//------------------------------//
// Chapter 54: Lurkers of the Underground 
// Story: The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Majora's Mask 
// by Ganondorf8 
//------------------------------//

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Majora's Mask
By Ganondorf8
May 1, 2017
Chapter 54: Lurkers of the Underground.

I had seen plenty of disturbing things throughout this journey across Termina yet this was perhaps the most disturbing of all. Twilight Sparkle had dodged many questions surrounding her father in this world and now I had seen why she had been so hesitant. To think that a human could end up with such a horrible affliction was something no one should ever have to experience. To be brutally honest though, her methods wouldn't have been very effective against the likes of those Gibdo. When they were shuffling about outside, there was nothing that could have prevented them from coming into the house and taking her father.

And yet, what was preventing the Gibdo from doing just that? Twilight Sparkle lacked the means of stopping them and her father wasn't exactly helpless in that he could have easily made his way outside and be taken away, but all that happened was an unusual stalemate that resulted in her suffering from a lot of stress. Granted, she could have attempted to fight them off but that would have resulted in her being killed. Then again, she could have given a similar affliction like what had befallen her father yet the biggest question was how had she managed to not be affected to begin with?

Twilight Sparkle's father... Or as Princess Twilight whispered into my ear--in addition to bopping me on the head to snap me out of the shock--regarding his identity said that she recognized him as someone she knew from Equestria, yet he was a stranger to me as I never recalled seeing him before--unless I saw him on my previous journey and forgot--or he lived elsewhere in Canterlot. Her Highness referred to him as Soarin, an unusual name for anyone, but she knew it was him as his hairstyle was something she could recognize anywhere along with the goggles he wore on top of his head.

Soarin... He was mostly covered in bandages though much of his face was still human aside from having fanged teeth, a warped eye, and claws on the one hand of his that hadn't been wrapped up in the casing of the Gibdo. His expression was clearly blank as he had no idea where he even was but I could sense a faint presence coming from him that was being cloaked by what he had become. Had he been afflicted with a curse that caused him to look like that? If so then how did it even happen to begin with? I suspected Twilight Sparkle knew the answer yet chose not to reveal it out of fear for her father's well-being.

Other than the moaning coming from his mouth, Soarin didn't look hostile, but I had to keep my distance as there was no telling what he was capable of doing. The Gibdo were powerful creatures that could drain the life force from their victims through touch alone and their resilience meant it took many hits before collapsing. While Soarin bore a resemblance to them and most likely possessed some of their power, I couldn't attack him even if he were to grab me and drain my life force. He was still human and a living creature and I had no intention of taking his even if he couldn't control himself.

Princess Twilight shuddered. " I can't believe Soarin ended up being Twilight Sparkle's father in this world.

" Who were you expecting?" I asked.

" My father!"

" I don't think you've ever told me about your parents."

Princess Twilight was surprised at my remark. " Really? I could have sworn I mentioned them to you at least in my responses to your Friendship Reports."

I shook my head. " Nope! You never mentioned anything."

" In that case, I might as well give you a brief description." Twilight said. " My father, Night Light, is quite the avid reader though much of the time he tends to become completely engrossed in what he's reading that he loses track of time."

I gave a smirk to Princess Twilight. " Reminds me a lot about you."

Princess Twilight blushed. " Guess the fruit doesn't fall far from the tree. Anyway, he encouraged me to pursue my desire for knowledge and enrolled me in Princess Celestia's school even though it did cost him a lot of bits, but he always said it was a worthwhile investment. My mother, Twilight Velvet, was originally believed to have been the author behind the Daring Do books--it was A.K. Yearling who wrote them--but in her younger days, she was quite the story writer and many of her books are still read to fillies all across Equestria. Even now, she still has trouble coming to grips with the fact her children have both become royalty."

" And Soarin?"

" He's the second-in-command of the Wonderbolts though Rainbow Dash does seem to be smitten with him a little." Twilight answered. " He may not look like it but his loyalty to the team is unbreakable though he has had doubts ever since that incident some time ago in Rainbow Falls during the qualifer for the Equestria Games. Like I said, I was expecting my actual father here instead of Soarin but then nothing has made sense in Termina ever since we first started this adventure."

I nodded. " You get used to it very quickly. I know I did."

" And then some."

I laughed. " Anyway, we should probably focus on dealing with Soarin--"

Before I could finish what I was saying, Soarin began stumbling forward, his arms swinging about in an attempt to either grab me or knock me aside. His movement speed was pretty bad so it was easy to avoid his attacks but I couldn't allow him to touch me in case he would drain my life force. I would be utterly helpless if he were to do that so I needed to keep my distance until I could contain him. He then suddenly lunged at me and I jumped left only to hit my head against a table and getting dazed as a result. When I regained my composure, he lunged at me again, prompting me to jump over him where he stumbled back into the closet.

Closing the doors and stepping backwards, I began to breathe heavily, but no sooner had I started doing so when the door's burst open again and Soarin began stumbling forward towards me again. I wanted to use my sword in hopes of scaring him enough to get back and allow me some time to come up with a proper strategy but I didn't want to use my blade in case I accidentally hit him by accident. He lunged at me again and panicking, I grabbed what looked to be a ladle--why he would have something like that in such a cluttered mess of research was beyond me--and began swinging it at him.

He batted it away without a moment's notice leaving me to resort to using my shield to deflect any future blows. At the very least, Soarin didn't have the power to paralyze me with a piercing gaze so I didn't have to worry about that. He resumed stumbling forward, his fists pounding against my shield, yet I needed an answer and quickly before Twilight Sparkle came back as I figured she wouldn't be happy with me fighting against her father. " Twilight... I could really do with a strategy right now! If your other self sees what we're doing then who know what she'll do in response."

" I'm thinking, Sunset!"

" Think faster!"

Princess Twilight began wracking her brain with an answer while I began pushing back Soarin using my shield. She eventually came up with an answer and not a moment too soon as I pushed Soarin back into the closet and closed the doors. " Since he is under a curse, why not try playing the Song of Storms? If that doesn't work then the only other option would be to use the Song of Healing. Any other song would have no effect on him so your options are limited."

" I'll try the Song of Storms first since I only recently got that."

" Better be quick as I don't think those closet doors will last."

And they didn't as Soarin burst through them before stumbling towards me. I quickly took out the Ocarina of Time from the pouch on my belt and played the Song of Storms, a downpour beginning soon after. I thought it odd that the song could make it rain instead of a building and not cause any fixtures or other items to become drenched with water but I supposed it was the magic within the melody at work. Soarin came to a stop and looked around him as the rain tricked onto him yet he continued stumbling forward forcing me to push him back with my shield again until he was back inside the closet.

It appeared that the curse he had been afflicted with was much more powerful than what was given off by the Blue Bubbles so the Song of Storms would have no effect. At least I tried using the song so I knew it wouldn't work in such scenarios in the future. As I raised my lips to the ocarina, Soarin once more burst his way out from the closest but the sounds of someone closing a door upstairs indicated that Twilight Sparkle had come back from the well and was likely to come downstairs to check on her father. If she saw me now, I was sure to get kicked out and not be able to come back in here again knowing her.

