The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.
By Ganondorf8.
November 11, 2019
Chapter 6: Into the Swamp.
Breathing, I steeled myself and entered the Moblin's lair. For a place that was supposed to be their base of operations, there was hardly anything in there. No tables, chairs, beds, or even the most basic of fixtures. It was merely a cave interior. Perhaps they had only just recently moved in? Or they simply didn't care for such things? Whatever the reason, I had to focus on rescuing BowWow and returning him safely to Wallflower, who must have been beside herself with grief. My one concern was how big of a cave system their lair truly was. I could be exploring it for hours on end all while dealing with hordes of Moblins.
Speaking of which, I was greeted by one Moblin who was surprised that I had come through the front door. "Ennh? Who's this suspicious-looking runt!? How did you manage to find our lair so easily?"
"I just followed the clues and that was it." I answered.
"You're stupid to have come here alone!"
"If anyone is stupid, it's you guys for kidnapping a dog!"
The Moblin certainly didn't handle that well. "Those townsfolk are cowards for not wanting to come here so they sent you instead? We're glad that they did because now we get to have some fun at your expense. And don't think we'll be overlookin' that insult. You'll wish you hadn't poked your nose where it don't belong! Okay boys! Let's get rid of her!"
It then began charging towards me and I parried with my shield. Was this one Moblin seriously going to fight me all by itself? Also, where were these 'boys' that it mentioned just now who were to kill me? Either they were hiding or this Moblin felt pretty sure of its own confidence. In any case, since I had experience fighting other Moblins in the forest, this wouldn't take long. It lunged again with its sword only for me to parry it again and respond with my own sword swings. Two strikes were enough to defeat it and unlock a door that I had only just noticed had been sealed shut.
"That... Was too easy."
"Agreed." Princess Twilight added. "I suspect we'll have a much harder time in the coming rooms. Even though Applebloom and Sweetie Belle told us how many Moblins attacked the village, that was just the raiding party which means this place could be crawling with them. I'm sure you've taken that into consideration, Sunset, so all I can suggest here is to keep calm otherwise they'll completely overwhelm you."
Entering the next room, my heart froze upon seeing four Moblins all with spears. One of them then spoke up. "What the!? Our buddy weren't kiddin' when he said someone suspicious came into our lair!"
Another Moblin added its thoughts. "How did you get past our buddy anyway!?"
It didn't take them long to figure out that I had defeated their fellow Moblin though it was funny seeing them trying to put two and two together. Once they realized what had happened, they began throwing their spears at me. My shield proved invaluable as their spears bounced off harmlessly but because so many were being thrown my way, I couldn't get close enough and counterattack as I kept getting pushed back. It seemed numbers proved effective in this instance which made these Moblins more difficult. I eventually lowered my guard only to quickly put it back up when two spears lodged themselves into my left leg.
Was the pain unbearable? Big time! But, I couldn't stop otherwise they would just swarm over me and that would be the end of it. Rather than trying to fight them all at once, I opted to target one at a time and hoped the rest would keep their distance. Dropping my guard again, I struck the Moblin closest to me twice, defeating it only for the second to hit me in the back with another spear. Good thing I had my sword's scabbard there as that would've killed me in any other situation. Spinning around, I struck the second Moblin and defeated it leaving just two more left.
Their numbers dwindling, you'd think they would've surrendered, but they kept on fighting as though their lives meant nothing. I felt sorry for them because of this. Why not admit defeat and surrender instead of being stubborn about it? Pride meant nothing if you just threw away your life. No doubt these Moblins had too much pride otherwise they'd realize that they had little chance of defeating me. On a side note, the Piece of Power had since worn off so I couldn't taken advantage of its power until I got my hands on another one. Swinging my sword again, the third Moblin was soon taken down leaving me with one more.
Alone, the last Moblin kept throwing spears though since the odds were against it, I kept my shield raised and for a few seconds, watched as its spears harmlessly bounced off with a clanging sound. When it paused to catch its breath, I swooped in and swung my sword twice and that was it. The doors then unlocked but before I would continue on, I had a quick matter of pulling out spears from my leg and back to deal with. Fortunately, the leg wounds were minor so I could still walk about. As for my back... Again, the scabbard saved me from being skewered to death from behind.
Once I was ready, I went into the next room where once again, the doors locked, but my main concern was with who was waiting for me. Princess Twilight had told me that Moblins were often lead by a boss or chieftain and this Moblin definitely fit such a description. Taller than the ones I had seen previously (Also looking more bulkier judging from the belly), no doubt this one was stronger than its brethren. In terms of intelligence, well... The jury was still out on that. As for BowWow... If he wasn't in the next room, then I wouldn't even know where to begin looking as I doubted this Moblin would be willing to tell me anything.
"What!?" The Moblin Boss exclaimed. "How did you manage to beat my boys?"
"I'm not as weak as you all thought I am." I answered.
"Why are you even here anyway!?
"To save BowWow!"
The moment I said that, the eyes of the Moblin Boss squinted. "So... That's what this is all about. I could tell that you were an adventurer on first glance and not just because you've got a sword and shield." It then stomped its foot on the ground as a means of intimidation. "You must be an assassin sent by Madam MeowMeow to rescue the mutt! I never thought she would resort to asking a hired sword."
"I'll give you a chance to surrender!"
"What was that?"
"You heard me."
The Moblin Boss laughed. "Me? Surrender!? Hah! Thats not going happen, girl! To surrender would be a huge disrespect to all Moblins everywhere! You want the mutt? You'll need to get through me first! I've actually been itching for a fight all day!" It cracked its knuckles and adjusted the horns on its head. "You think you can get me!? Wrong! It is I who will get you!" It then began throwing spears which were much larger than what the regular Moblins tossed albeit slightly slower. I swung my sword in hopes of inflicting some damage but it deflected my blows by using its own arms as a makeshift shield.
"This isn't going to be easy, Sunset." Princess Twilight said.
"I didn't think its arms could bounce my sword swings away like that."
