her Highness might not feel the same way. "Twilight... I know I've taken a few hits but I need to keep going. I know you prefer me to retreat but I can do this!"

"I insist you stick it out." Princess Twilight said.

"Come again?"

"Even though you can leave this fight whenever you want, there is a price you have to pay."

"Which would be?"

"If you leave, restore your health, and then come back, the Lanmola will regain all of its health." Princess Twilight answered sternly. "In other words, all the damage you've inflicted won't mean a thing. You'd have to start all over again. If you feel that you can defeat this monster, go for it but if you don't have confidence, retreat and we'll come up with another plan. I'll stick by whatever the decision is."

"I'm staying."

"Alright, but be careful."

The Lanmola eventually made itself known by popping up close to the center of the quicksand pit and I moved as quick as I could, but because of my legs feeling like jelly, I could only hope to attack its tail rather than the face. It then went back under and appeared a few seconds later on the other side of the pit before heading towards me. I stepped aside and attacked its tail when it was within range. It still wasn't enough as the Lanmola went under the sand again leaving me to wonder just how long it could go on. It then emerged in the center of the pit and I happened to be right next to the head somehow and attacked it as much as possible.

My last hit on the head turned out to be exactly that. "GRRAAAGGGHHHH! You... You defeated me!"

"Now where is that key?" I asked.

"As I said... I will give it to you..." The Lanmola answered as it struggled to talk. "If you had been smart... You'd have fled from this island... Long ago. Now... You are condemned to continue... And... And discover the truth about the island."

"What truth?"

"Hah! I won't tell you... It's something you'll... have to... figure out on your own."

"Fine by me."

"Outsider... I would love... To see the look on... Your face when you discover the truth... But... We both know that... Isn't going to happen... Now." The Lanmola was clearly on its last breath given how it was pausing behind words more often. "Enjoy... This while... While... You can... For... Once you... l... Learn t... The truth... y... y... you will... u... u... understand. If my... words... a... aren't enough... t... t... the Nightmares... w... will... see... see... to it..."

And with that, each segment of the Lanmola exploded one at a time before the head did the same, and when the head disappeared, it left behind a key. There was no doubt that this was the Angler Key seeing as one end depicted a fish while the other had what appeared to be a hook. Before I had a chance to pick it up, the quicksand dragged it towards the center before it fell down into the depths below. Princess Twilight that I'd either drown or end up in an underground tunnel but she didn't know which one it would be. I guessed I was about to find out for myself as I walked forward and the quicksand began pulling me towards the center.

To Be Continued.

Chapter 12: Dungeon Creator.

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.
By Ganondorf8.
November 30, 2019.
Chapter 12: Dungeon Creator.

As I walked closer to the center of the quicksand pit, I felt myself slowly being dragged down into the depths below. In most situations, I wouldn't be doing anything like this and instead scrambling to get out before it was too late. But, this needed to be done as I needed the Angler Key in order to reach the next dungeon. Upon reaching the pit's center, I watched as everything quickly disappeared as I got pulled under, and for a moment, it felt like my life had ended. I had gone and drowned myself all because of needing a key. In that moment, time itself stopped and in my heart, I was scared to my very core.

I then awoke what felt like hours later (It had actually just been two minutes) and found myself in an underground tunnel. Princess Twilight did say that this was one possibility with the other being drowning in quicksand so I was happy that she was right. Looking around to see what became of the Angler Key, I looked down to see that it was at my feet. Despite what I had just endured, I'm glad it didn't break or anything. Still, one question remained unanswered. Where was I supposed to insert this into? I needed to go to the waterfall but I hadn't seen one on the island as far as I knew.

Picking up the key and placing it in my pocket, I was then attacked by two Pincers who were residing in holes on either side of me. I guessed they were here to take care of any leftovers provided any managed to get down here after the Lanmola had gotten its fill. Both monsters stretched as far as they could in an attempt to bite me, but luckily, I was just a bit too far out of their reach so I ignored them seeing as they couldn't do much at all, and I suspected I didn't need to defeat them in order to get out of here. I then felt a breeze coming from the left and looking in that direction, a flight of stairs indicated freedom, but surely there was more to this tunnel?

I took another look around by checking each wall and sure enough, the wall directly behind me had some rocks sticking out awkwardly. Someone had hidden something behind it though their efforts were shoddy at best. Had they taken their time, I doubted I would've seen anything and merely left none the wiser. Taking out a bomb, I placed it in front of the wall and stepped backwards (I didn't want to get caught in the blast) before it exploded revealing a hidden room. Entering this room, I found a Piece of Heart lying there without anything guarding it which did make me suspicious.

Rushing in and picking it up before something could go wrong, I felt the warmth of it revitalize me, and this was a good thing seeing I did take a lot of damage against the Lanmola by choosing to be reckless. Leaving the hidden room, I avoided the two Pincers and made my way over to the stairs before going up them and finding myself back outside. It didn't take long to figure out that I was opposite of that large group of cacti, and I could see that I could walk in-between them and reach the main area again. Rather than go that way, I walked south as I could see a path going that way.

Again, I had to deal with the humidity of the desert in addition to the Leevers that popped up from the sand. Even though I could attack them, I just allowed them to shuffle on by until they went under the sand. I then saw a narrow path which I took as why else have one in the first place if it wasn't going to go anywhere. Perhaps my curiosity blinded me for a moment or I thought it was a shortcut which would take me back to the desert's entrance, the path eventually stopped at a dead end with only a couple of boulders. Why even have them here if it meant nothing... or perhaps there was something.

Lifting up both boulders, one of them had a Secret Seashell which I happily took. "How many do I have now?"

"You should have six of them in total." Princess Twilight answered.

"That's not bad considering that I haven't exactly been going out of my way to collect them."

"I think you should make an effort to improve on that." Princess Twilight said as she landed on my hat. "The more of them you collect, the higher the probability of you acquiring the sword that Adagio mentioned back at the Seashell Mansion when we initially checked it out. In fact, I have reason to believe that there are additional rewards for collecting a certain amount so perhaps we should stop by on occasion. Plus, you might find something new since you have the Pegasus Boots."

"What about the Angler Key?"

"We need to find where it goes."

"Neither Princess Cadance or Flash Sentry gave me much in the way of hints."

Princess Twilight shook her head. "I agree about Flash Sentry since he has been cryptic this whole time, but I think Cadance did give us a hint even though she was restricted in what she could say. We know that we need to get behind a waterfall, right? The rivers we've seen on the island must originate from somewhere so if we were to follow one upstream, we'll find the source and the waterfall in question."

"Or we could ask Discord for his advice."

"That is an option."

Since I couldn't go any further, I had to make my way back to where I came from. Thanks to the Pegasus Boots, I dashed back to where all those cacti were and carefully weaved my way in-between them in hopes of not getting pricked by needles before continuing south, avoiding Leevers and Pokeys alike. At this point, I doubted there was anything else of value in the desert and the heat was really starting to get to me. (No wonder this place had all those skulls of ancient creatures) Leaving was my best bet so if any rewards lay buried, they would remain as such for eternity.

Leaving the Yarna Desert, my body temperature immediately dropped since I was no longer trudging through such humid conditions. No wonder no one in the Animal Village dared enter such a place. They couldn't stand the heat in addition the monsters but mainly the heat. I was about to head back to the village when the hooting I had now become so familiar with made me stand still and I looked up to see Flash Sentry and his owl companion land on a nearby tree. "You have succeeded in acquiring what you sought for." Flash Sentry said as he nodded his approval.

"Can you tell me where I need to go with the Angler Key."

"I shall answer this question."

"I'm all ears."

"The shape of the key shows a fish, swimming up a cascade of water."

I took out the key and looked at it. "Really? I can see the fish in the design but the 'cascade of water'?" I kept on staring at the key until I could see what Flash Sentry was talking about and it prompted me to groan under my breath.

"Go now to the mountain waterfall."

"You'll need to explain it a bit more than that."

"Then I shall." Flash Sentry said. "Beyond the ancient castle, you will find the waterfall that you seek, young lass. But, you cannot go north from the castle to reach it. You will need to go east of the swampland and past Mt. Tamaranch. Do not feel discouraged as you possess the means to access places much faster than before." He then whispered something to his companion and it hooted in response which made me wonder what he said. "A leap from the top and you will reach your goal."

"What does that even mean?"

"Once you see the waterfall for yourself, it will become clear."

With that, Flash Sentry and his companion took to the skies once again leaving me wondering just what he meant. On the one hand, I had a pretty good idea as to where the keyhole was which required the Angler Key, but it involved going back to a previous area and heading right to explore a new one. He was right about the fact that with my current inventory of items, I didn't have to backtrack completely. Still, I wasn't liking how it was necessary for progression. Sighing, I knew I couldn't do anything other than accept it for what it was. But, I was going to get there at my own pace and not what he probably assumed.

First, I took a path that took me behind the Animal Village seeing as I never investigated it proper until now. Since the sun was beginning to set, I needed to make this quick before it got too dark to do much of anything. Dashing along, I smacked into a wall which featured another spot where someone had covered up an entrance with rocks. Taking out another bomb and placing it down, I stepped back and watched it explode revealing the obvious cave entrance. Heading inside, I could see certain obstacles which looked like I couldn't deal with them with my current items but perhaps I might come back here sometime.

Leaving the cave, I dashed west and found the Piece of Heart I saw when I first reached the Animal Village. Picking it up, I felt the warmth of it embrace me and when it wore off, I dashed back and then south before going around and eventually enter the village. The sun had now settled and everyone was heading inside including Starlight. I thought about following her but decided otherwise as perhaps some houses wouldn't allow someone like me to enter after sundown. I walked over to Granny Smith's home and walked inside where she was surprised to see me again.

"Hello again." Granny Smith said.

"Did you use that honeycomb?"

Granny Smith nodded. "I used a small portion of it but I'm savin' ta' rest fer when I need it. By the way, what brings yer to my kitchen at this hour? If you've got more honeycombs to give me, I'm afraid I can't accept none from ya."

"Can I stay here for the night?"

"Sure, I don't mind."

"Thank you."

"It's just... I hope y'all don't mind the smell of honeycomb wafting through my kitchen." Granny Smith said, pointing at what she was cooking. "Also, I tends to work mighty late so hopefully ya get plenty of sleep otherwise y'all be a might grumpy come tomorrow. By the way, I heard from one of the rabbits that sweet little Marin dealt with that walrus. Maybe now he ought to know not ta do somethin' like that in future. You know, Marin has always wanted someone to learn her special song, but no one ain't got a proper instrument and reckon it makes her a might upset."

"Like an ocarina?"

"That might do it."

"I don't mind the smell of honeycomb and I have been known to be a heavy sleeper."

"Reckon y'all will sleep well tonight."

The only drawback with sleeping in a place like what Granny Smith had was the lack of a proper place to sleep. I had no idea how she could sleep in this house assuming that she actually does but this was practically my best case scenario when it came to sleep without knowing everything about this village. At least I would get to see Granny Smith work on her dishes and perhaps I could learn something and teach it to Pinkie Pie provided she didn't already know it. Finding a corner of the house that wasn't caked in food or anything, I rested my back as best as possible and began watching.

"Release my friends right now!" Rainbow Dash shouted.

"You dare try to command me?" Ganondorf asked.

"You're messing with the wrong girl here!"

"Among your friends, loyal one, you know me better than they do, but it seems your ignorance has been misplaced."

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

Without doing a thing, Ganondorf merely smiled and Rainbow Dash suddenly found herself being squeezed by an unseen force. The pressure continued to increase with every passing second yet the Demon King didn't lift a finger or anything other than continuing to smile. Rainbow Dash at first panicked over what was happening and struggled desperately to break free but her efforts amounted to nothing as the force proved too strong. Eventually, she began screaming due to the pain being too much for her but the pressure kept going. Just when it looked like she would pass out, the pressure suddenly stopped and she slumped to the ground.

Ganondorf slammed his fist down onto the arm of his throne. "Do not think you are in control here! The only reason why any of you are still alive is because I will it to be. It is by my will and mine alone that you still breathe. Had none of you possess what I desire, I'd have killed you."

Rainbow Dash got back onto her feet as she breathed heavily after her ordeal only to be paralyzed again. "What do you want from us?"

"Your magic."

"Why? Rainbow Dash asked, tilting her head in confusion. "You've got more than enough magical power than all of us combined several times over. Why need our magic as you've got your own?"

Ganondorf laughed. "Because you children continue to grow stronger the more you use your magic. Such power is wasted on the likes of you and therefore deserves to be wielded by one who possesses power and knows how to use it. Someone...Like me. Besides... There is another reason behind my desire for your magic. In the world where the child comes from, the source of your magic, the Elements of Harmony, no longer exist. I need not explain any further unless you are too stupid to reach the conclusion."

"Sunset told us about the Elements of Harmony being destroyed."

"But... She did not tell you that the remnants housed within you and your friends are all that remain."

"It's not that big of a deal since Equestria can survive without the Elements."

"Perhaps..."

"Perhaps?"

"All will become clear in due time, loyal one." Ganondorf answered. He raised his hand and Rainbow Dash felt a little limp in response. "Why mention it to just only you? It is best that you and your friends find out together because then you can all suffer at the same time. Now... tell me... why do you claim to be loyal to your friends? Are you loyal? Such a bold claim to be sure but one that clearly is not accurate."

Rainbow Dash then reacted in the manner Ganondorf was expecting, that of sheer anger. "What!? Of course I'm loyal to my friends! Sure, I've made some mistakes but then who hasn't done that in their lives? Your mind tricks won't work on me! Ha! It shows how awesome I really am!"

"Those mistakes were far worse than you like to believe them to be."

"Huh?"

Ganondorf laughed. "You have allowed your egotism to consume your soul, turning you into an avatar of annoyance, one your friends cannot stand. You claim to have rid yourself of this notion but it continues to linger even now. In fact, you would prefer to stoke this ego in order to further your own life. Do not think I do not know such things. I can read every thought within your mind. Nothing can be hidden from me. I also saw a special group you are enamoured with, a group that represents everything you love. Becoming a part of that group would be wonderous but it would mean abandoning your friends."

"I'd choose my friends!"

"Would you?"

"Um... Well... Yes, I would."

"Your response says otherwise, loyal one." Ganondorf said, his hand clenching into a fist momentarily before he unfurled it again. "These Wonderbolts... They are a special group whose name was adapted by your school as the Wondercolts. The Wonderbolts are an elite group who are dedicated to saving lives and performing for others. You aspire to become one of them but they have so far ignored everything about you. To them, you do not exist, but, you wish to change that. Becoming a Wonderbolt is your dream but it would mean leaving your friends behind as you would need to move away."

"It's not my fault they are based in a city miles away from Canterlot."

"You want to be a Wonderbolt but your loyalty condemns you to forever being unable to fulfill your desire."

"I'll get my chance."

Ganondorf shook his head. "No, you will not. Your loyalty is too strong and therefore you can never be a Wonderbolt. How unfortunate. Besides, there are other groups you wanted to be a part of but again, loyalty has prevented any of this from happening. Their presence deep within your mind serve as alternatives because the Wonderbolts will never work out for you, yet you feign ignorance and continue to believe you will join them. To become one of them, abandoning those friends is your only choice. You desire glory! You need it! Nothing else matter aside from this."

"Nothing... Else... Matters..."

"Fulfill your dreams and allow your potential to blossom."

"Potential... Blossom..."

"And now, loyal one... Your magic belongs to me as you no longer have need of it."

I was fortunate that Granny Smith got tired a bit earlier than she claimed because had she stayed up really late, I'd have gone to sleep well past midnight and be an absolute wreck come the morning. But, she went to sleep a couple of hours before so I managed to get a good night's rest. Upon waking up the next day, I thanked her for allowing me to rest at her place and took my leave where I saw everyone had resumed what they were doing the other day. Spotting Starlight singing before a group of animals who were mesmerized by the spectacle, perhaps she could teach me the song she sang.

Last time I tried showing her the ocarina that I acquired from the Dream Shrine, she was quite critical of how I played it despite her saying otherwise. She didn't have to go and hide such a thing from me. In truth, I was only really good at playing a guitar. I mean, I've played the ocarina on my previous journeys (Including additional instruments because of being able to transform into other creatures) but compared to the guitar, I was nothing more than a novice. Then again, when I showed her my instrument, she was in a different mood so perhaps now she might have something different to say.

As I approached her, Starlight stopped singing. "Oh! Sunset Shimmer! I see that you made it back from the Yarna Desert."

"It was quite an adventure." I said.

"Well, as long as you aren't too reckless."

"I try not to be."

"As you can see, the animals of the village love hearing me sing my songs."

"They all seem to be completely enthralled by it."

"Oh yes!" Starlight then had a thought and I think I knew what it was. "Do you still have that ocarina of yours? If so, would you mind taking it out and showing me again? In fact, if you want to, you can accompany me as I sing."

I took out the ocarina from one of my pockets. "I still have it."

Starlight was beyond ecstatic. "Wonderful! Now, allow me to sing and then you repeat it on your ocarina. I can go as long as you like until you either repeat my song or you choose to give up and abandon the idea of playing an instrument so badly." I gave her a weird look and she immediately brushed it off. "Huh? I didn't say anything like that. Did I? No, I think you must be hearing things again. Anyway, feel free to get ready and let me know when we can begin. We even have ourselves an audience so they will get to experience this with their own eyes."

Again, she was insulting me and pretending otherwise, and like before, I couldn't confront her about it as she was likely to deny it. Placing the ocarina to my lips, I gave Starlight the signal for her to start singing. It was difficult for me at first to remember the exact pitches seeing this was an instrument I hadn't played for quite some time but after hearing her go through it at least twice, I began repeating the sequence on the ocarina. Starlight was so impressed, she joined in singing alongside me as we both performed an amazing duet. We were both in sync while the animals continued to watch and be in awe of what we were doing.

We kept going for a couple of minutes until we both stopped to which Starlight immediately began talking. "So, how do you like it, Sunset Shimmer? It's really touching isn't it? I put my heart and soul into singing this song and it keeps on getting better every time. Tell me, does my song stick in your mind?"

I nodded. "It most certainly does."

"I am so happy to hear that."

"The Ballad of the Wind Fish..."

"You've now learned my song, Sunset Shimmer."

"I'll always keep it my heart."

Starlight blushed. "Please don't ever forget this song... or me... In fact, you should play it whenever you want so that you can continue to keep it in your mind. Of course, I don't expect you to play it when you're busy doing your errands as you need to focus on those." She then began to giggle which I thought was cute. "Anyway, I'm going to stay here for a while and continue singing, but I will eventually go back to Mabe Village. By the way, did you know about other songs on the island?"

"I've heard rumours."

"Those rumours are true." Starlight said as she held my hands though I think she meant to hold the ocarina. "There is a strange fish who lives by the waterfall who can teach you a song but she can only be reached if you have the ability to swim like a fish. Then there is a famous frog singer... Well, famous to herself that is." She then let go of my hands when she saw what she was doing and quickly ignored it. "He was once famous for his singing but no one knows where to find him. I'm afraid I don't know where he is but perhaps Grandpa Ulrira might have an idea provided he can remember."

"That's good advice, Starlight."

"My name is Marin... But... You can call me Starlight if you prefer."

As she resumed singing to the animals and I walked away, I couldn't help but feel sorry for her overall. Starlight had been through so much throughout her life that seeing her here being happy... it made me wonder what her life would've been like had earlier parts changed. No... I wasn't thinking of going back in time to change anything. I know she's better now than she was before but still, what could have been. On a different note, she gave me some hints on where to learn additional songs. One was much easier than the other in terms of how to find it but perhaps I'll figure things out along the way.

"Are you okay, Sunset?" Princess Twilight asked.

I nodded. "I'll be fine."

"Starlight turned out well you know."

"She has you to thank for that."

"And you."

"Me?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "When I first took her on as my student, she reminded me so much of you despite a different upbringing. I wanted to make sure she would have the same opportunities that you were given with regards to second chances. Granted, I taught her differently what with dimensions separating you and me but it worked out. I told her about you without going into any specifics in case you didn't want her or anyone else to know what happened. You know, privacy reasons."

"Thanks, Twilight." I said as I smiled.

"Now, we have plenty of things to take care of." Princess Twilight said as she brandished a checklist. "What!? You know how I love having one of these around! I just happened to have made this one while you were asleep. I'm surprised you dozed off so early but then you were pretty exhausted from fighting that Lanmola. Anyway, here is what we can do aside from reaching the next dungeon. There is Zecora, visiting this Crazy Tracy, explore the rest of the Animal Village, go to Mt. Tamaranch, and visit the Seashell Mansion. Okay, that second-to-last option is more progression as we've got to go there at some point."

"Let's start with the rest of the Animal Village."

"You only have two houses left to explore."

"Works for me!" Leaving Starlight to her singing, I checked out one house only to discover that it was completely empty. No one had clearly lived here for some time and in retrospect, I could've rested here for the night instead of doing so at Granny Smith's place. "Well, this house is a complete bust!"

"I wouldn't be so sure." Princess Twilight said as she felt uneasy. "I can sense someone in here but they are invisible and my fairy magic can't reveal them. I'm not sure who or what they are, but they clearly don't want to be seen by anyone. I don't even know if they are friend or foe. Nothing you have can reveal someone or something that's invisible but maybe you'll come across an item later on that can do that. Let's hope the other house has someone living there."

Leaving the empty house, I walked up to and entered the final house only to be surprised at who was in here. "Who are you!? Why did you come in here?" I couldn't believe who I was looking at. Though she was a goat-human hybrid, (That was my best guess here) if I remembered her name correctly, I was staring at Chestnut Magnifico. Yeah, it was an unusual name and one filled with certain... connotations, she was portraying Daring Do when me and my friends visited that movie set one time. Huh... I was actually expecting Diamond Tiara given this goat character acted all proper but I never knew who I'd run into next.

"Um... Sorry for entering unannounced." I said.

"As you should be." Chestnut Magnifico said.

"What are you doing?"

"Well, it's pretty clear to me right away." Chestnut Magnifico looked like she was about to get mad but surprisingly, she remained calm, almost reserved. "You don't know the proper etiquette when dealing with a lady do you? It's clear as day on your face! But, I suppose you can be forgiven given you are a girl after all."

"Sorry about that."

"You didn't know any better."

"Anyway, I'm sorry for just coming in here." I said as I struggled to talk my way out of this conversation. "I thought no one was living in this house seeing as the previous one I entered was completely empty." I then noticed her pointing to an empty flower pot that was just sitting there on a desk next to her own. "Why are you pointing at that?"

Chestnut Magnifico sighed and I knew she was annoyed. "Look, this is just becoming a hassle for me. You should have brought flowers or something. Then I might be more inclined to talk with you. Not just any kind of flower will do. It needs to be a hibiscus, my personal favourite. Please leave my home immediately and do not return until you've figured out the proper etiquette I speak of."

Leaving her house without another word, that conversation was nothing short of awkward. I knew Chestnut Magnifico was quite the character given her status as an actress, but it seemed that in this world, she was even more difficult to be around provided you didn't have what she wanted. She needed a hibiscus... But where was I supposed to find one? It's not like they grew on trees or anything like that. (This was my attempt at sarcastic humour) Princess Twilight took the liberty of writing this information down on her checklist. She also told me that I still had a pineapple which was deemed very delicious.

There was nothing left for me to do in the Animal Village so I decided that my next destination would be the Seashell Mansion. It didn't really matter which direction I went because both would involve me backtracking. I eventually chose to use the warp because it was a recent development and I'd be stupid not to use the magic it possessed. Leaving the village by going south of Granny Smith's house and into the shallow water, I stepped onto the raised platform and I began spinning around many times before I suddenly disappeared and reappeared moments later outside of Mabe Village. Yes... I could definitely get used to this.

And that was when I realized... There was one more house in the Animal Village I didn't check. I slapped my forehead so hard out of sheer stupidity that it left a mark on my face. I felt absolutely humiliated but it wasn't a complete loss though. I could go back right now and see who lived there but I really wanted to move on with the adventure. I had to go back there eventually with a hibiscus for Chestnut Magnifico so that would be the perfect time to check that remaining house out. Still, how could I have forgotten something so obvious!? I really needed to pay better attention to my surroundings.

Heading to the right, I began the backtracking to the Seashell Mansion but unlike before, I had the Pegasus Boots so it wasn't going to take quite as long. In hindsight, I should've gone there before Animal Village as that would've saved some time. Oh well. I could attribute this as a learning experience. Dashing my way through Ukuku Prairie and ignoring the monsters as I didn't need to deal with them right now, I reached my destination only for four Boarblins to block my path. I attacked them all at once whilst avoiding their spears as best as I could only to get hit three times and each went down in two hits.

"That was aggressive for you, Sunset." Princess Twilight said.

"I don't normally do that kind of thing."

"It can actually be a useful tactic especially since it does surprise your enemies."

"I suppose I could use it a bit more often."

"Just don't go overboard otherwise you will get hurt a lot more." Princess Twilight then quickly changed the subject upon seeing something unusual and immediately flew over to it before calling out to me. "Sunset! Come take a look at this!" I walked to see what Her Highness had discovered and I couldn't believe it. "It's another warp tile symbol just like the previous two though this one isn't on a raised platform. Hmmm... Perhaps this was added much later? In any case, you now can warp directly to the Seashell Mansion whenever you want. You'd just need to concentrate and wish to be sent here."

"Guess I should've checked over here instead of leave after finishing up my business in the mansion."

"Neither of us knew."

I felt disappointed. "I'm glad I can now get around some parts of the island quicker, but I wish I had known about this sooner. In fact, I could've warped straight here instead of taking the long way when we were going to the Animal Village. I really need to pay more attention to my surroundings." I then noticed some shrubs to the right of the tile and felt that they were pretty suspicious. Cutting each of them down, a Secret Seashell appeared after cutting the last one. "Chalk one up for Sunset Shimmer!"

"Feeling better?"

I nodded. "Much better." Entering the Seashell Mansion, it was still as impressive as before despite nothing really changing. Looking around to see if Adagio were here, I didn't see her which made me wonder if she was busy waiting to see me at one of the fairy fountains scattered around the island. (I was surprised that I had only found one considering that by this time in my previous adventures, I had found at least two, maybe three) I called out. "Hello? I've come back with some more Secret Seashells in my possession."

As soon as I said that, Adagio Dazzle appeared before me once again, her radiant beauty and appearance stunning. "Welcome back to the Seashell Mansion, young one." Adagio said as she smiled at me. To be honest, seeing her smile felt really weird considering how antagonistic she was back in the world I called home. "Yes, I can sense that you have collected more shells than before, so let us see what happens when they are added to your total." She waved her hand and the green liquid began to rise upwards passing an engraving of a seashell on the wall but stopping just a little ways after it.

"What happened?"

"Though you are no where near close to getting the ultimate sword, you did collect enough seashells to receive a reward."

"Oh, so there are multiple rewards?"

"Take a closer look at where the green energy flows." Adagio then pointed at the same engraving I saw before but then raised her hand and I saw that there were four additional engravings of seashells. "Upon reaching each of these markers, you shall receive a treasure that will aid you on your journey. Now, please take your first reward." Clapping her hands together which caused the entire mansion to reverberate with magic, a gift-wrapped present appeared before dropping onto the ground below. Opening it up and seeing what was inside, I was surprised to see a Piece of Heart. Now that was a reward!

Picking it up, the familiar warmth embraced me and I my overall health should've increased by this point. "Are all of the rewards like this?" I asked as the Piece of Heart disappeared like all the other ones had done before.

Adagio shook her head. "You will receive different rewards depending on how many Secret Seashells you bring here. If I am to be brutally honest with you, young one, I did not expect you to have received this first reward. From what I saw of your previous visit, you were struggling to find the shells hidden across the island. I shall therefore provide some hints on where they might be hidden but only if this is something you want."

"I think I do need such hints."

"Very well... I shall provide two such hints for you."

"I'm ready."

Adagio clapped her hands together before closing her eyes. "A Secret Seashell can be found where a large lazy animal once rested. It seems this animal has an infatuation with a young girl but she can no longer speak with him. Perhaps if he were to hear something familiar to the girl?" She paused momentarily before continuing on. "Another Secret Seashell is hidden inside of a cave that forms a tail but one needs the power of the explosion in order to find a hidden chamber not normally seen."

"I think I understand that."

"If you do not then your fairy shall remind you." Adagio then turned to Princess Twilight. "Please continue to watch over this young one, sweet fairy. She will continue needing guidance in the trials that lay ahead." She turned back to me again. "Please come back again when you have collected more seashells. Also, feel free to visit me at any fairy fountain you come across, or perhaps you may find my hidden fountain."

Before I had a chance to ask what she meant about that last part, she disappeared leaving me to ponder over her hints. I immediately knew what she meant about the lazy animal as that was the walrus who blocked the entrance to the Yarna Desert. He wanted to hear Starlight again but she couldn't do so anymore... She did teach me her song so perhaps that would be enough to get him excited? As for hint number two... I believed Princess Twilight brought it to my attention way back when we were going through the Tail Cave. But to backtrack all that was wasn't my idea of fun especially since it was way out of my way. Hmmm... I'd need to think this one over a little.

Leaving the Seashell Mansion, I asked Princess Twilight to show me her checklist and she obliged. So far, I had finished with the mansion for now, finished with the Animal Village despite needing to go back there for now two reasons, and that was pretty much it. I could see what Zecora wanted but then there was Crazy Tracy who actually lived not that far away and she might prove interesting. Oh, and Mt. Tamaranch was also an option though Princess Twilight did say I'd have to explore it eventually for story progression. I had no idea how long I would be visiting Zecora as she probably had a momentous task for me so seeing Crazy Tracey made sense.

Walking on to the warp tile, I had to concentrate on where I wanted to go otherwise it would be a random location. Focusing on Mabe Village as hard as I could, I began spinning around many times before I disappeared and then reappeared moments later back outside of Mabe Village. As much as I loved teleporting around, I only had three warp points available and they all concentrated on a small section. Finding more would get me to other areas so once again I needed to pay attention to my surroundings. On a side note, my health was at peak condition thanks to the Piece of Heart so I didn't need to grind for any hearts. (I did need to grind for rupees though)

"Okay, where do we go from here, Twilight?"

"According to what I remember from the map in the library, we need to go north as that will take us to all the places we need to visit." Princess Twilight answered. "You should take this opportunity and explores area you've not yet seen. I know it means going out of your intended path but you never know what you might find when doing so. Besides, I'm curious as to what we haven't seen."

"I knew there was another ulterior motive."

"Never turn away the chance for knowledge, Sunset."

"Well... Since you are curious and all... Sure, why not."

"Thanks."

Walking off of the raised platform, I quickly avoided a Flying Octorok which had taken notice of me, but it quickly went off in the opposite direction most likely due to it having a short attention span. Looking around, the only direction I had yet to go was north, and there was a boulder in the way which made sense now. It was to stop me from reaching this area too early and thus going out of sequence, a kind of taboo with video games. I had the Power Bracelet now so I could come and go as I pleased without any consequence. Walking up some stairs before reaching the boulder, I picked it up and tossed it aside before continuing north.

I was then immediately attacked by a Zombie which rose up from the ground much to my surprise. It had been a while since I last saw this particular monster but then I was merely observing it from a distance. Now I had to fight my way through as I remember Her Highness saying they constantly respawned. One swing of my sword eliminated the Zombie yet another rose up to replace it which was quickly cut down with a sword swing. Then a third appeared in the same spot and I quickly knew that this was utterly pointless. Fighting the undead would merely exhaust me until they would eventually feed on my flesh or whatever it was they did around here.

Continuing north, I avoided Zombies as they continued popping out from the ground but eventually they stopped appearing and I relaxed knowing I had evaded them. Going back this way was going to be bothersome as I'd be assaulted by Zombies even though they weren't strong. What was also unfortunate was that they left nothing behind upon being defeated and because I needed more rupees in order to buy that bow from Aria, fighting the undead just wasn't worth the effort. I needed more treasure chests to open and not just the ones inside of dungeons to rake in the cash as it were.

"Look to your right, Sunset."

"What for?"

"This is where the Graveyard is."

I looked right and sure enough, there were gravestones everywhere. Not only that, there were also actual ghosts flying around the graves as though they were either protecting them or the area in general. The only thing separating where I was standing and the actual graveyard was a fence. "Strange that Zecora doesn't have her home here seeing as she was carrying around that shovel and her appearance did suggest to me that she worked in a place like this."

"Her house is near here from what I remember but not right next door."

"What about those ghosts?"

"Those are called Ghinis, the spirits of the graveyard." Princess Twilight answered. "There are actually two types of Ghinis even though they both look the same. One is what you can see flying around the graves. These can be defeated after attacking them many times with your sword or other attacking items. The other kind of Ghini appear when you touch a grave and this is where it become more dangerous. This version of the Ghini is invincible! Period! Nothing can defeat them with one really weird exception. The first kind of Ghini can remove the rest upon being defeated as it acts like an anchor of sorts."

"I take it this is the only place we'll see them."

"Yes."

"Do you think there could be something hidden in the graveyard?"

Princess Twilight shrugged. "I don't know to be honest. I mean, you could take a quick look for yourself but it's best to know for certain if there is something there before trying to go and find whatever it is. By the way, there is a special version of the Ghini known as the Giant Ghini. It's basically a giant sized version who can hit you a lot more easily and also takes more hits to defeat in turn, but it's rare to find one. In fact, you could potentially never encounter one on this whole journey but it wouldn't be an actual loss. How they appear is something I don't know either."

"I think we should skip the graveyard for now."

"Good idea."

"You're not afraid of ghosts are you?"

"No, but then we don't have to explore someplace if there's nothing of value."

Picking up and tossing another boulder, I glanced to my left and could see Trixie's hut on the other side of two holes which needed the Roc's Feather. At least I knew that I could easily make my way back to her from this direction rather than go through the Mysterious Forest. I don't think I even need to explore that forest again for the duration of this journey. An unfortunate aspect but one I won't complain about since it means not needing to waste my time exploring it for nothing in return. Continuing north, I came to a fork in the road with one path leading towards two boulders and the other heading right towards a rather unpleasant area.

I pointed to the right. "What about that area?"

"That is known as the Tabahl Wasteland."

"Anything of interest about it?"

"It's a deserted part of Koholint Island where darkness is always looming over it."

"Sounds cheerful."

Princess Twilight rolled her eyes. "Sarcasm aside, there's no hidden treasures or anything like that in this wasteland. In fact, the only reason you would explore it is to cut through the island from the mountains to the graveyard further south. Oh, and do you remember that Crow with the Golden Leaf you encountered back at the castle?"

I nodded. "Yeah, why?"

"They are everywhere in Tabahl Wasteland." Princess Twilight urged me to look at the top of the scary looking tree and I did upon which I saw a large assortment of Crows. "Given how tricky it is to attack them, you'd be a sitting duck if you were to go through there."

"And what about to the left?"

"To the left beyond those two boulders is a place called Manbo's Pond."

"Who's Manbo?"

"According to island legend, Manbo is some kind of deity who resides somewhere on the island though only the chosen ones can find her." Princess Twilight answered. "Not much is known about her because apparently the people don't bother keeping good records so my own knowledge is limited. Oh, and don't ask how I know this information. It's something I can't even explain. Anyway, Manbo's Pond serves as a historical site for the people and they believe that she blessed the pond with her magic. Again, the lack of records means my explanation could possibly be wrong."

"Guess it's something else that's beyond us."

"It can't be helped."

Heading to the left, I picked up and tossed a boulder and got a better look at seeing Manbo's Pond. It wasn't really much of a pond as it was a puddle of water. I meant no disrespect here but he could've had something bigger maybe? Then again, he might have been a reserved deity who didn't like anything fancy. On the positive side, this area was familiar as I recognized where I acquired the Piece of Heart that was situated in the middle of so many holes. I was happy at the fact that certain areas were now coming together thus reducing my overall confusion when it came to directions.

To the right of the pond was a house that clearly looked out of place especially with the dreariness of the wasteland to the right. Still, it was a pleasant sight to see given how the only other house was a hollowed out tree. Entering the house, I was taken aback by how there was a heart motif present. There was a heart pattern on the floor and two heart-shaped trees at the back which looked like they had been raised with love and care. In front of me sitting on what looked like a chair or a very large pillow was someone I haven't met in Equestria but I do recall seeing her in my last adventure.

"Is that Sugar Belle?" I whispered to Princess Twilight.

"Indeed it is." Princess Twilight whispered back.

"Is it true that she married Big Macintosh?"

Princess Twilight nodded as she continued whispering. "After so many disasters including their attempts at proposing to each other, they both tied the knot about a few weeks ago over at Sweet Apple Acres. Theirs was a love that endured incredible hardship as well as craziness thanks in large part to Discord but it all worked out for them. Sugar Belle was so happy that day according to Applejack and while I couldn't be there in person due to other commitments, I wished her and Big Mac all the best. Starlight wished she could've attended the wedding but she was needed at the school to go over some paperwork."

"Not many marriages happening in Equestria huh?"

"It's quite strange."

"I'd better talk to Sugar Belle before she thinks we're saying bad stuff about her." I whispered. I then walked up to her and spoke in my normal sounding voice. "Um... This is a nice place you have here." That was my means of saying hello!? Yeesh! I needed to do way better than that."

"Well hi there, big girl!" Sugar Belle. It sounded like she was trying to entice me with her choice of words but that thought quickly past when she started talking seriously. "I didn't think anyone would come around here again what with so many monsters lurking around. You must have taken a multitude of beatings making your way here." She leaned forward and began looking me over before leaning back. "Yep! You've got a few scars here and there as a result of getting hurt so much. You coming here is a blessing in disguise... For you. I should introduce myself because you look confused with my words. I am Crazy Tracy."

"About your name..."

"I'm not crazy."

"Okay, so why call yourself that?"

"It gives me some extra pizzazz I feel."

"Um... Okay?"

Sugar Belle adjusted the bow in her hair and then pointed to a photo of Trixie but it was in black and white and looked rather old. "Years ago, I used to be the apprentice of the witch who lives not far from here. She taught me everything she knew and when I graduated, she said I had a terrific future when it came to using healing potions. My master used to make healing potions but her eyesight isn't as strong as it used to be so now she makes specialty potions. You've got one of those potions right now." Sugar Belle sniffed before giving me an okay sign whilst winking. "Yep! I can smell Magic Powder on you."

"She mentioned you when I spoke with her."

"Glad to hear that." Sugar Belle then grabbed a bottle that was next to her and presented it to me. "Now, allow me to give you the pitch for what I have to offer for you. It might sound weird at first but it'll make sense once you've thought about it. I've got a little secret for sale that'll pump you up. All I ask is for 28 rupees."

"What kind of secret?"

"The contents of this bottle I'm holding."

"Normally, I'd have deemed you questionable." I said as I reached into my wallet. "But, I was told about you from a few other people apart from the Witch and they recommended me to try your service." Handing over the rupees to Sugar Belle who then placed them into her own pocket, I stood still and waited to see what she was going to do. "Well? I'm ready to receive this secret."

"Judging from how tense you are... You really could do with it." Sugar Belle stood up, uncorked the bottle, and poured a bit of the content into her hand. "All right! Come over here and I'll rub it on you!" I took a step forward and she began rubbing her hand all over my body. She made sure not to be inappropriate which I was appreciate of given how she was applying it personally rather than having me simply drink the contents. After a couple of minutes, Sugar Belle sat back down before wiping her hand with a towel. "There! I've applied my own secret medicine on you. How do you feel?"

"Despite feeling a bit clammy from the liquid, I feel fine."

"Right now, it won't do anything, but if you were to lose all heart, it will kick in."

"In other words... If I were to die?"

Sugar Belle nodded. "You got it! This medicine will only work once so if you want to apply more, you need to come back and see me when you've gone and used it. If you're too far away to reach me, I did take the liberty of hiding a couple of bottles containing my secret medicine in a shrine and a tower. But, this was before both places became infested with horrible creatures so hopefully none of them used the medicine on themselves. Remember that if you've still got my protection when you find either of these additional bottles, you cannot apply them onto yourself so you'd be forced to leave them behind."

"That makes sense."

"Please drop by again, big girl!"

Waving me goodbye, Sugar Belle went back to doing what she did before I entered her home, namely staring up at the ceiling. She was serious when she said she hadn't received many customers as of late. She was so bored that she had resorted to counting tiles on the ceiling. Leaving her house, I looked over my body and saw that her medicine had seeped into my body leaving me looking normal. I had no reason to doubt her abilities so hopefully this medicine would save me from dying, and considering how often I took damage, I felt that I would have need of her services more often than not.

Now I needed to make my way to Zecora's place, and if I remembered correctly, her house was to the right of the Moblin's Lair. I just couldn't remember where the lair in question was as it had been a long time since I was last over that way. This is why having an actual map on my person instead of having to rely on sheer memory was important. Sighing, I decided to keep going north and hoped it would take me to where I needed to go. Picking up a boulder and tossing it aside, I cut across a bit of the land only to find myself in the Tabahl Wasteland. It was definitely miserable looking and the darkness overlooking everything really made it uneasy.

Crows were perched in the trees and while they weren't all that threatening, I didn't want to provoke them in case they all decided to come after me. It was weird being in an area like this seeing as it would make for an ideal location of a great evil. Instead, it was merely a deserted region of the island that served no purpose other than connecting two other places to one another. Of course, I had no intention of staying here for very long. Walking north and passing by a scary tree (I could swear that its eyes were looking at me), a Crow swooped down and attempted to attack me.

Raising my shield, I deflected its attack and responded by swinging my sword. Despite it getting hit by my blade, it continued attacking me thinking it could win, but it eventually was defeated and left behind a blue rupee which I picked up. Continuing onward, I soon left the wasteland and the sky immediately cleared up but then a couple of holes appeared before me, each containing a Pincer, and both lunged at me only to come up short due to their limited attack range. Ignoring them, I kept going until a sign revealed that Zecora's Shack was to the right and upon looking in that direction, I saw her place, and it had clearly seen better days.

"So this is where she lives."

"You have to give credit to Zecora for knowing how to get around the island." Princess Twilight said.

"Twilight... Look at that!" I said as I pointed upwards.

Her Highness looked up and we could both see the Wind Fish Egg. It was still quite a ways away but this was the closest we had gotten to it. "I'm going to assume that you need to take all eight Instruments of the Sirens up there."

"But I don't even know how to activate them."

"So all the egg serves right now is a landmark."

I nodded. "At least we can reach it if we continued going north, but right now we should pay Zecora a visit." I then noticed something in the ground beyond her place so I walked up to it and was surprised to see another warp tile. "Really? I can warp directly to Zecora's? I'm not complaining mind you as another warp point is always a good thing but why did it have to be here of all places?" Stepping on it, I quickly stepped back off before it would warp me away from where I wanted to be. "Hmmm... This will get me places but there are still areas which require me to walk to them rather than warp."

"Nothing is ever easy, Sunset."

I sighed. "I know."

Walking back down, to the left, and entering Zecora's place, the interior of her home was just as bad as the outside. Bricks of various shapes and colours comprised the walls which did explain why the outside looked like someone had stacked pieces together in hopes they would fit. Stones, pieces of wood, what looked like a table, a box of tools, mud, and other little tidbits brought everything together in such an awkward way. How could Zecora live like this? The only light source was a single lantern which was located next to Zecora, who clearly appeared oblivious to her surroundings.

"Ah, you have finally come at last." Zecora said. "I know we're going to have such a blast."

"So what kind of favour did you need me for?"

"You remember? Good. I was hoping you would."

"And there she goes with the rhyming." I said to myself.

"I wish to show you something interesting." Zecora then pointed to the table like structure that took up most of the room. Upon a second glance at it, it wasn't so much of a table but rather a platform which a groove embedded into it which something could be slotted into it. I couldn't explain it but something about it seemed... Mysterious. "You've been poking into some of the ruins on this island, I can tell. You have in your possession treasures from them that are surely quite swell. Now this is where things get really exciting so I truly hope with my fun you'll be trying."

She then presented me with a stone slab that featured a picture of a room before handing it over to me. "Um... What's this?" I then took a closer look and was shocked. "I recognize this room from a dungeon I was previously in!" The room in question was from the Tail Cave but why did Zecora have it? "You need to tell me what this is all about!"

"And so I shall, my dear pal." Zecora then picked up another slab and presented it to me. On this one was another room from a dungeon I had been to. The room this time? The entrance of the Key Cavern. "This has been a project most dear to me, and when you've seen it for yourself, you shall see. I make little chambers based on those dungeons. How do I do this you ask? I'm afraid explaining it would be too monumental a task. Put some chambers into the slab back there and it turns into a real dungeon. Like I said, how it works is too complicated so it's best not to inquire."

"You can make your own custom dungeons?"

Zecora nodded. "Indeed I can. Now please put your mind at rest for I need your help in putting this to the test. I want to know about the dungeons you've seen. I want to know where you have been. I can take what you tell me and create new chambers as a result. With a few chambers in hand, basic ideas are what will come though not grand. More pieces will result in more complicated places but that involves going to future dungeons you've not yet encountered. With what you currently have with you, can you complete my challenges?"

"Yeah, I can give it a try."

"Once you have finished arranging a dungeon, you must then make your way through it."

"I knew there'd be a catch."

"Nothing is simple."

"What about you?"

Zecora sighed. "I am no designer nor an adventurer so this is something I cannot do which is why I must leave things up to you. Do not think you are doing this for free as I shall reward you if you can impress me. Whenever you find a chamber stone, give it to me and it shall be turned into a chamber which can be used in order to add a new room. Now, allow me to provide a series of chambers that I created based on experiences you've already seen."

I had no idea how she managed to do that considering she had never once followed me but I wasn't about to question any of it. Zecora turned around and began fiddling about with something, and while I tried seeing what she was doing, I couldn't make it out so I was left guessing. She turned back around a few moments later before handing over a series of chambers before ushering me over to the stone slab. Despite some initial hesitation given how this all came out of nowhere, I walked up to the stone slab and a menu appeared before me showcasing numerous dungeon ideas which could be created.

"Twilight... What am I supposed to do?" I whispered.

Princess Twilight took a closer look. "According to this menu, there are four difficulty levels but you can only access the first one. I guess it's to prevent you from being completely overwhelmed by the concept. I suspect there will be additional challenges in this first category seeing as it looks so bare. but for now, you should just focus on what Zecora has given you to work with." Her Highness began reading a description on the menu to herself before turning to face me. "You need to finish this dungeon that Zecora started making by putting in the remaining rooms that go right to the end."

I then looked at the design. "Is... Is that Moldorm at the end!?"

"It is."

"But, I defeated it already!" I exclaimed in a whisper. "How could it be back?"

Princess Twilight comforted me and I quickly calmed down. "The Moldorm you defeated was the original one, Sunset. The one in this Creator Dungeon is merely a replica, a duplicate that behaves like the original but is merely used as a means of overcoming this challenge. According to this, you need to have a stop along the way for the treasure chest, exits need to connect with other exits, and you need a path that goes straight to where Moldorm is. A simple enough objective."

"So I take these chambers and put them down into this?"

"Yes, but certain rooms must be in place and can't be removed."

"How many rooms do I have?"

"You've been through three dungeons so you do have plenty to work with." Princess Twilight answered. She then looked at what chambers I had at my disposal before coming to a surprising conclusion. "But, it looks like not all chambers from those dungeons are in this batch Zecora has given you to work with. Perhaps she will give you some later on and you might find some at the Item Shop and the Trendy Game Shop. How difficult it will be depends on what you want out of it."

"It looks like there are certain restrictions in place when it comes to some rooms, but for others, I can do whatever I want with it." I said. I then began combing through the different rooms to see which ones would be best suited for this dungeon. "No wonder Zecora needed someone to try this thing out. You needed to have been there and experienced these places to better appreciate them." Cycling through each room, I was reminded of when I went through them initially. Some rooms were memorable while others were best left forgotten. "Oh! I can even put in rooms with treasure chests!"

From what I gathered of this, the final treasure chest opened would contain the Nightmare's Key. Any other chest opened before that would contain rupees or small keys depending on the current situation. Grabbing some chambers, I placed them down before checking to see how it looked. Some looked perfect while others appeared completely wrong. As I switched a couple out for others, it became apparent that not every chamber could connect with one another. I had to think of this as me exploring this creation which was going to be the case according to Zecora.

As I continued moving rooms in and out, I discovered that I could fight multiple replicas of the Nightmares in the same dungeon. While that would be interesting as well as be a test of my skills, it would also be time consuming not to mention increase the overall difficulty. No... I think having just one of them was enough for my liking. Due to not having many rooms on hand, I was forced to use at least one room which had a locked door and one that had a door which would unlock upon solving a puzzle. After spending about ten minutes switching rooms around and genuinely having fun, I finally stepped back to view my work.

"Are you finished, Sunset?"

I nodded. "I think I get the basic idea of what has to be done here. Granted, when I first heard what Zecora said about this Creator Dungeon, I wasn't thrilled about it because it meant having to endure through some pretty mean challenges. But, I have the ability to determine the difficulty and it was fun mixing and matching different dungeons together. Had we come here much later, I'd have had more options. Having to fight Moldorm again isn't my idea of fun but I'm a lot stronger now than back then so I should have little trouble defeating it for the second time."

"As long as you're confident with it."

"I think this will work."

"Then I think we need to let Zecora know we're ready unless there's another way to get this started."

Suddenly, there was a bright light and the next thing I knew, I was standing in the entrance room of the dungeon I had created. This was the entrance room of the Tail Cave, but beyond this room were rooms from other dungeons. I just needed to remember which rooms I used in making this thing. If there was one negative to doing this for Zecora, it had to do with me not truly progressing and that this was nothing more than a remix of the past. I had no intention of completing all of Zecora's challenges otherwise I'd be here practically forever, but perhaps I'd complete enough challenges to satisfy her.

Heading to the left first, I entered the room that became before Slime Eye back in Key Cavern. Unlike before, there was a mere locked door as opposed to the Nightmare Lock but without a key, I couldn't progress in this direction but perhaps I could change that. I remembered this room dropped a small key that ultimately went unused. Perhaps I would get another key and it could be used to unlock the door before me. I also learned something else about these chambers... they were accurate with monster placement. Case in point, this room had the same number of Keese scattered about.

Stepping on a conveyor belt, I allowed myself to be moved about via each one, defeating all the Keese easily which caused a treasure chest to materialize which was different as originally, the key dropped down from above. Opening the chest, I took out a key which I immediately used to unlock the door ahead and entered a room from the Bottle Grotto. To my left was a Vacuum Mouth and I immediately remember which room this was. Walking away from it as it began sucking up several more Keese, I waited for it to stop before walking up and opening another chest which contained a single green rupee... Seriously!?

"One measly rupee!?"

"It's better than nothing."

"I suppose so."

"Zecora should reward you a lot better than this chest did."

Entering the next room, everything went dark which reminded me of how much I hated it before. Since I knew that meant lighting up some torches, I waited for the Spark to move away from me before I took out the bag containing my Magic Powder and sprinkled it on both torches, lighting them up and unlocking both doors. Heading left into another dark room, I had to quickly remember what was unique about this room. The answer came in the form of the two Boos who were haunting it. Princess Twilight was still correct about only two of them existed since these two were in fact replicas of the originals so I wasn't about to question her accuracy.

Lighting both torches (I was beginning to run out of Magic Powder again), the two Boos turned away in fear which allowed me to defeat both with one sword swing each. This caused another chest to appear which contained another green rupee when I opened it. Grumbling to myself, I went back to the previous room and across to the other one which was another room taken from the Tail Cave. This one I remembered was quite easy given the simplicity behind it. Defeating the Red Gel in a single hit, the Hardhat Beetle slowly made its way around the abyss before I knocked it into there with a couple of sword whacks.

Walking around and activating the switch caused yet another chest to appear. If what the description said was true, the final chest would contain the Knightmare Key, and upon opening it up, that was what was inside. I could ignore the room to the south (I actually forgot which chamber I placed there) since it didn't really do anything and I personally wanted to get this over with because of wanting to get to the actual next dungeon. Walking right and entering the next room, two Stalfos popped up and attacked though a couple of sword strikes defeated them both easily. Aside from that, there was nothing else of interest.

"Ready to face Moldorm again?" Princess Twilight asked. "You don't need to be afraid of it."

"I'm not afraid, just annoyed that I have to fight it again."

"It will go much better this time around, trust me."

"At least I have that medicine in case things suddenly go south."

"While true, you don't need to be reckless, Sunset."

"Let's get this over with." I said as I approached the door and unlocked it with the Nightmare Key.

To Be Continued.

Chapter 13: Behind the Waterfall.

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.
By Ganondorf8.
December 4, 2019.
Chapter 13: Behind the Waterfall.

Entering the next room, I wasn't at all surprised to see that it was unchanged from what it was originally... Well... Aside from one thing. There was no door for me to go through on the other side since I had already collected the Full Moon Cello (The idea of there being multiple versions of the same instrument was ludicrous to say the least). The cracked tiles on the floor would give away if I stayed on them for too long but because there was no basement if I fell, I could sent back to the beginning of this 'dungeon', fall to my death, or appear next to where I dropped. To be honest, these were all bad options and I'd rather not have to deal with them.

Looking directly in front of me again, Moldorm was nowhere to be seen but I knew it was here since this was where I needed to go in order to finish this challenge. Sure enough, the insectoid Knightmare dropped down from the ceiling, landing on the ground just like before, but no words came from its mouth. That's because this was merely a replica of the original and so not all aspects of its character had been included. If there was one bit of satisfaction that I could appreciate despite fighting Moldorm again, it hadn't been given any kind of improvements. I'd take the same damage upon getting hit and it would take four hits to prevail.

Since I already knew what to do, I waited for Moldorm to start slithering around. The moment it started moving, I immediately attacked the weak point on its tail before it closed up causing Moldorm to get steamed. It then began chasing after me so I walked as fast as I could in order to avoid all contact with it. After chasing me for about three seconds, Moldorm went off in a different direction which gave me a quick breather. Turning around and raising my shield, Moldorm then came back and collided with my shield several times, each knock pushed me back slightly until it calmed down and went off in a different direction but not before its weak point became exposed again.

Hitting the weak point (I wished I could use a jump attack or had a Piece of Power as it would've made this go even quicker), it closed which caused Moldorm to get steamed up before it began chasing me again. This time, rather than using my shield, I simply used my Roc's Feather to jump over it making sure to do so at the right time as a wrong move would mean taking some damage. It calmed down again resulting in the weak point opening up and I attacked it again and this made Moldorm get really steamed. It changed colour slightly and began moving around in an erratic manner and showed no signs of slowing down.

Unlike the previous hits, the weak point remained opened and it was here that I realized something which I never considered during the original battle. This was where Moldorm became desperate and was willing to sacrifice its most vulnerable spot in order to gain attack power and speed. Desperation does cause individuals to do some pretty drastic things and I guessed this applied to monsters such as Moldorm. In a way, I felt sorry for it being forced to do this in an attempt to see me dead. As Moldorm approached, I jumped over it only to jump again when it came back the other way.

I then jumped again to avoid it a third time and swung for the weak point upon landing only to miss. Moldorm then turned around and was about to slam into me when I raised my shield and got pushed back a couple of times until I was standing on top of a cracked tile. I quickly moved off of it as it suddenly dropped down into the abyss below though no sound could be heard which made me wonder just how deep it went. Moldorm came at me again after turning around prompting me to jump over it before I swung my sword again. This time, I managed to connect and the Nightmare suddenly stopped before it began exploding.

Like before, each segment exploded before the head went through several small explosions before disappearing entirely with a final big one. As I stood there having gone through that battle, I couldn't help but lament at how easy it really was. Last time, I barely managed to survive but in this instance, I took no damage at all and it went much quicker. I guess it was due to having had experience in addition to remembering what it actually did though having more health was also a plus. Since no Heart Container materialized where Moldorm had fallen, the same bright light from before engulfed me and I was back in Zecora's place.

"You have returned from clearing the challenge you made." Zecora said as her speaking caught me by surprise. "The foul beast you fought met its end on your blade. I must admit that I was most impressed by your display. To be honest, I believed at times that you had one foot in the grave. Perhaps your skills are even greater than you thought otherwise those creatures your body they would have wrought."

I walked up to Zecora. "I must admit that you recreated Moldorm perfectly though it didn't say anything."

"The replica of the creature was not entirely true to the original."

"Maybe so, but it was still an amazing effort."

"Yet you appear to be bothered."

I nodded. "I guess I wasn't entirely thrilled at the prospect of having to fight something I already defeated again especially the likes of a Nightmare. They are definitely among the strongest monsters around so the thought of having to go through them again made me second guess myself."

"While that may be true, you fought the monster and in the end, you pulled through."

"So what happens now?"

Zecora turned her back to me for a moment and began fiddling about with something before turning back moments later. "As I've previously mentioned, you are not doing this for free because then what kind of person would I be? What you did was most thrilling so something from my personal collection is what you shall receive in exchange." She then handed over one of those tiles and while I was appreciative, my heart felt disappointed as I was expecting a bit better. "With that chamber, a brand new room can be added in order to give yourself a greater challenge."

"How many challenges do you even have?"

"I have many of these in different conditions."

"That's not quite what I asked."

"What I mean is that I have roughly two dozen different challenges." Zecora then noticed the glum look on my face. "You need not challenge them all at once because putting you through all that would make me quite the dunce." I still had my glum look and she quickly realized why I felt that way. "Now I see what the problem is. You were expecting rupees as my reward to you but you didn't get any hence why you look do blue. Not to worry, any rupees you collected in the dungeon are an extra bonus."

"You said that helping you out would be very rewarding."

"I did say that, yes, so let me rectify your distress." Zecora turned her back to me again before quickly turning around and presenting me with a silver rupee. "I cannot give you rupee rewards all the time. It's not because of me being cheap but rather because the challenge you completed didn't warrant it. Besides, I do have rewards that aren't money based but what those are must remain a mystery until you complete more challenges. Now that you have tested this out for me, you can come back here whenever you want and take on the next challenge without for no fee."

I then thought about taking on another challenge but doing so would produce some problems. First, I would need to follow exactly what the challenge stipulated and I didn't know if there enough chambers to satisfy the conditions. Second, I'd have to arrange the chambers in a different manner which goes back into my initial problem. Because of a lack of rooms, it would get repetitive very quickly and fighting additional Nightmares was more likely. And third, Zecora's rewards system had obvious flaws which made me question if going through these challenges was even worth it. Sure, it'd get me more experience but at the cost of fun and perhaps most important, feeling happy about it.

"I'll think about coming back here another time."

"It's no big deal."

"I didn't mean it like that."

Zecora nodded. "I know you've got big things to do so don't allow the likes of me to stop you. Besides, the more dungeons you experience with your own eyes, the more chambers get added to the Dungeon Creator. I'm not the only one who can provide you with chambers. In the village where you were brought to, there is an Item Shop who sells the pieces needed to create new rooms. These aren't cheap by any means so be careful about going overboard with your spending."

"I'm glad you're not upset."

"As you currently are right now, the later challenges will have you screaming 'ow'."

"Um..."

"I'll still be here waiting for you to take on new challenges."

Zecora then waved at me and I responded in kind before turning around and leaving her house. I could tell that she was upset that I wasn't taking on more challenges, but I just wasn't getting the kind of excitement that she was hoping I would have. As much as I liked the idea of going through custom made dungeons, its execution needed a lot more work and the lack of rewards was also a problem. Also, original chambers instead of reusing what already existed but combining different pieces together would've been really cool. Perhaps I could come back here later if I needed some rupees or perhaps another reward.

"That was certainly an experience." Princess Twilight said.

"You're not mad at me for just walking away from that are you?" I asked.

Princess Twilight shook her head. "No, you handled yourself pretty well. In fact, I'd have done the exact same thing if I had been in your shoes. I know you need the money in order to get that bow and Zecora did say that helping her out would be worth it for you, but having to go through so much hardship and be forced to fight powerful monsters again is too much for you, Sunset. I'm not doubting your skills but there is a limit that you can take before it's just too much."

I then nodded. "Just the idea of fighting multiple Nightmares in the same dungeon makes me shudder."

"Zecora meant well but maybe you shouldn't come back again."

"No, I think I will come back and try another challenge."

"Are you sure?" Princess Twilight asked, concern echoing in her voice. "It sounds more like a hassle than anything."

I shook my head. "It's just that I need to focus on getting to the next dungeon and finding the fourth instrument. I mean, I have the key that can unlock the dungeon so my mind is focused on getting that done as putting it off just makes me irritable. Once I've got my mind set on doing something, it needs to be done no matter what, and any kind of distraction would just be an obstacle. Perhaps coming here now during an important part of the journey was a bad idea. Had I come here after the next dungeon or during a free moment, I'd have a completely different mindset about it."

"Wow... That is so mature of you, Sunset."

"What were you expecting?"

"A tantrum or at least an explosion of anger."

I had no response to what Her Highness just said because it was true. My temper was quite volatile in that even the smallest little thing would set me off. Despite how much I've changed since being given a second chance, my anger was the one aspect of me which continued to be a problem. I just couldn't refrain from losing it all because someone infuriated me to the point where I'd love nothing more than to throttle them something fierce. I was like a ticking time bomb. One little push and ka-boom! At least I wasn't doing anything stupide such as wanting revenge because that would be truly reaching a low point.

That's why Princess Celestia wanted me to learn about humility. I needed to accept that not everything would go my way and that there were things beyond my control which I couldn't overcome. I've learned how to be humble though there are times where it has proven to be difficult such as when I want something in particular but must give up on it for the greater good since others were more deserving. Sure, I've gotten over such situations but it doesn't change the fact that they can be emotionally painful. I appreciate what I have though you couldn't blame me for wanting to self-indulge on occasion.

I adjusted the belt on my tunic before taking a step forward. "Okay, so we need to make our way to the waterfall where the Angler Key is supposed to go."

"Actually, there is one place we haven't checked yet."

"Twilight..." I began with a concern sound in my voice. "What are going to have me do?"

"Do you remember that one house on the other side of the Mysterious Forest you couldn't enter because of having BowWow with you?"

"Why?"

Princess Twilight was clearly having problems explaining herself but I had a feeling what she was about to suggest next. "I know this isn't what you like doing, but I think we should go back over that way and see who lives there in case it might prove helpful later." Her Highness quickly turned away from me out of fear that I would suddenly burst into rage over having to backtrack across half of the island but I was surprisingly calm. "Sunset?" She then looked at me. "You're not upset about my idea?"

"Oh I'm upset, Twilight."

"But?"

"I've already done plenty of backtracking so it's not like this is any different."

"Sorry, Sunset."

I shook my head. "No, it's not your fault, Twilight. I should've checked out that house after returning BowWow home to Wallflower, or better yet, gone there before I rescued him from those Moblins. It's my fault for leaving it until now though colour me impressed over how you remembered it after all this time. I completely forgot about that house since we were trying to do something else at the time." I then looked up at the sky in order to gauge how much time I had until the sun would begin to set. "I'd say we've got plenty of time to go there and see who might live in that house."

"This does mean going back through Goponga Swamp."

"That could pose a problem without BowWow."

"Or, you could go back through the Mysterious Forest."

No matter which why I chose to go in order to get to this house, I would have to backtrack through one of two areas that no longer had any reason for me to go back through them again on account of me having gotten every possible thing done. Between the swamp and the forest, the latter was probably my preference since again, BowWow proved essential for getting through Goponga Swamp on account that he could consume those Goponga Flowers which my sword couldn't even make a dent in them. And then there was the issue that this was brought up by Her Highness when I was on my way to reaching the next dungeon.

Even though I had every right to refuse Princess Twilight's request and focus on the main task at hand, I never could refuse her anything seeing as she didn't really ask all that much from me to begin with. Besides, I still owed Her Highness for giving me a second chance when she clearly could've left me to forever remain alone and miserable. Also, a part of me felt that whoever lived in this house was someone whom I needed to see. I don't know why I felt that way but to ignore it was nothing short of stupidity. While Her Highness would say I didn't owe her anything anymore, my heart said otherwise.

Another reason as to why I couldn't be 'that' upset was thanks to the Pegasus Boots. I could dash my way over to where that house was and get there within a matter of minutes as opposed to say an hour. Also, having a Power Bracelet and a Roc's Feather didn't hurt either as they could let me access shortcuts I couldn't reach before. I began dashing westward, ignoring the two holes, and continuing on past the Moblin's Lair until I crashed into a boulder which blocked the path to Goponga Swamp. Since I didn't want to go that way because of not having BowWow, I walked south, jumped over one hole and then another before going west.

Continuing in direction, I dashed again and entered the Mysterious Forest where I barged my way through a couple of Moblins, defeating them in an instant before crashing into another boulder which left me in a slight daze this time. Two Red Zols then popped out of the ground and jumped into me due to being unable to react, but when I regained my composure, I defeated both only for them to split into two more pieces (Which I had completely forgotten about) which I defeated with another sword swing. Only one of the four smaller Gels dropped a green rupee so I picked it up but chose now to walk the rest of the way.

While dashing around was fun, it was also dangerous because colliding with objects stunned me momentarily. I wished that wasn't the case but then the Pegasus Boots needed some kind of drawback otherwise they'd be considered too powerful for their own good. Besides, the forest path was twisting about a little and I could only dash in a straight line when using the boots. Heck, I couldn't even change direction as I ran which further added to their overall drawback. Still, the positives clearly outweighed the negatives. Jumping over a hole and making my way past the chest that contained the Tail Key, a Moblin was blocking my path but I ignored it by heading north and out of the forest.

"That didn't take nearly as long as I thought." I said to myself.

"There it is Sunset!" Princess Twilight exclaimed as she bopped my head.

In front of me was a house which I remembered seeing when I came this way before. "Ohhhh! This house! Right... I couldn't go in there before as I had BowWow with me and you said that not everyone would appreciate me bringing in an animal even if it was completely domesticated." I was curious as to why anyone would live all the way over here given how the only means of leaving involved trekking through a forest or trudging through a swamp. "I've got the Roc's Feather so jumping over those holes isn't going to be an issue. I just hope that coming here was worth the backtracking."

Entering the house, I was surprised to see several stacks of books which clearly had been stacked without any care for them. It reminded me of when Princess Twilight once invited me over to her castle to help her out with what she called a 'booksortation' but this was no way near as bad. There was additional clutter such as numerous pots taking up half of the total space, a bookshelf with more books, a large table covered with even more clutter, and a large chair which had someone very familiar sitting on it. He hadn't noticed me enter his house due to being engrossed in looking at some documents.

"Do you know who this is?" Princess Twilight whispered.

I nodded whilst whispering back. "This is Canter Zoom, Juniper Montage's uncle, and a famous movie director. Sure, he can be too generous to the point where can be taken advantage of, but he's a good man who tries to do his best despite having some serious stress problems at times." Her Highness had no idea what I meant about 'taking advantage' so I quickly explained to her what Juniper once did.

"Gasp! Did she really do that!?"

I nodded. "Juniper was willing to sabotage everything just to get her own way. She's changed a lot since then and while I think Canter Zoom has forgiven her, he won't let her appear in any of his movies until she's got some actual acting experience. Me and my friends haven't been to his movie set for some time now so my accuracy might be wrong but I think she was allowed to be on set but in a minor capacity due to some trust issues between them still being worked on." I then looked at Canter Zoon who still hadn't noticed me. "It shows you how some people are always victims because of their own actions having unintended consequences."

"Let's hope whoever he is portraying has a more pleasant story."

I then coughed to get his attention. "Ahem!"

Canter Zoom then looked up and was taken aback. "Oh! Someone has come to pay me a visit all the way out here! How fascinating!"

"Why do you even live out here?"

"I'm the kind of person who prefers to live in solitude." Canter Zoom answered, pushing aside his documents before clasping his hands together. "Sure, this isn't the safest place on this island but again, I like my solitude. As you can clearly see, it's just myself in this house... Well... Me and my letters of course." So that's what those documents were. They were letters though what kind was beyond me. "My name is Write, as in writing."

"Do you spend all day writing letters?"

"Oh my, yes!"

"Surely that has got to be boring."

Canter Zoom nodded. "It's the one thing about my hobby that I don't like. I send out all these letters but no one ever gives me a response. In fact, I was really hoping that my most recent letter I sent out would net me that coveted reply but so far, nothing has happened and it's getting to the point where I might just give up and do something else. A long time ago, before moving into this house, I sent a letter to someone who lives in the village on the other side of Ukuku Prairie. It was such a frantic moment that I don't remember who ended up getting it but they've never sent me a reply."

"And you've been sending letters to them ever since?"

"Pitiful isn't it?"

I wasn't about to say he was wrong there given how desperate he sounded, but I wasn't going to tell him that as it would only upset him further. "You know, I think I might know who this person might be. I might be able to help you out but I first need to confirm for myself that this is definitely the person." While it sounded like I was giving him false hope, the image of Chestnut Magnifico appeared in my mind. Back home, she and Canter Zoom worked together on his adaptation of one of A.K. Yearling's novels, so perhaps this connection made sense in this world? Granted, I was going off of real-world logic yet there was nothing else I could think of.

But that did make Canter Zoom curious. "Hmmm? If you could do that for me, I would be most appreciative. Of course, I'm not going to ask you to go out of your way for nothing as you clearly look like an adventurer. Now... What would an adventurer like you find useful around here? Hmmm... I do know about Goponga Swamp, Mt. Tamaranch, the forest south of here, and the waterfall on the other side of the island."

"What was that last one?"

"The waterfall?"

My eyes widened. "I need to know about that waterfall!"

"Now let me see if I can find that document." Canter Zoom then began going through an assortment of papers and for a while, it looked like he was going to turn his entire house upside-down just so he could help me out, but he eventually found what he was looking for. "Aha! Here we are! The waterfall can be found east of where that giant egg is located. Follow the river and you should find it. There is a strange keyhole over there but I have no idea what it's even there for."

"I'm sure I can figure it out."

"I wish you look and I look forward to getting a letter... Hopefully."

Leaving Canter Zoom's house, I couldn't help but feel sorry for him but also concerned. Why would he send so many letters all to the same person? Also, if this person was indeed Chestnut Magnifico, why has she never answered him back? Something was clearly wrong on both sides and I needed to find out. I knew it wasn't really my business to interfere in such matters but I could tell there was an obvious problem that needed a resolution. However, Chestnut Magnifico wouldn't talk with me so long as I didn't have a hibiscus, and I needed to find that first before anything else.

At least Canter Zoom was able to help me figure out where I needed to go next. Since the Wind Fish Egg was north of where Zecora was, I figured on going back to her place and go from there in order to find the waterfall. I also needed to understand what Flash Sentry meant by a leap of faith would allow me to reach my goal. To know that answer, I first needed to find the waterfall and use that key. Looking up at the sky again, I still had plenty of time to go before needing to rest for the night. Jumping over the hole, I looked back and saw a cave entrance but I ignored it as it probably didn't have much to offer me.

"How do you feel, loyal one?" Ganondorf asked. "Has your ego shattered? Do you no longer feel as confident as you once did?"

Rainbow Dash felt rather groggy but managed to somehow not topple over. "What... What did you do to me?"

"I have taken your magic."

"What!?"

Ganondorf raised his hand. "I did not take all of your magic, loyal one, if that is what you are thinking. I have left you with a small amount though it is mere pittance. Had I taken all of your magic, you would be nothing more than an empty husk devoid of any magical propensity. Then again, you might even be dead right now. Who's to say? You are not as loyal as you claim to be, loyal one. The truth about yourself has been exposed!"

"Give me my magic back!"

"Do you truly think you can threaten me?" Ganondorf lowered his hand and simply sat there before Rainbow Dash suddenly began choking and she struggled to release the tight grip around her neck. After about fifteen seconds, the grip was released causing Rainbow Dash to collapse on the ground clutching her neck whilst breathing heavily. "And now you know the answer to my question, loyal one. What magic you possess now is of no interest to me. It will eventually come back but it will take a long time."

Coughing, Rainbow Dash slowly got back up. "What... What did you mean about me not being loyal?"

"You would prefer to be with the Wonderbolts."

"How did you know that?"

"I can read your very thoughts." Snapping his finger, Rainbow Dash was paralyzed completely. "I am now done with you, loyal one. Your magic was the first I have claimed but it will not be the last one. Now... Which of your remaining friends shall be next?" Ganondorf slowly gazed at the rest of my friends until he chose someone. "Yes... It must be you who is next because of how strong-willed you are and for being stubborn." He snapped his finger again and this time Applejack was set free. "Honest one... I can tell straight away that my words will not be very effective."

Applejack responded by whipping out her lasso and tossing it at Ganondorf where it wrapped around his chest before she tightened it. He made no effort to free himself from her lasso though she had sadly made a mistake by thinking he was nothing more than a mere varmint as Applejack would say. "I don't know what y'all have done ta Rainbow Dash, but I reckon ya had better explain yerself before I do something I might regret!"

"I have taken her magic."

"What!?" Applejack exclaimed. She then tightened the lasso futher but again, Ganondorf didn't do anything in retaliation. "Y'all must think I'm stupid or somethin'. We've become stronger since them early days so the chances of you drainin' her magic are slim ta none. Now, I'll ask ya again. What did ya do ta Rainbow Dash?"

Ganondorf laughed. "I have spoken the truth to you, honest one. Honesty is the thing that you cherish the most. You praise those who are honest but despise those who show any signs of deceit." Pausing, he lowered his head before slowing raising it again, his eyes glowing yellow. "You claim to represent honesty, but in truth, you have lied in order to fulfill your own desires. You have even lied to your closest loved ones."

"What!?"

"Do you believe that I am lying to you?"

Applejack nodded. "Sure, I might have told a couple of little white lies, but I ain't done anythin' like what y'all claim!"

"Oh but you have."

"And don't ya dare bring my family into this!"

His eyes glowed even brighter. "You are lying to yourself, honest one. You claim that you are honest but in truth you are not. Those lies of yours ended up becoming far worse than even you could imagine. Though they were eventually resolved with the help of the others, they have had a lasting effect deep within your subconscious. Even now, you are lying about them not being a problem in your mind, but this is not so. They torment you constantly and show no signs of ending. Such pain and anguish would destroy most minds entirely, but you manage to keep such things under control. Heh... You remind me of myself."

"What do ya mean?"

"I too am tormented internally." Ganondorf's eyes went back to normal before he looked up at the ceiling. "Long ago... I was once the ruler of my people. We lived in a desert where the winds were so harsh at night, they were a sign of death to us. The winds of the day were no better as harsh temperatures ensured that only those who were strong enough could survive. I coveted the wind from the land which bordered my kingdom so that my people could survive without death's grip striking fear into their hearts every night, but, I could not provide such necessities and within a matter of a few generations, they were gone... Wiped out."

"I'm sorry ta hear that."

"I am now the sole survivor of my people."

"That doesn't explain why y'all are doin' this ta me and my friends."

"I have just shown you truth, honest one." Ganondorf said. The lasso that had been around his chest suddenly disappeared only to reappear next to him before it suddenly became engulfed in flames. "Though my people are gone, they were worthless creatures who served me until I no longer needed them. Fate decreed that they would wipe themselves out and that is exactly what happened."

Applejack shook her head in dismay. "Wow... And I thought some of the villains we've faced had attitudes. Y'all really take the cake ya know. In my honest opinion, you do have mah sympathies but you ain't honest one bit especially with me. Yer eyes are what give ya away. Whatever ya did to Rainbow Dash ain't gonna happen with me."

"That's what you think."

Much like how it didn't take long for me to get from Zecora's place to Canter Zoom's, it didn't take long for me to go back to the former. Like before, I ignored going through the swamp and instead went through the Mysterious Forest. A combination of jumping, dashing, and one bout of fighting and I eventually returned to where Zecora lived. During my trip, I did acquire a Guardian Acorn (It surprised me how very few of these as well as the Pieces of Power I was finding) which increased my defence for a while but it quickly wore off which was disappointing though fair since I didn't encounter many monsters.

Heading north from Zecora's, I quickly reached a cliff which forced the path to go to the left. Walking in that direction, the ground quickly changed from grassland to marshland indicating that I was back in Goponga Swamp (The entrance to the Bottle Grotto was practically in plain sight). What happened? Had I gone the wrong way? No... I couldn't have. There was no other way to go from here to the waterfall unless I backtracked south and went eastward. As I thought about my current predicament, two Boarblins with spears attacked with one actually succeeding in hitting me in my leg with a spear.

Pulling it out and tossing it aside, I rushed forward and attacked both Boarblins, defeating both with two sword strikes and collecting a green rupee for my trouble. That's when I noticed some boulders surrounding a nearby sign prompting me to slap my forehead out of embarrassment. Why did I keep on doing that to myself!? I mean, I freaked out for nothing given the solution was right in front of me. Walking up to and reading the sign, it said that I was at the base of Mt. Tamaranch and that the Wind Fish's Egg was at the highest peak. A part of me was curious as to what it looked like up close so should I go up there to see for myself?

Picking up two boulders that were blocking my path and tossing them aside, I walked right and along the base of Mt. Tamaranch until I came to an impressive looking staircase that went upwards towards the mountain's peak. Right now, going up to the egg wouldn't do me much good even though I really wanted to see it up close and personal. Biting my upper lip, I eventually decided it was best for me to keep on the intended path despite really wanting to see the egg. Moving onward whilst kicking myself for ignoring arguably the most exciting landmark on the island, the path went south from a tree and then right where I came upon a river.

My path was riddled with Sword Boarblins so raising my shield, I parried their attacks and then attacked them with my sword as I approached each one. As the last one went down in defeat, a large jumping spider slammed into me causing me to fall onto my butt. Picking myself up, Princess Twilight told me that this was a Red Tektite, a creature that could jump about long distances though it had to pause every once in a while which would allow me the chance to attack. Fortunately, she said it only took one hit to defeat it so it wasn't strong in that sense but the jumping could prove annoying until it stopped.

The Red Tektite jumped all around me and while I wanted to defeat it in order to prove my point, I chose to ignore it because I needed to find a keyhole. However, it decided to jump after me until it managed to get in front which gave it my full attention. Swinging my sword, it jumped over me but then paused which left it vulnerable allowing me to swing again. This time it was successful and I defeated it though I wondered why the monster had to pause. Exhaustion perhaps? I'd be exhausted after jumping around like that. In any case, I kept on walking until I reached an unusual pair of carvings embedded into a wall.

"What do you make of those, Twilight?" I asked.

"I don't know, Sunset, but what I do know is that you have no means of accessing the cave below those carvings." Princess Twilight answered. "Still, I am curious as to why have such carvings like that above a cave entrance. Maybe something important is in there? If so then you need to find a way to access it."

"Since I apparently can't swim in this world, entering that cave is a no-go."

"Unless you had a means to swim."

Her Highness wasn't wrong there. The probability of me needing an item in order to swim was becoming more and more plausible especially since I needed items in order to both run and lift up heavy objects. While my curiousity was strong, Her Highness was way more curious than I could ever hope to be. You could say that she was curious enough for two without me needing to do much of anything. I kept on going until I stopped upon seeing what I had bee searching for. "Twilight! This is it! We've found the waterfall!" To my left was a massive flow of water that came raining down the side of the mountain.

"And that must be the keyhole."

Princess Twilight pointed to a beautiful looking keyhole that bore a slight resemblance to a fish. Walking up and reading the description, it said 'Angler Keyhole'. "Well... Let's see what this key can do." I took out the Angler Key, inserted it into the lock, turned it, turned it back, and pulled it back out before putting it back in my pocket. Suddenly, everything started vibrating but I couldn't see what was happening. Then I looked up and saw where the water was coming from, a large hole in the mountain bedrock before it began to slow down and eventually coming to a stop resulting in the entrance to the dungeon being revealed.

"That's... Quite an entrance."

"The fish motif is pretty evident." I added as both me and Princess Twilight gazed upon the entrance. The entrance itself was a giant fish's mouth with the fish having one eye looking down and the other looking up as a means of instilling some kind of fear factor. "I didn't think that a key could stop a powerful waterfall but it does explain what Princess Cadance meant when she said it was behind it." That's when Flash Sentry's words finally struck home resulting in me looking up at where the water once flowed down from. "No way... You've got to be kidding me here!"

"What's wrong, Sunset?"

"Remember what Flash Sentry said about a leap of faith?" I answered as I pointed at the former waterfall. "I think I've figured out what he meant by that." Her Highness then looked up for myself and pretty much figured out what I meant and gulped in agreement. "A jump like that from up there to down here will kill me! Is Flash Sentry trying to kill me here!?" While it sounded like I was completely insane for accusing Flash Sentry like that, the evidence was pretty stacked against him. Jumping from high places caused me great amounts of pain during my previous adventures so what was stopping that from happening again? "I'm starting to really hate this!"

"It gets worse."

"How so?"

"You need to do a little bit of backtracking."

"Compared to jumping off a cliff, I'll take backtracking anyday." While Princess Twilight was right about the backtracking, I was more concerned with this leap of faith I had to perform to reach the dungeon. "Looks like jumping off of a cliff is going to become my newest nightmare." Sighing, I was about to start making my way back before my eyes noticed another raised platform located just to the right of the Angler Keyhole. "At least I can easily come back here at any time using that warp tile over there." Walking up to the platform and standing on it briefly before stepping back off, I now had another location to warp to though this one felt lacking compared with the others.

As for what I had to do now... I had no other choice but to attempt it. Was I going to like it? Not one bit! Dashing back the way I came using the Pegasus Boots, I eventually crashed into a wall which left me dazed once again for a few moments, and upon recovering and getting back up, I walked up some stairs and went left before stopping at a boulder which was now blocking my way forward. Picking it up and tossing it aside, I kept heading west past a tree until reaching stairs that went up into the Tal Tal Mountains. I was actually as to what it would be like exploring them and now I had my chance to do so.

Walking up the stairs, everything around me suddenly changed such as a gentle breeze beginning to blow all around here, and the sun blazing down on me in a more intense manner creating stronger shadows on just about all objects including myself. From what I remembered of the map back in the library, these mountains covered the entire northern region of the island by stretching from one end to the other. That meant it was going to be difficult to explore every last section given how expansive it was. Looking to my left and seeing three boulders blocking a cave entrance, I lifted up and tossed one aside before entering the cave.

Upon entering, I immediately swung my sword at a few Keese which flew towards me, but it was the Hardhat Beetle on the ground that caught me by surprise. It bumped into my leg causing a bit of damage prompting me to attack it in order to push it into the abyss. It took me three hits to get rid of it while each Keese went down relatively quickly given how little stamina they had. Rubbing the bruise on my leg to soothe the pain, I kept going and reached another section that comprised of rocks and dark crystals. Looking over at the formation, I deduced what the solution was and began pushing things around.

Whilst pushing the rocks to make myself a path, I suddenly felt something warm coming from behind me. Turning around, I immediately ducked behind a rock and barely managed to avoid getting scorched by a fireball that came out of nowhere. Poking my head out, I was surprised to find that it was a torch that had thrown the fireball. I had experienced something similar on one of my previous adventures but it's something that didn't really come up all that much. A powerful magic had been used to enchant both torches so keeping an eye on both proved critical to not getting my butt roasted.

Continuing to push the rocks around, I stopped every ten seconds to hide behind a rock to allow the fireballs to harmlessly hit them. At a couple of points, I almost did get my butt roasted because of being a little bit too slow for my own liking, but luckily for me, I got through and even picked up a Piece of Heart which had been cleverly hidden in the bottom right-hand corner. Now the warmth from the heart was what I preferred over a magical fireball. Going down the stairs, I dashed along and blazed past several more Keese that happened to be in the way and even some Green Zols before going up some more stairs.

In this next area, I could see a treasure chest but it was located on a platform that was too far away for me to reach. Even with combining the Pegasus Boots and Roc's Feather, I wouldn't be able to make it. Speaking of the boots, had I come exploring here much sooner, I'd be completely stuck because of the green crystals blocking specific paths. Exiting the cave via a nearby exit, I chanced upon another chest and opened it which contained fifty rupees (According to my calculations, I now had around 510 rupees though I still needed a lot more in order to get my hands on that bow) before heading back inside.

Dashing to the right and through the green crystals, I went through another exit which brought me back outside again which was when I heard someone call out. "Hey! Hey! Is anyone there?" I instantly recognized Chancellor Neighsay's voice but couldn't see where it was coming from.

"Where are you?" I asked as I called out.

"I'm up here." Chancellor Neighsay answered.

Looking up, I could barely make out his hand waving at me. "What are you doing up there?"

"I recognize that voice." Chancellor Neighsay paused for a moment before continuing. "Aren't you that nice girl who gave my youngest child the Yoshi Doll? Yes, it must be you as no else sounds the way you do. It's Papahl by the way! Remember when I said that I'd end up getting myself lost in the mountains later on? Well, I've gone and done exactly that so now I'm pretty much stuck here. I don't suppose you could find a means of getting to me up here?"

"Sure, I'll be there as quick as I can."

"You should find a cave entrance somewhere close to where you are."

"Thanks!"

Even though I was almost at the dungeon, I couldn't ignore someone who was in trouble. Besides, Chancellor Neighsay did warn me that he would be up in the mountains so it's not like his current situation surprised me. Walking into a path filled with water that went up to my ankles, I walked forward and saw a cave entrance and went inside. Much like outside, this cave had a flooded floor so I hoped I wouldn't get sick. Another Keese swooped down from above but it quickly was defeated when I swung my sword though I had to be careful in such a narrow passage because of the possibility of my sword clanging off of a wall.

After defeating a Green Zol, I kept moving forward and defeated four more that popped up from the ground by a staircase. Each of them dropped Recovery Hearts which I picked up since I had taken some damage earlier. Heading up the stairs, I was surprised to find another chest but something about it felt off about it. Opening it up, I should've paid more attention to my instincts a Green Zol jumped out and bumped into me. Crap! Another trap chest. I was starting to despise encountering these even though this one was clearly obvious. Swinging my sword and defeating the 'trap', I walked south and was back ouside again.

"Ah there you are!" Chancellor Neighsay said as soon as he saw me. "I knew my directions would lead you to me."

"I still can't believe that you got yourself lost." I said as I approached him.

"What can I say?"

"Not much really."

"I'm glad that you came out here."

"Can you get back on your own?"

Chancellor Neighsay shook his head in a pained manner. "I've been famished for several hours now that I can't move much at all. In fact, when I was waving my arm earlier, that used up the last of my strength. I knew I should've taken some vittles with me before I left." As soon as he mentioned the word vittles, I was reminded of what Juniper said about what his favourite food was. "This might sound selfish of me so I apologize in advance but do you have any vittles for me?"

I nodded and presented him with the pineapple I got from Granny Smith. "Will this do?"

"A pineapple!" Chancellor Neighsay was clearly ecstatic. "How did you know?"

"Your wife told me."

"I should've known Mamasha would let someone know what my favourite food was." I handed over the pineapple to Chancellor Neighsay who happily held it above his head. "I just love eating pineapples and this one is the most delicious I've ever seen. I'm going to eat it right away. Bon appétit!" He began munching on it in a rapid fashion which reinforced what he said about not having eaten for some time. Granted, I'd never eat a pineapple that quickly because I'd likely get a stomach ache or worse. After eating some of it, he reached into a bag that was next to him before taking out a beautiful looking flower. "This wasn't the reward I planned on giving you..."

"What kind of flower is it?"

"It's a hibiscus, a very rare flower around here."

"I'll take it as my reward."

Chancellor Neighsay was surprised. "Really? You only want that? I was expecting you to want rupees or some kind of item, not a rare flower. Well... If that is what you really want then who am I to refuse you?" He handed over the hibiscus which I carefully placed into my pocket. Now I had the means to talk to Chestnut Magnifico as she wanted a hibiscus. "Yum! That pineapple was just delicious to no end! I'm filled with energy now!"

"Can you make it back now?"

"I'll stay here for a while longer before making my way back home."

Thanking him for the hibiscus and he in turn thanking me for the vittles, I left Chancellor Neighsay but rather than go back the way I came, I went to the left and then jumped down below to where I initially entered this area from. I could go back and visit Chestnut Magnifico since I could easily warp there but I'd have to go to Zecora's place as that was where the closest warp was located, yet I decided to continue on as I really wanted to enter the next dungeon. Dashing across the water (It actually felt quite refreshing), I soon arrived at my destination and I looked down to see how far of a drop it was.

I gulped. "I'm still not sure about this."

"You can do it, Sunset." Princess Twilight said.

Closing my eyes, I took a step over the edge only to quickly pull my leg back. I wasn't afraid of heights but rather the prospect of falling to my death. Opening my eyes and getting some much needed assurance from Princess Twilight, who had placed her hand on my shoulder (Small as her hand was given she was a fairy) and smiled, I walked off the edge before dropping straight down. In those brief seconds of falling, my life flashed before me and there were some things I still regretted despite them having occurred a long time ago. Moments later, I was on the ground and stood before the dungeon's entrance.

I checked all over to see if I had broken any bones or had somehow died. Neither of these things were true. "That... Yeah, I'm never doing that again."

"At least you made it down here."

"Yeah, but now I'm stuck here since I apparently can't swim!"

"Perhaps this dungeon will give you the means to get your feet properly wet?"

"I can only hope so."

There was a staircase next to the dungeon entrance that went underground but I ignored it for the time being because the entrance compelled me to go inside. Walking into the giant fish mouth, I entered the opening room which had water on the floor as well as four statues each with a single eye in them. Judging from seeing the water on the floor, I knew that this was going to be consistent as I explored this place. The voice in my mind revealed that this was 'Level 4 - Angler's Tunnel', a fitting name considering what I was already seeing based on one room alone, yet I knew better seeing as each dungeon had a specific motif.

Walking into the next room, a door immediately locked to the right and in front of me were two Spiked Beetles, monsters I hadn't seen since Tail Cave. Raising my shield, I waited for each one to charge at me, and when they did, they bounced off of my shield which caused them to land on their shells and exposing their bellies. Two sword strikes on each defeated them though neither dropped anything which was a little disappointing. This unlocked the door but before heading in that direction, I went left in order to see what was over there. Good thing I did because there was a flying bomb hovering above the ground with a ten on it.

Using the Roc's Feather, I jumped up and grabbed it before landing and heading back the other way just as some kind of spider-like monster skated across the surface of the water towards me in hopes of trying to get my attention. Going through the door, I was immediately hit by another Spiked Beetle which blocked the way so I couldn't avoid it. Raising my shield again, it bounced off but before I could attack it, another Spiked Beetle charged at me from my left. I turned left and used my shield to bounce it off before attacking and defeating it in two strikes only for me to get hit by a Spark which had been rotating around a block.

Taking the Spark's hit (Not like I had any choice), I immediately took out the other Spiked Beetle only for a Red Zol to begin jumping towards me. One sword strike split it into two pieces and another strike defeated both. Sheesh! Not even five minutes into this place and already I was getting overwhelmed by the monsters. I hoped this wouldn't become a trend around here otherwise things were only going to get worse for me. Before me was a locked door which would remain as such since I didn't have a key but another door unlocked whose room I could check out, but first I opened the treasure chest that was no longer guarded and took out the Compass.

"Again!?" I moaned as I pocketed it. "Why can't I get the map first?"

"You should be thankful that you acquired the Compass seeing it alerts you to hidden keys."

"I suppose so."

Princess Twilight then began to check the surroundings which was normally what I was supposed to do. "I can't really say too much about this dungeon until we see more of it, but from what I've observed with what little we've seen, water is definitely going to be an issue."

"As in there will be places I can't go because I can't swim?"

"Yes."

I felt crestfallen. "Why can't I swim!? I mean, I can back home but why not here!?" While I was pretty angry that such a simple thing had been blocked, at least I knew it was because of this world's unusual mechanics as opposed to me losing the ability. "The more of this island we explore, the more it becomes apparent that I feel weaker on a personal level due to not being allowed to do things that are natural."

"You gain power but also lose it."

"I'm not a big fan of that approach."

Going through the unlocked door, I entered a room which contained another chest, some statues, dark crystals, and more of those spider-like monsters I saw earlier. Before I had a chance to think about what my next move was going to be, I was surprised when the door locked itself behind me. "Are those creatures Tektites? They do bear some resemblance but they aren't moving around or anything."

"Those are Water Tektites."

"So like a relative?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "Unlike regular Tektites, the Water Tektite cannot leave the water nor can they jump so you don't have to worry about them coming onto dry land. But, they do have other abilities which make them tricky to deal with. They move in diagonal directions, skating across the water though they aren't necessarily coming for you. They can also move in normal directions so be careful."

"They don't look particularly strong."

"You should be able to defeat them in one hit."

Just as I was about to make a move, the Compass beeped signalling that there was a key in this room, most likely in the treasure chest. Heading to the left, a Water Tektite skated towards me in a rather quick manner but I defeated it in one hit as Her Highness said. I then began smashing the dark crystals which were in two lined formations which lead straight up to the chest and upon opening it, I took out a small key before heading back to where the door was. Since I knew that defeating all monsters would unlock it, I walked past the door and defeated another Water Tektite before turning left.

The third Water Tektite was looking in the wrong direction which allowed me to defeat it while the last one skated across a deep section of water before stopping at a spot which I could reach by jumping over a small patch of deep water. I did just that using the Roc's Feather and making a small hop and upon landing, I attacked the remaining Water Tektite, defeating it and unlocking the door. Despite not being all that aggressive, these Water Tektites were showing me how to be more strategic in terms of dealing with monsters instead of simply relying on brute force or charging my way through.

Jumping back over the deep water and making my way over to the door, I entered the previous room where I stopped to think about unlocking the door. I mean, I could unlock it and progress but what if there was another locked door beyond it? I'd have wasted a key which could be used elsewhere. Asking Princess Twilight for her opinion, she said that if she were in my shoes, she'd wait and see what else was in the dungeon before coming back here and unlocking the door. Taking her advice to heart, I ignored the locked door for the time being and went back to the previous room and up the stairs.

"Whoa!" I exclaimed upon seeing what looked to be the main area of the dungeon.

"I have to concur with you here, Sunset."

"There's so much water."

"And the deeper sections are places where you can't swim."

That thought alone really annoyed me and reiterated my opinion that I was getting weaker despite getting more items. "And look at all those Water Tektites skating about." That many of them would give me some trouble despite them not being strong. "You know... Maybe I should've unlocked that door but then I'd end up seeing this anyway. I'm trying really hard to not become outraged because of the whole swimming issue but this doesn't make it any easier for me. Whoever came up with this particular idea should be ashamed of themselves for forcing me to go through it."

"You needed to vent that didn't you?"

I nodded. "Venting out frustrations sometimes makes me feel better."

Walking along, I couldn't help but admire the atmosphere of Angler's Tunnel. I knew it was a monster infested dungeon but everything looked so calm and serene. If this wasn't a place corrupted by dark forces, it would make for a peaceful haven for anyone who needed to wind down from being stressed out too much. Compared to the previous dungeons which were either dull, boring, confusing, or a combination of these things and more, this dungeon felt completely different, and it had to be the water dungeon of all things. I couldn't allow myself to become complacent otherwise I'd likely succumb to whatever else was waiting for me.

The path soon went in two directions so I kept walking forward where I found what was on the other side of that locked door. My suspicion turned out to be correct for had I entered this room via the locked door, I'd have been unable to progress any further because of needing another key. I was definitely going to come back here later. Opening the treasure chest which was contained in its own small area of the room, I took out a Stone Beak, which while not a map, was still useful as those Owl Statues often provided valuable hints. Making my way back to the split paths, I went the other way and dashed along in order to speed up the process.

Soon I reached another chest and opened it up which gave me the Dungeon Map. "Now that's more like it!" I exclaimed as I unfurled it in order to take a look at the layout. "Good thing this came up early as already the dungeon looks like quite a head-scratcher." The arrangement of the rooms were in the shape of what looked like a fish pointing down or maybe some kind of fishing hook, but I personally thought of a flipper, as in, what you'd wear on your feet when diving underwater via scuba diving. "The Nightmare is all the way over here on the far left side as that's where the marker is."

Princess Twilight then looked at the map. "This dungeon looks small but because you can't swim right now, a lot of areas are inaccessible to you. We also know where the instrument is located as those are always one room behind where the Nightmare can be found. That marker is actually covering up the Nightmare's room so I can't tell what's in there but we'll eventually find out once you've gotten the Nightmare Key."

"There's also not as much water as we thought."

"But there's enough."

"According to the Compass, I've still got seven treasure chests left to open."

"Then I suggest finding the one that contains the dungeon's item." Princess Twilight said. "I've been thinking about it ever since you first brought up the problem with you being unable to swim. My theory is that it could either be some kind of diving suit, perhaps a snorkel and mask, or maybe some flippers."

I rolled my eyes at some of those choices. "A snorkel and mask? Seriously? That sounds kind of silly don't you think? I'm honestly surprised that you didn't include a scuba tank among those options since we don't know if I can actually breather underwater. While a diving suit would be nice, I'd have to change in and out of it whenever I needed it unless it was permanent in that I couldn't take it off until this journey was over. No, I think flippers sound like the ideal item for swimming. Guess we won't know for certain until we find the chest that contains whatever is needed to collect the fourth instrument."

Princess Twilight then laughed. "Guess my options aside from the last one were pretty farfetched." South of the chest were some stairs which I walked down where I encountered a large abyss in front of me and to my left, another abyss but in a plus formation. "Remember doing this back in Key Cavern, Sunset?" Her Highness floated over the abyss in order to see what the other direction heralded. "So that's where that other locked door leads into... Okay, I'm beginning to understand how this dungeon operates. You do need to do some slight backtracking for keys mostly for now."

"Figures it would be backtracking."

"It's become quite obvious by now." Princess Twilight said, sarcasm clearly in her voice. "You need to come at this abyss from the south in order to jump across and reach the side you currently can't access, but that requires at least another key which you don't have. Do some more exploring and you should find a key or two."

Hopping into the air and then dashing forward, I jumped over the abyss with the Roc's Feather, barely making it to the other side. Walking into the next room, the Compass beeped again signalling that there was a key. I could see a Bubble floating around so I needed to avoid that as I'd rather not waste what little Magic Powder I had left. There was another chest protected by a block with another one that was cracked protecting it. Suddenly, a Water Tektite skated towards me so I reacted in a panicked fashion which involving swinging my sword like crazy and hoping for a hit.

Sure enough, I connected and the Water Tektite was defeated where it dropped a blue rupee which I collected. That's when I noticed a strange looking flower in the water that began spinning its petals around before it took off and began floating just above the water's surface. "What can you tell me about this flower?"

"That is a Peahat." Princess Twilight answered. I then noticed her scribbling down something on some paper and I couldn't help but be amused. Her Highness really did love her research especially when it meant she could see it with her own eyes. "Some say that these are ghosts of flowers but it's a tough one to call because that information is very old and I do mean old. The information is even older than me! Anyway, Peahats fly around on their petal-like wings and can rest pretty much anywhere they want without restriction. They can only be attacked when they land so you'll have to wait around for a while but you shouldn't have to wait that long."

"It sounds like they don't try to attack me."

"They seem content with just floating around."

I then turned the subject towards the cracked block. "I bet I can use a bomb to destroy it."

"You can but you need to make sure the bomb lands correctly."

"What happens if I don't?"

Princess Twilight then gritted her teeth and began blowing as though she were imitating steam. "That's what happens, Sunset. When you take out a bomb, the fuse gets lit and explodes once it has run out. If a bomb falls into the water, the fuse automatically goes out due to getting wet and the bomb becomes useless and lost. You need to make your throw count by having the bomb land on the block or even next to it should it land in the shallow water. Just because you have plenty of them to spare doesn't mean being careless."

Taking out a bomb, I carefully tossed it where it landed in the deep water and was gone. Seriously!? Did that seriously just happen!? Ugh! That was embarrassing! At least it gave me a good indication of how much power I needed to apply when throwing. I took out another bomb and tossed it with less force than the previous one and it landed next to the block before exploding seconds later. The Peahat had practically ignored it and continued floating until it left the general area but I wasn't about to go after it unles I needed to defeat all monsters. I then pushed the other block where it sank into the water allowing me access to the chest.

Opening it up netted me a small key so I could now go back and unlock those other two doors, but then I was curious as to what I'd find by going north. The fascination of discovering new things was important when navigating a dungeon so long as it doesn't become too overwhelming. Going north, I avoided the Bubble and defeated two Water Tektites which were swimming towards me and then I noticed two more Peahats who merely floated away and ignored me. If I didn't need to fight them then why bother them? Continuing on into the next room, I suddenly stopped as two Bubbles bounced off of each other and towards the back of the chamber.

In front of me was another Water Tektite which hadn't noticed me and a chest protected by three cracked blocks. Rather than rushing in and attack the Water Tektite, I took out a bomb and tossed it over to the blocks where it exploded destroying them in addition to the Water Tektite. Hey, if I could defeat monsters through unconventional means then why not use such tactics? Opening up this chest gave me my third small key so the question came where do I go from here? Looking at the Dungeon Map again, Princess Twilight was once again proven right in that I had to backtrack in order to progress further.

Sighing, I began making my way back to where the first locked door was. I made sure to dash along as much as I could with the Pegasus Boots as I wanted to speed up the process rather than have it linger on. With only Peahats floating about, I didn't have much in the way of combat though that was sure to change later upon entering unexplored rooms. I then dashed and jumped over the abyss before I continued dashing south and then right until I was back where I first encountered the Spiked Beetles. Unfortunately, they had all since re-spawned which meant I had to beat them again to unlock the door... Again.

Raising my shield, I bounced both Spike Beetles onto their backs and attacked their bellies which unlocked the door. Going back into this final previous room, I tried to ignore all the monsters only for the Red Zol to stop me in my tracks. I quickly disposed of it along with the smaller versions before I could get hit by the Spiked Beetles and the Spark and then unlocked the door. Now that I was back in this room on the proper path, three Water Tektites were somehow skating around though they weren't there before. I quickly defeated one which was right next to me before jumping over some deep water and continuing on.

The other two Water Tektites then skated down to the bottom right corner of the room where I defeated both at the same time with one sword swing which netted me a single green rupee adding to my total. Jumping over some more deep water, I used the small key to unlock the door and enter another room where I saw another chest but couldn't reach it due to it being surrounded by more deep water. There was even a Peahat standing guard in front of it so I definitely wasn't going to be opening it. Three more Water Tektites (These things were everywhere in here) skated about but I only defeated one as the other two skated away from me.

"Finally! I made it back to that abyss in the shape of a plus!" I said as I attacked two more Red Zols which both split into two smaller pieces. "While that backtracking wasn't that bad, having to fight my way through so many monsters isn't my idea of having fun. It makes sense seeing as the dungeons are continuing to increase in difficulty." I then defeated the remaining Red Gels which gave me a clear shot at jumping across the abyss. "According to the map, there is another locked door ahead but also one of those key blocks."

"It seems you need to find another key somewhere."

"I know that the chest I ignored just a moment didn't contain a key as the Compass didn't make a sound."

"That's why getting it early is helpful."

"Okay, I take back my lack of enthusiasm over that." Lining myself up correctly, I dashed and jumped over the abyss where I kept on dashing and right through a Red Zol which was defeated completely without it splitting up. "Didn't think I could defeat one of those instantly without having to cut them." A Sword Stalfos was on patrol on the other side of the key block along with something new which I hadn't seen before. "What's up with that star-shaped thing?"

"It's called a Star."

"Really?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "They are easy to defeat and don't really cause much in the way of damage to you, but their fast movement make them unpredictable. They can give you a serious headache especially when you're busy dealing with other monsters."

Using the key on the key block, it disappeared and I knew I needed to push a block forward to be able to continue on, but there was a staircase which could lead me somewhere else which left me with a dilemma. I had to push the block but that would prevent me from accessing the staircase. Perhaps it would reset itself later if I were to come back after exploring some additional rooms. First, there was that Sword Stalfos who had become a problem as it was blocking me from pushing the block. It kept on swinging its sword as a means of trying to attack me only for the block to keep it at bay.

Even the Star wanted a piece of the action by trying to squeeze past the Sword Stalfos only to eventually give up and move back the other way. The Sword Stalfos' efforts soon got annoying so I pushed the block forward giving it access though blocking me from accessing the stairs. Using my shield to parry its sword strike resulting in it dropping its guard, I swung my sword twice and defeated the Sword Stalfos before swinging for the fun of it which accidentally defeated the Star which had moved towards me. Surprisingly, a Green Zol popped up from the ground but I ignored it since it wasn't really much of a threat.

Walking into the next area, the Compass beeped again indicating a key was nearby but I couldn't see a chest so I assumed it would drop down from above. There was a locked door to my right as well as two holes which were being blocked by small stones. Knowing how this worked worked, climbing or jumping over those stones was impossible and so all I could do was stare at them. (I was really starting to despise these restrictions) Two more Red Zols located in-between the two holes were hopping up and down so I went over to attack both causing each to split in two where I defeated them. A key then dropped down from above only not where I was expecting...

SPLASH!

"Twilight... Did that key?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "It dropped into some water below."

"And I can't swim..."

"You can't."

While it looked like I was about to burst into sheer anger, I sighed and concluded that this was just another way that this world could torment me. "Guess I need to come back later once I learn how to swim." Still, the fact that it even happened was much worse than it happening period. Not only did I need to backtrack to this area, I required the dungeon item which meant more exploration before coming back. "Twilight... I think I'm going to need to sit down for a moment so what happened can sink in." Princess Twilight nodded and I sat down on the ground before I grumbled under my breath over the now submerged key.

To Be Continued.

Chapter 14: To Swim Like a Fish.

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.
By Ganondorf8.
December 7, 2019.
Chapter 14: To Swim Like a Fish.

I couldn't believe what had just happened! A key which I needed to unlock the door in front of me dropped down from above only to fall into a hole in the ground and making a loud splash indicating that it got submerged into some deep water. Because of my apparent inability to swim, the key was now lost and unless I could learn how, I wasn't about to collect it any time soon or even at all. Whoever thought of this idea had to have been sadistic or at the very least crazy. No wonder video games tended to bring out the worst in people. It was stuff like that which caused them to want to break something.

Have I been there before? All the time. In fact, I won't deny that I've broken my share of controllers out of sheer anger over how cheap a video game could get when it came to questionable decisions. My friends know about this unfortunate shame of mine and they have helped me calm down to the point where I no longer want to smash the controller up against the wall (It had been about four or five months since breaking my last controller), but the frustration still remained. Just because some players appreciate such twists doesn't mean it will be appreciated by others.

As I continued to sit on the floor and grumbled over not being able to get that key, I thought about all which I had been through so far on this journey. Compared with the previous two, this one was surprisingly tame which had me wonder if Ganondorf was showing me some pity. The Demon King showing pity... Never thought I'd think of that kind of connection. Still, why send me to this world in particular? My previous journey to Termina (Surprised I remembered that name) was a doomed world where everything would end in three days, and the one before that, Hyrule (Really surprised I remembered this one), showcase Ganondorf's rise to power.

Compared to those two worlds, Koholint Island was much more peaceful and didn't have any thought-provoking decisions where the fate of everyone rested on my shoulders should I make the wrong choice. A false sense of security? Had the Demon King lapsed in judgement? Maybe but there were still many questions that remained unanswered. Why want me to become his servant when there are far better candidates who possess what he's looking for? Sure, I am quite powerful in the magical sense, but I lack physical prowess in that I don't have herculean strength or a super brain.

Looking at Princess Twilight, who was concerned with me, she was pretty much the same as I was. Her magic and intellect were naturally better than mine because she completed her studies while I abandoned them for a while only to come back to them later. She also lacked physical prowess but then she didn't really need it due to being a scholar. Was it possible that the two of us were simply an option he could rely on as a bonus and instead had a far greater plan? That did sound plausible yet it was only my opinion. Without actual evidence to back up my claim, my thoughts on the matter were just that, thoughts.

Getting back onto my feet because I had gotten over the small key problem (It was because of my thoughts on Ganondorf), I could only imagine what the Demon King's next move was going to be. I could never hope to read the thoughts of one who had lived for millennia not to mention who could foresee just about everything. If only there was a sign of some kind as to what he was going to do next, I could perhaps find a way to prepare myself. But, that would be nothing short of a miracle at this point. There wasn't anything I could do other than continue on with this journey and see it through to the end.

Walking over to the hole where the key fell into before making a splash, I leaned over in order to see if I could actually see where it was. I could barely make out the deep water but the lack of light down below made it too murky for me to see anything else. Since nothing could be done without the ability to swim, I had no choice but to abandon that key and hope that I could acquire it later. Walking south with a heavy heart, I entered the next area which contained an Owl Statue that wasn't embedded into the wall. There was also more deep water along with a pair of Spiked Beetles and a Water Tektite in the distance to my right.

Inching a little bit further, I could see that there was an additional Water Tektite as well as a treasure chest, but the latter was inaccessible due to deep water surrounding it. Again, I couldn't do anything about it but it wasn't a key in the very least. If it had been, the Compass would've made its usual sound so it had to have contained rupees which were necessary for me to purchase that bow from Aria. Raising my shield, I flipped over both Spiked Beetles before hitting each of them twice with my sword, defeating them leaving just the Water Tektites though neither showed any signs of wanting to skate on over and attack me.

Ignoring them, I walked up to the Owl Statue, took out the Stone Beak from my pocket, and placed it where it needed to go. 'The glint of the tile will be your guide...' I immediately began to scratch my head. "Twilight? Do you have any idea what that meant?" I asked as I removed the Stone Beak and placed it back in my pocket.

"I'm not sure to be honest." Princess Twilight answered. "From what I've seen of the hints these statues provide, they always give you information that's helpful for the dungeon you're currently in. If this consistency rings true then these tiles it mentioned should be coming up later on. I'll make a note of what the statue said for further reference. On a different note, is everything okay?"

"Why do you ask?"

"You were pretty upset when that key fell into the water."

"I just got so frustrated over such a design choice."

"I'm afraid I don't follow."

To Princess Twilight, video games were an absolute mystery to her because they didn't exist in Equestria. I could probably give her an entire semester dedicated to them but I didn't have the time to go into complete detail so I had to wing it. "This world was made by those who are gifted with incredible skills but they chose to make some questionable choices that could easily cause frustration which can lead to anger. I know my explanation is pretty bad but just trust me on this. We are in a video game and the gifted ones I just mentioned created it with some special magic that doesn't exist in Equestria."

Princess Twilight's eyes then lit up. "Now you've really got to tell me more when you have a free moment."

"Oh I intend on giving you quite the lecture."

"I look forward to it." Her Highness then changed the subject back to her coronation which took me by surprise. "I was thinking that if you do manage to come to the coronation, you could bring along some food native to your world. I know there was some things which I absolutely loved but can't get them in Equestria due to them not existing there. Whether other ponies will like them remains to be seen but I'd appreciate it."

"I should be able to bring a couple of things over but not too much as I do have a budget you know."

"That's where I could lend you some money and you'd be buying stuff on my behalf."

"Equestrian currency doesn't work in my world, Twilight." That caused Her Highness to blush and I laughed. "Considering what you've done for me, I'd buy the food myself and bring it over and you wouldn't have to pay me back. I don't think I can bring over any beverages seeing as going through the portal does involve spinning around a lot which would cause it to get spilt. No, I think snacks and maybe some fancy food is in order."

"You will come to the coronation, right?"

"If I get an invitation, nothing will stop me barring a magical emergency."

"Then I should make a physical and mental note to send you an invite."

Continuing south, three more Water Tektites appeared (This dungeon was practically a breeding ground for them) though I couldn't ignore them as they skated over towards me prompting me to get my sword ready. I swung once which took out one then again which defeated the other two though the rupees they dropped ended up falling into the deep water where they disappeared because I couldn't reach them due to my lack of swimming. Now I really needed to find what this dungeon item was. A little bit further south was a Peahat which took off from where it was resting and began fluttering about.

Ignoring it since I didn't see the need to fight it, I jumped over two gaps of deep water using the Roc's Feather and continued on but not before defeating another Water Tektite which was blocking the way forward but that quickly changed when another skated south and blocked my path. Swinging my sword, I took it out where it dropped a green rupee which I could collect as it didn't plunge into any deep water, but then my eyes noticed a switch by a locked door on the other side of the deep water. No way could I make that jump so once again, this was something I had to ignore for now and come back to later.

In the next section, three Peahats were on the ground before they started floating around. I could also barely make out a staircase located on an upper ledge (I had to jump in order to confirm that was what it was) as well as a treasure chest. Weaving my way through the Peahats and ignoring them (I mean, I could attack them since they were monsters but because they were more inclined on ignoring me, I should just leave well enough alone) I next encountered a Sword Stalfos, a Shrouded Stalfos, and a Red Zol. Huh... Quite the assortment even though I had fought them all before in previous dungeons.

Attacking the Shrouded Stalfos since it had the ranged attack, I defeated it but was then struck in the stomach by the Sword Stalfos. Fortunately, my tunic was undamaged and the wound wasn't too serious but I responded in kind by raising my shield as the Sword Stalfos attacked again, its attack got parried leaving it helpless, and I struck it twice defeating it before turning my attention towards the Red Zol. I kept on attacking as it first split in two and both halves were gone leaving me free to open up a chest they had been guarding. To my surprise, I had opened another trap chest as it contained a Green Zol.

Before it could even leap out of the chest, I attacked it and defeated it before moving on to the next section. "Well... We don't have to worry about finding those tiles as here they are in all their glory." Before me were five tiles with two of then located in deep water and while I could easily jump over to reach them, something about their arrangement felt off. "The statue said the glint of the tile would guide me, but I don't see any glint. What is a glint anyway?"

"Think of a glint as a sparkle."

I then rolled my eyes. "Nice segway into yourself."

"You needed a good example."

"Still, none of them are glinting."

"Then there must be another set of tiles in this exact formation elsewhere in the dungeon." Princess Twilight said as she flew into my pocket and took out the Dungeon Map. "You can actually see some of the things in each room though not to the exact detail." Her Highness then pointed at the current room we were in with the tiles. "See? You can just barely make them out and it looks like more are just a short distance away. Unfortunately, this map doesn't showcase any glinting so you still need to figure that one out."

I then looked at the map. "The locked door with the switch next to it goes to one of those key blocks."

"Another thing for later."

"Where could that dungeon item be!?"

"There aren't many unopened chests left that you can access."

"So that should nail it down to either this one here or that one there." I said as I pointed at two potential chest markers on the map. "One of those chests is actually coming up with the other being in another room. I hope the item is in the chest closest to us otherwise it will be the other one." No doubt that this was how one used a Dungeon Map in order to check on everything constantly so as to not overlook anything. I then looked at where the Nightmare was situated again to remind myself of its location. "I still need the Nightmare Key which remains unaccounted for."

"It will probably be in the last treasure chest you find."

Her Highness wasn't wrong about that. The Nightmare Key's I had been finding in the dungeons were almost always the last chest I needed to open. Sure, it wasn't quite suspenseful since I knew which chest contained it due to how opened chests no longer had their markers on the Dungeon Map, but it was still cumbersome because of having to go to pretty much the last possible location. I'd have preferred getting the Nightmare's Key early on so as not having to worry about finding them later on. I doubted my preference would ever become a thing as previous experience mostly proved me right.

Defeating three more Water Tektites which had since skated over to me, I left the room with the tiles by heading right and upon entering the next room, the Compass beeped which meant the dungeon item was in the other chest much to my dismay. Of course it was going to be in that one! Of course it would! Crap! Avoiding another Spark, I opened up the chest containing as expected, a small key so now I could go back and unlock that other door but I decided on exploring this room a bit further in the hopes of not missing anything. There was a block which well, blocked one direction, and the other direction stopped at a dead end.

Before I could see what was on the other side of the stones that blocked me (They were the dead end), two statues located out of reach and probably out of bounds began shooting fireballs from their eyes. I knew not to stick around so I backed away until I was no longer in range of the fireballs. Once again, I had to backtrack back to a previous area but hopefully, most of the monsters haven't re-spawned though ones defeated early on probably have. A shame that I couldn't see those other tiles but those fireballs weren't something to mess around with and I had no magic to deal with them.

Heading back to the previous room, again, these tiles didn't glint so I needed to get to the other ones. Since I couldn't reach the others from this side, I needed to get to them from the other side... which immediately left me feeling confused. Taking out the Dungeon Map again, I looked at it whilst backtracking though I did look forward every few moments as I didn't want to accidentally run into something. The one locked door I ignored earlier would allow me to get to the other side of those fireball shooting statues but I'd first need to go through a couple of rooms.

As I continued backtracking whilst avoiding Peahats and jumping over patches of dark water, I looked at the room where the Nightmare was again, and something I hadn't noticed before suddenly became apparent to me. The room in question was incredibly small. The Nightmare was either incredibly tiny compared with what I had already faced or the fight would be taking place in a different room. If this dungeon hadn't already confused me, it had finally succeeded. Again, I would find out for certain upon getting there and seeing for myself. Putting the map away, I continued on backtracking until I was back where I needed to be.

The two Red Zols from before had re-spawned as expected and I took them out in a quick manner only for the small key that dropped down into the water earlier repeating the process much to both my annoyance and surprise. Did I really need to see that again? All it did was reaffirm my dislike of why such things happened in video games. I could explore those stairs I ignored earlier since I was now on this side and wouldn't be blocking myself, but I really wanted to see what was on the other side of this locked door. Unlocking it with my key and entering the next room, my body immediately froze upon seeing what was in there.

"Twilight? What in Celestia is that!?" Standing in the upper left corner of the room was what looked like a giant octopus with large eyes and several tentacles but it clearly was anything but that.

"That would be the mid-boss of this dungeon."

"At least I'm making some progress." I then noticed that the creature hadn't made a move which made me wonder if it lacked any vision. "Do you think that creature is blind? Or maybe it hasn't noticed me yet?"

"I'm going to say the other option is true." Princess Twilight answered. "Anyway, this creature is known as a Hydrosaur. You might think that the obvious weak point has to be those giant eyes, then you'd be wrong because they along with the front of it are protected by a thick armour. You can't penetrate it with anything in your possession. To defeat it, you must attack its backside which is surprisingly soft."

"How can I hit it from behind?"

"One option would be to use the Pegasus Boots and somehow manage to keep up with it."

"I take it there are other options?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "You could also jump over it with the Roc's Feather but that would require a precise jump otherwise it will hit you. One other option which is considered to be the easiest is to wait for it to pass by before striking the side but you need to be positioned correctly or else your sword bounced off its armoured front leaving you vulnerable to getting run over. I should also mention that it will change direction every time you hit it so be prepared for when it does that. Considering how narrow the paths are in comparison with its large size, you're going to have a lot of trouble."

"I figured as much." I then sighed. "I might be forced to use Sugar Belle's medicine."

"If that happens, you can just go back to her and buy some more."

Upon noticing me, the Hydrosaur began moving and I was surprised to see that it was pretty fast for a giant octopus like creature. It then charged into the wall where it stopped momentarily before turning left and proceeding to charge forward. That gave me some ideas on when to attack it from behind but first I needed to actually get behind the thing otherwise I couldn't do much of anything. I began walking around the room making sure every now and then that my eyes were focused on the Hydrosaur and not lose track of it and surprisingly it was easy for me to get around to the otherwise because it stopping whenever it hit a wall worked in my favour.

I kept on walking around whilst managing to keep up with it (I was surprised that it hadn't noticed me coming up from behind) but when I swung my sword in order to hit it, it then moved causing me to cause under breath before I followed along. Fortunately, it hadn't gotten far ahead so when it hit the wall again, I struck it from behind. It spun around several times in a rapid fashion and continued moving but now it was doing so backwards. Opportunity was certainly knocking for me here. I went the other way and was waiting on the other side when suddenly it came to a screeching halt, turned around, and went the other way.

I had no chance of avoiding it since it did something I wasn't expecting. The Hydrosaur quickly darted around the room and ran over me which caused me a lot of pain. It's weight definitely matched its size as I felt like I had been run over by several cars all at once. As I got back onto my feet, it had already gone around the corner and was mere seconds away from running over me again, so dashing along with the Pegasus Boots, I hit the wall this time which was bad timing as in the moment, I had forgotten that hitting a wall stunned me for a moment which was enough time for the Hydrosaur to run over me again.

"Gah!" I shouted from underneath the thing.

"Sunset!"

It then got off and continued moving around. "I'm okay, Twilight. This is nothing new for me." I got back onto my feet again only my legs buckled a little. It was true that I had experienced pain much worse than getting flattened by a giant octopus monster. Over the course of these adventures, I had been electrocuted, impaled, set on fire, slammed into walls, slammed into the ground, beaten to within an inch of my life, cursed, and other things I couldn't remember. Being run over like this was probably on the lower end of the scale when it came to what I had endured via pain.

"You need to try another tactic if your current one isn't working."

"What do you suggest?"

"Anything other than what you were doing!"

Not exactly the best advice Her Highness had given me but she was right in that I needed another strategy and quickly. The Hydrosaur in the meantime had made its way around on account that I had gotten back onto my feet slower this time so raising my shield, my hope was that it would either get bounced back or I would get bounced around a little without taking any damage. It hit my shield but didn't get bounced back (In hindsight, I knew this wouldn't work given how big it was) but instead it pushed me back into the wall though stopping short of crushing me by a few inches.

As it went around the corner, I decided to go with the same strategy I was doing before (I was stubborn when it came to what I wanted to do) but I used the Pegasus Boots in a sparing manner where I would stop before hitting a wall, that way not hitting it and stunning myself. Dashing forward, I stopped at a wall, turned, and dashed again only to stop at the next wall, turn, and continue dashing. No matter how fast it was moving, I kept up with the Hydrosaur until I struck it in the back by dashing into it. That caused some damage only for it to turn right around resulting in my getting run over again.

"Ugh!" I said after it got off of me. "I kind of deserved that."

"Your strategy worked better this time except the Hydrosaur reacted differently."

I got back up again. "It's hard to avoid getting hit by it."

"You might have to endure such hits."

"I'm not intentionally being reckless you know!"

Princess Twilight nodded. "I know that, Sunset. It's just sometimes you do need to get hurt in order to eventually overcome what you're fighting. Now don't think this is me endorsing such an idea because it's utterly stupid in every sense of the word, but I think you've gotten the idea by now."

Her Highness was right about me needing to take hits sometimes. If I kept on wanting to avoid everything and not leap straight into the heart of things, I wouldn't get any experience nor any confidence about future fights. Sure, this did play into Ganondorf's notion of making me suffer but in this case, I was willing to endure the punishment rather than have it forced onto me. Choosing to walk around the room and not dash instead, I eventually caught up with the Hydrosaur, attacking it from behind and it turned around before running me over yet again with its large frame.

Getting back up, my legs buckled again as it meant that I was starting to take too much damage. Even though I had Sugar Belle's medicine, I didn't really want to use it this early and against a strong monster that wasn't the Nightmare. But, such things were out of my hands so I ought to be thankful for her blessing. Pursuing the Hydrosaur by dashing again as a means of changing up my strategy to confuse it, I dashed into it from behind causing it to move backwards before screeching to a stop and then coming at me. I was ready this time in that I went the other way and it began chasing me around.

Despite how fast it was, it couldn't keep up with up and eventually stopped and turned around when it got bored. I then turned and began chasing it only for it to suddenly stop and turn around where I got run over yet again. It was desperate now since I had hit it a few times which meant I only had a few more to go. Now I was really having trouble standing up which meant I probably had one or two hits left before I would die. Despite Sugar Belle claiming that her medicine would kick in when I ran out of health, it's not like I had a chance to try and see if it worked. If it didn't, I really would be dead.

At that point, I had gotten tired of chasing after the Hydrosaur so I opted to try the third strategy Princess Twilight mentioned. Positioning myself up against the wall, I waited for it to come around and when it did moments later, I attacked its behind just as it moved by. In response, it turned around and ran me over and I slumped to the ground. Just like that, death had taken its hold over me. For that brief period, it felt like everything had ended but then my body twitched and I got back up, my health having been restored. Sugar Belle's medicine worked but maybe she should make the effects upon death less gloomy.

I had a temporary moment of invincibility which I remembered from my previous adventures whenever I used a fairy to bring myself back from the brink. I used this opportunity to attack the Hydrosaur after it had run me over though it did turn around and ran me down again. Getting up again albeit faster, I waited for it to come around and when it brushed past me, I hit its back again which turned out to be the final hit. The Hydrosaur began exploding several times before it exploded in a spectacular fashion which unlocked both doors. A fairy appeared which I approached and it healed my wounds. Lastly, a portal appeared which I could use to warp back to the start of the Angler's Tunnel.

"That was a lot harder than I thought."

Princess Twilight then began bopping me on the head repeatedly. "I didn't think Sugar Belle's medicine was going to work but it did!" She then calmed down. "This does mean you need to see her again if you want to have more of it. That means you need to defeat the Nightmare without a safety net as it were."

I breathed heavily. "I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. In the meantime, I guess during that battle, I ended up applying all kinds of strategies in the hopes that one of them would actually work."

"It's a good idea to try different methods in order to find what works."

"Yeah, and it ended up with me getting run over... Repeatedly."

"How does your body feel?"

I answered Her Highness by stretching a couple of times. "A little stiff but I'll manage. That wasn't the worst thing I've had happen to me and I hope that it doesn't happen again, but knowing my luck, it's going to with something much worse down the road." Swinging my sword around for fun, I then began walking forward. "Let's keep going and hope that I find this dungeon item because I really need it now." Entering the next room, I immediately moved as two blocks began closing in on me where I entered, the same with two similar blocks by the exit of the room. "Now that's new!"

"Do you see that strange lever over there?"

I nodded. "Does it have to do with those blocks?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "If you grab and pull it backwards, the blocks will pull themselves apart, but they will slowly come back together once you let go of it. Even if you had even greater strength, you won't be able to stop those blocks from moving towards each other. Timing is important here as there's also a Spark moving about in the room and it could prevent you from reaching the next room."

"Guess it's time for me to perform some physical labour."

"It shouldn't be difficult for you."

"I'll ignore that." I said sarcastically. Avoiding the Spark which was rotating around a stationary block, I walked over to the lever, grabbed its handles, and began pulling on it with all the strength I could muster up. At first, it didn't look like I was making any progress but that soon changed as the lever slowly got pulled. "Sheesh! This thing clearly hasn't been oiled! It's like pulling a rusted switch which had been in disuse for decades!" Once the lever couldn't be pulled anymore, I let go and started making way over to the other door before the two blocks in front of it came back together. I managed to make it just in time as they collided. "Whew! That was way too close for comfort."

"You're not safe yet."

"What do you mean?" My question was answered in the form of statues above the treasure chest shooting fireballs at me. "Okay, that's just mean." Not only were there fireballs being flung at me, two Red Zols were hopping around by stairs, and both doors had locked themselves. "If the dungeon item is in the chest, then it's being guarded by some powerful forces, as in the statues."

"Nothing you have can stop those statues so you need to avoid their fireballs."

Raising my shield, two fireballs came at me but bounced harmlessly off. On a side note, I noticed that the eyes of the two statues attacking me were moving in response to where I was moving thus allowing them to keep track of my movements. Whoever designed them knew what they were doing. Before they could fire more fireballs, I attacked the Red Zols which split them up into their smaller pieces and I attacked those causing both doors to unlock. Even better, both statues stopped attacking me, their eyes moving back to where they started effectively shutting both down.

Opening up the chest, I took out what turned out to be Flippers. Both were yellow in colour with blue sections which would cover up my ankles. "You did suggest that a possible item would be flippers and that's exactly what I got here. Honestly, I was expecting something more epic but I'll take what I can get."

"Now you can finally swim in deep water."

"I should've been able to do that from the start."

"Unlike the Pegasus Boots, the Flippers aren't going to be on you at all times." Princess Twilight said. "I mean think about it. If you were to wear these everywhere, you would walk a lot sooner and frankly, it would just look ridiculous. They will automatically appear on your feet whenever you go into any deep water so there's no need to worry about where they're going to go. You could say that they will appear magically."

"Do I get to carry them on my person?"

"Yes but you won't have to change them in and out."

Attaching the Flippers to my belt, they certainly looked cool and while I was relieved that I could finally swim, I still think I should've been given that ability at the start. Still, now I could access areas I couldn't before both in this dungeon and across Koholint Island. While this was a very good item, Flippers had restrictions where outside of water or any place without water meant that they were useless and would be nothing more than another piece of equipment. One question still concerned me... Could I dive with them? What I mean is that could I breathe underwater after diving unlike my previous adventures where I couldn't? Only way to know for sure...

Going through the south door, I found myself in a room where I immediately recognized the stones which blocked me before when I was here earlier. I knew this because of the now opened treasure chest. My eyes were fixated on two things, the tiles on the ground and two creatures scuttling back and forth that were wearing masks that covered their faces. Neither one had noticed me so I had a moment to plan my next move, but then I noticed that one tile was glinting in a bright light. The Owl Statue mentioned the glint would be my guide so now its words were about to make sense.

"What are these creatures?"

"They are called Helmasaurs."

"Those masks look pretty sturdy."

"It protects their faces from all manner of attacks but not their backsides."

"Can I at least pull off their masks?"

"You can but you need a special item to do that which you currently don't have.

I grumbled under my breath. "Of course I don't have it." The two Helmasaurs were moving pretty slowly and weren't exactly paying much to attention to me. I supposed their masks weighed them down and removing them would make them more faster but also more hectic as they would be trying to survive at all costs. Since I couldn't remove the masks right now, I waited for both to turn their backs towards me and attacked with my sword. One hit wasn't enough but two was and both went down with the latter dropping a Piece of Power. Strange how these weren't coming up often given how they were a temporary power enhancement.

Picking it up, I felt the power flow through me despite how temporary it was, and then I turned my attention to the glinting tile. Could this help me with solving the room with the other tiles or was this also a puzzle? Stepping on it, the glint then moved over to the tile opposite of the one that I just stepped on so I walked over and stepped on it where it then moved to the one south of my position. Now the Owl Statue's advice was making sense. As I stepped on this next tile, the glint moved to the middle tile... A guide made of light that would give me an answer. Stepping on the next one, it finally moved to the last one.

When I stepped on the final tile, all five glowed brightly which caused the door to open. Princess Twilight then said that I needed to remember the order in which I stepped on the tiles because it was a procedure I needed to repeat with the tiles I had seen previously. Heading south and defeating two Green Zols who popped up, I then had to avoid fireballs being shot by statues and these ones couldn't be shut down so avoiding them was my only option until I was out of their attack range. I then encountered deep water which was the perfect opportunity to test out my new flippers to see how they worked.

Jumping into the water, the flippers magically appeared on my feet and I began swimming. The water wasn't too hot or too cold so I could swim about for hours if I wanted, but I didn't have the time to be messing about. Swimming east, I found myself back in the room south of where I fought the Hydrosaur and where that one key dropped into the water below. Now that I had flippers, I could finally do something about it. Taking out the Dungeon Map, I found my position and quickly scanned it to find the staircase I needed, and sure enough, it was to my right... the stairs that were blocked in order for me to progress.

Heading east, I ignored the monsters for the time being and went down the stairs to an underground passage. I jumped onto a platform before jumping off of it and the Compass beeped which it really didn't need to as I knew there was a key down here given what happened before. "Wow... It wasn't as deep as I thought it would be." I said as I looked down and saw the key at the bottom of the water. "

"Now comes the test to see if you can breathe underwater."

"How did you know I had been thinking about that?"

"I figured you would."

Princess Twilight was a psychic!? Nah! She knew what I was thinking as she probably had the exact same thoughts. Since this was the true test for the flippers, I jumped into the water and immediately sank down to the bottom. I could freely swim about without my equipment bogging me down and could even swing my sword which meant underwater combat was now a possibility yet I didn't how often it would happen on this journey. I then realized that I could breathe underwater, a huge plus if there ever was one. Now I didn't have to worry about drowning as it wasn't going to happen. A major improvement from my previous swimming experiences.

Grabbing the key and getting out of the water where the flippers returned to my belt, I made my way back over the platform and up the ladder where I was attacked by the monsters who I had previously ignored. The Sword Stalfos tried attacking but I raised my shield, parrying its attack and responded with my own. One hit defeated it with another hit defeating the Star that had unintentionally moved towards me. I decided against attacking the Red Zol on account that it was on the other side of the blocks and I wasn't about to go out of my way just for one simple monster.

Heading back to the deep water, the effects of the Piece of Power wore off and I was back to regular sword strength. I really hope that I would get more of those pieces in the future along with the Guardian Acorns because both items have proven beneficial. Swimming in the deep water and heading back to the previous room, the block that looked suspicious could be pushed and so I did just that allowing me to continue on, but not before getting hit by a couple of fireballs. It was fortunate that these weren't powerful magic otherwise I'd be on fire right now or perhaps even worse.

And then I walked back into the room with the other tiles. "Okay, I should remember the order they went in."

"If you've forgotten, don't worry about it as I remember."

I smiled. "I knew you would remember."

Princess Twilight smiled. "Memorization is one of my special qualities outside of magic you know and I'm not bragging about that. Now, unlike the other set of tiles, these ones have no glint to indicate which one is next in the sequence. I know you remember the order, Sunset, but first those Water Tektites need to be taken care of. If you take too long in stepping on a tile, the entire puzzle resets and you will need to start all over from the first one. Thankfully, this should be the last time this kind of puzzle should appear."

"Until something much worse comes along."

"You're not wrong."

"Looking at those Water Tektites, I wished I had a ranged attack."

"You will once you've saved up enough for the bow." Princess Twilight then remembered something and began bopping me on the head. "There are two chests you couldn't open before due to not being able to swim but now you can access them thanks to the flippers. Do you want to get them now or sometime later on? If each contains rupees, it should bring you closer towards the total you need."

Had Her Highness not mentioned that, I'd have probably ignored those two chests but now I needed to go back and open them. First, I needed to deal with this puzzle while it was still fresh on my mind. The three Water Tektites then skated towards me by moving forward and diagonally depending on where they were and three sword strikes defeated each one leaving me free to solve this puzzle without any further interference. Remembering the pattern, I stepped on the tiles, each one glowing blue in response including swimming to the two that were in the deep water, and upon stepping on the final tile, it caused a staircase to appear.

Walking over and heading down them to the underground passage below, I climbed down the ladder and upon reaching the floor... WHAM! Something massive dropped down and crashed into the ground before going back up again. "Was that a Thwomp!? Yep! Another Mario related enemy was here in this world though it looked different from the Thwomps that plagued Mario in his games. "You know, I'm not going to be mad about this one since it isn't an exact likeness to the source material."

"This is a Spiked Thwomp."

I slapped my forehead. "How original."

"These traps exist in these underground passages waiting for those like you to come along." Princess Twilight then used her hands to show an example of what would happen if I were to step underneath a Thwomp complete with a sound effect. Granted, I knew what would happen since I've played Mario games in the past, but I wasn't about to deny her the opportunity for some fun. "If you inch close enough, it will drop down out of reaction and then you can move past it when it goes back up. Or, you can use the Pegasus Boots to simply dash past if you don't want to deal with it."

"I noticed that the top of it had a smooth surface."

"You should be able to stand on it then."

Her Highness did say use the Pegasus Boots and I wasn't about to say no to that. Dashing forward, the first Spiked Thwomp came crashing down only for it to completely miss me and its look of disdain towards me made me smile. The other one then dropped down but it also missed because I had dashed underneath it. Since this one I needed for a makeshift platform, I climbed the ladder and waited for it to drop down which it did seconds later. I jumped on top and then jumped to the ledge as it rose back up and climbed the other ladder where I found myself back in a familiar area only now I was higher up.

Walking south, I opened the chest and took out the Nightmare Key. With this and the small key, I was ready to take on the Nightmare, but there were those two chests remaining that were unaccounted for. If not for needing rupees, I would ignore the chests but I needed them otherwise getting the bow would be impossible. Going back and then jumping down below, I ignored the Peahats and went right, walked past the locked door where I had to go and continued right before jumping into the deep water and swimming to the chest. I was lucky as nothing got in my way due to the Water Tektites having skated away.

This first chest contained fifty rupees which was nice but now came the problem of really backtracking in order to get the other chest. Since I really needed the money, I had no choice but to go for it. Jumping into the water and swimming north, I was back where I had been before with the underwater key, walked right, pushed a block forward, walking south, dashed and jumped over the abyss, continued dashing south before entering the water. When you ignore a lot of things, backtracking isn't really bad at all but then you feel guilty for having ignored it compelling you into wanting to deal with it all.

The Peahat that guarded the chest then floated away because I had entered its territory leaving me to open it which contained another purple rupee. In my opinion, one hundred rupees was quite a lot of money but nothing compared to the 300 rupee reward from the previous dungeon. If my calculations were correct, I still needed another 300+ rupees and with few places remaining that I knew about where there were chests, grinding was becoming more and more of an option despite having reservations over it. Maybe I ought to explore more often rather than wanting to focus on the main objectives.

Now that all chests were opened, I went back to where I needed to go. First, I swam north and out of the water, dashed forward and jumped over the abyss, pushed the block forward to allow me to continued, ignored the re-spawned monsters, went west, then south, ignored more re-spawned monsters, swam in the water which allowed me to skip a couple of spots near the southern end and finally arriving at my destination, the locked door that had the switch in front of it. Yeesh! No wonder this dungeon was annoying. All that water was problematic but it paled in comparison with backtracking a couple of times in a row.

"Time to finally finish this dungeon." I said as I was catching my breath.

"All that backtracking tire you out?"

"I just find it tedious, Twilight."

"I'm beginning to see why."

"By the way, are there any other tips you can give me for using the flippers?"

"You know most of what there is but let me think on it for a moment." Princess Twilight began concentrating and soon had a thought to share. "You'll probably have to eventually handle underwater combat so let me tell you what I know. When underwater, you can use your sword but no other item will work. You can swing your sword in just about every possible direction provided you're not swimming at the bottom of the water."

"How often do you think I'll be fighting underwater."

"Hard to say, Sunset."

"Not much?"

"Maybe, but we won't know until we get further into this adventure."

Jumping into the water and swimming over to the switch and pressing it when I got out, the door unlocked and in front of me was the key block. Walking up to it, I inserted the final small key and turned it which made the block disappear. I then went into the underground passage which was completely submerged in water but it was the familiar looking monsters that made me very upset but not entirely surprised. Swimming about were three Cheep-Cheeps, another enemy from the Mario series though these ones lacked any colour whereas they came in a variety of colours including green, red, blue, and even gold.

"I'm not going to say it."

Princess Twilight nodded. "I figured you knew what this monster is but let me explain anyway. Cheep-Cheeps swim back and forth minding their own business but they can get in the way which makes them rather annoying. In terms of attacking you, they prefer to remain docile so you can attack them if you want. Oh, they can also swim up and down. It should take one sword hit to defeat a Cheep-Cheep."

"At least they're not bad here as opposed to their source series."

"I'll take your word for it."

Once I was in the water, I waited for the Cheep-Cheeps to make their respective moves. As Her Highness said, some swam back and forth while others up and down. Approaching each one in turn, they didn't acknowledge my presence and continued swimming about. A part of me didn't want to destroy them but they were monsters in this world which meant I shouldn't feel too guilty. Swinging my sword and swimming forward, each Cheep-Cheep went down without any effort though none dropped anything for me. (They were named well) Once they were all taken care of, I climbed up the ladder at the end of the passage and entered a new area.

At first it looked like I couldn't progress anywhere but upon seeing a path to the left, I walked that way over to be stopped by a block. Since it could be pushed, I decided to check out what this room had in terms of challenges. Aside from several Red Zols, there wasn't anything else. Pushing the block forward which opened up the path, I attacked the Red Zols where each split up into pieces and I attacked those until they were defeated. Before unlocking the door, I picked up each pot and tossed them where they smashed and revealed Recovery Hearts which I collected out of a belief of needing them.

Unlocking the door and entering the Nightmare's room, I was confused by the lack of an actual arena. "Um... How am I supposed to fight the Nightmare?" I asked as I scratched my head in confusion. "I can't fight anything in here!"

"I don't think you're supposed to."

"What do you mean?"

"Look there." Princess Twilight then pointed to a staircase in the middle of the room. "It looks like the Nightmare is in an underground passage. I believe this is the first time you've had to fight one of the Nightmares like this. In any case, you must go down there."

Heading into the underground passage, I was taken aback by what I found down there. "Water... It's a massive pool of water!"

"Good thing you asked me about additional techniques regarding the flippers."

"I wasn't expecting that I had to fight underwater." I then looked into the water in hopes of being able to see the Nightmare but I couldn't on account that the water was way too deep and the lack of lighting also was a problem. "I'm going to say that this Nightmare is either an even bigger octopus, bigger than that Hydrosaur, or a giant fish which would make sense given that this is 'Angler's Tunnel' and there is a kind of fish named an Anglerfish." Jumping into the water, I allowed myself to sink downwards until I stopped upon seeing a faint light coming from behind a cracked wall. "I think we've found it."

The Nightmare then swam through the crack, revealing itself in all its glory, and it turned out that the latter suggestion I made was true. It was a giant fish that had a glowing light on top of its head which was connected via a membrane of flesh. Judging from initial impressions, I pretty much knew the location of its weak point but whether it would be easy for me to reach was a different story. The rest of its body was that of a typical fish but exaggerated in that scales were all over its body, it had numerous fins especially on top, and its giant eyes creeped me out. As for intelligence... I couldn't determine if it had any... Yet.

"I know you're the Nightmare." I said, calling out to the fish.

"BLOOOP! BLOOOP! GLUB! GLUB! OGGGH! FOOOOD! BLOOOOP! GLUB!"

"So much for intelligence."

"BLOOOP! FOOOOD! ME HUNNNGGRRY! GLUB!"

"Do you have a name?"

"FOOOOD! GLUB! GLUB!"

"Ugh! This is getting us nowhere!"

"ME ANGLER FISH! BLOOOP! BLOOOP! GLUB!"

You've got its name." Princess Twilight said.

"All it cares about is seeing me as food and I'm not about to let myself get eaten by this thing." I said. The Nightmare, which called itself the Angler Fish, immediately charged forward, the sharp fins on top of its body cutting me slightly, before it crashed into the wall. "Wow... It really only cares about eating." Rocks then suddenly dropped down from above which immediately told me what this fish was trying to do. If it couldn't eat me directly, it would soften me up first.

"As you already saw, the Angler Fish will charge at you using its body as a weapon, but you can easily avoid by swimming." Princess Twilight said. "Granted, you're not as fast underwater compared with being on dry land, but then it's not that fast either so you do have some advantage. Also, I'm sure you've figured out where its weak point is so attack it constantly before it swims away. Oh, and unlike the Hydrosaur, when the Angler Fish hits the wall, it won't get stunned and will immediately turn around and swim back... like it's doing right now!"

Her Highness' warning came a little late as the Angler Fish swam right into me causing some damage. Luckily, by doing that, I was able to strike the light on its head with my sword though upon hitting it, it suddenly got paralyzed which made no sense. Hitting the wall didn't stun it but hitting its weak point did? No sense in figuring that out so I continued attacking the weak point until the Angler Fish regained its senses. It then swam forward but stopped a couple of inches from the wall before turning around again and swimming forward where it eventually hit the other wall causing more rocks to fall.

Dodging the falling debris, I then sank down in order to avoid the Angler Fish as it came at me again. Was this seriously all it was going to be doing? The fact that this was underwater combat made me think it was going to be a tough battle but apparently I wasn't having much trouble at all aside from being surprised. Swimming back up a little, I then attacked its weak point, stunning it again, and attacking it even more before it regained its composure. It then made a loud noise which at first I thought was it getting mad because of how much damage had been inflicted, but that thought soon disappeared when a smaller fish came from beyond the cracked wall.

"BLOOOP! GLUB! ANGLER FRY! FOOOD! HELP GET FOOOD! GLUB!"

"What is that thing?" I asked.

"As it just said, that is an Angler Fry." Princess Twilight answered. "These are its minions which appear whenever it calls on them. They won't attack you directly and instead will just swim about though they will damage you if you make contact. One sword hit is enough to defeat it. If anything, the Angler Fry is merely a distraction as well as an additional obstacle for you to watch out for."

"GLUB! FOOOD! BLOOOP!"

"This is just pathetic." I moaned.

"You do have to admire its dedication." Princess Twilight said.

"I actually feel some sympathy towards it."

"How so?"

"I'll tell you later."

The Angler Fry then swam towards me but before it had a chance to do anything, not that it would according to Her Highness, I attacked it with my sword and it disappeared. It seemed that my actions didn't faze the Angler Fish in any way so perhaps it didn't care for its minions. The Angler Fish continued swimming back and forth which allowed me to attack the weak point a few more times but then it charged forward, striking me with those fins (Despite how easy this looked, those surprise attacks were exactly that), before hitting the wall again and more rocks fell.

It then made its loud noise which summoned another Angler Fry to join the battle but I took it out the moment it appeared though this proved to be a mistake as the Nightmare charged again, striking me directly with its body, and then hitting the wall again. It turned around and was about to swim when I attacked the light which stunned it again. I repeated my assault and to my surprise, it still kept on going. I guessed it had high stamina which compensated for its lack of being an actual threat. Upon recovering, the Angler Fish made its sound but this time, two Angler Fry appeared.

"BLOOOP! GLUB! HELP NOW!"

"You know that isn't going to do you much good, right?" I asked.

"BLOOOP! FOOOD!"

"Why do I even bother talking to you?"

"GLUB! ANGLER FRY! ATTACK!"

"Um... That's not what they do."

"BLOOOP! GLUB! GET!"

The two Angler Fry swam about but rather than ignore them and take some unnecessary damage, I attacked them, defeating both before sinking down again when the Angler Fish swam by and crashed into the wall. Avoiding the debris and swimming back up, I attacked its light though it didn't get stunned and continued swimming about when it made its sound and called forth two more minions which really showed how desperate it was. The Angler Fry came in as before but out of a sense of sympathy towards them for being used as sacrifices, I ignored them and focused on the Nightmare.

Attacking the light again caused it to be stunned and I continued attacking in hopes that this would end it. To my surprise, it refused to go down and upon regaining its senses, I swam after it to maintain my pressure. Unfortunately, I swam a bit too close and it turned around, slamming into me again which left me feeling stunned. I shook it off and waited for my chance which happened seconds later as the Angler Fish charged into the wall bringing more rocks down from above. Attacking the light once more, it still wasn't enough as it turned around but I wasn't about to stop so I continued attacking until it finally stopped.

"BLOOOP! GLUB! FOO... FOOOD!"

"Not today I'm not!"

"BLO... BLOOOP! G... G... GLUB! BLO... BLOOOP!" Both of the Angler Fry disappeared in puffs of smoke which saddened me but then the Angler Fish began exploding numerous times before exploding in one final explosion leaving me as the sole victor. A Heart Container then appeared behind me so I swam over and picked it up, its warmth making me feel stronger knowing that I had defeated four Nightmares now. I had nothing else left down here so I swam back up to the surface, climbed out of the deep water, and went back up the ladder into the previous room where the door had unlocked.

"That was more annoying than anything else." I said as I shook myself free of excess water.

"You said that you felt some sympathy towards the Angler Fish."

I nodded. "Even though it used those smaller fish to do its dirty work, all it really wanted was some food. I don't think it even wanted to guard the instrument and instead be content with consuming food. But, my sympathy pretty much ends there because at the end of the day, I had to defeat this Nightmare."

"It makes you wonder why Grogar is doing all of this."

"Yeah... We still don't know what his motives are."

"Maybe we'll find out once we get closer to the end."

Going through the unlocked door into the final chamber, it then locked behind me, but my eyes were fixated on the next instrument which lay before me. It was a harp of incredible beauty that sparkled in an otherworldly light just like with all the other instruments I had acquired. Walking up to it, I thought about playing it for kicks but chose not too as I had next to no experience playing a harp. If anything, Rarity would likely play this as she would call it divine beyond all known reasoning. I picked up the harp and held it above my head before looking around to see where Princess Celestia was as she said she'd be here.

"You have acquired the Surf Harp!" As if on cue, Princess Celestia appeared behind me, her gentle nature a pleasing sight given what I had been through. "It has been some time since we last saw each other, Sunset Shimmer, and Twilight Sparkle. Judging from your appearance, you have become much stronger though know that the trials ahead will be even more difficult than what you've already witnessed."

"I've already accepted that fact." I said.

"With four instruments in your possession, you are now halfway towards completing your quest to awaken the Wind Fish."

"I doubt Grogar is happy about that."

That name took Princess Celestia by surprise. "What!? Grogar!? Is he in this world!?" I then explained what Princess Twilight and I knew about what Grogar had been doing though mainly from my perspective since he appeared in my dream and not Her Highness'. "You must be ever more careful if Grogar is aware of your actions, Sunset Shimmer. He will no doubt use his remaining Nightmares to stop you at any cost. If you prevail against them, he will have no choice but to confront you himself." She then looked at me which made me feel uneasy at first but then her smile removed those fears. "I believe there is a way to make this journey of yours less stressful."

"You do?"

Princess Celestia nodded. "In the graveyard of this island, there is a hidden dungeon below which can grant you an incredible gift. However, I do not know how you gain access to this dungeon, but perhaps there is a book which can give you the solution. You have the necessary item to get this book as well as the items necessary to complete this dungeon. It is an optional location which you don't need to explore but it could prove helpful."

"I think I know where to find such a book."

"Excellent." Princess Celestia began glowing. "Now, listen well to these words. Bay... Your road goes into the bay. With the ability to swim like a fish, you can now reach your next destination but before you can do so, there is someone who is waiting for you. Before entering this place, did you see a cave that featured carvings above its entrance? Go there and meet one who can make travel easier."

"I'm liking the sound of that."

"There is one other thing."

"What's that?"

"Do not be frightened when you see it because you must calm its spirit." Princess Celestia answered. I had no idea what she meant by that last bit but she began to fade away which meant her time here was over now. "When next we meet, it shall be in what they call Level 7." She turned towards Princess Twilight. "I know you've been worried about your upcoming coronation, but you need not allow it to consume you. Everything will work out in the end, Twilight, no matter how bad things might be." She turned back to me. "I am expecting you to be there in attendance and welcome the new ruler of Equestria. Now, allow the Surf Harp to play its tune as it whisks you back to the outside world."

Princess Celestia then disappeared as the Surf Harp began playing, its sounds felt like I was standing on the beach and listening to the ocean. Everything suddenly went white and moments later, I was back outside of the Angler's Tunnel. Now that I could swim anywhere, the first thing that came to mind was swimming right and seeing if there was anything in that direction because curiosity beckoned me. I swam right and kept on going until I reached a cave entrance which could only be reached in this manner. Entering and discovering nothing, I was about to leave when I noticed a Piece of Heart submerged underwater.

Diving down and picking it up, its warm embrace made me feel stronger and I was happy that I came this way. Leaving the cave, I swam all the way back to the dungeon entrance before swimming left until I reached the cave with the fish carvings above it. Swimming inside, it was dark at first but then light suddenly appeared and before me was quite a sight which made me almost want to draw my sword. Before me was quite a large fish though not as big as the Angler Fish was, yet it was the person sitting on top of it who had my immediate attention due to not knowing who it was.

"Twilight?" I whispered so as to not sound rude. "Do you know who is sitting on top of that fish?"

"I've never met her in person, but that's Autumn Blaze, a Kirin." Princess Twilight answered.

"A Kirin!?" I exclaimed in a whisper. "I thought they didn't exist."

"They do and Autumn Blaze is perhaps the most eccentric among her kind." Princess Twilight rolled her eyes which meant what she said was accurate. "The Kirin used to live in peace until their emotions went out of control resulting in them changing into Niriks, creatures consumed with rage. As a result, they were exposed to the Spring of Silence as a means of removing such feelings though it meant not being able to talk anymore. Autumn Blaze found the cure and regained her voice, and with the help of Applejack and Fluttershy, every Kirin has regained what they once locked away."

"How eccentric is she?"

"She's like Pinkie Pie to an extent."

"Say no more."

"I was wondering when you would finally make your way over here." Autumn Blaze said as she entered a relaxed pose on top of the fish. "I was like waiting so much that I was afraid of dying from sheer boredom. Can deities like me even die? I wonder if I should be concerned about that. Do you mind if I quickly look into this matter? Promise I'll get back to you as soon as possible." The fish then made a huff which caused Autumn Blaze to focus on the task at hand. "Okay, okay! I didn't mean to go off topic! Welcome to my pad. Sorry if the water isn't to your liking but my buddy here needs it. I am Manbo, child of the Sun Fish. Actually, we're both Manbo." She pointed at both herself and the fish.

"Okay..."

"Don't be confused as that happens all the time with me."

"I was told to come here and see you."

"Before we go any further, do you have an ocarina?"

I nodded. "I've got one in my pocket."

That made Autumn Blaze very excited. "Okay, you've got to show me some of your playing skills, right now! Come on! Bring it out and play a mean one!" The fish then huffed again and she waved her hands. "Sorry for going off script there, buddy. What I mean to say is that show me the ocarina and I will teach you my song. I've been sensing how you've been progressing on this island--Don't think of me being creepy as that won't help at all--and you could do with faster travel." She then whistled and two smaller fish appeared from below. "Take out your ocarina and get ready for some mambo!"

I swam back knowing that her fish needed some space before taking out the ocarina. Autumn Blaze then swayed her head back and forth as all three fish made sounds as music notes appeared in the water. I had no idea what was going on but I chose not to say anything and allow them to finish whatever this was. At certain points, I could swear they were saying the word 'mambo' in a gargling manner as the big fish rolled its eyes around in different directions. It eventually got more intense as the music got louder and Autumn Blaze began clapping which all culminated with what could be described as a final finish where everything just stopped with a weird drum sound.

The ocarina then glowed signalling that I had learned whatever that was. "Okay, what did you teach me?"

"Manbo's Mambo." Autumn Blaze answered as she sat back up. "Admit it! You loved our choreography, right? We've been working on that for months and only just recently worked out the final kinks which were holding us back." The fish huffed again only this time in a more pleasant manner which made Autumn Blaze smile. "You got that right, buddy! This was our best session yet! Even Mamu, reclusive as she is, would have loved that!"

"So what does your song do?"

"When you play my mambo, you can warp to a warp point around the island."

"You're kidding!"

Wagging her finger, Autumn Blaze laughed. "If I was kidding, we wouldn't have done that little show for you. You can also warp to a pond that the people of this island named after me, my own little pond out in the middle of nowhere. Oh yeah! Try playing this song in dungeons, too. Normally, I wouldn't have allowed my special place to be a possible warp point but today's a special day so I'm including it. Score for you! Now you've got all kinds of places you can reach provided those warp points have been activated. I assume you've been activating some otherwise you've been having a really hard time."

"I've activated at least four of them."

"Then my song will be incredibly useful to you, cha-cha-cha!"

"What was that for?"

"It means good-bye."

"Oh."

Autumn Blaze then stood up. "You should have two songs in your repertoire, as in, what you've learned. Pretty awesome! I mean, of course it's awesome because those songs are going to be incredibly useful otherwise why bother learning them." The fish huffed once more and she shrugged whilst closing her eyes. "Buddy, you need to let me finish these thoughts because how else is she going to learn. Anyway, there is one more song you can learn but good luck finding Mamu. She's become a recluse in recent years but I heard she is somewhere in the Signpost Maze. Do I think you should visit that place? Maybe but it might be too weird for you."

"I'll be fine."

"Don't blame me if you get lost in there."

The fish then turned around and swam into the darkness taking Autumn Blaze with it leaving me with a lot of questions. Who was Mamu? What was a Signpost Maze? Where was it located on Koholint Island? Was it even required? Since I couldn't ask her to answer those questions, I had no choice but to leave and make my way to the next dungeon. Swimming back out of the cave, I swam left because I had no where else to go and after swimming south, I eventually swam into the grounds of Kanalet Castle though I was restricted to the moat and couldn't gain access to the grounds itself.

"Autumn Blaze was... Interesting."

"Like I said, she's eccentric." Princess Twilight said.

"At least I can now warp around freely."

"Though you can only warp to points you've found."

"A minor inconvenience."

Princess Twilight then motioned me to stop. "Um... Sunset? You might want to turn around and look behind you... right now." I had no idea what Her Highness was talking about and initially I ignored her and resumed swimming until she began bopping me on my head repeatedly. "You really need to stop and take a look behind you, Sunset. I'm not trying to trick you or anything but you really need to see this."

I turned around and my heart came to a stop. "WHAAAAH!"

Floating behind me was a ghost and not just any ghost. It was a ghost in the form of King Sombra. From what Princess Twilight told me about him, Discord brought him back from the ether, but not he had more personality as opposed to saying few words that all revolved around crystals and the ponies of the Crystal Empire. This time, King Sombra didn't stop talking and had a real high opinion of himself. In other words, he was a major braggart. Still, to see him here must mean that Ganondorf had powers similar to the Lord of Chaos when it came to bringing back those who had been destroyed or were lose in the ether of the great darkness.

"Hello..." King Sombra said.

"Where did you come from?" I asked in a nervous voice.

"I appeared... Just a few moments ago."

"That... Doesn't answer my question correctly."

"Your friend noticed me... But you ignored her until you had to pay attention."

I looked at Princess Twilight and nodded my head slowly as a means of letting her know that I should've listened straight away. Granted, this encounter with King Sombra was awkward given how I was swimming in water. "So... What brings you here? Surely you must have something in mind otherwise why would you be here?"

"I'm going... To follow you."

"What!?"

"I'm going... To follow you." King Sombra said, his corporeal form glowing slightly which made me really nervous. "I'm going to follow you... And I will be sticking with you until I have been satisfied. In other words... I want you to help me."

To Be Continued.

Chapter 15: The World of Colour.

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.
By Ganondorf8.
December 11, 2019.
Chapter 15: The World of Colour.

"I'm sorry... You want me to help you!?" I exclaimed.

"That is... Correct." King Sombra answered.

"By following me around until I do?" It was plainly obvious to me that this was an unfair arrangement which had been thrust upon me. I mean, where did King Sombra even appear from to warrant my being haunted by him for the foreseeable future? (Not the real him but the one from this world) "You've got some pretty weird perceptions. You could just ask me for help instead of following me around like you're doing right now."

"I am a ghost... This is what I am supposed to do."

"So unless I help you... You won't leave me alone?"

King Sombra nodded. "I will stick... By your side until you have helped me out. I... Know that you have been entering dungeons since you did... Recently come out of one before I began following you. Until you help me... The next dungeon will be inaccessible. Do not think this... Is me bluffing in order to earn your favour. I am being very serious. The way I... See it, you do this for me and I will be able to rest at long last. I can even reward you for your efforts. Rewards... You like things like that. I can tell. So... Will you help me?

"I don't have much of a choice do I?"

"You do not."

That figured. This was the kind of thing that I hated with adventures. Someone comes along and forces them to help you against your own volition. Even though King Sombra hasn't done anything which could hurt me or Princess Twilight, the fact that he was preventing me from accessing the next dungeon was a major concern which needed addressing. Also, with him haunting me, going into people's homes wasn't a good idea as I doubted they would like to see a ghost. He was right about one thing though. I did like getting rewards and the idea of getting one from him did make me lean towards helping him.

Still, the fact that he forced this onto me really infuriated me. He could've just asked me and I'd have said yes as refusing someone wasn't the kind of person I was. Then again, he might have thought I wouldn't accept and decided to take matters into his own hands so that my hands would be tied leaving me no choice but to agree. I had to admit that he played a pretty smart move, albeit one which in a different context, would result in being banished by magic or whatever this world used to get rid of spirits on a permanent basis. Knowing I had no choice, I agreed to help King Sombra.

I had just one problem... What was I supposed to help him with? I couldn't really do much for him unless he said what it was. I tried to ask him what he wanted me to do but he said nothing and merely floated there waiting for me to make a move. Even Princess Twilight had no idea what I should do, but she did suggest asking Discord since this sort of thing would be right up his alley. If I remembered correctly, a telephone booth was located on the outer walls of Kanalet Castle. I'm on the other side so it shouldn't take more than a minute but first, I wanted to check the rest of the moat in case anything were hidden underwater.

Swimming south along the moat, I had to admit that swimming was the best despite being able to do so without flippers back in my world. I guessed that this world had its own set of rules which I was continuing to learn about as well as complain about. Such basics shouldn't be blocked and require an item to unlock them. That's just lazy which would make any gamer not want to play the game (Or in my case be a part of it). I've actually seen examples of that at local video game competitions and at arcades proving how much passion people have. Even I have strong opinions towards questionable decisions like that.

Eventually, I reached a dead-end in the moat but I saw something hidden underwater. Diving down and picking it up, I came back up to the surface to check my prize, and it was another Piece of Heart. The warm feeling it gave me made me feel better about my current issues but I knew the one with King Sombra would soon rear its ugly head if I didn't quickly figure out what he wanted me to do. Swimming back and going the long way around the moat, I could hear sounds coming from the other side of the castle walls. Those soldiers were still on patrol despite no one being there and I couldn't help but feel sorry for them.

After swimming for a couple of minutes, I finally reached some stairs which I climbed in order to get out of the water. Conveniently, these were the right stairs to climb as the telephone booth was nearby. I then looked behind to see if King Sombra was still following me and he was which meant this was going to be a long experience. I tried asking him again about where he wanted to go and he still refused. Either he was waiting for me to ask Discord for help or clearly enjoyed making my suffer. I really hoped it wasn't the latter one otherwise he would soon regret making me mad. Entering the telephone, I picked up the phone.

BRRIINNG! BRRIINNG!

"D'oh ho ho!" Discord said as he picked up on his end. "It's me, Grandpa Ulrira! So, Sunset Shimmer... What problem do you have this time? I know it's been a while since you last called me, and for a while I was afraid you could easily figure things out on your own from now on. Good thing I didn't give up hope." Hearing him say that really made me feel inadequate when it came to the puzzles on the island. I've solved a couple but Princess Twilight or someone else usually did for me. While I was fine with the assistance, it was coming at the cost of my own intelligence. "Now... What's wrong?"

"I have this ghost following me around."

"Now you're being haunted by a ghost!?"

I nodded. "What am I supposed to do about this?"

Discord was silent for a while which made me think that he had no idea either but then he soon had an answer for me. "Ghosts usually don't roam beyond the graveyard so what you have here is a rare case. Anyway, you can't get rid of him through normal means so don't bother going to the Witch and asking her for a potion. Maybe you should take him to where he wants to go?"

"I've tried asking him and he refuses to answer."

"Maybe you should ask him now?"

I felt like I was being given the run-around here, but I couldn't blame Discord since he was merely following what his purpose was. If King Sombra was now willing to answer my question, it would make this whole endeavour go by much quicker, and enable me to get back to my journey proper. Princess Twilight then whispered in my ear that I should inquire about what Princess Celestia said about what lurked beneath the graveyard. "This might sound weird but do you know anything about a dungeon hidden beneath the graveyard? Let's just say I had some sage advice on the matter."

"D'oh ho ho!" Discord laughed to the point where I thought he was going to choke or something. "Sage advice? You mean more like divine advice! But, pay me no mind since you have proven yourself to be rather special. I don't know what lurks below the graveyard but what I can say is that there is a book in the Mabe Village library that reveals how one can gain access to it. A shame someone had to place it on such a high shelf that no one else can look at it. If you had faster feet, I suppose you could knock it down and read it for yourself. First, I'd focus on the ghost otherwise you'll remained haunted."

"Are you sure he will answer me now?"

"He will since he's gotten accustomed to your company."

"Okay, I'll take your word for it."

"Bye for now!"

CLICK!

Discord hung up the phone prompting me to do the same. I needed to take King Sombra to where he wanted to go... Well... That was better than not having any information at all but it was still little to go on. As much as I appreciated Discord for providing me with advice, he enjoyed giving me half-truths and incomplete answers. I hoped he was right and that this ghost of King Sombra would now answer my question. If not then my journey was pretty much over because he was preventing me from accessing the next dungeon. No... I had to have faith in the Lord of Chaos despite his reputation in Equestria which didn't affect him here.

I turned to face King Sombra. "So... Where do you want me to take you?"

This time, King Sombra decided to answer me. "I want you... To take me to my house."

"And where am I supposed to find that?"

"The Bay..." I was taken aback by his answer so I asked him to repeat it. "The Bay... A house is there... Please take me to my house. I wish to see it again. I... Haven't seen it for so long that I fear it will become lost to my memories."

I then turned to Princess Twilight. "What do you make of that?"

"We haven't been to this bay before so you're going to be exploring new territory." Princess Twilight answered. "I know you're not fond of having to take King Sombra around but you would've done it anyway with or without his unusual stipulation."

I nodded. "I'm just that nice of a person."

"Nothing wrong with that."

"I just wish he could be more specific."

Princess Twilight nodded. "I know how you feel, Sunset, but I don't think King Sombra is going to give you anymore information until you start making your way there. This is going to be a case of trial and error with a heavy emphasis on the error part unless you get incredibly lucky. If there's a silver lining here, it would be the fact that the bay is where you need to go next as we learned from Princess Celestia. Good thing you can now swim as I have a feeling those Flippers are going to be very useful. Now... Your only remaining problem involves how quickly can you get to King Sombra's home from here."

"I'm going to have to walk the long way, huh?"

"Not necessarily."

"How do you figure that?"

"You learned Manbo's Mambo which is all you need me to tell you about that."

As soon as Her Highness mentioned that, I felt like banging my head against a wall repeatedly. How could I have quickly forgotten about what Autumn Blaze taught me? With her song, making my way around Koholint Island had gotten considerably easier. It did depend on me finding warp points but the fact was I could cut back on some backtracking. If I remembered correctly, the closest warp point near me was by the Seashell Mansion, and I felt disappointed in myself for not having found one closer to the bay. I couldn't be too disappointed since it was an area I'd never been to before but still... I wished I had.

Taking out the Ocarina and playing Manbo's Mambo, I concentrated on the Seashell Mansion as that was where I needed to go. The magic of the song then enveloped around me and soon I was whisked away where everything went white. Moments later, upon reaching my destination, I looked behind me and King Sombra was still there. In truth, I had only warped a short distance from the castle which meant I still had quite a ways to go. I just hoped my ghostly follower would continue to provide information on where his house was otherwise it would be a case of trial and error as Her Highness stated.

Heading to the left where the mansion was, I was attacked by the Boarblins which were 'protecting' the mansion from any who would go near it. Though I had more health than before, it wasn't an excuse for me to start being reckless about fighting monsters. Raising my shield, I deflected their spears and took each one out one at a time, with two dropping green rupees which I picked up. (I still needed more money in order to get that bow which Aria was selling at her shop) Continuing south, I turned right, then south until I reached the area where I went left to the Animal Village. That meant I had to continue south.

An assortment of stones in a unique formation looked tempting for me to go through, but the Boarblins and especially the Zirro flying about made me decide to go around via a less confrontational route. As I continued walking south, before me was a massive expanse of water which had to be the bay. I could see someone swimming in there though my eyes must have been playing tricks on me on account that the person looked like they possessed a tail. South of them was a large rock formation with something within but I couldn't see what it was from this side but perhaps I could once I got over there.

Even though I could swim in the bay, I had a hunch that King Sombra didn't want me to go soak my feet as it were. If he wanted me to, he'd have said something but didn't so my assumption was that the water wasn't necessary to helping him. Defeating a couple more Boarblins who wielded spears and avoiding another Zirro, I reached another telephone booth (How many did Discord even build!?) but there was also Buzz Blobs, creatures I hadn't seen I visited Trixie. Even though I could use Magic Powder to change them into Cukemen, I wanted to preserve my powder so I ignored them instead.

My eyes then noticed a small statue across the water but King Sombra chose that moment to intervene. "No... Not that way. My house isn't in that direction." I was surprised that it took him this long to finally say something. "Sorry for not speaking sooner but you've... Been going in the right direction this entire time until you chose to go the wrong way. My house... I feel we are getting closer."

"So... I should head right?" I asked.

King Sombra nodded. " Yes... Going right is where you must go."

