//------------------------------//
// Chapter 52: The Living Armour 
// Story: The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Majora's Mask 
// by Ganondorf8 
//------------------------------//

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Majora's Mask
By Ganondorf8
April 10, 2017
Chapter 52: The Living Armour.

This wasn't the kind of game I was expecting. In fact, I was expecting it to be similar to the one back in Clock Town. Granted, this one also featured monsters that needed to be shot at in order to accrue points, yet the monsters were moving about in a large forest setting rather than being confined to one general area. Since I didn't really have time to ponder over how I would handle this, I decided to simply shoot at anything that moved. Sure, it wasn't the most ideal plan but having an infinite supply of arrows meant I could miss intentionally and not get punished over it.

One thing that was on my mind revolved around the scoring system. In the previous shooting game, I earned one point for each red Octorok that I hit--the blue Octorok merely took away precious time instead of taking away points. With this game, the man never said what each monster's value was so I had to either hope for some kind of indication or try to figure out what each one was worth. Speaking of him, I still couldn't get over how thick his accent was. I wondered then if said accent was a reason why no one came to play his game simply because they couldn't understand a word he said--it amazed me that I actually could.

Firing my arrows at the unusual Deku Scrubs, I was able to hit them all causing them to disappear, but no sooner had they done so when another group popped up in their place, these ones being the proper Deku I had come to know--also from being one through the Deku Mask. As I aimed my bow and started firing arrows, I then noticed two additional Deku hiding in opposite ends of this setting. They were most likely bonus targets that required dedication towards shooting them down given there were other things that required my attention. I was able to hit four Deku before the fifth disappeared back into the ground followed by the sounds of cawing echoing all around.

Three birds then flew into the scene and I recognized them from my previous journey. I couldn't recall their names exactly but they were annoying at best since all they ever did was attempt to fly into me just because I was in their territory. The Deku Scrub I missed then popped back up giving me too many targets to choose from so I opted to fire in all directions hoping for something to turn out right. While this wasn't my best idea as the man looked at me wondering what I was doing, I'll admit that it worked as many of the targets were being felled--the birds and Deku Scrub went down relatively easy while the two additional Deku were hard to hit.

I now had a brief moment to pick off the two hiding at both ends of the scenery but again they were hard to hit since they were so far away. While I had gotten much better at using a bow, my skills definitely needed improving especially since I fired a barrage without even thinking of where my arrows would go. I fired an arrow at the Deku on the left only for it to miss entirely--it didn't even reach it--so I adjusted my aim and tried again only for howling to disrupt my concentration causing me to miss it again. I wondered what could have made such a howl only for my answer to come in the form of two Wolfos running on the ground.

Now things were really getting out of hand. The two Deku Scrubs disappeared back into their respective flowers while the Wolfos ran straight across the scenery and I had to get rid of them before they escaped and I would lose out on some serious points. I fired an arrow, destroyed the first one where it burned away to nothing, but then before hitting the other, the unusual Deku Scrubs appeared from their Deku Flowers--it was a different group this time--and blocked me from hitting it, causing me to hit one of them instead. I cursed under my breath as I quickly took them out followed by taking the Wolfos out just as it was about to flee but then more birds appeared.

" Looks like I found another reason why no one comes here." I said to myself as I began shooting at the birds. " If that man's accent wasn't enough to deter them, it would be the ridiculousness behind this game that kept them away and him earning a profit. Having a beautiful backdrop is fine and all but having moving targets of different temperments isn't ideal by any means. Perhaps he should have scaled back on the more elusive targets or prevent them from escaping far too quickly." As each bird got shot down and burned away upon landing on the ground, the familiar looking Deku appeared--again it was a different group.

" Now I wish Rainbow Dash was doing this instead, or Applejack since they're both archery experts." I said to myself, my confidence breaking because of how difficult this game was getting what with so many monsters showing up all at once. I took the row of Deku Scrubs, the easiest part so far, then the hard-to-reach Deku on the right side of the scenery, yet before I could get a moment to relax, the same one reappeared again from its flower along with another one on the opposite side. " Why do they keep reappearing? How many of them did he put into this game!?"

For the next several minutes--it felt like forever as there was no stop of monsters appearing--I shot arrows all over the place, hitting them as they appeared with some almost avoiding my arrows completely through a combination of sheer luck and my own dumb luck. No doubt the man was enjoying my display though I wouldn't be surprised if he would question me afterward on how someone like me could get her hands on a bow with the kind of shooting I was doing. It also made me wonder if he could complete his own game given how difficult it was.

The pattern turned out to be simple. The two kinds of Deku Scrub would alternate every time one row of them would be taken out and the birds would appear in-between each formation either flying in from the right in a formation before going their separate ways until leaving. The Wolfos came in from the left--either one or two of them--upon the second Deku group being defeated, running across quickly, and leaving the scene from the left. Finally, the two Deku who are hard to hit are completely random, making it difficult to know when they would show up. Through it all, it took me until the end to figure out their pattern.

I continued shooting down the monsters, my exhaustion clearly showing by this point, and then it came down to the final three monsters. One of the hard-to-hit Deku Scrubs and two Wolfos--not my ideal choice--were all that remained yet the man pointed towards a clock hanging on the hall, an indication that time was almost over--he never bothered to inform me about a time limit. I had little room for error so I went after both Wolfos first, shooting both of them using five arrows, but when I aimed up at the Deku, a whistle blew signalling the end of the game. When the whistle blew, I was startled by how sudden it was, and fired one last arrow, hitting the Deku.

" Yer all outta time, mate." The man said.

I dropped to my knees, sweat dripping down my brow. " That was absolutely intense!"

" Me game takes a roit amount'ta skill ta be able ta win it."

" If you want my opinion, you should hold back on having so many monsters showing up."

" Perhaps yer roit."

Once I regained my breath and got back onto my feet, I put my bow away and turned to face the man. " Despite how ridiculous that was, I'll admit that it was a lot of fun but I don't know how many points I earned since you didn't tell me about it before I started playing."

" T'was me mistake, mate."

" So how do the points work?"

The man took out a piece of paper from underneath his desk, a pencil that had been left on the side, and began writing down some numbers. " Small Deku are worth thirty points while dere bigga cousins are worth sixty points. Teh boids are worth sixty points as well while dem wolves are worth a 'undread points. Lastly, the Deku 'iddin' in ta background are also a 'undread points given 'ow they're 'ard ta hit. Ya moit think me game is rigged wit 'ow I tally up da points but ya'll find other customers approved of teh system when I showed 'em. Now gif me a few minutes ta figure out yer score."

He began furiously scribbling away to determine my score though my eyes were focused on Princess Twilight. Her Highness floated over until she was directly above his head and looked down to see what kind of numbers he was calculating. Her constant head shakes indicated that he clearly had no idea what he was doing though I had no right to tell him how to do his job since this was his place. I just had to hope that I got a decent enough score that would give me the bigger quiver upgrade otherwise I would have to go back outside and scrounge around for rupees again.

Eventually, the man came to a stop, put his pencil down, and looked over at the work he had done. Princess Twilight shrugged her shoulders before floating back over to me, and my heart was filled with dread knowing not even she could figure out what he did. If she couldn't figure it out then it meant a disaster was coming but perhaps this man was much smarter than appearances suggested? He then picked up his pencil and made a last minute change to his calculations, my heart beating rapidly over what was about to come my way. The moment of truth had come and I was ready to accept the verdict.

I spoke out eagerly. " How did I do?"

" Awright!" The man answered. " Despoite how yer were aimin' all over ta place, yer method actually proved beneficial, mate. Accordin' ta what I wrote down, ya managed ta 'hit all of th' tahgets though ya didn't have any time ta spare. I wuz thinkin' 'bout that last shot where ya 'it that Deku jist as time ran out, and I decided it counted since it wuz a purdy lucky shot ya made, and I do like it when customers give me sumfin fancy."

