//------------------------------//
// Chapter 36: Lost Underwater 
// Story: The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Ocarina of Time 
// by Ganondorf8 
//------------------------------//

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Ocarina of Time.
By Ganondorf8
January 27, 2015
Chapter 36: Lost Underwater.	

Defeating the Spike enemies on dry land proved to be even easier when submerged underwater because of having access to my items, and of course my magic is my preferred method. I've been encouraged to try using the Master Sword again, but I'm still having some issues which involve swinging it around, and not making a complete idiot of myself. When the last monster was destroyed, the bars covering the door raised, and a large treasure chest materialized in the middle of the room. 
Upon opening it, I took out the Dungeon Map which is exactly what I needed according to what Fluttershy said, but when I glanced at the layout of the Water Temple, I was completely surprised at what I was looking at.
" This place is huge!" I exclaimed.
" We were told that the temple was a literal maze, but I wasn't expecting there to be so many rooms. It looks like this isn't going to be easy even with the map in our possession," said Spike.
" Let's not panic over the revelation that the Water Temple is massive otherwise we'll just give up without even trying. Now then, I'll let you place a mark on the map as to remind us where the first place we can change the water level is located, and then we need to figure out which of these rooms the she-demon is residing in," I said. Using a bit of fairy magic which turned out to be a power that Spike was capable of, he marked a small blue circle on the room next to this one.
With that taken care of, we began to scan over the map to see which room the she-demon would want to hide in. I figured she would be hiding in the least suspicious room as a means of wanting to throw us off the trail, but what Spike was suggesting made more sense.
" The she-demon is a dark reflection of you right? Just because she desires to kill you, deep down she is still you. As such, her way of thinking is how you think, so the question we should be asking ourselves is, which room would you hide in?" asked Spike.
" I guess it would need to be a room that was easy to get to, so I think a room on the highest floor makes sense. The she-demon would likely think in the opposite manner, so to her it would be a room that's difficult to get to," I replied.
" Then the answer is obvious," began Spike.
" It is?" I asked.
" The only room in the temple where she's taking up residence would be this large room here," replied Spike. He pointed to a large square chamber on the map which looked a lot bigger than the rest of the rooms, and I couldn't help but agree that this would be the ideal location. It looked easy enough to reach as it required having to go through two other rooms before it, but then again we did see locked doors back in the central chamber.
" I'll just use another bit of fairy magic and mark the demon's location using a black circle with a red diamond inside of it, so now we know exactly where she is."
" Why didn't you tell me you had fairy magic?" I asked.
" For one thing, you never asked because you assumed that my only skill was being well informed about so many different things, and of course that's true as I am quite the fountain of knowledge. The other thing is that it should have been obvious given the Great Fairy is one of the most powerful beings in Hyrule, and we fairies are her servants, so naturally we're capable of using magic," replied Spike.
" Don't forget that my own natural magic isn't even of this world," I said.
" Which makes you very powerful in your own right. Anyway, with the Dungeon Map in our possession, we have a pretty good idea as to where we need to go. The map is without a doubt useful, but we need to find the Compass to determine the location of the curse that's plaguing both Lake Hylia and Zora's Domain," said Spike.
" And what of Princess Ruto?" I asked.
" We haven't exactly taken her presence into consideration have we? So, this makes things a bit more difficult," replied Spike. Even though I suggested for her to leave the temple, Rarity was insistent on coming along, so now we needed to make sure that she remained safe although she is likely to show disdain for being treated as a princess which is what she is. The she-demon is after me, yet Rarity is completely innocent in all of this, and I'd never be able to forgive myself if something were to happen to her. 
Of course, what Fluttershy said was true in that she knew the layout of the temple better than we did, so naturally we need her to guide us along otherwise we'll end up getting lost. " So what do we do about her then? Demanding her to leave and wait for us to destroy the curse isn't going to happen, for she is determined to see this through to the end."
" Princess Ruto is a lot more powerful than she appears to be," I said.
" How can you tell?" asked Spike.
" While she is fragile when it comes to physical combat hence why we need to protect her, she has strong magical powers inside of her which she can unleash against anything that gets in her way. Right now, she only has basic knowledge of what she is capable of given that she's never had a need to use it for anything major, but I have a hunch that she will appreciate the magic that she has although it will take time for her to come to grips with it," I replied.
" Are you referring to that Equestrian Magic?" asked Spike.
" Even though hers is a weaker version compared to mine, and that's because I am a native of Equestria so therefore I have the purest form of the magic from my world. When I briefly returned to my world after exiling myself from there long ago, I stole an artefact and brought it back to the human world, and because of my actions, my friends absorbed some of the magic housed in the relic. It's been with them ever since, yet they've only started to understand the power they now wield. 
That same principle applies with the Hyrulean versions of my friends, for they have some grasp of what is inside of them, yet don't really know what to do with it. Fluttershy figured it out on her own while Daru....Pinkie Pie still needs some time to figure it out, and Twilight was aware of her magic according to what she said when we knew she was still okay," I replied.
