The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Majora's Mask
By Ganondorf8
May 15, 2017
Chapter 56: Castle of Ancients.
I knew it! I knew Sunset Demon was the one whose aura I had been sensing! The she-demon thought she could hide her foul mien from me but there was enough of it that I could sense proving that she had indeed returned and that I wasn't crazy. Still, despite this sudden revelation of her appearance, something was definitely different. She looked and sounded like the demon who once determined to kill me no matter what and become the real Sunset Shimmer, yet she didn't act like she once did and I felt a nagging sensation in that I felt an emotion related to her I never imagined I would experience.
Was it sympathy? Surprise? Or maybe even worry? I didn't know what to make of it. On the one hand, she acted like she could rend me asunder without a moment's hesitation, but on the other hand, she sounded much more cheerful than she had ever been. I couldn't begin to understand what it must have been like for Sunset Demon being dead. She must have endured incredible torment on the other side or she enjoyed it as it meant no longer worrying about anything. Still, being trapped in an eternal limbo would break anyone's spirit even if they possessed a willpower greater than most. For Sunset Demon, she felt bliss and sadness.
Being dead, I assumed, must have opened her eyes a little, and being in this world had opened them further. I wasn't saying that she had changed completely--I knew this because she delighted in teasing me and indirectly tried to convince me to go back to the way I was before. In that sense, the she-demon was a lot like me. Both of us went through a change when we lost everything, yet while my change occurred in a positive environment, Sunset Demon experienced something much worse and somehow managed to survive. That's when I remembered what else she said before leaving.
She mentioned about having a significant other though judging from how she felt about it, the feeling was more along despair rather than mutual. In my mind, there was only one person who could have fitted the description, and that was Midnight Sparkle. Granted, Sunset Demon didn't actually say her by name--she was trying to hide that fact--but it didn't take a genius to put two-and-two together. If the she-demon had been brought back to life by Midnight Sparkle, then how did she come back? Then it dawned on me... Ikana... the land where the dead roamed free. Midnight Sparkle came back as the power of the dead was everywhere in this region.
Had this been an intention of Ganondorf? No... I didn't think so. He couldn't care less about Sunset Demon and I doubted he would care about Midnight Sparkle though he was indirectly responsible as his magic was what changed my world into this video game one. No, it was the mischievous nature of Starlight Glimmer opening the door to the temple that caused the dead to rise from beyond the grave and that same door had allowed two demons not of this world to also return. Had she known what could return, Starlight wouldn't have gone and opened that door and this wouldn't be an issue.
And yet, it was an issue, and one that further complicated things. Not only did I have to deal with awakening the final Giant so that the undead could return to their peaceful slumber in the afterlife, I still had the daunting task of dealing with Ganondorf weighing on my shoulders. And now, I had two demons from my past who had every intention of making my life miserable even if one of them wasn't who she used to be. If this had been some kind of exam back in the world that was my home, I would be suffering from an extreme amount of stress because of there being too many factors.
Sitting down near the Crystal Switch I had activated to let in the sunlight, I began thinking about how I was going to be dealing with Sunset Demon and Midnight Sparkle. Both of them were waiting for me to arrive at the final temple--wherever that was--and attack at any moment leaving me with no chance of being able to prepare accordingly. Though, if I were to look at things from a different perspective, Sunset Demon might not be an actual threat considering how she behaved. It could be her means of getting me to lower my guard so she could take me down, but what if her actions were sincere?
And then there was Midnight Sparkle. She held a grudge against me because I overcame her magic by becoming Daydream Shimmer and would love nothing more than to get her revenge along with doing so against her counterpart, the other Twilight. After all, it was by my hand that she was defeated and her desire to acquire all of the Equestrian Magic that existed in both worlds was crushed. While I was terrified at having to deal with the two demons, I also remembered what Sunset Demon mentioned. Their magic had been stripped from them thanks to Termina's unusual aura that blocked it out. In other words, we were all on equal footing.
Princess Twilight then flopped onto my head. " Are you okay, Sunset?"
I shook my head. " I just don't know what to think anymore."
" Yes... I must admit that seeing your she-demon form as her own living entity was certainly surprising."
I was going to roll my eyes but refrained from doing so. " I went through so much pain and anguish when she and I fought each other on my previous journey that when she was finally defeated--though not by me--I thought that was the end of it and that at long last I could move on. Now, Sunset Demon has come back through no will of her own and isn't the same as she used to be given her choice of words."
" You suspect Midnight Sparkle was the one who brought her back?"
I nodded. " It makes the most sense."
" The door to the temple brought the dead back to life according to DJ Pon-3." Twilight said. " It must have affected Midnight Sparkle in that she was able to return from the dead herself and she somehow convinced Sunset Demon into also returning. So long as that door remains open, the two demons can continue coming back infinitely though their power is restricted because of Termina."
" When I reset time, everything will go back to the way it was before."
" Yes, we already know that."
" No, what I mean is that even if we were to close the door, it would re-open again upon time resetting."
" Yes." Twilight said. " That does pose a serious problem when you think about it that way. Even if you were to defeat Sunset Demon and Midnight Sparkle, nothing could stop them from simply coming back using the dark aura that has engulfed Ikana. They could continue to hound us both and Twilight Sparkle endlessly unless they were defeated in a way that could prevent their returning again. How we would go about doing that is beyond me."
Hearing Princess Twilight say that made my heart wither. The two demons were essentially immortal in that sense and there was nothing I could do to stop that unless I were to stop the moon from crashing and having time move on. That would involve awakening the final Giant and confronting Starlight on top of the Clock Tower. While my chances of success were pretty high, the two demons could easily interfere and stop me from succeeding in my quest. That would, in turn, cause a ripple effect where I would succumb to despair over having victory snatched away from me and draw me closer towards wanting to become Ganondorf's servant.
My heart then suddenly began recovering because of one factor I had forgotten. Sunset Demon wasn't the same as she used to be, and that made her a wild card more than anything else in that she was going through an identity crisis. Whatever she endured during her time in the afterlife, it had affected her moral code--surprising she even had one--and so it was possible I could convince her to perhaps consider changing the course her existence was currently heading towards. Midnight Sparkle wasn't going to have the same feelings as the she-demon did so trying to talk some sense into her was impossible.
" Twilight..." I began. " What if we could convince Sunset Demon to change?"
Princess Twilight was surprised. " I wasn't expecting that! Hmmm... I'm well versed when it comes to reformation since I was able to get through to both you and Starlight, but to try something similar with a demonic monster who represents the evil that you once were... I suppose there may be a chance but that would depend on her making the choice."
Clapping my hands together with glee, I got up and began walking towards the main entrance of the castle. " Then I guess we've got ourselves a plan when it comes time to dealing with Sunset Demon!"
Princess Twilight suddenly flew out in front of me, hands waving, her face filled with concern. " Not so fast, Sunset! We have to take Midnight Sparkle into consideration! She might have some kind of hold over Sunset Demon hence why the latter didn't refer to the former by name when we encountered her earlier. I think Sunset Demon is in some kind of debt with Midnight Sparkle because the former is who brought her back from the afterlife. As such, I don't think she could betray Midnight unless she found a means to get around it, yet I doubt she would be willing to tell us for obvious reasons."
" So what can we do?"
" We need to talk to Midnight Sparkle."
I looked at Princess Twilight with skepticism. " Seriously?"
Princess Twilight nodded. " Seriously! Besides, I'm starting to get the picture in that Midnight Sparkle has been acting as the mastermind between the two with Sunset Demon coming along for the ride, and maybe getting her own chances of telling her 'significant other' how she feels about the whole arrangement."
