The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.

by Ganondorf8


Chapter 9: Dungeon of Keys.

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.
By Ganondorf8.
November 20, 2019.
Chapter 9: Dungeon of Keys.

I had to say this about the interior of Kanalet Castle, it definitely looked spotless despite it being filled with berserk servants. Like the outside however, the interior just couldn't hold a candle against the likes of Canterlot but you had to give props to the designer. To think that in this world, Tempest Shadow used to live here but was forced to flee. Come to think of it, she never explained why her servants turned against her. That's a pretty important detail right there she neglected to tell me about, but I couldn't really do much about it since I was here and all, and yet I could always ask when I come back.

Walking forward slightly before stopping and looking to my left, I could see a Darknut was pacing back and forth. Since there was only one of them around, I should have no trouble defeating it though something else was making me think that perhaps my confidence had been misplaced. A Red Gel bouncing about nearby wasn't the issue but rather the skull surrounding by flames. On the one hand, it looked familiar like I had seen it somewhere before, but my mind was drawing a complete blank. On the other, all it did was bounce off of anything considered a wall.

"What is that thing?" I asked.

"That's a Bubble, and not the kind you blow from a bubble maker." Princess Twilight answered.

I rolled my eyes. "I know that."

"Bubbles are said to contain the spirits of the dead." Princess Twilight said. She then pointed at it and I watched as it bounced off the walls going past me only to bounce back the other way and around the corner. "In some worlds, you can use your sword against them but only if their flames are removed. In this world however, swords have no effect and they are immune to most conventional means. You're lucky that they aren't invincible which is the case in one or two worlds."

"How do I defeat them?"

"Magic Powder is surprisingly effective."

I took out the bag containing Magic Powder and glanced at it. "Really? This stuff will work on those Bubbles?" I then put it back in my pocket as I didn't want to accidentally use any and thus having less to work with later. "No offence, Twilight, but I can't really imagine it doing anything other than fan their flames or make them twinkle."

I could tell Her Highness was ignoring my bad attempt at a joke so as not to laugh. "Using Magic Powder on Bubbles turns them into fairies which I know is very helpful to the likes of you, Sunset, but it's not easy to hit them with the powder. Their movement is erratic and you might end up wasting precious powder that you might need to light up torches or solve some other kind of puzzle. One other item is effective on them but you don't have it so there's no point in worrying about it. Just make sure to avoid them if you feel you can't sprinkle any powder on them or if you're running low."

"Magic Powder is precious... too precious."

"So it seems."

"One other thing... Can they inflict damage to me?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "They can. In some worlds, they can even drain your magic but you don't have any so that doesn't apply here. They are usually found in dungeons so seeing one here in this castle is very surprising. Oh yeah! Bubbles won't alert other monsters as they basically play by their own rules."

The way Her Highness described them, Bubbles were a combination of annoying, helpful, and being complete enigmas. I guessed it just depended on the current situation as to what they would be for me. Still, the fact that yet another monster that was immune to swords made me feel dejected. I really needed to get my hands on additional items that could be used for offensive purposes aside from sheer practicality. Perhapt the next dungeon would provide something along those lines? Of course, I first needed to get the key from Tempest that would allow me to enter said dungeon so thinking too far ahead wasn't a wise idea.

Choosing to make my presence known to the Darknut, I went around the corner and was surprised that there was a second one (It had to have been hiding behind the first one which was why I didn't notice). Luckily, both of them were throwing spears so getting pushed back wouldn't be an issue. Both Darknuts began throwing their spears and I deflected them using my shield. As each spear bounced off, I was surprised they didn't surrender or perhaps run away to get some assistance. They could clearly do so and I'd be unable to do anything about it so why continue in a losing skirmish?

Oh well. It was best not to think about it and instead take them down. When both realized that I gotten too close for them to attack, they attempted to move backwards in order to get more room but I made sure they wouldn't get the opportunity. Two strikes from my sword defeated both (Spear-throwing Darknuts were surprisingly much easier than their sword and shield counterparts) and the Red Gel got caught in my sword swings as it split into two smaller pieces before being defeated with one more sword swing. The moment the Red Gel was fully defeated, a Golden Leaf dropped down from above.

Picking it up, I now had three which meant only two more were remainig. Hopefully, they were inside the castle and not buried outside otherwise I'd have to grind and backtrack in order to buy the shovel from Aria and come back here with it and dig up the entirely of the exterior. Moving forward, I was caught by surprise by both variants of Darknuts with the sword wielder striking my chest which did hurt a little bit. Raising my shield before it could hit me again, I parried it back and managed to defeat it due to it being pushed up against a wall leaving only the spear thrower who tried to distance itself from me.

Two more sword swings defeated it and it dropped a blue rupee which I collected. Moving on, another spear throwing Darknut began throwing its weapon though it was being supported by a Keese instead of say another Darknut. I took down the Keese in one shot when it flew at me but attacking it caused me to get distracted and get hit in the leg with a spear. I pulled it out and tossed it aside where it clanged on the ground before taking out the Darknut before anymore spears came my way. It left behind a blue rupee as well which I took giving me roughly 170 rupees. (At this point, I had no idea as to the exact amount but it was a high number)

Behind this Darknut was a switch that definitely screamed important. I stepped on it and everything began rumbling. "What's going on?"

"The drawbridge is lowering outside."

"Does that mean we can come and go as we please?"

"Yes so we don't need to take that underground path."

"But what if the servants decide to leave and torment the rest of the island?"

"I don't think that's going to happen." Princess Twilight answered. The tone in her voice made me feel reassured but my concern was still a legitimate one. "I have a feeling these servants will remain here in the castle and go about their business without even knowing what just happened outside. That's actually something I've been noticing so far on this journey. The monsters are clearly capable of moving to other areas of Koholint Island yet they choose to remain where they are. It's like a force is telling them to maintain this posture though I don't yet know why this is."

"Another mystery, Twilight?"

"Either that or they just prefer to stick to their own territories."

I had to admit that Princess Twilight being around did give me some incredible insight as to what was going on with regards to Koholint Island. Granted, a lot of her observations were consistent with what I experienced on my previous adventures (From what I could remember since much of it had become really fuzzy as of late) such as monster behaviour, things not being what they seem, and even being surprised. But, there was plenty that just didn't make sense. Why did this island exist? What was up with the giant egg? Where did these Nightmares come from? Do the people of the island know what's going on? So many questions but little to no answers.