" So that last shot counted?"

The man nodded. " Aye. Accordin' ta me notes 'ere, ya managed ta score a total of 2180 points."

" Is that good?"

The man nodded again. " That's purdy durn good, mate, a perfect score." What!? Despite how difficult and absurd that was, I managed to get a perfect score? While I was happy about hearing it, I needed to make sure it was correct and not his way of showing me sympathy over my shooting skills. I walked up to the counter and asked if I could see his piece of paper and he obliged by showing me. " Not many customers ask ta see me work but then they usually don't care 'bout it and prefer ta jist leave wif their prize. Ya needed ta 'ave 2170 points in total ta win me game and yer beat it by jist ten points."

" Why 2170?"

" 'Cuz that's ta total all dem monsters add up ta."

" That explains so much."

" Since ya were able to get ta 'igh score, allow me ta give ya this, mate." The man said. He reached below the counter again and pulled up a beautfiul looking quiver with a golden trim on the top and symbols eched all around the tube though I couldn't understand what any of them meant. " This 'ere quiver can hold more arrows than that old one yer currently usin' so why don't ya gif me that one and I'll gif ya dis new one instead. Ya should be able ta hold up ta fifty arrows so if yer a lover o'shootin' wif a bow, yer gonna love usin' dis quiver." He handed me the quiver and I gave him the other one in return where he placed it on a shelf that was behind him."

" Sorry if I ran out on you earlier."

" Ya don't need ta apologize, mate."

" I guess this is where I live then."

" Before ya go, I would like ta mention that there is another prize if ya git a perfect score for a second time." The man said. " When and how dem monsters appear and behave is different the second time 'round but someone wif yer skills ought ta 'ave no trouble wif it. I know ya don't 'have 'nuff rupees ta play again so perhaps ya might come back sumtime in da future and play me game." He was about to turn his attention towards some papers he had at the opposite end of the counter but quickly looked back at me. " Aye! Tell yer friends awl about us, awright, mate?"

" Us?" I asked, confused. " I only see you around here."

" Jist a figure o'speech, mate."

Leaving the Swamp Shooting Gallery, I took a closer look at the new quiver I had acquired. This would definitely make things easier for me when it came to not running out of arrows though a part of me was curious as to what his other prize was. I'm sure that it wasn't anything serious and I could easily come back at any time and win whatever it was before having to reset time. Luckily, it didn't take long for me to acquire the quiver so I had plenty of time to get back to the final region and explore it fully. As I began walking along the path before heading right to go back to Termina Field, I began thinking about what this region would be like.

No doubt there wasn't going to be any signs of life aside from a researcher, his daughter, and Lightning Dust when I got there, but I supposed the spirits of the dead would count as being alive since they were brought back from the beyond in some manner. I would also need to get my hands on a map so that involved finding Pinkie Pie as soon as possible. And then there was the graveyard and what those Stalchildren were guarding during the first two nights. It sounded like I needed to find my way back down underground to pick up something important from one of those tombs so I was glad that I had the Captain's Hat to command those Stalchildren with.

Before I could forget, I still had the Garo's Mask that I won by defeating the Gorman Sisters in a horse race. I needed it to gain access to the final region according to what Adagio said but she wasn't specific about how to use it. Did I have to show it to someone or was I supposed to wear it and something happens? Either way, I was ready to finally explore the land of the dead this region was known for and awaken the final giant, and that was something else that came across my mind. The giants were represented by the three princesses of Equestria, albeit their human counterparts, yet who would be portraying the last one?

All of these questions were flowing through my head yet they had no answers to them. I would need to figure out some of them and soon before things would spiral out of control, and yet I had forgotten about one other question, the one I chose to ignore but could no longer do so since it was getting closer to that time. How was I going to counter the evil manipulations of Ganondorf? His next contest supposedly would happen upon my awakening the final giant and within the dream world yet why not another physical confrontation was beyond me. Was he anticipating my resolve to weaken upon seeing the horrors of this region?

Worrying about him now would only weaken my resolve and allow him to easily manipulate me in the future so instead I needed to focus on the final region. Upon leaving the swamp and returning to Termina Field, I realized that I needed to go back to where the graveyard was since I hadn't activated an Owl Statue, and that meant taking the long way. At least I could rely on Epona rather than walking to get me there quickly and of course I needed her to jump over those fences. Taking out the Ocarina of Time, I played Epona's Song and watched as she galloped over to me before stopping and letting out a loud whinny.

I whinnied back at her in return, climbed onto her back, and gently kicked her in the ribs to get her going. Aside from the occasional Red and Green Chu-Chus who merely jumped around in a pitiful attempt to attack us, Epona was able to outrun them without any trouble and we continued on heading northeast until the grass changed into dirt signalling that we were heading towards the canyon and what lied beyond it. As she continued galloping along, Epona would whinny whenever I whipped her flank to make her run a little bit faster since I didn't want to waste too much time, yet I knew she needed to get used to it given what she already endured.

Once we entered the path that connected the field to the canyon proper, I whipped Epona's flank so that she could jump over the fences all while avoiding the Real Bombchu, who had taken the place of those Blue Bubbles we encountered last time--it was day as opposed to night like before--though they all lit their fuses prompting Epona to gallop as fast as possible so as to avoid getting caught in numerous explosions. As the monsters exploded all around us, we managed to reach our destination yet I wouldn't leave my steed in a place where she could get blasted by explosions, so I had her trot on over to where we saw the group of stones and left her there.

" Are you Epona will be safe here, Sunset?" Twilight asked.

I shook my head. " I honestly don't know but I don't see anywhere that could be a safe spot given how barren this place is."

" And yet this is nothing compared to what lies further ahead."

" Any idea on how we even get there?"

Princess Twilight shook her head. " I have no idea."

" There has to be something we missed."

Princess Twilight then floated upwards in order to have a look around before suddenly coming back down and screaming at the top of her voice. " Sunset! Sunset! I see him! I see him sitting on top of the cliff! I see King Sombra!" I waved my hands to get her to calm down but she was insistent on continuing to yell until I clamped my hands around her body until she finally calmed down and was able to speak coherently. " I saw King Sombra sitting up there staring out at nothing until he looked down at me, and that's when I came back down here to warn you of his presence."

" Why would he be around here of all places?"

" I don't know but we need to prepare for anything."

I remembered Her Highness telling me about how she and the pony versions of my friends went to the Crystal Empire to stop King Sombra from reclaiming it as his own. While the story was relatively boring in some places, it was certainly one that showed Princess Twilight having learned that not all plans worked out the way you wanted. I had seen Sombra myself during my previous journey where he ran a curious Ghost Shop located in the destroyed Hyrule Castle Town, and he collected all kinds of Poes though it was the Big Poes that he wanted for reasons I wasn't willing to ask about.

Looking up at the top of the cliff, I couldn't see anything so I walked backwards a few paces, and sure enough, there was King Sombra sitting on the cliff's edge. He was wearing the same robes I saw him wear before when he ran the Ghost Shop yet there was a strange aura that surrounded him. I couldn't tell what kind it was though my mind was telling me it had something to do with death itself. I wasn't about to question how he managed to get up there since it was pretty obvious that he walked all the way here from the final region, or perhaps he merely appeared out of nowhere and my assumption was incorrect.

Sombra then looked down and noticed me before giggling in a creepy manner. " Yee-hee-hee. What are you doing in a place like this?"

" I've come to enter the land beyond this cliff!"

