//------------------------------//
// Chapter 36: Infiltration 
// Story: The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Majora's Mask 
// by Ganondorf8 
//------------------------------//

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Majora's Mask
By Ganondorf8
December 5, 2016
Chapter 36: Infiltration.

" Rarity!?"

I couldn't believe it! The Zora known as Lulu turned out to be Rarity! Then again, perhaps I could believe it given her current attire. Rarity loved looking fabulous given her nature as a fashionista, and her gown definitely added to her charm although the Zora features did make her appear more fish-like in comparison to being human. Still, this meant I had found four of my friends in Termina: Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Applejack, and now Rarity being the latest one. That only left Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle unaccounted for. 

My first instinct was to walk up and give Rarity a hug and tell her that I had been worried sick, but that's when I noticed something was wrong. She was just standing there, emotionless, inattentive, as though her very reason of existing meant nothing. The Rarity I knew would be vibrant, full of life, eager to showcase her latest designs that she created, yet here it was like she was dead. I waved my hand in her face in hopes of getting a reaction, but she refused to budge and continued looking out at the sea. My next attempt involved walking up to her and saying hello, but the instant I moved a single step forward, she turned to face me.

And that's when I saw her expression with my own eyes. It was an expression that pierced my heart and made me want to feel the same way. Rarity was sad and I was beginning to figure out what that reason was. She then turned to face the ocean once again and I knew there was no point in continuing since she would continue to respond with that expression. No wonder things felt so bleak around here.

Since Rarity was portraying this Lulu character, that meant she was the one who laid the Zora eggs that the Gerudo Pirates stole, and that's when a disturbing thought entered my mind regarding that. One of my friends had given birth to children... None of us were that old to be doing something like that! The thought made me want to throw up given what we were taught in Health Class about the drawbacks of having kids early in life. It tends to ruin your life if you have children before becoming an adult. If Rarity, the one I've come to know, knew that she was a mother in this world, she would decry it as being a scandal aimed at destroying her career.

I then began having thoughts at who the potential father could be and I shook my head immediately of that notion. If the father of Rarity's eggs is who I think it is, things are going to become very awkward in the future.

Princess Twilight bopped me on the head. " What are you thinking about, Sunset?"

" I know why she looks so sad." I answered.

" It's because her eggs have been stolen."

" You figured it out, too?"

" Yes." Twilight answered. " Even though we're looking at Rarity, we must remember that she is someone completely different. In Termina, she gave birth to a number of eggs that were her pride and joy, but now that joy has been taken from her thanks to those pirates. Until those eggs have been returned to her, she will remain in her current condition with no signs that she will ever get better."

" How could those pirates steal innocent children?"

" That's a question we don't have an answer to yet."

I walked up to Rarity and felt compelled to hold her hands in my own. She tried to look at me with her eyes but turned away and resumed looking at the ocean. I then turned to look in the same direction in hopes of getting an answer, and all I saw was the Great Bay Temple situated far out into the ocean. What would compel Rarity to constantly look at a place that no could access according to what Double Diamond mentioned? Speaking of him, he said that the temple was protected by a guardian among the Zora. Was Rarity the guardian? I doubted if she knew that, yet was it true?

Knowing that there was nothing else I could do for her, I let go of her hands and walked back towards the entrance I came out of. I noticed an Owl Statue tucked away in a corner nearby yet my mind was too fixated on trying to figure out what could be done to help Rarity feel better.

At that moment, the sound of a cucco echoed all around, signalling the beginning of the final day in this cycle.



Dawn of the Final Day - 24 Hours Remain.



" We need to enter the Gerudo Fortress."

" Easier said than done."

" What do you mean?"

" If what we heard was correct, getting in there through the front door is impossible."

" There has to be a way to get in there."

Princess Twilight began to think of something but she shrugged her shoulders after a few minutes. " No matter what kind of scenario I consider as an ideal plan, none of them will work because we don't know what lies inside of the fortress let alone being able to get past the front door."

" I'm surprised the Zora don't know more given they live around here."

" They aren't fighters." Twilight said sadly. " The Zora are a peaceful race who enjoy swimming about in the water and wanting to express themselves with music. With the sole exception of Thunderlane, none of them have what it takes to take on the Gerudo in a fight." Her Highness then started thinking again before coming up with a theory that proved to be rather disturbing. " I believe the Gerudo are in control of Great Bay despite it not being that obvious from what we've seen. Since they know the Zora don't fight, they can get away with pretty much anything without having to worry about retaliation."

" What I don't get is why the Gerudo would have so much security inside their fortress."

" Who says they do?"

" I think it's pretty obvious."

Princess Twilight rubbed the bridge of her nose although it looked like she was about to slap her forehead. " Guessing something like that will only lead to defeat, Sunset. Since we didn't think of asking Thunderlane as to what lies within the fortress, we lost out on learning information that would have been beneficial."

" We still have that one band member left."

" I'm not optimistic there."

" Why not?"

Princess Twilight sighed. " Double Diamond and Party Favour didn't exactly give us all that much in the way of information. In fact, they were more focused on performing at a concert that isn't even going to happen as opposed to the missing Zora Eggs. I don't think the remaining band member, this Evan character, will be of any help."

" We might as well try." I said. Looking at Rarity one last time before lowering my own head in sadness, I entered Zora Hall only to notice a group of Zora running about like something serious had just happened. None of them noticed me--for that I felt relieved--and they headed off towards the door I hadn't entered only to be stopped by someone who seemed to command a powerful presence when they silenced the others. " Who do you suppose that is? I can't tell from here as they're too far away."

" I think I recognize who it is but the Zora qualities are making it difficult."

" We'll wait for that assembly to scatter before we go in." I said. The group of Zora were arguing over each other and uttering words so loud and quickly that I couldn't make heads or tails as to what they were saying, yet the one who had stopped them ordered them to continue searching and not to come back otherwise. I had a feeling the Zora was telling them to find and bring back the eggs, yet why do so now and not sooner? " Guess we know what they're doing over there." I said.

Princess Twilight nodded. " They must really be desperate now to get those eggs back if the entire tribe is looking for them."

" If the one giving orders had hoped for secrecy, that option has long since gone."

" I assume that must be the band leader over there."

" Are they in charge?"

" I'm not sure, Sunset. Do the Zora have any kind of hierarchy?"

" Yeah." I answered. " They have a monarch who rules over them and makes decisions, but so far we haven't seen anyone like that around here. Maybe these Zoras don't have a ruler in the traditional sense and instead choose their leader based on certain qualifications."

It was certainly was different compared to the Zoras I encountered during my previous journey. Perhaps I shouldn't compare this adventure and the previous one so much seeing as the differences between them were fairly obvious.

Once the group of Zora walked off to carry out their mission, I walked over to where they had gathered only to be stopped by yet another Zora who blocked the door. Unlike the previous two who had gotten in my way, this one wasn't as kind and instead berated me for making Evan worry so much. I could've explained that I hadn't been here before and was trying to find my way around, yet that would've earned me some ridicule since I was supposed to be one of the Indigo-Go's.

I could hear the sound of someone playing a piano on the other side of the door although the music was occasionally interrupted by the sound of yelling, most likely coming from the same person playing. Whoever they were, they sounded like they were about to go on a rampage throughout Zora Hall. The Zora blocking my path told me that Evan was on the verge of a mental breakdown all because everything had been falling apart, and was forcing everyone else to re-double their efforts despite them complaining. He also said they had worked hard and were ready to spark a protest.