" So Princess Ruto just needs a little encouragement?" asked Spike.
" I suppose you could say it like that," I replied.
" Guess all we can do is wait and see what happens, but for now we should keep going as she is getting really impatient. I don't blame her seeing as we've been talking over here, and she has been waiting by the door and feeling left out. You should talk to her about how she feels about the current situation so that she be happy about being a part of this rather than be just be a hindrance," said Spike. 
Once I put the map in one of my pouches, I turned around and walked towards Rarity who was looking really angry due to not being a part of the conversation, so I had to be careful with what I say otherwise she could just decide to go off on her own, and leave me trying hopelessly to figure out how to get through this temple.
" Did you have a pleasant chat with your fairy?" asked Rarity.
" We were just discussing about the location of specific things in the dungeon," I replied.
" Is that so? I feel like you don't want to include me because I am a princess, and should therefore be treated as a delicate flower that needs to be coddled over constantly. That will not do as I am not someone who has to be pampered just because of my status. I mean, I do enjoy being pampered, but not when a serious situation is at hand," said Rarity.
" Sorry for not including you, but it was a private matter which we needed to discuss. What needs to be done next does involve you as you're the only one who knows how this temple functions, and without you we're going to be stuck running around in circles," I said.
" Yes, you do need my help don't you?" asked Rarity.
" More than you realize," I replied.
" Follow me back into the previous room, and let us change the water level as it is going to be needed to progress," said Rarity. She then entered the door whereupon I followed, and she walked over to where the Triforce Symbol was located on the wall. " You must stand directly in front of this panel, and play the song passed down by the royal family. The water level will drop all the way to the bottom of the temple, and you will discover that new routes will be made available to you that weren't there before." 
With that in mind, I walked up to the panel and played Twilight's Lullaby which caused the water to completely drain as though someone had pulled a plug somewhere. " Do not think that the water has gone away forever Sunset Shimmer, for it is merely beneath the ground where it shall remain until you choose to raise the water level when we reach the second of the three locations. Now, we need to make our way back down to where we ran into each other."
" You want me to fall all that way?" I asked.
" But of course as there is no other way, but you need not worry about being hurt," replied Rarity.
" Are you sure about that?" I asked.
" Do not question my judgment as I know better than you, so have faith in that I know what I am doing," replied Rarity. As she jumped into the hole and landed all the way at the bottom several moments later, I looked down and didn't like the idea of falling such a long distance, but I had no other option but to fall and see what happens next. 
Closing my eyes and walking forward, I dropped through the hole and landed on the ground with no injuries which felt really weird, but as I opened my eyes to make sure I was fine, Rarity was looking at me with a smug expression on her face. " I told you not to question me, and you managed to make it down here. You probably noticed that this torch is now lit due to the water having been drained, so now you can open this barred door which is what I was trying to figure out before you came along."
" Why do you need me?" I asked.
" I have no means of lighting these torches, but you have magic on your side which can do the trick. Then again, if you want to save your magic and not waste it on this simple puzzle, I notice that you have a bow on your person, and I am willing to bet that if you shoot an arrow through the torch, the flaming arrow will light up the other torches and open the door," replied Rarity. 
While it was tempting to use magic which would have been the easy way out, I needed the experience of using my items, so I took out the Fairy Bow and got as close as possible to the lit torch so that I could hit the other two and light them up. Once again, it took me several tries due to how bad I was with aiming, and Rarity took notice by showing her slight displeasure, but eventually I was able to light them on fire which unlocked the door in front of us. 
" I must say that your aiming needs some work darling, but I mean no offence as that's what I am taking from your actions." Hearing her say that did make me feel a little upset, but I couldn't blame her for telling it like it is. Sighing, I opened the door with Rarity following behind, and this door ended up getting locked again from our side which felt really inconvenient, but in front of us were three shell-like creatures that were just sitting there doing nothing.
" What do you make of these Spike?" I asked.
" Those are Shell-Blades, and they are the worst monsters to deal with inside of the Water Temple. Their hard shells make them impervious to all damage, and the spiked side is what they will use to attack you with if you get too close to them. In order to defeat them, you need to strike at their internal muscle which is exposed when they open their mouths, but keep in mind that they only open them for a couple of seconds. 
Because the muscle is a small target, you need to hit it with something like an arrow or the Hookshot for example. They don't inflict much damage, but they tend to be located in cramped passageways which makes them difficult to avoid," replied Spike.
" I take it they show up underwater?" I asked.
" Yes, and they are even worse when you're underwater due to how slow you move. The water doesn't affect their movement as they are water-based creatures, so you should keep that in mind. One more thing, you can use your shield to block the attack of a Shell-Blade although you need to be quick about it as they do move quickly," replied Spike.
