The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Majora's Mask
By Ganondorf8
March 20, 2017
Chapter 49: Sinister Sisters.
In the middle of this room was a large slab of rock that looked like it could be stood on top of given how flat it was up there. Was I honestly surprised at seeing what amounted to a simple room fixture? Yes, as a matter of fact, as I wasn't expecting to be greeted by something so simple in appearance not to mention in a place like this. I assumed the cursed house would be nothing but a haven for the Gold Skulltulas to thrive about in so seeing this slab took me by surprise. What didn't surprise me was seeing a couple of those accursed spiders crawling all over it indicating that they had no regard for anything they came into contact with.
As I recall, I had destroyed five of the spiders so that left me only twenty-five more to go before the curse around here was lifted. The man who I encountered at the entrance to the house would then reward me with something and I could go on my merry way and acquire another mask or improve my current equipment back in town or beyond. For some reason, I just couldn't stop thinking about that man. I wasn't interested in him or anything like that but rather there was something about him that felt familiar. Sure, he had been changed into a monster because of being cursed and looked hideous yet why couldn't I get him out of my mind?
That's when it dawned on me that I had seen him before, or rather, it was what he had on his face that reminded me. Despite being a Skulltula, his eye was different from what I had come to expect from those spiders and it took me this long to finally put two and two together. That eye wasn't any ordinary eye but rather it belonged to a powerful mask that I received during my previous journey though I didn't utilize it as much as I should have. Still, what were the chances of running into the same mask again? Well, the same could be said about a few other masks, namely: the Goron Mask, the Zora Mask, and the Bunny Hood.
What that man was wearing was known as the Mask of Truth and if I remember correctly, it was a mask created by the Sheikah that had the ability to communicate with the strange statues scattered around the land that bear their symbol--I had seen plenty of those so far on this journey though I ignored them. Was it possible that same power existed in this version of the mask? If so then I could use it and learn all kinds of information by talking to those stones. Perhaps it had additional powers? Finally, what of the Sheikah? If their mask is here in this world, could they be here as well in some capacity?
Until I had taken care of the curse in this Swamp Spider House, I wouldn't be able to think of those questions. Still though... the Sheikah... the ones who existed in the shadows and served the Royal Family as attendants. According to the "Hyrule Historia", the book Rainbow Dash let me borrow, they instilled themselves with a special poison designed to give them abilities that were beyond the realm of most mortals. For them to protect those they served, such a sacrifice had to be made though in exchange they were granted great power and could live longer than most other creatures.
How was it that I remembered such information? Granted, I consider myself to be quite intelligent and anything that particularly took my fancy would be retained in my memory for future use though perhaps some things were best left forgotten since their overall use in life was limited. In any case, I needed to focus on destroying the remaining Gold Skulltulas yet perhaps I should inform Princess Twilight of some of this stuff whenever we have a free moment. Sure, this wasn't the kind of knowledge she could use on a practical surface but it would expand her horizons, something she was very proud of.
To my left were several crates stacked next to one another in a corner and upon walking up to them, I could hear the sounds of a Gold Skulltula coming from inside one of them, and that meant smashing each one. Since I had no idea which crate housed the spider, I had to smash each of them until it was exposed. I wasn't looking forward to the idea as it meant my head getting bruised even more than it already was but there was no other choice.
I rolled into the one nearest to me on the head producing a couple of rupees upon smashing it--my head was already feeling the pain--but it wasn't what I wanted so I tried the one on the other end, and sure enough, a Gold Skulltula leapt out when the crate was destroyed. I intended on destroying it though I felt woozy due to my head getting hit too many times for my liking. Fortunately, the spider had no desire to run away, yet I dropped to my knees before clutching my head.
" Sunset? What's wrong?" Twilight asked.
" My head hurts." I answered.
" I guess rolling into those crates doesn't do wonders for your head."
I nodded. " I know that I could simply punch them using my Goron body but that would be a waste of the transformation, and you know how I feel about switching forms just to handle a small thing that could easily be done as myself."
" Yes but you need to get over that."
I was stunned by her words. " What are you saying?"
" You need to accept the fact that you have to change forms for small things because that is what's required of you to get past certain things." Twilight answered. " I have this feeling it will become a frequent issue when we reach the final region once you've finished preparing so getting used to it now instead of later will give you an easier time. Sunset, my words aren't meant to be mean or insulting but I think you just have to accept the fact that changing forms in such a manner is necessary."
" Can I still complain about it?"
Princess Twilight smiled and nodded. " Whoever said you couldn't?"
I smiled back. " Thanks, Twilight."
" A thought has been occurring to me regarding the final region."
" What's that?"
Princess Twilight began floating around in deep thought before answering me. " In each of the previous regions that we've visited, you had to use a specific mask in order to pass yourself off as a member of the tribe that mask represented, right?" I nodded my head and she continued. " Unless you were to get a fourth mask capable of transforming you into a creature from whoever lives over there in the final region, you may have to rely on each of your alternate forms in some capacity. As such, switching between forms on a whim for small bursts is going to be a thing."
I figured Her Highness would throw that displeasure of mine in there as a painful reminder but she was once again correct. If there was only three transformation masks for me to use in this world, switching between my different bodies for whatever reason would be something I had to get used to doing. My heart began to sink as a result of her explanation because of my feelings towards wasting a transformation on something small or trivial. Compared to the other regions of Termina, this last one was shrouded in mystery though we did have one hint courtesy of Rarity though she might have been exaggerating.
" All we know is that the undead come from this region."
" Rarity said that didn't she?"
I nodded. " It's not much but it's all we've got. I'm surprised Adagio didn't mention anything about it."
" She did by saying we needed to pay the Gorman Sisters a visit as they have that mask you need." Twilight said. " Maybe they might know something about this final region though if their reputation is what we suspect it is given how we were attacked by them when we assisted Applejack with her delivery, getting that information could prove difficult, leaving us with little in the way of alternative options."
" I suppose we'll cross that bridge when we get there."
Princess Twilight nodded. " Yes."
As I destroyed the Gold Skulltula and collected the sixth token, I began to think about the Gorman Sisters and how their brother, Gorman--Big Macintosh--related to them. He was difficult to deal with from what I had when I watched him talk to Troubleshoes earlier regarding his troupe of performers, but then he was annoyed when he learned that their act had been cancelled all because of the moon falling down from on high. It also seemed that he had chosen to make a name for himself by becoming an entertainer so there was a sense he wasn't a villain and that his troupe were legitimate in their actions.
Yet, compared to him, his sisters were rotten to the core based on my limited experiences with them. They tried to destroy Applejack's shipment of milk--I hadn't yet figured out the reasons behind that--by pretending to be masked robbers though their clothes were a dead giveaway despite covering their faces. It was also apparent that Applejack didn't seem them in a positive light, further telling me they were trouble yet it seemed I needed help from them to get to the final region. Perhaps if I were to talk to Big Macintosh the next time I saw him, he could help me deal with his sisters and maybe get them to change their ways.
Turning around, I saw more crates lined up next to each other on the side of the room, and if my hunch was right, there was going to be a Gold Skulltula hiding inside one of them until it got flushed out of hiding. My head once again began throbbing, a sign that it wasn't liking me using it to smash anything, yet I had no intention of becoming Darmani just to smash a bunch of crates that could easily be smashed by using my own body.
