The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.
By Ganondorf8.
December 11, 2019.
Chapter 15: The World of Colour.
"I'm sorry... You want me to help you!?" I exclaimed.
"That is... Correct." King Sombra answered.
"By following me around until I do?" It was plainly obvious to me that this was an unfair arrangement which had been thrust upon me. I mean, where did King Sombra even appear from to warrant my being haunted by him for the foreseeable future? (Not the real him but the one from this world) "You've got some pretty weird perceptions. You could just ask me for help instead of following me around like you're doing right now."
"I am a ghost... This is what I am supposed to do."
"So unless I help you... You won't leave me alone?"
King Sombra nodded. "I will stick... By your side until you have helped me out. I... Know that you have been entering dungeons since you did... Recently come out of one before I began following you. Until you help me... The next dungeon will be inaccessible. Do not think this... Is me bluffing in order to earn your favour. I am being very serious. The way I... See it, you do this for me and I will be able to rest at long last. I can even reward you for your efforts. Rewards... You like things like that. I can tell. So... Will you help me?
"I don't have much of a choice do I?"
"You do not."
That figured. This was the kind of thing that I hated with adventures. Someone comes along and forces them to help you against your own volition. Even though King Sombra hasn't done anything which could hurt me or Princess Twilight, the fact that he was preventing me from accessing the next dungeon was a major concern which needed addressing. Also, with him haunting me, going into people's homes wasn't a good idea as I doubted they would like to see a ghost. He was right about one thing though. I did like getting rewards and the idea of getting one from him did make me lean towards helping him.
Still, the fact that he forced this onto me really infuriated me. He could've just asked me and I'd have said yes as refusing someone wasn't the kind of person I was. Then again, he might have thought I wouldn't accept and decided to take matters into his own hands so that my hands would be tied leaving me no choice but to agree. I had to admit that he played a pretty smart move, albeit one which in a different context, would result in being banished by magic or whatever this world used to get rid of spirits on a permanent basis. Knowing I had no choice, I agreed to help King Sombra.
I had just one problem... What was I supposed to help him with? I couldn't really do much for him unless he said what it was. I tried to ask him what he wanted me to do but he said nothing and merely floated there waiting for me to make a move. Even Princess Twilight had no idea what I should do, but she did suggest asking Discord since this sort of thing would be right up his alley. If I remembered correctly, a telephone booth was located on the outer walls of Kanalet Castle. I'm on the other side so it shouldn't take more than a minute but first, I wanted to check the rest of the moat in case anything were hidden underwater.
Swimming south along the moat, I had to admit that swimming was the best despite being able to do so without flippers back in my world. I guessed that this world had its own set of rules which I was continuing to learn about as well as complain about. Such basics shouldn't be blocked and require an item to unlock them. That's just lazy which would make any gamer not want to play the game (Or in my case be a part of it). I've actually seen examples of that at local video game competitions and at arcades proving how much passion people have. Even I have strong opinions towards questionable decisions like that.
Eventually, I reached a dead-end in the moat but I saw something hidden underwater. Diving down and picking it up, I came back up to the surface to check my prize, and it was another Piece of Heart. The warm feeling it gave me made me feel better about my current issues but I knew the one with King Sombra would soon rear its ugly head if I didn't quickly figure out what he wanted me to do. Swimming back and going the long way around the moat, I could hear sounds coming from the other side of the castle walls. Those soldiers were still on patrol despite no one being there and I couldn't help but feel sorry for them.
After swimming for a couple of minutes, I finally reached some stairs which I climbed in order to get out of the water. Conveniently, these were the right stairs to climb as the telephone booth was nearby. I then looked behind to see if King Sombra was still following me and he was which meant this was going to be a long experience. I tried asking him again about where he wanted to go and he still refused. Either he was waiting for me to ask Discord for help or clearly enjoyed making my suffer. I really hoped it wasn't the latter one otherwise he would soon regret making me mad. Entering the telephone, I picked up the phone.
BRRIINNG! BRRIINNG!
"D'oh ho ho!" Discord said as he picked up on his end. "It's me, Grandpa Ulrira! So, Sunset Shimmer... What problem do you have this time? I know it's been a while since you last called me, and for a while I was afraid you could easily figure things out on your own from now on. Good thing I didn't give up hope." Hearing him say that really made me feel inadequate when it came to the puzzles on the island. I've solved a couple but Princess Twilight or someone else usually did for me. While I was fine with the assistance, it was coming at the cost of my own intelligence. "Now... What's wrong?"
"I have this ghost following me around."
"Now you're being haunted by a ghost!?"
I nodded. "What am I supposed to do about this?"
Discord was silent for a while which made me think that he had no idea either but then he soon had an answer for me. "Ghosts usually don't roam beyond the graveyard so what you have here is a rare case. Anyway, you can't get rid of him through normal means so don't bother going to the Witch and asking her for a potion. Maybe you should take him to where he wants to go?"
"I've tried asking him and he refuses to answer."
"Maybe you should ask him now?"
I felt like I was being given the run-around here, but I couldn't blame Discord since he was merely following what his purpose was. If King Sombra was now willing to answer my question, it would make this whole endeavour go by much quicker, and enable me to get back to my journey proper. Princess Twilight then whispered in my ear that I should inquire about what Princess Celestia said about what lurked beneath the graveyard. "This might sound weird but do you know anything about a dungeon hidden beneath the graveyard? Let's just say I had some sage advice on the matter."
"D'oh ho ho!" Discord laughed to the point where I thought he was going to choke or something. "Sage advice? You mean more like divine advice! But, pay me no mind since you have proven yourself to be rather special. I don't know what lurks below the graveyard but what I can say is that there is a book in the Mabe Village library that reveals how one can gain access to it. A shame someone had to place it on such a high shelf that no one else can look at it. If you had faster feet, I suppose you could knock it down and read it for yourself. First, I'd focus on the ghost otherwise you'll remained haunted."
"Are you sure he will answer me now?"
"He will since he's gotten accustomed to your company."
"Okay, I'll take your word for it."
"Bye for now!"
CLICK!
Discord hung up the phone prompting me to do the same. I needed to take King Sombra to where he wanted to go... Well... That was better than not having any information at all but it was still little to go on. As much as I appreciated Discord for providing me with advice, he enjoyed giving me half-truths and incomplete answers. I hoped he was right and that this ghost of King Sombra would now answer my question. If not then my journey was pretty much over because he was preventing me from accessing the next dungeon. No... I had to have faith in the Lord of Chaos despite his reputation in Equestria which didn't affect him here.
I turned to face King Sombra. "So... Where do you want me to take you?"
This time, King Sombra decided to answer me. "I want you... To take me to my house."
"And where am I supposed to find that?"
"The Bay..." I was taken aback by his answer so I asked him to repeat it. "The Bay... A house is there... Please take me to my house. I wish to see it again. I... Haven't seen it for so long that I fear it will become lost to my memories."
