The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.
By Ganondorf8.
November 13, 2019.
Chapter 7: The Grotto's Strength.
The hulking creature that stood before me was humanoid in shape but that was as close to a human as it would get. For one thing, it had orange skin... Come to think of it, many humans had different skin colours back home so this wasn't exactly unusual. This creature did have a single eye instead of two, something humans normally don't have unless they were wearing an eyepatch to cover an eye others weren't meant to see. It wore pretty shoddy clothing but I doubted that it even cared since it was a monster and all. What really made me uneasy was that goofy expression on its face. It looked happy...
Suddenly, without warning, the creature lumbered forward, picked me up with both its giant hands, and tossed me over to the other side of the room. I landed on my stomach instead of in the wall (The wall would've been way more painful) and as I got back onto my feet, I was grabbed a second time only now I tried to free myself from its grip. For a creature with a goofy face, it had a lot of power on its side, and perhaps wasn't all that smart. As I continued trying to free myself from its clutches, it hurled me back the other way to where I entered the room from. Was this creature trying to prove a point by throwing me both ways?
"This isn't going very well." Princess Twilight said.
"I don't like being thrown around like a ball." I said as I got back up.
"This creature is called Hinox, a Cyclops like monster that's all about brute force." Princess Twilight said. "When it sees something in front of it, it will try to grab it in order to toss it somewhere to prove how powerful it is. Because it relies so much on power and size, it lacks any defence so you should be able to easily connect with your sword. Hinox also aren't very fast so you can outrun it. But, you should know that there is more to it than appearances suggest."
I moaned. "Of course there's something else."
"I'm not sure why it does this but--" Before Princess Twilight could finish what she was saying, the Hinox tossed something my way. I couldn't quite make out what it was but when the object suddenly exploded, pushing me back into the wall, I pretty much figured it out. "Well... Guess you just found out, Sunset."
"It can toss bombs!?"
Princess Twilight nodded. "It's a special technique that all Hinox are capable of. It can only throw one bomb at a time but they are larger than your average bomb and do possess a wider radius upon exploding. "You can't pick these bombs up so don't even try. I don't know why Hinox are capable of throwing bombs around but I think it might involve a hereditary trait passed down from generation to generation."
"Now's not the time to think about that kind of stuff!"
"No, I guess not."
The Hinox then lumbered towards me again (That goofy expression on its face is going to make me lose my concentration if this kept up) but I moved aside as it tried to grab me with its hands. I took advantage of its slow speed by swinging my sword quickly and inflicting as much damage as I could. It then quickly turned around which caught me by surprise as it grabbed me and threw me into the wall. Slumping to the ground only to pick myself up moments later, the Hinox lunged at me again all in an attempt to grab me. It really had a one track mind but I wasn't complaining as it meant an easy attack pattern.
Avoiding its hands, I swung my sword quickly inflicting more damage. I had no idea how many hits I was dishing out since it looked like it wasn't feeling anything but I had to hope I was actually doing something rather than say make it mad. Turning around, Hinox threw a bomb this time which exploded upon hitting the ground. The explosion didn't crack the ground so knowing that was a relief but the force of the explosion did push me back into the wall though it didn't hurt. It then lunged at me just as I was getting back up, grabbed me and tossed me across the room where I landed on my butt.
Before I could get up, Hinox tossed another bomb at me so I rolled sideways like I was trying to put myself out in order to avoid getting caught in the explosion. Getting up, I ran to the side as it lunged at me yet again. When I hit it this time, it collapsed to the ground and flailed its arms as it began exploding. Seriously!? I only had one more hit to go!? One big explosion later, Hinox had been defeated and a fairy appeared along with a portal that went back to the entrance of the dungeon. Grabbing the fairy to regain back my strength, both doors unlocked allowing me to progress further.
"That... That gave my body a workout." I said as I sat down momentarily.
"I'm surprised that you can take so much pain."
"If this weren't a video game world, I'd have broken my bones several times over by now."
"At the very least, you defeated the Hinox and can now go back to the start of the dungeon whenever you want." Princess Twilight then pointed at the door indicating that we should get going seeing as BowWow was still waiting for us outside. "I know BowWow can take care of himself but he's surely wondering what's taking us so long in here."
"Makes me wish I had a map!"
"I'm sure we'll get one soon enough."
"Before we go on, I do have a question."
"What's that?"
I had to think hard on this for a moment before asking in case I accidentally said it wrong or offended Her Highness. "So... Your coronation... Are you going to invite me? I mean, I haven't received anything yet and I figured you'd want me to come."
Princess Twilight was shocked very briefly before she had a confused look on her face. I think she assumed I was going to ask her if she was ready to assume the throne or whether she had any second thoughts on succeeding Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. "What!? You haven't received an invitation, Sunset?" I shook my head in response. "I thought you'd have gotten it by now. I know my becoming the next ruler might make you upset because of what happened in the past but maybe the mail carrier in your world can't understand ponish."
"Why would I be upset?"
"Because... you know..." Princess Twilight was trying hard not to make it awkward but she was doing a good job of that.
It then hit me that she was referring to the fact that at one time, I was on my way to becoming a princess, but my falling out with Princess Celestia at the time pretty much destroyed any chances of my becoming an alicorn. Not a day went by that I regret abandoning Celestia. My stubbornness always was one of my more pathetic qualities. "Twilight..." I began. "I have long accepted the fact that I will never ascend and become an alicorn. Sure, my work in dealing with the wild Equestrian Magic has made me a better person by showing me how to be responsible and have humility, but what you've done is the stuff of legend."
"Sunset..."
"Do I still wish I could become an alicorn?" I nodded to my own question. "It's a dream that I continue to hold in my heart even though I know it can't happen. Reality can be a real downer for a lot of people, myself included, but that's just the way things are."
"Maybe you will ascend one day."
"If I do... I'll know that I have fully come around."
Princess Twilight had to know that the only one who's fault it was for me going down a dark path in life was myself. I thought I knew everything and believed myself better than everyone else back then. My lack of humility and understanding friendship is what ultimately denied me my chance of becoming an alicorn, but it showed that I truly wasn't ready for such an honourable commitment unlike Her Highness who had the proper credentials. My life has changed for the better since then and it's something I'll continue improving on because I want to make my own legacy without being afraid of what others might say because of what happened long ago.
Reconciling with Princess Celestia was one of the biggest steps I took to overcome my troubled past. I've not completely gotten over it mind you as my temperament still causes me problems where I lash out in sheer anger over even small little things but I'm doing my best to keep such emotional outbreaks under control. If I were to become an alicorn, what would I be the princess of anyway? My first choice would be Princess of Empathy given how people tell me their problems and I listen to them whilst sharing knowledge of my own experiences to help them become better as individuals. Someday... the dream will become real.
