The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.

by Ganondorf8

Chapter 11: The Desert's Secret.

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.
By Ganondorf8.
November 27, 2019.
Chapter 11: The Desert's Secret.

"Let's hope that Sunburst can give us the right information." I said.

"Sunset?" Princess Twilight began. "Have you thought about how you're going to be handling so many objectives? After all, you've been given quite the list. I don't want you feeling overwhelmed in any way. Besides, I've been there plenty of times and all it does is cause stress."

"What do you suggest?"

Princess Twilight took a deep breath. "First, we should speak with Sunburst since he's right over there. After that, we should pay a visit to this Dream Shrine. Whatever treasure is in there is one you need otherwise we're never finishing this journey. Next, go to the Item Shop as I know you want the Piece of Heart Aria was selling. Then you can go to the Trendy Game since I'm certain Ember restocked on rare items. Next, will be the Animal Village followed with the Yarna Desert, and hopefully the next dungeon. Did I miss anything? I'm pretty sure I covered just about everything."

"You forgot about Starlight and Zecora."

"Oh... Right." Princess Twilight then blushed but I couldn't blame her. In fact, I was surprised that she went and told me everything I needed to take care of. "Starlight... She can be slotted in after you finish the Dream Shrine. As for Zecora... Her hut is on the way towards the next dungeon so we could go off the main path and visit her. Now that should be everything we need to do."

I nodded. "I don't think you missed anything."

"We might as well get this started then."

"Hopefully, Sunburst can help out."

To be honest, I wasn't confident that he could give us some answers. From what Princess Twilight told me about him, he was quite an amazing wizard even though he dropped out from Princess Celestia's School of Gifted Unicorns. It showed that you didn't need a fancy school in order to be successful. (Princess Celestia is never going to hear me say that otherwise I'd never live it down) He used to be Flurry Heart's Crystaler but since she's older now, he isn't needed aside from special occasions. According to Her Highness, he was selected by Starlight to become the School of Friendship's new Vice Headmare. Quite the promotion I'd say.

However, in this world, Sunburst doesn't exactly think clearly. I mean, I've no personal issues with him but the character he portrays isn't exactly all that bright. More like, a curious individual who doesn't quite use his brain to understand things. In some ways, Sunburst is living the dream which I've secretly wanted on rare occasions... To be able to relax and not have to worry about anything. A world where its problems never bother you. With what I have to do, problems always find their way to me despite not wanting any. I guessed it was a personal sacrifice seeing how much of what I've experienced was by my own doing.

Equestrian Magic running wild in the world I called home... Had I never left Equestria, such problems wouldn't be plaguing my adopted home. Of course, my friends wouldn't be my friends and their destinies would be totally different. In that sense, destiny proved to be very effective in the end despite my actions. What would've happened had I not left? I'd have likely been punished by Princess Celestia and banished from Equestria to the desolate wastes beyond its borders. Or, I'd have been sent to Tartarus, a far less punishment compared to the wastes as Tartarus actually has some semblance of quality.

I supposed what I did was a double-edged sword. It was both a blessing and a curse at the same time. If I could, I'd like to go back in time and undo everything, but that would be selfishness on my part. The past is one that shouldn't be changed just because you messed up. What happened is history and must remain as is otherwise everything else gets thrown out of whack resulting in who knows what. Still, I do wish I could fix my mistake. Believe me, I have plenty of those still lingering despite how much I've changed. Just because I don't share them doesn't mean they don't exist.

Princess Twilight then began bopping me on the head to indicate that I needed to stop daydreaming and begin my long list of objectives. Even though I really should stop doing that (The daydreaming thing in case it wasn't obvious) I couldn't help it as it helped me understand myself. Her Highness knows it's something I have to do to give myself piece of mind but maybe I shouldn't let it drag on because she just floats there and watches and can't do anything as she can't read my mind. When you've got a lot on your mind, you tend to forget about all facets of reality until you are forced back into it.

Walking over to where Sunburst was, I was confused at seeing him attempt to hit what looked like a beehive. I'm no bee expert but what he was doing was both wrong and utterly insane given how volatile bees were. Again, his curiosity meant he wasn't thinking. Now that I thought of it, this was the first time I'd seen a beehive on any of the trees around here. Why not have them on any of the other trees? On the subject of Sunburst, judging from the sweat trickling down his brow, he had been here for some time. It made sense since I had been traipsing about in a dungeon for several hours or so.

Sunburst then noticed me. "Why, if it ain't Sunset Shimmer! It's me, Tarin! I hope you ain't forgotten about me!"

I shook my head as I approached. "There's no way I could forget the likes of you."

"Glad ta hear it." He then looked up and down at me and for a moment, I thought he was doing it for intimate reasons. "Wow! Your clothes look like they've been through the ringer not ta mention them scars you've got. I knew you were the adventurin' type but you're taking it to an extreme. You know, I'll bet Crazy Tracey could help you out."

"Who?"

"Ain't you ever heard of Crazy Tracey?" I shook my head and Sunburst was surprised. "And hear I thought everyone knew about her given how she likes ta advertise herself and her business with them fliers. Well, let ol' Tarin explain things ta you. You know that Witch who lives on the other side of the Mysterious Forest? Well, Crazy Tracey was once her apprentice before she went and started her own potion makin' business. Her potions can heal any kind of wound and can even bring ya back ta life if you happen to kick the bucket. She does have a weird pricin' system though."

"Where can I find her!?" I asked in an excited frenzy.

"She lives near the Witch in Koholint Prairie but ya needs strength to move them boulders."

If this Crazy Tracey does what I think she did even with Sunburst's description of her, she was someone I needed to see as soon as possible. Considering how often I've taken a beating on my journey from all sorts of monsters, having a potion on hand would improve my chances of surviving especially if it could save me from being killed. I didn't know what he meant by 'weird pricing system' but I supposed it was something I'd find out. If her location was accurate, this Crazy Tracey was on my way to the next dungeon so paying her a visit wasn't out of the question either.

Now I needed him to answer my next question. "Um... Do you mind if I take Star--I mean, Marin--to Animal Village?" In hindsight, even though I had a good idea as to the kind of residents living in this village, I actually didn't know anything about it.

"Hmmm... Marin usually goes there on her own without me."

"Is that so?"

Sunburst nodded. "Marin goes there to sing songs to the animals. In case ya were wonderin', that's why they call it Animal Village. Everyone there is an animal of some kind but despite this, it is recognized as the sister village of our Mabe Village. As for Marin going... She needs ta be in the right mood otherwise she ain't gonna wanna go. You can ask her yet I don't think she'll be interested. Maybe if you went yourself, ya can convince her to come along on yer next visit."

I didn't like the sound of that at all. If I understood him correctly, Starlight wasn't going to go to Animal Village without a good reason. I'd need to go there in person, talk to some of the animals, come back to Mabe Village, then ask her if she wanted to come, and then make my way back over there again. It was backtracking of the absolute worse kind but one that I most likely couldn't avoid because of story progression. These role playing video games often had some really annoying quirks like this which you couldn't walk around because you'd miss out on something important. Ugh!

"Are you sure about that?"

"Marin can be pretty stubborn that way."

"Oh..."

"Sorry about that, Sunset Shimmer."

"It's not your fault."

Sunburst then changed the subject. "Now, I betcha wonderin' what I'm doing here. See this here honeycomb?" I nodded and he continued. "I was hankering for some honey but I need some way of disturbing them bees." He then noticed the stick in my pocket and his eyes lit up. "Say... I see ya have a nice stick. Can I borrow it for a second?"

I had completely forgotten that I acquired it from the monkey's earlier when I needed to get into Kanalet Castle. Nodding, I took out the stick and handed it over to Sunburst who began poking the beehive several times, exactly what I knew he was going to do. After several taps, the beehive dropped to the ground and we both remained still because of knowing what was about to happen next. Sure enough, bees began coming out from the beehive and immediately began chasing Sunburst. He began running around the tree in a panic with the bees chasing him and after doing this a few times, he left with them in hot pursuit.