Things had really gone from bad to worse during the course of a single night. I needed to speak with Evan and find out what was going on even though what I would learn wasn't going to be of much help. There was less than twenty-four hours remaining until the moon would destroy Termina, so anything I learned would be implemented during the next cycle of time when I had enough of that on my side.

After getting berated one more time by the Zora, he stepped aside allowing me access to the room. I reached out, grabbed the doorknob, opened the door, and went inside where I was surprised at seeing a large piano situated on top of a raised platform. The piano itself was once most likely an aquatic creature whose remains had since become an instrument, yet my eyes were focused on the beauty within this room. Whoever this Evan was, they certainly had flare when it came to the décor. Even the floor itself comprised of a small layer of water that only went up to my ankles, yet it all came together in a perfect harmony.

Standing in front of the piano was Evan herself--I figured she was a female due to the long hair and the body shape despite only seeing her from behind--and she hadn't noticed me enter due to being what looked like obsessed with adjusting the keys on her organ.

" Rara!?" Twilight exclaimed quietly.

" Who?"

" Applejack's childhood friend from Equestria." Twilight answered. " She always used to call her Rara as a nickname when they were fillies, but after they stopped seeing each other for many years, she grew up and became known as Countess Coloratura, the most popular singer Equestria has ever known."

" I've never heard of her."

" She must have surfaced after you left initially."

I made a glum expression. " Well, excuse me for not being around home more often."

Princess Twilight ignored my response and continued. " She had a horrible manager who wanted her to focus on her singing and stage persona while ignoring her fans because they would never amount to anything. She eventually fired him upon learning what he was doing and shed the countess identity by singing a beautiful ballad the likes of which nopony had ever heard before. You should've been there, Sunset! It was so emotional that I actually choked up inside."

Again, I looked at her with a glum expression, yet she noticed this time and subsequently stopped talking. " Must have been nice to have witnessed something like that. Where I live now, they have a rock concert every month though the Rainbooms are the ones who perform during them most of the time. Still, I'm glad you enjoyed the experience, Twilight, despite rubbing it in my face." I heaved a heavy sigh. " Let's just get this over with and hopefully get some answers."

Walking up the water-ridden stairs until I stood directly behind Coloratura--I was considering calling her Rara or maybe even countess yet neither were appropriate given that I didn't know much about her other than what Princess Twilight stated--I began to think about how I would get things started when she turned around. Much like how I looked as a Zora, she too had scales that were covering her breasts, but then she also wore a see-through shirt--her hair most likely prevented me from seeing that--that featured what appeared to be her cutie mark emblazoned on the front.

Coloratura definitely looked stressed out judging from how she was looking at me but that quickly changed to surprise. " Mikau! Where in the world have you been? I sent you out to get those eggs without the rest of our tribe knowing, but then you disappeared for a couple of days without sending any word, and now I had no choice but to get the others involved by having them scout out every last trace of Great Bay."

" I'm sorry that I was gone so long."

" Look, it doesn't matter that you were practically assumed dead." Coloratura said. I gulped quietly due to her not knowing how close she was to the truth but she didn't hear me make that sound to my relief. " I know getting the others involved serves as an insult since you were specifically asked by me to get them back, but I feared that perhaps the pirates proved too much for you." She then began checking me out either because she thought I had the eggs or thought that I was different. " Have you gotten thinner, Mikau? I like it! I always said you needed exercise to drop that weight given how peaceful it's been until this incident."

I tried looking away out of not wanting her to know the truth but I found it difficult given she had such a piercing gaze. Eventually, I closed my eyes and hoped that would be enough to get her to stop staring, but when I opened my eye briefly, she began walking around me, peering at different parts of my body, and shaking her head on occasion. I felt utterly humiliated over how she was treating me and the urge to lose control floated about in my head, but I remained calm in hopes that she would realize that what she considered an interrogation was only making me feel worse.

She refused to stop and so I had no choice but to let her know. " Do you mind not doing that to me!"

" Sorry, Mikau." Coloratura said sheepishly. " I wasn't trying to make you uncomfortable or anything."

" I beg to differ."

" I was looking to see if you had found the eggs. Did you get them back?"

My eyes opened wide with shock. " You could've just asked without looking at me like I was some kind of freak." I was losing my temper so I began my breathing exercise in order to calm down and approach the situation through a more level-headed lens. " I'm sorry for raging out on you like that, but you were making me feel humiliated."

" No, I was at fault for doing that."

" To answer your question, I don't have the eggs."

Coloratura's face suddenly fell like she was crestfallen upon hearing my words. " Oh... You couldn't do it, after all." She then turned and walked back to her piano before slamming her hands down onto the keys, the piano wailing out a dreadful series of notes as a result of the impact. I wanted to walk up to her to see if I could do something but I held back knowing that she had expected so much more from me. " Mikau... I really thought you could it. I believed in you as you had what it took but perhaps my judgment was hasty. Maybe asking you to do something reckless wasn't the best course of action."

" I just haven't been myself lately."

" The fault is mine." Coloratura said. " You had enough on your mind what with you being the possible father, so asking you to do something when you weren't in the right state of mind shows how ignorant I was to your feelings."

Did she just say that I could be the father to the eggs that Rarity laid? The various emotions and thoughts going through my mind at that precise moment ranged from terrifying, to shock, to flat-out denial, and even surprise because I didn't think that Mikau and Lulu were that close--Party Favour hinted at a relationship between them. Once again, things had gotten even weirder. If Mikau was the father of these eggs, Thunderlane should have mentioned something about it when he was giving me his final eulogy before death took him from this world?

Then again, Coloratura said that Mikau could be the possible father. There was a chance that Rarity had gotten pregnant by another long before she began a relationship with Thunderlane, but without actual proof of such a thing happening, all eyes were on Mikau... No, they were on me. Gah! This was something I didn't want to have to think about! I was already freaking out over being a girl in this body as opposed to being a guy like Thunderlane, yet now I could potentially be a mother myself, or would that be father? Now I'm really starting to lose it! Why did she have to mention that one little tidbit?

I had to straighten this out. " I'm the father!?"

" You could be." Coloratura answered. " You only started dating Lulu about three months ago and Zora women go through their reproductive cycle for about ten months before eggs are laid, so it's possible that another Zora could be the father assuming she was with someone prior to you. Of course, I'm not about to ask Lulu anything regarding her personal life outside of the band, but then I might not be able to ask her anything given the current circumstances."

" Current circumstances?"

Coloratura nodded. " Have you been outside to see Lulu looking out at the ocean?"

I nodded my head. " I was there a few minutes ago."

" Then you better get used to seeing that expression on her face." Coloratura said. " Ever since the pirates stole her eggs, she's just been standing out there gazing at the sea and sighing as though she no longer cherishes life. I spent all day yesterday waiting for you to return pondering over they were able to get in here, and I discovered that the pirates used an underground passageway they must have working on for at least a year. One of them left behind their sword so I knew it there was no other way they entered Zora Hall." She reached behind her piano and pulled out a sharp looking sword that was curved in the blade itself.

" Pretty devious of them."

" If not for this sword, I doubt I'd have figured out the connection."

" Where are they now?"

" At their fortress at the northern end of Great Bay."

" Then that's where I'm going."

" You'll never be able to get through their main entrance, Mikau." Coloratura said. " Those doors are impenetrable! Not even the most powerful seas creatures could hope to break them down but perhaps if you used the secret underwater passage one of the others discovered by accident."

