The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Majora's Mask

by Ganondorf8

Chapter 41: Mechanized Temple

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Majora's Mask
By Ganondorf8
January 16, 2017
Chapter 41: Mechanized Temple.

Despite not getting my leg chewed off by that giant sea snake, it still managed to cut pretty deep resulting in a wound that was trickling blood. While the wound wasn't anything special, the fact that I had one meant the other snakes lying further down below could sense my approach. My blood was dissipating into the ocean yet it wasn't enough to mask my scent which no doubt was enticing them. Had I been wise enough to bring along a potion before coming here, I could have consumed it, healed my wound, and continued downward without them noticing my approach.

Instead, I had to be cautious as there was no telling as to when they would come at me looking for their next meal. One giant snake proved to be quite the challenge yet several of them coming all at once would prove too much for me. They may not take much punishment before being defeated, but my magic was limited so unless I could collect any magic jars in addition to some hearts, I was playing a conservative battle.

Princess Twilight then reminded me of the glowing object that appeared in the hole the giant sea snake had claimed as its territory. I didn't know what it could be but my gut instinct was telling me to swim over to it in case it was one of the remaining three Zora eggs. As soon as I began to swim however, a sharp pain then struck me and I didn't need to figure out what had caused it. Looking down at my injured leg, I suddenly remembered that I had been using it to give me a strong push whenever I swam. With it currently injured, I had to rely on using my arms and moving a lot slower.

Sighing under my breath, I began to propel myself forward using my arms--it was pretty embarrassing--looking down below me every few seconds to make sure that nothing was coming up from below. The occasional sounds of growling beasts worried me to no end and I feared what could happen were they to take advantage of my condition, yet I had to keep going as the lives of innocent creatures were at stake.

Landing on the ground inside of the hole several minutes later--wincing in pain when my injured leg hit the floor--I walked forward until I could see what had been making the glow earlier, and it turned out to be an egg though it looked even worse than the ones I rescued inside the Pirate's Fortress. To be honest, I actually didn't think this and the other two eggs would survive given how large those snakes were, but seeing this one despite its current condition felt like a miracle had occurred. My eyes then noticed a few pots which made me wonder how they even got down here in the first place.

My instincts told me to smash the pots before anything else, so I did only to not receive any hearts or magic jars. Instead, all I got were a few rupees that weren't really going to be all that useful in this current situation. Perhaps I could find more pots further down in the other caves? Walking back to the egg and taking out an empty bottle, another realization dawned on me. Two more were left to find and that meant only two snakes had them. There was no need to beat all of them yet I had no idea which ones had the eggs in their lairs. It would come down to a guessing game.

" Twilight..." I began. " Judging from the sounds we heard coming from below... How many snakes do you think there are?"

" That's a tough one for me to answer, Sunset." Twilight answered.

" Do you have a rough estimate?"

" I'd say about five more remain."

" So only two of them have the other eggs."

Princess Twilight nodded. " Yes, and since we have no idea which ones are holding them, you'll have to defeat all of them in order to figure it out. Besides, you need to do that anyway in order to rescue that sea horse's friend.

I slapped my forehead. I had completely forgotten all about what the sea horse requested of me when we got here. Crap! Now I have to defeat all of them otherwise I would be breaking a promise and that's something I've no intention of doing.

Well... I wasn't really surprised that this turned out to be the case. I've already experienced incredible hardship in this area of Termina so it made sense that there would be more coming my way and would likely remain as such until the giant had been freed from its imprisonment. I knew my journey wasn't meant to be easy since Ganondorf was insistent on me suffering until I finally cracked under so much pressure, yet sometimes I wished that I could have some easy challenge that didn't place my life in peril. No... I supposed I couldn't wish for that since there was no such thing as an easy ride.

Using my hands, I gently scooped up the egg into my bottle, corked it, and placed it behind my back before walking over to the edge of the hole. Peering down into the dark depths, I couldn't see anything though those loud sounds coming from below made my heart beat faster than usual. Looking down at my leg, I cursed myself for not bringing along a potion. Knowing there was nothing that could be done about it, I sighed and walked off the edge, floating slowly downward into the depths.

The noises continued to resonate down below yet I couldn't let them psyche me out--my shivering body was suggesting I was afraid--otherwise the other two Zora eggs would likely get eaten and I'd have no choice but to reset time and go through all this again.

" I'm not liking this, Twilight."

" I know it's scary, Sunset, but you can't stop now."

" Who knows where those sea snakes are down here."

" Yes." Princess Twilight said. " Until we're practically on top of them, we'll have to watch our descent carefully. I suggest staying close to the walls though that may not work since we could be dropping right in front of one of those holes."

" Not helping!" I moaned. The instant I said that, something massive shot out right beside me, and I pressed my back up against the wall as a reactionary measure. My eyes opened wide with shock upon seeing a sea snake had come out mere centimetres from where I was floating, my heart beating like a jackhammer. Had I been just a smidge closer, I'd have been eaten for sure and would be dead. " This... This is too much for me! I can't go down further if that becomes consistent."

" Calm down."

" At least you're small enough!" I shouted. " I'm a big target for those things!"

" Provided they can get you in their sights."

" What does that even mean?"

" Take a look at what it's doing." Twilight answered. I looked forward and could see the lengthy body of the sea snake, its pulsating veins making me want to throw up, yet it seemed to have problems. If I didn't know any better, it appeared it was having trouble turning its head around. I mean, it could though not very well. " I think we just discovered a big weakness with these snakes, Sunset."

I blinked several times. " Want to fill me in here?"

Princess Twilight nodded. " If you're situated behind them like we are now, they can't attack you due to not being able to turn their heads around that far. Of course, you still need to get them to come out as they could still clamp down on you should you stick too close to the walls. I think this will require playing a game of cat and mouse though the stakes are obviously much higher."

Again, Her Highness wasn't helping though I understood what she was saying. Unfortunately, my injured leg meant that I couldn't swim very fast and I needed to if I was going to lure out this snake once it retreated back into its hole. That's when I thought about using my fins. If I could fire them out as far as possible, it might be enough to get the snake interested in checking it out. Yet, I sensed that it wasn't idiotic and so required some incentive.

That's when I realized I needed to coat my fins with my own blood so that the scent would bring it out. I threw up a little in my mouth knowing that I had to resort to using my own blood in such a horrific manner, yet it was that or risk swimming out there with my injured leg hampering me. Moving my leg out in front of me and shaking it slightly, blood began seeping from it and before it could dissipate, I plunged my arms into it, looking away due to not wanting to see what I was resorting to. No doubt this was the most humiliating and disgusting thing I had ever done in my entire life bar none.

Aiming my fins and launching them, the scent was enough for the snake to lurch forward in an attempt to investigate. When they came back to me moments later, I used my magic barrier and struck the snake in its vulnerable body a couple of times before it disappeared much like the first one had. I resisted throwing up because of the smell my fins were giving off due to my blood, yet when I looked into the hole it had occupied, there was nothing there.

" Well... At least that's another one gone."

" Sunset... Did you just do what I think you did?"

I nodded my head. " And what would you have done, Twilight? It's not like I had any other choice but to use my own blood to act as a distraction. Believe me, I'm trying my hardest not to throw up because that was disgusting beyond all measure."

" Being resourceful is fine but maybe try to find something less "unique" next time."

" It got the job done."

Princess Twilight sighed. " Yes, I suppose it did but I still stand by my words."

I wasn't trying to upset her or anything but I had nothing else on hand apart from my own blood. I really needed to get my hands on some recovery hearts as I didn't know how much longer she could cope with my actions and it would mean not giving off a scent. If Princess Twilight had been in my shoes, I was sure she would have done something similar due to being on the spot and facing certain death.

Floating downwards once again, I decided to move around the edge of the chasm in case there was another sea snake approaching. I should have stayed where I was as another one appeared moments later, its teeth just barely missing my feet. I pounded my chest to make sure my heart hadn't stopped beating--it was acting erratically--before looking down and seeing that this snake had lifted its head upwards because of smelling the blood. At least I knew where it was though I now had to approach from another direction if I wanted to attack its vulnerable body.

