The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.
By Ganondorf8.
November 17, 2019.
Chapter 8: Golden Leaves of the Castle.
As I walked back to where Zecora was standing, I was still curious as to how she managed to get all the way here from up by Goponga Swamp. From what I had been told about her from Princess Twilight, she was known for making long treks from the Everfree Forest to Ponyville and back then. Had she done just that? Made her way through the Mysterious Forest, passing all those Moblins and reached Mabe Village? Or had she found another route I wasn't aware of? Also, I still didn't know about this job she mentioned before. As much as I wanted to offer my services, I had to get to the next dungeon which was somewhere in the prairie.
Upon seeing me approach, Zecora turned to me and smiled. "Ah, it is good to see you again."
"How did you manage to get here!?" I exclaimed.
In her usual manner, Zecora answered with a rhyme. "How I got here to the village you shouldn't worry but it looks like I caught you in a bit of a hurry. How unfortunate as I assumed you had finished your other errands. Perhaps I am wrong and you are done so why not come with me and have some fun? Come with me to my shack."
"Isn't your shack back by the swamp?"
"You have the means to easily get around."
"As much as I would like to help you with this job of yours, you haven't actually said what it is."
Zecora nodded. "This is true. I have not yet told you of what I want you to do but when I do tell you then I hope you will see it through." She then looked at me as though there were something off about me which made me feel uneasy. "I can tell that adventure is what you seek so permit to mention a little sneak peak. What I have for you to experience will definitely make it worth your while and no doubt you will succeed with style. The point I'm getting to is I'll reward you very handsomely for helping me out."
"What kind of reward?"
"Rupees, Heart Containers, and so much more."
"I'm listening..."
"Such treasures are of real importance to one such as yourself." Zecora said with a smile. She knew that I was now fully interested in what she wanted to say because she said the right words, namely rupees and health. "While you are free to come and visit me at my shack, perhaps you consider taking things back? I know that confused you so let me rephrase that. I want you to come to my shack in order to help me but I think it's too early for you to do so."
That made me annoyed. "Then why bring it up in the first place!?"
"Because I wanted to know if you were committed."
"Seriously?"
Zecora nodded. "If you weren't committed then it would result in your life becoming lost. I need those who can stand up to the task and that involves someone who possesses power, wisdom, and courage. Right now, you don't look very committed to me so please ignore what I said and you may go free."
"I am committed!"
"Are you certain?"
I nodded fiercely. "Without a doubt!"
"That's all I needed to know." Zecora said. "I will return to my humble and wait for you there and in the meantime you should continue your quest so fair. I believe there is a place out in the prairie which beckons one such as you and no doubt you will win through. I don't know what you'll find but hopefully it should be something kind. Once you've done your business, come and see me and I'll explain everything."
In my mind, I was ready to burst into sheer rage. Why did Zecora tease me like that!? She wants my help but now doesn't!? Couldn't she make up her mind or something!? Then again, she always was cryptic with her words according to Princess Twilight so rather than be outraged, I needed to think things more clearly. Zecora obviously needed help but perhaps thought I couldn't handle whatever she was planning? I've had experience being an adventurer... plenty of it by my account, but since that was across different worlds, to Zecora, what I've been on Koholint Island didn't impress her.
Still, I was curious about those rewards and how I was supposed to get them. Did she want me to perform some kind of fetch quest? Explore a dangerous place where few would ever dare tread? Or maybe she wanted me to fight a powerful monster that had never known defeat? Again, her cryptic nature meant me not knowing the exact details until I actually paid her a visit to her house and inquired further. Even if I were to pester her about what she was talking about, she wasn't likely to tell me anything until I did what she asked. Guess that chalked up something else I'd have to come back to later.
Leaving Zecora to eventually make her way back home, I began to think about where Princess Luna had directed me to next. She mentioned the prairie was waiting for me. I had already been to a prairie, the Koholint Prairie, the area where Trixie lived, but I had already explored every bit of that area aside from the other house that had been blocked by a boulder that required the Power Bracelet to lift it. A dungeon entrance would never be that obvious. I mean, they have in my previous adventures but this island obviously played its own rules so what I believed no longer applied.
From what I could recall from the map of the entire island Princess Twilight and I saw in the library, there was another prairie just beyond the village. I couldn't recall the name of it nor could I remember how big it was. Was that where I needed to go? I wished I'd been given more clarity by Princess Luna about the subject. I considered asking Discord if he knew anything about this other prairie but I suspected he would only tell me about specific things. Then an idea popped into my head! Applebloom mentioned Starlight wanting to talk to me! I hoped she would have an answer.
I made my way over to the statue of the Flying Rooster and sure enough, Starlight was still standing there singing. As I approached, she stopped and turned to face me. "Oh! I was wondering where you've been, Sunset Shimmer. You came back to the village a while ago only to leave again. I can tell that you have quite a busy schedule so I appreciate you taking some time to speak to me."
"I was told you wanted to see me?" I asked. I was also curious about the song she was singing but was afraid she would take offence. I think I will slide in that question after I ask about the other prairie. "May I ask you a couple of questions? It would really make me very happy."
"Really?" Starlight's face then lit up. "Of course I'll answer your questions." She then turned her attention towards her home. "Tarin finally came back from the Mysterious Forest after what felt like forever. I thought the Moblins had hurt him or much worse but as soon as he came home, he went right to sleep for a nap though why? Why would anyone want to sleep on such a nice day? That was yesterday when you weren't here. Right now, he's eating bananas from a strange fellow who sells them on the beach in exchange for canned food. I don't think he will give you any of his. Ha! Tarin always was selfish when it came to sharing."
"O... kay?" I don't know why Starlight mentioned all of that. It wasn't relevant to what I needed to know. Was she trying to have a normal conversation with me? Granted, I didn't really see anything wrong with that, but I did need to know about what this other prairie was.
"I'm sorry... Was that boring?"
"N-no! Not at all."
"Then what is your first question?"
"Do you know what the prairie is beyond the village?"
"Of course I do!" Starlight answered, cupping her hands together. "I've been through there many times on my way to the Animal Village on the other side. Ukuku Prairie is very large and it can be easy to get lost if you don't know where you're going. Until recently, I could walk across the prairie freely, but ever since those boulders appeared, no one can leave the village in that direction. It's so sad because I love going to the Animal Village, but without strength, I'm stuck here."