" I guess this is the temple's way of introducing me to the basics before it decides to start increasing the difficulty," I said. The Shell-Blades looked harmless enough, but I moved towards them slowly with the Hookshot in my hand as I need to get used to using it if I am to survive underwater combat when that time comes. As soon as I got close enough, they all turned around, and opened their mouths which made me react by firing at them. 
The Hookshot's chain destroyed the first one, but bounced off of the other two before they attacked with their spiky ends by performing a really awkward bouncing motion. I was easily able to avoid this strange means of attacking, and moved up behind them where they turned around again with me responding with the Hookshot that destroyed them with ease. This caused a small treasure chest to materialize in front of me, and the door unlocked with the iron bars lifting as per the usual.
" That was very nicely done," commented Rarity.
" It wasn't as difficult as it looked, but I'm not about to get cocky again like with the other monsters in here," I said.
" Of course, you should have defeated them a little faster than you did, but I know that you did your very best so please don't take my comments as an insult. As soon as you take what's inside of that chest, we will need to make our way to the central chamber. It will have changed now that the water has been drained," said Rarity. 
As I kicked open the chest and took out a small key, I felt uncomfortable with her criticizing my every action, but I hope that it doesn't become a trend otherwise I will have to say something about it. Walking back to the central chamber wasn't all that difficult as the lack of water now made it easier to walk around, but I knew that I would need to use the Iron Boots again, so I wasn't about to feel complacent.
" Where do we go from here?" I asked.
" Now that the water level has been lowered, a lot more has been opened up to us, but at the same time we can't access the higher floors until we raise it back up again, so it's a case of gaining and losing at the same time," replied Spike. That didn't sound very pleasant, but I suppose this was the nature of the Water Temple, so I walked to the left where I saw a block in the ground which acted as a stepping stone to allow access to a locked door. 
" Where did that block come from?" I asked.
" It fell down from the highest floor due to the water no longer being around for it to float, so now it's become a means of opening that door," replied Spike. If that was the case, then raising the water level will allow it to be raised back up to its original location. I found it slightly cool that the water is able to change the dynamics of where I can go just like that. There was also a passageway to the south of the door which turned to the right, and that made things a bit more difficult when it came to deciding which way to go next. 
" We could enter the locked door, but that passageway to the south does look appealing as well," I said.
" That direction is going to be pointless darling," began Rarity.
" How come?" I asked.
" The route to the south which has you so intrigued leads to nothing more than a dead-end, so you would be wasting your time if you were to go that way. If you are doubting my words, then check your map so you can confirm it for yourself," replied Rarity. Secretly, I did doubt her, so I took out the Dungeon Map and looked at it although I had no idea what I was meant to be looking at. After looking over it for a few minutes with a puzzled look on my face, Rarity came over and showed me where on the map the passageway leads. 
" No doubt you're wondering how I knew that it was a dead-end, and that's because I used to come here all the time with my father and the rest of my people before things took a turn for the worse. The temple has changed a lot since I was here last, yet that dead-end is one that is so easy to remember because of how long the room extends which belies its uselessness."
" If that's the case then we can ignore that route and focus on opening the locked door," I said.
" What about that block over there?" asked Spike as he began to float towards to something that was to the west of where the locked door was. Rarity and I followed him, and sure enough there was a block imbedded into the wall. It looked like it could be pushed which would give us yet another direction to go, but again there was the locked door which seemed the most obvious way to go. " It looks like we have a decision to make, so maybe you should take out a rupee and toss it into the air just like you did back in the Ice Cavern."
" You're going to what?" asked Rarity.
" I'm going to toss a rupee into the air, and wherever it lands the closest of the two directions will be the one we take," I replied.
" Are you being serious right now? You want to make a decision based on tossing a single rupee?" asked Rarity.
" I know it sounds a little silly given that we could simply discuss things in a simple manner, but Spike and I have done this before where we couldn't agree on a decision, so we allowed a rupee to make the choice for us. If you believed me to be a traditional hero, then you clearly thought wrong. I'm not the kind of hero this world needs, and it does deserve better, but I've chosen to accept my fate even when I complain about it. 
Anyway, this is something we intend to do, so you will just have to accept our method," I replied. While I did feel bad for insulting Rarity, she kind of deserved it with the way she has been treating me. I then walked over until I was in-between the locked door and the block, and took out a green rupee from my wallet before tossing it into the air. 
The rupee spun around a few times before landing near where the block in the wall was located, so I immediately walked over to where the rupee landed, and picked it up again so as to not lose it. " That is the direction we'll check out first, and the locked door will be the second place we explore."
" I can't believe that you decided to use a rupee to determine where you wanted to go," said Rarity.
" Is that a problem?" I asked.
" Not really as it was actually a nice change of pace for me as whenever I had to make a decision, I had to rely on a rather mundane protocol which wore out its welcome. When you said that you were not a hero this world deserves to have, I have to disagree with you completely. While your methods are different, the fact that you overcome such adversities is commendable. It sounds to me darling that you could do with some more confidence in your skills as you clearly have what it takes to save Hyrule," replied Rarity.
