The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Ocarina of Time

by Ganondorf8

Chapter 57: The Lone-Wolf Thief

Author's Note:

Disclaimer: I do not own anything regarding the Legend of Zelda, the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, and My Little Pony: Equestria Girls Rainbow Rocks. These are the properties of Nintendo and Hasbro respectively.

Rainbow Dash has gotten more coverage in this chapter than the rest of the story combined. Guess this is her time to shine.

Cast appearing in this chapter.

Sunset Shimmer - Link
Spike - Navi the Fairy
Fluttershy - Saria
Rainbow Dash - Nabooru
Trixie Lulamoon - Koume
Queen Chrysalis - Kotake

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Ocarina of Time.
By Ganondorf8
April 4, 2015
Chapter 57: The Lone-Wolf Thief.

When the light returned me to the Temple of Time, I immediately made my way to the Pedestal of Time. It had only been a short time since I last went into the past to do something which would help me in the future, yet it felt like an eternity had passed instead. Spike knew what I was thinking, and encouraged me to not waver as we had to discover what happened to Rainbow Dash.

I drew the Master Sword from its scabbard, and thrusted it into the pedestal where I found myself surrounded by the strange light which was the Sacred Realm opening once again. A few moments later, I let go of the divine blade, and was back in the past. As I looked down at myself, it felt weird looking like this, but at least I'm not confused as I was before when I travelled through time.

No, this time I had to venture forth to the Spirit Temple, and explore it with the pure heart of a child as depicted in the message from the snakehead statue. But, now that I am considered a child again, I was thinking that maybe I could take some time to explore around, and pick up anything that I may have missed, yet can now acquire thanks to having some additional items. I decided to see what Spike had to say about because I do value the advice that he gives me.

" Do you think we'll be able to pick up some items which I missed before?" I asked.

" It's possible as more places have become open to you, but maybe right now wouldn't be a good time to start going around accomplishing side-quests. Don't tell me that you've forgotten the reason why we've returned to the past?" asked Spike.

" Of course not, yet I would like to spend some time getting these items," I replied.

" And why do you want to do that?" asked Spike.

" Once we have broken the curse and awakened the final Sage, I will finally have my chance against Ganondorf. While I do believe that I have the means to fight him, I'm not entirely confidant that I'll be able to defeat him, and fulfill the destiny which was placed onto my shoulders. I figure that collecting some items that I neglected may tip the scales back in my favour, and also let me experience what this world was like before he came along and changed all of it," I replied.

" I believe you can beat him," said Spike.

" Then I wish that I had your optimism," I sighed.

" You shouldn't worry about what is going to happen when you meet him, for right now you need to focus on the Spirit Temple. As long as the final Sage remains unawake, battling the Evil King isn't going to be happening any time soon," said Spike. Once again, his wisdom proved to be correct on so many levels, and I was allowing my insecurities to make me feel bad about myself.

Still, I did want to pick up items as the more I have, the better my chances will be when the final battle comes. I needed to find some way of reaching a middle ground regarding this situation, as I wanted to get items and Spike wants me to use the Ocarina of Time, and head off to the desert which is where I need to go.

" I think we've reached an impasse," I said.

" It has been some time since our last one," said Spike.

" Yeah, and I don't intend on tossing a rupee this time to figure out what we're going to do. I want to collect some items I missed in the past because I still feel a lack of confidence about how I measure up to Ganondorf, yet you wish for me to focus on the quest, and head towards the desert.

Here is my suggestion on what we can do....we'll go to the Spirit Temple first, and help Rainbow Dash because she needs it from what we found out in the future. Once we have the power of silver according to the snakehead statue's message, we can spend some time picking up those items. Is that an ideal compromise to you?" I asked.

" If Nabooru is saved from whatever happened to her, then she should surely appear in the future. That would be the ideal solution to all of our problems right? The answer to that is no, for such a concept is not possible. She disappeared for a reason, and we need to understand why. We won't be able to prevent it from happening," replied Spike.

" So you don't like my compromise?" I asked.

" I'm fine with it because if you feel that you need to be better prepared to take on Ganondorf, then you should do so if it will make you feel more confidant in your abilities. I'm just saying we must focus on the task at hand," replied Spike. Whew....glad to see that he was on board, yet he was right about the whole thing with Rainbow Dash.

Something happened which caused her to vanish, and even if we prevent her from using that item she purchased from Fancy Pants, it doesn't guarantee she will be safe afterwards. While it would be nice to change the future, it was nothing more than a foolish dream as trying to manipulate the fabric of time would be impossible to figure out.

" How difficult do you think the Spirit Temple is going to be?" I asked.

" Because we're back here again, you only have the weapons and items you picked up during this time. I suspect the difficulty is going to be high as you'll be using weaker weapons, and that includes the Kokiri Sword which you acquired. Your sword skills will be tested now more than ever before as it's considered the weakest sword in Hyrule despite it being a sacred treasure of the Kokiri," replied Spike.

" I was afraid you'd say that," I sighed.

" This may be a good time to try using Nayru's Love," suggested Spike.

" Yes, I do have it when I didn't before, so it could prove useful," I said.

" Normally, I would suggest fighting against the monsters in order to earn experience, but this time I suggest keeping your distance from them unless you have no choice but to fight them," said Spike.

" Which is going to be most of the rooms we explore in the temple," I said.

" That will depend on what we encounter," said Spike. I took out the Ocarina of Time, and played the Requiem of Spirit where I disappeared in a bright orange light. A few moments later, and I appeared in the Desert Colossus by landing on the Sage Altar although I had no idea exactly where I was. The view in front of me was different from last time, but what made it worse was how cold it was due to it being night time out here in the desert.

" Brrrr....why is it so cold?" I asked.