Heading in the direction he suggested, I came upon yet another warp tile not on a raised platform. Stepping onto it in order to activate it, it then occurred to me that had I come down here much sooner, I could've activated it and saved myself some time. Oh well. At least I now had a new location and one that could prove useful soon enough. Going down and around, I could see a house but it had clearly seen better days as it looked like it had been abandoned for years. Three holes in a row blocked me but I knew what I had to do otherwise I wouldn't even be here in the first place.

Dashing along with the Pegasus Boots and jumping over the holes with the Roc's Feather, I landed safely on the other side where King Sombra spoke up again. "Here... We have finally arrived at my house. Please... Take me inside. I wish to experience how much it has changed since my passing many years ago."

"That explains why it looks the way it does."

"Yes... A miserable sight isn't it?"

I then blushed in embarrassment. "I didn't meant to insult your home."

King Sombra shook his head. "Your opinion... Is one that is true. I have not been home in years and so it has fallen into disuse. I am surprised... That no one ended up taking it for themselves and making it into their own home. Perhaps... Luck has blessed me in the afterlife." I entered his house and as expected, it was even worse than the outside. Cobwebs, dust, moss, darkness, the cold, cracked floors, and much worse were everywhere. I doubted anyone could refurbish this place let alone want to try. King Sombra began floating around in order to look at everything and I chose not to stop him. "My house... It is good to be here."

"Are you alright?"

"The nostalgia of my house... It has not changed."

"You miss this place huh?"

As King Sombra nodded, he began to cry and I felt like crying too. Sure, he had forced me to do all of this for him, but that mentality had been stripped away entirely upon me seeing him looking back on what had likely been a good life. After checking every last nook and cranny, he stopped crying before addressing me in a serious tone. "Enough. I no longer need to be here in what was once my past. Can you take me... To the cemetery? My grave... Please take me to my grave."

At least he was more specific this time though a problem did persist. There had to be many graves in that area not to mention the Ghinis that Princess Twilight told me about when we were over there on my way to Sugar Belle. I needed to press him for a bit more information. "Do you know exactly where your grave is?" He nodded. Good... Now I was really getting somewhere with this. "Can you tell me where it is?"

King Sombra nodded. "My grave... Is not in the cemetery directly but it is in the area. Witch... There is a witch who lives in her hut. My grave is... Near there, isolated from everything, but strength is needed for the living to reach it."

Grumbling under my breath, I wished he had been that specific earlier when I asked him where I needed to go when I was looking for his house. Fortunately, I knew exactly where to go as I had been in the area in question earlier when I was going to Sugar Belle in order to acquire her medicine. Taking out the ocarina again and playing Manbo's Mambo, (This song was going to become my absolute favourite by the time this journey ended) I focused on Mabe Village and the warp point located just outside of it. Again, a white light blinded me as I disappeared and reappeared outside of Mabe Village moments later.

Stepping off of the raised platform, I went north, picked up the boulder, and tossed it aside before continuing north. At that moment, a Zombie popped up from the ground but I knew from prior experience that defeating it would cause another to immediately appear. While I could attempt to grind here in order to earn more rupees, I doubted King Sombra would appreciate having to wait. Besides, I didn't like the idea of fighting essentially infinitely re-spawning monsters. Ignoring the Zombie, it began following after me but its slow nature meant it eventually fell behind until it went back underground.

Reaching the graveyard or cemetery as King Sombra called it, I walked west, jumped over a hole with the Roc's Feather, and walked past Trixie's house until I reached another boulder which I tossed aside after picking it up. Making my way down some stairs into a sandy area, another Zombie appeared by popping up from the ground and this time, it couldn't be ignored as it appeared right next to me. Attacking and defeating it, another appeared so I ignored it and began making my way over to another boulder which was blocking a lone grave. This had to be where King Sombra had been buried. Why on his own and not in the graveyard?

Picking up and tossing the boulder aside, I approached the grave. "Is this where you were buried?"

King Sombra nodded. "Yes. I wanted to... Be buried here away from all others who have ended up like me. I want to... Thank you for bringing me back here. I know... You did not like doing this because of how you had no choice but now you are free."

"In the end, it was my pleasure."

"Reward... I have a reward."

"Huh?"

"I had planned... On letting you go back to my house to find it." King Sombra answered, his ghostly form beginning to disappear. "But... Since you were so nice to me, I shall let you have it now." He then presented a bottle which he conjured out of thin air and it floated ominously towards me. "A jar... For you. You can put something inside it such as a fairy... You should be able to survive longer than I did in life. Bye... Bye..."

With that, King Sombra disappeared and I grabbed the bottle with my hands. I was wondering if I was going to get my hands on one of these bottles again. Now things were going to become even easier since I could combine Sugar Belle's medicine and a fairy to essentially give myself two extra lives were I to suddenly die. In my previous adventures though, I could put just about anything into a bottle but it seemed that this time, I could only use them for fairies. It made sense seeing how there wasn't many items around the idea which could be placed into a bottle.

Putting it carefully into my pocket so that it wouldn't break, I was about to leave the grave of King Sombra when the familiar flapping sound of an owl indicated that Flash Sentry was about to pay me another visit. Seconds later, he appeared in the sky on his trusty companion and landed on a nearby tree. I was hoping he would give me more information now that I had progressed much further on this adventure. "It has been some time since our paths crossed, lass. So far, you have collected four instruments. Truly an amazing feat. You have become so much stronger now that I feel you are no longer the same lass I met so long ago."

"I have some questions for you." I said.

"You have made it this far and so I can provide you with more details."

I knew he wasn't likely to say anything new about the Nightmares but perhaps he could tell me more about the dungeon beneath the graveyard. First, I needed to know where I was supposed to go next. "I was told that the next instrument is located somewhere in the bay. Do you know what that means?"

"You possess the means to reach your destination."

I checked my body to see what he was on about and the only thing that came to mind were the flippers. "You mean these?" I asked as I pointed at them.

Flash Sentry nodded. "You must dive into the waters of Martha's Bay and enter the Catfish's Maw. You have already seen the location of the maw but now that you have helped ease the spirit of the ghost who had been following you, you can continue on with your quest and retrieve the next instrument. Things will no longer be easy as the Nightmares will now become even stronger but then this is what fate has decided. This should come as no surprise to you, lass."

"I figured as such."

"The closer you get to the Wind Fish, the more restless he sleeps."

"Which explains why the monsters are more aggressive than ever before."

"Things are now starting to become clear for you."

I then pressed forth with my only other question. "Do you know about a dungeon that exists below the graveyard?"

Flash Sentry at first looked surprised by my question but eventually nodded. "I have heard of such a place where the power of colour can be obtained. In normal circumstances, I would advise against going somewhere that was unnecessary, yet I suggest you acquire this power, lass. It could help you overcome what challenges await you later on. You have what you need to reach this place and to complete it but only your courage will determine whether or not it you shall go there."

Nodding to his owl companion, it took to the sky leaving me with two options to consider. One, I could go to the Catfish's Maw which was the next main dungeon or I could go to the dungeon below the graveyard. Both places sounded dangerous given how far along I was but the latter would have something I could use until I was finished with this journey. That's not to say I wouldn't find anything useful in the Catfish's Maw but this other dungeon felt more practical. Either way, I had to go to the second dungeon after completing the other one so I couldn't ignore neither one though technically I could ignore the one that lacked an instrument.

"Well, Sunset..." Princess Twilight began. "Where are we going next?"

"We're going to the dungeon below the graveyard." I answered.

"Somehow... I knew you were going to say that."

"I think it's going to be more practical for me."

"I will go with whatever choice you make."

"Before we go back to the library, I was thinking about going back to Chestnut Magnifico and give her the hibiscus." I said, pointing to my pocket which contained the flower. I was surprised that it hadn't gotten damaged during all the swimming I had done whilst in Angler's Tunnel along with swimming in the castle's moat. "I think I should give it to her before it becomes something I end up forgetting about. Besides, I also want to help out Canter Zoom since he wants a letter and I think Chestnut might be able to help there. Also, surely something good will come out of me trading so many items to so many different individuals."

"If you want to continue trading then I won't stop you."

"You're not annoyed with it?"

Princess Twilight shook her head. "I agree that all of this trading has to lead to something important. Otherwise, why even have it in the first place? Anyway, you can warp around the island using Manbo's Mambo so backtracking isn't going to be much of a problem aside from making your way back over to Canter Zoom."

Not everything was going to work out perfectly. Even the greatest of plans would have their share of flaws which can't be fixed due to being beyond your means. Before using the song taught to me by Autumn Blaze, I walked back into that sandy area where I noticed a single shrub surrounded by grass. I had to be quick here otherwise I could potentially be swarmed by Zombies as they did frequent in this area. Cutting the shrub yielded nothing but when I dug the sand where it was using my shovel, a Secret Seashell was unearthed. This gave me a total of seven but I still needed more.

Taking out the ocarina and playing Manbo's Mambo again, I focused on the Animal Village and like before, everything went white as I was whisked away only to arrive at my destination moments later. Stepping off the raised platform, my feet got wet due to forgetting that there was a small body of water just south of the village. Grumbling as I trudged through the water and entering the village proper, I immediately walked to the only house I never visited during my previous visits. Sure, I could ignore this and go straight to Chestnut Magnifico but I needed to know who lived in this one remaining home.

Inside of this house was an artist's studio as there were paint cans, paintbrushes, and more everywhere which made everything look so untidy. Standing on a white rug was a hippo who was standing completely still. If I remembered my art classes at Canterlot High, she was a model which meant she wouldn't want to talk to me as it would be distracting. Besides, I doubted she had any information for me so ignoring her wouldn't make me feel guilty. The other occupant of the house looked exactly like Bulk Biceps albeit instead of wearing a summer outfit, he wore a painter's outfit complete with pain splotches. This had to be Bulk's 'brother' that he mentioned when I saw him earlier in this adventure.

I walked up to him and he immediately took notice of me. "YEAH! I am Schule Donavitch!" Bulk Biceps said. It was weird knowing that there were two of him in this world but I supposed it made sense since they were brothers. "Have you come here to learn about zee mermaid statue?"

"What statue?" I asked.

"Why zee mermaid statue." Bulk Biceps answered as he swung his brush. Some paint did land on my nose which I flicked off but he clearly wasn't paying attention. "That statue iz my masterpiece! A beautiful sculpture of zee mermaid who lives in zee bay though many doubt she exists. But, I will be honest with you. That statue, it iz how you say, not finished even though when you look upon its beauty, it does look complete. YEAH! It iz so heartbreaking that it makes me want to cry sometimes."

"Why do you say it's incomplete?"

"I can tell that you are appreciative of zee art, yes?"

I nodded. "Where I come from, I pride myself on being pretty good at being an artist."

"Then I can tell you zee problem, YEAH!" Bulk Biceps then pointed his paintbrush at a picture of the mermaid statue in question, and I was surprised to see that it was what I saw when I was taking King Sombra to his house. Everything on the picture looked great until I saw that there was a piece missing. "As you can zee, my masterpiece is missing a single scale of zee mermaid. Long ago, it was stolen and so my work remains incomplete, a stain on my legacy as an artist! YEAH! If I could get a new scale, it would mean zee world to me. But, zee mermaid iz a tricky one to find as no one haz seen her in a long time."

"I think I saw a mermaid earlier."

"YEAH! You have?"

"She looked upset but I was too far away so I couldn't tell."

"Perhaps you should talk to her provided you can, as they zay, swim, YEAH!"

"You know... I think I will."

That made Bulk Bicep's day. "If you can bring me a scale of zee mermaid, I might be able to finally finish my masterpiece. But, I am currently busy with my subject over there and I cannot afford to take zee time to go to zee statue. Perhaps you can complete my work as you are a fellow artist. I will ensure that you are given zee proper credit."

Taking my leave of Bulk Bicep's studio because I knew that continuing the conversation would not only cause him distraction, his subject would likely get really annoyed and do something she would likely regret. It appeared that this mermaid statue was important but without a scale, it would remain unfinished, and while the artist within me felt devastated, the adventurer within me believed that something had to be hidden either within or underneath the statue. I asked Princess Twilight to make me a reminder of this version of Bulk Biceps so that I could come back here once I had what he needed.

Entering Chesnut Magnifico's house, she wasn't impressed with my approaching her. "Oh... It's you again. I thought I told you that you lacked the proper etiquette with which to speak to a lady. I know you are clearly enamoured by my presence but until you have what I'm looking for, this conversation is just a waste of my time as well as yours. Besides, you look as though you're itching to resume whatever mundane task you are currently working on."

"You said you needed a hibiscus, right?"

"At least you managed to remember that at least."

I then carefully took out the hibiscus from my pocket. "I believe this is what you desire."

Upon seeing it, Chestnut Magnifico's eyes lit up in an instant. "Oh! You managed to bring me a hibiscus! How very sweet of you! I was wrong to think that you didn't understand proper etiquette and for that, I sincerely apologize." She got up, took the hibiscus from my hands, and placed it into the empty flowerpot next to her desk. "My house looks much more beautiful than before. You are such a sweet woman, I know now that you can be trusted, so I would like to ask a request of you. It's a small little task which is sure to make you very happy."

"What is it?"

"I have this letter right here." Chestnut Magnifico answered, her cheeks blushing, which made me a little suspicious but I chose to keep that to myself. "I would like you to take this to a Mr. Write who lives on the border of the Mysterious Forest over by Goponga Swamp. I know he's been waiting for a response from me for such a long time but things happened which caused me to not send him anything. Whatever you do... Do not open the letter and read it for yourself. Only he is allowed to see what it says. I know you won't do anything of the sort since you are a sweet lady."

"Sure, I can take it to him."

"I truly appreciate you accepting my request."

"I'm sure he will appreciate this."

"Oh I'm counting on it."

In my mind, this situation had started to become really weird. I know that back home, Chestnut Magnifico and Canter Zoom had a working relationship what with him being a director and she an actress, but what was happening here... On second thought, it was probably for the best if I just delivered her letter to him and not worry about it. After all, it's not like I was going to wind up in any kind of trouble. Leaving her house with her letter in my hand, I now had to backtrack to where he lived, yet I could warp over to Zecora's place which would cut down on some of the time.

Before making my way over to Canter Zoom, there was one other thing I needed to take of, and it was something that Adagio mentioned at the Seashell Mansion. I had no idea when my next visit to the Animal Village would be so I needed to get this little detail done now or else end up forgetting about it. Princess Twilight was curious as to my current course of action and I told her that I needed to use the song Starlight had been singing in order to acquire another Secret Seashell. Her Highness nodded her approval and knew exactly where I was going... the walrus who had previously been blocking the path to the Yarna Desert.

"What do y'all mean by that?" Applejack asked.

"You believe yourself to be incapable of lying, honest one, but in truth you have been lying though you choose not to believe it." Ganondorf answered.

Applejack was not happy about that accusation. "What!? That's Grade-A bunkus and y'all know it! Sure, I've told lies here and there but because I had no other choice! I didn't want mah friends and family to get hurt so I had to bend the truth for them even if I didn't like it." Ganondorf had a cruel smile upon his lips in response and Applejack knew that she had unintentionally given him an opening. "Representin' honesty don't mean I can't lie because that would make me inhuman. Sure, tellin' lies ain't good practice nor should it be used ta get what y'all want but at times you have ta lie."

"Those little lies of yours eventually became much bigger than you thought."

"As you previously stated."

"My point is thus proven."

Applejack nodded sadly. "I 'sppose yer right."

"How can you be honest with yourself if you cannot do this with those closest to you?" Ganondorf raised his hand and Applejack began to feel weaker. "It seems that honesty is a force not to be trifled with." He then noticed something about Applejack which he addressed which took her by surprise. "You possess incredible strength. Surely, you could have easily broken free of my hold over you and perhaps attempted to fight me hand-to-hand. But, instead you refrained from such an action... How curious."

"I don't use mah strength to fight."

"How amusing."

"And why are y'all laughin' this time?"

Ganondorf continued to laugh. "Because in the end, you told the truth though it came too little, too late." Clenching his hand into a fist, Applejack slumped forward as much as she could before she was eventually paralyzed entirely once again. "Perhaps, honest one, in another lifetime, you would've been a worthy second-in-command of the Gerudo. I truly do believe you and I have much in common." He then began gazing at the rest of my friends before zeroing in on Pinkie Pie. "Ah... The laughing one. She who can bend reality to her whim... A power known only to me... Or so I once thought." Snapping his finger, Pinkie was freed of her paralysis.

Yawning, Pinkie Pie looked around to see our friends frozen in place. "If I had known this was going to happen, I wouldn't have included sleepover in the party description. I mean, that was an interesting nap even though I wasn't sleeping in a bed and I was sleeping standing up. Actually, more like being frozen in a state of suspended animation." She then stopped her ranting upon realizing what was happening. "Oh... It's you, the video game character come to life and ruining our fun."

"You are an enigma, laughing one."

"I don't know what that means but thank you."

"The power you possess beyond that of the Element you wield is most intriguing." Ganondorf said, using his magic to bring Pinkie Pie closer to him. "With that kind of power, you can fulfill desires that others can only dream about. Think about it! Nothing would be out of your reach! You could become the most powerful creature who had ever lived. No one could oppose you and would be forced to conform to your desires."

"I could transform the entire cosmos so that everything was made of icing." Pinkie Pie smacked her lips over what she could do with such power, but Ganondorf clearly wasn't showing any kind of appreciation towards her idea. "Wow... You're not much when it comes to laughing and having a good time. I suppose I could do as you suggest which would make me really happy but would it make my friends happy that I could dominate the cosmos? Their happiness is important to me."

"Is it?"

"Well, duh!"

"I see that you are ignorant of your own actions, laughing one."

"I usually don't think back on what I've done and instead focus on what's coming next."

"Then the events where the child was forced to relive the same day over and over means nothing to you?" Ganondorf asked. As soon as he mentioned it, Pinkie Pie immediately stopped and appeared to look nervous though she tried hiding this. "It appears that I have struck a nerve."

"Everything worked out with the Post Crush concert."

"But it is what happened beforehand which you are guilty of." Ganondorf said, his eyes glowing once again. "You allowed your antics to ruin the child's excitement and she tried so hard to keep away from you. When this failed, she believed that she could trust you to keep an eye on the three former creatures of her world who had lost everything. You said that you would carry out such a task but instead, you allowed your humour to take over resulting in the child lashing out at you. Heh... Is this laughter? Is this humour? No... It is the dream of one so close to you shattering into pieces."

"I was only trying to help."

"Help by causing disaster?"

"It's what I do to make things more interesting."

Ganondorf laughed. "And yet have you never once questioned that perhaps those around do not like it when you act in such a manner? What may constitute as fun for you does not necessarily mean they will reciprocate it in kind. The child did not enjoy what you did and even believed that she could no longer view you as being a friend who had her best interests at heart, instead choosing your own selfish needs by acting like a fool would. Tell me, laughing one... How can you truly see yourself when such visions are blind to you? This is not the only instance of this happening. No. You have done far worse."

Pinkie Pie's resolve shattered upon hearing that. "No... That's not true! My antics are funny! They make everyone laugh!"

"But only when you want it to be."

"Is that true?"

"Only you know that answer, laughing one."

When I reached the location of where the walrus had been sleeping, it was still in the water which surprised me. I thought it would've gone back to the Animal Village instead of lounging about out here but I supposed that wasn't really important. Taking out the ocarina again, this time, I played Ballad of the Wind Fish in hopes that what Adagio said about the walrus reacting to it was true. Sure enough, it lifted up its head and assumed that Starlight was nearby as it clearly recognized her song. Instead, it just saw me which made it feel disappointed that I wasn't Starlight yet it appeared to have appreciated playing her song.

It then tossed a Secret Seashell which I picked up giving me eight now and it lowered its head down hoping that Starlight would come by again. She was still singing to the animals so nothing was really preventing her from coming over here but I supposed she had her reasons for remaining in the village. Playing Manbo's Mambo next, I focused on Zecora's place as now I needed to give the letter to Canter Zoom. Like before, the magic of warping enveloped around me and everything went white as I was whisked away only to end up where I wanted to go moments later... behind Zecora's house as the warp point was located there.

This was the part I now dreaded as it meant backtracking through the Mysterious Forest even though I could get to Canter Zoom via Goponga Swamp. The latter route, as I reminded myself, couldn't be considered due to not having BowWow on hand, so my only choice was the former route. Using the Pegasus Boots, (At least I could get over to him quickly instead of walking at a regular speed) I dashed west, ran past the Moblins Lair (I wondered if any Moblins had decided to take up residence there?), before running into a boulder, got stunned, regained my composure and went south.

From there, I jumped over the holes that had surrounded the Piece of Heart I had picked up at the time, and continued west into the Mysterious Forest by dashing. I knew that I could've taken my sweet time but I really wanted to get this over with so as not to have to come back to this area again unless I really had to. Dashing past the Moblins, who tried attacking me only I was already past them when they started, avoided the Red Zols, jumped over another hole, and continued dashing past more Moblins until I was finally outside of the forest upon turning right and seeing Canter Zoom's house.

For the record, I actually made pretty good time which made me think of the gamers who called themselves speed runners. They would've likely gotten to Canter Zoom faster than I did and most likely used some kind of game breaking glitch or something in order to get to him. I knew some glitches myself but never once considered putting them into practice. Why try to beat a game as fast as possible when you could simply take your time and appreciate it for what it tried to do. Then again... I do love the competition speed running provides so I'm not entirely innocent in this regard.

Entering Canter Zoom's house, he had been looking at a piece of paper before he looked up to face me. "Ah... I see that you have come back to pay me a visit. I must say that you were gone an awfully long time, but you most likely had your own business to take care of. Please ignore my prior statement as even I should be respectful towards someone who clearly has her own agenda without needing to acquiesce to mine."

"I went to the Animal Village..." I began.

"Oh?" Canter Zoom asked, his excitement clearly rising. "I know that both humans and animals live in that village even though the latter are more numerous, but that's a different subject for another day. So you were able to find the person who hasn't been replying to my letters?"

"About that..."

"Do you have a letter for me?"

"I do but I really think you should..."

My words were being completely ignored by Canter Zoom who appeared lost in his own little world. Sighing, I handed over the letter and he felt like he had suddenly won a fabulous prize no one had ever heard of before. "It is... It is a letter for me. I'm so happy." He then opened up the letter and a picture fell out which landed on his desk. "Look at this! There is even a photograph. I decided to take a look at the photo for myself and my reaction was... shocking. That wasn't Chestnut Magnifico but rather a photo of Princess Peach of Mario fame with what looked to be a goat's hoof print.

As much as I was annoyed with yet another Mario reference, this one I could accept because it was just plain bizarre. Hang on a second! Why would Chestnut Magnifico send a photo of someone else and not herself? Something was clearly wrong here. "Um... You might want to know something very important about the person who sent that letter to you. I know you're happy right now but you really ought to listen to me.

Clearly, Canter Zoom was too enthralled with the photo to listen. "She's so beautiful. Ah... The lovely Christine." Christine? Well, at least I learned that... I guessed? "I am so thankful to you for bringing me this. I must give you something for your trouble."

"You don't need to do that."

"Oh but I insist."

"If you say so."

Looking around for something, Canter Zoom reached behind his chair and pulled out a broom. "Well... This is all I have so I hope you don't mind. I'm sure someone like you can find a way to use this."

Even though this wasn't what I was expecting for a reward, I decided to take the broom anyway. Besides, Vignette Valencia in this world had been sweeping all over the island with a broom so perhaps I could give it to her sometime. More importantly, Canter Zoom was completely smitten with a goat only he believed she looked like Princess Peach. I thought about telling him the truth but considering how happy he looked, I couldn't ruin his special moment. Whether he eventually found out or not was up to him. Love can be wonderful but it can also be incredibly weird.

Leaving his house and playing Manbo's Mambo on the ocarina, I focused on Mabe Village since I needed to go to the library now. As everything began turning white again, I began thinking about what kind of dungeon awaited me. First of all, having one hidden below the graveyard wasn't anything new since I already went through such an experience during my first adventure via the Shadow Temple. (Even now, I still remembered its name on account of it being a place of the dead) Yet why hide it there and not somewhere more convenient? Surely a place like Martha's Bay or maybe even Kanalet Castle could've sufficed.

Upon appearing on the raised platform east of Mabe Village, I walked off of it, went west, picked up the boulder, tossed it aside, and dashed across the village until I reached the library before entering it. "Whew... No more side-questing for me for a while until more progress has been made." I said as I took a quick breather."

"There's nothing wrong with helping others you know." Princess Twilight said.

"I know but having to go back and forth can get really annoying."

"You're not wrong about that."

"Twilight..." I began. "Do you think I should be checking out this hidden dungeon?"

"I said that I would follow you on whatever decision you make." Princess Twilight answered. "Besides, this is your journey and I'm just your partner. It's my job to guide you through to the end by sharing my vast wisdom." Her Highness then noticed me making a smug expression towards her and she immediately knew what I was getting at. "I've been in this position before, Sunset, when Starlight used to be my student. I'm acting just like Princess Celestia by being a mother figure. This is what I need to do frequently once my coronation occurs as I'll have to guide all of Equestria like this."

"You've got this."

"Though I'm sure to still have my moments."

"Don't we all?" I then began looking around for the book I needed. "Do you remember where that book is?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "Discord said that it had been placed high on a shelf and only someone with fast feet can knock it down." Her Highness then looked at the top of each bookcase in order to find said book and her wings flapped rapidly upon her seeing it at the back of the library. "There is it, Sunset!"

Seeing the book in question, I dashed into the book shelf with the Pegasus Boots. While being stunned, I was surprised that only that book fell down and not the others. You'd think hitting a shelf that hard would cause them all to fall down but perhaps this place was more sturdy than appearances suggested. Once I had regained my composure, I opened up the book and began to read. "It says 'The Hidden Power of Colour'... 'There's a new world of colour under the five gravestones in the southeast corner of the graveyard.' The next page showed five numbers with an arrow pointing at each one. "Um... Twilight? Do you understand this?"

"I think it's some kind of code."

"According to this, 'Three = Up, Four = Right, Five = Up, Two = Left, and One = Down'... That makes no sense at all." I said. Scratching my head, I tried to think of what this information meant but I couldn't put any of it together. "Perhaps if I were to see the gravestones in question, then this riddle would become clear to me." There were more pages to read so I began reading them. "Okay, it says 'Try with all your might and you may open a new path. Are you worthy to receive the power of colour?' Well... I had hoped for additional answers and not whatever that last bit was."

"At least we have an idea now."

"I suppose so."

"Do you want to get some medicine from Sugar Belle or are you confident enough in your skills?"

"Let's go for it."

"How very bold of you."

Closing up the book and leaving the library, I noticed that Applebloom and Sweetie Belle was still tossing that ball to one another. I was both surprised and disturbed as how they managed to keep on doing that constantly without ever finding themselves bored proved astounding. I thought about going over and talking to them but they seemed preoccupied and I didn't have it in me to disrupt their fun. Dashing to the other side of the village, I looked over at the Item Shop and imagined having that bow in my possession. Eventually, it would be in my hands as I only had about 200 rupees or so remaining before I could afford it.

Picking up the boulder and tossing it aside, I left the village and began making my way up to the graveyard. This was now the third time I had gone in this direction and the second in a matter of a couple of hours in game time. You'd think this would get boring but surprisingly, I enjoyed additional explorations as I could easily spot something I might have missed during the initial exploration. I'm so focused on reaching the next area as soon as possible yet so much gets missed by my own ignorance. Picking up and tossing the next boulder aside, I couldn't help but notice that the boulder keeps those Zombies from entering Ukuku Prairie and quite possibly Mabe Village.

Speaking of Zombies, one immediately popped up from the ground and I defeated it instantly since it wasn't a threat. I then slapped my forehead upon remembering that Zombies would endlessly re-spawn in this area which meant defeating them was utterly pointless. As if on cue, another Zombie popped up and began shuffling towards me, but I ignored it and kept on moving until I arrived at the entrance to the graveyard. As Princess Twilight mentioned to me before when I first came here, the graveyard was haunted by Ghinis, ghosts who would come forth from the graves and could potentially overwhelm me.

"Should I attack the Ghinis or just ignore them?"

"Well... You can ignore them as all they do is fly about the graves." Princess Twilight answered. "The problem is that they have erratic behaviour so you never know what they might do next so I suggest to be on guard. Now, if they attack you, as I told you before, you can defeat them with your sword despite the fact that they are ghosts. It's just a Ghini can take a lot of punishment before it's defeated."

"What if I accidentally touch a gravestone and another one pops out?"

"You can't defeat those ones but they will be defeated if the original one goes down."

"And what about the Giant Ghini?"

"Pray that you don't see one."

Raising my shield, I slowly walked past the gravestones in order to get to the southeast area of the graveyard. I was showing signs of being afraid given how my legs were shaking and I was constantly looking in all directions, but I knew I had to remain strong considering how this wasn't what you'd call a typical location. Graveyards weren't new for me since this was my third time going through one yet compared to the other two, this one was remarkably calm. As I reached the other side, none of the Ghinis had paid any attention and I was relieved to know that was the case. It also helped that I hadn't touched any graves as I knew what would happen.

Reaching the southeast corner, it comprised of five gravestones and that's when it all clicked for me. "Twilight..." I whispered in order to not draw any attention to myself. "I think I know what that riddle was about the hidden dungeon."

"You know what to do?"

"Are you surprised?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "Yes, as a matter of fact. I've been thinking about it while you were making your way up here and I just couldn't figure it out. Even when you asked me about those Ghini, I continued to ponder over the meaning behind the book's riddle. Guess there are things that can elude even me. Sunset, you always were a very smart unicorn given how you've overcome so many odds that were stacked against you. Never question your intelligence or your own abilities. Just because I'm a princess doesn't mean I always know everything nor have to know everything."

"I know, Twilight."

"So... How did you figure it out."

I pointed to each of the five gravestones and labelled them three, four, and five on the top and two, and one on the bottom. "By labelling them as such, I have to push them in the directions that the book hinted and upon pushing the final gravestone, it should reveal an entrance of some kind. Granted, if I've gotten this wrong, I'll be swarmed by Ghinis and have no way of escaping. Also, judging from how heavy each one looks, I need the Power Bracelet to push them. Had I come here beforehand, none of them would've budged. It makes me wonder if I need anything else for this place."

"We won't know until we get inside."

I was about to push the closest gravestone to me when I suddenly realized something. I needed to push them from one to five in that order otherwise it wouldn't work and not top row first then bottom row. Wow... I had clearly been overthinking with this puzzle. It was actually really simple yet both Princess Twilight and I struggled to understand the meaning thus we both made ourselves appear foolish despite our vast intellects. Heading over to the gravestone I had designated as number one, I pushed it south only for nothing to happen. I then pushed the next one west and again nothing happened.

Was I doing this right? I had no idea since there was no indication of such. Moving up to the third gravestone, I pushed it north only this time a Ghini emerged from the ground. I knew not to panic as that would rile it and the other Ghini up so I continued with what I was doing. I could defeat the original Ghini and automatically defeat the other one but it could cause the other Ghini nearby to come on over. No... I didn't want to risk it. Pushing the fourth gravestone east did nothing but upon pushing the final one north, it revealed a hidden staircase and not some kind of flashy entrance.

Before I could be attacked by any of the Ghinis, I headed down the stairs and entered the mystery dungeon, and the voice once again spoke to me. It said that this place was a secret place known as the 'Colour Dungeon' though it didn't have a level attributed to it. I was curious for a moment as to why that was but ultimately such a curiosity didn't really matter in the overall grand scheme. After all, this was a hidden dungeon, one that didn't exist unless you happened to be looking for it. Still, I looked forward to learning more about the power of colour as described in the book yet Her Highness most likely was more curious than I was.

"So this is called the Colour Dungeon."

"Even though this place is optional and not required, it still follows the same function as a regular dungeon." Princess Twilight said. "There will be a Dungeon Map, a Compass, a number of small keys, a Nightmare Key, powerful monsters blocking your way, and a Nightmare."

I reacted when Her Highness mentioned that last thing. "Wait! There's a Nightmare in here!? Seriously!?"

"It would make sense."

"Guess I should've expected it."

"By the way, Sunset. We're not alone." Princess Twilight brought to my attention two characters, one wearing blue and the other wearing red, standing in front of the doorway. I had no idea who either of them were but Her Highness clearly recognized them. "The one in blue is Thorax, ruler of the Changelings. Granted, he wasn't actually elected to be their ruler but rather he was chosen because he chose to change and inspired the others to do so as well to overthrow Chrysalis. Still, he has done a lot for the Changelings despite still having reservations about being the leader."

"Didn't he help defeat Chrysalis when you and so many others were abducted."

"Thorax is known as the Changeling who decided to change."

I rolled my heads. "That doesn't roll off the tongue but I get your meaning." I then looked at the other one. "And which one is that?"

"That's Pharynx, the older brother of Thorax." Princess Twilight paused momentarily before continuing. "Unlike Thorax, I've not met Pharynx, but from what Starlight told me about him, he was the last Changeling to undergo the transformation into what they are now. He preferred their old ways of hunting and feeding off of love despite Thorax's efforts to change that about his subjects, but this made it difficult for other Changelings to be around him which eventually caused a strain in the relationship between the two brothers. Let's just say a crazy plan isn't the best way to go about dealing with a situation."

"Was it that bad?"

"Starlight had a lot of explaining to do that day."

"Do you know why the two of them are standing before us?"

"I have no idea."

Guessed it was up to me to start a conversation. Given what Her Highness described about them, I decided to talk to Thorax first. "Um... Hello there." I said to him in hopes that he would say something back.

"Look at this, Dion!" Thorax said.

"Now isn't this a surprise, Gar!" Pharynx said.

Both of them looked really anxious which made me back away slowly until Thorax waved his hands. "Sorry, we didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. It's just that we haven't had anyone come down here in years. So please forgive us for being excited about seeing someone enter this place for the first time in ages. Allow me to introduce ourselves to you. I am Gar and this is my older brother Dion, and we're the colour guard. This is the Colour Dungeon."

"Why do they call it that?" I asked.

"That is a very good question." Pharynx answered.

"This dungeon is filled with tricks and traps that are designed around the world of colour." Thorax said. "Had you come here without being able to distinguish colour, you wouldn't have been able to progress through no less than be allowed to get by us."

"And yet we can't do that thing anymore, brother."

"What thing?" I asked.

"Years ago, Gar and I would ask people if they could tell which colour we were both wearing." Pharynx answered, pointing first at his shirt and then at Thorax's shirt. "Sure, it was easy to answer... Provided you were able to see colour. You'd be surprised as to how many we had to turn away all because they couldn't see colour. These days, no one has to answer that question so the two of us adapted by changing how we approach those who come here."

"We now offer advice for free." Thorax said.

"It's not the same as it used to be but it's all we've got."

"I'm sorry that this happened to the two of you." I said. That caused both brothers to stare at me intently which made me more uncomfortable than before but I quickly continued talking so as to not be distracted. "I take it my words have surprised the pair of you? Don't be. I know what it's like to have to adapt and change my ways. Sure, it can be difficult at first and even unbearable since you've only known one way, but once you've gotten used to it, going back is the worst thing you could do. You can still do your job but with a much different outlook on life which will be something to appreciate later on."

"Neither of us thought about it like that." Thorax said.

"You have such empathy." Pharynx added.

"People have been saying that about me for years." I said.

Pharynx then had an idea. "I think we can improve on our advice service by extending it beyond this place. Normally, we would tell those who come here about things that occur in this dungeon which can't be explained by those Owl Statues, but we do have knowledge about everyone who lives on the island. Not just the people above mind you but also the various locations that exist. There is practically nothing neither of us don't know."

"When you lived for a few centuries, you tend to pick up on these things." Thorax said.

"I hope it's nothing that shouldn't be said." I said.

Thorax shook his head. "We know not to divulge information like that. The two of us may be skeletons but we're not stupid enough to share secrets no one wants to have shared as that can ruin a person." It was at that moment when I realized Thorax and Pharynx bore a similar resemblance to Stalfos only not so much intimidating but rather cute. "Now, you will need some Magic Powder in order to get through this dungeon."

Pharynx nodded. "We know that you possess some as why else would you come here? If you ever were to run out, just say the word and we will sell some to you. You think that witch up above is the only one who can make the stuff? My brother and I are pretty good at whipping up our own supply for those who need it. Now, please go on through and enjoy what this place has to offer. You'll see us both again soon enough in future rooms where we will reveal information to you. One more thing... I wouldn't upset the three guardians otherwise you might find yourself with a lot of pain, more than what they normally dish out."

Both brothers then shuffled away from the door allowing me access to the dungeon proper. While I was a little concerned that they would potentially reveal information about the people of the island that they shouldn't do, I had to admit that I was curious about what they knew and hoped to maybe find out a little more about this world. I was also relieved to know that I could buy more Magic Powder in case my current stock ran out. Granted, I haven't used much as of late since I did have other items at my disposal but having a means of replenishing my supply didn't hurt.

Entering the next room, I was surprised to see two sets of green tiles near where I entered and some red tiles at the other end of the room. I could also see some monsters that appeared to be melding with those tiles. "Now what are these supposed to be?"

"This dungeon has unique monsters you won't find anywhere else." Princess Twilight answered.

"So any that are incredibly powerful will remain here?"

"Unless they also appear in Zecora's Dungeon Creator."

"That's a possibility."

"Anyway, the first monster is a Green Camo Goblin." Princess Twilight said, pointing at the two green creatures that were on either side of me. "These monsters hid in green coloured tiles and will attack when they see you. Other than that, they don't have any outstanding characteristics and can easily be defeated. The other one is a Red Camo Goblin, and they behave in the exact same manner but instead of hiding in green coloured tiles, they hide in red coloured ones. Just don't allow their strange appearances to distract you, Sunset."

The moment I took a step forward, both Green Camo Goblins stretched up and revealed their full forms. Ugh! They looked like cartoonish slime creatures complete with over-exaggerated mouths. In fact, all they were doing was lifting up their arms. That's it! Huh... I was expecting them to do something else but I supposed I shouldn't have expected much what with Her Highness' description of each. Attacking the two Green Camo Goblins at the same time with my sword, both went down without an issue only for the Red Camo Goblin to move forward where it too was defeated with a single sword swing.

It's defeat unlocked the door and so I entered the next room and encountered four strange looking switches. Two of them were blue in colour while the other two were red. To my right was a cracked wall which meant it would reveal a secret passage if I were to blow it up with a bomb. The way forward wasn't blocked but I was curious about these switches and why they were arranged like they were. An Owl Statue to my left most likely revealed what I needed to do but without a Stone Beak, the statue couldn't do anything for me. I wasn't stuck as I could just move on but I really wanted to figure this one out.

At that moment, Thorax and Pharynx appeared from the wall by the Owl Statue much to my surprise. "WAAAAH!" I shouted. "Please warn me next time when you do that! You two almost scared me to death!"

"This is how we get around." Thorax said.

"Most actually did die from being scared when we do that." Pharynx added.

"Maybe we ought to provide a warning like she said."

"It couldn't hurt."

"Um... Why are you two here?" I asked. "Aside from scaring me."

"This Owl Statue was going to tell you how to figure out the secret behind these switches, but I might as well give you a hint since you can't hear what its saying without having its missing beak." Thorax answered. "Strange how it went missing and no one bothered to go look for it. Anyway, colours that clash aren't very appealing and can cause friction so why not make them co-exist together under one colour?"

Pharynx then added his thoughts. "Now to give you some information about the island and its inhabitants. There used to be a rat who lived on the island who loved taking photos of just about everything. He had a few favourite places he said were the best spots to take photos. Unfortunately, he passed away from an unforeseen illness. A shame really as no one else knew how to take photos."

"That was our advice so we'll see you later."

Both brothers then disappeared by going back into the wall but what they said about this rat was pretty depressing. My previous adventure to Termina involved having to deal with characters who had perished prior to that journey so this brought back some pretty bad memories for me. I doubted that they intended on making me upset since they didn't know what I had been through in the past so I couldn't hold it against either of them. At least Thorax provided a hint on how to deal with the switches even if it was philosophical to a degree. Hitting a switch, it changed colour which caused two more to do the same.

Okay, this was starting to make sense. I walked over to the one in the upper right corner and hit it which caused it to change colour as well as all the others until they were all the same colour thus solving the puzzle. I had a feeling it would only get harder from here since I was still seen as being in the early stages of the dungeon. My efforts caused a treasure chest to appear which I opened and was rewarded with the Compass. Again, I wished I could get the Dungeon Map first followed by this as this item was useless without the former. Sighing, I contemplated on where to go next.

Deciding on heading right, I entered the next room where most of the floor was covered in different coloured tiles (They were red, yellow, and green) with some having cracks while others had even more cracks. A door heading north was locked so I needed a key in order to unlock it. Floating above near the middle of the room was a skeletal creature which bore a slight resemblance to a Shrouded Stalfos yet much smaller than it and lacked weapons though it made that up by dropping bombs which exploded instantly. It reminded me of a Zirro only with a skeletal look as opposed to a mushroom like the Zirro.

"Okay, what is this thing?" I asked.

"This is known as a Bone Putter." Princess Twilight answered. "There are two versions of this monster. The one you're seeing has wings and will on occasion drop bombs which you already witnessed. Between the two versions, this is the worse one because of its bomb dropping capability combined with being capable of flight. The other Bone Putter has no wings and is essentially helpless though it does enjoy getting rid of tiles like what we're seeing here. Winged Bone Putters usually accompany their counterparts and do all of the fighting since the other can't do anything."

"What about these tiles?"

"Like Thorax and Pharynx said, everything in this dungeon revolves around colour."

"So they change colour when I step on them?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "From green to yellow to red and then that tile crumbles. I'm sure there will be other rooms like this in the Colour Dungeon so consider this to be your early warning about it. Defeating this Bone Putter won't unlock anything or make a chest appear since the Compass didn't make a sound so feel free to ignore it."

Ignoring it was simple enough since its behaviour looked rather simplistic, but what wasn't simple were those bombs which not only could damage me, they were also destroying the tiles that I needed to make it across to the other side of the room. I supposed I could use the Roc's Feather and just jump across though that was risky as I could bump into this monster or get blasted by a bomb as I was jumping. No... It was best to simply make a run for it and hope I wouldn't get hit. The Bone Putter so far had failed to notice me and continued dropping bombs which were destroying more tiles but upon flying away from where I needed to go, this was my opportunity.

I dashed across the tiles as some cracked while others disappeared and entered the next room before the Bone Putter even knew what was happening. In this next room, there were two holes on the ground though they were circular in design as opposed to squares like normal holes were and were bigger than usual. Each also had been colour-coded by having a coloured rim surrounding it. One was surrounded by blue and the other red. My eyes were focused on two creatures that looked like giant spheres with eyeballs located in the middle of them. What kind of creatures were these meant to be?

To Be Continued.

Chapter 16: The Power of Colour.

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.
By Ganondorf8.
December 15, 2019.
Chapter 16: The Power of Colour.

"What are those supposed to be?" I asked.

"One is a Blue Orb Monster and the other is a Red Orb Monster." Princess Twilight answered.

"Really?" I asked in surprise. "They couldn't have been given better names than that?"

"Beggars can't be choosers, Sunset." The two monsters walked around but on occasion they would start spinning which had to be their means of attack. Upon seeing me, they tried to reach me only for the stone blocks to get in their way which gave me a moment to plan. Princess Twilight then continued her explanation. "Since you just saw their attack, you don't need any advice on that. However, attacking one makes it regress into their shell which leaves them vulnerable. In fact, you can pick them up and toss them around but no doubt what has to be done with them is pretty obvious."

While Princess Twilight was teasing me with her words, the message on how to deal with these creatures was crystal clear. The Blue Orb Monster finally managed to get around the stone blocks and began spinning but I responded by using my shield to deflect it until it was exhausted. I then attacked it which forced it to regress into its shell (I couldn't help but find it to be rather cute in that form) before picking it up. Without the Power Bracelet, this would've been impossible because of their heavy nature. Of course, not having the bracelet meant not being able to accessing the Color Dungeon proper as I'd have lacked strength to move the gravestones.

Taking the Blue Orb Monster to the hole in the ground with the blue colour around it, I tossed the monster in where it fit in perfectly yet showed no signs of struggling to get out which made me think. If I attacked these monsters while they had regressed into their shells, that could force them back out and attack me before I had a chance to defend myself. Taking precaution was imperative as without medicine, my health could only last for so long. The Red Orb Monster began spinning in my direction after having gotten around the stone blocks but again I used my shield to deflect its attack until it tuckered itself out.

Attacking it to make it regress, I picked up the shell, placed into the remaining hole, and both monsters disappeared in puffs of smoke. I wasn't expecting that to happen. In fact, I was expecting both monsters struggling to free themselves only to do so long after I had left the room. So far, these Colour Dungeon monsters had proven themselves intriguing though their fighting prowess was pretty bad, but there was no doubt in my heart that far worse things had yet to come. A treasure chest then materialized as my reward for defeating both orb monsters and upon opening it, I took out a Stone Beak which may or may not be useful.

After all, I had Thorax and Pharynx giving me assistance in their unusual manner. I still couldn't believe those two were brothers according to what Princess Twilight said. Pharynx was the more brazen of the two which was certainly saying something as Thorax was gentle but tended to second-guess himself. It's like both were polar opposites of each other who managed to work things out with one desiring peace and the other itching for battle at any opportunity. It made sense in my mind that Thorax is the Changeling Leader as he was the one who convinced his kind that changing into what they are now was best.

Heading south and into the next room, I was immediately attacked by two Red Camo Goblins who were situated either side of the door. One managed to bump into me causing a little bit of damage but I quickly took it out along with the other one using my sword. Aside from the large hole in the center, there wasn't much else here aside from two Green Camo Goblins who were waiting on the other side on green tiles. (Like they could hide from me since their blob-like forms were pretty apparent) Stepping forward, both monsters dashed forward leaving the safety of their tiles and I simply defeated both with a single sword hit each.

Both doors unlocked so I walked left into the next room only to encounter two Bone Putters and the tiles from the previous room where I was first introduced to that monster. As I took in my surroundings, the Compass beeped indicating that a key was contained within the chest. Her Highness told me that these were the other kind of Bone Putter, the harmless one that simply bounced around without a care in the world. I could defeat both but Princess Twilight insisted that I remained still and allowed them to continue bouncing about. Sure, it was an unusual request until I figured out what she was getting at.

It didn't take long for both Bone Putters to eventually jump into the very holes that they had created. "Wow..." I said upon seeing such a display. "You weren't kidding when you said I should remain still. I can't believe they went ahead and did that."

"Some monsters are more carefree than others, Sunset."

"Now I feel bad for them."

"You shouldn't as what they did, they did to themselves without you attacking them."

"I guess so."

"Also, they didn't remove as many tiles as you were probably thinking."

I sighed knowing that was the case. "Still, had they removed more, I'd have had to backtrack to the previous room then come back in here in order to reset everything, and they'd have probably been reset too." Again, my thought process here was that the monsters of this dungeon were intriguing but lacked attack power. "To be fair, I was hoping for some tough enemies to fight but I guess Koholint Island has been lacking and not just this place alone. I know saying such things is stupid but I can't help it if my competitive nature desires an actual challenge instead of such an easy time of it."

"Best not to get too complacent."

"I know..."

"The regular monsters may not be satisfying you but the mid-bosses and Nightmares have definitely tested you."

"I just wish it could be consistent for everything."

Princess Twilight then placed her tiny hand on my nose. "I know you desire a challenge, Sunset, one that can give you a sense of satisfaction, but you should never take things for granted at any time. Just because things are easy with the monsters doesn't mean that will always be the case. Be grateful for the fact that you can actually fight them. Imagine if you had no sword, shield, or even items at your disposal... Just your bare hands and your wits."

"Okay, I see your point."

"Being cocky is just asking for trouble."

And this was why having Princess Twilight as my partner was such a blessing. Yes, I was pretty cocky as I believed myself to be pretty good at what I did, but there were times in my life where I allowed such cockiness to get out of hand. It felt nice being brought back down to reality before it could consume me entirely. She had a point about the monsters as while a lot of them were easy to defeat, it possibly meant stronger ones had yet to come and who would give me one heck of a fight. Huh... Now for some reason, I could see Rainbow Dash needing to learn some humility and I would be the one to teach her.

Making my way across the coloured tiles, I opened up the chest and took out the small key that was inside. Then, needing to jump a couple of times because the tiles were missing courtesy of the Bone Putters, I approached one of those flip panels (It had been a while since I saw one), pressed my back up against it, and flipped back to a previous room. No monsters were present so I walked across more tiles before using my key to unlock the door. Entering the next room, there were several spikes scattered about which would make maneuvering hard but my eyes were focused on what was at the back of the room.

It looked like a stone golem of some kind but I couldn't exactly make out what it was. At first, it was just staring at me with its red eyes, and I tried to look away but found myself gazing into the eyes. If this creature was using fear, it was definitely working. It then began speaking which was rare for a mid-boss monster. "You have come here for one thing. You are not the first to have come here for it nor will you be the last."

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Do not pretend to lie to me!"

"I'm actually being serious."

The stone golem glared at me. "I am Avalaunch, and I guard this place from the likes of you. You... One filled with greed in her heart!" Just as I was about to contest that remark, it continued on with its accusation. "What a greedy fool! You want more power!? Why? Such a desire will end up killing you! Why not be satisfied with what you have? To desire power is to become consumed until you are no longer human."

"I'm not here to gain power!"

Avalaunch, as it called itself, laughed in a stymied fashion. "You are here to seek the power of colour. That shows that you are a greedy fool. You may claim otherwise but the evidence is there in your eyes. You hunger for power!"

"That's not true!"

"Enough!"

"Sure, I came here for the power of colour but to use it to help me on my journey."

"Your words belie your true intentions."

"I take it I'm wasting my breath talking to you?"

Avalaunch nodded slowly. "A buffoon like you might as well give up and go home! But, I know that you will no do this as you are set on acquiring power. Very well. I shall kill you in order to prevent you from claiming your prize, but should my own life end, then know my words were correct in that the desire for power consumed you." It then began pacing back and forth until it jumped up and landed on the ground moments later causing some boulders to drop down from above.

I managed to avoid them as there weren't that many but now I had to fight this creature. On the one hand, I was annoyed at how it accused me of wanting power. I mean, it wasn't entirely wrong about me as what I came here for would give me more power, but it was wrong about me becoming consumed. That sounded more like Ganondorf though he could control the power he wielded. On the other hand, Avalaunch claimed that those who came before also desired power and probably accused them in the same manner it had done to me. It sounded like it didn't care about people's opinions and was dead set on believing its own.

"Okay, so what do I do about Avalaunch?"

"I'm surprised you didn't let his words get to you." Princess Twilight answered.

"That was the old me."

Princess Twilight smiled. "That's the Sunset I know and love." I knew she meant that last bit as a term of endearment and not the other thing. "Anyway, Avalaunch is going to continuously move back and forth where it will on occasion jump which will cause boulders to come down. It can do this multiple times in a row meaning you'll become overwhelmed with rocks dropping down on your head. One thing to note is that while your sword can damage Avalauch, you will get pushed back on account that its armoured body acts like a shield, and with those spikes, it could prove difficult."

"Though you have to admit that it doesn't look all that sturdy."

"Since it's made of stone, I think you have a pretty good idea of what to use."

I then gasped. "Bombs! But... That might be tricky what with the boulders coming down."

"Then just keep attacking and hope for the best, but do keep the bomb strategy on your mind."

As Avalaunch continued moving back and forth, I took a quick moment to think about my approach. Attacking it from the front was a stupid idea as the spikes in front of him would damage me on the rebound and my health could only take so much damage. Attacking at its side was my best bet though whether it could turn to its side and fight remained to be seen but hopefully it couldn't do that. I then made my move and went straight up to it before I struck my sword into its armoured body. Avalaunch was damaged but showed no signs of being in pain while I got pushed back and onto the spikes next to the door.

YEOW! My feet definitely felt the pain from those spikes and I quickly got off before they could do anything else to me. At least they were small in size compared to the larger ones seen in the underground passages of dungeons (Stepping on any of those or even falling onto them would be instant death or near fatal injury if luck was on my side) Still, I didn't want this to become a habit so I needed to be more practical about this. Using the Pegasus Boots wouldn't help as I could get knocked back even further so simply walking would do. Avalaunch noticed me approach it from the side and as I struck it again, it jumped up.

Landing on the ground, a couple of boulders dropped from the ceiling with one striking me in the shoulder. Fortunately, it wasn't my sword shoulder otherwise fighting would've become a lot more unbearable. Before it could attack again, I struck its side a couple of times before getting pushed back but I managed to stop myself from touching the spikes. Avalaunch continued pacing back and forth as I walked over to continue my assault only for it to suddenly move forward which caught me by surprise. I didn't think it was capable of doing anything like that since it was... Well... A giant stone creature.

It then jumped up and down twice which brought down more boulders and it was here that I realized that it wasn't just attacking whenever because it could. It was also attacking every time I connected with my sword. It was its own defence mechanism, a response against those who sought power by using it against them. Avoiding the boulders (Even though my shield was made of metal, it had taken a lot of beatings on this journey thus far so I didn't think it could protect me from giants chunks of rock) I continued attacking Avalaunch where I got pushed back and onto the spikes again.

Again, I was in pain from that. YEOW! Stepping off of them, I then had to avoid more boulders coming down as Avalaunch continued jumping up and down. It had reached the point where so many boulders were falling, the room had effectively become a rocky gauntlet. I did say that I wanted more of a challenge but this wasn't quite what I had in my mind. I continued striking Avalaunch who in turn continued to remain unfazed by my attacks and more boulders came down with two or three hitting me in the process. Perhaps using bombs would've been smart here as it likely would've fallen much quicker, but I needed them for future dungeons.

Upon getting pushed back and not getting my feet poked by the spikes, I walked back over to Avalaunch and continued attacking it until it finally dropped to one knee which meant the battle had been won by me. "I have... Never been defeated before by any who came here."

"You... You definitely put up a fight." I said as I breathed heavily.

"Not once did you use any power... Other than your own natural abilities."

"Like I said, I'm not here for power."

Avalaunch nodded but ended up coughing. "Perhaps... Perhaps you are different from those who came before you. I... I am not the only guardian of this place. There... Are two others who await... And... Physical prowess won't be enough to ensure victory. Conquer... Them and the Power of Colour may yet become... Yours..."

With that, Avalaunch began exploding several times before a final explosion destroyed it entirely, a fairy appeared where it once stood, and both doors unlocking. Since I needed the healing right away, I grabbed the fairy instead of putting it into the bottle King Sombra had given me. If there was another mid-boss, I could potentially use my bottle there if it dropped a fairy of its own upon being defeated. In any case, Avalaunch definitely proved challenging though in a sense it had taught me the value of appreciating what I already had with regards to how strong the enemies on the island were.

"Are you okay, Sunset?" Princess Twilight asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay."

"At least only your ego was shattered."

"Not that I had one to begin with there."

That made Princess Twilight laugh. "No, I suppose not. I am concerned about what Avalaunch said about you and others who've come here before you. They all sought power but for what reason? I know you came here because you believe that the Power of Colour can help you overcome the remaining Nightmares which I'm sure it could, but what about the others? I am curious as to why they wanted such power."

I waved my hand to brush off the notion. "It's best to not think about it, Twilight. Besides, I doubt anyone will ever give us an answer."

"I suppose you're right."

"But keep the idea in your mind just in case."

Walking through the unlocked door into the room I had yet to go into, I was surprised when Thorax and Pharynx were standing on the other side of a large assortment of tiles with some of them already having cracks in them. Thorax once again began the conversation which lead me to suspect that he was the leader. "Sorry for not mentioning anything about the powerful guardians in this dungeon."

"We're usually much more diligent than that." Pharynx added,

"A warning would've be nice." I said.

"At least you were given a warning by Avalaunch."

"You do know that we need to get a new guardian to replace him, right?" Thorax asked.

Pharynx smacked himself in the head. "We haven't had to do that in centuries! I don't even know if there's a monster strong enough that could replace him. Maybe we ought to try reviving him but that could get messy."

Thorax nodded. "Oh yes! Those kinds of procedures can be extremely ugly if not handled correctly." He then noticed that I was standing there, tapping my foot, indicating that I wanted them to get on with what they were doing. "Oh right! You're going to need some magic if you want to defeat the next guardian. Now, did you know that Grandpa Ulrira was quite the adventurer back in his day?"

My jaw dropped. "Are you serious!?"

Pharynx nodded. "He was quite skilled with both sword and shield. One time, he considered challenging the Colour Dungeon only he backed out when he heard about some of the stories associated with this place."

"Then he got married, settled down, and ended up installing those telephones." Thorax added.

"Now all he does is talk on that thing all day."

"A shame really as he was one of the heroic greats to have ever set foot on this island." Thorax then blinked for a moment as though something was trying to register with his mind only for it to not make much sense. "Now that I think about it... How did he and all those others come to be here? I mean, you and I have been here for centuries, Dion. At least... I think we've been here."

"Gar... You're overthinking things." Pharynx said as he shrugged. "You keep that up and you'll get a migraine again. Anyway, we'll talk to you again later when you enter a later room in the dungeon with another piece of information."

As both brothers disappeared by walking backwards into the door, Princess Twilight and I looked at one another before Her Highness began scribbling something down on that notepad of hers. (Which I still don't know where she got it from) We had both suspected that things about Koholint Island didn't quite add up based on what people have said and while my suspicions were minimal at best, Her Highness had been thinking about all kinds of ideas which so far had to bear any fruit. Perhaps what Thorax said could finally bring her closer to coming up with a logical solution or maybe lead us to wanting more answers.

In the meantime, one of the two Bone Putters--the non flying one--ended up jumping into a hole it had previously created when it jumped about which left only the flying one to deal with as the doors wouldn't open until it was gone. Walking over to the edge of the abyss, I lured over the remaining Bone Putter and swung my sword, damaging it, and clipping its wings which changed it into the non flying variation of a Bone Putter. It then began bouncing around until it too jumped into a hole yet neither door unlocked. Upon a closer inspection, I could see a switch hiding underneath a pot.

Walking across the tiles and having to jump at least once, I picked up the pot, smashed it into a wall, and stepped on the switch which unlocked both doors. Jumping over a small gap and heading north, this next room had no coloured tiles nor did it have any unusual monsters. Instead, it was filled with Green Zols and Red Zols. Was I surprised that these monsters lurked about in the Colour Dungeon? Not really as they made sense being here what with having a colour scheme that matched the dungeon along with being like the other creatures that continued plaguing me.

Attacking both variations of Zols as they popped up from the ground, I made my way around the room because stone blocks forced me to go the long way. I did manage to pick up some rupees (Three to be exact) from defeating a couple of Green Zols yet it still wasn't enough to buy that bow. I really needed a rupee chest at some point or perhaps find some hidden cache of money which would give me enough. Once the last monster in the room had been defeated, a chest appeared by the door and opening it gave me the Dungeon Map. While I wished it had contained rupees, this worked just as well as now I could figure out where I was.

"This... Is an unusual layout." I said as I looked at the map.

"It looks to be some kind of tunic." Princess Twilight said.

"Really?" I wasn't quite so sure about that.

"It might make sense once we get to the end."

"I missed a room near the start."

"You might want to check that out later unless you want to backtrack a little?"

I shuddered at the thought of having to do that but somehow, I knew that I would. "Huh... It looks like there is only the one treasure chest left." I was expecting several more as that would've meant some rupee chests but it looked like I'd have to find them in another dungeon or in a secret cave or two. "I've no doubt the Nightmare Key is in that chest and it's one the other side of the dungeon." Yep, I knew I would be backtracking. "At least we won't be here for much longer."

"It is a short dungeon."

"I should be done in about twenty minutes or so."

"Barring strong monsters getting in the way."

I rolled my eyes in response. While she wasn't wrong about that, I still believed that I could overcome the remaining mid-boss and the Nightmare within the time frame I had just proclaimed given how this dungeon was short compared with most. Looking at the Dungeon Map again to see where I needed to go, as much as it pained me to admit it, I had to backtrack at least once and that would happen relatively soon as the room beyond this one was a dead-end. I did have one other option which I had yet to try... Manbo's Mambo. Autumn Blaze did say for me to play it whenever I was inside of a dungeon and now was a good time to try it out.

Entering the next room, I came across two Blue Orb Monsters, a Red Orb Monster, and a yellow one. "I take it that I'm looking at a Yellow Orb Monster?" The Compass then beeped so I knew that a key was hidden in here somewhere and I think I knew what I had to do to get it.

Princess Twilight nodded. "Yes. Unlike the other two variations, Yellow Orb Monsters are rare but other than that, they behave in the same manner as the other two. A little fun fact for you, Sunset. In an older version of this game which existed many years ago, it--as in the Yellow Orb Monster--was once depicted as being blue. Don't ask me how I know this as I have no idea."

While that little fact wasn't going to help me, I was curious if Her Highness would say something like that again in the future. Unlike her, I knew that this game world was a remake of the same game released over twenty years ago, yet in truth that version was a remake of sorts of the original version released five years sooner at the time. Even though I've never played any version aside from this one (Play it? More like being a part of it against my will), I wanted to know about any other differences. Who knew? Maybe such knowledge would make certain sections easier than they really were.

Attacking all four Orb Monsters caused them to regress into their shells. Since I had no idea how long they would remain like that, I had to work quickly in order to get them into the right holes that matched their colours and designs. Picking up the Red Orb Monster and tossing into the correct hole, I then went for the Yellow Orb Monster yet I accidentally hit it with my sword which caused it to come out of its shell before it started spinning around. I couldn't deal with it so I decided to take some hits as I focused on the two Blue Orb Monsters who were still in their shells and could break themselves free at any moment.

Picking up each Blue Orb Monster and tossing them into their respective holes, the Yellow Orb Monster managed to hit me three times before I struck it and it regressed into its shell again much to my pleasure. Picking it up, I took it to where it needed to go and dropped it down into its hole causing all four monsters to disappear in puffs of smoke. A small key then dropped down from above which I collected and now came the time for some backtracking. I could check out that one unknown room and get it out of the way but I was more concerned about getting the Nightmare Key.

CRRACCKKLLE! FWOOOOSSHH!

"Master... I am sorry to say that..."

Grogar raised his hoof and immediately stopped Hot Head from finishing. "We already know that the Outsider has defeated the Angler Fish." He then began talking under his breath in order to make sure Hot Head couldn't hear him. "Even with our blessing, the Angler Fish wasn't enough to finish her." He looked at Hot Head and narrowed his eyes as though he were outraged with his servant but remained calm knowing that anger was a form of weakness. "You were right about how useless the Angler Fish was. We cannot admit this fault was our own or else you shall mock us with your incessant nattering."

"If you already knew, then I can give you my other report."

"Speak!"

"The Outsider is currently in the Colour Dungeon."

"So... She seeks the Power of Colour." Grogar combed his beard and went into a deep thought. "My special Nightmare guards that power though unlike you and the other Nightmares, that one is not of our group so its death won't change anything. Still... If the Outsider claims that power for her own, she will become much more of an annoyance than she already is. We can only hope this Nightmare can stall her long enough for us to make a few necessary preparations."

Hot Head then spoke up. "Master? Is everything alright?"

Grogar shook his head. "No."

"I am sorry about the Angler Fish, my master."

Before Hot Head could continue, Grogar slammed both of his hooves into the ground. "Enough! The Outsider has progressed much further than expected! Already, she is in possession of four of the Instruments of the Sirens and four Nightmares are no more. She must be stopped now! No exceptions! The previous Nightmares did not take her seriously and thus their incompetence cost them their lives."

"Perhaps you should've killed her in her dreams."

"What did you say?"

Hot Head quickly changed the subject. "Nothing, master. Perhaps the remaining Nightmares need to become more ruthless?"

Eyes glowing red including the one on his stomach, Grogar looked ready to tear himself into Hot Head but refrained. "The Outsider is still no match for us and we shall not stoop down to the level that is best served by you, my servants, who obey our commands without question." His anger quickly subsided as a thought came to mind. "But... Perhaps she might be worthy of being a challenge to us. We haven't had a powerful opponent fight us since we first came to this island. To kill one like her with our own power would be most delicious but we cannot deny you and the other Nightmares your chance at killing her."

"If she fought you, you would obliterate her in an instant!"

"Still, she is beneath our notice and not yet worthy."

"I see."

"You shall command the Slime Eel to kill the Outsider!" Grogar ordered as his arms wrapped themselves around Hot Head. "Also, you shall instruct the Master Stalfos to hide that which the Outsider needs. Also, allow the Slime Eel to reveal some aspects of this island. I believe it is time for the Outsider to beginning understanding what is going on." He then began slamming Hot Head against several walls made of pure darkness before slamming him into the ground. "Do not use such a tone against us, servant, or else you shall be destroyed and another Nightmare shall replace you."

"Forgive me, my master."

"Now go!"

"I have one more piece of information."

"Speak!"

Hot Head gulped before continuing on. "The Outsider is getting closer to the shrine."

That made Grogar's ears perk up. "Is that so?" He then began laughing in a slow manner which was borderline on insanity. "If that is the case, the Outsider is going to learn the dark secret behind this island without us having to do anything about it. But... She will never learn the secret as the Slime Eel shall consume her. We shall no longer be merciful! We shall make our followers stronger! The Outsider must die!"

"Yes, my master."

"The Wind Fish is beginning to stir but that shall be the rallying cry of the creatures."

As Hot Head left to carry out his commands, he began speaking to himself so that Grogar wouldn't hear him. "At the rate the Outsider is going, she's going to destroy all of us including you, my master, should be allowed to continue going about without any consequences. Every time it looks like she will fall, she manages to come back and prevail. Perhaps the shrine will make her second-guess everything but you should go into her dreams and make her suffer to the point where admitting defeat. If you're not willing to do what it takes, then maybe us remaining Nightmares need to make our own plans so that one of us can still live on."

It didn't take long for me to get back to where I needed to go. Many of the rooms remained cleared of monsters until I got to around the first room with the coloured tiles that cracked upon stepping on them. The Bone Putter was still there though to be fair I never fought it originally so it hadn't re-spawned. Again, I chose to ignore it as it wouldn't remove any tiles unless I attacked it whereby it would drop down upon losing its wings and bounce about. Bone Putters in that sense were more dangerous without their wings as to opposed to having them and dropping bombs at random intervals.

For a while, I had considered checking out the one room I hadn't explored since I was in the area but Princess Twilight insisted that I checked it out later. After all, I could warp back to the dungeon entrance at any time and explore it then. Ignoring the Bone Putter and making my way across to the other side, I entered the next room where the Blue and Red Orb Monsters had re-spawned yet I didn't need to fight them as I had already solved that particular puzzle with them earlier. When both began spinning around, I used my shield to deflect them aside before making a bee-line for the door.

This next room had even more coloured tiles on the floor yet more of them were cracked which meant I had to cross over carefully. Two more flying Bone Putters were in the room and were strategically placed over where I needed to go. Luckily, they weren't all that attentive and soon flew off in different directions which allowed me to reach the other side and continue on and leave them behind. The next room had more colour switches but now another colour, yellow, had been added to the mix in addition to red and blue. An Owl Statue located on the back wall would likely give me a hint on having everything match up so it wasn't very helpful in that sense.

Before I could even do anything, Thorax and Pharynx appeared by the Owl Statue with the former once again speaking first. "You know, that Stone Beak you picked up earlier is pretty useless since it's obvious as to what you need to do here in this room" Thorax said. "You can still talk to it if you want but you would only be told what you already know. A shame really as those statues are pretty observant."

"It's useful in other dungeons except this one." Pharynx said.

"Anyway, you are getting nearer to the end so after this room, we're only to appear one more time."

"After that, you're done with us."

"Unless you want to come back in here and see us."

Thorax then looked at his brother. "Dion... You know she has to do whatever she was doing before coming here right? Unless she wants to change her colour, we can't tell her to come back and pay us a visit. It doesn't work like that."

Pharynx sighed. "It just gets lonely around here, Gar. I know I've got you but we could do with more people coming here." He then looked in my direction. "Okay... What can I reveal to you next about the island... I know! How about a location this time! Some years ago, this guy built a house in the mountains dedicated to birds. He still lives there attending to them but he wishes that he could experience flight like they can."

"I remember that guy."

"Of course you would."

"Living on your own with birds would make a lot of people go nuts but not this guy."

Pharynx nodded. "You should pay him a visit sometime if you happen to be in the area. If I remember correctly, his house is near a giant tower dedicated to a bird. I forget which bird it was but hey, they all look the same to me."

"I know what you're thinking." Thorax began as he looked at me. "You're curious as to what I meant about you changing your colour. Don't worry. You'll find out soon enough if you manage to defeat the Nightmare that blocks your path. Don't ask us why it's called that or why it's in a place like this. We're just doing what we're supposed to be doing, being the colour guard and giving you some information as well as sell you some Magic Powder in case you need some. We'll leave things up to you now."

Both brothers then disappeared and as the Compass beeped to inform me about a key, I didn't know what to make of their information thus far. Some of it was nothing more than providing additional character development or telling about events from the past. Other bits could potentially be useful but after questioning everything on the island, I didn't know whether to believe them or not. For now, it was best for me to accept it for what it was and perhaps figure out some of the meanings later. Learning things was always helpful provided that it was relevant and entirely accurate.

Hitting the yellow switch changed it to blue and two blue switches to red while the red switch that was there initially didn't change colour. Thinking it over for a moment, I struck the red switch which turned all of them yellow except for one which made me question if I was doing this correctly. Closing my eyes and hoping for the best, I struck the switch one more time and they all became blue. I had solved it! This caused a small key to drop down from the ceiling which I picked up before heading right. This next room had more coloured tiles on the ground with each housing either Green or Red Camo Goblins yet there was also a third colour.

"That is a Blue Goo Specter." Princess Twilight said.

"Why does it have a different name from the other two?" I asked.

"I don't know but don't think this one is the same as the others."

"How so?"

"For one thing, Blue Goo Specters are very rare compared to the others." Princess Twilight answered. "Also, they move a bit quicker than their counterparts so if all of these monsters attacked you at once, you know which one will reach you first. Also, it looks like you don't have to defeat any of them as the way forward involves unlocking a door."

"How durable is a Boo Goo Specter?"

"One hit will defeat it."

"If that's the case then I'll just fight them all." I said as I got my sword ready. Taking a step forward, the Green Camo Goblin moved towards me and when it popped up to wave its hands about, I slashed it and defeated it. Then the Blue Goo Specter moved and sure enough, it was faster though not by much. "Got to give the blue one props for moving fast." Upon reaching me, it also popped up from being a blob in order to wave about its hands, yet one sword strike defeated it leaving just the Red Camo Goblin left who appeared to not want to move away from the red tiles. I sensed it knew it couldn't win and didn't want to not try its luck.

Unlocking the door and entering the next room, both it and the way forward closed leaving me trapped with what looked like a giant blue blob. Its blank stare creeped me out but I knew I couldn't let such a thing get to me. It then began speaking though how it could do so without having a mouth was surprising. "BOO! Did that scare you? If not then you wish it had as this isn't going to be easy. I know you've defeated Avalaunch otherwise you wouldn't be here right now."

"Who... No... What are you?"

"I'm a Giant Buzz Blob."

"That makes sense."

"Just to be perfectly clear here, I'm no weakling!"

"I didn't even say anything."

"No, but you were probably thinking about it." The Giant Buzz Blob then began flexing... Whatever it was that it could do with its body. "Judging from how stained that sword of yours is, it's seen its fair share of battles but such a weapon is going to be useless. Your pitiful sword is no match for me! If I were you, I'd surrender right now and you can leave this place without losing anything precious. Choose to stay and fight and you might regret that decision." Suddenly, it changed into a different shape which looked awfully familiar before it started moving about, electricity crackling across its body.

"I've seen that shape before, Twilight. I just know it!"

"I believe you have, Sunset." Princess Twilight said. "This Giant Buzz Blob has taken on the form of a regular Buzz Blob except it's protected by lightning. On occasion, it will shoot that lightning out as a means of a defensive mechanism as well as to attack you with. I don't need to explain what happens if you get electrocuted and no, I won't rely on a really cheesy joke in order to get my point across."

"But it said that my sword is useless against it."

"In it's current form yes, but when it reverts to what you saw before..."

"Okay, I'm starting to get it." Before I could continue talking, I quickly moved out of the way before getting struck by lightning. The Giant Buzz Blob's lightning strikes travelled in each of the four compass direction so it should be easy to avoid getting shocked... Mostly that is. "Do I have anything in my inventory which can affect this thing?" I then moved quickly to avoid another lightning volley and while I appreciated the exercise, I didn't approve of getting hit by such a powerful element. That's when my brain informed me of something that I did way back during the early stages of my journey. "No... You have got to be kidding me."

"I knew you'd figure it out."

I took out the Magic Powder and gazed at it. "No wonder Thorax and Pharynx wanted to sell me some. They were trying to tell me that I needed Magic Powder in order to progress through this dungeon, and this is the exact place where I needed to use it." I felt like smacking my head against the wall for being so stupid but at least this fight wouldn't drag out or anything because of using something that had no effect.

"You'll need to get close to it in order to use the Magic Powder."

"That's what I was afraid of."

Avoiding the lightning as it streaked across the ground, I approached the Giant Buzz Blob and sprinkled some Magic Powder in order to see what would happen. As expected, it changed colour and began moving about in a less confident manner. Striking it with my sword, it started bouncing in hopes of avoiding my attacks but it needed to eventually land and when it did, I struck it again where it changed back to its previous form and I wound up getting electrocuted due to being too close to it when it changed. All at once, my body felt like it had been rend asunder from the inside out and I dropped down onto my knees in pain.

This was a sensation I hadn't felt in a very long time and I had hoped it would've stayed that way. The Giant Buzz Blob continued moving about as it continued to shoot lightning, and upon getting onto my feet, my entire body felt numb until the effects wore off. In any other circumstance, that electrocution would've killed me instantly what with being so close but this world allowed me to endure and for that I was grateful. Now I knew when not to attack which meant I shouldn't get shocked like that again, but knowing me and my luck, I was going to get shocked several more times.

Case in point, I approached the Giant Buzz Blob and was about to sprinkle my Magic Powder when it suddenly unleashed another lightning which went through me. Again, I felt like my body had just been wounded from within but I had to shake it off and keep going. Despite my body feeling numb, I sprinkled powder onto the Giant Buzz Blob and it changed colour again which meant I could wail on it. Striking it made it jump across the room but I followed and struck it again but moved back when it changed back and unleashed lightning. Now this fight was becoming predictable but I couldn't get reckless as this blob could have additional powers.

As it continued shooting lightning with me moving about in order to avoid it, I wondered if I could somehow paralyze it with something in my inventory. Quickly thinking over what I had collected thus far, nothing really came to mind. I doubted my shield could reflect lightning so even that idea was out. A shame really as I could've beaten this blob a lot quicker and quite possibly without getting electrocuted. When it shot out lightning again, I moved in and sprinkled it with Magic Powder only for it to get another lightning attack out just as it was changing back to its weakened state. I call hax on this!

At that point, my body was getting used to being shocked but it didn't mean the pain was going away. Ignoring the pain and sprinkling more powder, the Giant Buzz Blob changed once again and I attacked it as many times as I could before it jumped to get away from me. I followed and continued hitting it before it changed back and I backed away but not quick enough this time resulting in me getting shocked for a fourth time though I got hit on the tail end of the lightning. I knew that I would get shocked at least several more times. I hate it when I prove myself correct on something I wanted to be wrong about.

Ignoring the numbness, I sprinkled Magic Powder on it one more time where it changed colour, and jumped after I struck it. Landing nearby, I attacked it again before it could anything else, and at long last, it finally managed to stop. "OUCH! You managed to get through my defences."

"You were stronger than Avalaunch was."

The Giant Buzz Blob then attempted to smile but I had no idea if it even was. "That proves that I'm not a weakling. Well, the key to the Nightmare is yours, and that means your final test awaits you on the other side of the Colour Dungeon. Will... Will you succeed or will you perish? That's... Not for me to judge now as... I'm done for. If anyone can claim it... That someone could possibly... Be... You..."

It began exploding several times before blowing up entirely where a fairy appeared in its place and both doors unlocked. That battle was annoying because of the lightning more than the monster itself but at least the fairy would have me regain my health since I did take quite a beating. Allowing the fairy to touch me when I approached it, I immediately felt relieved so now I was more prepared to handle whatever the Nightmare was going to be. One thing that bothered me was how neither Avalaunch nor the Giant Buzz Blob left any portals behind upon defeat which I could use in order to go back to where I first entered the dungeon from.

That meant the Nightmare had to have the warp in its room... Which didn't make much sense. I thought it would've happened by now. Sighing, I entered the next room and the puzzle was pretty obvious to solve. Pushing one block forward then another one in the same direction before pushing the third and final block down, my path was opened and upon reaching the chest, I opened it, and as expected, it contained the Nightmare Key. Aside from that early room, I only had a few rooms left to explore. Rather than backtrack to where I needed to go, I decided a shortcut was in order.

I took out the Ocarina and played Manbo's Mambo which immediately whisked me back to the start of the dungeon. I didn't even need to think about the entrance; it just warped me there without issue. Since this was now familiar territory, I had a pretty good idea of where I was going. Thorax and Pharynx weren't around so I knew they were waiting for me in a room I had yet to see but I would get to that later. Heading north into the next room and ignoring the Camo Goblins, I went into the next room and noticed what was so blatantly obvious, a cracked southern wall which was so large in scope, it was practically waving at me to notice it.

Taking out a bomb and tossing it at the cracked wall, it exploded seconds later, destroying the wall, and I walked into the newly revealed room. My jaw dropped upon seeing what was in front of me. "Gasp! Look at all those rupees! I've never seen so many in one place."

"Each of them is worth five rupees." Princess Twilight said.

"How many do you think there are?"

Her Highness began to actually count them up which didn't surprise me as much as I thought. "There are twenty-eight blue rupees in here and if you multiply that number by five due to their value... You will gain 140 rupees as a result. Normally, you shouldn't really be thinking about money since you are the heroine, but I can make exceptions like right now since you need the money to purchase that bow. In this case, I see it as a means to an end."

Going around the room and picking up every blue rupee, I now had somewhere over 850 rupees. While it still wasn't enough for the bow, I was now even closer than before which meant only needing to open up a couple of rupee chests. Upon finishing with my collecting, I went back into the previous room then went right and into the room where the first coloured tiles were located. Ignoring the Bone Putter and heading north and into the room where Avalaunch once was, I went west, ignoring the next Bone Putters as they were a distraction, and across the tiles before finally entering a new room.

This room had nine coloured switches which meant I really needed to think hard about this. Five of them were blue and the other four were red so I had an idea on where to start but hitting the correct ones was important otherwise I'd have to start all over again. In my head, I thought about what a possible order to go in. "I could hit the switch directly in front of me to change some colours but then what would the next one in the sequence be?" I said to myself. "Hmmm... If I hit that one there, then follow up with that one, then that one, that one, and finally that one, that should do it... I think. Oh well. Here goes everything."

Hitting the switch directly in front of me, I then walked to the bottom left switch, hit it, and then up to the top left switch and hit it. So far, it was going well but now it was about to get really tricky as I needed to remember what had already been changed. I thought about striking the center switch but decided against doing that and instead hitting the one north of it which changed the colours that gave me six blue and three red. Okay, that wasn't bad but it still wasn't correct. Walking left of the center switch, I struck this one before walking over to the bottom right switch and hitting it. It still wasn't right but it looked like I had something.

I next hit the bottom middle switch but then I stopped to think. If I were to hit the center switch, that could match them all up but then again, it could backfire on me and I'd be forced to start over again which I didn't want to do at that point. Not all switches had been struck which made me wonder if one or two were meant to be red herrings, useful in theory but ultimately a detriment to my goal. As I continued pondering over my next choice, Princess Twilight, who had been watching my attempting, pointed at which switches I needed to strike in order to solve the puzzle.

Following her instructions, I struck the bottom left switch again and then the bottom right again resulting in all switches being blue. This caused the door to unlock but what was more impressive was how Her Highness managed to remember the sequence seeing as I had actually forgotten. "Wow... I knew you had excellent memorization, Twilight, yet I didn't expect anything like that!" I said.

"When you've been organizing as long as I have, it becomes second nature."

"I hope that's the last puzzle like that."

"I'm sure that will be the case."

"That was definitely a brain teaser though."

Princess Twilight nodded. "But you proved that you could handle it even though you did start to lose control towards the end. On a different note, I've been thinking about what information the Owl Statues had to provide and I suspect they all say the same thing about making each colour identical. Not what I would call helpful since you figure it out after solving the first puzzle but I suppose it was intended as a reminder."

Going into the next room, I was attacked by several Green Zols but quickly took care of them. I was actually expecting additional monsters but I supposed it was okay since I had been through so much in here already. At that moment, Thorax and Pharynx emerged from the back wall but their appearance didn't surprise me this time. It looked like their little magic act was one I had now gotten used to seeing. What also didn't surprise me was Thorax speaking up first. "Wow... You defeated the Giant Buzz Blob by using Magic Powder. It's like what we were selling turned out to be what you needed."

Pharynx nodded. "The World of Colour is one that you have almost mastered but one test remains."

"The Nightmare..." I said.

"You are correct."

"We can't tell you anything about it." Thorax said.

"It's something that you have to experience on your own."

"Anyway, this is the last time you get to interact with us, so I might as well go all out with the information." Pharynx took a deep breath which made me suspect he was about to really give it his all. "You've seen it, right? The Wind Fish Egg? It might look like it's chock full of whatever the Wind Fish is supposed to be, but I heard that inside the egg is an endless maze which can never be solved."

"I've heard about it, too." Thorax added. "Any who try to tackle the maze will never prevail."

"No one can solve it."

"A shame really."

Pharynx then had a thought. "Now that I think about it... No one has been in there for a very long time since that one person tried it." He turned to Thorax. "You remember that guy don't you, Gar?"

Thorax nodded. "He was a big one, Dion."

"He once went through the Wind Fish Egg in the hopes of solving it." Pharynx said. "Even though he was successful in getting through the maze, he didn't find what he was looking for and ended up leaving but not before writing down what he believed were a few possible routes. Some say that he explored it for personal glory while others think it had something to do with a far greater purpose. Either way, he's not around now so no one knows what became of his notes nor do they believe in them."

"That's all we can say which means this is goodbye from us both."

Both brothers then disappeared once more and just like my previous encounters with them, what they said was subject to interpretation. Unlike before, they didn't question their own information yet it seemed they weren't sure about how accurate it was. If it was true about Wind Fish Egg, it would be perhaps my most difficult challenge unless I could somehow figure out a solution. For now, I couldn't even enter it since I still needed four more instruments so I had to focus on getting through the remaining dungeons. Despite how unusual the two were, I appreciate their willingness to share their knowledge with me.

Unlocking the door and entering the next room, the only puzzle to be featured was one involving a Crystal Switch. Since I needed to maintain my distance in order to activate it, I took out a bomb and tossed it as far as I could where it landed right by the switch. It exploded seconds later, activating it, which lowered the orange blocks and the blue blocks rose up allowing me to continue. Walking up to the door and using the Nightmare Key, I entered the Nightmare's room only to come face to face with what looked like a giant orb with feet. As both doors locked themselves, it turned around where I saw what it looked like.

It wasn't an orb per say but rather a monster with an orb on its back that flashed a couple of times. "Welcome, adventurer. This is safe. I'm safe. Do you understand?"

I shook my head. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Then I shall repeat myself again." The orb on its back continued to glow. "This is safe. I'm safe. If you still do not understand then your journey shall end here. I have been watching your progress for some time and I have seen that you are reckless in how you deal with certain situations. There is no need to be reckless."

"I can't exactly help myself there."

"You just need to be patient."

"Who are you?"

"Your partner shall tell you."

"Fair enough."

"This is safe. I'm safe." The monster then began scuttling about in a rather quick fashion before it began shooting some kind of projectile from its mouth. Raising my shield, I deflected its attacks though something about it seemed off. What did it mean by being safe? Did I have to fight multiple forms? As I continued deflecting the attacks it was shooting at me, it wasn't really doing much of anything else though the orb continued flashing. Was that its weak point?

"Well, Twilight..." I began. "What do you make of this one?"

"This is the Hardhit Beetle." Princess Twilight answered. "This monster shoots out projectiles which inflict some damage but because of how fast they move, you might have some problems avoiding them but your shield will protect you. It has an ability which you are absolutely going to hate so let me get it out of the way right now. The Hardhit Beetle is capable of healing itself meaning it will recover from any damage inflicted upon it unless its defeated quickly."

"Are you kidding me!?"

Princess Twilight shook her head. "I'm afraid not, Sunset. You know that you're damaging it by how the colour of the orb on its back changes as well as cracks appearing on it. As far as it telling you about how safe it is, I honestly don't have an answer there but it might say some other things which may or may not be useful. Remember that this is a Nightmare so the usual rules apply aside from how you won't get a Heart Container or an instrument upon defeating it. You don't have any items which are effective on it so your sword will have to be your weapon of choice."

That's just great! A monster that is capable of healing itself. Since when was that a thing in these video games? Sighing, I knew there wasn't anything I could do about it other than hope it wouldn't take too long for me to defeat this Nightmare. Raising my shield again, I moved towards the Hardhit Beetle where it continued shooting its projectiles at me. The problem with my strategy was I couldn't attack with my sword so long as I was defending (A stupid mechanic for certain but one that had plagued me all along) so I quickly abandoned it and struck it in the shell which created a crack and changed its colour.

It then reacted by shooting its projectiles at me in rapid succession though only the initial one hit me (I had what was called invincibility frames which allowed me to avoid some attacks but only if they were really fast) yet I responded by hitting the orb creating another crack and another colour change. It responded like before only I raised my shield in which the projectiles knocked me back which was when it began healing. One crack disappeared entirely causing the orb to regress back in terms of colour. That's what Her Highness meant by defeating it quickly... To prevent that from happening.

Attacking it again to reverse the healing, I continued attacking which created more cracks in the orb and more colour changes, but the Hardhit Beetle reacted to each of my attacks with its own and I quickly got pelted by projectiles (Not even invincibility frames could protect me from all of them) yet the damage was worth it in order to defeat this Nightmare. I continued my onslaught until the orb had about five cracks in it and the colour had changed from yellow to a mid orange when it pelted me with even more projectiles. Raising my shield, each projectile bounced off only for it to start healing again.

It managed to remove three cracks which meant I had to do all of that again. As far as offence went, the Hardhit Beetle certainly knew how to fight but it lacked actual power as its attacks were relatively weak. But, it made up for it with its healing ability, a rare trait if there ever was one. That ability alone made it strong because it could reverse all of my hard work in a matter of seconds while I couldn't recover any health without either Sugar Belle's medicine or having a fairy in a bottle. Raising my shield again to block the oncoming projectiles, I lowered it and moved in and attacked it a few times whilst getting hit in return.

Now it had six cracks and the orb was coloured orange. Me? I was beginning to feel exhausted as all those projectiles were starting to take their toll. To my surprise, the Nightmare suddenly stopped moving and began speaking. "Step back. Take your time. There is no need for you to rush through things. If you do that, you will only end up failing. Do you understand my meaning this time?"

I nodded. "That's called being reckless."

"Good. You are learning."

"What is your purpose here?"

"I do not understand."

"You were created to carry out a specific function." I said though even I wasn't sure I understood myself. "You are in this dungeon for a reason so tell me what it is. I'd like to think that a creature such as yourself would know."

The Hardhit Beetle appeared to be pondering over my question before it gave me an answer. "I am here to guard the Power of Colour. Step back. Take your time. The power you are here for can only be wielded by one who knows how to use it. Are you one of them? Perhaps but only time will tell." I then thought about asking it as to who created it but it surprised me by choosing to answer it any way. "I was created by the Nightmare... It who has contained the dreamer."

"Grogar..." I said to myself.

"I am here to guard the Power of Colour."

"So you said."

"Step back. Take your time."

Judging from its response that time, I wasn't about to get anymore information from it. Suddenly, a Stalfos dropped down from above following another one, then another, then another, and then one more joined in. The Hardhit Beetle had gotten so desperate that summoning other monsters to help it was all it could do. Upon a closer inspection of the Stalfos, these were the Yellow Stalfos and that meant jumping shenanigans were about to happen. Each of them began jumping up in an effort to come crashing down on me so I began avoiding each one only to realize the Nightmare was beginning to heal itself again as I was focused on something else.

As much as I wanted to continue attacking the Hardhit Beetle, I knew I had to deal with the Yellow Stalfos first. Turning my attention towards them, they continued jumping in order to attack only to be attacked themselves when I countered with my sword though each took two hits in order to defeat them. Then my next problem came in the form of more dropping down from the ceiling while the Hardhit Beetle continued to heal its wounds until it had regained all its health. Crap! Everything was now beginning to fall apart! I felt like crying but I had to take its words to heart. I needed to step back and take my time dealing with everything.

Holding my sword out, I built up some energy before using a Spin Attack to defeat all the Yellow Stalfos at once. (Why haven't I been using this move more often!? It would've made certain problems a heck of a lot easier to deal with) With them gone for the moment, I resumed attacking the Hardhit Beetle only for it to respond in kind by spitting out its projectiles in both slow and fast variations. Again, I was taking damage on the initial blow but damage nonetheless until my legs started to feel like jelly. I really needed to end this and soon before I completely exhausted myself.

Continuing to attack, more Yellow Stalfos dropped down from above. Okay, this was getting ridiculous! Where were they coming from!? No... I had to ignore them and focus my attention on the Nightmare. Hopefully, defeating it would also defeat them otherwise I'd be utterly swarmed until I was dead. Attacking the Hardhit Beetle, the Yellow Stalfos had every intention of making sure I got their attention as they jumped in order to land on me. As more of them landed on me, my body felt like it was about to collapse but I needed to tough it out as this was nothing compared to what awaited me later on.

After a few whacks, the Hardhit Beetle's orb had turned a dark shade of red and the cracks were both numerous and rather disturbing. It responded by shooting its projectiles even faster than before but I used my shield to deflect though the Yellow Stalfos weren't affected by them. I couldn't take it anymore! I needed to get rid of them and then take the Nightmare done immediately afterwards or else it would start healing all over again. Performing another spin attack seemingly out of nowhere, all of the Yellow Stalfos were immediately defeated and before the Hardhit Beetle could heal, I attacked it which was enough as it suddenly stopped.

"You have done well." It said as it collapsed.

I was breathing heavily in response. "Whew! You just didn't know when to quit!"

"I was only carrying out my purpose."

"What happens now?"

"The Power of Colour is now yours."

"Where is it?"

The Hardhit Beetle attempted to point at the door I had yet to enter though it clearly struggled in doing so. "Through there. You must go through there. Your prize... It is waiting for you through there. I... I am done now. My purpose has been fulfilled. Will you claim the power? Only... Only she will be the judge of that. At last... the Colour Dungeon... This place... One has finally conquered it..."

Flailing about in a sad manner, the Hardhit Beetle began exploding numerous times before disappearing entirely upon the final explosion. A much needed fairy appeared where it once stood and an answer to something that I had been wondering about also happened. A warp panel appeared though why had it shown up now instead of in one of the previous rooms where a mid-boss had been placed? Granted, it was better than not getting one but why now and not sooner? I knew that the Colour Dungeon wasn't big but still, I wanted some kind of consistency here. Sighing, I allowed the fairy to heal my wounds.

"That was something, Sunset." Princess Twilight said.

"Ugh!"

"You didn't like it?"

I shook my head. "The fact that it could heal was the biggest headache for me. I know healing is something I can do with the right items, but to have a monster be capable of the same thing sets a really bad precedent." I stopped upon realizing that Her Highness didn't understand my meaning given her puzzled look. "In video games like this one, allowing a monster to be able to heal can be annoying especially if it happens consistently and without any kind of restriction. Sure, it doesn't happen all that often but when it does, players are outraged over it especially if it's against a really strong monster."

"I... I think I got that."

"I really need to explain it to you don't I?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "If you've got a free moment."

Walking into the final room, the door locked behind me so I could only leave through magical means. In front of me was a fairy fountain of exquisite beauty and floating mere feet above it was Adagio Dazzle. Wow... She was in charge of this place, the Seashell Mansion, and all of the fairy fountains scattered across the island. What wasn't she in charge of? One thing did bother me about this entire situation of her being here. Why couldn't she have used her magic to make things easier for me!? Or better yet, why even have this dungeon and not simply have her fountain in a hidden location!?

"We meet again, young one." Adagio said as she noticed me.

"You certainly are in charge of a lot of things." I said as I walked up to the fountain.

Giggling, Adagio looked so serene compared to how she usually was. I still found it difficult to believe that she was a good person in this world. I mean sure, she had somewhat changed her ways back in my world but still had that domineering personality which she used effectively, but when I said somewhat changed, I meant barely at all because deep down, she wanted things to be as they were before losing her magic. "This is the only thing that is under my protection, young one, yet it is perhaps the most important. You are the first to have made it here in a very long time and for that, I admire your determination and courage."

"Thank you."

"As you saw throughout this experience, the Colour Dungeon is a place where colour rules over all."

"I thought it would be easy what with fighting so many weak monsters, but the stronger ones really taught me something."

"Which was their intent."

"I've learned not to take things for granted."

"Coming this far to a place which you did not even need to come shows great dedication." Adagio then clapped her hands together before a red light and a blue light appeared on either side of her. "Now, I present the Power of Colour to you, young one. In your current tunic, you possess your regular abilities, but upon wearing one of these special tunics, you will gain its power in addition to your own."

"What kind of tunics are they?"

Moving the red light towards me, Adagio answered my question. "The red tunic will grant you the power of offence. If you are the kind of person who enjoys combat, wearing this will make things easier for you as you shall inflict double damage." She then moved it back to its previous position before the blue light was moved forward. "The blue tunic will grant you the power of defence. If fighting monsters has proven difficult where you constantly get hurt, wearing this will reduce all damage by half."

I smiled. "Now this is what I'm talking about."

"However, you can only choose one colour or the other."

"I figured having both would be too broken."

"So... Which do you choose?"

This was a difficult choice for me to make. On the one hand, having the red tunic would allow me to defeat any and all monsters more effectively as I would be inflicting twice the damage, and if combined with the ultimate sword, monsters would practically be fodder. But, possessing that amount of offensive might would make me act like Ganondorf, a constant reminder of how he wanted me to become his servant by casting aside my virtues for the sake of having power. On the other hand, having the blue tunic would give me the defence I've been needing for so long. Both choices had their good and bad sides yet one was clearly better suited for me.

"I choose the blue tunic."

Adagio smiled and moved the blue light over me. "Then close your eyes and allow the colour of blue to grant you defence." I did as she asked and just like that, my tunic changed from green to blue indicating that I now had better defences than I had before. "Do not worry that you can no longer change back to your original colour." Adagio then presented a green light which floated before me. "If you so wish it, I can give you back your original colour. Also, I can also give you the power of offence but it would mean giving up your defence. In other words, you can switch freely between the three colours by simply coming here."

"I appreciate you giving me the option to switch."

"Now, the time has come for you to leave this place and continue on your journey."

"And how do I leave here?"

"I shall take you back outside to where you first found the entrance to the Colour Dungeon." Adagio clapped her hands and the room started to get brighter. "I hope to see you again either at the Seashell Mansion or at one of my fairy fountains, young one." She then turned to face Princess Twilight. "As always, little fairy, please continue helping this young one fulfill her destiny by seeing it through."

Everything went bright and I could feel a powerful magic taking me back outside to the graveyard. Sure enough, I was back where I was before entering the Colour Dungeon, only now my tunic was a beautiful hue of blue instead of the standard green and I couldn't be happier. I seriously needed the defence what with having gotten hurt so many times and even getting killed once only to be brought back through powerful medicine. At some point, I might go back and change tunics but for now, I planned on sticking with what I had. I wasn't going to be reckless despite having improved defences.

I also figured out why the warp in the Colour Dungeon was in the Nightmare's room. It was so that I could quickly get back to Adagio if I wanted to change to the opposite tunic or where my original one and not have any special abilities. The only problem was getting back to the graveyard in order to switch between tunics since it involved some backtracking by using the warp tiles scattered across Koholint Island and having to walk the rest of the way. Oh well. It was a small price if it meant being able to change my tunic's power. Again, I was sticking with what I had.

"That tunic looks fantastic on you, Sunset." Princess Twilight said.

I blushed in response. "Thanks, Twilight, but do you think I made the right choice?"

"You made the decision based on what you felt you needed."

"Come again?"

"Meaning you wanted to make things easier for yourself."

"Oh."

Princess Twilight then looked at the entrance to the Colour Dungeon. "Be thankful that you do have the option to switch to the red tunic if you want more offensive power or switch back to your original tunic if that's your preference. If you didn't have the option to change tunics, what you're wearing is what you'd be stuck with for the rest of the journey. I doubt that would be a problem for you since having more defence isn't necessarily a bad thing. Just remember that in order to re-enter the Colour Dungeon, you have to get past all of these Ghini and maybe having to solve this puzzle again."

"Well... We won't be coming back here for a while."

"Fair enough."

"Now... We could go to the next proper dungeon, but I do have something else in mind." I said as I checked my body for any scars of which I had a few. "I'm going to need to pay another visit to Sugar Belle and purchase some more of her medicine. Sure, it will cost me some rupees but it won't hardly make a dent in my total. It'd be nice to find a couple of rupee chests so that I can finally buy that bow which has been taunting me for quite a while now." I then took out the broom which I had been carrying with me this whole time and was surprised that it hadn't broken or anything. "After that, there's a broom that needs a new owner so hopefully she's still in Mabe Village."

"You're not on a time limit so you are free to do some extra things before heading to the next dungeon."

"Then we're off to see Sugar Belle."

To Be Continued.

Chapter 17: Into the Catfish's Maw.

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.
By Ganondorf8.
December 21, 2019.
Chapter 17: Into the Catfish's Maw.

Good thing Sugar Belle's place was close by otherwise I'd have had to have trekked a long way just to purchase more medicine from her. Leaving the graveyard on account of not wanting to deal with the Ghini, I almost made it out when a Giant Ghini appeared before me. Princess Twilight wasn't kidding when she said these were huge in comparison along with being relatively rare. I stopped immediately before hiding behind one of the gravestones and waited to see what it would do. At first, the Giant Ghini paced back and forth as though it were bored but then it began moving away from me until it suddenly came back.

I could defeat it but then it was stronger than a regular Ghini and attacking could draw the attention of the other Ghini nearby. Was I afraid of this giant? Not really, but after what I had just been through in the Colour Dungeon, I wanted to avoid any fights until I had regained my composure. Her Highness then reminded me about how I was wearing the blue tunic which granted me more defence. As such, I could just plow my way through and simply take the hit but that would be giving into reckless behaviour, something to avoid given how going down that path tends to land me in so much hot water.

No... I was going to wait for the right moment to slip on by without it noticing me. A couple of minutes of waiting later and the Giant Ghini was still pacing about. This was starting to get really irritating. Why couldn't it just go away and leave me alone!? Things were getting to the point where I would have no choice but to fight but then an idea came to mind. I had no idea if it would work but at this point, I was starting to get really desperate about this. Taking out a bomb and tossing it away from me, it exploded near a gravestone (It didn't get destroyed much to my pleasure as vandalization of a graveyard would be a horrible act), the Giant Ghini flew off in order to see what was going on.

Before it even had a chance to figure out that I had deceived it, I dashed forward using the Pegasus Boots until I was safely out of the graveyard. If I knew my monsters, it wasn't going to start following me around so I breathed a sigh of relief. While part of me was curious as to what I could've gotten from defeating it, I wasn't feeling that desperate in order to acquire the final rupees to purchase the bow. That's when it became apparent that to get more medicine from Sugar Belle would require spending twenty-eight rupees. I doubted she would let me have it without paying so my money problem was still that, a problem.

Picking up and tossing the boulder aside, I made my way north making sure to avoid the Tabahl Wasteland (Those Crows could provide me with some extra rupees but I doubted they would be that generous) as I didn't need to go through there again, picked up another boulder, tossed it aside, and kept going until I entered Sugar Belle's home. She was doing the same thing she did before during my last visit and a part of me was curious as to why she was even bothering. Another part of me believed she was bored seeing as hardly anyone came this way what with having to go past a graveyard along with the Zombie infestation.

"Welcome back, big girl." Sugar Belle said.

"Your medicine worked just like you said it would." I said.

"Never underestimate my abilities." Sugar Belle then noticed the scars on my arms and legs. "You really needed my special medicine given how you have all those scars. I take it you fell to a powerful monster that proved to be rather challenging?"

I nodded but didn't specify a monster. If I had told her that I was 'killed' by a giant octopus-like monster, I'd never hear the end of it. "It proved to be more powerful than I thought which forced me to use your medicine when my body gave out completely. At first, I didn't know what would happen but it felt like I had been brought back by a fairy's magic. If not for you then my life would've ended in the Angler's Tunnel." I stopped upon believing she was getting bored with my description yet she continued listening indicating she that was really curious about what I experienced. "After going through another difficult dungeon, I came back to see you."

Sugar Belle clasped her hands together. "I knew you couldn't stay away from my medicine."

"So... Can I buy some more?"

"It will still be twenty-eight rupees."

"Um... Would you be willing to lower the price?"

"Can't do that."

"It was worth asking."

I handed over the rupees to Sugar Belle who pocketed them. "You know, if you're having money problems, you could talk to Dampé who lives not far from here. She's been working on this strange thing she calls a Dungeon Creator and needs someone brave enough to test it out for her. No one I know had volunteered as let's face it, the risk is just too high for anyone who prefers living, but I hear that by helping her, one can become very rich." She then began applying the medicine by rubbing it on my body. "You look as though you'd be interested but let me give you some advice."

"I already tried it."

Sugar Belle was surprised. "What!? Really!? Well... You do have that look of an adventurer on you so I shouldn't be surprised you said that. If you really must pay her another visit, you should ask her to increase the reward as one hundred rupee is pittance compared to what can be found inside a treasure chest."

"You know... I should take on another of her challenges, but I do have other things to do."

"Like what?"

"I'm not sure you'd be interested seeing as you sell medicine."

"I'll have you know that I'm a pretty good gossip... Even if I rarely get visitors." Sugar Belle was starting to become rather defensive so I quickly calmed her down by apologizing. "You'd be surprised as to how information flies around here. Now... Tell me what 'things' you have to do and maybe I can help relieve some stress for you?" I then explained about the broom in my inventory and needing to swim in Martha's Bay (I had other objectives but I felt it best not letting her in on that just in case it proved to be too much) to reach my next goal. "Wow... You have an interesting life, big girl."

"You don't know the half of it."

"That broom you have... I know someone in Mabe Village who loves cleaning."

"I've met her once."

"She can be a real workaholic especially once she gets herself going." Sugar Belle then changed the subject to Martha's Bay. "You plan on taking a swim in the bay? Not what I'd call a smart idea since that water is filled with some nasty creatures, but I suppose you're interested in Catfish's Maw? I mean, who isn't interested in that place? You can't go anywhere in the bay without having to look upon it." She then had a thought brewing in her mind which made me wonder if it would beneficial to me. "I know little else about Catfish's Maw but there is a mermaid who knows way more about it."

"A mermaid?"

"You've never seen one?"

I nodded slightly. "Kind of." The only thing I'd seen that bore a slight resemblance to a mermaid were Seaponies and the Dazzlings in their true forms. "Let's just say that what I've seen have either been incredibly friendly or absolutely deceitful.

"Mermaids are a fickle bunch to be sure." Sugar Belle then lifted her hands away from me indicating that she was done applying her medicine. "And I'm done, big girl. If you don't like the idea of dealing with Dampé, why not go diving into hidden caves? You ought to find rupees hiding in one of those! Besides, they are easy to find as whoever tried to hide the entrances wasn't very smart. If you need more of my medicine in the future, come back and I'll apply more on you for the same small price as before."

Thanking Sugar Belle for the medicine, (I wished she could have given me some kind of discount) I left her house and looked up at the sky. The sun was starting to set which made me wonder where the day had gone only for me to realize that much of it had been spent on going through two dungeons. I could go back to Mabe Village and crash there for the night or I could ask Sugar Belle if I could sleep on the floor. Thinking about my two choices, I decided that Mabe Village was my better option. Besides, I didn't know Sugar Belle well enough (Both in real life and in this world) and she did come across as perhaps being too eccentric for my tastes.

Taking out the Ocarina and playing Manbo's Mambo (Going to Mabe Village was a good idea as Vignette lived there with Discord), I focused on the raised platform just outside the village and wanting to be teleported to it. Everything began going white as the magic of the warp whisked me away and moments later found myself where I needed to be. Heading west, I picked up the boulder, tossed it, and entered Mabe Village where everyone was beginning to make their way inside. I'll give them props for being punctual here for knowing exactly when it was time to go inside for the night.

Since Starlight was still at the Animal Village, I entered her house and was greeted by Sunburst who agreed to allow me to sleep there for the night. I didn't really have anything else to say to him nor did I want to sleep in a comfy bed or on a chair (Sure, a comfy bed sounded nice but for an adventurer like myself, I needed to be able to wake up at a moment's notice and a bed would make me doze off completely and not wake up when necessary) so I intended on leaving as early as possible once the sun rose next morning. Resting my sword and shield up against a wall, I sat down, my back pressing against the same wall, and I thought about what I had been through thus far.

Unlike my previous two adventures, this one wasn't quite as stressful in terms of being in a race against time to prevent a great disaster from happening. I also didn't have to worry about dealing with Sunset Demon, who finally managed to rest in peace by accepting that I had moved on from my troubled past. Looking back on it, she was perhaps my greatest enemy as she represented the person I used to be in life: mean, ruthless, having a self-inflated ego, willing to go to great lengths (Including illegal means) in order to ensure everything went the way I wanted it to, and so on. Defeating her allowed me to become much stronger in terms of spirit.

On the subject of this adventure as a whole, there was this nagging feeling I had which I just couldn't get my mind off of. Sure, things were going great, but something told me that it was going to get much worse later on. The very thought scared me as whenever things became stressful for me, I tended to not think properly which resulted in me making some very bad mistakes which had almost cost me my life during such occasions. If this quest were to suddenly change and become a nightmare, I had no choice but to accept it. No way would Ganondorf not give up on such an opportunity like that.

Hours passed and I eventually fell asleep and began dreaming about being back in Equestria again. As I continued sleeping, in my subconscious, I knew something was wrong as my dream slowly transformed into a nightmare. If this had been any other occurrence, I'd have chalked it up to my past coming back to haunt me again, but this had nothing to do what my former self. I knew this to do with the likes of Grogar as who else could cause a nightmare with this amount of power? Also, I figured I was due for another visit from the ancient goat since I had defeated five Nightmares and collected four instruments.

Grogar's form appeared before me in my dream. "Outsider... We have underestimated you."

"Creatures like you have a tendency to do that." I said.

That caused Grogar to smash his hooves into the ground creating a slight tremor. "Do not think you are above us! You are beneath our notice and shall always be as such even as you continue to overcome the Nightmares." He began calming down which was probably for the best as his power was much greater than what I could muster. "We normally do not admit weakness, outsider, but we have realized that you are stronger than we thought. Had we known you would become this threatening, we would've killed you in your sleep during our previous encounter with you."

I chose to play my words carefully. "I know that right now, I'm no match for you."

"Which is what we like to hear coming from you."

"Why come to me now?"

"You have defeated five of the Nightmares." Grogar answered, his eyes burning with a hot fury. "When you defeated the Moldorm, we believed you had merely lucked out and sheer incompetence is what caused the Moldorm's defeat. Now, with it, the Genie, the Slime Eye, the Angler Fish, and the Hardhit Beetle defeated, we know now that it wasn't luck but rather your inner strength. Had we known this sooner, we'd have acted sooner instead of now."

"The way I see it, I'm likely to defeat the remaining Nightmares."

"And that is why we shall end this now."

"What do you mean?"

"You are in our domain now, Outsider." Grogar answered. "In the dream, we control everything and nothing is beyond our reach. We shall expose you to such a terrifying nightmare, it shall cause your heart to stop and death's grip to choke you until you no longer breathe. You shall die in your sleep and this island will continue on as before without your interference getting in the way."

"Then I'll just wake up."

"You cannot."

I tried to open my eyes in the waking world only to discover that Grogar was right. His power in the dream was immense! I needed to come up with a plan quickly otherwise he would carry out his threat. If only Princess Twilight were here, she'd be able to give me some much needed advice, but I knew that Her Highness couldn't help so it was up to me to find a solution but in all honesty, what could I even come up with against an ancient goat and one who had power over all nightmares? Thinking quickly, the only option I could think of was fighting Grogar yet I knew that wouldn't work. Anything else would've been pointless.

Raising my shield, Grogar laughed at my attempt to fight him before his eyes suddenly went dark. I then saw an image of myself turning into Sunset Demon and relishing the fact that I was embracing the transformation before using magic and attacking my friends with it. My body instantly went numb and I could feel my heart coming to a stop which was also affecting me in the waking world. He was dead serious on carrying out his threat! I wanted to break free of the nightmare but couldn't! Grogar was too powerful! My nightmare continued getting worse as my friends succumbed to my magic... Truly, a nightmare of horrific proportions.

Just when it looked like I was about to die (I didn't think Sugar Belle's medicine would work in the dream), my hand suddenly glowed as the Mark of the Triforce made its presence known, a reminder that I possessed one of the three pieces of the golden power. The mark continued glowing until it dispelled the nightmare leaving Grogar shocked as to what just happened and me snapping out of what he had done. I checked my heart and it was beating normally (My body was no longer numb otherwise I couldn't have checked my heart) and that was when I saw the mark. Despite hating the mark over how it connected me to Ganondorf, I was happy about having it in this instance.

"Looks like you failed."

Grogar didn't take this well at all. "How!? How did you manage to overcome us!?"

"Think of it as divine power."

"You are more dangerous than we expected."

"Your nightmares don't work on me."

"So it appears." Grogar sounded defeated but I knew better than to underestimate him. "Though our nightmare did not kill you, you are still beneath us. We know that even with this divine power of yours, you are no match for us. The remaining Nightmares shall enjoy making you suffer, outsider, but hopefully the next one is all that is necessary to kill you. But... It might not be the Nightmares that shall prove to be your undoing. Perhaps learning the truth shall suffice."

"What do you mean?"

"You will know and when you do..."

Before I had a chance to question him further, Grogar disappeared into the darkness and my dream returned. Again, I appreciated having the Triforce of Courage only because it saved me from meeting my end in the dream. In any other situation, it was nothing more than a burden which I'd rather not have. What Grogar said about learning about the truth worried me as it could mean just about anything, but judging from the tone in his voice when he said it, it was something to be feared. The rest of the night passed without any other incidents but I had trouble sleeping a little on account of Grogar's parting words.

The morning came and to my surprise, Sunburst wasn't around which probably meant he was off in the Mysterious Forest looking for toadstools again. As I gathered my equipment and prepared to head out, I still had feelings of dread regarding Grogar's words. Not just those but also what he said regarding the remaining Nightmares. While Moldorm had proven difficult along with Hardhit Beatle and the Genie to an extent, Slime Eye and Angler Fish were jokes in comparison. Perhaps future boss monsters would require me to become even stronger in hopes of overcoming them. I wasn't looking forward towards such a prospect.

"Are you okay, Sunset?" Princess Twilight asked as I walked out of Starlight and Sunburst's house.

"Grogar visited me during the night in my dreams." I answered.

Princess Twilight gasped. "No wonder you looked pale in the middle of the night when I woke up." Her Highness then blushed which made me curious as to why she was up so late but eventually I decided it was probably best not to question it. "What happened to you?"

"He nearly killed me in my sleep via the dream world."

"I didn't think that was possible."

"Well... He almost succeeded."

"How did you manage to survive?"

I then showed Princess Twilight the back of my right hand. "It was the Triforce of Courage. Somehow, it's divine power resonated with my plight resulting in me overcoming my near-death experience at the hands of Grogar." I honestly couldn't explain things any better than that as I didn't understand everything the Triforce could do. "Normally, I hate having this power because it reminds me that I'm connected with Ganondorf not to mention you since you possess your own Triforce, but I am grateful that it saved my life."

"A mixed blessing."

"I suppose so."

Princess Twilight then flew all around me in order to make sure that I was okay. "I'm relieved that you survived your encounter with Grogar. From what I've heard about him via various books, aside from Gusty the Great, no one else has ever overcome Grogar let alone withstood his magic. I know this instance doesn't count, Sunset, as this is a different version of him, but I'd like to think you are similar to Gusty."

That made me smile. "Thanks, Twilight."

"What else did he have to say?"

"For one thing, the Nightmares are going to become much stronger from now on."

"That sounds typical."

I nodded. "But then he mentioned something about the truth. He didn't go into any specifics and disappeared into the shadows before I had a chance to question him. I've been feeling this dread ever since which kept me up all night wondering what it could mean."

"It could be about the island."

"You think so?"

Princess Twilight shrugged. "As much as I would like it to be that as it would satisfy my curiosity, I can't fathom the notion of understanding Grogar's mind. I guess the answer will eventually come to you whether you like it or not. Whatever he was getting at, you can't let it consume your every waking thought otherwise he'll have found a means to torment you outside of the dream. If we can figure out what he meant as soon as possible, it won't cause problems later on, or it might, and we'd be carrying out whatever his agenda is."

That was what I feared the most and why I hated it when villains acted like that. It was a combination of intimidation, wordplay, atmosphere, and knowing things that others didn't which made me truly worried about Grogar's mentioning of the truth. I had to focus on the task at hand and not allow myself to become obsessed with figuring out the meaning. At least I knew that much regarding the ancient goat's intentions. He planned on weakening my confidence which in turn would leave me vulnerable against the Nightmares. Her Highness was right about me not letting his words consume me.

But what if Grogar expected me to not let his words get to me? What if he wanted me to start second-guessing myself? That would lead to further disarray on my part which in turn would weaken my resolve. I then shook my head in a violent manner to remove such thoughts. Already he was starting to get to me. No wonder Gusty the Great, according to the stories of Grogar, resisted his methods and overcame him by banishing him from Equestria. It made me wish that I could have such a strong resolve instead of second-guessing myself but this was something I'd need to beat... Hopefully soon.

Focusing on what I needed to do next, I was in Mabe Village so hopefully Vignette should still be here. If not then the only other place would be the Animal Village as outside of either village was danger. Heading south towards where Discord lived, sure enough, she was standing to the left of their home but was clearly upset. That's when I noticed that she was no longer holding a broom, the instrument of her happiness. Vignette being an elderly character instead of bragging about her huge online fan base... I just found the whole thing weird in addition to her having so many fans who enjoyed seeing her 'antics' online.

I approached her and she turned to face me. "Oh... It's you."

"It's been a while." I said.

"I know that you've been calling my husband on a regular basis." Vignette said. "I've never seen Ulrira so happy speaking to someone and share his vast knowledge with them. It's made him even more precious."

"He's proven invaluable to my adventure."

"When it comes to knowledge of Koholint Island, my husband just can't be beat... Unless you were a fairy."

I looked at Princess Twilight momentarily to acknowledge Vignette's words before looking back at the latter. "I owe Grandpa Ulrira a lot." I then had to address the obvious since it was clear she was clearly distraught. "By the way... I noticed that you don't have your broom with you. If I remember correctly, you love sweeping where it's become an obsession. I believe you once said something about wanting to sweep all of Koholint Island."

"That does sound like something I'd say."

"Um... So what happened?"

Vignette sighed. "I went down to the river in order to sweep the bank and when I finished down there, I made my way over to the Animal Village since it hadn't been swept in a very long time, but then that's when everything fell apart." She then took out her current room which no longer had any of its bristles. "My old broom here was running on fumes but I believed I could continue using it for just a little bit longer, but when it suddenly lost all its bristles, my life lost all meaning. If I can't sweep the island, then what use am I? I know Ulrira needs me but that's beside the point."

"Maybe I can help?"

"How do you plan on helping me?"

I then took out the broom which Canter Zoom gave me. "I recently acquired this."

Seeing the broom made Vignette perk up instantly. "YAHOO! YAHOO! A new broom!?" She then began trying to reach out for it which looked rather pitiful. Upon noticing her own actions, she took on a more calmer persona. "Did you bring me this, lass?"

I nodded. "I'd rather not say how I got it though."

"That doesn't bother me."

"I don't need this broom so you can have it."

Handing over the broom to Vignette, her expression was that of pure joy. "At last! I can continue my purpose of sweeping Koholint Island. I'd say this new broom is going to last me about ten years or so." She then looked in my direction. "I know you want to be given a reward, lass, and I've got just the thing. When I was sweeping down by the river, I happened upon this fishing hook which had been buried. I'm no fishing enthusiast but perhaps there is someone out there who could do with one of these."

"Isn't there a fishing pond in this village?"

"There is but the fisherman there doesn't need a new fishing hook."

"Oh..."

"You could try the other fisherman though." Vignette began scratching her chin as she tried to remember something before it came to her. "He fishes somewhere in Martha's Bay though I don't know where exactly. You know how these fellows like having their secret fishing spots because of not wanting anyone else finding them. If you could talk to someone who lives in Martha's Bay, you might find out where he is."

"I was planning on going there."

"Then you should find a good use for that hook."

With that, Vignette shouted before continuing on with her sweeping and completely ignored me. As for myself, I looked at the fishing hook she had given me. Out of all the items I had been trading, this one was perhaps one of the more weirder ones. What could a fishing hook possibly become upon trading it to a fisherman? The only way to know was to find this guy and hoped he needed it otherwise I'd be stuck with something that was useless to me... Unless I wanted to try fishing for myself. In any case, my journey involved Martha's Bay and now it was time for me to go there, and fortunately, I had a quick means of reaching it.

Taking out the ocarina again and playing Manbo's Mambo, I began picturing Martha's Bay in my mind but I needed to make sure I would be warped to the right location. There wasn't a warp point that would take me directly into the bay but rather a few that would get me close to it yet required some walking on my part. Hmmm... From what I remembered of the general location of Martha's Bay, the warp that was right next to the Seashell Mansion was my best bet. Besides, I was familiar with that area since I had been there twice already. Focusing on the mansion, everything went white as the magic once again whisked me away.

Appearing moments later to the right of the mansion, I thought about going in there and checking to see how many Secret Seashells I had collected, but declined when I counted up how many I had in my head and discovered I didn't have enough of them to get the next reward. (I had roughly eight and needed ten) At least coming back to the mansion would be easy thanks to the warp panel I was standing on. Stepping off of it and seeing several Boarblins protecting the mansion's entrance, (They weren't going to go inside and tear up the place especially with Adagio acting as its guardian), I dashed through them with the Pegasus Boots.

Heading south by continuing to dash along, it took me about a minute to reach the northern most part of Martha's Bay, and I took a moment to take it all in. Last time I was here, I couldn't focus too much on what was in the bay since I had King Sombra around and he wanted to be taken home, but now that burden had passed and I was free to check things out to at my own leisure. I recalled seeing a large rock formation in the middle of the water along with a giant structure which was the Catfish's Maw but I didn't see how it could be accessed. Then again, Flash Sentry did hint as me needing to dive to get there.

"It looks so peaceful." I said as I continued looking at the vast expanse of water.

"Yes, but you need to be mindful of the Zoras that are swimming about." Princess Twilight said.

I looked down and could see a fish-like creature poke its head out of the water before going back down. "That's a Zora? It looks way different from the ones I've seen in my previous adventures." Those Zora in question looked more like humanoid fish while these Zoras were all fish and were green as opposed to blue. "Could these be a more ancient type of Zora or maybe they devolved over time to become this?"

"I'm going to go with the latter."

"And I take it they're not friendly?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "Over the centuries, some Zora got sick and tired of being hunted mercilessly by humans and decided to do something about it. They began attacking them by using fire magic, something forbidden in their culture, which resulted in their exile from the tribe. From there, they called themselves River Zora while the remaining Zora, feeling shame because of this new branch, evolved by adapting to land and eventually became an entirely new species known as the Rito."

"How accurate is that?"

"It's not 100% accurate as some details have been questioned by historians."

"And these Zora?"

"When they pop their heads up, they will shoot a fireball from their mouths." Princess Twilight answered. "After that, they will go back down only to pop up a few seconds later and repeating the process. Since you can't fight while swimming on the water's surface, all you can do is avoid Zoras as best as you can. Considering they thrive in water and are rarely seen on land, you won't be able to defeat them unless you could find a way to get them out of the water."

I wasn't liking the idea of a monster that couldn't be defeated by conventional means but this was something that couldn't be helped. Zoras were masters of the water and my swimming skills were nothing compared to them. I had to heed Princess Twilight's words and just avoided them and their attacks or else they'd be able to pick me off with ease. Continuing on south, ignoring the Boarblins, and reaching some stairs that went into the water (There were many of these), I walked into the water and the Flippers immediately appeared on my feet enabling me to swim.

"Hey! You!" Someone called out to me.

"Huh?"

"Look over here!"

I looked in the direction of the voice and to my surprise, floating in the water was Gloriosa Daisy. If not for her using the magical geodes in her bid to save Camp Everfree from the likes of Filthy Rich as well as finding them, my friends and I wouldn't have gotten them ourselves and used them ever since to overcome additional problems that involved magic. In that sense, we owe her immensely for allowing us to unlock our true magical potential. At first, I was surprised to see her swimming in the water, but upon seeing a glimpse of a tail behind her, I discovered that she was a mermaid in this world.

"Um... Hello there."

"What!?" Gloriosa said with a huff. "You've never seen a mermaid before?"

I shook my head. "I've seen something similar."

"Uh huh."

"Sorry if I came across as ignorant."

Gloriosa clearly didn't appreciate my apology. In fact, she looked like she couldn't care less about talking to me since she was frantically looking around for something. "I don't need an apology from you! I need information and you're going to give me some!" That was surprising. Someone wanted information from me when usually it was the other way around where I needed it. "Swimming around here is meant to be fun but I'm not having it right now!"

"What happened?"

"When I was swimming earlier, the waves took a very important necklace from around my neck!" Gloriosa answered as she pointed at her neck. "Why it's important isn't any of your concern but it means everything to me. Have you seen it anywhere?"

I shook my head. "I haven't seen your necklace."

That made Gloriosa feel even worse. "Then you're not much help are you? You look like someone who's pretty capable but instead you've been disappointing. If you find it and bring it back to me, I will let you take a scale from my tail! I know that sounds like utter desperation on my part but I'm very serious here! Sorry if I sound rude but I've been in a panic all day long and until it's safe in my hands again, I'm going to continue being rude because it's the only way to get any answers."

"Do you know anything about a fisherman?"

"Huh?"

"A fisherman."

"Normally, mentioning a fisherman in the presence of a mermaid is nothing short of insulting, but I'm too upset right now to care." It was unfortunate that Gloriosa was feeling the way she was but I knew that I could help her out with her problem. What she said about fishermen and mermaids had some truth but whether you believed the stories or not depended on a person's opinions. "Since you did ask nicely, I suppose I can tell you about this secret location I know of. There's a bridge near the Mermaid Statue and underneath it is a fishing spot deemed an excellent place for fishermen to catch their quarry. If there's a fisherman in Martha's Bay, that's where I'd look for him."

"I'll find your necklace."

"Don't make promises you can't keep."

I shook my head. "No, I really mean it."

Gloriosa grumbled in response. "Okay, I'll believe you for now, but if you're lying to me, you'll wish you never met me. I may be beautiful but we mermaids can be vicious when provoked so remember that."

She then resumed looking for her necklace leaving me to do the same thing. Before I could swim away, she said that she had already scoured this area of Martha's Bay so there was no point in me searching here. With that, I swam south towards where that rock formation was. Upon reaching it, I began thinking about where her necklace could've gone. She said waves took it away yet I immediately had to question her claim. This area would have to be connected to the ocean in some way for a wave to get here and I remembered the map of the island correctly, there was no such connection.

Could it have been caused by a Zora? Maybe but then it would've taken an entire group of them and not just one. Perhaps the Catfish's Maw? The Nightmare could've done something that created waves resulting in Gloriosa's necklace becoming lost. So many possibilities yet each had a number of holes that made them dubious at best and completely pointless at worst which wasn't to my liking. Whether it was waves or not, I had to find that necklace because I needed her help despite her needing mine. If anyone knew anything about the next dungeon, Gloriosa fit that description.

I eliminated one possible area from my mind, that of where the Mermaid Statue was. Despite only catching a glimpse of it when I was over that way with King Sombra, there was no bridge but rather a series of rocks in the water that covered up one dead-end. Another area I could eliminate was swimming up river and Gloriosa didn't seem the kind of person who would want to swim in shallow waters. Besides, Kanalet Castle was up river and knowing her, she would want to avoid such a place what with the berserk soldiers. That left just one area, the southeast which was near the Animal Village.

Swimming to the east, Princess Twilight also warned me about whirlpools that could appear. Even though these wouldn't cause me to drown, they would inflict damage because of their unusual strength so I needed to avoid them. Good thing she mentioned it as one suddenly materialized next to me. I didn't panic as that would've caused me to do something stupid so I carefully maneuvered past it only for a pair of Zora to emerge their heads from below the water's surface. Each shot out a fireball so I reacted by diving underwater as the flippers enabled me to do so though for just a brief moment.

Popping back up, both Zora had gone back down but I knew that were pausing before coming back up and attacking again. Before they had the chance, I swam past some more stairs and continued swimming south and eventually came across a bridge. It had certainly seen better days judging from how poorly it looked yet it looked like something was underneath it as I could see an object bobbing on the water's surface in the shadows though what I didn't know. Swimming under the bridge, I was surprised to see a large spacious area which looked way bigger on the inside than it did outside.

The object I saw turned out to be a boat and sitting in it was a man who had to be the fisherman. When he turned his face, I was looking at Grand Pear, Applejack, Applebloom, and Big Macintosh's grandfather. From what Princess Twilight told me, he abandoned his daughter, Pear Butter, because she married into the Apple Family when she and Bright Macintosh said their vows. He remained out of their lives for years until returning to Ponyville where he finally allowed his heart to guide him rather than his pride resulting in both families reconciling rather than continuing on with a pointless feud.

Climbing into the boat, Grand Pear took immediate notice. (My equipment weighed me down, not my weight) "Oh? And who might you be?"

"I'm Sunset Shimmer." I answered.

"Me? I'm just a lonely fisherman who's been trying to score the big one." Grand Pear answered. "Have you ever been to the Fishing Hole in Mabe Village? If you haven't, I recommend trying it out at least once. The guy running that place happens to be my twin brother so if you tell him I sent you, he should give you a special discount and maybe fish for something pretty rare."

"Why are you out here?"

"Everyone knows that this is a secret fishing spot where the rarest fish are supposed to be."

"Yet you don't look very happy."

Grand Pear sighed. "It's that obvious is it? It's no use, Sunset Shimmer! A fish took my best hook and it's been a nightmare since. I have no idea where it ended up but what I do know is that I'll never see my hook again. I keep casting my line into the water, but I haven't got a bite. Makes sense when you think about as without a hook, fish won't get caught up on it and I'd just be wasting time. I thought this would happen..." He continued sighing before pulling out his line. "At this point, I should just pack up and go home. If only I had brought another hook with me then I'd be fine."

"Well... I do have this." I said as I took out the fishing hook from my pocket.

"Oh! What is that you have in your hand?"

"I was wondering what to do with it but it looks like you solved that problem."

Grand Pear's eyes lit up. "Is that a fishing hook you have there? It's not the one I lost but it should be a perfect replacement. Can you please let me have it seeing as you just said you don't know what to do with the thing. Please? I'll give you my next catch if you let me have that hook." I nodded and handed it over to him. "Yes! I can continue fishing again. Okay, now we're in business. Keep your eyes open and watch a professional at work. The secret in catching a fish is patience." Tying the hook onto the line and casting it into the water, nothing happened at first but then the line started reacting. "My, that's a BIIIIG one!"

"It might be too big."

"The bigger the better!"

"If you say so."

After pulling on the line for what felt like forever, Grand Pear gave the line a big yank resulting in him pulling something out of the water where it landed in my lap. "Well... You don't see anything like that everyday in this line of work." In my lap was a beautiful necklace, the very one Gloriosa had been searching for. How it got all the way down here was beyond me but now I could go back and give it to her. "I did say you could have the next thing I catch but at least it wasn't a rare fish."

"This is just what I needed."

"Whatever works for you."

"Thanks for fishing this necklace up for me."

"My pleasure." Grand Pear said as he threw his line back into the water. "I'm going to be here for a while using this new hook to score the big one. Again, you should give fishing a try by going to the Fishing Hole over in Mabe Village. I guarantee you'll become addicted!"

Leaving Grand Pear to continue doing what he was doing, I carefully placed the necklace in my pocket and jumped back into the water. I was still surprised at the fact that the necklace managed to get all the way down here, yet Gloriosa never once tried searching this far. Had she swam this way, she'd have eventually found it herself though it would've meant having to interact with something she wasn't particular fond of. At least I could now get a scale from her and eventually give it to Bulk Biceps (The one in the Animal Village and not his brother in Toronbo Shores) since he was the one who made that Mermaid Statue.

Swimming back the way I came, I immediately was attacked by the same two Zora from before where they popped up from below the surface and shot fireballs at me. Diving underwater to avoid getting hit, this time, instead of staying put, I swam forward a little in hopes that believed I had drowned and would ignore me. Sure enough, the Zoras went back down and didn't come up again indicating my plan was successful. Even the simplest of solutions were the most effective when applied correctly. Ignoring the whirlpool by slowly swimming past it, I kept on swimming until I encountered Gloriosa again.

"You weren't gone for very long."

"I did what I needed to do."

"And did you find my necklace?" Gloriosa asked.

"I did find a fisherman in that secret spot you mentioned."

Gloriosa's expression went from bad to worse. "You seriously just went and said that!? How insensitive can one get!?" Then her mood changed. "I'm glad you managed to find that secret fishing hole but it doesn't change the fact that I'm still missing my necklace. You made a promise and broke it!"

I reached into my pocket and carefully took out the necklace. "No I didn't."

Seeing the necklace in my hand, Gloriosa's reaction was expected. " Ah! That's it! That's my necklace!" She then calmed down upon realizing that I kept my word. "Wow... You actually went and brought it back to me despite what I said to you. I... I don't know what to say other than to give it back. I will give you a scale as I said but promise to only take one from my tail as the thought of being a scale-less mermaid creeps me out."

Handing over the scale, Gloriosa immediately put it on and showed it off. Rolling my eyes, I then dove underwater in order to get a scale from her. Upon seeing her tail up close, it was certainly majestic in appearance, and I felt honoured that she would allow me to take one for myself as a reward. I couldn't just rip it off as that would surely cause pain nor could I use my sword and pry it off as that would also result in pain. Instead, I reached out for a scale of significant size and began slowly loosening it by gently tugging. After about a minute or so of doing this, the scale fell into my hands leaving no scar on Gloriosa.

I then came back up to the surface. "Sorry that took me a while."

"You were very gentle when you did that."

"Hurting you would've made me feel terrible."

Gloriosa smiled. "I appreciate the sentiment. You know, an artist once asked me to pose for him, and he wanted a scale, too. I refused his offer as I'm not the kind of girl who wishes to stay in one place while someone painted me. I mean, it was a nice gesture and all but not something I wanted. Can the legend of the Magnifying Lens be true?"

"What legend?"

"A long time ago, someone on this island once had a Magnifying Lens that could see anything." Gloriosa answered. "No matter how small something was or if it was invisible to the naked eye, this lens could see anything. It's said that the lens was buried underground where that Mermaid Statue is located but whether that's true remains a mystery. That artist always kept say his work remained incomplete all because of a single missing scale. I think he's just being too personal with his creation. Anyway, he still lives in the village over there so you can give that scale to him if you want."

Pocketing the scale, I then addressed the current elephant in the room. "I need information on the Catfish's Maw."

"You mean that structure south of us?"

I nodded. "I'm going in there to acquire something important."

"Since you were so kind in returning my necklace and taking a scale from my tail, I would be happy to tell you all I know." Gloriosa took a deep breath before continuing. "In order to be able to enter the Catfish's Maw, you need to dive underwater on the other side of that rock formation. That should be a simple thing for you since you're a pretty capable swimmer, but once you go inside, things will get much more complicated. I hear that there are monsters everywhere in that place and one in particular proclaims itself as a master."

"A master of what?"

"It calls itself Master Stalfos."

"Sounds like it's full of itself."

Gloriosa laughed. "Maybe but it's a fearsome creature. Once, I went into the Catfish's Maw on a wanting of being curious, and it appeared at the entrance. I was so terrified that I immediately swam away and never went back. With that sword and shield, the Master Stalfos looked to be a formidable warrior, yet that skeletal body looked old. I'd say it could crumble instantly if it were struck with a blunt object. There was something else about that creature which I'm trying to remember."

"Any information will do."

"It had some kind of object dangling on its belt."

"That's... Informative... I guess?"

"Sorry if it isn't entirely accurate."

"I'll make do."

"I don't have much else to say about the Catfish's Maw other than one thing." Gloriosa said as she pointed to the Mermaid Statue. "That stretching object might be what you need to reach the statue if you're curious enough to want to check it out. I'd like to see it someday but we mermaids can't exactly strut about on shore as we'd suffocate. Anyway, I've said all I can so now I think it's time for me to be on my way. I'll be back here later so if you come on by later, I should be somewhere in Martha's Bay." With that, Gloriosa dove down underwater and swam off before she eventually disappeared.

I then turned to Princess Twilight who hadn't had a chance to speak for quite a while. "Well? What did you make of all of that?"

"I'm surprised that Gloriosa went into the Catfish's Maw just because she was bored." Princess Twilight answered.

"Makes you wonder if anyone else has done something similar barring the Colour Dungeon."

"It's certainly a possibility."

"By the way, what do you make of this Magnifying Lens?"

"It sounds like it's an item that you definitely need as why go to all the trouble of having to trade so many items for it?" I was shocked when Her Highness said that. I never thought of this trading sequence as leading up to something of great importance but it did explain why I was going around with so many weird items in my inventory. "I came to my conclusion by paying close attention to what Gloriosa said about the Magnifying Lens and that her scale is the final key to getting it."

"Now that I think about it, the Magnifying Lens sounds just like the Lens of Truth." I said. In my previous adventures, I acquired a similar lens which could reveal the truth to me through the use of incredible magic. Nothing was beyond its gaze and it proved rather essential despite it being just a lens. "Perhaps this item serves as a precursor to what I would acquire on my previous adventures. Huh... It sounds confusing when you look at this from a video game release perspective." I changed the subject when it was clear that Princess Twilight didn't quite understand what I was getting at. "Anyway, what about this Master Stalfos?"

"It sounds like it could prove problematic."

I nodded. "I was afraid of that."

"Also, the item it has could prove useful."

"I just wish Gloriosa had given me some more details."

"It couldn't be helped."

The time had finally come for me to enter the next dungeon and acquire the fifth instrument. Swimming south until I reached the rock formation which housed the Catfish's Maw, I began swimming around it in hopes of finding a spot where I could dive down since that was what I had to. It took about a minute to find what I was looking for as it was situated on the other side of where I started. Diving down underwater, nothing was blocking me which struck me as odd as normally something would be guarding an important area to prevent anyone from reaching it.

The underwater expedition wasn't long at all as I had to go back up to the surface and upon doing so, I was staring at the dungeon entrance. The sight of such an entrance was guaranteed to scare away any who were curious about exploring. It consisted of an angry catfish complete with whiskers, sinister looking eyes that could pierce your soul, sharp teeth on the entryway's roof, and some moss on top of it which looked gross more than anything. It felt like I was being beckoned to enter and face whatever was waiting for me on the inside. If not for my mission, I wouldn't want to go inside but I had no other choice.

Swimming up to the entrance, I climbed out the water and went inside where I found myself in the entrance of the dungeon. The voice I had been hearing in the past whenever I entered a dungeon then revealed to me that this was 'Level 5. - Catfish's Maw'. It was surprising how there wasn't any water considering that one needed the ability to swim in order to reach this place, but I had no intention of dwelling on it for very long otherwise I'd probably just confuse myself over something trivial. Aside from a pair of statues, nothing else was of interest apart from the ground being sand.

My only way forward was going west and so I did into the next room where I was immediately attacked by a Red Zol which jumped towards me. Luckily, I managed to raise my shield just in time and its attack amounted to nothing. Attacking it which caused it to split into two pieces, I took out both pieces leaving only to deal with a Spark that was rotating around a nearby statue along with a Helmasaur which hadn't noticed me yet. My eyes were then drawn towards a treasure chest but it was in an area I couldn't reach so easily. A series of stone blocks and the abuss were preventing me from reaching it. Princess Twilight said she would make a note of it for later.

The Helmasuar merely paced back and forth so I waited for it to turn its back towards me as I couldn't attack the front because of its armoured helmet. When it turned away, I quickly struck it from behind twice, defeating it where it dropped a rupee which I picked up. Heading into the next room by walking west again, I was next attacked by several Keese who had previously been resting on top of statues situated in the middle of the room. There was another Helmasaur pacing about so I ignored it in order to focus on my main problem. Swinging my sword around in an erratic fashion, I defeated all four Keese though they didn't drop anything.

With just the Helmasaur remaining, I walked around to its backside (It was incredibly slow when it wasn't noticing anything) and I defeated it with two sword strikes. This caused a door to unlock though I could only go in that direction as the other way required a key which I currently lacked. Heading west again (This was starting to become a weird trend which made me wonder how far west did this dungeon go) I immediately came upon a chest when I entered the next room and opened it which contained a Compass. Why was this item almost always the firs key item I would find?

At least I would know when I would enter a room that housed a key but a map was infinitely better. As for what was in this room, a Spark was moving around the outer edges so it would be easy enough to avoid though the two Helmasaurs were blocking my way forward. Raising my shield and slowly walking towards them, one Helmasaur immediately charged at me but I merely stepped aside and when it stumbled past, I attacked it from behind though I forgot about the other one resulting in me getting hit from behind. Turning around, the remaining one had since turned around because of losing interest in me but I responded by dashing into it.

"You didn't need to be that excessive, Sunset."

"I know, but I wanted to prove a point."

"Fair enough."

"Sorry if I did anything wrong."

"No, you did what you thought was best." Princess Twilight said. "One thing I forgot to mention about Helmasaurs is that their helmets aren't as sturdy as appearance suggest. If you were to use a unique item against it, said item would destroy the helmet instead of pulling it off. I don't know what this item could be but it's something to think about. Good thing youdefeated both of them as doing so unlocked the way back, but I suggest checking out those stairs as you do need a small key in order to progress."

Heading downstairs into an underground passage, I was immediately presented with a challenge. "Are those weights?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "If you stand on one, it will drop down which causes the other one to rise up in response. Now, I'm not saying your overweight, Sunset, but your equipment and current inventory will be enough to tip the scales so to speak."

"Thanks for not saying I'm fat, Twilight."

"Well you're not."

Standing on the weight, it slowly began to drop and when it was at equal height with the other weight as it rose up, I jumped onto it using the Roc's Feather, and jumped again onto the platform before heading left where I encountered more weights. There were four of them this time and I could see that the first two were already up whereas the other two were down. I knew something wasn't right at it looked too easy. I suspected that these first two didn't connect with one another and instead one was connected to three. If they did, this puzzle couldn't be solved and I'd be stuck here with no means of progression.

Stepping on the first weight, the third weight began to rise, just as I suspected. I quickly figured out on what I needed to do in order to solve this puzzle and it was actually a lot more simpler than appearances suggested. Once I was low enough where the first three weights were lined up, I jumped across each one which also caused the last weight to begin rising to counter the second weight which began dropping upon my stepping on it. (That sounded a lot more confusing than it actually was) Continuing to jump across, I almost didn't make it on account of nearly missing my jump but I somehow succeeded.

Heading up the ladder and into the next room, I could see dark crystals were everywhere. The Compass also beeped indicating that there was a key in this room. I could also see a pair of Yellow Stalfos but there were also two red ones which were brand new for me. "What can you say about the Red Stalfos?"

"These are perhaps the most annoying among the Stalfos you'll be encountering."

"How so?"

"Not only do these ones jump away from you when you try to attack them, they will also throw bones in your direction." Princess Twilight answered. "The bones won't do much damage to you but it will prove annoying especially with other enemies around causing a distraction. I don't believe their bones can pass through solid objects but I do know that they will throw them whenever they jump in order to move away from you. Think of this method of attacking as a reaction."

"Guess I need to watch them closely."

"They have the same stamina as other Stalfos."

"That's good to know."

Smashing the dark crystals, a Yellow Stalfos and a Red Stalfos began approaching me. I easily took out the yellow one as I knew its attack patterns by heart on account of having fought so many of them, but this wasn't true with the new one. It immediately jumped back before tossing a bone from somewhere that bounced harmlessly off of my shield when I raised it to protect myself. Before it had a chance to throw another, I countered by striking it twice, defeating it. From there, I continued smashing dark crystals because I could see what the solution was to this puzzle but then the remaining two Stalfos decided to come my way.

Again, I easily took out the Yellow Stalfos but the Red Stalfos jumped back before tossing a bone. (I had no idea where it was tossing them from nor did I want to know as there were some things one was never meant to find out about) Using my shield to deflect it, the Red Stalfos continued jumping backwards until it reached the wall and could no longer escape as it couldn't change direction when in mid-air. Walking up to it, I took it out using my sword which left me free to finish smashing what remaining dark crystals there were. Once I had smashed them all, I began pushing two of the four blocks so that they all matched up with each other.

When the last block was moved into place, a small key dropped down from the ceiling which I picked up. Now I could go back to where that locked door was and continue on in that direction, but I was curious as to what lurked in the next room. I couldn't help but be curious as exploration was highly recommended in these kinds of games. Walking into the next room, it was completely empty though there was an unusual pattern on the ground. It comprised of a series of tiles in the form of a skull though four tiles were coloured blue. I had no idea what this meant but maybe Princess Twilight knew.

"What do you think, Twilight?"

"Hmmm... This could mean just about anything."

"So you don't know?"

"I'm afraid I don't."

"I was hoping you would know."

"While I have proven myself time and time again that I'm an immense source of wisdom, not even I know everything, Sunset." Princess Twilight then took out her notepad and began writing something down. "I'm definitely making a note of this room as those coloured tiles are just way too curious for me to simply ignore. Perhaps we might encounter a similar tile pattern in a later room that could shed some light on the meaning. For now, you need to go back to that locked door."

Heading back into the previous room, the blocks were still pushed together though I had a feeling I'd have to solve this puzzle again later if for some reason the puzzle resets due to me being too far away. While it was an easy one to solve, I didn't like the prospect of having to solve something which had already been solved. The dark crystals, however, had re-spawned so I smashed my way through and went downstairs into the underground passage again. Fortunately, I didn't need to jump across the weights as I could simply drop down and use the ladders but if I had to come back here again, I would have to repeat the puzzle.

Dropping down to the ground, I walked across, climbed up the ladder, dropped down again, and climbed up the other ladder until I was back in the room where the two Helmasaurs and Spark were. The Spark was all that remained but I knew those Helmasaurs would eventually re-spawn so this was merely a temporary respite. Ignoring it by simply walking past it and into the next previous room, I used my small key to unlock the door and entered the next room. Dark crystals were scattered about everywhere and there was a very shallow river which ran through though I wasn't surprised to see water since I saw a river in the previous section and we were underwater and all.

There was also a Yellow Stalfos, Red Stalfos, and a Helmasaur in this area so I knew which one to focus on first. Then again, defeating these three monsters wasn't required and I could simply ignore them for the time being. I just hoped that they wouldn't follow me into another section otherwise I'd be completely swarmed. The Red Stalfos was the only one who noticed me and reacted by jumping backwards before throwing a bone in my direction. Rather than raise my shield to deflect it, I just stepped aside and ignored it as I headed west into the darkness before immediately stopping upon almost getting my legs sawed off.

"Was that what I think it was?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "A Blade Trap. It has been a while since you've seen one of these."

I looked around the room and could see four of them, one in each corner. "If I remember your words from way back in Tail Cave, nothing I have can defeat these traps so my only option is to avoid them as best as I can, right?"

Again, Princess Twilight nodded. "Once they reach the other side of where they are supposed to go, they will slowly move back to their original position. You could try to bait them out and use that slow phase to your advantage if necessary. One thing I didn't mention to you before is that Blade Traps don't work on monsters."

"Really?"

"Whoever programmed them made sure of that."

"There goes a potential idea."

"As long as you avoid them, Blade Traps can't do anything to you."

At least I was thankful about that though I wished I could lure the monsters into getting hit by them. Speaking of monsters, the only two in this area were both Helmasaurs and I had to defeat them both in order to unlock both doors. Since they were pacing back and forth in the middle of the room, I didn't have to worry about the Blade Traps unless one of them somehow pushed me back into one. Sticking my foot out, both Blade Traps shot forward where they collided with each other before slowly moving back when I easily slipped past and could focus on the Helmasaurs.

Neither of them had noticed me approach so I waited for them to turn their backs to me before attacking them both. Upon defeating them, both doors unlocked but now I had to choose which room to check first. Thinking it over in my head, I decided that the door on the left would be my first choice but if it was too difficult, I'd leave and come back later. Why choose west instead of north? Call it a gut instinct. Entering this next room, I could see a Spark moving around in a rather erratic manner on account of there being pots in addition to stone blocks for it to maneuver around, two more Helmsaurs, and a flying bomb with the number ten on it.

Both Helmasaurs hadn't noticed me (This actually made them a joke thus diminishing their overall presence) so I snuck behind each one and attacked from behind but not before getting hit a couple of times by the Spark which couldn't be defeated. Defeating both Helmasaurs caused a treasure chest to materialize on the other side of the room yet I was curious as to why one of those item replenishing objects (I didn't have anything else to properly call them) was in this room and of a bomb no less. Did I need to use bombs for something? If so then I needed to stock up before progressing any further.

Jumping to grab the bomb icon, I had just over twenty bombs since I hadn't used any in a while so hopefully that was enough to get me through the dungeon. Heading over to the chest and opening it up, I took out a Stone Beak which was useful in some ways but again, I really needed the Dungeon Map. Pocketing the Stone Beak, I went back to the previous room and almost had my legs sawed off again because of immediately forgetting about the Blade Traps. Gah! They were just so annoying yet also completely forgetful. Using my foot in order to lure them out again, I snuck past when they moved back to their original positions and repeated this method in order to get past the other two.

In this next room, I could see another item floating in the air on wings... But it made my heart sink upon seeing what it was. "Is that an arrow?" Upon a closer inspection, it was an arrow with the number ten next to it, but there was an obvious problem. "Why would this dungeon give me arrows when I don't even have a bow to use them?"

"You could say that if you picked up an arrow, you don't have a bow to deliver the 'ow' if you get my point."

I glared at Princess Twilight. "That was a terrible joke and you know it!"

"Sorry, I just couldn't help myself."

Her joke was in poor taste but I couldn't hold it against her, but then it had me thinking. "If this item replenishing object (I really needed a better name than that) is here, does that mean I need a bow to be able to progress through this dungeon?"

"That's hard to say for certain."

"Now I'm starting to worry."

"You could always leave the dungeon and come back later with a bow."

"But that would involve some rupee grinding."

"Yes."

It was a tough choice to consider. On the one hand, if I encountered something that required a bow, I'd be out of luck on account of not having one. On the other hand, it might just be that having one in my inventory was optional for this dungeon in that it wasn't needed. After contemplating both sides, I decided to continue going since I was already making my way through the Catfish's Maw. Explaining my reason to Princess Twilight, she agreed with my decision. I took a step forward and two Red Zols popped up from the ground. Striking them both with one sword swing cut them in half and another swing defeated both of them.

The north door didn't unlock which meant I had to find another way to get to that room, but then Her Highness pointed out a bridge to my right which had been rolled up. If I could find a way to unroll it, I could use it to get to the other side of the locked door. Unfortunately, none of my items could help me but perhaps the item of this dungeon could. Heading left into the next room, I encountered a rather unique set-up. Several holes were aligned in a row with Blade Traps situated in-between them. Sure, I could easily jump across the holes but would I be fast enough to make it across?

"Can I make it?"

Princess Twilight shook her head. "With how fast Blade Traps move, you'd lose your legs in an instant."

"What if I used the Pegasus Boots and performed a couple of dash jumps?"

"That won't work either."

"Really?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "Even if you were to run at the highest maximum speed you're capable of, you wouldn't be able to avoid getting hit by the Blade Traps. You need to be able to move faster than them and the Pegasus Boots simply won't cut it."

"What could possibly be faster than the Pegasus Boots!?"

"Whatever it is, you need to find it if you want to get through this."

I couldn't believe that there was something that could outrun the likes of the Pegasus Boots. As I stood there completely stunned by what Her Highness had said, I began to think about what it was that would allow me to get across without getting sliced apart. Nothing immediately came to mind which meant I was going to be distracted by this throughout the entire dungeon until an answer could be found. Not exactly a comforting thought especially in a place like this but this had become the norm for me. Since I couldn't do anything else, I went back to the previous room where I jumped and collected another arrow--not that it would do me any good without a bow.

Heading south into the next previous room, I stopped as two Blade Traps darted forward from either side of me until they hit one another. At least I was prepared for them this time instead of freaking out. As both traps moved back to their prior positions, I walked past them and then used my foot method from earlier to lure out a previous trap as well as another one so that I could walk past them without injury, which I did though not before almost getting my legs cut off from behind when both traps suddenly darted forward. Rubbing my brow which had since began dripping with sweat, I went back to the last previous room.

The three monsters were still here since I hadn't defeated them initially so now I could take care of them. Taking out the Yellow Stalfos before it even knew what happened, I was struck from behind by a bone courtesy of the Red Stalfos. It didn't hurt but it sure was annoying that it happened so I immediately went after it so that it couldn't throw another bone at me but it knew I was coming for it as it jumped back in order to get away. Like the other Red Stalfos who attempted a similar tactic, this one wound up getting stuck in a dead-end and I defeated it with two sword strikes living just the Helmasaur.

Since it wasn't attacking me, I decided to leave it alone for the time being and instead continue north. In the next area, two more Red Stalfos and a Yellow Stalfos were blocking my way forward even though I could simply ignore them as the next door was already unlocked. But, there was an Owl Statue and it could provide me with some valuable information regarding a mechanic for this dungeon. Raising my shield and slowly moving forward, both Red Stalfos jumped backwards before tossing bones which harmlessly bounced off the shield. They continued jumping back and throwing bones until both had their backs to the wall and I responded by attacking both until they were defeated.

That left just the Yellow Stalfos which jumped up into the air before attempting to land on top of me. I managed to dodge it just in time and responded by striking it twice, defeating it, and gaining myself access to the Owl Statue. I had a feeling this one would prove beneficial unlike the ones in the Colour Dungeon which only talked about those switches. I placed the beak on the statue and listened carefully to what it had to say. 'If you can't destroy the skeleton with your sword, try using a bomb'. That explained why I needed bombs but what skeleton was it talking about?

Entering the next room, I then looked down and saw something familiar. "Didn't we see this before?"

"We did in that one room!" On the ground was the same tile formation that we encountered in the room that was next to the room where I found that small key, but this pattern was different as only a single tile was coloured blue as opposed to four in the other room. "Only one tile has colour this time."

"What does it mean?"

"I don't know."

"I'm not liking all this confusion."

"Neither do I."

I then thought about it. "What if there is a simple pattern that we're clearly overlooking? I mean, here we both are wracking our brains over what this could mean yet the answer could be staring at us until we're both blue in the face." Then I noticed a shadow coming from the ceiling prompting me to get my sword and shield ready. "Then again, all we need to do is wait for an answer to come down from above." Whatever was up there had no desire to come down so I called out in hopes of getting its attention. "I know you're up there so why don't you stop hiding and make yourself known."

"What are you talking about?"

"Someone or something is on the ceiling."

Princess Twilight then noticed the shadow herself. "Okay, now I see what you're getting at."

Both doors suddenly locked indicating that my words got through to whatever was hanging out on the ceiling. It then dropped down from above and landed on the ground with a loud thud combined with the clanking of armour. Standing before me was a large skeleton wearing what looked like ancient armour whilst wielding a rather large sword that gave it quite the reach in comparison to my own and had a shield which had clearly seen its fair share of battles. Its face had teeth though it was probably just the shape of the skull. No doubt that this is what Gloriosa told me earlier. This was the Master Stalfos.

"I was wondering when you would notice my shadow."

"Are you the Master Stalfos?"

"I am."

"I've heard about you from a mermaid."

"A mermaid you say?" As Master Stalfos contemplated my words, I took a much closer look at it. Its bones looked like they could fall apart at any moment as some pieces were missing while others had clearly seen better days. But, it was the sword that worried me the most. A blade like that could easily cleave me in two provided that it boasted a lot of power but perhaps it was more show than anything. "Yes... I seem to recall seeing such a creature enter this place some time ago. Such a cowardly thing who fled in fear upon seeing me yet I do not blame one who cannot be a warrior."

"And what about me?"

"You? A warrior?"

I nodded. "Of course I'm a warrior. Okay, more like a heroine but you get the picture."

Master Stalfos then began laughing though it was stunted. "I cannot believe that a girl like you is a warrior. Though you do possess a sword and shield, they do not have the smell of blood one would expect for weapons used by a warrior who has seen plenty of combat. I have fought many who claimed to be warriors yet they all fell by my hand and either died or became servants of the Nightmares."

"The Nightmares!?" I exclaimed. "You know of them?"

"They control this island."

"I already know that."

Again, Master Stalfos laughed. "And yet you clearly don't know how they are controlling this island. I know the truth but you will not learn this from me as I intend on keeping that information to myself even if you were somehow to rend me asunder. If you claim to be a warrior then prove it by fighting me right now. I could do with a good laugh."

To Be Continued.

Chapter 19: The Warning.

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.
By Ganondorf8.
January 26, 2020.
Chapter 19: The Warning.

"Wait! You're only finally going to show off your true power now?" I asked.

Master Stalfos nodded slowly. "You have pushed me to the point where I have no choice but to show you the full extent of my power. You should be honoured knowing that you get to see something that no one else has ever seen before."

"That only raises questions for me."

"There is no need for questions."

I shook my head. "Oh I beg to differ. Why hold back all this time? Were you afraid of something? Did you underestimate my abilities and overestimate yours?" In all honesty, I could've gone on for several minutes at least but I knew that I needed to get a move on seeing as this whole chasing Master Stalfos down had worn out its welcome and became nothing short of sheer annoyance. "Anyway, the point is you aren't as strong as you claim to be. I'm not belittling you here as you've definitely tested me but still, the fact that you've been holding back makes me question your overall effectiveness."

Rather than refute my claims, Master Stalfos slammed its sword on the ground. "A warrior you may be, but one who has a mouth that refuses to be silent. Were I not an honourable creature, I'd have destroyed that which you claim after our initial encounter earlier in this place."

That made me stop. "Are you serious?"

"I am."

"Guess I should stop talking and focus on the battle at hand."

Master Stalfos nodded again. "Without the item I stole from the chest, you will never make it through to the end of the Catfish's Maw. Though I could have destroyed it and thus prevent you from awakening the sleeping Wind Fish, it would have stained my reputation." It paused upon realizing that it had contradicted itself. "No... I no longer can claim to possess honour for I have abandoned the battlefield more than once. Perhaps you were right about me being cowardly."

"We could stop this you know."

"I shall fight you to the death."

"Are you sure about that?"

"If you defeat me this time, I will not run away." Master Stalfos answered as it lifted up its sword. "Defeat me and the item will be yours. This is my promise to you! However... I will not make things easy. Now you shall bear witness to my true power!"

It began by jumping across to where I was standing but I managed to get out of the way just as it landed, and that was when it decided to show off its true power by swinging its sword in an even more powerful arc complete with after-effects. The extended radius meant I had to keep an even greater distance though in this case it didn't matter since I got hit in the back with that swing. The force pushed me across the room where I landed on my stomach and for a moment I struggled to get back up due to how strong of a hit that was, but eventually my body cooperated with my brain and I got back up.

"It wasn't kidding about unleashing its true power."

Princess Twilight sighed. "Sometimes, you really shouldn't provoke monsters, Sunset."

I nodded. "My competitive nature can really get on my nerves."

"In this case, I suspected Master Stalfos was going to save its true power until it was backed into a corner."

"Does the same strategy from before still apply?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "What you've been doing will still work as the only thing that's changed is it becoming more aggressive in its attacks. If you keep your distance and wait for the right moment, you should defeat it hopefully without too much trouble. I do have one suggestion that you might want to consider, but I'll have to explain it later as you're about to get attacked right now!"

Her Highness' warning was a legitimate one as Master Stalfos leapt over to where I was and landed right next to me before swinging with that vicious swing again. To my surprise, it missed me entirely which also caught it by surprise. By being so close, it couldn't hit me because it had too big a swing so it needed me to be at a distance to be more effective. Perhaps this could be used to my advantage. It tried to jump away in hopes of getting some distance but I responded by attacking the rib cage where it fell apart. Taking out a bomb and placing it among the bones, it exploded where it immediately reacted by pulling itself back together and jumping over to the other side.

Upon landing, it turned around and began swinging its sword where I chose to keep my distance. In retrospect, had it tried using its vicious swing during our first encounter, I'd have been completely overwhelmed on account of not knowing how best to deal with it. Since this was our fourth battle, any element of surprise had been lost and so seeing it fight in such a manner made me feel sorry for it a little. I still had to defeat it so that I could make further progression but I just couldn't help but feel that this was so pathetic. I guess that desperation brought out the worst in anyone.

When it realized that its method of attack wasn't working, it leapt back across the room to my position and I moved aside as it landed, raising my shield as I turned around knowing what was coming next. As expected, it immediately swung its sword which pushed me back halfway across the room, (My shield was surprisingly still intact after taking a hit like that) though I used my feet to screech to a stop. Jumping again in hopes of continuing the offence, Master Stalfos landed next to me only for me to be staring directly at its back. It hadn't done this in our previous encounters so perhaps it was showing signs that it was running out of steam.

Attacking it from behind, it crumpled to the ground and I responded with the usual bomb planting. The bomb exploded seconds later inflicting more damage on Master Stalfos as it got itself back together and leapt away from me in hopes of getting some distance. I had to give it some props for being able to withstand so many bomb explosions as most monsters on the island could only handle one, maybe two bomb explosions at most. In any case, it began swinging its sword with its vicious arc and kept on swinging without showing any signs of stopping. Desperation must have really settled in now if it had been reduced to this.

Knowing that I had no ranged attack (I really wished I had the bow but my rupee total still wasn't enough to purchase it from Aria), I raised my shield and moved closer where the after-effects of its swing began affecting me. It felt like my body was being whipped by strong wind currents despite not taking any actual damage but as I continued getting closer, my body started taking tiny amounts of damage which slowly increased as I got closer. Okay, now its strategy was beginning to work. Closing my eyes and breathing heavily, I rushed forward only to get knocked back by the full brunt of the sword swing.

"That didn't work!" I said as I got back up."

"Stunts like that usually don't."

"At least I had my shield up."

Princess Twilight nodded. "If you hadn't then you would've been sliced in half." Her Highness then assessed the situation I was in by examining Master Stalfos in the hopes of finding a means for me to break through its defences. "I was going to consider you dropping two bombs at the same time in hopes that both would explode mere moments apart allowing you to defeat it quickly but now..." She continued thinking about a possible strategy for me to use (She showed this by pounding her head several times with her fists) until an idea came to her which made me a bit nervous as some of her ideas were questionable."

"What are you thinking, Twilight?"

"Rush at it again."

My jaw dropped in response. "And you were chastising me for being reckless before."

"If you rush forward when I tell you to, you will succeed."

I had no reason to doubt Her Highness as her advice had been pretty solid even when it was absurd at times. Looking at Master Stalfos, I couldn't see what Her Highness was seeing which made me think that maybe what she was planning wasn't going to work, but again, I shouldn't doubt her even though I had done just that with my thought process. I hoped my reckless attitude hadn't become influential otherwise Equestria would have some problems once Her Highness ascended the throne after her coronation. I mean, being reckless can be helpful but not with running an entire kingdom.

As it continued swinging its sword, I waited for Princess Twilight to give me her signal, and as I waited, I could feel the agony of wondering whether this would really work out or winding up getting sliced to pieces. When Her Highness then called out, I moved towards it with my shield raised and immediately I could feel the after-effects of the sword swings. I continued moving (I didn't use the Pegasus Boots) and somehow managed to avoid getting hit by the sword itself though the after-effects were still getting through and inflicting their minute damage.

Upon getting right next to it, it occurred to me that Princess Twilight had figured out the speed of its sword swings and knew when I had to move in order to avoid getting hit so that I could respond in kind. I did just that and it fell apart one more time where I proceeded to place a bomb among the bones which exploded seconds later. Master Stalfos took the damage and began screaming before it stopped. Rather than pull itself back together, it remained a crumpled heap where its head bobbled back and forth indicating that it had at last given up fighting.

"Your plan worked, Twilight."

"Never underestimate my plans."

"Even when they are crazy?"

"Even the stupidest of plans can be successful."

"You've been hanging around me too much." I said as I laughed before turning my attention towards Master Stalfos. "So what about you?" It didn't answer me and its head continued to bob back and forth. "I've defeated you for the fourth time now. Rather than run away again and have me go around looking all over for you, why don't you hand over the item I need? You're clearly in no position to make any kind of concessions."

Master Stalfos' head finally stopped bobbing. "Even when I unleashed my true power... It wasn't enough to defeat you. Unorthodox as you are, you are a warrior and I shall acknowledge you as such." It then began coughing which meant its time was running out. "Like I said, I had no intention of running away this time. This was going to be our final battle where one would live and the other would die."

"I realize that you were only doing what a monster of your position had to."

"My aim was to stop you from getting that which you need to overcome the Catfish's Maw."

"And we both know how that turned out."

Master Stalfos then coughed again. "You have defeated me and thus you have earned the treasure you sought. Most people would've given up when they realized that chasing me was integral to their success yet this wasn't the case." Its coughing got worse thus its destruction was imminent. "You may have defeated me but the Slime Eel will make quick work of you. Should you somehow defeat it, you may soon learn of a dire warning, one that will change everything."

"What do you mean by a warning?"

"Defeat the Slime Eel and find out."

"Fine!"

"For you... The nightmare has only gotten worse."

Without saying another word, Master Stalfos began exploding several times before disappearing in a puff of smoke upon the final explosion. Its last words made me feel cold in addition to confused as I didn't understand what it was saying. Defeating the next Nightmare would change everything? If anything, it would mean one less Nightmare causing trouble on the island but perhaps there was more to its words? Unfortunate that it perished before it could say anything else though I suspected this was intentional. In death, it was trying to shatter my confidence or make me question myself and what I was trying to accomplish.

The door unlocked and I was about to leave when Princess Twilight bopped me on the head to remind me to pick up the item which Master Stalfos left behind. Sure enough, located where it exploded was a device that consisted of a hook attached to a chain which was attached to a handle I could hold. My eyes lit up as I remembered having this item on both of my previous adventures even if it looked different every time. I had acquired the Hookshot. While it felt gratifying to be reunited with an old friend, there was no doubt that it would have slightly different mechanics from what it had previously.

"With the Hookshot, you can now reach places that you couldn't before." Princess Twilight said.

Attaching it to my belt for easy access, I turned to Her Highness. "I've used similar versions of this item before so I already have a pretty good idea of how to use it, but maybe there are some things I can't do that I could before."

"And you'd be right about that."

I sighed. "Somehow, I knew it."

"Because of unknown parallels, you can't simply aim the Hookshot in any direction and hope for the best." Princess Twilight said. "You can only aim it in the direction you are facing so already there are restrictions, but don't feel discouraged as this can still defeat many monsters. Granted, your sword is still the recommended option for combat. Using it is a slow process and if you happen to miss your intended target, you have to wait for the chain to retract back before using it again."

"The more you talk about it, the less I get excited."

"Compared with a lot of your items, the Hookshot is going to be invaluable for the rest of the journey."

"How so?"

"You can use it to latch onto treasure chests and pull yourself towards them."

"I could do that before."

"You can also latch onto blocks in the same manner."

I paused for a moment before responding. "Okay, I couldn't do that before."

Princess Twilight smiled. "See? There's a silver lining to be found in everything, Sunset. Now, you need to recall where in the dungeon where you saw places that the Hookshot can be used to enable you to reach new areas. At this point, you've explored most of the dungeon so it's all a matter of backtracking to previous rooms and seeing what you can get. You might also consider checking out the deep water you saw earlier."

I grumbled under my breath. Of course there would be more backtracking! I just knew there was going to be more of it! Unfortunately, there wasn't anything I could do about it as it was necessary for me in order to progress to the end of Catfish's Maw and ultimately the next instrument. I just needed some idea of where to begin backtracking. Going in a random direction and hoping it would work out would be nothing but a disaster so careful planning was needed here. Taking out the Dungeon Map, I looked at each individual room to see where I could go first to use the Hookshot.

Pointing my finger at a potential starting point, I confirmed it with Princess Twilight who nodded her approval, and I began the task of backtracking to that room. The Hookshot should make combat easier as now I could attack from a distance albeit slowly. Heading back to the previous room, I shattered dark crystals whilst collecting Recovery Hearts as I did take damage in my last fight with Master Stalfos and entered the underground passage. The weight puzzle wasn't necessary to solve and I believe it would be the last time I had to see them so at least I could take solace knowing that.

Making my way through the passage by dropping down and walking under the weights, I was soon back in the main dungeon where a pair of Helmasaurs gave me the perfect opportunity to use the Hookshot against them. Taking it off of my belt, I waited until one of them was looking my way before firing the chain which connected with its helmet and pulled it off seamlessly, its face now exposed. Instead of charging at me to seek revenge, the Helmasaur cowered by its back and slinking off. I guessed that they only had their bravado when they had those helmets and were in fact quite timid.

Ignoring the other one as defeating it was pointless, I continued on with my backtracking into the next previous room where four Keese immediately attacked. One swing of my sword defeated them all leaving only the Helmasaur. Using my Hookshot against its helmet, I pulled it off and it began slinking away before turning around and charged at me. Then again, maybe their courage was on a case by case basis with some being more brave than others. In any case, two sword swings defeated it which left me wondering which ones would attack and which would rather keep their lives intact.

According to the map, this was the closest room which had something I could use the Hookshot on. Walking down the smaller pathway this time, I came upon a treasure chest I couldn't reach previously but now I could upon having the necessary item. Before making my move, I checked to confirm how I was supposed to make my back. (Pretty simple thing) Firing the chain, I pulled myself over to the chest and opened it up and took out a silver rupee. It wasn't a means of progress but it did mean that I could finally purchase that bow. I first need to get through this dungeon before buying that.

Taking out the Dungeon Map and looking at it again, the remaining treasure chests were all located on the northeast end aside from one which was off on its own. Even though it was out of my way by a large degree, I decided to go for that one next so that I wouldn't have to do any additional backtracking. Heading north, I entered the next room and ignored the monsters as defeating them only meant satisfying some kind of obsessive need to kill which I didn't have, (Defeating monsters was necessary but not if it meant doing it for fun or even for sport which some adventurers loved doing) and headed west towards the chest.

Avoiding the Spike Traps (I almost got clipped by them as I forgot that they were there), I walked past the two Helmasaurs and avoided the other two traps before entering the next room by going north and then going left again where I entered the room which had the numerous small gaps to jump. "Be honest, Twilight. Do you think I could've made it across by jumping even though it would mean getting sliced?"

"You are fast enough to jump across but those Spike Traps are even faster."

"I thought as much."

"Just because you're an athlete in your world doesn't mean it will translate to this one."

"And I've got the scars to prove it."

"Using the Hookshot will make your faster than the Spike Traps."

