The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.
By Ganondorf8.
January 26, 2020.
Chapter 19: The Warning.
"Wait! You're only finally going to show off your true power now?" I asked.
Master Stalfos nodded slowly. "You have pushed me to the point where I have no choice but to show you the full extent of my power. You should be honoured knowing that you get to see something that no one else has ever seen before."
"That only raises questions for me."
"There is no need for questions."
I shook my head. "Oh I beg to differ. Why hold back all this time? Were you afraid of something? Did you underestimate my abilities and overestimate yours?" In all honesty, I could've gone on for several minutes at least but I knew that I needed to get a move on seeing as this whole chasing Master Stalfos down had worn out its welcome and became nothing short of sheer annoyance. "Anyway, the point is you aren't as strong as you claim to be. I'm not belittling you here as you've definitely tested me but still, the fact that you've been holding back makes me question your overall effectiveness."
Rather than refute my claims, Master Stalfos slammed its sword on the ground. "A warrior you may be, but one who has a mouth that refuses to be silent. Were I not an honourable creature, I'd have destroyed that which you claim after our initial encounter earlier in this place."
That made me stop. "Are you serious?"
"I am."
"Guess I should stop talking and focus on the battle at hand."
Master Stalfos nodded again. "Without the item I stole from the chest, you will never make it through to the end of the Catfish's Maw. Though I could have destroyed it and thus prevent you from awakening the sleeping Wind Fish, it would have stained my reputation." It paused upon realizing that it had contradicted itself. "No... I no longer can claim to possess honour for I have abandoned the battlefield more than once. Perhaps you were right about me being cowardly."
"We could stop this you know."
"I shall fight you to the death."
"Are you sure about that?"
"If you defeat me this time, I will not run away." Master Stalfos answered as it lifted up its sword. "Defeat me and the item will be yours. This is my promise to you! However... I will not make things easy. Now you shall bear witness to my true power!"
It began by jumping across to where I was standing but I managed to get out of the way just as it landed, and that was when it decided to show off its true power by swinging its sword in an even more powerful arc complete with after-effects. The extended radius meant I had to keep an even greater distance though in this case it didn't matter since I got hit in the back with that swing. The force pushed me across the room where I landed on my stomach and for a moment I struggled to get back up due to how strong of a hit that was, but eventually my body cooperated with my brain and I got back up.
"It wasn't kidding about unleashing its true power."
Princess Twilight sighed. "Sometimes, you really shouldn't provoke monsters, Sunset."
I nodded. "My competitive nature can really get on my nerves."
"In this case, I suspected Master Stalfos was going to save its true power until it was backed into a corner."
"Does the same strategy from before still apply?"
Princess Twilight nodded. "What you've been doing will still work as the only thing that's changed is it becoming more aggressive in its attacks. If you keep your distance and wait for the right moment, you should defeat it hopefully without too much trouble. I do have one suggestion that you might want to consider, but I'll have to explain it later as you're about to get attacked right now!"
Her Highness' warning was a legitimate one as Master Stalfos leapt over to where I was and landed right next to me before swinging with that vicious swing again. To my surprise, it missed me entirely which also caught it by surprise. By being so close, it couldn't hit me because it had too big a swing so it needed me to be at a distance to be more effective. Perhaps this could be used to my advantage. It tried to jump away in hopes of getting some distance but I responded by attacking the rib cage where it fell apart. Taking out a bomb and placing it among the bones, it exploded where it immediately reacted by pulling itself back together and jumping over to the other side.
Upon landing, it turned around and began swinging its sword where I chose to keep my distance. In retrospect, had it tried using its vicious swing during our first encounter, I'd have been completely overwhelmed on account of not knowing how best to deal with it. Since this was our fourth battle, any element of surprise had been lost and so seeing it fight in such a manner made me feel sorry for it a little. I still had to defeat it so that I could make further progression but I just couldn't help but feel that this was so pathetic. I guess that desperation brought out the worst in anyone.
When it realized that its method of attack wasn't working, it leapt back across the room to my position and I moved aside as it landed, raising my shield as I turned around knowing what was coming next. As expected, it immediately swung its sword which pushed me back halfway across the room, (My shield was surprisingly still intact after taking a hit like that) though I used my feet to screech to a stop. Jumping again in hopes of continuing the offence, Master Stalfos landed next to me only for me to be staring directly at its back. It hadn't done this in our previous encounters so perhaps it was showing signs that it was running out of steam.
Attacking it from behind, it crumpled to the ground and I responded with the usual bomb planting. The bomb exploded seconds later inflicting more damage on Master Stalfos as it got itself back together and leapt away from me in hopes of getting some distance. I had to give it some props for being able to withstand so many bomb explosions as most monsters on the island could only handle one, maybe two bomb explosions at most. In any case, it began swinging its sword with its vicious arc and kept on swinging without showing any signs of stopping. Desperation must have really settled in now if it had been reduced to this.
Knowing that I had no ranged attack (I really wished I had the bow but my rupee total still wasn't enough to purchase it from Aria), I raised my shield and moved closer where the after-effects of its swing began affecting me. It felt like my body was being whipped by strong wind currents despite not taking any actual damage but as I continued getting closer, my body started taking tiny amounts of damage which slowly increased as I got closer. Okay, now its strategy was beginning to work. Closing my eyes and breathing heavily, I rushed forward only to get knocked back by the full brunt of the sword swing.
"That didn't work!" I said as I got back up."
"Stunts like that usually don't."
"At least I had my shield up."
Princess Twilight nodded. "If you hadn't then you would've been sliced in half." Her Highness then assessed the situation I was in by examining Master Stalfos in the hopes of finding a means for me to break through its defences. "I was going to consider you dropping two bombs at the same time in hopes that both would explode mere moments apart allowing you to defeat it quickly but now..." She continued thinking about a possible strategy for me to use (She showed this by pounding her head several times with her fists) until an idea came to her which made me a bit nervous as some of her ideas were questionable."
"What are you thinking, Twilight?"
"Rush at it again."
My jaw dropped in response. "And you were chastising me for being reckless before."
"If you rush forward when I tell you to, you will succeed."
I had no reason to doubt Her Highness as her advice had been pretty solid even when it was absurd at times. Looking at Master Stalfos, I couldn't see what Her Highness was seeing which made me think that maybe what she was planning wasn't going to work, but again, I shouldn't doubt her even though I had done just that with my thought process. I hoped my reckless attitude hadn't become influential otherwise Equestria would have some problems once Her Highness ascended the throne after her coronation. I mean, being reckless can be helpful but not with running an entire kingdom.
As it continued swinging its sword, I waited for Princess Twilight to give me her signal, and as I waited, I could feel the agony of wondering whether this would really work out or winding up getting sliced to pieces. When Her Highness then called out, I moved towards it with my shield raised and immediately I could feel the after-effects of the sword swings. I continued moving (I didn't use the Pegasus Boots) and somehow managed to avoid getting hit by the sword itself though the after-effects were still getting through and inflicting their minute damage.
