Chapter 6: Of Masks, Sonatas, and Gorons
The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Ocarina of Time.
By Ganondorf8
November 20, 2014
Chapter 6: Of Masks, Sonatas, and Gorons.
" It feels good to be finally out of that tomb, and back in the safety of the village instead of that creepy graveyard," said Spike.
" Maybe, but I'm still bothered by that cryptic warning that skull mentioned about the temple underneath the graveyard, and whatever that shadow beast is all about. I may be over thinking things a little Spike, but it's just stuck in my mind, and I can't focus on what's important right now," I said.
I'm all-too familiar about warnings seeing as I was a disaster waiting to happen back in Equestria. The signs were there indicating that I was going to go down a dark path, but no one figured it out except for Princess Celestia who tried her best to guide me. And what did I go and do? I ignored the warnings, and insisted on wanting to become a princess which resulted in my eventual self-exile to the human world. Now, whenever I see a warning of any kind, I just have to take it seriously as I don't want to have to endure what happened before.
" Right now, we need to focus our efforts on getting the spiritual stone from the Gorons. Despite you having made the moon go down faster than usual with that song you learned in the royal family's tomb, and most likely disrupting the sleeping patterns of everyone in Hyrule, the next day is upon us which should make speaking to Darunia a much easier task," said Spike.
" That all depends on whether she is in a better mood than yesterday," I said.
" What could possibly go wrong?" asked Spike.
" Do you really want me to answer that for you? Darunia was upset over the fact that she wasn't able to get rocks which to me means that something has happened to their food supply. I've come to this conclusion as her sister Maud said that she gets irritable when she's hungry. The question now is why has their food supply suddenly been cut off? They live on a mountain for pete's sake, so they should have enough rocks to eat to last them for centuries," I replied.
" Whoa! You're starting to get a little personal with this," said Spike.
" I'm sorry but seeing Darunia act like she did has shocked me to the core of my heart because she didn't act like the girl she reminds me of. You're right though about me taking this too personally, but I'll be sure to remain calm and collected when we finally confront her. Now, let's get permission to climb up Death Mountain so that we can maybe straighten her out a little, or possibly make things even worse," I said as I started to walk towards the gate.
Many of the villagers seemed irritable due to the events of the other day both here and in the graveyard, so I chose not to speak to them in case I made their anxiety worse. The guard standing by the gate was different from the one who was there yesterday, and she looked like she wasn't even a proper guard due to wearing a helmet and no other armour. " Excuse me? Are you the guard whose on duty here?"
" I am, but I'm not an official guard of the castle if that's what you're thinking. The Captain of the Royal Guards wasn't able to provide the village with additional men due to the Goron crisis, so several of us villagers have volunteered to pick up the slack. Normally, I'd be busy tending to my flock of cuccos despite having a serious allergy problem with them, but right now I have to stand guard at the gate, and warn the village of any Gorons that may come this way."
" Scootaloo?" I asked with a puzzled look on my face. This guard standing in front of me was Scootaloo, someone who admired Rainbow Dash and was best friends with both Applebloom and Sweetie Belle. I was expecting her to be with Rainbow Dash in this world, but then that consistency from back home hasn't exactly done its job here.
" You must be mistaking me for someone else as my name is Anju. Sorry if I keep on dropping this spear, but I haven't exactly had any kind of training to be a guard. I wanted to volunteer to protect the village, but maybe I jumped at the opportunity too soon due to my lack of skills as a soldier. In any case, I have a feeling that you want to go up Death Mountain right?" asked Scootaloo.
" That's right," I answered.
" With the Gorons acting the way they have been over the last few days, travelling up Death Mountain is tantamount to suicide. Besides, no one is allowed to go up there without the king's permission, so I'm afraid that I will have to ask you to turn back," said Scootaloo. I then presented her the letter that Twilight gave me back in the castle, and she took it in order to read it for a few minutes. " This is a letter from Princess Zelda, and she says that you are under her power to protect Hyrule, and that you are to be given permission to climb up Death Mountain.
Well, the princess's word is as good as the king's, so that does mean that you can move on, but I should warn you that Death Mountain is an active volcano, and as you are right now, you won't like the journey ahead. Might I suggest that you bring a proper shield with you? One that can protect you from the flaming rocks of fire that are spewed out from the peak?"
" Do you know where I can get one?" I asked.
" The Bazaar in Hyrule Castle Town sells the shield that you need, but it is an expensive purchase at around 80 rupees. However, if you tell the owner that one of the guards of Kakariko Village recommended you to get one, they'll be able to give you a reasonable discount which is a price drop somewhere between 10-30 rupees depending on the attitude of the owner. Ummmm....now that you've been given permission and a recommendation of sorts, I was wondering if you could do me a small favour? You don't have to if you don't want to, but I wanted to ask you at least once," replied Scootaloo.
" What is it?" I asked.
" There was once a shop in Hyrule Castle Town known as the Happy Mask Shop which sold masks of various shapes and colours. The owner of the shop started her business as a means of wanting to make people happy, but she didn't like the fact that people kept on coming to her, and being forced to stay inside of a cramped, musty shop throughout the entire day. So, she chose to close up shop about a year ago and started to travel about the kingdom in order to go to them and be more interactive.
They say that the Happy Mask Saleswoman finds you instead of you finding her as she is mysterious like that, and that she has a rather eccentric personality. Anyway, if you manage to run into her on your travels, would you mind getting me a mask that I've been wanting for a long time? It's called a Keaton Mask, I believe, and I will gladly pay you for it if that need arises," replied Scootaloo.
I found her request to be simple enough, so I agreed to get her the mask that she wanted, but then how was I supposed to find someone who would find you instead? At least I had an excuse to go back to Hyrule Castle Town for a little while even if it was for just a proper shield as Scootaloo called it.
Stepping back out onto Hyrule Field made me feel appreciative of the fact that it was large and vast, and was a welcome change of pace what with having spent much of last night stuck in a small enclosed room underground. It wouldn't take long to walk to Hyrule Castle and buy a shield, but it would take a long time to fulfill Scootaloo's request, and yet I should've realized by now that nothing is quite that simple when it comes to Hyrule.