The Power Bracelet was required to leave the village! I had a feeling that was going to be the case. In these kinds of journeys from what I've seen, whenever I acquired a new item, it was needed in order to access a new area that was previously inaccessible. I already had that experience with the Roc's Feather so now it was the Power Bracelet's turn. I doubted I could get to this Animal Village Starlight mentioned without another item so finding the next dungeon was even more important (Along with the next instrument and the Nightmare). The journey would be a rough one so I had to go to the Item Shop after this.
"Anything important out there?"
"Like what?"
"Important places?"
"There are a few of them." Starlight answered. I could tell she wasn't liking my question but I needed her to remain focused on giving me the information I needed. "There is a castle whose owner abandoned it and now lives somewhere out there in Ukuku Prairie. There's also a beautiful mansion that's dedicated to seashells. I never did visit it because it was out of my way and it seemed more suspicious than anything else. Lastly, a place called Key Cavern exists, but no one can go in because someone lost the key a long time ago. Other than that, nothing else comes to mind."
"What about that song?"
"The song I'm singing?"
I nodded. "I was curious about it."
"This song... It means an awful lot to me you know." Starlight said as she blushed ever so slightly. "Whenever I can find the time, I will sing it to my hearts content. To be honest, I never did figure out the actual meaning behind the song, but I don't care because I can sing it without anyone judging me." The moment she said that, my body went as cold as ice and she clearly noticed. "Have you heard of it before, Sunset Shimmer? If so then maybe I can teach you the song."
"I... I... I don't have an instrument."
"That's too bad."
"But I would like to learn."
Starlight smiled. "You're such a sweet girl, Sunset Shimmer, but I don't think you have the kind of singing voice that I do. No, I think you'd be better off with an instrument. I do know that one such instrument exists in the village." She then changed the subject much to my surprise. "I would love to know some more information about you. Huh? What? No, you clearly heard me wrong. I mean..." I knew she was lying but why even do that? It's not like I was going to look down on her for it. Despite what it looked like, I had been known to lie for a variety of reasons. "Maybe... Can you talk to me later? I want to sing right now."
And just like that, Starlight began singing leaving me to my own devices. There had to be some kind of significance to that song! I mean, why else would she sing it and not know what the meaning behind it was? I had to find out its secret. I then realized this was yet another item being added to a plate chock full of things that required my attention. I needed to practically be in three places at once! First Zecora, then Ukuku Prairie, and now Starlight. Fortunately, Starlight had provided more information than I initially expected. The prairie was definitely worth my interest even if I didn't need to go there.
Before leaving Mabe Village, I was going to visit the Item Shop and get some supplies. My experiences in the Bottle Grotto reminded me that I needed to always keep stock of my current inventory otherwise I'd end up making things worse for myself. As I began heading towards the shop, I noticed Princess Twilight had been awfully quiet. While I understood that as my fairy partner, she wanted to take a step back and allow me to do most of the talking, but I valued her wisdom because she clearly knew plenty more than I ever hoped to. She didn't need to remain quiet as that would just be offending her integrity.
"Twilight..." I began.
"What is it?" Princess Twilight asked.
"You don't need to be quiet on my account." I answered with my head lowered a little. "If you want to say something to those we encounter, feel free to speak your mind and not allow me to do everything. I value your input more than anything!"
"Oh I'm not bothered by that."
"You're not?"
Princess Twilight shook her head. "Nope! The reason I've been quiet is that I'm taking all this information we're getting and storing it aside for safe-keeping. While I can't write it down in a journal or notebook, I can use my fairy magic to keep the information stored away until needed. Anyway, Starlight gave us a lot of info. I'm just so proud of what she did for us even though she clearly didn't have to."
"Put the fan-gushing aside, Twilight."
"Oh! Right!" Princess Twilight blushed as she coughed. "The house dedicated to seashells might have something to do with those Secret Seashells you've been finding. That's just a guess since I have no idea what they even do. The castle is sure to have a library and I don't need to tell you how I feel about that!" I rolled my eyes because Her Highness just loved libraries--they were basically a second home for her away from her own.
"And this Key Cavern?"
"That could be a dungeon."
"You think so?"
"I don't know that either." Princess Twilight answered. "If Flash Sentry were here, he'd probably tell us that but we haven't seen him since you rescued BowWow. I think this is something we'll have to figure out on our own. Now, can we finally go to the Item Shop? I know you want to go there badly which is why I knew to say that. Ukuku Prairie sounds pretty dangerous so getting stocked up is highly recommended."
Her Highness didn't have to tell me twice. It didn't take long for me to reach the Item Shop (The sign above the entrance depicted a pot. Not exactly the image I'd have used but it wasn't really my choice) and walking inside, I was surprised at two things. One, there were some really strange items for sale. Two, Aria Blaze was standing behind the cash register. I knew that the other two Dazzlings had to be on this island seeing as Adagio already was. Unlike her and Sonata, Aria was the brooding member of their trio. She preferred to have an emo like persona and always clashed with her 'sisters' because she felt like it.
"Why is she here?" I whispered.
"I'm guessing she was the right fit for whoever worked here in this world." Princess Twilight answered.
"This isn't going to go well."
"We've dealt with her in the past and we can do it again."
"Ahem!" Aria coughed, getting our attention. "If you two are going to be whispering amongst yourselves, you can take such business outside. I don't really care what you're saying but it just looks bad for business. Tch! Like anyone even comes in here these days."
"I'll do the talking." I whispered as I walked over to Aria whilst Princess Twilight nodded. "I didn't mean to offend you." I spoke in my regular tone.
"Judging from that weird get-up, you must be some kind of adventurer." Aria said. Not even a minute in here and already I was struggling not to throttle her. The Dazzlings, back in the real world, were still antagonistic despite no longer being threatening ever since they lost their magic. Even after seeing them at the Post Crush concert, I couldn't trust them for an instant, but I could do so in this world. Aria then continued. "Like, welcome to my shop. As you can see, I've got all kinds of things someone like you would want. I have basic items and even some rare finds."
"May I have a look?"
"Sure, but don't steal anything."
"Why would I do something like that?"
Aria's eyes then narrowed and I knew I wasn't going to like what she was about to say next. "Stealing is something I really don't take too kindly. If you steal something from me, everyone in the village will forever refer to you as 'Thief'. No matter how hard you cry and beg, that name's gonna stick!" She took a deep breath before continuing on. "If you come back in here after stealing something, everything will end with my special technique!"