My reaction to that display was shedding a single tear of sweat. On the one hand, I felt sorry for Sunburst as he was likely going to get stung many times. On the other, it was his own ignorance which caused him his predicament. I was about to leave when Princess Twilight pointed at the ground and I looked down. The beehive was still there so I picked it up seeing as the bees had upped and abandoned it. Taking a closer look, it wasn't a beehive but rather a honeycomb. I had no idea who would want a honeycomb but surely a recipient would eventually come up.

Now there was no reason for me to remain in the area so I began to make my way back to Mabe Village. As I started walking, I thought about what Princess Cadance said about needing the treasure from the Dream Shrine. If it was that important, surely someone else would've made an attempt to get it. Then again, people on this island seemed rather oblivious about most everything regarding monsters and other forms of danger. How could they not see it!? In any case, Juniper was the one I needed to talk to about the Dream Shrine as that's what Discord recommended when I spoke to him before seeing Sunburst.

Once I reached the edge of Mabe Village having avoided the Flying Octoroks, I picked up a boulder, tossed it aside and proceeded towards where Juniper lived. Seeing Scootaloo standing nearby doing nothing in particular, I waved to her and she responded in kind. Could she provide me with some additional information? Maybe but first I should focus on the adults given how the kids around here often contradicted themselves. Entering Juniper's house, it had changed a little since my last visit. Her youngest child (Still couldn't believe that she had children in this world) was happily playing with the Yoshi Doll I gave her which felt like a long time ago so I was happy to see that had worked out.

"Oh!" Juniper said as I approached. "You're the nice girl who gave me the Yoshi Doll."

I then noticed that Chancellor Neighsay wasn't around so I inquired about him. "Um... Where did your husband go?"

"Papahl?" Juniper answered as she stared at the empty space where he once stood. "My husband left some time ago to get lost in the mountains. I know that sounds weird for anyone to say but you have to admire his determination. I do wish he had taken some vittles with him as he's surely starving by now. If I remember, Papahl isn't too particular about anything but he does like pineapples."

I didn't have a pineapple so Chancellor Neighsay would be someone I'd have to deal with later. I then steered the subject towards what I wanted to know. "Um... This might sound strange, but what do you know about the Dream Shrine?"

"Quite a bit actually."

"Why is that?"

"My family has lived next to it for many years now." Juniper answered. "As such, we've seen many people go in there in hopes of finding the treasure hidden there. No one has ever succeeded because of the strange creatures that lurk within the dream world within the shrine. They look innocent but are deadly because of their touch. One person who attempted to get the treasure said something about needing a lot of speed. I never did understand what he meant by that."

"I think I do."

"Really? Then you might be able to succeed."

"Guess it's time for me to take a nap."

"No one is in the Dream Shrine as those boulders blocking the entrance keep out those without strength." Juniper said. "I hear that the bed inside is made of the finest quilt ever known to exist anywhere. You fall asleep on it, you won't want to wake up. But, you look as though you won't let such a thing happen to you. Nice girls like you deserve a chance to be worthy of obtaining whatever is in the dream world."

Thanking Juniper for the words of encouragement, I left her house, walked over to the Dream Shrine, picked up and tossed aside a boulder and went inside. "Huh... I was honestly expecting something more given it is a shrine and all." The interior of the shrine consisted of a single bed and nothing more.

"Beggars can't be choosers, Sunset." Princess Twilight said.

"I suppose not."

"Remember that in this dreamscape, any damage inflicted upon you by any monsters will be real and will carry over back to the waking world." Princess Twilight said. She sounded pretty confident and I wasn't about to question her since she often was right about that sort of thing. "Once you go to sleep, you will cross over and begin whatever waits for you on the other side in the dream. In fact, let me sleep with you and I should be able to join you."

"Um, Twilight?" I said in a nervous voice. "You might want to choose your words better."

"Why?" Princess Twilight was clearly confused here. "I was being honest and..." It then clicked for Her Highness as to my meaning. "Ohhhh..." And as expected, she blushed and immediately turned her face away from me. "What!? You know that's not what I mean, Sunset! I... I just said it wrong!" I burst out laughing much to her annoyance but eventually after letting it all sink in, she began laughing until we both started crying. "Okay, that's enough about my blunder. At least it happened like this and not when I'd be ruling Equestria."

"You'll be fine ruling Equestria."

"I know."

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CRRAACCKLLE! FWWOOOSSHH!

"I am sorry to inform you, master."

Grogar motioned Hot Head to be silent with a wave of his hand. "We are already aware that the Slime Eye has been defeated by the Outsider. Unlike the previous two Nightmares, she showed no signs of struggling and overcame him easily. Perhaps your words had some weight to them after all." Grogar then went silent before his eyes burst into flames. "We knew all along that the Slime Eye was a worthless creature. We allowed that one to guard the bell as he begged us for our favour. He pleaded so hard that we weren't moved by tears but by how utterly pathetic it looked."

"Then why didn't you replace him sooner?"

"The other Nightmares were guarding their respective instruments."

"So now three of us are no more."

Grogar nodded. "It shows you, Hot Head, that incompetence is a pestilence that needs to be rooted out. We Nightmares rule this island and it shall remain as such. The weakest amongst us have proven how useless they were and could not overcome one little girl. However, the Moldorm and the Genie proved that the Outsider is not invincible and can be overcome under the proper conditions."

"In what way, master?"

"She struggles against overwhelming odds."

"That does explain why Slime Eye failed."

"Do not presume you can fault us for not heeding your words." Grogar's eyes burned even hotter than before forcing Hot Head to squirm knowing he didn't have any leverage given his position as a mere servant to the ancient ram. "Remember that we can replace you at our leisure, Hot Head. Questioning us would result in us destroying you. Though you are our strongest Nightmare, you are nothing but fodder which can be pushed about whenever we wish. Know your place, servant!"

"I... I apologize, my master."

"As you should."

"The Outsider should be making her way over to Angler's Tunnel."

"And which of the Nightmare's guards the instrument?"

"The Angler Fish."

Grogar went silent as he began mulling over what Hot Head had told him. The servant felt anxious as he awaited the next words of his master but soon the wait was over and the ancient ram began to speak. "The Angler Fish is perhaps the most useless Nightmare among us. All it cares about is food and is oblivious to what it's supposed to do. We had hoped for a better Nightmare but no other was capable of swimming."

"What can we do, master?"

"It is what you shall do for us."

"I don't understand."

"We don't expect you to understand what is beyond your comprehension." Grogar said as his horns began conjuring up some kind of magic. "To us, you are not to understand but to obey us without question." He then finished his magic, a bauble of some description, which he passed over to Hot Head. "Give this to the Angler Fish and it shall become more ferocious in its nature. Though its desire for food cannot be removed, it will focus on killing the Outsider. Do not plunge into the depths or else your flames will forever be gone."

"I shall do as you command."

"That is your purpose to me."

"Anything else?"

Grogar nodded slowly. "There is a place below the graveyard which the Outsider will eventually explore such is her curious nature. A special Nightmare has been placed there by us which guards special powers she will strive for once she learns of it. Inform that Nightmare to kill her! It must not allow its belief of pacifism to cloud its judgement."

"I obey."

"As you shall." As Hot Head disappeared, Grogar began talking to himself. "This Outsider has proven to be more of a nuisance than we thought. If she continues with her progression, she will truly become a threat to our plans. But... she is also steering towards knowing a dark secret. Should she continue, she will learn what this island truly is. Once she finds out... heh, heh, heh... we shall enjoy seeing that for ourselves. Enjoy playing about little girl. Let ignorance be blissful as it blinds you from Koholint's true nightmare. Hopefully, you will be dead, for your own sanity."

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Climbing into the bed of the Dream Shrine and pulling up the covers, I soon drifted off to sleep as though my body couldn't help itself. Princess Twilight rested her body on the pillow, her tiny self pushing against my hair for her own warmth. In my mind, various images appeared including but not limited to: the various places I had been to on my journey, a mysterious building, a giant turtle, and even what looked like a cascading river. Were these premonitions of what was coming? If so, I had plenty to worry about since I knew things would only more difficult from here.

Upon waking up, I found myself in a ruined temple given how many places had crumbled away and the floor itself had seen better days. As Princess Twilight had calculated, her sleeping with me enabled her to be here as well. Judging from the overall size of this area, it wasn't going to take too long for me to find this treasure, but then some weird looking monsters might have a thing to say about that. Waddling about were brown creatures with large black eyes and mouths who looked really simplistic in design, yet I could sense they possessed a hidden power despite all appearances.