"I'm guessing this is one of those things that I shouldn't bother to ask about, huh?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "If you think about it, it's only going to give you a headache later." She then pointed at herself before continuing. "And don't think that I'm curious enough to want to find out! I love my research just as much as you do but there are things I don't need to know because I wouldn't be able to find a practical use for them. Be sure to aim for the block when using the Hookshot."

I sometimes forgot that Her Highness was pretty touchy when it came to her intellect. I mean, she's one of the smartest ponies I knew... Next to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna of course (Because of not knowing Princess Cadance as much, I couldn't verify how smart she was though it was probably just as high), but there were times where she just had to remind everyone just how smart she could really be. You could say her ego was showing during those moments. I could relate as I sometimes had to remind my friends of my intellect though it could be that Twilight Sparkle herself was more brighter than me.

Anyway, I focused on the task at hand as I was beginning to confuse myself when it came to intelligence. Aiming carefully at the block on the other end of the room, I fired the chain which sped across at a blinding speed before sinking into the block where I was immediately pulled across as the Spike Traps moved in reaction. Luckily, I avoided getting sliced apart by them as each pair collided with each other with a loud clanging sound before moving back to their original positions. Upon reaching the other side, two Green Zols popped up from the ground but I dispatched them quickly using one sword swing.

The next room I entered was a new one (According to the Dungeon Map) and immediately I could see why coming this way earlier would've been pointless. The Hookshot was needed to progress so coming here without it would've been a waste of my time not to mention my health. The Compass then made a sound and I knew that a key was contained within the chest in front of me. Pulling myself across the gap to the chest, I opened it up and took out a small key though I hadn't seen any locked doors unless it was somewhere I couldn't reach due to not having the Hookshot at the time.

Pocketing the key, I turned my attention towards the three Helmasaurs who had so far not noticed my presence. Above them was a flying icon of an arrow though it was currently useless to me since they required a bow in order to use them. Aiming carefully with the Hookshot, I pulled off one helmet from a Helmasaur where it slinked away in fear yet the other two charged forward forcing me to fight them normally which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Getting behind the other two, I defeated both after hitting each one twice only to get hit from behind by the one that no longer had a helmet.

Whipping myself around, the remaining Helmasaur then slinked away again and I chose to leave it alone. Sure, it hit me with a sneak attack but I wasn't going to go out of my way to take it out as a means of petty revenge. Besides, I wasn't coming back to this room as there was nothing else here that I needed. Ignoring the pots lined up against the wall, I left the room by taking the only exit I could and entered the previous one. Using the Hookshot again by firing the chain, I quickly went back across whilst avoiding both pairs of Spike Traps and kept moving knowing there was still more backtracking to do.

"Okay... Where to next?"

"Right here!"

"Come again?"

Princess Twilight began bopping me on the head. "You can do something in this room now, Sunset." Her Highness then made me follow her over to the edge of a nearby abyss and floated over to the other side where I saw what looked to be some kind of handle. "I think you can use the Hookshot to pull whatever this thing is your way."

"Are you sure about that?"

"You won't know until you try."

"I guess that's true." I said as I aimed the Hookshot at the handle before firing the chain. The hook part connected with the handle (I couldn't really tell how it connected though something in my head told me not to wonder about it) and retracted back to me as it pulled whatever this object was. "How about that! A bridge! Or, would that be a makeshift one? You know what? Never mind!" Again, Catfish's Maw was acting like the previous dungeons in that items found in them were essential for completing the rest of it. "Let me check the map to see where this path goes."

"The path ahead will be a new one regardless."

As I took out the Dungeon Map, I rolled my eyes before looking at me. "Okay, I'll give you that one, Twilight." As I looked at the map, I could see an icon of a keyhole but I couldn't tell if it was a locked door or one of those key blocks. "If I go this way, I might end up missing something which could force me to backtrack some more." As I continued to look at the map, I had no choice but to accept what was slowly becoming obvious here. No matter what, I would have to backtrack be it now or much later. That's just how this dungeon was arranged in order to make me feel miserable and also to place a heavy emphasis on exploration.

"Do you want to check out those other rooms first?"

I shook my head. "No. I might as well check this next area seeing as I'm here and all."

"Fair enough."

Walking across the bridge to the other side, I picked up the pot that was situated halfway across and tossed it where it smashed on the ground though nothing was inside of it. I felt slightly dejected but quickly got over it as pots were becoming less and less useful for item farming. In this next room, I immediately stopped moving upon seeing a Bubble bouncing around and I had a feeling that the Hookshot would have no effect on it so I had to keep away from it for now. A series of blocks divided this room in half and I could make out some stairs on the other side though I'd have to go through the room on my left to reach the other side of this one.

Near the Bubble was a Red Zol though I chose to ignore it seeing as it was bouncing over to the other side of the room (As in the side I was located on) leaving just the Bubble which was bouncing back and forth by the door. What felt like a long time eventually ended when it moved away enabling me to move forward but as soon as I stepped forward, I got hit from behind by the Red Zol which had since bounced its way back over to the door. Attacking with my sword which split it in half, I defeated both halves and approached the door which had a keyhole block barring my way onward.

Placing my small key into the top of the block, it disappeared and I entered the next room and immediately froze. "Twilight... What in the world are these?" I whispered. To my right were two creatures who were scuttling back and forth with both having their single eyes closed. I had no idea if they had heard me enter but that was perhaps the least of my worries as I felt as though I had seen something similar to these before. "I know this monster from somewhere, Twilight."

"You've met Gohmas before, Sunset?"

"Gohma?"

"That's their name."

My mind suddenly had the image of a gigantic spider like monster that had a single eye and while I couldn't remember much else, it was the eye that I could never forget. "Yes... I have seen a similar looking monster during my first journey, but it was spider-like in appearance compared to these two."

"These ones are crabs."

"Really?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "But believe me when I say that they don't behave like crabs at all. As you can see, Sunset, the Gohmas pace back and forth though on occasion they will open their eye in order to attack you before closing it again. You have to hit them in the eye in order to inflict any damage as attacking any other part of their bodies will cause no damage due to them having thick shells. Also, be cautious of the one at the back."

"Why?"

"Because of its position, it has a couple of additional moves which it can use."

"Will the Hookshot work on them?"

"I'm afraid not." Princess Twilight answered as she shook her head. "The Hookshot's chain fires too slowly and the Gohmas only keep their eye open for a split second. If you had the bow on your person, you could easily shoot the eyes without having to get up close and personal, but you don't have one so you'll need to rely on your sword. Don't feel discouraged knowing that this is harder without the bow but you've fought far worse."

Of course having the bow would've made this easier! Why was it that the bow continued to torment me!? It made me wish that I hadn't spent my rupees on less important items or perhaps further exploration could've netted me more rupee bonuses and I could've gotten it much sooner. Nothing could be done about it now. What happened had happened and there was no sense in complaining about it. I had to do this the hard way though perhaps it was better this way as it meant not having to take the easy path to victory. Good thing Her Highness had finished her explanation as both Gohmas suddenly stopped and opened their eyes.

Before I had a chance to react, both Gohmas fired energy balls with both hitting me relatively quickly. It felt like my body was on fire upon getting hit but I quickly shrugged it off as both closed their eyes and continued scuttling back and forth. I quickly figured that this was a waiting game where I had to wait for my opportunity to attack. At least this wasn't anything stressful as I could plan things out rather than having to think on my feet. When they opened their eyes, they each fired an energy ball which I avoided but when I went to strike one of them in the eye, my sword did nothing.

"What happened?"

"Your sword didn't work."

"Obviously!"

"I think you'll need some assistance from the Gohmas themselves."

"What do you mean?"

"If you can bounce their attacks back at them, you should be able to stun them long enough to score some hits." Princess Twilight then pointed at the entrance I came into the room though I raised my shield to protect myself in case I were attacked. "As you can see, you can escape from this room if you find yourself overwhelmed. Just remember that doing so means these Gohmas will gain back all of their health so only escape if necessary. By the way, it looks like you figured out how to bounce back their energy balls without me having to tell you exactly what to do. I'd call it sheer coincidence."

I looked back at the Gohmas and sure enough, they had opened their eyes and the one in front had become stunned due to its energy ball bouncing off my shield and back into its eye resulting in the stun. "I'd call it dumb luck." Whatever it was, I now knew how to defeat them both though again, it was a waiting game as they weren't stupid to constantly attack me knowing it would be their weakness. As both eyes closed and they resumed with their scuttling, I kept my shield raised knowing it would keep me safe. (I was honestly amazed that my shield could withstand so much and not fall apart as a result)

Both opened their eyes and fired their energy balls though while I managed to bounce back the ball from the one in front, the other one struck me in the shoulder which caused some slight damage but nothing too major. The stunned Gohma was completely helpless as I proceeded to attack its eye repeatedly until it came out of its stunned state. It then closed its eye and I backed away to give myself some space but this proved problematic as now they were no longer in sync with each other. Case in point, the Gohma at the back attacked me by opening up its eye while the other scuttled back and forth without a care in the world.

Rather than bounce back the energy ball from the second Gohma, I decided to focus on the one in front until it was defeated. Sure, I could probably handle both at the same time but cockiness was a poor quality to have. As both continued scuttling back and forth, each took their respective pot shots at me but my focus was on the first one seeing as it was practically next to me. It opened its eye and fired its energy ball which I reflected with my shield causing it to get stunned again upon which I began attacking its eye with as many times as I could until the eye closed up again.

I was beginning to think that this was easy seeing as all they did was attack every now and again but deep down I knew there had to be more than this. As the second Gohma attacked with its energy ball, I made sure to either dodge it or bounce the ball back even though it would take too long to reach its target. At least I knew I could keep tabs on that one whilst focusing on the first one. Speaking of which, it appeared the first one was also capable of another attack which involved lunging forward using its claws. While it was a quick maneuver that didn't do much damage, it was something I had to watch out for all the same.

For a few moments, it continued to lunge forward whether or not I was in front of it, (It felt like some kind of defence mechanism where it lunged out in hopes of attacking prey without risking its eye), but eventually the eye opened where it fired another energy ball. I reflected the shot back with my shield and it got stunned long enough for me to strike the eye as many times as possible. After a few more hits, it suddenly exploded which definitely gave me a surprise but it meant only one more Gohma to take care of. The second one began pacing about like before but then it lunged forward with more distance behind it.

"And that would be one of its additional attacks."

"I was expecting something more serious."

"Yes, but it can be very surprising as you don't know when it will attack like that."

"I guess so."

"In any case, Sunset, you can now focus on defeating this other Gohma."

The way Princess Twilight described it, the second Gohma was going to be much harder to defeat, but in actuality, it was essentially the same as the other one except with a bit more range behind it. In any case, I couldn't complain as I had to defeat it all the same. It then dashed forward and continued going until it crashed into the wall only to be completely unfazed before moving back to where it was. If not for that hard shell, it would've accidentally stunned itself. It then lunged forward again and I raised my shield yet it quickly went back and continued scuttling along.

Okay, so now it was beginning to fake me out in hopes of confusing me. This Gohma was clearly smarter than the other so I needed to handle this carefully. It then did the same thing again followed by dashing forward and hitting the wall again before moving back and then opening its eye. Since I was focused on the previous attack, I got blasted from behind by its energy ball which knocked me forward but not knocking me down. Turning around to face it, it lunged at me this time and followed up by firing another energy ball. I was ready and bounced it back using my shield and stunning it.

While stunned, I attacked as many times as possible and deep down I hoped it didn't have more health than the other did. It then shook off the confusion by closing its eye and immediately dashing forward taking me with it and crashed into the wall whilst using me as some kind of battering ram. My back definitely felt that one for certain but I was surprisingly used to having that happen so it wasn't quite that bad. Several fake outs then occurred in a row which did annoy me at first but it eventually fired another energy ball after opening its eye. I then reflected it back with my shield where it got stunned again.

A part of me felt bored knowing that this was simply a rinse and repeat battle (The lack of pressure was also playing a factor which made no sense to me as I thought having a calm fight would do wonders for me) but I knew not to get overconfident especially since they weren't normal monsters. After attacking it a few more times, it dashed forward after closing its eye where it crashed into the wall. I wasn't on the receiving end as I stepped to the side but it quickly moved back into position before resuming its scuttling where it then made another dash forward.

Hitting the wall and coming back, it then did this for a third time, and each did it did so, I wasn't on the receiving end which made me wonder what it was even doing. Had it completely lost all senses or was this some kind of trick? I supposed it didn't really matter as this fight had dragged itself out for way too long. After a fake out, it fired an energy ball which I reflected back with my shield only for its eye to close due to me being too far away. Okay, that hadn't happened before so maybe my boredom was far worse than I initially thought. Shaking my head, I had to focus and not be distracted by mere boredom.

It fired an energy ball which I reflected back again (Like I said, rinse and repeat process here) causing it to be stunned and I proceeded to attack the exposed eye only for it to suddenly fall down onto its back with its tentacles flailing about. The other one didn't do this so I was confused on what was going on but my answer came as it began exploding several times before exploding in a final manner. This caused a door to become unlocked and a portal to appear in the middle of the room. Compared with some other battles I've had, that one was okay but the excitement quickly wears off since you can only do so much at a time.

"Well that was anti-climatic." I said as I put my sword away.

"You sound bored."

I nodded. "While that was way less stressful than usual, I can't help but feel that battle dragged on too long. I'm not saying that I was being overconfident but rather I wish that could've gone by a lot quicker than it did." It then dawned on me that it could've ended much sooner had I the one item which would've been essential. "Twilight... When we get out of here with that instrument, I'm paying a visit to Aria no matter what you say."

"I won't oppose that choice."

"On a different subject, I thought defeating Master Stalfos would've made the portal back to the beginning of the dungeon appear."

"Considering that it was encountered in four different locations, it wouldn't have been possible as the portal could've appeared in any one of those places."

"Well... I've got the warp point now."

"This is going to be very useful."

"Haven't they always been?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "Yes, but if you let me take a look at the Dungeon Map, I'll explain my thought process further." I did as Her Highness asked and took out the map and unfurled it to allow her to take a closer look at it. "By taking that staircase you saw in the previous room, it might take you closer to the Nightmare's location or you could end up somewhere else in the dungeon. Either way, this warp point will be very important but not until later."

"How do you know if those stairs in the other room will take me to the Nightmare?"

"I'm taking a guess."

I rolled my eyes in response. "And here I thought you were absolutely certain."

"You could check out that passageway if you want."

I shook my head. "No... I think I want to go back and check out those remaining rooms in the northeast. Besides, I have this strong feeling that you're right about how those stairs are likely to take me to the Nightmare which would be bad right now since I don't have the Nightmare Key. Without it heading to the Nightmare is just more time wasted." I then looked at the map again and began planning my next round of backtracking. "I've got this portal now so I could always use Manbo's Mambo and go back to the dungeon entrance and make my way over to the northeast from there. What do you think, Twilight?"

"You would save a little bit of time."

"Then again, it wouldn't take long for me to just go back the way I came."

"Also a valid point."

I thought over both options before choosing to go with the second choice. "Looks like I'm going to have to go back the way I came." Sure, it meant backtracking but then I would've done so anyway had I chosen to use Manbo's Mambo. "It's never a good idea to find the easy way through anything in life as what good comes from doing that?"

"You've changed since we first met back when I first became a princess."

"I had a very good teacher and very good friends."

That made Princess Twilight blush. "I'm glad you managed to turn your life around, Sunset."

Heading back into the previous room to begin my backtracking over to the remaining rooms of Catfish's Maw, I couldn't help but think about what Her Highness about how I had changed since we first met. When I abandoned my studies, I thought my own path was correct and the hatred in my heart over being denied the chance to become an alicorn was a driving force that made me want to despise everyone around me. Just thinking about how I used to behave made me shed a tear which I hid from Her Highness as I didn't want her to see this side of me... Vulnerable... Sensitive... Being afraid.

Had I not changed? I've thought about it before and came to the same conclusion then as I have now. I'd have isolated myself from everyone especially since they knew what I had done and would've ended up similar to what became of the Dazzlings. When I thought about it, they were living out the kind of life I could've had if not for friendship. Yeah, it did sound pretty cheesy in that sense but it was also true. Being alone with only themselves for comfort must be pretty rough but they are doing the best they can with what they have even if they crave their old lives. I'd have been in a far worse person due to being on my own and not having sisters.

As I continued into the next room, my thoughts continued on. You know... I should consider going back to Equestria and perhaps teach a course at the School of Friendship on what can happen when you allow hatred to consume you. It would mean having to leave my world for an extended period of time so maybe it could be one of those evening courses or maybe one on the weekend. Yeah... I really needed more time to think about it but it was an option. Of course, I needed to deal with my current situation which also included not having to deal with Ganondorf ever again. Why hadn't he greeted me in person ever since he sent me to this world?

Perhaps it was an answer I would discover at the end of this journey or perhaps not at all. Who was to say when it came to the likes of the Demon King. One thing I was certain of was that I would likely have to fight him again in another test where he would determine how much I had improved since our previous one. Again, trying to figure out his intentions and the inner workings of his mind was impossible though I wouldn't even try it if I could. When it came to ancient evils, you should never attempt to understand their thoughts. You would completely lose your sanity unless you'd already lost it.

Eventually, my backtracking brought back to where I fought Master Stalfos for the first time. (It felt like forever since I fought it despite it only happening a short while ago) I went to the right where the treasure chest that contained the Hookshot was and it was here that I had a choice to make. I could check out that deep water section or take the staircase which was an option I ignored initially. Thinking it over for a moment, I decided to check out the stairs in case they led to the area of the dungeon I needed to reach. Going down into another underground passage, it comprised of several platforms over a flooded basement.

"There are Cheep-Cheeps in the water."

"You don't have to fight them, Sunset, even though you are capable of using your sword underwater."

"Then why even have them here in the first place?"

"It was probably intended for those with little experience in that they would blunder their way into the water." Princess Twilight answered. "I don't know where this path will take you but I'm surprised you never took it initially."

"I thought the same thing."

"Perhaps we both thought it was unnecessary."

I nodded. "That could still be the case, or it might prove useful. Either way, I might as well see where this goes." I then made my way across by using the Roc's Feather to jump from platform to platform all while the Cheep-Cheeps continued to swim about without noticing me. Once I got to the other side of the passage, I was about to climb up a ladder when I stopped and looked down. "I need your opinion again, Twilight. Have I been acting like a jerk towards you lately?

That made Princess Twilight react unexpectedly. "Whatever brought this on?"

"I'll admit that I've been a little snarky towards you and maybe acting like a terrible friend." I answered as I looked up at the ceiling. "I guess you could say that I'm taking out some hidden aggression towards you that isn't warranted. Maybe it's jealousy in that you're going to become the next ruler of Equestria, something that was going to happen to me had I stayed on the path Princess Celestia had intended for me, but as we both know, I took a different path. It might even be me feeling homesick a little for Equestria. Also... I feel a little stressed out knowing what's been going on lately regarding the 'mark' I have if you get my meaning."

"This definitely came out nowhere."

"Can you answer my questions?"

Princess Twilight first landed on my shoulder and then answered them. "I have noticed such things coming from you, Sunset, but I don't let them get to me. I've been like that to my friends lots of times due to feeling stressed, jealous, or some other emotion that clouds my judgement. Believe me, becoming the ruler of Equestria is a huge responsibility and even if I claim to be ready, I never really will be because I'm succeeding those who have ruled for 1,000 years and then some. I'll admit that I'm using you to unleash some pent up stress so forgive me for acting in such a manner."

"And I thought being a princess was a wonderful thing."

"It involves work, schedules, waving, more work, being inspirational, guiding your subjects, and even more work."

"Key emphasis on the work there."

Princess Twilight laughed. "The work can be stressful to the point of insanity but it's all part and parcel with the responsibilities it entails. You know... I'm definitely going to make sure you get invited to the coronation even if I have to go through countless hurdles. Also, I'm going to see if you can give a presentation at the School of Friendship about your experiences and how they've changed you for the better. No doubt it's been on your mind, Sunset, and no, you've not been exposed to any mind reading."

"I never thought of you doing that... The mind reading that is."

"You want to tell your story so why not do just that?" Princess Twilight asked as she got off of my shoulder. "I'm sure the entire school would appreciate it. I may not be the head mare anymore ever since Starlight took over but I can still make some things happen. Now with regards to that other thing, your 'mark' as you called it... I'm in the same boat but what I've done is choose not to dwell on it. After all, there's not much you can do about it until that man makes his next move. Why get stressed over something that's beyond your control? In any case, you have your friends, me, my friends, Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna to back you up."

Talking to Princess Twilight about what was on my mind not only benefitted me but her as well. Having such talks not only relieve stress but also help us understand one other better and grow closer as friends. No wonder we both have such good chemistry with each other. Even though she was right about not dwelling on what Ganondorf was doing, I could only maintain such a stance for so long because of the nature of the man. He was in control of everything due to his immense power and could make anything happen. For my own sake, the hope was that I could defeat him once and for all. (Wishful thinking right there)

Climbing up the stairs and into the next room, I encountered a Shroud Stalfos and a Sword Stalfos lurking about on the other side of some statues. There were also two torches that began shooting fireballs which added a further element into the mix. Focusing on the two monsters as they could move, I used my shield to block the spear that the Shroud Stalfos kept on throwing and defeated it with two sword swings. The Sword Stalfos proved more wily as it kept on swinging its sword in hopes of breaking through my defence but I would parry its sword stunning it long enough for me take it down with my own sword.

Choosing not to check out the pots since the torches were still shooting fireballs at me, I walked into the next room where three Star monsters and a Bubble were all bouncing around and off of the walls. It took one sword strike on each Star to defeat them given how they weren't all that threatening yet I ignored the Bubble as an Owl Statue caught my eye and I knew it contained information which could prove useful. Once the Bubble was on the other side of the room, I approached the statue and took out the Stone Beak before placing it where it needed to go so that I could learn its secret.

'Dive under where torchlight beams do cross...' I had no idea what that meant but I did know that it had something to do with the dungeon. Princess Twilight then said that I needed to go to where that deep water was located and dive underwater in order to see where it went. (Trust her to figure out what was so obvious) I had an idea as to where it was in the dungeon but first I needed to continue to the right to see what the next room contained. Walking forward and into the next room, I could see the Nightmare Door on the other side of a massive abyss and with no means of reaching it from this side.

There was also a keyhole block, the sign that I needed one more small key, and to approach this room from the stairs on the other side. While this meant I had to once again backtrack to a previous room, I had gained important knowledge of this area so I wouldn't be confused later. I supposed I could've checked to see if I could push the block forward but I had a strong feeling in my gut that doing so would waste more time. Heading back to the previous room and then the one before that, aside from the Bubble, there were no other monsters barring me so I easily went back into the underground passage and jumped across each platform using the Roc's Feather.

Back at the other end, I went north past the empty Hookshot treasure chest and was back in the room with the five blocks. I pushed the middle one forward and went left as that was the direction I needed to go though Sparks were proving themselves to be annoying as they kept on bumping into me. In this next room, more Blade Traps attempted to slice my legs but I jumped over them with ease using the Roc's Feather, and from there I went north until I found the deep water. I carefully waded my way across making sure the Water Tektites weren't alerted to my presence as I'd rather not fight them at this point and dove underwater.

"I almost forgot that I can breathe underwater in this world." I said as I briefly held my breath thinking along those lines.

"From what I remember from the last adventure, you needed to be a Zora in order to move about underwater."

"I miss being such a majestic creature."

"At least you have the memories."

"Or what I can remember of them."

"Anyway, you can fight whilst underwater so don't think you're unable to defend yourself." Princess Twilight then changed the subject. "By the way, your path is being blocked by those two Bloopers."

I looked at both of them before I sighed whilst lowering my head. "Yet another Mario enemy that shouldn't be here but it is... You know... I'm not going to complain about this anymore as it doesn't really do me a world of good nor can I stop this from being a thing."

"May I explain them still?"

I nodded. "Go right ahead."

"Bloopers don't really do all that much other than attempt to block your path." Princess Twilight said. "They also don't appear very often due to being aquatic creatures so you've got that to look forward to in the future. It takes just one swing of the sword in order to defeat them. You can also swim about in hopes of getting past without having to deal with them as they are rather slow despite being at home here in the water."

Choosing to attack the Bloopers as they were effectively blocking my path, I waited for each one to swim on over before defeating both with one sword swing. Wow... They didn't put up any kind of challenge at all. No wonder Mario always got past them even when he had no power ups on hand. I felt a little sorry for Bloopers because they weren't very effective at what they were supposed to do as underwater enemies. Swimming along, two more Bloopers were in the way though another sword swing defeated them both. As I reached the other end, I could see a Goomba in a small cramped space. Why was it even there?

Ignoring it as it served no real purpose, I climbed out of the water and back into the dungeon by entering a new room where the Compass immediately beeped. Either the small key was located in the treasure chest that was somewhere in this room or it had to be the Nightmare Key seeing as I needed that too. In front of me on the other side of the abyss was another one of those handles so I knew what needed to be done. Firing the Hookshot, it went across the abyss, grabbed the handle, and pulled it back thus producing a bridge which I used to make my way across to the other side.

It didn't take long for me to find the chest as it was on the other side of a wall and when I opened it, I took out the Nightmare Key. While this was an excellent find as I needed this key to enter the Nightmare's room, it meant that I needed to check those remaining chests out. Pocketing the key and making my way back to the stairs, I went back underwater and ignored the Goomba again as it really wasn't doing anything. After swimming for about ten seconds, I climbed back out of the water and slowly crept along so as to not attract the Water Tektite's attention as I still didn't want to fight any of them.

Getting past them and avoiding the Blade Traps, I was soon back in the five block room where I pushed the block forward in order to go north. Ignoring the monsters in this next room seeing as I didn't need to go that way, I jumped over a gap and then jumped right before using the Hookshot to pull myself towards a chest which I couldn't reach previously. Opening the chest and taking out a purple rupee which was worth fifty rupees. This alone was more than enough to finally purchase the bow from Aria while having a small amount left over for a future purchase should the need arise.

Moving on, I used the Hookshot to pull a handle across the abyss which created another bridge which I used to cross whilst jumping to grab the flying Recovery Heart seeing as I took some damage during my backtracking. Reaching the next treasure chest, I opened it and took out a second purple rupee. (I wished I had gotten these two purple rupees a lot sooner on account of getting the bow earlier instead of getting it later on) Heading back across the bridge, I turned to the left to where the final treasure chest was located and pulled myself across with the Hookshot to where it was all while the Compass beeped.

Opening the chest, I took out the small key. "I think that's everything in this dungeon, Twilight."

"Let's check the map first to make sure you didn't miss anything."

Taking out the Dungeon Map, there were no remaining treasure chests and all rooms had been checked aside from the two obvious ones. "I've been everywhere in Catfish's Mawsave for the Nightmare's room and the one beyond it which is where the instrument should be."

"Then you've got some options to consider."

"I do?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "You can go and take on the Nightmare right now which isn't necessarily a bad idea. I suspect the Hookshot is going to be needed for the Nightmare though we won't know for certain until I get a closer look at it. Or, you could leave the dungeon in order to purchase the bow from Aria. You've been talking so much about it where it's almost become an obsession of yours."

"980 rupees is a lot of money you know."

"That would be the downside."

"Having a bow will be incredibly helpful and I happen to be pretty good with one now."

"Yes, but like you said, 980 rupees is a lot."

I covered my wallet with both hands in reaction to that statement. "I've already spent 200 rupees on a shovel which hasn't done much for me though not having it would just make me paranoid wondering if I was missing something important buried underground."

"Perhaps you should look for some hidden treasure chests across the island."

"Yeah."

"Another option is for you to complete the trading quest you started way back in Mabe Village." Princess Twilight said. "You have the scale you received from Gloriosa which is needed for that mermaid statue but perhaps Bulk Biceps should be the one to insert it since he was the one who created it. Granted, this option is probably best saved for later even though technically you can do it now as you do have everything you need."

"The instrument is my current priority."

"I suspected as such."

"But I'm going to use Manbo's Mambo in order to get back to the entrance of the dungeon." I said as I removed my hands from my wallet and took out the Ocarina. "I'm not about to go back through this whole dungeon for a third or maybe even fourth time. (I honestly had no idea how many times it really had been) Besides, that warp point is going to become very useful since I have a feeling that I know where those remaining stairs go."

Playing Manbo's Mambo, I focused on the entrance to Catfish's Maw and the magic contained within the song soon whisked me away, and just like that, I was immediately back at the entrance to the dungeon. (Warping around was a lot more fun than I gave it credit for) Stepping on the warp point, I didn't have to concentrate as it knew exactly where it needed to take me, and just like before, I was in the Gohma's room. Walking to the upper right and entering the next room, a single Red Zol was standing in my way making it a last line of defence. It attempted to bounced into me and I responded by cutting it in two before slicing both halves.

Heading into the new underground passage, I could see some Goombas on patrol yet I didn't need to deal with them. There were also two strange looking hooks on the ceiling which were likely Hookshot targets. Had I come here much sooner, my progress would've stopped right here. Walking across and jumping over a slightly raised platform, I accidentally stepped on a Goomba which dropped a Recovery Heart that I picked up. Looking upwards, I could see the other hook and fired the Hookshot at it, pulling myself up to two small ladders before making my way over to the bigger one at the other end of the room.

Climbing up the ladder, I found myself back in the room where the keyhole block was only now I was on the correct side. Inserting the small key into the block, it disappeared allowing me to progress though it quickly became apparent that I needed to pull myself across the abyss to get to where I needed to go. (One last obstacle albeit a minor one) I did exactly that by using the Hookshot by firing the chain across the abyss where it hit a block and I quickly got pulled along before making my way over to the Nightmare Door. I'll say this much. These dungeons were getting more and more difficult to overcome.

Using the Nightmare Key, I unlocked the door and entered the Nightmare's room to find absolutely nothing. Both doors locked behind me but I was more concerned with figuring out where it was hiding. "Hello?"

"Looks like this Nightmare is hiding from us."

"The story of my life."

"I must say that the tiles on the ground are quite interesting."

"They look ancient-like in terms of appearance."

At that point, another voice made itself known. "Ssoo... You are the Outsssider, come to wake the Wind Fisssh..."

"You must be the Slime Eel."

The voice began to laugh. "You are correct in your asssumption. I had thought that the Massster Ssstalfosss would've killed you but it turned out to be a ussselesss creature. Even thossse Gohma turned out to be ussselesss. One ssshould never rely on idiotsss as they are pathetic!"

"And what does that make you?"

"One who is far sssuperior."

"For a Nightmare, you sure are proud of yourself."

The Slime Eel began to laugh more slowly. "I'm one of the more powerful Nightmaresss but there isss sssomething more important that I mussst dissscusss with you, Outsssider. I know that you have been going around collecting those inssstrumentsss in order to awaken the dreamer yet it appearsss you are ignorant of sssomething mossst important that no one hasss mentioned."

"Why am I ignorant?"

"Becaussse you do not underssstand the truth."

"What truth?"

Again, the Slime Eel laughed. "The fact that you ssstill don't know tellsss me everything about you. If you knew the truth, you wouldn't be completing this foolisssh quessst. Continue on thisss path will resssult in pain the likesss of which you've never felt before."

"Don't think you can trick me or anything."

"Ah... It ssseemsss that even now you choossse not to heed my words." The Slime Eel said, its voice getting even lower. "I ssshall sssay no more on the matter. You have become too problematic and therefore you mussst die. KEEE-HEE-HEEEH! I shall eat you and thus everything will continue on as it always has!"

Suddenly, everything began rumbling as cracks started to form in the middle of the tiles located in the center of the room. Moments later, a large segmented tail with a spiked ball on the end burst through the crack and started wiggling about which made me a little uncomfortable, but things got worse when some kind of creature with sharp teeth burrowed through the wall before repeating this process on both sides of the room with two holes on each side. This Nightmare was a lot bigger than expected though I hoped it wouldn't pull itself out and chase me around with its large body.

"What did it mean about the truth?"

"It's best to deal with that later." Princess Twilight answered.

"Oh right!"

"The Slime Eel's tail is going to constantly rotate around the room." Princess Twilight said. "There's nothing you can do to stop it from moving around so you'll have to constantly avoid it by jumping over it using the Roc's Feather. That will be your main concern as you need to focus on which hole the head will appear and use the Hookshot to pull it out. Which hole it appears from will be at random so don't try and figure out a solution to it. This Nightmare is stronger than the previous ones so expect to take a lot of damage. Good thing Sugar Belle gave you medicine as you're sure to use it."

"Does this thing even have a weak point?"

"Use the Hookshot and find out."

"Anything else?"

"Once it takes some damage, a fake Slime Eel is going to start showing up."

"How will I know it's a fake?"

"Look for a telltale sign."

That wasn't the kind of answer I was expecting from Princess Twilight but I knew that she couldn't tell me everything otherwise I would never learn anything. The Slime Eel, after showing off its teeth, retreated back into the wall and I had no doubt that I couldn't follow after it. Instead, it was all about keeping up with it as it kept on popping its head out while its tail will be a constant annoyance. Speaking of its tail, it began moving around in a relatively quick manner and smacked me in my legs causing me to trip and fall onto my butt. Getting back up before I could be knocked down again, I could see that some corners were safe depending on the tail's current position.

Jumping constantly using the Roc's Feather (I'm not going to be pointing this out every time as even I knew what I was doing), I waited for the Slime Eel to pop its head out. It eventually did so from the northwest hole and I raced over to use the Hookshot only to get caught by the tail which held me back. It went back and came back out in the southeast hole (Just how big was this Nightmare!?) so I went that way and missed again as its tail knocked me down again. Getting up again, I waited for the next opportunity to come along which happened when it popped out from where it was just moments ago.

This time, I was ready and I fired the Hookshot. My first shot looked to hit the side of its mouth which did nothing so I tried again just as its tail was about to hit me again. I connected and pulled the Slime Eel out which caused its tail to recede, but more importantly, I could see a glowing pink segment which was the weak point. Moving past the mouth and attacking this weak point, it slowly moved back into the wall so I needed to work quickly. Damaging it as much as possible, it eventually retreated and I awaited for it to come back out again to continue our battle.

Unfortunately, I completely forgot about the tail which had since came back out and began swinging around again. It knocked into me and began pushing me around the room causing more damage than expected until I managed to free myself from it. (I must have lost about two hearts of health if not more) A thought then came to mind. If I were to pull it out of the wall by using the Hookshot on the other side of the room, more of the body will be exposed enabling me more chances to damage the weak point. Granted, it wouldn't be easy but it was my best option.

As the Slime Eel continued poking its head out in and chomping for no apparent reason, I waited in the middle of the room whilst jumping over the tail until it came out from the southwest hole where I raced over only to miss my chance when it disappeared again. Unlike the Gohmas where things were patient, this fight had intense written all over. The Slime Eel next emerged from the northwest hole so I turned around and fired the Hookshot, connecting in one shot and pulling the body out. I hit the weak point as many times as possible before it went back into hiding.

It appeared in the southeast and I had no chance of getting over there due to the tail being erratic so I waited for the next opportunity to come along. It occurred when it came out from the northwest though something was wrong. It's eyes looked different (The colours were reversed) which made me wonder if this was the next phase of the battle. Firing the Hookshot and pulling it out, it began wiggling all about all while bumping into me. It dawned on me that this was what Princess Twilight meant by a fake Slime Eel and I allowed myself to be fooled by the deception. As I struggled to get away from the fake, it began glowing before exploding moments later.

"There goes the fake!" I said as I breathed heavily.

"It did quite a lot of damage to you, Sunset."

"I can't believe I fell for that!"

"Now you know to avoid it in the future." Princess Twilight said. "If there's a consolation, it would be that the real Slime Eel's tail recedes while the fake one moves about so you don't have to worry about dealing with two tails at the same time. As the Slime Eel continues to weaken, the tail will become even more erratic where it'll reach a point where you'll have no idea what it will do. By the way... How is your health?"

"I'm losing steam pretty quickly."

"This Nightmare is stronger than expected."

"Maybe I should've grabbed a fairy somewhere."

"You can't worry about that now."

"I beg to differ here."

Already, my body was beginning to feel weaker due to the fake Slime Eel causing me a lot of damage. Whereas the previous Nightmares weren't quite that aggressive despite their efforts to kill me, this one showed no signs of holding back its aggression and was bent on completely destroying me without mercy. As the tail popped back up and began moving around, the words of Her Highness rang true as the tail started behaving differently. It started following me instead of simply going around in a circle though it would sometimes do the latter probably because it was how it behaved.

My weakened state meant I moved slower and this was further made true when the tail knocked me down and right in front of the Slime Eel as it popped out of the southeast. It's gaping maw filled with teeth clamped down on me causing a ton of pain. I tried to scream but couldn't as the tight grip was causing me to have some breathing problems. It continued clamping down before finally letting go and retreating back into its hole leaving me in sheer agony. Getting back up slowly, I jumped over its tail before it turned around and knocked me over again but at least I landed next to its mouth and not in front of it.

Getting up again, the head popped out from the northwest and I stumbled over, firing the Hookshot just as the head was about to disappear. Pulling it out, I attacked the weak point though thanks to my weakened resolve, I couldn't hit it as often as I wanted. (You might think this was me being overdramatic but that wasn't the case at all) As the Slime Eel retreated again, the fake one then made its appearance which I ignored as I recognized it now. I waited for it to retreat before it popped up in the same place again but again, I ignored it as I knew it wasn't real.

Walking over to one of the corners of the room, I was able to avoid the tail for the time being as I struggled to catch my breath. This was definitely a major step up when it came to overall difficulty and I felt like I was completely out of my league here. Shaking my head, I couldn't allow such thoughts to make me feel discouraged. I have to defeat this Nightmare and acquire the next instrument in order to awaken the Wind Fish. As the tail continued moving around, it then came back and I jumped over it in order to reach its head as it popped out this time from the southwest.

Firing the Hookshot, I pulled its body forward just as I was struck by the tail which caused me to drop to my knees but I got back up and attacked the weak point until I collapsed again. Even though Sugar Belle's medicine did work as intended, I wished it could be used without me having to die first. It was perhaps the one drawback with it as otherwise it would've been truly ideal. No sense in dwelling on something that had been programmed into a very old game.

The fake appeared which again I ignored as I continued jumping over the tail with the Roc's Feather, but when the real one appeared from the northeast hole, I slowly stumbled around to its front and fired the Hookshot to pull it out. Because of feeling weak, I ended up getting caught in its gaping maw where it began chomping down again. By this point, I was too weak and I dropped to the ground dead. Princess Twilight did say that this would happen to me or rather say that I would have to use Sugar Belle's medicine. If I hadn't paid her another visit, this would've been my permanent death.

My body twitched before I got back up again. "I hope I wasn't being dramatic."

"No, you took it like I expected you would."

"Sugar Belle once again saved my life."

"And it was against a Nightmare instead of what the Hydrosaur was."

"You were right about the Slime Eel being strong."

"The remaining Nightmares are likely to be just as strong." Princess Twilight said. "Maybe they all won't be strong in the physical sense but rather they will possess abilities that will make them incredibly challenging. Right now, the Slime Eel does look to be running out of steam though it's too soon to tell. Now that you've fully regained your health, Sunset, you should be able to move about more fluidly."

"I'm happy about that."

"Remember that you no longer have the medicine on your side."

I grumbled. "Don't remind me."

"If you plan on defeating the Slime Eel, you need to do so now."

One thing I had been ignoring was the fact that the hole where the tail was coming from was the same as a bottomless pit. Falling down into it would probably kill me so I needed to keep my distance though so far that hadn't been an issue. With my health back at full along with my strength, I was ready for more though I had to be cautious now for if the Slime Eel killed me this time, it would be permanent as Sugar Belle's medicine had been used up. The fake then emerged from the northwest hole and again I ignored it knowing what it was and when the real one appeared from the same hole, I fired the Hookshot at it.

Pulling it out though not as far as I would've liked, I attacked the weak point until the Nightmare retreated back into the hole. Again, I was so fixated on the weak point that I forgot all about the tail which reared up and knocked me over. It then emerged right in front of where I fell and I was trapped within its gaping maw. Fortunately, I was strong enough to break free but I still took some damage. Before I had a chance to recover from that, I got knocked down again by the tail but the head emerged from a different hole so that time I was safe. Was it showing signs of desperation?

Getting back up, the fake once again appeared (Why it continued to use it was beyond me as surely it knew that I had figured out what it was) which I once again ignored only for it to reappear from the southeast hole. After that, the real one came out from the same hole and I pulled it out using the Hookshot making sure to be far enough away for me to attack. Attacking its weak point, it still managed to retreat which had me wondering just how much health this Nightmare had. Granted, it was a similar situation with the Angler Fish so perhaps this would also be true for the remaining Nightmares including Grogar.

The tail of the Slime Eel continued to be problematic of course as sometimes I would jump over it only for the tail to move backwards and knock me over. It did so yet again and I wound up getting chomped on by the fake one this time. (I should've known that it was capable of biting on me seeing as it was mimicking the real one) Knowing what the fake one was, my only choice was to let it damage me until it got bored and let go. (It took about five seconds before doing so) Upon releasing me from its grip, I regained my composure before jumping over the Slime Eel's tail just as the real head emerged from the northwest hole.

Firing the Hookshot despite being up close, I pulled out the Nightmare and attacked the weak point until it suddenly collapsed in what appeared to be agony. Finally, I had managed to overcome this difficult Nightmare and that meant it was about to start exploding. At first, nothing was happening which made me wonder if I had in fact defeated it, but instead it turned its head towards me before starting to laugh albeit very slowly. I never had this happen before given how the others exploded and nothing more. Could it be that the Slime Eel was faking death and was prepared for more?

"TSSSK, TSSSK! You managed to defeat me, Outsssider, but it ssseemsss your victory holdsss no meaning." The Slime Eel said.

"What do you mean?"

"Tell me... Have you ever once tried to figure out what kind of island this isss?"

I shrugged. "Not really no."

The Slime Eel laughed though it struggled to do so. "How unfortunate. If only you knew then you wouldn't be doing everything in your power to awaken the Wind Fisssh. This is my warning to you!"

"Enough!" I shouted. "What are you trying to tell me?"

"Continue your journey and you will discover the truth of thisss island."

"And what will that accomplish?"

"Thisss island has a dark sssecret which has so far eluded you, Outsssider." The Slime Eel answered, its voice getting weaker with every passing moment. "But sssoon, you will learn what that sssecret is and when you do... KEEE-HEEE-HEEE! I can't imagine what it will do the likesss of you."

"Like I'm going to let some kind of secret deter me from my goal."

"So be it!" The Slime Eel snickered under its breath as though it knew I would respond that way. "You have made your choice and are committed to it."

I stood there with a blank expression on my face knowing that I didn't understand what it was getting at, but I decided to humour it anyway in hopes that perhaps I could figure it out later on after leaving this dungeon. "You say that yet you've been rather elusive in the meaning behind your words."

"What a fool..."

"What?"

The Slime Eel laughed. "Go! Find out the truth and when you do... You will be forced to answer the one question
which you have been afraid to answer. KEEE-HEEE-HEE! What a fool... KEE HEE HEH!"

Breathing heavily before going silent, the Slime Eel began exploding with each of its segments disappearing per explosion starting from the tail until the head exploded as though it had popped like a balloon. Both doors then unlocked followed by a Heart Container appearing to the right of the pit where its tail was. I had many questions going in and out of my mind with no answers for any of them. What did it mean by finding out the truth? It acted much like Flash Sentry in that he refused to answer specific questions but coming from a Nightmare? I began to fear what could potentially happen.

"Are you alright, Sunset?" Princess Twilight asked.

I shook my head. "I don't know what to make of what the Slime Eel said.

"It was definitely trying to warn you about not continuing on with your journey."

"But why?"

"Perhaps it and the remaining Nightmares know more than the previous ones did because of being closer to Grogar." Princess Twilight answered. "I know what the Slime Eel said has gotten under your skin, Sunset, but you can't worry about it right now. We'll figure out what it was talking about though I have a feeling Flash Sentry might direct you towards whatever this truth is regarding Koholint Island. For now, it's best to focus on collecting the remaining instruments."

"I'm not sure if I can."

"We'll figure it out, I promise."

"I hope you're right."

"We have to."

Walking over to the Heart Container and picking it up, despite the warm feeling calming my body, my mind was uneasy due to the Slime Eel's words. It was true that I hadn't questioned the nature of Koholint Island's existence as I always assumed that it was due to being isolated from other lands. But what if there was a dark secret which had been kept hidden from not just me but from everyone? Was it one that could change everything? Just thinking about it chilled me to the core of my soul. It also made me consider something else. Was this also part of Ganondorf's reason for bringing me to this world? Did he know all along?

As more questions penetrated my mind, it was clear that I had been going all this time without a clear understanding of this world. That needed to change right now! A part of me felt that knowing whatever this truth was would prove disastrous but it was one I must confront in order to escape. And what about Princess Twilight? Would she be affected in the same manner which could potentially affect me? Granted, she hadn't endured as much emotional damage as I had when it came to Ganondorf and his ambitions yet Her Highness had proven to possess a vulnerable side which enemies of Equestria often took advantage of. Just thinking of it made me worry.

Entering the final room of Catfish's Maw with the door closing behind me, I could see the next Instrument of the Sirens resting on top of a raised platform. As I approached it, it looked a lot like a xylophone (This wasn't a bad thing mind you) but upon getting a closer look at it, I saw that it was in fact a marimba. Unlike the previous instruments, marimbas weren't exactly common but then I never did go out of my way to try and see if I could find one. With a shiny glow which radiated great beauty, I picked it up and held it in my hands though I quickly turned around because of expecting a certain someone.

"You have found the Wind Marimba!"

"Princess Luna!" Princess Twilight exclaimed.

"As expected, the Princess of the Night appeared before me just as she said she would when I met her previously in the Bottle Grotto. "I must say that it took you quite a bit of time collecting this instrument, Sunset Shimmer, but pay me no need for I know that you have to overcome incredible odds." Princess Luna then looked down at her feet before coughing which made me wonder if I had done something to offend her. "Even though there is much that I know, I cannot deny that I have no idea what a marimba is. Perhaps you could educate me on what it is supposed to be?"

"It's a percussion instrument." I answered.

"Any other information?"

"It's related to the xylophone."

Princess Luna was ecstatic to hear that. "Huzzah! I knew you would be answer to address my query. Now then... You have collected five instruments now with only three more remaining but know that things will become even harder though this you already know. Sunset Shimmer, this quest is going to take its toll on you when you discover the dark secret of this island yet you must remain strong if we are all to return home safely."

"You know about this?" Princess Twilight asked.

Princess Luna nodded. "I am aware of it, yes, but I cannot reveal what this dark secret is. Some kind of power is preventing me from telling you and so you must discover the truth on your own, but I can tell you that the truth is going to happen relatively soon."

"I'm not going to like it am I?" I asked.

"You will find out when the time comes."

"I was afraid of that."

"As Twilight as told you, Sunset, you must focus on collecting the remaining instruments." Princess Luna said. "Now listen carefully to what I say next. Shrine... The island's secret in the shrine. A new area has now been opened up because you possess that which can pull you across great distances, but there is also the matter of finishing a work of art which also requires what you obtained in the Catfish's Maw. Below the mermaid's statue is something of great importance. Without it, you will never complete your journey. I do not know what you will find but perhaps it will prove useful."

"What about a bow?"

"We magic users have never had need of one but earth ponies have used a variation during the Equestria Games."

I nodded. "Yes, that's true but you didn't answer my question."

"I thought I did." Princess Luna said with obvious sarcasm in her voice. "Anyway, I would suggest getting your hands on a bow, Sunset, as you may find yourself getting stuck when you least expect it. I hope you have enough of the local currency to purchase it. Also, you will need more of this currency for something in the future." Her body started to fade which meant her time in this dungeon was coming to an end. "This is where I must take my leave of you both but know that you shall see me again in a place which is dedicated to a giant bird."

"As in an eagle?" Princess Twilight asked.

"Why yes." Princess Luna answered. "How did you know?"

"A wild guess."

"In any case, I shall see you when you obtain in the instrument from that place. Now, listen to the musical tones of the Wind Marimba!"

As Princess Luna disappeared, both Princess Twilight and I came to the same conclusion. She would next appear at the same time as Princess Celestia who said that we would see her again upon me reaching the end of Level 7. Did that mean Princess Cadance would also meet us there after I had finished Level 6? The only way to know for certain was to get to the end of the next dungeon and ask. That's when another question (You tend to get a lot of those during adventures) came to mind. I had not seen any shrine on Koholint Island so far. If one was somewhere, where would it be located?

The music from the Wind Marimba managed to calm me down a little though I knew that I needed way more than that considering what could possibly be waiting for me. As everything went white, I could only imagine what the dark secret of the island was, and again, it chilled me to the core. Upon returning outside of Catfish's Maw, I couldn't see Flash Sentry anywhere so unless he was about to show up, I was on my own to decide where to go next. Of course, my next objective would be to return to the item shop in order to get my hands on the bow which had been eluding me for so long.

To Be Continued.

Chapter 20: The Island's Dark Secret.

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.
By Ganondorf8.
February 4, 2021.
Chapter 20: The Island's Dark Secret.

Jumping back into the water and diving down to return to the main part of Martha's Bay, I began to think about where I had to go next in addition to everything which had been happening to me thus far. Princess Luna had given me plenty of hints and these were firmly on my mind, beginning with the bow. In previous experiences, I had found such a weapon inside of a dungeon which indicated that it was required. This time around, I had to go and purchase one from a shop by practically making myself broke in the process. The first thought I had was that I didn't need a bow because why have it somewhere where it could be acquired at any time?

Then again, Princess Luna was serious about me needing one so paying Aria a visit was definitely in my best interest. She also mentioned the mermaid statue and that something of importance was located underneath it. After going through so many trades and acquiring various items along the way, I had acquired a scale from Gloriosa which could be used to complete the statue, and I knew that would make Bulk Biceps happy. Whatever this item was had to be worth going through so much so perhaps I should go for that first? After all, I might forget about it only to wind up getting stuck later on.

The Princess also talked about me needing more money for something else. It did mean that I would have to grind for rupees again which was nothing short of tedious (If only there was a bank where I could've deposited rupees in order to use them later on) as the drops from monsters weren't exactly profitable this time around. I also wasn't finding as many treasure chests compared to my earlier exploits on Koholint Island. Of course, I could go back to Zecora and take on another one of her custom made dungeons in the hopes of acquiring extra money as she did say that I could become very rich were I to help her out.

And above all else was the location of the next dungeon. Again, I had not encountered any kind of shrine on the island and Princess Luna didn't exactly provide me with an exact location of said shrine. Granted, I hadn't explored every last area of the island which meant that I had to go somewhere that was still considered new. Still, I wasn't a fan of cryptic clues and much preferred a simple explanation so as to avoid running around in circles. With the Hookshot in my possession, I could now reach areas that were previously inaccessible. Perhaps one of those places will lead me to the shrine?

That's when it hit me on the head! I had a means of getting a simple explanation! Coming back up to the surface of Martha's Bay, I quickly looked around to see if Gloriosa was still around or perhaps she had returned to where she came from? (The latter ended up being the case) After seeing no traces of her, I swam over to the shore and got out of the water only to immediately raise my shield when a spear suddenly came flying towards me. A pair of Moblins had noticed me and were prepared to attack but they were quickly distracted by a Zirro which had suddenly dropped one of its bombs which exploded.

In the confusion, I walked south because of wanting to focus on reaching the nearest telephone I could find which happened to be directly in front of me. Good thing that the telephone booths had the telephone itself as a fixture on top of the tree otherwise they could easily be missed due to there being so many other trees around. A Buzz Blob nearby darting back and forth then gave me an idea regarding the Hookshot. Taking it out and aiming carefully, I fired it at the Buzz Blob, striking it in the back, and as expected, it became paralyzed with its electrical field disappearing in the process.

Walking past it and into the tree, I picked up the phone and it began ringing.

BBRRIINNG! BRRIINNG!

"Hi, it's Ulrira!" Discord's charming voice came through on the other end.

"I think you know why I'm calling you." I said.

Discord laughed which made me feel embarrassed knowing that I needed his help again. "You just can't get enough of old Ulrira can you? Nothing wrong with that as I like talking to people. Anyway, I hear that there's a beautiful mermaid statue somewhere south of Martha's Bay."

I groaned under my breath as that was information I already knew about. "You don't say?"

"I haven't been out there to see it but they tell me that it's a real work of art." Discord then paused for a moment before continuing. "If you happen to be in the area, you should definitely pay it a visit as it might prove enlightening. I also hear the artist was upset with his work because he was never able to fully complete the statue."

Again, this was something I already knew. "I guess the artist is upset about it."

"He is but he got over it and is now focusing on painting his muse."

"Thanks for the info." My voice was clearly upset as I was expecting to hear some actual advice rather than being told old stuff. I supposed that I might have gotten a bit ahead of the curve.

"By the way, have you ever been to a place called the Face Shrine?"

My ears immediately perked up upon hearing Discord say that. "What did you just say?"

"I said have you ever been to a place called the Face Shrine." Discord answered. "It is north of Animal Village. That is a very interesting ruin though what most people don't know is that there are actually two shrines, one in the north and the other in the south. I hear you can't simply walk up to the northern shrine because it is located on a small patch of land cut off from the main land."

"How am I supposed to reach it then?"

Discord then laughed. "D'oh ho ho! That's an easy one for me to answer. There is a new place which opened up a few days ago where you can go down the river on a raft. No one has tried it yet as the monsters prevent anyone from leaving the safety of the village but perhaps you might be interested. They say that the woman who runs it is a little bit eccentric and is insistent on going with her customers to ensure they get an ideal experience. It will cost plenty of rupees so I hope you have enough. Anyway, that's all the information I have. Bye!"

Click!

Could that have been the money issue that Princess Luna talked about? It sounded possible except for the fact that going on a raft was pretty common knowledge. I'm certain she would've known about it so it must be something else later on. Either way, I required additional money but maybe I could haggle my way through this person that I needed to see in order to reach the two shrines. I knew how to haggle but I hadn't really applied on any of these adventures as I had a preference for wanting to do things without taking an easy path. I sighed knowing it meant having to grind even more now.

"That was some information Discord provided." Princess Twilight said.

"I think he knew I was upset over hearing him talk about that mermaid statue." I said.

Princess Twilight nodded. "You were starting to act rather rude towards him, Sunset. You have to remember that even though we know him as Discord, in this world, he is portraying an old man who happens to be quite the gossip. The real Discord can easily take any insults directed at him as he usually just ignores them unless they were directed at Fluttershy. In future, you should appreciate any and all information no matter if it doesn't provide you with progress."

I sighed. "You're right."

"I don't mean to make you feel bad."

"No, you're right in that I should be more sensitive."

"At least Discord told us where we need to go... Kind of."

I nodded slowly as I took out the Mermaid Scale and held it firmly in my hand. "So we need to get a bow, find the two shrines, and return this scale I acquired from Gloriosa in order to see what happens with that statue." Thinking it over in my mind for a few seconds, I came up with the ideal path that should cut down on some time before having to need to sleep again when the sun goes down. "We're close to Animal Village so we could go there and give the scale to Bulk Biceps."

"I think he would prefer it if you inserted that scale."

"Why do you think that?"

"He was pretty focused on painting that hippo we saw when we first paid him a visit." Princess Twilight answered.

"Still... We should try to hand him the scale just in case."

Princess Twilight nodded again. "He might come with us to complete his statue but it will depend if his subject would be okay with him leaving for a while." Her Highness paused and looked to be in deep thought, and I had a suspicion I knew what it was. "This item that Princess Luna said was hidden beneath the statue... It might be too powerful for you to use. We don't really know what it might since no one has ever said anything regarding what it is but maybe I'm just overthinking it. Am I overthinking things again, Sunset?"

I knew Her Highness was thinking about this mysterious item though I wasn't expecting her to label it as being too powerful or dangerous. There was a possibility that it was too dangerous and that me obtaining it would only cause me headaches, yet Princess Luna said it was necessary for me. I knew she was being serious otherwise she wouldn't have said anything about it in the first place. Whatever risks might be present, I had to endure them if I wanted to complete this adventure. Adventures had to have risks otherwise why even bother going on them in the first place right?

Leaving the telephone booth and taking out the ocarina, I played Manbo's Mambo and focused on the warp tile that was located just south of the Animal Village. Closing my eyes, I felt myself being teleported away in a bright light, and in the next instant, I was at my intended destination. I continued to be amazed at how being able to teleport to different locations effectively allowed me to cut down on time whilst allowing me more time to do things more productive, like solving puzzles and making progress. In a perfect world, I could teleport back home in the human world just like I could in Equestria.

Heading up north into the Animal Village, I made my way across to where Bulk Biceps lived and entered his home where I saw that he was still painting. I then remembered that there were two Bulks with each one being brothers. One was selling bananas for a living with the other being a painter. Both were polar opposites when it came to professions. Bulk's subject had since noticed me enter, an angry expression clearly spread across her face. Yeah... I had little to no chance of getting Bulk to come with me to the statue but I still intended on asking in case my misgivings were just that.

Approaching Bulk Biceps, he turned to face me. "Ah! Welcome back to my artist's studio! Yeah!"

"I have something to show you." I said as I presented the Mermaid Scale.

"And what ave you got to show me?" Bulk Biceps took a quick look at what I had and was taken aback where he almost knocked over his canvass. "Zut alors! I cannot believe it! Iz zat zee Mermaid Scale? Sacre bleu! I didn't think you would go and get me one! You must have found zee mermaid of whom my statue was based on. I take it you wish for me to come and place it on my work down in Martha's Bay? Iz zat it?"

"Your subject doesn't look like she will appreciate that." I said as I turned my attention to the hippo in the corner. She huffed at me before assuming her position and I knew right there that she wasn't going to be of any help. "Since I can't convince you to come along right now, you can have this scale and put it on the statue later. I'll come back once I've done a few errands and hopefully you'll have gone to your statue."

Bulk Biceps shook his head." Non!"

"Huh?" I asked in a confused stupor.

"Non!"

"No? What do you mean no?"

"I can't use it right now." Bulk Biceps answered, shifting back and forth between his canvass and his subject. "I have to stay here and werk on zis drawing. If I do not complete it then my subject shall be most displeased with me." An idea then struck his mind and I knew what it was going to be right away. "You! Yes you! You can go and complete ze statue by using zis scale you possess. I know it isn't what you had hoped for but I have no other choice. Yeah!"

"Okay, if you want me to."

"Yeah! I shall be sure to give you ze credit for completing what has eluded me for years."

Knowing that trying to convince him to come with me was pointless, I pocketed the scale and left him to carry on his work. Back outside, I walked towards the western most entrance of the village and upon leaving, a bomb dropped next to my feet prompting me to jump just as it exploded seconds later leaving behind charred grass. Looking up, a Zirro then turned and flew away which made me glad that it lost interest in me. Heading south towards where I saw the statue, Gloriosa appeared from the corner of my eye from the depths of Martha's Bay and sat on a rock before flipping back her hair. I wanted to say something but I doubted she could hear me.

Avoiding a few more Buzz Blobs, I turned to the right and came upon a large gap that I couldn't jump across with the Roc's Feather. Had I come here much sooner, I'd have been completely stuck not to mention angry, but luckily for me, I had exactly was needed. How? It helped that there were two wooden boxes, one on each side of the gap to indicate that they could be used as Hookshot targets. This was one of those very obvious hints though I had to give whoever created this credit for making some people have to think about it. At the very least, there was one on my side in case I wanted to come back this way for whatever reason.

Taking it out, I aimed at the box on the other side of the gap, fired the chain and was pulled across once it had connected to the box. Another Buzz Blob then waddled its way over towards me (Much to my surprise as I didn't even notice it) but I stunned it with my Hookshot before moving on where I came upon what Bulk Biceps had made. The statue bore a striking resemblance to Gloriosa which made me think that Bulk had met her somewhere (Unless it was just plain luck that he managed to get her likeness so accurate) yet it being in this exact location didn't make much sense. It was in an area most couldn't access which was a real shame.

That's when I noticed it. "Right there!" I exclaimed as I pointed at the statue. "There's a missing piece where a scale should be."

Rubbing her eyes to get a better look, Princess Twilight was quite surprised. "I must admit that this was crafted incredibly well. Bulk Biceps, or the person that he portrays, must have spent many months making sure that every last bit of detail had been given its due attention. I'm sure you've probably made the comparison to Gloriosa so I won't bother going into that, but you have to wonder why place this here of all places."

"That's funny as I had the same feeling about the location."

"Not much we can do about that."

"I guess not." Taking out the scale, I placed it into the slot located in the middle of the statue's tail before taking a couple of steps back. "Okay, so now what?" Patience never was one of my strongest qualities as I was expecting an immediate reaction.

"Just wait a moment." Princess Twilight in her usual calm demeanor. Seconds later, the statue moved to the left and revealed a staircase leading down underground. "Everything comes to those who know how to wait it out, Sunset." Her Highness then focused her attention on what was revealed. "I don't know if Bulk Biceps knew about this stairway below his statue or he did and forgot about it, but I was expecting a treasure chest to have been buried here."

"It's probably down there somewhere."

"This could take a while."

"Maybe..." I was honestly hoping that this wasn't going to take too long but then nothing about this place could surprise me barring the absolute absurd. For a moment, I thought about going back to Bulk Biceps after getting the item and ask him what he knew about all this but I opted against it. I doubted he knew anything and besides, he was more focused on finishing that painting of his. "At least we can see where we're going down here!" Heading down into the underground tunnel, there were torches on the walls so I didn't have to worry about stumbling along in complete darkness.

Lowering her head, Princess Twilight blushed. "I guess this won't take a while."

Directly in front of me atop a slightly raised platform and surrounded by four torches and an assortment of skulls, I could see what looked to be a Magnifying Glass. "Is this what Princess Luna said I needed?" My reaction was mixed. On the one hand, I was upset that I had gone through so many trades and ended getting something that looked to be less than accurate. On the other hand, it was hidden extremely well and involved a lot of work to acquire it. "Twilight? What do you make of this?"

Looking at the Magnifying Glass for herself, Princess Twilight had an explanation all prepared. "This might look like an ordinary Magnifying Lens but appearances in these worlds has often been deceptive. You can use this item to see things that you couldn't see before."

"Sounds like the Lens of Truth from the previous adventure."

"Yes but without using any magic."

"Aside from that? What else can I use this for?"

That's when Princess Twilight had a thought. "Do you remember that one book in the Mabe Village library? You know, the one called 'Dark Secrets of Koholint Island'? It had the really small text?" I nodded which made Her Highness squee with glee. "I knew you wouldn't forget, Sunset! Anyway, a Magnifying Lens can make things look bigger than they really are. I'm not sure when we'll need to pay the library another visit in order to read the text but I'll make a mental note of it."

"Speaking of notes..." My words trailed off upon seeing a small piece of paper which had been hidden underneath the Magnifying Lens. Picking it up, the words on the paper had been scribbled on but I could make sense of what it said. "'On the beach is a hidden cave where nothing can be seen but perhaps it can be seen with what you have now.' Okay... That wasn't even close to being cryptic."

"I'll make another mental note for this too."

"Thanks Twilight."

"Where do you want to go now?"

"I need to get that bow."

"That would be wise as I have a feeling you will be needing it soon enough."

CRRRACCCCKLLLLE FWOOOOOOSH!

"No doubt that you know that the Outsider has defeated the Slime Eel though it was a very close battle. If only it had been made a bit stronger then she wouldn't have prevailed and we could continue to remain in control."

Grogar sighed though showed no signs of anger this time. "We are disappointed that the Slime Eel was destroyed. It was one of the stronger Nightmares, but its defeat did not come without an ounce of victory. It was able to sow the seeds of doubt into her head."

"As in the true nature of this island?"

Nodding, Grogar smiled a cruel smile. "The Outsider will no doubt begin to question the words of the Slime Eel, but her spirit will suffer greatly once she learns the truth upon visiting the Southern Face Shrine." He then began laughing which echoed all around. "There is no avoiding it now, Hot Head. She is destined to learn what Koholint Island is. Once she does, she will continue with her mission but will be guilt-ridden from that point on. Her heart will become weak and thus will make costly mistakes. She will become much easier to defeat." He then paused before getting serious. "And yet, we have underestimated the Outsider from the beginning."

"Her progress is far greater than we thought."

"We once thought her nothing more than a nuisance but she has now become a concern, a worry to us."

"What can be done, master?"

"There are two visions that we have foreseen." Grogar answered. "In one, the Outsider, so wracked with guilt, dies before she has a chance to awaken the Wind Fish. How she is killed matters not but the fact is death claims her. In the other, we confront and kill her personally." Upon saying that, Grogar noticed Hot Head going limp. "Our words have made you ill, Hot Head."

"I... I was destroyed in one of your visions?"

Grogar nodded slowly. "Our visions have always been correct and these ones are no exception." He then began speaking in a much more somber tome which caught Hot Head by surprise as his master had never done such a thing before. "Though we have chastised you to no end, we know that you were merely fulfilling your obligations as our servant. Perhaps our obsession towards the Outsider blinded us. We were consumed with hatred."

"Perhaps the Outsider is having an adverse effect on us?"

"Perhaps but we must not allow that to become a problem."

"With five Instruments of the Sirens in her possession, her next destination is going to be the Northern Face Shrine."

"And who is the Nightmare who protects the instrument there?"

"Facade."

Hearing Hot Head mention that name caused Grogar to groan though he did his best to hide it. "Facade... Not one of the strongest Nightmares but perhaps we underestimate his powers. Still, we are concerned that the Outsider will overcome him. After all, he has a tendency to be rather talkative." An idea then formed in Grogar's mind given the cruel smile he displayed once again. "The Outsider might not survive to encounter Facade let alone enter the Face Shrine. We shall strengthen the guardian that protects the key that is needed to open the shrine, but this alone may not be enough."

"What do you have in mind?"

"We faced the Outsider before and merely frightened her." Grogar answered. "This time, we shall do much more than that. When the darkness of night has blanketed the island once more, she will be visited by us. We shall not be merciful! We shall kill her within the veil of the dream! Had it been any other Nightmare, we would not be concerned, but a combination of it being Facade and that she has three instruments remaining has forced our hand."

Hot Head was shocked at what he had heard. "But, master! If you lose to her, then everything we have worked hard for will become nothing."

"Yes... It's possible that she may yet overcome us." Grogar then realized that Hot Head had mentioned the notion that he could be defeated. "You believe that the Outsider has the power to destroy us!? Had you said this much sooner, we would have punished you severely for uttering such words. However, since she has progressed much further than expected, we shall take your words into consideration. There is another observation about the Outsider that has caught our attention though we chose to ignore it until now. She possesses a power that is foreign to us."

"Foreign?"

"Yes."

"I don't understand."

"Neither do we but she is in possession of it."

"Can she access it whenever she wants?"

"No." Grogar answered shaking his head. "She cannot use this power for the Wind Fish's very presence prevents her from doing so, and yet, it can be dedicated within her." He then shook head as though trying to remove a horrible thought. "We are fortunate and thus there is no need to be concerned about this power... For the time being that is. We believe that if she were to gather all eight instruments, the dreamer could lift her restriction."

"Then she must die and soon."

Grogar nodded. "Facade must destroy the Outsider!" He then pointed to Hot Head. "Go! Inform him of what must be done. We shall strengthen the guardian of the key as an extra safety measure just in case." As Hot Head disappeared to carry out his orders, Grogar began contemplating over his ever-shrinking dominance over Koholint Island. "The Nightmares are just not powerful enough to get the job done. Their complacency makes them useless. Only you, Hot Head, my strongest servant, lack this unfortunate trait, and yet, you lack power like the rest. Outsider... Perhaps you are worthy to face our true form."

As I began to make my way back to the entrance of the underground tunnel that housed the Magnifying Lens, Princess Twilight had alerted me of strange sounds that were echoing about the area. At first, I thought she was making it up, but when I heard the noises myself, I raised my shield to prepare myself for whatever was making them. Upon reaching the stairs, three Red Zols popped up from out of the ground, yet it was the two Mimics who appeared out of nowhere that got me concerned. How could they exist outside of the Dream Shrine? I thought they were exclusive to that place? Apparently not.

From what I remembered of them, Mimics copied my exact movements though they weren't able to attack. Normal sword swings had little effect on them but a charged swing could destroy them along with using the Pegasus Boots to charge through them. Focusing on the Red Zols, I cut each one into smaller pieces followed by slicing up what remained leaving just the Mimics, yet as expected, they were more focused on copying me which meant I didn't really have to fight either of them. Instead, I put my equipment away and merely waltzed on by before heading up the stairs and back outside.

I then asked Princess Twilight a question which had been bugging me for some time. I hadn't asked it straight away as I had other things on my mind, but now that I had acquired the treasure from the trading sequence, I felt now was as good a time as any to ask her for her opinion on the subject. We had discussed before about the meaning of the Slime Eel's final words and believed they were a warning, yet while Her Highness claimed that it involved not continuing this adventure, I felt there was a different answer. Sure, ending my journey would please the monsters as it would give them free reign to do whatever they wanted, but what about everyone else?

Would the Nightmares hurt the people of Koholint Island? Would the Wind Fish remain asleep forever? Worse yet, would I be unable to change things back to normal? With all these possibilities that could result from me simply giving up, I asked Princess Twilight what the actual meaning was behind those words. Her Highness, unfortunately, wasn't able to give me an answer as even she didn't know what the Slime Eel had hinted at before its death. Frustration began to rear its ugly head as I really needed an answer but if Princess Twilight couldn't provide me with guidance, getting frustrated would just make everything worse.

Sighing, I decided to focus on the adventure though I really hoped that I would get an answer and soon. Taking out the ocarina and playing Manbo's Mambo, I focused on the warp tile located outside of Mabe Village (A shame there wasn't such a tile in the village proper but I digress) before I was warped away. Landing in the Ukuku Prairie and walking left whilst cutting down some bushes which netted me a few green rupees (It was going to get much worse from there what with having to grind for money), I picked up the boulder, tossed it aside, and entered the village where I immediately made my way over to the Item Shop.

Upon entering, I was exposed to Aria's attitude. "Whoa! Judging from all that dirt on you, you must have been spelunking somewhere!" I looked down at myself and her observation was embarrassingly spot on. My tunic had some dirt patches here and there whilst I had some gashes on my arms. "I don't mean to sound disrespectful but you ought to consider choosing a different career path."

I had to contradict her on that. "Your tone makes you sound disrespectful."

"Tch!" I knew that would upset Aria but I also knew that unlike the real version, this version was merely making a living which also included the occasional insult. "Anyway, I already know why you came back here, and yes, the bow hasn't gone anywhere in case you were worried someone went and bought it. The people of this village rarely have enough rupees to buy anything which makes me question why I even have this business."

"Is it still 980 rupees?"

Aria nodded with a sly grin. "You're a real sharp one you know."

"I don't suppose you could lower the price?"

"You mean like a discount?" Aria asked. I nodded and she quickly snapped back. "I'm not running a charity here! I mean, sure, I could lower the price but then everyone else will want the same thing and I'll end up going bankrupt sooner or later. Can you live with that on your conscious?"

Rolling my eyes, I waved my hands to signal that I couldn't win her argument. "Okay, okay! You win! I'll pay you the full amount for the bow." I walked up to where the bow was located on the back counter before picking it up. It was surprisingly light yet it didn't have any special features to make it stand out. Again, I wished that this had been hidden in a dungeon instead of being stuck in a shop. "I trust that you'll have no issues with my purchase?"

Before I had a chance to bring it to her, Aria quickly darted over to me, her eyes opened wide with surprise. "Are you saying that you have enough rupees to buy this?" I nodded and her jaw dropped. "No way! I know people don't save up much around here so I doubt you can either."

Smiling, I presented her with my wallet. "Empty this out and you'll see for yourself."

Taking my wallet, Aria walked back to the counter, confident that I didn't have enough rupees. Upon opening it up and emptying its contents, her jaw dropped again as her eyes widened over the prospect of making a huge profit. "You... You can actually afford this bow!? You must be the richest person I've ever met!" I couldn't help but notice she was drooling at seeing so much wealth. "Oooh... So much money about to become mine... It's a dream come true" After letting her indulge in her new-found wealth for a few moments, I coughed slightly which got her attention. "Right, I need to deal with you first."

"So... Can I purchase this?"

"Bow and arrow set... 980 rupees." I watched as she placed the rupees into the cash register before handing my wallet back to me. "Okay, you are now the proud owner of a bow that is sure to serve you well. It even comes with thirty arrows so feel free to shoot whatever you fancy. I do sell arrow refills for roughly forty rupees but I don't sell any quiver upgrades." She then walked back over to the shelf and placed another custom dungeon piece. "At this rate, it's going to take me years to sell these things. I mean, someone like you ought to have some use for these dungeon pieces."

"How much are they?"

"One hundred rupees for each one."

"I'll think about it."

"Sure you will." Aria said in a snarky manner. "I don't have anymore expensive items to sell you so if you're expecting me to surprise you with something over 1,000 rupees, then you can relax though I won't get another rupee payout." She then began getting annoyed with the fact that I was still standing there. "Hello!? You've already gotten the most expensive item I carry so what more do you want?"

"A couple of questions."

"What do I look like? A fortune teller!?"

"You owe me since I did just pay you a ton of money."

Aria sighed knowing that once again, I was right. "Fine! You can ask me some questions... As long as I actually know the answer. Just don't waste my time okay? I could get another customer come in at any moment and I need to make sure to attend to their every need."

The lack of anyone else and the looming silence made us all cough. I finally broke the silence before it could get really awkward. "I've only got two questions so you don't have to worry about being bombarded with so much curiosity. First, have you ever heard of any shrines around here? And second, do you know anything about river rapids?"

"Shrines? No, I don't know anything about any shrines." Aria answered, her demeanor clearly showing that she had no interest in answering anything. "Ugh! You should probably ask an archaeologist or something! But... I suppose someone like you might be interested in the ruins north of Animal Village." Before I had a chance to ask something else, she quickly shot me down instantly. "Hey! I know nothing about that place other than it exists. Who knows? You might find some treasure or nothing but dirt. The river rapids on the other hand are a different matter."

She didn't realize it but she had in fact helped me with regards to a potential new location. I nodded at Princess Twilight to acknowledge her to note that bit of information down in order to rely on it later. Rather than continue to badger her about that, I instead focused on asking about the river rapids as she knew something about it. "You know about the rapids? I heard it was run by someone who is eccentric."

Aria nodded. "Yeah, I know the woman who runs it. She's very insistent on going with her customers and won't take no for an answer. She can get annoying sometimes what with her endless chatter but she can handle those rapids better than anyone else."

"I might pay her a visit."

"If you're feeling adventurous then go for it."

At that point, Aria began waving her hand, an indication that she had no more answers. She was also signaling for me to leave as I was hanging around her shop way too much and could potentially ruin the experiences of other customers (Not that she had anyone else come into her place mind you). I had nothing else to purchase so I took my leave though I was satisfied with what she had told me. While I still didn't know the exact location of the next dungeon, I had two new locations to visit in the hopes of finding it. Flash Sentry would be a boon here but he hasn't made himself known for some time now.

"What did you make of that, Twilight?"

"Aria is as charming as ever." Princess Twilight answered.

"She needs a better outlook on life."

"Among other things."

I couldn't help but laugh at that. "Anyway, where should we go next?"

"Of the two locations Aria told us about, the ruins near the Animal Village would be the best place for us to search." Princess Twilight answered. "We don't know where the river rapids are and I know you don't want to waste time combing this entire island looking for it. So, going to where we know makes sense, right?"

"And it's not because going to some ruins would make for excellent research material?" I asked, rolling my eyes.

Princess Twilight blushed. "Okay, so I'm that obvious to figure out."

A part of me was curious as to what these ruins Aria mentioned were all about. From my own experiences, ruins usually held treasure, secrets, progression, a combination of these, or perhaps something completely unexpected. They were often a good place to go though they weren't what I would call a cakewalk. Such places could also contain tricks, traps, monsters, or nothing at all, a sign that it had been abandoned long ago. If this was progression, I'd be pleased more than anything else as I'd be that much closer to fixing things. If it were nothing but a dead end, I'd be crushed.

Since I had to go back to the Animal Village yet again, I took out the ocarina and played Manbo's Mambo (I really appreciated this song now as it had saved me so much backtracking and keeping my feet from getting any kind of pain) and began concentrating on the warp tile just south of the village. Once again, I was whisked off in a bright light and upon reaching my destination moments later, I walked up and into the village before heading left and going back into Martha's Bay. The only direction left to explore at that point was north, so I went that way in hopes of finding the right path.

The first thing that caught my attention, aside from the Zirro flying about and the Buzz Blobs scuttling about, was a staircase heading into another underground tunnel. I knew straight away that what I was looking for couldn't be down there as that would've been both obvious and completely unexpected. Ruins were usually well hidden and not easy to find. Still, I was curious and walked down them which lead me to a tunnel filled with water though this wasn't an issue as I had the Flippers on hand for any swimming. I then noticed a Piece of Heart hidden underwater beyond the stranger blocks that could be broken by using the Pegasus Boots.

Switching over to the boots and dashing through the blocks, I quickly stopped so as to not go too far, and dove into the water to retrieve the Peace of Heart. Upon picking it up and holding it above my head, its warmth filled me with strength and confidence, the kind that would see through tough times ahead. Deciding that progressing any further in the cave would only amount to likely finding a dead end or maybe some treasure chests with paltry rewards (Though I could have used the extra rupees), I got out of the water, walked back outside via the stairs, and continued forward making sure to avoid the monsters.

Turning right due to the river blocking my path, I kept walking until I stopped upon hearing the familiar flapping wings of Flash Sentry's owl companion. Sure enough, the pair appeared on the opposite side before landing on what looked like a barricade. "It has been quite some time since our last meeting, child. I can tell that you have become much stronger though strength alone is not enough to awaken the Wind Fish."

"I've been wondering as to where you were." I said.

"When you have need of me, I shall appear." Flash Sentry said.

"Then perhaps you can tell me where to find the two shrines."

Looking at his owl companion and then looking back at me, Flash Sentry smirked which made me think he was annoyed at not getting to share his knowledge. "Ah, you have decided to take the initiative by learning that which I was going to tell you about. But, judging from that expression on your face, you don't know which way you should go. There are two shrines as you know: one to the north and one to the south. First head south towards the southern shrine. There, ruins can be found which speak of the Wind Fish."

"I'm actually glad you mentioned the Wind Fish.

"And why is that?"

"I want to know what's up with this island!"

Flash Sentry was surprised by my sudden outburst. "You have been informed by one of the Nightmares about what Koholint Island is all about." He paused and began to think about how best to explain himself. I knew he would have the answers to my question and for his sake, I hoped he wouldn't give me the run around. "You deserve to know the truth of the island as you have come so far in this journey yet I cannot tell you what you desire. Instead, you must discover the truth yourself."

"Not exactly the answer I was looking for but at least I will get one."

"However, I must warn you now."

"Of what?"

"What you discover at the ruins will change you forever." Flash Sentry answered, his voice becoming stern. "I will also tell you that I shall be ready to see you once you make your discovery. I do not hope to understand what goes on within your heart but it shall be tested beyond the limits of endurance." His words belied what appeared to be regret as though he knew I would say something I'd end up regretting later. Whatever was in this southern shrine had to be dead serious if it was to change me. "There is also something else you need in the ruins."

"What?"

"A key that you help you progress."

"Just a key?"

"You will understand upon obtaining it."

Princess Twilight then spoke up, blushing ever so slightly, a reminder that she still had some romantic feelings towards him. "You said that Sunset needed to go south in order to reach the southern shrine, correct? By that logic, heading south would take her back to the Animal Village unless you meant going in a different southerly direction?" Wow... Her Highness certainly knew how to ask the right question in the right manner. "Also, something you said has been bothering me. Clearly, something is happening on this island yet you act like you're forced to remain silent until Sunset figures it out. Why else would you say she has to discover the truth for herself?"

That surprised Flash Sentry prompting him to take a few moments to respond accordingly. "It seems you are much wiser than appearances suggest, little fairy. When the time comes, the child will understand everything. Until then, you must continue on and discover the truth which you seek. You must be prepared. Now... Continue on this path and you will find a place that has been forgotten by history." Without saying another word, he commanded his owl companion to take off and they both flew eastward until they were out of sight.

"I think I might have touched a nerve."

I nodded slightly. "Yeah. I think that's the first time I've ever seen him react like that."

"Well I had to say something otherwise it was going to bother me to no end."

"At least he was able to tell us where to go before he left."

"What do you think, Sunset..."

"About what?"

"About his being silent when you ask him specific questions?"

"Well..." I began, struggling a little to come up with a good answer. "I'll admit that I have been annoyed with Flash Sentry not being honest with me but I also kind of let it slide simply because he was doing it so often. I never really thought it was an issue until you confronted him about it just now. I mean, even now, I still don't see it as a problem as such, but maybe that was wrong of me?" I had pretty much trapped myself in a corner so I opted to stop saying anything in the hopes of moving on with this.

"That's your answer?" Princess Twilight asked and I nodded in a sheepish manner. Her Highness sighed a little in response. "I'm not going to scold you or anything, Sunset. After all, you have plenty of things to worry about since you're the heroine of this story. At least you acknowledged that you were concerned about his behaviour so I suppose that's better than being ignorant about it." She then changed the subject. "We might as well go to this southern shrine and get this key."

Walking along the riverbank, something caught my eye and I looked to my left. Situated in the middle of the river was a rectangular shaped island which featured two strange statues and a staircase leading up to it from the water. I could clearly get there what with the stairs on one side but from which direction? I asked Princess Twilight and while she didn't have an answer, she was also curious. She made another mental note (The third or fourth one) before I continued walking until I reached some unusual boulders. I tried picking one up only to find they were too heavy to be lifted even with the Power Bracelets.

Upon closer inspection, Princess Twilight revealed that the boulders were firmly stuck in the ground and that no amount of strength could lift them up. I was disappointed but I supposed that not everything could be solved by tossing them around. Luckily, the Blue Tektites bouncing around in the area were unable to leap over the boulders to attack. Ignoring the one north of me, I cut down a bush, picked up a stone which was well within my strength range, and tossed it where it destroyed the Blue Tektite in front of me. Picking up a blue rupee which it dropped (It was going to take me a very long time to recoup my rupee total), I continued on before turning south and entering a new area.

"How does it feel to see your past self before your eyes, Generous one?"

"No... I cannot have done these things!" Rarity shouted.

"Oh but you did and so much more. You claim to be of a generous spirit who helps out those who are struggling, and yet, in truth, you do these things in order to further your own goals and to strengthen your status. Heh, heh, heh... How amusing and also pitiful. You use others only to better yourself."

"It's not true! I refuse to believe it!"

"What I am showing you is the truth about yourself, Generous one. You cannot deny your past sins no matter how strong you may think you are. Even the strongest of wills will succumb to the truth."

"Why are you doing this to us?"

"Why? Because I am Ganondorf! The Demon King!" He then spoke in a much softer tone. "But the real reason is because you six are the ones that have helped the child through the darkest moments of her life. If not for your influence, she would've succumbed to the desire for wanting power. My acquiring some of your precious magic is merely a bonus that serves only to slightly strengthen me further. Without you six around, the child, your Sunset Shimmer, would be a broken soul without guidance. She would be nothing without you." He then clenched his hand into a fist. "To make her mine, I shall take that which she loves more than anything else."

That made Rarity freak out. "What!? You would destroy us to get to Sunset?"

Ganondorf shook his head in response. "Kill the six of you? I could have done so when I first made my presence known to you all. To kill all of you would be an effortless venture on my part though it would also be a waste of such good magic that is being wasted by mere children." This was followed by a laugh before he snapped his finger and Rarity could see a reflection of a younger version of herself. "Remember this moment of your life? You claimed to have helped those poor children but in reality you desired to reap the benefits yourself. They did all the work and you took it from them just to improve your own ego."

Rarity then snapped, the image of her past actions being too much. "It's true! I used them to further my own dreams! Oh why! Why did I do that to them?" She then dropped to her knees and began sobbing, her magic slowly being drained from her body though she was more worried about her mental state than her magic. "One should be generous and not ask for anything in return and what did I do? Once I finished helping them, I... I... Sabotaged their efforts because I wanted to make sure that I would be more successful. They could've had a future but instead they were given a harsh reality."

"The hand that feeds one can also take it away."

"I should have just stayed away from them!"

"But you did not."

Rarity sighed knowing that she had been beaten. "No... I helped them because I thought they would take their new-found knowledge and do something else, but once I learned that they were after what I wanted as well, I couldn't help myself."

Ganondorf laughed before waving his hand to return Rarity back to the others. "What one does in the world can be a reflection of their true self. Generous one... You only wanted the glory and despised others who sought the same thing. It was not enough that you had to ruin their lives but to also rub it in their faces. You chose to hide this shame behind a mask but it can only last so long before shattering and exposing the truth." He then turned his attention towards the two who had yet to endure his power. "Kindness and Magic remain... It is obvious as to my choice now."

Moving his hand towards himself as though he were pulling something, Fluttershy was surprised to find that she was the next one to go before him. She immediately turned away in hopes of avoiding seeing the Demon King's face but was forced to face him when he used his magic. As she stared him down, peering into his hatred filled eyes, Fluttershy couldn't help but continue staring as though her famous stare had been used against her. She continued staring until a forced blink broke the connection and she placed both palms over her eyes as though they were writhing in agony.

"Your stare is too much." Fluttershy began. "Um... Could you please tone it down?"

That prompted a laughter from Ganondorf that almost caused him to burst into a fit of laugher. "Such a modest character you are, Kind one. You are perhaps the most intriguing amongst you and your fellow Elements. You possess a strong power though you do not unleash your full potential. Why hold back? Doing so is a form of weakness. One must embrace their power, not hide it away. There is also something more to you... A chaotic presence that has crossed the dimensional rift and desires your safety."

"I'm not sure I understand."

"No... You wouldn't as you have no knowledge of this chaotic presence." Ganondorf sighed which made Fluttershy confused even more. "Perhaps I was wrong... It is of no matter to me as such chaos pales in comparison to my power. Still..." Again, he felt dejected but quickly regained his composure. Whatever he was thinking about wasn't going to happen and so he ignored it and focused on her. "The one who is the most quiet often is the most powerful, but is this is a true reflection of yourself?"

"I like to be positive." Fluttershy answered with a smile.

Tilting his head to one side, Ganondorf looked like he would crack a smile but instead he brushed it off and leaned closer to Fluttershy. "You say one thing but your mind tells me you have lost control of your emotions more often than you admit."

"Oh my."

"As I thought..." He laughed again. "Breaking you down is going to be very amusing." Ganondorf then looked over at Twilight Sparkle, the only one he had yet to torment. "I have not forgotten about you, Magical One. You are the most special of all. You have something that I personally need and it shall be mine." He then used his magic and created a brief image of a familiar looking set of eyes before crushing it with his hand. "Reviving that one is not my intention but the power is. Breaking you will be easy. Such is when dealing with one who possesses a frightened mind."

Heading south, I entered an area where no grass was growing and pillars were scattered about everywhere, some being in rows while others just stood alone. Some were even damage signaling that much time had passed. According to Princess Twilight, I had entered a place called the Ancient Ruins, and the name really said it all. Could this have been the remnants of an ancient civilization? Or was just a place that had been forgotten about? Either way, Her Highness was going to have a field day thought she had to be reminded that our first priority was to find this shrine that housed a key which I needed.

There were other, smaller statues situated in-between the pillars that depicted some kind of soldier armed with a sword and shield. They looked so incredibly life-like that I could swear they could move on their own. Her Highness said that these were in fact monsters pretending to be immobile, Armos. The name sounded familiar and she reminded me of the previous adventure where they would explode upon defeat. I shuddered as I remembered that experience but she informed me that these ones couldn't do that. However, attacking from the front would do nothing because of their shields.

Since there were so many Armos around, I had to move about carefully and only attack when it was necessary to move on. Walking forward, I raised my shield and made sure no part of my body touched anything as that's how one could make it move. They do eventually go back to being statues if left alone but that was going to be doubtful as space was limited around here because of the pillars. As I moved, Green Zols popped up from the ground and while I took them out, I had to do so carefully because of my surroundings. At least they were dropping green rupees as I needed money for the future.

Turning right, I could see the vast expanse of the Ancient Ruins, and it was much bigger than I thought. Way off in the distance was a building (It was the shrine) but getting there would involve some work. Continuing on, some pillars had collapsed or remnants of other buildings were blocking my path which meant being forced to awaken an Armos. One such instance occurred moments later as one was blocking the way forward. Touching the shield, it quickly sprang to life and began hopping towards me. My reaction was slow and it managed to get a couple of hits in before I responded in kind.

As expected, its shield was pretty sturdy so all I was doing was pushing it back until it hit a nearby wall. Given how it lacked depth perception, I stood to the side and watched it move back to its previous location and resume its statue disguise. Moving forward again, more Green Zols popped up and I took care of them without incident, yet whilst defeating one, my sword accidentally hit an Armos resulting in me getting hit with its shield (Strange how they don't swing those swords). In frustration from getting hurt, I kept swinging at it knowing it was futile as attacking from the front was useless.

Letting it move by, Princess Twilight began flittering about to get a better look at the ruins. "Isn't this just exciting, Sunset?" She asked. "I feel like I'm breaching new frontiers by seeing remnants that could have existed here for thousands of years."

"Only you would be interested in a place like this." I said whilst rolling my eyes.

Sticking out her tongue, Princess Twilight continued with her observation. "These Armos though are the one thing that seem out of place. I have a working theory that they were used to protect whatever existed here and because what was here is gone, they continue defending it. I suppose I feel sorry for them. Anyway, we're almost at the shrine so continue to be cautious." Feeling sorry for them? She was beginning to sound like Fluttershy. She (Fluttershy) felt sorry for just about everything whether it threatened our lives or not but that was just the kind of person she was... Kind.

Walking past a few more Armos, I had to question if they could be defeated. "Are they invincible?"

Princess Twilight shook her head. "No, but you would need a special item in order to defeat them. I wouldn't dwell on it since they aren't all that threatening and as long as you don't touch them, they won't do anything."

After getting past a few more Armos and defeating several Green Zols, I had successfully reached the shrine. "Compared to everything else around here..." I began upon observing the building. "It's almost completely intact."

"Take a look at the statues carved on each side of the door."

Both depicted the same thing, a creature with large horns. "What do you suppose it could be?"

"I don't know." Princess Twilight answered. "Without anything to go on around here apart from my theory, these statues could be referring to some kind of guardian, maybe an ancient deity, or maybe something that was worshipped before whatever was here faded away."

"Theory not working out for you?"

"Not in the least."

"It was worth a try." Walking into the shrine, I was in awe of how everything looked like it hadn't been touched for centuries barring the occasional cracks. "Even the inside of this place is almost completely intact, like someone wanted to make sure this building survived at the cost of everything else."

Princess Twilight was much more observant. "The lit torches tell me that someone or something is currently making this shrine their residence. Think about it, Sunset. Why would you have torches in a place that no one has been to in centuries? Okay, tombs might contain a torch though that's a rare occurrence." Her Highness then stopped when she began shivering before she flew on top of my hat to keep warm. "I'm sensing a powerful presence in the next room."

Taking her words to heart (Maybe I should've gotten another medicine from Sugar Belle prior to coming here), I slowly walked into the next room only to be confronted by a large statue that looked just like the two that were on either side of the shrine's entrance. "Guess we now know what those statues outside were depicting." Armed with a giant shield and sporting armour everywhere aside from its head, this statue looked menacing, but was it just that or something else?

"It could be alive, Sunset."

"Is this the presence you were sensing?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "This is more than just a statue."

Sure enough, both doors suddenly locked trapping me inside, and the statue began to vibrate before it lifted its head to signal that it was alive. "I have been waiting for you to reach this sanctum, Outsider!" The statue said in a booming voice. "You have progressed much further than expected but your journey shall end here."

"What are you?" I asked.

"I am the guardian of the Face Key!"

"Face Key?"

"You are planning on entering the Face Shrine, correct?" The statue asked. I nodded and its eyes glowed in response. "Yes... I knew that would be your answer. In order to enter that sacred place, the Face Key is required, but you will never get your hands on it. This shrine shall be your grave! The Nightmares have granted me tremendous power for they knew of your coming here." It then slammed its shield into the ground as a means of intimidation. "If you should defeat me, the Armos Knight, I shall relinquish the Face Key. You shall also learn the truth about Koholint Island."

"Do you guard that secret too?"

The Armos Knight slowly nodded, the sound of creaking steel caused a grating sound in my ears. "Defeat me and you will learn the secret but knowing the truth shall destroy you! You should leave this place and never return if you value your mind and of those who dwell here."

"I can't do that."

"Then you shall die!" The Armos Knight then began hopping forward towards me in a very quick manner (I was honestly surprised that it could move so fast considering that armour had to be pretty heavy and lacked any kind of mobility) but I was able to move aside which is when it suddenly jumped upward before crashing back down on the ground. The impact of its landing caused the ground to tremor which made me trip and fall on my butt. As I got back up, I noticed that it waited about a second before it began moving again which gave me an idea on how I could fight it.

Because it could cause tremors, I needed to jump at just the right time, so I took out the Roc's Feather but placed it on my hat as a feather (Naturally) as I needed both hands to use my sword and shield. Swinging my sword at the Armos Knight, it collided with its giant shield and I felt my entire body vibrated which felt really weird. It then jumped up so I jumped just as it crashed into the ground and proceeded to attack it from behind. Again, my body vibrated from the shock which made me wonder just what this thing was made from. It dawned on me that straight up attacking it wasn't working.

"So far, I'm doing no damage to it." I said as I avoided getting trampled over by its hopping.

"This Armos Knight is a tough one."

"Don't I know it!"

"Most of your items are going to do no damage at all." Princess Twilight quickly flew over to check the Armos Knight for herself before flying back when it suddenly turned around and jumped up again. It landed on me which also knocked me down but I managed to get back up and took cover. Her Highness asked me if I was okay and I nodded though the side of my body was beginning to ache. "I think I know how you can defeat this creature."

"I'm all ears."

Before she could say anything, I had to quickly move aside as it hopped up to me. It then jumped prompting me to do the same and I avoided the tremor though I was clearly starting to get a little frustrated. "It does have a weak point though its very small and requires exact precision. You must hit it from behind by striking its back near where its shoulder blades are."

"Can I use a bomb from a distance?"

"No as that armour is pretty sturdy."

"What about using an arrow?"

"Hmmm... I suppose an arrow can work but you might not have enough time to fire one." Princess Twilight felt unsure about using arrows but it was an option for me to consider. I mean, why not use something that cost me a fortune by simply carrying it around? "You try running into it using the Pegasus Boots but you will need to set that up first. As long as that shield remains intact, the front is completely immune to all damage."

Two options and both were pretty difficult to use. In any case, I had to do something otherwise this was going to be where I died. Switching over to the bow and nocking an arrow for firing, the Armos Knight took notice and responded by hopping and knocking me over. My arrow fired by accident and bounced harmlessly off the shield leaving me feel dejected. I tried preparing another one but it jumped up and crashed on top of me. The pain I felt on my legs was something fierce (I really should've gotten some medicine before coming here) but it was something I had to shake off.

Getting back up, I fired a few more arrows that bounced off the shield. Yeah... That was pretty stupid of me. I then moved to the side and tried firing at it from behind but this also proved ineffective. Her Highness said I could attack its weak point but where exactly was it? She didn't give me the exact details so I felt like I was just firing for the sake of it until finally connecting. I considered using the Pegasus Boots instead but I doubted I had enough time to charge at it let alone switching over to them. It then jumped again and I managed to avoid getting flattened for a third time.

Moving around to the other side, I fired a few more arrows hoping to hit the weak point and again I came up empty. Now I had to start conserving my arrows as I only had a limited number of them and no quiver upgrades this time around. I knew Her Highness said where its shoulder blades meet up with its back but there was an awful lot of it to go around and time wasn't on my side. As the Armos Knight prepared to jump again, Princess Twilight pointed at a particular spot on the armour and continued pointing to grab my attention. After catching on to what she was getting at, I ran around behind it and fired another arrow.

This time I scored a direct hit (How did that even happen when my previous shots were mostly duds!?) causing it to get pushed back. Now that I had somewhat of an idea on exactly where to aim my arrows, I fired another one which bounced off the armour. I then stood there in complete silence knowing what just happened and Her Highness patted me on the back out of sympathy. Great, just great! Why did it have to be a specific spot!? The thought of throwing the bow on the ground in anger was very tempting but it was expensive and I doubted I could get it repaired or even replaced.

Was it frustration or was it me simply being lucky? Whatever it was, my next arrow somehow struck the weak point which caused the Armos Knight's shield to break, and it wasn't happy about me doing that. "You destroyed a part of my impenetrable defence!"

"Guess it wasn't all that defensive." I said without laughing.

"I am still resilient to your attacks so try all you like."

"I'd be glad to."

"Let us see if you can!"

It then suddenly got a lot faster which meant I really had to be on my toes. "I'm guessing things will get easier now?"

Princess Twilight nodded from the safety of my hat. "Without that shield, it's more vulnerable to your sword and arrows. It still has immunity to your other items but now you can attack it from anywhere without worry. It has gotten faster now so you need to watch the shadow it makes when jumping. That should give you an idea of where it's going to land. I have no idea how many hits it will take however."

That last bit wasn't reassuring but at least I could be a bit more offensive. The Armos Knight suddenly jumped and landed on the ground so quickly, I barely had enough time to get out of the way. Had I been just a couple of inches closer, my legs would've surely been broken. Swinging my sword in hopes of keeping it away whilst I got back up, its helmet cracked a bit on impact. Really? Was its armour not as sturdy as it claimed? Perhaps lying dormant for so many centuries had made it brittle... This battle had just gotten a lot less stressful though it could still hit pretty hard.

Come to think of it, I wasn't as injured as I thought I was. After all, I had chosen the blue mail upon completing the Colour Dungeon. Had I gone with the red mail, I'd have more power but my body probably would've been broken about five minutes earlier. Defence once again had come to my rescue. Jumping in response to it jumping, it landed at the same time I did which caused me to land on my butt again. Getting back up and swinging, I connected and the helmet cracked a bit more. Since I felt like I had nothing to lose at that point, I continued striking the armour, each blow further cracked it.

On my next hit, the helmet cracked completely, exposing its head, or rather a lack of one. Behind its helmet was nothing but a pair of eyes surrounded in darkness. It was terrifying to say the least as I wasn't expecting it. It roared in response and began moving even faster. Moving out of the way to avoid being trampled, I turned out to attack only to be pushed into a wall by its sheer size. It definitely wanted me dead now. A combination of hopping and jumping made things more difficult and I began falling behind for a while until I regained my composure and fired an arrow into the darkness.

I hit something in there as it winced in pain so I fired another one only for it to do nothing. Crap! I had just experienced one of the most annoying aspects in video games which continues to give players grief. Enemies had a tendency to have what were known as invincibility frames, moments where they were invincible and couldn't be attacked in rapid succession to balance out the difficulty. I benefited from such frames (Though I didn't know how I could use them) but it was more useful to enemies as it gave them some help. Such frames lasted for roughly three seconds before they could be attacked again.

The Armos Knight hopped towards me and I responded with another arrow which made it come to a stop. "How!? How did you break my armour? No one has been able to break it before until you came along."

Breathing heavily, I pointed at its body. "You've been here for so long that your armour has gone brittle over the centuries."

" But the Nightmares made me stronger!"

"I guess they didn't take age into account."

The Armos Knight sighed knowing that it had been defeated. "I gave you quite the challenge, Outsider, and you cannot deny this. You may be strong but even you have your limits to which have been exposed by me. The Nightmares will take this knowledge and you shall die a terrible death. Take the Face Key and enter the Face Shrine!"

"What about the island's secret?"

The Armos Knight's eyes looked back at the now unlocked door behind. "In that room, you will get your answer. Now... I must rest... In eternal slumber." Breathing its last, it started exploding multiple times before exploding entirely leaving behind a key whose head looked like a weirdly shaped clown face. It was a difficult battle until its weakness truly showed but what had me worried was the fact that the Nightmares had somehow influenced it. Grogar had to be desperate to do something like this.

Walking up to the key, I picked it up and cradled it in my hands. "So this is the Face Key?"

Princess Twilight took a look for herself and nodded her confirmation. "It's definitely a creepy looking key but it's what you need to access the next dungeon. I must admit that you had to go through an awful just to get this, yet I know you're bothered by what the Armos Knight said about the Nightmares. After all this time, Sunset, your expressions are so easy to read that's become second nature."

"Grogar must be panicking."

"And that means he will do whatever it takes to kill you."

"I'm ready for him."

"Speaking of being ready..." Princess Twilight's eyes looked at the unlocked door. "We will soon get to see what this secret is about Koholint Island. Be prepared for anything as you know that can happen."

Nodding and gulping, I entered the next room where it suddenly became dark. "If they were trying to be scary, they didn't do a pretty good job of it." In truth, the two torches in the room hadn't been lit up. "Gotta give them credit for applying some mystery." I then took out the Magic Powder and lit up both torches revealing the room to be quite dark, and that's when my jaw dropped in amazement upon what could be seen on the back wall. "Whoa... Take a look at this, Twilight!" On the back wall was a large mural depicting what looked like a giant whale, yet it didn't look like any whale I'd seen in books and online.

Princess Twilight decided to take a closer look for herself. "Sunset..." She began. "I think this is supposed to be the Wind Fish."

I was shocked. "Are you serious!?"

"I mean, it doesn't look like anything I've ever seen before and believe me, Equestria has its fair share of strange creatures." Princess Twilight then noticed something else on the mural that caught her eye. "Look at this! That's Flash Sentry and his owl companion!"

"What are they doing on this thing?"

"I don't know."

"And is that ancient writing?"

"Yes, but it looks like it's aged quite a bit." Princess Twilight then smiled. "Luckily, it's not faded away so it can be read. Good thing you have me around to translate this text. I just need a couple of minutes." She began combing over each letter making certain not to overlook anything. As Her Highness continued to translate, I felt uneasy as to this whole thing. Why was Flash Sentry depicted here? Did he have some kind of connection with the Wind Fish? More importantly, just what kind of creature was this Wind Fish? Her Highness then looked up at me. "I've finished translating."

"And?"

"If I'm right about this, this is what it says. 'To the finder... The isle of Koholint is but an illusion. Human, monster, sea, sky... A scene on the lid of a sleeper's eye. Awake the dreamer and Koholint will vanish much like a bubble on a needle. Castaway... You should know the truth!'" Princess Twilight stood there, her face looking like she had witnessed some kind of terrible tragedy, and then she dropped to the ground before finally addressing me. "Sunset... This island... It doesn't exist."

"What do you mean?"

Princess Twilight's eyes widened in horror. "What I'm saying is that this entire island, everything on it, is just an illusion. None of it is real!"

It took me a moment for it to finally sink in. "So you're saying that everything I've done here didn't mean a thing!? I've just been galaventing around in someone's dream!? No... No, it can't be true, Twilight." As Her Highness sadly nodded her head, my heart felt like it had just received a huge blow. "That's what the Slime Eel meant about the truth. It knew... The Nightmares have known what Koholint Island was all along. But... What about Starlight? Sunburst? Everyone else who lives here?"

"They don't know that they are an illusion."

I dropped to my hands and knees and tears began streaming down my face. "Then it's over, Twilight! If we awaken the Wind Fish, this island will disappear. Everyone on it will disappear and never exist again. How can I change things back to the way they were before if they cease to exist!?"

"I've no answer for that."

"I can't continue!"

"Sunset... I am sure there's a logical explanation here."

"Is there, Twilight!?

Her silence meant that she had no answer, but then her voice took on a different tone. "Now I'm beginning to understand what you meant when you said that you have to endure so much agony on these adventures." Princess Twilight looked like she was about to cry so I chose to comfort her. "You poor girl. No wonder all that bravado and confidence is but an act you use to stay strong as otherwise you would've spiraled into madness a long time ago."

Princess Twilight was right about me using all of that to remain strong and not allow Ganondorf's machinations to bring me down. I mean, this was just the latest incident of me enduring some kind of personal torment (It wouldn't be the last one either) where Her Highness would comfort me (Which she had done many times before) and tell me not to question my actions or my purpose, and ever time she did so, I recovered, but this was on a whole other level. This revelation had completely shattered me. Knowing now what Koholint Island was had changed me and I immediately had to question my current course of action.

How could I go about awakening something which had apparently created an entire island? All those people I had been interacting with and even befriended. I could never see or talk to them in the same manner now knowing they weren't real. But what if they were real and this mural had been lying? No... How could it be lying? Why even have it here in the first place if was nothing more than a means of deceiving me? Then perhaps the scariest question came to mind... What if I were an illusion? I shook my head of such a thought. I'm most certainly real otherwise I wouldn't even be here.

Getting back onto my feet, I clenched my hand into a fist. "I know what we need to do, Twilight."

"You do?"

"We need to speak to Flash Sentry again."

Coming to her senses, Princess Twilight looked at me with surprise. "Do you think that he will answer your questions about this new revelation?"

I nodded. "He has no choice but to answer them."

"I'm not sure about that, Sunset." Princess Twilight said, concern clearly echoing in her voice. "From what we've surmised about him in this world, Flash Sentry can only tell you certain things when he feels you are ready to know about them."

"I think he's going to be more willing this time around." I said with a smile though it quickly faded. "After all, we discovered what Koholint Island is and we deserve to have answers or else there's no point in continuing." I then looked up at the ceiling to clear my head and to reflect upon everything that had transpired. "We must find him as soon as possible otherwise we could become consumed with what we've learned. Believe me, that's the last thing I want right now." It would all depend on Flash Sentry and what he had to say. If it wasn't good enough, I'm not sure what I would do.

To Be Continued.

Chapter 21: River Rapids of the Face.

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.
By Ganondorf8.
February 9, 2021.
Chapter 21: River Rapids of the Face.

These past several minutes had completely changed my outlook. Before learning the truth of Koholint Island's darkest secret (Arguably as there was still that one in the Mabe Village library), I had every intention of waking up the Wind Fish as it meant changing things back to the way there were before. But now, because of learning the truth, completing that task had come to a crashing halt. Had the secret been anything else or maybe not so severe, I could've found a way to get around it and eventually adapt.

And yet reality once again showed how merciless it could really be. The truth was right there set in stone! This island was an illusion created by the Wind Fish and I somehow managed to find myself in that very dream. I doubted anyone would believe me if I told them that they didn't exist. I mean, how could they? As far as they knew, everything had begun somewhere and they were all heading in the same direction until their end. And what about me? If I were to awaken the Wind Fish, would I disappear too? I had already removed such a thought from my mind yet it proved difficult to move on from it since I did think of it again.

Looking down at the Face Key firmly grasped in my hand, I had mixed emotions ranging from anger to sorrow. I felt angry that this secret had been kept hidden from me until this exact moment. I felt frustrated that Flash Sentry had been keeping information from me until I came upon it. But perhaps the one thing I felt more than anything else was sorrow. If anyone was truly a victim aside from me, it was the Wind Fish itself. It was unable to awaken because of the Nightmares though I hadn't figured out how and why they were doing it.

Until I understood the truth, I remained conflicted on what to do. Princess Twilight, always there to give me an answer, had none for me this time, and for the first time in what felt like an eternity, it was on my hands that a decision had to be made regarding the next course of action. Giving up would mean everyone was lost and completing this adventure would result in the same outcome. No matter what choice I went with, everyone would suffer. It was a no-win situation either way, but I had to try something, anything. Shaking my head free of such negative thoughts, I decided to carry on for the time being and perhaps make a judgement later.

Pocketing the Face Key, I went back into the previous room, and then outside of the Southern Shrine where the flapping of an owl's wings indicated that Flash Sentry was about to grace me with his presence. My mind began racing with thoughts on how I was going to react to him in regards to learning what this island was. A part of me wanted to make him suffer like I had done throughout this experience, another choosing to ignore him and carry on without his help. A third part wanted me to forgive him as surely he had his reasons for not telling me sooner, yet it felt more like a feeble excuse more than anything else.

Upon his owl landing, Flash Sentry spoke in a sad voice. "I see you have read the relief..."

I nodded yet there was some slight hesitation in me wanting to acknowledge him. "I read it and while my friend and I reacted as one would given the circumstances, I'm inclined to believe you had your reasons for not telling me that this island doesn't truly exist."

"And your friend?"

I looked at Princess Twilight, floating next to me, her head held low. "I can't speak for her but I know that she was just as shocked as I was." I turned back to Flash Sentry. "I mean, what would you have done if you were in my shoes? What would your reaction be knowing that everything you've done was a lie." I had to maintain my composure so I began breathing slowly in hopes I'd calm down. "The fact is, the damage is done and I know the truth."

"While it does say on the relief that the island is a dream of the Wind Fish, no one is really sure."

"How can you say that?"

"That no one knows if this island is but an illusion?"

I nodded. "Then why else would there be a relief in a place only I could get to and that the message on said relief was directed at me?" Again, my composure was beginning to slip prompting me to continue breathing slowly. "You have to admit that what you just said is a pretty lame excuse. Either this island is real or it's an illusion. There's no in-between here. Sorry, but that's just how it is."

"Then perhaps this will make more sense." Flash Sentry held out his palm and an image of a treasure chest appeared before me. "Think of it this way. Image that you came upon this treasure chest on your travels and you began contemplating on whether or not you should open it and take its contents." It then opened though what it contained couldn't be seen due to a blinding light forcing me to turn my eyes away. "Just as you cannot know if a chest holds treasure until you open it, so you cannot tell if this is a dream until you awaken. The only one who knows for sure is the Wind Fish. Now... Do you understand?"

In response, I scratched my head before shaking it. "So only the Wind Fish knows whether this island is real or not."

Flash Sentry nodded. "Correct."

"But what of the Nightmares?"

"They will do whatever they can in order to stop you from succeeding in your goal."

Grumbling under my breath, I had a feeling he was going to say something along those lines. After all, it's what he had been doing ever since I got here. I then took out the Face Key and presented it to him. "I'm sure you know what this is."

"You have what you need to enter the Northern Shrine."

"Are you sure about that?"

The image of the treasure chest had since disappeared and Flash Sentry pointed northwards. "You probably didn't see it when last we spoke but the place you must go can only be reached by swimming though rocks block this side. You must go back to where the fourth instrument was once located and head to the right. Before, what lies beyond there you couldn't get to because of lacking an important tool. With it, what is there can be reached."

"What will I find exactly?"

"You already know that answer."

"Uh huh..."

"Remember these words, child." Flash Sentry said as he urged his owl to begin to take off to the skies. "Trust your feelings... Never allow anyone to say otherwise or else you will most likely meet your end. Someday... You will discover the answer to what confounds you."

As his owl flew off to the southeast, I began thinking about everything he had said. The most obvious thing was how he claimed that no one other than the Wind Fish knew whether the island was real or not. I thought it dubious at best and him being in denial at worst but could I really hold it against him? Without proper context, I could only take his words with a grain of salt and hoped he was right. The Nightmares were sure to have their own words and the chances of me avoiding said words were essentially non-existent. It seemed my salvation laid with the Wind Fish itself, a situation which had its own shares of problems.

Namely, whether I should awaken it or not. Flash Sentry didn't go into any detail as to what would happen to those living on the island, but then he didn't really have to as it was pretty obvious. They would essentially die if the Wind Fish woke up. I could try and save them but they wouldn't believe me unless they actually saw one of their own suddenly fade away so that option was out. I felt like a scale, balancing what was necessary on one side with what was in my heart on the other. Neither side could remain equal. One had to win over the other but whichever one did, the other would lose and I'd be at fault.

I shook my head. I had to get such thoughts out of my head until I could deal with them at a later time. Despite Flash Sentry's explanation of the island's nature leaving me confused, he at least was honest as to where I needed to go next. If I recalled correctly, there wasn't a shrine on the other side of the river. That would explain why I couldn't see it because it wasn't there. Then again, it could've been hidden in plain sight just like most of the other dungeon entrances have been where a key was needed to open them. All that was left was figuring out how to get to the other side of the river.

Crap! I had been ignoring Princess Twilight this entire time. Looking down at her, Her Highness seemed to be completely distant. Had the revelation of the island being an illusion affected her more than me? Granted, she had not gotten used to experiencing despair like this (She did in Equestria but that was a different beast entirely) so while I could get used to it, she had only gotten a small taste of what could possibly become even worse. Looking up at the sky, it was starting to get late. I needed to go back to the Animal Village and rest there for the night but first I needed to get Her Highness on track.

"Twilight? You okay?"

That got her attention. "Huh?" Her Highness responded with a startled reaction. "Oh, sorry Sunset. I was just thinking about everything that Flash Sentry said and your next course of action. Guess I lost track of everything around me."

I then gave her the face that screamed 'I know that's not what you're really thinking about' look. "I know you're bothered about what we discovered in that sense." I said as I pointed at it with my thumb. "I'm upset about it too, probably more so since this is what I'm used to (Not by choice here), but we shouldn't let it get to us. I know this sounds crazy given my actions when we found out, but we need to keep going until we can determine the truth by awakening the Wind Fish."

"Yeah, that is crazy!" I knew Princess Twilight was poking fun so I let it slide. "Still, you do make a valid point. It's probably not the best decision since having such a revelation loom over your head will only make things worse but you don't have much of a choice."

"No, I don't."

"In that case, let's get going and head to the next dungeon."

"Um..." I began as I pointed up at the sky. "It's starting to get late."

Princess Twilight responded by sticking her tongue out. "I'm like this back home in Equestria you know. I get so engrossed in something that I lose sight of everything else." I knew the island's truth was still bothering her (It was bothering me too) so it was best not to bring it up though the Nightmares were sure to do that. "You know, Sunset, Flash Sentry actually told you where to go next. I'm surprised that he did that. Usually, he leaves that part for you. Anyway, we should go back to the Animal Village and get some rest. After the day we've had, we could do with some R&R."

Huh... I hadn't realized that until she brought it up. Why did Flash Sentry tell me where to go next? Okay, so he wasn't exactly specific as he used cryptic words, but I did get the gist of where to go next. I had to go to the east of Angler's Tunnel, something I didn't do before as I never bothered to go in that direction. I couldn't have gotten far anyway since an item was required for progression (The obvious example there) but could now. Methinks the item I needed was the Hookshot but I guess I won't know for certain until I go there. I'll do that tomorrow as I needed the rest.

Taking out the ocarina and playing Manbo's Mambo (I could've walked back there as it wasn't too far but I didn't want to deal with the Armos), I focused on the warp tile located south of the Animal Village before being whisked away. Upon arriving several seconds later, I walked north into the village and noticed Starlight Glimmer was waving at me and heading in my direction. I was a bit curious as to why she was still here but I wouldn't have to wait long as she looked like she had something to say. A part of me felt like ignoring her given what I knew about the island but how could I ignore someone who had helped me in the past?

"Sunset Shimmer!" Starlight called as she came up to me, her face beaming a big smile.

"Hi Starlight..." I said in response before quickly realizing that I said the wrong name."

"You know that my name is Marin." Starlight's expression then changed to a more scary looking one. "I don't know why you keep on calling me 'Starlight'. It's a good name and I'm sure someone out there likes it, but it's not my name. Maybe I should teach you a lesson by stealing your items and bury them somewhere."

"What was that last bit?"

Starlight then feigned ignorance. "Huh? I said something nasty? You must have been hearing things again." I frowned knowing that she said she'd steal my items just because I said the wrong name. This wasn't the first time she had said something unusual but I had either ignored her or didn't pay it much mind. I just thought it was some kind of phase she was going through or perhaps it was something else. "Anyway, I'm glad you came here before I had to go back home to Mabe Village."

"Oh?"

"Have you heard of the River Rapids?"

I pretended not to know so to avoid making any mistakes. "No, I've never heard of it."

"You get to go down some pretty fast waters starting from the lowest part of Mt. Tamaranch to the base of the river just north of the Animal Village." Judging from Starlight's enthusiasm, she sounded like she wanted to try them herself. Either that or she was trying to convince me on doing it. "Not many people have been talking about it since it wasn't open at the time, but now it is and I'd love it if I could go, but Tarin thinks it might be too dangerous." She grabbed my hands which made me feel awkward. "You should go on the River Rapids. I'm sure someone like you can handle any kind of water."

I then decided to see if she could tell me more. "Where do I find these rapids?"

"That's easy." Starlight answered. "If you go to the base of Mt. Tamaranch and head east, you should find a hut where you can pay the woman who runs it." She then paused to scratch her head, a confused look appeared on her face. "I'm not sure how you can get there as there wasn't a bridge but maybe that isn't a problem. You do like quite the athlete so I'm sure you can swim across or something. Oh yeah!" That smile on her face was either good or bad. "In order to go on the rapids, you'll need one hundred rupees."

You've got to be kidding me!? I need one hundred rupees in order to go on the rapids!? Oh crap! I only had about twenty on my person which meant I had to grind for another eighty! I was starting to wonder if spending so much on that bow was a good idea despite it proving its usefulness. In hindsight, I should've done more exploring rather stick with the main objectives. I could've found some hidden treasure chests filled with rupees. Instead, I've got to grind for a few hours given how rupee drops from monsters, bushes, stones, and so on were pitiful.

"One hundred rupees you say..." I said whilst gritting my teeth.

"Are you having money trouble, Sunset Shimmer?"

"Um... No?"

That was embarrassing. To make it worse, Starlight saw right through me. "Ah-ha! You do have money issues! If it's money you need, I can get some for you. After all, you did give me a good time when you escorted me here. Just don't question how I'm going to be doing this. It's best if you don't ask questions."

Oh sure... That didn't sound suspicious at all! If I had any red flags, they would be waving around like crazy to warn me of her. And yet, I needed the rupees. In order to get to the next dungeon, riding on the rapids was required as I had no other way of reaching it. This was one of those moral decisions which were out of my hands. Starlight's means of procuring me rupees was questionable no doubt but right now, desperation was more important for progression. Ugh! I felt like throwing up in my mouth. Then again, she said not to worry about it, but that's what made it so worrisome.

Starlight said she planned on staying the night in the Animal Village before going back home in the morning and promised she would leave behind some money for me. I asked if I could escort her back to Mabe Village but she insisted otherwise. She said she could take care of herself without needing me around. While I had no doubt about that, I was worried that the monsters would become more violent and attack her. There was also the fact that lingered deep within the corners of my mind... No... That's something to be discussed later. Right now, I had to focus on reaching the next dungeon.

Then she asked if I wanted to go inside for the night but I politely refused. I told her I wanted to spend the night outside in order to look at the stars but in truth I wanted to stay outside and collect my thoughts. Starlight was apparently okay with it (Deep down she probably was upset) so she turned and walked off before entering a nearby house. As the sun set down for the night, Princess Twilight told me I made the right decision in staying outside given recent developments, but it was also because we needed to leave at dawn tomorrow because we had another busy day awaiting me.

Closing my eyes and slowly drifting asleep a short time later, I began to dream about Koholint Island and seeing it disappear before my eyes. I could see the people of the island vanish, their screams piercing the very heart of my soul, and I couldn't do a thing. Was this a nightmare? Was I feeling paranoid knowing the truth about the island? Sure, repressing such thoughts carried a risk as it meant having to constantly keep my emotions under control or else I'd lose control, yet it was necessary. As things continued to get worse, I tried thinking about my friends, my family, and Equestria yet none of it was working.

And that's when a voice called out to me. "How do you like your nightmare, Outsider?"

"Who's there?" I called out. The image of the island disappeared and was replaced with the hideous form of Grogar. My heart immediately stopped and my body turned cold upon seeing his presence. "You... Why are you here?"

Grogar's eyes glowed as if to instill fear. "You have become far too meddlesome, Outsider! We had hoped that the other Nightmares would've ended your existence but you have proven to be far stronger than expected. No... Our servants were completely useless."

"That makes you just as pathetic since you are responsible for their existence."

"Silence!"

"Did I strike a nerve?"

I could see Grogar seething but he refrained from acting which made me suspicious. "Perhaps you have a point. Our servants were our creations and we gave them a portion of our power which they then squandered by failing to destroy you." He sounded like he was regretful but I couldn't drop my guard. It might be some kind of deception designed to lull me into a false sense of security. "We know that you have seen that which revealed the truth of this island. Tell us, Outsider... Do you intend on continuing knowing what you know? Why not admit defeat now and not endure further pain?"

"You know what my answer is."

"Then you leave us with no choice."

"What do you intend on doing this time?"

Grogar smiled before his body started to glow. "In our previous encounter in the dream, we were too lenient with you. We chose to give you a warning believing you would give up and end your foolish quest but instead you defied us. We shall not hesitate this time! We shall make sure you never wake up again!" He then transformed into a shadowy mass before forming the shape of what looked like me. "In the darkness of the dream, we are the master! Our current form is far superior to your own and it is with it that you shall die in the dream."

I couldn't believe it! Grogar had changed into a shadow form of myself. I suddenly began reliving my memories of fighting Sunset Demon because this reminded me so much of her yet this was something else entirely. He was so desperate to kill me that he was resorting to using my own likeness to do the job. You'd think I wouldn't be afraid since I was merely in a dream but no. In truth, I was absolutely terrified. The thought of having to face an evil me was bad enough but a shadow? Unlike Sunset Demon, this shadow had all of my equipment, all of my experience, and none of my emotional baggage.

I then tried waking up in the hopes of getting out of here only to find that I couldn't. Grogar laughed and said that I was stuck here until I died and he was determined to make sure it would happen. I had to survive long enough until the sun came up as that's when his power would weaken and allow me to wake up. Princess Twilight unfortunately wasn't available to offer me guidance which meant I was on my own. Taking out my sword and shield (I was thankful that these were still here indicating that perhaps Grogar had some shred of mercy), I waited for my opponent to make the first one.

And it wasn't my best choice. The shadow me immediately used a much longer sword and was able to pierce my chest with it without even moving. I didn't bleed any blood which was a relief but I felt like a part of my life force had been drained away. I then tried moving away to give myself some more room only for the shadow to appear right behind me. It then struck me in the back with its sword which made me drop to my knees. Getting back up, I raised my shield and blocked the next attack, and would continue doing so for several more attacks before getting swept off my feet when it performed a sweeping arc with its own blade.

If this was how strong he was pretending to be me, then his true form had to be near impossible to defeat. My heart began to sink knowing that if I were to win here, I wouldn't stand a chance against the real him should I make it there. Of course, I had to win here first. Getting up again, I began running around in hopes of attacking the shadow from behind but it knew what I was planning and managed to intercept me. This was followed by it stabbing me in the chest again followed by taking out its own bow and firing several shots, each one hitting my feet and trapping me in place.

Pulling out the arrows proved time consuming and painful but I managed to get myself free only to be stabbed in the back again. "Why do you continue, Outsider?" Grogar asked, his voice sounding eerie coming from my shadow. "You have not once damaged us and yet we have damaged you many times. This shows we are superior!" He then began twisting the sword which caused me to cry out in pain. "Hearing such screams is of great pleasure but there is no need to prolong such agony."

"So you plan on killing me now?"

"Yes." Grogar answered, his eyes, my eyes, glowing ever brighter, as he pulled the sword out from my back. "We once showed you mercy but it was our mistake. You must die now otherwise you could awaken the Wind Fish and ruin our vision." He then leaned forward and I couldn't help but look over my shoulder at his, my face. "Tell us, Outsider. How does it feel knowing we are using your own likeness to kill you."

That's when an idea came to mind. "To be honest, I've been through this before."

"What!?"

I nodded as best as I could. "Once, I had become a demonic monster because of wanting something that I didn't deserve. This monster eventually became her own entity and desired to take my place and make me the person she believed I should become. Compared to you, she was way more threatening and was more serious about killing me." Grogar began seething and dropped both his sword and shield in response. "All you're doing is copying what someone had already done."

Pushing me to the ground, he then turned me over and clasped both his hands around my neck. "We are superior to anyone! We shall prove this by killing you right now! How ironic that you shall by your own hands, Outsider. You shall die here and in the waking world." He began squeezing my neck and I struggled to breathe. As I tried squirming my way out by any means necessary, his grip grew ever stronger until I almost felt faint. "We should have done this before! Our mistake has now been rectified!"

Suddenly, the Mark of the Triforce on the back of my hand began to glow. "Huh?"

The mark shone so brightly that Grogar released his grip and looked to be on fire. "What!? What is this bright light!?" He reached forward only to be pushed back by the light coming from my hand and it caused him tremendous pain. "Is this your power? We sensed that you possessed a great strength hidden within but couldn't use it in the waking world." It then dawned on him that I was in the dream. "You can use it here as the dream can make anything possible. No! This light! It burns too much! We cannot resist!"

"Will you let me wake up?"

As the shadow of myself faded away, Grogar became his true self again. "We have underestimated you again, Outsider. Should you manage to prevail against the other Nightmares, we shall be waiting for you in the heart of everything here. We shall not hold back and you shall become a forgotten memory lost for eternity."

Knowing that he had been defeated, he disappeared into the shadows leaving me to return to a more restless sleep. As I drifted back into my subconscious and dreams that didn't involve the island appeared instead, I had to consider myself incredibly lucky. The one thing which I had considered a curse because of the connection it gave me to Ganondorf had ended up saving my life. While it had done me a service this time, I wasn't about to suddenly embrace it. But then it made me think. Was Grogar afraid of the Triforce? It didn't make sense as the golden power didn't exist in this world.

Perhaps it was the light of the Triforce of Courage, my light, that ultimately drove away his darkness. Whatever it actually was, I was relieved knowing that I had once again triumphed though if not for my power, I'd have surely died. For that, I had to count my blessings in that I was just incredibly lucky.

The rest of the night passed by without incident and upon the next morning, I told Princess Twilight everything. She certainly took it the right way. "What!?" She exclaimed. "I should've been there with you when you faced off with Grogar. How could I've been denied such an important task as your fairy partner!" Okay, maybe she didn't take it the right way, but then what could she have done since we weren't using magic to share the same dream. After a moment of freaking out (At least some things hadn't truly changed), Her Highness calmed down and began to access what happened. "Be thankful that he failed."

"I'd say it was more luck than anything."

Shaking her head, Princess Twilight flew down to my right hand, grabbed it, and began to squeeze gently. "It wasn't luck that your special power just so happened to kick in right when you needed it." Did she have to call it 'special'? I'd have called it something less than desirable myself but I couldn't deny the results. "Maybe I can use the power you said was inside of me in a similar fashion." The Triforce of Wisdom was different compared to the Triforce of Courage so I doubted there would be similar effects.

I then changed the subject. "Grogar is much stronger than I thought he was."

"And he was using a shadow of you." Princess Twilight added. "Had he used his true form, I doubt you'd be speaking to me right now. I'd say you were let off with a warning though the next time is going to be the real battle." She floated back and forth which made me suspect she was about to bring up what he said about the island's nature. How could I tell? Call it a hunch and because it was her. "He knows what Koholint Island truly is but I doubt he's going to tell you."

"Yeah, I did have this feeling that he knew."

"Which is why collecting the instruments has become more important."

"You sure about that?"

Princess Twilight gave an honest shrug. "No, but considering how often you've been forced to figure things out on your own with my help naturally (I knew Her Highness was going to say something like that), all we can do is make a guess and hope that it turns out."

I then noticed the pile of rupees near where I had been sleeping. "Uh, Twilight? Are you going to explain to me where those came from?"

Looking at them herself, Her Highness blushed. "Yeah! I was just about to get to that part." I rolled my eyes. Of course she wasn't going to get to them. She'd rather focus on trying to understand what was going on while I preferred a more hands-on approach. She then continued. "Starlight woke me up about thirty minutes before you did and said this was all she could find in terms of money. I don't know what she did to acquire them and insisted on us not knowing for our own sake, but she made sure to get us one hundred rupees, the exact amount needed for the river rapids."

"Why does that bother me for some reason?"

"Like she said, it's best for us not to know."

Now I was afraid of Starlight all because she used unknown methods to get me rupees. "I suppose I should just be grateful that she went out of her to get me rupees even when I could've easy done it myself."

"You would have had you explored more thoroughly." Ouch! Her Highness wasn't wrong about that. As I got up to pocket the rupees, she went on to explain where we needed to go though it was pretty obvious in hindsight. This was one of those moments where she had to show off her brilliant intellect. "We need to go back to the Angler's Tunnel, or rather the warp tiled located nearby and head eastward until we find our goal." Then she changed the subject. "Sunset? Have you ever been on any river rapids?"

"Athletics was never my strong suit." I answered sheepishly. "I mean, I've been to such places and seen others do it but I never did it myself. Rainbow Dash loves to brag about her various accomplishments when it came to anything related to the sporting world. On a side note, Her Highness knew which Rainbow Dash I was talking about. "From what I've seen, it shouldn't be too difficult provided the river's flow isn't a problem."

"Only way to know is to go there and find out."

I then had another issue that was on my mind. "Do you think I should pay Sugar Belle a visit and get some more medicine?"

Thinking for a moment, Princess Twilight again shrugged her shoulders. "That's something you need to decide for yourself, Sunset. If you're feeling confident enough to go to the next dungeon without getting some of that medicine, then we should make our way over to the river rapids. If not, we can take a quick detour over to Sugar Belle though you will need some extra rupees as you only really have enough for one attempt at the rapids."

Just the thought of having to grind made me uneasy but I couldn't let that be the basis of my decision. "I'm going to take a risk and go to the next dungeon as is. Who knows? I could be lucky and find some magic medicine in there."

"That is a possibility, yes."

Grinding for rupees wasn't my favourite thing to do. From my previous experiences, it was often a difficult endeavor since the kinds of rupees I would find were either green or blue in colour whenever I cut down bushes, grass, or defeated monsters. On rare occasions would a red rupee appear but again, it was rare and usually the other two showed up (For the record, green was worth one, blue was worth five, and red was worth twenty) or a recovery heart, or even one of those Pieces of Power or Guardian Acorns. Such grinding would take several hours or more depending on how many rupees I required.

Taking out the ocarina, I played Manbo's Mambo and began to concentrate on the warp tile that was located near where the Angler's Tunnel was. I was then whisked off where Iarrived at my destination moments later only to raise my shield against a Red Tektite that happened to be right next to me (I hated when video games did stuff like that). It bounced off my shield and I proceeded to defeat it and it dropped a Guardian Acorn. These were pretty pointless since I had the blue tunic on (Something else I kept on forgetting I had) but I picked it up as why let such an item be wasted by not collecting it.

Heading to the right and avoiding a Like-Like, I then discovered why I couldn't progress any further. The way forward was separated by the river and I couldn't simply swim across due to being high up compared with the water. Fortunately, there was a way across in the form of a boulder on my side and one on the other. Yeah... It was pretty obvious as to what needed to be done next. Before doing anything, I did notice a cave entrance that could only be accessed by swimming though I had no idea how to get over there. Oh well. If there was something of value in there, I wasn't going to be getting it any time soon.

Taking out the Hookshot, I fired it across the water connecting with the boulder on the other side and was pulled across. As soon as I got to the other side, I was attacked by a few Like-Likes and Octoroks which made me wonder how anyone who wasn't experienced with swordplay could make it through to the river rapids. Two Tektites were to the south so I ignored them, but I did use the Hookshot on the other one and it was stunned. Striking it several times until it was defeated and it dropped a blue rupee which I picked up, I then went after the two Octoroks.

Using their own rocks against them by using my shield to bounce them back, I defeated both and earned two more green rupees. I was just about to head to the other side of the building that was located nearby only for Princess Twilight stopped me. "Sunset... Why not see where those stairs go."

"What stairs?"

Her Highness pointed at a set of stairs that were to my right and I blushed in response. "It's okay, Sunset. You were caught in the heat of the moment. Anyway, there's nothing wrong with taking a slight detour so long as you don't get in over your head."

Nodding, I walked down the stairs and entered a tunnel that was partially flooded. "I can see a Piece of Heart nearby..." And that's when my smile dropped. "...And I can't reach it from down here." It was located on a higher platform with no means of reaching it.

Flying around to scope the situation, Princess Twilight shook her head. "You're right about being unable to reach it. In fact, you need to approach this area from the other side and then use the Hookshot. Since part of this tunnel is flooded, you might need to check out the area when we're done with the river rapids. For now, I can make a note of what you discovered here in case you want to come back later."

"Why can't I jump in this world?"

"Can't you?"

"No!" I shouted, my foot stomping on the ground in frustration. "I mean, I can jump like I normally could but not to reach that Piece of Heart." I showed Her Highness what I meant by trying to jump up and grab the ledge in order to pull myself up. My jump was then suddenly blocked by an unseen force which pushed me back down and leaving me dejected. "Normally in these games, you can't jump so my own natural jump just got denied."

"What about using the Roc's Feather?"

"I suppose I could give it a shot." Taking out the Roc's Feather and holding it firmly, I jumped up in hopes of grabbing the ledge. Again, the unseen force pushed me down which prompted me to try several more times before giving up. "Not even this thing works. Now do you see, Twilight? Ugh! Sometimes, I really hate these stupid video game physics!"

"How strange."

"No... Just aggravating." Grumbling, I went back up the stairs to the outside world. Fortunately, none of the monsters were nearby so I was free to proceed. Unfortunately, the effects of the Guardian Acorn had worn off but it wasn't a total loss. Heading around the corner, I encountered a fence which prevented anyone from entering the river rapids, but more importantly, I could see that the current was pretty strong. Only a professional could make it through that relatively unscathed. I turned to Princess Twilight. "Well... Here we are."

"This is truly fascinating."

"Only you would think so."

Sticking her tongue out, Her Highness took a closer look at the flowing river. "If it's this strong here, you can imagine how much stronger it will be once you get to the rapids proper as this is clearly the starting point. You should see if the proprietor is at home."

Walking up to the building, I saw a sign to the left of the door. "Let's see, it says 'Do you want to challenge the river rapids on a raft? Proceed to the office at once, please. No records set yet. Give it a try!' Quite the choice of words aimed at those looking for excitement in their lives."

"You'd be surprised as to how many people on the island have a hidden wild side in them." A familiar voice then spoke out. I looked in the direction of the door and standing there wearing rather casual looking attire was Sonata Dusk. I was wondering as to where the last member of the Dazzlings had gotten to and it was apparently right here. "They won't admit that they're thrill seekers because it'd mean having to give up on their common villager routine."

"Then how come you don't have any customers."

"I blame the monsters." I was certain Sonata was going to blow a fuse as I sounded like I was insulting her business strategy but she was clearly in too much of a good mood. "You must be Sunset Shimmer."

"How do you know my name?"

"The shopkeeper of Mabe Village sent me a message saying to look out for a girl dressed in green." Sonata then showed off a letter which she had been holding in her hand before putting it into one of her shirt pockets. "She and I go back a long ways which is why she let me know to expect you. Now that I'm getting a good look at you... You definitely look like someone who the rapids were just made for."

I'm not surprised that Aria would send a message about me. Back in the world that I now called home, the Dazzlings were a pretty tight trio though they often got at each other's throat due to clashing personalities. Adagio was the dominant leader who expected her sisters to fall in line and do whatever she said. Aria was the one who didn't say much and often was sarcastic towards pretty much everyone else. And then there was Sonata. She was perhaps the least threatening (Yet still acted antagonistic), but was also the most oblivious because of how she acted like a complete air-head.

I supposed it was that last trait which made her feel the most endearing of the Dazzlings, but her problem was the company that she kept. Had she never interacted with the other two, she could've become a valued friend. Perhaps in another world this would've happened. Speaking of which, I did have to commend Adagio and Aria for getting used to living as humans and not having magic to consume. They probably hated it deep down and yearned to go home to Equestria, but they wouldn't exactly be given warm welcomes. After all, they did leave behind quite the legacy.

Anyway, I began to inquire about the river rapids. "So how does this work?"

"What kind of question is that?"

Sonata was looking at me as if I never went on any river rapids, and she'd be right about that, but I needed to sound like I wasn't a utter dork. "Where I come from, we don't have the kind of thing you're offering here."

"No way!" Slapping both sides of her face in shock, the impact making a sound so loud that it echoed throughout the area, I could've sworn that even the monsters heard what she did and promptly did nothing about it. "You poor thing!" Shaking her head back and forth as though she were possessed, Sonata quickly snapped out of it and grabbed my hand. "Then you'd better come inside and I'll see what I can do."

Before I even had a chance to respond, she pulled me into her place of business (Had she pulled me any harder my arm would've ripped out of the socket) whereupon I was in awe at the amount of clutter there was. I was surprised there was enough room for a bed (There was one near the back) as much of the space had been dedicated to barrels containing who knew what, a container for paddles, various nick-knacks on the back wall, a box containing strange fruit, and her counter which had a plate with several fish on it. I'd seen some strange interiors on this journey yet this one definitely stood out as a true mess.

"You didn't need to drag me in here." I said as I freed my arm from her grip.

Racing to the back of her counter, Sonata, head in her hands, leaned forward and pressed her elbows down on the counter's wooden surface. "Sorry for doing that but I was in complete despair when you said you'd never been on a water rapids excursion." She then looked around and blushed before coughing. She knew that I was judging the condition of her business (More like her residence) within my mind. "Sorry about the mess but then I've been busy getting prepared for the on-coming customer rush." Her smile meant she had no customers so I decided to be blunt about it.

"We already determined that you have no customers."

"You're right." Sonata's smiled faded away momentarily before coming back when she realized that I was there. "Guess you'll have to do. Now then, let me give you some rules on how this is going to work. First, it's going to cost you one hundred rupees so please pay up before I continue." I handed over the rupees that Starlight got for me and she pocketed them. "That will get me some good food later on." I rolled my eyes in response to that. "Anyway, you should know that you won't be going out there on your own. I'm going to be the one who pilots the raft down those rapids."

"I heard that you provided that service."

"If I didn't then I'd be stuck here doing nothing all day."

"At least by coming along, you get to enjoy the ride."

"Now you're talking!" Sonata said as she winked. "Okay, the third thing you need to know. There are two ways to ride the rapids. If you go with the 'Rapids Raid', your objective is to pick up as many items as you can. If you're feeling more adventurous or perhaps speedy, there's the 'Rapids Race' where you try to get to the end as fast as you can. So... Which course do you want to try?"

I didn't need to take long to make a decision. "I'm going to take the Rapids Raid."

"Somehow, I knew you would."

"Was it that obvious?"

"You've got a sword, a shield, and plenty of other stuff on your person." Sonata answered. "So yeah, I knew you wanted to collect items. Okay, let me get the raft prepared for you and we'll be on our way. Just give me about two or three minutes and then I'll holler for you."

As she left in order to prepare the raft, I turned to Princess Twilight who had been observing the entire time. "What did you make of all that?"

"Sonata is definitely pleasant in this world and what we heard about her being eccentric are true." Princess Twilight answered. "Granted, her home could stand some major improvement though if Rarity were here, she'd demand a complete makeover. Anyway, we should be grateful that she's going to be guiding us down the river rather than you attempting to do it on your own."

"Do you think there are any monsters waiting for us?"

"If there are, you'll be able to handle them though your movement will be limited."

A few moments later, Sonata called out for me to come outside and get on board the raft. Princess Twilight and I nodded at each other before I stepped outside and was surprised at seeing what the raft looked like. I mean, I wasn't expecting anything fancy given this was a small business but I had hoped for something adequate enough size-wise. Sonata explained that her raft had been through so much over the course of twenty years that she never bothered getting it replaced due to feeling nostalgic. Now that's what I called dedication if not absurd as most in her position would've had such a thing replaced much sooner.

Stepping onto the raft, it began swaying back and forth which made me feel uneasy, but Sonata said that I would quickly get used to it. She then said that it would take about thirty minutes to reach our destination at the bottom. When I asked why it was going to take so long, she replied that there were points of interest where I'd want to stop and perhaps investigate. She then said that I needed to jump in order to collect the items that were scattered along the course. I pressed her for more information but she refused and said I had to find out on my own otherwise it wouldn't be fun.

Closing the gate and then using a pole to push us away from the shore, Sonata began to row us along the river with quite the strength behind her. At first, nothing bad was happening and I could take in the beautiful scenery... But then things quickly changed upon seeing the water's speed. There were two paths we could take down the rapids and I could barely see some objects floating above which were likely the items. She asked me to choose which direction to take and make it quickly so I chose the second path. She then said that to collect any items required me to jump and to hold on tight as things would get rough quickly.

Knowing that I needed the Roc's Feather, I took it out and held onto it tightly as Sonata rowed down to the second path before the raft was pulled by the rapids. I then immediately jumped to collect a rupee icon which was floating nearby though I had no idea how much it was worth. I hoped she would provide me a value or perhaps Princess Twilight could keep track of that for me instead. In the mean time, I could see some strange plants growing from the water which made me think they were obstacles. Her Highness quickly took a closer look and said I could latch onto them using the Hookshot if need be.

I then saw a Piece of Heart on a nearby bit of land and I was determined to get it. Taking out the Hookshot and firing the chain, I latched onto the strange plant in front of the raft and pulled it in that direction. Sonata was definitely impressed with my action. "Whoa! I never would've thought of using that little doohickey of yours. It makes me wonder what other surprises you have on you."

"That was nothing." I said making sure not to brag.

"Thanks to that stunt, we're taking a slightly different route." Sonata then noticed the Piece of Heart and smiled. "Okay, so that's why you wanted to come this way. It doesn't matter which way we go so long as you enjoy the experience. And before you ask, I can stop for you if you want to pick up that large heart up ahead."

As the raft continued down the river, I jumped to collect the bomb, arrow, and magic powder icons respectively (Each one was worth ten) before it turned to the left and Sonata stopped at some steps and used her pole to keep the raft in position. "Just give me a moment to pick this up." I walked up to the Piece of Piece and felt the familiar warmth that occurred whenever I picked one up. I had no idea how much health I had but with this, I could survive future ordeals a bit more easily. "Okay, we can continue on." I said as I returned to the raft prompting Sonata to push us forward.

"How do you like the river rapids?" she asked.

"I'm enjoying it so far."

"That's what I want to hear."

Another bit of land was coming up which had a treasure chest and one of those weird owl statues next to it. I asked Sonata to move the raft to the left and she complied knowing what I was about to do. Using the Hookshot on another plant by the stairs, I latched on to it and pulled the raft up to the stairs where I got off and walked up to the chest. It contained twenty rupees which wasn't bad though I was hoping for a bigger pay out but it was a better than nothing. "Twilight? Do you know how much that rupee icon was worth?"

"I made a calculation placing it at twenty rupees." Princess Twilight answered.

"Wow. This place could make for a good rupee grinding spot."

"Not really, Sunset, as you have to pay one hundred rupees to try."

"Yeah... I guess you're right."

"There's no such thing as a free path through life."

As much as I wanted an easier way to grind for rupees without doing much in the way of effort, Princess Twilight was right in that there was no easy solution. Everything had to be done legitimately even if it pained you in the process. Oh well. I just had to hope that I could find more treasure chests that had rupees. Walking up to the weird owl statue, I watched as its eyes glowed whilst sharing whatever wisdom it had to offer. 'YOU ARE FAR FROM ANY SECRETS!' Wow... Not exactly what I called wisdom. Far from it. It acted more like an insult designed to weaken my resolve.

Cursing the statue under my breath, I got back on to the raft and Sonata used her pole to get us moving again. More icons of bombs, magic powder, and arrows were up ahead but I ignored them in favour of grabbing the rupee icons as those were more useful to me. Unfortunately, there were some that were on a different path so collecting them was unlikely so I focused on what I could get. Sonata suggested that I could've reached them by using some fancy maneuvers with the Hookshot but I said nothing which told her that I didn't have skills like that.

The raft was then pulled to the right and the next section of the rapids were upon us. Now we were going back the way we came though it involved weaving past some of the strange plants which were positioned awkwardly in an effort to slow us down. I then noticed another piece of land yet nothing was on it. I called out to Sonata who knew what I wanted and tried steering towards it only for the current to pull us forward. Using the Hookshot to pull the raft forward to a plant, I jumped to collect a rupee icon before using it again in hopes of realigning ourselves correctly.

It took some doing but she was able to get us to the stairs where I got off once again. "Okay, what's with this area?"

Princess Twilight took a closer look but couldn't see anything. "There has to be something here otherwise why have it here to begin with? Hmmm... Maybe you can use one of your items in order to find something."

Her words clicked and I immediately took out my shovel. "I haven't used this thing in forever!"

"Clever to think of using it to dig up something you can't normally see."

I smiled as I dug a hole and up came a Secret Seashell. "Hey! This is another one of those shells that Adagio wanted me to find. Say, Twilight. Do you know how many of these I've collected now?" In truth, my memory had been getting hazy regarding these seashells since they didn't come up all that often."

"I'm not sure on the exact amount either but I believe you have gotten at least ten."

"So what does that mean?"

"The next time you're in the area, you should pay a visit to the Seashell Mansion." Princess Twilight answered. "You can either go there before going to the dungeon or afterwards, whichever option is more within your time frame. Besides, I think Adagio is a better person to give you the correct answer with regards to how many seashells you currently have. Either way, you should pocket that seashell so as to not lose it." Her Highness then noticed another treasure chest located at the opposite end of the rapids. "I see a chest over there, Sunset!"

"Where?" I asked with Her Highness pointing at it. "I can barely see it but I'll take your word for it. Let's hope Sonata can get us over there." Pocketing the seashell and heading back to the raft, Sonata once again cast us off and we were heading in the direction of the chest. Convenient? Yes but whether I could reach it was another story. Upon reaching the next piece of land which housed the chest, I was saddened to see that there was no way of accessing it. I could see some stairs which made me think. Did I have to reach it from that tunnel Her Highness told me about before? No... That couldn't be right as I couldn't see any other path down there.

Once again, it looked like I had to wait until later before I could get it so I asked Princess Twilight to make a note of it which she did. The raft was then forced to go left and down the side of the wall where several rupee icons were floating up ahead. Asking Sonata to maintain course, she nodded and kept close to the wall to prevent us from being taken in a different direction and away from the money. Once the raft got close enough, I jumped up and grabbed all of the icons (I got eighty rupees in one go) and Sonata smiled knowing that I was truly enjoying the experience.

Now we were in the final section where rupee icons were the name of the game. I jumped up and grabbed as many as possible though some were placed in stupid locations which couldn't be reached (Not even Sonata was capable of performing extreme maneuvers on such turbulent waters) but at least I got some. I could've used the Hookshot to get a better chance at getting those extra rupees but I felt like I had gotten enough. As the raft turned to the right, it suddenly dropped down until it splashed into the water below where the current was much calmer.

Then Sonata called out. "We've reached the end of the Rapids Raid!"

"We did?" I asked.

"Yep and you handled yourself pretty well."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Remember when I said that people here have a hidden wild side?" Sonata asked. I nodded and she slapped the left side of her side whilst chuckling. "Turns out that they can't handle the intense speed of the rapids. Guess they didn't take that into account when they came up this way." My jaw dropped in response to what she just said but I wasn't about to chew her out over it. In truth, I really enjoyed the experience. She then continued on. "Not only did you get plenty of rupees, you also got some prizes I didn't even know were there. It just goes to show that I'm still discovering something new."

"So what will you do now?"

Before answering, Sonata gently pushed me off of the raft (I wasn't going to complain as I knew the ride was over and she needed it) and then picked it up which again demonstrated just how strong she was. "I've got to head back to my place and wait until someone else comes along or you decide to try again."

"I've got to go again?" I asked in a confused manner."

"No." Sonata answered shaking her head. "You don't have to do it if you don't want to. Besides, I know that you can't because you look as though you've got some serious business to take care of. After all, someone who has all those nifty toys must be on an important quest." She then looked off in the distance which made me do the same though I couldn't see what had gotten her interest. "If you go west from here, you'll find a weird keyhole that I discovered during one of my first river rapid excursions. I don't know what it does but maybe you can make some use of it."

"I'll be sure to check it out."

"If you do want to try the rapids again, just go through this tunnel and you'll be back at my place in no time." Sonata then shook my heads so rapidly that I was afraid she was going to make them fall off. "Thanks again for taking part in the Rapids Raid! Goodbye now!" With that, she walked off into the tunnel, her raft on her back, and was soon out of sight leaving me and Princess Twilight on our own.

"At least we now know how to get that Piece of Heart." Princess Twilight said as she pointed at the tunnel Sonata had just entered. "You can go and pick it up whenever you want or would you prefer to check out that keyhole she mentioned before she left?"

I took out the Face Key and looked in the direction Sonata had done moments ago. "On the plus side, Twilight, we won't have to search too hard for the keyhole this Face Key needs to be inserted into thanks to Sonata."

"You just need to look for an unusual keyhole."

"By the way, do you know many rupees I ended up getting on the rapids?"

Princess Twilight did a quick count on her fingers before coming up with an answer. "You collected about nine of those rupee icons from what I saw. Since each one was worth twenty, you earned about 180 rupees in total. You ended up getting a profit of eighty since it cost one hundred to go on the rapids. In terms of grinding for rupees, you did a pretty good job but know that going through the rapids again will likely net you the same amount."

I sighed. "Well... It's better than getting nothing." I then thought about what Starlight had done for me. "I wished I could've gotten the rupees I used to pay for the rapids ride rather than having Starlight get them for me through who-knows-what method she used."

"There are some things that are just beyond your ability to control." Princess Twilight then changed the subject. "So have you decided?"

"I'll get the Piece of Heart first."

"This will be your third one in the span of roughly twelve hours, Sunset."

"I'm on a roll!"

"That or you just happened to find them on account of them being not well hidden."

Hey! If they are easy enough to find then that suits me just fine! Some things should be easy to find even when you're not going out of your way to look for them. Entering the tunnel and seeing the flooded section again, I had to wonder just how Sonata got across whilst carrying that raft around on her back. Oh well. I guessed some things just aren't meant to be known because finding out would probably be something utterly absurd. Jumping into a deeper section of water and briefly swimming across before getting out at the other end, I kept on walking until I came upon that which had prevented me from getting the Piece of Heart before.

This time, I was on the correct side and could see what Princess Twilight meant about using the Hookshot. There were three boulders, one to the right by the Piece of Heart, one directly in front of me, and one to my right which looked out of place though I knew what it was for. Looking over what I had to do, I took it out again and pulled myself across after firing the chain at the first boulder. I fired it again to cross the large gap and picked up the Piece of Heart where I once again felt the familiar warmth which I had long since come to love. I didn't want such a sensation to end but there were more important things to do.

Upon its effects on me wearing off, I turned around and went back across the gap with the Hookshot before doing the same thing to get back to where I was before. Had that third boulder not been there, I'd have had to go through the river rapids again (Not to mention paying one hundred rupees which I had only just gotten) though Sonata wouldn't been too upset since she viewed me as her best customer ever (Or at least that was the implication). Walking back through the flooded section of the tunnel, I was soon back outside and that was when I discovered where the rapids had ended up taking me.

I was on the other side of the river where the path to the southern shrine was located and I could see that there was no way I could've gotten to this side without the use of the rapids. Good thing I actually enjoyed going down them so this revelation didn't bother me in the least. Jumping into the water where my flippers activated upon impact (I loved that this was an automatic feature rather than me switching to them every single time), I began swimming around to see where I needed to go next. A Zirro made things more difficult as it was dropping bombs but I managed to swim away before things got really hectic.

Princess Twilight then directed me over to the small island where the two statues were located and it wasn't long before I swam around and stepped onto said island only to discover that the two statues were in fact Armos statues. Making sure not to touch either one, I examined both statues carefully and saw what looked to be stairs hiding underneath one of them. That was just great as now I had no choice but to awaken it! Raising my shield and touching it, it awoke where it began bouncing off of my shield in its bid to get me but to no avail as a combination of my defence and the island being so narrow protected me from harm.

After bouncing off my shield after the twentieth time, I was beginning to get angry as I wasn't getting anywhere. My sword was useless as all it did was leave it stunned and I couldn't just pick it up and toss it into the water. That's when it hit me! The Armos Knight was vulnerable to arrows yet it was an Armos by name. Moving to the other side of the island whilst not touching the other statue (I didn't want to be pinned down on both sides), it eventually got bored and became a statue upon moving back to its original position. I then took out my bow and prepared an arrow before moving forward.

That's when I tapped the Armos with my foot to make it come alive and I promptly fired the arrow. It struck it in the eye destroying it one shot and I felt relieved. "Whew! I just should've used an arrow sooner!"

"At least you figured out that arrows are one of its two weaknesses."

"Wait, what?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "Upon a closer examination of the Armos of Koholint Island, they are immune to every weapon type except for arrows and a special item which I'm not quite sure what it is yet. Apparently, there are some things I'm not allowed to know about until you've discovered them on your own. In any case, be thankful that you spent so many rupees on purchasing that bow otherwise you'd have been completely stuck."

"Do you think I'll find this mystery item of yours?"

"If you dedicate some time to looking around for it or someone gives you a hint."

There always had to be a catch. Then again, it's what provided a challenge for those seeking it. Heading down into the now accessible stairway, I entered yet another tunnel that had a small pool near where the stairs ended, and within the water were two fish though something about them felt wrong. "Have I encountered fish like these before?"

"If you have then I haven't been able to provide you with some advice or it's been so long that I forgot about them." Princess Twilight blushed a little whilst scratching her head though I hadn't really noticed due to being concerned about what was in front of me. "These are simply called Piranha and yes, I'm referring to the fish and not the plants. Normally, they are native to the Goponga Swamp but can show up in other places like caves. They won't attack you until you get close enough but they move very quickly so you need to react in kind or else you'll get bitten."

"Anything will work against them, right?"

"Pretty much though they are invincible when they are swimming about underwater."

Moving towards the water, I began swinging my sword repeatedly until the Piranha would take notice and attack. Sure enough, they did and I defeated both with one strike though I felt bad that they didn't see what was so obvious. I guessed some monsters lacked intelligence and instead relied on pure instinct. Jumping into the water, swimming across briefly, and then getting back out again, I approached a large abyss that looked incredibly daunting, but the boulders on either side indicated how I was to proceed. Had I somehow managed to find a way to get here sooner without the rapids, I'd have been stuck and forced to go back.

Taking out the Hookshot, I fired at the boulder on the other side of the abyss and pulled myself across. Then out of a sense of curiosity, I looked down into the abyss before quickly looking away. Just the thought of falling for eternity made me shiver. I walked up some nearby steps and was back outside in the same area though now in a different location. Looking around, I saw another set of stairs so I walked up and found a dead end aside from two Armos statues. Nudging one of them, it didn't move so I tried with the one which resulted in the same thing.

"Okay... I'm completely lost here." I said as I scratched my head.

"There has to be something you missed, Sunset."

I nodded. "You're right. Sonata said there was a keyhole somewhere around here but I don't see it."

Her Highness then noticed something on a lower ledge and began to bop me on the head. "Hey! I think I've just found it!" I then looked at what she had seen and sure enough, propped up against a wall was a keyhole inside of what appeared to be some kind of face. "You know what you need to do."

I went back down the stairs and around the corner before coming face-to-face (No pun intended there) with the keyhole in question. No wonder Sonata was able to see this thing. I mean, it stood out like a sore thumb but I supposed only the adventuring type would notice. Taking out the Face Key, I inserted it into the keyhole, turned it, and then pulled it back out and the keyhole disappeared. After waiting for a couple of seconds, everything began to rumble like there was an earthquake and a large building suddenly rose up from the ground where those two Armos were.

"That must be the next dungeon!" I exclaimed. "Though it doesn't quite look like a shrine."

"You won't know until we go inside."

"Guess that means it's time to deal with the usual."

Princess Twilight nodded. "After six dungeons already under your belt, you shouldn't be worried about what the seventh one will be like."

Walking back to where the two Armos were, I breathed slowly before walking into the newly revealed building. Inside, the décor had a clear pink tinge to it what with the walls having a pink like colour, but what I didn't like were the statues resembling giant heads. A voice in my head then told me that this was 'Level 6 - Face Shrine'. I then began to shiver which caught the attention of Her Highness. "Brrr... I suddenly feel cold."

"How can you be cold?" Princess Twilight asked. "We haven't seen any winter-like areas on this island."

"No, it's not like that."

"Then what is it?"

"I can't explain it, Twilight, but I feel like I'm being watched by something." Her Highness then looked at me with a skeptical look and I couldn't blame her. After all, we had only just entered and already there was a problem. "This place is giving me the creeps and it's not just those statues in front of us."

Then Her Highness started to shiver. "Okay, now I'm feeling the same thing. I guess me being a fairy means I react to certain stimulants before or after a human does depending on what that stimulant is." Good thing I knew what a stimulant was otherwise I'd have looked like an idiot. "Whatever is watching us, we need to ignore it and focus on getting through this dungeon and finding the sixth instrument."

Agreeing, I began to look around and saw that there were two ways to go. "Should I go left or right?"

"It's up to you."

Thinking it over for a moment, I opted to go to the right so I walked in that direction and entered the next room which contained some interesting things. "There are statues moving about on that moving floor." I moved in for a closer look only to quickly step back upon almost getting sliced by a Blade Trap. "Whoa! I didn't see that coming."

"Those statues look a lot like elephants."

"I'm surprised you know what they are."

"I'll have you know that I've seen them before." Princess Twilight said, feeling offended by my words. "Elephants do exist in Equestria alongside most other animals though the former are seldom seen. In fact, Fluttershy, the pony version, has one at her animal sanctuary which I've seen on a few occasions. What I don't understand is why these statues bear a resemblance to one."

"Now that I can answer." I said. "In some cultures in the world I call home, elephants are sacred and are at times depicted in statues and other works of art. I'm not sure what the significance is here but something tells me that I can pick them up using a little bit of strength." I then walked up to the edge of the moving floor making sure to watch the Blade Trap in case it moved forward, and when a statue came past, I grabbed and tried to lift it up only to fail in spectacular fashion. "What the!?" I then waited for another opportunity and when it came, the same result happened. "What's going on here!?"

"It looks like you don't have the strength to pick those statues up."

I then flashed the Power Bracelet that was still on my wrist. "But I've been using this bracelet without any issues until now!"

"Maybe you need a more powerful Power Bracelet in order to lift up really heavy objects?" Princess Twilight said. "If one exists in this dungeon, you need to find it as soon as possible."

"You think the key to this dungeon is more strength?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "We won't know for certain until you encounter some more of these elephant statues and that they happen to be blocking something important. For now, you just need to continue exploring until you find a new bracelet."

On the one hand, getting a better Power Bracelet would mean getting more strength in my arms than ever before. On the other, I was upset that I was facing an obstacle that I once again couldn't handle straight away. Using the elephant statues as a barrier, I moved across the moving floor and almost got clipped by one of the Blade Traps, and entered the next room. There were some strange tiles on the floor which looked out of place and the door to my left had locked upon me entering.

Suddenly, I got hit in the shoulder by something. Wincing in pain, I looked around to see what hit me but there was nothing. As I stood there scratching my head, I got hit in the chest by another object which made me wonder what was going on. Princess Twilight then warned me about a third object but I didn't react quick enough and got hit. The damage was minimal at best but it was the principle of the thing. That's when I noticed what had been hitting me. The strange floor tiles had been flinging themselves at me. Raising my shield and standing in one place, I watched as each tile slammed into the shield, breaking upon impact every time.

When the last tile had flung itself at me and broke upon hitting my shield, the door unlocked and I moved on to the next room. In this new room, there was a locked door to the north and without a small key, I wasn't going that way for some time. To the right was a panel with a pot symbol which acted like a door if I remembered correctly. The only other things were a pair of elephant statues (It made sense to call them this) which meant I couldn't go any further. I tried lifting up a statue since neither was on a moving platform, and like before, I couldn't budge them an inch.

I could've used Manbo's Mambo to go back to the start of the dungeon but I decided that would just be me being lazy. Instead, I decided to go back the way I came. Heading back to the previous room with the tiles which had since returned, I quickly moved onward before any could attack. Then in the room with the moving floor, I once again used the elephant statues as shields to avoid getting sliced up by the Blade Traps. After all of that, I was back at the entrance. So far, I felt confident about how this dungeon would play out yet something at the back of my mind was telling me that things were about to get worse.

Heading left into the room in that direction, another door then locked to my right. "You know, I'm getting tired of that happening."

"It's usually done to prevent you from progressing too quickly."

I sighed. "I know, I know."

"Since I can see no puzzle that needs to be solved, you need to defeat some monsters to open that door." Princess Twilight then pointed at another path which was open. "Or you could ignore this door and keep on going. It depends on how strong of a curiosity you have."

As soon I took a step forward, three green hats materialized from the ground. Leaning forward to get a closer look, the hats popped up to reveal magicians who then all fired some kind of magic before disappearing again. "These are new enemies."

Princess Twilight nodded. "They are Wizzrobes, known for being masters of movement."

Hearing that name brought back a memory from my previous adventure. "Twilight... You don't mean the old-man looking Wizzrobes from the previous adventure do you? Those guys were creepy and their laughter was chilling. I thought I'd never have to see anything that hideous ever again!"

"Though both monsters share the same name, these ones are different." Princess Twilight answered. "As you've just seen, they appear out of nowhere then use some of their magic before disappearing only to reappear somewhere else ad infinitum. Your sword can only stun them so don't expect it to be the final solution. When they are stunned, you can either get away or use one of your other items. I'm not sure what can work so it'll come down to experimentation."

"How much damage do they do?"

"With your blue tunic, they won't inflict much damage, but they do attack aggressively so it will add up."

"I was afraid of that."

While I was glad that these Wizzrobes weren't creepy (They actually looked cute despite their faces consisting of just two eyes in darkness) the fact that they could attack from anywhere and with such aggression made them more problematic than any other monster I had fought previously. I hated when one monster gave me more headaches than any other. Why couldn't there be any consistency? Was I afraid to fight them? Not really. It's just that Princess Twilight made them sound extremely dangerous and since I didn't have medicine, they could kill me really quickly.

To Be Continued.

Chapter 22: More Power!

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.
By Ganondorf8.
February 14, 2021.
Chapter 22: More Power!

As the three Wizzrobes began appearing and disappearing whilst using their magic in-between, I began to think about a way to defeat them. Princess Twilight had already stated that my sword only stunned them and they were immune to most of my items so that left me with few options. Had they noticed me, I'd have retreated back to the previous room but for the moment, I could maintain my position without fear of suddenly getting surrounded on all sides. From my initial observations, whenever they reappeared, it was always in the same place as when they disappeared.

Not only that but they only fired their magic directly in front of them. They couldn't unleash it in say, for example, all around them, and only one blast at a time instead of firing multiple bursts of magic. Huh... The more I thought about it, the more it dawned on me that they weren't as bad as I thought they were. It was Her Highness' words that left me feeling they were going to be too much for me and making me feel helpless. Granted, I couldn't underestimate them given they had appeared now in this stage of the journey. Usually, games loved saving the more powerful monsters until much later in order to increase the difficulty.

In hindsight, I could've just ignored them and go straight for the open door, but I wanted to know what was behind the locked door that would only open upon their defeat. I also had a feeling that whatever was behind that door would involve progress so ignoring it wasn't an option. Princess Twilight then offered me a suggestion of using a Spin Attack in order to stun all three Wizzrobes at the same time and follow up with an item. Spin Attack!? Had I completely forgotten that I had it? I did... Didn't I? All that time, being swamped by so many monsters, I could've made things so much easier. In my mind, I felt like a complete idiot.

With that knowledge in hand (I couldn't believe I forgot about it), I began to think about what item I could use. Anything magic related was obviously out and I doubted they were going to stick around for me to use a bomb or even the Hookshot. The Pegasus Boots merely aided my sword so that was out too leaving only the bow as my option. Wow... After complaining so much about how much it cost, it continued to prove its worth in more ways than one. I just needed a moment to get an arrow ready seeing as I only had a limited supply.

Choosing to move forward with bow in hand after taking it out, the Wizzrobes disappeared only to reappear and surround me. I had no time to use my shield to defend myself and was quickly hit by magic from each one. If not for the blue tunic I was wearing, I'd say the damage would've been a lot worse. My skills with switching between items on the fly was pretty bad and obviously on full display here but I couldn't let that be an issue. When they next appeared, I fired arrows without taking my ammunition into consideration. Yeah, definitely not a good idea to fire discriminately in hopes of hitting a target.

My arrow volley surprising defeated two of them leaving the remaining one on its own. I'd have thought that it would've retreated upon seeing the defeat of the other two but I supposed fleeing was viewed as an act of cowardice unbecoming of a monster. After disappearing and reappearing in the same place (This aspect of their attack pattern was going to pay off very much later on), it fired magic which did hit me and I responded by firing an arrow which wasn't enough. I then waited for it to repeat its vanishing act before firing another arrow which defeated it.

Upon the defeat of the third Wizzrobe, the locked door opened and I breathed a sigh of relief. "That went better than expected!"

"You did it, Sunset!" Princess Twilight exclaimed happily.

"Don't celebrate too soon." I said as I waved my hand. "Those Wizzrobes were regular monsters which means they'll respawn like most of the other ones do. I'll probably have to fight some more later so this isn't so much a victory as it is a temporary reprieve."

That made Her Highness feel a bit dejected. "But you should feel proud that you defeated some stronger regular monsters."

"It makes me wonder what the Nightmare is this time."

"You won't know until you get to it."

Entering the now unlocked door, I encountered a treasure chest, and upon opening it, I took out a purple rupee. "That's fifty more rupees for whatever I have to save up for next." I then noticed another elephant statue next to the chest and I sighed. "Yeah... I had a feeling that the door would lead me to a place of progression." On the other side of the chest was another doorway but I wasn't going there any time soon without more strength in my arms.

"You really need to get your hands on that stronger Power Bracelet."

"Twilight? Could you make a note of this room for later?"

"Of course." Princess Twilight answered as she nodded. "I'll be sure to do so once you find the Dungeon Map. In the meantime, the only direction you can go right now is back to the previous room and then through that door you could've taken right off the bat."

Heading back into the previous room, the three Wizzrobes didn't re-spawn and that was because I had only just defeated them. They were more likely to come back once I had progressed a bit further in order to hinder me. Walking through the other door, I encountered a Spark and a Mini-Moldorm though there wasn't much space. Ignoring the Spark and taking out the Roc's Feather on a whim, I jumped over the Mini-Moldorm (It wasn't guarding anything so defeating it was merely for pride and maybe a heart or rupee) and continued on before stopping at a wall with the only possible path being to my left.

In the next room was another elephant statue along with a Crystal Switch. "I haven't seen one of those for a while."

Princess Twilight quickly observed the floor and pointed out what she saw by bopping me on the head. "Look there, Sunset. These four orange tiles will rise up when you hit that switch so you might accidentally block yourself from progressing. Then again, this might end up happening later as I'm sure there are other switches like this one throughout the dungeon. I feel there's going to be a lot more backtracking needed."

"More than what there already is?" I asked. Her Highness nodded slowly and I lowered my head. "I really hate backtracking! But... I guess this is routine by now with it becoming worse the further you go." There was also a Shy Guy in the room and if I remembered them from before, they loved to mimic my movements and could only be attacked from behind as their faces acted like shields. Maneuvering myself carefully and holding my sword out to charge it up (I intended on using the Spin Attack way more often now), the Shy Guy eventually had its back against mine and I unleashed the spin which defeated it.

"That didn't accomplishment much, Sunset."

"No, but it gives me some breathing room." I then noticed another panel with a pot symbol on it covering up a door and I sighed. "I really need that Power Bracelet!" I felt frustrated being unable to progress because of requiring something which was likely well hidden.

"I know how you feel but you need to remain calm."

"Yeah, you're right."

"For now, you just have to keep on going from room to room until you find what you need." Princess Twilight then flopped down on hat. "I know it's stressful not having what you need to accomplish something but getting worked up over it will only add unnecessary stress. Believe me, I do that all the time and I'm supposed to be the ruler of Equestria."