I then turned to Princess Twilight. "What do you make of that?"
"We haven't been to this bay before so you're going to be exploring new territory." Princess Twilight answered. "I know you're not fond of having to take King Sombra around but you would've done it anyway with or without his unusual stipulation."
I nodded. "I'm just that nice of a person."
"Nothing wrong with that."
"I just wish he could be more specific."
Princess Twilight nodded. "I know how you feel, Sunset, but I don't think King Sombra is going to give you anymore information until you start making your way there. This is going to be a case of trial and error with a heavy emphasis on the error part unless you get incredibly lucky. If there's a silver lining here, it would be the fact that the bay is where you need to go next as we learned from Princess Celestia. Good thing you can now swim as I have a feeling those Flippers are going to be very useful. Now... Your only remaining problem involves how quickly can you get to King Sombra's home from here."
"I'm going to have to walk the long way, huh?"
"Not necessarily."
"How do you figure that?"
"You learned Manbo's Mambo which is all you need me to tell you about that."
As soon as Her Highness mentioned that, I felt like banging my head against a wall repeatedly. How could I have quickly forgotten about what Autumn Blaze taught me? With her song, making my way around Koholint Island had gotten considerably easier. It did depend on me finding warp points but the fact was I could cut back on some backtracking. If I remembered correctly, the closest warp point near me was by the Seashell Mansion, and I felt disappointed in myself for not having found one closer to the bay. I couldn't be too disappointed since it was an area I'd never been to before but still... I wished I had.
Taking out the Ocarina and playing Manbo's Mambo, I concentrated on the Seashell Mansion as that was where I needed to go. The magic of the song then enveloped around me and soon I was whisked away where everything went white. Moments later, upon reaching my destination, I looked behind me and King Sombra was still there. In truth, I had only warped a short distance from the castle which meant I still had quite a ways to go. I just hoped my ghostly follower would continue to provide information on where his house was otherwise it would be a case of trial and error as Her Highness stated.
Heading to the left where the mansion was, I was attacked by the Boarblins which were 'protecting' the mansion from any who would go near it. Though I had more health than before, it wasn't an excuse for me to start being reckless about fighting monsters. Raising my shield, I deflected their spears and took each one out one at a time, with two dropping green rupees which I picked up. (I still needed more money in order to get that bow which Aria was selling at her shop) Continuing south, I turned right, then south until I reached the area where I went left to the Animal Village. That meant I had to continue south.
An assortment of stones in a unique formation looked tempting for me to go through, but the Boarblins and especially the Zirro flying about made me decide to go around via a less confrontational route. As I continued walking south, before me was a massive expanse of water which had to be the bay. I could see someone swimming in there though my eyes must have been playing tricks on me on account that the person looked like they possessed a tail. South of them was a large rock formation with something within but I couldn't see what it was from this side but perhaps I could once I got over there.
Even though I could swim in the bay, I had a hunch that King Sombra didn't want me to go soak my feet as it were. If he wanted me to, he'd have said something but didn't so my assumption was that the water wasn't necessary to helping him. Defeating a couple more Boarblins who wielded spears and avoiding another Zirro, I reached another telephone booth (How many did Discord even build!?) but there was also Buzz Blobs, creatures I hadn't seen I visited Trixie. Even though I could use Magic Powder to change them into Cukemen, I wanted to preserve my powder so I ignored them instead.
My eyes then noticed a small statue across the water but King Sombra chose that moment to intervene. "No... Not that way. My house isn't in that direction." I was surprised that it took him this long to finally say something. "Sorry for not speaking sooner but you've... Been going in the right direction this entire time until you chose to go the wrong way. My house... I feel we are getting closer."
"So... I should head right?" I asked.
King Sombra nodded. " Yes... Going right is where you must go."
Heading in the direction he suggested, I came upon yet another warp tile not on a raised platform. Stepping onto it in order to activate it, it then occurred to me that had I come down here much sooner, I could've activated it and saved myself some time. Oh well. At least I now had a new location and one that could prove useful soon enough. Going down and around, I could see a house but it had clearly seen better days as it looked like it had been abandoned for years. Three holes in a row blocked me but I knew what I had to do otherwise I wouldn't even be here in the first place.
Dashing along with the Pegasus Boots and jumping over the holes with the Roc's Feather, I landed safely on the other side where King Sombra spoke up again. "Here... We have finally arrived at my house. Please... Take me inside. I wish to experience how much it has changed since my passing many years ago."
"That explains why it looks the way it does."
"Yes... A miserable sight isn't it?"
I then blushed in embarrassment. "I didn't meant to insult your home."
King Sombra shook his head. "Your opinion... Is one that is true. I have not been home in years and so it has fallen into disuse. I am surprised... That no one ended up taking it for themselves and making it into their own home. Perhaps... Luck has blessed me in the afterlife." I entered his house and as expected, it was even worse than the outside. Cobwebs, dust, moss, darkness, the cold, cracked floors, and much worse were everywhere. I doubted anyone could refurbish this place let alone want to try. King Sombra began floating around in order to look at everything and I chose not to stop him. "My house... It is good to be here."
"Are you alright?"
"The nostalgia of my house... It has not changed."
"You miss this place huh?"
As King Sombra nodded, he began to cry and I felt like crying too. Sure, he had forced me to do all of this for him, but that mentality had been stripped away entirely upon me seeing him looking back on what had likely been a good life. After checking every last nook and cranny, he stopped crying before addressing me in a serious tone. "Enough. I no longer need to be here in what was once my past. Can you take me... To the cemetery? My grave... Please take me to my grave."
At least he was more specific this time though a problem did persist. There had to be many graves in that area not to mention the Ghinis that Princess Twilight told me about when we were over there on my way to Sugar Belle. I needed to press him for a bit more information. "Do you know exactly where your grave is?" He nodded. Good... Now I was really getting somewhere with this. "Can you tell me where it is?"
King Sombra nodded. "My grave... Is not in the cemetery directly but it is in the area. Witch... There is a witch who lives in her hut. My grave is... Near there, isolated from everything, but strength is needed for the living to reach it."
Grumbling under my breath, I wished he had been that specific earlier when I asked him where I needed to go when I was looking for his house. Fortunately, I knew exactly where to go as I had been in the area in question earlier when I was going to Sugar Belle in order to acquire her medicine. Taking out the ocarina again and playing Manbo's Mambo, (This song was going to become my absolute favourite by the time this journey ended) I focused on Mabe Village and the warp point located just outside of it. Again, a white light blinded me as I disappeared and reappeared outside of Mabe Village moments later.