Rolling into the one on the far end, I wound up getting a few more rupees though my head once again felt woozy. I think I needed to take at least a five minute break before continuing though resting wasn't an option sadly as time wasn't on my side again. I rolled into the next crate and a Gold Skulltula emerged upon smashing it though it collided with my body just as it was landing on the ground a short distance away. It was a good thing my defence had been enhanced by Adagio otherwise that would have really hurt. I slashed the spider using my sword and collected token number seven before turning my attention towards a suspicious boulder.
It definitely looked suspicious as why would it be in the corner of a room in the swamp? If anything, it should be in a place like the mountains where rocks were plentiful so I suspected something important was either hiding inside, behind, or below it. I checked my items to see if I had any bombs on hand I could use to blow up the boulder yet I didn't have any on hand so that meant relying on other means. I took out the Blast Mask--strange how this was now being used more often--placed it on my face, walked over to my target, and detonated the mask at point-blank range. The explosion caused me to take some damage yet the boulder got destroyed in the process.
When the smoke cleared, I took off my mask and looked down to see another patch of soft soil. " I don't hear any scratching noises coming from this patch so it's safe to assume there aren't any Gold Skulltulas hiding inside?"
Princess Twilight shook her head. " It seems that this is just a regular patch of soft soil."
" Then why cover it up with a boulder?"
" Most likely to prevent anyone from discovering it."
" Crap!"
" What's wrong?"
" I didn't bring along any Magic Beans." I answered. In an instant, I felt crestfallen all because I didn't bring along an item that turned out to be essential, and because I would lose certain items when resetting time, I didn't have any on hand when I began this cycle of time. " That means we have to leave, get a Magic Bean, and then come back here!" Dropping to my hands and knees, I began pounding the ground out of sheer anger. " Arrrggghhh! I hate it when I have to backtrack!"
" How unfortunate."
" You must think of me as an idiot for not bringing one."
" Not at all." Twilight said. " It was a simple case of not knowing that something so simple was needed to reach another location in this cursed house. I'd say we can get one of those beans and be back here in a matter of minutes if we use the Song of Soaring to warp to a place that sells them."
" That would be Snips who lives beneath the Deku Palace."
Princess Twilight looked grim before perking back up. " That isn't very far from here and we have direct access via that secondary entrance on the outer walls. I am sure that cursed man back at the entrance wouldn't mind if we were to leave for just a few minutes." Her Highness noticed I was still pounding the ground so she quickly grabbed my head and slapped my face to bring me to my senses. " It's not the end of the world, Sunset! This was just an unfortunate circumstance we didn't realize until now. Look, just leave this place, get one of those Magic Beans--maybe two or three--then come back here."
Picking myself up from the ground--not before pounding it incredibly hard--I left the room and began making my way back to the entrance. The man was wondering why I was leaving without destroying all of the Gold Skulltulas, and I told him that something had gone wrong inside one of the rooms resulting in me needing to leave for about five minutes. While he certainly didn't appreciate me leaving all of a sudden, he understood it was a necessary course of action. Deep down, I wanted to kick myself repeatedly over having made such an embarrassing blunder yet I knew that would do nothing to alieve the problem.
Sighing, I left the Swamp Spider House and began to look around outside to see where the Deku Palace was. Looking up at the sky, I could see that the sun was starting to go down indicating that sunset would soon be upon us. Upon seeing where the palace was and that it required me to become a Deku Scrub--the lily pads were my means of getting over there without being poisoned by the water--I took out my Deku Mask and prepared to pay a visit to Snails. I still couldn't believe how stupid I was for forgetting to pick up something as simple as a Magic Bean all because I didn't realize it was needed to progress.
Sometime in the past.
" You know, I never did get your name." Starlight said. " Then again, I personally don't care since you're just here to take me where I need to go. By the way, you had better not be attempting something funny and make off with my mask otherwise your life could be over in a matter of moments.
" My name is Sakon."
" What kind of name is that?"
" You're just called Skull Kid, right?" Lightning Dust asked.
" You've made your point."
" Tell me... What makes you think I would take your precious mask?"
Starlight's eyes glowed and clenched her hands into fists. " You've been trying to touch my mask ever since we started walking and it's gotten really creepy. I know that innocent expression on your face is nothing but an act to lure people into a false sense of security so why don't you knock it off and be serious." She raised her finger and a fireball appeared above it followed by her laughing away. " Hee hee! I could rearrange your face and make it better."
" You wouldn't!"
" I think you should have a new face."
" Fine! I'm a thief!"
" Really!?" Starlight exclaimed. " Judging from your pathetic getup, I was certain you were some kind of wandering street performer or peddler."
Lightning Dust began to grumble under her breath but knew that she couldn't do anything to the masked stranger who had demanded her to lead her to a place within the ruined kingdom so that she could play a prank all because of the power she possessed. If not for her mask, Lightning Dust could easily overpower the child and take the mask as an added bonus though it would prove immensely difficult. All she could do was accept the insults and hope that she didn't have to deal with this Skull Kid for much longer. From Starlight's perspective, she had found someone else she could make miserable in her bid at getting back at those who had wronged her.
The two travellers along with Spike had taken a more difficult route to the main area of the ruined kingdom by climbing up a cliff face before walking the rest of the way towards what was seen as a village. Granted, Lightning Dust had to do all the climbing as Spike could fly naturally while Starlight used her magic to float upwards. Most would have reached the village by using the more direct route that involved crossing a bridge and then up some steps until they arrived. Unfortunately, the bridge had been destroyed by Starlight because she was feeling bored along with the steps for the same reason.
Much of the village was in complete ruins with no one around to greet them. Each building was decaying from centuries of abandonment with the exception of one that looked like it had been built a short time ago. This building resembled a music box and came complete with two giant horns that extended out from the roof and gentle but repetitive music blared out from both horns causing Spike to dance along with it while Starlight felt like she wanted to throw up. Lightning Dust thought about abandoning her two companions but was quickly spotted by Starlight whose glowing eyes prevented her from escaping.
" What is this place?"
" It belongs to some researcher and his daughter."
" Cool! I want to pay them a visit."
" And what about your prank?"
Starlight laughed. " I'm not about to pass up on a good opportunity to pull an extra prank on the side." She then rubbed her chin before tilting her head to the side and staring longingly at the music shaped house before laughing again. " A researcher you say? Maybe I can borrow some of their work or smash it to pieces because I think it would be funny just to see their faces in tears."
Going to Snips location beneath the Deku Palace and back to the Swamp Spider House didn't take as long as I thought it would, yet I still felt like an idiot for having to pay him a visit in the first place. I changed forms so that I could jump across each lily pad as a Deku Scrub instead of wading through the poisonous water and slowly taking damage, yet it would have been a quicker trip to the palace had I become a Zora and simply walk over there--I would have taken damage in this manner--since once again time was against me.
It felt weird being back here again after so long after rescuing Fluttershy from Odalwa and preventing the monkey from being punished, yet I knew that inside the palace, within the confines of the throne room, the monkey was imprisoned within that cage and Tree Hugger's advisors were telling her that she needed to exert her authority by doing something she despised while strengthening their own influence over her. While I wanted nothing more than to give those guys a piece of my mind, I knew it would do nothing since my actions would be erased upon resetting time, and it would make me come off as being a bully once again.
Going to the right of the palace entrance and using the lily pads to hop my way across to where the secret entrance was, I dropped down a large hole in the ground that lead me to where Snips was selling his wares, yet I decided to do some other things besides purchasing some Magic Beans--I bought three of them from him because I wanted to make sure I had more than enough for what I wanted. Along with buying the beans, I also filled two of my bottles with water and the remaining two with bugs before leaving Snips' shop. In my mind, the blunder could have been avoided and so I was making sure not to repeat the blunder again.