Her Highness told me that these were called Arm-Mimics. Much like Shy Guys, these monsters could mimic my every move, but there were some differences. For one thing, my sword could do no damage to them at its current level. Were it stronger, I could defeat them easily. Second, they were the strongest monsters on the island as getting by them would cause me to lose three full hearts or rather sustain heavy damage. Lastly, they only existed in a few places so I wasn't going to have to fight them that often. She then said I could use spin attacks though with how narrow the path ahead was, that wasn't a good idea.

But, she did say that Arm-Mimics could be defeated using the Pegasus Boots since a dash attack was stronger than a regular sword swing. No wonder no one had been able to successfully acquire the treasure of the Dream Shrine. Those who came here lacked the necessary items and were felled by the Arm-Mimics. Since I had what they didn't, perhaps I'd be the one to obtain it. Each Arm-Mimic was positioned on broken floor tiles so I needed to dash quickly or else I'd be taking a nasty plunge. I then noticed some of them were standing next to one another in small rows. Perhaps I could take multiple out at once?

Dashing forward, I rammed into the first Arm-Mimic, defeating it before it even knew what happened. I kept on dashing, defeating another two before crashing into the wall though at this point, I had gotten used to being dazed after hitting it. Turning to the right, I dashed again, plowing through five Arm-Mimics in two groups, picking up a blue rupee and two green ones along the way. Turning right and dashing, I went through the final six before hitting another wall which dazed me for a moment. That was surprisingly easy but Her Highness said that was due to being in a narrow passageway. Had it been more open, I'd have had way more trouble.

Turning right, I saw a green crystal but before going that way, I saw a treasure chest which I wanted to open. Walking up some stairs, I opened the chest and took out a silver rupee which according to Her Highness, was worth one hundred rupees. My wealth was slowly amassing and soon there would be nothing expensive that was beyond me. Going back to where I was before and dashing through the green crystal and hitting some boulders which acted like walls, I could see something twinkling to my right. Walking up some more stairs, I soon came upon the treasure of the Dream Shrine.

"Is that...?" I asked.

"It is, Sunset!" Princess Twilight answered. "It's an Ocarina."

"What are the odds that it would be this of all things!?" I was surprised to find that people had been trying to claim an ocarina. Either they knew what it really was or they thought it was some kind of valuable jewelry. I picked the ocarina up and gazed at it. "Guess I know what I'm going to be doing with this." When it came to the ocarina, my experience with one were quite vast. After all, I had to play one during both of my previous adventures as it was an essential item necessary for me to reach my final goal. Would it be like that this time? That was difficult to determine.

"You do remember how to play one, right?"

"I hope so." I then placed it up to my lips and began playing some notes. "Okay... I am a little bit rusty as I haven't played an ocarina for months, but I'm sure I'll get used to playing one again soon enough."

"Who do you suppose can teach you any songs?"

"Well... The only one I know would be Starlight."

Princess Twilight nodded. "If you ask her nicely, she should teach you that song of hers, 'Ballad of the Wind Fish'. But... I suggest getting used to playing that thing before you ask otherwise she might not take it too kindly. Now, since there's nothing left for us here in the Dream Shrine, we can leave and go back to the waking world. If you go back to the entrance we started at when we first came here, you should wake up in the bed we fell asleep in."

Heading back to the entrance of the shrine (I jumped down from a high-up ledge which saved me some time), I walked out and just like that, I was back in the bed of the actual shrine itself, and checking my hand, I was still holding the ocarina. While I was happy that I brought it out of the dream realm, it was best not to think about it otherwise I'd just be giving myself a headache. Climbing out of the bed whilst making sure to tuck it in for whoever would come here next, I walked out of the shrine, picked up a boulder, and tossed it aside before walking south to the Flying Rooster statue.

Starlight was still standing there singing and when she noticed me approaching, she stopped and turned to face me. "Sunset Shimmer! So good to see you again. I knew you couldn't keep away from me since my lovely song has completely mesmerized you." I then tilted my head in response prompting her to shake her head several times. "Huh? What? No, that's not what you heard. You must be hearing things again."

"I need to ask you something." I said.

"What is it?"

"Will you come with me to the Animal Village?"

"I'd love to come but I'm too busy."

I frowned. "What!?"

"I need to continue practicing with my singing." Starlight then twirled about which had nothing to do with singing at all. "Sorry if I disappointed you but I just don't have the time to visit the Animal Village." She then noticed the ocarina in my hand and got excited. "Is that an ocarina? You never told me you had one of those. Why not play something on it and I'll give you my opinion."

"I'm a bit out of practice."

"I'll be the judge of that." I then played for about a minute and upon stopping, Starlight had covered her ears with her hands and quickly removed them when she saw that I had seen her do so where she shook her head several times like before. "No... You didn't see me do anything. I was just listening to your playing. If you want my opinion, you're not very good at using an ocarina. It's like you've never played one." She saw that I was paying attention prompting her to shake her head again. "Did I say those words? No, I couldn't possibly have criticized you for that, Sunset Shimmer. You must have heard me wrong."

It was clear that Starlight had an axe to grind but pretended to be ignorant about it. Since there was nothing else I could do right now, I took my leave and she hoped I would get better at playing the ocarina as well as hear her sing her song. As I walked away, I felt dejected knowing she didn't want to go to the Animal Village. She needed to be there in order to deal with something which would enable me to reach the Yarna Desert. But... She clearly showed no interest in going. Grumbling under my breath, it meant backtracking was definitely happening since I had to go the village and then come back here to pick her up before going back there again.

Seeing both the Item Shop and Trendy Game Shop in front of me, I decided to skip going to the latter since I needed to spend my rupees on getting that Piece of Heart I saw earlier which cost the same amount of money as the shovel. Besides, after what Starlight just put me through, I wanted to get on with story progression. Aria greeted me as I entered the Item Shop in her typical inattentive manner but I would let that slide as that was practically her personality in a nutshell. If she could, she wouldn't be here right now and would probably just be lounging around, but she had a service to perform and in her eyes, I'm a figurative meal ticket.

"Oh... You came back again." Aria said sarcastically. "How did that shovel work out for you? Just so you know, I don't do any returns so if you're thinking about asking for your rupees back, that isn't happening in this century."

"On the contrary, that shovel has already proven useful."

"Huh... At least someone cared enough to buy it."

"Is that Piece of Heart still available?"

Aria pointed to it on the shelf in a sarcastic manner. "Well duh! If it wasn't then you wouldn't be here now would you? It's still 200 rupees so now's your chance to get it before someone else does." Sarcasm aside, I knew I could trust her as she'd only be lying to herself if her establishment wasn't a legitimate one. Walking up to and picking up the Piece of Heart, I took it to her desk and she rang it in on her cash register. "It's all yours now. Again, no refunds."

I felt the warmth coming from the Piece of Heart though Aria chose to ignore me since she had money in her eyes. (Not literally mind you but she was basically happy that she had earned even more money than before) I was about to leave when my eyes noticed a new item on the shelf. "What can you tell me about that one?" I asked as I pointed to it.

"You mean the Bow?" Aria asked prompting me to nod in return. "I'm going to assume you know what a bow is otherwise I'm never going to let you live this one down. But, I'll mention that it's made from a master craftsman who knew what they were doing when they put it together. It also comes with arrows since no one is stupid enough to sell a bow without any arrows to use. All together, this bow and arrow set costs 980 rupees."

I would've fainted upon hearing her say that, but then I had long gotten used to expensive items being a thing on these adventures. In my mind, I had a sneaking suspicion that this bow wasn't going to be cheap and Aria quickly proved it to be true. 980 rupees was a huge amount but considering how useful a bow could be, picking it up became another priority albeit one that would take a long time because of the price tag. At least she told me the truth when it came to the condition. It definitely looked brand new and what she said about it being made by an expert made sense.

"Would you be willing to lower the price a little?"

"No dice."

"I thought I'd try at least once."

