Chapter 5: Darkness of the Graveyard....
The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Ocarina of Time.
By Ganondorf8
November 19, 2014
Chapter 5: Darkness of the Graveyard….
BBBBOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!
" Sunset Shimmer! Are you alright?" asked Spike. I had no idea if I was okay or not as I closed my eyes just before that giant hammer came crashing down. It turned out the hammer had merely smashed into the ground causing another earthquake, but when I opened my eyes, I saw that it was roughly a few inches away from me. Now that was a close one for sure as I could've been killed.
" Enough Brother! Your temper almost got this poor girl killed, and I for one believe that you would be feeling that one on your conscious for a long time. It should be obvious to you by now that the villagers refuse to give their rocks over to us because they have a use for them. We would be taking away that which belongs to them, and they need to build homes for their own using those rocks. Let's go home and think of another means to get our nourishment."
" But my 'Sworn Brother', the King, told me our respective tribes were to help one another in times of need. You were there when he proclaimed that promise big sister, and we Gorons are in need of help otherwise our very way of life is at an end. I just don't see why we can't simply take the rocks for our own and be done with it! There's no need to rely on diplomacy for we are more powerful than the Hylians. If they tried to stop us from taking what we need, we can easily deal with them without having to break into a sweat."
" And you want to resort to fighting?"
" I guess?"
" You're not thinking clearly again, little sister."
" What!?!?"
" If we were to steal these rocks, the villagers would complain to the King, and then we would have the Hylian Royal Guard on our doorstep. That would result in a conflict which could develop into a war, and this kingdom certainly doesn't need one so soon after the previous one. We're not in a good position to demand anything Brother, and wanting to fight only makes things worse. Sigh! You never do act rationally when you're in a bad mood, or when you're hungry."
" Maybe your right about me letting my temper cloud my judgment."
" Our people will survive this problem as we have seen worse, but we need to be strong if we are to enable them to feel the same. You need to show our people restraint, and not swinging your hammer around in frustration hoping to make a scene. Let's go home as you need to prepare for the arrival of the royal messenger who is going to show up within the next day or two according to the castle."
When I finally came around after my near-death experience, standing in front of me was Pinkie Pie, and she was the one who swung that giant hammer my way. Since when was she capable of feats of super-human strength? I noticed that her hair wasn't poofy and full of life, but rather flat and miserable. The girl that had been talking to her looked exactly like her older sister Maud Pie only with armour and wearing a battered helmet.
" Guess we should go back then," said Pinkie Pie.
" We can send some of our brothers down to the village in order to repair the damage you've caused," said Maud.
" Grrrr,” moaned Pinkie Pie.
" And what is it now?" asked Maud.
" I hate going back home empty-handed! This is only a temporary solution sister, for you know full well that we need rocks, and Kakariko Village has the kind of rocks that we love to consume. If I feel that there is no other option, I will bring the entirety of the Goron tribe down upon this village, and take what we need by force! Not even your own words will persuade me otherwise even if we are related by blood. If the King chooses to launch a complaint against me for my actions that are aimed to save us, then he can say it straight to my face! Grah! Now I've gone and made myself even madder for wasting my own time!" shouted Pinkie Pie.
" If only you would calm down brother," said Maud.
" Calm? Calm!!!! There's no point in me calming down with our tribe on the brink of extinction! We may be Brothers as well as sisters Maud, but remember that I'm the Big Chief of our tribe, and whatever I say is final! Like I said, I'll follow your advice for now and await the arrival of the messenger even though we need those rocks. They told me that the messenger is a young girl, and that she is coming to claim the stone which we have guarded for generations, but I'll be the judge of that. Brothers! We return for now to Goron City, but be prepared to march at any moment," said Pinkie Pie.
Huh!?!? Brothers!?!? Since when are Pinkie Pie and Maud brothers when they are clearly sisters! This perplexed me as I saw Pinkie lead her small group back up Death Mountain with the guard closing the gate behind them. Upon hearing my silent mumblings, Spike revealed to me that in Goron society, the term brother referred to a bond of trust between the Gorons for they were strong believers when it came to friendship, loyalty, and respect.
" I'm sure that has confused some people when you think about it," I said.
" It may sound weird to the rest of us, but to the Gorons, trust means everything to them with the possible exception of rocks. In any case Sunset Shimmer, we have a pretty good idea as to who we need to speak to with regards to the Spiritual Stone," said Spike.
" Their chief mentioned that they are waiting for the messenger of the royal family to arrive. I take it she was referring to me?" I asked.
" That does appear to be the case, but with their chief being in the mood she's in, it won't be easy to get what we came here for let alone being able to talk to her. I wonder why she is in such a bad mood as I know Gorons to be very friendly, and willing to help out those in need. I don't know how she is going to react when she learns that you're the one they're expecting, but you'll have to convince her to give us the stone in order to save Hyrule," said Spike.