"Meaning?"
"I'll make you regret coming back in here by shooting you with lightning." Aria answered, her face becoming sinister with her expression. "That's what happened to the last person who tried stealing something without paying. You'll likely die from my technique so let my words be your only warning. Don't steal!" She then resumed her normal expression, or whatever constituted as such for her. "Now, if there's anything on the shelf you like, bring it over and I'll see how many rupees you've got."
"What do you have?"
"Can't you see for yourself!?" Aria snapped before quickly calming down. "No... no... Can't afford to lose another customer." She then walked over to where the items were located and began to explain. "I've got Recovery Hearts, Bombs, a Shovel, a shield, a Piece of Heart, and this weird tile. There! That's everything I've got for now. You better be interested in these otherwise I'm gonna get real mad."
"I would like some bombs, please."
"That will be twenty rupees for ten bombs." Aria said. I handed over the money and she gave me the bombs in a bag. "Thank you very much for the purchase, and thank you for not stealing anything. I have a feeling you're going to be quite the regular customer."
I had about a hundred rupees on me now and even though I wanted to buy everything she had, I knew that was possible as some items looked really expensive. I asked her about the shovel and she said that it was worth two hundred rupees, the same with the Piece of Heart. Yikes! No way could I afford either one for now. The shield wasn't necessary because of already having one on my person and hearts weren't all that important since I could find them whenever monsters decided to drop any upon defeating them. All that remained in her stock was the weird tile as she called it.
"What about that tile?"
"Oh that?" Aria answered. "It's something I acquired a while ago but no one seems interested. According to Dampé, it holds a power that can create a dungeon room or something like that, but she was being so annoying with her rhyming that I'm not even sure she's right." She sighed heavily. "It costs 1,250 rupees. I know it's a hefty price but considering these are hard to come by, you might have some interest in it. Who knows, not that I care. Anyway, are you going to buy anything else?"
"You know Dampé?" I asked, making sure not to mention the name Zecora.
Aria nodded. "Despite not living around here, she does come by every once in a while. Sure, she looks weird but believe me, I've seen weirder than her. When she found that I had that tile, she went on a spiel about it to the point where I thought I was going to get bored to death."
"I might be interested in it... Later on down the road."
"Not like it's going anywhere!"
Thinking that ten bombs weren't enough, I decided to buy ten more which left me with only eighty rupees left. I had a feeling that the shovel was going to be very useful so I needed to start saving up my rupees. The Piece of Heart would most likely be an impulse purchase and as for the tile... Zecora would need to fill me in on that. Aria was right about me being a regular customer as she had exactly what I needed. Hopefully, the shovel wasn't going to be needed until much later on (Famous last words right there). Since I didn't need to buy anything else for now, I thanked Aria and she hoped to see me again later.
Leaving the Item Shop, there was nothing else for me to do in Mabe Village so it was finally time for me to start the next stage of this journey. Heading eastward towards the east exist of the village, Starlight had been right about boulders blocking the way out. A nearby sign said that ahead was both Animal Village and a place called Kanalet Castle which Starlight had also mentioned. Picking up a boulder and tossing it aside, I continued on and immediately noticed a cave nearby. I felt compelled to check it out, so I did and entered it and came across both a treasure chest and a Piece of Heart surrounded by more boulders and some skulls.
Two Green Zols popped up but I quickly defeated them both with my sword though neither dropped anything. From there, I began pushing boulders around (These weren't the heavy ones mind you) to reach the treasure chest and opened it up to reveal a purple rupee which I took. I did have to leave the cave and go back in to reset everything because I couldn't reach the Piece of Heart. When back inside, I moved the boulders in a different pattern and lifted the heavy skulls, tossing both aside before grabbing the Piece of Heart. It's warmth made me feel better but I knew I still needed more to improve my health.
Heading back outside, I saw an Octorok, but something was different about it. "Why does that Octorok have wings?"
"Because it's a Winged Octorok." Princess Twilight answered. "Unlike regular Octoroks, these ones have wings which they can use to fly for a limited amount of time. If you try to attack them, they will take to the air and land behind you before spitting out a rock at you. To defeat them, you can either use the Roc's Feather and attack them in the air or wait until they land before striking. If you're not confident with fighting aerial enemies, they can be ignored entirely."
Then I noticed a strange marked platform. "Hey!" I shouted while pointing at it. "What's that?"
"Let's take a look." Princess Twilight suggested. I made my way over to the platform making sure to avoid the Winged Octorok (I did cut down the grass along the way acquiring several rupees in the process) and when I reached the platform, I saw that it had some kind of sun-like symbol etched into it. Her Highness then took a closer look at it and as she did, she constantly tilted her head as she pondered over many possibilities, and upon coming back over to me, her shrugging shoulders told me she had no clue. "Well I'm stumped. I've never seen anything like it before."
"Could it be magical?"
"Maybe but I didn't feel anything."
"Should I try using an item?"
Princess Twilight shook her head. "I don't think the Roc's Feather and Power Bracelet will help here, Sunset." She scratched her head and continued tilting it as her though process began going into overtime. "Okay! How about this for an idea... Just walk onto it."
"Wat!?" I frowned.
"It's all I can think of."
"Fine..." I stepped onto the platform and it began glowing in a bright blue light. "Don't... say... a word..." Her Highness nodded knowing that her idea was the solution. I couldn't believe that's what it took though it didn't explain what was supposed to happen. "Guess we'll need to find another one like this somewhere. Surely this has to be magic?"
"Until we find another one, we can only assume."
Stepping off of the platform, I looked around to see what I could do next. The tell-tale sign of a telephone was the best place to start since I could do with Discord confirming a couple of things for me. There was a path heading south as well as continuing going east but my first priority had to be Discord. I wasn't abusing his services seeing as he insisted on me phoning him up whenever I needed his help, but I always feared that he wouldn't be able to give me the right kind of advice for a given situation. Princess Twilight had filled the void but not even she had all the answers. Walking around a tree and entering the booth, I picked up the phone and waited.
BRRIIINNG! BRRIIINNG!
"D'oh ho ho! Hi, it's Ulrira!" Discord said on the other end.
"It's me again." I said.
"You know, I ought to know your name since I, well, don't know it."
"My name is Sunset Shimmer."
"I shall remember that name from now on whenever I hear your voice." Discord rocked in his rocking chair as I could hear it in the background. "Anyway, have you talked to everyone on the island yet?"
