The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Majora's Mask

by Ganondorf8

Chapter 46: Rehearsal

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Majora's Mask
By Ganondorf8
February 27, 2017
Chapter 46: Rehearsal.

While I may not have been entirely familiar with the situation that occurred between the members of the Indigo-Go's, I knew enough to know that they were having issues all because of Rarity losing her voice, yet that was no longer an issue since her eggs were now in Daring Do's capable hands. So what could have been causing the problem now? Since the temple had been rid of Gyorg, the side-effects affecting Great Bay would eventually change back to normal, namely the temperature of the water. If anything, everyone would be celebrating such a thing happening, yet they weren't and it was making me feel worried.

Had the Gerudo Pirates somehow gotten themselves out of the fix they were in during their attempt to invade Great Bay Temple and came to Zora Hall just to steal back the eggs in a fit of vengeance. Did that mean I had to go back to their fortress and through all those traps again? Did that mean having to fight Rainbow Dash once again? I was hoping none of this was true but not for the obvious reasons. My battle against Gyorg had left me feeling incredibly exhausted and my body really wanted me to rest for several hours, yet there was no time for that as I still needed to restore Adagio back to normal by returning the Stray Fairies.

There was of course the big problem regarding those and that involved where I was supposed to take them. Unlike the previous two regions of Termina where I knew the location of the Great Fairy's Fountains--they were practically next to their respective temples--the location of the third fountain was a complete mystery. In other words I had no idea on where to even begin looking and I didn't want to waste time.

Now that I think about it, the Zoras know just about everything there is to know regarding Great Bay so surely one of them will know where the fountain is. Of course, I had to be subtle in my approach as no doubt Thunderlane knew the location too, and asking point-blank could lead them to suspect that I wasn't who I said I was. First, I needed to solve my current problem. I doubted they would share any information about where to find the fountain until the Indigo-Go's had performed on stage so there was no point in even trying, yet which of the band members was the right one to ask first?

Each of them had their own stories to tell with regards to the issue yet some were easier to communicate with than others. Rarity was most likely going to be the least helpful as she only recently got her voice back--I didn't want her to go through any kind of discomfort until she was ready--while Coloratura would have been too easy since she knew more about what was going on than the rest of them did. That left me with just Double Diamond and Party Favour, the two out of the loop so to speak--neither of them had been told all that much making them practically innocent--and the best place to start.

Before doing anything else, I knew that in order to learn anything, I needed to become a Zora. If their tribe were the same as the Deku and Goron tribes, they didn't want to talk about anything to non-tribe members for security reasons. It didn't bother me personally as I was enjoying being a Zora due to their graceful nature.

Taking out the Zora Mask and making sure no one was watching--I didn't want to cause a panic by suddenly changing into one of them--I placed it on my face and squatted down before watching my body parts shimmer as they changed from human to Zora. On the plus side, I didn't have to switch back and forth. I could remain like this until I needed to change back to normal.

" Sunset?" Twilight asked.

" What is it?" I asked back.

" Do you have any idea what we're supposed to be doing now?"

I nodded. " We need to take the Stray Fairies back to their fountain so that we can restore Adagio, but I have no idea where it is and I know you don't know either. I figure that we can ask of the Zoras but I don't think they'll be willing right now until they see the Indigo-Go's perform."

" Fair enough yet where are they?"

" That's what I intend to find out."

Princess Twilight was shocked. " They should have been out on the stage by now since everything has been resolved but it feels like we haven't done anything if they're still holed up in their rooms. Why would you go out of your way to help them deal with their bickering? I know you're the kind of person who needs to help out those in need and I understand that better than most, but it seems they don't personally care if nothing is done."

" That's why I think something happened while we were in the temple."

" Do you suspect the pirates?"

I took a few seconds before shrugging my shoulders. " I personally hope not as we don't have enough time to go through their fortress again so hopefully this is something that can be resolved quickly and is local."

" Fair enough." Princess Twilight said. " So which of the band members should we ask first?"

" Rarity is still recovering from her ordeal so there's no reason to ask her." I answered. " Coloratura knows too much information and while she would be the preferred choice, I doubt she would want to say anything. After all, I'm supposed to know about it due to assuming Mikau's life."

Princess Twilight scratched her head. " To be logical about it, Sunset, Coloratura would be the best person to ask because of what you just said, but I do understand why you feel she may not be helpful until we have a better understanding of what has really been happening around here." She then floated towards the door nearest to the main entrance before coming back over to me. " Why not start with the Zora who shares the same room that Mikau does? You need to look convincing to everyone else and he did provide us with the initial hint that Rarity was special--in this world rather than back in her world."

" You want me to act like a snobbish celebrity?"

Princess Twilight shook her head. " I don't think that is what Mikau and the other band members do despite their fame so you can just be all casual about it. Besides, I know this isn't like me to say this but it's not everyday that you get to go around being someone famous, idolized by those all around you."

I had to roll my eyes in response to that. Princess Twilight was famous for being a princess in Equestria and while she never let it consume her way of life, other ponies treated her like she were a goddess or something. No doubt she never got used to it and insisted on them viewing her as being like everyone else. A part of me wanted to know what it was like to be adored by the masses--not in the twisted vain the Dazzlings sought--yet I knew such a thing would never happen to me.

On the one hand, my past prevented me from ever becoming a princess as I abused my position as Princess Celestia's student. And on the other, I actually didn't want to have to go through being stared by so many eyes and not having any privacy. In a way, Her Highness was living both my dream and my nightmare. Still, I was surprised that she would go out and say that regarding the current situation. It's like she knew that I wanted to become an alicorn and wished to be adored by our fellow ponies given how difficult my life had been prior to changing it.

Was this her way of giving me that which was beyond my reach? If so then she knew me a lot better than I knew myself. While she could have been more open about it instead of being all cryptic--it could have been a princess type thing--I did appreciate the kind words. One day, I will become an alicorn worthy of the title though I had no idea what my title would be since I never really thought about it before.

With my current objective in mind, I began to walk towards the door that lead to Thunderlane and Double Diamond's room. Along the way, many Zoras kept on looking at me, admiration flowing through their eyes, making me feel very uncomfortable, but then this was the kind of lifestyle Mikau was used to--I really needed to address him by that name rather than continuing to use Thunderlane--though I was certain he never took advantage of it. When I reached the door, the same Zora from before was standing in front though he said nothing and stood aside, allowing me to enter.

Nothing had changed in this room since I was here last though Double Diamond seemed a lot more cheerful than usual. He kept on looking at a poster on the wall that described the up-coming Carnival of Time and it didn't take me long to figure out the significance. I wished that I could tell him that the carnival was cancelled but I chose to keep silent as it was something that Coloratura would have to ultimately reveal.

I walked up to him and he smiled. " Hey, Mikau! Where have you been?"

" I had to take care of problems in the temple."

Double Diamond was shocked to say the least. " Whoa! You actually went there!? No wonder the ocean has been slowly changing back to normal. I knew you were the heroic type but never did I think you would go there. The only ones who would ever go there have a death wish or something. Still, it's vindication for me since it meant that I was right about Lulu being the guardian." He began acting smug though he quickly stopped upon seeing that I didn't find it very amusing. " Ahem... I always believed Lulu had a unique destiny though it wasn't easy figuring out the signs. If not for you restoring her voice and awakening the giant turtle out back, I'd have doubted all reasoning."

" You heard her singing?"

" When you've been around Lulu long enough, you know when she will do it."

Suddenly it hit me! How did he know about the turtle? I had to ask him. " How did you know that a turtle appeared outside?"

" Lulu mentioned it after coming back inside." Double Diamond answered. " She was shocked at seeing that rock formation change into such a large creature but it was the power of her singing that did the trick. Still, I wish she could get over what happened."

My ears perked up upon him saying that. " Huh? What are you talking about?"

