The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Majora's Mask
By Ganondorf8
December 12, 2016
Chapter 37: The Prisoners.
I wanted to get away and into the underwater passage that had opened upon activating the switch, but I was no match for a mere tranquilizer dart that seemingly came out of nowhere and knocked me out cold with its drug. Never did I expect the Gerudo Pirates to rely on such a devious tactic as knock-out drugs, but I suspected having to deal with Thunderlane on a consistent basis made it all the more necessary to have something on hand. If only I had remained conscious long enough to know where they were taking me, I could have figured out how to use such knowledge to my advantage.
Instead, I was at their mercy, and who knew what they had planned to do to me. Two things were happening to me at that point: the first was what my physical form was going
through despite not being able to see anything, the second was my mental form was experiencing another dream. I could see myself back home not in the world I now called home, but
rather my birthplace, Equestria, as a unicorn frolicking about in the open fields. I didn't care about anything that was going on and that's when I realized that this version of me was a much
younger incarnation.
This was back when I was really little, around the time before Princess Celestia made me her student. Some bits of what I was seeing didn't resonate with me and were merely a blur while others definitely reminded me of when I was new to Equestria and trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. My cutie mark was on my flank so I knew what my special talent was at the very least, yet I recall struggling with understanding its significance. It was at that moment I witnessed something that changed the course of destiny and lead me down a path I now wished I'd never travelled on.
My family appeared and I tried to get their attention, yet they ignored me in favour of my siblings who were older and therefore had more experience. Their upper bodies were in silhouette due to me not remembering what they looked like or because I didn't want to remember the faces of those that shunned me. I wanted to make my family proud of me by following in their footsteps as a powerful unicorn, but nothing I did was ever good enough for them. Instead, I had to teach myself the ways of magic and prove I was just as powerful as they were if not stronger than them. This was the beginning of my descent into darkness, the point where power consumed my mind.
Another image of my younger self then appeared though a smidgen taller than before. I remembered this day rather well although not in the manner that I hoped now that I thought about what happened. It was the day Princess Celestia visited my family in hopes of choosing one amongst my siblings and me to take under her wing and groom him or her into a fine pony who could one day become ascended just like she was. She eyed each of my siblings thinking they could be worthy yet when she looked at me, she noticed that my magic was different from the others just by feeling my magical aura.
I had trained rigorously to making my magic stronger, and when I told her that I had trained myself in the ways of magic, she was impressed that a filly so young could master such arcane spells without having any proper training. She made her decision soon afterwards and chose me to come to Canterlot in order to further my magic by becoming her prized pupil to which I agreed wholeheartedly without having to really think about it.
To me, it was a chance at freedom and getting away from my family, but it was a freedom that soon came with a price, one that would come back to haunt me later in life. The images of my younger self disappeared leaving me in a black void of which nothing could be seen around me. I chose to pursue power above everything else, and Princess Celestia tried desperately in getting me to change my focus by making friends with other ponies. Her effort was in vain and the path that was my life took a downhill spiral until Her Highness came along and gave me a second chance at turning things around.
Princess Twilight... I owe everything to her for giving me a better life than the one I had in Equestria. Do I yearn for that old life? Yes, but not when I was chosen to become the student of the ruler of the land because of my magical gift. I wanted to go back to those days of being a filly, frolicking about without a care in the world, and maybe have my family appreciate me better by actually acknowledging and embracing me.
" Sunset..."
I could hear the voice of Princess Twilight yet what I still dreaming?
" Sunset..."
There it was again only much louder this time.
" Sunset... Wake up!" Twilight said, bopping me on the head repeatedly. " Please! You have to wake up right now!"
" Nggggh!" I responded in a drowsed state. My eyes slowly opened although I was struggling to keep them open. " Where in the world am I? The last thing I remember is being hit by that tranquilizer dart and falling into the water before losing consciousness.
Princess Twilight then zoomed over and hugged me really hard on the cheek. " I'm so glad that you're awake, Sunset! I've been watching you all this time waiting for you to open your eyes so that we can plan our next course of action."
" You know that can be taken the wrong way, right?"
" I know." Twilight answered. " But, right now you need to see just where you ended up. I was lucky that the Gerudo Pirates didn't notice me flying close by otherwise I'm sure they would have done something horrible to me. This fortress is a lot bigger than we originally believed."
" How so?"
" This is the dungeon."
My eyes opened wide upon hearing Her Highness reveal where we were, and I began to start looking around my surroundings. The walls were dingy and in desperate need of repair what with the dripping of water billowing about from several areas across the ceiling including one that was right above my head--droplets fell down on my face every now and then requiring me to wipe it away even though it was actually rather soothing. Iron bars prevented me from escaping and while I could use my fins in an attempt to slice them to pieces, I suspected the Gerudo had reinforced the bars so as to prevent a certain Zora from causing trouble.
It then occurred to me that I was the only one trapped down here in the dungeon--not including Princess Twilight. There was no one else around which made me wonder what became of prisoners who found themselves captured by the Gerudo. I shuddered to think of their fates although I might receive the same treatment. I began to search for a place where keys would normally be hung and have Her Highness fly over, grab them, and bring them back so that I could get out, yet there was no such luck.
Even the floor itself was dingy and felt like it could crumble away at any moment. If the pirates wanted to make me feel uncomfortable beyond all reasoning, this was a pretty good way to go about it.
I then tried firing my fins despite my suspicions. Each one clanged off the bars causing no damage at all, and yet I wasn't surprised as it confirmed that this particular cell was created to keep a certain Thunderlane inside. " Guess we'll just have to wait for our hosts to come down here and gloat over capturing me." I said as my fins returned to my arms.
" I'm sure they will enjoy it since you are their greatest enemy."
" Makes me wish that we had planned this out better."
" No, we did everything right." Twilight said. " It's just that neither of us were expecting a tranquilizer dart would take you down."
" They truly were prepared for Thunderlane to come in here for the eggs."
" Yes."
Since there was nothing more I could, I decided to sit down on a nearby bed--it was shoddy in design--and wait for something to happen. About ten minutes later, a nearby door opened up suddenly with a loud creaking noise, and the sounds of footsteps could be heard echoing throughout the dungeon. My captors had finally arrived yet I needed to remain calm and not lose control of my emotions. They had me exactly where they wanted me and one mistake could cost me my life.
The same door closed with a loud clank and the footsteps began making their way towards my location. I wanted to give off the impression that I wasn't going to look at their faces in a show of defiance over my imprisonment, so I lowered my head down and waited for them to get close enough before things would get worse.
" Well, well, well... I never would have thought that the mighty Mikau would be felled by a mere dart!"
That voice sounded familiar!
" To think that we have never used this particular cell until now."
I had no choice but to look up and see if who was speaking was who I thought it was, and when I looked up, my suspicions were confirmed much to my own terror. Standing in front of me with her hands on her hips was Rainbow Dash, the last of my initial friends who had been brought into this world with me. I should have realized that she would end up being in a similar position like she was before on my previous journey, yet it seemed that she had a much more authoritative attitude compared to before. She even wore a similar outfit to what I remember seeing her wear last time yet the colours were more vivid in purple as opposed to red.
