The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Majora's Mask

by Ganondorf8

Chapter 72: The Ultimate Mask

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Majora's Mask
By Ganondorf8
September 25, 2017
Chapter 72: The Ultimate Mask.

Midnight Sparkle... I never would have imagined that she had survived after being consumed by Twinmold. When it happened back at the Stone Tower Temple, I truly believed she was dead and that Sunset Demon could finally rest in peace. But, Midnight Sparkle proved that she was like a cat in that she had more than one life. To have survived against being digested by a giant insect sounded impossible yet she did and now once again positioned herself as a threat to what I was trying to achieve. She could have chosen to simply not continue on with this senseless grudge and lived out her life but instead she chose to throw it away in her bid to end mine.

If there was a saving grace for me in all of this, it would be that Midnight Sparkle was nowhere near as threatening as she once was. The dark power she had absorbed had become lost to her and much of her regular power--her Equestrian Magic--was also lost leaving her with barely anything. Even her physical body had been shattered and was nothing more than a pale shell of what it once was. I doubted she could last long in a physical confrontation against me and a magic-based one was out of the question as Termina prevented either of us from using Equestrian Magic.

That left her resorting to enhancing the abilities of monsters that were native to this world. She had done this several times throughout the Stone Tower Temple and whilst I did overcome her twisted challenges, she continued relying on such a tactic in hopes I would eventually die thus leaving her with one less problem to deal with. But, I proved myself to be quite stubborn and refused to let her defeat me like that. My greatest fear at the moment was that she would enhance the Iron Knuckle that was waiting for me further ahead in this gauntlet Ember had created for me and I would be unable to defeat it.

No... I didn't blame Ember for setting this up. She didn't know that Midnight Sparkle had infiltrated this place and chose to personally get involved knowing that I would have to overcome the challenges that lay ahead in order to reach the Dragon Lord who was waiting at the end. It's not like she was bothered by it as Ember was someone who wanted more action and couldn't care less how it happened so long as it did resulting in her getting entertained. No wonder dragons were viewed the way they were back in Equestria. Their behaviour and those of ponies were like night and day; complete opposites on every conceivable level.

The Iron Knuckle... Of all the monsters that I had fought in both Termina and Hyrule, this was the one that gave me the most problems. Sure, it was classified as a monster because of how there was more than one in existence at any one time, yet it was stronger than most boss monsters. Such a thing shouldn't have been possible and yet the Iron Knuckle proved that a regular monster could possess power that rivaled beings deemed leaders of others. Whenever I had to fight one, it resulted in me almost getting myself killed--I had potions on hand because of being prepared--due to how strong it truly was.

No monster should have power like that and be able to use it without losing control, yet the Iron Knuckle had that in spades. Fortunately, I had a much stronger sword than what I used last time when I fought one deep below the graveyard--I had an even stronger one than that--in addition to improved defences so in theory, my chances of success were good. But, because of Midnight Sparkle now being a factor, she could make the Iron Knuckle into something far worse than anything I had ever faced before. Majora's Mask was merely a stone's throw away given that I just needed to reach Ember yet Midnight Sparkle could potentially end everything here.

Breathing several times to calm my nerves down, I knew that I had to face the problem at hand eventually. I couldn't run away now especially since I was so close to getting my hands on the ultimate mask, that which had been the main reason behind my helping those who needed it alongside it being the right thing to do. Without it, defeating Majora's Mask was an impossibility though I was merely speculating this. I had no idea what its true power was like as Starlight Glimmer seemed capable of only using a small amount of it judging from what she had been doing.

Taking a step forward, I suddenly heard a familiar laugh echoing around the room. I then looked forward and watched as the Garo Master dropped down from the ceiling. Why was this place filled with so many references to my previous experiences!? I knew this was indeed the same Garo Master I encountered back in the Stone Tower Temple yet how could he be here and now given that he killed himself when he used a bomb to die as a means of performing seppuku? Then again, he was already dead so being killed by a bomb probably didn't do anything unless there was some other force at work here.

" Chosen one... We meet again." The Garo Master said.

" How did you survive getting blown up by your own hand?" I asked.

" The one who created this place called my soul back from the brink."

I should have known Ember was behind this. I knew she wanted to give me a real challenge but I think she went overboard with this particular choice. " You didn't come all this way just to get a second chance at life or whatever constitutes in your case."

The Garo Master laughed. " I wanted to fight you one last time."

" That figures."

" I see that you have changed in some ways but not in others."

" What do you mean?"

" You have become stronger since our last battle." The Garo Master answered. " You are wielding a much stronger blade than before though I can sense you carry a blade of even greater strength though it costs precious defence to use it properly. You have also experienced hardship along the way though this only steels your resolve thus eliminating an important weakness, and yet, you still possess the same conviction that has defined who you are."

" My hesitation towards killing?"

The Garo Master nodded. " Even now, you do not wish to kill me because it would mean me going back to the eternal slumber that has cradled me for ages, but do not grieve for one such as I. My time was in ages past so my existence here should not be. As a warrior on a mission, you must once again defeat me, chosen one. You must succeed or else all who have sacrificed themselves for you will forever torment your soul until the very gates of hell itself." He then drew out both of his flaming swords and I knew that there was no chance of trying to figure out a less violent solution. " Now... we shall fight once more."

" What do you think, Twilight?"

" You have to accept his challenge, Sunset." Twilight answered.

" I was afraid of that."

" Remember that you have a much stronger sword now than you did before." Twilight said. " The number of hits it will take to defeat him will be less now though you could cut that down using the Great Fairy's Sword though you would be more vulnerable without the Mirror Shield protecting you. I suspect the Garo Master possesses the same abilities from before so any surprise attacks are unlikely. It's strange how Midnight Sparkle didn't enhance him with her magic."

" You find that strange?"

Princess Twilight nodded. " Maybe she either didn't want to try or she did and he resisted her efforts."

" Guess we should ask her when we get the chance."

" Yes, I suppose that's true."

The Garo Master then called out, his voice showcasing impatience. " Why do you continue talking to that little creature of yours, chosen one? Draw out your blade now and let us enjoy our final conflict or should I cut you down now thus proving you could not save those who needed it?"

I knew he was goading me into acting recklessly but I was much stronger than that. Okay... I'm still the reckless sort but even I knew not to act so stupid that I would become my own liability resulting in me dying almost instantly. Drawing out the Gilded Sword--I intended on using it first as a means of judging both the Garo Master and myself--from its scabbard and slinging my Mirror Shield onto my arm, I moved forward before immediately jumping to the left when the Garo Master dove at me. I couldn't tell whether he had increased his speed since last time but I almost got hit by those flaming swords of his.

Turning around, the Garo Master had seemingly disappeared though I remembered this particular technique. He would vanish for a few moments only to reappear right above me before coming down hard with his swords aiming downwards. Raising my shield above my head, I was able to parry his attacks resulting in him dancing about in the air. So far, things were going my way though I couldn't underestimate him. One who had an extensive history of killing as the Garo Master knew how best to wait for the right moment before cutting down his opponent in cold blood with a fatal blow.

He then dove down at me and I jumped to the left before I attempted to swing my sword. Quickly noticing my reaction, he disappeared--I cursed under my breath--before raising my shield in hopes of parrying his attack. Appearing from the ceiling, the Garo Master dropped down, his swords clashing against my shield, but then he swung around in circles knocking me onto my butt. I had completely forgotten that he could also use an attack like that. Getting back up on my feet, he danced about again before diving down again, though while I did avoid his attack by jumping left again, he chose not to disappear.

Instead, he came to a stop and began looking left and right as though he had no idea where I was. It then occurred to me that this was the one time where he would drop his guard allowing me to attack him before he could realize what had happened. Swinging my sword and connecting with his back, the Garo Master--his blood was green which was something I never noticed before until now--reeled back from the blow and responded by spinning in circles. I couldn't avoid this and got knocked down onto my butt again, the flames from his swords scorching my body though not as badly as I thought.

Dancing about again, the Garo Master dove at me which I avoided like before only this time he disappeared before he had finished and dropped down from above before I had the chance to raise my shield to deflect his blades. Both swords struck each of my shoulders causing me to drop onto one knee though I managed to keep a hold of my equipment as dropping them would have meant acknowledging my weakness in his eyes not to mention being at his mercy. I guessed his skills adapted depending on who he was fighting enabling him to come up with strategies on the fly and that meant I needed to adapt as well.

The Garo Master dove at me again and I decided to remain where I was rather than jump to the side. Just as he was about to make contact with me, I raised my shield to deflect his attack causing him to drop both of his swords where they scattered in different directions. Seizing upon this advantage, I struck him again using a jump attack and he reeled back as his blood gushed forth before he scrambled to pick up his blades. I could tell that he was getting exhausted though it could also be a ruse designed to make me lower my guard whilst he took advantage and cut me down in the confusion.

" Your blade cuts deep, chosen one."

" That's because my sword was re-forged into a stronger weapon."

" A blade can be as sharp as anything though it is useless in the hands of an inexperienced warrior."

" How do you view me?"

The Garo Master laughed. " You are a warrior, chosen one, but you are different from those that the Garo killed during the war in Ikana Kingdom. They fought valiantly and never once questioned their purpose or hesitated when it came to fighting."

" I'm my own person!"

" You are a reluctant warrior."

I knew that I was when it came to fighting. Throughout my entire life, the only thing I ever did was use magic when I was a unicorn, and attempt to pass myself off as a human upon my self-exile from Equestria by adapting my life to their mannerisms. As a bully, I proved to be very confrontational out of wanting to make sure my plans were never derailed by anyone who thought they could deny me what I wanted. After reforming, I chose to avoid getting myself involved in any conflicts because of having a volatile temper. I could lose it and lash out at anyone resulting in broken hearts and shattered friendships.