Double Diamond paused before answering. " Um... Something happened while you were in the temple, Mikau, and well, you see... the thing is... um..." I could tell he was trying to dodge the question so I slammed my hands onto his drums, prompting him to almost jump out of his seat. " Ack! Okay! I'll tell you what I know! Just don't scare me like that! Lulu came back inside and she looked like something had messed with her mind, like she looked vacant. Evan took her to her room and tried to see if anyone could figure out what was wrong but she said she needed a few minutes to recuperate."

" Did you believe that?"

Double Diamond shook his head. " That's what Evan said when I asked but I don't think he was telling me the truth. I don't get why Japas and I are always kept out of the loop when it comes to these things. We're part of this band too and we deserve to know when something's going down. Though in this case you don't know anything as well so at least we're not the only ones."

" I should speak to Evan."

" That would be the best thing to do."

I was about to turn and leave when I suddenly remembered the Great Fairy's Fountain. " Do you remember where the fairy fountain is? I was thinking of going there after the upcoming rehearsal but I need a reminder." In my mind, I was sweating pretty badly knowing that I said that completely wrong.

Double Diamond was silent at first leading me to believe that I made a serious blunder but then he leaned forward. " Sorry, Mikau, but I have no idea where it is. To be honest, I've never actually been there before."

Was he serious!? Did he honestly not know!? I felt like throttling him for that but I knew that wasn't the right thing to do. Perhaps Double Diamond knew someone who would know the location. " Okay, so who would be able to tell me?"

" I'd say Evan would know." Double Diamond answered. The look on his face told me that he wasn't sure about his answer but I wasn't about to argue. " I'm definitely sure she knows where to go though I'm surprised you needed to ask me something that you've known for years. Maybe going through the temple gave you a rough time and you can't think straight right now. Oh well. Pay me no mind, Mikau." I then turned around and began walking away when Double Diamond coughed prompting me to look back. In his hand was a book that looked to be written in Zora script. " You might want to take your diary with you."

" Huh? Why would I want that?"

" You see... When I was cleaning up your part of the room, I sort of broke the ladder you use."

" What made you think that it needed cleaning?"

" I thought it was a good idea."

I rubbed the bridge of my nose and moaned. " Never mind! Anway, why would I want my diary?"

" Japas said something about having a jam session with you before the rehearsal and I know you never back down from anything like that." Double Diamond answered. " I figured you'd forget what you both practiced last time--it was a few months ago--so why not humour him for a while and jam with him? Besides, it would make him feel a lot better considering how irritable he's been lately what with him and I being left out of the loop."

He handed over the diary before resuming looking at the poster on the wall and I opened the book to see what Mikau had written down. If I wasn't a Zora, I'd have not been able to understand a single word since the script written on each page looked archaic. Unlike Goron writing, Zora writing was much more complex in that it used special symbols to describe the feelings of any given situation. It seemed Mikau loved writing in his diary as most of the pages were filled with nothing but Zora script though many pages also had rough drafts of songs most likely penned by him though their purpose was a mystery.

Most of the pages talked about his life experiences and I chose not to read them out of respect for his passing but there were two pages in particular that proved interesting, and involved what he and Party Favour did regarding their jam session. The first page read: "Today I had a jam session with Japas. He's not good with words, but he writes great riffs. Here's what I played."(1.) I was fortunate in that I knew how to play a guitar otherwise what he wrote down would have made no sense to me. I had to admit that the notes were simple in execution yet conveyed a sense of wanting to branch out on their own.

I turned to the next page. "Today, I had Lulu listen to my session with Japas. She seemed to like it a lot. Lulu's a pretty great girl, after all." No wonder I felt strange whenever I was close to Rarity. It all stemmed from Mikau's love for her--I mean, Lulu--though it appeared he held back his feelings. It felt like it was a complicated relationship though it was unfortunate that it ended in tragedy due to what happened--I wondered if Rarity knew I wasn't him or did know and pretended to be ignorant. I turned to the next page. "Today, I had another jam session with Japas. Evan was in a bad mood 'cause the two of us are writin' songs on our own. Here's what I played."

These next notes were as simple as the previous ones yet I suspected they would make more sense when played alongside Party Favour. I was concerned by what was written down regarding Coloratura. Princess Twilight said that she was someone who was very approachable and loved her fans getting a chance to talk to her as a regular pony. It felt weird knowing her counterpart in Termina had issues over wanting to be the only one allowed to write songs. She was acting like some kind of control freak.

I turned to the next page to discover that it was the last entry and while I didn't want to read it, my heart compelled me to go forward with it. "Evan called me over this morning. It was something about Lulu. She was in a real rush. I wonder what it could be? By the way, it seems my lucky colour this week is green." Without saying another word, I handed the diary back to Double Diamond, who promptly put it on a nearby shelf, and I left the room in silence before thinking about that final entry. I couldn't believe it. It was like Thunderlane--Mikau--had a premonition of my arrival due to his lucky colour. My mind felt like screaming out loud but I couldn't bring myself to doing it.

No wonder the Indigo-Go's were miserable. All of their problems were connected to each other and they put on a brave face to ensure that their fans didn't know that there was a problem to begin with. If it wasn't for the Gerudo Pirates wanting Rarity's eggs, none of this would have happened. No... If it wasn't for Starlight Glimmer convincing Rainbow Dash to steal the eggs in the first place, none of this would have happened. I had a burning desire to make Starlight pay but part of me couldn't go through with it--the Giants wanting me to help her also provided a reason for not making her pay.

Sighing in silence, I walked over to Party Favour's room, the Zora standing in front moved aside, and as I opened the door, I barely noticed a group of Zora running towards me, obsession filled their faces, like they were expecting something good to happen. Party Favour stood before me, his expression was different from before, but I could tell something was bothering him based on his mannerisms.

As I walked up to him, he responded in kind. " Mikau! I was wondering when you were gonna pay me a visit." His attempt at appearing happy proved ineffective as the tone of his voice gave him away. " Lulu got her voice back and everything seemed good but now she needs some rest after some kind of wicked deal that happened out back."

" Did it have to do with a giant turtle?"

" Naw man!" Party Favour answered, shaking his head. " I wasn't able to get all of the details before Evan took her to her room, but she said something about seeing pirates and two strange creatures that seemed outta this world. Evan thinks she may have suffered from a slight spell after suddenly getting back her voice yet I think there's more to it than that. Evan is trying to hide something again and it's gotten both me and Tijo agitated to no end. We were finally about to begin our rehearsal when this act happened. Sometimes, I think being a member of this band is bogus!"

" Can you really blame Evan for acting that way?"

Party Favour shook his head. " No, I suppose not. Heh... You always knew how to remain calm in a situation, Mikau."

" I've had practice."

" Word is out that you saved Great Bay by going to the temple." Party Favour said. " Way to live up to your ancestors' legacy by doing whatever you did in there. I was planning on setting up some big party balloons in celebration but with this recent stunt by Evan, I'm afraid I'm just not in the partying mood. You know, she should have just taken Lulu over to the fairy fountain and have the Great Fairy deal with whatever affected her out back."

I shook my head. " That wouldn't have done much."

Party Favour didn't take my response too kindly. " Whoa! That's bogus, Mikau! I never thought I'd hear you say that about Lulu."

I waved my hands in front of him in an attempt to diffuse the problem. " It's not that at all. The Great Fairy's body got shattered to pieces by a prankster and hidden throughout the temple to prevent her from being restored. Even if Evan had taken Lulu over to the fountain, it would have been in vain."

" Really? Someone did that?"

" Yes."

" Then I take back my previous statement about you." Party Favour said. " I've no doubt you're on the level about the Great Fairy, Mikau, since you've seen her more times than anyone else--all those fights with the pirates took their toll--so I guess Lulu will just have to recover from this issue on her own. Speaking of Evan, I was thinking that we need the right kind of song for our upcoming concert."