Is it no wonder that Her Highness is one of my closet friends? If not for her, I'd have winded up going down a path of self-destruction. She was right about me needing to keep my cool. Since both paths that were accessible were going in the same direction, I picked the one on the left and entered the next room with more orange tiles along with some raised blue ones with several pots behind the latter. I could also see a locked door, a path heading north, and a crack in a wall to my right. So many choices and I needed to choose the right one or else become lost.

Defeating a Green Zol that popped up from the ground, I decided to take the north path as it was the most accessible and obvious. It immediately turned to the right and I could see another room below on my left. Both doors were locked and stuck in-between four pots were what appeared to be horse heads, the kind you'd see on a chess board. I shuddered as initially my thought process was that someone had decapitated innocent horses but I was glad to be mistaken. Moving on as there was no way I could reach that section of the dungeon, the path stopped at a dead-end with an Owl Statue.

I cursed as without a Stone Beak, I couldn't understand what the statue was saying. At the very least, I got to see another room from above. This new room went south with the only features being another elephant statue and a winged bomb icon which I could use to replenish my bomb total if I were to jump and grab it. There was nothing left this way so I walked until I was back in the room with the crack in the wall. Looking around to see if there was anything I missed, I couldn't see anything that looked suspicious, so I began picking up the pots and smashing them.

Collecting a heart and some bombs from them, the final pot had a switch underneath it which I pressed and it unlocked the door. I walked into the next room and was stopped by some more raised blue tiles. I could see another Crystal Switch in front of me that I couldn't reach along with a chest to my right and a flying arrow icon (It acted just like the winged bomb I saw earlier) opposite where the chest was. Again, I got angry as I wasn't making any real progress and Princess Twilight told me to remain calm, so I counted to ten in my head and walked back into the previous room.

Walking up to the crack in the wall (My only path forward at that point), I took out a bomb, placed it in front of the crack, and stepped away before it exploded. Walking into the now accessible room, I accidentally tripped and landed flat on my face. "I can't see a thing in this room!" I said as I got back up.

"There should be some torches nearby that you can light." Princess Twilight then looked down at both my belt and pockets. "Do you have enough Magic Powder, Sunset?"

I then took out the Magic Powder and opened it up to see how much of it I had. "Wait a minute! I picked some up during the River Rapids! I should be at max capacity since I haven't used any for quite some time. Not sure why you asked, Twilight but it does pay to keep tabs on your ammunition. Now I just need to find those torches and hopefully not trip up or worse, walk into something and stubbing my toes." There were several Green Zols in the room and unlike me, they could see perfectly fine which gave them a slight advantage.

"I can see a torch a little ways to your left, Sunset."

Heeding Her Highness, I walked left and got hit by one of the Green Zols. I quickly defeated it with a sword strike before lighting the torch. "That's much better... And there is another elephant statue. Ugh! This is really starting to get annoying!" I walked up to the statue only to find that it wasn't blocking my way, but to make certain, I tried to look underneath it and there were no hidden stairs. Okay, I felt a little bit better now knowing it was just a decorative piece. Lighting the other torch, the room was crowded thanks to numerous blocks but I couldn't see a way forward.

"Perhaps there is more to this room than appearances suggest?" Princess Twilight was doing her best to keep my calm though I was struggling not to lose it.

The only thought that came to mind was to get rid of any remaining Green Zols. Quickly scouring the room to make them appear, I took out each of them with the last one's defeat revealing a hidden staircase. Stepping down into another underground tunnel, everything suddenly turned bright green. "Is it just me or did things suddenly get warm?"

"They did and much more." Princess Twilight pointed at a giant green orb with eyes that was bouncing around. In fact, there was another one bouncing about a short distance away along with some Goombas yet it was the former that were way more concerning.

"What in the world are those!?" I exclaimed.

"These are Giant Bubbles and you'll be happy to know that these are the only two of their kind." Princess Twilight answered, her hand covering her eyes when the one nearest to us bounced by and almost blinded her. "Nothing can hurt them so they're nothing more than an obstacle you need to avoid. Obviously, touching one will damage you so let's not find out just how much. Also, their slow movement is easy to figure out so getting hit shouldn't be a problem."

"You make it sound like I will get hit." I moaned.

"When you're in a bad mood, you do tend to become quite reckless."

I couldn't argue with facts like that. When the first Giant Bubble bounced back the other way, I took out the Roc's Feather and jumped over a Goomba then climbed up a ladder only to stop halfway as it bounced back towards where I was, its bright mass missing me by mere inches. Climbing up and onward, the other one was coming my way so I waited until it flew over my head and then jumped across the remaining ladders, and up another one to enter another section of the dungeon. My jaw dropped upon seeing raised blue tiles blocking my way along with a Mini-Moldorm that couldn't reach me but that was the least of my concerns.

"Twilight..."

"Yes, Sunset?"

"I need to scream for just a moment."

Nodding, Her Highness turned away and covered her ears as I screamed such a bloodcurdling scream, the entire room vibrated and I think the entire dungeon had heard it. After about several seconds, I stopped and Princess Twilight looked back to see what had happened. "Did that make you feel any better?"

"As a matter of fact, it did." I answered with a smile. "It feels good venting out one's frustrations."

"It looks like you can't go this way right now."

"At least with this one, the solution can be quickly remedied by hitting the Crystal Switch." I was about to go back through the tunnel when I suddenly stopped and realized that it wasn't quite that simple. "If I were to activate the switch, I'd be blocked from getting back here. There must be another one somewhere." I turned to Her Highness. "Twilight? I'm going to warp back to the beginning of the dungeon rather than go back through the tunnel with those Giant Bubbles. They just creep me out."

"That's not a bad idea, excluding the Giant Bubbles." Princess Twilight said. "You weren't that far from the entrance prior to going through the tunnel so you only need to do a little bit of backtracking here."

Taking out the Ocarina and playing Manbo's Mambo, I warped back to the entrance of the Face Shrine and immediately went left back to the room with the Wizzrobes. As I had expected, they had since re-spawned though for now, I could just ignore them since I couldn't do anything past the locked down without a better Power Bracelet. Moving past them before any could fire any magic, I went north and to the left and was in the Crystal Switch room. The Mimic had also come back so I ignored it as well and moved on to the next room which had the now blasted hole in the wall.

Heading west again, I was again blocked by the raised blue tiles. "Not sure why I came back here since I can't do anything."

"Oh yes you can."

"And that would be?"

Using her hands, Princess Twilight pretended that she was throwing something and while I thought she was being cute, she was actually telling me that I could throw a projectile in order to hit another Crystal Switch located in the corner of the room. I thought of using an arrow but the tile would likely get in the way. I then took out a bomb which prompted a thumb's up from Her Highness (That's what she was getting at with her hand movements) and I tossed it where it exploded although I unfortunately came up short as the explosion didn't activate the switch.

I tried again with another bomb but did a running start where it flew much further than the previous one and when it exploded, the switch activated reversing the two sets of coloured tiles though now there was a problem. I couldn't go back the way I came though it wasn't that much of an issue since I needed to move forward anything. As soon as I took a step forward, three Wizzrobes popped up from the ground and had surrounded me where I got hit by each one's magic. I could just leave and ignore but something told me they were guarding something important so I had to fight though this time I was ready.

Charging my sword, they appeared and I responded with a Spin Attack though not quite fast enough as I still got hit by their magic. With each one stunned, I quickly switched to the bow and began firing two arrows at each since that's what it took to defeat one Wizzrobe. I took down the first one but the other two disappeared after breaking free from their paralysis. Charging up my sword again, both reappeared and I unleashed another Spin Attack, stunning them before switching over to the bow and defeating both with two arrows each.

"Okay, I'm getting a little quicker with switching between items." I said as I put the bow away.

"You could stand to be a bit more faster since you did take some damage."

"Yeah, I suppose so." I then cut myself short as a treasure chest materialized on the other side of the room. Walking over and opening it up, I took out the Dungeon Map and unfurled it before chuckling over what the layout looked like. "I suppose it was to be expected given what this place is called."

Princess Twilight then looked at the map for herself. "The dungeon layout is in the shape of a face. Huh... No wonder you were chuckling, Sunset. Good thing you found this sooner rather than later as now I can mark down that one room where you were blocked by an elephant statue." She then counted the total number of rooms there were in the dungeon before gulping in response. "This is the largest dungeon you've been in so far but navigation is going to be easy. For example, that room where you used Manbo's Mambo was two rooms south of where you found the first Crystal Switch."

"In other words, I didn't progress as far as I thought."

"You really need that Power Bracelet upgrade."

"But where could it be?"

Looking at the map and remembering what I had seen so far, Princess Twilight shrugged. "At the very least, you're blocked from accessing the right side of the dungeon but perhaps you can get over there from one of the rooms on the left side? Or you could try going back to that previous room the tunnel with those Giant Bubbles lead to since you hit the Crystal Switch and reversed the tiles and find out what's in that mystery room." She then noticed some rooms connected with the 'eyes' of the face and bopped my head which got my immediate attention. "Those eyes are actually rooms."

"Do you suppose they will be important?"

"Every room in a dungeon is important no matter what it may or may not contain."

While I'd have personally contested that given previous experiences, Princess Twilight was generally correct about the usefulness of dungeon rooms. I supposed after getting trapped in rooms filled with monsters, traps, or something worse, I've grown to despise some designs. Her Highness, after all, only gets to advise and give me moral support. She doesn't have to endure what I've been through. Am I jealous that she has been coasting through? Yeah as I'd have much preferred an easier time but then life never was like that no matter what people would prefer.

Before leaving the room, I jumped up and grabbed the flying arrow icon since I used several to defeat the Wizzrobes. In the next room, there were even more orange and blue tiles with the latter raised and to my left was a flying heart icon. In front of me, there was a door which suddenly locked with another pot symbol panel. For the moment, I couldn't reach the pots to my right so I focused on restoring some health. Jumping to grab the icon, I could feel my health returning but I then got hit by a Green Zol which popped up from the ground where I had landed which mitigated my recovery a little.

Defeating it, two more popped up and I took care of them with a sword swing each, then leaving me to ponder what to do next. Taking out the map, there were two rooms to the north so I had to come back later once I could find another Crystal Switch. Putting it away, I headed right, and entered a room where a staircase was inaccessible by those creepy face statues (And one torch) but could be reached from the other side. Luckily for me, a chest was accessible on my side and upon opening it, I took out a Stone Beak. I could now go back and listen to what the Owl Statue had to say but first, I went north a little only to be stopped by more face statues.

On the other side of them was another chest and it looked like that pot symbol panel was the only way to reach it. I went back a couple of rooms to where the second Crystal Switch was located and fired an arrow upon taking out the bow which changed the blue and orange tiles around. Heading back the other way to the pots, I picked one up and threw it against the panel smashing it to pieces where I walked north and entered a room with more blue and orange tiles. The latter were currently blocking progression north but they were keeping two Sparks from coming my way.

Aside from two elephant statues which I needed to use in order to smash another pot symbol panel, I walked to the right as it was my only option. As expected, I was now where the chest was and upon opening it, I took out a Compass. There was also another Crystal Switch to my left but in front of me was a Star (I hadn't seen this monster in quite some time) which I defeated with one hit from my sword. Heading up the stairs to the switch, I thought it over for a few seconds before choosing to activate it and hoping I made the right choice.

Heading down the path and jumping to grab the flying bomb icon, I turned left and was on the other side of the room with those horse heads. Okay, now I was starting to get somewhere though I was still limited without that Power Bracelet. I continued onward where I turned left and found staring at so many orange tiles on the floor. "Wow... There are so many orange tiles in this room."

"Good thing you activated that Crystal Switch."

"I wanted to ignore it but my gut told me to hit it."

"And your curiosity paid off."

Before I could say another word, the compass made a sound. "A key! Now I can make some progress!" In front of me was a Bubble which was moving about and while I did have the means to defeat it (Hooray for Magic Powder), there had to be way more than just it. Walking forward, two Wizzrobes popped out of the ground. "I knew it!" Both of them fired their magic which I barely managed to avoid by side-stepping. No doubt these two were guarding the key so charging up my sword, they reappeared and hit me again before I used the Spin Attack to stun them both. Before I could switch over to the bow, the Bubble hit me which gave both enough time to disappear.

I charged my sword again and stunned them both right as they appeared and switched to the bow again where I defeated both with two arrows each. Both dropped hearts which I picked up and then a small key dropped down from above and landed on one of the few tiles that weren't orange. Taking out the map again, I could see where I had to go to use the key but it would involve plenty of backtracking to get there. I thought about using Manbo's Mambo to save me some time but I chose to backtrack instead just in case there was something I missed that could now be obtained.

Heading back the other way, the map still in my hand, Princess Twilight asked to take a look at it and I obliged. "Okay, the Nightmare mark is on this room right here so we now know where it is, but getting there is still a massive question we need to answer. As for where you can go now, the only room left is that one beyond where you emerged from the tunnel that had those two Giant Bubbles. It's all I can think of as a possible means of progression."

"But the way was blocked by those tiles."

"Maybe they are down now since you've activated additional Crystal Switches."

"How many of them have I seen in this dungeon?"

"Three though I'm certain there are a few more."

"And here I was about to ask you to mark them down on the map." I said as I put it back in my pocket. "I mean, if there are more of them to be found, I've got plenty of chances to run into one when they are needed." I then remembered the Owl Statue from earlier whose words I couldn't hear due to not having the Stone Beak. "You know, I could go to the Owl Statue and hear what it has to say."

"If I remember, that's just a little ways off from the tunnel."

Making my way back to where the Compass was, I ignored the Crystal Switch and the Star and went back to the previous room where the Sparks were now moving about more freely due to activating the Crystal Switch. Slipping past one of them and then walking in-between two blue tiles, I quickly moved forward and avoided getting hit by the other one. The Green Zols had re-spawned (As expected) but I ignored them and kept on moving entering the room where I found the map, ignored the Wizzrobes as fighting them was pointless though there was one small problem and it involved one switch.

"I need to activate the switch to get back to the room with the bombed wall."

"Avoid the Wizzrobes first of all and use an arrow to activate the switch." Princess Twilight said. "Then you need to activate it again to switch the tiles back and then you need to do it a third time whilst using a bomb so it can activate it before the arrow hits. I know it sounds confusing and it honestly really is, but then you should've expected this, Sunset. This world is no longer playing nice and instead is throwing plenty of curveballs at you designed to test your wits."

"Not the first time I've done this, Twilight."

"I know but I just wanted to remind you."

"And I appreciate it." Avoiding the magic of the Wizzrobes, I took out the bow, walked to the wall where the door I needed to go through was and fired an arrow which changed the tiles around but now came the tricky part (So many unnecessary steps in my opinion) made more difficult what with magic flying about. Activating the switch again by firing another arrow, I changed the tiles back before taking out a bomb, running across and dropping it next to the switch, then I back and fired another arrow which hit just moments after the bomb exploded. None of it made sense but I had changed the tiles around to be more in my favour.

"My idea worked."

I scratched my head as I walked back into the room with the bombed wall. "I don't know how you managed to figure that out, Twilight, but I'm glad you did. What amazes me is that I did it all in just one attempt and whilst avoiding getting hit by magic."

"You're much tougher than you give yourself credit for."

"I suppose so."

"But you still have one more Crystal Switch to hit."

My eyes then bugged out a little. "Say what now?"

"If my calculation are correct, the orange tiles are currently up." Princess Twilight answered. "If you were to go through the tunnel with the Giant Bubbles now, you'd be stuck as soon as you reached that one room and be forced to come back here and change the tiles around yet again." Her Highness could tell that I was getting fed up with hitting those switches but assured me I had to do it this way because she had worked it out. "By hitting it once more, you should be able to reach the mystery room which has been taunting you. Okay, not exactly taunting but you know what I mean right?"

I had no idea how she had figured all this out in such a short period of time but I wasn't about to start questioning her intellect. Heading south to where the first Crystal Switch was and ignoring the Shy Guy, I took out another bomb and dropped it by the switch moved to the other side of the orange tile. When it exploded, the switch was activated and changed the tiles one more time. Hopefully, this would be the last time I would have to activate multiple Crystal Switches but I wasn't going to hold my breath on it. Now that all of that had been taken care of, I could finally make the progress I'd been needing.

Heading back and through the bombed wall, I ignored the Green Zols since the staircase was already revealed and when I went down the stairs to the tunnel, I covered my eyes due to how bright it was; Princess Twilight did the same. Watching the Giant Bubbles movements carefully, I waited for it to bounce the other way and then I moved forward using the Roc's Feather before stopping when it came back. Avoiding it, I continued jumping until I stopped when the other one came along, its shining mass nearly blinding me as it had almost done to Princess Twilight earlier.

It went over my head and I quickly climbed up the ladder to get out of there and back into the dungeon. On a side note, I hoped to never have to go through that tunnel again as my eyes wouldn't be able to take it. To my surprise, Her Highness' calculations proved correct as I could now progress thanks to the blue tiles being down. Unfortunately, the Mini-Moldorm was still around and apparently there were other monsters in the room that I didn't see previously. Upon moving forward, two Wizzrobes appeared and fired their magic. Okay, I was getting sick and tired of seeing them show up everywhere.

I attacked the Mini-Moldorm before it could do anything, defeating it which left only the two Wizzrobes. Princess Twilight then made a suggestion of using bombs in order to defeat them in a single blast. She told me that they were immune to bombs and I called her out on that and she responded by saying she hadn't fully assessed their abilities at the time. She then gave me another bit of advice. If I were to move towards them and then move back, they would disappear and reappear in the same place thereby keeping them in place. Where was this information when I needed it earlier?

Following her advice, I moved towards them just as their magic whizzed past me, took out a bomb, and dropped it as soon as they disappeared before I moved back to avoid getting caught in the explosion. Moments later, they reappeared (What felt like moments actually felt like hours) where my bomb exploded defeating both at once and unlocking the door to the mystery room. While that was a more difficult method because of needing to get close, the results definitely were worthwhile though I couldn't rely on it always. Bombs needed several seconds before exploding which could give a monster time to get away from the blast radius.

I turned to Princess Twilight. "Okay, your method worked, I'll give it that, but why didn't you say something about it before when I faced other Wizzrobes?"

For her part, Her Highness had no excuse and she knew that. "It's my fault that I failed in my duty as your partner to give you advice when you needed it." I was afraid that she was about to cry over this but she didn't which took character though I could tell she was upset at herself. "It was a major lapse of judgment which could've resulted in you getting seriously injured or even killed."

"Was your assessment wrong?"

"It was though I chose to hide it because I'm not supposed to be wrong."

"Twilight... Everyone can be wrong you know." I said with a smile though deep down I was annoyed that she didn't tell me sooner. Yeah, I was going to forget all about it but for the moment, it was going to linger about for a while. "No need to be ashamed to admit you were wrong about something. I've done this how many times on this adventure? If I were the one giving you advice, you'd have been killed countless times already."

"That made me feel better though your choice of words is questionable."

"It's all I could think of."

Princess Twilight just stood there and blinked a few times before shrugging her shoulders. After being in my company for so long, she had learned to accept that I sometimes had a weird way of saying things though I personally thought there was nothing wrong with them. She then changed the subject. "So... Decided to ignore the Owl Statue did you? You were so adamant about it and you ended up coming here instead." I had a feeling she would bring it up. I thought at first she was going to give me the look that screamed disappointment but instead her look was one of confusion. "Like I said, it's just a little ways off from the tunnel."

"I wanted to check out that mystery room first otherwise I'll never stop thinking about it."

"While I've nothing against you making a last minute decision, I wish you could've told me."

And with that, Her Highness had turned my own thoughts against me. Did I deserve that? Oh definitely! Did it make her feel better? I'd say so since she was trying so hard not to laugh but couldn't help it. It was moments like this that made me appreciate what friendship was all about. Entering the next room which happened to be the mystery room, I was disappointed as it comprised of two elephants statues which were blocking one of those flip panels (It had been ages since I last saw one), a chest on one side and a lone pot on the other.

"Well this is anti-climatic."

"If you open that chest..." Princess Twilight began. "You should get what you need to finally be able to make some much needed progress. It's obvious that you'll find it in there since there's no other means of progression except for that small key and I doubt that will get you much further."

Walking up to the chest and opening it, I took out what was indeed, a stronger Power Bracelet. This one had gold surrounding a red gem embedded at the top and it immediately appeared on my arm replacing what I had been wearing since the Bottle Grotto. "I don't seem to feel any different, Twilight. Are you sure this is going to help me get around here? Maybe I've become numb after using enhanced strength so many times."

"Thanks to that new Power Bracelet, you can lift up an elephant... Or an elephant statue."

"Is that so?" I then walked down to the elephant statues and stood in front of one. "Twilight? This is going to sound really immature of me... No... It will be immature, but do you think I could have a little bit of fun with this newfound power?"

"If it's what I think it is, you deserve it so knock yourself out."

I cracked my knuckles (I'm not going to make a habit out of this), grabbed the elephant statue, and lifted it up above my head without any issues. I then began dancing around like a complete moron and shouted that I could perform any physical feat thanks to my new power. Yes, I knew this was completely out of character for me but after enduring so much since entering this dungeon, I wanted to cut loose for just a moment. If Pinkie Pie were here right now, she'd have definitely given her approval. In fact, she'd have probably gone and done it herself because it was something fun.

Once I had gotten my fill, I tossed the elephant statue aside where it smashed into pieces. I then picked up the other one and tossed it because I wanted to. "That felt great! I've never had power like this before!"

"Weren't you a Goron in the last adventure?"

I nodded. "Well, yes, but I couldn't lift up something as heavy as an elephant."

That made Princess Twilight laugh though she stopped after a few moments. "I forgot to mention something important. Those elephant statues can actually be thrown at other such statues and both will get smashed to pieces. You might want to try it out sometime if you're feeling curious. Now... If I remember rightly from the map you found, going through that flip panel will take you back to the first Crystal Switch thus completing a loop. You can either check the Owl Statue or leave it and focus on finding places where that Power Bracelet's strength can be used to make new progress."

"Tarin! Tarin!"

"Oh Marin! You've finally come back from your trip to the Animal Village." Sunburst said.

Starlight Glimmer, in a chipper mood, approached him as he stood next to the statue of a bird in the center of Mabe Village. "I would've come back a couple of days ago, but the animals were so happy to hear my song that I couldn't leave until they felt they had enough." She then looked at him with a glare that made him feel very uneasy. "You didn't go and pick any weird mushrooms again did you?"

Sunburst shook his head. "I haven't been mushroom pickin' ever since Sunset Shimmer found me in the Mysterious Forest a few days ago."

"That's strange."

"How is that strange, Marin?"

"Nothing has ever stopped you from wanting to go and pick mushrooms." Starlight then went quiet which left Sunburst feeling worried that his daughter (Yes, in this world they are in fact father and child respectively) wasn't feeling well but then she suddenly took on a more serious look. "Tarin... Can I ask you a question?"

"A question?" Sunburst was taken aback by this. "Since when have you ever been ta curious type? Oh well. I 'sppose asking me a question won't hurt."

"Have you ever... Wondered what life would be like beyond this island?" Starlight shook her head as though she were having trouble coming up with her question. "No, that's not what I meant to ask. Let me try again. Have you ever considered that the way things are going now are just boring?" She paused again and began pacing about back and forth as though something was preventing her from saying what she wanted to say. Sunburst felt like saying something but she spoke up before he could. "I've got it! Tarin... Do you wish you could leave this island and explore the world beyond? I've often dreamt of doing the very thing myself."

Sunburst at first didn't know what to say but when he did, he was having trouble coming up with the words as he didn't want to upset her. "Um... That's nice... I think? But... I've never known you to want to think about somethin' like that. I mean... I'm not sure I follow."

"Let's just say that Sunset Shimmer has inspired me."

"Did she now?" Sunburst smiled as he sat down to rummage through his backpack. "I had a feelin' that girl was somethin' special, Marin. I mean sure, we don't really know anythin' about her and it's not like we've been able ta ask since she's always runnin' around, but she's definitely enriched your life though how did she inspire ya?"

"Well..." Starlight looked up as far as she could until her eyes gazed upon the Wind Fish's egg. "I've made a decision, Tarin! I'm going to go to Mt. Tamaranch and sing my song in front of the Wind Fish's egg."

That made Sunburst perform a double-take. "What!? You want to go where!?"

"I want to go to the Wind Fish's egg." Starlight answered, her hand clenching into a fist, her expression one of sheer determination. "I... I have this wish in my heart. It's always been there but never once did I pay it any thought until Sunset Shimmer came here. Now, I want to go to the egg and sing my song, 'The Ballad of the Wind Fish' so that the Wind Fish can make my dream come true. My wish..." She then mumbled under her breath to keep her desire from being heard. "Tarin... I'm going to go up there and nothing you say can change my mind. I have to go, I must go."

"Marin..."

"Yes, Tarin?"

"You sure say some strange things ya know!"

Normally, Starlight would've reacted by giving him another cold stare (Or something worse) but instead she ignored him and focused on the egg. "Sunset Shimmer..." She began to say to herself in deep thought. "You are the greatest thing to have ever happened on this island. If not for you, I'd have never felt sensations like what I'm feeling. I... I want to be like you and follow wherever my heart leads me. I don't know what will happen when I sing in front of the egg but it's something that I must do. I want to leave this island and never look back." Turning back towards Sunburst, she then changed the subject. "Did you know that Sunset Shimmer needed money?"

"How could I've known since that's the first time I heard it."

"She needed rupees and I acquired them for her."

"And how did ya do that?"

Starlight was initially silent before answering. "I have my ways, Tarin, but I'm sure you don't want me to bore you." She then looked at the statue of the bird. "I'm going to wait here because there's this feeling in my heart that Sunset Shimmer will want to learn more about this statue." Sunburst shrugged, picked up his backpack, placed it on his back, and walked off leaving his daughter to ponder over feeling that were way over his head. "I will go to the Wind Fish's egg... Not right now but I will go there."

Entering the room where I found the first Crystal Switch, I put my new-found power to good use by picking up the elephant statue and throwing against the pot symbol panel, smashing both and allowing me to reach a room that I couldn't get to previously. There was another statue which could be used on another panel which would take me back to another previous room (I believed it was where I first encountered the Wizzrobes) but I was more fixated on the chest nearby. Opening it up, I took out a silver rupee that was worth one hundred rupees so my money issues were continuing to become an non-issue.

Jumping to grab the flying heart icon, Princess Twilight then reminded me of the Owl Statue as well as something I couldn't do without the stronger Power Bracelet in the northwest corner of this dungeon. Heading back to the previous room and hitting the Crystal Switch to change the tiles, I walked north and continued heading in that direction before turning right and walking along past the room with those horse heads before stopping. I quickly took another look at them and noticed one horse was black and the other white. I didn't understand what that meant so I ignored it though I'd probably eventually find out.

Reaching the statue, I took out the Stone Beak and I placed it where it needed to go and it responded to me. 'Enter the space where the eyes have walls...' I had no idea what that meant but Princess Twilight made sure to make a note of it for later. "Eyes having walls..." I said to myself... "I've never even heard of such a thing." Putting away the Stone Beak and heading all the way back to the previous room, I went left to the room with the map and as expected, the Wizzrobes had re-spawned but I didn't need to fight them.

Taking out the bow, I fired at the Crystal Switch which changed the tiles, and then I dashed as fast as I could by switching to the Pegasus Boots to avoid getting hit with magic. I could've used another arrow but there was no need as I remembered there was another one up ahead. Moving on to the next room, I headed right as that was where the next Crystal Switch was located just past where I found the Compass. Activating it and backtracking a little, I avoided the Sparks and picked up one of the elephant statues before smashing it against the pot symbol panel destroying both.

In the next room, I found two more of those horse heads. "Now that I'm getting a good look at these things... They really do look like chess pieces."

"Is this another custom from the world you call home, Sunset?" Princess Twilight asked.

"You mean you've never played chess before?"

Princess Twilight initially shook her head but then shrugged followed by scratching her head. "I think we have a similar game in Equestria but I could be wrong as the only two who were ever known to play it were Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Neither of them intended on passing it down to other ponies so there's not much in the way of information."

I wanted to say something to that but refrained so I instead explained the basics of chess. Had I gone into more detail, I'd have been talking for practically forever given how extensive it really was. (A few minutes passed) "And that's how chess is played. Now then, these horse heads resemble the Knights from chess but I don't know why one of them is black and the other white."

"Now this is where I step in!" Princess Twilight announced, the sign that she was about to flaunt her knowledge and possibly make me feel inadequate. "Apparently long ago, these horses had to be thrown where both had to land face up in order for something to happen. It proved too difficult a challenge so it got changed where you now throw one onto one of those panels on the floor. Sure, it's not as exciting but it does mean progression becomes much quicker. You can easily pick them up thanks to your enhanced strength so give it a try."

"This ought to be interesting."

Before I picked one up, Princess Twilight flew in front of my face. "There is one catch! When you throw these heads, you have to treat them as though they were the Knights in this chess game you speak of. If you don't then throwing them will do you no good."

Good thing Her Highness warned me beforehand otherwise I'd have gotten frustrated in a matter of minutes. Picking up the black horse head and walking over to the panel on my right, I stopped one tile down and two tiles back from the panel (The movement of a Knight) and threw it only for it to bounce off the wall and land on its side. Okay, something was clearly wrong here as that should've worked... Unless I had to move back a bit further. That made no sense! But, since when did a video game ever make sense? Picking up the horse head again, I stood three tiles back from the wall and threw it where it landed in the panel and the eyes briefly glowed.

Picking up the other head and doing the same thing, it landed on the panel which caused the door behind me to unlock which I did know it locked in the first place. "Huh... So I had to solve that puzzle in order to leave this room. That's okay I guess... But, I could always use Manbo's Mambo."

"I think this puzzle was meant to test you on how to use this particular mechanism for later in the dungeon."

"Oh yeah..." I said as I remembered seeing the other horse heads near where that Owl Statue was. "Guess I really shouldn't rely on Manbo's Mambo to get me out of situations that are easy to figure out."

"Besides, you'd end up having to backtrack to where you were before especially if you missed something."

Walking up to the chest and opening it, I took out another silver rupee which made me happy, but then I noticed a set of stairs that went up to the next floor. No... If I recalled, this dungeon only had one floor. I took out the map in order to confirm this and it was true. Did the Face Shrine have a second entrance? If so then where would I end up upon taking it? Putting the map away, I walked up the stairs and instead of entering another room, I found myself back outside. To be specific, I was back on the River Rapids course. To be even more specific, I was on the island that was inaccessible.

"Now this is what I call convenient!" I exclaimed before taking a look around. "And it's actually nice seeing these rapids from a standing-still perspective." That's when it hit me that the dungeon was located underneath the rapids despite the entrance being located at the bottom. "Wow... I just realized how big the Face Shrine really is." I always thought dungeons had no parameters but that clearly wasn't so."

"Since you did leave the dungeon, playing Manbo's Mambo here will give you access to the various warp tiles you've encountered."

"I don't want to do that."

"I know, Sunset, but I thought I'd mention it just in case."

Remembering that there was a chest on this small island, I opened it up and took out a Secret Seashell. "Look here, Twilight! Another one of those Secret Seashells. I do find it odd that one was hidden in this manner but I guess it's meant to be a reward for good exploration." Deep down, I had hoped for some more rupees but this was just as important though considering I needed at least twenty from what Adagio mentioned, there was still a long way to go before reaching that number. "So does that give me eleven now?"

"I believe its the latter."

I definitely needed to collect more of these seashells though it involved exploring which again was something I hadn't done much of. Princess Twilight had suggested that I either go to the Seashell Mansion before or after the Face Shrine yet I ended up doing the latter since I already made quite some progress through the dungeon. In any case, I needed to go there to see what reward I would get from Adagio. I remembered her giving me some hints on where to find a couple of seashells but I apparently didn't bother to go look for them. Hopefully, she was understanding and not upset.

Heading back down the stairs and into the Face Shrine again, the voice in my head from before repeated its information of me being in the dungeon. An oversight? Maybe but then most dungeons only had one entrance though I wouldn't call where I came from another entrance. It was more like a hidden location for anyone who was curious enough to explore. Taking out the map and looking it over, I had explored the entire left side of the dungeon. There was still plenty of room left to explore which I now could thanks to having collected that small key and having a stronger Power Bracelet.

Ignoring the Crystal Switch, I took out the ocarina, played Manbo's Mambo, and warped back to the beginning of the dungeon. I thought about leaving and getting some medicine given how I had taken a lot of damage despite wearing the blue tunic, but I was feeling confident and so I chose to continue. Heading to the right and entering the room where I first saw the elephant statues that once annoyed me, I thought about picking one up and smashing it into the other, but there were those two Blade Traps which were still present and getting sliced wasn't on my to-do list.

Choosing to do what I did before, I used the statues as shields to protect me as I crossed the moving floor. Both traps moved when I approached each one in turn only to be blocked by the statues as they were too strong to be broken by mere blades. Getting through unscathed, I entered the next room and remembered that this was where the tiles would rise up and fling themselves at me. Since I had already completed this room earlier, the door was already unlocked which meant I didn't need to deal with the tiles. Moving on just as I heard the sound of a tile rising up, I was back in the room with the locked door.

"Which way do I go now?"

"Either option will lead you into a new room." Princess Twilight answered. "It all depends on whether you want to use that small key now or wait a little and use it later if you end up being unable to progress the other way. In any case, you need to find the Nightmare Key which has to be somewhere on the right side of the dungeon."

"I feel like breaking something."

"That's a nasty way of thinking!"

I chuckled. "I know, Twilight. I was being a little mischievous. I didn't mean to worry you." Since it was obvious that I wanted to go to the right, I picked up an elephant statue and threw it at the pot symbol panel smashing both into pieces. I then walked forward and entered the next room where the door to the north was immediately locked. Not only that, the door to my right also locked as did the one I entered the room from. Yeah... It was pretty obvious that I was about to experience some combat. At least I could replenish some arrows by jumping up and collecting the flying arrow icon.

"Sunset!" Princess Twilight announced. "I can see a treasure chest up there on that platform!"

I looked in the direction Her Highness was pointing at and could see the chest with my own eyes. "Hmmm... It looks like I need to access it from the room to the south. A chest in that kind of location could be containing the Nightmare Key or something else."

Moving forward, I quickly panicked when four Wizzrobes appeared and fired their magic. Each one was positioned in a diagonal line which looked cool in principle but was also annoying as they had more attack coverage. They then disappeared prompting me to apply the strategy Her Highness told me which involved the use of a bomb. Walking forward, they reappeared and I got blasted by their magic but I endured whilst taking out a bomb and placing it down on the ground before moving back. They disappeared and three were defeated when my bomb exploded upon their return.

The remaining one vanished so I took out the bow and waited for it to return. It did and I quickly fired two arrows in succession, defeating it and causing all three doors to unlock. Wiping my forehead, I felt that battle could've gotten much worse but I was fortunate that things didn't go that way. I went through the south door as going that way would bring me back around to the chest and the door locked behind me upon entering the next room. There was an Owl Statue to my right thought it was hidden cleverly behind a pot but it was the weird formation of tiles that left me confused.

There were also two Stars which couldn't get me as the blue tiles were keeping them trapped, but they also prevented me from reaching the chest. Walking over to the pot, I lifted it up and tossed it aside before taking out the Stone Beak in order to listen to what this Owl Statue had to say. 'Hop on top of the crystals to move forward'. Again, another cryptic hint, but this one was easier to solve simply by looking at my surroundings. The way this room was set up what with stairs leading up to a dead-end platform and the arrangement of the tiles, I needed to find and hit a Crystal Switch to change their positions and cross over by using the orange tiles as platforms.

Using arrows, I defeated both Stars which unlocked the door and I went back to the previous room where I jumped to grab the flying arrow icon which I apparently missed before to replenish my ammunition. Looking back at the chest, I cursed myself for not hitting any Crystal Switches as it felt like it was taunting me, but I knew I'd come back eventually so it was just a matter of time. Heading north since it was also a possible direction, I entered a room where much of the floor was covered in water. How did this water even get down here? Could the dungeon's ceiling be leaking?

Defeating another Star with a sword swing, I then avoided a Spark and went down the stairs into the water where it wasn't deep. Okay, that was good as had the water been deep, I'd have been unable to fight against two Water Tektites that were swimming about. Since each took two hits to defeat, I waited for them to approach before swinging. Defeating one gave me a rupee and the other a Guardian Acorn and I picked up both with the latter giving me extra defence. Walking forward, Princess Twilight pointed out a key block on a high up platform along with a regular block which could possibly be used as a Hookshot target.

"I can see another chest up ahead though its guarded by a few Water Tektites." Princess Twilight said. "There's also another chest on the platform above though you need another small key to remove that key block since you need the key you have for that locked door from earlier."

"It's strange that there aren't as many small keys this time."

"Not all dungeons need a large number of keys, Sunset."

"Key Cavern comes to mind." I said as I frowned.

"I agree that one had too many and you even had one that went unused." Princess Twilight said. I remember that! I wasn't allowed to take it with me as it left my inventory upon leaving the Key Cavern after collecting the Sea Lily Bell. A shame I wasn't allowed to take keys from one dungeon and then use them in another. Her Highness then continued. "I have this feeling you're going to be given more run-arounds thanks to this dungeon's layout."

I didn't like the sound of that one bit. I had to do such a thing in order to get the stronger Power Bracelet, but having to do it again, especially to reach the Nightmare. My opinions of this dungeon were already pretty low and what Her Highness had suggested only made it go even lower. "You'd think one of these later dungeons could just be simplistic rather than throwing about who knows what in hopes of somehow making it stick?"

"Guess not." Princess Twilight said with a defeatist tone.

Sighing, I switched over to the Pegasus Boots and charged across the water, taking out two of the three Water Tektites before crashing into the chest. Recoiling from that collision, I turned around and was blindsided by it when it swam into me before I swung my sword a few times which defeated it. At that moment, the Guardian Acorn's effect wore off and I was back to my prior defensive boost. These temporary power-ups didn't last all that long which begged the question why they were even a thing. Oh well. I supposed I had to take whatever advantages were available. The Compass then made a sound though it was pointless since I knew what was in the chest.

Opening it, I took out a small key which gave me two of them; one for the locked door and the other for the key block from earlier. That's when the Compass beeped again informing me that the chest on the platform above contained either the Nightmare Key or another small key. Until I could make my way up there, I had to leave and come back later, a recurring theme around here which was frustrating. Since I couldn't do anything else, I went back the other way by using the Pegasus Boots to make things a bit quicker though I ended up crashing into the wall giving myself some recoil in the process. After that, I switched to my regular boots.

Heading up the stairs and avoiding the Spark, I was back in the previous room and then went to the one before that with the locked door. Walking up to it and using the key, it opened and I entered a room which had a blatantly obvious cracked section located on the back wall. There were also two Red Zols located in-between four pots with two on each side so I attacked them where they split into two pieces prompting me to attack the new ones until they were defeated. Picking up the pots and tossing them, they shattered with all of them containing recovery hearts which I picked up.

"Okay! Time to blow up that crack in the wall!"

"Wait, Sunset!"

"What is it?"

"I've been watching how you use your bow and bombs for a while now and have come up with something you might be interested in." Princess Twilight answered. She then used her magic to draw a crude picture on the ground which resembled an arrow but with a bomb on the end of it. "I know my drawing skills aren't the best out there, but this is a Bomb Arrow. If you combine both your arrows and bombs, you create this combination which can cause a ton of damage upon impact. Granted, not all monsters will be affected and if you run out of one type of ammunition then you can't use it."

"I'm surprised you didn't mention this to me before."

"At the time, you only had bombs but no bow."

"Good point."

"Anyway, you should try out a Bomb Arrow but don't get carried away with it." Why would Her Highness say that? The point of using something like a Bomb Arrow would be to use it as much as possible and make things easier. Then again, there had to have been some side-effects hence her insistence on me not going crazy. "Remember that you're not immune to your explosions so going wild could potentially cause you to accidentally hurt yourself." Okay, that was the reason.

I was about to move forward when I suddenly got hit in the arm with a fireball. "Where did that come from?"

Looking around quickly to find out what hit me, Princess Twilight then ordered me to get back in which I did, and good thing too as another fireball then hit the very location I had been standing in. "The two torches by the back wall are capable of shooting fireballs. I'm not sure if you've seen this before but either way, your shield can't stop those fireballs, but if you had a special shield, one designed to deflect objects that normally can't be deflected, you'd be able to. These torches are rare so you won't encounter them that often but be cautious around any torches just in case."

Taking out the bow and holding it in one hand, I took out a bomb and held it in the other. Looking at both items, it didn't seem possible that they could be combined together, but I wasn't about to question Her Highness' wisdom again. Nocking an arrow and then placing my bomb onto the tip (It looked ridiculous in my opinion), I fired the Bomb Arrow and it exploded on impact, destroying the crack in the wall and revealing the way forward. Wow! For something that looked awkward, there was no denying that it was powerful. Heading into the next room, the doors in front of me closed and it was pretty obvious as to why.

"What is that!?" Standing or sitting (I couldn't really tell) in front of me was a strange creature with one eye that bore a slight resemblance to Slime Eye (From the Key Cavern) but also a fish, a dog as I could hear some faint barking coming from it, and a whale though its tail consisted of a red ball. Yeah... I had no idea what this thing was. Next to it was a large metal ball that could be its toy.

"This creature is known as Rover."

Seriously!? Her Highness got the name Rover from that!? "That doesn't look like a dog to me, Twilight."

"While it does behave like a dog, Sunset, this creature is a serious threat." Princess Twilight said. "It will flop around on its stomach in order to pick up that heavy ball over there and then chase you around with it before throwing it at you in order to inflict some damage. It's immune to all forms of attack what with having a rubbery hide, but if you were to use your new strength and pick up that ball yourself, Rover will run away and you can chase it down and throw it at it. Despite its appearance, it's got quite the throwing arm."

"I can only use that ball against it?"

"Yep."

"Well this is awkward."

"It's going to come down to whoever gets the ball first."

Putting all my equipment away, I braced myself for what was going to be an unusual fight. I had never fought a monster without being able to use any of my items, but I supposed I was due to try it out at least once. Rover then bounced towards the ball (It sure was fast for its shape) before picking it up and bouncing towards me. I turned and began to run where it kept up surprisingly though this wasn't exactly good for me. I continued running until the ball smacked me in the back which caused me to fall flat on my stomach. Her Highness wasn't kidding about its throwing arm. It felt like I got hit by a truck or something.

Getting back up, I watched as it picked up the ball again and came my way. I thought of trying to use my sword to make it drop the ball but it was immune to my weapon so again I had to run away. After bouncing behind me for a few seconds, it threw the ball where it barely missed my head, ricocheted off of a wall and landed harmless on the ground. I managed to reach the ball first and picked it up (It was remarkably light though that's because I had enhanced strength) where Rover immediately stopped, turned around, and began bouncing away since it no longer had the advantage.

I chased after it where I threw the ball only to miss and it landed on the ground in the corner. Cursing my dumb luck, Rover was able to pick it up and began to chase me around again much to my displeasure. After a few moments, it threw the ball where it hit my legs and I promptly fell and landed on my stomach again. Whilst the damage from the ball wasn't too serious, the fact that it was even happening made me upset. I got back up again only to be knocked down again due to it getting to the ball first. Okay, this was really getting out of hand especially if I couldn't react fast enough.

It then got to and picked up the ball again before throwing it since I was close enough to where the ball landed last time. Rolling on my side, I managed to avoid getting hit and got back up before the ball stopped at my feet. Picking it up for myself and chasing Rover, who began bouncing away, I threw the ball where it hit it in the back of the head where it then ricocheted off another wall before coming to a stop. We both looked at each other and then at the ball since we both needed it and began running (Or bouncing in Rover's case) towards it where I got there and picked it up again.

"How many times do I have to hit this thing with the ball?"

Princess Twilight shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure but if I were to take a guess, I'd say not many as I doubt its rubbery hide can take being hit by such a heavy object."

"I hope its soon as this is starting to get stupid!"

Her Highness then made an observation. "As long as you continue to hold that ball above your head, Rover will keep its distance which can help you plan out a course of attack or maybe even giving yourself a breather. Oh, and before I forget, don't run into Rover directly as you will take damage, but I'm sure you figured that out beforehand."

A part of me felt sorry for attacking Rover as it looked innocent compared to other monsters and it acted like it was merely playing around. However, I had no choice but to defeat it otherwise my progress in the Face Shrine would come to a screeching halt. Its little barking-like noises were cute I had to admit but I quickly shook my head. I must focus on the task at hand. As Her Highness had said, holding the ball kept Rover away from me, but I was surprised about this behaviour. Most monsters would've used some other attack in order to make me drop this ball but it didn't do anything.

"Can this monster do anything else?"

"Not that I know of." Princess Twilight answered. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason..."

Talk about having a one-track mind. Now fighting against Rover made me feel even more sorry but again, I had to get such thoughts out of my head. Could this be what the Nightmare in this dungeon wanted? If that were the case, it was a devious ploy, but one that was clearly working in its favour. I then thought about the Nightmare that was waiting for me to reach it. Would it be stronger than the Slime Eel or would it be disappointing? From what I've observed fighting them, it's a mixed bag in terms of difficulty though I'm not complaining as I preferred easier opponents.

Finally deciding to throw the ball, it hit Rover in the back of the head and then it proceeded to pick it up and began chasing me again. I had to be honest. The premise behind this battle was a neat idea in theory and I was relying on other means besides a sword, but the execution was clearly bad. All that was happening was a weird back and forth with a heavy object and not much else. This could've either been something else or avoided altogether. Rover then tossed the ball which I dodged where it landed on the ground and I immediately picked it up.

At the very least, this was giving me a chance to really make use my new Power Bracelet. Throwing the ball at Rover and hitting it again, I was able to pick it up on the rebound and threw it again only to miss and hitting the wall instead. It then bounced over and picked it up where it immediately threw it which struck me in the chest, and here I thought getting hit in my back was rough but the chest was even worse. Placing my hands on my chest, I dropped to my knees in pain and was hit again in the back which knocked me over. Whilst the blue tunic gave me better defence, it didn't stop the pain from being real.

I was getting back up when the ball came flying at me again so I ducked and rolled along until I was at a safe distance before getting back up. Rover then bounced over to the ball, picked it up and bounced after me like always. Choosing to push past the pain (Otherwise I'd be here for longer than I needed to be), I dashed towards the wall where it then tossed it and it ricocheted off the wall once more then landing near my feet. Picking it up (Even this was painful), Rover turned and bounced away and despite my chest writing in pain, I gave chase knowing this had to end now. I then threw the ball where it hit it in the back which caused it to come to a stop.

Wiggling about, I thought Rover was undergoing some kind of transformation, but instead it began exploding numerous times before a final explosion defeated it. This caused a fairy to appear, the door to unlock, and a blue warp tile to also appear. "Even the ball disappeared." I said as I watched the heavy simply popped like it were a balloon.

"Are you alright, Sunset?"

I grabbed the fairy and my body immediately felt better. "That fight was just awkward, pure and simple."

"How is your chest feeling?" Princess Twilight asked. "You clutched it pretty badly near the end there. It makes me wish that I could actually do more for you than simply give you advice and the occasional pep talk."

I waved my hands back and forth. "Trust me! You don't want to have to through the physical pain that I endure."

"Well... Maybe not get hurt every three minutes." Her Highness then began laughing only to quickly stop upon seeing the glaring look I had on my face. "Ahem! In any case, you defeated Rover and can now use the warp tile to go back to the entrance of the Face Shrine and back again. Considering how large this dungeon is, it could to be a useful shortcut. In fact, do you want to leave in order to get any medicine?"

"No, I'm going to continue on." I said whilst shaking my head.

"Okay, but do take my words to heart."

Heading into the next room, there was a flying bomb icon, two elephant statues, and an open door. "This feels too easy, you know what I mean?" I took a few steps forward then immediately got my sword and shield ready for combat only for nothing to happen. "Okay... This is too easy."

"I guess the dungeon is giving you a slight reprieve."

"I'm okay with that because I know it's only going to get tougher from here." Picking up the elephant statue on the right, nothing happened so I tossed it aside. Then I picked up the other one and it revealed a hidden staircase where it once stood. "Not much of a puzzle, don't you think?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "I have a feeling you were meant to ignore the door in front of you and the statues. I mean, you could still go north and see where it goes or you can take the stairs and find out where they go." Her Highness then scratched her head and tilted her head in confusion. "Why ignore a door? In fact, why create such a simple puzzle? None of this makes any sense!"

"Welcome to my world."

"What do you want to do?"

"I'll see where the door goes first." Heading north, I found myself in a very familiar looking room. "Twilight? Isn't this the room that I was in before the one that had Rover in it? I'm sure of it." There were four pots, two on each side, a hole in the wall, and four torches, one in each corner... I had definitely been in here before. "What in Celestia just happened!?" I walked back through where I came from and was back in the room where I had used my first small key. "Did I just experience some kind of teleportation magic?"

"Let me take a look at the map again." Princess Twilight said. I took it out and she combed through it before reaching a conclusion. "According to this, the door that you went through doesn't lead anywhere. There is no room beyond it. Instead, you were taken back to a previous room. I'm not sure why this was created but it's caused a mere inconvenience. It wasn't any kind of magic but it did prove effective."

I was about to lose my temper but refrained as I only went back a few rooms. "At least it didn't send me to an area of the dungeon that would've required me to backtrack." I then looked down at my belt at the pouch that contained the ocarina. "Of course, I could've used Manbo's Mambo in case I got really stuck somewhere." I then looked at the map and sure enough, the door did in fact lead nowhere. "Guess I'm a fool for being tricked like that."

"At least it wasn't a serious setback."

"No, I suppose not."

Heading back through the rooms until I was back in the one with the staircase, I glared at the door that lead to nowhere before heading down into another underground tunnel. There were spikes, ladders, Sparks, and Goombas all throughout, quite as assortment of obstacles though nothing I couldn't handle. Taking out the Roc's Feather, I began jumping across making sure to avoid getting hit as that could've caused me to get knocked down onto the spikes and I'd rather not have my butt get punctured. Upon getting past the monsters, the next section involved ladder jumping as there was one platform below with spikes surrounding it on both sides.

But before that, there was something I needed an answer for. Taking out the map, I began looking at it which prompted Princess Twilight to speak up. Why are you looking at the map in a place like this?"

"Because something has been bugging me."

"What's that?"

"I never did figure out what that Owl Statue meant about 'entering the space where the eyes have walls'." I answered as I poked the map repeatedly with my finger. I did this gently as it'd be utterly stupid of me to accidentally rip it to shreds via incessant poking. I haven't seen anything like that throughout the dungeon so did I miss something?"

"Oh... I'm surprised you didn't notice that you did figure it out."

"I did?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "It was something you figured out before the fact but you never noticed it until you brought it up." She then pointed at two rooms on the map which were the 'eyes' of what the dungeon represented, that being a face. These two rooms couldn't be seen at first on the map and were considered nothing but blank spaces, but you uncovered them by entering each eye by bombing your way in. Does that make any sense to you?"

"I think so?" I said in a confused manner.

"I wouldn't let it concern you, Sunset."

I then looked at the map for myself and indeed the two rooms Her Highness mentioned were in fact eyes on the face of the Face Shrine. Wow... I couldn't believe that I had solved a confusing riddle by doing absolutely nothing. At least I was able to figure out what the other Owl Statue said so I didn't feel like a complete idiot. Putting the map away in my pocket and turning my attention towards the ladders, I needed perfect jumps so that I could grab each subsequent ladder and not land on the spikes. The platform down below was basically a saving grace in case I blundered.

Grabbing the first ladder and climbing down a little to give myself some more space (I didn't want to hit my head on the ceiling), I jumped to the next ladder but failed to grab any rungs resulting in me falling, but fortunately, I grabbed one at the very last minute, saving myself from being fatally poked. With my heart beating against my chest like a jackhammer, I continued by jumping to the next ladder successfully but on jumping to the last one, I missed the rungs again but I managed to recover by grabbing one (I was cutting it way too close) at the last minute which made me feel relieved.

Climbing up the ladder, I re-entered the dungeon and discovered another key block in the corner of the room which went north. That meant I needed to find another small key as there was that other key block which required one. There was also a door to the south but my eyes were focused on what was on the ground, namely, the tiles that would attack me. I could head south and avoid getting pelted but I felt I could get something in here by facing the tiles. One of them then began rising up which pretty much forced me into a defensive position and preparing for the incoming storm.

To Be Continued.

Chapter 23: Facing the Face.

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.
By Ganondorf8.
February 19, 2021.
Chapter 23: Facing the Face.

As the first tile sailed through the air and broke upon impact with my shield, the Compass then made its sound to indicate that there was a small key in this room. Okay... Why did it make a sound now when I'd been in here for at least a couple of minutes? Choosing to ignore this weird oversight, the next tiles rose up and flung themselves at me but like the previous one, my shield proved too resilient and they broke. Princess Twilight then bopped me on the head, telling to look down and that's when I realized what was going on.

Unlike the other room with the moving tiles, there was no ground underneath these ones. As more tiles continued to rise up, I was getting less and less ground to walk on. If there had been monsters in here, I'd have likely fallen into one of those holes. Once I had finished enduring the onslaught, a small key then dropped down into the room, landing on a floor tile with a weird design on it. Looking down at the ground, I felt like I was walking on a piece of swiss cheese what with so many holes, but I needed to jump carefully and take my time.

Taking out the Roc's Feather, I jumped over several holes making sure to time my jumps carefully and picked up the key. The door to the south had never been locked so I was curious as to what was in that direction, but having the key meant I could unlock the key block and make further progression. Thinking it over for a few seconds, I decided to check out the southern room as it could provide a shortcut or reward me for wanting to explore. Jumping across the holes, I entered the next room where I immediately got pulled forward by a powerful force coming from the room's center.

Running in the opposite direction to avoid getting sucked into the void that was a Vacuum Mouth (I was surprised that I actually remembered its name), I smiled since two Green Zols popped up from the ground and they were promptly pulled into it. Despite that happening, I couldn't progress due to the door remaining locked so there had to be other Green Zols hiding on the other side of the room. As I walked over to that side, I was pulled again but stayed close to the wall as it acted like a buffer.

The remaining Green Zols weren't as fortunate and got pulled into the Vacuum Mouth which also unlocked the door. It made sense that I couldn't defeat it (The Vacuum Mouth) as it would've either pulled me into its form or the abyss that was surrounding a platform it was located on. Heading back the other way before I could be sucked up again, I entered the next room which featured several blocks, another abyss, and a strange creature that comprised of a single large eye that was rotating around in a circle. There was something about it which brought back memories of my previous journey but I couldn't put my finger on it.

Princess Twilight then filled in the blanks. "Be careful, Sunset. That's a Beamos over there in the corner."

"You mean the rotating eyeball?" I asked.

"Yes." Princess Twilight answered as she nodded. "You have encountered these before during your last adventure, but they were far more advanced compared to this one but still deadly. If it spots you, it will fire a single laser beam in your direction. Don't try to defend yourself with your shield as it's not strong enough. Nothing you have can defeat it so all you can do is avoid that eye. Luckily, it rotates around so it's not always looking at you."

"How do you remember what I've seen from something I haven't done in months?"

"I have a remarkable photographic memory."

"Well that makes one of us!" I said under my breath as I felt dejected.

"By the way, can you take out the map again?" I did as Her Highness asked and took it out where she immediately examined it before batting it with her thumb. "Ah-ha! Just as I thought! If you go north from here, you'll be one room south of where the Nightmare is. Since you don't have the Nightmare Key, going any further this way is pointless unless you wanted to see what lies ahead."

"So I came this way too soon!?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "Pretty much."

Once again, my curiosity had caused me to take a wrong direction, but it wasn't a complete loss. I had to come back this way once I had the Nightmare Key so I'd given myself a sneak peak of the Beamos. Looking at the map, I confirmed the Nightmare was indeed up ahead but as Her Highness said, going any further was pointless without that key. Besides, there were a few rooms on the far right-hand side of this dungeon which remained unexplored and the key had to be in one of the two treasure chests, or in the one I skipped over initially.

Leaving, I was back in the room with the Vacuum Mouth and ignored it though it once again tried sucking me towards it yet I hid behind a torch to avoid that before it paused long enough for me to get by. In the next room, the tiles were surprisingly back in their original spots (This wasn't the case with the other tile room) but when one began to rise up, I ignored it knowing what was about to happen next and ran across before inserting the small key into the key block. As it disappeared, I was suddenly hit in the back by a tile. While it didn't really hurt, I felt annoyed that I did get hit.

The next room beyond the key block was a familiar one. "Look up there, Twilight! There's the Owl Statue from before!"

"You're right!"

"Now I'm starting to come full circle with this dungeon."

"Since you only have a few rooms left to explore, I'd say you can wrap things up here very soon."

"Unless I end up getting blocked by something." I said whilst wagging my finger. "You know such things happen to me all the time, Twilight, and I expect something like to happen here because this world loves it."

"You can overcome it."

"Just like that?"

Smiling, Princess Twilight nodded. "Nothing can stop you, Sunset!"

While Her Highness having such confidence in me gave me strength, sometimes I felt she overdid it. Sure, I'm the heroine but I'm not perfect. If anything, I'm a flawed individual who scrapes by through a combination of luck, courage, having exactly what I needed, and even more luck. I just wished Her Highness wouldn't give me quite so much praise. I intended on keeping this to myself because it would make her sad if she knew I didn't always appreciate her positivity.

Then again, given what I've been enduring, I needed as much positivity as I could get. Walking forward, I jumped up and grabbed a flying bomb icon (I actually didn't really need it but you could never have enough) and then avoided a pair of Sparks which were moving around the room. There was also an elephant statue which I picked up and carried over to a pot symbol panel which was covering up the way forward. Good thing I noticed that out of the corner of my eye otherwise I'd have to leave and then come back in order to re-spawn the statue.

Smashing the statue against the panel destroying both, I entered the next room where both doors locked themselves. I remembered this room from before as it was the first time I saw the horse heads though I didn't know how they worked at the time. It was a bit more cramped but I didn't think it was going to be an issue since the horse heads had a weird throwing mechanism. Noticing the panels hiding underneath some pots, I picked one up and tossed it into the others, smashing them all and collecting a recovery heart and two green rupees.

Picking up the white head and positioning myself accordingly (I still had a slight issue of needing to be three spaces back instead of two which was the correct movement), I tossed it at the panel where it landed safely before turning to face the front where its glowed. I then picked up the black head, got into position, and tossed it where it landed, turned around, and its eyes glowed to signal success, both doors unlocked allowing me to continue.

The next room was where I had found the Compass on the other side of the face statues but this time, I was on the other side and now had access to the stairs which had previously eluded me. Heading down them into another tunnel, I could see some blue spiked creatures on the ceiling. Each one had a single eye that were looking straight down yet it appeared they hadn't noticed my presence. "Twilight? What can you tell me about these things?"

"These are known as Thwomps..." Princess Twilight then stopped talking.

"What's wrong?" I asked with a concerned look.

"They are based off of a creature which appear in the world of Mario." Princess Twilight answered. She knew how I felt about monsters being taken from another video game though it had been some time since this last happened. "Huh..." Her Highness was surprised by my lack of a reaction to her previous statement. "And there I was expecting an angry rant from you."

I sighed. "At this point, I should just accept the fact that this is even happening."

"Monsters from other games?"

I nodded. "No sense in complaining about something you can't even control." I then paused before continuing. "It's also because I stopped caring about it and not because of what we found out in that other shrine." I sounded like a horrible person upon saying that I didn't care so I quickly addressed it before Her Highness would take things the wrong way and say something she would regret later. "Complaining doesn't do anything to change things so accepting it and moving on is all I can do. Does it annoy me? Yes, but I'm more focused on finding the next instrument."

"Okay, then I can continue."

"Please do."

"As you can see, Thwomps are covered in spikes which makes them invincible." Princess Twilight said. "The reason they are looking straight down is that they will drop down when anything walks underneath them." She then gulped and I knew what she was going to ask next so I chose to do it anyway before she could. I knew she wanted me to trigger one in order to give me a further explanation. I stepped underneath a Thwomp before quickly moving back when it turned bright red and dropped remarkably fast where it crashed with a soft thud. "That's what happens when something walks under them."

"But that impact was soft." I said whilst recovering.

"Despite being made of stone, they are surprisingly light in this regard." Princess Twilight then blushed. "I also like how you knew I was going to ask you to step underneath the first one all because I gulped."

"You're not very subtle you know." I said as I rolled my eyes.

Princess Twilight giggled before brushing it off. "I don't try to me if I can help it. Anyway, there's no way you can walk under all of them as they drop very quickly. You'll need to use the Pegasus Boots to get by. Fortunately, these are the only Thwomps here so you don't need to get used to this. Also, if my calculations are correct from what I've seen of the dungeon's layout, you need only go through this tunnel once."

"Are you sure about that?"

"You can use the warp panel or Manbo's Mambo once you get the Nightmare Key."

While that was true, I wanted to go back to that room where I couldn't reach the chest because of not having activated a Crystal Switch. I'm sure Her Highness knew I wanted to do that but said it the way she did knowing how much I hated backtracking. Come to think of it, I had to backtrack through that one tunnel anyway in order to reach the Nightmare. To be honest, it wasn't that big of an issue despite my opinions on the matter. Switching to the Pegasus Boots, I ran forward and as each Thwomp changed colour, it dropped down, crashing into the ground with a light thud (It sounded very cute).

Running into the side of a raised platform which brought me to a stop, I could see three more Thwomps up ahead with one being lower on the ceiling than the other two. Using the Roc's Feather, I jumped only for the first one to change colour indicating that it was ready to drop at a moment's notice. Dropping down slightly, I dashed forward when all three dropped and crashed. It was slightly stressful knowing how fast they were but it proved easy as their reaction time couldn't keep up with speed. Heading to the end of the tunnel, I climbed up a ladder and re-entered the dungeon.

The first thing I noticed, aside from the doors locking (I'm no longer surprised when this happens), were some monsters I hadn't seen in a long time. "Pols Voice!" I exclaimed. " I recall them being rather difficult to defeat."

"You do have the means to defeat them really quickly." Princess Twilight first pointed at my bow and then at the pouch that contained the Ocarina. It was the latter which left me confused as what could music do here? "Pols Voice are vulnerable to arrows. One arrow can defeat it instantly and can go through multiple ones if they are lined up properly. I don't know if I've told you this next bit but I will anyway just to be safe. Because of their large ears, Pols Voice are very sensitive to noise. Why not play a song on the ocarina? It will have to be 'Ballad of the Wind Fish' as 'Manbo's Mambo' would teleport you back to the start of the dungeon."

"Music can beat them!?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "It sounds strange but its true."

"Now this I've got to see." Keeping my distance, I took out the ocarina and played 'Ballad of the Wind Fish', the song that Starlight Glimmer taught me. While I wanted to make better use of the song given the importance behind it according to her, knowing it was good enough I suppose. Hearing it with their ears, the Pols Voice all disappeared in a puff of smoke which caused both doors to unlock. "Wow... Music is a lot more powerful than I thought."

"More than destroying evil Equestrian Magic?"

I couldn't come up with a worthwhile response to that and Her Highness gave me the biggest smug I'd ever seen coming from her. Changing the subject, I then looked at both directions and where each could lead me. "So... Should I go north or south?"

"If you're not sure, take out the map."

I took out the map and looked at it again. "Okay, there's a chest up there on the very top of the map, another one slightly to the lower left, and the one at the bottom which is the one I had to ignore because of not having the tiles in the right positions." The two that were closer to my location were very tempting and it wouldn't take long to get to either of them, but I was also considering going back to find another Crystal Switch. Gah! This was so nerve-wracking! "I wish I had planned this out a bit more!" I had no idea which chest contained the Nightmare Key.

"Had you encountered another Crystal Switch along the way, you would've eliminated one of the chests thus reducing your current stress." Princess Twilight then lowered her head. "I guess my idea of activating the switches in order to maneuver them to save you some time ended up backfiring slightly."

"It was bound to happen."

"It should be simple enough to turn this blunder around."

"Yeah... I think I can make something work."

That something would most likely involve some backtracking. Once again, I hate having to do that but there wasn't much of a choice for me here. If the Nightmare Key wasn't in one of the two chests closest to me and was in fact in the one I ignored, I'd have to look for a Crystal Switch which would mean going back to previous rooms to find one. A shame the map didn't mark down Crystal Switch locations as that would make my life much easier.

Getting back to what direction I wanted to go in, I decided to go north because something compelled me to go that way. Heading north into the next room, I was surprised at seeing so many blocks. There was a couple of Sparks which needed to be jumped over along with some pots which I hoped contained rupees or hearts as I could do with these. Or, better yet, another Guardian Acorn to boost my defence just in case. There was also another flying bomb icon in the center of the room which made me curious as to why there so many of this particular icon. It felt like bombs were necessary for something.

Picking up a pot, I tried to jump using the Roc's Feather, but I couldn't take it out with my hands already full, and I ended up getting hit by a Spark which caused me to throw the pot automatically. Hmmm... While that was annoying, I supposed there was some kind of benefit to be found. Moving along as the Spark had reached the end of its path, turned around and began chasing me, I continued picking up and throwing pots. Upon reaching the icon, I jumped up to grab it, and resumed lifting pots though I did end up getting hit by another Spark before reaching the door.

In this next room, the door locked behind me and I could see that it was the same setup as it was on the opposite side of the dungeon. There were two more horse heads and I could see one of the panels was hiding underneath a pot. There was also a Star moving about on the other side of some blue tiles and that's when I expressed great joy. I was happy to see that there was a Crystal Switch in this room so now I could do less backtracking than expected. Finally, there was a chest which could be accessed as the orange tile was down, but it didn't contain the Nightmare Key as the Compass didn't make a sound.

The first thing I did was open up the chest and I took out a golden rupee. "Is this what I think it is?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "This is a Gold Rupee which is worth a whopping 300 rupees! Since you were having money troubles, this rupee has pretty much gotten rid of that problem and should give you enough money for any remaining purchases you need to make."

My jaw dropped when Her Highness said '300'. Then my excitement faded when I made a realization. "If only I had gotten a rupee like this a lot sooner then I wouldn't have needed to have gotten those rupees from Starlight." I felt guilty knowing she had gone out of her way to get me some even though she refused to reveal how she acquired them.

"The thing is, Sunset, Gold Rupees are very rare." Princess Twilight said in her lecturing voice. "Finding one in a dungeon is also rare as they are usually hidden in a secret location that requires you to go out of your way to find it. They are also given to those who are successful in overcoming incredible odds." She quickly did a calculation using her hands before coming up with an answer. "With this sudden wealth increase, you've got roughly 680 rupees."

I couldn't say a word when she gave me that number at first but then I managed to overcome that. "Too bad I'll be using these rupees seeing as I've been told about needing to make an expensive purchase." It was Princess Luna who told me about that though she couldn't exactly say what it was. Perhaps Princess Cadance might be more willing as she said she would be meeting me in this dungeon.

"No sense in hoarding so much wealth you know."

Considering that she was a princess, she had a ton of wealth due to her station, but it sounded like she either didn't have access to it or did but chose not to let it define her. Putting the rupee into my wallet, I walked over to the pot, lifted it up, and tossed it aside and exposed the panel. I picked up the black horse head, stood in the correct position, and tossed it only for it to bounce off of the wall and landing next to the chest. I then tried again and it bounced off the wall a second time. Picking it up, I couldn't understand what was happening until it occurred to me just what I was doing.

It could only be thrown straight and to the right, not the left. How I didn't realize this sooner made me annoyed because I had almost freaked out because it wasn't working. Now knowing what to do, I went back to the chest, turned my back to it, and tossed the head where it landed on the panel, turned around, and its eyes glowed. Mumbling under my breath, I picked up the white horse head, moved into position, and tossed it where it landed into place. After turning itself around and its eyes glowed in response to being in place, the door unlocked.

Before leaving, I needed to take care of the Crystal Switch so that I could get that one chest I ignored. Taking out the bow, I fired an arrow at the Star, defeating it though I could've just ignored it. Firing another one, the coloured tiles changed position so now the Owl Statue's words about jumping across the platforms could be done. Heading back into the previous room, I had to go through with picking up and tossing pots again. Sometimes, I wished I didn't have to redo what I had already done but this was apparently a pretty common occurrence in video games.

Avoiding the Sparks this time around, I made my way back to the next previous room and the Pols Voice hadn't re-spawned. I was actually glad they hadn't even though I had the means to defeat them without any real effort. Entering the next room, both doors locked and I froze upon seeing what was in here. "You've got to be kidding me!"

Princess Twilight wasn't as shocked as I was. "Huh... I wasn't expecting the Dodongo Snakes to show up again."

As Her Highness said, two Dodongo Snakes, the same monsters that gave me headaches back in the Key Cavern, were now here in the Face Shrine. "I had problems dealing with them the last time so why are they here now?"

"I don't know but you need to defeat them in order to progress." Princess Twilight answered. She then noticed some stairs on the other side of a small hole in the ground and bopped me on the head to get my attention. "If you jumped over there and go up those stairs, you can leave this room if you run out of bombs. That's not likely to happen as you have plenty of them considering you did pick up ten of them just recently."

"Doesn't change the fact that I didn't want to see them again."

"Not much you can do about that." Her Highness then pointed down at the ground. "This time around, you've got some holes in the ground so you can't just run all over the place. However, this does mean the Dodongo Snakes don't have as much maneuverability so getting around them will be easy. Also, bombs that get thrown into those holes are gone forever so make sure each one counts."

"This is going to take me a while."

"Yes, but you know what to do right off the bat."

"Will Bomb Arrows work on them?"

Princess Twilight shook her head. "No, but kudos to you for actually thinking about it. Dodongo Snakes are immune to bomb explosions because of their thick hides so you can only damage them from within. Their mouths don't open up long enough for a Bomb Arrow to get shot into them. I do suggest focusing on one at a time rather than alternating back and forth but in the end, it's up to you on how best to approach this."

"I'd rather not fight them at all."

"Again, not much can be done about it."

Why did it have to be the Dodongo Snakes!? To be fair, they weren't really difficult to defeat as all they did was move around, open their mouths, close them up again, and repeat that process. My one issue with them? They forced me to use more bombs than necessary. I'd have taken any of the stronger monsters on the island over them. Heck, I'd even go up against Rover again if it meant not having to fight these things. Unfortunately, that wasn't going to happen which meant I had no choice but to fight them and hopefully for the last time (That was my hope at the very least).

Turning to my left, I was immediately startled by one which was sitting (Or whatever it was supposed to be doing) right next to me. It opened its mouth and I responded with a bomb which it consumed before it exploded and inflicted some internal damage. Okay, I'll take this one out first so I'll ignore the other for the time being. The first snake shook off the explosion and then began moving again where I stepped aside and allowed it to move by unheeded. It then turned to the right before doing so again and I followed along in order to get out in front.

It then opened its mouth and I took out another bomb but it closed its mouth before I had a chance to toss it. This was why I hated fighting these monsters because the window of opportunity was so narrow. It also didn't help that their slow movement made waiting to attack unbearable. I then noticed something about them I never noticed before or maybe I did and merely forgot all about it. Every time they moved, their mouths would open and then close shortly afterward. Had I truly been ignorant all this time? Sighing, I realized that I needed to be more attentive regarding my surroundings.

Moving in front of the Dodongo Snake, I dropped a bomb (Tossing wasn't a good idea despite my first one being successful) only for it to ignore it by turning to the right. I remained calm knowing this was just how they moved and losing it would've just made things worse. Heading around to its front, it turned left so I groaned slightly and went in front of it again and dropped another bomb. This one got swallowed where it exploded and caused more internal damage. Okay, things were going better than expected excluding how they kept changing directions at the worse time.

Speaking of which, I had lost track of the other one, but it didn't matter as it ended up pushing into me with its gaping mouth. I almost fell into a hole only for my feet to bring me to a stop at the very last moment. Regaining my composure, I wisely chose to ignore it and focused on dealing with the other one as it had been damaged twice. Both were now moving about together before the one I was targeting turned south and moved in-between two large holes in the ground. I then went left and then down to the bottom of the room to intercept it (There was also more room) and dropped a bomb though its mouth closed.

Cursing for not getting the timing, it moved forward again and I dropped another bomb which it swallowed, and upon the bomb exploding, it popped like a balloon whilst leaving behind a fairy for my troubles. Yeah... I just couldn't get used to seeing it pop like that. Grabbing the fairy to restore my health, I began to focus my attention on the other Dodongo Snake which was moving around near the northeast corner. I thought about calling it over either by shouting or whistling but it was doubtful that it would even notice my cries preferring instead to go about at its own pace.

"You're handling this rather well." Princess Twilight commented on a whim.

"I'm just trying to get through this as fast as possible."

"But you're a lot calmer than you were last time you fought Dodongo Snakes."

"If I act irrationally, I end up wasting bombs." I said. Before I could continue or Her Highness could say something, the other Dodongo Snake was coming towards me. I walked up, dropped another bomb, and stepped back only for it to explode without it consuming it. "See what I mean, Twilight? I'm doing my best to remain calm but when you see something like that happen, you can't help but get incredibly frustrated."

"Remember that you have more bombs than you did then."

"That's true but it's the principle of the thing."

"You also have those flying bomb icons which do re-spawn after you go through a few rooms."

No matter what I said, Princess Twilight had an answer for it, and it showed that she had done her homework. She was right about the bomb icons since they gave me back ten bombs and I could only carry thirty of them at a time. Maybe the stress of having to deal with Dodongo Snakes had gotten to me? I then began thinking about how there were so many opportunities in the Face Shrine to replenish my bombs. Was it because of this encounter? No... That couldn't be right despite the obvious evidence. Maybe the Nightmare? It was possible yet it wasn't a reliable answer.

The remaining Dodongo Snake had since gone around the holes and was now coming my way again. Walking up to it, I dropped another bomb which it consumed this time and it exploded inflicting damage. On a side note, I was a bit disturbed about how its body inflated every time a bomb exploded whilst inside of it. It just made me uncomfortable. It then turned to the left and began moving back up past the left large hole so I walked up the middle to get in front of it though it then turned right. In my mind, I felt like losing my temper but I refrained knowing it was just behaving like it normally would.

Moving in front of it again, I dropped another bomb which it didn't consume. It then moved forward and I dropped another which did go in. It exploded but it shrugged it off before moving on though it did cough up some of the explosion. Rather than chase it, I decided to wait for it to come around again. Despite how it took for it to do so, I actually felt relaxed as I waited. Being in a rush only caused me to make mistakes not to mention make me feel irritable. I must have been bad to be around by some people if my attitude was like that. Princess Twilight was used to it so she was an exception.

It came around and I dropped one more bomb which it swallowed. The bomb exploded which made the Dodongo Snake pop revealing a fairy and this unlocked both doors. No warp panel appeared but then Princess Twilight explained it to me. "Only one warp panel can appear in a dungeon at any time. If there were multiple ones, it would make things too easy and also confusing as you wouldn't know which one to take. Yes, they count as special monsters (The correct term was mid-boss) but because Rover guarded the panel, defeating the snakes simply gave you progression."

"I suppose I can accept that."

"On the subject of the Dodongo Snakes, has your opinion of them changed?"

I shook my head. "No it hasn't!"

"That's understandable."

"I will admit that I did better against them this time as opposed to before." I then wiped my forehead due to sweating and not because I was afraid. "I'm hoping that I don't fight them again, but something tells me it's going to happen. It's a weird feeling that makes you want to throw up." I then took out the map again to confirm my location in the dungeon. "The next room is the one whose floor had been flooded so we're back in the same place again."

"But you have an advantage." Princess Twilight added as she pointed to the small key dangling from my belt. "If you hadn't gone into that water room originally, you'd have been forced to do so now and also be forced to backtrack here. Remember what we saw when we were here before?"

I pictured the water room in my mind and sure enough, I remembered the key block and the platform it was on being too high to be reached. Good thing I chose to explore it when I did. Heading into the room, I was now on an upper platform which was opposite of where the key block was. "You were right about it being an advantage."

"Had you not have the key, you'd be jumping down right about now."

I breathed a sigh of relief. It's not like backtracking was something I absolutely despised even though I had often thought about it that way. I knew that there were times where it had to be done because it meant coming back to a previous place with an item or information you didn't have previously. That kind of backtracking was okay as it would eventually lead to progression and I'd be closer to reaching my final goal.

If it wasn't for those warp panels allowing me to get across the island, I'd have honestly chosen to given up. Yeah, I've walked across much larger places but I always complained about them. I was glad Princess Twilight could put up with my whining. Then again, I had to put up with her whining though hers was more practical given how she wanted to help me more than simply being a source of wisdom while mine were more immature in nature. Between us both, I complained way more than she did.

Taking out the Hookshot, I aimed at the block on the other side and pulled myself across. Using the small key on the key block, it disappeared and I walked forward until I came to a most unusual sight. "Why are there all these pots surrounding a chest?" The Compass then made a sound indicating that this was where the Nightmare Key was located but if it was here, what was in the remaining chest? A Star then came hurdling towards me and I defeated it by swinging my sword. "Anyway, like I said, what's up with this?"

"I'm not sure, but there is an Owl Statue which might give you an answer."

"Since this is the chest with the Nightmare Key... What's in the one I ignored?"

"The most likely answer is money." Princess Twilight answered. She then paused because something came to mind that she hadn't considered when she made that statement. "But, since when would a chest containing a special rupee require such a complicated puzzle to be solved first?"

"Maybe it's something else?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "Perhaps but the question is whether you want to see what it is. It's not that far from where we are so you can easily take a quick detour." She then gazed up at me before turning towards the chest. " I know you've kind of made it a habit of making sure all treasure chests have been opened and I do commend you for having such consistency, but maybe you should ignore it and go straight to the Nightmare."

It sounded like Her Highness was worried about my safety and I was okay with that as it was her job. At the same time, however, I had to take some risks because if I didn't then I wouldn't be able to learn from those experiences and better myself as a person. "No, I'm going to open up all treasure chests... Including that one."

"Okay..." Princess Twilight felt dejected but ultimately nodded as she knew I wasn't going to change my mind. "I trust your judgment."

Picking up a pot and tossing it aside, I then took out the Stone Beak and placed it on the Owl Statue where it began speaking to me. 'To open a treasure chest, use the pots around it'. Removing the beak and putting it away, I stood there in disbelief over what I had been told. It sounded incredibly stupid, but then I knew there was truth in those words so I wasn't about to brush them off. "I need to use one of these pots. Before I do that though, let me try something first." I attempted to open the chest only for the lid to be stuck firmly tight.

"You can't open it?"

I shook my head. "No. Not even with my enhanced strength could I make the lid budge." I then scratched my head before picking up a nearby pot. "I seriously have to use one of these in order to get the Nightmare Key? It's rather pointless if you think about it since every other chest was easy to open."

"Not necessarily true, Sunset." Princess Twilight said as she pointed to the Owl Statue. "If you didn't find the Stone Beak and had come all this way, you'd have been completely stumped. Granted, missing the beak was next to impossible since the chest it was in wasn't hidden and it's possible that you could've figured this puzzle out by dumb luck. Unless you didn't care about wisdom or I wasn't here for you, you'd have been lost even with the beak."

"Who doesn't care about wisdom?"

"Those who think they know it all."

That one must have really hit home for someone somewhere out there, but I could understand what Princess Twilight was getting at. If you don't need wisdom and you think you can figure things out on your own, all the power to you as you clearly thought you knew best. There was nothing wrong with needing a little help though it took both courage and wisdom to ask for it given how some were prideful. I would always need the wisdom of Her Highness and Princess Celestia (I couldn't ignore her) since I knew how difficult life could get by acting on my own without guidance.

Picking up a pot and tossing it at the chest, the lid popped open and the Nightmare Key was spat out which landed in front of the Owl Statue. "I wasn't expecting it to get spat out like that let alone at all. I'm not complaining mind you but still, I wasn't expecting it." I then noticed another Crystal Switch which I must have ignored this entire time, but I didn't need it since the blue and orange tiles were already in the positions they needed to be. " I guess this switch is here in case you need it for an emergency."

"And you don't need it as there are no puzzles left that require them."

"Except for that one by the remaining chest." I said as I winked.

"Which you've already solved as you activated the previous Crystal Switch in the room where you found that gold rupee."

"I like it when things go my way."

Princess Twilight nodded. "It also helps to plan ahead which is why I am such a good influence on you." Was that her way of saying that she was the source behind my current good fortune? If so, I wasn't going to complain. Her Highness was entitled to brag every once in a while and show off how good she was in any given situation... So long as she's in full control and not in a complete panic. She then continued. "Now, Sunset... You should be able to get back to the remaining chest by heading south. You can ignore any monsters since you've unlocked the doors."

I wanted to ask her something regarding bombs, an issue which had been on my mind for some time, but I chose not to say anything for the time being. A better opportunity would be in the room before the Nightmare since my concern related to it. Heading back the other way, I jumped down to the water soaked floor, and was immediately bumped by the Water Tektites which had long since re-spawned, the damage being minimal. Since I couldn't swing my sword in such a narrow passageway, I switched over to the Pegasus Boots whilst getting hit again, and dashed forward and through them before hitting the wall.

Recovering, I went up the stairs, avoided the Sparks, and entered the next room where I fought four Wizzrobes. They all popped up but fired their magic in the wrong direction before disappearing again. A miscalculation? Whatever it was, I could get by without any problems. I could've jumped to collect the flying arrow icon but decided against it as I hadn't been using the bow lately. Heading south again, I reached the room with the tiles that I could cross and the Owl Statue's words now made sense.

With the orange tiles up, they now served as platforms to reach the chest. Ignoring the two Stars, I went up the stairs, took out the Roc's Feather, and began to jump across the tiles though I had to be careful as they were small compared with what I usually used for platform jumping. After a near mishap where I almost fell off (It would've been a mere inconvenience since I could just go back and try again), I reached the other side and jumped due to a Blade Trap waiting for me. Jumping over it and heading north as it pursued me, I re-entered the previous room and approached the last chest.

Opening it, I took out a can of tuna. "Wait a minute... A can of tuna? That can't be right."

"What is tuna exactly, Sunset?"

I was shocked. "You don't have tuna in Equestria!?"

"You know as well as I do that we don't have such a thing."

I slapped my forehead. How could I have forgotten that Her Highness and everyone else in Equestria had never heard of tuna? "Let me explain before this gets even more ridiculous than it already is. In the world I call home, there are those who place tuna, the remnants of fish, into cans so that they can sell them to consumers." I didn't like going into such talk as it could get awkward very quickly but Her Highness appeared to get what I was saying. "I don't eat tuna so I wouldn't know how it tastes. Anyway, what is a can of tuna doing in a treasure chest?"

Princess Twilight took a closer look for herself. "This isn't a can but rather some secret medicine."

"What!?" I then looked at what I'd found and sure enough, the words 'secret medicine' were on it via a label. "How did one of Sugar Belle's medicines end up here? Mind you, this is beneficial since there's no reason to pay her a visit." That's when I started to feel guilty. "Still... I feel bad that I got this for free." I know what I said was bonkers given what I had to endure to find this but Her Highness knew what I was saying.

"Think of it like this..." Princess Twilight began. "You worked very hard to find this medicine and even though you didn't pay for it or see Sugar Belle, I am certain she is happy knowing that you've got some of her medicine on hand. Besides, you do remember what she said about you only being able to have one dose of her magic medicine, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah... What about it?"

"If you had come across this chest and were already carrying some medicine..."

It then occurred to me what Her Highness was getting at. "I wouldn't be able to take this new medicine with me."

Princess Twilight nodded. "Correct! You'd have to leave it behind and close the chest up. Essentially, you'd have wasted your time which in turn would've made you feel humiliated and outright disappointed. Good thing that isn't the case here."

While her choice of words could've been a lot better (They were very close to home on a personal level for me), I was fortunate that I found some magic medicine. Given that I was soon to face off against the Nightmare, I needed an extra means of survival in case it ended up killing me like the Slime Eel had done in the last dungeon. "Guess all that remains now is going to the boss room."

"You won't need to use Manbo's Mambo this time." Princess Twilight reached into my pocket and took out the map herself, the first time she had done so. "Sorry to have done that but I really wanted to get my point across. As you can see, the warp pad where Rover was is just a couple of rooms away. I'm sure you don't need me to explain the rest."

If I played it and went back to the beginning of the dungeon, I'd be further away from where I'm ultimately supposed to go. Taking the map from Her Highness, I looked at it and saw that I only needed to backtrack a short distance (Roughly four rooms). This was totally fine for me considering it wasn't like that in previous dungeons. Of course, there was the one room before the Nightmare which I hadn't explored which could change things in an instant. I just had to hope the room didn't contain another strong monster otherwise I'd be in quite a bind.

"Um... I'm not sure why you want to punish me, Mr. Ganondorf..." Fluttershy began. "I haven't really done anything bad in comparison to my friends." She then took on a more serious look which unfortunately went against what she was trying to go for. "Sure, they've made some mistakes but we overcome them and become much stronger for it. I'm saying you can't use whatever tricks you're using on me."

Slapping his forehead, Ganondorf began to laugh. "What kind of amusing talk is this? You believe yourself to be truly innocent, kind one? Such a bold claim has made me laugh in a way I never thought was possible."

"See?" Fluttershy said as she smiled. "There's no reason to punish me and my friends."

He continued laughing until he slammed his fist which caused the entire room to vibrate. "Arrogant girl! You and your friends are associated with the child, she who is destined for far greater things! For that, you must be made to suffer so that her will can be broken." He then turned to my friends. "My words seem to have confused you all so allow me to explain so that you can understand. Sunset Shimmer... The child... The bonds you have with her are strong and thus make her more powerful. She cannot grasp that her potential is limitless."

"That's because Sunset Shimmer doesn't care about power!" Twilight Sparkle shouted.

"Ah, but she does, magic one."

Applejack then intervened. "What yer sayin' is nothin' but bunkus! We know Sunset used to crave power at one time in her life, but that was a long time ago and she has changed a lot since them days. Heck! I reckon y'all have no idea what kind of person she truly is. These days, she cares about her friends and wanting to do the right thing."

Then Twilight added on. "Sunset isn't the kind of girl you think she is!"

"Heh... Heh... Heh... Do you all really think you know the child's true inner thoughts?" Ganondorf asked. My friends all shook their heads as they talked amongst themselves which allowed him to laugh before turning towards Fluttershy. "I will deal with you presently, kind one, but know that you will not be spared." He turned back to my friends. "Power is a force one cannot deny. Once you have sampled its taste, you can never be rid of such a sensation. The child is merely lost and I shall awaken her potential whether she is willing or not. But... That does not mean she is the only one."

"What do you mean?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"There are others who are like her."

"That don't make a lick of sense." Applejack said.

Ganondorf laughed. "Of course it would not to those who cannot see beyond the veil." He then looked back at Fluttershy. "It seems none of you understand the truth... How unfortunate, and yet, I had foreseen it. Talking anymore about it would be a waste of my time as it would just go above your feeble minds. To think that your world relies upon you to save it from forces beyond their comprehension. Destiny was desperate to have chosen you."

"Hey!" Rainbow Dash shouted.

Fluttershy then stared at the Demon King. "How dare you speak to my friends like that!? You ought to be ashamed of yourself! You can torment me as much as you want but don't you ever speak that way about them again!"

Ganondorf then responded with his own stare, his piercing gaze so sharp, it trounced her stare reducing her to being meek. "You are fortunate that I need all of you alive, kind one, otherwise you'd all be dead right now. If you did not possess your powers, you'd all be nothing more than fodder for the dark creatures who serve me. Kind one... You claim to have done nothing wrong, and yet I can see an event from the past, one which involved animals."

"How do you know about that?"

"There is nothing I do not know!"

Fluttershy then tried to focus on something else but it was too late. "No... I don't want to remember that incident."

"It is the one sin that weighs heavily on you more than any other." Ganondorf snapped his fingers and she could see something no one else could. "Your friends need not know of what you have done as it yours alone to endure." He then looked at them. "The kind one has succumbed just like all of you have before her. She believed that she cared about her precious creatures but this was a sin that she had been hiding from the world and to herself. I know one of you knows what I am talking about so if you want the others to know, now is the time to speak up."

Rarity then spoke up. "There... Was an incident back when we were all really young. Fluttershy thought she was helping those animals but instead they caused plenty of damage and a fair number of them... I'd rather not say because I think you know what happened. The rest were perfectly fine but she was so scarred by the incident that she repressed it from her memories and never spoke about it."

"How do you know about it?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"I was with her at the time." Rarity answered. "Wild animals can be scared so easily and well, you know how Fluttershy is around all animals."

"Enough!" With a wave of his hand, Fluttershy was returned to my friends and was also freed of his power. "And now you are the only one who remains, magic one." Ganondorf was then taken aback when Twilight suddenly broke free of the magic she and my friends had been trapped in before using some of her own against him. He immediately caught it in his hand and crushed it effortlessly. She then tried again and this time he swatted it away. She tried one last time only for him to take the hit and was unaffected. "Are you quite done?"

Twilight nodded. "I guess I am."

"Magic one... It is said that you possess the strongest power of all among your friends."

"I've been told that."

Ganondorf laughed. "For someone of your age, your grasp of magic is most impressive. However, I have practiced it for millennia! You are but a speckle of dust compared to me, but then unlike your friends, you also possess something else. Do not attempt to feign ignorance as you already know the answer." Twilight then dropped to her knees as the Demon King trapped her once again in his magic. "Yes... You know what you once were. Even though you despise that creature, its essence continues to linger deep within. Once one is tainted by evil, it can never be removed no matter how much they try."

"No..." Twilight said as she shook her head. "I'm not that way anymore! She's gone forever!"

"She is not gone." Ganondorf said in a slow voice. "She remains within you even now. Her essence is something that is of no further use to you. It has become nothing more than an empty husk devoid of anything other than the yearning for more power. It is something that must be given a new purpose. I shall therefore take this essence from your very being. I desire it for my own purposes and it shall be mine."

Jumping down from where the chest was and landing on the ground, the four Wizzrobes appeared and fired their magic. All four shots hit me and while I thought about retaliating, it was more important for me to head over to the Nightmare. Ignoring them and entering the next room, I went north and then north again through the hole in the wall and entered the room where Rover had been. Before moving on, I looked down at the warp panel and felt bad that it wasn't going to be of any use given how my progression went. Not everything could be used it seemed.

In the next room, I used the Roc's Feather to jump up and grab the flying bomb icon. Heading into the tunnel, I jumped across making sure to avoid the Sparks as the threat of sharp spikes below was still an issue. Once I got passed them, I had to deal with jumping across the ladders. I know I'd done this recently but given how I had problems before, I was expecting the same thing to happen. Walking up to the first ladder and grabbing the rung, I took a deep breath before jumping...

And I missed the rung of the next ladder. I quickly grabbed a lower placed rung and pulled myself back up. Like I said, I was going to have the same problems as before and sure enough, it just happened. At least I was consistent although it wasn't something to be proud of. I then jumped across to the remaining ladders and for some reason, I didn't slip up which made me question my luck. Re-entering the dungeon, I immediately went south just as the tiles began rising up from the ground and were about to move towards me.

In the next room, the Vacuum Mouth was still there, and it began to suck me towards it, but I ran in the opposite direction and towards the door before moving on. Now I was back to where I needed to be and with the proper items in my possession. The Beamos was still here and I had to be careful dealing with it. As Princess Twilight mentioned to me before, my shield couldn't stop its beam so avoiding it was my only option. Walking up and pushing one of the blocks, it moved forward which put me in direct range of the monster where fired its beam as its eye was now looking at me.

It zipped past me, missing by mere inches before the eye resuming looking around. "That was way too close for comfort!"

Princess Twilight nodded. "While the beam won't inflict too much damage, it moves so quickly that it's almost impossible to react to it. By the way, you should know that these blocks can actually protect you from getting hit by it."

"Really?"

"Again, Princess Twilight nodded. "Yes. I didn't mention it before since you had to leave this room anyway. Now that you have to progress forward, it's best for you to know this information and apply it. Also, the way forward is still locked so there has to be a monster hidden around here."

"It can only be one thing... A Wizzrobe."

"Or a Green Zol or maybe a red one instead?"

No... I had a feeling it was going to be a Wizzrobe. They had a tendency to show up in the worst locations and this room was no exception. At that moment, my feeling was proven correct when one popped up from the ground and fired its magic at me. I was surprised that only one appeared as they were usually in groups but I wasn't about to complain as this was going to be more manageable. Taking out the bow, it reappeared and I fired a couple of arrows which defeated it and unlocked the door.

I then ducked as the Beamos fired another beam at me (I really needed a better shield if I were to face them again in the future) before its eye turned away from me. I took the opportunity to push another block forward where it fell into the abyss though no sound of it hitting the ground could be heard. Yeah... This was why I didn't want to fall into any holes. It would be a fate worse than death. Entering the next room, there were eight torches with one on each side remaining unlit which looked suspicious. There were also two Sparks moving around which felt like a pretty bad last means of defence.

"What do you make of the unlit torches, Twilight?"

"If you want to use your Magic Powder to light them, you can though I'm not sure what it will do."

Taking out the Magic Powder, I walked over to the torch on the left and lit it up though the only thing that happened was make the room brighter. I then walked over to the other one and lit it up which brightened things even more and caused both Sparks to disappear in puffs of smoke. Each one left behind a fairy which I happily went after and upon regaining my health, I stopped moving because I needed to ask my question. "Twilight... Why do you think there have been so many opportunities around here to stock up on bombs?"

"I'm not sure seeing as the stronger Power Bracelet was what you need for progression."

"I just find it odd that there were so many chances."

"You did need bombs in order to defeat the Dodongo Snakes."

I nodded. "I know but I feel as though they weren't the main reason." I then looked at the Nightmare Door. "Maybe I need bombs for the Nightmare? I know that sounds pretty farfetched given we have no idea what it looks like, but why give me so many ways to keep my bomb totals up to snuff?"

"Only one way to find out." Princess Twilight answered as she tilted her head towards the door.

Walking up and taking out the Nightmare Key, I inserted it into the lock and turned it, unlocking the door. Entering the room, the door locked behind me and I was surprised that there was nothing here though this wasn't my first time experiencing this. Looking upwards, I couldn't see anything so unless it was invisible, there was nothing here. In each corner of the room was a pot and acting like a border on the floor were different coloured tiles which already made me feel uneasy. If this was a means of making me nervous, it was clearly working.

"There's nothing here!"

"Hey dummy!" A voice called out.

"Was that you, Twilight?"

"No and I'd never call you anything like that." Princess Twilight answered.

The voice then called out again. "I've been waiting for you for quite some time! I heard from my fellow Nightmares that you came all this way just to get your hands on a little old instrument that I just so happen to be guarding."

Her Highness definitely heard it that time. "At least we know it's in this room."

"Where are you?" I asked.

"Wow! You really are a dummy if you haven't figured it out yet."

Now I was starting to get angry. "Why don't you show yourself already!"

The voice then responded. "I'm already here! It's just you're too stupid to realize that you're not looking in the right place." Again, I had no idea where the voice was coming from and it was clearly getting fed up with me. "Okay, just look down in front of your feet. If you can't figure this out then you're hopeless." I did as the voice asked and looked down to see a face appear in the floor. It then blinked a couple of times before giving off a loud laugh and opened its eyes fully. "About time! I'm Facade and welcome to what will surely be your end!"

"WAAAAH!" I shouted.

"Weren't expecting anything like me, were you?"

I shook my head. "You're... A giant face in the floor?"

"Yep, you're definitely a dummy!" Facade continued laughing and then it began to say something that felt out of character for a Nightmare. "Hey dummy! Need a hint? You sure could use one after that display. My weak point is..." It then stopped upon realizing that I had come here to defeat it. "Whoops! There I go again! I just can't help talking so much. One of these days, it's going to cost me dearly, but not today since you'll never figure it out."

"I've got a pretty good idea as to what I need to do here."

Facade then glared at me. "So you think you know already? Well, if that's the case then I need to make this quick! Okay, let's see if you can handle these tiles. I'm betting that you won't survive but if you do, I've got something else which I'm not telling you!" As it stood (Was it standing?) there or whatever it was doing, it kept its eyes on me as the first tile began to rise up from the ground. Unlike before where only one tile moved, another one was suddenly rising followed by another.

"This isn't looking good, Twilight."

"You need to focus on protecting yourself from those tiles." Princess Twilight said.

Raising my shield, I was able to repel the first tile only for the next one to hit me in the back since it was coming at me from behind. I turned around to face anymore coming from that direction only to get hit again on my side. It was clear that I had no way of deflecting every last tile as they were flying across the room in every direction. In the meantime, Facade continued watching my movements, its smile creeping me out along with the fact that it was a face in the ground. That's when it started making sense. The dungeon's layout including the name were an allusion to the Nightmare.

As more tiles were coming my way, I blocked some of them and was hit by others. I had no idea how many I had gone through but it felt like a never-ending storm. Even when I do survive this bizarre onslaught, I still need to figure out how to defeat this thing. Based on what it said in response to me knowing its weak point, I believed that bombs were going to effective. If they weren't the answer then I would really be in trouble. More tiles came at me and I was showing signs of exhaustion but I had to keep going.

Another tile then hit me in the back and I dropped to my knees. Facade had been laughing every time I got hit and seeing me fall must have been sheer bliss for it. Getting back up, I raised my shield and deflected another tile only to get hit in the side by another (At least none were hitting me in the head). A few more tiles came at me before they suddenly stopped altogether. Breathing a sigh of relief, I had endured the onslaught but not without taking some damage. Facade, in the meantime, had stopped smiling and I was concerned as to what it was going to do next.

"How about this!" It said as it quickly pointed at all four corners of the room. The four pots then rose up and came flying at me (I hadn't seen this kind of thing happen since the last adventure) and I responded by using my shield to deflect them. Once all four pots had shattered, it didn't sound all too happy. "You managed to survive the onslaught of tiles."

"Bet you weren't expecting me to survive were you?"

"Maybe you're not quite the dummy I thought you were."

"I'm ready for whatever you have next for me." I said. So far, I was still feeling pretty good despite having been hit by various tiles but I couldn't underestimate this Nightmare for even a second.

"Since you're just dying to know what I've got next, I'll stop talking and let you see it for yourself." Opening its mouth and letting out a brief scream, the ground in front of it began to disappear leaving behind holes. These then started to follow me around which prompted me to run away in hopes of not falling down one. More holes appeared which had me feeling very worried that I was about to die but they eventually stopped before they all disappeared as well as Facade.

"What in the world was that?"

"This is Facade's means of doing away with you." Princess Twilight answered.

"By using holes?"

"Unlike normal holes, if you fall into one of these, you'll take some damage and then reappear roughly in the same place." Princess Twilight answered. That made no sense at all and Her Highness could tell I was confused. "I don't like saying it like this but in order to get my meaning, you'll need to fall into one of those holes."

"You want me to do what?"

Before Her Highness could answer, Facade reappeared and began to create more holes in the ground. I went left in order to avoid them only for one to form in front of me and I plunged into it. Normally, this would've killed me, but I reappeared instead one space south of where I had fallen. I also felt a little weaker but that was a minor issue. It's just like what Princess Twilight said and it still didn't make sense. Then again, this was a Nightmare's power at work. It wouldn't surprise me if they could do things beyond the realm of reality.

When Facade disappeared along with the holes, Princess Twilight checked to see if I was okay. "And that's what happens when you fall into one of 'those' holes. Try not to make a habit out of it otherwise you're going to be using that magic medicine a lot sooner than you want."

"Thanks for the tip." I said as I shook myself off. "So how am I supposed to fight a face?"

"Even though it didn't reveal its weak point, I think it's pretty obvious as to what it is."

It only took me a second to realize what she meant and I slapped my forehead before groaning. "Ugh! I've got to hit it in the face! It's so blatantly obvious!" At least that riddle was solved though I'm ashamed I couldn't see it straight away. Now came the riddle of how I was supposed to hit it. "Most of my items aren't going to work are they?"

Princess Twilight shook her head. "Not even your sword can damage the ground."

That's when it clicked. "Twilight! That's it!" I then looked at the Bomb Bag I had attached to my belt. "I remember in my previous adventures that I could destroy certain sections of floor in order to uncover secrets. I know I've not done that on this journey but then there hasn't been any reason to do so. Anyway, perhaps that very principle can be applied here? What I mean is I should use bombs and blow up its face. After all, I had so many chances to stock up on them."

"A good theory but maybe try one of your other items first just in case."

Nodding, I waited for Facade to reappear and it did so in the northeast corner of the room where it summoned more holes and I responded by taking out the bow and firing an arrow at its face though nothing happened. I fired another arrow only for it to also fail. It began laughing before taunting me by saying that my effort was pathetic. Why did I choose to go with something I knew wouldn't work? It was to give off a false sense of security and to see if my theory might have been wrong. Putting the bow away, I pulled out a bomb but before I could throw at it Facade, it disappeared again.

Reappearing in the northeast corner again, I tossed my current bomb and it exploded before hitting the ground (That's what happens when you hold onto it for too long). I took out another one and tossed it over the holes where it landed and exploded inflicting some damage. That made Facade react in a very negative fashion. "GAAAH! Did you just use a bomb to hurt me!? How did you know what my weak point was? How did you know to use something like that!?"

"I just thought about it and it clicked." I answered.

That made Facade mad. "You're going to regret doing that!"

"And what can you do about it?"

"I'm going to kill you quickly! That's what I'm going to do!"

Because I had used a bomb to hurt it, Facade's hole summoning had been disrupted which made them disappear in addition to itself. It then reappeared in the southwest corner which is when I noticed that it taunted me for about two seconds. That could give me a moment to drop a bomb on it before moving away and avoid falling into any holes. Speaking of which, I wasn't paying attention and ended up falling into a hole before reappearing next to it and taking more damage. Much like all of the other Nightmares before, I was taking unnecessary damage due to being incredibly sloppy.

Appearing in the southwest again, Facade taunted me which is when I took out a bomb and planted near it. I then moved away knowing that the holes would follow but to my dismay, it dropped into one and was immediately lost. Once again my luck was just horrible! I then waited for the holes to stop and the Nightmare to disappear along with them while cursing my luck. It appeared in the center of the room whereby it taunted me and I dropped my next bomb right on top of it. It exploded and caused more damage along with stopping the next set of holes.

"How many hits does it take?"

"Hopefully not that many." Princess Twilight answered.

"I should have enough bombs, right?"

"Yes... Provided you don't make too many mistakes."

I knew Her Highness was going to comment over how I missed hitting Facade. She was right about not making any further mistakes as if I were to run out of bombs, prevailing here would've been impossible. Still... I couldn't help it if my luck produced some unfortunate results. Anyway, I then had another idea on how to battle it. Rather than wait in one place for it to appear, I should just move about and give myself an extra second to get a bomb ready. I might also be able to manipulate where the holes would begin appearing.

Running around in circles (It was way more awkward than it looked), Facade showed up in the northwest corner and I happened to be right nearby. Dropping another bomb on the ground next to it and then running away, it exploded and got hit again. I could tell that it was really mad now as those eyes were filled with hatred. If I had one issue, it was that it took way too long for a bomb to explode. All it did was make me feel wracked with stress. Made me hope that someone out there could make a bomb that had a short fuse or one which can be detonated remotely.

Disappearing once again and reappearing in the southeast corner, I didn't get there on time and so I tossed my next bomb. It bounced off the wall and exploded harmlessly leading me to get taunted by Facade. It then reappeared in the same place which was convenient as I dropped my next bomb where it exploded on its eyelid. Ouch! Even I would be mad if I experienced pain like that. Running around some more, it was becoming obvious that I was getting fed up with how long this was taking. Again, I liked the concept of using something other than a sword but it needs good execution.

"Am I done yet?" I asked as I moaned.

"I think it's still got some fight left."

"You bet I've got fight in me!" Facade shouted from somewhere.

"Surprised you can still say anything after getting blown up so many times." I said.

That only fueled Facade's anger. "It's time we finished this and by finished I mean you! You've got to be on your last legs yourself." It was surprisingly wrong there. Despite having fallen down its holes a few times, I was physically fine which normally wasn't an issue. It was my mental state which had been weakening. I needed this fight to end in the next couple of minutes or else I could lose my mind. It then appeared in the center and I managed to drop another bomb on its face, and also fall into another hole which spawned below me.

Five hits wasn't enough as it still kept on going. It appeared in the northeast corner and I tossed my next bomb which fell into another hole. Not being deterred, I tossed another which bounced off the wall and exploded harmlessly after bouncing a couple of times. The holes caught up with me since I got distracted by my throw so I ended up falling into it and getting hurt once again. Reappearing next to where I fell, I was starting to feel weak. I knew I wasn't going to die as I had the magic medicine but I didn't like it when my body felt like a ton of bricks on top of my shoulders.

Facade appeared in the northwest and I stumbled towards it due to exhaustion, and then I tripped when my legs gave out causing me to fall flat on my face. I had taken out another bomb at that precise moment and I threw it by accident. It somehow landed on its face and exploded which made it scream in a bloodcurdling manner. "ARRRGGGHH! You... You managed to defeat me! Guess I'm the dummy now for having lost to the likes of you."

I breathed a huge sigh of relief as I got onto my feet. "That lasted way longer than it needed to."

"You've defeated another Nightmare!" Princess Twilight shouted.

"This one wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be."

"Well... You didn't use that magic medicine."

I nodded. "That's true though it was a good idea to have it just in case things suddenly took a turn for the worst." Even though the medicine didn't get used up, I could save it for a future dungeon or use it before then and purchase some more from Sugar Belle. "Only two more instruments to collect and I can finally finish this journey and change things back to the way they're supposed to be."

"Hey!" Facade called out.

I turned to face it who was clearly in a lot of pain. "And what do you want? You've been defeated and that means I claim the instrument. I will admit that you put up quite a fight despite what you are." I then remembered the Slime Eel said something before it was destroyed and it looked like Facade wanted to do so as well. "What do you want to tell me?"

"It's important so listen up!" Facade responded, its voice already growing weaker. "I know I can't stop you from getting the instrument but think about this for a second. If you go and wake up the Wind Fish, everything on this island will be gone forever! And I do mean... EVERYTHING!"

"Even me?" I asked in a nervous voice.

"Yes... Even you!"

"I've read the mural in the other shrine and I know this island is just an illusion."

Facade then laughed though it was stifled what with it struggling to maintain its presence. "Or is it? Considering that you've spoken to so many people, collected all those items, and experienced plenty of adventures, I wouldn't call any of that illusions." I then turned my eyes away upon hearing those words and it laughed again. "It seems I struck a nerve or is it because you don't know what the truth really is."

"But, it can't..."

"Are you willing to let an entire island cease to exist?" Facade's voice was now growing really faint. "Keep going... If you do... You may not like what you find... I guess... You were the... Dummy in the end after all... How... Fitting..." Going silent, it began exploding numerous times before disappearing in one final explosion. The sixth Nightmare (Seven if you include the one in the Colour Dungeon) was no more but its final words had affected me in a way I hadn't expected.

"Sunset?" Princess Twilight asked. "Are you okay?"

I remained silent as the doors unlocked and a Heart Container appeared near where Facade had fallen. In my mind, different thoughts were trying to grab my attention but I couldn't discern which were real and which were false. Combining that with the knowledge gained from the mural and what Flash Sentry said, I had no idea what to believe. There was no doubt that I had to finish this journey but whether my heart would allow me to do so remained to be seen.

After keeping silent for a few more minutes, I finally spoke up. "Sorry about that, Twilight. I just needed a moment to think through what Facade just said."

"What did you conclude?"

"I don't know what to do."

Princess Twilight then sighed. "I suppose the only option is to just keep on going. Believe me, Sunset! I know what you're going through right now. I've seen and heard everything just like you have and I've been questioning it all, but I know that allowing it to weigh down on you isn't healthy. Without knowing every side of the story, you're just going down a path which could potentially be fatal." She then paused and coughed. "Sorry for saying it like that but it was the best example I could think of."

I shook my head. "No... You needed to say it like that... " I then smiled. "Thanks Twilight."

Picking up the Heart Container, my health was restored and the warmth it provided made me feel a lot better. Her Highness was right. I needed to focus on my goal and not be bogged down. It wasn't going to be easy but I had to do my best. Entering the final room and the door closing behind me again, I could see the instrument right in front of me... A triangle... One that had a piece of what looked like coral on top of it. Walking up to the instrument and placing my hands on it, I picked it up and held it above my head.

"You have found the Coral Triangle!" I recognized the voice of Princess Cadance and sure enough, the Crystal Princess appeared before me in her radiant gown from before when last I saw her. "Judging from that look on your face, you've experienced things that no one in your position is meant to know." She the turned to Princess Twilight. "The same thing can be said about you."

"Princess Twilight smiled before looking glum. "We've learned of the truth behind this island."

"I was afraid that you would find out, and even then, you were destined to know."

"Can you tell us if this island is real or not?" I asked.

Princess Cadance sadly shook her head. "I'm afraid that I am not allowed to give you that answer even though I wish to, but do not get discouraged as you will know when the time comes. There is someone out there who will reveal everything."

"It's not the answer I wanted but I suppose I can accept it."

"By the way..." Princess Cadance began by changing the subject. "I sense that you possess a Magnifying Lens. With that, you can read the small text in that one book within the library of Mabe Village, but the lens does have another purpose or two. There is someone living in the Animal Village who is invisible because of what they truly are. If you can see them, they will guide you to a location on the beach where you can find a weapon of incredible power."

"Why not tell me where to find this weapon?"

"I'm not allowed to tell you."

"What can you tell me?"

For a moment, I thought that would've offended Princess Cadance, but she shrugged it off and smiled. "I believe Luna told you something about you needing a lot of rupees to obtain something you needed later. While I can't provide you with specifics, I can tell you that you need exactly 300 rupees. Remember that number. Also, you need to traverse a maze where you must follow the directions."

"300 rupees!?" That wasn't as bad as what I had to pay for the bow but still, that was a lot of rupees. "Do I really need this thing that badly."

"Without it, you will never finish this adventure." Princess Cadance answered. "If you need further advice, you know who you can contact. Now... My time is almost up and I need you to know this... 'Mountain... Something calls... From the mountains...' There is more of the mountains that remain unexplored."

"Can you tell us anything else?" Princess Twilight asked.

"You really do need to speak up more often, Twilight."

"I know, but anyway, my question?"

Princess Cadance began to fade away which meant her time here in the dungeon was over. "Once you have the thing you need, speak to the one who has been guiding you. Lastly, listen carefully to Flash Sentry as he will provide a very important clue. I'll see you two again when you've reached the very top of where you're going next. Now... Let the Coral Triangle play!"

As she disappeared, the Coral Triangle began to play its sounds, and it felt remarkably calm. As everything began getting engulfed in a bright light, I had much to think about. The Magnifying Lens was more useful than I thought and I needed to explore more of Mt. Tamaranch; in particular, the highest elevations. I also needed Discord's help in finding some kind of maze. It was unfortunate that she couldn't tell me about what Facade had said but then a certain someone might be able to give me an answer.

Finding myself back outside of the Face Shrine, I was about to make a move when I heard the familiar flapping sounds of Flash Sentry's owl. Sure enough, it appeared from the east and settled down onto a platform before Flash Sentry petted it and looked at me. "The Spirit Princess has told you much it seems, child. However, there were some things that were beyond her and now you feel lost."

I nodded. "You could say that."

"Though there is much I cannot share with you yet, I can give you an idea of what you need."

"You seem to be bothered by something."

Flash Sentry sighed. "The many monsters of this island fear that the Wind Fish is about to awaken. They have been aggressive in the past but have now taken on even more violent methods with which to prevent anyone from awakening the dreamer. Child, you must know that their power is real! Should they choose to use it, they could conquer the island and destroy their foes. That day may come soon!"

"Are you serious!?"

"They know that you are getting closer to your goal."

"I knew they were desperate to stop me but I didn't think it was that serious."

"Child... You must continue your quest to find all eight instruments." Flash Sentry said. He then pointed up towards the top of the mountains though I couldn't tell what he was pointing towards as it was too far away. "Do not allow their power to frighten you. Now, go to the mountain tower! Fly like a bird!"

"Fly... Like a bird?"

"It will become clear once you have followed the clues."

With that, he urged his owl to take to the skies where both traveled west until they were out of view. Flash Sentry's last words were what Princess Cadance told me to pay attention to and I clearly couldn't see what it was. If I were meant to fly, I'd have been given wings and also become an alicorn. Now that the Face Shrine had been completed, I needed to figure out which way to go next. Before doing any of that, my next objective had to be to come to an understanding of all the hints I had been given. I needed to do this otherwise the thought of getting lost would become more of a reality.

To Be Continued.

Chapter 24: To Fly Like a Bird.

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.
By Ganondorf8.
February 26, 2021.
Chapter 24: To Fly Like a Bird.

Sitting down on the steps in front of the Face Shrine, I began to think about what both Princess Cadance and Flash Sentry had told me. If the monsters had indeed gotten even more aggressive, I was running out of time. I needed to collect the remaining two instruments immediately. Yet this was where things as usual got awkward. To reach the next dungeon which was somewhere on Mt. Tamaranch, it required me to fly like a bird. Those were his words and again, if I were meant to fly, I'd have become an alicorn and given wings.

Even if I were an alicorn, I wouldn't have been able to use wings as Equestrian Magic was blocked from being used in this world. I also doubted that there was an item that would grant me the power of flight so there had to be some other way I could fly. Shaking my head, I thought perhaps I was overthinking things again. Changing my thoughts to this mountain tower Flash Sentry mentioned, I was certain that was the next dungeon, and that meant I was expecting a rather lengthy climb to come out of it.

Then there was what Princess Cadance was able to tell me. My biggest disappointment was how she couldn't tell me whether this island was real or not yet I should've known that it wasn't going to be easy to get such an answer. The thought of someone on the island knowing was exciting but still, a part of me wished I could've been told now rather than making me wait until much later. Oh well. It couldn't be helped. She also mentioned about how there was a place of interest where I could use the Magnifying Lens. I was beginning to think I wouldn't find any other use for it but there you go.

And furthermore, using the lens would lead me to a great weapon. I'm all for acquiring new items if they were to help me complete my journey. There was also the Seashell Mansion which I promised myself I'd visit as I wanted to check with Adagio on my seashell total and get some more hints on where to find more. Yeah, I'd completely neglected what she told me and the guilt weighed me down. Surely she was understanding since I was focusing more on my main objective rather than stuff on the side.

Speaking of main objective, I finally had an answer regarding the rupee issue Princess Luna had hinted at. The 300 rupee price tag was surely immense and for most, that would've been a turning off point, but finding those treasure chests in the Face Shrine gave me more than enough so it wasn't really a big deal. Considering how much I paid Aria to get both the shovel and the bow, I was curious as to what else could be deemed expensive on this island. It also occurred to me that someone else wanted to charge a huge amount for something which I needed.

Lastly, there was Discord, my 'guide' of the island. Princess Twilight was second to none when it came to guiding me, but even she had admitted that Discord knew things that were beyond her reach. Come to think of it, how did he know so much considering he never left his home in Mabe Village? I wasn't about to question his knowledge as it had proven detrimental especially during so many confusing moments but I was simply curious is all. If not for the stellar advice from both of my sources, I'd still be wandering around looking for the first dungeon or maybe a way out of the Mysterious Forest.

Princess Twilight then spoke up. "So are we going to get moving any time soon?"

I responded. "I thought to take the time to think about everything we just learned."

"And what did you conclude?"

"I've got some backtracking to do and some unusual progress."

Looking at me with a weird look, Princess Twilight scratched her head. "I figured you'd mention the backtracking given how you don't like doing it, but what do you mean unusual progress?" The moment she said that herself, she knew what I was getting at. "You mean having to fly like a bird? Hmmm... Flash Sentry's hints have often been confusing and this one definitely is something. You know, if you were meant to fly, you'd have been given wings and become an alicorn."

I frowned. "Yeah, I already thought about that... Twice!"

"I thought as much."

"How am I supposed to fly like a bird?"

Princess Twilight shrugged. "I wish I knew, Sunset. If only I were my regular size then I could've carried you to where you need to go. And no, I'm not saying that you're heavy though all those items would've made it difficult for me to maintain consistency."

"At least you didn't call me fat!"

"Being a fairy does have its share of strengths and weaknesses and right now it's proving to be the latter."

"Guess I need Discord's help."

Nodding, Princess Twilight agreed. "If I remember the layout of the island, there was a telephone booth located near the warp panel outside of Mabe Village. I know there's a booth in the village proper but I'd figure you'd want to do as little backtracking as possible." Her Highness then had a thought. "Come to think of it, you never explored the area south of that particular booth. There could be something there... Or not."

"Really? I never went down there?"

"No."

Talk about feeling awkward. Here I was, thinking about where to go next and Her Highness revealed that there was an area I never explore before, and it was close to Mabe Village. You could forgive me here since I either didn't think there was any reason to go that way or I lacked an item needed to progress. If there was something there I needed, perhaps now was the time to check it out. It was best to ask Discord for his advice as he probably knew... No, he definitely knew. Before that, I needed to make a quick pitstop.

Taking out the Ocarina and playing Manbo's Mambo, I focused on the warp panel that was located next to the Seashell Manion. Soon, I disappeared in a bright light and reappeared seconds later at my destination only to duck due to a spear being thrown at my head. Avoiding the Moblins as I didn't feel like fighting them and entering the mansion, I stepped forward and onto a panel where the meter on the wall began to fill up.

From what I remembered last time I came here, the meter only filled up a quarter of the way. This time, it filled up halfway. At that moment, Adagio appeared in all her splendor, and my first reaction was that she was upset over my lack of following her hints. "Welcome back, young child." She then looked at the meter and smiled. "You appear to have collected some more seashells though you found them on your own without my help. I am very impressive at such an initiative."

"I'm sorry that I didn't follow the advice you gave me."

Adagio waved her hand. "You need not apologize. You were merely fulfilling your role as this island's savior. Though you did not heed my advice, you were able to bring me more seashells which has resulted in a new reward." Waving her hand, a box with a bow appeared in front of me. Opening it up, I took out another Secret Seashell. "Consider this one a freebie for your hard work. Now, you need only nine more to get the ultimate prize. However, I feel you deserve something else."

"You don't need to do that."

"Oh, but I insist on you having it." Waving her hand again, a strange looking device dropped down from the ceiling and into her hand. "This is a Seashell Sensor. Normally, you would have needed to collect fifteen seashells but I am going to give this to you now." She then used her magic and it floated over to me where I grabbed it. "It will make a noise whenever there is a seashell in your vicinity. It cannot reveal its exact location but I am certain that won't be a problem. After all, you have a lot of ingenuity."

"I guess I need to backtrack to all over the island."

"This is not necessarily true."

"What do you mean?"

"There are seven Secret Seashells located in the mountains alone." Adagio answered as she smiled again. To be honest, I was a little weirded out over how much she smiled given her true self was manipulative, resentful, and wanting to achieve glory again at the expense of others. "I know that you must go there, child. Yes... As the Great Fairy of Koholint Island, I have knowledge of such matters. However, I cannot guide you in that sense. You will need help from another who is just as experienced. Now... There are seashells located in Mabe Village though you will need to play some games to get them."

"Any others?"

"You can find a few in the Animal Village."

"I feel that I should've done more exploring."

Adagio shook her head. "You did what you believed was best. I will tell you this though. The ultimate prize is not required for you to complete your journey. If you believed that then I apologize. It can make the final encounters more easier though perhaps you prefer a challenge. I am not saying I know what thoughts go on in your mind but maybe you are a thrill-seeker?"

I shook my head this time. "No, I prefer a normal life though you could say my life is anything but that."

"We all have our own roles to play in the game called life."

Putting the Seashell Sensor in my pocket, I then turned and was about to start walking away when I spoke up. "I'm grateful for everything you've done, Great Fairy, though it isn't saying much given how I didn't take advantage of your kindness. This time, I will try my best to use your hints and acquire nine more seashells. To be fair, I wish you could give me this ultimate prize at fifteen seashells but that would be taking the easy solution."

"You have a strong sense of justice."

As she disappeared and I began to leave the mansion, I couldn't help but think that she was strongly considering going through with my suggestion. It wasn't my intention to have to earn this item in an easier manner, but given how I'd done little exploration, I thought maybe she could make an exception to the rule. Outside of the mansion, I began to think about where to go next. Adagio had given me some great hints on seashell locations (Ones that I'd definitely use this time) but a part of me wanted to know about this one area south of Mabe Village that I'd neglected for so long.

Checking to see if the coast was clear, I played Manbo's Mambo again and focused on the warp panel outside of the village. Once it was firmly in my mind, I was whisked away by the and was moments later at my destination. It felt like it had been years since I first entered the Ukuku Prairie even though it had merely been a few days at best. Back then, I didn't have the kind of items I had now. I'd come a long way since starting this journey though this could be said with my previous ones. Unlike those ones, I didn't feel quite as pressured even if there was actual pressure.

Walking off the panel and avoiding a Winged Octorok, I went west towards the village before turning left and headed south. I also made sure to cut down the grass as it netted me a few green rupees. Two trees then came up, the one on the left was just an ordinary tree, the other was the telephone booth Princess Twilight had mentioned. Avoiding two more Winged Octoroks (It's not like I could easily defeat them though it was possible), I entered and picked up the phone where it began ringing.

BRRING! BRRING!

"Ho ho! It's me, Ulrira!" Discord answered on the other end.

"You know why I picked up one of your telephones."

"I figured as much." Discord at first sounded like he was fed up with telling me where to go but his voice quickly changed. "I heard rumours that you happen to love music. It must be true as you've been seen playing an ocarina you found somewhere."

"Yes."

That made Discord ecstatic. "Then have I got some news for you. If you're tired of playing the same songs, why not try something new. There's a frog named Mamu who lives in the Signpost Maze. She might be willing to teach you something but she charges a lot to play whatever she comes up with. If you've got the money, why not go and pay her a visit."

As soon as he said 'maze', it immediately clicked. "Did you say Signpost Maze!?" It was clear that this was the maze that Princess Cadance mentioned. Whoever this Mamu was, I had to meet her and learn a new song, the thing that I needed to progress. "Do you know where the maze is?"

"It's located to the left of Pothole Field." Discord answered in a more sarcastic tone. "I thought everyone knew where it was located. Anyway, unless you can pull yourself across some nasty holes, there's no way to get there unless you could jump. By the way, the Signpost Maze is quite the doozy, ho ho! Its simplicity hides the fact that it confuses anyone who attempts to solve it. I mean, it's pretty obvious what needs to be done."

I could tell that Discord was giving me the subtle hint of trying to figure it out on my own. I needed to pay close attention to any signposts that I ran into. He also mentioned about needing to pull myself across... Yeah... That definitely required the Hookshot. Hopefully, this wasn't going to take very long as I knew how difficult mazes could be. I even felt insulted when Discord said everyone knew where this maze was. Unlike other people, I wasn't one of the locals so how was I supposed to know it was that close to Mabe Village?

"I think I've got a handle on things."

"Hold on!" Discord shouted, his booming voice echoed in my ear.

"What is it?"

"For once, I'm going to tell you a story about something that's very important."

"Um..."

Before I had a chance to say anything, Discord began telling his story. "Have you heard of the Flying Rooster of Mabe Village?" My lack of a response pretty much told him that I had no idea what he was talking about. "In the good old days, it used to give us rides if we held it above our heads. No matter how heavy the person, it could take them anywhere they wanted to go. Unfortunately, death can be a cruel mistress. Now... It is lying under the weathervane. I suppose you could see its remains though it'd require tons of strength."

"That was some story."

"I hoped you liked it, goodbye!"

CLICK!

At first, I tried to ignore his story as I thought it was completely irrelevant, but then it all started to click together in my mind. In order to fly like a bird, I needed to use a bird and have it fly me around! Unfortunately, it was deceased and unless there was something I was missing. Just when I thought I had it figured out, I find myself getting stuck so close to the solution. His information was almost always useful so I asked Princess Twilight to remind me to pay a visit to Mabe Village and this weathervane in particular. In the mean time, I had a supposedly confusing maze to traverse.

Leaving the telephone booth and heading south, I encountered another Winged Octorok along with a Sword and Shield Moblin. The latter charged forward which forced me to raise my own shield in defence. It continued swinging its sword in a frenzy which suggested it wasn't very good at using it (To be fair, I had the same problem myself back in the very beginning). When it next attacked, I used my shield to parry it and then responded with my own sword swing to defeat it.

Moving on again, I came across a tree stump which looked suspicious, and upon looking in the opposite direction, it being suspicious was spot on. I could see another stump located on the other side of ten holes back-to-back in two rows of five. Discord wasn't kidding when he said you needed to be able to pull yourself across. Jumping was impossible and I doubted even a running start with the Pegasus Boots would work.

Taking out the Hookshot, I fired at the other tree stump and pulled myself across to the other side of the holes. Walking south, I entered a clearing that contained numerous signposts that were scattered about everywhere. "This wasn't what I was expecting, Twilight."

Princess Twilight nodded. "I was expecting a traditional maze like the one in the Canterlot Royal Garden but this is something else." Her Highness then began to comb over the area by flying upwards to get a birds-eye view of things before coming back down. "There are a few monsters around here..." She said as she returned to where I was standing. "...But from what I could tell, there are no signs--no pun intended here--of a house. If this Mamu does live here, she's doing a very good job of hiding."

"Maybe this sign right here will give us a clue." I said as I pointed to one just south of me.

"It's a start."

Walking up to the sign, I began to read it. "Welcome to the Signpost Maze. In order to reach the end, follow the directions each sign dictates. Simple right? Choose to go wherever you want and you'll get nowhere. Choose the wrong sign and you must start over again. Start from this sign and go this way!" I looked away from what I had just read and felt confused. "It says I have to go south."

"Directly south from this sign is another one."

I walked south, and attacked a Green Zol and a Red Zol which were bouncing towards me from either side, the latter splitting into two and I attacked both pieces to get rid of them before they could leave me confused. Reaching the sign, I walked around to the other side and read it. "Go this way... Now there's an arrow pointing east to that sign over there. Do I have to read each sign and follow the direction they give me?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "This is why a lot of people never figured out how to get through this maze. Most wouldn't think of reading a sign as they believe they are too smart to be told what to do and they end up getting confused by what was truly obvious."

"So this is just going to be a boring trek across this clearing?"

"Something to that effect."

"I'm not going to like this am I?"

"This is a maze, Sunset." Princess Twilight answered. "Just a different kind than what you're used to seeing. Remember to follow the exact direction each sign gives you and don't attempt to skip past one otherwise you will have to start again from the beginning."

In other words, I had to complete this in one attempt. Not the most stressful thing I've done but it was going to be annoying either way. Heading east in the direction of the sign, I could see more of the clearing. There was a single tree, two small bodies of water, some bushes, several boulders, and another patch of holes that were back-to-back. There were boxes located on the other side so it required me using the Hookshot. Whew! And here I thought I would need to use the Roc's Feather and the Pegasus Boots together to get across.

Reaching the next sign, it said to go south so I walked in that direction around a tree stump and defeated two more Green Zols. Cutting down some grass including a bush in front of the next sign, I was then attacked by some kind of spiky creature which I defeated before I could see what it was. Reading the sign, it said I had to go west... Which was where those holes were located. It felt like backtracking as I came from that direction but it's what the sign said. Heading back that way and cutting down more grass, I then took out the Hookshot, fired it at a box and pulled myself across.

Picking up the box and tossing it aside, I read the next sign which told me I had to go north. Using the Hookshot again to pull myself back across the holes (I could tell this was going to get tedious though I knew it was going to be worth it), I made my way back to the stump that was directly north of the sign and walked in that direction. Walking past another stump, which had a hole hiding behind it, and defeating some more Green Zols that were blocking my path, I knew that this one was going to say I had to go to the right. Reading the sign, it did indeed say go to the east.

The next sign wasn't too far away although the Green and Red Zols weren't making things any easier. More of them continued to pop up which meant there were more than what Her Highness had initially observed. Defeating them all, I then read the next sign which told me to head south. Going that way, I encountered another spiky creature that I now recognized as being a Spiny Beetle though it wasn't really covered in spines despite its name. It scuttled off in the opposite direction instead of trying to attack me so I ignored it and continued on until I reached the next sign.

"How many more signs do I have to read?" I asked as I was clearly getting fed up.

"Quite a ways to go by the looks of it."

I sighed. "No wonder no one ever succeeded in getting through this maze."

"It boils down to having a lot of patience."

"You know, if I didn't have to come here, I would've ignored this area completely."

Princess Twilight nodded. "I know how you feel about having to go through this but know that you will get a new song in the end." I knew Her Highness was trying to make me feel better and it was clearly working otherwise I'd have probably turned around and left the area by now. "Read the wrong sign and you'll have to start all over again. This isn't me stressing you out or anything but rather reminding you of what the first sign said."

"I know and I appreciate it."

I wished she hadn't mentioned that as now I was feeling even more pressure not to make a mistake. I supposed she had to bring it up in order to give me some positive reinforcement though maybe she could've worded it differently. The next sign said to head east and luckily for me, the next sign was just a few feet away. Okay, now that was more like it though I doubted I would be given another reprieve. Walking over and reading this next one, it said to head north again. Walking in that direction and reaching the next sign (I really wanted this to end now), it said to go west.

Walking back past the one tree, I reached the next sign which told me to go south. The next sign was directly south of where I was standing so okay, I was given another reprieve. This one said to go east which meant walking back where I came from yet again. Ugh! Whoever came up with this maze had to have been a sadistic person who loved nothing more than to make people like me suffer. Sighing, I reached the next sign which also said go south and so I did only to find a boulder was blocking it. Lifting it up and tossing it aside using my strength, I read the next one which said go left.

This next sign was all the way across the clearing so as I walked I grumbled though at least there were no more monsters to deal with. Reaching it, I discovered that there was a different message compared to what I had been reading before. "Congratulations! You succeeded in making it through the Signpost Maze! Your reward is that way to the east." I dropped to my knees in sheer delight. "I'm finally done with this!"

"You make it sound like you were doing this for weeks on end."

"Because it felt that way!"

"At least you managed to get through this maze."

Nodding, I turned around and noticed that one of the bodies of water had drained out, revealing a staircase in the process. "No wonder we couldn't see a home around here! I've got to admit that this Mamu knows how to hide and avoid monsters, but I'm angry that she forced me to go through such a ridiculous trial like signpost following." I then calmed down knowing going through my ordeal was necessary to progress. "Twilight... Remind me to not read any signs for a very long time to come."

As Princess Twilight laughed, I couldn't help but join in after a while. Once I had gotten enough, I walked over to the newly revealed staircase and walked down into a small cave that looked incredibly beautiful. Everything felt like being in a pond and it made sense what with having some water in the middle of the floor, rock formations which took up the back wall, and a couple of frogs on either side of a much larger one that was wearing a crown, a cape, and a necklace. Was this Mamu? This frog looked more male than female so perhaps Discord was wrong about the gender.

"Are you Mamu?"

"You came to see me?" A voice called from behind the frog.

"If you're Mamu then who or what am I looking at?"

"This big fellow is also named Mamu." The voice answered. "Yeah, I know, two characters with the same name. Truly awesome am I right? Anyway, you want to talk to me proper and it's rude of me to be standing behind my frog while you stand there as yourself." The voice of this Mamu sounded very familiar and when she stepped out from behind the big frog, I was staring at Autumn Blaze... Wait a minute! How could she be here!? She was supposed to be portraying Manbo or rather the spirit who was on top of the fish.

"Haven't I seen you before?"

Autumn Blaze looked in both directions before pointing at herself. "Who me? I'm positive that I've never seen you before in my entire life and believe me, I've not had many come down here to see me all because they couldn't get past the maze. By the way, great job of figuring out how to get here. Sorry if I'm babbling on but it's just so exciting to see someone here who isn't a frog." She then looked at the other frogs before shaking her head. Just like the last time I saw her, she was very eccentric in her mannerisms. "Anyway, welcome to our humble abode. I am Mamu."

"As well as the large frog?"

Nodding, Autumn Blaze pointed at the other Mamu who gave off a snaggle-toothed grin followed by a loud ribbit. "He says he is also named Mamu. We're both Mamu on vocals but we don't really need to tell you about that. Everyone on the island knows all about the human and frog duo both named Mamu." By the time this was all said and done, I was going to get sick of hearing that name. "Anyway, we're known for our singing expertise."

"You don't say?"

"I do say!"

"So you sing... With frogs?"

Autumn Blaze nodded whilst the frog Mamu croaked. "Everyone knows that I sing with my frog friends. I mean sure, most people think it's weird that I sing with frogs but then my friends here are such way better conversationalists. Were you already told that we're known for our singing expertise?" Yep, there was that eccentric nature shining forth once again. "Say, would you like to jam and hang out with us? No... Wait! Wait! First... Do you have an ocarina?"

I took it out and presented it to her. "Yes, I have one."

That made her jump for joy. "Yes! I was so hoping you'd have one!" She then turned to the frog Mamu. "You hear that, Mamu? This girl has got herself an ocarina! We can finally do what we said we'd do." The frog grinned and snapped its fingers which prompted the two small frogs to start croaking in unison. "For 300 rupees, we'll let you listen to a previously unreleased cut."

And there was the large price tag which I had been made aware of. "Sure, I'll pay you the 300 rupees."

"Say what!?" That definitely caught Autumn Blaze off guard. "To most people, that amount of money is more than they see in a lifetime and here you are with that amount on your person in addition to looking like an adventurer."

"Let's just say I was made aware of the price."

"I didn't think something like that would've made rounds around the island." I could tell Autumn Blaze was confused but I chose not to tell her that I had been told by a princess from a magical kingdom filled with ponies among other creatures. If I had, she'd have been even more lost. She then asked the frog Mamu something using a combination of hand signs and ribbits before he jumped down from his platform and landed in front of me. "Don't be afraid of him. Sure he's big but deep down he is such a sweetheart. Could you please pay him the 300 rupees?"

"How do I do that?" My answer came when he stuck out his tongue and spat out a giant wallet which dropped into his hand. At first, I felt disgusted that he went and did that but surprisingly the wallet didn't show any signs of being wet. Mamu opened the wallet which prompted me to take out mine and depositing the 300 rupees Autumn Blaze requested. Upon the payment being received, he closed it up and then leapt back to where he was before and handed over his wallet.

"Well guys! We're going to be eating good tonight!" Autumn Blaze shouted. Was she being serious about that? She then noticed the look on my face before blushing and placing a hand behind her head. "I kid! I kid! I just love saying that every time someone gives us money. We eat pretty good around here and no I don't mean eating bugs." To be honest, I probably didn't want to know what they ate. "Okay guys! Let's show our guest our special song!"

All of a sudden, a spotlight then shone on both Autum Blaze and the frog Mamu followed by two smaller lights on the two small frogs. They all began to sing (Or what could be described as them croaking and wailing) with musical notes coming from their mouths. Of the four, Autumn Blaze stood out what with her singing voice being so pristine. It was like she was born to sing and she knew it. The frogs took a while for me to get used to and they proved to be as effective which surprised me. I didn't think frogs could sing in unison and on key.

I could tell they were having a wonderful time even if the melody wasn't exactly my thing. I then noticed my ocarina glowing in response to their singing and I immediately took it out and watched as it continued to glow brightly. Hopefully, I could replicate at least part of this. After a couple of minutes, all four of them performed a finishing pose which indicated that the song was over. I was genuinely surprised with how good it really was despite my initial misgivings.

"That was something!" I commented.

Autumn Blaze then bowed slightly. "Thank you! Thank you! You've been a wonderful audience!" I then looked around and felt awkward knowing that they had just performed a song in front of two people and they considered that an audience? I supposed the size of the crowd didn't matter so long as you unleashed your true passion. "Unfortunately, there will be no encores so I hope you felt something."

"I hope you're okay with me using that song for myself."

"Of course we are!"

"Are you certain?"

Autumn Blaze and the frogs all nodded in unison. "We knew you were a music lover as why else would you have come here? I mean you could've come here in order to take some pictures of my friends or maybe try to taste some of our home-made cooking or maybe even wanting to give us a music contract for the next seven years." Once she started rambling, I knew it was pointless to say anything until she was finished. "Anyway, what you've just learned is the 'Frog's Song of Soul'! This song is quite moving... And I mean that literally. Around here, we believe it can liven up unliving things."

Her last words immediately caught my attention. "As in, you could revive the deceased?"

"Yes, you could say that." Autumn Blaze answered as she and her frogs began smiling. "If you play this song, you can make everything around you feel more alive. Sure, it might not make sense right now but surely there's something you can do with it. Anyway, me and my friends need to get back to work on making another new hit so please come back in about a month or two if you want to hear another cut."

Now what Discord said made sense! In order to use the Flying Rooster, I first needed to bring it back to life! I liked it when things came together though I wished they could happen sooner. Speaking of which, it would be a good idea to ask him for some help once the rooster had been revived. Before I go back to Mabe Village, I needed to visit the Animal Village and speak with the one resident who no one knows even lives there.

Thanking Autumn Blaze and her frogs for everything, I walked back up the stairs and out of their cave. With a third song for the ocarina, I could finally progress to the next dungeon yet surely there had to be another purpose other than reviving a rooster. Then again, I hadn't really used 'Ballad of the Wind Fish' which Starlight Glimmer taught me but perhaps one day I'd find out what it's function was. With the ocarina in my hand, I played Manbo's Mambo and focused on the warp panel south of the Animal Village. In mere moments, I disappeared in a bright light and reappeared in the village itself.

Stepping off the panel and heading north into the village, Princess Twilight mentioned that the only house I never entered was one that happened to be located on the far right side next to where Granny Smith lived. Making my way over to this particular home and entering it, it was indeed empty which made me wonder why it was never occupied by an animal and instead was being used by someone or something else. I called out to whoever was supposedly here and got no reply indicating the magic being used here to hide them was more powerful than your average spell.

Putting away the ocarina and switching to the Magnifying Lens, I raised it to my eye and sure enough, the occupant of the house was revealed. "You can see me?" I nodded and they were taken aback by my knowing of them. "I don't know how you can see me when this magic is supposed to keep me hidden."

"Twilight..." I began as I turned to Her Highness. "What kind of creature is this?"

"This is a Zora." Princess Twilight answered.

"What!?" No way! This couldn't be a Zora. The ones I had seen were much more majestic. "Are you sure about that?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "The ones you encountered on your previous journey were a different kind of Zora. They were a friendly tribe who were allied to the Hylian King but as the eons passed, relationships quickly soured which resulted in the Zoras changing colour, becoming more fish-like, and being more hostile. River Zoras, like this one here, can be found living in rivers and other shallow locations and attack anything that enter their territory... Though I don't know why this one is living here."

"I can answer that." The Zora said.

"Can you?" I asked.

The Zora nodded. "I see that you have a magnifying lens which explains how you can see me." I then nodded to confirm his suspicions. "Even though I am a River Zora as your fairy friend said, I mean you no harm at all. My goal is to live here in this village in peace though it's doubtful these animals would ever accept me amongst them."

"You won't unless you try."

"Perhaps..." The Zora then reached into the water and pulled out a Secret Seashell. "If you promise to keep my existence here a secret, I will give you this in return. I'll also tell you something very important as an added bonus. Well? Will you keep my secret?"

Even though I felt this Zora should be honest, I wasn't about to force him to do something he didn't want to. I nodded and he happily handed over the Secret Seashell which gave me a total of twelve. "Only eight more until I can get the ultimate weapon Adagio mentioned."

"Thank you for keeping my secret." The Zora said with a smile. "Now listen very carefully. Go to Toronbo Shores and there is a suspicious crack in a wall which you can destroy. In the cave, you will find another who is just like me. He will give you a powerful weapon but not for free. In fact, you must give him something in return. To part ways with something of great importance is never easy but sometimes sacrifices are necessary. Oh, and one last thing. The goat who lives two houses to the left has been worrying non-stop about whether a letter she gave someone reached its destination."

I didn't like what the Zora had told me. No, not the thing regarding Chestnut Magnifico (I was surprised this Zora even knew about that though I suspected she was quite vocal about her feelings and was probably unaware of it) but about me needing to give up an item in order to get a new weapon. Despite not always using the items in my possession, I worked hard to get them so having to give one away felt like I was giving up a piece of myself. Perhaps there was another way of getting my hands on this weapon and not being forced to part with another and instead rely on rupees.

As I left the home, Princess Twilight brought something to my attention. Apparently, I had been following Adagio's advice when it came to finding Secret Seashells. One such example was located just outside of the Yarna Desert where the walrus had once slept and it involved playing the 'Ballad of the Wind Fish'. Upon thinking back to that moment and realizing that I had indeed gotten that seashell, I dropped to my knees and began bashing my head in the ground several times with Her Highness looking on in embarrassment. How in Celestia could I have forgotten something so obvious!? Ugh!

Once I was finished with my little 'issue', I got back up and apologized to Her Highness for acting like that. This meant I had one, maybe two more extra Secret Seashells in addition to the ones already in my collection. It was probably for the best to collect the required number I needed and perhaps a couple of extra just in case. Knowing that I needed to visit Toronbo Shores, I was about to use Manbo's Mambo only to remember that Chestnut Magnifico had something she had on her mind. Guess I ought to pay her a visit.

CCRRAACCKLLEE! FFWWOOOOSSHH!

"I... I guess I don't need to tell you how it went, do I, master?"

"We know that Facade was destroyed by the Outsider." Grogar answered.

"Yes... It seems that one proved to be more inept than expected."

Grogar sighed. "And yet it was by our hands that Facade was created to be a Nightmare."

"With only two instruments left to collect, her chances of success are growing stronger all the time."

"Where will she go next, Hot Head?"

"The seventh instrument was sealed away inside Eagle's Tower." Hot Head answered. "However, there is an oversight which needs to be addressed. The Nightmare that was placed in that tower has next to no intelligence and is instead commanded by another who took it upon herself to call the shots. Master... I believe a new servant needs to be created because I have misgivings of her..." He was suddenly cut off by the sound of a rather cute but childish voice.

"Golly! It's not nice to talk about people behind their back!"

"And there is the oversight now!" Hot Head said, grumbling at the supposed intruder.

Grogar then looked at the one who had entered his inner sanctum. "We remember you! You are known as the Grim Creeper. Once, you were but a lowly creature that used a small flock of flying rodents to intimidate these pathetic humans as you lacked true power. We sense this is still the case though is what Hot Head says is true? The Evil Eagle takes its orders from you?" His eyes then started glowing, a sign that Hot Head moved back to keep his distance. "Why are you in control of our servant? You should be its servant!"

"I just wanted to help you is all, oh mighty Dethl." The Grim Creeper said in an innocent voice. "Besides, you could use all the help you can get, and I'm just the one to do the job if I do say so myself."

"My master doesn't need your help!" Hot Head shouted.

That made the Grim Creeper laugh. "Are you kidding me? You must be because the mighty Dethl doesn't find your comment amusing. After all, you allowed a girl to make you all look like chumps, and you're supposed to be the ones keeping the Wind Fish asleep. How many of you guys has she destroyed now? Six, including that extra Nightmare? If anything, she should've been killed right when she was first discovered.I tell you, mighty Dethl, these servants of yours are utterly useless especially since they can't do one simple job.

"Are you quite finished?"

"Not even close." The Grim Creeper answered. Deep down, she was enjoying every moment of making Hot Head look bad. "It's not like this outsider is threatening. If it wasn't for that fairy of hers as well as people giving her advice, she'd have been so lost that her life would've been cut short before she even reached the Tail Cave." She then turned to Grogar who had been listening all this time. "Mighty Dethl... I shall finish the outsider for you!"

Now it was Hot Head's turn to laugh. "Like you can do anything!"

The Grim Creeper responded in kind. "After seeing the pathetic display from the peanut gallery over here, my point still stands. The Eagle's Tower is my turf and the Evil Eagle does whatever I want it to. With its strength and my cunning, this girl will become a distant memory. Of course, I doubt she will ever get to me. There are all kinds of traps awaiting her along with some strong monsters, but no way am I going to just sit down on my hands. I want to see her suffer in person."

"You think you can curry my master's favour?"

"Judging from his expression, I'd say I just did."

And at that moment, Grogar made a proclamation. "Very well, Grim Creeper! We shall defer unto you the task of getting rid of the outsider. You shall retain the services of our loyal servant, the Evil Eagle, to complete your task. She must not be allowed to acquire the seventh instrument. Do whatever it takes to kill her! This is our proclamation!"

"It shall be done." The Grim Creeper giggled as she disappeared into the darkness.

"Why that--" Hot Head stopped himself from defying the will of Grogar but then he changed his tactics. "Master? Are you certain that creature can handle it? The Evil Eagle is your chosen Nightmare, not her!"

"We know that she will fail, Hot Head." Grogar said with a warped smile on his face. "The Grim Creeper is much too arrogant to be able to defeat the Outsider. We merely needed her assistance in order to determine how strong the girl truly is. Not even the Evil Eagle can stand up to her power." He then paused. "Then again, they could both prove us wrong by actually succeeding where the others had failed. Hot Head... It shall soon be your turn. Of the Nightmares, you are the most powerful of all. Soon... Your chance will come."

Hot Head smiled as he disappeared. "Grim Creeper... Enjoy your fun but in the end, it will be your destruction."

Upon entering Chestnut Magnifico's house, she was surprised to see me in addition to asking me why it took me so long to pay her another visit. I said that I had been busy wandering around the island looking for something that could occupy my time (I refrained from telling her my true objective). Her response was one I expected someone like her to say, namely, I was wasting my efforts and not being more refined. People like her believed they were better than their peers and often looked down on them though they claim it's all unintentional.

She then asked me about how her letter to Canter Zoom went and I immediately shudder. My reaction was to the fact that she had sent him a photo of Princess Peach (Who was from a completely different series mind you) rather than a photo of her true self, that being a goat, which she should've done. I had nothing against her desire of wanting to send a letter but still, she was being deceitful which could potentially cause trouble much later on. For his part, Canter Zoom was just happy knowing someone responded to his letters so perhaps him not knowing the truth about his 'contact' was for the best.

When I revealed that I had delivered her letter successfully and that he enjoyed seeing it (Despite my previous convictions), she thanked me profusely and gave me another reward in the form of another Secret Seashell. Had I know she had one in her possession, I would've come back to the Animal Village that much sooner. Good thing Adagio hinted that there were seashells here otherwise I'd have ignored them completely. Once I had pocketed my thirteenth or maybe fourteenth seashell (I really had no idea at that point), I left her house in order to begin looking for the Zora's friend.

As I took out the ocarina, I began thinking about Toronbo Shores, the very place where this journey started. Starlight had found me washed up on the shore and if not for her, I would have likely died there. It was an area of the island I hadn't visited since taking Starlight to the Animal Village and yet somewhere on that beach was someone who could give me a powerful new weapon at the cost of me handing over one of my items. If I remembered correctly, I did encounter a warp panel near the old house that King Sombra wanted to take him to when he began to haunt me.

Playing Manbo's Mambo and focusing on it, I was once again warped away and moments later, I arrived at my destination. Heading west and north past the old house and then heading left past some trees, I could see that the path was blocked by three boulders which explained an awful lot. Had I come this way back at the beginning, I'd have been prevented from progressing towards Martha's Bay. If my video game knowledge was correct (And it was), I'd have performed something known as sequence breaking where you reach something without doing so as intended.

"Seeing this places brings back memories, huh, Sunset?" Princess Twilight asked.

I nodded. "Yeah... It sure does."

"You've come a long way since you first washed up on shore."

I shuddered upon remembering how I first came to this world. "That was one of the most frightening experiences of my entire life." I then picked up and tossed aside the boulders before opening up the chest that was situated amongst them and took out a purple rupee. "That's fifty more rupees for me!" Aside from maybe needing to spend money upon meeting this mystery creature I had been told about by the Zora, collecting rupees was no longer deemed necessary unless I wanted to buy more custom dungeon pieces. "Anyway, Toronbo Shores is quite memorable for me... For better or worse."

"But you did persevere through it and more."

"I guess so..." I then changed the subject. "Where do you suppose this cracked hole in the wall is?"

Princess Twilight shrugged. "I have no idea. It's unfortunate the Zora didn't give you a precise location otherwise you could just go there without issue. I guess it boils down to you just becoming incredibly lucky."

"If I remember, I encountered Starlight to my left when I had to go and find her here at the time."

"Okay, so we can rule out that area."

"There was also the area where I first found my sword, Bulk Biceps' shop, and the pathway that goes to Mabe Village."

"All of this information narrows down where you need to go." Princess Twilight then pointed towards another section of the beach that was slightly to the southwest. "I believe you didn't explore down there during any previous visits here. It's as good a place as any to try and find something suspicious."

Nodding in agreement, I began to make my way in that direction. As I continued down the beach and it went left across the shoreline, my eyes then focused towards the sparkling beauty that was the ocean. I longed to be free of being stuck here and back home but I knew I couldn't leave until the Wind Fish had woken up. I was curious as to what it thought of me in its dreams considering my presence had surely gotten its attention.

Bopping my head, Princess Twilight pointed out the cracked hole in the wall that the Zora mentioned. Huh... I was expecting it to be either well hidden but instead it was right here out in the open. I supposed if you weren't looking for it, you'd just walk on by without a care in the world. Taking out a bomb and tossing it at the wall where it landed softly on the sand, it exploded a few seconds later and revealed a cave entrance. Entering it, I was surprised at seeing so much junk along with some bizarre looking items. Judging from the bed, table, chair, and even some fruit, the creature living here was certainly well off.

Taking out the Magnifying Lens and raising it to my eye, the creature in question was revealed, and he looked like some kind of wolf-rat hybrid. "Hello there!" He said in a calm voice yet I knew he was surprised to see someone enter his home. "I didn't think anyone would find this place let alone blow up the entrance. Since I can see that Magnifying Lens in your hand, you must have met the Zora of Animal Village. He's a good friend of mine so I know you're not going to be a problem."

I turned to Princess Twilight. "What kind of creature is this?"

"This is known as a Goriya." Princess Twilight answered. "They are devils that have mastered the art of using boomerangs as a means of attacking. Most of them are vicious monsters who will stop at nothing to kill whatever they fancy, yet this one is a friendly sort given his pleasant appearance."

"And here I thought all monsters were evil."

"As we've seen with the Zora and now this Goriya, appearances can be deceptive."

The Goriya then spoke up. "I am a trader by nature. If I have something you want, I can trade it to you for something you have that you don't want. Anyway, I recently found a good item that washed up on shore. No idea where it came from but it's very unique."

"What is it?" I asked.

"I won't tell you unless you agree to my trade."

"Okay, what do you want from me?"

"I will take any of your items that aren't of true sentimental value to you." The Goriya answered pointing at both my sword and shield. "I also won't take any swords and shields as I have no use for something I can't use myself." He then noticed my shovel hanging on my back and his eyes opened wide. "Say... What about that shovel you have there? I could definitely use it in order to dig up some other stuff."

"You want my shovel?" Considering I had to pay 200 rupees in order to buy it, I didn't feel like getting rid of it. Then again... I hadn't been using it as much as I should have and this weapon could prove invaluable especially since things were getting more difficult. After thinking it over, I decided to agree to his trade request despite my reservations. "Alright... You can have itl." I then took it out and placed it in front of the Goriya.

He then placed his item on the table. "What I have here is a boomerang. We Goriya's are known far and wide for using them so it must have been fate that I would stumble across this on the shore. I'm no fighter though so this thing won't do me any good." I then picked it up whilst he in turn took my shovel. On the one hand, I was happy to have gotten a new weapon, and one which I hadn't used since my first adventure. On the other hand, giving away something I had all that time made me feel very upset. The Goriya happened to notice my expression whereby he immediately felt glum.

"What's wrong?"

The Goriya sighed. "I feel like I just cheated you out something so precious." He then suddenly had an idea and placed the shovel back down on his table. "If you pay me 200 rupees, you can buy back your shovel. Normally, it would've been 300 rupees but I'm feeling extra generous. Besides, having some money would let me buy my own shovel or some other kind of digging equipment."

Without saying a word, I took out my wallet and dumped 200 rupees on the table. Finding those extra fifty rupees proved beneficial to me. The Goriya handed back my shovel and I placed it behind my back where it belonged. While I felt bad that he no longer had something to trade with me, the Goriya began juggling his newly found wealth. "I see that you're happy that you got some money."

"I can use these rupees to further my business."

"Glad I could help."

"Be sure to take care of that boomerang!"

Thanking the Goriya, I walked outside and took a closer look at the boomerang I had acquired. It bore a resemblance to the one I had acquired back during my first journey (I was surprised that I remembered what it looked like) yet was it strong? As I recalled, it could be used in order to paralyze monsters and defeat very weak ones, reach far away switches, and grab collectibles then bringing them back to me. Considering it wasn't until now that I got my hands on it given I needed to complete a lengthy side-quest, I'd say it was much stronger than what I once had.

I then threw it to try it out and it traveled quite the distance before turning around and coming back to me. Okay, that wasn't a bad test though a much better one would be using it against a monster. Putting it away and then taking out the Seashell Sensor, I took a much closer look and discovered that it looked like a weirdly shaped tuning fork, the kind that could cause vibrations when used against something. Was Adagio pulling a prank by giving me this? No... She didn't seem like the sort to do that.

Something then dawned on me. "Twilight... Why didn't this sensor go off when I got the Secret Seashells from Chestnut Magnifico and the Zora?"

"I believe that because they were given to you, the sensor didn't make a sound." Princess Twilight answered. "I know it's not the best explanation out there but it's the best one I've got. Besides, the sensor won't react to a seashell unless you're practically right on top of it."

"That makes it somewhat less useful than I thought..."

"Be thankful that you were given something that can help you find them."

I sighed before nodding. "Yeah, I suppose you're right, as usual." I then put the Seashell Sensor away by attaching it to my belt as holding it would become cumbersome as I needed both hands to hold my sword and shield respectively. "Aside from going around and looking for any Secret Seashells I might have missed, I think we should go back to Mabe Village and take a closer look at that weathervane Discord mentioned."

Taking out the ocarina again (My third time in the span of about thirty minutes) and playing Manbo's Mambo, I focused on the warp panel just east of Mabe Village and once more I was whisked away before reaching my destination mere seconds later. Heading to the left and then picking up a boulder, I tossed it aside and continued on past the Item Shop until I reached what Discord said was the weathervane. Was it strange that this was the first time I ever paid any attention towards this thing? I never really thought it had any purpose until being told otherwise.

Princess Twilight tilted her head upon seeing the weathervane. "So this is where the Flying Rooster is supposed to be buried under?" The weathervane itself depicted a blue coloured bird (Most likely a rooster) made of wood which gave it a simplistic appearance. Its tail had a propeller which was how the people would determine what kind of weather the village would be experiencing. "According to Discord, you need to use some strength in order to move the vane. Had you tried doing this sooner, you'd have probably thrown out your back."

"I'd rather not experience pain like that again any time soon."

"Sunset Shimmer!" I then noticed Starlight was standing near the weathervane and she ran over towards me, a beaming smile strewn across her face. "I've been waiting for you to come here! Did you find my rupee gift incredibly useful to you? I hope you say yes otherwise I'll never forgive you."

I nodded though I also made certain not to mention that I acquired additional rupees from a dungeon. "Without your help, I would've been stuck for quite a while." The truth was that she did prove to be very helpful and also made me feel bad knowing how often I neglected exploring off the beaten path.

Starlight was ecstatic. "I knew you were going to say the right thing." She then turned her attention towards the weathervane. "By the way, have you heard about the legend behind this?" I pretended not to know in case she suddenly turned nasty towards me. Despite protesting otherwise, I knew Starlight said questionable things so getting on her bad side wasn't in my best interests. "I'm glad you don't know anything about the legend, Sunset Shimmer." In my mind, I apologized to Discord. "Now, this legend has been passed down in this village for generations."

Again, I already knew but I chose to keep silent. "Please do continue."

"Many years ago, this village once had a Flying Rooster that was known for its wonderful blue feathers and ability to fly people around."

"I see."

Starlight then began to get serious. "Over time, the rooster's health slowly declined yet no one believed there was anything wrong. They all thought it was a minor illness and that it would quickly overcome it, but it continued to get worse until one day, it passed away, and the village was never the same. The children were perhaps the most devastated as they related to the rooster better than the grown-ups and it was the latter who ultimately brought about its death."

Strange... Discord never mentioned this when he told me about the legend. Now I needed to know more. "The adults were responsible?"

Starlight nodded, her voice becoming more aggressive. "They kept on pushing the poor thing even when it was obvious that its health was getting worse. How would they feel knowing someone chose to do that to them? It makes me wish that we had gotten rid of them and stayed in the village ourselves." Looking at her with a concerned look, she quickly began laughing and changed her tone. "Huh? You think I said something horrible? No, you must be hearing things again."

"Uh... Huh..." Was all I could say in response.

"When the Flying Rooster passed away, it was given a proper burial though that isn't really the case."

"How so?"

"It's skeletal remains are still underneath this weathervane, at the end of a short tunnel." Starlight answered. She then pointed at the weathervane. "Since the Flying Rooster had such a special place in the villager's hearts--even the grown-ups--it was decided to bury it here instead of doing so in the graveyard. Then this was constructed as a testament to its greatness though it proved to be too heavy to move after a while."

"Do you miss the Flying Rooster?"

"We all do in our own way." Starlight then changed the subject to something I wasn't expecting. "Sunset Shimmer... Do you plan on visiting the Wind Fish's Egg? I have this desire to go there myself you know." I then asked why and she suddenly turned her face away from me. "No... No, I have no reason for going there. I just want to see what it looks like with my own eyes. I'd ask you to come with me but you have more important things to do. Feel free to do whatever now. After all, I've finished telling you about the legend."

Despite her portraying a character in this world, Starlight was still quite the mystery to me. Most of what I knew about her came from Princess Twilight and it was a mixed bag of positive and negative moments that made my own past actions not seem as bad. From my own experiences with her, she definitely wanted to make improvements with her life though she sometimes went back to her old ways, and that is understandable. Old habits are hard to break after all.

Leaving Starlight to continue singing, I approached the weathervane and took a closer look at the base. It wasn't bolted down or anything but instead it had a weight which kept it in place to prevent it from falling over. Pushing the base, it moved forward with relative ease and revealed stairs that went down into another tunnel. Heading down and walking along, I came across a raised platform surrounded by water which is when I saw the remains of the Flying Rooster. Walking up and getting a closer look, I could see that it was remarkably intact despite there being only the skull and what looked to be wings.

"I was honestly expecting something more unpleasant." I commented as I knelt down to look even closer.

"The villagers gave it a final resting place they deemed was worthy." Princess Twilight said.

"Really, Twilight? It feels like they just dumped it here and forgot about it."

"Perhaps but I doubt anyone will tell us the truth."

I sighed. I felt sorry that the poor creature's remains had been left here in such squalor despite how much it meant to the village. Getting back up, I then took out the ocarina and began recalling the exact notes Autumn Blaze and her friends used when they performed. "If this works, the Flying Rooster will be revived... But, I don't know if it's a good idea to resurrect the dead as that can send a pretty bad signal."

"It's fair to have such concerns." Princess Twilight said as she placed her hands on one of mine. "And yet you need the power of this rooster in order to reach your next goal. I don't know how the villagers will react to seeing this bird parading about again so I suggest you leave once this task is done. After all, causing another panic wouldn't be in their best interests and there are far worse things laying in wait." Her Highness then immediately made an amendment to her suggestion. "Call Discord again and ask him for his advice though don't mention that you revived the rooster."

I then played the Frog's Song of Soul and it sounded pretty good on the ocarina. At that moment, a strange ball of light appeared in the area and began floating about in a rather erratic pattern. "What is that?"

"That's the soul of the Flying Rooster."

"It's soul?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "By playing that song, you have called back the soul of the rooster and now it's about to enter its body. Autumn Blaze and her frogs must possess an awesome power if they can enable you to resurrect the dead by using music." Her Highness then started to get excited and began fluttering about in a frenzy. "This is something I've never experienced before in my life. I must document every single moment! This is a real breakthrough!"

Of course Her Highness would get excited over something like reviving the dead. To be fair, I was also excited about this though I had way more restraint. The ball of light continued to float about until it entered the skeletal remains which then began glowing. I stepped back as in the next instant, everything went bright forcing me to cover my eyes so as to not become blinded. Once the brightness died down, I was staring at the Flying Rooster. Lifting a feather like he was giving a thumbs up or an acknowledgement of thanks, I began to leave and he followed along.

"I guess he views me as his new master."

"More like a new friend, Sunset."

"That works even better."

"Why don't you trying picking him up and seeing if he can carry you around."

I wasn't so sure if I should be doing anything like that not long after being revived from the dead, but I supposed now was as good a time as any to see what this rooster could do. Turning around to face him, he showed no signs of being aggressive and allowed me to approach. I then picked him up and held him above my head where he began flying around slightly above the ground. "Hey! This is pretty cool!" Now I understood why the villagers enjoyed this so much along with what it meant to fly like a bird.

"It seems the rooster can fly you about indefinitely."

"That's useful to know." After about a minute of flying back and forth in the tunnel, I tossed the Flying Rooster where he landed safely on the ground and resumed following along behind me, his hopping being really cute. "So I need to find a mountain tower somewhere on Mt. Tamaranch. I believe Flash Sentry was pointing at a general location but I couldn't really see anything since we were in a location that was far away."

"This is where Discord gets to shine once again."

I then gave a smug look to Her Highness which she noticed. "Huh... I never thought I'd hear you say something like that about Discord. From what you used to tell me, he was still a mischievous prankster despite having reformed thanks to your version of Fluttershy. I guess his actions against those three villains really had a serious impact on you. It goes to show that when given a chance to reform, those who are willing to do so end up becoming excellent friends. I should know since you gave me that chance when you could've left me broken and all alone."

"You becoming who you are now was one of the best decisions of my life."

"I appreciate that." I said as I blushed.

"I'm certain Discord will tell you something about this mountain tower."

"He hasn't been wrong so far."

Leaving the tunnel and stepping back outside, I was surprised to see that Starlight was no longer around. I'd only stepped away for about a couple of minutes though. I knew she was acting a little strange but this was especially so even for her. She had insisted on seeing the Wind Fish's Egg though why would she go there? There was nothing really there for her to see or do... Unless... Did she know about the true nature of the island? No... She couldn't have known that. Hopefully, she wouldn't get in over her head but I needed to get there as soon as I was able to.

With the Flying Rooster behind me, I was surprised to see that no one in the village had reacted to seeing it alive and well. Either they were all really ignorant or they were pretending that they saw nothing. Or could this the power of the Wind Fish at work? Aside from knowing its name, I knew very little about it though whether I was traversing about in a dream world or actual reality remained to be seen. Perhaps it was best for me to not incur its wrath. Seeing a telephone booth next to Discord's house, I walked over it and entered before picking up the phone and waiting for his answer.

BRRING! BRRING!

"Ho ho! This is Ulrira speaking!" Discord answered on the other end. I then asked him about a mountain tower and he immediately responded. "A mountain tower you say? Yes, I recall seeing such a place on my travels a long time ago. It's quite a spectacle though also daunting on account of it being so tall."

"Do you have an exact location?" I asked.

"You can find it in the northeast part of Mt. Tamaranch."

"Surprised I never saw it when I was there last."

That made Discord laugh. "Maybe you were focusing on something else and you decided not to look up! After all, you can't miss this tower given how tall it is." He then began to rant about his younger days which wasn't entirely helpful yet I wanted to know more as I was curious. He kept on going until he came back to the next dungeon. "I was surprised at how much dedication had been given to the mighty eagle on that tower. Most animals don't get that kind of treatment you know. It's why it's known as Eagle's Tower though you don't need wings if you plan on going up there."

If that was true then why did I need the Flying Rooster. Hmmm... I needed to ask another question without making myself out to be obvious. "Um... I was wondering if you knew anything else regarding birds."

"No, but there is someone who does."

"And who is that?"

"D'oh ho!" I was beginning to think that Discord's laughter was sometimes meant to be insulting even though I knew this wasn't the case. "There is a place called the Hen House located somewhere on the mountain though some call it the Cucco Shack. There's a man living there who knows about roosters, chickens, and all kinds of birds. He rarely has any visitors come by what with so many monsters roaming around. You should visit him sometime if you're curious."

"Hmmm... I think I'll pass."

"Now there's no need for that kind of attitude."

"I'm more interested in the tower than this Hen House."

Laughing again, Discord told me I needed to have a bit more fun in my life. While he wasn't entirely wrong about that, I needed to focus on finishing this journey so paying a visit to see a man about birds went against that. Wow... I sounded like a complete hypocrite knowing I had recently gone out of my way in order to acquire a boomerang. This was also true regarding the trading quest, the Colour Dungeon, and even taking part in the River Rapids. Sighing, I changed my mind and said that I would visit this place.

Discord was happy to hear me say that. "Nothing wrong with a little fun you know. By the way, there is a cave near the Hen House with something important in it. I tried looking for it once only to find that I couldn't reach it. There was so many huge holes that nothing could hope to cross them... Unless you happened to be a bird. Now... If I remember correctly, that tower was locked and requires a key to open it. Hmmm... Not sure where one would go for something like that. Anyway, I hope you got what you wanted to know from me but call again if you find yourself stuck. Bye!"

CLICK!

You have got to be kidding me! I needed to find yet another key in order to unlock a dungeon!? This was now the fifth one I needed: Tail Key, Slime Key, Angler Key, Face Key, and now another which sounded like it would be bird themed given the theme of this Eagle's Tower. Hopefully, the final dungeon didn't require me to go looking for a key to unlock it otherwise I'd probably lose my mind. At least I knew why I needed the Flying Rooster now. It also meant the Hen House was also a required visit.

Leaving the telephone booth, I heaved a heavy sigh. "I've not even entered this Eagle's Tower and already I'm hating it."

"You knew this wasn't going to be easy, Sunset." Princess Twilight said.

"I know!" I said as I moaned.

"Judging from all the information you've obtained, we need to explore a previously unknown section of the Tal Tal Mountains." Princess Twilight then began combing through her mind to see if she could remember how far I progressed through the mountains before coming up with an answer. "You only explored up to the waterfall where the Angler's Tunnel was located below it. You need to make your way back there and continue heading right."

"What's the closest warp panel to the mountains that I've found?"

"It should be Zecroa's home if memory serves."

That meant I still had to traverse the majority of the mountains. "I guess there is no easy adventure is there?"

Princess Twilight answered. "No, there usually isn't. By the way, you should be able to warp around with the Flying Rooster in tow as I don't think even you want to walk all that way from the village to Zecora's. I'm not 100% certain but you never know what might happen if you don't try."

Taking out the ocarina and playing Manbo's Mambo, I concentrated on the warp pad located by Zecora's place. On a side note, it had been a long time since I last paid her a visit and I was certain she had more Creator Dungeon challenges for me. Granted, those involved going through things I had already overcome and while the rewards were worth it, it was the combat and puzzle solving that were a turn-off for me. Again, as Princess Twilight had just said, there was no such thing as an easy adventure. High risk often meant getting a high reward in return.

Warping away and then reappearing moments later next to Zecora's, I was worried that she was waiting for me outside and would try to coerce me into coming inside and taking on another of her challenges but she wasn't (I guessed she preferred being inside). Heading to the left with the Flying Rooster, I was then attacked by three Moblins who were throwing spears. My immediate concern was with the rooster as it couldn't defend itself so I raised my shield in hopes of protecting it. Suddenly, a random spear then struck it only for nothing to happen.

The Flying Rooster was invincible because of course it would be. As spears continued bouncing off my shield, I lowered it and then moved in and took out all the Moblins using two strikes of my sword each. None of them dropped anything which was disappointing but it couldn't be helped. Remembering being here before when I was making my way towards the Angler's Tunnel, I walked up to a couple of boulders, picked them up, and tossed them aside before heading back the other way towards a couple of ladders.

"Which ladder do I take again?"

"The first one will take you straight up to the Wind Fish's Egg."

