//------------------------------// // Prologue: Lost At Sea. // Story: The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening. // by Ganondorf8 //------------------------------// The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening By Ganondorf8. October 23, 2019. Prologue: Lost at Sea. "What do you make of her, Tarin?" "I've never seen anyone like her before on the island." "Just looking at her makes me feel like she's fated to change our lives." "Really, Marin? That's what you see in her?" "And what's wrong with that?" "Nothin' at all!" "Then why say it like that?" "Just because you found her washed up on ta shore doesn't mean she's anythin' special. In any case, we should let her explain herself when she wakes up." "Who knows how long that will be." "At least we know she's alive." "I'm thankful for that. I mean, when I first found her on the shore, there was nothing apart from her. Could she... could she have come from beyond what we can see? If so then that reaffirms my belief that she will change our lives." "I ain't going to question you, Marin." "And why not?" "I know better not to... Hey! Well would you look at that? She's wakin' up!" "Uhhhh... my aching head." "I thought you'd never wake up! You were tossing and turning for a while before you settled back down again." "Huh? Starlight Glimmer? Why are you wearing that strange get-up?" "Starlight Glimmer? What a strange name. My name is Marin. You must still be feeling a little woozy. You are on Koholint Island!" "I'm where!?" ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I had almost forgotten about my previous experiences in the world of a video game series. However, the one thing that did remind me of those experiences continued to rear its ugly head. The Mark of the Triforce. Even now, I wished that it were only a dream, and not the reality that it was. Just when I thought I could forget about it, the mark would appear on the back of my hand, a reminder that I still had to endure whatever Ganondorf, the Demon King (As he called himself), had in store for me. In a perfect world, I'd have gladly rid myself of it, but such a world isn't possible. What made the experience worse was that I wasn't the only one. Princess Twilight Sparkle, my former teacher, also had a mark, hers representing Wisdom, one of the three forces that the Triforce comprised of. My force represented Courage, whilst the remaining one, Power, remained in Ganondorf's possession as far as I was aware. Because of this, we were bound to him through our respective pieces, a terrifying fate I wouldn't wish on anyone. Even if he possessed the Triforce in its entirety, Power was still his to command. For Her Highness and me, our lives could change at any moment. But, it had been some time since my last adventure, and much had changed in the world I now call home. My friends and I have since acquired new magical abilities through the use of geodes that we discovered during our trip to Camp Everfree. We have used this magic to combat the dangerous magic that continues to flow through the portal that connects our world to Equestria, magic that if left unchecked, could bring about disaster, and corrupt an innocent person. Unfortunately, several people had suffered such corruption, and my friends and I used our powers to save them. Juniper Montage, Wallflower Blush, Vignette Valencia, and even my favourite music band, Post Crush. Each of them came into contact with Equestrian Magic through no fault of their own, and became corrupted by it thinking it could change their lives. Even now, despite how much I've changed, I blame myself for having brought magic into a world that didn't understand how it worked. Those who were corrupted have since become friends and allies, but it could've been much different had we not stepped up to the challenge and shown them their misjudgement of handling power they didn't understand. Power... I was one to talk. The power that was inside of me, the Triforce of Courage, was one that I still couldn't figure out. I tried to pretend that I didn't possess it and continued living my life, but whenever that mark appeared on my hand, I threw myself into despair knowing fate had placed such a burden on me, one without an immediate answer. Even my friends didn't understand much about it. All they could suggest to me was to forget about it and focus on what you usually do. Easy for them to say. They aren't the ones who have to deal with the agonizing fear that Ganondorf could appear at any moment and make life miserable for you. I was surprised that the Demon King had left me alone for some time, but I couldn't become complacent about it. Every waking day, I feared that he would force me to go through yet another adventure, my life being threatened by whatever waited for me there. If there was any consolation, I did enjoy some of the more nuanced moments, like getting to use a variety of different items, or even becoming other creatures. It's not everyday that the latter happens without some serious magic involved. Aside from that, the waiting became agony, my heart pounding out of fear that I could succumb to his whims at any moment. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About a couple of weeks after the incident involving Post Crush, the holidays were upon us, and my friends and I decided to spend the weekend together at Pinkie Pie's place, or as she liked to call it, party central. Though I continued to act with caution in case Ganondorf made his presence known, this was a time where I let my guard down, and I was going to pay for my mistake soon enough. Rainbow Dash had something new she wanted to show us, but before she did, the others wanted to know about what had been happening with Princess Twilight over in Equestria. When I began telling them, their reactions weren't surprising. "No way!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, her jaw dropping. "Princess Twilight is going to become the ruler of Equestria!?" "Hoo-wee!" Applejack shouted. "I knew she was somethin' but I didn't expect that!" Rarity nodded. "Indeed. Princess Twilight always did give off the impression that she would become a fabulous queen." Her eyes then lit up and I knew straight away that she was about to go into one of her fashion tangents. "I sincerely hope that her royal gown is the stuff that only legends dream of! I simply must see it with my own eyes. You know, for inspirational purposes, and not because I wish to have a similar gown for myself." The rest of us rolled our eyes before Rainbow Dash continued. "So what did she have to do in order to become the queen?" "She'll still be a princess." I answered. "How come?" "It's an Equestria thing." "Tch! Fine! So how did she do it?" "She defeated three of the greatest threats Equestria has ever known." I answered. "From what Princess Twilight said, it was without a doubt the most difficult thing she and her friends have ever had to do. Apparently, the Lord of Chaos, Discord, wanted to test them, and by test them he brought back their greatest enemies." Applejack frowned. "That weird chaos thing you once told us about?" "Yep." "Why does Princess Twilight keep such a critter like that around?" Applejack asked. To be honest, I sometimes wondered that myself. Discord had reformed and was no longer viewed as a threat, but maybe he was given too much freedom to use his powers by Princess Celestia. Applejack then continued. "No point in gettin' worked up 'bout somethin' like that since it all worked out in the end. Still, why would a friend cause another so much misery? This Discord is more of a pest than a problem, but that's just mah opinion." Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy weren't in the room so I wasn't able to get their reaction, but then Twilight Sparkle, this world's version of Her Highness, looked to be wanting to say something for a while given her expression. Long ago, Twilight often got uncomfortable whenever we mentioned her Equestrian counterpart. She believed herself inferior but we constantly reminded her that she had her own talents that Her Highness could never hope to achieve. I guess learning that your pony counterpart has been chosen to succeed her mentor as ruler would cause you to feel inadequate. After collecting her thoughts, Twilight Sparkle finally spoke up. "You must be proud that she is going to succeed her mentor, Sunset." I nodded. "After all she's done, she deserves it." "But wasn't her mentor yours as well?" "Yeah." Twilight Sparkle then rubbed her chin. "It makes you wonder why you weren't given a chance to become the next ruler of Equestria. I mean, you are just as capable as the other me is seeing as we've all seen what you're capable of." For a moment, I felt like blushing, but the notion quickly passed. "No... Princess Twilight has done way more than I could ever hope to be. Sure, we've faced our own share of problems, but those were tame compared with what she had to deal with." "Are you saying that we're not as good?" "That's not it at all." I answered, my temperament rising as I felt all defensive. "Yes, we've dealt with magical beings, but they were usually misguided teenagers who had no idea what they were getting themselves into by using what they don't understand. Princess Twilight and her friends have faced creatures who had way more experience with Equestrian Magic and some almost conquered Equestria." I went silent for a moment before continuing. "Besides... you know that I wasn't always the best person." Rainbow Dash scoffed. "Please! That was a long time ago, Sunset!" "She's right." Applejack added. "Sure ya had a rough start but look at what you've accomplished since then. Why if Princess Twilight could, she ought ta make ya a princess. What am I sayin'? Of course she can. She'll be the ruler of Equestria and can make the rules." Twilight Sparkle nodded. "See Sunset? No need to put yourself down." If only it were as simple as that. I may have overcome my past and reconciled with Princess Celestia, but my actions back then still condemned me to not being able to become a princess despite my accomplishments since. It's not what I wanted but it was better than the alternative, being alone without anyone. I wasn't jealous of Princess Twilight being chosen to succeed both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. She had more than proven herself worthy to lead Equestria to a better tomorrow though judging from some of her comments, she was still a bit hesitant due to how big of a change it was. I wondered then if Her Highness had to deal with the other elephant in the room in her life, that of the Triforce of Wisdom. Knowing her, she was probably so fascinated by it that she wanted to conduct as much research as possible. In my mind, I hoped she was experiencing the same feelings I was, feelings of dread, and