I couldn't say anything to him about it being cancelled either so I went along. " Won't she come up with something?"

" Yeah, but she always wants her work to be appreciated! There are others who can write songs too you know."

" Like us?"

" And here I thought you had forgotten about what we've been doing." Party Favour answered. He strummed the strings on his instrument, nodding his head to the beat before pointing his finger at me. " Mikau! Why not join me for a little jam session? With what we practiced before, we could easily make our own song. What do you say?" I nodded in response and he smiled. " Knew you'd be up for it. As always, I'll start off and you follow along."

I took out the fish-bone guitar and waited for Party Favour to begin playing. Fortunately, I remembered the notes written down in the diary and suspected they needed to be played in the right order for it to count. In my mind, I was hoping for a simple jamming session that wouldn't result in someone wanting to go absolutely crazy.

I was reminded of one time back at Canterlot High when we had a jam session. Rainbow Dash took it too far and almost caused a power failure because of channeling so much magical energy into her playing. I'm surprised that the worst thing that happened was shorting out the light bulb in the band room.

Party Favour began strumming a few notes before turning things over to me. I liked what he played though it wouldn't really mean anything if I didn't respond in kind so I did by playing the first set of notes from the diary. I panicked slightly because of not wanting to make a mistake, thus ruining Thunderlane's reputation, but I succeeded and he reacted by nodding before playing some more notes. This time I played the second set of notes with more confidence and Party Favour was really impressed with what we had.

The two of us then began playing our respective parts together to create a melody that attracted the Zora I saw approaching the door outside. While I couldn't see what they were doing out there, I sensed that they were enjoying the jam session given what had been happening throughout Great Bay as of late. From my perspective, this was a delight and I didn't have to play backup--you could thank Rainbow Dash for that.

I smiled. " Now that was pretty good."

Party Favour nodded his approval. " It's got a good feel to it and I'm sure our adoring fans heard it outside. No doubt Evan would love to hear those notes herself but she's proud of her own work. She'd resent us for coming up with our own song and I doubt she would allow Tijo and Lulu to try it out because she didn't write it. If only there were a way for Evan to play it and not figure out that we were the ones who came up with it."

" I might have a solution."

" Really? Figured you might."

" I was planning on speaking to her anyway so I could get her to listen to what we came up with."

" Good luck with that, Mikau." Party Favour said. " If Evan likes our song then we'll perform it during the rehearsal and really wow the crowd at the carnival tomorrow night. I think this is the beginning of something big for us. You go on and speak with her and I'll keep on practicing until we go out on stage later."

Leaving him to do exactly that, I put my fish-bone guitar away, turned towards the door, and walked forward eventually leaving his room and back outside in the main area. The group of Zoras had since departed though they were close by as I could hear their giggling--Zora Hall was notorious for the echoes that bounced off the walls--yet my mind was focused on what was happening with Rarity.

I had to go into the temple to rescue the Giant yet it appeared something happened while I was away. What Party Favour said about her seeing pirates and two creatures didn't make sense but it was all I had to rely on. My heart wanted me to speak with Rarity as she knew what happened yet I felt compelled to speak with Coloratura first as she knew the location of the Great Fairy's Fountain. Plus, I needed to play the music Party Favour and I had concocted. How could I get her to hear it without making it obvious as to what was really going on?

" Having trouble with that jam session problem?" Twilight asked.

" How did you know?" I asked.

" I didn't need much convincing, Sunset."

" What can I do? I don't want to let Party Favour down."

" And you won't have to."

" I'm not sure I follow."

" You can perform the sequence you two played to Coloratura by playing as a human." Twilight said. " I know it sounds weird since you need to be a Zora to access her room and then change back long enough for the song before becoming a Zora again, but the best thing you can do is to deal with the problem involving Rarity and asking Coloratura where to find the fairy fountain. Once she's answered those questions, you can perform that sequence."

" That sounds really convoluted."

" I know but what other choice is there?"

I was about to make a counter-argument but ultimately chose not to say anything. In truth, I couldn't come up with something and instead resigned my fate by going along with what Her Highness suggested. I was surprised that she didn't suggest my other forms though maybe that was because Gorons didn't like the water while Deku Scrubs were looked down upon by the other tribes because of what they were. On the bright side, I now had a means of playing the melody that Party Favour and I created without tipping off Coloratura as to what his--Party Favour--intentions were. I just needed to come up with an excuse as to how I got into Coloratura's room as a human.

Walking up to her door, the Zora standing out front gave me a salute before stepping aside. I thought it pretty odd that he would do that but I wasn't about to start questioning his behaviour; I had other things that needed taking care of.

Entering Coloratura's room, she was standing in front of her piano and furiously writing stuff down on pieces of paper. No doubt she was writing down songs for the concert despite knowing that it had been cancelled--only she knew this and kept it from the others--though from what I remembered. she did this as a means of trying to deal with the problems that had been plaguing Great Bay and Rarity in particular. Why was she acting like this now when peace had been restored and Rarity's voice was back? Something told me that whatever happened outside was involved.

Just thinking about it made me feel mad inside for doing the right thing. If only I had been able to finish the temple a lot sooner, I could have protected Rarity from whatever happened to her instead of trying to figure out what was wrong. While I could reset time and save her, that wouldn't really change anything and it would label me as abusing the power I had been given just because I couldn't cut it. No... I intended on playing this out. Hopefully, I could get some sort of clue and the best person to ask at the moment was standing right there with her back to me.

I began walking forward towards Coloratura, my footsteps splashing about in the water, loud enough for her to hear and turn herself around to see me. " Mikau! I always knew you were a true hero but I never thought you could pull it off!" Coloratura said.

" So you heard about my exploits in the temple?" I asked.

Coloratura nodded. " It's hard not to know especially when the water slowly becomes the right temperature for us to swim about and the underwater creatures disappearing. Your ancestors are no doubt smiling down upon you for having lived up to their expectations." She suddenly turned her back and scrunched up some of her papers, tossing them aside with a lot of vigor before turning to face me again. " I hope this doesn't mean you plan on focusing on your heroics instead of your music. We still need you as lead guitarist to serenade our fans with your usual brand of music."

" I needed to see you about something."

" That's funny since I needed to see you."

" How... coincidental."

" Allow me to start since this is important." Coloratura said. " While you were inside the temple taking care of business, Lulu was waiting outside for you to return. She began singing to herself as a means of practicing to get her voice back in order when she said that something strange happened. She doesn't remember all of the details--it's like her memories of what happened outside have disappeared--but she said that the pirates and twos strange creatures showed up. The pirates got washed up out back thanks to something they did but these creatures are something new."

" Creatures?"

Coloratura nodded. " Lulu said they looked like demonic monsters but she couldn't go into details."

" Anything else?"

Coloratura shook her head. " She can't remember anything else and when I tried asking, she just asked me to take her to her room so that she could rest for a while." She turned around and slammed both hands down on the keys of her piano almost crushing them from the force of her pounding. " Gah! Just when it looked like things were looking up for our band, this had to happen. What in the world could be going on out in the world that the Indigo-Go's have to suffer for it as a result?"

I walked up beside her. " I don't know but you can't let this get to you." I placed my hand on her shoulder. " Why don't I talk to her about it? If anyone can get through to her, it would be me given how close the two of us are."

" Yes, I suppose you're right." Coloratura said, breathing softly. " Lulu has liked you for as long as anyone can remember and she always says you're a great listener. If you can convince her to go through with the rehearsal, we can get things set up and perform for our fans. I know the concert is getting cancelled and all according to what Ms. Toto told me through her message but I don't want us getting rusty."

" Wait a minute! The rehearsal got delayed because of Lulu?"

Coloratura nodded. " We were waiting for you to get back from the temple so that we could practice but then Lulu had this little episode and now we're waiting for her to feel better so that we can get things started."