Fighting with swords, shields, and other items was something I never would have imaged I would do in my entire life-time. Equestria was a fantasy world where mythical creatures abound though there was never any fighting unless something serious occurred such as war. My journey in both Hyrule and Termina have opened me up to ideals I never would have considered before but at the same time I am reminded that I am not a lover of violence. Fighting was a necessity and nothing more. I would never love it like the Garo Master and doing so would be the ultimate act of betrayal against everything my life had become.

But, I also knew that I had to do things even when I didn't want to. I knew that I had to stop Majora's Mask and that meant killing monsters that were blocking my path. Huh... I sounded like a hypocrite sometimes because I would say one thing and contradict myself on something else later. Perhaps being under so much pressure made me utter lies and half-truths to myself without even realizing it. The Garo Master called me reluctant as a warrior and yet he was completely right about it. I am reluctant as I think things could be solved without fighting but he could never understand that as he was an assassin, one who killed without mercy and without a conscious guiding him.

Putting my sword and shield away, I switched over to the Great Fairy's Sword. " What do you make of this then?" I asked as I stumbled a little due to how heavy this sword truly was in comparison to the other one--I should have practiced with this one more often before using it in battle. " I can't allow this to drag on any longer than it already has so I have to end this now before time runs out and we all end up joining the dead."

The Garo Master laughed. " A gutsy maneuver if I ever saw one."

" I may be reluctant but I know when I need to get things moving."

" To use the blade of the Great Fairy is no simple feat."

I was surprised. " How do you know of the Great Fairy?"

" She has existed for centuries." The Garo Master answered. " She has existed since before the Ikana Kingdom was founded though she refused to do nothing and allowed the kingdom to become consumed by its own petty squabbles until nothing remained of it. I am glad that she chose to stay her hand as it meant I could kill as often as I wanted without fear of her getting in the way. But enough about that! If you wish to fight without defence then so be it."

" This next strike will finish you."

" But can you hit me?"

" Of course I can!"

The Garo Master laughed as he picked up his other sword and was ready to continue. " Remember what I said about how a sword is useless in the hands of one who is inexperienced in battle? Perhaps my words will ring true even now. You may wield a blade that has no equal but can you control its power? I suppose we shall find out in mere moments if you are genuine or merely false."

Jumping to the sky, the Garo Master began dancing about whilst I prepared myself with the Great Fairy's Sword. While I no longer could use my shield to deflect his attacks like before, I should do just fine so long as I don't lose my composure. He then dove at me with both swords and I jumped left only to discover that using the Great Fairy's Sword resulted in a sharp decrease in speed. He was able to knock me down onto my butt without even trying before coming to a stop off in the distance. I got back up onto my feet and tried to get over to him but he took to the sky and I lost my chance.

I knew using this sword would be difficult but I never imagined it would be like this. I had to wait for the right moment to strike even if it meant taking a necessary hit in the process to secure victory. No doubt Princess Twilight was going to scold me for taking such a reckless blow when this was over but she surely had to realize that I was trying to finish this before it could go too long and allow Midnight Sparkle to do whatever she was planning further ahead. If anything, I needed to focus on my current opponent whilst keeping her presence on the fringe of my mind.

The Garo Master dove at me again and I chose to jump a lot sooner to make up for the weight of my sword. I succeeded in avoiding him only for him to disappear which meant I was about to get attacked from above. Sure enough, he appeared right above me and dove straight down, his blades sinking into my shoulders again, and I dropped down to one knee whilst he took off again. Despite the damage I had taken, my body was relatively fine where I didn't feel the need to use a Red Potion--I definitely would when it came to the Iron Knuckle waiting for me somewhere up ahead in this place.

Diving, the Garo Master flew right past before disappearing and I immediately ran in a random directions in hopes of avoiding his next attack. He reappeared above moments later only to strike nothing as I had gotten out of the way. It appeared that when he performs his attack, he couldn't change directions nor cancel it until it was finished. I could use it to my advantage though I wished it was something I had used during the previous battle. The Garo Master took to the sky again and dove at me where I ran to the right--my sword slid along the ground making a rather annoying sound--and he stopped some distance before looking for me.

Knowing I couldn't get over to him on time, I waited for him to take to the sky, and when he did, I decided to stand still once again and allow him to attack me. I knew it was risky as he could easily kill me if one of his blades was to pierce my heart--or my eye or brain--but I had to hold my ground and end this now. The Garo Master dove down and struck, pushing me back, but I refused to get knocked down yet I did sustain more injuries in the process. He was surprised that I took the blow instead of dodging but before he could figure out what my intentions were, a swing of the Great Fairy's Sword was enough to defeat him.

Putting my sword away, I dropped to both knees. " Guess we answered that question, huh?"

Clutching his chest, the Garo Master laughed though it was painful for him. " You wielded that blade of the Great Fairy well, chosen one, though it was clear that you struggled against the weight it possessed."

" Guess it's time for you to go back to your eternal rest."

" I die without regrets knowing that I got to experience one last battle."

I knew what was coming next so I stepped back to avoid getting blasted. " Well, I won't stop you from ending your life."

" Once again, you have proven yourself worthy as my rival and for that you have proven spectacular despite your lack of wanting to kill." The Garo Master said. " Before I leave to return to the eternal sleep that beckons me, allow me to open up my heart and share my wisdom with you."

" What can you say that I wouldn't know?"

" About traps that lie ahead."

I blushed. " Oh."

" Ahead of you are decayed walls that look to be brittle." The Garo Master said. " A normal means of explosives will not work so you must use the unconventional. If you have the necessary item, the traps will not prevent you from reaching your goal but do not despair if you did not bring what is needed. There lies treasure ahead of what you need though few exist so use them wisely or else this journey ends."

I had an idea as to what he was saying but I needed more information. " What kind of item is it?"

The Garo Master laughed. " Do you think I would reveal something like that? The Garo may reveal some information out of respect but much we choose to take with us to the grave to prevent our enemies from learning our secrets. You must figure out my meaning on your own, chosen one." He reached behind his back, took out a bomb, lit it, and placed it down by his feet before looking up at me. " I have shared what I know so I shall end this by taking my final bow. Not once do I regret the choices I made in life even if they lead to a path filled with darkness. Die I shall, leaving no corpse for that is the law of the Garo."

With that, the bomb exploded, engulfing the Garo Master, and when the smoke cleared moments later, there was nothing left of him. In a way, I could understand why he chose not to reveal everything he knew. He had a duty that had transcended time--he made it a long time ago--and was determined not to go against it for the sake of his pride. But what was said was easy enough to figure out and I was fortunate I brought it along. His words vaguely referred to Bombchu, an item I had yet to use in this world, but why Ember would include puzzles that involved Bombchu remained a mystery. In any case, the puzzles weren't going to be an issue for me.

" I'm not surprised that you were able to overcome that assassin again." Midnight Sparkle said, her voice echoing about.

" So you were watching the entire time?" Twilight asked.

" I wasn't going to miss seeing Sunset get her butt kicked."

" Now I'm not surprised."

" I wanted Sunset to suffer a lot to the point where she would die." Midnight Sparkle said. " But, it seems that once again, she was either very lucky or somehow possessed the skill to overcome that creature though I attribute her success to the former as she clearly lacks skill given her performance."

" Then why don't you fight me yourself!" I shouted.

" You know I won't get my hands dirty if it means letting someone else have the fun."

I scratched my head. " That didn't make sense."

" Someone of my superior intellect should never have to get involved in a conflict." Midnight Sparkle said. " That is where underlings are necessary as they will take the brunt of the pain while those like me sit back and watch the entertainment. But, don't think that I am sick, depraved, or twisted just because I like to use others as pawns. You did the same thing yourself a long time ago, Sunset Shimmer. You used others to do your bidding while you took the glory for yourself. Now do my words make sense?"

I slowly nodded my head. I knew that I did horrible things when I was a bully but I eventually made up for my mistakes. I called out. " At least I corrected the mistakes I made enabling me to forge friendships for the first time in my life. Unlike you, Midnight Sparkle, you continue going down the same dark path that I once traversed and show no signs of truly understanding what it means to be a person, to be a human."

Midnight Sparkle laughed. " That's rich coming from a unicorn. Yes, I am aware of what you really are, Sunset. It was something Sunset Demon mentioned to me when we were travelling around this world together when we still desired to see our dreams become reality. At first, I questioned her words as the thought of a mythical creature changing into a human was ludicrous, but then the pieces started coming together and I realized that you were a pony from a magical world. I mean, it was obvious when I opened up those tears between this world and Equestria when I acquired my power but you can't blame me for taking a while to clue myself in."

" You'll never change!"

" Guess we have to agree to disagree then."

" With the Garo Master defeated, the doors have been unlocked so I am coming for you." I said. " I know that I shouldn't allow my temper to get the best of me but you've clearly pushed my buttons way too many times. I'm going to do what should have been done after you were defeated during the Friendship Games."

" And that would be?"

" Defeat you to the point where you never return."

" We'll see if you can back up your claim soon enough."

As Midnight Sparkle's voice disappeared, Princess Twilight looked at me with concern in her eyes. " You know what I am going to say to you next, Sunset, so please allow me the opportunity to speak my mind. I know you want to defeat Midnight Sparkle especially after everything she has done in the past but don't let hatred consume your heart. It would break my own heart if you resorted to such hatred."

I gently smiled whilst wincing a bit because of my shoulders. " I know, Twilight, but she can't be allowed to get away with what she's done. I was honestly hoping she would give up her ambition to acquire Equestrian Magic and simply live out her remaining time in peace yet clearly, she has refused this and instead is determined to succeed even if it means dying in the process."

" What do you mean by her 'remaining time'?"

" Judging from her current condition, I'd say she has maybe a few weeks left."

Princess Twilight's jaw dropped in amazement. " You can tell?"

