//------------------------------//
// Chapter 38: Ambush 
// Story: The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Majora's Mask 
// by Ganondorf8 
//------------------------------//

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Majora's Mask
By Ganondorf8
December 19, 2016
Chapter 38: Ambush.

The Gerudo Pirates were serious when it came to protecting their fortress from anyone who would try to sneak in. I was starting to realize that Thunderlane must have snuck his way in here through this underwater passageway enough times that the pirates had resorted to using exploding spiked mines as a means of stopping him. Even the smallest amount of pressure would result in an explosion so I needed to weave in-between each mine, yet there was another problem that couldn't be ignored. Currents of water going in both directions were situated between the mines. Even if none of them exploded, I could easily be sucked into a current and thrown back outside.

While I did have a Red Potion on hand, I couldn't use it to heal any wounds. I needed it in order to give it to someone inside this fortress who was invisible. Whoever they were had definitely made me jealous as they couldn't be seen while I was exposed for the pirates to spot easily. If I had whatever power they used, I could easily make my way around the fortress and not worry about being caught. Of course, I first needed to find this "inconspicuous soldier" as Snails referred to them as. 

Since this fortress was a massive complex, unless I were to miraculously look in the right location, finding this soldier could take hours, and that was something I couldn't afford as time was clearly against me. I needed to rescue as many of the Zora eggs as possible, deliver them to Daring Do, come back here a second time to pick up the rest, deliver them as well, and figure out how to gain access to the temple located offshore. Having to make two trips wasn't exactly my idea of fun as no doubt the pirates would be onto me once I rescue one Zora egg, but there wasn't really much of a choice.

Unless something had happened to a few of them--I'd never actually want that to happen as they were unborn and extremely vulnerable--I had to memorize where I have been so as to not get myself lost coming through the second time.

Before I could do anything like that, I first needed to get past this obstacle. I knew colliding with the spiked mines would send them tilting in a given direction but because they were on chains bolted into the ground, they would tilt back in the other direction and most likely into me causing unfortunate circumstances. If the chains were only a bit longer, I could push one into another and continue doing so via a chain reaction until they were all destroyed, but the chains weren't long enough. I needed some other idea to get through otherwise it meant having to find an alternate path.

Princess Twilight had been looking at my fins for quite some time, and while it wasn't bothering me, I had to wonder why she was suddenly obsessed with them. " Sunset... I wonder if you could use your fins to strike the spiked balls at a distance."

" What good would that do?" I asked.

" If you hit them from a distance, they would ricochet back and forth."

" Too bad their chained to the ground."

" Ah, but that will be to our advantage."

" Come again?"

" It's really simple." Twilight answered. " Your fins go forward a fair distance before curving in an arc formation before coming back to you. If you were to hit more than one of those spiked balls, you could have them ricochet into one another causing them to explode.

" Mines..." I said. " They are spiked mines."

Princess Twilight rolled her eyes causing me to frown at her. " You're beginning to act like I would when it comes to being articulate about something, Sunset. Anyway, you should rely on your current abilities to see us through this obstacle."

" And the water currents?"

" You should be able to walk underneath them."

I scratched my head. " Are you sure I can do that? Those currents don't look to be situated high enough."

Princess Twilight then winked. " If all else fails, you could just get down onto your stomach and crawl along."

I wasn't going to dignify that with a responsible. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear that Her Highness was trying to be funny, but her efforts were being met by a cold response from me in return. When she noticed the expression on my face, she immediately went quiet before hovering over and hugged my ear tightly. I appreciated her wanting to give me ideal suggestions to help me get passed difficult obstacles but using condescending humour wasn't really something she would say. Her Highness was also aware of how I was bullied by my peers after the Fall Formal as payback for what I did to them.

When it came to teasing of any kind, I was just like Fluttershy, sensitive and not really able to handle it. I supposed that was her personality trait rubbing off on me combined with my own insecurities of how I wanted others to see me. Having to save two different worlds--quite possibly a third one if Equestria were to be threatened--was already stressful enough so having a close friend make me feel even worse only added more stress.

Princess Twilight wasn't trying to upset me and I knew that but she needed to be careful around me. All of those stressful points were taking their toll on me mentally and there was no telling when I could suddenly explode, losing all sense of self and becoming nothing more than a quivering jelly huddled up in some corner. The veil that was my sanity was slowly coming undone, a tapestry that hung itself together by thread, growing ever weaker with every passing moment. So long as I kept my emotions under control, I wouldn't lose myself to despair and could keep going. If I cracked then everyone would lose, not just me.

Upon Her Highness bopping me on the head to once again snap me out of my daydreaming--I wasn't about to ask her to stop doing that--I began to focus on the spiked mines that were in front of me. One had been destroyed leaving eleven more left although each of them were at a fair distance apart from one another. By aiming at the right ones, I could still cause a chain reaction if I hit multiple mines at once.

Holding out my arms and aiming them at a nearby mine, I fired my fins where they sailed through the water, struck the mine, sending it forward, my fins knocking into the mine behind that, causing them to explode upon colliding with one another, clearing the path a little, and my fins coming back to me.

" It's working, Sunset."

" I'm sorry I doubted you."

" You might not need to get rid of all of the spiked balls--mines." Twilight said. " If you can leave a few behind, that would be great as you would save some precious times that is needed for rescuing the Zora eggs. Besides, those explosions are sure to attract the attention of the pirates unless these walls are thick and can filter out any sound. Better play it save by not making too much noise."

Looking at the gap I had made, I could see where she was coming from. " Maybe I should cut a path through the middle."

" That sounds like a plan to me."

" And those water currents?"

" I was actually serious about you crawling on your stomach."

" Seriously?"

Princess Twilight nodded her head. " If you crawled along the ground, you can easily get underneath those water currents without having to worry about getting sucked into one and end up back outside. You just need to move slowly so as to not make any mistakes."

My point still stood even if she was being serious, yet I wasn't about to ignore the advice of my friend and mentor. Looking at what was still blocking my path forward, I aimed my fins and fired them at a mine situated slightly to my left. The fins collided with it tilting it forward before hitting two more along the way and coming back hitting them again for additional measure. Each then connected with one another causing several explosions that further opened things up, but I needed to continue going despite now knowing my efforts could bring me trouble assuming noise filtered through the walls.

One more well-timed throw of my fins later and a few more mines were destroyed giving me an open pathway. Satisfied with the end result, I waited for my fins to return to my arms before proceeding forward--I also learned that I could retract them in case I didn't want them sticking out. Walking forward and avoiding making contact with the mines, I reached the currents only to find that they were too low for me to simply walk past. Grumbling under my breath, I got down onto my stomach, shivered due to the cold floor, and pushed myself forward, my breasts rubbing against the ground.

Not only was this humiliating, it was also chafing my breasts despite them being covered by scales. I began to consider taking my mask off and simply swim the rest of the way, but I couldn't walk on the floor as a human while underwater. I had to endure the stupidity of it all and curse the pirates for making me have to do this.

After several minutes of pushing myself forward on my stomach, I reached the wall and got back onto my feet. Looking down at my chest, my breasts were sore with a red tinge indicating that the chafing proved most painful--it could have been worse if not for those scales--but I had no time to complain about it now. I had to keep going and hope that nothing would hit me where I was hurting.

Princess Twilight was concerned. " I'm sorry, Sunset. I didn't know that would happen to you."

I brushed my hand aside. " It's not your fault, Twilight. If I had worn some kind of armour, my breasts wouldn't be sore right now, but I blame the pirates for this stupid setup and the Zora for not thinking about wearing protective gear." I slowly floated up to the surface and climbed out of the water. " As long as no one hits my chest, I should be able to get over this slight mishap quickly. It's not a permanent burn as that would've left me helpless not to mention make me feel even more embarrassed." I reached for the knob in the door before me, turned it, and entered the next room. " At least it should get a little easier now."

