Chapter 68: The Other Trials of Darkness
The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Ocarina of Time.
By Ganondorf8
May 10, 2015
Chapter 68: The Other Trials of Darkness.
" I can't believe there are so many monsters in this room," I said.
" You have to give Ganondorf credit for wanting to make things more difficult, yet I see this as testing you to see if you can fight your way through an onslaught. On the plus side, all of these monsters save for that Stalfos by the locked door are easy to defeat, so it's not like this is going to be impossible. My advice would be to remain calm, and approach this situation carefully," said Spike.
" I suppose transforming is an option, but that would be a waste as I need to save it until I come face to face with the Evil King. I still want to prove that I'm capable of handling things without needing a cheap means, and my alternate form definitely counts. My regular magic can destroy the Skulltulas, but will set fire to the Keese, and of course the Stalfos could become a problem as there is no way of knowing if Ganondorf has enhanced its powers," I said.
This problem was making me think hard about how to deal with so many monsters, for each of them has its own unique traits that makes defeating them slightly annoying because of having to switch between different tactics. The Skulltulas will fall to just about anything aside from a strike against their fronts, the Keese are vulnerable to arrows, but magic is useless because of their ability to change into stronger versions of themselves.
The Stalfos on the other hand requires me to fight using combat related skills such as a sword and shield for instance. Even when I take care of all these monsters, the next problem involves dealing with numerous treasure chests. One of them has the small key I need, and the rest could contain who knows what which is quite a risky venture.
" I've counted a total of two dozen Keese flying above us," said Spike.
" I don't know if I have enough arrows to defeat all of them with," I said.
" The Longshot can work although you will have to wait for the chain to retract back once it reaches its maximum distance. There are eight chests in the room, so that gives us eight Skulltulas, and you can use magic on them. The one Stalfos though is difficult to predict as like you said, Ganondorf could have made it more powerful," said Spike.
It would be foolish to just rush in, for while I wouldn't take much damage because of my defence enhancement, I would still get hit, and forced to use a Blue Potion which I'd rather save for Ganondorf. Also, I can't deal with different monster types as I can't exactly switch between weapons that quickly, so there must be some way I can get through this without taking too much damage.
" Maybe I should fight one kind of monster at a time," I suggested.
" I'd attack the Keese first as they are the majority, and then follow up with the Skulltulas, and finally the Stalfos," suggested Spike.
" Better get my Fairy Bow ready," I said.
" Do you have enough arrows?" asked Spike.
" Let me take a quick count as those monsters haven't noticed me just yet," I replied. I then removed the quiver which was slung onto my back, and began counting up how many arrows I had. I'm glad I took the time to get those larger quivers because who would have guessed that a bow would be so incredibly useful. It makes all of my other weapons pale in comparison, but they have their uses as well, and can even do things which a bow cannot.
" I've got 20 arrows which isn't enough to defeat all of those Keese unless I were to strike a couple at the same time. Guess I should have bought more than just potions when we paid a visit to Kakariko Village, but it's too late to worry about it now."
" Again, you do have the Longshot," said Spike.
" I know, but it has more restrictions. If only those bats weren't immune to my magic then I could have easily taken them out, but I can't do that because of their ability to set themselves on fire," I moaned.
" Remember they won't just let you pick them off as they will be flying about, so you will need to aim very carefully. Good thing you were taught how to use that bow when we visited the Shooting Gallery," said Spike. Despite his rather gruff exterior, Iron Will turned out to be a pretty good teacher even though he had a business which involves playing a game using exploding mobile bombs. From where I was standing, there was no way I could hit any of those Keese as while I've gotten better, I still have the occasional mishap.
I slowly walked forward so as to not draw any kind of attention towards myself, and quietly took out the Fairy Bow. I made sure to check on the Stalfos as it could move at any time. Aiming upwards at the Keese, I began firing every arrow that was in my quiver hoping to at least destroy over half of them, and the results ended up going well in my favour considering most of my shots were hits.
" How many did I get?" I asked.
" I'd say you took down roughly 17 of them, so you still have another seven more to go, but you're out of arrows," replied Spike.
" It was necessary because I didn't want to constantly miss," I said.
" Without any arrows, you can't destroy the remaining barriers as only a Light Arrow will work on them. Anything else is just going to be a waste of time, so hopefully you can smash some pots in the future, and pick up at least ten arrows," said Spike. I'll admit that I did go a little overboard firing those arrows, but I didn't want to take any chances because you never know what can happen. It does mean I have to rely on the Longshot to finish the job, but that will involve having to get even closer.
It does mean moving into range of the Stalfos who surely must be seeing me by now, but what other choice do I have? Putting away the bow and taking out the Longshot, I shifted forward which did make it look in my direction, but then it looked the other way, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I'd rather take on that Stalfos when it's all alone, and not having all these other monsters in the vicinity.
Once I was as close as I could get, the remaining Keese began diving down at me where I destroyed two of them with the Longshot, but the rest avoided the chain, so thinking on my feet, I quickly slung my Mirror Shield onto my arm where they collided with it. They then felt disoriented, and I took advantage by attacking with the Master Sword.
" Guess I should have gone with this," I said.
" Keese only come down when they detect prey, and when they have attacked or get deflected, they fly low for a few seconds before turning around and flying away again. It's this cowardly nature that makes them pesky, and anyone who has to face them often cringes because of this tactic. Anyway, now you can use your magic against those Skulltulas as they won't really do much," said Spike.
" That's good for I need to keep my eye on that Stalfos anyway, and my magic has a pretty good range," I said. After I put the Longshot away, I flung fireballs at each skeletal spider where they burst into flames before burning to ashes. " All that's left is that Stalfos, yet I wonder why he would have one guarding a room like this?