" Now that you mention it, Sunset Demon wasn't thrilled about bringing her up."
" The two demons are antagonizing each other."
" That could give us an edge."
" In theory."
" What do you mean?"
" Right now, let's assume that this antagonizing between the two will still be in effect when we get to the temple." Twilight answered. " If it does then Sunset Demon might be willing to turn against Midnight Sparkle and free herself from whatever hold Midnight has over her. On the other hand, it could all be some kind of ruse designed to have you lower your guard and allow them both to kill you. I know what you were like when you were a bully, Sunset, and believe me, I could never forget such actions."
I lowered my head in shame. " My actions were atrocious."
Princess Twilight hugged me as best as she could. " I didn't mean to make you upset, Sunset. What I mean, is that during that time of your life, you relied on every trick in the book to ensure that everything went your way, and anyone who you viewed as a threat had to be taken care of through humiliating means."
Not my most defining moment. When I pursued power as a means to an end, I didn't care who I had to step in order to get it. Everyone at Canterlot High was a tool for me to use as I saw fit and I would ensure they were "dealt with" were they to get between me and what I wanted. In my mind, they were inferior because they were human and couldn't comprehend my vision of being the most dominant person at school--I aimed for much higher but was forced to stick to something simple. I was a pony under the guise of being a human and I had to stoop down to their level in order to both fit in and bide my time until the portal to Equestria would open.
Looking back on it now in conjunction with how Sunset Demon acted, she was continuing on that old persona of mine but from an exaggerated perspective all because she was a demonic monster who adored herself. I supposed my actions back then were the result of a superiority complex and feeling insecure over being denied the title of princess. I've gotten over it since and don't really care about becoming an alicorn--I'd much rather be a unicorn--but what if I were to go back to Equestria and I suddenly found myself having ascended and acquired the wings to go alongside my horn? That would be both surprising and disappointing.
Many ponies would love to become alicorns if they were given the chance. Me? I had that chance and blew it because of how stubborn I was. I doubt that I would ever get another chance so I've since accepted my fate and will forever be Princess Celestia's most infamous student. I'd be her forgotten student, the one who turned her back on everything just because she couldn't have her way. It didn't sound very positive and it wasn't meant to be. Sighing and slapping both cheeks, I regained my composure and informed Princess Twilight that her words, stinging as they were, were accurate and I told her she was in the right about it.
Sunset Demon... I would find out what her true intentions were. I would accept whatever outcome would occur even if it meant facing the ultimate betrayal. For the time being, I could only take her words with a grain of salt even she had given me a warning about a Wizzrobe somewhere in the castle. One act of kindness wasn't enough to convince me that she was honest about what she had said. No, it would take something truly extraordinary to earn my trust. Ha... It's kind of ironic in that sense. I had to earn the trust of Canterlot High by going through so much yet it was completely worth it.
I walked towards the main entrance when Princess Twilight bopped me on the head. " Sunset... I can feel it all around us."
" Feel what?"
" The presence of death."
" Does that mean?"
Princess Twilight nodded. " There is a Garo hidden somewhere nearby. You could simply ignore it and go inside the castle but I do suggest summoning it from the shadows and see what you can learn upon besting it in combat. Given how we know little about this castle other than there being a Wizzrobe inside, we need all the information we can get our hands on if we're to reach the king."
" Guess I've got no choice." I said. I took out the Garo Mask and placed it on my face before walking around in a circle. " Hopefully, this doesn't take too long as I've noticed that the sun is beginning to set--" I was suddenly interrupted when a shadow appeared from the ground and formed the garbed guise of the Garo in question.
" Master... You called?" The Garo asked. I'm not even sure why they continued saying this when it was pretty obvious that I wasn't their master, but I supposed it didn't matter to them so long as they were able to slice someone to pieces via their flaming swords. " What are you!?" The Garo drew its swords and a circle of fire surrounded us both, signalling that the battle had begun.
I personally didn't want to have to go through with this yet again since it was basically the same fight as the previous Garo but I had little option but to fight back. Drawing my sword and my new shield, I waited for the Garo to make the first move. It floated about for several seconds before diving at me with its swords in a cross formation, but I was able to parry its attack though it attacked me again, knocking me onto my back despite using the Mirror Shield. It was going to take some time before I could get used to carrying this new shield as the weight was much different than the old one was.
The Garo dove at me a third time though I side-stepped just as it went flying by, and when I turned around to see where it was, it was looking left and right in hopes of trying to figure out where I had gone. Was it seriously doing that!? To be honest, I thought it was something that previous Garo did as a means of a quirk, but it turned out that they all did it, and it meant I had an advantage against them. Instead of using a regular attack against the Garo, I performed a jump attack though I first had to get closer otherwise it would fail. Upon hitting the ghostly ninja, it reeled back before floating about in the air again.
Seeing that weakness pretty much made the battle not as terrifying as I once thought. I mean, it could have just turned around and resumed fighting rather than wasting time looking around in the wrong directions. At least I didn't have to worry about getting hurt too much since I did have two bottles of milk on hand--I could have gone back to the cow and filled up the remaining bottles but I didn't think about doing it--though it was best I conserved them as more powerful monsters were lying in wait inside of the castle. Side-stepping again to avoid being knocked down by the Garo, I hit it from behind, and suddenly got caught off guard.
It spun around using its two swords to create a temporary circle of flames that knocked me back into the circle of fire that surrounded us. Fortunately, I still retained a resistance to fire magic though it wasn't as strong as it was before when I was journeying around Hyrule. I got up and raised my shield just as the Garo dove at me again, colliding with my shield and getting pushed back before diving at me again. I side-stepped once again and it sailed past, coming to a stop a short distance away, and began looking left and right to see where I was despite not looking behind it--I suspected this meant they had a one-tracked mind.
Attacking the Garo from behind, it jumped into the air, landing several moments later, its swords disappeared, and it held up its hand signalling that it was giving up. That went a lot easier than before all thanks to knowing when the obvious weakness would appear. No wonder these guys often had to kill themselves whenever they gave away precious information they had obtained. It made up for being predictable in battle though I was curious as to why the Ikana soldiers never figured it out given it was so simple. Was it possible that they were even worse than the Garo or perhaps I was looking too deeply into it?
The Garo spoke. " R-regrettable! Although my rival, you were spectacular! I shall take my bow by opening my heart and revealing my wisdom."
I waved my hand. " Before you go and do that, I have some questions I want to ask you."
" You have questions for me?"
I nodded. " I do."
The Garo blinked a few times. " You think that I would give away such valuable information? We Garo would rather commit seppuku than to reveal secrets!" It then realized that it had agreed to open its heart when I defeated it and it grumbled to itself before addressing me. " I made a vow to share my wisdom and I must fulfill that vow or else I would disgrace the others and dishonour my master. One question... That is all you may ask of me! If you try to ask me anymore than that, I shall close myself off and you will learn nothing, not even what I promised to share upon your defeating of me."
" I already know what to ask you."
" Then name it!"
" Your master... Who is he?"
The Garo was surprised. " You wish to know of my master?"
I nodded. " You and the other Garo keep on thinking that I am this master of yours though I figured it has to do with the mask I have on my face. It resembles the face of your master hence the confusion yet I wish to know more about him."
" Then I shall tell you." The Garo said. " My master... the Garo Master, as we call him, is the most powerful of all the Garo who lived in Ikana long ago. He possesses skills that we use to carry out our tasks through his commands though he also possesses abilities none of us could ever master. My master also knows of secrets we Garo were never permitted to know because we had not earned such a privilege. You will find that my master can and will kill you easily because of how powerful he is."
" He must be if he leads the Garo."