Stepping off of the raised platform, I went north, picked up the boulder, and tossed it aside before continuing north. At that moment, a Zombie popped up from the ground but I knew from prior experience that defeating it would cause another to immediately appear. While I could attempt to grind here in order to earn more rupees, I doubted King Sombra would appreciate having to wait. Besides, I didn't like the idea of fighting essentially infinitely re-spawning monsters. Ignoring the Zombie, it began following after me but its slow nature meant it eventually fell behind until it went back underground.
Reaching the graveyard or cemetery as King Sombra called it, I walked west, jumped over a hole with the Roc's Feather, and walked past Trixie's house until I reached another boulder which I tossed aside after picking it up. Making my way down some stairs into a sandy area, another Zombie appeared by popping up from the ground and this time, it couldn't be ignored as it appeared right next to me. Attacking and defeating it, another appeared so I ignored it and began making my way over to another boulder which was blocking a lone grave. This had to be where King Sombra had been buried. Why on his own and not in the graveyard?
Picking up and tossing the boulder aside, I approached the grave. "Is this where you were buried?"
King Sombra nodded. "Yes. I wanted to... Be buried here away from all others who have ended up like me. I want to... Thank you for bringing me back here. I know... You did not like doing this because of how you had no choice but now you are free."
"In the end, it was my pleasure."
"Reward... I have a reward."
"Huh?"
"I had planned... On letting you go back to my house to find it." King Sombra answered, his ghostly form beginning to disappear. "But... Since you were so nice to me, I shall let you have it now." He then presented a bottle which he conjured out of thin air and it floated ominously towards me. "A jar... For you. You can put something inside it such as a fairy... You should be able to survive longer than I did in life. Bye... Bye..."
With that, King Sombra disappeared and I grabbed the bottle with my hands. I was wondering if I was going to get my hands on one of these bottles again. Now things were going to become even easier since I could combine Sugar Belle's medicine and a fairy to essentially give myself two extra lives were I to suddenly die. In my previous adventures though, I could put just about anything into a bottle but it seemed that this time, I could only use them for fairies. It made sense seeing how there wasn't many items around the idea which could be placed into a bottle.
Putting it carefully into my pocket so that it wouldn't break, I was about to leave the grave of King Sombra when the familiar flapping sound of an owl indicated that Flash Sentry was about to pay me another visit. Seconds later, he appeared in the sky on his trusty companion and landed on a nearby tree. I was hoping he would give me more information now that I had progressed much further on this adventure. "It has been some time since our paths crossed, lass. So far, you have collected four instruments. Truly an amazing feat. You have become so much stronger now that I feel you are no longer the same lass I met so long ago."
"I have some questions for you." I said.
"You have made it this far and so I can provide you with more details."
I knew he wasn't likely to say anything new about the Nightmares but perhaps he could tell me more about the dungeon beneath the graveyard. First, I needed to know where I was supposed to go next. "I was told that the next instrument is located somewhere in the bay. Do you know what that means?"
"You possess the means to reach your destination."
I checked my body to see what he was on about and the only thing that came to mind were the flippers. "You mean these?" I asked as I pointed at them.
Flash Sentry nodded. "You must dive into the waters of Martha's Bay and enter the Catfish's Maw. You have already seen the location of the maw but now that you have helped ease the spirit of the ghost who had been following you, you can continue on with your quest and retrieve the next instrument. Things will no longer be easy as the Nightmares will now become even stronger but then this is what fate has decided. This should come as no surprise to you, lass."
"I figured as such."
"The closer you get to the Wind Fish, the more restless he sleeps."
"Which explains why the monsters are more aggressive than ever before."
"Things are now starting to become clear for you."
I then pressed forth with my only other question. "Do you know about a dungeon that exists below the graveyard?"
Flash Sentry at first looked surprised by my question but eventually nodded. "I have heard of such a place where the power of colour can be obtained. In normal circumstances, I would advise against going somewhere that was unnecessary, yet I suggest you acquire this power, lass. It could help you overcome what challenges await you later on. You have what you need to reach this place and to complete it but only your courage will determine whether or not it you shall go there."
Nodding to his owl companion, it took to the sky leaving me with two options to consider. One, I could go to the Catfish's Maw which was the next main dungeon or I could go to the dungeon below the graveyard. Both places sounded dangerous given how far along I was but the latter would have something I could use until I was finished with this journey. That's not to say I wouldn't find anything useful in the Catfish's Maw but this other dungeon felt more practical. Either way, I had to go to the second dungeon after completing the other one so I couldn't ignore neither one though technically I could ignore the one that lacked an instrument.
"Well, Sunset..." Princess Twilight began. "Where are we going next?"
"We're going to the dungeon below the graveyard." I answered.
"Somehow... I knew you were going to say that."
"I think it's going to be more practical for me."
"I will go with whatever choice you make."
"Before we go back to the library, I was thinking about going back to Chestnut Magnifico and give her the hibiscus." I said, pointing to my pocket which contained the flower. I was surprised that it hadn't gotten damaged during all the swimming I had done whilst in Angler's Tunnel along with swimming in the castle's moat. "I think I should give it to her before it becomes something I end up forgetting about. Besides, I also want to help out Canter Zoom since he wants a letter and I think Chestnut might be able to help there. Also, surely something good will come out of me trading so many items to so many different individuals."
"If you want to continue trading then I won't stop you."
"You're not annoyed with it?"
Princess Twilight shook her head. "I agree that all of this trading has to lead to something important. Otherwise, why even have it in the first place? Anyway, you can warp around the island using Manbo's Mambo so backtracking isn't going to be much of a problem aside from making your way back over to Canter Zoom."
Not everything was going to work out perfectly. Even the greatest of plans would have their share of flaws which can't be fixed due to being beyond your means. Before using the song taught to me by Autumn Blaze, I walked back into that sandy area where I noticed a single shrub surrounded by grass. I had to be quick here otherwise I could potentially be swarmed by Zombies as they did frequent in this area. Cutting the shrub yielded nothing but when I dug the sand where it was using my shovel, a Secret Seashell was unearthed. This gave me a total of seven but I still needed more.
Taking out the ocarina and playing Manbo's Mambo again, I focused on the Animal Village and like before, everything went white as I was whisked away only to arrive at my destination moments later. Stepping off the raised platform, my feet got wet due to forgetting that there was a small body of water just south of the village. Grumbling as I trudged through the water and entering the village proper, I immediately walked to the only house I never visited during my previous visits. Sure, I could ignore this and go straight to Chestnut Magnifico but I needed to know who lived in this one remaining home.
Inside of this house was an artist's studio as there were paint cans, paintbrushes, and more everywhere which made everything look so untidy. Standing on a white rug was a hippo who was standing completely still. If I remembered my art classes at Canterlot High, she was a model which meant she wouldn't want to talk to me as it would be distracting. Besides, I doubted she had any information for me so ignoring her wouldn't make me feel guilty. The other occupant of the house looked exactly like Bulk Biceps albeit instead of wearing a summer outfit, he wore a painter's outfit complete with pain splotches. This had to be Bulk's 'brother' that he mentioned when I saw him earlier in this adventure.