Seeing Pinkie Pie in such a bad mood just didn't click with me. She had always been someone who had boundless energy, and enjoyed having fun no matter the situation. It felt like I wasn't even seeing the real her, but some kind of impostor. At the very least, her older sister Maud was similar to the one I know from the human world, although she is a lot more talkative and emotional than usual which is surprising.
" It almost was a disaster." Sweetie Belle began.
" What do you mean?" I asked.
" If Maud didn't convince her sister of heading back home, Kakariko Village most likely would have suffered a lot more damage than it already has. I just can't figure out why Darunia has been in such a foul mood these past couple of weeks. While she is stubborn which is typical Goron behaviour, she has become so irrational that the villagers fear for their lives, and have requested the castle send more guards in order to keep the peace," replied Sweetie Belle.
Darunia? That must be the name Pinkie is referred to in Hyrule, so at least I won't make that mistake like I have with everyone else. " Darunia is a wise leader who uses her immense strength to protect her people, and they all look up to her as their Big Brother, but her recent actions have me wondering if she's lost the will to lead successfully."
" Maybe something happened in their city that has caused her to suddenly change her attitude?" I asked.
" It's possible, but then what could have happened? Darunia doesn't really like to divulge any kind of secrets when it comes to the well-being of the Gorons, but maybe it has something to do with their rock supply. When it comes to rocks, Gorons are very territorial and like to keep their stash to themselves, but while they have been known to venture forth from Death Mountain to bring back rocks from other places, they do so in a civil manner instead of using intimidation.
I guess we may never find out what's really going on up there so long as Darunia remains in that mood of hers. By the way, you almost got yourself smashed by her hammer earlier, but you were lucky that she missed otherwise we wouldn't be speaking to each other," replied Sweetie Belle.
" I was just so paralyzed with fear that I wasn't able to react in time, but I'm lucky that she ended up missing me. Perhaps I might be able to learn what's bothering the Gorons, and help them resolve it. I was sent here by the royal family in order to procure an important gemstone from them," I said.
" So you're the messenger of the royal family? I'm surprised that they would choose a kid from the forest, but who am I to criticize the will of the king," said Sweetie Belle.
" The princess gave me this letter which I am to deliver to the guard who watches over the gate that leads to Death Mountain. I'm not sure what she wrote, but I'm guessing it will allow me permission to climb up the mountain and reach the Goron's home. I was thinking of actually making my way up there now, but seeing the actions of Pink....I mean, of Darunia has me thinking that maybe doing so right now would just make her even more angry than she already is.
Maybe I should make the climb tomorrow morning when she's had the night to perhaps calm herself down a little," I said while looking at the letter Twilight gave me. To be honest, I was also having doubts that Pinkie would want to even listen to me whether she had calmed down or not. Maybe Twilight should have asked one of the royal guards to carry out this task instead of me because I don't know a thing about diplomacy other than it can corrupt you when you least expect it.
Then again, would a simple guard be able to succeed in talking to Pinkie Pie in her current state-of-mind? The answer to that was a resounding no which made me feel worse. I did notice though that Maud was able to reach through to her sister, and make her rethink her course of action which resulted in their departure. Was Maud the key to talking to Pinkie Pie?
" Well, if you're planning on going there in the morning, the least we can do for you is let you spend the night here," said Sweetie Belle.
" I'd appreciate that," I smiled.
" You look like an adventurer to me what with look in your eyes, so how about I make a suggestion for you? After the sun has gone down, why not take a trip to the Graveyard that resides behind this village. I know it sounds rather morbid to recommend a place where the dead are buried, but it might be a good idea for you to check it out at least once," said Sweetie Belle.
" Why not go there right now?" I asked.
" Dampé, who resides in the graveyard doesn't come out during the day, and can only been seen during the first few hours of any given night. You might want to talk to her about what happens in the graveyard as that's her field of expertise. I should warn you though she can be a little on the eccentric side, for her words sometimes confuse people, but she is generally a friendly person. Right now it's about noon, so you'll need to kill some time before you can see her.
In the meantime, I've got to get back to work as that fuss with the Gorons has gotten us behind schedule. Okay, you lazy bums! Let's get back to building that new house, and be quick about it will you? I'm not paying you to just goof off and make fools of yourselves," replied Sweetie Belle. She then walked off towards a building that was in the process of being built, and she immediately began to berate one of the other carpenters for putting something in the wrong place.
This left me with the conundrum of figuring out to spend the next six hours waiting for nightfall, and checking out the graveyard. In the meantime, something was taking place in the western reaches of Hyrule; a situation was about to make things even worse for the kingdom, and I was unaware that it was even taking place.
" Spitfire! Spitfire! Where are you my faithful servant?"
" Lord Ganondorf! I'm surprised to see that you've returned from the castle. I take it that the meeting between you and the king didn't go as expected?" asked Spitfire.
" Where is Nabooru? I command her to come before me in order to address something of great importance," replied Tirek.
