//------------------------------//
// Chapter 58: The Stone Tower 
// Story: The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Majora's Mask 
// by Ganondorf8 
//------------------------------//

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Majora's Mask
By Ganondorf8
May 29, 2017
Chapter 58: The Stone Tower.

Things had certainly gotten more interesting though at the same time confusing. The king of Ikana had commanded me to close the door to the Stone Tower and provided me with a special song that could create shells of my current form. Despite how hideous looking it was, it could be used for different things though I wasn't entirely sure what since he didn't specify anything. I wished he had been more specific instead of leaving me to figure out what to do with this statue but I supposed it was necessary for me to be challenged instead of being given the answer on a silver plate.

Even though I could now leave the castle as there was nothing left for me to do, I decided to try and lift the statue of me again. While I had failed in spectacular fashion last time, I wanted to try again in case some of my strength had since returned. Placing my hands around its waist, I pulled as hard as I could in hopes the statue could be picked up, but all I did was give myself serious back pain, prompting me to stop. My thought process was that I could carry the statue around a short distance and place it somewhere that was useful without needing to rely heavily on the song the king taught before he disappeared into the ether.

Since that plan was now obviously a bust, I had to contend with the idea that I needed to be in specific locations before creating these shells. The king had also mentioned I could create additional shells if I had additional forms--obviously--but I had no clue whether it would prove beneficial. Again, it was something I had to figure out on my own much to my annoyance yet I didn't have much of a choice. Speaking of the song, the Elergy of Emptiness sounded like a melody that needed to be played constantly so that I could reach my final destination, the Stone Tower.

All those times I thought about needing some practice due to having trouble remembering how certain songs played had come back to haunt me. Now that excuse had become invalid as this one song would be played constantly to the point where I would have it completely memorized by heart. I turned around and began walking towards the door only to quickly double-back and attempt to push the statue rather than lift it up--my attempt proved to be an utter failure as it refused to budge. I even thought about striking it with my sword but that would probably break it or something.

Princess Twilight wished that she could spend some time trying to understand the statue yet she knew that we needed to leave and go up the Stone Tower--I suspected it was because she had no idea how it worked and didn't want to embarrass herself in front of me. Knowing the ReDeads were still standing by the entrance, I took off the Bunny Hood and switched over to the Captain's Hat before putting it on my face. As I began walking to the door, I started thinking about what kind of place this tower was. Not much had been said about it other than it once served as a headquarters of the Garo and not even the king's soldiers could penetrate its defences.

And yet, I had been tasked with doing exactly that despite having no clue what was awaiting me up there aside from being told about an ancient puzzle and the defence that would do everything it could to stop me from getting there. Of course, it was nothing new as I had to endure incredible hardship before gaining access to the other temples across Termina so this last one would be along similar lines. My only hope was for there to be an Owl Statue located just outside of the temple's entrance. If the Stone Tower was a lengthy climb, I didn't like the idea of having to climb it more than once.

Ignoring the ReDeads in the entrance chamber--they continued to dance because of my mask--I walked outside of the castle, across the courtyard and through the hole in the giant doors before finding myself back outside in Ikana Village again. Nothing had changed due to visiting the king though I had to be weary of any Garo that were still skulking about in the shadows waiting to fight though given that I knew what I needed to know about this area, I didn't need to fight them anymore other than for practice. Looking to my right, I could see a weird looking entrance that resembled a demonic mouth with a tongue that served as the path.

No doubt that was the way forward to the Stone Tower and what better way than to use something scary to convince someone not to go that way. To the left of the castle was a building that looked run-down like everything else was in Ikana yet I sensed a faint aura coming from it that felt familiar. It took me a few moments before figuring out that I was sensing the aura of fairies, indicating that the local Great Fairy's Fountain was in there, yet I wished it could have been a little bit closer to the temple rather than down here in the village. At least it was easy to find instead of having to search all over the place for it.

That's when I noticed someone was waiting by the entrance to the Stone Tower. " I was wondering when he was going to show up here."

Princess Twilight then looked in the same direction. " Flash Sentry!? What do you suppose took him so long to finally reveal himself? I mean, in the other three regions, he appeared almost as soon as we arrived, but here he shows up just as we're about to make our way to the temple."

" We might as well ask him since we can't exactly avoid him."

" Yes." Twilight said, nodding. " He could very well know what you're supposed to do with that song the king gave you."

I then noticed Her Highness was shivering slightly and I knew why without having to think about it. " I know you still harbour some feelings towards him, Twilight, but you need to get over it even if you don't want to."

Princess Twilight was shocked. " I... I know that, Sunset! But, Flash... He was so nice to me."

" You'll always have that and other similar memories as a means of friendship." I said. " And yet, he's a human and you're a Princess in Equestria. While I know both of you want to make it work, it's just not going to happen. I used to date him, remember? My reasons were different than yours but the fact remained that it just couldn't work out. Granted, I don't know if there's still a spark somewhere between him and me but I doubt since it was a one-way relationship. Besides, this a different version of Flash here. He's not going to try and woo you or anything so you can easily talk without freaking out."

Princess Twilight gulped before relaxing. " Okay... Let's do this."

I walked up to where Flash Sentry's owl was perched above the entrance to the Stone Tower and it lurched its head forward whilst glaring at me. Unlike the previous encounters I had with him, he didn't scare me given his penchant for talking out of nowhere, and also because I could see him this time. Flash Sentry noticed his companion's actions and turned to look in the same direction and smiled upon seeing me. " I have been waiting for you to reach this point, fairy child. No doubt that you have been through an incredible hardship in this accursed land, but know that the true challenge lies before you in the stronghold."

" Why didn't you speak with me when I first arrived in Ikana?" I asked.

" I thought it best for you to tread your own path."

" What does that mean?"

" You have done so much for this world even though its denizens never know of your actions." Flash Sentry answered. " I was starting to believe that perhaps you no longer needed me to help guide you along since you have changed this world's fate for the better. Even now, I still believe you can achieve your goal of freeing the tortured souls of the dead from what has trapped them without needing to be told."

I shook my head. " I still need your help even now."

Flash Sentry smiled. " You shouldn't think of yourself as being incapable."

" I'm serious!"

" You have everything you need to reach the top of the Stone Tower."

" All I got was a song that creates shells of my current form."

" Once you begin the great climb to the top of the Stone Tower, the answers that have been eluding you will become clear." Flash Sentry said. " Look at your surroundings and see what works and what doesn't and you will prevail. Do not be daunted by such an undertaking of climbing the tower as there is more to it than appearances suggest. The tower itself is but one part of a much larger complex."

My jaw dropped upon hearing those words and yet I knew that was going to be the case. The Stone Tower was much larger than I originally thought and that meant an entire three day cycle was needed if I was to fully explore the place. Well, more like the temple would require three days while I could spend the rest of the current cycle getting up there. I hoped it would be a simple climb though given what I've experienced in Termina so far, simple was anything but certain. Still, there wasn't any other choice since this would be the final Giant that needed rescuing and with all four of them gathered together, the moon could finally be stopped.

" I guess I should get going then."

" Before you leave, I do have some advice to give you."

" I thought you said you weren't going to do that?"

" Seeing that smile on your face gave me the incentive."

" Okay... I'll take your word for it."

" The three forms you have acquired throughout your journey will are needed to succeed." Flash Sentry said. " You must rely on these forms, your own skills, and that which represents your purpose to be able to return the undead back to their eternal slumber. Think of this final temple as the ultimate test that will determine the fate of Termina in addition to you as a person, but don't let my words weigh down on you."

" I... I think I get what you mean."

Princess Twilight then spoke up. " What do you know about demons?"