Getting back to the task at hand, I entered the next room and came upon quite an awkward sight. There was a staircase in the middle of the room but I couldn't reach it because of the pots and stone blocks that were blocking my way and I couldn't do anything as I didn't have the strength to lift the pots. My only option was to ignore the stairs and keep going. There was also a flying recovery heart but I didn't need it since the fairy helped me recover my health after fighting Hinox. I could also see an Owl Statue but again it was being blocked by pots so its information was currently inaccessible.
"You really need more strength, Sunset."
"If I had access to my magic, I could easily do just that."
"But you don't and neither do I." Princess Twilight said. "It's just like that Termina world which prevented us from using our natural magic. We both had to use the magic of that world in order to do anything. The same thing most likely applies here so the easy way out is a no-go."
I sighed. "I know you're right, Twilight, but I just wish..."
"You and me both, Sunset."
"Come to think of it, I might know what I'm getting here."
"Oh?"
"It's obviously something that will increase my strength." I answered. "I know it can't be a potion as it has to be something that I'll have on my person for the duration of this adventure and not have to be used sparingly." I then thought about other Legend of Zelda games (Thank Rainbow Dash for constantly bringing them to Pinkie's parties) and how they handled strength. "The only thing that comes to mind is a bracelet."
"Like what you wear on your front hooves or in your case your wrists?"
I nodded. "I hope it isn't too gaudy."
"You sound like Rarity."
"Eh, she's been an influence on me."
"That figures."
Jumping over the first hole, I got hit by a Keese as I landed (The little bat had been lurking on a statue so I couldn't see it properly) so I retaliated with my sword though when it was defeated, it dropped its reward, a Piece of Power, into the abyss below, and I felt dejected. I could've used it but oh well. Perhaps another opportunity will come along despite how random items from monsters could be. Jumping the next gap whilst collecting the flying recovery heart in the process, I jumped over the last gap but before moving on, I realized that I could reach the Owl Statue since the pots weren't blocking it.
Slapping my forehead for not realizing that, I jumped over one more gap and placed the Stone Beak up against the statue to hear it. "First, defeat the imprisoned Pols Voice. Last, the skeletal Stalfos..." I recognized what the Stalfos was, the kind that wielded a sword, but I had no idea what a Pols Voice was. I was probably going to find out soon enough what the latter was though why have it imprisoned? Monsters worked better if they were able to reach their victims though maybe I could use this to my advantage. Jumping across the gap again, I entered the next room only for something to suddenly pull me.
"Twilight! What is that!?"
"That's a Vacuum Mouth."
"A what!?"
"Vacuum Mouths are unusual monsters that don't move nor are they aggressive." Princess Twilight answered. She then felt herself being pulled about so she grabbed onto my hat for her own safety until things went back to normal. "They have the ability to pull anything towards them be they you or other monsters. Every five seconds, they will attempt to do this which can make them really annoying though you know it's happening because of a whooshing like sound. Extreme caution is needed here, Sunset. If you get sucked into a Vacuum Mouth, it will send you right back to the beginning of the dungeon."
"That's going to be problematic."
"You should also know that this monster can't be defeated."
Grumbling to myself, my attitude quickly disappeared when three Keese, also in the room, were pulled towards the Vacuum Mouth where they were consumed by it. At least that thing was good for something. Once the whooshing died down, I quickly walked up to a treasure chest before it happened again (Obviously it was too heavy to be pulled about) and opened it where I took out the Dungeon Map. Finally, now I could see what this place looked like. Why did I have to wait until now before I could get a map again!? Why not give it to me much sooner and not have to worry about finding my way around blindly?
"Look at that, Sunset." Princess Twilight said as she scanned the map for herself. "The dungeon is in the shape of a bottle."
"Bottle Grotto..." I said sarcastically. "Ohhhh! It's named that because it's in the shape of--yeah I get it!"
Princess Twilight then pointed to the skull mark in one of the rooms on the other side of the dungeon. "The Nightmare is right over there so we need the Nightmare Key in order to get into that room. Now... Where do you suppose it could be?"
I shrugged. "No idea but then we don't have many chests left to open."
"By the way... You might want to leave this room before you get sucked away."
At that moment, the Vacuum Mouth began to pull me towards it again so I quickly moved in the other direction to pull myself away, succeeding in my effort, and entering the next room which was filled with more pots though these were truly blocking my way forward. There was a flying Magic Powder bag though I didn't need any right now though since it was here, it probably meant I would need to use it. I also spotted another treasure chest not blocked by anything so I opened it up and took out a red rupee that was worth twenty. I really need to pay a visit to the item shop when next I'm in Mabe Village.
Since there was nothing else I could do, I decided to use my one remaining small key to unlock the door to my left. Unlocking it and walking into the next room, I was plunged into the darkness due to the torches being unlit. Yep, that Magic Powder bag in the previous room was there for a reason. There was also something else in here lurking about in the darkness but what it was I didn't know because of how dark it was. However, I could hear something like eerie laughter. Raising my shield, I slowly moved forward so that I wouldn't be caught by surprise but something passed right through me which made me feel really uneasy.
"I... I felt a presence."
"What's that behind you?"
I turned around and saw what had just gone right through me. Though it was difficult to see, I could tell what it was based on the facial features. "A Boo!? I just had a Boo pass through my body! Another Mario enemy!? How many more of them are here on this island!?" I then explained to Her Highness that Boos loved chasing after their victims to scare them but were incredibly shy if you were to stare at them. "By staring at a Boo, they won't make a move because of being afraid until you turn your back. It's strange that these Boos aren't shying away when I look at them."
"That's because these are different."
"How so?"
"In this world, a Boo lurks in the shadows but don't shy away when you look at them." Princess Twilight answered. I could tell she wasn't a fan of the darkness since she kept darting her eyes back and forth, and to be honest, I wasn't either. This is why I didn't like how there were so many dark rooms in here. "Your sword has no effect on these ghosts but they are vulnerable to bright light, as is befitting a ghost that lurks in the darkness."
"The torches!"
Princess Twilight nodded. "Yes. Good thing you have Magic Powder. By the way, Boos are extremely rare monsters. They are so rare, they only exist in this very room and nowhere else on the island. You only have to deal with them once."
Taking out the Magic Powder, I quickly lit both torches which caused the Boos to writhe in pain before I eliminated both of them with my sword. Despite being a rare monster, they weren't really a problem unless one didn't have the means to deal with them. As I pondered over the fact that another Mario enemy had appeared in a Legend of Zelda game, another treasure chest materialized next to the door. Walking over and opening it up, I took out bracelet with a blue jewel embedded into it. It gave off a powerful vibe as I looked at it and a voice was telling me to put it on.