" The last time I saw her my lord, she was training the warriors in the training ground. I could ask one of the others to summon her for you, but it seems that she has heard you. Looks like Nabooru has angered Lord Ganondorf for the last time it seems what with her decision to bring everyone back which defied his edicts. I hope that she finally gets what she deserves for being the traitor that she is, and if so then I will be laughing at her misery while being praised by everyone as the new second-in-command of the Gerudo. Presenting the exalted Nabooru, most noble of Gerudo aside from Lord Ganondorf," said Spitfire.
" Great Ganondorf! What brings you back to the fortress?" asked Rainbow Dash.
" You know full well why I was forced to return here, so don't think you can try to make a mockery of me! You have a lot of explaining to do Nabooru for your decision to act without my permission is one that I find is treasonous beyond reason. I'm certain that you are aware of what happens to those who betray the laws of the Gerudo don't you?
I've tolerated your behaviour in recent months because they never posed a threat to my desires, but what you have done shows me that you can no longer be trusted," replied Tirek.
"...." was all Rainbow Dash could say.
" In the face of these accusations my second-in-command, you choose not to say a single word? This bodes ill towards you for you know that the punishment for treachery is execution, so if I were you, I'd want to save my own skin by revealing why you decided to act against my wishes," said Tirek.
" I do have a good reason," began Rainbow Dash.
" And I for one would like to hear it," said Tirek.
" The reason was some of them were injured as a result of the conflict that took place at the Hyrule Castle gates between them and the Royal Guard. There was no way I was going to let them suffer further injury, for that would prevent them from following your commands with efficiency. I know that I chose to abandon you on your journey to seek an alliance with the king, but you are the great Ganondorf after all. No one is as powerful as you when it comes to strength and magical prowess," said Rainbow Dash.
" And yet despite this you still defied me," said Tirek with a slow voice.
" My actions might be worthy enough to consider me someone who should be executed, but all of this was done for your benefit great one. You are my king, and I am your loyal servant, nothing more, nothing less. While I may have overstepped my boundaries, it was done for your benefit," said Rainbow Dash.
Tirek then paced about for a few minutes thinking about what his decision was going to be. Rainbow Dash kept a calm composure, for she knew that if Ganondorf saw through her deception, being branded a traitor would be the least of her worries as she knew that being caught would mean instant death. Spitfire was just staring at her superiors wondering if Rainbow Dash was finally going down. " I shall accept whatever you decide shall happen to me, but know that I was acting on your behalf."
" I believe you Nabooru, for I know that you would never betray me. I must offer you my sincere apologies for accusing you of treachery, and that you will resume your duties as my loyal second-in-command. You are hereby dismissed," said Tirek. Rainbow Dash bowed before him and then turned around and walked off, but she knew that Ganondorf was aware of her actions as being treasonous.
As for Spitfire, she was kicking herself over the fact that Rainbow Dash had just gotten off without any kind of punishment, and instead received an apology. Ganondorf noticed her reaction and then began to speak to her. " You seem to be flustered my loyal Spitfire."
" You just allowed her to walk away without being punished by any means," said Spitfire.
" And this bothers you because?" asked Tirek.
" Because I was hoping that this would be my chance to finally not have to bow down before her as my superior, and take her place as your second-in-command. I have
proven my loyalty to you is unshakable Lord Ganondorf, yet why did you forgive her for turning her back on you? No disrespect towards you or anything my lord, but I feel that this just isn't fair at all," replied Spitfire.
" Do you really think that I forgave Nabooru for her actions?" asked Tirek.
" Gasp! Does that mean that you do view her as a traitor?" asked Spitfire.
" She tried to mask her true intentions by claiming ignorance, but I know that deep down she was trying to prevent me from claiming the Triforce, and using its power to conquer this pathetic world. I had such high hopes for Nabooru, for I believed that she would have made a lovely bride sometime in the future, but I see that her heart has made her weak. Spitfire, you are my most loyal servant among all of the Gerudo, for you would do anything in order to please me yes?" asked Tirek.
" That and so much more," replied Spitfire.
" Such loyalty like that deserves to be well rewarded, and a reward for you would be making you my new second-in-command. In Gerudo society, you are the second
highest ranked female behind Nabooru, and that is something which has been eating away at you for a very long time yes?" asked Tirek.
" I've had to endure being her subordinate for many years while she earned the admiration from the rest of the tribe. That kind of praise should have been mine from the start, yet I was overshadowed by Nabooru despite having done so much in your name. All she's done is ridicule you behind your back, and constantly be a thorn in your side. I'm not about to wait any longer than I have to which is why I was hoping that you would have her executed for treason," replied Spitfire.
" Your time shall come soon my servant," smiled Tirek.
" I look forward to proving myself to you Lord Ganondorf," smiled Spitfire.