Now things were beginning to make some sense. Rarity experienced something outside that caused her distress but couldn't remember the details and instead said random things without much credit to back them up. I didn't know what to think about the two creatures she supposedly saw though if I were to find out more, I needed to ask her about it and hoped for her cooperation despite how painful it would be for her. The Gerudo Pirates being outside was much more believable yet they most likely drifted down here when they landed in the water after being thrown about by that tornado.

Creatures... demonic creatures... somehow, I just couldn't get that mental image out of my mind. It sounded like Sunset Demon and someone else though I couldn't be sure as it was a longshot at best. The she-demon was gone for good and was part of my past that I've moved on from, but was it possible that she was still alive? I doubted it before when the initial thought occurred to me yet now I began thinking otherwise. If Sunset Demon were alive, why couldn't I detect her presence? Her magic most likely had been repressed much like my own because of the magical imbalance of this world but was this imbalance shielding her?

The she-demon pushed me to the limits of endurance, far more than anything I had ever faced in my entire life--not even Ganondorf himself could hold a candle up the likes of her despite his actions--and I was frightened not by her presence but by the magic that dwelled within me. Never had I experienced magic of that caliber--I was powerful for a unicorn--and I feared I could lose control of my actions. If I hadn't mastered my ability to pony up out of anger resulting from being on death's doorstep, I might be dead right now and Sunset Demon would be parading around as the real Sunset Shimmer in her own manner of speaking.

It was at that moment where Coloratura interrupted my train of thought. " Mikau? Are you okay?"

I came out of my thought process with confusion. " Huh? What did you say?"

" Are you okay? You zoned out there for a while and I was wondering if something had hit you on the head."

" Now why would you say it like that?"

Coloratura laughed. " Because that's how you usually get your ideas, when something falls from above and smacks you on the head. In any case, you should go next door and see if Lulu is okay. If she gives you the good word then we can start preparing for our rehearsal." She grabbed a piece of paper that had some music notes scribbled down on it but before I had a chance to see it, it got crumpled up and tossed aside. " I need a new song and fast before we play before our fans! I'm usually very punctual but I appear to be lacking creativity. By the way... I received a message some time ago from the scientist over at the Oceanside Laboratory."

" What did she say?"

" Lulu's eggs are doing just fine and will be transferred over to Zora Hall in a few days."

" That's good to hear."

" Now what was it that you needed to tell me?"

Crap! I had almost forgotten about that! " It has to do with the Great Fairy's Fountain."

" I planned on taking Lulu over there in the morning but she insisted on staying here." Coloratura said. " To be honest, I don't think she would have been able to make it there what with how awkward the path gets. I understand it being located left of Zora Hall in the side of a cliff, but was it really necessary to have platforms serve as a path that require jumping to each one and requiring a special tool most Zora don't even have? Unless you had legendary leaping or jumping skills, reaching the fountain is impossible. I wish I still had my Hookshot from years ago but I sold it to make ends meet."

Talk about a stroke of good fortune. I was going to ask Coloratura how to get there and hoped to avoid exposing the truth to her, yet she went ahead and revealed to me where I needed to go in order to return the Stray Fairies and restore Adagio. Judging from her description of the path, it was a place that required using the Hookshot--most likely on trees--and that was when I realized what she had just said. Did she actually have her own Hookshot!? Why would anyone want to get rid of such a valuable item? Granted, she needed rupees but it still didn't make sense.

" Times were tough back then."

Coloratura nodded. " Before I joined the Indigo-Go's, I struggled to sustain myself so I had to do desperate things to survive."

I never knew that was the case with her and yet it gave me a new sense of respect for her. After all, I had to struggle when I first came to the world that I called home by surviving through any means necessary until I could get used to being human. Sure, I had times where I wanted to curse Princess Celestia for denying me my destiny but such feelings slowly got repressed and became the fuel needed for personal vengeance against her and all of Equestria. Manipulating others was also a means to an end as it enabled me to get what I wanted without having to sacrifice anything.

Even though I still struggle to make ends meet--I lived in the library of Canterlot High--I'm better off now than I was before. I do various odd-jobs here and there to keep myself occupied whilst trying to make sense of the magic that now existed all around me thanks to my bringing it to a world that never had it until then. It may not be glamourous but I enjoyed it for the life experiences.

That's when I quickly realized that I was starting to daydream again so I got back to the subject at hand. " The Great Fairy was shattered to pieces."

Coloratura was shocked. " What!? How could it be!?"

" Someone shattered her body and hid fifteen Stray Fairies in the temple."

" You did pick them up, yes?"

I nodded. " I have them with me."

" Then you should go there immediately after we've finished our rehearsal." Coloratura said. " Now if you'll excuse me, I need to come up with a song for us to perform within the next ten minutes or so."

It was painfully obvious that she was struggling to come up with something good judging from how many pieces of wet paper were floating about the water, yet I knew that she needed help otherwise the rehearsal would be nothing short of disastrous. It also meant having to change forms long enough to give the inspiration she needs much to my own annoyance of having to switch between bodies for something small.

Sighing, I took several steps backwards before grabbing my face, and taking off the Zora Mask, flipping my hair back in the process upon changing back to a human. My first thought was to quietly announce my presence though that would involve coming up with an excuse that she could believe in. After all, in Coloratura's mind, I would have been an intruder who got past the Zora blocking the door to her room. My next thought was to just simply play the result of the jam session I had with Party Favour, yet she may not understand what I was doing, and would still view me as an intruder.

I took out the Ocarina of Time from the pouch on my belt and was about to play the notes when Coloratura turned around and spotted me. My only reaction was to quickly come up with an ideal response. " Um... Hi?"

" How did you get in here!?"

" Um..."

" This is absurd!" Coloratura shouted. " I distinctly told that Zora outside not to let anyone in here other than Mikau and what did he go and do? He allowed someone to come in here and disrupt my thought process. Not only that but the someone is a human of all things!"

" Sorry for coming in unannounced."

" As you should be!"

" I was hoping you'd be willing to listen to something."

Coloratura raised her hand. " Sorry but I don't have time to listen to what you've got. I need to come up with something for our rehearsal in about ten minutes and my lead guitarist is off comforting our lead singer next door though I'm surprised he slipped out the door without making a sound." I began to sweat because the truth was that Mikau never left the room and was standing in front of her. At least she didn't put two and two together yet I had to be careful not to say the wrong thing or else she just might. " Since you obviously came a long way to see us perform, I can let you stick around so long as you don't break anything."

I nodded. " Can I practice playing my ocarina?"

" As long as you don't play too loudly."

Turning around and focusing on her song writing, Coloratura was now completely ignoring me, and I breathed a sigh of relief knowing that I just dodged a bullet. However, I had no time to practice like I said I would because I needed to give her the inspiration she needed. I began playing the jam session through my mind to make sure that I remembered how it went before playing the entire sequence on my ocarina. It didn't sound as good as I hoped yet it seemed to have had an effect on Coloratura. She lifted her head and tilted it to the side upon hearing my song and began thinking.

" That song! Hmmm... I wonder if I could..." She began scribbling something down whilst looking pleased with herself. " Hmmm... It works, it works, it works!" Coloratura then played the results of the jam session with a lot of gusto as though it were her destiny. Princess Twilight started crying tears of joy though I was just struck with awe over what I was seeing with my own eyes. I had heard from Her Highness that Coloratura was quite the piano sensation in Equestria and this definitely proved it. And when she finished by striking the final keys in epic fashion, there were no words to describe how I had been floored by such grace.

" Wow..." I said quietly.

" Not bad... That's a pretty good song I just made up!"

" If you say so."

" You're not thinking I'm stealing your song are you?" Coloratura asked. I shook my head. " Well, I'm sorry if that's what you think. If it will make you feel any better, I could adjust the tempo a little and throw in a couple of other tweaks until it's become my own creation. You know, you've got a good sense of melody! We'll play my new song at our upcoming rehearsal and maybe even during our next show. If that still doesn't make you feel better, then take this thanks for the inspiration."