"Is this what I think it is."
"You've found a Power Bracelet."
"Power Bracelet?"
Princess Twilight nodded. "It's a piece of equipment that you can place on either of your wrists. As long as you have it on you, you will have great strength, the kind you've never felt before even though you had great strength in the last adventure. With this, you can pick up pots and stones with ease. No doubt this item is going to be invaluable. Trying using this new strength in previous rooms, Sunset. You might uncover things that had to be ignored before."
Her Highness reminded me of when I was a Goron during my adventure in Termina. Sure, that form was slow and bulky because of the stomach, but it was a form that had so much power, it felt like I could smash anything that stood in my way. The Power Bracelet wasn't on the same kind of level but it would give me strength regardless. I wondered if there was any limitation on how much power I could lift but it was something I was sure to find out soon enough. I then placed the Power Bracelet on my right wrist and my body felt a huge surge of power flowing through it. This was definitely going to be fun now.
Going back into the previous room, I walked up to the pots that were by the treasure chest and tried to pick one up. This time, I lifted it as though it were nothing but air and when I tossed it at a wall, it shattered into pieces which made me feel really good. While it wasn't the same as being a Goron, I could now utilize enhanced strength but with restrictions. Picking up more pots and throwing them about, I cleared a path and reached another Crystal Switch. Before striking it, the Compass made a sound indicating a key was nearby. An upcoming treasure chest most likely had said key in it.
Hitting the switch, the orange blocks rose up while the blue ones went down. The problem was that I needed the orange ones down or else I couldn't open the chest them up (A very weird mechanic and one I was certain would come up again) so hitting the switch, the blocks switched back and I opened the chest taking out the small key. I couldn't progress any further as the blue blocks were blocking my path and I doubted the Roc's Feather would let me jump over them. A little backtracking was in order. A few whacks against the Crystal Switch later and I was now on the other path. (The abyss was what separated both paths in two)
Since the blue blocks were down, I could progress past the chest and I did so whilst defeating another Keese. Orange blocks soon meant jumping over to the other side where I could see a Hardhat Beetle scurrying about. Jumping over and quickly hitting it upon landing, the Hardhat Beetle fell into the abyss allowing me to continue. I soon came across yet another switch that was protected by several Keese and a Yellow Stalfos in the corner pretending to be a pile of bones. Raising my shield, I approached the Keese where they began swarming me but their attacks bounced off allowing me to take them out with ease.
The Yellow Stalfos in the meantime got up and walked over to me and it was here where I learned it had another means of attack. It could jump into the air and perform a ground pound which is exactly what it did. It couldn't jump over the stone blocks but I could swing my sword through them which shouldn't even be possible. Was I defying physics? Probably best not to think about it too much otherwise I'll only get a headache. Swinging through the blocks, I hit the Yellow Stalfos twice, defeating it and picking up a green rupee it dropped giving me somewhere over fifty rupees. (I don't know how many rupees I had now)
Unlocking the door and entering the next room, I was surprised to see two rabbits hopping around. At least, they looked like rabbits. "Okay, let me just say that whatever those things are, they are adorable to look at. Fluttershy would definitely agree with me."
"That cuteness is what makes them dangerous."
"I figured they were monsters."
"This is a Pols Voice, supposedly the ghost of a rabbit." Princess Twilight said. The ghost of a rabbit... I couldn't help but feel sorry for it. Her Highness then continued. "The cuteness causes many adventuring types to lower their guard and that's when they will slam into them. Depending on the location, some Pols Voice can be attacked with swords while others, such as what we have here, are unaffected by swords. You'll need to use something unconventional which should take you long to figure out given what's in this room. Want to hear a little fun fact?"
"What would you describe as fun?"
Princess Twilight answered in a singing voice. "Research!" She then went back to her regular voice as I rolled my eyes. "Anyway, Pols Voice have large ears because they were once rabbits in their former lives, but those ears also serve as their weakness. They are particularly vulnerable to certain kinds of sounds. It has to be a very high-pitched sound effect like say, from an instrument, and one you can play so don't bother to try and see if you can use that Full Moon Cello."
"Does that instrument actually do anything?"
"It will once you get all eight."
Quest items always did nothing other than being used for one thing and then that was it. I then had a thought. "Unconventional... unconventional... Ohhhh..." All those pots lying around meant they could be used on the Pols Voice. Sometimes, I wondered why I couldn't figure things out straight away even when it was so obvious? I really need to not overthink things so much as I just embarrass myself as a result. Picking up a pot and tossing it, it smashed against the Pols Voice and it was defeated in one shot. "Wow... They're not sturdy by any means."
Princess Twilight nodded. "Like I said, unconventional. By the way, if you were to use your Magic Powder on them, they will be stunned for a couple of seconds so you can use that if they jump around too much for you."
"Yeah, but Magic Powder is limited."
"True so you'll have to think about when to use it."
Picking up pots to throw them aside in order to move forward, I threw one at the other Pols Voice without realizing it as well as one at a Red Gel, defeating both of them. Doing so revealed a staircase that went down into another underground tunnel which was my means of moving on. Suddenly, Princess Twilight reminded me about the other stairs we found some time ago we couldn't reach because I didn't have the strength to lift the pots. Taking out the map and checking it, the room in question was the one south of where I picked up the map. It meant more backtracking but it wasn't too bad. There was something else though that I noticed.
"According to this map, the other staircase leads to a room that's south the previous one we were just in."
"Really?"
I pointed at the map for clarity. "Right here!"
Princess Twilight then looked at the map for herself. "You're right, Sunset. Why would they need to have another staircase there when it leads to where we are now? Hold on! Let me take a closer look at this map." Her Highness then combed it for any other inconsistences but found nothing. "From what I can gather, this additional underground passage is meant to act like some kind of shortcut only it doesn't really do a good job."
"What should we do?"
"We could skip that passage and just go south from the previous room."
"You want to explore that passage anyway, don't you?"
"Was I being too obvious?"
I winked. "I know how you work, Twilight. You never could pass up the opportunity to learn new things." Heading back to the previous room and walking south, I entered a room where a Sword Stalfos, a Keese, and a Pols Voice were located with the latter being sealed behind stone blocks. A staircase nearby confirmed that this was where the passage connected to from the other side so we knew that we had saved some time. "Why is that Pols Voice trapped like that?"