"If I had some kind of membership thing going on, I'd have given you a discount." Aria said as she folded her arms and leaned back a little. "But as it is, I'm not interested in doing anything lame like that. You want that bow, you'd better pay me the full amount otherwise it isn't going anywhere." She then snapped her finger to get my immediate attention. "And don't even think about trying to steal it from me. Remember what I said would happen if I catch you doing that?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I remember."

Aria smirked. "Sorry, but that's just how my business works. I doubt anyone in this village let alone this whole island could afford that bow. I'd say you've good a pretty good chance of getting it. Whether you can actually do so remains to be seen, but considering you bought both that shovel and Piece of Heart, you definitely know how to get money which makes me jealous as I never could do anything like that." She then turned to a door behind the shelf. "I've got to go in back to get something else so mind leaving for now and come back some time later?"

Before I even had a chance to say anything, Aria pushed me out of the shop before turning her back and walking over to the door she looked at prior. While I could've gone back in and gave her a piece of my mind, I decided against it since a shouting match with Aria would do neither of us any good. Besides, I had hung around Mabe Village long enough as I needed to make my way over to the Animal Village. If what I've heard was true, it would be a village of animals. Hmmm... I wondered if anyone from the world I called home would be there. Would they appear as animals or maybe a combination of human and animal? Guessed I'd find out when I got there.

Heading to the eastern exit of Mabe Village, I picked up and tossed the boulder before continuing on. First, I walked past the strange tile which I had activated a while ago though I still didn't know what it was supposed to do, then travelled north then right, then south until I was stopped by a strange looking rock formation. It bore a striking resemblance to one of those Boarblins (At least their head) but what was it doing out here? I quickly looked around to see if any of them were nearby as I thought they would come after me if I did what I was about to do. I couldn't see any so I could proceed with my next action.

Taking out a bomb and planting it at the base of the rock formation, it exploded causing the formation to be reduced to rubble. Just as I was about to move on, I was suddenly bitten in the ankle by what looked like pincers, and attached to them was a long insect-like monster. I had seen some of them lurking in various holes but never paid much attention to them since I always avoided them. This one clearly took advantage of me having stopped to destroy a rock formation. Princess Twilight said that this was a Pincer... Really!? They actually went with that as the name? Talk about running out of creative names.

Anyway, she said that Pincer's lurk within holes and come out to strike when someone draws near. In order to defeat them, I had to attack them after luring them out from their holes which wasn't an easy task. Luring them meant getting so close that I could get attacked before I could do the same. Since their range wasn't long, Her Highness suggested I could simply avoid them if I didn't think I could defeat them. Stepping away before the Pincer had a chance to bite me again, I ignored it and continued on by going up some stairs, walk across a raised area, and then back down using a rope ladder.

I recognized this area as one of Discord's telephone booths was nearby. So the path I took was merely a shorter route to Kanalet Castle? I really needed to have a proper map but the only one was back in the library and I doubted I could simply take it with me for my own personal use. Sighing, I began thinking about which way to go next. The Seashell Mansion could be seen from here but I didn't have enough Secret Seashells so heading over there wasn't necessary until I found more seashells. If I could find one or two, I'll strongly consider going back and see if Adagio will give me a reward.

Heading to the right and then going south away from the castle, I felt really compelled to go to the Seashell Mansion, but again, I didn't have enough. (Four Secret Seashells wasn't going to do much of anything, not even register a little blip) so shaking my head to clear my mind of temptation, I kept going south until some Boarblins came into view. None of them had noticed me and I had every intention of keeping it that way. Continuing south was a no go for now so I went left towards what looked to be a river. Unfortunately, I lacked the proper means to swim which meant this was another dead end.

"I don't like getting turned around in circles!"

"The lack of a map is definitely annoying." Princess Twilight said.

"Even though I can swim, this world probably took that away from me."

"If that's the case, we need to find another means of getting across the river." Princess Twilight then noticed a single shrub which immediately drew her suspicions. "Sunset... That shrub over there looks out of place. I wonder... Could you cut it down? I want to know if my theory about it is right." I did what she asked and sure enough, the shrub had been hiding a hidden staircase to an underground passage. "Yes! Once again, my theory got proven correct!"

"No need for smugness now, Twilight." I said as I rolled my eyes.

"To be honest, I'm surprised that whoever hid this staircase didn't do a better job of it."

"You think it was meant to be found?"

"Maybe."

"Do you think it could get us to the other side of the river?"

"Only one way to find out for certain."

Heading into the underground passage, it comprised of a watery floor with several deep areas which I couldn't cross without drowning. Why couldn't I swim!? Why did this world love taking away such basic skills like swimming? Breathing, I regained my composure and focused on getting through here. I could see fins in the water indicating possible monsters, but it appeared Princess Twilight had no idea what they were. Since that was the case, I raised my shield before moving forward slowly in case I got attacked by these things. At the end of the passage was more stairs as well as green crystals so I knew what to do.

Avoiding the underwater monsters, one suddenly jumped out only to bounce off my shield. In that brief moment of seeing it, it turned out to be a Piranha, the same one I saw way back in Goponga Swamp. Why it was suddenly here was beyond me but I wasn't about to inquire about it since it wasn't really important. Once I was close enough, I dashed along the rest of the way using my Pegasus Boots, shattering the green crystal and running up the stairs. When I got back outside, I found that I had crossed the river via an underground route, but there had to be an easier way... and that's when it hit me.

"Twilight... We have to eventually bring Starlight through all this."

Princess Twilight nodded. "Considering how many monsters have either projectile attacks or lurk about, it's going to be a difficult escort mission. Starlight might choose to go off in her own direction which could further complicate things." Her Highness began thinking of ways we could escort Starlight but she eventually shrugged her shoulders. "Sorry, Sunset, but this is something I can't seem to get a grasp on. If Starlight stays close to you, she'll be okay but the moment she wanders off, the monsters are likely to attack and even kill her if they got the opportunity to do so."

I shuddered. "That can't happen, Twilight!"

"Exactly!"

"Maybe we should explain things to her?"

"That might work."

Heading south, I could see a Piece of Heart hidden behind a tree, but my eyes were more interested on seeing a number of houses. A sign nearby said that this was 'Martha's Bay', a new area of the island for me. Another sign then said that I had reached 'Animal Village' which meant I finally made it. Given how grueling it was to get here, bringing Starlight to this same place was going to be a real nightmare. Some of the animals were exactly that while others resembled familiar faces but now in animal form... anthropomorphic if I remember rightly. Quite a strange approach but one I wasn't about to question.

"So... Where should we look first?"

"According to Flash Sentry, we need to reach the Yarna Desert."

"Where was that again?"

"On the other side of the village."

"I don't suppose we can speak to a couple of villagers before we continue?" After going through so much hassle, I wanted to relax a little and speak to some of the animals. "They might be able to tell us more about the desert since it's practically right next door."

Princess Twilight nodded. "I agree with speaking to some of the animals." She then gave me a smirk. "And I know you want to relax, Sunset. Come on! I know you so well, I can recognize your mannerisms from a mile away! We can rest here for a few minutes if you need to. No sense in exhausting yourself. Besides... I want to observe these animals for research. It's not everyday something like this happens."

I rolled my eyes again. "I knew you had an ulterior motive." I then chuckled. "It's fine, Twilight. We can talk to one or two of the villagers. In fact, once I get that key, we can spend as much time as necessary talking to every last villager." Looking around at the different houses, I decided the one right by the entrance would be our first choice. "Let's check this house out first." Entering the house, it was certainly spacious and filled with all kinds of items. There was definitely a tropical vibe going on and it made me feel at ease given what I experienced before arriving here.

I then spotted a young rabbit who didn't resemble anyone I knew. He spoke with quite the high-pitched voice. "Wow... I don't think I've ever seen a human come here for quite some time what with the outbreak of monsters. Since I'd be rude which would reflect poorly on our village, I welcome you to the Animal Village, sister village of Mabe Village. Judging from your equipment, you must be an adventurer so no doubt you want to go to the Yarna Desert."

"Was I that obvious?"

"Eh... All adventuring types from what I've seen like to go there."

"What can you tell me about it?"

"Well, I do know that dark monsters plague that place." The rabbit answered. "Because of that, no one here in Animal Village would dare venture into those sands. Luckily, none of the monsters come this way so we're safe despite being so close to such a nest. Now, if you want to go there, you can find a path to the south of the village, but you might not be able to get through if that lazy walrus is still in the way."