Normally, they would be seen in a more danker environment, but I suppose it's here to serve as an actual challenge considering everything else so far has been more nerve-wracking than difficult. Do you think I should try fighting it with the Biggoron's Sword?"
" It will take you less time to defeat it if you were to use that giant blade, but remember that it requires two hands," replied Spike.
" I can afford to take the risk because of my defence enhancement, yet you do make a valid point as I would be defenceless. You know what, I'll go with the Biggoron's Sword as I need to use it more often. I need to watch its movements carefully, and keep away from its jump attack which will still do a good amount of damage," I said. Putting the Mirror Shield on my back, and drawing the Biggoron's Sword, I ran forward where my opponent finally took notice, and began to move forward in an attempt to meet me half way.
The Stalfos immediately used a jump attack which I avoided by stepping backwards in time, and then it swung its sword in a crooked pattern just like they all do. As its blade swung upwards, I slashed it with my sword causing some damage, but I knew it wouldn't be enough as this thing is resilient. It then jumped backwards before leaping forward with its jump attack again, and I responded by swinging my sword in a upward curve striking it through its rib cage shattering the entire thing to pieces.
" Well that was easy," said Spike.
" It shouldn't have," I said.
" Perhaps Ganondorf did use an enhancement, but one were it was forced to act in a more simplistic manner. The previous Stalfos we've seen were much more deadly, and you were afraid of fighting them because of what happened in the Forest Temple. Yet, this wasn't even an actual battle, but rather a mere skirmish because the Evil King wants to make certain that you reach him," said Spike.
" If anything, he did make me sweat because I had to think carefully," I said.
" And now we have the other problem," said Spike. The monsters were destroyed, yet those treasure chests still remained an issue for I had no idea which ones were rewards, and others being traps that involve me being blasted with a cold spray. Guess I had no choice but to pick one at random, and hope that luck is on my side which is when it suddenly hit me.
" Ganondorf mentioned that I haven't been relying on luck that much, and finding the key is like playing a game of chance where I need to be lucky enough to get the prize before losing all of my health from simply being unlucky. Eight chests surround us, and only one of them has what I need to continue onto the next room, so how do I know which one to pick?" I asked.
" Like you said, luck will play a factor," replied Spike.
" This may sound childish to you, but I think going with "eeny meany miny mo" will help me choose," I said. Spike's jaw dropped for a change which didn't really suit him all that well, but this was an act of desperation. I then pranced about singing a song which was probably one of the most humiliating things I've ever done and at my age no less, but when I finished, I placed my hand onto a chest.
" This is the one I'll open first, so I hope this wasn't a poor choice." Kicking it open, I took out a red rupee which was better than being frozen, but it wasn't the key. That now leaves me with seven choices which does increase my chances of opening the wrong one.
" You're not going to sing again are you?" asked Spike.
" I might as well seeing as it does calm my nerves," I replied.
" And just when I thought I knew everything about you Sunset Shimmer, you go and do something like this," moaned Spike. Yes, it was pretty embarrassing to resort to something done by children, but it makes me feel at ease when choosing among these chests. Maybe I should skip the prancing about for his peace of mind, and just say the words. Once I went through it a second time, I chose a chest three to the right of the one I had opened, and when I kicked it open, I ended up getting nothing which was both a relief and a disappointment.
" An empty chest," I said.
" First time that has happened," said Spike.
" I'll try this tactic one more time, and if I don't get the key this time, I'll open up all of the chests until I get it," I said. That could be risky given how I don't want to get blasted with a cold spray if I get it wrong, so I said the words again choosing a chest that was located on the opposite side. Crossing my fingers and kicking the chest open, I took out the small key which made me breathe a huge sigh of relief.
" Third time turned out to be the lucky one after all, so now we can finally unlock the door. No, I have no plans on opening up anymore chests as I don't want my good fortunate to fall apart." The remaining chests most likely contained traps or nothing, so ignoring them was the best idea I could consider. Walking over to the door and unlocking it, I entered a very small room where another locked door was in front of me. " What kind of room is this!?!?"
" A really small one," replied Spike.
" All jokes aside, this is probably the smallest room I've seen in any of these dungeons," I said.
" There is probably a lot more to this than we suspect, so searching around should give us an idea," suggested Spike. The room itself was pretty decorated with candles on the walls, and the carpeting which stops mere inches from the door. I was expecting a Like-Like to drop down from above as a room like this would be an ideal place for one, but there was nothing here aside from the locked door.
" Do you see anything?" I asked.
" Despite those candles lighting up the room, it's hard to see what is in here," replied Spike.
" We may have to leave this passageway, and come back later when we have the small key," I suggested.
" That might be a little too obvious when you think about it. In previous situations like this, leaving the immediate area would be the right decision to make especially because we can't go any further, but maybe we shouldn't be so hasty about it. The Great Fairy did say to not be fooled by illusions, so that means the key is somewhere very close by, and we need to find it," said Spike.
" And where do you suppose the chest could be?" I asked.
" That's where this test comes into play, for you need to find it through the use of luck," replied Spike. Luck he says....much of the time my luck has been nothing but bad because of almost being killed on numerous occasions among other things, but I suppose this could be a perfect opportunity to change my fortune around.
It dawned on me that the carpet which I took note of earlier stopped inches away from the door rather than go straight up to it, so I decided to check it out again because it felt really suspicious. Upon a closer inspection of that part of the floor, I could barely make out what appeared to be the crest which represents the royal family, but what could it be doing here in a place like this?
" Look what I found," I announced.
" Why is that here?" asked Spike.
" I was thinking the exact same thing, and while it does look out of place, it's the only thing we've got to go with. If something does go wrong, then I hope I'll be able to handle it," I replied. Standing on the crest and taking out the Ocarina of Time from the pouch on my belt, I played Twilight's Lullaby which caused a small treasure chest to drop down from the ceiling.