Walking up a small set of stairs and going back the other way, I came upon some more stairs that went up to the next floor of the castle. Going up and reaching the next floor, I couldn't see any crazed soldiers but there was something in front of me that looked too suspicious to ignore. At first, I thought it was more Darknuts so I went down another small set of stairs only to breath a sigh of relief at seeing two statues embedded into the wall. They depicted Darknuts, or rather, their helmets, but both showed visible cracks. My brain told me to use some bombs since cracked walls could be blown up using them and I needed an excuse in order to try them out.

Taking out a bomb, I placed it on the ground and backed away before it exploded. Upon exploding, the cracked helmet statue shattered revealing a Darknut had been hiding inside of it waiting to attack anyone curious enough. Okay, how could it have survived being trapped in solid stone without being able to breathe!? I supposed it didn't matter since it was no longer entirely human what with having gone berserk. This Darknut had a sword and shield which it used to push me back and even strike me in my arm twice due to me not being prepared to deal with an attack coming from a wall.

I regained my composure and used my shield to parry it back causing it to get pushed into a wall where I slashed it twice with my sword. Upon its defeat, the Darknut left behind the next Golden Leaf which meant only one more remained. I had a suspicion that blowing up the other cracked statue would release another Darknut though I doubted it would have the final leaf so ignoring it, I resumed walking on the main pain. Nothing else attacked me aside from a Spark but I merely walked past it as it continued down the hallway though where did that Bubble go from the previous floor? Did it just disappear without a trace?

Choosing to ignore those concerns, I turned right only to hear the sound of someone or something swinging about something heavy. I couldn't see what it was due to the walls being too high but my brain was telling me that a fierce battle was approaching and that I needed to be ready. The hallway then went back the other way before turning left in a sort of twisted manner and before me was an exit from the castle. Heading back outside onto a parapet, another entrance was right nearby and since there was nothing else out here, I re-entered the castle where an entrance suddenly closed itself.

I noticed that the said entrance had a strange symbol on it. "Twilight? What do you suppose that symbol is?"

Princess Twilight floated over to it for a closer inspection before coming back over to me. "It looks like one of those pots that you picked up back in Bottle Grotto. In fact, there are several of those pots in this very room. I wonder... Do you need to throw one of those pots at the door in order to open it?"

"That's definitely a new one on me."

"You might as well try it, Sunset."

Picking up a pot, I walked up to the door making sure there was some distance between me and it, and tossed it where it smashed the door open. "Wow... I can't believe that actually worked. I'm just surprised at it more than anything else. I have a feeling this is going to become a regular thing in the future." Good thing I had the Power Bracelet otherwise I wouldn't have been able to do that. Picking up the remaining pots and tossing them, none provided me any rupees though one did leave behind a Recovery Heart which I picked up before entering what could be the final room.

This room definitely looked like a throne room what with the tapestries though no throne and no carpet leading up to said throne were clearly missing. I knew Tempest said she was forced to flee but did she seriously take a chair with her? That sounded rather foolish given that one's life is more important than a seat. No... I couldn't image her of all ponies doing anything she'd deem pointless. I then noticed someone else was present, and he definitely gave off an evil vibe though the ball and chain in his hands was also a clear sign. That's when I realized that was the sound from before.

"Who is that?"

"A Ball and Chain Soldier." Princess Twilight whispered prompting me to lower my voice too. "Like the Mad Bomber you saw outside, this enemy is the only one of his kind seen on the entire island, and believe me, you need to handle him carefully. That swinging ball of his can do a lot of damage not to mention protect him from attacks until he throws it. When it's thrown, he leaves himself vulnerable until he pulls it back. You can only hit him when he's vulnerable otherwise you're doing nothing."

I then made an observation. "Judging from his armour, this guy must have been one of Tempest's servants before going berserk. (Now that I thought about it, what I just said was pretty much a major understatement) In fact, I'd go as far as saying that he was her most loyal servant seeing as he's in this throne room. I can't even imagine what Tempest experienced when he turned against her. Loyalty is a powerful thing but not even it is immune to the corrupting powers of darkness."

"I don't think these servants had any choice."

"That's why I think we should ask her about it."

"About what?"

"Why her servants went mad."

Princess Twilight nodded. "Ah, yes, the one searing question we don't yet know about. I am curious as to the reason behind all this. Who knows? It might help us understand more about the evil presence throughout this island, and why Grogar has something to do with it." My eyes then noticed that the ground was cracked in several places. "Uh oh. I've got a feeling that my weight and his weight combined could cause the floor to give way. It's best I defeat him quickly otherwise it's going to get really difficult." Again, I am not heavy but my equipment adds to it--no doubt this guy probably felt the same way.

Striking my sword on the ground to get his attention, the Ball and Chain Solider began shuffling forward before swinging around his mace. (That was the actual name of his weapon though some call it a morning star) Since I wanted to gauge how strong he was, I raised my shield and allowed him to throw it at me, and I got pushed right back into the door which had locked from the other side upon my entering this room. Wow! I had to make sure not to get hit by that mace under any circumstances. By repelling him, the Ball and Chain Solider shuffled back before swinging his mace and tossing it at me again.

This time, I moved to the side just as the mace crashed into the ground. Since I had to end this quickly, I struck the Solider as many times as I could before he pulled his mace back and shuffled back to where he was before. Now I wished I had a Piece of Power or better yet, the ability to perform a jump attack. Both options would allow me to take him down quickly but because I lacked one and couldn't perform he other for some reason, this was all I could do. He swung his mace around before tossing it and I dodged again but this time, it bounced off my shield, allowing him to swing at me again.

I felt a huge pain in my leg as the mace connected though it was more on the side of the spikes as opposed to directly in the middle. If it had been the latter, my leg would've been bludgeoned right off. Despite suddenly bleeding, I had to keep going otherwise the Solider was going to pick me off if I decided to tend to my wound. He swung his mace around before tossing again where I limped to the side and barely missing getting hit again. With what little time I had, I struck him as many times with my sword as possible until he pulled back the mace and shuffled to the right.

Princess Twilight then asked me if I was okay and I said yes though in truth my leg was in quite a bit of pain. The bleeding would eventually subside and I'd be able to walk on my leg properly since my body could take more force in this world than it could back home, but for the moment, I had to limp about and hope not to get hit again. The Soldier tossed his mace hitting my shield but falling to the left where he got stuck. A free opportunity if I ever saw one so I used it and struck him again with my sword. I thought that had been enough to defeat him but he still kept going. No wonder Tempest must have liked this guy so much.