Princess Twilight then bopped me on the head in excitement. "Do you remember what that owl statue said about defeating monsters in a specific order? I'm betting that this is where it has to be done. Also, listen!" The Compass then made its sound indicating a key was in here. "Do you remember, Sunset? I obviously do but I'm wondering if you remember. I'm not teasing you or anything but I'm just your partner. You're the heroine here so you need to know this stuff by memory."
"Yeah, I remember. Also, I know I've got to figure it out otherwise what would be the point?"
"I was afraid you'd be getting lazy as a result."
"What? Lazy? Me? Never!"
"I can however tell you more information." Princess Twilight said. She quickly floated over to the stone blocks before coming back in case it caught the attention of the two remaining monsters. "Those stone blocks can be pushed so you need to figure out which ones can be moved in order to free the Pols Voice. Also, you only have three pots to work with to defeat that Pols Voice."
I figured that if I used all of the pots, I'd have to leave the room and then come back again in order to respawn them. Sure, it wasn't backtracking but rather slight inconvenience, the fact was it'd waste a few precious seconds, something that was best to avoid in my own opinion. Avoiding the Keese and Sword Stalfos as best as I could, I began pushing the Stone Blocks hoping one of them would move. At first, they all felt pretty fixed in place until one suddenly moved forward upon me pushing it. Now I was starting to get somewhere. Logic would be to push the block right next to this one because of obviousness.
Sure enough, pushing this other block was successful and the Pols Voice began to hop about, leaving its previously secluded area. Walking back to the pots, I made sure to watch it closely and to ensure the Keese and Sword Stalfos didn't get in my way otherwise I'd be doing this puzzle all over again. The Pols Voice continued hopping around until it was finally in my sights which was when I tossed the pot. It connected and the ghost rabbit disappeared in a puff of smoke. I wasn't done yet since I had to defeat the Keese next. Looking around to see what happened to it, it had been flying around the stairs so I quickly dispatched of it.
That left just the Sword Stalfos who charged at me and managed to hit me in the arm because of not noticing it in time. I raised my shield and waited for it to strike again which it did causing to reel back from being parried and two sword strikes defeated it leaving no monsters left. A treasure chest then materialized opposite the staircase by the way I came in, I walked over, opened it up, and took out the Nightmare Key. Now that I had a free moment to take a better look at the Nightmare Key, it definitely had an evil presence surrounding it despite being a larger than normal key. I felt that way regarding the one from Tail Cave.
"Now we can go back to that other staircase." I said as I pocketed the key.
"Can we see where this staircase goes?" Princess Twilight asked, her face giving off a 'pretty please' look.
"Okay, okay." I answered as I threw up my hands. "We'll take a look because you can't help being curious. Actually, I'm a little bit curious about what the path contains. Besides, it probably couldn't be important if it could be ignored." Walking up the stairs and into the underground passage (Shouldn't that be an overhead passage since we're going up and not down in this case), I gritted my teeth because of seeing yet another familiar monster. "Why is this thing even here!?" Coming out of what looked like pipes was a Piranha Plant. "Twilight, we've got another Mario themed enemy here."
"That explains why you look so angry right now."
"What next!?"
"Well, as you can see, Piranha Plants only come out of those pipes." Princess Twilight answered. "If you stand next to the pipe or on top of it, the Piranha Plant won't emerge so you can easily move past it. When they do pop up, they will attempt to bite you. Aside from that, they don't really do much else."
"So we can go back now, right?"
"Yes, but first, I want to see that Dungeon Map one more time." Princess Twilight answered. I took out the map and showed it to her and she began to scan it over with that sharp gaze of hers that is fixated on even the most miniscule of details. "It looks like you missed a treasure chest right here!" She pointed at the entrance of the Bottle Grotto. "You couldn't reach it before because you lacked strength but not you can. Do you want to go back for it?"
Looking at the map myself, I could go back but then it would involve some backtracking even though I had the warp panel in place to get me back to the start. Since we were pretty close to the Nightmare, that had to take precedence. "I'll open up that chest after we get the second instrument. Besides, you know how I feel about backtracking. I want to do as little of it as possible if I can help it."
Princess Twilight couldn't help but laugh. "Fair enough, Sunset. Let's take that other passage then." As I began making my way over to the other staircase, Her Highness quickly went silent before she asked me a surprise question given the current moment. "Do you still want to come to my coronation? I'm sure you were sent an invite but I'll send out another when this is all over."
"Of course I want to come."
"I don't think the rest of your friends can come because it would lead to some confusion."
"You could use magic for that."
" I guess?"
"They'd love to come, Twilight." I said. In my defence, my friends had seen Equestria with their own eyes though it was because we had to use that portal on the deserted island in order to get everyone back home safely to shore after the boat sank during the cruise. They haven't really said much about the experience (I wouldn't have either if I had been in their shoes) since it happened but I know both Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle do bring it up with me every once in a while.
"I'm sure I can figure something out."
"They are a part of your life even if you don't see them often."
"Okay, you've twisted my hoof, Sunset. I mean, leg."
Having reached the other staircase, I walked down into the underground passage and saw more pots along with two platforms that looked like they could be weighed down. I'm not that heavy (I'm really not I'll have you know) though my equipment does add a little weight to me. Thinking about it, those pots would add more weight to what I already had which should be enough. Getting off the ladder and stepping on the first platform, it slowly lowered down allowing me to keep moving where I climbed another ladder and over to the other platform which had a weird expression appear on it.
Okay, so this other platform needed a pot for extra weight. Still, why the facial expression? Ignoring the weirdness, I went back, picked up a pot and stepped on the platform again with my additional weight. It was enough to make the platform lower down granting me access to the final ladder. Climbing it and entering the next room, I could see that I needed to jump to reach the door that needed the Nightmare Key. Making my way south, I jumped over both gaps and stood before the door. Breathing in deeply, I unlocked the door and entered the room and noticed something really weird.
"Is that... a bottle?"
"It looks like it."
As both doors locked, I took a couple of steps forward to get a better look at the bottle. "It certainly looks exquisite but what is it doing here?" It was bigger than your average bottle and it wasn't corked but still, the fact that it was here struck me as odd. "Well... We're here now so what happens next?"
"Maybe you should rub it?" Princess Twilight asked. I tilted my head as a means of mocking her. "What? That's what usually happens when someone finds a bottle even though you usually do that with a lamp."
Since I couldn't come up with an idea of my own, I decided to take her suggestion and attempt to rub the bottle. Suddenly, it began to rattle indicating that something was inside and my first though was a small little creature had gotten itself stuck in there. The bottle then jumped up, landing on its bottom before something popped out. It looked like a clown what with the makeup and the attire though the tongue sticking out wasn't exactly clown-like. It also had no legs though that probably wasn't as important. Was this the next Nightmare? No, it couldn't be. A clown was supposed to be stronger than Moldorm?