When will I ever learn not to say things like that? This new room contained a few more spiked mines although they were more spread out given how the room was much larger in terms of its width. A treasure chest was peeking out from around a corner and what appeared to be a ramp could be seen in front of it.

" That chest could contain something."

" Probably rupees given how the previous one was like that."

" Maybe so, Sunset, but you could with some extra money in case you need to buy some things later."

" I suppose you're right." I said. Sighing, I jumped into the water, weaved my way around the spiked mines, and opened the chest revealing a red rupee inside. " Told you it was rupees but who could have placed this in here given the only means of defence are those mines."

" Good question." Twilight responded. " But we shouldn't really dwell on it as we'd be here all day otherwise."

Once I pocketed the rupee, I turned around, walked along the ground and up the ramp until I came upon what looked like a prisoner's cell. While it certainly wasn't unusual to see one around here, what was locked inside certainly was. Trapped inside was a Piece of Heart that was practically taunting me with its mere presence, and I was willing to bet that getting it would relieve me of the sore on my breasts. 

The only problem was that there was no padlock on the cell door and the iron bars prevented me from lifting them up. I doubted that becoming Darmani and attempting to lift those bars up would prove successful. I needed some kind of switch so surely there had to be one nearby otherwise this setup was completely pointless not to mention tormenting. A small flight of stairs nearby seemed to be a good place to start looking so I walked up and onto a catwalk that was a dead-end. Numerous barrels had been placed here and most likely contained supplies for the pirates so that they wouldn't run out of something. 

Walking up to a barrel and placing my hands on it, I felt nothing inside of them leading to believe that these were just for decorative purposes only. Had they been filled with something, the weight would have the first clue combined with a clammy feel on the wood. 

" Do you think my fins will work on breaking these barrels?"

Princess Twilight shook her head. " Your fins may be sharp but those barrels have been reinforced with steel making them sturdy. If you wanted to, you could roll into them one by one and smash them that way, but that would take too long and could lead to a concussion or two."

" Guess I need to go more physical."

" Are you sure you need to smash those barrels?"

" That Piece of Heart is taunting me." I answered as I took out the Goron Mask from behind my back. " I need to pick it up if I want to get rid of the pain on my chest as well as recover from any damage I might have sustained along the way. Besides, you keep on telling me that I should be more careful and this is definitely taking your advice to heart--no pun intended of course."

As Her Highness rolled her eyes again, I placed the Goron Mask onto my face and my body began to feel the transition from Zora to Goron--I actually couldn't see my Zora body parts slowly shift and morph into Goron body parts but perhaps that was for the best. When I regained consciousness, I began punching the barrels with a flurry of punches, each one smashed to pieces while scattering all around. At first nothing happened other than me wanting to have a bit of fun but soon a switch appeared after smashing the final barrel, and it didn't take a genius mind to figure out what pressing it was going to do.

Before doing anything else, I stepped on the switch to see what would happen. The door to the prison cell lifted up and quickly went back down several seconds later. In order to get into the cell and collect the Piece of Heart, I had to roll down the stairs within a strict time limit and not roll into the water where I would instantly drown. That's when I also noticed one of those Crystal Switches cleverly tucked away in a corner. I'd have completely missed it and wasted time trying to find a means forward had I chosen to ignore the barrels in my attempt to receive relief for my sores--even as a Goron, my breasts were in a lot of pain.

Pressing the switch a second time, I immediately curled up into a ball just as the iron bars rose up, and I began rolling towards another set of barrels that I didn't smash. Before rolling into them thus messing up my momentum in the process, I veered to the right, rolled down the stairs, and smacked into the wall just as the iron bars came back down.

I rubbed my head. " That was certainly something."

" Pretty skilled rolling there, Sunset."

" Thanks."

" I doubt that any of your other forms would have been able to get in here before the cell door closed." Twilight said. She quickly looked around to see if there was a means for me to escape, and sure enough, she discovered another switch right behind the Piece of Heart. She then pointed it out to me by hovering over and bobbing up and down above it. " Hitting this should open the door and allow us to continue on."

" Don't you think it's strange?" I asked whilst taking out the Zora Mask. " Why would they have a second switch in here? Why not make this a trap to prevent anyone who wanders in here from escaping?" Placing the Zora Mask on my face, my body began to change back to the way it was before, my Goron body suits shimmered before morphing into my Zora body parts--it was a better transition than what usually happened when I put on a mask as my human self. Once I finished changing, I checked to make sure nothing was out of place. " All they're really doing is wasting their resources."

" Maybe but perhaps they weren't expecting a Goron to be here."

" A place like this what with so much water would be death to a Goron."

" You should pick that heart up so we can keep on going." Twilight said. " With all the noise you've been making down here, there's no telling if any of the Gerudo Pirates are coming down here to find out what's going on. I'm sure you think you can take them on, Sunset, but Thunderlane had more experience fighting them unlike yourself. If you get captured again, I don't think Rainbow Dash will be as merciful as last time."

I wasn't confident in the least regarding the pirates. Sure, I had taken on similar pirates in my previous journey, but I lucked out more than anything against them. I never fought them in hand-to-hand combat aside from those who had been guarding those workers, yet I relied on pure stealth to sneak past them though it did give me unneeded stress. Could I use those same tactics this time around? Maybe but it did depend on how Termina operated as opposed to Hyrule regarding this video game's programming.

Grabbing the Piece of Heart, I immediately felt the warmth I felt whenever I picked one up--it had been some time--and the sore on my chest slowly disappeared. With that little problem taken care of, I pressed the switch, the iron bars rose up as a result, and a simple walk back out the cell was all I needed to escape. The Crystal Switch I noticed earlier should surely allow me to continue further, so I quickly ran up to the catwalk, aimed my fins at the switch, and fired them at it, striking with both fins with loud metallic noises. A large door on the far end of the room began slowly opening and it was pretty obvious where I was going next.

Jumping into the water and pushing myself forward using my legs, I swam into the next area but not before coming to a sudden stop upon seeing a few more spiked mines. In front of them were a few more powerful currents yet were closer to the ground unlike before. I could remove the mines and give myself an easier time but I had already wasted more than enough time trying to get past the previous obstacles.

" This is getting ridiculous!" I moaned. " Why would they put in so many obstacles?"

" To make you lose focus."

" What do you mean?"

" By throwing so many challenges at you, they are trying to weaken your spirit." Twilight answered. " That way, they can easily overpower you emotionally as opposed to physically, so you can't let it get to you, Sunset."

" Do you think this is the last of the obstacles before we get out of this passageway?"

Princess Twilight shook her head much to my dismay. " There's no telling how far this path goes into the fortress. Unfortunately, Pinkie Pie's map doesn't provide any detail as to the layout of the fortress, but she's not at fault since I'm sure even she didn't want to go anywhere near this place. Still, without a reliable sense of direction, we're walking around here completely blind and those pirates know this place better than anyone."

I shuddered. " So I need to watch my back?"

" If you haven't been before, I suggest you start doing it now."

While the chances of me being ambushed by pirates was small especially in an area like this with so much water, I wasn't about to take any chances. They probably had the means to swim underwater by using archaic diving gear, and that meant me not wanting to stick around here any longer. I had to take a risk and swim in-between the spiked mines all while staying above the currents otherwise making my way back here would be pain of the absolute worst kind.

Using my legs to propel me forward, I swam forward only for my left fin to clip against the side of a mine, causing it to explode. I had no chance of avoiding it at such a close proximity and I screamed deep within the recesses of my mind so as to not make it look like it was painful--and it was. Luckily, I kept my fins away from the other mines so I swam past them and the currents before the path turned sharply to the left. At the end was a ladder that lead further upwards with the water level now being at ankle level thanks to the ground going upwards via a ramp.

I collapsed onto my knees in pain. " That mine exploded all because of my fin!"

" I'm amazed it wasn't even worse."

" I should have been reduced to ashes from that."

" Maybe your body can survive better than I initially thought."

" You really think so."