I nodded. " After almost getting myself killed in similar situations during this ordeal and the last one, I know what it's like to be on the verge of death. Sunset Demon was in the same position when she appeared before me in Hyrule: a broken body, her power vastly drained from what it once was, and on death's doorstep. She could have lived out her remaining time without fighting but that's not what she did. She goaded Ganondorf--Lord Tirek at the time--resulting in her death before my eyes. Midnight Sparkle is going through that right now and is making the same mistake Sunset Demon made by thinking she can still be effective."

" I... I didn't know."

" If I can, I want to prevent Midnight Sparkle from suffering that fate." I said. " I want to see if I can get her to change her life with what little of it she has left. To see her die as a result of vying for her twisted desire would be just catastrophic so I'll do what I can in hopes she gets a peaceful resolution. If she is beyond saving, if there is nothing I can do, then I will have no choice but to do what I must."

" Whatever you decide to do, I'll be there to provide support."

It then occurred to me that I had no way of reaching the now unlocked door on the other side of the room. Where it was located was on a high-up ledge that I couldn't reach without using a ladder so at first, it looked like there was nothing I could but then a small treasure chest materialized at the ledge's edge. I knew I could use it to pull myself up there by latching onto it with the Hookshot yet why did it appear after my conversation with Midnight Sparkle instead of before? I thought it odd at best but then I never could figure out some of the more obvious tropes this world was known for.

Taking out the Hookshot and aiming it up at the chest, I fired the chain where it sank into the wood before pulling myself up to the upper ledge where I landed behind it. Turning around, I was about to kick it open when I realized that I needed to open it up from the other side. It wasn't really that big of a deal for me but it would have been nice had the chest materialized with the lid facing the door to save me a few seconds. Slowly moving around until I reached the other side, I kicked the chest open and took out thirty arrows. I was honestly expecting something else but I could always do with more arrows as their utility was immense in scope.

With that out of the way, I walked back around the chest, up to the door, and opened it to enter the next room. In here was another Gossip Stone staring at me though a powerful aura could be felt coming from the door before me. I knew that waiting for me on the other side was an Iron Knuckle and I couldn't delay any longer--I really didn't want to go any further out of fear that it would kill me--as I knew I had to continue for the sake of Termina. Before doing anything, I took out the Mask of Truth, placing it on my face, and placing my hand on the Gossip Stone to hear what it had to say.

It said: "It seems an animal mask that was popular with children long ago is being cherished by the owner of the suspicious shop..." I knew straight away that it was referring to the Keaton Mask that Tender Taps wore to conceal his identity so as to not let anyone close to him know he was still around. But... I didn't think that Iron Will of all people would cherish it given his questionable motives sometimes but he did say that he gave the mask to Tender Taps a long time ago by purchasing it from someone. Wow... I just realized I had completely misjudged him all because he dealt with thieves on a regular basis. Iron Will... I am sorry for my outburst during our initial encounter.

Putting the Mask of Truth away, I walked around the Gossip Stone and opened the door. Upon the iron bars closing down as I entered the room, I knew that I was going to be in for the fight of my life. Looking ahead, my entire body froze upon seeing the Iron Knuckle itself, and as I suspected, it looked different. Its golden armour had been replaced with red armour making it look enraged from head to toe but what was surprising was that it was missing its axe, the one part of the monster that was the worst part. Aside from that, it simply stood there like a statue but I knew it was a ruse designed to make me drop my guard.

Then I realized... the missing axe. I slapped my forehead. " You've got to be kidding me."

" Why did you slap your forehead?"

" It doesn't have its axe."

Princess Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. " And why is that a bad thing? Without that axe, there is no way it will be able to hurt you, Sunset, unless it could use its own body as a weapon though I personally doubt it can. This might turn out to be much simpler than expected thus your hesitancy towards this creature was completely unfounded and was a case of personal fear."

I shook my head. " No... It has its axe."

" Then we must be looking at two different things."

" All it needs to do is snap its fingers and an axe will appear in its hands."

" Well, that's one way of doing it I suppose."

" I can tell that Midnight Sparkle has already made alterations based on its colour alone." I said. " Normally, they either have gold armour, gold armour with white chest plating, or gold armour with black chest plating. This thing is red all over, a clear sign that she has enhanced its colour not to mention its power. I can sense the power coming from its body, Twilight, and I'm scared to death because it could potentially kill me with one blow were it to unleash that power."

" Seeing that look on your face is priceless." Midnight Sparkle said. I looked around to see where her voice was coming to no avail so then I looked up at the high-up ledge that housed the exit, and sure enough, she was standing up there though her condition had worsened. " You're right in that I've used what little dark magic remains in my body to strengthen this strange creature. It is now more powerful than ever before and its axe can crush your body to pieces if it wanted to. Unfortunately, I couldn't apply too many alterations as without magic and a strong enough body, there was only so much I could do."

" Why did you use what magic you had?" Twilight asked. " You could have used that to keep yourself alive until you could regain your strength."

" Keep it for myself?" Midnight Sparkle asked. " You must be joking. Why would I want to do something like that on a useless corpse?"

" No need to degrade yourself."

Sighing, Midnight Sparkle let go of her arm and more blood trickled down from it onto the ground by her feet. " I appreciate the sentimentality, Your Highness, but my body has been damaged far too much to allow me to continue going on. Think of me as merely ticking away my remaining moments until death eventually comes for me and takes me to the eternal rest that claimed Sunset Demon. That's why I wanted Sunset to suffer against that assassin! I had hoped to kill her with what little I have were she to be on death's watch yet she proved once again to have luck by surviving."

" You're going to die?"

Midnight Sparkle nodded. " I should have died when I was eaten by that insect but I couldn't rest until I finally settled the score with Sunset. That one desire is keeping my body alive and my rage burns bright despite my own life slowly snuffing itself out. I know what you were thinking about, Sunset. You thought you could convince me to change and live out a peaceful existence, but like I said, I have nothing left now. I know I'm right so there's no need to say I was lying."

" Then I guess what I said to you earlier was wrong." I said.

" It was a spur of the moment for you."

" You could still stop all of this you know."

" Yes, I could but I won't because that isn't who I am." Midnight Sparkle said. " If you want to fight against me, Sunset Shimmer, you must first overcome this creature. You don't have to worry about me running away as I'm not going to be doing that anymore. I'll be waiting in the next room and shall return when either it has killed you or you have killed it in a fight where one shall die and one shall live. By the way, I wanted this to be more interesting so before you start, why not take out that re-forged sword. Go on... Take it out and swing your sword about for the fun of it."

I knew something was wrong as she was being very calm about but I also knew that I was in no position to argue with her. She may not have had the power to kill me but that wasn't the case with the Iron Knuckle. Reaching for my sword, I grabbed the hilt and tried pulling it only to discover that I couldn't get it to budge. I tried again thinking I didn't have a firm grasp and it didn't budge. I tried several more times to pull it out yet it proved pointless so I gave up. Grabbing the Great Fairy's Sword, I pulled it out effortlessly and it was immediately evident that Midnight Sparkle had both helped and hindered me.

" You... You've locked me into using one sword."

" I watched you use it against that assassin." Midnight Sparkle said. " While it does have a lot of power, you struggle to move about because of its weight so I figured on giving you a disadvantage by forcing you to use it here in this fight. But, the one drawback is that you have access to a powerful weapon. This creature was only enhanced in terms of power but its defences haven't changed. In other words, you can kill it quick enough but it can do the same."

Now that was something completely unexpected. In a way, it was like Midnight Sparkle wanted me to succeed against the Iron Knuckle so that she could get the pleasure of finishing me off herself before she would die from her weakened state. On the other hand, she desired my death and making this monster stronger physically would definitely do that. As she walked backwards, opened the door, and went through before it closed again, I braced myself for what was about to come my way. Realizing it didn't have its weapon after checking both its hands, the Iron Knuckle snapped its finger causing an axe to materialize above its head.

Grabbing it and rattling its body as a means of intimidation, the Iron Knuckle walked towards me slowly--at least its walking speed hadn't been enhanced--whilst I in turn walked towards it with the Great Fairy's Sword raised across my body to serve as a kind of shield. When I got close enough, the Iron Knuckle lurched forward, slamming its axe down on the ground and I got knocked back into the door, my back slamming into the iron bars. As I got back onto my feet, it was clear that it acted like it did when its armour was knocked off, yet why was it doing that now when its armour was still intact? Was this what Midnight Sparkle meant in terms of enhancement?

Not only did it do that but I felt the full force of the blow despite having enhanced defence from the Great Fairy of Courage. I really could get killed in a few hits so I had to pick and choose when to attack the armour or else I would be writing my own death sentence. The Iron Knuckle lifted up its axe and began walking slowly towards me again and since there were no columns I could hide behind, there was no where I could be safe and plan a countermeasure. It got close this before swinging back and forth in an erratic manner--I barely managed to avoid losing more than some hair--and I attempted to strike after the second swing.

Boy, was that ever a mistake. The Iron Knuckle raised its axe with both hands on either end of the hilt and succeeded in parrying my attack much to my dismay. I couldn't believe it managed to do something like that using just an axe but then this was why it was a brutal opponent. Before I had a chance to try again, it slammed its axe down upon lurching forward and again I got knocked into the door with my back hitting the iron bars. Already, things weren't going well and no doubt Midnight Sparkle was enjoying seeing me get destroyed from the safety of the next room.

Getting back up and moving away from the door, I wasn't surprised at seeing blood trickling down from my chest and arms. Luckily, the wounds weren't too severe so I could afford to take one more hit before needing to use a Red Potion, but would it give me enough time to consume one or choose to kill me so as to prevent me? I needed another tactic to distract so I began thinking about my previous encounters with the Iron Knuckle. Most items were useless against it but perhaps I could use some explosives to get the job done? Not even heavy armour was safe from the power of a bomb... I hoped.