" Underwater passage?"

" Right below the entrance to their fortress deep underwater are three wooden plaques." Coloratura answered. " The pirates discovered you were using that entrance whenever you had to go in there to sort them out, and decided to do something about it."

At last! I finally found the means with which to enter the Gerudo Pirate's Fortress, and it turned out to be nothing more than a hidden underwater entrance that most would simply ignore due to how inconvenient it was. Yet, something was bothering me about this sudden revelation. Why would the Gerudo intentionally block the one access point to their fortress that could be abused by Thunderlane or any other Zora who thought of sneaking in that way? It just didn't make any sense! Were they trying to fix a flaw in their defence system or was it because they wanted someone to sneak through?

Were they anticipating my arrival? If they were then I needed to make sure that I was prepared for them. While I had no doubts about my fighting abilities, the pirates had much more experience and that gave them the overall advantage. Unfortunately for me, this information wouldn't be helpful at this point in time. With less than twenty-four hours to go, any attempt at a rescue would be utterly pointless. I'd need an entire three day cycle in order to rescue the eggs and deliver them to Coloratura, but that brought up another problem.

She asked me if I had the eggs implying that she wanted me to bring them to her, yet Daring Do the other night asked me to bring them to the tank she had prepared in her laboratory so the eggs could hatch in the proper conditions.

I needed to see if Coloratura knew the answer. " If I had gotten the eggs, where would they need to go for hatching?"

" The Oceanside Laboratory."

" Why not here?"

" Zora Hall doesn't have the adequate location." Coloratura answered. " Even the water around here has gotten warmer. The only place where the water is at the normal temperature is at the Oceanside Laboratory courtesy of the professor who lives there."

" I'll get those eggs back."

" You don't have much time, Mikau." Coloratura said. " We're supposed to be leaving for Clock Town late this afternoon. If you don't bring the eggs to the professor before we have to leave... Look, I'm going to have to be honest with you for a moment." She began breathing in and out slowly as though she were trying to prevent herself from losing control of her emotions, and I couldn't help but see a kindred spirit. " We need those eggs safe so Lulu can get her voice back. We've grown accustomed to life in a peaceful sea... That's why the pirates attack us frequently because we aren't able to fight back against them."

" Would that make me an exception?"

Coloratura nodded. " Yes. The only one among the Zora tribe who is still able to go to blows with those wild pirates... It is you, with the blood of Zoran heroes flowing within you, the one whom we rely on in times of great peril."

" That's quite the pressure."

" If not for you then we'd be at their mercy."

I was about to respond back when my brain sent me a signal regarding something Coloratura said. She mentioned that the band was going to Clock Town later on in the day most likely to perform there as part of the celebration. Yet, why would she mention that? Did it mean she wasn't aware of the concert's cancellation from Miss Pommel or was there something else she wasn't sharing? Before I plan on my next move, perhaps an inquiry was in order.

" You mentioned the concert just now."

" We're still preparing for it."

" How?"

" I know things are bad, Mikau, but we're going to pull through provided you succeed." Coloratura answered. " I'm still keeping Lulu's problem a secret from the other band members, but it hasn't been easy since they constantly ask every few hours. They've all been looking forward to our Carnival of Time concert. And I can't tell them it's canceled 'cause Lulu can't sing, can I? We'd have a riot on our hands!"

" Ah-ha!"

" Ah-ha what?"

" You said the concert would be cancelled because of Lulu's problem." I answered. " Yet it's been cancelled because of something happening over at Clock Town. I'm not sure of all the details but I do know that we're not going there."

Coloratura blinked at me a few times. " Um... How did you know what Mrs. Toto told me through private conversation? I thought no one intercepted the message she sent from in town given how secretive we were." I could tell she was beginning to grow suspicious. " Mikau... There's no way you could have known about that. I'm not accusing you of anything but it's rather strange that you know about my conversation with our manager considering you were supposed to be getting the eggs back."

" Lucky guess?"

" I suppose so, but still I am curious about it."

" I should probably get going."

" Before you go, I should mention something else." Coloratura said. " When you do find the eggs in the fortress, you can't just pick them up and carry them around in your hands like they were rocks. They are delicate and should be transported in a container so that they don't sustain any kind of damage. Empty bottles would be a perfect container although no one around has any due to not having any need for them. If you bring some empty bottles with you, you can use them to scoop up the eggs and carry them around. One bottle can only hold one egg, so you can never have too many empty bottles."

" I've got at least three bottles."

" That won't be enough."

" How come?"

" Lulu laid seven eggs." Coloratura answered. " You need seven empty bottles to rescue them all in one attempt otherwise you'll have to go there more than once, and I doubt they would be willing to let you go around their turf multiple times. By the way, remember what I told you about those beavers?" I nodded knowing this thanks to that one Zora I ran into outside who mentioned it earlier. " Good! I won't have to repeat myself. " Those beavers love hoarding bottles since they're obsessed with them but they won't share with us. I recommend paying them a visit as you'll need as many empty bottles as possible before going to the fortress."

" I'll do my best."

" Remember... You have until this afternoon to get them back." Coloratura said. " If you're not back with them by that time, well... I don't need to explain what will happen as I'm sure you get the idea."

Even though I didn't want to disappoint her, I wouldn't be able to retrieve the eggs before the end of the day. There simply wasn't enough time for me to go into the fortress and rescue all of the eggs--not even slowing down the passage of time was enough since it was so late within this current cycle of time--and that meant doing other things before resetting time and making a proper attempt.

Thanking Coloratura for the advice, I started to walk towards the door when she suddenly mentioned about how I could have known about her conversation with Miss Pommel regarding the concert. She then asked me to stick around for a few moments more and answer a few questions, but I had already left the room because I knew that answering her concerns would expose my secret of not being who I said I was.

When I was back outside in the main area of Zora Hall, I cursed myself under my breath for acting so stupid when it came to the concert's cancellation. Thunderlane obviously didn't know about the cancellation as he was busy trying to rescue the eggs Rarity laid before all of this even started, and my mentioning it almost ruined his reputation to the point where it couldn't be salvaged. I knew resetting time would erase my conversation with Coloratura yet the point still stood in that I made a hideous blunder. Still, I shouldn't have said anything and just simply allowed it to go over my head.

At least I didn't walk away completely unrewarded. I learned how I could gain access to the Gerudo Pirate's Fortress in addition to learning what the empty bottles were used for, the very thing Flash Sentry hinted at for me to figure out.

Yet, my mind was filled with different images ranging from worrying about the eggs to the surprise that Thunderlane--and by extension me--could be the other parent to the eggs that were stolen. I just couldn't get that thought out of my head no matter how hard I tried. 

I needed a few moments to process everything so I walked around until the edge of the room until I reached the main entrance before sitting down at the water's edge and placing my legs into the water. Once my body started relaxing courtesy of the water flowing around my legs, I began thinking about everything that had happened up to this point. I thought the problems of Snowhead were yet the situation in Great Bay was even worse. Not only did I have to save a batch of unborn children but I also needed to figure out why the water had gotten warmer than usual and what Starlight had done with the guardian of this region.

Yes... I knew Starlight was involved as it had become a popular trend yet what she did remained unknown.

Princess Twilight finally broke the silence. " That was certainly an awkward conversation."

" I know. I just can't believe that I could be the parent of Rarity's children."

" Um... That's not what I meant, Sunset."

" Sorry but I just can't get that image out of my mind."