" At night, the temperature reaches these low levels because of the strong winds that blow about. Also, the sand doesn't give off any heat at night for the sun isn't shining down on top of it. You could say that the desert is practically dead at night, for only the monsters would be willing to come out at this time," replied Spike.

" Is this what the Gerudo have to endure every night?" I asked.

" Yes, for their homes lack the standards of living which are enjoyed by the other tribes. It also doesn't help that the strong winds at night make things really unbearable, for not even they are able to survive out here," replied Spike.

" It's no wonder that they struggle so much because everyday for them is one of sheer survival against the elements. This cold temperature feels like death itself is all around me, and it must be the same for them whenever night falls. They huddle together, and hope that they will survive until the next sunrise as the cold winds of death fly around wanting another victim.

I suppose Ganondorf figured out that his people were suffering in that manner, yet instead of choosing to help them overcome these conditions, he chose instead to conquer Hyrule and leave them to suffer," I said.

" They could survive if warmer winds came by at night," said Spike. That would be the best thing that could happen to the Gerudo, but such a miracle as that is likely never going to happen, for what exists here in the desert has long become natural. Still, I felt bad about how they have to suffer living out here as an area like the desert is no place to live even for a tribe of thieves.

The more I come to understand their pain, the more I understand why Ganondorf wanted the kingdom in the first place. Perhaps long ago he wanted his people to live in much nicer conditions than a land filled with sand, but those two witches somehow convinced him that he should strive to claim the Triforce, and control something bigger than a mere desert.

It then dawned on me that I never once asked Spitfire or the other Gerudo as to how they felt about the harsh winds that come around at night, yet I didn't feel anything of the sort back at the fortress. Then again, it could be that I was in confined areas like those cliffs at the start, or barely outside long enough to have taken notice of the conditions.

" Do you suppose the old King knew of these conditions?" I asked.

" It's possible that one of his advisors told him, and that prompted him to attempt to forge an alliance with them. But, their position with regards to men would never have allowed such a deal to have taken place. I hate to say it like this, but the ways of their tribe will end up bringing about their destruction. If they change the course of how they go about their lives, then there is a chance that they will survive for another few generations," replied Spike.

" One thing does bother me though," I said.

" And what's that?" asked Spike.

" I remember one of the carpenters asking me why we saw so many female Gerudo at the fortress, but no males were seen," I replied.

" That doesn't sound all that strange," said Spike.

" At first I thought the males had accompanied Ganondorf when he conquered Hyrule, but then I recalled being told that he took over the castle by himself due to the Triforce granting him immense power. My next guess was that the males had become security, yet he prefers to rely on monsters to fulfill his need of having servants, and the men merely were forced to do something mediocre. But then it all clicked together when I heard from the same carpenter as well as the others that the Gerudo treat men as being beneath them," I said.

" So what are you getting at?" asked Spike.

" Their existence is problematic, but I need to ask Rainbow Dash about it when we find her," I replied.

" She is most likely inside of the Spirit Temple assuming she made it through the Haunted Wasteland," said Spike. Guess we had to go there to confirm our suspicion, so I started to make my way forward where Leevers began coming out of the ground. I was thinking of fighting them, but then I remember the Kokiri Sword was weaker than the Master Sword, so it would take extra effort to defeat just one.

No, it would be best simply to ignore them and get to the temple before this cold temperature makes me feel even worse. As the monsters went by, I ended up reaching the stones where in the future Sonata was digging around for masks, yet she wasn't here because she was somewhere else in the kingdom at this moment.

" I wonder how these stones got stacked up like this?" I asked.

" Not sure, but I will admit that it's quite the unique arrangement," replied Spike.

" The good thing is I now know where we are, and I was afraid for a while that I was lost. It's because the Sage Altar was located way off to the side which disoriented me for a while that I thought I was lost in the desert," I said. Feeling rather curious about the stones, I walked over to one of them, and placed my hand on it to see if I could sense any kind of magic, yet nothing came up which indicated they were just large slabs of rock.

I then turned to face the goddess of the sand, and looked up to see it was huge in size especially compared to these stones. Just staring up at it made me feel intimidated, and I was a little curious about who could have carved this into the cliff-side. I doubt Spike would tell me anything about this goddess, as knowledge about the temple is limited. That's when I took the Ocarina of Time out from my pouch, for I needed to talk to Fluttershy in this time period, for her future self suggested it.

" What are you doing?" asked Spike.

" I'm going to talk to Fluttershy," I replied.

" Are you sure that's a good idea? We're in the past now, so she hasn't been awakened as one of the Sages," said Spike.

" I know, but she suggested I speak to her past self," I said.

" Yes, I do recall her giving you that idea," said Spike.

" She was able to provide some answers to my questions regarding the Bottom of the Well, so I'm certain she will give me some answers about the Spirit Temple," I said. I then began playing Fluttershy's Song, and I needed to remember that this was her past self, so she will still be referring to herself as Saria. She wouldn't call herself by her true name until the future because of spending the next seven years coming to terms with it.

" Sunset Shimmer? This is Saria....can you hear me? Huh? Where exactly are you right now?" asked Fluttershy. This was a strange question coming from her, but I quickly remembered that she isn't aware I've come back from the future, and still assumes I haven't done anything dangerous. I needed to answer carefully so as to not reveal things that must remain a secret.

" I'm currently in the desert," I replied.

" Now how did you end up all the way over there? No one has ever made it through that area of Hyrule apart from one person according to what the Great Deku Tree once told me, yet those howling sounds are evident that you are where you say you are. I'm not sure why you would want to go to such an arid place, but I assume that you must have a good reason.

Now that I think about it, the Great Deku Tree also said someone was going to travel to the desert by using an ocarina. I'd never imagined you would be the one who would go there via such a method," said Fluttershy.