Standing either side of her were three pirates who looked similarly dressed yet Rainbow easily stood out with those colours. There was no doubt in my mind that she was in charge of the pirates and that meant she was my enemy even though I wish it weren't so. I began to fear if Twilight Sparkle, the human version of Princess Twilight, was also portraying a villainous individual. If it were true then it meant having a really difficult time trying to convince myself otherwise.
Rainbow then started getting mad because I wasn't responding to her. " Are you giving me the silent treatment? Do you think that you're better than me? If I wasn't in such a good mood right now, I'd have had you killed for everything you've put us through over the years, you piece of offal."
" You stole something valuable..."
" Oh, so you can talk?" Rainbow Dash asked. " And here I thought you lost your ability to speak. A shame really. I was hoping to have riled myself up some more so that I could make things much more miserable for you, but I suppose you're just stubborn that way."
" Where are the Zora eggs?"
" Figures you would ask that."
" Please tell me where they are."
" Like I'd ever tell you anything, Mikau."
" I don't want things to get worse especially if I were to lose control of my temper." I said. " I'm not sure why you would resort to stealing eggs, Rainbow Dash, as something like that is far beneath you, but I need them back in order to help out Rarity."
Rainbow Dash then looked at me with a puzzled look on her face. " What... What in the world did you just spout out of your mouth?" She quickly turned to face her fellow pirates and gave them a signal that seemed to indicate that she was sending them away so that she could deal with me on her own. The others nodded in silence and ran out of the dungeon without uttering anything. Rainbow then looked back at me, a confused look was now on her face.
" How do you know that? How did you know about my nickname? Ugh! Did someone say something they shouldn't? Whoever mentioned my nickname as being Rainbow Dash is going to be having my sword carved into their backside. Are you trying to use that pathetic Zora charm in order to worm your way out of our dungeon? Granted, the name sounds totally awesome and would make me cooler, but that's besides the point."
I realized that I once again forgot that my friends weren't who they were in this world. " I'm sorry. I didn't mean to call you that name. You just reminded me of someone who is very close to me as a friend."
" Why are you acting so apologetic to me?"
" Shouldn't I be?"
" What!? NO! You should be spitting in my face because of what I've done to both you and your people."
" I'm not going to forgive you for stealing but I won't resort to such disgusting manners."
" Maybe that drug changed something in your head." Rainbow Dash said. She lurched forward in order to get a closer look at me and quickly realized that something was wrong, something only she noticed compared with everyone else I had encountered thus far in Great Bay. " You... You don't have those tattoos on your arms, and why do you have scales covering parts of your chest? You are most certainly Mikau, yet you look totally different."
She actually figured it out? Either Rainbow had a sixth sense that no one else possessed or she just happened to luck out. Still, this was definitely surprising since no one else among the other tribes ever questioned my appearance especially in the case of the Gorons and Zoras. I thought about telling her the truth by taking off my Zora Mask and revealing my real form, but then Princess Twilight bopped me on the head when I reached for my face. Her intervention proved wise and I realized that I couldn't ruin Thunderlane's reputation even though I could reset time.
I decided to respond to Rainbow. " I... I've lost weight?"
" That's your excuse!? You shed some bulk?"
" Um... yes?"
" Heh!" Rainbow Dash snickered. " It doesn't matter if you lost half of your body mass. It won't change the fact that I've got your precious Zora eggs and there's nothing you can do to get them back again." She looked outside of a small window for a few moments before looking back at me. " Still, why hasn't Derpy come back with them yet? I sent her to retrieve them the other night, a simple enough mission, yet she's still missing. Gah! Why did I entrust her with something that was obviously beyond her skills?"
" Derpy... Isn't she the one who has crossed-eyes?"
Rainbow Dash nodded. " Yeah, that's the one. She's my second-in-command although there are times where I question my decision on giving her that rank above some of the others since they displayed better judgment. Derpy does mean well but she can be really forgetful to the point where she's likely to drop something. Still, I wouldn't replace or anything as she does have some pretty awesome abilities whenever they occur."
I was surprised that she answered my question without realizing who she was talking to, but then I noticed that despite criticizing Derpy, she chose to remain loyal to her comrade by praising her for her skills. Once again, one of my friends displayed their respective Element of Harmony without even realizing it. The magic of my friends was breaching the barrier that protected this world from Equestrian magic, and I had no means of being able to take it to another level.
There was one option I could try at this moment: Ask her why she had to steal Rarity's eggs. I didn't know if I was going to get an answer as there was no telling when Rainbow would realize how casual she was speaking to me, but it couldn't hurt to try one more time. She was the right person to ask since as the leader of the pirates, she told them what to do and in turn they would carry out her orders without question.
Of course, I needed to ask in a way that wouldn't make her suspicious. " Um... Why would you need a bunch of eggs in the first place?" I asked. " As pirates, surely your very names are feared by everyone across Termina."
Rainbow Dash laughed. " Everyone fears us Gerudo Pirates! Why do you think no one other than us and the Zoras live here? The other tribes are too afraid of coming out here because they know they will be at our mercy, and those fish-freaks have no where else to go because of needing water." She then stopped laughing and took on a more sombre look. " It does get boring going after you and your kind all the time. We want to kick things up a notch and lay waste to all of Termina, but we never considered it before until now thanks to that stranger who visited us a few days ago."
" Visitor?"
" A little brat wearing a freaky mask."
" Starlight Glimmer!"
" Is that her name?" Rainbow Dash asked. " She never mentioned it to me when we talked but then I wasn't in the position to do anything. That kid possessed incredible power that almost brought down this entire fortress. We've been fixing things up ever since although I'm sure there are places that still need repairs. She told me to steal some eggs that a Zora had recently laid and was pretty adamant about it, well, as far as I could tell. That mask hid her emotions really well."
" Maybe the eggs have a purpose?"
" You could be right about that."
Now things were starting to make sense around here. Once again, Starlight was the source of the problem although I wasn't surprised by this. She had convinced Rainbow Dash into stealing Rarity's eggs forcing Thunderlane into attempting a rescue mission that cost him his life. She must have known he would become a threat to her fun so he needed to be killed to prevent this region from being restored back to the way it was before. I doubted she knew that I would come along and assume Thunderlane's mission, but if she did then it didn't really matter since she too was affected when I reset time.
The only question I needed to have answered involved what it was the pirates would get out of stealing some eggs. Double Diamond mentioned that the temple out at sea was guarded by a Zora whose descendants carried on the lineage whether they knew about it or not. If Rarity was the current guardian given how she had suddenly lost her voice, then what was the significance behind her eggs? Also, what had happened to the Giant who watched over this region? It seemed there were more questions than I originally assumed.
What I did know was that asking Rainbow wasn't going to be happening for much longer. If I were to ask one just one more question, she would figure out that she had been duped into sharing her information, and would keep her mouth shut.
I had to risk it. " Why listen to a child?"
" Why? Because she had magic!"
" Still, she's not around anymore so you don't have to listen to her."
" While that is true, a pirate never backs away when it comes to collecting treasure and wanting to dominate everything." Rainbow Dash said. Her eyes suddenly opened wide and she stared at me, the anger in her face was obvious. I knew right there and then that she had figured out what I was doing and was about to explode in a fit of rage. " You... You tricked me into revealing our plans, you gutter trash! How could someone like me, Aveil, leader of the Gerudo Pirates allow myself to fall into your trap? Grrrr... Mikau... I was thinking of keeping you locked up in here forever, but that's no longer good enough for you. I want to see you suffer in the most horrific way imaginable."