" You really shouldn't let it get to you, Sunset." Twilight said. " I mean, I know it was weird hearing Rara say it like that, but you have to remember that you're only assuming the life that belonged to Thunderlane. Whatever he did, you're just continuing it for him including the more unusual aspects." She had to roll her eyes which I immediately noticed but I couldn't muster up an appropriate response. " Just ignore that fact otherwise you'll become obsessed with it, and we both know what happens when you become obsessed."

I sighed. " Yeah, I guess you're right."

" There you go!"

" What's our next move?"

" We now know how to get inside the Pirate's Fortress so we can do that any time." Twilight answered. " Unfortunately, time isn't on our side right now and you also don't have enough bottles to rescue the eggs in one sitting. I'd say it will take at least an entire day along with several hours of the next one to rescue those eggs. This is especially true since you only have three empty bottles on your person."

" Unless I can get more of them somewhere, I'll be making multiple trips regardless."

" Yes." Twilight said sadly. " I doubt the Gerudo will let you roam around their fortress more than once."

" That will make things harder for me."

" Guess we've got the rest of the final day to come up with some plans."

" One thing is still bothering me."

" Again with the parent thing!?"

" No, not that." I answered. " I'm curious as to why the Zora never noticed the tunnel that the Gerudo used to enter Zora Hall without being detected. If they had discovered it much sooner, the eggs would never have been taken away and Rarity wouldn't be in her current state of mind."

" If you're thinking we should use that tunnel, I doubt it would work."

" Why not?"

" I'm sure they would have caused a cave-in down there so as to prevent anyone from following them." Twilight answered. " I know that I don't have an actual answer but I'm certain that's what happened once they acquired the eggs."

I had thought about using the tunnel provided that it was still accessible, yet Her Highness was probably right in that the pirates had sealed it up to ensure no Zoras would be able to follow them. My only option was to use the underwater entrance and hopefully slip by their defences without them knowing I was even there. I wasn't feeling very confident about my sneaking skills considering the pirates were masters of that craft. A body this big and flamboyant would be easy pickings especially if they had razor-sharp vision. If only there were a way to get by as though I were invisible.

Unfortunately, I had no means of becoming invisible so that idea was effectively pointless. I also realized that no one else at Zora Hall would be able to provide me with any information as they were more concerned with getting to see the Indigo-Go's performing on stage before leaving for Clock Town. Perhaps coming to Great Bay this late during the current cycle of time wasn't my best idea. I needed plenty of time with which to do everything I needed. The idea of only being able to accomplish a small amount felt gut-wrenching.

Getting back up, I jumped into the water, swam back outside, and continued until I reached the shore before walking out of the water. Looking up at the moon, I began to contemplate as to whether or not attempting to rescue the eggs was a good idea. Time was definitely against me yet part of me thought it was possible to rescue them, but that was my brain talking more than anything. My heart knew that such an attempt now would be impossible.

" Guess we should head back to Romani Ranch and see what happens there."

" We've got at least eleven hours to kill."

" That's what the Ocarina of Time is for."

" You really are upset over that parent thing, aren't you?"

" It's not just that." I answered. " I feel powerless right now because I can't go into the fortress and rescue those eggs with what little time I have. It's possible that I could rescue them before having to reset time but given my track record, I'm likely to run out of time meaning we'd have to go through it all again. Twilight... Do you think coming here now instead of in the next cycle was a good idea?"

Princess Twilight sighed. " I'll be honest, Sunset. You should have waited. Instead, you wanted to come here now because of a promise that you made with Applejack that you shouldn't have gone and done knowing what the consequences were. I'm proud you chose to focus on friendship but at the same time it ended up being a problem. I'm not trying to shatter your confidence as this was a good learning experience, but better judgment is needed in the future if we're to save everyone."

Her Highness was correct with her words. I should have focused on the end goal instead of worrying about the likes of my friends. In Termina, they didn't know who I was and that meant they weren't my friends. I had to accept that they were different people who had their own lives, yet I couldn't help thinking about them as being my friends as opposed to complete strangers. To me, they were my family, the ones who had accepted me despite what I did to them in the past. Changing my opinion just wasn't something I could do no matter what anyone--even Princess Twilight--would say.

Was I being stubborn? Perhaps but I had to do things my way even if they were wrong. I'm sure Princess Twilight would understand my position were she to walk around in my shoes for a while, and yet maybe I should walk around in hers to see things from a different perspective. Either way, I was going to see Applejack and Apple Bloom despite not having a connection to them in this world.

Grabbing my face, I pulled off the Zora Mask changing back to my human form, flipped back my hair and put the mask away. As I took out the ocarina from the pouch on my belt, perhaps spending some time at Romani Ranch would help clear my mind of so many distractions that were plaguing it. I then played the Song of Soaring before suddenly becoming enveloped by the giant wings that spawn whenever I played this song, and I began picturing the image of the ranch in my mind.





" How many rooms have we been in now?"

" This would be our seventh."

" What is it going to take to find Fluttershy!?" The tall figure said, the tone in her tone showing that she had completely lost it. " I can sense her aura in this direction yet so far all I've managed to accomplish is getting more and more angry over how stupid this ancient temple is." The tall figure then pounded her fist into the wall causing a large dent to appear but it wasn't enough for her and she continued pounding until that section came crashing down. " I'm surprised you have remained calm this entire time. Is it because my words have caused you to assume a defensive measure?"

" I've just been thinking."

" About what?"

" Our existence." The small figure answered. " Why do the two of us continue to exist? We're both representations of those who became us either in a bid for more power or because they were forced into acquiring power without actually knowing what it would do. They have since cast us aside leaving us nothing but shadows of the past that continue to linger instead of fade away."

" We exist because we've willed ourselves back from the brink."

" Have we though?" The small figure asked. " Have we really?"

The tall figure stopped her tantrum and began to think about what her companion had said. " My words are true. When Sunset Shimmer changed back from being me, I felt lost and alone, trapped within an endless void of darkness with no hope of survival, yet I refused to remain that way. I couldn't rest until I had become the real person she was destined to be no matter what cost I would incur upon myself. That's just how stubborn I am."

" You would risk your own life to assume hers?"

" Sunset has lost her way by embracing friendship." The tall figure answered. " Friendship, while a powerful force, merely gets in the way of even greater power. She could have that power if she cast aside the morals that have made her weak and shatter the chains that hold her down due to becoming nice." The tall figure then placed her hand on the wall and knocked her head against it before starting to cry, a revelation that shocked her companion. " By choosing friends over power, she became more powerful, and I couldn't compete with that hence why I was defeated by her several times."

The small figure looked baffled. " You truly are a complicated person."

" I've you to thank for teaching me the benefits of looking deep into myself."

" It's my way of repaying you for bringing back to life."

" While I still don't know how I did that, I'm not about to have regrets about it."

The small figure nodded. " I'll take it as a compliment."

" I have every intention of becoming the real Sunset Shimmer once again." The tall figure said. " I'm not going to give up on that dream. I have to see this through to the end even though it will no doubt cost me my life. I'm sure you have other reasons for wanting to become the real Twilight Sparkle aside from the knowledge you crave, but surely you can understand my feelings of wanting to do whatever it takes."

" Yes."

" I am complicated."

" Nothing wrong with that."

" I will say one thing to you though."

" What's that?"