I walked up to him and he immediately took notice of me. "YEAH! I am Schule Donavitch!" Bulk Biceps said. It was weird knowing that there were two of him in this world but I supposed it made sense since they were brothers. "Have you come here to learn about zee mermaid statue?"
"What statue?" I asked.
"Why zee mermaid statue." Bulk Biceps answered as he swung his brush. Some paint did land on my nose which I flicked off but he clearly wasn't paying attention. "That statue iz my masterpiece! A beautiful sculpture of zee mermaid who lives in zee bay though many doubt she exists. But, I will be honest with you. That statue, it iz how you say, not finished even though when you look upon its beauty, it does look complete. YEAH! It iz so heartbreaking that it makes me want to cry sometimes."
"Why do you say it's incomplete?"
"I can tell that you are appreciative of zee art, yes?"
I nodded. "Where I come from, I pride myself on being pretty good at being an artist."
"Then I can tell you zee problem, YEAH!" Bulk Biceps then pointed his paintbrush at a picture of the mermaid statue in question, and I was surprised to see that it was what I saw when I was taking King Sombra to his house. Everything on the picture looked great until I saw that there was a piece missing. "As you can zee, my masterpiece is missing a single scale of zee mermaid. Long ago, it was stolen and so my work remains incomplete, a stain on my legacy as an artist! YEAH! If I could get a new scale, it would mean zee world to me. But, zee mermaid iz a tricky one to find as no one haz seen her in a long time."
"I think I saw a mermaid earlier."
"YEAH! You have?"
"She looked upset but I was too far away so I couldn't tell."
"Perhaps you should talk to her provided you can, as they zay, swim, YEAH!"
"You know... I think I will."
That made Bulk Bicep's day. "If you can bring me a scale of zee mermaid, I might be able to finally finish my masterpiece. But, I am currently busy with my subject over there and I cannot afford to take zee time to go to zee statue. Perhaps you can complete my work as you are a fellow artist. I will ensure that you are given zee proper credit."
Taking my leave of Bulk Bicep's studio because I knew that continuing the conversation would not only cause him distraction, his subject would likely get really annoyed and do something she would likely regret. It appeared that this mermaid statue was important but without a scale, it would remain unfinished, and while the artist within me felt devastated, the adventurer within me believed that something had to be hidden either within or underneath the statue. I asked Princess Twilight to make me a reminder of this version of Bulk Biceps so that I could come back here once I had what he needed.
Entering Chesnut Magnifico's house, she wasn't impressed with my approaching her. "Oh... It's you again. I thought I told you that you lacked the proper etiquette with which to speak to a lady. I know you are clearly enamoured by my presence but until you have what I'm looking for, this conversation is just a waste of my time as well as yours. Besides, you look as though you're itching to resume whatever mundane task you are currently working on."
"You said you needed a hibiscus, right?"
"At least you managed to remember that at least."
I then carefully took out the hibiscus from my pocket. "I believe this is what you desire."
Upon seeing it, Chestnut Magnifico's eyes lit up in an instant. "Oh! You managed to bring me a hibiscus! How very sweet of you! I was wrong to think that you didn't understand proper etiquette and for that, I sincerely apologize." She got up, took the hibiscus from my hands, and placed it into the empty flowerpot next to her desk. "My house looks much more beautiful than before. You are such a sweet woman, I know now that you can be trusted, so I would like to ask a request of you. It's a small little task which is sure to make you very happy."
"What is it?"
"I have this letter right here." Chestnut Magnifico answered, her cheeks blushing, which made me a little suspicious but I chose to keep that to myself. "I would like you to take this to a Mr. Write who lives on the border of the Mysterious Forest over by Goponga Swamp. I know he's been waiting for a response from me for such a long time but things happened which caused me to not send him anything. Whatever you do... Do not open the letter and read it for yourself. Only he is allowed to see what it says. I know you won't do anything of the sort since you are a sweet lady."
"Sure, I can take it to him."
"I truly appreciate you accepting my request."
"I'm sure he will appreciate this."
"Oh I'm counting on it."
In my mind, this situation had started to become really weird. I know that back home, Chestnut Magnifico and Canter Zoom had a working relationship what with him being a director and she an actress, but what was happening here... On second thought, it was probably for the best if I just delivered her letter to him and not worry about it. After all, it's not like I was going to wind up in any kind of trouble. Leaving her house with her letter in my hand, I now had to backtrack to where he lived, yet I could warp over to Zecora's place which would cut down on some of the time.
Before making my way over to Canter Zoom, there was one other thing I needed to take of, and it was something that Adagio mentioned at the Seashell Mansion. I had no idea when my next visit to the Animal Village would be so I needed to get this little detail done now or else end up forgetting about it. Princess Twilight was curious as to my current course of action and I told her that I needed to use the song Starlight had been singing in order to acquire another Secret Seashell. Her Highness nodded her approval and knew exactly where I was going... the walrus who had previously been blocking the path to the Yarna Desert.
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"What do y'all mean by that?" Applejack asked.
"You believe yourself to be incapable of lying, honest one, but in truth you have been lying though you choose not to believe it." Ganondorf answered.
Applejack was not happy about that accusation. "What!? That's Grade-A bunkus and y'all know it! Sure, I've told lies here and there but because I had no other choice! I didn't want mah friends and family to get hurt so I had to bend the truth for them even if I didn't like it." Ganondorf had a cruel smile upon his lips in response and Applejack knew that she had unintentionally given him an opening. "Representin' honesty don't mean I can't lie because that would make me inhuman. Sure, tellin' lies ain't good practice nor should it be used ta get what y'all want but at times you have ta lie."
"Those little lies of yours eventually became much bigger than you thought."
"As you previously stated."
"My point is thus proven."
Applejack nodded sadly. "I 'sppose yer right."
"How can you be honest with yourself if you cannot do this with those closest to you?" Ganondorf raised his hand and Applejack began to feel weaker. "It seems that honesty is a force not to be trifled with." He then noticed something about Applejack which he addressed which took her by surprise. "You possess incredible strength. Surely, you could have easily broken free of my hold over you and perhaps attempted to fight me hand-to-hand. But, instead you refrained from such an action... How curious."
"I don't use mah strength to fight."
"How amusing."
"And why are y'all laughin' this time?"
Ganondorf continued to laugh. "Because in the end, you told the truth though it came too little, too late." Clenching his hand into a fist, Applejack slumped forward as much as she could before she was eventually paralyzed entirely once again. "Perhaps, honest one, in another lifetime, you would've been a worthy second-in-command of the Gerudo. I truly do believe you and I have much in common." He then began gazing at the rest of my friends before zeroing in on Pinkie Pie. "Ah... The laughing one. She who can bend reality to her whim... A power known only to me... Or so I once thought." Snapping his finger, Pinkie was freed of her paralysis.