" You look like you're in an awful hurry there!"
" WAAAAH!" This whole getting scared by Flash Sentry was starting to get really old and must have been about the fourth or fifth time he's done this, but this time he wasn't the one who caused me to freak out. Standing next to me with a large bag on her back was someone that I thought I'd never see again after what happened during the Battle of the Bands back in the human world.
" You! You're one of the Sirens who tried to take over Canterlot High using music in order to brainwash your victims and make them obey your every command! What was your name again? Oh yeah! Sonata Dusk! You've got a lot of nerve showing up here expecting me to forgive you and your fellow sirens for what you did to my friends, and to me especially. Whatever it is your planning on doing in order to be forgiven, I'm not going to give you the benefit of the doubt."
" My name is Sonata Dusk yes, but I have no idea what you're talking about with these sirens, and music, and doing anything bad to you. I'm merely someone who travels the land searching for those who could do with one of my happy masks to make them feel better about themselves. Everyone in the world deserves a chance to be happy, and that's my goal in life, to see that no one is left to be sad. If I offended you for any reason, I'm very sorry and didn't mean to cause you grief," said Sonata.
How could I be so blind and stupid not to realize that this isn't the same Sonata Dusk who was a member of the Dazzlings? This was a different version of her with no ties to the other one, and I just insulted her for no apparent reason because of the similarities. Knowing this made me feel really bad as I was once again resorting to my old ways of bullying, and it made me start to cry which caught the attention of Sonata.
" There's no need for tears my friend, for what you said to me was an honest mistake. If I resemble someone you know that made you upset, I'm ashamed to be connected to her in such a way."
" I didn't mean to lash out at you like that," I cried.
" All is forgiven as you were merely venting out some kind of inner frustration. I've seen it happen all the time whenever I meet people new and old, yet I never tire of seeing it as I know it will always happen. So wipe away those tears and let me see if I can help you out as best as I can," said Sonata who then proceeded to wipe away my tears which made me feel better.
" I travel the world selling masks to people, and I see that you could do with some happiness yourself. While some of my masks may look strange, others fascinating, and yet others leaving you speechless, all of them are destined to make someone out there happy. I've got an idea which should perk you right back up. Would you like to be a Happy Mask Saleswoman? I will let you borrow one of my masks, and then you must go and sell it on your own.
If you talk to people while wearing one of my masks, you'll be sure to get some kind of reaction out of it. I'm not sure what will be said, but it will be something that's for sure. Eventually, someone may have an interest in the mask, and may inquire about purchasing it from you. If you manage to sell a mask, return to me so that I may receive payment, and then you can borrow the next mask.
The previous mask will be free to borrow for as long as you want, but you can only have one mask in your possession at a time. It may sound like a daunting task, but I know that you can do it. In fact, if you manage to sell all of my masks, you'll end up becoming happy yourself knowing that you made others feel the same."
" After what I said to you just now, I could do with some happiness right now, and I want to do something nice for you to make up for how I treated you. So yes, I'll become a seller of masks and make you proud," I said.
" Splendid! Now let me just pull out the first mask that you can borrow." Sonata said as she put her bag down, opened it up, and literally jumped into it in order to find what she was looking for. It was rather awkward seeing her legs dangling out of the bag like that, but she quickly got herself back out and presented a mask which looked like some kind of fox with its eyes slanted shut. " Here is the first mask you can borrow, and it costs only ten rupees to purchase. This is a Keaton Mask. and this can be described as being hot, hot, hot! Someone out there is surely waiting for this mask to reach them."
" And I know exactly who," I said.
" You know someone already?" asked Sonata.
" There is a girl in Kakariko Village who asked me if I could get her a Keaton Mask by finding you because she said that she really wanted one for a long time. If this is what she has been looking for, then I can sell the mask to her and bring you back the money within a matter of minutes. Of course, I do need to go to Hyrule Castle Town in order to buy a proper shield as I intend to travel up Death Mountain via a request from the princess," I replied.
" Well, I am going to Kakariko Village in order to get a special potion, so I will be there for a while which should give you plenty of time to buy a shield at the Bazaar, sell the Keaton Mask to the one who wants it, and pay me back in order to receive the next mask. Or, you could do all of this the other way around if you prefer if that makes it easy for you. Would that suffice? Either way, I will be waiting for you in Kakariko Village, so be sure to look out for me," said Sonata, and with that she began to make her way over to the steps leading up to the village.
Just like she was in the human world, Sonata was rather bubbly and had a penchant for being an air-head, but it was nice to see a friendlier version of her instead of the siren I'd come to know. It didn't take long for me to reach the Bazaar, and I'll admit that it was pretty professional looking what with how everything was displayed neatly on the shelves. The owner of the Bazaar looked a little frightening at first, but I didn't let that bother me in the slightest.
" Welcome to the Bazaar, Hyrule Castle Town's store for all of your adventuring needs. What can I get you?"
" I'd like to purchase that shield you have there in the corner," I replied.
" You mean the Hylian Shield? This is the kind of shield used by the royal guard so it's both sturdy and heavy, but it may be a bit too heavy for the likes of you. No offence mind you, but I'm just saying that it may not be what you need unless you were planning on climbing up Death Mountain or something."
" That's the reason I need that shield," I said.
" If that's the case then I'll gladly sell you the shield as you'll need it if you're planning on going up there."
" Oh, and I was recommended to come here and purchase the Hylian Shield from one of the guards in Kakariko Village," I said.
" So one of the guards there told you about us did they? Guess that means I need to give you a good deal then otherwise I'd be betraying their expectations. Usually, this shield sells for 80 rupees, but I'll sell it you for about....say 60 rupees. That's as low as I am willing to go otherwise I'll be selling at a loss which isn't good for business kid. So do we have a deal or not?" The price was still a bit high for my tastes, but it wasn't as high as the original asking price, so I agreed and made the purchase.