Leaving the palace, I began hopping across the lily pads until I reached the entrance to the Swamp Spider House before grabbing my face and pulling off the Deku Mask. I didn't want to flip back my hair as my mind was too fixated on getting back to my previous location inside and pretending that nothing happened. The man greeted me as I entered though he was curious about why it took me a lot longer than I said, yet I simply told him that I had to pick up some other items because of a feeling I had in my heart. I made my way over to the room that had the slab of rock and when I entered the room, the boulder wasn't there so at the very least I didn't have to blow it up again.
This time, I planted the Magic Bean causing a tiny sprout to appear, and seeing it removed the anger that was clouding my heart. While Princess Twilight was probably aware of my inner turmoil over my mistake, she chose not to talk about it and instead allow me to come to a sensible conclusion. I couldn't hide the truth regarding my temper from anyone--myself included--no matter how hard I tried to. I knew it was my biggest weakness because I wanted everything perfect yet it was something I still needed to work on. I would lose control yet I couldn't let it consume me or else face the alternative.
I took out a bottle of water and sprinkled it on the sprout causing it to grow in an instant, and upon stepping on it, it rose into the air before traveling along the edge of the room, giving me a pretty good view. I then noticed a Gold Skulltula crawling along the wall but since it was higher up, I would have ignored it entirely had I not used this Magic Bean. Since I had my Hookshot on hand, it was easy for me to destroy the spider and obtain my eighth token. The Magic Bean then stopped and began going back in the opposite direction leading me to believe that I only needed the plant for one Skulltula.
I sighed. " Maybe I should have just used my Hookshot. I could have avoided all of this stress."
" Now that you mention it, that would have been the right option." Twilight said.
" Let us never speak of this again."
" Agreed."
" By the way... Why are you looking up at the ceiling?"
" Some Gold Skulltulas could be hiding inside of beehives hanging down from the ceiling." Twilight answered. " You should be able to knock them down using the Hookshot though you can also use arrows and your Deku form's bubbles though the latter does have some control issues. Besides, getting those items was a smart idea in case we run into similar problems in other rooms. Granted, we misjudged the situation with that Skulltula but we can easily learn from our mistakes, right?"
I slowly nodded my head." I guess so."
" Let's climb up to the second floor and continue our search."
" Hopefully, we won't have to do anything like this ever again." I said. There was a ladder propped up against a ledge so I climbed up it and onto the second where the familiar scratching sounds echoed through my ears. I turned towards the slab of rock and saw what made the noise. " Guess this rock proved useful after all since a Skulltula is crawling along it."
" Best to use the Hookshot here."
I nodded and took it out before aiming. " You know, I'm actually curious as to how these things are able to give off that golden colour despite how creepy they are. During my previous journey, I encountered them in large numbers though they were white, the standard colour for bones."
" Perhaps they are a unique strain?"
" Maybe."
" We probably shouldn't worry too much about it since our aim is to destroy them."
" I suppose so."
Using my Hookshot, I destroyed the Gold Skulltula using the chain and then using it again to collect the ninth token. There was a door on the opposite side of the room that required me to reach it via the wooden catwalk I stood on so I walked over to the door, destroying a Gold Skulltula attempting to hide behind a lit torch, and picking up the tenth token which meant only twenty more remained. Unlike the other cursed house, this one needed uncommon items in order to find the spiders, an unfortunate truth I had to learn--I couldn't forgive myself for not being better prepared.
Opening the door and entering the central room again, I saw a couple of Deku Flowers on opposite ends of the room and door on the other side. Scratching sounds could then be heard coming from my left so I walked over to a pillar in the corner that seemed inconspicuous yet it had a Gold Skulltula crawling in place. Slashing it twice with my sword and collecting token eleven, I needed to think about my next course of action. Since I couldn't see any other way across aside from using the Deku Flower, I knew that I needed to change forms.
Taking out the Deku Mask and putting it on my face, I began to convulse as always when donning this mask, and a scream later combined with my body shimmering between human and Deku completed my transformation. I didn't understand why each mask made me react differently, like each had its own quirk when it came to changing forms. Hopefully this wouldn't become problematic in the final region where it seems changing between my bodies was going to be the order of the day if Princess Twilight is correct in her assumption--I knew she was correct as I never knew her to be wrong about such things.
Diving into the Deku Flower and launching myself into the air, I noticed another flower to my left and a Gold Skulltula on the wall beyond that. I knew it meant having to switch back to my regular self for just a few moments--and complaining about wasting a transformation--but I had no choice as Her Highness did say I needed to get over such an attitude. Landing on the flower and making sure not to fall off, I grabbed my face, pulled off the Deku Mask, and switched over to the Hookshot before destroying the Gold Skulltula. I then fired the chain again, pulled the twelfth token over, collecting it, and putting on my mask again.
I supposed I could have destroyed the spider with a bubble and then launched myself over to the token via the Deku Flower but the method I used work despite wasting a transformation--actually it was more like wasting a change back--so I couldn't really complain. My eyes then noticed another patch of soft soil situated on the wall on the other side of the room so jumping into the Deku Flower and launching over to the other side, I landed and walked over to the soil. The scratching sounds coming from it made it obvious that a spider was nestled inside and it seemed leaving proved useful as I had what was needed.
Luckily, I could use bottles in any form making it easier for me. I took out one of the bottles that had a bug in it, uncorked it, and shook out the insect where it immediately climbed up the wall and dug its way into the soil. A Gold Skulltula jumped out and onto the moments later where I used my spin attack, destroying the spider in one hit and collecting the next token giving me a total of thirteen.
" I don't hear anymore Gold Skulltulas in this room."
I wiped my forehead. " That could have gone a lot better."
" You started off well only to run into... a complicated mess."
I frowned. " No need to sugarcoat it, Twilight. I should have been prepared by bringing the necessary items before attempting this cursed house." I walked up the wall where the soft soil was and began pounding my head up against it several times.
" Feeling better now?"
" Yes."
Princess Twilight frowned. " You didn't need to hit your head like that."
" It was something I needed to do to relieve me of some serious stress."
" Things will be different next time, Sunset." Twilight said. " Think of this as a minor failure not by your own hand but because we were never told that such items were needed to acquire some of the Gold Skulltulas. That man back at the entrance should have mentioned what was necessary before we went inside yet he didn't resulting in you questioning your own merits and losing your temper."
" Come to think of it." I said as I moved away from the wall and walked towards the door. " Why did he even come here in the first place? I mean, who in their right mind would
go somewhere that was crawling with spiders that curse any who enter their domain?"
" Greed."
I scratched my head. " Greed?"
Princess Twilight nodded. " It would be the most logical assumption. Greed causes people to want to do anything to acquire vast wealth yet it proves to be their undoing as their actions result in changing not only their lives but those around them. If it isn't wealth that destroys them, then power is the next best thing and I've seen many ponies succumb because of wanting power." Her Highness then looked at me causing me to lower my head slightly. " Of course, some are able to be saved from their own ambitions and end up becoming great friends in the process while the rest are lost."
" I don't see any greed around here."
"Neither do I."
" Maybe we'll understand once we save him."
" Yes."