Flash Sentry was taken aback. " Demons? That's an unusual question coming from you, little fairy."

I began panicking. " Twilight! Why did you go and ask that!?"

" Because I want to know if Flash Sentry knows about any powerful dark forces within the Stone Tower." Twilight answered. " It's not that I don't distrust him as he has given us the proper guidance, but my heart is telling me to question him on the subject. After all, he has seen all of Termina in one form or another so he should be able to answer my question without having to shy away or anything."

I was certainly surprised by how Her Highness was behaving around Flash Sentry and I'd like to think that my own pep talk a few minutes ago was what convinced her to view him as an ally rather than oogle over him like she usually did. She had to understand that there was no chance of her and him becoming an item as she had her duties in Equestria that prevented her from visiting the world I now called home. If there was a pony version of him who existed there then yes, she could be attracted to him though I didn't know if she harboured any feelings towards the pony Flash assuming he existed.

While it wasn't really my place to question the romantic aspect of Princess Twilight's life, I felt compelled to give her the hard truth even if she didn't necessarily want to hear it for herself and instead ignore me. On the same merit, I'd have to give a similar truth to Flash himself whenever I could get a chance as he needed to know that Her Highness would never truly be his, but not because she was too good for him but rather because it was impossible. I'd also have to tell him that the other Twilight who had transferred over to Canterlot High was a different Twilight altogether.

" The assassins who have hounded you serve the one waiting on top of the Stone Tower."

" We already know that." Twilight said. " We need to know about any demons who may be there."

" The leader of the assassins must be overcome if you are to use the sacred power." Flash Sentry said. " This sacred power is the bane to those who dwell within and embrace the darkness but it can also be used in ways one would never expect. Again, all will become clear to you once you have acquired that which you need. The leader of the assassins also has its hands full dealing with two dark creatures who have made the tower their home yet they are not the true demons that lurk within its depths. Stronger ones await you but only if you can understand the true nature of the tower."

" The true nature of the tower?" I asked.

Flash Sentry nodded. " Only when you figure this will you face the true demons."

" Can't you be straight and to the point instead of being so cryptic?"

Flash Sentry shook his head. " A true heroine would rely on the basic of knowledge and figure out the rest on her own." He then urged his owl companion to spread its wings, indicating that it was about to take off and he would disappear from this world for the last time. " I do have one last thing to say to you, fairy child. Seek out the power of the giants hidden within the Stone Tower and their strength shall become your own." His owl then took off and began flying towards Termina Field leaving me to understand his final words.

" I'm looking forward to uncovering his riddles." Twilight said.

" That makes one of us." I said moaning.

" I know you don't like being told cryptic messages, Sunset, but I understand what Flash Sentry was talking about."

I eyed Princess Twilight with a frowned expression. " Of course you did."

Princess Twilight clasped her hands together with glee. " The sacred power he mentioned has to do with the light since that is what you represent, the light that shines in the darkness that has covered Termina in its grip, and you need to get your hands on it to solve the puzzle of the Stone Tower. I'm not sure about his reference to giants and their power but it could be a reference to a mask or perhaps the power of the final Giant. As for the demons... no doubt Flash was referring to Sunset Demon and the Garo Master but I suspect we might encounter Midnight Sparkle in there along with additional demons we know nothing about."

I sighed. " Sometimes, you are too excited for your own good."

" I can't help myself."

I checked my inventory to see if I had enough to make it to the top of the Stone Tower. " I've got enough arrows to get up there and my magic meter should hasn't decreased all that much but perhaps I should get some of my other bottles filled up first." I presented Princess Twilight with the half-full bottle of milk. " This is all I have left for recovering any health so unless there are some fairies up there I can scoop up into one of my empty bottles, heading into the tower might not be a good idea." I then put the bottle away and looked up at the opening to the tower.

" You could do that but perhaps there is another option."

I was surprised. " You always tell me not to be reckless yet here you are telling me the opposite."

" I know, I know..." Twilight said. " But I figure that you might be able to make it to the top with what you currently have. I know I'm making you sound like you have an incredible amount of confidence to reach the temple and that's because I do feel that way about you, Sunset. You've been through so much hardship since this began and you've grown up so much from a mental standpoint. Most other people would have given up a long time ago due to pressure but you've kept going and now we're on what I would call the final leg of the journey."

" It's not like I had the option, Twilight."

" Would you have honestly given up?"

" If it had come up then... YES!"

" That doesn't sound like something you would say."

" Can you blame me when the alternative was to fight against a slew of monsters who all desired to see me dead, trudge through an unfamiliar world while resorting to basic needs just to survive, and wearing this ridiculous yet also fashionable tunic?" I asked. " Those were just the top three examples I could come up with on such short notice but I suppose if the option ever did come up, I'd probably go through with this all over again."

" Did you seriously say 'fashionable' just now?"

I blushed. " Guess Rarity has been rubbing off on me."

" In any case, I still think we can reach the top of the Stone Tower with what you have on hand." Twilight said. " But, if you want to give yourself an extra chance of survival, you might want to consider stopping off at the Great Fairy's Fountain to restore some health."

That was a good idea as my body was still reeling from having to deal with Spitfire, Fleetfoot, and Igos du Ikana, and I needed to be in top form if I was going to climb up a fortress most would never think of doing let alone succeeding. Turning around, I walked back to the small building to the left of the castle I saw earlier and went inside before stopping moments later upon seeing the beauty that was the Great Fairy's Fountain. One thing though had been bugging me for a while but it wasn't until now that it came to a head as I never considered it. The other fountains comprised of magic, power, wisdom, and courage, four forces I was familiar with.

And yet, what was the purpose behind the fountain here in Ikana? Was there a fifth element that either didn't exist in Hyrule or did but had been neglected for so long? What other forces could be viewed as being equal with what already existed? Whatever the force was, it was related to the colour yellow as that was the colour of the Stray Fairies who were hanging around the fountain. Just like the other groups of Stray Fairies I had come across, these ones pleaded for me to go and find the other fairies who matched their colours and bring them back so that they could come together again.

I had a feeling that it wasn't going to be easy this time as the last group of Stray Fairies had been taken to what was arguably the most difficult temple in Termina. Knowing that I needed the special power this Great Fairy would bestow upon me, I agreed on finding them and in turn they used their remaining power to restore my health. It was unfortunate I couldn't scoop a few of them into a bottle and take them with me for emergency purposes later but these weren't regular fairies who could be carried around. Besides, they would be useless if one of them were to be separated from the rest of the group.

Leaving the fountain and turning to my right, I raised my shield just in time as a Blue Bubble appeared out of nowhere and collided against my shield. It's blue flames disappeared and it began hopping around on the ground using its little wings for support. I thought about attacking it but decided against it--there were several more floating about nearby--since there was no point in using my sword against something that couldn't attack in return--until the flames came back. I ran past the Blue Bubble and up the ramp into the gaping maw of the demonic entrance and found myself in a place that defied expectations.

Walking over to the edge of a cliff, I looked down and saw nothing but an eternal abyss. This made absolutely no sense! How could this be here when clearly this place had been built on a strong foundation but perhaps it had been built on top of this abyss as a means of instilling intimidation to any who would try attacking it. I then looked up and my jaw dropped upon seeing what looked to be an endless vertical shaft with various platforms and walkways jutting out at every corner. The sounds of moaning could be heard all around, the moans of the undead themselves, the dead crying out from beyond the grave.

Boulders were falling down everywhere and no doubt they would cause a problem as I could potentially get knocked into the abyss below. If that were to happen... Just thinking about it sent shivers down my spine. I was this wasn't going to be easy but now I knew this for certain given my initial look around. No wonder the king said that coming here was dangerous as the mere sight of it alone could scare anyone into not wanting to carry on yet I didn't have that luxury. I had to climb the Stone Tower and judging from how large the shaft was, it was going to take quite some time.