" I was curious as to what was out here, so I figured on investigating. Besides, with what's happening at the castle right now, I wanted to get as far away from that danger as possible," I said. Deep down, I didn't want to lie to her like this, but I had no other choice.

Technically, I was being honest as I didn't want to go to Hyrule Castle as there was nothing but confusion going on there regarding the death of the King, and Ganondorf won't do anything until I've pulled the Master Sword. I just hope Fluttershy doesn't think too badly of me for giving her false information about my actions.

" Never has a Kokiri visited such exotic places like you have Sunset Shimmer, and I'll admit that I am jealous you get to see so many different things while I'm stuck here. Yes, the problem at the castle has been getting worse with every passing hour, so I'm glad you decided to stay as far away from there as possible. You know, they say that a desert is full of mystery and wonder, but that's because few ever get to see it with their own eyes.

I mentioned that one other person was able to get to the desert, and probably knows more about the area than I do. If you can find whoever this person is, why not ask them about some of the intricacies of the region. Expanding your horizons is a good idea as you could discover something new," said Fluttershy.

" Sounds like you know a thing or two," I said.

" Well, there is a mysterious temple located in the desert, and is crawling with monsters which will harm you if you're not careful. I heard that whoever built the place did so in order to pay tribute to the sun which can be seen in the form of sun faces," said Fluttershy.

" Sun faces?" I asked.

" They look like panels with facial features on them that appear with sleeping expressions, but exposing them to the light will brighten up their mood. I'm not sure what that means exactly, but maybe it will make sense to you if you ever find this temple. There is one other thing which I know, but again I don't know why....it's as though some inner voice was instructing me on what to say to you.

Anyway, it is said that the goddess of the sand had a couple of statues built in her greatness, and that great rewards would appear in her hands should one fulfill her obligations. The ocarina may help, or you might have to prove your worth," replied Fluttershy. Is it possible that whoever has been speaking to her is someone from the Sacred Realm?

I guess Spike was right about Fluttershy not knowing much, but I still stand by my idea of wanting to listen to her. Besides, her future self did insistent on speaking to her past self, and I did learn something new which was about the hands of the goddess.

" I can see one of those goddesses in front of me, and it's really huge in scope," I said.

" Then treasures will appear on its hands should anyone fulfill the requirements," said Fluttershy.

" Climbing up there is impossible," I said.

" Of course it would be as it sounds really dangerous, but maybe if you were to make your way up there from the inside. Even though I don't want you doing anything dangerous, I have a feeling you're going to be because you need to. Sunset Shimmer, I have no idea what you plan on doing, but please be safe," said Fluttershy. With that, she chose to end the conversation leaving me feeling bad that I had lied about why I was in the desert.

" I'm feeling guilty over lying," I sighed.

" You had no other choice, for she must not be allowed to know what happens in the future. The knowledge you and I have gotten from our adventures seven years from now can't be told to anyone otherwise they may attempt to change their fates. It's like what we were discussing regarding Nabooru in that no matter what happens, her fate remains the same," said Spike.

" Hopefully, her future self forgives me," I said.

" I think she will as she suggested you to speak to herself," said Spike.

" Guess we should enter the temple," I suggested.

" We don't have anywhere else to go, and judging from how you're shivering, you could do with getting out of the cold," said Spike. The cold winds were now starting to affect me, and I hadn't noticed because talking to Fluttershy made me forget. I needed to get inside before I start sneezing, so I walked up to the entrance where I suddenly came to a stop upon noticing a patch of soft soil to the left.

" Look at this!" I exclaimed.

" Who would have thought that we would see one of those out here," said Spike.

" You don't mind if I plant a Magic Bean do you?" I asked.

" It could prove to be useful given how we finally figured out what the beans become when fully grown," replied Spike. I walked over to the patch where I took out a bean from one of my pockets, and planted in it in the ground. A few moments later, and a tiny sprout rose up from the soil, so I'll be sure to see what happens in the future when it has grown.

This I believe was the fourth one which I've planted, and I still had six more left, so maybe I won't be able to get them all planted. It was a little disappointing, but at least I helped someone who wanted to sell his product. With that taken care of, I walked into the temple, yet I was unaware someone was watching me from the shadows. Those who were watching....in this time they have no idea as to who I am....

" Now this is very interesting."

" What's wrong my sister?"

" Someone has intruded into our temple."

" How is that even possible? No one has ever been able to cross the Haunted Wasteland before, for it is a place where so many have either perished, or returned back to where they came from. Of course, this doesn't apply to her because after all she was the one who originally found this temple before we claimed it as our home."

" Take a look for yourself."

" I see it although it shouldn't be possible that a mere child could have made it through such terrain as the cursed desert. Not even we are able to survive in that wretched place which is why we choose to use our magic to warp between here and the Gerudo's Fortress. Do you suppose this child somehow got through the fortress?"

" Impossible as they would never allow a child to set foot there, and there is currently a lockdown imposed by the Great Ganondorf. No one is permitted to leave the fortress or Gerudo Valley for that matter until he has claimed the golden power for himself. It seems this child must have somehow used warp magic as there is no other explanation as to how she can be here."

" Could her reason for entering the temple relate to Nabooru?"

" Hmmmm....it is possible, yet she might have come here on her own with the intention of thwarting the plans of the Great Ganondorf. I had hoped Nabooru would have seen the error of her ways, and chosen to beg for forgiveness, yet her pure heart was too strong. As such, she was exiled from the tribe where once again she has crossed the desert to reach what was once her safe haven."

" Then she must be punished for defying him."

" Correct, and we are most fortunate that the new second-in-command has proven to be most loyal to the cause. Spitfire's loyalty remains unbroken, and so she will be an excellent leader of the Gerudo while the Great Ganondorf rules over all of Hyrule without equal. It is a good thing that I was able to manipulate the mind of the new leader, for she was once very close to Nabooru.