Quickly, I played the Song of Healing and hoped that it would affect Soarin. Sure enough, when the music reached his ears, he stopped moving, clutched his head, and began moaning as the magic began having an effect on him. Everything suddenly went white as a powerful light emanated from Soaring and when my vision returned, he had been changed back to the way he was before though he was now wearing a mask on his face. The mask fell to the ground and bounced a few times before stopping near a chair but before I could go over and pick it up, I heard the sounds of Twilight Sparkle coming down the stairs.

" Huh? Where am I?" Soarin asked.

" Father?" Twilight Sparkle asked as she came upon what had just happened.

" Pamela?"

Twilight Sparkle then rushed over to Soarin and he embraced her with a hug in return. " Father!"

" What have I been doing this whole time?" Soarin asked. " The last thing I remember was going down into the well located on the edge of Ikana Village, but then everything went black and I somehow ended up back here."

" You... You haven't been doing anything, father." Twilight Sparkle answered. " You were having a bad dream, a horrible nightmare but it's over now." She then turned to look at me and I was expecting her to glare at me with hatred but instead she was glaring at me with immense joy. " This young girl did something that allowed you to wake up from your little nightmare, father, and despite her sneaking in here without permission, I am glad that she did otherwise things could have been so much different."

Soarin then got up and looked at me. " So, you are the one responsible for waking me up from my nightmare?" I nodded and he clasped his hands together. " It seems that you possess some extraordinary powers, young girl, powers that seem fantastical and at the same time well within the realm of possibility. Do you mind staying here for a while as there are so many questions that I wish to ask of you."

I turned towards Twilight Sparkle who nodded nervously and I knew what she was trying to convey. " I'm not sure if I should do for you, sir, especially since you did just recover from a terrifying ordeal according to your daughter."

Soarin shook his head. " Nonsense! I feel like I have a million different questions to ask of you." He then looked at Twilight Sparkle and came to the same conclusion I did. " Ah, but perhaps it would be best if I merely asked you a few questions, and perhaps answer any concerns that have stumped you. Yes, you have the look of someone who is confused about where they are headed in life. Believe me, I used to have that very thought myself before I found my calling. Pamela, please go upstairs and prepare some tea for us while I deal with this girl who has embraced us with her presence.

As I watched Twilight Sparkle walk upstairs in silence, I turned to look down at the mask that dropped on the floor when Soarin was changed back to normal. " Um, do you mind if I picked up what recently dropped on the floor?"

" By all means."

I walked over to the mask, picked it up, and stared at it. It looked exactly like a Gibdo's head except without anything behind it. Was this all that remained of Soarin's cursed form before the Song of Sealing was used to heal his soul? It definitely couldn't grant me the ability to become a Gibdo--thank goodness for that--but I needed to take it anyway despite it not having any practical use because it would bring me one step closer to the ultimate mask. " Hmmm... I don't suppose you mind if I take this mask with me?" I asked this of him in case he assumed that I was a thief since I was still in his house.

" A mask has no practical use to me so do what you want with it." Soarin answered. He then noticed what kind of mask I was holding and lowered his goggles across his eyes before rushing over to me and grabbing the mask from my hands. " Wha-what is this this you hold here, young girl?" He looked at it for a few seconds before suddenly staring off into the distance followed by looking over at a diagram of a Gibdo that he had on the wall. " No doubt that this is a Gibdo Mask, a rare find considering how common they are. Hmmm... you know, if you were to walk up to one while wearing this, you could easily pass yourself off as one."

Even though I knew what they were, I pretended not to know so as to humour him. " What is a Gibdo?"

" An excellent question and one I can answer." Soarin answered. " Come, take a look at the diagram I have over here." He walked over to the wall and I followed along knowing he was in his element but hopefully he wouldn't suffer a relapse because of what happened. Twilight Sparkle would never forgive me were her father in this world were to learn he was once an undead monster. " Before I continue, I suppose I should introduce myself. I am the famed academic, Soarin, who researches fairies, ghosts, and similar so-called supernatural  phenomena that exist in this world of ours."

" You research fairies?"

Soarin nodded. " I have been curious about their powers for years, young girl, and have seen many of them during my time. This fairy that flutters about you is perhaps the most lively one I've ever seen, and to be honest, I had hoped to be able to study it for research. But, I can see that it wishes to remain by your side so perhaps you might be more willing to let me study it when you have finished with your adventures."

I rolled my eyes and began snickering to which Princess Twilight immediately felt offended. After all her quips about wanting to study the various things we've seen on this journey in the name of research, it felt satisfying knowing that someone wanted to do that to her. She had gotten a taste of her own medicine though I quickly stopped snickering knowing how sensitive Her Highness could get and I didn't want to be labelled as a bully by Soarin. I was surprised that Soarin would want to study fairies given they were different from researching undead monsters--though I supposed their magic is what he was truly interested in.

" My companion wouldn't appreciate you using her as a test subject."

" Ah, how unfortunate." Soarin said. " By the way, do you know the song this house plays?"

I shook my head. " I just assumed it was a random piece of music."

Soarin laughed. " No, the song is a very important one when it comes to the Gibdos. The song, Farewell to Gibdos, drives them away and back to the underground from whence they came from. I discovered it after many years of researching Gibdos and utilize it whenever they rear their insidious forms around here." I acted all confused whenever he said Gibdo so as to continue pretending that I had no idea what they were. " I suppose I should explain what it is first before I confuse you any further, young girl. As you can see, this diagram consists of a mummified man. Its scientific name is Gibdo."

" Are they dangerous?"

" Indeed."

" How so?"

" When a Gibdo gazes upon its victims with its eyes, the victim is frozen on the spot." Soarin answered. " You can eventually free yourself from such a state but if the Gibdo were to ensnare you with its arms, your very life essence would be drained until you became an empty husk devoid of the trappings of nature. However, despite how horrifying they can be, there is a legend that is connected to them. It is a tale in Ikana that tells of a treasure that rests at the bottom of the well located nearby on the hilltop. No one has ever seen what it is because of becoming the very thing they feared most."

" What do you mean?"

" They were cursed to become Gibdos upon failing to claim the treasure."

I gulped. " That sounds horrible.

Soarin nodded. " Even now, they continue to linger down there, waiting for someone to come along and free them from their eternal torment. According to my research on these Gibdo, they can only move on to the next life by being given different items depending on what they desire. Sure, they would have no use of such things but they will prevent anyone from progressing until they have been satisfied. I don't know what they want but I would suggest to anyone foolhardy enough to go down there to stock according with anything they could find on the ground."

" You sound like you've been down there." I said before covering my mouth. Crap! I didn't want Soarin to relapse and recall what he had done as a Gibdo. " Um... Forget what I 
just said okay? I didn't mean to say that."

" I went down there... once." Soarin said. " I and many others before me have gone down the well to search for the treasure. It's been said going down there is a petrifying experience so even the mummy hunter may become mummified! As I said, I even tried to go into that well once myself... Well... When you are a researcher, you have to go to such places in order to discover what lies in them even if it means suffering from some kind of curse."

I went limp. " Um... What happened to you down there?"

" Strangely enough, though, I don't remember anything that happened there." Soarin answered. " Try as I might, I just cannot recall what happened and how I ended up back here in my own house confronted by both my daughter and you. Oh well. I suppose I can't complain about it since it would do me no good. You never know what might happen in these situations so it's simply best not to approach it. That way, nothing bad will happen to you."