"Walrus!?"

The rabbit nodded. "He loves sleeping in front of the entrance. Nothing can make him move."

That definitely changed my plans and for the worse. If what the rabbit said was true, I couldn't gain access to the Yarna Desert until I dealt with a walrus. Yes, it sounded silly but considering what I've seen on Koholint Island, this was a normal occurrence. Thanking the rabbit and leaving his house, I looked around to see where the path south was. Sure enough, it was next to a house that looked isolated as no other houses were near it which made me a bit concerned. As I walked over to the house, I looked around to take in more of the village. What stood out the most was a large area that lacked any grass. Perhaps a possible meeting area?

Reaching the house by the path south, I walked inside and found myself inside of what appeared to be a kitchen. Pots, pans, and other cooking utensils were everything and there was even a large fish in one corner. Normally, kitchens tended to be messy but this one was clearly organized. My eyes then turned towards a large grizzly bear standing behind a couple of pots and clearly cooking something, but I was surprised that this bear was Granny Smith. I mean, it had her facial features but a completely different body. I wasn't going to let this distract me otherwise I'd come off being insensitive as well as a jerk.

"Oh! Welcome to my kitchen!" Granny Smith said. "I am the Chef Bear! I think you already know what I do 'round here but in case ya don't, I prepare all ta food for the animals of this here village, and they appreciate me fer doin' so. Y'all seem like you've got somethin' bothering ya so why not tell me and maybe I can help."

"I wanted to go to the Yarna Desert but a walrus is blocking the way."

"The Yarna Desert!?" Granny Smith exclaimed and almost dropped the spoon she was holding. "Ain't nobody goes there unless they want to get themselves killed by those monsters who've made that place their home. But... judgin' from yer getup, y'all are an adventuring type which means my words mean nothin'. Well... I suppose I've got ta give ya credit for bravery but y'all are also plumb crazy for even thinking about it. However, I'm sure you've been told about that walrus sleeping by the entrance ta the desert, right? So long as he's sleeping, nothing can be done to make him budge."

"Nothing at all?"

"Well... There is one thing."

"And what's that?"

"Everyone here in Animal Village love listening to sweet little Marin's singing." Granny Smith answered. I was in shock when she said that. Starlight was practically a celebrity around here based on that statement. "If that walrus will move for anyone, it's gonna be fer her. Granted, y'all would need to bring Marin here, but it ain't easy what with them monsters roaming outside. Marin normally doesn't come here without a good reason but I reckon if ya bring up your problem, she'll come without questionin' ya." Granny Smith looked at the food she was cooking before sighing. "Say... Can I ask ya somethin'?"

I nodded. "What do you want?"

"I could do with somethin' special to put into my dishes."

"You look as though you've got plenty of ingredients around here."

"This stuff!? Nah!" Granny Smith waved her hands which I hadn't noticed until now were wearing yellow oven mitts. "I was hopin' ta find somethin' with more juice... somethin' with a lot of kick ta it that will really knock give everyone's taste buds a run fer the hills." She then noticed the honeycomb sticking out of one of my pockets and reacted as though she was about to be robbed or something like that. "Hey! That honeycomb y'all have there in yer pocket! I recently ran out and I could do with having another in stock. How 'bout it? Will ya trade me it for a pineapple?"

"A pineapple?" I asked with a confused look. "Aren't they more exotic than a honeycomb?"

"I'm a bear."

"That makes sense." My brain then felt like it had been struck by lightning. Granny Smith just mentioned a pineapple! Juniper earlier said that when Chancellor Neighsay left to become lost in the mountains, he didn't anything with him to eat. She stated that pineapples were what he liked. "Okay, you've got yourself a trade!" Normally, I wouldn't have made such an agreement but because it was something I needed, it all fit perfectly with the grand scheme. I handed over the honeycomb and Granny Smith gave me one of her finest pineapples. It certainly was very juicy so hopefully it wouldn't ruin this tunic of mine.

"Honeycombs are a rare delicacy."

"Some people tend to do crazy things to get one." I said in a poking reference to Sunburst.

"Thanks to y'all, I can now add some real flavour to these here dishes." Granny Smith said as she placed the honeycomb to one side. "Now like I said before, that walrus ain't gonna budge unless Marin were ta sing to him. Not even he can resist her singing abilities. If you can get Marin ta sing ta that tub of goo, he'll surely move aside and allow y'all to enter the desert, but reckon I should warn ya. Yarna Desert is home ta somethin' mighty dangerous that other monsters keep away from it. I heard this monster has a key in its possession though I ain't got no idea what it's even used for."

Thanking Granny Smith for both the advice and the pineapple, I left her house and walked south, leaving the village, and discovering that I had taken the wrong path. The path I needed was on the other side of the village but it wasn't a total loss as from this position, I could see the walrus in question. He was definitely a heavy sleeper as I could see a bubble coming out from its nose which was both cute and disgusting. I listened in on what it was dreaming about and it said two words... Marin... Twice. No doubt I needed Starlight for this but getting her here was going to be the problem. How was I supposed to do just that?

As I turned around, I almost leapt out of my skin upon seeing the same raised platform I saw when I left Mabe Village. How convenient was that? A pretty good one. Yes, it was the same platform as it even had the strange symbol on it. The other one didn't do anything despite possessing magic so what would happen were I to step on this one? The only way I could find out was by actually doing it. Closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, I stepped onto the platform and suddenly, I began spinning around in circles until I was whisked away by the magic contained within the platform.

"Uhhhh... What just happened?"

"We teleported!" Princess Twilight answered.

"We did what!?"

"Those raised platforms use an advanced form of teleportation magic." I could tell Princess Twilight was very excited about this prospect. Me? I was still feeling pretty woozy what with having been spun around many times before what happened actually happened. "We teleported from Animal Village to Mabe Village in an instant which means we now have a means of going back and forth without you needing to backtrack."

My eyes lit up upon hearing that. "Did you say... No backtracking?"

"Not as much but generally speaking... Yes."

"Better than nothing I suppose."

Princess Twilight then had a thought. "If this magic was able to teleport us both, you might be able to teleport back to Animal Village with Starlight in tow. I'm not sure if you can do that because if you could, you won't need to take her through Ukuku Prairie and that underground passage. Unfortunately, I'm basing this information off of my own experiences with how magic works and this is Equestrian Magic mind you."

"That would make my life a little easier."

"What do you want to do, Sunset?"

I thought about it for a while before agreeing with Her Highness. "Okay, I'll ask Starlight if she will want to come with us this time. After all, she now has a reason for wanting to go to the Animal Village because of that walrus."

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"And how do you plan on coming through to our world?" Rarity asked.

"Yeah!" Rainbow Dash added. "I mean, as awesome of a video game character you are, you're just that, a video game character. It's not like you're real or anything. What we deal with is real life stuff including Equestrian Magic."

"Um... Did y'all just call him awesome?" Applejack asked.

"I retract my previous statement."

Applejack slapped her forehead. "This ain't no time to be praisin' this Ganondorf feller. We need ta get Sunset back before anythin' else gets worse. Who knows what she's goin' through right now in that there video game world. She could be hurtin' real bad or worse, she could even be..."

Rarity quickly interjected. "Don't you dare finish that sentence!"

"I ain't gonna!"

Ganondorf laughed at what had just transpired. "You believe me to be nothing more than a pile of data for your own amusement? Is that how you feel, loyal one? It seems that you are all trying so hard to pretend that this experience is naught but a dream, but the reality is that this is merely the start of a nightmare, a nightmare of darkness, hatred, and malice. Given how much your lives have changed because of the actions of the child, what you deem real no longer holds any true meaning. Your world is one where magic holds sway, controls your very destinies, and cannot be discarded as being false."

Rainbow Dash attempted to unplug the television again only to fail. Everyone else looked at her and questioned why she was trying something she knew had already failed. She said she thought the first time was just a mistake on her part and believed it would work this time. Clearly, it didn't! Ganondorf, in the mean time, laughed before his image disappeared from the television and everything went back to normal. At first... that's what my friends believed and assumed they had eaten some bad food and began cleaning up. Suddenly, a nearby recliner became shrouded in darkness and my friends watched as the Demon King himself appeared before them... In person.