You might say that they were sisters, but Spitfire was denied her destiny for she wanted to become second-in-command. That incident years ago where the predecessor of the second-in-command passed away, and a new one chosen was a perfect means to an end."

" Yes, I remember that day well."

" Through the use of my magic, I made it seem that Spitfire caused the accident, and her dream would have been dashed, yet Nabooru chose to defend her friend. Due to how she resolved the problem, she was chosen to become the new second-in-command, and Spitfire was left with nothing. From there, it was easy enough to manipulate her into becoming a loyal follower of the Great Ganondorf.

In those years since, she has dedicated her life to serving him without question, and now that she has become their leader, it will be easy keeping the others under control, for they dare not question the one who leads them."

" So, what do you propose we do about Nabooru as she still remains an issue Koume."

" We shall take care of her, and ensure that she never forgets whom she truly serves Kotake," said Trixie.

" I suggest we watch these events as they unfold, and strike at the appropriate time. If we make our move too swiftly, she will suspect that we are aware of her presence in our temple, and attempt to make a run for it. We will allow her to do as she pleases, and when we make our strike, we'll use our magic to make sure that she knows her true place in the Gerudo society," said Chrysalis.

" She must be dealt with before she uses that item she holds," said Trixie.

" I have no doubt she doesn't even know how to use it, but I do understand your concern that it can prove to be problematic, yet I suspect that this other child will play a part in preventing Nabooru from using what she has. Speaking of this child, her clothes indicate she comes from the forest, and she has a fairy flying around her.

Yet, there is something strange about her....as though there were some kind of great power dwelling inside of her body. I don't know what it is, but it could become a problem in the future, or it may be an oversight on my mind," said Chrysalis.

" Wait! I have an idea," began Trixie.

" Do tell," said Chrysalis.

" We can use this child of the forest to our advantage thus making Nabooru become oblivious to what is really happening. All we need to do is allow this girl to explore just enough until we can strike, but we cannot allow our hand to be discovered too quickly. We will use only the weakest of monsters until everything is in place, and then the strongest will be summoned once her usefulness has been spent.

She will be so overwhelmed by what lurks within our temple, she will run away from here, and back to her precious forest where she belongs never bothering us again," said Trixie.

" A most brilliant idea," laughed Chrysalis.

" For now, we will watch them as you suggest," said Trixie.

" In the meantime, I want to focus on this forest girl because my suspicion about her has made think of nothing else. There may be more to her than appearances suggest, and I want to make sure we're not facing off against a force that merely needs to be unleashed if you know what I mean," said Chrysalis.

" Yes, we don't want to deal with something that could be far stronger than us," added Trixie.

Upon entering the Spirit Temple, I was surprised to see that it still looked the same as it did before. I felt the same eerie feeling then as I do now, but because this was now the past, Ganondorf's surrogate mothers don't know who I am. As far as they were concerned, I was just a curious forest girl who came here to investigate, yet in truth I wanted to save Rainbow Dash, and learn what happened to her.

The two snakehead statues were still around, and Spike told me that they probably still have the same messages, so there was no point in reading them. I could see pots in front of us, but I wasn't about to take any chances out of fear of being pelted by them should they come to life. Taking out the Fairy Slingshot, I fired at each pot causing them to shatter into pieces.

" That was easy," I said.

" It should be considering you know how to use that," said Spike.

" No, it was just lucky of me," I said.

" The Fairy Slingshot works in the exact same manner as the Fairy Bow. Because you were taught how to use the latter by Iron Will, the former will now become so much easier for you to wield. This is going to be beneficial considering you now have to use the more weaker weapons in your possession. I suggest you to use your sword because many monsters are immune to Deku Seeds," said Spike.

" Yeah, I should use the Kokiri Sword otherwise getting it was meaningless," I said. Walking up the stairs, I could see the giant block to my right which wasn't going anywhere as it's too heavy for me to move, and the two Armos from before were still here, so I knew to avoid them at all costs. When I looked to the left where the crawl space was, I could see someone standing in front of it which struck me as suspicious. " Now who do you suppose that is over there? I don't recall seeing anyone in here when we came the last time."

" This is the past, so what we're seeing is someone who was here seven years ago," said Spike.

" Do you suppose it could be Rainbow Dash?" I asked.

" Only one way to find out," replied Spike. Choosing to slowly walk forward, I moved closer to this person who heard my footsteps prompting them to stand up as they were down on their knees. They turned around, and sure enough it was Rainbow Dash. In my heart, I was happy knowing that I'm finally seeing her after such a long time, yet the expression on her face indicated she wasn't thrilled.

" What are you doing here? I don't recall seeing you....wait a minute....I remember you! From Hyrule Castle Town....you're the girl from the forest who I saw when I was leading my fellow Gerudo away because of an incident. How were you able to make your way here to the desert? The Haunted Wasteland is a place that no one aside from me has survived," said Rainbow Dash.

I was surprised by her questions, but I wasn't able to answer them without letting on that I've come back from the future. My lack of responding to her did make her feel a little annoyed, but then she sighed before resuming the conversation. " Well, it's none of my business as to how you got here, but I must ask again what you're doing here."

" I came here to see this temple as I was curious," I said.

" Don't make me laugh kid! The temple is no place for kids, yet you are here and all which makes me believe you're here for something else," said Rainbow Dash.

" Well, I am looking for a Sage," I said.

" A Sage? I don't know anyone like that, but the way you said that makes me suspect you were telling the truth. Still, I think you came here for some other reason, so I hope you'll indulge my curiosity some more," said Rainbow Dash. So far, my responses haven't been all that effective, and that meant I needed to find another angle which should give me a different kind of reaction.