It had been about four or five hours since the incident with Pinkie Pie, and the sun was beginning to settle down for the night. You know, it actually feels weird seeing the sun set naturally as in Equestria it was handled by Princess Celestia, and she also handled the rising and setting of the moon until Princess Luna returned from being exiled to the moon courtesy of Twilight.
While waiting for the right moment to enter the graveyard, I took the time to explore Kakariko Village and talked to as many people in order to learn all I could. Many of the people were happy that Applejack had opened the village to them when she moved to Hyrule Castle, and others talked about how the problem with the Gorons was really starting to affect them on a personal level. One villager told me not to enter one particular house because it was deemed cursed, so Spike and I had a little argument over this fact and whether it was true or not.
" Do you believe this house is cursed?" asked Spike.
" I'm not a firm believer of curses, but that villager seemed very adamant about warning us not to go inside," I replied.
" He told us that the family who lives inside this house were cursed to become monsters due to their greed, and that they are condemned to remain in their house for all time so as to ensure that the curse doesn't spread to the rest of the village. I don't want to become a monster Sunset Shimmer, so let's not ever go inside that house," said Spike.
I didn't know to make of what the villager said, but my curiosity wanted me to go through with it. So I opened the door in order to take a look, and what I saw made me want to close it again and not look back. " Why did you have to go and look inside? Now you're going to be cursed for sure!"
" That house....was full of cobwebs as though no one has cleaned it in years, and I saw some strange shadows scurrying about in there as though they belonged to some kind of creatures. Maybe we'll come back here later when we have some free time, but we need to get prepared for our trip to the graveyard," I said.
That doesn't sound right at all getting ready to go to a graveyard, as it makes me sound like I'm waiting to attend a funeral. That was when I noticed a large group of villagers were heading there which made me wonder why. Spike had no idea either, so we decided to follow the crowd and see for ourselves. The graveyard itself was a miserable looking place where tombstones were lined up in rows with dark clouds hanging overhead in a permanent state.
It felt as though the very dead could rise up at any time due to the atmosphere being so dank and morbid. " The house was probably less scary than this place is that's for sure Spike. Still, I wonder why all of these villagers decided to come here? I noticed that there weren't any children among them, and they were dressed like they were going to a party."
" How about reading that sign over there?" asked Spike.
" Oh!" I exclaimed when I saw what he was talking about. A old wooden sign was stuck in the ground nearby, and I walked over in order to read what it said. " Kakariko Village Graveyard Heart-Pounding Gravedigging Tour! Tours go from 18:00 to 21:00 daily. No children permitted on the tour due to scare factor being too much for them to handle. Have any questions, comments, or concerns? Inquire within by speaking to Dampé."
That explains why so many people wanted to come to the graveyard as they were interested in this gravedigging tour. I'm not sure why anyone would want to dig around in a graveyard apart from the obvious reasons, but Sweetie Belle did insist that I should check it out at least once. " According to this sign, this Gravedigging Tour is something that seems to be quite popular, or at least it's something that is only just being started by the gravekeeper. What do you think we should do Spike?"
" I suppose we could go on the tour as it might prove to be fun, but at the same time we should check out the tombstones especially the one at the very back of the
graveyard. It's giving off a strange aura as though it were trying to call out to someone to come on over as a means of wanting help," replied Spike.
" We can check out that gravestone while we take part in the tour as I'm sure we'll pass by it eventually," I said.
" Yeah, that does make sense," said Spike. The crowd of villagers had gotten a little larger since the last time I checked, so Spike and I mingled among them with none of them taking notice. Everyone waited for several minutes before the door to the Gravekeeper's Hut opened up, and out stepped an unusual woman who looked like a cross between a gravekeeper, a witch doctor, and for some reason a zebra?
" Oh, so we have a lot of customers come tonight in order to partake in the Heart-Pounding-Gravedigging Tour? I can assure you that this will certainly not be a bore. I see that we have some new faces among the crowd tonight, so let me tell you more about myself and the tour to your heart's delight! My name is Dampé although for some reason there are people who refer to me as Zecora.
Such a funny name Zecora sounds, but I digress as that isn't really all that important. Sometimes you notice that I speak in rhyme, but I try not to do it all of the time, for that's because rhyming is a hobby of mine. Anyway, welcome to the Heart-Pounding-Gravedigging Tour! What's gonna come out? What's gonna come out? When I start digging we'll find out! This is how things are going to work tonight. All of you will follow me as I make my way around the graveyard until you ask me to stop.
Upon paying me just ten rupees, I will dig a hole in the spot that I have stopped over, and we will see what ends up happening." Dampé, or rather Zecora then began to walk towards the closest gravestone and began to follow the path that was cobbled with stones that looked jagged and in need of repair. Within a couple of minutes, one villager asked Zecora to come to a stop which made her raise her shovel with excitement.
" I'd like for you to dig here Dampé!"