She handed over a Piece of Heart that I immediately took and felt the warmth coming from it enveloping around me. While I ended up getting something good in the end, I felt bad for Party Favour as his hard work had just been usurped by Coloratura. It wasn't the kind of conclusion I was expecting but at least it had been taken care of. Now all I needed to do was deal with Rarity, perform in this rehearsal, and visit Adagio so that she could be restored.

I quietly tip-toed over to the door, slipped on the Zora Mask, and opened the door as I was transforming. By the time I came back out into the main area of Zora Hall, I had changed into Mikau once again and pretended that nothing weird had happened--I still disliked the fact that I had to be a human for a few minutes. Walking towards Rarity's room, my knees suddenly buckled, making me think something went wrong with the transformation, and upon getting back onto my feet, the reason behind the buckle was exhaustion. My body needed to rest but I couldn't since the rehearsal needed to be done.

Walking up to Rarity's room--and watching the creepy Zora from before running away--and opening the door, I walked inside and sitting on a fancy looking seat was Rarity, who immediately smiled upon seeing me enter.

" Mikau... I was wondering when you would come and see me." Rarity said.

" Sorry for taking so long."

" No doubt you were busy talking to the others about what happened to me."

" How did you know?"

" It was premonition."

I could tell what she was getting at but I couldn't return the affection sadly as I wasn't the person she thought I was. " You mentioned something about an encounter that happened outside after I left to go to the temple."

Rarity nodded. " I do not remember much because of something strange that affected my mind but what I do recall was seeing the Gerudo Pirates washed up on the shore outside yet it was the strange creatures that have been burned into my memory."

" What kind of creatures were they?"

" I... I do not recall their appearances." Rarity answered, grabbing her head as though she were in pain. " I feel like my mind has been turned inside out resulting in my current condition, yet the creatures I saw didn't look to be altogether human."

" Were they demons?"

Rarity was taken aback by my question. " Demons? Here? In Great Bay? I cannot recall what they were exactly, darling, but I wouldn't call them demons. Nothing like that would be seen around the ocean. If anything, the only place one would find demons, or anything similar to that, in Termina would be in that one region where nothing exists anymore. Heaven forbid that anything that lurks there ever came here."

While her answer wasn't what I was hoping for, it did give me an idea as to what was to come in the final region. It sounded like it was a place where no one lived aside from monsters yet surely there were some people living there. I thought about asking Rarity anything else about it but refrained as I felt she wouldn't want to think about it. Besides, she sounded like she didn't know much anyway as she didn't provide a name for this final region. But back to the matter of what she could remember seeing outside, I was certain that Sunset Demon was what Rarity saw but now I wasn't so sure about that.

Why couldn't she recall what happened? I've heard of some people experiencing a mental block when they see something that scares them but this wasn't the case at all. Rarity saw something and now no longer could remember what it was? I smelt a cover up of some kind... yet that wasn't the only thing I sensed. I was surprised actually that no one ever thought to sniff her considering she was giving off a weird smell though it may not have been appropriate. I sniffed a few times and immediately cringed without her noticing, my suspicion being proven correct though I needed to talk to Princess Twilight in private.

Perhaps Her Highness also sensed the same thing, perhaps even more so than me since she never stopped doing that kind of thing. In any case, I couldn't tell Rarity what had happened to her otherwise she could freak out and things would only get worse. Instead, I knelt down and looked her straight in the eyes, her smile making me feel better. " Whatever you saw out there is gone now so don't worry about it anymore. You've been through plenty already, Lulu." It still felt weird using Lulu instead of Rarity for her name.

" I am sorry for worrying everyone."

" If you'd like, we could postpone the rehearsal until tomorrow so that you can rest."

Rarity shook her head. " No, I will be alright, darling. Our fans want to see us perform before we leave for Clock Town and I for one do not want to disappoint them. I was hoping that we were going to perform our most famous song, "Ballad of the Wind Fish" but Evan has been busy trying to come up with something new. Unlike our fans, the people of Clock Town are very particular with what they deem as music so we need to wow them with something fresh."

" There is something I need to tell you." I said. I had to inform her that I would need to leave after the rehearsal but I didn't want to give her the wrong idea and make her think I was never coming back--technically that was true since none of this would matter upon resetting time--but I wanted her to know what I intended on doing. " When we've finished with the rehearsal... I need to visit the Great Fairy's Fountain so that she may be restored."

" That is understandable, Mikau, though I do not see why you needed to be so formal about it."

" There's more."

" Oh?"

" Once I've finished there, I need to leave Great Bay for a time so that I can help save Termina."

Rarity's expression upon hearing my words was exactly what I was expecting yet I didn't expect her response to be what it was. " It has to do with the moon falling, yes? You do not need to say a word about it, Mikau. Most of the Zora have ignored it, but I know that it is a sign that our world faces a threat unlike anything it has ever felt before, and that you must go forth to save it. Fate has chosen you for a greater purpose and I for one will not prevent you from seeking it out."

" Rarity..."

" Hmmm? Rarity? That is a strange name, but it feels right to me somehow, like it was a name I was associated with in another time, in another world." Rarity said. Crap! Did I just say that out loud and even after going so long calling everyone by the names they went by in this world? I felt embarrassed to no end yet Rarity was perfectly fine with as though she knew thing weren't supposed to be this way. Could it be that her Element of Generosity had come forth but in a different manner? " In any case, Mikau, I will tell the others what it is you must do and I will make certain they understand.

" Thank you."

" Promise me that you will perform at the concert tomorrow."

I nodded my head even though I knew deep down that such a thing wasn't possible. The real Mikau was dead and all I was doing was living out his life so that his mission could be complete and he could rest in peace. That mission was over now so it made sense for me to disappear so that the reality of the situation could sink in. I also believed Rarity knew that the one she loved in this world was no longer alive yet didn't say anything about it. In her heart, she didn't want this to end but knew it had to.

Getting up from her seat, Rarity took a few steps forward though she lost her balance prompting me to catch her. I didn't care if this was intentional as I didn't want her to see her hurt herself but she insisted that she was fine and wanted to get the rest of the band together for the rehearsal. While my own body wasn't faring well as a result of my own exhaustion due to lack of sleep, I could keep going until the rehearsal was over.

" Who would have guessed that the next one would be so close?" Midnight Sparkle asked.

" While I am not thrilled with having to deal with that one, I must agree that her being in the same general area does make it easy for us." Sunset Demon said. " However, we need to be quick as there is no telling when Sunset Shimmer will reset time using whatever powers she possesses here."

" It seems you're no longer jealous about that."

" Every time she does it, she is forced to endure the fact that everything she has done becomes lost to time."

" So in a way, you love seeing her suffer for it?"

Sunset Demon nodded before looking down at her hands. " I still intend on becoming the one true Sunset Shimmer, the one she was meant to be instead of giving it up in the name of friendship, but I know now that patience is needed for me to achieve my goal. While my temper has been problematic in addition to you testing my patience with your questionable actions, I'm relatively calm compared to how I used to be. Sunset is someone who must use power to make her dreams come true, cast aside the weaknesses of friendship, caress power like it were her own child."

" Power isn't everything you know."

" It's the only thing I know." Sunset Demon said. " I exist because of her desire for power!"

" That does make things all the more interesting."

Sunset Demon suddenly lurched forward, grabbed Midnight Sparkle by her neck, and lifted her up. " You are going to listen to me as I will explain this just once. I have put up with your mannerisms so far because of what you did for me when we first met, but there comes a time where I can only take so much before needing to step in. You are free to do whatever it is that involves that other girl but do not incur my wrath. I may be calm right now, Midnight Sparkle, but that calmness can snap just like a twig." The she-demon's eyes then glowed a bright yellow signalling rage. " I will kill you without hesitation should you piss me off enough."

" Huh? What has brought this up?"