Since I didn't like being stuck by the door, I began to move around the room with my shield raised in hopes that he would follow along and attack. Sure enough, as he swung his mace, he turned around in order to keep up with me, and when he threw it, it crashed into the wall with a thud. He began pulling it as hard as he could in order to pull it out and I limped on over and attacked him again. He still wasn't finished which made me wonder how much punishment could one soldier take? The Soldier shuffled south towards the door which gave me more room to maneuver before swinging the mace around again.

Despite him hitting me with that mace (To be fair, it was my fault since I dodged at the wrong time), the rest of the time he hadn't been able to hit me. If he had been a Nightmare, this would've been a lot more difficult and probably filled with other attacks aside from this one routine. But, he was merely a strong enemy who was really good at his job. The Solider tossed his mace which I avoided by limping to the right and it crashed into the ground and I attacked him. A few hits ended up being what I needed resulting in his defeat where he disappeared in a puff of smoke--the mace just disappeared without any fanfare.

As I stood there having won the battle, the Ball and Chain Soldier left behind the final Golden Leaf. "Why am I not surprised!" I moaned as I looked down at my leg. It had indeed stopped bleeding so that was a relief, but I could still feel a searing pain coursing through it. I needed to rest here for a while before being able to walk on it properly but before doing that, I picked up the Golden Leaf. "Of course the strongest enemy in this castle would be holding on to one. Gah!"

"Are you alright, Sunset?"

"I've felt better."

"Your leg looks pretty bad."

"This has become pretty normal for me you know."

Princess Twilight couldn't help but nod in agreement. "At least you didn't lose any body parts." She quickly covered her mouth before bowing. "Sorry, I meant to say you didn't suffer any worse injuries. Still, I think you need to find one of those bottles and have some kind of potion or fairy inside in case you need to health yourself something fierce. Even though we haven't seen any bottles, they must certainly exist on this island as when does an island not have bottles!?" Her Highness then calmed down. "Anyway, we've got the Golden Leaves so that should definitely please Tempest."

"And we didn't even need a shovel."

"About that..."

It was at that moment when I realized it. "You've got to be kidding me! I need the shovel in order to get the Slime Key!?" And here I thought I needed to backtrack to the castle in order to get all the Golden Leaves. Nope! The backtracking involved going to Tempest, give her the leaves, go and buy that shovel, then go back to Tempest, get that key, and use said key to unlock Key Cavern! I just wanted to smash my head against the wall in sheer frustration. "If not for collecting all five leaves, I'd really be in a foul mood. But, I can look past it since it does mean having to take a smaller backtrack session than I initially thought."

"Do you want to go back to Tempest now?"

"I need to rest my leg first."

"Okay, but not too long as the sun is beginning to set."

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"Hot Head... Hot Head... We call upon you."

CRRACCCKKLLE! FWWOOOOSSSH!

"I am here... My master."

"Ah... There you are."

"Um... You don't look particular happy right now."

When I saw Grogar in my dreams the previous night, I wasn't able to get a good look at him, and it turned out that I was fortunate. Despite looking like the ancient evil of Equestria that he was: an old goat (He was actually a ram) with large horns, blue skin, yellow eyes, and wore a sash around his neck with bells featured on it, in this world, he was even more hideous because of having in the center of his chest, one singular eyeball. This eye acted so independently, one would think it were a separate entity. He was also black in colour and surrounded by shadows as though he was one. Truly he was the stuff of nightmares.

"First the Moldorm, and now the Genie... Both of these Nightmares have been cast to the ether." Grogar said in a calm voice. "The Outsider has defeated them both and retrieved the instruments they were guarding. It seems we were wrong about this girl. She possesses great courage to want to defeat the Nightmares and undo our work. Still, she is of no threat to us but more importantly, she has shown signs of weakness."

"What do you mean?"

Grogar laughed. "The castle of the foolish woman who lost her followers... The Outsider struggled against the strongest among them and he was a mere human. If she has trouble against the likes of a pitiful human, she will soon perish and we can continue on as before. We are amused but it seems you are not, Hot Head. Do you have doubts about our words? I command you speak now."

"It's just... The Outsider has defeated Moldorm and the Genie. Sure, they both ended up failing to stop her because they were weak, but I don't think the next Nightmare is going to put up much of a fight. If anything, you should revive our fellow Nightmares and have one of them guard the next instrument. Surely, master, you can revive either of them. They are simply nightmares and can easily be brought back but with slightly different personalities."

"You speak of the Slime Eye?"

"Yes."

All three of Grogar's eyes narrowed which made Hot Head very umcomfortable. "Tell me, our loyal servant. Why do you suspect the Slime Eye is unsuitable for the task with which it was assigned by us? Do you question our decision? You think that Nightmare is unworthy?"

"I do."

"Then share with us your concerns."

"It's just... Slime Eye is pretty immature, even for a Nightmare. All it does is joke around and do practically nothing. In fact, it has little in the way of power and I suspect that it will be destroyed by the Outsider relatively quickly."

"So you say we were wrong about the Slime Eye?"

"I think a stronger Nightmare or a different one is needed."

Grogar then slammed both his hooves down causing everything to rumble and several bolts of lightning to strike all around. "You dare question us! Perhaps it is you who should be guarding the instrument that has been hidden in the Key Cavern! Yes! We shall have you moved there and the Slime Eye placed somewhere else." He then slammed the ground again causing fiery pillars to rise up. "We can create a new Nightmare to guard the final instrument that was assigned to you."

"What!? No!"

"You question us again?"

"I'd rather not be sent to Key Cavern since the Outsider is heading there next."

Grogar laughed before dismissing the pillars. "Ha! Just as we thought! You prefer to save your own skin and allow others to do the work! We were wise to have made you the strongest of the Nightmares, Hot Head. You rely on such deceit in order to instill fear upon the others but we instill that same fear upon you. Let this be our only warning. We can replace you at our leisure and we will not hesitate to do so. Do not question us again!"

"Yes... My master..."

No wonder Hot Head chose to bend its will to the likes of Grogar. When you had a being as strong as he was who controlled whether you lived or died, you would want to ensure you were of the former because survival was essential. It also showed that the ancient ram didn't care about his servants so long as they did exactly what he wanted. Question him and your life was practically forfeit. One had to wonder if the other Nightmares had their own misgivings of Grogar or Hot Head was the only one. Sure, it desired to maintain whatever Grogar wished to keep in place, but it possessed a conscience that openly questioned its master.