It's a good thing Spike advised me to cut as much grass as possible while on my journey as well as break pots whenever I see any as that's how you can earn rupees really quickly. The Hylian Shield was indeed heavy as I strapped it onto my back, but it was something that I should be able to get used to. With the shield purchase having been taken care of, I raced back to Kakariko Village in order to sell the mask to Scootaloo who was still standing guard at the gate by the time I arrived.
" Looks like you were able to get a good deal from the Bazaar," said Scootaloo as I was running up to her before stopping to catch my breath. " With that shield in your possession, you should have no trouble climbing up Death Mountain, but do beware of the Gorons. Oh? What's that you have there in your hands? Is that the Keaton Mask which I told you about earlier? You managed to run into the Happy Mask Saleswoman straight away? That's rather convenient if I may be honest with you, so are you going to sell it to me?"
" It will cost you ten rupees," I replied.
" That is well within reason, so please take my payment with my sincere gratitude. I've been wanting to hold this mask in my hands for a very long time, and now that dream has just become a reality. I'm going to wear it right now and never take it off until I'm finally done with this guard duty job. I'll be able to wear it again once I get back home which hopefully should be later today, or early tomorrow depending on the Goron crisis," said Scootaloo.
She then put the mask on her face and gave me 15 rupees for it instead of the asking price of ten which meant that I had earned myself a little profit on the side. This money of course wasn't going to be mine for very long as I had to go and pay it back to Sonata in order to get the next mask from her.
" Wearing this mask has made me the happiest person in the world! Wah-ha-ha! From now on, I'm going to refer to you as "Mrs. Hero" as that's exactly what you are, a hero who makes people happy wherever she goes. Wah-ha-ha!" Scootaloo was ecstatic beyond belief over what I had done for her, but I couldn't stick around and watch her laugh all day as I had to find Sonata....which didn't take long mind you because the instant I turned my back to Scootaloo....
" You've made that girl very happy my friend."
" WAAAAH! Oh? It's you Sonata! Sorry about me freaking out like that as I'm rather jumpy when people suddenly sneak up on me without warning. I just sold that Keaton Mask which you already knew seeing as Anju over here I almost called her Scootaloo, but I've learned how to not make that mistake has been laughing hysterically ever since she put it on. Anyway, she gave me 15 rupees as payment which means I have to give you ten of those as payment," I said.
" Payment has been received, so from now on you can borrow the Keaton Mask whenever you want, and you also get to borrow the next model of mask which I happen to have somewhere in my bag. Let me just see where I put it exactly as my bag is filled to the brim with masks," said Sonata. She put her bag down once again and opened it up, but this time she chose to stick her hand inside rather than half of her body.
She fiddled about for a while pulling out masks of various designs while shaking her head and putting them back again, and I was compelled to tell her that it would have been easier if she had just placed them on the ground instead of back in the bag. I guess this was just her way of doing things even if it was weird.
Eventually, Sonata pulled out a mask upon which she smiled with a huge grin on her face before closing her bag up and strapping it onto her back. " Sorry that took so long as this little fellow was rather tricky to find, but here is the second mask that you can borrow. This is the Skull Mask and it was designed to look scary what with these horns and the attention to detail on the face."
" Those horns aren't sharp are they?" I asked.
" Of course they are otherwise it would lose any kind of authenticity which would make the wearer unhappy. This mask sells for 20 rupees which means you will need to pay me back that amount in order to be able to get the next mask model. I can see from the look on your face that you have no idea as to who you could sell this mask to, but not to worry as I have seen many people along the course of my travels.
While on my travels, I came upon a beautiful forest where all kinds of creatures live, and I heard about children who have lost their faces to the forest. How that happens is a mystery, but those poor children aren't able to express themselves fully. There was one such child who has been talking about not looking scary enough for his friends, and that he says that his face is very bland," replied Sonata.
" Okay, I think I have a pretty good idea as to where to go with this mask," I said.
" You can take as much time as you want with the Skull Mask as you do have your own journey to complete. It may sound weird lugging around a mask made out of the remains of a dead creature, but then the beauty of the mask is that it is meant to frighten for the right reasons," said Sonata.
" This mask was once a creature?" I asked.
" Oh my but yes, but which creature it was I have no idea. I don't make the masks that I sell, for my only purpose is to sell them to those who need them. If I find a mask on my travels that appeals to me which is all the time, then I will purchase it in order to sell it to the right person," replied Sonata.
" So then who made this Skull Mask?" I asked.
" I have no idea," replied Sonata.
" Seriously?" I asked.
" Who made and didn't make the mask is not important for they chose to give up their creation without choosing to wear it for themselves which is a travesty. I've seen this happen many a time, and it makes me sad to see people doing this all in the name of profit. I perform my task as a means of making people happy....and I suppose earning a small amount of profit doesn't hurt as it keeps you well fed and gives you a roof over your head when the weather changes. With that, I take my leave of you," replied Sonata.
That was probably the most disturbing thing I've heard so far in this world, but then Sonata was rather out there most of the time what with her outlook on life. When I turned around to say goodbye to her, she was already at the entrance to Kakariko Village that connected to Hyrule Field. How in the world did she get over there in just a few seconds carrying such a heavy bag on her back? I had no chance to run over and ask her, for she had already walked down the stairs and was soon out of sight.
" That was pretty weird," commented Spike.
" You don't even know the half of it," I said.
" Want to fill me in here?" asked Spike.
" This Happy Mask Saleswoman looks exactly like a girl I knew from the human world, but their personalities differ in one key place....alignment. In my world, Sonata was evil who along with her friends wanted to conquer the world by hypnotizing everyone into obeying their every word. While she wasn't necessarily evil like the other two were, Sonata still proved that she was willing to do whatever it took to get what she wanted. Because of what she and her friends did to me and my friends, I can't forgive them even though they no longer have any power.
It's like a part of me doesn't want to give her and the others a chance to redeem themselves as they showed no signs of remorse. When I saw her in this world, I assumed that Sonata had somehow followed me here, and was intent on making my life miserable, but now I see that this is a good Sonata Dusk who wishes to make people happy. It's weird seeing a different version of someone when all you know about them is from one set of experiences," I answered.