"Much better..." Ganondorf snapped his finger which changed the recliner into a throne that looked like it had been forged from the purest of hellfire. "As you can see, what you assumed was nothing but a false hope. The barrier between the worlds has been damaged for some time and shows no signs of repairing itself."

"What do you mean by barrier?" Twilight Sparkle asked.

"All worlds are connected to one another by the gap that exist between dimensions, magic one."

"I didn't know that was even a thing."

Ganondorf laughed. "There is much that escapes you, magic one. As a result of various circumstances, the barriers that separate worlds from one another have weakened to the point where even the smallest of manipulations can cause adverse effects that can send anyone or anything to other worlds. It is not by my hand that this has happened... no. It has been this way for a long time and you have the child to thank for that among others. By travelling between worlds, other entrances are beginning to open which causes the barrier to weaken."

"What does that have to do with you?"

"I am able to appear in your world because the barrier has weakened."

"Sounds to me that you're not as powerful as you claim to be." Rainbow Dash said.

Ganondorf responded by glaring at Rainbow Dash where she was suddenly paralyzed and unable to move. "You shall be the first to experience her fears, loyal one, but before I subject you to such torments, I shall answer the remainder of the magic one's question. The child, the alicorn, the sun, and even her own sister, the moon, have travelled between worlds resulting in the barrier weakening. Should it continue, it will shatter and then darkness shall spread forth and consume everything in its wake. No... This is not my true desire but rather it is a means to an end for me."

"In what way?" Twilight asked.

"Seeing so much misery is a nourishment to me." Ganondorf answered as he clenched his hand into a fist. "The impending destruction would feed my hunger for power and only make me stronger. It also allows me to reach other worlds that have tried so hard to keep me from entering them and controlling them. I can easily traverse to different dimensions already but that would cost much power, power which I would prefer to use on bringing about darkness. Why waste power when it is easy to manipulate others?"

"And Sunset Shimmer?"

"Another means to an end."

"You're heartless!"

Ganondorf laughed once more. "The magic one has quite a strong bond with the child... how amusing. You are all fortunate. The child has yet to learn this information though I doubt it would be of any use given what she is currently doing. Will you end up telling her what you have now come to know? Perhaps... But then once I have finished with you, you might not want to tell her." He snapped his finger which caused all of my friends to become paralyzed save for Rainbow Dash who had become unfrozen. "Do not worry, loyal one. They have merely been frozen by my power and will remain as such until I no longer have use for you."

"Big mistake buddy!" Rainbow Dash shouted.

"You think to fight me, loyal one?"

"With my speed, you'll never catch me."

"Is that so?" Ganondorf asked as he leaned forward. "Your speed is indeed a powerful ability, but perhaps it is used by you to hide the fact that you are insecure about yourself and you fear rejection from those you aspire to become?" Rainbow Dash's sudden silence was all he needed to see before he laughed. "Good... My words have pierced your soul and now nothing can help you now. Such bravado, loyal one... And yet... It will be broken and what remains will be a mere shell of what it once was. Your element shall shatter... it is inevitable. It will shatter and the magic contained within will belong to me."

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Heading back into Mabe Village, I immediately went to the statue of the Flying Rooster as that was where Starlight was, but to my surprise, she was no longer there. I began to think about where she might have gone but my mind was drawing a blank. I then checked her house only to find Sunburst there. He had survived his encounter with the bees but he had received numerous bee stings as a result. Asking him about Starlight, or rather Marin so as to not confuse him, he answered by saying that she left the village after he came back from his misadventure and said she was going to the place where she first found me.

From what I remembered, Starlight said she found me on the beach, Toronbo Shores, but because of how expansive it was, it could take some time for me to find her. Leaving the house, I began making my way to the southern exist of the village as going south was where I needed to go to reach the beach. With the Pegasus Boots, I could get down there much quicker than simply walking. Dashing past BowWow, stopping before I hit the wall of the library, and turning left, I dashed forward south, jumping down from the high-up ledges until I reached Toronbo Shores proper.

Since the only direction I could go was east, I dashed across the sand, taking out Octoroks and Giant Crabs that happened to get in the way, past Bulk Biceps' place, and kept on going until I ran into a couple of boulders that were blocking both a treasure chest and the way forward. Lifting up a boulder and tossing it aside, I opened up the chest which reward me with a purple rupee, but I knew deep down I needed more rupees in order to get my hands on that bow... way more. Continuing east would take me away from Toronbo Shores and there was no sign of Starlight anywhere.

I wasn't about to question Sunburst's knowledge of his own daughter in this world but perhaps those bee stings muddled up his memory? Sighing, I was about to turn around and head back to the village when I suddenly heard a familiar singing voice. Turning my attention southward, my eyes lit up upon seeing Starlight standing in front of a log. How did she manage to make her way down here without having to deal with any of those monsters? Starlight was acting just like Zecora in this regard only the latter went even further. Shrugging my shoulders and accepting it despite the shock value, I approached Starlight.

"Oh! Sunset Shimmer!" Starlight said as she turned to face me. I suspected she saw my shadow unless she sensed I was approaching. "I'm glad you found this place. This is where you washed up when you first came to Koholint Island. I came here in order to think about some things but with you around... this is a good sign if there ever was one. Will you stay and talk to me for a while? I promise it won't take very long."

I nodded. "Sure, I've got some time."

She then sat down on the log and patted it next to where she was to coerce me into joining her. I sat down next to Starlight and we both stared out at the ocean. Despite the current circumstances of my being here thanks to Ganondorf, I couldn't help but admire how beautiful and peaceful everything was. Even the seagulls flying about made me feel at peace like nothing in my life was going wrong. If I could, I'd stay right here for hours on end, yet I knew that I couldn't because my journey needed to continue. Starlight turned her face away from me out of the corner of my eye which made me think perhaps she was upset.

"I wonder where these coconut trees come from?"

That was certainly an unexpected question. Thinking fast, I came up with a response. "Some say that they are native to tropical climates like this but others have been trying to debunk such an idea for years."

Starlight giggled. "Is that what you think? Tarin says there is nothing beyond the sea so how did such trees end up on this island? I've been thinking about that and many other questions for as long as I can remember. Have I managed to come up with answers to them? No, but that adds to the intrigue, I think. One day, those answers will come. As to what Tarin said about the sea, he is absolutely wrong about it. In my heart, I believe there must be something over there."

I never knew she felt that way. Again, I needed to come up with a response to her. "Sometimes, I think about what may exist beyond the lands where I come from." I wasn't telling her a lie as the thought had crossed my mind long ago when I was younger. I always thought there were lands beyond Equestria. I mean, they do exist but back then, it was nothing but a thought which sometimes kept me up at night.

"When I discovered you, Sunset Shimmer, my heart skipped a beat."

"How come?"

"I've always believed that someone would one day come to this island and give us a message." Starlight answered as she resumed looking out in the ocean. "The message would be about what lies beyond the ocean and how we could leave and perhaps journey to such places in order to expand our horizons. I believe you, Sunset Shimmer, have come to deliver that message for us."

"I'm not sure how I'd go about explaining it."

"It will come to you when you're ready."

Starlight was really making me think about things I never once considered before. Was my coming to this island not just part of Ganondorf's plan? Was there another motive that was beyond what even he thought about? I didn't have an answer for either of those questions and I knew Starlight wouldn't understand either. I decided to ask the next question and I had a pretty good one in mind based on what we were seeing down here at the beach. "Do you have any dreams? You know, like, things you want to accomplish some day? My dream is rather complicated but it revolves around empathy."

"A seagull."

"Huh?"

"If I were a seagull, I would fly as far as I could."

"Is that your dream?"

Starlight nodded. "I would fly to faraway places and sing for many people. If I were to make my wish to the Wind Fish, I wonder if it would come true? We've often believed that our wishes could be granted by the Wind Fish if we were to go up to the egg and make a request."

"If you can do that then go for it."

Starlight turned to face me and smiled prompting me to do the same in return. "I want to know everything about you..." She suddenly blushed before saying that wasn't what she meant though from my perspective, she was overstepping some boundaries. She then saw that my expression then went glum indicating that I had something on my mind. "I like to see you be happy, Sunset Shimmer, so please tell me what's wrong."