"Now... The Outsider has proven to be a nuisance." Grogar began scratching his beard first with his hoof and then with a shadowy limb. "Despite her weakness, she continues to be a worry and that cannot continue. Though she cannot defeat us, the rest of the Nightmares are a different matter. We must ensure that our desire remains! Perhaps we shall employ something special. Yes... A special Nightmare, one that exists outside of those who already exist. There will come a time where she will become curious and discover the graveyard's secret, and that is when her curiosity will kill her."

"There are other Nightmares?"

"We have infinite Nightmares at our disposal."

"I see..."

Grogar laughed. "Like we said, we instill fear upon you, Hot Head! Soon... the time shall be right for us to enter the dreams of the Outsider again. We must get a better understanding of how she works."

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Once my leg had recovered to the best of its abilities, I began making my way back to Tempest's villa. Fortunately, it meant not having to run into any other Ball and Chain Soldiers or even any additional Mad Bombers. Unfortunately, all the other enemies inside the castle were fair game because they could respawn. Leaving the castle and going back in via the other entrance on the upper level, I didn't run into any problems which was fine with me as I'd rather avoid any encounters until my leg had fully recovered. Walking down each hallway, I began thinking about my experiences so far on this journey.

I was still enduring hardship, the one thing Ganondorf wanted me exposed to in his desire to make me his servant, by getting hurt by monsters, traps, and more, yet I managed to prevail through it all. A lot of it came down to luck obviously in addition to skill, but I felt that this was merely the beginning of my suffering. Koholint Island had its dark secret which hadn't become known to me yet but the time would come when they would. I feared what would happen when I got to that point but for the time being, it was something I couldn't allow worry me otherwise I'd be of no use to anyone.

As I reached the stairs to the lower floor, I reminisced about when I first started using a sword. I recalled times where I accidentally tossed it because of not understanding how to hold onto it or getting a firm grasp of combat. It was a miracle I managed to hold my own for so long without really screwing things up. Back then, I was naive and believed magic was all I needed to overcome my problems in this video game world. Sure, magic has helped but relying on skill proved just as important if not more so. Had my sword skills not improved, this journey would've ended before it had even begun.

Going back downstairs, I could see that the Darknuts had indeed respawned, but again, I wasn't going to fight them. The first Darknut that had been guarding the switch paced back and forth as though it were bored guarding something that now no longer had a purpose. It probably wanted some action but it wasn't about to get any. When its back was turned, I quietly slipped past (I also avoided waking up the Keese sleeping nearby) and down the hallway to where the other Darknuts were. The Bubble was also here which complicated matters as it could get in my way.

Choosing to wait for the Bubble to pass and go back the way I came, I dashed past the remaining Darknuts as best as I could, my leg throbbing because of applying so much pressure onto it, and went back outside before they knew what had happened. Once outside, I checked to make sure my leg hadn't gotten any worse. Sure enough, it was fine though throbbing like mad. Since the drawbridge was down, I walked south and left the castle and raised my shield immediately since the Zirro and Winged Octoroks were now going to become problems as they frequented this part of Ukuku Praire.

Luck had to have been on my side again as I weaved in-between the monsters though my back felt the explosions from the Zirro's bombs. As I looked up at the sky, the sun had indeed gone down for the night as Her Highness had stated so getting to Tempest was more important than before. Monsters had a tendency to be more active at night as well as be more powerful because light had gone away for a time and darkness reigned supreme. Walking at a brisk pace for my leg's benefit, I headed south alongside the cliff and a row of trees before reaching Pothole Field.

That's when I heard the sounds of the monsters beginning to lurk all around me. Like I said, the night made them active. I had to get inside before they had the chance to swarm and take advantage of my slightly weakened state. Turning right at the bottom of Pothole Field and continuing on, I eventually arrived at Tempest's villa and went inside where I immediately dropped down to the ground from a combination of exhaustion and feeling relieved knowing I made it before anything could've gone wrong. Getting back up on to my feet, Tempest was surprised at seeing what I did.

"You look as though you've been through an awful lot." Tempest said.

"Those former servants of yours gave me quite the workout." I said.

"Well, they were trained to protect me after all."

"Anyway, I've come back with all five Golden Leaves."

Hearing that made Tempest very happy. "Ahhh, Très bien! You have no idea how much I appreciate you for what you have done for me. I knew asking you to find them was the wise thing to do. No doubt that you are a true heroine!"

Princess Twilight then whispered in my ear. "Sunset... What does 'très bien' mean anyway?"

"It's French though I'm surprised she actually knows a few words." I answered whilst whispering. "I believe it means 'good job' or 'well done' or something like that. I'm not exactly fluent in the language so don't ask me to translate any books that are written in French."

"I won't." Princess Twilight whispered as she softly chuckled. "Now, you should ask her if you can sleep here for the night. Your leg definitely needs to recover especially after running out of the castle like you did. In the morning, we can ask her about why her servants went mad as well as why we need a shovel in order to get the Slime Key. Considering that you went and brought her those Golden Leaves and risked your life, she is obliged to answer any of your questions without hesitation."

"Are you sure about that?"

"About staying here for the night?"

"That and the questions."

"If she is as noble as she claims to be, then she will agree to both."

I then turned to Tempest. "Um... Would it be okay if I spend the night here in your villa? I don't really have anywhere else to go and as you can see, I'm basically a wreak what with having to deal with your former servants. Also, I've got a couple of questions I'd like to ask but that can wait until morning. I can sleep on the floor or even in that chair of yours since I figured you'd want to have the best thing, that being your own bed."

"Of course you can spent the night here." Tempest answered. "You've done me a service and I must do the same in kind."

Pointing to the couch I saw during my last visit, I walked up to it, laid down, made sure my leg was in a good position, and went to sleep while Tempest went to sleep in her own bed which was what I was expecting. Nothing happened during the night (I didn't receive a visit from Grogar or even from Ganondorf which was even better) though I did dream about being at home with my friends and having the time of our lives. Truly, did I miss them and hoped I would reunite with them again. My leg completely recovered and upon waking up when the sun rose to signal the start of a new day, Tempest was back where she had been standing before.

First, I shook my leg to confirm that it had indeed gotten better. When I felt assured that it was, I spoke with Tempest. "Do you know why your servants suddenly went berserk and forced you to flee from your own castle?"

Tempest sadly nodded. "Things were so peaceful until a strange dark presence began covering my castle in its foul miasma. I don't know why I wasn't affected, but my servants succumbed and became maddened by the touch of evil. I tried to help them only to be rejected which is when I fled. Since then, my castle has become a haven for darkness, a place where the light can never truly shine again."