Putting my sword away, I tried to seeing if I could take out a bomb, but to my shock, they were also stuck. Midnight Sparkle must have known I would try to use a different tactic so she made sure that I couldn't use bombs to make this fight even easier. Then I remembered I still had Bombchu which were mobile bombs but harder to control and more than likely to veer off course to who-knew-where until it exploded of its own accord. I reached behind my back and prayed before taking one out much to my surprise. Of course! I could only use my unique items!

" What are you doing?" Twilight asked.

" Using a Bombchu."

" But we need those for later."

" Remember that you insisted on me purchasing some from the Bomb Shop before we got here."

" Oh that's right."

" Hopefully, this will actually find its mark and do some damage to that armour otherwise I'm really in trouble." The Iron Knuckle then swung back and forth quickly catching me on the second switch though I got thrown to the other side of the room and away from the door. " Crap! Had it chosen to use its other attack, I would have been sliced in two not to mention get blasted by my own Bombchu." Getting back up--it proved difficult due to taking so much damage--and wobbling about, I dropped the Bombchu on the ground where it went forward and exploded upon hitting the Iron Knuckle.

" Did it work?"

I took my sword back out thinking that my plan didn't work but to my surprise, its armour suffered some slight dents. " How about that? I actually did something though I was expecting more than just scuffing its armour."

" I suspect that using Bombchus will take a long time on account that the Iron Knuckle must have explosive resistant armour."

I slapped my forehead. " Of course it would have that."

" Midnight Sparkle probably didn't add that little caveat did she?"

I nodded my head. " The only thing she did was enhance its physical strength. Its resistant to most items is part of its own natural abilities though it does become more vulnerable once its armour has been removed. Speaking of which, I wonder if it will become even more powerful when I remove the armour?"

Princess Twilight shrugged. " I honestly have no idea, Sunset. While using Bombchu has proven to be a lucrative means of fighting back, it will simply take way too long before you can remove the armour, and you don't have enough potions to drag out this fight especially since we still have Majora's Mask to deal with. You'll have to either use the one potion or defeat the Iron Knuckle whilst currently in a bleeding mess. I'd rather you heal your wounds but with an upcoming opponent we know nothing about, conserving healing items would be the best course of action."

" Guess it's back to using the sword."

" Don't forget that we still have Midnight Sparkle left."

" This is getting ridiculous!"

" You get used to it."

I knew Princess Twilight was being sarcastic given that she had been through much worse than what I had experienced given Equestria faced threats from power-hungry villains on a regular basis but she didn't really need to act in such a manner. The truth is that I had to endure torment--it's what Ganondorf wanted me to experience--until this journey had reached its conclusion so complaining about it wouldn't do me any good. As much as it pissed me off, this was my fate so my only choice was to suck it up and be a warrior, a reluctant warrior, but a warrior nonetheless.

Taking out the Great Fairy's Sword again, I moved back as fast as I could just as the Iron Knuckle slammed its axe into the ground. This was the only time where it lowered its guard enabling me to attack its armour in hopes of removing it but because my sword was so heavy, my movements were sluggish so I needed to be next to it practically to be able to strike it before it would resume moving. I then thought about around until I was behind it but I remembered it could turn around in an instant, swinging its axe in a deadly curve, and potentially slicing me in two horizontally effectively killing me. No... I had to wait for the exact moment.

When it raised its axe, the Iron Knuckle swung it left and right when I got closer--I wasn't too close as that would have been painful--but I knew that for it to swing its axe, I had to get close enough but my sword makes moving difficult. I thought about putting my sword down, moving in then quickly move back, pick it up, and attack upon the Iron Knuckle responding to my advance, yet I shook my head knowing the axe would knock me back forcing me to scramble to get my sword thus leaving me helpless for a moment. Sighing, I stepped forward and waited for the Iron Knuckle to make its move.

It chose to slam its axe on the ground but it only grazed me instead of inflicting a fatal wound. Again, I cursed the fact that I could only use the Great Fairy's Sword but I then had a thought on how I could use this to my advantage. One thing I hadn't used often enough was the jump attack which inflicted twice the damage. Given that my current weapon was stronger than anything else, one jump attack would be devastating to all but the strongest of monsters. Yet, my speed was hindered because of the weight of the sword so I needed to strike just as its axe connected with the ground. This was going to be nothing short of a miracle.

The Iron Knuckle swung its axe back and forth whilst I kept my distance and when I got close enough, I quickly jumped back--my sword clanging along the ground making an ear-piercing scraping sound that made me want to rip my hair out--just as its axe slammed into the ground. In that brief moment, I performed a jump attack and to my surprise, its armour fell off exposing its weak point though I knew it would now fly into a frenzy. At first, the Iron Knuckle didn't know what to make of its sudden loss in armour but it soon resumed attacking by running at a brisk pace before lurching forward even further and smashing my body with its axe.

My entire body felt like it had just gotten ravaged because of the severity of the blow. Luckily, it wasn't enough to kill me--had I been a smidgen of an inch closer it would have been instant death--yet it was enough to send me flying into a wall before I slumped down and landed face-first. Princess Twilight didn't need to say anything as she knew I was gushing forth blood at a rapid pace but then this was why I had Red Potions on hand to prevent myself from succumbing to severe injuries. Reaching behind my back, I took out a Red Potion but quickly had to get up and move as the Iron Knuckle ran up and swung its axe back and forth.

Putting away my sword again, I ran across the room whilst clutching my chest in hopes of preventing too much blood from gushing forward, and I uncorked the bottle before consuming its contents. Already, the magic began taking affect and the blood stopped flowing though the wounds would take some time to heal properly. It didn't matter as I could now continue but I knew I couldn't afford to waste another potion as I needed them for what was my true opponent. Putting the now empty bottle away behind my back and turning towards the Iron Knuckle whilst drawing my sword, I waited for it to get close enough so that I could strike.

" What are you doing?"

" I'm taking the fight to it now."

" Are you crazy!?" Twilight exclaimed. " I know that it's more vulnerable now without that armour protecting its weak point but you'll still get heavily damaged should you get hit by its axe again. Why not switch back to the Bombchu and just continue using them until it goes down? Sunset? Sunset are you listening to me?" It was clear to Her Highness that I was in my own world listening to my own advice on how to deal with the situation.

" I'm listening."

" It doesn't look like it to me."

Despite my sword weighing me down, swinging it about was surprisingly easy. I swung it and the Iron Knuckle responded by using the hilt of its axe to parry my blow. " I knew it was going to do that." I then began swinging repeatedly in hopes of connecting yet it continued parrying each blow perfectly. I wasn't annoyed but rather impressed it could maintain its composure especially when my attack was predictable. " Looks like hitting it from the front is no good."

" This was your plan?"

I nodded. " I figured it would parry my blows."

" What surprises me is that you're actually parrying with it." Twilight said. " The Iron Knuckle is supposed to be stronger than usual thanks to Midnight Sparkle's enhancements yet you act like nothing really changed. If anything, the first time you attempted this should have resulted in your sword breaking or at least cracking in places. Maybe what she did wasn't as strong as she let us believe meaning you can win with a well-placed jump attack."

" I didn't think of it like that."

" Midnight Sparkle is barely holding on and is using whatever magic she still has." Twilight said. " Her enhancements to this monsters must have been in the form of its colour being changed and the axe blade itself being more powerful. On its own it's still just an Iron Knuckle but with a new colour scheme. I wish that I had noticed this before but didn't until you started doing this parrying assault. If you can swing your sword at just the right time, you could disrupt its momentum and follow up with a jump attack to finish it off."

" Assuming the weight doesn't get to me."

" All you can do is try."

" Sorry if you thought I wasn't listening."

Princess Twilight shook her head. " No... I need to remember that you are capable of making your own choices, Sunset. You always turn to me for guidance and even though I enjoy helping you out, I've learned that you can achieve anything just by relying on personal instincts. I'll always help out as that is what friends do but I know when it's best to allow my student to go on their own and I apply a hands-off approach towards their studying."

I didn't mean to make Princess Twilight upset but I had to focus on defeating the Iron Knuckle with the skills I had learned throughout both journeys. While Her Highness only wanted to make sure I didn't do anything stupid, the realization is that I had been doing this kind of thing long before she became aware of it. I personally didn't enjoy the fighting aspects of this life style but the exploration and meeting new versions of people from the world I called home--also Equestria--made up for it. I also loved using all these items yet I wished some had more practical uses than others but I supposed they were designed that way to prevent someone from abusing them.

Focusing back on the Iron Knuckle, I continued to swing my sword in hopes of connecting yet it continued to parry my blows using the hilt of its axe. I couldn't keep doing this forever though I could tire out where as it could keep on going for eternity. I then tried adjusting the angle of my swing in hopes of disrupting its momentum long enough for me to use one quick jump attack before it knew what was happening. Unfortunately, the monster figured out my plan and slammed its axe down resulting in me sustaining heavy damage before getting thrown across the room, landing hard on my back and coughing up spit.

Getting back up--I wouldn't be right now if not for the Red Potion--I looked at Princess Twilight and she smiled indicating that I needed to keep doing what I was doing in hopes of defeating the Iron Knuckle though it looked like it wasn't going to end well if it succeeded in hitting me like that a few more times. Smacking both sides of my face before picking up my sword, I walked towards it and swung as hard as I could but again it parried my blow using that hilt. I had no intention of going through another pointless exchange where I would sustain more heavy damage so I jumped back before performing a jump attack.

Again, the Iron Knuckle parried my blow though it was pushed back a little due to the force behind it. That was the momentum I was looking for so I followed up with another jump attack that connected resulting in it gushing forth blood but not enough to defeat it. I honestly thought my blow would be enough but the Iron Knuckle proved to be resilient whether it was protected or not. I didn't want to take anymore chances so before it could get up let alone react, I struck it again by swinging my sword horizontally and that ended up being the final hit I needed much to my sweet relief.