Inching to the left and watching the snake's head follow me along before it retreated back down, I continued inching over before floating down and stopping moments later when the sound of another snake echoed from somewhere in the darkness. In an instant, the one from below came up followed by one that had darted across the chasm though this one was no where near close to me though its intimidation was definitely taking its toll on me.

" This is getting ridiculous."

" Your wound combined with the blood on your fins is like a magnet."

" What can I do?"

" Deal with the one below you and then the one across." Twilight answered. " Don't try and take them both on or you could get blindsided."

I didn't know what was going to go first... my body, my heart, or my nerves, though at my current pace, my heart was on track to being the first. Moving the other way with my back against the wall, I floated down slowly in hopes of avoiding the snake, yet I tilted my face to the right just as it shot upward again--my scent must have lingered up there long enough for it to dart up like that. The strong breeze that resulted from when it shot past me almost made me lose my grip on the wall, yet I held on for dear life until it stopped moving before using my magic barrier to attack it--two hits was once again needed to prevail.

The instant it disappeared, I turned myself over so that my legs were dangling above me in an effort to see if there was anything inside of its lair that was worth picking up. Aside from a small treasure chest--how it even got down here was beyond me--and several pots, there were no signs of the other two Zora eggs. That meant the snake that lunged across was holding one or I needed to defeat the other snakes located further below.

After mulling it over for a few moments, I decided to swim down to the chest in hopes that either it or the pots would contain recovery hearts. Using my arms to pull myself along while checking to make sure nothing was coming from within the darkness, I reached my destination and chose to kick open the chest since it was the most obvious thing. Sadly, it contained a red rupee instead of a recovery heart, and while I wasn't upset about earning more money, I really needed that health now--nothing came from smashing the pots aside from a random Deku Nut of all things.

Sighing, I swam back out into the darkness and immediately turned right when the snake from across the chasm pierced through the darkness, its gaping mouth missing my head by a few inches which made me wonder just how long these things were. It darted back into its lair while I continued swimming in hopes of getting around to where its vulnerable body was, yet it came out from its hole all of a sudden and swallowed me whole without a moment's hesitation.

Princess Twilight screamed in terror. " Sunset!!!!"

" I'm okay." I answered from within the confines of the snake's mouth.

" You call that okay?"

" It looks like I'm a lot bigger than it thought since it can't seem to swallow me down its throat."

" Why are you acting so casually about this?"

" Guess I'm just relieved knowing that it can't swallow me whole." I answered. It then hit me when I quickly remembered what creatures of all kinds liked to do whenever they ate something that was too big for them to swallow. Knowing this, I began to pound the snake's teeth with my hands in hopes of getting it to spit me back out before those same teeth decided to grind me down into powder. It spat me out when it couldn't handle the pain I was giving it and I was covered from head to toe in drool that I shook off. My fists were slightly bruised from all the punching but at least I escaped. " I didn't enjoy that one bit!"

" Are you alright?"

I nodded slowly. " I'm just not fast enough with my leg all banged up."

Princess Twilight took a closer look at my leg. " Be glad that snake's teeth didn't cause further injury but I do see what you mean. While I would suggest using your magic barrier to propel yourself forward and give you a speed boost, you need that magic to defeat the remaining snakes. Guess you'll just have to grin and bear it until one of those recovery hearts comes along." Her Highness then began bopping me in the head repeatedly. " Never scare me like that again!"

" It wasn't really my fault."

" No, I suppose not." Twilight said. " That snake was a lot faster than even I thought. Still, you need to defeat it but be careful this time as I don't know if you'll have the strength to escape from its mouth again if it manages to catch you."

I knew Her Highness was upset and rightfully so, yet that wasn't the worst thing that had happened to me. I could tell her all kinds of things from my previous journey that were even worse than what I had just experienced, but I chose to keep such thoughts to myself. I didn't want to make her feel even worse than she already was.

Much like with the previous snake, the scent of my blood remained out there in the water's depths so when this snake lunged forward in hopes of getting to eat me again, I defeated it by striking its body using my magic barrier, revealing what looked to be another Zora egg within its domain. I considered using my magic to get me over there quickly but there was no way of knowing how much I had left--I'd be using quite a bit--so I swam over and switching to merely floating across so as to not make any motions that could attract the remaining snakes below.

Landing in the lair of the fourth snake, I took out another empty bottle, scooped the egg up into it, corked it, and placed it behind my back. Now there was only one more egg to go and the sea horse's friend before I could finally escape from this underwater nightmare.

Walking back to the edge and peering down, I began to think about how best to approach things. " If I were to swim down in the middle of this chasm, neither snake would be able to reach me but then there's no telling just how long their bodies are." I said to myself. " Plus, the thought of being attacked on two sides just freaks me out. I could simply float downup against the wall like I've been doing already but what if one suddenly blindsided me and I couldn't defend myself properly." I looked down at my leg and cursed under my breath. " My leg would also do me in if I get caught in a pincer maneuver."

Time was also of the essence. While I still had two more days to go before resetting time, I knew that the upcoming temple would take up much of it leaving me with little wiggle room leftover to do anything important before everything resets. " Might as well just go for it and hope things don't turn sour."

Stepping into the darkness and floating downward once more, the sounds of the remaining sea snakes echoed all around me. I could literally feel their presence near me even though there was no telling if that were true or not, but then it suddenly became apparent when one shot out behind me. I stood there frozen like a statue, its long body touching my back, my nerves shattering to pieces, fear gripped my heart. The snake retreated into its lair and all I could do was utter a little squeaking sound--Fluttershy would have been somewhat proud of me doing that--and pressed my back against the wall.

" Did you just squeak?"

I nodded my head. " My nerves just took a serious blow."

" We're almost done, Sunset."

" Why did it have to be six giant sea snakes?" I cried. " I'd have preferred none at all to make this all the more easier for me. No wonder no one ever comes out this far into the ocean aside from sea horses. They can easily maneuver around the snakes or just avoid them entirely. Anyone else stupid enough to come here would be a tasty snack."

" Circumstances beyond our control."

I sighed. " I knew you would say that."

" Haven't you faced worse than this?" Twilight asked. " I seem to recall you bringing up your previous journey whenever something you see makes you think back to what you did in the past, and some of those experiences make this current one tame in comparison."

It just baffled me as to how Her Highness was able to get her point across by saying the right words. No wonder she was a princess in Equestria. It wasn't just her ability to solve friendship related issues and embracing it that made her a princess, but rather being able to see things others were often blinded by and helping them understand that they could accomplishment whatever they wanted with the right incentives. That or she was just teasing me in her usual manner.

Since I had no intention of swimming forward--my leg would prevent me from making it back in time--I lifted my injured leg, shook it, and watched as the trail of blood seeped across until the snake came out upon smelling it believing that I had foolishly left myself vulnerable. The moment its entire body had extended out of its hole, I used my magic barrier to wound its body though unlike the others, this one reeled back into its hole. Shaking my leg again, it lurched forward upon smelling the blood seeping across the water and I attacked it with my barrier, bringing it down without any further mishap.

" You'll lose more blood that way if you keep doing that."

I shrugged my shoulders. " It was either that or possibly end up getting eaten again."

" Okay, so you got me there."

" I'll be honest in saying that I didn't enjoy doing that." I said. " The thought of seeing my own blood seeping forth in the water is enough to make me throw up as I stated before, but sometimes you have to do things like this if it means succeeding against difficult odds." I looked down at my injured leg and noticed that it was bleeding faster than before, a result of using my blood as a form of attraction towards the snake. Princess Twilight was about to protest its conditions when I closed my eyes and shook my head. " It was my decision to make so I have to deal with the consequences."

" You'd have never done anything of the sort had you not embraced friendship."

" I had a good teacher."

Princess Twilight blushed. " Well of course you did!"

" Still, I know it was reckless to use my blood like that." I said. I then noticed a familiar glow coming from within the snake's lair and my eyes widened with happiness upon recognizing the Zora egg. Then it occurred me that the sea horse's friend was no where to be found, but dread slowly gripped my heart when I figured out where it was. " Let me just pick the egg up and we'll go over to the last snake." Using my arms as before, I swam down, entered the fifth snake's lair, and landed in front of the egg. Several meters beyond it were several pots so hopefully one of them would contain a recovery heart.