I backed away before beating my chest. " This place... It's unlike anything I've ever seen."

Princess Twilight nodded. " Not even Equestria has something that compares with the Stone Tower." Her Highness then floated upwards to get a better view of things before coming back down and landing on my shoulder. " From what I could tell, the path forward is linear so you don't have to worry about dealing with alternate paths. There are some Fire Keese flying about but you shouldn't have any problems dealing with them but you will have trouble with those boulders. I know I don't have to tell you what will happen if you were to get hit by one of those while climbing."

" The king said not even an army could get through this."

" You're not doubting yourself are you?"

I shook my head. " No, but you have to admit that this does look really daunting."

" True and yet we have to make the climb if we're to reach the temple."

" We should have more than enough time to get there before having to reset time."

" I take it you have no intention of trying to go through the temple within the current cycle?"

I shook my head again. " No way! I want an entire seventy-two hours dedicated towards getting through the temple." I then looked up and began to think about everything that had happened recently with regards to Sunset Demon. " I wonder what the she-demon must be thinking right about what she has been through."

Princess Twilight was surprised. " I didn't think you would care about her well-being given what she is and all."

" I know but she's still a part of me despite how disturbing that can be sometimes."

" You want to help her, don't you?"

I slowly nodded. " It was my fault that she was created in the first place because I was the one who put on your crown. In that sense, I feel responsible for everything she has experienced since you and our friends defeated me at the Fall Formal last year. Had my attitude been different, Sunset Demon wouldn't have existed, but then, I wouldn't have come to the human world. Everything the two of us have experience in that world wouldn't have happened."

" Sunset..."

" Guess this is my Element of Harmony at work assuming I had one."

" Showing compassion towards a monster is something that most would have difficulty understanding." Twilight said. " To be honest, I've never had to deal with that kind of thing and that's something you have over me. I may be very gifted when it comes to magic and intellect yet there are some things I'll never understand whereas you do perfectly. I suppose it makes me feel a little jealous but I know you didn't intend for it. You know... If you could talk Sunset Demon into abandoning her current course, it would be a closure for you as you could finally move on from your past, and it would allow her to finally rest in peace for eternity."

" Even you can admit that you have flaws."

Princess Twilight blushed. " Well, no one is perfect."

Ahead of us were a series of three blocks suspended in the air that I needed to jump across to reach the other side. A mis-calculation would surely send me plummeting to my death so that wasn't an option. I breathed heavily before running forward and leaping to the first block though I almost slipped off the side due to landing too close to the edge. I inched over to the right before continuing to jump across the remaining platforms--it was really nerve-wracking given what was below me--and upon reaching the other side, I noticed a strange looking switch that seemed suspicious.

" What do you make of it, Twilight?"

Princess Twilight took a closer look. " I'm not sure what will happen if you were to step on it but since I don't see the harm in doing so, you might as well." She then floated up again and quickly came back down a few seconds later with a surprised look on her face. " There are more switches just like this one up ahead if you climb up to the next section. I think you should activate this one first just to see what happens."

I stepped on the switch and the middle platform rose up before heading left and then up where it stopped. " It looks like I need those three platforms to move up so that I can use them again to get across though how can I keep it in place without it moving back into position?"

" This is where that song comes into play."

" The Elergy of Emptiness?"

Princess Twilight nodded. " You can use those shells you create upon playing the song to hold those platforms in place. I hope you don't mind switching between forms on a constant basis as it looks like that is what needs to be done to progress. Good thing you can skip over going back to being a human during the transformations though your body is going to experience a lot of changes."

I cursed under my breath. I didn't like the idea of having to switch between different bodies just for a few moments yet it seemed I had no choice because I needed to use each of my forms to reach the top. No doubt this wasn't going to go over very well. I took out the Ocarina of Time from the pouch on my belt, played the Elergy of Emptiness, and walked forward as the shell of my true self appeared behind me keeping the switch pressed and the platform in place. With that done--that statue still creeped me out even though it was me--I turned to the left and discovered that in order to progress, I needed to use my Hookshot.

A boulder then came tumbling down so I waited for it to pass by before firing the Hookshot's chain. It latched onto the plate that was located on the column on the next section of the path and I pulled myself up before seeing something strange next to the column. I recalled seeing it somewhere before during my previous journey yet I couldn't remember what it was called or what it was supposed to do. It had a large eye that was scanning its surroundings on top of a weird body that appeared to be both organic and mechanical--it had a nose and a mouth--and right below me was a second switch.

" What is that thing, Twilight?"

" It's a Beamos."

" I feel like I know that name."

" It's a sentry device that looks around its surroundings and fires a laser beam from its eye if it detects anything in its vicinity." Twilight said. " Unless you use a shield to block the beam, you'll get hit by it and take quite a bit of damage in the process. Its eye doesn't like smoke so if you can toss a bomb at it, you should be able to defeat it though be careful as it will explode as a last ditch effort."

" Guess I should get some distance before attacking."

Princess Twilight nodded. " Some Beamos are larger than others and those ones require two bombs to destroy them. One to close its eye and paralyze it for a few moments and the other to destroy it. Good thing you upgraded your Bomb Bag twice when you did otherwise you would only have a small amount of bombs to use. I suspect that there will be additional Beamos along the way, and now that I think about it, it sounds like these were the automations the king mentioned before."

" That's one puzzle solved."

" Yes, and a much larger one remains."

As much as I enjoyed solving puzzles, this one that apparently comprised of the entire Stone Tower was too much for my tastes. While I had no other choice but to go through with it as there was no other way to reach the temple, at least it came at us in sections instead of all at once. Fortunately, I had some bombs though a part of me wondered if it was a good idea to use the Blast Mask since it was essentially a free bomb every time I used it. Granted, it only worked every few minutes because of the wait time between blasts and the Beamos could take advantage of such a shortcoming by shooting at me until I dropped.

Mulling it over for a few moments, I decided to go with a regular bomb instead of the Blast Mask so I took one out of my Bomb Bag and tossed it at the Beamos. The bomb exploded on impact causing the body of the Beamos to explode followed by the eye several seconds later leaving behind a bomb that I picked up giving me five more. With that taken care of, I looked at the switch and pressed it causing the first platform to rise straight up before stopping. Now I needed to change to another form so that the switch would remain pressed otherwise it would go back down to where it was and creating a new shell of my current form would make the middle platform drop.

Taking out the Zora Mask and placing it on my face, my body shimmered from human to Zora while I squatted down before letting out an ear-piercing scream. Upon transforming, my eyes noticed another Hookshot plate on top of a column, yet it was on top of another high-up ledge. That meant having to change back to a human so that I could get up there and wasting a transformation on a single objective that would only take me a few moments. Grumbling, I took out the fish-bone guitar, played the Elergy of Emptiness, and walked forward before looking behind me to see the Mikau shell in all its glory.

It looked just like him though his blank expression was worrying though why did he have his guitar in front of him? Still, it was creepy looking in appearance though the important thing was that the statue of Mikau was keeping the switch down so now I had to make my way over to the next one. Grabbing my face, I took off the Zora Mask, flipped back my hair, took out the Hookshot, and aimed up at the plate before firing the chain, pulling myself up. This next section had no Beamos so I didn't have to worry about that but there was a Fire Keese flapping about so I raised my shield and allowed it to connect, its fire disappearing, followed by using my sword to destroy it.

