//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: The Forest's Secret. // Story: The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening. // by Ganondorf8 //------------------------------// The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening. By Ganondorf8. November 3, 2019 Chapter 3: The Forest's Secret. Upon his owl landing on top of a tree, Flash Sentry comforted his companion by scratching the underside of its head before turning his attention towards me. "Ho, brave lass, on your quest to wake the dreamer. It seems you have become a little bit stronger since I saw you last." "I don't have much of a choice in the matter do I?" I asked. "To leave this island, you must awaken the dreamer." "So how do I actually do that?" Flash Sentry was silent at first which lead me to suspect that he knew more than he was letting on, but he eventually addressed my question. "Your question shall receive an answer, but it is you who will discover it." That wasn't what I wanted to hear. I had hoped for a better explanation yet I supposed this was normal for me. Characters like Flash Sentry in his current capacity couldn't make things easy otherwise there would be no challenge involved. "Brave lass, welcome to the Mysterious Forest. Despite the foreboding name, this part of the island is merely the early stages." "Early stages?" "This forest shall test your resolve and you must surpass the challenge." "And what lies ahead in the future?" Again, Flash Sentry went silent which began to get on my nerves but then he said something that caught me by surprise. "There is much mystery you will find on this uncharted island wherever you go. What you discover may prove helpful or be fraught with peril. Such is your fate. As I said before, to leave this island, you must awaken the Wind Fish, but this shall prove to be no easy task. So long as the dreamer sleeps, you will find leaving the island a trifle difficult." On the one hand, it sounded like there were secrets on this island that not even he knew about. That didn't sound strange as not everyone can know everything. On the other hand, he came across as wanting to put me down despite having just gotten started on my journey. I needed positive reinforcement and not negativity especially in the early going otherwise I'd lose heart and give up. There was one thing he mentioned that didn't add up. If Koholint Island is uncharted, why does a map of it exist in the library? Someone had to have created it by exploring every square inch. Huh... Princess Twilight's initial suspicions were starting to make sense now. "You told me to come here for a reason." I said in an attempt to steer the subject towards something that would prove useful. "Since I'm at the entrance to this forest, I have fulfilled your obligation and that means I'm free to go anywhere from here." "The many paths ahead will block you unless you have the necessary items or knowledge." "Is there such an item in the forest?" Flash Sentry nodded. "There is something. Before I tell you, I must ask a question. Have you ever visited the Tail Cave, which is south of the village?" I did recall a sign that pointed in the direction of such a place. I hadn't been there since I was compelled to go to the beach but it sounded like I had to check it out since he just brought it up. Besides, I wouldn't have gotten far due to lacking a sword. While a shield would've protected me, not having a sword would've complicated things, and I was certain that some kind of barrier would've kept me from exploring this Tail Cave regardless of my current equipment. A part of me wanted to go and see the cave but I needed to focus on finding Sunburst as he might have additional information. I then shook my head. "To be honest, I didn't go there as I lacked the means to fight off any monsters." "That is understandable." "Once I've finished my errands here, I'll be sure to go and check out this Tail Cave." "You cannot go into the cave just yet." "And why not?" "There is a key hidden somewhere in this forest that will open the way to the Tail Cave." Flash Sentry answered. He pointed towards something off in the distance that I clearly couldn't see due to my being on the ground but it looked like I had to cross this entire forest in order to reach it. "Finding the key is easy but reaching it is another. You need to use magical prowess, a skill not many can learn and remove that which blocks your path." "Magic is a specialty of mine." "If you know what you are looking for, getting the key will become an easier task. The Wind Fish is watching..." With that, Flash Sentry said a few words in silence to his owl, and the mighty creature took to the sky leaving me and Princess Twilight to contemplate all he had said. In some ways, he was being really cryptic, but he was also pretty straight forward. Had it not been for Discord giving me advice when he did, I'd probably be stuck running around this forest like I were blindfolded. Magic would be my means of getting the key and that involved speaking to a witch about some Magic Powder according to Discord. I needed Sunburst's help to find a toadstool as he was practically an expert on the subject. Magic... In my first adventure, I was capable of using fire magic what with my fiery temperament, but then that magic was slowly fazed out in favour of using magic that was native to its world and because I had to use it. During my second adventure, I used magic whilst being different creatures (A huge part of me still missed that fact and wished I had been able to keep some aspect of that power). This time around, I had no idea what was in store for me in terms of magic. I wasn't expecting anything ground-breaking but perhaps a few basic spells would suffice. Princess Twilight then bopped me on the head to snap me out of my daydream (It wasn't much of a bop as it was a flick that barely registered with me), something I had a tendency to do whenever I was in deep thought, and I walked forward into the Mysterious Forest where everything suddenly became dark as though a huge shadow hung over the location, every nook and cranny draped with a veiled shadow. A place this dark was an ideal one for toadstools (Fungi loved growing in areas where there was little light as possible) and why Sunburst came here frequently to pick them up. Walking