" If I end up failing to become her, you must continue on your own path." The tall figure answered. " Don't get dragged down because my stubbornness is making me do things that are obviously idiotic in design. Pursue Twilight Sparkle and assume control over her life in your own way so long as you achieve your dream." The small figure was shocked by such words that she couldn't respond yet the tall figure merely smiled cruelly. " If I die then so be it. I will go knowing I did everything I could to become Sunset Shimmer. I'll have no regrets in the end if I become a forgotten memory."

The tall figure walked into the next room and looked at the surroundings she and her companion found themselves in. Aside from a large tree that was attached to the room itself via its roots, it looked just like every other chamber they had visited in their attempts at finding their target. That's when a rustling sound nearby alerted their attention indicating that they had found someone or something inside of the tree. The tall figure walked forward slowly, using her fingers to signal the small figure to follow behind her, and kept going until she could see what was inside.

Her eyes lit up when she saw a Deku Scrub was sitting in the corner staring at her surroundings. The small figure walked up next to her and looked inside to see why her companion had such a devious expression on her face. " Why are you looking so happy? That's just a Deku Scrub who either wandered in here or is perhaps the one who had been abducted according to those other Deku we overheard during our last visit here."

" We found her... We found Fluttershy."

" That's Fluttershy!?"

" Yes, and that means we can put your theory to the test."

" Will it work?"

" I think it will although we will need to use some persuasive measures."





Upon landing in Milk Road after playing the Song of Soaring, I walked down the pathway heading towards Romani Ranch, ignoring Pinkie Pie since I didn't need to hear her information regarding this area again. When I passed through the gates of the ranch and entered it proper, I noticed there were people slowly moving across the field. Each of them were carrying bags and chests on their backs--no doubt causing them great discomfort--while others were moving along using carriages with horses pulling them along, their final destination being the house Applejack and Apple Bloom called home.

I knew why these people were here. They were fleeing Clock Town in their bid to avoid being obliterated when the moon would eventually crash, yet their efforts were sadly a waste of time since there was nothing any of them could really do. The resulting impact would destroy everything! No place in Termina was safe from the eventual destruction that would rip through this world. While it was impressive how dedicated they were towards wanting to save themselves, they were ultimately fools for thinking they could avoid what would be their deaths.

No doubt that so many people coming to the ranch would give Applejack some stress, and had I not saved Apple Bloom two nights ago, she would be absolutely devastated right now and wanting to resort to drastic action. However, this time her little sister was by her side with her mind completely intact, so Applejack had an opportunity to get some stress off of her chest by doing the right thing.

While I knew that this would also amount to nothing since resetting time would erase these events due to the time paradox, I personally wanted to see this resolution. I needed something pleasant to calm my nerves over what was happening over at Great Bay. I had since gotten over the whole parent thing although deep down I wish it had never been brought up to being with, yet I felt heartache knowing those Zora eggs were in need of help and time wasn't on my side for that. I had every intention of doing whatever was necessary to rescue them all upon restarting the seventy-two hour cycle.

" I feel sorry for those people." I began.

" This is what they had to do." Twilight said. " You and I both know their efforts are in vain, but they don't know that and they are determined to come here anyway. I'm actually glad you decided to come here."

" You are?"

Princess Twilight nodded. " Yes. I'm not changing my opinion with regards to your judgment, Sunset, but coming here shows us just what lengths these people are willing to take to prevent themselves from being destroyed by the moon. Also... I do want to see Applejack and Apple Bloom sought things out between them."

" I knew you'd see things my way."

" I am the Princess of Friendship after all."

Since what Applejack planned on doing wasn't going to happen until the evening, I decided that it would be best to skip much of the day and go straight to the night. I supposed that I could have done a few things around town so as to not waste any time but my mind just wasn't keen on doing anything other than come here. Besides, I had big plans for the next cycle of time in that progress would be made on numerous fronts.

Raising the ocarina to my lips, I played the Song of Double Time--it took me a few attempts to remember how it went--and in an instant, time sped forward until it stopped at the first signs of night. 



Night of the Final Day - 12 Hours Remain.



Right off the bat, the ground started to tremble and my first thought was that it was an earthquake, but then I looked up and realized it was the moon that was causing the tremors due to how close it was getting. While everyone else probably didn't know what to make of the situation courtesy of the time paradox, I was reminded that I had seen this happen plenty of times. The more I witnessed this scene of the moon getting close, the more my heart wept over how much anguish I felt.

Walking up until I reached the house, I needed to take a moment to figure out where Applejack and Apple Bloom would be. In the end, I figured that they would be in the barn as opposed to the house--no doubt Applejack wanted a quiet place--as it was filled with fleeing townsfolk. I walked over to the barn, reached out for the knob, opened the door, and walked inside before closing it, and witnessed the two Apple sisters standing near a cow. Apple Bloom was constantly looking at what Applejack was doing out of curiosity while her big sister suddenly stopped what she was doing upon seeing me.

" Oh... Good evening, sugarcube." Applejack said.

" I said that I would be here." I said, walking up to the sisters. " I had a feeling I'd find you two in the barn."

" The house had gotten a might noisy what with all them people comin' here."

" Why did you invite them here?"

Applejack sighed. " That wasn't my intention. In fact, I didn't even know 'bout it. The mayor sent me a message early this mornin' indicatin' that the ranch was to be used as a safe haven fer those fleein' town, and so I had ta get everythin' ready fer the influx of people we received. Romani helped deal with the more rabble-rousin' troublemakers otherwise I would've lost my mind tryin' ta deal with 'em."

" I saw them walking up this way as I arrived."

" They brought whatever they could, leavin' behind a lot o' memories." Applejack said. She then picked up a bucket near her feet, looked inside of it for a few seconds, placed her finger in it in order to check the contents, and put it back down before skaking her head. " I heard this from the people as they arrived... It's terrible... They said that huge moon is goin' ta crash down onto Clock Town later tonight. I wonder if we'll be all right here... Actually... That's a lie and I feel bad fer sayin' it. I know... We're not safe here, either..."

" The people came here thinking they would survive."

" Nothin's gonna survive when that thing hits."

" Yet that's what they believe."

" I'm all fer believin' in things, sugarcube, but I'm bein' honest by sayin' our chances of survival are slim ta none." Applejack said. " I'm no expert on these things, but that's the feelin' I get and it's somethin' I wish I weren't feelin' right now. The people need to stay positive and spoutin' out bad things would only get 'em in a tizzy, so that's another reason why I wanted ta speak with Romani here in ta barn."

" Cremia..."

" But... That's how life goes, I guess." Applejack said. " There are some things in life y'all can't change no matter how hard you try. All ya can do is just accept them and hope that everythin' will turn out okay in the end."

I wanted to tell her that she was wrong and that you could change the outcome of something but I decided to keep quiet it. She was already feeling stressful what with having to deal with a large number of refugees coming over from Clock Town, and mentioning my ability to travel back through time would only make her even more agitated. Besides, I doubted she would believe that I could manipulate the fabric of time--to a certain degree. All I could was just let her assume that her words were true and hope that she would see things different when the time came.

Applejack then said she needed to take of something outside and would be gone for a couple of minutes, so she asked me to keep an eye on her little sister until she returned. I had no problem watching over Apple Bloom since she seemed much more relaxed around her big sister compared to the previous day. The older Apple sister then stepped outside without uttering a word, closing the door with a loud click, and leaving me to deal with Apple Bloom.

" You seem relaxed." I said. " And here I thought you would be annoyed with your sister."