" That's enough!" Twilight said, appearing from behind me and floating in front of Rainbow's face.
Rainbow Dash backed away slightly. " What the!? A fairy!? What is a fairy doing here?" She quickly began laughing which annoyed Her Highness and it took me several moments to figure it out. " Is that fairy with you, Mikau? Ha! I never thought that the warrior among the Zora would be reduced to hanging out with a fairy. Have you finally gotten soft after so long or is there something more to this than appearances suggest? Either way, this is pretty lame even for you."
" You don't need to listen to that masked imp." Twilight said. " She is planning on destroying this world."
" Like I'd believe something like that!"
" Have you seen the moon in the sky?"
" That hunk of rock with the ugly face?"
" Yes."
" Yeah! I've seen it a few times." Rainbow Dash said. " Not sure why I should be worried about something that happens to be wrecking the sky with its ugly mug. The sky is supposed to be a beautiful place where the nature itself can flow about freely without being restricted by what lies before. Nothing should be allowed to blight such beauty, especially the stupid moon with its stupid face!" She looked like she was going to smash something but quickly calmed down and addressed me with a smirk. " I don't care about no falling moon no matter what you say, fairy. I'm after something much bigger that will make us pirates live the easy life from now on."
Princess Twilight continued to protest. " If you won't believe me about the moon then believe me about that imp."
" I'm finished talking with both you and Mikau." Rainbow Dash said. " She then reached out for a lever that had been hidden within the shadows of the dungeon and held it firmly in her hands all while goading me. " This particular cell also has a double feature, Mikau. Not only does it prevent you from using those fins, it also has a trapdoor that will send you out of the fortress and into the cliff-side where you'll plunge to your death."
" Rainbow Dash... Don't do it!"
" Sorry, fairy, but Mikau has had this coming for a long time."
" But--"
" I doubt you'll survive so I'll let you in on a little secret. We pirates are going to be stinkin' rich beyond our wildest dreams!" Rainbow Dash said. " And those Zora eggs are the keys to that dream coming true. Maybe we should give that creepy fisherman a few bits just so that he would stop snooping around here looking for a photograph of one of us. Gah! Men can be so weird what with their obsessions! I'm sure you've spoken with that guy living in his house on the beach, Mikau. If not then you'll never have that chance! It's been a fun ride over the years but your annoyance must come to an end."
Rainbow Dash pulled the lever and the floor beneath my feet immediately swung inward, revealing a pit below that plunged into deep darkness. Within those brief moments before my body began to fall, I looked at my friend with an expression that screamed "I can't believe you just did that to me", yet all she did in response was laugh, the echo of said laughed rattled throughout my ears and the pit as I fell down into it. The last thing I witnessed was Rainbow pulling the lever again and closing up the pit leaving me completely in the dark, unsure of just where I was going to end up.
Bump!
Thump!
Bonk!
Thonk!
My body collided with the walls of the pit as I continued plunging down through the darkness but then I noticed a light appearing off in the distance. I had no idea if this pit would open out near the ground or somewhere higher up, yet what I did know was that I needed to prevent myself from getting killed. Despite what Rainbow Dash said and her desire to see me killed, I was going to disappoint her by surviving her little death-trap and perhaps give her a piece of my mind once I got myself back into the fortress.
Everything suddenly went white before turning a shade of blue, and I discovered that the pit opened out halfway up the cliff. That didn't make sense! Dungeons were usually built at the bottom of castles so as to give prisoners the incentive that they were trapped below and would never see the light of day again until they had chosen to change. Perhaps this dungeon was built further up in the fortress to maximize on having prisoners fall to their deaths. In any case, it was a moot point as I now needed to focus on preventing myself from crashing into the jagged cliffs that were now below me.
Falling at a fast pace with mere seconds to come up with a plan, I tilted my body forward slightly, allowing me to change direction to avoid the side of the cliff, but it didn't save me from landing painfully on the rock-like ground. The impact was enough to send me flying off of the ground and landing in the sand face-first, and I was lucky that no Leevers decided to come out of the sand to take advantage of my unfortunate condition.
It felt like I had been flattened by a massive slab of rock--that was how my body felt upon landing in the ground after landing on the rock-like ground. I was barely able to crawl my way across the sand and into the water where it began to rejuvenate me until I stood up.
" Sunset!" Twilight shouted. " Are you alright?"
" I've been worse." I answered as I walked over to the water's edge and sat down.
" How in the world did you survive that fall?"
" In this game, falling from a great height doesn't kill you provided you land on solid ground."
" And those other incidents where I said falling would kill you?"
" Some of them were an exaggeration." I answered. " Others, like the bottomless pits for example, would have resulted in my death. Good thing I was able to move my body over otherwise I'd have smashed into those jagged rocks on the cliff and not be alive to tell about it."
" I can't believe Rainbow Dash did that to you."
I shrugged my shoulders in response. " I'll admit that I was a little bit surprised but then when I saw the demeanour on her face, I figured that she was going to be our enemy rather than our friend. I had a feeling not all of our friends would be good people in this world, yet Rainbow Dash was definitely an unexpected situation. It's like you said before, she isn't the person we know from Canterlot High. We have to treat her as an enemy even if it is going to be difficult."
" If you say so."
" I did notice one thing."
" What's that?"
" Even though Rainbow chewed out her second-in-command, Derpy, for being incompetent, she was still willing to put up with her and even praise her for her skills. That was a clear display of her Element of Loyalty." I answered. " It's like you figured out, Twilight, our friends' Elements are shining through in Termina despite our Equestrian magic being unable to penetrate the barrier that protects this world from foreign magic. Rainbow's loyalty shone brightly for just a few moments before she resumed being a jerk."
" What about Rarity?"
" I don't know."
" Perhaps returning those eggs will make her feel generous?"
" It's our only option."
" Are we going back into the fortress?"
" Not yet." I answered, getting up onto my feet. I stretched my arms and legs before looking in the direction of the two houses on the beach. " Rainbow said something about a fisherman living in one of those houses who had been annoying the pirates with his snooping around. Maybe he can help us figure out a means of getting through." I began walking only to suddenly stop when something else came to mind. " She also mentioned about them getting rich from stealing the eggs. You don't think they plan on selling them to someone?"
Princess Twilight shook her head. " I doubt they are worth anything to anyone, Sunset. I think Rainbow Dash was referring to the Great Bay Temple out there in the ocean. I'm certain a place like that is just crawling with treasure that would make the pirates wealthy, so we need to get there before they do and take it for ourselves. I know that doesn't sound like me but the treasure could be a new weapon you need to further progress through Termina."
" Saving those eggs just became more important than ever before."
" Yes, so we need to hustle."
The first thing I needed to before anything else was to activate the Owl Statue that was located on the platform below. Even though making my way back to Great Bay from town using Epona was fine and all, it did waste precious time which had begun getting even more important than before due to things getting more complicated. I also had a feeling that I would need to warp back to the Oceanside Laboratory once I collected all the eggs to ensure they hatch in the proper environment.