The chest had landed in a small groove to the right of where I entered from, so I walked over to it where I kicked it open, and took out a small key which didn't make any sense at all. " Why would place the key here in the same room as the locked door? It would have made a lot more sense to have hidden it elsewhere, and forced me to search the entire castle."
" I agree that this doesn't add up," said Spike.
" Maybe he just hates the light," I suggested.
" How do you figure that?" asked Spike.
" A man like Ganondorf is someone who relies on darkness, and believe me I should know that better than most. Anyway, people like him view light as the worst thing imaginable because of what it can do to them, so they see it as nothing more than a weakness. This passageway was one that he probably created at the very last moment, for it's lacking compared with the rest of the passages. He could have used something more powerful rather than a large horde of weak creatures," I replied.
" When you were evil, did you hate the light?" asked Spike.
" Friendship is a feeling which is associated with that particular element, and I viewed both with equal disdain. I've since realized how miserable I must have been without accepting it into my heart," I replied.
" Do you suspect the next room is going to be another easy challenge?" asked Spike.
" I'm not holding my breath, so I'll say yes," I replied. Unlocking the door and opening it, I found myself inside of a circular room which was rather small, and I could just barely make out the tip of a silver rupee on top of an odd-shaped platform. Since this was yet another silver rupee challenge, I slapped my head in response, but when I walked forward, I was bowled over by a larger boulder which seemingly came out of nowhere.
Before I could react, I got knocked down again by a second boulder, and I crawled to a safety spot as a result which also allowed me to collect the first rupee.
" Are you alright?" asked Spike.
" That didn't hurt all that much, but it certainly was inconvenient," I replied.
" Those boulders do make traversing this room a bit more difficult, but it's not exactly all that threatening," said Spike.
" Again, Ganondorf doesn't think too highly of the light, so the challenges of this passageway have been underwhelming, yet surprising because I wasn't expecting to have to deal with boulders considering this isn't Death Mountain," I said. It seems these boulders roll past me every five seconds, so I would need to act fast to collect those rupees otherwise I'm going to be knocked down quite often. " I'm still not happy about this being another silver rupee challenge though."
" We have been experiencing those in every dungeon since the Ice Cavern excluding the Water Temple," said Spike.
" You'd think they would have come up with a different idea by now rather than reusing what is essentially the same idea every time, but using some slight modifications because of the room shape for instance," I moaned.
" No point in complaining about it Sunset Shimmer as that will do you no good," said Spike. I really wanted to complain as I was getting fed up with having to collect these silver rupees just to open the way forward, but I knew there was nothing else I could other than grin and bear it. When a boulder rolled by, I immediately ran around the room making certain to stop in a safety spot as there were three surrounding this odd platform, and a silver rupee was situated in each one.
There was also a groove in the wall which contained another rupee, so I had one more left and I had only just started. Despite my complaining about having to do these challenges, this was perhaps the fastest one I've completed not to mention the easiest.
" Where is the last one?" I asked.
" It should be on top of that platform," replied Spike.
" Oh yeah! I remember seeing it when we entered the room," I said. This resulted in me slapping myself in the forehead because how could I have forgotten something like that so quickly. I took out the Longshot where I looked up and noticed a Hookshot plate on the ceiling, so I fired the chain and pulled myself up and quickly collected the final rupee. The door then unlocked, so I quickly looked around to see where it was, and it happened to be located on the opposite side of where I entered from.
" I'm going to wait until I get a free moment in-between those boulders before I jump down." I didn't have to wait for very long as a boulder rolled by which prompted me to make my move. I reached the door just as the other one was rolling by, and I opened it up where I entered the room which housed the barrier as the décor matched the previous chambers....yet this one was different. " Spike?"
" Yes, Sunset Shimmer?" asked Spike.
" Shouldn't the barrier be in this room?" I asked.
" Yes," replied Spike.
" Then where is it?" I asked. The barrier was no where to be found, and it made me wonder what was going on. At first I thought someone had already destroyed it for me, but that was impossible as no else would have the Light Arrows. Maybe Ganondorf decided to move the barrier to another location, yet that didn't make sense as he doesn't seem like the kind of person who could play such a prank given he calls himself the King of Evil. It has to be here somewhere for it couldn't have just vanished without a very good reason.
" Didn't the Great Fairy mention something about illusions?" asked Spike.
" She said not to be fooled by them," I replied.
" Then what if this room is an illusion? This was probably done in an attempt to make us leave, so use the Lens of Truth in to see if anything is out of place," suggested Spike. Maybe my theory about Ganondorf made sense after all, but he wasn't someone who plays pranks as that would be beneath his notice.
Raising the lens to my eye, I discovered a false wall where a passageway was begging me to investigate it, so I walked forward before noticing my shadow was suddenly replaced with one which brings back bad memories. Running as fast as I could, I entered this hidden passage just as a Wallmaster dropped down from above, and I found myself walking through pure darkness.
" To think this was here all along," I commented.
" Be careful as who knows what awaits us at the end," said Spike.
" Are you expecting another challenge?" I asked.
" With what we've seen thus far, who knows what else Ganondorf has prepared for us," replied Spike. As I continued walking through the darkness, I could eventually see a small sliver of light ahead which turned out to be the real location of the barrier. " While you desire to destroy it Sunset Shimmer, need I remind you that you have no arrows." My heart felt like it had come to a stop because I forgot that I did use them to destroy those Keese, so it looks like I have to do some backtracking until Spike brought something to my attention.