" Okay, I came here because I have nothing better to do," I said.

" You have nothing to do? What good timing! Then again, you could prove to a problem, so I'm going to ask you a very simple question, and I want you to answer it for me. You wouldn't happen to be one of Ganondorf's....followers....would you?" asked Rainbow Dash.

She should know that I would never serve him, but then she doesn't know that as from her perspective, this is only the second time we've seen each other. I needed to give her a straight answer, and one that won't give me the appearance of being an immature child.

" No, I'm not one of his servants as I'm too young for that," I replied.

" Uh-huh, that's true, and it would make him look like a fool in front of the rest of my people. You've got guts coming all the way out here kid! Let's cut to the chase! First of all, let me introduce myself. I'm Nabooru of the Gerudo, and I was once the second-in-command until I was exiled from the tribe.

My old friend ended up betraying me by exposing my true intentions, but I know that she was manipulated into doing so. While I can't exactly prove my theory, I know Spitfire would never do what she did by choice, so she was tricked. She has since taken my place in the tribe, and I know things are only going to get worse from here," said Rainbow Dash.

" Maybe your friend was jealous?" I asked.

" Yeah, I suppose that would be a good reason, but I'm not sure if I can believe that," replied Rainbow Dash. I suddenly remembered that I was in the past, so the events of the future have not yet happened. As such, Spitfire is still loyal to Ganondorf. I need to choose my words more carefully so that she doesn't suspect that I know more than it seems.

" I'm a lone wolf thief, but don't get me wrong! Though we're both thieves, I'm completely different from Ganondorf. With his followers, he stole from women and children, and he even killed people!" That definitely sounded like the Evil King, yet all of this was new to me. I didn't know that he committed such acts, but then I came into this world at a time after these events all happened.

" He must have quite a lot of powerful warriors at his side if he were to have done all of that. All of those men and women serving him, and helping him carry out all of those acts because he felt like it," I said.

" You could say it that way kid, but you're wrong about the men part of your theory. I'm not surprised given you're just a kid after all, so you obviously don't know any better, yet that's also true about the other tribes as they're just as ignorant about it. You may not know this, but the Gerudo race consists only of women. Only one man is born every hundred years....even though our laws say that lone male Gerudo must become King of the Gerudo, I'll never bow to such an evil man!" said Rainbow Dash.

Hearing her say this was perhaps the ultimate shock that I've experienced throughout this journey thus far, and it finally answered the question as to why females were at their fortress, and no men were there. In such an unusual dynamic as that, their numbers are small because they comprise of one gender, so they would become extinct within a matter of generations.

I guess Ganondorf must have felt awkward being among females throughout his life, and it does explain why they view him with so much admiration. It also explains why the Gerudo have such a pathological hatred of men, as they are an all-female tribe who use men in ways which I would rather not find out about. Maybe I should say something to her so as to keep the conversation going?

" What is your opinion on your tribe?" I asked.

" I know they are only doing what they have been taught according to our laws, but they don't have to be so blind to the truth that's in front of them. If only we had a king who wasn't obsessed with wanting power above all else, then we could have forged that alliance with the Hylian King. I know the others wouldn't be happy about it at first given that they despise all men aside from Ganondorf, but over time it would be something they'd accept.

Oh well, I suppose nothing can be done about a factor that refuses to change with the modern realization of the world. By the way kid, you haven't told me your name! Even though this is just our second encounter, you could be courteous about it, and give me a name to go by rather than just kid," replied Rainbow Dash.

" I'm Sunset Shimmer," I said.

" Huh? What kind of name is that? Anyway, I suppose you're wondering what I'm doing here huh?" asked Rainbow Dash.

" The thought did cross my mind," I replied.

" I was coming here to cause some trouble for Ganondorf and his followers, but then I encountered the Carpet Merchant in the wasteland. He happened to have this orb filled with great magic which I purchased because I remember seeing it in one of the books in the fortress library. You'd better believe I was shocked that such a thing was in the possession of a man, yet it was just what I needed as another idea came into my mind.

This orb possesses a dark power which is far greater than that of Ganondorf's surrogate mothers who reside in the temple, and my plan is to unleash this in the central chamber so as to obliterate every last trace of evil here," said Rainbow Dash.

" Are you sure you know how it works?" I asked.

" I've read enough in the book, so I have a pretty good idea," replied Rainbow Dash.

" That may not work," I said.

" Only way to know for certain is to try it, and see what happens. Believe me kid, I've been thinking about this for some time now, and I came to the conclusion that I don't have much in the way of options. This is probably the most extreme course of action I can take, but my people can no longer be slaves! Ganondorf must be stopped before he can conquer this world!

I'm willing to destroy everything if it means my people can become free," said Rainbow Dash. I can understand how she feels about what has happened, but this wasn't the right way to go about it, and deep down she knew this. She had become blinded with wanting revenge, and it was going to destroy not only the evil within the temple, but also anyone good within a very large radius as this orb has the potential to cause utter devastation.

I had to do something before she does something completely stupid, so I reached out for it which she had been juggling in her hand for a while now, and grabbed it where I threw it to the ground. As expected, the reaction I got was one of anger. " What in the world do you think you're doing!?!? I need that to save my people! For your sake kid, that had better not cracked when you did that."

" If you use this orb, it will destroy everyone," I said.

" What makes you think that?" asked Rainbow Dash.

" Use your head for a second! If you go ahead and use this evil orb, it will carry out your intentions of saving your people, but it will most likely destroy them as well, for evil objects always cause more trouble than what they should. Not only that, but if you were to do this, you'd be no better than Ganondorf. You probably consider yourself a noble thief, yet what you're about to do will make you a murderer.