"And I don't need to go there quite just yet."

Princess Twilight nodded. "Then you need to climb up the other ladder which will take you back to the top of the waterfall."

Walking along with the Flying Rooster bouncing behind me, I approached the second ladder and noticed a sign (And here I said I didn't want to read one again for a long time) which said that south of me was Zecora's place and that she wanted someone to bring her any weird stones. A part of me felt bad for not doing more for her but I needed to reach my next destination. Climbing up the ladder, I reached the top and the familiar flapping of Flash Sentry's owl companion could be heard. Looking up, the owl was heading towards me which meant he had more instructions or words of encouragement.

To Be Continued.

Chapter 25: Tower of the Eagle.

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.
By Ganondorf8.
March 5, 2021.
Chapter 25: Tower of the Eagle.

The flapping of Flash Sentry's owl companion grew louder as they continued to approach and when they did, he commanded it to land on a ledge next to three boulders which were blocking a cave entrance. I believed I had explored that cave before but I could always check it again to make sure. Behind me, the Flying Rooster began pecking the ground perhaps to look for some food (Who knew how long it had been since it last consumed anything) and showed no sign of leaving, a strong sign of loyalty.

Flash Sentry then spoke. "You have the means to fly like a bird. I knew that you would understand the meaning behind my words." He then looked at his companion and seemed quite impressed by it, or maybe he was thinking of something else. It was difficult to tell with him sometimes. "From here, your path is not easy but you are almost there. Go east and you will find the tower that is dedicated to the mighty eagle."

"What about the key I need?" I asked.

"To claim the Bird Key, you must rely on the strength of the bird itself."

Without the Flying Rooster's help, I would end up getting stuck and quite possibly lost as I hadn't explored too much of the mountains. On another note... Bird Key? Couldn't they have come up with a more appropriate name, like say Eagle Key? After all, this next dungeon was dedicated to a specific bird and not birds in general. Hopefully, it would be a simple pick up which wouldn't result in me fighting a powerful monster which had been the case with the previous two keys.

"Anything else I need to know?"

"Your shield..."

"What about it?"

Flash Sentry looked up at the sun before looking back at my shield again. "It has served you well as it has provided you with ample protection. But... There are things that even it cannot protect you from. You will need something much better if you wish to collect the remaining instruments." I was then expecting him to tell me where I could find it and to my surprise, he went and did just that. "It can be found where you are going. Do not forget about it!"

"And why would I do that?"

"Once you enter the mountain tower and see it for yourself, you will understand my meaning. Now go! The Wind Fish is getting restless!" Flash Sentry answered. With that, he commanded his owl to take off and they immediately soared off into the sky heading east. I was honestly expecting much less from him as he usually was very cryptic or unwilling to share too much information, but he seemed more willing to get to the point. Perhaps he was afraid of what he had said regarding the monsters becoming more aggressive?

I then turned to Princess Twilight. "What do you make of that?"

"A new shield might just be what you need." Princess Twilight answered.

I took off my shield and held it firmly in my hands. "But... How could I replace this? I mean, I've done it before; you should know as you were with me at the time. Getting a new shield is fine and all but you get so attached to what you have especially when it has practically saved your life more than once."

"While true, it does have limitations."

"And I think I know what those are."

Princess Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. "Whew! And I thought I was going to have to explain it to you. I do find it odd that Flash Sentry would tell you not to forget about collecting it as you do go out of your way to open up every treasure chest you come across. Much of the time, what you find in a dungeon helps towards completing it. It sounds like this new shield won't be of much assistance in getting through the Eagle's Tower."

"I've never had such a thing come up before."

"Looks like you have now."

Slinging my shield onto my back, I then took a look at my surroundings. "It makes me wish that I had a map of the entire island instead of having to rely on memory for every little detail. I have you of course but then you can only remember so much, Twilight." That wasn't a shot against Her Highness as she was really good at remembering what things looked like but even she had her limits as no one was perfect. I was more hands on and wanting to be out there rather than memorize something. "Do you suppose I'm going to end up getting lost?"

Shrugging, Princess Twilight sighed. "It is a possibility as the Tal Tal Mountains do have plenty of caves that connect all over the place. I suppose you could go back to the library and take a closer look at the island map but that would involve some unnecessary backtracking."

"I'm surprised you said it like that."

"I wanted to say it before you could."

I rolled my eyes. "Guess I'm going to be doing this blind."

"It hasn't stopped you before."

No it hadn't! I've had to traverse across this island lots of times without truly knowing where I was going. Going through the mountains wasn't going to be any different. Oh sure, I had explored a part of it in the past when I had to go to the Angler's Tunnel, but I hadn't taken it upon myself to truly explore every cave let alone the vast majority of the mountains which covered the entire northern reaches of Koholint. Just knowing there was still so much mountain range left made me gulp but I had to go through with it.

Heading to the cave entrance blocked by boulders, I picked one up and tossed it aside before entering. I was immediately attacked by three Keese which flew about in an attempt to distract me and they were doing a very good job. A Hardhat Beetle (Weren't they supposed to only be seen in dungeons?) charged towards me and upon hitting me, it pushed me back outside. I didn't think that could happen but apparently it could since it just happened. Going back inside with my shield raised, the Hardhat Beetle collided with it and got pushed back.

Remembering that its shell was impervious to damage, I attacked it and pushed it back until it fell into the abyss. The three Keese meanwhile continued to cause a distraction by flittering about so I ignored them and focused on getting to the other side (The Flying Rooster was still behind me to my relief). Heading right and encountering numerous boulders arranged in a formation along with some purple crystals, I knew I had to be fast as the cracks in the ground could give way at any moment.

Pushing a boulder into the abyss, I then shattered a crystal followed by a Green Zol which popped up from the ground before pushing another boulder aside. Heading down the stairs and into another tunnel, I could see several Green Zols and Keese up ahead. Switching over to the Pegasus Boots by jumping slightly which allowed them to appear on my feet, I dashed forward through the monsters and up another set of stairs, entering a room I had been in before as there were those weird blocks that could only be destroyed by dashing.

Dashing through the weird blocks which popped upon contact, I walked outside and was back where the waterfall was where I had to drop down. Chancellor Neighsay was no longer around so it was safe to assume that he had gone back home once he regained his strength. Heading into the water and past a cave entrance I remembered lead to a chest and ultimately a dead end, I ignored it since there was nothing else in there, I walked past the waterfall and eventually jumped into some deeper water which required swimming.

Swimming along, I checked to make sure the Flying Rooster was still behind me. He was and was flying above the water which made sense as he was a bird after all. I had to give him credit for wanting to continue tagging along considering where I travelled and being attacked by monsters every few minutes. He reminded me of Starlight Glimmer as she tagged along on my journey for a while yet she was a bit more talkative. Oh well. It felt nice having someone on the journey to experience it, excluding Her Highness naturally.

I then saw a ladder and climbed up it and out of the water with the Flying Rooster somehow materializing up to where I was. Yeah... I'm not going to question that. Anyway, I noticed what looked like Red Tektites but were instead blue. "I take it that these are Blue Tektites?"

Giggling, Princess Twilight nodded. "They are and you should know that unlike the red ones, blue variants don't jump around as much. That should make them easy enough to overcome but don't take them too lightly."

Attacking one which happened to be nearby, it was defeated and dropped a rupee which I picked up. "Gee... It didn't really put up much of a fight."

"Every monster has its own behaviour."

"I know that, but still..."

"The ones that are truly aggressive are the most dangerous." Princess Twilight said, her voice sounding like she was about to go into one of her lectures. "Monsters that show no signs of aggression should still be avoided as you never know when they will suddenly snap, but generally speaking, they are no real threat and can even be considered cute. Then we have monsters that are in the middle of the pack so to speak. Depending on their mood, you might be attacked or maybe not and instead be left alone. Blue Tektites appear to be moody so you won't know until they actually do something."

"That sounds reassuring, I think?"

"It took me a while to cobble together that research based on your experiences so far."

Of course Her Highness considered this to be another piece of research. I couldn't really fault her here as what she said did actually give me some solid advice when it came to dealing with monsters in general. Okay, I had been doing this from the start what with choosing what monsters to attack and which to ignore, but it felt good hearing a more detailed explanation behind it. I wasn't some kind of bloodthirsty monster who wanted to kill everything that got in her way but sometimes there was no option other than to fight because you got forced which was happening more often than it should.

A few more Blue Tektites were bouncing around and I chose to ignore them. As I kept on walking, I could see some kind of roof sticking out above on the next plateau though my eyes did spot a cave entrance as well. Thinking it over quickly, I decided to see what this roof was about. Heading up some steps, I was surprised to see that the roof belonged to a house. I was also surprised that someone would be living out here in such a monster-infested place but perhaps they felt pretty bold about it. Looking around for some kind of sign, Princess Twilight pointed to one which was on the roof.

It was in the shape of a bird, a rooster to be more precise. "I guess this must be the Hen House we were told about."

Nodding, Princess Twilight looked a little dejected. "I was actually expecting something along the lines of what you would find on a farm, like Sweet Apple Acres. This just looks like an ordinary house albeit in a weird location. No doubt you were wondering why anyone would be living out here."

I nodded that time. "Whoever lives here must be pretty bold."

"Since this is the Hen House, that cave entrance you passed by must be where you need to go to find the Bird Key."

"I'd forgotten about that."

"Good thing I didn't."

"Since we're here, we might as well pay a visit to the home owner."

Before going inside, I asked the Flying Rooster to remain outside just in case the owner might not be the friendly sort and I didn't want anything to happen to him. Walking inside, I saw three chickens that were pecking the ground along with the owner of the house who happened to be Big Macintosh who was throwing what looked to be chicken feed at one. I'd seen the other members of the Apple Family so I was surprised that he didn't make an appearance until now. At the same time, it made sense that he was here given his profession as a farm hand.

Upon noticing me, Big Macintosh began to speak. "Didn't think anyone would come all the way out here."

"Why did you choose to live in a place like this?" I asked as I approached.

"Some people like to be on their own."

"Like you?"

"Eyup!"

I rolled my eyes in response. Somehow, I knew he was going to say exactly that. Big Macintosh was known for not saying much instead preferring to let his actions speak for him, but apparently he used to be very talkative in his younger days. Considering he was portraying another character, he could potentially go back and forth on what he says. I then decided to ask him about the Bird Key and the Eagle's Tower. "Have you seen a key with a bird's head on it?"

"Nope!"

"Do you know where I could find it?"

"Nope!"

"You're not much help are you?"

"Nope!"

Okay, that third response was pretty cute even though I had pretty much insulted him. Princess Twilight knew what I was doing and began bopping me on the head to get my attention, and when she got it, she suggested I asked about the mountain tower without saying too much about my quest. "Okay, then how about this? Have you heard of some kind of tower existing somewhere in these mountains?"

I was expecting Big Macintosh to respond with another 'nope' but instead he nodded slowly. "I've never been to it but I do know about it. If you were to go outside and look to the east, you can see it reaching high up into the clouds. Better yet, why not look out this window and see it for yourself." I did as he instructed and looked outside at the Eagle's Tower where I turned pale and felt like being sick. "Eyup! I knew that was going to be your reaction."

The tower was huge! I had seen tall towers in my time yet this one was even taller than the ones in Canterlot. If that was indeed the next dungeon, I was liking it even less and I hadn't even entered it yet. I couldn't even see an entrance which made me wonder how I was supposed to get inside despite knowing it required the Bird Key. Looking away from the window, Big Macintosh told me to sit down on a nearby chair. Sitting down, I began shaking upon seeing my next destination. I didn't want to go there but I knew that I had too otherwise this journey couldn't be finished.

"How do you live knowing 'that' tower is over there?"

Big Macintosh shrugged. "I don't let it get to me."

"You don't?"

"Nope!"

"Surely you must have seen something happening over there that would make you worried?"

"Eyup!" Big Macintosh suddenly stopped tossing his chicken feed and gave me a serious look. "The rumour is the tower is home to a giant bird which has been seen flying around though no one has actually seen it. As long as it doesn't come this way, I'm not bothered by how terrifying that place looks. I've no business over there anyway though judging from your reactions, you plan on going there yet I can see why. It's obvious you're an adventurer as why else would you be dressed like that and carrying all that stuff?"

"Am I that obvious?"

Big Macintosh nodded. "Eyup!" He then resumed tossing the feed before continuing on. "I'm not going to pry into your business but let me say one thing. If you do plan on going over there to that tower, be sure you watch out for that giant bird." He paused for a moment and then changed the subject when he began calling over one of his chickens which promptly did so without question. "Sorry if I sound rather distant but I've been feeling pretty bad these days."

"How come?"

"It has to do with my chickens."

I then looked at all three and couldn't see anything wrong with them. "They look fine to me."

Shaking his head, Big Macintosh responded with his usual 'nope' before sighing. "Their appearance isn't the problem. It's their fighting spirit or lack thereof. Chickens these days don't have the flying spirit that they used to have. In the old days, they could fly, flap flap! But look at these ones, see? Cluck cluck!" He sighed again. "It makes me think that sometimes it's just not worth continuing to do this. These little fellas will never fly and instead will remain grounded."

"You want them to fly?"

"Eyup!"

"Care to explain if you want to?"

Big Macintosh nodded. "I'd love to be able to fly around in the air like the chickens of old used to do but that won't ever happen." He pointed to the three chickens in his house and sighed once again which made me feel sorry for him. A part of me wanted to go outside and bring in the Flying Rooster to help him fulfil this dream of his but I couldn't do that as I needed the rooster to help me acquire the Bird Key. "Ever hear about the Flying Rooster of Mabe Village?"

"Um..." My eyes looked towards the door knowing that the rooster was waiting outside and I quickly turned back towards him. "No... I've never heard of it." I wasn't about to deprive him of telling me something I already knew. Besides, I felt sympathetic towards him seeing as he was just a humble man who had an honest dream.

"Now that was a chicken that could fly about!"

"Do you know what happened to him?"

"Eyup!" Big Macintosh answered, his head lowering in sadness. "The rooster passed away a long time ago and was buried underneath a weathervane. For a chicken breeder like myself, I had to go to the village and pay my respects. Deep down, I was saddened knowing I could never fly around with such a magnificent chicken."

Before he could say another word, I stepped outside and he shrugged before resuming tossing his chicken feed. Back outside, I called to the Flying Rooster to come with me and he followed me back inside where I apologized for suddenly leaving without warning. "I want to show you something."

To my relief, the Flying Rooster had followed me inside and to Big Macintosh's amazement. "Wow! Amazing! That rooster is actually flying! I can't believe that I am seeing this! It's just like I said, eh? That chicken of yours has the fighting spirit! Have you tried holding him above your head? Cluck cluck!" His happiness quickly faded which made me feel upset and regretful that I went and brought the rooster in here. "As much as I would like to have him fly me around, I know that he's your rooster. You enjoy the experience and don't worry about the likes of me."

Thanking him for the friendly chat as well as the warning about the giant bird, I left the Hen House though I felt guilty. I believed that showing him the rooster would improve his morale but instead it ended up having an opposite effect. Perhaps upon finishing his business with me, he would come back here and give Big Macintosh his dream of flying. Until then, I just had to live with guilt in my heart until further notice. Princess Twilight then comforted me knowing my intentions were good but ultimately misguided which made me feel even worse.

Choosing to focus on the task at hand, I took a look at my surroundings to give myself a better lay of the land. I knew the Eagle's Tower was to my left so I ignored that and looked to my right where I saw some wooden bridges held up with some rope which looked like it could give way at any moment. Straight ahead, I could see the entire expanse of Koholint Island before me and it made me feel small in comparison. Once I was ready to continue on, I had to choose whether to check out the cave or head towards the tower for a closer look.

CRRAACCKLE! FWWOOSSHH!

"So this is where you've been hiding, Grim Creeper!"

"Oh look! It's the Nightmare who won't get his chance against the Outsider!"

"And what do you mean by that?"

The Grim Creeper began laughing. "It's just that she will meet a horrible end once she enters the Eagle's Tower. Oh, I don't plan on killing her right away as that would be boring. I want to see what she's capable of first and then kill her. You can come and watch if you want to, Hot Head, but you might not be comfortable without your precious lava."

"Do you really think you can defeat the Outsider?" Hot Head asked.

"I believe I can take care of her."

"You believe you can?"

"Did I stutter for you or something?"

Hot Head began to chuckle slowly. "There is no 'believe' when it comes to fulfilling the desires of my master. You either must succeed or be destroyed. As you already know, the others ended up failing and were destroyed. They didn't realize she possessed tools that proved effective against them. Her own personal experiences continued to improve which were also a factor. While I have no doubt of your abilities, Grim Creeper, you would be wise to not make the same mistake the others made."

"Is that the sound of jealousy I hear?"

"What makes you think that?"

The Grim Creeper wagged her finger. "You can't hide it from me, Hot Head. You want to end her life because it would mean becoming the mighty Dethl's most faithful servant and it would mean him not having to personally get his hands dirty. But, I've been given the opportunity and I'm not about to give you any glory."

"You are such a vindictive creature."

"And you know why."

Hot Head nodded. "You've always been jealous of the fact that you weren't chosen to be a Nightmare. While I won't deny that you are strong, you clearly lack true power as all you have are those little creatures that fight your battles for you in addition to the Evil Eagle. My master prefers ideal servants who can give results and not just brag about what they might be capable of."

That angered the Grim Creeper though she quickly calmed down. "While I would love nothing more than to see you getting snuffed out for good, I know better than to let you get under my skin so I'll refrain from unleashing my fury. What I lack in power is made up with cunning and knowing how the Outsider works. She has a particular weakness which will make things oh so easy but you won't hear it from me."

"You sound like you've got things under control."

"Like I said, you're jealous."

"If that's what you think it is, I won't object."

The Grim Creeper then changed the subject. "So... Do you want to come and watch her suffer before she dies?"

Hot Head shook his head. "No... I need to take care of something else. Besides, you don't need the likes of me to upstage you! If you truly believe that you can stop her for good, then by all mean go ahead. My master is expecting great things from you, Grim Creeper, so know that failure won't be accepted. Prove that his faith wasn't misguided! Oh, and make sure not to allow the Evil Eagle to have its wings clipped."

"I doubt it will even need to fight."

"Now that is what I call confidence."

"Are you mocking me?"

Again, Hot Head shook his head. "I'm just stating a fact, nothing more than that. If you truly think the Evil Eagle won't be needed then hope the Outsider doesn't reach it otherwise you will look bad for having made a bold claim."

"If anyone is going to look bad, it will be you because you never got a chance!"

As the Grim Creeper disappeared, Hot Head laughed under his breath before speaking in a quiet voice. "You are in way over your head, Grim Creeper! The Outsider is too much for you to handle and it will cost you your life. I am worried that the Outsider could become too strong even for me. Hmmm... Perhaps the Grim Creeper can do what she says and prevail but she would no doubt brag about it and demand to become even more powerful. Choosing one over the other..."

Choosing to go to the right towards the Eagle's Tower, I approached a bridge which had a piece missing. I thought about jumping over the gap using the Roc's Feather but I chose to use the Flying Rooster instead as I had no idea how long he would tag along. Picking him up, I hovered across the gap and continued to move along in this fashion until reaching a few boulders which were blocking the way forward. Tossing the rooster aside, I picked up and tossed each boulder with the second one containing a Spiny Beetle which attacked me.

Reeling from the hit, I dropped the boulder which landed on the monster, defeating it. I had forgotten that they lived underneath some objects which made picking things up tricky as you could never tell what was hiding underneath them. At that moment, the Seashell Sensor began vibrating indicating that a Secret Seashell was nearby. While I didn't like the fact that I needed to be practically right on top of it in order for it to go off, I was happy knowing that it actually worked. Picking up and tossing the remaining boulder, the seashell was hiding underneath which I picked up giving me fifteen.

I thought about going back but I felt compelled to get an even closer look at the Eagle's Tower. Heading to the right and across a complete bridge, I noticed a single bush on the other side which most likely had another Spiny Beetle hiding underneath it. Approaching it, it got up and began scuttling towards me either to attack or to run away. It bumped into me before moving back and then moving towards me again so I responded with my sword removing the bush (I forgot they did that). Hitting it again defeated it leaving me to gaze up at the tower.

Even up close, the dungeon was a fearsome sight to behold. By the base was a small statue of a bird where I could barely make out a keyhole so at least I knew where the Bird Key needed to be inserted. Again, I couldn't see an actual entrance. I could see another bird on the tower proper along with tons of vines that gave off an ancient vibe as though no one had taken care of the place for years if not decades. There was nothing else in this direction other than sight-seeing so I turned around and went back the other way making sure to use the Flying Rooster to get across that one gap.

Back by the Hen House, I considered going to the left and seeing what the west side of the Tal Tal Mountains were like but Princess Twilight insisted otherwise saying I needed to focus on reaching my next destination. She also said I was highly likely to go that way anyway as I had explored every other area of the island. Shrugging and accepting Her Highness' opinion, I decided to go and check out the cave entrance from earlier. Before going inside, Her Highness warned me that it would soon be dark so I needed to work fast as sleeping inside of a cave wasn't my idea of having a good night.

Entering the cave, I saw no monsters though the path did go to the left. "Hmmm... I don't like the feeling of this." I said.

Princess Twilight nodded. "Since you had to defeat a rather powerful monster in order to acquire the previous two special keys, you might have to fight a third one or perhaps you need to solve some kind of difficult puzzle?"

"I'd rather just run into it." I said sighing. "Oh, and I already thought about a powerful monster guarding the Bird Key."

"I had a feeling you would."

Heading to the left and entering the next section of the cave, my jaw dropped upon seeing so many boulders. "Oh come on!" I was hoping for a simple item pickup this time around and instead I ended up with this. "Guess you were right about needing to solve a difficult puzzle."

"You might still have to fight a monster."

I... I didn't want to say anything in response to that. Had I done so, I'd have only upset myself even more so. Instead, I chose to comment on the puzzle at hand. "I think I can see the solution here." In truth, I couldn't see it. "Ugh! Never mind!"

Then Princess Twilight looked over the formation. "Hmmm... You'll need to do some fancy jumping with the Roc's Feather in order to reach certain sides of the boulders." She then stopped and chuckled upon realizing that she was getting a little too technical. "Let me try that again. Say you pushed a boulder north and it went in that direction. Now say you pushed it east by jumping to the left side of it beforehand. That's what I meant by fancy jumping. Better yet, the Flying Rooster can be of tremendous help as you can hover about in directions that aren't normally accessible by jumping."

"I think I got that."

"That was the best way I could describe it."

Again, I preferred a hands-on approach by figuring things out. Taking the time to assess the situation and planning things out was more Princess Twilight's calling. Looking at the Flying Rooster and then at the puzzle again, I might have figured out a possible solution. In fact, what Her Highness said might not necessarily be required unless I was overthinking things. Ugh! This was getting me nowhere and my blood was beginning to boil.

"I wish you hadn't given me that explanation, Twilight."

"Did I confuse you?"

I nodded. "Yeah but it's not your fault. I'm just missing something so blatantly obvious that it's making me mad."

"Better not get too mad otherwise the Flying Rooster could get upset."

Upon Princess Twilight mentioning him, it finally clicked and I could see the solution appear before me. I had to fly like a bird! I needed to push certain boulders to create a path towards the back of the cave and then use the rooster to hover over one particular hole. "I've figured it out."

"Oh? My explanation did help?"

I shrugged. "It kind of did but what you said about the rooster is what made it click! Here! Let me show you what I mean." I began by pushing the middle boulder in the second row where it fell into the abyss followed by pushing the one to its left into another hole. After that, I pushed the boulder that was north of the second where it too fell before coming to a stop and assessing what I had done. "As you can see, I've begun creating a path but I need to do one last thing to truly make it complete."

Princess Twilight was surprised. "Not exactly how I explained it but so long as you figured it out, I can live with it."

Picking up the Flying Rooster, I hovered over the next hole before throwing him in order to get down. Walking into the next area, I immediately stopped on account of there being a massive abyss which I couldn't cross by any means. Not even using the Hookshot would've worked as it was so huge in scope. This is where the Flying Rooster was needed... For this one location that otherwise would've forced me to go back had I come here much sooner. Then again, I could only see what was directly in front of me. There could be much worse waiting up ahead like an even more complicated puzzle.

I picked him up and he began to hover across the abyss though I made sure not to look down (I wasn't afraid of heights but I was fearful of plunging into a bottomless void) in case I accidentally tried throwing him. Once he had reached the other side, something shiny caught my eyes and there on top of a raised platform was a key with a bird shaped head. I couldn't see any monsters around nor a difficult puzzle to solve which made me wonder if this there was some kind of hidden trap. I mean come on! This felt too easy compared with previous situations.

Once the rooster hovered me over a small one, I tossed him aside and walked up the stairs where I then picked up the Bird Key. "So this is the Bird Key huh? Why would it be hidden in such a place like this?"

"I have no idea." Princess Twilight answered who then noticed my disappointed expression. "Are you upset that you acquired this key without any problems? If anything, you should be happy that all this took was using a rooster that could fly. Unless... You actually wanted to fight another powerful monster."

Shaking my head, I placed the key in my pocket. "I'd rather not fight a strong monster if I can avoid it."

"I thought so."

"Okay, so how do I get out of here?"

"The only direction I can see is you going back the other way.

"There's no shorter way to go?"

"No and it means you need to solve that puzzle again."

"Tell me you're not serious about that, Twilight."

Princess Twilight nodded her head. "When you leave an area after doing something, most of the time, what you did ends up being restored back to the way it was. Major puzzles when solved remain that way permanently while smaller ones have to be solved again. All it really does is waste precious time though it does allow for some great memorization especially if you struggled with it initially. Does that make sense to you, Sunset?"

"Believe me, it does."

Her Highness knew that I had been through plenty of scenarios that fit both of her descriptions but I appreciated the explanation. It served as an interesting conversation piece which we could easily bring up again later should it be deemed necessary. Anyway, now that I had the Bird Key in my possession, I needed to use it to open up the next dungeon though I didn't know how to reach it. I suspected it would involve going through the right cave of which many existed throughout the Tal Tal Mountains. No sense in complaining about the obvious.

I picked up the Flying Rooster and he hovered back over to the hole before he continued over the abyss. Again, I made sure not to look down and soon enough, he had reached the other side where I tossed him to land on solid ground (No, I wasn't about to kiss the ground as even I had my dignity). Heading back into the room with the boulders, I then noticed another path that ignored them. Princess Twilight said going that way would've likely taken me to the Bird Key's location but I'd have been blocked by something that was completely impassible.

Fortunately, getting through these boulders the other way was remarkably simple. Pushing a boulder forward where it fell, I then pushed another one and I was able to reach the entrance to the cave. I thought about the other path and seeing where it went just for the fun of it but opted not to as there wasn't any real point. Heading outside, the sun had gotten even lower indicating that night was evident, but luckily, I was only a very short distance away from Big Macintosh's place and surely he'd allowed me to sleep there until morning. I did show him something spectacular even if it did make him upset.

Heading back to the Hen House and avoiding the Blue Tektites, I went inside and he was surprised that I had come back. "Back already? I guess you've gotten so enamoured with my chickens that you just couldn't keep yourself away from seeing them again."

"You could say that." I said sheepishly.

"And you even brought that rooster back with you too."

"I'm sorry that seeing him makes you upset."

Big Macintosh shook his head. "I'm not upset that you've got yourself such a magnificent chicken. We all have our lot in life and mine is breeding ordinary chickens who just cluck and can't fly." He then noticed the Bird Key sticking out of my pocket. "Guess you found that strange key you were looking for. Not sure what use you have for it but don't pay me any mind. It's none of my business to criticize your own."

"Thanks." I then changed the subject. "Could I spend the night here?"

"Eyup!"

"That's it?"

"Eyup!"

"Wow... You're pretty easy to negotiate with."

"While true, it's also dangerous to go around these mountains at night." Big Macintosh said whilst staring out the window and looking at the Eagle's Tower. "Some say the monsters are even more aggressive at night because they are imbued by the very darkness itself. I personally don't believe it but why take a chance. You can stay here until morning so feel free to make yourself at home."

"Thank you."

As night fell, Big Macintosh began telling me stories about chickens which helped pass the time. At first, I didn't know what to make of them but as he continued, I began getting a better appreciation of them and how they could be innocent until they get provoked too much. Being curious about wanting new knowledge and because Princess Twilight was urging me to inquire further, I asked him what he meant. He then said that some people loved attacking chickens because it made them feel good but they could only take so much abuse before calling for others to come and peck repeatedly until their attackers either left them alone or were defeated... Permanently.

Who knew that chickens could be so vicious? It then made me think about my previous adventures where Cuccos were everywhere minding their own business though they could unintentionally get in the way what with being such curious creatures. The thought of them acting in such a manner made me glad I never tried attacking them. If Fluttershy had been with me and she saw me attack them, she'd have never forgiven me despite them becoming dangerous.

Unlike the previous night, I was able to sleep peacefully and this was a good thing given that I was going to enter a dungeon which was already leaving me feeling uneasy. Morning soon came and Big Macintosh wished me luck before suggesting I come back to pay him another visit, something I planned on doing as I still believed the Flying Rooster would choose to stay with him once he no longer needed to tag along behind me. Leaving the Hen House and looking up at the Eagle's Tower, my mind knew there was no going back, so slapping both sides of my face, I regained my resolve.

Heading down the stairs, I was knocked to the ground by a Blue Tektite which jumped from a higher platform down to where I was. Getting back up, it jumped at me again where I responded by attacking it with my sword, dropping a green rupee upon defeat that I collected. Walking past the cave that once contained the Bird Key, I made my way across the area then climbed down the ladder and back into the water, the Flying Rooster still behind me. Swimming rapidly so as to not get pulled down a small waterfall (That would've set me back about five minutes or so), I was soon able to walk on solid ground.

There was only one way onward and that was a cave as I had otherwise reached a dead end. Entering the cave, there was more water on the ground which wasn't really annoying but my feet weren't liking it. A Keese situated in the middle of the water remained motionless which gave me an opportunity to try out the Boomerang I had acquired from the Goriya. I couldn't ignore it as it was blocking the path so defeating it was my only option. Taking it out and aiming it carefully, I tossed it only to miss my target at first but then it got hit from behind before returning to my hand.

"You might need some practice with that." Princess Twilight said.

I lowered my head in shame. "You'd think I'd have gotten over making simple mistakes like that."

"It's all part of the learning process."

"I will admit that's rather easy to throw."

"That's good to know for the future."

"Is the boomerang really as powerful as that Goriya said it was?" I asked as I looked at the item. "I know he said as much when I got it from him but so far, I'm not really seeing it unless I'm judging it too soon."

Comforting me, Princess Twilight landed on the boomerang and tapped it a few times. "A weak monster like a Keese will easily fall to a boomerang and most of your other items so it wasn't a good example of testing out its power. What you need is a stronger monster that has more stamina. Considering you'll be entering the Eagle's Tower soon, there will be plenty of chances to use the boomerang."

"Maybe it will make the dungeon an easier experience."

"That is a possibility."

From what I remembered, a boomerang was not only an offensive weapon, but also one that could be used to activate switches from a distance. This was a lot like using the bow except that it wouldn't cost an arrow every time. It could even be used to reach far away objects and bring them towards me rather than having to go up and collect them in person. If the boomerang had one drawback, it was that once thrown at something, it took quite a bit of time to come back unless it was disrupted during flight. While it wasn't a major issue, it could still prove problematic depending on the situation.

Moving along through the water, I then noticed a Piranha swimming about in a deeper section. I thought about using the boomerang against it, but realized that it only revealed itself when attacking so that wouldn't work. Instead, I picked up the Flying Rooster and hovered over it before noticing a cracked section of the wall. Once on the other side, I took out the Roc's Feather and jumped back onto a small platform that was in front of the crack. With some quick maneuvering, I took out a bomb, dropped it, and jumped back again when it exploded.

This revealed a hidden room which I entered though it contained two more Piranha swimming about along with some stairs leading up to another floor. Using the rooster again to hover over the monsters and up to the stairs to the next level, what greeted me was a long corridor. I walked down this new path before being stopped by a number of boulders along with some chests which made me feel suspicious. Since when would there be so many chests in one location? Unless this was someone's hidden treasure trove, I suspected there were traps hidden in these.

"What do you think, Twilight?"

"Most definitely booby-trapped."

"That's what I thought."

Looking over at the formation of the chests, Princess Twilight then bopped me on the head to get my attention. "If you do this correctly, you should be able to open up every single chest without having to leave and then re-enter this cave. Make sure you have your sword ready as you're likely to get attacked by Green Zols or maybe something else. Either way, follow my directions closely."

Nodding, Her Highness told me to push the boulder that was immediately to my right since the chest that it was blocking was the closest to me. Pushing it aside and opening the chest, smoke billowed forth followed by a Green Zol which tried jumping out but I attacked with my sword defeating it. Princess Twilight then needed a few moments to determine which one to open next and decided on the one by the left wall. Walking up to and pushing the correct boulder, I opened this chest where smoke came out again along with another Green Zol.

Defeating it, that left just three chests I needed to open, and after thinking it over, Princess Twilight told me to go for the one that wasn't surrounded by boulders. Looking over and nodding, I walked up to the one surrounded by three boulders and pushed the one I could access forward allowing me to reach my target. Opening it up, I waited for the smoke to clear before defeating the next Green Zol leaving two chests remaining... Which is when Her Highness realized she had made a huge blunder. By pushing that one boulder, I had locked myself out from opening the final chest.

Since there was nothing else I could do, I exited the cave and was back outside on a higher elevation yet there was nothing out here aside from another chest, a Blue Tektite, and a dead end. Oh well. At least I got to open up one good chest unless it had been booby-trapped as well. The Blue Tektite bounced towards me but I got of the way only to get hit when it bounced a second time. Defeating it with a sword strike and then opening the chest, I took out a Secret Seashell which was my sixteenth. It looked liked going and exploring off the beaten path had paid off.

Heading back into the cave, I was surprised to see that the opened chests had been closed up again. "Okay? What happened?"

Clasping her hands together, Princess Twilight looked like she was about to cry. "I've been given a second chance to help you solve this puzzle." I wasn't about to steal away her thunder so I stood back and allowed her to do her thing. "Okay, if you follow these directions, you can open up all five chests in one attempt. It also proves a theory which had only just recently come to mind."

"And that is?"

"If you mess up a sequence, you can leave and then come back where it will have reset itself."

"That does make some puzzles become a joke."

Princess Twilight nodded. "For those who struggle with solving puzzles, it can be seen as a blessing especially if the reward is a good one. I'm going to take a guess and say that you're going to end up getting a valuable rupee upon opening the final chest."

I knew Her Highness had unintentionally made a reference to video game players, but I wouldn't go into any details for her since it would be confusing and I'd never hear the end of it. Opening the first chest, I defeated the Green Zol after the smoke cleared before pushing a boulder that was blocking the chest to my right. Opening it up and waiting for the smoke to clear, the next Green Zol managed to jump out and bounce around once or twice until it was defeated. Was it worth going through all this just to get more money? Yes as you never knew when you needed to make a sudden purchase.

Moving to the chest surrounded by three boulders, I pushed the one that was directly in front of it and then opened it where smoke came forth and the next Green Zol popped out. It began bouncing around and even managed to hit me twice until I used a sword strike to defeat it. I opened up the next chest which had been the first one I opened during my previous attempt. Smoke came out from it but then I swung my sword defeating the next Green Zol (This was starting to get rather redundant now) before it had a chance to start bouncing around.

Pushing the last necessary boulder and opening up the final chest, I took out a silver rupee which was worth one hundred though what I went through to get it didn't feel worth it especially with how repetitive it got. Deep down, I hoped I wouldn't have to go through this kind of puzzle again. Now, there was nothing left for me in this area so I went back down the corridor and subsequently the stairs where I hovered over the two Piranha using the Flying Rooster (Surprised that he was still tagging along given what I'd been doing of late).

Once I was back on the main path again, I took a moment to assess things. So far, my trek through the mountains hadn't been too difficult though the real test was coming up. Good thing the medicine I found in the Face Shrine hadn't been used but I knew that it soon would be which made me worried that getting back here would require going through all this again especially if there wasn't a warp panel somewhere nearby.

Using the Roc's Feather to jump over a small gap of water, I kept going until I was back outside in a different section of the mountains. Ahead of me was an Owl Statue but not the kind that required me to find a Stone Beak. Instead, it was one that gave out some random information. Walking up to it, its eyes glowed and it began to give me its message. 'YOU ARE NEAR THE EAGLE'S TOWER. BEWARE OF THE BIRD!' Huh... This statue, despite repeating something I had already heard, provided useful information.

Another Blue Tektite bounced at me which I defeated with a sword strike and that's when I noticed a hole in the ground located around the next corner. "Where do you suppose this would take me if I were to drop down it?"

"Over here!" Princess Twilight answered. I followed her over to the edge where she pointed down towards a hole in the wall which would take me back to the river which in turn would lead to the castle. "This is a shortcut if for some reason you want to go back to the area below. I wouldn't recommend this as you would have to make your way up here again."

"So ignore it?"

"I would if I were in your position."

Heeding her advice, I ignored the hole and instead climbed up a ladder before entering another cave. "Wow... There are so many Keese up ahead. I'm not afraid of them or anything but I haven't seen so many all at once." Raising my shield, I then took out the boomerang and moved forward where they all attacked me at once. Tossing it, it sailed through all four of them at once defeating them and leaving behind two Recovery Hearts before it returned to me. "At least that still works."

"Pretty cool what you did there."

I smiled in return. "Thanks."

"It shows that the boomerang is a powerful weapon considering you got it pretty late in this journey."

"I just need to get used to using it again."

The next section was a long corridor so I decided to rush through with speed. Hopping slightly, I switched over to the Pegasus Boots and dashed forward which caused me to defeat several Green Zols in a row. I continued dashing until crashing into a wall which gave me some knockback but I quickly moved forward because of the ground suddenly breaking away under my feet. Changing back to my regular boots, I raised my shield as more Keese attacked but I ignored them as there were additional cracked spaces and I didn't want to fall down into any of them.

Reaching the exit, I went back outside and was in yet another section of the mountains though it was beginning to look the same. The shadow of the Eagle's Tower hung over this area and it made me feel nervous but shook away such notions knowing what was at stake. There was a small set of stairs which lead down to a platform that had nothing on it which made me question whether or not it was hiding something, but I chose to ignore and entered the next cave entrance. Even though I couldn't see it on my side, I was back in the same cave as before except now I was in a different section.

Making sure that the Flying Rooster was still behind me (He was to my relief), I went down the stairs and came to a stop as I almost stepped off into a small hole. In fact, I was surrounded by a hole shaped like a plus sign with the platform being the same shape. "Okay, that was way too close for comfort!"

"Good thing you stopped, Sunset."

I wiped my forehead before addressing my current grievance. "How much longer will it take to get to the dungeon! I know I'm not looking forward to it but you'd think I'd have reached it by now! These caves are starting to blend together just like the mountains outside!"

"This is where a map would've come in handy."

"Don't remind me..." I said as I grumbled under my breath.

"If there's any consolation for you, you are closer than you were when you started this mountain trek."

"Yeah, I suppose so."

Princess Twilight then looked ahead at what was coming up. "You do have a couple of Hardhat Beetles which can be knocked into that large hole over there." She then flew over to it before coming back. "You need the Flying Rooster in order to reach the exit as I don't see any other way." Her Highness then had another thought. "You know, if the rooster does end up leaving for whatever reason it had, certain areas of these mountains will no longer be accessible. If there are any hidden items around here..."

"I get what you mean."

"Unless you don't feel they are necessary then by all means ignore them and press on."

"Actually, I'm more concerned about missing any Secret Seashells." I quickly took out the Seashell Sensor to check to make sure it was still working. "I only need four more in order to get this ultimate weapon Adagio is promising. I've probably missed out on lots of shells at this point so I'm desperate in finding whatever's left." Putting away the sensor (It didn't make a sound so I knew there were no shells nearby), my thoughts turned to this weapon and what it could possibly be though I had a pretty good idea based on past experiences. "I'm going to be getting a better sword."

"You think so?"

I nodded. "Call it an obvious hunch."

Picking up the Flying Rooster, he hovered over the hole by the stairs and to my surprise, the Hardhat Beetles ignored me as though I were invisible. Was their vision limited to the ground or did they only react to movement? An interesting theory though one that wouldn't amount to much as my means of avoiding them only worked with the rooster. Speaking of which, I slipped past them along with a single Green Zol which popped up from below ground whilst he continued hovering across the abyss. Again, I didn't want to look down.

Once on the other side, I tossed him aside where he gently dropped to the ground and I exited the cave. Upon seeing the outside world again, I was surprised to find that I had reached a tentative dead end. "Did we miss a hidden passageway or something?"

"Not to my knowledge." Princess Twilight flew forward before turning around and calling back at me. "There's another cave entrance around the corner! Also, I can barely make out a cracked section of wall that's to your right. It might be worth checking out."

"I'm hoping this is the last cave I need to go through."

"On this side, yes." Princess Twilight said as she flew back over to me. "You've still got the other side of the mountains to explore and I've no doubt there will be more caves over there so no, you're not done exploring them. Sorry to have to give your hopes up on that one."

Just what I didn't need to hear! "It never gets easy does it?"

Princess Twilight shook her head. "If it did, it would be deemed too easy and besides, working hard for something is the right way to go about it. Now, do you want to see what's behind that cracked wall or go through the next tunnel and hopefully reach the dungeon?"

Walking past the Blue Tektite which eyed me cautiously (No pun intended here despite having just one eye) but didn't attack, I took out a bomb, dropped it, and walked away before it exploded revealing another cave entrance. Walking inside, I was surprised to have come across a fairy fountain. While I wasn't about to question a fairy fountain being located in such a weird place, I wasn't about to complain. Floating slightly above some water in the fountain was Adagio Dazzle herself and like the fountain, I wasn't going to question her being here.

"I am impressed that you were able to find this fountain." Adagio said.

"Just to let you know, I've found four Secret Seashells since I last saw you." I said.

Adagio smiled. "Yes, I can sense that you have been using the Seashell Sensor that I gave you along with your own skills to uncover them. You still need to find some more but know that I cannot accept them here. Only in the Seashell Mansion can they be presented." She then leaned forward before quickly snapping back and giving me a shocked look. "You've been injured so allow me to soothe your wounds with my magic."

Closing my eyes, I felt her powers restoring my strength despite not actually taking that much damage. Once I had finished recovering, I wanted to see if she could give me any advice on the upcoming dungeon. "Do you know anything about the Eagle's Tower?"

"It is a den where evil dwells but what I know is limited."

"Can you share with me what you know?" I was disappointed that she couldn't give me much in the way of answers but anything was better than nothing.

Nodding, Adagio conjured up an image of the tower using her powers. "You must be careful, young one. The bird that makes its roost here is one of the Nightmares that guards that which you are seeking. There is another who dwells inside who has a personal grudge against you but I cannot see who they are. I can only tell you one final thing. Obtain the shield of light for it is needed to overcome the darkness and the magical fire."

I had no idea what this magical fire was but I knew what she meant about the shield. "I guess when next we meet, it will be at the Seashell Mansion."

"The effort shall be worth it."

Disappearing, I left the fairy fountain and began to think about what she said. The other creature she mentioned had to be dangerous as why else would she bring it up? In any case, I had my work cut out for me once again but it was pretty normal for me. What she said about this mystery shield intrigued me even though I didn't like the idea of giving up what I'd been using for so long in favour of something that could protect protection my current one couldn't handle.

Ignoring the Blue Tektite yet again, I was about to walk up to the remaining cave entrance when Princess Twilight told me to stop. "Look at this!" She then pointed at a glowing panel which caught my attention. "This looks like a warp panel! I can barely make it out but I'm positive that's what it is. You were complaining earlier about having to make your way back here but this completely negates that problem."

"How am I supposed to dig it up?"

"You just answered your own question."

It took me a second to realize what she meant. Blushing from embarrassment, I walked up to the glowing spot, took out the shovel, and dug into the ground which revealed the warp panel so now I could come straight here and ignore all those caves. "Strange how it was hidden like this but I suppose I should be thankful that it's here. What makes this even better is that I can enter the fairy fountain if I need a quick health recovery and have no medicine on hand."

"And you can get a hint or two from Adagio."

" Don't worry, Twilight." I said whilst winking. "You're still my main source of guidance."

"As I should be."

"What do you make of Adagio's words regarding 'shield of light' and 'magical fire'?"

Her Highness needed a moment to think both of these over so I took the opportunity to sit down next to the warp panel. The Blue Tektite was still around though it chose to ignore me completely and merely settled down in the corner before closing its eye. She then spoke up. "I'm not sure what Adagio meant by magical fire but the shield is required in order to get past it. It sounds to me that this shield can reflect projectiles your current one can't." It then dawned on her as to what it really was. "Now I get what she meant. Sunset... I think she was referring to a Mirror Shield."

"How can you be sure?"

"I can't hence why I think that's what the shield is."

"Guess the only way to find out is to find it in the dungeon."

"Hopefully, you can find it quickly."

With the warp panel activated to give me a new location for Manbo's Mambo, I entered the next cave which I hoped would be the last one. What appeared before me was a narrow corridor that would make fighting anything difficult so I opted to move slowly and with my shield raised in case I were attacked. The moment I took my first step forward, two Green Zols popped up as expected. Luckily, where the corridor turned ever so slightly to the left then the right gave me enough room to swing my sword and defeat both monsters without too much effort.

Continuing on down the corridor, no further monsters attacked and the path ended at some stairs leading up to the next floor. Heading upstairs, I entered a room that had a skull motif on the ground. How did I know this? Well, two large holes were shaped like eyes and a smaller one was shaped like a nose. Whoever did this was pretty on the nose with the design or maybe insane but I wasn't about to make any kind of judgment. The bottom of the 'skull' was the way out but I wanted to explore further in case I could uncover something.

Two Keese were positioned over the holes making it look like the 'skull' had eyeballs and on the 'forehead' was a stone skull. Before I could take a chance to soak in everything, I was attacked by a Hardhat Beetle whereby it bumped into me. Using my sword, I hit it which pushed it back so I hit it again and it fell into the large hole on the left. This prompted both Keese to start flying around so I switched over to the boomerang and tossed it at them. My first throw missed but my second connected, defeating both.

Choosing to ignore another Hardhat Beetle and the stone skull (I suspected there was a Spiny Beetle hiding underneath it) I walked to the cave entrance and was back outside once again though I came out of a small building. I wanted to understand why but two Blue Tektites jumped into me causing me to fall down on my butt. Getting back up, I swung my sword and defeated both monsters with one dropping a heart which I picked up. With that dealt with, I wanted to know why I came out of a building and not a standard cave entrance, but that thought quickly disappeared when I looked to my right.

"Twilight... There it is!"

Her Highness looked in the same direction and there before us, was the Eagle's Tower in all its brooding glory. "Even though it took quite a bit of time to get here, you were able to make it here successfully."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "About time too!"

"But, the worst is yet to come."

"As much as it pains me."

"First, you need to use that Bird Key to unlock the dungeon."

My eyes then widened. "That's right! There was no entrance to the dungeon when we looked at it from the other side of that one bridge. Are you sure that the key is going to do something and not end up becoming some kind of dud?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "If the key wasn't important, you wouldn't have been tasked to find it."

Walking past the tower, I approached the Bird Keyhole (This was its actual name which was in a similar fashion to the other keyholes) where I picked up both boulders and tossed them aside though neither one dropped anything. Taking out the Bird Key from my pocket, I inserted it into the lock, turned it right, turned it back, and pulled it out which caused the lock to disappear. At first, nothing happened but suddenly, it felt like an earthquake but in truth, the entire tower began to rumble and then the eyes of the eagle motif began to glow.

As I struggled to understand what was happening, the tower then began to rotate, the grinding sound of stone made me cover my ears. In what felt like forever, it continued to rotate until the eagle motif came back around and everything came to a sudden stop. As the eagle's eyes stopped glowing, I could see that an entrance had appeared in the form of stairs, but then why go through such a huge spectacle in the first place? "What was that all about?"

"The tower has rotated 180 degrees."

"I saw that but I want to know why."

Princess Twilight gave me a blank expression. "This is something that's beyond anything I've ever seen. But, I am curious as to how such a mechanism worked. It must have taken an awful lot of time to construct the means to make an entire tower rotate and not cause any damage. Colour me very impressed. Now you can enter the dungeon but it does mean saying goodbye." She then looked at the Flying Rooster which prompted me to do the same. "I don't think he's going to follow you inside since he appears to be rather scared of this place but know that he was of invaluable help."

"I hope that he goes back to Big Macintosh."

"He might but then who knows what he's thinking."

"It was fun getting to fly around."

"I'm sure he enjoyed the experience too."

Knowing that he wasn't going to follow me into the dungeon, I said my goodbyes to the Flying Rooster who in turn gave me a salute before standing perfectly still and just staring right at me. I truly hoped in my heart that he would go go and live with Big Macintosh as I doubted he'd be accepted by the villagers of Mabe Village. After all, they believed he was dead and seeing him flying about would cause a panic. Turning around, I walked up the stairs and into the dungeon. My first reaction upon seeing the entrance room was the obvious bird motif which was likely to be a theme in here.

As I gazed at the bird head statues, the voice from before told me that this was 'Level 7. - Eagle's Tower' which I already knew. Right off the bat, I could sense that someone or something was watching me. Shaking my head, I needed to remain calm and not allow anything to get to me. There were two directions I could take, left or right, and after some quick thinking, I decided to head left and entered a rather large room. Four pots were located in front of me and I could see an upper platform which looked like it could be accessed. Again, I felt like I was being watched so I needed to get through this as soon as possible.

Approaching the pots, I was surprised by the appearance of a single Wizzrobe. "Oh no! Not them again!"

"You do have other means of defeating them."

"Like what?" I asked as it disappeared after firing its magic which I managed to avoid.

"Pots are quite effective against them though you never had the chance to try it out before." Princess Twilight answered. She then pointed at my boomerang which made me look down at her to see what she was doing. "You can use this as well though you need pretty good timing to hit it successfully."

Choosing to go with the pot because it sounded more funny in my head, I picked one and waited for the Wizzrobe to appear again. When it did, I tossed the pot and it smashed into its head which defeated it. Who knew that they did as much damage as a sword if not more so. Picking up and tossing the remaining pots, one of them gave me bombs which made me wonder what use they had in this dungeon. Unfortunately, I couldn't go any further due to the blue tiles associated with a Crystal Switch. I did see a chest so I needed to get access to it somehow.

Sighing upon knowing that this mechanic with the blue and orange tiles was being used again, I went back to the entrance room before heading to the right and seeing if I could make any progress over there. Entering the next room, Princess Twilight ordered me to stop. I did as she asked and it was a good thing too as my legs were almost sliced off by a Blade Trap which had moved forward. I could see another one located beyond some spikes surrounding a pair of tiles, my first time seeing spikes in a dungeon proper as opposed to their usual appearance in underground tunnels.

When the Blade Trap began moving back to its starting point, I moved past it, took out the Roc's Feather and jumped over the spikes to land on the tiles surrounding them. I was fortunate that Rainbow Dash had taught me some yoga as that could've gone a lot worse. Jumping again towards the other one, I quickly jumped a third time to avoid getting sliced and landed safely before heading to the right. In this section, I saw a locked door which would remain as such until I could find a small key somewhere. I could also see two Like-Likes... Just the thought of seeing it made me shudder knowing what it was capable of.

There was also a Bubble which wasn't an issue for me since I could get rid of it with Magic Powder, something I rarely used because I had other items that could either do a similar job or were much better overall. Before I could do anything, a voice then echoed throughout the room. "So... The Outsider has finally entered the Eagle's Tower. I'll give you props for wanting to come here but stupid for wanting to remain."

"Who said that?" I asked in a slight panic.

"Did I surprise you?" The voice asked. "Golly, but do you sure scare easily."

"That voice sounds familiar." Princess Twilight said.

"Where are you?" I asked.

The voice then giggled with a rather youthful voice. "I wouldn't be much of a host if I didn't reveal myself. Besides, I want you to see my face before you die!" Suddenly, appearing out of nowhere and landing on another upper platform, I could see a young girl wearing purple and black robes whilst holding some kind of instrument. She was also wearing a skull on her face to instill some kind of intimidation but who was she trying to kid? "I am the Grim Creeper! Sure, my appearance may be cute but don't underestimate me! Your life is in my hands and I'm loving every moment of it."

"Cozy Glow!?" Princess Twilight exclaimed.

"You mean that young filly who tried to take over Equestria?" I asked.

Princess Twilight nodded. "The very same."

Getting a better look at this Grim Creeper, it was indeed Cozy Glow. Even though I've never met her, Princess Twilight had told me about her. She was a young Pegasus who attended the School of Friendship who wanted to make friends, but in truth this was a ruse and she desired to get rid of all magic and become the self-entitled Empress of Friendship. To succeed in her goal, she was assisted by Lord Tirek from within Tartarus though everything that happened was her own doing. Six special students, known as the 'Young Six', exposed her plans and subsequently defeated her.

She was sent to Tartarus for her crimes only to be released along with Lord Tirek by Discord in a bid to give Princess Twilight a final challenge that would help her prepare for her upcoming role as ruler of Equestria. The two villains with Queen Chrysalis used the magic of Grogar and became even more powerful than ever before. They then used this power in a bid to rule over all they surveyed but were defeated by a combined effort headed by Her Highness. Cozy Glow and the other villains were turned to stone for apparently eternity though it was possible for them to be given a second chance provided they wanted to be reformed.

Cozy Glow then laughed before hissing. "What kind of name is Cozy Glow!?"

Princess Twilight then realized that this wasn't the same filly she knew from before and quickly tried to change the subject. "Why are you here? I didn't think this tower would be inhabited by a creature other than the Nightmare."

"Oh there is a Nightmare here!" Cozy Glow then glared at me. "I didn't realize you were being aided by a fairy." She then turned away from me. "So this is why the others were unable to kill her and were destroyed. Now it all makes sense. This is going to be more difficult than I thought."

"What did you say?" I asked.

"Nothing you need to know." Cozy Glow answered as she turned back to face me. "Anyway, I only revealed myself to give you a glimpse at the enemy who is going to kill you and earn so much praise from..." She then stopped talking before hissing again. "You need not know his name!"

"If you're trying to threaten me, you're not doing a very good job."

"That's not my intention."

"Then what is?"

"This is just my introduction." Cozy Glow then adjusted her skull before brushing off some dust on her robes. "I'm leaving now but you will see me again. I know I said that I will kill you but you deserve a small reprieve for getting to this tower. After you see me next time, all bets are off!"

With that, she disappeared leaving me and Princess Twilight to ponder her words. It sounded like she was going to become quite an occurrence which was no doubt going to annoy me to no end. At least I knew that she wasn't the Nightmare but then what was her purpose here? I couldn't allow that question to become a distraction as I needed to find the stronger shield hidden somewhere, but something told me I would eventually get an answer. In any case, Cozy Glow's presence changed my strategy as there was no way of knowing what rooms she would appear in.

One Like-Like then moved towards me and I kept on attacking it until it was defeated as I didn't want to lose any of my belongings. Then the other one moved forward and I responded in kind by attacking it. After three hits, it was defeated which made a small key drop down from above though why reward me with something that important just by defeating two monsters? I needed that key to progress further so I supposed there was no sense in complaining. I then assumed that only the Bubble was left but I was proved wrong when the torch on the wall began shooting fireballs at me.

Grabbing the key, I avoided the Bubble and entered the next section where I encountered a new monster. "This one looks familiar."

"It should as you've faced them before in your previous journey." Princess Twilight answered. "This is a Gibdo, a mummy man who possesses mysterious powers and is quite sturdy despite all appearances. They are surprisingly vulnerable to fire but this makes sense as those bandages are decrepit. Right now, you don't have the means to use fire so you'll have to use the usual means to defeat it, but if you were to use this weakness, they change into Stalfos which should make them easier to overcome."

I remembered Gibdos now. They were very demanding in my last adventure where they wanted me to acquire all kinds of things which didn't always make sense. They even had the ability to freeze me in place by using a powerful gaze which comprised of them screaming. I doubted this ability could be used here as they looked simplistic compared with what I had seen before, but I've learned never to underestimate monsters as many had proven to possess additional powers. I wasn't afraid of fighting this monster but I had to be cautious just in case it used an ability Her Highness hadn't mentioned.

To Be Continued.

Chapter 26: Riddle of the Tower.

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.
By Ganondorf8.
March 9, 2021.
Chapter 26: Riddle of the Tower.

Keeping a close eye on the Gibdo, I almost failed to notice the two Blade Traps that were to my left. I doubted they could be used to defeat it for me (It would've been nice as it would give me some slight leeway) as that'd be taking an easy way out so it meant doing it the old fashioned way. By the time it noticed me, it stumbled forward in a slow manner where I responded by hitting it though it didn't get knocked back. At least they weren't fast so I could easily maneuver about without problems.

I continued attacking it until it was defeated and left behind a single green rupee. With that taken care of, I inched forward so that the two Blade Traps would launch at each other which they did. Walking past when both began moving back to their previous positions, I entered the next room upon which I saw so many blue and orange tiles. If you thought the Face Shrine was bad then the Eagle's Tower was even worse. I shuddered knowing that these tiles could reappear in the final dungeon in which case they would be at their absolute worst.

Since I couldn't jump onto the tiles from the ground (Once again, I had to question my own natural jumping prowess), my current way was blocked for the time being until a Crystal Switch could be found. If there was a benefit here, it would be getting to see a sneak preview of what was to come. At least activating those switches would be easy enough thanks to having picked up the boomerang as I could save using arrows. Had I entered this dungeon without either the boomerang or the bow, progression would've still been possible though it would take much longer.

And then there was the presence of Cozy Glow, or the Grim Creeper as she was known here. Even though she wasn't the manipulative filly from Equestria, I had to watch my back as who knew when she would show up. I had no doubt she knew every inch of this dungeon so the advantage was hers but I couldn't allow myself to be discouraged. If Cozy Glow had some kind of connection to the Nightmare which she had hinted at, it could be more difficult to prevail as two Nightmares were worse than one.

Heading back to the previous room and knowing the Blade Traps were waiting for me, I took out the Roc's Feather and jumped just as the two traps launched themselves only to hit each other again with a loud clanging sound. Landing and heading south back to where that locked door was located, I thought about using some Magic Powder to defeat the Bubble but then something compelled me to use the boomerang instead. Taking it out and tossing it, it connected and defeated it instantly leaving behind a fairy. Wow... It was way more powerful than I gave it credit for.

Collecting the fairy which restored whatever damage I had taken, I then used the key to unlock the door. Entering the previous room, the Blade Traps moved towards me only to collide with the line of blocks with a loud thud. Ignoring them, I walked up some steps and entered the next floor though I was curious as to how many floors there actually were; hopefully not that many. On this floor, more blue tiles were preventing me from progressing as well as access to a treasure chest which was practically screaming at me to come over and open it.

In fact, because of those tiles being up, I couldn't even reach the Crystal Switch hiding behind some more blocks. The only way I could go was north where some orange tiles were down though a thought did cross my mind. Was it possible to throw a bomb over the blocks and activate the switch now instead of later? Taking out a bomb, I tossed it only for it to land by my feet prompting a quick retreat as it exploded seconds later. Now that I knew that idea wouldn't work, I needed to look for another switch. Princess Twilight said she would make a note of this chest's location until I had the Compass.

Heading north, I entered a room which featured some kind of pulling mechanism similar to what I had used back in the Anglers' Tunnel. There was also a Heavy Ball located on top of a raised platform which immediately felt suspicious, but before I could do anything, Cozy Glow appeared by dropping down from above and flicking her cape. "Golly! You seem to be upset that you can't make any progress in this tower!"

"I guess you were serious about showing up every now and then." I said.

Cozy Glow then laughed. "This is my home after all so you can't expect me to sit back and watch you go about as you please. Seeing you get so frustrated will make it much easier for you to end up experiencing a horrible death. You know, this could all be avoided by doing one simple thing... Leave and never come back! I'm giving you a chance to do something smart here so why not take up my offer?"

I shook my head. "Because I know better than to trust the likes of you."

"Feisty... I like that in a person."

I didn't know whether to take that as an insult or a compliment so I decided to change the subject. "Since you know that I'm not leaving, why not come and fight me since you seem so eager towards proving your superiority." Even though this was a different Cozy Glow, I was banking on her losing her temper as that's what Princess Twilight said about her personality. "You could kill me right now and not have to worry about what I do ever again."

"You think you can tell me what to do?"

"I just thought that's what you want."

That definitely got Cozy Glow riled up. "I could take you on at any time I want!" She had lost her temper though I needed to be careful as there was no telling what kind of powers she possessed and that could spell my death rather quickly. "I'm not going to take this from the likes of you! You're nothing! I'm the Grim Creeper! I am superior to you!" She then calmed down upon realizing what she was doing. "I'll fight you when the time is right but I doubt we'll even get there considering this place will soon be your grave."

"So that would be a no?"

"Correct!"

At least I knew I could get under her skin. "Okay, then why did you choose to appear in this room?"

"Because I want to show you something." Cozy Glow then pointed at the Heavy Ball I noticed earlier before she walked up and patted it several times. "This thing is going to be your companion for a while. Lugging this around is sure to make you miserable but too bad!" She then began to giggle. "Gee... I wish I could see you crying right now but I have other commitments which need my attention."

"So you're leaving?"

"Hey! I can't help it if I need to be elsewhere."

With that, Cozy Glow then jumped up and disappeared into the darkness above leaving me and Princess Twilight with the Heavy Ball. Despite becoming more annoying, she did at the very least confirm my suspicions. Having to carry around this ball wasn't my idea of fun but it was necessary as why else would it be here? Walking up to it, I lifted it above my head effortlessly where it felt remarkably light (The Power Bracelet made it that way obviously) and that was when the puzzle of this room became apparent to me.

Two blocks were preventing me from leaving the room though they weren't attached to anything. Dropping the Heavy Ball in front of them, I walked back over to the mechanism and began pulling it. The blocks then began moving away from each other so I kept on pulling until I had my reached its limit before letting go where they started moving back. Watching to see how much time there was before the path was blocked (It was about six seconds), once the blocks finished moving, I grabbed the mechanism again and pulled it.

Once I had ascertained I had enough time, I let go of the mechanism, rushed over to the ball, picked it up, and walked between the two blocks just as they were about to return to their original positions. Whew! That was way more stressful than it should've been but at least I managed to solve the puzzle. Once I had regained my composure, I entered the next room which had more spikes and more blue tiles so once again my progress was limited. What did catch my eye was a rather large column though it had clearly seen some deterioration judging from its poor condition.

Princess Twilight then spoke up. "Sunset... Why don't you try throwing that Heavy Ball at the column?"

"Are you sure about that?" I asked.

"Nothing you have is going to work but perhaps that ball will." Princess Twilight then took a closer look at the column by checking it from different positions before nodding. "Yep! That ball is just the thing that can knock it over. I know this goes against what I stand for when it comes to preserving ancient sites and artefacts, but I think this is an exception."

"Have you figured out what its purpose is?"

"Not yet but I do have an idea of what's going on."

"So I should knock it down?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "You should because why else would Cozy Glow tell you otherwise?" I knew Her Highness had a personal grudge with Cozy Glow since the young filly had lied to her from day one and took advantage of Her Highness' good graces but she (Princess Twilight) was doing her best to remain calm and not allow her issues to prevent her from giving me solid advice when needed. "If my theory is correct, when you head to another room, you should see what needs to be done."

I wasn't about to argue with her so tossing the ball at the column, it connected and it crumbled to pieces. Nothing happened which made me feel concerned but Her Highness said that I needed to find any other columns that could be around here. Again, I wasn't going to argue as she had that look in her eyes that said she knew exactly what to do. Besides, I couldn't think of anything else to try in order to make some progress. I wouldn't know for certain until something actually happened which could be a while.

Walking over to where it landed, two Green Zols popped up from the ground and I quickly disposed of them. Picking up the ball and heading north, I entered a room where stairs leading down were blocked by blue tiles meaning I was denied access to another area. As if that weren't enough, I could see a familiar puzzle in the form of the two horse heads on the floor. Tossing the ball where it landed with a thud on the ground, I took out the boomerang and tossed it at a Bubble which happened to be in the room, defeating it, and getting another fairy which I actually didn't need.

Weirdly enough, the horse heads were actually on the tiles on the floor they needed to be on except they weren't standing upright. A cruel joke at my expense? Maybe, but I wasn't about to pay it any mind knowing it wouldn't take long for me to put them right. Picking up the white head and tossing it aside for the moment, I then picked up the black head, moved into the correct position and tossed it where it landed correctly and its eyes began glowing. Did I really need to solve this puzzle? It didn't seem like it but then I never turned my back on a good puzzle.

Picking up the other one and getting into position, I tossed it where it landed on its panel and its eyes glowed. This caused a chest to materialize in the upper right corner of the room so solving this puzzle was necessary though I was hoping for some progression instead. Opening the chest, I took out the Dungeon Map and immediately looked at what I was dealing with. "Everything looks so cramped."

"Considering we're in a tower, this dungeon is limited by the exterior's circumference."

"And there are multiple floors this time!"

Princess Twilight then looked at the map. "Hmmm... I can't see a room where the Nightmare ought to be but then you haven't explored everywhere yet. Be careful here, Sunset. Just because it looks small doesn't mean it's going to be easy. You still need to find a Crystal Switch and activate it in order to switch those tiles around. In the mean time, you should be pleased to know that the chest you ignored before is now marked on the map."

"A shame I couldn't activate the one I saw earlier."

"I have a feeling that was done to prevent some kind of cheating."

I sighed. "Of course it did. Guess doing things the hard is to be expected. Anyway, I think I'm going to need to refer to this map more often than I've done in the previous dungeons what with how many floors there are." I then folded it up and placed it in my pocket.

"Guess it's time to do some searching."

I then walked over and picked up the Heavy Ball. "Better not leave this behind if I plan on destroying anymore columns."

"There are a couple of things you should know about that ball." Princess Twilight said in her lecture speaking voice which I was well familiar with. "You can't take it with you to another floor. I know that's not a good explanation but believe when I say that you can't. I think this was done to prevent any additional cheating since it can crush most monsters without much effort. Also, if you lose it, you'll have to go to another floor and then come back in order to respawn it. Suffice to say, losing it will require some backtracking so its best not to end up in that scenario."

"It sounds more like a burden than anything else."

"If you end up losing it in a place where you can't get to it, you'll have to leave the dungeon."

"Okay, this is seriously ridiculous!" I shouted in a harsh manner.

"Yes, but once you're done with it, you won't have to worry about it again."

"Good point."

"I know these restrictions aren't to your liking, Sunset, but it's something you just have to accept."

Now those were some utterly stupid restrictions! I mean come on! Who wouldn't want to throw around a massive heavy object and defeat monsters effortlessly? Sure, it would leave me vulnerable due to needing both hands up but the possibilities were numerous. Not everything had to be taken care of using items hidden in chests or with the basic use of a sword, but then Her Highness was right about the cheating. That was something I didn't want to do unless it was intentional and even necessary to complete some tasks. Besides, I'd probably get fed up with carrying it around after a while.

Heading back into the previous room with the ball above my head, I looked around to see if there was anything else I could do but nothing came to mind. Tossing the ball across the room where it crushed a Red Zol just as it was popping up, I took out the map again and looked at it. Apparently, the ball appeared on it in the form of a large black orb so I'd always knew its location but again, I couldn't see a means of progression. Was there something I was missing? Ugh! This was starting to get very frustrating which no doubt was pleasing Cozy Glow since she wanted me to suffer.

The only thing I could think of was dropping down into a hole that was to the south. Normally, I would avoid doing such a thing but since there was a floor below this one, it should be okay though there was no guarantee. Choosing to go with my instincts, I walked up and dropped into the hole where instead of plunging into the abyss, I had indeed dropped down to the previous level. In fact, I'd landed on top of some blue tiles! Perhaps most important of all, I was in a different room so now progress could be made. Dropping into a hole wasn't what I'd call idea but at least it enabled me to move forward.

Aside from two Like-Likes and a Red Stalfos, there were even more blue and orange tiles. There was no doubt about it. I needed to find a Crystal Switch and fast. Heading a few steps south allowed me to see the section where I was forced to go back and use the key. Walking back and jumping down to the floor, I immediately attacked both Like-Likes before either one could eat me and take away my blue tunic or some other valued item. When both were defeated, the Red Stalfos jumped back before throwing a bone which I blocked with my shield.

Striking it twice to defeat it, I then had two directions that I could take. After thinking it over for a second, I decided to go to the left. Heading in that direction and entering the next room, I froze upon seeing the blue and orange tiles were my only means of getting across a massive abyss. Talk about major overkill! Taking it nice and slowly, I walked across the orange tiles whilst ignoring a flying heart icon as I had full health. Once I was across and in the next room, one chest I couldn't get to before was now accessible.

Walking up to it and opening it up, I took out a Stone Beak. "I know you told me about that column..." I began as I looked up at Princess Twilight who was sitting on my hat. "... But maybe I should hear that information from an Owl Statue."

"Good idea." Princess Twilight sounded perfectly fine with me having gone against her advice. Was she trying to save face!? When she noticed me looking up with a shocked look on my face, she shook her head before smiling. "I know I said I had this figured out but that was just me thinking of a use for that Heavy Ball. If an Owl Statue confirms that my idea was in fact correct, I'm entitled to some bragging rights.

I rolled my eyes. "Always have to flaunt your intellect don't you?"

Princess Twilight giggled. "It comes with the territory. Anyway, I actually did notice an Owl Statue back in the room where you first found that ball. I didn't say anything as I thought you saw it for yourself, but I guess you didn't which is okay as you can easily get back there."

"Yeah, I didn't see it."

"I thought as much."

"So where do I go from here?"

"From what I saw of the map, going back up to the second floor isn't a good idea right now." Princess Twilight answered in a disappointing voice. "Until you can find a way to get that ball around, you're better off exploring this floor in hopes for a Crystal Switch. At this point, you need to switch those blue and orange tiles around to make some progress."

I then walked to the right of the chest as the nearby staircase was blocked by three blue tiles. In this next room, I immediately stopped myself from walking off and into an abyss which had no doubt been placed there to stop any who had entered. I could see what else was here so it wasn't a complete waste of time. There were two Gibdos and a Spark on the other side along with even more blue and orange tiles. Heading back the other way, I walked north as it was my only option and entered a section that contained a chest on a high-up platform.

That's when a familiar voice shouted. "You didn't bring that Heavy Ball with you!"

Looking up, I could see Cozy Glow appear from behind the chest before she sat down on it. "It's not my fault that I'm not allowed to bring it down here. If that restriction wasn't in place, I'd be holding it above my head right now."

Cozy Glow was once again losing her temper but instead of pushing her further, I'd allow her to lose control herself as her slipping up could prove helpful. "How can you be upset having to lug that thing around if you came down here and left it behind? What's the matter with you! Also, what were you thinking, destroying that column? That's my property! The more I look at that mug of yours, the more I'm feeling the urge to come down and kill you!"

"Oh? That column was important?"

"Of course it was!" Cozy Glow then sneered at me before laughing. "Golly! I almost got tricked by you there! Like I'm going to tell you something that would help you progress through this tower." She then slapped her hand over her mouth which made me suspect that she had in fact said something she shouldn't have. "Anyway, I see things have been pretty easy for you so far when it comes to monsters. Why are such weaklings even here in the first place!? Perhaps you need a more unique opponent? Just give me a second and I'll call it over. It should be somewhere around here."

"What are you planning?"

"I'm not going to spoil the surprise."

That's when Princess Twilight decided to say something. "Listen here Cozy--" She stopped upon realizing she was about to make the same mistake I'd made many times during this adventure where I called a character by the name I knew them as instead of who they were known around here. "Sorry... I meant Grim Creeper. I know you've been ignoring me because I'm just a fairy but perhaps you might be compelled to tell me more about this Dethl you mentioned before."

"Huh?" Cozy Glow leaned forward to get a closer look at her. "Oh yeah! The little fairy! I thought you were different from the others." For a moment, I thought she had figured out that things had changed but this wasn't the case. "You've got quite the mouth on you! Instead of just acting like a fairy should, you've done nothing but babble endlessly in order to help out the Outsider."

"You avoided my question."

"Why would an insignificant speck care about the mighty Dethl?"

I wanted to come to her defence but Princess Twilight signaled to me to keep out of it. "You could say that I am curious to know about he who commands such a powerful horde of dark creatures. He who is on the verge of taking over this entire island." Okay, Her Highness sounded like she was getting carried away but I continued to hold back in order to let her have her moment. "I have no doubt I could ever defeat such a powerful being as I'm just a helpless little fairy." She then turned towards me. "And I'm certain my friend will eventually succumb to the horrors of this tower."

"Trying to throw the Outsider under the bus?"

"I'm just weighing my options."

"Okay! I'll tell you!" Cozy Glow began jumping up and down on the chest in sheer excitement. Me? I knew Her Highness was trying to manipulate her into sharing some perhaps vital information though did she have to go that far with it? Once she was finished jumping, she began speaking in a sinister manner. "Dethl has many forms, each one more fearsome than the last. Any who sees him die from shock upon seeing his eye, his most striking feature. But, you didn't hear any of this from me."

Princess Twilight appeared to be concerned about what we had just heard. "I guess me and my friend shouldn't meet him any time soon." In truth, I had already met him twice in the dream world but whether it was his true form or a form he assumed just to tease me remained to be seen.

At that moment, a small round pink creature waddled into the area. Cozy Glow then giggled again. "And there is the unique monster now! I hope you have fun playing with him though I doubt you will survive long enough." She then jumped behind the chest and seemingly disappeared leaving me to deal with this strange monster. It's smile belied a hidden power which would no doubt become problematic if I didn't deal with it quickly.

"And what do I call this?" I asked.

"This is known as Anti-Kirby." Princess Twilight answered.

"Seriously?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "It is said that this creature is based on a legendary hero from another world who had the power to inhale enemies and copy their abilities. This creature can inhale you by attempting to suck you up with a powerful vacuum like attack when it opens its mouth. Fortunately, you won't lose any items or equipment if it inhales you but weirdly enough, it can inflict more damage by simply bumping into you as opposed to consuming you. The main thing to know here is that its immune to your sword so don't even try stabbing it as your blade will just bounce off."

"Does it have any weaknesses?"

"It does but it will take multiple hits."

"What are they?"

"Bombs and the boomerang are effective."

"Do I even need to defeat this Anti-Kirby?"

Princess Twilight shrugged. "I'm honestly not sure. The truth is, it doesn't attack all that often and instead prefers to just move about in a carefree manner. When it does attack, you can easily avoid it provided you aren't directly in front of it."

Cozy Glow was actually right about something which was a rarity given what she was actually like. This Anti-Kirby was definitely different from most other monsters in that it was rather cute. I came to the conclusion that I didn't need to defeat it which completely undermined her efforts to kill me before I could reach the Nightmare. Heading to the right, I then noticed it was following behind, a cheerful smile spread across that round face it had. Unfortunately, I had reached a dead end due to a row of blue tiles blocking my way.

Turning around, the Anti-Kirby was directly behind me and it opened its mouth to my shock. I felt myself being pulled into its gaping maw and I couldn't break free due to how absurdly strong it really was. After a few seconds, its mouth closed which was a huge sigh of relief knowing how close I came to becoming a snack. It then resumed waddling around and I wasn't about to remain and see if it would attempt to suck me up again. Heading back south to where the chest was located as there was no current way to progress east, I began thinking of my next course of action.

I then walked back to where that abyss was where I saw the two Gibdos and the Spark. What I thought was a dead end was in fact a means of progression as there was something I could use here. Whether this was intended or not didn't really matter so long as moving on with the dungeon mattered. Of course, for this to work, I first needed a clear enough shot yet both Gibdos were currently blocking a lone pot across from where I was standing. Once both monsters had moved away, I took out the Hookshot, fired the chain, and pulled myself across upon connecting with the pot.

Once back on solid ground, they attacked by stumbling forward and I responded by attacking both. Due to their lack of knockback, both managed to hit me a couple of times before I defeated them and getting nothing for it. Ignoring the Spark and heading up some stairs, I then jumped down onto the blue tiles and walked left. Even though it hadn't been that long since finishing the Face Shrine, I recalled having to jump from one tile to another. I thought about heading right though if I remembered correctly, going that way wouldn't do much good as that one staircase was still blocked.

Heading left, I took out the Roc's Feather and then jumped across to a row of blue tiles before heading north. Again, I wasn't sure if this was the intended way to go but since so much around here was already inaccessible, I was desperate for any kind of progression. In the next room, I could see a Mini-Moldorm bouncing about along with two Peahats, a monster I hadn't seen since the Angler's Tunnel. Since the way forward was accessible, I ignored all three monsters and went up the stairs.

On the next floor, I ran into more familiar monsters. "What the!? This monster again!?"

Without nodding, Princess Twilight confirmed this was the case. "I guess this dungeon loves bringing back old monsters from the past in addition to old puzzles." Trust Her Highness to know my exact thoughts on that subject. "Anyway, since it's been a very long time since you last saw them, allow me to give you a description. Three-of-a-Kinds are monsters which move about but don't attack. When hit, they will stop and one of the four card suits will be featured. Match all three with the same suit to defeat them but it can be annoying."

"Now I remember them."

"Even though you can ignore them, I suggest defeating them in case they are guarding something you can't see."

"I hope this doesn't take too long."

"Depends on whether they are cooperative."

All three monsters started with the heart as their symbol and when they started moving, they switched to the diamond, then the spade, and then the club before going back to the heart and then repeating the cycle. Striking each Three-of-a-Kind one at a time, I was disappointed to see that each one had a different suit on its front. They automatically began moving again prompting me to try again and getting it right. Hitting each monster again, this time two suits were correct (Diamond) with the other being different (Club). I tried a third time and it was two Hearts and one Diamond.

Choosing to remain calm as knowing my temperament was fragile, I hit the three again which resulted in different suit results. I tried for the fifth time and it was two Spades and one Heart which still wasn't right. Then on the sixth attempt (I had hoped to succeed much sooner), I hit all three and got them displaying Clubs which defeated them. This caused a chest to materialize in the upper right corner much like how it was with the map. Walking up and opening it up, it contained the Compass which I gladly took as now I would know which rooms had a key hidden somewhere.

Taking out the map again, I could see that the Nightmare was located on the highest floor, but upon taking a closer look at that floor, I couldn't see a room. I could see the mark indicating where it was but no actual room. This didn't make any sense at first but then it dawned on me. Did I have to actually fight it outside? All indications were leaning in that direction and yet this wouldn't be my first time doing this. After all, the Angler Fish was fought in a dungeon's basement and underwater no less.

There were two paths I could take, one to the left and one to the right. I chose to take the one on the right and entered the next room where I discovered I had walked straight into a dead end as the other way was the correct direction. That's when I noticed another column which also was cracked near its base. "Okay, I'm starting to think that you were right, Twilight, but I still prefer hearing from an Owl Statue."

"If I remember correctly from the map, you are in the room to the left of where that first column was."

"How many columns do you think there are?"

"Not sure but you need to destroy this one as soon as you can."

Taking out the map again, I confirmed that the ball was in the room to my right. "Okay, so I just need to make my way back there, but I still need to figure out a way to get that ball out of the area its currently stuck. Any ideas, Twilight?"

"You really need to find a Crystal Switch."

I slapped my forehead. "Why am I not surprised by that answer." The only Crystal Switch I'd seen so far was inaccessible due to some blocks. If that was the only one, there was no way of hitting it without doing some kind of sequence breaking. No... There had to be more than one. To have just the one switch would be nothing short of sheer lunacy. "A shame I can't see switches on this map as that would make my life easier."

"An oversight I'd say." Princess Twilight then pointed towards the column. "Guess who came back yet again?"

I looked in the direction of the column and sure enough, Cozy Glow was poking her head out from behind it. I put the map away and tried inching my way towards the exit to the previous room but she hissed which prevented me from leaving. "And what do you want this time?"

Cozy Glow was rather flippant. "Why did you ignore that Anti-Kirby!?"

"It wasn't a required fight and I could easily walk away."

"That's not what you're supposed to do!"

"I'm sorry I didn't follow through on your expectations."

"No wonder you've been such a thorn in the mighty Dethl's side." Cozy Glow was once again losing her cool but she quickly calmed down. Whenever she lost her temper, she would unintentionally make a slip of the tongue which proved beneficial for me. I just had to hope she would continue to make such rash actions for my sake. "However, I see that you are having some stress, Outsider. Having problems finding some switches?"

"How do you know that?"

"Because I heard you!" Cozy Glow began laughing though I wasn't in the position to chastise her. In this instance, she had every right to laugh at my blunder. "I love seeing you squirm about so much as it reminds me of how much I despise you. Of course, this could've stopped if you had just left. But, you didn't because you're too stubborn to listen to me! Maybe you need some other kind of punishment. Hmmm... Ah-ha! I've got it but I'll wait for you to see it first."

"Do you even do anything other than run your mouth?"

Cozy Glow began to mock me in response. "Golly! I don't know to respond to that!" Then she stuck out her tongue but I refrained from doing the same. "You're just jealous that I know so much more about the tower compared with you." Then she began acting serious starting with a change in tone. "You have made more progress than I thought but then this is only the beginning. You have more problems coming up real soon. You should leave now. This is me giving you another chance so take it already!"

"Why even bother asking me that when you know I won't."

"Okay... I gave you a fair warning."

"So is this where you decided to fight me?"

Shaking her head, Cozy Glow sneered at me again. "You're not worthy to fight the likes of me, Outsider. Besides, I'm the least of your concerns. If I were you, I'd be worried about the horrible things lurking about on the upper levels." She then turned away from me and began mumbling under her breath. "No wonder the Nightmares have failed. She is more resilient than I expected. Hmmm... Maybe Hot Head was making sense regarding her. Should she find that shield, things could turn against me and the mighty Dethl would have my hide."

I then whispered to Princess Twilight. "What do you think she's mumbling to herself about?"

"I'm not sure but be prepared for anything." Princess Twilight answered.

When Cozy Glow turned to face me again, she noticed that I was whispering with Her Highness but merely shrugged it off before sticking her tongue out once more. "Conversing with your fairy, Outsider? By all means go ahead as that little fairy won't make much of a difference in the end. Since asking you to leave isn't working, perhaps more aggressive methods are in order." She snapped her finger and about five Keese appeared before she then disappeared.

Holding out my sword, I waited for the Keese to get close before unleashing a Spin Attack which defeated them all in one hit. Unfortunately, the rupees they dropped fell down into the floor below so they were out of my reach. Oh well. I had plenty of money so it wasn't a big deal losing a few. "That's the first time Cozy Glow displayed an ability to summon monsters."

"I think she's realized that you're a threat to her."

"I shudder to think what else she can summon."

I noticed Princess Twilight seemed annoyed and I knew what had gotten her that way. "Don't let what Cozy Glow said bother you. You're way more important than she realizes. Also, you need to remind yourself not to allow your personal grudge to cloud your judgment. Believe me, I've done that plenty of times and I've regretted each and every one. While this is Cozy Glow in appearance, the real one is still trapped in stone." Was I right though? Was she still trapped alongside the other two villains? Given the power of the Demon King, there was no telling for certain.

"She was right about you needing to find a Crystal Switch."

Her Highness, unfortunately, was correct. My progress in this dungeon was severely limited until I could switch those tiles around. I hoped Cozy Glow didn't have the ability to remove any switches otherwise I'd be stuck for good. Heading back to the previous room and then taking the other path, I noticed that the column had to be accessed from another room though I couldn't do much about it until I could get the Heavy Ball. Fortunately, I could check the map at any time to see its current position. Taking out the Roc's Feather, I jumped over the spikes and continued south before my path turned left.

Pushing a block forward, I was back in the room where I had left the Heavy Ball except now I was blocked from reaching it by a row of blue tiles. Walking south, I encounter a third column which was also cracked. Each one thus far had been in an adjacent room so by process of elimination, if there was a fourth column, it would be located in the room to my left. Jumping over another hole with the Roc's Feather, I continued walking south until I reached a dead end though this one had something very good.

"Finally!" I shouted as I dropped to my knees.

"You found a Crystal Switch."

Getting back up, I was about to strike when I took a look at where I was. "I'm not familiar with this area but I suppose I'll eventually come here from another direction." I was about to strike again but stopped upon thinking that maybe this was the wrong switch to activate. "Twilight... I've got a feeling that this switch is the wrong one. I know it sounds silly considering how desperate I've been about finding one, but I think I should go back to where those rows of blue and orange tiles were and take another look."

"I wasn't expecting to hear that from you."

"Like I said, it sounds silly."

"If you think you need to go back there, by all means follow your instinct."

My instincts had often been good yet this was one I was questioning. Nothing was stopping me from activating this Crystal Switch but if I were to strike it now, I could potentially miss out on something important and be forced to backtrack all over the dungeon until I could find it. These kind of decisions were always difficult but that was what life was like, having to make decisions you didn't necessarily like. Just when it looked like I was about to make some progress, I had been denied once again. A similar notion could be made over how I felt about this dungeon.

Heading back the other way and jumping over the hole, I walked back to the previous room and then back to the one before that which is when I noticed a small hole that I had apparently ignored. Looking down, I began to wonder if this room was above where I needed to be? While my memory was pretty good, I wasn't about to take any chances as falling down the wrong hole could be disastrous. If I could avoid too much backtracking then all the better. Taking out the map and looking at it, I was in the right location but what could've compelled me to think about checking it again?

Dropping into the hole, I landed on top of a row of orange tiles. Ignoring the Gibdos this time around (One of them did manage to hit me) since defeating them was nothing but a mere distraction, I walked around, up the stairs, and dropped down onto the row of blue tiles I landed on before. Jumping down and slashing both Like-Likes with my sword, defeating both, I ignored the Red Stalfos and went right which I could've done when I came through here originally but chose to ignore it in favour of going in the other direction.

In this next room, I found another Crystal Switch surrounded by spikes. "Okay, this has to be the one I need to activate."

"Clever thinking using that hole to get down here quickly."

I blushed with embarrassment. "Had I come this way originally, I could've avoided some headaches." At least Princess Twilight wasn't going to chew me out over this even though the fault was entirely mine. That's what happens when you don't look at the Dungeon Map more often. In all honesty, that other Crystal Switch was also likely the solution but I wanted to make sure I had all my bases covered just in case. "Okay, time to change things up around here and make some actual progress." I took out the Bow and fired an arrow, striking the switch as crossing over spikes wasn't to my liking.

"Do you want to head back the other way and see what changed?"

I shook my head. "No. I'm going to check the room to the north as it's one I haven't seen yet."

"Fair enough."

Heading in that direction, I entered the next room, I was immediately sucked into the mouth of another Anti-Kirby before I could react. It chewed on me for a few seconds before spitting me back out and walking off leaving me feeling shocked but surprisingly clean. I thought I'd be covered in some kind of drool but that wasn't the case. The Compass then made a noise indicating a small key was somewhere in this room so coming here proved to be wise on my part. Did I have to defeat this Anti-Kirby? Upon seeing a chest located on a platform I couldn't reach, I'd say no to my own question.

Aside from the Anti-Kirby, there were two Peahats and two Beamos in the room. It was the latter I had to watch out for because the lasers they fired from their eyes were fast and my shield couldn't block them. It was also annoying that a Owl Statue was located right behind one of them. If this was the one that would confirm Princess Twilight's thoughts regarding the columns, I was going to hate using the Stone Beak here, yet what other choice did I have? Seeing an opening, I quickly dashed across the room just as the Beamos fired its laser and it just narrowly avoided hitting my head by a slim margin.

Taking out the Stone Beak, I quickly placed it on the statue to hear what it had to say. 'The riddle is solved when the pillars fall'. There was the proof right there! Her Highness was absolutely correct about what needed to be done. While I was wrong in doubting her, I needed an official confirmation. Hold on a second... Riddle? Was there something special that would happen upon destroying the columns? It made sense as Cozy Glow did react negatively upon learning that I had taken one down. It also explained the use of the Heavy Ball. Guess I'm going to be doing some demolition.

Removing the beak and putting it away, I ran to the left and avoided getting hit by another Beamos laser along with the two Peahats only to stop in my tracks upon almost getting blasted by another laser. I wished I could defeat these Beamos but there was nothing I could do aside from avoiding their beams. Another laser fired and I ducked before crawling along, getting back up, and running up the stairs to the next floor. A thought then came to mind. If the Owl Statue just now gave me the information regarding the columns, what did the other statue have to say?

Upon entering the second floor, I was surprised to see I was back in the room with the horse heads. Unfortunately, Cozy Glow was standing right in front of me. "You had some trouble dodging those laser beams, didn't you, Outsider? I can tell as I can smell your sweat or maybe that's the smell of burning flesh? Without a better shield, you won't be able to dodge them forever."

"I'm doing fine with my current shield." I said.

"Sure... You continue to believe that."

I decided to see if I could get her to give me some information without being too obvious about it. "Say... Grim Creeper, was it? You seemed very protective of that column I accidentally destroyed earlier."

She immediately saw right through my trick. "You think you can fool me, Outsider? I'll never tell you what those pillars are for! Besides, it won't really matter to you since you'll soon be out of the way and they can keep the upper level remaining intact." She snapped her finger again and this time five Bubbles materialized out of nowhere. "I know these monsters are immune to your weapon so brute force won't help." She jumped up to the ceiling and was gone again but she did unintentionally mentioned something about those columns.

Making a run for the exit, the Bubbles began hitting me which made me feel incredibly weak. Unlike most monsters which inflict physical damage, Bubbles used some kind of magic based attack which made it felt like they were attacking me from the inside. Once I made it to the next room, I dropped to my knees before grabbing my chest. "Okay... She's definitely taking things up a notch now!"

"Are you alright, Sunset?" Princess Twilight asked.

I nodded slowly. "Yeah... I just need a few moments before I can move again."

"Whether or not she realized it, Cozy Glow did tell you something about those columns."

"Something to do with the highest level of the dungeon?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "From what I saw of the map, the fourth floor doesn't seem to register any treasure chest locations or the Nightmare's exact location. I have reason to suspect that the highest floor doesn't exist even though it's displayed on that map. I'm not sure what she meant about keeping it intact but I suppose we'll know once you've destroyed the remaining columns."

Getting back up once I felt ready to, I was reunited with the Heavy Ball, and thanks to my activating the Crystal Switch, I could now take it with me. A Green Zol and a Red Zol then popped up from the ground but were swiftly defeated via my sword. Picking up the ball, I walked south and across the blue tiles which acted as a bridge before tossing it at the column, smashing it to pieces. Now came the question of where to go from here. Hmmm... As long as the columns remained intact, my progress was still limited leaving me back where I started.

Heading back to the first column, I tossed the ball before taking out the map again. Looking at it, I remembered that there was a chest I couldn't access before due to the blue tiles being up, but I could now access it what with them being down. Fortunately, dropping down into the hole would act as a short cut. Stepping off and into the hole, I dropped and this time landed on the orange tiles. If I had taken any fall damage (Something which had never come up), I'd have probably broken both legs or something worse. At least not all holes were dangerous compared with so many others.

Following the blue tiles, I re-entered the section where I originally couldn't make progress and continued following the path and entered the room where the first locked door was located. Both Blade Traps then launched themselves at me and collided though I remembered they were there from earlier thus I avoided getting hit. I also remembered there was a Gibdo and it stumbled towards me and I responded by attacking it several times before it was defeated. Heading south, I ignored the next set of monsters as defeating them meant anything and I went through the unlocked door and up the stairs.

As expected, the chest was now accessible along with the Crystal Switch that previously eluded me. Opening the chest, I took out a beautiful golden shield with a silver outline which was also bigger than what I had been using. "Is this it?" I asked as I gazed at my reflection.

"This is indeed the Mirror Shield." Princess Twilight answered as she began examining it. "With this, you can now reflect beams like the ones fired from a Beamo's eye or the magic used by Wizzrobes. You can even reflect some special things though I'm not sure what they are exactly. Plus, because of how much bigger it is, you've got better protection in case you were ever worried about not being able to hide behind it."

"What do I do with my old shield?"

"Ah yes..." Princess Twilight began. "... You have been bothered by this for some time now. Not to worry, Sunset, as the Mirror Shield has automatically replaced your old one which means you can focus on getting used to carrying it around. It should actually be lighter than the old one so that will add to your mobility."

Looking at my left arm, the Mirror Shield was there in all its glory. "Wow... Not exactly the way I was expecting that to happen. In fact, I was expecting to have to leave my old shield behind by either throwing it away or putting it into the chest as a means of paying respect. You know, from what we've seen of this dungeon so far, there hasn't been really anything that warranted the use of a new shield."

"Now that you mention it, I haven't seen anything like that."

"An oversight?"

"Maybe but it's probably best not to let that worry you."

"Do you think Cozy Glow is going to be annoyed that I now have the Mirror Shield?"

"Knowing how quick she is to get angry, I'm expecting her to go all out." Princess Twilight then noticed a hole located right next to the Crystal Switch. "If memory serves me correctly and it usually does, you must drop down this hole, Sunset, at once." At first I was surprised that she wanted me to do that but I knew Her Highness had something on her mind if she wanted me to do that. "I know it sounds dubious but please trust me."

Nodding, I jumped into the hole and dropped down to the level below, landing on the upper ledge. I was surprised that it was so long yet so narrow but at least it was progress, something that was desperately needed. Walking along rather than running as I didn't want to fall off and be forced to make my way back here, I kept on going north from room to room until I approached another chest I was forced to ignore initially. "Wow... Looks like your memory has come up in spades once again!" When the Compass made a sound, I knew that this chest contained a small key.

Opening it up and taking the small key, I now needed to figure out where it could be used. I hadn't seen any other locked doors or any key blocks but I was sure to run into either of these soon enough. Since I couldn't go left because of being blocked by the chest, my only option was to jump down. This was actually a good time to try out the Mirror Shield and see how effective it really was. Jumping down and raising it, the Beamos fired its laser which got bounced back, striking the sentry and causing it to shut down. I wasn't sure for how long but I wasn't about to stick around and find out.

Ignoring the Peahats and especially the Anti-Kirby, I used the Mirror Shield to bounce back the laser of the other Beamos, disabling it, and again not wanting to know how much time I had before it could re-activate, I went upstairs and re-entered the room where the map was located. Heading south and picking up the Heavy Ball, I walked south, crossed over the blue tile bridge and continued south until reaching the Crystal Switch I initially ignored. When Princess Twilight asked me why I came this way, I said that this was the only thing I could think of unless I had overlooked something.

Tossing the ball, it landed on the other side of the barrier which I couldn't jump over (How is it I can't even jump over a simple thing like a barrier!?) which then made me wonder if I had made a mistake by doing that. "Twilight... I think I just screwed this up."

Shaking her head, Princess Twilight placed her tiny hand on my shoulder. "Since you couldn't take the ball anywhere else, this was the most logical place. Besides, you should be able to get back here by taking a different route on this floor. I do give you credit for taking the initiative and not waiting for me to tell you what to do next."

"Maybe I should've asked you for your opinion beforehand."

"No, you did what you thought was best."

I then took out the map again. "Why is it that this dungeon has given me so many problems that I need to check the map every few minutes?" Looking at it, I couldn't even begin to figure out my next move. "I've gone just about everywhere I can think of!"

"Check the map again."

"Huh?"

"Look at it again." Princess Twilight answered as she pointed at the map. "While you have explored much of the first two floors of this dungeon, you were limited in your exploration thanks to the blue and orange tiles. Now that you activated a Crystal Switch, some paths are closed off while others have opened up. Think, Sunset! Were there any paths or perhaps even doors you couldn't access before?"

Her Highness kept on pointing at a particular room which prompted me to take a closer look. "What? That room? What about it?"

"Even though that's where you found the Stone Beak, it's also where you found stairs you couldn't access and were forced to ignore them." Princess Twilight answered. She continued pointing at the room before she began bopping me on the head, her way of getting me to understand what she had figured out. "That staircase will lead you to these rooms over here which you haven't explored. You might be able to find another column which you haven't seen yet."

"I need to backtrack don't I?"

"You already knew that answer."

Yes... I knew and once again, I grumbled under my breath. Heading back to the previous room, I crossed the blue tile bridge and entered the next room and was about to jump down to the floor below when I made a discovery. No... More like an unfortunate error. Whether it was me being curious or just oblivious, I accidentally pushed the block forward which made me realize I could've taken the ball through to where the third column was. What was done had been done. Since there was nothing else that could be done, I jumped down to the first floor, landing on the orange tiles.

On a side note, I didn't like jumping into these holes. Every time I did, I couldn't help but cry thinking I was going to plunge to my death. Once I was ready, I walked across the orange tiles making sure not to fall off. Again, this would've been quicker with the Pegasus Boots but moving too fast would prove problematic. Continuing to follow the path, it turned left before heading south where it stopped at the chest where I found the Stone Beak, and right there was the staircase which Her Highness told me I could now access.

Walking up to the stairs to the second floor again, I was in a room that had two Sparks moving around a large block which was a dungeon decoration. There was a path to the south and to my right was one of those panels which would force me forward and not be able to go back. Looking to my left, I could see another column, the fourth one which meant there couldn't be anymore unless I somehow ignored one along the way. No... There were only four columns though it would be difficult to get the Heavy Ball here. Then again, I could just pick it up and throw it over that barrier in order to fix my error.

At that moment, Cozy Glow appeared by dropping down from the ceiling and as expected, she looked like she was about to blow her top. "You have the Mirror Shield!? How!? You should be dead by now! Were even those Bubbles not enough!? Why isn't anything working against you!?" Watching her throw a temper tantrum reminded me of when I would have such an episode all because I got frustrated. At least I knew when to calm down and rely on my friends. Cozy Glow didn't have that on her side and instead continued spouting her grievances.

I eventually spoke up. "Look! Just accept that I'm not going to be stopped by you! No matter what you decide to throw my way, your efforts will fail!" Okay, not the best way to say it but I'm glad I did.

That made her stop. "Fine... Keep the Mirror Shield. I doubt it will do you any good." She then decided to use my own frustration against me. "You enjoy seeing me acting out like an immature brat (Oh how close she really was to that) but you've been guilty of the same thing, Outsider. I've seen your anger build up what with getting stuck in this tower. Had things been more complicated, you'd be tearing your hair out and perhaps even turning on your fairy."

"Don't even go there." I said angrily.

"And what will you do if I did?"

"Trust me, you don't want to know."

"Whatever!" She ought to be thankful. Whenever I lost my temper, things often got rather nasty. I was getting better at keeping it under control but I still had a few kinks to work out to make it more manageable. "If you keep this up, you'll eventually reach the Nightmare so I need to stop you and fast. I have a friend who's willing to provide a good enough challenge. Oh, and forget all about knocking those pillars down. Let's just say there are some special tricks put in place just to deal with people like you."

"You know... Things could get resolved more quickly if you fight me."

"I'm not that stupid!"

I then muttered under my breath. "Could've fooled me." I then spoke up to avoid her getting suspicious. "Fine... I'll fight this friend of yours even though you should be taking matters into your own hands."

"Of course I am." Cozy Glow said as she adjusted her skull mask. "Why fight when you can have others do the work for you? It means not having to get your hands dirty fighting against someone beneath your notice."

That really infuriated me, but at the same, it also hit a little close to home. After all, I once had a similar thought process about taking an easy way out. I then shook my head and lowered my sword and shield. "If you were looking for sympathy, you won't be getting any though you probably don't even care. That's fine. You have your methods and I've got mine. While fighting you isn't what I want to do, I'm more than willing to go through with it. I've learned that not all fights can be avoided as some are just necessary in order to move on. You'd better be ready to take it seriously."

"Wow... You're pretty deep."

"Huh?"

Cozy Glow being sympathetic? This was unexpected. "While what you said was utterly pathetic and won't change a thing, I will admit that you do have a way with words. Just for that, I'm going to leave without unleashing any monsters. It's my one and only reprieve I'm giving you so don't get used to it. I won't be so merciful next time." As she disappeared by walking through the panel behind me, I knew she was going to throw one more insult my way.

Once she was gone, I turned to Princess Twilight. "What do make of that?"

Princess Twilight lowered her head and shook it. "And this was the reason why I failed Cozy Glow as her teacher in friendship. I tried so hard to get her to appreciate it in the right manner but she thought it involved forcing others to bend to her will. She believed friendship was power and while that isn't entirely wrong, she was blinded by her ambitions to make herself better than everyone."

"And to think she wanted to rule Equestria at her age."

"It makes you wonder where she went wrong early in life."

"Don't blame yourself, Twilight." I said as I recollected on my own troubles. "Cozy Glow had potential but she threw it all away. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that she was a lost cause long before she came to the School of Friendship. Now, she's a stone statue and has only her own twisted thoughts for company. Someday, you might show her and the other two villains some sympathy and release them from their imprisonment. Who knows? Being stuck as a statue after a few centuries or so would make anyone want to change."

"Discord is proof of that."

"Though it took an awful lot to get him to reform."

That made Princess Twilight slightly giggle. "Yeah, he was a real handful but then he was a creature of chaos. He had to act out in such a manner because otherwise it could end up destroying him for good. Anyway, we should probably get moving before Cozy Glow changes her mind and decides to give you some more monsters to deal with."

Nodding, I chose to go south knowing that the panel would prevent me from coming back this way. Entering the next room, I saw that there were six small holes which I thought weren't going to be an issue until noticing what else was present. "What the!?" Standing in the middle of the room was a Hinox but it was a different colour compared to the one from before. "Okay, this is getting ridiculous. I know this dungeon has brought back some monsters I hadn't seen in a long time but why did it have to be something like a Hinox... Um... That was its name, right?"

"It is."

I then noticed that the path wasn't locked. "All I need to do is just sneak past without it noticing and we can move on without needing to fight." Suddenly, the Compass began to make a noise which meant only one thing... This Hinox was guarding either a small key or the Nightmare's Key. Upon realizing this, my jaw dropped in sheer agony. "You've got to be kidding me! I have to fight this guy despite knowing I can just walk past it!? This is so unfair!"

"Guess Cozy Glow strikes again."

"Is this the same Hinox from before?"

"Aside from the change in colour, this is essentially the same fight as before." Princess Twilight answered as she pointed at the holes in the ground. "If you fall down one of those holes, you'll have to make your way back up here. Since this creature loves to grab and throw you around... I think you know what happens next so allow me to continue on. Any damage inflicted upon a Hinox will be reset if you were to fall down a hole or accidentally leave the room."

"Just what I don't need... Additional obstacles."

"Oh, and the Hinox is too big to drop down into the holes."

Her Highness didn't really need to mention that last bit as it was clear that it wasn't going to have the same problems as I would. But, I supposed this was just her giving me the necessary advice I needed to ensure I got through this without too much trouble. Knowing I had no other choice, I walked forward which caught its attention. It turned around to face me before tossing a bomb which immediately exploded right where I was standing. Not only did the explosion inflict a lot of damage, it also pushed me back where I almost dropped down into a hole but I used my feet to stop myself.

Before I could even react, it lumbered forward and grabbed me where it turned around and tossed me across the room. I crashed into a torch by hitting it with my head and while that didn't give me a concussion, it did cause me to feel dazed for a few moments. Upon getting back up, I was then hit from behind by a fireball which had been launched by the torch. In fact, the other three torches were also throwing fireballs and were doing so every few seconds. Great! I didn't need any additional difficulty considering I had to avoid dropping into one of those holes.

The Hinox threw another bomb which I avoided but again it managed to grab me. If it wasn't for my blue tunic, the pain would actually be even worse. It turned around before suddenly turning back and throwing me into the same torch. Getting back up again, I got blasted in the back by two fireballs and used my shield to deflect another only to be grabbed for a third time (So far, things weren't going very well). I got thrown to the north which was where a hole was but for some reason, it didn't use as much power as its previous throws so I stopped mere inches from the hole.

I used my shield to deflect the fireballs (I was learning as I went along) before getting up and moving to the side. It then tossed a bomb which landed behind me and then exploded, blasting me and hitting my back against the east wall. It then tossed another one which I did avoid though it somehow managed to squeeze in-between two holes which I thought was just ridiculous. You'd think its bombs would drop into a hole but they exploded too quickly for it to be a thing. Another bomb then came my way so I raised my shield in hopes it would take the brunt of the explosion.

The blast knocked me back a little but no damage was taken... Until the Hinox grabbed and tossed me in the opposite direction. Getting up yet again, I was now hit in the stomach by all four fireballs. I needed to do something as all these hits were causing additional damage which would eventually become problematic. I did have the Magic Medicine but I didn't want it to be used by a Hinox since there was Cozy Glow and the Nightmare waiting for me. It then lumbered forward where I finally responded by striking it with my sword only for it to not get knocked back.

"Why is it I'm struggling against this monster?" I asked in a frustrated manner. "I'm a lot better than I was when I fought it before so why is it giving me trouble now?" As I said this, it tossed another bomb which exploded in my face, pushing me back into the wall before I crumpled to the ground. "If... If this was the world I called home, I'd have been killed instantly by that explosion so for once, I'm glad this world's physics don't make sense."

"Do you suppose Cozy Glow did something to make this Hinox stronger?"

"I don't think even she has the power to do that."

Princess Twilight then thought it over and agreed with my observation. "You're right even if we don't know the full extent of her powers. I should also apologize for not warning you about the torches being enchanted. They only started throwing fireballs when the battle began. Cozy Glow might have been responsible for that as surely it's within her power."

"A little late to be telling me that!"

"How about this? It shouldn't take too long to defeat the Hinox."

"Are you sure?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "Like I said, despite being a different colour, it's the same as before except with more obstacles. You know, if you either had a Piece of Power or you chose to take the Red Tunic when you were in the Colour Dungeon, it would take maybe three or four hits to defeat this monster." She blushed with embarrassment upon realizing that I didn't have either one and I wanted defence more than anything. "Oh... Forget I said that. Anyway, just be careful and it will eventually fall."

"Easy for you to say..."

"And don't forget that a Hinox has no knock back."

I figured that last bit out a little too late though it was something I should've clearly remembered. My memory wasn't that bad! In fact, it was the complete opposite. I could remember so much without effort and yet these journeys had gone and made my memory a joke. It was even worse when I considered how things I hadn't seen in a very long time were easy to remember while things I had seen just recently were hard to remember. It was enough to make even Celestia herself blow her top.

Even though she didn't mean to say it that way, Princess Twilight did make a point regarding the Red Tunic. Maybe I should've taken it because it would've given me double the power which would take it down. Come to think of it, it would've made the last two dungeons (This one included) a more easier experience. But, I wasn't confident in my abilities so I opted to go with defence which has proven effective despite the obvious short-comings. I guessed both options with the tunics were double-edged swords. The positives were countered by the negatives.

As I was thinking, it lumbered forward and grabbed me yet again. You'd think it would choose to either pummel me a little or even crush me (I wasn't trying to give it ideas as that would just make this even worse), but instead it turned around then tossed me where I hit the south wall, landing by the hole. Looking down, I could see the room below which was when I noticed the chest I couldn't reach before. Huh... So that's how I was supposed to reach it. First, I needed to deal with this Hinox. As I got back on my feet, I was hit with more fireballs though I had gotten used to it.

Choosing to go on the offence this time, I waited for it to toss a bomb as that was when it left itself vulnerable. As soon as the bomb came flying at me, I struck it twice with my sword when it grabbed me again. It's bomb had exploded so it instead turned around and tossed me into the west wall where I hit it face first. Slumping down at first, it took me a few moments to get back up only to get blasted into the wall again due to another bomb exploding. On a rather pointless note, this monster would've made for an excellent demolitions expert in another time and place.

Getting up again (I was fortunate that the Magic Medicine hadn't activated yet), I tried to bounce the next bomb it tossed with the Mirror Shield thinking I could do something unexpected which would catch it by surprise. Instead, it exploded upon impact though there was no damage. At least I tried so I wasn't entirely disappointed. It tossed another bomb and I attacked it twice more only to be grabbed yet again which made me wonder how many hits remained. It it was only one, that would be embarrassing though not at all surprising. I've had instants of that happening after all.

Being thrown into the west wall again, as I was getting back up, I got hit by fireballs again before dropping to my knees and beginning to breathe heavily. That meant I was on my last legs which was infuriating. To use the medicine now would be embarrassing. Not only that, I'd have no means of having a safety measure in place. Having a fairy in a bottle would be good right about now but I don't so I need to just grin and bear it. Back on my feet, the Hinox tossed another bomb which I avoided for once and I responded by hitting it where it stopped before beginning to flail about its arms.

It began to explode several times before disappearing in one final explosion. Not only did this cause the small key to drop down from above, it also caused the torches to stop shooting fireballs at me. I was especially grateful for the latter as a single cheap shot would knock me down for good and force the use of the medicine. "That was probably just as bad as my previous fight with it if not much worse." I dropped to my knees again before clutching my chest in pain. "If this battle was difficult, Cozy Glow could prove even more challenging. Maybe I shouldn't have been provoking her."

"You won't know until you actually fight her."

"At least I won't have to deal with that Hinox again."

Shaking her head, Princess Twilight knew better and I was about to hate what she was about to say. "Unfortunately, this is a different situation, Sunset. Whenever you fought strong monsters, the room was locked and upon defeating it, the doors would unlock. Since there were no locked doors, the Hinox can eventually respawn just like a regular monster since it isn't guarding one of those warp panels. Fortunately, you can just ignore it as it was only guarding one key."

Hearing that made me feel unwell. "Yep... I hate that you said that!"

"It might come up again in the final dungeon so it's best to prepare yourself."

I hated that even more. Once I felt ready to continue, I got back up though I did stumble a little bit. "I know what you're thinking, Twilight. I should use the medicine now and not be in so much pain." It then dawned on me that it was impossible to just use the medicine. Sugar Belle said it only worked when I had lost all life and couldn't continue. Upon mentioning this to Her Highness, she lowered her head slightly upon remembering this one little caveat about the stuff. "To regain my strength, it means needing to get killed."

"Best not to do that."

"That's why I need Recovery Hearts."

"Monsters usually have those."

"Much to my annoyance."

Princess Twilight then changed the subject. "Now that you've overcome that obstacle, you can now continue with exploring this dungeon. You should soon find that Heavy Ball further up ahead which should make you happy."

I shook my head. "Before doing that... I need to do one small thing first." I then looked at the holes in the ground and I knew what needed to be done. "Despite hating having to backtrack, I'm going to make an exception to this stance just this once in the name of progress. Remember when you told me to drop into a hole in order to reach that one key that was located on a narrow walkway?"

"I remember."

"During the fight, I saw another chest in a similar manner in the room below."

It didn't long for Her Highness to figure out what I was planning. "Okay, but make sure you collect the fairy which appeared when you defeated the Hinox. In your current condition, you definitely need a pick-me-up."

There was a fairy!? How did I miss that!? In any case, there was one flying around and minding its own business. I thought about using my bottle in order to collect it for later but I desperately needed some health back otherwise my medicine would be used. I didn't have long to think of a decision as fairies were known for disappearing after a while if left alone so despite a bit of hesitation, I opted for the health right away. Allowing the fairy to touch me, my health was restored but only by a small amount. It would have to do until I could recover the rest which hopefully would be soon.

Remembering what the room below looked like, I needed to fall down one of the two holes by the western wall otherwise I'd miss the ledge and be forced to make my way back here and try again. Dropping down one at random, I landed where I needed to be and walked forward towards my prize when the Seashell Senor began reacting. Really? In a place like this? I supposed hiding one in such an odd location made sense as most would ignore it if they were more fixated on getting through in one piece.

Opening the chest, I took out my seventeenth Secret Seashell. Only three more to collect before I can get that ultimate weapon though my options were dwindling. Jumping down to the ground, I went back up stairs to the second level as there were still some rooms I could check out. Ignoring the Sparks, I re-entered the room where I had been moments ago and kept on going right and entering a new room. Apart from an Owl Statue, there was a crack in the wall that looked suspicious. There was also a small hole that looked like it would require me to use a combination of the Roc's Feather and Pegasus Boots in order to jump over it.

There were also three of the Three-of-a-Kind monster and I knew exactly how to deal with them. After what happened when I fought these earlier, I wanted to make sure I got it right in one attempt. I attacked the first one which gave me a Club as its symbol so I decided to use that for the other two. Waiting for the correct symbol to appear on their stomachs, I attacked the second one giving it a Club followed by doing the same to the third. With all three matching, they disappeared causing a chest to materialize on the other side of the hole. Hmmm... Methinks I know how to get over there now.

Dropping down and landing on the chest, Cozy Glow adjusted her skull mask once again. You'd think she'd have gotten one that fit her properly? "So... You managed to defeat my friend and progressed even further."

"Are you furious about that?"

"Surprisingly... No." Cozy Glow answered. That surprised me as I thought she was going to lose it. "Oh sure, I'm upset that you defeated the Hinox, but at the same time, you took quite a beating which shows that you're not as invincible as you like to think. Seeing you get thrown about made my day so consider me grateful. Judging from your current condition, I'm willing to beat you're limping about in writhing agony."

Limping? No. Writhing agony? Okay, she had me there. "I've been like this before."

"Oh I'm sure you have."

"But I won't let it stop me!"

"Those are some bold words coming out of your mouth." Cozy Glow said. I wasn't going to admit it to her but I was still feeling the after-effects of my fight with the Hinox. The fairy didn't heal all of my wounds so I needed to give off the impression of not being as wounded as it seemed. What made this difficult to deal with was how she was loving every moment and completely relishing in it. "Maybe you are worthy of fighting me after all."

"Why the sudden change of mind?"

"It's not just because I think you're feeling weaker... Okay, it's exactly that!" Cozy Glow looked away from me and I could see her trying hard not to laugh. When she was finished, she turned back to face me. "I'm going to get straight to the point, Outsider. Your progress through the Eagle's Tower has gone on long enough. I'll admit that I was way too easy on you which has resulted in you getting to this point. You even got the Mirror Shield which I thought had been hidden well."

"Much of that was down to luck."

"Perhaps but the point stands that you must be dealt with once and for all."

"Do you plan on fighting me now?"

Cozy Glow shook her head. "I said you were 'maybe' worthy of fighting me. That doesn't mean you are. No... I'm going to allow the tower's defences to end you. Since you seem so keen on smashing those pillars, the ones that remain have been fortified with some much needed improvements." If she was talking about what I thought she was, I was going to have more problems especially with my low health. "As I've been saying all along, you should've left but you chose not to heed my warnings. A shame really. You will soon become a forgotten memory, lost in the dream."

To Be Continued.

Chapter 27: Battle on the Aerie.

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.
By Ganondorf8.
March 14, 2021.
Chapter 27: Battle on the Aerie.

"Judging from your sudden expression, you're not a fan of the sentries." Cozy Glow said.

"Um... I never said anything like that." In truth, I had the means to overcome the Beamos (These were the sentries that she was talking about). It's just that having more of them to deal with would make things more complicated especially with my low health.

"You didn't have to use words." Cozy Glow said with a sneer. "Your face gave me that answer! Outsider... You do know that this is your own fault, right? You should've run! But no, that proved too much for you." She then placed both hands on her face and swayed head back and forth. "Look at me! I'm the Outsider who didn't listen to the mighty Grim Creeper! Oh why didn't I listen? I'm so stupid! Now I'm going to pay with my life!"

I knew she was insulting me and I felt like tearing her apart, but I knew better than to let her get under my skin. If anything, it showed me that she was growing more and more paranoid with my progress. I felt pity towards her. She was only following the orders of Grogar. If I were in her shoes, I'd be doing the very thing she was trying to do to me. Those under the influence of evil were known for desperate measures as power meant everything to them.

After listening to her insults long enough, I finally said something. "And you think these additional sentries will stop me from getting to the Nightmare?"

"At this point, I need results."

"Results?"

"Your death!"

That clinched it for me. "I see what's happening here now. You must have made some kind of boastful claim that you would succeed in killing me. So far, that hasn't happened and now you're freaking out over it. If you were to fail, Dethl (I had to avoid using his true name to avoid confusion) would wipe you out of existence. Do I have all of that right or did I miss something?" Believe it or not, this was actually a wild guess on my part and I was surprised at what happened next.

At first, she was silent but then responded with a spiteful hiss. "Did you read my mind or something? No... You couldn't possibly possess that power! If that isn't the case then how did you figure that out?" I had definitely hit a nerve that time as well as surprisingly figuring out what would happen if she failed. "Fine! I'll accept that fact you saw through me but it won't happen again. Still... It's just so baffling that you were so accurate." Something told me she didn't mean to say that last part out loud. "Heh... No wonder I'm growing both fond and sick of you."

I'll chalk up my guess thanks to Pinkie Pie always being so random with her personality. Guessed she was rubbing off on me more than I thought. Like I said, I felt pity towards Cozy Glow, but I couldn't allow that to become a distraction. I still had an adventure to finish which meant she needed to be defeated. It's also unfortunate as when this was all over, she would be back as a stone statue once again. Her freedom would be short-lived and she wouldn't even realize it.

Choosing to take her leave, Cozy Glow disappeared into the shadows leaving me and Princess Twilight to debate over what to do next. "Well? I think I handled that pretty well. I'm not thrilled about dealing with more Beamos, however."

"You have the Mirror Shield now so you can easily take care of them." Princess Twilight said.

"For the record, you knew that I was influenced by Pinkie Pie, right?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "Of course I knew that! You have to remember that I'm the Princess of Friendship. Knowing every last detail of my friends is pretty much mandatory for me otherwise I'd be a sham. But... I will admit to being surprised at what was behind Cozy Glow's sudden increase in escalations. I knew she was getting desperate but I didn't think that it would involve her own life."

"For power, villains will sacrifice even themselves."

"I..." Princess Twilight stopped speaking and I nodded in return. I sacrificed my own humanity (Or would that be a human-pony sacrifice?) for power which was how I got transformed into a raging she-demon. Once that power was gone, my life became nothing but misery. The same thing happened to all villains who lost their power. They became miserable and while some became better people, others remained bitter and refused to let go of their hatred.

"Anyway, we should focus on what to do next."

Princess Twilight nodded as she regained her composure. "Yes! You need to destroy those remaining columns! Come to think of it, we don't even really know what will happen when you do so. I know Cozy Glow mentioned the highest floor but then she could've been deceiving us." She then realized that I had been able to get some vital information from her so what she said might have been correct. "Never mind. Anyway, let's change subjects. That Heavy Ball should be just up ahead. If you're not sure of its location, check the Dungeon Map."

As soon as she said that, I took it out to confirm the location of the Heavy Ball. Sure enough, it was located in the room up ahead. Putting the map away, I was about to head to the right when I decided to take a closer look at that cracked section of wall. It definitely looked suspicious so I asked Her Highness if she could make a note of it for me. Unfortunately, blocks were preventing me from blowing it up with a bomb so I had to approach from the other side. Even when progress appeared to be happening, something had to come along and stop me from going any further.

Heading to the right, the Heavy Ball was waiting for me but before picking it up, I noticed a key block situated on the other side of some raised orange tiles. It looked like I had to approach and use a key on that side, or I could activate the Crystal Switch on this side and unlock it that way. There was also a staircase which would take me to the third floor though why was it completely unguarded? Hmmm... I didn't like how easy it looked so I went up to the next floor to confirm my suspicions. Surely, it had to be an oversight or something.

Upon reaching the third floor, I found that I was completely blocked by raised blue tiles. I thought as much. There always had to be a catch whenever there was something that wasn't being guarded. Aside from a flying bomb icon, a path straight in front of me, and a path that went to the right, I couldn't see anything else unless I activated the switch. Then again, doing so might block off any access to the remaining columns. Ugh! This smelled like backtracking! Complaning about it wasn't going to help. It had to be done despite my personal griping but the question was where do I even start?

"Should I activate that Crystal Switch now?"

"If you do, you can access the other side of this floor much quicker." Princess Twilight answered. She then pointed at the ground which was her way of letting me know about the first floor below. "Otherwise, it means going back downstairs, through those rooms again, and coming up on the other side."

"But what about those columns?"

She took a deep breath before responding. "Think of it this way. Right now, you can't even access the remaining columns. I mean, you can on your own but you need to bring that ball along and something tells me it can't go through that panel we saw earlier. Sure, activating that switch will impede your progress on that front, but it can also bring about other progression which will ultimately allow for a final bout of progression which will reward you with success. Eagle's Tower, from my overall impressions, is like a giant puzzle with various pieces that need to be solved before the bigger picture can be realized."

I responded with a bit of sarcasm. "Wow... You must have done your research for that explanation."

"Research is my specialty."

"And I shouldn't doubt that should I?"

"It can mean the difference between life and death."

I knew Her Highness was going to say something like that. She took her researching capabilities very seriously and would defend them with her very life. For someone like me who was more up-close-and personal, I could appreciate her dedication, but also question it. What she said did make some sense (Had it been someone other than me, the mileage would've varied) despite some slight hesitation. All I wanted was progress period. I wasn't willing to meet in the middle but perhaps now was a good time to start.

Taking out the Bow, I fired a single arrow at the Crystal Switch which changed the tiles around. Walking across the now lowered orange tiles, I raised my shield in order to avoid getting hit by a Bubble which was weaving around six pots. Putting the bow away and switching to the Boomerang, I tossed it at the Bubble, defeating it, and collecting the fairy it dropped allowing me to gain a bit more health. It still wasn't enough though so I needed to remain cautious in case Cozy Glow decided to attack me.

Picking up and tossing the pots, nothing fell out from them which was disappointing so now I really needed to exercise caution. Taking out a small key, I inserted it into the key block where it disappeared allowing me access to a raised platform, but found that it didn't go anywhere. Was this a major blunder? I felt like kicking myself yet Princess Twilight suggested I did the right thing. Really? Could she something that I couldn't? I think I just answered my own question right there and since there was no going back, I had to accept it.

Walking up to the now accessible raised platform, I still couldn't see what was important about it that it had to be blocked, but when Princess Twilight began bopping me on the head and saying I should pay closer attention, I shrugged my shoulders. She then groaned before smacking my face several times followed by pointing in both directions which was when it finally began to make sense. It was a short cut that could take me to one of the columns I had destroyed or a Crystal Switch. All right... I deserved to be smacked about like that.

Methinks I went in a slightly wrong order and was only now beginning to get back on the intended path. There was no sense in bringing the Heavy Ball along so I left it behind and began making way back to where that panel was located. The Three-of-a-Kinds had since re-spawned but I ignored them as they weren't guarding anything important now. What was relieving was knowing the Hinox hadn't come back so I took solace knowing that hadn't happened though the likelihood of it happening was ever increasing.

Once I was back in the room with the two Sparks, I ignored them and walked into the panel. It forced me to rest my back up against it before it turned around and took me with it into the next room. Right away, there was a Bubble floating around along with familiar tiles which I recognized from the Face Shrine, and since the door was locked, I knew what was about to happen so I raised my shield and got ready. The tiles began to rise up before flinging themselves at me and shattered upon connecting with my shield.

As each tile shattered and more rose up, I could see holes were appearing where the tiles were once positioned. At least the Bubble was being affected so I didn't have to worry as much about it but I still needed to be careful as taking any serious damage would draw me closer towards being forced to use my Magic Medicine. When the last tile broke upon hitting my shield, the door unlocked though I was left with a lot of holes and a Bubble. Ignoring the latter, I took out the Roc's Feather and jumped over a single hole before entering the next room which housed another column.

"This has to be the last one, right?"

"I believe there are four, yes."

It then dawned on me as to where I was. "Wait a minute... I've been in this room before!"

"This is what's known as coming full circle."

"Very funny!"

"I have my moments." Princess Twilight then got serious. "I hate to tell you this, Sunset, but I have no other choice in the matter. Coming this way was the right thing to do, but you needed to have that Heavy Ball in here to make it work. You solved the puzzle a bit too quickly or rather you did it incorrectly. Unfortunately, it does mean having to go through that tile room again as you know they re-spawn but consider this as a learning experience. You won't make this mistake again."

Seriously!? I did this all wrong!? I so wanted to let loose my frustration but I just couldn't be bothered. "Just give me a moment, Twilight." I then walked up to the column and gave it a kick using all my strength. It did make me feel better? Not at all. I then decided to kick it several times until my foot went numb which was my way of telling myself I had enough. That felt much better despite the numbness.

Her Highness then made an announcement. "The solution has since appeared before me."

"Well that makes one of us."

"I know I said this tower is like a giant puzzle with lots of small pieces, but I forgot to take into account the order they needed to be solved." Princess Twilight felt pretty bad about herself but she didn't really need to. She managed to figure it out whereas I'd probably still be stuck. It was more the dungeon's fault than either of us. "My solution is solid as it's based on observation, locations, and a sense of proving I am smarter than an ancient tower." And I thought she loved anything deemed historical (I was joking here). "Sunset? I need to see that map again."

"Okay." I said as I took it out and unfurled it.

Princess Twilight pointed at the two rooms which had the columns. "Here is what you need to do. This is going to get complicated so please bare with me. First, you need to grab that ball, take it to the room where those Three-of-a-Kind were, and toss it over the barrier. That should be easy as you left it near that key block. Next, you've got to get back here which does mean going around again but backtracking is something you're used to. Upon re-entering this room, you've got to destroy the cracked section of the wall which will lead you south towards where that Owl Statue was."

"The two rooms are connected?"

"They are." Princess Twilight answered, her smile growing wider as she became more engrossed with her work. "Once you're by that statue, you can use the Hookshot to pull yourself across to the treasure chest that appeared when you defeated the Three-of-a-Kind. Then you can take down the third column which leaves one remaining. Now, this is where it gets depressing because for this next part, you must leave the dungeon and come back in again as it will reset the Heavy Ball by putting it back where it originally started."

"Are you serious, Twilight!?"

"I am."

"And there's no other way to do this?"

Sighing, Princess Twilight dropped to the ground. "Had you approached this differently, you could've knocked all four columns down in a more reasonable manner, but this is the best option I can give you." Her Highness could tell that I was beginning to get really confused and she realized this. "I'm sorry for all this, Sunset. I will say this though. That platform you accessed by removing that key block will become very useful but we'll cross that bridge when we get there. For now, focus on one thing at a time for your sanity. Oh, and be sure to activate the Crystal Switches at least twice."

"And you figured that out all on your own."

"I had to observe everything."

That was enough to make me grin slightly. "I'm proud that you did some hands-on-research."

"Being with you has given me plenty of opportunities."

I smiled in response. "Okay, I think I got all of that covered. The only issue is dealing with the Beamos as Cozy Glow said she added in sentries in order to guard the remaining columns and preventing me from destroying them both."

"You mean those ones?" Princess Twilight asked prompting me to take a look at what she was seeing. Sure enough, there was a Beamos situated where a spiked section of floor used to be which fired its laser upon its eye noticing me. I used my Mirror Shield and reflected it back which struck and shut it down. "I'm sure it wasn't there when you were kicking it a few moments ago. Did Cozy Glow only just now brought it here or perhaps something else happened?"

I shrugged. "I don't know but at least I took care of it."

"Until you leave the room." Princess Twilight said as she lowered her head slightly. "Remember what usually happens when you leave a room and come back to it later? So what you just said doesn't hold any water."

Her Highness was right about that. Most monsters re-spawned after a while if I defeated them and then left the room. I don't know why this was thing though I never really paid much attention to it. I guess that you don't take notice of such matters until much later when it becomes more aggravating. For one, it was just one extra Beamos, but could become two, or even three, or even more if Cozy Glow had her way. I felt that what she was doing went against the vision of whoever created this world (I had to remind myself at times that this was a video game at its core).

Putting the map away, I walked up to a block which I only now just noticed it was out of place with the rest of them, and pushed it forward where it dropped into a hole allowing me to leave and begin this strategy Princess Twilight had concocted. Deep down, Her Highness felt terrible for having placed me into this position and she was doing everything in her power to fix it before it could get worse. It wasn't her fault though. It was the dungeon itself that was to blame as it never should've had such a stupid concept to begin with. Destroying columns in order to progress... Utter stupidity!

She should be happy that she figured out a solution, convoluted as it was. Had it been just me on my own, I'd have likely gone insane. Her solution was going to work and I would make sure of it even if it meant having to resort to drastic actions. At this point, I wanted to be done with this dungeon so being drastic was acceptable. Using the Roc's Feather, I jumped across the hole and entered the next room where I went south because of needing to activate the Crystal Switch to flip the tiles around.

Jumping across another hole, I kept going south until I reached the switch, activating it with a swing of my sword. From there, I walked back the other way, jumped across the hole again, and went to the right past where the first column had been. Green Zols popped up from the ground but I ignored them as my focus was on getting through this ordeal so taking any damage would be a consequence I'd deal with later. Entering the room where the Heavy Ball had originally been in, the blocks almost crushed me to death but I slipped by before that happened and continued south.

Entering the room where I found the Mirror Shield, I stopped at the next Crystal Switch, took out a bomb, and dropped it before moving on. When it exploded seconds later, the tiles changed which would allow me to continue on and reach the Heavy Ball. Before continuing, I looked at what I had unlocked with the small key and was beginning to see what Her Highness meant about it becoming useful. Picking up the ball above my head with ease, I walked left and entered the next room which is where I needed to be. Ignoring the Three-of-a-Kind, I tossed the ball across both the hole and the barrier where it safely landed on the other side.

"So far so good."

"Now comes the annoying part."

I sighed. "I'm going to make this work, Twilight."

"Again, I'm sorry this didn't work out as well as I initially thought."

"It's not your fault." I said as I attacked one of the Three-of-a-Kinds when it got a little too close to me. "This dungeon has brought out the worst in both of us not to mention this whole destroying columns is just stupid. Puzzles are fun but not when they're outright bonkers. I'm actually impressed with your solution."

"Yes, I will admit that it is pretty good."

"There you go."

"And here I thought I was the one experienced in giving pep talks."

"You have been rubbing off on me."

That made Princess Twilight smile. "Okay, let's get focused on completing this dungeon. Now you need to go through that tile room again though it shouldn't be a problem since you know how to deal with them. When you get back to where you were before, remember to use a bomb on the cracked section of the wall. In fact, once you get to that panel, you'll see what I meant about it all connecting."

Heading back into the room where the Hinox was, it still hadn't come back which was a relief but it wasn't a concern as I could just ignore it. Moving to the next room, I could see what Princess Twilight meant about connections as there was a cracked section on two different walls. Good thing I had plenty of bombs on hand otherwise this would have been a problem. Walking up to the panel, my back was forced to press up against it before it turned around and brought me into the room with the tiles.

As much as this annoyed me, I raised my shield and waited for the tiles to come at me again. That's when I noticed that neither door had locked. I could skip this room entirely just by going through the door. Now that's more like it. Some puzzles didn't need to be solved a second time. I thought about Cozy Glow which sounded weird coming from me. She hadn't made her presence known for some time which made me suspect she was planning something big or was loving how me and Princess Twilight were getting despondent over how we were progressing.

Ignoring the tiles, I entered the next room which was where I had started but now I knew what to do. The cracked section was to my right prompting me to rub my forehead on account of having not noticed it initially. Taking out a bomb, I dropped it in front of the crack and stepped away when it exploded seconds later. Going through the crack, I took out another bomb and tossed it across the room where it exploded exploded revealing another entrance which I walked through. Using the Stone Beak, I placed it on the Owl Statue and it repeated the same message I received when I used it earlier about how the riddle would be solved when the four pillars had fallen.

Putting away the beak and switching it over for the Hookshot, I fired it at the chest where it connected and I pulled myself across. Opening said chest, I took out about ten bombs which was ironic since I just used some. Speaking of bombs, I'd yet to find any bomb bag upgrades even though bombs were something I didn't use all that often. The same could be said for quiver upgrades. There was nothing wrong with this but having more would make feel better and not have to worry about running out. Picking up the ball, I went north to the next room and was immediately hit by a laser beam.

Crap! I had forgotten all about the Beamos, and since I was holding up the Heavy Ball, I couldn't even defend myself. I had no idea how damage that laser did but I couldn't allow myself to get hit like that again... And I ended up getting hit by another laser. Okay, this was just unfair! This monster shouldn't even be here! This was Cozy Glow breaking the rules all because she was so desperate in killing me. Tossing the ball and destroying the column, I raised my shield just as another laser beam came my way. It bounced back and shut it down upon impact though the damage had been done.

I dropped to one knee. "That didn't go as well as it should have." I then clutched my chest knowing I was back at low health again. "Guess I've got no choice but to use that medicine despite my hesitation in doing so."

"You did pretty well without it, Sunset."

"I guess so." I said as I got back up. "That's three down and one to go."

"Now you need to exit the dungeon and then enter it again."

"I've been thinking about that."

"You have?"

I nodded. "I was thinking that perhaps I can remove exiting the dungeon from the equation." That made Her Highness look at me with a skeptical look but I was undaunted. "If I throw the ball back across the barrier and then go back the way I came in here, I can go back around again, grab the ball, throw it back to the second column's location..." Princess Twilight looked confused by my explanation which prompted me into stop talking and trying to explain it to her without getting lost myself. "Maybe I should show you rather than explaining otherwise we're not going to get anywhere."

"Explanations always were my thing."

I wasn't going to contest that. Her Highness knew just what words to say while I often struggled to come up with a good explanation. I was a person of action rather than just standing around and talking. Picking up the ball again, I went back and tossed it across the hole and barrier where it struck one of the Three-of-a-Kind, stunning it which ultimately didn't mean anything though I was surprised I even hit it from such a distance. Now came a tactic I almost never used since it rarely came up. I hopped slightly and changed over to the Pegasus Boots before taking out the Roc's Feather.

Her Highness was concerned that this was reckless considering that missing would send me back down to the first floor, but I told her that this was necessary in order to avoid leaving the dungeon as it would reset everything aside from open treasure keys and key puzzles. Standing with my back against the chest, I needed all the distance I could muster otherwise this was going to fail in spectacular fashion. Dashing forward and jumping at the very last moment (I did cut it very close), I made it back across though there was a moment where I felt I wouldn't.

And that's when I realized that I could just drop down below and come back up here again. I just went through all that and it wasn't even needed. I really hated this dungeon and couldn't wait to finally be done with it. Her Highness wasn't going to let me forget about this any time soon. In fact, I could see her right now giggling at me for doing something so cool that was ultimately for nothing. Again, I hated this dungeon. Jumping into the hole, I dropped down to the first floor only to find myself at the dungeon's entrance. While I could leave and then quickly re-enter the dungeon, it wasn't worth it.

"So you're finally going to leave?" Cozy Glow asked as she appeared by dropping down from the ceiling. "Despite the headaches you've been giving me, I'm willing to forgive you which is surprising given my nature."

"I thought you'd show up here." I said.

"Golly! Am I that predictable?"

"You can cut it with the cuteness dialogue."

Cozy Glow tilted her head in confusion and I cursed in my mind for forgetting my own advice. "I'm going to ignore that and just chalk it up as you losing your mind. I've seen how confused both you and that fairy have been getting as of late. If the traps and monsters weren't going to bring you down, it was the sheer insanity one gets from staying long enough in this tower. Emotional damage is so much better than physical!"

"I'm not going to leave!"

Sighing, Cozy Glow adjusted her cloak. "You just can't help being stubborn."

"It's one of my more well-known qualities."

"That's it!"

"What's it?"

"I should've just done this when I had the chance." Cozy Glow then took out what looked like a dagger though it was hard to tell. "I gave you plenty of warnings and you cast them aside and kept on going. I was having fun until you started making progress and humiliating me in front of the mighty Dethl." She then tossed her dagger which struck me in the chest by piercing my heart which caused me to collapse instantly. "That was a lot easier than I thought. I was expecting at least some kind of resistance. He is going to be so pleased knowing the Outsider is dead."

Princess Twilight wasn't surprised by what had just happened. I mean, she was as she didn't expect Cozy Glow to do that, but not as much as she knew that I was going to be back on my feet though without any medicine to fall back on from that point onward. "Choosing to go straight for the jugular?"

"I didn't forget about you, fairy!"

"You think you've gone and killed my friend?"

Nodding, Cozy Glow followed up with laughter. "Golly! Did I just go and kill her right in front of you? Hah! Of course I did. Why I didn't do that before is going to be one of the worst mistakes in my entire life. I'm surprised the other Nightmares never bothered to just kill her outright instead of just sitting around and waiting for her to show up or having one of their servants do it." She then hissed at Her Highness. "I would kill you, fairy, but I'd rather not incur the Great Fairy's wrath even though I can totally beat her. Instead, I'll just leave you and laugh at my success.

Jumping back up to the ceiling and disappearing, Princess Twilight kept quiet as she looked down at my lifeless body so as to not ruin the illusion we had created. After about a minute of doing this, she then coughed before saying something to break the silence. "You can get up now, Sunset."

I then got back onto my feet though not in the best of moods. "If not for that medicine, I'd have truly been dead." I checked my chest and sure enough, the wound where the dagger had hit me was gone. "I'm mad that she forced me to use it but I suppose it couldn't be helped." Not having any medicine or fairies made me feel like I was naked but I had to endure knowing that going back and getting either one wasn't an option. "By the way, how long do you think it will take before she figures out that I'm still alive?"

"Knowing how Cozy Glow thinks... Not until you truly make it known."

"So I shouldn't have to worry about her for a while?"

"Not until you destroy that final column."

"That will take some time." I said in a sheepish manner. "I can cut out some time by taking that short cut thanks to using that small key, but it's still going to be a while before I can get the Heavy Ball to where it needs to be."

"You need to go through the tile room again, don't you?"

I didn't even need to say a word in response. The expression on my face was all Her Highness needed from me. In order to get the ball to the final column, I needed to take it a short distance, throw it into the proper room, and then make my way back by going around again. I know it wasn't the most ideal solution and I was piggybacking off of what Her Highness had originally suggested but I didn't want to give Cozy Glow a chance to figure out my deception. As long as she was convinced that I was dead, she'd leave me alone.

Heading left, I ignored the pots as that would summon a Wizzrobe. Combat had to be avoided at all costs as any loud noises would attract Cozy Glow provided she wasn't still laughing her head over my supposed death at her hands. I was willing to bet that she was coming up with a speech to present to Grogar. Whatever she was doing, I needed her to remain occupied until the final column was destroyed. Heading up the stairs, I walked south and entered the Hinox's room. Again, it didn't appear much to my luck so keeping up my deception remained possible.

Moving on to the next room, I once again ignored the Three-of-a-Kind and picked up the Heavy Ball then took it with me to the next room and tossed it over the barrier. That part was easy but there was still much more to do which was going to get very annoying very quickly. Heading right and up the stairs, I could now see why a small key was needed. Jumping down to my left, I picked up the ball again and continued north, crossing the blue tiled bridge before reaching the block she had mentioned.

Dropping the ball, I then pushed the block forward, picked it up again (Thank goodness it was easy to carry around) and went left which was where the final column was, but the block I had pushed before was now back where it was originally positioned. This wasn't an issue as I knew this would happen but at least I had a solution even if it did involve backtracking to get it all done. I could've jumped over the spikes except that I couldn't with a heavy object being held above my head.

Going around the corner and back into the same room, I tossed the ball over the barrier which had set up the stage for the last part of the puzzle. Shaking my head, I was beginning to feel woozy what with having to do so much just to complete a puzzle that wasn't really difficult, just time consuming and aggravating. Once I was done, I planned on resting for a few minutes even though I preferred roughly several hours. If the final dungeon involved doing things like this, I wasn't going to enjoy any of it though my gut was telling me it was going to happen which made me feel depressed.

Taking out the map yet again, I looked it over to remind myself of where I had to go. Even after having through these sets of room twice already, I still needed to check as I was doing several things at once which was making me forget other stuff. Being a bit curious at that current moment, I looked at the fourth floor again and noticed the lack of a Nightmare's room wasn't my only problem. I couldn't see a staircase or anything that could get me up there. How could a floor be completely detached from everything else? I needed an answer and quickly otherwise I wasn't going to get much further.

"Why do you deny the obvious truth, magic one?" Ganondorf asked.

"Because I know you're lying!" Twilight Sparkle answered.

"No... I am not lying to you."

"How can I be sure of that?"

Sighing, the Demon King uttered a single word. "Sunset." That made Twilight Sparkle freeze on the spot which was the kind of reaction he had wanted. "As I thought, your connection with her is strong, stronger than either one of you would like to admit. Granted, she possesses a much stronger bond with the alicorn but you are a worthy substitute should the other, your other, cannot come to the child's aid."

"That doesn't explain why you think Midnight Sparkle is alive."

"As I said, that creature is dead, but her essence remains within you." Ganondorf conjured up what appeared to be glasses only for them to burst into flames, the symbol that was a reflection of Midnight Sparkle. She desired knowledge and was willing to see entire worlds burn just to get her hands on it. For Twilight Sparkle, it represented a nightmare she believed had been overcome but now didn't know what to make of it. "Her desire for understanding everything continued burning which enabled her to return but she was betrayed by another and vanished into the ether for eternity."

"I... I don't understand."

"No... You don't."

Twilight Sparkle then looked down at the ground. "Even though it's been a long time since I overcame Midnight Sparkle, I never stopped thinking about what could happen if I ever lost control and became her once again. I... I know I did some pretty bad things, the worst of which was almost destroying two worlds by almost forcing them to merge into one. My desire to understand everything around me became my worst nightmare. Do I regret what I did? Every day. Nothing I do can change what happened in the past but I can work hard to ensure it never happens again."

"There is still more for you to say, magic one."

"I know and I'm getting to it." Twilight Sparkle placed her hand on her chest and closed her eyes. "I won't deny that I did become a monster. I was scared and I felt like the entire world had turned against me. Hiding this dark past doesn't do me any good." She then looked up at Ganondorf before pointing at him. "Now it all makes sense to me. In order to acquire our magic, you needed us to unleash despair, despair that stems from bad experiences we've committed. While my friends didn't want to remember, I had no problems confronting and even accepting that I screwed up."

"And that is why you are much more important than they are, magic one." Ganondorf got up from his throne and walked towards Twilight Sparkle until he towered over her. "I knew that you would reveal your secrets without needing my honeyed words to provide you with an incentive. I knew from the start that you would be different from them." Smiling, he suddenly grabbed her by the throat and lifted her up. "As I said, I won't kill you."

"Gasp! Then why are you doing this to us?"

Laughing, Ganondorf used his other hand and placed it on her chest. "There are things that are beyond your comprehension. You should take solace knowing that you and your friends will be allowed to live." He paused before continuing. "I would have killed you all the moment I made my presence known. Your magic is the reason you all continue to live. If not for it, your lives would be forfeit." He began mumbling some words none of my friends could understand before Twilight Sparkle began to writhe in agony. "This will hurt only for a brief moment."

"What... What are you doing to me?"

He didn't answer her and continued mumbling his words. My friends tried to call out to her but it was to no avail. After a few minutes however, he stopped and then dropped her to the ground before walking back to his throne. Turning around, he sat down and presented some kind of weird orb that looked to be made of magic. "I have extracted the essence of the one you became. The taint of evil still remains with you, magic one, but its essence now belongs to me. Your magic was intertwined with her essence thus it was easy for me to acquire both of these things from you."

Getting back up, Twilight Sparkle began breathing heavily. "What is your true goal?"

"The child shall become my servant."

"Sunset Shimmer?" Twilight Sparkle asked as she regained her composure. "I don't believe that!"

"You are much more perceptive than the others."

"So I was right."

Ganondorf shook his head. "The child has the potential to become even more powerful than she already is. She is aware of what I have done in order to bring forth this hidden strength but she has yet to know what true depths she can unleash. She has been tainted by evil, but blessed by a divine power far beyond the minds of mere mortals like you. Both of these combined with her own innate abilities must be used to their full extent and not be squandered."

"Do you honestly believe that she wants any of this?"

"It is not for her to determine." Ganondorf answered. He turned his right hand around and a golden mark appeared on the back of it. "She was fated to become a successor to the mantle passed down through the bloodline of the hero who was chosen to oppose me. I manipulated things to ensure she would receive the power because I knew that she had great potential. There is also your other self, the alicorn. My manipulations ensured that the power passed down through the royal family would become hers."

Twilight Sparkle was confused as were my friends but she decided to see if she could make sense of it. "Okay, so where does that bring us into this picture? If what you say is true, you didn't really need any of us, just our magic."

Laughing, Ganondorf rested his head on his right hand. "You are all connected to the child. Knowing that you have suffered will serve to make her stronger which will bring her one step closer towards becoming my servant. Your magic was a bonus designed to further increase my own power!" He then looked at a clock hanging on the wall. "My time here is almost at an end, but there is one more thing which needs to be done. You shall all make one final contribution which shall ensure the child never strays from her chosen path."

"And what's that?"

"You will know what it's like to feel true pain..."

Upon putting the map back in my pocket, I began the long trek back to where I was but coming in from the other side from the tile room. If there was a benefit to be found in all this, it was that my navigational skills had seen a definite improvement. I could use such skills to my advantage once things were back to normal. Equestrian Magic would become easier to track down or just about anything really and there would be no sleepless nights wracking my brain over where I needed to look. Of course, none of this mattered unless I did succeed in changing things back to normal.

Heading back through the room which housed the Compass and then south back through where I had just been, I suddenly ducked when a laser beam came at me. Had I been a bit late to react, my face would've gotten hit. Looking up, I could see a Beamos, a reminder that Cozy Glow had summoned it to ensure the column would remain standing. When the eye turned away, I made a run for it though my feet got poked by the spiked section of floor. Upon getting far enough away, I stopped and made sure my feet were okay before leaving the room and pushing the block forward.

Remembering that I needed to change the tiles again (Which would add to my backtracking if only a little), I went south and used the Roc's Feather to jump across the hole before striking the Crystal Switch with my sword. Heading back and jumping across the hole again, I continued north and then turned right making sure to ignore any monsters that would appear as I wanted to finish this dungeon before it could make me lose my mind. In retrospect, this would've been way less stressful had I tackled the columns in a different order. No sense in worrying about something that was now in the past.

Going through the room where I found the Heavy Ball, I went south past the Mirror Shield chest, and tossed a bomb when I approached the next Crystal Switch. Even though it was an explosion, it would be a small one which shouldn't attract the attention of Cozy Glow. She was probably still gloating over having believed she killed me but she would soon change her attitude once she found out I was still kicking. The bomb exploded which flipped the blue and orange tiles around which also allowed me to head west as I'd have been blocked otherwise. I ignored this next switch (Rather the first one as I had come back around again) as I didn't need to activate it.

I kept on going west, ignoring the Three-of-a-Kind and entered the Hinox's room. There was still no encounter and that made me feel better knowing I didn't have to try and fight my way past it. Heading north, I used the panel to flip around to the next room where I once again made my way for the exit as I didn't need to defend against the tiles again. I then began thinking about how this dungeon had proven itself a challenge in comparison with what came before in the previous dungeons. I knew about difficulty spikes but nothing quite like this.

My thoughts then focused on what remained in the dungeon. Were the remaining two floors even worse than what I had already been through? Or, were they nothing but a joke, a reward for having put up with so much crap? I would soon get my answer and I was hoping it would be the latter. I also knew Cozy Glow would fight me with sheer bloodlust as she didn't have much time before I would reach the point where she would have no choice but to fight me herself.

Once the tiles had finished throwing themselves at me, I used the Roc's Feather to jump over a hole and entered the next room where I was reunited with the Heavy Ball. Seeing the final column brought tears to my eyes knowing that this puzzle was about to be solved. " At last! I'm done with this puzzle! I never want to go through anything like this ever again!" I was being very serious about it.

"Just one more throw of the Heavy Ball and we'll see what happens next." Princess Twilight said. "Remember that there is a Beamos in this room so you should deal with it first before taking care of the column. If my calculations are correct, you need to make your way back up to the third floor. This means you need to go around in a circle one last time but not the entire distance."

"At this point, I'm used to it."

"I have to give a bit of credit to whoever came up with the design of this dungeon's interior." Princess Twilight made sure she chose her words carefully knowing what I have been through since first starting to make my way through this place. "Some aspects were completely unnecessary and required more short cuts to provide easy accessibility, but much of it shows how dedicated someone was during the construction."

I rolled my eyes. "You never could resist any ancient buildings."

"It's the research in me!"

"Yeah, I know!" I said as I raised my shield and stepped forward. The Beamos fired its laser beam which bounced off my shield and back at it, hitting it and shutting it down leaving me free to finally destroy the last column. Picking up the Heavy Ball, I tossed it and it smashed the column to pieces. Nothing happened at first but then everything began vibrating as though the entire tower was starting to fall apart from above. "What's going on?"

"By destroying the final column, the structural integrity of the uppermost floor has been compromised by what you just did." Princess Twilight answered. She had been waiting for a moment like this to use some fancy terms to explain what was happening. I wasn't about to say anything though as she loved being technical. "In other words, the top floor can no longer be held up and it's about to come crashing down on top of the third floor which is above us. Brace yourself, Sunset! This could get rough!"

Even though I couldn't see it, the outside of the dungeon was beginning to change shape. A door and a ladder which were located much higher up than they ought to be began sinking as did the tower. Moments later, everything stopped rumbling and the tower had gotten much smaller than before. On the inside where I was, things still looked the same which prompted Her Highness to command me to take out the map which I did. Looking at it, we were shocked to see there was no longer a fourth floor. It had dropped down and merged with the third floor thus creating a new floor altogether.

"That explains why Cozy Glow was so desperate in protecting the columns."

Princess Twilight nodded in agreement. "She must have known that this was going to happen hence why she wanted to kill you. She knew you were the only one who could solve the riddle of the tower and now she has nowhere left to run though I doubt she had any intention of fleeing." Her Highness pointed at the map where the Nightmare was and I looked at it myself to see what she was getting at. "As you can see, we now have access to the Nightmare though it seems there's no actual room."

"Just a door and nothing else."

"This seems suspicious."

I then put the map away. "I think Cozy Glow will know what's going on and I think she knows I'm going to get an answer one way or another. By the way... Do you think she's come to the realization that she didn't actually kill me? Also, how do I get to the staircase for the third level as quickly as possible?"

"You need to drop back down to the first floor for starters." Princess Twilight answered. I wasn't liking the sound of that already but after everything I've been through, I didn't care how long it would take. "Then you must make your way back to the third floor via the Hinox's room and then head right which is where the staircase was."

At least this time it wasn't quite as bad as what I'd been doing before. The only thing I had to watch out for was Cozy Glow as no doubt she was outraged over what had happened to the dungeon along with knowing that her attempt at killing me failed. Heading through the cracked wall which would serve as a shortcut, I went south and into the next room before jumping into the hole (At that point, it was becoming second nature though it still scared me) and I was at the entrance of the dungeon. Leaving to get more medicine tempted me again but I needed to finish this.

Heading west and then north up the stairs to the second floor, I entered the Hinox's room and it didn't appear. I guessed Princess Twilight's warning was a dud though why did she bring it up knowing nothing would happen? It was yet another thing for me to worry about but not right now as I had other things to take care of first. Leaving the room, and entering the next one, I thought about taking a quick detour and attack the Three-of-a-Kind but opted against it knowing there was much worse that needed to be defeated.

Remembering the orange tiles blocking my way upstairs, I took out the bow and fired an arrow at the Crystal Switch, activating it. With that done, I finally went upstairs to the next floor and was surprised at seeing monsters were here this time. There was a Peahat and two Helmasaurs yet none of them had noticed me yet which was a blessing. If I could avoid any combat then I'd be better prepared to fight Cozy Glow whenever she decided to show up again. The flying heart icon was tempting but I had almost full health and the monsters would cause me trouble if I got too close.

Walking past them without being spotted, I entered the next room and saw the Nightmare Door. "Wow... I didn't think the Nightmare would be that close." I then remembered that there wasn't an actual room for the Nightmare to be in which made me wonder where I was supposed to fight it. "Which way should I go next?"

"Both directions could house the location of the Nightmare Key." Princess Twilight then pointed at the pocket which had the map. "Or you can just take out the map and look to see where there any treasure chest icons on it. I believe you only have one chest left to open since you did go out of your way to collect that Secret Seashell earlier. If there is more than one, you need to decide which one to go for. By the way, you can jump on any Goombas by using the Roc's Feather and defeat them since they are current scurrying about. Doing this will make them drop recovery hearts."

"I think you mentioned that before a long time ago."

"Thought you could do with a reminder."

"I feel like I'm playing a Mario game what with those Goombas here." I then saw Her Highness giving me a confused look and I sighed. "Remind me to tell you about 'Mario' as I know you won't stop pestering me about it until I do. I know how you work, Twilight." She responded by sticking out her tongue which looked rather adorable. I jumped on a Goomba easily by using the Roc's Feather, and as Her Highness said, it dropped a recovery heart which I collected. I then jumped on another one and defeated it, collecting the heart before heading south to see what was in the room I initially skipped.

Princess Twilight then brought something to my attention. "Well how about that? I think this is the first time you've seen a Rope."

"You mean that purple snake?"

"Yes." Princess Twilight nodded as she clasped her hands. "Despite the name, they have nothing to do with actual ropes. It will suddenly dart towards you if you happen to be in its line of sight, but it's not very strong and will go down in a single sword swing. In terms of it and the other monsters in this room, I don't see a need to defeat them. The Compass didn't make a noise nor did the Seashell Sensor. It's up to you on whether you want to fight or look somewhere else."

"I'll check another room."

"No sense in fighting monsters unless you need rupees, health, or have a weird obsession towards destroying them."

That last thing Her Highness said was pretty weird but she wasn't entirely wrong about that. There were some people who desired nothing more than to inflict pain by attacking whatever took their fancy. I know I've defeated a lot of monsters on this adventure but it was a necessity mainly due to needing experience. This in turn would grant me a higher chance of surviving which became more and more necessary especially against some truly absurd creatures. I preferred a stance of only needing to fight to obtain items to further my progress or if I had no other choice.

Going back the way I came, I decided to check the room on the right. I walked over there and entered a room where both doors locked. I then gulped upon seeing Cozy Glow standing on top of a raised platform and holding some kind of flute. Judging from her heavy breathing, I knew this would get ugly. "YOU! What in the world have you done!? Why did you go and bring down this tower!? Now the mighty Dethl will know how much of a failure I am for not killing you." She began hissing and stomping her foot when she stopped upon realizing that I was standing there. "How are you still alive!? I killed you! You should be dead!"

"Magic Medicine saved my life." I said in a calm voice.

"So you had a means of cheating death." Cozy Glow then calmed down. "Okay, I can accept that as an answer. I guess you fooled me pretty good with that stunt. But... I can kill you again and this time it'll be for good."

"Does this mean you will fight me?"

"I don't have a choice now."

"You could just surrender."

That was a mistake as now she had gotten angry. "What!? Me? Surrender? You must be out of your mind!" Her temper got even worse when the thought of me destroying part of the dungeon appeared in her head. "The Nightmare is outraged that you went and desecrated its home. I planned on showing you some mercy but now I won't. I've got some other friends who want to grace us with their presence so allow me to call upon them. All right, boys! Come forth and kill her!" She then began playing her flute which gave off a really beautiful melody.

Suddenly, a group of six bats then appeared. "What in the world are these?"

Cozy Glow laughed. "These are my friends and they are going to end your life. Sure, they might not look like much but never underestimate appearances. That's a lesson I've actually learned from you, Outsider, so allow me to thank you for that. Of course, thanks is all the mercy you're getting from me. Boys? Kill her! Now!" She played her flute again and the bats flew around me several times before they dove down and struck me so fast that I couldn't even see it happening.

"They're faster than they look."

"You're going to need to do a lot better than that, Outsider!" Cozy Glow played her flute and her bats reappeared again around her. "If even one of my friends remains alive after they have finished attacking, I can keep on playing my flute and call more of them to come and help. In other words, I have an infinite number of friends who can fight!" Playing her flute again, the bats slammed into me before flying off and out of the room. "I can do this all day!"

"This isn't going very well." I said as I clutched my side.

"Despite not attacking directly, Cozy Glow is certainly beating you down with those bats." Princess Twilight said.

"Who knew they were that strong."

"Strength is increased whenever you have more than one person attacking at once." Princess Twilight made sure to stay close to me in case any of the bats decided to attack her thinking she was some kind of snack. "Cozy Glow actually blurted out the solution and probably doesn't even realize it. Her anger towards you is so strong that she's blocked out everything else which leaves her completely unhinged. You need to defeat every single bat that comes at you. If a single one gets past, she can bring more by playing her flute."

"How many times will I need to do this?"

"Given her current mental state, I'd say you only need to go through this once."

"I can handle that."

"Remember that their formations do change every time she calls more in." Princess Twilight noted that the first formation formed a circle around me with the second appearing in a semi-circle and the third could be either one I had already seen or a completely different one. "Just be patient and focus on each bat as it flies at you. This may or may not take some time to get through depending on how accurate you are."

As the next bats appeared, they were now in an X formation or as close to it as possible. They then attacked me and I responded by swinging my sword. Only one of them was defeated which prompted Cozy Glow to laugh. She then played her flute and another six bats appeared which formed up in a square shape before attacking. Because of how fast they moved, I needed to keep my eyes on all six which was easier said than done. Swinging my sword again, I only defeated one and the others escaped. What was I doing wrong here? Cozy Glow played her flute and more bats appeared.

Every time I missed, I would get damaged in return. If I had my medicine, I'd be more confident but I didn't so I need to be more cautious. The next formation went back to the semi-circle and then dove down at me. If only they were lower to the ground when they flew in as that would let me defeat them without having to wait for an attack. I swung my sword and once again only defeated one while the others flew away. Cozy Glow continued laughing at my expense and so far she was calling the shots... Quite literally with her flute. She then played it and six more bats showed up and formed another square.

"This is too easy!" Cozy Glow shouted.

"Why not fight me yourself?" I asked.

"And get my hands dirty?"

"You're just a coward!"

Cozy Glow laughed. "Call me what you want but right now you're taking a pounding at the hands of my friends. A shame that your eyesight is so terrible as then you might actually be doing a lot better than you currently are. Without that medicine, my friends just need to whittle you down until you finally drop and can't get back up. Be cooperative and just die so we can all get back to their lives, or the after-life in your case."

Once again, she blurted out what I needed to do and wasn't even aware of it. Her Highness was right about her being unhinged. As much as it pained me to defeat her friends, I needed to get things moving again though it would mean incurring her wrath even more. The bats then attacked and I wasn't ready for them as I was focused on figuring out an ideal strategy. When she played her flute again and more bats appeared, I watched to see which one would strike first. Swinging my sword whilst watching their movements, I defeated four of them this time though the other two escaped.

She played the flute again and I responded in kind though only defeated three. Each one I missed damaged me as a result and it was slowly racking up. I needed to end this now before her friends killed me!. When the next six bats appeared after Cozy Glow played her flute, they were in the circle formation so I waited for the first one to move. When it did, I struck it with my sword before changing targets and waiting for the next one to attack. One by one, I defeated each bat as they attacked and when there were no more left, I breathed a sigh of relief.

"There! I did it!"

"You... You... You killed some of my best friends!" Cozy Glow looked like she was about to completely lose it. "How dare you do this!" Yep, she had lost it and was practically foaming at the mouth. "I should've ended you back when you first entered this tower! Instead, I let you run around and do whatever and now look what's happened. I HATE YOU! I hate you with all the hatred deep within me."

"This was your own fault." I said as I lowered my head. "You forced your friends into fighting me and now look what happened. Don't blame me for something you could've avoided by either fighting me personally or choosing to surrender and not fight at all."

"Enough!"

"Now what?"

"I'm never going to forgive you!" I could tell that she wanted to come down and kill me personally but something was holding her back. I wasn't about to risk further angering her so I held back and waited to see her next move. "I'll retreat for now but when we meet again, the Nightmare will rip you to pieces. Come to the top of the tower and it shall send you to your grave." With that, she disappeared by jumping up to the ceiling. Both doors then unlocked but more importantly, a warp panel appeared so now I could go back and forth between here and the dungeon's entrance.

Choosing to say nothing more about what happened, Princess Twilight understood how I felt and chose to say nothing either. Entering the next room, the Compass made a noise indicating that the Nightmare Key was in this room. Aside from three Sparks and a Crystal Switch, there were two blocks that definitely looked suspicious. After what I had been through in terms of puzzles around here, I felt happy encountering a more simplistic one even if it didn't look quite obvious at first. I went and pushed both blocks towards one another whilst getting hit a few times by the Sparks.

A chest then materialized signaling my success and upon opening it, I took out the Nightmare Key. I could go and confront the Nightmare straight away, but there were still a few rooms left for me to explore and I felt like seeing what they had to offer. They could provide me with some rewards though at this point I just needed to collect Secret Seashells and I doubted I'd find anymore in this dungeon. But, you never knew what you'd find until you actually found it. When it came to a Nightmare, being absolutely prepared was essential as it meant the difference between life and death.

Heading back to the previous room and ignoring the warp panel (Again, the temptation was strong), I continued on back to the next previous room and jumped on the Goombas which had re-spawned and collected hearts which restored some of my strength. I had forgotten about the Crystal Switch but it turned out I had made the right decision otherwise I'd be currently blocked from progressing any further. This next room had a Bubble and a Beamos along with some spiked sections of floor. After what Cozy Glow had put me through, I was nervous about approaching the latter despite being able to defeat them.

When it turned to face me and fired its laser, I raised my Mirror Shield and knocked it back which struck and shut the Beamos down. "I see you're getting better at using that new shield, Sunset." Princess Twilight commented. "No doubt it will prove invaluable in the future though I don't know if you need it to overcome the Nightmare. After all, you haven't used it to solve puzzles and instead have needed it to defeat those Beamos."

"It just feels weird finding an item and not getting much out of it."

"Not much can be done about that."

I nodded. "No, I suppose not." Taking a single step forward, two Wizzrobes appeared out of nowhere and blasted me with their magic before disappearing. "I hate it when monsters surprise me and get a free shot!" Looking at my shield, I suddenly had an idea. "Actually, I'm glad they appeared up as now I can really test out this shield." When they next appeared and fired their magic, I bounced both shots back at them which defeated them without any problems. "That was even easier than using the bow."

"Like I said, you're getting better with it."

Entering the next room, I encountered another key block along with a conundrum. "Hold on... If I need to use a key here to remove this block, why did I need the Nightmare Key? I could've skipped fighting Cozy Glow."

"I have an answer for this and it's a bit complicated."

"I'm all ears."

"Before you brought the fourth floor down to the third, it was possible for you to explore that particular floor in its original state." Princess Twilight used her hands to simulate the moment where the dungeon changed after I destroyed all four columns. "This key block would've been useful back then as you could've reached the rooms behind the Nightmare Door much sooner, but not access the Nightmare itself. The intention here was to explore the third floor and defeat Cozy Glow sooner but instead you waited until later in order to do so. In other words, this key block serves no purpose."

I couldn't believe what Her Highness had just said, and yet, it actually made sense. "Guess I got too far ahead of the game on this one."

"Yes, I suppose you did."

"I might as well use the small key anyway as I can't take it with me."

"This is true."

Taking out the small key, I inserted it into the key block and turned it before the block disappeared. Rather than continuing onward and dealing with a Beamos, a Peahat, a Spark, and a Goomba, I just went back to the previous room (There was probably nothing of value). Taking out the map, I looked to see where I needed to go in order to reach the Nightmare. While its door was in the next room, its actual location was up a staircase located next to the room where I fought Cozy Glow a short while ago. Hmmm... It made sense. A bird's nest was located at the very top... She told me to go up there and face it... Outside... It would be an outside battle as there was no room inside.

Putting the map away, I went back to the main area, approached the Nightmare Door and inserted the Nightmare Key into it. It unlocked and I entered a room with a few Goombas, a path forward which had to lead to an additional room or two, and a means of being able to reach the staircase. There were a couple of blocks which were obvious as to what they were to be used for. Using the Roc's Feather, I jumped on each Goomba and collected the hearts they dropped until my health had been restored. I then chose to continue north in case I could find something that could prove useful.

Walking north into the next room, I could see another Beamos along with two Peahats. The way forward wasn't locked so I could ignore everything, but something felt suspicious as though there was another trap. Taking a step forward, two Blade Traps launched themselves at me only to collide with one another instead. The Beamos then fired a laser which I bounced back using the Mirror Shield, shutting it down and making things more manageable. Moving forward quickly just as the Blade Traps were about to move, I ignored the Peahats and entered the next room.

"The horse heads again!?" Sure enough, the puzzle from the Face Shrine and from this dungeon had come back to haunt me yet again. There was also a conveyor belt with a Beamos moving around on it just to provide an extra bit of challenge. "Guess I should see what happens when I place those horse heads where they need to go." Before doing anything, I waited for a laser to be fired at me from the Beamos. When it happened, it got bounced back by my Mirror Shield and shut the Beamos down.

"Strange how there are these extra rooms behind the Nightmare Door."

"I don't get it either."

Princess Twilight shook her head. "That's not what I meant, Sunset. I just find it strange that these rooms are behind a door designated for a Nightmare. Remember that this floor used to be different before destroying those columns brought it down to where we are."

"Oh yeah."

"Anyway, this is an easy puzzle to figure out, not to mention much safer."

"I hope doing this is going to be worth it."

Taking a step forward, a Red Zol popped out of the ground and bumped into me. I responded by cutting it in half and then defeating those two halves, both of which dropped hearts which mitigated any damage. I liked how the panels weren't moving around on the conveyor as opposed to the horse head themselves. There was only so much I could take before I would just lose interest and give up. Walking over and picking up the white head, I got into the correct position before tossing it onto a panel.

Once it was in place and its eyes glowed, I spent a few moments trying to pick up the black head. Conveyor belts were tricky business as you never knew how fast they could be until you actually stepped on one. I was curious as to why this room was set up like it was. Was it to prepare me for the Nightmare ahead? If so then I was impressed, but if not then it meant this world didn't have much confidence in me after all. Sighing, I picked up the black head, got into position and tossed it where it landed in the right spot.

It's eyes glowed and a treasure chest materialized indicating success. Opening it up, I took out the same object that I found in the Face Shrine. Princess Twilight was ecstatic and she began bopping me on the head repeatedly. "Sunset! You've found some more Magic Medicine, or rather Secret Medicine. Now you have that buffer which kicks in whenever you lose all your health. Talk about a coincidence seeing as the Nightmare is coming up."

Now it was my turn to be ecstatic albeit on a lesser scale. "Good! I feel much better knowing I have a back up in case something goes wrong."

"Cozy Glow is going to be in for quite the surprise."

"Yeah, but I'd rather not have to die again if you get my meaning."

"Fair point."

I guessed coming to this room was worth it as it meant getting some more medicine. Once I applied it across my body, I began to make my way back to where I saw those two blocks as I knew what to do with them. In the previous room, the Beamos, its eyesight having been restored, fired its laser at me and I responded by using the Mirror Shield to bounce it back where it shut down again. Ignoring everything else whilst making sure to avoid getting sliced by the Blade Traps, I went back to next room and went up some stairs. There was a hole which made me think if I needed something down below, I could drop down but I didn't need to.

Taking out the Hookshot, I fired it at the block before pulling myself along. I ignored the Goombas as I was at full health and climbed up the stairs which brought me outside. The view was certainly something though seeing beds of spikes either side of me was very disturbing. It didn't take a genius to figure out what they were for and I hoped not to end up getting poked in the end. Spying a ladder next to me, I began climbing it and discovered that the tower was much bigger than initially thought. It was strange that the top was smaller than the bottom but who was I to question how it was built.

Just as I reached the top, I saw Cozy Glow standing there with two of her bat friends. "I've been waiting for you to get up here, Outsider." She then grew angry as evidenced in her voice and began shaking her fist at me. "Never did I think you would make it this far. Because of you, the mighty Dethl will be furious with me over how you're still breathing. I promised him I'd kill you yet here you are climbing up to the top of the tower."

I then finished my climb and stood before her. "Guess I proved too difficult to kill, huh?" I asked.