I was taken aback by his question. "How could I have talked to everyone when I haven't even explored roughly half of the island yet?"
Discord laughed. "D'oh ho ho! I guess I should've been a bit more specific there, but judging from your response, that would be a no. Not to worry though because I am here to help you figure out where to go next." While his laughing at me was annoying, I couldn't hold a grudge since he did admit he was at fault. "There is a woman named Richard who lives southeast of the village in Pothole Field. Why not pay her a visit? I know she is someone you haven't met yet. I know what you're thinking so let me put that thought to rest. Yes, her name is Richard but it's best not to question her name choices."
"Why do they call it Pothole Field?"
"You might not see it straight away but once you start cutting down those shrubs, the name will make sense pretty quickly." Discord was about to hang up (I knew this because I could hear him tapping the phone on his end) when he suddenly remembered something. "You know, someone like you should pay a visit to the Seashell Mansion in Ukuku Prairie. Sure, it might not be an exciting place, but the Great Fairy knows how to take care of it. I know little about it but she definitely does. Don't worry about not finding it. You can't miss it. That's all I can tell you for now, bye!"
CLICK!
Thanks to Discord, Princess Twilight and I now had more information with which to work with. First, we needed to speak to this woman named Richard. Yes... I actually was wondering why she was given a male name, but like Discord said, it was best I didn't question it otherwise I wouldn't be getting her help. He also gave us the name of that house Starlight mentioned that had to do with those Secret Seashells, and that Adagio herself was the caretaker since she was portraying the Great Fairy like she had on previous adventures. A shame that he didn't say where I could find it but he said I couldn't miss it.
Leaving the telephone booth, I also thought about this place called Pothole Field. A pothole was a hole in the ground that formed due to the earth eroding over time resulting in said hole and causing headaches for people both on foot and on the road. On Koholint Island, the equivalent here were those holes I had been seeing everywhere... oh no. An entire field comprised entirely of those!? I had a feeling I'd have to explore it as why else would it have a name like everything else did? Sometimes, these adventures really took their toll on me emotionally but there wasn't much that could be done other than accept it.
Just as I was about to head south, I saw another Winged Octorok but it was looking in the other direction and hadn't bothered to notice me. However, the other monster nearby clearly did and came at me with sword and shield at the ready. "Is that a Moblin? I mean, there is some similarity but I can't quite place it."
"This is a Boarblin." Princess Twilight said. "It's a relative of the Moblin and so you'll find that they have the same attack patterns as their counterparts. Meaning you'll encounter ones with spears and others with swords and shields like the one before you. Boarblins make their home here in Ukuku Prairie but they also live in the Tal Tal Mountains so expect to see them later on when we eventually have to go up there."
Since that was the case, dealing with Boarblins wasn't going to be much of an issue. Raising my own shield, I parried the sword of the Boarblin causing it to rear back and drop its guard long enough for me to hit it twice with my own sword. It disappeared upon defeat in a puff of smoke much like every monster on this island and it left behind a Guardian Acorn which I picked up which provided a temporary defence boost. Ignoring the Winged Octorok, I kept going south only to discover that I couldn't go any further due to numerous holes in the ground blocking the way. Even with the Roc's Feather, I wasn't about to jump across so many holes.
In fact, I would need a lot of speed before jumping in order to reach the other side. Since that way wasn't possible for now, I decided to double back and go the other way south I had originally intended before taking the detour towards the telephone booth. Heading south along the side of a cliff, I went around the corner and came across an interesting place, and one that was very familiar. Much like Tail Cave before it, I had come across a gated cave, and because I was more wizened than before, I knew that this had to be the next dungeon. Statues placed in front of the entrance depicted a one-eyed creature of unknown origin.
Walking up to the one statue that had a keyhole on it, I read what it said. "It says 'Insert Slime Key here'... Slime Key?"
Princess Twilight shrugged. "I guess we need to find this key in order to enter this next dungeon." She then took a closer look at the landscape. "It looks like you need to unlock the entrance from here and then go around counter-clockwise a ways to reach the other side."
"Ugh! Backtracking!"
"It can't be helped."
I grumbled to myself but I knew Her Highness was right. I then had another thought. "How do we even begin to figure out where this Slime Key is? Flash Sentry hasn't shown up for a while and he was the one who told us about the Tail Key."
"Yes, that is a concern we can't ignore." Princess Twilight began flittering about which meant she was in deep thought so I kept quiet while she tried coming up with an idea. A couple of minutes later, she came up with a possible solution. "We might need to talk to this Richard that Discord mentioned. If anyone knows about this area, it would be her. I'm not entirely confident about this, Sunset, but I can't really think of much else aside from her."
"Let's hope we can find this Pothole Field soon." I said. Since the only way forward was to go south, I ignored the entrance to the Key Cavern (What does a Slime Key have to do with a Key Cavern apart from the two having the word 'key' in their respective names?), and kept moving, turning left where I slapped my forehead upon realizing that this was the place. We had arrived in Pothole Field.
"It doesn't look like there any holes here." Princess Twilight said as she observed the area. "Then again, Discord did say we'd find out when you cut down the shrubs." She then tried counting how many shrubs were presented but quickly stopped when it became apparent that there were too many. "This Richard lives here... and I think that house at the southern end of this field is the precise location. At least we didn't have to look too hard." She then noticed I had an angry look on my face and my left eye was twitching. "Um... Sunset? Are you okay? Do you want to vent out your anger?"
"No..." I answered as I calmed down. "I keep forgetting that we're on an island and things are a lot closer than I think."
"I can see why something like that would annoy you."
"I was about to explode but realized it'd be a waste of time."
"Well, talking to Richard should definitely be worthwhile.
I nodded. "Hopefully she can lead us to this Slime Key."
As I walked south towards the house, I couldn't help but take in the surroundings of this area. The immoveable stones were a sign of craftsmanship but at the same disappointing because they forced me to go the long way around due to not being able to move them. Also, those shrubs could surely provide me with rupees and if my previous adventures were any indication, leaving and coming back would respawn the shrubs, a perfect grinding place if I needed it. Soon, I reached the house and the outside had surely seen better days. Moss was growing on the roof in several places and a couple of vines were sprouting about.