" Don't play dumb with me."

" You're not as stupid as you look."

" Like I said, piss me off enough and I will kill you."

Midnight Sparkle began laughing manically. " Do you really think I'm afraid of you? I know you think you're pretty tough, Sunset Demon, but remember that I brought you back from the brink and can easily put you back again. I wouldn't want to see you lose everything after coming this far."

Sunset Demon shook her before squeezing the neck of her companion causing her to choke a little. " I've been "killed" twice now so your threat falls on deaf ears. I have seen death with my own eyes and it holds no grip over my twisted black heart. You haven't had that experience yet so have you ever wondered what it would be like to writhe in agony and being trapped in a place where there is nothing but eternal torment until it becomes unbearable?" Midnight Sparkle shook her head rapidly causing the she-demon nothing but amusement while loosening her grip. " This is your one and only warning, Midnight Sparkle."

" Deeply noted."

" Let's continue what we came here for." Sunset Demon said. She then slammed Midnight Sparkle to the ground and stepped on both of her wings. " Before this is all said and done, you are going to share everything with me regarding that device of yours. I don't care what you say in protest but I will know all." She bent down until her face was mere inches from her companion's now frightened face. " Remember what I said. Let those words forever be burned into that nightmare you call a mind."

Midnight Sparkle began coughing. " Gasp! You didn't have to be so serious with the choking but I understand now. I'll tell you everything when we've finished our business here since this the last one we need to see before going back to that wasteland in the east." She got back onto her feet, wiped off the dirt from her outfit, and took to the sky followed closely by Sunset Demon. " Pinkie Pie may be a different person here but her bizarre personality still exists. Because of this, we don't need to spend much time getting her to display something related to her Element of Harmony."

The two demons then took off from their location and began making their way towards the Oceanside Laboratory. Along the way, Midnight Sparkle explained that the magic she used to erase all memories of their presence had an unfortunate side-effect due to it being weaker than it should be. Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Derpy, and the other pirates would remember some aspects of what happened though they would struggle to recall exact details.

Unless they spoke to anyone who could understand what they were getting at, the encounter would be nothing but a dream. Sunset Demon was annoyed that the magic didn't work exactly as intended but there wasn't much that could be done about it.

Until Sunset used her powers to reset time, they had to hope that she didn't figure out that they were around. They knew that she would have spoken with Rarity on the principle that she was her friend and if she could remember enough of what happened, Sunset would know of their presence and do what was necessary to stop them. Sunset Demon personally had no problems with that though Midnight Sparkle insisted that they maintained hiding until everything was in place.

Above all else, they needed to make sure not to incur the wrath of Ganondorf, something Sunset Demon herself insisted given her prior experiences. For the two demons though, having to traverse about the land in such secrecy was something they didn't want to have to do but had no choice when it became apparent to them that their magic had been restrained because of unseen forces pervading Termina. If they had been capable of using the full extent of their magic, this world would have fallen in a short amount of time, but instead they had to rely on more subtle means to expand their agenda.

When the Oceanside Laboratory came into sight, Sunset Demon pointed out the red balloon that Pinkie Pie was attached to and promptly popped it by flying up and using the nail on her pinky finger causing Pinkie to fall down to the ground, her knees buckling as a result of the impact.

" Again!? Who decided it was a good idea to pop Tingle's balloon again?" Pinkie Pie asked.

" We made that choice." Sunset Demon answered as she and Midnight Sparkle landed.

" Gasp! You two... You look a lot like fairies what with those wings on your backs."

" Us!? Fairies!? Are you kidding me!?"

Pinkie Pie nodded. " One of the things that Tingle knows about fairy folk is that they are capable of flying with their wings. Tingle doesn't have wings of her own yet so she uses her balloon as a means of travelling about drawing maps to aid my father." She ran around both demons, checking out every last thing she could, making Sunset Demon very uneasy until she returned to her prior position. " You two are the strangest fairies I've ever seen and you in particular remind Tingle of Ms. Fairy who paid me a visit some time ago."

" Who is this 'Ms. Fairy' that you speak of?" Midnight Sparkle answered.

" A fairy, silly."

" What did this fairy look like?"

" She was a human dressed in green."

Midnight Sparkle and Sunset Demon looked at each other and nodded before the former looked back at Pinkie Pie. " That definitely sounds like someone who would be a fairy since they were dressed in an attire they are known for. I am surprised that a fairy folk would be out here by the ocean rather than in the forest."

" Tingle never thought about it that way."

" And now you can."

" Are you here to buy one of Tingle's maps?"

" Is that so?" Midnight Sparkle asked. " My companion and I would like to purchase one of your maps." Pinkie Pie was about to celebrate in her usual style when her mouth suddenly had a finger placed over it to silence her enthusiasm. " Not so fast my excitable friend. In exchange for us doing that for you, you must do something for us, but you needn't worry as it won't be difficult. And before you can say anything in response, we won't take no for an answer."

" Does Tingle have a choice?"

" In a word... No."

After leaving Rarity's room, she and I made our way over to Coloratura's room to inform her that the rehearsal could finally get underway. While she wobbled a little from her ordeal and insisted she was okay, I took it upon myself to help her along to which she was appreciative. Despite everything that had happened since returning from freeing Dean Cadance, I could take in the pleasure that peace had been restored even though it would soon be dashed upon resetting time. For the moment however, I was satisfied with how everything turned out despite Rarity witnessing something she wasn't entirely sure about.

The smell I sensed coming from her body took me a while to figure out but I knew that it was Equestrian magic, yet how was that even possible here in Termina? Magic from the world of my birth had been repressed here unless some kinds could penetrate this unusual barrier, and yet it would explain why my friends were displaying the essence of their Elements despite not realizing it. Princess Twilight was the only one whose Element had not made itself known here though perhaps Twilight Sparkle's version would appear instead? It was unfortunate that I lacked an Element so in that sense I was lonely.

In any case, I still chose to keep it a secret from Rarity and instead consult with Her Highness. If she could smell the same thing that I was, then it would give me credence to my assumption that Sunset Demon was in fact still alive, or it could be just a coincidence that had nothing to do with her.

When we reached Coloratura's room and Rarity explained everything, Coloratura accepted the fact that I had to leave immediately after the rehearsal and would say nothing more on the subject. She had also finished writing the song that we were to play during the rehearsal though I knew deep down that Party Favour wasn't going to like it. Rarity and I opted to help move her piano to the stage in the center of Zora Hall but she insisted on doing it herself though I couldn't even begin to imagine how she would pull it off.

Speaking of Party Favour, Rarity and I paid him a visit next and explained the situation. He didn't like the idea of me leaving especially with the concert coming up but knew that this was what fate had in store for me. He sighed, accepting that this was meant to be and said we'd meet him on stage ready to rock Zora Hall. Finally, we walked over to the room shared between both Double Diamond and Thunderlane and he was thrilled at the prospect of getting to use his drumming skills on a new song written by Coloratura. Again, we opted to help him move his drums but he was insistent on doing it on his own.

Roughly ten minutes, I found myself standing in front of every Zora who lived in Zora Hall, with the rest of the Indigo-Go's standing up on stage with me. I wasn't suffering from stage fright or anything as this was something I had done before so I wasn't a newbie or anything, yet I admitted to myself that this was a much different crowd setting than what I was used since back home my audience comprised of teenage kids. Still, the entire band were ready to get started and I had no intention of letting them down.

" Thank you for being so patient with us." Rarity announced to the cheering crowd.

" We had some issues to work out but now we are ready to perform for you." Coloratura said.

" Before we begin our rehearsal for the upcoming concert, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mikau for everything he has done for us."

The crowd erupted with the sounds of " Mikau!"