To my left was yet another switch and that meant using another form to activate it. I decided this time to use the Goron Mask so I switched out the Zora Mask for it, placed it on my face, and grabbed the column with the Hookshot plate because every time I put on the Goron Mask, I would stumble about and considering where I was, stumbling could result in me falling to my death below. My body shimmered from human to Goron and the urge to stumble about proved difficult to ignore but I persevered and became Darmani before taking out the drums and playing the Elegy of Emptiness on the switch.

Walking forward before turning around, I looked at the statue of Darmani that had been left behind. It looked just like him though much like the statue of Mikau, he had a blank expression and perhaps it was due to the fact that he was dead. I also noticed the scar across his chest and the obvious pose that reflected his great strength yet I didn't get the piece of green cloth at the top of his legs. It was either a reference to me or it was part of his actual clothes--or what constituted as such with Gorons. The middle platform raised straight up and stopped allowing me to jump across to the next section.

I dropped to my knees. " That was a lot more difficult than I thought it was."

" And we still have a long way to go before we reach the top."

" Whose idea was it to make this place so big?"

" I've been thinking about that."

I smirked. " Of course you have."

Princess Twilight took note of that. " Despite our current situation, I can't help but be fascinated by being surrounded by so much history. Nothing like this exists in Equestria so the fact that we're seeing this is sure to give me brownie points back home once we've finished this adventure." Her eyes began twinkling though from my perspective, she looked like she was about to explode with great joy. " If only we could stay here for a lot longer. That would give me more than enough time to write down enough citations so I can present them to the eager-eyed students of Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns."

I rolled my eyes. " Don't let me stop you on my account."

" From what I've seen so far of this place, the Stone Tower was created to serve as the ultimate defence in times of war."

" The king said that the Garo used it as a hideout, right?"

Princess Twilight nodded. " They knew the ins and outs of the tower and prepared accordingly whenever the Ikana army decided to attack. I suspect they gave up after enough attempts knowing that a successful assault with such large numbers would prove disastrous. And then we have what I consider to be the real reason why the tower is so big. It wasn't just to keep things from getting in but to keep things from getting out. Because this kingdom was destroyed as a result of war, the dark aura that has eroded everything around here managed to escape courtesy of Starlight opening the door."

" The door is located all the way up there to prevent anyone from reaching it."

" Exactly!"

" Though I doubt they were expecting someone like Starlight."

Princess Twilight nodded. " We have to fix the damage she has caused by closing the door to the Stone Tower. I do find it strange that the door is what keeps the dead from returning to finish what they started and I wish that I could learn more about it." She then clasped her hands together and began bobbing up and down. " We can find those answers once we get inside the temple. Perhaps that Garo Master might be willing to share some information even though he is our enemy."

Only Princess Twilight would be willing to want to talk to a monster to fulfill her desire for knowledge and this quirk was one of her biggest charms. Me? I wouldn't want to do what she was thinking as I was once a monster so I felt uneasy about it but I supposed to each their own. Grabbing my face, I pulled off the Goron Mask, flipped my hair back, lined myself up with the platforms, and began jumping across making sure not to slip. On the other side was a Gossip Stone, a rare sight as it had been a while since I last saw one, and another Hookshot plated located on top of a high-up platform.

Since I didn't need to use the Gossip Stone--all it would do was tell me what time it was--I stopped jumping upon reaching the third platform, took out the Hookshot, aimed at the plate, and fired the chain before pulling myself up to the next section. Immediately, a Fire Keese bumped into me from out of nowhere and I responded by taking it out with my sword only for another one to hit me from the front and almost causing me to get knocked down into the abyss below--I managed to prevent myself from falling by jumping down and using the plate as a wall--but I destroyed it before it could get away.

This part of the path had a switch and I pressed it only to hear a loud clanking sound coming from somewhere. " That's funny..." I began. " This should have caused another platform somewhere to move if I've got this correct but nothing happened." I pressed the switch again only for the same clanking sound to happen prompting me to scratch my head. " Or maybe one of the previous platforms moved instead?" Now I was getting confused. " Um... I don't know what's going on."

" It sounds like something wants to move but can't because of getting stuck."

" Another platform?"

" Yes."

" And here I thought the same ones would get us all the way up there."

Princess Twilight shook her head. " It must be all part of the ancient puzzle the king told us about. When you play the Elegy of Emptiness and create new shells, the old ones will disappear and the initial platforms will move back to their original locations. That way, you can move the next set of three to create a path across to the other side. This switch right here isn't useful right now so we should leave it for now and come back to it later when a different platform has been moved."

" Do you think it's possible to skip a platform or two?"

" Well, if you're really confident in your jumping ability, then I would say yes."

I gulped. " We both know how bad that can be."

" Then skipping platforms isn't an option."

I began looking around to see if there was anywhere else I could go and my eyes noticed both the next Hookshot plate as well as a Beamos lurking next to it. There was no way I could toss a bomb up there and destroy it so I had to pull myself up instead. Using the Hookshot, I fired its chain, latched onto the plate, and went upwards though when I reached my destination, my foot slipped causing me to fall directly in the path of the Beamos. Its eye detected my presence and fired a laser beam but I was able to pull myself up just as the beam smacked into the column leaving behind a burning mark.

My heart began pounding rapidly so I beat my chest a couple of times to calm my nerves down. The Beamos' laser beam was fast, accurate, and deadly but while I had no doubt I could have survived the attack, I didn't want to take any risks in case it could attack repeatedly. Taking out another bomb, I tossed it behind the Beamos where it exploded and destroyed its body followed by its head leaving behind yet another bomb that I picked up by jumping down from the column. My eyes then detected another switch but before I activate it, more boulders fell down from above so I had to wait for a pause in-between them.

When such a pause occurred, I stepped onto the switch and another platform next to the one that got stuck before moved out before changing directions a couple of times until it stopped a bit further up from my location. While it was obvious that it would let me continue my way upwards, I needed to activate the other two platforms in addition to getting up there so I could cross over. I took out the ocarina and played the Elegy of Emptiness, creating another shell of myself, yet upon it appearing behind me after I walked forward, the switch I had activated using the statue moved back down to its original position.

I walked over to the edge and looked down. " That platform moved back when I created a new statue."

" It looks like you can only make one shell of a particular form at a time."

" I've tried all of them now except for the Deku Scrub."

" Any particular reason why you haven't used that one yet?"

" Considering I needed to be human to get up here, I didn't feel the need to create a Deku statue."

Princess Twilight gave me a smug look. " You forgot, didn't you?"

I shook my head. " N-no of course not!"

" It's okay, Sunset." Twilight said. " You don't have to hide the truth from me. You should try creating a shell of the Deku Scrub when you find the next switch and there should be one up on that platform. You just need to get close enough before pulling yourself over to it."

Taking out the Hookshot and moving about until the column was within range of the Hookshot's chain length, I fired it and pulled myself up where I was immediately knocked back down by a Fire Keese that blindsided me. Fortunately, I only fell down to the ledge below rather than the alternate--to my huge relief--though I remained motionless on the ground for a couple of seconds before getting back and attempting to get up there again. I made sure to look up to make sure I knew where the Fire Keese--now a regular Keese--was so that it wouldn't knock me down here again.

I then remembered that the Hookshot could be used as an offensive weapon in addition to its usual function. The Keese had since dove down at me upon seeing me from above so I aimed up at it and waited until it got close enough before firing the Hookshot, destroying it, and acquiring a blue rupee for my troubles. With the Keese gone, I fired the Hookshot again and pulled myself towards the next ledge, landing on the ground, and walking over to the switch, activating it only for the platform to move forward and get stuck when it collided with the other one.