Going through the door and entering the next room, the usual scratching sounds of Gold Skulltulas could be heard all around me, yet there was another sound that dwarfed all the rest, the sound of someone or something snoring. Looking above my head, I saw six beehives in a circle and that told me there had to be spiders hiding in some of them though it would also mean being plagued by bees--I wasn't allergic or anything so I didn't have to worry about that. I produced a bubble in my mouth and fired it at the beehives, causing a couple to drop down and break upon hitting the ground.
A single rupee came out of one while a bee came out of the other though I quickly raised my shield just as the bee came along and proceeded to jab its stinger into my shield repeatedly as though it were possessed. I was safe behind my shield though it meant being stuck until this bee either wore itself out or fly away after getting bored. Neither option appeared to be happening so now I needed a way to get rid of it without being stung. At that precise moment, a howling sound echoed throughout the room indicating that nightfall had finally occurred back outside.
Night of the First Day - 60 Hours Remain.
" I need some advice here, Twilight."
" This Giant Bee is pretty relentless though it will fall in one hit if you strike it." Twilight said. " All you can do is either attack it or attempt to run away though given your current position, running away isn't an option."
" Does this mean getting stung?"
" Are you allergic?"
" No."
" Then all you'll feel is a slight sting if you let it strike you."
Lowering my shield, the bee began flying around me making it difficult to keep track of its movements so I chose to simply ignore it and hoped that it would fly away. It continued to pester me before stinging me in my chest using its stinger resulting in me yelping in slight pain and performing my spin attack in response. The attack destroyed the bee leaving me to focus on the other beehives and I used another bubble to bring down the next three. These all smashed on the ground revealing two Gold Skulltulas and another rupee--I was relieved a bee didn't come out of any of the hives that dropped.
Before jumping down, I looked over the side to see how far of a drop it was. While it was certainly high, it shouldn't be high enough where I would get injured in the process or cause my knees to buckle. Both Gold Skulltulas were near each other and to the right of where the Deku Flower stuck out via the ledge it was on, so it was obvious for me to jump down to the left, and I did just that, landing on the ground without injury. I then performed my spin attack, destroying both spiders, and acquiring two tokens giving me fifteen. That was when the snoring became apparent to me.
Sleeping inside of a Deku Flower was a Deku Scrub though he seemed completely unfazed by the noise I had made moments ago. I tried nudging him gently to see if that would wake him up but to no avail. I then tried shouting and even shaking him repeatedly but again he refused to wake up. This Deku Scrub was definitely a heavy sleeper so it looked like a different approach was necessary to wake him. I closed my eyes and began pondering over what to do when an idea came to me. I had a song that could wake him and I slapped my forehead because of not realizing it straight away.
I took out the Ocarina of Time from the pouch on my belt where it transformed into the Deku Pipes, and I played the Sonata of Awakening--I needed a few minutes to remember how the song played--causing the Deku Scrub to wake up with a start. At first, he felt woozy over suddenly being woken up prematurely but then he turned to face me and what constituted as a smile--or what I thought was one--appeared on his face.
" Yawn... That was a pleasant sleep. Hey! What's a fellow Deku Scrub doing here?"
" I was going to ask you the same question."
" I came here to find some shelter for the night because going through the swamp at night is dangerous."
" Because of the monsters?"
The Deku Scrub nodded. " Combined with all that poisonous water, no Deku Scrub worth their Deku Nuts would be crazy to go out there until sunrise. When I found this flower, I suddenly felt really tired, and fell asleep though it would have been a couple of days ago now. Is the poison still out there in the water?" I nodded in head in response and the Deku Scrub looked dejected. " I was afraid you would say that. By the way, do you know what has been going on as of late?"
Did this Deku not know what happened to Fluttershy? Granted, Starlight caused all this damage around the same time this guy went to sleep so him not knowing made sense, but it was still surprising to hear him ask me that. I began explaining the situation though it pained me because my efforts had since been reversed. " The Deku Kingdom is in an uproar over the princess having gone missing, believed to have been abducted.
The Deku Scrub snapped to attention. " What!? The Deku Princess is missing!? Why didn't you say so!?"
" I just did."
" Never mind that. Where is she? Is she safe? Who could have done this?"
" The Deku Queen suspects an evil force while her advisors suspect a monkey."
" A monkey? Really?" The Deku Scrub asked. " But, I thought we Deku lived in peace with the monkeys. Why would a monkey do something like that? I have to agree with what our glorious queen believes despite you telling me."
At least this Deku wasn't as blind as all the rest who believed the advisors. I sensed that he wanted to leave so I pushed the conversation in that direction. " I know you don't like the idea of going outside at night, but our Deku Queen could do with some emotional support right now. I was at the Deku Palace recently--they are allowing any Deku to go inside--so my word is true about her state of mind."
" No one can enter the palace unless it were an urgent occasion."
I nodded. " Then you should go there right now."
" Normally, I wouldn't because of the monsters at night, but the queen needs support."
" Plus, that monkey needs a friend."7
" You said that the advisors want the queen to punish the monkey?" The Deku Scrub asked. " If she is in a sad state of mind and her advisors are suggesting that the monkey be made an example of, I fear she will carry out such an action. Our queen is very gentle unlike her late husband, the Deku King, who withered long ago, yet ruled with an iron fist and with a temperment that could be described as scary, but she has been known to lose her emotions and act in a manner similar to her late husband. If that monkey is going to be punished, I don't believe I can support him or else I would be punished for defying the queen."
I was silent for a few moments before responding. Despite this Deku Scrub's noble intentions, his loyalty to Tree Hugger was very strong, and I could understand him not wanting to betray her. Still, I felt disheartened knowing he thought that way. " Then go to the palace in the name of the queen."
The Deku Scrub nodded and was about to leave when he turned around and hopped over to a mass of vines blocking a small tunnel entrance. " I must thank you, fellow Deku, for telling me of such important matters. At the end of this tunnel is a golden spider that I trapped when I first came in here. I don't know why so many of them are around here but it seems we Deku are unaffected by some kind of curse they are spreading. Any non-Deku might not want to be here until those things have all been destroyed. Anyway, let me remove these vines before I take my leave for the palace.
He then began cutting down the vines using his own spin attack and when he was finished, he disappeared into the ground leaving me and Princess Twilight to continue on with our mission of destroying the Gold Skulltulas. I felt a little sick inside because of having to talk about Fluttershy's plight yet I had no other choice because he would have stuck around leaving unable to reach what he had imprisoned at the end of the tunnel. I walked down the tunnel and hanging on the wall was the Gold Skulltula the Deku Scrub described. I destroyed it using my spin attack, picked up the sixteenth token, and walked back as there was no where else to go.
Suddenly, scratching sounds could be heard coming from giant pots that were to my left, and that meant I had to roll into them in hopes of getting the spiders to come out. Since my current body lacked the necessary weight, I grabbed my face, took off the Deku Mask, flipped back my hair, and inspected the pots a little closer. Judging from how big they were, I wouldn't be able to smash them--not even with Darmani's power--so it looked like I was about to get some headaches again.
Rolling into the first pot yielded nothing but rolling into the second caused a Gold Skulltula to jump out so I attacked it and collected the seventeenth token upon destroying it leaving three more pots for me to roll into. The next pot also yielded nothing, same with the fourth, but then the final pot caused another spider to jump out, landing on the ground a few feet away from me. I slashed it with my sword and collected token number eighteen leaving only twelve more remaining. My eyes caught sight of a large stack of pots in one corner of the room and it was practically begging me to smash them all.