Sombra giggled again. " Such a boisterous claim you made, but sadly it falls on deaf ears. Ikana Hill beyond here is the place where spirits with troubles and lingering regrets wander brought back to this mortal coil through no action of their own. Even now, the spirits wander in search of one who can save them. They cannot exist in their current forms as they must continue resting in peace, yet such information does not mean anything to you. It is unfortunate, but this place is not for one such as you..."

" What? Why not?"

" Because you do not have what is needed."

" I do have it!" I shouted back. " I do have the mask."

" And yet I cannot see it upon your face." Sombra said. " If you insist on entering this place, then you must obtain the mask containing wandering spirits that can be found near the ranch, stolen by those who possess black hearts, and use it for deeds that desecrate those who once represented it and their leader. Without that mask, you cannot save their souls so be gone with you!"

Crap! I should have spoken to him while wearing the Garo's Mask then I could have avoided hearing him say that. Despite Sombra not allowing me to proceed straight away, he did reveal some important information regarding the Ikana region and giving me something to go with. The spirits of the dead were in need of my help and though I didn't know what to do to save them quite yet, I now knew what needed to be done. Of course, I still needed additional information and perhaps Pinkie could provide some but before doing that, I first needed Sombra to move aside and allow me to continue.

I was about to take out the Garo's Mask when I suddenly thought of something. Since Captain Keeta was originally from Ikana, was it possible that I could be given access if I were to wear his mask instead? I wasn't going to lose out on anything were I to try it and Sombra might say something in response so I took out the Captain's Hat, placed it on my face, and looked up at Sombra to see if he would react accordingly. At first he merely stared at me--it was creeping me out--followed by lurching forward to get a closer look but then he startled giggling, a sign that could mean anything given his eccentric nature.

" Well?" I asked. " What do you make of this?"

" Sunset!" Twilight exclaimed. " That's not the right mask."

" Oh I know that."

" Then why did you put that one on?"

" I wanted to see what his reaction would be."

Sombra giggled once again and almost fell down onto his back. " Yee-hee-hee. You are wearing an interesting mask yet I am surprised that you were the one who was able to calm his spirit and allow him to rest in eternal slumber. That is the mask of the captain of the soldiers who once served to protect the castle on the hilltop. Despite his untimely defeat, the captain was well respected by those who served him, and even now they continue to carry out his orders though they wait for new ones. Now, Ikana Hill  is the gathering place for the spirits of those with lingering regrets. Until now they wander, seeking one who can save them."

" You already said that, about them needing to be saved."

" It is necessary to remind you that the spirits linger and seek salvation."

" No need to repeat yourself for my sake."

Sombra giggled again and it was starting to get on my nerves. " In any case, you cannot save them with that mask... Have you no other to show me? It is unfortunate, but I cannot let you pass  so be gone with you. Yee-hee-hee!"

This time, I knew what I needed to do. I took off the Captain's Hat, switched over to the Garo's Mask, and put it on my face before looking up at Sombra who then stopped giggling when he saw my face. In fact, his reaction almost caused him to fall down the cliff though he managed to stop himself just in time. No doubt that he wasn't expecting me to have the required mask but perhaps now he would allow me to continue on and no longer be an obstacle whose gaze continued making me feel incredibly nervous. Then again, Sombra could have additional conditions I needed to fulfill, and that would simply be unfair.

I called out to him. " What do you have to say now?"

Instead of giggling this time, Sombra tapped the staff he was holding on the ground and a tree rose up next to him. " I see that you have that which is necessary to enter the land beyond this point. You have surprised me, child, as I did not expect such a thing from you. Fate works in mysterious ways and cannot be questioned. You have the mask of the leader of the ninjas who once spied on the hilltop castle with the blood-stained history."

" Do you know why I need this particular mask?"

" With that, you may be able to call out their spirits that even now are still wandering." Sombra said. " The ninjas respected their leader immensely and would carry out the will of their clan and never question it. By wearing it throughout Ikana Hill, you may be able to summon them and learn information that will aid you, or perhaps they will claim your life as they know when someone deceives them."

" I'll be fine."

" Perhaps you may be able to save the souls that wander beyond here... Yee-hee-hee."

Sombra's body then slowly began disappearing until he was gone completely, and while that left Princess Twilight feeling uneasy, I didn't feel the same way given that I had been through this kind of scenario before. At the very least, we could finally proceed into Ikana though I didn't want to wear the Garo's Mask the entire time--it would just make me look weird in addition to who it originally belonged to when I got it. It didn't take long for me figure out the Hookshot was needed since I had no other means of getting up the cliff. I doubted there was an invisible ladder since this place was devoid of most anything.

Aiming the Hookshot at the tree and firing the chain, I got pulled up to the top of the cliff, but before continuing, I turned around, looked down at Epona, who was still safe inside the circle of stones, and whinnied down at her. She looked up at me and whinnied in response prompting me to smile knowing she would be safe before turning my attention to the path ahead though it seemed suspicious. There were several jagged rocks sticking out of both cliff-faces though it was the smell of something odd that made me worry. I couldn't recognize what it was given the faintness behind it so I continued walking forward.

I noticed Princess Twilight was nervous so I chose to calm her fears. " Are you really that nervous about King Sombra?"

Princess Twilight nodded slightly. " It's not that I'm afraid of him personally since he was defeated by my version of Spike along with Princess Cadance and the entire empire, but the version of him we saw was creepy beyond all reckoning. He just appeared out of nowhere and almost scared me to death which is why I came back to you in a panic. I guess I'm going to be experiencing even more horrifying things before we're finished in Ikana."

" Everyone is afraid of something."

" And you have personal experience."

I nodded. " It's not just Princess Celestia and Ganondorf that worry me, but also whether I can save this world from Starlight. I mean, I'm doing pretty well so far, but what if there's more to it than that and whatever happens is something far beyond my skills?"

" We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

" I suppose so."

" By the way..." Twilight began. " Why are you sniffing the air?"

" Can't you small something odd all around us?" I asked. " It smells very familiar but I can't put my finger on it."

Princess Twilight then pointed to some creatures that suddenly rose out of the ground. " Perhaps the smell is coming from them?" I looked at what she pointing towards and my first thought was that they were some kind of Gorons given their similar bodyshape, but that thought quickly disappeared when the creatures began rolling towards us. " Those things are called Nejirons and what you've been smelling is gunpowder."

" What!?"

" They are literally living explosives so you need to avoid them otherwise they will detonate."

" I guess their similarities to Gorons is a form of deception?"

Princess Twilight nodded. " Yes and they use that to attack when you find out that it's too late. You could attack them from a distance by shooting arrows at them as that will cause them to explode, but I don't think you have enough arrows and they do re-spawn relatively quickly so it's best to make for Ikana."

Her Highness didn't have to tell me twice though I was planning on avoiding these monsters regardless of what they could do. Unlike the Real Bombchu, these Nejirons weren't as fast though the noise they made was annoying given how obnoxious it sounded, yet I suspected their explosions would have a larger radius and that meant avoiding them like the plague or else suffer for it. I ran past a pair of Nejirons who had gotten too close though they began following behind, and as I ran the rest started rolling after me along with others rising up from the ground and joining the chase.

I seriously considered turning around and shooting some arrows at them in hopes that one explosion would result in all of them being defeated, yet I feared they were immune to their own explosions and would continue following until I collapsed from exhaustion. No, I had to keep running until they could no longer follow me though there was no telling when they would give up. I continued running when two Nejirons started to rise up from the ground in front of me so I performed an acrobatic feat by jumping over them making sure not to come in contact with them--my landing could have been better.