"HO HO HO! I was wondering when you would get here."
"Are you... a clown?" I asked.
"Appearances can be deceiving, HO HO HO!" I could tell that it was having fun with the fact that I had no idea what this thing was. "HO HO HO! You're not very smart are you if you don't recognize a Genie when you see one."
"A Genie? Can't say that I have."
"Wow... That's quite depressing."
"Where the two of us are from..." I began as I pointed to Princess Twilight as well as myself. "Genies aren't really a thing though we do have a Draconequus which is probably the same thing except for being more chaotic instead of what you are." I knew what a Genie was based on my readings of fairy tales and I was certain Her Highness knew that as well. I just felt giving this Nightmare a taste of its own medicine.
"In any case... HO HO HO! I'm your bad guy this time! HO HO HO! Let's get this started shall we?" The Genie then conjured up a number of fireballs and began juggling them in the air before it began moving, the bottle it was in surrounded by a strange mist. As it continued juggling, it kept on dodging every time I moved closer until it started tossing the fireballs. It was now my turn to dodge.
"Oh crap!"
"Be careful you don't get burned." Princess Twilight said.
The fireball barrage was a lengthy one as shots continued to get thrown my way. While I managed to avoid the first five shots, the remaining ones hit their target, me, because I got completely exhausted after dodging too many. The good news was that I didn't get burned by the fireballs. The bad news was that it hurt pretty bad despite the damage being minimal. Just when it looked like it wouldn't end, the Genie finally stopped throwing fireballs before taunting me and disappearing back into the lamp (I had to admit that it had a pretty good aim despite looking like a clown). The bottle began bouncing around so I struck it with my sword causing it to stop moving.
"Uh, I can't move!" The Genie said.
"That should take of you for the moment." I said.
"HO HO HO! Good thing I'm still alright."
"What do you mean?"
"That sword swing of yours didn't do a thing to me all, HO HO HO!" The Genie answered as it continued laughing. "Your little sword won't break this bottle no matter how strong of a blade you possess. Ha! Even the walls here look tougher than that dinky little thing, HO HO HO!"
"Its got a point." I said not realizing until too late that I had unintentionally made a pun.
"Then I think you should turn the tables on it, Sunset." Princess Twilight said. "Since it just said that the walls are stronger than your sword, use them to shatter its bottle which is pretty much the only thing preventing you from inflicting any damage to it. That bottle looks heavy but you can easily lift it up thanks to the Power Bracelet."
I knew that Her Highness was trying not to give away too much information in the hopes of me trying to figure it out on my own, but since the Genie went ahead and practically gift-wrapped the solution, she confirmed that what it said was correct about what I had to do. Picking up the bottle, I walked to the closest wall and tossed it where it slammed into the wall and cracked a little before landing. I had to keep on doing this until the bottle shatters completely? Yeah... A very tedious method if there ever was one but I didn't have much of a choice since I couldn't really do anything else.
The Genie immediately popped out of the bottle. "NYAH NYAH! You can't hurt me as long as I have my bottle." It then began creating fireballs and started juggling them which meant going through its barrage again. Already, I could see why this Nightmare was more annoying than Moldorm. Repetitiveness was something I didn't appreciate in the least and this battle so far was clearly going in that direction. It then threw its fireballs and I dodged each one since it was the same pattern as before. "HO HO HO! You are going to burn to a crisp by my glorious fireballs." When the barrage ended, the Genie went back into the bottle prompting me to use my sword to stun it.
From there, I picked up the bottle and threw it against another wall where it cracked even more. I had no idea how many times I needed to do this but what I did know was that I had to keep on going. The Genie emerged again without taunting me and immediately began another barrage of fireballs after conjuring them up (It didn't juggle them this time). The mist surrounding its bottle protected it from any attacks which was why I couldn't speed up this process much to my annoyance. Just like before, the barrage was the same pattern so avoiding it was easy and upon finishing, the Genie went back into its bottle.
Hitting the bottle with my sword and picking it up, I tossed it once more into another wall where this time it actually broke. Finally! That took way too long! The Genie, who had briefly been stunned, was definitely not happy what had just happened. "WAAAH! What... What have you done?"
"I shattered your bottle." I answered.
"That was my home."
"While I am sorry for that, I had no choice."
The Genie began fuming. "You... You broke my bottle! How could you!? Why would you!?"
"Because I couldn't attack you otherwise." I answered sarcastically. "Besides, this battle was really getting boring what with you repeating the same attack pattern and me responding to it in kind. Now that the bottle is no longer in play, perhaps we can pick things up a bit?"
"Why you... You... You make me hopping mad!"
"Now things are about to get difficult, Sunset..." Princess Twilight began.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Without its bottle, the Genie can no longer hide from you which means you can finally damage it with your sword." Princess Twilight answered. "But, that does mean it's going to be attacking differently than before, and it definitely looks like it's about to lose its temper. The Power Bracelet is no longer needed for this battle so it comes down to your sword. Be careful as who knows what it'll do."
The Genie disappeared only to reappear moments later though now there was two of it. Both of them began spinning around in a circle and continued doing this over and over until I got so dizzy that I thought about throwing up. Suddenly, one of the Genie's vanished leaving the other to toss a fireball that struck me in the back. Before I could retaliate, it vanished leaving me to wonder where it was. When it showed itself, there were two again and they began spinning around like before. While it had resumed attacking in a pattern, the Genie had stepped up its game by dropping the goofy act and was being serious.
"Okay, I wasn't expecting this to happen."
"You need to remain calm."
"I know."
"Watch both Genies carefully and when one of them disappears, strike the other one before it tosses its fireball."
The two Genie's reappeared and began spinning around me. Heeding Her Highness' words, I readied myself and waited for one of them to disappear. When it happened, I swung my sword and got in a few hits though I did end up getting hit in the chest by the fireball at close range. While that shot pushed me back, it didn't hurt that badly which made me think that perhaps this Nightmare was all bark and no bite. Again, it was supposed to be stronger than Moldorm according to Flash Sentry? Okay, maybe more strategic in its attacks and timing but being stronger? I just couldn't see that.
As the Genies came back and began spinning, I chose to remain in the middle of the room. Why? I figured it would give me the best chance to move and dodge when the real one throws its fireball. If I were in the corner, it could become problematic. One disappeared and I attacked the other whilst dodging its fireball this time. After a few hits, it disappeared and I wondered how long this was going to take. Moldorm only took four hits while the Genie had been hit at least six times now. If I had to give props to this Nightmare for one thing, it was the fact that it had tons of durability.