"So long as it knows you're attacking, it can always deflect even the strongest of blows." Princess Twilight said. "No, this doesn't mean attacking it from behind. It will use the same technique if you do. No, this calls for a more unusual approach. See those horns on its head?" I nodded and Her Highness continued. "They aren't just there for show you know. After a while, it will attempt to charge into you using those horns. If you can avoid being skewered and perhaps force it to run into a wall, it should be vulnerable to attacks. The only problem is knowing exactly when it will attack like that."
"Should I keep my shield up?"
"Yes."
"Works for me."
"Patience is the key here, Sunset." Princess Twilight said. "Just wait for the Moblin Boss to charge at you and take advantage when it smacks into a wall. I don't know how much stamina it has so this could take a bit of time."
After throwing several spears, the Moblin Boss then jumped forward slightly only to resume throwing them. Despite being bigger, they were indeed slower so avoiding them without using my shield was an idea I could consider, but I chose to keep my shield out because I didn't want to make any mistakes. After failing to skewer me, it suddenly pounded on its belly whilst making a growling sound before charging straight at me, horns ready to impale themselves into my flesh. I managed to move aside just in time while the Moblin Boss crashed into the wall, landed on its butt, and was stuck in a daze.
Striking it a couple of times with my sword, it quickly regained its composure and began throwing spears at me again. I wasn't fast enough to avoid the first spear which lodged itself into my left arm (This happened to be the arm I had my shield slung on) causing me to wince in pain. I quickly pulled it out and raised my shield as it continued throwing before pounding its chest which meant it would charge at me again. Sure enough, it did just that and like before, it crashed into the wall which dazed it. Striking two more time, it got back up and charged without warning.
The horns barely scraped me but I felt the full force of its power behind its drive. While I wasn't pushed into the wall, the Moblin Boss managed to stop itself from crashing again before resuming its spear throwing. Despite getting slightly hurt, the experience gave me an insight on its attack pattern. If throwing spears didn't work, charging would, and if it were really desperate, continue charging until it was successful. Like Princess Twilight said, this was all about patience. The Moblin Boss charged at me again only to stop halfway, jump back a bit and charge again where I dodged by running to the side and it crashed into the wall again.
Hitting it again, it got back up and began looking around to see where I was before turning around and reacting by throwing more spears. Since I knew the attack pattern, I kept my shield raised and the spears bounced off harmlessly. It then pounded its chest, charged at me and hit the wall when I stepped aside. Landing on the ground in a daze, I hit it two more times when it suddenly fell down and started to explode many times before exploding entirely. It did leave behind a fairy upon defeat which I picked up and both doors unlocked as a result. I had hoped for a final bit of dialogue but it wasn't meant to be.
"It put up one heck of a fight." I said as I recovered my composure.
"You did take some nasty hits along the way."
"I could've done that better."
"Patience ended up being a great ally for you." Princess Twilight said. "The only question that remains now is... Where do you suppose BowWow is? If he's not in the next room and there is more to this lair, we could be spending quite a bit of time tracking him down. Also, you're not exactly in peak condition so being cautious is highly recommended. Either way, I don't think Mabe Village will have any Moblins problems ever again. Without their boss, the rest of them are going to fight for their own survival."
Our question was quickly answered as upon entering the next room: "Hey!" I called out. "There he is!" Chained to a rock was BowWow himself and he looked completely fine despite what he had been through. "At least we don't have to explore any further."
"I'm surprised that they kept him here like this."
"I guess they were afraid he would come after them if he were in the same room they were in."
Princess Twilight floated over to BowWow, who began whimpering in her presence, and pointed at me to come on over. "The last link of the chain is connected to the rock by a form of magic... which does explain how they were able to bring him here to begin with. That same magic should let you bring him along as we go back to Mabe Village." BowWow seemed like he didn't want to go back home just yet as he continued whimpering. "Hmmm... It sounds like he wants to get out and explore Koholint Island."
"Are you sure about that?" I asked as I removed the chain from the rock. "I mean, he's just a family pet and Wallflower clearly pampers him. I can't imagine taking this little fella on our journey to Goponga Swamp since we have to go there once we've dropped him off back home." Upon mentioning the swamp, BowWow began barking loudly and was pulling me towards the door like he really wanted to visit it. "Well, Twilight? What do you make of this?"
"Discord should have an answer for us."
"But the nearest telephone is back in the village."
"Perhaps there is one waiting for us on the other side of Goponga Swamp?"
"You think so?"
"Vignette did say that Discord built many telephone booths across the island." Princess Twilight answered. "That means we're bound to run into many of them as we continue exploring and one could very well be where I said it would."
Despite being a fearsome looking beast, BowWow was surprisingly cute once you got past the exterior. I could tell that he was happy to have been rescued though Wallflower would be even more happy once he was back home where he belonged. I was concerned that some people might not appreciate having a dog like BowWow enter their home so I'd have to be careful as to which houses I visited. While it would be fine in the village, everywhere else was a different story. Headed back through the previous rooms, I exited the Moblin's lair when a familiar sounding bird indicated another appearance from Flash Sentry.
Taking a few steps forward, I looked up and saw his owl landing on a ledge above the entrance to the lair. Flash Sentry then looked down to address me. "Now what do you have with you here, young lass?" As his companion tilted its head, he lurched forward to get a better look. "Hmmm... That is a fearsome-looking animal you have there. I would wager that the monsters of the island wouldn't be able to defeat such a powerful beast. In fact, I'd say it would make rather short work of them."
"I need to ask you something..." I began.
"You now have what you need for Goponga Swamp."
"Can you please answer my question?"
"What is on your mind?"
"What can you tell me about the Nightmares?"
Flash Sentry went silent and for a moment I thought he would give me the cold shoulder again, but I was honestly surprised when he actually provided a response. "There is much that I cannot tell you until much later, but what can be said should be enough to satisfy your curiosity." Not exactly what I wanted but I supposed anything was better than getting no answer at all. "The Nightmares each guard one of the instruments needed for the dreamer to awaken. Each is stronger than the one before it. You can never leave this island until all eight have been bested. While some may be strange, do not underestimate their power."