"I... I might have killed a couple of them."

"You had no choice."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Tempest said as she struck a pose. "You did what you thought was best for your own survival. My servants would have wanted you to bring them their final rest if it meant no longer being berserk. Perhaps one day, I shall return to my castle and regain control. It would mean having to fight those who once served me but there is no choice. The darkness that tainted them cannot be undone. As for the source of this evil... I do not know other than one thing... This evil holds sway over this entire island and desires it remain. Any deemed interlopers are surely seen as threats to its foulness."

I was impressed with her choice of words. "Now... I only have one more thing to ask. Where is the Slime Key?"

"Ah yes, the key to Ukuku Prairie."

"That's the one."

"If you move this statue, you will find your reward." Tempest said. She then pointed at the frog statue before striking a pose. I didn't think that statue was anything more than a decoration that she had that showed off her fascination towards frogs. " Behind the statue lies an underground path that will take you into Pothole Field itself. From there, you will need to make your way to a statue of an owl and dig around for the key. Yes, I buried it after finding it one day."

"I do need a shovel!"

"I did say you needed one."

"I'll be back as soon as I can."

Tempest had a puzzled look on her face as I left her villa in a panic all because I did need the shovel. On the positive side, I didn't need it in order to collect the Golden Leaves, my initial fear, but on the negative, I needed it to dig up the Slime Key which she buried for a stupid reason, a reaffirmation of my original thought on the idea. Why bury an important thing like a key to a dungeon!? As I rubbed the bridge of my nose in frustration, there wasn't anything I could do other than backtrack as well as grind. Back outside, I began cutting down shrubs in hopes of getting enough rupees in order to buy the shovel. (Only thirty left)

My effort proved worthwhile as I collected a number of green rupees and by the time I was done cutting, I was still short by about twenty-two rupees. Heading back towards the village and cutting down more shrubs, fewer rupees appeared to my dismay but then I cut down some more that where the cave I uncovered upon first entering Ukuku Prairie. These gave me a few more rupees but it still wasn't enough for the shovel. Picking up the boulder and tossing it aside, I entered Mabe Village and went straight for the huge path of shrubs where I found my first Secret Seashell which felt like so long ago.

Cutting them down netted me more green rupees (Why couldn't they provide the five rupee ones instead?) and when I cut the last one, I had a total of 192 rupees. Shoot! I only needed eight more. Sighing, I left the village by tossing aside the boulder before immediately walking back in where the shrubs had instantly respawned. (This was what they called video game logic, something best not to think about otherwise I'd get annoyed) Going back to the shrubs, I cut them down again giving me 203 rupees, enough for the shovel. I didn't care if this would leave me broke!

Entering the Item Shop, Aria was surprised to see me in an agitated state. "Huh... What happened to you?"

"Don't ask." I said as I groaned before slowly walking over to where the shovel was.

"Not like I actually care or anything."

"I had to grind for money."

Aria smiled. "Hah! Only an adventurer would resort to something like that! Well, you got what you paid for when you signed up for the job, or probably forced in your case." I felt like slamming her face into the ground but I knew that she made me walk into that one. I couldn't help but crack a smile prompting her to do the same if only very brief. "So, you want to buy that shovel do you? Got an interest in digging things up? Well, don't let me stop you from having fun. Anyway, that'll be 200 rupees for that. No discounts or anything like that. Sorry, but I'm not running a charity here."

Grabbing the shovel, I placed it on the counter before emptying out my wallet save for three rupees. "This. Was. Worth it!"

"Never thought I'd say anyone be obsessed with wanting a shovel." Aria said. Shrugging, she removed the price tag before handing the shovel over to me. "You're the first person to buy one of my expensive items since ever. Yeah, I know business is hard, but we all have to make do. Guess this means I can finally get on with that order I've been meaning to do. When you next come here, I'll have something you'll really want. Don't leave and then come back inside! That won't work!"

"I'll take your word for it."

"Come back later."

Putting the shovel on a clip on my scabbard (Which I had for some reason), I left the Item Shop and began to make my way back to Tempest. Picking up the boulder and tossing it, I left the village, went east, ignored the monsters, went south, walked past the entrance to Key Cavern (Though I'd come here once I had the key because backtracking), continued going south, and re-entering Tempest's villa. Huh... That didn't feel quite as taxing as I thought since I focused on what was important instead of exploring. But, I knew I would eventually have to backtrack again because video games loved making players endure it.

"You weren't that long." Tempest said.

"It's because I know the way back." I said.

"Do you have a shovel?"

"I do."

Tempest then struck a pose. "Très bien! I knew you wouldn't allow the sting of defeat to get you down for very long. Now, please move that statue and claim your prize. There are no monsters lurking around in Pothole Field but walk slowly. Believe me, you'll thank me for the knowledge."

Stepping backwards to grant me access to the statue, Tempest wished me luck and while I thanked her, I still wished she had the Slime Key on her person. Pushing the statue of the way and heading down into the underground passage, I walked forward whilst defeating a couple of Green Gels that popped up. A nearby boulder was blocking a treasure chest so I pushed it into the abyss, jumped across with the Roc's Feather, and opened up the chest which contained a Secret Seashell. With three shells, I doubed back, defeated another Green Gel and went upstairs to another level. From there, I walked down some stairs before heading back outside.

"Well... That was an experience." Princess Twilight said.

"Yeah, well, we've got another one right here."

Looking at the huge number of shrubs, Princess Twilight was inclined to agree. "I see your point, Sunset." Her Highness quickly began formulating an idea. "Use that spin attack of yours to cut many shrubs at once."

Holding out my sword and taking a defensive stance, I waited for the tip of the blade to shine before unleashing it, cutting down an entire circle of shrubs around me. When I finished my spin, both Princess Twilight and I dropped our jaws in shock. "What..." I could barely utter a sentence. "Are you seeing this?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "Now we know why they call this Pothole Field." There were holes all around me aside from safe spots in the form of ground. "This means that there are countless other holes all around along with one direct route. I recommend moving slowly through here, Sunset. If you fall down a hole, it won't mean you die or anything. Instead, you will reappear back on solid ground though you will be penalized with some damage."

"I always thought falling down into the abyss meant instant death."

"Maybe in some other worlds but not this one."

"Imagine that."

"Best not to utilize it as a crutch."