Upon getting right next to it, it occurred to me that Princess Twilight had figured out the speed of its sword swings and knew when I had to move in order to avoid getting hit so that I could respond in kind. I did just that and it fell apart one more time where I proceeded to place a bomb among the bones which exploded seconds later. Master Stalfos took the damage and began screaming before it stopped. Rather than pull itself back together, it remained a crumpled heap where its head bobbled back and forth indicating that it had at last given up fighting.
"Your plan worked, Twilight."
"Never underestimate my plans."
"Even when they are crazy?"
"Even the stupidest of plans can be successful."
"You've been hanging around me too much." I said as I laughed before turning my attention towards Master Stalfos. "So what about you?" It didn't answer me and its head continued to bob back and forth. "I've defeated you for the fourth time now. Rather than run away again and have me go around looking all over for you, why don't you hand over the item I need? You're clearly in no position to make any kind of concessions."
Master Stalfos' head finally stopped bobbing. "Even when I unleashed my true power... It wasn't enough to defeat you. Unorthodox as you are, you are a warrior and I shall acknowledge you as such." It then began coughing which meant its time was running out. "Like I said, I had no intention of running away this time. This was going to be our final battle where one would live and the other would die."
"I realize that you were only doing what a monster of your position had to."
"My aim was to stop you from getting that which you need to overcome the Catfish's Maw."
"And we both know how that turned out."
Master Stalfos then coughed again. "You have defeated me and thus you have earned the treasure you sought. Most people would've given up when they realized that chasing me was integral to their success yet this wasn't the case." Its coughing got worse thus its destruction was imminent. "You may have defeated me but the Slime Eel will make quick work of you. Should you somehow defeat it, you may soon learn of a dire warning, one that will change everything."
"What do you mean by a warning?"
"Defeat the Slime Eel and find out."
"Fine!"
"For you... The nightmare has only gotten worse."
Without saying another word, Master Stalfos began exploding several times before disappearing in a puff of smoke upon the final explosion. Its last words made me feel cold in addition to confused as I didn't understand what it was saying. Defeating the next Nightmare would change everything? If anything, it would mean one less Nightmare causing trouble on the island but perhaps there was more to its words? Unfortunate that it perished before it could say anything else though I suspected this was intentional. In death, it was trying to shatter my confidence or make me question myself and what I was trying to accomplish.
The door unlocked and I was about to leave when Princess Twilight bopped me on the head to remind me to pick up the item which Master Stalfos left behind. Sure enough, located where it exploded was a device that consisted of a hook attached to a chain which was attached to a handle I could hold. My eyes lit up as I remembered having this item on both of my previous adventures even if it looked different every time. I had acquired the Hookshot. While it felt gratifying to be reunited with an old friend, there was no doubt that it would have slightly different mechanics from what it had previously.
"With the Hookshot, you can now reach places that you couldn't before." Princess Twilight said.
Attaching it to my belt for easy access, I turned to Her Highness. "I've used similar versions of this item before so I already have a pretty good idea of how to use it, but maybe there are some things I can't do that I could before."
"And you'd be right about that."
I sighed. "Somehow, I knew it."
"Because of unknown parallels, you can't simply aim the Hookshot in any direction and hope for the best." Princess Twilight said. "You can only aim it in the direction you are facing so already there are restrictions, but don't feel discouraged as this can still defeat many monsters. Granted, your sword is still the recommended option for combat. Using it is a slow process and if you happen to miss your intended target, you have to wait for the chain to retract back before using it again."
"The more you talk about it, the less I get excited."
"Compared with a lot of your items, the Hookshot is going to be invaluable for the rest of the journey."
"How so?"
"You can use it to latch onto treasure chests and pull yourself towards them."
"I could do that before."
"You can also latch onto blocks in the same manner."
I paused for a moment before responding. "Okay, I couldn't do that before."
Princess Twilight smiled. "See? There's a silver lining to be found in everything, Sunset. Now, you need to recall where in the dungeon where you saw places that the Hookshot can be used to enable you to reach new areas. At this point, you've explored most of the dungeon so it's all a matter of backtracking to previous rooms and seeing what you can get. You might also consider checking out the deep water you saw earlier."
I grumbled under my breath. Of course there would be more backtracking! I just knew there was going to be more of it! Unfortunately, there wasn't anything I could do about it as it was necessary for me in order to progress to the end of Catfish's Maw and ultimately the next instrument. I just needed some idea of where to begin backtracking. Going in a random direction and hoping it would work out would be nothing but a disaster so careful planning was needed here. Taking out the Dungeon Map, I looked at each individual room to see where I could go first to use the Hookshot.
Pointing my finger at a potential starting point, I confirmed it with Princess Twilight who nodded her approval, and I began the task of backtracking to that room. The Hookshot should make combat easier as now I could attack from a distance albeit slowly. Heading back to the previous room, I shattered dark crystals whilst collecting Recovery Hearts as I did take damage in my last fight with Master Stalfos and entered the underground passage. The weight puzzle wasn't necessary to solve and I believe it would be the last time I had to see them so at least I could take solace knowing that.
Making my way through the passage by dropping down and walking under the weights, I was soon back in the main dungeon where a pair of Helmasaurs gave me the perfect opportunity to use the Hookshot against them. Taking it off of my belt, I waited until one of them was looking my way before firing the chain which connected with its helmet and pulled it off seamlessly, its face now exposed. Instead of charging at me to seek revenge, the Helmasaur cowered by its back and slinking off. I guessed that they only had their bravado when they had those helmets and were in fact quite timid.
Ignoring the other one as defeating it was pointless, I continued on with my backtracking into the next previous room where four Keese immediately attacked. One swing of my sword defeated them all leaving only the Helmasaur. Using my Hookshot against its helmet, I pulled it off and it began slinking away before turning around and charged at me. Then again, maybe their courage was on a case by case basis with some being more brave than others. In any case, two sword swings defeated it which left me wondering which ones would attack and which would rather keep their lives intact.
According to the map, this was the closest room which had something I could use the Hookshot on. Walking down the smaller pathway this time, I came upon a treasure chest I couldn't reach previously but now I could upon having the necessary item. Before making my move, I checked to confirm how I was supposed to make my back. (Pretty simple thing) Firing the chain, I pulled myself over to the chest and opened it up and took out a silver rupee. It wasn't a means of progress but it did mean that I could finally purchase that bow. I first need to get through this dungeon before buying that.
Taking out the Dungeon Map and looking at it again, the remaining treasure chests were all located on the northeast end aside from one which was off on its own. Even though it was out of my way by a large degree, I decided to go for that one next so that I wouldn't have to do any additional backtracking. Heading north, I entered the next room and ignored the monsters as defeating them only meant satisfying some kind of obsessive need to kill which I didn't have, (Defeating monsters was necessary but not if it meant doing it for fun or even for sport which some adventurers loved doing) and headed west towards the chest.
Avoiding the Spike Traps (I almost got clipped by them as I forgot that they were there), I walked past the two Helmasaurs and avoided the other two traps before entering the next room by going north and then going left again where I entered the room which had the numerous small gaps to jump. "Be honest, Twilight. Do you think I could've made it across by jumping even though it would mean getting sliced?"
"You are fast enough to jump across but those Spike Traps are even faster."