Entering the house, the interior was way better which made me wonder why allow the outside to fall into a state of decay. There was several frogs hopping around and a giant frog statue located by a desk reinforced that Richard had a fascination with them. There was also a bed, a couch, various photos, trophies, other nick-knacks, a withered plant, a living plant on a nearby table, and finally, a bookshelf containing books. With all this stuff, you could live here for months on end without any problems, but no kitchen meant having to go out in order to acquire food for survival.
Princess Twilight then bopped me on the head. "Sunset..."
"What?"
"It's... it's... it's Tempest!"
Looking at Richard herself seeing as I glossed over her as I was looking at the décor, she indeed turned out to be Tempest Shadow, or Fizzlepop Berrytwist though only a select few were allowed to call her that. I never met Tempest personally, but Princess Twilight told me all about how she joined the Storm King, serving as his personal weapon, instigating an attack on Equestria, stealing the magic of the princesses, and ultimately finding out that she had been used all along. Upon reforming, she went off to let others know of the Storm King's defeat, reconciled with an old friend, and eventually helped to defeat Lord Tirek, Chrysalis, and Cozy Glow.
And I thought I had a storied and troubled past. Tempest definitely put me to shame on that front but unlike me, she had trouble embracing some of Equestria's more intriguing ways to the point where she felt uncomfortable. Her Highness had hoped to make her another personal student but Tempest declined saying she needed to figure things out on her own. I'd say she had succeeded there given that she appeared in the final battle for the future of Equestria. If she hadn't then she wouldn't have shown up. Her most distinguishing feature was a scar running down her right eye and of course, her broken horn, arguably her true distinguishing feature.
In this world though, she was a human and so didn't have her horn (It was for the best come to think of it). Princess Twilight was clearly nervous about talking with Tempest due to previous encounters, but I didn't have such feelings since this was my first time meeting her... well... this version and not the original. I decided to break the ice. "Hello there. I was told that someone lived here and that someone was you."
"Salutations!" Tempest said, flipping back her cape and striking a pose. "My name is Richard and I welcome you to my villa!" There was a brief awkward silence between us as I tried to make sense of why she was acting like an aristocrat but Tempest eventually broke the silence. "You wouldn't know by the look of me but I used to live in the castle."
"What castle would that be?"
"Kanalet Castle!" Tempest was clearly stunned by my question. "Do you mean to tell me that you've never heard of it before?" I shook my head and she was even more stunned but quickly regained her composure. I noticed she clenched her hand into a fist, a sign of volatile temperament, but then she saw me looking and quickly stopped. "Really!? Come on! I know for a fact that everyone on the island knows about Kanalet Castle." She sighed before sitting down on a chair. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. You look like you're from somewhere where knowledge of my existence and castle are limited."
"You could say that."
"And why say such a thing?"
"I'm... Not from around here." I answered. I couldn't tell Tempest that I wasn't from the island. Well, she wouldn't believe even if I told her, but then I didn't want to bring too much attention to myself. "Anyway, I'm here because you can help me."
"Allow me to finish my story first." Tempest said as she flipped back her cape again. I held out my hands and motioned for her to continue. "Some time ago, I lived in the castle and everything was wonderful, but then it all fell apart when my servants went berserk. I was forced to flee here to this villa where I have remained ever since, my servants blind rage consuming them even now. There... I have finished my story so now you wish for my help?"
I nodded. "I'm looking for the key that opens the Key Cavern in Ukuki Prairie."
"You speak of the Slime Key, yes?"
"That's the one!"
"I may just have what you're after..." I knew that Tempest was going to ask me something since I could tell by the tone in her voice. "Sure, I'll let you have the key but it's not going to be quite so simple. Nothing in this world is free you know. If you want the key, you must first collect the Golden Leaf I left behind in the castle when I fled. Actually, there are five such leaves, and I want them all. If you help me than I will help in return. We shall both benefit."
"I don't have much of a choice do I?"
Tempest nodded. "Not if you want to get your hands on that key."
Then I nodded. "I agree to your terms."
"Smashing!"
"How do I get into the castle?"
"My servants have closed the drawbridge so you cannot go in that way." Tempest answered. She got up from her chair, rubbed her chin, and began pacing back and forth as she thought about how to solve this little dilemma. "My castle is frequented by monkeys, adorable little fellas, who love bananas more than anything else. If you were to placate them with their favourite food, you might be able to get inside via their assistance. You will also need to get yourself a shovel."
"Come again?"
"You will need a shovel."
"Oh."
"Good luck!"
Crap! I don't have a shovel! I thought I wouldn't need it until later on and not right away. Without enough rupees on hand to buy one, I could only do so much in the castle before being forced to backtrack. I could see myself going back and forth several times before I was finished with this errand. I only had 130 rupees in total and the shovel cost 200 so I needed to get my hands on another seventy from somewhere. It meant I had to grind for a while. At least I didn't have a time limit unlike my previous adventure, but grinding was something that was tedious because it was a waste of time.
Telling Tempest that I would be back, I left her villa and began thinking about where to go next. Unfortunately, I couldn't get into Pothole Field proper as I suspected she was the only one who knew how to get in there. That meant my grinding had to be somewhere else. I could remain in this area and cut down the shrubs and respawn them all by entering and exiting from the village but I had no idea how long it would take before getting enough. No... That was too much grinding for very little profit. Sighing, I decided to keep on moving. Perhaps there might be something in this Castle Kanalet that could give me plenty of rupees.
As I began heading east, it turned out that getting the bananas from Bulk Biceps was the smart thing for me to do. If Tempest was right about those monkeys, they were my key to entering the castle through an unorthodox manner. Heading around a corner, seeing so many inaccessible shrubs teased me like you wouldn't believe. The rupee potential was immense and I couldn't do anything about it. I could even see a Piece of Heart hiding amongst the shrubs up in the top right corner of Pothole Field. Again, another moment of teasing right there. Upon leaving the area and re-entering Ukuku Prairie, I decided to go right. It was inevitable to me at this point that I had no choice but to backtrack.
"Is that... A flying mushroom?" I asked upon seeing a winged mushroom with eyes flying about.
"That's a Zirro." Princess Twilight answered.
"It looks harmless."
"Wait for it..." I had no idea what Her Highness meant until it suddenly dropped a bomb that exploded a second later. "Zirro attack by dropping bombs and if you get caught in the explosion, you will take a lot of damage. As such, these monsters are one of the most dangerous on the island. They are swift at flying which makes them difficult to hit but when defeated, they tend to drop fairies though not always so don't rely on them for a quick healing fix. This would be a case where I recommend you avoid the monster given how it poses a major threat because of those bombs."