Princess Twilight nodded. " Yes, but don't go start testing that theory by being reckless. You might be able to survive some things in this world that would normally kill you back in the world you call home, but there will be things that can and will kill you without question."

Of course I wasn't going to do something like that. I may be reckless but I wasn't stupid! Princess Twilight really should have more faith in me than that by saying something so unnecessary so as to shake not only my confidence by my credibility as someone who can save everyone from this nightmare.

After spending several minutes catching my breath from being caught in that explosion, I got onto my feet, walked up to the ladder, climbed it, and immediately stepped on a switch upon reaching the top. This opened up a small cage that was hanging on the wall revealing another Crystal Switch behind it. In front of me was another one of those holes where the water current would flow out from, yet it wasn't doing anything leading me to figure out what needed to be done. Either this switch would turn off the instant I stepped off of it or it would remain turned on for a few moments before switching itself off again.

I had to act fast. I stepped off the switch and onto the grated hole--to prevent anyone from accidentally dropping down into it--aimed my fins and fired at the switch. They sailed through the air and looked like they were about to connect when they suddenly came back, attaching themselves onto my arms again. I wasn't close enough! I needed to try again before the switch would deactivate and I'd have to walk over and press it again--it wasn't all that bad since it was nearby but it was the principle of the thing. Inching forward ever so slightly, I fired my find again in hopes that they would connect--they did but only barely--and I could feel the water coming up from below.

WHOOSH!

The water pushed me upward until I reached the next area where my heart almost stopped beating. Surrounding me were more spiked mines but this time chained to the ceiling making things slightly more complicated. Below me was a door with iron bars blocking it and in front of me was yet another Crystal Switch. Either the pirates were running out of ideas or really loved using Crystal Switches all over the place.

Either way wasn't really important but what was involved getting out of this area. Since I didn't have much time before the water would recede back down below, I fired my fins without aiming them properly, and while one collided with a mine, tilting it forward and almost smacking me in the face as it swung back, my other fin hit the switch unlocking the door, and just in time as the water started going back down. Jumping down to the ground, I landed on my feet--without sustaining any injury--and opened the door. When it closed behind me, I felt a warm breeze greeting me and it was then when I noticed that I was back outside.

" Where are we?"

" We're on that catwalk we saw when we first came here."

" Really? Then that path was unnecessarily long."

" Yes but at least we've gotten out of that passageway."

I breathed a sigh of relief before immediately pushing myself against the wall. " Twilight... Those boats are still on patrol down there. Do you think any of the pirates using them will notice us up here and call for backup?"

Princess Twilight shook her head. " We're too high up for them to notice provided you don't make any loud noises. Also, I was wondering why you suddenly threw yourself against the wall without warning. We should also be careful of any snipers who may still be watching from the ramparts in case they can reach you with their tranquilizer darts. Maybe we should until nightfall before continuing any further."

" Isn't that like in several hours? I did slow down time after all."

" More like several minutes."

That didn't sound right! I quickly turned and looked up to see what the sky was like, and it was a beautiful shade of orange and yellow, the colours of a sunset. Her Highness was right about nightfall coming up in just a few minutes. I began scratching my head to figure out where all that time had gone. By slowing down time, I had given myself more of it to complete all of the tasks I needed to before resetting time, so where the hay had it gone? 

It then occurred to me that I had spent a good deal of time locked up in the dungeon after I was knocked out by the tranquilizer. Princess Twilight said that I was out for quite some time before waking up but what exactly did that equate to? 

I started shaking my head back and forth. No... I couldn't have been out for much of the day. I knew I spent some time sneaking in here, twice, and getting through to this point on my second attempt. I also spent some time talking to Snails, going back to Clock Town to acquire a Red Potion, and coming back via the Song of Soaring, walking across the beach both ways, and dealing with Rainbow Dash. Could all of that have wasted almost the entire day? I refused to believe such a thing but then Her Highness would know since she watched over me while I was out of it.

" Twilight..."

" What is it?"

" How long was I out for after being drugged?" I asked. " Be honest with me on this one."

" I'd say about three or four hours."

" What!? Why didn't you wake me up!?"

" You're an awfully heavy sleeper." Twilight answered. " I tried calling out to you several times but you didn't move an inch, so I decided to wait for you to wake up on your own only for time to pass by a lot longer than expected."

" Wow... I really do sleep through most things, huh?"

" If you had experienced one of those nightmares of yours, I'm sure you would have woken up sooner." Twilight said. " Then again, that doesn't really make a difference since you would have waited that long anyway for Rainbow Dash to come and pay us a visit in the dungeon."

I knew Her Highness didn't mean it when she brought up my nightmares. In fact, I would have benefitted had I woken much sooner because of experiencing one. Instead, I dreamt about my past which helped me understand myself better, so I couldn't really complain about that. Still, those nightmares were continuing to grow worse and all because of one factor that continued to linger about... Ganondorf.

It had been some time since I last received anything from him through my subconscious, and for that I was thankful as the less I saw of him the better. Yet, why had he chosen to avoid me since beating me to within an inch of my life? Was he trying to see how I would fare without having to rely on his inspirational acts--or as I called them his means of making me give up my very identity and become his servant all because I once craved power. One bad decision in my past and even now I still had to deal with the ramifications behind it. I was constantly resisting his advances yet who knew how much longer it would be before I finally gave up.

No... Giving up would be the absolute worst thing I could do. Not only would I be betraying those who have cared for me all this time, I would also be betraying myself. I worked hard to change into the person I was now and going back to being a monster wasn't an option. 

Shaking my head again to get rid of those bad thoughts, I decided to address the current situation. Since the pirates in those boats were only interested in looking in their immediate vicinity--and somehow defying depth perception--sneaking my way further inside should be easy so long as I remained in the shadows. If I were to slip, make a noise, get hit by an unseen projectile, or worse, I would be caught and most likely thrown back into the dungeon. As far as Rainbow Dash was aware, I had died after being ejected from that prison cell. I had to make sure that remained as such until I had rescued all of the eggs.

At that moment, the sun went down, and the howling of a wolf indicated that nightfall had come.



Night of the First Day - 60 Hours Remain.



The fortress was decidedly different at night in that the unlit torches I saw scattered about in a couple of places suddenly lit themselves up as though the night itself possessed a powerful magic that made it happen. Would the sudden darkness enable me to sneak around without being spotted? The only way to know for certain was to keep going and find out for myself whether not I'd be seen.

With my back against the wall, I began to slide along the wall making sure to remain in the shadows. I knew that I was at a higher elevation than those boats yet I didn't want to jinx myself or anything. Rubbing my back along this wall wasn't fun as it meant receiving another sore, but to ensure the pirates wouldn't notice me, I had to take one for the team. Every now and then one of the boats would stop for a few seconds and the pirate on board would look around, and it made me sweat something fierce along with making my heart beat at a rapid pace mainly from fear, fear of being spotted.

Princess Twilight whispered to me and broke the silence. " If you keep sliding along the wall like that, you'll end up getting a big sore on your back much like how you gave yourself a sore on your breasts. Plus, you'll take way more time by going so slowly."

" I don't want them to see me."

" You can't let that get to you."

" Easy for you to say." I said. " You're a fairy so that makes it almost impossible for anyone to see you. I'm a big target--more so in this body--so you can't blame me for wanting to take it slowly. Besides, there is something about these pirates you might want to know about." It felt strange knowing that I knew something as opposed to Her Highness, but then I have done this thing before despite botching it more times than I would've liked. " They are trained to kill anyone they see as intruding in their domain. They only captured me as a means of humiliating me in front of Rainbow Dash. Had she not been as merciful, I'd have been killed the moment I was knocked out."

" I thought they were pirates?"

" They are, but also experts at survival."

" Maybe you should take them down before they do so to you."

I shook my head. " They aren't monsters, Twilight, so killing them would go against being a hero. The lines between what can be killed and what can't have always been a blurry one since everyone has their own distinction towards the subject, but in my eyes the pirates can't be killed as they aren't monsters."