" Then that will be ten rupees if you don't mind, so now let's see if your investment will reward you in kind," said Zecora as she thrusted her shovel into the ground before lifting it up again and removing some dirt. " Well look at what we have here! It's a purple rupee that is worth 50 rupees which means that you have earned yourself quite the profit. None of this was staged, and that is a promise from me to you. I can dig here once again if you like, or we can continue on to the next site."
Over the course of the next hour, Zecora led the group around the graveyard stopping every few minutes in order to dig up a hole. Sometimes she dug up rupees which people gladly took, and on at least one occasion she dug up a skull which looked really awkward as though it had been buried for centuries.
Other things that came up included a pair of wooden shoes, a metal brace, a shield, more rupees, the remains of a skeleton, some bugs, a ghost who stuck out its tongue in frustration before vanishing into the night, and even a piece of gold although its value was debatable. " It seems all of you have enjoyed tonight's tour with the exception of you." Zecora then turned her attention towards me. " Not once have you asked me to dig a hole, so it makes me wonder if you're having any fun at all."
" Actually, I came here because I'm an adventurer," I said.
" Is that so? Then may I suggest we go to one side and talk in private? I believe that I have some information you may need to know if you are the one that I was foretold long ago of your arrival. Excuse me ladies and gentlemen, but I need to stop the tour for only a few minutes as I need to talk to this young girl right here," said Zecora.
As she took me to one side, the glaring faces of the villagers made me feel really uncomfortable, and reminded me of when the students of Canterlot High looked at me during the early planning stages of what would be the Battle of the Bands. Just seeing their unhappy faces made me want to run away and hide somewhere. " I have had many dreams over the past few nights that have foretold that a brave hero dressed in green would come here seeking out the secret."
" Well, I am wearing green so that's one part of your dream correct. Not sure about the brave hero part though as I've done things which would probably take far too long for me to explain, but what do you mean by secret?" I asked.
" There is a lot of burden inside of you which makes you a conflicting girl, but this is a battle that only you can overcome as it is a battle against yourself. If you allow your inner demons to get the better of you, then they won't stop until they've achieved the goal of seeing you meet a terrible end. Many of the gravestones here are where the shadow folk, known as the Sheikah were buried upon death, and even now in the beyond, they continue to watch over the royal family and those who live in the village.
At the far end of the graveyard lies a large tombstone which I'm sure you have already seen by now. That is the tomb where the members of the royal family are buried, and it is said that a secret was buried there that revolved around the power of the sun," replied Zecora.
" What kind of power?" I asked.
" No one knows for certain as it was something known only to the royal family, but they say that those who are connected to them may be able to discover the secret. That is all the information that I have to tell you adventurer, so feel free to check out the tombstone if you believe that you can solve the puzzle. Or, if you would prefer to resume the tour and want me to dig a hole for you, it will cost you just ten rupees," replied Zecora.
A secret of the royal family which ended up being buried with them….that did sound like something I was interested in especially the fact that it was a secret related to the sun which was my specialty. My cutie-mark was one that comprised of a sun blazing in the sunset hence the shadow effect on it, and my magic in this world was mainly based on fire that was as hot as the sun itself. It sounded like this secret and me were destined to meet, but at the same time it felt creepy knowing that.
Since Zecora also asked me if I wanted to pay her to dig a hole, I took up her offer and paid her the money which I found while traversing Hyrule Field earlier. " Then let's see what's going to come out when I dig this hole. Will it make you happy or will it make you sad? The answer isn't crystal clear, but perhaps it will help you in the future my dear." Zecora dug the hole with her shovel, and lifted it back up as per the usual, but what came out surprisingly was a Piece of Heart which surprised even her.
" How about that? I had no idea that such a trinket was buried underground. Perhaps this is a sign of good fortune that will come your way, so please take this with you." I took the Piece of Heart which made me feel warmer just like the previous ones, and with that done Zecora started to make her way over to the group who had been waiting impatiently for her to resume the tour.
" Can I ask you a favour?" I asked.
" What kind of thing do you ask of me?" asked Zecora.
" This may sound rude and intrusive, but would it be okay if I took a quick look inside of your home? I promise not to take or touch anything, but I want to look inside for anything that might help me on my journey," I replied.
" Normally I wouldn't allow anyone to enter the sanctity of my home, but since you wanted to address the concerns before asking me, how can I refuse a request from such an honest person as you? With that I take my leave of you, and good luck on your quest young hero," said Zecora as she walked off leaving Spike and I to take a look inside her home.
When I opened the door to the Gravekeeper's Hut and stepped inside, the home consisted of a small bed, a chair propped up next to it, a desk with another chair in front of it, and what appeared to be a journal on the desk. There were no windows to be found and the lighting was extremely dim. It looked as though Zecora had a fascination for wanting to be in the darkness, but maybe that was a gravekeeper thing on her part. The journal on the table seemed to be the most important thing that stood out in my opinion, but as I gave my word not to touch anything, I was restricted to reading whatever was on the open page.
" There's nothing of interest in here," said Spike.
" Apart from that journal on the table," I said.