I wasn't liking the sound of each being stronger than the next. Moldorm proved to be challenging and it was only the first Nightmare. I really needed to become stronger if I were to stand a chance of defeating them. My mind then zoomed in on what Flash Sentry said about having all I needed for Goponga Swamp. I didn't acquire any new items since the Tail Cave aside from BowWow although he was a pet as opposed to an item... wait a minute! Was BowWow required to complete this Bottle Grotto? How could that be? I had to take him back home. I couldn't keep him for a while as Wallflower would truly become devastated.
Thinking quickly, I pitched another question to Flash Sentry. "What should I do with this dog?"
"You will find out when you speak with the elderly grandfather." Flash Sentry answered. Again, that wasn't the exact answer to my question. In fact, he was purposefully avoiding answering them directly and is instead throwing it to either someone else or giving me little details. "He will tell you what you must do. Remember, the next instrument awaits for you in Goponga Swamp."
And with that, he took to the sky again via his owl companion leaving me to think about all he said. On the subject of the Nightmares, he clearly knew more about them than he was letting on so perhaps I could ask him about them next time I run into him. With Goponga Swamp though... He was definitely referring to Discord, the elderly grandfather, as Flash Sentry referred to him as. Why not tell me directly instead of having me speak to someone else? It didn't really matter though as I had planned on speaking with Discord albeit much sooner than I had originally planned.
BowWow, in the meantime, just kept on bouncing around without a care in the world. At first, he was quite fearsome especially since I didn't know what to make of him, but now, I felt way more comfortable and I'm sure he felt the same way. Flash Sentry said something else about BowWow... Oh yeah! The monsters would be afraid of him. Could BowWow defeat any monsters that got in my way? If that was true then he'd be a fantastic asset on my journey. But, Wallflower is waiting for his return and I'd feel awful for not bringing him back to her. With my head held low, I began to make my trek back to Mabe Village.
That's when Princess Twilight bopped me on the head. "Is that Zecora!?"
"Where?" I asked looking around but finding no sign of her.
"Over there!" Princess Twilight answered as she pointed to the east. Sure enough, standing next to a sign and holding a shovel was Zecora. She looked like she was a complete daze as she hadn't noticed us but why was she here of all places? Shouldn't she be hanging out at a graveyard or something? "I think we should talk to her, Sunset. I know we've got to make our way to the other side of Goponga Swamp but Zecora could provide us with more information. Despite her eccentric nature, she's a fountain of knowledge."
"Does she still rhyme?"
"Yes. Why?"
"We might need someone to translate." I said jokingly.
Princess Twilight chuckled. "Oh come on, Sunset! It's not that bad once you get used to it."
"I've only met her a few times and I'm still not used to it."
Walking up to Zecora, she noticed me approach and shuffled her body in order to greet me. "How about that? I am honestly surprised! I didn't think I'd get to see anyone make it out here with these very eyes." Already, her rhyming made me feel confused but Princess Twilight insisted on not letting it get to me. "To reach this place is no mean feat so that makes you a hero that can't be beat. This may come as a surprise but perhaps you can help me out with something." She didn't rhyme that time. No doubt that was because who she was portraying normally didn't rhyme.
"Are you a local gravedigger?"
"I do dig up stuff, yes, but I do not work in the graveyard for it's too rough."
"There's a graveyard here?"
Zecora nodded. "A graveyard does exist near here though I suggest you steer clear. That place is haunted by ghosts who don't take kindly to those who enter their domain. I did hear that a strange place lies beneath it but to gain access to it is near impossible. A special combination you need if you are to perform that little deed. Anyway, my name is Dampé, and my job around here is to dig up interesting stuff." Dampé... I remember now. This was the third time Zecora had portrayed this character so at least there was some consistency. "I would ask you to come right now but you appear to be busy and to ruin that is what I cannot allow."
"Then why ask me for help when you don't need it?"
"Oh I will need your help you see but not until you are free."
"Free of what?"
"Any burdens."
I then looked at BowWow bouncing around me and her words made sense. "Oh."
"You need not worry about making me wait for I am quite patient." Zecora said, her shovel clinking as she adjusted it by shimmying a little. "When you have some time to spare, come and see me in my shack over there." She then pointed to a house that looked like someone had cobbled it together without much thought. It looked more like a stack of stone blocks rather than a house but who was I to question it. "Believe me, you will want to pay me a visit. I can provide you with a lot that will turn you into a real hotshot."
Rather than walk over to her home, Zecora simply stayed put next to a sign that said that her house was indeed over where she said it was. While I was curious as to what she meant about providing me with a lot, but without proper context, I wasn't entirely sure if I could believe any of it. I asked Princess Twilight what Zecora meant and even she didn't quite understand her words. In any case, Her Highness said we should come back here later and would remember this location. To be fair, getting back here would be difficult unless I could find one or two shortcuts to cut down on the time.
Looking up at the sky, I noticed that the sun had finally gone down and it was nightfall. As much as I wanted to find the nearest phone and speak to Discord, I knew that I'd completely exhaust myself without resting. Making sure that there were no monsters, I walked back past the Moblin's lair and near to where Goponga Swamp was (That boulder would keep any monsters on the other side from reaching me). BowWow quickly curled up and fell asleep and I would soon do the same, Princess Twilight landing on my hat and snuggling up into it to keep herself warm. Good thing it wasn't cold otherwise I'd be shivering.
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A few hours had passed and I was still asleep and dreaming about being at home with my friends. I missed them so much and I wished that this journey could be over as soon as possible though knowing Ganondorf, he would make it last as long as necessary in order to make me suffer emotionally. Curse that man! Why couldn't he accept the fact that I was a changed individual who no longer had any inclining of evil within her heart? If I could go back and prevent all of this from happening, I would even though it would mean not remembering any of the experiences that made me a better person.
Ganondorf... One day, I would defeat him for good and end this torment of my life that he was enjoying oh so much. I'd also be helping Princess Twilight, who had also become his victim, and whoever was supposed to wield the Triforce of Power. I don't know when all of this would happen but I would make it happen. As the night continued and my dreams shifted from my friends, to being with Princess Celestia, to experiencing my own graduation and becoming an alicorn princess, something felt wrong. I wanted to wake up but I couldn't as though a dark presence were keeping me asleep.