" That made no sense whatsoever."

" Like I said, it's a blurry line."

" Okay, then how do we get past them?"

" I've been thinking about that for a while ever since we first got into that underwater passageway below us." I answered. " Killing them would be cruel and make me no better than them, but if they were knocked out with a projectile weapon, they would be out cold for a few moments and we can easily slip by."

" Do you have something to knock them out with?"

I nodded my head and told her that I could use the Hero's Bow to knock them out from a distance with arrows. Granted, I had some trouble with that on my previous journey what with having to knock out the Gerudo Thieves, but my skills had improved since then so it shouldn't be too much of a problem.

The boats down below continued to make me feel uneasy so I opted to slide along the wall much to the dismay of Her Highness, but then I quickly discovered that the catwalk was completely exposed due to going upwards on the front of the fortress, something I remembered seeing but forgot about entirely. I thought about crawling along on my stomach again so as to avoid being detected but the thought of rubbing my chest along metal wasn't all that desirable. Sighing, I decided that my only option was to make a run for it but only when the gap between the first and fourth boats was at hand.

Waiting for what seemed like forever for the gap to occur, when it was finally upon me, I made a mad dash up the catwalk ignoring everything around me, and almost tripping a couple of times before I reached the door that lead further into the fortress. I dropped to my knees again upon stopping, and clutched my chest so that I could catch my breath after running at such a ridiculous speed. If this had been some kind of marathon, first place would have been mine in an instant.

" You know, you didn't have to run like that."

I struggled to talk. " I... I didn't want... to... take... any chances."

" A simple walk would have sufficed."

I struggled to talk. " I... I made it... up here... didn't I?"

" And almost give yourself a heart attack in the process." Twilight answered. " Like I said, they couldn't see you up here because they were focused on watching the water below for any intruders that try to sneak in. Also, since this catwalk is so close to the fortress wall, we're out of sight of those snipers who couldn't possibly fire down here at such an awkward angle without falling. Sunset, you just made things more difficult than they really were."

" You always tell me to be cautious."

" Within good reason."

" Oh."

" Being cautious will prevent you from getting hurt." Twilight said. " But being too cautious is the same as being too reckless only instead of getting hurt straight away, you end up paying for it much later. Don't change what has been working for you, Sunset, on my account. If it has worked out for you in the past then continue to use it but think clearly before making a decision that could take everything away."

Her Highness stopped short of giving me a lecture since we needed to get moving, but my response to her was a simple smirk that caused her to blush. I always said that she was someone who liked to take a logical approach through the use of books while I preferred to get out into the field and my hands dirty. I hoped that would never change about her. Walking into the darkness and quickly emerging in a large open area, both my mouth and Princess Twilight's dropped upon seeing what we were up against.

Aside from a few crates scattered about, there were no places to hide with the main central area of the fortress. Numerous pirates were on patrol armed with spears though it wouldn't surprise me if additional pirates were called in because of Rainbow Dash not wanting to take any chances with those Zora eggs. Various ledges, platforms, and walkways lead off in different directions that eventually led inside other areas, and I cursed under my breath for not having a map. Without one, I was going to need to remember every last detail so as to not end up going back on myself and towards the same place again.

In the center stood a tall guard tower that gave off an intimidation that made me worried, but for some reason there were no light fixtures that could be used to pinpoint anyone who was trying to sneak around. Either they were really confident about their skills or they just couldn't be bothered to include them. With so many guards walking about, sneaking past them would prove challenging and fighting wasn't an option.

I supposed I could shoot arrows at them to knock them out but that would involve spending a few moments loading an arrow and aiming at a pirate. That would leave me vulnerable to being caught by another pirates and me ending up back in the dungeon again or worse. Until I could find an actual hiding spot, knocking them out wasn't an option. Most of the pirates were situated towards the guard tower so going there was something to avoid, but then Princess Twilight started acting funny. She began gravitating towards the tower like something was calling out to her.

Placing my hand out in front of her, I stopped Her Highness from going any further. " What are you doing?"

" I... I don't know what came over me."

" I know you're a fairy but even I know what you were doing was stupid."

" There's a presence by the guard tower."

I looked in the direction of the tower but couldn't see anything. " There's nothing over there, Twilight. Are you sure you can sense something?"

" Yes, Sunset." Twilight answered. " I'm not lying."

" I know, so that means we should take a closer look." Jumping down to the ground below, I looked left and right to see if anyone was coming. No one was there so I began to dash forward while keeping myself low to the ground as possible, yet a pirate suddenly walked into view. Panicking, I jumped behind a few crates, pressing my back and head up against them until she had walked by. " That was way too close for comfort, Twilight." I whispered. " If the others can come out of nowhere like that, I'm a sitting duck."

" You need to move with caution."

I nodded my head. " I just hope she doesn't look behind here."

Fortunately, the pirate continued to walk by although she did stop briefly to adjust her spear. Once she was out of sight, I peered through a gap between the crates, and could see the guard tower directly ahead. Two more pirates were nearby walking around the base of the tower in opposite directions. No doubt they would spot me as soon as I got closer so I needed another action.

Before I could make a move, a third pirate suddenly appeared from the left, and walked right in front of my hiding place. The sweat dripping down my face was almost unbearable but my composure remained strong even when I was so close to being caught. This pirate continued onward though she quickly doubled back before heading the other way until she could no longer be seen. If my heart wasn't that strong enough, I'd be having a heart attack right about now. These pirates were ambushing me in a sense by coming out of nowhere and forcing me to become evasive.

I couldn't make a mistake... Not in such a place like this.

" Sunset... I can sense someone or something at the base of the tower."

" Could they be invisible?"

" If so then you need to use that which can see the truth."

" But there are pirates in the way."

" Then distract them somehow."

Easy for her to say when I had nothing on my person to distract them with. That's when I noticed a small rock located near my foot--quite convenient that it would be right there of all things--so I picked up it and was about to throw it when suddenly the pirates surrounding the tower began walking away from it. I couldn't hear entirely what they were saying but I did manage to overhear them say that their second-in-command had finally come back. If this was indeed Derpy, I had just been given a huge reprieve though I didn't understand why the two pirates had chosen to leave the tower defenceless.

In any case, I took out the Lens of Truth, raised it to my eye, and peered through it in hopes of finding someone. I was surprised when I saw someone was indeed sitting at the base of the tower, waving their hand back and forth in hopes that someone would notice. The inconspicuous soldier turned out to be a female--not a bad thing mind you--and was wearing armour and carrying a spear. She looked like one of the soldiers guarding the different entrances to Clock Town, yet her complexion indicated she had been stuck here for a long time.

Princess Twilight peaked through the lens and was shocked. " Sugar Belle!?"

" Who is that?"

" She's a pony who lives in the village that Starlight Glimmer took over and robbed of their cutie marks. Sugar Belle is an excellent cook who can make all kinds of tasty treats that would rival anything that Pinkie Pie could make." Twilight answered.

" I wonder what she is doing here?"

" Is she the soldier that Snails mentioned?"

" Must be as no one else fits the description."

" We should see what she has to say."

I walked over to Sugar Belle, Lens of Truth in hand, making sure no pirates were nearby, and began to talk. " Um... Hello there."

Sugar Belle was taken aback. " Ah... So someone has finally noticed me around here. I didn't think anyone would notice the likes of me, and I definitely wasn't expecting a Zora to be the one to finally see me. How is it that you can see me when those pirates were never able to?"

I showed her the Lens of Truth. " This allowed me to see you."

" So magic uncovered me from the shadows that have imprisoned me."

" Are you the inconspicuous soldier?"

Sugar Belle nodded. " Yes, I suppose one would call me something like that. The name is Shiro. I used to be a soldier in Clock Town until one day I came into possession of an item that has made me miserable ever since then. When I touched it, I suddenly became invisible to everyone around me. I spent many years, waving my arms around and asking for help hoping someone could hear, but they ignored me and passed me by."