forward, Her Highness stopped me upon seeing a blue pig-like creature wielding a spear. It wasn't attacking me which made me wonder if it was either waiting for me to make the first move or it had incredibly poor eyesight. She said that this was a Moblin, a monster that lived in the forest that threw spears to attack anything that enters its territory. It wasn't very strong but those spears could prove problematic if it continued throwing them at me. Fortunately, its lack of a shield meant it was defenseless from being attacked. Before the Moblin had a chance to do anything, I dashed forward, swung my sword a couple of times, and defeated the creature where it left behind a green rupee. Picking it up, I went deeper into the forest and chanced upon two more Moblins patrolling about. One of them was oblivious to my presence so I attacked it from behind before it even knew what was happening (I wasn't fond of using such deceitful methods), the other began throwing spears though my shield rendered its attacks moot as the spears harmlessly bounced off it. In-between throwing volleys, I swung my sword twice and defeated it leaving me free to go wherever I wanted. Flash Sentry's words then rang out in my head. This was the easy stage of my journey and that meant these Moblins were nothing compared to what lay ahead. Heading south and defeating another Moblin, I came across a boulder that was blocking a narrow path between two trees. I then tried the direct approach which involved attempting to push the boulder out of the way. As one might expect, it proved to be an impossible feat. "Ugh! This thing won't budge!" "Looks like you don't have the strength to move it." Princess Twilight said. I moaned. "Why couldn't I have kept that Goron Mask!?" "Not in this adventure, Sunset." "I know..." "Looks like we'll have to come back here later once you have the means to lift that boulder." "What about using some kind of explosive?" Princess Twilight then took a closer look at the boulder before shaking her head. "Without any cracks in it, I don't see an explosive being able to break this apart. Don't be discouraged just because you can't deal with this, Sunset. We've just started this journey so not everything is going to be available straight away. Like Flash Sentry said, once you have the necessary items and knowledge, what once blocked you will become accessible." I sighed. "I suppose you're right." "Things will get better once you start finding items." Heading back the way I came and turning right, I walked forward, defeated yet another Moblin from behind where it dropped another rupee, and came upon a tree trunk laying on its side, the opening exposing a dark passage that went into mountainous terrain. A sign nearby said that I needed to 'Beware of floors with cracks! Don't get too comfortable on them!' With this heavy equipment on my person, the warning from this sign was to be taken seriously. I had no idea what would happen if I were to fall down into a hole but I honestly didn't want to know if I could avoid it. Walking into the tree trunk and entering a cave, there were more boulders lying about including the aforementioned cracks in the floor. There was even shards of dark crystals scattered about which made me wonder if my sword could even shatter them. If not then I would have one broken blade without a means of getting it fixed. Princess Twilight then told me of the bat monsters known as Keese. They weren't very threatening but they enjoyed flying into their victims to annoy them. I could either strike them with a single sword swing or just take the damage and ignore them. On the subject of the boulders, Her Highness said that these weren't as heavy as the other one we saw so I could push them about with ease. As for the dark crystals, they seemed to be a decorative feature rather than anything expensive. A shame really. If Rarity were here, she'd have been devastated to know that the crystals weren't worth much. It also meant that shattering them was well within reason. One of the Keese then bumped into me and I responded with a simple sword swing, destroying it though it dropped its rupee into the abyss below leaving me disheartened that it couldn't be added to my collection. Destroying the remaining Keese before they could hit me, I shattered the dark crystals to pieces (It felt like they were made of glass instead of crystal) and that's when my heart jumped upon seeing a treasure chest. This could be my lucky day but it depended on what kind of payout I would get. I was also fortunate that the floor didn't buckle under my weight (I'm not that heavy) but I needed to claim my prize and not stick around to find out. I pushed the boulder blocking the chest aside, opened it, and took out a purple rupee. It was bigger than the previous ones so it must have been worth something. "Twilight, do you know what this is valued at?" "A purple rupee is worth fifty rupees!" A smile beamed across my face. "Now that's more like it." "I'm sure that other treasure chests throughout this island will have similar rewards." "I sure hope so." "You sound like you're obsessed with collecting rupees." "Do you remember what happened on our last adventure?" Princess Twilight vaguely nodded, her memory of those events being as hazy as mine. "You needed to spend a lot of money in order to acquire a mask for one thing, some bags, and even saving up at a bank." It took several moments for her to realize where I was going with this. "I see what you mean now. You're not greedy but rather you need plenty of money as something is bound to be expensive later on. Okay, I got it." "Having over seventy rupees is a start but it's not even close." Pocketing the purple rupee, I kept on moving deeper into the cave to see where it would lead, and was immediately attacked by two green blobs that had eyes. Princess Twilight revealed these as Zols, gel-like monsters that bounce around after surprising their victims by popping up from the ground. She also mentioned that some Zols liked to hide in treasure chests to trick an unwary adventurer. I shuddered over the idea of opening a chest with one of these things jumping out instead of a rupee or some other item. Swinging my sword cut both down without issue which made me think things were a little too easy. The last section of the cave featured