I could tell that he was trying to recall what happened to him during his time as a Gibdo yet he kept on shaking his head and merely shrugged it off. Most people would have completely lost their minds had they remembered being monsters with some going to extreme measures. While I hadn't lost my way after becoming a monster--though I did suffer from severe regret over my actions--Twilight Sparkle had a possibility of losing her mind after what happened to her during the Friendship Games. Even though she said she was okay after going through that horrible ordeal, I could tell that she was hiding the truth.

Hopefully, she wouldn't go through some kind of emotional breakdown, but considering that magic had become a big part of our lives, it wasn't going to be easy. Also, seeing her exact twin from another world didn't do Twilight Sparkle any favours either, yet there wasn't much of a choice since Princess Twilight was someone who had helped my friends and I through some difficult times. Granted, both did acknowledge the other though it would take some time for them to get used to the idea that an alternate Twilight existed. Still, Soaring not recalling what he did proved some people could refrain from snapping.

Remembering that Soarin was still holding the Gibdo Mask, I held out my hand and he returned it to me where I proceeded to put it away. " You said that I could use that mask to pass myself off as a Gibdo?" I asked. " No offence but I wouldn't exactly look like one with it on my face."

Soarin laughed much to my annoyance. " Gibdo lack intelligence so they would easily mistake you as one of their own. Not even their paralyzing gaze will affect you so long as you wear that mask but considering you do possess a sword and shield, I suggest not attacking them otherwise they will react accordingly."

" Thanks for the heads-up." I said. I was about to take my leave by going back upstairs when I noticed another diagram on the wall, this one depicting one of the Garo that I encountered earlier whilst wearing the Garo's Mask. Had Soarin been researching them? If so then perhaps his knowledge of them would prove useful to me. I walked over to where the diagram was and he definitely paid attention to my actions. " What is this diagram of?"

" Are you curious about that picture?" Soarin asked. I nodded and he clasped his hands together again. " That is the ghost of a ninja. Its scientific name is Garo Robe though others simply prefer to call them Garo. A rather unscientific name if you ask me. While it looks like they are of the living, they are merely shells that are empty on the inside. They're the shells of spies from an enemy nation sent to investigate Ikana according to what I read. Were a Garo Robe to be captured by an enemy, they could commit seppuku to prevent any secrets from being obtained. It's a shame really when you think about it."

" Why say that?"

" They have been unable to forget their living days." Soarin answered. " Even now their spirits--emptiness cloaked in darkness--continue to spy. It is said that they will not reveal themselves in front of people unless they were to present them with the symbol of the one who lead them. To find such a thing would involve searching the village but no one has ever found such a symbol. If you decide to search for it, I hope that you don't end up succumbing to the spirits of those who linger around here."

At that point, it was obvious that Soarin no longer had anything important to say other than wanting to do research on Princess Twilight and perhaps some of the items that I had in my possession. While I could have granted him such an opportunity, it wouldn't amount to anything since when I eventually reset time, he would go back to being cursed and being watched over by Twilight Sparkle. Speaking of which, I was certain she was waiting for me upstairs and had much on her mind given what had happened. While I could have warped away from here via the Song of Soaring, I chose to confront her and get it over with.

Walking towards the stairs and leaving Soarin to comb over his research, I thanked him for telling me about the Garo since they were still a mystery to me. The Garo's Mask I had acquired from the Gorman Sisters was the only thing that could summon them so whenever Princess Twilight sensed their presence, I should put the mask on and see what they have to say provided I defeat them in battle. As I began walking up to the main floor, I began to think about Flash Senty and how I hadn't encountered him yet in this part of Termina. Had he determined that there was no longer a need for him or had I just not looked in the right place?

Upon reaching the top of the stairs, Twilight Sparkle was waiting for me, sitting down at the table, her expression one of concern. " I have been waiting here for you to come up when you had finished speaking with my father all while preparing tea. I am sorry but I need to speak with you for a while about what happened downstairs in as well as something else that has recently come up."

I walked over to her and sat down. " What do you want to talk to me about?"

" First... the most obvious thing." Twilight Sparkle answered. " Um... What you did for my father... Thank you." She bowed her head slightly to acknowledge my actions before looking back up at me with a concerned look on her face. " But... Your actual actions... It must remain a secret from him for his own sake. My father means well but he can be rather eccentric when it comes to his work. Whenever anything strange happens, he immediately starts talking about doing research... and he does all kinds of crazy things... and... and it has been bothering me a lot lately what with all the undead monsters."

" Maybe you should talk to him about it?"

" I have tried several times but he continues on insisting that he needs to stay here and finish his research."

" Then you need to convince him otherwise."

" Once he calms down, I will try and talk with him again." Twilight Sparkle said. " I'll try convincing him to quit researching in this dangerous place and to go back to town. I do not if I will be able to succeed in changing his mind but I will continue trying. By the way, your strange power... I am aware that you are no ordinary girl and because of that, I ask that you keep such power a secret from my father. If he wee to see it, he'll surely want to research it and that would make me worry for him. I know it sounds mean of me but I insist you not speak to him at least until the undead are no longer roaming here."

" For you, I will accept your terms."

Twilight Sparkle breathed a sigh of relief. " Thank you... Now, the other thing I wish to talk to you about. You may not believe me but you are not the only one who has a strange power in their possession. Um... I... I also have some kind of power dwelling inside of me though it is one I do not understand." She then looked at the kettle warming up on the stove before looking back at me again. " Watch what happens when I concentrate on that kettle." She closed her eyes and began concentrating and all of a sudden, the object began to float slightly upward from the stove before she dropped it again.

" How did you do that?"

Twilight Sparkle shook her head as she regained her composure. " I do not know why it happens but it has been a strange power I have possessed since I was little. I have never revealed it to my father out of fear that he would attempt to research my unusual circumstances so I choose to restrain myself. When you used that ocarina of yours to save my father from his transformation, I believed you a threat because of what has been happening to me."

Much like how my other friends had displayed characteristics based on their Elements of Harmony, Twilight Sparkle had done the same thing herself through her Element... Magic, yet it was strange in that it manifested itself as actual magic. In truth, I had hoped that she would not have retained anything of what she had acquired upon being changed back to normal when she was forced to open up that pendant she had used to absorb the magic my friends possessed. Unlike Her Highness, who was an expert at wielding magic, Twilight Sparkle knew next to nothing about how it worked.

She deserved a different life than the one she unintentionally acquired upon becoming Midnight Sparkle. When magic became understood by her and she attempted to open her own portal to Equestria without even thinking about the consequences of her actions, I had hoped the ordeal would have been nothing but a bad dream or at least one where she would resume her life as before. Fate, however, had different plans, and we discovered during a recent sleepover that she retained some of the magic she absorbed as Midnight Sparkle--I had no idea as to how powerful her magic was given how Ganondorf changed our world into this world.

Had none of this happened, I would have asked Princess Twilight her opinion on how best to show someone how to use their newfound magical abilities. Unfortunately, she wasn't available to answer my concern as she had to deal with an emergency that had come up in the Crystal Empire. Something about becoming an aunt--I was surprised when I found that one out as Her Highness was actually younger than I was--and wanting to see the new royal baby. Fortunately, Her Highness did respond after the fact and insisted that it was something I could solve on my own since I had already proven myself to be pretty good at solving such problems.