" She's been actin' mighty weird ever since she came back from her delivery the other night." Apple Bloom said.

" How so?"

" I don't rightly know, Grasshopper, but she seems ta be more nervous than usual."

" Nervous?"

Apple Bloom nodded. " She's been sayin' ta me that she wants ta address somethin' that's been weighin' down on her mind all day, and while I didn't find that ta be weird, it was ta way she spoke that really made me think my big sister is up ta somethin'." She walked over to the cow that Applejack had been standing next too, patted it on the back resulting in a loud moo from the cow, and then looked down at the bucket. Ya know... It's mighty weird that we're milkin' tonight seein' as we usually don't do that until mornin'."

" Given the circumstances outside, I can understand why your sister wanted to do it now."

" I 'sppose so but Romani thinks Cremia is overthinkin' things."

" What was in that bucket?"

" It's "Chateau Romani", the pride and joy of ta ranch." Apple Bloom answered. " It's the first time I get to drink it! I've been waitin' my whole life to finally be able ta experience the goodness that so many adults have gotten ta, but somethin' 'bout this whole thing smells kinda funny. Until now, my sister always said "Wait until you're an adult." But why now? Why change her opinion just like that?"

I shook my head. " I don't have an answer for you."

Apple Bloom sighed. " I mean, I ain't complainin' as I get ta finally have some Chateau Romani, but Romani would like ta have an explanation."

" It's cause y'all have become an adult now." Applejack said appearing in front of the doorway to the barn. In her hand was a needle and some thread that made me think she was planning on sewing something. Normally, she would never do anything deemed frilly, but then this was a different version of my friend. " Romani... I've been doin' some thinkin' fer a while now since I was helped on my delivery by yer friend over there." She pointed in my direction. " I always believed y'all were actin' immature cause you were young but I realize now that I was to have treated ya as such. I was only tryin' ta protect ya cause it's what I have ta do in my position of runnin' the ranch."

" You were doin' and sayin' all that stuff ta protect me?"

" When our father passed away, he made me promise that I would protect you."

" Our dad said that?"

Applejack nodded. " He sure did, little sister. I've done everything in my power to ensure that I lived up to mah promise I made, yet I won't deny that I have been actin' a might too overprotective resultin' in ya rebellin' 'gainst mah authority as ranch owner. With that there moon fallin' and time runnin' out until we're all destroyed, it was durin' this terrifyin' time that I understand what you've been tryin' ta do 'round here. Despite me not believin' yer stories 'bout ghosts stealin' ta cows, y'all still went out of yer way to protectin' the ranch."

" How did ya know 'bout that?"

" A sister always has her ways of knowin'."

" Let's just say yer friend made a lot of noise that night."Applejack said.

Both sisters then turned to look at me resulting in me blushing in response. I guessed my actions in protecting the barn from those ghosts had woken up Applejack, and she had somehow witnessed everything yet refused to say anything about it. While I would've said something so as to not come across as being a jerk, what she did was what she believed was right and despite having to live with that guilt, everything turned out for the best in the end. This was exactly the kind of thing I needed to see in order to remove the stain of failure that was me not rescuing the Zora eggs from the pirates.

Seeing the two Apple sisters reconciling together right before the end of the world made me feel good about myself. I knew that there was still going to be moments where I would be tormented courtesy of Ganondorf willing it to be, yet I also knew that I needed to persevere otherwise I would allow the darkness of misery to consume me. 

" Grasshopper..." Apple Bloom began. " Thank you, fer helpin' us understand each other better."

" Sure, no problem." I said.

" Why are y'all callin' her an insect?" Applejack asked. " Ain't it might better ta ask fer her proper name?"

" I 'sppose yer right but I forgot."

" I'm Sunset Shimmer." I said.

" Yee-haw! That's a purdy name if I ever heard one." Applejack said. " Romani... I'm acknowledging you as an adult."

" Then, does Romani get a mask, too?" Apple Bloom asked.

Applejack nodded, patting the needle and thread she had brought with her, and had since placed on a small table nearby. " Yes, I'll make for you, little sister. It won't be ta same as the one I gave to Sunset Shimmer, but it will still be a beautiful mask that y'all can be proud of." She walked over to Apple Bloom before kneeling down and giving her a big hug. " I won't be startin' it tonight seein' as it's gettin' close ta yer bedtime, but I promise I'll get started with it in ta mornin'. Now, this next bit is a might hard fer me ta say, but I want ya ta sleep with me in mah better tonight. Is that alright, Romani?"

" Yes, sister."

" Then I 'sppose we should get back to the house and prepare ourselves." Applejack said. She and her sister started heading for the door, but then she suddenly stopped in front of me, and turned to face me. " Thank you for keepin' yer promise to me by comin' here tonight, Sunset. I'm not sure what y'all are gonna do before everythin' gets destroyed, but I hope I get ta see ya sometime tomorrow mornin'. If not then I hope we can meet again someday whenever yer in the area. Good night." With that, she walked out of the barn, closing the door behind her, and leaving Princess Twilight and I on our own to ponder our next course of action.

The sound of someone sniffling suddenly broke the silence and Her Highness immediately reacted to it. " Sunset? Are you... crying?"

" That was such a tender moment between them." I answered.

" I didn't think you would cry."

" Before you gave me a second chance, I used to look on stuff like that." I said. " I thought of tender moments as nothing but pathetic incidents that got in the way of more important things such as wanting to broaden your horizons." I then wiped away the tears with my arm. " Thanks to you and our friends, I understand that tender moments are precious and should never be condemned."

" Sunset..."

I raised the Ocarina of Time to my lips. " I'm feeling a lot better now, Twilight. I needed something peaceful, serene, and exuberant to get myself focused on what we have to do now back in Great Bay. While I hate the thought of erasing this beautiful moment, there's no other choice as we need enough time to rescue those eggs."

" At least their entries have been placed into that notebook of yours."

" That's right. Even if I reset everything, my accomplishments still remain."

" Yes, so you don't have to feel too bad about it."

" I can still feel some sadness?"

" Yes." Twilight answered. " It's never fun going back to the beginning of these three days and erasing so many wonderful things, yet there is no alternative given the fact that the moon would destroy everything, and your hard work would simply amount to nothing."

While having my accomplishments written down wasn't what I truly wanted, at least I could take solace knowing that I actually did something for someone else--the rewards were just a small bonus that people insisted on me having.

I began to play the Song of Time knowing that there was nothing else for me to do for this cycle, and as the magic began to send back to the beginning, I still felt bad knowing that Apple Bloom was going to be abducted by those ghosts, and Applejack would be beside herself with grief.



Dawn of the First Day - 72 Hours Remain.



Once I regained consciousness and was back in front of the Clock Tower, I came to an unfortunate realization. I didn't activate the Owl Statue located on the platform that was located below the Oceanside Laboratory. That meant I had to get back there using the long route, and that involved asking for Epona's assistance. I wasn't off to a good start if I had to address a blunder so very early. I also realized the guard blocking my way to Great Bay was going to stop me again, thus wasting even more time because he saw me as a child despite the sword on my back.

After spending a few minutes once again convincing the guard that I was more than capable of holding my own outside of Clock Town, I ran outside into Termina Field, raised the ocarina to my lips, played Epona's Song, and she appeared out of nowhere before galloping over to me. I patted her on the head followed by whinnying to which she responded in the same manner, and I climbed onto her back before giving her a soft kick in the ribs.