" Guess I just have an inferiority complex," I sighed.
" In any case, that rupee of yours decided that we should push that block, and that is exactly what we shall do. And by we, I most certainly mean you of course as I don't have the physical strength to push something so big and heavy," said Rarity. I had a feeling that she was going to use her own style of charm in order to make me push this block, but I was going to do that anyway as I knew that she lacked the muscle to push it along. Then again, I felt that I had no muscles of my own, but I had no other choice but to use physical labour. 
Climbing up onto the block on the floor to stand properly in front of the other one, I pressed my hands against it, and started to push as hard as I could in the hopes that it would push itself back. Sure enough, the block was easily pushed back by my efforts which made me think that perhaps I am a lot stronger than I thought. After pushing it along the passageway for what felt like forever, I pushed it one more time, and the block suddenly dropped down a shaft which was filled with water.
" I thought the temple had been completely drained of water?" I asked.
" The basement is still flooded mind you as the water simply can't just vanish from here, but then this should not be a concern to you as you're wearing the finest garment my people have created, and you do have those Iron Boots. No need to be hesitant as you wanted to come this way, so come along and let's see where this will take us," replied Rarity. She then dove into the water and immediately swam down to the floor before giving me the indication that she wanted me to follow.
" What do you make of all this?" I asked Spike who must surely be as confused as I am.
" Princess Ruto knows more about the Water Temple than we do as this is a sacred place for her people, but because of the curse somehow having warped things around, things are now different from what she remembers. All we can do really is just take her word for it, and follow her lead, but you will have to take over when it comes to fighting monsters as that's your expertise," replied Spike.
" I just wish that she wouldn't poke fun at how we came to making a decision when we're stuck in an impasse," I said.
" Can you blame her for being a little irritated about it? Her people are trapped under ice and their fates are hanging in the balance, so she wants to get this resolved as soon as possible, and that stunt with the rupee clearly tested her patience. We just need to humour her a little so that she doesn't lose control of her emotions," said Spike. Rarity was known in the human world for having a temperment which flared up whenever she felt frustrated, and it's unfortunate that this aspect of her character was brought over to this world. 
With that in mind, I switched over to the Iron Boots, and dropped down into the water where she was further ahead, and signalling that she wanted me to hurry up. This underwater passage wasn't all that long, so I had to change back to my regular boots almost immediately which was a little inconvenient. 
Once I floated back up to the surface, I climbed out of the water and walked forward where I entered a room that featured a deep pit with a geyser that looked rather weak, and two Blue Tektites were on the platform on the other side which also featured a door. A Crystal Switch was to my right which gave me an idea as to how this puzzle needed to be solved.
" By hitting the switch over there, that should cause the geyser to rise up and give me an extra platform I can use to get across to the other side," I said.
" Since we know that these switches revolve around a timing mechanism, I'd say that you have a few seconds before the geyser drops back down, and you have to climb back out again using the Hookshot as there is a plate right below your feet. My concern is focused on the Blue Tekties on the other side who could be a problem as they may cause you to accidentally fall below. I suppose you could use your water magic on the geyser to have it rise up and splash them down there, but would you be able to command that much water?" asked Spike.
" To be honest, I was thinking that maybe I could fire arrows at them instead and pick them off from this side," I replied.
" That works too! One thing you should know with Blue Tektites is that hitting them from a distance will cause them to start moving in the direction their attacker is, but they are so blind with wanting to get revenge, they end up getting themselves into bad situations which will benefit us," said Spike.
" I see where you're going with this. If I hit each one of them with an arrow, they'll come towards me because I hurt them, and they'll fall into the pit below and essentially trap themselves leaving us free to make our way across," I said. Taking out the Fairy Bow and aiming at them was the easy part, but the problem as always was my aiming which really needed work. I wasted three arrows trying to hit one of the Blue Tektites before I struck pay-dirt. 
The one that I hit began to jump forward, and into the pit which was what I wanted, and then I started to fire at the other one which took another six arrows until it too ended up in the pit. With them now out of the way, my attention turned to the crystal switch where I struck it causing the geyser to rise up as expected turning into a platform. The mysterious ticking sound then began in earnest, so I knew we needed to move fast, so I asked Rarity to cross first. 
As soon as she was on the other side, I started to cross when the ticking suddenly stopped, and the geyser began to go back down. I panicked and jumped again where I barely grabbed the edge, and pulled myself up which was too close for comfort. " That crystal switch didn't last as long as the ones we encountered in the Fire Temple."
" The amount of time they stay activated varies depending on the kind of puzzle we encounter. Some will last several seconds while others can last up to a minute to give you a fighting chance. In case you were wondering, you can easily get back across using the Hookshot to latch onto the other side and pull yourself over the pit. I'm guessing that the Blue Tektites will be back on this side when we come back as some unseen force does give these monsters unfair advantages which will be problematic," said Spike.