"Good idea."
"By the way, there's a telephone booth up ahead."
"Perfect!"
"You need to talk to Discord again?"
I nodded. "That and get some shelter seeing as there are monsters everywhere around here." Sure enough, several Winged Octoroks were also in the immediate area and combined with this Zirro enemy, I didn't want to end up getting overwhelmed. Making a mad dash, I ran into the telephone booth before stopping and breathing heavily. "Whew! That was a bit too close for comfort though there is the issue of dealing with them upon going back outside again." Once I recovered, I picked up the phone.
BRRIIINNG! BRRIIINNG!
"D'oh ho ho! Ya, it's Ulrira!" Discord said upon answering. "Sunset Shimmer? You're calling me again so soon? You must really be having some trouble. D'oh ho ho! Sorry for the laugh but I find it charming how you need me again. Now don't tell me! Let me guess what the problem is. Hmmm... Golden Leaves... You say you haven't found all five of them yet? I hear they are hidden in some very weird locations."
"How did you know what I was going to ask?"
"There is little on this island I don't know about."
"So... can you help?"
Discord laughed. I couldn't be mad at him for the constant laughing because he had been incredibly helpful. "I'm going to do something different for you this time. I'll give you two hints for the price of one since you sound utterly desperate. Now, those Golden Leaves... Most of them you can easily find but you should ask the crow at the castle. I'm sure he can help find one for you."
"And the other hint?"
"I didn't forget." Discord answered, his chair rocking in the background once more. "A shovel... Did you purchase a shovel from the Item Shop? I highly suggest that you buy one as soon as possible otherwise you're not going to get any further. Don't knock shovels though. D'oh Ho Ho! Get it? Ahem! You may find something if you dig here and there. What might be buried under the ground? It's best to discover such things on your own. No sense in revealing everything now is there?"
"No... I guess not."
"I hope that answers your concerns, bye for now!"
CLICK!
I wished he didn't hammer home the fact that I needed the shovel. It wasn't bad enough that Tempest told me I needed one but now Discord as well. At this rate, I was expecting someone else to tell me the same thing. Ugh! Why were rupees so hard to come by!? Without a shovel, my journey had come to a crashing halt, but it wasn't entirely over since there were things I could still do before I had truly hit a dead-end. My options included going to the Seashell Mansion, checking out Kantalet Castle, and grinding for rupees. I ultimately decided on the first option since option three could be done along the way.
Leaving the telephone booth, I went to the right and began avoiding the Zirro as it was gunning for me and came upon a fork in the road. On my left was Kantalet Castle which wasn't where I wanted to go right now so heading right was my choice. I walked south and looked behind quickly to see that the Zirro had chosen to go back the other way so I didn't have to deal with it for a while. More Winged Octoroks were now in front of me and just ahead were several Boarblins. The Guardian Acorn, long since having worn off, meant my normal defence was in play so I hoped to take care of these monsters and not take too much damage.
The Boarblins all had spears so with my shield raised, I barrelled my way into them. Spears were flying and bouncing off my shield while my sword swung about in hopes of connecting with these monsters. Rocks were also flying everywhere thanks to those Winged Octoroks but my shield deflected away the rocks and while I wanted to defeat them, they were more of a nuisance rather than an actual threat. Defeating the Boarblins proved extremely lucrative as each dropped a blue rupee that were worth five apiece giving me fifteen more to my total of 130 to 145 so now I needed fifty-five more.
My path then went left and up the hill where even more Boarblins with spears were waiting for me. I applied the same tactics I used on the other ones just now and overcame them after having to repel so many spears. To my delight, they also dropped blue rupees which I collected giving me even more--I now had 160 rupees. That's when my jaw dropped upon seeing two magnificent sights. The first was Kanalet Castle which was massive. It couldn't hold a candle to the likes of Canterlot for example but still, it was very impressive. Did Tempest truly live here in this world?
The other was what had to be the Seashell Mansion. It was obvious because of the giant seashell built into the side and the exterior looking like a beach. Walking up to and entering it, I couldn't believe at how it was just as magnificent on the inside as it was outside. What stood out most of all was a fixture that had green liquid oozing at the bottom. I hoped that liquid wouldn't leak out or anything or I'd be in a lot of trouble. This place screamed seashells because of how many hung from the ceiling and overall, the setting made me feel quaint like I had no troubles in the world.
Upon taking a step forward, Adagio appeared before me as I was expecting thanks to what Discord told me. "We meet again, young girl. I suspect that you already knew I was going to be here so I need not introduce myself. Welcome to the Seashell Mansion. I serve as the guardian of the mansion. There is no doubt in my mind about you. You are the one who can overcome the darkness."
"The darkness?" I asked.
"This island is coated in a darkness that must be purged."
"I've already defeated two Nightmares."
"A small amount of progress but you must go further." Adagio said. She walked toward me and I couldn't help but feel inferior to her because of what she was. I was also expecting her to suddenly backstab me yet she smiled with such a gentle smile that my worries quickly melted away. This island needs you, young girl. Only you can overcome the darkness that chokes it with its vile essence. As you are now, you possess great power, but you can become even more powerful through the Secret Seashells."
"And how do I do that?"
"By collecting them and coming here, you will be able to acquire the Ultimate Sword."
I was liking the sound of that. My current sword was doing well for me but I felt that without a Piece of Power, I often struggled against strong monsters, and this was especially true with the Nightmares. "I only have two Secret Seashells so far."
"That is not enough for you receive the sword." Adagio said sadly as she shook her head. "You would need at least twenty-five shells before it can be bequeathed unto you. A daunting task but one I know can be achieved by you, young girl. The shells are hidden well in places overlooked by most while others hide in plain sight but require something special such as an instrument or perhaps a means of digging. Right now, nothing will happen here so you should return later when you have collected more. As always, please visit one of my many fairy fountains scattered across the island. And... Perhaps you might find my secret fountain."
"Secret fountain?"
"In the world of colour."
Before I had a chance to ask for more details, Adagio disappeared leaving me alone in the mansion and with a lot to think about. I definitely wanted a stronger sword but to have to find so many Secret Seashells? It was a daunting task especially since I had no idea where they were. I doubted Discord could help me and Princess Twilight already said she knew little about them which left me to find them on my own. Even if I was given hints by Adagio, using an instrument and digging with a shovel (Another thing I needed it for), I didn't know where to dig or where to play a song.