Naturally, I questioned my own abilities but she assured me that I could easily handle things considering I helped save Twilight Sparkle by becoming Daydream Shimmer, the form my friends quoted me as becoming--I thought it was a little silly myself but it did sound appropriate after a while--a form that not even Her Highness could fathom. I wasn't going to brag about achieving a form that went beyond the magic of an alicorn, that would go against what I stood for, but I supposed it couldn't hurt to be proud of such an achievement. As far as I could tell, what Twilight Sparkle did during the sleepover was deemed a fluke, at least that's what my friends believed.

Me? I knew more about magic than they did--not as much as Her Highness given how I went without it for years--so I doubted that it was a fluke. Twilight Sparkle had magic inside of her whether she would admit to it or not, and for that I blamed myself for getting her involved in something that was my own doing. Had I never come to the world that I now called home and instead remained in Equestria, my current home would not have Equestrian magic flowing all around. Despite reassurances from my friends, including Princess Twilight, that it wasn't my fault, I had to take responsibility, including the overall blame.

Looking at Twilight Sparkle as she tried to come to terms with what she was capable of doing, the guilt of having changed her life remained evident in my heart, but I also knew that it could easily be dealt with and not spiral out of control. I then looked at Princess Twilight and wondered how she felt about getting to see her other self again. She probably had more questions to ask her than what she originally asked back when both of them first met each other, yet she knew that such concerns were better kept back for the time being until we had changed everything back to normal.

I finally broke the silence. " You said that your father was researching the well?"

Twilight Sparkle nodded nervously. " Yes. He was curious about the treasure that is said to be down there."

" Do you know what kind of treasure it is?"

" My father believes it to be an ancient shield once wielded by the Royal Family of Ikana." Twilight Sparkle answered. " According to his research, the shield had the power to reflect the very light itself though even he found it hard to believe since shields usually cannot do anything like that. The royal family valued it as an heirloom though legends say it was stolen long ago by the Garo. Why they didn't keep the shield for themselves is anyone's guess but as time passed, it became infamous for being a treasure of great value, prompting would-be hunters to go down into the well to claim it."

" No one did get the shield, did they?"

Twilight Sparkle shook her head. " Any who go down there now are cursed to become Gibdo."

" Just like your father..."

Twilight Sparkle nodded. " When I discovered what had happened to my father, I couldn't believe my eyes. I was beside myself with grief that I feared the same thing would happen to me, and when the Gibdo appeared to come and take him away, I knew I needed to keep them away from him by any means. Somehow, I was never cursed like my father had been so perhaps it was a blessing from on high. When I discovered that the Music Box House couldn't play music due to the water drying up, my heart wept as I believed the Gibdo would take my father from me so I did all I could to protect him."

" Your methods wouldn't have lasted forever."

" And for that, I am fortunate that you came along."

" I intend on going into that well." I said. This caused Twilight Sparkle to look at me with a shocked expression but I reassured her that I knew what I was doing. " When I cured your father, this mask dropped from his face, landing on the ground nearby." I reached into my pocket and took out the Gibdo Mask. " With this on my face, those Gibdo will believe me to be one of their own and I should be able to find this shield."

" Had you no special powers, I would have told you that such a thing would be suicide."

I nodded. " I'm used to this kind of thing by now."

Twilight Sparkle sighed. " You remind me a lot of my father... Stubborn, but determined to continue on no matter what. While I would prefer you not to show him your powers nor inform him of what I can do for the obvious reasons, I do owe you a debt of gratitude for saving him." She got up, walked over to the stove, took the kettle off--it was boiling-- before putting it on the side, grabbed a nearby book, walked back over, and sat back down. " This book contains information my father wrote about the Gibdo before he changed into one of them. Each one supposedly desired an item that could be found down there in the very underground they thrived in."

That proved to be a worthwhile piece of information. Granted, Soarin had practically told me the same thing though Twilight Sparkle included the part where the items the Gibdo wanted were located down there. I had no idea what they wanted or if they required a certain amount of an item but at least I wouldn't have to leave Ikana for a while and come back with the item in question. It was weird that undead monsters would even desire items considering they were dead and lacked the comprehension of what those items could do, but again it was something I had gotten accustomed to in this world.

I got up and began walking over to the front door. " Thank you for everything though I feel this may not be our final goodbye."

" What do you mean?"

" We might see each other again."

Twilight Sparkle stood up. " Maybe come back here when the undead monsters are gone." She then realized something and quickly ran over to a table on the other side of the room, picking up what looked to be a blue bottle of some kind. " Before you leave, I insist that you take some Blue Potion with you. My father purchased it from a Deku Scrub located near a strange rock formation on the other side of the river though he never did have need of it. Going down the well without a means of recovering your life force is idiotic to say the least so I insist that you take some Blue Potion with you before you go."

" How much do I have to pay you for it?"

Twilight Sparkle shook her head. " Nothing. You saved my father's life and I said that I am indebted to you so you may take some for free. In return, all I ask is that you don't get yourself killed or turned into one of them and haunt this area for eternity."

Nodding, I took out one of my bottles after putting the Gibdo Mask away, and she filled it up with Blue Potion before putting her bottle aside. I felt a little bad knowing that I got some pretty expensive medicine without paying a single rupee yet Twilight Sparkle was pretty insistent on me taking some. While I felt pretty confident about going down the well despite it crawling with who knows how many Gibdo there were, it felt reassuring knowing she had my safety at the forefront of her mind. Granted, I wasn't going there to pick a fight but rather progress since DJ Pon-3 mentioned that the well was my only means of getting into the castle.

Leaving the Music Box House and standing back outside, I noticed that the sun was beginning to rise and that meant the second day was about to commence. Looking around the immediate area, Princess Twilight informed me that she could sense something directly in front of us, and we both agreed it was another Garo lying in wait. That's when my eyes noticed a familiar looking giant owl perched high a top on the castle's wall--no wonder I hadn't been able to see Flash Sentry thus far--but I couldn't get up there until I had gained access to the castle via the hidden entrance down below.

That's when Princess Twilight sensed another evil presence, two of them in fact, though she couldn't tell if they were Garo, some other kind of monster that was giving off a powerful aura, or something else entirely. One of the auras felt so familiar to me, I shuddered to think that it was in fact "her" and that she had somehow managed to will her way back to life after what happened before, yet I had no idea what was causing the other aura. Ikana Canyon was known as the land where the dead roam so perhaps the familiar aura I sensed was indeed hers but she had become a mindless undead monster.

" Sunset..." Princess Twilight began. " Should we deal with the Garo or the other two presences?"

I didn't answer her at first because of who I believed I was sensing, but when she began bopping me on the head, I swatted her off before answering. " I say we take on the Garo and see if it will provide us information like the previous one had done."

" Really? I assumed you wanted to check out the other presences."

" You don't recognize one of them, do you?"

Princess Twilight wracked her brains before shrugging. " I'm afraid not though if I were to take a wild guess, it would have something to do with that horrible winged monster you transformed into when you put on my crown at the time."

I nodded my head. " I don't know why but I keep on sensing Sunset Demon even though she is gone now."

" This isn't the first time?"