Can you afford to have that weigh down on your conscience? No, I didn't think so! I know that you don't want to do this either as you're better than this, and one day the Gerudo will become free from Ganondorf and his mothers. If you decide to simply wipe everything out, then your efforts just amount to nothing. Your legacy shall be remember as being a monster who destroyed innocent lives. Do you really want to go through with this? I believe you know what the answer must be," I replied.

" Heh....it's like I said before kid, you've got guts," said Rainbow Dash.

" Oh?" I asked.

" Normally, you'd be dead right now because I don't take too kindly to people who talk that way to me, but how can I kill someone who has so much sass? Fine, you've convinced me to abandon my plan, but I've still got my back-up," replied Rainbow Dash. I breathed a huge sigh of relief as I literally dodged a bullet, but it does explain why her plan never worked.

As for the orb, it wasn't going to work anyway as it did suffer a crack when it hit the ground, so it was now a useless piece of junk. I'll keep hold of it for now until I return to the future, and shatter it to pieces using the Biggoron's Sword, but now I want to know what her back-up plan was.

" So what will you do now?" I asked.

" Go with my other idea, and that's where you come in kid. I want to ask you a favor....will you go through this tiny hole and get a treasure that's inside? The treasure is the Silver Gauntlets. If you equip them, you can easily push and pull very heavy things! I know it sounds unbelievable, but they are special in that way," replied Rainbow Dash.

That must be the power which I need to bring back to the future in order to push the giant block on the other side of this room, so I need to get them for myself although that would mean having to convince Rainbow Dash that I need them more than she does. At that moment, she noticed my expression which prompted her to comment.

" No, no, no, kid! Don't even think about taking this treasure for yourself! The Silver Gauntlets won't fit a kid like you if you try to equip them! I want you to be a good girl and give them to me!" I hope she wasn't trying to condescend me as I would be insulted if she were.

" What do you need them for?" I asked.

" If you must know, Ganondorf and his minions are using the Spirit Temple as a hideout. Only the Silver Gauntlets will allow me to sneak deep into the temple, and once I'm there, I'm going to steal all the treasure inside and mess up their plans! This place used to be where I would come to get away from the problems at the fortress, so I remember where many of the secrets are located.

Before I left, I did steal something under their noses....a ring which may look ordinary, but in fact it's a powerful item which belonged to perhaps the greatest user of magic among the ancient Gerudo of the past. I needed to get it away from those witches because it serves as a key which will allow access to the sacred treasure of our people," replied Rainbow Dash.

This was the same ring which her subordinate Derpy gave to me before I was sealed away in the Sacred Realm, so now I have confirmed straight from the source that she did take it. I was feeling hesitant about revealing that I had that very ring on me, but she had to know soon, yet I had to talk my way about telling her.

" What did you do with it?" I asked.

" Our legends say that the treasure is only meant for the chosen one, so I gave the ring to my subordinate Derpy who I asked to give it to someone else before she was to flee to one of the other tribes, and live out her life in peace," replied Rainbow Dash.

" Um, would this be it?" I asked. I then took the ring out of another pouch as a means of keeping it safe, and her reaction caused her jaw to drop down followed by her eyes to bug out to the point where they almost fell out of the sockets. Now that was a thought which I'd rather not see happen, but her reaction was one which reminded me that even when in this world, her expressions are priceless.

" You! You have the ring! How?" asked Rainbow Dash.

" It was given to me by Derpy as you told her that she was to give it to me," I replied.

" Gasp!" exclaimed Rainbow Dash.

" Surprised it took you long enough to put it all together," I said.

" Then you're the chosen one who is destined to acquire the sacred treasure of the Spirit Temple, yet you do seem to be a little on the young side for it. Still, you are the one our legend references as a 'stranger from a green land', so I must accompany you as far as I can so you may claim our treasure.

Of course, I expect you to get the Silver Gauntlets as well. I plan on giving that wealth to my people so that they can build better lives for themselves, and perhaps show them that we need to remove Ganondorf from his position as King of the Gerudo," said Rainbow Dash.

" Can you do that?" I asked.

" Remove him from power? Unfortunately, our laws forbid us to do anything of the sort, but I said it anyway as a means of wanting to prove a point. My people need to stop following his commands, and become more friendly towards the other tribes. Not following his orders will be easier than speaking with outsiders, for we haven't forgotten how we've been treated by them over the years, but we need to repair these broken ties before it gets to the point where it can never be fixed.

Anyway, we've been talking long enough, so I'll ask you another question. Do you agree to my idea?" asked Rainbow Dash. From my perspective, I didn't really have much of a choice but to accept her proposal, yet I did take offence to the idea of being nothing more than a delivery girl. All I'm doing for her is fetch an item we both need....if she wants access to the deeper recesses of the temple, she needs to push that giant block....the same one I need to push in the future.

We both have the same overall goal in mind, yet mine must be kept a secret from her. She was starting to tap her foot which was a sign that she was getting impatient with me taking my time to answer, so I decided to get that out of the way.

" Yes, I agree to your terms," I answered.

" Thanks, kid! You and I, let's give Ganondorf and his followers a big surprise, shall we? I'll be coming with you as I said because I need to take you as far as I can according to what our legends state. Only the chosen one is permitted to go into the area of the Spirit Temple that houses the sacred treasure, so when we're nearing that area, I'll be coming back here where I'll wait for you to return. I'm also coming because I want to make sure you live up to your end of our agreement," said Rainbow Dash.

" Are you sure you can get through that crawl space?" I asked.

" I'm a thief, and we're able to fit through tight spaces due to how dedicated we are with our training," replied Rainbow Dash. It looks like I've got a companion coming along for the ride, so I began looking closely at the crawl space. I wanted to listen to make sure that the sounds Spike and I heard last time were still there, and sure enough, the spinning of an ancient trap, and the flapping of Keese wings could be heard on the other side.