I did exactly that, smashed each pot with my sword, and accidentally destroying another Gold Skulltula in the process giving me nineteen tokens. I then placed the Deku Mask on my face knowing I needed to be on the upper floor--also because of the Deku Flower--and I immediately began convulsing before screaming out loud seconds later and watching my body parts shimmer and change from human to Deku until I was finished. If I recalled correctly, unlike other Deku Flowers, this one could launch me up much higher--I could practically hit the ceiling if the launch power was high enough.
Jumping into the Deku Flower, I launched myself straight up like a rocket and saw a ledge that housed two pots, a door, and a Gold Skulltula on the wall. I floated over and landed after a few minutes--my flight time lasted a lot longer than usual--and attacked the spider giving me the twentieth token.
" Why did you hover for so long?" Twilight asked.
" I couldn't land until the power of flight had worn out."
" It seems the yellow Deku Flowers have a much longer flight time for Dekus who jump into it."
" Not to mention a high launching height."
" This could prove very useful." Twilight said. " By the way, you don't have to use up your entire flight time. You can easily cancel out of flying by closing up your flowers and dropping down though I suggest not doing that while being over an abyss or something similar to that."
" I never had to try it before."
" Because you only flew for short bursts at a time."
" That might explain how Ms. Cheerilee was able to fly throughout the Deku Shrine even though she used an umbrella."
" If my suspicion is right about the final region requiring you to use all of your transformations, then you are sure to run into this kind of Deku Flower again." Twilight said. " In the meantime, we should continue on with what we're doing here. Only ten more Gold Skulltulas remain until the curse around here is broken."
" Twilight?"
" What is it?"
" How do you feel about me being able to change into different forms?"
Princess Twilight was surprised by my question and it took her a few moments to come up with an answer. " When I first saw you back at the start of this journey, I didn't have my proper memories and I believed myself to be Tatl but when I found out the truth, I was honestly shocked at what you had become until I realized it wasn't your fault that you were turned into a Deku Scrub. It took me a while before I could get used to your ability but it's proven to be most exhilarating given that I never would have imagined anyone could have the power to change forms without the use of magic or being a Changeling."
" In other words?"
" I enjoy seeing you become different creatures and embracing their skills."
" That's a relief."
" Why do you ask all of a sudden?"
" Something compelled me to simply ask it." I answered. In my mind, I actually had no idea why I asked Her Highness such an unusual question, but I had asked it and gotten an answer in return, and placing a heavy burden on my shoulders to explain my actions. " I sometimes think you might be jealous because I'm experiencing a different kind of magic while you were stuck being a fairy who has to guide me around."
" You were destined to have that power, Sunset, and I'm not going to start questioning destiny."
" But, aren't you jealous?"
Princess Twilight shook her head. " Jealousy only breeds contempt and that in turn goes against everything I stand for. I enjoy being a fairy because I get to see the world from a much different perspective, am immune to all kinds of environments, can use special magic gifted only to fairies, and having a vast knowledge about people, places, and monsters. If anything, what I was given in this world makes me special, much like having transformation masks makes you special, Sunset. Besides, jealousy wouldn't look good on me anyway and besides, you were once jealous yourself, remember?"
I blushed for a few moments. " Not my best moment, huh?"
Princess Twilight shook her head again. " You've changed since then, Sunset, and I'd like to think my guidance has been beneficial to you. Sure, you've come to make decisions on your own without needing my say so and look what it's done for the people of the human world. The world you call home is much better now than it was before because of you."
I blushed again. " Oh stop it."
" Be proud of those achievements."
Her Highness was right about how I used to be jealous. When I learned that she had become my successor as Princess Celestia's student and an alicorn, the amount of jealousy I possessed was without equal and all I could think about was how I had been robbed of my destiny. I could think about proving that I was meant to have ascended and I went to great lengths to make Princess Twilight as miserable as I could all while boosting my own twisted ego to greater heights. Jealousy cost me everything and I was forced to start over from scratch by working my way back up for the right reasons.
It took a couple of months before I had earned everyone's trust and they haven't regretted it since. While I may no longer be jealous over not being an alicorn--I still might be given the chance to ascend some day--my temper was still an issue that needed to be dealt with. So long as anything got under my skin and continued to be a grievance, my anger would boil and there was no telling what I was capable of doing. The calming exercise Princess Twilight was taught by Princess Cadance is something I really should use whenever I lose control of my emotions. It would allow me to experience nirvana for a few moments.
Opening the door and heading back into the main room again, I looked to my left and saw a Crystal Switch. I hadn't seen many of those during my journey but I knew that activating it would change something. I then noticed a Gold Skulltula hanging on the opposite wall and a crate on the ledge above it seemed suspicious. I activated the Crystal Switch causing a ladder to appear directly on top of the spider though it merely warped out in front of it--this would be one of those glitches--but before jumping down below, I looked up to see if there was anything suspicious and sure enough there were a few more beehives.
" I'm not sure if I have enough magic power."
" You filled up on magic before coming here and you've only used those bubbles of yours twice."
" Oh, so I am good to go then."
Princess Twilight nodded. " If you still feel cautious about it, why not try listening to the sounds those Gold Skulltulas make. If your hearing is good then you should be able to tell which of those beehives could be hiding one, but again watch out for those Giant Bees. They will attack you the instant they come out of their hives to get revenge but hopefully there aren't any inside."
" What about a well-place bubble shot?"
" Yes, I suppose that would work but you should still take my advice into consideration."
Her Highness felt that I was ignoring her suggestion, and to be honest I kind of was as I believed my method would work. The only problem with my idea was that the bubbles I fired from my mouth had a tendency to float about once they began moving and even if I were to make a perfect shot, there was no guarantee of it working. I chose instead to close my eyes and listen to the sounds coming from the beehives. It took me a few seconds to hear the noise that I've come to know and it came from the beehive that was the furthest away from me on the ceiling--it was behind the others.
" Found it." I said as I fired a bubble.
" You took my advice."
" My idea was flawed."
" The erratic movement?"
I nodded my head. " A shame the bubbles do that otherwise it would truly be a perfect weapon." The bubble smacked the back beehive causing it to drop to the ground, break upon impact, and the Gold Skulltula leaping out and landing on the floor. " Looks I guessed correctly on my first attempt." I fired another bubble at the spider that was stuck on the ladder before jumping down to the ground below, using a spin attack to destroy the other one, and collecting two more tokens to give me a total of twenty-two. " I never would have guessed that this body was so good at attacking monsters."
" The spin attack is a Deku Scrub's most powerful attack."
" I would have said the bubble myself."
" Both are interchangeable, Sunset, as one is physical and the other is magical."
" Fair enough." I said. " Now where should we go next?"
" The ladder that materialized when you activated the Crystal Switch earlier is begging you to climb it." Twilight answered. " It will give us access to the other side of this room and perhaps lead us to a room previously inaccessible."
Just as I was about to walk over and climb up the ladder, a scratching sound suddenly sounded out behind me. I turned around and barely noticed the legs of a spider hiding behind a pillar situated in the corner of the room. Rather than use another bubble, I jumped up onto a step, walked over to the Gold Skulltula, used a spin attack to destroy it and collected the next token--twenty-three down and only seven left before I was done. With that done, I went back to the ladder and climbed up it to the upper ledge and noticed another patch of soft soil though I wasn't annoyed as I had the right items for it.