" How horrible."

" I left Clock Town in hopes that someone beyond its walls could help me." Sugar Belle said. " I first travelled to the east thinking that the spirits from the dead kingdom would be able to see me, but sadly they too ignored my presence. After that, I travelled to the west, infiltrated this fortress, and have been waiting here ever since. For a brief moment, I could be seen again as though a powerful magic coming from this place had warped reality, but it disappeared and soon I was ignored by all once again. The pirates never knew I was sitting here, pleading for their help."

" I doubt they would help you."

" Yet I was desperate."

" What made you think of coming here?"

" I thought that maybe I could stand out by being brave and entering such a horrid place." Sugar Belle answered. She looked down at her hands for a few seconds before pounding them into the ground in sheer annoyance. " I thought I could get them to notice me, to chase me away so that I could be seen once again. Sadly, I ran out of energy and have been stuck here ever since, waving my hands in vain."

" Can you move now?"

Sugar Belle shook her head. " I just don't have the strength to do much of anything. I've been crying out for so long but my efforts have amounted to nothing. It's rather typical that this keeps on happening but it's reached a point where I've had enough." She looked like she was about to blow her top but then she sighed and slumped downwards, mumbling something under her breath, then looked at me. " It's because I'm about as impressive as a stone, right? I'm used to it, though."

" Is there anything I can do for you?"

" Um... I have a request. Can you give me some medicine that would make even an unnoticeable stone like me feel better?"

It was a good thing that I paid a visit to Clock Town and picked up a bottle of Red Potion before coming here. Had I come all this way without that essential item, I would be kicking myself something fierce over having made such a terrible blunder, but that wasn't going to happen as I brought along what she needed. Reaching behind my back and fiddling around for a few seconds, I pulled out the Red Potion and presented it to Sugar Belle. She didn't know what to make of it first and ignored my advance, but then I shoved it right in her face hoping that would get her attention.

She resisted a second time and I was about to smash it over her head in anger when she suddenly took it from my hands without hesitation. Why did she choose to give me so much trouble when all she had to do was take it the first time? She looked at it a few times before shaking her head, the anger within me was starting to reach a boiling point, but then she uncorked the bottle before taking a sniff.

" Are you sure this will work?"

" I think it will be just what you need."

Sugar Belle didn't seem so sure about that herself. " Well, if you say that this will work, then I might as well try it." She then drank the entire contents of the bottle without taking an occasional pause, and when she was finished, she handed the bottle back to me and simply sat there. " That tasted pretty bland but there was a feeling of life mixed in as though whoever brewed it knew what they were doing." All of a sudden, she got onto her feet, grabbed her spear, and began to twirl it about. " I... feel better... I think."

" You need to escape from here before the pirates come back."

" They left to greet their second-in-command who has returned from a mission."

" Do you know what kind of mission it was?"

Sugar Belle shook her head. " I don't know but it seems this commander should have returned a long time ago instead of just now. The pirates said that their leader has been waiting impatiently for something the second-in-command was sent to acquire, and had been acting in an irrational manner."

I knew that she was talking about Rainbow Dash waiting for Derpy to bring back the Zora eggs, but that soon turned into something of an oddity. If Derpy had only just recently come back with the eggs, what had taken her so long to get back? The answer was actually an obvious one since this was Derpy after all, and if she was the same in the world I called home as she was around here in Termina, she had made a mistake that would test Rainbow's patience to the limit. That also meant the eggs hadn't been properly secured so picking them up should hopefully be simple enough.

Still, this was not only convenient but also inconvenient as Derpy was seen as a wild card. There was no telling what she had actually done but perhaps if I could somehow listen in on her eventual meeting with Rainbow Dash, I might get some answers as to what I should be doing next.

Turning to Sugar Belle, I reiterated my warning. " Get out of here!"

" Before I go... I want you to have this... In gratitude." Sugar Belle said. She reached behind her back and produced what looked to be an ugly looking stone that was misshapen and also featured a derpish looking expression that screamed confusion. It quickly became apparent that this was no ordinary stone but rather a mask. " This is what caused me to become ignored by so many over time. This is the Stone Mask. When you put this one your face--though why would you do that is beyond me--you will become as plain and inconspicuous as stone, and everyone will ignore you. Whether it will work on everyone is something I don't know."

" Thank you."

" Now... Let me practice standing out..." Sugar Belle looked both ways before running across the clearing, and I couldn't help but feel that she was making a mistake. " I'm leaving this place and I suggest you do the same thing, Zora, otherwise you will be caught by those pirates." She continued running and soon was out of sight and while I wanted to follow to make sure she would be alright, I knew that I had to continue on and rescue the Zora eggs.

" Worried she will get in trouble?" Twilight asked.

I nodded. " If she can now be seen by anyone, running around like that is just begging for her to be spotted."

" The pirates have gone off to welcome Derpy back but it won't take them long to be back on patrol."

" We should get going then, huh?" I asked. I then took a closer look at the Stone Mask that Sugar Belle gave to me. Could this mask really make me invisible? It didn't seem like it could be done since disappearing was a powerful form of magic, but then I've been able to change forms through masks so I guessed anything was possible. I just wished that this mask didn't look as ugly as it did. " If this works like she said, it could make going around here a lot easier."

" Yes, but you have to become a human to wear it."

" That's true."

" I think getting those eggs will take a two-pronged approach." Twilight said. " You'll need to use your own natural skills as a human as well as the skills of your Zora form in order to make your way around here." Her Highness suddenly had an idea pop into her head and quickly floated down to my waist, looking at the spot where the Pictograph Box was hanging from--the fact that it was there surprised even me as I thought it could only be used by a human. " Didn't Snails want a photo of one of those pirates? You can walk right up to one whilst wearing that Stone Mask and take a photo without them knowing."

" Will any pirate do?"

" I doubt he's the picky type."

Now that I knew what to do, I grabbed my face, pulled off the Zora Mask, changed back into a human, and flipped my hair back as it had been some time now. The sounds of footsteps could be heard coming from behind me, and that meant I needed to see if this new acquisition would prove effective. I placed the Stone Mask on my face and stood there out in the open until the pirates who previously left returned. At first, they thought they could sense something in the vicinity but quickly shrugged it off before resuming walking around. Neither of them paid any attention to me. The mask was definitely proving its value right off the bat.

So long as I continued to wear it, none of the pirates could see me, and that meant I could waltz around here without fear. I wasn't going to do anything stupid just because I was now invisible as that would just make me out to be an idiot who probably deserved to be captured. My attention then turned towards the ladder situated underneath the guard tower and how it went up to a catwalk that hung above. Perhaps checking that out would be a good place to start searching for the eggs.





" Um... You two certainly look different from what I was expecting." Fluttershy said. The two figures who had been talking to her had since walked forward and out the shadows, revealing their true forms to her. " I actually thought you were a pair of humans, um, not that being human is bad, but now I see that you look like something that originated from that place no one goes unless you were part of the undead."

" What are you saying?" The small figure asked.

" Well, um... You two look like ghosts."

" Ghosts!? Us!? Please tell me you're not being serious?"

Fluttershy nodded with a nervous gesture. " My mother told me that the land east of Clock Town is a place that the dead roam, and that no one should ever go there unless they want their chakra robbed from them, turning them into lifeless husks devoid of aura. Um... Those are her exact words. She told my people about the stories humans and the other tribes have said about that place, and, um, well, you see, you two look like you come from there since you're not like anything I've ever seen before." She then looked down at her feet. " Or... um... you do bear a resemblance to the local monster infestation."

The small figure then lost her temper and her entire body became consumed by flames. " How dare you!? I've maintained a calm demeanour in comparison to my companion right here so far but what you just said has made me livid. We're not ghosts and we're not those neanderthal monsters that run around all over the place. We are full-fledged demons who possess more than enough power to bring this and any other world to its knees! Calling us by any other distinction is an insult."