" Could it be the result of Ganondorf's power?" I asked.
" Maybe, or the source of the curse in the temple is causing it to happen," replied Spike.
" Then we need to be careful otherwise we could get an unpleasant surprise coming our way. Speaking of the curse, what do you suppose it looks like? My guess is that it's a water based creature which would make sense given where we are and all," I said.
" A pretty good guess and one that I don't object," said Spike. Rarity then started to tap her foot rapidly which was an indication that she wanted us to get going, so I walked over to the door and opened it which lead into a room where it consisted of a single walkway, and a large body of water to my left which was spinning around due to a powerful vortex. 
I could barely see some kind of dragon-like statue underwater which had some kind of crystal switch stuck in its mouth, and another segment of the statue was sticking out on the opposite side of the pool. There was also a passageway down there which lead up to a gate, and it looked like something was moving about behind it which had me suspicious.
" That's quite a powerful current," I commented.
" And one I am certain you're not used to," said Rarity.
" So far, I've only experience walking about underwater at my own pace, but this is a lot faster than I would have expected," I said.
" The current is only going to be strong if you decide to simply jump into the water without thinking as your current weight will have you at its mercy. If you were to increase your weight with those Iron Boots of yours, the current won't affect you, but you do need to figure out how to open that gate down there. I believe I can help you out here as the speed of the water has no affect on me," said Rarity.
" There is a crystal switch inside of the mouth of that statue, and I believe striking it will open the gate," I said.
" This may sound a little awkward for you, but please hear me out. We'll jump into the water at the same time with you wearing those Iron Boots, and the instant we go underwater, grab my hands and I'll drag you as close as possible to the passageway where you can head through the gate when I activate the switch. I'll be okay back here as the water is my natural element," said Rarity. It did sound awkward when she said that we had to hold hands, but I knew that she didn't mean it like that because that's not the kind of person she was. 
As soon as I switched over to the Iron Boots, we both jumped into the water where we went under, and I grabbed her hands wher itt looked like she was going to drop me because I was too heavy for her. Rarity managed to get me close to the edge of the ledge where she dropped me before needing a moment to catch her breath. I fell rather slowly again due to the buoyancy of the water, yet this was ideal as I was able to grab onto the edge, and pulled myself up before walking up to the gate.
" There are those shell monsters we encountered earlier," I said.
" And this time you need to fight them underwater while moving about in close quarters which will become even closer when that gate closes. You need to make sure neither of them manage to make it past you otherwise Princess Ruto is going to get attacked, so use your shield to keep them back, and remember that you can only use the Hookshot until you get out of the water again," said Spike. I gave the signal to Rarity for her to activate the crystal switch, although now that I think about it, I could just strike the switch on my own. 
As soon as she activated it, the gate opened up and I ran as fast as I could until it closed back down a few seconds later leaving me to deal with the Shell-Blades. The first one opened its mouth and I fired the Hookshot at it which destroyed it, but the other one was a bit too fast and used its spiky end to come charging at me, and it ended up colliding with me which was a little painful. The problem now was that due to the area being so cramped, I was having trouble trying to dodge it, and found myself being hit several times over before I was able to finally move away while it smacked into the gate which probably didn't even faze it due to how hard its shell was. 
When it then turned itself around and opened its mouth, I fired the Hookshot striking its internal muscle and destroying it before dropping to the ground in exhaustion.
" Are you okay darling?" asked Rarity.
" That didn't go quite as well as I was expecting," I replied.
" Your fighting skills while underwater are lackluster, but that's because it's something you haven't gotten used to. I won't criticize your skills as you, and the other land dwellers flounder too often whenever you decide to fight below the water's surface. I've seen many like you before who acquire Zora Tunics, and then immediately boast that they can fight just as well underwater as they do on dry land. 
Most of them end up either getting killed because of their stupidity, or being injured so badly that they are scarred for the rest of their lives, and refuse to go near the water again. You are different from the rest of them as you don't boast about your skills as you believe that you have none, but that is a lie for you do have the skills, yet they remain dormant," said Rarity.
" It's a work in progress," I sighed.
" So you say, but I think you're just trying to block yourself from your true potential. It's like you're psychologically denying yourself the pleasure of being able to show off how good you really are, but that is just my best guess as I clearly don't know you that well enough to determine the truth," said Rarity.
" You don't know me?" I asked.
" We didn't really get a chance to sit down to get to know each other better at the time as you were trying to save Hyrule, and that meant you were too busy to spend some time talking with me. The only thing that you ever said about yourself was that you were from another world which I remember demanding you tell me about it. 
It's something which has never left my mind even after seven years as it felt so unreal to me, but as I continued to think about it, I began to believe that you were being honest. Only someone from another world would have a hard time struggling to get adjusted to a place like this, and that could explain why your skills have been poor," replied Rarity.
" That's my fault for being in a race against time," I said.