" Are you saying this because of how you shouted at her?" asked Spike.
" If I hadn't stopped myself, I could have made things even worse, and I'd just be a monster like I used to be, but that was then and this is now! I apologized to Sonata for the mistaken identity, and I believe that I've made a unique friend in her. Now that I think about it, if Sonata is in this world, then does that both Adagio Dazzle and Aria Blaze are somewhere here as well? And if so, are they still evil, or will they be good people when I finally run into them? Huh? Sorry, just thinking out loud and got caught up in the moment," I replied.
" Want to talk to Saria before we climb up Death Mountain?" asked Spike.
" Now what brought that up?" I asked.
" You seem to be a little stressed out what with this whole thing regarding Sonata, so I figured that you could play Saria's Song, and see what kind of advice she may have that can be shared with us. If advice isn't your thing right now then maybe simply talking to her would work as I know that she enjoys talking to her friends," replied Spike. He made enough valid points for me to whip out the ocarina and play Saria's Song aka Fluttershy's Song as I prefer the latter name for it.
" Sunset Shimmer? This is Saria? Can you hear me? I heard from the spirits that my advice to you regarding that letter turned out to be of tremendous help in your quest, but I think that I didn't really do all that much seeing as it was just a letter. Is there something that you appear to be stumped with right now?" asked Fluttershy. I then explained to her about the problem I had with the Gorons, and that their chief, Darunia, was acting irrationally. " I have heard many stories about Mrs. Darunia from the spirits, and they've told me that while she may look strong and tough, she has some kind of secret that reduces that facade to rubble. No pun intended of course."
" What kind of secret?" I asked.
" She is known to suddenly break out into dancing whenever she hears something that causes her to react like that. I know it sounds hard to believe that someone like Mrs. Darunia is capable of dancing, but she can and it's also said that dancing is how she relaxes and calms down especially after being angry," replied Fluttershy.
" Oh I can believe someone like her would want to dance," I said with a sarcastic look on my face.
" The problem is that only the Gorons closest to Mrs. Darunia would know what kind of music she would dance to, so I'm afraid that you will have to go and talk to them in order to know for certain. There are also some places in Hyrule that are connected to the forest, and if you manage to hear the music of the forest, then you will have found one of those connections. It makes traversing the kingdom a little bit easier although it only really applies to the eastern most portion of the kingdom," said Fluttershy.
" That's some pretty useful information there especially about the connections," I said.
" Really?" asked Fluttershy.
" I'm being completely honest with you about that. Such connections would make my life a lot easier when it comes to travelling as all this walking around is starting to make my feet sore. As for that bit with Darunia dancing to music, I think I know just who might know more about it than anyone else among the Gorons....her sister Maud. She's got to know the answer unless they're not close as sisters, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it," I replied.
" Then I guess I'll leave things up to you, so good luck Sunset Shimmer, and remember to play my song if you need some more help," said Fluttershy. Thanks to her I had a better understanding of how I was going to handle Pinkie Pie, and that was to speak to Maud about her sister's dancing obsession. I knew that it had to be something like that as Pinkie always loved dancing about, and breaking into song whenever she felt the mood to do so.
I also had to let her know about the whole Equestrian magic and this world not being our world bit which I told Twilight and Fluttershy, but I need to do things one step at a time with the first step being Pinkie in a better mood. With a new resolve and determination in my heart, Spike and I began to march up past the gate and onto what was known as the Death Mountain Trail, a narrow path that twisted itself about in order to make its way up the mountain.
The pathway at the beginning was rather dull as the high rock faces made it all feel enclosed, but a large cave entrance with a large boulder blocking the way soon caught my attention. A sign near the boulder that this was the entrance to Dodongo's Cavern, and that no one was permitted to enter due to a sudden infestation of Dodongos. What in the world was a Dodongo?
" I've heard about this place," began Spike.
" Do tell," I said.
" Dodongo's Cavern was once a large cave complex that was filled to the brim with Dodongos, dinosaur like creatures that were capable of growing to very large proportions and breathing fire in order to scorch any prey they came across. Supposedly, the Dodongo's went exist many years ago, and the Gorons began to start mining the cavern in order to look for rocks which they would eat upon finding. If what that sign said was accurate, the Dodongo's seem to have returned in large numbers, but why has that happened? Also, why seal up something which you've been using to get your food supply for years?" asked Spike.
" Gasp! Repeat that again!" I exclaimed.
" The Gorons have been using the Dodongo's Cavern to get their food supply?" asked Spike.
" That's it! That's got to be the reason why Darunia has been in such a foul mood these past few days. The Gorons must be experiencing some kind of food shortage which explains why they've been going to Kakariko Village so often, for they are so desperate to eat that they are resorting to drastic measures to avoid starving to death. Now we need to figure out why the entrance to their quarry has been sealed up, and who among them decided to do this in the first place. Of course, we still need to get Darunia in a good mood, and I think helping her with the food shortage just might be the key to securing the Spiritual Stone of Fire," I replied.
" It couldn't have been one of the Gorons as that kind of action would have made her very unpopular with the others," said Spike.
" Then it must have been a non-Goron who placed that boulder there, but who would have the strength to lift a boulder that big? Hmmmm....so many questions and few answers attached to them. Maybe we should ask some of the Gorons if they know anything about that boulder," I suggested.
" You mean like that Goron standing right behind you?" asked Spike.
" Huh?" I turned around and sure enough there was a Goron standing right behind me. "WAAAAH!" Okay, this whole scaring me senseless thing was starting to get really old, really fast, and it was probably starting to add years onto my life. " So you're one of the Gorons are you? You remind me of a student from Canterlot High, but I can't quite put my finger on it right now."
" We don't get many visitors come up here to Death Mountain. Since you know what I am and all, I'll skip the introduction and get right to the point. We Gorons have lived here peacefully for many generations, but then problems started to flare up when that huge boulder came out of nowhere. Because of it, our favourite quarry, the Dodongo's Cavern has been sealed off, and now we Gorons are slowly starving to death. Big Brother Darunia said that she was waiting for the messenger of the royal family, and it's this which is keeping her from going on a rampage in the village below."