" I-I-I'm sorry." Fluttershy said as she cowered into a corner.

" You're supposed to represent kindness but that's not what you are doing is it?"

" Um... I guess?"

" Maybe my theory was wrong after all."

" Please... um, don't hurt me."

" I'm not going to do that." The small figure said. " But, I will have to teach you what it means to recognize a demon!"

The tall figure then placed her hand on the chest of her companion and gave her an expression that brought her to silence. " That's enough! And you say that I have a problem with my temper blinding me. I told you that you're just like me." The small figure huffed before backing down and looking at a book she was carrying in her hand leaving the tall figure to address Fluttershy. " My companion is right about us being demons and nothing lesser, but you weren't aware of that hence your misconception." She stepped forward, held out her hand, produced what constituted as a smile, and stood there. " No need to be afraid of us so long as we can get things done."

Fluttershy hesitated at first before holding out her own hand. " Um, I didn't mean to offend."

" As long as you acknowledge that, I won't hold it against you."

" And your, um... friend?"

" If she knows what's good for her, she will act in the same manner."

" Who are you?"

" I am known as Sunset Demon, a creature born from one's desire for power, and cast aside when that same person decided to change her life. This is Midnight Sparkle, a fellow demon who desires magic and knowledge, but prefers to rely on a logical means rather than be a conqueror. I don't know what she was thinking when she made that decision, but I suppose some things just can't be helped." The tall figure answered.

" So why are you, um, here?"

" Midnight Sparkle wanted to test a theory." Sunset Demon answered. " She wanted to know if you were displaying traits of kindness."

" Kindness?"

Sunset Demon nodded. " You mentioned earlier something about a monkey."

" Oh yes." Fluttershy said. " I've been worrying about him ever since I was captured by the monster who controls this temple. I am hoping that my mother does not listen to the advice of her advisors and punish the poor monkey. He didn't do anything to me and my heart would be crushed if he were to get hurt because of me. The monkeys have always been pleasant to my people until recently when things in this swamp began changing."

" How do you feel about your kind?"

" The advisors to my mother mean well but their lust for power blinds them." Fluttershy answered. " If I could get them to change their ways, I am sure my mother would appreciate them better rather than the current arrangement my father made before he wilted away. The previous Deku Kings ruled through arrogance, autocratic rule, and just generally having a loud enough voice, yet my mother sought to rule differently. She wanted to rule through love, kindness, and understanding, and wishes for me to assume that very mantle when she secedes from the throne some day."

" You want to rule through kindness?"

" Yes."

Midnight Sparkle then finally said something again in a perky manner. " That is all we needed to hear from you and the results speak for themselves. I wouldn't worry about why you're suddenly glowing as you won't remember it anyway." Fluttershy then noticed that she was glowing in a pink aura yet didn't seem to be afraid of it, as though she was comfortable with it happening to her. " First it was Applejack displaying honesty and now her displaying kindness. My theory has been proven correct."

" Yes." Sunset Demon said with a cruel smile on her lips. " And that means we're finally done here. Ugh! This place is far too damp for my tastes! Let's hope that the next one is located in a more pristine location that isn't surrounded by dead trees or the like."

" Um... Are you not going to rescue me?" Fluttershy asked.

" No."

" Why not?"

" We're demons and we don't do things like that." Midnight Sparkle answered. " Despite your tongue, we managed to prove my theory to be a solid one, so we no longer need to be here to watch over you. I'm sure someone will rescue you though I wouldn't hold my breath to that. Anyway, thank you for assisting me by providing evidence. For that, you will not be harmed by either of us, and we shall leave you be, right?"

Sunset Demon said nothing at first and had clenched her hand into a fist, but ultimately calmed down, turned around, and walked back through the hole in the wall she had made earlier in order to reach Fluttershy's location. As Midnight Sparkled turned, smiled at Fluttershy, and laughed as she disappeared into the darkness, the confused princess didn't know what to make of what had just happened. She then moved towards the hole in the wall thinking she could use it to escape in order to return to her mother and rescue her monkey friend, but the hole suddenly filled up as though magic had just been used.

It seemed the demons weren't kidding when they said they had no intention of rescuing her, and they were making sure that no one did.





With the Stone Mask on my face, I climbed up the ladder underneath the guard tower until I had reached the top. It was at that moment when I realized why there were no lights that could be used to shine all across this inner area, and it was because no one had bothered to install any. Instead, there were several bags of what were either food rations, ammunition for their bows, or something I probably didn't want to know about. 

If Rarity were here right now, she would throw a fit because of uncouth the pirates were when it came to their belongings. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see a pirate walking back and forth across the catwalk. The opposite end of it connected to a platform that lead up to a really fancy looking door, and compared with what I had seen of doors so far, there was no doubt in my mind that Rainbow Dash was lurking somewhere on the other side. She still wasn't aware that I had survived her attempt at killing me earlier, and that was my one true advantage around here.

Being spotted wasn't an option although with this mask on, I can walk past the pirates without them even knowing I was there to begin with. The one pirate walking on the catwalk was going to be a problem as she was in my way. Even though no one could see me, I could still interact with objects and the reverse was also true in that they could interact with me thus ruining the illusion. For me to progress, I had to knock the pirate out using a well-timed arrow, but I first needed to take a photo of her. I had no desire to know what kind of thing went on in Snails' mind, but if I wanted that sea horse, getting a photo was necessarily.

Walking onto the catwalk, I moved as far forward as I could before taking the Pictograph Box off of my belt and holding it out in front of me. It didn't take a genius to figure out that a full front shot was what Snails was looking for, so when the pirate turned around and began walking towards me, I pressed the button on the box the moment she was about several steps from running into me. It clicked though there was no flash or noise--that was a good thing as a flash and/or noise would have drawn suspicion--and a pretty satisfactory photo came out as a result. This was going to definitely please Snails given how close I had to be.

The pirate turned around and started walking back towards the big door, yet I knew she needed to be knocked out as her walking pattern made it impossible for me to slip past her without accidentally bumping into her. After putting the Pictograph Box back onto my belt, I took out the Hero's Bow, loaded up an arrow, waited for the pirate to turn around--I wasn't going to hit her in the back--and fired it where it struck her in her side, causing her to drop to the ground.

I sighed. " I feel bad for doing that."

" But it needed to be done." Twilight said.

" You don't think I killed her do you?"

" The arrow didn't enter her body as it disappeared upon hitting her." Twilight answered. " If anything, I'd say she will be unconscious for a couple of minutes. I suggest we leave before she wakes up and wonder what had just happened to her."

I walked over and past the pirate until I reached a strange pillar that was situated in front of the door. On top of the pillar was a strange looking block that had something that felt familiar as though I had seen it before, but my mind couldn't recall where I had seen it. Another ledge below me lead up to another door, and the sound of someone arguing could be heard on the other side. Using my ear, I began to listen to see if I could figure out who it was, and I immediately recognized Rainbow Dash.

She was behind that door--the one down below and not the one in front of me--and she wasn't in a good mood. I thought about jumping down below and entering the lower door in order to confront her, but I doubted she was on her own. I had a feeling she was flanked by additional pirates who she trusted with her life, and I also felt that the Stone Mask wouldn't work on her which was something Sugar Belle mentioned before she left.

Looking over my shoulder, the pirate I had knocked out was beginning to come to so I quickly ran up to the door, opened it, and stepped into the next room, closing the door behind me just as she got back up and resumed her patrol over the catwalk.

This next room started out with a short corridor followed by a dead end, and I could just barely see the edge of a window nearby. The noise that I heard from before was louder in here and also echoed due to the room having metallic walls. I had no idea what the purpose was for this particular room but it appeared I had taken a wrong turn, yet going back wasn't an issue since I had the Stone Mask on enabling me to sneak by most people and monsters.

Princess Twilight rushed out and hovered in front of me. " Why did you come in here, Sunset? We need to get down there and talk to Rainbow Dash."