" Maybe one of those jars will provide arrows, but if not then we'll need to leave the castle, and pay a visit to the Bazar." Grabbing the jars and smashing them against a wall, I was relieved to see arrows fall out of both, so I picked them up quickly, and took out the Fairy Bow where I fired a Light Arrow destroying the barrier. That's when an image of Starswirl the Bearded appeared before me which would be only the second time I've actually seen him.
" The Light Barrier has been dispelled which leaves you with two more remaining," said Starswirl.
" Why do you suppose Ganondorf is making this easy?" I asked.
" He is well aware that the Triforce of Courage is in your possession, and desires to claim it to achieve the True Force. However, while he could simply have one of his traps or servants end your life, it would rob him of the chance to show off his power. I can sense he has been wanting to fight you again, for he believes that he is stronger than you," replied Starswirl.
" So he hopes to guide me through the castle?" I asked.
" Through subtle means as he does not wish to be viewed as weak. Sunset Shimmer, you were wise to have mastered your ability to assume a stronger form, for you will need it to fight the Evil King whose strength has become greater since acquiring the Triforce of Power from the Sacred Realm. Do not underestimate his power for that is a sign of wanting to be killed.
I shall now return you to the central chamber, so please hurry and rescue Princess Zelda. The future of Hyrule lies with you, and I know you shall prevail," replied Starswirl. His image then disappeared, and I was warped back which still feels awkward. When I returned to the main area, the yellow energy disappeared which left me with two more barriers....fire....and spirit. For some reason, I had an urge to hear
what Pinkie Pie had to say about my progress.
" The Fire Barrier will be our next choice," I announced.
" You seek knowledge from Darunia?" asked Spike.
" I think she will give me some pointers considering she loves to fight," I replied. It took me a while to find the door that will take me to the barrier that represents Pinkie, but I found it with some embarrassment on my part after looking around for a few minutes. Turns out it was located to the right up a flight of stairs which was next to the door that went to the Light Barrier.
I really should have made a mental note of where everything was in the main area, for I could have saved myself much time rather than wasting it looking around for something so obvious. I opened the door which had the red circle above it, and I immediately started to sweat as though I had just stepped into an inferno.
" This room has lava serving as a floor," said Spike.
" Which explains the intense heat," I said.
" You need to switch over to the Goron Tunic as you won't last long enough," said Spike. I then asked him to turn around because I wanted some privacy, so he floated away for a few moments while I switched tunics. I had no desire to look around as I don't want sweat dripping down my body, for that would be just plain disgusting.
Once I was finished, I called over Spike who had spent these few moments observing the room. " It looks like you need to collect more silver rupees, but this time they have been placed in some tricky locations, and one I can't even find. There are plenty of Torch Slugs roaming around on several platforms, so you do have to deal with a lot of monsters."
" Silver rupees again!?!?" I exclaimed.
" Yet this is a much harder challenge than the previous ones," said Spike.
" Maybe so, but I was hoping for something else," I moaned.
" Welcome to the inferno kid, but I am hoping that you do not roast your bones on the lavabefore you. It would displease me were you to perish by such a common hazard, for I want nothing more than to use the full extent of my power against you. That red tunic was crafted by the Gorons, so you will not succumb to the intense heat. You have proven that you are prepared to handle any kind of situation, yet will it be enough to make it through?" asked Tirek.
" If you want to fight me so badly, why have me go through all this?" I asked.
" While it is true that you have become worthy enough to face me, I still wish for you to be challenged. You may believe that the trials of my castle are an insult, but soon the real battle shall begin, and I am not speaking about our eventual confrontation. It seems collecting rupees is beneath your notice, but you have no other choice unless you want to die here. Perhaps using some physical prowess may be in order, for you could do with having strength kid.
Speed is going to become your closest companion, but I am sure you will figure out my words," replied Tirek. Once again, his voice trailed off, and I decided to take a closer look at the room because I needed an idea as to how to approach it. There was a walkway that split off into different directions which doesn't look safe, yet I must rely on this path as it connects to the various platforms scattered about.
I did notice another monolith stone in the distance, so it looks like I'm going to be doing some lifting, but I didn't understand what he meant about needing to become a companion with speed.
" Guess I might as well get this started," I moaned.
" This would be a good place to use the Megaton Hammer," suggested Spike.
" It finally gets to see some action other than being used to smash switches," I said. Taking it out and swinging it around a few times because I wanted to embrace the actions of Pinkie Pie for a moment, I jumped onto the walkway where something felt strange. " Why is this platform starting to feel like it's slowly sinking? That shouldn't be right because I know that I'm not heavy despite carrying around all of this equipment." I looked down because of being curious, and I discovered the walkway was sinking into the lava at a fast pace.
" Now would be a good time to run!" shouted Spike.
" You don't have to tell me twice!" I exclaimed before starting to run until I reached a platform that was on the far left, and when I stepped off of the walkway, it slowly rose back up until it was back to normal. It sinks whenever I am moving about on it, and rises when I'm not using it. This would require some thinking as I noticed a number of small square platforms scattered about, yet they looked suspicious to me. " I've seen those platforms somewhere in the Fire Temple, but I'm having trouble remembering exactly where that was."
" They were seen in that one massive chamber on the first floor, and there was a bridge that went across the room. Those platforms scattered about will sink if you stand on them, so grab any rupees and jump back where you will need to seek a stable platform otherwise you'll get roasted alive. Also, be careful of any fire traps for while that resistance of yours will protect you from harm, it will cause an annoyance because of where they are situated," said Spike.
I could see some silver rupees in front of me, so I jumped onto the walkway where it started to sink. I then ran over to the platforms and jumped to each one picking up the rupees before needing to get back to where I started this little trek, but a problem came up in the form of the walkway still sinking because all I did was leave it for about two seconds each time.
" It's going to sink with me still standing on it," I said.
" Use your Hover Boots," suggested Spike.
" Why would I need to use them here?" I asked.