The Garo nodded. " All of us respect my master and we would gladly give up our own lives if it meant saving his. Though he was the one who taught us the 'Law of the Garo', committing seppuku should our secrets become known, he insisted on us not making such pointless sacrifices. Or mission was deemed more important than anything else and any who would object to it were killed by my master. To the Garo Master, loyalty was an absolute and to betray that notion meant death. You are strong, living one, and for that you deserve to meet my master so that he can test your skills himself."
" I don't even know where he is."
" I shall tell you."
" Very well."
" My master awaits you in the temple that lies on top of the impenetrable stronghold we Garo used as our headquarters." The Garo said. " I doubt you will even make it there alive as it is a grueling trial that tests you to your limit. If you do manage to reach my master, you shall die by his hands, unless you defeat him by some divine miracle. There! I have answered your question! Now I shall open my heart and share my wisdom with you. The ReDeads in Ikana were once members of the castle's dancing troupe. A symbol that resonates with them awaken their true selves."
" What does that even mean?"
Instead of answering my question, the Garo said the same thing that the previous ones had said once they had shared their secrets, namely, that they died without leaving a corpse because it was how they did things to prevent their secrets from being known. It then planted a bomb in front of itself that exploded and there was nothing left of the Garo other than many questions that currently lacked answers. At least I now had an idea as to what kind of person the Garo Master was in addition to his current whereabouts. He was stronger than his fellow Garo and possessed skills none of them could master.
He was also waiting for me in the temple and that was when I came to a sudden realization. Sunset Demon and Midnight Sparkle were also at the temple and that meant they could attack me while I was busy fighting against the Garo Master. Then again, the two demons might have already encountered him, and either came to some kind of mutual respect or he warned them not to get involved in his affairs. In any case, this added one more problem to a list that was slowly growing with every passing moment. I needed to remain calm despite knowing this otherwise I could lose it and that would surely mean my death.
Princess Twilight comforted me. " Things will be okay, Sunset."
" Even though we now know where the Garo Master is?"
" Yes and I must admit that was very clever of you asking that Garo a question." Twilight said. " It was about time that we asked one of them something rather than merely being told a vague secret about something in this region. Granted, the temple is beginning to get crowded what with two demons and a master assassin waiting for us there. We need to hope that no more surprises regarding the temple are brought for our own peace of mind."
I sighed. " I doubt that."
Princess Twilight smiled. " Just stay positive."
" You've been hanging around Pinkie Pie too much."
" She's proven to be quite the powerful influence." Twilight said. " Anyway, that piece of information the Garo mentioned could prove useful as it would mean avoiding some powerful monsters waiting for us inside. By the way, do you know what a ReDead is supposed to be?"
I gulped. " In all of the excitement regarding the Garo Master, I completely forgot that the Garo went and mentioned ReDeads."
" So I take it you know what it is?"
I nodded. " ReDeads are similar to Gibdos except they are slightly weaker though you can't really tell. They can paralyze you with a piercing gaze before lumbering over to their helpless victims before latching onto them and draining their life energy away. Between the two versions, Gibdos were much worse though they were also much rarer." The thought of dealing with ReDeads again made me very uncomfortable given my previous experiences with them. I couldn't remember all of the details other than I almost lost my life a few times because of how quickly they could drain the life force out of any creature they came across.
" We don't need to worry about them."
" How do you figure that?"
" The Garo said that if you were to show them a symbol that resonates with them, you would be able to see them dance as they were dancers in life." Twilight answered. " I wonder what you could use to act as a symbol."
I began rummaging through my items to see if I had anything and I stopped upon taking out two of my masks. " The Gibdo Mask and the Captain's Hat both resemble undead faces so these could help me get past the ReDead and prevent them from draining my life force." I then grabbed my face and held my hand there for a few moments before realizing that I had a third mask that was a symbol I could use. " I could keep on the Garo's Mask since it would resonate with the ReDeads as well."
" Only way to know is to enter the castle and find out."
After mulling over the three masks for a while, I decided to go with the Captain's Hat since Captain Keeta had an association with the king. Plus, I felt it needed to have some more attention as I only used it twice in order to access the underground areas beneath the graveyard. I took off the Garo's Mask, placed it behind my back, and put on the Captain's Hat before entering the castle. Immediately, I found myself surrounded by the darkness though I should have expected this since this castle had been abandoned ages ago, but when everything started getting brighter, I could see that the castle wasn't abandoned in that sense.
The opening chamber consisted of four pillars in a symmetrical formation with a sun block located behind them. Something important had to have been behind it as why else would such a block be where it was, but the problem was that there was no sunlight shining down from above. Without the sunlight, I couldn't use the Mirror Shield to remove the block so I needed to find a way to bring it to this room. On one of the pillars was an eye switch covered in some ice so I could easily melt that away using a Fire Arrow, but then my body froze upon seeing four ReDeads standing in front of me.
None of them had noticed my presence so they remained stoic and silent but I knew that they would attack if I got close enough to them. Somehow, I needed to find a way to get past without having to resort to fighting--they were also resilient in that they took a lot of punishment--but then I remembered what Princess Twilight said about using something that could be used as a symbol and resonate it with them. Since I was wearing the Captain's Hat and we had determined that it would work, I gulped and stepped forward, my sword and shield drawn in case what Her Highness suggested wouldn't work.
Suddenly, the ReDeads began to dance the moment I got within range of them. I recognized one of them dancing the Cossack with two more twirling about and the other pretending that it was moonwalking. I had seen plenty of strange things throughout this journey yet this was the strangest one of all. What was once a fearsome monster had become nothing but a joke though at the same time it was also quite sad because these ReDead used to be alive at one point. According to the Garo, they used to be dancers who served as dancers to the Royal Family. Even in death, they felt compelled to dance provided one had something as a symbol on their person.
I thought about attacking them so that they wouldn't get in my way but then I realized there was no point. They weren't attacking me let alone getting in my so I had no real need to destroy them unless I were some kind of psychotic lunatic who loved destroying every last monster. Instead, I decided to focus on the frozen eye switch as it appeared to be my only means of finding a way out of this room--there were two doors on either side of the ReDeads though they were blocked by iron bars. Taking out the Hero's Bow and applying Fire Arrows as opposed to regular arrows, I aimed up at the switch and fired a single shot.
Upon hitting the ice, the Fire Arrow melted it and activated the switch, resulting in the right door opening up. I intended on going through that door only to notice a second frozen eye-switch behind another pillar--I couldn't see this one initially and assumed that there was something else that would open the other door--so I fired another Fire Arrow, melting the ice and activating the switch, causing the left door to open. Now, I had to choose which direction to take. Unfortunately, I didn't have a map so there was no way of knowing which direction would lead me to my final destination of reaching the king.
In the end, I decided to follow my gut instincts and entered the door on my left. This room contained a crystal switch directly in front of me but before I went and activated it, I wanted to see what else this room offered in terms of a challenge. Walking forward and then looking to my right, I could see a large red floor though it didn't mesh well with the actual floor that was beneath it. Upon a closer inspection, the red floor gave off a very warm aura indicating that it was lava and touching it would mean death. Activating the crystal switch would most likely cause the lava to rise to the ceiling for a few seconds.
" This puzzle seems simple enough."
Princess Twilight nodded. " Yes, but there is always something else that tends to be overlooked, Sunset. I suggest you activate the switch to see what changes and then plan accordingly to solve the puzzle upon activating it a second time."
" You seem bothered by something."
" I figured you of all people would notice."
I chuckled slightly. " You tend to look incredibly nervous whenever something really bothers you, Twilight." It took me a few seconds to figure out what Her Highness had been bothered by though I thought it was rather silly of her to even think of it like that. " Were you freaked out by how those ReDeads were dancing? I won't deny that they did make me feel uneasy but you shouldn't let that be an issue."