Taking out another empty bottle, I scooped the egg into it, corked the bottle, and put it behind my back before smashing the pots. To my joy, one of them contained a heart that I picked up without a moment's notice, and already my wound started to heal though I needed more hearts to fix it up fully--it wasn't even bleeding anymore.

" Glad that's over with." Twilight said. " Now you need to find another means of luring that last snake out."

" My leg isn't 100% fixed."

" Better than what it was moments ago."

" Granted."

" Do you have enough magic power, Sunset?"

I quickly looked back on how much I used against the other snakes before answering her. " I should have enough for this last one but then I'll be completely drained until I can
find some magic jars."

" Who would have guessed that this was a world where magic was limited."

" Not every world out there can be like Equestria where magic flows about endlessly." I said. " Many ponies use their magic for horrible things without thinking about the consequences while others take it for granted thinking it can be used to solve all of their problems or turn them into lazy individuals. On my previous journey, I relied too much on my natural magic and neglected what had been given to me, yet in this world, using my equipment has proven lucrative and makes me wish I never ignored it before."

" Kind of like what you did in the world you now call home."

I nodded. " Yes though there the magic is definitely weaker and requires concentration to use it properly. Termina's magic doesn't require any concentration as it flows out freely as though it were an extension of myself, yet it can only be used in quick bursts before it runs out. The strength varies depending on my different forms though some clearly have it better than others do such as my Goron body."

" Regret leaving Princess Celestia?"

I nodded profusely. " More than you realize, Twilight, but don't think I'll go back to Equestria when this has been settled. I want to face her when I feel the time is right and I'm not feeling that right now."

" When the time comes..." Twilight began. " I'll be by your side."

Smiling, I walked off into the darkness of the water once more until I ended up touching the ground several seconds later. Looking up, I was quite surprised at how deep this chasm really was, yet it made sense since those sea snakes needed plenty of space to swim about without intruding on each other's territory. The bottom of the chasm left something to be desired, an empty clearing with a couple of pots scattered about--how these got down here was something I couldn't even begin to understand--and some strange seaweed that probably wasn't all that threatening.

The final snake was directly in front of me and was staring at me with its large eyes, and since I no longer could use my blood to lure it out--I was relieved about that--I decided to go with what worked before, namely my fins. They still reeked of the stench of blood, my blood--disgusting as it sounded--and were the perfect means of distraction while my magic barrier would take care of its body.

Walking towards the snake while making sure not to get too close, I aimed my fins and fired upwards behind me causing it to lurch forward though I dropped down onto my back to avoid getting slammed by its long body. Upon my fins returning, I used my magic barrier, striking it twice before it could retreat back into its hole. It disappeared like the others though something different appeared within the lair of the defeated creature. It was as bright as the Zora eggs I'd been collecting down here yet was gold in colour and was much larger than the eggs were.

Before I could make a move, the sea horse I had rescued earlier suddenly appeared in front of me and swam towards the golden object revealing itself to be the other sea horse that had been captured by the sea snakes. They tilted their heads to indicate that they wanted me to come closer so I did so by walking forward.

" You saved my friend." The sea horse said happily.

" It was much harder than I thought given those sea snakes." I said.

" I am sorry that you were put through such a difficult ordeal, yet I had no one else I could turn to." The sea horse said. " When my friend was captured, I went to find someone amongst the Zoras believing one of them would help me. I left Pinnacle Rock and almost reached Zora Hall when a man fished me up from out of the water and took me back with him to where he lived, and I had been with him ever since until you came along, Sunset Shimmer."

" That explains how Snails acquired you."

" I wish to reward you."

I shook my head. " There's no need for you to do that. Your friend was in danger and I did what needed to be done. Sure, my life hung in the balance several times, but that comes with the territory of being a heroine."

" Such a kind heart you possess." The sea horse said. " However, I insist that you take this with you, Sunset Shimmer. It is a small token, a symbol if you will of my deepest gratitude for what you've done. My frien and I wish for your success in the future."

The two sea horses then began pressing their snouts against one another and produced tiny little hearts that disappeared before hitting the ground. I thought it was absolutely adorable and made me realize that they were more than just friends, but my heart suddenly got excited when their little embrace caused a Piece of Heart to suddenly appear in front of them, eagerly waiting for me to pick it up. I did so and my body began feeling the familiar warmth that occurred upon collecting them, a sensation that I really should go out of my way to have occur more often since my health in this world was always having problems.

I then noticed another small treasure chest behind the sea horses--I had practically given up on trying to figure this out--so I walked over and kicked it open to reveal yet another red rupee, adding a little extra to my wallet. It seemed red rupees were a pretty common occurrence in chests though I was hoping for larger amounts since money was becoming more of a necessity than anything else barring the required items.

With that out of the way, I could finally return the remaining Zora eggs to Daring Do, though there was still one problem left, and that involved making my way back across the murky water between Pinnacle Rock and the main part of Great Bay. I could easily get back up to the surface since my leg had now completely healed thanks to the Piece of Heart, yet I could become lost in the murkiness if I were to take a chance at swimming through it. I doubted I could get the sea horse to show me the way back as it was more interested in being with its friend, so what other options were there?

Walking back into the clearing and sitting down on the floor, I began to think about a way to bypass the murky water. The intense silence began getting to me until I decided to take the Ocarina of Time out from my pouch, it transforming into its fish-bone guitar form, and then it hit me. There was a way of getting out of here!

" I'm such a bonehead!"

" No you're not." Twilight said.

" I am in this case."

" What do you mean?"

I showed Princess Twilight my guitar. " I was thinking about how we could get out of Pinnacle Rock without the aid of the sea horse, and the answer was right under my nose the entire time hence why I'm a bonehead. I could play the Song of Soaring and warp right back to the Oceanside Laboratory."

" Can you even play underwater?"

" Don't know."

" Well, you might as well try."

Standing up onto my feet, I began strumming my guitar to get the feel for playing underwater though it wasn't easy what with the notes sounding washed out combined with being so deep underwater. After a few attempts, I played the Song of Soaring and began to imagine the Owl Statue located on the ledge below Pinkie Pie and the laboratory. The wings from the music appeared out of my back, wrapped themselves around my body, spun around several times, and soon I had disappeared.

In an instant, I found myself standing in front of the Owl Statue though my body felt weird what with having spent the last hour under so much water. Had I been in my human form prior to warping here, my body would have collapsed in on itself from the pressure. Speaking of my body... it was beginning to feel heavy like it wanted me to collapse where I was standing and sleep for several hours. All of that action at Pinnacle Rock had left me barely able to keep going but I knew that I couldn't rest until the last Zora eggs had been reunited with the rest who were already in the tank Daring Do had provided.

Slapping my face to keep myself from keeling over, I climbed up the ladder and entered the lab where I stumbled forward slightly, colliding with a nearby desk that proved enough to grab the attention of Daring Do. She had been keeping herself busy by watching the other eggs like she said she would, and was surprised upon seeing me back again though not impressed with my slight blundering near her desk.

" You look as though you've been through another one of your pirate skirmishes, Mikau." Daring Do said.

" I had my hands full with the giant sea snakes of Pinnacle Rock." I said.

Daring Do was shocked. " You took them on by yourself without relying on the other Zoras!? I knew you were reckless what with fighting those pirates on a regular basis, but I never expected you to be so reckless by fighting those accursed unagi. But, you always were different from the others, Mikau. They preferred to dance and sing while you were more interested in learning the ways of fighting from your ancestors." She then walked up to me and began to look over my body before nodding her head followed by a groaning sound. " And you've got some wounds as proof! Honestly, Lulu would have a heart attack the way you keep risking your life."

" No one else could have done it."

" I should say not."

" It was difficult but worth it."

" You must have used some kind of powerful potion." Daring Do said. " The wound on your leg has healed entirely as though it had never been injured in the first place. As a woman of science, I know that the wound came from being bitten by an unagi; not surprising considering how reckless you are."

" I used a 'healing item'." I said. I chose not to reveal to her that it was a Piece of Heart as I doubted she would even believe me. Looking at Daring Do, her expression told me that she was skeptical about my claim but ultimately accepted it by shrugging and huffing.

" In any case, I suspect you managed to get a sea horse from that fisherman?"

I nodded my head. " It required me to do him a small favour but I got it and guided me through Pinnacle Rock."