The dream of me being an alicorn was replaced by a barren wasteland, one where there was no trace of anything other than sand. I tried calling out for help but no one heard me. I was experiencing a nightmare. I was sure of it! Again, I tried to wake myself up but couldn't. The dark presence had ever intention of keeping me asleep until it was done with me. At first, my initial suspicion was that this involved Ganondorf, but it couldn't be him. This presence felt different. It felt foreign, more sinister in its approach, more vindictive.
Suddenly, a pair of red eyes appeared before me. "Hello?" I called out.
"We have been watching you, Outsider."
"We? Who is this 'we'?"
The eyes soon formed into a face followed by a body that was made entirely of shadow. "We know that you destroyed the Moldorm. Though it was the weakest of the Nightmare, we are angered that you have done this to us."
My entire body froze upon seeing what was standing before me in my dream. Though I had never seen him in person (No one had in well over 1,000 years) I knew all about the stories and believed them to be just that, stories. Standing before me was the legendary Grogar though legendary was a bit of a stretch. Among the evil ones that have plagued Equestria, Grogar was the one who created much of it as legends depicted him as the 'Father of Monsters'. While his power was stripped from him by another legend, Gusty the Great, he faded away into history until he became the focus of many a scary story for fillies.
Discord pretended to be him in order to give Princess Twilight and her friends confidence, but this had to have been the real Grogar. The glowing red eyes and the evil aura that emanated from his body made me frightened though that was the least of my problems and then there was that giant eyeball on his chest. I know the proper Grogar didn't have one of those so this had to be something this version possessed. Despite his imitation, Discord was so terrifying in his portrayal that the other villains were genuinely afraid of Grogar to the point where he controlled their every move. That's how I felt right now. Was this Ganondorf's intention? To have Grogar weaken my resolve through being a nightmare until I either succumbed to the Demon King or be killed by him?
"Who... What are you?"
Grogar, pausing between breaths, squinted his eyes before responding. "We are known as Dethl. We are the Nightmare. You, the Outsider, have come here to ruin what we have set out to achieve. Why did you come to this island? Do not attempt to deceive us or you shall wish you had never been born." Unlike Flash Sentry, Grogar was providing me with some answers although most of them were flying well over my head. "Why was he calling me 'Outsider'? How could I ruin something if I didn't know what he meant? "Our patience is not a strong one, Outsider, so do not push it."
"I was brought here by an evil man."
"Do you deceive us!"
I knew he wouldn't believe that even though it was the truth. "I'm being honest!"
Grogar's eyes began to glow... All three of them. "Very well... You have tested our patience, Outsider, and now you shall suffer for it." I was expecting him to immediately bombard me with nightmares the likes of which I had never seen before, but instead he did nothing which made me wonder if he was all he was making himself out to be. "You are beneath us even though you are interfering with our vision. We shall allow the Nightmares to destroy you."
"You'd rather not have that glory yourself?"
"The Nightmare shall cleanse you from this place and all shall continue as before."
My attempt to get him to take me seriously wasn't exactly working but maybe that was a good thing. I had to know what he meant about me being a threat. I mean sure, my efforts so far on Koholint Island have done a little good but what Grogar was implying made little sense. "Why do you think of me as an outsider?" I asked hoping he'd take the bait and perhaps answer the question. "What could I do to someone like you?"
"Our vision must remain."
"What does that even mean?"
"The Nightmare... They shall end you."
"Oh come on!"
Grogar then began to fade away into shadows. "Outsider... Pray to us that you shall be destroyed soon. Otherwise, we shall not be as merciful as we are now. You do not wish to incur our wrath for it cannot be contained. Be destroyed... All shall continue as before..." I tried calling out to him to explain but he completely disappeared but not before the dreamscape began crashing down around me.
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"WAAAAH!" I yelled as I woke up.
"Sunset!" Princess Twilight exclaimed. "Did you have a nightmare?"
"More than you realize."
I then explained what happened in my dreams to Princess Twilight and upon finishing, she definitely took it the way I was expecting her to. "What!? Grogar!? As in, the ancient monster of Equestrian legend!?" I nodded and Her Highness immediately comforted me. "I wish I could've been there, Sunset. What you experienced is something no one should ever have to endure no matter who they are. Even though Discord pretended to be Grogar, we never did confirm as to what happened to the real him. If he's here on this island and possesses either his own magic or some other kind of dark power, we're in a lot of trouble."
"Didn't you drain the magic from his bell though?"
"Yes, but since this is a different world, draining his bell means absolutely nothing."
"Well that's disheartening."
"Did Grogar say anything to you?"
At first I didn't want to think back on what I experienced during the night. Sure, it was just a dream, but it felt incredibly real to me. If not for the fact that I could wake up, I'd probably be dead or something. Princess Twilight encouraged me into explaining what happened by using what she called her 'friendship charm' and I couldn't say no to her (I knew she made that term up). "He asked me what I was doing on this island and said I was a threat to his vision."
"Did he explain what he meant by vision?"
I shook my head. "Judging from how he was talking, he has every intention of having the other Nightmares kill me and doesn't think I'm going to be a problem."
Princess Twilight flew back and forth as she took in everything I had said. "This does make things more complicated. If Grogar has something to do with the Nightmares, or worse still, be one of them, he's going to become a problem especially when we get much further into this adventure." She continued flying about before stopping and snapping her finger. "We can't really do much about Grogar! I know that sounds bad but we don't really know what's going on here. I'd hoped we'd have gotten answers from Flash Sentry but he's proven to be just as cryptic and I really hate that!"
"Like you said, we can't learn too much too soon."
"There are exceptions!"