I shook my head. " I sensed her back when we were exploring the Deku Palace though I shrugged it off as me being nervous. But, ever since we entered Ikana, it feels like I can sense her presence all around me, especially here by the Music Box House. She died during my previous journey so I assumed I wouldn't have to worry about her ever again, but since the dead do roam around here, perhaps she too has revived."

" You don't have to be afraid of what you once were." Twilight said. " That part of your life has been dead and buried, no pun intended, and you have done so much good since then that the demon has no power when it comes to the kind of person you wish to be. If Sunset Demon--really weird name if you ask me--has been brought back to life, she is probably a mindless monster."

" Funny... I was thinking the same thing."

" If she were to appear, I have no doubt that you can take care of her."

" And the other presence?"

Princess Twilight wracked her brains again. " Hmmm... I suppose the other one could belong to whatever it was that the other Twilight became, but what are the chances of that actually happening?" She then noticed I was glaring at her and she gulped before whistling. " Of course, I could be wrong but I don't see much in the way of evidence to support it. Maybe the other presence isn't anything important while the first one is in fact Sunset Demon."

I continued glaring at her. " What if it's Midnight Sparkle? What if she came back to life to acquire Equestrian Magic?"

" Midnight Sparkle!? Seriously!? She named herself that!?"

" I'm serious, Twilight!"

" Relax, Sunset..." Twilight began. " Remember that there is no Equestrian Magic here in this world as it has been suppressed so even if Midnight Sparkle were around, she can't claim any magic as there is none for her to take, and she would be nothing more than a mere shell of whatever she used to be. Sunset Demon is in the same boat. She doesn't have the same powers she once had so she can't do all that much other than perhaps the most basic of incantations and even then it wouldn't really be all that much."

" What about our friends displaying their Elements of Harmony?"

" That is an easy one." Twilight answered. " Their magic is trying to breach this world but can't so it's manifesting in small doses that ultimately won't mean all that much. The two demons would only be wasting their time."

Despite Her Highness testing my stress with how calm she was acting, I had to admit that her answers were pretty solid ones. It was true that the Elements of Harmony along with any other forms of Equestrian Magic--including the fire magic I had used during my previous journey--had been blocked by whatever diving power Termina was using. If Sunset Demon were alive once again and was working together with Midnight Sparkle, the worst they could do was probably analyze the magic our friends were displaying, yet the latter could try and gather the magic together though it would do nothing... I hoped.

Every time I thought about Sunset Demon, my own inner demons would come back to haunt me, and yet it was by my own hands that such demons existed. I believed I wasn't wrong about my own path in life, believed I was destined for great things, and instead I was destined to become a monster who wanted to rule the world. Most of my past had been resolved but a couple of issues did linger in the form of me going back home to face the teacher that I had betrayed. If I could reconcile with Princess Celestia--or at least see her for even a few moments, that would be more than enough.

Dawn of the Second Day - 48 Hours Remain.

As the Cucco crowed to signal the start of the second day, it didn't really change all that much in terms of Ikana's overall demeanor. I guessed a barren wasteland would look the same no matter what time of day it was since there was no life at all other than those who wanted to be here for their own reasons. Princess Twilight reassured me that I shouldn't be afraid of Sunset Demon because she represented my past and that it had been resolved. She said I shouldn't continue allowing my past to torment me--she was one to talk considering she didn't have problems like I had--but it wasn't easy.

Perhaps if I were to confront the she demon face-to-face and tell it to her straight that I wasn't going to allow her--our--past transgressions to continue plaguing me, she would finally get the hint and leave me alone, becoming a faded memory of a time where I was a monster--her. Of course, she was going to continue with her tirade of wanting to become the true me, and had no intention of giving up as it was the only reason she continued to exist. Sunset Demon was one problem eclipsed by Ganondorf as his means were much more effective when it came to how I felt about my past.

For now, I planned on continuing with this journey, and if Sunset Demon were to appear before me, I would overcome her. Sure, saying it was much easier than actually doing it but I couldn't allow the problem to persist. Ganondorf... That was a problem of epic proportions that wasn't going to be ending any time soon. He would continue to torment me so that I would cave in and become his servant all because I once tasted power. I had been wondering why he wanted me considering other ponies were far more powerful. Was it because he thought it easy to control me?

I needed to step up if I were to overcome him and change everything back to normal. Granted, that would prove extremely difficult since he could manipulate anything what with his divine power being greater than anything I had ever seen in my entire life, but I had no other choice but to meet his expectations even if it meant suffering in the process. At that moment, Princess Twilight began bopping me on the head to remind me that once again my mind had wandered off and I apologized though she understood as she knew I had a lot I needed to deal with on my mind.

Taking out the Garo's Mask and putting it on my face, I walked forward only for a Garo to appear from below the ground. Fortunately, this wasn't my first encounter with one so I knew what was about to happen next. " Master, you called?" Because my mask resembled the face of their leader, each Garo would assume I was him and quickly discover I was false and retaliate by fighting me. Drawing my sword and shield, the Garo did the same thing though he would respond by saying " What are you?" To be frank, they could just avoid all the talking and get straight to the battle since they obviously knew I wasn't their leader but I digressed.

" Are you up for this?" Twilight asked.

I nodded. " Sorry for daydreaming again."

" It's what you do whenever you're worried about something." Twilight said. " I'd be doing the exact same thing if I were in your shoes, Sunset. Don't let that demon form define who you want to become! Only you can decide what you wish to be in the future when you have gotten everything sorted out."

Her Highness' words were an inspiration--though somewhat jumbled--and with such renewed vigor, I attacked the Garo by performing a jump attack before it had the chance to make any sort of counterattack. It got pushed back as a result of my blow though it quickly responded by spinning around in circles using the flamed tips of its blades to knock me down onto my butt, my body covered in flames due to those swords. It then danced about in the air before performing its own jump attack that I avoided by rolling to the side and when I got back up, the Garo was looking left and right as though trying to find out where I was.

Running forward and striking the Garo again, it jumped back and then into the air where it began dancing about before coming towards me again. I took out my shield, raised it, and watched as its blades collided with its metallic sheen, forcing the Garo back. It dove at me again, catching my surprise as I wasn't expecting it to do that again, and I landed on my butt while it went back to the air and danced about. I got back onto my feet and avoided the Garo when it came at me yet again--it certainly had a one-track mind--striking it when it was busy looking around for me.

That latest hit proved to be enough as it jumped into the air, landed hard on the ground, and dropped both swords before raising its arm. " R-regrettable. Although my rival, you were spectacular having seen through my maneuvers."

" You didn't have to fight."

The Garo scoffed. " It is within the nature of the Garo to fight as we carry secret information."

I nodded. " Yes. One of your own said something similar to that effect."

" Ah, so you are familiar with how we function?"

I nodded. " Yes though I don't appreciate your methods."

The Garo scoffed again. " Our ways are our own and what you say will not change things. However, I acknowledge that you defeated me and as such, I shall take my bow by opening my heart and revealing my wisdom to you. I shall only say this once so pay close attention to my words. A hole can be opened in the ceiling of a particular room in Ikana Castle. But it cannot be broken without an explosive with incredible might."