Yawning, Pinkie Pie looked around to see our friends frozen in place. "If I had known this was going to happen, I wouldn't have included sleepover in the party description. I mean, that was an interesting nap even though I wasn't sleeping in a bed and I was sleeping standing up. Actually, more like being frozen in a state of suspended animation." She then stopped her ranting upon realizing what was happening. "Oh... It's you, the video game character come to life and ruining our fun."
"You are an enigma, laughing one."
"I don't know what that means but thank you."
"The power you possess beyond that of the Element you wield is most intriguing." Ganondorf said, using his magic to bring Pinkie Pie closer to him. "With that kind of power, you can fulfill desires that others can only dream about. Think about it! Nothing would be out of your reach! You could become the most powerful creature who had ever lived. No one could oppose you and would be forced to conform to your desires."
"I could transform the entire cosmos so that everything was made of icing." Pinkie Pie smacked her lips over what she could do with such power, but Ganondorf clearly wasn't showing any kind of appreciation towards her idea. "Wow... You're not much when it comes to laughing and having a good time. I suppose I could do as you suggest which would make me really happy but would it make my friends happy that I could dominate the cosmos? Their happiness is important to me."
"Is it?"
"Well, duh!"
"I see that you are ignorant of your own actions, laughing one."
"I usually don't think back on what I've done and instead focus on what's coming next."
"Then the events where the child was forced to relive the same day over and over means nothing to you?" Ganondorf asked. As soon as he mentioned it, Pinkie Pie immediately stopped and appeared to look nervous though she tried hiding this. "It appears that I have struck a nerve."
"Everything worked out with the Post Crush concert."
"But it is what happened beforehand which you are guilty of." Ganondorf said, his eyes glowing once again. "You allowed your antics to ruin the child's excitement and she tried so hard to keep away from you. When this failed, she believed that she could trust you to keep an eye on the three former creatures of her world who had lost everything. You said that you would carry out such a task but instead, you allowed your humour to take over resulting in the child lashing out at you. Heh... Is this laughter? Is this humour? No... It is the dream of one so close to you shattering into pieces."
"I was only trying to help."
"Help by causing disaster?"
"It's what I do to make things more interesting."
Ganondorf laughed. "And yet have you never once questioned that perhaps those around do not like it when you act in such a manner? What may constitute as fun for you does not necessarily mean they will reciprocate it in kind. The child did not enjoy what you did and even believed that she could no longer view you as being a friend who had her best interests at heart, instead choosing your own selfish needs by acting like a fool would. Tell me, laughing one... How can you truly see yourself when such visions are blind to you? This is not the only instance of this happening. No. You have done far worse."
Pinkie Pie's resolve shattered upon hearing that. "No... That's not true! My antics are funny! They make everyone laugh!"
"But only when you want it to be."
"Is that true?"
"Only you know that answer, laughing one."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When I reached the location of where the walrus had been sleeping, it was still in the water which surprised me. I thought it would've gone back to the Animal Village instead of lounging about out here but I supposed that wasn't really important. Taking out the ocarina again, this time, I played Ballad of the Wind Fish in hopes that what Adagio said about the walrus reacting to it was true. Sure enough, it lifted up its head and assumed that Starlight was nearby as it clearly recognized her song. Instead, it just saw me which made it feel disappointed that I wasn't Starlight yet it appeared to have appreciated playing her song.
It then tossed a Secret Seashell which I picked up giving me eight now and it lowered its head down hoping that Starlight would come by again. She was still singing to the animals so nothing was really preventing her from coming over here but I supposed she had her reasons for remaining in the village. Playing Manbo's Mambo next, I focused on Zecora's place as now I needed to give the letter to Canter Zoom. Like before, the magic of warping enveloped around me and everything went white as I was whisked away only to end up where I wanted to go moments later... behind Zecora's house as the warp point was located there.
This was the part I now dreaded as it meant backtracking through the Mysterious Forest even though I could get to Canter Zoom via Goponga Swamp. The latter route, as I reminded myself, couldn't be considered due to not having BowWow on hand, so my only choice was the former route. Using the Pegasus Boots, (At least I could get over to him quickly instead of walking at a regular speed) I dashed west, ran past the Moblins Lair (I wondered if any Moblins had decided to take up residence there?), before running into a boulder, got stunned, regained my composure and went south.
From there, I jumped over the holes that had surrounded the Piece of Heart I had picked up at the time, and continued west into the Mysterious Forest by dashing. I knew that I could've taken my sweet time but I really wanted to get this over with so as not to have to come back to this area again unless I really had to. Dashing past the Moblins, who tried attacking me only I was already past them when they started, avoided the Red Zols, jumped over another hole, and continued dashing past more Moblins until I was finally outside of the forest upon turning right and seeing Canter Zoom's house.
For the record, I actually made pretty good time which made me think of the gamers who called themselves speed runners. They would've likely gotten to Canter Zoom faster than I did and most likely used some kind of game breaking glitch or something in order to get to him. I knew some glitches myself but never once considered putting them into practice. Why try to beat a game as fast as possible when you could simply take your time and appreciate it for what it tried to do. Then again... I do love the competition speed running provides so I'm not entirely innocent in this regard.
Entering Canter Zoom's house, he had been looking at a piece of paper before he looked up to face me. "Ah... I see that you have come back to pay me a visit. I must say that you were gone an awfully long time, but you most likely had your own business to take care of. Please ignore my prior statement as even I should be respectful towards someone who clearly has her own agenda without needing to acquiesce to mine."
"I went to the Animal Village..." I began.
"Oh?" Canter Zoom asked, his excitement clearly rising. "I know that both humans and animals live in that village even though the latter are more numerous, but that's a different subject for another day. So you were able to find the person who hasn't been replying to my letters?"
"About that..."
"Do you have a letter for me?"
"I do but I really think you should..."
My words were being completely ignored by Canter Zoom who appeared lost in his own little world. Sighing, I handed over the letter and he felt like he had suddenly won a fabulous prize no one had ever heard of before. "It is... It is a letter for me. I'm so happy." He then opened up the letter and a picture fell out which landed on his desk. "Look at this! There is even a photograph. I decided to take a look at the photo for myself and my reaction was... shocking. That wasn't Chestnut Magnifico but rather a photo of Princess Peach of Mario fame with what looked to be a goat's hoof print.
As much as I was annoyed with yet another Mario reference, this one I could accept because it was just plain bizarre. Hang on a second! Why would Chestnut Magnifico send a photo of someone else and not herself? Something was clearly wrong here. "Um... You might want to know something very important about the person who sent that letter to you. I know you're happy right now but you really ought to listen to me.
Clearly, Canter Zoom was too enthralled with the photo to listen. "She's so beautiful. Ah... The lovely Christine." Christine? Well, at least I learned that... I guessed? "I am so thankful to you for bringing me this. I must give you something for your trouble."