Suddenly, boulders started tumbling down both the cliffs and the path in an attempt to knock me down, prompting me to take evasive action by hiding behind the jagged rocks and waiting for them to pass though I still had the Nejirons to deal with. One of them exploded right behind where I was standing and while I didn't suffer any injuries, I was propelled forward by the blast, slamming into a jagged rock up ahead. Getting back onto my feet, another Nejiron decided to explode followed by two more and soon most of them were exploding, pushing me along, my back feeling singed from so many explosions.

By the time the last ones were exploding, I had gotten far enough away that they simply ignored me and went back down underground leaving me to continue on. The cliffs then spread outwards as Princess Twilight and I entered a massive area comprising of yet another cliff that needed to be traversed--at least there was a tree I could pull myself up towards by using the Hookshot. A river was situated at the base of the cliff and the broken bridge indicated someone didn't want me to make it to the other side, and a pathway to the right looked to go away from where I needed to go.

Princess Twilight then bopped me on the head. " Sunset! Look over there!"

I looked to my right and noticed a very familiar character. " That's Lightning Dust!" Prancing about in a circle without a care in the world was Lightning Dust herself, but what was she doing in such a morbid place like this? Despite pretending to be innocent, I knew what she had done, or rather, what she would eventually do back in Clock Town since she hadn't done it yet--time paradoxes were really confusing sometimes. " Maybe we should avoid her."

" Remember that she doesn't know who we are."

" I know but I don't want to get robbed or anything."

" I'll make sure she doesn't do that, Sunset."

" Do you suppose she knows something about this place?"

Princess Twilight shrugged. " She might not be willing to tell you especially since she probably sees you as a potential victim she can rob from." Her Highness then took a closer look at Lightning Dust and noticed something unusual about her behaviour. " She keeps looking down that path to the right as though there was something important to her that lurks that way but I can't be certain. You might be able to get her to talk though I doubt anything will come of it."

Before I had a chance to do anything, Lightning Dust walked over upon noticing me, and immediately began looking at my sword. " Hey, that's a nice sword you have there. I'm surprised a kid like you would be running around with something so sharp. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen you around here before."

" What do you want?" I asked.

" It's not like living people come this way you know unless they had a real good reason."

" I'm here on personal business."

Lightning Dust placed both hands on her face and pretended to be excited. " Ooooh! You must be one of those adventuring types who go around fighting evil. I don't know why you wanted to come here but let me give you some advice. You know... Lately, frightening ghosts have been appearing in swarms in Ikana Village across the river. It seems they're the ghosts of Ikana's Royal Family or something. Ever since that stranger dragged me to that accursed stronghold, ghosts have been popping up everywhere like some kind of pandemic."

" What stranger?"

" She was an imp from the forest."

My eyes widened. " Was she wearing a mask?"

Lightning Dust nodded. " Yes, and while I really wanted to hold onto it for a moment, she threatened to kill me if I got too close. That child was no mere forest imp as no one like that should be able to perform the dark magic she did when she "persuaded me" to guide her some place further in Ikana." She tilted her head for a few seconds in which she scratched her chin and her eyes lighting up upon coming to some kind of conclusion. " You're after that imp aren't you?" I nodded in response and she jumped up and down. " I figured as much since who else would be interested in an imp."

" Where did you take her?"

" Somewhere on the other side of the river." Lightning Dust answered. " I'd rather not talk about it or her for that matter as she frightens me to no end. In case you're curious and I assume that you are, Ikana Village is nothing but a barren wasteland. There's no one living there anymore, so I moved nearby. Heh, heh... I know what you're thinking. Why would anyone want to move to a place where the dead roam about without any restraint? I have my reasons for my actions but they are personal."

I felt annoyed that she used my own words against me but so far I was learning much. " Are you the only living person here?"

" Nope."

" Who else is there?"

" There's only a curious parent and child living there while they research the ghosts."

" Why would anyone do that?"

Lightning Dust shrugged. " Beats me but I don't want anything to do with them. If they want to be killed by the ghosts that haunt the place then that's fine by me so long as they don't come out this far. I'm surprised those two ranchers who came here about a week ago didn't end up suffering a terrible fate. They stole some kind of weird masks when they crossed the river and went inside one of the ruined building over there yet they were never hounded by those ghosts. They were probably lucky or something to have made it out alive though I can't say the same for that parent and child. Did I mention that is one niiiiice sword?"

" Why are you obsessed with my sword?"

" I haven't seen anything like it before and despite how small it looks, it must be pretty important to you."

" It is."

" May I take a closer look?"

Lightning Dust inched closer to me and I felt really uncomfortable in her approach so I began stepping backwards in hopes of getting some distance between us but she continued moving towards me. It looked like she had no intention of stopping until she got to see my sword but I knew that she was likely to steal it from me at the earliest opportunity and run away leaving me unarmed until I could get it back again. I looked at Princess Twilight who in turn nodded her head to allow Lightning Dust a chance to take a look at my sword so I drew it from its scabbard and presented it to her.

She quickly grew excited--and also creepy--upon seeing my sword and was eager to get her grubby little fingers on it. She moved closer, her facial expression showing a depraved individual, but when she was about to place her hands on it, Princess Twilight glowed red and began buzzing around her head as a means of keeping her back. I had no idea she could change her colour like that but I'm glad that she did to give Lightning Dust a warning to back away before she could make a terrible mistake. Her expression was one of sheer fright, a reminder of what she experienced when Starlight encountered her some time ago.

" What the!? What is that!? Some kind of red thing!? Whatever it is, it seems pretty hostile."

" That would be my companion."

Lightning Dust continued to scream. " WAAAAH! Keep it away from me! I promise not to try and take your sword!"

" I'll ask her to stop on one condition."

" Name it!"

" Tell me more about this parent and child."

Lightning Dust agreed and I nodded at Princess Twilight to let her know that she could stop and come back over to me. " Okay, this is what I know about them. The parent and child in Ikana Village succeeded in driving off the spirits with some giant music box." I looked at her with skepticism and she waved her hands in response. " I'm being honest here! Their house is shaped like a giant music box, but I can't afford something that ridiculously huge. But that's just me... Heh, heh. Whenever that house plays its strange music, any spirits within the vicinity would go back to where they came from."

" It sounds pretty good."

" Except for one problem."

" What's that?"

" They need the river's current to power the music box." Lightning Dust answered. Water used to flow out from a cave in Ikana Village, down a tiny waterfall and onto a water wheel that in turn provides the house with music. I went there myself the day after that imp did what she did in that accursed fortress, and while the house was certainly a sight, it definitely did what it was supposed to do, but upon going back again days later, it had completely stopped. The river had dried up and the spirits once again surrounded the place yet something was weird about it. It was like they wanted something in the house. Don't ask me what as I don't want to know! I haven't been over that way since."

" I believe you."

" A shame really since it means there's no value in stealing the music box or ransacking the place..."

I looked at Lightning Dust with a stern look and she responded by saying that she was just thinking out loud. She then said there was something else she needed to deal with and bid me farewell before turning around and running off down the pathway to the right. I thought about following her to see what could be over there but I decided against it since my main concern now was to find this Music Box House on the other side and see if I could help whoever lived there. Despite how Lightning Dust acted so that she could take my sword, I had no reason to doubt her claims as she knew this area better than most.

Walking over to where the river flowed, I could see the tree--more like a tree stump--I needed to reach the other side of the cliff though there were additional ones that indicated how this would work but it required getting across the river first before doing anything else. There was no Owl Statue nearby and I was beginning to worry that there either it was much further ahead or the area didn't have one. No, I had to believe there was one further ahead otherwise coming back here would be incredibly difficult. Looking down at the water, I thought those Skullfish and Desbreko from Great Bay would be here yet it looked perfectly clean.