Before I had a chance to ask what the Garo meant, it burned away to nothing leaving me with more questions than answers. I knew that it had referred to the Powder Keg since it was an explosive that was more powerful than any bomb yet where was this hole in the castle? It didn't provide me with the specifics so it mean having to go and figure it out on my own much to my displeasure. Still, I had gained some valuable information proving that fighting against the Garo was a lucrative one. I had stalled for long enough so I began heading off towards the well that Twilight Sparkle visited earlier unaware that I was being watched.





" Well that was certainly entertaining." Sunset Demon said as she stood on top of the Music Box House. " I didn't think she had what it took to defeat a skilled assassin but I guess she has gotten much better since the last time she and I went toe-to-toe." She began snapping her fingers to the sounds coming from the horns on top of the house and even danced slightly before focusing on what was deemed important. " Who would have guessed that this music would be so catchy and I usually don't enjoy such stuff. I intend on sticking around here for a while longer until I have it memorized."

Midnight Sparkle responded in a quiet manner. " How... how did she..."

Sunset Demon laughed. " What I really find amazing is that Princess Twilight figured out what you've been doing all this time without even realizing it. Guess that's why she's a princess because she is expected to know all of the answers. I am annoyed she thinks I'm a mindless monster but I'll let it slide since she really did an amazing job of making fun of your name." She noticed her companion wasn't responding to her jabs in her usual manner and came to the conclusion that Midnight Sparkle had been insulted. " Wow... You've gone about acting like you're all calm and collected when in truth you lose your cool on the drop of a dime."

" She couldn't have..."

" Despite the fact that she caused me to lose everything the first time, Princess Twilight did me a favour by clueing me in onto what you've been planning."

" My plan... It was perfect."

" You wanted to collect samples of the magic my other self's friends possessed and use them for your own benefit." Sunset Demon said. " I should have realized your brilliant plan was flawed from the start all because you didn't take this world's power into account. I'm betting that Sunset also figured out that your plan was stupid. Looks to me that perhaps you don't understand as well as you thought. After everything you forced me to put up with, it feels like good karma has struck you down and put you back in your place."

Midnight Sparkle turned around in sheer anger. " Shut up!"

Sunset Demon's eyes glowed. " While you may have brought me back from death, remember that my power still exceeds yours despite the restrictions placed on us. I can still kill you where you stand so you should remember to remain in my good graces."

" Your idle threats mean nothing to me!"

" Oh so you do have courage after all."

Midnight Sparkle slammed her fist onto the roof of the Music Box House. " How did that accursed alicorn figure out my intentions!? All she did was assumed what I was going to do and it ended up being exactly right. If Sunset Shimmer has come to a similar conclusion, my efforts have become utterly pointless."

" And what do you plan on doing to change your fortune?"

" I always have something brewing in my mind unlike you."

Sunset Demon's eyes glowed again. " Watch your tongue."

Midnight Sparkle brushed away the threat. " I can still turn things around and ensure my plan succeeds. Fortunately, Princess Twilight and Sunset were to able to make my other self use her own Element even if it was pitiful compared to what I am capable of. That means I now have all six Elements of Harmony recorded in my device. Now we can proceed onto the next step which is will fulfill our desires."

" More like your own am I right?"

" I will get the Equestrian Magic I crave and you will become the real Sunset." Midnight Sparkle answered. " All we need to do now is acquire the final two samples and we can make some magic work."

Sunset Demon looked skeptical. " I doubt that your plan will succeed since it's pretty obvious that you have been neglecting some slight details but I'll humour you in saying that you might be able to pull it off. Of course, should this idea involve betraying me in any way, your life become forfeit. Whether you choose to ignore this or not is something I don't really care about but consider my words to be the only warning I intend to give. If you thought Sunset and her friends are a problem, know that I am ten times worse than anything they could dish out against you."

" I have noted your threat in my notes."

" It's not so much a threat as it is a reality I will use."

Midnight Sparkle gulped. " Why do you insist on using threats just to get me to conform to what you want? I brought you back from death and have helped you reign in the more troublesome parts of your personality that resulted in Sunset beating you. So, why take on this tough guy talk just to force me to bend to your will? I'm a fellow demon and deserve a similar respect that I have afforded you." The she demon laughed in response prompting Midnight Sparkle to pick up a loose tile on the Music Box House before tossing it at Sunset Demon who didn't appreciate the unwarranted gesture against her. " You made me throw that at you, you know."

Sunset Demon nodded. " This is true but you should know this. I was willing to give you a chance because of what you did for me, but when you began acting in a manner that I felt was a threat to my own salvation, I had to make sure that my investment wouldn't be put at risk. By acting on your own and keeping certain secrets from me, I felt compelled to give you ample warning about what can happen when someone lies to me." She quickly jumped up, leapt over to Midnight Sparkle, grabbed her by the neck, and began choking her. " I won't tolerate being manipulated... even by the likes of you."

" Gah! You're choking me!"

" Like I said, this is the only warning I intend to give."

" Alright! I won't hide anything anymore!"

Sunset Demon laughed. " You're much too late for that. Even now you continue to hide things from me, but then, that's just the kind of person I've come to expect during our wonderful time together. I will accept some things you wish to keep secret for personal reasons but not the rest." She released her grip on Midnight Sparkle, who landed on her butt before looking up and seeing the she demon right in her face. " I will continue helping you out with your plan since seeing you like this is oh so amusing, but the moment you do anything that I feel is threatening to me, you are dead! That's it! No second chances! No begging for mercy!"

Midnight Sparkle grabbed her own neck to make sure nothing was badly injured. " Sheeh! You don't have to keep on doing that. Believe me when I say that things are going to turn out well for both of us and it all has to do with our current location."

" What do you mean?"

" Unlike the other areas of this world, this one in particular gives off a much stronger force." Midnight Sparkle answered. " By combing the samples from the Elements of Magic combined with what I intend to get from Sunset and Princess Twilight along with the power that radiates all around us, we can regain our true power back and use it to make our dreams a reality as I mentioned before. All we must do is acquire the remaining samples by defeating them."

Sunset Demon laughed. " Seriously? Defeat them? You really are delusional."

" This is your only chance you know."

" While that is correct, I am not about to give up my newly found freedom."

Midnight Sparkle taunted her companion. " Perhaps you're not as confident as you claim to be. Sunset doesn't have access to the power that she used on you before so it's practically an even playing field. Besides, we have the power of the undead on our side in that we can continue to come back so long as those doors of the temple remain open." She took to the sky, unfurled her wings, and laughed. " Come, we must make our way to the temple and await their arrival."

" Why not attack now?"

" The closer we are to the temple, the stronger we become."

" And how do you figure that?"

" When the doors to the temple opened, they unleashed a powerful force that caused the dead to come back to life after so many centuries, and that also included us. That very force also grants those who have been revived by it great power but also makes them weak to light-based attacks." Midnight Sparkle answered.

Sunset Demon rubbed the bridge of her nose before moaning. " And you didn't think that such a weakness would be a problem? We're both demons and embrace the darkness and because of that, we're weak against the light to the point where it's literally the bane of our existence. Not even the purest darkness can stand up to the light though it will try its best to fight back even in a losing cause." Walking over and jumping down, the she-demon turned and looked inside to see Twilight Sparkle serving Soarin some tea and a brief smile appeared on her face though it quickly disappeared. " Okay, we'll go to this temple you speak of."

Midnight Sparkle was ecstatic. " I knew you'd come around!"

" But, we will attack the moment they enter."

" That goes without saying."