" Yes, I suppose that's true as you were trying to stop Ganondorf although that didn't end well sadly. All I can say to you at this point Sunset Shimmer is that you need to have more confidence otherwise you'll just end up being miserable, and not really amount to all that much upon the final conclusion. Some things are going to be beyond your control, and you have to expect that, but there is so much that you can do which right now you aren't doing so. Maybe you should listen to both your fairy and your heart as my words are simply that and nothing more," said Rarity. 
Her words were very powerful, and she made so many good points about how I felt, so perhaps I am lacking when it comes to believing in myself. Back in the human world, it took me a while to believe in myself, and those words I sang should be what I need to rely on whenever I feel down and wanting to give up....those words...."You're never gonna bring me down! You're never gonna break this part of me"....and that's when I remembered something I learned during my encounter with Ganondorf....the real one....the one who sent me into this world in the first place. 
He wanted me to suffer because he viewed me as the tormented one, and that's why I've had to endure all of this emotional baggage since the start. Rarity reminded me of all of this in her own unique fashion, and for that I am eternally grateful. " Darling? Are you okay over there? You seem to be distracted with something."
" I'm alright princess as I needed a moment to rest and think," I said.
" You know, I could have done something to prevent you from getting hurt by those awful monsters," said Rarity.
" Perhaps, but you need to remember that you aren't a fighter, and these creatures for the most part like to fight up close. I'm not saying that because you're a princess, but rather you don't have physical skills," I said.
" I could easily have turned the tide at a moment's notice had I been given the opportunity to do so. Anyway, you should see where that way goes, and let me know when you want me to activate the switch again to open the gate for you," said Rarity. That felt really weird to me when she said that which made me think that she really wants to fight, and that makes no sense as Rarity didn't seem like the kind of person who would want to get involved in a fight. 
At this point, the only direction I could go was up, so I switched back to my regular boots and rose to the surface to find myself in a really small room which consisted of one small treasure chest. Inside upon kicking it open was a small key which I took before turning my attention back to the water.
" If we had decided to go the other way first, what do you suppose would have happened?" I asked.
" We'd have kept on going until we came upon a locked door we couldn't open due to not having a key, and that would have resulted in backtracking all the way over here just to be able to progress further," replied Spike.
" Can you imagine if we raised the water level, and then discovered that we needed to backtrack?" I asked.
" That would involve going all the way back to where that first point was located, and repeat the entire process all over again thus making us waste even more time. I don't know about you, but this temple is already starting to get on my nerves due to how many passages there are," replied Spike.
" How do you think I feel about it? You at least get to fly around and do nothing but provide me with advice, and I have to do so much walking, swimming, climbing, fighting, falling, jumping, and so on that it's all become so monotonous and boring. They say people always have problems when it comes to being in a place that features water because their emotions reach high levels of anxiety making them do things which can be deemed questionable. I envy Princess Ruto for being able to remain calm," I said.
" She has to be like that in order to prevent herself from snapping," said Spike.
" I can't even begin to imagine how she must be feeling right now about her people, but maybe we should go back to where we left her as she might be thinking that we're wasting her time again," I said. Switching back to the Iron Boots, and realizing that this was going to be a thing throughout the Water Temple, I dropped back down into the passageway, and gave the signal to Rarity to activate the crystal switch to allow me to come through the gate. 
I had to hustle of course as the gate wasn't going to stay open for very long, and running in these boots was difficult, but once I made it back into the part of the water which was flowing about, I switched back to my regular boots and swam up to the surface where I had some trouble getting onto shore. That's because the current was pulling me about so I couldn't get close to the ledge where I needed to climb out, but luckily I was pulled out by Rarity who managed to swan dive onto shore as a means of showing off before reaching out to grab me.
" What did you discover down there?"
" Just this small key which is going to be useful as there's going to be more than one locked door for us to go through," I replied.
" I suppose that it was a good thing that we decided to come this way even though the method of coming to that decision was rather questionable. Still, with two of those keys in your possession, we'll be able to make more progress. Please follow me again as I will guide us back to the central chamber," said Rarity. As we started to make our way back to the locked door we ignored earlier, something else was happening in the temple which could mean problems were about to occur for me.

" She is taking a lot longer to get here....than you were expecting, so therefore I should have been sent much closer to the....entrance instead of being placed all the way over here."
" You should pick and choose your words more carefully my servant because you do realize that it was my magic which enabled you to become stronger. I can easily take back my power, and leave you nothing more than a charred corpse which is how you ended up to begin with for defying me? Is that what you desire right now?"
" No, I want this more than anything!"
" Then remember your place and know that I am the one who commands you! You have no free will of your own anymore as you gave it up when you begged me to give you the power that you desire so that you can deal with her, yet you are doing this in order to pique my amusement and nothing more. Should you end up killing her in the end, it won't disappoint me although I had hoped that she would die by my own hands."	