Another Gold Skulltula could be seen above a passageway that ended at a door but I decided to go with some human ingenuity and conserve magic. Grabbing my face, I took off the Deku Mask, and flipped my hair back before switching out for my Hookshot. Firing the chain at the Gold Skulltula, it was felled with one shot leaving behind its token, and I fired the chain again, pulling the token over to me and giving me twenty-four.
It turned out that the soft soil didn't house any spiders as I couldn't hear any scratching sounds so that meant a Magic Bean was needed instead. I was so relieved in knowing that buying an extra bean from Snips turned out to be a wise investment otherwise I would be making my way back over to his shop right about now. Taking out the bean from my pocket, planting it in the soft soil, and waiting for a few seconds, the sprout rose up prompting me to take out the other bottle I filled with water and sprinkling it to make it grow--in hindsight I could have just used the water from the cursed house instead of getting it from where Snips was.
When the sprout grew up into a platform, I stepped on it and it took me over to the passageway that lead up to the door. As I walked towards the door and opened it to enter the next room, my jaw dropped upon seeing quite a magnificent sight. The room consisted of a tree in the middle whose leaves had long since fallen off with strange shrubbery running around the perimeter of the room, yet the oddest thing was the Gossip Stone just sitting there staring at me with its powerful gaze. Since I didn't have the Mask of Truth, I couldn't understand what message it was conveying but perhaps that would soon change.
" There are plenty of Gold Skulltulas around here."
" I can see one over there crawling about in the grass."
" This tree is certainly fascinating considering that it grew in a place like this."
I rolled my eyes. " That Gossip Stone is something we'll have to ignore."
Princess Twilight was surprised that I knew what it was. " Oh? You've seen it before?"
I nodded. " They were plentiful during my previous journey though I never utilized them all that much. I received a mask back then that could allow those stones to peer into my mind upon wearing it and share whatever secrets they knew hence their name. Gossip Stones practically know everything and no one ever suspects them of eavesdropping."
" Quite the dangerous power."
" That's what I was told which is why I never used it."
" Have regrets about that?"
" A little."
" Maybe you'll get another chance to use it again someday."
" Perhaps sooner than I think." I said. While I strongly believed that man back at the beginning of the cursed house was wearing the Mask of Truth based on his weird-looking eye, it was something I couldn't just guess and assume it was the truth. No, I needed to destroy every Gold Skulltula to break the curse and see for myself if I was right or not. " Don't read too much into my words unless you already figured out their meaning."
" I have a good idea as to what you suspect regarding the man we met."
It didn't surprise me to know that Her Highness had suspected the exact same thing. After all, she was incredibly gifted and could figure things out quite easily that would take others a long time before they could come to the same conclusion. While I wasn't as well versed as Princess Twilight given how I abandoned my studies, I did understand certain things better than she did and I knew she was impressed with what I had come to know. It wasn't meant to serve as a form of bragging but rather show that despite my current path, I was capable of figuring things in my own manner.
Walking forward into the shrubbery, I began slashing about with my sword in hopes of connecting with a Gold Skulltula since I did see one crawl into the thicket. At first, my efforts weren't working and I felt dejected but then my sword suddenly connected with something--it was the spider--resulting in a token appearing. My sword then connected with something else resulting in a second token that I collected along with the other one giving me twenty-six. It seemed a second spider had been hiding in the shrubbery though I didn't realize it until it got destroyed by my sword.
I decided to take a closer look at the tree out of a desire to embrace the fact that I once ran among the trees when I was a filly in Equestria. Sure, I wanted to study instead so that I could expand my own abilities, but Princess Celestia insisted on me going outside the castle every now and then and just run about for no reason until it got boring. I initially despised doing it but it quickly became one of the few things I enjoyed that didn't involve magic or studying. Perhaps if I had expanded my own horizons, things would have turned out better than what they did.
The tree itself looked old--it probably had been here for a few decades or maybe longer than that--in that the bark was peeling off in places and it was showing signs of rot, but it was miraculously sturdy due to holding up the ceiling with its branches. Had this cursed house been built around this tree? Or had it been planted here long ago and left to fend for itself against nature and eventually the Gold Skulltulas who would thrive here? Sadly, I had no answers to either question as there was very little information about this place other than being cursed. It also wouldn't prove useful in the overall grand scheme so it was a curiosity mislead.
Looking up at the ceiling, I could see that the branches had meshed with the ceiling to create a rather eerie looking harmony. The lack of leaves confirmed my initial suspicion of how long it had been here, yet my eyes were clearly focused on the three Gold Skulltulas crawling about on the branches. It was just like what happened back at the other cursed house with the chandelier only now it was an old tree. Since I only knew of one way to bring all three spiders down, I rolled into the tree headfirst forcing them to jump down though none of them decided to scamper away into the thicket as a means of hiding from me.
" I am really hating hurting my head." I moaned as I rubbed a sore spot on my head.
" You could have become a Goron and just punched the tree to shake them loose."
" And knock down the tree!?"
" Hmmm... Yes, I suppose that would have been a problem." Twilight said. " If you had punched the tree in that manner, combined with the fact that it is very old, it would have caused this entire room to cave in on itself."
" That and I didn't want to hurt the tree."
" Nothing wrong with that."
" My head may be woozy again but I'll quickly get over it." I said. I needed about a couple of minutes for my head to stop spinning before I began going after the Gold Skulltulas around the tree, destroying each one in a clockwise manner, acquiring their tokens giving me twenty-nine altogether. " I'm still missing one token and we've been in every room!" In all the excitement of collecting so many tokens at once, I had reached the conclusion that one spider had somehow eluded me though I wasn't sure where. " Do you suppose we might have missed something that was obvious in a previous room?"
Princess Twilight began floating back and forth. " I think we were pretty thorough in our search so I would say that the last Gold Skulltula has got to be in this room. I am surprised that so many were in this one room to begin with, as though they all started here and spread themselves to other rooms throughout the house." She then looked up at the ceiling and immediately started bopping me on the head repeatedly until I waved my hand about a few times to make her stop. " Sunset! I can see a few beehives above us so perhaps one of them contains the final Gold Skulltula we're looking for?"
" That would be incredibly convenient."
" And it would mean there were six spiders in this one room alone."
" Let's take of this last one and get out of here."
" I suggest using your Hookshot instead of the bubbles you use as a Deku Scrub."
Nodding my head and taking out the Hookshot, I looked up at the ceiling and saw only two beehives hanging down from above. Using my gut feelings, I fired the chain at the beehive to my right, watched it drop down and smash upon the floor, and a Gold Skulltula popped out and landed nearby--I was surprised that I got it right on my first try. In any case, I destroyed the spider and collected the token giving me thirty. At last, I was finally done with this cursed house though I could have finished much sooner had I picked up the required items prior to coming here.
" We're done!" I shouted as I dropped to my knees.
" The curse has been broken."
" I'm going to give that man a piece of my mind."
" Maybe we should wait until he gives us what he promised first." Twilight said. " Then you can yell at him all you want."
Unlike the other house, getting back to the entrance wasn't nearly as complicated. I went through the door back into the previous room with the Crystal Switch, dropped down, opened the door and entered the main room, and ran across the water until I reached the entry door. Opening this one up and walking through, I couldn't see where the man was at first but when I turned to my right, he was standing right there--I almost freaked out upon seeing him because of his face--changed back to a human and wearing the mask I suspected. I didn't know how he acquired it but the Mask of Truth was on his face.
" Ohhhh! You destroyed all of the cursed spiders! I'm saved! I'm no longer that hideous form I was before!"