Since running on the sand was dangerous--those Leevers were still there--I jumped into the water and began to swim though at a much slower pace than I wanted. It seemed that my plunge from high up had caused more of an injury than I initially thought. My right leg had sustained a nasty bruise that was slowing me down, yet I couldn't do anything to relieve me of the pain until I could find some recovery hearts lying around. Despite having a slight handicap against me, I was still faster than the Skullfish and Like-Like that lurked underwater, and I didn't want to deal with them until I was capable of using both legs.
What should have been two minutes took me five but I managed to reach the platform that housed the Owl Statue. Extending out my fins, I struck the statue twice and was about to jump back into the water when I noticed that nothing happened. Confused, I struck it again twice and again it refused to activate.
" Why doesn't it work?"
Princess Twilight looked at an inscription located on the base of the statue. " According to this message, you need to strike the statue with a sword in order to activate it. Nothing else will work so you'll need to change back to a human for several seconds."
" Seriously?"
" You wanted to come here for a reason, Sunset."
" To activate it so that we can come back here quicker."
" If that's the case then you know what you have to do."
I grumbled under my breath knowing Her Highness was once again correct. Grabbing my face, I pulled the Zora Mask off, changing myself back to normal although I wasn't in the mood to flip my hair back like I usually did. A sharp pain then came from my leg indicating that the pain was even worse as my true self since my natural leg wasn't as strong as a powerful Zora leg. I cursed myself for not bringing along a potion to relieve me of the pain so I had to grin and bear it until I could find those hearts.
Placing my mask on the ground, I unsheathed my sword and struck the statue on the owl's head, causing the statue's wings to spread out indicating that I had created another warp point for me to use to get back to Great Bay faster than before. With that simple task now out of the way, I put my sword back in its scabbard, picked up the Zora Mask, and placed it on my face, the magic contained within began working its mystic power forcing me to squat down. Unfortunately, this made me yell not because of changing but because my leg was experiencing unnecessary pressure due to my injury.
A second scream later and I changed into Mikau once again only for me to quickly stand upright and yell a third time due to the leg again--all I was doing at this point was making myself worse and worse. Once my leg stopped throbbing, I jumped into the water and began swimming towards the two houses although I had no idea which one housed the fisherman who was mentioned by Rainbow Dash. One was his house while the other was a place where golden Skulltulas roamed--I had no intention of going in there until my leg was better.
Upon reaching the shore and walking out of the water, I continued onward at a snail's pace until I stopped in front of the house that was nearest to me. " That was a stroke of luck there being no Leevers that came out to take advantage of my weakened state."
" You need to get that leg tended to."
" I'm regretting not buying any potions."
" Looks like I'll have to give you a reminder later on."
I slapped my forehead. " Yeah, I deserve it, Twilight."
" Anyway, we should focus on speaking to this fisherman." Twilight said. " I am surprised that the Gerudo see him as such a threat especially when you consider that they've had their hands full dealing with Thunderlane."
" Rainbow Dash mentioned something about him wanting a picture of them."
" I don't see what would compel someone to do that." Twilight said. She thought about it for a moment before shuddering. " Okay, I think I've got the idea but why don't we give him the benefit of the doubt."
" Which house do you think is his?"
Princess Twilight pointed to the one that was closest to us--the one I was originally swimming towards--and guessed that was where the fisherman lived. Since both houses were right next to each other, I can easily run back outside if we end up walking into the wrong one.
I walked into the closest house and found myself witnessing quite the unusual setup. The interior of the house was a lot smaller than I thought it would be, but then this place was occupied by one person so I supposed size didn't really matter. Various items were hanging on what was a circular wall including: fishing poles, posters of the Indigo-Go's, a shelf that had only two books on it, a picture of a Gerudo that had clearly worn out over time, and finally a large sword that seemed fantastical more than anything else. A circular carpet on the floor rounded everything although to be honest, it looked as though this place needed to be taken care of better.
Perhaps the one thing that stood out was a fish bowl that didn't contain fish but rather a seahorse. It certainly looked beautiful for such a tiny creature, yet I couldn't help but think it was banging its head on the glass in order to get me to pay attention to it. Perhaps it was acting that way due to seeing a Zora? That was my only guess since seahorses weren't something you encounter usually.
The fisherman himself had his back turned to me and was busy looking for something, yet I felt as though I knew him from somewhere based on the back of his hair. He obviously hadn't noticed that I entered so I coughed slightly prompting him to turn around.
" Well, if it isn't a Zora? I haven't seen one of you around here for some time."
" Snails!? What are you doing here!?"
Of all the people I knew from Canterlot High, the fisherman turned out to be Snails, one of the two students who I manipulated into being my henchman so that I could make student's lives miserable in order for me to rule unopposed. Even after I was defeated and began changing my ways, both Snails and his best friend, Snips, were punished alongside me although they confessed to being used against their wills by me in exchange for power. I never got mad or blamed them for doing what they did. After all, I had used them just like everyone else in my bid for power so they had every right to get out of their punishment and leave me to suffer alone.
Snails was bare-chested although he had a couple of tattoos on his arms, yet I'll admit that he really needed to wear a shirt to cover up his scrawny body. I always did think that he needed to eat more to gain some meat on his stomach but then it wasn't really my place to make him do that. My reaction was pretty surprising yet Princess Twilight was even more so in that her jaw dropped upon witnessing Snails standing before me.
" Huh? Snails? Now that's a funny name I ever heard." Snails answered.
" That's not your name?"
Snails shrugged his shoulders. " I'm just an ordinary fisherman who happens to live out here in Great Bay. I suppose I do have a name but it isn't really important so if you want to call me by that name you just used, I won't take any offence." He quickly turned around and continued rummaging through his belonging only to curse under his breath. " Darn! I thought it was somewhere in this pile, but maybe it's in that one there by my favourite fishing rod." I coughed to get his attention and he looked at me. " Huh? Did I forget that you were here? I'm a terrible person for ignoring you. How have things been going lately?"
" Not very well."
" I know that feeling all-too well."
" What were you looking for?"
" A special kind of bait needed for fishing, but I suddenly remembered that things aren't good right now for that." Snails answered. He then started laughing and I wasn't sure if he was being serious or was acting like he normally does around Canterlot High, adrift in his own little world. " Could you be coming to see me 'cause you can't catch any fish?"
The Zora blood within me compelled me to nod and respond accordingly. " No such luck."
" It's not good out there..." Snails said. " Lately, I've been coming back empty-handed myself. It's like the entire fish population just vanished without a trace. I thought you had come here to share some of your catches with me, but it looks like we're both having a bad time. If you thought I had some to share with you, then I'm sorry but I don't have any. I'm an expert regarding fish, oh yes! I'm what you call a... pro... pro... professional. I've been catching fish in these seas for thirty years."
" You don't look that old."
" Nice of you to say."
" So there are no fish?"
" Nope." Snails answered. " When it comes to catching fish, I'm even better than the Zoras, and they're supposed to be the experts. I never tell them to their faces otherwise I would ruin my relationship with them as being a good supplier. You know... fish! Lately, the seawater has gotten really warm. It hasn't helped my fishing at all, yet that's just the least of my troubles. The water has grown murky for some strange reason, and when I go out on my boat, I always lose my way and somehow end up back at shore empty-handed and not having any fish to show for it."