That meant I had to go back down to where the switch I ignored was meaning I had to do a small amount of backtracking. Groaning, I slapped my forehead and stomped my foot on the ground before dropping a large distance, landing hard on the ground below, my knees buckling in the process. While the damage could have been a lot worse, I was annoyed at having to backtrack because all it did was waste precious time and prevent me from progressing. Of course, I had no say or control in the matter as it came down to luck that I would run into a situation like this.

Sighing, I stepped on the switch and watched as the platform that blocked the other one finally moved out and into place right in front of the third one. Whoever came up with this ancient puzzle certainly knew how to get under people's skin but I had to persevere--it wasn't easy mind you--as surely there wasn't much further to go aside from perhaps one more part before reaching the temple itself. Taking out the Deku Mask and placing it on my face, I began experiencing the convulsions that came whenever I put it on and my body shimmered from human to Deku--I wished I wouldn't keep on experiencing it--until my transformation was finished.

Upon becoming a Deku Scrub, I could have sworn that I felt something unusual that occurred when my body changed, but I couldn't put my finger on it despite it becoming a gnawing feeling that wanted to eat away at me. In any case, another statue--funny how Princess Twilight and I kept on interchanging between shell and statue with regards to these things that appear when I play the song--was needed here so I took out the Deku Pipes after my ocarina changed into them, played the Elergy of Emptiness, walked forward upon creating the statue, and coming to a realization I didn't recognize until that exact moment.

The platform I had moved went back to its original position leaving me confused. " I've got a shell on the switch so why did it go back?"

Princess Twilight took a closer look and gulped as she turned to face me. " I... I think I've got an answer for you, Sunset."

" What is it?"

" Take a look for yourself."

I looked at the statue of the Deku Scrub and noticed that the switch wasn't pushed down anymore. " What the!? How!? Why!? I thought these shells were supposed to keep activated switches well, activated. Why is this one not doing its intended purpose?"

" It's because the shell isn't heavy enough."

I gave Princess Twilight a frowned look. " What?"

Princess Twilight sighed. " Deku Scrubs are lightweight creatures compared to the other tribes and I guess that has been reflected in the shell you created. Even though you have the power to create four distinct shells, one for each form, it seems the Deku shell is virtually useless compared with the other three. I suspect that this was an intended side-effect with that shell when whoever made this video game world got to this point in its construction."

I slapped my forehead. " You mean I just wasted a shell for nothing!?"

" That does appear to be the case."

Of all the stupid things the makers of this game could have done, this one had definitely taken the cake. My anger began flaring up because I assumed all four of my forms would be able to create shells that I could use to progress through the Stone Tower. To have even one of them be declared useless because of a weight issue was enough to make me want to explode in a fit of rage yet Her Highness didn't deserve such treatment. It wasn't her fault the Deku Scrub shell didn't work so I had no right to take it out on her but then she surprised me by getting angry and kicking the statue using her tiny fairy feet.

Anger definitely didn't look good on Princess Twilight so I told her that she needed to calm down before she would do something she'd regret later. Huh... It felt funny telling someone else to calm down given that usually it was me who got given that particular pep talk but I supposed it was a sign that Her Highness and I were rubbing off of one another though not always in a good fashion. On a different note, I looked at the Deku Scrub shell I had created and felt saddened because of the significance behind it. The statue was what the Deku truly looked like without my features plastered on it, and bore a resemblance to the weird tree we saw back at the beginning.

" Feeling better now, Twilight?"

Princess Twilight nodded. " Yes, I do. Sorry for getting so angry like that. I just don't know what came over me."

" You went through a rage moment kind of like what I do on occasion."

" So that's what it feels like to see things from your perspective whenever you lose your temper."

" It's my greatest weakness these days."

" And you know that mine is freaking out whenever something goes horribly wrong."

Both of us then began starting laughing and for a few minutes, we forgot what we were supposed to be doing and acted like things were normal, but once we realized that we had to keep on going, we regained our composures before looking closely at the statue of the Deku Scrub. " Unlike the other shells, this one makes me sad because the poor guy never stood a chance when he was turned into that weird tree."

" Now that you mention it, the resemblance is uncanny."

" Do you think Starlight intended to kill this Deku Scrub?"

Princess Twilight shrugged her shoulders. " It's difficult to say for certain, Sunset, as we don't have all of the facts so all we can do is guess. The only one who would know for certain would be Starlight herself though I doubt she would explain her actions."

" The eyes of the Deku Scrub paint a horrible picture, don't they?"

" He must have been scared to death when he encountered Starlight."

" She punished him because he was in the wrong place."

" Most likely."

I clenched my hand into a fist and cursed under my breath. " Starlight is going to pay for what she did to this child." My anger began to boil but quickly passed when I thought that perhaps it wasn't Starlight's fault per say but rather an unseen force that was controlling her. It wasn't Ganondorf because killing one person was beneath his notice--he preferred to kill hundreds of people if not thousands. " Now that we know the Deku Scrub shell can't be used to activate switches, how are we supposed to move it out of the way so that a more heavier statue can take its place?"

" I've been thinking about that."

" And?"

" First of all, we've established that the Deku Scrub shell is the lightest." Twilight answered. " If the other shells are also based on you, Darmani, and Mikau respectively, then the shell pertaining to Darmani would be the heaviest one. If we were to come across a situation that required something really heavy, we could use his shell without having to consider any of the others, and it does mean your shell and Mikau's are practically neutral and can serve in most situations. Second, even though the Deku Scrub statue here is the lightest, I doubt you'll be able to move the thing so the best option is to use the song to move it."

" You think that would work?"

Princess Twilight nodded. " So long as we're in the Stone Tower, you can play that song anywhere and a shell will appear where you stand. It won't work if you're falling or are on a temporary platform or something like that but you should know what works."

I walked a few feet away from the Deku Scrub shell, took out the Deku Pipes, and played the Elergy of Emptiness once again. A new shell appeared right where I was standing and the original one disappeared into thin air proving Princess Twilight's theory to be true. It was a good thing that it worked otherwise I would have been stuck and most likely forced to warp away from here and go through everything up to this point all over again--that was a kind of backtracking I didn't want to experience. Perhaps my Deku Scrub form would have a purpose inside of the temple to make up for not being useful in our current situation.

Because Princess Twilight specifically brought up Darmani, I decided to use his shell to activate the switch. I could have changed back to a human and then into a Goron but I didn't want my body to have to endure two transformations within the span of several seconds--I also wanted to eliminate the middle man. Taking out the Goron Mask, I placed it onto my face and was expecting the usual stumbling about that was associated with this change but instead nothing happened other than my body shimmering from one form to the next along with a sudden increase in height.

Upon changing into Darmani, I stepped on the switch and the platform moved again until it stopped in front of the other one, and immediately played the Elergy of Emptiness, creating his shell and keeping the switch activated. After stepping away from both the switch and the statue, I wiped my forehead knowing I had to do a bit of extra work in order to make up for my slight blunder though I couldn't rest knowing there was still much more to go. My forehead was going to be sweating buckets by the time Princess Twilight and I would reach the top of Stone Tower given how much more we had to climb.





" So what did you mean about being freed from your torment?" Midnight Sparkle asked. The Garo Master didn't answer so she began getting angry before quickly realizing that it wanted her to lose her patience. " Heh... Your mind games don't work on someone with my brilliant intellect, and I suppose my companion would also be unaffected by those tricks. Still, I am curious from a curious perspective so why not share with us?"

Again, the Garo Master didn't speak so this time Sunset Demon decided to say something. " We don't really care what your reasons are for saying what you did but because the two of us are going to be here for the foreseeable future, you might as well just come clean and tell us before you're forced to confess. We may not look like it but we can easily rip you to shreds within a matter of moments."