Nodding, I began to cut my way forward through the field. Even though I now knew that I could fall into holes with only a minimal punishment, I wasn't about to take advantage of it through acts of recklessness. I was going to treat holes as being instant death scenarios. Cutting the shrubs, I was getting some rupees out of them and deep down, I knew I was going to need more than ever before since expensive items had a tendency to be required in the Legend of Zelda series. At least that was something I remembered despite not remembering other things that were as important.

As I went right, then down, then right again, I then went up before finding that my path forward was blocked by holes. I then tried swinging my sword in the hopes of being able to cut the shrubs on the other side of the holes and was surprised that I had quite a bit of reach. Upon revealing the way forward, using the Roc's Feathr, I jumped over and landed on the revealed ground and contemplated my next move. I could go left as the owl statue was in that direction but I could see the Piece of Heart from before practically calling out to me. Cutting my way over to it, I made an awkward jump over two holes in a row and barely managed to grab it.

Picking up the Piece of Heart, I felt its warmth embrace me and if I was right, this was my fourth one which meant my overall health had increased. While I didn't mind needing to collect four in order to increase my health, the Heart Containers were much better as they increased health outright rather than every four with the pieces, yet the containers being in the hands of the Nightmares was annoying. With that done, I jumped back over the holes and walked left, cutting down more shrubs and collecting whatever they dropped (It was only four rupees and a heart) before reaching the owl statue.

Like the one outside the Moblin's Lair, this one had a message which I listened to by placing my hand on its head. 'IN SOIL SLEEPS SECRETS, BENEATH YOUR SOLES...' I frowned upon hearing its message. It was a dead giveaway that I needed to dig right in front of the statue. I was expecting a more cryptic clue but I shouldn't be complaining as it could've been a lot worse. Taking out my shovel and digging at the statue's base, a strange looking key popped out and landed on the ground. The head looked like the statues of the slime creature I saw in front of the dungeon albeit flatter.

"This must be the Slime Key." I said as I picked it up.

"Now you can open up the gate near where Tempest resides."

"Which means more backtracking."

"At least it's only a short amount." Princess Twilight then noticed a boulder to the left of the owl statue. "Then again, I don't think you need to backtrack at all. You can pick up this boulder and go straight to where you need to insert that key." Her Highness then remembered what we saw when we initially found the dungeon entrance. "You do need to backtrack as you have to enter the dungeon by going around Pothole Field and approach via the north. In any case, you should let Tempest know we've got what we came for."

Picking up the boulder and tossing it aside, I walked out of Pothole Field and up the stairs where the entrance to the Key Cavern was. With the Slime Key in hand, I inserted it into the lock, turned it, and turned it back before removing the key from the lock. The keyhole then disappeared and soon after, everything started rumbling as I watched the gate blocking the dungeon entrance opened with two iron bars dropping down. Now I had to backtrack around as I couldn't walk past the statues as immovable stones in-between them prevented me from simply walking past them and going inside.

Placing the Slime Key in my pocket, I began making my way back to Tempest's place. At least there were no monsters so I didn't have to worry about being attacked, but then the thought of what could be waiting for me ahead in the next dungeon began gnawing at me. Tail Cave and Bottle Grotto had proven simple enough despite some deceptions along with some unique monsters, but Key Cavern was likely going to increase the overall difficulty which meant I had to be more careful from now. Was I afraid? No. Nervous? Yes. But, I didn't have any other choice since I couldn't leave the island until I had all eight instruments.

Approaching Tempest's place and walking inside, I took out the Slime Key and showed it to her. "I've got it!"

"I knew you would dig it up eventually." Tempest said.

"What will you do now?"

"Right now, I must remain here and think about everything that has happened." Tempest answered as she struck a pose. "Someday, I will go back to my castle and free my servants from what controls them, but that will require planning. Though I wish you could join me my friend, I know you have your own mission to accomplish. Let me give you a piece of advice as you will need it for the Key Cavern. Explosives are going to be very helpful in there so make sure to have them on hand. Also, speed is the key!"

I had bombs so that piece of advice was helpful though I didn't know what she meant about speed being key. I guessed the only way I'd find out was to enter the dungeon and see it with my own eyes. Thanking Tempest, she performed one final pose before I exited and headed to the right. As expected, the shrubs I had cut down had since respawned because of entering a building and coming back out. I also knew that I first needed to unlock the entrance to the Key Cavern as an iron gate was blocking the way.

Walking back to where I found the keyhole, it occurred to me to that I needed to backtrack to reach the other side as there was no way through on this end. (Definitely a stupid design choice right there) Inserting the key and turning it to the right before turning it back and pulling the key back out, everything began vibrating as the gate slowly dropped down granting me access... Almost as again, I had to backtrack. Heading back yet again (At least I was getting exercise out of this as well as seeing the scenery), I walked past Tempest's place and went north by the row of trees from before. As I left the field behind me, I could see a small lake behind trees and I hoped it didn't mean needing to swim across it.

Reaching the end of the row of trees, I turned left then left again and walked back the way I came but from the other side, and I could see that I didn't need to swim. Instead, I just needed to jump across some small islands to reach the dungeon. One island was isolated by itself and had a single shrub on it. No doubt it contained something as why else make it so obvious, but I couldn't reach it by jumping and upon closer inspection, the water looked too deep for me to swim in. Again, I'd have to come back if I wanted to investigate. Jumping over the water via the islands with the Roc's Feather, I reached the other side, walked up to the dungeon entrance and went inside

Upon entering, the voice from before told me that I was now in 'Level 3. - Key Cavern'. Already, I could see that the puzzle from the castle was being used, that being needing to throw a pot in order to smash my way through the door. And in my mind, I was expecting it to show up later and not so soon. There was also a path to the right so I decided to see what was over there before going the apparent way forward. Heading right and walking into the room, I could see a treasure chest, but also one of those Vaccum Mouths from Bottle Grotto directly in front of my prize.

"What do you think, Twilight?"

"You can't reach that chest, Sunset." Princess Twilight answered.

"Figures."

"That Vaccum Mouth is positioned in a way that if you were to try and walk over there..." Princess Twilight interrupted herself by pointing down at a stone near my feet and asking me to throw it towards the weird entity. I did as she asked and the stone went careening into the abyss leaving my heart pounding. "As you just saw, there's no way to reach that chest. If you had more speed, you might be able to make it before you get pulled into that abyss. When we find that Dungeon Map, remind me to put a mark for this room and we'll come back later. I suspect the chest contains something of value."