" You seem pretty eager about all of this don't you?"

Midnight Sparkle nodded. " Our desires are going to become a reality and you're not excited about it? I find that strange since you appear to be the kind of person who would do anything to get what she wanted no matter what personal costs are involved."

Sunset Demon turned away from her companion. " Let's just say... You've been a bigger influence on me than I thought."

" See? I told you that I was good to have around."

" Don't push it."

Midnight Sparkle nodded. " Fair enough. By the way, Sunset Demon... You've also been an influence on me and while I didn't appreciate you lashing out against me all because I wasn't being honest with you, I have learned a great deal and will cherish such knowledge in the future. Now, we must get to that temple before Sunset does, and I hope you're ready for a big climb as our wings might not be enough to get us up there."

As Midnight Sparkle took to the sky laughing over how everything was going to fall into place, Sunset Demon had much different thoughts that occurred to her when her companion brought up that bit about how she had learned from her. The she-demon could tell that Midnight Sparkle was going to ultimately stab her in the back and gain everything whilst leaving her to rot away somewhere. In her mind, her usefulness was a means to an end for her companion to rely on. Once that usefulness was over, Sunset Demon was sure to be killed so now she had an additional enemy alongside Sunset.

She also couldn't get that image of Twilight Sparkle serving tea to Soarin out of her mind. Why did she smile so happily upon seeing a display that would have caused her to want to throw up since it went against her nature? Ever since returning from the dead, she had initially started out as wanting revenge and fulfilling her desire, but her mind had been slowly changing, reflecting upon coming to an understand that had eluded her for so long. It seemed Sunset Demon was something of an enigma that even she couldn't figure out why but perhaps an answer would eventually be revealed.





By the time I reached the entrance to the well, I felt exhausted along with being curious about other areas of Ikana Village that I had yet to see. The first of these was a curious building situated above where I had gone and brought water to the Music Box House. According to the sign that was outside, it was a place where spirits who had lingering regrets were waiting for someone to come and heal their souls. I thought it was unusual having a place like that around but I supposed it made whoever ran it quite a small fortune since the undead roamed around Ikana Village without restraint.

After thinking over for a while, I decided to pass up on the opportunity, and focus on making my way over to the well. What turned me away was a small fine print that had been carefully hidden behind the sign so as to prevent anyone from seeing it. It said "Limited time to help spirits heal their souls. Also, no guarantee that you will live to reap the rewards so a mercy plea can be used to save yourself from death. Caution: Mercy plea doesn't always work" It was quite a tall order for simply healing the undead but I supposed it required someone with extreme dedication and a love of dealing with the undead.

On the opposite side of this building was the castle that I needed to access in order to talk to the king who once ruled over Ikana, but it was a small entrance to the left that aroused my curiosity because it looked so suspicious. I had yet to find where the Great Fairy's Fountain was though that entrance could be where I needed to go though it wouldn't do me much good since Adagio had been shattered to pieces courtesy of Starlight wanting to ensure no one ruined her fun. To the left again was one final entrance and a powerful aura of darkness could be felt coming from it. No doubt that was where I had to ultimately go once I had finished with the king.

Before I had reached the well, Princess Twilight had felt the presence of another Garo nearby. My mask caused it to appear before me when I got closer--I hadn't taken it off since leaving the vicinity of the Music Box House--and once again I was forced to fight against an opponent who was a skilled assassin. Much like the previous two Garo, this one utilized the same fighting abilities so it was a matter of avoiding its flaming swords and striking when it had dropped its guard--not an easy task when it moved about constantly. Fortunately--more like a fluke--I defeated the Garo forcing it to reveal some important information.

What it said had to do with what was waiting for me in the underground tunnels below the well. I mean, I knew what to expect down there since both Soarin and Twilight Sparkle had told me that Gibdos, once adventurers like myself but were now undead monsters forced to remain down there in an eternal torment, were waiting for someone to come along and provide various items. The Garo said: "As the Gibdos in Ikana's well have regrets and long to savor items from this world, they continue to wander about." I thought it odd until the Garo  mentioned something else. "Most of that which the Gibdos regret can be found inside the well itself."

I didn't like the way it said that most of what they wanted were down there. That meant one or two items would require me to leave the area and come back when I had acquired them thus wasting some precious time. Another problem was that the Garo didn't specify what might not be available, leaving the decision of whether or not to leave down to chance. I definitely didn't like that approach yet I didn't have much of a choice if I were to progress through and acquire the shield that was supposedly down there. I needed a new one since my current one was the verge of breaking due to how many hits it had taken.

Climbing down into the well, I became completely surrounded by the darkness with the only direction I could go was forward. The pathway went along for a short distance before opening up into a fairly large room that branched off to the right. In front of me was a Gibdo who didn't attack me at first but on a second glance it looked to be watching me as though it were waiting for me to approach with something. Its incessant moaning made Princess Twilight feel incredibly uneasy though I felt the same since this was practically a monster-ridden maze--and one that I was wasn't just filled with Gibdo.

Princess Twilight gulped. " It's... it's just staring at us."

" They do have that creepy factor." I said.

" Remember to have the Gibdo Mask on at all times so that they continue to think you're one of them."

I took off the Garo's Mask--it was now useless down here--and switched it out for the Gibdo Mask. " I do feel a little weird about wearing this since it used to be Soarin's cursed form before the Song of Healing cured him, but I suppose there's no point in complaining especially with where we are right now." Placing the mask on my face, nothing unusual happened at first until my ears began hearing the gibberish coming from the Gibdo. " I can barely make out what it's saying."

" What does it say?"

I listened closely. " It keeps saying... come."

Princess Twilight gulped again. " It wants you to speak to it."

I nodded. " Yeah, and I shouldn't keep it waiting if I know what's good for me."

Walking forward, the Gibdo continued watching my every move until I was standing right in front of it. I had never seen one up close before though judging from what I was seeing, it was an experience I didn't want to have to go through again. The bandages hung loosely from its body and the mouth had jagged teeth that were rotting all over. Definitely an unpleasant sight in addition to the putrid stench that came from its very presence. Even though I wanted to destroy it because of what it was, I knew doing so would get me nowhere since there was a locked door behind it and I suspected it would only open when I had given it what it desired.

Its piercing gaze hadn't paralyzed me so at the very least I knew the Gibdo Mask was protecting me from their worst power. Still, I didn't like being so close to one of these monsters because it could drain my life force without a moment's hesitation. What I found refreshing was the fact that it couldn't tell I wasn't one of its own all because of a simple looking mask bearing a striking resemblance. So long as I didn't attack it or remove my mask, getting through here would be simple provided that the items each Gibdo wanted wasn't anything complicated.

The Gibdo began speaking. " Sooooooo... Another has become one of us."

" Who or what are you?"

" Looooooong ago... Adventurerrrrrrrr... I was once an adventurer who sought treasure and came down here to find it." The Gibdo answered. " I found no such thing but was cursed instead to remain here in a perpetual limbo until a chosen comes. Yooooooou... You are one of us now and shall be trapped down here for all eternity until we are freed."

" Freed?"

The Gibdo slowly nodded. " Traaaaaaaapped... Traaaaaaaapped... We are all trapped here, forced to endure the lingering regrets we held in life. You too, shall have your own regrets that will serve as the one desire you seek. Until you have been given that one desire, you shall remain here."