"You don't need to do that."
"Oh but I insist."
"If you say so."
Looking around for something, Canter Zoom reached behind his chair and pulled out a broom. "Well... This is all I have so I hope you don't mind. I'm sure someone like you can find a way to use this."
Even though this wasn't what I was expecting for a reward, I decided to take the broom anyway. Besides, Vignette Valencia in this world had been sweeping all over the island with a broom so perhaps I could give it to her sometime. More importantly, Canter Zoom was completely smitten with a goat only he believed she looked like Princess Peach. I thought about telling him the truth but considering how happy he looked, I couldn't ruin his special moment. Whether he eventually found out or not was up to him. Love can be wonderful but it can also be incredibly weird.
Leaving his house and playing Manbo's Mambo on the ocarina, I focused on Mabe Village since I needed to go to the library now. As everything began turning white again, I began thinking about what kind of dungeon awaited me. First of all, having one hidden below the graveyard wasn't anything new since I already went through such an experience during my first adventure via the Shadow Temple. (Even now, I still remembered its name on account of it being a place of the dead) Yet why hide it there and not somewhere more convenient? Surely a place like Martha's Bay or maybe even Kanalet Castle could've sufficed.
Upon appearing on the raised platform east of Mabe Village, I walked off of it, went west, picked up the boulder, tossed it aside, and dashed across the village until I reached the library before entering it. "Whew... No more side-questing for me for a while until more progress has been made." I said as I took a quick breather."
"There's nothing wrong with helping others you know." Princess Twilight said.
"I know but having to go back and forth can get really annoying."
"You're not wrong about that."
"Twilight..." I began. "Do you think I should be checking out this hidden dungeon?"
"I said that I would follow you on whatever decision you make." Princess Twilight answered. "Besides, this is your journey and I'm just your partner. It's my job to guide you through to the end by sharing my vast wisdom." Her Highness then noticed me making a smug expression towards her and she immediately knew what I was getting at. "I've been in this position before, Sunset, when Starlight used to be my student. I'm acting just like Princess Celestia by being a mother figure. This is what I need to do frequently once my coronation occurs as I'll have to guide all of Equestria like this."
"You've got this."
"Though I'm sure to still have my moments."
"Don't we all?" I then began looking around for the book I needed. "Do you remember where that book is?"
Princess Twilight nodded. "Discord said that it had been placed high on a shelf and only someone with fast feet can knock it down." Her Highness then looked at the top of each bookcase in order to find said book and her wings flapped rapidly upon her seeing it at the back of the library. "There is it, Sunset!"
Seeing the book in question, I dashed into the book shelf with the Pegasus Boots. While being stunned, I was surprised that only that book fell down and not the others. You'd think hitting a shelf that hard would cause them all to fall down but perhaps this place was more sturdy than appearances suggested. Once I had regained my composure, I opened up the book and began to read. "It says 'The Hidden Power of Colour'... 'There's a new world of colour under the five gravestones in the southeast corner of the graveyard.' The next page showed five numbers with an arrow pointing at each one. "Um... Twilight? Do you understand this?"
"I think it's some kind of code."
"According to this, 'Three = Up, Four = Right, Five = Up, Two = Left, and One = Down'... That makes no sense at all." I said. Scratching my head, I tried to think of what this information meant but I couldn't put any of it together. "Perhaps if I were to see the gravestones in question, then this riddle would become clear to me." There were more pages to read so I began reading them. "Okay, it says 'Try with all your might and you may open a new path. Are you worthy to receive the power of colour?' Well... I had hoped for additional answers and not whatever that last bit was."
"At least we have an idea now."
"I suppose so."
"Do you want to get some medicine from Sugar Belle or are you confident enough in your skills?"
"Let's go for it."
"How very bold of you."
Closing up the book and leaving the library, I noticed that Applebloom and Sweetie Belle was still tossing that ball to one another. I was both surprised and disturbed as how they managed to keep on doing that constantly without ever finding themselves bored proved astounding. I thought about going over and talking to them but they seemed preoccupied and I didn't have it in me to disrupt their fun. Dashing to the other side of the village, I looked over at the Item Shop and imagined having that bow in my possession. Eventually, it would be in my hands as I only had about 200 rupees or so remaining before I could afford it.
Picking up the boulder and tossing it aside, I left the village and began making my way up to the graveyard. This was now the third time I had gone in this direction and the second in a matter of a couple of hours in game time. You'd think this would get boring but surprisingly, I enjoyed additional explorations as I could easily spot something I might have missed during the initial exploration. I'm so focused on reaching the next area as soon as possible yet so much gets missed by my own ignorance. Picking up and tossing the next boulder aside, I couldn't help but notice that the boulder keeps those Zombies from entering Ukuku Prairie and quite possibly Mabe Village.
Speaking of Zombies, one immediately popped up from the ground and I defeated it instantly since it wasn't a threat. I then slapped my forehead upon remembering that Zombies would endlessly re-spawn in this area which meant defeating them was utterly pointless. As if on cue, another Zombie popped up and began shuffling towards me, but I ignored it and kept on moving until I arrived at the entrance to the graveyard. As Princess Twilight mentioned to me before when I first came here, the graveyard was haunted by Ghinis, ghosts who would come forth from the graves and could potentially overwhelm me.
"Should I attack the Ghinis or just ignore them?"
"Well... You can ignore them as all they do is fly about the graves." Princess Twilight answered. "The problem is that they have erratic behaviour so you never know what they might do next so I suggest to be on guard. Now, if they attack you, as I told you before, you can defeat them with your sword despite the fact that they are ghosts. It's just a Ghini can take a lot of punishment before it's defeated."
"What if I accidentally touch a gravestone and another one pops out?"
"You can't defeat those ones but they will be defeated if the original one goes down."
"And what about the Giant Ghini?"
"Pray that you don't see one."
Raising my shield, I slowly walked past the gravestones in order to get to the southeast area of the graveyard. I was showing signs of being afraid given how my legs were shaking and I was constantly looking in all directions, but I knew I had to remain strong considering how this wasn't what you'd call a typical location. Graveyards weren't new for me since this was my third time going through one yet compared to the other two, this one was remarkably calm. As I reached the other side, none of the Ghinis had paid any attention and I was relieved to know that was the case. It also helped that I hadn't touched any graves as I knew what would happen.
Reaching the southeast corner, it comprised of five gravestones and that's when it all clicked for me. "Twilight..." I whispered in order to not draw any attention to myself. "I think I know what that riddle was about the hidden dungeon."
"You know what to do?"
"Are you surprised?"
Princess Twilight nodded. "Yes, as a matter of fact. I've been thinking about it while you were making your way up here and I just couldn't figure it out. Even when you asked me about those Ghini, I continued to ponder over the meaning behind the book's riddle. Guess there are things that can elude even me. Sunset, you always were a very smart unicorn given how you've overcome so many odds that were stacked against you. Never question your intelligence or your own abilities. Just because I'm a princess doesn't mean I always know everything nor have to know everything."