She started galloping down the path onto the sand where the Leevers immediately started popping up in their bid to run into her, but Epona proved more than a match for them as her thundering hooves trampled over them like they weren't even there. Knowing that the wall was fast approaching, I whipped my trusty steed in the flank prompting her to gallop faster, and then she cleared the wall with a single bound, landing heavily on the sand without injury. Epona continued to gallop along until we reached Great Bay again, yet this time I decided to remain on her because I didn't want to deal with those Leevers.

The instant Epona's hooves touched the sand, the Leevers appeared once again, yet I had no time to deal with them here like before. I whinnied to Epona, telling her to gallop north as that was where the Gerudo Pirate's Fortress was located, and she began galloping in that direction, plowing through the Leevers.

Eventually, the sand turned into rocky terrain, meaning the Leevers wouldn't bother us, but a new problem had arisen. The terrain ended at a large inlet of water that travelled deep below the surface, and standing before us was the Pirate's Fortress.

" Coloratura wasn't kidding about how big those doors were." I said as I climbed down from Epona. " Nothing could break through those."

" And yet our way inside lies underwater."

" Do you suppose they're expecting us?"

" Most likely." Twilight answered. " Thunderlane was seen as the one Zora who could fight against the pirates compared to the rest of the tribe. If any of them tried to sneak into the fortress to reclaim the eggs, they would be caught within a matter of minutes. Thunderlane would get past those initial defences and make his way straight to the one who is in charge just on sheer guts alone. You've got your work cut out for you, Sunset. You need to be just as good as he was if not better."

I gulped heavily before taking out the Zora Mask. " Well, if we're going inside, I might as well look the part."

" Before you change, I suggest playing the Inverted Song of Time."

" Good idea. We need all the time we can get."

Putting the Zora Mask down, I raised the ocarina to my lips, and played the Inverted Song of Time. At first, I didn't feel anything when the magic of the song began to take effect, but it soon became apparent that something had happened since the birds flying above me began moving a lot slower than usual. Satisfied that I now had enough time, I moved several steps to the right--I didn't want to scare Epon out of her wits by changing forms right next to her--and placed the Zora Mask on my face.

The transformation began in earnest as I squatted down, clutched my face, and prepared for the eventual scream--it happened sooner than expected. Upon becoming a Zora, I began to walk forward into the water but not before whinnying at Epona to let her know that I would be quite a while. She whinnied in response, raising her front hooves to show that she wished me good luck, and I continued onward until my feet were no longer feeling the ground beneath them. From there, I began to sink down to the bottom of the ocean, and upon landing on the ground, the first thing that caught my attention was three pieces of wood that featured skulls.

Were these meant to be a warning to scare me away? If so then the pirates were doing a lousy job. I walked over to the rock face and began to touch each piece of wood in hopes of figuring out which one was hiding the secret passage that would lead me inside. Each one felt identical to one another so I needed to concentrate really hard. One thing I never noticed before was that my hands had skin in-between each finger. It felt a little strange having webbed fingers but I supposed it came with the territory of being an aquatic creature--the same was true with having gills and scales.

I began getting frustrated. " Gah! Which one is the one I need to smash?"

" I've been thinking about that as you were checking them."

" And?"

" It's the middle one."

" How do you figure that?"

" Notice how there are bubbles coming from beneath that piece of wood?" Twilight asked. " Either Thunderlane placed something there as a means of reminding himself that this was the entrance or the Gerudo have prepared a trap. In either case, you need to remove this obstacle in order for us to proceed."

" Do you think using the martial arts skills Thunderlane would work?"

Princess Twilight shook her head. " These wooden boards are much too thick for a simple attack. No, you'll need to swim at it really fast and hope you have enough speed to break it otherwise you'll get hurt. I suggest getting as far away from it as possible before making your attempt."

Following Her Highness' advice, I began moving backwards until I was roughly a few dozen metres away from my target. Once I had steeled myself accordingly, I lifted my legs and began to swim straight for the wooden board, my eyes were closed because of not wanting to witness the impact. When I collided with the wood, it broke into several pieces that began floating upwards to the surface, and where it was, a new path had been revealed.

My first reaction was to stop myself from shaking since the collision did knock the wind out of me. Was this a normal thing for Zora to do? If so then this wasn't the last time I was going to have to use my body as a living projectile. Once I had regained my composure, I thought about swimming down the passageway but instead I opted to just simply walk. Who knew what was awaiting me at the other end so swimming head-long into danger would be utter stupidity on my part.

The passageway was a lot longer than I thought it was yet I was amazed at how well it had been crafted. I knew it had been constructed by Zora hands, or fins in this case as several markings on the walls looked like they had been struck by powerful fins--yet if I were a Gerudo, I'd make sure no Zora could use this passageway by either blowing it up, sealing the other side so as to prevent anyone from getting further, or placing some kind of creature that couldn't be defeated. It was as though the Gerudo were practically begging for someone to come along and enter their fortress--more like a personal invitation.

I suddenly stopped and cupped my hand around my ear. " Twilight... Do you hear the sound of engines?"

Princess Twilight nodded her head. " That could mean anything although if I were to take a guess, that's the sound of several boats. We need to be careful, Sunset, as we're heading into unfamiliar territory. Watch your back at all times and use your skills accordingly."

I nodded slightly and walked onward, the passageway suddenly becoming a slope that lead upward towards the surface. Upon getting out of the water, I was met with a surprising sight that made my body feel cold. A massive metal plated fortress stood in front of me and judging from how many turrets could be seen jutting from several walls, the Gerudo were serious when it came to protecting their territory from invaders. The engine noises turned out to be several motor boats, each had a pirate armed with a spear standing in it, moving around a large body of water.

One thing that stood out with their formation was that there was a large gap between the first and fourth boats, and if I were fast enough, I could use that gap to my advantage although it depended on how far they could see things. If they spotted me, I'd be captured in an instant. Much like what I experienced in my previous journey with the Gerudo's Fortress, going through this one required stealth.

" Do you think those pirates can see us from here?"

Princess Twilight shook her head. " We're on a high elevation so we're safe, but I'm guessing they can only see things directly in front of them. If we're going to continue further, we need to find another way in." She then pointed towards an entrance located further up that could be reached via a catwalk, but there appeared to be no way of reaching it. " If we can reach that location, we can slip by their defences and infiltrate the inner area."

" Where would another entrance be?"

" Underwater."

I slapped my forehead. " I should've known."

" Wait until that large gap between those two boats before you jump in." Twilight said. " If you jump too soon or too late, you'll be spotted instantly, and while you might think you can fight them, this is their fortress so they can easily call in reinforcements from who knows where to overwhelm you."

" Wouldn't the sound of something splashing in the water attract their attention?"

" If you're convincing enough, you could make it sound like a fish had jumped out of the water."

" And if not?"

" I don't think you want to know."

Her Highness was right. I didn't want to know what would happen otherwise. I quietly shuffled my way forward until I was standing at the edge of the ledge, and looked down at the boats as they were circling around the body of water. Judging from the width of the boats not to mention how much space each one had, it felt like it was possible for me to jump onto one of them and allow it to carry me to wherever it was I needed to go. Unfortunately, doing that would risk me getting caught. If only there were a way for me to use those boats without being spotted by the occupants. It would certainly make things easier for me.

As the third boat passed by with the fourth one approaching from a distance, I made my move and jumped into the water before sinking down to the bottom. There were a couple of treasure chests scattered about that made me wonder who even put them down here in the first place, yet I was more focused on schools of Skullfish that were swimming around nearby, most like serving as additional guards though I doubted the Gerudo even knew of their existence.