" What kind of dancing was that?"
" Oh, you know... the Cossack, the Moonwalk, the Pirouette..."
Princess Twilight blinked at me and I couldn't help but notice. " Um... Sunset... What are you talking about?"
" Dances."
" You mean what I did during the Fall Formal?"
I slapped my forehead in a playful manner. " That's right! I forgot that dancing doesn't exist in Equestria."
" Oh it does now." Twilight said. " Some ponies in Manehatten have begun a dance craze through they're restricted to the pony trot and the pony equivalent of the conga line humans are famous for doing."
" I never would have guessed--" I suddenly cut myself off upon seeing something in front of me. " Um, Twilight? Do you see what I see in front of us?"
Princess Twilight looked forward and had to blink several times to make sure she was seeing what I was seeing. " Is that Spitfire!? And Fleetfoot!? What in the world are they doing in a place like this? And why do they have such terrible complexions?"
Standing in front of us was Spitfire, though she looked like a undead zombie as opposed to the girl who I vaguely remember as being a star soccer player for the Shadowbolts over at Crystal Prep Academy. Princess Twilight told me one time that she was the leader of the Wonderbolts, an elite flying corps in Equestria, and despite her serious attitude and wanting her teammates to be at their best, she was always concerned for their well-being. Rainbow Dash, as in the pony version, was said to be in line to become a Wonderbolt provided another would step down according to Her Highness.
I remember encountering Spitfire during my previous journey and she was rather antagonistic although she would see the error of her ways. Much of that encounter like most of those experiences from Hyrule had been getting vague as of late but some things I could never forget no matter what. It appeared that once again she was going to be antagonistic and given that she was wearing fancy looking armour, she most likely served as one of the more prominent guards, perhaps even serving directly under the king as one of his elites. This meant I needed extreme caution when dealing with her.
The other zombie looking guard was referred to by Princess Twilight as Fleetfoot. According to Her Highness, she was another member of the Wonderbolts though she only started getting recognition within the last couple of years. This whole thing with the Wonderbolts didn't make much sense to me since I never really paid much attention to how they operated though I remember teasing them when I was Princess Celestia's student. I saw them as being unimportant and that Equestria didn't need them yet I now understood that my thoughts were wrong back then.
" So you are the living one who managed to make it through the underground maze." Spitfire said.
" No one has ever made it through there before." Fleetfoot added.
" Guess that makes me the first." I said.
" For one of the living, you definitely have a lot of spunk though that could be your undoing." Spitfire said. She then drew a sword and shield and appeared to be on the verge of charging forward in an attempt to attack me, but Fleetfoot grabbed her shoulder at the last minute, shaking her head and whispering something. Spitfire was taken aback by her companion's sudden interference and decided to let her have it. " Why did you stop me? You know that this one must be killed by orders of the king because she has proven to be a threat to his desire to bring our fair kingdom back from the brink."
" The king ordered us to alert the guards and nothing more!"
" Are you dense, Fleetfoot?"
" Of course I'm not!"
" You and I are of the king's guards and so we must kill this living one before she can reach the throne room."
Fleetfoot sighed and pulled Spitfire back prompting her to go into a tirade in which the former slapped her in the face. " Spitfire! Don't take this the wrong way--you probably will since you do that a lot--but why don't you think about something for a second. How do you suppose she managed to get past the ReDeads who were posted in the entry chamber to the castle, hmmm?"
" Why were dancers ordered to guard the main entrance?"
" Because we don't have anyone else, Spitfire."
" What!?"
" We've only just recently come back from our eternal slumber and everyone is struggling to figure out what's going on."
Spitfire sighed. " You're right about that. Even I've been wondering what could have caused us to suddenly return after so long. Granted, I don't appreciate looking like an undead corpse but I suppose my body didn't decompose all that well while it was buried. Still, what does that have to do with this living one?"
" She got past the ReDeads without getting hurt."
Spitfire courage suddenly disappeared like it had been burst like a balloon and she quickly put her sword and shield away before moving back towards the door. " She is more powerful than she appears to be Fleetfoot, but what is up with her wearing that strange looking mask?" Spitfire lurched forward to get a closer look at what was on my face and appeared confused before leaning back. " It looks very familiar but I can't put my finger on it."
Fleetfoot lurched forward herself and quickly leaned back upon seeing my mask. " It looks like the mask Captain Keeta used to carry around with him."
" What!?" Spitfire exclaimed. " This living one acquired Captain Keeta's most prized possession?"
Fleetfoot nodded. " I think so but I can't really see from this distance what with this lava floor blocking our path. I know we're both undead, Spitfire, but we still have flesh on our bodies as opposed to those Poes that hang around here in the shadows. I'd rather not roast myself on an open fire if you get my meaning." She then raised her hand to her mouth and called out to me. " Living one... What are you wearing on your face right now?"
" A mask." I answered.
" I know that but what kind of mask?"
" It's just a mask."
" No, I mean does it have a name or something?"
Spitfire had finally had enough of my dodging the question and screamed out at me. " Enough already! It honestly doesn't matter that you got past the ReDead since they were only the first line of defence the castle has. The other guards will no doubt end your life and prevent you from stopping him from bringing Ikana back to its former glory. Speaking of which, can you hear that wailing sound echoing all around us?" I nodded in response causing Spitfire to clasp her hands together with glee. " Those would be the Poes that wander about looking for anyone to cast their misery towards."
" Where are you going, Spitfire?" Fleetfoot asked as she saw her companion open the door at the other end.
" The king will need our protection."
" But this living one won't survive to reach him."
" As his personal guard, we must never shirk in our duties."
The two of them then walked through the door though how could they have done so since it had been blocked by iron bars? Unless they somehow managed to activate a nearby switch that unlocked it, they had seemingly performed a feat only the undead were capable of. In any case, seeing both Spitfire and Fleetfoot was a blessing--more like a heads-up to be frank--as now I knew who I would eventually run into again upon reaching their king. If I were to succeed at defeating the king, I first had to get through them though there was no telling how strong either of them were.
I then heard the sounds of wailing, indicating that the Poes were closing on my location. While I had already defeated two Big Poes making the regular sized ones not that much of a threat in comparison, I couldn't afford to get slowed down by them. I turned towards the crystal switch, activating it by striking it with my sword, resulting in the lava floor rising to the ceiling and revealing some secrets that I couldn't see before. Another crystal switch was located at the end of the room in front of the locked door and what looked to be a regular switch was situated on top of a raised platform. To the left of it was a Deku Flower and I immediately knew what had to be done.
When the lava floor came back down, I was surprised to see that the platform with the switch wasn't affected by it. There must have been some gaps in the floor so that both the switch and flower could be in their respective positions without compromising anything. Of course, I would need to hustle over to activate the switch otherwise I'd get crushed to death by the lava floor. Sighing, I knew I had no other choice so taking out the Deku Mask and placing it on my face, I began convulsing as my body shimmered from human to Deku and when I let out a huge scream, my body finished its transformation.
It had been a while since I became a Deku Scrub so I needed a few moments to get used to having a tiny body again. Upon getting that out of my system, I was about to activate the crystal switch when I suddenly had an idea pop into my head. Moving towards the lava floor, I stopped upon reaching it, turned to face the crystal switch, produced a bubble in my mouth, and fired at it causing the floor to rise again. I ran quickly towards the Deku Flower, dove into it just as the floor came crashing down, launched myself from the flower, and floated over to the switch.