Leaving the mansion, I made my way back down the hill and around in order to make my way to Kanalet Castle. None of the monsters had respawned so it was clear sailing though the ones that I ignored previously attacked and I avoided them but took a couple of hits in the process. At least that Zirro didn't hit me with any bombs otherwise I'd practically be crawling my way up to the castle drawbridge. Once at the drawbridge, I began looking around for any signs of a monkey. To my left were several holes I couldn't jump over without any speed so going right was my only option.
Walking along, I reached a dead-end but looking left, I saw a monkey who appeared to be suspicious since it was just standing there. "Well... We found a monkey, but how am I supposed to communicate with it?"
"Can you speak monkey?"
"No, and I don't think it knows sign language."
"Good thing I do."
"Sign language?"
"No... Speak monkey." Princess Twilight answered. I wasn't even going to ask how she knew how to do that. I was just going to stand here and let her do what she usually does, perform some kind of miracle that would even make Pinkie Pie jealous. Her Highness floated down to the monkey who immediately took a liking to her. "Hello. I am Princess Twilight Sparkle, and I was wondering if you can help me and my friend here."
"Kiki help fairy!"
"Ah, so your name is Kiki?"
"Yes! Kiki named Kiki! You want help from Kiki? Need bananas!"
"Is that so?"
"Have bananas?"
"What is that monkey saying?" I asked.
"Kiki here says that he will help us out if we can give him some bananas." Princess Twilight answered. "Take out those bananas and place them in front of him. I'd do it myself but they are a bit too big for me to carry and my fairy magic is limited. I'm sure he will do something once he gets his hands on them." Since I didn't understand the conversation, I had to trust in her judgement. Reaching into a pocket, I took out the bananas and placed them in front of the monkey named Kiki before stepping back and Princess Twilight resumed. "Here you go! I hope you are satisfied with these?"
"Bananas! Bananas! Oooh! Ooh! Kiki! Monkeys! Come! Repay her! Kiki!" Wait? Did he just say monkeys? Sure enough, various monkeys came out of nowhere from all directions and began creating something. I couldn't see what it was due to so much dust but I was amazed at how many of them there were. A few seconds later and the monkeys had finished what they were doing, a bridge that allowed me to enter the castle grounds without needing the drawbridge. "Monkey business! Done! Bye bye! Oooh! Kiki!" As they left, one of them dropped a stick which I decided to pick up. Yes... An actual stick.
"Um... What do I need a stick for?" I asked.
"I don't know but you should take it anyway." Princess Twilight answered.
"Yeah, I guess it couldn't hurt."
"Now we can access the castle."
"I'm still upset at the fact that I don't have a shovel."
"You're only forty rupees shy of buying it from Aria so perhaps some grinding is in order?"
Though it pained me to want to admit it, I had no other choice but to grind for the remaining rupees. Perhaps I should've explored the island further instead of wanting to rush ahead with the journey or maybe I should've tried winning those purple rupees from the Trendy Shop Game? Sadly, what's done was done and I had to grind as a consequence. Crossing the makeshift bridge, I entered Kanalet Castle but not the castle proper and began looking around. According to Tempest, her servants went berserk and there was no doubt I would be fighting some of them in my search for the Golden Leaves.
Walking forward, things were not only beautiful but relatively peaceful. Nothing was attacking me which made me nervous as who knew what lurked on the other side of those castle walls that separated the inside from the outside. There was a telephone booth which made me curious as to how Discord managed to get one out here of all places, but I knew that if I needed his help for anything, I could phone him from here instead of going back to the other one. To my left was a shrub that was suspicious since it was on its own and surrounded by lovely flowers. Slashing with my sword, the shrub revealed a staircase and my way forward.
Going down the stairs, I entered an underground passage that was swarmed with some Goombas. I thought about using my sword at first but then an idea hit me. What if I jumped on them like you do in a Mario game. It's not like I was going to lose any sleep over it if I chose to go with the sword. Jumping on both Goombas and flattening them, each dropped a heart which I picked up to restore my health back to full. If that happened every time, they were definitely useful whenever I encountered them. I then used the Roc's Feather to jump over a few spiked pits and stepped on a couple more Goombas before reaching the ladder.
Climbing, I was now in the inner walls of the castle's outside area. "Okay, so there are five Golden Leaves in here?"
Princess Twilight nodded. "We know that one of them has to do with a crow so that leaves only four more to find. I suggest looking around the outside as thoroughly as you can before heading inside. I have a feeling the Golden Leaves are scattered about both in and out of the castle. Remember that Tempest's servants are going to fight you with every intention of killing you so you need to take them seriously. Now... which way should we go? Left, or right?"
I looked in both directions and saw that both had an armoured soldier waiting for me. "Both directions have their problems."
"Yes." Princess Twilight said. "Those are Darknuts. Despite having a strange name, they are formidable warriors who can deal quite a bit of damage if you're not careful. In terms of fighting style, they are the same as both Moblins and Boarblins so you're not at a complete disadvantage. Keep your shield raised at all times and watch out for their swords."
I decided to go left though to be fair, both directions were sure to have their own additional obstacles for me to deal with. Upon seeing me approach, the Darknut charged forward with its sword raised and when it collided with my shield, it got parried back but I was pushed back in the process. Her Highness was right about them being formidable. As I regained my composure, the Darknut had done the same and thrust forward with its sword. My shield protected me again but again I got pushed back. I wished I had something to stun it with but I didn't so I'd just have to be a tad more aggressive.
Raising its sword again, the Darknut was about to strike when I thrust with my own sword. We both hit each other and while it took some damage, I felt like I had gotten hit by a truck because of how powerful it was. I struck again defeating it before dropping onto one knee as I reeled from the blow. I wasn't in mortal peril or anything but that sword strike definitely did a number on me. I could only fear the kinds of monsters that awaited for me both inside the castle and later on in future dungeons. Once I felt ready to continue, I got back up and walked after the corner and spotted a crow looking down at me from a tree.
"That must be the crow Discord mentioned."
"And it is an enemy."
"That figures."
"Crows on Koholint Island are usually seen in graveyards or wastelands but to see one around here is pretty rare." Princess Twilight said. She then quickly realized something and began bopping me on the head (One of her favourite things to do) to get my attention. "When Discord said for you to talk to the crow, I believe he meant attacking it in order to acquire one of those Golden Leaves that Tempest talked about." Darting around, she quickly came up with an idea. The crow won't do anything since it thinks itself safe so maybe doing something to provoke it will guarantee results."