" Does that mean you plan to read it?" asked Spike.
" Only what is on the open pages. Now let's see what she wrote down on these two pages. One day while digging, I found a strange treasure that stretches BOING and shrinks BOING. Why this was buried underground is a mystery to me, but the fact that it's so much fun has convinced me to keep it. I've hereby dubbed this item my stretching-shrinking keepsake which I will never let anyone have for the rest of my life," I replied.
" It could just be a piece of junk that she found," said Spike.
" It's possible but then it could be something that we could use, but that's an impossibility as she has no intention of giving it up. I suppose you were right Spike about there being nothing of interest in here, so why don't we check out that large tombstone at the back of the graveyard?" I asked. Spike nodded his approval, and so we left the hut in order to make our way over there. The tombstone of the royal family certainly was an impressive sight to see for it stood out among the rest of the tombstones littered about the graveyard.
Two additional tombstones were located in front of the large one which made me question why these two were here of all places, and why did it suddenly start raining the instant I approached? When I reached the closest of the two graves, there was a message inscribed onto it which was how gravestones were marked. " This one says Sharp, the Elder." Then I walked over to the other one in order to read what it had to say. " And this one says Flat, the Younger....those names remind of music...." But before I could say anything else, a loud moaning sound began to erupt from the two graves, and from them rose two ghosts who looked exactly like Octavia Melody and Vinyl Scratch. The appearance of the ghosts caused immediate panic to the villagers who fled for their lives, and Zecora decided to run into her house and locked the door.
" Turn back mortal! Turn back if you wish to remain alive!" shouted Octavia.
" But I came over here in order to learn the secret of the sun," I said.
" You would dare attempt to steal our life's work? Then you shall join us on the other side!" shouted Octavia. She then began to swing what looked like a baton in an attempt to strike me down, but I jumped back before having to jump again to avoid a lantern that she was carrying. Vinyl, who didn't say a single word which is just how she is in the human world, also began to swing around a lantern and a baton.
One of their lanterns struck my arm, and I yelled in pain as the fire coming from it felt inhuman. I needed both of my arms to remain intact in order to use my magic, but when the lantern struck the same arm again, it caused it to go numb leaving me having to rely on one hand. Spike suggested that I run away because dealing with Poes as he called them was different from facing regular monsters, but I was determined to learn that secret of the sun. Once I got hit by the lantern for the third time, and then in the head several times by the batons, I felt that I had had enough, and decided to channel my magic through my one working hand.
The fire magic flowed out of my hand, and knocked the two ghosts back a few feet, but it wasn't enough to defeat them straight away, so I had to repeat the process until both of them finally went down. I kept up the offence with my magic while avoiding the batons and lanterns only to get hit by them more often than I could avoid them. When it seemed like I was about be defeated for good, I tapped into a larger portion of my magic, and hit the ghosts with an even stronger fiery blast which caused their bodies to crumble away leaving behind two spirits which looked rather happy.
" Are you alright?" asked Spike.
" That certainly was a challenge, but I managed to pull through despite being burned numerous times and having bruises all over my body from being hit by batons which somehow manage to inflict damage," I replied.
" YOU....DEFEATED....US....I can't believe that you were able to defeat us both despite the odds being against you. There is more to you than appearances show young girl, so perhaps you are the one we have been waiting for. Ahem! My name is Sharp the Elder, and this is my younger sister Flat the Younger, and when we were alive, we were known as the Royal Composer Sisters who served the Royal Family of Hyrule.
The king commanded us to complete two projects which had stumped the royal family for years, and of course we were honoured to have been given the tasks. The first was to study the history of the royal family, yet this proved to be far too difficult and time consuming for us. The other was to study the music of ocarinas, and how they related to the passage of the sun. It was this latter project that my sister and I were able to complete, but we would not live to see the benefits that would have resulted," said Octavia. She then lowered her head in sadness as did Vinyl which made me suspect a certain someone may have been involved with how they ended up being ghosts.
" What happened?" I asked.
" That hateful Ganondorf learned of our project and wanted the results for himself. We could never allow him to discover our secret, so we gave our very lives to protect it from him. Our secret even now remains buried here in the Royal Family's Tomb where it awaits the one who is destined to learn it. Flat and I have waited here a long time, and at last our prayers have been answered. You are the one whom we have been waiting for as there is something inside of you that reminds us of the sun.
Once you play the song handed down by the royal family, we can at last rest in peace and move on from this mortal coil," replied Octavia. Hearing their sad story brought tears to my eyes, and made me curse Ganondorf for what he had done. As I approached the tombstone, there was something marked into the ground which was three triangles with one stacked on top of the other two. I remember seeing this symbol on Twilight's dress, and on various statues in the courtyard, so this must be the symbol that represents the royal family, and I knew the song that connects it all together.