The Garo Master laughed. " How amusing..."

" What's amusing?"

" You honestly think you can destroy me?"

Sunset Demon took offence to that and swung her fist into the wall. " You're just a lowly assassin whose spirit is forced to linger around here. The two of us are demonic monsters and our power far exceeds your own. Granted, Midnight Sparkle over here is more about mental power as opposed to physical which is my specialty, but she is still pretty strong. If I were you, I would leave us alone unless death is something you truly embrace despite being dead."

The Garo Master laughed again. " Such conceit from those who think themselves as being high and mighty, but the truth is that deep down you are scared and act in such a manner that gives you pleasure. What pitiful creatures you are, unaware of what the truth is. The reality is that fate has already decided its outcome and nothing can be done to change its perception no matter how hard you try."

" What are you talking about?"

" You two are not what you seem."

Sunset Demon laughed this time. " You've got to be kidding me! Of course we're what we are."

The Garo Master shook his head. " I know that you do not possess the power that defines who you both are. Your demonic miasma is much lower than it should be and that tells me that you're both weak and desperate to acquire power at any cost. I can see your desperation with my own eyes and I find it amusing to watch. You can boast about being feared yet you are merely masking the truth to protect yourselves from ridicule."

" You're pushing your luck."

" Am I?"

Sunset Demon growled. " Do you want me to kill you?"

" Can you carry out such a threat?"

" Easily."

The Garo Master sheathed its swords. " Then prove your words aren't merely a boast."

Sunset Demon then charged at the Garo Master, slicing him across the chest using her claws before picking him up and tossing him into a wall. When he got back onto his feet moments later, she lunged at him again and continued attacking endlessly until she knocked him down before stomping on his body repeatedly using her foot. Once she had felt that she had made her point regarding her power, she walked back over to Midnight Sparkle before giving her companion a smirk that symbolized her arrogance, but Midnight Sparkle instead was looking on at the Garo Master in complete shock prompting Sunset Demon to look upon what she had done.

To her surprise, the Garo Master was standing once again, and no wounds appeared across his body. He then tilted his head several times as he thrust his sword, a sign that he was goading Sunset Demon into continuing her assault. Instead of ignoring his taunting, the she-demon ran forward and thrust her hand through his chest before pulling it back out and stepping back. Much to her shock, the Garo Master got back up again, the wound healing itself up and leaving Sunset Demon crestfallen. She lowered her head and slowly walked back to Midnight Sparkle who had watched everything.

" Are you done playing now?" Midnight Sparkle asked.

Sunset Demon slowly nodded. " Guess he was right about us being a lot weaker than we should be."

" All you did was give in to that lust of yours and attacked without hesitation."

" Not my best moment."

Midnight Sparkle laughed. " That's because it's part of your basic instincts, Sunset Demon. You yearn to inflict bloodshed wherever you go and no matter how hard you try to deny it, you can't help but fly into a murderous rage. No wonder I'm the brains between us both but I won't call you completely stupid. This whole pacifist act you've been using as of late clearly doesn't work as it's not the kind of person you are and showing compassion is just a pathetic attempt at trying to save yourself from being destroyed by Sunset. Face it! Your actions are a sign that you are desperate or perhaps an act of denial."

Sunset Demon glared at Midnight Sparkle before grabbing her by the neck. " Remember what I told you about talking down to me? You may have tapped into the power contained within this temple but that doesn't mean you can act superior."

" Guess you need to learn your place."

" What do you mean?"

Midnight Sparkle's body began to glow in a dark aura. " Like you said, I've tapped into this temple's power so that makes me better than you in every way. Sure, you could probably tap into the power as well... If you had the intellect to actually know how to use it." Sunset Demon was then knocked to the ground and Midnight Sparkle planted her foot on top of the she-demon's head. " We're so close to fulfilling our desires that I'm not letting you screw things up now. Once I've finished tapping into the remaining power of the temple, we can defeat Sunset, Princess Twilight, and Twilight Sparkle before turning our attention towards their friends.

The Garo Master, who had remained silent during this time began laughing. " So... You have every intention of mastering the dark power?"

Midnight Sparkle nodded. " It's just like Equestrian Magic only more evil in nature."

" Then so be it."

" Jealous?"

" You may tap into the power you crave but know that there is a price that must be paid."

" Nothing is beyond my reach."

The Garo Master laughed once again. " Then you shall learn first hand what that price is." He raised one of his hands to his ear and began listening to something, and he remained in this stance prompting Midnight Sparkle to question what he was doing. " Can you hear them, demon? Can you hear their voices echoing in the silence?"

Midnight Sparkle raised her hand to her air and began concentrating, thinking the Garo was trying to trick her into giving up on her desire. At first, she couldn't hear anything and was poised to call him out, but then she began hearing a faint sound and continued to listen in hopes of figuring it out. The sound grew louder with every passing moment until Midnight clutched her head in pain. Sunset Demon was curious as to why Midnight was clutching her head when the sound began piercing her ears prompting her to show irritation before looking around to see who or what was causing it.

The sound then expanded into two, four, eight, sixteen, and more before countless sounds could be heard all around. Midnight Sparkle confirmed that the sounds were wails that were coming from the very air itself but then she looked in horror as tiny spiritual heads started appearing. Each head had a face that continued wailing and she tried to look away but couldn't because of how horrifying it looked. With every passing moment, the wails got worse and worse until Midnight couldn't handle it anymore. Even Sunset Demon looked on in shock at seeing so many spirits wailing though Midnight was feeling much worse.

" What is this!?" Midnight Sparkle exclaimed. " Who or what are these things?"

" They are the spirits of those who perished in the war."

" There must be thousands of them."

" Many died during the conflict that brought Ikana Kingdom down." The Garo Master said. " Many of these spirits are soldiers, but the vast majority are of the innocent who were killed all because they were caught in the crossfire. Even now, after all these centuries, their spirits continue to linger, and all because their lives were ended. Can you feel their pain all around you, demons? Eternal slumber is what they seek but this can never happen. No matter how much they beg and plea for their freedom, they are forever bound to this place and will watch as they are ignored."

" How can there be thousands here?" Sunset Demon asked.

" It is because of the Garo."

" Your kind?" Midnight Sparkle asked.

The Garo Master nodded. " We Garo assassins were skillful in the art of killing and so during the war, we took the lives of many innocents, and even now you can hear their wailing all around as they wish to be free of their eternal torment."

" But that means."

The Garo Master laughed. " As the leader of the Garo, I had expectations that had to be fulfilled. These spirits... Most of them were killed... by ME!!!!" He laughed again before brandishing both of his flame swords and swung them around in a circle. " Their wails are like a nourishment to me. Many had their heads removed via execution, others were assassinated without ever realizing it, others were given the touch of death, and others fell victim to our many traps. I relished each and every kill because it was my nature and even now that desire continues to burn."

" And I thought we were monsters." Sunset Demon said.

" This assassin is a true monster."

" Now you're beginning to understand." The Garo Master said. " This temple's dark power is equalled only by its dark secret and the chosen one who comes here soon shall soon know the meaning of fear."

" We'll kill you before you have a chance to take our destinies from us."

" Did you not see what I did to your companion?"

" That's because she was reckless and acted without thinking."

" And you think you can do better?"

Midnight Sparkle nodded. " Despite hearing those horrible wails all around me, I can defeat you using my intellect, the power within the temple, and knowing how best to deal with someone who possess as much bloodlust as you do."