" What if I can give you what you want?"

" Yooooooou... If you were to do so then we all would move on to the next life."

" Then I'll do it."

The Gibdo looked skeptical. " For one so small, you possess much determination but can you do what others have attempted before you? I was the latest to join when I could not succeed in satisfying their regrets and you shall suffer the same fate."

I could tell that it was trying to psyche me out but I had to remain strong if I was planning on getting through this maze in one piece. The only drawback I could see apart from maybe having to leave to acquire something from beyond Ikana was having no map to show me where I was going. I would have to use something to serve as a marker in case I found myself going backwards when I should be going forwards. Unfortunately, using a rock--my first choice--to scribble an arrow on the wall proved pointless due to how dark everything was, but perhaps I could use something a little more unique in concept.

" Your fate won't be mine." I said. " Now, what do you desire."

The Gibdo screamed. " Leeeeave it! Leeeeave it! Leeeeave me something delicious to chomp on. Something that sprouts when it's watered. Preferably five of them... If you give me this then you may proceed past."

I exclaimed. " What!? What are you even talking about?"

" Do you have what I linger?"

I shook my head. " Well, no, but I--"

The Gibdo moaned. " If you don't have it, I have no need for you! Awayyy!"

Crap! I wasn't off to a good start considering that I didn't have the item that this Gibdo wanted. How could I have known? It spoke using cryptic words for crying out loud! In any case, this was one direction that was denied to me for the time being until I came back with something that sprouted. At that precise moment, I slapped my forehead as I had just figured out what it meant and I couldn't believe how simple it was. Magic Beans sprouted whenever they were watered after being planted but the problem was that I had none with me and to get some would require leaving Ikana and making my way over to Woodfall.

Perhaps I should have prepared more accordingly rather than attempting to just wing my way through. The Garo did say that most of the items I would need could be found down here but some clearly weren't like Magic Beans. Unless there was a Deku Scrub selling them somewhere close by, I needed to take a different path through the maze. I hoped that I had not blocked myself from going the right direction otherwise I could be down here for a while. Looking to my right, another Gibdo stood before a door blocked with iron bars so perhaps it would let me pass were I to give it what it wanted.

Princess Twilight tapped me on the shoulder and I looked down at her. " Magic Beans... I'm sure you already figured it out, right, Sunset?"

I nodded. " I can't believe I didn't bring any with me."

" You didn't know the Gibdo wanted five of them in order to open the door." Twilight said. " I consider this to be a minor setback that can easily be rectified if you were to give that one over there what it desires. By the way, have you figured out how we are going to make our way around here without getting ourselves lost? I believe there is no map for this maze so unless running around in circles is your idea of fun, I hope you've got a plan."

I nodded. " I was thinking of using a rock at first to mark an arrow on the wall, but because of how dark it is down here, I doubt I'd be able to see anything unless I could use one of those torches to light my path."

" Those torches are fixtures so they can't be removed."

" Figures."

" So what did you figure out?"

" Why not use the bandages of the Gibdo?"

Princess Twilight gagged. " Are you serious, Sunset? I personally wouldn't want to touch those bandages since you don't know where these things have been. Besides, if you were to touch them with your hands, it could result in you being cursed and ending up like Soarin did."

" I hadn't thought of that."

" The bandage thing is a good idea but you would need to find a way to get some without touching it."

My sword would be ideal despite the short range it had though the Gibdos would get annoyed relatively quickly upon noticing what I was doing. Unless they were to leave behind a piece of their bandages, I would either have to be sneaky enough for them to not notice or use something else as a marker. I walked up to the next Gibdo--it had the same non-existent expression the other one had--and it tilted its head to notice my presence. Again, I had the urge to use my sword to cut it down but my mind convinced me not to do so and wait to see what it wanted.

" You... You could not help our brotherrrrrrrr..." The Gibdo said with a moan.

I shook my head. " I couldn't resolve his lingering."

" Theeeeeeen... What could you possibly do to help me?"

" I'm sure I can do something."

The Gibdo attempted what sounded like a laugh only for it to be a wheezing cough. " Verrrrrrrry well... I shall give you a chance but should you fail... If you cannot give me that which leaves me to linger over it, I shall take your soul instead." I thought the Gibdo was trying to intimidate me but then it reaffirmed its threat by saying that it could take my soul instead of simply draining my lifeforce. " Fail and the next who comes here can heal your lingering doubts."

" What do you need?"

" Leeeeave it! Leeeeave it!" The Gibdo answered. " Leeeeave me something blue that bestows health!"

My eyes opened wide from behind my mask! I had a Blue Potion on my person thanks to Twilight Sparkle giving it to me before I left the Music Box House. Had she known that I would need the Blue Potion in order to progress or was it an unintentional coincidence? Either way, this was an item I had on hand and wouldn't have to leave Ikana in order to find it--not that I even knew where to begin looking so Twilight Sparkle had done me an excellent favour. Unfortunately, it meant finding something to use as a means of healing since the Gibdo was likely to take the potion and not leave any behind for me.

Reaching into my pocket, I took out the Blue Potion and presented it to the Gibdo. " You can have the contents of the bottle but not the bottle itself. Oh, and do not get those disgusting lips of yours all over it otherwise you and me are going to have problems."

The Gibdo grabbed my bottle and the liquid inside suddenly drained away until the bottle was empty. How in the world did it just do that? I wasn't about to begin asking since I doubted it would be anything but a simple explanation but at least it didn't do anything bad. " Ah! Thissss! Thissss! I bear you no remorse! You may continue on but it will not be an easy journey ahead for you." Upon returning my bottle, the Gibdo burned away to nothing and was followed by the door opening up to the next part of the maze.

" Now that was convenient." Twilight said.

" I'll say..."

" Twilight Sparkle just gave us a way forward though I wish we had some Magic Beans."

I sighed. " I have this feeling that there was something behind the other door that would help us with another Gibdo elsewhere down here."

Princess Twilight nodded. " No point in dwelling over it now, Sunset. We just have to hope that we don't end up getting stumped later on." Her Highness took a closer look at where the Gibdo once stood and shook her head. " Unfortunately, nothing is left of the Gibdo." She floated back over to me. " We need something else to use as a marker if we're to remember this area in case we do find some Magic Beans down here."

One idea then came to mind though a part of me felt like I would be disrespecting those who had been watching over it for a long time. Drawing out the Kokiri Sword from its scabbard and holding it in both hands, I began carving a marker into the wall of the maze. It wasn't easy since I couldn't see all that much nor was I sure what it would look like, but when I had finished several minutes later, Princess Twilight gave me a thumb's up. It consisted of a single slash that was cut deep into the wall though a cute looking curve was on the end to make it easy for me to know I had done it--other marks lined the walls so I didn't want to confuse myself.

Satisfied that my marker would work--I did long for the Gibdo bandage approach so as to be more unique--I walked forward, opened the door, and entered the next section of the maze where the sounds of Gibdo could be heard close by. There were additional sounds coming from a nook to the left and comprising of Deku Babas along with another noise that sounded a lot like flapping. I recognized the sound as belonging to a Keese yet I had no idea what kind it was. I didn't even get a chance to see what it was when something suddenly hit me from the left, freezing both myself and Princess Twilight in a block of ice.