Once more, the Genies appeared and began spinning around. At least they weren't picking up speed otherwise I'd be throwing up like crazy by now. Waiting patiently, one of them disappeared but before I could strike the real one, it struck me in the chest with its fireball. Shoot! I was so close to ending this but now I had to keep on going for another round. I tried striking the remaining Genie but it vanished just as I was about to connect. Waiting for the next assault, both Genies reappeared and repeated the process. Yeah, this really needed to end as this was really getting annoying.
When one disappeared, I rushed forward and attacked the other one as fast as I could. Three strikes with my sword turned out to be enough as the Genie suddenly stopped, flailed its arms about and started exploding. Four small explosions later and it finally blew up in a big explosion leaving nothing behind. Finally! I had defeated this Nightmare! While it wasn't as difficult as Moldorm in some ways, it was difficult in others. It also meant six more Nightmares were waiting for me in the remaining dungeons. Like Moldorm before it, the Genie had left behind a Heart Container which I gladly picked up.
"You did it, Sunset!" Princess Twilight exclaimed happily.
After feeling the warmth from the Heart Container go through me, I dropped to my knees. "Whew! That was just tedious to no end."
"Like I said, it was all about being patient."
"Yeah, but something bothered me during that fight."
"What was that?"
"According to Flash Sentry, the Genie was supposed to be stronger than Moldorm." I answered as I got back onto my feet. "While I did see some aspects of that when fighting that Nightmare, other signs suggested otherwise. I guess strength doesn't have to be the main focus when it comes to these Nightmares because if it had been, the Genie quite possibly could've been too strong for me to defeat." Stretching my arms, I looked at the door that lead to the final room of the Bottle Grotto. "I've had enough of being in here so let's go get that instrument and take BowWow back home."
"And that remaining treasure chest?"
"I'll be sure to pick it up despite what I said."
Before doing anything else, I grabbed the Heart Container that had been left behind by the Genie upon its defeat. After what I had been through, I really needed the pick-me-up it provided as well as my health being restored. My body felt warm as the containers and Pieces of Heart usually did upon me getting them. While it annoyed me that I had to defeat powerful monsters--the Nightmares in this case--in order to acquire these health boosts, I supposed it was meant to be seen as a form of accomplishment knowing I overcame incredible odds and I'd be rewarded accordingly.
Walking over to the door, I entered the final room where the door sealed itself shut behind me. To my right was the second Instrument of the Sirens, a horn that was sparkling in the light of the two torches either side of it. Since this was when Princess Celestia made herself known, I expected Princess Luna or Princess Cadance to show up. Grabbing the horn, I lifted it up and took a closer look at it. Like the Full Moon Cello, the instrument that was now in my hands was absolutely beautiful. If I could, I'd have played it right there and then but since my expertise was the guitar, all I could do was add it to my growing collection.
"You have acquired the Conch Horn!" A familiar voice echoed all around me.
"Is that?"
Princess Twilight nodded. "It's Princess Luna."
As if on cue, the Princess of the Night, her official title, appeared before us wearing a dark blue gown, dark blue high-heeled shoes, and was giving off a cold radiance despite being a being of goodness. Her black wings reminded me of Nightmare Moon, Princess Luna's form from over a thousand years ago, a form that resulted in her banishment, and despite not having her horn, her hair shimmered in the same way as Princess Celestia's. Compared with her older sister, Luna was more aloof in her mannerisms and tended on being rather dramatic when it came to wordplay.
"Strange that I have this form as opposed to my usual alicorn stature." Princess Luna said.
"You eventually get used to it."
"Ah, I see that you have come, Twilight Sparkle." Princess Luna said. She then turned to face me. "So you're the heroine of this strange world, Sunset Shimmer? Hmmm... I must say that I am surprised Twilight wasn't chosen to be the one to save the day, but perhaps you being the one is a blessing."
"More like a curse." I said.
"Yes... My sister did say something about you experiencing a problem but she did not know what."
"It's... very complicated." Princess Twilight said.
"I shall take your word for it." Princess Luna said. She then walked up to me before placing her hand on my shoulder. "With this instrument, you only have six more to find before you can awaken the fish-like thing that currently sleeps in the giant egg." Pausing for a moment, she took in the fact that I had to wake up a sleeping fish. "And I thought the wild creatures of Equestria were strange. I must admit, Sunset Shimmer, that you have quite the burden placed upon your shoulders."
"I'm used to it." I said.
"Be that as it may, I wish that I could help you but that is beyond my means."
"Princess Celestia said something to that effect." Princess Twilight said.
"While I have my memories of Equestria, they are of little help in this strange world." Princess Luna said. Like I said, she was dramatic with her wordplay. "Whoever managed to bring us here is a being of great power. This is evidently true if such a being was able to ensnare myself, my sister, and even Princess Cadance... Oh, and you yourself, Twilight."
"You have no idea." I said. I could try to explain about Ganondorf to Princess Luna but I didn't exactly do so with Princess Celestia. While I had no doubt that they would listen to what I had to say, whether they believed it or not was another thing altogether. For now, it was best not to bring it up and perhaps explain things later when all three princesses had gathered together. Looking at Princess Twilight, I nodded while Luna was briefly distracted and she nodded in kind confirming that we were going to tell them eventually. "Are you able to tell us where we have to go next?"
"Now that I can help you with."
"Glad to hear that."
Princess Luna paused for a moment before attempting to speak using her Royal Canterlot Voice. Quickly realizing that wouldn't be very effective not to mention embarrassing on her part, she spoke with her usual tone. "Prairie... prairie... The prairie is waiting... I know this does not make sense but I am permitted by this world to provide more detail. In the village where you were brought to, Sunset Shimmer, the remaining way out cannot be accessed without power. You possess that power now so you can proceed. Someone... there is someone waiting out there to speak with you in a house."
"I take it you can't say anything else?"
"I am not permitted to speak any further on the matter."
"Guess we'll have to figure the rest out on our own." Princess Twilight said.
"You do have the grandfather who is shy to call on for assistance."
"Oh yeah, Discord!" I exclaimed.
Princess Luna was taken aback when I said that. "Discord is in this world with us? Even the Lord of Chaos isn't immune to this being who brought us here? I am surprised that one can control the likes of Discord given his nature. Still, it is pleasing to know that he is being helpful in this world, a sign that he has truly become a force for good despite still wanting to play tricks on occasion." She then began to fade away which meant her time here was over. "I must take my leave of you both now. We shall see each other again in Level 5. What that means I do know but I am to tell you about it. Now... listen well to the Conch Horn."