"I thought as much."
"Just because you're an athlete in your world doesn't mean it will translate to this one."
"And I've got the scars to prove it."
"Using the Hookshot will make your faster than the Spike Traps."
"I'm guessing this is one of those things that I shouldn't bother to ask about, huh?"
Princess Twilight nodded. "If you think about it, it's only going to give you a headache later." She then pointed at herself before continuing. "And don't think that I'm curious enough to want to find out! I love my research just as much as you do but there are things I don't need to know because I wouldn't be able to find a practical use for them. Be sure to aim for the block when using the Hookshot."
I sometimes forgot that Her Highness was pretty touchy when it came to her intellect. I mean, she's one of the smartest ponies I knew... Next to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna of course (Because of not knowing Princess Cadance as much, I couldn't verify how smart she was though it was probably just as high), but there were times where she just had to remind everyone just how smart she could really be. You could say her ego was showing during those moments. I could relate as I sometimes had to remind my friends of my intellect though it could be that Twilight Sparkle herself was more brighter than me.
Anyway, I focused on the task at hand as I was beginning to confuse myself when it came to intelligence. Aiming carefully at the block on the other end of the room, I fired the chain which sped across at a blinding speed before sinking into the block where I was immediately pulled across as the Spike Traps moved in reaction. Luckily, I avoided getting sliced apart by them as each pair collided with each other with a loud clanging sound before moving back to their original positions. Upon reaching the other side, two Green Zols popped up from the ground but I dispatched them quickly using one sword swing.
The next room I entered was a new one (According to the Dungeon Map) and immediately I could see why coming this way earlier would've been pointless. The Hookshot was needed to progress so coming here without it would've been a waste of my time not to mention my health. The Compass then made a sound and I knew that a key was contained within the chest in front of me. Pulling myself across the gap to the chest, I opened it up and took out a small key though I hadn't seen any locked doors unless it was somewhere I couldn't reach due to not having the Hookshot at the time.
Pocketing the key, I turned my attention towards the three Helmasaurs who had so far not noticed my presence. Above them was a flying icon of an arrow though it was currently useless to me since they required a bow in order to use them. Aiming carefully with the Hookshot, I pulled off one helmet from a Helmasaur where it slinked away in fear yet the other two charged forward forcing me to fight them normally which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Getting behind the other two, I defeated both after hitting each one twice only to get hit from behind by the one that no longer had a helmet.
Whipping myself around, the remaining Helmasaur then slinked away again and I chose to leave it alone. Sure, it hit me with a sneak attack but I wasn't going to go out of my way to take it out as a means of petty revenge. Besides, I wasn't coming back to this room as there was nothing else here that I needed. Ignoring the pots lined up against the wall, I left the room by taking the only exit I could and entered the previous one. Using the Hookshot again by firing the chain, I quickly went back across whilst avoiding both pairs of Spike Traps and kept moving knowing there was still more backtracking to do.
"Okay... Where to next?"
"Right here!"
"Come again?"
Princess Twilight began bopping me on the head. "You can do something in this room now, Sunset." Her Highness then made me follow her over to the edge of a nearby abyss and floated over to the other side where I saw what looked to be some kind of handle. "I think you can use the Hookshot to pull whatever this thing is your way."
"Are you sure about that?"
"You won't know until you try."
"I guess that's true." I said as I aimed the Hookshot at the handle before firing the chain. The hook part connected with the handle (I couldn't really tell how it connected though something in my head told me not to wonder about it) and retracted back to me as it pulled whatever this object was. "How about that! A bridge! Or, would that be a makeshift one? You know what? Never mind!" Again, Catfish's Maw was acting like the previous dungeons in that items found in them were essential for completing the rest of it. "Let me check the map to see where this path goes."
"The path ahead will be a new one regardless."
As I took out the Dungeon Map, I rolled my eyes before looking at me. "Okay, I'll give you that one, Twilight." As I looked at the map, I could see an icon of a keyhole but I couldn't tell if it was a locked door or one of those key blocks. "If I go this way, I might end up missing something which could force me to backtrack some more." As I continued to look at the map, I had no choice but to accept what was slowly becoming obvious here. No matter what, I would have to backtrack be it now or much later. That's just how this dungeon was arranged in order to make me feel miserable and also to place a heavy emphasis on exploration.
"Do you want to check out those other rooms first?"
I shook my head. "No. I might as well check this next area seeing as I'm here and all."
"Fair enough."
Walking across the bridge to the other side, I picked up the pot that was situated halfway across and tossed it where it smashed on the ground though nothing was inside of it. I felt slightly dejected but quickly got over it as pots were becoming less and less useful for item farming. In this next room, I immediately stopped moving upon seeing a Bubble bouncing around and I had a feeling that the Hookshot would have no effect on it so I had to keep away from it for now. A series of blocks divided this room in half and I could make out some stairs on the other side though I'd have to go through the room on my left to reach the other side of this one.
Near the Bubble was a Red Zol though I chose to ignore it seeing as it was bouncing over to the other side of the room (As in the side I was located on) leaving just the Bubble which was bouncing back and forth by the door. What felt like a long time eventually ended when it moved away enabling me to move forward but as soon as I stepped forward, I got hit from behind by the Red Zol which had since bounced its way back over to the door. Attacking with my sword which split it in half, I defeated both halves and approached the door which had a keyhole block barring my way onward.
Placing my small key into the top of the block, it disappeared and I entered the next room and immediately froze. "Twilight... What in the world are these?" I whispered. To my right were two creatures who were scuttling back and forth with both having their single eyes closed. I had no idea if they had heard me enter but that was perhaps the least of my worries as I felt as though I had seen something similar to these before. "I know this monster from somewhere, Twilight."
"You've met Gohmas before, Sunset?"
"Gohma?"
"That's their name."
My mind suddenly had the image of a gigantic spider like monster that had a single eye and while I couldn't remember much else, it was the eye that I could never forget. "Yes... I have seen a similar looking monster during my first journey, but it was spider-like in appearance compared to these two."
"These ones are crabs."
"Really?"
Princess Twilight nodded. "But believe me when I say that they don't behave like crabs at all. As you can see, Sunset, the Gohmas pace back and forth though on occasion they will open their eye in order to attack you before closing it again. You have to hit them in the eye in order to inflict any damage as attacking any other part of their bodies will cause no damage due to them having thick shells. Also, be cautious of the one at the back."
"Why?"
"Because of its position, it has a couple of additional moves which it can use."
"Will the Hookshot work on them?"
"I'm afraid not." Princess Twilight answered as she shook her head. "The Hookshot's chain fires too slowly and the Gohmas only keep their eye open for a split second. If you had the bow on your person, you could easily shoot the eyes without having to get up close and personal, but you don't have one so you'll need to rely on your sword. Don't feel discouraged knowing that this is harder without the bow but you've fought far worse."
Of course having the bow would've made this easier! Why was it that the bow continued to torment me!? It made me wish that I hadn't spent my rupees on less important items or perhaps further exploration could've netted me more rupee bonuses and I could've gotten it much sooner. Nothing could be done about it now. What happened had happened and there was no sense in complaining about it. I had to do this the hard way though perhaps it was better this way as it meant not having to take the easy path to victory. Good thing Her Highness had finished her explanation as both Gohmas suddenly stopped and opened their eyes.