more boulders for me to push including some skulls of creatures I had no idea what they once were. The skulls looked denser in mass so moving them right now was a no-go. A shame really as I could see a giant heart glowing behind some boulders at the end of the room. At least I didn't have to push any boulders to progress but I really wanted the heart as it would make me feel better. Speaking of feeling better, I noticed that Princess Twilight had a particular look on her face, one I was familiar with what with having known her for so long. She had that 'Twilighting' look. "Want to talk about it for a few minutes?" Princess Twilight nodded. "I'm still nervous about becoming the ruler of Equestria." "Why should you be?" I asked, surprised by her revelation. "I thought you'd be excited about carrying on Princess Celestia and Princess Luna's legacy. I know it's a huge change for you, Twilight, but it's one that only you can do. I originally was being groomed to one day be a princess but we both know how they turned out. Besides, from what you told me, your accomplishments are the stuff of legends." "But to rule on my own without my friends?" "That is a sticking point." "A part of me wishes that I could make them all alicorns so that they could rule by my side." I rolled my eyes. "You do know that isn't how it works, right Twilight?" Princess Twilight sighed. "I know, but sometimes I wish that I didn't have to say good-bye to my friends. They all have their roots in Ponyville and are probably going to be living there for the foreseeable future. Me? Canterlot is going to be my home for the rest of my days." "You could always move the capital to Ponyville." "What!?" Princess Twilight began beating the part of her chest where her heart was and looked like she was about to have a panic attack. "Are you crazy!? We can't relocate the capital from Canterlot to Ponyville. That would upend over 1,000 years of tradition not to mention Canterlot ponies rioting." She then calmed down and began to think about my suggestion on a more logical basis. "I am surprised no one ever considered that, Sunset, but it's something I don't think anyone in Equestria would like. Had it happened say a few centuries ago, it wouldn't be as controversial a decision as it is now." "You can always visit Ponyville for celebrations and vacations." "Assuming I'll get any." "As the Ruler of Equestria, you get to make such decisions." "Good point." "That doesn't mean you can take advantage of your newfound authority." "And what about my friends." "Talk to them." I said in a calming voice. "Let them know how you feel about the whole thing. I would suggest doing so sooner rather than later otherwise you're going to wind up regretting it and become just like me." I paused to collect my thoughts before continuing. "I don't want you to make the kinds of mistakes I made, Twilight. Trust me. Take my experience and get things off of your chest as soon as you can. Besides, you've got plenty of time as the coronation won't be until they fix up the castle. Your friends are going through the same thing you are and are fearing change." "Wow... Since when have you ever been a sage?" "You taught me humility." Seeing Princess Twilight smile made me feel good about myself, but when she dove into my chest to give me a hug (As best as she could given her small size), I felt even better despite having my own problems. I was still worried about what Ganondorf planned on putting me through but that wasn't important compared to Her Highness having to face the biggest test of her life. She had this but just needed some reassurance from a friend. Speaking of Ganondorf... I had to wonder what he planned for Princess Twilight. What about my friends? I assumed they were safe from him since he wanted the two of us, but you never could tell with him. I had every intention of bringing up discussions like this with Princess Twilight every now and again. It would help her become more confident about becoming Equestria's next ruler without having to be put through a ridiculous trial. (I still couldn't believe Discord brought back four villains and pretended to be a fifth without properly thinking things through first and believing everything was under control) I also needed to discuss with her my own problems involving Ganondorf. I assumed she knew about the Triforce of Wisdom she possessed and has taken it in well compared to me. Leaving the cave, I quickly raised my shield to defend myself from another Moblin. This one had a sword and shield which meant spears weren't their only means of attacking though it clearly wasn't very good at using both. It kept on stabbing its sword against my shield repeatedly to no avail so I pushed my own shield forward to parry its blow causing it to reel back and be completely defenseless. Before the Moblin could recover, I swung at it twice, defeated it, and it left behind a rupee which I picked up. These sword and shield Moblins were a bit more cunning what with them holding shields but not by much. Princess Twilight bopped me on the head to get my attention. "Sunset! Look over there!" I looked in the direction she was pointing in and was surprised to find a toadstool lying on the ground. Her Highness became ecstatic. "We need one of those for the witch so we should take it! But, I wonder where Sunburst could be?" "We haven't seen him so far." "I don't know how he could've slipped by all those Moblins." "I'm sure he found a way." I said as I walked over to the toadstool and picked it up. The smell coming from it flared through my nose and it felt pleasant. Even Her Highness felt at peace upon smelling the scent coming from this thing. No doubt that it contained magical properties as toadstools were usually more deformed looking with many strains being poisonous to both the touch and taste. "Better take extra care so that it doesn't get damaged along the way." I thought of using a leaf to cover it up but that could weaken the potency so instead I placed it carefully in my pocket making sure it wasn't in the way of my sword arm. "Now we need to find this witch Discord mentioned." "I wish he had given us an exact location." "Even in this world, Discord has to speak in riddles." Princess Twilight said as she chuckled. "I have a hunch she lives on the other side of the forest. Only way