Rarity raised her hands to quiet them down. " Yes, yes, but please let me continue." The crowd immediately went silent so that she could speak. " Thank you. If not for Mikau going to the Gerudo Pirate's Fortress, risking his life to save my precious eggs, I wouldn't have regained my voice. Also, if not for his actions in the Great Bay Temple, the ocean would not be changing back to normal after being too warm for us for far too long." The crowd once again erupted into cheers prompting Rarity to calm them down once again. " My, aren't you all so enthusiastic over Mikau but you can do so during our rehearsal."

" We were originally going to perform "Ballad of the Wind Fish" but something else has come up." Coloratura said. " An anonymous fan gave me the inspiration to come up with a brand new song which we'll be debuting right here before debuting it at the concert tomorrow night. We need a few minutes for the others to memorize my lyrics before we can get started otherwise this isn't going to end well."

Party Favour, Double Diamond, Rarity, and I huddled over near Coloratura and began to look over the song she had created. My heart immediately sank over recognizing it instantly as the result of the jam session I had with Party Favour, yet he didn't seem to recognize it at all much to my surprise. We spent roughly five minutes looking at the lyrics making sure we didn't miss our cues, knew the flow of the music, have the right pitch, and for Rarity, when to start singing. Behind us, the crowd was eagerly awaiting for us to get back to our positions so that we could perform, and I was amazed as their strong patience.

" Sorry for the delay but we're about to start!" Party Favour announced.

" Ready to make some noise?" Double Diamond asked.

" You know it!"

" Okay everyone. One... Two... Three!"

All of us save for Rarity began playing our instruments since her singing wasn't to occur until near the half-way point of the rehearsal. I had to admit that this was really soothing considering everything that I had been through during this three day cycle. Coloratura, who had played a mean piano rift earlier, was now playing in a calm manner that conveyed both beauty and grace while Double Diamond proved to be no slouch when it came to the drums. It was a breath of fresh air compared to the insane drumming Pinkie Pie usually did whenever she played but I still missed her antics.

Party Favour and I played off of one another just like we had done during the jam session yet now we had to concentrate harder due to having drums and a piano thrown into the mix that could throw off our game. Deep down, I was worried that he was going to have a fit when he realized what it was we were playing, but it needed to be this way so as to allow everything to resolve on its own without driving everyone in the band apart. Again, I was fortunate that I knew how to play the guitar and that meant Thunderlane's--Mikau's--reputation and legacy as a musician would remain intact.

The audience in the meantime were just absolutely mesmerized by our performance yet their eyes were all focused on Rarity for they were anticipating her singing. I had heard her singing ability for myself outside yet that was her getting her voice back. What was about to happen was her singing for real and giving our audience something memorable.

We continued playing when Rarity started to sing and everyone was taken aback by how wonderful she sounded. Not even my singing skills compared to what was coming out from her mouth and I struggled to maintain my concentration. Her singing mainly consisted of vocal sounds with the occasional words thrown in for good measure, yet through it all, she gave it everything she had and held back nothing. It was like she was free to sing to her heart's content and not have to worry about anything else. No wonder the Indigo-Go's had such popularity amongst the Zora.

Each member contributed to the overall group dynamic in their own special way, five cogs of a giant mechanism working together in unison to produce something that would forever be memorable in the mindset of those who heard it. Granted, it would have been nice if Rarity didn't have to do all of the singing on her own and allow the rest of us to shoulder some of the burden, but perhaps this was what she wanted, to be able to sing with so much passion. Even Princess Twilight was enjoying the performance--she was floating in front of the crowd--and none of the Zoras paid her any mind--or any attention for that matter.

Our performance continued on until we all came to a stop to which the crowd began to roar with delight over what they had heard. If Mikau had been watching from on high, he would have been proud of what I had done in his name. The other band members started hauling their instruments back to their rooms and the crowd began going their own ways leaving me and Rarity alone. She knew that this was where I had to leave so that I could continue with my overall mission, and while I wanted to get going, a part of me wanted to stay behind long enough to hear her final thoughts.

" I know that you need to leave, Mikau, yet I appreciate you wanting to stay for a moment longer." Rarity said.

" It's the least I can do." I said.

Rarity nodded. " To think that so much has happened here within the last few days. If not for your actions, things would not have turned out the way they did. I would still be at a loss for words over the loss of my eggs and the band would have surely fallen apart as a result of bickering and mixed messages." Rarity clenched her hand into a fist, looked down at the ground, and closed her eyes for a few moments before smiling. " I must admit, I was surprised when my voice turned that lonely island into a turtle. No one ever knew that it was a spirit who watches over us in the name of the guardian who protects the ocean from darkness."

" It knew a lot more than it was letting on."

" Maybe so but it seems that I have pleased it with my singing."

" I've been meaning to ask you about that."

" Ask me what?"

" What is your connection to the New Wave Bossa Nova?"

" That song... holds sentimental value to me." Rarity answered. " My mother used to sing it to me... often... long ago... as she held a destiny that no one else could bear, and that it had been passed down to me to continue that destiny, but I had forgotten all about it. Those eggs that I laid were to remind me of that song, to remind me of the destiny I now hold in my hands, to serve as the guardian of the Great Bay Temple. It may not be the most glamourous calling, Mikau, but it is one I shall accept gratefully."

I smiled. " I know you will do a fine job."

Rarity smiled back. " Thank you, Mikau. That song was from when I was a very young child, so I had forgotten it, but now that I have been reunited with it once again, I shall forever remember those notes and hold them close to my heart. I've put you through some horrible experiences, Mikau, and I apologize for the ordeal but I'm all better now. Things will look up for me and I hope the same thing happens for you." She then turned her back to me indicating that she had finished with what she wanted to say. " Now you must complete the mission destiny has placed upon you. Go now, Mikau, and save this world from disaster."

Without saying anything else, I turned and began running towards the exit of Zora Hall--I didn't notice Rarity turning around and looking back at me, tears trickling down her face as though she felt she would never see me again. No one else attempted to stop me because they most likely assumed that I was leaving to have some fun after having done so much already, yet in my mind, I wanted to rest given that my body was on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion. But, I couldn't rest yet even though I really wanted to. I still needed to return the Stray Fairies to their fountain and restore Adagio.

Hopefully, she would be able to give me some idea as to where I was supposed to go next. I mean, I knew that I would need to go to the final region located east of Clock Town, but I wanted to know precise details so that I wouldn't waste any precious time.

Jumping into the water near the main entrance and swimming through it, I emerged back outside in Great Bay and swam up to the surface to see that it was still night out. That was a blessing for me as it meant I had plenty of time to learn what I needed to from Adagio, and maybe go back to town so that I could pick up some much needed upgrades. As soon as I climbed out of the water and onto the shore, I began looking for the general location of the Great Fairy's Fountain. An unusual rock situated on a platform at the end of a series of small islands definitely screamed suspicious and did add up to what Coloratura mentioned.

" How are you feeling?" Twilight asked.

" I'm alright."

" You did the right thing by listening to what Rarity had to say."

" Do you think she knows that I'm not the real Mikau?" I asked. " I personally think she knows but refuses to admit it."

Princess Twilight shrugged her shoulders. " In her heart, the man she loves in this world will always be there for her. Anything else regarding him doesn't mean a thing to her and she will refuse to listen to such things, at least for the time being. She will eventually come to understand that Mikau isn't coming back and that they will never be together again until her time comes and she can join in."

I looked at Her Highness with a grim expression. " Wow... That was harsh even for you."

" Yes, but it was the best example I could think of."

" Why did Mikau have to die?"

" The same thing can be said about Darmani, the son of the Deku Butler, and anyone else who has suffered a similar fate." Twilight answered. " They were all victims of the evil power contained within the mask Starlight Glimmer wears on her face, yet she herself probably had no control over what she did."

" You think the mask has a mind of its own?"

Princess Twilight shook her head. " I honestly don't know. There is so much about this Majora's Mask that neither of us know about, and what Sonata told us when she helped change you back to a human after you got cursed didn't seem like the entire story. I don't think Starlight knows anything either so that leaves with very few options. Well... I suppose the only ones who might know are the Four Giants but so far they haven't been entirely honest with us."