I then played 'Zelda's Lullaby' or 'Twilight's Lullaby' in front of the tombstone, and all of a sudden the rain started to come down even faster, and lightning began to stir up. To top it all off, a strange electrical surge pierced the tombstone, and it compelled me to want to see what it meant. I shouldn't have gotten so close, for a few moments later, the tombstone exploded into pieces causing me to be sent flying back a few feet and landing on my rear....again. All that remained was a small hole in the ground which I jumped into on instinct, and this lead me into a cavern that comprised of a number of bones scattered all over the floor. There was a strong sense of evil coming from a door at the end of the cavern, and there were traces of it where I was.
" Who would've thought that there was a cavern right below the graveyard?" I asked.
" There are a few others like this Sunset Shimmer, but this one and one other location are perhaps the most important. Whenever members of the royal family pass away, the tomb is opened up and the bodies are buried here in a reasonable fashion, but it looks like someone has been careless as there are bones all over the place. I'm sure you've already felt it since we first fell in here, but there is a strong evil aura coming from the next room," replied Spike.
" Yeah, I felt it," I said.
" The other place of importance that is beneath the graveyard is an ancient temple that is dedicated to the dark history of Hyrule that involves war, disease, and many other evil facets that have existed. It looks like some of the evil from the temple has seeped over into the royal family's tomb which means you need to prepare to face with the living dead if you want to get your hands on that secret," said Spike.
" The dead come back to life?" I asked.
" If they were animated by someone with a lot of power and magic at their disposal, or by the power of what lies within the recesses of the temple that is. What I can tell you is that the living dead aren't necessarily stronger than the other monsters we've seen so far, but defeating them is different because you can't just use your magic and call it a day. If they are struck down by traditional means, they quickly rise up again as though nothing happened to them. You need to figure out how to expose them to their one great weakness....light, be it sunlight or light magic," replied Spike.
" In a place like this where there is no light to be found, defeating whatever lies in the next room is going to be impossible. So it looks like I'll have to run away from these undead creatures when we encounter them as it would be pointless to fight them right now. The first thing we need to do though is to figure out how to open the door in question as there are bars covering it, and neither of us have the strength to lift it," I said.
It was difficult to walk around with all of the bones scattered about, but I wasn't about to step on any of them accidentally, or even pick any of them up as that would just be unbearable. To think that these bones have been buried here for years, decades, or even centuries, and they have managed to retain their composure despite lacking any of it. One skull stuck out as being out of place as it looked unusual for a human-shaped one, but as I walked closer to it, its eye sockets began to glow.
" Beware the lurkers in the dark!"
" What was that?" asked Spike.
" This skull just spoke to me," I replied.
" Shine light upon the living dead!"
" It just did it again!" I shouted.
" I'm not doubting you or anything, but either this skull is trying to warn us about whatever lies in the next room, or they're doing a terrific job at trying to freak us out, and my money is on the freaking us out part! Hmmmm....it's strange though that inanimate objects like this skull are even able to communicate unless it's the power of the temple, or that of the tomb that's making this happen," said Spike.
" Do not allow the unliving to gaze upon you!"
" Who are you?" I shouted.
" You have found a place where the souls of the dead linger without rest. There is a power hidden below the surface that grows stronger, and the light above will no longer be able to keep it under control. The barrier created by the warrior of shadow has grown weaker while the shadow beast has increased its power in order to break the seal. You who wanders about in the infinite darkness! Know that the dead shall never be allowed to rest so long as the shadow continues to feed!"
What this a warning about the temple Spike mentioned? Or was it a warning about the encroaching darkness of some kind of shadow? In either case, the bars blocking the door disappeared which meant access to the next room was available. Upon entering this room, the foulest stench suddenly filled the air, and it made me feel nauseous, but the sound of moaning coming from further into the room frightened me to the very core.
" Do you hear that?" I asked.
" Those must be the sounds of the living dead which means we need to be careful not to encounter them," replied Spike. I took a few steps at a slow pace so as to proceed with caution, and that was when I encountered what looked like zombies. What was strange was that each of them were either squatting down or standing upright looking down, yet seemed to be oblivious to anything. Their moans were enough to make me want to scream, but I kept my composure in the face of the undead.
Spike hid behind my hat for he too was scared of them as I was, so I couldn't blame him for that. " Sunset Shimmer, these things are known as ReDeads, corpses given life through powerful magic. While it looks like they are ignoring us, they will move if we get within range of them, and that's the least of our worries. If their piercing gaze catches you, you'll be paralyzed with fear for a few moments, but that may be enough time for them to latch onto you and drain you of your life force."
" And without any kind of light down here, being caught by one of them means instant death right?" I asked.
" Uh huh, so be extra careful how you get through this," replied Spike. Easier said than done for even though there were only three ReDeads, there were pools where the
rancid smell was coming from, and I was not about to allow myself to wade through any of that. I slowly walked deeper into the room making sure to stay close to the shadows and not get the attention of the ReDeads, but luck wasn't on my side it seems for a slight mis-step was all it took to attract them.