Everything seemed peaceful until a rock suddenly came at me and hit me in the shoulder causing some slight pain. I quickly took out my shield and raised it in front of me just as another rock came flying at me only for it to break upon hitting the shield though I had no time to breathe as another rock hit my shield before breaking to pieces. I peeked out from behind my shield and saw a pair of Octoroks bobbing in the water though they weren't happy about not being able to hit me anymore. Normally, their rocks should have bounced back to them, destroying them but either my shield was weaker or they weren't all that powerful.

Another thought crossed my mind... Why were these two Octoroks here in the first place? Granted, the river was a body of water so they definitely were in their proper environment yet they just seemed completely out of place compared with others of their kind that were living in Great Bay. As rocks continued to pound against my shield, I couldn't help but notice the Octorok were lined up one behind the other right where the bridge once was. I then thought back to something I did in Great Bay Temple regarding an Octorok and suddenly it all made sense to me.

Stepping back a few steps so as to avoid getting hit by rocks, I slung my shield onto my back, took out the Hero's Bow, applied an Ice Arrow to it, aimed at the Octorok in front, and fired the arrow, striking it quickly and causing it to freeze. The chunk of ice that formed around it bobbed up and down on the water and a smile appeared on my face knowing that I now had a means of getting across. The other Octorok continued shooting out rocks but I avoided them by moving side to side until I was close enough before firing another Ice Arrow and freezing it in place. I had no idea how long it would last for the time being I was safe.

" That was pretty clever, Sunset." Twilight said.

" I thought those Octorok being here was odd."

" And you did it without needing my assistance."

" I hope you don't think this means I won't be relying on you as much."

Princess Twilight shook her head. " You can do things on your own without needing me to hold your hand but I know you still need my guidance when it comes to some of the more personal matters that you have. I would have said hoof instead of hand but we're not ponies right now."

I rolled my eyes though I appreciated what Her Highness had to say. " How long do you think these Octorok will remain frozen for?"

" Until we leave the area so that gives you practically an infinite amount of time."

I jumped onto the first frozen Octorok only to slip, fall, and land hard on my butt. " Now you know why I was never a fan of the snow when I wrote to you about it in my magic journal before Hearth's Warming last year." Getting back onto my feet, I jumped over to the other frozen Octorok, almost slipped once again, and jumped one more time until I was standing safely on the other side of the bridge. I looked up at the cliff to see how high it really was and it was at that moment when I felt glad for having the Hookshot on hand to deal with this otherwise this would have been where my journey ended unless I backtracked.

" You can use those other tree stumps as a Hookshot target."

I nodded. " Are you wondering what might be on the other side of this cliff?"

" I have been thinking about it."

" And?"

" My curiosity meter has blown through the room of my being." Twilight answered. " I've been wanting to see what kind of place Ikana is ever since we were told to come this way when Adagio mentioned it when we saved her, and while I know that it will be nothing but a barren wasteland, I view that as a wonderful thing since it means I have a lot of research to do that will no doubt aid you during our time here."

I rolled my eyes again. " I'll be sure to investigate as much of the land as possible."

Princess Twilight clasped her hands together with glee and I couldn't help but smile at how adorkable she was. That word... adorkable... It was a term that recently became an official word by being added to many standard English language dictionaries and it was the perfect one that described Her Highness perfectly. I never knew about it until our friends brought it up one time when we were showing Twilight Sparkle a tour of Canterlot High when she transferred over from Crystal Prep after the Friendship Games. I believe it was Rarity who mentioned the word to her and Rainbow Dash attributed it to Her Highness shortly afterwards.

Taking out the Hookshot and aiming it at the tree stump, I fired the chain and pulled myself up to it before aiming at the next stump that was on the side of the river I started on. I fired the chain again and was pulled up to this one before aiming up at a third stump, firing the chain, and pulling myself up once more before reaching my destination. What Her Highness and I saw next defied our expectation though we knew this was what we were expecting given what we had been told by Lightning Dust and Zecora beforehand. We had reached the final region proper and it was devoid of everything.

All around us were the remnants of buildings that had decayed for centuries including one being what remained of a castle. Off in the distance was a strange looking building that bore a resemblance to a cactus--from what I could see given it was so far away--and right in front of us was the Music Box House that Lightning Dust mentioned. It literally was a music box complete with two giant horns made to blare out music but since the water from the cave had dried up, it simply looked like a pale shell of its former self. Dead trees were everywhere as were tufts of grass yet the ground itself looked like it had been scorched.

To my left was an Owl Statue and I gladly walked over and activated it though I was surprised Flash Sentry wasn't around. Either he was somewhere else in the area or decided I no longer needed him to talk to me about what had to be done around here. Hopefully he would be around because I could do with some words of wisdom coming from him--and not because it would have been cute seeing Princess Twilight geek out over seeing him once again. My eyes then noticed Pinkie Pie floating above via her balloon though if I were to shoot her down, she'd land on the upper ledge and not down here.

Flying about were those birds I encountered when I was at the Swamp Shooting Gallery and Her Highness informed me that they were Guays, birds that flew about and chased after any who would enter their territory until they attacked successfully or fly away. Since I could easily avoid them or shoot them dowm with arrows if necessary, I didn't have to be worried about so I started walking forward only to suddenly stop upon sensing a presence all around me. It felt like something was trying to communicate with me through darkness and it made me shiver to the core of my being.

" What's wrong, Sunset?"

" I feel like something is close by."

" Are you feeling some kind of presence?"

I nodded. " I take it you can sense it as well?"

Princess Twilight nodded. " Something is nearby and we need to know what it is." She floated back and forth for a few moments whilst talking to herself in hopes of coming up with a solution, and when she did, her expression indicated that she wasn't proud of having to admit it. " Despite what King Sombra has done, what he said about that Garo's Mask of yours does make sense."

I took out the Garo's Mask and held it firmly. " You mean this mask can really summon the ninjas he mentioned?"

Again, Princess Twilight nodded. " We'll need to take his word for it."

Placing the mask on my face, I took a single step forward only for a robed figure to suddenly appear out of nowhere. " WAAAAH!" The sudden appearance of this figure almost caused me to fall but I managed to avoid landing on my butt yet whoever this was didn't seem all that impressed as they remained silent. " Where the heck did you..." My voice trailed off upon seeing the figure though part of me wished I could look away. " Um, Twilight? Who or what is this?"

Before us stood the robed figure whose face was hidden behind a cowl though their eyes could be seen within it, glowing green eyes that felt bewitching in their manner, yet also giving off a powerful aura that made it difficult to stand. The figure just stood there, staring at me with that powerful gaze, and when I tried to walk away, they suddenly appeared in front of me like they used some kind of magic. The Garo's Mask appeared to have some kind of effect on the figure though I wanted to take the mask off again in hopes of this figure leaving me alone yet a voice in my head suggested not doing that.

" I believe this is one of the ninjas that Sombra mentioned."

" How am I supposed to talk to him? Her? It?"

" You could wave or something?"

I frowned before turning to the ninja. " Hello."

" Master! You called!" The ninja seemed very forward with its word though it suddenly produced two swords, one on each arm, before the area we were in became engulfed in a dome of fire that it had created to trap us both here. " What are you!? You dare disgrace my master by wearing his mask? We Garo are loyal to he who is our master and punish those who shame him by taking their lives."

" Can't we talk this out?"

The Garo didn't answer and immediately attacked by swinging its two swords in an X-formation, striking me in the chest, and knocking back into the fire where I got burned and pushed forward before landing on my face. I slowly got back onto my feet only to be attacked again and knocked back down onto my butt. No doubt this Garo ninja was serious about killing me since it kept attacking without giving me a chance to do something. I quickly took out my shield just as it was attacking me a third time and its blades collided with my sword doing no damage, but when its swords suddenly lit on fire, I reacted poorly and was struck again.