to find out for certain is to get through to the other end. Just be careful of the Moblins, Sunset. Fight them one at a time otherwise you'll get swarmed." Moving forward and defeating a Moblin with a spear, I cut down a bush blocking the way onward only to discover that the way was blocked by a hole in the ground. I tried to jump across only to find myself unable to. It seemed the strange force was preventing me from performing even a small hop let along a jump. This meant I had to perform some backtracking, the one thing I truly despised. I knew it would happen but I had hoped it would've been much later on. Grumbling under my breath so Princess Twilight couldn't hear my cursing, I walked back and re-entered the cave. (In retrospect, I did save myself some time) It didn't take too long for me to go back through the cave. Since I was in a foul mood, I took out my aggression on the two Zols that had since re-spawned along with the Keese which had done the same thing. My temperament had always been my biggest weakness. Even the tiniest of issues would cause me to lash out against anyone who happened to get caught in the crossfire. Was I proud of it? Not in the least. Even now, I still have trouble keeping it under control. Perhaps I should take lessons on keeping calm from Tree Hugger in Equestria or maybe from Princess Cadance if I happen to pay a visit to the Crystal Empire. Exiting the cave, I took care of the Moblin, turned right and headed north, only to get stuck by another Moblin with a sword and shield. This one managed to catch my by surprise since I was still in a foul mood. It's blow snapped me out of it (I have to keep tabs on my health as I've taken some damage) prompting me to bash my own shield against it, and quickly striking it with my sword. To further calm down, I began looking around at the forest surroundings. Despite the monsters all over the place, I felt at peace, like I was back in Equestria frolicking about. Princess Twilight then stopped me again. "The Red Zol is different from the other one." "Huh!?" I exclaimed having been caught daydreaming again. In front of us was another tree stump on its side, but this one was surrounded by three boulders and since I couldn't push them around, that way wasn't possible. As for the Red Zol, there were two bouncing around and apart from the colour, they looked exactly like the other ones from the cave. "When you hit Red Zols, they split into two smaller pieces called Gels." "How strong are Gels?" "Very weak." Princess Twilight answered. "Gels are a bit harder to hit because of their smaller size. Aside from that, you should have no problems beating them. One thing you should take note is that they have a tendency to group up with other monsters which can really be overwhelming." The Red Zols hopped towards me and I slashed them both with my sword. As Her Highness mentioned, they separated into two Gels giving me four to deal with so I took them all out though they left no rewards behind. To the left of the tree was a path that lead towards another treasure chest but the path to it was blocked by another hole. (There was a second hole right by it hidden by the upper ridge. I had no choice but find another way to reach it. The other direction looked like it eventually opened out into a plan which meant I had found an exit but without the key Flash Sentry mentioned, leaving wasn't an option. Heading back the way I came, I eventually discovered a path forward that I didn't take previously. It was blocked by two Moblins with spears so I quickly dispatched them though one dropped what appeared to be an acorn. It sure didn't look edible since it was pulsating with a faint blue light but something about it made me want to pick it up. "What do you suppose I should do with it, Twilight?" "That's a Guardian Acorn." "Guardian Acorn?" "Yes." Princess Twilight nodded. "If you pick it up, your defence will increase for a short period of time until it wears off or you take too much damage. Considering you've taken some damage in this forest, you could do the extra protection. I don't mean to disrespect your fighting prowess, Sunset, but those wounds do need attending." "I should cut down grass for hearts." "I remember that from the last adventure." "At least that is etched into my memory." Picking up the acorn, I immediately felt its effects kicking in. While part of me wanted to find a huge group of monsters and battled them with my improved defence, my brain knew better since its effects were only temporary. As for the grass, I did the typical hack and slash maneuver that any adventurer would do resulting in one Recovery Heart which I picked up. Hearts were essentially my lifeforce so increasing my health was absolutely essential for maximum survival. My ears then heard the sound of someone or something hitting a drum just up ahead so I walked forward to come across a raccoon. "Strange place to see a raccoon." Princess Twilight said as she observed it beating its belly--the source of the drumming sound. "I don't know why but there's something about it that makes me feel uneasy. I suggest being cautious around it in case it tries anything funny." I approached the raccoon and began a conversation. "Hello there." The raccoon stopped beating its belly. "You are a strange one aren't ya?" "I can say the same about you." "I see that you have a toadstool in your possession." The raccoon said, eyeing my pocket. "You found it fair and square so I won't ask you to give it to me or anything. Many toadstools are hidden in this forest so only someone with a powerful nose can find them. My nose fits that description as does yours. As a raccoon, my nose is verrry sensitive ta stuff like dust and powder." "Is that so?" The raccoon nodded. "If I were to take a whiff of powder, who knows what might happen." "By the way, I'm looking for a key." "A key you say?" The raccoon asked, its head tilted to one side. "I have a seen a key not far from here but I don't think you will be able to get it." It then pointed forward towards something off in the distance that looked like the treasure chest I saw from before. "If you try to get it, you'll only end up getting lost. Why? Because I am going to make it so. Sorry, but that's just within my nature. If you don't believe me, just try and go for that key." Despite the