Petting BowWow on his head (Or as close to that as possible given his shape) I hopped up onto my feet before clenching my hand into a fist. "We'll just have to worry about dealing with the likes of Grogar later. Right now, we should focus on finding a telephone so we can ask Discord what to do next." I was trying to be as positive as I could despite the nightmare I endure, but it was going to be difficult ignoring Grogar's presence on the island. You could say that he was the Equestrian equivalent of Ganondorf... a truly horrifying notion if there ever was one.
Since I had been all over the island that I could reach with the items and equipment in my possession, the only direction I had yet to explore was beyond the treasure chest that contained the Tail Key. That meant more backtracking even if it was brief since it wasn't far to the Mysterious Forest. As I began making my way to the chest, I continued thinking about everything Grogar said to me. Much of it had sailed over my head because of the cryptic nature behind it, but what was apparent was that I posed a threat and he clearly didn't appreciate my being here despite it not being intentional.
I knew that being told too much too soon often ruined the experience when playing a video game, but Princess Twilight was right when it came to exceptions. Why couldn't anyone be honest with me about Koholint Island? It was just an island out in the middle of the ocean and nothing more... right? Surely it couldn't be housing some kind of dark secret that could ultimately be a massive game changer? Knowing my luck, it was definitely going to be option two, the dark secret. I really should stop cursing myself with these thoughts because all it does is make me very upset.
Entering the Mysterious Forest and quickly dealing with a couple of Moblins, I walked past the tree with the boulders blocking it and thanks to the Roc's Feather, I could jump over to that empty treasure chest instead of going around the long way. At least when it comes to coming back this way, it won't take as long as I could just jump over gaps. Heading west of the chest, the way onward became narrow which made combat more difficult. Case in point, a Moblin was blocking me and there was no way around it. Luckily, its back was turned so two sword wings defeated it and I kept on moving.
Turning to the right, the shadowy veil that covered the forest lifted once again and the trees parted to reveal a new area of the island. As I tried to take it all in, BowWow was barking more than usual. What surprised me the most was him telling me to dig in-between his barking. It made sense that he could talk since that other Chain Chomp, CiaoCiao, talked up a storm, but I couldn't do anything to satisfy BowWow's curiosity. Without a shovel, I wasn't going to be digging any time soon. I didn't even know where to begin trying to find one. I really ought to visit that item shop Ember kept on talking about.
There were many holes to be found in this area so had I tried to progress without the Roc's Feather, I'd have been forced to go back. Since I did have it, I could go further although a house directly in front of me might contain someone who could give me advice. I could also see a telephone booth to my right and I was so happy to find one out here. More Moblins were patrolling the area along with a monster that looked very familiar. It took a couple of seconds to recognize the dreaded Like-Like though it looked more cute than what I had seen on my previous journeys.
"Shall we check out that house, Twilight?"
Shaking her head, Princess Twilight insisted otherwise. "I don't think whoever lives there would appreciate you bringing a dog into their home. We should come back later once we've returned BowWow home to Wallflower. In the mean time, you should watch out for those Like-Likes moving about."
"I already know about them."
"Not these ones." Princess Twilight said. "The Like-Likes of Koholint Island can't eat clothes and shields but they can trap you in their mouths and suck the lifeforce out of you unless you wiggle enough to break free. Ranged attacks work best here as you won't need to get close. Since you don't have any, you'll just have to avoid unless you want to be crazy and try to take them out. Then again, you could always have BowWow deal with it."
"Why would I have him do that?"
"I think you'll be in for a pleasant surprise." Princess Twilight answered whilst winking.
Taking her word for it, I moved to the right when a Like-Like began approaching. Without any kind of command, BowWow lunged forward and ate the monster in one go without even batting an eyelid. "Wow! Now that was something!"
"See?"
I nodded. "Yeah, but I think BowWow takes his time when it comes to attacking."
"Well, he is rather fickle and he's not your pet so I take it he won't always want to eat something."
"Guess we won't get a chance to experiment since we have to bring him home."
"Let's wait and see what Discord has to say first."
It felt weird hearing Her Highness say that about Discord. In the past, she usually dreaded having to listen to his advice since it was about second guess, misinformation, and him trying to teach a lesson through chaotic means. And this was after he had reformed thanks to Fluttershy. No doubt he would still perform his usual brand of trickery since he was a spirit of chaos but he would be much more mellow rather than being a jerk. I envied Her Highness for having a spirit of chaos on her side. It secretly made me wish me and my friends had our own magical being from Equestria backing us up. Entering the telephone booth and asking BowWow to heel, I picked up the phone and waited.
BBRRIINNG! BBRRIINNG!
"D'oh ho ho! This is Ulrira once again." Discord said on the other end of the line.
"I'm glad you answered." I said.
"Oh it's you again, the one who likes listening to an old man prattle on." Discord said as he rocked back and forth in his chair. "You must really be having trouble if you keep on calling me in hopes of getting advice. I'll continue sharing my knowledge with you but hopefully some things you can figure out without my help."
"I've rescued BowWow!"
"Is that so? Just give me a moment." Discord said. Even though I couldn't see him, I could hear the sound of someone shuffling along the carpet, calling out to someone, and then talking in words I couldn't understand. This kept going for a couple of minutes before the shuffling occurred again and Discord spoke again. "Sorry to have kept you waiting there. I just went and called over Madam MeowMeow to tell her the good news. D'oh oh oh! Never have I seen her so happy. I thought she was going to cry like a leaky faucet or something. Anyway, she wanted to give you a message."
"And what's that?"
"She will give you a proper thank you when you get back to the village... but after you've taken BowWow for a walk."
"Come again."
"Take BowWow for a walk."
I frowned. "Seriously!?"
"It's what Madam MeowMeow told me to tell you." Discord answered. "I mean, she would likely have taken him for a walk but since you were in the right place at the right time, she figured you wouldn't mind taking him for a walk." He then began chuckling to himself which made me a bit annoyed. "Oh don't worry. It's only for a short walk and then you can bring him back home to her."
The idea of dog-walking wasn't really new to me, but I've never had to walk a 'dog' quite like BowWow before. It's a shame that in her panicking, Wallflower never mentioned anything about what her pet liked. I couldn't really blame her though she didn't know what to do at the time. Since Discord had just been speaking with her, perhaps he could tell me about where to take BowWow for a walk without me going back there and asking her directly. If BowWow had to be taken somewhere that wasn't near where I had to go, the backtracking would simply be unbearable.