" Whatever it is you did for him is probably unimportant." Daring Do said. " In any case, did you manage to find the remaining Zora eggs? I've been able to keep the four you brought back earlier from deteriorating even further, yet all seven need to be together for them to hatch successfully. Even though they should have hatched the other day, I believe they should still be able to hatch provided nothing bad happened." She then looked at me with a glaring stare that made me feel really uncomfortable.

" What?"

Daring Do rubbed the bridge of her nose before groaning again. " You probably got knocked around by some of the unagi while you were securing the eggs though knowing you it was probably very frequent. If any of them got damaged because of your recklessness, I don't think Lulu will ever speak to you again, Mikau, and you'll most likely be exiled at the very least by your kind. Now, please show me the eggs without further delay."

I took out my bottles and presented them to her. " Here they are."

" Excellent!" Daring Do exclaimed. " And they are still intact much to my surprise. Hmph! Guess I owe you an apology for thinking you weren't mature enough to be able to keep them safe from whatever it was you were doing at the time. Hurry! Put them in the tank along with the others without delay."

Nodding my head, I picked up the bottles, put them behind my back, and walked over to the ladder on the side of the tank before climbing up to the top. Walking over to the grill on top, taking the bottles out, and looking down at the other eggs in the watery depths below, I opened up each bottle, shook them, and watched the eggs drop down slowly landing with the others until they were huddled together. It actually looked pretty adorable though nothing seemed to be happening at first.

" Now what do we do?"

Daring Do rubbed her chin. " Give me a few seconds to answer that." She paced back and forth in hopes of figuring something out, but when she turned to see what was happening in the tank, she began to freak out before looking up at me and screaming her head off. " Get down here right now, Mikau! It's going to start. Quick! Come to the front of the aquarium so you can witness the magic."

Jumping down to the floor below, I turned around and peered into the tank. The eggs began to shimmer before they suddenly changed into what looked like tadpoles yet they were in fact Zoras given they possessed the typical facial features. On a side note, I learned from my previous journey that Zoras were humanoid fish. I believed they would hatch from eggs and appear to resemble fish upon birth given what they were but instead they resembled the youngest stage of a frog.

Aside from that minor nitpick, the baby Zoras began to slowly float upwards--I'll admit that they were pretty adorable--until they suddenly stopped halfway up before arranging themselves in a unique formation, turning left, and lifting up their tails. I then noticed strange lines embedded into the wall on the back of the tank and that the baby Zora were positioned in a way that was reminding me of something but I couldn't put my finger on it.

I turned to Daring Do. " What are they doing?"

" L-look at this!" Daring Do answered. " What does this mean... What in the world could this mean? In all my years as a scientist, I have never seen anything like this before! No doubt they are healthy yet why form up in such a manner?"

" I thought you knew!"

" Give me a moment!"

" Is it a sign?"

Daring Do looked at the formation of the baby Zora, her brain obviously working over time before she finally came to a startling conclusion. " I got it! How could I be so blind to what is clearly a simple answer before my eyes!" She turned towards me with excitement strewn across her face. " Don't you understand? The way these Zora children have lined up in the tank against those bars at the back. Come now, Mikau! Even you should be able to figure out this one."

I shrugged my shoulders. " I don't get it."

" Their raised tails make them resemble music notes on a sheet." Daring Do said. " They are trying to present us with some kind of melody though I lack the means of performing whatever it is due to being musically challenged. Mikau... Don't you have some kind of instrument?"

I nodded and took out the Ocarina of Time where it changed into my guitar. " Well, I do have this on me."

" Of course you would have an instrument." Daring Do said. " You are a member of the Indigo-Gos after all so it made sense that you would. Now, pay close attention to the position those babies are in and play your guitar accordingly. I don't know what will happen but we won't know until you play."

Looking at the baby Zoras, I began to imagine a musical score with each baby representing a note being placed onto it. It was a good thing I knew how to play a guitar thanks to my role as a back-up guitarist for the Rainbooms--and Rainbow Dash teaching me on the side helped--otherwise I wouldn't even know where to begin. I began strumming the strings to get a feel for each note so that I could play it perfectly without making myself out to look foolish. While I was fine with taking my time, Daring Do didn't feel the same way and began yelling at me to hurry up and play whatever this song was going to be.

Rather than scold her for rushing me, I simply continued practicing playing by playing each note one at a time until I was confident enough. Once I felt ready to give it a go, I played the seven notes seemlessly before breaking out into a pretty wicked tune that resulted in Daring Do brightening up and dancing along until it was over. The baby Zora then turned to face us, their tails wagging about indicating that they were happy with what I did.

" That was certainly something." I said as I put my guitar away.

" Do you know the name of that song?"

" I'm not sure why, but I the name 'New Wave Bossa Nova' comes to mind in my head."

Daring Do agreed. " I've heard of that before though it has been a very long time. But that isn't important right now! What is important however is that instrument! These Zoras were born to teach this song so you must go to her right now."

" Who?"

" You must play this song for the Zora who laid these eggs! You must find Lulu and let her hear that melody!"

" Do you know what might happen?"

" No, I don't." Daring Do answered. " The only one who may be able to answer that is Lulu herself so you must hurry and find her. I will take good care of the Zora children until she is ready to come and get them. Oh, and you needn't worry about the Gerudo stealing them. I doubt they would be interested in them now that they've hatched. Be sure to let Evan know that the babies have hatched. This is a very strange thing. If Zora children can teach music, then the Zora still hold many mysteries. I've been given a new incentive regarding my research of Great Bay. Go, Mikau!"

Without another word, I ran towards the door, opened it, went outside and jumped into the water before swimming forward towards the shore. Supposedly, this song was the key to figuring out why Rarity had lost her voice though it sounded rather farfetched to me. Then again, I had seen far stranger things already so this wasn't exactly out there. Like Daring Do said, only she knew the answer behind the song so I needed to get to her quickly.

" Derpy!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. " Where in the world have you been?"

" Out in the ocean, ma'am." Derpy answered as she pulled her boat up to the edge of the dock in the Pirate's Fortress. I went out to find Pinnacle Rock like you ordered but I ended up getting sent back to where I started because of not having a sea horse. While I usually don't know what goed wrong, this was an exception since only a sea horse can guide anyone through the murky waters surrounding the rock. I'm sorry that I failed, Rainbow Dash."

" I wish you'd call me Aveil and not by my nickname."

" After several attempts, I gave up and got stuck out in the ocean."

Rainbow Dash appeared to be annoyed but merely sighed. " If only we could have gotten the sea horse from that creepy fisherman who has such an unhealthy fixation on us. We could've used it to enter Pinnacle Rock, get those eggs before Mikau did, and brought them back where he would've had to enter our fortress again to get them. We'd have been ready with the most diabolical traps imaginable but that opportunity has been lost."

" I saw him, ma'am..."

" Saw who?"

" Mikau." Derpy answered. " I saw him while I was stuck out in the ocean."

" I hope you didn't say anything you shouldn't have, Derpy." Rainbow Dash said. Derpy's sudden silence indicated that the opposite had happened and Rainbow slapped her forehead before pounding her head into Derpy's boat. " Why am I not surprised. Well, Mikau's already humiliated us by stealing back those eggs we stole in addition to helping that girl who somehow managed to infiltrate our fortress and bested my guards."

" He went into Pinnacle Rock."

" What!?"

" Mikau went into Pinnacle Rock to get the remaining eggs."

" That place is crawling with those unagi creatures!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. " I know Mikau can hold his own against the likes of us--he's been doing it far longer than I can remember--but not even he would be dumb enough to take on those things alone. Then again, maybe he would since the eggs do mean an awful lot to his people. Derpy! Do you know if he managed to make it back out alive?"

Derpy shook her head repeatedly. " I didn't see him come back out, ma'am."

" Really... So that means one of two possibilities. Either Mikau was eaten alive by those snakes and will never bother us again or he pulled off a miracle and managed to make it back alive with those eggs intact." Rainbow Dash said.

" Are we going to steal the eggs again?"

Rainbow Dash looked at Derpy with a stern expression. " No. No doubt those eggs have hatched by this point if my information on Zora eggs is correct so stealing them would make absolutely no sense. Besides, we'd make ourselves out to be desperate if we were to steal the same thing again." She then looked out towards the ocean at the cloud that surrounded the temple before smiling a cruel smile. " We're moving onto what's really important."