" If you're so adamant about killing her then why don't....you come here and perform the task yourself? Are you suggesting that this action is beneath your greatness so much, that you are going to....use someone else to do the job? Not that I don't appreciate doing this as it's what I desire, but why not fight her now Ganondorf as you are far too powerful for her to even be a remote threat. "
" I only face those who I find worthy, and this kid is anything but that," said Tirek.
" And yet she was able to inflict quite the wound on you seven years....ago back in the Temple of Time where she managed to withstand all of your brute strength. I'd say that my significant other is more powerful than....you are willing to believe, but who am I to question your sense of ethics.  While I do appreciate you giving me a proper chance....at claiming her life as my own with these arrangements, I would have done....this without your power."
" Oh would you now? When you were punished for believing that you would claim the Triforce, your body was so broken that it was barely able to hold itself together. I could simply destroy you right now, and deny you what you desire, but this all amuses me to no end as while you wish to assume her identity, in the end you clearly won't have the luxury of living out that life in the manner you perceive it to be.
No, you shall forever be a servant to me because that is what you are....nothing more than a monster whose only purpose is to obey my commands. I except a good performance when she finally arrives she-demon, for I wish to see if she does have what it takes to confirm a suspicion of mine," said Tirek.
" What kind of suspicion?" asked Sunset Demon.
" It is of no concern to you wretch!" replied Tirek.
" Then what is my concern?" asked Sunset Demon.
" To obey my command and determine if she is indeed one of the chosen. Should she turn out to be false in that regard, then I will have no use for her at all, and you can do whatever you want with her. That will be your only solace in all of this she-demon, but that all depends on whether the kid is who I believe her to be. I now leave things up to you, but I do have one last warning for you, and that is you shall not reveal the true reason as to why she must do battle with you. 
As far as she is concerned, she is going to face you because of wanting to deal with her dark side, and desiring the treasure which lies in the room behind you. If you reveal anything about her possibly being one of the chosen ones, then I shall obliterate you immediately without a second thought....remember that you are mine to do with as I see fit she-demon," said Tirek.
" His arrogance is so unbearable that it makes me want....to throw up, but I have no choice but to do as he commands otherwise he will destroy me, and....I will never be able to assume her life which she doesn't deserve. For now I'll do as his says until I get....what I want, and from there I'll be able to break free of this servitude. I am curious though as to what he was talking about when it comes to these chosen ones, and how....it relates back to him. 
He believes Sunset Shimmer to be someone of high praise, but clearly he is deluded....as why would she be worthy of anything? She is weak because she refused....to accept her destiny as the ruler of Equestria, so now I need....to fix that oversight, and claim the throne by doing away with Princess Celestia. I'll....play along because I have no other choice, but the moment I am able to get the chance, I will take it....and not only claim my freedom, but also claim my old life back."

Once we were back in the central chamber of the Water Temple, we began to walk towards the locked door, but there was an additional passageway on the opposite side which did look promising, but I don't think Rarity would approve of me wanting to make another decision involving a rupee. As soon as the door was unlocked, we entered the interior of the shaft, and discovered that the entire floor was covered in large spikes apart from the walkway that was in front of us. 
Looking up, I saw that this room goes up quite the distance meaning that it could be accessed on each level of the temple apart from the basement, but the question was how were we meant to progress without being able to use the water to swim up?
" There has to be a way for us to climb up to the top, but how can we do that without any water?" I asked.
" Perhaps you can find a Hookshot plate that will allow you to make your way up," replied Spike. He then floated in front of me so that he could find one of those plates, and sure enough he found one which turned out to be on the platform that was right above where we entered the room from. 
" There's a plate right there where you can use the Hookshot to drag yourself up to it. Also, it looks like I can see the Crest of the Royal Family on the wall, so this must be the second location where we can change the water. If that's the case then playing Zelda's Lullaby in front of it will cause the water to raise up to where the crest is."
" Did you say the Crest of the Royal Family?" I asked.
" Yes," replied Spike.
" I thought that it was called the Triforce?" I asked.
" It is known as that yes, but it also serves as a symbol for the royal family as it's been their duty to protect the Triforce since as far back as anyone can remember. The actual crest looks like some kind of angel with the golden triangles situated in the center, but most people wouldn't be able to make sense of it, so instead they just use the triangles on their own as a symbol of the family. You'd actually be surprised as to where the crest shows up across the kingdom," replied Spike.
" How so?" I asked.
" Each of the five temples is said to feature the crest somewhere because it's meant to be a sign of respect towards the royal family, and this applies to the tribes who have sworn fealty to them. Granted, the Gerudo were the only ones not to pledge their allegiance, but if Ganondorf had been different where he was a man of peace rather than one who desired to conquer the world, Hyrule would have been united and peace would have reigned supreme in the process. 
Anyway, the point is that the Triforce symbol serves as a reminder that the royal family had a strong influence in the lives of all people across the land," replied Spike.
" Despite Ganondorf now being the king thanks to his claiming of the Triforce," I added.
" When he is finally defeated, the royal family will be restored to the throne, but that depends if Princess Zelda is still alive," said Spike.