Gulping, I decided to ask the question. "Where should I take BowWow for his walkies?" I nearly threw up inside my mouth upon me saying that last word.
"D'oh ho ho! You're taking this awfully seriously aren't you?"
"I should be going to Goponga Swamp but I must take care of BowWow first."
"The swamp you say?" Discord went quiet which made me wonder if he knew something about where I had to go next. "You know, that place is filled with Indigestible Flowers, and they've grown like weeds over the years. Nothing can take care of them... well... except for BowWow." My heart skipped when I heard him mention BowWow. "For some reason, he just loves eating such flowers so Madam MeowMeow has someone bring a sample or two to the village so he can have a little treat. Sure, it's dangerous work but she appreciates the person for going out of their way for BowBow."
"BowWow loves Goponga Swamp?"
"Of course." Discord answered as he laughed in his usual manner. "Madam MeowMeow would take him there herself but those monsters are in the way and the swamp itself isn't exactly the safest place to go. Say, why don't you take him for a walk there? You'd be doing him a favour, Madam MeowMeow a favour, and apparently yourself a favour. That's three favours all at once, a fantastic morning right there if I ever saw one. Well, if you need anymore help, feel free to give me a call though do try and figure out the problem without me."
CLICK!
I couldn't believe it! BowWow was my key to reaching the Bottle Grotto located in Goponga Swamp. Talk about a coincidence! Good thing that Wallflower wanted me to take him for a walk otherwise there was no way I could progress any further and my journey would be over. Leaving the telephone booth, I walked left until I entered Goponga Swamp. It was exactly what my mind imaged it would be, a foul looking area filled with unusual plant life, foul smelling water, and creatures lurking just below the depths. A nearby sign said for everyone to keep out except for BowWow. Since I had him with me, I could enter the swamp and reach the next dungeon.
"This place... reminds me of Everfree Forest." Princess Twilight said.
"Is it because of how foul it is?"
"Something like that."
"So how do I use BowWow."
"You saw how he chomped down on that Like-Like earlier, right?" Princess Twilight asked. I nodded and she continued. "As Discord said, there are flowers here that only BowWow can consume so let him have his way with them. By the way, Sunset. Did you know that this is the actual swamp portion of Goponga Swamp? The area where that house and the telephone booth were are also part of the swamp but located on more normal terrain. I never guessed Koholint Island had so many diverse ecosystems all on one island. If not for us being in a dangerous world, I'd so be writing stuff down for research purposes."
I rolled my eyes. "Only you would see this place for research."
Princess Twilight couldn't help but laugh at that. "Hey! It gives me an incentive. Anyway, you should let BowWow deal with all those flowers. There are two kinds here though to be honest, neither of them are going to be an issue when it comes to BowWow. The Goponga Flowers can actually be defeated using a special item but you don't have it yet. Luckily, they don't do anything so we're safe. The Giant Goponga Flowers are a different issue however."
"How so?"
"If you get too close to them, they can and will launch fireballs." Princess Twilight answered. "They can also inflict pain if you touch them so be sure BowWow can take care of them as he isn't affected. The giant versions aren't very common so we won't have many to deal with. Oh, and we also have to deal with Piranha. These fish lurk below the surface and will leap out at you if you're not careful. BowWow should be able to eat them as well but if he can't get to them in time, you can easily take them down with your sword."
Stepping into the swamp, I already felt uncomfortable and this was just the beginning of the misery that was to come. A Piranha then leapt out from the water and slammed into me inflicting a tiny bit of damage, but before it could go back down, I swung my sword, striking it twice to defeat it and picked up the recovery heart it dropped. Heading north towards the cliff that overlooked this area and heading right, BowWow went straight to work and ate two Goponga Flowers allowing me to move forward. A Giant Goponga Flower then spat out its fireball but I managed to avoid it by stepping backwards.
BowWow then ate it whole (He was definitely going to be full after this assuming that he did get full) but I couldn't relax as another Giant Goponga Flower decided to spit out a fireball which landed mere inches away from me. BowWow ate this one up too allowing me to walk around and reach a treasure chest that was cleverly hidden. Opening it up gave me fifty rupees, a hefty sum which will be useful later, and I immediately doubled back before heading right. An entrance inside the cliff could be seen surrounded by numerous Goponga Flowers and one boulder so I allowed BowWow to do his thing.
I had a feeling that BowWow couldn't be taken inside so I told him to wait for me here until I returned. While he waited, he could eat as many monsters and flowers as he wanted and his immediate bark indicated happiness. That one boulder was likely there so I could enter this place on my own in the future without needing BowWow. Entering the cave, I was surprised to see roughly a dozen pots split between two sides of the room. A chest was also present to the left surrounded by those pots and in the middle were two torches. Swamp water filled the entryway but stopped quickly as you go a bit further in.
In my mind, the voice from before told me that this was 'Level 2. - Bottle Grotto'. After finishing observing my surroundings, I shook my feet to dry them off. "Well... This place feels way less hospitable than Tail Cave was."
"Though BowWow had to remain outside, he'll be fine since he's got plenty to eat."
"I should open that treasure chest first." I then walked up to a pot and tried lifting it only to find that I couldn't. "What the!?" I tried lifting it again and I still failed. "Why can't I lift this stupid thing!?"
Princess Twilight then floated over to take a close look for herself. "These pots are made of some kind of heavy plaster. Your current strength isn't going to work here. Unless you can find a means of increasing your current strength, these pots aren't going anywhere any time soon. Once we find the Dungeon Map, I'll be sure to mark the entry room down with my fairy magic to remind you to come back here."
"Guess I've no choice." I moaned as I let go of the pot in defeat."
"Remember that we need to find a map, Compass, Stone Beak, and Nightmare Key for this dungeon in addition to a potential item."