Considering this was our only available direction, I began to make my way through with Rainbow Dash following behind me. When she came out, I cautioned her to remain quiet as there were monsters in this room with us. It did surprise me when she agreed to stay back, and keep out of my way, so she went back into the crawl space which looked awkward to me.

" What do you make of all this Spike?" I asked.

" For one thing, a congratulation is in order for you Sunset Shimmer as you stopped her from using that orb, yet that's where the simplicities of this situation come to an end. Nabooru certainly has a lot weighing heavily on her shoulders what with being here and all, but we need to focus on fulfilling this task she has asked you to do.

We can't let her know that something bad will happen to her before we're finished here, and you must remember to accept what will end up happening. You can't allow your emotions to get in the way when her fate becomes known," replied Spike.

" I really would like to change it, but I know we can't because it needs to happen," I said.

" I do find it strange that Sheik was hinting us to change the fate of Nabooru, yet she should know that we can't do that without damaging time's flow. Anyway, we should take a closer look at this room now that we're here," said Spike. There were Keese flying about, and suddenly a couple of them went through the torch that was nearby where they burst into flames.

There was a Beamos in the middle of the room with the ancient trap spinning around it, and finally there were three different exits I could use. Two were portcullises with iron bars preventing me from opening them, and another crawl space was located in-between them.

" Why did those Keese go into that fire, but come out okay?" I asked.

" That's how they become Fire Keese which makes them slightly stronger, but they still function as the same general enemy. If you had a Deku Shield, it would burn away to cinder if one of them were to touch it," replied Spike. He then noticed that I had no idea what he was talking about, so he went on to explain more about it. " A Deku Shield is what one can find back in the Kokiri Forest, yet sometimes you might find one in the most unusual of places.

Anyway, it's a simple shield made of wood which can protect you even from the strongest of blows, but it's completely useless against fire. Since your Hylian Shield is unaffected by fire, you have no need to worry about it burning away." I began counting how many Keese there were, and I came up with a total of about five, so this is going to be rather easy.

" I have a feeling we need to defeat all monsters to unlock both doors," I said.

" That does sound like a good theory, so I'll allow you to handle things. Just be watchful of the Beamos as its laser beam can inflict a lot of damage if it hits you repeatedly," said Spike. Rainbow Dash in the meantime was getting impatient again in the crawl space, and I could tell she wanted to jump in there, so I had to refrain her from acting out in a reckless manner.

Taking the Bomb Bag from my pouch, I reached into it and began tossing numerous bombs hoping to blow up the Beamos, and I succeeded upon the fourth attempt. Luckily, the Keese didn't take notice, so I put the bag away and took out the Fairy Slingshot where I fired Deku Seeds at each destroying them on my first hit every time. When the final one went down, the iron bars covering each portcullis went up, so now I had to figure out which way I should go.

" Which direction?" I asked.

" Both ways are ones we'll need to explore eventually, so either way is going to be important," replied Spike.

" Is it just me, or was the trap in this room rather simple considering all there was were some easy monsters?" I asked.

" Maybe the witches are trying to test you to make sure you're worthy of their time, or maybe something else is going on. You must not get cocky now Sunset Shimmer as doing so is only going to bring about your end," replied Spike.

" Hey kid! Those weren't some bad skills you used just now," commented Rainbow Dash as she came out of the crawl space.

" I've had a lot of experience, but I'll admit that my aiming really needs to improve as I make a lot of mistakes," I said.

" Didn't think you would be so honest with me. There is more to you than I originally thought, for I believed you were nothing but a forest kid who had lost her way. In my tribe, your skill determines the kind of respect you'll be given by your peers, and it determines your status in our society. If you keep this up, you could become one of us someday," said Rainbow Dash.

She didn't know that I was already a member of her tribe, but this was in the future so it holds no meaning in the past, but I'm not telling her that for it's information no one can know about. After thinking things over for a couple of minutes, I decided to go through the portcullis to my right. In this next room, it consisted of a ledge which lead to a dead-end, yet two unlit torches looked suspicious.

On the other side of a rather large abyss was a fence which had no means of me being able to climb over it, and beyond it was another ledge where silver rupees abound along with some Keese and a lit torch. I believe that I came through the wrong portcullis, for I have no means of reaching the other side.

" Guess we have to go back, and try the other room," I sighed.

" It does look that way," added Spike.

" Then this was a waste of time, and that will make Rainbow Dash even more annoyed," I said.

" Not necessarily as we're getting a look ahead at what we're going to encounter when we enter from the other side. Besides, we have those unlit torches on this side, so you have to wonder why these are here. Maybe something will happen if you were to light them on fire using your magic, but maybe you should Din's Fire instead as it has been a while since you used it last," said Spike.

" Lighting those torches could allow us to get to the other side," I said.

" That would mean the central part of this fence falling down to make a bridge," said Spike.

" How do you figure that?" I asked.

" Notice how it looks out of place compared with the rest of the fence? That should give you the indicator that it will come loose and fall down if you do something to make it happen," replied Spike. While I would like to use my magic to light up these unlit torches, I decided to go with the simpler approach which meant taking out the gem which contained Din's Fire.

I asked Rainbow Dash to get back as I needed some space to cast the spell, and she immediately moved back as she sensed that something immense was about to happen. I made the necessary poses before using the spell, and a large burst of flame appeared which expanded quickly before lighting the torches. When both were lit, it caused a small treasure chest to fall out of nowhere, and landed on the other side which is where I needed to go.

" That wasn't supposed to happen," I sighed.

" I honestly didn't expect that," said Spike.

" Now we need to check out the other room," I sighed.