The Garo Master laughed. " It seemed ignorance is a strong trait within you, demon. You have been warned and now I will show you the futility of that ignorance. I shall make this a quick excursion as I await the arrival of the chosen one, the one who has been given the task of sealing the Stone Tower. Destiny has decreed she and I shall meet here and do battle and she is bound to this fate. You two demons can still have your fun with the chosen one as destiny has also decreed this but know that your lives now hang by a mere thread. That is the fate of all those who enter the Stone Tower."





With the second platform in place, I had to make my way back up to where the third one was so that I could complete the pathway across. Fortunately, there weren't any additional monsters that could knock me down below--or the alternative--so I didn't have to worry about it. My only complaint of course was having to backtrack to where I was before jumping down because of the arrangement of the platforms. Already, this ancient puzzle was pushing me to the limit though I hoped I would make it before losing my sanity, but that all depended on what was awaiting me further ahead.

A series of Hookshot pulls brought me up to the third switch and I decided to use the Zora Mask to activate it--it was my only choice as I already used my other two forms and the Deku Mask was useless due to the shell not being heavy enough. Putting on my mask, I squatted down and my body shimmered from human to Zora before I let out a scream. As I stepped on the switch, the final platform moved into position and I could finally continue onward, but first I needed to create Mikau's shell otherwise the platform would go back to where it was before--I nearly forgot about doing this.

Playing the Elergy of Emptiness caused me to shed Mikau's shell and I walked forward where the statue kept the switch activated. Good thing that this switch was next to where I needed to jump across otherwise I would have even more backtracking to perform. Before crossing, I grabbed my face, pulled off the Zora Mask, flipped back my hair, and almost ran into a boulder. It dropped down from above before rolling along and over the edge but I almost knocked down by it so I made sure to stop and let it pass without incident. I then jumped to the platform just as another boulder appeared and I continued jumping until I reached the other side.

This next ledge had another Gossip Stone on it and I was tempted to strike it just to see what it would do. Unsheathing my sword, I struck the stone and it wobbled for a couple of seconds before telling me that there was only 30:10 left. Unlike the Gossip Stones of Hyrule that told the exact time, the ones in Termina revealed how much time remained until the moon would crash and destroy everything. While I appreciated being given a precise answer, I wasn't very happy about it as it was a reminder that this world was still doomed unless I could prevent the moon from crashing period.

Using my Hookshot, I pulled myself up to the next ledge and barely avoided numerous boulders as they tumbled off the side and into the abyss below. Their numbers had been steadily increasing the further up the Stone Tower I climbed so perhaps I was getting closer to the temple. Luckily, I had a safe spot that was right in front of the column with the Hookshot plate on it, and walked forward so I could be within range of the next plate as the boulders continued rolling off. Firing the Hookshot upon getting close enough, I pulled myself up to the next ledge only to get blindsided by another Fire Keese.

It's attack knocked me forward and I landed on my face before getting up and using my sword to destroy the Keese--it lost its fire after hitting me--before turning my attention to my current position. Even more boulders were rolling around making the path forward treacherous but at least I didn't have to worry about any Beamos for the time being. Looking up, I could see the underside of the moon and despite not seeing its face, it still proved intimidating because of the significance behind its presence. To think that something like the moon could strike fear all because one individual strove to bring it down.

A thought then occurred to me. " Twilight?"

" What is it?" Twilight asked.

" I was thinking about something?"

" Oh?"

" You know how the Stone Tower has allowed the spirits of the dead here in Ikana to come back to life, right?"

" What about it?"

" Well, there were others who have died before and during the course of our journey." I answered. " The Deku Scrub child, Darmani, Mikau, Kamaro, and several others all died either of natural causes or from unfortunate circumstances. I was wondering if their spirits could come here to Ikana in order to come back to life. I know it sounds weird considering what has happened here regarding the Stone Tower's door being opened, but I figured they deserve a second chance since their lives were taken from them."

Princess Twilight began thinking about what I had said before slowly shaking her head. " I think that the effects of the Stone Tower apply only to those who used to live in Ikana before the kingdom was destroyed. It might not work for those who died in other areas of Termina and besides, what you were suggesting has the inclination of an evil act. While I understand wanting Maud and the others to come back to life because of what happened to them, the dead shouldn't be brought back to life even if such intentions were noble."

I sighed. " I figured you would say that."

" Their times are done even though they didn't want it."

" Guess my heart is too big, huh?"

Princess Twilight smiled. " You're showing concern for the other tribes and there's nothing wrong with that. Still, wanting to bring the dead back is an act of evil because it goes against the very laws of nature, yet what happened in Ikana was beyond their control."

It was disappointing to know that my idea wouldn't work even if it was morbid but Her Highness was right about it. The dead needed to remain just that and be remembered for the good they accomplished in life while at the same time question them for the bad they committed. I doubted that Starlight cared about such morals when she opened the Stone Tower and unleashed the darkness but then all she cared about was pulling a prank and what better way than to revive the dead hoping their presence would scare any who came here. I mean, what could she have hoped to gain from doing this?

All she really did was upset the natural order of Ikana by bringing the dead back to life. Most of them are aware that they have been awoken from their eternal slumber and desire to be freed from the torment they were suffering from, yet some saw their predicament as an opportunity to finish their desires before death had taken them. Ikana was meant to be a barren  wasteland, a reminder to the other tribes of what could happen should war come to them. Luckily, Starlight would soon have to answer for what she had done as once the final Giant was freed from its dark imprisonment, I'd be able to confront her on top of the Clock Tower and end this madness.

Before doing that though, I had to face Ganondorf once again according to what he said when last I encountered him. It had been some time since he last paid me a visit and while I would prefer to never see him again for as long as I lived, I knew he was watching my every move and hoping that I continued to meet his expectations. I wasn't sure how he was going to fight me inside of the dream realm as he called it but it had become a sword hanging above my head, the blade dropping closer and closer with every passing moment, my chances of victory against him anything but certain.

I began looking around for the next Hookshot plate and quickly found it moments later along with the next section of the Stone Tower, yet I could also see something else though from my current position, it looked like a round sphere. It could be what I had been trying to reach or perhaps it was something else entirely that was left behind. In any case, I aimed up at the plate, fired the Hookshot, and pulled myself up to the ledge and got a better look. The sphere wasn't a sphere at all but rather a sinister looking stone head that had flames for eyes, a hand on either side of it, strange markings all over it, a giant mouth with teeth, and an overall intimidation factor.

There was one unusual thing about the structure and it was a strange looking red gem situated below the teeth of the mouth. It glowed with a faint light and something was beckoning me to go over and take a much closer look but I had to resist because walking forward would mean plunging down to my death in the abyss below. I looked behind me and saw an Owl Statue so I immediately walked over and struck it with my sword. I had a feeling this was the last one but I didn't care as now I had a means of coming back here without having to climb all the way back up.

I looked back at the stone head. " So that's the entrance to the temple?"

Princess Twilight nodded. " You just need to use the Elergy of Emptiness to move those platforms into the proper positions and cross over."

" What do you make of that red gem?"

" It looks suspicious."

I nodded. " That's what I was thinking as well."

" It might have some kind of purpose but until we know for certain, it's probably best to remember it for later." Twilight said. " In the meantime, now that the Owl Statue has been activated when you used your sword, we can come back here at any time without climbing up the Stone Tower, but I suspect those platforms over on the other side will need to be solved either way for obvious reasons."

I sighed. " That figures."

" If what that Gossip Stone said about the time remaining is true, we might be able to complete this temple within that time frame."

" I doubt it."

" You really think so?"

" We need an entire three day cycle dedicated to it because of who is waiting for us in there."

Princess Twilight nodded. " Yes, I suppose so. You could also do with some healing items in addition to being properly prepared. You know, we could just reset time right now, get those supplies, and come back here all within a matter of minutes."