Since my body was much too light to activate the switch, I was about to grab my face and take off the Deku Mask when the wailing sounds got even louder, and that's when two spirits entered the room by dropping down from above. Each one wielded a lantern--they could be used as a weapon--though they had yet to notice me. " Looks like the two Poes have finally arrived, Twilight." I said. " What do you make of this situation?"
" Unlike Big Poes, these regular Poes tend to disappear when you target them long enough."
" So they act like cowards?"
Princess Twilight nodded. " They only attack when no one is watching them otherwise they will take a defensive stance in hopes they won't get beaten. Poes don't possess the same stamina as their large counterparts so it should only take two or three hits at the most to defeat them. When defeated, a spirit will be left behind that you can either collect using one of your bottles or it will fade away into the ether forever."
" Do I need to fight them?"
" Not necessarily."
" That's all I needed to hear."
" With the lava floor below us, fighting these Poes is extremely unwise." Twilight said. " Once you activate the switch beneath your feet, it should cause the floor to rise up to the ceiling again in addition to unlocking the door ahead, but don't think of it as an excuse to fighting those Poes. That floor won't stay up on the ceiling for long and if it falls down on you, you're going to end up becoming a Poe or even worse if you get what I'm saying."
" I got the message."
" First, you might want to become a human again."
Grabbing my face, I took off the Deku Mask, and flipped back my hair only to be suddenly surprised when the switch activated due to my increase of height and weight. This caused the lava floor to rise up again and also unlock the door. The two Poes took notice of what had just happened and began moving towards me before quickly disappearing since I had looked at them, but I wisely chose to ignore their presence and jumped off the platform and across the remainder of the room, landing in front of the door. I opened the door and entered the next room only to come across a strange puzzle.
There was another Deku Flower in front of me though the way forward was blocked by several pillars scattered about. Above on the ceiling were several Skulltulas and below me was a bottomless pit. I walked a few steps forward and noticed another switch to my left on a platform that looked like it couldn't be reached by normal means. I thought about jumping over but the distance was far too great and I was likely to plunge to my death if I tried. The entire setup seemed suspicious at best. Why have a switch out in the open that cannot be reached... unless I couldn't see the obvious before me.
As I took out the Lens of Truth, Princess Twilight was surprised by my actions. " Why are you taking that out?"
" I think there's an invisible platform."
" Oh? And how do you figure that?"
" There's no way anyone could reach that switch on that isolated platform over there." I answered. " Heck! Not even I can reach it despite being good but not really perfect at jumping large distances. I figure there has to be an invisible platform which is why I'm using the Lens of Truth to see it."
" Pretty clever thinking, Sunset."
I blushed. " I just came to a natural conclusion." I then stopped blushing and got serious. " Besides, the alternative is a deep descent into the darkness below, and that would surely mean my death assuming there's an actual bottom."
" Be careful of those Skulltulas." Twilight said. " If one of them were to drop down, you'll get knocked into the chasm. Why not pick them off from a distance using arrows? That should make crossing the remainder of this room a more pleasant experience."
Raising the Lens of Truth to my eye, I could see that the platform was made of solid ice, and that was a slight concern. Ice was slippery--an obvious statement--so I needed to move about it with caution or else I would slide off and die below. Analyzing the platform for a few seconds, I jumped over and onto it though my feet did slide about a bit but luckily I didn't plunge into the abyss below. Turning around to the platform with the switch, I jumped over to it, and activated it, the door on the other side unlocking with the iron bars rising. Now all that remained was making it over there and that involved taking care of all those Skulltulas on the ceiling.
Jumping back onto to the frozen platform, I took out the Hero's Bow and was automatically forced to use regular arrows--the element based arrows couldn't be used if I was using something else that consumed magic such as the Lens of Truth. Fortunately, the Skulltulas were large enough targets and didn't move, easy pickings if I ever saw it. I began firing arrows at each of them, destroying them where my arrows pushed back into the walls before burning away to nothing. I made sure not to miss a single one because of the abyss that loomed below, and once the last one was no more, I jumped back onto the initial platform and turned the lens off before putting it away.
With the main threat gone, I proceeded to jump across the remainder of the room using the small platforms dotted about until I reached the door, and opened it, entering the next room and suddenly coming to a stop upon seeing two Blue Bubbles flying about. If I recalled correctly, I would be unable to use my sword were they to touch me because of inflicting some kind of curse, yet while it only lasted for a short while, it would still be inconvenient as who knew what was awaiting for me further ahead. I still had my bow out so I immediately fired arrows in hopes of picking them off before either one could make contact with me.
Unfortunately, one of them managed to hit me due to me missing my initial arrow volley. My next volley was enough to defeat both but the damage had been done. I couldn't use my sword for a while though I supposed it could have been a lot worse. Princess Twilight reminded me that I could use the Song of Storms to rid myself of the curse since it had the power to do so but I decided against it for one good reason: playing the ocarina in a heavily fortified place would surely attract some unwanted attention. I'd rather avoid that situation and fight against any monsters as they came.
Before moving on, I picked up a few pots on the ground and smashed them against the wall, collecting arrows that fell out along with Magic Jars. Looking forward, it seemed my only option was to go up the stairs and see what lurked above. I walked up to the next floor that ended with a door and opened it to find myself back outside though now I was on one of the castle's parapets. I found it odd that there were no monsters here with projectile attacks or any at all. They could have shot at me from up here while I was running around down below and easily picked me off but perhaps I was fortunate that they didn't.
" I think this might lead to a dead-end, Sunset."
" You think so?"
Princess Twilight nodded. " I don't see anything that could lead us to the throne room."
" Then why have that path we took in the first place?"
Princess Twilight shrugged. " I don't know but it seems we might have run into a snag." She then began shivering and I had a pretty good idea why she was. " Sunset... I can sense the presence of another Garo waiting in the shadows nearby though why would there be one all the way up here at a dead-end?" That was a question I couldn't even begin to fathom as I had no idea as to why these assassins would hide in such stupid locations.
But, I knew that I had to summon it otherwise I would just feel agitated until I finally caved in. Taking out the Garo's Mask and placing it on my face, I took a single step forward and sure enough, the Garo in question appeared before me. Unlike the previous ones, this Garo dropped to one knee and lowered its head slightly as though it were acknowledging me. I was certain it would challenge me to a battle after concluding that I wasn't its master, but what it was doing had definitely surprised me. I decided not to draw my sword and shield as a precaution because from my perspective, the Garo hadn't threatened me.
" I have been waiting for you." The Garo said.
" You don't need to say anything." I said.
" Ah, but you would be mistaken, living flesh."
" Look, I know that I'm not your master!" I said. " While you didn't acknowledge me as such before realizing that I wasn't him and drawing your flaming swords, I know you have every intention of fighting me in order to take my life because that's what assassins like you do. Why don't we just get straight to the point, ignore all of this talking, and get started with the battle since you're probably itching for the chance to kill me."
The Garo shook its head. " That is not why I am here."
I was surprised. " You're not here to kill me?"
Again, the Garo shook its head. " You have progressed much further in this kingdom of wandering souls than any other living flesh has done. For that, you have earned not only my respect, but that of my master. In fact, he commanded me to inform you that he wishes to fight you himself because he knows you will be a worthy opponent. Besides, I know that I don't stand a chance against you so a fight would do nothing."
" He waits for me in the temple, right?"
" Yes." The Garo answered. " However, you must first prove your worth against the King of Ikana otherwise you will never reach the temple alive. Unlike the rest of the undead who roam about this land freely, the king is very powerful and is on equal footing with my master. You will die at his hands, living flesh, unless you know the secret to defeating him and the elite guards who protect him."
" How do I find out this secret?"
" I shall reveal it to you."
I gasped. " Huh? But why would you do that?"