" That's not a good idea."

" You're practically invisible while wearing that mask."

I took it off and put it away. " Sugar Belle said it doesn't work on everyone and I think Rainbow is one of those exceptions."

" Don't want to risk it?"

" No, I don't."

" Then what is the point of this room?"

I shrugged my shoulders. " That's a good question." Walking forward, I suddenly came to a stop when a bee suddenly appeared from behind me. It flew past, through the window--there were bars on it with the middle sections missing--and entered a bee hive hidden conspicuously out of sight. That's when I heard the sound of Rainbow Dash's voice coming from the other side of the window. I inched my way forward, peaked through the window and looked around. " There's Rainbow and the one standing by the entrance must be Derpy, yet how did she get down there?"

" Maybe she took a different path?"

" If she did then this place is really complex."

" Let's listen to what Rainbow Dash has to say." Twilight said. " We may learn more about the importance of those eggs as well as where they have been hidden." I nodded and watched as Derpy walked forward towards the throne that Rainbow was standing in front of. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear that Derpy was acting nervous, as though she had done something terrible and knew she would get an earful.

" I've been waiting for you!" Rainbow Dash said.

" Sorry for taking so long, ma'am." Derpy said.

" Where in the world have you been all this time?" Rainbow Dash asked, her voice getting both louder and angry. " I sent you out to do one simple task, steal a bunch of eggs from those accursed Zoras, and come back with them so we could put them into those aquariums."

" You see, ma'am... We... we kind of ran into a problem."

" What kind of problem?"

" The scouts went back to the fortress as was expected, but I lead the others in a completely different direction, and we ended up in Pinnacle Rock. I just don't know what could have gone wrong. On top of that, I seem to have misplaced my sword again." Derpy answered.

Rainbow Dash said nothing at first, but then she slowly walked over to a nearby wall, and pounded her fist right into it, the force of the impact left an impressionable dent. She walked back the other way to her throne, turned to face Derpy, and suddenly yelled. " Are you seriously kidding me here, Derpy!? How could you have ended up in that wretched place with all those giant sea snakes!? I... I... I just don't see how anyone could have done that in such a fashion." Rainbow then looked at her second-in-command and slapped herself in the forehead before moaning. " Only you could have done something like that."

" My bad."

" Losing your sword is one thing but I suppose it was to be expected."

" It is, ma'am?"

Rainbow Dash nodded. " No doubt that's how the Zora knew we had stolen their precious eggs and decided to send Mikau here to get them back. Unfortunately for them, they didn't realize that I had been preparing for his attempt at sneaking his way in here." She suddenly bit her bottom lip and began talking quietly. " I still can't believe I allowed him to trick me even though he has now met his end on the rocks outside." Rainbow looked back up at Derpy. " Despite taking a detour, you managed to make it back here in one piece. Now, have all seven eggs been placed into the aquariums?"

" That's where the problem comes in."

" What are you saying?"

" We... we lost three eggs."

" What!?"

" Only four of the eggs are safe inside the fortress." Derpy answered. " The other three were taken away by the sea snakes and have probably been devoured by now, but there is a small chance that they could still be intact."

Rainbow Dash started throwing a temper tantrum in response to what she had just heard. I was quite surprised that she would resort to such behaviour, but then this wasn't the same person who would brush off such problems and attempt to stay positive. I felt bad for Derpy having to incur Rainbow's wrath. " What are you trying to pull here!? For your sake, you'd best be lying and pulling off a really lame joke." Derpy remained silent and attempted to look away from her superior, yet this made Rainbow even more vivid than before. " If people hear the great pirates have lost the treasure they stole, we'll become a laughing stock!"

" Yes, b-but Aveil... The sea is strangely murky where we were attacked by the sea snakes..."

" Silence!"

" Aveil..."

" I said silence!" Rainbow Dash snapped. " I'm tired of your excuses, Derpy. You had one job and you failed miserably, bringing shame onto your fellow pirates. If I weren't in such a good mood right now, you'd have been either thrown in the dungeon or exiled forever. I knew it would be difficult since you have been known to struggle, but that's my fault for giving you so much pressure."

Derpy cried. " I'm just a big failure."

" Enough with the crying!"

" But... But Aveil..."

" I said enough, Derpy!" Rainbow Dash hissed. " I won't repeat myself again!" For her part, Derpy stopped crying although she was now looking at Rainbow like she was scared to death, and most likely didn't want to be there. " Your blunder isn't as bad as it could be since those Zoras also have problems. They are a proud race who don't like to admit that they made a mistake by letting us steal their precious eggs from right under their noses. That's why they can't send for any help! It would be too embarrassing for them."

" W-What do you suppose they will do, ma'am?"

" Now that the eggs are gone, the Zoras should be frantically searching for them." Rainbow Dash answered. " They will most likely figure out that Mikau is dead and send out others though it won't do them much good since they lack the skills to make it through here. But, we can't sit idlely by, Derpy. If we don't hurry, the Zoras will get to them before we do and our prize will be lost!" Rainbow then ordered one of the pirates standing behind her to see to it that the eggs were placed in the aquariums followed by ordering another to assist her since she didn't expect the first pirate to do it right.

" Guess I'll go now..."

" I did not order your dismissal!"

" Sorry, ma'am."

" Go find the other three eggs before those sea snakes eat them!" Rainbow Dash said. " I don't care if you have to dive into the water and get them yourself. Just don't screw this one up above all else. Now you're dismissed!"

Derpy lowered her head. " Understood..." She turned around and began walking towards the door, her arms swinging about in a sombre style, tears trickling down her cheeks, and the look of fear was spread on her face all while Rainbow Dash showed no signs of being concerned. I had every mind to get down there and give Rainbow a piece of my mind for how she had just treated her companion, but before I could do anything, something else was happening down there.

" Wait!"

" Yes, ma'am?"

" I don't mean to scold you, Derpy, but you did screw up big time."

" I'm sorry, ma'am."

" Then this should give you some much needed inspiration." Rainbow Dash said. " The Zora eggs are the only clue we have about that dragon cloud floating over the bay. I don't know if the Zora are aware of this but we can't take any chances otherwise we will lose out on everything."

" What about that masked imp?"

Rainbow Dash sighed. " Despite her magic almost bringing this fortress down, I must admit that that her information has proven to be accurate. Derpy... Be honest with me for a moment since you are my second-in-command. Do you think the masked one was telling me the truth about the temple?"

Derpy shrugged her shoulders. " Only the Zoras know anything about that place, ma'am."

" I figured as such."

" The way I see it, ma'am..." Derpy began. " We've come this far by listening to that imp and despite the freaky powers she possessed, I think she despises the Zoras just as much as we do hence why she insisted on us stealing a bunch of eggs. I don't entirely trust her as I think she plans on turning against us once we're no longer of any use to her." As Derpy continued with her opinion, Rainbow Dash just stood there dumbfounded as she listened to what her second-in-command had to say. " We should continue with the plan but perhaps have a backup plan in place in case she decides to wipe us out for no reason."

" You certainly have your moments despite your blunders."

" Thank you, ma'am."

Rainbow Dash moaned. " That wasn't meant to be a compliment... Never mind! Just pay attention, Derpy!" She began rubbing her hands together, a smile appeared on her face, and her mannerisms changed towards being playful. " The plan will continue as whoever heard of a pirate refusing such vast wealth opportunities? If we are to be betrayed by that one, we shall be prepared accordingly, and she will understand what it means to double-cross the Gerudo."

" Yes, ma'am."

" Still, if what that strange, masked one says is true... And if we can get our hands on the treasure that lies sleeping in the temple in that dragon cloud... Then we can spend the rest of our lives living the good life!" Rainbow Dash said.

" That would be wonderful."

" Yes it would."

" We'll never have to steal from anyone again."