" I still need to get that one mask from Iron Will."

Princess Twilight slapped her forehead. " Oh that's right! I forgot you can now do that since you have the Giant's Wallet and stopped Lightning Dust from robbing the Old Lady from the Bomb Shop. We need to get back to Clock Town thought it's still a bit early as he won't put the mask out on display until tomorrow night. You should grind for some extra rupees before paying him a visit and buying the mask."

At least I now had something to do before entering the temple. I took out the ocarina, played the Song of Soaring this time, concentrated on wanting to return to Clock Town, and watched as the wings protruded from my back. They wrapped themselves around my body and I disappeared before re-appearing seconds later back in town. From there, I ran towards the southern gate, entering Termina Field and began cutting down clumps of grass in order to earn enough rupees to buy that mask--I didn't have far to go since I picked up a large amount during my trek across Ikana.

For the next few hours, I would cut up as much grass as possible, go back into town so that the grass would re-spawn outside, then go back outside and repeat the process over and over until I had reached the maximum amount of rupees my wallet could hold. It wasn't the most pleasant thing to do as it involved a lot of running but it was necessary if I was to get my hands on the ultimate mask that was supposedly hidden somewhere according to Adagio. At least I was getting familiar with Termina Field's general layout though it didn't really mean that much since when I finished my business in Ikana, I'd most likely spend my remaining time in town before saving it.

Once I had acquired 500 rupees, my next objective was to speed through time until I reached the point during the final night where the Curiosity Shop was open. While it did mean having to waste about twenty hours, there wasn't much else I could do unless I reset time. That's when I started yawning and realized that I was getting tired. It had been some time since I last got slept and I did have some time to spare before entering the Stone Tower proper but I wanted to buy the mask first. I then played the Song of Double Time and immediately whisked myself forward to the final day.

Dawn of the Final Day - 24 Hours Remain.

Then I played the song again to move forward to the final night.

Night of the Final Day - 12 Hours Remain.

And then a third time to push the clock forward an extra four hours. Doing that only caused the moon to shift ever closer to impact while everything else remained the same. I was in the field so I ran through the southern gate into town, turned left to head into West Clock Town, and walked up to the shop before going inside. Iron Will was standing behind the counter though he didn't have anything out on display to my displeasure. The mask should be available since I stopped Lightning Dust so had I done something wrong? I hoped not as that meant having to come back here again and waste a perfectly good three day cycle on waiting.

" Come in, come in!" Iron Will said as he beckoned me to come up to the counter. " I'm surprised someone wanted to come here especially with what's going on outside, but I won't let that bother me since you're obviously a customer, I kid you not. Well... Whatever your reason for sticking around town, you certainly are a brave kid or perhaps crazy or both but don't let my rambling bother you."

" Why didn't you flee?" I asked.

" When there is business to be done and profit to be made, I won't get frightened away by anything, I kid you not."

" Guess you're as crazy as I am then."

Iron Will laughed. " Anyway, do you have something I can buy off of you? I will pay you good money but the rarer the item, the more rupees you'll get. Or did you come here to buy something? I originally had made arrangements to get a Bomb Bag from a regular who comes here every so often yet she wasn't able to deliver and the Bomb Shop ended up selling it though it's not a big deal. It was their item in the first place so they should reap the benefits from it."

" I'm looking for a mask."

" A mask!?"

I nodded. " I'm an avid mask collector and have been acquiring them all across Termina."

" I kid you not when I say that's quite the unique hobby you have there, kid." Iron Will said. He then began looking me over which made me feel really uncomfortable but he soon nodded his head before scratching his chin. " Yep! You do look like someone who would run around collecting masks. I wonder if you know that Happy Mask Saleswoman who came into town a couple of days ago."

I nodded again. " She and I are acquainted."

Iron Will laughed. " Well, don't let that one fool you or else you might end up getting something you don't want. She can be charming at times but I hear she has a nasty temper if someone were to wrong her in some way. Guess eccentric people can be unpredictable when you least expect it. Anyway, you said you were looking for a mask, right? Well... I think you might be interested in what I have here, I kid you not, but I need a few moments to find it."

He then turned around and began rummaging through the antiques he had stacked up behind him. While it was funny seeing Iron Will plow his way through what he had, sifting and tossing aside anything he came across that wasn't what I wanted, I constantly kept looking at the clock hanging on the wall. I only had a short period of time before resetting time so I really wanted him to pick up the pace. When it was obvious that he couldn't find the mask amongst his antiques, Iron Will walked back to the counter before ducking down and rummaging through some additional items until he shouted out.

His shout caught me by surprise. " What is it?"

Iron Will shouted again. " I found it!" He stood back up followed by placing the mask I saw from before on the counter. The last time I saw that mask, I let Iron Will have it when I discovered the true nature behind his shop, but since then I've learned that while his business was shady, it was also legitimate because his customers were shady, a particular one in question whose innocence was misleading. " You're the first person who has shown interest in this mask, I kid you not. I have no idea where this mask came from or who created it but you must admit that it is strange looking."

" Now that I'm getting a close look at it, it does look weird."

" This is a rare item, I kid you not."

" What do you call it?"

" It's known as the All-Night Mask." Iron Will answered. " When you wear it, no matter how hard you try, you won't fall asleep. This is the perfect mask at bedtime as you can stay up indefinitely until you take it off and you end up falling asleep again. As I said, this is a rare item so I can't sell it for no less than 500 rupees, I kid you not. I know it sounds steep but something like this doesn't show up just anywhere."

" I'll take it."

Iron Will laughed. " You'll pay me the 500 rupees?"

I nodded as I took out the Giant's Wallet, opened it up, and poured out all of the rupees it contained. " Will this suffice? I know it must look surprising seeing someone like me hand over a huge amount of rupees but I really need this mask."

Iron Will's jaw dropped and he stared at me with a shocked look before regaining his composure. " You must be one wealthy kid to cough up so much, I kid you not, but who am I to complain about such a trivial matter?" Grabbing a red rupee, Iron Will bit it with his teeth before putting it back down. " Yep! Definitely genuine! I deal with all kinds of customers and sometimes they try to use fake rupees hence why I bite them to make sure they are real, I kid you not. Anyway, here is your new mask."

He handed it over to me where I eagerly took it and held it in my hands. Sure, it cost me everything I had in my wallet, but it was definitely worth it as it was one more mask added to the total number I had. I then began counting on my fingers to see just how many masks I had acquired so far and came up with nineteen. That was a lot of masks without a doubt yet I've only used a few of them while allowing the others to simply be nothing more than collectibles. With the All-Night Mask, I started thinking about how best to use it given its purposes was to keep me from falling asleep at night.

I then asked Iron Will if he knew of a good use for the mask and it took him a while before coming up with an answer. He said that the grandmother of the woman who worked over at the Stock Pot Inn would often tell bedtime stories to anyone who was willing to listen. Most people who heard her stories tended to fall asleep because they just couldn't keep their eyes open but perhaps I could stay awake if I used the mask. It would let me test it out as well as learn more about this world's history. Iron Will also mentioned she was only available at certain times of the day though he added it didn't matter since she most likely fled.

Thanking Iron Will for the mask sale--not to mention feeling much lighter because of the expense--I turned and walked out of the Curiosity Shop before heading over to a nearby bench and sitting down so that I could think about my next move. The temple atop the Stone Tower was my main objective though now that I had purchased the All-Night Mask, I was curious to use it before the grandmother of Scootaloo--I remembered she was portraying Anju--and see what would happen. My head wanted me to focus on awakening the final Giant while my heart was set on using my new mask. I was conflicted on what I wanted to do.