Dropping its axe on the ground, the Iron Knuckle then fell to its knees in agony before burning away to nothing. The door on the upper ledge then unlocked along with the one behind me followed by a small treasure chest materializing in front of me yet nothing else happened leaving me wondering how I was supposed to progress. Looking around to see if I had missed anything, I noticed a Gossip Stone on each side of the door so I knew to use the Mask of Truth to listen to what they had to say but it still didn't give me any answers, but upon checking out the walls and ceiling, my eyes caught something most unexpected.

" Look at that up there." I said as I pointed up at the wall.

Princess Twilight looked in the direction I was pointing at. " That part of the wall is cracked... the decayed walls that the Garo Master was talking about." She then floated back and forth in deep though until she reached a conclusion. It's a good thing you brought those Bombchu along otherwise we wouldn't be able to continue. If you place that on the ground at just the right moment, it should blow up that crack in the wall upon reaching it. This might require a few attempts to get the timing down but you've got enough Bombchu for roughly thirty or so attempts."

" Do you think there could be a switch behind it?"

" Most likely which would explain why you got arrows earlier."

" I should open that chest first."

" If it contains any more Bombchu, it will give you some extra attempts."

Walking over to the chest, I kicked it open and took out ten Bombchu. " I guess the chests were meant to provide me with the means to solve the puzzles Ember mentioned but it seems a little pointless as I brought along more than enough."

" Perhaps it was meant to be for those who didn't think to plan ahead."

" Maybe..."

Princess Twilight sighed. " It's probably best not to think about it now, Sunset. You've got enough ammunition to solve this puzzle so unless you were clueless as to what you need to do--and I know you're not--this will be easy."

Looking at the crack's location, I could either have the Bombchu travel in front of me and up the wall before exploding or I could place it behind me and have it go across the ceiling and let it explode that way. Both options were correct resulting in the crack being broken but I didn't want to have to waste any more time than absolutely necessary. Thinking it over for a few moments, I decided it would be best to go with the first option of having it travel along the ground. Before taking one out, I made sure to get as close to the wall behind me as possible so that the Bombchu had enough distance or else it would explode before reaching its target.

Taking out a Bombchu, I placed it on the ground and watched as it began moving. Unfortunately, I had no control of it once it went off so hopefully it would stay the course instead of going in a completely different direction. To my dismay, the Bombchu went off at a weird angle on the wall and went straight to the left until it exploded moments later. Stomping my foot due to not positioning myself properly, I took out another one and placed it on the ground before it went on its way. This one stayed straight and up the wall where it exploded and revealed an eye switch.

Switching over to the Hero's Bow, I nocked a regular arrow and fired it at the switch, hitting it, resulting in a ladder appearing behind the treasure chest. Putting the bow away, I was about to make my way over but stopped upon seeing Midnight Sparkle standing before me. She must have entered the room while I was focused on destroying that crack and because of how low her dark aura was, I didn't even sense her presence. I knew she was annoyed that I had once again survived something she had thrown at me but I also knew she couldn't do much else as the last vestiges of her magic went away upon the Iron Knuckle's defeat.

" Seeing you standing there isn't surprising." Midnight Sparkle said.

" That enhancement you made almost killed me but I managed to use a Red Potion to heal my wounds." I said.

" Using resources is key to achieving success."

" Look... I don't want to kill you..." I began. " I know you've caused me nothing but misery since that stunt you pulled back at the Stone Tower Temple but if I were to end your way as you are now, it would leave a foul taste in my mouth not to mention bring back old memories of how I would have relished in it. Why not do us both a favour and just leave? I have more important things to do than deal with a demon who can barely keep standing."

Midnight Sparkle shook her head. " I can't leave until I kill you."

I rubbed the bridge of my nose. " Don't be so stubborn! I'm serious here! Go out on your own terms and with your head held high. Sure, that doesn't make much sense since you're a demon and all but at least it would be much better than dying on your own in the cold without embracing the warmth that is life."

" Enchanting that creature used just about the last bit of energy I had left."

" So now you're completely powerless."

" I didn't specify what kind of energy it was."

It took me a moment to figure out her meaning. " You used your own life force!?"

Midnight Sparkle nodded. " My remaining dark power wasn't enough to strengthen that creature so I tapped into my own life-force. Sure, the end results weren't to my liking as you're still alive but you struggled to overcome it resulting in you wasting precious resources. Besides, my life isn't going to last much longer anyway so why prolong the inevitable and just go down in blaze of glory?"

" What are you planning?" Twilight asked.

" Even though I am the demonic version of Twilight Sparkle, she still possesses the same love of knowledge that you have, princess." Midnight Sparkle answered. " My own magic was just as powerful as yours if not greater so you should know what my answer is."

Princess Twilight lowered her head. " So you're really willing to go through with it?"

" I am."

Turning toward me, I could see the look in Princess Twilight's eyes. " Sunset?"

" What is it?" I asked.

" Better brace yourself."

" For what?"

" You're about to find out."

I looked at Midnight Sparkle and was shocked to see her forming some kind of magical force in her hands. She then laughed as the force continued to increase in size while she continued growing weaker with every passing second. " Her Highness figured that I am going to use only one blast of magic against you, Sunset. I'm using the last of my life force to hit you with everything I've got. It doesn't matter whether you survive this or not! This is my way of going out in my own manner without anyone pushing me around. Sunset Demon... Looks like I'm going to be joining you soon enough. My chances of pulling through are zero percent."

" Don't do it!"

" It's too late."

I had no time to switch out the Great Fairy's Sword for both the Gilded Sword and Mirror Shield as Midnight Sparkle soon unleashed what could be best described as her final gambit in hopes of ending my life. Knowing that this magical blast would be fatal if it were to hit me, I raised my sword up like a shield and the blast collided against it. I had hoped to either knock it aside or push it back against her but it was too strong for me to do either so I remained in a defensive position. For a time, it looked like her power would break my sword but then I suddenly got completely overwhelmed and consumed by her power.

Moments later, I slowly got back onto my feet. It felt like I had gotten hit by several semi-trucks at the same time repeatedly yet once again I had survived against what Midnight Sparkle had thrown against me. That's when I immediately walked over to where she had stood before unleashing her power and was saddened to see that her body had broken down so much, there was nothing I could do to save her at this point. If she were a machine, Midnight Sparkle would be leaking oil everything because her body was bleeding profusely.

" You did it."

Lifting her head, Midnight Sparkle responded. " If you and your friends had never thwarted my efforts back in your world and here, I would have succeeded in learning everything there is to know about Equestrian Magic. I wanted to understand it because knowledge was what I craved more than anything else but it looks like that desire will never be fulfilled now as my body is breaking down. Thinking about it now, had you chosen to remain a villainous she-demon, the events that followed would never have happened and I wouldn't even exist. In a sense, your decisions resulted in my coming to be."

" I made mistakes, yes, but I worked hard to fix them."

" Ha... You're better a heroine than... a villain."

" It's because I accepted the Magic of Friendship."

Midnight Sparkle cringed when I said that. " Friendship... I never understood the concept of that since Twilight Sparkle didn't have anyone... other than Spike. She preferred to remain alone with her thoughts... as it meant not getting harassed by her peers... but I guess my existence is... a reflection of that along with representing her... truest desires of wanting payback against those... who wronged her. But... None of that matters now. I gave you everything... I had, Sunset, so I've no regrets... yet I wished I had killed you with it. Once again... your luck saved you."

" You should've just lived out your remaining time in peace."

" Guess you could... say that I'm... stubborn just like you."

" You should stop talking now." I said. " You're struggling to speak properly."

" It doesn't matter... Sunset." Midnight Sparkle said as she coughed up blood. " I'm going to die... shortly so why keep silent? Living a peaceful existence is... just not what I am capable of doing as... after all I am... a demonic monster so peace goes... against what I believe to be true. Had I gone with your suggestion... I would have died without ever knowing... personal bliss all because you... wanted me to embrace life."

" What are you saying?"

" I wouldn't have been able to rest."

" Huh?"

" Had I lost... my life to... you, I wouldn't have... been able to rest... in the afterlife." Midnight Sparkle said, her life leaving her body rapidly. " Know that you... aren't finished when it... comes to E... E... Equestrian Magic... S... Sun... Sunset. I can... s... sense that you will have... to... to... deal with those who... use it... when... they shouldn't. It is... sure... to cause nothing but... stress resulting... in... in... you questioning your... wo... wo... worth."

" I'll take my chances."

" Then... I guess... this is where... I... I finally say... goodbye." Midnight Sparkle said. " I... I may disappear in the... physical plane... but... I will continue on... existing... within the... sub... sub... subconscious of... Tw................................."

Stepping back and lowering my head out of respect, Midnight Sparkle closed her eyes and her body slowly burned away to nothing leaving behind an outline. While I felt sad knowing she had finally perished, I couldn't give her the same dues that I gave to Sunset Demon as the former committed actions that were horrendous beyond what words could describe about them. Perhaps in another life, her fate would have been different. Knowing there was nothing more I could do around here, I climbed up the ladder, took out the Mask of Truth, put it on my face, and placed my hand on the Gossip Stone to the left of the door.

It said: "It seems the girl who smells of the ranch has a mask that only adults have..." I knew this stone was talking about Romani's Mask though it was Applejack who gave out the mask to those who proved themselves worthy to be adults, not Apple Bloom despite being named after the ranch--the Termina version of her. Despite being old enough, I appreciated the acknowledgment. I then walked over to the other stone to see what it would say. Placing my hand on it, it said: "He who plays music as he travels about seems to have a mask that animals follow obediently..."