She disappeared and the horn began playing its music. At one time, I had considered taking up the horn as an instrument, but since I was part of a rock n' roll music band, a horn, especially one that was more towards archaic, would've made me look pretty out of place compared with my friends using more modern instruments. Everything then went bright and soon I was standing back outside the entrance to the Bottle Grotto. BowWow was happy to see me and I knew that he had to be taken home, but first there was that one treasure chest that had yet to be opened. Good thing it was just inside so I wasn't going far.
Walking back into the dungeon and leaving BowWow behind it (Only briefly this time since I was going to be quick), I picked up the pots blocking the chest and tossed each one aside until I opened it taking out a purple rupee worth fifty. Good thing I decided to come back here now otherwise I'd have completely forgotten about this. With nothing left to do, I walked out of the dungeon and reunited with BowWow. He immediately consumed the Goponga Flowers that had been blocking the dungeon entrance allowing me to finally leave the swamp and plot my next course of action.
"We need to take BowWow home..." I began. "I think Wallflower has waited long enough."
Princess Twilight nodded. "I know, but before you go back to Mabe Village, why not use the Power Bracelet out here? I'm sure it will have some practical uses over than allowing you to lift up pots."
"Like?"
"Making shortcuts."
Looking ahead at the boulders off in the distance, I knew what Princess Twilight was hinting at. With the Power Bracelet, I could now go back to Koholint Prairie rather than have to go the long way round though there was that one house to the west that I've yet to visit. Perhaps I could go there later on whenever there was a free moment. It would mean backtracking over there unless I could use warp magic and cut down on some serious time. Walking forward and lifting up a boulder, I tossed it aside and jumped over the holes in the ground. I was back near Trixie's place and the Mysterious Forest yet there was one place I had yet to see here.
I continued going south until I reached a boulder that was blocking some stairs that went down to a desert-like area complete with strange vegetation. Before lifting the boulder, I looked around to see if there was anything suspicious, and the only thing that came to mind was a single gravestone. Shouldn't that be in an actual graveyard instead of here? Perhaps there was to it than appearances suggested. It was probably something I couldn't do anything about until I had the proper means to do so later. That's when I noticed something else in the sand, or rather, a lot of somethings.
"What in the world are those?"
"Zombies."
"As in the walking undead!?"
Princess Twilight nodded. "You'd be surprised as to what can lurk around on this island. Anyway, Zombies aren't very strong and can be taken out in one hit from your sword, but the problem is that they keep on appearing even after you defeat them. In other words, they will never stop coming out of the ground. I don't think you get anything from defeating a Zombie so you should probably avoid them. If it's any consolation, they can only be found here and in the graveyard."
"So there is a graveyard."
"Somewhere near the middle of the island if I remember rightly."
"Okay, we can come back to this gravestone later." I said as I turned around. "Let's take BowWow home!"
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"I have lived for countless millennia, across different time periods, died many times." Ganondorf began. "Different versions of me exist who have sought to plunge the world into darkness and rule it with an iron fist. Such versions are weak, arrogant, ignorant, and fail to grasp what is truly important. I come from a time where I wield the true power and have become wizened with knowledge. I still seek dominion over all I survey but I prefer a far more intricate method. I seek power from others to add to my own and servants who possess great potential should they be worthy enough for me to show them."
"So that's why you want Sunset!" Rarity shouted. "You see her as having great potential!"
Ganondorf laughed. "More than you realize, generous one. You children do not know as much about your friend as you believe. Answer me this question. Has she ever told you why she came to your world so long ago?" The silence from my friends was all the proof he needed to know. "As I thought, the child kept you in the dark."
"What does that prove?" Applejack asked. "If Sunset doesn't wanna explain herself about her past then I reckon that's her right. There are things about our pasts that we ain't shared with her because such things can only cause pain and misery."
"Friendship can be complicated but it's what keeps us together." Pinkie Pie added.
"Ironic isn't it, that she would not tell you of such a thing." Ganondorf answered.
"Um... How do you know so much about Sunset?" Fluttershy asked. Everyone else then blinked upon realizing that Fluttershy had made a valid point. While I knew Ganondorf could read the minds of others among other things, my friends didn't know and they were about to find out. "I mean, I'm not trying to be offensive, Mr. Ganondorf, but you do seem to know so much about Sunset so I was curious. Do you know our secrets too?"
Slowly nodding, Ganondorf chuckled slowly so as to instill a sense of fear. "I can read all of your minds, kind one. No matter how hard to try to hide your secrets, nothing can be hidden from me. There are other powers I possess that are far beyond your mortal minds but perhaps I shall reveal a few of these as time progresses. The child... At one time, she was destined to become a princess. Everything was in her favour to become one. But, fate took her down a dark path and had she stayed on it, she would have become a powerful sorceress and have conquered everything she wished."
"Good thing Sunset changed her life for the better." Twilight Sparkle said.
"And you can relate, magic one."
"If not for our friends, I'd still be at Crystal Prep and being miserable."
"Had you not been coerced by the alicorn, the child, your precious Sunset Shimmer would have remained on the dark path." Ganondorf said. It looked as though he was building up his anger but it was merely his dark aura. "She is destined to become the strongest of her kind and I can guide her to that destiny by having her forsake her current path. What you all believe in leaves her weak, useless, and unable to realize her true potential. You yourself, magic one, possess great potential but you are now lost because you have chosen to embrace the light and companionship. The child has not entirely embraced it yet."
"What do you mean?"
Ganondorf laughed. "The child still has some reservations about her life. A small part of her desires power above all else but she cannot come to that conclusion as what she has now is blocking her from true greatness. She will become my obedient servant, cast aside this pathetic existence of hers, and become the princess destiny decreed." He continued laughing but hadn't noticed what Rainbow Dash was doing. "And then there is the alicorn... the one who shall inherit her world. Her fate is intertwined with that of the child as she also possesses great potential. But, her purity is too strong and so it must be removed."
"Okay! That's enough!" Rainbow Dash shouted as she grabbed some wires.
"And do you intend on ending this experience, loyal one?"
"I pull out these cables and you're done!"
"Do that, and the child shall remain lost... forever."
"He's bluffing." Twilight said.
Ganondorf laughed once more. "Do you think I am bluffing, magic one? Go ahead... loyal one... do what you intend on doing." Rainbow Dash struggled for a few moments on whether to pull out the cables and turn Ganondorf off, but she knew she couldn't risk my life (Nor did she know that countless other lives hung in the balance. "You could not carry out your intention... how amusing. You lack the ferocity to do what is needed. Now that you all know about the past of the child, it is time to move to the true reason I have come here. I shall claim your precious magic but also indulge in seeing your greatest fears realized."