The only thing I could think of was rolling into the tree but I don't think I'm able to because of this world's physics so I decided to go with the next idea. I tried to see if I could hit it with my sword and coax the crow into attacking me. Swinging my sword, it connected with the tree with a loud thud and the crow attacked as expected. It was quite fast since it was a bird and all and began pecking me as thanks for hitting the tree. After enduring this for several seconds, I swung my sword which connected and I kept on swinging, connecting a second time which defeated the crow and leaving behind a Golden Leaf... As well as many bruises.
"It's... Quite beautiful." I said as I picked it up and carefully pocketed it.
"Yes, and you need to find four more."
"I hope I won't need a shovel to find any that may be buried."
"We won't know until we explore this castle." Princess Twilight then looked at my wounds. "That crow took its toll on you so maybe we should go back the other way? That would throw you into the path of the Darknut and the one you defeated proved how strong they are. I know you like being a little reckless and at times that can be helpful, but maybe you should slow down a tad, Sunset? Seeing you get hurt makes me really upset."
I nodded. "Yeah, I'll slow down."
Heading south and running into no additional monsters, I had to admit that the castle grounds were peaceful aside from said monsters of course. Again, Canterlot had this place beat, the same with Princess Twilight's castle but props for whoever designed this place overall. Walking around the corner, I could see the other side of the drawbridge. If I could lower it down, going in and out of this place would be a whole lot easier for me. To my left was the castle entrance but I needed to keep checking around outside. Another Darknut was on patrol so I carefully moved closer with my shield raised.
It noticed and charged at me with its sword and I parried with my shield. Like with the previous one, I got pushed back every time because of its power. The Darknut continued pounding against my shield until my back was up against the wall but then I figured I could use that to my advantage. As it swung again, I quickly stepped to the side but not before getting nicked in the arm and the Darknut's body shook upon striking its sword against the wall. Two sword strikes later and I prevailed though my arm felt sore from being hit. My heart sank upon seeing a second one patrolling nearby yet it hadn't noticed me and continued on with its patrol.
Slipping past and around the corner, I came across six holes in the ground. Five of them were in the formation of a pentagon with the last one being in the middle. Something about them felt off to me as though something was going to happen. Suddenly, something popped out from a hole, threw a bomb, and went back down again. I barely had enough time to avoid getting caught in the explosion's blast. Whatever did that appeared from another hole and repeated its attack before disappearing again. The bomb exploded leaving me worried that I was eventually going to get blown up by a bomb.
Princess Twilight told me to get back and I did. "This is a Mad Bomber!" She shouted as it popped out from yet another hole before tossing a bomb and diving back down. The bomb was no where near me when it exploded so that one could be best described as a dud. "This is the only enemy like this on the island! Anyway, he was once one of Tempest's servants who went berserk. As you've already guessed, he will come out from a hole at random and toss a bomb at you. These explode almost immediately so watch out for those. You need to predict his movements and attack quickly."
"Do you think he has a Golden Leaf?"
"Only way to know is to defeat him."
"So it's like playing Whack-A-Mole?"
"Yes, you could say that."
Approaching the six holes, the Mad Bomber appeared from the top right hole and tossed a bomb. I panicked and stepped back as it exploded, the explosion radius was one I hadn't paid much attention to until now, so I needed to otherwise I was going to get hurt severely. He dove back down and I waited for him to make his next appearance. He popped up from the lower left hole and as he tossed his bomb at me, I responded by striking him as much as possible before he went back underground, the bomb exploding in the meantime, my back feeling it as that could've been bad.
The Mad Bomber popped up one hole north of where he was before and tossed his bomb. I tried to see if I could use my shield to knock it back at him but he quickly ducked back down leaving that idea a bust. I backed away as the bomb exploded so perhaps just attacking repeatedly was the best approach. For the next couple of minutes, the Mad Bomber would pop out from a hole, toss his bomb, and quickly disappear before I could reach him. While this strategy of his annoyed me because of how predictable it was as well as being slow, it was proving itself to be very effective. If I got too close, he would dive down.
He eventually popped up from the middle hole and I managed to hit him many times before he tossed his bomb. I stepped back and it exploded though I wasn't far back enough and got caught on the fringe of it. Meaning, I didn't take as much damage. He reappeared in the same location which was perfect timing as I struck him more times, and it turned out to be enough as he disappeared in the usual puff of smoke monsters did upon defeat and leaving me another Golden Leaf. Two down, three more to go. Looking forward, I could see one of the initial Darknuts which meant I had gone in a complete circle.
"I don't see anymore Golden Leaves out here."
"Then the rest must be inside the castle."
"One can only hope." I said as I gulped. "I mean, if only two are inside and the other is out here but I can't see it, it means I'd need to grind rupees to buy the shovel and I'd have to leave and come back again."
"Unfortunately, I can't pinpoint their exact location."
I shrugged. "It's what it is, Twilight." I looked at my wounds and while I was bruised all over as well as suffering from some minute bleeding, I could continue on though I would be sure to take things slowly as I expected more Darknuts were waiting inside. "Makes me wish I had an empty bottle or two with which to store potions and fairies in them."
"You've not found any so there's not much you can do about it." Princess Twilight then looked up at the sky and quickly pointed at the sun. "I'd say we've got about a couple of hours before the sun goes down. Once we're done here, we'll go back to Tempest with however many Golden Leaves you found and ask if you can stay the night. I know you've explored worlds like these after dark but I think you need sleep especially after all you've been through as of late. As for me, I need to do some map charting. While we did see a map of the island in the library, you need your own map and it should be easy for me to make one."
I smiled. "What would I do without you?"
"We're friends, Sunset." Princess Twilight answered, smiling back. "Now, we should probably continue by going into the castle. Make sure you don't lose those Golden Leaves otherwise Tempest is probably going to be pretty angry with you."
Nodding, I went back the way I came making sure to avoid the Darknut I had ignored before and went around the corner until I was back at the castle entrance. There were shrubs in front of the entrance prompting me to cut them down in hopes for some rupees or even recovery hearts. The latter ended up being more frequent which I appreciated in this case since I was expecting strong opposition inside. Entering the castle through the front door, the evil aura I felt all around made me feel uneasy. Breathing in and out and steeling myself, I walked forward and was prepared to take on what awaited.
To Be Continued.