" This world has changed since the time the Ikana Kingdom was destroyed as a result of war." The Garo answered. " None of us are meant to be alive for our time has passed and we must allow the current living to understand what it was that caused our downfall. The only one who has become oblivious to this truth is the King of Ikana himself so you must show him that we cannot remain here amongst the living by defeating him."
" And your master?"
" My master knows that we must return to our eternal slumber." The Garo answered. " That is why he wishes for you to fight him in the temple as only you possess the power to close the door to the temple once and for all."
I nodded. " Alright... What is your secret?"
The Garo took out a bomb, lit it, and placed it on the ground in front of it. I immediately knew what was coming next so I made sure to step back a little so as to avoid the inevitable explosion that was to come. " I will say this only once so listen well. To counter the rage of the King of Ikana Castle, burn away that which disrupts the light and shine the sacred rays on the king." As I expected, the bomb exploded but not before I received the Garo's departing message. " Belief or disbelief rests with you. To die without leaving a corpse... That is the way of us Garo." It burned away to nothing leaving me to ponder the meaning behind its words.
I figured that using Fire Arrows was essential when I encountered the king as they were the only item on my person capable of using fire. It also appeared that sunlight would be the bane of the king and most likely both Spitfire and Fleetfoot as they served as his elite guards according to what Spitfire said. I would need to assess the throne room to determine what it was I needed to burn--I suspected a curtain or other form of cloth. For now, I would need to explore the other side of the castle unless there was a way I could potentially skip over that side and access the throne room much sooner.
Walking to the dead-end and looking down, I could see that I was really high up, and that falling would cause a severe injury or even worse. A few columns were scattered about though they didn't serve much of a purpose other than having small fires burning on top of each one. I chose to ignore them and focus on making my way across a narrow catwalk that connected to the other side where I noticed a suspicious looking block. Halfway across and to the right was a larger column that lead up to two regular sized ones with one featuring a switch on it and a Piece of Heart on the other. There was also a Deku Flower on the larger column indicating what had to be done.
Activating the switch would do something--allowing me to progress was my first guess--yet I could do with the Piece of Heart, and that meant making sure nothing attacked me while airborne otherwise I'd drop back down to the ground and either die from the impact or survive and be forced to make my way back up here again. Several Guays were flying about and they were my biggest threat regarding flying as a Deku Scrub. Still, I could just shoot them down with arrows if need be or use bubbles as a Deku though that would require careful aiming since the bubbles tend to go all over the place.
" What!? Are you serious!?" Midnight Sparkle exclaimed.
" You were busy with your meditating so I decided to pay them a visit." Sunset Demon said.
" We have been avoiding them all this time and you went ahead and did that!?"
" What can I say? I wanted to give Sunset a little preview of what was to come." Sunset Demon answered. " Besides, I didn't mention you by name so they don't know that you are even alive, but Sunset is pretty smart so I suspect she already knows that you were the one who brought me back from the dead. Guess things aren't going as you had originally planned yet it was so obvious that they wouldn't."
" Tell me... Why did you do it?"
" I think you know the answer to that."
Midnight Sparkle glared at Sunset Demon before rubbing the bridge of her nose. " Is it because I have tapped into the dark aura that exists throughout this temple and used it to get you into following my every order without question?" The sudden silence from the she-demon proved that Midnight Sparkle was correct in her assumption. " I know that I've been difficult to work with along with keeping secrets, but you brought this upon yourself by threatening to kill me several times over. Had I not figured out how to use the dark aura around here, we'd probably get killed when Sunset and Princess Twilight arrived. Our goals would be lost forever were that to happen."
" Your goal may still be the same but mine has changed."
Midnight Sparkle laughed. " You are a demonic monster like myself. You cannot change who you are because you are the result of a transformation that was evil in origin. Just because you can't have your way anymore thanks to my becoming the dominant one between us doesn't mean thwarting our efforts when we're so close." Midnight Sparkle then took out the pendant she had secretly been using and presented it to Sunset Demon. " Take a good look at how much my little pendant glows with the data it acquired from the Elements of Harmony when Sunset's friends displayed their respective Elements."
" I think it's time for you to explain that now, the whole lot of it."
" What if I don't want to?"
Sunset Demon began to giggle. " You know what will happen if you don't."
Midnight Sparkle laughed. " Hah! Don't think you can intimidate me, Sunset Demon! As long as I maintain my connection to the dark aura, I can use some magic to punish you accordingly and there isn't much you can do about it. It was a miracle that I managed to succeed in the first place but I'm not complaining. Granted, my body is struggling against the aura like it refuses to accept me using it, but that's a minor technically which can be resolved easily." She then cupped her hands together and a dark aura surrounded them but she laughed before dismissing her power. " I should punish you for revealing yourself to Sunset but I'll let it slide for now."
" You are too kind." Sunset Demon said sarcastically.
" We will succeed in having our desires become a reality!"
" Dead set on doing that, aren't you?"
Midnight Sparkle nodded. " With the essences of the Elements of Harmony in my pendant combined with the dark aura of this temple, I can grant us a power that will destroy those who defeated us, and no one will be able to stand in our way. I will acquire all of the Equestrian Magic and become all-powerful while you will become the true Sunset Shimmer and everyone will fear you."
" Is that it?"
" What's it?"
" Your plan." Sunset Demon answered. " Your plan is basically seeking out revenge!? I honestly believed that you were going to have something epic in scope that would forever be remembered, but instead you're going with a trope that has been used so often that most would cringe upon hearing about it. You are a demon who possesses a great intelligence that is rivalled by no one and revenge is the name of the game? Revenge never works and if anyone knows better than that, it would be me because of what I did before. I was consumed so much by vengeance that I couldn't see what was happening all along."
Midnight Sparkle laughed. " That's because you weren't thinking logically. You relied on sheer force, intimidation, and maybe some scare tactics every now and then, but such actions will never get you anywhere unless you use intelligence."
Sunset Demon spoke in a quiet voice. " Revenge was your plan, wasn't it?"
Midnight Sparkle nodded partially. " It wasn't my initial idea but rather one that started out as something else before becoming what it is now. When I was revived by the dark aura of this temple, I was curious as to what that aura could really do. That was always my intention but I wanted to focus my efforts on other things just to expand my knowledge. When I helped you come back from the afterlife after hearing you speak about Sunset, I believed you would work with me, and together we could plan our means of getting what we were denied by those who wanted to stop us."
" I was on board until certain things changed."
" When I started collecting the essences of the Elements of Harmony, I believed I could use them to regain my magic without needing this dark aura, but it turned out that the restrictions placed on our Equestrian Magic by this world would have made using the magic pointless. Now, with the dark aura empowering me, I can regain my magic and use it to get rid of our respective counterparts, including Princess Twilight, and their friends."
Sunset Demon yawned. " Your plan has flaws but I'll let you figure them out. Either way, I'll wait here for Sunset and Her Highness to show up, just like you want. I think you will be pleasantly surprised when they arrive."
Midnight Sparkle scoffed. " You're just jealous of my brilliance!" At that moment, a sinister laugh echoed all around the two demons and Midnight Sparkled stomped her way over to where the she-demon was on the verge of falling asleep before kicking her in her side. " I know you don't appreciate my plan or my presence as of late but that doesn't mean you can laugh at everything I've done."
" I didn't laugh at you, Midnight."
Before she could respond, the same echoed laughter occurred again, and Midnight Sparkle kicked Sunset Demon again. " Would you stop that! Ugh! You're beginning to get on my nerves with your incessant childish pranks."