"I need you to come with me to the Animal Village and wake up the walrus sleeping there."

"Huh?" Starlight asked with a puzzled look. "The walrus? He wants me to go to him? Well, all right. Let's go."

And with that, Starlight was now accompanying me on my journey. Normally, this was where I would pick up a new item and hoist it above my head, but I wasn't going to do that with her as it would be both awkward and insulting. She wasn't an item but rather a living person and deserved to be treated like my equal. Hopefully, she could keep up with me since I had every intention of using the Pegasus Boots to make my way back to Mabe Village. Also, I had no doubt the monsters wouldn't bother her but then there were mainly focusing their efforts on me much to my annoyance.

Walking up north, Starlight followed behind me and showed no immediate signs of falling behind. I then dashed forward with the Pegasus Boots and quickly looked behind to see if she was struggling. To my surprise, she was running at a speed which rivalled the boots. Wow... She was quite the athlete despite her appearance. I didn't need to worry about her falling behind as she proved she could hold her own. Once I reached the far western edge of Toronbo Shores, I waited for Starlight to catch up before heading north, and this was where the true test would begin.

As I walked back, I attacked some Octoroks in case any of them attempted to attack Starlight, but every time I defeated one, she was very happy about it and insisted that I kept on going and show no mercy at all. Was she secretly psychotic? She had been saying such things before only to quickly backtrack on them in order to save face. Even Princess Twilight was concerned that perhaps Starlight had questionable motives which were a closely guarded secret. It was probably for the best not to inquire about any of it in case Starlight got offended or even make herself act even worse than she already was.

Once we were back in Mabe Village, I dashed up to the library, turned right, and dashed across the village with Starlight running right behind me, but then she suddenly stopped upon us reaching the Trendy Game Shop. She said she always wanted to go inside but never thought of doing so because she wanted to have an escort with her. Princess Twilight said we needed to get to Yarna Desert but Her Highness suggested I show the Trendy Game to Starlight. I asked her why I should and Her Highness responded by saying Starlight needed to experience it for herself and that we wouldn't get another opportunity.

It didn't make sense to me but I went along with it. Entering the Trendy Game Shop with Starlight, Ember was surprised to see me. "Hey! It's been a while since I last saw you here, and you even brought a girl with you! Not sure why you did but who am I to judge a person."

"Sunset Shimmer?" Starlight asked. "This place looks amazing."

Ember shouted in response. "Of course it looks amazing! I've done everything to make this game the best thing in Mabe Village."

"May I try?"

"You want to play?"

"Yes."

"That will be ten rupees."

"May I play, Sunset Shimmer?"

I nodded and walked over to Ember before handing over ten rupees. "Thanks for the patronage as always. Now, turn your attention to the prizes as I've added some new things since you were here last." I looked at the conveyor belts and sure enough, she was being honest about what was available compared with before. "As you can see, there are still the regular prizes but also an adorable figurine of a Goomba, another figure of a Spiny, and a Secret Seashell." She looked at Starlight who had since walked up to the controls. "Want me to teach you how to play this game? I can give you some pointers."

"No... I think I've got it." Starlight pressed the button and the crane immediately went to the right. As I watched it move across the ceiling, it stopped before Starlight pressed the other button to make it go down where it stopped again... right above Ember's head. Uh oh! This was about to become both awkward and funny. Come to think of it, how did she manage to make the crane move in that direction? I wasn't able to do that when I played this game initially. In any case, the crane latched onto Ember's head and pulled her up. Dragons were known for their anger and she was clearly expressing that anger.

"Hey! Put me down! That's an order!" Ember was so mad that she looked like she was about to breathe fire.

"I'm almost done." Starlight clearly was oblivious to Ember's predicament as she watched the crane move back to where it started from.

"Oof!" Ember exclaimed as the crane let go of her head and she dropped onto the ground, landing hard on her butt. "That... Wasn't a very pleasant experience. You know, maybe I should oil that crane sometime." She rubbed her butt before doing the same with her head. "Miss... You're pretty good. You're a pro aren't ya? Pros aren't allowed in here otherwise my business would be ruined. Ow..."

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"My head and my butt hurt right now!" Ember answered as she got back up. "Of course I'm not okay! In fact, I think I deserve some kind of compensation given what just happened to me, but perhaps we can both benefit from this. If you give me fifty rupees as compensation, I will give you one prize of your choosing. Only one! I'm not running a charity here but I'll be honest in saying that girl definitely showed me a neat little trick just now."

"I'll take the Secret Seashell."

"You want that thing? Fine by me!"

Handing over the fifty rupees (So much for what I got from that treasure chest down by the beach), Ember handed me the Secret Seashell giving me five now in total. She then ushered me and Starlight out so that she could find herself an icepack for her head. We went back outside and since there wasn't really anything left to do, I decided to take her to the walrus in order to get him to move. Heading to the edge of the village and tossing aside a boulder, it was here that the final test would commence. Would Starlight be teleported with me or would I be going on my own?

If it was the latter, I'd have to take her to the Animal Village by going the long way around. I walked up to the raised platform, gulped, and closed my eyes as I stepped onto it and began spinning around in circles before being whisked away. Moments later, I was back at the other platform and immediately looked behind me to see if Starlight was there. To my surprise, she had been warped with me. Wow! I should never have doubted the power of warping magic! Stepping into the shallow pool of water, I went north into the village proper where a rabbit reacted upon seeing Starlight indicating that she was quite popular.

Heading to the left and then left again upon seeing the other exit path, I walked south past the raised platform and left again, walking past a row of trees before finally reaching the entrance of Yarna Desert and encountering the walrus. Upon getting a closer look at him, he was clearly dreaming about Starlight as he continued to say her name. The animals were right about no one being able to move this tub of blubber given how big he was. He had to have weighed at least a couple of tons and I doubted the Power Bracelet could've allowed me to pick him up and carry him around.

Starlight giggled. "Yes, it's that lazy walrus. So, you need to get past him, Sunset Shimmer?"

I nodded. "It's vital."

"Then let's give him a little surprise!" Starlight took a few steps back before she began to sing 'The Ballad of the Wind Fish'. At first, it looked like the walrus wasn't reacting to her song, but that quickly changed when he suddenly opened his eyes and began swaying back and forth. He then started to flop up and down which caused a slight tremor because of his weight and repeated this motion again before jumping up really high only to splash down in the water below. Starlight giggled again. "Wow! He certainly woke up with a start! Now you can gain access to where you want to go."

"I don't know how I can begin to thank you."

"Well..." Starlight was then interrupted when a rabbit came up from behind her and began making some noises prompting her to turn around. "Oh... He's calling me... It's the same as always every time I come here." She looked back at me. "Sunset Shimmer, I'm going to the Animal Village and will be there for a while. Please drop by when you've finished with your errand in the desert. Also, can you please show me your ocarina when you visit? Perhaps there is a way for you to pay me back."

With that, Starlight turned around and walked off with the rabbit leaving me to finally access Yarna Desert. That was certainly quite the experience but I knew it wasn't over yet as now there were the dark creatures of the desert waiting for me. "Twilight? You've been pretty quiet this whole time and here I thought you'd be elated to see Starlight again."

"To be honest, I wanted you to speak with her more than me." Princess Twilight said.

"Why?"

"She is really fascinated by you, Sunset, and not because of her own volition."

"It does border on creepy if you ask me."

Princess Twilight nodded. "I suppose she can't help it as she's only portraying a character in a video game. I will admit that having Starlight travel with us was an interesting experience and it did reinforce some new theories of mine regarding Koholint Island. I haven't quite finished them yet so you won't be able to hear them right now. Let's just say that I need you to interact with a few more people before I can reach a definitive conclusion."

"I understand."

"If my theories are correct, they may shed some light on what this island is all about."

Walking into the Yarna Desert, the temperature immediately got hotter and I began to sweat. Fortunately, I had experience being in a desert on my first journey, but since that was a long time ago, I didn't remember everything about it. Hopefully, what I did recall would be enough for me to find the Angler Key. It quickly became apparent that this desert had once thrived with life judging from the assortment of skulls all over the place though what they once were was something I probably didn't want to find out about. There were also a number of palm trees which provided some shelter but I was going to need more than that to make it through here.