" Just do it!" shouted Spike. He was extremely serious, so I did what he asked, and switched to the Hover Boots where the walkway suddenly began to rise up. " I had a feeling this would happen, but I never guessed those boots would work that way. In case you were wondering Sunset Shimmer, those boots make you feel light as a feather, so by keeping them on, the walkway will never sink. Now you can collect those silver rupees without having to feel any pressure to reach those platforms with all due speed."
" Ganondorf didn't think I would know to use them like this," I said.
" He wanted to apply even more pressure onto you," said Spike.
" Well, it's working," I moaned.
" Don't let him get to you because he desires to express fear into your heart, and kill you without any kind of effort," said Spike.
" Yes, you're right! I need to remain calm, and approach this challenge without losing my wits," I said. It was much easier walking on this path now that it wasn't sinking, and I reached a platform which contained the third silver rupee, yet it featured about six Torch Slugs who were currently ignoring me. Good thing I have the means to take them down otherwise this situation would have turned ugly.
Slamming the Megaton Hammer down onto the platform caused them to flip over onto their backs, so I proceeded to slam them with the hammer repeatedly before they could amount any kind of counterattack. Once they were destroyed, I picked up the silver rupee which had me wondering where I should go next, and that's when I noticed the monolith stone. " You know something has got to be hiding beneath that thing as it's just too suspicious."
" If you had come here before obtaining the Golden Gauntlets, you would have broken your back trying to lift it," said Spike.
" There's one silver rupee over there on an isolated platform with statues breathing fire, but there is no way of getting over to it," I said.
" Do you have an idea?" asked Spike.
" Indeed, but it all depends on how deep this lava really is, and whether my strength doesn't get carried away," I replied. It didn't take long to reach the platform that housed the stone, and when I reached it, I had to look up at it because it made me feel small. It was immense in size compared to me, but I was amazed at how I could lift it up using my hands, and then toss it away just like that. I know the gauntlets allow me to do this, yet I'm still in awe of it all because I never would have done something like this back in Equestria.
Granted, we don't have hands but rather hooves, so the idea of using hands is pretty much a moot point. Also, using magic does defeat the purpose of what I just said....I'm going to stop thinking about it as all I'm doing is confusing myself. Grabbing the monolith stone at the base, I lifted it up without incident before tossing it across the room where it landed in the lava with a sickening thud.
" You've made yourself another platform," said Spike.
" Which was my intention," I said.
" It will be difficult to land on it correctly after you hover over because its surface is uneven," said Spike.
" Also, I found the hidden silver rupee....it was hiding under the monolith stone," I said.
" That means just one more left which is over on that isolated platform," said Spike. This challenge was certainly a lot harder than what I assumed, so I guess Ganondorf deserves some credit for increasing the difficulty, yet I can't afford to be complacent as I still have one more passageway left to explore. It took me about a minute to reach the edge of the walkway, and Spike was right about how the monolith stone didn't look even, but I can't afford the luxury of wanting to make it more approachable as I need to finish this rupee collecting.
Hovering across and reaching the sunken stone, I could feel a lot of stress because one wrong move, and I'm going to be taking an unnecessary swim. The platform was further away than I thought, so I'm going to just barely make it over. Breathing heavily, I floated across where I missed by just a small margin, but luckily my hands grabbed the edge just in time.
" Don't fall," said Spike.
" Like I'd do something so stupid," I said. Being this close to the lava wasn't very pleasant, and my heart was beating like crazy, but I managed to pull myself up where I breathed a sigh of relief before being knocked down by the statues that were breathing flames. " Glad these statues don't have any kind of knockback."
" There's the rupee," said Spike.
" With this, we can finally move on," I said as I picked it up thus unlocking the door.
" You won't need to hover back to the sunken stone, for there is a Hookshot plate right next to the exit, so you should be able to reach it from here. I suggest that you act quickly otherwise those flames will blindside you," said Spike.
" Can I reach the plate if I were to climb of top of this statue?" I asked.
" I'm not sure you can reach it from up there, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to try," replied Spike. Taking out the Longshot and climbing on top of the statue just as it unleashed some flames, I aimed at the plate where I discovered that I could just barely reach it. Once I determined that I was aiming correctly, I fired the chain and I sailed across the lava which was pretty intense as I was that close to being roasted alive in intense magma.
Upon reaching the other side where I landed on another walkway, I opened up the door, and entered the next room which housed the barrier which meant this one went by relatively quickly.
" That went by really fast," I said.
" I'm guessing Ganondorf didn't want too much of his castle filled with lava because of how intense the heat can get," said Spike.
" How do you suppose he got it in here?" I asked.
" This castle was most likely created through magical means as I doubt he had any soldiers to carry out such a grim task, but then it does explain how so many different elements can exist in here not to mention there being next to no locations for guests. Of course, he wouldn't have anyone stay here because of how he views everyone around him as weak and utterly worthless," replied Spike.
" I am sensing a strong magic aura radiating from the walls," I said.
" Every last facet of the castle is stained with magical energy, yet this makes it quite a problem," said Spike.
" Problem?" I asked.
" All of this magic has become quite volatile, so if a strong enough magical force were to be unleashed, it could be enough to bring this entire castle down, and anyone caught inside would most likely perish. Before you say anything in response Sunset Shimmer, it wouldn't be a good idea as it would cause an influx of magical energy to stream across Hyrule, and that could destroy everything," replied Spike.
I actually knew what he was talking about as I've read stories during my studying in Equestria about how some unicorns created disasters through that exact method, and it was because they believed it possible to use such bursts to create new kinds of magic, but it just resulted in dire consequences. Anyway, I took out the Fairy Bow, and fired a Light Arrow at the barrier which destroyed it, and then an image of Pinkie Pie appeared where she swung around that giant hammer of hers.