I knew it was referring to the Bremen Mask seeing as I gave it to Ember to be able to come here. What Discord did to get his hands on it was deceitful but at least his conscious was clear since he confessed with me being his witness. Taking the mask off and putting it away, I opened the door and entered the next room to see that a Piece of Heart was waiting for me along with another Gossip Stone. However, the door ahead of me was locked so something needed to be done here so that I could continue. Looking at each wall, I found nothing out of place but when I looked up at the ceiling, I could see what needed to be done.

First, I grabbed the Piece of Heart, restoring my health and healing my wounds as the warmth embraced me once more. Then I walked over to the Gossip Stone, took out the Mask of Truth, and placed my hand on it and it spoke. "She who is troubled by cold and hunger seems to have a mask that gathers voices to sing..." If only I had used it when I had the chance, I could have seen something amazing, but Don Gero's Mask became nothing but extra baggage necessary for the ultimate mask Starlight had in her possession. Taking off my mask and putting it away, I turned towards solving this puzzle.

As this was a small room, I needed to position myself at just the right angle to destroy a cracked wall which was on the ceiling. Standing in the middle of the room, I took out a Bombchu, placed it on the ground, and watched as it travelled along before going up the wall then the ceiling only to miss its target and explode a short distance away. That could have gone better so I decided to move closer to the wall behind me and see if I could go with a diagonal approach. Taking out another Bombchu, I chose to wait for a couple of seconds before putting it down and letting it go.

It went up the wall and onto the ceiling before exploding though it barely managed to remove the cracked section due to nearly missing the target. Behind the crack was a frozen eye switch--I didn't think it would be frozen--so I took out my bow, loaded a Fire Arrow, and carefully aimed up before firing. The ice melted away instantly which also allowed the switch to be activated and unlocked the door. Walking up to the door, I opened it and entered the next room where Ember was standing before me this time. Finally, I managed to reach her after going through so much torment.

" Didn't think you would make it." Ember said.

I dropped to my knees. " You have no idea what I went through."

" Actually, I was watching everything from back here." Ember said. " Those were the best fights I've ever seen especially with that really strong monster that was enhanced by that demonic creature who decided to butt in. Since she made things all the more interesting, I'm not mad that she got involved. Besides, it gave you quite the workout though I can't hope to understand what you must be going through due to that demon ending her life. I wasn't expecting it so you have my condolences if nothing more."

" I don't blame you for that."

" You showed humility as well as strength."

" I've always been told that I needed more humility."

Ember laughed. " Not sure what has to do with kicking some serious butt but you overcame my challenges. If this was one of those boring hide-and-seek games, I'd say that you found me, but now it's time for me to get serious. I know you still have more masks so hand them over or else you won't be credited for winning. I know you just experienced an emotional moment which is sure to scar you but I've got things to do and being here ain't one."

" You really are aggressive, aren't you?"

" What can I say?" Ember asked. " I just enjoy showing off my dominance."

While I wanted to scold her for acting like an immature brat, I knew I couldn't afford to offend her especially when I was so close to getting the ultimate mask. Since I only had four more masks left, it was just a matter of seeing which one would get pulled out first. Reaching behind my back, I took out the Stone Mask, what I acquired by making Sugar Belle less conspicuous so she could be seen again. I wished I had used it more often so as to avoid monsters but I never knew which of them were unaffected by its magic. The next that I took out was the Great Fairy's Mask. Without this, none of the Great Fairy's would have been restored and I wouldn't have gotten their help.

Next mask was Kafei's Mask, a mask that allowed me to undertake what was the longest side-quest I've ever been involved with. Sure, most people in Clock Town didn't want to tell me anything about Tender Taps because they thought I was grilling them for information--that was my intention--yet Scootaloo proved genuine though she needed the right motivation first. All that remained was the Mask of Truth, that which I had been using throughout these caves to learn all I could. While clearing out that spider infested house in the swamp proved difficult, it was worth doing it.

" There you go."

" Sweet! I'll make good use of these."

" Those were my last masks."

" And that means you fulfilled each of our wishes." Ember said. " We didn't think you would be willing to just hand over your masks. Nope, we thought we needed to pay you or something but you gave them to us without any fuss though you did show some hesitation at first. Doesn't it make you feel good knowing that you've made us children happy? It should otherwise this whole thing was a waste of our time."

" So what happens now?"

" You dodged what I said. Don't ignore it! Answer it!"

I gulped. " Those masks were earned through difficult means but then I suppose giving them to those who needed them did make me feel warm inside. Granted, I didn't use some at all while others a few times making me wish I had used them more often. You never know to appreciate something until its gone and by then it's too late as you'll never get another chance to get it again."

Ember laughed. " You're pretty cool after all. Before I send you back to where you need to go, I've got one more question to ask you and you'd better answer it. I'm not going to let you leave until you give me an honest answer. Your true face... What kind of face is it? Every time you wear a mask, is that your true underneath it?"

I shook my head. " I'm not going to lie to you. While I look like this most of the time, my true form is that of a pony, a unicorn to be precise. My true face has a muzzle and a horn and everything else associated with being a pony."

" Wow... I didn't expect that."

" Now you know."

" You answered my question honestly so you're free to go back." Ember said. " I had a blast hanging out with you and watching you fight but now it's time for me to disappear but maybe we'll meet each other again someday. There's no point in me telling you what you need to do next as I think it's pretty obvious. See ya!"

Everything went white as I blacked out yet I knew what Ember was talking about. There was now only one child left and she was the one sitting at the base of the tree, Starlight, or rather, Majora's Mask, who was most likely furious with me over how every other child had disappeared leaving her all alone. The time had come for me to finally face off against this evil force and defeat it and save Termina from its insidious damage. Fortunately, I had enough potions to see me through this upcoming fight though I was worried I might have needed more bottles given I had five and I felt like I had missed a couple along the way.

Upon returning to the moon--I was back at the start once again which infuriated me--I began making my way towards Starlight. Along the way, I checked my inventory one last time to see what I had on hand. Everything seemed in good order aside from the fact that all of my masks were gone except for the transformation masks. Would they even be useful in a fight against an evil mask? That was probably the weirdest thing about all of this. I was going to be fighting a mask, an ordinary looking mask that is worn on one's fact. I knew Majora's Mask was different given it could talk but still it was pretty unusual.

" Are you ready for this, Sunset?" Twilight asked.

I shook my head. " Not really."

" How come?"

" I'm just nervous because this is the end of the journey."

Princess Twilight looked at me with a puzzled expression. " Wasn't our aim to restore this world back to what it's supposed to be? If you don't defeat Majora's Mask, the world you call home will forever be stuck like this.

I sighed. " A part of me wants this to keep on going for as long as possible, Twilight."

" What!?"

" Don't think me as a fool for saying this but, this journey and my last one had me experience fantasy, monsters, and exploration." I said. " Those were the kinds of things I used to do back in Equestria before I left. Now that I've gotten to experience them again, I feel conflicted about it. I know we need to fix things but at the same time I'd love to be able to do this more often because I've gotten a real kick out of it."

" You should consider coming back to Equestria sometime."

" Twilight... You know I can't... Not yet at least."

" I know."

" But, I will return to the land of my birth when I feel ready."

Princess Twilight smiled. " When that time comes, let me know and I will have a room prepared for you at my castle. I understand how you feel about doing all of this adventuring and not wanting to stop yet you and I both know that this world isn't supposed to exist in this manner. We have to change everything back as who knows what might happen if it were to remain this way? I'm not familiar with the magic Ganondorf uses so anything is possible. Maybe some day, you'll have a chance to go on another adventure where you will be tested, but for now, we must fix this for the greater good."

I nodded. " You're right as always, Twilight."

As much as I wanted for this to continue--strange coming from me given all I had endured--I knew that this world had to be changed back to the way it was supposed to be but first I had to not only deal with Majora's Mask, I also had to deal with Starlight and quite possibly Ganondorf when everything was all said and done. I definitely feared the latter because he would likely test me once again just because he enjoyed making me suffer. Shaking my head, I realized I needed to focus on Majora's Mask first as it was the immediate threat. I'll focus on dealing with Ganondorf when the proper time comes.

Upon approaching the tree--yet again--I stopped upon seeing Starlight looking at me. " Everyone has gone away, haven't they?"

I nodded. " Yes, I'm afraid so."

" You made them go away."

" They left of their own accord."

" But, you played their games and they left because you were finished with them."

" I'm sorry if I made you feel miserable."

" You should be." Starlight said. " But, I have been thinking about this for a while. Despite you making them go away, you might be able to fill the void they left. While I would prefer to be left alone and not have to deal with the likes of you, I really do want someone to play with me. It's been so long that I've forgotten what it feels like. So... I will ask you this question only once. Will you... Play with me?"

My brain wanted me to refuse but my heart wanted me to continue. I nodded upon agreeing with my heart. " Yes, I will play with you."

" I am happy to hear that."

" Shall we begin?"

Starlight shook her head. " Oh dear... You don't seem to have any masks left to share. While you were sharing them with the others, I thought of you as being weak and that opinion would have retained its meaning had I played a game with you beforehand." She then got up onto her feet but kept her distance. " But, the only masks I can sense in your possession are the ones that contain the spirits of those who died. I cannot play with one who only has masks like that so let's try something else. We will still play, of course, but in a different manner than what I originally considered."

" What did you have in mind?"

" Let's play a game of good guys versus bad guys."

" How does that work?"

Starlight turned her back towards me and was looking for something but I couldn't see what it was. When she turned back to face me, she was holding in her hands, a mask that bore a striking resemblance to my own face yet had slightly different colours and weird markings. " Those masks of yours with the spirits are impressive but if you were to use them, I wouldn't have any fun and neither would you so I am giving you this mask instead." She then handed it over to me and I held it in my hands. " Some call it the ultimate mask but such a name is stupid when its true name, the Fierce Deity's Mask, is much more intimidating."