Sunset Demon claimed she didn't laugh and got onto her feet to give her companion a piece of her mind when something suddenly came between them. A burst of flame appeared before them until it formed into a robed figure that wore a strange looking mask. The two demons took note of the figure's flaming swords, the burning eyes located underneath its mask, the lack of emotion, and a powerful aura emanating from it. Midnight Sparkle suspected that this figure was dead though Sunset Demon was more concerned with how it suddenly appeared without them ever sensing its presence.
" So... Two unknown beings have dared enter my sanctum."
" Who are you?" Sunset Demon asked.
" I... am the Garo Master... leader of the assassins who once plagued this ancient kingdom in a time long past."
" Leave us alone!" Midnight Sparkle said. " You don't want to end up suffering a terrible fate."
The Garo Master laughed. " I do not fear undead who have lost their true ferocity. In fact, I could end your pitiful existences at any time I wish over and over so long as the door remains open and we of the afterlife come back through it endlessly. You may remain here in my sanctum, the headquarters of the Garo, all you want but know that the one who possesses light shall appear to free us from our torment."
" What are you getting at?"
The Garo Master laughed. " All will become clear in time."
After switching back to being a Deku Scrub by putting on the Deku Mask, I jumped down to the pillar with the Deku Flower on it. None of the Guays had noticed me so far but there was no telling when they would notice my presence and fly over and attack to protect their territory but I couldn't think about such things given my position. Diving down into the flower and aiming slightly to my right, I figured that I only needed to fly over to the Piece of Heart and shoot one of my bubbles at the crystal switch so as to not be forced to make my way back up here again.
I was curious over why this Piece of Heart had been left out in such an easy to find spot instead of say hidden in a place that would require testing my skills, but I wasn't about to let such a small issue bother me so long as I picked it up and not ignore it. Launching myself from the flower, I floated over to the pillar, collected the Piece of Heart, and my body felt the warm feeling it always did. Considering everything that I had been through so far in this region, I was relieved knowing this one was easy though I suspected it had been placed here to prepare me for what was about to come.
Turning my attention towards the crystal switch, I formed a bubble in my mouth, fired it, activated the switch, and watched as the strange block I saw earlier slid backwards revealing an opening in the ceiling. Much like what happened in the underground maze where I needed to shine light down from above so I could use the Mirror Shield, it seemed the same concept was required to progress further through the castle, and moving that block was the necessary key. I also suspected I would need sunlight to shine down in the opening room yet I hadn't found the place I needed to use the Powder Keg.
Now came the part of getting back down though it wasn't as difficult as it sounded since there was another Deku Flower where the Piece of Heart had been. I slapped my forehead over not noticing it sooner--I felt like an idiot--so I dove into the flower and launched myself only to gently float downwards rather than back to where I was before and go back through the castle until I reached the main entrance. Things were going smoothly initially though a problem would soon manifest itself in the form of discovering the unfortunate drawback of flying using a Deku Flower. Whether I ever realized it or not, I could only fly for so long until it wore off.
When the small flowers I used for flying folded up, I dropped to the ground like a stone, landing incredibly hard, and almost breaking both of my legs in the process. Luckily, I had floated more than halfway down before dropping but the fact that it even happened was both annoying and inconvenient. While I did take some slight damage from my fall, it wasn't serious enough for me to consider consuming some of my milk, but caution would be necessary in the future. Princess Twilight stressed her concern when she flew down to me and I told her that I was okay though it was quite the learning experience.
Grabbing my face, I took off the Deku Mask, flipped back my hair, and made my way over to the main entrance before putting on the Captain's Hat since I knew the ReDeads were still there waiting to attack unless I wore that which resonated with them. Upon going inside, they immediately began dancing again--it was still pretty strange to see--so I ignored them and entered the door that was on my right and into the other side of the castle. This room featured columns much like the previous rooms and I to my left was the sunlight shining down from above along with another sun block.
There was also something else in the room and Princess Twilight alerted me to it. " That is a Floormaster, Sunset. Unlike the Wallmaster, this variant is always on the ground so you don't have to worry about being attacked from above or dragged back to the beginning or anything. Whenever it glows green, it will charge straight at you but you can't attack it as it will be invincible, but it also has one other tactic."
" What's that?" I asked.
" When defeated, a Floormaster will split into three smaller versions of itself."
" That doesn't sound so bad."
" It doesn't at first as the small ones will run around in a bid to get away from you." Twilight said. " However, they do this so that their victim will drop their guard, and then one of them will latch onto the victim's neck, drain away some life energy, and then glow green as it grows back to its original size and becomes a new Floormaster."
" Is there a way to destroy it without that actually happening?"
" Since it's an undead monster, the common trope here would be to use the light against it."
" Really?" I asked sarcastically. " That trope?"
Princess Twilight nodded. " Predictable, I know, but you should be glad that it wasn't anything else."
Using the light to defeat an undead monster... That was without a doubt one of the most predictable tropes I've ever heard when it comes to the undead. I mean, there were other methods that would work well against them but why did it have to be that one in particular. I wasn't complaining about it mind you as I was glad I didn't have to go and do something needlessly complicated, but it would have been nice for some kind of variety rather than the same old thing. In any case, defeating the Floormaster would be a much simpler task now that I knew of an easier way to go rather than using my sword.
Slinging my Mirror Shield onto my arm, I walked forward until I was standing directly under the sunlight, and the Floormaster stepped forward towards me using its fingers as a means of walking--really creepy if you asked me--but when the light bounced off my shield and into it, it was destroyed completely. That same light then shone on the sun block causing it to disappear and revealing more ReDeads though they began dancing due to see the mask on my face. Before moving on, I made sure to pick up the five red rupees that had been dropped by the Floormaster before running past the dancing ReDeads.
Opening the door and entering the next room, I immediately recognized the glowing panels on the floor at each corner as belonging to a Wizzrobe. Sunset Demon had warned me about it as an act of charity and though she had been honest with me about the Wizzrobe, I still wasn't sure if she was being sincere with me. It then appeared from the furthest back panel though unlike the previous ones who wielded a staff with ice on it, this one had a staff with fire--it also wore red as opposed to blue--spun around a few times before disappearing leaving me to figure out where it would show up next.
" You need to be careful with this one."
" It uses fire as opposed to ice so I should be fine."
" While that resistance to fire worked in the past, you don't exactly have that kind of ability here."
" Oh... right..."
Princess Twilight nodded. " This Wizzrobe uses fire magic so while you won't get frozen, being hit by one of its spells will cause a lot of damage and maybe even inflict some nasty burns across your body. Fortunately, there are only four panels here so it will be easy to see where it will appear next but don't get too close otherwise it will disappear quickly and re-appear somewhere else and attempt to use its magic."
" Is there a faster way to defeat it?"
" There is but you might not like it."
" Why do I have a feeling it will involve a huge risk." I said. Before I could finish my thought, the Red Wizzrobe appeared from behind me and immediately fired its magic without taking the time to spin around before attacking. I had no hope of avoiding the magic and was blasted at point blank range. " YEEEAAARRRGGGH!" I screamed as my body felt the intense heat coupled with suddenly trudging through a small lava pool the flames had formed. I managed to get out though I took some serious damage and the Red Wizzrobe laughed at my misfortune before disappearing again.
" Sunset!" Twilight screamed. " Are you alright?"
" That... was... painful... to the extreme."
" This Wizzrobe is far stronger than the other ones you fought back in Snowhead Temple."
I struggled to remain standing though it was difficult thanks to my strength suddenly getting sapped in mere seconds. " You said there's a faster way for me to take care of this guy so tell me right now! I don't care whether I like the suggestion or not! I think that got thrown out the window when the Red Wizzrobe decided to set me on fire."