Before I had a chance to react, both Gohmas fired energy balls with both hitting me relatively quickly. It felt like my body was on fire upon getting hit but I quickly shrugged it off as both closed their eyes and continued scuttling back and forth. I quickly figured that this was a waiting game where I had to wait for my opportunity to attack. At least this wasn't anything stressful as I could plan things out rather than having to think on my feet. When they opened their eyes, they each fired an energy ball which I avoided but when I went to strike one of them in the eye, my sword did nothing.
"What happened?"
"Your sword didn't work."
"Obviously!"
"I think you'll need some assistance from the Gohmas themselves."
"What do you mean?"
"If you can bounce their attacks back at them, you should be able to stun them long enough to score some hits." Princess Twilight then pointed at the entrance I came into the room though I raised my shield to protect myself in case I were attacked. "As you can see, you can escape from this room if you find yourself overwhelmed. Just remember that doing so means these Gohmas will gain back all of their health so only escape if necessary. By the way, it looks like you figured out how to bounce back their energy balls without me having to tell you exactly what to do. I'd call it sheer coincidence."
I looked back at the Gohmas and sure enough, they had opened their eyes and the one in front had become stunned due to its energy ball bouncing off my shield and back into its eye resulting in the stun. "I'd call it dumb luck." Whatever it was, I now knew how to defeat them both though again, it was a waiting game as they weren't stupid to constantly attack me knowing it would be their weakness. As both eyes closed and they resumed with their scuttling, I kept my shield raised knowing it would keep me safe. (I was honestly amazed that my shield could withstand so much and not fall apart as a result)
Both opened their eyes and fired their energy balls though while I managed to bounce back the ball from the one in front, the other one struck me in the shoulder which caused some slight damage but nothing too major. The stunned Gohma was completely helpless as I proceeded to attack its eye repeatedly until it came out of its stunned state. It then closed its eye and I backed away to give myself some space but this proved problematic as now they were no longer in sync with each other. Case in point, the Gohma at the back attacked me by opening up its eye while the other scuttled back and forth without a care in the world.
Rather than bounce back the energy ball from the second Gohma, I decided to focus on the one in front until it was defeated. Sure, I could probably handle both at the same time but cockiness was a poor quality to have. As both continued scuttling back and forth, each took their respective pot shots at me but my focus was on the first one seeing as it was practically next to me. It opened its eye and fired its energy ball which I reflected with my shield causing it to get stunned again upon which I began attacking its eye with as many times as I could until the eye closed up again.
I was beginning to think that this was easy seeing as all they did was attack every now and again but deep down I knew there had to be more than this. As the second Gohma attacked with its energy ball, I made sure to either dodge it or bounce the ball back even though it would take too long to reach its target. At least I knew I could keep tabs on that one whilst focusing on the first one. Speaking of which, it appeared the first one was also capable of another attack which involved lunging forward using its claws. While it was a quick maneuver that didn't do much damage, it was something I had to watch out for all the same.
For a few moments, it continued to lunge forward whether or not I was in front of it, (It felt like some kind of defence mechanism where it lunged out in hopes of attacking prey without risking its eye), but eventually the eye opened where it fired another energy ball. I reflected the shot back with my shield and it got stunned long enough for me to strike the eye as many times as possible. After a few more hits, it suddenly exploded which definitely gave me a surprise but it meant only one more Gohma to take care of. The second one began pacing about like before but then it lunged forward with more distance behind it.
"And that would be one of its additional attacks."
"I was expecting something more serious."
"Yes, but it can be very surprising as you don't know when it will attack like that."
"I guess so."
"In any case, Sunset, you can now focus on defeating this other Gohma."
The way Princess Twilight described it, the second Gohma was going to be much harder to defeat, but in actuality, it was essentially the same as the other one except with a bit more range behind it. In any case, I couldn't complain as I had to defeat it all the same. It then dashed forward and continued going until it crashed into the wall only to be completely unfazed before moving back to where it was. If not for that hard shell, it would've accidentally stunned itself. It then lunged forward again and I raised my shield yet it quickly went back and continued scuttling along.
Okay, so now it was beginning to fake me out in hopes of confusing me. This Gohma was clearly smarter than the other so I needed to handle this carefully. It then did the same thing again followed by dashing forward and hitting the wall again before moving back and then opening its eye. Since I was focused on the previous attack, I got blasted from behind by its energy ball which knocked me forward but not knocking me down. Turning around to face it, it lunged at me this time and followed up by firing another energy ball. I was ready and bounced it back using my shield and stunning it.
While stunned, I attacked as many times as possible and deep down I hoped it didn't have more health than the other did. It then shook off the confusion by closing its eye and immediately dashing forward taking me with it and crashed into the wall whilst using me as some kind of battering ram. My back definitely felt that one for certain but I was surprisingly used to having that happen so it wasn't quite that bad. Several fake outs then occurred in a row which did annoy me at first but it eventually fired another energy ball after opening its eye. I then reflected it back with my shield where it got stunned again.
A part of me felt bored knowing that this was simply a rinse and repeat battle (The lack of pressure was also playing a factor which made no sense to me as I thought having a calm fight would do wonders for me) but I knew not to get overconfident especially since they weren't normal monsters. After attacking it a few more times, it dashed forward after closing its eye where it crashed into the wall. I wasn't on the receiving end as I stepped to the side but it quickly moved back into position before resuming its scuttling where it then made another dash forward.
Hitting the wall and coming back, it then did this for a third time, and each did it did so, I wasn't on the receiving end which made me wonder what it was even doing. Had it completely lost all senses or was this some kind of trick? I supposed it didn't really matter as this fight had dragged itself out for way too long. After a fake out, it fired an energy ball which I reflected back with my shield only for its eye to close due to me being too far away. Okay, that hadn't happened before so maybe my boredom was far worse than I initially thought. Shaking my head, I had to focus and not be distracted by mere boredom.
It fired an energy ball which I reflected back again (Like I said, rinse and repeat process here) causing it to be stunned and I proceeded to attack the exposed eye only for it to suddenly fall down onto its back with its tentacles flailing about. The other one didn't do this so I was confused on what was going on but my answer came as it began exploding several times before exploding in a final manner. This caused a door to become unlocked and a portal to appear in the middle of the room. Compared with some other battles I've had, that one was okay but the excitement quickly wears off since you can only do so much at a time.
"Well that was anti-climatic." I said as I put my sword away.
"You sound bored."
I nodded. "While that was way less stressful than usual, I can't help but feel that battle dragged on too long. I'm not saying that I was being overconfident but rather I wish that could've gone by a lot quicker than it did." It then dawned on me that it could've ended much sooner had I the one item which would've been essential. "Twilight... When we get out of here with that instrument, I'm paying a visit to Aria no matter what you say."
"I won't oppose that choice."
"On a different subject, I thought defeating Master Stalfos would've made the portal back to the beginning of the dungeon appear."
"Considering that it was encountered in four different locations, it wouldn't have been possible as the portal could've appeared in any one of those places."