"No point in being smug with me."

"So I guess you've dropped the whole cuteness act?"

Cozy Glow nodded. "You've pushed me to the edge and I didn't want it to get this far. Outsider!" She then pointed her finger at me. "I'm not going to hold back this time. You've been dying to meet the Nightmare so why don't I summon it so we can get things started. You might not have figured it out or perhaps you did but either way I don't care. I command the loyalty of this creature! Together, our combined power shall finally put an end to you." She then began laughing before playing her flute in which a loud shriek echoed all around. "I'm going to make you wish that you were never born!"

Suddenly, a large bird swooped past over the tower though I could barely make out what it looked like. It then flew back the other way where I got a better look at it but still couldn't quite make out what it was. It then came by again only to stop this time which caused a gust of wind to knock Cozy Glow's two bats away while she remained unfazed. Now that I got a better look at this bird, I could see why I had been warned about its presence. It was at least ten times the size of a standard bird and I sensed a dark power coming from it. Cozy Glow then jumped onto its back and it shrieked in return.

"So this is the Nightmare?" I asked as I tried to keep my footing.

"Fall before the might of the Evil Eagle!" Cozy Glow shouted.

She then commanded the bird or rather the Evil Eagle (What kind of name was that for a bird anyway?) to fly up which meant the battle had begun. It then swooped across the sky though I was unable to reach it. Even if I could jump incredibly high with the Roc's Feather, I would still be out of range to attack it so it meant having to wait around before it would come any closer to attack. It swooped across a second time before coming back and stopping. It then suddenly dropped down and raked me using sharp claws. I couldn't defend myself as I had no idea it would do that.

It then flew away leaving me to wonder what else it was going to do. It then flew back the other way but was much closer to the ground. I raised my shield and managed to block its attack before it flew away again. So far, the Evil Eagle was all about choosing when to attack as though it were afraid of something. Cozy Glow proved herself to be quite cowardly as she never wanted to fight me directly and her mount had a similar way of thinking. It then came at me again at the same angle and I responded by blocking with my shield a second time. It then flew away and I was beginning to feel annoyed.

"This isn't working."

"As you can see, the Evil Eagle only attacks when it feels it can do so." Princess Twilight said.

"Do I have anything that can hit it from above?"

"You can use the Hookshot though the Boomerang is more effective."

"Then I'll go with those."

That's when Princess Twilight went into more details. "Remember that both those weapons have a bit of lag when it comes to using them. You need to predict where it's going to fly in next and fire them just as it appears otherwise you're going to miss which could leave you vulnerable. It can also bring about a strong gust of wind which can blow you away but you can protect yourself by using the Mirror Shield. As I mentioned before, its larger size can be used to keep yourself from being affected by certain conditions."

"And I take it I don't want to fall off?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "Landing on those spikes is going to be very painful. There's also another penalty if you get blown off from up here. If the Evil Eagle has taken any damage and you fall off, it will be as though you never damaged it. In other words, it gets all its health back and the battle starts all over again. Suffice to say, you need to remain up here at all times otherwise this fight could potentially last forever."

"You're kidding me, right?"

"I'm not." Princess Twilight answered as she shook her head.

That made this battle all the more difficult. If this Nightmare would regain all its health every time I got knocked off the tower, I'd never be able to prevail. To Cozy Glow, knocking me off would instantly kill me so she was going to do everything in her power to make sure she succeeded. The Evil Eagle then appeared on the left side and began flapping its wings and also launching several of its feathers like daggers. Using my Mirror Shield, I wasn't as affected by the wind and several feathers bounced off. After a while, it gave up and flew away again before swooping across the sky.

I needed to get some damage in otherwise I wasn't going to get anywhere. It then swooped across again followed by flying in low to the ground but doing so from behind. I couldn't defend myself resulting in me getting knocked down by its beak and sliding across the tower before stopping short of the edge. Getting back up, it attacked me in the same manner by flying in low so in response I swung my sword and connected. Reacting to the damage, it shrieked and flew straight up which struck me as odd. No doubt getting hit wasn't what Cozy Glow wanted and by commanding it to get away, it was another reminder of her being cowardly.

After swooping across again, it approached from behind and dropped down in order to rack me with its claws again. I was slow which allowed it to hit me a couple of times before I blocked the remaining claw swipes. That's when I noticed a brief moment of vulnerability. The Evil Eagle paused for just a split second before resuming the onslaught. This was an opportunity that couldn't be ignored as I had few chances of attacking it anyway. It then swooped across before dropping down to rack me once again. I blocked each claw swipe with my shield and attacked the moment it paused.

I got in a few good hits which Cozy Glow was clearly upset about. "You should be dead by now! How is it you're still hanging on?"

"It's called being resilient!" I shouted back.

"You're a lot more sturdy than I gave you credit for."

"You have no idea."

Smacking her forehead, Cozy Glow was beginning to lose her composure again. "There you go again! Having a joke just because you feel like it! This is why I hate you! You think yourself better than me? I am the Grim Creeper! No one is better than me!"

"Except for the one who dominates you."

It took a moment for Cozy Glow to understand what I meant. "Now you've really gone and done it! To insult the mighty Dethl is the last straw!" I didn't actually insult Grogar but rather her which she completely ignored. "Evil Eagle. Rip this girl to shreds and make sure there's absolutely nothing left. When you're done, you can do the same thing to that fairy. I don't want to see either one again!"

"We'll see about that."

As the Evil Eagle took to the skies again, I thought about using one of the two items Her Highness mentioned. The boomerang had proven to be very powerful though it was slow which would make hitting it difficult. It would also require me to throw it when it was closer to the ground. The Hookshot was much easier to aim and was faster but I needed to be at a safe distance as it wasn't good up close. Also, the damage it could inflict wasn't as good. There was nothing wrong with using a sword but Her Highness made the suggestion so why not use one and see what happens?

I chose to go with the boomerang as it was the newer of the two items. As the Evil Eagle swooped across the tower, I waited for it to come down and attack. When it did, it swooped close to the ground and I threw it. This caught Cozy Glow by surprise as she didn't expect me to have it in my inventory. Getting hit in the beak, it flew upwards prompting me to throw it upwards in hopes of getting another hit. Unfortunately, I missed as it swooped by just as my weapon reached its maximum distance. My second attempt was even worse as flew by just after my boomerang was coming back down to me.

On my third attempt, it looked like I hit it only for it to miss, and then on my fourth attempt, I managed to connect which caused it to shriek. Cozy Glow reacted in a manner I wasn't expecting and what was even more unexpected is how she was talking to it. "What do you mean you're getting tired!?" The Evil Eagle responded by making another shriek and she didn't take too kindly to it. "You don't think you can win? No! I don't care how you're feeling! The Outsider must die!"

"Looks to me that the Nightmare is almost finished." I said as I called up to her.

"And what would you know?"

"This is my eighth time fighting one of them!"

That made Cozy Glow realize that I was right and she turned away from me. "She's a lot tougher than I thought she was. Huh... So this is what the others must have felt when they were in my position. To think that before the mighty Dethl, I called them pathetic for having lost to her. No wonder they got destroyed. Her determination is so strong, nothing could stop her. Perhaps... Perhaps not even I can overcome such odds." In that moment, she had apparently reached an epiphany. "Is this my fate then? To lose? No... I can't believe such things. I must do everything I can to kill her."

"I think she's lost it, Twilight."

Princess Twilight nodded in agreement. "Using the boomerang was a smart idea, Sunset. It has more power than your sword so you have effectively sped up the fight where it has now reached the final stage. Remember not to fall off otherwise you've got to start this battle all over again."

"Then why mention it again?"

"Not to scare you but to inspire you to keep going."

"And Cozy Glow?"

Sighing, Princess Twilight looked up. "Even in this world, she wanted to assert her dominance. She believes she understands what's going on but in reality she's clueless. I know defeating this Nightmare will also defeat her, but a part of me wishes things could've turned out differently and not resulting in this."

"Twilight..."

"But... This was her own doing." Princess Twilight said in a stern manner. "She must pay for her own actions."

At that moment, Cozy Glow regained her composure and began spouting how she and the Evil Eagle were going to finish me off despite the latter running out of steam. I sighed under my breath as I thought she would've surrendered upon realizing she couldn't win. As the Evil Eagle took to the sky once again, I put away the boomerang and decided to stick with the sword. I believed that beating her fairly was in order and also because I felt more comfortable with a blade in my hand.

It then lowered down before flapping its wings and flinging more feathers at me. I wasn't fast enough to avoid blocking the initial feathers but I did block the rest once I raised my shield though I was more concerned with being blown off the tower. It continued flapping which made the wind stronger as I struggled to keep my footing. After a while, it finally stopped before flying off in order to prepare for the next attack. I breathed heavily as that took quite a bit out of me. I too was getting weaker yet while I did have medicine, I wanted to preserve it for as long as possible.

Flying across near the ground, I struck the Evil Eagle with my sword again. I thought this was the final blow but it flew upwards indicating that it wasn't. It then swooped across the sky before coming down and raking me with its claws. Had it suddenly gotten faster or was that just me? After all, I didn't raise my shield on time and got hit by each claw swipe. Flying away again, it swooped across before doing it again followed by coming down and creating another gust of wind. This one was stronger than the previous ones had been and I found myself getting pushed all the way to the edge of the tower.

Raising my shield, I deflected the feathers but I continued to get pushed back. The Evil Eagle continued to flap it wings though I could see it was getting exhausted (The same could be said about me) but Cozy Glow didn't care. She wanted me dead period! Suddenly, I lost my footing and was flung off the tower. In that brief moment, so much flashed before my eyes including seeing my friends that I just reacted out of sheer instinct and grabbed the tower's edge. Hanging there whilst my feet were dangling about, I managed to get back up rather slowly due to my exhaustion.

Swooping along the ground, I attacked the Evil Eagle several times before it flew up again. Come on! That should've been it! Grumbling, I waited for its next attack which involved it coming down and using its claws. Defending myself from its swipes, I waited for the weak point to occur before striking it again several times. It then shrieked loudly before its head lowered and began floating there. Lowering my sword, I waited for some kind of reaction but nothing. It continued floating in place which made me suspect the battle was over. Looking at Cozy Glow, she seemed completely out of it as well.

"I think I won." I said as I scratched my head.

"It looks like it unless this is another of Cozy Glow's tricks." Princess Twilight said.

I then called up to her. "What's going on?"

She responded. "My energy... Gone! I... I don't have anything left. I... I lost."

"Guess you did win." Princess Twilight said.

"Then why is she still floating up there?"

"I don't know."

Cozy Glow then spoke up. "Outsider... You defeated me and the Evil Eagle! Neither of us... We don't have anymore strength left. Now... I understand why the other Nightmares were defeated by you. I... I thought they were pathetic but in truth, they were simply no match for the power you possess. I may be gone but the mighty Dethl remains along with his most powerful servant."

"And I will defeat them both and awaken the Wind Fish." I declared.

That made Cozy Glow laugh. "Even when I'm dying... You have to make a joke about everything. That... Is one of your more annoying qualities but a good one. If... If you believe you can awaken the Wind Fish then I can't stop you." She then coughed indicating her time was running out so she pointed her finger at me before continuing. "Remember this! I may have lost but you will be lost too if the dreamer awakens. Though... Though you don't know it yet, the truth will... Become a reality. Same as me... You... Are... In... His... Dream! Outsider... Never forget my words..."

The Evil Eagle then began exploding several times over alongside Cozy Glow before both disappeared in a final explosion. On the one hand, I was saddened that she had been defeated in such a manner. Had she chosen not to fight, she would still be here though I'd have been forced to contain her somehow. On the other hand, what she said was most concerning. It was another reminder that waking the Wind Fish was risky because I could end up wiping out everyone. It was such a conundrum which continued eating away at me despite doing my best in trying to keep it in check.

A Heart Container then materialized on the left side of the tower's top. Walking over and picking it up, I could feel its warm embrace as my strength and health were restored. I then climbed back down the ladder knowing there was no where else to go and down the stairs to re-enter the dungeon. A door which had previously been locked had now unlocked most likely because the Nightmare had been defeated. Jumping down then walking through this door, it closed behind me but I was more interested in a piano laying on a raised platform.

Walking up to it, I picked it up and held it above my head which is when a familiar voice echoed around the room. "You have obtained the Organ of Evening Calm!" Appearing out of nowhere was Princess Celestia, a welcome sight to behold, but she wasn't the only one who made their presence felt. Both Princess Luna and Princess Cadance followed behind her which made me extra happy knowing all three princesses were here at once. "As you know, Sunset Shimmer, we all said that we would be able to see you here. I have to say that you endured an awful lot making your way through this place."

I groaned. "I hated it especially when it came to dealing with that Heavy Ball."

Princess Celestia nodded. "Though it was a tough ordeal, you persevered and managed to defeat the Evil Eagle." She then paused and began thinking about something and I knew what it was given who else had been defeated. "I cannot believe that Cozy Glow commanded that creature, but how is this even possible? The last time I saw her, she had been turned to stone alongside Chrysalis and Tirek. How was she able to free herself from her eternal prison?"

"The one who brought us all here has power that far exceeds your own."

"Is this true?"

I nodded slowly. "His power is actually stronger than all three of you combined. He is able to traverse through time and space on a whim all because he possesses a power that has existed since the beginning of existence. He can even foresee the future long before it's even happened."

"And he is the one who is your enemy?"

"He is."

Princess Twilight then spoke up. "Sunset has had to deal with him twice before and has managed to prevail both times given she's still here with us. But, he seems to continue making things even worse for her though I've no doubt that she won't allow him to have his way."

Stepping back, Princess Celestia allowed Princess Luna to speak and she did so. "This evil one you speak of is one who possesses great power. Though it may be tempting to think you can match it with your own power, remember that power corrupts even the most noble of souls."

"We both know this."

"I have no doubt about that, Twilight."

"So where do I go from here?" I asked.

"Your adventure is almost nearing its end." Princess Luna answered. I was expecting her to use her 'Royal Canterlot Voice' but she didn't. "You now have only one more instrument remaining before you have completed the set but it will be the most difficult one for you to acquire. Sunset Shimmer... You and Twilight must be at your very best if you intend on prevailing in the upcoming trial. Those that you have bested shall return and must be overcome once more."

If Princess Luna meant what I thought she meant, I wasn't going to like this final dungeon one bit. Then again, I shouldn't be surprised. The Eagle's Tower had certainly been challenging so it made sense for the last one to raise the stakes to the highest level. "If I can collect enough Secret Seashells and take them to the Seashell Manion, I can acquire the ultimate weapon which should also help me in defeating Grogar."

"Perhaps but you must rely more on your abilities."

"Nothing wrong with wanting a better sword is there?"

Princess Luna smiled. "I will not deny that having a stronger weapon can be of valued assistance. Many of these Secret Seashells you speak of still remain hidden and you have the necessary items to find most of them. One or two may no longer be available but this is a minor issue. Speak to the one who watches over the mansion in order to learn about where they can be found."

She then stepped back and Princess Cadance stepped forward. "Sunset, you need to listen carefully to what I have to say to you. Unlike the previous hints you have been given which have guided you to each of the instrument's locations, this last one is very cryptic in its explanation. Ocarina... The music of the ocarina leads. You have all three songs so surely one of them is the key."

"You can't tell me which one?"

"I am unable to do so."

"What about the location of the final dungeon?" Princess Twilight asked.

"Unfortunately, I can't say much about this either." Princess Cadance answered. I really didn't like how they could only say certain things but I supposed it was meant to give me a challenge. "However, I am allowed to say this. The Mirror Shield that Sunset acquired is going to be necessary in order to get past an obstacle that is otherwise impassable. Once you reach it, you will understand what must be done."

"Anything else?"

Princess Cadance then uttered a single word. "Discord..."

"Why am I not surprised." I said as I rubbed the bridge of my forehead.

"He can provide you with more information." Princess Cadance then started to fade away along with the other two princesses which meant that their time here was beginning to run out. "Discord knows where this final dungeon is located and also knows something else about it. Once you hear from him, everything will begin to make sense. Oh, and if you have a fear of fire, Sunset, or are uncomfortable around it, you're not going to like what's coming."

"Then I need to find a telephone booth."

Princess Celestia then got to speak again. "The three of us must go now as our time here is up. When you have acquired the final instrument, only one of us will be able to show up and give you the final information you need. I can tell that you're thinking which one of us it's going to be so allow me to clear things up. You and Twilight each have a different view of the three of us and it will be a common ground which shall determine who amongst us will greet you at the end of the final dungeon."

"I hope we don't argue over this, Twilight."

"I'm sure we won't." Princess Twilight said in response.

The princesses were now fading fast and so Princess Celestia had one final thing for me to hear. "When you reach the final dungeon, you will encounter ice which cannot be broken by traditional means but if you use the burning flames, you can break it with ease. Now, listen well as the Organ of Evening Calm soothes the soul especially after what you've been through as a result of this tower. Sunset Shimmer, Princess Twilight... Do not get discouraged especially when you are so close to achieving your final goal."

As they disappeared, the organ (It wasn't an actual organ in the traditional sense) began to play and I could feel the music enveloping me as I began to think about my next course of action, and what was going to be coming my way. I needed to find a telephone booth as soon as possible. Hopefully, Discord would provide an answer otherwise I'd have to go and find the dungeon on my own. I didn't understand what Princess Celestia meant about ice or what Princess Cadance meant about using the ocarina. Also, there was Starlight Glimmer. She was going to the Tal Tal Mountains the last time I saw her so her safety would also become an issue.

Everything then went bright and moments later, I was back outside of the Eagle's Tower. The Flying Rooster was no longer around as I had suspected before going inside and hoped it had gone back to Big Macintosh. I could always go to his place and make sure as I was a little curious about where it had gone. Looking upwards at the sky, the day was about halfway done and I knew I still had much more to do. Time was now beginning to wind down on this adventure though Grogar and whatever Nightmare remained knew this as well. To them, I was now a priority they intended on killing.

To Be Continued.

Chapter 28: A Sword Like No Other.

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.
By Ganondorf8.
March 20, 2021.
Chapter 28: A Sword Like No Other.

The princesses had certainly given me a lot to think about considering all three decided to show up and offer me advice upon completing the Eagle's Tower. As there was so much of it to take in all at once, I chose to focus on what each one said so as to not feel too overwhelmed. Some of what they said wasn't all that bad since I had clearly faced far worse, but other things were pretty dire and required my utmost attention. I wasn't surprised by all this if I had to be honest as the final hurdle in a video game was meant to be challenging. Besides, I should've been used to this given previous adventures.

Princess Celestia didn't get to say much but what she did say had to do with something that would occur in the final dungeon. I needed to find something that could melt ice which she called the burning flame. Cryptic clues always was her favourite thing to rely on whenever I needed help with something... Back then, it was a rare occurrence for me to ask for her help given what my past was like. These days, I have Princess Twilight to help me with that. She also mentioned one of them would appear at the end of the final dungeon and would be one both Her Highness and I had a common connection with.

By that admission, the obvious choice had to be Celestia herself. Then again, both Princess Luna and Princess Cadance had their connections to us. Speaking of Luna, she was the one who arguably had the most information regarding the final dungeon. She said something about besting those I had already faced. Since I knew that Nightmares when defeated couldn't return unless it was a clone as seen when I saw what Zecora had to offer, the only option left was... Oh no!

I had enough problems fighting the likes of the Hinox and the Dodongo Snakes from the previous dungeons, but to fight those and quite possibly the rest? I hadn't even set foot in the final dungeon and already I was dreading what it was going to be like. Then there was what Princess Twilight said about such monsters being able to re-spawn much like how the regular monsters operated. It didn't happen in the Eagle's Tower but if it did in this last dungeon, I hoped my fighting abilities were up to snuff otherwise I was as good as dead. On another note with Luna, she brought up the Secret Seashells.

To get the ultimate weapon as Adagio mentioned, I needed at least twenty Secret Seashells despite my plea for wanting to be at fifteen. I had eighteen on me so I needed to find at least two more out there. Going to the final dungeon right now was tempting but having a stronger weapon beforehand would improve my chances of survival. Finally, Princess Cadance gave me the clue as to the location of the final dungeon. Unfortunately, she couldn't give me the location which did limit my options, but she said that the Ocarina and its music would lead.

Lead? Lead me to where? I wished she could've said some kind of location so as to give me a place to check out. Then again, perhaps it wasn't as confusing as I made it out to be. I had explored much of Koholint Island with the exception of the west side of the Tal Tal Mountains. If the final dungeon was in that direction, it had to be guarded pretty well not to mention hidden as why else have it over there? Also, there were those flames which required the Mirror Shield in order to overcome them. Without that shield... Such a thought made me uneasy.

Finally, there was Starlight Glimmer and what she said about wanting to go to the mountains. Sure, there was nothing wrong with doing that... Unless you were oblivious to the fact that such a place had monsters everywhere. My heart wanted me to help her out first before doing anything else, but without knowing where she had gone exactly, I could end up getting in way over my head or worse. Oh yes! Princess Cadance said I needed Discord. He had always guided me to where I needed to go and hopefully this trend would continue.

"You've been thinking for quite some time, Sunset." Princess Twilight said.

"Huh? What?" I responded upon realizing that I zoned out.

"I'm sure I know what's on your mind."

"Do you now?"

Princess Twilight took a deep breath before answering. "You've been thinking about what each of the princesses have told you about the final dungeon, where you stand on certain collectible items, and needing Discord's help in order to find out where this dungeon is. Also, you've been worried about Starlight since she did say she was going to the mountains and you happen to be going through them yourself. Did I miss out on anything or was I pretty accurate in my assessment?"

I had no idea how she always did it but Her Highness had me dead to rights on everything. "Yeah... I have been thinking about all that."

Nodding, Princess Twilight floated out in front of me. "The way I see it, you need to handle all this one step at a time or it'll just bog you down. For starters, Starlight is most likely okay. From what I've seen on this adventure, certain events don't occur until you either complete a dungeon or encounter said event. Until you encounter her, nothing bad will happen so you don't need to focus on her until the time comes. Now, in terms of reaching the final dungeon, contacting Discord is a good idea as he hasn't been wrong about things before."

"How do you think he knows so much?"

"Who? Discord?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Your guess is as good as mine."

That made me frown. "Not the answer I was expecting from you."

Princess Twilight shrugged. "Suffice to say, he is going to be very helpful in determining where the dungeon is. Now, I'm certain you figured out that you need to explore the western most area of the Tal Tal Mountains as it's the only part of the map you haven't seen yet." It was like she could read my mind or something which made me feel inadequate but I wasn't about to complain since I had other things on my mind. "But, I know what's important right now, and that's getting the ultimate weapon."

Okay, I changed my mind on the complaining. "Okay! How do you know what I'm thinking?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"Not to me it isn't."

Sighing, Princess Twilight then blushed afterwards. "I've known you for a long time, Sunset, to the point where I can tell what your reactions will be. Princess Luna said that the final dungeon would feature those you have defeated before and it was pretty obvious that she meant all those monsters who guarded dungeon items or impeded your progress. Having a very powerful weapon can make short work of such monsters."

"It would be in my best interest to collect a couple more Secret Seashells, right?" I asked. Princess Twilight nodded in response and I raised my hands. "Yeah... It would be great having such a weapon since I have been talking about it here and there for a while now and have been collecting those shells. It's just that since we're almost at the end, going out of my way to complete sidequests would merely be prolonging things." I had nothing against them personally as it granted me rewards upon completing them, but I felt more compelled towards finishing things. "Do I sound stupid?"

Princess Twilight shook her head. "Not at all! You have certain priorities you want to see fulfilled and right now your current one is completing this adventure. I get that, I really do, and it makes you more remarkable. However, sometimes, going out of the way to do something can make what comes later much easier. Surely you remember doing something like this in the last adventure? Actually, more like several things."

Once again, Her Highness got me to think about a previous journey. There were those masks, getting a stronger sword, getting larger wallets, and a few other things which I couldn't exactly recall. All that involved going off the beaten path which did take time, but in the end it proved invaluable since it enabled me to progress more easily. "Okay, you've twisted my arm. It wouldn't really hurt for me to get that ultimate weapon."

"You really want it don't you?"

I nodded profusely. "Am I that obvious?"

"Yes and it's a good thing."

The only drawback when it came to finding the Secret Seashells I needed was where they were going to be located. As I said, I had eighteen of them so there were eighteen places I could no longer search. In addition, I had no idea how many there were in total. Adagio never did mention how many there were but then again, it was a question I never asked so the fault there was clearly mine. It also depended on which two she would suggest since she had a penchant for wanting to give me hints based on her own whims.

Taking out the ocarina, I gazed at it and thought about what Princess Cadance said about music again. One of the three songs would lead me to the final dungeon. Manbo's Mambo was most likely not it as it was a song with utility as opposed to helping me progress. That left the other two which neither had really been used. Between them both, I felt the song I learned from Autumn Blaze (Both Mamu and Manbo were her so the former in this case), the Frog Song of Soul was necessary but until I knew for certain from Discord, I was merely guessing and at this stage, a guess could prove risky.

Playing Manbo's Mambo, I focused on the warp panel that was next to the Seashell Mansion. Before warping, there was something I just remembered. In order to get to the western most area of the Tal Tal Mountains, it required heading west from the Eagle's Tower. Upon going back up there, I needed to do some slight backtracking as the warp panel in question was located in front of a cave and not the tower itself. Oh well. At least it wasn't too bad otherwise I'd be completely unhappy about it.

Disappearing and then reappearing moments later at my intended destination, I entered the Seashell Mansion before any of the Moblins knew I was there. Upon standing on the platform that determined how many shells I had, the green bar began filling up before stopping just slightly short of the top. I felt discouraged upon seeing that but it would only strengthen my resolve towards getting that weapon. Adagio Dazzle then appeared before me, her gentle smile reminding me just how different this version was compared to the original.

"Welcome back, child." Adagio said warmly. "I see that you have managed to find more Secret Seashells."

"It's all thanks to that sensor you gave me."

Adagio then flicked her flowing gown as a sign of being truly happy before her wings began flapping quickly. "Yes, the Seashell Sensor has proven itself to be very helpful to you in finding them. I was wise to have given it to you much sooner than expected. Normally, you would have needed to come here with twenty shells but upon seeing your honesty, I couldn't help but bend the rules in your favour. However, know that I cannot do so again and so the proper requirement is needed in order to obtain the ultimate weapon."

"How many seashells do I need?"

"There are fifty Secret Seashells hidden across this island." Adagio answered. Fifty!? Was she serious!? She had to be considering she was the Great Fairy and all! And here I was with a pitiful eighteen. "You need not find them all for that is a task most would find insurmountable but collecting many should be what you strive to achieve. You need only four more in order to obtain that which I have promised. In truth, I'd have asked for about forty but time is against you. The dark forces are growing ever stronger and must be defeated now before they consume everything."

"So I need twenty-two in total?"

"A strange number for you it seems."

"Can I make it twenty-four?"

I thought that would confuse Adagio but instead she smiled. "Very well, child." No doubt Princess Twilight was thinking I had no idea how to haggle but I figured why not truly earn this weapon instead of it being handed over. Adagio then began using her magic in order to give me hints on where six shells were located across Koholint Island. "At this point of your journey, you have the means to reach any and all places. As such, what I shall share with you will not be deemed an impossibility. The only thing that can stop you is self-doubt."

"What hints can you give me?"

"There are four Secret Seashells in Mabe Village." Adagio answered. Princess Twilight nodded and said she would make a note of these in case I forgot. "One can be found inside of a place where you first began trading things around to obtain a special piece of glass. The other two can be acquired by doing some fishing. Fish not for the regular kind but rather the more unique ones instead. I see another one located where you can take part in specialized dungeons designed for a true warrior. If you ask the one who creates such challenges about a shell, she will give you the appropriate task in return."

I wasn't liking these choices so far. "Any other ones besides these six?"

Adagio smiled. "I can give you some flexibility. The first hint I gave you can also be applied for a second one located in the same place. I can see another one hiding in a tree near where you found your first instrument. Perhaps some speed can help in getting it to appear. Another shell can be found on a small island to the right of where the third instrument was once held but requires swimming." She then paused which made me think she weakening from using too much power. "Many shells can be found by digging though I cannot give you the exact locations."

"Is that all you can see?"

"She shook her head. "I can see one more Secret Seashell. However, it is located in a place that you have not yet reached. It can be found to the right of where you are destined to find the final instrument."

Okay, that was one I couldn't access for the time being which made me wonder why she even brought it up to begin with. As for the locations of the other shells, this is what I figured out based on her hints. Two were found at a fishing pond in Mabe Village. I knew about it but never paid a visit as I didn't think going fishing was important but apparently there now was a reason to try it. The Trendy Game also had two shells which served as prizes for playing. Hopefully, Ember would be in a good mood as I hadn't visited and played her game in practically forever at that point.

Lastly, Zecora had one which was perhaps the one thing I wasn't very keen on regarding Adagio's hints. It wasn't Zecora herself I had an issue with but rather her custom dungeons and the concept behind them. When I lasted saw her, she only had knowledge of the first two dungeons I had seen on my adventure. Now, she had knowledge of eight which included everything I saw in each one. Just thinking about going through an even more complex customization made me shiver.

"Okay, I think my friend here can remember all of that."

"Would you prefer to just bring me twenty-two?"

"I do want to earn this weapon you know."

That made Adagio laugh which I didn't expect this version of her was capable of. "You have more than proven yourself worthy, child. The way I see it, you are trying to place a huge burden upon yourself which is something you don't need. After all, you still have a great challenge coming that shall truly test your skills to their utmost limit. Such a resolve is strong but misguided so allow me to provide a proposal? Continue collecting Secret Seashells as before, but if I determine you have collected enough, I shall use the Seashell Sensor to contact you and ask that you come here."

Before I agreed to anything, I couldn't help but hear what she said about the final dungeon. "What do you know about the final dungeon?"

"Most of what I know you shall discover on your own."

"Is there anything you can tell me?"

"Fire is the key to defeating fire."

That made no sense at all! Since when could fire defeat itself? I tried asking her if she could rephrase that but she refused saying she couldn't explain further apart from saying her words would ring true once I saw it for myself. She was a lot like Princess Celestia what with using cryptic clues to explain something. Knowing I couldn't win, I decided to drop the subject. I hoped she had told me something of great importance otherwise I could get roasted... No pun intended there.

As for her proposal, it turned out it wasn't even one. She said that she would know when I had gotten enough Secret Seashells to earn the ultimate weapon. In that sense, she should've just given it to me when I collected fifteen of them rather than make me go after twenty. It felt like she was turning my own ideals against me. Why call it a proposal when it was in fact a command that she issued because she felt like it? Sighing, I realized it was unwise to argue with her. As a Great Fairy, she possessed powers that put my own to shame. Who knew what could happen if I got her angry.

"Fine!" I said after caving in. "I'll do as you say."

Adagio smiled. "I knew you would see things my way, child."

Not from where I was standing but again, I didn't want to push my luck. "Guess I'll be seeing you later on."

"You have what it takes to fulfill your destiny." Adagio said as she started to disappear. "Remember that you can never be defeated so long as you stay true to yourself. Never allow the evil of this island to consume you." As she disappeared entirely, it looked like she was trying to say something else but had gone before she could. Whatever it was, I wasn't going to be hearing it any time soon.

I then turned to Princess Twilight. "What did you make from all of that?"

"You have a lot of places you can go in order to obtain the remaining Secret Seashells." Princess Twilight answered. "I do agree that Adagio was being unfair with how she worded her information about fire defeating fire. In addition, it feels like she is just stringing you along when it comes to collecting those shells. But, her power is very real and the ultimate weapon she has promised is no lie."

"How do you know that?"

Princess Twilight pointed at her wings and then her overall body. "I'm a fairy in this world, Sunset. I have a connection to the Great Fairy so I know Adagio is honest. I guess you could say she is testing you to determine how worthy you are of wielding this weapon. Most who acquire power end up becoming corrupted by it."

"I'm not one of those people."

"I know that and you know that, but Adagio wants to know that for herself."

"So what should I do?"

"Collect those Secret Seashells until she says you are worthy." Princess Twilight answered. She then changed the subject towards where I needed to go. "Since I know you're not fond of going back to see Zecora, you might as well go back to Mabe Village and pick up the four seashells there. You can even spend the night by staying in Starlight and Sunburst's place rather than sleeping outside."

"It's a plan then."

CRRACCKKLE! FWWOOOOSHH!

"I'm sure you know what has happened, my master."

"Yes... We sensed it the moment the final blow was struck."

"The Grim Creeper proved to be useless in the end just as you said she would."

"Not only was she defeated but the Evil Eagle as well. "We, Dethl, are most displeased by these recent turn of events!"

"It was her temperament that got her destroyed by the Outsider."

Grogar nodded. "Had she been more calm and reserved, she would have had a small chance." He then sighed knowing his words didn't matter at that point. "Even had she remained calm and focused on the task at hand, fate was clearly against her. Time and again, we have underestimated the Outsider. We believed she would fall from the start and now she has but one instrument remaining. You... You are the only remaining Nightmare who serves us faithfully."

Hot Head nodded slowly. "Yes... I had a feeling that she was going to be coming after it. All this time, I believed she wasn't even going to make it past the likes of Moldorm given she looked so weak, but here we are with her on the doorsteps of the final dungeon. Had you been better served by stronger Nightmares, we wouldn't be in this position and your dominion wouldn't be threatened."

"Power is not the source of her strength."

"Then what is?"

"She believes in herself and follows the path of justice." Grogar answered. It seemed he was pained in saying such words but he knew them to be true. "While she has used some power to overcome the Nightmares, it is small compared to what she has dwelling inside of her." He then turned to Hot Head who had been listening the entire time before giving him a sinister smile. "Hot Head... Despite our previous thoughts about you and how we believed you were against us, we realized our fault belonged to us."

"Master..."

Grogar waved his hand. "You are the strongest Nightmare next to us... And the most loyal. That loyalty never wavered even for an instant. To you, our servant, you have been given the strongest of blessings." He then started speaking sadly again which would confuse anyone as he looked like he was experiencing a few mood swings. "However, we can see what the future holds... You shall succumb to the same fate which has defeated the other Nightmares."

That made Hot Head shocked. "What!?"

"Unless you can defy destiny, the Outsider will destroy you."

Hot Head began burning with anger which Grogar had to cover his eyes from. "Master! I shall do everything in my power to finish off the Outsider for good! Even if it means sacrificing myself in the process. You made me your servant and I shall fulfill my obligation to you! Should I perish, know that I gave it everything! Unlike the others, I am not doing this to curry favour with you. I do this because the sleeper cannot be allowed to waken otherwise we all fade away forever."

"Our world must remain no matter the cost."

That's when Hot Head had a thought. "Should I fall to the Outsider, what will you do, master?"

"We shall wait for her here!"

"You intend to fight her?"

Grogar nodded. "In order to awaken the Wind Fish, the Outsider must use the Eight Instruments of the Sirens upon its egg in order to open it. While most creatures believe the egg to be nothing more than a landmark, we know that is in fact its prison where it has remained asleep ever since we appeared. Within is a maze where unless you know the solution, you will wander about for eternity until you succumb from madness. Upon getting through the maze, there is nothing but darkness, our sanctum. Once the Outsider reaches us... Nothing she has can save her from the fate which awaits."

"Does she know the solution to the maze?"

Grogar was initially silent but then lowered his head and looked slightly pale. "She... She is aware of where she needs to go and what to use in order to know the solution. The information was given to her by one of the Spirit Princesses who have been guiding her from the very beginning." He looked at Hot Head and shook his head. "Once she has acquired the final instrument, she will go and discover how to reach this sanctum. Until she has all eight, such knowledge is useless to her."

"Then I must stop her."

"Destiny is against you."

"I don't care, master!"

"You know that failure is your own destruction, yes?"

Hot Head nodded. "I know the price I must pay for failing, my master! Like I said, I am willing to pay such a price should the Outsider defeat me. But... I am going to defy destiny and ensure she dies! This is my promise!"

Leaving the Seashell Mansion, I played Manbo's Mambo again and focused on the warp panel located just outside of Mabe Village. Warping away and then reappearing moments later, a thought then crossed my mind. I could call Discord right away and ask him what he knew about the final dungeon. Sure, I wasn't going there right away but it couldn't hurt to ask him now in case I forgot about it later. Then again, getting those Secret Seashells was important and I could call him after being finished with Ember. I hoped she wasn't upset over how I hadn't come by and given her my rupees.

Heading left, I picked up a boulder and tossed it aside before entering Mabe Village proper. Nothing had changed since my last visit which made me feel uneasy. After all, I had revived the Flying Rooster yet no one seemed to have batted an eye. Not only that, Starlight had left the village to go to the Tal Tal Mountains. You'd think people would be running around trying to figure out what was going on, but instead it was peaceful as it had always been since those Moblins came by and kidnapped Bow-Wow earlier in my adventure. Maybe it was best if I didn't understand them.

Choosing to go to the telephone booth, I walked towards it and was expecting something to happen, but there was nothing. I then rubbed my head. Yeah... I really need to stop being so paranoid just because things had changed since being here last. I just had to accept that it was how this video game world liked changing things to make sure nothing remained the same as that would be boring. It showed progression as a natural occurrence rather than being forced. Entering the telephone booth and picking up the receiver, I waited for Discord to pick up on the other end.

BRRIINNGG! BRRIINNGG!

"D'oh ho ho! This is Ulrira speaking once again!" Discord said on the other end.

"Can I ask you a question?" I asked.

That caught Discord by surprise. "You want to ask me a question? Sure, I can answer one for you. I mean, I was expecting you to ask me something as you usually do whenever you call me, but you usually say something else first before getting to it. I guess I'm just used to you doing things a certain way but pay me no mind."

"Um... My question?"

"Oh yes! Of course!"

"I'm looking for a dungeon."

I wasn't expecting him to understand what I meant but once again he proved me wrong. "I have seen many strange things on this island during my life time, but the strangest sight has to be Turtle Rock located in the western most part of the Tal Tal Mountains. You might not believe me but the entrance to this place is being blocked by something most unusual that definitely stands out. I've forgotten what that something is but maybe I'll remember it one day."

My reaction to that was mixed. On the one hand, I now had a name for this dungeon... Turtle Rock. On the other, how could he have forgotten such an important detail? Was he beginning to suffer from memory loss due to his age? Or perhaps it was the world's intention for me to not know straight away. I chose to ignore the latter as I didn't want him to feel uncomfortable. Instead, I figured he would know the exactly route to get there. "Do you know how I can get to this Turtle Rock? It's very important."

"You would need to head west past the Flame Cave."

"Flame Cave?"

"It's a cave that's known for spewing flames." Discord laughed in response to my question though I wasn't trying to make it funny. I knew about this cave some time ago in that I needed to use the Mirror Shield in order to get past it but now I knew it was essential. "Unless you can bounce back the flames, you'll become sizzled like a sausage." He laughed again though this time he wasn't wrong. Luckily, I wouldn't have a problem. "Once you've gotten past the Flame Cave, there's still a ways to go before reaching Turtle Rock."

"I'm sure I can manage."

That's when he changed the subject to Secret Seashells which caught me by surprise. "By the way, are your enemies getting too strong for you? I've heard that you've been taking quite a beating as of late."

"How did you know?" I asked in utter shock.

"I have my ways of finding out." Discord answered. Unless he had been spying on me or somehow had access to his chaotic magic, he had simply made a lucky guess which was very close to home for me. "Anyway, if they are, then you better collect all those Secret Seashells. I'm not sure what will happen when you get enough of them but hopefully it will be a rewarding experience that also makes you stronger. On a different note, I'm sorry that I couldn't tell you more about Turtle Rock. It's so strange that I can't seem to remember what was blocking it."

"Do you think you'll remember?"

"I will eventually, d'oh ho ho!" I hoped that he would as he was the only one who knew the answer. "You can figure things out from here so I'll let you get to it. Just believe in yourself and do your best."

CLICK!

Putting the phone back on the receiver, I had mixed feelings regarding what Discord had told me. Again, I was upset that he couldn't remember what this Turtle Rock looked like though I was starting to get an idea myself. The name was a dead giveaway but that only explained the exterior of the dungeon. The interior was an entirely different beast and one that was beyond his understanding. At least he remembered where I had to go so my conversation wasn't a total loss. Now I just needed to complete all these small errands so I could focus on what he told me.

Leaving the telephone booth, I walked to the right and entered the Trendy Game shop. Right away, I could see one of the Secret Seashells I needed. If I remembered how this game worked, it required having a lot of dexterity and quite a bit of money though maybe I could get lucky and succeed on my first attempt. Knowing me, it was going to take several tries at the bare minimum. Good thing money wasn't an issue as it often had been because of having a lot on my person. Looking around, I couldn't see Ember which made me think she was either out or doing something in the back room.

My question was answered when she came out of the back room. "Huh? Well, well, well... Look who decided to come here for the first time in forever!" Ember said upon seeing me and making her way over to the counter. "Business around here has been pretty bad what with you not coming here and instead spending your money over at the Item Shop. Yeah, I know you've been buying stuff there and making the owner a small fortune in the process."

"It's just that the Item Shop has more value for me."

That made Ember upset. "No one seems to appreciate the kind of business I have to offer."

"Well... Your game can be pretty challenging."

"What!?" Ember slammed both hands down on the counter. "Are you kidding me!? What about that girl, Marin, who you brought with you the last time you came here? She was able to succeed on her very first attempt despite not knowing what she was supposed to be doing. And yes, I've gotten over how she hooked me instead of a prize! Calling my game challenging is an insult. Sure, I don't want people to win that easily but I take pride knowing I provide such wonderful entertainment for the people of this village."

I never knew she was so touchy. "Anyway... I came here in order to win something."

"Did you now?" I could tell she was being sarcastic with me. "And what pray tell do you aim on winning?"

I pointed to the Secret Seashell. "I need to win that seashell you have. In fact, I need to win both shells. I know they're not the most important prizes you have on display but I really need them for something very important."

Looking at the seashell, Ember then looked back at me with a surprised look on her face. "Seriously? You want to win a seashell? I found it on the beach some time ago and decided it would make for a cool gift for someone who's trying this out for the first time." She was finding it hard to believe that among all her prizes, what interested me more than any other was an ordinary seashell, or rather ordinary to the likes of her. "I was expecting you wanting to win one of these custom dungeon pieces since you look like an adventurer. A seashell? Forgive me but are you completely nuts?"

"I'll pay you money."

"On second thought..."

Saying it like that made me feel pretty sleazy but it was the only way I could get her to take me seriously. After all, this wasn't my first time dealing with someone like her. "Since I want to win both seashells, how about I pay you twice as much for the entry fee? In return, you will give me both seashells if I grab the one already on display. It's a win-win for you as you get more rupees from me."

"That's true." Ember said though she was clearly having second thoughts. "Then again, you could win on your first attempt and all I get are just forty rupees. I know those seashells aren't worth much but it's the principle of the thing." She then began thinking about my idea and for a moment, I thought she wasn't going to go along with it, but to my surprise, she conceded and nodded. "Okay, you've got a deal! That will be forty rupees per entry but only for the seashell. It will be twenty rupees for anything else."

With her hand stretched out as if to say that she wanted her money straight away, I reached for my wallet, took it out, and removed forty rupees from it before handing them over. She then asked if I needed a reminder on how this game worked and I said yes. She rolled her eyes knowing I would need another explanation but chose not to make a big deal out of it. After going through the rules, she said I could take as much time as necessary in order to get my prize. The Secret Seashell in question was located in the middle stuck in-between a purple rupee and a custom dungeon piece.

Operating the crane, it slowly moved over towards the target before I lowered it in order to secure the shell. My luck with this game was never that good and once again it showed once I began to lift it up. I felt dejected as the shell dropped and landed with a soft thud. As the crane then moved back to its original position, I could see Ember gloating out of the corner of my eye knowing I had failed. Asking me for another forty rupees, I reached into my wallet, took them out, and tossed them her way where she caught them. Trying again using the same strategy, I got the crane to snag the shell and it began to lift up only to drop again.

This was going to be one of those days. Paying another forty rupees, I tried the same strategy a third time (There actually wasn't much of one considering how basic this game was) only to fail again. Paying Ember yet again, I decided a different method was needed... Closing my eyes and hoping for a miracle. Moving the crane along without looking, I allowed it to drop and secure a prize, and when it had grabbed on, it lifted up and moved along before being dropped on the small conveyor belt where I opened my eyes... And discovered that instead of a seashell, it was the custom dungeon piece.

Ember decided to let me have that prize despite the stipulation and asked me for another forty rupees. I had no idea how many I had left considering I did spend 300 rupees when I encountered Autumn Blaze. Paying her and trying for the fifth time, the result was the same as the first three attempts which made me think this game was rigged to ensure only certain prizes were winnable. No... I couldn't think of it like that. Ember said she didn't want this to be easy so to call it rigged would be like stabbing a knife through her heart. It was probably just me being unlucky.

After paying for the sixth time, I went back to the first method and to my shock, the crane was able to pull up the seashell and drag it over to the conveyor belt before dropping it down where it stopped right next to that custom dungeon piece I won a few minutes ago. Really? After all those attempts where it dropped, I finally succeeded!? Looking up at the crane itself, it was pretty worn out as though no one had bothered to get either a replacement or get it fixed. Ember really ought to get on that just in case someone accuses her of having a rigged game.

Speaking of Ember, she congratulated me. "How about that? It took you six attempts but you managed to get that seashell you wanted. Was it worth paying me 240 rupees? Maybe, but it's not my business to pry into the inner thoughts of a customer. As for me, I can use those rupees and have the crane fixed. I've been meaning to get on that but you know how expensive things can get."

I didn't want to respond to that so instead I inquired about my full prize. "What about my second seashell?"

"Oh right!" Ember quickly walked into the back room and the sounds of items being thrown about could be heard. If Rarity were here with me, she'd have been appalled at hearing such a racket. After a couple of minutes, Ember came back out and held another Secret Seashell. I could tell that it was the real thing as the Seashell Sensor made a sound. "Huh? What was that?" I responded by saying it was just a timer I had to help me know what time it was which was enough for her to my relief. "Okay, but make sure you don't have it too loud. I've got sensitive ears."

I knew that wasn't the truth but she didn't need to know my business as she herself stated. "That gives me twenty seashells in my collection!" While I did have enough to get the ultimate weapon from Adagio, I said that I wanted a challenge and would bring twenty-four of them instead.

"Really?" Ember asked sarcastically. "You have a collection of seashells?"

"Is that a problem?"

"Nah! Everyone has their own weird hobbies."

I frowned but made sure she didn't see it. I then changed the subject. "Now that I've also won one of these custom dungeon pieces, what do I do with it?" I picked it up and could see there was a picture of a room which came from a dungeon though I couldn't tell from which one.

"You know of Dampé, right?" Ember asked. I nodded and she smiled. "Good! Now we're getting somewhere. She lives on her own at the base of the Tal Tal Mountains..." She then realized that was information I already knew about so she skipped to the more important information. "Anyway, that custom dungeon piece can let someone add a new room to the dungeon of their creation. Why anyone would want to make a custom dungeon is beyond me but apparently she says there are enthusiasts who love this stuff."

"And you think I'm one of them?"

"Don't know and don't care."

"Okay then."

Ember then sighed and went back over to the counter. "Guess this means you won't be coming here anymore after this. I suppose it can't be helped. I got plenty of rupees from this deal you made with me so thanks for that. As for that custom dungeon piece, feel free to take it with you. I don't need it taking up space around here." She sighed again. "I've still got another four of those pieces in the back. Yeah... You can see how happy I am about it. At this rate, I'd be lucky to get rid of at least one let alone all of them."

Waving her head to indicate that she was finished with me, I took my leave with both Secret Seashells and the custom dungeon piece. Upon getting back outside, I took another look at the piece and was surprised at what it featured. I recognized the room from the Eagle's Tower. I shuddered considering I had only recently completed that dungeon so getting one of its rooms as a prize just made me feel unhappy. Getting this thing to Zecora would be my only means of getting rid of it as carrying it around would just remind me of how much the tower left me infuriated to no end.

Again, it wasn't Zecora who I had an issue with. It was the fact that her custom dungeons would have me go through just about anything the dungeons of this island had to offer. In my own humble opinion, there were certain challenges I never wanted to see again and yet I'd have to just to get a single Secret Seashell. Was it worth going to so much for one shell when I could find one somewhere else? No it wasn't! But, given Adagio was pretty adamant about the custom dungeons (Otherwise she wouldn't have mentioned it), I guessed it was better to just get it over with.

But... To be on the safe side, I decided to find those two seashells that were hidden next to dungeon entrances. How I never knew either of these locations for seashells existed was beyond me, yet was another reminder of my poor lack of exploring off the beaten path. Informing Princes Twilight about what I planned on doing, she nodded though cautioned me about visiting Zecora as even she knew it was necessary. As a fairy, she knew Adagio wanted me to go through another custom dungeon. And here I thought the Great Fairy was meant to be kind.

Using the Pegasus Boots in order to move about quicker, I dashed west until I crashed into the library before heading south. I could've talked to one of the children but I wasn't entirely certain they would have anything new for me. Leaving the village and then heading right via dashing, I plowed through some Octoroks until I crashed yet again (Good thing no damage occurs otherwise dashing about would be just painful) into a tree before going back the other way and then south until I reached another tree which was on its own. The sensor made its sound indicating that I had found the right tree.

"So how do I go about revealing a Secret Seashell from this tree?" I asked as I scratched my head.

"When we were here such a long time ago, you didn't have the necessary item." Princess Twilight answered.

"And what item would that be?"

"The Pegasus Boots."

I was genuinely surprised by that. "Really? I didn't think I would need to use those. I was thinking more along the lines of using the shovel and digging in front of the tree or maybe defeating a monster hiding amongst the leaves." Then a thought hit me like a lightning bolt. "Hold on a second here! Twilight? You knew about items hiding in trees?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "I figured it out long ago when I saw some apples hanging on trees throughout the island." Of course it had to be apples. What else would've tipped her off about something like that? "Dashing into a tree using the Pegasus Boots can reveal all kinds of secrets. Sometimes you can end up getting attacked by a bee and other times you'll get nothing but when you do get a reward, you just feel good about it. Oh, and the tree remains completely unharmed in case you're worried about hurting them. They are much stronger than they look."

"Are these secrets that obvious?"

"Sometimes but mostly you just have to hope you found something."

I then dashed into the tree in question and a Secret Seashell popped out from the top of it before landing on the ground. Picking it up, I now had twenty-one which was more than enough for the ultimate weapon but again, I said I would bring Adagio twenty-four. "I really need to learn to keep my mouth shut and not brag about doing this or doing that. It's a bad habit which I'm certain I got from Rainbow Dash."

That made Princess Twilight laugh. "She always did love showing off and it often got her into trouble."

"Guess she rubbed off on me pretty well."

"Yes." Princess Twilight nodded. She then brought up the other dungeon where a Secret Seashell was located near its entrance. "The other shell Adagio mentioned is one that was hidden on a small island in the water next to the Key Cavern under a single bush. You didn't have flippers with you at the time you went through that dungeon so you can go there one and pick the shell up. You will need to do some walking however."

I thought about what Her Highness just said and I understood her meaning. The Key Cavern was located in an area that was near a few warp panel locations, but the layout of the land meant I couldn't get there by simply walking along in a straight line. I had to go the long way around. It wasn't as bad as it sounded especially since I could speed up the process by using the Pegasus Boots. Where would I be without such wonderful boots in my possession (I wasn't going to kiss them or anything)? Taking out the ocarina once again, I played Manbo's Mambo and focused on the panel just east of Mabe Village.

In a matter of moments, I disappeared and then reappeared at my desired location. Princess Twilight then asked me how I planned on reaching the Key Cavern, and I told her that the best way would be going past Pothole Field. Was it the shortest route? I didn't know but it was the one I was familiar with. Using the Pegasus Boots, I dashed south whilst avoiding some monsters who were located on the other side of a row of trees before crashing into another wall. You'd think there would be brakes but I supposed it would ruin the experience for those who loved being reckless.

Heading south past the entrance to the Key Cavern, I soon reached Pothole Field which was where I encountered Tempest Shadow. I thought about dropping in for a visit to see if she would say anything new but I had this feeling she would just repeat her talk about congratulating me for finding those Golden Leaves which happened earlier during this adventure. A shame really as I thought some characters could give me new conversations and not old ones. I sighed and continued dashing along before hitting a tree and then heading up north and past the field.

Turning west, I was back at the pool of water to the right of the Key Cavern. "So what am I looking for around here?"

"Something that looks out of the ordinary."

I looked around and saw a single bush located on a small island. "Yeah... I think I know where to look." Jumping into the water, I swam across until I reached the island and climbed out before cutting the bush down just as the Seashell Sensor began making its usual sound. The Secret Seashell was located underneath where the bush had which gave me twenty-two upon picking it up. "That was a little too easy though if not for Adagio, I'd have probably forgotten all about it."

"You have to wonder how you could've found these without any help."

"Trial and error I'd wager."

Nodding, Princess Twilight agreed. "That's one of the advantages of finding things on your own without being told what to look for. You get that sense of accomplishment not to mention having both success and failure in searching about."

"Nothing wrong with a little help you know." I said as I winked.

Princess Twilight blushed. "I do what I can to ensure you're ultimately successful." She then changed the subject to the custom dungeons. "I know you don't like the idea of going through one of Zecora's dungeon challenges given how Turtle Rock is waiting for you to discover it but think about it like this. You can get in some additional experience which can help you in turn prepare for what awaits you in the final dungeon."

"You always know how to see the positives in everything."

"It's one of my responsibilities as the new ruler of Equestria."

"I just can't justify in going through a random dungeon just to get a single Secret Seashell."

"Yes... I can understand your feelings on the matter."

I then sighed. "Since the Seashell Sensor isn't reacting to let me know that Adagio wants me to return to the Seashell Mansion, it means I have no choice but to visit Zecora." While Her Highness was right about how I could get some extra experience in preparation for Turtle Rock, a part of me wasn't very keen on the idea simply because I'd be going from one to the next in a short time span. Granted. this had been the case with a few other dungeons so my point had been deemed moot. Maybe if there was an additional reward or better yet some information, then it'd be more interesting for me.

Playing Manbo's Mambo once again (I wondered if the rest of the Rainbooms would like to play a cover of this song?), I focused on the warp panel that was located next to Zecora's home at the base of the Tal Tal Mountains. Like before, a bright light engulfed me as I disappeared and then reappeared at my desired location moments later. Looking up at the sky, the sun was beginning to get close to settling down for the night. This meant I'd need to sleep at he place once I was finished with her custom dungeon. At least I'd be sleeping with a roof over my head which was how I always slept.

Walking up to and entering, I could see that nothing has changed since the last time I was here. I doubted anyone else aside from me had been here which made me feel guilty knowing she hadn't been doing much of anything as far as I could tell. Upon noticing me enter, Zecora approached me and began speaking... And I hadn't forgotten about she liked speaking with rhymes whenever possible. "You've come back to visit me in my home. For quite a while I've been here all alone. Even though it has been some time, you being here makes me mighty fine."

That wasn't an exact rhyme but I wasn't going to hold it against her. "I think you know why I'm here."

Zecora nodded. "You want to try your hand at another of my custom dungeons. I knew you had the desire for adventure. Judging from the way you look, you've had many experiences written down in the journey that can be deemed as your book. Because of this, new rooms have been added to the custom dungeon catalog. Instead of being limited to only two dungeons, you now have access to almost everything."

"I also have this." I said as I showed her the custom dungeon piece I won from the Trendy Game.

"This is a piece I do not have in my collection." Zecora said. Handing it over to her, she added it to the other pieces she had before turning back to face me. "With this additional piece, you can now add a new chamber. So... What kind of challenge do you seek? Do you want a challenge aimed at one who is strong, or one who is weak?"

Was that an insult to my abilities? I hoped not otherwise doing this really wasn't worth it. "I would like to take on one of your dungeons, but I need to ask you for a specific one on account of needing a certain reward."

"What reward do you have in mind?"

"Do you have a Secret Seashell?"

Turning around and walking over to a stack of objects I couldn't quite see clearly, Zecora began combing through them until she spotted something and took it out. Walking back over to me, she presented the seashell in question which prompted the Seashell Sensor to make a sound. "This seashell lacks colour which makes it look dour, but deep down I can sense that it possesses great power. You need this?" I nodded and she did so as well. "Normally, you would need to complete three challenges in order to obtain this seashell, but something tells me you are in quite a hurry."

"I'm sorry for asking this of you."

"Do not apologize for I shall allow you the chance to earn this seashell."

"Really?"

"However, you must complete a specific challenge." Zecora answered as she placed the seashell to one side. "I must ask this of you because to allow you to choose whatever you want will simply just not do. Upon finishing this task will reward you with your shell, and another reward as a bonus which is simply swell. 'Fill Up Your Hearts' is what I call this challenge and it shall become clear once you've seen its shape. It's not the largest of dungeons but it's not small either. You should find this one to be simple enough especially when you begin adding the rooms you want to use."

"It sounds romantic." I said in a sheepish manner.

"Now... Feel free to arrange the rooms in whatever order you wish."

Walking up to where I could arrange the pieces, I was surprised to see that there were a total of sixteen rooms which formed the shape of a heart. Huh... Now the name of her challenge makes sense and it's also pretty cute. After looking it over for a few minutes, I had an idea as to how I wanted to put this together. For starters, the entrance room had to be at the bottom as anywhere else would make it look weird. Apart from Turtle Rock, I could use every other dungeon barring some rooms which Zecora didn't have in her collection. Looking at what I had on hand, I began choosing my pieces.

First was the Nightmare. Looking at each one, there were some I didn't want to fight again because of how difficult they were or because of emotional turmoil. I also needed to choose one that could be fought in an actual room so that eliminated two of them right away. Eventually, I chose Slime Eye as I believed it would be an easy challenge though a part of me did consider going with Facade because of how unique it was (Not Moldorm as I already did that rematch the first time around). Placing Slime Eye's panel in the top right corner of the 'heart', I just now needed to connect the dots.

Grabbing some rooms at random, I placed them in the slots where they could be positioned. At first, it looked like I was creating some kind of monstrosity what with how many dungeons I was using, but it soon began coming together until I had finished, believing I had made it the best I could. There were six treasure chests, a single locked door, no staircases, and a few other things which were difficult to determine as to what they were. There were no strong monsters and only a few puzzles on account of wanting to get through this challenge without using up my Magic Medicine.

I then called out to Zecora. "I'm ready to go through with this challenge."

Walking up to me, she took a look at what I had designed. "Now this is certainly something to see, your creation filled with so much energy. Like before, all you need to do is make it to the end and defeat your foe. Succeed and you can take your reward and then go." Again, she wasn't rhyming correctly but I could understand what she was saying. "Anything within the chests are free to take but be careful not to make a mistake."

"Any other special conditions that need to be applied?"

"You're good to go."

"That's good."

"Take all the time you need and good luck with performing this deed."

A bright flash of light then blinded me and moments later, I was inside the dungeon I had created. Unlike before where I had two sets of dungeon rooms, I had eight which meant anything could happen. If my calculations were correct, it shouldn't take too long to complete this thing. Then again, luck wasn't exactly on good terms with me so time couldn't be trusted. The opening room ended up being taken from the Angler's Tunnel, an unusual choice but it was one I felt had some kind of appeal which would make this experience better overall.

Entering the next room, there were three doors and all of them were locked. I didn't recognize which room this was taken from, but I did recognize the Green Zols jumping around. Attacking and defeating each one with my sword opened up the doors leaving me to choose which direction to go. At the very least, a Dungeon Map was provided so it wasn't like I was going around blind. Choosing to head to the right, the next room came from Tail Cave or maybe Catfish's Maw. Some rooms pretty much blended together thus making it difficult to know which room came from what dungeon.

In any case, there were two Keese and two regular Stalfos. If I remembered, these ones had no special abilities unlike the others that did. Walking forward with my shield raised, they sprung to life before jumping backwards in order to avoid my sword. I kept moving forward forcing them to continue jumping back until they got caught in the corner where I struck both with one sword swing each. The Keese took advantage as each one managed to hit but I swung around and struck both with one hit. I couldn't underestimate any monsters as they had surprises that could, well... Surprise me.

This caused a chest to materialize which caught me by surprise. I didn't think I had placed one in this room but apparently I did. Opening it up, I took out a small key which was the only one I would find in this creation of mine. I intended for it to be that way as multiple keys would force me to backtrack. Taking out a bomb since the northern wall was cracked, I tossed it where it landed and exploded revealing the way forward. Walking through the cracked section, I entered a room from the Colour Dungeon. There were four orbs, two blue and two red, with two being on either side of the room.

It didn't take a genius to figure out the solution here. I hit the blue one to my left which changed it to red and the two red ones to blue. Then, I struck the blue orb on the top right which turned the remaining ones red. I thought this had solved things but since nothing happened, I knew I had made a mistake. Hitting the orbs by going back and forth, I eventually got them all blue which made another chest materialize. Opening the chest, it contained a red rupee. Considering how much I gave Ember, this was a good means of gaining back what I spent.

Heading to the room on my right, I entered a very familiar room. How familiar? I recognized it as the first tile room I encountered in the Face Shrine. The tiles on the ground began rising up and flung themselves at me. At least two hit me in the chest before I raised my shield in order to protect myself. "Okay, what I was thinking choosing a room like this? I mean, it had no monsters which is something I want to have as little interaction with as possible."

"Maybe you forgot about the tiles?"

"Yeah... That sounds like something I'd do."

Princess Twilight looked like she was about to nod before she shook her head. "No, don't blame yourself, Sunset. This was just an honest mistake you made. Besides, you're not taking any damage thanks to your shield so this is more like a brief respite before you need to continue dealing with whatever challenging rooms there are."

"Thanks for making me feel better."

"What are friends for?"

"Be honest..." I began. "Is doing this for a Secret Seashell worth it?"

Shrugging, Her Highness had a bit of trouble coming up with an answer. "Well... I suppose it can be considering you could've easily gotten one from somewhere else, but Adagio mentioned this place for a reason. She wanted you to go through another custom dungeon so you might as well see this through to the end. Zecora also promised another reward so you do have another incentive aside from the shell."

"I wished this had been a smaller dungeon."

"Not much can be done about that."

After a couple of minutes deflecting tiles, the last one came at me and shattered upon hitting my shield. This unlocked both doors though no chest appeared which was slightly disappointing but I supposed not all puzzles had rewards upon solving them. Heading north, I entered a room that featured a single chest. There was a door to my left I could walk through yet something felt off about this. Why just the one chest? I wasn't about to complain as it was better than dealing with monsters but still, it just felt off. Opening the chest, I took out a blue rupee. Not the most exciting thing to get but it was better than nothing.

Walking left and entering the next room, I recognized this one as being from the Tail Cave. Aside from an unusually shaped hole, the only other things around were two Stalfos that hadn't noticed me just yet. Both exits were open but perhaps it was a good idea to defeat both monsters just in case they dropped something useful. Taking out the Roc's Feather, I jumped over the hole before putting it away to focus on the Stalfos. Both jumped backwards in order to keep away from me so I continued making them jump back until I had gotten them trapped in a corner.

Attacking both and defeating them with little effort, I could only go west as the way north was blocked by the Nightmare Door. Unfortunately, I needed to open up the remaining chests in order to acquire the Nightmare Key under the condition of the custom dungeons. Heading west, I entered a room that had two torches yet everything was dark. Princess Twilight remembered seeing this room in the Bottle Grotto which was when I remembered seeing it there. It was one of those rare instances of needing Magic Powder for something.

Taking out my Magic Powder, I had no idea how much I had left, but I knew had enough for this room. I used some on the Spark that was moving around the room, defeating it but it didn't drop anything which was fine though it would've been appreciated. That's when my eyes noticed the locked door. That meant the torches didn't need to be lit so why did I choose this room if the puzzle would ultimately be ignored? I answered my own question by thinking I needed to check what rooms were what in future. Using the small key, I unlocked the door and entered another familiar room.

It was the room from the Eagle's Tower which blocked me initially when I first started going through it. Unlike the original version, all the tiles were down so I had easy progression this time around. Out of four directions, north sounded good for me, so I walked in that direction and entered another dark room which I didn't even recognize. There was another chest along with a Hardhat Beetle guarding it with both situated on the other side of an awkwardly shaped hole. Jumping over using the Roc's Feather, the Hardhat Beetle bumped into me in an attempt at pushing me into the hole.

Since I couldn't defeat it, I attacked it with my sword and pushed it back as far as I could before opening up the chest and taking out another blue rupee. "Thirty rupees so far... I was hoping for a bigger payout than that." Jumping back over the hole, I sighed again before going back to the previous room. "It's not even enough to get back the amount I had to pay Ember in order to try and win those two Secret Seashells."

"Think of these small rupee amounts as a small taste of what you can usually win."

"Yeah, I suppose so." I said as I scratched my head. "Still, I've seen way better rupee payments in the proper dungeons themselves. I know I don't need anymore rupees but it would be nice to be rewarded accordingly."

"When you put it that, you do make a point."

"Let's make one thing clear." I said as I coughed slightly. "I'm not doing this in order to become rich. Earning rupees is a necessity which allows me to acquire items that can only be bought using them. Unless they are absolutely essential in needing something to progress, I won't go out of my way to collect them unless they are directly on my path. At the same time, I like getting rewarded with highly valuable rupees because it feels like I earned them especially after going through so many challenges."

"Such a compelling argument."

"You agree with me?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "You want a lot of rupees because you need them in order to make the journey easier. Yes... I can respect such a choice. If you had been one of those snobbish ponies from Canterlot, I'd have been way less forgiving and more critical."

"Canterlot ponies always were full of themselves."

"It comes with the territory."

Heading through the western door, I entered another room from Eagle's Tower. In fact, it was the second-to-last room I saw before fighting Cozy Glow and the Evil Eagle. Raising my shield on account of seeing a Beamos, it fired its laser which got bounced back (Thank you Mirror Shield) and shut it down. At this point, it was becoming harder to focus on getting through this challenge because I had seen all of this before. In fact, I wanted to simply give up and leave but I knew Adagio wanted me to complete this challenge. I honestly felt sorry for anyone who wanted to go through and complete every last challenge Zecora had.

Ignoring the two Peahats, I moved as soon as the two Blade Traps collided with one another and began moving back to their original positions. Heading south, the next room was a dead end though there were three Red Zols bouncing about aimlessly. Attacking them all which caused them to split into two pieces, I attacked those, destroying them, only to get hit by magic courtesy of a Wizzrobe. Waiting for it to reappear, I took out the Bow and fired an arrow, damaging it. It then disappeared and reappeared moments later in the same spot, and after firing more magic which I avoided, I fired a second arrow which defeated it.

A chest then materialized and upon opening it, I took out a purple rupee. Now that's more like it! Fifty rupees is nothing to sneeze at and it did involve me needing to defeat a more stronger monster than usual. Taking out the map which had been provided, I could see there was only one more chest remaining. Once I got the Nightmare Key, I could complete this challenge and never do anything like it again. I also saw that not all rooms needed exploring. While I had a strong notion of making sure every last room had been checked, an exception could be made this one time.

Going back to the previous room, I was hit by the laser of the Beamos because it had re-spawned. Brushing it off, I ignored everything else and entered the next room but not before getting hit again by another laser. That settled it! Those two other rooms were being ignored! There was nothing in them that warranted me to check them out! Continuing on to the right and then heading south, I entered the final room I needed to explore, and it was another one from the Face Shrine. In fact, it was the room where I needed to use the first small key I found.

At least this was a more simplistic room compared to what I had been through. Picking up both elephant statues and tossing them against the wall, a chest materialized upon destroying both. Opening it up, I took out the Nightmare Key which was a huge sigh of relief. All that remained was defeating the Slime Eye again. I did recall what I had to do in order to defeat it so hopefully this would be wrapped up in a couple of minutes. If I remembered from my previous experience, I wouldn't get any kind of dialogue from the Nightmare as it was a clone of the original

Walking north and then walking to the right, I ignored the two Stalfos despite them jumping away from me and used the Nightmare Key to unlock the door. "How long did it take me to get through this? I'm not trying to brag or anything but I think I got through rather quickly."

"I'd say you got through in about fifteen minutes."

"I was expecting you to say thirty or forty at the bare minimum."

That made Princess Twilight laugh. "I know what rooms you used in order to create this dungeon, Sunset. You wanted few challenges because of the desire to get through this quickly though you ended up adding in some tough situations without realizing it."

I blushed in embarrassment. "I just wanted an easy time considering Turtle Rock is going to be a nightmare."

"There are no 'easy times' in dungeons."

"So I noticed."

"You actually gained a different kind of experience here." I had no idea what Princess Twilight meant but before I could ask her, she explained her meaning. "Normally, it's a good idea to take things slowly when exploring around a dungeon. By trying to blaze through it, you might miss out on something important. Or, you don't get to appreciate the complexity of how such a place had been constructed. Okay, that last one is more for my own benefit! Hey, I can't help but be fascinated by such brilliant architecture."

Of course Her Highness was interested in the architecture. "Is it because of the research potential?"

"That and seeing if I can make connections to other things I've seen."

I rolled my eyes. "You have some pretty interesting hobbies you know, Twilight." I then looked away because of wanting to laugh myself but not let her see it. "Maybe in future you can take some pictures or maybe be allowed to take a piece of stone or something from the dungeon as a souvenir?" I stopped right there in case I was sounding more like a jerk rather than having a bit of innocent fun. "On a serious note, I think it's cool wanting to know who built such places, why they were built, understanding it from an architectural perspective, etc."

"We all have our interests." Princess Twilight then gave me a weird look. "Oh, and thanks for not wandering into jerk territory regarding my hobbies." She went back to her normal look after that which made me relieved as the previous one was just plain creepy. "Since you already know how to defeat the Slime Eye, you don't need me to give you any advice."

"By the way... How come I haven't seen any hearts?" Her Highness was taken aback by this sudden question and asked me to clarify which I did. "Despite what Zecora called this challenge, no hearts have shown up anywhere. Was the name misleading or did I just not search hard enough?"

"I think it has more to do with the fact that you had to work within a heart shape."

"I thought that was a cute touch."

Nodding, Princess Twilight addressed my question. "Just because the dungeon is shaped like something doesn't mean you'll find that very thing inside of it. It's not my best answer but I hope you understood the meaning."

Nodding, I entered the room where I hopped slightly in order to switch over to the Pegasus Boots. Remembering how this battle went before, I dashed into the back wall before getting some slight knockback. This caused the Slime Eel to drop down from the ceiling and land on the ground with a loud squish. It honestly felt weird seeing it again after so long but I had to remember that it was merely a replica. As I gazed upon it, I began thinking about how if I had chosen the red tunic, I could easily take it down in a couple of minutes. But, I wanted defense so this could take a while.

Before it had a chance to do anything, I began attacking the eye and it started to split into two pieces. Choosing to hit the eye on the left, I continued attacking it which in turn continued to split the two halves until it had reached its limit. Going around to the front, I charged forward only for some part of its body ending up hitting me in the stomach. While I took minimal damage, I couldn't tell which part hit me. I dashed into it again and kept it up until both halves separated from each other. Both pieces began bouncing around until one jumped upwards towards the ceiling.

Focusing on the other one, I failed to notice the shadow of the first one and it landed right on top of me, knocking me to the ground. Getting back up, the second one then jumped up to the ceiling and I made sure to keep track of its shadow. It followed me around for a few seconds before dropping down but I avoided it by dashing away just in time. Attacking the first one with my sword repeatedly, it reeled back before jumping in order to get away. Attacking the other one as many times as I could, I was knocked down by the first Slime Eel and landed on my stomach.

Again, I took minimal damage which showed how weak of a Nightmare it really was. Why Grogar chose such a thing to guard an instrument was beyond me but if I were to take a guess, it might have had to do with the surprise factor. No one would expect something like this waiting for them. After getting back up, the second Slime Eel then jumped upwards leaving the first one open for attack. Hitting it repeatedly, it then disappeared in a puff of smoke. Sheesh! I knew it was weak but not that weak! I now felt embarrassed over how much I struggled when I fought against the original one.

Quickly checking to see where the second one was, I avoided it just as it dropped down to the ground. Attacking the eye repeatedly, it eventually stopped moving and began exploding numerous times before disappearing completely in a final explosion. That was much easier than before but then I was more experienced than I was back then. I also had more health and had higher defence. What awaited me in Turtle Rock, however, was going to be much harder especially since it was the final Nightmare before Grogar. Since there was no instrument to collect, the room suddenly glowed in a bright light.

Upon returning to Zecora's place, she congratulated me on my success. "It looked like things were getting pretty rough, but you prevailed which shows you're tough. I was on the edge of my seat especially when you fought that final monster so thanks for putting on an impressive display."

"I had a much easier time defeating the Slime Eel than I did before." I said.

"That's because you're stronger now than you were before."

"And I knew what to do."

"Since you completed this challenge, you are now entitled to the prize which I promised you." Zecora then handed over the Secret Seashell which gave me twenty-three though it was one less than what I promised I'd bring to Adagio. There were plenty of them still hiding across the island so it shouldn't take long for me to find one. "Though you have your reasons for wanting a mere seashell, such a reward seems unfair for one such as you."

"I think you said something about a second reward?"

Zecora nodded as she clapped her hands together. "That's right! I did make such a promise. You performed this challenge very well, so hopefully you'll see this prize as swell." She reached into her collection and took out a Piece of Heart which she then handed over to me. "There is no doubt in my mind that you're pretty good at creating some rather interesting dungeon designs. Even though I can't force you to stay, I hope you'll come back here again one day."

"How many challenges do you have altogether?"

"I have many kinds with some having special conditions designed to make them extra special."

Gah! Just thinking about having additional obstacles along with what was already in the dungeon wasn't to my liking, but I had no doubt that others out there would like these twists especially if the rewards were truly something. A part of me began feeling bad since I wouldn't be seeing Zecora again but changing things back to normal had to be my priority. If this was an actual video game and not what Ganondorf made it out to be (Yes, I know that didn't make a lick of sense), I'd maybe be more inclined towards having a more open mind about going through the rest of her challenges.

Leaving Zecora's place, the Seashell Sensor began making a different noise which I instantly heard. "I think this must be Adagio telling me to come back to the Seashell Mansion. But, I'm still missing one seashell."

"Maybe she thinks you have enough?" Princess Twilight asked as she shrugged.

"But I promised twenty-four!"

"I think it's best to go and see her."

I sighed knowing it wasn't wise to incur the wrath of a Great Fairy. "I just feel bad knowing that I said I'd bring her twenty-four secret seashells and instead I'm bringing one less than the amount which I promised. I feel like I'm someone you can't rely on."

"Adagio wouldn't summon you if she thought you weren't worthy."

Hearing Her Highness say it like that made me shudder. The thought of Adagio summoning anyone was something I'd rather not see happen any time soon. In another time and place, she along with the rest of the Dazzlings could've become friends with me, Princess Twilight, and the rest of our friends. However, their grudges against not just us but Equestria itself were deeply rooted and couldn't be overcome with just a simple song or friendship lesson. It would need a miracle and those were hard to come by.

As I took out the ocarina, I wondered if the three villains could ever be reformed. Depending on how much hatred existed within their hearts, it might very well be impossible for them to change. Only time would tell for certain. Playing Manbo's Mambo, I focused on the warp panel located next to the Seashell Mansion, and was soon whisked away. Moments later, I arrived at my destination and avoided the Moblins before entering the mansion. Knowing this would be my last time coming here, I was hoping I had enough to get what would prove invaluable.

Covering my eyes upon seeing a bright light, Adagio appeared before me once more. "I have been waiting for you to come here, child." She then pointed at the Seashell Sensor and it made the same weird sound from before which made her smile. "I see you understood that you were being called here. No doubt that there are questions you have as to why I needed you here when you have yet to acquire the required number of Secret Seashells and so I shall answer them."

"If you can give me some time then I'll quickly find one more."

Raising her hand, Adagio shook her head. "You need not collect anymore seashells. You were determined to go to great lengths to collect the number you promised me even if it meant doing something you were uncomfortable with. Most would not go out of their way in such a manner and yet you did."

"I know I sound selfish but this ultimate weapon you've been talking about was something I desperately needed."

"And yet you have managed well thus far without it." Her expression then changed to a more serious one. "However, the evil forces that await you in your final challenge possess terrifying power that eclipses even my own. Having a regular weapon will not suffice and so you need something more in order to overcome them. The ultimate weapon was given such a name so you would strive for it knowing it would be difficult. In truth, it's merely an upgrade but one which can give you an edge especially when you are full of life."

"What kind of upgrade?"

"I need your sword for just a moment."

I was taken aback by this. "My sword?"

Adagio nodded. "Please hand your sword over to me, child. I shall give it my strongest blessing and you will be amazed at what shall happen. I know you have some doubts but know that you need not be afraid."

It was as though she knew that I was bothered by the fact that the real Adagio was nothing like this but couldn't quite place it. I felt incredibly guilty because it wasn't her fault that she got dragged into this along with everyone else who were brought here. Even though she would never help me due to the unfortunate circumstances known as reality, I needed to have faith in Adagio because she had faith in me. "Okay, I'll give you my sword."

Handing it over to her, Adagio then levitated it above her hands. "Now watch as I bless this sword. It will become much stronger than ever before which will make your quest easier." She then closed her eyes and began uttering words that were incomprehensible though both Princess Twilight and I could sense a powerful magic at work. My sword then began glowing as it became imbued with an incredible power as she continued with her blessing. She then uttered a final word before everything flashed in a bright light. Once my vision had returned, I could see that my sword had changed.

"It changed colour!"

"Before, your sword had a metal blade and a steel handle, a common thing amongst such a weapon." Adagio said as my sword dropped down into her hands. "Now, thanks to my blessing, the handle is made of the purest silver and the blade of the purest gold. Do not think that I've merely made your weapon more beautiful in appearance. With this upgrade, you can now inflict twice as much damage. Also, when at full health, a beam can be fired from the blade's tip. This sword beam can be useful for fighting at a distance and even has the same effect as though you were attacking up close."

My jaw dropped. "You did all that for me?"

Smiling, Adagio nodded. "I cannot make your sword any stronger so know that you now have a weapon capable of overcoming all that stands in your way." She then handed it back to me and I could immediately feel its newfound power coursing through my body. She pointed at the blue tunic I had chosen upon completing the Colour Dungeon. "You should know that if you were to wear the red tunic in combination with your newly strengthened sword, you can inflict four times as much damage. You need not go and change tunics just to gain even more power, but instead think of it as an option."

"I think I'll stick with the defence."

"You can continue searching for Secret Seashells but they are no longer necessary."

"How can I thank you?"

Adagio closed her eyes as she shook her head. "You fight the evil creatures that have infested this island and defeated most of the Nightmares. You are a true heroine for wanting to fight for the right cause and not for personal glory. This is thanks enough for me. Now... You must face your most difficult challenge which shall determine the fates of so many including yourself. If you are injured, feel free to stop by a fairy fountain and I shall ease your wounds."

With that, she disappeared leaving me holding my new sword. I then swung it around in order to get a feel for it and to my surprise, it was much lighter than it was before. I had to hand it to her when it came to how strong she made it. I needed to use this new power wisely otherwise I could easily become corrupted. The ability to use what she called the sword beam was a new one as I never had that on any previous sword, and while the restriction of needing to be at full health was unfortunate, I could understand it was necessary. In case, some experimentation was needed.

Leaving the Seashell Manion, I began to think about my next move. "Do I have everything I need to proceed to Turtle Rock and survive whatever it contains?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "Unless you want to look for more Pieces of Heart or perhaps get in some more experience with Zecora's custom dungeons, I think you're as ready as you'll ever be to face whatever this final dungeon possesses."

"At least I only have to go through the one cave to get back to the Eagle's Tower before heading west."

"About that..."

"What..."

"There is no path connecting between the tower and the western part of the mountains." Princess Twilight said. She was right! There was no bridge or anything which meant I needed to find another way to get over there. "In fact, you can't even backtrack as there is that one section which required the Flying Rooster and he's not with you now. You need to go to a different warp panel and enter the mountains from the south and then make your way back up to the Hen House before you can start heading west. Oh, and spending the night there is a must since you forgot to do so at Zecora's.

I slapped my forehead upon realizing that I left Zecora without asking if I could spend the night there. I guessed I was too caught up in the moment and ended up forgetting about it. The sun would set in about thirty minutes so I needed to get to the Hen House as soon as possible otherwise I'd be in way over my head. Suddenly, an image of Starlight appeared in my mind. She was still out there somewhere in the mountains and I needed to find her and make sure she was okay before something bad happened.

To Be Continued.

Chapter 29: The Final Dungeon.

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.
By Ganondorf8.
April 2, 2021.
Chapter 29: The Final Dungeon.

I knew that Starlight Glimmer had a knack for getting herself into trouble. How did I know this? You could thank Princess Twilight for such details. Her Highness loved telling me stories of how things were going back in Equestria via our respective magic journals as it allowed me to keep tabs on what was happening back in the land of my birth. Starlight tended to want to find an easy solution for many problems presented before her and this often made the situation even worse. Oh sure, she didn't bring about its destruction but she did come awful close on a couple of occasions.

That being said, I had gotten into trouble myself many times (This current adventure not counting) so I could understand what she often went through. I guess you could say we both had a desire to prove ourselves and choosing not to listen to any voices of reason. Pride often was a weakness many didn't realize was an issue because admitting you had one made you feel well... Weak (No other way to say it other than that). Unless you could accept that you were in over your head over anything, you'd never mature as a person.

Was I truly worried about Starlight's safety? Yes. While she wasn't able to defend herself from any monsters since she had no weapons or magic, I had a hunch that she could hold her own with just words. It was pretty obvious that her choice of words hadn't gone unnoticed by me. Whenever I said or did something, she would react by saying something rather morbid. With that kind of tone, the monsters might be willing to ignore her as she would be saying things that resonated with them. Then again... Her affiliation with me was a negative.

Now I was really starting to worry. No... I couldn't rush out to find her even though my heart wanted me to. To act recklessly was often the source of my getting into trouble so a more logical solution was needed. I knew Starlight had to be in the western most area of the Tal Tal Mountains as had she been in the east, I'd have found her thus relieving me of being concerned. She wouldn't go exploring in any caves as even she had enough common sense in her head not to go and do that. Plus, without any items, she wouldn't be able to get past certain obstacles.

For now, I just had to hope that she was in a safe location. Had I been a bit quicker dealing with Zecora and Adagio, I might have had some time before the sun went down but that wasn't possible right now. Speaking of her, I was certain Princess Twilight knew what my plans were going to be upon collecting the final instrument so I felt no need to explain it to her. While I could go back and take on even more custom made dungeons, there was nothing stopping me from taking the fight straight to Grogar. I wanted this adventure over as soon as possible though it had been fun at times.

Granted, I had been told about needing to read the one book in the Mabe Village library that supposedly had dark secrets but couldn't without a Magnifying Lens. Something in my mind was telling me it was essential to read it. And then there was Adagio and what she had done for me in terms of granting me a stronger sword. She didn't have to do anything and instead tell me to collect all of the Secret Seashells hidden across the island. Instead, I got this new sword by collecting a much smaller number than intended yet I felt grateful she allowed it.

Drawing my new sword from its scabbard, I held it in both hands before sitting down in front of the Seashell Mansion for a few moments. While I had already commented on how beautiful it looked in addition to feeling much lighter than my old one, I noticed the blade itself hadn't changed in terms of length. On my previous adventures, new swords I gained had a longer reach which meant I could attack from a distance. This wasn't true with this one. It wasn't an issue since my increased defence kind of made up for it. Still... It would've been nice but that's the way things were meant to be.

I needed to know more about this 'sword beam' Adagio mentioned so I looked up at Princess Twilight who had been resting on top of my hat for a few minutes. "Twilight? What do know about sword beams?"

It took a moment for Her Highness to be fully awake before she could answer me. " Adagio told you much about what you need to know about it but perhaps you're more interested about the historical aspects." That wasn't my intention and I cursed under my breath for having forgotten that I was told by Adagio, but I wasn't going to deny Her Highness the chance to show off. "Sword beams are an ancient means of unleashing a concentrated burst of energy though the practice has since either had a resurgence or been completely forgotten depending on where you are in Hyrulian history."

"So it's been coming and going?"

"You could say it like that."

Holding my sword up, I watched it glisten in the soon-to-be setting sun before lowering it again. "So I happen to be in a time where the sword beam was implemented? I don't understand why there's such an inconsistency."

"There are some things that are beyond anyone's understanding."

I frowned in response. "Oh, so it's one of those answers?"

Princess Twilight slowly nodded. "Sorry, Sunset, but even my knowledge of sword beams is limited. What I can tell you is that you do need to be at full health in order to unleash a beam as the skill is said to be tied directly to one's inner strength. If you're seen as wavering from within, you can't unleash any sword beams. Now, Adagio didn't mention that you can only fire in a straight direction and only one sword beam at a time as it takes a lot of concentration. I wouldn't consider the skill as essential but rather a small bonus you've got on hand should the need to use it arises."

"It would've been helpful on my previous adventure."

"I'm sure it would have."

"Are there any other skills like this which have come and gone over time?"

Princess Twilight shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure but I'd say that this is the case. It can also be because this world is what you call a video game, certain ideas get created and are refined, forgotten about completely, have yet to be implemented due to unknown factors, or just come and go like the wind." I thought it was rather cute how she still hadn't grasped the idea of video games but it wasn't a thing back in Equestria. I had every intention of telling her everything I knew but hopefully she wouldn't become a gaming junkie like me.

"I'm curious as to what else I could've used as items."

"I can give you some examples."

"And how would you know?"

She responded with a wink. "I'm privy to some things here and there. Granted, my knowledge on such matters is sketchy as I'm going off of what I've been able to get a glimpse of due to my status as your fairy. If you have a couple of minutes, I can share some of this wisdom even though it won't really help in your current situation. If anything, this will just give you more historical information."

I could spare some time as the sun had only started to settle down for the night. In terms of how Her Highness came to access this information, I wasn't about to start questioning her as her response would surely confuse me even more. It was just one of those wisdom moments she happened to express at quite convenient times "Okay, you've convinced me. You can share your vast knowledge." I said with some snark.

"I've only got three things I can tell you."

"Only three?"

"If I had more information, I could be talking about them well into the night." Princess Twilight answered. Perhaps it was best that she could only access a few things. Besides, much of what she had to say wouldn't be helpful in any way which we had both already established. "You know how you've needed keys to unlock doors? Long ago, locked doors were way more common and often prevented many an adventurer from progressing further. With a Magical Key, unlocking doors became moot."

"Why you do say that?"

"A Magical Key can be used infinitely to unlock doors." While locked doors were an issue, I only had to deal with a few of them per dungeon. Her Highness then continued and I chose to keep silent until she had finished. "Food or Monster Bait as some called it could be used to attract monsters though some were too smart to fall for it. Those who were stupid would fight each other until the bait disappeared which would allow one to slip past or defeat them easily. The smart ones were also the most powerful but their power was no match for the power of the Magic Clock."

I had to interrupt her there. "Did you just say... Magic Clock?"

I did." Princess Twilight answered as she nodded.

"You've got to be kidding me."

She shook her head. "I'm being honest with you, Sunset. Sure, a name like Magic Clock or even a clock in general being powerful against monsters does sound pretty out there, but this item proved to be invaluable provided it would appear when needed. It could freeze all monsters in place until one got far enough away from them where the effect wore off. I wouldn't worry too much about it as this item disappeared a very long time ago and has since been forgotten. A shame really as it had the most potential but perhaps its very concept proved too absurd for a mythical fantasy adventure."

Getting back onto my feet, I began thinking about what Her Highness had told me. Of the three items, the Magic Clock sounded the most absurd because it was a mere clock which possessed magic that could freeze monsters. Granted, such a power would've made things way more easy for me but I'd have been robbed of valuable experience. The Magical Key also had promise but I hadn't encountered many locked doors in the dungeons so its usefulness would ultimately be limited.

The Monster Bait (It sounded better than simply saying food) sounded the most useful and I wished it had been available during all of my adventures. While some monsters were unaffected by it, most apparently fawned over it and would kill one another to ensure they got to enjoy it. It then begged the question of what kind of food did they eat assuming they had mouths let alone the need to consume anything. Most had to eat otherwise starvation was their fate but what would satisfy their palate? I shuddered at the thought as one would clearly think humans what with typical tropes and all.

Using bait to keep them away was a viable strategy especially if you were low on health, but then there are those who felt the desire to destroy every monster they came across whether they were being aggressive or not. It really boiled down to being a pacifist, an aggressor, or both where you chose how each encounter would be handled. Wow... Who would've thought I'd be thinking in such a philosophical manner all because of food. In any case, I couldn't dwell on that which didn't exist in this world as it'd just make me feel upset. I should be grateful for the strategies I could already use.

Looking up at the sun and seeing it was getting closer to settling down for the night, I needed to get moving if I wanted to avoid sleeping outside despite being able to take care of myself quite easily. Taking out the ocarina and playing Manbo's Mambo, the only location that would take me the closest to the Hen House was the warp panel that was next to Zecora's place. Since she was inside, I could avoid making eye contact with her. I felt guilty over this but I couldn't afford any distractions especially being so close to finishing this adventure.

Disappearing in a bright light, I then reappeared moments later at my destination. Ignoring the Moblins who were throwing their spears, I walked up to the boulders I needed to toss aside to progress onward only to suddenly clutch my left shoulder due to a spear having gotten lodged into it. Princess Twilight reacted as one would expect. "Sunset! Are you alright!?" She knew that was the worst question she could ask considering the pain I was in but I could forgive her as she was in a state of panic.

"I am so glad I got the blue tunic." I said as I pulled the spear out of my shoulder and tossed it aside.

"The wound isn't too serious so you can easily walk it off."

"At least it wasn't my sword arm." I then looked at the Moblins who had since moved away from me which made me suspicious. "Why did they choose to leave me alone? I was hurt and they could've taken the advantage but instead they just upped and left."

Princess Twilight shrugged at first before coming up with a theory. "Maybe they think you're too powerful for them and have decided it's better to run rather than get cut down by your sword or whatever you fancy. After all, they just witnessed you pulling out one of their spears like it was nothing. To many monsters, seeing such a sight is enough for them to flee and not risk getting themselves on the receiving end. Those that choose to continue are either afraid of nothing or they were forced into continuing knowing that refusing could mean getting killed by a powerful individual."

"Do you suppose...?"

Shaking her head, Princess Twilight sighed. "As far as I can tell, killing monsters that refuse to fight or want to flee isn't something Ganondorf has done. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt here and say he allows his servants to do whatever they wish so long as it gets the job done. It's kind of funny that instead of taking care of a problem personally, he has others handle it instead. It makes me think that perhaps he's a little too proud and believes only those who are truly worthy deserve his attention."

"Does that include sending me to these worlds?"

"Sort of..."

I didn't like the sound of that. "So that would be a no?"

She shook her head again. "Even though he has sent you to these different places, what happens in them is completely out of his hands. As far as he knows, you're making your way through an adventure while he other things to occupy his time." Her Highness then remembered his ability to foresee any and all things thanks to his divine power. "Okay, so he does know what you're doing and what you will do but I am right about how it's all out of his hands."

"It makes me think I'm unworthy of anything."

Princess Twilight then comforted me. "No, you're worthy of a lot of things, Sunset."

"Thanks."

"To only face those who you think are worthy, he must have some kind of complex."

While it was true that I knew more about Ganondorf as opposed to Her Highness, I had to admit that I didn't know all that much in the first place. I knew where he was born and how he ended up becoming the wielder of the Triforce of Power, but I had no knowledge of what his childhood was like, what happened during his birth, or what made him want to take the path that lead towards darkness. In addition to those questions, there were many more which felt like they were being hidden behind a veil that needed to be peeled back so that the truth could become clear.

I knew what I had to do in order to get those answers. I needed to borrow Rainbow Dash's book, the 'Hyrule Historia' and brush up on my knowledge of the Demon King. I was fortunate to have learned about his fate in two different timelines upon a previous reading and perhaps maybe a third, yet there was still much more waiting for me to learn about it. For now, it was best to focus on my current objective otherwise it could prove distracting. I needed to keep the idea of knowing more about him at the back of my mind so that I wouldn't forget later on.

Picking up and tossing the boulders aside, I continued walking--though my shoulder did ache slightly--ignoring the first ladder and climbing up the second and was back in the Tal Tal Mountains. I quickly listened in hopes of being able to hear Starlight but I couldn't which made me think she was either too far away or was unable to speak. I then looked around to see if she was nearby... No luck there either. There was no doubt she was in the western part of the mountains. I had already determined this earlier but it didn't hurt thinking of being wrong about something for a change.

Knowing I had to backtrack all the way to the Hen House, I sighed as I didn't have much of a choice. Picking up the next set of boulders and tossing them, my shoulder ached again but I brushed it off since it could've been much worse (It could've been my neck, or my face, or maybe even an eye). Once they were out of my way, I then entered the cave and immediately raised my shield upon a Hardhat Beetle scuttling towards me. Bouncing off harmlessly, it was about to charge again when I struck it with a single sword swing. To my surprise, it got pushed back a lot further than usual which surely had to be because I had a stronger blade.

Attacking the Keese that were flying about, they too got knocked back further than normal. I then had a thought... If I obtained a Piece of Power (It had become very rare lately), my power would become even stronger and the monsters would really go flying. I shuddered knowing that too much power would only cause problems and would also make me become more susceptible to Ganondorf's influences, something I had to avoid. If I had come here by any other circumstances and he wasn't a constant presence, I'd have completely indulged in the notion of having all that power at my disposal.

Continuing on, I encountered the rock puzzle I had to solve in order to progress. While I hated the fact that this was my third time solving it, at least it wasn't difficult otherwise I'd really be upset about it. You'd think this could just be skipped over but apparently some puzzles loved resetting themselves. Pushing the first boulder into the abyss, I used the Roc's Feather to jump about whilst pushing additional boulders and breaking the dark crystals before I had finished. Despite loving solving puzzles, I wasn't a fan of having to solve them repeatedly as it was just unnecessary padding.

Heading down the stairs, I hopped slightly and put on the Pegasus Boots before dashing forward and through some more Keese and a couple of Green Zols. I had everything I needed though I supposed I could buy some more medicine from Sugar Belle unless there was some hidden in the final dungeon. Considering that had happened in the previous two dungeons, the odds of it happening a third time were high. Crashing into the next set of stairs and needing a moment to recover, I went up to the previous floor and was familiarized with those weird blocks.

Dashing through them, I soon went outside only to discover that the sun had set and nightfall had begun. "Guess I took a bit too long getting through that cave." I then looked upwards and gazed at the stars as they twinkled. "But, you have to admit that seeing the stars does make me feel relaxed. I'd forgotten what it was like going out stargazing with my friends."

"Including the other Twilight?"

I nodded feverishly. "Especially with Twilight Sparkle. She always brought with her some pretty fancy stargazing equipment which she built herself and her mother's cookies are just so good that in a different world, I'd eat nothing but them all day and every day."

"I'm glad you were able to make a life for yourself."

"You gave me one."

Princess Twilight smiled. "It's a thing I like to do for those I feel deserve it." Hearing her say that makes me happy knowing she believed I deserved a second chance, but also upset over how there were others out there who didn't get such a thing or refused. Her Highness then saw my expression and knew what to say. "Some people don't choose to take the opportunity to become a better person and look what happens to them. While it's okay to feel sorry for them, they made their decision and they must live with that choice." She then looked up at the stars before changing the subject. "You're right about how seeing the stars can relax your nerves."

"Yeah... But, we should seek shelter for the night."

"You needn't be afraid, Sunset."

"I'm not afraid!" I said as I blushed in an embarrassed manner.

Her Highness then giggled. "I'm sorry but I just couldn't resist. Fortunately, the monsters don't become more aggressive at night nor do some get replaced with others because the latter only come out during the darkness. However, your vision might get limited so be careful where you go. It should take about fifteen minutes to reach the Hen House provided you remember where it's located."

I never knew Her Highness had a mischievous side considering she's a princess and all. I guessed that underneath all that royalty was someone who loved having some fun though she couldn't do it as often as she wanted. Then again, Princess Celestia was known for being a trickster despite her regal presence suggesting otherwise. Without any opportunities to let it all hang out, you'd become nothing more than a complete bore devoid of any fun merits. To be a successful ruler meant having a strong connection with your subjects, to show that you were just like them.

Walking into the water and then heading right, I was fortunate that the moon's reflection was starting to shine on the water's surface. I used it in order to see where I was going given how I didn't have a torch on hand. Since I had been this way a couple of times before, I had already explored the caves so I didn't need to explore them again as there wouldn't be anything new. I walked past one such cave which housed a single treasure chest if I recalled correctly and kept on heading right before reaching the waterfall where the entrance to the Angler's Tunnel was located at the bottom below.

Another thought then crossed my mind. I thought it was disappointing that upon finishing a dungeon, there was no reason to go back to it again unless I missed something or were told that you could discover something new. Unfortunately, the latter never really came up for me as I was more focused on getting what I needed whenever I could and not worrying about getting every last thing. In that sense, dungeons could become forgotten very quickly unless they had some kind of gimmick that would make them an unforgettable experience. I knew some that I wouldn't forget any time soon.

Once I was past the waterfall, I was soon back in the water before reaching the ladder I needed to take. Climbing up, I was then hit in the head by a Blue Tektite which had chosen an awkward time to jump on top of me. Shaking off my sudden confusion, I finished my climb only to get hit on the head again which knocked me down. This Tektite was pretty confident given how it had hit me twice in quick succession, but I wasn't about to destroy it in revenge. No, I was simply unlucky enough to get hit and not be able to defend myself properly.

Ignoring it and crossing a bridge, I then stubbed my foot on a small boulder that I couldn't see due to the darkness. "Oh (Bleep!)" Yes... I just went and said an expletive.

"I didn't think you'd use language like that."

"You would when you get hurt like that." I groaned as I checked to make sure my foot was okay."

"Are you okay?"

I nodded. "It'll quickly pass but for the moment, the pain is unbearable!"

Princess Twilight then suddenly perked up her ears. "I can hear something... A couple of things actually." She then closed her eyes and began to concentrate. At first I couldn't hear a thing though that was because I was more focused on taking care of my foot but then Her Highness opened her eyes before bopping me on the head. "The first noise is very faint so I'm not entirely sure what it is but the second one is coming from above."

I then listened to this second noise and it sounded like someone was having fun. "The only person around here is Big Macintosh though you'd think he'd want some company aside from chickens."

"Then he must be having a good time."

"Hopefully we're not going to ruin by asking to spend the night."

"I'm sure he's reasonable enough to know that you need some rest before resuming your adventure."

Once my foot was feeling better, I continued moving forward though this time I decided to be smart and used an item to act as a guide. I went with my sword as it was just long enough to act like a stick and didn't have any immediate side-effects. Poking at the ground which enabled me to avoid stubbing my foot again or tripping over something, I opted to move slowly as I also didn't want to draw out any monsters that could be nearby. Was their vision limited in the darkness like mine was? Probably not as that one single eye could see practically specks on the ground what with how big it was.

As I continued moving slowly, I could hear the sounds of Tektites bouncing around, but they were few and far in between. Ignoring another cave as it was where the Bird Key had once been, I reached the stairs and walked up where I was greeted by the bright lights coming from Big Macintosh's place. Putting my sword away, I looked in either direction in order to see where those Blue Tektites were but couldn't see anything. It's not like I was going to go out of my way to find them since there wasn't any point other than wanting an unnecessary fight.

Now that I was right outside the Hen House, I could hear Big Macintosh more clearly, but he wasn't the only one I could hear. Every now and then, I could hear the sounds of his chickens including a loud noise which I recognized as belonging to the Flying Rooster. Entering the house, I was right in my suspicion. He was having a good time all because the rooster was flying him around much like what he did with me. I had been worried as to where he went after the Eagle's Tower but deep down in my heart, I just knew he would end up here since this place felt natural.

Upon noticing me, Big Macintosh called out. "Wooo! Finally! This Flying Rooster is the greatest! Now I know what my ancestors felt so long ago when they got to do this very thing day after day. Cluck cluck!"

"I could hear you from further down the mountain." I said.

"I can't help but be happy."

"So when did he get here?"

"He arrived about a few hours ago." Big Macintosh answered. He then asked the Flying Rooster to put him down which he did before the latter flew over to the table and landed on it in order to rest. "At first, I was surprised to find him outside my door on his own instead of with you seeing as he followed you around everywhere, but I guess you don't need him anymore so he wanted to find a new home."

"It's not like I got rid of him or anything."

"Nope!"

"Then you agree?"

Big Macintosh nodded. "Eyup! I had a feeling that there rooster wasn't going to stay with you forever. No disrespect to you but you look like someone who can't take care of a chicken to save her life." I wasn't offended by that remark as it did have a ring of truth behind it. Aside from my pet lizard Ray, I wasn't any good at taking care of animals. For some reason, they just didn't click with me aside from Ray. No wonder he won my heart so easily. Big Macintosh then continued. "Now that your rooster has decided to stay here with me, I've never felt so happy in my entire life."

"I'm actually glad he chose to come here."

"When it comes to raising chickens, I know what I'm doing." He then took on a more somber look before staring outside of a window. "I've been hearing someone calling out for help for a while now but I just can't seem to tell where it's coming from what with it being so faint. If someone came up this way looking for treasure or wanting to go for a walk, they chose a poor place to do either thing. These mountains are dangerous unless you have something to protect yourself with."

I then glared at him. "And how exactly did you get here?"

"I came when the monsters used to be very tame."

He had a point there but I had another question for him. "Okay, so why choose to live here? Why not in Mabe Village?"

"I prefer such a quiet place like this."

I glared at him again. "Considering you have monsters outside not to mention someone calling out for help, your logic doesn't make sense." It then dawned on me that there was no point in carrying on the conversation. For one thing, it was a losing battle as he would have additional answers that helped support his idea of living in a monster infested location. The other thing had to do with the 'elephant in the room'. Seeing as I would soon be forced to deal with that, I didn't want to think about it otherwise I'd just get upset. "But, I suppose you did make it work."

"Eyup!"

"Have you seen a young girl who sings in a beautiful voice?"

Big Macintosh shook his head. "Nope! Can't say that I have. If there was someone around here, they need to make sure to stay away from the western mountains. That area has recently become more dangerous than ever as though something has possessed the monsters there to become even more ruthless. Unless you have a weapon then you might survive but I don't recommend it period. Why? Are you looking for someone?"

I nodded. "Yes and I'm worried she's in way over her head."

"Unfortunately, the sun's gone down and traversing these mountains at night is dangerous."

"What can I do?"

"No sense in worrying about this person you're looking for." Big Macintosh answered in a stern voice. "If you worry too much then it will reflect upon you which in turn could lead to your undoing sometime down the road. If they are resourceful enough, they will find a way to survive throughout the night. They have to be if they came up this way knowing what kind of danger lurks around here. You look like you could do with some rest given your complexion so I suggest you stay here until morning. Your friend will appreciate being found by someone full of life instead of being barely just."

"I couldn't impose upon you."

"I insist." Big Macintosh said as he pointed to the Flying Rooster. "I owe you for giving me the best thing I've ever had aside from my chickens, cluck cluck! You're going to stay here for the night and that's my final offer."

Wow! I didn't think it would turn out like that. I mean, I was going to ask him to spend the night and he up and demanded that I did so. However, a part of me still felt concerned about Starlight. As much as I wanted to go out and look for her, Big Macintosh had a point with regards to my mental state. I needed a level-headed mind in order to find her otherwise I'd be no good to her or myself. He then walked over to the Flying Rooster before picking him up off the table and began flying around again which put a smile on my face.

It was moments like this, seeing someone having fun and not worrying about the dangers of the world, that gave me hope that things would work out. I knew Starlight was safe. I couldn't quite explain it but my gut was telling me this so I chose to heed its advice. It had proven itself correct many times before so once again I was banking on it being right. After watching Big Macintosh fly about for roughly an hour, my eyes couldn't keep themselves open and so I chose to get some sleep. Choosing a corner of the room as opposed to a bed or even one of the chairs, I slowly drifted off to sleep.

CRRACCKKLLE! FWWOOOOSHHH!

"You wished to speak to me, master?"

"The Outsider is nearing Turtle Rock!"

"Then it means her death is fast approaching."

Grogar shook his head. "Do not make the same mistake that the Grim Creeper made. She believed the Outsider would succumb to her traps but you know what happened. You must prepare yourself for she shall surely reach you." He then sighed which made Hot Head initially concerned but he waved his hand in response. "We have seen a vision of the battle that shall come to pass. Hot Head... You do not survive and are destroyed."

That made him upset to say the least. "I have questioned some aspects of your wisdom, master, but I do believe that your words are truthful this time. Deep down, I have been dreading my encounter with her for quite some time because of how far she has come. I believed one of the other Nightmares would've killed her and yet she has defeated them all leaving only me as the final obstacle she must face in order to face you."

"We have underestimated the Outsider from the start."

Hot Head nodded in agreement. "Unlike the people who live here, she has overcome every challenge thrown at her. It's as though she has done this kind of thing before and knew what to expect. Also, this power you said she possesses. I'm beginning to think that it played a factor in her getting to where she is right now." He then suddenly came to a strange conclusion and was eager to let Grogar know. "Master! Why did she come here?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why did she come to this island?" Hot Head answered with his own question. "If she never came to this island, the other Nightmares would still be around, the instruments would still be in their respective dungeons, and things would carry on as always. Nothing would have changed. What could've compelled her to come here? Did the Wind Fish somehow find a way to summon her? Or maybe it was just dumb luck on her part that brought her here? Or perhaps it was some kind of divine intervention?"

Grogar nodded in approval. "Whatever her reason for being here, she has come and is on the verge of undoing all that we have created. Once she has acquired the final instrument, she will come to our sanction in order to defeat us and awaken the dreamer."

"First, she must get through me!"

"It sounds like you wish to defy your fate."

Hot Head nodded as he began to flare up. "I shall change the outcome of your vision, master! I will never let her reach you in this most sacred of sanctums! Even if I have to kill myself, I will carry out my function as one of your Nightmares." He then cooled down before giving Grogar a strong glare. "Turtle Rock is not like the other dungeons. Many of those she has defeated have been resurrected and are waiting to face her again in hopes of succeeding. Aside from one of them, the rest are capable of resurrection after some time has passed thus making them even more dangerous."

"And what of your weakness?"

"Blaino is guarding that."

Grogar nodded. "Ah yes, the one that possesses tremendous power in his hands. We have no doubt that the Outsider will struggle against him but our vision of your destruction does mean that he too was also defeated by her. If you desire to overcome our vision, you must ensure he does not meet an unfortunate end. That which he guards is the one thing that you can be harmed by. Should she acquire this, our vision will come one step closer to becoming a reality."

"I wish I could've destroyed it!"

"Even though the Wind Fish sleeps, it still has some influence over this island."

"Curse that wretched creature!"

"Even from the beginning, the dreamer has been able to exert its influence in different ways."

"What do you mean?"

Grogar raised his finger before using some of his dark magic to create an image for Hot Head to look at. "This creature you see before you was created by the Wind Fish to watch over this island while it sleeps, yet it failed for we Nightmares have made it our own thus it resigned to its fate until she came. We have no doubt that the Outsider has been aided in a limited capacity by it from the very start." The image then disappeared which prompted him to gaze upwards. "Even when in an endless slumber created by us, the Wind Fish continues its defiance! Perhaps if we had acted quickly and killed this creature immediately, the Outsider might not have come so far."

"Judging from your tone, master, you're about to say something far worse than that."

Grogar sighed as he nodded his head. "She has also been getting help from a small fairy which has been by her side since she first arrived and is quite knowledgeable for such a pathetic creature. There are also three Spirit Princesses who have been guiding her by providing aid whenever she acquired one of the instruments. These four were not created by the dreamer and possess a power far beyond our understanding. However, we are most fortunate that they cannot aid her physically lest they would be here right now."

"So things were against us from the start."

"Yes."

That was enough to make Hot Head erupt in a fiery fury. "I don't care if the Outsider has been getting divine help! The fact remains that I will do everything in my power to kill her and prevent the Wind Fish from waking up. The Nightmares must remain in power or else all you've done will amount to nothing, my master!"

He then disappeared leaving Grogar alone with his own thoughts. "Though you are the strongest, you have allowed your temperament to blind you. Perhaps this feeling will be enough to defy your fate and ensure the Outsider's death. The answer shall soon become revealed..."

After I turned in for the night, Big Macintosh continued to fly around the Hen House's interior well into the late hours, but he too eventually slept as the Flying Rooster needed to rest as well. Who would've guessed that one could find so much enjoyment by flying slightly off the ground. I supposed everyone had their own idea of having fun and that nothing anyone else said should bother them. No doubt he was going to be back at it when morning came around so it was a good thing I wasn't planning on staying any longer than necessary.

Once morning had come, I thanked him for allowing me to spend the night before taking my leave. As soon as I was outside, I could hear him having a good time with the occasional clucking coming from both of them. Perking my ears up in hopes of hearing the faint voice from the other night, it took several seconds before I could hear it. I couldn't tell who it belonged to as it was still pretty faint, but I had an idea as to where it was coming from. Looking westward, I could see remnants of a bridge a short distance away and something told me I needed the Hookshot in order to get across.

Heading west and ignoring another Blue Tektite, I reached the bridge and my suspicion was correct. Much of it was missing with only a few pieces scattered about that served as platforms that I could walk on. I could also see what looked like boxes with something inside them I couldn't quite see what they were, but I knew I needed to pull myself across and get to the other side. Using my ears again, the voice had gotten a bit louder though I still didn't know who was calling out. At least this was the right way so I felt a slight sense of accomplishment.

Taking out the Hookshot, I aimed at the box closest to me before firing the chain and pulling myself across. Upon a safe landing, I inspected the contents of both boxes and was surprised to see that they each contained a large assortment of rocks. Why would someone leave these out in the middle of nowhere? Also, why hadn't this section collapsed as a result of how much weight was on top of it? When it came to physics, this world had proven itself unwilling to follow conventional means. Then again, it was a video game and since when did they ever follow such rules?

Since there was nothing I could do with these rocks, I ignored them and continued on. The voice was getting even louder and that's when I noticed someone was sitting on the next section of bridge. They were in some kind of fetal position so it was difficult to see who they were though I swore they looked very familiar. Calling out to them, they stood up and began looking around before shrugging their shoulders. To my utter surprise (And stupidity as I should've recognized her straight away), Starlight was the one who had been calling out for help this entire time. Yeah... I knew I was being sarcastic.

"Somebody... HELP!"

"At least we found her." Princess Twilight said.

"And here I thought she was trapped in some kind of dangerous situation." I added.

"I suppose to Starlight, this is dangerous."

"Good point."

Starlight then turned and noticed me. "Hey! Sunset Shimmer! Am I glad to see you!"

"What are you doing here?"

"Some monsters found me walking around and put me here." Starlight answered. She was about to look down before she closed her eyes and turned her head away before opening them up seconds later and looking at me again. "What should I do? I'm really afraid of heights! I've been calling out for help since last night yet no one came until you appeared. I don't know how I managed to survive being stuck outside all night long but that doesn't matter right now. I need to get down! Surely you can figure something out unless that brain of yours isn't working quite right."

"What was that?" I asked. I clearly heard her insult me just now but I wanted to make sure.

Starlight acted all innocent in response. "Huh? I didn't say anything bad about you. You must have been hearing things again like you've done a few times before."

I just frowned and said nothing. I knew this had to be the result of the character that she was portraying and not Starlight in general. A part of me did feel that she was insulting me perhaps because of some inner turmoil but it was clear she was simply acting out a role. The real Marin acted like this? I never would've guessed but then this adventure had given me many surprises. I really needed to borrow that book from Rainbow Dash as I felt genuinely curious to wanting to learn more about her and this world. Still... Her insults were beginning to get on my nerves.

Looking at where she was located, I knew that I couldn't simply jump across. Even if I were to combine the Pegasus Boots with the Roc's Feather, I'd still miss where she was standing by a couple of inches. No... The solution was an obvious one though hopefully it wouldn't catch her off guard. Calling out to her, I told her that I was about to try something and not to move. She responded by saying she trusted my judgment which was a pleasant surprise. Taking out the Hookshot, I aimed for another box that was on another piece of bridge right behind her when it connected and pulled me along.

In a sudden movement, I managed to grab onto Starlight and pulled her to safety where she got slightly knocked back. I checked to make sure she was okay. "Sorry if that was rather sudden but I didn't really have any other option. You are okay, aren't you?"

Starlight nodded. "Wow! That was definitely a surprise!"

"Be thankful that I gave you a warning."

"Thank you for saving me, Sunset Shimmer."

"Now... As I said before, what are you doing here?"

Starlight was silent before uttering her answer. "I... I have my reasons."

I smiled before sighing. "I figured you would though I won't ask for any specifics. In any case, coming here was very dangerous especially since the monsters have become even more aggressive than ever. Truth be told, I'm amazed at how you managed to make it all the way here without the means to protect yourself. Luck must definitely be on your side." I then remembered to address her by the name she is called in this world. "Marin... I was actually worried about you."

That surprised her. "You were?"

I nodded. "I wanted to find you sooner but night had come and searching for you in the darkness would've been stupid of me especially if I wasn't in the right state of mind. I know you're strong and independent but it doesn't mean wandering around a monster infested territory."

Starlight was even more surprised and began to blush which didn't escape my eye. "Um... Sunset Shimmer? There's something I want to..." She definitely had something to say but her emotions were making it difficult for her. "It's kind of hard for me to say this but..."

"MMMAAARRRIIINNN!"

Both of us were surprised to see Sunburst standing on a ledge that was just below the bridge. "Huh!? Tarin!?" Starlight exclaimed. "What are you doing here?" That was the very question I wanted to have answered. How in the world did he get up here? Then again... Did I really want to know that?

"It took me a while to make my way up here!" Sunburst answered.

"That didn't answer my question."

"I came here to make sure you were okay." Sunburst said. His heavy breathing indicated he was exhausted and needed a moment to catch his breath. "I've been worried sick about you but it looks like my worries were fer nothin." He then looked directly at me. "Marin was right about you being special." He then looked back at her. "Judging from that look on yer face, it means I ain't going say anything you don't want her ta hear. Anyway, I'm gonna head back to the village."

"I'll come with you."

"Yer sure about that?"

Starlight nodded. "I did what I came here to do so I don't need to be here anymore." She turned to face me. "Sunset Shimmer... I'm sorry but I really need to get going. I know you were hoping for me to explain myself but... Well... Tarin is going home and he'll probably get lost along the way or go to the Mysterious Forest for some mushrooms. He can be silly at times but that's what gives him his charm."

With that, Sunburst turned and walked along before going down some stairs. Starlight followed suit by walking past me, jumping down to the ledge below, and walking down the same stairs before she was gone. Whatever she was about to tell me, it was clear that she had trouble expressing herself. Despite having some questionable quirks, I could tell her words were honest even if she couldn't say what they were. I didn't know if she had any intention of telling me the real reason for being up here but then I knew someone who would provide me with that answer.

The sound of an owl hooting indicated that Flash Sentry was nearby. Sure enough, he appeared from the west and commanded his companion to land. Considering he knew a lot about what was happening around the island, he would know what Starlight's intentions were. "I witnessed you rescuing that girl from her predicament. Even when you are working towards completing your goal, you find time to help those who are in need."

"Do you know why she was here in the first place?" I asked.

Flash Sentry nodded. "That girl sang her song in front of the egg. You are familiar with it as she went and taught it to you when you firs acquired the means to play music. Her song, 'The Ballad of the Wind Fish' is a song of awakening and possesses mystical powers. Only a chosen few can use such power successfully."

"Why would she sing that?"

"Perhaps... She actually intended on awakening the Wind Fish?"

My jaw dropped in shock. "What!? What compelled her to want to wake it up? I thought you needed to collect the eight Instruments of the Sirens? Have I been wasting my entire time collecting them only to be told that they aren't necessary as you claimed?"

Shaking his head, Flash Sentry pointed towards the egg. "The instruments are required to awaken the dreamer. This is no lie and you know this to be true. You also have the means to complete the final connection and face your destiny but first you must obtain that which awaits you. Go west from here past the magical flames and further still until the path has reached its end and there you will find your destination. Play your melodies so the unliving stones might hear. Show your courage! The Wind Fish waits for you!"

"I don't understand!"

"All will become clear soon."

Whispering some words to his owl, it took to the sky leaving me with more questions than answers. I wasn't surprised by this because this had been the usual thing that occurred every time I encountered him. He would provide some information but intentionally leave out something vital which was when he would depart. This was also true with the three princesses but to a slight extent. They could only say so much to me due to being forced to make me figure certain things out on my own. Flash Sentry didn't have any such restriction so I wished he would just come out and tell me everything.

"Twilight..." I began. "Did you understand any of that?"

"I believe I do." Princess Twilight answered.

"Well that makes one of us."

"I know Flash Sentry's words can be confusing but once you get past the more complicated words, the solution is actually rather simple." Again, I was more of the hands-on expert when it came to solving a puzzle. Having to rely on books or just words on their own wasn't my thing which Her Highness knew quite well. After all, we've both grown closer as friends during these various ordeals and even now we continue discovering new things we didn't know before. "Remember when Cadance said you needed to use the ocarina?"

I nodded. "Yeah. What about it?"

"You have the means to enter the final dungeon."

"I understood that but what did Flash Sentry mean about unliving stones?"

That made Her Highness think for a moment before she could provide an answer. "Okay, you have a point when it comes to understanding what Flash Sentry says. I think we'll discover the answer once we actually get there."

As much as it annoyed me, I had no other choice but to see the dungeon's entrance for myself. Looking around to see where else I could go as the path that was taken by both Starlight and Sunburst would take me out of this area and back into the Ukuku Prairie. I then noticed some stairs which went down into a tunnel. Since there was no other direction I could go, I decided to take it and hoped I'd reach my destination straight away rather than simply just getting closer to it. And yet, I had this feeling it would be the latter because that had often been the case with stuff like this.

Walking along and then down the stairs, I entered the tunnel which was actually just another cave with a pair of Keese and one of those skulls. Taking out the Boomerang, I tossed it at each one in turn, destroying them both with it returning to me each time. With them out of the way, I walked down some small steps which was when I noticed a door leading south but before I could make a decision, I was hit from behind by a Spiny Beetle that had scuttled towards me. It then turned around and went back to where it had originally been before as the skull I noticed earlier.

Choosing to shake off the attack, I thought about heading south which is when Princess Twilight decided to do something different. She flew in that direction and was gone for a couple of minutes before coming back and letting me know that going that way would lead to a dead-end. I knew that some directions were red herrings yet this was taking it to a whole new level. Her Highness also said two more Spiny Beetles were down that path along with a Green Zol. Thanks to what she did, I didn't need to go down that path and could instead stay on the main one.

Heading west, I approached another staircase which was located on a lower platform in the shape of a cross. I couldn't help but feel suspicious about this but I couldn't start second-guessing myself. Jumping down and then heading down into the next tunnel, I entered a room which began with a very narrow corridor but quickly opening up to a larger area. Walking along slowly in case any Green or Red Zols decided to attack me unexpectedly (This didn't happen), I reached the open area which was a massive abyss.

I suspected that I could've crossed this with the Flying Rooster which meant if I had been more curious and wanting to explore further, I could've come here much sooner in order to give myself a look ahead. However, the magical flames I'd been told about would've halted any further progression. Oh well. No sense in complaining about it. Taking out the Hookshot, I fired the chain, striking the boulder, and pulled myself safely across the abyss. I then encountered two more Keese which I defeated by using my sword though neither one dropped anything which was slightly disappointing.

Exiting the cave, I found myself in a new area though my progression was restricted to a narrow corridor located on the side of a mountain. Suddenly, a loud noise coming from above startled me followed by rocks tumbling down before disappearing as they hit the ground. "That was too close for comfort!" I said as I breathed heavily.

Princess Twilight nodded. "It seems this part of the Tal Tal Mountains are a bit unstable hence why rocks are falling down from above. I'm sure you know that you can't destroy them so your best bet is to avoid them as best as you can."

"Getting hit by one isn't a good thing, right?"

"Correct."

"That wasn't me being sarcastic by the way."

"I know." Princess Twilight said as she winked. "There is something else you should know. Those boulders can knock you down to lower ledges so if you don't want to be forced to do a little bit of backtracking, don't get hit!"

"No need to tell me twice!"

A few boulders then tumbled down from above and once the coast was clear, I walked across the narrow path only to run into a Mini-Moldorm. These cramped quarters did it no favours since it couldn't maneuver around all that much. I kind of felt sorry for it. It then lunged at me where I responded by striking it once defeating it. Having a more powerful sword was already proving its worth though stronger monsters wouldn't been taken down quite so quickly. Before heading up the stairs, more boulders came down so I waited for them to pass before continuing on.

The next corridor had no monsters blocking my path but instead more boulders kept coming down. I thought about using my shield as a protective umbrella but it wasn't big enough to protect me on all sides. Knowing I didn't have much of a choice, I had to risk getting hit in order to get to the next point. Breathing heavily, I then moved forward only to almost get hit straight away. Not a very good start right there, Sunset. Weaving through as best as possible, I had a few more close encounters before reaching the end of the corridor unscathed... Until another one smacked me in the head.

I felt woozy for a brief moment before shaking it off and climbing up the ladder. As expected, the boulders stopped dropping though I couldn't see any unstable areas as Princess Twilight mentioned. Could those boulders have been enchanted by magic? Anyway, I saw a chest nearby along with a Mini-Moldorm to my right which was trapped by some boulders with a second one by the chest. Ignoring the one that was trapped as I saw no reason to fight it, the other one lunged forward but I defeated it before it could hit me.

Opening up the chest revealed a purple rupee. Again, money wasn't really an issue but it was nice to have. Heading further left, I reached an apparent dead-end as the way forward was blocked by a rather heavy boulder, and I could make out something glowing underneath another boulder directly behind it. The only way to go was to drop down to a path below and so I did whilst suffering no fall damage. This next area was filled with heavy boulders as far as the eye could see along with a single Like-Like and a Shrouded Stalfos.

Defeating the Like-Like in a couple of hits before it could eat me, the Shrouded Stalfos moved backwards before throwing a spear. I blocked its attack by raising my shield only to block another one before hitting it with another swing of my sword which defeated it and it dropped a blue rupee. Picking it up, I looked around to see where I could go next and the cracked section in the mountain side was pretty obvious as it stuck out like a sore thumb. Walking up to the crack, I took out a bomb and placed it on the ground before stepping back when it then exploded seconds later revealing a cave entrance.

Heading inside, the cave started off as a narrow corridor with cracked sections on the ground. Moving across these slowly so as to not accidentally make them crack, I continued on before suddenly being stopped by a burst of flame. "What in the world is this?"

"These must be the magical flames that we've been hearing about."

"It's just a single jet of flame."

"You sound disappointed."

"Well, yeah." I was pretty upset at seeing this obstacle. "The way it had been described, this was supposed to be some kind of difficult challenge but instead, it's just this so I can't help but feel upset over it. I've seen way worse things made of fire you know." It then dawned on me that perhaps this was thrown in here at the last minute so as to take advantage of what the Mirror Shield could do given how I got it later in this adventure. "But, I can see why I needed the Mirror Shield. A regular one couldn't push back fire moving that quickly."

"Had you come here sooner with the Flying Rooster, you'd have been stuck."

"I guess not exploring too much proved to be beneficial this time around."

"That's one way to look at it."

"How many of these do you think I need to get past?"

"Just the one."

Her response was very surprising. "What!? Are you sure about that, Twilight?"

Princess Twilight nodded in response. "I know it's not what you'd call an honest guess since there's no way of knowing what lies beyond these flames, but I just feel that this is a one-time obstacle that will never come up again. I do believe, however, that this was the work of Grogar in an attempt to prevent anyone from getting any further. I must admit that this is rather basic especially for one of Equestria's most legendary evil forces but it has proven effective against everyone except for you since you have the required item needed to progress."

I gazed down at the Mirror Shield on my left arm. "You mean this?"

"Yes."

Looking at the stream of fire, I could kind of see why this obstacle was created. At the same time, it was just another reminder that many video games blocked progression until you had the right item necessary to get past whatever was in the way. Oh well. Not much sense in complaining about it. The only consolation I could take from this was getting to see my shield being used as intended. A part of me was curious as to what might have happened to my old shield had I tried pushing back these flames with it.

Raising the Mirror Shield up, I slowly moved forward towards the flames. At first, it looked like I was about to get roasted, but the shield performed its task by pushing the flames back to where they originated from. Once it was safe enough to continue, I quickly moved to the left and watched as the flames shot out again. Maybe I ought to be thankful that this was a simple puzzle instead of say having to go through an entire room of these. Just thinking about that made me shudder. I'm okay dealing with fire as it was kind of my attribute but even I knew that too much was exactly that.

Heading left and up some more stairs, I found myself back outside again. That wasn't as long of a cave as I thought. In fact, I was expecting to have to go through at least two or three more rooms before coming exiting. To my left was the heavy boulder which had forced me to drop down to the lower levels of the mountains. There was also the small boulder which had something glowing underneath it. Picking it up and tossing it aside, I discovered it covered up another warp panel so now I could come back here again without needing to take the tunnel with the magical flames.

Turning around, I walked westward when a Leever popped out of the ground, surprising me, and poking my feet in the process. Before I had a chance to retaliate, it took off like a rocket before digging into the ground again. The same thing couldn't be said for a Like-Like which I defeated in one hit. Continuing on, more Leevers popped up and I was forced to dodge them as best as I could given they were way more deceptive at popping up compared to the Green and Red Zols which were obvious. A Moblin then approached me and threw a spear which got blocked when I raised my shield.

Defeating it with a sword swing, I then stopped when I noticed something that made me slap my forehead. "What in the world is a telephone booth doing way out here!?" Then my next question immediately came to mind. "How did Discord manage to get past those flames without the use of a Mirror Shield!?" To say that I was annoyed was putting it mildly but rather I was just flabbergasted by it. After calming down, I considered giving him a call but decided not to as I wanted to try and figure out what needed to be done once I reached Turtle Rock.

My decision wasn't lost on Princess Twilight. "You're not going to ask Discord for his help?"

I nodded. "I want to see if I can solve this riddle on my own."

"While there's nothing wrong with wanting help, I can understand where you're coming from."

That's when I began to second-guess myself. "Maybe I'll take a look at what I'm up against and then give him a call." I pointed at something off in the distance that looked very suspicious before pointing back at the tree. "How do you think he got this booth out here?"

Princess Twilight shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. This is Discord we're talking about! He can do pretty much anything and everything on a whim. He's like Pinkie Pie only way more chaotic and possessing the ability to warp the fabric of reality with a twitch of his finger."

"But surely not in this world?"

"You never can tell with him."

I just had to laugh at that. Feeling a bit better, I kept on heading west until the strange object that was in the distance could now be seen properly. It wasn't just one object but rather three of them with two being the exact same thing. Before me was a large rock shaped like some kind of turtle with two hands located on either side. I had no doubt that this was Turtle Rock as the homage was pretty obvious but I couldn't see any kind of entrance. Taking a closer look, I could make out something behind the turtle's head and if I had to wager, the head needed to be removed somehow.

That's when I noticed two creatures sitting on each hand. "Are those... Dinosaurs?"

"They are similar but not quite." Princess Twilight answered. Both creatures then eyed her closely which made her feel very uncomfortable. "These are called Dactos and bear a slight resemblance to pterosaurs. They aren't very durable so it should take a hit or two from your sword, but they are quite fast and can attack you before you can defend yourself. You can only find them in the Tal Tal Mountains which make them a rather rare encounter."

Inching towards the head of the turtle so as to not get the attention of the Dactos, they remained perched on its hands enabling me to tap the stone head. After a few tries, I concluded that was genuine rock and no amount of strength was going to make it budge. I then thought about what Princess Cadance and Flash Sentry said about using the ocarina, but it still didn't make any sense. "I'm completely stumped!" I said as I slowly back away.

"And I thought I figured out Flash Sentry's words."

"I'm going to talk to Discord!" While I looked like a complete idiot for not figuring out what I needed to do (I'm sure someone out there is thinking of me like this), I made my way back to the telephone booth only for the two Dactos to begin chasing me. Fortunately for me, they quickly lost interest and flew back the other way. At least I got to see how fast they moved which would make it easier for me to handle them later. Reaching the booth and heading inside, I picked up the receiver where it then began ringing.

BBRRIINNG! BBRRIINNG!

"D'oh ho ho! Ulrira speaking!" Discord answered on the other end.

"How did you manage to get a telephone booth passed the magical flames?" I meant to ask him about the turtle and instead I blurted out wanting to know about something that had nothing to do with my current problem.

"The thing is, I planted the tree you're standing in many years ago."

"And?"

Discord was quiet for a moment before answering. "Well... I don't ever recall seeing any 'magical flames' during my travels in the mountains. It sounds like someone went and installed some kind of mechanism in order to keep people from getting to Turtle Rock. I remember those caves and not once did I see any fire or things that breathed it. Turtle Rock on the other hand is filled with fire so perhaps it inspired someone to make that mechanism?"

Whether he realized it or not, he gave a hint about the final dungeon, and that it was fire-based. I then finally addressed the current problem which is what I should've done in the first place, and yet my blunder wouldn't have caused him to give me that hint. "I'm actually at Turtle Rock and it's quite an impressive sight. It's just that I wish to enter but there's a giant rock shaped like a turtle blocking me and I can't understand what I'm supposed to do."

"The head of the turtle is in your way?"

I nodded. "Yes!"

"D'oh ho ho! That's an easy one to answer."

"Somehow, I knew you'd know."

"Many years ago, that turtle was a living creature, but then it eventually became encased in stone." Discord then sounded like he was crying but he insisted otherwise saying that he wasn't a sentimental fool. "Anyway, it's not going to move no matter what you do. If you put some life in it, it should move. I know hearing me say that sounds like I'm crazy, but it's true! I also know that there's a special song that can make things come alive that is taught by the elusive Mamu. Surely I don't need to tell you which song it is."

"I think I do." I said with a quiet voice.

"Then you should be fine so long as you don't get burned. Bye!"

CLICK!

Now I felt like even more of an idiot! If there was a definition for the word stupid in the dictionary, you'd see a picture of my face next to it. As soon as he mentioned Mamu was when it clicked for me. Princess Twilight said nothing as she knew that I was feeling pretty bad about not figuring out something so obvious. She instead comforted me which made me smile yet the fact remained that I experienced a personal moment of weakness that would linger about for quite some time.

Leaving the telephone booth and heading back over to the entrance of Turtle Rock, the two Dactos moved from their perches and flew towards me. I raised my shield just in time as both bounced off it which left them vulnerable. I swung my sword and defeated one in a single hit which prompted the other one to flee knowing it could end up the same way. With them taken care of, I stood in front of the turtle head before taking out the ocarina and began combing through my memory to remember how 'The Frog Song of Soul' went since I only used it once before to revive the Flying Rooster.

Once I remembered it, I played the song and then waited for something to happen. Just when it looked like I was about to fall asleep, the head began to shake which meant action was coming my way. This shaking continued which made me think it would open its mouth to let me inside when suddenly, it jutted forward before its eyes began glowing. It moved forward again revealing a long neck though my concern was with the snarls it was making with its mouth. That's when I noticed the head had a large crack which occurred upon moving after being brought back to life.

"Twilight? I think it's about attack."

"I believe you're right." Princess Twilight added.

The turtle head then swung back and forth a couple of times before lunging forward which caught me by surprise as well as knocking me to the ground. If I were to get knocked off of this ledge, I'd either be taking a plunge into the ocean or fall back down to the plains before. "I can't believe it! I exclaimed upon getting back up. "Am I actually fighting the dungeon!? How do you fight against an entire building?"

"It's not the dungeon itself but rather the personification of a turtle."

"Whatever it is, it's in a bad mood!" I shouted before ducking to avoid getting hit a second time.

"Did you notice the crack that appeared?"

I nodded. "What of it?"

"I don't think I need to tell you something that obvious, Sunset." Her Highness giggled slightly which made me do the same before I got knocked down by the head again. "If you want this to go quickly, use Bomb Arrows as they are more accurate and can explode faster than bombs on their own."

"Do you think this thing is alive?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "I have a hunch that there's another form underneath all that rock."

"Only way I'll know is to crack that rock open!" Putting my sword and shield away as I wouldn't be needing either for the time being, I took out my bow and held it in one hand, and this was where it would become tricky as I needed to juggle taking out bombs, loading them onto my arrow tips, and firing them whilst trying to avoid getting hit. Was I confident in my abilities to carry this out? Not in the least! Unfortunately, if I wanted to enter this dungeon, it would require me to step up. I wished I had used Bomb Arrows more often but now was as better a time as any.

Aiming my bow, I was about to take out a bomb when the turtle head lunged and knocked me down again. Rolling to the side and then getting back up, I needed to focus on watching its movements closely and firing the moment it was about to make a move. It darted to the left then to the right and repeated this a second time before lunging forward where this time I moved to the side. Okay, so it attacks after darting back and forth at least four times though this could be it trying to psych me out. I shook my head. No... I can't afford to second guess myself in a situation like this.

It lunged and knocked me down again. I wasn't taking too much damage though I need that to stop otherwise I'd use my Magic Medicine. I hadn't used the one I found hidden in Eagle's Tower which showed that I was getting better at surviving, yet I needed it in order to survive the ordeals of Turtle Rock. After the head darted about four times, I quickly took out a bomb, placed it on my arrow, and fired at point-blank range as it had lunged at me again. The resulting explosion appeared to do nothing which felt utterly dejecting, and that was when I decided to use a but of reckless behaviour.

Before it had a chance to do anything, I began shooting several Bomb Arrows in succession which made Princess Twilight shout out for me to stop. I didn't listen and continued firing them with each hitting the head and causing more damage. When my next one connected, the rock cracked and it revealed something green which meant she was right about this thing having another form. It lunged at me in retaliation which knocked me down again and caused me to drop my bomb where it exploded though I rolled away before I sustained any accidental damage.

I finally stopped for a moment. "I think that worked out pretty well."

Princess Twilight was surprised when I said that. "Um... Maybe you ought to not do that especially when we're inside otherwise you could bring the entire dungeon down on top of us. Shooting like crazy can be effective but showing some restraint is also a good idea to follow.

I blushed. "Okay, so I went way overboard by a huge margin. At least it was effective... Somewhat." Firing one more Bomb Arrow, it exploded on the turtle head's face and when the smoke cleared, its true form was revealed, and it wasn't at all what I expected. "What the!? That doesn't look like a turtle at all!"

"It looks more like a dragon."

"Whatever it's supposed to be, it's very mad now."

"Now that it's true form has been revealed, you can switch over to your sword and attack it."

"Anything else?"

Princess Twilight looked at the barrier behind me which prompted me to look in the same way. "If you can make it hit that barrier, you can stun it for a few moments. You couldn't do this before as its shell acted as a shield but now that it's gone, you can consider taking advantage and using that to score some additional damage. Oh, and one more thing to mention. It's going to move a lot faster now since its shell is broken."

That was what usually happened when a powerful monster's weak point had been exposed or it had gotten furious over my progress. It would begin to act more aggressive and not care as much for its own well-being if it meant killing me in the end. As Her Highness stated, the turtle head began darting back and forth much faster than before and when it lunged at me, it surprising took a couple of seconds to build up some power before attacking. The sheer force of its lunge pushed me back to the very edge of the ledge where I struggled to keep myself from falling into the ocean.

Regaining my footing, I also noticed that it kept its head above ground when it darted back and forth. This meant I could only attack when it was about to attack itself or when it got stunned by hitting the barrier. Upon finishing darting back and forth, it lunged at me again where I moved to the side and it smacked its face on the barrier. As it reeled from the impact, I managed to get in a few good hits before it snapped out of its confusion and reared back. It then repeated its darting before lunging again though I used my shield and parried each shot before it moved back.

Yeah... This thing had a really simple attack pattern despite having gotten faster. I supposed that since this was a surprise monster encounter, it wasn't meant to be all that challenging and instead meant to leave you confused as to what it was. Perhaps I needed some more experience which would indicate I should've taken on more of Zecora's custom dungeons. I sighed before focusing on the turtle head as it began darting back and forth yet again.

When it lunged at me, I stepped to the side where it smacked into the barrier and got stunned again. Since I had a stronger sword, it wouldn't take that many hits as opposed to whatever the standard amount would've been. Attacking it a few more times, it then reared back though I had no idea how close I was to defeating it. It then darted back and forth before lunging again where I was hit and knocked down to the ground. Looks like it still had some fight left in it. Getting back up and waiting for it to do its thing, I moved to the side when it lunged and I responded by attacking repeatedly.

It still wasn't enough as it reared back and began darting back and forth. I guessed I could've been attacking it while it was preparing to lunge but I wasn't confident in my own speed thus not wanting to take any risks that could cause me to get more injured than necessary. It lunged again and collided with the barrier causing its confusion and once again I attacked repeatedly until it finally made a noise and stopped moving signaling its defeat. It's eyes began to roll around in a daze whilst its mouth hung open where it began exploding numerous times before disappearing in one last explosion.

This left the dungeon entrance open. "That... Was just weird, pure and simple."

Princess Twilight nodded. "Never did I expect to see a dungeon entrance fight you in order to prevent you from going inside. I know this isn't important but I'm simply fascinated that this happened in the first place."

"Only you would be excited about something like that."

"I can't help loving discovering something new."

I rolled my eyes. "In any case, that turtle head proved to be more problematic than I thought. It's going to get even worse once we're inside but I've been expecting it for quite some time now as this is the final dungeon."

"Are you ready?"

Nodding, I entered the now opened entrance and was in a room where I could immediately feel the temperature suddenly increase rapidly. I had been told by Discord that this was a fire-based dungeon and this sudden increase was merely the first indication of what was to come. A voice in my mind then said that this was 'Level 8. - Turtle Rock', a name I had come to know. It would also be one that I might come to dread. Compared with previous entrance rooms, this one felt rather lacking. Aside from a pair of statues with each possessing a single eye, there was nothing else of note.

The only direction I could go was north and so I did where I entered a room and felt the heat even more. In front of me was a small river of lava and falling into it was certain death. Already, the heat started to get unbearable yet it was something I needed to get used to if I wanted to survive what awaited further inside. Doors to the left and right of me suddenly locked themselves, but before I could try to figure out the puzzle, a pair of fireballs struck me from out of nowhere. Dropping to my knees, I looked up and saw some kind of demonic creature which reminded me of my own time as a demon.

"What is that?"

"That is a Vire." Princess Twilight answered. "This monster only appears in Turtle Rock though it can be difficult to deal with. It can attack by throwing fireballs in different directions which can be blocked either by using your sword or shield. If you manage to block their shots enough times, they will come down which is when you can attack them. Hitting them a few times will cause them to split into two Big Keese that will fly away rather than stay and fight. Most items have no effect against them though surprisingly the Hookshot is effective along with another item you haven't found yet."

"Are they supposed to be demons?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "They are akin to devils or demons even though they are more like an evolved Keese. They move about and act on their own without the need of others but don't underestimate this creature. It's very fast and can dodge your sword swings very quickly. Patience is essential when fighting them."

"Can I ignore it for the time being?"

"You can since you can go north but you will need to defeat it in order to go left or right."

"I'll try the north path first."

Nodding, Princess Twilight had no problem with my decision. In all fairness, I wanted to see how far I could progress until I needed to do some backtracking. If this place was as big as I was thinking it was, backtracking would be the least of my concerns. If anything, it was this intense heat that had the potential to do me in before any monster could potentially do that. Ignoring the Vire which continued shooting fireballs, I took out the Roc's Feather and jumped over the river of lava before heading north into the next room where there was even more lava.

Her Highness then noticed me sweating profusely. "Are you alright?"

"It's even hotter in this room."

"We are in a volcano after all."

"Come again?"

"With all this fire, we are inside of a volcano though I don't suppose it will erupt any time soon." Princess Twilight then flew over to some kind of strange device whereby I followed her to see what had gotten her attention. It looked like some kind of machine with a red button on top yet she was completely enamored by it. "Hmmm... If I'm correct then this is how you progress further. I don't see any steering mechanism so perhaps it runs on using thought?"

That's when I interrupted. "Care to explain it to the rest of the class?"

That made her jump or stutter in her case as she was a fairy. "Oh! Sorry about that!" She pointed at the device. "This thing can help you out though I'm not sure what it will do or how it's supposed to work. I guess I got too engrossed and ended up ignoring you."

"I can use this?"

"Yes."

I took a look at the device for myself. It was rather simple in design but also incredibly durable if it was just floating there in the lava. As Her Highness had pointed out, there was no way to steer it though her notion of using my mind sounded rather absurd. Then again, she might be onto something. I could see a chest, a cracked section of wall, a staircase on the other side of the lava, and a few more ways forward to the north. There was no way I could jump across even with the Pegasus Boots providing extra speed. No, I needed to take a more slow approach which meant trying out this device.

Pushing it forward, it moved across the lava and was changing it into tiles that I could walk on. It then suddenly veered to the left before stopping by the area where the chest and cracked wall were located. Now things were beginning to make sense. I had a hunch this was going to be a recurring theme in this dungeon so it was best to figure out how I could control maneuvering the device assuming that I hadn't already done so without realizing it. Stepping onto the first tile, it was indeed real and my foot didn't suddenly melt away in molten lava as a result.

Choosing to take it slowly as the lava was still pretty lethal, I made my way up to the chest to discover that it was being blocked by some blocks. Awkward pun aside, I was about to walk forward when I noticed the device had disappeared. In fact, it did so when it reached proper ground. Unless I could bring it back, I might have locked myself out from progressing any further. Nah! I'm sure it will respawn if I leave the room and then come back again... I hoped. Before deciding to use a bomb, I pushed one of the blocks where it moved forward making me remember how this puzzle worked.

I pushed another one forward and then a third down which allowed me access to the chest. Upon opening it up, I took out the Dungeon Map. "How about that? I managed to find this pretty early."

"Perhaps it's a sign of good fortune?"

"Maybe..." I took a closer look at the dungeon's layout and I was left stunned. "Twilight... I think you spoke a little too soon right there."

Checking the map herself, Her Highness gulped before realizing that she was right. "This... This is a much bigger dungeon than I thought it was." The map showcased dozens of rooms that went off in so many different directions to the point where it looked like every last panel could potentially contain a room. The only cute thing about this was how the layout was in the shape of a turtle. "Hmmm... This will definitely take quite some time to get through."

"Why did it have to be so huge?"

"It is the final dungeon after all."

"Now I'm starting to lose my confidence."

To Be Continued.

Chapter 30: Return of Former Forces.

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.
By Ganondorf8.
April 10, 2021.
Chapter 30: Return of Former Forces.

Even though I had been warned ahead of time, I honestly wasn't expecting to be faced with such a massive layout for this dungeon. I felt completely overwhelmed by how many rooms there were. Not even the Eagle's Tower or the Face Shrine were this big! I never really thought about it before until no, but having a vague glimpse of what each room looked like gave me an idea of what could be waiting for me. Sure, I couldn't see the exact details what with most rooms being slightly faded out yet this was meant to keep in suspense. Did I appreciate this? Not at all!

What I could make out was that only a small number of rooms had lava in them. Considering that Princess Twilight said that this dungeon was inside of a volcano, I was honestly expecting more lava to maintain the overall theme. I supposed I shouldn't complain about something which could kill me instantly. With so many rooms, the Nightmare could be hiding anywhere and I'd never know it until it was too late. That's why finding the Compass was also a priority as it'd give me both and end goal and show each treasure chest location as the dungeon item was also necessary.

As I continued looking at the map, I had to question who decided to build a dungeon inside of a volcano. This wasn't my first time going through something like this as I recalled going through something similar during my first journey though my memories of that adventure continued to be hazy. Anyway, the point was building a dungeon in such conditions was just insane period! One of the outer walls could break away causing lava to come gushing forth which in turn would destroy everything (It made me wish I had any kind of immunity to lava) and leaving nothing but a mess.

I put the map away and as I did, I knew that I would be relying on it more than any other I had acquired. Hopefully, it was heatproof otherwise if it were to burn to ashes or somehow fell into any pools of lava... Just thinking about such outcomes made me shudder. Back to the matter at hand, by coming this way, I had trapped myself though that wasn't really an issue since I had Manbo's Mambo, but using that was taking the easy way out. Surely one of these blocks could be pushed in order to give me a way to get back to the first rooms without needing to warp there.

Pushing some of the blocks in hopes that one of them would move, I was surprised when one did and it sank down into the lava. I needed to remember that it was the fourth one from the lava to my left so as to not waste any time pushing the wrong one by accident. Looking back at the device, I wanted to try it again in hopes of creating another path that could take me somewhere else. I also felt it was going to become a common occurrence around here so mastering its controls was in my best interest. The cracked wall was clearly hiding something and looked out of place.

Taking out a bomb, I placed it in front of the cracked wall and it exploded revealing the way forward. In the next room, I could see three Peahats sleeping on the other side of some blocks, and was surprised that they could survive in such an environment. Heading right, I quickly discovered that it lead to a dead end and a pool of lava which was the same one from the previous room. Heading back the other way, there was a staircase which went downstairs into a tunnel. Entering it, the heat was starting to get to me but I shook it off knowing I needed to be stronger if I was going to survive.

Upon taking a single step forward, I stopped when something launched itself from the lava below. "Yikes!" I shouted as a fireball with eyes almost roasted me before it plunged back down into the lava. "What in the world was that!?"

"That was a Lava Bubble." Princess Twilight answered.

"Why does that name sound familiar?"

"It's also known as a Podoboo."

I wanted to pound my head against a wall when Her Highness mentioned that name but refrained from it. This was another enemy from the Mario series though it actually made sense being in this world as it didn't stand out. Instead, it fit in pretty well. "I take it I can't defeat this thing?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "It's an obstacle that must be avoided. It will try to leap forth from the lava in order to surprise you. The damage it inflicts is minimal but the main issue is that they can knock you into the lava from whence they come from."

"How can I survive getting hit by a fireball?"

"You'd be surprised as to what you can be hit by."

"I've already seen plenty of that already."

Coughing, Princess Twilight returned to the matter at hand. "There is about a three second gap every time they drop back into the lava and leap forth again. Use that to your advantage and you can safely cross this room without getting singed. Patience is required here, Sunset, otherwise things will get hot pretty quick."

If that was meant to be a joke, Her Highness did a terrible job of it. Looking ahead at the different pools of lava, I could see at least five Lava Bubbles (I was going to refer to them as such from now on) with the latter two requiring me to get past them by using some ladders. Suddenly, I began to feel woozy as the heat began getting to me again. Shaking it off, I took out the Roc's Feather and prepared myself. When the Lava Bubble leapt upwards from the lava before dropping back down again, I jumped over and landed on the next platform just as the second one leapt forth.

All five came forth from the lava at once so there was no need for me to figure out five different patterns. Jumping past the next couple of pits, I reached the ladders and saw just how small most of them were. One slip up and I would accidentally plunge into lava. I wished that I were a Goron right now as they loved walking about in lava and would make this ordeal an easier experience, but I knew I couldn't as that ability came from a different adventure. Waiting for the Lava Bubbles to leap upwards, they did so only to quickly drop down again due to the low ceiling.

Once they were gone, I jumped and grabbed the ladder closest to me before shimmying along and reaching the one that would get me out of this tunnel. Climbing up it and re-entering the dungeon, this next room featured pits, pots, a locked door, and four Ropes that were minding their own business. I could also see a chest and I wanted it as it was sure to contain something I needed. Picking up a pot, I tossed it at a Rope which defeated it instantly. While it was a nice change of pace seeing weak monsters, this was merely the calm before the storm.

Using the remaining pots to defeat the Ropes, the door unlocked which allowed me to progress further, but first I opened the chest and took out a Stone Beak. Finding this early was also a blessing as I was certain I'd need help with whatever devious puzzles lurked ahead. Choosing to head north rather than go back through the tunnel with the Lava Bubbles, I walked around the chest and entered the next room where both doors locked themselves. At this point, I wasn't surprised whenever it happened as it meant having to face against something difficult.

Sure enough, I was seeing that 'difficult' in the form of Rover. "Huh? What's this thing doing here?"

Princess Twilight stared at it with a puzzled look. "That's the monster you defeated in the Face Shrine."

"But why is it here and now?" When I defeated Rover before, it left behind a warp panel indicating its status as a mid-boss, a naming convention I hadn't used throughout this adventure thus far, so would the same thing apply here?

That's when Her Highness realized something. "The princesses warned us about this! They said that you were going to face off against those you've faced before in this dungeon and this is what they meant. If Rover here is any indication, I'm sure you know what else could be waiting in any of the remaining rooms."

Oh crap! That means I've got to fight all of the mid-bosses from the previous dungeons. "Um... Does that mean I have to fight say... Cozy Glow again or the Master Stalfos?" I chose those two as my examples as they both really pushed me to my limits when I faced them in their respective dungeons. "I'm not liking the idea of having to fight these guys again for a second time."

"No, I believe Cozy Glow and Master Stalfos were one-time only opponents."

"Whew!"

"I don't think Turtle Rock is that cruel of a place." Princess Twilight then took a closer look at Rover. "Hmmm... It looks like nothing has changed with Rover. That means don't expect it to suddenly unleash any new attacks, having some kind of alternate form, or even behaving in a different manner. If this remains true of the others, you can just apply the same strategies you used before provided you remember them. After all, some of these monsters you haven't seen in a very long time and you might need a refresher on them."

"So I should do what I did against Rover the last time?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "Yes. You do remember what you did before, right?"

I nodded. "I need to toss that ball at it in order to do damage. Come now, Twilight! You should give me credit! Sure, I've been forgetting more and more about my first adventure, but you can forgive me since it was a long time ago."

"Just thought I'd test you."

Not the kind of test I was expecting from her. I knew that I did forget some things, but there were other things I made sure to never forget because they could be applied to my own life and they happened to be very memorable. With so much going on in my mind, I did have trouble focusing on what was deemed important, but then everyone had a lot going on in their heads. Humanity was often about trying to handle multiple events all at once with the vast majority just being unable to handle it all choosing to focus instead on what they viewed as more important.

So far, Rover hadn't made any movements which gave me a moment to figure out what to do. If this was the same fight like last time, it wasn't going to take me long to defeat it again and continue on. I then thought about what other mid-bosses could be lurking about in the dungeon. Some of them were pretty simple once their attack pattern had been figured out while others almost killed me because of how devious they were. I was really hoping for the former especially since I was going to be fighting quite a few of them before I was done here.

It then picked up the Heavy Ball that was to its right and began bouncing around with it above its head. As I recalled, I needed to use the ball against it in order to inflict any kind of damage. It eventually tossed the ball at me which sailed over my head and landed in the corner of the room. Picking it up using my own strength, Rover turned around and bounced away prompting me to chase after it. Princess Twilight was right that this fight would be like before as it was doing exactly the same things it did last time.

Tossing the ball, it hit Rover from behind before bouncing and coming to a stop in the northwest corner. It then managed to get to the ball before I could when it then picked it up and began chasing me again. Raising my Mirror Shield, it tossed the ball where it bounced off and landed to my left where Rover lifted it up again. Tossing it straight away since I was standing right next to it, I got hit in the chest which made me drop to my knees. Yeah... Even the pain hadn't changed from last time. Before I had a chance of retaliating, I got hit again upon it picking up the ball and tossing it again.

If this was a sign of things to come, the other mid-bosses were going to be a nightmare. What was even worse was the fact that there had to be a brand new one hiding somewhere in the dungeon. However, I couldn't think about that as I had this problem to deal with. The Heavy Ball landed next to me which I then picked up prompting Rover to turn and bounce away again. As much as this was somewhat cute, it was annoying more than anything else as all it did was prolong things. I sighed before chasing it and then tossing the ball which smacked it in the back again.

"I'm doing this a lot faster than last time." I commented as I picked up the ball again.

"Since you've done this before, you know exactly what to do."

"It makes me think that perhaps Rover and the other returning mid-bosses are just here to slow me down."

Her Highness looked at me with a perplexing look. "Mid-bosses... Right! I remember you calling them by such a name during the last adventure. Surprised that you never referred to them at all by that distinction. Guess you must have forgotten about it or never really took it to heart."

I blushed as I tossed the Heavy Ball which hit Rover for a third time, this time in its face or whatever constituted as such. "I guess in the heat of the moment, I never considered giving them the title of mid-boss since I just saw them as stronger monsters compared to the rest of them. Guess they were deserving of that at least. Anyway, do you think Rover will be gone for good once I've defeated it again?"

Princess Twilight shook her head. "No... It's going to re-spawn in this very room after you've explored some later rooms. When you defeated the Hinox in Eagle's Tower, I mentioned that there was a chance that it could re-appear though it never happened. Unless you don't need to come this way in the near future, you might have to fight Rover again."

"Seriously!?"

"You know I'm serious."

Having to fight Rover a third time was definitely something I wanted to avoid. If this was going to be the case with the other returning mid-bosses, this dungeon was going to be truly heavy on both combat and surviving. I knew it would take longer than the others but I didn't expect anything like this. Why was it that these final challenges had to go completely insane by throwing every conceivable thing at a person just because it would be amusing seeing them go through familiar experiences? Sighing, I knew complaining would do nothing. I was here and just had to grin and bear it.

Suddenly, I got smacked in the chest due to focusing on my grievances instead of on Rover. Dropping to my knees, I clutched my chest and watched as it bounced over and picked up the Heavy Ball again. Standing up, I turned and ran this time as it chased me before tossing the ball which hit me in the back causing me to stumble for a few moments before regaining my balance. The ball landed by my feet which was pretty convenient so I picked up and now it turned and bounced away. Rather than chase after it, I tossed the ball as hard as I could and somehow managed to hit it from behind even when it was on the other side of the room.

The fourth hit turned out to be enough as Rover began exploding several times before disappearing in one final explosion. This caused all doors to become unlocked and a fairy appeared where Rover had been. Grabbing it, my health was restored though I wasn't feeling good on the inside. After all, I had only defeated one returning mid-boss. There were still many others waiting for me to reach them and I had no idea where they were located. I had to be extra cautious from now on otherwise I could suddenly find myself completely taken by surprise.

"One down... Many more to go."

"You can defeat them all again, Sunset."

I sighed. "It's not that I'm bothered about but rather the fact that they've all gathered here in the final dungeon."

"This is something you were warned about."

"I know..." I sighed once again. "I've got no problem beating them all again. I just wished it had been in one of Zecora's custom dungeon challenges instead of in a main one. What makes this even worse is that there's still the main mid-boss lurking around somewhere in here."

"That explains why no warp panel appeared when you defeated Rover."

"Only the true mid-boss of a dungeon leaves one of those behind."

"And since this dungeon is larger than all the previous dungeons, you've definitely got your work cut out for you this time." Princess Twilight then changed the subject. "You should take a look at the map to see where we are. It might help us figure out which way to go next."

Nodding, I took it out and peered at it. "Okay... The tunnel we took brought us down here to the turtle's bottom right foot. If we go left from here, we'd end up back in the room where we saw that Vire. Heading north doesn't seem to go anywhere or maybe it does and I just can't see it right away. Twilight, could you mark this room as being where Rover was. I want to remember this so as to avoid coming back through here as best as I can."

She nodded and made a note on the map without causing any damage before I put it away. Choosing to head north, I entered the next room where the door once again locked behind me. Ignoring that, I raised my shield upon a Beamos firing its laser at me. It bounced back and struck the eye causing it to shut down. With that taken care of, I looked around to see if there was another exit. Sure enough, there was one in the form of a staircase in the northwest corner. I could also see a switch hidden underneath a pot which should unlock the door when pressed. To my left was an Owl Statue so I needed to see what it had to say.

Heading left across some rather narrow stretches of floor, a pair of Green Zols popped up from the ground. I defeated each one with a simple swing of my sword yet only one of them dropped a green rupee which I grabbed before it plunged into the abyss though it wasn't a big deal if it had since rupees weren't as important now. Approaching the statue and taking out the Stone Beak, I pressed it against the statue to hear what it had to say. 'Fill all the holes with the rock that rolls. This is the key!' Rock? Did it mean that device from before that filled in the lava which allowed me to cross?

Hmmm... Now this was information that would definitely come in handy. I had a sneaking suspicion that there would be more of those devices scattered about the dungeon and this statue pretty much confirmed it. Removing the Stone Beak and putting it away, pressing the switch to unlock the door was tempting but I wanted to see what lurked down below in the next tunnel. Heading down the stairs, I couldn't see much what with a wall blocking my path, but I could hear sounds of footsteps coming from below. Walking up to the edge, I saw a small ladder with a moving platform underneath it.

Waiting for the right moment, when it did, I climbed down and onto the platform. Good thing too because if I had missed, my butt would've been skewered by spikes. There was also a Goomba which walked right through the spikes without touching them. I didn't know if this was a glitch or some weird anomaly but I felt jealous that it had such an immunity while I had to avoid it at all costs. Reaching another ladder (A longer one mind you) and climbing up it, I took out the Roc's Feather and jumped from platform to platform making sure to avoid the Spark rotating around one of them.

At the end was yet another ladder which I climbed in order to re-enter the dungeon once again. In this next room, there was no staircase to take me back down to the tunnel which meant it had either been a one-way staircase, or a puzzle needed solving. My instincts were leaning towards the second option as I had encountered two Arm-Mimics. While they weren't that much of a threat, they definitely hit hard if I accidentally bumped into them due to being stupid. Remembering how best to handle them, neither one moved until I did and began corralling them near me.

Holding out my sword, I began to charge it up before unleashing a Spin Attack which defeated both at the same time revealing the staircase back to the previous tunnel. However, I was more interested in the door that never locked when I came in. Before I could do anything else, a fireball hit me from behind followed by another one. Turning around, I could see that the torches were shooting them at me. Ignoring them, I went north through the door and entered the next room. If there was a pot convention around here, this was it as I could see so many.

There were also two Sparks that were trapped by the pots so for the moment, I had a chance to catch my breath and think things through. Taking out the map again, I looked to see where I was and immediately felt disappointed. "The next room over is where we started! Are you kidding me!?" Sure enough, the entry room was right next to this one. "Have we gone in a complete circle here?"

Princess Twilight then looked at the map. "It does appear to be the case. I had a feeling Turtle Rock was going to be confusing, but I wasn't expecting it to be like this. I know you want to warp back to the beginning using Manbo's Mambo, but perhaps you should try and see if you can access any of the rooms near this one. You might find something useful or maybe find another means of progressing further towards the front of the turtle."

Upon seeing the locked door to my threat, I didn't see the same kind of enthusiasm. "Maybe I should warp back to the start just in case." I then gazed at all the pots and thought perhaps there was a switch hiding underneath one just like before. "Okay, I'll see what I can do to make some progress."

"Be sure to watch out for those Sparks."

I began picking up some pots and tossing them at other ones to smash them all thus speeding up the process. "So far, I don't see anything." I then got hit by a Spark which caused me to drop a pot where it landed on my foot. Wincing in pain, I took out the Boomerang and tossed it at both, defeating them, and making two fairies appear. Grabbing both which made my foot immediately feel better, I continued picking and tossing pots until I uncovered a switch. "Figures it would be underneath the last one to pick up!"

"How unlucky but at least you managed to find something."

"I suppose so."

"I've been noticing that the lava has been affecting you."

"Humans aren't meant to be close to such things." I then began to stumble about due to the heat of the lava affecting me. This caused me to press the switch which unlocked two of the doors before I stumbled backwards and fell on my butt with a thud. "I guess small rooms like this make things even worse regarding the lava." I then noticed Her Highness looked perfectly fine in comparison to me which made me feel both curious and annoyed. "How are you putting up with so much heat?" I said upon getting back up on my feet.

"As a fairy, I'm immune to such conditions."

I just stood there for a few moments without saying a word. I then responded in a defeated manner. "It makes me wish that I could be a fairy as then I wouldn't be suffering from the temperature increase. Or better yet, be wearing some clothes that prevent the heat from affecting me!"

"If you were a fairy, who would be the chosen hero?"

"Well..." I answered as I pointed at Her Highness.

"Guess I should've seen that coming."

"Anyway, I'll see what's in the room to the right." Without the pots, it was easy enough for me to just walk over and enter the next room. In fact, I wanted to go through the door quickly as this heat was really beginning to get to me. The next room contained a chest without anything guarding it which made me suspicious. Unfortunately, there was even more lava so once again I began feeling woozy. "Twilight... It's getting harder for me to handle being in rooms filled with lava."

"This could be a problem especially if the Nightmare is in a room with lava."

I hadn't thought of that before but now that Her Highness mentioned it, I felt rather ill all of a sudden. If the Nightmare was in a lava filled room, with how I was being affected by the intense heat, it would be an absolute disaster for me. I needed to find some way of getting used to it. For now, I needed to focus on making my way through the dungeon. Opening the chest, smoke billowed out from it before a Green Zol jumped out and bumped into me. Crap! A fake chest! Defeating it, I took out the Roc's Feather and jumped across a river of lava before continuing on and entering another room.

My quick reflexes stopped me from stepping into an abyss prompting me to move back and falling down on my butt again. Getting up, I could see another device on the other side of the room which meant I had gone the wrong way. What made it even worse was that I remembered what the Owl Statue said about filling in the holes. There was going to be an important item that would appear upon solving this puzzle and that meant defeating Rover for a third time. It was my worst case scenario! I knew backtracking would become a problem in this dungeon but I was expecting a different outcome.

Grumbling under my breath, I began to make the long trek back to this room but doing so from the other side. Heading back the other way and jumping over the lava river again, I entered the next previous room and ignored the pots since nothing was in any of them. Heading south, I ignored both Arm-Mimics as I had since made the staircase appear so defeating them was pointless. Going back down into the tunnel and using the Roc's Feather, I jumped across each platform before landing on the moving platform just as it had reached my side so again my butt was saved from getting poked.

Climbing up a couple of ladders and entering the dungeon again, I raised my shield as I remembered there was a Beamos in this room. Like before, the laser bounced back and struck it which caused it to shut down. The Green Zols then popped up from the ground intending on blocking my path but were quickly taken out with two sword swings. Breathing heavy, I entered the room where Rover had been and was prepared to fight it again. To my surprise, it didn't make an appearance. I must not have gotten far away enough or explored more rooms to make it appear here. Whew!

Taking the left door, I was back in the room with the device but was now on the correct side. "Okay, so I need to use my mind in order to control this?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "If this were a video game, you would be using a controller in order to make it move. Since this is real life, you need to use your mind. Before you do anything though, you should take a closer look at the formation of this abyss. If what that Owl Statue said is true, you need to fill in every single space until the abyss has been covered up completely to succeed.

I rolled my eyes at her video game reference before focusing on the task at hand. "What would happen if I end up doing this wrong?"

"Just leave the room and come back."

"Is it really that simple?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "Just because something looks complicated doesn't make it so."

"And what about Rover?"

"It shouldn't re-spawn but if you're unsure, you might want to solve this puzzle the first time."

"Such confidence."

"It's my job."

Looking at the shape of the abyss, I could tell that I needed to cover up the top of it before making my way down and covering up what remains. I needed to focus on making sure not to make a mistake otherwise I'd be forced to start over again. At least I could push the device forward as something told me it wouldn't move initially with mind power. Pushing it forward and focusing my mind, it began covering up the abyss which continued to impress me knowing I was creating actual land from nothing.

Weaving it upwards to reach the top, I accidentally moved it downward which caused me to lose my concentration and the device hit the side where it vanished. Cursing under my breath for my bad luck (So much for my good fortune lasting all that long), I went back to Rover's room where it still hadn't come back before turning around and heading back into the previous room where the abyss had been restored to what it was originally thus removing my blunder. If Her Highness hadn't been right, I'd have been denied whatever item would appear from solving this puzzle.

Pushing the device to get it moving, I concentrated my mind on making sure to get it right this time. It weaved its way up to the top covering the abyss with tiles and this time nothing went wrong though I couldn't become overconfident. Once I had covered up the top, I began moving the device down which was when I noticed how everything else needed to be covered up. This puzzle wasn't difficult provided you figured things out quickly. Weaving it along and filling up the final spaces, the abyss had been transformed into proper ground which also gave me a shortcut of sorts.

Upon solving the puzzle, a small key dropped down and landed on the other side of the room. Walking across the now complete floor, I picked it up and pocketed it. I had no idea where I could use it but having it made me feel more confident as I wouldn't be blocked from progressing straight away. Taking out the map again, it was clear that there wasn't much else I could do unless I defeated that Vire back in that one room. Either that or use that first device in order to see where else I could reach. In any case, I had to try both directions but it came down to which one was more important.

Thinking it over, I decided to defeat the Vire. My heart was telling me that I needed to defeat it in order to access the western side of the dungeon. I was about to take out the ocarina before looking at the map again and seeing that I could reach the room in question just by continuing heading west. Putting away the map and heading west, I jumped over the lava river with the Roc's Feather, the heat began affecting me resulting in tripping on nothing and falling flat on my face.

Getting back up, I kept on walking and into the next room with all the pots. Something I didn't notice my first time in this room was a flying Magic Powder icon situated in the center of the room. Considering how rarely I've been using the stuff, grabbing it wasn't really important. Besides, it'd mean having to free the two Sparks that were trapped. I'd rather not do that given the heat was causing me problems again. Weaving in-between the pots and walking through the door, it locked behind me but more importantly, the Vire was right in front of me and looked to be ready for more.

"Do you remember how to defeat this monster?"

I nodded. "I just need to bounce back its fireballs, right?"

"Yes, in order to make it dive down at you."

"I just hope this heat doesn't get to me."

Her Highness didn't know how best to respond to my concerns initially but eventually came up with something. "You need to try and see how long you can last in such rooms. Think of it as a test of endurance. You become more adjusted the longer you last."

"Am I going to enjoy this?"

"Not in the least, but no one ever said it would be enjoyable."

Again, if I had the power to become a Goron, or was wearing clothes that were heat resistant. I wouldn't be having this problem right now. Come to think of it, I remembered how spending too much time in such heat was seen as detrimental to my health to the point of death. Shuddering at remembering such anguish, I focused on defeating the Vire before this heat could really make me feel uncomfortable. Her Highness was doing her best at giving me much needed confidence but there were some things not even speeches could help deal with. I just wanted to get out of the heat as soon as possible.

It then shot its fireballs at me and I reflected them away with my shield. While I didn't hit it with them, it was enough to make it dive down in order to attack using its sharp claws. Striking with my sword, it backed off before shooting more fireballs at me which hit my shield before reflecting off and this time hitting it, knocking it back though apparently not doing any damage. Diving back down in retaliation, it hit me with its claws but before it could fly away, I managed to hit it again where it split into two large bats which started flapping about. These had to be the Big Keese Her Highness said would appear upon a Vire's defeat.

Both then flew at me and I responded by swinging my sword defeating both. Huh... That was a lot easier than I thought it was. Having a more powerful weapon certainly helped which made me think that going through Turtle Rock with just a regular sword would've been utterly foolish yet not an impossibility. If I were more confident in my abilities, I'd have refrained from getting the stronger sword. I was more focused on surviving as opposed to wanting to prove some kind of point and go in with little in the way of equipment.

Upon defeating the Vire, both doors unlocked which now allowed me to access the western rooms. Heading left into the next room, I was immediately hit by the laser beam of another Beamos. Aside from three Ropes, three blocks, and even more lava, there was nothing else about this room that stood out. Why did there have to be more lava? I was really starting to hate how there was so many rooms where it flowed through unimpeded. Oh well. Raising my head, I waited for the eye of the Beamos to rotate around when it fired at me again where I then reflected it back, shutting it down upon getting hit.