" I sense a great power within it."

" It is a mask that contains the spirit of a warrior who relied on the darkness to overcome her enemies though some say she wasn't entirely human." Starlight said. " Whoever wears it will become a demonic version of themselves but have full control over their actions. You could say that it's power is pure evil but who is to say really? To play with me, you must put on that mask at least once though you are free to take it of and never use it again once we get started. Once you put it on, I assure you that you appreciate what it can really do. I will give you a moment to let it all sink in since most have never seen this mask before aside from that strange woman who collects masks. She once wielded it for a time."

As soon as she said that, something in my memory suddenly came up to the surface. I remembered an incident during my previous journey where I was awakening the Six Sages trapped in the temples across Hyrule. I was heading towards the Water Temple when I came upon Sonata who said she had given something to Daring Do, who lived by Lake Hylia, and the latter was doing some research on the lake's water before switching over to what she had been given. I mulled over it for a while before concluding that Sonata had given her the very mask I now held in my hands. I also remembered Daring Do telling me about its name and how it looked just like me.

This was the mask they had been both been talking about yet how did Starlight get her hands on it? I thought this to be one immense coincidence that started long ago but had finally culminated right here and now. If not for Starlight bringing up Sonata, I never would have had this memory come back after all this time. The Fierce Deity's Mask, from what I could remember about its description, was an ancient mask whose evil power was so strong, most ended up losing themselves to it. Only one who possessed a willpower stronger than most mere mortals could utilize the power it contained.

The ultimate mask... Now I understood why Adagio was so cryptic about it. She couldn't reveal too much because the power within the mask was too great for her to think about without feeling tremendous guilt over revealing its existence to me. Those who were deemed weak were corrupted by but what did that mean for me? I thought myself as pretty strong but maybe I was only fooling myself? What if I were truly weak like so many others and that wearing this mask would make me into everything I used to be yet so much worse? It was a gamble I could only hope would be in my favour...

" You want me to wear it?"

Starlight nodded. " You must because then we will both be on an even playing field. Now then, are you ready to play my game?"

I nodded. " I am."

" Just so you don't get confused, you are the bad guy." Starlight said. " And when you're bad, you just run and nothing more. That's all right with you isn't it? If it is then we can finally get this game underway."

Nodding again, everything suddenly went white and once more I blacked out. When I came to, I found myself in a place that could only be described as bizarre. Everything appeared warped as though reality were attempting to break free from some kind of confinement and there were strange large symbols located on what I assumed were walls but I couldn't tell if they existed or that I was succumbing to the warping. The center of each symbol looked like something could be placed but I couldn't even begin to imagine what that would be.

That's when I noticed that something was on the symbol directly across from me on the other side of the room. I couldn't see what it was at first so I squinted my eyes to get a better look only to open them wide with shock upon seeing that I was looking at Majora's Mask. Starlight was nowhere to be seen so I assumed her manifestation was no longer necessary for the mask yet why did it look so much bigger than before? Suddenly, the ground began to vibrate, a reminder that the Four Giants were still holding up the moon to prevent Termina's destruction so I needed to make a move and fast.

" What a strange place." Twilight said.

" You said it."

" I guess this is the site of the final battle."

" Yeah."

" What will you do?"

" Huh?"

" Are you going to wear that mask or not?"

I looked down at the Fierce Deity's Mask that was still in my hand. The thought of being able to fight Majora's Mask on equal footing was extremely tempting yet I feared I was weak and would become a new version of Sunset Demon. " I... I don't know if I can control the immense power that's radiating from it, Twilight. Despite all that I've done accepting friendship into my heart, I feel as though there's a part of me that still yearns for the old Sunset. I guess I'm just feeling conflicted knowing that I hold in my hands the one thing that will make this a more even experience."

" Wear the mask."

I was shocked. " Really?"

Princess Twilight nodded. " While you still possess a temper and act recklessly, you have changed from the person you once were, Sunset. I believe from the bottom of my own heart that you will not be corrupted by the dark power that mask possesses. No, you will have full control over it and use it to defeat this evil and save the lives of those who even now are wondering if they shall see the next sunrise. While we had to do an awful lot to acquire the other masks and subsequently give all but the three transformation masks up, acquiring the ultimate mask was worth it because you got to make others happy."

Looking at the mask, I realized that Princess Twilight was right about how I couldn't allow myself to be afraid of using an evil power if it meant for the greater good. I'm not who I used to be as my old self had no friends, family, or understood the Magic of Friendship. The true me had all those qualities and more thus the chances of me succumbing to the evil power of the mask was practically impossible. Knowing that I had to use it if I was to stand a chance, I breathed heavily, gulped, turned the mask around, and placed it on my face. Immediately, I began convulsing--strange that it would be like the Deku Mask.

After what felt like forever, I let out a huge scream as my body shimmered from human to whatever it was I would become this time, and when the transformation had finished, I looked down at my reflection on the ground. To my surprise, I looked like a cross between Sunset Demon and Daydream Shimmer. My face was still my own though with some demonic features such as no eye pupils, having markings above and below my eyes, and having hair similar to my latter form despite wearing a grey hat. Looking down at my body, I was wearing my tunic though it had been spliced with my Daydream Shimmer in terms of the golden wings and having a skirt.

I did have Sunset Demon's shoulder pads in addition to her boots yet everything else belonged exclusively to the mask. I then noticed the sword that I was holding in my hand, a sword that resembled a double-helix. Tremendous power was coming from it so I swung it around to see how strong it was only to be surprised when it fired some kind of magical attack that went across the entire room before hitting one of the symbols. I could feel the power coursing through me yet not once did I feel like I was losing control. I had the willpower to not be corrupted yet I needed to be cautious anyway in case something went wrong.

" How do you feel?"

" I feel... strange, Twilight."

" Your body is quickly getting adjusted to having so much power."

" I hope not to use all of it."

" What surprises me is that your form is a mixture of Sunset Demon, Daydream Shimmer, and yourself all wrapped up in the mask's designated form." Twilight said. " It actually makes you look incredibly awesome but also confusing as heck like you were spliced together from different parts."

" To be fair, I wasn't expecting it."

" This would be considered your ultimate form." Twilight said. " From what I have gathered, the Fierce Deity's Mask brings out a person's strongest aspects while also applying a demonic coat to it though that more of a cosmetic thing than anything else, yet the immense power is not to be underestimated. That sword you carry is made of a special metal that's beyond anything I've ever seen but it enables you to fire magical beams that are very effective against evil beings. Because you have so much power flowing through you, this mask can only be used in special locations, namely the places where you fought the boss monsters."

" Makes sense to have such a restriction."

Princess Twilight nodded. " Yes. The regular world isn't ready for such a form so you'll essentially be restricted to this one place whilst wearing it. I know you don't have any access to your regular items but I'm not sure if you can use potions like that."

" Guess we'll find out once this starts."

" How does it start?"

I shrugged. " Beats me."

" Maybe we should get closer to Majora's Mask."

The instant I stepped forward, I felt something strange happening. At first I thought it was back spasms as a result of my body having trouble accepting my new body but that idea quickly disappeared when the masks of the four boss monsters began getting pulled away from me. I tried grabbing the mask that once belonged to Odalwa but it slipped away along with the others until each one sped off until it attached itself to the center of the four symbols. Why did they suddenly do that? To be frank, I never did understand why I had to carry them around seeing as they didn't do anything other than provide bragging rights.

Yet those masks weren't going to be my concern for much longer. As soon as the last one had attached itself, the eyes of Majora's Mask glowed as it shuffled before pulling itself off of the symbol it had been attached to. The spikes that ran down its sides began wiggling like they were alive and I thought they were just part of the mask's design, yet the worst thing came when tentacles dropped down from behind it which made me wonder if Starlight... I shook my head. No... That was something I didn't want to think about as the thought was just horrific beyond all measure.

" Twilight... Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

Princess Twilight nodded. " You mean the tentacles coming out from behind it?"

I nodded. " What kind of a mask is this?"

" I'm not sure but you need to focus on defeating it."

" How am I supposed to fight a mask?"

" Those tentacles look to be rather sensitive given that it keeps on looking in our direction as though it doesn't want to expose its behind." Twilight answered. " I'd wager that you need to hit the mask from behind in order to knock it down to the ground where you can attack it further. With your new body, you can throw those magical attacks from your sword but I suspect they consume Magic Power so I wouldn't go overboard and fling them about without a care in the world."

" And the masks of the four bosses?"

Princess Twilight shrugged. " I honestly have no idea, Sunset, but I wouldn't ignore them entirely. There was a reason why they suddenly left you like they did so you should look at them on occasion as you focus on dealing with Majora's Mask."

Majora's Mask began flying about so right away I needed a projectile attack in order to attack it. I then swung my sword and a magical attack shot from it that collided with the mask only for it to bounce off completely to no effect. The moment that happened, something within my mind began to stir reminding me of how I often fought monsters who often protected their weak points by using either a shield or their own body. I had to get around their backsides without being blocked in the process though some required complicated strategies because of having a high level of intelligence.

As it continued flying about, I was honestly expecting it to attack me, but so far it was ignoring me as though I either didn't exist or it didn't see me as a threat. I then fired another magical attack from my sword in hopes of getting its attention and I succeeded despite the shot bouncing off its front. Majora's Mask turned to face me, its eyes glowing bright, and then it suddenly began spinning around like a tornado before flying at me using its body as a weapon. I managed to avoid getting hit by running left but then to my surprise it began following behind me--like a heat-seeking missile or a boomerang.