" Do you think the temple has anything to do with it?"
Snails looked at me with a puzzled expression on his face. Oh come on! Surely he would be aware of the Great Bay Temple out in the ocean. After all, he said that he had been fishing in the area for thirty years, so why didn't he know something that was practically out in the open for everyone to see? He looked like he was about to answer my question and I was hoping for a good answer. but what he ended up saying was less than spectacular. " Um... I don't know a place like that."
I was about to slap my forehead when I realized that perhaps the temple was a Zora thing but then perhaps the pirates knew of it. I decided to humour Snails by saying something entirely different so that neither of us would be stumped over what was obvious. " Sorry, forget I said anything." Well, it wasn't "entirely different" per say but it was necessary to advance this conversation.
" Whatever is happening, it's become a problem for the fishermen and the fish." Snails said. " If the seas don't return to normal and soon... I will be all dried up! Oh, and I suppose the same thing will affect the Zoras."
While the thought of there being no fish made my heart cry on the inside, I didn't see it as being important as rescuing the Zora eggs from the pirates. I wasn't acting like a monster in this instance as I knew the value of sacrificing small things for a much greater good even when others will question you on it. Besides, saving Great Bay overall would give him all the fish he could ever want.
I then noticed that Princess Twilight was looking at the photo of the Gerudo hanging up on Snails' wall, and nudged her head slightly several times to indicate that I should take a look at it as well. Looking at the photo, as I stated before, it had definitely worn out over time, but now that I had a much better look of it, you could barely see any facial features. How long had he kept it hanging up on his wall without realizing how old it really was? Then again, the rest of his house didn't really fare much better. If there was one thing this Snails was like compared to the one I knew, it was that both of them weren't good at taking care of their belongings.
Snails then noticed what I was doing. " Heh-heh! Isn't she pretty? But, you know... Those female pirates are so frightening, they could scare a crying baby into silence. I took that photo a long time ago using something called a Pictograph Box, yet the quality has diminished a lot since then and I've tried in vain to get a better photo. Every time I sneak into their fortress, they capture me and throw me back outside. I guess that's why security around there increased because of my behaviour."
" You're the reason why their front door is closed?"
" No, that had something to do with one of your kind."
" Okay, so what did they change regarding you?"
" They added more guards to the usual patrol routes making it impossible for anyone to sneak by without being spotted." Snails answered. Maybe it was a good thing that I was kicked out of the fortress before I learned that discovery the hard way. " However, I do know that it's possible to get past the pirates although it will take a couple of items. Years ago, back in my younger days, I used to use this thing called a Hookshot to catch fish off the coast. It has a spring-loaded chain that can pull you towards something or the other way around if you wanted to bring something closer to you."
My eyes opened wide! I remembered using that during my previous journey. Did it mean that I would be reunited with a useful item that I was able to figure out relatively quickly without too much trouble? Did he still have it on him? I needed to know. " Do you still have the Hookshot somewhere in here? If so, I'd love to take it off your hands."
" I don't have it anymore."
" What!? Why not?
" I was attacked by those pirates one day."
" And they stole it?"
Snails nodded. " They took it back with them to their fortress and said it was a legendary treasure." Shoot! Now I had another reason for going into their fortress. If only he hadn't lost it to them. I could have used the Hookshot and avoided many of them, yet Snails said there were more guards around than before. " Thing is, I've got nothing against them for taking it in the first place since it wasn't even mine to begin with. I just happened to swipe it from the bottom of the sea during one of my fishing trips, but if you really want it then you'll have to find a way into the fortress and look for it."
" That won't be a problem."
" Security is tight so it will be."
" I'm sure I can get past all of them."
" That's what she said."
Did Snails suddenly use one of the oldest and most obnoxious memes to have ever existed? I doubted that he intended on saying it but still, it annoyed me that he even had to resort to something like that. Getting back inside was going to be a cinch--no pun intended towards Principal Cinch--since I had both underwater passageways available, so why would he sound so defeatist about sneaking past a group of women? If the pirates were like the thieves from my previous journey, they could easily be knocked out by arrows, and was a more humane way of dealing with them without resorting to any unnecessary killing.
Defeating monsters was one thing but doing the same thing to non-monsters--even if they were trying to kill you--was something I didn't want to do. That's when it clicked with regards to that meme Snails said. It sounded like he was mentioning someone else having ventured into the Pirate's Fortress, but I couldn't tell for sure unless I asked him. Since he had lived in this region for such a long time according to his own words, he was an authority around here.
" You mentioned "she" just now."
" Yes, I did."
" Who is this "she"?"
" I've never seen her in person but I heard the pirates say that a strange armoured soldier wandered into their fortress one day. She seemed lost and confused according to eye witnesses but before they could capture this soldier, she seemed to have just disappeared into thin air. Other accounts suggest the soldier was trying to get the pirates to notice her presence only to fail. Since then, she has become known as the Inconspicuous Soldier, she who vanished from the world." Snails answered.
" Not what I'd call "inconspicuous", but did she have any striking features?"
Snails nodded his head. " The soldier was holding a weird looking mask before she vanished." He then thought about something in his head for a few moments before continuing on although I was having a hard time believing that someone could just disappear into thin air without a trace. " Those same pirates said that she looked a little sickly but they weren't about to use a potion or anything. I don't know if any of it is true but you never really can tell these days what is real and what isn't. A shame we don't have the power to see the truth for what it is otherwise our lives would be a lot more interesting."
Whether he realized it or not, Snails had just given me a really important clue. If this soldier had indeed vanished, then perhaps using the Lens of Truth would enable me to uncover them and perhaps acquire the mask that she has on her person. I also needed a healing potion so that meant taking a trip to Clock Town and buying a potion at the shop. Despite not being entirely bright, Snails definitely had his moments and this was definitely one of them. Maybe the thought of me becoming invisible wasn't quite so farfetched because if this soldier could do it then so could I. I first needed to prove that she had vanished.
Princess Twilight had since floated over to the small bowl that contained the sea horse, but I supposed I wasn't all that surprised since she loved being curious. Any time she wanted to investigate something new to expand her knowledge, there was nothing that could stop her from doing so. If only I possessed that same knack for wanting to expand my own horizons that she did. I mean, I loved learning new things like Her Highness, but I wasn't as engrossed in it mainly because other things had taken up my free time. Even when she has a lot of pressure on her shoulders what with being a princess, Twilight always found time to engage in the pursuit of knowledge.
" Help me..."
All of a sudden, a high-pitched squeak rang through my ears. I turned towards Her Highness thinking she was in some kind of trouble, but she just stared at me, blinking a few times before turning her attention towards the sea horse. Could that little creature have spoken out to me? Nah. I must have been hearing things due to not getting enough sleep--it had been some time since my previous rest though I don't count being knocked out by that tranquilizer dart.
" Please, help me..."
There it was again. I immediately looked in the direction of the sea horse, yet it just stared back at me and continued to stare. Was I beginning to lose my mind? Had that plunge from the cliffs caused some kind of brain injury? I sure hoped that wasn't true. I lurched forward to see if I was indeed losing it, and the next moment certainly took me by surprise.