"I know, Twilight."
"So... How did you figure it out."
I pointed to each of the five gravestones and labelled them three, four, and five on the top and two, and one on the bottom. "By labelling them as such, I have to push them in the directions that the book hinted and upon pushing the final gravestone, it should reveal an entrance of some kind. Granted, if I've gotten this wrong, I'll be swarmed by Ghinis and have no way of escaping. Also, judging from how heavy each one looks, I need the Power Bracelet to push them. Had I come here beforehand, none of them would've budged. It makes me wonder if I need anything else for this place."
"We won't know until we get inside."
I was about to push the closest gravestone to me when I suddenly realized something. I needed to push them from one to five in that order otherwise it wouldn't work and not top row first then bottom row. Wow... I had clearly been overthinking with this puzzle. It was actually really simple yet both Princess Twilight and I struggled to understand the meaning thus we both made ourselves appear foolish despite our vast intellects. Heading over to the gravestone I had designated as number one, I pushed it south only for nothing to happen. I then pushed the next one west and again nothing happened.
Was I doing this right? I had no idea since there was no indication of such. Moving up to the third gravestone, I pushed it north only this time a Ghini emerged from the ground. I knew not to panic as that would rile it and the other Ghini up so I continued with what I was doing. I could defeat the original Ghini and automatically defeat the other one but it could cause the other Ghini nearby to come on over. No... I didn't want to risk it. Pushing the fourth gravestone east did nothing but upon pushing the final one north, it revealed a hidden staircase and not some kind of flashy entrance.
Before I could be attacked by any of the Ghinis, I headed down the stairs and entered the mystery dungeon, and the voice once again spoke to me. It said that this place was a secret place known as the 'Colour Dungeon' though it didn't have a level attributed to it. I was curious for a moment as to why that was but ultimately such a curiosity didn't really matter in the overall grand scheme. After all, this was a hidden dungeon, one that didn't exist unless you happened to be looking for it. Still, I looked forward to learning more about the power of colour as described in the book yet Her Highness most likely was more curious than I was.
"So this is called the Colour Dungeon."
"Even though this place is optional and not required, it still follows the same function as a regular dungeon." Princess Twilight said. "There will be a Dungeon Map, a Compass, a number of small keys, a Nightmare Key, powerful monsters blocking your way, and a Nightmare."
I reacted when Her Highness mentioned that last thing. "Wait! There's a Nightmare in here!? Seriously!?"
"It would make sense."
"Guess I should've expected it."
"By the way, Sunset. We're not alone." Princess Twilight brought to my attention two characters, one wearing blue and the other wearing red, standing in front of the doorway. I had no idea who either of them were but Her Highness clearly recognized them. "The one in blue is Thorax, ruler of the Changelings. Granted, he wasn't actually elected to be their ruler but rather he was chosen because he chose to change and inspired the others to do so as well to overthrow Chrysalis. Still, he has done a lot for the Changelings despite still having reservations about being the leader."
"Didn't he help defeat Chrysalis when you and so many others were abducted."
"Thorax is known as the Changeling who decided to change."
I rolled my heads. "That doesn't roll off the tongue but I get your meaning." I then looked at the other one. "And which one is that?"
"That's Pharynx, the older brother of Thorax." Princess Twilight paused momentarily before continuing. "Unlike Thorax, I've not met Pharynx, but from what Starlight told me about him, he was the last Changeling to undergo the transformation into what they are now. He preferred their old ways of hunting and feeding off of love despite Thorax's efforts to change that about his subjects, but this made it difficult for other Changelings to be around him which eventually caused a strain in the relationship between the two brothers. Let's just say a crazy plan isn't the best way to go about dealing with a situation."
"Was it that bad?"
"Starlight had a lot of explaining to do that day."
"Do you know why the two of them are standing before us?"
"I have no idea."
Guessed it was up to me to start a conversation. Given what Her Highness described about them, I decided to talk to Thorax first. "Um... Hello there." I said to him in hopes that he would say something back.
"Look at this, Dion!" Thorax said.
"Now isn't this a surprise, Gar!" Pharynx said.
Both of them looked really anxious which made me back away slowly until Thorax waved his hands. "Sorry, we didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. It's just that we haven't had anyone come down here in years. So please forgive us for being excited about seeing someone enter this place for the first time in ages. Allow me to introduce ourselves to you. I am Gar and this is my older brother Dion, and we're the colour guard. This is the Colour Dungeon."
"Why do they call it that?" I asked.
"That is a very good question." Pharynx answered.
"This dungeon is filled with tricks and traps that are designed around the world of colour." Thorax said. "Had you come here without being able to distinguish colour, you wouldn't have been able to progress through no less than be allowed to get by us."
"And yet we can't do that thing anymore, brother."
"What thing?" I asked.
"Years ago, Gar and I would ask people if they could tell which colour we were both wearing." Pharynx answered, pointing first at his shirt and then at Thorax's shirt. "Sure, it was easy to answer... Provided you were able to see colour. You'd be surprised as to how many we had to turn away all because they couldn't see colour. These days, no one has to answer that question so the two of us adapted by changing how we approach those who come here."
"We now offer advice for free." Thorax said.
"It's not the same as it used to be but it's all we've got."
"I'm sorry that this happened to the two of you." I said. That caused both brothers to stare at me intently which made me more uncomfortable than before but I quickly continued talking so as to not be distracted. "I take it my words have surprised the pair of you? Don't be. I know what it's like to have to adapt and change my ways. Sure, it can be difficult at first and even unbearable since you've only known one way, but once you've gotten used to it, going back is the worst thing you could do. You can still do your job but with a much different outlook on life which will be something to appreciate later on."
"Neither of us thought about it like that." Thorax said.
"You have such empathy." Pharynx added.
"People have been saying that about me for years." I said.
Pharynx then had an idea. "I think we can improve on our advice service by extending it beyond this place. Normally, we would tell those who come here about things that occur in this dungeon which can't be explained by those Owl Statues, but we do have knowledge about everyone who lives on the island. Not just the people above mind you but also the various locations that exist. There is practically nothing neither of us don't know."
"When you lived for a few centuries, you tend to pick up on these things." Thorax said.
"I hope it's nothing that shouldn't be said." I said.
Thorax shook his head. "We know not to divulge information like that. The two of us may be skeletons but we're not stupid enough to share secrets no one wants to have shared as that can ruin a person." It was at that moment when I realized Thorax and Pharynx bore a similar resemblance to Stalfos only not so much intimidating but rather cute. "Now, you will need some Magic Powder in order to get through this dungeon."