" The Fire Barrier has been dispelled which means only one more to go. Say, I've been hearing from the other Sages that you've gotten better at using the Master Sword since I taught you the basic skills. Hah! And you said you didn't know how to use a sword! It goes to show you can achieve anything with the right amount of effort if you're dedicated to it.
I also you've gotten used to using the Megaton Hammer, and have been pounding enemies with it like they were drums! I knew both of us becoming Sworn Brothers with each other was the right decision," said Pinkie Pie.
" I haven't used the hammer that much since leaving Death Mountain," I said.
" That isn't surprising considering it was forged by a Goron long ago," said Pinkie Pie.
" Maybe I should return it sometime," I suggested.
" It was destined to be claimed by you, and my people have acknowledged this. By the way, I noticed that you have a Goron blade on your person, so that means you had something forged by Biggoron? I recognize our emblem near the hilt, and only he has the dexterous fingers to make such a fine weapon.
I didn't think you'd have such a strong interest in weapons made by my people, so I guess we're a lot closer than before. I've got to tell my daughter about this whenever the day comes we can finally return to Hyrule," said Pinkie Pie.
" When do you think you'll come back?" I asked.
" No idea, but hopefully soon as I'm getting bored here without being able to have fun. Anyway, you need to hurry up brother, and rescue the princess, so I'll send you back to the main room of the castle. I guess you don't enjoy being warped back in such a weird fashion, but you can blame Ganondorf as the dark aura has twisted the warping process," replied Pinkie Pie. Her image disappeared, and what she said made a lot of sense, yet I still dislike having to go back in such a bizarre manner even when it's beneficial to me.
When I returned to the central area, the red energy disappeared which meant only one barrier remained. Considering this was the last temple I visited, being surrounded by elements from it so soon was weird, but I had to go through with it. Walking to the right until I reached the door, I opened it and entered a room filled with ancient traps along with more silver rupees that made me cringe. There were a number of statues that could be Armos, and finally a lone Beamos was situated in the middle of the room.
" Silver rupees....this is just ridiculous!" I moaned.
" This could be the last time you need to collect them," said Spike.
" Maybe so, but that's not the point," I moaned.
" No point in complaining given how we have just one barrier left," said Spike.
" That means we'll soon gain access to the tower," I smiled.
" So....of the six passageways, you decided to leave Spirit to the very end. Is it because you have sympathy for Nabooru? Why would you have compassion towards someone who was nothing more than a traitor? She could have become something so much more, yet she ended up turning against me thus needed to be reminded of her place among the Gerudo. Also, your spirit has endured much hardship over the course of your journey kid, but whether or not it can be repaired means nothing in my eyes," said Tirek.
" How dare you accuse her of being a traitor when if anything you are the traitorous one," I said.
" The Gerudo exist only to serve their king, and acting against the laws of our tribe is punishable by death, I did not wish for her to die for I believed she could accept my way of thinking which is why my mothers brainwashed her into becoming an obedient servant. Perhaps in another time, Nabooru would have become my queen, and ruled beside me, but I suppose some things can never become a reality.
Kid, I am hoping you understand how to utilize the sun otherwise you will never progress further! Then again, you may not proceed without something obscure in both shape and purpose," said Tirek.
" You've got some nerve...." I began.
" Such anger I can sense coming from you, but do you want to lose control at such a precious stage? I wonder how much longer it will be before you finally arrive, but perhaps you may not want to come because of your emotions," said Tirek. As his voice trailed off once more, I had this suspicion that he would be taunting me one last time upon entering the tower. It sounded petty of me to think about it like that, but this was Ganondorf after all who enjoyed mocking me just because of being in an ideal position to do so.
" Good thing he decided to leave me to my own devices otherwise I would have lost it," I said.
" He knows how you feel about what happened to Nabooru, and decided to take advantage of it," said Spike.
" I still find it difficult to grasp that those two were ever an item," I said.
" To be honest, there is little information regarding the personal life of Ganondorf given how the Gerudo kept to themselves which is true even now. Many people assumed he would one day settle down, and start a family of his own, but when you have the desire to gain as much power as possible, the idea of being tied down with a lover becomes a form of weakness.
Nabooru herself did admit that she had some romantic interest in the Evil King, but his choice to embrace the darkness made her realize such a relationship wasn't possible," said Spike.
" I guess he never forgave her for choosing her people over him," I said.
" That would explain why he believes Nabooru is a traitor not only for betraying his authority as her king, but his heart as well which is quite surprising. It's best not to bring it up when we encounter her unless she chooses to mention it," said Spike. I'm no stranger to romance, but then I was like Ganondorf where I wanted someone to love me even though I was obsessed with power. Flash Sentry....the one from the human world and I were an item, yet I used him to further my own goals rather than genuinely love him.
Rainbow Dash of this world acted exactly as he did, but she was able to get before anything serious could have occurred. Despite him being my enemy, I had several things in common with Ganondorf which made me feel rather dirty. I should focus on this room otherwise I'll start thinking about my past experiences which I'd rather not do.
" So collecting silver rupees is the objective?" I asked.
" And you still detest it?" asked Spike.
" Why has this one particular challenge been such a frequent issue for me as of late?" I asked.
" The bright side is that you earn additional rupees, but I do see what you mean. You should be glad though that you're not going up against a powerful monster, yet that doesn't seem to be a problem," replied Spike.
" Maybe he is saving his strongest servants for that tower of his," I suggested.
" We should start to think about what could be waiting for us up there, for we are very close to gaining access. I don't think the tower is going to feature any unusual terrain like what we've seen throughout the castle, but I have a feeling you will need to defeat powerful monsters to progress. So far, you've handled the castle really well seeing as you've yet to use those Blue Potions, yet you may need to use one or two of them before reaching the top," suggested Spike.