" That's something which we haven't managed to figure out yet, but then we haven't exactly taken the time to ask around as to what happened to her after we last saw her seven years ago when she fled the castle. Of course, I don't think most people would be willing to answer not because of being afraid of Ganondorf and his followers, but because of not really knowing anything. 
Princess Ruto might actually know something as her status does grant her access to such information, so maybe we should inquire about it after we have finished in here. Well, let's get up to the second location and play Twilight's Lullaby before her highness over there decides to throw a tantrum as it looks like she's on the verge of having one based on that expression," I said. 
I took out the Hookshot, and after careful aiming, I fired it and launched myself up, and grabbing the edge so that I didn't fall to the ground. Once I was standing in front of the symbol, I took the Ocarina of Time from my pouch, and played Twilight's Lullaby which caused the water to rise up until it stopped short of the symbol itself. With the water now filled up halfway throughout the temple, new paths will have opened which is what I need right now. 
Spike took the liberty of using his fairy magic to place a red mark on the Dungeon Map to indicate that this was where the second location was, and that meant one more was left to find. " There's one place that we do need to backtrack to, and that was back in the room where we first found the princess. While swimming up to the top of the room, I noticed a ledge which lead to a cracked wall, and I suspect that there's something of value behind it otherwise why would such a wall even be there in the first place?"
" Before you decide to do that darling, there is something which you need to see," answered Rarity.
" What's that?" I asked.
" When the water level began to rise up in response to you playing that song, that block over there moved up along with the water. If you look down below, you can clearly see that the block covered up a secret passageway which sounds like something you may want to consider going to first before backtracking? I mean, why would anyone want to cover up a passageway unless there was something important down there," replied Rarity.
" You have gotten me curious about it, and it could lead to another small key which would go a long way," I said.
" Then switch over to those Iron Boots of yours, and sink down to the basement, but make sure that you don't land on those spikes otherwise you'll get a nasty poke. I'll be waiting for you down below, so don't keep me waiting," said Rarity. She then dropped down underwater and straight to the bottom as though she were some kind of rocket, and I couldn't help but be jealous. 
Once again, I switched over to the Iron Boots, and dropped down to the basement, yet I did nearly land on the spikes by accident, but managed to avoid them with the narrowest of margins. That's when I noticed Rarity wasn't waiting for me which had me suspect she had decided to swim further ahead. 
I was beginning to think that her stubborn attitude with wanting to get through the Water Temple as fast as possible was going to end up killing all of us, so maybe I ought to tell her to leave and let me handle things. Sighing yet again, I ran down the passageway in a clunky fashion, but it turned to the left and into an underwater room which had a rather low ceiling, and Rarity was standing in the center as though she were trying to figure out how things were supposed to work. 
" Hmmmm? You came a lot quicker than I was expecting given how you do like to take your time, but I had to come down this way rather than wait for you as I was curious as to what lay ahead. I think some of your mannerisms are beginning to rub off on me, and I actually like it as I have this urge to want to hustle along in order to get things done quickly."
" You could have just waited you know," I said.
" Maybe so, but my curiosity was too much for me to refuse to see what was down here as I have never seen this part of the temple before. I guess you're pretty upset with my attitude because of how irrational I have been, but my people are on the verge of dying, and I want to save them all even if means having to sacrifice myself in the process to achieve my goal. 
I cannot help but want to hurry things along as the longer this takes, the less chances my people will survive, and Zora's Domain will never be the same as it once was. Perhaps you were right Sunset Shimmer in that I should have stayed outside of the temple, for clearly I am quite the burden even though I do not mean to act in this fashion," said Rarity.
" You just need to not allow your emotions to cloud your judgment otherwise you could end up getting hurt, and no one wants to see that happen as the Zoras respect you a great deal. They see you as their future queen who will one day lead them to a new prosperity, but that will only come to pass if you show restraint and do things at a pace where you don't wind up getting in over your head," I said.
" Now that wasn't the best pep talk I have heard," laughed Rarity.
" It was something I just put together at the last minute," I said.
" As I suspected from the very beginning, you are certainly different from other heroes who have come and gone in Hyrule over the generations, and that makes you a rather unique woman if I do say so myself. Now then, I notice that there is a crystal switch all the way over there at the end of this room, and a gate is situated right above it which could be a trap, but I don't know for certain which is why I was thinking about what to do when you came in. 
I suppose that I should just step aside and allow you to handle it as it is what you do as an adventurer," said Rarity. She then stepped aside like she said she would, and it made me feel uneasy as I suspected this whole thing to be a trap. I walked over to the switch and looked up at the gate, and saw nothing suspicious so perhaps my feelings were wrong. 
The moment I activated the switch, the gate above me opened, and several monsters fell through and right on top of me leaving me no means of being able to defend myself. There were two Spikes and two Shell-Blades all wanting to do me in, and it looks like I've just given them the perfect opportunity to do so....

To Be Continued.