Pharynx nodded. "We know that you possess some as why else would you come here? If you ever were to run out, just say the word and we will sell some to you. You think that witch up above is the only one who can make the stuff? My brother and I are pretty good at whipping up our own supply for those who need it. Now, please go on through and enjoy what this place has to offer. You'll see us both again soon enough in future rooms where we will reveal information to you. One more thing... I wouldn't upset the three guardians otherwise you might find yourself with a lot of pain, more than what they normally dish out."
Both brothers then shuffled away from the door allowing me access to the dungeon proper. While I was a little concerned that they would potentially reveal information about the people of the island that they shouldn't do, I had to admit that I was curious about what they knew and hoped to maybe find out a little more about this world. I was also relieved to know that I could buy more Magic Powder in case my current stock ran out. Granted, I haven't used much as of late since I did have other items at my disposal but having a means of replenishing my supply didn't hurt.
Entering the next room, I was surprised to see two sets of green tiles near where I entered and some red tiles at the other end of the room. I could also see some monsters that appeared to be melding with those tiles. "Now what are these supposed to be?"
"This dungeon has unique monsters you won't find anywhere else." Princess Twilight answered.
"So any that are incredibly powerful will remain here?"
"Unless they also appear in Zecora's Dungeon Creator."
"That's a possibility."
"Anyway, the first monster is a Green Camo Goblin." Princess Twilight said, pointing at the two green creatures that were on either side of me. "These monsters hid in green coloured tiles and will attack when they see you. Other than that, they don't have any outstanding characteristics and can easily be defeated. The other one is a Red Camo Goblin, and they behave in the exact same manner but instead of hiding in green coloured tiles, they hide in red coloured ones. Just don't allow their strange appearances to distract you, Sunset."
The moment I took a step forward, both Green Camo Goblins stretched up and revealed their full forms. Ugh! They looked like cartoonish slime creatures complete with over-exaggerated mouths. In fact, all they were doing was lifting up their arms. That's it! Huh... I was expecting them to do something else but I supposed I shouldn't have expected much what with Her Highness' description of each. Attacking the two Green Camo Goblins at the same time with my sword, both went down without an issue only for the Red Camo Goblin to move forward where it too was defeated with a single sword swing.
It's defeat unlocked the door and so I entered the next room and encountered four strange looking switches. Two of them were blue in colour while the other two were red. To my right was a cracked wall which meant it would reveal a secret passage if I were to blow it up with a bomb. The way forward wasn't blocked but I was curious about these switches and why they were arranged like they were. An Owl Statue to my left most likely revealed what I needed to do but without a Stone Beak, the statue couldn't do anything for me. I wasn't stuck as I could just move on but I really wanted to figure this one out.
At that moment, Thorax and Pharynx appeared from the wall by the Owl Statue much to my surprise. "WAAAAH!" I shouted. "Please warn me next time when you do that! You two almost scared me to death!"
"This is how we get around." Thorax said.
"Most actually did die from being scared when we do that." Pharynx added.
"Maybe we ought to provide a warning like she said."
"It couldn't hurt."
"Um... Why are you two here?" I asked. "Aside from scaring me."
"This Owl Statue was going to tell you how to figure out the secret behind these switches, but I might as well give you a hint since you can't hear what its saying without having its missing beak." Thorax answered. "Strange how it went missing and no one bothered to go look for it. Anyway, colours that clash aren't very appealing and can cause friction so why not make them co-exist together under one colour?"
Pharynx then added his thoughts. "Now to give you some information about the island and its inhabitants. There used to be a rat who lived on the island who loved taking photos of just about everything. He had a few favourite places he said were the best spots to take photos. Unfortunately, he passed away from an unforeseen illness. A shame really as no one else knew how to take photos."
"That was our advice so we'll see you later."
Both brothers then disappeared by going back into the wall but what they said about this rat was pretty depressing. My previous adventure to Termina involved having to deal with characters who had perished prior to that journey so this brought back some pretty bad memories for me. I doubted that they intended on making me upset since they didn't know what I had been through in the past so I couldn't hold it against either of them. At least Thorax provided a hint on how to deal with the switches even if it was philosophical to a degree. Hitting a switch, it changed colour which caused two more to do the same.
Okay, this was starting to make sense. I walked over to the one in the upper right corner and hit it which caused it to change colour as well as all the others until they were all the same colour thus solving the puzzle. I had a feeling it would only get harder from here since I was still seen as being in the early stages of the dungeon. My efforts caused a treasure chest to appear which I opened and was rewarded with the Compass. Again, I wished I could get the Dungeon Map first followed by this as this item was useless without the former. Sighing, I contemplated on where to go next.
Deciding on heading right, I entered the next room where most of the floor was covered in different coloured tiles (They were red, yellow, and green) with some having cracks while others had even more cracks. A door heading north was locked so I needed a key in order to unlock it. Floating above near the middle of the room was a skeletal creature which bore a slight resemblance to a Shrouded Stalfos yet much smaller than it and lacked weapons though it made that up by dropping bombs which exploded instantly. It reminded me of a Zirro only with a skeletal look as opposed to a mushroom like the Zirro.
"Okay, what is this thing?" I asked.
"This is known as a Bone Putter." Princess Twilight answered. "There are two versions of this monster. The one you're seeing has wings and will on occasion drop bombs which you already witnessed. Between the two versions, this is the worse one because of its bomb dropping capability combined with being capable of flight. The other Bone Putter has no wings and is essentially helpless though it does enjoy getting rid of tiles like what we're seeing here. Winged Bone Putters usually accompany their counterparts and do all of the fighting since the other can't do anything."
"What about these tiles?"
"Like Thorax and Pharynx said, everything in this dungeon revolves around colour."
"So they change colour when I step on them?"
Princess Twilight nodded. "From green to yellow to red and then that tile crumbles. I'm sure there will be other rooms like this in the Colour Dungeon so consider this to be your early warning about it. Defeating this Bone Putter won't unlock anything or make a chest appear since the Compass didn't make a sound so feel free to ignore it."
Ignoring it was simple enough since its behaviour looked rather simplistic, but what wasn't simple were those bombs which not only could damage me, they were also destroying the tiles that I needed to make it across to the other side of the room. I supposed I could use the Roc's Feather and just jump across though that was risky as I could bump into this monster or get blasted by a bomb as I was jumping. No... It was best to simply make a run for it and hope I wouldn't get hit. The Bone Putter so far had failed to notice me and continued dropping bombs which were destroying more tiles but upon flying away from where I needed to go, this was my opportunity.
I dashed across the tiles as some cracked while others disappeared and entered the next room before the Bone Putter even knew what was happening. In this next room, there were two holes on the ground though they were circular in design as opposed to squares like normal holes were and were bigger than usual. Each also had been colour-coded by having a coloured rim surrounding it. One was surrounded by blue and the other red. My eyes were focused on two creatures that looked like giant spheres with eyeballs located in the middle of them. What kind of creatures were these meant to be?
To Be Continued.