" And that is?"

" The treasure sleeping in the temple."

" Oh yeah! Oops! My bad!"

Rainbow Dash sighed. " We can still walk away with our pockets lined with treasure provided that nothing goes wrong with the plan. At this point, it doesn't really matter whether or not our mutual 'friend' Mikau survived his ordeal at Pinnacle Rock. So long as we can enter the temple when the cloud surrounding it disappears, who cares what those Zoras do as we'll steal everything there before they even know what happened."

" I love the idea of becoming rich."

" That's the enthusiasm I expect from my sisters."

" Am I going to be leading the charge to the temple?"

" No! I'll be in charge of this operation."

" Understood, ma'am."

Rainbow Dash laughed. " I'm going to make sure no one screws this up!" Derpy was then about to say something when Rainbow suddenly silenced her. " And no, I'm not putting you in charge of the fortress so don't even think about it! I'd prefer you to be with me than being stuck back there." She then mumbled under her breath. " If I left you at the fortress without the proper supervision, you're likely to cause an accident more than anything else. No, I'm sure one of the sub-commanders can easily hold everything together until we come back."

" Yay! I'm going to be part of the strike team!"

" You make it sound like it will be a picnic."

" Isn't it, ma'am?"

" It will be in this case since we'll be coming back with all that treasure."

" When do we depart?"

" The instant that weird cloud surrounding the temple disappears, we'll take a small group with us and depart in our best boat." Rainbow Dash answered. " There's no way of knowing when it will happen so be prepared to leave at any moment!"

It soon became apparent to me just how much I relied on magic though this wasn't always the case. When I lived in Equestria, I used magic for every little thing due to being a unicorn and wanting to see how far I could go. This all changed when I chose to live in the world that became my current home. I had to learn to rely on my own abilities, skills that I had neglected as it was much easier using magic to solve any problem, and for a time I embraced such a change though deep down in my heart, I wanted magic. When I unintentionally brought magic into my current home, I never believed it would change so much.

While it wasn't as potent as what I had in Equestria, I didn't care because I could use magic once again, yet I knew that I was becoming complacent, relying on it to solve my problems without embracing my own talents that were developed through hard work and not taking an easy path out.

My journey across Hyrule was perhaps my worst instance of using magic. Rather than learning to use what I had been given, I wanted to use my magic because it was much easier for me and was within my comfort zone. Even something simple that required a few minutes to figure it out meant nothing because magic was what I chose to rely on. I had taken it for granted, became too dependent on it, and I was becoming lazy as a result.

Here... In Termina... My magic was restricted and that turned out to be a blessing. I was using skills I had neglected and became a better person for it, yet I slowly began getting dependent on it again. I couldn't defeat those sea snakes without the use of magic, and the experience made my mind determine that not having magic wasn't an option. No... I couldn't go back to that way of thinking, not when I had made so much progress. I couldn't become dependent on magic again and have solve all of my problems so I chose not to use magic unless there was no other choice. It would be my last resort.

Why bring it up now? On my way back to Zora Hall, my mind was tempting me to restore my magic power so that I could get past the Leevers on the beach, and the Skullfish underwater--the Like-Likes were seldmon seen. My heart wanted me to use the natural abilities a Zora was capable of--technically the magic barrier was such an ability--to embrace their majestic beauty and grace.

Princess Twilight also wanted me to rely on my skills and not my magic though she might want to consider taking her own advice. After all, she had been using magic a lot more since she never left Equestria other than those incidents involving me--I was still not happy about those actions I took--so if anyone needed to rely on her skills more often, it was her. In any case, I intended on restoring my magic power but when I felt it necessary.

By the time we reached Zora Hall, the sun was getting close to the top of the sky. " Twilight... I think it's time for me to rest."

" Can't it wait until after you swim through the underwater entrance?" Twilight asked.

" My body is about ready to collapse."

" Yes, you have done an awful lot lately."

" I need a few hours, nothing more."

" Are you sure? I was under the impression that you needed at least eight hours of sleep."

I shook my head. " Normally that's true but I only want a few this time. I'll make sure to give myself plenty of rest once we've finished our business inside of the temple, but I could always fall asleep in there in one of the empty rooms."

" That doesn't sound very practical."

" I know. Besides, I think you could do with some rest as well."

Princess Twilight then yawned but quickly pretended that she hadn't causing me to giggle. She shrugged her shoulders admitting that she needed to get some sleep given what we had both been through regarding Pinnacle Rock. It didn't take long to find an ideal resting place--a lone palm tree by the water's edge--so I walked over, sat down, and pressed my back up against the tree before closing my eyes. I knew sleeping would prove risky at this juncture and not because of what was happening regarding the pirates, the Zora, or even the entirety of Great Bay in general.

It was because of Ganondorf, the one who had brought me into this world in the first place. It had been some time since I last heard anything from him, and while that was certainly a blessing--any encounters with him were sure to be a nightmare scenario for me--I knew he was going to pay me another visit through my dreams. It was his way of instilling fear so that I would submit to his desires. Despite my refusal to become his loyal servant because of what I did in the past, he showed no signs of letting that go until I had either agreed or died in the process. I'd personally rather die than be a slave.

Within the subconscious of my dreams, I found myself surrounded on all sides by nothing but endless darkness. Was I frightened of the ordeal? Yes though I knew what was about to come my way. I mean, it was blatantly obvious that I would soon be visited by that man. If there was one question on my mind regarding Ganondorf other than why he couldn't take no for an answer regarding my future, it would be why had be chosen to leave me alone for such a lengthy period of time.

A pair of yellow eyes appeared before me and I knew that I could ask that question. " I was wondering when you were going to pay me a visit."

" It seems that you have become accustomed to my presence within your subconscious, child." Ganondorf said. " Your power continues to grow at a remarkable pace despite you refusing to embrace it and cast aside the shackles that have bonded you to the current course you have chosen."

" Try all you like! I won't become your servant."

" Your defiance is most amusing but ultimately in vain."

" Really? I think I'm doing a good job of refusing to adhere to your words."

Ganondorf began laughing, his voice echoed all around me, forcing me to clutch my ears in pain. " Everything will become clear to you, the one who accompanies you, and the one who relies on you to be their pillar of strength when you witness the horror that is death. It is most unfortunate that those you share such a powerful bond with have already witnessed death itself with their own eyes, but then they cannot remember it as time itself gets rewritten by your hand."

" My friends... What have you done to them?"

" Nothing."

" I know you've done something. There's no sense in lying to me."

Ganondorf's eyes suddenly burst into flames. " You dare accuse me!? You are a mere child compared to the likes of me! With my power, I could kill you right now within your subconscious! Remember that it is through my will and mine alone that you continue to exist!" His eyes then receeded back to normal though his sudden outburst had frightened me to the very core of my soul. I knew that he could lose control of his emotions but nothing along those lines. " Your precious family has seen death though they do not understand the reasoning, beliving it nothing but an illusion."

" Then who or what did it to them?"

" The answer is within, child." Ganondorf answered. " It should not take long for you to comprehend my words." He then paused for a moment that made me nervous. Whenever he stopped talking during our encounters, it only meant things were able to get worse. " The true power... It refuses to be denied by the forces here. What they possess... it shall either save them or condemn them."

Once again he chose to be cryptic with his words though it seemed he was either slipping a little or had every intention of making it easy for me to figure out. The power that my friends possessed was obviously a reference to the Elements of Harmony, and both Princess Twilight and I figured out that their Elements were breaching through this world's magical defence given they displayed characteristics that reflected on their true selves. What I didn't understand was what he meant about how their power would either save or kill them. Was it a threat by him or something else?

And what did he mean about the answer being within? Within what? If I could figure that out, it might allow me to understand the other questions. The key word in all of this was the word "death" though I shouldn't be surprised given what he has done.

" You're not going to elaborate any further, are you?"

" Had you already chosen to become my servant and embrace the dark power that sleeps within... Perhaps I would have granted you such a simple request, but since you instead choose to hold onto those who once turned their backs to you, then you can discover the answers on your own." Ganondorf answered.

" I'll never join you."

" Heh... Such denial."

" Is there a real reason you're here other than the usual taunting?"