"Well... I've got the warp point now."
"This is going to be very useful."
"Haven't they always been?"
Princess Twilight nodded. "Yes, but if you let me take a look at the Dungeon Map, I'll explain my thought process further." I did as Her Highness asked and took out the map and unfurled it to allow her to take a closer look at it. "By taking that staircase you saw in the previous room, it might take you closer to the Nightmare's location or you could end up somewhere else in the dungeon. Either way, this warp point will be very important but not until later."
"How do you know if those stairs in the other room will take me to the Nightmare?"
"I'm taking a guess."
I rolled my eyes in response. "And here I thought you were absolutely certain."
"You could check out that passageway if you want."
I shook my head. "No... I think I want to go back and check out those remaining rooms in the northeast. Besides, I have this strong feeling that you're right about how those stairs are likely to take me to the Nightmare which would be bad right now since I don't have the Nightmare Key. Without it heading to the Nightmare is just more time wasted." I then looked at the map again and began planning my next round of backtracking. "I've got this portal now so I could always use Manbo's Mambo and go back to the dungeon entrance and make my way over to the northeast from there. What do you think, Twilight?"
"You would save a little bit of time."
"Then again, it wouldn't take long for me to just go back the way I came."
"Also a valid point."
I thought over both options before choosing to go with the second choice. "Looks like I'm going to have to go back the way I came." Sure, it meant backtracking but then I would've done so anyway had I chosen to use Manbo's Mambo. "It's never a good idea to find the easy way through anything in life as what good comes from doing that?"
"You've changed since we first met back when I first became a princess."
"I had a very good teacher and very good friends."
That made Princess Twilight blush. "I'm glad you managed to turn your life around, Sunset."
Heading back into the previous room to begin my backtracking over to the remaining rooms of Catfish's Maw, I couldn't help but think about what Her Highness about how I had changed since we first met. When I abandoned my studies, I thought my own path was correct and the hatred in my heart over being denied the chance to become an alicorn was a driving force that made me want to despise everyone around me. Just thinking about how I used to behave made me shed a tear which I hid from Her Highness as I didn't want her to see this side of me... Vulnerable... Sensitive... Being afraid.
Had I not changed? I've thought about it before and came to the same conclusion then as I have now. I'd have isolated myself from everyone especially since they knew what I had done and would've ended up similar to what became of the Dazzlings. When I thought about it, they were living out the kind of life I could've had if not for friendship. Yeah, it did sound pretty cheesy in that sense but it was also true. Being alone with only themselves for comfort must be pretty rough but they are doing the best they can with what they have even if they crave their old lives. I'd have been in a far worse person due to being on my own and not having sisters.
As I continued into the next room, my thoughts continued on. You know... I should consider going back to Equestria and perhaps teach a course at the School of Friendship on what can happen when you allow hatred to consume you. It would mean having to leave my world for an extended period of time so maybe it could be one of those evening courses or maybe one on the weekend. Yeah... I really needed more time to think about it but it was an option. Of course, I needed to deal with my current situation which also included not having to deal with Ganondorf ever again. Why hadn't he greeted me in person ever since he sent me to this world?
Perhaps it was an answer I would discover at the end of this journey or perhaps not at all. Who was to say when it came to the likes of the Demon King. One thing I was certain of was that I would likely have to fight him again in another test where he would determine how much I had improved since our previous one. Again, trying to figure out his intentions and the inner workings of his mind was impossible though I wouldn't even try it if I could. When it came to ancient evils, you should never attempt to understand their thoughts. You would completely lose your sanity unless you'd already lost it.
Eventually, my backtracking brought back to where I fought Master Stalfos for the first time. (It felt like forever since I fought it despite it only happening a short while ago) I went to the right where the treasure chest that contained the Hookshot was and it was here that I had a choice to make. I could check out that deep water section or take the staircase which was an option I ignored initially. Thinking it over for a moment, I decided to check out the stairs in case they led to the area of the dungeon I needed to reach. Going down into another underground passage, it comprised of several platforms over a flooded basement.
"There are Cheep-Cheeps in the water."
"You don't have to fight them, Sunset, even though you are capable of using your sword underwater."
"Then why even have them here in the first place?"
"It was probably intended for those with little experience in that they would blunder their way into the water." Princess Twilight answered. "I don't know where this path will take you but I'm surprised you never took it initially."
"I thought the same thing."
"Perhaps we both thought it was unnecessary."
I nodded. "That could still be the case, or it might prove useful. Either way, I might as well see where this goes." I then made my way across by using the Roc's Feather to jump from platform to platform all while the Cheep-Cheeps continued to swim about without noticing me. Once I got to the other side of the passage, I was about to climb up a ladder when I stopped and looked down. "I need your opinion again, Twilight. Have I been acting like a jerk towards you lately?
That made Princess Twilight react unexpectedly. "Whatever brought this on?"
"I'll admit that I've been a little snarky towards you and maybe acting like a terrible friend." I answered as I looked up at the ceiling. "I guess you could say that I'm taking out some hidden aggression towards you that isn't warranted. Maybe it's jealousy in that you're going to become the next ruler of Equestria, something that was going to happen to me had I stayed on the path Princess Celestia had intended for me, but as we both know, I took a different path. It might even be me feeling homesick a little for Equestria. Also... I feel a little stressed out knowing what's been going on lately regarding the 'mark' I have if you get my meaning."
"This definitely came out nowhere."
"Can you answer my questions?"
Princess Twilight first landed on my shoulder and then answered them. "I have noticed such things coming from you, Sunset, but I don't let them get to me. I've been like that to my friends lots of times due to feeling stressed, jealous, or some other emotion that clouds my judgement. Believe me, becoming the ruler of Equestria is a huge responsibility and even if I claim to be ready, I never really will be because I'm succeeding those who have ruled for 1,000 years and then some. I'll admit that I'm using you to unleash some pent up stress so forgive me for acting in such a manner."
"And I thought being a princess was a wonderful thing."
"It involves work, schedules, waving, more work, being inspirational, guiding your subjects, and even more work."
"Key emphasis on the work there."
Princess Twilight laughed. "The work can be stressful to the point of insanity but it's all part and parcel with the responsibilities it entails. You know... I'm definitely going to make sure you get invited to the coronation even if I have to go through countless hurdles. Also, I'm going to see if you can give a presentation at the School of Friendship about your experiences and how they've changed you for the better. No doubt it's been on your mind, Sunset, and no, you've not been exposed to any mind reading."
"I never thought of you doing that... The mind reading that is."
"You want to tell your story so why not do just that?" Princess Twilight asked as she got off of my shoulder. "I'm sure the entire school would appreciate it. I may not be the head mare anymore ever since Starlight took over but I can still make some things happen. Now with regards to that other thing, your 'mark' as you called it... I'm in the same boat but what I've done is choose not to dwell on it. After all, there's not much you can do about it until that man makes his next move. Why get stressed over something that's beyond your control? In any case, you have your friends, me, my friends, Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna to back you up."