No wonder the Garo were known as assassins given how this spirit was fighting. They had been properly trained to fight using lethal force as a prerogative and it was definitely showing as it continued attacking my shield in order to get to me. By the time I finally managed to draw my sword, the Garo jumped backwards before suddenly charging forward using both its swords in the form of a battering ram. I couldn't avoid it and was pushed back into the flames and then pushed forward into the ground like last time, yet the Garo refused to hold back, attacking yet again by plunging its swords down at where I had landed.

I managed to roll out of the way just as the swords hit the ground and I took advantage by striking the Garo a couple of times. Each wound caused it to spill green coloured blood though why would it bleed since it was a spirit--a fact I wasn't planning on investigating--yet it wasn't enough to defeat it as it resumed attacking using those swords. The fire barrier didn't make things any easier as the overall radius left me little wiggle room to maneuver while the Garo could go in and out without having to worry. The Garo performed its ramming attack only for me to jump aside just in time and I slashed it in response.

It jumped back and swung both swords though I jumped back myself and attempted to attack only for the Garo to start flying about like it were a bird. I had no idea why it started doing this but I was caught completely off guard and was knocked down once more when it rammed into me. I got back up and avoided its ramming attack only to avoid it a second time before surprisingly striking it when it tried looking around to see where I had gone. This latest hit proved to be the last one as the Garo dropped both swords before dropping to the ground and raising its hand as a form of surrender.

" You... you defeated me!"

" That was a lot harder than I expected."

" To think that I would fall to one such as you."

" What happens now?"

The Garo said nothing at first though it showed no desire to simply run away but then it began speaking. " Regrettable! Although you were my rival, you were spectacular especially considering you kept on getting back up after I performed so many killing blows. I shall take my bow by opening my heart and sharing my wisdom."

" You want to give me information?" I asked. The Garo silently nodded though I wasn't so sure about it. " Why would you want to do that?"

" It seems the laws of the Garo are foreign to you."

" Looks like it."

" Just this once, I shall explain things to you so that my brothers do not have to." The Garo said. " Despite us being assassins, we had a code of honour that compelled us to share knowledge with those who bested us in battle. Our information proved invaluable since we were skilled in acquiring intelligence by spying on Ikana yet we would not be interrogated and be forced to reveal what we knew. You will come to understand what I mean in just a few moments but first allow me to share my wisdom."

" I'm ready."

" Every two minutes on every day, the girl who lives in the music box house goes to the dried well to check on something. But as long as the spirits are wandering outside her house, she dares not leave her home." The Garo said.

" I must admit that was some good advice."

" Then I shall take my bow." The Garo said as it took out a bomb from iss robes and lit the fuse. " This is why we Garo were never interrogated by the soldiers of Ikana! We may have shared some secrets yet the rest would be taken to our graves. You may choose to believe or disbelieve the words I have shared with you but my time is done. To die without leaving a corpse... That is the way of us Garo." It placed the bomb on the ground where it exploded moments later leaving no traces of it anywhere. As the flame barrier disappeared, I was quickly starting to realize these ninja were serious about their means of destroying themselves.

Princess Twilight's expression said it best, utter shock over what she had just witnessed. Yet, there was something more and it was what the Garo said before sharing its information with me. That wasn't the only one lurking around in the shadows. Others were waiting to attack me should I go about wearing their leader's mask though if I wanted to learn more about Ikana and Pinkie Pie couldn't provide all the details, then one of these Garo would be necessary. Given how the one I fought proved deadly with its skills, the rest were probably just as skilled or perhaps even more so.

I took off the Garo's Mask--I had worn it throughout the battle--and began making my way to where Pinkie was floating about. As I walked, Princess Twilight could sense the presence of other spirits, most likely the Garo lurking about, and I could sense them as well though I kept walking since I didn't want to deal with them until I had gotten a map from Pinkie and learned more about Ikana from her. Walking up a hill in front of me, upon reaching the top, my entire body froze upon seeing mummies had surrounded the Music Box House and were slowly walking around it in a circle.

It was like what Lightning Dust said. They looked like they wanted something inside of the house though I had no idea what it could be. I could only hope that the parent and child who lived in the house were okay despite being surrounded by the undead. I recognized these monsters from my previous journey and immediately knew what they were capable of thanks to my remembering what they did to me back then. While I couldn't recall their names, I knew of their ability to latch onto someone in order to drain their life force and refusing to let go unless you could shake them off.

Unlike most monsters, these mummies were highly resilient in that they didn't normally feel pain and took take many hits before finally dropping. While I wanted to destroy them and hoped to check on the parent and child, I also knew that these mummies possessed a powerful gaze that paralyzed anyone for a few moments. Perhaps there was another way of destroying them that didn't involve charging over there and swinging my sword around? In any case, I focused on reaching Pinkie, who was to my left yet I needed some rupees so I could purchase a map of Ikana--it was also a means of learning more from her.

Luckily, the tufts of grass were ideal for cutting so I walked back down the hill and cut down as many as possible. I also had to deal with the Guays who attacked me because I entered their territory but they went down in just one sword strike upon getting too close. It took me about five minutes to scrounge roughly thirty rupees by cutting the grass and getting rid of the Guays so I walked back up the hill and to the left making sure I didn't drop down below because of how the path got narrow at one point. And, when I reached Pinkie, I took out my bow, aimed up at her balloon, and popped it using a single arrow.

Pinkie yelled as she dropped and landed, her knees buckling upon impact. " Tingle was so busy drawing my latest map that I didn't notice someone had popped my balloon causing Tingle to fall down to the ground. Well, whoever decided to bring me down had better have a good reason otherwise I'll just have to re-inflate it and float back up to resume what I was doing." She then looked in my direction and began her usual introduction that I hoped she wouldn't rely on this time but then she didn't know me thanks to how everyone's memories kept on being erased whenever I reset time. " What's this? Green clothes? White fairy? Madam... Are you by chance, a forest fairy?"

I nodded to solely move on to what was important. " What are you doing in a place like this?"

" When it comes to helping out my father, Tingle will go anywhere to make a map."

" You do know that this place is filled with the undead, right?"

Pinkie Pie nodded. " Of course I do but then they seem to avoid Tingle as though I weren't important." Her face glowed bright red and her nostrils flared up, spewing out smoke like she was about to explode in a fit of rage, yet fortunately for me, she quickly calmed back down. " In this case, Tingle is glad the monsters are ignoring me though from what I could see from up there, you weren't having any such luck, Mrs. Fairy."

" Do you have information?"

Pinkie Pie nodded but with more enthusiasm. " Of course Tingle knows things, silly. But first, would you like to buy one of Tingle's maps?" She noticed the maps I had purchased from her during previous cycles and looked at me with a skeptical look. " You already have almost all of Tingle's maps but I don't recall ever selling any of them to you. Did you get them from some other map seller?" She gasped in horror. " How could you do this to me, Mrs. Fairy!? Oh wait! I'm the only one in Termina who has maps. Never mind!" Even in this world, she still knew how to provide entertainment all while making absolutely zero sense.

" I do need a map of this area."

" Then Tingle shall sell you the final map you need, Mrs. Fairy." Pinkie Pie said, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a piece of paper. " That will be twenty rupees!" I handed over the rupees--good thing I scrounged around for some--and she put them in her other pocket. " Yippee! Tingle is so happy that you bought my map so now I shall tell you anything you want about Ikana Canyon."

" For starters, can you tell me about that large building to our left and the one way off in the distance?"