" Please, take me back to the waters near Pinnacle Rock..."
I almost screamed upon learning that the sea horse was capable of talking. I walked over to the fish bowl and stared into it and sure enough, the sea horse was starting to get excited most likely due to my presence. It wanted me to take it somewhere? I had no way where this Pinnacle Rock was since I hadn't explored all of Great Bay, and the little creature probably belonged to Snails as why else would have a portion of his house dedicated to it?
" What did you say?" I asked the sea horse.
" Please, take me back to the waters near Pinnacle Rock..."
" Are you interested in that fish?" My heart suddenly began beating quickly due to Snails speaking and me focusing my attention squarely on the sea horse. I had a feeling he was going to make a comment once he saw me looking at it long enough. " Even though most of the fish around here have disappeared, there are some that manage to survive, and this happens to be one of them. It's a rare fish known as a sea horse. Many Zora have tried in vain to get their hands on one but their determination shows how stubborn they can be sometimes, but also commendable since they understand the value."
" What are you talking about?"
" The money." Snails answered. " You see, I caught that sea horse swimming around here just off of Pinnacle Rock. Since it's rare, I was thinking of selling it at the town carnival, which should be starting soon."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. He was thinking of selling such an innocent creature just so he could make a few bucks--rupees--even though he knew just how rare it was compared to other fish? I had every mind to take the sea horse with me, return it to the ocean where it belongs, and give Snails the biggest talking down to I've ever given. Just when I thought he was starting to become decent, he had to go and say something so utterly repulsive, I wanted to throw up in response.
I looked at Snails again, disgusted by what he had said, but that's when I noticed the sombre look in his face. " You see... That was going to be my original plan, but I decided that perhaps you would be interested in it seeing as Zora love looking for sea horses. Money has been an issue for me which is why I considered selling it, yet maybe you might have better luck with it than I would. Well? What do you think? If you want, I'll give it to you."
" Really?"
Snails nodded. " I will but on one condition..."
" What's that?"
Snails turned his attention towards the photo of the Gerudo Pirate we were looking at earlier. " If you want that sea horse, I want you to bring me a pictograph of a pirate as my current one has seen better days. If I like what I see, I'll gladly hand over the sea horse, but if it doesn't look good then I'm keeping it."
" Will any pirate do?"
" As long as it's a better quality than that old photo."
Things had now become even more complicated what with Snails throwing in his little request. Not only did I need to rescue the seven Zora eggs, I needed to find someone inside of the fortress who was invisible, and now take a photo of a pirate so that I could save a sea horse from being stuck in captivity. I was fine with being a heroine but I wasn't fine with having to do multiple tasks at the same time. At least there weren't going to be any other complications... Until I remembered that collecting the eggs required the use of bottles of which I only had three in my possession.
I had to make three trips into the fortress and that meant having to get past Rainbow Dash and the other pirates numerous times. Part of me wanted to curl up in a corner and cry because of having so much pressure placed onto me, but then this was part of what it meant to be a heroine. I had to endure so much in order to succeed in saving not only Termina but the world that was now my home, and quite possibly Equestria as well if in case Ganondorf carried out his threat of conquering it. Still, I wasn't liking the idea of going into the fortress three times just because I didn't have enough empty bottles.
My eyes then noticed one--a bottle--laying on top of a pile of clothes that Snails obviously hadn't bothered to put away. I inquired as to whether he wanted it because it had just been left there, and he said a Zora tossed it onto the beach after having won it against a pair of beavers living on top of the waterfall near Zora Hall. Snails planned on using the bottle to stuff some of his knick-knacks into and place it on a shelf, but he completely forgot about it due to the problems he was having. Coloratura told me that I needed to pay those beavers a visit to get an empty bottle yet getting this one here would save me some time.
After asking if I could have since it held no value to him, Snails thought about it for a few moments before nodding his head. I gleefully picked up the bottle, thanked him for it, put it behind my back, and promised that I would be back with a photo that he was sure to love.
" That was pretty lucky." Twilight said as we left Snail's house.
" At least we don't need to deal with the beavers." I said.
" With that fourth bottle, we only need to go into the fortress twice."
" It's better than three times."
" Yes." Twilight said. " In any case, we need to go back to town briefly in order to pick up a Red Potion."
I sighed. " Guess I should play the Song of Soaring then." Taking out of the Ocarina of Time from my pouch, I was surprised to see it had become the very fish-bone guitar that I had propped up against Thunderlane's grave marker after his spirit was put to rest. " Whoa... It's Mikau's guitar! But, isn't it where I made his marker?" I turned to Princess Twilight to get her answer and she merely shrugged her shoulders. " I'm not complaining since a guitar is my instrument of choice, yet don't you think it's a little weird that his guitar is now mine?"
" You are carrying on his life." Twilight said. " So it makes sense that you would inherit his instrument."
I strummed the bones using a pick that also appeared when I took out the ocarina. Despite Thunderlane having played his version of the fish-bone guitar in a mad panic all because he was on his final legs, it actually had a really nice rhythm. The thought of playing a skeletal fish was still disturbing but I had to get adjusted to such an unusual quirk the Zoras were known for. At least I had something simple compared to Coloratura who had an organ made from the bones of whatever kind of aquatic creature it was.
Strumming the bones several more times, I smiled and nodded before playing a gnarly rift. Princess Twilight was impressed with the rest and so was I. Never had I played the guitar with so much passion before. If my friends could see me now, their jaws would be on the floor because of how epic I had just made that rift--even Rainbow Dash would in awe and say how awesome I was. Unfortunately, none of them were quite themselves right now thanks to being given new lives and identities, but I knew that I was going to save them all along with changing everything back to the way it was before.
Concluding that I had practiced long enough, I played the Song of Soaring and desired to go to the Owl Statue located in Clock Town. Wings then appeared from behind my back, wrapped themselves around my body, and soon I was whisked off to my destination.
" Will you need some assistance breaking through the barrier that protects Fluttershy?"
" No." The tall figure answered. " What looks like iron bars are actually branches coming from the tree that is supporting this entire room." She walked up to the branches and cradled one in her hands before pulling it down with a powerful yank. " I was thinking of using what little magic I have and burn that tree down, but that would cause a cave-in resulting in the untimely death of Fluttershy, who needs to be alive long enough for you to test that theory."
" That reckless attitude of yours will be your undoing."
The tall figure groaned. " I know that! I just relapsed a little into an old habit, that's all."
The small figure wasn't buying it for an instant. " Who are you trying to kid? You're still as reckless as you were before when you desired to become the real Sunset Shimmer, and before that when you wanted to conquer all of Equestria using a bunch of humans as a personal army. Granted, such behaviour hasn't been as evident as before coming you from, a sign you're getting better at using your brain, but you still need to quell that desire to act without thinking of the consequences."
" Must you continue to patronize me?"
" It gives me something to do."
" Ha! You're not perfect either."
" At least I show restraint when it comes to dealing with my attitude."
The tall figure then laughed. " You have got to be kidding me here? I know what you did when you first came into being. You wanted to try out your new powers by opening up portals to Equestria without caring one iota about the world your Twilight lived in, and were willing to destroy it entirely all in the name of claiming all the magic." She grabbed the remaining branches and pulled them off before flicking them at her companion who didn't appreciate the sentiment. " Just admit that you're reckless like me. Nothing wrong with admitting something as it shows you have a lot of character."