Talking to Princess Twilight about what was on my mind not only benefitted me but her as well. Having such talks not only relieve stress but also help us understand one other better and grow closer as friends. No wonder we both have such good chemistry with each other. Even though she was right about not dwelling on what Ganondorf was doing, I could only maintain such a stance for so long because of the nature of the man. He was in control of everything due to his immense power and could make anything happen. For my own sake, the hope was that I could defeat him once and for all. (Wishful thinking right there)
Climbing up the stairs and into the next room, I encountered a Shroud Stalfos and a Sword Stalfos lurking about on the other side of some statues. There were also two torches that began shooting fireballs which added a further element into the mix. Focusing on the two monsters as they could move, I used my shield to block the spear that the Shroud Stalfos kept on throwing and defeated it with two sword swings. The Sword Stalfos proved more wily as it kept on swinging its sword in hopes of breaking through my defence but I would parry its sword stunning it long enough for me take it down with my own sword.
Choosing not to check out the pots since the torches were still shooting fireballs at me, I walked into the next room where three Star monsters and a Bubble were all bouncing around and off of the walls. It took one sword strike on each Star to defeat them given how they weren't all that threatening yet I ignored the Bubble as an Owl Statue caught my eye and I knew it contained information which could prove useful. Once the Bubble was on the other side of the room, I approached the statue and took out the Stone Beak before placing it where it needed to go so that I could learn its secret.
'Dive under where torchlight beams do cross...' I had no idea what that meant but I did know that it had something to do with the dungeon. Princess Twilight then said that I needed to go to where that deep water was located and dive underwater in order to see where it went. (Trust her to figure out what was so obvious) I had an idea as to where it was in the dungeon but first I needed to continue to the right to see what the next room contained. Walking forward and into the next room, I could see the Nightmare Door on the other side of a massive abyss and with no means of reaching it from this side.
There was also a keyhole block, the sign that I needed one more small key, and to approach this room from the stairs on the other side. While this meant I had to once again backtrack to a previous room, I had gained important knowledge of this area so I wouldn't be confused later. I supposed I could've checked to see if I could push the block forward but I had a strong feeling in my gut that doing so would waste more time. Heading back to the previous room and then the one before that, aside from the Bubble, there were no other monsters barring me so I easily went back into the underground passage and jumped across each platform using the Roc's Feather.
Back at the other end, I went north past the empty Hookshot treasure chest and was back in the room with the five blocks. I pushed the middle one forward and went left as that was the direction I needed to go though Sparks were proving themselves to be annoying as they kept on bumping into me. In this next room, more Blade Traps attempted to slice my legs but I jumped over them with ease using the Roc's Feather, and from there I went north until I found the deep water. I carefully waded my way across making sure the Water Tektites weren't alerted to my presence as I'd rather not fight them at this point and dove underwater.
"I almost forgot that I can breathe underwater in this world." I said as I briefly held my breath thinking along those lines.
"From what I remember from the last adventure, you needed to be a Zora in order to move about underwater."
"I miss being such a majestic creature."
"At least you have the memories."
"Or what I can remember of them."
"Anyway, you can fight whilst underwater so don't think you're unable to defend yourself." Princess Twilight then changed the subject. "By the way, your path is being blocked by those two Bloopers."
I looked at both of them before I sighed whilst lowering my head. "Yet another Mario enemy that shouldn't be here but it is... You know... I'm not going to complain about this anymore as it doesn't really do me a world of good nor can I stop this from being a thing."
"May I explain them still?"
I nodded. "Go right ahead."
"Bloopers don't really do all that much other than attempt to block your path." Princess Twilight said. "They also don't appear very often due to being aquatic creatures so you've got that to look forward to in the future. It takes just one swing of the sword in order to defeat them. You can also swim about in hopes of getting past without having to deal with them as they are rather slow despite being at home here in the water."
Choosing to attack the Bloopers as they were effectively blocking my path, I waited for each one to swim on over before defeating both with one sword swing. Wow... They didn't put up any kind of challenge at all. No wonder Mario always got past them even when he had no power ups on hand. I felt a little sorry for Bloopers because they weren't very effective at what they were supposed to do as underwater enemies. Swimming along, two more Bloopers were in the way though another sword swing defeated them both. As I reached the other end, I could see a Goomba in a small cramped space. Why was it even there?
Ignoring it as it served no real purpose, I climbed out of the water and back into the dungeon by entering a new room where the Compass immediately beeped. Either the small key was located in the treasure chest that was somewhere in this room or it had to be the Nightmare Key seeing as I needed that too. In front of me on the other side of the abyss was another one of those handles so I knew what needed to be done. Firing the Hookshot, it went across the abyss, grabbed the handle, and pulled it back thus producing a bridge which I used to make my way across to the other side.
It didn't take long for me to find the chest as it was on the other side of a wall and when I opened it, I took out the Nightmare Key. While this was an excellent find as I needed this key to enter the Nightmare's room, it meant that I needed to check those remaining chests out. Pocketing the key and making my way back to the stairs, I went back underwater and ignored the Goomba again as it really wasn't doing anything. After swimming for about ten seconds, I climbed back out of the water and slowly crept along so as to not attract the Water Tektite's attention as I still didn't want to fight any of them.
Getting past them and avoiding the Blade Traps, I was soon back in the five block room where I pushed the block forward in order to go north. Ignoring the monsters in this next room seeing as I didn't need to go that way, I jumped over a gap and then jumped right before using the Hookshot to pull myself towards a chest which I couldn't reach previously. Opening the chest and taking out a purple rupee which was worth fifty rupees. This alone was more than enough to finally purchase the bow from Aria while having a small amount left over for a future purchase should the need arise.
Moving on, I used the Hookshot to pull a handle across the abyss which created another bridge which I used to cross whilst jumping to grab the flying Recovery Heart seeing as I took some damage during my backtracking. Reaching the next treasure chest, I opened it and took out a second purple rupee. (I wished I had gotten these two purple rupees a lot sooner on account of getting the bow earlier instead of getting it later on) Heading back across the bridge, I turned to the left to where the final treasure chest was located and pulled myself across with the Hookshot to where it was all while the Compass beeped.
Opening the chest, I took out the small key. "I think that's everything in this dungeon, Twilight."
"Let's check the map first to make sure you didn't miss anything."
Taking out the Dungeon Map, there were no remaining treasure chests and all rooms had been checked aside from the two obvious ones. "I've been everywhere in Catfish's Mawsave for the Nightmare's room and the one beyond it which is where the instrument should be."
"Then you've got some options to consider."
"I do?"
Princess Twilight nodded. "You can go and take on the Nightmare right now which isn't necessarily a bad idea. I suspect the Hookshot is going to be needed for the Nightmare though we won't know for certain until I get a closer look at it. Or, you could leave the dungeon in order to purchase the bow from Aria. You've been talking so much about it where it's almost become an obsession of yours."
"980 rupees is a lot of money you know."
"That would be the downside."
"Having a bow will be incredibly helpful and I happen to be pretty good with one now."
"Yes, but like you said, 980 rupees is a lot."
I covered my wallet with both hands in reaction to that statement. "I've already spent 200 rupees on a shovel which hasn't done much for me though not having it would just make me paranoid wondering if I was missing something important buried underground."