" Where is she now?" I asked.
" Most likely waiting for the messenger in her room, and getting angrier with every passing minute. Big Brother can be very scary when she is angry, but I know that she's this way due to a lack of food in her belly. If you want to hear more Goron gossip, why not head up to our city? Goron City is only another mile away from here, so it shouldn't take you very long to reach it even by foot." That piece of information was somewhat useful, so I continued to walk up towards the city stopping every now and then to speak to additional Gorons who happened to be along the path. One Goron actually stopped to tell me something because he felt the need to do so.
" They say that a beautiful fairy lives on top of Death Mountain. Don't you want to see her?"
" And how do I go about doing that?" I asked.
" You'll need some explosives in order to reach her, but bombs are pretty scarce around here what with the food shortage. So I guess you won't be able to see the fairy until the shortage is over." That was rather disappointing to learn that there was currently no way to reach this fairy the Goron mentioned unless the food crisis has been resolved, but it did strengthen my resolve once again to sort all of this out.
There was one Goron in particular who was off the beaten path as she was located down a small pathway which lead to a dead-end, but the sounds of snoring indicated that she was asleep, and waking her up would be a bad idea. Walking along further, I came across another sign which told me that this was the land of Gorons known as Goron City, so I was at the right location which meant it was time to find Pinkie Pie.
Upon entering the cave, I found myself standing in a massive room which featured quite the drop below me, several walkways below where I was, and numerous passageways leading who knows where strutted out of the walls. Strange artwork had been painted on the walls which seemed to indicate either ancient Gorons of the past, or some weird art that could have been drawn very recently.
I could also hear the sounds of something rolling around about one level below me, and in the middle of the room was a small platform suspended in the air with four thick strands of rope keeping it up there. A strange pedestal was on this platform which indicated that something of value was once located there. And then there were the Gorons who for the most part were either sleeping, or pacing about with frustrated expressions on their faces.
" I'm impressed at how they were able to build an entire city into the side of a mountain," I said.
" Rocks are what Gorons live on after all, so making a city like this was pretty easy for them," said Spike.
" Perhaps you're right, but in any case we need to find out where Darunia is," I said.
" You are the one who was almost hit by my sister's hammer."
" WAAAAH!" Again I just had to freak out when someone shows up next to me out of nowhere, and it's the third time it's happened in the last hour or so. At least this time I knew who was speaking to me as her monotone voice is so easy to recognize. Standing next to me was Maud Pie, Pinkie Pie's older sister. who happens to be a Goron which makes sense given that she has a strong fascination with rocks. It's also a coincidence that she would be the one to greet me as I was hoping to find her.
" I'm glad that you are okay," said Maud.
" If it wasn't for you getting your sister to leave the village Maud, things might have taken a turn for the worse," I said.
" How do you know my name?" asked Maud.
" One of the villagers happened to mention it to me when I was talking with her the other day ( and it just so happens that I know you as Pinkie's sister back home, but I won't mention that as I don't need to have another case where someone asks me what I'm talking about ), so I decided to remember it hoping that I would find you here. Listen Maud, I'm the messenger of the royal family who has been sent to meet with your little sister in order to receive the spiritual stone. I was hoping that this would have been an easy transition, but the actions of Pinkie Pie have made things a bit more complicated," I replied.
" Pinkie Pie? Who is Pinkie Pie?" asked Maud.
" I meant Darunia," I answered as I followed up with a smack to the forehead due to forgetting my own advice.
" Things just have not been the same around here ever since the incident that occurred here about a week ago. I'm sure you've already seen the boulder that blocks the entrance to the Dodongo's Cavern? That cavern has been where we have mined numerous rocks which have sustained our way of life for the last number of years, but when the boulder suddenly blocked the entrance, we tried to remove it, but to no avail. Now everyone in the city are starving and becoming more irrational with every passing day. Even my own sister has been suffering from hunger issues, and you have seen what it can do to her," said Maud.
" Then why not eat other kinds of rocks?" I asked.
" We used to do that a long time ago, but that all changed when we began to mine the rocks in the Dodongo's Cavern. The rocks there are so delicious and nutritious that we refuse to eat rocks of any other kind. In Kakariko Village, they have rocks that originally came from the cavern which they use to build homes, and that is why my sister wanted to take them back with us. The village is using the rocks that we love to eat the most," replied Maud.
" Any idea on how the boulder got there?" I asked.
" My sister and I originally believed that the boulder fell from high atop the mountain," replied Maud.
" But?" I asked.
" That idea did not take long for it to not make any sense as a boulder that large would have shattered to pieces if it had fallen from that height. It only recently dawned on us as to what we realized what happened. The day before our food shortage began to take hold, a strange man wearing black armour visited Goron City to seek an audience with my sister. He had come to claim the spiritual stone from her, but she refused his request.
The armoured man left the city without saying a word, and we just assumed that was it, but the next day we saw the boulder blocking the entrance to Dodongo's Cavern, and that was the beginning of the famine which has plagued us," replied Maud. So Ganondorf was responsible for the plight of the Gorons which doesn't surprise me given what I've heard about him so far from Twilight. Is it possible that he is aware of the fact that I'm after the spiritual stone as well?
Then again, this all happened a week ago which translates to me not having been here when it happened. That boulder was keeping the Gorons from gaining access to their food supply, and if things didn't change they would soon starve to death and become extinct. The only possible solution would be to remove that boulder, and that would require something pretty powerful. My magic wasn't going to cut it this time as fire can't destroy rock, but maybe explosives can do that instead. I've seen things get blown up on television all the time, so perhaps that principal can be applied here in Hyrule?
" Have you tried to destroy the boulder with bombs?" I asked.
" We don't have any bombs," replied Maud.
" Are you kidding me?" I asked.
" Bombs are scarce around here," replied Maud.
" Can you tell me why?" I asked.