" SSSSHHHHRRRRIIIIEEEEKKKK!!!!" The scream that came from each of them was so ear-piercing that I almost fainted from convulsions, but instead I was frozen on the spot which I struggled to quickly get over before any of the ReDeads decided they wanted to consume my life force. Just as one of them was mere steps away from me, I recovered from the paralysis, and ran as fast as I could into the deep recesses of the room which were covered in shadow. After stumbling about for a few feet, I came across a large stone at the end of the room which had some kind of writing on it.
" Is this the secret?" asked Spike.
" I'd like to think so, but I'm not sure so let me read what it says on this stone. This poem, as written by the Royal Composer Sisters, is dedicated to those who fight for justice and the light of the sun. 'The rising sun will eventually set, a newborn's life will fade. From sun to moon, moon to sun....give peaceful rest to the living dead.' That's quite the lyrics for a poem dedicated to the sun, but that still doesn't answer the question as to where the secret is," I replied.
That was when I noticed something had been etched onto the stone below the poem. " Look at this Spike! It's some kind of melody with a message written above it instead of a poem. By playing this song, one will be able to change the day into night, and the night into day within an instant. The song harnesses the light of the sun making it very effective against the living dead. Keep the Sun Song's memory inside of your heart, and use it to shine light upon evil." Once again, this song consisted of three notes repeated twice which made it easy enough to remember, but then as soon as I played the Sun's Song, the moon quickly made its way across the sky before settling down and the sun started to rise.
" Wow! So this is the power this song possesses? No wonder Ganondorf wanted it so much, but it's something I'll need to use sparingly especially since everyone in the kingdom will notice that the moon suddenly performed a vanishing act. Huh? There's one more message underneath the melody. 'Evil spirits wander where they don't belong. Put them to rest with the Sun's Song'. If that's the case then those ReDeads will be a cinch to get past as we get out of here, and finally start the climb up Death Mountain."
" You mean we can get out of here?" asked Spike.
" And not a moment too soon," I replied.
" The moon went down faster than usual which means only one thing....someone has discovered the secret those composers took with them to their graves. While their secret certainly proved itself to be powerful, its effectiveness left something to be desired making it completely useless in my eyes. Perhaps the one whose magical aura I sensed before is the one who claimed it?
Yes, it was most likely her which makes things all the more interesting. The pieces are slowly coming into place whereupon I shall claim the inevitable checkmate which will grant me ultimate power! However, the princess has proven herself to be strong-willed for she continues to hold onto the Ocarina of Time as though her life depended on it. She will soon succumb when the despair of darkness consumes the very light she and her family have sworn to protect. Hmmmm? Ah, Spitfire, my loyal servant....what news do you bring me?"
" The messenger you sent to the castle earlier has just returned Lord Ganondorf, and I can happily say that the king has agreed to another meeting in order to finalize the alliance between our two tribes. Said meeting is to take place at the castle in two days from now," replied Spitfire.
" Then the final preparations for my conquering this kingdom are at hand at long last. I shall go and meet with the king in order to maintain the image of pledging my loyalty to him, but he does not yet realize that his life shall come to an end upon the conclusion of the meeting.
The look that he will have on his face when his life is about to end by my hands will surely be a delight to witness, and the energy that I will absorb from his dead corpse will add insult to injury as the legacy of the royal family is brought to an end. Of course, if the king is to die then his precious daughter must as well. Now then, my servant, what news do you have regarding Nabooru?" asked Tirek.
" Right now she continues to train the warriors in the training ground as she was doing before. My guess Lord Ganondorf is that she will soon make her move to sabotage your plans. Nabooru hasn't talked to anyone since you confronted her aside from a brief conversation with that one who is accident prone. What was her name again? Derpy? Yes, she talked to Derpy about something although I couldn't hear what was being said," replied Spitfire.
" Ah Derpy....the one who is ridiculed by the rest of the tribe. Whether she is aware of Nabooru's actions or not mean nothing, for she does not pose a threat, but if it will give you a piece of mind Spitfire, then you may take care of her however you see fit. As for Nabooru, I shall inform my mothers that they will be getting a visitor within the coming days, and that they are to take good care of her," said Tirek.
" The two sorceresses Lord Ganondorf?" asked Spitfire.
" Yes. They will do everything to make Nabooru see the error of her ways, but if she resists then the only option left for her is to die. I'll let them take care of her as I must begin preparations for my meeting with the king," replied Tirek.
To Be Continued.
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For some reason I can't wait until she gets to the water temple.
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I already have plans on how Sunset is going to handle the Water Temple. I'll just say that a certain encounter is going to test her emotionally beyond the limits of endurance.
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Oh man, I guess I'm still kind of sadistic, because I seriously can't wait.
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At the current rate of the story progression, I'd say that the Water Temple won't be coming up for at least roughly 15 parts as of Chapter 5. This might change depending on what gets covered from now until then.
Darn strange instincts she have.