" That was more difficult than I thought."
" I thought I was going to die!"
The man clearly ignored me and expressed himself in a rather overdramatic fashion so I coughed to get his attention. " Well, I was able to save you from being stuck as a spider forever, but what convinced you to come here in the first place? No one would come to a cursed house unless they were tempted by their own desires and wanting to seek their fortune at the cost of their own lives."
" You know me quite well."
" What do you mean?"
The man lowered his head. " My desire for wealth compelled and condemned me to being cursed by those spiders. Some time ago, I was given this mask by a random stranger who convinced me that it could give me riches beyond my wildest dreams. I was initially skeptical of his claims but he was able to use his honeyed words to convince me to take it off of his hands and use it as I saw fit."
" Did you see what he looked like?"
The man shook his head. " He was wearing a cowl that covered his face along with a cloak but he was rather short and plump." I thought he was talking about Ganondorf when he mentioned "honeyed words" but it seemed it was some other person who had given him the mask. Come to think of it, Ganondorf wasn't the kind of person who would stoop to such an action when he could be much more direct with his ambitions. " He told me to come to this house and follow some instructions that were inscribed somewhere in here, but I couldn't find no such thing, and I wound up being cursed in the process."
" Sounds like you were tricked."
" Yes, and I am shamed of it."
" What will you do now?"
" Had I known that this was going to happen to me, I would have refused the stranger and went about my business." The man answered. " Since you saved my life and I no longer need this mask, you may take it off my hands. Here! It's yours now!" He then took off the Mask of Truth--revealing his face--and handed it over to it where I accepted it. It felt strange knowing that it came from complete stranger but this was one more mask I needed in order to acquire the ultimate mask. " That mask was passed down by an ancient tribe known as the Sheikah but no one knows anything about them."
" They existed in Termina?"
The man nodded his head. " That's what the legends say anyway. That mask will allow you understand those weird statues scattered around the land along with the thoughts of animals according to what the stranger said when he gave it to me. I don't know whether it's true or not but I'm not about to try and figure it out." He looked at the exit then at me and then back at the exit again which made me suspicious of what his motives were. " I've had enough of being here. Once I've gotten my bearings, I'm going back home with my pet dog. You should leave this place too before you end up being cursed."
He then turned around, walked over to the corner of the room, and sat down before burying his head into his hands. I thought about giving him a piece of my mind and yell at him for getting himself cursed, but I shook my head because frankly, he had been through enough already. I was about to leave the Swamp Spider House when I noticed his dog was still running around and a thought came to mind. Since I now had the Mask of Truth and he did say it could read the minds of animals, I figured I should try it out right here by picking up his dog to see what it was thinking about.
I put the Mask of Truth on my face, walked over to the dog who stopped upon seeing me, and I lifted him up into my arms. I felt absolutely at peace given what I had just been through but then a voice coming from the dog began speaking in my mind.
" Rrr-ruff! I've had it with this foolish master! What's a racing dog like me doing in a place like this? Oh, how I miss the ranch..."
Gently putting the dog down on the ground, taking off the Mask of Mask, and putting it away, I began to think about what the dog was talking about. He said he was a racing dog from the ranch though it seemed his current owner didn't seem him as such, but then I didn't recall seeing a racing track for dogs during either of my visits to Romani Ranch. Perhaps there was a location over there I never visited and perhaps I should consider it sometime since the dog longed for it. In any case, I no longer needed to linger around the cursed house so I walked outside where it was still night time.
Looking up at the night sky and consulting with Princess Twilight, we both concluded that it had just gone past midnight and that meant I couldn't prevent the robbery back in town from taking place. I now had to wait until the next cycle before I could stop Lightning Dust and have Iron Will sell that weird mask of his instead of the stolen Bomb Bag. I then considered going to the Milk Bar and help Miss Pommel with the sound check since I had all three transformation masks yet Her Highness said everyone had likely gone to bed by now so we had to wait until tomorrow night before we could help her out.
I could try and get a bigger quiver or Bomb Bag but that would involve rupees so that idea was out for the time being since I didn't have any and farming for them back in the field would be a little redundant--I could withdraw rupees from the bank yet I need them in there for that 5,000 rupee reward. I pounded my head a few times to come up with something for me to do next and continued pounding until an idea popped into my mind, and it was the dog who gave it to me all because he mentioned the ranch. I could finally pay a visit to those sisters related to Gorman.
Considering it was the middle of the night, the two sisters were probably asleep as they weren't chasing down Applejack's wagon--Apple Bloom was probably being abducted by those aliens at this point--so I had to pay them a visit when it was daylight.
" You should be careful with the Gorman Sisters, Sunset." Twilight said.
" I won't let them rob me blind."
" That's not what I meant."
" Oh?"
" You can't accuse them of attacking Applejack's wagon since that event hasn't happened yet nor will it since we didn't help Apple Bloom." Twilight answered. " If you go and call them out on it, they could see you as being trouble and we'll never get the mask they have that can allow us to reach the final region. You must pretend that you don't know about their sinister mannerisms and instead treat them like you would anyone else."
" I wonder why they act the way they do."
" The only way to know would be to go and ask them."
I thought about Princess Twilight's words for a few seconds before responding. " Maybe that isn't such a good idea after all. They could take it the wrong way and think of me as being trouble... which is just what you said." I slapped my forehead over my stupidity while Her Highness giggled prompting me to do the exact same thing. " Okay, so maybe asking them that question would be a big mistake, but perhaps asking about their relationship with Big Macintosh is in order?"
" Yes, that should be a good question though whether or not they answer it will be up to them."
Taking out the Ocarina of Time from the pouch on my belt, I first played the Song of Soaring and concentrated on wanting to be taken to Milk Road. Wings then protruded from my back, wrapped themselves around me, and I began spinning around before disappearing then reappearing seconds later at my destination. I next played the Song of Double Time to speed up time by about six hours--the remaining time until sunrise and because I had nothing else to do--I also needed to play it a few times just so that I could remember how the notes went--until then.
Dawn of the Second Day - 48 Hours Remain.
As soon as the Cucco crowed to indicate sunrise, I turned away from the Owl Statue and began walking in the direction of the one pathway I never took in Milk Road and I soon entered a large open area that I instantly recognized as being the "ugly country" Applejack mentioned when I helped her with her delivery--the signs were also a dead giveaway. No doubt that this was the Gorman Sisters' residence as where I had entered consisted of a ramshackle house along with a stable of similar conditions, a fence that was in better condition than the house, and a campfire though it wasn't lit.
In my mind, this place didn't seem all that much though I suspected the Gorman Sisters would take offence were I to talk to them about it. In any case, I had to make sure not to accuse them or actions that hadn't happened yet otherwise things would easily get sour. If there was one positive about this place, it would be the open scenery of the mountainous region surrounding us combined with the crisp air ones comes to expect outside in an open area such as this.
My eyes then noticed the Gorman Sisters nearby working on what I assumed were chores or whatever else they were doing, but when they turned towards me upon seeing my shadow on the ground, I was surprised at who they were. Actually, I was somewhat surprised to be honest because I had a feeling one of them would portray Gorman's siblings given her attitude--she was two-faced--during the Friendship Games. The other one came completely out of the blue as she wasn't necessarily negative given she was more interested in listening to her music more than anything else.
Princess Twilight was confused. " Do you recognize them, Sunset, because I sure don't."