Pinkie Pie nodded. " The building to our left is the Ancient Castle of Ikana! A really, really, really long time ago, it was where the king ruled over his kingdom along with his entourage of knights and other attendants who served him including various performers who knew how to dance. No has been in there for centuries though rumours say the king contracted a Goron from the mountains to reinforce the ceiling near the throne room. I don't know why but it must have been for a good reason. I'm sure it still remains intact after all this time so maybe if you were to use a powerful explosive, you could do something."

" And the other place?"

" The only thing I know about it is that it's where the evil aura is coming from."

" Not even a name?"

Pinkie Pie shook her head. " If the king were still alive, I'm sure he would have told you since he knew everything."

I had no doubt in my mind that this king was probably waiting deep inside of his castle, coming to terms with the fact that he has been brought back to life as an undead monster, and is poised to resume ruling over Ikana just like he had centuries ago. I also suspected that my journey would eventually have me crossing paths with him so I needed to be prepared for that eventuality. I noticed that there was a hole in the massive double-doors, a easy means of getting inside the castle, but perhaps a little too easy since it looked like an obvious place to check out first compared with everything else.

" What about that hole in the double-doors?"

" Tingle went in there once out of curiosity and I couldn't get anywhere."

" Why not?"

" A strange block with a sun symbol on it blocked my path."

I figured that hole was too obvious but now I needed to find another way inside. " Do you know of any other entrances?"

Pinkie Pie nodded. " There is a well not too far from here that is actually a secret underground path that the Garo used to sneak into the castle, but I wouldn't want to go down there at this moment in time, Mrs. Fairy, not with the Gibdo lurking around down there. They are really scary and became infamous for always wanting to be given things as a means of offering a tribute. For some reason, they will only respond to their own kind so unless you could become a Gibdo--or fool them into thinking you were one--going down there would be a big mistake, but perhaps that nice man can help."

" The parent?"

" Yep."

" Why would you think that?"

" Tingle knows that he studies the spirits who have been resting here for a long time." Pinkie Pie answered. " His daughter kept on insisting not to move out here but he was determined to uncover the secrets as befitting one of his stature. Come to think of it, maybe it wasn't a good idea for him to have gone to that underground path where the Gibdo live. When he got out of it, something changed about him and now those Gibdo are trying to make him one of them."

That explained why the Gibdo were surrounding the Music Box House. If this man had gone down to the underground path as Pinkie said, he must have been afflicted by some kind of curse and was now being sought out by them. Unfortunately, she couldn't tell me much more than that as it appeared she didn't know the entire story, but at least now I knew I needed to help him out before he could be taken away and leaving his child alone. I also had a reason to destroy the Gibdo though would it be enough given this entire region is plagued with the undead and killing them would require special conditions to be met?

" I'm going to help them."

Pinkie Pie shook her head. " Those Gibdo will never leave them alone until water flows out from that cave. It's strange how it suddenly stopped flowing seeing as it used to do so, but maybe it has to do with that ghost who decided to take up residence in there. Tingle doesn't know much about her other than hearing her laughing about how she now has incredible power and all she did was seal away her younger sister. She also said something about being glad that she wasn't buried in that graveyard and that only the soldiers of the former king could open her sister's grave but only two days before the Carnival of Time."

" What!?"

" Tingle doesn't understand why but it's what I heard that ghost say."

" Anything else?"

" Nope!" Pinkie Pie answered. " That's all the information Tingle has to offer, Mrs. Fairy, but I'm sure the grave keeper in the graveyard might be able to help you out. You could also ask the spirits of the dead though they might want your soul instead. Anyway, I must get back to making my maps to help my father but do please call again." She then threw confetti everywhere before dancing around in a circle, her usual means of farewell. " Tingle, Tingle, Kooloo-Limpah! These are the magic words Tingle created herself. Don't steal them." She inflated her balloon and was soon back in the sky and that was when I realized the meaning behind her words.

CRAP! I went to the graveyard on the wrong day! I mean, I'm glad I went there on the final day as it got me a Piece of Heart, but it appears I needed to go there on the first day in order to find out about this mysterious sister according to what Pinkie Pie said. Once again, she was able to give me the appropriate information that, in turn, would lead me towards the  correct path despite her eccentric nature being prevalent in this world. If not for her than I would probably have been blundering about aimlessly unless Zecora mentioned something about it to clue me in on what I had to do.

In any case, I had to make my way back to the graveyard though I did have a couple of options. I could have gone back to Clock Town by using the Song of Soaring and perhaps picked up some items at the shop, deposited some rupees over at the bank, and made my way back out this way by using Epona. Yet, the only problem with that was that it would have taken too long especially since I still needed to prevent Lightning Dust from robbing the Old Lady from the Bomb Shop and eventually get my hands on a mask later. There was one other way I could go to get there and it involved taking a mighty leap.

Leaving Pinkie Pie behind, I jumped down to the main area below, ran across the barren wasteland, and came to a stop at the edge of the cliff. I had to jump down into the river and work my way back to the graveyard though jumping from such a great height was something I hadn't done before. There were such chances during my previous journey but I never had the incentive on account that it was both dangerous and utterly crazy. Still, I wanted to get to the graveyard quickly and this was technically the faster route to take though if my calculations were wrong upon jumping, I could potentially land on the rocks below and suffer more than just buckled knees.

Without hesitating, I jumped off the cliff and dropped down like a rock towards the river below. As I fell, I coul see my life flashing before my eyes and while the beginning parts of it weren't very good because of what I did back then, the rest of it had turned out pretty well despite having some lingering regrets regarding Equestria. Fortunately, I landed in the water making a loud splash in the process, and popped my head out upon getting to the surface. The two Octoroks from before had since thawed out after having frozen them earlier so I swam to the shore as fast as possible as they shot their rocks at me.

I reached the shore and climbed out only to be beat by a rock just as I was climbing out of the water, and while I wanted to freeze the Octorok that had attacked me, I had to get back to the graveyard as soon as possible. Ignoring Lightning Dust, I ran forward--she began following along prompting me to run faster--and was soon back in the canyon path that connected Ikana to Termina Field though it became apparent that I needed to jump down to the ground a second time, and I had no water below to prevent me from getting injured. Since I had no other choice, I jumped down upon reaching the cliff's edge.

Moments later, I landed on the ground, my knees buckling under the sudden pressure, though I didn't walk away painlessly. None of my body parts were broken or anything but I had sustained some kind of injury given I suddenly felt slightly weaker. I supposed falling from great heights in this world didn't necessarily mean I would be killed though it did reinforce the fact that I wasn't invincible and that future endeavours like that could prove to be my undoing. Of course, Her Highness was perfectly fine as she had wings so falling from great heights meant next to nothing for her.

" Are you okay?" Twilight asked.

I nodded. " That wasn't the most pleasant thing I've done but it was necessary."

" I'm surprised you didn't break any bones or worse, got killed upon landing."

" Should we even question it?"

Princess Twilight shook her head. " Probably for the best otherwise we would be here for hours trying to figure out something that isn't really all that important." Her Highness then looked over at Epona, who was still in the circle of stones where I had left her and reassured me that she was safe from the Real Bombchu. In any case, we need to get up to the graveyard to investigate what Pinkie Pie mentioned. I assume that's the reason you suddenly decided to leave Ikana Village, right?"

I nodded. " When she mentioned about the sister and the water that used to flow from the cave near the Music Box House, I put two-and-two together and concluded that we needed to go the graveyard in order to find out what's going on." I walked over, climbed onto each step, and continued walking until we reached the graveyard. " If not for Pinkie mentioning it, we'd have been stumped for a while until we brought up the gravestones to Zecora assuming she would be willing to tell us."

" I can see her over there checking the gravestones."

" While we could talk to her again, I don't think it's necessary."