" I'll never understand your sudden change in perspective."
The tall figure then walked into the tree where she found herself staring at Fluttershy, who seemed a little surprised that she had received company. Her first thought was wanting to make her suffer because of how she was related to Sunset, but knew that there was much more that needed to be taken care of. For her part, Fluttershy seemed unafraid of the strange figure who had paid her a visit, but then her eyes veered off towards the small figure entering the tree. She smiled at her other guest who responded by sporting a sadistic smile before receiving praise from the tall figure via a subtle wink.
Both demons had been waiting for this chance and now they were going to go all-out without having to worry about being caught. The only thing that could stop them was time resetting back to the beginning of the seventy-two hour cycle.
" Oh!" Fluttershy exclaimed. " You two certainly gave me a surprise. Hmmm... I don't think I've ever seen either one of you before." She was about to take a step forward in order to see who her guests were, but something in her head convinced her to stay where she was and allow them to make a move. " I'm not sure how you got past that monster who captured me but did you come here to rescue me?"
" Rescue you?" The tall figure asked.
" Yes."
" Why would we do anything like that?"
" Um... Did you not go through Woodfall Temple in order to reach me?" Fluttershy asked. She then noticed the massive hole in the wall and quickly concluded that these two strangers had taken a more direct approach of reaching her. " Wow... I did not think that anyone had the power to go through walls. You might be even stronger than the monster who dances about with his vile insects. You know... um... I believe I haven't introduced myself to you. My mother would be ashamed of me for not showing common courtesy towards others. I am the Deku Princess, of the Deku Kingdom."
" Deku!?" The tall figure exclaimed. " What the heck is that?"
" It's what she is." The small figure answered. " They are a tribe of plants who make their homes in the swamps and forests although they have a superiority complex. This stems from being despised because they focus on a principle of survival above everything else. The other tribes are seen as those who are to be taken advantage of to further the future of the Deky Tribe, and as a result are treated as less than scum. The Deku don't care as they believe themselves to be grater than any other."
Fluttershy sighed. " My ancestors believed in survival of the fittest at the expense of others, yet my mother, the Deku Queen, has worked hard to change this perception as a means of allowing us to be accepted by the other tribes. Her advisors believe we should continue our tradition of fighting for what we want and secretly desire her throne so that they can carry out their wishes. I don't like such things because all that happens is people's feelings get hurt. I just wish they could show some kindness in their hearts and not aspire to making enemies with everyone else in Termina."
" That sounds like kindness."
" It, um, does?"
The small figure nodded. " You don't want to see your people suffer anymore and instead want them to form strong ties with the other tribes? That tells me that you are showing considerable kindness. Most Deku would prefer continue their current actions, yes?"
Fluttershy nodded. " My words alone have given my mother strength to carry out her convictions, but ever since I wandered into the temple, I suspect she has been listening to the words of her advisors and, um, may punish that innocent monkey who helped me get here."
" A monkey?"
" Um... yes, he helped when I wanted to find out what was causing the water to become poisonous."
The tall figure lurched forward. " A monkey!? Well... I wasn't expecting you to say something like that, but then you always were good with animals. Even when you've been changed into a plant, you still possess the knack for understanding how critters work. No wonder they look to you for guidance. I was also going to ask why you are even in such a dreadful place as this but I got my answer so I don't need to ask further.
" Um... Who are you?"
" Who are we?"
" Yes... um... You know who I am but I don't know who you are."
" And you want to know?"
" Um... Yes?"
" Okay... We'll show you who we are."
Getting back to where I was in the Pirates Fortress wasn't as easy as I thought. When I returned to Clock Town after using the Song of Soaring, I made my way over to the west side and to the Item Shop in hopes of buying a Red Potion, but when I got there, my heart sank upon realizing that my wallet was devoid of rupees. I had forgotten that rupees didn't carry over upon resetting time so any I picked up were gone for good. That meant going outside into Termina Field and rummaging through the grass for roughly ten minutes in hopes of finding as many loose rupees as possible.
In hindsight, I supposed I could have gone to the bank and withdrawn some rupees, but I barely used the services provided by Fleur Dis Lee, and so I forgot that she was an option when it came to having easier accessibility.
My rummaging took two trips and I only had myself to blame for not remembering or knowing how much a Red Potion cost. My first instinct was to collect twenty rupees hoping that would be enough, but the shopkeeper said that a Red Potion cost thirty rupees--the Green Potion was the one worth twenty rupees since it restored magic rather than life. When I came back with the correct amount, he graciously accepted my money although he was surprised that a Zora would come to his shop considering Zora Hall had an Item Shop of its own located somewhere--again, this was something I didn't know about.
There was one bright moment when it came to combing through the grass. I managed to pick up some recovery hearts thus restoring my strength, but more importantly, my leg could finally be healed after having crashed earlier when I was ejected by Rainbow Dash from the fortress.
Once I had obtained my potion and left the Item Shop, my next task involved making my way back to where I had been captured by the pirates. Playing the Song of Soaring and warping over to Great Bay--good thing I activated that Owl Statue when I did--I dove into the water and began swimming towards the fortress as fast as I possibly could since all of this backtracking had cost me some precious time.
I initially believed that the Gerudo had covered up the underwater entrance that I used before to sneak into the exterior of the fortress, but to my esteemed relief, the entrance was still accessible as though they didn't know it existed. Then again, Rainbow may have insisted it not be closed up because she was anticipating my eventual arrival. If so then I needed to remain alert especially. I swam down into the passageway, my eyes quickly adjusting to the darkness, and then adjusting to the light, walked out of the water.
The same number of boats were patrolling the outside area like before, and that had me feeling nervous as though there could be some hidden boats. Since I had activated the switch before being captured, the way forward was now accessible so all I had to do was drop to the bottom of the water, find the marker I left behind, enter the new passageway, and go even deeper into the fortress.
When the gap between the final boat in the sequence and the first boat was at hand, I jumped into the water, the resulting splash surprisingly didn't draw any unwarranted attention, and I dropped down like a stone until I landed on the ground below.
" Now, where did I put that marker?" I asked.
" It should be somewhere ahead of us." Twilight answered.
" I'm surprised none of the pirates stopped to check out the splash I made."
" You should be thankful for that."
Rather than swim across and invoke the ire of the Skullfish that were swimming about, I opted to walk along the ground in hopes of finding the marker. Sure, I was walking slower given the water was slowing down my momentum, but it was necessary to prevent me from getting caught again like before. I still couldn't believe how they were able to knock me out using a tranquilizer dart. If I ever had any embarrassing moments on this journey, being captured in that manner was definitely one of them.
After walking along for several hundred metres, I finally came across the marker I had left in the sand when I used my fins. Parts of it had disappeared in places indicating that the water was moving the sand back into place, but that didn't matter now as I could continue on as intended. Looking up at the entrance I needed to use, the grate had moved most likely due to the switch I activated earlier. The one thing that was bothering me was how dark it was and that was usually a problem since who knew what was lurking about in the darkness especially in a place like this.