slight intimidation, I wasn't about to let a raccoon get the best of me. Besides, if this was some kind of trick, I might as well spring it because if I don't, I'll never stop thinking about it. Walking past the raccoon and towards the treasure chest, it suddenly disappeared and I found myself in another section of the forest. Princess Twilight was afraid that I was going to completely lose it but I remained relatively calm. I was expecting something like to happen. After all, it's happened during my previous adventures even if I couldn't remember what exactly happened. "That was unfortunate." Princess Twilight said. "It was inevitable." "I'm amazed that you didn't lose your temper that time." "I had to trigger that raccoon's threat otherwise I'd have been worrying about it." "So where do we go from here?" "I say we go back to where we saw that other tree was blocked by the three boulders and see what lies on the other side of the forest." "We never did find Sunburst." I gulped. I'd rather not think about the alternative if that was indeed the case. "I'm sure he's somewhere in this forest. For now, we should focus on finding our way out and hopefully run into him along the way." Walking forward, I came across a small pond filled with flowers, but it was the person standing there who took me by surprise. "What!? Adagio!? What are you doing here!? Sure enough, Adagio Dazzle, leader of the Dazzlings, was floating in front of me dressed in a blue gown and with a pair of butterfly wings on her back. "Didn't you say that she and the other Dazzlings had adjusted to living in your world?" I nodded. "They still have some resentment but are generally harmless." Princess Twilight then remembered that this wasn't exactly Adagio. "Sunset... This must be a Great Fairy of some kind since she is bigger than me. I am surprised that she is just standing out here in such a strange place but who am I to judge her. Remember that those we meet on this island may look like those we know but they aren't them. If Adagio is here, the other two are probably somewhere close by." "Shall I talk to her?" "I think you should." Adagio decided to start the conversation first. "You are the first person to have come here to see me for a very long time." She smiled a smile that was so gentle that it made me feel mesmerized towards her. "Come closer to me little one and let me heal your wounds for you." I walked forward without hesitation and Adagio closed her eyes before mumbling some words which made me feel much better. "You need not be afraid. I am the Queen Fairy! This is but one of many of my fairy fountains scattered throughout this island. Whenever you see one, please stop by and I will do all I can to help." "Do you know anything about a key?" Adagio nodded. "Some time ago, a precious key was locked inside of a treasure chest to prevent anyone from gaining access to a cave south of the village. To further strengthen the protection of the key, a powerful magic was cast that affects those who come to this forest on regular intervals." "Do you know what that magic is?" "It is a magic beyond my understanding but I can tell you what little I know." Adagio said. Cupping her hands together and flapping her wings rapidly, an image of the raccoon I met earlier appeared in her hands. "This creature is the source of the magic that prevents you from reaching the key you seek." "It said something about being sensitive to powder." "I believe you have the means to acquire the key." Adagio pointed at my pocket that contained the toadstool. "You were also told by another from the village on what must be done with the object in question. All pieces are in play, little one, so now you must put them all together. I have no further information to provide as you now know everything. Before you go, allow me to heal you of your wounds. You have taken some damage from the creatures of the forest and you must be prepared for what comes next. Little fairy..." She then turned her attention towards Princess Twilight. "Continue to guide her along her journey." "I will." Princess Twilight said. "Should you become wounded again, I will gladly heal you." Raising her hands, Adagio then mumbled a few words and I was suddenly covered in a veil of light. Just like that, my remaining wounds disappeared and the fatigue of having done so much walking lifted off of me like a weight had been on my shoulders. Her work complete, Adagio disappeared leaving me to wonder when I would meet her again. Despite her true self being bitter about not having magic, at least I could take solace knowing that she was on my side on this island. I was also curious about Aria and Sonata since all three Dazzlings were never apart despite their hostility towards each other. Surely I'd eventually meet them. Heading to the left, I was back in a familiar area of the forest as the south lead back to the tree I used to get to the toadstool (This is why I needed a map as well as Princess Twilight as getting lost was already becoming problematic) so now I could go north. There were no monsters in my path since I had already taken of them prior so finding my way out of the forest was simply a matter of time. Walking north and coming across the tree blocked on all sides by the boulders, I turned right only to have a spear strike me in the leg. Luckily, I didn't bleed but the pain I felt was excruciating. Grabbing the spear and pulling it out, I confronted the Moblin that threw it, struck it twice, and defeated it where it dropped a recovery heart. Okay, that was an insult to injury on my part but I didn't decide what monster would drop what upon defeat. There was another Moblin nearby with a spear but looking the other way. Creeping up behind it, I swung quickly and defeated it before moving on where the dark shadow suddenly lifted indicating I had finally left the Mysterious Forest. I felt unaccomplished since the key was still back there and Sunburst still remained unaccounted for. "There's another giant heart over there." I announced. "And it's surrounded by more holes... typical! Ugh!" "Guess you'll have to come back for that as well sometime." I grumbled under my breath before sighing. "Where do you suppose we are?" "According to the map that we saw back in the library, we are in Koholint Prairie, an area that connects to many other