As I defeated the three Ropes, I felt rather sorry for them. They weren't doing anything and there I was taking them down all because the way forward was locked. They even made a cute noise whenever they got hit which further added to my guilt of attacking them. I couldn't let such things get to me. They were monsters and used their appearances as a means of making me lower my guard. Still... I just felt bad for them. No doubt this was Fluttershy's influence at work here and it was appreciated. Perhaps in another world, Ropes were much kinder and weren't seen as monsters.

Entering the next room, the doors once again locked, but I was more concerned with what was in here, and I wasn't happy about it at all. "Another Hinox!?"

"Notice that this one is blue in colour?"

I nodded. "If I remember, the first one was orange and the second one was red. Does this mean this one is just as strong as the other two were?"

"Correct."

"And here I thought each one would be stronger than the last."

"Different colours of the same monster don't always denote strength."

"At least this time there are no holes to give me trouble."

Princess Twilight agreed by nodding. "Since you have a much stronger sword, you should be able to defeat this Hinox quite quickly. Think of it as your reward for going through so much trouble collecting those Secret Seashells by going off the beaten path. Also remember that it can re-spawn if you explore enough so do keep that in mind. For what it's worth, you might be able to ignore it entirely in the future if the doors remain unlocked."

Unlike Rover's room which was off to the side, this room was more towards the middle of the dungeon. I might be forced to come back through this way later which would mean having to fight it again. Once it finally took notice of me, it began stumbling forward where it immediately grabbed me before I could react. It then tossed me behind its shoulders where I crashed into the back wall and slumped down in a slight daze. Getting up, I quickly had to dodge a few bombs that got tossed my way which each exploded.

It then stumbled at me again but I struck it with my sword though it didn't stop it from grabbing me a second time. I was then tossed forward, hitting another wall, and slumping down before getting up again. The Hinox then threw another bomb where it exploded with the impact knocking me back into the wall hitting my head instead of my back. Laying on the ground in a daze, I began thinking about all those times where my body took such an awful beating. How I managed to walk away from such beatings continued to amaze me as clearly I shouldn't have survived most of them.

Getting up again, it tossed a third bomb which I avoided before walking up to and hitting it with my sword. I was about to do so again when it grabbed me and threw me forward where I hit a different wall with my head. Again, most of these wounds should've killed me. If not for the blue tunic, these wounds would've been much worse. Once I was back on my feet, it stumbled towards me and I hit it again which turned out to be enough. Coming to a sudden stop, it began flailing its arms in a frenzy followed by exploding several times and then disappearing in a final one.

"Wow... I did defeat it quite quickly."

"Having a stronger sword does help."

"I'll say it does."

"By the way... Are you alright?"

I needed a moment to fully regain my composure before I could answer. "You'd think I just suffered some serious head trauma but I'm surprisingly fine. If not for this world's physics and the fact that we're in a different world, I'd have been dead way back at the start of this adventure."

"You did take some heavy blows to the head."

"I'll recover once I can regain some health." Upon saying that, I noticed a fairy having appeared where the Hinox had fallen. "Speak of which..." I grabbed it which restored my strength and caused my head to stop throbbing in agony which is had been for some time. "Since I defeated two mid-bosses in a different order than when they were fought originally, I can definitely say with absolute conviction that dungeon order got thrown out the window."

"Which means there's no way of knowing what one you'll encounter next."

"Or where for that matter."

"Are you going to take a look at the map again?"

I nodded. "Needing a constant reminder of where I am in a dungeon this big is going to be essential." Taking it out and looking at it, I was starting to make my way towards the other back foot of the turtle, but what made me happy was there was no lava to be found in any of the upcoming rooms so I could slightly relax knowing the heat wouldn't be an issue at least for the time being. "Hmmm... I can see a keyhole icon here in the central room."

"There's also a locked door nearby."

That dimmed my hopes. "Guess I need to find another small key somewhere." I then put the map back in my pocket and sighed heavily. "This might take a bit."

"I'm sure you'll find one eventually."

"I could really use the Compass right about now." It then dawned on me that the Hinox wasn't guarding anything of value. In fact, it's only purpose was to impede my progress which was pretty typical at this point. "I'm appreciating having a stronger sword more than ever now." Her Highness didn't understand what I was talking about at first but she quickly deduced the meaning behind my words in relation to not getting much from the previous fight.

Heading into the next room, I came across another device. Unlike the previous puzzle, this one was way more simple. It then begged the question of why there was a harder one back there and an easier one over here? Maybe it was best for me not to question it and just accept it. Pushing the device, I focused on keeping it in a straight line before having it turn to the right then to the left before having it turn left again and continue going south until I had filled up the abyss. Messing this one up would've just been plain embarrassing so I'm glad I solved it on my first attempt.

When the device disappeared, a chest materialized to the right of where I was standing. Opening it up, I took out a red rupee which made me feel conflicted. Having more money was never a bad thing as I never knew when I'd need more supplies that couldn't be found by grinding for them. However, considering how close I was to the end, rupees weren't that important as opposed to say getting my hands on a new item or something useful like the Compass I doubted a puzzle like this would've given me an item as it was way too easy. No, the usual method involved defeating a mid-boss instead.

Choosing to go north, I entered a room where it was so dark that I had trouble seeing anything. Luckily, the slithering sounds of a couple of Ropes warned me that they were present. There were also two torches yet I couldn't reach either one on account that barriers were blocking me. I took out some Magic Powder and tossed it at a torch where it didn't even come close to igniting it. This caused both Ropes to slither towards me and I defeated both with a sword strike each leaving me to try lighting it again.

"Nope! The powder just can't reach it!"

"Then you need to find something that can light torches from a distance."

"What did you have in mind?"

Princess Twilight had to take a moment to figure out what I could potentially use here. "Hmmm... The only thing that comes to mind would be some kind of magic wand." My immediate reaction was a 'seriously' one which made her laugh in response. "Yeah, I know what you mean, Sunset. After all, wands are pretty archaic and we unicorns and alicorns rely on our horns in order to use magic."

"But... Since I can't use my magic nor can you use yours, a magic wand does make sense."

"I suppose you're right."

"Plus, it's the closest thing I'll get to use in terms of magic."

"You just need to find where this wand is hidden."

I sighed. "Given how big this dungeon is, that could take quite a while. Besides, it's highly likely to be guarded by the true mid-boss which means I need to find it which by process of elimination would mean finding the wand shortly after. In the mean time, could you make a note of this room? I know I need to come back here since why have a puzzle like this that requires a specific item if there isn't something valuable that you get for solving it in return?" I took out the map and pointed at my current location. "Also, could you mark where the Hinox was fought for future reference too?"

"Note of this room taken!" Princess Twilight announced as she made two marks on it.

Putting the map away again, I went back to the previous room only to see that the puzzle had been reset back to the way it was. "Huh? I thought that it would be solved for good considering it was a puzzle."

"I guess it was just a temporary solution."

"It makes sense since there are two ways to go."

"If this happened here, I'm willing to bet it's going to happen with the other devices as well."

While it was unfortunate that these device puzzles reset themselves, it was just a minor inconvenience. After all, there were far worse puzzles I had overcome including those that relied heavily on using physical prowess to overcome them. A part of me was curious as to how this was even created given the island didn't have much technology but the answer likely had to do with the Wind Fish thinking it up and wanting to see if anyone could figure it out... Or perhaps the Nightmare was responsible. Either way, it wasn't really important overall.

Pushing a block because I knew it had to move, I approached the device and pushed it. Focusing my efforts on solving the puzzle again, the abyss was slowly covered up with ground until there was no more of it. Just before continuing on, I did notice a second block on the other side of the room that was just on its own. No doubt that it could be pushed in order to reach the door as well as the device. Convenient? I'd say so though whether it was practical remained to be seen given my location and all.

Heading south into the next room, there was another chest though it was being guarded by two Sparks and surrounded by some small holes. In front of me hovering on the other side of another hole was a flying heart icon though I didn't need since I had full health. The chest definitely had me curious as to what could be contained within it yet something was gnawing in my mind saying it wouldn't be worth it. Jumping across the hole with the Roc's Feather, I accidentally landed on one of the Sparks which did give me a slight jolt in return. Choosing to focus on them, I whipped out the boomerang, hitting both and defeating them.

Picking up the two fairies that appeared, I opened up the chest and took out a purple rupee. Again, I had mixed feelings. If I had been more inclined towards going through those custom dungeon challenges Zecora had, collecting rupees would make sense seeing as I'd need to restock on supplies constantly in order to get through them all. But, since that would take a very long time and I had every intention of finishing this adventure, finding money just didn't seem all that rewarding. Had this been earlier on where money proved problematic, I'd be singing a much different tune.

Jumping back across and entering the next room, the doors locked behind me and I encountered my next mid-boss where I drew a complete blank. "Um... Which one was this again?"

"This would be the Spike Roller."

I scratched my head in confusion. "Can you tell me about this one again? I mean, when was the last time I even fought this one?"

"Way back in the first dungeon."

My jaw dropped slightly. "Whoa... That explains why I don't remember this one. It also amazes me that whoever came up with this wanted to bring back a mid-boss from way back then given that I'm much stronger now than I was back then."

Princess Twilight nodded. "I'd consider this more of a surprise encounter and it had the desired effect. Anyway, Spike Roller, as its name implies, will roll the spiked bar you see on the ground at you. It won't do much damage but it will roll back the other way and can catch you off guard if you're not careful."

"Anything else?"

"If I remember from before, it will bounce around in an attempt to damage you."

"I'm guessing it won't take long for me to defeat it?"

"Do you want me to answer that question?" Princess Twilight asked with a sarcastic tone in her voice.

Sarcasm aside, Her Highness was right about this not taking very long though I felt foolish for asking the question in the first place. I just needed to remember that stronger swords did more damage though I had yet to use the sword beam which I could use when at full health. To be fair, I had actually forgotten all about it seeing as it was getting harder and harder to maintain full health what with so many monsters and traps doing what they could to bring it down and ultimately killing me. Of course, not all monsters were affected by a blade and some had higher stamina than others did.

As I thought about the sword beam, I decided to try it out just to see what I could do with it. Before Spike Roller had a chance to do anything, I swung my sword and a beam of light shot out from it taking me by surprise. It was so sudden that the beam sailed over its head and hit the back wall where it sputtered out. I didn't think it would come out so quickly and with such precision but as expected, I messed up big time because of course I would. Practice was definitely needed if I intended on using this technique more often but using it on a mid-boss was a terrible idea.

Before I could use another sword beam, Spike Roller pushed the spiked bar along the ground forcing me to pull out the Roc's Feather and immediately jumping over it. Performing a successful leap and landing safely, I winced upon feeling a sharp pain on my ankle. Looking down, I could see that it got caught on a spike which made it bleed. The injury wasn't too bad though I cursed myself for focusing on one thing and ignoring another. Placing the feather on my belt and jumping back over the bar as it came the other way, I prepared for the next attack which should happen soon enough.

Pushing the bar again after it got back to its starting point, I jumped over it and slashed it though it began bouncing around in an effort to both confuse me and inflict some damage of its own. It then pushed me with rather large hands and continued pushing me towards the bar as it was rolling back before I got hit in my ankle again. Wincing from the pain, the bar continued rolling before being pushed towards me for a third time. Jumping over it, I slashed it twice and was about to get in a third when I started getting pushed back again.

Despite pushing me, I managed to hit it again which ended up being enough to defeat it. As it began to explode, it's body started to jiggle which made me feel nauseous, but it soon passed when it disappeared in a final explosion leaving behind a fairy. Upon picking it up, the wounds on my ankle healed and all three doors unlocked. Now that I defeated a third mid-boss, I was beginning to think that this whole re-match thing wasn't as bad as I initially thought. Sure, it was inconvenient as their main purpose involved slowing me down but so far this plan had failed.

"That went pretty well."

"Aside from your ankle getting hurt, I must agree."

"You can blame Spike Roller for being aggressive."

"I also saw that you used a sword beam for the first time... With less than impressive results."

I blushed with embarrassment. "I totally botched that."

Princess Twilight shook her head. "No... You did the best you could with what information you were given. I have to place blame on Adagio as she should've showed you the correct way to unleash a sword beam. My guess is that she assumed she didn't need to teach you anything thinking it was common knowledge or something. Perhaps I can provide some pointers so that you can avoid such embarrassment later."

"Oh? You can show me?"

"Maybe not with an example but through words."

"You can pretend you're holding a sword."

Her Highness looked at her hands and realized that she could show me what to do. "Okay! Since I went and made such a bold claim, I might as well see it through. Watch carefully as you're only going to see this once." She pretended to stand in a fighting stance before swinging her arms forward whilst showing great control. She then repeated this a few times before finally stopping when she began to blush a bright red. "I can't believe I just went and did that. Don't tell anyone otherwise I'd never be able to show my face in Equestria again."

I closed my eyes and waved my hand. "Your secret is safe with me. Besides, what you did was actually very generous. I believe I got the gist of what you were trying to convey despite the obvious humiliation." Swinging my sword and focusing my willpower, I fired a sword beam that sailed across and hit the back wall in a matter of moments before doing it again. I fired a few more just to see if what I did hadn't been a fluke. "Wow! This is a pretty cool technique."

"And if you never got your stronger sword, you'd have never known about it."

"When you put it that way, you're right."

"Despite the drawbacks it has, the sword beam can be useful in the right situation."

Yeah... I actually wasn't fond of its restrictions despite knowing that they were necessary to prevent anyone from abusing it. Sure, being able to shoot beams from a sword with no limits would defeat most monsters without any effort and yet it was also seen as an easy way out of most problems. Where was the challenge in that? I know I've complained at times when things got too intense but even I knew about doing things without resorting to cheating. It was only deemed honorable cheating when using it in order to accomplish something and there were no other options available.

Focusing on the task at hand, I had two potential rooms that could house things I needed to progress further, one to the north and the other to the south. Choosing to head south, I entered a room with a chest which looked like it was unguarded at first until I noticed something in the bottom right corner. It was a Vacuum Mouth, a monster I hadn't seen for quite some time and one that could prove troublesome. Moving towards it, I was suddenly enveloped in its vacuum-like field and began getting dragged towards it.

Two Green Zols then popped up from the ground next to the chest but were quickly consumed by the Vaccum Mouth with me about to become the next victim. Swinging my sword repeatedly as a means of hitting it, another sword beam fired which defeated it in one hit. Not exactly what I intended but it worked out all the same. Walking up to and opening the chest, I took out the Compass which pleased me immensely. Not only would I see where the remaining chests were hidden, the Nightmare's location would also be revealed. A good thing too since its location had been on my mind for a while.

Speaking of which, I took out the map to see what had been added to it. The location of the Nightmare was all the way in the head of the turtle. I had a long way to go given how I had only explored the southern rooms so far. Seven chests were unaccounted for though this didn't include any keys that would appear upon completing any puzzles. Aside from the other room I hadn't gone into, there wasn't anywhere else I could go aside from the central room. I could simply warp back to the start and make my way there or just go there casually and not be lazy about it.

Putting the map away, I went around the barrier and heading back into Spike Roller's room, before doing anything else, I asked Princess Twilight to mark down the location where I fought it for future reference though coming back this way any time soon wasn't in my current plans. Once Her Highness had used her magic after I took out the map yet again, I put it away again then entered the northern room where I encountered another Vire. The Compass made a noise indicating there was a key in here so defeating it was required. There were several holes so hopefully I wouldn't end up dropping into one.

Shooting fireballs in my direction, I raised my shield and reflected one back where it hit it. Screaming, it dove down and managed to hit me though I quickly responded by hitting it with my sword where it then retreated before shooting at me again. Dodging them and then another volley, I then reflected a third which didn't hit it though it did dive down again in order to get up close. Hitting it caused it to split into two Big Keese which immediately flew away leaving me wondering why they chose not to stay and fight. In any case, the door unlocked which caused a small key to drop down from the ceiling.

"Guess it's time to go back to that central room again."

Princess Twilight nodded in agreement. "It's the only place that you haven't fully explored though you should be able to get much further with those keys. Now, do you want to take the long way back or would you prefer to use Manbo's Mambo and take a shortcut instead?"

"I'll take the long way."

"Any particular reason?"

"It's not that far back and warping would be considered being lazy."

"If that's what you want to do, I won't persuade you otherwise."

It wasn't really that far back! If anything, it would just take me a few minutes provided nothing got in the way such as the Hinox coming back. Re-entering the Spike Roller's room and heading to the left, I entered the next room where I again ignored the flying heart icon. I supposed I could just collect it as it would take but a moment yet my health was good enough to survive whatever was coming up. Even in a dungeon like this, the smallest of mistakes could cost me everything and I couldn't afford to make one now when I'm so close.

Entering the room with the device, the puzzle had been reset once again. As I recalled from the map upon collecting the Compass, the room which had the torches that I couldn't light up contained a chest so going back there later was required. Hopefully, it wouldn't take long for me to find this supposed magic want Her Highness believes I'd find. Pushing the other block that could be moved, I braced myself for battle upon entering the Hinox's room. To my surprise, it didn't show up which meant I didn't get far enough away for it to re-spawn. Once more I dodged a potential roadblock.

Heading south into the next room, I immediately felt the temperature rise as I was reminded that I was inside of a volcano. Ignoring the Ropes, the Beamos managed to fire its laser at me which was reflected back with my shield and shut down upon getting hit. Entering the next room, I was one room north of the entrance, so if I wanted to leave to pick up something, the option was available. But, there was no need so instead I focused on what was before me, namely, a Vire that could be ignored as both doors remained unlocked.

Remembering that the Roc's Feather was still on my belt, I jumped over the river of lava and went north and entered the central room again. "See? That didn't take very long though I could've done without any lava."

"You just need to get used to it."

"I don't know if I can."

"You're going to need to seeing as many of the rooms up ahead have lava in them."

In my mind, I wanted to outright refuse but I knew that I couldn't. "Fine! I'll see what I can do about that!" To say that I was upset was an understatement. At least she could go about the dungeon without a care in the world while the same wasn't true for me. Sometimes, fate could be absolutely ruthless. Upon calming down, I began to focus on figuring out which way to go next. "Can you see anywhere else I can go?"

Flying ahead, Princess Twilight flittered about for several seconds before coming back to me. "There is a staircase to your right though if you can't get any further in that direction, you might end up getting stuck and be forced to backtrack a little. I also saw one of those key blocks at the northern end of this room but the way is hindered by some blocks. I have a feeling they can be pushed so you should try and see what happens."

"Anything else?"

"Not that I could see."

"Hmmm... Not many options to take I gather."

"At least you have something."

"Yeah..." I then thought about the staircase Her Highness mentioned a few moments ago. "If I were to see where that staircase goes, would I truly be stuck and be forced to backtrack or maybe even use Manbo's Mambo? Or, is it possible that I can get myself out of it?"

Thinking over what she witnessed whilst flying, Princess Twilight had an answer. "Well... I did see that you could jump down from one ledge to another..." And this was where the drawback was about to rear its ugly head. I could tell she was leaning towards that direction based on the tone in her voice. "It would take you into a previous room meaning you'd have to make your way back here again."

"A small sacrifice to pay."

"Glad you see you're so accepting of it."

"After what I've seen so far, backtracking isn't so bad."

"No, I guess not."

Walking up to the device, I pushed it and focused my mind on making it turn to the right in order to create a path to the staircase. Walking along the path I had created, I was about to head upstairs into a tunnel (A first for this adventure) when I noticed the path continued onwards. Looking back and forth between my options, I went with the second one and kept walking until I found another staircase as well as a cracked section in the wall. Choosing to take the staircase upwards, I entered a tunnel where the temperature suddenly dropped. It felt like being inside a freezer what with how cold it felt and soon I began to see why.

In front of me were a large assortment of ice-like blocks arranged in two large clusters. I touched the one that was closest to me and immediately pulled my hand back over just how cold it truly felt. As far as I could tell, there was no way to progress any further this way. None of this made sense at all! How could there be chunks of ice within a volcano!? I then took out a bomb and placed it in front of the ice block before climbing up a ladder to get away from the blast radius. It exploded seconds later and nothing happened. I suspected the rest of my items weren't going to be effective so I needed something warmer.

Still... It just baffled me that there was ice that blocked my path. I'd have been more accepting had it been lava flows but this took the cake. Perhaps the staircase that I ignored initially would also lead into a tunnel with similar conditions? If so then this way was impossible for the time being. My teeth began chattering so I went back into the warmth of the dungeon and examined the cracked section. It was hidden quite well out of the way which made me wonder what could be beyond it.

Taking out another bomb and placing it in front of the crack before stepping backwards, it exploded seconds later to reveal a path forward. Entering the next room, I was surprised to find it empty apart from a Crystal Switch. "Twilight? Do you suppose this was hidden here on purpose?"

"Considering how off the beaten path this room was, I'd say yes."

"That means there are those orange and blue tiles somewhere around here."

"Most likely."

"By the way, what do you make of those ice blocks?"

Thinking it over, Her Highness nodded slowly before sighing. "Definitely an obstacle I wasn't expecting to see especially around here. Knowing you, you've already complained about it doesn't make sense so I won't repeat anything." I knew she couldn't read minds but knowing how accurate she was made me feel slightly uncomfortable. "Anyway, there's nothing you can do about the ice until you can find a way to melt it."

"The dungeon item perhaps?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "Most likely the case."

"Guess I might as well go back and take the other path." I then walked up to the Crystal Switch and activated it. "Yeah... I'm not going to take any chances and hoped that this was the right decision." I then noticed another cracked section of wall indicating there had been a second way to enter this room. "Let me look at something quickly." Taking out the map and looking at my current location, it seemed that heading south would take me one room left of where I had fought Rover. I didn't even see a crack when I made my way through that room which explained why I never took much notice.

Then Princess Twilight looked at the map. "Guess we both should've paid attention huh?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

"What about that other staircase?"

"Something tells me there's going to be ice blocks in that tunnel too."

"It does sound plausible."

Taking out the ocarina, Her Highness knew what I was about to do and had no objections. Playing Manbo's Mambo, I was wrapped in a bit before disappearing. Unlike using the song outside and needing to focus on where I wanted to go, there was only one place to go in a dungeon which did make things easier. Moments later, I was back at the entrance where once again I felt tempted towards leaving and picking up some extra items since I had the money. Again, I put such thoughts out of my mind.

Heading north back into the room where I found my first Vire, it had once again returned and immediately shot its fireballs at me. Ignoring it and jumping over the river of lava with the Roc's Feather, I continued north and entered the central room and made my way over to the device before taking a look at where I needed to go. The pool of lava was shaped in a way where one side was lined with blocks that could potentially be pushed. I needed to create a path that stopped right next to the correct one.

Since I couldn't exactly see that far ahead, it boiled down to guessing. It wasn't as bad as I was making it out to be since I could just leave the room and then come back in order to try again and get it right. Pushing the device, I focused on making a straight line though turning it right and then left at one point as it needed to end in-between two blocks. Upon finishing the path, somehow, I succeeded which surprised me as usually I had to do something like this a few times before it worked out. Walking across my path, I could feel the heat of the lava once again make me feel woozy.

Upon reaching the other side, I felt like wanting to collapse and take a nap since the heat was getting too much. No mere mortal was meant to endure such conditions! Shaking my head, I pushed the block to my left and it submerged into the lava. I could tell this was the wrong way as I could barely make out a dead-end. Pushing the other block where it too sank into the lava, I walked forward and saw the key block Princess Twilight mentioned earlier. Inserting one of my small keys into the top and turning it left, it disappeared leaving me with choosing either left or right.

Choosing left, I encountered the three Peahats I saw when I was here last, yet they still hadn't noticed me. From what I could tell, heading in this direction would lead me to another dead-end. Was this meant to confuse me by luring me down a path only for it to amount to nothing? I took out the map and checked to make sure I was right about this. Sure enough, there was nothing over here so it was a dead-end. I thought about defeating them but there was no reason. They weren't doing anything so attacking them would just make me a bully.

Putting the map away and walking back, I then watched a pair of fireballs shoot out in front of me. Turning around to see where they came from, I could see a Vire that looked like it wanted to catch up. As it continued throwing its projectiles, I reflected them back with the Mirror Shield but I wasn't having much success as it was pretty narrow and the lava was still an issue. Choosing to focus on not wanting to collapse from the heat, I jumped over a small river of lava with the Roc's Feather, grabbing a flying heart icon unintentionally before unlocking the door with my last key.

In the next room, I stopped upon witnessing two Blade Traps slide towards and collided with each other. "I hate it when those things attempt to catch me by surprise. It's easy for you, Twilight, as you can fly, but I have to constantly watch to make sure I don't lose my ankles."

"It seems Turtle Rock has brought forth the worst things you've seen so far."

"And it's only going to get worse from here."

"As we've both discussed, this is the final dungeon."

I then turned my attention towards the staircase. "Where do you suppose that will take me?"

"You won't know unless you try."

Waiting for the Blade Traps to move again, they both hit each other again with a loud clank when I walked past as they were moving back to their original positions. Picking up a pot and tossing it aside, I went up the stairs into the next tunnel where I noticed something strange. "What is that thing jutting out from the wall?" On the opposite side of a pool of lava was some kind of statue resembling a bird-like creature yet it didn't look like any bird I'd ever seen. I looked up on a whim and saw another one looking straight down. "What's up with this?"

"A long time ago, these were once heads of a character named Bowser." Princess Twilight then scratched her head. "I have no idea what this 'Bowser' is, Sunset, but I have a feeling that you do."

I nodded reluctantly. "Yeah... I know who he is. He's another character from the Mario series." While I was annoyed at there being another reference of that series making its presence known in this world, it was something that used to be but had now been replaced with something else. "To be honest, I'd rather have Bowser's head than whatever those things are supposed to be."

"You can latch onto them with your Hookshot in order to get across the lava."

"At least they're good for something."

"So will you?"

Nodding, I took out the Hookshot, fired it at the statue, and pulled myself across the lava where I landed safely on the other side. There were a couple of Goombas in here and I stepped on one where it dropped a heart. This was something I forgot they did which could potentially mean using them in order to gain back some health without completely going overboard. Climbing down a ladder, I entered the dungeon and walked south where I reached another dead-end. There was a chest located on a ledge way too high for me to reach along with four different flying icons.

"Is this all there is?"

"It looks like it."

"It's basically just a replenishing station."

Her Highness knew what I was talking about even if my choice of words sounded weird. "I guess you could say that these are here to give you some much needed help if you're running low on any of them. It's weird that these were placed so far into the dungeon and at a dead-end no less but it's still a welcomed sight. You've got one of each of the four flying icons but coming back here over and over isn't exactly an ideal solution."

"And the chest?"

"You've got to approach it from a different direction."

"Guess I should collect these icons huh?" I asked as I looked up at each of them. "I mean, I came all this way looking for other items and also progression but I should pick them up just to be safe. You never know when you might need them for something later."

Using the Roc's Feather, I jumped up and collected all four icons though I didn't know if I need arrows since I hadn't used any for quite some time. Oh well. No sense in letting this opportunity go to waste. As for the chest, Her Highness reminded me that the Compass had marked it down so remembering it's location was easy. Regarding these icons, they were here for a reason which hinted that arrows and bombs were going to be needed later. Magic Powder? Probably not anymore especially if the dungeon item is going to make it obsolete.

Walking back into the tunnel, I stomped on the same Goomba again where it dropped a heart. Approaching the ladders, I used the Roc's Feather to jump up and grab the bottom rung and just as I was about to climb, two Lava Bubbles emerged from the lava, scaring me as I didn't even know they were there. Once they dropped back down into the lava, I used the Hookshot again by pulling myself across by using the other bird-like statue. Climbing down the ladder and entering the dungeon, I ignored the pots in addition to the Red Stalfos and pressed my back against the rotating door.

It flipped me around to the other side and I was in a room with a lot of blocks which all had cracks on them. They looked suspicious but I didn't see anything out of the ordinary though an Owl Statue slightly hidden thanks to the darkness on the back wall might tell me more. There was also a locked door indicating there were monsters to fight. Three Green Zols then popped out of the ground and began bouncing towards me where I swung my sword and defeated them. The door unlocked so I could continue on but first there was a matter of getting my hint.

I approached the statue, took out the Stone Beak, and listened to what it had to say. 'To defeat the monsters who hold the key, attack them from a higher place'. That wasn't what I was expecting. In fact, this hint left me confused as it didn't specify what monsters were guarding it. "What do you make of this, Twilight?"

"Definitely one of the more cryptic clues you've gotten from an Owl Statue."

"What monsters do you suppose they are?"

Princess Twilight shrugged. "I honestly have no idea. Suffice to say, you need to defeat every monster you come across from now on and not simply ignore them. Or, you find the right ones that have the key and defeat them."

Once again, I didn't like the sound of that. If I had been told what to look for, this would be easy. Instead, I had to check every room including ones I had already cleared. My hope was that the monsters in question were coming up soon and weren't annoying. I was about to go through the door when Her Highness began bopping me on the head. "Is there something else you wish to tell me about?"

Nodding, she pointed down at the ground. "There appears to be some kind of pattern in the ground but these blocks are covering it up. Since there is a flying bomb icon floating over there... Surely you know what to do."

Looking at the ground for myself, there was indeed a pattern, and I was about to leave before attempting to figure it out. Sarcasm aside, I knew Her Highness was referring to bombs as these blocks could only be destroyed by explosives when they were cracked (Good thing I went off the beaten path and found that replenishing station). There were ten blocks but I could surely destroy a few at once with some careful placement. I began taking out bombs and placing them where they could do the most damage and when each exploded, they destroyed multiple blocks. After several of these, the pattern was revealed to be an arrow pointing left.

Walking up to the section of wall where the arrow was pointing to, I tapped it with my sword a few times and it made a dull sound. As I recalled, whenever you hear a wall make that kind of noise, it can be blown up with a bomb. A shame this was a technique I hardly ever used but then this situation rarely came up for me. Taking out another one, I placed it on the ground before stepping back. When it exploded, it revealed another room beyond it. Entering this new room, I couldn't see a thing due to it being so dark.

I could make out a couple of torches which needed the Magic Powder to light them up. I felt stupid because I thought I didn't need to use any anymore and yet here was a puzzle that required its use. Maybe I ought to think twice before underestimating any of my items. There was something else at the far end of the room but I couldn't make out what it could be. Princess Twilight opted to fly across and see what was there and upon coming back several seconds later, she said it was another key block. Well, this room was a bust as without a key, progressing any further this way was impossible.

Heading back the other way and then going north, the next room was definitely threatening based on what was laying directly at my feet. "Yikes! Look at all those cracks in the ground! I don't think I've ever seen so many in one place!"

Princess Twilight nodded. "Hmmm... This does appear to be a test of how fast you can clear out a room of monsters without causing the floor to collapse. If you take too long, the ground will break and you'll plunge to your death in the darkness. Or, you might re-spawn back where you're standing and simply take some slight damage. If you want my opinion, neither option is pleasant."

There were two Gibdo shuffling about on the cracked ground on the other side of some blocks. "How are those Gibdo able to walk on that floor without anything happening? I call this unfair to an extreme!"

"I have to agree that their defiance of reality is annoying."

The Compass then made its noise. "And there's a small key in here too!"

"This isn't going to be easy."

I then kicked one of the blocks hard with my foot. "If these weren't in the way, I could just toss bombs at them and not have to worry about the floor." There was a flying heart icon and a flying Magic Powder icon above the cracked floor yet neither of these could help me here. "There must be something I can do..." I then looked down at my sword and remembered that I could use sword beams now. I was at full health thanks to picking up that flying heart icon either so it was feasible. "Let's see if a sword beam can do the trick!" I swung my sword only for it to hit a block and fizzle out.

"Guess that's a no there."

I wasn't deterred. "Looks like it's Plan B."

"And what, pray tell, is Plan B?"

"Go in there and swing my sword like crazy in hopes of defeating them before the floor breaks."

Her Highness was flabbergasted at my idea as it clearly reeked of recklessness, but there weren't really any other options we could think of that would work. "Um... I'm not sure acting like a lunatic is such a good idea, Sunset. But, you do have the stronger sword so these Gibdo will go down a lot quicker. Hmmm... If you can defeat them fast enough, perhaps this idea does sound like it could work."

I then realized where she was going with this and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I see what you mean, but it's not like I have any other choice here. Sometimes, you have to take stupid risks knowing that you can't think of anything else."

"Whatever you do, don't use bombs!"

That went without saying. I did consider using Bomb Arrows but now that idea was sunk knowing how fragile this floor truly was. The Gibdo continued shuffling about though whether or not they noticed me remained to be seen. After waiting for a few minutes, it was clear they weren't going to make any sudden moves so it fell onto me to bring it to them. Gulping, I stepped onto the cracked floor and walked around the blocks where I began attacking them but right off the bat I could hear the sounds of crumbling beneath my feet.

Hitting the first Gibdo repeatedly as well as pushing it back in the process, it went down after three hits, and that's when the floor broke and a large hole appeared. I panicked as there was less ground to work with not to mention I needed a clear path back otherwise I'd be boxed in. Chasing the other one who had shuffled over to the other end of the area, it turned around and bumped into me where I felt its undead touch raking my soul. It wasn't as bad as the ones I had faced in previous adventures but it still felt terrifying. What was just as terrifying was more of the floor collapsing giving me even less to work with.

I attacked it before it could touch me again and defeated it in three hits. This caused a small key to drop down from the ceiling and land on the one patch of ground that wasn't cracked. Talk about irony. With what little floor I had left, I weaved my way back over to the door just as the last remnants collapsed leaving nothing but a bottomless abyss. As I picked up the key and gazed upon what happened, it ultimately didn't mean a thing. I could leave right now and come back in again and it will be as it was before. I didn't want to think about it as I knew it wouldn't make me happy.

With key in hand, I thought about going back to that key block, but instead I went left and entered the next room where I found the one mid-boss I didn't want to see again. "Not these guys again!" Sure enough, there were two Dodongo Snakes blocking the way.

"I think we both knew they would show up again."

"I'll make this quick."

The Compass then made a noise which Her Highness alerted me to, but when she saw that there was a ledge up above, she put two and two together. "Sunset? I think we've just found those monsters that the Owl Statue hinted at."

"Oh... Oh no!"

To Be Continued.

Chapter 31: A True Boxing Match.

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.
By Ganondorf8.
April 16, 2021.
Chapter 31: A True Boxing Match.

Why!? Why did it have to be the Dodongo Snakes!? Of all the monsters on this island that required me to defeat them from above according to the Owl Statue, it just so happened to be this particular monster. Okay, I didn't have any problems defeating them as they don't really do much other than slide along making those weird sounds and occasionally opening their mouths to which they would eat a bomb. No, my issue was that they took a lot of patience and running out of bombs meant being unable to prevail. Plus, there was just something creepy about them that made me shiver.

Looking around the room, I couldn't see anything out of the ordinary, but when I looked up at the ceiling, I could see a staircase which had to be the higher place the statue mentioned in its hint. If I had this right, they could only be defeated by dropping down bombs? No... Something didn't seem quite right. Taking another look at what I had to work with, I could ignore them and continue on through the dungeon, but this didn't answer a very important question. That being how to get up to this upper ledge. I couldn't see any direct approach so perhaps there was a hidden path or something?

Taking out the Dungeon Map, I looked at where I was currently located, and to my dismay, there weren't any hidden paths. The upper ledge could only be accessed via the stairs which meant I needed to find another staircase and hoped it connected to up there. Despite having explored much of this dungeon, there were still plenty of rooms left to explore and so these other stairs could be just about anywhere. In any case, I couldn't do anything with these Dodongo Snakes so for now I just had to ignore them.

Putting the map away, I watched to make sure when I could make my way across this room without one of them deciding to open its mouth and wanting to eat me. Both snakes continued slithering about without a care in the world and upon seeing both move away from each other, I walked across the room and reached the other side. Looking back, neither one had noticed and were content on doing whatever they were supposed to be doing, but I would be back here again soon enough due to progression.

Entering the next area, I felt the temperature rise once again due to the lava. Just when I thought I could get comfortable knowing I was exploring a section of the dungeon where there was no intense heat, it managed to come back with a vengeance. Again, if I had either adequate clothing or maybe a form that could resist heat, there wouldn't be any need for me to complain, and yet neither was an option for me. Looking down at my blue tunic, it saddened me knowing that despite how it saved my butt so many times, it was useless against something uncommon like heat coming from lava.

Using the Roc's Feather to jump over a river of lava that connected to a larger pool, I was immediately attacked by two Green Zols as they popped out of the ground just as I landed there, but fortunately, I didn't get pushed into it. Defeating both with one sword swing, I was confronted with two options. Using my one remaining small key or heading up north and seeing where it went. So far, my lack of not going off the beaten path had resulted in me missing out on some things which in turn had made some aspects of this adventure more difficult. I needed to change this and so I went north.

In the next room, I was surprised to find myself back where those four flying icons were located. On top of that, I could now access the treasure chest though it did come with a minor problem. Jumping over to it was impossible even with the Pegasus Boots but using the Hookshot wasn't my concern. What was however, was knowing that there was no means of going back the way I came upon opening the chest. I'd be forced to backtrack which made me wonder if opening this chest was worth it. If it contained rupees, that would be like getting hit in the stomach.

"What do you think, Twilight?" I asked.

"It depends on whether you want to maintain your desire to open up every single chest inside of a dungeon or finally decide to skip one due to not really needing its contents." Princess Twilight answered.

"But what if it contains rupees?"

"Nothing wrong with money so long as you use it to make yourself better equipped."

I sighed. "At this point, I feel like I don't need to collect anymore rupees since I've got so many items and equipment." I then took out the Hookshot but refrained from using it as I wanted to have a second opinion. "Money does make things easier but since we're at this stage of the journey, I find that rupees just aren't that important anymore. If I were planning on going through more of Zecora's challenges then I'd be grabbing every last rupee you can imagine. But, that's not in my current plans. Personally, I want to defeat Grogar and change everything back to normal before things might get worse."

"And you feel conflicted on this?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

Princess Twilight then smiled. "Sure, you don't need to collect anymore rupees in that sense, but perhaps you can just collect them for fun? Try and see how many you can get before the end of the journey. There are some adventurers who do make valid attempts at collecting as many rupees as possible until they can no longer collect any. Yes, that basically means maxing out on one's own wallet and be a potential magnet for thieves, but these are minor issues."

"That's one way to look at it I suppose."

"And I'm not saying this because I have a large budget back in Equestria."

That made me laugh. "Not that I was going to ask, but how much of an allowance do you even get as a princess?"

"I get enough bits to survive from month to month." Princess Twilight answered. When I responded with a smug expression which said that she wasn't telling me everything, she caved in but not before blushing. "Okay, I get roughly 100,000 bits though none of that comes from Ponyville. Now this was when I was living there. Once I assume the throne, I'll probably get ten times as much or maybe even more."

"Sounds about right."

"I use those bits to better ponies and other creatures."

Was I jealous that Her Highness had so much money at her disposal? A little since I barely made by with what I earned, but then I knew she only used a tiny amount of her budget on herself with what remained going to pay for castle maintenance, personnel, and some hidden taxes before it goes towards helping other ponies. It made me think that if I had stayed in Equestria and became a princess, would I have used so many bits on myself? Back then, I'd have done exactly that and not felt guilty over it. With who I am now, I'd have taken the same stance and only use a tiny amount of bits.

Maybe I should just collect rupees for the fun of it. It's not like I could take them with me once things were back to normal and leaving them behind in chests would make me think I had gone and left something important instead. Besides, I could still make some last minute purchases in case I used up more of my items in this dungeon than expected. I had to be at my very best in order to take on Grogar. Anything less than that was mere stupidity on my part and he would gladly take advantage by killing me outright.

Firing the Hookshot's chain, it connected with the chest and pulled me towards it. There was no turning back now given what I had just done so whatever was in this chest, I'd need to backtrack to where that locked door was so I hoped this was worth it. Opening the chest, I took out some Secret Medicine which definitely made me happy. I had been needing to get some more of this on me as I felt less confident without it. Not exactly an ideal location for finding it especially since I was no way near the end of Turtle Rock, yet this could be overlooked despite not getting it before reaching the Nightmare.

"Twilight? What do you think about that riddle regarding the Dodongo Snakes?"

"Odd time to bring it up, don't you think?"

"I know, but I wanted to hear your opinion."

Her Highness took a moment to gather her thoughts before answering. "It's definitely an interesting mechanic on account that you've never had to do anything like it before. I can understand why you need to do this because it takes a regular encounter and adds a stipulation that can easily confuse. It's not like Dodongo Snakes are difficult because they are actually quite easy to defeat. What will be perhaps the most challenging aspect is keeping tabs on how many bombs you have left."

I then gulped. "I keep forgetting that I only have a limited capacity."

"You can only carry thirty of them at one time." Princess Twilight said. She then flew down to where I kept my Bomb Bag on my belt and began tapping it. "If you had the ability to carry more bombs, there wouldn't be a problem and you could be a bit more reckless. However, with the number you can have, every shot is going to be an important one. Should you run out, you'd be forced to leave the dungeon or come to this room where you can get back at least ten. Dodongo Snakes, like every other monster, regain their health if you attacked them and then left before coming back later."

"Way to add some unneeded pressure."

"I didn't mean to make it sound that way."

I waved my hands in response. "It's okay, Twilight! I know you meant well and you're right. I just have to hope that the Dodongo Snakes are cooperative and want to eat the bombs without turning their mouths away from them." I then opened up my Bomb Bag and began counting how many I had. "Okay, I've got the maximum number of bombs I can carry." A part of me wished I could carry more but I never found the means of doing so. Again, this was where my lack of not exploring had caused things to be more difficult than they ought to be.

"Then you have thirty chances."

"Not very good odds, huh?"

"Not really no."

"Do you think thirty bombs is plenty?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "I'd say so because you're actually quite fortunate. In some of these adventures, you could carry potentially up to ninety-nine bombs though that is sheer overkill unless you happened to love explosives and blowing things up. Others give you way less bombs and this requires being more strategic with them and not just throwing them everywhere in hopes of finding something. Such adventures only allow for the use of sixteen bombs at most or perhaps as few as ten. It really depends on the nature of what is behind the adventure and whether bombs are deemed essential."

"Ten bombs!?" Hearing that made my jaw drop. "I could never use that few!"

"Some adventurers had no choice."

I felt so sorry for those who were forced to use fewer bombs than I could in my current capacity. It made me feel guilty knowing that my desire for wanting more bombs felt like I was being selfish when others had to work with far less. Perhaps I needed to be more appreciative of what I had instead of longing for what I needed. Considering that the Dodongo Snakes didn't exactly excel in the brains department, getting them to eat any bombs basically boiled down to luck and whether they were interested. Every shot needed to count and I couldn't afford to waste any of them.

Since I couldn't go back the way I came, I jumped down to where the four flying icons were. I thought about trying to jump across the lava but where I wanted to jump to was out of range for the Roc's Feather to reach. Not even with the use of the Pegasus Boots could I make such a jump. If only the ground were a bit closer then perhaps it could've worked but I knew backtracking was my only option. I didn't need to collect any of the flying icons as I was fully stocked up on ammunition so I walked up the stairs and entered the tunnel where I stepped on a Goomba and it left behind a heart.

It was strange how stomping on them provided hearts whereas using any other method to defeat them didn't guarantee getting anything. I just thought it was rather odd that this was a habit of theirs that didn't transition to every other monster on this island. As I reached the two bird-like statues, the Lava Bubbles leapt forth from the lava before diving back down. I needed to work fast in order to avoid getting roasted so using the Roc's Feather, I jumped up and grabbed onto a ladder rung before climbing up and was about to use the Hookshot when they emerged again.

Upon going back down, I fired the chain at the statue and pulled myself across just as the bubbles came out of the lava for a third time. I had to admit that Turtle Rock was definitely giving my items quite the workout as though it were given them one last triumph before I acquired something new which was needed to finish things up. Even in a dungeon filled with absurd challenges, it made up for it by allowing me to use items I hadn't used in a very long time or in ways there were different from the norm.

Climbing down the other ladder and re-entering the dungeon, I picked up a couple of pots in order to clear a path towards the rotating wall panel. The Red Stalfos in the room began tossing its bones at me and while most of them missed, one did hit me in the back even though it was minimal damage. I picked up another pot and tossed it where it struck and defeated the monster in one shot. I knew pots were powerful but this was ridiculous. Approaching the panel, I allowed two of the Blade Traps to launch where they collided making a loud clanging sound that echoed throughout the room.

When they started moving back to their original positions, I touched the panel which forced me to press my back up against it before it turned around and brought me into the room that had the arrow marking on the ground. As expected, the cracked blocks had re-spawned though it was expected given how rooms worked. No sense in wasting bombs so instead I walked around them though I ignored the flying bomb icon as I was already carrying the maximum that was possible for me. Entering the next room, I could see that the floor had come back which made me feel disappointed.

I liked how some things I did were permanent as it meant not needing to do them again. When other things reverted back to the way they were before, it just wasted time which could be spend on making progress. Solving the same puzzle multiple times in the same place wasn't fun, it was just tedious. Whoever made this might not have come to that realization thinking no one would notice, but clearly I noticed so they must have done something wrong. Oh well. I supposed not everyone thought the same way and those who appreciate this might be ignorant of it all.

Heading to the left, I found myself in front of the Dodongo Snakes again. As they began slithering about, the noise they made suddenly came to mind. What did it sound like? To me, it sounded like a broken car horn. It wasn't annoying but it could become grating unless you drowned out the noise. Once there was a big enough gap between each of them, I slipped past and was back where this backtracking segment began. Using the Roc's Feather again, I jumped over the lava river and then a second one before unlocking the door.

In this next room, I noticed something that caught my immediate attention. "There's the Nightmare Door."

"Now we know the exact location even though we've seen it on the map."

I then saw the barriers that were blocking the way. "If I had the Nightmare's Key right now, I'd have jumped over this lava but these stupid barriers stop me from doing that. I find this to be very inconvenient!"

That's when Princess Twilight pointed at the staircase just in front of the door. "It looks like you need to approach the door via one of the tunnels in the dungeon. If I'm right in my assumption here, one of the two tunnels that are filled with those ice blocks is what leads up to the door. Without a means of melting that ice, you can't get over there."

Hearing that made me feel pretty low. "Of course I need the dungeon item to get over there!"

"Sunset?"

I looked up at her. "Sorry. That's just me talking to myself there."

"It sounds like you're upset with this situation."

I nodded. "It's not the first time this has happened to me, Twilight. I've reached a point where I need to realize that such things are going to happen because of course these dungeons have no intention of making it easy. It's just that I really wanted to jump over there with the Nightmare's Key and perhaps the dungeon item and not have to go through anything else this place has to offer. Am I selfish for wanting an easy time? Yes and you would agree if you were doing this instead."

"I won't deny that sometimes I do wish you weren't given so much stress."

This was ultimately me just ranting (More like complaining) about how difficult things had gotten and wishing they could get easier. Seeing the Nightmare Door being so close and yet so far just made something click which prompted me to begin saying all that stuff. I supposed also that adventuring fatigue had begun to settle in which would make anyone feel cranky over being forced to do this kind of thing on a constant basis. How I never lost my sanity is something I'd rather not know. If there was a positive here, it was being close to the end that I could see this through despite my opinions.

Walking past it, I could see a flying arrow icon which I could've ignored, but I jumped up and grabbed it using the Roc's Feather. I felt bad over ignoring the previous icons so I figured on picking it up to fulfill some kind of quota. Entering the next room, the door at the other end locked itself though this wasn't a surprise as it had been happening roughly every other room not just in this current dungeon but in all of them. Why not just have them locked right away instead of making me see it happen every time. This was a concept that had clearly run its course and was now being overused.

To my right was a chest located on a high-up platform and to its left was a staircase that looked different from the normal ones I'd seen. In front of me were two Ropes along with another Vire which began attacking by shooting fireballs at me. Raising my shield, I reflected back the shots where each one hit it causing it to dive down and attack up close. Before I could respond, one of the Ropes bumped into my foot which allowed it to knock me down where I landed on my butt. And here I thought Ropes were relatively harmless monsters as well as being cute in appearance.

Defeating the two snakes (I actually had to in order to unlock the door), I waited for it to attack me again. When it did so, I reflected the fireballs back where both hit it and it responded by diving down. Swinging my sword when it got close, I defeated it and it split into two Big Keese. Unlike the last ones that flew away, they continued attacking but I took them both out which unlocked the door. Getting hit by your own attack causes enough damage where someone else's attack is enough to finish the job. Looking up at the chest, there had to be a way to reach it but I wasn't sure how.

Princess Twilight then bopped me on the head and pointed at the door which just unlocked. I walked through it and entered a tiny room which comprised of some stairs to my right and nothing else. Was this some kind of joke room? If so then it wasn't funny. Upon heading up the stairs, the path turned to the right, but when I looked back the other way on a whim, I was surprised to see the room had a lot more to it than I initially thought. There was another locked door along with another staircase. If this other one connected to the other tunnel with those ice blocks, I couldn't get over there for now.

Going back into the previous room and taking out the Hookshot, I fired the chain where it connected with the chest and I pulled myself across over to it. Upon opening it up, I took out a purple rupee. I felt like putting it back on account of not really needing it, but Princess Twilight reminded me that it was okay since collecting rupees was fine if it was for fun. Then again, it was possible for me needing to visit Sugar Belle to acquire some more medicine if what I currently had on got used due to either one of the remaining mid-bosses or the actual Nightmare killed me.

Jumping back down, I decided to head south rather than go up the stairs. In this next room, I encounter a statue in the lava itself. "Hmmm... I'm surprised that statue hasn't melted what with being stuck in the lava."

Princess Twilight then took a closer look at it. "Don't you find it strange that there are barriers surrounding every side of it aside from the front? It's like it's trying to tell you to do something with it."

"Now that you mention it, you're right."

"I mean, you can tell something is suspicious here."

I then noticed an Owl Statue next to this other one. "Maybe I should listen to what the statue has to say." A couple of Sparks moving around a pair of blocks were in the way so I took out the Boomerang and tossed it at each one, defeating them and a fairy appeared in their place. That's when I looked at the other statue and saw that it comprised of a single eye... Just like the other ones scattered about the dungeons. "Huh... It's just an ordinary statue yet it was given special treatment. What makes it different from the others?"

"Like you said, you want to listen to the Owl Statue."

"What do you think, Twilight?"

"I don't see what makes it unique."

"You haven't a clue?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "While I do pride myself in being able to solve difficult puzzles, there are some that even baffle me. If this turns out to be something really simple, then I'd be pleasantly surprised and would give respect to whoever came up with it."

That was just like Her Highness to be humble about her intellect. If not for her, I never would've understood the values of humility and become better off for it. I'd have instead continued to be bitter over not becoming an alicorn which in turn would've lead me down a path of darkness from which there was no return. Just thinking about what could've been sent chills down my spine. As I continued looking at the statue and then at Princess Twilight, I smiled knowing how she became such a valued teacher and friend. She just needed to remind herself that so many looked up to her for guidance.

Approaching the Owl Statue, I took out the Stone Beak and placed it where it needed to go where it began to speak. 'If the statue looks strange, shoot it with the bow'. That was the hint it possessed? Talk about disappointing as it was something I could've figured out on my own. "Twilight? This puzzle turned out to be easy after all."

"And neither of us knew what the solution was until we were told."

"I feel stupid for not realizing what the solution was."

Comforting me, Princess Twilight pointed at the statue. "If you think about it, if you had come here without the bow, you would've been stuck and forced to leave the dungeon in order to get it which would've also involved doing some heavy rupee grinding. I believe this is the only puzzle that actually requires use of the bow. In that sense, it's essentially an optional item that most will ignore because of how expensive it was in the shop. Good thing you were insistent on picking it up when you did."

"Though it did put a huge dent in my wallet."

"True."

So this was the only time the bow was actually needed? It made me think that whoever made this game viewed the bow as an afterthought which made sense as to why it needed to be purchased and not found in a dungeon. At the end of the day, this wasn't really important in the grand scheme but rather a fun little fact that a serious gamer would take into consideration... And since I was serious about my gaming, I felt very conflicted. I loved using a bow despite how long it took me to be able to use it properly and not look like an idiot so to see it not being given due course felt disappointing.

Removing the beak and putting it away, I walked over to the other statue and took some steps backwards before taking out the bow. Aiming carefully, I fired at the statue, striking its torso which did nothing. Why didn't anything happen? As I thought it over, I then smacked my forehead upon realizing that it needed to be hit in the eye. Firing a second arrow, it struck the eye cleanly and again nothing happened. What could I be doing wrong? Princess Twilight bopped my head and pointed at a slightly raised platform further back from where I was standing.

Walking over and standing on it, I fired another arrow at the statue, striking its eye. This caused it to glow a bright yellow and a small key to drop down from the ceiling. Okay, the hint from the Owl Statue said nothing about needing to stand on a small platform. Why not give me credit simply because I hit the statue in the eye? Picking up the key and pocketing it, I thought about going back yet there was a door to my left as well as a path that went south. Heading south in hopes of maybe finding a shortcut, I encounter instead three flying icons.

Even though there wasn't one for Magic Powder, this was yet another place where I could pick up some ammunition or a bit of health. However, I didn't need any of these right now but at least I had easier access to these freely. Heading back the other way to the previous room and then heading left, I entered the next room where the Compass made its sound indicating another key was here. There was a chest that I couldn't open due to a block being in front of it. There was also a Beamos in the corner of the room that fired a laser at me when its eye rotated around and spotted me.

Raising my Mirror Shield, the laser bounced back and struck the Beamos, causing it to shut down. The puzzle was actually a simple one to figure out which made me wonder if creative ideas were beginning to run dry. Pushing a second block forward until it stood to the left of the chest, I pushed the other one to the right giving me access to it. Opening it up, I took out another small key which I knew it would be thanks to the Compass. The only that remained now involved defeating those Dodongo Snakes.

As I was about to turn around and head back, I noticed there was a path that went south. Being the curious sort, I decided to see where it went in case this one turned out to be a shortcut. Walking up some stairs before going south, barriers on either side of me made me suspicious but perhaps I was just overthinking things again. As I entered the next room, everything went dark yet I felt I'd been here before. Taking out the map, I was in the room with the torches that couldn't be lit. This was a shortcut but not a very good one as jumping down from here meant not being able to go back.

Putting the map away and then walking back the other way, I decided to avoid the Beamos, and upon entering the room with the statue, I turned left and was in the room with the staircase which went upstairs. Since there was no where else to go at this point, I decided to see where it went. To my surprise, it took me back outside where my eyes needed a moment to get adjusted to seeing blue sky again after being surrounded by dingy walls for so long. Not having the smell of lava all around was a sigh of relief though it wouldn't be long before enduring it again upon going back inside.

"It feels great to be back outside."

"Yes, but you must remember that any puzzles you solved have now been reset."

"And the monsters?"

"They have been reset as well."

"I had a feeling that would happen."

Princess Twilight then came to a realization. "Now I know how you can defeat those Dodongo Snakes from above. Since we're outside right now, there has to be another entrance to the dungeon somewhere nearby which can take you to the upper platform of the room they are in. I must admit that this was a very creative means of solving such a rather cryptic puzzle by actually needing to leave but not via the main entrance."

"I still don't like the idea of having to fight the Dodongo Snakes again."

"There's not much of a choice, Sunset."

As much as it pained me to admit it, Her Highness was right. Taking a step forward, a Mini-Moldorm slithered towards me and before I could draw my sword, it bumped into me before it did so a second time. Drawing my sword, I defeated it in a single hit before I was hit on the head from above by a Dacto which had been perched on a barrier overlooking a small patch of grass which looked to be hiding something. Shaking my head, I was then attacked by a second one though I was prepared for it by raising my shield just as it was about to stab me using its rather long and sharp beak.

Despite how annoyingly fast they were, I defeated both Dactos with little effort though they did manage to hit me a few times each. Heading up to where the patch of grass was, I was surprised to see that it was a Piece of Heart. Talk about a lucky break! Normally, you'd need to go through some difficult challenges to find these though some were deemed freebies as they were just out in plain sight waiting for someone to come along. Picking it up, I felt its warmth embrace me and I gained new determination despite what was coming.

Ignoring the two Dactos perched either side of the main dungeon entrance (I doubted they even noticed me), I walked across a bridge and reached a warp panel. "Cool! Now I can warp back here if I ever needed to grab some supplies or medicine..." I suddenly stopped upon seeing the other warp down below though it was quite far away. "Why are there two of these so close to one another? It doesn't make any sense!"

Taking a closer look for herself, Princess Twilight had an answer. "My guess is that a long time ago, there was only the warp panel right here located on top of Turtle Rock. At some point later on, another warp was created for those who wanted to reach the mountains without having to go to the dungeon. I know it's not a precise guess but I'm basing it on knowledge I've managed to obtain. It's only purpose is to get you away from here so that you can restock on items which you already mentioned."

"Aside from that, it's completely useless."

"Something like that, yes."

"Wow... I feel bad that this warp panel isn't as useful as the others."

"At this point in the adventure, a lot of things have become less useful."

"Kind of like the item I'll get in this dungeon?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "I'm afraid that what you said is true. Even though what you'll find is going to be essential for getting through the rest of Turtle Rock, the fact that you get it so late means you don't have enough time to appreciate what it's capable of as the only thing after the final dungeon is Grogar. Unless you planned on taking on more custom dungeon challenges in which case it becomes more useful. My advice to you, Sunset, is to appreciate whatever this item will be for as long as it's available. If it had been obtained much sooner, it'd be an entirely different conversation."

I never really thought about it like that before but then the idea of getting something very late wasn't new to me. There was that ultimate mask from the previous adventure which I got right at the very end so I never had a chance to see what it could do as I got forced into battle. Was the same true with whatever item awaited me in Turtle Rock? I viewed every item from each dungeon as precious as each had saved my life in a variety of ways. Why have these adventures set up like that where some things are used hundreds of times while others maybe less than ten?

"I hope that this item I'll get is a good one."

"I think it will be."

"First, I need to find where it is."

"Yes."

Looking over at what appeared to be the other entrance back into Turtle Rock, I gulped loudly knowing that I was about to deal with a most unusual mid-boss battle. If I was fighting anything other than the Dodongo Snakes in this manner, it would've been impossible to defeat such monsters. However, just because the snakes weren't exactly threatening didn't mean this was going to be easy. I needed to take several factors into account such as how I tossed my bombs down to them for example. I also only had a limited number of them at my disposal so I couldn't afford too many mistakes.

Heading over to the other entrance, I accidentally startled a Shrouded Stalfos who immediately backed away before hissing at me. Since it was showing no signs of attacking me, I decided to leave it alone. I entered the dungeon knowing it was safe though the monster continued hissing which quickly grew weaker before disappearing entirely. Appearing in the room with the Dodongo Snakes though now much higher up now, the mysterious voice in my head reminded me that this was Level 8 though I already knew that.

Looking down at the ground below, I could see the snakes in all their hideous glory. Once they began slithering about, I took a few minutes to study their movements so as to give myself as much advantage as possible yet it quickly proved agonizing. Not only were they slow at moving, sometimes, all they did was just turn around and head back the way they came before. A lot of this was going to come down to luck as they could turn their heads at the last minute. My one consolation was that they only took three hits before popping for good.

Before starting, the Compass beeped, reminding me that there was a key here. Taking out a bomb, I decided to use this first one as an experiment to see how far I could toss it before landing though I wasn't expecting it to get eaten by one of the Dodongo Snakes. Tossing it, it initially sailed through the air before its weight forced it down where it bounced once and then came to a stop where it exploded a couple of seconds later. It seemed that my enhanced strength had no effect here so I could continue throwing bombs without fear of throwing one through the wall on account of being so strong.

The snakes slithered about with one choosing to follow the other (I wasn't about to wonder what went on in their minds) so the lead one needed to be attacked first. Taking out my second bomb and tossing it down, the first snake turned left and didn't eat my bomb where it exploded. Crap! This is exactly what I didn't want happening. I was already down two bombs and hadn't damaged either one in any way. If this kept up, I'd run out and be forced to retreat and fight them again later. No... That scenario wasn't allowed to take place! They would be defeated on this first attempt.

Tossing down another bomb, the second snake turned left resulting in the same thing happening again. Rather than focusing on both at once, I chose to focus on one at a time in order to keep tabs on which one was which (A difficult thing to do since nothing really could tell them apart). Designating the one nearest me as Dodongo Snake #1, I tossed down another bomb which it consumed before it exploded moments later and caused it damage. Luck was definitely going to be a major factor here... And considering how bad it usually was, my bomb count was going to be very low by the time this was over.

I considered immediately throwing down another bomb but chose instead to wait. After an explosion, there was a brief moment of invincibility where the snake couldn't be damaged until the effect wore off. When it did, I threw another one down in front of the snake only for it to scoff at the bomb and turn around by flipping over to the other side of its body which surprised me. Okay, maybe they weren't as stupid as I believed them to be. In any case, I walked along making sure my eyes remained fixated on it, and when it turned right, I tossed down another bomb.

It got eaten by the snake and exploded, damaging it again. So far, this was going better than expected despite the bad start, but I wasn't about to get overconfident as I was certain my luck was about to change. Throwing another down, I completely missed and I cursed under my breath. Slapping both sides of my face to prevent myself from losing my concentration, I waited for it to come back the other way by turning around. Taking out another bomb and holding it above my head, the snake slithered along and was right below me when I tossed my bomb down and was eaten.

The bomb exploded and it popped which made me breath a sigh of relief. "That's one down!"

"So far so good, Sunset."

"This is very stressful you know."

"I know which is why I'm giving you a burst of confidence."

As I gazed down at the remaining Dodongo Snake, I couldn't help but feel annoyed. "You know, whoever came up with this idea didn't think it through. I mean, why have me go through this when something better could've been used or perhaps a more refined way of doing this."

"Given that this is just a one time thing, they can be forgiven for some things but not on others."

"Yeah, I guess so."

Princess Twilight proceeded to give me a quick hug knowing how much this was making me feel stressed out. "Just continue tossing down bombs at your current pace and make sure to keep an eye on where it's moving. You've got enough bombs to defeat it and obtain the small key that its guarding." Not one of her better pep talks but for what it's worth, she did the best job she could considering she didn't have much time coming up with something. "Oh, and whatever you do, don't accidentally leave the dungeon or enter one of the adjacent rooms."

"What happens?"

"The one you defeated will come back and you'll have to start over again."

I gulped heavily in response. "Yeah... Let's not do any of those things."

"No pressure or anything."

After what she said about leaving this room or the dungeon, I was feeling nothing but pressure. I didn't want to have to fight these snakes for a fourth time even if they weren't nearly as bad as I was making them out to be. I knew it wasn't their fault as they were simply monsters created for the purpose of slowing down my progress, yet something about them just infuriated me more so than any other monster across this island. Looking back down at the remaining Dodongo Snake, it continued slithering around whilst making those noises, yet was it the sound they made which infuriated me.

Focusing on the task at hand, I tossed down another bomb at the snake though it turned to the right and ignored it where it exploded. Tossing down another, it missed entirely and exploded harmlessly. Now the pressure was starting to get to me again. Breathing in and out a few times in order to relax, I looked down to see where the snake had gotten off to. To my surprise, it was apparently stuck in a corner and couldn't move. Was this some kind of glitch? Moments later, it turned itself around and resumed slithering along as though nothing happened.

As it came back towards me, I took out and tossed down another bomb where it ate and took damage when it exploded seconds later. However, I just couldn't get the thought of it being stuck out of my mind. Was that supposed to have happened? It wasn't in any pain but just stuck in a corner looking helpless or maybe curious about something (I couldn't tell what with a lack of a face or expression). Maybe this room just wasn't made to hold them? Unlike the previous room where I faced them, this one had the least amount of space.

Waiting for it to come back around, I tossed down another bomb only for it to turn over completely and go back the other way. Okay, at least that was normal or as 'normal' as one would expect from a unique monster. Walking over to where it was directly below me (I didn't have as much room to maneuver about either), I tossed down another bomb where it bounced off its head and then again, landing a few feet away before exploding. When it suddenly turned over again and began coming back, I tossed one last bomb down where it got eaten by the snake.

It then popped like a balloon, signaling its defeat which caused a chest to materialize on the other side of the ledge I was standing on. "Defeating that other one took a bit longer than I thought but I managed to pull through."

"Did you see what happened when it got stuck?"

"You noticed it too?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "It's difficult not to have noticed. I'm going to assume that where it got stuck, the section of room that takes you to where you fought those Gibdo on the cracked floor, wasn't designed for a Dodongo Snake. They enjoy changing directions by going north or south depending on what goes on in their minds. Because it couldn't go in either of these directions, it began acting out until freeing itself by simply turning over. Had it not been able to do even that, defeating it would've been impossible and you'd have been forced to leave and come back in order to reset the room."

"It wasn't in any pain though."

"Not all creatures share expressions of pain, Sunset."

"No... I suppose not."

"The important thing is that you defeated them." Noticing how I was still bothered by what happened, Princess Twilight smiled and landed on my head. "At least it managed to get itself out from that corner and went back to just slithering about whilst making those noises. It had enough common sense to know something was wrong. Be thankful that the other one didn't get stuck. I can't even imagine how that would've looked."

"Before I get the key, I need to know... Do I have to go back outside and back over to the other side of the dungeon?"

"Why not take out the map and let me answer that." Princess Twilight answered. She could've just answered me without needing the map, but I supposed I could do with looking at it again to see where I needed to go next. Taking it out and unfurling it, Her Highness combed it over before pointing at one particular room. "There! You need to go to the room where you saw that key block hiding in the darkness."

"You sure about that?"

"It's the only room you haven't explored properly."

"But what about that other locked door from earlier?"

"Until you can melt the ice, you're not going that way any time soon."

Putting the map away again, Her Highness didn't answer my question the way I wanted to. I definitely wanted to know which room I had to go to next, but she didn't say as to whether I had to go back outside or not. Surely I could jump down by going in either direction as backtracking at this point would just be inconvenient. There was also something else that couldn't be overlooked and those were the two fairies that appeared upon defeating both Dodongo Snakes. Unfortunately, I couldn't pick up either one yet I didn't really need to as I took no damage in the previous fight.

Opening up the chest and taking out the small key, I continued walking forward and entered the room with the Gibdo and the cracked floor. To my relief, there were two places to jump down from yet both would have me land on broken ground and could break away at any moment. Choosing wisely to jump down where there were no monsters, I landed and nothing happened, but when I moved to the right, the floor gave way leaving behind a small hole. I had to remind myself that as the final dungeon, everything was dangerous which included the very floor itself.

Heading south into the room with the arrow marking on the ground, I then walked through the cracked section of wall I destroyed earlier and was back in the dark room which had the key block at the other end. There were also two Sparks though one was following the other which would make my next action an easy one. Taking out the boomerang and tossing it, it struck and defeated both monsters at once. A couple of fairies appeared in their place and I promptly collected them despite again not really needing to as I had full health.

Using some Magic Powder on a nearby torch, the room lit up slightly and I could see that there was a hole in the ground that stretched from the north end of the room to the other with several blocks on one side. If I hadn't used any powder, I could've walked right into the abyss without ever knowing it was there. The key block was also visible and I suspected there had to be more in the next room as it was the only one left that was accessible. I hoped there weren't any hidden rooms as I didn't want to have to go look for a room that the map didn't display.

Taking out the Roc's Feather, I jumped over the hole and upon landing, I lit up the other torch which made the room feel more natural. However, two Green Zols popped out of the ground and bumped into me all because I had no idea they were there until it was too late. Defeating both with a sword swing each, I approached the key block and inserted one of my keys before turning it where the block disappeared. Entering the next room, I was proven wrong about how there was only one room left as it appeared there was another to my left as the way forward was closed thanks to a door.

"So what's the deal with this room?"

"I can see another key block in front of a staircase."

I looked at what Her Highness was noticing and she was right. "I guess I need to take that staircase in order to get to one of the two 'front arms' of this turtle, but I can't tell how I'm supposed to even get there."

"Why not light one of the torches and see what happens."

Nodding, I walked up to the nearest one and was suddenly bumped into by a Rope. Defeating it, the door then unlocked which made my jaw drop. "Was that Rope the only monster guarding this room?" When Her Highness nodded, I felt completely dumbfounded that a single little snake was all I had to defeat in order to progress to the next room. "Wow... I was actually expecting maybe two or perhaps three Ropes instead of just one."

"Sounds to me that you wanted a challenge."

"I guess a part of me doesn't want some things being too easy." Upon lighting the torch with some Magic Powder, my words quickly came back to haunt me. "What the!? I need to use the Hookshot to get across!? And there's no way of doing so from this room!?"

For her part, Princess Twilight was less emotional about it. "Quite clever that someone put these two torches here to prevent you from skipping a room and being forced to take the long way around to reach your goal." She then noticed the expression on my face and sighed. "No sense in getting upset, Sunset. This was something that was to be expected which does make sense why there was just a single monster."

"Just when I thought this dungeon was done with the cheap shots, it goes and makes another one."

"It's only a minor inconvenience."

"I know."

Entering the next room, it was also dark though there were two more torches that could be lit up. My complaints about not needing to use Magic Powder had been proven wrong utterly now as I had been forced to use the stuff quite often just to see where I was stepping. I also could hear the slithering sounds of at least two Ropes yet I sensed there was something else in the room that wasn't making any kind of noise. Attacking the first Rope before it could attack me in return, I then lit up a torch and was shocked at standing right next to a Peahat which stirred a little before waking up.

Knocking me to the ground, it began fluttering about and upon getting back onto my feet, I swung my sword only for nothing to happen. I then groaned upon remembering that I could only defeat Peahats when they stopped moving as otherwise they were just like ghosts. Once it stopped moving, I swung again and missed because of getting hit by another Rope. How was it that I was taking damage from monsters with such low attack power? How embarrassing. Defeating both monsters as they were next to each other with one sword swing, I then lit up the other torch just to have some symmetry.

Aside from a couple of holes in the ground and a few blocks scattered about, there was nothing that made this room stand out. I was about to make my way over to the next key block when Her Highness began bopping me on the head to get my attention. Once she had gotten it, she pointed at two cracked sections on two different walls. At first I didn't want to pay any attention as I wanted to keep going, but I quickly became curious and wanted to find out more. Choosing the southern wall, I took out a bomb and placed it in front of the crack which naturally revealed a way south once the bomb exploded.

But, upon heading south... "WAAAAH!" I suddenly came to a stop as I nearly walked straight into a river of lava.

"Are you alright?"

I nodded rapidly. "I could've killed myself just now!"

Princess Twilight then looked at what had almost happened. "This is a shortcut to a previous room... But not a very good one as you needed to destroy the wall from the other side in the previous room. I don't believe you know about this so let me tell you so that you don't forget. Bombs surprisingly don't explode if thrown into lava. I know, it sounds crazy but this is exactly what happens."

After calming down, I was actually curious about it. "Really? Why do you suppose it happens like that?"

"My guess is that whoever made this didn't want adventurers like you skipping past certain rooms." Pointing at my Bomb Bag, Her Highness convinced me to drop a bomb directly onto the lava in order to prove her point. I thought she was insane for making such a suggestion but in the end I acquiesced and did as she asked. Dropping one, it disappeared entirely without making an explosion. "It's like throwing one into a body of water. It just disappears."

"But lava isn't water you know."

"Considering this whole place is a dream, who knows if things are what they're supposed to be."

"Now I want to try something."

"I think I know what it is and I won't stop you."

Heading back into the previous room, I approached the other cracked wall and placed a bomb in front of it where it exploded moments later, revealing another path. I took a few steps forward only to stop because there was another river of lava right in front of me. Both directions were dangerous! However, where this way lead proved to be more convenient especially if for some reason I wanted to leave the dungeon for something. I was in the room with the statue that was submerged in lava. Like Her Highness said however, it was a shortcut but not a good one because it didn't work both ways.

Despite my disappointment, I had at very least revealed these shortcuts even if they were useless. Walking back the other way, I walked up to the key block and inserted my next small key before turning it. It disappeared allowing me to go back to the other room where now I could get across and use my remaining key. Before doing that, I used some Magic Powder and lit up both torches as I wanted to see where I was going. Stepping in-between both torches and taking out the Hookshot, I fired the chain at a block and pulled myself across.

Using my last key and inserting it into the key block before turning it, it disappeared and I entered the tunnel where the temperature rose once again. In front of me were two pools of lava along with a few platforms floating above them with one connected to the ceiling via a chain. "Twilight? What do you suppose this chained platform is for?"

"I'm not entirely sure to be honest."

"Do you think it can be pushed?"

"Only way to know is to try."

That's when two Lava Bubbles leapt forth from the lava before dropping back down. "Every time I see those things, I get nervous because they could come out just when I'm
attempting to jump across and I'd end up taking a fatal bath!"

"All you can do is avoid them."

"I don't like how some monsters are indestructible."

"Be fortunate that such creatures don't come up often." Princess Twilight said as she pointed down at the lava. "If they were way more prevalent, you'd have a very difficult time getting anywhere. They exist in order to give you something that cannot be overcome by relying on brute force. They need careful strategy to get by them which involves using one's brain."

"I never thought of it that way."

"You'd be surprised at some of this information."

"Glad I've got you around then."

Princess Twilight smiled. "It's what I'm supposed to as your partner. Now, you also know that these platforms are unaffected by the Lava Bubbles nor are they affected by them. In other words, you might need to jump as they can go right through them like they weren't even there. On the flip side, you won't suddenly have to jump like crazy and wait for the platforms to cool down if the Lava Bubbles touch them."

Taking out the Roc's Feather, I waited for the platform to come back, but before I could jump, the Lava Bubbles leapt forth. When they went back down, the platform had since began moving the other way so I took a risk and jumped, barely making it. As for this chained platform, upon reaching it, I gave it a push and nothing happened. It was simply there for no reason aside from maybe causing some confusion. Jumping over and landing back on the platform, I jumped again when the Lava Bubbles leapt forth again, landing on the ground and ready to move on.

The remaining platforms moved up and down so there was no chance of being roasted from below. When the Lava Bubbles emerged, I waited until they dropped back down before jumping across in quick succession until I reached a ladder. Looking back, I felt relieved knowing I wouldn't have to deal with them anymore as the remaining tunnels were freezing cold. Re-entering the dungeon, the next room contained a chest which was in front of blue tiles that were currently down. No wonder that Crystal Switch had been hidden so carefully. Had I come here without activating it, I'd have been forced to go and find it.

Raising my hand to my ears, I could hear something making noises along with punching sounds. Considering the chances of an actual person being in such a place like this, it was most likely a monster though one I'd never heard sound like that before. Jumping down, I entered a large room and just like every other time, the door locked though I was more concerned with what had been making those sounds. On the other side of the room was a strange creature that was wearing large blue boxing gloves as well as a yellow outfit. This had to be the true mid-boss and that made me worried.

"Who or what is this?"

"This would be Blaino."

"Blaino!?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "I know it's an unusual name but I wouldn't make fun of it if I were you. This guy moves incredibly fast and is known for his fast punches. He can use those gloves as a shield in order to protect himself from your attacks yet this only works so much until he drops his guard or gets tired. Even with your blue tunic, you're going to be taking a lot of damage here but then the same is true in reverse as with that strong sword, he will take heavy damage himself. I do have one major piece of advice. Avoid getting hit by his strongest move otherwise you will suffer."

"As in he can kill me in one shot?" I asked as I pointed at the medicine I had across my body. "As much as it would annoy me to be forced to use it, I can make an exception here since this is a new mid-boss."

"That's not what I mean."

"Then what?"

"If Blaino hits you hard enough, he can send you back to the start of the dungeon."

My entire body froze upon hearing that. "You're joking, right?"

Princess Twilight shook her head. "He can do that."

I couldn't believe what Her Highness had just said. The only monsters that had such an ability were those Wallmasters yet I hadn't seen any of them on this adventure. Getting sent back to the start was a terrible thought as being forced to backtrack all the way here would effectively kill any enthusiasm towards finishing this journey. As I stared at Blaino, he didn't look like he was capable of such power, but underestimating him was nothing short of stupidly as I had learned many times before.

Once he noticed me, Blaino suddenly moved forward with such speed that I couldn't see him moving. By the time my eyes caught up, he began hitting me with a flurry of punches before finishing up with a powerful one that sent me crashing into a wall. He clearly held back on that one as I could've gone right through the wall instead. Getting back up onto my feet, he moved towards me and was about to unleash another round of punches when I responded by raising my shield. Each blow felt like he was going to break it so I lowered it and I got punched into the wall again.

So far, things were going as well as expected. I was taking unnecessary hits though in this case it was because I couldn't exactly predict what he was going to do next. As I got back up, I raised my shield when he came at me again and started punching. I needed to get away from him long enough to be able to mount any kind of counterattack otherwise this was going to keep on happening until he could get rid of me. After several punches against my shield, he used a stronger one which pushed me back slightly before he attempted it again.

I swung my sword in response only for him to raise his fists to his face and absorbed the blow from my sword. I continued swinging and he kept on absorbing each blow until he countered with another punch which knocked me back a little. He then moved forward and began punching me a few times with the last one knocking me into the wall again. I then moved away and attempted to get to the other end of the room only for him to quickly catch up when I turned around and swung my sword. Again, he used his fists as a shield but when he suddenly dropped his guard, I responded by hitting him a couple of times.

That angered him and he shifted around until he was right behind me where he unleashed another strong punch. I tried moving forward but he managed to hit me and I was sent flying into the wall where I hit it face-first. Getting up, I rubbed my head to make sure it wasn't bleeding, but then he hit me again with another flurry of punches before suddenly moving back and then coming at me again. Raising my shield, he punched it several times and then backed away again where I lowered it which turned out to be a mistake. He rushed forward and punched me with a regular punch where I dropped to one knee.

"He's a lot tougher than I thought." I said whilst clenching my teeth.

"I'm surprised you've taken all those punches remarkably well."

I pointed at my blue tunic. "This thing is what made me survive this long." I then coughed though I quickly waved my hand to assure Her Highness that I was okay. "At least I've hit him a couple of times so I've made some progress."

"What truly has me surprised is that you haven't been knocked back to the beginning of the dungeon."

"I don't want that to happen!"

Princess Twilight nodded. "Either Blaino is purposely holding back because he sees you as a worthy opponent, or your increased defence has given you some kind of immunity to being knocked out of here." She then noticed all the bruises across my body and lowered her head slightly. "You need to be a bit more aggressive but not too much otherwise he can easily counter you. Oh yeah! Despite getting hit multiple times, you're only taking damage from the first punch he connects with. The rest are just for show and to give off the impression that he's giving you a real pounding."

"Um... I guess that should make me feel better?"

"I'd say so."

"Lucky me." I said with a sarcastic tone in my voice.

"You're doing good so far." Princess Twilight said in her bid to give me some confidence.

"Though I am worried about my shield breaking."

"The Mirror Shield can withstand anything." Princess Twilight then kicked it though it wasn't a very good example given that she was tiny. "It can stand up to even the most fiercest of blows so don't worry about Blaino destroying it because he can't do that. By the way, I'm sure you've already reached this conclusion, but if you haven't then let me explain. Aside from your sword, your other items have no effect on him. Those gloves of his can protect him from so much that it rivals your shield. Remember that he does have to catch his breath so he will drop his guard in order to do so."

I sighed. "I had a feeling that only the sword would work."

"No doubt that Blaino is very strong."

"Guess I need to prove my worth against him."

Getting up again, Blaino moved forward and I raised my shield where he began punching it. After a few attempts, he quickly shifted to the left where I turned to face him, my shield still raised as he punched my shield a few more times. He then shifted to the left again and again I turned around accordingly and absorbed his blows. He then paused for a moment which made me think that perhaps he was getting frustrated by my defence but when he decided to shift to the right, he caught off guard as I turned left and got punched in the back as a result. I was then hit again and got knocked into the wall.

Okay, so he didn't like it when I chose to hide behind my shield, but he wasn't giving me much of a choice here. With those fast movements, keeping my distance was impossible. If I had full health right now, I'd have shot some sword beams but they probably wouldn't have worked as he could just block them. This was probably true with Spin Attack so it truly did come down to using just the sword and no techniques associated with it.

I then recalled what Princess Twilight said about when he blocked my attacks, if I kept up the pressure, he would either drop his guard or get tired. Looking over at him, I wasn't sure about him getting tired as he looked like he could go on for a very long time but perhaps the first option could work. Moving away from the wall, he moved towards me when I began swinging my sword and continued swinging. He responded by raising his gloves and began absorbing my blows though I refused to stop. This went on for about a minute before he lowered his guard much to my surprise.

Hitting him a couple more times, Blaino eventually countered with more flurries of punches forcing me to step back. I quickly tried to get around to the other side of him but he suddenly turned around and punched me in the stomach. How in the world did he do that with such blinding speed? He punched me a second time followed by a third which knocked me down onto my back. As I looked up, he stopped moving and stared down at me with a sharp gaze. Rather than take advantage of my current predicament, he instead was waiting until I got up before continuing the fight. How about that? A monster with a sense of honor.

Upon getting up yet again, he began punching furiously before moving forward and then repeating this attack. I found it odd that he kept on changing up his attack pattern when normally monsters had just one method and wanted to stick with it. I guessed he didn't know how best to deal with me especially since every time I got knocked down, I kept coming back for more. I wasn't intending on trying to figure out his methods. I just needed to focus on breaking his defences and defeat him. Moving forward and swinging my sword, I hoped this would finish things off but boy did I just mess up.

Blaino winded up and punched me so hard that I crashed into one of the walls with incredible speed. As I slumped to the ground, small parts of the wall came down on top of me though it was generally still intact. "That should've knocked my head off!" Miraculously, I was relatively okay though my head was throbbing a little. "I can't believe I survived a punch as strong as that!" My luck once again showed how it went back and forth between being good and flat out terrible.

"I thought that had killed you!"

I shook my head. "I don't think this world would get that violent. Sure, I've had my share of getting impaled by different things, my body being slammed about, and even some bleeding on occasion, but actually losing my head? Yeah, I don't think that my head would've been knocked off despite what I just said." I then got up and brushed off some dust from my shoulders before stumbling for a moment. "But that definitely hurt like you wouldn't believe!"

"At least you have the Magic Medicine to rely on."

"I'd rather save that for the Nightmare."

"Sometimes you can't control when you have to do use it to save yourself."

Sighing, I nodded in agreement. "At the very least, I can keep going without needing to use it... Unless Blaino decides to go with another punch like that." I then quietly chuckled to myself before quickly stopping when Her Highness wanted in on the joke. "I'm sorry. It's just that for some reason, I can't take his name seriously. If he had been given a more prominent name, I wouldn't be giggling."

"While it is unusual as I said earlier, you better not let him see you laughing about it."

As I looked on at him, Blaino was punching the air repeatedly so I doubted he heard me. "He must be very dedicated to boxing seeing as he keeps on doing that. It makes me think that he hardly gets any visitors and perhaps does that to give himself a form of entertainment." Then what I said made a lot of sense. Since no one aside from me had been able to make it this far in the dungeon (Assuming anyone came at all), he had gotten pretty lonely. With me around, this was the first time he'd been able to punch something that could feel pain. Okay, not my best analogy but the point still stood.

"He's having a good time."

"Yeah, and I have to beat him."

"Then give him a proper finale."

Her Highness could've used better words than that, but I knew what she was getting at. Moving forward, I was still stumbling as a result from his last punch, but that apparently didn't mean a thing to him as he began punching me in the chest several times when he paused before punching me several times again. Then he hit me in the face which felt like I was about to lose some teeth, but that actually shook loose the cobwebs that had been my throbbing headache. Raising my shield and blocking some more punches, he shifted left and unleashed another flurry yet I stepped back to avoid them.

Then he got closer which was when I swung my sword yet he used his gloves to block my attacks. Knowing how he operated by that point, I continued swinging and he kept on blocking, but eventually this took its toll and he dropped his guard which was when I struck him a few times before I got blocked again when he raised his gloves. Despite all that punishment, he looked like he could still go a few more rounds. Shifting to the right, I turned in the same direction when he shifted the other way and started punching me before landing another big one which knocked me to the ground.

Getting back up, Blaino knocked me down again, and when I got up a second time, he knocked me down yet again. I could see where this was going and I wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of trapping me in a looped that worked against me. Rolling to the side and then getting up, I waited for him to come over before swinging my sword, yet he shifted right and swung at me which was when I stepped back and he moved forward and used another flurry of punches that missed their target. Either I was getting better at not getting hit or there wasn't much fight left in him.

He then approached and punched me in the stomach before shifting left and was about to hit me again when I used my sword to block him. That took him by surprise though I was just as shocked as I didn't think my sword could be used like that. Swinging it again, he blocked it using his gloves but then gave me another punch which left me in a daze enabling him to follow up with yet another blow to my face. Unlike the last one, this one didn't have as much oomph, another reminder that he was getting exhausted. In fact, his most recent blows had been weak though I supposed I never noticed until now.

He then shifted left and began another flurry of punches yet I stepped back and watched until he caught on and moved closer before repeating his attack while I responded by stepping back again. Undeterred, he got close again and I swung my sword only for him to block my attack. Then for some weird reason, I began jabbing at him and building up power to perform a Spin Attack though I hadn't noticed this until I unleashed it. Despite how impressive it looked, it amounted to nothing as it all got absorbed by those gloves. I knew it wouldn't work yet my instincts wanted to try anyway.

Mustering up another powerful punch, Blaino dashed forward and hit me with everything he had... And as I had figured out moments ago, it didn't do as much damage as it could've done had he more stamina. Despite getting hit in the face by that punch, I stood my ground and weren't knocked down as a result. Looking at his gloves in confusion, he quickly raised them as I began swinging my sword though he quickly tired out allowing me to hit him a few more times. On that final hit, he reeled back for a moment before falling down and landing on his back where he remained motionless.

As I walked over to check if he was okay (Strange that I was doing this given how I had been his punching bag), he lifted up his right hand and gave me a thumb's up before dropping it again. He then began exploding several times before disappearing in a final explosion which caused the door to unlock and a warp panel to appear. Now I had easy access to the entrance without needing to play Manbo's Mambo. "That... Was one of the hardest battles I've ever fought." I said as I stood there and gazed down at where he fell.

"In the end, he gave you a sign of respect."

"I gave him a worthy battle."

Princess Twilight nodded. "I think the sudden Spin Attack proved to be too much for him and pushed him right to the brink which is why that last punch of his didn't knock you down. You should be thankful that it didn't inflict as much damage as it potentially could have."

"That attack just came out of nowhere."

"Sometimes, when desperate, you do something your mind doesn't notice until after it happens."

"Guess I've got pretty good instincts."

"Yes, but not all monsters can be defeated by relying on that." Princess Twilight then pointed at the map which I then took out and she pointed at the Nightmare's location. "You need to know exactly what you're doing when it comes to this Nightmare in particular. It's the only one left before Grogar and is likely the strongest one amongst all of them. After all, this is the final dungeon and it will do everything to kill you."

I nodded. "I know, Twilight."

"I am curious as to what kind of Nightmare it is."

"Do they have any kind of theme?"

"They all resembled something that had to do with the dungeon you were in when you found them." Pointing at the map again, Princess Twilight reminded me that this one was shaped like a turtle, hence the name of Turtle Rock. "Based on that, one might think that the Nightmare here is going to be some kind of turtle-like monster, but then you have to take the lava into account. It could be a fire monster."

"I hope not."

"You really need to get used to the temperatures in here."

If the Nightmare was in fact lava-themed, I was going to have a very difficult time dealing with it. Despite having been in this dungeon for quite some time, I still had trouble getting used to the intense temperatures. It's not like Her Highness could complain as she was immune yet these conditions weren't normal. If I had been given the proper protection, I wouldn't be complaining. Maybe if there was another room with a mid-boss in it (I had no idea if there were any left) filled with lava, it could give me a chance at getting used to such conditions whilst fighting something strong.

Was it a good idea? Not even close, but it was the only one I could think of. If the Nightmare was somehow made of lava or at the very least fire, how was I supposed to defeat it? I certainly couldn't strike it with my sword as doing so would probably melt it which would leave me in quite a bind. Putting the map away and walking through the now unlocked door, I approached the three blue tiles and walked over them. Had they have been up instead, I'd have been forced to backtrack to that one Crystal Switch from before.

Opening up the chest, I took out what appeared to be a fancy looking wand. "It looks like you were right about it being a magical wand, Twilight."

"This is known as the Magic Rod." Princess Twilight exclaimed, happy knowing that I had some actual magic at my disposal. "With this, you can now light those torches that you couldn't reach earlier and melt those ice blocks in the two tunnels. In addition, you can use it in combat to attack monsters from a distance, and it's so powerful, it can defeat them faster than using your sword. Plus, it has infinite magic so no point in worrying about running out of magic power."

"Any other things it can do?"

"It can burn things, such as Gibdos."

"Is that so?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "Recall when I said that if you could burn them with something, you can turn them into Stalfos? Well, the Magic Rod is what you need to use. If they're giving you trouble, set them on fire and then defeat them when they become Stalfos. Burn it! Burn it all down!"

I then looked at Her Highness with a shocked look on my face. "Why did you just say that last bit!?"

"That's what I needed to say as part of the Magic Rod's description."

That definitely warranted a slap to my forehead. "Okay, whoever came up with that description makes them sound like they're a pyromaniac!" I then took a closer look and saw it had a purple gem embedded on the top of it and the wooden stick handle looked slightly gnarled giving it an old appearance. Not being able to use magic throughout this journey had been unbearable given I was a unicorn and Her Highness could use fairy magic, but now I could finally use some even if it was through a stick and gem. Swinging it, it launched a fireball that sailed across the room with some impressive speed before hitting the wall.

"Very impressive speed."

I nodded. "I guess this can only fling fireballs."

"Be glad that it can do something like that instead of a lesser kind of magic."

Just thinking about some of the more useless spells we have back in Equestria made me glad that I didn't have one of those within this Magic Rod. "By the way... How often can I fling a fireball? You did say that this can be used in combat so I'm curious as to how consistent it can be."

"I believe only one shot at a time."

That made me feel disappointed. "I guess it's not good if I get swarmed by a bunch of monsters."

"Better to take the victories where you can find them."

Looking back at the door, I remembered that a warp panel appeared. "If I'm going to light those torches I had to ignore before, I need to get back to the entrance and then make my way there instead of having to backtrack through most of the dungeon. I know you prefer me going the long way, Twilight, but surely you can make an exception this time. Besides, I rarely get to use dungeon warp panels as they usually don't do me any good given the layout."

Princess Twilight nodded. "I agree with taking a short cut. Besides, you earned this warp panel so you must use it."

Smiling, I went back into Blaino's room and stepped on the panel where I was surrounded by a bright light before disappearing. Moments later, I was back at the entrance and decided to check to see how my health was faring by looking at myself. I still had plenty of bruises from all those punches but I was capable of moving about without any issue. I know I still had the Magic Medicine but I wanted to save it for the Nightmare as it's going to be the toughest one yet. I needed to be cautious and not be too reckless. Heading north into the next room, this was where I encountered my first Vire.

Sure enough, it had returned and I thought about ignoring it when an idea came to mind. With my shield raised, I took out my new Magic Rod and waited for it to attack. When it fired its fireballs, I reflected them back which hit it and it dove down where I flung my own which defeated it completely without it splitting into two Big Keese. Her Highness was right about this rod being more powerful than my sword. A shame that it came so late in the adventure as I could've had a much easier time, but I supposed it was meant to be kept back until now because of its power. Better having it instead of not.

Even though I now had the Magic Rod and go could go and melt the ice blocks, there was no point as I didn't have the Nightmare Key or the one remaining small key needed for that one locked door. Heading left, I suddenly got hit by a laser beam that shot out from the eye of the Beamos that plagued this room. I then flung a fireball at it only to see it fizzle out. Okay, so not all monsters are affected by the Magic Rod. Good to know in case I encountered any other monsters who were immune. Raising my shield, it fired another laser which I reflected back, striking it, and shutting it down.

Ignoring the Ropes and walking into the next room, I was surprised to see that the Hinox had returned though perhaps I shouldn't have given how long it had been since I last came this way. "It's back again!"

"I did say that these mid-bosses would re-spawn if you went far enough away from their rooms."

"And the doors have locked themselves again."

"Unfortunately, because of how this dungeon was set up, this scenario was bound to happen."

I sighed. "Guess I better take care of this quickly."

"Why not try using your Magic Rod?"

"Will that even work?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "You only get to use it for a short period of time as once this dungeon is complete, the only place you have to go is where Grogar resides, and when he is defeated, the adventure is pretty much over. I know I'm making an early premonition by saying you're going to prevail which I know will happen, but you've got a new item that's begging you to use it as much as possible. Look, just use it and get a feel for how it truly works."

"Alright... I'll give it a whirl."

To Be Continued.

Chapter 32: Fire Versus Fire.

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.
By Ganondorf8.
April 23, 2021.
Chapter 32: Fire Versus Fire.

If I didn't know any better, I'd swear that Princess Twilight had some kind of hidden blood lust. Maybe spending all this time hanging out with me on these adventures has affected her in a way that made her desire more violence? Nah! I knew her way better than that. Then again, she was insistent on me using the Magic Rod to defeat the Hinox so that I could get used to using it. I could see where she was coming from though. There wasn't going to be many opportunities to use it given how I was almost finished and I had acquired it rather late in comparison with my other items.

Did I have blood lust? Maybe... If I had never reformed. In my current state? No. I only defeated monsters if it was necessary for progression, to acquire an item, or to collect some rupees to purchase something later whether I needed it or not. Okay, that last one was rather embarrassing but it had proven to become an unfortunate necessity. If I could, I'd avoid any and all encounters as I cherished life. However, if there was no other choice, then I would act accordingly. Was this the result of being fatigued from having to go through so much of this because of one man's machinations?

Possibly, but I couldn't truly be honest with myself. A part of me did enjoy swinging around a sword or whatever item was in my hand, overcoming incredible odds, thwarting evil, and getting a better understanding of who I was. On the other hand, it was getting to the point where I wanted it all to stop. Why did I have to be chosen by someone whose heart was filled with pure malice? Oh, and why a video game character!? That alone is what truly infuriated me! Instead of some random creature or threat from Equestria, I had a video game character wanting me to become his servant.

When it came to my luck, I definitely got the worst end of it more times than not. In a perfect world, this would've been nothing more than someone's prank designed to see just how annoyed I'd get. Instead, my reality was this! My resolve being tested over and over again until I gave in to the temptations of evil or die in the process. Yeah... Not very good options but that's how bad things had gotten. At least I didn't feel alone now as I had Princess Twilight... Who wouldn't even be in this mess if not for me. But, she had said that she wouldn't change any of it if it meant being with me.

She was Wisdom and I was Courage. The only one missing was Power and I shuddered to think of the poor soul who was being targeted by the Demon King. I still didn't quite understand why the Golden Power remained with us despite it originating from a video game but then there were a lot of things I didn't get. I'd love to have actual answers but the chances of that actually happening were slim to none. We had no idea where or when it would happen as like with us, it just happened completely at random and for no apparent reason. Whoever did end up getting Power, I prayed for their safety.

Focusing on the task at hand, the Hinox noticed me and began stumbling forward when I responded by firing the Magic Rod. To my surprise, it not inflicted quite a bit of damage, it also got pushed back though it seemed it was unaffected by the flames as it just stood there as they burned its flesh. As I gazed down at it, Her Highness said that it was powerful and she was definitely right. No wonder I had to wait until now before I could get my hands on it. Getting it early would've just made everything too easy though some might appreciate being overpowered right off the bat.

Suddenly, the Hinox lunged forward and grabbed me all because I was looking at my rod. It then flung me across the room where I landed face-first on the ground before it began tossing a few bombs in my direction. Rolling to the side just as they exploded moments later, I got back up and was about to fire about burst of flame when it grabbed me again. I got thrown back the other way and hit the wall with my stomach. Slumping to the ground and remaining dazed for a few seconds, I got back up and immediately dodged another bomb whose explosion knocked me forward slightly.

As it was about to grab me again, I flung another fireball, striking it in the stomach, and making it fall down onto its back. As it flailed about, it began exploding several times before disappearing in one final explosion which also unlocked both doors. Whoa... I only needed to use two fireballs? Did this mean I wasn't going to rely on a blade ever again? No. Not every monster was affected by fire and even then, why abandon that which had been there for me from the start? Besides, I'd grown to like swinging swords even when wasn't always a professional at it.

"I'd say my point was proven." Princess Twilight said in a confident manner.

"And that was?" I asked.

Her Highness pointed at the Magic Rod. "That you needed to get a feel for how that rod worked and you did exceptionally well. I know it's no replacement for your sword but you shouldn't write it off either. What in lacks in speed makes up for it in power. Besides, it's always nice having another ranged attack and one that never runs out." I knew she was referring to both the bow and arrows but those had also proven useful. "I still think you need some more practice in using that during combat but don't forget about its other functions."

"I've been meaning to ask something."

"What's that?"

"How can there be ice inside a volcano!?"

Princess Twilight shrugged. "Even with my vast intellect, I've not yet figured out that one. If I had one theory, it's that some of the tunnels of this volcano aren't connected to the lava and so no heat ends up going through them resulting in the cold taking over."

"Maybe you did just figure it out."

"Not really as it doesn't take into account the thickness of the walls."

"Guess it's just one of those unsolvable mysteries."

"I just feel upset knowing I can't figure it out."

I waved my hand in response. "Maybe it's best for us not to try and understand it. After all, this whole island is a dream and whatever the Wind Fish dreams about, it becomes reality despite our protestations. Anyway, I need to check something." I took out the Dungeon Map, unfurled it, and looked at how many treasure chests remained. "Okay, we've determined that the chest in the room that required the Magic Rod has the small key needed to unlock that one door from earlier. Which means the Nightmare Key must be in the one up here in the northwest corner."

"Which also required the Magic Rod due to the ice blocks in the tunnel."

I nodded. "Now we're starting to get somewhere."

"And to think that I questioned you for wanting to open every last chest inside of the current dungeon you're because you feared you might have missed something important." Princess Twilight said. She then looked at the map herself and came to a conclusion which she knew wasn't going to be to my liking. "There will be some backtracking, Sunset. I know how much you hate doing that but there isn't much of a choice here. Luckily, you can mitigate it somewhat by using Manbo's Mambo once you get the Nightmare Key."

"Do you think a mid-boss is guarding it?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if one was."

"It figures."

"The final dungeon wanted to test you and it's certainly done well in that regard."

As I put the map away, I began to think about which mid-boss could be guarding the Nightmare Key. I immediately ruled out Cozy Glow as she was unique and the same was also true with Master Stalfos. This left me with very few options, namely the Gohmas and that one creature from the Angler's Tunnel, the Hydrosaur. If I had it my way, I wouldn't fight any of them but since that wasn't how things worked, I'd say the former were more tolerable. Aside from just scuttling back and forth, they rarely attacked and were especially weak to arrows.

Heading left into the next room, I remembered that this was where one of those devices were that could fill up an abyss was located. Sure enough, it was right in front of me along with the abyss in question. I still didn't like how the puzzle got reset upon coming back here after acquiring the Compass but I couldn't really complain as each dungeon had done something similar. Pushing the device, I used my mind and made it turn to the right where it moved north before quickly turning it left and again where it moved south until the abyss had been covered.

Walking along the now stable ground, I went north into the next room where the Compass made a sound indicating that there was a small key here. I mean, I knew it had to be here as there was no where else it could be. As I stared at each torch, I couldn't believe these were what prevented me from acquiring the key earlier. Of course, it needed to be this way otherwise I wouldn't have been forced to backtrack here to begin with. Taking out the Magic Rod, I flung a fireball to my left igniting one torch before doing the same with the other which made a chest materialize.

Ignoring the Ropes and opening the chest, I took out the key, pocketed it, and went back to the previous room before they attacked. Taking out the map again, the central room had the tunnels I needed to take though I wasn't sure which one would get me to my desired destination. It came down to choosing a tunnel and hoping I picked correctly. Otherwise, I'd have to backtrack a little which I hated. Between the two staircases in that room, the one I ignored initially seemed like a safe bet but without knowing what else was in either tunnel, I needed to be cautious just in case.

Could I have used Manbo's Mambo right there and gone back to the dungeon entrance? Yes, but then that would've just been me being lazy and not willing to walk back a few rooms to reach the same area which would take a couple of minutes. Choosing to do things properly, I put the map away then walked up and pushed the block forward since the puzzle had once again reset much to my displeasure before I entered the Hinox's room again. It hadn't re-spawned yet as it hadn't been long since defeating it so I continued making my way south only to get hit by a laser courtesy of a Beamos.

Reeling from the surprise hit to my chest, I raised my Mirror Shield and waited for it to shoot another laser at me. It did so though I barely managed to reflect it back no thanks to getting hit by Ropes from both sides which made me lose balance momentarily. As the Beams shut down, I ignored the Ropes and entered the next room which housed the Vire but rather than waiting for it to attack, I decided this time to ignore it as there wasn't a real reason to defeat it other than for bragging rights I supposed. When it shot its two fireballs, I stepped aside as each hit the ground and fizzled out.

Using the Roc's Feather, I jumped over the lava and entered the next room where I looked behind to see if the Vire had chosen to follow me. To my surprise, it hadn't though this was something I was curious about. "Twilight? Why didn't that Vire follow me?"

"Because it couldn't."

"Really?" I asked with a puzzled expression. "It's something that's been on the back of my mind but I never really paid much attention to it until just now. I thought monsters could go anywhere they wanted given they are always around to get in the way."

"This is where I have to explain something I'm not even sure is correct."

"Now this I've got to hear."

Princess Twilight took a deep breath before continuing. "Monsters are bound to the room or area that they are found in. If they were to try and move to another room or area, an unseen force will prevent them from doing so. This makes things easy for you because if they could leave their locations, you'd be completely overwhelmed by monsters. I know you're pretty good with combat but you have limits."

I blinked a few times before responding. "Yeah... I don't know if that's correct either."

"I did say I wasn't sure." Princess Twilight as she shrugged.

"I guess I was just curious is all."

"Nothing wrong with that."

The thought of having to fight so many monsters at once did send a shiver down my spine but then something else came to mind. "During my previous adventure, I had instances where numerous monsters appeared and swarmed me at various points. You know this as you were there whenever it happened. How do you explain that?"

Her Highness, much to my surprise, had an answer. "In that adventure, there weren't as many restrictions compared to this one. Here on Koholint Island, despite what things look like, everything exists as squares of a very large grid. Anything within those squares must remain in them though you're free to move about within the grid without any penalty provided you aren't being blocked. The previous adventure still had a grid though instead of squares, there were 'shapes' of a sort yet some characters could move freely between them while others couldn't. Did any of that make sense?"

I shrugged. "Some of it did but other things didn't resonate with me."

"Even I didn't understand some of the things I said." Princess Twilight said as she blushed. "Because the previous adventure didn't have squares in its grid, you could have more objects be present which is why more monsters appeared compared with here. If anything, you're actually better off than before." She then began scratching her head which was a sign that she was getting confused with every word she spoke. "If you don't mind, I want to change the subject."

I nodded. "Fair enough."

"Have you decided which staircase to take?"

"The one I ignored initially."

"Hopefully it's the right one."

If it turned out to be wrong, I wouldn't be that upset about it. Sure, I'd have to backtrack but it would be minor at best in that I'd need to go back through a couple of rooms until I was back here again. The upside of choosing incorrectly would be knowing where I had to ultimately go to finish this dungeon. A win-win scenario for sure! Walking up to and pushing the device, it went up and immediately right thanks to my mind until it stopped at the staircase. Carefully walking across the ground, I entered the tunnel and saw the ice blocks once again. This time, I had the means to get past them.

Taking out the Magic Rod, I flung a fireball that melted every ice block that was directly in front of me. This caused a Goomba to drop down from above which surprised me and when it dashed forward, I jumped on it using the Roc's Feather and it left behind a heart which I picked up. How it survived in such frigid conditions was beyond me but then I had seen other monsters survive in much harsher conditions. In any case, the path was now clear and upon heading into the next section, I flung another fireball that melted the ice... And preventing myself from progressing any further.

Had I bothered to pay attention, I would've noticed that there was a puzzle element to these ice blocks. I needed to melt the second row in order to use the first one as stepping stones and climb down the ladder located at the end of the tunnel. Fortunately, Princess Twilight said that by leaving and then coming back, I could reset things and try again. I walked back to the previous section before turning around and headed back where the melted ice had been restored. Looking at it again, I needed to jump first before using fire. Quite an inventive way of using magic whilst overcoming certain limitations.

With the Roc's Feather in one hand, and the Magic Rod in the other, I jumped and then flung a fireball which melted the correct row of ice. I then noticed another row that was located right above where I had to go. I could barely make out what looked to be another Goomba waddling back and forth. Since it wasn't in my way, there was no need to melt that ice and cause me any grief. Jumping and landing on the ice, I stopped moving and made an anguished look on my face. As I stood there, I began twitching which caught Princess Twilight's attention though she wasn't quite sure what was wrong.

"Why are you making such a silly face, Sunset?"

"Because... This. Ice. Is. COLD!" I answered as I gritted my teeth.

"I guess your boots aren't insulated."

Jumping back down to the ground, I began checking my feet to make sure they didn't get frostbite. "Of all the pain both physically and mentally I've experienced on this adventure, that was by far the worst I've ever felt. Why these boots don't have insulation is beyond me!" I then slapped my forehead on account of quickly figuring out the answer. "It's because the chances of encountering ice was extremely slim so what I'm wearing on my feet are just ordinary boots."

Princess Twilight nodded. "It does seem to be that way."

"There's no point in complaining is there?"

Again, Princess Twilight nodded. "You just have to grin and bear it for a few moments before you make it over to that ladder. After everything you've been through, you're not going to let some ice stop you, right?"

Nodding, I sighed before jumping back onto the ice blocks with the Roc's Feather. Upon landing, I made the same expression on my face, but then I began walking forward, each step a pain of immense proportions due to how cold it was, and when I reached the ladder and began climbing down, I paused for a moment to allow my feet to feel sensation again because they had gone numb. Entering the dungeon, I approached the locked door and used my one remaining key to unlock it. Entering the next room, I was surprised at seeing so much lava yet with the ground surrounding it.

As both doors locked themselves, I began feeling faint due to the heat coming from the lava, yet when Princess Twilight bopped me on the head to get my attention, I turned cold upon seeing that there was something else in here. "What was this one again?"

"This is the Hydrosaur from the Angler's Tunnel."

"Why is there an aquatic monster in here!?"

"Some say that lava is like water."

"And here I was hoping for the Gohmas."

Princess Twilight sighed in response. "You should've expected this Sunset given how this dungeon has been throwing so much at you. Unlike before where you had enough room to maneuver about, you don't have as much here. As such, you're likely to get hit by the Hydrosaur as it scuttles about. I don't have to mention about the lava and how dangerous it is so I suggest staying close to the walls otherwise you'll get knocked in. With your sword, you can defeat this monster a lot faster than before, but you need to hit it from behind as its face acts like a shield."

"Does the Magic Rod work against it?"

"I'm afraid not."

"It was worth asking."

"Remember that each time you strike it, the Hydrosaur will spin around before heading the opposite way."

"Can I jump over it with the Roc's Feather?"

Before she could give me an answer, the Hydrosaur began moving by scuttling across both the ground and the lava. I was honestly expecting it to winch in pain from having part of its body touching the hot stuff but it looked completely fine which made me think it was at home in such conditions. Great! Another monster that loved lava! Knowing I was the only one around here suffering from this intense heat made me feel miserable but I needed to focus on this. Upon running into a wall, it turned and scuttled sought right towards me where I braced myself for impact.

Crashing into me with its face, I felt my entire body being pressed up against the wall. After about several seconds of this, the Hydrosaur turned right and scuttled along before hitting the next wall, then turning right, and scuttling back to where it started. Dropping to both knees, I began breathing heavily as I clutched my chest. Fortunately, nothing appeared broken though I couldn't afford to get crushed in the corner like that each and every time it came by. Getting back up, it started moving towards me again which made me think that perhaps I could jump over it and not get my insides squashed.

As it approached, I used the Roc's Feather in an attempt to jump over it only to fail and landing on top of its head which caused contact damage. When it moved again, I dropped to the ground and landed face-first which made me feel embarrassed. It also proved that I couldn't jump over it successfully unless I had some actual room before jumping. Her Highness then asked if I was okay prompting me to lift my face up and nod before getting onto my feet again. What she said about me needing to get hit by it every time it passed by was true as much as I didn't like taking any unnecessary hits.

I did consider moving around the room to avoid getting hit but with the threat of the lava ever present, I decided that staying in the one corner was smart even if it meant taking damage. Good thing I was wearing the blue tunic which reduced damage taken but not entirely. It began making its way towards me again once it had gone around the room and I braced myself by raising my shield in hopes that could do something. When it crashed into me again, my shield got pushed up against my chest so I responded by swinging my sword in hopes of something working.

And something did work as my sword struck it in its soft backside which caused it to spin around and move backwards away from me. Once I had a moment to catch my breath, I knew that I couldn't rely on simply swinging like crazy and hoping for a miracle. When it hit the wall that was now behind it, the Hydrosaur screeched to a stop before turning left and scuttling forward like before until reaching the other locked door. As I watched it scuttle forward again, I considered jumping over and hitting it from behind by leaving my corner of the room to give myself more space.

Before I could make a decision, it came towards me again and I swung my sword where it clanged against its face. I kept on swinging in hopes of maybe slowing it down and forcing it to retreat and go back the other way, but my plan proved futile as it pushed me into the wall again. After a few more seconds of enduring pain, it began moving left, but when I moved away from the wall myself, I swung my sword and struck it from behind. Upon making a loud noise, I thought I had defeated it as that usually happened when fighting stronger monsters but it instead turned around before scuttling away.

"I see you discovered the answer to your question."

"Yeah... I can't jump over it."

"Actually, you can."

"Say what?"

"You can jump over the Hydrosaur."

Upon hearing that, I felt like a complete idiot. "But you said that I'd get hit by it every time it came by. Are you saying that I could've avoided all that damage and having my body crushed against its head just by jumping over it?"

"If I had been able to answer your question, I'd have said that you can jump over it but it's really difficult."

If this monster didn't annoy me the last time I faced it, it had definitely done that now. It was clear that this was a much harder encounter due to how there wasn't as much ground for me to utilize. Come to think of it, this was the only mid-boss re-match where things were much different from before. The others were the same as before though one could say that the Dodongo Snakes were in a different shaped room though this had been true with each encounter. "Okay, I'm going to attempt at jumping over it again and hope I can hit it before it gets away from me."

"Remember to give yourself enough space."

"So... I should move away from this corner?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "While you need to stay close to the wall, that doesn't mean staying in one place the entire time. In fact, staying in the corner has proven to be a bad idea seeing as you were crushed against the wall twice."

While Her Highness didn't need to remind me about that, she was right about me needing to move out from this corner. As it scuttled across, I walked over until I was standing in the middle of the bottom path where I waited for it to come. When it moved south and then came towards me, I successfully jumped over it but did so a bit too late which prevented me from hitting it from behind. Cursing under my breath upon landing, I began feeling faint again due to the heat coming from the lava. I needed to end this soon before I accidentally fell into the lava if this monster didn't do that.

Upon its next come around, I decided to jump a bit sooner but not too soon so as to land on its head, and when I landed, I spun around and struck it from behind which still wasn't enough because instead of stopping and exploding, it turned around and scuttled into the wall. How many hits was it going to take? Last time, it took an awful amount to defeat it but then I was using a weaker sword. I wished my Magic Rod had been effective but then it would've made this fight a complete joke as all I'd have to do was just stand in one spot and continue flinging magic until it was defeated.

When it came around again, I jumped over and struck it from behind and it turned around before moving backwards. I then followed after it so that I could hit it again when it changed direction, but to my surprise, it scuttled forward instead of heading north. I got pushed back until I hit the wall where my body started getting crushed again. After a few seconds, I felt relief as the Hydrosaur moved north freeing me from the corner and thus changing where it was going. Rather than follow it again, I walked north and stopped halfway in order to wait for it to come around yet again.

At that point, I began feeling woozy due to the heat. What a horrible time for that to happen! Fortunately, I didn't fall into the lava. Instead, I fell down on my butt just as it was scuttling by resulting in me getting crushed yet again. If there was one thing I could say about the Hydrosaur, it was that it was very basic when it came to how it attacked. Other than just moving from wall to wall and running over anything in its path, it didn't do much of anything else. It should've been an easy fight and yet I had been struggling all because the location was one I couldn't handle for varying reasons.

Getting back up, I waited for it to come around, and when it did, I jumped over it and struck it from behind which still wasn't the final hit. If this kept going any longer, the heat from the lava was really going to do me in. Upon coming around yet again, I jumped over but couldn't hit it due to feeling woozy once again. Shaking my head and focusing, it came around where I jumped over it again. Hitting it from behind, it stopped and began twitching which indicated that I had finally defeated it. It began exploding several times before exploding in one final blast which unlocked both doors.

I then dropped to my knees. "I didn't think that was ever going to end!"

"But you managed to overcome the Hydrosaur despite some problems."

I sighed. "This heat is just too much for me to bear."

"I know it's difficult, Sunset, but you need to get used to it before you reach the Nightmare."

"Don't remind me."

Princess Twilight then comforted me. "I don't mean to sound like a broken record but if you suddenly began getting woozy when up against the Nightmare, I doubt it would simply knock you down, slam you into a wall, or throw you across the room. Given this is the last one before Grogar, one small mistake is going to be fatal. Even with that medicine applied across your body, it's not going to help against the likes of lava."

"I just wished I had a means of resisting heat."

"I am surprised there isn't such a thing on this island."

"Exploring the inside of a volcano isn't exactly a normal thing."

"No, I suppose not." Her Highness then decided to change the subject in a bid to make me feel better. "There are no more mid-bosses for you to fight. You've defeated all of them again and even went above and beyond in some cases. You should feel proud knowing you endured through so much. Granted, I am certain they would show up in some capacity if you were to take on one of Zecora's custom dungeon challenges, but I think I've made my point here." She quickly changed the subject again upon realizing she was talking herself into a corner. "Grogar... Do you think you're ready for him?"

I shook my head. "No, but then I've never been ready when it came to facing off against the final boss."

"Quite the honest answer."

"It's difficult to truly be ready as you never know what's going to happen until you get there." I said as I wiped my brow which had been sweating due to the heat. "Even if I had the most powerful equipment out there and was over-powered like you wouldn't believe, none of it matters in the overall grand scheme. My opponent could have similar abilities or do something that would take away any benefits I may have had coming into it. Even after facing the Demon King several times, I still can't prepare accordingly as he keeps changing things in order to push me to my limits."

"I never really knew you felt that way."

I waved my hand. "It's not an easy thing for me to talk about, Twilight. I know you've been there and seen a lot of what I've experienced, yet you can only see it from the perspective of a fairy, one who cannot physically fight. You're not the one whose body gets ravaged by powerful attacks. You're not the one who becomes an emotional mess as a result of fighting against terrible odds. I feel fatigued from doing this! Sure, I enjoy certain aspects but not at the cost of my own body in that sense. I just wish it didn't have to be me. I never wanted any of this but I've no other choice because of one man."

Upon seeing me looking like I was about to lose my mind yet again, Princess Twilight then asked the most appropriate question she had. "Do you feel better?"

I nodded. "As a matter of fact, yes."

"You just needed to vent that out didn't you?"

"I did and I'm glad you mentioned Grogar."

Blushing, Princess Twilight pretended to laugh. "I was trying to change the subject to make you feel better, and when I thought I was making you feel worse, I changed it again which resulted in all this. Guess I'm a much better motivational speaker than I thought."

"You deserve a medal." I said sarcastically. "Now... Can we leave this room? The heat is really getting to me now."

"There's nothing else in this room so go right ahead."

Using the Roc's Feather to jump over a small gap of lava, I walked through the unlocked door and entered the next room which mostly comprised of a massive abyss with two torches on platforms located in the middle of it all. The Compass then made a sound though it didn't really need to since I knew this was where the Nightmare Key was. A device nearby told me everything I needed to know about figuring this out yet it wasn't going to be easy. Compared to the previous puzzles of this nature, this one definitely required tremendous concentration not to mention memorization.

Looking at the formation of the abyss, I needed to make sure not to miss even a single space. I then pushed the device forward and began concentrating my mind to ensure it would change direction when necessary. Filling up the spaces surrounding the left-most torch before heading back down, I quickly concluded that this wouldn't work as one square would remain unfilled. As the device disappeared upon me breaking my concentration, I then went back to the previous room to reset the puzzle before going back and trying again.

The Compass made its noise again (A shame I couldn't turn it off) to remind me of what was in here but I ignored it and focused on what to do. Okay, that first attempt was solid at first but was ultimately incorrect. I needed to fill in the space by the left-most torch as going the other way would block me out. Hmmm... Maybe I didn't change directions when I should've done at a particular point? If not for the awkward shape, this would've been a cinch for me to figure out. Pushing the device and focusing my mind, I changed directions too quickly resulting in another failed attempt.

Leaving and then entering the room to reset the puzzle, the Compass reminded me of what was here (It was starting to get annoying now) and again, I ignored it in order to figure out what exactly I did wrong. I was right about not changing directions but I did so at the wrong time. I then used my finger and traced along a path given my method of puzzle solving involved using a visual aide of some kind rather than relying on books. After doing this for several minutes, I came up with a solution though it made me cringe knowing it was a lot more simpler than appearances suggested.

Pushing the device and concentrating, it went around the left-most torch before heading down and then to the right like it did the first time. Then at the precise moment, I made it change direction where it covered up more of the abyss before going on towards and around the other torch. From there, it was a matter of filling up what remained until there was nothing but solid ground. Whew! It took some doing but I figured it out. The chest then materialized to the right of the right-most torch and upon walking up to and opening it, I took out the Nightmare Key.

"Now that was a fun puzzle."

"Even though it took you several attempts to solve it?"

"How many would it have taken you?" I asked with a smug look on my face.

"Probably the same number."

"I thought so."

"I liked how you used your finger to trace a solution before putting it to practice."

"It made sense to do that instead of leaving and re-entering the room just to reset this puzzle."

Princess Twilight nodded. "It paid off for you in the end because you prefer to use a hands-on approach. In this case, you used your finger as a visual and imagined seeing what the completed puzzle looked like without needing to write anything down or asking me for help. I mean, I could've helped out but I decided to watch in silence seeing as you had a serious look of determination on your face."

"I guess now it's time to face the Nightmare."

"You have everything you need with the exception of the actual path to get there."

I sighed upon remembering that there was still one more tunnel remaining that needed to be explored. "Right... I still need to go through the other ice block infested tunnel, the one we tried going through earlier on in the dungeon but couldn't without the Magic Rod." It then dawned on me that the other tunnel would be much harder to navigate. "I'm not going to like exploring this other tunnel."

"Not much of a choice there."

Sighing again, I took out the Ocarina. "I'm warping back to the beginning of the dungeon. As much as I like the idea of going back through so many rooms in order to get to the central room, I'd rather skip all that and take a much simpler route. Besides, I think I earned that after enduring so much headache against the Hydrosaur." In all honesty, I actually wanted nothing more than to take a nap so I could relax and maybe lessen my fatigue.

"It's better to do that than take the long path back."

"We all know what it's like to feel pain!" Twilight Sparkle shouted.

"She's right ya know!" Applejack added. "Each of us have endured some kinda pain in our lives be it physical, emotional, or what not. The point is that we've experienced pain before and can overcome it again even against ta like of y'all because we've got each other!" She then pointed at the Demon King who continued to remain unimpressed. "Sure, ya got that fancy magic which ya think makes ya tough, and I 'sppose our own personal problems did make it easy for ya to take advantage, but nothin' y'all do now will make us beg for mercy."

"Did you guys get any of that?" Rarity asked.

"We're stronger than we look." Fluttershy answered.

"Much obliged for the translation, dahling."

"We can take whatever you dish out!" Rainbow Dash shouted.

"And that includes the dishes!" Pinkie Pie added.

Rainbow Dash then turned and gave Pinkie a weird look. "Did you really have to use that old joke?"

Pinkie Pie nodded rapidly. "If I didn't then it wouldn't been a perfect waste and you know I love to make use of just about anything." That's when her hair floofed up and she made a startling revelation. "Hey! Just because this guy stole our magic and made us relive some of our more awkward moments doesn't mean we should continue being sad. If anything, we should just laugh it off and then endure whatever torment we're about to get."

"Not sure if that's the right way to go about it, dahling." Rarity said.

"Eh, what can I say? I live in the moment."

It was at that point where Ganondorf finally decided to step in by coughing to get my friends attention. "It seems that you clearly do not understand what it means to feel true pain, and that is because you are all ignorant. It is also because you are young and therefore cannot fathom the meaning behind my words. How unfortunate for you then. My work has just become even more interesting."

"Judging from the way y'all look, ya look like someone who is around thirty-five." Applejack said.

"Age is meaningless to one who has lived for thousands of years across numerous time lines."

"So that's actually true?" Twilight Sparkle asked.

Laughing quietly at first, Ganondorf then got louder which made my friends think he had lost his mind when in truth he thought it amusing. "Your lack of knowledge regarding me is so very blatant, magic one! No wonder the child views you all as her hope for salvation where none was there before because she made choices that reflected upon what she thought was right without realizing how it would affect others not just in this world but in her true home."

"What do you mean?"

"Why have me answer something the child can tell you herself."

"Quit dodging the question!" Rainbow Dash shouted.

"Such bold words coming from you, loyal one." Pausing for a moment, he then slammed his fist down onto his throne which caused a vibration that nearly knocked everything down, but in reality he had merely held back on unleashing his true power. "Be fortunate that I chose to relent at the very last moment. As I have said before, it is by my will and mine alone that you all still live. If not for your slight usefulness, I'd have killed you all at my earliest convenience. Now... You demand I tell you that about the child? Very well. You shall get your answer."

"And that is?"

Getting up from his throne, Ganondorf took a few steps forward before stopping directly in front of Rainbow Dash. He then used his magic to project an image of me surrounded on one side by Equestria and the other their world. "There is only one thing you need to know from me. If not for the child, your destinies would have taken a much different path. You owe her much for what she done, yet also condemn her for bringing in forces that do not belong in your world. While you all know about this, there is much she has yet to reveal. How will you see her when this comes forth?"

"That didn't make a lick of sense." Applejack said.

"It shall in time."

"But we have so many questions." Twilight Sparkle said.

Ganondorf stood there in silence which made my friends worried about what he was going to do next. Sure enough, he made a quick smile and they all suddenly shocked by dark magic that seemingly came from every direction. At first they used their own magic to resist but without me there, their efforts were in vain. This kept on going for several minutes before he stopped only to unleash a second round of dark magic much stronger than the previous one. My friends all collapsed and as they tried getting back up, he snapped his fingers which brought down one final blast that could've killed them, but instead he snuffed it out just as it was about to make contact.

He turned around before sitting back down on his throne. "I have what I need from you all. My 'punishment' upon you all just now was a means of reminding you that you are nothing in comparison to me. If not for the child, the princess, and the misguided one, none of this would have happened. They caused this pain! Though they did not mean it, the fact remains that you all suffered because of their insolence. I wonder how long it will take before you all come to the realization which I have foreseen."

"I wish you'd make sense." Twilight Sparkle said in a slightly weak voice.

"The three in question have caused this fate to be bestowed upon you."

"Okay, that makes a bit more sense." Twilight Sparkle then tilted her head slightly. "Misguided one? I know that Sunset is the child, and the princess is clearly the other me whom I met when I visited Equestria, but I don't think I've met this other."

Ganondorf laughed. "You already have but that is something you will discover in time. The misguided one is the final piece of the puzzle who has yet to realize their role in the grand scheme that shall come to pass. Despite their best efforts at wanting to become so much more, deep down within their minds, locked away and hidden deep within the infinite darkness, their desire for power burns brightly and refuses to die."

"And if they refuse?"

"They cannot."

"Why?"

"It has already been pre-determined." Ganondorf answered. He then began to fade away which indicated that his time was over. "I won't test the child's resolve this time around as there is another who shall do so on my behalf, an ancient enemy of her kind, one who has been given a second chance. Should she survive, she will have much to answer for as you and your friends deserve to know that which she has chosen to keep from you. Will it destroy the bonds you have all created? Perhaps, or maybe they shall become stronger? Either way, she will not betray my expectations."

He then disappeared entirely leaving my friends to ponder over everything that he had said. There were many questions that had no answers and even if they did have them, they were afraid to know in case it made them feel even worse. Perhaps the most important one involved who this 'misguided one' was. It could be anyone as there were a lot of people my friends and I have met over time who would definitely fit such a vague description. It could even be someone from Equestria which would complicate things further. Whoever it was, they needed to be careful from that point on.

Playing Manbo's Mambo, I disappeared in a bright light and reappeared moments later back at the entrance to the dungeon. Once again, I had the opportunity to leave in order to get some supplies for the upcoming fight against the Nightmare, but I chose not to as the only thing that was lacking was my health which could easily be restored by using hearts. My items were fully stocked and I had Magic Medicine which would save me from death. No, I believed I had everything necessary to obtain the final instrument, but then I always did lack hindsight.

Heading north into the next room where the Vire was waiting for me, I ignored as again, there was no reason to defeat other than seeing if it would drop any hearts. The chances of that happening were slim as rupees tended to be dropped from monsters way more often or nothing at all. Using the Roc's Feather, I jumped over the small gap of lava and continued on just as it began shooting its fireballs at me. In theory, I only needed to defeat two more monsters and both happened to be Nightmares but said theory was flawed given the obvious.

Entering the central room and walking up to the device, I pushed it forward and then used my mind to make it turn right as that was where the other staircase was located. As I gazed upon seeing lava getting replaced by ground, I began reflecting upon this adventure in general. It had been a fun experience and despite knowing the true nature of this island, it was way more simplistic compared with previous locations. Sure, there was plenty of absurdity in the form of things not being where they should be, but it grew on me over time where I eventually accepted it as being normal.

Did I want this to end? Yes because I needed things back to the way they were before and there were people's lives hanging in the balance (When I say people, I meant humans, ponies, dragons, chaotic beings, and so on) whose fates were on my shoulders. However, a tiny part of me wanted to keep on going and experience other lands... Without being forced into doing so and having others get caught up in it without ever figuring out it had even happened. I knew better though. I had to change things back because if they remained in their current state, it could end up being permanent.

Walking across the lava using the path the device had created, I reached the other end and walked over to the final staircase. Before continuing on, I used the Roc's Feather to jump up and grab a nearby flying heart icon since I needed to regain health after my most recent battle. Sure, it didn't heal me entirely but it was better than not getting anything. As soon as I entered the tunnel, the freezing cold began gripping me but I knew I had to focus on getting through. Unlike before where it was a simple matter of melting the right ice blocks, there were individual ones which needed melting.

"What do you make of this now, Twilight?" I asked.

"Before, you couldn't do anything without the Magic Rod." Princess Twilight answered. "Now that you have it, you need to melt the right ice blocks in order to reach that walkway over there or else be forced to leave and then come back in order to reset everything."

"I was planning on melting them all and then dropping down to the walkway."

"You can't grab onto edges in this world."

I wanted to act surprised or even furious, but considering there were other things I couldn't do, such as jumping on my own, I decided not to say anything more about that particular subject and instead focus on figuring out this puzzle. "Maybe I can jump by using one of the ice blocks like a platform?"

"That should be doable."

"The question is which one."

"If you look closely, you should be able to see which one you shouldn't melt."

One thing about this world that I never figured out was how I could see things even when they were behind walls. It definitely proved itself useful in the past enabling me to see things I normally couldn't, but it just gnawed at me knowing there was something I couldn't understand. Princess Twilight probably felt exactly the same way about it or perhaps even more so as she always yearned over wanting to make sense of everything no matter what it was. In this case, I could see all of the ice blocks in their formation along with a Goomba that was trapped in-between some of them.

I then noticed the one block I couldn't melt located next to two others and was directly adjacent to the walkway. These tunnels were side-scrolling in that I could only move in four directions as opposed to outside where any direction was possible within reason. I could fire projectiles in any direction though one I never tried was up. After all, it hadn't come up before until now and it was a good opportunity to see what could happen. Taking out the Magic Rod and looking up, I flung a fireball which struck the ceiling and fizzled out. Okay, that was a good test to see if I could do that.

It also told me that magic couldn't go through solid rock so I needed to do this carefully. Climbing up the other ladder until I reached the top, I swung the Magic Rod which melted two ice blocks then I aimed up and melted a third. So far so good though there was still much more to do. I then looked at everything again to make sure there weren't any mistakes as I didn't feel like leaving and come back again to reset everything. Using the Roc's Feather, I jumped and flung another fireball which melted two rows of ice blocks. Not sure how that happened but it did make things more simpler for me.

Jumping again, I walked forward and dropped onto the ice where I made the same expression on my face as before. I then began hoping in order to prevent my feet from getting too cold and making them numb again so acting quickly, I moved forward slightly, jumped again, and then aimed straight down before flinging another fireball. The ice melted and I fell but not before aiming right and melting another block though just barely. Landing on my feet which made my knees buckle (I hadn't had that happen in forever), I looked up to see if the right ice blocks had been melted.

It looked correct but I wouldn't know until I tried making my way across to the walkway. Dropping down to the lowest part of the tunnel, I melted the ice block in front of me and then climbed up the ladder before jumping with the Roc's Feather. Jumping down, I made that face again but I gritted my teeth and flung yet another fireball which granted access to the walkway which meant I had solved this puzzle in one attempt. Jumping over and landing on solid ground (My feet felt grateful), I walked forward and stopped upon seeing what came next.

"Okay, now this is getting ridiculous."

"So much ice and all packed together in a familiar formation."

"Familiar how?"

"Like a staircase."

I took a closer look and could see it for myself. "Oh yeah. That's actually pretty cute despite it being ice blocks. I think I can see the solution but the chances of me melting the wrong block are pretty high compared to the previous section."

"You just need to think carefully."

"Easy for you to say."

Princess Twilight giggled. "Okay, you have a point there but what I said is true, Sunset. Rather than make this extremely complicated, just think of this one piece at a time and it should come together. Despite being made of ice, these blocks don't move an inch. Perhaps that will give you some ideas on how to solve this. If there was one drawback with the Magic Rod, it's that you can't stop it from melting everything in its path until the fire hit something it can't consume. It's a minor issue as you want that during combat but not so much when attempting to solve a puzzle."

"You love being subtle don't you?"

"I do but it's also because I can only give you so much information."

"The drawbacks of being a fairy, right?"

"Pretty much."

"And you don't regret being a fairy?"

"It's given me a new appreciation for very small creatures."

I couldn't help but laugh at her response to my question. In fact, it made me forget that my body was beginning to get cold because of the ice blocks. Once I stopped laughing, I looked at the ice blocks again whilst also taking what she said under serious consideration. The ice didn't move which was true and this was also suspicious as it defied logic, but if a layer were to be melted, it wouldn't have any bearings on the remaining one. Also, I couldn't pick and choice how much the Magic Rod melted until the fire hit a wall. That's when the cogs of my brain began putting everything together.

Climbing down the ladder, I melted the bottom row of ice and to my surprise, the upper row didn't drop down. Again, it defied logic but I wasn't about to complain. Stepping forward until I was standing underneath a group of three blocks in a row, I aimed up and melted them which removed a major obstacle. If this had been done correctly, I only needed to melt two more blocks or none at all provided I had enough room to make the jump. Heading back up the ladder, I stepped on the ice where that expression of mine returned but it was a case of ignoring it and focusing on getting through this.

Using the Roc's Feather, I jumped over a gap in the ice from where I melted the three blocks a moment ago, and landed on the next piece of ice where I aimed upwards and flung a fireball that melted both blocks. Yeah... Those weren't really in the way but then space was an issue. Before continuing, I quickly looked at what I'd done and was surprised at how easy it turned out to be. Granted, Her Highness was around to give me hints. If not for her, I'd have probably spent a good ten minutes trying to figure this out alongside the previous one and gotten a severe case of frostbite in the process.

From there, I jumped up each block like they were stairs until I reached the top. Without another thought, I climbed down the ladder and entered the dungeon where I immediately embraced the heat despite how it made me woozy from being exposed to it too much. Between both, I prefer heat over the cold any day despite my complaining. Once my body had warmed up enough and I felt ready, I approached the door, took out the Nightmare Key, inserted it into the keyhole and turned it where it unlocked. Entering the next room, I was shocked to see that it was filled with lava aside from some narrow walkways. Both doors then locked which meant I was trapped.

"There's so much lava in here!" I said as I groaned.

"I guess the Nightmare ended up being some kind of fire creature."

This was my worst case scenario given how I couldn't stand the heat, but there was nothing I could do about it. "I hope that I can defeat this Nightmare fast enough before the heat from the lava gives me any problems."

"Where do you suppose it is?"

"Good question." I answered. I immediately looked up as that happened once with the Slime Eyes but nothing was on the ceiling. I then looked at the lava's surface remembering how Facade was literally a face in the floor. At first, there was nothing, which made me want to try calling out (Which would've been embarrassing), when suddenly, something began bubbling at the center of the lava. "Guess we're about to meet our Nightmare."

"Get ready."

CRRAACCKKLLEE! FWWOOOOSSHH!

"So... You finally managed to make it here, Outsider."

"Are you the Nightmare?" I asked.

"Indeed I am. I was beginning to think that you were going to perish at the hands of the creatures that call this volcano home, but you've proven just how resourceful you are. I'm glad you got here because it means we can finally settle things once and for all. My master believed you were nothing more than a pathetic child who would quickly become overwhelmed by the darkness, but you defeated all of the other Nightmares and acquired seven of the instruments. You became a thorn in his side and I am here to relieve him of his pain."

"Why not come out and reveal yourself?"

"I will in just a moment, but first I want to ask you something."

"And what's that?"

"Did you ever wonder how my master Dethl always knew of your progress and how the other Nightmares were warned of you?"

"The thought had crossed my mind once or twice."

"You have me to thank for that. I have been keeping tabs on you on his behalf since you defeated the Moldorm. The others were given fair warning yet they chose not to heed my words and believed they could defeat you. Instead, they were destroyed! Some were simply too stupid to grasp what was happening while others knew better but ultimately proved ineffective due to arrogance. Me? There is a very good chance that I will meet the same fate but it won't happen! I will do everything in my power to kill you, Outsider. Even if what my master said is true, I shall defy fate!"

With that, the Nightmare emerged from the lava and turned out to be a giant fireball with a ghastly expression. "So this is what you look like. I must admit that you definitely have the intimidation part down in addition to being in a room that doesn't suit me very well, but I've come too far to be stopped now!" Then I changed the subject which ended up killing my momentum a little bit. "What is your name?"

"I am Hot Head!"

"It makes sense."

"I've been waiting for this moment and now I can finally do what the others could not." Hot Head then began to flare up and the flames above his head looked like they were about to come alive. "You are much stronger than your appearance suggests but I will not underestimate you as that would result in my destruction. If you defeat me, my master shall be waiting for you in his inner sanctum, but you will never get there because you will burn in the fires of hell! Know this! I will never let you play the Instruments of the Sirens!"

Falling into the lava and going underneath it, Hot Head suddenly launched four fireballs that moved in diagonal curved arches where two landed either side of me and left behind a smoking crater before disappearing a few seconds later. The heat that came from both craters was even worse than the lava itself so already I knew this was going to be hard. He then jumped out again but closer to where I was standing and sailed across before submerging himself again and flinging four more fireballs. Raising my shield, one of them reflected off only to land right next to me which caused some slight damage along with making me cough.

He then did this a third time which made me realize that this was his only attack pattern. While him having just one attack was okay, the fact that he attacked with a lot of speed in addition to other effects meant he could force my hand regarding the Magic Medicine. If there was an instance of needing to rely on it for survival, this was certainly it. Jumping out of the lava again, Hot Head taunted me before going back down yet his fireballs were too far away to reach me. I hoped he would do that often as it'd give me a chance to come up with a strategy before things could get too hot.

When he next emerged, he was close to me again and when he went back under the lava's surface, one of the fireballs ended up hitting me in the chest and it ended up hurting a lot more than it should have. Even with my blue tunic, I was going to be taking a lot of damage (I shuddered to think what it would've been had I gone with red). I needed to defeat him first before he could do the same to me in return. He emerged again close to me and I swung my sword only for nothing to happen. He laughed before going back down leaving me feeling humiliated.

"I should've known that my sword wouldn't work."

"It is a creature of fire after all." Princess Twilight said.

"Okay, so what else can I use?"

"None of your items are going to work." Princess Twilight said with a stern voice. "If you tried, they will burn up or melt depending on what you used. You shouldn't be surprised by this since it happened before when you defeated Facade, yet Hot Head is much harder and way nastier than any Nightmare you've seen yet."

"Do I have anything I can use?"

Her Highness then looked down at the Magic Rod. "About that..."

I then took it out and stared at it. "Seriously? The only thing that can work against Hot Head is the Magic Rod? How is that even possible? It's a creature of fire so shouldn't its weakness be related to water? Why would fire end up being effective on fire itself?"

Princess Twilight shrugged. "Given what we've both seen during this adventure, common methods have often been thrown out the window in favour of the absurd. I'm not sure what kind of effect the Magic Rod will have against Hot Head but the only way to find out is to use it. Besides, you found it in this dungeon and Nightmares being vulnerable to items found in the same dungeon you find them in often prove to be very effective."

While her logic made sense, the fact that this Nightmare could only be damaged by fire just didn't sound right. But, I didn't really have much of a choice as my other items were useless and I didn't want to lose any of them before encountering Grogar. Holding up the Magic Rod and waiting, Hot Head emerged and I responded by flinging a fireball but he proved himself quick and my magic missed him completely, hitting the wall. When he went back down, two of his four fireballs came at me prompting me to use my shield to protect myself though the damage from the crater still happened.

I flung another fireball at him just as he emerged and it connected which put out his fire much to my surprise. In truth, he was nothing more than a large chunk of rock which the fire had consumed. Since he was now a solid mass, I could use my sword and inflict some additional damage. He then began bouncing off of the walls and when he came towards me, I swung my sword only for it to bounce off. Guess Her Highness was right about the Magic Rod being the only thing that could hurt him. Eventually, he dropped back down into the lava and when he came back out, his fire had returned.

"So you possess the ability to use fire?" Hot Head asked.

"And it happens to be what you're vulnerable to."

"Though you may have discovered my weakness, it appears you have trouble using such power."

"I only did get this Magic Rod fairly recently."

Hot Head laughed for a moment before he got serious. "Your mannerisms belay the fact that you are quite the skilled warrior. The other Nightmares were fooled by your deceitful nature and it cost them their very existence. I won't make that mistake! This will be a battle of fire versus fire!"

"Since I can't use anything else, I've no choice but to go along with this." I said. At that moment, I started feeling woozy from the heat of the lava. If there was a very bad time for this to happen, this was definitely it. What made it worse was that Hot Head had just witnessed me doing that so now he had his own advantage. Shaking my head, I regained my concentration and flung another fireball.

It sailed over his head and he laughed. "The heat doesn't agree with you, does it, Outsider? This is not your element and now I know the truth. I could simply keep on talking until you finally collapse from the heat but there's no fun in doing that. No, I prefer doing things properly which means roasting you until nothing remains." He then dropped down into the lava and four more fireballs scattered with one hitting the wall next to me with embers from it hitting me in the back. Hot Head then popped up and laughed once again. "Even with that fancy looking tunic, it can't protect you from my fire."

I responded by hitting him in the face with my own fireball which put him out. "Maybe not, but the same can't be said about you!"

"My fire may be gone for the moment, but it will come back once I am in my element."

"Not if I stop you first."

"Go ahead and try, Outsider!"

Bouncing around off the walls again, I now knew that I needed to hit him with the Magic Rod. As soon as he came towards me, I hit him with some magic which caused him to spin around and go the other way though his speed did increase. Bouncing off another wall, he came back and knocked me down with so much force, it felt like being knocked down by several elephants moving together as a group. Before I had a chance to hit him again, he went down into the lava and when he came up moments later, he looked perfectly fine. As I got up, I was surprised at how fast he recovered.

Hitting him by flinging another fireball before he had a chance to do anything, the flames went out and began bouncing around again. I managed to hit him twice with my magic which in turn increased his speed, but when I tried going for another hit, I began feeling woozy enabling him to knock me down again. Getting back up, he went back into the lava and was fine upon coming back out. This made no sense. He had clearly taken damage from my magic and now he looked like he did when this battle first started. If this kept up, I'd never be able to defeat him. I needed another idea and fast!

At that moment, the heat started getting to me again despite only having been affected by it moments ago. As I tried regaining my composure, Hot Head sailed over the lava before submerging and shot out four more fireballs, one of which struck me at point blank range. I was in tremendous agony though it did help me focus so I supposed it proved beneficial in that regard only yet I didn't want it to become a habit. Princess Twilight asked if I was okay prompting me to nod in return slowly because of the pain. This wasn't my first time getting blasted by fire but it was the worst experience yet.

Once I could move again, Hot Head emerged and I hit him with a fireball that snuffed out his fire. He then bounced off the walls but I decided to hit him just the once because of wanting to prove a theory. When I did so, he spun around before speeding off the other way, hitting another wall and coming back where he knocked me down again. I was okay with getting hit this time as it was all part of attempting to figure out his secret. Getting up again, he kept bouncing around until he finally went down and upon emerging, he looked good as new. No matter how often I hit him, he could shake it all off just by giving himself a lava bath.

"This isn't working!"

Princess Twilight nodded. "Every time you damage him, he comes back as though your efforts meant nothing."

"How is he doing it?"

That's when Her Highness began to clue in on it. "He's a creature of fire, right?" I wouldn't say that he was given what he looked like without his flames, but she was generally correct and I didn't want to say otherwise. "When he submerges himself into the lava, any wounds you inflicted upon him are completely healed. As such, he's trapped you in an endless loop all because you're not hitting him often enough where his healing becomes moot. Sorry if that sounded harsh but it's the best I could do."

"It's okay, Twilight."

"You need to keep on hitting him when his fire has been put out."

"But he keeps on getting faster every time I connect."

"Then you need to keep up with him."

"You're quite wise for a fairy!" Hot Head said as he emerged from the lava. "It also explains why the Outsider has been able to figure out the puzzles of this island. You have been a strong source behind her success, but there is only so much a little creature like you can do. If you believe you've figured me out then lets see it in action. Of course, the heat has been affecting you since you entered my room so perhaps I can raise the stakes." He then flared up which raised the temperature and I found myself struggling to focus on what I was doing.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"I am making things more unbearable."

"That's not fair!"

"I intend on ending her life no matter what I have to resort to." Hot Head said as he submerged into the lava. Both of the fireballs that moved south of where he sank hit me one after the other and there was nothing I could do because of suffering from the increase in temperature. Princess Twilight tried getting me to focus but I just stood there unable to think or react to anything. He then came back up and started laughing. "Only masters of fire should be surrounded by such intensity." He then cooled down which was a much welcomed sight as I could focus once again. "You surprise me, Outsider."

"How so?" I asked.

"Most of your kind would've succumbed to this heat but you have resisted up to this moment."

"Not by choice mind you."

"Perhaps, but judging from how you're shaking, you appear to be running out of steam." Hot Head said. While I knew that wasn't meant to be a joke, I couldn't help but cringe at his poor choice of words. "I remain completely unharmed because of the lava. It is my nourishment which allows me to survive anything. Unless you somehow manage to keep me from regaining my strength, you will eventually tire out. Unlike my fellow Nightmares, I use strategy when they preferred more primitive methods. Judging from your condition, you won't be lasting much longer."

As much as I hated to admit it, he was right. I was beginning to weaken from taking a lot of damage and while I did have the Magic Medicine to revive me, I didn't really want to use it if it could be avoided. Granted, if I were to get knocked into the lava, then saving it wouldn't really matter. Flinging another fireball at him, his flames fizzled out and he began bouncing around again where I continued flinging fireballs in hopes of connecting enough times where he finally would stop moving.

Three hits, four hits, and then five hits later and he still kept on bouncing all over the place. How many hits did it take just to get him to stop!? I was about to hit him for a sixth time when he pushed me into the wall upon colliding with me. At that precise moment, I felt like throwing up from such an impact. When he bounced away and submerged himself into the lava, I dropped to my knees whilst letting go of the Magic Rod where it rolled along the ground and stopped right at the edge. Panicking, I grabbed it before it could fall in, yet I failed to notice him rising up from the lava, his strength restored once again.

Moving across the lava and going back down, his fireballs launched in their respective directions with one of them hitting me just as I was getting back up. Even with improved defence, being burned by fire was extremely painful. Luckily, I could still continue which meant not needing to use my Magic Medicine quite yet. Yeah, it had become a crutch given how it made me feel safe knowing I had a means of avoiding death, but with how difficult things had gotten, I couldn't help but relying on it. When he came out of the lava again, I fizzled out his flames and he began bouncing around.

Before I had a chance to begin flinging my magic, the heat started getting to me again. As such, he was able to push me into the wall again where my insides felt like they were being squashed together. Shaking my head, I decided to act reckless and began shooting fireballs in hopes Hot Head would bounce in front of them and take damage. Sure enough, this happened and I managed to keep him in place as the hits kept on coming. Upon reaching six hits, I hit him for a seventh time and still nothing happened. Unfortunately, he broke free and went back into the lava which undid all that damage.

"This is getting ridiculous!"

"He's quite resilient." Princess Twilight said.

"And this heat isn't helping either!"

"You just need to hold on until he's finally defeated."

I lowered my head. "Every time he submerges himself into the lava, all the damage I inflict just goes away. Meanwhile, I'm getting hurt from both the fire he spews forth as well as his hard body whenever his flames get put out. At this rate, I'm going to be forced to use my Magic Medicine, and then I'll really be in trouble." While it would restore me to full health, the medicine only worked once. Since Hot Head could infinitely regain his health, I was at a complete disadvantage. He could keep going forever and I for just a short period of time. "Unless I can stop him from healing, this is a fight I can't win."

"And it's just now that you figured out your limitations." Hot Head said as he emerged from the lava. "Why do you think I am the strongest Nightmare next to my master? You've had such an easy time of things and now I have become an obstacle you cannot overcome. I would suggest giving up and leaving but there's no escape for you. I know you use the power of music in order to warp around here yet the darkness in this room prevents such a thing from happening."

"So I truly can't win?"

Hot Head laughed in response. "A shame that so many factors are against you. I must admit that I was getting worried when you trapped me before and continued hitting me with your accursed magic."

"What did you just say?"

"Nothing of importance I assure you." Hot Head answered. He then dropped down into the lava and spewed out his fireballs which I barely managed to avoid though I did take some damage from the craters.

"Twilight? Did he say what I think he said?"

"He did." Princess Twilight answered. "There must be only so much damage he can take before he can't use the lava to restore his health. If you can somehow manage to hit him at least eight times with the Magic Rod, you may yet still defeat him. You're not looking very good right now so you may have no choice but to use the Magic Medicine. That does mean getting killed in that sense since it can't be used any other way."

"And falling into the lava would mean the end period."

"Best to avoid that scenario."

Just like that, I had suddenly found hope where none was there previously. Was it because Hot Head had gotten too confident? Or was it because he was afraid that I'd discover something about him that he wanted to keep a secret? Either way, my resolve had been restored and now I could focus though I needed to end this quickly before the heat from the lava could fatally get to me. Emerging from the lava again, he taunted me and I responded by putting out his fires by using the Magic Rod. He continued laughing saying my efforts were pointless but his cockiness would be his undoing.

He started bouncing around and when he came at me, I hit him with some magic though he managed to hit me at the same time. Okay, not a good start but I could easily fix that just by keeping up the pressure. The heat then started affecting my concentration again but I had to focus. I continued hitting him and each time he mocked me with his usual taunts, but when I reached six hits, his attitude changed where he began acting nervous and begged me to stop. Naturally, I refused to listen and hit him a seventh time where he kept on begging. Upon hitting him for the eighth time...

"What the!?"

To my shock, his body cracked down the middle before falling off and revealing an entirely different form. He had several spikes along with large eyes, a goofy looking mouth, and above all, a much smaller body. The flames he once loved didn't appear which meant he couldn't regain his health back from submerging himself in lava. "GAAAAHHHH!" He shouted upon his true form being exposed. "What have you done to me!? This is a form that no one was ever meant to witness!"

"And I can see why."

Hot Head's composure suddenly dropped and now he was filled with anger. "So you managed to get see me for what I truly am. I'll give you that much at least. But... It's my own fault for not taking things more seriously. I wanted to have some fun but it seems I overdid things. Just because I've changed forms doesn't mean victory is assured. I'm going to kill you and prevent the Wind Fish from awakening from his slumber."

"I have to awaken him!"

"You will never get the chance!" Hot Head said as he dropped back into the lava.

"Now what?"

"He's become desperate and that means things are going to become more difficult." Princess Twilight answered.

"Do I just continue using the same strategy as before?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "Without the ability to restore his health, Hot Head can no longer claim to be able to come back from any wounds. It's just a matter of time before you defeat him, but you need to be careful at this stage. He's become a lot more aggressive which means expect faster attacks. You need to rely on your own strength once the Magic Medicine has been used up."

When he came forth from the lava, Hot Head began moving faster than before which I attributed to his much smaller size. Upon submerging himself, the fireballs he spewed forth had also gotten faster. I got hit by one of those fireballs before I could even react and they still hurt the same so I knew there was no change in attack power. He then emerged again and it was clear that I couldn't keep up with how fast he had gotten. Submerging himself again, I raised my shield and reflected one fireball though the other hit the wall and damaged me from the crater it created upon impact.

Coming out from the lava again, I was able to hit him with some magic, but instead of bouncing around, he continued going. He definitely was desperate! He went back down and when his fireballs came up, I avoided the usual one that came for me but ended up getting hit by the other one instead. I felt like collapsing and not wanting to move but my mind told me to resist as it meant not needing medicine. Unfortunately, Hot Head had other plans as when he emerged and then submerged, the usual fireball hit me.

Dropping to my knees, I then fell over and couldn't move. Hot Head then emerged and started laughing. "So you weren't able to keep up in the end. Even when the heat kept on affecting you, you kept going until your body refused to cooperate resulting in this outcome. Despite what you've done to my master, I must offer you some slight respect for giving me a decent enough challenge."

"It's not over yet!" Princess Twilight exclaimed.

"I'd say you're wrong about that, fairy. Her body is still which means life has left it."

"Sunset will get back up!"

"Though the heat from my room doesn't affect you, you're delusions are just pathetic." Hot Head then lowered down slightly as though he were afraid. "If the Outsider does somehow survive death, I can still claim victory over her. If she were smart, she should choose death because the alternative won't be pleasant, and I'm not referring to myself here." He then gave a sharp glare at Princess Twilight. "I have no quarrels with you, fairy, so what you do now is of no concern of mine. If the heat doesn't kill you, sheer boredom or perhaps a lack of food will do it instead."

"You think she's still alive?"

"Perhaps but I highly doubt it."

"Give it a few seconds." Princess Twilight said as she smiled.

Hot Head floated there and blinked as he didn't understand what Her Highness was talking about, but that quickly changed when he saw my body begin to twitch. He stared as I slowly got back up onto my feet when I stretched a little in order prompting him to drop his mouth in shock. "What!? You managed to cheat death!? I had heard you possessed such an ability but I didn't think it was possible."

"I had some help." I said.

"From the fairy?"

I shook my head. "No, from Magic Medicine. You did kill me just now which enabled the medicine to activate and restore me to full health. I must admit that it took a bit longer this time around and there was a moment where I thought it wasn't going to work."

Hot Head closed his mouth and began mumbling under his breath before finally speaking up. "So that's the secret of your cheating death... I should've known you would resort to something like that. I guess I'll just have to kill you again and without that precious medicine, it will be permanent. Outsider... You can still surrender. If you do, you can avoid the alternative that awaits. Why not humor me just this one time?" He then began thinking to himself. "I'm on my last legs so hopefully she's stupid enough to accept my offer."

"No thanks."

"Then you leave me no choice." Hot Head then thought to himself again. "No... I should've known that she wouldn't surrender to me. After all, she has come this far and overcome so many ordeals. With her strength restored and mine slowly fading, I must end this quickly." That's when he noticed me steeling myself. "So you're ready to continue? I really think you should surrender as it will save you from certain pain and death."

"Maybe you ought to surrender yourself."

"What!? Never!"

I actually felt sorry for Hot Head. He knew that his chances for victory had been reduced dramatically thanks to the Magic Medicine kicking in, but he instead wanted to keep on going and believed he was going to kill me and prevent the Wind Fish from waking up. When it came to carrying out his duties, twisted as they were, his resolve was remarkably strong to the point of being inspiring. However, I had no choice but to defeat him as he was standing in the way of me reaching Grogar and ending this adventure.

With Magic Rod in hand, I waited for him to come up from the lava. When he did, I flung a fireball which hit him, and he responded by groaning in pain before submerging and spewing out his fireballs. The heat began affecting me again but I refrained from moving and the craters made when his attacks struck the walls fizzled out. Once I recovered, he emerged again and I blasted him with another fireball. He then went back down, his fireballs spewed forth, and one of them hit me in the chest. I was in pain despite having regained my strength so I knew I couldn't let my guard down.

Hitting him yet again, he still wasn't defeated which left me feeling with dread. I knew I couldn't do the thing that resulted in his shell cracking as he wasn't out of the lava long enough for a consistent number of hits to be inflicted. Maybe the Magic Rod wasn't as strong as Princess Twilight claimed? Or maybe Hot Head just happened to have way more stamina than the other Nightmares. As I took damage from getting hit by fireballs, I began losing concentration all because of thinking about Grogar.

Once Princess Twilight bopped me on the head to snap me out of it, I flung another fireball only for it to miss. Avoiding the fireballs that came at me by standing still, I flung another and it too missed. I decided to give myself a bop on the head since I had more strength for it to actually count. Hitting my head, I regained my composure and felt invigorated despite some slight pain but it would quickly pass. Flinging my next fireball which connected, I got hit by his fireballs in return when he submerged into the lava. Then when he emerged, I hit him again when he suddenly began screaming with pain.

"I must have really hurt him that time."

"Actually, I think you just defeated him." Princess Twilight said.

That took me by surprise. "I did?"

C-C-CRACCCKLLE!

Sure enough, that last fireball from the Magic Rod turned out to be the final hit I needed. "NO!" Hot Head shouted as he was clearly in a lot of pain. "How could I lose!?" At first, it looked like he was about to go through a hissy fit much like the previous Nightmares, but then he suddenly began laughing. "Fine... You defeated me, Outsider. The strongest Nightmare next to my master. But I must know something important... Why..."

"Why what?" I asked with a confused look.

"Why did you come here?"

I shrugged. "I've been trying to figure that out since this whole thing started."

"Because of you, things have been changing on this island." Hot Head said. Despite getting weaker with his destruction imminent, he was somehow managing to hold on as though he had something serious that he wanted me to hear. "If it weren't for you, nothing would have to change! You cannot waken the Wind Fish!"

"And why not?"

"Remember that you too are in the dream."

His words resonated with me but not in the right manner. The previous Nightmares had been saying the same thing regarding the true nature of this island. Sure, I knew what that nature was and had been struggling against it ever since. If this was a dream, waking up the Wind Fish would mean my freedom, but it would also cause everyone to disappear. If they didn't return to either Equestria or the world I called home, I'd be responsible for having wiped them out of existence. Then again, if I was trapped in this dream, I'd get wiped out as well. No matter what, my fate would be sealed.

"I'm going to awaken the Wind Fish."

"Then you are condemned."

"Not my first time and certainly not the last."

I was expecting Hot Head to continue berating me but instead he laughed. "You have made... Your choice. Remember how I said you should surrender? Now... There is no turning back... For you. Outsider... My master... Is waiting in his inner sanctum. In terms... Of sheer cruelty, he is... Far worse than any of us Nightmares could ever hope to be. You... Witnessed his power some time ago... Didn't you?"

I nodded. "He came in my own dreams."

"I know you struggled... As he told me what happened."

"Where are you going with this?"

"My master's power at that time... They were a pale fraction of what he is... Truly capable of." Hot Head's voice grew even weaker so I knew he was moments away from exploding. "You made... Your choice and now... My master shall do what we... Nightmares could not. The Wind Fish... Will never wake up! If you... Should somehow prevail... Can you truly awaken... The dreamer knowing what will happen? Like... I said... You... too... Are in... The dream..."

He began exploding several times before disappearing in one final explosion. This unlocked both doors and a Heart Container materialized on the other side next to the door that would take me into the final room. Hot Head's final words definitely made their impact upon my heart but my resolve remained the same. However, I couldn't deny that said resolve had now gotten shaky. I never really thought about it in a serious manner but now his words had changed my perspective to where I had to think on it.

It ultimately came down to doing the right thing though this was flawed. When looking at it from where I stood, I was waking the Wind Fish to free myself in addition to him, but those who were created in this dream would fade away. From another perspective, I was ending something that shouldn't exist and ensuring no one else would suffer a similar fate. No doubt this had been Ganondorf's intention, to see how I'd handle something of this magnitude and how the choice would affect me in terms of morality.

The heat began getting to me so I used the Roc's Feather to jump over the gaps of lava and as I did so, I realized that I could've moved around the room in order to avoid the fireballs that Hot Head spewed forth. That would've prevented me from being forced to use my Magic Medicine but there was no point in complaining about it now. What's done had been done and so I just needed to buy some more from Sugar Belle. Picking up the Heart Container, I felt its warmth making me feel better and this was the kind of warmth I preferred instead of what was in this dungeon.

Entering the final room where the door locked behind me, I could see the instrument waiting for me. "Is that a drum?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "It looks to be one of those small drums you wear around your neck using a strap."

"You know, Pinkie Pie would appreciate seeing this."

"This is the last one so go ahead and pick it up."

Walking up to it, I could see that it also had two sticks which were needed to tap the drum. Okay, that was a very nice touch. Lifting it up off the ground, it sparkled in my hands and it even had a lightning bolt pattern. Before I could examine it further, a familiar voice called out. "You have found the Thunder Drum!" Stepping back upon seeing a bright light, Princess Celestia appeared before me in all her regal splendor. Among the three princesses, she resonated with Princess Twilight and myself due to how she was once our mentor.

"The Thunder Drum?"

Princess Celestia nodded. "With this, you now have assembled all eight Instruments of the Sirens! You have endured so much, Sunset Shimmer, but here you are at the cusp of ending this nightmare and saving everyone from being trapped."

"But what about what this island really is?"

"Even though we are within the dream of an ancient creature, you must remain dedicated to what you set out to do."

"I want to awaken the Wind Fish but what if my actions are wrong?"

"You won't know until you do so."

I sighed. "I just hope that everyone returns to their respective worlds otherwise I will accept whatever punishment is given." Before either princess could protest, I waved my hands and they allowed me to continue. "What happens in the end will be on my hands and no one else's. After all, I've got to take responsibility for my actions."

Princess Celestia then placed her hand on my shoulder. "I know you are doing the right thing. I also know that I couldn't be more proud of you, Sunset. You have definitely grown and matured ever since you were taken under Princess Twilight's guidance. In the past during your time with me, you would've either denied wrongdoing and blamed others for mistakes that you made, but that is not the person I see before me. Perhaps one day you may yet ascend and become a princess in your own right. Now listen carefully. Egg... The egg on the mountain calls. You must go to the egg on top of Mt. Tamaranch and use the eight instruments."

"And then I can face Grogar."

"It's not quite that simple."

"What do you mean?"

"Inside of the egg lies a maze that carries on for eternity." Princess Celestia answered with a stern voice. "No matter where you go in the egg, you will never reach Grogar and shall become lost forever... Unless you know the solution. There is only one correct path through the egg but it is hidden somewhere on this island. Unfortunately, I am unable to give you the location of this information. Discord might be able to shed some light by telling you the answer but then you already know it and haven't realized it yet."

"I think I know where to go."

"It would be a good idea for you to be properly prepared for the fight that's about to come."

I nodded. "I could do with some more Magic Medicine."

"You should also collect a stray fairy and keep it in a bottle." Princess Celestia started to fade which meant her time was once again up. "When you enter the egg, the other princesses and I shall appear before you one last time. We will then share some knowledge of the Nightmare that awaits you. However, much of it will hinge upon your own shoulders. I know that places a tremendous amount of pressure on you but this is what fate has decided." She then looked at Princess Twilight and smiled. "You have guided her so well thus far so please continue to watch over her."

"Of course." Princess Twilight said.

"Not only does this battle determine her fate, but yours as well."

"I know."

"Now my time here is over." Princess Celestia said as she had almost faded away. "Let the sound of the Thunder Drum give you the resolve to see this adventure through to the end and to bring peace not just to the Wind Fish but to your own soul. If you lack confidence in your abilities, why not pay a visit to Zecora and take on one of her challenges to build up your strength. Being prepared is much better than going in with just confidence and ending up meeting a horrible fate. Do not succumb to Grogar's darkness!"

She then disappeared and I lifted up the Thunder Drum above my head. To my surprise, the drum began beating with a retro sounding feel in comparison to the previous instruments which were more refined, but then it made it feel more special as though the past was being respected. Overall, I liked this one more than the others. Once it had finished its performance, I became enveloped within a bright light and was about to be brought back outside. From there, I planned on using the telephone booth located nearby and asking Discord what my next step would be.

To Be Continued.

Chapter 33: The Final Nightmare.

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.
By Ganondorf8.
May 8, 2021.
Chapter 33: The Final Nightmare.

Only Grogar remained! All the other Nightmares had been overcome with him being the only one left. Defeating him would allow me to awaken the Wind Fish and finally bring about an end to this adventure. I still had hesitation towards actually awakening it. After all, many of those same Nightmares had given warnings regarding what would happen to this island if the dreamer awoke from its slumber. I'd been ignoring it for some time now but there was no avoiding it. I had to address it. By awakening the Wind Fish, I'd gain my freedom but in return, I had to pay a hefty price.

That being the fates of all those trapped here with me. I hoped Princess Twilight would automatically become free given how she had been helping me and would be in approximate range of me to be affected by what happens when the Wind Fish awakens and Koholint Island vanishes forever. But what about everyone else? Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, the Dazzlings, the princesses, and so many more... Would they gain their freedom as well? If they didn't... No... Such a thought was too much for me to want to understand. I just had to believe they would return to their places of origin.

None of this mattered until I defeated Grogar. According to Hot Head's final words, he was the strongest of the Nightmares. From what I had experienced when he encountered me in my dreams, I knew he had been holding back and was thus more powerful than he appeared. My chances of success were slim but I had to do whatever was necessary to prevail. If I failed, the Wind Fish would remain asleep for eternity. It also meant being trapped here forever along with those who weren't even aware of what was truly going on. Given things, failure pretty much wasn't an option.

There was also another problem. I knew where to find him but I didn't know how to get there. Princess Celestia's clue about the egg was pretty obvious as the only one that existed around here loomed over the island atop Mt. Tamaranch. The eight instruments were also needed along with the song Starlight taught me which Flash Sentry confirmed its importance later when he told me she tried singing it. Princess Cadance mentioned back in the Face Shrine about needing to read a specific book in the Mabe Village library that required the use of the Magnifying Lens which would prove useful.

And above all else, was what could be waiting for me inside the egg other than Grogar?. Had he chosen to give himself some defences designed to keep me from reaching him? Or, had he decided on wanting to gets things over with? One thing I did know was that was a maze awaiting me, a maze that carried on for infinity. Once I had the solution, I could get to his inner sanctum but Princess Celestia hadn't given me an answer. Discord would provide me some help according to her words but did even he know what existed inside that which most saw as nothing more than a famous landmark?

Upon appearing back outside of Turtle Rock, I ignored the two Dactyls and began making my way over to the telephone booth. As I walked, I thought about the remaining bits of information given to me by Celestia. If I felt unprepared, visiting Zecora would give me some practice. As much as I didn't want to go through another one of her custom dungeons, I was tempted by the idea. She also said she along with Princess Luna and Princess Cadance would appear inside the egg to give me some last minute advice. Reaching the telephone booth, I went inside and picked up the phone.

BRRINNG! BRRINNG!

"Hello! This is Ulrira speaking!" Discord answered on the other end.

"I need to ask you something very important." I said.

"Everything you've been asking me is important."

"That's true."

"Before you ask, let me take a guess as to why you called this time." Discord went silent and I could hear him tapping his finger on the arm of his chair. This went on for about ten seconds when he finally answered. "Sunset Shimmer... The time has come for you to face the Egg on Mt. Tamaranch. I do believe you have everything you need for whatever it is you're about to do but maybe you should get some last-minute supplies just in case. I do hear that Crazy Tracy is having a sale on her Magic Medicine."

"She does that?"

"If she didn't, her name of 'Crazy' wouldn't make much sense."

"That's not--" I said before being cut off.

Discord continued talking before I could ask my actual question. Tracey usually sells her medicine for about forty-two rupees but she will drop the price down to twenty-eight if someone who visits her has defeated an even number of monsters. She will even drop it down to just seven if the same customer shows up on eight separate occasions. Talk about having very specific requirements for something most around here don't even need."

Sugar Belle sold her medicine at an even lower price!? I was lucky that she only charged me twenty-eight rupees at the time though it was chalked up to luck that I defeated enough monsters to qualify for a discount. Seven was definitely better though truth be told, with the amount of money I had in my possession, expenses weren't really important. There wasn't much I needed unless I were attempting to complete every last custom dungeon challenge. Sure, I could get some pretty nifty rewards but that would involve fighting clones of the Nightmares over and over again.

That's when I asked my question. "What do I do about making my way through the egg."

"Making your way through?" Discord asked in a confused manner.

"I need help with finding a solution."

Discord went silent which had me thinking that perhaps this was the one thing he didn't know about. After all, how was he supposed to know what was inside of an egg? It's not like it was a question that came up on a regular basis. When it looked like he had nothing to say, to my surprise, he came up with something. "Hmmm... No... I can't seem to help you on that one which does make me feel bad. I've always had an answer for you but this is beyond anything I've ever heard."

I felt dejected. "I'm sorry that I asked something that was impossible."

"Hang on!" Discord exclaimed which made me think otherwise.

"What?"

"I do have one bit of advice." Okay, this was starting to get a bit too much for my stress to handle. "Why not check out the Mabe Village library. That place has books that can tell you just about anything. I do recall one book having very small text which makes me think it's hiding something important. If you had large enough eyes, you might be able to find the answer to this egg question of yours. It was called 'Dark Secrets of Koholint Island' if I recall."

Just like that, his advice had just made my day. "I think you just gave me the answer I needed."

"I did?"

I nodded. "You did. I think I can take things from here."

I could hear him breathing a sigh of relief knowing he had managed to pull through in the end. "Well... If you think you've got this then I wish you luck. Oh, and don't stop calling me just because of one little question I couldn't answer. Bye."

CLICK!

No wonder Princess Celestia was well known for her vast wisdom. Had she not suggested I speak with Discord, I wouldn't have figured out what I needed to do. No... I'd have eventually put two-and-two together albeit after a while and running around aimlessly. The book he mentioned that was in the library... I remembered looking at it in the past but couldn't understand it as the words were too small for me to read. With the Magnifying Lens, that wasn't going to be an issue. Who would've thought that trading items ended up being exactly what I needed to reach my end goal.

I then turned to face Princess Twilight. "Guess I know where we're going next."

"I always knew that library was going to be important." Princess Twilight said.

"You're excited at the prospect of seeing all those books again aren't you?"

Her Highness squeed. "I just can't help myself, Sunset!" She then got serious knowing what was at stake. "Okay, you need to make some preparations before you go and check out that book. Unlike the other Nightmares, Grogar seems to be in a league of his own. You need to stock up on supplies otherwise he'll just stomp on you. I suggest getting some more medicine from Sugar Belle and perhaps pick up a fairy by using that bottle of yours."

"A shame I never found any other bottles."