"Perhaps you should look for some hidden treasure chests across the island."
"Yeah."
"Another option is for you to complete the trading quest you started way back in Mabe Village." Princess Twilight said. "You have the scale you received from Gloriosa which is needed for that mermaid statue but perhaps Bulk Biceps should be the one to insert it since he was the one who created it. Granted, this option is probably best saved for later even though technically you can do it now as you do have everything you need."
"The instrument is my current priority."
"I suspected as such."
"But I'm going to use Manbo's Mambo in order to get back to the entrance of the dungeon." I said as I removed my hands from my wallet and took out the Ocarina. "I'm not about to go back through this whole dungeon for a third or maybe even fourth time. (I honestly had no idea how many times it really had been) Besides, that warp point is going to become very useful since I have a feeling that I know where those remaining stairs go."
Playing Manbo's Mambo, I focused on the entrance to Catfish's Maw and the magic contained within the song soon whisked me away, and just like that, I was immediately back at the entrance to the dungeon. (Warping around was a lot more fun than I gave it credit for) Stepping on the warp point, I didn't have to concentrate as it knew exactly where it needed to take me, and just like before, I was in the Gohma's room. Walking to the upper right and entering the next room, a single Red Zol was standing in my way making it a last line of defence. It attempted to bounced into me and I responded by cutting it in two before slicing both halves.
Heading into the new underground passage, I could see some Goombas on patrol yet I didn't need to deal with them. There were also two strange looking hooks on the ceiling which were likely Hookshot targets. Had I come here much sooner, my progress would've stopped right here. Walking across and jumping over a slightly raised platform, I accidentally stepped on a Goomba which dropped a Recovery Heart that I picked up. Looking upwards, I could see the other hook and fired the Hookshot at it, pulling myself up to two small ladders before making my way over to the bigger one at the other end of the room.
Climbing up the ladder, I found myself back in the room where the keyhole block was only now I was on the correct side. Inserting the small key into the block, it disappeared allowing me to progress though it quickly became apparent that I needed to pull myself across the abyss to get to where I needed to go. (One last obstacle albeit a minor one) I did exactly that by using the Hookshot by firing the chain across the abyss where it hit a block and I quickly got pulled along before making my way over to the Nightmare Door. I'll say this much. These dungeons were getting more and more difficult to overcome.
Using the Nightmare Key, I unlocked the door and entered the Nightmare's room to find absolutely nothing. Both doors locked behind me but I was more concerned with figuring out where it was hiding. "Hello?"
"Looks like this Nightmare is hiding from us."
"The story of my life."
"I must say that the tiles on the ground are quite interesting."
"They look ancient-like in terms of appearance."
At that point, another voice made itself known. "Ssoo... You are the Outsssider, come to wake the Wind Fisssh..."
"You must be the Slime Eel."
The voice began to laugh. "You are correct in your asssumption. I had thought that the Massster Ssstalfosss would've killed you but it turned out to be a ussselesss creature. Even thossse Gohma turned out to be ussselesss. One ssshould never rely on idiotsss as they are pathetic!"
"And what does that make you?"
"One who is far sssuperior."
"For a Nightmare, you sure are proud of yourself."
The Slime Eel began to laugh more slowly. "I'm one of the more powerful Nightmaresss but there isss sssomething more important that I mussst dissscusss with you, Outsssider. I know that you have been going around collecting those inssstrumentsss in order to awaken the dreamer yet it appearsss you are ignorant of sssomething mossst important that no one hasss mentioned."
"Why am I ignorant?"
"Becaussse you do not underssstand the truth."
"What truth?"
Again, the Slime Eel laughed. "The fact that you ssstill don't know tellsss me everything about you. If you knew the truth, you wouldn't be completing this foolisssh quessst. Continue on thisss path will resssult in pain the likesss of which you've never felt before."
"Don't think you can trick me or anything."
"Ah... It ssseemsss that even now you choossse not to heed my words." The Slime Eel said, its voice getting even lower. "I ssshall sssay no more on the matter. You have become too problematic and therefore you mussst die. KEEE-HEE-HEEEH! I shall eat you and thus everything will continue on as it always has!"
Suddenly, everything began rumbling as cracks started to form in the middle of the tiles located in the center of the room. Moments later, a large segmented tail with a spiked ball on the end burst through the crack and started wiggling about which made me a little uncomfortable, but things got worse when some kind of creature with sharp teeth burrowed through the wall before repeating this process on both sides of the room with two holes on each side. This Nightmare was a lot bigger than expected though I hoped it wouldn't pull itself out and chase me around with its large body.
"What did it mean about the truth?"
"It's best to deal with that later." Princess Twilight answered.
"Oh right!"
"The Slime Eel's tail is going to constantly rotate around the room." Princess Twilight said. "There's nothing you can do to stop it from moving around so you'll have to constantly avoid it by jumping over it using the Roc's Feather. That will be your main concern as you need to focus on which hole the head will appear and use the Hookshot to pull it out. Which hole it appears from will be at random so don't try and figure out a solution to it. This Nightmare is stronger than the previous ones so expect to take a lot of damage. Good thing Sugar Belle gave you medicine as you're sure to use it."
"Does this thing even have a weak point?"
"Use the Hookshot and find out."
"Anything else?"
"Once it takes some damage, a fake Slime Eel is going to start showing up."
"How will I know it's a fake?"
"Look for a telltale sign."
That wasn't the kind of answer I was expecting from Princess Twilight but I knew that she couldn't tell me everything otherwise I would never learn anything. The Slime Eel, after showing off its teeth, retreated back into the wall and I had no doubt that I couldn't follow after it. Instead, it was all about keeping up with it as it kept on popping its head out while its tail will be a constant annoyance. Speaking of its tail, it began moving around in a relatively quick manner and smacked me in my legs causing me to trip and fall onto my butt. Getting back up before I could be knocked down again, I could see that some corners were safe depending on the tail's current position.
Jumping constantly using the Roc's Feather (I'm not going to be pointing this out every time as even I knew what I was doing), I waited for the Slime Eel to pop its head out. It eventually did so from the northwest hole and I raced over to use the Hookshot only to get caught by the tail which held me back. It went back and came back out in the southeast hole (Just how big was this Nightmare!?) so I went that way and missed again as its tail knocked me down again. Getting up again, I waited for the next opportunity to come along which happened when it popped out from where it was just moments ago.
This time, I was ready and I fired the Hookshot. My first shot looked to hit the side of its mouth which did nothing so I tried again just as its tail was about to hit me again. I connected and pulled the Slime Eel out which caused its tail to recede, but more importantly, I could see a glowing pink segment which was the weak point. Moving past the mouth and attacking this weak point, it slowly moved back into the wall so I needed to work quickly. Damaging it as much as possible, it eventually retreated and I awaited for it to come back out again to continue our battle.
Unfortunately, I completely forgot about the tail which had since came back out and began swinging around again. It knocked into me and began pushing me around the room causing more damage than expected until I managed to free myself from it. (I must have lost about two hearts of health if not more) A thought then came to mind. If I were to pull it out of the wall by using the Hookshot on the other side of the room, more of the body will be exposed enabling me more chances to damage the weak point. Granted, it wouldn't be easy but it was my best option.