places." Princess Twilight answered. She glossed over me which made me uncomfortable before continuing. "With your current status, a lot of places will be inaccessible." She pointed towards more of the heavy boulders we encountered back in the forest that were blocking one route and another blocking the way south. " "This is why I don't like starting out on these adventures." "Everyone has to start out with just the basics." "Even you?" Princess Twilight nodded. "I'm just a fairy who provides you with information and can fly about. In my current form, I can't fight monsters like you can nor can I wield powerful items, traverse all manner of terrain and so on. It doesn't bother me at all though since I get to see those experiences through you. Things are annoying right now but once you progress far enough and collect some items, this island will practically open itself up to you. It all depends on when you find them. By the way, watch out for the Buzz Blob walking along." "The what?" "The Buzz Blob." Princess Twilight answered, pointing towards a green blob walking about on two feet. "You need to be careful with this one, Sunset. If you strike it with your sword, you will receive an electric shock thanks to its unusual defence. In fact, any physical contact will cause this reaction. If you use magic against it, it will transform into a Cukeman, a really bizarre creature that you can communicate with. The words it says don't make much sense so it's best not to take them seriously. A Cukeman lacks the electrical mechanism of its counterpart so it can be attacked but then you wouldn't want to given what it is and all." "Too bad I don't have magic." "No, but the witch will change that." "Good point." "Buzz Blobs aren't native to this part of the island so the one here can be viewed as rare even for its kind." Taking Her Highness' advice to heart, I walked towards the Buzz Blob where its body suddenly crackled with electricity. Since it wasn't very fast or have much intellect, I walked past it and kept on going until I approached two scary looking trees and what I assumed was a house nestled behind them. A horned skull above the entrance didn't make the place feel welcoming along with the fact it was also a tree, but since I couldn't go anywhere else, I couldn't really choose to be picky right about now. I could sense magic emanating from within so perhaps the witch lived here. Entering the house, it turned out to be a pretty scary sight. A large assortment of knick-knacks were stacked at the back of the room and had a definite witch vibe to them. (I could see a skull, a spellbook, a crystal ball, a broom, etc.)There were also numerous pots, two torches, and a cauldron filled with blue liquid. What kind of liquid? It was probably best for me not to find out given who lived here. Speaking of whom, I had a sneaking suspicion that the witch was none other than Trixie. Considering how she dressed up and even had her own stage show, her being here was pretty much a given. According to Princess Twilight, the Trixie of Equestria had become a much better pony much like how her human counterpart had. The pony Trixie helped to save Equestria from the likes of Queen Chrysalis and was even made Student Guidance Councillor at Her Highness' School of Friendship. Guess you could say her travelling magic show was now permanently retired unless she was allowed to perform some special shows. As for the human Trixie, she was my one ally when everyone else lost their memories of me thanks to the Memory Stone and is now one of my closest friends. Trixie had been stirring the liquid in the cauldron when she looked up to spot me. "Ah, someone has managed to make their way through the forest. You are the first one to do so who isn't the one who loves toadstools. That one comes here sometimes with toadstools for me he does. As a witch, we enjoy brewing all kinds of potions but those require ingredients that are hard to find for us they are." "How good would you say your potions are?" I asked. "On this island, our potions are the best they are." Trixie answered. She then paused for a moment which made me think I had somehow offended her, but then she pointed to a blurry picture hanging behind the skull. "Crazy Tracey, my student she is, has her own magical shop she does. Should you pay her a visit, satisfied with the results you will. However, to reach her requires having strength beyond your own limitation it does." "Do you know where I can find something like that?" "I do indeed." Trixie answered as she nodded several times. "Strength you need can be found in a cave in the swamp northeast of the forest it is but the strange flowers there will block any progression they will. Unless you have something to remove them, your prize will remain out of your reach it shall." Some of her word choices were a little confusing but I was beginning to understand what she was getting at. "Double, double, toil and trouble! Cauldron burn and cauldron bubble." Trixie resumed stirring the cauldron using her broom though did she seriously say such a corny line like that? "Now what do I do?" I whispered to Princess Twilight. "She mentioned toadstools earlier so why not bring it to her attention." Princess Twilight whispered back. Just as I was about to reach for the toadstool, Trixie looked up at me again. *Sniff* *Sniff* "There is something it has on its person it does. Such a magnificent aroma. Could it be what I need for my potion?" Why was she suddenly calling me as an 'it'? I had a gender you know! I then took out the toadstool which took her by surprise. "Ahh... it has the sleepy toadstool, it does. You went and brought us an ideal ingredient you did." "Here you go." I said as I handed it over to her. Trixie then dropped the toadstool into the cauldron. "Now we can work our magic. We'll mix up something in a jiffy, we will!" She then began stirring at a ridiculously fast pace like she were obsessed before coming to a stop when smoke billowed forth from the cauldron causing me to cough. When it cleared up, Trixie was holding a bag of what I assumed was the result of my giving her the toadstool. "Our magic has now been crafted it has. It is surprised by what has transpired." She then handed it over to me. "It's all ready it is! Take care as there's not much there. Why not try using a bit in