"You would have had you done enough exploring."

"Too late for that I suppose."

Princess Twilight nodded. "It can't be helped. You just need to make sure you don't take too much damage against Grogar. As for other supplies, you might want to see what Aria has in her shop or you could try and find some by cutting down grass or by defeating monsters if you're up for it. Money isn't an issue now so feel free to spend like crazy." Pausing, she realized she said the wrong thing. "No... Don't spend all those rupees. You might need some just in case Grogar allows you to leave and perhaps come back again for another chance."

"What are the odds of him doing that?"

"Next to nothing, but I thought I'd be hopeful."

Despite not remembering how many rupees I had on my person, I did have enough to make some purchases provided Aria had what I needed. Looking through my inventory, I had plenty of bombs, arrows, and Magic Powder, yet having the maximum amount would've made me feel better. The latter item was highly unlikely to be sold in the shop so hopefully I could find some along the way or maybe pay a visit to Trixie and get some from her. In any case, I had a bit of running around to do to prepare myself. This backtracking was fine as there wasn't going to be much combat and puzzle solving.

Leaving the telephone booth, I took out the Ocarina and played Manbo's Mambo where I began focusing on the warp panel just outside of Mabe Village. I was then enveloped in a white light and disappeared only to reappear moments later at my destination. I had decided to get the medicine first and it involved going out of my way to get it. Heading north, I picked up and tossed aside a boulder when a Zombie began stumbling towards me. I had forgotten that they frequented this area though they weren't really a threat. This was especially true with my stronger sword.

Ignoring it, I kept on going and was surprised that it was keeping up with me. Zombies were normally slow which made them easy to get away from but this one was defying that stereotype. As another one emerged from the ground, I thought about heading into the graveyard which was when I remembered that it was haunted by ghosts known as Ghinis and their much larger counterparts. Between both monsters, Zombies were my preference. Continuing on, I reached Trixie's hut, a place I hadn't visited in what felt like forever.

Without a mushroom, she wouldn't do business with me so entering her place wasn't a good idea. Just when the two Zombies finally caught up, I picked up the boulder and tossed it at them where one was hit by it and was defeated. The other one kept on following so I kept on moving until it suddenly disappeared when I entered the next area. Just like in dungeons, monsters could only exist in the areas they were assigned to. Just as I was about to continue, Princess Twilight bopped me on the head repeatedly which meant she had something important to say.

She told me that Manbo's Mambo had a special function which would enable me to warp to the pond that was located next to where Sugar Belle lived. Her Highness didn't know if this was information I had gotten from her before but she felt it necessary to tell me now. She then added that a long time ago, the song could only take someone to this pond when played on the ocarina. I felt relieved knowing that things had changed for the better instead of remaining the same. While I wished she had mentioned this sooner, it wasn't a complete loss as I got some exercise out of it.

While I could warp over there, it wasn't that far away and I didn't want to be seen as lazy. Also, knowing about this pond being a location for Manbo's Mambo this late in the adventure was pretty pointless, yet appreciated all the same since Princess Twilight went out of her way to tell me. I continued heading north, I ignored the Tabhal Wastelands as there was nothing there for me, and kept going until I reached some more boulders which I picked up and tossed aside. Approaching the pond, how this related to Autumn Blaze I'll never know. A shame really as I was a little curious about it.

Entering Sugar Belle's place, she was surprised to see me. "It's been a while since you last came here, big girl."

"Let's just say I need your medicine now more than ever before."

"You must really like the stuff if you went and said something like that." Sugar Belle then leaned forward and began sniffing which made me feel uncomfortable. "Hey! I can smell the residue from my Magic Medicine, but how can that be when you haven't been here in a long time."

"I've been finding some Secret Medicine which is the same as what you have."

"What!?"

"Hidden in treasure chests inside a few of the dungeons."

Staring at me in utter disbelief, Sugar Belle looked like she was about to explode when instead she began laughing. "Oh that medicine! I remember someone purchased the stuff from me a long time ago and said they were going to hide them in some underground buildings. Not sure why they'd do such a thing but what someone does with my medicine is none of my business once it's been purchased. Guess their method ended up paying off."

"So you're not upset?"

"Why would I be?" Sugar Belle answered as she leaned back. "Since you found the medicine, it tells me you are very dependent on it. Must be because you've seen your fair share of scrapes what with all those scratches you have. Normally, I'd have asked for twenty-eight rupees for some of my medicine, but I think I'll give you my very special discount. I only give this one out after someone buys my medicine eight times, but you've proven to me that you love my work and so I'll charge you just seven rupees this one time."

"Really?"

"Better than say, forty-two rupees?"

"How do you know how many monsters I've defeated?"

Sugar Belle winked in response. "A woman is entitled to some secrets you know. Now, please hand over seven rupees and I will apply your body with my medicine. I'm sure you remember that it doesn't work until you have run out of life so I won't repeat that."

Wow... Talk about a lucky break! Still, this did give me some extra money which I could use at the shop provided Aria had what I needed. Upon handing over seven rupees, Sugar Belle told me to relax before she began applying her medicine across my body. While the secret medicine had proven effective especially against Hot Head, getting it directly from the source made me feel a lot better even if it was the same thing. Once she was finished, I thanked her and took my leave which was when I took out the ocarina again.

I thought about warping over to the Seashell Mansion as that was the fastest way to reach Adagio, but it wasn't a Fairy Fountain so I wouldn't find any fairies there. If I was going to face off against Grogar, I needed a fairy in order to give me extra survivability. A shame Princess Twilight couldn't revive me upon getting killed but then she wasn't that kind of fairy (No doubt she was often upset about that). If I remembered, there was a fountain just outside of the village. Playing Manbo's Mambo, I focused on the same warp panel again and soon disappeared in the white light.

Upon arriving at my destination, I began heading in the same direction as I did before but instead of going towards the boulder, I walked towards the hole in the wall that I had blown up earlier. Entering the cave, to my relief, there was a Fairy Fountain. Approaching the water's edge, I could see a couple of fairies flying about, but before I could do anything, Adagio appeared before me with a smile on her face. No matter how many times I saw her smile, it made me feel strange knowing that the real her was scheming and manipulative. In this world, she was neither of those things.

"Welcome to the Fairy Fountain, young one." Adagio said.

"I think you know why I'm here."

She nodded. "You have need for one of the little fairies that frequent this fountain." Waving her hand, she then pointed at one which floated over and landed on the top of her palm where it began to glow in a bright light. "Even though they may not look like it, they do not mind being placed into bottles so long as they can prove themselves to be helpful. You only have the one bottle on your person so you can only take one."

Taking out my bottle, the fairy that had been on her palm floated towards me where I proceeded to capture it. "With this, I know that I can defeat the remaining Nightmare." I was going to call him by his name but opted not to in case Adagio didn't understand the meaning.

"You speak of the one who commanded the others you have defeated?"

I nodded. "Do you know anything about him?"

Adagio shook her head. "There is very little I know about this creature. I know this is not what you wanted to hear but I apologize because you are asking me about something that exists beyond my power."

"I'm sorry that I asked you."

"I can tell you this though... You must be prepared to handle its many forms."

"What do you mean?"

I was expecting Adagio to conjure up an image using her magic but instead she looked up at the ceiling. "You have everything you need to overcome the creature's different forms, but you will need additional guidance from those who have helped you. Each form must be defeated before it will reveal its true self."

"How many forms are there?"

"That is something I do not know." Adagio answered sadly. "You are at full health right now so there is no need for you to use the healing properties of this fountain. Should you end up getting hurt, feel free to come back here or to any of the fountains found across this island."

As she disappeared, I began to think about what she said regarding Grogar having multiple forms. It made sense seeing as he did assume my form when I encountered him in my dreams, but at the same time, the thought of me having to potentially fight just about anything filled me with dread. Surely there were limits as to what he could become. Sighing, there was no sense in wondering about it as it would become clear soon enough. Adagio also said I had everything I needed though I wish she had been more specific. It all boiled down to what the princesses had to say now.

Leaving the cave and heading back outside, I looked up and saw that there was still plenty of time left before the sun went down. For my own peace of mind, I wasn't going to wait until nightfall as a creature like Grogar would surely be more powerful in the dead of night. This had to end within the next few hours! Making my way over to the boulder that blocked the village's easternmost exit, I picked it up and tossed it aside before walking west and entering the item shop. Not much had changed in terms of items as there were still bombs and arrows aside from one of those custom dungeon tiles.

That's when Aria's sarcastic voice rung in my ears. "Well, well... Didn't think I'd see you in here again!"

I turned to face her and she was looking at me, head in her hands, and giving off a grinning smirk. "I'm here in order to get some supplies for something important." I made sure not to insult her as she had the right to kick me out. "I trust you won't question my actions?"

"Like I care what you do."

"You're still as charming as ever."

Aria laughed at that. "My attitude has gotten me this far and I'll continue to use it until I stop getting a kick out of it! Like I said, I don't care what you do with your money so long as you buy something and I can juggle those precious rupees in my hand." She coughed which made me look at her which she clearly didn't appreciate. "Quit staring at me like that! Look, I'm just running my business, okay? Everyone wants a little money because it's what makes everything go round. In fact, thanks to you and those purchases of yours, I could retire right now and never have to worry about anything again."

"How shrill of you."

She shrugged it off. "Whatever! Anyway, I've not been able to get much in the way of new items aside from that custom dungeon tile. Not sure what it does but it costs 1,200 rupees if you want it. Knowing you, you probably don't want it and I won't blame you for saying no. That Dampé character is the one who requested me to sell the thing. She said I could make some real money because adventurers would love having something like that. So far, I think she's full of it."

"I'd buy it but it's not on my list of priorities."

"Guess I was wrong."

"About what?"

"About whether or not you'd buy it." Aria began to laugh again and almost lost her balance when one of her arms slipped. "Anyway, I hope you didn't come here to talk my ears off because that'd be wasting my time."

"I need some arrows and bombs."

That surprised her given my previous purchases. "Huh... After spending a fortune, you decide you want to go with something cheap this time. Oh well. I suppose you can only buy stuff with whatever money you have. A set of ten bombs will cost ten rupees and a set of ten arrows will cost thirty. Considering I'm the only one who sells anything on this island, be grateful my prices have never once increased."

Even in this world, she enjoyed her sarcasm and talking down to people. Picking up the supplies I needed, I walked over to where she was standing, took out my wallet, and handed over forty rupees. She then began juggling them in her hand which made me feel sick knowing she got a kick out of doing that, but when I shook my head, she scoffed at me in return before waving her other hand which was enough for me to want to leave. Before doing so, I thanked her for selling so many important items and this left her completely dumbfounded.

"I'm serious you know." I said as I walked out the door.

"Despite the way you look, you definitely know what you want."

I wasn't sure how to respond to that so I continued walking and was soon on the other side of the village. Looking around to see if Starlight was nearby, I couldn't see her which made me suspicious of her intentions. She had something that she clearly wanted to say to me but couldn't due to Sunburst's sudden appearance after rescuing her in the mountains. I was genuinely concerned she was getting involved in matters far beyond her understanding given what Flash Sentry said she had done over by the Egg, but without knowing exactly what her true intentions were, I couldn't help out in any way.

A part of me considered speaking with Sunburst but I quickly abandoned that idea. Considering they both lived in the same house, he'd know about what she was doing. Then again, she did act out in peculiar ways which made me think she secretly had a mean streak she pretended didn't exist. After walking back to the weather vane in hopes of finding her and being unsuccessful, I decided I needed to focus on finding and reading that book. If I ran into Starlight later, okay, but if not then perhaps I'd see her again when things were back to normal.

Heading south and entering the library, I knew which book to look at, yet a part of me wanted to see what the other books were all about. Besides, Princess Twilight was checking out as many books as she could so I had a free moment to see what I could've potentially learned. The first one was called 'How To Handle Your Shield Like A Pro!', a book that would've been useful during the beginning of this adventure. Would it have mentioned something about the Mirror Shield? If so then I could've used that information much sooner.

Another one was called 'Selecting The Item That's Right For You' with a third titled 'Auto Map and Memo Guide Book'. Would these have been useful? I had Princess Twilight with me who could provide me with crucial information, but I supposed I had to rely on these and the other books if she wasn't around to act as my partner. Just thinking about it like that made me glad she was here. The next book was called 'Secrets of the Whirling Blade' which was pretty obvious in that it talked about the Spin Attack, a technique I really needed to use way more often than I did.

Next was 'The Properties of Warp Panels'... Another book that would've been useful had I come here sooner. The remaining two books aside from the important one and the one that talked about finding out where the Colour Dungeon was located were called 'Fun With Bombs' and 'Atlas of Koholint Island'. If I recalled, the latter would've given me a full map of everything this island had to offer. Had I come here often, I could've reached certain places much sooner and not stumble about. I supposed at the very least, I got in some good exploration despite only doing a small amount.

Then I turned towards the final book, 'Dark Secrets and Mysteries of Koholint'. Opening it up, the small text gave me a slight headache before I used the Magnifying Lens to see what secrets it contained. As I combed through it, Princess Twilight floated over after having had her fill of information. "I never knew there was so much to learn here! It makes me wish we could stay here longer!"

"At least you've been enjoying yourself."

"And what have you been doing?"

I pointed at the other books whilst combing through the one I was reading. "I wanted to give you some time to indulge in your book fascination so I looked at the other main books this library out of a sense of curiosity. Anyway, I'm trying to find what we need in this book but so far all I've gleamed are secrets I already know about."

"Why not let me take a look?"

"Be my guest."

Her Highness then looked at me funny and I knew what she was getting at. Blushing, I held up the Magnifying Lens with one hand whilst turning the pages with the other since she clearly couldn't do that herself. Sometimes being a fairy had its disadvantages. After a few minutes, she shouted which prompted me to pay attention (I nearly fell asleep). Okay, this isn't the exact information we need, but it could prove useful if you're willing to go out of your way to find it. Apparently, there are a few hidden altars across the island where one can summon a demon called the 'Mad Batter'."

"What kind of name is that?"

"A weird one, yes."

"Okay, so what does this have to do with me?" I asked as I reeled from her sarcastic response.

"According to this, it has the ability to give you item upgrades." Princess Twilight answered. She then pointed at a drawing of what was the demon in question and it actually looked rather cute. "It says here that it does this in order to punish those who choose to disturb it but in reality it ends up being beneficial. I don't know where you can find any of these demons so unless you want to do a quick search, what I've told you is essentially useless."

The thought of being able to carry more bombs, arrows, and so forth sounded wonderful, but having to go and look for these altars without any clues would ultimately be a time waster, and I doubted Grogar would give me a chance to find any of them. Unless... This book had the information! "Does it say where we can find these hidden altars?"

Princess Twilight shook her head. "I'm afraid not. All this book says is that they exist and are hidden on the island. I guess this was intentional so as to test the resolve of any who wanted to find one."

"A shame as it could've been helpful against Grogar."

"So you're not going to try?"

I shook my head. "I don't think Grogar would even give me a chance." Sighing, I decided to take over combing through the book in order to find the information. As I looked, even more secrets became known to me though none of these were of any help. I cursed myself once again for not choosing to be more explorative and instead focusing on getting through the main objectives. Suddenly, I stopped reading. "Yes! I've found it!"

"What did you find?"

"The answer to our problem!"

"You mean the solution to the maze?"

I nodded. "Yes! No wonder I needed the Magnifying Lens though hiding it behind an item trade quest was a bit much for my personal tastes. It says here, 'Round and round, the passageways of the Egg. If you are reading this, then you wish to know this island's deepest secret. Within the Egg, everything is endless. There is but one path to follow as all others are infinite. East, north, north, east, north, north, east, north... Follow and discover your destiny'."

"So that's the answer."

"I was expecting it to be a lot more complicated than that."

"Be thankful you didn't have to go through this sequence several times over." Princess Twilight then used her magic in order to make a note of the correct path. "Once we know we're in the maze itself, this path will take us straight to Grogar. If there's nothing else you need to take care of, Sunset, you know where you must go."

Whoever came up with the item trade sidequest idea was very devious as most would ignore something like that in favour of some action and get stumped at this exact moment. And yes, I knew where I had to go. Closing the book and exiting the library, I looked up at Mt. Tamaranch where the Egg loomed over everything it surveyed. The thought of this journey ending inside of something like an Egg did feel pretty corny, but then my last adventure ended with me inside of a moon with an evil looking face.

Before warping to Zecora's home knowing it was the closest place to the Egg, I decided to try and see if I could find Starlight one more time. I couldn't quite put my finger on it but something wanted me to speak with her. Checking every possible location within Mabe Village, there was no sign of her anywhere. Was she choosing to avoid me? If so, then sticking around here wasn't worth any hassle. I then decided to look inside her and Sunburst's house just in case and also because my journey started from there. You could say I was feeling a bit nostalgic.

Peering through a window, I could see Sunburst sleeping in bed but no sign of her. I thought about waking him up and asking some questions but decided to let him rest. Taking one last look at the village knowing it would be my last look, I took out the ocarina and was about to play it when someone from behind tapped my shoulder. Turning around, I was startled at seeing Starlight standing there, so much so, I fell down onto my butt prompting her to laugh in return. Getting back up, the most obvious question I had was where had she been? After all, I did comb the village once or twice looking for her.

"That's a funny reaction you made there, Sunset Shimmer!" Starlight said whilst giggling.

"Where were you?"

"I was standing by the weather wane, practicing my song."

Yeah, right! I searched there and I didn't see her. Unless I somehow became extremely blind, I knew she had been elsewhere, but, I also knew there was no point in arguing given her questionable responses. Her song... That's it! That's what compelled to want to find her. "I've been looking for you, Marin (I remembered to call her that this time), as I wanted to know more about what you shared with me."

"You mean 'The Ballad of the Wind Fish'?"

I nodded. "I have been playing from time to time yet I wish to know more before I truly dedicate myself to it."

"Huh... I knew my song would have a strong effect on you." Starlight's pause at the start of that sentence made me think she didn't quite know how to respond to what I said. To be fair, the same could be applied to me. I just made up something in hopes of striking a good conversation as I wouldn't get to talk to her again upon leaving. "My song is very special as it's been there for me for a long time."

"So you said before."

"It can also be used to awaken the Wind Fish." Starlight said. I remembered Flash Sentry mentioning that to me back in the mountains. She wanted to awaken it for reasons she didn't want to share and I doubted she'd be willing to say anything even now. "My song would've worked had I more instruments. Of course, the only thing I can play is a harp. Did you know about that, Sunset Shimmer?"

"No I didn't."

She laughed again. "Because it's you, I'm going to forgive you for this. Had it been any other circumstance, I would have been very upset and done something I'd regret." She then quickly changed the subject before I could confront her on her attitude. "Anyway, I wish I could tell you what my true reasons for singing in front of the Egg were... But... I feel you wouldn't be able to understand. No one, not even Tarin, understand how I feel."

"Why not explain it to me now?"

Shaking her head, Starlight then turned away from me. "I'm... I'm sorry for having brought it up. I know you have more important things to do so there's no need for you to be concerned about my feelings. Besides, it was just a stupid wish that didn't mean anything." I tried to say something in hopes she would share her feelings, but I couldn't think of the right thing to say and deep down, she knew that. "I... I need to get going. Sunset Shimmer... I'm glad my song ended up being useful to you. I'm also glad I got to see you again."

With that, she walked away leaving me feeling confused. Even though she was portraying a different character, a part of me wanted to follow her in the hopes of making her feel better. However, deep down, I knew she wouldn't say anything so I ignored my feelings. Maybe when this was all over, I should consider paying her a visit by going to Equestria, or maybe she could visit me. Despite not knowing each other that well, we were kindred spirits brought together by fate. Knowing there wasn't anything else I could do in the village, now was as good a time as any to leave and head to the final battle.

Playing Manbo's Mambo, I concentrated on the warp panel that was next to Zecora's home. Disappearing in the white light, I reappeared moments later where I thought about maybe taking on one more challenge in order to get in some last minute experience. The only problem with that was Zecora was quite persistent and would promise me even bigger rewards in order to get me to stick around. If I did, I'd never finish this adventure and I really wanted to. Heading west, I ignored the Spear Moblins who responded by tossing their spears with one lodging itself in my shoulder.

I pulled it out and kept on walking until I reached the two boulders. Picking one up, another spear sailed past me, hitting the other one with a loud clank. Turning around, I tossed it at the Moblin that was closest to me. Connecting, it got pushed back before being defeated which prompted the other one to back away. Picking up and tossing the other boulder, I walked the other way until I reached the ladder and stopped where I began looking around at my surroundings. Despite what I'd been through, I did enjoy myself and would miss seeing all this.

Climbing up the ladder and then walking up the stairs, I began feeling faint due to suddenly experiencing a lack of oxygen. I knew the Wind Fish's Egg looked over the island but I didn't think it would be up so high. Shaking it off, I kept on climbing until finally reaching it. Wow... To say that it was stunning was an understatement. Pressing my ear up against it, I didn't hear a thing and when I placed my hands on it, it felt cold as though nothing were inside. If that was the case, was the Wind Fish even alive? No... It had to be otherwise this island wouldn't exist.

Taking out the ocarina, I then played 'The Ballad of the Wind Fish' before turning around to face the Egg. Waiting patiently, I was expecting something to happen yet things remained quiet which left me concerned. Had something gone wrong? No, I played the song correctly and I had all eight instruments. After waiting a bit longer, it was apparent I'd done something wrong. I was about to head back down the mountain when the instruments suddenly began leaving my body and surrounded me.

Each one then began playing 'The Ballad of the Wind Fish' and I couldn't help but join in with the ocarina. This is what Starlight meant when she said her song alone wasn't enough. As my performance continued, Princess Twilight began floating about like she was dancing which was quite the delight yet I could swear I saw her attempting to sing. No wonder Grogar did everything in his power to hide these instruments. On their own, they couldn't do much but together they were unstoppable. After a few more minutes, they all disappeared leaving me to wonder what would happen now.

"Now that was something."

Princess Twilight nodded. "If our friends had been here, we could've performed some kind of concert."

"Yeah..." I then remembered that nothing was happening. "Okay, so what are we supposed to do next?"

As soon as I said that, everything began shaking as though we were caught in an earthquake. Even Her Highness could feel it and she was flying. "I think we're about to find out what playing that song will do to the Egg."

Staring at the Egg which remained unaffected by the tremors, it suddenly cracked before doing so again and revealing an entrance. I was honestly disappointed in this as I was expecting it to have exploded or something. "So that's it huh? All of that action and we just get a harmless little crack?" I quickly turned away when some kind of dark aura came out from the crack and dissipated after being exposed to the outside world. "Okay... I stand corrected." No wonder I couldn't hear anything coming from inside."

"Grogar must surely know you're coming for him now."

"And I was hoping to catch him by surprise."

Princess Twilight shook her head. "Considering that Hot Head had been informing him of your progress from the beginning, he knows everything you've done. Surprising him was never going to happen. Unfortunately, like Adagio and Discord, I know next to nothing about what awaits inside."

Before I could respond, the sound of flapping could be heard all around me. Heh... I was beginning to think he wasn't going to make his presence known. Flash Sentry then appeared moments later where he commanded his owl companion to land on top of the Egg before looking down at me. "Child... You have done well in making it this far. Most others would have given up but you persevered through it all."

"Is he inside?"

"Do you mean the leader of the Nightmares?"

"Yes."

Flash Sentry nodded. "The Nightmare has been waiting for the likes of you to come. The time has come... The Wind Fish awaits. Before you continue on, you have been told about the endless maze that lurks within. This was created as a final test that only the chosen one could solve. Unless you know how to navigate the infinite rooms, the only thing that awaits you is death. Somewhere, you can find the answer you need if you can see it for yourself."

I then showed him the Magnifying Lens. "I was able to obtain this item after trading a number of items to different people. This in turn allowed me to read the words within the one book inside the library and so I know how to make my through the maze."

"Then you are truly ready."

"I hope I am."

"I can sense the three Spirit Princesses inside waiting for you to reach them." Flash Sentry said. His owl then hooted and he petted it before his expression changed to one of concern which was never good. "It seems they are using the last of their power as the Nightmare's presence is too much for them to bear. You must follow the path you have learned and hear what they have to say. They knew there would be risks so do not despair upon seeing each of them disappear. Now... Enter the Egg."

Unlike my previous encounters with him, he didn't command his owl to leave. Was he worried that I wasn't going to survive? Or did he have some other motive? I don't he'd tell me as he had been pretty good at keeping his secrets close to his chest. As I stared at the darkness that lurked inside of the crack, a part of me wanted to turn around and leave because of being too afraid to go in. Was I afraid? Of course I was! I mean, who wouldn't be? Even a hero had to have flaws otherwise they wouldn't really be much of one. I knew I couldn't run. This was my destiny even when it had been thrust upon me.

Entering the Egg, I was expecting to be surrounded by darkness but instead, I was in a room that glowed in an eerie blue light. There were also two torches on either side in the middle which made no sense, but then, given this atmosphere, I should've expected it. All around me, the aura of darkness made me very uneasy but I knew I couldn't go back. This would be true once I entered the maze assuming I could even find it. Just how big was the inside of this Egg anyway? Yet another question that lacked an answer. Hopefully, there weren't any monsters waiting for me as they would be the strongest yet.

Walking forward into the next room, I immediately came to a stop upon seeing a massive abyss. There was a way forward on the other side but nothing I had would enable me to get over there. Despite how pretty everything looked, it was Grogar's way of distracting me and weakening my resolve. The only way I could go was straight down so stepping forward, I dropped into the darkness before blacking out. Upon waking up and rubbing my head, I looked around to see where I ended up. There were two paths, one north, and one south, so my options were limited.

"Is this the maze, Twilight?"

"It appears to be, yes."

"Had I come here without the solution, what do you think my chances would've been of making it through?"

"About 1:1,000,000,000, give or take."

"That bad huh?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "I made sure to write which directions you need to take so be sure to follow my directions carefully. If you end up taking the wrong path, you'll have to start over again from the first direction. Judging from how this room is set up, this is the starting point so you can go either way which is when it truly begins. I don't know what we'll find at the end of this but hopefully we can find the princesses."

"I just hope there are no monsters."

"Hard to say for certain."

Heading north, the next room had nothing of interest aside from four exits including the one I came from. "I guess this is what we're going to be seeing until we make it to the endof this whenever that happens. Talk about repetition." Again, the eerie blue light made things beautiful but it was nothing but a distraction. "You must admit that this place is unlike anything we've seen before and we've both seen some strange things." Her Highness told me to I needed to head east first and so I walked that way and entered the same room hence why this was going to be repetitive.

She then told me to head north and upon doing so, I entered the same room again only this time there was something else. In the corner of the room was some kind of light and upon approaching it, it took on the form of Princess Celestia though she clearly looked weak. Flash Sentry did say that Grogar's power was too much and that they were using what little they had left to appear before me. What advice could they even give me? I wasn't about to turn down some much needed help but again, what could I learn? Approaching her, she smiled before standing up though she did wobble a little.

"You've entered the endless maze." Princess Celestia said.

"I know the path to get to the end."

She smiled again. "Good... I was afraid you had come here without knowing the solution. This maze was created by Grogar to prevent you from reaching his sanctum. Even though he is very powerful, deep down, he fears being destroyed by the chosen hero." She then dropped to her knees and I responded by trying to help her but she waved her hand to indicate otherwise. "I... I can only stay here for a few moments." Getting back up, it was obvious her agony made things difficult for her so hopefully she would be quick. "He has many forms that you must overcome."

I already knew that thanks to Adagio but surely she had more to say. "Do you know anything about these forms of his?"

Princess Celestia was fading fast, the darkness was too much. "You will fight his forms in a specific order. Each... Must be defeated in order to bring about the next one. While I can't tell you what they are... I can say that one form can be defeated with a single strike... Yet... It will be incredibly fast. Sunset Shimmer... I know you can do this..."

She then disappeared leaving me visually upset, yet Flash Sentry said I shouldn't mourn because this is what the princesses wanted. Besides, I'd see them all again. One of Grogar's forms had next to no stamina but was fast. Hmmm... I had no idea what kind of form that could entail. Princess Twilight... I wished she could've said something. Inquiring about it, she said she wanted to hold back and give me the chance speak talk with each of them. I knew I couldn't persuade her otherwise so rather than ask further questions, I dropped the subject and focused on getting through this maze.

Heading north again, Her Highness then said I needed to go east again. Upon doing so, I saw another light in the corner of the room yet this one was much darker. Approaching it, it took on the form of Princess Luna, who like her sister before her, was looking incredibly weak. At first, she struggled to muster up a smile given how she often had a grim expression, but she eventually managed to form one though I knew it wasn't easy. "You have managed to get to me before I faded away, Sunset Shimmer. No doubt my sister has given you some last minute advice."

"And do you have something for me?" I asked.

She nodded. "I do, but first, I need to say this. I didn't always believe you had reformed. I heard about your exploits from my sister and Princess Twilight. Even though their words were strong and added to your credibility, words alone weren't enough. No, I needed to see with my own eyes as to whether they were right."

"I'm sorry that I caused so much trouble in the past."

"You have changed a lot since then and I believe it."

"Coming from you, that's a compliment."

Princess Luna then collapsed due to the strain of using her power in such a place like this. "Sunset Shimmer! I can only remain for a few moments in order to give you some advice on what awaits you further ahead. Grogar will take on the appearance of a Nightmare you have faced before. What that appearance will be I do not know but you have defeated it once and can do so again."

I didn't like the sound of that. If I included the Hardhit Beetle from the Colour Dungeon, that was nine different Nightmares Grogar could assume the guise of. There was no time to think about what strategies were effective against them so hopefully it would be an easy one. "Princess Luna... Do you think I can win?"

That surprised her. "Why do you ask such a foolish question? Of course you will win. If you do not then none of us will be going back home. You need to remind yourself that you can succeed by relying on the strength of courage within your heart and with friendship." She then started fading away so she pointed at me and mustered up another smile. "Never forget what I have said... Otherwise we're all finished. Now... Get going."

Once she had faded away entirely, I adjusted my belt, and nodded my head slowly. I never knew Princess Luna had that kind of baggage when it came to me. Unlike her sister, I never got the chance to get to know her as she was trapped in the moon when I was Celestia's personal student. She had every right to question my credibility. At least she had the heart to reveal her true opinion of me and I appreciated it. Perhaps one day I can do the same in return. Waiting for my next instructions, Princess Twilight eventually told me to head north and then north again.

I followed her directions until I reached my next destination... Which was the same room like before. If I had been forced to go through this dozens of times, I'd have lost my mind a while back and likely admitted defeat. Only someone with absolute willpower would be able to tolerate madness of this magnitude. Her Highness then told me to head east and then north one more time which should bring me to Grogar's sanctum. In fact, the closer I got towards him, the stronger the darkness around me was growing. Was he showing off his power? That could prove to be his undoing.

Heading east, I saw another light in the corner of the room and it glowed a bright pink. Approaching it, it took on the form of Princess Cadance though she looked like she had seen better days. Rather than looking radiant, she appeared broken, like she had been stripped of her power. "Twilight! Sunset! Don't worry about my condition. Because of how close we all are to Grogar, his power has had a much greater impact on me compared with the other princesses."

"What can you tell me about him?"

"Some of his forms are ones you've never seen before."

"I don't understand."

Princess Cadance then sighed. "I knew you wouldn't but that's okay." I didn't quite know what to make of what she was saying though something in my mind was telling me that maybe she was trying to insult me. "Twilight should be able to fill in those gaps for you." She then turned towards Her Highness. "Twilight... Sunset is going to be relying on you now more than ever before. I know you're just as worried as she is about what awaits up ahead but neither of you can allow him to fill your minds with doubt."

"I'll make sure she succeeds." Princess Twilight said.

"Ah, so you can talk." I said smugly.

"Like I said, I wanted you to get in some last words with the princesses."

"I know but that doesn't mean you need to remain quiet."

That's when Princess Cadance coughed. "Ahem! I'm still here you know." Both Her Highness and I blushed with embarrassment as we turned our attention towards her. "I can only say one other thing before I must go. Sunset... One of his forms is going to be very personal for you from your first adventure." She then started fading away. "Unfortunately, you must figure out everything else on your own with Twilight's help. Sunset... I know... You will beat him..."

When she disappeared entirely, I began to think about what she said. Something from my first adventure? Much of that experience I had forgotten entirely though there were some remnants that remained in my mind. I remembered Spike being my partner and Lord Tirek portraying Ganondorf though I couldn't say for certain as to what he had done that could qualify as being personal. Aside from a few other things, everything was a blank. I supposed there was no way of knowing for certain until actually battling Grogar.

Heading north one more time, I entered a completely different room which made for a nice change of pace. There were no other directions I could go except for straight down into another abyss though this was smaller. A powerful dark aura was emanating from it so I knew that was the right place. Peering into the darkness below, I thought I saw something moving but perhaps it was just my nerves acting up knowing what awaited me below. Checking my items over one last time, everything appeared to be in order. There was no turning back after this point so I wanted to be sure I was truly ready.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped into the abyss and was surrounded by darkness on all sides which made me black out again. Waking up moments later, I was in a room that had no exits meaning I was trapped here unless another way out could be found. On the ground was an image of what looked like the Wind Fish though I couldn't be certain as it lacked details. I began looking around for any signs of Grogar and nothing came up. I was all alone. No! He had to be here somewhere! Why go to so much trouble of wanting to fight me and not actually showing up?

"Now what?" I asked in frustration.

"We have to wait for him to make the first move." Princess Twilight answered.

"I was afraid of that."

"I must say that I wasn't expecting his sanctum to be quite like this." Her Highness then began flying about in complete awe over what she was seeing. "I was honestly expecting the standard villain trope of a throne room complete with throne and being surrounded by flames. This place looks like some kind of fantasy world."

"One with no way out!"

"So I noticed."

"In any case, we're here now so we couldn't escape even if we wanted to."

Princess Twilight nodded. "No, I suppose not."

At that moment, a sinister laugh began echoing throughout the room. "At long last... The Outsider has made it to our inner sanctum." It didn't take a genius to figure out who was talking but I decided to let him continue on in case he'd say something he wasn't supposed to. "A part of us knew you would reach this place though we are also disappointed that you got here in the first place. Had we been far less merciful, you'd be dead right now!"

"Grogar!" I shouted. "Show yourself!"

"Such an interesting name you choose to give us, but it is not the name we are known as."

"Okay, then what do I call you?"

"We are Dethl!"

I had no idea where his voice was coming from so I opted to keep talking until I knew his exact location. "I'm sorry that I ended up disappointing your expectations, but you should've realized how strong I've been getting since first starting my adventures here."

"It was our mistake and one we will not make again!"

"Since I managed to get here, I want to know why you did all of this?"

Grogar began laughing in a deep voice. "You wish to know the truth? That is something you have been struggling against for some time, Outsider. Even now, that struggle has not changed. We could keep our reasons a secret but we find it more delicious to make you suffer as much as possible all because of how our efforts have been denied by you!" He then went quiet for a few moments before speaking again and with a more sinister voice than before. "We were born of nightmares! When the Wind Fish first slept, it created this island and populated it with numerous creatures."

"Which I found out was an illusion."

"Do you still wish for us to continue?"

I nodded. "Feel free to carry on."

"Once the Wind Fish began having nightmares, we came into existence." Grogar paused again which was starting to get on my nerves. "We desired to take over this world and make it our own, but to do so, we first had to ensure the dreamer would never awaken again. Thus, he sleeps endlessly. However, the one thing that could awaken him could not be destroyed by any means. Our efforts were futile so we instead hid the eight Instruments of the Sirens within dangerous trials guarded by our fellow Nightmares. No one on this island was stupid enough to find them or even knew of them."

That explained why the dungeons on this island existed. "And yet I ended up getting them all."

"GRRAAGGHH!" Grogar hissed before quickly calming down. "If the Wind Fish does not wake up, this island will never disappear. Those who live here would not disappear either and things could continue on. Everyone would be happy. We would have been the masters and ruled without any opposition. However, this cannot happen now because of you! Why did you come to this island?"

I shrugged. "I've been trying to figure that one out from the beginning."

"Perhaps a divine force brought you here?" What Grogar said actually made a lot of sense though I wouldn't have said 'divine'. The Demon King was anything but that! He brought me here to make me suffer until I finally succumbed to his will and serve him. Everything else that happened was merely coincidence if anything. He then hissed again and it was louder than before. "You disrupted our plans, Outsider! Because of you, our efforts have slowly been undone! Fortunately, it can fixed by killing you here and now."

"That's not going to happen."

"You may have defeated the other Nightmares but you can never defeat us."

"We'll see about that."

Grogar then appeared from the shadows and already I felt sick looking at the giant eyeball on his chest. "Such brave words coming from you. When you faced us in your dreams, you were completely overwhelmed, yet you fought a weak version that was forced to hold back. Now you see us as we truly are, a Nightmare that cannot be overcome! Hot Head told us a lot about the different things you can do but we wanted to see for ourselves and make our own judgement. The time has come for the final battle! Outsider! If you can defeat my other forms, only then will we show our true form."

"You mean this isn't your real form!?"

He nodded slowly. "This form is merely a means to enable us to communicate with you. Now... Let's rumble!"

His entire body suddenly transformed into a shadowy mass where two eyes appeared and glowed menacingly. It then floated over to the back of the room where it changed again into what looked like a giant blob of darkness. This then began bouncing after me and I immediately started moving in hopes of not getting hit by whatever it was. As I looked behind me, he was still behind me, his bouncing being remarkably fast for what it was. Eventually, it did catch up and knocked me to the ground where I felt like I had been attacked from the inside by a powerful burst of darkness.

Getting up and using my sword, I struck Grogar's blob-like form only for it to disappear into nothingness. Could this have been the form Princess Luna mentioned? My answer quickly came when it reappeared and knocked me down again causing the same kind of damage as before. As I watched it bounce around, I had this sneaking suspicion that I had faced something similar before. Combing through my memories, I got up and stood there which allowed it to knock me down a third time. The only monster that came to mind was the Giant Gel from the Colour Dungeon.

"Twilight? I need some help here!"

"He has taken on the form of the Giant Gel."

I knew that's what this form was! Glad to see I figured that one out on my own. "Okay, so I know what this form is supposed to be. The question now is, how do I defeat it? My sword did absolutely nothing."

"Since you have faced this monster before, you already know what to do."

If there was one thing I wished Her Highness wouldn't do, it was give me cryptic clues and expecting me to actually solve them. I thought about the Giant Gel from before and remembered using Magic Powder in order to inflict damage. To think I'd get to use the stuff during such a critical battle like this. The only problem was that Grogar was smaller so he had a tinier hit box which could make things tricky. Not only that, I only had a limited amount of Magic Powder on hand. If I ran out, I wasn't going to defeat him. In other words, I needed to make sure each use was going to count.

Taking out the Magic Powder (As in the pouch), I waited for the blob to bounce its way over to me. As soon as it was close enough, I sprinkled some powder only to miss and end up getting knocked down again. What made it worse was that I had no idea how many forms he possessed. It could be four, eight, a dozen, or more. Just thinking about it being an absurdly high number made me shudder as who could survive such an ordeal. Getting up, I used another sprinkle of powder and this connected.

Shaking like it was cold, the blob disappeared and reappeared on the other side of the room. No doubt it took damage so I didn't need to use my sword for this form. I was surprised that the Magic Rod wasn't effective as it used more potent magic. The blob began bouncing towards me again before going over my head and then doing so again until disappearing only to reappear next to me. Okay, so this thing doesn't bounce around forever. Using more powder, it jumped just as it was about to connect and I cursed for being slow and not reading its movements.

Instead of waiting for it to come to me, I should chase after it. Sure, it bounced fast but this room was an enclosed space so it didn't have anywhere to run. Going after it, I sprinkled some more powder which connected and inflicted damage. Reacting the same as before, the blob disappeared only to show up right behind me. Turning around, I tried another dose only to miss once again. Crap! Clearly I was getting sloppy. It then bounced over me and knocked me down before bouncing away.

Getting up and chasing it again, I managed to sprinkle some more Magic Powder which made it react. Instead of disappearing like before, it contained shaking which made me think it was going to explode but it ended up becoming the shadowy mass again. "So... You defeated our first form! We suppose some amount of success was guaranteed for you."

"That was a bit easy." I said though deep down I was worried because my performance had been sloppy.

"You will not succeed against our next form."

"The other Nightmares said something along those lines and look what became of them."

Grogar's eyes narrowed which didn't go unnoticed by me. "Hot Head also told us that you possessed a strong amount of arrogance. Unlike the others, we are far stronger and are capable of doing so much more. Aside from our strongest servant, the others proved to be useless."

"And yet he ended up being defeated as well."

"Hot Head knew he was going to fail!"

"Then why shower him with praise?"

"There are some things that are beyond your understanding." Grogar said. He then began changing his mass into the next form and I had no idea what it was going to be. "Since you enjoy using magic, then face off against one who was a master of those arts." Moving to the back of the room, he finished his transform where he resembled some kind of humanoid that looked to be wearing robes. He began creating a magical ball before launching it where it slammed into me and knocked me to the ground. That hurt way more than when his previous form knocked me down.

"I wasn't expecting that." I said as I rubbed my head.

"This is one of the forms that Cadance mentioned." Princess Twilight said.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded. "This form is based on a character you've never seen before. Fortunately, I have some knowledge about them. Grogar has taken on the form of Agahnim, a sorcerer who came to Hyrule in order to help restore it after many years of falling on hard times. In truth, he was a servant of Ganondorf who attempted to weaken a barrier that had kept the Demon King prisoner but was defeated by an adventurer much like yourself, Sunset. Unfortunately, I can't go into any further details on what exactly happened."

"I guessed you needed to be there in order to understand it."

"That's one way of looking at it."

"So how do I defeat this form?"

"When the other adventurer fought Agahnim, they were able to hit his own magical attacks at him." Princess Twilight answered. Huh... Now where have I heard that before? It sounded so familiar but I couldn't remember exactly what. Her Highness then continued. "Nothing else is going to be effective so I hope you've perfected your concentration. Not all of his magic works on him so you need to know which one to hit back. Grogar's version of this sorcerer apparently isn't a perfect recreation. There are a few attacks he doesn't use but this will still be a difficult fight and one that requires patience."

"Do you know which of his spells work on him?"

"I don't but it shouldn't take you long to figure it out."

So this form was a step up from the previous one in that he now had access to magic. Getting up again, he appeared right behind me and fired another magical fireball. Panicking, I raised my shield in hopes it would reflect back on him, but instead it fizzled out. That should've worked as that what was usually supposed to happen. Why did it fail!? It then dawned on me that Her Highness meant hitting back the magic using my sword. Definitely chalking this one up as an embarrassing moment on my part.

He appeared again and fired a different kind of magic, one that resembled four small fireballs rotating around in circles as a collective. I swung at this with my sword which caused me damage and split them off in four directions that all fizzled out upon hitting the walls and Grogar. At least I knew which magic to hit back which Her Highness said wouldn't take long for me to figure it out. He then next appeared at the back and threw a big fireball which I hit back at him where it inflicted damage. Huh... He chose not to hit it himself. Could he even do that? If not, this did give me some breathing room.

Getting hit didn't settle well with him. "It seems this form's weakness has been discovered."

"Guess it's not as powerful as you thought."

"Such insolence!" He disappeared and then reappeared right in front of me before hitting me with another fireball. At such a close range, he couldn't miss. "We know this form resonates with you as it serves as a reminder of the one who almost conquered your world."

Unfortunately for him, this Agahnim had no connection to me at all, but I couldn't tell him that as I doubted he'd even believe me. "Okay, you proved your point that you are stronger than you were before, but the same thing works both ways you know."

"We know you're afraid."

"Yeah right!"

Grogar laughed before pointing his finger at my sword hand. "Your sword betrays you, Outsider! Our presence has struck fear into your heart and there is nothing you can do to hide this truth from us. It will make ending your life that much more delicious!" He then fired the other type of magic which I attempted to reflect with my shield only to get pushed back by each shot. "Why do you hide behind such protection? Do you fear getting hurt by us?"

"No!"

"Such a tone suggests otherwise... So be it then."

Disappearing, he next appeared to my right which is when I noticed something. Every time he moved in this form, he'd do so beneath the ground where his shadow could be seen. This meant I'd no longer be surprised. He fired the larger fireball which I hit back into him though it did look like it wasn't going to work at first. I mean, I did this from a safe distance as I thought he'd disappear before it could connect. Knowing that he remained in place was quite the break but I couldn't become complacent. After all, there were other forms he had waiting to be used.

Moving underground to the upper left corner, he appeared and threw the other fireball which I avoided since my shield couldn't reflect it. This was a mistake as they bounced off the wall and hit me from behind. As I dropped to my knees, Grogar laughed before disappearing again. However, I had been taking too much damage even if it wasn't much thanks to my tunic. I needed to keep my two life-saving items intact for as long as possible. Until I knew how many forms there were going to be, I couldn't take any risky chances.

Appearing again at the southern end of the room, he fired the regular fireball and I hit it back, damaging him again. So long as I swung at the right time, I wouldn't get hit. Reeling, he disappeared and his shadow moved north before popping up again. I then noticed that he moved slightly in order to ensure his attacks were always aimed at me. Not only that, I had no way of knowing what fireball would come at me until he threw it. Throwing the next fireball, I hit it back at him and he disappeared where he moved back to where he was before.

After this, the next few attacks that came my way were the fireballs that split when they hit the walls. While this was annoying as I needed him to throw the other one, at least it wasn't anything truly bad. When he finally switched to what I wanted, I swung my sword only to do so late and wound up getting hit. He then disappeared and moved towards the center of the room, popping up, and throwing the same fireball again. Hitting it back at him, he reeled back before disappearing. I thought that had been the final hit but I supposed he still had a little bit of fight left in him.

When he appeared again, he began laughing which made me suspicious of his intentions. "Outsider... You have done well so far against us. No wonder the Nightmares were unable to defeat you even when they possessed our power."

"What are you getting at?"

"Our future forms will be too much for you."

I shook my head. "I'm not going to fall for any of your tricks."

"Tricks? Do not insult us!" Grogar immediately threw the other fireball where it struck me with such speed that when I got knocked down, I got pushed back into the wall. "To say such a thing shows how pathetic of a creature you are. We do not use tricks! What we say is the truth! Accuse us of such deceit again and we shall show no mercy." Wow... I didn't think he would be sensitive. I needed to choose my words carefully in future. "Submit to us and you may leave here with whatever dignity you possess. Refuse and your life shall become forfeit. We offer this chance only once."

"Do you have any guarantee that you will carry out this chance?"

"We do."

Right off the bat, I knew that if I accused him of being deceitful, he would attack me in a raged stupor again. There was no way I would accept such an offer as I knew better than to trust an evil mind. They pretend to want to do something for you only to backstab you later. I should know as I did that on a regular back during my troubled years. This needed a careful choice of words and not showing any kind of weakness. "The offer does sound tempting but no thanks. You probably figured I'd say no but wanted to make sure."

"No wonder you are a threat to us." Grogar said as he disappeared.

Princess Twilight then spoke up. Good for you refusing him, Sunset!"

I nodded. "Thanks, but something is bothering me. Why did he bring that whole act up in the first place?"

"Grogar would never admit it, but he is genuinely afraid of you." Princess Twilight answered in a quiet voice. Why was she being quiet? Was she afraid of him or maybe she didn't want him to hear what she had to say. "Many in his position would rely on such tactics in hopes of not dragging out the conflict as well as getting to survive another day. I don't know if he'll try that stunt again but you must be careful not to fall for anything he says or does. He knows that if you defeat him, his grip on this island will disappear."

"Then I must defeat him."

"Just don't take too many unnecessary hits."

I knew she would bring that up. "I'll be fine."

Again, I had been pretty sloppy since this fight started and it especially showed when he knocked me into the wall. Even with my improved defence, he hit very hard no matter form he was in. He was the final boss so obviously he had to be the strongest monster around but it wasn't an excuse. I needed to fight smarter and that meant not being reckless. Waiting for Grogar to appear again, I quickly checked to make sure everything was in order with my inventory. Given his other forms were still unknown, checking was strategic as who knew what items would be effective.

When he did appear in the middle of the room again, I tried moving around to get behind him only for him to follow my movements before he threw his next fireball. I dodged it only to get hit from behind upon splitting into pieces when it hit the wall. He disappeared and moved to the north of the room and threw another upon reappearing. Hitting it back at him, he reeled for a moment before disappearing again. Surely he couldn't take any further punishment. Appearing in the southwest corner, he fired the other fireball and blocked it with my shield.

At least, that's what I wanted to do but I had forgotten that I couldn't block that particular attack. Yeah... This was starting to affect my mental state a little bit. Shaking my head, I waited for him to reappear and he did so in the southeast corner of the room. He fired the regular fireball and I hit it back at him which caused him damage. This time, he began spinning around in circles so did it mean this form had been defeated? My answer came when after finishing his spinning, he assumed his blob-like form and moved back to the center of the room before glaring at me with those eyes.

"You defeated that form!"

"Are you surprised?"

I couldn't tell if he was nodding or anything given his current appearance. "No... We are not surprised. We knew that you would make it to this point. If you were not worthy, you would have perished back at the beginning. We have been holding back thinking you were easy enough to kill. Now, we realize we should have been more serious. We have many more forms at our disposal so do not think you have won yet."

"I can take on whatever you throw at me."

"You should choose your words more carefully." Grogar's eyes narrowed indicating I wasn't going to like whatever he was planning next. "Judging from the wounds across your body, you have been struggling against us. And yet... We know about your methods of cheating death. Unlike the other Nightmares, we are well aware that you won't die so quickly. It is merely a matter of us waiting patiently for you to exhaust those options. So long as they continue to hold out, you act with such confidence."

Crap! He knew about my Magic Medicine and fairy. "Guess I underestimated you a little."

"We are the Nightmare! We know all!"

I should've realized that he knew about my ability to come back from being killed. It also made sense as to why he was acting the way he was about killing me. He did it so that I wouldn't suspect a thing. Because I've defeated his second form, he's been forced to change tactics. Time hadn't been on my side so far and now it had become even more critical. The best case scenario would be to reach Grogar's true self having either the Magic Medicine or the fairy still with me. Having both would be a blessing but I knew that wouldn't happen. Having neither was nothing short of suicide.

I then turned to Princess Twilight. "What form do you think is next?"

"I don't know but be prepared for anything." She answered.

"Conspiring with your fairy?" Grogar asked.

"What of it?" I asked back.

He laughed. "We know that creature has been essential to your success. Without its guidance, you would have spent your time wandering around aimlessly until you figured it out on your own and eventually make your way here to us. It merely sped up the process. Outsider... The forms we possess are numerous and can comprise of anything. We could assume the form of an ancient monster, perhaps an enemy from your past, or perhaps a Nightmare which you have already defeated."

"Where are you going with this?"

"We recall what Hot Head said to us when we learned that you had defeated the Moldorm." Grogar answered. That was the first Nightmare I defeated and it was a difficult battle because of how small the arena was and how it got fast every time it took damage. "Though you defeated it, it proved itself a challenge. Now face our own guise!"

To my surprise, his blob-like form quickly changed and became Moldorm or rather a shadowy version of it. Princess Luna said that I would fight a form based on a Nightmare I had defeated so this had been anticipated. I just wished it had been any of them but this one. At least the weakness hadn't changed which was the tip of the tail, but then the other problem of it getting faster couldn't be ignored as it was going to happen. There was also the positive of how there wasn't an abyss below me along with having more room to get around so perhaps this wasn't as bad as I thought.

As the shadow Moldorm began to move, I couldn't help but feel uneasy about it. "Why did he have to go and choose that form? There are probably hundreds of other monsters he could've gone with but instead he goes with Moldorm!?"

"Still having flashbacks of fighting the original?" Princess Twilight asked.

I nodded. "For the first Nightmare, it proved incredibly difficult."

"But you managed to defeat it in the end." Princess Twilight said. I knew she was trying to build up my confidence though it wasn't going to be easy for her. "As I'm sure you've already figured this out, Grogar's version of Moldorm shares the exact same weak point as the original did. Every time you hit the tip of the tail, it will move faster which does increase the difficulty, but aside from that, it doesn't have any new abilities because of what it is."

"Doesn't change the fact that I don't like fighting Moldorm."

"Nothing you can do about it."

I sighed. "I hate that you're right but you're right."

"Judging from the way Grogar is moving in this form, nothing is different compared to the original."

"At least I have that working for me."

That's when Princess Twilight came to a realization. "Remember when I said that he couldn't use all of the abilities when he assumed Agahnim's form?" I nodded though I had no idea where she was going with this. "I think it's because he based it on a time where the sorcerer didn't have certain powers at his disposal. His shadows are exactly like the originals so don't expect to see any kind of surprises."

"At least I can take solace in that."

"Doesn't change the fact that you have to fight Moldorm again.

I sighed. "Let's get this over with."

To Be Continued.

Epilogue: Awakening!

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Prologue: Lost At Sea.

Author's Note

And so a new story begins. This time, Sunset is going to Koholint Island.

Prologue: Lost At Sea.

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening
By Ganondorf8.
October 23, 2019.
Prologue: Lost at Sea.

"What do you make of her, Tarin?"

"I've never seen anyone like her before on the island."

"Just looking at her makes me feel like she's fated to change our lives."

"Really, Marin? That's what you see in her?"

"And what's wrong with that?"

"Nothin' at all!"

"Then why say it like that?"

"Just because you found her washed up on ta shore doesn't mean she's anythin' special. In any case, we should let her explain herself when she wakes up."

"Who knows how long that will be."

"At least we know she's alive."

"I ain't going to question you, Marin."

"And why not?"

"I know better not to... Hey! Well would you look at that? She's wakin' up!"

"Uhhhh... my aching head."

"I thought you'd never wake up! You were tossing and turning for a while before you settled back down again."

"Huh? Starlight Glimmer? Why are you wearing that strange get-up?"

"Starlight Glimmer? What a strange name. My name is Marin. You must still be feeling a little woozy. You are on Koholint Island!"

"I'm where!?"

I had almost forgotten about my previous experiences in the world of a video game series. However, the one thing that did remind me of those experiences continued to rear its ugly head. The Mark of the Triforce. Even now, I wished that it were only a dream, and not the reality that it was. Just when I thought I could forget about it, the mark would appear on the back of my hand, a reminder that I still had to endure whatever Ganondorf, the Demon King (As he called himself), had in store for me. In a perfect world, I'd have gladly rid myself of it, but such a world isn't possible.

What made the experience worse was that I wasn't the only one. Princess Twilight Sparkle, my former teacher, also had a mark, hers representing Wisdom, one of the three forces that the Triforce comprised of. My force represented Courage, whilst the remaining one, Power, remained in Ganondorf's possession as far as I was aware. Because of this, we were bound to him through our respective pieces, a terrifying fate I wouldn't wish on anyone. Even if he possessed the Triforce in its entirety, Power was still his to command. For Her Highness and me, our lives could change at any moment.

But, it had been some time since my last adventure, and much had changed in the world I now call home. My friends and I have since acquired new magical abilities through the use of geodes that we discovered during our trip to Camp Everfree. We have used this magic to combat the dangerous magic that continues to flow through the portal that connects our world to Equestria, magic that if left unchecked, could bring about disaster, and corrupt an innocent person. Unfortunately, several people had suffered such corruption, and my friends and I used our powers to save them.

Juniper Montage, Wallflower Blush, Vignette Valencia, and even my favourite music band, Post Crush. Each of them came into contact with Equestrian Magic through no fault of their own, and became corrupted by it thinking it could change their lives. Even now, despite how much I've changed, I blame myself for having brought magic into a world that didn't understand how it worked. Those who were corrupted have since become friends and allies, but it could've been much different had we not stepped up to the challenge and shown them their misjudgement of handling power they didn't understand.

Power... I was one to talk. The power that was inside of me, the Triforce of Courage, was one that I still couldn't figure out. I tried to pretend that I didn't possess it and continued living my life, but whenever that mark appeared on my hand, I threw myself into despair knowing fate had placed such a burden on me, one without an immediate answer. Even my friends didn't understand much about it. All they could suggest to me was to forget about it and focus on what you usually do. Easy for them to say. They aren't the ones who have to deal with the agonizing fear that Ganondorf could appear at any moment and make life miserable for you.

I was surprised that the Demon King had left me alone for some time, but I couldn't become complacent about it. Every waking day, I feared that he would force me to go through yet another adventure, my life being threatened by whatever waited for me there. If there was any consolation, I did enjoy some of the more nuanced moments, like getting to use a variety of different items, or even becoming other creatures. It's not everyday that the latter happens without some serious magic involved. Aside from that, the waiting became agony, my heart pounding out of fear that I could succumb to his whims at any moment.

About a couple of weeks after the incident involving Post Crush, the holidays were upon us, and my friends and I decided to spend the weekend together at Pinkie Pie's place, or as she liked to call it, party central. Though I continued to act with caution in case Ganondorf made his presence known, this was a time where I let my guard down, and I was going to pay for my mistake soon enough. Rainbow Dash had something new she wanted to show us, but before she did, the others wanted to know about what had been happening with Princess Twilight over in Equestria. When I began telling them, their reactions weren't surprising.

"No way!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, her jaw dropping. "Princess Twilight is going to become the ruler of Equestria!?"

"Hoo-wee!" Applejack shouted. "I knew she was somethin' but I didn't expect that!"

Rarity nodded. "Indeed. Princess Twilight always did give off the impression that she would become a fabulous queen." Her eyes then lit up and I knew straight away that she was about to go into one of her fashion tangents. "I sincerely hope that her royal gown is the stuff that only legends dream of! I simply must see it with my own eyes. You know, for inspirational purposes, and not because I wish to have a similar gown for myself."

The rest of us rolled our eyes before Rainbow Dash continued. "So what did she have to do in order to become the queen?"

"She'll still be a princess." I answered.

"How come?"

"It's an Equestria thing."

"Tch! Fine! So how did she do it?"

"She defeated three of the greatest threats Equestria has ever known." I answered. "From what Princess Twilight said, it was without a doubt the most difficult thing she and her friends have ever had to do. Apparently, the Lord of Chaos, Discord, wanted to test them, and by test them he brought back their greatest enemies."

Applejack frowned. "That weird chaos thing you once told us about?"

"Yep."

"Why does Princess Twilight keep such a critter like that around?" Applejack asked. To be honest, I sometimes wondered that myself. Discord had reformed and was no longer viewed as a threat, but maybe he was given too much freedom to use his powers by Princess Celestia. Applejack then continued. "No point in gettin' worked up 'bout somethin' like that since it all worked out in the end. Still, why would a friend cause another so much misery? This Discord is more of a pest than a problem, but that's just mah opinion."

Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy weren't in the room so I wasn't able to get their reaction, but then Twilight Sparkle, this world's version of Her Highness, looked to be wanting to say something for a while given her expression. Long ago, Twilight often got uncomfortable whenever we mentioned her Equestrian counterpart. She believed herself inferior but we constantly reminded her that she had her own talents that Her Highness could never hope to achieve. I guess learning that your pony counterpart has been chosen to succeed her mentor as ruler would cause you to feel inadequate.

After collecting her thoughts, Twilight Sparkle finally spoke up. "You must be proud that she is going to succeed her mentor, Sunset."

I nodded. "After all she's done, she deserves it."

"But wasn't her mentor yours as well?"

"Yeah."

Twilight Sparkle then rubbed her chin. "It makes you wonder why you weren't given a chance to become the next ruler of Equestria. I mean, you are just as capable as the other me is seeing as we've all seen what you're capable of."

For a moment, I felt like blushing, but the notion quickly passed. "No... Princess Twilight has done way more than I could ever hope to be. Sure, we've faced our own share of problems, but those were tame compared with what she had to deal with."

"Are you saying that we're not as good?"

"That's not it at all." I answered, my temperament rising as I felt all defensive. "Yes, we've dealt with magical beings, but they were usually misguided teenagers who had no idea what they were getting themselves into by using what they don't understand. Princess Twilight and her friends have faced creatures who had way more experience with Equestrian Magic and some almost conquered Equestria." I went silent for a moment before continuing. "Besides... you know that I wasn't always the best person."

Rainbow Dash scoffed. "Please! That was a long time ago, Sunset!"

"She's right." Applejack added. "Sure ya had a rough start but look at what you've accomplished since then. Why if Princess Twilight could, she ought ta make ya a princess. What am I sayin'? Of course she can. She'll be the ruler of Equestria and can make the rules."

Twilight Sparkle nodded. "See Sunset? No need to put yourself down."

If only it were as simple as that. I may have overcome my past and reconciled with Princess Celestia, but my actions back then still condemned me to not being able to become a princess despite my accomplishments since. It's not what I wanted but it was better than the alternative, being alone without anyone. I wasn't jealous of Princess Twilight being chosen to succeed both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. She had more than proven herself worthy to lead Equestria to a better tomorrow though judging from some of her comments, she was still a bit hesitant due to how big of a change it was.

I wondered then if Her Highness had to deal with the other elephant in the room in her life, that of the Triforce of Wisdom. Knowing her, she was probably so fascinated by it that she wanted to conduct as much research as possible. In my mind, I hoped she was experiencing the same feelings I was, feelings of dread, and wondering when Ganondorf planned on coming after her because of the power she had. I was his main target but now he had someone else he could sway to become evil. Even if Her Highness had all the protection in the world, it wouldn't do anything against a demon whose powers were beyond mortal minds.

Looking at my hand, I wished things weren't like they are. I knew Princess Twilight and I were close but I wasn't expecting it to be like this. Sometimes, I felt like fate was playing a cruel prank at our expense and loving every moment of it. I had to think of something else to take my mind off of such matters. All of this worrying wasn't doing my health any good and the same was probably true with Princess Twilight. She now had an entire kingdom to rule over in addition to surrounding kingdoms filled with creatures that even now were only beginning to understand the basic principles of what friendship was all about. A golden triangle should be the least of her worries.

"Sunset..."

"What is it, Twilight?"

"When is the coronation?"

"It was supposed to be today."

"What!?" Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she and Fluttershy entered the room. "Princess Twilight is going to be crowned today!? You mean to tell me that we're going to miss perhaps the greatest party anywhere since ever!?"

"Um... Pinkie Pie?" Fluttershy said, her voice being drowned out by Pinkie's. "Sunset said that the coronation was supposed to be today."

"As in past tense?"

Fluttershy nodded. "Yes." She then turned to face me. "Was the coronation cancelled?"

I nodded. "Those three villains I told you about?" Everyone else nodded as they awaited my next words. "They ended up destroying a portion of Canterlot Castle and they need to spend several weeks if not months repairing it before they can have the coronation."

"Oh my. That must be awful for Princess Twilight."

"I'll say." Pinkie Pie added. "Now she can't have that huge coronation or the greatest party anywhere since ever!"

"She will but I don't think she minds the delay." I said.

"Have you been invited?" Fluttershy asked.

I shrugged. "As far as I know, I've not been given an invitation to the coronation." My friends were shocked at this sudden revelation only for me to stop them by raising my hands and slowly shaking my head from side to side. "It's not a big deal really. I only go back to Equestria on rare occasions so it's not like I have that big of an attachment there." In my mind, I was only lying to myself as deep down I wished Her Highness would invite me to attend.

"Maybe she forgot to send you an invitation?"

I sighed. "Maybe." I then turned towards Twilight Sparkle. "Both you and Rainbow Dash have some attachment to Equestria since we went there during that storm back when we were on the boat. It wouldn't surprise me if you two received an invite though it might make other ponies awkward upon seeing two Twilights and two Rainbow Dashes."

The next time that I decided to either write to Princess Twilight or pay her a visit to Equestria, I was going to inquire about her coronation and whether or not she invited me. At the very least, it had been delayed for a while so I had some time. It'd be nice to see Princess Celestia and Princess Luna one last time before they end up going to Silver Shoals. Why they would want to go to a retirement community was beyond me--even Her Highness was confused by their decision--but the two sisters have always been aloof with their desires. It was best to never question them on anything.

It was at that point where both Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy revealed why they left the room for a while. Usually, it was Rainbow Dash who would reveal some kind of big surprise, but this time Fluttershy surprised us. I knew she was an avid video gamer but I didn't think she would take it to the next level or anything. She presented a brand new video game that had only been released a couple of weeks ago, and upon learning the name of it, my heart sank as I knew what it would ultimately mean. It was 'The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening,' and to me, it meant me experiencing another adventure. The signs were right there.

As soon as the game was popped into the Nintendo Switch--the console belonged to Pinkie Pie--the Mark of the Triforce began to glow faintly on the back of my hand. My first instinct was to leave and go home, but the other insisted on me staying. Though I had told them about what happened to me, they weren't entirely convinced that I was telling the truth and believed I had imagined it or was stressed. It didn't help that they couldn't remember anything of either experience since I did run into them portraying other people. Perhaps this time nothing would happen? Sadly, things weren't going to go my way.

While the others were mesmerized by the visuals, I continued looking at the back of my hand. The mark began glowing brighter but not enough for them to notice what was happening. I had hoped they'd had noticed and immediately stopped playing for my own sake. If there was anything positive here, it was that they weren't in any danger as Ganondorf had no interest in them. It also meant he couldn't use them as some kind of leverage in order to make me become his servant. Eventually, my mark glowed so bright that it made the entire room glow, but my friends were too engrossed in the game to even care.

"Sunset!" Rainbow Dash shouted. "You really should take a look at this!"

"Look at what?"

"These awesome graphics! I mean, sure, it looks like some kind of figurine collection, but it makes it oh-so-good!"

"I really think I should go."

"How come?" Pinkie Pie asked. "We've only just gotten started and already you want to go?" The expression in her face was one of sadness and I knew better than anyone not to make her upset as she could make you feel guilty to your core. "Please don't go, Sunset."

"But I..."

"Please?"

Before I could say anything, the television screen began to glow brightly. At first my friends thought someone had turned up the brightness but no one had touched the remote for some time; it was still where Pinkie Pie had left it, on top of the television. Deep down, I knew what was going on. The mark on my hand began flashing and that meant Ganondorf had decided to finally make his presence known. I tried explaining to my friends that we needed to stop playing Link's Awakening before it was too late but they continued to ignore me. It was only when a sinister laugh echoed throughout the room did they realize something was wrong.

The laugh was clearly that of the Demon King and its eerie nature made me freak out. I didn't want to experience another adventure so I attempted to make a run for it only to find myself being frozen in place. Suddenly, there was a blinding flash that caused everyone to scream in a panic over what was going on. I had no idea what happened next as I couldn't utter a single sound, but I felt as though I were being pulled towards the light. Was I dying? At this point, I didn't even know. By the time the flash receded and everything was back to normal, my friends looked around to make sure everyone was okay, but they quickly realized that I was no longer in the room.

"What in the hay just happened?" Applejack asked.

"Did the game malfunction or something?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"And what about that eerie light show?" Rarity asked. "I mean, it was simply divine, but totally unexpected."

"That light was scary." Fluttershy answered.

"Now I wish that I could've thrown some confetti." Pinkie Pie said glumly, her hands holding confetti that who knew where she got them from. "That bright light would have been perfect for a party. Say, maybe we can make the game do that again. I always love a do-over. Ooh! Ooh! Maybe this time we'll get some actual colour instead of white. I hope we end up getting magenta!"

Twilight then noticed the obvious. "Where is Sunset Shimmer?"

"She did try to leave when that laugh occurred." Rarity answered.

"Guess she didn't have the nerve to stick around." Rainbow Dash added.

"No." Twilight said as she shook her head. "Something had been bothering her for a while now. Ever since you revealed that video game, she began acting as though she was fearing for her life, like being here would've been a disaster." She paced around pondering over what had happened making sure not to overlook any possibilities until it sunk in. "Do you think this has to do with that story she told us about?"

"About going to another world?" Applejack asked.

"Yes." Twilight answered. "I mean, she already comes from another world." The others all nodded in unison upon remembering that I was originally a pony, and it was at that moment where they realized that perhaps ignoring my story had proven to be a grave error of judgement. "What if that story was real and Sunset has somehow been pulled into a video game against her own free will!?

Suddenly, the television screen flashed a white light, blinding my friends, but this was only temporary, and when the light faded, a figure appeared on screen. He was wearing thick, black armour, a strange jewel was on his forehead that made Rarity swoon for only a moment, and a cruel smile was on his face. He was giving off such a strong dark aura that my friends were struggling to breathe until it subsided. My friends were looking directly at the Demon King, Ganondorf, the one who had made it his goal to make me his devoted servant. I had resisted him in the past but it was proving more difficult to avoid succumbing to his temptations.

Ganondorf laughed for a few seconds before speaking in a slow voice. "The friends of the child... Those that she cares for the most. While you possess great power, it is nothing compared to the power that I wield."

"And who are you?" Applejack asked.

"No way!" Rainbow Dash answered. "You're Ganondorf from the Legend of Zelda! But you're just a video game character! You can't be real!"

Again, Ganondorf laughed. "I am more than that, loyal one. You and your companions would know this but then you lack the memories of what transpired. Memories that the child you know as Sunset Shimmer has burned forever into her memory by me." Rainbow Dash then attempted to turn off the television only to suddenly find herself unable to move. She struggled to break free but she couldn't. Ganondorf laughed once more. "You think to be rid of me by such pathetic means? How amusing."

"Where is Sunset?" Twilight asked.

Ganondorf turned slightly to face her. "So... the other version of the Princess of Friendship. You may resemble that one but you lack the power that she possesses, a power that she also shares with the child. But then you possess your own power, one that is of interest to me."

"You didn't answer my question."

"Where else would she be?"

Twilight's jaw dropped. "No... She couldn't possibly be in the video game."

"And yet this is something that you have known for some time only you chose not to believe. The child put her faith in each of you and yet you failed. You left her to suffer alone though this is what I had long foreseen. The child is fated to become my loyal servant and this will come to pass."

"Not on our watch!" Rainbow Dash shouted.

"The six of you have your own problems to worry about."

"And what does that mean?"

"You will find out soon enough."

I had no idea how long I had been knocked out for. Minutes? Hours? Or maybe even longer? It was splashes of rain that woke me up and as I rubbed my head whilst trying to adjust to what happened, I was shocked to see that I was no longer in Pinkie Pie's house nor was I surrounded by my friends. I wasn't even in Canterlot anymore. As a matter of fact, I wasn't even on dry land. All around me was water, water as far as the eye could see, and as the rain continued to come down, the weather was steadily getting worse. Was I in the ocean? How in the world did I end up in the ocean!?

"Hello!?" I called out. "Is anyone out there?"

I don't know why I decided to call out for help given my current predicament. I guess in my mind, this was some kind of magical prank either one of my friends cast or it could be a random piece of Equestrian Magic having escaped through the portal. Looking down at my feet, I was surprised to find myself on what appeared to be a makeshift boat. At least I wasn't going to drown or anything though the continual downpour of rain wasn't doing me any good. That's when everything finally made sense. I was no longer wearing my regular clothes but a very familiar green tunic complete with brown boots.

I sighed. "Not again..."

There was no doubt about it now. I had been pulled into yet another Legend of Zelda video game by Ganondorf and I had no idea if anyone else from the human world or Equestria had been brought to this world against their own free will. However, I had no idea where I was as there was nothing but ocean. Looking down at the boat again, it had certainly seen better days, like it had been hastily put together without much in the way of effort. Also, who would be crazy enough to go out in the middle of a rain storm? If I was once again playing the role of the main character, they must have been incredibly reckless to want to be out in the middle of nowhere like this.

Before doing anything else, I checked to see what kind of equipment I had on my person. If I was going to be exploring either Hyrule or some kind of variation of it, I needed to make sure I was properly prepared for the task. Strapped onto my back was a scabbard that contained a sword upon me pulling it out, and a shield was also strapped on in the same manner. While the sword had some serious wear and tear on it, it would do for protecting me from whatever I had to deal with. The shield looked worn but it had my name etched into it. A better shield would've been better but at least this one is mine.

As I continued to look over my equipment, the storm suddenly turned for the worse. Thunder began booming and it continued to grow stronger with every boom. Judging from the condition of this boat, it wasn't going to last much longer. "Why did it have to be a storm?" I said to myself as I looked upwards at the darkening clouds. Thinking quickly, I reached for an oar to paddle myself away only there was one problem. "Where in the world is the oar on this thing!?" Crap! Why doesn't this boat have an oar? Looking around again, the boat was completely bare apart from a small piece of rope that hung from the mast.

Grabbing the rope and pulling it, the boat's sail came down and opened allowing me some movement. "Well... It's better than an oar I suppose." My only option was to attempt to ride this storm out but without knowing exactly where to find land, this might prove to be a fruitless endeavour. Suddenly without warning, a massive burst of thunder came down from above, struck the boat, and blasted it to pieces. I was flung from what remained of the boat, splashing into the water, and discovering that my equipment weighed me down. I tried to take it off but to 1no avail as I got pulled underwater.

I popped my head up several times in the hopes of getting myself out but my gear continued to pull me back down again. I had to ditch them or else I'd drown. Sure, it would mean losing my only means of protection but a sword and shield can easily be replaced, a life was irreplaceable. Removing my shield from my back and dropping it, it quickly sank into the water until I couldn't see it anymore. "In hindsight, I could've used it as a floatation device." Drawing my sword, I threw into the water where it sank below the waves leaving me with only what I was wearing on my back.

Unfortunately, I had used up too much strength struggling to keep myself afloat, and since there was no land within the vicinity, my chances of survival were practically nil. Instead of becoming Ganondorf's servant, he had decided I wasn't worth the effort, and instead desired to kill me without any kind of bloodshed. As I got pulled down again by the water, my last thoughts were of Princess Twilight, my friends, and my world as now I couldn't do anything for them. Had my adventure ended before it had even begun? No... It couldn't end here! I had to hope that I could reach some kind of land.

To Be Continued.

Chapter 3: The Forest's Secret.

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.
By Ganondorf8.
November 3, 2019
Chapter 3: The Forest's Secret.

Upon his owl landing on top of a tree, Flash Sentry comforted his companion by scratching the underside of its head before turning his attention towards me. "Ho, brave lass, on your quest to wake the dreamer. It seems you have become a little bit stronger since I saw you last."

"I don't have much of a choice in the matter do I?" I asked.

"To leave this island, you must awaken the dreamer."

"So how do I actually do that?"

Flash Sentry was silent at first which lead me to suspect that he knew more than he was letting on, but he eventually addressed my question. "Your question shall receive an answer, but it is you who will discover it." That wasn't what I wanted to hear. I had hoped for a better explanation yet I supposed this was normal for me. Characters like Flash Sentry in his current capacity couldn't make things easy otherwise there would be no challenge involved. "Brave lass, welcome to the Mysterious Forest. Despite the foreboding name, this part of the island is merely the early stages."

"Early stages?"

"This forest shall test your resolve and you must surpass the challenge."

"And what lies ahead in the future?"

Again, Flash Sentry went silent which began to get on my nerves but then he said something that caught me by surprise. "There is much mystery you will find on this uncharted island wherever you go. What you discover may prove helpful or be fraught with peril. Such is your fate. As I said before, to leave this island, you must awaken the Wind Fish, but this shall prove to be no easy task. So long as the dreamer sleeps, you will find leaving the island a trifle difficult."

On the one hand, it sounded like there were secrets on this island that not even he knew about. That didn't sound strange as not everyone can know everything. On the other hand, he came across as wanting to put me down despite having just gotten started on my journey. I needed positive reinforcement and not negativity especially in the early going otherwise I'd lose heart and give up. There was one thing he mentioned that didn't add up. If Koholint Island is uncharted, why does a map of it exist in the library? Someone had to have created it by exploring every square inch. Huh... Princess Twilight's initial suspicions were starting to make sense now.

"You told me to come here for a reason." I said in an attempt to steer the subject towards something that would prove useful. "Since I'm at the entrance to this forest, I have fulfilled your obligation and that means I'm free to go anywhere from here."

"The many paths ahead will block you unless you have the necessary items or knowledge."

"Is there such an item in the forest?"

Flash Sentry nodded. "There is something. Before I tell you, I must ask a question. Have you ever visited the Tail Cave, which is south of the village?"

I did recall a sign that pointed in the direction of such a place. I hadn't been there since I was compelled to go to the beach but it sounded like I had to check it out since he just brought it up. Besides, I wouldn't have gotten far due to lacking a sword. While a shield would've protected me, not having a sword would've complicated things, and I was certain that some kind of barrier would've kept me from exploring this Tail Cave regardless of my current equipment. A part of me wanted to go and see the cave but I needed to focus on finding Sunburst as he might have additional information.

I then shook my head. "To be honest, I didn't go there as I lacked the means to fight off any monsters."

"That is understandable."

"Once I've finished my errands here, I'll be sure to go and check out this Tail Cave."

"You cannot go into the cave just yet."

"And why not?"

"There is a key hidden somewhere in this forest that will open the way to the Tail Cave." Flash Sentry answered. He pointed towards something off in the distance that I clearly couldn't see due to my being on the ground but it looked like I had to cross this entire forest in order to reach it. "Finding the key is easy but reaching it is another. You need to use magical prowess, a skill not many can learn and remove that which blocks your path."

"Magic is a specialty of mine."

"If you know what you are looking for, getting the key will become an easier task. The Wind Fish is watching..."

With that, Flash Sentry said a few words in silence to his owl, and the mighty creature took to the sky leaving me and Princess Twilight to contemplate all he had said. In some ways, he was being really cryptic, but he was also pretty straight forward. Had it not been for Discord giving me advice when he did, I'd probably be stuck running around this forest like I were blindfolded. Magic would be my means of getting the key and that involved speaking to a witch about some Magic Powder according to Discord. I needed Sunburst's help to find a toadstool as he was practically an expert on the subject.

Magic... In my first adventure, I was capable of using fire magic what with my fiery temperament, but then that magic was slowly fazed out in favour of using magic that was native to its world and because I had to use it. During my second adventure, I used magic whilst being different creatures (A huge part of me still missed that fact and wished I had been able to keep some aspect of that power). This time around, I had no idea what was in store for me in terms of magic. I wasn't expecting anything ground-breaking but perhaps a few basic spells would suffice.

Princess Twilight then bopped me on the head to snap me out of my daydream (It wasn't much of a bop as it was a flick that barely registered with me), something I had a tendency to do whenever I was in deep thought, and I walked forward into the Mysterious Forest where everything suddenly became dark as though a huge shadow hung over the location, every nook and cranny draped with a veiled shadow. A place this dark was an ideal one for toadstools (Fungi loved growing in areas where there was little light as possible) and why Sunburst came here frequently to pick them up.

Walking forward, Her Highness stopped me upon seeing a blue pig-like creature wielding a spear. It wasn't attacking me which made me wonder if it was either waiting for me to make the first move or it had incredibly poor eyesight. She said that this was a Moblin, a monster that lived in the forest that threw spears to attack anything that enters its territory. It wasn't very strong but those spears could prove problematic if it continued throwing them at me. Fortunately, its lack of a shield meant it was defenseless from being attacked. Before the Moblin had a chance to do anything, I dashed forward, swung my sword a couple of times, and defeated the creature where it left behind a green rupee.

Picking it up, I went deeper into the forest and chanced upon two more Moblins patrolling about. One of them was oblivious to my presence so I attacked it from behind before it even knew what was happening (I wasn't fond of using such deceitful methods), the other began throwing spears though my shield rendered its attacks moot as the spears harmlessly bounced off it. In-between throwing volleys, I swung my sword twice and defeated it leaving me free to go wherever I wanted. Flash Sentry's words then rang out in my head. This was the easy stage of my journey and that meant these Moblins were nothing compared to what lay ahead.

Heading south and defeating another Moblin, I came across a boulder that was blocking a narrow path between two trees. I then tried the direct approach which involved attempting to push the boulder out of the way. As one might expect, it proved to be an impossible feat. "Ugh! This thing won't budge!"

"Looks like you don't have the strength to move it." Princess Twilight said.

I moaned. "Why couldn't I have kept that Goron Mask!?"

"Not in this adventure, Sunset."

"I know..."

"Looks like we'll have to come back here later once you have the means to lift that boulder."

"What about using some kind of explosive?"

Princess Twilight then took a closer look at the boulder before shaking her head. "Without any cracks in it, I don't see an explosive being able to break this apart. Don't be discouraged just because you can't deal with this, Sunset. We've just started this journey so not everything is going to be available straight away. Like Flash Sentry said, once you have the necessary items and knowledge, what once blocked you will become accessible."

I sighed. "I suppose you're right."

"Things will get better once you start finding items."

Heading back the way I came and turning right, I walked forward, defeated yet another Moblin from behind where it dropped another rupee, and came upon a tree trunk laying on its side, the opening exposing a dark passage that went into mountainous terrain. A sign nearby said that I needed to 'Beware of floors with cracks! Don't get too comfortable on them!' With this heavy equipment on my person, the warning from this sign was to be taken seriously. I had no idea what would happen if I were to fall down into a hole but I honestly didn't want to know if I could avoid it.

Walking into the tree trunk and entering a cave, there were more boulders lying about including the aforementioned cracks in the floor. There was even shards of dark crystals scattered about which made me wonder if my sword could even shatter them. If not then I would have one broken blade without a means of getting it fixed. Princess Twilight then told me of the bat monsters known as Keese. They weren't very threatening but they enjoyed flying into their victims to annoy them. I could either strike them with a single sword swing or just take the damage and ignore them.

On the subject of the boulders, Her Highness said that these weren't as heavy as the other one we saw so I could push them about with ease. As for the dark crystals, they seemed to be a decorative feature rather than anything expensive. A shame really. If Rarity were here, she'd have been devastated to know that the crystals weren't worth much. It also meant that shattering them was well within reason. One of the Keese then bumped into me and I responded with a simple sword swing, destroying it though it dropped its rupee into the abyss below leaving me disheartened that it couldn't be added to my collection.

Destroying the remaining Keese before they could hit me, I shattered the dark crystals to pieces (It felt like they were made of glass instead of crystal) and that's when my heart jumped upon seeing a treasure chest. This could be my lucky day but it depended on what kind of payout I would get. I was also fortunate that the floor didn't buckle under my weight (I'm not that heavy) but I needed to claim my prize and not stick around to find out. I pushed the boulder blocking the chest aside, opened it, and took out a purple rupee. It was bigger than the previous ones so it must have been worth something.

"Twilight, do you know what this is valued at?"

"A purple rupee is worth fifty rupees!"

A smile beamed across my face. "Now that's more like it."

"I'm sure that other treasure chests throughout this island will have similar rewards."

"I sure hope so."

"You sound like you're obsessed with collecting rupees."

"Do you remember what happened on our last adventure?"

Princess Twilight vaguely nodded, her memory of those events being as hazy as mine. "You needed to spend a lot of money in order to acquire a mask for one thing, some bags, and even saving up at a bank." It took several moments for her to realize where I was going with this. "I see what you mean now. You're not greedy but rather you need plenty of money as something is bound to be expensive later on. Okay, I got it."

"Having over seventy rupees is a start but it's not even close."

Pocketing the purple rupee, I kept on moving deeper into the cave to see where it would lead, and was immediately attacked by two green blobs that had eyes. Princess Twilight revealed these as Zols, gel-like monsters that bounce around after surprising their victims by popping up from the ground. She also mentioned that some Zols liked to hide in treasure chests to trick an unwary adventurer. I shuddered over the idea of opening a chest with one of these things jumping out instead of a rupee or some other item. Swinging my sword cut both down without issue which made me think things were a little too easy.

The last section of the cave featured more boulders for me to push including some skulls of creatures I had no idea what they once were. The skulls looked denser in mass so moving them right now was a no-go. A shame really as I could see a giant heart glowing behind some boulders at the end of the room. At least I didn't have to push any boulders to progress but I really wanted the heart as it would make me feel better. Speaking of feeling better, I noticed that Princess Twilight had a particular look on her face, one I was familiar with what with having known her for so long. She had that 'Twilighting' look.

"Want to talk about it for a few minutes?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "I'm still nervous about becoming the ruler of Equestria."

"Why should you be?" I asked, surprised by her revelation. "I thought you'd be excited about carrying on Princess Celestia and Princess Luna's legacy. I know it's a huge change for you, Twilight, but it's one that only you can do. I originally was being groomed to one day be a princess but we both know how they turned out. Besides, from what you told me, your accomplishments are the stuff of legends."

"But to rule on my own without my friends?"

"That is a sticking point."

"A part of me wishes that I could make them all alicorns so that they could rule by my side."

I rolled my eyes. "You do know that isn't how it works, right Twilight?"

Princess Twilight sighed. "I know, but sometimes I wish that I didn't have to say good-bye to my friends. They all have their roots in Ponyville and are probably going to be living there for the foreseeable future. Me? Canterlot is going to be my home for the rest of my days."

"You could always move the capital to Ponyville."

"What!?" Princess Twilight began beating the part of her chest where her heart was and looked like she was about to have a panic attack. "Are you crazy!? We can't relocate the capital from Canterlot to Ponyville. That would upend over 1,000 years of tradition not to mention Canterlot ponies rioting." She then calmed down and began to think about my suggestion on a more logical basis. "I am surprised no one ever considered that, Sunset, but it's something I don't think anyone in Equestria would like. Had it happened say a few centuries ago, it wouldn't be as controversial a decision as it is now."

"You can always visit Ponyville for celebrations and vacations."

"Assuming I'll get any."

"As the Ruler of Equestria, you get to make such decisions."

"Good point."

"That doesn't mean you can take advantage of your newfound authority."

"And what about my friends."

"Talk to them." I said in a calming voice. "Let them know how you feel about the whole thing. I would suggest doing so sooner rather than later otherwise you're going to wind up regretting it and become just like me." I paused to collect my thoughts before continuing. "I don't want you to make the kinds of mistakes I made, Twilight. Trust me. Take my experience and get things off of your chest as soon as you can. Besides, you've got plenty of time as the coronation won't be until they fix up the castle. Your friends are going through the same thing you are and are fearing change."

"Wow... Since when have you ever been a sage?"

"You taught me humility."

Seeing Princess Twilight smile made me feel good about myself, but when she dove into my chest to give me a hug (As best as she could given her small size), I felt even better despite having my own problems. I was still worried about what Ganondorf planned on putting me through but that wasn't important compared to Her Highness having to face the biggest test of her life. She had this but just needed some reassurance from a friend. Speaking of Ganondorf... I had to wonder what he planned for Princess Twilight. What about my friends? I assumed they were safe from him since he wanted the two of us, but you never could tell with him.

I had every intention of bringing up discussions like this with Princess Twilight every now and again. It would help her become more confident about becoming Equestria's next ruler without having to be put through a ridiculous trial. (I still couldn't believe Discord brought back four villains and pretended to be a fifth without properly thinking things through first and believing everything was under control) I also needed to discuss with her my own problems involving Ganondorf. I assumed she knew about the Triforce of Wisdom she possessed and has taken it in well compared to me.

Leaving the cave, I quickly raised my shield to defend myself from another Moblin. This one had a sword and shield which meant spears weren't their only means of attacking though it clearly wasn't very good at using both. It kept on stabbing its sword against my shield repeatedly to no avail so I pushed my own shield forward to parry its blow causing it to reel back and be completely defenseless. Before the Moblin could recover, I swung at it twice, defeated it, and it left behind a rupee which I picked up. These sword and shield Moblins were a bit more cunning what with them holding shields but not by much.

Princess Twilight bopped me on the head to get my attention. "Sunset! Look over there!" I looked in the direction she was pointing in and was surprised to find a toadstool lying on the ground. Her Highness became ecstatic. "We need one of those for the witch so we should take it! But, I wonder where Sunburst could be?"

"We haven't seen him so far."

"I don't know how he could've slipped by all those Moblins."

"I'm sure he found a way." I said as I walked over to the toadstool and picked it up. The smell coming from it flared through my nose and it felt pleasant. Even Her Highness felt at peace upon smelling the scent coming from this thing. No doubt that it contained magical properties as toadstools were usually more deformed looking with many strains being poisonous to both the touch and taste. "Better take extra care so that it doesn't get damaged along the way." I thought of using a leaf to cover it up but that could weaken the potency so instead I placed it carefully in my pocket making sure it wasn't in the way of my sword arm.

"Now we need to find this witch Discord mentioned."

"I wish he had given us an exact location."

"Even in this world, Discord has to speak in riddles." Princess Twilight said as she chuckled. "I have a hunch she lives on the other side of the forest. Only way to find out for certain is to get through to the other end. Just be careful of the Moblins, Sunset. Fight them one at a time otherwise you'll get swarmed."

Moving forward and defeating a Moblin with a spear, I cut down a bush blocking the way onward only to discover that the way was blocked by a hole in the ground. I tried to jump across only to find myself unable to. It seemed the strange force was preventing me from performing even a small hop let along a jump. This meant I had to perform some backtracking, the one thing I truly despised. I knew it would happen but I had hoped it would've been much later on. Grumbling under my breath so Princess Twilight couldn't hear my cursing, I walked back and re-entered the cave. (In retrospect, I did save myself some time)

It didn't take too long for me to go back through the cave. Since I was in a foul mood, I took out my aggression on the two Zols that had since re-spawned along with the Keese which had done the same thing. My temperament had always been my biggest weakness. Even the tiniest of issues would cause me to lash out against anyone who happened to get caught in the crossfire. Was I proud of it? Not in the least. Even now, I still have trouble keeping it under control. Perhaps I should take lessons on keeping calm from Tree Hugger in Equestria or maybe from Princess Cadance if I happen to pay a visit to the Crystal Empire.

Exiting the cave, I took care of the Moblin, turned right and headed north, only to get stuck by another Moblin with a sword and shield. This one managed to catch my by surprise since I was still in a foul mood. It's blow snapped me out of it (I have to keep tabs on my health as I've taken some damage) prompting me to bash my own shield against it, and quickly striking it with my sword. To further calm down, I began looking around at the forest surroundings. Despite the monsters all over the place, I felt at peace, like I was back in Equestria frolicking about.

Princess Twilight then stopped me again. "The Red Zol is different from the other one."

"Huh!?" I exclaimed having been caught daydreaming again. In front of us was another tree stump on its side, but this one was surrounded by three boulders and since I couldn't push them around, that way wasn't possible. As for the Red Zol, there were two bouncing around and apart from the colour, they looked exactly like the other ones from the cave.

"When you hit Red Zols, they split into two smaller pieces called Gels."

"How strong are Gels?"

"Very weak." Princess Twilight answered. "Gels are a bit harder to hit because of their smaller size. Aside from that, you should have no problems beating them. One thing you should take note is that they have a tendency to group up with other monsters which can really be overwhelming."

The Red Zols hopped towards me and I slashed them both with my sword. As Her Highness mentioned, they separated into two Gels giving me four to deal with so I took them all out though they left no rewards behind. To the left of the tree was a path that lead towards another treasure chest but the path to it was blocked by another hole. (There was a second hole right by it hidden by the upper ridge. I had no choice but find another way to reach it. The other direction looked like it eventually opened out into a plan which meant I had found an exit but without the key Flash Sentry mentioned, leaving wasn't an option.

Heading back the way I came, I eventually discovered a path forward that I didn't take previously. It was blocked by two Moblins with spears so I quickly dispatched them though one dropped what appeared to be an acorn. It sure didn't look edible since it was pulsating with a faint blue light but something about it made me want to pick it up. "What do you suppose I should do with it, Twilight?"

"That's a Guardian Acorn."

"Guardian Acorn?"

"Yes." Princess Twilight nodded. "If you pick it up, your defence will increase for a short period of time until it wears off or you take too much damage. Considering you've taken some damage in this forest, you could do the extra protection. I don't mean to disrespect your fighting prowess, Sunset, but those wounds do need attending."

"I should cut down grass for hearts."

"I remember that from the last adventure."

"At least that is etched into my memory."

Picking up the acorn, I immediately felt its effects kicking in. While part of me wanted to find a huge group of monsters and battled them with my improved defence, my brain knew better since its effects were only temporary. As for the grass, I did the typical hack and slash maneuver that any adventurer would do resulting in one Recovery Heart which I picked up. Hearts were essentially my lifeforce so increasing my health was absolutely essential for maximum survival. My ears then heard the sound of someone or something hitting a drum just up ahead so I walked forward to come across a raccoon.

"Strange place to see a raccoon." Princess Twilight said as she observed it beating its belly--the source of the drumming sound. "I don't know why but there's something about it that makes me feel uneasy. I suggest being cautious around it in case it tries anything funny."

I approached the raccoon and began a conversation. "Hello there."

The raccoon stopped beating its belly. "You are a strange one aren't ya?"

"I can say the same about you."

"I see that you have a toadstool in your possession." The raccoon said, eyeing my pocket. "You found it fair and square so I won't ask you to give it to me or anything. Many toadstools are hidden in this forest so only someone with a powerful nose can find them. My nose fits that description as does yours. As a raccoon, my nose is verrry sensitive ta stuff like dust and powder."

"Is that so?"

The raccoon nodded. "If I were to take a whiff of powder, who knows what might happen."

"By the way, I'm looking for a key."

"A key you say?" The raccoon asked, its head tilted to one side. "I have a seen a key not far from here but I don't think you will be able to get it." It then pointed forward towards something off in the distance that looked like the treasure chest I saw from before. "If you try to get it, you'll only end up getting lost. Why? Because I am going to make it so. Sorry, but that's just within my nature. If you don't believe me, just try and go for that key."

Despite the slight intimidation, I wasn't about to let a raccoon get the best of me. Besides, if this was some kind of trick, I might as well spring it because if I don't, I'll never stop thinking about it. Walking past the raccoon and towards the treasure chest, it suddenly disappeared and I found myself in another section of the forest. Princess Twilight was afraid that I was going to completely lose it but I remained relatively calm. I was expecting something like to happen. After all, it's happened during my previous adventures even if I couldn't remember what exactly happened.

"That was unfortunate." Princess Twilight said.

"It was inevitable."

"I'm amazed that you didn't lose your temper that time."

"I had to trigger that raccoon's threat otherwise I'd have been worrying about it."

"So where do we go from here?"

"I say we go back to where we saw that other tree was blocked by the three boulders and see what lies on the other side of the forest."

"We never did find Sunburst."

I gulped. I'd rather not think about the alternative if that was indeed the case. "I'm sure he's somewhere in this forest. For now, we should focus on finding our way out and hopefully run into him along the way." Walking forward, I came across a small pond filled with flowers, but it was the person standing there who took me by surprise. "What!? Adagio!? What are you doing here!? Sure enough, Adagio Dazzle, leader of the Dazzlings, was floating in front of me dressed in a blue gown and with a pair of butterfly wings on her back.

"Didn't you say that she and the other Dazzlings had adjusted to living in your world?"

I nodded. "They still have some resentment but are generally harmless."

Princess Twilight then remembered that this wasn't exactly Adagio. "Sunset... This must be a Great Fairy of some kind since she is bigger than me. I am surprised that she is just standing out here in such a strange place but who am I to judge her. Remember that those we meet on this island may look like those we know but they aren't them. If Adagio is here, the other two are probably somewhere close by."

"Shall I talk to her?"

"I think you should."

Adagio decided to start the conversation first. "You are the first person to have come here to see me for a very long time." She smiled a smile that was so gentle that it made me feel mesmerized towards her. "Come closer to me little one and let me heal your wounds for you." I walked forward without hesitation and Adagio closed her eyes before mumbling some words which made me feel much better. "You need not be afraid. I am the Queen Fairy! This is but one of many of my fairy fountains scattered throughout this island. Whenever you see one, please stop by and I will do all I can to help."

"Do you know anything about a key?"

Adagio nodded. "Some time ago, a precious key was locked inside of a treasure chest to prevent anyone from gaining access to a cave south of the village. To further strengthen the protection of the key, a powerful magic was cast that affects those who come to this forest on regular intervals."

"Do you know what that magic is?"

"It is a magic beyond my understanding but I can tell you what little I know." Adagio said. Cupping her hands together and flapping her wings rapidly, an image of the raccoon I met earlier appeared in her hands. "This creature is the source of the magic that prevents you from reaching the key you seek."

"It said something about being sensitive to powder."

"I believe you have the means to acquire the key." Adagio pointed at my pocket that contained the toadstool. "You were also told by another from the village on what must be done with the object in question. All pieces are in play, little one, so now you must put them all together. I have no further information to provide as you now know everything. Before you go, allow me to heal you of your wounds. You have taken some damage from the creatures of the forest and you must be prepared for what comes next. Little fairy..." She then turned her attention towards Princess Twilight. "Continue to guide her along her journey."

"I will." Princess Twilight said.

"Should you become wounded again, I will gladly heal you."

Raising her hands, Adagio then mumbled a few words and I was suddenly covered in a veil of light. Just like that, my remaining wounds disappeared and the fatigue of having done so much walking lifted off of me like a weight had been on my shoulders. Her work complete, Adagio disappeared leaving me to wonder when I would meet her again. Despite her true self being bitter about not having magic, at least I could take solace knowing that she was on my side on this island. I was also curious about Aria and Sonata since all three Dazzlings were never apart despite their hostility towards each other. Surely I'd eventually meet them.

Heading to the left, I was back in a familiar area of the forest as the south lead back to the tree I used to get to the toadstool (This is why I needed a map as well as Princess Twilight as getting lost was already becoming problematic) so now I could go north. There were no monsters in my path since I had already taken of them prior so finding my way out of the forest was simply a matter of time. Walking north and coming across the tree blocked on all sides by the boulders, I turned right only to have a spear strike me in the leg. Luckily, I didn't bleed but the pain I felt was excruciating.

Grabbing the spear and pulling it out, I confronted the Moblin that threw it, struck it twice, and defeated it where it dropped a recovery heart. Okay, that was an insult to injury on my part but I didn't decide what monster would drop what upon defeat. There was another Moblin nearby with a spear but looking the other way. Creeping up behind it, I swung quickly and defeated it before moving on where the dark shadow suddenly lifted indicating I had finally left the Mysterious Forest. I felt unaccomplished since the key was still back there and Sunburst still remained unaccounted for.

"There's another giant heart over there." I announced. "And it's surrounded by more holes... typical! Ugh!"

"Guess you'll have to come back for that as well sometime."

I grumbled under my breath before sighing. "Where do you suppose we are?"

"According to the map that we saw back in the library, we are in Koholint Prairie, an area that connects to many other places." Princess Twilight answered. She glossed over me which made me uncomfortable before continuing. "With your current status, a lot of places will be inaccessible." She pointed towards more of the heavy boulders we encountered back in the forest that were blocking one route and another blocking the way south. "

"This is why I don't like starting out on these adventures."

"Everyone has to start out with just the basics."

"Even you?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "I'm just a fairy who provides you with information and can fly about. In my current form, I can't fight monsters like you can nor can I wield powerful items, traverse all manner of terrain and so on. It doesn't bother me at all though since I get to see those experiences through you. Things are annoying right now but once you progress far enough and collect some items, this island will practically open itself up to you. It all depends on when you find them. By the way, watch out for the Buzz Blob walking along."

"The what?"

"The Buzz Blob." Princess Twilight answered, pointing towards a green blob walking about on two feet. "You need to be careful with this one, Sunset. If you strike it with your sword, you will receive an electric shock thanks to its unusual defence. In fact, any physical contact will cause this reaction. If you use magic against it, it will transform into a Cukeman, a really bizarre creature that you can communicate with. The words it says don't make much sense so it's best not to take them seriously. A Cukeman lacks the electrical mechanism of its counterpart so it can be attacked but then you wouldn't want to given what it is and all."

"Too bad I don't have magic."

"No, but the witch will change that."

"Good point."

"Buzz Blobs aren't native to this part of the island so the one here can be viewed as rare even for its kind."

Taking Her Highness' advice to heart, I walked towards the Buzz Blob where its body suddenly crackled with electricity. Since it wasn't very fast or have much intellect, I walked past it and kept on going until I approached two scary looking trees and what I assumed was a house nestled behind them. A horned skull above the entrance didn't make the place feel welcoming along with the fact it was also a tree, but since I couldn't go anywhere else, I couldn't really choose to be picky right about now. I could sense magic emanating from within so perhaps the witch lived here.

Entering the house, it turned out to be a pretty scary sight. A large assortment of knick-knacks were stacked at the back of the room and had a definite witch vibe to them. (I could see a skull, a spellbook, a crystal ball, a broom, etc.)There were also numerous pots, two torches, and a cauldron filled with blue liquid. What kind of liquid? It was probably best for me not to find out given who lived here. Speaking of whom, I had a sneaking suspicion that the witch was none other than Trixie. Considering how she dressed up and even had her own stage show, her being here was pretty much a given.

According to Princess Twilight, the Trixie of Equestria had become a much better pony much like how her human counterpart had. The pony Trixie helped to save Equestria from the likes of Queen Chrysalis and was even made Student Guidance Councillor at Her Highness' School of Friendship. Guess you could say her travelling magic show was now permanently retired unless she was allowed to perform some special shows. As for the human Trixie, she was my one ally when everyone else lost their memories of me thanks to the Memory Stone and is now one of my closest friends.

Trixie had been stirring the liquid in the cauldron when she looked up to spot me. "Ah, someone has managed to make their way through the forest. You are the first one to do so who isn't the one who loves toadstools. That one comes here sometimes with toadstools for me he does. As a witch, we enjoy brewing all kinds of potions but those require ingredients that are hard to find for us they are."

"How good would you say your potions are?" I asked.

"On this island, our potions are the best they are." Trixie answered. She then paused for a moment which made me think I had somehow offended her, but then she pointed to a blurry picture hanging behind the skull. "Crazy Tracey, my student she is, has her own magical shop she does. Should you pay her a visit, satisfied with the results you will. However, to reach her requires having strength beyond your own limitation it does."

"Do you know where I can find something like that?"

"I do indeed." Trixie answered as she nodded several times. "Strength you need can be found in a cave in the swamp northeast of the forest it is but the strange flowers there will block any progression they will. Unless you have something to remove them, your prize will remain out of your reach it shall." Some of her word choices were a little confusing but I was beginning to understand what she was getting at. "Double, double, toil and trouble! Cauldron burn and cauldron bubble." Trixie resumed stirring the cauldron using her broom though did she seriously say such a corny line like that?

"Now what do I do?" I whispered to Princess Twilight.

"She mentioned toadstools earlier so why not bring it to her attention." Princess Twilight whispered back.

Just as I was about to reach for the toadstool, Trixie looked up at me again. *Sniff* *Sniff* "There is something it has on its person it does. Such a magnificent aroma. Could it be what I need for my potion?" Why was she suddenly calling me as an 'it'? I had a gender you know! I then took out the toadstool which took her by surprise. "Ahh... it has the sleepy toadstool, it does. You went and brought us an ideal ingredient you did."

"Here you go." I said as I handed it over to her.

Trixie then dropped the toadstool into the cauldron. "Now we can work our magic. We'll mix up something in a jiffy, we will!" She then began stirring at a ridiculously fast pace like she were obsessed before coming to a stop when smoke billowed forth from the cauldron causing me to cough. When it cleared up, Trixie was holding a bag of what I assumed was the result of my giving her the toadstool. "Our magic has now been crafted it has. It is surprised by what has transpired." She then handed it over to me. "It's all ready it is! Take care as there's not much there. Why not try using a bit in my hut?"

Noticing that one of the torches in the hut wasn't lit up, I shook the bag over the unlit torch which caused some powder to come out of it and ignite it, setting it on fire and making things more brighter. "Wow... So this is Magic Powder?"

Trixie cackled. "It is happy with the gift it is."

"This is exactly what I need to deal with a certain raccoon."

"If you run out of powder, you will need to bring us another toadstool, you will." Trixie said as she resumed stirring again. "There is enough powder for twenty uses but increase the capacity is possible it is. Seek out the Mad Batter you must. Increase the amount of powder he can. His location remains unknown so find him on your own you will have to. What it has now can summon the Mad Batter so use our magic powder carefully it should."

Thanking Trixie for both the advice and the Magic Powder, I left her hut with my first item of this adventure that wasn't a sword or a shield. This Mad Batter, according to Trixie, was someone I needed to find as soon as possible. A shame she didn't know where he was and I doubted Discord would know either. Princess Twilight said that she would memorize this information for future use since I had to focus on progressing with this journey. With the Magic Powder, I had to get back to that raccoon and use it on him. Groaning, it meant backtracking back to where he was. Fortunately, it wasn't that far.

"Those flames of yours can't possibly be real!" Twilight Sparkle shouted.

"If you doubt their existence then perhaps you should try to open that door which has now been coated in dark flames." Ganondorf said. He quietly laughed under his breath as he continued to make my friends uneasy over what was happening. "Well? What will you do, magical one? Do you doubt your own senses? Perhaps what you see is but an illusion or perhaps it is real and that you are grasped by fear."

Twilight gulped and decided to reach out for the door handle. Just as she was about to touch it, Rainbow Dash managed to swat her hand away just in time. "Are you crazy!? He wanted you to do that on purpose!"

"I wanted to know if the flames were real."

"Of course they're real!"

"Then why can't we feel the heat from the flames? Unless..." Twilight then quickly realized what Ganondorf was attempting to do. He was trying to sow the seeds of doubt in her mind and make her question both herself and how she stacked up against Her Highness. Closing her eyes and concentrating, she felt the dark flames warmth and she backed away from the door knowing what they really were. "Those flames don't just burn flesh. They also burn your soul!"

Ganondorf laughed. "The loyal one showed you the truth, magical one, just as I knew she would. Yes... Your power may not be as strong as what your counterparts possess, but it still remains a factor that could prove most lucrative."

"You know of our magic?" Rarity asked.

"The magic you possess is ancient in origin."

"Um... It is?" Fluttershy asked.

"Neither Sunset or Princess Twilight ever mentioned that to us." Pinkie Pie added.

"It seems both the child and the alicorn neglected to educate you on the origins of your power. How amusing." Ganondorf said. "Either that or they were afraid that learning the truth would be too much for you to comprehend. I shall tell you as the thought amuses me." He paused for a moment before using his own magic to create an image of the Tree of Harmony but in its infancy. My friends were immediately astounded by what he had presented. "Your magic is ancient. It is a force that existed over 1,000 years ago. Such magic was created by those who left behind a legacy that endured and became so much more."

"Our magic..." Twilight tried to speak.

"Your counterparts inherited this magic and used it on those who stood against them."

"Why are y'all revealing such information to us?" Applejack asked. "Reckon a villain like you would rather destroy our magic along with us instead of givin' us a history lesson on somethin' we oughta have known 'bout."

"The child..." Ganondorf began. "It was she who brought your power into this world. I need not explain that story as it is one that you are all familiar with, but, the source of your power, its true form, no longer exists. That power has been snuffed out, never to return. Those who created it bare great anguish, those who wielded them, sorrow filled their hearts. And yet, you all now possess its remnants." With a flick of his hand, the image disappeared and was replaced with a destroyed Tree of Harmony. "While its essence was reborn anew, its ancient magic is gone..."

"No wonder Sunset and Princess Twilight didn't want to talk about it." Rarity said.

"The other me especially." Twilight added.

"And that now brings me to the six of you." Ganondorf said.

"Now don't y'all try anythin' funny." Applejack said.

"We may not have the original Elements of Harmony but we can still utilize powerful magic." Pinkie Pie said.

"Um... Don't we kind of need Sunset to make it work?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Even if you had the child with you, your efforts would be for naught." Ganondorf answered. "Your magical prowess has improved exponentially since you first acquired it and shows no sign of stopping. But, such magic is nothing but a speck compared to my power! My power has existed for eons! To attempt to fight me would result in death! Ah, but you already knew that, laughing one, thus your bravado loses all its strength. Your magic is precious... to precious for you. It deserves one with far greater power to use it to its full capacity. I can turn your magic into a force no one can oppose."

"Say what now?" Applejack asked.

"Before we all delve into that little detail, there is one other thing to deal with first."

"Um... And what is that?" Fluttershy nervously asked.

"You know some aspects of me, loyal one." Ganondorf answered as he turned his attention towards Rainbow Dash. "Yet there is much that is beyond your knowledge. The child had tried many times to tell you but her efforts were in vain because of ignorance amongst you all. Darkness... hatred... malice... I represent the purity of evil, the force most desire even if they were to deny such tendencies. Once you understand... You will wish that you had listened to the child. She needed you... those she trusts more than any other... those who turned a blind eye and allowed her to suffer alone."

On my way back to where I saw the raccoon, I decided to try out the Magic Powder on the Buzz Blob outside of Trixie's house to see what would happen. As Princess Twilight said, it changed into a Cukeman and lost its electrical power. Despite Her Highness saying not to bother, I chose to talk to the Cukeman anyway. Some things it said was nonsense but there were some things that proved informative such as: 'Now that I have lips, I fantasize about playing one of this island's songs on a flute. There are three HOT local hits!' It also mentioned that all three songs possessed magic. If that was the case, obtaining this flute was necessary.

Back in the forest, I made my way through the various Moblins and Red Zols, defeating any that got in my way and avoiding others, and after what felt like several hours (It was actually more like fifteen minutes at the most), I was back where I had been forced away from the treasure chest by the raccoon. It was still beating its belly like before and when I approached it, it repeated what it said about its nose. Taking out the Magic Powder from my pocket, I sprinkled some on it and it began spinning in place before bouncing around like a pinball. After a while, the raccoon vanished in a puff of smoke only to be replaced by Sunburst.

"He was the raccoon!?" I exclaimed.

"I wonder how that happened?" Princess Twilight asked.

"I might as well ask him." I said. I waited for Sunburst to regain his composure before talking to him. "Are you okay?"

Sunburst looked in all directions before addressing me. "Oh, it's you Sunset Shimmer! What am I doing here?"

"That's what we'd like to know."

"My memory is a tad hazy." Sunburst said as he rubbed his head. "The last thing I kin remember was bitin' into a big, juicy toadstool. I just couldn't help myself! I love toadstools so much that the temptation was too strong for me ta ignore. After that, everything went black and the next thing I knew, I was right here talkin' with ya." He still looked pretty out of it but I knew he would be okay. "Reckon I had the darndest dream... I was a raccoon." Yeah, it sounds strange but it was fun."

"Will you be okay?"

Sunburst nodded. "I just need to rest here fer a few minutes and then I'll go back to the village."

"Sunset!" Princess Twilight began. "The path to that treasure chest is now accessible."

"At last, some progress!" I said to myself. I turned back to Sunburst. "I guess we'll see you in the village sometime."

"Reckon you're right about that." Sunburst said. "I don't know if Marin's gonna be mad with me since I don't know how long it's been, but I'm sure I can come up with an excuse that she'd believe in. As for me and toadstools... maybe it's fer the best that I don't eat them off the ground again and instead cook them properly upon gettin' home. *Sigh* Toadstools are my weakness by the looks of it. Anyway, you take care of yerself, Sunset Shimmer. Those monsters have gotten more angry than before."

Leaving Sunburst behind as he wanted, I walked forward and reached the treasure chest which had eluded me for so long. Cutting a bush in front of it, I opened the chest and took out a key that had some kind of weird green creature on it complete with large eyes and a tail. On the side of the key, the words 'Tail Key' were inscribed, indicating that this was what I needed to open up the Tail Cave south of the village. At that moment, a hooting sound echoed around me and upon looking up, the owl belonging to Flash Sentry landed on a nearby tree with him looking down on me.

"I see you have succeeded in acquiring the key." Flash Sentry said.

"It took longer than I thought." I said.

"This was but the first of many trials you will encounter on this island." Flash Sentry said. His owl companion hooted which ruffled its feathers but he was able to calm it down by rubbing its beak with his hand. "Take the key and go to the Tail Cave. You already know where to find the cave and have everything you need for what lurks within."

"I take it that it's a dangerous place?"

"For you armed with sword and shield, you will survive what awaits."

"Why do I need to go there?"

"Within the Tail Cave is an instrument of great importance." Flash Sentry answered. "You must retrieve it! Once you have done so, I shall explain further and hopefully things should become clearer for you. Go now! The Wind Fish is waiting!"

The owl then took to the sky leaving me and Princess Twilight to figure out our next course of action. I could go straight to the Tail Cave in order to find this instrument as it would meant moving one step closer towards figuring out the nature of Koholint Island. If my suspicion was correct, this cave was most likely a dungeon filled with traps, monsters, treasure, and perhaps something special. I also wanted to go back to Mabe Village and deal with the Yoshi Doll since Discord brought it up when I talked to him. Her Highness suggested I should prepare accordingly for the road ahead.

I decided that going back to the village was in my best interest so I began making my way there. Most of the Moblins had been defeated already so combat wasn't an issue but I did end up getting lost by taking a left instead of continuing south (I managed to fix that little blunder relatively quickly). I also made sure not to waste any Magic Powder though a part of me was curious as to what else it could do aside from lighting torches and changing one monster into another. I eventually got back to Mabe Village and nothing had really changed. I thought that Sunburst had beaten me back here but there was no sign of him.

According to Applebloom and Sweetie Belle, the Trendy Game Shop was located at the other end of the village. My first instinct was to go there but then I noticed a well just a few feet away from where I was standing. It stood out particularly well so something had to have been in there as why else would someone have built it? I also had the one house which had the strange bowling bowl like creature outside and a few more buildings that I could just barely make out. After thinking it over and consulting with Princess Twilight, we decided that the well would be what we checked out first.

To Be Continued.

Chapter 18: A Game of Cat and Mouse.

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.
By Ganondorf8.
January 5, 2020.
Chapter 18: A Game of Cat and Mouse.

"What!?" I exclaimed. "You think I'm going to be a pushover or something?"

Master Stalfos shook its head, the rattling of bones making me uneasy. "No. It's just that you clearly don't resemble a warrior. Sure, you possess a sword, a shield, and various tools a warrior would use, but this means nothing if you lack the skill to use them all properly."

I felt offended by those remarks. "Okay, so I started off with next to no idea what I was doing, but that was back in my first ever adventure doing something like this. I've improved a lot since those early days and you'll find me to definitely be of the warrior mentality you're thinking of." I hated it when people insulted me for my abilities. It was because they were either jealous or believed me to be unworthy of having them. I've had to go through an awful lot to reach my current place in life seeing how I used to have everything until reality gave me a taste of my own medicine.

"Have I touched a nerve?"

"You might have."

"Already, you are showing signs that you are not a warrior." Master Stalfos said as it swung its sword around in a sharp arc. "A warrior would never allow emotions to get the better of them as emotions indicate weakness. Perhaps it's best if you went back home and forgot all about pretending to be something you're not. It would save you from getting yourself killed and it would mean me not having to stop to such a degrading level."

I was that close to losing my temper when a thought came to me. "What would it take to convince you otherwise?"

"Proof!"

"Come again?"

"You claim to be a warrior yet you lack proof." Master Stalfos answered. "Do you have the means to show that you have accomplished what you claim? And no, words alone aren't enough as anyone can say that they are something and believe that others will accept it." Despite being a large monster, Master Stalfos knew how to get under someone's skin by using the right choice of words. "For instance, the sword in your hand. You could claim that you've slain numerous creatures yet without it showing signs of having blood stains, you could potentially be lying to me."

"I've defeated countless monsters!"

"Not good enough."

"Okay, how about all of the items I've collected."

"You could have been given those out of pity or perhaps you have stolen them."

Sheesh! Talk about having an answer for everything. That's when I decided to really turn the heat up. "What about instruments?"

"Explain!"

"I have four Instruments of the Sirens."

Master Stalfos then glared at me. "You are in possession of half of the instruments the Nightmares had hidden away? Such a bold claim but can you prove it?" I then took out each instrument, laying them carefully on the ground, and making sure they were close to me at all times just in case it tried something funny. I then picked them back up and put them away without uttering a single word. It then struck its sword into the ground with a deafening thud. "That explains why you have come here. You are here to claim the instrument that lies deeper within the Catfish's Maw."

"Now we're getting somewhere."

"I was wrong about you." Master Stalfos then thrust its sword forward until it was mere inches from my throat. "I shall kill you here and take the instruments you possess so that the Wind Fish can never waken."

Master Stalfos then attempted to cut me down right there and then only I raised my shield just in the nick of time. Upon its sword colliding with my shield, I got pushed all the way back to the other side of the room. From that one maneuver alone, I could tell that this Stalfos was powerful if it could do that with just one swing. It continued swinging its sword in a sharp arc before suddenly jumping over to where I was standing. Upon landing, it swung its sword which hit me in the back causing me to get pushed forward until I was back where I initially started though with a nasty wound on my back.

"Are you alright?" Princess Twilight asked.

I nodded as I got back up. "That was painful but I've had worse."

"You need to find a way to break through the Master Stalfos' defences."

"That isn't going to be easy you know."

Princess Twilight nodded. "Using your shield to parry its sword won't work as this monster clearly knows that technique and is immune to it. Despite how sharp of a swing it has in addition to having a large attack radius thanks to wielding a large weapon, you should be able to strike when its guard has dropped. You don't need an explanation of that, Sunset, as you've clearly done something like it before."

Again, Her Highness was correct about me having done this in the past. I've fought against Stalfos that were nearly as big yet way more ruthless in their fighting. Just the thought of thinking about them from my first journey sent chills down my spine. Master Stalfos felt like a pre-cursor to those previous ones so I needed to approach this fight as though I were fighting one of those Stalfos from the Forest Temple (I again surprised myself by actually remembering such information). As long as this guy couldn't perform a jump attack (Another thing I remembered from before), I should be fine.

Approaching it carefully, it then jumped over and attempted to attack me in the back again but I raised my shield to deflect the attack. Like before, the knockback from its sword pushed me forward though I managed to stop myself from colliding with the wall. Turning around to face it again, it began swinging its sword and I started to look for an open spot where its guard would drop. At first it was difficult for me to spot anything as it jumped to where I was standing forcing me to think about dodging more than anything, but then I went back to looking and then the weakness practically appeared in front of me.

When it was swinging its sword, there was a brief moment where it was completely vulnerable on the left side of its body due to swinging so sharply. It lacked the speed to raise its shield to block an attack in that fashion which was a blessing for me. Master Stalfos then swung its sword in a sharp arc which I avoided by quickly stepping backwards and then moved forward before striking it with my own sword. Instead of getting damaged, it merely collapsed in a heap on the ground leaving me wondering what I had to do next. I began panicking as I honestly had no clue what to do until my brain sent me a message.

The Owl Statue from the previous room mentioned about how I could use a bomb in order to defeat a skeleton if my sword didn't work. I guessed that I initially shrugged off the advice believing it to be pointless since Stalfos were always defeated with sword strikes, but this clearly didn't apply to Master Stalfos, an enhanced skeleton. Knowing that it would eventually pull itself back together, I took out a bomb and placed it on the ground in-between the bones of my opponent. It then exploded causing some damage prompting it to quickly get back up.

"What in the world did you just do!?" Master Stalfos exclaimed.

"Finding your weakness." I answered.

"No one has ever managed to find that before."

"Looks like I'm different from them."

Master Sword slammed its sword into the ground. "That was nothing more than a lucky hit! You will not be so lucky next time! Come! Face me!"

"You've gotten it riled up now." Princess Twilight said.

"Will that make things tougher now?"

"Not necessarily." Princess Twilight answered whilst shaking her head. "From what I've seen of this Master Stalfos, it doesn't really have much in the way of attacks preferring to go with massive sword swings in hopes of inflicting as much damage as possible, or jumping to catch you by surprise. I'd say this is going to be an easy battle unless it suddenly changes its tactics which would mean adapting to such changes quickly."

"How many bomb explosions will it take?"

"I don't know."

Before I could respond to that, Master Stalfos jumped over to where I was, and slashed me in the stomach causing me to get knocked into a wall. Since it was a sudden swing after it had landed, the power behind the swing wasn't that strong so I didn't take as much damage. (Had it been a direct swing with its power put into it, I'd have likely been sliced in half and I doubted Sugar Belle's medicine could perform the miracle of attaching body parts back together) Picking myself back up and informing Her Highness that I was okay, I raised my shield only to get pushed back again after Master Stalfos connected with its sword.

Sure, getting pushed back was annoying but at least I wasn't getting hurt by it. It then jumped over to me before swinging its sword yet this time I ducked down to avoid getting hit and responded by attacking its rib cage. Master Stalfos collapsed into a heap as a result of my sword strike and I placed a bomb in-between the bones where it exploded and inflicted more damage upon it. I then thought about skipping the use of my sword and go straight into the bomb, but upon a second glance at it, it could use that giant shield to block the explosion or perhaps use its sword to knock the bomb back at me.

Upon putting itself back together, I immediately attacked it in hopes of being able to knock it down before it had a chance to do anything. Unfortunately, it responded to each of my blows by using its shield to deflect them. Knowing that this method was clearly not working, I backed away in and waited for the next giant sword swing to come my way, but instead, it jumped over to where I was and responded by swinging its sword. I stepped back to avoid getting hit but then it jumped again and swung a second time upon landing where I avoided that too.

I then waited until Master Stalfos swung its sword in the sharp arc before attacking the rib cage again. (It didn't have to be the rib cage as any part of its body looked like it could crumble apart at any moment yet the cage was the most obvious spot) It collapsed again and I placed another bomb in the bones where it exploded seconds later. It got back up but this time it began stomping its foot in frustration. I was expecting a more fierce challenge now it had taken some damage but instead it began backing away towards the wall as though it were about to run away.

"Enough!" Master Stalfos shouted.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"You're much stronger than I thought you were."

"So you're running away?"

Master Stalfos nodded. "All those who fought me were worthless creatures, yet you have proven to be a challenge though not by much. Still, this fact is clear to me. If I continue fighting against you, I'm going to end up being destroyed. Consider this a tactical retreat and not an act of cowardice. I have no doubt that you will not leave this place which will no doubt be your undoing. Such a stubborn streak deserves nothing less than death."

"You're not going anywhere!"

"Can you stop me though from leaving?"

I shook my head. Despite wanting to say otherwise, he had me dead to rights. "This isn't over you know."

"Oh but it is."

"I'm going to find you."

"Why even bother?" Master Stalfos asked as it put away its sword. "You have no reason to chase after me. I am not the one who is guarding the instrument that you seek. That honour goes to the Nightmare, who is far stronger than I am. My advice? Leave this place now! If you don't, you deserve to die!" With that, Master Stalfos leapt upwards towards the ceiling and disappeared among the shadows leaving me alone to contemplate what had just happened.

"He ran away." I said as I stood there in surprise.

"At least you didn't take too much damage." Princess Twilight said.

"I guess so."

"Is something bothering you?"

I nodded. "I can't hide anything from you, Twilight, but yeah, I am bothered. Why would Master Stalfos say that we have no reason to chase it down? Whenever someone says something to that effect, you know that they have something that you want. Hopefully, I'm wrong here but considering how certain events have transpired, I'm not going to be surprised if it did end up being the case. On another note, what Master Stalfos said about the Nightmare also has me worried."

"You can't really worry about the Nightmare until you encounter it."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

Princess Twilight then began bopping me on the head. "You've defeated five Nightmares already, Sunset. Sure, some of them were ridiculously easy while others proved to be quite difficult, but the fact is that you defeated them and have become stronger because of it. You shouldn't let this dungeon's Nightmare get to you before you even know what it is. What you were told by Master Stalfos could either be the truth or perhaps it was its way of instilling doubt into your head, but whichever one it is, don't let it become a problem. All you can do now is keep going and deal with the Nightmare when you get there."

"Nice use of philosophy." I said smiling.

"I did run a school you know."

"Touché."

Despite not defeating Master Stalfos, both doors had since unlocked enabling me to continue. Would I encounter it again? Maybe but that was a bridge I would cross when I eventually got to it. Opening the door and entering the next room, my eyes immediately noticed a treasure chest that was completely unguarded. If previous experience had told me anything, it was that defeating a mid-boss (Even if it ended up running away on account of unwilling to fight anymore) meant gaining access to the dungeon item. It also told me to anticipate any and all possible outcomes.

Opening the chest, I was shocked to find that it was empty save for a piece of paper at the bottom. Reaching in and taking out the paper and holding it in front of my face, I began to read what it said. "If you've opened this chest, you've discovered that it's gone and you're furious. I've got what was inside this chest with me. If you want this item, come and get it from me if you can even find me! I doubt you'll succeed. Sincerely, Master Stalfos."

"Sunset?" Princess Twilight asked in a nervous voice. "Are you okay?"

I nodded slowly and sighed. "Yeah... I'm fine."

"For a moment there, I thought you were going to explode into a fit of rage."

"Just because something like this happened doesn't mean I'm going to lose it." I said as I placed the paper back into the chest. "Sure, a lot of stuff has pissed me off but I've gotten better at keeping my temper under control. Besides, I had a feeling the dungeon item wasn't going to be 'that' easy to pick seeing as we've only just started this dungeon. I will admit that I'm impressed that Master Stalfos did something like this to begin with. You don't get this kind of scenario come up very often." Then it dawned on me. "Now I have a reason to chase after him! I need to get whatever was in this chest."

"It's not going to be easy to track him down."

"True as we don't have any hints aside from the coloured tiles on the floor."

"I'm still trying to figure that out."

"No need to rush, Twilight."

"In any case, all you can do right now is to continue through this dungeon until you find Master Stalfos again." Princess Twilight then flew into the treasure chest in order to scan over the piece of paper it had left behind. "The note said that the item would make Catfish's Maw an easier experience for you, Sunset. That means you need it to progress and perhaps use it in order to defeat the Nightmare." She flew back over and landed on my shoulder. "Depending on when you need this item, finding Master Stalfos may or may not be a priority, but we won't know until you've made enough progress."

No doubt that this whole situation had become a game of cat and mouse with Master Stalfos with it being the mouse and I the cat. I needed to figure out the solution to this puzzle otherwise I was never going to get through this dungeon. Even if I did end up finding it again, there was no way of knowing whether it would give up and give me what I needed or whether it would run away or fight until it dropped. I was beginning to think that this dungeon was relying heavily on padding in order to mask the fact that it was relatively small compared to what I had previously experienced.

Stepping away from the chest, a pair of Green Zols popped up from the ground. Had I been in a bad mood, I'd have taken out my aggression on them, but I was pretty calm since I was expecting this kind of thing to happen. Instead, I defeated both monsters with a single sword swing making sure not to accidentally hit the wall or anything. Before thinking about my next move, I picked up the four pots nearby in order to get some hearts since I did take damage against Master Stalfos. There were two ways I could go... Either north to the next room or down a flight of stairs to another underground passage.

Choosing to check out the underground passage, it consisted of a flooded basement with platforms suspended in the air by chains attached to the ceiling. It certainly didn't look pleasant and a part of me thought that this was the wrong path to take. Without the Dungeon Map, I was forced to rely on my gut rather than seeing what rooms I hadn't visited. Going back up to where I was before, I walked north and into a section where it split off into three directions, north, east, and west, yet the way was blocked by five blocks with the one in the middle being the most obvious blockade.

"What do you make of this, Twilight?"

Princess Twilight floated over to the blocks and gave them a good checking over making sure to avoid the Sparks that was moving about. "Okay, so this is what has to be done in order to progress further." She clapped as though she were congratulating herself and all I could do was roll my eyes as she came back. "You need to push that block several times in order to get any further. When you push it, it will be stuck in place but when you come back here, it will have reset allowing you to push it in a different direction. The direction in question depends on where you entered this room from."

"That sounds needlessly convoluted."

"It's all you can do."

"And that switch over there?" I asked as I pointed to the obvious switch.

"It will unlock that door over there."

"Guess the only way I can go is left."

"You've got the strength to push that block, Sunset." Princess Twilight said as she pretended to flex her muscles. "With or without the Power Bracelet, blocks like these are easy enough to push around."

Why Her Highness did that was something I didn't want to know, but at least she was praising me for my natural strength as opposed to what the Power Bracelet gave me. Granted, my strength paled in comparison to Applejack. She had so much strength, she could lift up an entire house without breaking into a sweat? Could I do something like that? Sure... If I wore several Power Bracelets at once. While having all that power didn't quite connect with the Element of Honesty, it was likely because Applejack had performed physical labour for most of her life what with living on a farm and all, and it was a reflection of that.

Pushing the block forward, I immediately stepped back as the two Sparks crossed each other's paths before both went to the right allowing me to go left and avoid them. I continued walking left before suddenly stopping as two Blade Traps shot out from either side of me and clanged against one another before my eyes. My heart raced as both traps moved back to their previous positions but I wasn't about to stand there and do nothing so I walked forward only to get hit by the Star monster which was busy moving about. I quickly attacked and defeated it before it could anything else only for a Sword Stalfos to come along and stab me with its sword.

It then tried attacking again only for me to parry it with my shield and responding with two sword strikes defeating it. Neither monster dropped a Piece of Power or Guardian Acorn which made me wonder when I would get either of these temporary power-ups. Then again, I didn't need the acorn quite as much seeing as I was wearing the blue tunic which boosted my defence though it didn't mean absolute immunity from damage. Looking around, there was an abundance of green crystals in addition to two more Blade Traps though I was more concerned by the crystals as why were they even in a room like this?

Thinking it over for a few moments, I concluded that the crystals weren't suspicious and probably were in the room to provide me with some cover. I could destroy them by dashing through each with the Pegasus Boots but that would've been a waste of time. Ignoring them, I went north alongside a narrow stream of water and into the next room which was completely submerged in water including a deep section which I most likely could dive down using the Flippers. Four Water Tektites were skating about prompting me to see if I could avoid fighting any of them yet couldn't see one.

Walking into the room, all four monsters turned and skated towards me in a single row. Holding out my sword, I performed a spin attack which defeated all four at once with the last one dropping a Piece of Power that dropped into the deep water. I hated when that happened as it meant it was gone forever even if I were to try and dive underwater to get it. I wished I hadn't thought about it since one came at such a bad moment. Looking at the deep water, I sensed that I needed to dive down there but whether it was now or later was what needed to be determined before taking my next course of action.

Mulling it over, I decided not to dive down in case it either lead to a dead-end or I needed the item that Master Stalfos had in its possession. Princess Twilight did decide to make a note to remind me to come back here later on. Heading north again, I entered the next room where a series of blocks prevented me from continuing on though a locked door also indicated that progression wasn't possible. There were two Green Zols and a Spark lurking about on the other side, but as far as I was concerned, I had to backtrack to where I was before and come here on the other side. Fortunately, it wasn't that bad of a backtracking.

Heading back the way I came past the deep water and past the green crystals, I was soon back in the room with the five blocks. The Sparks were now located on the other side of the middle block so I could ignore them for now until I came back here again. Pushing the block forward, I now could go north though I chose to ignore the switch as it wasn't going to useless for a while longer. Heading into the next room, it looked like clustered what with so much happening all at once. A small gap greeted me immediately though I could easily jump over it, but beyond it were a couple of monsters, and to my right, a chest could be seen yet it was out of reach.

"Do you think I can perform a running jump to get to that chest?"

Princess Twilight shook her head. "You don't have enough room to gain enough speed to make such an attempt. If anything, it probably serves as part of a puzzle that you can't do anything about until you find that dungeon item."

"So far, we haven't seen Master Stalfos anywhere."

"It has proven to be quite elusive."

"I hope it hasn't fled the dungeon."

"I sincerely doubt that!"

"You never know, Twilight."

"Master Stalfos is still in the dungeon, Sunset." Princess Twilight said. "Monsters like that are bound to remain in the dungeons they are found in and can't leave even if they really wanted to. It's all a matter of finding it eventually as it can't hide from you forever."

"The question is... What is the solution?"

"I'm not sure."

I then changed the subject. "So... Your coronation. Do you have your own crown yet?"

Princess Twilight shook her head again. "Well... I do have the one I've been wearing for formal occasions, yet Princess Celestia said that I would be getting a special crown which will become part of my royal personage. I prefer the current crown yet she was insistent on me getting one that was truly my own and best represented me. When I tried to ask additional questions, she focused on other things leaving me to wonder just what kind of crown it will be."

"You must be looking forward to the coronation."

"In my own way."

I could tell Her Highness wasn't being honest when she said that. Also, she was looking away from me at that moment further reaffirming my suspicion. I had a feeling she wasn't ready for such a momentous occasion and while I had a pretty good idea what it involved, I chose not to talk about it in case it upset her. Instead, I went back to the crown. "I hope your crown has your cutie mark on it. I know you love having it slapped onto everything you own."

"Kind of like you?"

I nodded. "Kind of like me."

"Anyway, I don't know what my final crown will look like."

"Had I stuck with my studies, I'd have probably been next in line to succeed the princesses."

"Do you still wish you were?"

This time, I shook my head. "Like I said before, Twilight, my time has come and gone. I had my chance but blew it because I lacked humility and I doubt I'll ever get another one, but it's something I've accepted. You are the ruler that Equestria needs and deserves. In another reality somewhere out there, I'd be the next ruler right now while you would be doing something else, but again, that's another reality. We're in this one where you are the ruler-to-be and not me. You'll be an excellent ruler, Twilight. Equestria is in safe hands, err, hooves, with you at the guiding force behind it."

"Thank you, Sunset."

I knew Her Highness needed to hear that in order to boost her confidence but also to help her prepare for the eventuality that becoming the ruler meant leaving Ponyville and moving back to Canterlot on a permanent basis. The capital couldn't change cities as Canterlot ponies would complain about it endlessly. It also meant not seeing her friends as much as she currently does and I knew she wasn't prepared for such a massive shift. Hopefully, she'll gradually adjust herself to the change otherwise her reign could become problematic right from the start which would throw Equestria out of whack.

Getting back to the adventure at hand, I jumped over the gap only to face off against two Shroud Stalfos and a Star which was moving back the other way leaving the former two to charge at me. Two sword strikes were enough to defeat both leaving just the Star but then I decided to try something different. Picking up a nearby pot, I tossed it where it smashed against the Star as it came back, and took it out in one shot but not before pushing it back quite a ways. Perhaps I ought to do this more often in order to defeat monsters from a distance or needing to defeat them quickly.

It turned out that my own words were about to be put into immediate action as another Star was moving towards me along with a Sword Stalfos. Both monsters must have been out of my range of vision so I couldn't see them until I got close enough. Picking up a second pot, I tossed it at the Stalfos, defeating it in one shot even though it tried to use its shield to deflect the pot though it ultimately failed. As for the Star, rather than use a third pot, I decided to use my sword instead as why stop using what was arguably my most effective means of taking out monsters. One strike of my sword defeated it leaving me to continue on unabated.

Before heading into the next room, I could see a floating Recovery Heart as well as another treasure chest yet both were out of reach. How was I supposed to reach these when not even the ability to run and jump over gaps was enough? Ignoring both objects, I went into the next room and was back in the room where my previous visit resulted in a dead-end. The door was still locked but now I had an easier chance of figuring out how to unlock it and continue on. The Spark unfortunately was on this side so I made sure to keep an eye on it so that it didn't bump into me too often but it wasn't the main problem here.

Moving forward, two Green Zols popped up from the ground yet I quickly dispatched of them only for the door to not unlock. Normally, defeating all monsters in a room would cause the door to unlock... Except that I hadn't defeated them all. There was still the one Green Zol left that was hiding underground on the other side of the blocks. Did I have to somehow get back on that side, defeat the remaining monster and quickly make my way back to this side? Impossible! Not even with the Pegasus Boots could I do something like that... Unless I was completely missing something oh so obvious.

I began pushing the blocks in hopes that one of them could be moved. At first, none of them seemed to want to budge until the last one moved forward upon me pushing it (It was always the last one in these kinds of situations) and I struck pay dirt. Making my way over to the other side of the room, the remaining Green Zol popped up and I defeated it which caused the door to become unlocked. Ignoring the Spark which was still moving around, I entered a familiar room in that I had seen it a couple of times now. It had the same skull motif on the ground but featured three coloured tiles this time.

"Twilight?" I began. "Does this give you any ideas?"

Princess Twilight nodded before quickly shaking her head. "Yes and no, Sunset."

"How can it be both ways?"

"For one thing, this is the third room we've come across that features these coloured tiles and skull pattern." Princess Twilight answered. "Sure, this is becoming a pattern yet it still doesn't explain the significance behind them."

"I might have an idea."

"Do tell."

I began counting on my fingers as I offered my explanation. "So far, we've seen three rooms with skull motifs on them and each had coloured tiles. One had one coloured tile, the second had three, and the third had four. All we're missing is a room that has two coloured tiles. If we find that missing room, I can go back through each of them in the correct order which might make something happen." It was right there when I realized my idea had some glaring holes in it. "On second thought, that doesn't sound like the solution. Crap! If only I could understand what that Master Stalfos meant about its hiding place."

"We might yet get an answer to that."

"Really?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "Yes, but first we need to find Master Stalfos." Her Highness then slapped her forehead. "That's it! What you just described, Sunset, was the solution to this puzzle... But only part of it. I can't believe I didn't notice this until you went on that little tangent of yours. Like I said, we need to find where Master Stalfos is and then check to see what's on the ground."

"Finding it has proven difficult."

"It has to be somewhere around here."

Since there was nothing more I could do in this room, I entered the next one to find my way blocked by two pots. In front of me was another flying Recovery Heart which I could do with getting as I had taken some damage. Walking up to the pots and looking over them, I could see two Red Stalfos and a Yellow Stalfos guarding a chest. None of them had noticed me but I had no intention of charging into them since the red ones were especially dangerous what with their ability to throw their own bones at me. Instead, I would use the pot throwing mechanic and hoping I would connect correctly.

Picking up a pot, I went around the corner and tossed it where it hit one of the Red Stalfos. It was defeated and disappeared in a puff of smoke prompting the other two to make their way over with the remaining Red Stalfos throwing bones which I blocked with my shield whilst the Yellow Stalfos tried jumping onto me. Swinging my sword made both jump backwards in order to avoid getting hit and they continued to jump back until they trapped themselves in a corner enabling me to defeat both with two hits each. I quickly went back and grabbed the heart by jumping with the Roc's Feather before opening up the chest and taking out the Dungeon Map.

"Finally!" I exclaimed upon unfurling the map. "Now we can see what this place is like."

"This is... An interesting shape." Princess Twilight said as she scratched her head. The map of the Catfish's Maw looked like either a catfish or some kind of weird creature neither of us could figure out what. On the one hand though, the rooms with the skull motifs and coloured tiles were fully displayed so it came down to finding the remaining room. "The Nightmare is located over here on the left side yet I can't quite see a clear way for you to get to it."

"I've still got plenty of chests left to open."

"Until you can figure out a way to reach them, they will remain inaccessible."

"Curse that Master Stalfos!"

"The only way you can go now is to the right in that room with the five blocks."

I groaned. "I've got to backtrack all the way over there!?"

"It's not that far, Sunset."

Again, I groaned. "It's the principle of the thing, Twilight. Backtracking is never any fun in video games especially when it happens on a regular basis. I know this doesn't make much sense to you since you've never played a video game before, but trust me on this one, okay? Besides, I mean no offence and I'm not belittling you or your intellect in any way. It just so happens that this kind of thing is my expertise and I pride myself as an avid gamer."

"This could prove to make for an interesting research paper."

"What could?"

"If I find some free time, I'll come pay you a visit and you can show me these video games."

I rolled my eyes. "How about that? A new video gamer is on the verge of being born. You'd best make that visit before your coronation as I don't think you'll have any free time once you assume the throne if Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are any indication."

"In that case, I'll have plenty of free time."

I wasn't going to question Her Highness on that. She knew the two sisters a lot better than I did and if I understood her comment correctly, she was saying the sisters didn't do much in terms of protecting Equestria and were more fixated on lounging around in the castle and perhaps gorging themselves on cake. How did I come up with such an explanation? I had no idea but it sounded like that's what happened. Maybe I ought to visit Princess Celestia more often in order to get her side of things and perhaps one day ask her to come back to my world since she will have stepped down from the throne by that point.

That was something I've always wanted to do... Have Princess Celestia experience my world even if only for a short while. In the past, I've never been able to ask her due to not wanting to show my face before her during the time neither of us were on speaking terms. Since our reconciliation, she had simply been way too busy with numerous royal duties though deep down I knew she wanted to see where I had spent so much time away from Equestria and from her. Once Princess Twilight ascended the throne, I could ask Princess Celestia if she was up for it though whether Princess Luna had a similar inkling remained unknown.

As I began making my way back to the room with the five blocks, I continued to think about what Princess Twilight's life was going to be like when she assumes the throne. For one thing, she would have to navigate through numerous treaties since she had gone out of her way to bringing the other creatures together. Each tribe would want their own share and to ensure that they were treated with respect and on equal footing with ponies. Among the creatures, the Changelings were pretty easygoing along with the Seaponies. Yaks were known for having strong mood swings whilst Griffins were money hungry and Dragons were often aloof.

There were other creatures including Kirin who needed to be handled delicately because of their Nirik personalities, and Centaurs who were rumoured to live in a kingdom somewhere in the desolate wastes beyond most forms of civilization. Few knew of centaurs other than Lord Tirek but perhaps one day ponies might meet them provided they weren't as bad as he was given he got turned to stone in the end. Other creatures were out there such as Diamond Dogs, Abyssinians, and Deer yet these three were rarely seen by ponies, and yet there were some creatures who merely existed as legends and nothing more.

I made sure to go back the long way as I knew I needed to activate that one switch in order to unlock the door in the room with five blocks. Fortunately, none of the monsters re-spawned but it meant they would eventually do so on the inevitable backtracking of the backtracking. Yes, this was a thing that happened in video games too. Upon jumping over the small gap and reaching my destination, I stepped on the switch which unlocked the door and then pushed the block forward and create a path. The two Sparks then came towards me but I managed to jump over both thus avoiding any damage.

Entering the next room, both doors locked behind and in front of me, but I was more interested in what was on the ground. "Twilight... Do you see what I see?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "The same skull motif but with two coloured tiles."

"But what does it mean?"

"Maybe you should ask Master Stalfos."

"I don't even know where it is."

At that moment, my question was answered as Master Stalfos dropped down from the ceiling. "You... You were able to find me!? How did you achieve this!? I thought you would've been killed by now!"

"Guess I proved you wrong, huh?"

Master Stalfos slowly nodded in return. "I know why you decided to pursue me. It is because of the item in the treasure chest which I took Yes... I know because you reacted to my words one such as you would... Anger... Rage... The desire of wanting something so desperately. These emotions and more drive you on, but you will never claim your prize so long as it remains in my possession."

"Then I'll just have to defeat you."

"Can you though?"

I nodded. "I can... As long as you don't run away like a coward."

That made Master Stalfos angry. "What!? I did not run away from you! I merely retreated because I wasn't prepared to face you. Unlike other opponents, you have done what they could not... Prove to be an annoyance! I've rested myself since our previous encounter so now I can fight at full strength rather than limp about."

I then gave it a smug look. "Sure... I'll go along with that."

"Perhaps your defeating of the Nightmares was nothing more than mere luck."

"What does that mean?"

"Your words belie you." Master Stalfos answered. "You enjoy talking down to others as though they were beneath your notice. Rather than working on your swordsmanship, you prefer witty banter that is best saved for a tumbling act by someone who is clearly incompetent. Perhaps you are not a warrior after all but instead you are a clown? Maybe? I suppose we shall soon find out."

Master Stalfos began swinging its sword in a sharp arc and it was immediately apparent that it was repeating the same maneuvers from the previous encounter. Was this going to be one of those instances where I would be forced to fight the same opponent multiple times in order to get something of great importance? Also, each time I would fight said opponent, it was the same battle without any changes? Has this video game really stooped down to such a level? I groaned under my breath knowing that this appeared to be so. Great! This isn't what I needed at all! I mean, it made this easier but still, why even have it to begin with?

It then jumped over to where I was and I managed to avoid it by moving out of the way before it could strike me from behind. Turning around, I waited for it to swing its sword before striking the spine this time as opposed to the rib cage from last time. It immediately collapsed to the ground where I placed a bomb among the bones and backed away when it exploded. Getting back up onto its feet, Master Stalfos decided to change its tactics by raising its shield before moving forward. With its shield raised, I couldn't attack its body so I had to wait for the opportunity to come my way.

Eventually, it lowered its shield and swung its sword where I responded by swinging my own immediately afterwards. I then placed another bomb among its bones and it exploded where it caused more damage. Already, this was pretty pathetic seeing as it was essentially the same fight as before even if it had decided to alter its fighting style a little bit. It got back up and raised its shield again before moving towards me. Since a part of me felt curious about it, I decided to find out what would happen if I were to attack the shield while it was moving about like this.

Hitting the shield, it retaliated by pushing me back a little before swiping me using its sword at full power. I was sent flying into the wall where I dropped to the ground, my stomach having a nasty gash across it from where its sword connected. Luckily, it wasn't bleeding all thanks to having an increased defence, yet what happened was something I deserved as I was being way too cocky and thought this would be an easy enough experience. Getting back up, I shook it off and quickly moved to the side as Master Stalfos jumped over and landed in my previous spot before swinging its sword and missing entirely.

It then raised its shield and moved forward only this time I wasn't going to respond in kind. Instead, I kept moving backwards making sure to check behind me so that I didn't accidentally trap myself or anything. It lowered its shield and swung its sword for me to attack it after the swing had occurred. I placed another bomb down where it exploded moments later causing more damage only for it to then stand back up and stomp the ground with its foot again. No doubt it was going to run away again yet I intended on making sure that wouldn't happen only to discover that I couldn't move.

"Why can't I move?"

"It is my power that keeps you at bay."

"There's more to you than appearances suggest."

"I am the Master Stalfos!" It declared. "I am the strongest of all Stalfos! I possess powers that none of them have!"

I then started to get serious. "Anyway! I've defeated you so hand over the dungeon item you stole!"

Master Stalfos shook its head and laughed in an eerie manner. "You did not defeat me, girl! You have merely forced me to retreat again. I miscalculated and I lost!" It then took on a different tone in its voice. "I cannot believe you have forced me to retreat for a second time, and yet, there is something I must know. Why do you even want this item in the first place? It's not like it will do you any good."

"I need it to complete my quest."

"Ah yes, your quest to collect the Instruments of the Sirens."

"At the rate you're going, you'll probably run away the instant I see you again."

That made Master Stalfos furious though it quickly changed its tune knowing full well that it couldn't carry out an actual threat against me. "I will take my leave and you won't ever find me again. If you do, I will make sure that it will be for the last time. Once you are dead, no one will ever be able to wake up the accursed Wind Fish." Master Stalfos then leapt upwards into the shadows above which caused both doors to unlock. No doubt I had triggered a nerve that time seeing as it definitely wanted to kill me there and then.

"It's gone, Twilight."

Princess Twilight nodded in agreement. "Yes, so now you need to go and find it again."

"Have you figured out the solution?"

"If we hadn't entered this room, I'd still be stumping my brain over the problem." Princess Twilight then tapped her head as a means of showing accomplishment, and also reminding me of how smart she really was. After all, she did dedicate her early years towards doing research of all kinds. "Now that I've seen all four rooms of this nature, I know where you can find the Master Stalfos. Remember when you first fought it? It was the room where there was only one coloured tile on the skull motif. This time, there were two coloured tiles, and the next location would be?"

I gasped. "The room with three coloured tiles!"

"Exactly!"

I lowered my head in shame. "How did I not figure out something oh so obvious!?"

"Don't feel bad, Sunset." Princess Twilight said as she comforted me. "It took me this long to figure it out as well. Normally, it would've taken me a couple of minutes had I been given more information, but I had to work with what I could. Anyway, the Master Stalfos should now be in the room with three coloured tiles believing it has eluded you. You just need to get back over there and hopefully defeat it this time and acquire what it stole from that treasure chest earlier."

I took out the Dungeon Map in order to remember where the room in question was. "Here it is! It's next to the room where I got this map from." I then had to address a couple of things that were on my mind regarding Master Stalfos and my journey. "Twilight... Do you think I'll defeat Master Stalfos this time or will it escape again and hide elsewhere? Also, will this chase ever end as it's starting to get a little tiring? Second... It knows about what's going on regarding Koholint Island and especially about the Nightmares. Is there anything I can get it to reveal its knowledge?"

"To answer question one... That depends on what the Master Stalfos does next." Princess Twilight answered. "It may decide that it can't keep avoiding you and want to finish you off in a final conflict. This would be your preference as without that item, you won't be able to progress any further through the Catfish's Maw. To answer question two... It might be willing to share its information were it defeated for good, but it all depends on actually doing that."

"I was afraid of that."

"Don't let the Master Stalfos intimidate you."

"I'm not."

"Good as clearly it's the other way around."

"You think so?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "The Master Stalfos has this bravado about it all because it kept on defeating those who came into this dungeon. Its previous opponents weren't very strong or perhaps they lacked specific qualities or items or maybe it was a combination of these factors. You've proven to be different from the others as you've bested it twice now in combat and it clearly doesn't like being defeated by a human. On the one hand, having to run away means the Master Stalfos will start getting desperate which could make things more difficult, but on the other, it will be thinking about surviving at any cost."

"When you say it like that..."

"I think the challenge of this monster comes from hunting it down and not getting killed by everything else."

"If you hadn't figured out the solution, I'd probably still be going around this dungeon looking for it."

"There are only so many rooms you can access."

"True."

Princess Twilight then reminded me of something that I didn't like to hear. "You do realize that you need to backtrack to the room with the three coloured tiles, right? Not only that, you'll need to backtrack to the final room the Master Stalfos can appear in which is located on the other side of the dungeon. Granted, you can use Manbo's Mambo in order to warp back to the beginning since it is an option. Remember, Sunset... You have a lot of items in your inventory so don't believe you don't have the means to progress unless you don't have what's required to actually progress."

Backtracking... Even though in this case, I had no choice but to do it in order to get the dungeon item, I still despised the idea because all it did was pad things out. Sighing and mumbling under my breath over how much backtracking infuriated me, I entered the previous room and pushed the block forward in order to gain access to the north path again, making sure to avoid the two Sparks who continued making their way around the room. Heading north again, I wasn't surprised at seeing the monsters from before having since re-spawned, but at least it wasn't anything serious seeing as they were easy enough to deal with.

A shame I lacked a projectile weapon that wasn't a bomb as I could pick them off from this side instead of jumping over and confronting them, and while I could ignore them, I didn't want to run the risk of getting overwhelmed as I knew there were other monsters ahead that weren't in my range of sight. Using the Roc's Feather to jump over the gap and landing on the other side, I immediately took out the Star monster since it would be the most annoying to handle. The two Shroud Stalfos reacted by throwing spears at me which I blocked using my shield before defeating both with two sword strikes each.

Moving forward, the other Star monster and the Sword Stalfos began to move forward, and when I defeated the former, it dropped a Piece of Power which I picked up. It felt like it had been forever since my sword last felt this temporary power-up, but I wasn't complaining as monsters would go down a lot quicker. Unfortunately, I knew that this increase in power would have no effect on Master Stalfos as it could only be damaged with bombs. Using my temporary power-up, I took out the Sword Stalfos in one hit after parrying its sword attack by using my shield, I continued forward into the next room which was the one that was locked.

Since it hadn't been that long, the door was still unlocked though the monsters had re-spawned as they were the ones who forced the door shut to begin with. Ignoring these creatures as defeating them served no purpose, I went through the door and was back in the room with the three coloured tiles as both exits then locked. If Princess Twilight was correct and I was certain she was, Master Stalfos was in this room, and that meant it could no longer hide from me. Looking around, I could see no sign of it but I knew it was around so I decided to let myself be known.

"You can come out of hiding!" I shouted at the top of my voice. "I know you're in here!"

"Let's hope that it is."

"I know it's here, Twilight, as you'd never steer me wrong." I then shouted out again. "No point trying to hide from me, Master Stalfos! There's no where you can hide from me in this dungeon now!"

A few moments later, Master Stalfos dropped down from the ceiling. "So... You've figured out the solution to where I am hiding. I must admit that I'm surprised you were able to figure it out. Why do you continue chasing me?"

"I want that item."

"Are you that determined to acquire it?"

I nodded. "What can I say? If it will help me out then I will get it no matter how long it takes. You know... If you hadn't stolen it from that treasure chest in the first place, I wouldn't be chasing you all over this dungeon trying to get it. I'd have left you alone since you wouldn't have been of any use to me, but that ended up not happening since you clearly went out of your way to make sure I would chase you. If you think about it, this whole mess could've been avoided if you had just not pull off such a stunt." I then changed the subject. "Now! I've got questions and you have the answers!"

"And what makes you think I will answer them?"

"Because if you don't, I can always beat them out of you."

"Sunset!?" Princess Twilight exclaimed.

I quickly winked at her as I addressed Master Stalfos. "Considering this is the third time we've met and I've defeated you in our previous encounters, I figured you would be hard pressed to want to deny me anything. You've pretty much accepted that I am a warrior even if my methods are different from the kinds of expectations you had hoped for so I believe I deserve answers a warrior would like to know."

Master Stalfos tilted its head back and forth a couple of times before responding. "Your logic makes little sense but you do make a valid point. Very well. I shall answer just one question."

I knew it wouldn't answer a question about what the Nightmares were doing so I went with the next best thing instead. "What can you tell me about the Nightmare who guards the instrument within the Catfish's Maw?"

"You speak of the Slime Eel."

"Slime Eel?"

Master Stalfos nodded. "It is a fearsome creature! Compared to me, it is far more ruthless. If you were to go off and fight it, it would devour you with ease. But... If you were to uncover its weakness, you might yet prevail, but your chances of success are pitiful. No one has ever defeated Slime Eel nor will it ever be defeated. There! I have answered the question you asked of me. Now, the time for talk is over as we must fight again."

I could tell that Master Stalfos didn't want to fight me again. It's sword arm was twitching and its head quickly darted from side to side. Why was it insistent on me fighting it again when clearly it knew better? Was someone forcing its hand? If so then the main suspects were either this Slime Eel or Grogar. In any case, I stood ready to fight it for the third time, and that meant only a couple of changes would take place compared with my previous encounters against it. Like before, it began by performing a sword swing though it wasn't nearly as sharp as before. Could it be that I didn't give it enough time to prepare?

Upon it swinging its sword, I responded by attacking it in the rib cage (I was apparently going back to familiar territory here) causing it to collapse, and like before, I placed a bomb amongst the bones which exploded moments later causing damage. From my perspective, this had become extremely monotonous to the point where I wasn't enjoying the experience, and I suspected this was also true for it. It could simply surrender right now and hand over the dungeon item and I could be on my way just like that but no! It was determined to halt my progress no matter what.

As it got back up, it jumped over to the other side of the room before raising its shield and moving towards me. Before, it would jump to where I was standing so perhaps it realized its previous tactic just didn't work. Granted, this new one wasn't going to work either as I could easily work around it given how the predictability here. Keeping my distance since I knew what would happen if I attacked, Master Stalfos lowered its shield and began swinging its sword using the weaker arc but also at a slower speed than before. Yep... It definitely hadn't had time to prepare for me seeing as I found it quicker than expected.

After another moment where I made it collapse after attacking the rib cage and blowing it up with another bomb, it pulled itself back together and jumped back to where it was originally standing before jumping again where I decided to try something different. I often wondered if I could attack monsters when they were jumping to catch them by surprise and thus disrupt their attack pattern yet I never put it into practice on account of thinking it couldn't be done. After landing, it swung its sword in a slow moving arc (It looked really pathetic at that point) before jumping again, but this time I swung my sword during the apex of the jump.

My hit connected and Master Stalfos collapsed to the ground. I quickly placed a bomb and backed away where it exploded and inflicted more damage. Was that it? Had I finally defeated this monster and secured my prize? No! Instead, it got back up and began stomping its foot on the ground yet again. "Since when can you perform such an advanced technique as attacking something when it is airborne?"

"I've gotten a lot better at doing this over time."

"Perhaps what you've been saying does have a ring of truth to it."

"And now I've defeated you for a third time."

Hearing me say that made Master Stalfos stomp its foot again. "How!? How do I keep on losing to you!? My skills are far superior to yours!" It then started to realize that perhaps it wasn't as powerful as it claimed to be. "Fine! I accept the fact that you have proven your abilities as a warrior but know that you have not truly defeated me. As long as I remain alive, you will never obtain the item I stole from that treasure chest."

"Look! You've lost so why accept what dignity you have left and just give it to me."

"Never!"

I shrugged. "You know... Neither of us can keep on doing this forever."

Master Stalfos nodded its approval. "I agree with you on this one, girl. This battle between us will never end so long as you continue to be persistent. I'm going to retreat once again and go to a place where I can rest up. I doubt you'll find me that quickly!"

"Then just surrender already!"

"I will not!"

"Ugh!"

"It seems you have trouble maintaining your composure." Master Stalfos said as it leaned its head closer to me. "That could prove to be your undoing when next we meet or perhaps against another creature or maybe against a force far beyond your mortal mind. A true warrior doesn't let emotions cloud their judgement. To do so would only invite defeat or even death. Perhaps you still have a ways to go before anyone proclaims you a warrior! It doesn't matter to me but maybe I have struck a nerve with you." It then leapt upwards into the shadows of the ceiling which then unlocked both doors.

"Wow... I didn't think it would insult me."

"It must be getting desperate." Princess Twilight said.

"Yeah..."

"Why did you say you would beat the answers out of it?"

"I was trying to see if I could intimidate it seeing as it did the same thing to me when we first encountered it." I answered. "Unfortunately, my bluff didn't quite work out as I didn't get answers to all of my questions. Besides, resorting to such measures would mean going back to the way I used to be before you showed me another way."

"While you were pretty bad back then, bluffing your way through something is actually a tactic."

"Not a very effective one."

Princess Twilight nodded. "It depends on the kind of monster you're fighting. Some might lack intelligence thus bluffing them is easy and it allows you to get by without any kind of bloodshed involved. Others are more intelligence and can't be tricked so other tactics are needed. If they happen to be exceptionally powerful, fighting might be the only option provided you're extremely confident that you can prevail." Her Highness then changed the subject to what I had to do next. "Now, you need to chase down Master Stalfos! You know where it is hiding, Sunset, so you know what must be done."

"I can use Manbo's Mambo to go back to the start of the dungeon, right?"

"Yes and it will cut down on some backtracking but not all of it."

"It's better than going back the long way."

"This is true." I then took out the Ocarina from my pocket and placed it to my lips. "You know... I kind of feel sorry for Master Stalfos. It could've given up a long time ago but instead it chose to willingly continue with this mess despite knowing it would eventually result in its destruction. It certainly has pride oozing from every part of its undead body though that can be problematic as you become immune from ignorance. Maybe I could learn something about losing my pride since keeping it around causes pain." I then played Manbo's Mambo and focused on wanting to go back to the start of the Catfish's Maw.

Pinkie Pie, in the meantime, had just had her happiness shattered upon realizing that Ganondorf was right about how her antics weren't always funny and that sometimes her efforts only made things worse. She thought she was making people laugh along with her but not everyone appreciated the kind of humour she delivered. I'll admit her humour didn't always settle with me and our friends would vouch for me on that, yet we knew Pinkie was only doing what she thought was best for everyone. When it came to laughter, you needed to be prepared ahead of time rather than play it by ear and hope it would all work out.

Her poofy hair then went flat as Pinkie's joy got sucked right out of her. "I... I didn't mean to make Sunset mad during the Post Crush concert. I was only trying to make her happy by playing harmless pranks while we waited for the concert."

"And yet you ended up doing the opposite of that." Ganondorf said.

"Am I really this annoying?"

Ganondorf nodded. "You claim to represent laughter and you believe yourself to be doing an incredible service, but the truth is that you instead cause emotional pain to those all around you resulting in their dreams being shattered. Such misery they experienced reflects poorly upon you, laughing one. Though you do end up fixing the damage caused by your humour yet only only the physical damage is repaired. The emotional damage remains there forever, gnawing at those who were afflicted until it wipes away what remains of their hope. If this is meant to make others happy, you clearly have failed at representing your element."

Pinkie Pie slowly nodded. "You're right... I have failed."

"Laughter is meaningless."

"Yes... It's meaningless."

"The child deserves someone better than you."

That made Pinkie Pie's hair poof back to its proper form. "Huh? Sunset Shimmer deserves better? I've made her happier than she's ever been!" She then began to think about those moments and at first, she was fighting back against Ganondorf much to his surprise, but then the negative moments kicked in and her hair went back to the flat condition it was along with her colours fading from pink to gray. "No... There were times I made her miserable which made her think about when she used to be a horrible person. Sunset's past was horrible! I should know as I was involved in parts of it."

"Even now, the child dwells on her troubled past."

"How can that be?"

"You and the others remind her of it even though you do not intend to."

"It's my fault!" Pinkie Pie at that point had completely succumbed to Ganondorf's will. Though she put up a valiant effort, it wasn't enough as the Demon King proved to be far more powerful than her Element of Laughter. "Sunset Shimmer... I'm sorry! I should've respected your past and not made you feel terrible about it. I only caused you pain! You deserve a better friend! Why!? Why does my humour end up making people hate me instead of laugh with me!?" She then calmed down and simply shrugged her shoulders in utter defeat. "Okay... You win... Ganondorf, was it? You've proven your point. I've lost all joy in my life."

"You will not resist?"

Pinkie Pie shook her head. "I don't have the will to oppose you."

Ganondorf laughed as he began to drain Pinkie of some of her magic. "You proved stronger than the other two, laughing one, but in the end, your efforts were in vain as my power far exceeds your own. Your unique abilities still have potential so perhaps I could use them in ways you never could." Once he had finished taking enough of her magic, he snapped his fingers and Pinkie was paralyzed once again before being sent back to join my friends. "Three are down and only three more remain. Now... Who shall be next?" Ganondorf looked at who remained before smiling a cruel smile. "Ah yes... You are ideal." He snapped his fingers again and brought forth my next friend.

"What!? What in the world happened?"

"You are the next to have her magic drained... Generous one."

What!?" Rarity exclaimed. "What have you done!?"

"The magic each of you possesses is strong but is wasted by your lack of understanding its true power." Ganondorf answered. "Therefore, such magic deserves to be used by one who understands power and knows how to use it... That someone... Being me!"

"Give back their magic!"

"And you believe you can threaten me?"

That immediately shot down Rarity's efforts to stand her ground so she quickly improvised. "Darling! I simply don't understand why you are targeting us so. I know we happen to be friends with Sunset Shimmer but that shouldn't mean we have to suffer for it. What has she ever done to the likes of you?" Ganondorf responded by creating a ball of fire in his hand which then showed Rarity some of my actions during my previous adventures which left her stunned. "How... Did she actually do such uncouth things? That outfit... Ugh! So tacky and so like an adventurer!"

"How amusing."

"What is?"

"You cannot accept the fact that your friend does things that make you turn your nose."

"Preposterous!"

Ganondorf laughed. "And yet you did just that when you criticized what you saw the child do. You care more about appearances than anything else which tells me that you are shallow and only care about those who look good enough to be seen. Their personalities and feelings mean nothing to you, generous one. You only care about their appearances and whether you are able to bask in their presence to further your own selfish ambitions. Generosity... Perhaps this Element was wrongfully bestowed upon you and in reality, your Element should have been 'Selfish', 'Self-Absorbed', or perhaps something far worse."

"Ha! You cannot prove anything!"

"Oh, but I can."

"I doubt that you wretched beast!"

"Nothing is beyond my reach, generous one." Ganondorf said as his eyes began to glow. "I will show you just how wrong you are and when I am finished with you, your life will be forever shattered with no hope of it ever being pieced back together again. Now... I believe there are some incidents that occurred over time where your selfish nature proved to be the most dominant facet of your existence which in turn caused you to betray those closest to you. This combined with arrogance, jealousy, disdain, malice, and far worse than these ended up shattering what is called friendship to the point where it almost couldn't be repaired."

Through the magic contained within Manbo's Mambo, I found myself back at the beginning of the Catfish's Maw. Before proceeding, I took out the Dungeon Map and checked it to see which room I needed to go to in order to find Master Stalfos yet again. The room in question was located west of where I assumed the instrument was located; (They were often in rooms directly north of the room where the Nightmare was) quite the distance which meant Master Stalfos had likely regained its strength. Knowing that I had no choice but to backtrack all the way over there, I walked forward after putting away the map.

Entering the next room, I took out the Red Zol in one hit thanks to me still being under the effects of the Piece of Power, but when I defeated the Helmasaur in one hit, the effect wore off which meant I could only deal normal damage against monsters. While it was disappointing that I lost my sword's effect, I still had my permanent defence boost until I chose to go back to the Colour Dungeon and change tunics. Princess Twilight in the meantime made sure to remind me about the treasure chest that was still out of my reach but didn't mark it down on the map since it already had a mark in the form of a chest.

Moving on to the next room, I decided to ignore the Keese as they were nothing more than an irritant, but I did focus on the Helmasaur as it could prove to be trouble seeing as I hadn't seen what it could really do. When it noticed me, it immediately charged forward and I was too slow in raising my shield resulting in it smacking into me with that helmeted face. Was it a painful wound? Not really indicating that Helmasaurs lacked offensive power but it did have incredible knock-back seeing as the helmet was made of metal. I got pushed into one of the statues resulting in my back getting bruised but I shrugged it off and defeated the Helmasaur when it turned away from me.

Entering the next room, I decided to use the Roc's Feather and jumped over both Helmasaurs before either one had any idea what happened. Upon landing, I turned around and saw that neither one had noticed my presence and continued to ignore me. Smiling, I went down the stairs into the underground tunnel only to remember that this tunnel had the weights which needed to be pushed down accordingly so that I could move across and not be forced to start over again. From what I recalled, there were two sets of weights for me to overcome, yet it was the second group that were the tricky ones.

The first and third weights were connected with each other while the second and fourth weights were connected of this second group. I must admit that I surprised myself for remembering something I only went through once before and having done so when I first started this dungeon. Using the Roc's Feather, I jumped across the first group of weights with ease so now it was down to the second group. Remembering the order, I jumped on the weight and allowed it to drop down which caused the third weight to slowly rise up in response. Once both were at a reasonable height, I jumped to the second weight and it began dropping down while the last one began rising up.

Jumping across the remaining weights once they were all lined up, I climbed up the ladder and was back in the room with all the dark crystals. The good thing is that the puzzle was still solved so I didn't need to push any of the blocks and unlock the door. (It was already unlocked) The bad news was that the Red Stalfos and Yellow Stalfos had re-spawned and could potentially block my progress and force me to have to deal with them first. Looking at the room's layout, I could just charge my way through instead. Using the Pegasus Boots, I dashed through the crystals and past all three Stalfos and into the next room.

When the door locked itself behind me, Master Stalfos dropped down from the ceiling. "You again... As if I was expecting anyone else."

"You've no where to run this time!" I shouted.

Master Stalfos nodded. "No matter where I go, you continue to chase me down without end. While you clearly have shown to want to keep on going, I am getting tired of this pointless game."

"If you had given me the item a lot sooner, you wouldn't be feeling this way."

"But I couldn't do that."

"Why not?"

"Though I am a warrior, I am also a monster." Master Stalfos answered. "As a monster, it is my job to prevent those like you from progressing too far. Unfortunately, you have proven far more problematic than what the Nightmares originally thought. They believed you would be dead as early as Moldorm but clearly they were wrong about that and pretty much everything else regarding you."

I immediately snapped back. "Ah-ha! You do know about the Nightmares!"

"Since we're at this point, I suppose I can answer any questions about them."

"What are their plans?"

"Perhaps such a thing is already in place and you're oblivious to it?" Master Stalfos answered. The way it said that made me think that perhaps it was true. Had the Nightmare's desires already come to fruition? If so then I was clearly behind and needed to figure it out and fast. "Judging from that expression of yours, my answer wasn't to your liking. How unfortunate that you've yet to understand what the Nightmares have been doing."

"Why not tell me more?"

"I don't intend on answering anymore questions."

"How come?"

Master Stalfos then raised its sword. "Let's just say that you will eventually stumble onto your biggest concerns. I'll leave it at that in hopes that it leaves you completely unhinged for a time. Now... We shall fight one more time but this time, I have no intention of retreating. This will be my last stand where my life could possibly come to its end but I will make sure to use every last ounce of my power. I've been holding back some of my strength but now you'll get to see it for yourself."

To Be Continued.