wondering when Ganondorf planned on coming after her because of the power she had. I was his main target but now he had someone else he could sway to become evil. Even if Her Highness had all the protection in the world, it wouldn't do anything against a demon whose powers were beyond mortal minds. Looking at my hand, I wished things weren't like they are. I knew Princess Twilight and I were close but I wasn't expecting it to be like this. Sometimes, I felt like fate was playing a cruel prank at our expense and loving every moment of it. I had to think of something else to take my mind off of such matters. All of this worrying wasn't doing my health any good and the same was probably true with Princess Twilight. She now had an entire kingdom to rule over in addition to surrounding kingdoms filled with creatures that even now were only beginning to understand the basic principles of what friendship was all about. A golden triangle should be the least of her worries. "Sunset..." "What is it, Twilight?" "When is the coronation?" "It was supposed to be today." "What!?" Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she and Fluttershy entered the room. "Princess Twilight is going to be crowned today!? You mean to tell me that we're going to miss perhaps the greatest party anywhere since ever!?" "Um... Pinkie Pie?" Fluttershy said, her voice being drowned out by Pinkie's. "Sunset said that the coronation was supposed to be today." "As in past tense?" Fluttershy nodded. "Yes." She then turned to face me. "Was the coronation cancelled?" I nodded. "Those three villains I told you about?" Everyone else nodded as they awaited my next words. "They ended up destroying a portion of Canterlot Castle and they need to spend several weeks if not months repairing it before they can have the coronation." "Oh my. That must be awful for Princess Twilight." "I'll say." Pinkie Pie added. "Now she can't have that huge coronation or the greatest party anywhere since ever!" "She will but I don't think she minds the delay." I said. "Have you been invited?" Fluttershy asked. I shrugged. "As far as I know, I've not been given an invitation to the coronation." My friends were shocked at this sudden revelation only for me to stop them by raising my hands and slowly shaking my head from side to side. "It's not a big deal really. I only go back to Equestria on rare occasions so it's not like I have that big of an attachment there." In my mind, I was only lying to myself as deep down I wished Her Highness would invite me to attend. "Maybe she forgot to send you an invitation?" I sighed. "Maybe." I then turned towards Twilight Sparkle. "Both you and Rainbow Dash have some attachment to Equestria since we went there during that storm back when we were on the boat. It wouldn't surprise me if you two received an invite though it might make other ponies awkward upon seeing two Twilights and two Rainbow Dashes." The next time that I decided to either write to Princess Twilight or pay her a visit to Equestria, I was going to inquire about her coronation and whether or not she invited me. At the very least, it had been delayed for a while so I had some time. It'd be nice to see Princess Celestia and Princess Luna one last time before they end up going to Silver Shoals. Why they would want to go to a retirement community was beyond me--even Her Highness was confused by their decision--but the two sisters have always been aloof with their desires. It was best to never question them on anything. It was at that point where both Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy revealed why they left the room for a while. Usually, it was Rainbow Dash who would reveal some kind of big surprise, but this time Fluttershy surprised us. I knew she was an avid video gamer but I didn't think she would take it to the next level or anything. She presented a brand new video game that had only been released a couple of weeks ago, and upon learning the name of it, my heart sank as I knew what it would ultimately mean. It was 'The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening,' and to me, it meant me experiencing another adventure. The signs were right there. As soon as the game was popped into the Nintendo Switch--the console belonged to Pinkie Pie--the Mark of the Triforce began to glow faintly on the back of my hand. My first instinct was to leave and go home, but the other insisted on me staying. Though I had told them about what happened to me, they weren't entirely convinced that I was telling the truth and believed I had imagined it or was stressed. It didn't help that they couldn't remember anything of either experience since I did run into them portraying other people. Perhaps this time nothing would happen? Sadly, things weren't going to go my way. While the others were mesmerized by the visuals, I continued looking at the back of my hand. The mark began glowing brighter but not enough for them to notice what was happening. I had hoped they'd had noticed and immediately stopped playing for my own sake. If there was anything positive here, it was that they weren't in any danger as Ganondorf had no interest in them. It also meant he couldn't use them as some kind of leverage in order to make me become his servant. Eventually, my mark glowed so bright that it made the entire room glow, but my friends were too engrossed in the game to even care. "Sunset!" Rainbow Dash shouted. "You