my hut?" Noticing that one of the torches in the hut wasn't lit up, I shook the bag over the unlit torch which caused some powder to come out of it and ignite it, setting it on fire and making things more brighter. "Wow... So this is Magic Powder?" Trixie cackled. "It is happy with the gift it is." "This is exactly what I need to deal with a certain raccoon." "If you run out of powder, you will need to bring us another toadstool, you will." Trixie said as she resumed stirring again. "There is enough powder for twenty uses but increase the capacity is possible it is. Seek out the Mad Batter you must. Increase the amount of powder he can. His location remains unknown so find him on your own you will have to. What it has now can summon the Mad Batter so use our magic powder carefully it should." Thanking Trixie for both the advice and the Magic Powder, I left her hut with my first item of this adventure that wasn't a sword or a shield. This Mad Batter, according to Trixie, was someone I needed to find as soon as possible. A shame she didn't know where he was and I doubted Discord would know either. Princess Twilight said that she would memorize this information for future use since I had to focus on progressing with this journey. With the Magic Powder, I had to get back to that raccoon and use it on him. Groaning, it meant backtracking back to where he was. Fortunately, it wasn't that far. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Those flames of yours can't possibly be real!" Twilight Sparkle shouted. "If you doubt their existence then perhaps you should try to open that door which has now been coated in dark flames." Ganondorf said. He quietly laughed under his breath as he continued to make my friends uneasy over what was happening. "Well? What will you do, magical one? Do you doubt your own senses? Perhaps what you see is but an illusion or perhaps it is real and that you are grasped by fear." Twilight gulped and decided to reach out for the door handle. Just as she was about to touch it, Rainbow Dash managed to swat her hand away just in time. "Are you crazy!? He wanted you to do that on purpose!" "I wanted to know if the flames were real." "Of course they're real!" "Then why can't we feel the heat from the flames? Unless..." Twilight then quickly realized what Ganondorf was attempting to do. He was trying to sow the seeds of doubt in her mind and make her question both herself and how she stacked up against Her Highness. Closing her eyes and concentrating, she felt the dark flames warmth and she backed away from the door knowing what they really were. "Those flames don't just burn flesh. They also burn your soul!" Ganondorf laughed. "The loyal one showed you the truth, magical one, just as I knew she would. Yes... Your power may not be as strong as what your counterparts possess, but it still remains a factor that could prove most lucrative." "You know of our magic?" Rarity asked. "The magic you possess is ancient in origin." "Um... It is?" Fluttershy asked. "Neither Sunset or Princess Twilight ever mentioned that to us." Pinkie Pie added. "It seems both the child and the alicorn neglected to educate you on the origins of your power. How amusing." Ganondorf said. "Either that or they were afraid that learning the truth would be too much for you to comprehend. I shall tell you as the thought amuses me." He paused for a moment before using his own magic to create an image of the Tree of Harmony but in its infancy. My friends were immediately astounded by what he had presented. "Your magic is ancient. It is a force that existed over 1,000 years ago. Such magic was created by those who left behind a legacy that endured and became so much more." "Our magic..." Twilight tried to speak. "Your counterparts inherited this magic and used it on those who stood against them." "Why are y'all revealing such information to us?" Applejack asked. "Reckon a villain like you would rather destroy our magic along with us instead of givin' us a history lesson on somethin' we oughta have known 'bout." "The child..." Ganondorf began. "It was she who brought your power into this world. I need not explain that story as it is one that you are all familiar with, but, the source of your power, its true form, no longer exists. That power has been snuffed out, never to return. Those who created it bare great anguish, those who wielded them, sorrow filled their hearts. And yet, you all now possess its remnants." With a flick of his hand, the image disappeared and was replaced with a destroyed Tree of Harmony. "While its essence was reborn anew, its ancient magic is gone..." "No wonder Sunset and Princess Twilight didn't want to talk about it." Rarity said. "The other me especially." Twilight added. "And that now brings me to the six of you." Ganondorf said. "Now don't y'all try anythin' funny." Applejack said. "We may not have the original Elements of Harmony but we can still utilize powerful magic." Pinkie Pie said. "Um... Don't we kind of need Sunset to make it work?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Even if you had the child with you, your efforts would be for naught." Ganondorf answered. "Your magical prowess has improved exponentially since you first acquired it and shows no sign of stopping. But, such magic is nothing but a speck compared to my power! My power has existed for eons! To attempt to fight me would result in death! Ah, but you already knew that, laughing one, thus your bravado loses all its strength. Your magic is precious... to precious for you. It deserves one with far greater power to use it to its full capacity. I can turn your magic into a force no one can oppose." "Say what now?" Applejack asked. "Before we all delve into that little detail, there is one other thing to deal with first." "Um... And what is that?" Fluttershy nervously asked. "You know some aspects of me, loyal one." Ganondorf answered as he turned his attention towards Rainbow Dash. "Yet there is much that is beyond your knowledge. The child had tried many times to tell you but her efforts were in vain because of ignorance amongst you all. Darkness... hatred... malice... I represent the purity of evil, the force most desire even if they were to deny such tendencies. Once you understand... You will wish that you had listened to the child. She needed you... those she trusts more than any other... those who turned a blind eye and allowed her to suffer alone." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ On my way back to where I saw the raccoon, I decided to try out the Magic Powder on the Buzz Blob outside of Trixie's house to see what would happen. As Princess Twilight said, it changed into a Cukeman and lost its electrical power. Despite Her Highness saying not to bother, I chose to talk to the Cukeman anyway. Some things it said was nonsense but there were some things that proved informative such as: 'Now that I have lips, I fantasize about playing one of this island's songs on a flute. There are three HOT local hits!' It also mentioned that all three songs possessed magic. If that was the case, obtaining this flute was necessary. Back in the forest, I made my way through the various Moblins and Red Zols, defeating any that got in my way and avoiding others, and after what felt like several hours (It was actually more like fifteen minutes at the most), I was back where I had been forced away from the treasure chest by the raccoon. It was still beating its belly like before and when I approached it, it repeated what it said about its nose. Taking out the Magic Powder from my pocket, I sprinkled some on it and it began spinning in place before bouncing around like a pinball. After a while, the raccoon vanished in a puff of smoke only to be replaced by Sunburst. "He was the raccoon!?" I exclaimed. "I wonder how that happened?" Princess Twilight asked. "I might as well ask him." I said. I waited for Sunburst to regain his composure before talking to him. "Are you okay?" Sunburst looked in all directions before addressing me. "Oh, it's you Sunset Shimmer! What am I doing here?" "That's what we'd like to know." "My memory is a tad hazy." Sunburst said as he rubbed his head. "The last thing I kin remember was bitin' into a big, juicy toadstool. I just couldn't help myself! I love toadstools so much that the temptation was too strong for me ta ignore. After that, everything went black and the next thing I knew, I was right here talkin' with ya." He still looked pretty out of it but I knew he would be okay. "Reckon I had the darndest dream... I was a raccoon." Yeah, it sounds strange but it was fun." "Will you be okay?" Sunburst nodded. "I just need to rest here fer a few minutes and then I'll go back to the village." "Sunset!" Princess Twilight began. "The path to that treasure chest is now accessible." "At last, some progress!" I said to myself. I turned back to Sunburst. "I guess we'll see you in the village sometime." "Reckon you're right about that." Sunburst said. "I don't know if Marin's gonna be mad with me since I don't know how long it's been, but I'm sure I can come up with an excuse that she'd believe in. As for me and toadstools... maybe it's fer the best that I don't eat them off the ground again and instead cook them properly upon gettin' home. *Sigh* Toadstools are my weakness by the looks of it. Anyway, you take care of yerself, Sunset Shimmer. Those monsters have gotten more angry than before." Leaving Sunburst behind as he wanted, I walked forward and reached the treasure chest which had eluded me for so long. Cutting a bush in front of it, I opened the chest and took out a key that had some kind of weird green creature on it complete with large eyes and a tail. On the side of the key, the words 'Tail Key' were inscribed, indicating that this was what I needed to open up the Tail Cave south of the village. At that moment, a hooting sound echoed around me and upon looking up, the owl belonging to Flash Sentry landed on a nearby tree with him looking down on me. "I see you have succeeded in acquiring the key." Flash Sentry said. "It took longer than I thought." I said. "This was but the first of many trials you will encounter on this island." Flash Sentry said. His owl companion hooted which ruffled its feathers but he was able to calm it down by rubbing its beak with his hand. "Take the key and go to the Tail Cave. You already know where to find the cave and have everything you need for what lurks within." "I take it that it's a dangerous place?" "For you armed with sword and shield, you will survive what awaits." "Why do I need to go there?" "Within the Tail Cave is an instrument of great importance." Flash Sentry answered. "You must retrieve it! Once you have done so, I shall explain further and hopefully things should become clearer for you. Go now! The Wind Fish is waiting!" The owl then took to the sky leaving me and Princess Twilight to figure out our next course of action. I could go straight to the Tail Cave in order to find this instrument as it would meant moving one step closer towards figuring out the nature of Koholint Island. If my suspicion was correct, this cave was most likely a dungeon filled with traps, monsters, treasure, and perhaps something special. I also wanted to go back to Mabe Village and deal with the Yoshi Doll since Discord brought it up when I talked to him. Her Highness suggested I should prepare accordingly for the road ahead. I decided that going back to the village was in my best interest so I began making my way there. Most of the Moblins had been defeated already so combat wasn't an issue but I did end up getting lost by taking a left instead of continuing south (I managed to fix that little blunder relatively quickly). I also made sure not to waste any Magic Powder though a part of me was curious as to what else it could do aside from lighting torches and changing one monster into another. I eventually got back to Mabe Village and nothing had really changed. I thought that Sunburst had beaten me back here but there was no sign of him. According to Applebloom and Sweetie Belle, the Trendy Game Shop was located at the other end of the village. My first instinct was to go there but then I noticed a well just a few feet away from where I was standing. It stood out particularly well so something had to have been in there as why else would someone have built it? I also had the one house which had the strange bowling bowl like creature outside and a few more buildings that I could just barely make out. After thinking it over and consulting with Princess Twilight, we decided that the well would be what we checked out first. To Be Continued.