By the time it finally stopped spinning, I noticed that it faces its back to me before rising back up. All I needed to do was to have it attack me again and I could respond by hitting it from behind and make it crash. Majora's Mask began flying about and once again ignored my presence meaning I had to use my magical attack again to get its attention unless there were an easier way. Swinging my sword and firing my attack, it bounced off the mask before dissipating off in the distance resulting in it turning to face me. If this had to be the means of getting its attention then so be it though I couldn't keep wasting magic as it was precious.

Spinning around again, Majora's Mask then flung itself at me and this time I did a backflip to avoid getting hit, and when it turned its back to me for that brief moment, I fired another magical attack that struck it from behind, causing it to crash in a heap on the ground. Knowing there wasn't much time, I quickly ran up and struck it in the back resulting in a rather chilling scream. It eventually got back up but that scream filled me with dread like it were a premonition to something that would come in due time. So far, this battle was rather easy. No... it was too easy because aside from diving down at me, it didn't do anything else.

" I've got this weird feeling, Twilight."

" About what?"

" Something bad is going to happen."

" You sense it too?"

" Can you?"

Princess Twilight nodded. " Majora's Mask is holding back something. I can't explain it but it possesses incredible might though it's not using it against you. Either it really doesn't see you as a legitimate threat or believes it doesn't need to unleash its true power in order to kill you."

" On another note, the masks of the bosses haven't done anything."

" Better not ignore them just in case."

Before I could respond, Majora's Mask came hurdling towards me and I got knocked down onto my butt upon getting hit by it. " Yeow! Those spikes on its body are razor sharp." I looked down at my chest to see if the blow had caused me to draw blood--it hadn't--before getting back up.

" At least you didn't get caught in those tentacles."

I shuddered. " I'd rather not think about it."

" You know, you don't have to wait until the mask turns its back to you after it finishes attacking." Twilight said. " If you swing your sword and fire a magical attack at just the right time, it should strike Majora's Mask from behind. However, this can be risky because you only have so much Magic Power before it gets depleted. I've seen some pots lying around so smash them when you get the chance and see if you can get some Magic Jars."

" I should've brought along a Blue Potion at the very least." I said as I dodged another attack from Majora's Mask as it went flying by. " Had I known that this Fierce Deity form would consume so much magic with its attacks, I wouldn't have just the single Green Potion."

" Unfortunately, there's no turning back now."

" What do you mean?"

" I believe you should still have access to the Ocarina of Time." Twilight answered. " If you were to play the Song of Time right here, we'll get sent back to the beginning of the three day cycle though I don't think the Fierce Deity's Mask will come along as it wouldn't have been properly obtained. What I'm saying is that you must defeat Majora's Mask to be able to claim it properly. Using it would be nothing short of a disaster not to mention forcing us to go through that whole thing back on top of the Clock Tower again so you're stuck with what you've currently got."

I sighed. " We should have planned this better."

" How could we have known..."

Knowing now that I needed to be careful when it came to using magic, I could no longer simply get Majora's Mask's attention by flinging magic at it. No, I had to let it attack me and respond only when I had a clear shot. The mask continued flying about and for a while it chose to ignore me though it did sometimes perform fake-outs as a means of trying to get under my skin. This must have been its means of fighting... Cause its opponent to lose their patience and go in for the kill when they've exhausted themselves. Not the perfect plan as it leaves itself vulnerable to a counterattack.

After waiting for a while, it began spinning around before diving down at me, and I fired a magical attack which somehow struck it, causing it to crash into the ground. I quickly ran over and struck the front, cursing under my breath as I was supposed to hit it from behind, yet the hit still counted resulting in the same scream as before. When it was paralyzed on the ground, I could hit Majora's Mask anywhere and not be restricted to only the back. That certainly now made things less complicated but no sooner had I connected, my eyes turned towards what was happening on the walls.

The eyes of Odalwa's Mask suddenly glowed followed by it vibrating until it removed itself from the symbol it was attached to. The same thing then happened with the other three masks until they were all floating about of their own free will. I had no idea what they were doing but I quickly got an answer when Twinmold's Mask shot out an energy ball which struck me in my back causing me to drop down onto my knees. Getting back up on my feet, the others began shooting energy balls and all I could do was dodge them. I managed to succeed at first but then I started getting blasted repeatedly.

While the damage was minimal, I was still getting hit which meant losing my concentration against Majora's Mask. The masks of the four bosses were merely serving as a distraction and doing a good job of it. They needed to be taken care of so that I could focus on the main problem yet that meant using up more Magic Power. Unless I could attack them with just my sword, I had to conserve Magic Power unless I could reflect their energy balls back at them. What looked like a simple battle--from my perspective--had just gotten much worse and I still felt Majora's Mask was holding back.

Once I got back up onto my feet, I quickly began jumping all over the place to avoid getting hit any further by the energy balls. Every time I thought I was safe for a moment, I would be forced to jump again to another safe spot in the room. I was practically playing a game of dodgeball against these floating masks and they outnumbered me. Majora's Mask then spun around and dove down but before I could fire another attack from my sword, Gyorg's Mask and Goht's Mask decided to double-team me by shooting energy balls together. The dual blasts knocked me onto my butt but then Majora's Mask blindsided me.

" Those additional masks have become quite a problem, Sunset."

" I know I can shoot them down using the magic from my sword but I don't want to waste too much."

" So long as they continue shooting energy balls at you, you'll be utter defenceless."

" What do you suggest?"

" You need to get rid of them before you can focus on Majora's Mask."

" Easier said than done, Twilight."

" Not really." Twilight said. " You'll just need to take the Fierce Deity's Mask off and use arrows to knock those masks out of commission. No other projectile you have will work so it must be arrows. I know it sounds risky but if you want to conserve magic, using your bow would be the best option. Even though it told you to wear it, Majora's Mask said nothing about taking it off so don't think you're forced to remain the way you are right now."

Was I really willing to change back from being this awesome form? The power that flowed through me made me think that I didn't want to go back to being normal but I knew I had to otherwise those masks would eventually kill me if I didn't do something about them. The temptation was strong yet I was much stronger proving that I possessed the willpower to prevent myself from succumbing to the dark power within the mask. Grabbing my face, I pulled off the Fierce Deity's Mask, and flipped back my hair before taking out my bow and aiming up at the closest mask nearby--that was Goht's Mask.

Using arrows, I started shooting at it in hopes of taking it out and I was surprised that it didn't want to avoid any of them. I surmised that the four boss masks only had limited intelligence and cared only about killing me and not their own survival. It only took two arrows to defeat Goht's Mask where it burned away to nothing but then I suddenly got hit from behind by a laser beam that burned my shoulder. Whipping myself around to see where it came from, I barely noticed the eyes of Majora's Mask having changed from red back to what they were before--it was what fired the laser at me showing that it had other means of attacking.

The next mask I went after was Twinmold's Mask but before I could fire an arrow at it, I was struck from behind by the same laser again. Getting back up, I quickly jumped to the right to avoid getting hit by the laser again, yet it made me start to think about the situation. Majora's Mask didn't start using that attack until the other masks joined and isn't diving down at me like it usually did. Was it trying to protect the others? If so then they really needed to be taken out otherwise I'll never defeat it. Looking around for Twinmold's Mask and finding it floating behind me, I began firing arrows while it responded by shooting energy balls.

Both of us hit each other with our respective projectiles and as I fell onto my butt, Majora's Mask responded with another laser that burned my butt and sent me across the room until I hit the back wall. Getting up, I quickly looked around for Twinmold's Mask again and saw that it was hiding behind Gyorg's Mask. Rather than waiting for it to come out of hiding, I chose to fire arrows at both in hopes of taking them both out. Neither one offered up much resistance and I took them down with several arrows--good thing I had the largest quiver otherwise I'd have run out by now--leaving just Odalwa's Mask left along with Majora's Mask itself.

" I think you can go back to using the Fierce Deity Mask."

" I've still got one more mask left."

" True but you've taken care of the main problem."

" I guess that's true."

" Besides, you might want to conserve your arrows in case you need to use them later."

I knew that Princess Twilight felt the same way I did regarding the fact that Majora's Mask was holding back its power. I really hoped those pots scattered around the edge of this place contained arrows, Magic Jars, and anything else necessary to keep this battle going. Putting my bow away and taking out the Fierce Deity's Mask, I placed it on my face and began convulsing as my body shimmer from human to deity--that was my best guess--until I screamed before my transformation finished. As though my body were acting of its own accord, I took out my sword and swung it once against Odalwa's Mask, destroying it in one shot.

That left only Majora's Mask who fired off one last laser that struck me in the chest though I didn't get knocked down this time. It then immediately began spinning--without the other masks it no longer needed to maintain a protective stance--before diving down where I jumped to the side, turned around, and fired a magic attack that hit it from behind sending it crashing to the ground. I struck it again causing it to scream in pain yet it still wasn't defeated as it floated back up ready for more. Majora's Mask's eyes then glowed much to my surprise as it fired its laser beam that burned my chest something fierce--guess I was wrong about the whole defensive bit.

While the wound was painful, it wasn't enough to kill me. Majora's Mask then spun around again before diving, its spikes colliding with me as I was distracted by looking down at the wound that appeared on my chest, but when it turned its back, I fired another magical attack that sent it crashing to the ground. I decided to go with a jump attack this time in hopes of defeating it--I was afraid I would fire off some magic--so with a mighty leap and a swing of my sword--no magic came out--I struck Majora's Mask again but it still wasn't defeated. How much punishment can a mask even take? I mean, it should have cracked after the first strike alone.

No... I wasn't about to take any chances. Before it could get back up, I attacked Majora's Mask again with another jump attack, and this proved to be the final hit as its tentacles suddenly burst into flames. I believed this was the end of the battle only to find it strange that it was floating towards the centre of the room despite being in a critical state. My entire body then froze as I felt a great power coming from Majora's Mask, a power I knew was there deep below the surface, a power that was now coming forth. As it floated in place, the mask began shaking and that's when something unexpected happened.