"We ain't afraid of nothing!" Applejack shouted. "Besides, we've been there before when someone tried usin' magic on us."
"My magic is ancient and far more potent than what you wield."
"Is that 'spposed to scare us."
"You will learn soon enough." Ganondorf said. "But before I subject each of you to your own individual fears... being trapped in this screen has been amusing for a while but now that little charade is over. I shall come forth to your world and subject to you fear in person."
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While making my way back to Mabe Village, I had to go through the Mysterious Forest again. During that trek, I made a few detours because now that I had the Power Bracelet, areas that were previously inaccessible were now open. First, there was that cave surrounded by three boulders. By lifting one up and tossing it away, I discovered a Piece of Heart but couldn't pick it up as it was located on a small platform surrounded by a massive abyss. I had to abandon it until I could come back with a means of making it across. After that, I remembered the one Piece of Heart hidden behind some heavy skulls near where I found the toadstool.
Going back that way wasn't too much of a chore since the Moblins at this point were simple enough to deal with. It helped that BowWow was with me and that he consistently devoured any monsters making it even easier. He did tell me at one point to dig but I couldn't without a shovel. Entering the cave and getting past the Green Zols (Again, BowWow made this practically a non-issue), I moved the stones as well as lifted and tossed the skulls allowing me to reach the Piece of Heart. Even though backtracking wasn't my favourite thing to do, the fact I was collecting items necessary for my success was worth the effort.
After going back the other way and exiting the cave where I entered it from, I continued going south making sure not to get lost (Despite having gone through the forest at least four times now, I still wasn't confident when it came to exploring this place). Near the southern end of the Mysterious Forest, there was a boulder that had been blocking a treasure chest and had been taunting me for some time. Lifting the boulder and tossing it aside, a Red Gel behind it did surprise me though BowWow quickly took care of it with a single chomp. Opening up the chest, I was surprised to see a Secret Seashell.
This was only my second one overall including the one I found behind the Trendy Game Shop. What was the significance of these seashells? All Princess Twilight told me was to collect as many of them as possible. In any case, I hoped to find out what they were for. With nothing else left for me to do, I finally left the Mysterious Forest and was back in Mabe Village where everything had returned to normal before the Moblins attacked. No doubt BowWow was happy to be back home since it had been over a day since the kidnapping. While I had the urge to explore, BowWow's return was my first priority.
Walking south and nearing the library, I was greeted by both Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle with the former speaking first. "Wow! You brought back BowWow! I can't believe y'all managed to beat those Moblins!"
"How did you manage to defeat the Moblins?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"I tracked them down to their lair and got BowWow out of there." I answered.
"No wonder you managed to beat them!"
"I did have to fight off several of them including their boss."
That made Sweetie Belle very ecstatic. "Wow! You are really awesome, miss! No one in the village has ever managed to stand up to the Moblin Boss before. He always acted like a bully all because he was stronger than everyone else and believed he could do whatever he wanted."
Apple Bloom didn't look so sure. "Y'all may have defeated the Moblin Boss, but what's ta stop him from comin' back here and messin' things up again. Without y'all around here to keep 'em in check, they could attack the village and kidnap BowWow all over again. While they ain't the sharpest tools out there, Moblins are pretty tenacious critters and understand the meaning of wantin' revenge."
"You don't have to worry."
"How come?"
"The Moblin Boss is gone."
"Gasp! That means the Moblins will never bother us again!" Sweetie Belle said.
"Hoo-wee! It's a plumb miracle." Apple Bloom added. "By the way, why are we two kids keepin' this here miss from returning BowWow to his home? The answer ta that is we shouldn't and we should get back ta playin' catch. Madam MeowMeow is sure ta give y'all a reward for bringin' BowWow home. By the way, Marin wanted ta speak with y'all about somethin' mighty important. She didn't exactly say what but you should pay her a visit. How do I know this? I'm just a kid. I ain't 'spposed ta know stuff like that."
"If you want to talk to us later, we'll be over by the library." Sweetie Belle then started to head down to the library with Apple Bloom in tow but suddenly stopped before coming back like she had something else on her mind. "My sister was actually being serious about talking with Marin. She seems to have taken quite an interest in you, miss. We're just kids so we don't know what Marin has in store but it's probably best not to keep her waiting too long. She has a weird way of saying things sometimes that makes me question her."
As she turned and ran off to join Apple Bloom, I couldn't help but be curious as to what Starlight wanted. The last time I had spoken to her, she said she was going to be by the statue of the Flying Rooster. If I was right, she should still be standing over there. Before I deal with her, I had to return BowWow to Wallflower as it wasn't fair keeping her waiting any longer than necessary. Heading towards Wallflower's house, I could see her looking about, but Zecora was also present, her standing by the well. How did she get down here!? I'll deal with her later as I really needed to finish my current errand.
The moment Wallflower noticed BowWow, she threw her arms up in the air like she didn't have a care in the world. "BowWow! My poor precious BowWow! I never thought I would see you again after those nasty Moblins kidnapped you."
"It wasn't easy but I managed to bring him back to you." I said.
"Did Grandpa Ulrira give you my message of taking him for a walk?"
I nodded. "I took BowWow to Goponga Swamp which was where I needed to go personally."
"While that swamp is definitely a horrid place, my BowWow just loves eating the flowers that grow there." Wallflower said. She patted BowWow on the head and he purred like a little kitten which looked adorable. She then took the chain from me and attached it to a pole that was stuck in the ground before addressing me again. "Much better! I truly appreciate what you did for my poor precious BowWow and I know he feels that way too. You no longer have to worry about him scaring you. You are such a nice girl and that means you deserve a reward for such efforts."
"I don't need a reward."
"Nonsense!"
"The satisfaction of bringing him back to you is all I need."
Wallflower laughed. "Such a modest girl you are. I will give you a reward and I won't take no for an answer. First of all, allow me to give you this!" She raised her hands to her mouth and at first I thought she was going to kiss me. She then giggled and instead gave me a hug so powerful, it felt like my spine would break due to her strength. "And now for your other reward. For an adventurer like yourself, you should go to the local Item Shop. I hear they recently got in a stock of bombs. I'd never use any myself what with them being so loud and dangerous because they explode."
She handed me a red rupee before turning around and walking back into her house. While I didn't want to take her money, she was very insistent on it so it was probably for the best to accept it and not upset her. Wallflower also mentioned about how bombs were now being sold at the Item Shop. From what previous adventures had told me, bombs were very important so getting some was definitely in my best interest. First, I needed to talk with Zecora since she was here in the village for some reason. I wonder if was to do with that job she asked me about from before?
To Be Continued.