"Let's get moving." Walking into the next room, everything suddenly went dark and I couldn't see a thing aside from a Spark that was moving around the walls. "Ugh! I can't make out as to whether any of these doors are locked or not."
"Do you recall when you used Magic Powder back at Trixie's hut?" Princess Twilight asked. I nodded in response as Her Highness continued. "You can use the powder to light up any unlit torches but don't waste it otherwise we'll have to pay her another visit to get more. In other words, better make sure each use counts. I believe it's possible to get some additional powder from small satchels that hover in the air like that recovery heart we saw in a similar manner after you got the Roc's Feather. If such satchels are in here, making a mistake might not necessarily be bad."
As I took out the Magic Powder, I couldn't help but respond to that. "Are you saying I make mistakes?"
"Don't we all?"
"Pretty much." Sprinkling the Magic Powder on the two torches, they both lit up the room and the door to my right unlocked. "Well... At least we now know which way to go next since we need a small key in order to go left." The Spark had since moved to the other side so I quickly moved before it came back and entered the next room. Two Stalfos greeted me in this room, one that was white which I had seen before, but it was the yellow one who was different. "What do you know about this Stalfos?" I asked Her Highness.
"Yellow Stalfos are more courageous than their counterparts." Princess Twilight answered. "They can suddenly lunge at you with no warning so always make sure you keep an eye on them at all times. Like regular Stalfos, the yellow ones take the same number of hits to be defeated so don't expect them to put up much of a fight."
I went for the regular Stalfos since I was already familiar with it thanks to fighting them back in Tail Cave. It tried jumping away but I managed to trap it into a corner before defeating it using two sword swings. As for the other one, it tried to lunge at me but I raised my shield to block the attack before striking it with my sword. A small key then dropped down from the ceiling upon defeating the Yellow Stalfos leaving me with two options: use the key on the door south of me or on the one from the previous room with the Spark. Thinking it over for a few seconds, I decided to go back and unlock the door in the previous room.
Avoiding the Spark again, (I really wished I could defeat these monsters and not have to worry about them hounding me) I went around the exterior of the room and unlocked the door to the next room. As I walked into it, the sound of blades suddenly came at me. Good thing I didn't walk any further as two Blade Traps ended up colliding with each other though my heart didn't appreciate it. The blades moved back to their original positions and I walked past only for three Keese to start fluttering about. I kept swinging my sword around and eventually they each met their end leaving me to deal with more darkness.
With two dark rooms already and at the start no less, I feared that I could run out of Magic Powder. While I wouldn't mind speaking to Trixie again, I didn't want to have to go through all that backtracking. Sprinkling more Magic Powder on both torches, they lit up and unlocked the door allowing me to continue. This room was also dark. Arrggh! Why does just about every room in this place have to be shrouded in darkness!? To make matters slightly worse, a single Hardhat Beetle was on the other side of a gap trying to reach me only to fail because it couldn't jump.
Checking my Magic Powder, I had about fifteen uses left before it was gone. If anymore rooms required me to use it, I was going to run out relatively quickly. Lighting the two torches and jumping over the abyss using the Roc's Feather, I quickly knocked back the Hardhat Beetle with my sword until it fell into the darkness below. Opening the treasure chest, I took out a Stone Beak which was much better than what happened in the previous dungeon. Now all I needed to do was find an Owl Statue and see what it had to say. With no other way forward, I had to backtrack to the other previous room.
It didn't take long for me to get back to where I picked up the small key but without another one, that locked door was denying me access to another room. As I went right, I noticed two weird tiles on the floor. While I was a little curious, there wasn't anything I could do about them. In the next room, I saw something unusual in the center. "What is that?"
"A Crystal Switch." Princess Twilight answered. "When activated, they cause certain floor tiles to rise up while others will lower down. This should effect all such tiles throughout the dungeon so some serious planning is needed." She then looked at the owl statue hidden behind a statue that a Spark was rotating around. "I have a hunch that the statue will repeat my words which makes getting that beak a little wasteful."
"No... I'm sure it will reveal information that you yourself don't know."
"I hope so."
Walking up to the owl statue whilst avoiding the Spark, I placed the beak on the statue and it responded. 'Part of the floor is raised. Tap the shining crystal'. Her Highness was right about it repeating what she just said. "Okay, so how does one tap a shining crystal?"
"Your sword should work."
"Oh." I wanted to kick myself for acting like an idiot. Of course I had to use my sword or something similar. Hitting the switch, it caused a row of blue blocks to drop down whilst raising some orange blocks further south up and blocking a treasure chest along with another switch. "That didn't quite work."
"Not necessarily." Princess Twilight said. "You should be able to hit the other Crystal Switch with your sword by adjusting the angle of your swing. Oh, and there's a Sword Stalfos lurking around behind that chest." I looked at what she was talking about and saw a skeleton wearing a cloak that covered its body aside from its face and wielded similar armaments to me though much weaker. "They behave essentially the same as the Moblins from before that have swords and shield so you just need to parry them before attacking. Don't let the lack of any facial expressions frighten you."
The Sword Stalfos then shuffled forward upon seeing me and swung its sword only for it to bounce off my shield. It reeled back and was defenseless allowing to hit it two times with my own blade (One hit wasn't enough) and then I activated the Crystal Switch. The orange blocks dropped down allowing to me to open the chest and take another small key. Now I could go back and open that other locked door from earlier but first some manipulation was required. I hit the switch again raising the orange blocks allowing me to go past the blue ones as they had been lowered, but before leaving the room, I hit the other switch and the blocks switched roles.
I did this because in the previous room, the orange blocks would have been raised and I'd be unable to progress, but that had been taken of so I went back into said previous room and unlocked the door before proceeding. There were four pots in the middle of this room along with... a Shy Guy... Are you freaking kidding me!? First a Chain Chomp, then a Goomba, and now a Shy Guy makes an appearance in a Legend of Zelda Game. This isn't Mario you know! Calming down in my head, I noticed that the Shy Guy wasn't moving so perhaps it hadn't noticed me but as soon as I started moving, it also began moving. In fact, it was moving at the same time as I was, but opposite of me.