Ganondorf went silent again for a few moments before answering my question. " I have foreseen the future many times, child. I can see things that have not even happened and can see any and all outcomes due to my power. In many of the futures I have envisioned, you are standing by my side, obedient, loyal, and accepted the truth of embracing the evil that lurks in your heart. In others, life no longer holds any meaning to you as you have none to live. Only in a couple do I see you staying your current course and rejecting your fate though these are impossibilities, the factors too great to occur."

" You're not getting to me."

" The tone in your voice suggests otherwise."

" Crap!"

" Child... We shall have our next contest soon." Ganondorf said. " I must test your strength once more to see if you are still worthy. Our contest shall be here within the dreamscape where nothing is what it seems, and yet everything is as it was meant to be. When the final deity has been awakened, you shall sleep and do battle with me. Do not think that you can avoid this fate, child! My power over you cannot be extinguished! Perhaps you shall show me a power that goes beyond the daydream? Or perhaps it truly is the limit you are destined to achieve? The answer will become clear in due course."

" Figured you'd want to fight me again."

" Do not betray my expectations."

Ganondorf's eyes then disappeared into the darkness, his laughter echoing all around as a means of intimidation. Unlike in our previous dream encounters where I would wake up screaming at the top of my lungs, I simply continued to sleep until I woke up naturally. Looking up at the sky, the sun had only passed by the peak of its arc indicating that it had only been two hours as opposed to the four that I was originally going for. Princess Twilight continued to sleep--and actually looked adorable curled up on my body--but she quickly woke up upon sensing the movement of my body.

She then noticed that I was looking distant and immediately concluded that I had been visited by Ganondorf. " Did he visit you in your dreams, Sunset?"

I nodded my head. " Yeah... He did."

" What did he have to say this time?"

" He said that our friends had seen death and both you, me, and Twilight Sparkle--the other you--would see the same thing." I answered. " I thought he had done something to them though I quickly found out the hard way when he unleashed his fury after I accused him."

" You were fortunate that he didn't just up and kill you in your sleep."

I nodded again. " Yeah, but I doubt he would have gone through with it. If he had killed me, he'd have lost out on what he has been trying to get out of me, and that is making me his servant by casting aside my very identity." Getting up onto my feet and brushing off the sand that got caught on my pants, I leaned up against the palm tree before looking up at the glistening sun and continuing. " I don't know what he meant by our friends seeing death, but he mentioned that our answers will come when we witness death with our own eyes."

" How cryptic."

" That's what I thought." I said. " By the way... Ganondorf says that our next contest is going to be when the final giant has been awakened."

" Again!? I don't really understand what he's trying to do."

" Neither do I but it's not like I have any choice."

" Of course you do!"

" Not when it's in the dreamscape."

" Oh..."

" I'm not going to let him get to me this time, Twilight." I said. " All that does is make me worried and results in me making mistakes that could ultimately cost me my life. No, I'll continue on this journey by focusing on what we need to do, and deal with Ganondorf when the time comes. Now then, we should probably speak to Coloratura and let her know that the eggs have been delivered to Daring Do before speaking with Rarity."

Jumping into the water, I began to swim forward before diving down below the surface towards the entrance of Zora Hall. As I swam, I noticed Princess Twilight was hugging my cheek as hard as she could and my initial belief was that she was holding on for dear life--I quickly figured that she was hugging me out of being proud for standing my ground against the likes of Ganondorf and not letting him get to me.

Swimming past the Skullfish and entering Zora Hall, the first thing I did upon getting out of the water was check my surroundings to see if anything was different. The last time we were here, I remembered seeing Coloratura issuing orders to a group of Zoras before going back into her room. No doubt she wasn't thinking about doing that now since we're an entire day early though it was for the best to speak to her quickly before she did something.

Running past several Zoras--who greeted me and said their usual thing about looking forward to the rehearsal--I reached Coloratura's room where I had to deal with the Zora who was standing outside. He looked pleased to see me and insisted I go in by stepping aside so I walked in without questioning it though upon closing the door behind me, I was suddenly face-to-face with Coloratura, and she appeared flustered. She began looking over my body--something I immediately recalled her doing the last I was here--in search of something before sighing and walking back over to her bone instrument.

" Mikau! Where have you been?" Coloratura asked.

Since she didn't remember our previous conversation due to me resetting time, I had to go along and pretend that this was our first time talking. " I've been busy taking care of what you asked me to do, Coloratura." Crap! I mentioned her true name as she is known in Equestria instead of the name she is called here.

" Huh? Coloratura? You feeling okay, Mikau?" Coloratura asked. At least she wasn't questioning the fact that I was a female. " I mean, I find that name to be riveting, exciting, like it's speaking out to me and begging me to use it as a stage name when we have our concerts, but you seem different somehow. It's like you're a completely different person, but maybe that's just me seeing as I've been under a lot of stress lately keeping Lulu's secret from the others."

" I know that feeling."

" So how was it? Did you get the eggs back?" Coloratura asked. She began looking over my body again though in a much quicker fashion--it still made me uncomfortable--before lowering her head and sighing. " Oh... You couldn't do it, after all. I... I don't know what I can say about this. When I saw you enter my room, I believed you had succeeded since you'd only been gone the entire night, yet perhaps I was a little hasty since you have so much on your mind without needing anymore pressure."

" Well, the thing is..."

" Have you seen Lulu outside lately?"

" Yes."

" She's been like that ever since the pirates stole her eggs, gazing out at the sea and sighing. Just seeing that sad expression on her face is enough to make even the toughest of hearts break in an instant." Coloratura said.

" Okay! This has gone far enough!" I shouted, my arms waving about. " If you had allowed me to finish instead of interrupting me, I could have told you that I already recovered the eggs and given them to the scientist at the Oceanside Laboratory."

" You mean... You did it?"

I nodded my head. " Yes. Some of the eggs ended up in Pinnacle Rock but I retrieved them before the sea snakes could get to them."

Coloratura was shocked to say the least. " And you went in there by yourself? No wonder you look so exhausted, Mikau! I know that I've put a lot of pressure on you because of you being the only Zora in our tribe who has heroic blood, yet going to Pinnacle Rock is both incredible and downright insane!"

" I had to do it for Lulu."

" You'd do anything to make her happy, wouldn't you?"

I nodded again. " She means more to me than you realize. Anyway, when I put all seven eggs into the tank at the laboratory, they hatched successfully and proceeded to teach me a strange song that might help us figure out what's been going on around here. Does "The New Wave Bossa Nova" mean anything to you?"

Her reaction told me that she did. " I haven't heard that song in years and you say the babies taught it to you?" Coloratura then paced back and forth for a few seconds before turning to face me again. " Mikau! You need to head out to the back and play it in front of Lulu. I know this sounds crazy but it may be just what she needs. I'll make sure no one comes out and swarms you both since I know they will get excited upon hearing you both perform."

Taking my leave of Coloratura's room and heading back outside to the main area, I thought about going straight to Rarity, yet my mind compelled me to pay a visit to her room to my right out of a belief that I could learn more about what she was going through. A Zora was standing in front of the door--more like trying to peep through the keyhole--and when I confronted him about his actions, he came up with a lousy excuse before running away out of shame.

I walked inside and the first thing I noticed was a Deku Flower--complete with Deku Scrub hiding inside--located on the opposite side of the room. Why a Deku was in someone's private room was beyond me though my mind was fixated on what appeared to be an open book lying on a nearby table. Walking up to it, I was surprised to discover that it belonged to Rarity. It was her diary and judging from her shaky handwriting and the tear drop stains, she was in a pretty bad state when she initially wrote this. Reading it could give me an idea about what happened yet it would mean violating the sanctity of privacy.

" What should I do, Twilight?"

" Reading it would make you guilty but it may be our best chance of understanding Rarity's current state of mind." Twilight answered.

" She lost her voice when her eggs were stolen."

" Yes, but is there more to it than that?"

" I'm... I'm not sure."

" Then reading her diary would give us an answer." Twilight said. " I know it's not right on a moral level but this is Rarity we're talking about. She's our friend and we need to do what we can to help."

After thinking about it for a few moments, I chose to read Rarity's diary in hopes of learning the truth about what happened. I was surprised that I could read her writing but I quickly deduced that it was due to currently being in a Zora body. Had I tried to read it as any other form, her writing would be completely illegible. Looking down at the pages, it seemed she had divided everything into three sections though none of them were dated. I supposed I'd figure out the order once I began reading. (1)

Lulu's Diary.