" You really think the monsters waiting for us will be that strong?" I asked.
" Ganondorf knows you've not been challenged thus far, so he has probably prepared a suitable welcome," replied Spike. This was something I wasn't looking forward, and if I do need to use those potions, my complaints about having to do all of these silver rupee challenges is a moot point. If I have need of more potions, I can just leave the castle again, and make my way to Kakariko Village.
Yet, that would take some time and there is no telling how Twilight is doing up there at the top, so I need to make purchases closer to home as it were. If what Fluttershy says is true and there is something hidden in the main area, I need to find it for it could be just what I need to make that final push to reach him.
" Do you think those statues are Armos?" I asked.
" Remember that you can check by throwing a projectile at them," replied Spike. There were four statues situated across the room, so I flung a small fireball at each one making sure to not attract the attention of the Beamos in the center. Each fireball snuffed out when they hit their targets, and no statue made any kind of movement which meant they were exactly that.
" You'll need to move those statues to give the ancient traps more movement. I know it sounds dangerous Sunset Shimmer, but it will make this much easier as the traps will be almost impossible to avoid as they are currently positioned."
" And the Beamos?" I asked.
" I would get rid of it first before it can become a problem," replied Spike. Luckily, none of the traps were getting in my way for the time being, so I removed the Bomb Bag from my belt, and took out a Bomb where I aimed carefully before tossing it at the Beamos which exploded on impact. When the smoke cleared after the explosion, a silver rupee could be seen which meant destroying the monster was a wise decision otherwise I would have spent some time trying to find it.
There was a Hookshot plate right above where the Beamos had been, and I could see another silver rupee below it, so I took out the Longshot and fired pulling myself up to the ceiling and grabbed both rupees before turning my attention to the statues. It didn't take long to move them as they were remarkably light, yet it could be I was having an easy time due to the Golden Gauntlets, yet the ancient traps proved themselves difficult to avoid as I found myself being poked numerous times.
" This is a lot harder than I thought," I said.
" Those traps are performing their task rather well," said Spike.
" No need to show any kind of compliment towards them," I moaned.
" Because they have been rather effective, I'm surprised Ganondorf didn't use them in any of the other passages," said Spike.
" Now that you mention it, I have to agree as these things have proven to be difficult. As you told me a long time ago, nothing in my possession can destroy them, so my only option is avoiding them," I said. By the time I collected the last silver rupee and unlocked the door at the end of the room, I had taken quite a bit of damage, and that meant I was very close to needing to use one of my Blue Potions.
Before, I would have hesitated as I wanted to save them for Ganondorf, but now I think that is just me being stubborn and using one soon would be a smart idea as I don't have a fairy that can revive me if I were to be killed.
" Will you use a potion?" asked Spike.
" Probably in the next room," I replied. Walking over to the door and entering the next room, I could see a pair of Torch Slugs that hadn't noticed me yet, so I can use a sneak attack to take care of them quickly, but it was the strangely shaped iron bars that caught my attention. At the top of them was an opening, and it looked like something could slip through.
On the other side was a Crystal Switch which needs to be activated if I want to unlock the door that was in front of me. " How do you suppose we can activate the switch?"
" This is going to be a tricky puzzle as you need something that can go through that gap at the top of those iron bars," replied Spike.
" Will my magic work?" I asked.
" Probably not as Ganondorf is aware of your magical prowess," replied Spike.
" I'll take care of those Torch Slugs first, and then we can deal with this puzzle," I said. Taking out the Megaton Hammer, I tip-toed over to where they were located, and once I was in range I slammed the hammer down causing them to flip over onto their backs where I continuously whacked them until both were destroyed before they could react.
This caused a small treasure chest to drop down from above, and I immediately had my doubts, but I kicked it open and took out something which I have only used just once throughout this journey. " Hey! I remember these things!"
" Quite a rare sight to see Bombchu inside of a treasure chest, yet why do you suppose these were a prize?" asked Spike.
" Do you suppose only it can reach that switch on the other side?" I asked.
" Only one way to find out for certain, but you'll need to aim carefully because Bombchu can essentially go anywhere should they get caught up by angles. I believe you have the full amount you can carry which is 50 making these extras kind of pointless, so you've got many chances to activate the switch," replied Spike. While that may be true, I'd prefer to use as few as possible otherwise it would make me feel less confidant about my skills were I to use more than absolutely necessary.
Taking a Bombchu from out of nowhere as I have no bag to hold them in, I walked to the iron bars, and placed it down on the ground where it took off. Unfortunately, I wasn't at the right angle so the mobile explosive completely missed the opening, and ended up exploding right behind me which did cause me some slight damage.
" I can't believe I got injured by my own item," I moaned.
" Bombs and Bombchu don't play favourites, so you need to be careful when using them," said Spike.
" No wonder few people have them," I said.
" Only those who know what they're doing carry them around, and that includes producing and selling them, so I advise you to aim properly at the switch unless you want to be blown up again," said Spike. I could tell he was secretly laughing in his mind over my little blunder, but he was right about me needing to be more careful as I don't want to kill myself by complete accident which would be tragic.
Pulling out a second Bombchu and aiming carefully this time, I placed it on the ground where it travelled up and over the iron bars where it exploded on the crystal switch unlocking the door. Opening it up allowed me to reach the other side of this room which wasn't that much of a big deal thus making this puzzle pointless, so I continued onward where the path went left until I stopped at a section which featured a number of sun switches on the walls.
" If only there was some light for me to shine on these switches," I said.
" Look above you," said Spike.
" Huh? Is that a spider-web up there?" I asked.