" You can use arrows to defeat it a lot faster." Twilight said. " Ice Arrows would be much more effective though it will consume your Magic Power and they do take a few seconds to power up or there is the Goron option. Gorons resists fire so you could become Darmani and take on the Wizzrobe that way."
The Red Wizzrobe appeared again behind before I had a chance to respond to Princess Twilight and fired its magic without spinning again. I was prepared this time and began running as soon it as flung its magic but I wasn't fast enough and got caught in the fiery blast again. " WAAAAH!!!! YEEEOOOW!!!!" I managed to avoid trudging through the lava pool when it formed but was instead launched forward by the intensity of the head and landed in the center of the room. " Oh come on! That wasn't even fair! It attacked before I could say anything to you, Twilight!" The Red Wizzrobe laughed once again before disappearing, a sign that it obviously didn't care about my feelings."
" Your life force is starting to get low."
" Already figured that out after the second blast."
" Did you decide on how to approach this?"
I nodded. " Becoming a Goron would be good but I want to end this quickly so I'll go with the Ice Arrows." As I took out the Hero's Bow, the Red Wizzrobe appeared on the top-left hand panel and fired its magic at me again. I turned and ran towards the wall just as its fiery magic struck where I had been standing, and my back could feel the intense heat brushing up against it though I managed to avoid taking heavy damage. " I wish I had my resistance right now."
" Then become a Goron!"
" I want to end this quickly!"
" Alright, but be cautious, Sunset."
I had a slight moment to prepare so I powered up my arrows by using the Ice Arrow and was ready to attack the Red Wizzrobe. It then popped up behind me only to suddenly disappearing and re-appear on the top-right panel--it knew I that I now had the means to counter it properly and was determined not to give me a chance--and flung its fiery magic at me again though I responded by running left and avoiding the blast though I was pushed forward by the impact. It then re-appeared in the top-left corner but I managed to fire an Ice Arrow before it could attack. My arrow struck it in the chest and it disappeared once again.
The Red Wizzrobe then re-appeared in the bottom-left corner where I was and attacked me from close range, my body becoming consumed by the fire, and I struggled to get away while my body smelt like it had just gotten roasted. When the fire disappeared and the Red Wizzrobe laughed again, I dropped to one knee, then the other, and finally onto my hands, the fire having inflicted heavy damage onto me. I knew this was now a perfect time to regain some lost health so I placed my bow on the ground and took out one of my bottles of milk before uncorking it and consuming as much as could be chugged down my throat.
My health came back--not much but it was enough--and I corked my bottle before putting it away and getting back to face the Red Wizzrobe again. Aiming with my bow, I waited for it to arrive and it did moments later by showing up right behind me, and in response I fired an Ice Arrow only for it to miss its target and harmlessly hit the wall where an explosion of blue light occurred. Cursing my bad luck, I began preparing another when the Red Wizzrobe flung its magic at me and I rolled forward, my back feeling singed upon the fire's impact against the ground but at least I avoided taking heavy damage again.
No doubt about it... This version of the Wizzrobe was much stronger in that it attacked faster and didn't let itself be as vulnerable. It's fire magic was much more powerful than the ice magic used by the other Wizzrobes and if not for having the bottles of milk, I'd have eventually been roasted to death. No wonder the king was serious about preventing from reaching him what with having powerful soldiers guarding specific locations. I still planned on dealing with this Red Wizzrobe in a quick fashion but perhaps I needed to slow down a little bit so as to not get blindsided by its magic.
Aiming my bow again, the Red Wizzrobe appeared behind me again via the bottom-left panel and I fired my arrow, striking the wall again only the cold explosion wounded it slightly though I wished that my aim had been better. I fired another Ice Arrow immediately as the Red Wizzrobe shook off the cold chill from the explosion and I struck it in the chest causing it to disappear once again. It then re-appeared seconds later and began running about all over the place, and that meant we had already reached the second phase where it would have false projections in a bid to confuse me while it moved about.
" Things are going... okay, I guess."
" You just need to look for the real one and ignore the fakes."
" Good thing I had that milk on hand."
" Yes as without it you would have died by now."
" I didn't realize using magical arrows would be so difficult." I said. " I thought I had gotten used to using them on my previous journey but I guess I need a bit more practice considering how two of my shots missed their target."
" It's because of the amount of time it takes to prepare each arrow." Twilight said. " You can't just fire off magical arrows in rapid-fire succession as there is a slight delay between each so that your magic meter can adjust itself for the slight decline in usage just like how two magic based items can't be used at the same time. One will be used while the other gets negated until the first one is turned off."
Knowing that meant perhaps I should have considered becoming a Goron. " I came this far with Ice Arrows so I might as well finish with it." The Red Wizzrobe appeared along with its fakes and all of them began running around in a bid to confuse me but I knew the real one was the one that was had the fire on its staff--this wasn't true with the others. The real one had been dancing about on the top-right panel--about time it was doing that--and was prepared to attack but I fired an Ice Arrow, striking the Red Wizzrobe, and it disappeared again, its face seething with rage over my actions.
" One more Ice Arrow like that and you'll defeat it!"
I breathed heavily. " Is that all it takes to bring one of these guys down?"
Princess Twilight nodded. " Despite using magic, they are vulnerable to it."
I gasped. " I... I could have done this against the previous two Wizzrobes and saved myself a ton of grief." It had slowly dawned on me that I had made the previous encounters with this monster difficult all because I never figured on going with something unexpected rather than the more obvious choice of using brute force. " Why didn't I use magical arrows before and give myself less stress!?"
" Well... You didn't have magical arrows against the initial one."
" I did against the second."
" At least you now know for future reference." Twilight said. She was interrupted when the Red Wizzrobe re-appeared in front of me and it began running around with its fakes going in their own directions. " It may start to behave in an act of desperation since it's on its last legs or not but either way you need to watch for the real one as always."
From now on, I was going to use magical arrows against any and all Wizzrobes so as to avoid this kind of thing happening again provided there are future encounters--I was sure there was going to be one more Wizzrobe somewhere down the road for me to fight against. The Red Wizzrobe fired its magic and I rolled forward to avoid it, my back getting singed in the process, but before I could fire another arrow, it disappeared only to re-appear right behind me, and then it vanished again as soon as it appeared because I was too close to it. You had to give this monster credit for knowing when to attack and to keep its distance from other attacks.
It re-appeared once more and while the fakes ran about, the real one prepared to use another attack. I prevented this by shooting it with an Ice Arrow and it turned out to be the final hit much to my pleasure. The fakes disappeared as the Red Wizzrobe leapt high into the high before landing on its feet and burning away to nothing. I dropped to my knees and wiped my brow out of exhaustion and that's when I noticed that I was still wearing the Captain's Hat on my face. Had I gone through that entire ordeal without taking it off? Well, it didn't get in the way or anything but I took it off anyway.
The door in front of me then unlocked and I got back onto my feet. " We can move on now."
" There could be stronger guards waiting in the next room."
" Should I drink some more milk?"
" You could but you need to conserve some when we reach the throne room." Twilight answered. " The king will be the strongest person in the castle and if you don't have enough healing items on hand, things could get pretty challenging. I suggest maybe holding off on the milk for now and make an appropriate judgment later."
The sounds of wailing could be heard coming from the previous room and that meant there were Poes coming. " I guess either the two we encountered on the other side of the castle have finally caught up with us or there are additional Poes we haven't seen yet." The wailing sounds grew louder prompting me to go through the now unlocked door and so I did and entered the next room where I suddenly came to a stop. " Maybe I shouldn't have taken off my mask after all."
" More of those ReDeads."
" And they're coming towards me."
" Put on one of those masks that resonates with them."
" I don't have enough time!"