Princess Twilight then perked up. " Look at the size of that massive grate."

I looked up and saw that she was right. A large tube was sticking out of the wall and was covered by a grate that was begging to be moved out of the way. " I think we may have found ourselves the entrance we need to progress, yet where do you suppose we can find a switch around here?"

" It probably wouldn't be underwater as that would be too easy."

" Somewhere on the surface?"

" Yes." Twilight answered. " That means you'll need to slip by the pirates and activate the switch."

If the switch I needed to press was somewhere on the surface, I would need to raise my head out of the water long enough to be able to see it, and ensure that the pirates don't spot me doing that. Before doing anything else, I picked up a nearby metallic rod, slammed it into the ground, and began making a mark so that I could find this location again without having to waste any time looking for it. The mark didn't need to be anything fancy--I went with a typical "X" shape formation--but I was surprised at how easy it was to lift the metallic rod given how dense it was.

When I finished making my mark, I tossed the rod aside and began swimming up to the surface, making sure to keep a close eye on the boats as they travelled around the perimeter of the water's surface. The idea was to wait for that gap between the two boats, poke my head out of the water, look around for signs of a switch, and duck back down before anyone notices me.

The one problem with my plan were the schools of Skullfish that swam about in the depths of the water. One such group had chosen to follow me, believing that I was some kind of tasty snack, and I needed to get rid of them otherwise they could force me to the surface where I would be exposed to the watchful eyes of the pirates. They began nipping away on different parts of my body such as my fins, and I shook them off by flapping my arms only for them to repeat the process. Regular attacks wouldn't work as that required me to have both feet on the ground, but then I remembered the electrical barrier I can create using magic.

Closing my eyes and concentrating, the barrier appeared around my body, and the Skullfish instinctively went for me not realizing what they were running into. As each one fell to pieces after receiving an electric shock, I couldn't help but feel bad for them. It wasn't their fault that they lacked intelligence and instead relied on instinct, but they could have just swam away and left me to carry on. When the last one was defeated, I turned off my magic barrier and resumed swimming up to the surface.

As the fourth boat sailed by, I waited a couple of seconds before raising my head out of the water.

" Can you see anything?"

" Not yet." I answered. " There's not really all that much to see other than the cliffs that surround much of this place."

" The Gerudo are probably fortunate then."

" Why would you want to praise them?"

" Think about it from a strategic standpoint." Twilight answered. " Not only do the giant doors provide an excellent means of frontal defence, the cliff's provide additional defence by forcing any would be attackers into trying to climb up and over them into this area where they will be faced with both water and turrets. Granted, that underwater entrance was a mistake on their part since any Zora can use it to their advantage, but overall they are pretty well-defended."

" Makes you wonder what lies further inside."

Princess Twilight nodded. " The worst is yet to come." She then looked behind us, noticing one of the boats was starting to get closer, and immediately bopped me on the head to get my attention. " We need to duck down below the surface, Sunset! Now!"

Without even looking, I dropped down a few metres just as the boat began to sail by. I thought for a moment that when the boat stopped for several seconds, the pirate was going to look down in order to see if anything or anyone was down there, but I was relieved when the boat continued onwards. There was no time to go back up and continue searching for the switch as the next boat sailed along, forcing me to remain underwater until the gap came up again.

Several minutes passed and the gap between the boats happened again so I immediately raised my head above the surface and continued to look for a switch. Other than the walkway that lead up the side of the fortress, nothing else really stood out aside from a small catwalk almost hidden away from view on the far side of the water. I squinted my eyes in hopes of seeing anything that looked suspicious over there and sure enough, I could barely make out what looked to be a switch. Why would they put something like a switch all the way over there knowing someone was bound to press it?

Sinking down slightly below the surface, I began swimming forward. " Okay, Twilight. I think I may have found the switch we need."

" Really? Where is it?"

" At the far end of this outside area."

Princess Twilight blinked in surprise. " What possessed them to put a switch to an underwater entrance on the opposite end of their fortress? If you want my opinion, they either didn't think this through very carefully or it was intentional in that they know someone will come along trying to find it."

" I'm going to go with the latter on this." I said. It was much easier swimming underwater knowing exactly where it was I was supposed to go, and of course, you couldn't go wrong with swimming like a dolphin. I knew I had to be serious yet I couldn't help having a little bit of fun. Eventually, I reached the side of the cliff where the catwalk was situated, and I began to feel for it so as to not be spotted by the pirates. " It should be somewhere around here, Twilight."

" Be quick, Sunset."

Knowing that I had mere moments before the boats would pass by again, I felt the edge of a ledge through my webbed fingers, grabbed onto it, and pulled myself out of the water before walking up the catwalk. It stopped at a large switch that I recognized from Snowhead Temple, yet I was more concerned with the boats. Each of them sailed past although none of the pirates could see me standing up here. So long as I didn't fall down into the water, I would be safe and could plan my next move accordingly.

I walked up to the switch. " Why would they have a switch that can only be used by a Goron?"

" Perhaps as a measure with which to keep any Zoras out?"

" Guess I'll have to switch forms."

" Wait!" Princess Twilight exclaimed. " Remember what happens when you put on the Goron Mask? You stumble about for a few moments before the transformation is finished. If you tumbled into the water and became a Goron, you would instantly sink to the bottom and drown."

" Then what am I supposed to do?"

" Do you remember that trick in Snowhead Temple where you switched seamlessly between your Goron and Deku Scrub forms?"

I nodded my head. " I remember though it did feel weird."

" You need to do that again." Twilight said. " Only this time between your Zora and Goron forms."

While I didn't like the idea of switching between forms without becoming a human in the process, it was a necessary evil since otherwise changing into Darmani would result in an unfortunate plunge down below. Taking out the Goron Mask from behind my back, I placed it on my face despite some hesitation on my part, and the magic immediately began to take hold although it felt more like a vibration than anything else. I couldn't feel it happening but my Zora body slowly changed into that of a Goron until I had finished the transformation. As I came to, I didn't know what to think.

Switching between forms like that just didn't feel right, and yet I knew it was going to prove invaluable later. Jumping onto the switch, I curled up into a ball--I'll admit that I missed becoming a Goron what with their love of rolling around--jumped up into the air, and came crashing down onto the switch moments later. Far off into the distance, the sound of something moving underwater through a creaking sound indicated that the way forward was opened. It shouldn't take long for me to find the exact location down below since I did take the liberty of placing a marker down there for this kind of emergency.

I took out the Zora Mask and put it on my face, the weird vibration effect happening to me all over again, but when I became a Zora again, something hit me in the back of my neck with a lot of force. Wincing slightly, I reached behind my neck and pulled out what looked like a tranquilizer dart before holding it in my hand.

" Where did that come from?"

" I don't know." I answered. " But whoever did this has excellent aim."

" Sunset? Are you alright? You seem to be getting woozy."

" The dart... It's filled with some kind of... knock-out drug." I answered, stumbling about a little in the process. " Twilight... I'm... I'm... losing consciousness..." My entire body went numb and I fell off the catwalk into the water below before my body floated up to the surface. I was completely helpless in the water as Princess Twilight looked on as the boats started making their way over to me.

When the nearest one reached me, the Gerudo standing in it laughed as she pulled my unconscious body out of the water and onto her boat. I was now at their mercy, a prisoner of the pirates.