It has been two days since I have lost my voice. I don't want Mikau to know, so I talked to Evan about it. She recommended that I take the eggs to the Marine Research Lab to have them checked. I think I will take them right away.

Such a terrible thing has happened today that I don't even know where to begin writing. I heard a sound late at night, and when I opened my eyes, I saw strangers in my room. I tried to fight, but they were able to steal my precious eggs. It seems I lost consciousness after that.

Today, I told everything to Mikau, the one person whom I didn't want to know about it. At first, I was too embarrassed and too sad to do anything. And with the words that Mikau said at that moment, I felt that all hope had been lost. But please, Mikau, I'm begging you, don't do anything rash.

Looking up after finishing the third entry, I stared into thin air while my mind processed what Rarity had written down. No wonder she lost her voice all of a sudden yet it wasn't the pirates who caused it to happen. Giving birth to those baby Zora made her lose her voice yet that didn't sound possible, but I knew little about how Zora's reproduced. She was also scarred due to witnessing the pirates stealing her children--that tunnel I overheard them mentioning truly did allow them to sneak into Zora Hall though I had to commend her for doing what was natural for a mother.

I looked down at myself and began to understand why Thunderlane--Mikau--did what he did before he died. His words gave Rarity the strength she needed to cope with her loss though when he didn't return with the eggs, she went outside to stare at the ocean believing that all was lost. It didn't matter what he had to go through, Mikau would give up his own life to please her--Lulu--and that's when I concluded that he was the father of her eggs. While I couldn't exactly prove such a claim, it would be what I believed was true.

Knowing what needed to be done, I left Rarity's room, and headed out to the back where she was still standing. She looked at me for a few seconds before resuming her gaze out upon the ocean. Now that I knew what was going on, I could help her by playing that song.

Taking out the Ocarina of Time where it changed into the fish-bone guitar, I played the New Wave Bossa Nova with all the heart I could muster into it. At first, nothing happened which made me feel dejected and assuming that I did something wrong, but then Rarity suddenly began to sing the song. She sang without any practice, hesitation in her heart, and needing someone to help her perform. Everything just came out of her like she had been wanting to express herself for a very long time.

" Mikau?" Rarity asked. " What's going on?"

I about to call her Rarity when I quickly realized my earlier blunder with Coloratura. " Lulu... You're okay!"

Rarity shook her head. " My voice... Why do I suddenly have my voice back, darling? I lost it when I laid those eggs a few days ago, yet here I am speaking to you like it was never lost at all." That's when she realized that her eggs weren't with her and immediately freaked out much like what Rarity usually did. " Where are they? Where are my eggs? I simply must know where they are otherwise I'll never be able to stop thinking of them."

" They're safe now." I said. " I got them all back from the pirates and gave them to the scientist at the lab."

" You did?"

I nodded my head. " It took me on a detour to Pinnacle Rock where three of them ended up but they have all hatched successfully."

Rarity was ecstatic. " Oh, Mikau! I just knew you could do it!" She ran over and hugged me so tightly that I thought I was about to burst, but then she quickly let go before blushing a bright red prompting to do the same thing. " Oh my! I didn't mean to overdo it, Mikau. I couldn't help myself seeing as you rescued my children from the pirates." She then caught onto what I said about Pinnacle Rock and her expression changed. " You went to Pinnacle Rock!? That must have been utterly dreadful, darling! I cannot imagine having to go to such a wretched place filled with those awful sea snakes."

" It was an adventure to say the least."

" Well, it's over now and that means we can get the rehearsal started."

I shook my head. " My mission isn't finished yet."

" Whatever do you mean?"

I pointed out to the temple in the middle of the ocean. " Great Bay is still suffering from an evil curse and the source of that curse is coming from the temple. I must go there and destroy the curse otherwise we will be able to go back to our way of life. The water will remain warm and we will perish."

" As much as I don't want you to go, I know that you must because it's your destiny." Rarity said. " But, now that I think about it, darling, how do you plan on getting there what with how dangerous the murky water is?"

Rarity had a valid point. Even if I could swim to the temple, it would simply be too risky given the condition of the water. I would either end up back where I started or the worst case scenario would happen, and that was something I'd rather soon avoid.

What neither of us noticed was the strange island mass that was located behind Zora Hall. It was a simple looking island with two palm trees sticking out on top of it, yet it didn't quite look like it fit in with the regular surroundings. If I didn't know any better, I could swear that the mass shouldn't be where it was. That turned out to be true when something started happening to the island and all because Rarity's singing made it happen.

The rocks of the island mass shimmered and changed into a giant shell, four stubby feet protruded from four holes near the base that mysteriously appeared, and the front changed to form an animal's face. By the time my eyes noticed this unusual transformation, a giant burst of water gushed out from underwater, and I had to cover my face to be able to see what was going on though Rarity simply stood there. When the water disappeared, both of us were looking at a giant turtle who immediately shifted its bulky body around so that its head faced us, and its first action was to yawn with a bellow that could probably be heard all over Great Bay.

" Mm... Mm... Yeeeaaawn! I slept quite well!"

" Where did you come from?" Rarity asked.

" The island mass that you and your friend were observing just now... I was once that island though the power of your song has awoken me from my long slumber, yet this was fated to happen now at this precise moment. I just realized this when I opened my eyes. The passing of days is quite quick. Isn't it, Lulu?" The turtle asked.

" You know my name?"

The turtle slowly nodded his head. " Yes, Lulu. It's nothing to be surprised at."

" How could you know of me while you have been sleeping here?"

" Such a curious one you are, Lulu, and yet I sense the same thing in you, Zora warrior." The turtle answered. He then looked at me for a brief moment, winking in the process that made me shiver for some reason before turning his attention back to Rarity. " Although my eyes were closed in sleep, I still see everything that occurs in this ocean. I know all that has happened here long before those who dwell here came to be. There is nothing of the ocean that can escape my mind's eye."

Rarity struggled to respond. " Gah... gah... gah..."

" Hmmm... It seems Lulu is confused. Regrettably, there is no time for idle conversation." The turtle said. " The guardian who presides over these waters has vanished and without its protection, the ocean shall forever be tainted and those who live here will wither away to nothing. While my power may not be the same as that of the guardian, I have enough to break through the dark shroud that surrounds the Great Bay Temple that lies out there in the ocean. Only I can make it there while others attempting to cross shall only be met with failure, their dreams dashed."

" You mean the pirates won't make it?" I asked.

" They have been blinded by the one who has caused so much trouble throughout this land."

" Starlight Glimmer..."

The turtle nodded. " Yes... The masked imp who wields a dark power. The pirates believe that they can enter the temple and claim the treasure there when the shroud disappears, yet it cannot be undone until that which created it has been destroyed. Their effort shall be in vain and what awaits them was fated. Now then, proud Zora warrior... The open seas of Great Bay have need of your might. You must enter the temple and destroy that which holds the guardian prisoner."

" How can I get there?"

" Quickly. Climb onto my back." The turtle answered. " I shall take you there without delay." It then lowered its head down before tilting it slightly as a means of telling me to hurry up as time was of the essence, but I wasn't ready since my bottles were empty and I wasn't about to enter the temple without at least one of them filled. " Why so slow?" The turtle asked, impatient over how I was hesitating over getting onto its back. " You must climb onto my back immediately, Sunset Shimmer."

" What did you say?"

" Heh, heh, heh. Are you surprised by this?" The turtle asked. " You shouldn't be. Of course I know your name. Didn't I say that all is seen by me? But, now there is no more time for talking as you must destroy the evil in the temple before Great Bay will be no more."

While I was taken aback by the revelation that the turtle knew that I wasn't the real Mikau, I realized that time wasn't on my side. If my calculations were correct, I had about forty-two hours to complete the temple before I would have to reset time and go through all of this again. My brain wanted me to go without further delay yet my heart knew that going without proper healing items was nothing short of foolish. My previous temple excursions were pretty good though the obvious disaster of not having a potion or fairy on hand meant my life hung by a thread. I couldn't afford to do that again.