"Um... Twilight? Why is this Shy Guy coping me?"
"Shy Guys, also known as Mask-Mimics in some circles, copy your every moment." Princess Twilight answered. "When you move, they will move but in the opposite direction that you're going in which can be very confusing at first. For example, they will go left when you go right. Their masks protect them from all sword attacks so a frontal assault won't work. You need to use a Spin Attack to defeat them when your back and its back are facing each other. Before I forget, you can use other means to defeat Shy Guys but right now you don't possess any such items so you've no choice but to use the Spin Attack."
"How do I use a Spin Attack again?"
"Hold out your sword and it will charge up with power and then you release it in the form of a spin."
"Didn't I use such a technique in the past?"
"You did but not all that often."
Holding out my sword, it charged up as Her Highness said and I began making my way around the room. The Shy Guy was following my movements but backwards and after some careful maneuvering, I managed to get my back and its back to face one another. This was definitely a monster that required a ton of patience to deal with. Releasing the spin, the Shy Guy got knocked back and was defeated in one hit, dropping a single rupee which I picked up. A chest then materialized up in the top right corner so I opened it to reveal a Compass. While it wasn't the Dungeon Map, having this meant I'd know which rooms had hidden keys in them.
Since I knew what the special function of the Compass was, Princess Twilight didn't need to explain it to me again. Going back into the previous room, the two Stalfos, both regular and yellow, had respawned but I ignored them since I wanted to keep going. Leaving me behind, I went back into the room with those Crystal Switches, but I was curious about what was to the right since it wasn't locked or anything. Entering this next room, there was an oddly coloured tile which meant something would show up on it. Two more Shy Guys were here but a wall of blocks prevented me from reaching them. I had to come around from another direction.
The Compass made a noise indicating that the odd-coloured tile would be where a small key would appear. Remembering that, I went back to the previous room and walked south striking both Crystal Switches to help me progress. I walked into the next room which featured another Crystal Switch, more blue and orange blocks, and of course, the abyss. A regular switch was also present and the tone from the Compass meant another hidden key. Perhaps the most important thing was a bag floating above the abyss with a number ten on it. The bag looked identical to the one my Magic Powder was in... Yep, definitely important.
Jumping across using the Roc's Feather, I grabbed the bag along the way and my Magic Powder was back to full capacity. Now I didn't have to worry about running out. Reaching the other side, I hit the switch which caused another chest to materialize. Jumping again and opening the chest, I took out another small key. From there, I jumped back until I was halfway across before turning right and jumping to move forward. Upon entering this next room, I turned around, held out my sword and charged it up because of the two Shy Guys. Moving backwards was weird but I released my spin when their backs were up against mine, defeating them both.
The small key in question materialized on the other side of the wall of blocks which meant more backtracking for me. I wished Princess Twilight could fly to the other side of the room, pick it up, and bring it back over to me, but her small size and limited magic would've made it near impossible. This is what got me so annoyed with backtracking. It was an attempt at padding more than anything else and showed a clear lack of taste. But, I had no other choice but to go through with it otherwise this journey wasn't continuing. I sighed as I began trekking back to where I was before.
If there was a bright side, there were no monsters along the way aside from the one Spark so this wasn't as bad as it looked. Over the course of the next few minutes, I jumped back across the abyss, activated the Crystal Switch to change the coloured blocks around, picked up the key, went back, activated the switch again, jumped back across the abyss and back to where I had defeated both Shy Guys. Ugh! This was something I had to really get used to as it was clearly going to be an issue especially in future dungeons which would be huge in size compared with what I'd already experienced.
Moving onto the next room, a locked door could be seen in the top right corner and two Spiked Beetles were scuttling about. Princess Twilight then brought up a point. "In rooms like this one, Sunset, you don't need to defeat all monsters to progress. If you don't feel like defeating them, you can avoid them and go straight for the locked door. It would mean giving up on getting any rupees or recovery hearts from them but it's your decision."
"I want to keep going."
"The backtracking got you down?"
I nodded. "How'd you figure?"
"Lucky guess."
I rolled my eyes. "Really?"
Princess Twilight stuck out her tongue. "No."
That made me feel a bit better if I were to be honest. I really despised backtracking! Ignoring the two Spiked Beetles and unlocking the door, I entered the next room which turned out to be a dead end. There was no other way forward unless something happened in this very room. Not much was in here monster wise aside from another Spark and two Keese, but there was another owl statue along with two blocks that were very suspicious. As much as I wanted to hear what the statue had to say, the puzzle here was pretty obvious to solve. Taking out both Keese with a couple of sword swings, I pushed the two blocks towards one another.
Why was it I could push those but not lift up pots!? This island wasn't just mysterious but also ridiculous! Sighing, I waited to see what would happen next. Suddenly a flight of stairs appeared indicating which way to go next. Heading down them and into an underground passage, I could see several spiked pits and a platform that moved up and down. As I climbed down to the bottom of the ladder, I had a feeling in my gut I'd be backtracking through here as well because why not? Using the Roc's Feather, I jumped across the spiked pits with ease though I was forced to wait until the platform lowered down enough for me to get onto it.
It moved up to where another ladder was and I climbed to enter the next room. I really wished I had a Dungeon Map right now so I could see where I was in the dungeon because right now everything just looked the same. To make matter worse, I couldn't see much because of the darkness. There was a Spark moving around that gave off some light but it clearly wasn't enough to give me actual vision. I could barely see two unlit torches and a flying recovery heart situated on a platform in the middle of an abyss. Lastly, I could see a Keese in the darkness because its yellow eyes gave off a faint glow.
As much as I wanted to use Magic Powder, I chose not to and hoped the Spark was enough. Jumping to the platform with the recovery heart, I regained my full health before jumping to the other side and defeating the Keese before it could do anything. I then found myself in front of another panel like what I saw back in Tail Cave. Since I knew what to do, I pressed my back up against where it flipped around to the other side placing me in a room where my heart immediately stopped upon seeing a large hulking creature stand before me. It looked like the panel had thrown me into a trap.
To Be Continued.