Heading back to the entrance room, I picked up a pot and threw it at the door, smashing it to pieces and walking into the next room. Raising my shield quickly, I parried the attack of a Sword Stalfos who had charged at it, and I struck it twice with my sword when its guard was dropped. There was a Red Gel bouncing around nearby... And then there were two bombs that were walking around!? They looked similar to the classic Mario enemy, Bob-ombs, but not exactly one-to-one. "Twilight? Why are those bombs moving?"

"Those are Bombites."

"Creative name."

Princess Twilight giggled. "The name is cute but they aren't to be taken lightly. They can only be found in this dungeon so expect to see them pop up around here. The red variation you see here will bounce off the walls when hit with your sword. At this point, their fuses will light and eventually explode, or they will explode upon contact with anything. You can use this to defeat other monsters but I wouldn't rely on it."

"There's another kind of Bombite."

"Yes."

"I take it I shouldn't worry about them until later?"

"I'll let you know when we eventually find them." Princess Twilight answered. She then saw something sparkling down the left side path. "Before we move on, could you go down this path on the left? There's something there that I want to see, but you should get rid of the remaining monsters first."

"Sure, I can check it out." I didn't know what was on her mind but I wasn't about to deny her such a simple request. The two Bombites then came towards me by waddling and I hit the one that was the closest to me where it bounced into the other one causing a massive explosion that pushed me back several inches. Ignoring the Red Gel, I took the left path only to be blocked by what looked like green crystals. "Is this what you wanted to see?"

"I saw them sparkle earlier and was curious." Princess Twilight floated over and touched one of the crystals only for nothing to happen. "I keep forgetting that there are things I can't do because of being a fairy. Sunset? See what you can do about it?" I then tried striking it only for my sword to bounce off. I then tried picking it up which didn't work either. "Neither sword nor strength can remove these crystals. Hmmm... Something else is needed then. Hopefully, what lurks beyond isn't too important."

Knowing me, somehing was important and I'd need to come back and figure it out. Heading back the way I came, the two Bombites had already respawned and in a panic, I struck one where it bounced off the walls, bumped into me causing a bit of damage, bounced off the Red Gel, and finally exploded. I quickly defeated the Red Gel with a sword strike before hitting the other Bombite, pushing it back where it bounced off three walls before exploding. This caused a treasure chest to materialize on top of a different coloured floor tile from the rest which I had only just noticed. (I needed to be more observant about my surroundings)

Opening the chest, I took out a small key and proceeded into the next room since it was the only way I could go. In this next section, two doors immediately locked themselves and four Green Zols popped up from the ground. I swung my sword once and defeated all four with two of them dropping green rupees which I picked up. That caused both doors to open along with another treasure chest materializing but not on a special tile. Opening it up, I was suddenly attacked by a Green Zol that had hidden inside of it instead of actual treasure. I had fallen victim of a trap even if said trap wasn't threatening.

Quickly disposing of the Green Zol, I walked into the next room and was attacked by two regular Stalfos. Both of them jumped away from me in hopes of surviving, but the wall didn't exactly do them any favours. I merely kept swinging my sword until both were defeated. Looking at how the tiles were arranged, something was supposed to appear on the one tile that was different but nothing happened which made me wonder if I missed something. I hear heard the sound of something bouncing on the other side of the wall... which was beyond where those two green crystals were. I knew it! Something important did lurk beyond them!

Moving on into the next section, two more Green Zols popped up from the ground and I defeated them in the usual manner. One of them dropped a Piece of Power which I immediately picked up because I could do with double the offensive power. A treasure chest was present but it couldn't be opened because the orange blocks were preventing me from reaching it so I needed to find one of those Crystal Switches. In front of me were some stairs and since there was no where else to go, I went down them and on to another floor where I quickly came to a realization.

"There are so many locked doors!"

"This is the 'Key Cavern' you know."

"I didn't think it would be taken literally."

"Four locked doors and one small key."

"Which door should I unlock?"

"It's your choice, Sunset."

I wasn't thrilled about that. As I pondered over what to do, four more Green Zols popped up behind me and thanks to the Piece of Power, when I struck them with my sword, they went flying across the room before disappearing in puffs of smoke. A Red Gel that was already in the room bounced towards me only for it to get pushed back when I defeated it. Once the room had been cleared of monsters (Strange how there were so many slime based creatures), I resumed thinking about which door I should unlock with my key. Rather than come up with a convoluted method, I just pointed at a door at random and hoped it was right."

"That one!" I announced pointing at the door to the left of the staircase.

"Let's hope it was the right choice." Princess Twilight said. I could tell she was nervous and to be honest, so was I. Walking up to the locked door, I unlocked it with the key and entered a room that had an abyss right in the middle along with two conveyor belts on either side. "This could prove tricky to navigate so use your Roc's Feather wisely." Her Highness then pointed out two weird creatures, one on each side of the abyss. "These are Pairodds, strange bird-like creatures that can teleport if you rush at them recklessly. They will constantly warp in this manner in order to avoid you. They can also throw projectiles which you can easily avoid."

"How do I defeat what can teleport?"

"If you could run faster, you can defeat them before they teleport."

"Too bad I don't have fast feet."

"Then you'll need to rely on your own ranged attacks." Her Highness went down to the pocket where I store my bombs (Don't ask me how that works because I would be here for hours coming up with some kind of explanation) and feverishly pointed at them. "Bombs will work but you need to aim carefully. Pairodds can easily frustrate anyone what with their knack for teleporting so patience is needed. Since that one is standing next to you, why not defeat it with a bomb before it even knows what's happening."

Following Her Highness' advice, I took out a bomb and tossed it at the Pairodd where it exploded though the monster merely teleported to the other side of the room after taking damage from the explosion. I was beginning to see how these creatures behaved and came up with something creative. Taking out another bomb, I placed it down and immediately jumped over to where it had teleported using the Roc's Feather, and it teleported back to its previous location only to be blown up moments later. The other Pairodd didn't react at all to what just happened so I repeared the process.

I tossed a bomb at it which caused it to teleport to the other side, then I planted another bomb, jumped over the abyss, and watched as it got blown up when it teleported back. If my strategy had one obvious problem, using more bombs than necessary was pretty much it. I only had twenty bombs... well... sixteen now and I had a hunch I needed to save them for future puzzles in this dungeon. Good thing I didn't land on any of those conveyor belts during my jumps otherwise I'd have plunged into the abyss. (The same with my bombs) Suddenly, a key dropped down from above, landing on the conveyor belt opposite where the abyss was situated.