That's when I saw something. "Twilight? Are my eyes playing tricks on me?"

"Why are you asking me that?"

"I can see moving cacti."

"Oh, those are monsters."

"What!?"

"Those are Pokeys." Princess Twilight answered. Another Mario enemy!? I was too hot from the heat to even complain this time. "While these cacti don't necessarily attack you, be careful when you swing your sword at them. One of their segments will start rolling around if you attack a Pokey and will continue rolling until you either attack it or allow it to eventually disappear on its own. The segments are what can damage you, Sunset."

"This will make it awkward for me to attack them."

"They are slow so you can easily outrun them." Princess Twilight then motioned me to look to the southeast where a Leever suddenly came up from the ground before it quickly went back down underground. "Because we're walking on sand, be careful of any Leevers that might be under your feet."

"You know..." I began. "Despite this being a desert, it's rather small in size."

"There is more to explore further north."

I slapped my forehead. Yet another one of my awkward moments right there. Ignoring the Leever, I walked north and into the next part of Yarna Desert. Not only were there Pokeys but also regular cacti that I was certain would damage me if I were to walk into one because of being distracted. To my right were cacti galore and the path was being blocked by some of them which meant having to go another direction. The Pokeys hadn't noticed me and I intended on keeping it that way until I gotten that key. I had to admit that whoever hide the key I needed was pretty smart in doing so. Not many people would think of looking in a desert.

Speaking of desert, the shovel would really come in handy here as there surely had to be items buried below the sand. But, I don't think I was willing to dig up the entire desert as that would take me hours if not day toiling in such humid conditions. When I was finished here, I needed to rest at a house back at the Animal Village for the night. Though I wasn't looking up at it, I could tell the sun was close to setting due to my shadow slowly getting larger along with those of the cacti, palm trees, and even Pokeys. Continuing further north whilst avoiding a Leever that popped up nearby, I reached a large quicksand pit which felt suspicious.

"This looks dangerous."

"Be sure not to sink."

Suddenly, a voice called out from somewhere. "So... You have made it this far, Outsider!"

"Who are you?" I called back.

"I am Lanmola and you have entered my lair. Outsider... You are nothing more than an annoyance! You continue getting in the way of the Nightmares! As such, you must be dealt with... permanently so become a lost relic of the desert."

Nightmares!? This creature knew about them. "What do you know about the Nightmares?"

"More than you know, Outsider." The Lanmola answered. "I also know that you have come to this desert in search of the Angler Key. I happen to have the key in my possession and will not relinquish it to the likes of you, but, if you managed to defeat me, then it shall become yours. Judging from that stupid look on your face, you really don't have a clue as to the true nature of the Nightmares. I'm guessing the same is true about this island in your feeble mind. Know this, Outsider! Continue down this path and a horrible reality awaits! But, since I know you're too stubborn to run away, you shall be swallowed whole by the dark sands."

Suddenly, the quicksand began to rumble before part of it started to rise up from the sand. Moments later, a giant centipede emerged from the sand where it hovered just slightly above it before borrowing back down. "A centipede... I have to fight a centipede? Well... It's no different than fighting Moldorm since it was a kind of insect."

"As this insect said, it calls itself Lanmola." Princess Twilight said. "Only one exists on Koholint Island but don't underestimate it. As you can see, you're standing on quicksand which is slowly pulling you towards the center, and if you end up sinking, you might end up drowning. Or, you could end up in an underground tunnel. I don't know what will happen but you should probably avoid it at all costs."

"Does the Lanmola get affected by the quicksand?"

"No."

"Crap!"

"You need to attack either the head or the tail as the body has some kind of thick armour-like plating."

That was going to make it difficult because of the quicksand, In fact, I'd go as far as saying that the quicksand was an even bigger threat than the Lanmola. Still, I couldn't underestimate it as Her Highness said. As long as I stayed away from the center of the pit, I should be fine. Raising my shield and waiting patiently, I immediately forgot about the sand and was beginning to get pulled towards the center. My movement speed had been drastically reduced as a result of the sand which gave the Lanmola some advantage but I had been in tough situations before and this was no different.

Just then, the Lanmola rose out from the sand and began moving across the quicksand pit. Its head was too far away for me to hit with my sword so I waited for the tail to appear which it did moments later. I attacked it as many times as possible before it too was out of my reach before the Lanmola went back into the sand. On a side note, it had a cute little propeller on the tip of the tail. Perhaps that was what allowed it to move about in the air. In any case, I had to wait for my next chance to attack. Since I had to constantly worry about sinking, I kept on moving about by sticking close to the edges of the pit.

"You continue to be annoying, Outsider!" The Lanmola hissed.

"Get used to it!" I shouted back.

"Do not interfere in the affairs of the Nightmares!"

It then appeared from a different part of the quicksand and immediately rammed into me without a care. Though I took some damage from the collision, I was more concerned about being pulled to the center. It had occurred to me some time ago that I couldn't use the Pegasus Boots as while it would allow me to move more quickly, it could cause some unnecessary traction which could result in some unintended consequences. The Lanmola then went back under the sand and I moved about in hopes of predicting where next it would appear. It then emerged right behind me and I was rammed by it again.

As I recovered from being attacked, the Lanmola's tail tried to hit me. I couldn't defend myself with my shield so I took the hit but I did manage to hit it in return several times before it went back under the sand. It then emerged directly in front of me which was certainly unexpected and again, I allowed myself to take damage as it meant dishing out some, but it was becoming obvious that getting hit so many time was beginning to take its toll. Case in point, my legs started to feel like they were being weighed down not to mention they were bleeding in two different places on each leg.

Despite the pain, I knew I had to continue, but Her Highness might not feel the same way. "Twilight... I know I've taken a few hits but I need to keep going. I know you prefer me to retreat but I can do this!"

"I insist you stick it out." Princess Twilight said.

"Come again?"

"Even though you can leave this fight whenever you want, there is a price you have to pay."

"Which would be?"

"If you leave, restore your health, and then come back, the Lanmola will regain all of its health." Princess Twilight answered sternly. "In other words, all the damage you've inflicted won't mean a thing. You'd have to start all over again. If you feel that you can defeat this monster, go for it but if you don't have confidence, retreat and we'll come up with another plan. I'll stick by whatever the decision is."

"I'm staying."

"Alright, but be careful."

The Lanmola eventually made itself known by popping up close to the center of the quicksand pit and I moved as quick as I could, but because of my legs feeling like jelly, I could only hope to attack its tail rather than the face. It then went back under and appeared a few seconds later on the other side of the pit before heading towards me. I stepped aside and attacked its tail when it was within range. It still wasn't enough as the Lanmola went under the sand again leaving me to wonder just how long it could go on. It then emerged in the center of the pit and I happened to be right next to the head somehow and attacked it as much as possible.

My last hit on the head turned out to be exactly that. "GRRAAAGGGHHHH! You... You defeated me!"

"Now where is that key?" I asked.

"As I said... I will give it to you..." The Lanmola answered as it struggled to talk. "If you had been smart... You'd have fled from this island... Long ago. Now... You are condemned to continue... And... And discover the truth about the island."

"What truth?"

"Hah! I won't tell you... It's something you'll... have to... figure out on your own."

"Fine by me."

"Outsider... I would love... To see the look on... Your face when you discover the truth... But... We both know that... Isn't going to happen... Now." The Lanmola was clearly on its last breath given how it was pausing behind words more often. "Enjoy... This while... While... You can... For... Once you... l... Learn t... The truth... y... y... you will... u... u... understand. If my... words... a... aren't enough... t... t... the Nightmares... w... will... see... see... to it..."

And with that, each segment of the Lanmola exploded one at a time before the head did the same, and when the head disappeared, it left behind a key. There was no doubt that this was the Angler Key seeing as one end depicted a fish while the other had what appeared to be a hook. Before I had a chance to pick it up, the quicksand dragged it towards the center before it fell down into the depths below. Princess Twilight that I'd either drown or end up in an underground tunnel but she didn't know which one it would be. I guessed I was about to find out for myself as I walked forward and the quicksand began pulling me towards the center.

To Be Continued.