" There are special flowers that grow in the Dodongo's Cavern known as Bomb Flowers, but I do not know how they work, so you would need to ask one of the others about them if you want to know. What I do know is that the materials from this flower is used to make regular bombs, but with the cavern closed off to us, we don't have means to make bombs which means we can't blow up the boulder," replied Maud.
Well that conversation went nowhere, and all it did was bring me back to square one as well as made me feel rather agitated. What I needed was a miracle to turn this whole situation around, and it looked as though Maud was about to come through with what she said next. " I just remembered that there is a single Bomb Flower that exists somewhere on Death Mountain which makes it a rare sight to behold as they only grow in dark places."
" Do you know where it is?" I asked.
" No," answered Maud.
" That wasn't the answer I was hoping for," I moaned.
" But my sister should have a pretty good idea as to where it might be as she explores all over the mountain every day so as to not be stuck indoors all the time. It is lucky then that you are here to see her otherwise you would be out of luck as she refuses to see anyone aside from the one from the castle. She even refuses to see me unless it has to do with getting rocks from the village. I'm sure that you may be able to get my sister back in a good mood....I don't know what your name is," said Maud.
" My name is Sunset Shimmer," I said.
" That is a nice name," said Maud.
" Thank you, but let's focus on getting your sister to change her outlook. I was told by a friend of mine who comes from the forest that your sister has a tendency to dance when the mood suits her. If I were to play the right kind of music, it may just lift her spirits and make her easier to talk to," I said. Hearing what I said shocked Maud twice; the first time was because I knew of Darunia's secret, and the second time was because she said she had no idea what a forest was.
Seriously? You'd think the Gorons would have knowledge of locations aside from ones made of rock. " I happen to have an ocarina with me with which to play some music for her, but I have no idea as to what kind of music will make her react where she will start to dance."
" I remember my sister once telling me that whenever she was feeling upset about something, she would listen to music that came from the outside beyond the scope of the mountain....music that was green....natural....full of life....a place where spirits could be found. Such music like that doesn't make much sense to the rest of us Gorons, but to my sister, it was the most pleasant sound she has ever heard in her life. I know that my advice may not have been to your liking, but perhaps you may be able to figure out what can get her to become happy once again. I miss having my excitable sister around and could do with this angry one taking a permanent vacation," said Maud.
Whether or not she realized it, Maud had given me the exact information that I needed to help out Pinkie Pie. She needed to hear forest music and the only song I had which fit the description was Fluttershy's Song; the song that allows one to communicate with the spirits. I asked Maud to lead me to her sister's room, and she nodded before beckoning me to follow her down into the depths of the city. While I was making my way to Pinkie's room, something else was happening at the castle. What that was is something I didn't know at the time, but it would play a part further down the road.
" What is it Impa?" asked Twilight as she gazed out at the bright sunlight.
" I have learned from your father that he has agreed to meet again with Ganondorf, the Gerudo King within the next couple of days your highness. It appears that the purpose of the meeting is to ratify the alliance that will bring the Hylian and Gerudo tribes closer together. If I may express my opinion on the matter without overstepping my boundaries, I believe that this meeting should not be allowed to take place," replied Applejack.
" And I completely agree with you," said Twilight.
" In what way?" asked Applejack.
" Ever since Sunset Shimmer told me about that world she comes from, Equestria, it has been on my mind. There is something about Ganondorf and Sunset Shimmer that made me think that perhaps at one time or another, I too was from Equestria, and that I was a princess there of some repute. I have seen images flowing about my mind of various ponies of all shapes, colours, and personalities, and five of them were very close to me as though they were my best friends. You Impa were one of those that I saw, yet you were not my faithful bodyguard and attendant, but rather you were someone who worked on a farm," replied Twilight.
" That does sound hard to believe," said Applejack.
" Maybe it does to you Impa, but to me it feels like a truth which has been taken away from my soul, and has been replaced with something else. I could very well be over thinking things, or perhaps my lack of sleep may be affecting my mind, but I believe Sunset Shimmer's story as much as I am able to. There are some aspects of her story that I do not believe are true, but that could just be me acting ignorant and refusing to accept things.
I suppose that it would have been nice to have lived in Equestria, but I know that is nothing more than childish fantasies that are getting in the way. I must not allow these images and this Equestria to cloud my judgment for the kingdom has need of me to be in the right state of mind if we are to prevent Ganondorf from claiming the Triforce. I have no doubt in my mind that my father is walking right into a trap, but without any kind of proof to expose Ganondorf's intentions, there is not much that I am able to do," said Twilight.
" Your father has requested that you are to attend the meeting to serve as a witness when the alliance is to be made official, so that may be your chance to see what kind of man Ganondorf really is. While he uses his political position as King of the Gerudo in order to protect himself from being prosecuted, you can use the meeting as a chance to weaken his resolve, and have him resort to an action that would be seen as treason against the royal family. While it does sound unethical to resort to trickery in order to prove a point, Ganondorf has forced your hand, and you must respond accordingly if the kingdom is to be saved," said Applejack.
" So I am to attend the meeting then?" asked Twilight.
" It is the will of your father, and you must do so in order to represent the integrity of the royal family. I shall be by your side as always princess for that is the sacred duty which I have performed since you were a baby, and your father has accepted my being at the meeting for it was he who commanded me to be your protector at all times. The meeting between your father and Ganondorf does not take place for at least two more days, so you have some time to prepare for it well. Now then, I do have some other information for you," replied Applejack.
" What is it?" asked Twilight.
" Right now, your chosen heroine, Sunset Shimmer, has made contact with the Gorons, and is proceeding to obtain the spiritual stone from their chieftain, but I fear that the hands of fate have chosen to make things more difficult for her. According to some of the castle guards, the people of Kakariko Village have been sending in requests asking for additional soldiers to protect the village due to the Goron chieftain acting irrationally.
The villagers fear that the Gorons could decide to invade the village and burn it to the ground due to the actions of Darunia, but if Sunset Shimmer can succeed in her mission, both the village and Death Mountain will return to a peaceful existence. I have no doubt in my mind that Ganondorf has done something to cause the mind of the chieftain to want to consider barbaric force," replied Applejack.