Without thinking, I jumped back over and grabbed it before it fell into the abyss, but I landed on the conveyor belt and was pulled by it into the abyss. Reacting like I normally did during such tense moments, my hands caught the edge of the ground enabling me to pull myself back up and I walked off of the other conveyor belt onto safe ground. Whew! That was way too close for comfort. Leaving the room, I now had to choose which of the remaining doors I should unlock next. A thought then occurred to me. If there were keys behind each of these locked doors, why even explore them? Granted, there was no way of knowing whether my theory was right or not.

Choosing to go clockwise, I unlocked the north door and entered a room with the Crystal Switch and an Owl Statue. There was also a Yellow Stalfos that came to life as well as a new monster on my left. I mean, it looked like one of those Sword Stalfos only without a sword and shield. Princess Twilight then explained. "What we've got here is a Shrouded Stalfos. It's slower than most Stalfos types and prefers tossing spears or even arrows in your direction."

"So... Just like the spear throwing Moblins and Boarblins?"

"Only slower."

I went after the Shrouded Stalfos first as I didn't want to have to deal with any spears. It tried to back away in order to throw its weapon but I managed to get close before swinging my sword twice to defeat it. That was easy but then the room was on my side. The Yellow Stalfos meanwhile lumbered towards and leapt up before dive-bombing me but it bounced off my shield by accident since I hadn't raised it. It writhed in a bit of agony so I quickly dispatched it before it could suffer any further humiliation. This made a small key drop down from above but now I had another decision to make.

"Should I unlock another room or open that chest on the previous floor?"

"It's up to you."

"I think I'll go for it, Twilight." I said with a smile on my face. "I mean, it's just back up the stairs so it's not really backtracking. Besides, if I unlock the next room, I'm going to forget all about the chest until later and that would truly be backtracking."

"We really could do with that Dungeon Map."

I nodded. "I hope I find it as soon as possible." Hitting the Crystal Switch, I went back into the previous and up the stairs before opening up the now accessible treasure chest and finding the Stone Beak inside. "Huh... It's no map but this will definitely come in handy." Putting it in my pocket, I went back down to the lower level and into the same room because of the Owl Statue being there.

"That took about ten seconds or so, Sunset."

"But no Dungeon Map yet."

"We'll find it eventually."

Placing the Stone Beak where it was supposed to go, the Owl Statue began speaking. "To defeat the black monster with the hard shell, feed him something explosive." I had no idea what it was talking but it sounded like I needed bombs so making sure not to waste anymore was a priority. Removing and putting away the Stone Beak, I went back into the other room and decided to go and unlock the south door. Unlocking it and entering this room, I could see so many conveyor belts (They were actually all individual tiles that moved in different directions based on what the arrows on them were pointing in) that I stopped moving and began assessing things.

Two pots were in the middle of the room along with a Green Zol, a Shrouded Stalfos, and a Pairodd. Of the three, the Pairodd was going to be the problem. I couldn't use the trick with the bombs from before but perhaps I could use the conveyor belts to my advantage. Attacking the Green Zol first and defeating it upon which it dropped a rupee--the Piece of Power had since worn off--I tried attacking the Pairodd only for it to teleport to another location leaving me to deal with the Shrouded Stalfos who began throwing spears. Using my shield, I deflected its spears and defeated it with two sword swings.

The Pairodd didn't move so I began my strategy. It was a little awkward at first what with my directions suddenly changing on me, but I kept it teleporting from side to side though it did manage to hit me a couple of times with what looked like shurikens made out of energy. Eventually, my tenacity paid off and I defeated the Pairodd resulting in another small key dropping down from above, and I quickly caught it before it could plunge into the abyss. Come to think of it, I could've made this easier by using one of those two pots as surely that would've defeated it in one hit rather than two.

Going back into the main room, there was only one door left to unlock, so I unlocked it and entered yet another room with conveyor belts. This was starting to get on my nerves though this time, there was no abyss to worry about. Instead, the path was linear though twisted because of the corners yet it ended by stairs that went up to the previous floor. I could see another Pairodd as well as two Keese but perhaps I could ignore all of them? Well... the Pairodd I could ignore because I didn't want to deal with it because of what it did. Stepping on to the conveyor belt, I let me move me along and during that time, I swung my sword and defeated both Keese as they flew my way.

As for the Pairodd... it simply teleported to another part of the room where it fired its projectile, but I ignored it and kept walking until I reached the stairs. If not for the blocks that forced me to follow a linear path, I could've just gone straight across and reached the stairs just like that. Heading up the stairs to the previous floor, a different coloured tile to my left indicated something would appear there. So far, Key Cavern was proving to be difficult because of having to manage so many keys, but I was managing to hold my own and I hadn't taken much damage though I was certain that would soon change.

"Twilight?"

"What is it?"

"Are you as curious as I am as to why I've seen so many slime-like monsters in here?"

"Yes, the thought has crossed my mind." Princess Twilight answered. "Even though they aren't very powerful, they have been appearing in greater numbers in this place more than anywhere else thus far. They are even starting to appear in treasure chests like that one we saw earlier. It's possible that there is a slime-like creature that serves as their master and that it could be waiting for us somewhere in this dungeon."

"A giant slime..." I then shuddered at the thought. "I'd rather not have to think about it."

"That could actually be it."

I buried my head into my hands and groaned. "I hope that's not going to the Nightmare I've got to defeat. I mean, I'm not afraid of fighting monsters since it's what I've been doing when we started this journey, but there are just some things one should never fight because of sheer absurdity. A giant slime would be something absurd." Regaining my composure, I shook my head before slapping both sides of my face. "Just have to grin and bear it."

"Just like me when I have to fight a giant monster that's threatening Ponyville."

Both of us then had a good laugh before I continued on. As soon as I stepped off of a raised platform where the stairs from below lead me to, a Green Zol popped up and I swiftly defeated it. Looking at the room after defeating it, it went around the platform and it made me wonder if there were more of those Zol hiding underground waiting for me to walk on by and attack in the process. Walking around the edge of the room, sure enough, more Green Zols popped up from below and I defeated each of them until I got back to where I started only for two of them to show up.

Defeating them gave me a small key--I didn't need to keep track since I only had the one right now--which dropped down from above so I collected it and moved on. In this next room, the obvious signs were indicating that this was the central area of the dungeon. Several doors lead to other rooms and several keyhole blocks showed that I needed to collect even more keys before I would reach my end goal. Which way would I go next? I had no idea but what I did know was that this meant that the Key Cavern was about to throw away the proverbial kid gloves and give me a real rough go of things.

To Be Continued.