" It will be something I'll miss greatly." Rainbow Dash said. " But, we've been stealing from the other tribes for far too long as it is. It's reached the point where they've actually become competent enough to try and kill us instead of simply trying to imprison us in whatever constitutes as a dungeon. If we overreach ourselves then we'll end up paying the price much later, and I'd rather not have us go through something like that. Derpy! Get a move on and go find those remaining eggs! Now! Do whatever is necessary even if you have to destroy those sea snakes and all of Pinnacle Rock in the process."

" Understood!"

Derpy then turned around and walked off, a spring in her step indicating that she was happy knowing that Rainbow Dash had made her feel better, and given the chance to finish her mission by fixing the very mistake she caused. Rainbow then started talking to the remaining two pirates who had been watching the entire conversation, their nods suggesting they agreed wholeheartedly over what had transpired, yet I saw things a lot differently.

The stakes had suddenly changed for the better and for the worse at the same time. I only needed to rescue four eggs inside of the Pirate's Fortress--that also meant not having to make multiple trips through this place--yet I also needed to reach Pinnacle Rock before Derpy did otherwise she would reach the remaining eggs before I could. 

Suddenly, I remembered what the sea horse said to me. It wanted to be taken back to Pinnacle Rock. I had to get back to Snails' place, give him the picture that he wants, and get that sea horse back homr where it belongs, but I also had the four Zora eggs as well. If I didn't rescue the eggs in the fortress, there was no telling what Rainbow Dash would do to them, but if I didn't rescue the other three, they would either get eaten or Derpy would get her hands on them. No matter what, I was forced into focusing on one or the other.

Princess Twilight then bopped me on the head. " Sunset! It looks like we learned a lot from listening in on their conversation."

" And I've got a lot of pressure on me as a result." I said.

" Yes, you practically need to be in two places at once."

" What am I going to do?"

" First, you're going to calm down as you'll be no good to anyone if you're stressed out." Twilight answered. " I suggest you rescue the Zora eggs that have been hidden throughout the fortress. I have a feeling those pirates aren't very familiar with Zora eggs, so they probably tossed them into those aquariums Rainbow mentioned without even thinking about what that could do to them. The eggs need to hatch in that tank Daring Do set aside for them as anywhere else would simply have them die. The eggs in Pinnacle Rock can survive a little while longer."

" What about Derpy?"

" We won't need to worry about her." Twilight answered. " It took her this long just to get back to the fortress so it would probably take her a long time to find Pinnacle Rock. You have more than enough time on your hands, Sunset, so there's no need for you to start freaking out." Her Highness then noticed something twinkling in the room below, so she floated in-between the iron bars to get a closer look. She suddenly dashed right into my face and almost caused me to accidentally suck her into my mouth. " There's a big treasure chest down in that room just in front of Rainbow Dash."

" Could it be that treasure Snails found?"

" If it is, then you should go down there and get it."

" How am I supposed to do that without them seeing me?"

" Yes, you have a point." Twilight answered. " And the Stone Mask is likely to not work on someone like Rainbow. You need to find a way to get her and her fellow pirates out of there before going down and taking the treasure inside of that chest." She then heard the buzzing sound of the hive that the bee went into before and suddenly got an idea. " Why not fire an arrow at that hive on the ceiling? I'll bet Rainbow and her companions won't appreciate being chased by bees."

Nodding at her idea, I took out the Hero's Bow, aimed an arrow at the hive, and fired at it. The arrow struck the side of the hive, causing it to fall down and smash to pieces on the floor below, releasing a swarm of bees who didn't take too kindly to Rainbow Dash. She tried fighting back using her sword but it proved useless as the bees began stinging her in different places on her body. Knowing that this was a lost cause, she and her fellow pirates began running away screaming in terror leaving the treasure chest completely unguarded. Part of me felt bad for doing that to her, yet I had no other choice as the treasure in the chest was sure to be useful.

Once I had determined that Rainbow and the others were out of the room, I put on the Stone Mask--I wasn't about to go outside without it on my face--exited the room, jumped down to the ledge below, and entered the room again but from the door that Derpy had used. Compared to other rooms throughout the fortress, this one actually looked well furbished, as though it had received all the detail leaving everything else to suffer.

The treasure chest in front of me was begging me to open it, but then my eyes noticed something to my right that only made me slap my head in frustration. Princess Twilight and I had overheard Rainbow telling the others to ensure the eggs were placed into aquariums, and there was one here in this very room situated right below the barred window I had used moments ago to spy on everyone. There were no fish inside which made me question why bother having an aquarium if you weren't going to have fish in it, yet my opinion quickly changed upon seeing what looked to be an egg lying on the bottom.

From what I could tell, it didn't seem very healthy looking, and appeared to have just been tossed in there and forgotten about. Above the aquarium was a large piece of wood that looked out of place but perhaps it could be used as a potential Hookshot point. Now I was starting to remember how that item worked in my previous adventure. I just hoped its chain was long enough and didn't require an extension.

Princess Twilight floated over to the nearby aquarium and placed her face up against it. " I'm actually surprised that one of the Zora eggs would be located so easily. Not only that but those who were guarding it ran away due to being chased by bees."

" It's never a good idea to think like that."

" Why not?"

" In a place like this, you never know who might appear from the shadows."

" Yes, you do have a valid point." Twilight said. She continued looking at the egg before looking up at the piece of wood I noticed moments ago. " You'll need to get up to the top of the aquarium, jump into it, and scoop up the egg in one of your empty bottles."

" The Hookshot should allow me to get up there."

" Then get it from the chest over there." Twilight said. " That egg needs to be taken to the Oceanside Laboratory before it starts getting even worse."

" You're not going anywhere!"

A loud booming voice suddenly echoed across the room and at first I thought it was Rainbow Dash having come back, but this voice didn't sound anything like her. I began looking around in hopes of finding out who had just called out to no avail, but my answer came in the form of a tall woman dropping down from the ceiling, landing on the floor with a soft tap before standing upright. She wore a standard pirate's outfit although the green colouring made her stand out in comparison to the bright reds and oranges of this room. Judging from her expression, she wasn't thrilled at seeing me here.

" It's a good thing I followed you here."

" What do you mean?" I asked.

" I was guarding another area of the fortress but when I stepped outside to get some fresh air, I noticed you standing beneath the guard tower. Knowing you were an intruder, I followed you and waited until you reached our valuable treasure."

" Pretty clever of you."

" Flattery won't save you, kid." The pirate then drew out a pair of curved swords and struck a pose. " We don't take kindly to intruders around here. I don't know how you managed to worm your way through our defences, but your little romp ends here and now." The pirate then swung her swords at me only for them to get driven slightly into the treasure chest with a sickening thud when I jumped backwards. " And here I thought you were just a hapless little kid who got lost."

" I'm quite capable." I said as I drew my sword.

The pirate then laughed. " With that pathetic excuse for a sword? I think you're all talk than fight but then we'll see soon enough, won't we?" Pulling her swords out of the chest and running her finger on each to see if they were still sharp, she then noticed the Stone Mask on my face--I had forgotten to take it off upon entering the room--and thought it a little odd, staring at it for a few seconds. " Do you think you can fool me with that mask? You may have slipped by some of my sisters while wearing it but it won't help you against me."

I had a feeling that the Stone Mask would prove ineffective. That meant I had to fight her while she in turn could see me. Taking off the mask and putting it away, I slung my shield onto my arm and raised it knowing I needed to defend myself appropriately since the pirate was wielding two swords.

" Don't underestimate her, Sunset." Twilight said.

" How good do you think she is?"

" Given how she is swinging those swords around, I'd say she has been trained very well."

" Figures as such."

" She will most likely use those swords to parry and repel your attacks before following up with one of her own." Twilight said. " She may also use a powerful jump attack that could knock you down that your shield can't stop, but if you can avoid such a maneuver, she will be vulnerable to attack for a couple of seconds. This battle will come down to patience, timing, and knowing when to make a move."

Was I prepared for such an opponent?