" And if that is the case then something surely has befallen the Zora's as a result of Ganondorf's actions. Sunset Shimmer will certainly have her work cut out for her as she struggles to save both the Gorons and the Zoras, yet it is something that she must do on her own if she is to prove that she is the hero of legend who will save Hyrule.
As much as I would like to give her additional assistance, my father would never allow it, for he does not believe in the legend, nor would he accept a child from the forest to be our saviour. My own words and power within the kingdom Impa are limited at best compared to that of my father, and his inaction towards Ganondorf is a sign that things are likely to become worse, but I am hoping to be wrong about that," said Twilight.
" You must have faith in Sunset Shimmer in that she will succeed," said Applejack.
" As always you are correct Impa," smiled Twilight.
" I have often been correct on such matters your highness as it comes with having lived a long, fruitful life. Now come, you need to prepare for the eventual arrival of the Gerudo King and appease your father's wishes, and I must prepare for a contingency plan in case something is to go wrong. I do not trust the intentions of Ganondorf, and I will make sure that nothing is to befall upon you," said Applejack.
Pinkie's room was located at the very bottom of Goron City which is really weird as wouldn't the chief want to have their room somewhere near the very top for easy access? The walk down to the room was rather pleasant although I found it odd that one room consisted of a pool of lava, another room was sealed behind a rather frail wall, and a large jar with Goron faces on it was smack in the center of the lowest level. To me, the Gorons had some strange tastes, but who was I to judge them on things that I knew nothing about? The entrance to the room was blocked by a large stone slab, and in front of the door was a plush carpet which felt very nice to my feet which was a change of pace from the hard ground I've walked on since the beginning.
" I had a feeling that my sister would choose to seal herself away," said Maud.
" How do you figure that?" I asked.
" The spiritual stone used to be located on that floating platform suspended by ropes, and served as a light that made the entire city glow. Some of my Brothers had been known to sneak off to the stone to lick it because it tasted really good," replied Maud.
" You've been licking it!?!?" I exclaimed.
" It's one of our more strange ways of doing things. Anyway, when it became apparent that you were coming, and the pressures of the armoured man and our food shortage proved too much to bear, my sister took the stone and sealed herself in her room when we returned from our unsuccessful trip to Kakariko Village. She will not leave until she has spoken with the messenger of the royal family, and that means you need to be the one to open the door.
This door has a special lock, and it will not open until the song of the royal family is played before it. If you truly are the messenger of the royal family, then you should know what that song is," said Maud. I stood firmly on the carpet and played Twilight's Lullaby once again, and the slab blocking the entrance to Pinkie's room slid away giving us access. Maud's reaction....wasn't really much of one although her jaw did drop for about a split second. " That is the song of the royal family for certain. You are the one that my sister has been waiting for! You must go inside and play the song of the forest in order to help her clear her mind."
" Aren't you coming with me?" I asked.
" My place is not meant to be in there while my sister is in her current state of mind," replied Maud.
" In other words you're going to stay out here while I deal with her, and you'll come in when it's all taken care of right?" I asked.
" Sure, I guess," replied Maud. I should have known she was going to respond like that, but at least I had her support even if she doesn't exactly express it like most people would, but I gritted my teeth, and made sure that I was in the right state of mind before walking into the lion's den known as Pinkie's room.
The interior was actually quite an impressive sight to see what with the Goron murals painted on the walls, a lush carpet lining the center of the room, two tables lacking chairs with clay pots on top located on the eastern wall, and a rather large and suspicious Goron statue holding a spear was at the back of the room. Looking at the statue was Pinkie Pie herself who seemed to be fixated on it for whatever reason, but she turned around and faced me as soon as I was within range.
" Huh? Oh! You're that girl from the other day who almost got smashed to pieces by my hammer. Hold on! How did you get in here? When I heard the song of the royal family, I believed their messenger had finally arrived, but you....you're just a forest girl! Has Darunia, the big boss of the Gorons lost so much status to be treated like this by her Sworn Brother, the king? You've got a lot of nerve coming in here unless....unless you are the messenger that I've been expecting?" asked Pinkie Pie.
" I was sent here by the princess in order to retrieve something from you," I replied.
" The princess sent you here instead of the king? That makes me feel even madder than before as I was expecting you to have been sent by my Brother, and not by the request of his daughter. And even then, I was expecting someone else instead of a forest girl! Grah! If I were you, I'd get out of my face right now if you know what's good for you," said Pinkie Pie.
" I know what's been going on around here," I began.
" Did my older sister reveal to you affairs that are problems to us Gorons and not that of outsiders?" asked Pinkie Pie.
" She did mention a few things here and there about what's been going on in your city regarding your food shortage, and how it has affected everyone around here . I may be here on behalf of the princess and not the king as you were hoping for, but that shouldn't matter as I want to help you resolve your problem. Don't blame her for telling me about this crisis, for you need all the help you can to resolve it," I replied.
" While I love my sister to pieces, sometimes she talks too much for her own good. So you believe that you can help out my people and end this famine? No offence to you, but you don't exactly look like someone who is capable of saving an entire city from the brink of starvation, so why don't you go home and allow someone with more experience try their hand at resolving things.
Hmmmm? What's that you have there in your hand? Is that an ocarina? It's been a long time since I've seen one of those, so I'm taking it that you plan on serenading me with some kind of melody? Bah! I don't have time to listen to music right now as I need to start preparing my Brothers to invade Kakariko Village. While it does sound horrific that I am making my people resort to such an act, desperate times call for desperate measures," said Pinkie Pie.
" Can I at least play you one song?" I asked.
" Only one? Well, if you make it quick enough, I suppose I can grant you that much at least," replied Pinkie Pie. I had to make this count otherwise Pinkie would throw me out, and I would be out one spiritual stone, saving this world, and returning to my own all in that order. Placing the ocarina to my lips, I began to play Fluttershy's Song in the hopes that what Maud and the others have said was true, and that it wasn't in vain.