I was about to refuse the turtle and walk back into Zora Hall to find a shop of some kind when Rarity suddenly grabbed my wrist and held it firmly. I blushed for a moment--My reaction came as a result of how Mikau truly felt about Lulu--before I shook my head and noticed she was holding a sack of some strange red liquid. My first thought was that it had something to do with what happened when she laid her eggs, but when she fished out one of my bottles and filled it up, I knew that she had just given me a red potion. How did she know that was what I needed?

" Mikau... I... I... don't want you to go through with this." Rarity said. " I know you've been through an awful lot since my eggs were stolen but you don't need to risk your life in such a manner by going to the temple. Maybe there's another way Great Bay can be saved.

I shook my head. " This is something I need to do."

" But..."

" It may not make sense to you now but it will when the time comes."

Rarity then sighed knowing she couldn't change my mind. " That's why I purchased that red potion soon after losing my voice. I believed that I could use it to restore my voice but you ended up restoring it through that song you played. Since my words won't change your mind, Mikau, I think the potion will do you a lot better than it would me. Just promise you'll come back to me when this is all said and done."

" I promise."

Putting the red potion behind my back, I walked up to the turtle, climbed up his lowered neck and onto his back, and wrapped my arms around one of the palm trees. It's not that I was afraid but rather I didn't want to get thrown off in case it can't get through the clouds surrounding the temple. The turtle merely told me to hold on tight and began turning its body around--it took about thirty seconds given its massive size--before moving forward at a speed I wasn't expecting from a creature of this nature.

Looking back at Rarity, she was waving, her sign of wishing me luck, and I was going to need it since this was going to be my third temple. The first two were pretty challenging in their own right though it didn't take long to figure them out, yet I felt this temple would take a long time and would be the most difficult challenge I've faced thus far. Looking back at where we were going, I could see the temple with my own eyes, and it wasn't what I thought it would be. I couldn't see its exact form what with the clouds covering it but it resembled something along the lines of a mechanical squid-like creature.

" Are you sure this is a good idea, ma'am?" Derpy asked.

" Why wouldn't it be?" Rainbow Dash asked.

" I thought we weren't going to sail towards the temple until the cloud surrounding it disappeared."

Rainbow Dash slammed her fist down onto the rim of the boat leaving behind a small indentation. " Obviously it was too difficult for Mikau and the rest of the Zoras to do something incredibly simple, so we might as well carry on as intended and steal the treasure."

" Do you think we'll get through, ma'am?"

" We may have lost the eggs but the masked one insured us that we can get into the temple."

Derpy looked skeptical. " I hope nothing goes wrong."

Rainbow Dash ignored the words of her second-in-command though she was worried about the situation as well. " We've lived our lives struggling for survival because we're different from the Zoras and those other tribes who live throughout Termina, and because of that our numbers are dwindling and our chances of continuing on are slim. That treasure will allow us to spend our lives in luxury and rebuild the Gerudo into a feared people. Besides, I'm not about to spend one more day scrounging around for scraps when we can have whatever we want once we get the treasure."

" If you say so." Derpy said. She then looked out in front and began flailing her arms. " We're approaching the cloud, ma'am! Contact is imminent!"

" At last..." Rainbow Dash began, rubbing her hands with glee. " The Gerudo will finally get what we deserve."

The boat inched forward until the tip made contact with the cloud, but then disaster struck as it was pulled into the vortex like it were a piece of string. Rainbow Dash, Derpy, and several other pirates began getting flung about alongside their boat, bloodcurdling screams coming from their mouths, their boat smashed to bits from the strength of the vortex. Whatever lurked inside of the temple didn't want anyone entering and would punish any who dared try.

After being tossed about for a few more minutes, the vortex ejected the pirates a great distance before they landed in the water followed by the debris of their boat splashing on top of them--none of them were injured though they were very wet. Derpy raised her head out of the water first and grabbed a piece of debris before grabbing Rainbow Dash by the hair and pulling her up to safety by using the debris as a floatation device--the other pirates would use their own pieces to save themselves from drowning. Everyone then turned towards their leader wondering what her next move was going to be.

Derpy broke the silence. " That didn't work, ma'am..."

" I know Derpy... I know."

" Are you alright?"

Rainbow Dash was crestfallen. " The masked one... She lied to us. I can't believe that I was blinded by her words all because she brought up treasure. Gah! I'm... going to need to think about my priorities when we get back in addition to considering stepping down as your leader." The other pirates were shocked but Rainbow quickly silenced them. Before any of you start freaking out, it's my decision to make and you will all respect it. Let's... let's just go back home for now, okay? I'm kind of tired."

The sounds of the pirates ringed through my ears as I watched them get flung about by the powerful vortex that surrounded the temple. While my heart wanted whoever was among them to be okay, I couldn't help but feel that they deserved it because of the poor choices they made. I had no doubt Rainbow Dash was one of the pirates who got thrown about yet I couldn't go back and see if she would be fine. My focus had to be on the temple though it did look pretty intimidating even as the turtle swam through what I perceived was the main entrance of whatever this place looked like.

Upon entering the opening chamber, I was in complete awe of the kind of surrounding I had found myself in. The ceiling consisted of pipes that inter-tangled with one another with water dripping down from them every now and again, the walls looked old and in desperate need of repair, and there was this strange presence in the air that was making feel very uneasy though I couldn't understand why. Was I sensing whatever was behind the problems of Great Bay? Was it nerves on my part? Or was I feeling immense guilt over not going back and helping out Rainbow Dash.

There was a small gap in the water that the turtle used to line up next to the ground, and upon stopping it lowered its head allowing me to jump down. Waving at it as a sign of appreciation for having braved such a difficult journey to get here, I turned my attention towards figuring out what to do first.

" Already this place seems intimidating." I said.

" The first thing is to find a map so that we know where we're going." Twilight said.

" I doubt there's one in this room so we might as well go through that door in front of us."

" Yes, but why not look around here first?" Twilight asked. " We may find something of use that we'd otherwise neglect."

I looked around to see if there was something but all I could find were some unlit torches up on higher ground. " What about those torches? Usually, when I light them up, something happens like a treasure chest materializes or a door unlocks."

Princess Twilight took note of them. " Maybe lighting them will give us something?"

" I don't have any Deku Sticks on hand and I didn't restore my magic." I answered. This was one of those examples where I would kick myself for not having magic even though I was trying to distance myself from depending on it for everything. " We might have to come back later when I have magic."

" Maybe not."

" I don't understand."

Princess Twilight pointed at a series of barrels on either side of the turtle. " You might be able to smash them by rolling into them from a good distance. If any of them have any magic jars, then you can light up those torches, yet you'll need to become a human to do that."

Walking to the right of the turtle, there were four barrels though they all weren't lined up together. I didn't have any confidence rolling into them as a Zora, so I grabbed my face, took off the Zora Mask, and flipped my hair back for the first time in what felt like forever. Rolling into the first barrel and breaking it didn't yield anything but the second one revealed a large magic jar that I happily took.

My body felt more at ease knowing that it could use magic again yet I wasn't going to be dependent on it. I'd only use magic when it was necessary and the current situation with the unlit torches was one of those necessary moments.

Taking out the Hero's Bow and applying the Fire Arrow power to give my arrows that extra bit of oomph, I walked back around to the front of the turtle and up the ramp to the higher ground before aiming at the nearest torch. I had a premonition that the flames would only last for a short period of time before extinguishing themselves and that meant lighting them up quickly without wasting magic. It seemed using my fins while as a Zora had improved my aim as I lit each torch flawlessly using little magic--and arrows--resulting in a small chest materializing in front of the turtle when the final torch was lit.

Walking back down the ramp and kicking the chest open, I was surprised that it contained a blue coloured Stray Fairy. I had no idea where the Great Fairy's Fountain was located on the beach since I didn't get to explore everything, but I'd deal with that problem later once this temple had been completed and the giant saved. It did mean having to work a little quicker as resetting time would reverse my efforts in restoring the Adagio of Great Bay back to her former glory.

Since there was nothing else left for me to do in this room, I walked up to the door and opened it only for my eyes to open wide and my jaw to drop--Princess Twilight had the exact same reaction upon witnessing the same thing. We were now witnessing what made Great Bay Temple the way it was.

(1.) This was actually written in Lulu's diary in the game.