" Maybe the last one will tell us?"

" I sure hope so."

" Do you want to save Starlight?" I asked. " You know, this version of her?"

" Yes." Twilight answered. " We must save her from the magic that surrounds her before anything else can go wrong. Speaking of which... I know that you sensed something off about Rarity when you were talking to her earlier."

" I was hoping you'd noticed."

Princess Twilight nodded. " It was very faint but I sensed Equestrian magic surrounding her body. Judging from her lack of being unable to recall what happened while we were inside the temple, she had her memories erased through magical means."

I was surprised to say the least. " How is that possible?"

" Some Equestrian magic has managed to seep into this world but at a reduced cost."

" Meaning?"

" Whoever used that magic on Rarity and the others must have known that it wouldn't entirely erase her memory of what happened resulting in images that don't make sense to her, and I'm betting that Rainbow Dash and the other Gerudo Pirates are going through the exact same thing." Twilight answered.

" I'm not familiar with memory erasing magic."

" It's something Princess Celestia never taught me so I had to find out for myself." Twilight said. " She never teaches her ponies any magic that they could use to either harm other ponies or themselves. Memory erasure is very potent but requires absolute precision if you want the target to forget certain events otherwise you might erase too little or too much memory resulting in the pony becoming nothing short of a quivering jelly."

I feared that Rarity had succumbed to the kind of fate that Princess Twilight had mentioned--I wished she hadn't--but she reassured me that Rarity seemed to be okay despite having her memories erased through magical means. If this was the work of Sunset Demon, why try to cover her tracks instead of making her presence known? I knew she wanted to do everything she could to assume my life and take me down a dark path where I would embrace power and abandon my friends, but why not just come out with it instead of hiding in the shadows like a cowards. Was she afraid of me? Or was she waiting for something to happen?

But, if it wasn't the she-demon, then could it have been? Since it was Equestrian magic, it had to have been done by someone who was a native of Equestria or at the very least had knowledge of our world, yet aside from Princess Twilight and myself, everyone else was living out the lives of the characters living in this video game world. That meant Sunset Demon wasn't travelling alone--Rarity did say there were two creatures she saw outside--and had someone with her who knew about Equestrian magic, but without any actual proof, I could only come up with theories at best as opposed to actual facts.

Turning my attention towards returning the Stray Fairies, I walked along the beach until I reached the small islands I needed to use to make it over to the fountain. Unfortunately, it meant having to become a human for a brief period--one of the islands was too far to reach through jumping and required use of the Hookshot--before becoming a Zora again much to my annoyance, but something else caught my eye. Why was there a random door embedded into the cliff-side? Could it lead to somewhere useful or was it just completely random and served no purpose other than being there?

Since it was on the way to the fountain, I was going to find out momentarily. Jumping across the small islands until I reached the door, a sign outside read that this was a placethat had only recently opened for business known as the Ocean Fishing Pond. I remembered doing a spot of fishing during my previous journey though the details were fuzzy given how I was doing other things at the same time. Since time wasn't on my side and my body was really desperate for rest, I chose to continue going by walking past and jumping onto the next island and continuing to do so with the others until I stopped.

Grabbing my face, I pulled off the Zora Mask, flipped my hair back, and switched over to the Hookshot. From there, I aimed at the tree on the next island, fired the Hookshot and sailed across once the chain had struck its target. All that remained was a series of small hops across a questionable rocky outcrop of platforms until I reached my destination--one slip up meant going back and starting all over again--so I carefully stepped across by extending my legs so that I wouldn't run into any risks.

" That was awkward."

" You'd have done it too, Twilight."

" So, I take it that the Great Fairy's Fountain is behind this rock?" Twilight asked. Before us stood a large boulder that was obviously blocking the entrance though whoever put it there wasn't being very subtle. " You'll need to use a bomb if you want to get rid of it."

I checked my items and discovered that I didn't have any. " Sorry, but I didn't pick any up."

" You do have the alternative."

I nodded because of knowing what Princess Twilight was talking about. " It's been a while since I last used it but I guess it's going to be used again." I took out the Blast Mask and held it firmly in my hands. Bombs were an important item from what I had discovered yet I never seemed to have any on hand because of losing them when resetting time back to the start of the three day cycle, yet this mask sought to act as a substitute though it was costly. " Guess I've no other choice but to blow myself up." Placing the mask on my face, I walked up until I was right in front of the boulder and detonated the mask.

BOOM!

" Sunset! Are you okay?"

I wheezed to signal that I was fine. " I should have raised my shield for that one."

" Are you hurt?"

I shook my head. " If anything, I'm just miffed that I didn't use an actual bomb. Now that the boulder has been removed, we can go inside and return the Stray Fairies, but first let
me change back to a Zora because it's appropriate."

Putting the Blast Mask away--hopefully, I wouldn't have to rely on it again--I took out the Zora Mask, placed it on my face, and watched as my body once again shimmered as it changed from human to Zora though this time there was a scream involved, something that hadn't really happened since initially putting it on after healing Thunderlane's soul. In any case, upon finishing my transformation, I walked into the fountain and came upon the same beauteous sight that I had already gotten used to after seeing it three times. A blue tint was here this time around and it actually gave off a soothing vibe.

Before I could appreciate it even more, the Stray Fairies leapt out of my body, merged with the others who were floating about, and Adagio Dazzle appeared before me. This version of her was wearing a blue coloured gown, blue coloured hair--no matter what colours she had, she still knew how to make it work--a wonderful smile, and a gaze that proved to be rather piercing.

" Thank you for restoring my broken and shattered body to normal. "Adagio said.

" Which of the Great Fairy's are you?"

" I am known as she who represents the force of courage."

" Makes sense since I've seen magic, power, and wisdom already." I said. " But, what about the last Great Fairy in the final region?"

Adagio giggled. " That will be a secret for you to discover on your own, kind young one. I know that you have endured much hardship since coming to the ocean and that your body is begging for you to rest, but first I would like to bestow a great gift that should prove most useful for the coming trials." She cupped her hands together and a glowing blue light suddenly appeared in-between. " You have struggled in maintaining your life energy so now I can provide you a means of relieving you of pain."

" I accept."

" It is not a matter of whether you accept or not." Adagio said. " You were destined to receive my aid and now you shall have it."

The light left her hands and enveloped all around me with its radiant glow and I suddenly felt really strange. I couldn't tell what it was straight away but something was happening to my body to make it more durable, like I was wearing an invisible suit of armour. The sensation was so strong within me that I couldn't hold it back and I raised my hands in response, letting out a loud cheer, Adagio giggling over my actions, my immediate blushing over how I had just embarrasses myself. Yet she dismissed my humiliation by saying that it was only natural for me to want to celebrate receiving a power courtesy of the Great Fairy of Courage.

" I feel strange."

Adagio giggled again. " It will take time for your body to become adjusted to the power that it has now received, but you will find it will become very useful to you almost immediately, young one. I have enhanced the defensive capabilities of your body so now you will take half of the damage that monsters inflict upon you. Do not think that this will make you invincible as the evil creatures will still cause you great pain."

" Now that we've gotten that out of the way, I was wondering if you knew where I should go next."

" Of course I know."

" That doesn't surprise me."

" There is much for me to discuss with you, small one."

" Oh?"

" I am aware that you are seeking out the ultimate power." Adagio answered. " It is a power that many have sought to claim as their own and no one has ever succeeded because of succumbing to the insanity locked within it. Should you claim this mask as your own and you fail to control the power, you could very well die as a result. Tell me, child... Are you sure you want this power? I will not judge you if you say yes but know that it can poison even the strongest of spirits, tainting them with evil until they lose their identity and become nothing but a soulless vessel that cares only for power. Is this what you really want?"

(1.) The diary entries are as they were depicted in the game.