Upon playing the song, at first nothing happened which started to crush my spirits, but then Pinkie started to act all funny by twitching her arms a little bit, and then she suddenly broke out into a dancing frenzy where she pumped her arms up and down, spun around a few times like she were a ballerina, and even jumped up and down on the spot. The song was taking effect, so I continued to play it so as to keep the mood going.
As the music continued, Pinkie's expression turned from miserable to pure joy, her skin tone brighten up where it had dull before, and her hair regained its poofy nature rather than being flat and boring. " Oh! Oh, oh, OH! C'mon! Come on! Come on! Come on!" At this point, Pinkie was just having the time of her life, and nothing was going to stop her except for herself. " HOT! WHAT A HOT BEAT! WHOA! YYEEEAAAHHHH!!!! YAHOOOOOOOO!!!! After that last burst of pure joy, Pinkie finally came to a stop with her dancing, and her expression was one that reminded me that this was the Pinkie I knew and loved as a friend.
" You seem to be in good spirits now," I said.
" Say, that was such a good song you played for me just now. The moment I heard it reach my ears, I just wanted to dance like crazy. Just like that, all of that stress in my heart has melted away. I wish to apologize for my rude behaviour towards you, and towards my sister and the villagers of Kakariko. The way I was acting was just horrible, but I wanted to lash out at anything because of my frustration," said Pinkie Pie.
" You were just under a lot of anguish, but it's over now and you are yourself again," I smiled.
" I am Darunia, chieftain of the Gorons, and I welcome you to Goron City. Now that I've had a better look at you, I do believe that you are the messenger who was to meet with me to discuss something of great importance. My apologies again for not giving you a more deserving welcome, but I see that it hasn't dampened your spirits. So, um, who are
you exactly?" asked Pinkie Pie.
" My name is Sunset Shimmer, and I am here to obtain the spiritual stone," I replied.
" You're after the spiritual stone too? You're like, the second person in the last couple of days who have come here looking for that! First there was that Ganondorf fellow who seemed like a real mean, meanie pants because of that evil aura I was sensing from him. He demanded that I hand over the spiritual stone to him, but I refused, and he just simply left without saying a single word. Now that I'm back to my senses, I recall that the boulder blocking Dodongo's Cavern as well as the infestation of the beasts occurred after he left the city. Sunset Shimmer right? You said that you have come here in order to help us out?" asked Pinkie Pie.
" That's right," I replied.
" Yes, I can see the honesty in your eyes and the determination in your heart that you want to help out my people in their time of need. Okay then, I have a proposition for you which will be of great benefit to everyone. I want you to go into the Dodongo's Cavern and destroy all of the evil monsters that have infested there. If you manage to achieve this task, I will give you the Spiritual Stone of Fire, known also as the Goron's Ruby. To sweeten the deal for you, anything you find inside of the cavern that you feel will help you on your quest is yours to keep," said Pinkie Pie.
" In order for me to get inside of the Dodongo's Cavern, I'd need to find some way to remove that giant boulder blocking the entrance. Your sister Maud told me that I'd need something called a Bomb Flower in order to remove the boulder, and that there is one such flower growing somewhere on Death Mountain. She also said that you know where it's growing because you've been all over this mountain many times," I said.
" Not even the mighty swing of my hammer has been enough to shatter that boulder to pieces, but my sister is right about you needing a Bomb Flower in order to get the job done, and the fact that I do know where it's located. The Bomb Flower is located just outside of the main entrance to Goron City down a small pathway which leads to a dead end that overlooks the main pathway.
Oh yeah! Silly me! I forgot to tell you something else. Picking up Bomb Flowers isn't easy as they are surprisingly heavy despite being a flower, so you'll most likely not succeed in picking one up with the amount of strength you have. Now don't feel sad Sunset Shimmer as I have something here for you that will allow you to pick up Bomb Flowers with ease.
This is the Goron's Bracelet, and as long as you wear it, you can pick up Bomb Flowers, and it also serves as an indicator to others that you are a friend of the Gorons," said Pinkie Pie. She then handed me a gold bracelet which contained a symbol of some kind of claw with three points, and the object looked like a small crown which I found to be cute. I placed it on my right wrist and suddenly felt a strange surge come through me. As I admired the gift that I had received, Maud suddenly ran into the room with a panicked expression on her face.
" Sister, we have a problem," said Maud.
" What is it?" asked Pinkie Pie.
" Our Brothers have just informed me that a Dodongo has somehow burrowed its way from the Dodongo's Cavern, and right into the lowest level of the city. In fact, the beast just emerged a short distance away from your room," replied Maud.
" A Dodongo managed to do all of that? In any case, we need to deal with it quickly before it causes any more damage. Sunset Shimmer, I need to take care of this situation, but if you feel the need to help deal with this problem, by all means come and lend a hand. If not, then I suggest you make your way outside and use that Bomb Flower to gain access to the Dodongo's Cavern as soon as possible. Okay Maud! Lead the way! Charge!" shouted Pinkie Pie.
She then proceeded to follow Maud into the main area, and that was when I heard a number of strange sounds. The first was the sound of what seemed to be some kind of monster, and this was followed by battle cries, a loud scream from Pinkie, and another sound from the monster.
It sounded like they needed my help, so I started to make my way towards the main area only to come face to face with a huge burst of flame. I managed to jump to the side in order to avoid it, and that was when I came face-to-face with the Dodongo in question. Before I could even react, it started to breathe fire on me, and at such a close range, the chances of it missing were slim indeed....
To Be Continued.
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I like Maud as a Goron. I was also expecting Sombra to be Ganondorf, though.
5309795
In my eyes, Tirek made the most sense to portray Ganondorf as his actions in the season four finale is similar to what Ganondorf does throughout Ocarina of Time. I could give Sombra a part in the story, and I think I know the perfect role for him.
As for the three princesses portraying the great goddesses in the positions I have them in, I see Din as the leader of the three which makes Celestia ideal here as she is also a leader.
10-30 rupees?! I only got a 5 rupee discount!
.
That guard ripped me off
5309795
Same, but I'm starting to see Tirek as Ganondorf