" Lighting those torches was obvious, and while it didn't turn out the way you wanted, you learn on your feet which gives you the markings of a potential thief. If I didn't know better, I'd swear you've been doing this kind of thing for maybe seven years or so. The more I watch these actions, the more I feel you'll be able to get those Silver Gauntlets for me," said Rainbow Dash.

" Are you able to get them yourself?" I asked.

" This temple is crawling with more dangerous monsters than what you've seen so far, and even though I take pride in my skills, I'm no match for the truly nasty creatures waiting for us on the upper levels. I have no doubt in my mind you'll be able to defeat them, yet I'm sensing that you think I'm using you just to get my hands on the treasure deeper into the temple.

I had a feeling this would happen, so I'm making a slight alteration to the arrangement which is going to benefit you greatly. If you can successfully obtain the Silver Gauntlets and bring them to me, I'll do something wonderful for you. Unlike many of my fellow Gerudo who lie to get what they want, I keep my promises so know that you will be getting a reward by the end of this," replied Rainbow Dash.

" Are you sure about this? You shouldn't try to make some kind of promise, and not be able to keep it," I said.

" I intend on keeping my word," said Rainbow Dash.

" Then I hope your honor allows you to go through with it," I said. As I walked towards the portcullis, and opened it to go back into the other room, the ones who were watching me before were continuing to do so without me even knowing.

" This forest child is quite good," said Trixie.

" So far, the weakest monsters have proven to be no match for her, so I believe we should have the stronger creatures test her skills even more. Again, we cannot allow our intentions to become known if we are to punish the former second-in-command," said Chrysalis.

" It's possible she might be able to obtain the silver power," said Trixie.

" We can't allow that," said Chrysalis.

" Even if the girl ends up acquiring it by making her way through our tricks and traps, Nabooru will never get her hands on it as we shall strike when the girl has either defeated our guardian, or it has sliced her in half with its weapon," said Trixie.

" Huh? Are you sure that is wise to have the guardian kill this child my sister? We only have two of them in the temple, and it takes much magic to create one, so to lose one would be a disaster. The Great Ganondorf wishes to have the treasures he has stolen stored here, and the most valuable are under the protection of our guardians.

Once he has claimed the Triforce as his own, he will no longer need these artefacts as they will pale in comparison to the power that lies within the Sacred Realm. Yet, if we were to lose these treasures, they could be used against us," said Chrysalis.

" Yes, losing our guardians would be a travesty, but perhaps we can use a different means of creating a new one," said Trixie.

" Ah, I see where you're going with this," said Chrysalis.

" That is why I'm hoping Nabooru doesn't meet an untimely demise, or at the very least isn't injured badly. In either situation, she would prove to be useless for what I have in mind, so this forest child should be able to keep her safe until the time comes. All we need to do is wait for the Great Ganondorf to claim the golden power which we will know when a large power surge suddenly radiates across the land.

" When that happens, this world will become shrouded in darkness. The Gerudo shall become the masters of this world as it should have been a long time ago, and those who treated them like savages shall suffer for their transgressions," said Trixie.

" We've waited centuries for this day to come, and at last it will come to pass," said Chrysalis.

" So what shall we do about this child?" asked Trixie.

" I've been watching her closely to see what can be said about her, and my results were very shocking," replied Chrysalis.

" Shocking? In what way?" asked Trixie.

" My magic has detected a strong power coming from this forest girl....a magic power which would make her a magician. While those forest children are known for being capable of using magic, theirs is merely for simple purposes which allow them to survive in the forest, and retain their youth for eternity. This girl's magical power is immense even though she is repressing it for some reason. I dare say, her magic skill could rival or even exceed our own," replied Chrysalis.

" Impossible!" exclaimed Trixie.

" My readings are never wrong my sister, so what I have said just now is true. I will admit that this is unusual, for children as young as her should not be able to wield that much magical prowess unless they were gifted with it at a young age. And yet, this girl has clearly got a talent in magic which makes her more of a threat than we had originally expected.

I still need some time to figure out exactly how much depth she has with regards to her power, but we have made a mistake in allowing this one to enter our temple. There is something else about her which is easier for me to figure out through my readings, and that she has quite the abundance of courage," said Chrysalis.

" Courage? She is one of those who are heroic by nature," said Trixie.

" Very much so, and if you take her magical prowess into consideration....our plan for Nabooru will not work," said Chrysalis.

" All we did was focus on her fighting skills because she uses weapons in addition to the magic granted to her by the Great Fairy, but by ignoring something so blatantly obvious, the Great Ganondorf's desire to obtain the Triforce is at risk. It's possible sister that this girl possesses the keys that are needed to open up the way to the Sacred Realm, and it wouldn't surprise me if that turns out true," said Trixie.

" If she does have them which I will confirm through further observation, then why even come here in the first place?" asked Chrysalis.

" I don't know, but if she has them, killing her is out of the question. Without those keys, what can happen in the Temple of Time will not come to pass, and our son will be denied everything he desires. I suppose we could end her life, and give him the keys, but I doubt this girl will die quite so easily, and we can't allow the world beyond the desert to know of our existence.

Our plan for Nabooru will still happen, yet we need to change our approach slightly so as to separate them from one another. I will come up with a cunning tactic that will cause just that," replied Trixie.

" In the meantime, we will have to refrain from using our stronger servants because of what we know now," said Chrysalis.

" We will still use the guardian of course," said Trixie.

" Yes, but now we can strengthen it to become even more deadly," smiled Chrysalis.

" So we've reached a general stratagem?" asked Trixie.

" That we have, and it involves the one task....we must determine if the forest girl has the keys to the Temple of Time. If she does then we must keep her alive until she has fulfilled her task by assisting the Great Ganondorf. But, if she doesn't have them, then the most painful, and agonizing of deaths awaits her," replied Chrysalis.

To Be Continued.