Princess Twilight agreed. " A shame really as I don't get to see her all that much in Equestria. She rarely leaves the Everfree Forest as it is though when she does it's usually to get some materials for her potions and maybe talk to a few ponies before going back home. Can we talk to her whenever we get a free moment, Sunset? I know this isn't the Zecora I know but I would appreciate it. Besides, you did something similar when you wanted to check on Applejack and Apple Bloom after helping them with their respective problems."

I nodded. " Sure, I can do that though it might be a while since we do have a lot to do." I took out the Ocarina of Time from the pouch on my belt and raised it to my lips. " Time to see what lies beneath another gravestone yet I suspect those Stalchildren will destroy the thing just to give us access."

Playing the Song of Double Time--it was around 11:00am so I was going to be losing seven hours in the process--I concentrated on wanting time to move to the instant nightfall came and the power contained with the song propelled us forward, time flying by around us in mere seconds, and everything going back to normal upon stopping. Zecora was gone--she went back home and bed leaving everything in the skeletal hands of the Stalchildren, and then the howling occurred signalling that night had come.

Night of the First Day - 60 Hours Remain.

Taking out the Captain's Hat and putting it on my face, I walked over to the three Stalchildren who were walking around a nearby gravestone, and they saluted me before the leader addressed me in a manner similar to the one I had spoken to before when I was here last time. After a brief conversation where he explained the situation to me, I ordered him to open up the grave causing the others to question my decision, yet the lead Stalchild scolded them saying my decision was absolute as captain and was to be carried out without question. The others agreed and assisted in destroyed the gravestone before jumping into the hole where I proceeded to follow them.

Unlike the massive room we dropped into last time, this one consisted of a narrow pathway that lead up to a door, and below us was nothing but a bottomless pit. There was another narrow pathway to our left though it went in a different direction so perhaps I would consider checking it out during the second night. In any case, I walked up to the door, opened it, and entered the next room where I was suddenly bombarded by a swam of giant bats that somehow were disturbed by my presence. I drew my sword and started swinging it around hoping that it would connect with them.

The bats would attack me numerous times as I took down several at a time until there was none left, though it appeared that defeating them was necessary since it caused another door to be unlocked at the other end of the room--iron bars had been covering it but defeating the bats caused them to be raised. Before going through the door, I decided to take a look around and see if there was anything else of interest. Three unlit torches were scattered about though nothing seemed out of the ordinary, and while I could have lit them up, it felt like it would have been a waste of arrows and magic.

Walking over to the door, opening it, and entering the next room, my body froze upon seeing something I wished I could never see again. " No... No... No-no-no-no! NO! NOOOO! Not that thing! Anything but that thing!"

Princess Twilight had no idea what was wrong. " Sunset? It's just a statue of someone wearing a lot of armour."

I shook my head vehemently. " You have no idea what that thing almost did to me." I then explained to Her Highness that this wasn't a statue but rather it was a monster that wielded a powerful axe that was capable of cutting through solid rock not to mention causing massive damage. The armour was so heavy, most attacks had no effect, and whenever it was struck, it felt nothing and would continue going. Then I told her what happens when the chest plate falls off and winced upon having to be reminded of it. " It runs faster--or what constitutes as such--than before and becomes more aggressive."

" It sounds like a very powerful enemy."

" You have no idea."

" Actually, I do."

" What do you mean?"

" Tatl has knowledge of just about every monster that exists in this world." Twilight answered. " I don't know where she got her information from but I've been using that to provide you with the necessary information on each one."

I looked at the familiar enemy and shuddered upon seeing its axe. " Just seeing that weapon brings back painful memories of what happened during my previous journey. I wasn't expecting anything like this monster when I encountered my first one, and when it began to use such brute force, I honestly thought I was going to die. I had to face five of them in total with one in particular being unique in that it behaved a lot differently." I looked directly at its face before quickly turning away. " Of course, it was really Rainbow Dash inside the armour having been brainwashed."

Princess Twilight was confused. " You never told me that."

I sighed. " Back then, I didn't think anyone would believe me since only I remembered it happening."

" Yes, I remember you telling me that but not that bit about Rainbow Dash." Twilight said. " Anyway, I know you won't appreciate this, but allow me to tell you more about this monster and perhaps mention some things you didn't know before. This monster is known as an Iron Knuckle and that axe it's holding isn't just for show. Because of how big it is, it has an incredible amount of range and being hit by it is something you know full well. Granted, it doesn't move very fast so you can easily keep away from it, but you will need to get up close if you want to attack it unless you had some Bombchu to use at a distance."

That was something I never knew before and I slapped my forehead because of it. " Anything else you want to tell me?"

" Rain can apparently slow it down though it will still be able to move."

I slapped my forehead again. Had I known this information back then instead of now, I could have dealt with this monster in a much easier fashion rather than almost losing my life several times over. I had to question Her Highness on the rain since it was impossible for it to occur underground, but perhaps it was possible for it to rain were a certain song used. I seemed to recall learning one that could cause a storm but I only ever played the song once and for that I couldn't remember. Looking at the Iron Knuckle, I knew that it had been waiting for me as why else would it be down here in the first place?

Even though it looked liked a harmless statue, I knew that it was waiting for someone to strike it so that it could begin moving. I thought about leaving and going back the way I came but the door I entered the room from had been locked with iron bars so I couldn't escape. The Iron Knuckle stared deep into my soul with its red eyes, its axe sparkling in a pale light that illuminated all around us, and I knew there was no sense in trying to hide my fear. Next to Ganondorf, this creature was one  I feared the most, even more so than Sunset Demon. There was no point in holding it off any longer.

" Let's get this over with." I said as I walked towards the Iron Knuckle and unsheathed my sword."

" What are you doing?"

" In order for it to start attacking, it has to be struck first."

Princess Twilight was shocked. " What!? Isn't there any other way?"

I shook my head. " Believe me, I wish that I could just avoid what's about to happen, but we're trapped in here now and the only way those iron bars are going is if this thing is defeated in battle." I looked down at my hand and noticed that it was shivering with fear. " If I had known this was going to happen, I'd have acquired some healing potions or picked up a fairy and placed it in one of my bottles. Granted, I could just reset time right now but that would be pointless."

" You still have that option."

I reassured Princess Twilight that everything would be okay despite knowing that I was going to get my butt handed to me in an incredibly painful manner. " Whatever is down here must be important if it warranted an Iron Knuckle's presence." I was soon standing directly in front of the Iron Knuckle and looked up at its head knowing what was about to come the moment it would begin moving. Gulping heavily, I swung my sword, connecting with its armoured body, and it immediately started moving, stepping forward, swinging its axe, and slicing me across the stomach, forcing me to go flying.

" Sunset!!!!"

My body crumpled against the wall before landing on the ground and as I struggled to get back onto my feet, the Iron Knuckle was walking slowly towards me, its expressionless face a reminder of what I experienced before, a battle that would push me to the limits of endurance. Each step it took, each clank that resulted from its armoured body, produced fear in my mind, and whether it understood my feelings or not was pointless. In its mind, its only desire was to kill because of having had to wait for so long. The Iron Knuckle swung its axe into the ground, causing a vibration that caught me off guard, and it swung the axe sideways to knock me back again.

Luckily, that blow wasn't as serious as the previous one was, but it still felt like I got hit by a truck given how powerful it was. My body crumpled against the wall again before dropping to the ground, and while I struggled to get back onto my feet, the Iron Knuckle continued walking towards me, its axe primed and ready to strike again. As I expected, things weren't going well in my favour against the Iron Knuckle, and things were only going to get worse. If only I could pony up, this would have been easy, but I couldn't and that meant I had to rely on my own skills. Things weren't looking good by that logic.