really should take a look at this!" "Look at what?" "These awesome graphics! I mean, sure, it looks like some kind of figurine collection, but it makes it oh-so-good!" "I really think I should go." "How come?" Pinkie Pie asked. "We've only just gotten started and already you want to go?" The expression in her face was one of sadness and I knew better than anyone not to make her upset as she could make you feel guilty to your core. "Please don't go, Sunset." "But I..." "Please?" Before I could say anything, the television screen began to glow brightly. At first my friends thought someone had turned up the brightness but no one had touched the remote for some time; it was still where Pinkie Pie had left it, on top of the television. Deep down, I knew what was going on. The mark on my hand began flashing and that meant Ganondorf had decided to finally make his presence known. I tried explaining to my friends that we needed to stop playing Link's Awakening before it was too late but they continued to ignore me. It was only when a sinister laugh echoed throughout the room did they realize something was wrong. The laugh was clearly that of the Demon King and its eerie nature made me freak out. I didn't want to experience another adventure so I attempted to make a run for it only to find myself being frozen in place. Suddenly, there was a blinding flash that caused everyone to scream in a panic over what was going on. I had no idea what happened next as I couldn't utter a single sound, but I felt as though I were being pulled towards the light. Was I dying? At this point, I didn't even know. By the time the flash receded and everything was back to normal, my friends looked around to make sure everyone was okay, but they quickly realized that I was no longer in the room. "What in the hay just happened?" Applejack asked. "Did the game malfunction or something?" Rainbow Dash asked. "And what about that eerie light show?" Rarity asked. "I mean, it was simply divine, but totally unexpected." "That light was scary." Fluttershy answered. "Now I wish that I could've thrown some confetti." Pinkie Pie said glumly, her hands holding confetti that who knew where she got them from. "That bright light would have been perfect for a party. Say, maybe we can make the game do that again. I always love a do-over. Ooh! Ooh! Maybe this time we'll get some actual colour instead of white. I hope we end up getting magenta!" Twilight then noticed the obvious. "Where is Sunset Shimmer?" "She did try to leave when that laugh occurred." Rarity answered. "Guess she didn't have the nerve to stick around." Rainbow Dash added. "No." Twilight said as she shook her head. "Something had been bothering her for a while now. Ever since you revealed that video game, she began acting as though she was fearing for her life, like being here would've been a disaster." She paced around pondering over what had happened making sure not to overlook any possibilities until it sunk in. "Do you think this has to do with that story she told us about?" "About going to another world?" Applejack asked. "Yes." Twilight answered. "I mean, she already comes from another world." The others all nodded in unison upon remembering that I was originally a pony, and it was at that moment where they realized that perhaps ignoring my story had proven to be a grave error of judgement. "What if that story was real and Sunset has somehow been pulled into a video game against her own free will!? Suddenly, the television screen flashed a white light, blinding my friends, but this was only temporary, and when the light faded, a figure appeared on screen. He was wearing thick, black armour, a strange jewel was on his forehead that made Rarity swoon for only a moment, and a cruel smile was on his face. He was giving off such a strong dark aura that my friends were struggling to breathe until it subsided. My friends were looking directly at the Demon King, Ganondorf, the one who had made it his goal to make me his devoted servant. I had resisted him in the past but it was proving more difficult to avoid succumbing to his temptations. Ganondorf laughed for a few seconds before speaking in a slow voice. "The friends of the child... Those that she cares for the most. While you possess great power, it is nothing compared to the power that I wield." "And who are you?" Applejack asked. "No way!" Rainbow Dash answered. "You're Ganondorf from the Legend of Zelda! But you're just a video game character! You can't be real!" Again, Ganondorf laughed. "I am more than that, loyal one. You and your companions would know this but then you lack the memories of what transpired. Memories that the child you know as Sunset Shimmer has burned forever into her memory by me." Rainbow Dash then attempted to turn off the television only to suddenly find herself unable to move. She struggled to break free but she couldn't. Ganondorf laughed once more. "You think to be rid of me by such pathetic means? How amusing." "Where is Sunset?" Twilight asked. Ganondorf turned slightly to face her. "So... the other version of the Princess of Friendship. You may resemble that one but you lack the power that she possesses, a power that she also shares with the child. But then you possess your own power, one that is of interest to me." "You didn't answer my question." "Where else would she be?" Twilight's jaw dropped. "No... She couldn't possibly be in the video game." "And yet this is something that you have known for some time only you chose not to believe. The child put her faith in each of you and yet you failed. You left her to suffer alone though this is what I had long foreseen. The child is fated to become my loyal servant and this will come to pass." "Not on our watch!" Rainbow Dash shouted. "The six of you have your own problems to worry about." "And what does that mean?" "You will find out soon enough." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I had no idea how long I had been knocked out for. Minutes? Hours? Or maybe even longer? It was splashes of rain that woke me up and as I rubbed my head whilst trying to adjust to what happened, I was shocked to see that I was no longer in Pinkie Pie's house nor was I surrounded by my friends. I wasn't even in Canterlot anymore. As a matter of fact, I wasn't even on dry land. All around me was water, water as far as the eye could see, and as the rain continued to come down, the weather was steadily getting worse. Was I in the ocean? How in the world did I end up in the ocean!? "Hello!?" I called out. "Is anyone out there?" I don't know why I decided to call out for help given my current predicament. I guess in my mind, this was some kind of magical prank either one of my friends cast or it could be a random piece of Equestrian Magic having escaped through the portal. Looking down at my feet, I was surprised to find myself on what appeared to be a makeshift boat. At least I wasn't going to drown or anything though the continual downpour of rain wasn't doing me any good. That's when everything finally made sense. I was no longer wearing my regular clothes but a very familiar green tunic complete with brown boots. I sighed. "Not again..." There was no doubt about it now. I had been pulled into yet another Legend of Zelda video game by Ganondorf and I had no idea if anyone else from the human world or Equestria had been brought to this world against their own free will. However, I had no idea where I was as there was nothing but ocean. Looking down at the boat again, it had certainly seen better days, like it had been hastily put together without much in the way of effort. Also, who would be crazy enough to go out in the middle of a rain storm? If I was once again playing the role of the main character, they must have been incredibly reckless to want to be out in the middle of nowhere like this. Before doing anything else, I checked to see what kind of equipment I had on my person. If I was going to be exploring either Hyrule or some kind of variation of it, I needed to make sure I was properly prepared for the task. Strapped onto my back was a scabbard that contained a sword upon me pulling it out, and a shield was also strapped on in the same manner. While the sword had some serious wear and tear on it, it would do for protecting me from whatever I had to deal with. The shield looked worn but it had my name etched into it. A better shield would've been better but at least this one is mine. As I continued to look over my equipment, the storm suddenly turned for the worse. Thunder began booming and it continued to grow stronger with every boom. Judging from the condition of this boat, it wasn't going to last much longer. "Why did it have to be a storm?" I said to myself as I looked upwards at the darkening clouds. Thinking quickly, I reached for an oar to paddle myself away only there was one problem. "Where in the world is the oar on this thing!?" Crap! Why doesn't this boat have an oar? Looking around again, the boat was completely bare apart from a small piece of rope that hung from the mast. Grabbing the rope and pulling it, the boat's sail came down and opened allowing me some movement. "Well... It's better than an oar I suppose." My only option was to attempt to ride this storm out but without knowing exactly where to find land, this might prove to be a fruitless endeavour. Suddenly without warning, a massive burst of thunder came down from above, struck the boat, and blasted it to pieces. I was flung from what remained of the boat, splashing into the water, and discovering that my equipment weighed me down. I tried to take it off but to 1no avail as I got pulled underwater. I popped my head up several times in the hopes of getting myself out but my gear continued to pull me back down again. I had to ditch them or else I'd drown. Sure, it would mean losing my only means of protection but a sword and shield can easily be replaced, a life was irreplaceable. Removing my shield from my back and dropping it, it quickly sank into the water until I couldn't see it anymore. "In hindsight, I could've used it as a floatation device." Drawing my sword, I threw into the water where it sank below the waves leaving me with only what I was wearing on my back. Unfortunately, I had used up too much strength struggling to keep myself afloat, and since there was no land within the vicinity, my chances of survival were practically nil. Instead of becoming Ganondorf's servant, he had decided I wasn't worth the effort, and instead desired to kill me without any kind of bloodshed. As I got pulled down again by the water, my last thoughts were of Princess Twilight, my friends, and my world as now I couldn't do anything for them. Had my adventure ended before it had even begun? No... It couldn't end here! I had to hope that I could reach some kind of land. To Be Continued.