" You need to remove it to shine light down into this area, and you can use your magic instead of the Fire Arrow. Besides, your magic power is probably running out by now given how you've been using Light Arrows without grabbing any magic jars to refill your power. If you want to restore it then you should use one of those Blue Potions as remember it restores both health and magic," replied Spike. " He was right as I haven't found any of those jars since entering the castle, and I used more than just Light Arrows such as Din's Fire a while ago.
Taking out one of the Blue Potions and drinking it down, it had quite an unusual taste which didn't make me want to throw up, yet I could feel my health and magic power being restored, but I felt bad that I now had two empty bottles. With that taken care of, I used my fire magic and burned the spider-web which allowed the sunlight to shine down into the room.
" There are four sun switches," I said.
" Choose carefully as only one of them is correct," said Spike.
" That means the other three are most likely traps which could be just about anything," I said. Since I needed to use the Mirror Shield for this, I took it off of my back and slung it onto my arm where I walked into the sunlight. All four sun switches could be the one that needs light shined onto it, and because I didn't know which one it was, I had no choice but to try each one until I've succeeded.
Shining light onto the first one caused it to burn up, and then my shadow suddenly got replaced with a familiar shape....which I jumped to the side as a Wallmaster dropped down. " Whoa! Where did that thing come from?"
" That must be what happens when you target the wrong sun switch," replied Spike.
" While I am tempted to destroy it, I'll just let it do whatever it wants until it jumps back up to the ceiling," I said. I remember that these monstrous hands have an ability where they can grab and send me back to the beginning of the dungeon, and while that isn't much of a distance considering this castle didn't expand much in the way of directions, it would still be an inconvenience, so choosing to ignore it is the right decision to make.
Once it had jumped back up to the shadows, I shone sunlight at another sun switch, and it burned away which meant running as a second Wallmaster dropped down from above. It paid no attention to me, and soon leapt back up after a while. The third time turned out to be the charm as when I shone light on the next sun switch, it glowed and produced that familiar grin unlocking the door. " Let's ignore that last switch as we don't need another attack from above."
" You don't want to be sent back to the beginning of the castle after coming this far," said Spike. No, I didn't want that to happen, so I entered the next room before anything else could go wrong, and in this chamber I found myself standing before the final barrier. Without saying a word, I took out the Fairy Bow and fired a Light Arrow which destroyed it, then the image of Rainbow Dash appeared.
" The Spirit Barrier has been dispelled! How about that kid! You finally destroyed the last one which means you can now finally gain access to Ganon's Tower. I didn't think you could pull it off considering this environment and all, but you've proven me wrong. I'm sure you figured out that Ganondorf has saved his strongest monsters to serve as the last line of defence, so you're going to have some serious challenges as you progress up the tower," said Rainbow Dash.
" Yeah, I figured he would do something like that," I said.
" I know how his mind works because of being from the same tribe, so believe me when I say that you're likely to get locked in the rooms with those servants, and beating them is the only means of getting out. If you don't feel confidant about your skills, you should find the hidden shop located in the central area," said Rainbow Dash.
" So one does exist here?" I asked.
" I've got to give those guys credit for having a shop here of all places, but Ganondorf hasn't bothered flushing them out as he probably doesn't see them as being of any particular significance. That's always been his problem as he sees everyone around him as worthless, and it's that kind of thinking which leaves him underestimating anyone who tries opposing him.
If only he had wanted to take a different path in life, then I would have accepted the love he had for me, but I can never love a man who desires to make everyone suffer in the name of power. Hey kid! I heard from that forest friend of yours, Saria, about how you faced a phantom version of Ganondorf," replied Rainbow Dash.
" That was all the way back in the Forest Temple," I said.
" I hope you remember how that battle went because if you don't, then things aren't going to be easy for you. Well, they won't be easy period as he is a lot more powerful now than he was seven years ago. Anyway, that phantom was a mere extension of himself, but on a much weaker scale, so if you can remember how you fought against that ghost, you just might have a chance against the real thing. I could go into some more details about it, yet you'd probably get bored after about ten minutes.
If I had any shred of sympathy towards Ganondorf, I would have begged you to try and talk to him, but I don't feel sorry after all that he has done. You'd better hurry up kid, and enter that tower, but allow me to send you back to the central chamber," said Rainbow Dash. As her image disappeared, I began thinking about the fight I had against the Phantom Ganon, and I remember how I transformed due to losing control, but I won't lose myself to hatred this time.
I also remembered how I had to play a game of tennis which was quite a strange thing to think about at a time like this. Without even realizing it, I discovered that I was back in the central area again where the orange energy disappeared.
" That's the last one," I said.
" What do you is going to happen next?" asked Spike.
" I have no idea, but I've got a feeling we're about to find out," I replied. All of a sudden, the entire castle started to vibrate as though another earthquake were happening, but it didn't feel like one, so just what was going on? That's when a bright light appeared out of nowhere, and blinded me completely which made me feel like I've gone and made a big mistake by destroying all of the barriers....
To Be Continued.
Stats
Page generated in 0.026 seconds
Total duration
777 users online
559,068 hits today, 2,004,447 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
There's a hidden shop?
And now for the final stretch before the showdown. In the words of Discord: "I'm going to need more popcorn."
6005184
It's actually four Business Scrubs who sell specific items, and a large assortment of fairies.
6005233
Or perhaps there is something more that remains unknown?
6008047 Aww, now I wanna read the next chapter even more. Dang, I didn't think that was possible.
6008101
There's not many chapters left before this is finished. In fact, the final chapter is done, but it needs to be edited first, and it has to wait until it comes up in the schedule. Also, something else is going to happen because I want to have a little extra.
6008381 cool. I have to say though, this is definitely tied for best Zelda crossover on this site in my opinion.
6008398
I think it's also the longest Zelda crossover around here.