Swimming into the passageway and continuing on for a few minutes, the only thing that stood out were the regular fish that were seen swimming about. I thought it a little odd considering how Snails was complaining about how he wasn't able to catch any, but then I doubted he was willing to come in here given the pirates didn't appreciate his business. I could always use one of my empty bottles and pick up a fish for him, but the Zora eggs were more important as the only way I could transfer them over to Daring Do was by scooping them up into my bottles.
I didn't know whether the pirates were taking good care of the eggs or not. Rainbow Dash was insistent about how important they were so I assumed that they were being looked after in a somewhat decent manner.
Turning around a corner, I discovered that the passageway ended at a chain-link fence that featured another one of those boards that had covered the initial passage entrance, yet why was this down here in an area completely submerged underwater? Had it previously been devoid of water but was filled up on a later date to prevent intruders from getting any further inside? Maybe but that wouldn't prevent a Zora--specifically Thunderlane--from getting further.
Using my legs to propel me forward followed by swimming at an intense speed, I smashed through the board only to come up against something else. " There's a block with what looks to have an image of Majora's Mask imprinted on it." Perhaps I had underestimated the pirates when it came to their craftiness. The chain-link was most likely unbreakable but even if it was, if I were to try and break through it by swimming, I was more than likely to cut myself to ribbons.
" That block is preventing us from progressing."
" But, can I even more it?"
" I don't see why not." Twilight answered. " You can walk underwater so it must mean you can grab, push, and pull objects underwater as well."
" Only way to know is to try." I said. I walked over to the block, grabbed it somehow with my hands--there wasn't anywhere for me to grab onto--and I pulled it towards me as far as it could go until it stopped because of a slight step. " Okay... That didn't really do all that much. Maybe I need to look in another direction?"
" There's another boarded up section to your left."
" Works for me." I said. Swimming as fast as I could after launching myself with my legs, I crashed through the board and into the wall with a loud thud. " Ow!" I rubbed my bruised head before turning to the right and seeing another board blocking the way. " You've got to be kidding me!" How many more of these did I have to smash through in order to get any further in this area? Mumbling under my breath, I smashed my way through this next board and crashed into another wall that was at the end of the passageway. " One thing I'm not liking about being a Zora is not being able to stop swimming once I start."
" Are you okay?"
" Just a mild headache is all."
" Do you want to rest for a few moments?"
I nodded my head. " Yeah, I could do with the rest considering everything that has happened so far since coming here." I sat down on the floor, rested my back up against the wall, and began to think about whatever was on my mind. " You know, as much as I have complained about having to endure so much torment, I've got to admit that there have been some pretty cool moments throughout this journey. I love the fact that I'm able to change into different creatures and understand what kind of lifestyle their kind live in."
" You've literally walked a mile in different kinds of shoes."
" Yeah, I guess you could say it like that."
" One thing has been bothering me though."
" What's that?"
" That Triforce mark on the back of your hand." Twilight said. My expression changed to sadness when she mentioned that, yet Princess Twilight noticed and waved her hands so as to say she wasn't trying to dredge up any bad memories that I experienced in the past. " Why were you given such a mark in the first place? I know you said that it was given to you because you represent the power of Courage, but it seems like something is missing that makes it all come together."
I sighed. " I got it when someone told me that I earned it after proving my bravery by rescuing others."
" That would definitely do it."
" I'd rather not think about it since all it did is give me nightmares."
" One more question." Twilight said. " Who told you?"
" Someone who had been guiding along since the beginning."
I couldn't tell Princess Twilight that she was the one who guided me throughout my previous journey, and the one who told me that the Triforce of Courage was a part of me. I was the only one who remembered what happened in that other video game and I knew she wouldn't believe me even when she said she did. Everyone's memories of Hyrule were erased and made it difficult for me to seek out any help.
This time, Her Highness, in addition to myself, would be the only ones who remembered what Ganondorf did when he brought all of us into this world. The rest of our friends would refuse to believe anything happened unless they were to suddenly become aware of it. I doubted that the pony versions of our friends would believe it even though Equestria is a magical kingdom where things like that were a pretty common occurrence. And yet, there were still some things I didn't understand regarding the Triforce. Why I had was one thing, the true depths of its power were another.
" Sunset? You don't need to tell if you don't want to."
" It's not that."
" Then what is it?"
" I want to tell you, Twilight, but when I feel ready to."
" Fair enough."
" Just like that?"
Princess Twilight nodded. " I know it's something that you're having trouble explaining since it must be difficult even for you to grasp. Foreign magic of any kind can be very tricky since you don't have anything you can use to make it easy to comprehend. Me giving you an inquisition is completely unfair and I should respect the fact that you're not feeling sure of how best to explain everything to me. Maybe when we've stopped the fall from falling would be the best time to tell me what you really know."
No wonder Her Highness was so approachable. She knew how to give others their space and not badger them on about their personal issues, yet she did have a tendency to remind others that they would soon be needing to explain things for her own piece of mind. Guess that's part of her charm regarding knowledge. Princess Twilight wants to know just about everything there is to know and won't accept the idea of being left out. If only I had a similar conviction when it came to my own desire to further increase my knowledge. The urge is there but just doesn't have the kind of spark she possesses.
Getting back onto my feet, I walked over to the block, grabbed it, and pushed it as far as I could until it stopped in the same manner as the other one. I then spotted a treasure chest located in the center of the room--what it was even doing in a place like this boggled my mind--that was tempting, so I decided to go for it. Stepping back a few paces, I learned that there was an open area that would allow me to swim over the fence and to the chest.
Doing so, I landed on the other side, kicked it open, and took out a red rupee. " To be honest, it wasn't really worth making the attempt."
" Perhaps but you could do with the money."
" I just need to remember to go to the Item Shop more often."
" Perhaps I should remind you then."
" One thing bothers me." I said. " Why would a treasure chest be here of all places?"
" I don't know." Twilight answered. " Much of this doesn't make sense but perhaps someone put it there knowing it would be plundered later. If one of the Gerudo placed that chest down here, maybe this area never used to be flooded. If it was left behind by a Zora, you'd have to wonder what compelled them into coming here considering Thunderlane was the only one who could fight."
After mulling it over for a few moments, I concluded that it wasn't really all that important, and that I should just keep going. Still, I had to wonder if this was just an isolated incident or that there would be future situations similar to this.
Swimming back over the fenced section of the room, I then walked through it as I needed to in order to reach the other end so that I could continue. Upon getting to the end, my only option was to use a water current that was blasting out from a hole in the ground. Could this be where all this water was coming from? If so, were there other holes performing in a similar manner? The pressure rising up from the hole would be enough to send me upwards although another option involved simply swimming up to the next section.
Ultimately, I decided to go with using the current since it meant not having to do anything.
Walking into the current, it pushed me right up to the surface and right into the path of what appeared to be a spiked ball. I wasn't able to stop myself and I collided with it, causing it to swing backwards, hit the wall, and suddenly explode upon impact leaving nothing but the chain. The pirates must have placed it here knowing that someone would come in this direction, but then my heart sank as I discovered there were at least a dozen spiked balls lined up in front of me. Not only that but there were strong currents pushing towards the wall and I was willing to bet that swimming into one meant being pushed back outside.
How was I going to weave my way through these obstacles without causing a chain reaction?