I nodded. " They are two more members of the Shadowbolts. The one wearing the orange overalls is Lemon Zest though I'm surprised she would be portraying a sinister character since she wasn't really antagonistic. Then again, I don't know everything about them as Twilight Sparkle doesn't like talking about her time at Crystal Prep, and I'm not going to force her to tell us just because. The other one in the blue overalls is Sour Sweet, and she was named well as she has a two-faced manner that makes it hard to take her seriously. She was definitely an antagonist especially how she treated Twilight Sparkle just because of her lack of athletic ability."
" How do you propose we talk to them?"
" Pick one at random."
" Oh."
I walked forward when Lemon Zest spoke out first. " What are you doing here? Do you know what place this is? No, I didn't think you would since you're just a kid and all, but let me tell you anyway before you start asking questions you shouldn't be. This is the Gorman Sister's horse training center where we breed the finest horses in all of Termina. You don't have a horse so there's no reason why you're even here so get lost!"
" Now, now, sister. There's no reason to be rude." Sour Sweet said.
" Why shouldn't I be, big sister? This kid is bound to cause trouble."
" If this kid proves to be trouble then we'll make sure she doesn't do it again in the future."
" Excuse me!?" I said.
Sour Sweet waved her hand and pretended that she didn't say anything. " Huh? Oh, don't mind what I just said. We Gorman Sisters do tend to get rather irritable when someone comes here without having a horse because we think they might be trying to scam us or something." I frowned at her and she responded with a defensive gesture. " Now, now... Don't get angry because of my opinion. All right, if you don't have a horse, go ahead and take a look around though you probably won't find much of interest. You definitely won't!"
" A shame she doesn't have a horse huh, big sister?" Lemon Zest asked.
" If she had one then she could have participated in our little challenge."
Lemon Zest laughed. " Like she'll find a horse around here given the circumstances." She turned towards me while pointing her finger at the nearby hill though she was likely referencing the ranch on the other side. " I'll fill you in on a little secret, kid. If you need a horse, there are a bunch of them next door at Romani Ranch, and I think the daughter now runs the place since her old man passed away a while back." Lemon Zest snickered a little when she mentioned Applejack's father and I couldn't help but feel suspicious of her honesty. " I bet she wouldn't notice if you stole yourself one and used it here."
" No need to give this child such naughty ideas, little sister."
" I guess you're right, big sister."
Sour Sweet then walked over to a table that contained a large container of milk, grabbed it, and brought it back over to me before putting it down on the ground. " How about buying some fresh milk? I'm serious about it being fresh! You look like you need some given your scrawny body and I'm feeling extra generous today."
" They sell milk at Romani Ranch you know." I said.
" Oh we know."
" Then why bring it up?"
" Because I have something special to tell you."
" What would that be?"
" That milk they produce down there at Romani Ranch is watered down a bit. It's not worth drinkin' one bit and they overcharge you on that expensive brand they love flaunting about through advertisement." Sour Sweet answered. " It makes me sick! Ahem! Anyway, my little sister and I also sell milk but we don't water it down or anything shady. Our milk is the real deal, fresh and full of vitamins. If you would like to purchase some of our fresh milk, I can sell you some for about fifty rupees though I can easily reduce the price by about ten rupees just because I'm feeling generous."
I could tell that Sour Sweet wasn't being sincere with me given that her facial expressions belied her words. Even if she and Lemon Zest weren't selling milk or breeding horses as they say they were doing, I had no intention of letting them take advantage of me. I knew what they had done to Applejack during a previous cycle of time and I wasn't going to forgive them any time soon for it. Still, despite how I felt, they weren't giving off any weird vibes to perhaps I could get my business here done without dragging it on for too long.
Speaking of milk, fifty rupees sounded like highway robbery to me though to be fair I wasn't sure how much it actually cost--I never asked Applejack or Apple Bloom at the ranch nor inquired about a price at the Milk Bar--but there was no telling if what Sour Sweet and Lemon Zest were trying to sell was nothing more than water with milk thrown in for good measure just to make it come off as such. I had to be cautious by not coming out saying to them that I wanted the mask they used during the robbery. Not only would they be suspicious that I knew they had a mask like that but also accuse me of accusing them of foul play.
" Hey! Quit your daydreaming!" Lemon Zest shouted.
" I have to agree with my little sister there." Sour Sweet said. " Quit wasting our time! Anyway, would you like to purchase some milk or not?"
I shook my head. " No thanks, I'm good."
Sour Sweet looked dejected. " Really? You sure about that? You could do with some milk to make yourself stronger." Again, I shook my head and she immediately grew angry though refrained from coming over and attacking me. " Fine! But don't come crying to us that you end up getting weak when you get older!"
" I have a horse."
" You? A horse?"
I nodded my head. " I can call her over if you want."
Sour Sweet laughed. " Now this I've got to see."
I took out the Ocarina of Time from the pouch on my belt and played Epona's Song--I could never forget this melody. At first nothing happened which caused the Gorman Sisters to look at me with shifty eyes, but then a familiar neighing come from behind me and the sight of my beloved steed came galloping along until she came to a stop. I couldn't whinny at her in my usual fashion as that would make both Sour Sweet and Lemon Zest suspicious--they would also think I was crazy--so instead I petted Epona on the muzzle and she gently nudged my chest in response.
While I was distracted by petting Epona, I could hear laughter coming from behind me so I turned around and both sisters were laughing at me. I didn't understand why they were doing that but then it quickly became apparent because of how they were looking at Epona. They didn't think she was special and probably thought their own horses were better though I intended on changing their tune once I had beaten them in a race. Of course, I needed to sound convincing if I were to race against them for the mask I needed to gain access to the final region east of Clock Town.
Sour Sweet stopped laughing and spoke out. " What in the world is that thing? Is that pathetic thing your horse?"
I nodded. " Yes. What of it?"
" It looked more like a mule for sure given how tiny the thing is."
" Good one, big sister." Lemon Zest said.
" What do you make of this kid's mule, little sister?"
Lemon Zest walked up to where Epona and I were standing and leaned forward to get a closer inspection. " Whoa!" She was either impressed or just pretending to be to give me some sympathy but I held firm and she eventually walked back to where she was before. " To be honest, big sister, that there horse may be small but it has some pretty powerful legs not to mention a well-groomed mane. Whoever bred and raised it knew what they were doing and I may be even more honest, they could very well run us out of business, and that is no laughing matter."
" I should say not!"
" What shall we do?"
" I'm not sure."
I then spoke up. " I have a suggestion?"
" Then let's hear it." Sour Sweet answered. " I could do with another laugh."
I needed to make this count. " Your sister said that my horse looks like she was raised well but I would like to test her theory further by racing her against other horses that are much larger in size. It might sound strange coming from a kid but what do you two have to lose?"
The two sisters then walked to the side and began talking amongst themselves while occasionally looking in my direction. My idea wasn't explained very well since I had to make it up but hopefully they believed me and were convinced to challenge me. Granted, I was at a disadvantage were they to agree since my horse was young compared with their adult stallions yet I needed to have faith in Epona. Of course, it didn't really matter if my words weren't convincing enough. As the two continued talking amongst themselves, pondering over what to do, my heart began beating heavily.
I hoped they would agree to race against me not only because I wanted to prove Epona was better than their horses but also because without their mask, I had no chance of gaining access to the final region. Adagio said that their mask was essential so the fate of three worlds came down to whether or not the Gorman Sisters thought of me as a decent enough challenge or a kid who had gone too far with her mouth.