As the Slime Eel continued poking its head out in and chomping for no apparent reason, I waited in the middle of the room whilst jumping over the tail until it came out from the southwest hole where I raced over only to miss my chance when it disappeared again. Unlike the Gohmas where things were patient, this fight had intense written all over. The Slime Eel next emerged from the northwest hole so I turned around and fired the Hookshot, connecting in one shot and pulling the body out. I hit the weak point as many times as possible before it went back into hiding.
It appeared in the southeast and I had no chance of getting over there due to the tail being erratic so I waited for the next opportunity to come along. It occurred when it came out from the northwest though something was wrong. It's eyes looked different (The colours were reversed) which made me wonder if this was the next phase of the battle. Firing the Hookshot and pulling it out, it began wiggling all about all while bumping into me. It dawned on me that this was what Princess Twilight meant by a fake Slime Eel and I allowed myself to be fooled by the deception. As I struggled to get away from the fake, it began glowing before exploding moments later.
"There goes the fake!" I said as I breathed heavily.
"It did quite a lot of damage to you, Sunset."
"I can't believe I fell for that!"
"Now you know to avoid it in the future." Princess Twilight said. "If there's a consolation, it would be that the real Slime Eel's tail recedes while the fake one moves about so you don't have to worry about dealing with two tails at the same time. As the Slime Eel continues to weaken, the tail will become even more erratic where it'll reach a point where you'll have no idea what it will do. By the way... How is your health?"
"I'm losing steam pretty quickly."
"This Nightmare is stronger than expected."
"Maybe I should've grabbed a fairy somewhere."
"You can't worry about that now."
"I beg to differ here."
Already, my body was beginning to feel weaker due to the fake Slime Eel causing me a lot of damage. Whereas the previous Nightmares weren't quite that aggressive despite their efforts to kill me, this one showed no signs of holding back its aggression and was bent on completely destroying me without mercy. As the tail popped back up and began moving around, the words of Her Highness rang true as the tail started behaving differently. It started following me instead of simply going around in a circle though it would sometimes do the latter probably because it was how it behaved.
My weakened state meant I moved slower and this was further made true when the tail knocked me down and right in front of the Slime Eel as it popped out of the southeast. It's gaping maw filled with teeth clamped down on me causing a ton of pain. I tried to scream but couldn't as the tight grip was causing me to have some breathing problems. It continued clamping down before finally letting go and retreating back into its hole leaving me in sheer agony. Getting back up slowly, I jumped over its tail before it turned around and knocked me over again but at least I landed next to its mouth and not in front of it.
Getting up again, the head popped out from the northwest and I stumbled over, firing the Hookshot just as the head was about to disappear. Pulling it out, I attacked the weak point though thanks to my weakened resolve, I couldn't hit it as often as I wanted. (You might think this was me being overdramatic but that wasn't the case at all) As the Slime Eel retreated again, the fake one then made its appearance which I ignored as I recognized it now. I waited for it to retreat before it popped up in the same place again but again, I ignored it as I knew it wasn't real.
Walking over to one of the corners of the room, I was able to avoid the tail for the time being as I struggled to catch my breath. This was definitely a major step up when it came to overall difficulty and I felt like I was completely out of my league here. Shaking my head, I couldn't allow such thoughts to make me feel discouraged. I have to defeat this Nightmare and acquire the next instrument in order to awaken the Wind Fish. As the tail continued moving around, it then came back and I jumped over it in order to reach its head as it popped out this time from the southwest.
Firing the Hookshot, I pulled its body forward just as I was struck by the tail which caused me to drop to my knees but I got back up and attacked the weak point until I collapsed again. Even though Sugar Belle's medicine did work as intended, I wished it could be used without me having to die first. It was perhaps the one drawback with it as otherwise it would've been truly ideal. No sense in dwelling on something that had been programmed into a very old game.
The fake appeared which again I ignored as I continued jumping over the tail with the Roc's Feather, but when the real one appeared from the northeast hole, I slowly stumbled around to its front and fired the Hookshot to pull it out. Because of feeling weak, I ended up getting caught in its gaping maw where it began chomping down again. By this point, I was too weak and I dropped to the ground dead. Princess Twilight did say that this would happen to me or rather say that I would have to use Sugar Belle's medicine. If I hadn't paid her another visit, this would've been my permanent death.
My body twitched before I got back up again. "I hope I wasn't being dramatic."
"No, you took it like I expected you would."
"Sugar Belle once again saved my life."
"And it was against a Nightmare instead of what the Hydrosaur was."
"You were right about the Slime Eel being strong."
"The remaining Nightmares are likely to be just as strong." Princess Twilight said. "Maybe they all won't be strong in the physical sense but rather they will possess abilities that will make them incredibly challenging. Right now, the Slime Eel does look to be running out of steam though it's too soon to tell. Now that you've fully regained your health, Sunset, you should be able to move about more fluidly."
"I'm happy about that."
"Remember that you no longer have the medicine on your side."
I grumbled. "Don't remind me."
"If you plan on defeating the Slime Eel, you need to do so now."
One thing I had been ignoring was the fact that the hole where the tail was coming from was the same as a bottomless pit. Falling down into it would probably kill me so I needed to keep my distance though so far that hadn't been an issue. With my health back at full along with my strength, I was ready for more though I had to be cautious now for if the Slime Eel killed me this time, it would be permanent as Sugar Belle's medicine had been used up. The fake then emerged from the northwest hole and again I ignored it knowing what it was and when the real one appeared from the same hole, I fired the Hookshot at it.
Pulling it out though not as far as I would've liked, I attacked the weak point until the Nightmare retreated back into the hole. Again, I was so fixated on the weak point that I forgot all about the tail which reared up and knocked me over. It then emerged right in front of where I fell and I was trapped within its gaping maw. Fortunately, I was strong enough to break free but I still took some damage. Before I had a chance to recover from that, I got knocked down again by the tail but the head emerged from a different hole so that time I was safe. Was it showing signs of desperation?
Getting back up, the fake once again appeared (Why it continued to use it was beyond me as surely it knew that I had figured out what it was) which I once again ignored only for it to reappear from the southeast hole. After that, the real one came out from the same hole and I pulled it out using the Hookshot making sure to be far enough away for me to attack. Attacking its weak point, it still managed to retreat which had me wondering just how much health this Nightmare had. Granted, it was a similar situation with the Angler Fish so perhaps this would also be true for the remaining Nightmares including Grogar.
The tail of the Slime Eel continued to be problematic of course as sometimes I would jump over it only for the tail to move backwards and knock me over. It did so yet again and I wound up getting chomped on by the fake one this time. (I should've known that it was capable of biting on me seeing as it was mimicking the real one) Knowing what the fake one was, my only choice was to let it damage me until it got bored and let go. (It took about five seconds before doing so) Upon releasing me from its grip, I regained my composure before jumping over the Slime Eel's tail just as the real head emerged from the northwest hole.
Firing the Hookshot despite being up close, I pulled out the Nightmare and attacked the weak point until it suddenly collapsed in what appeared to be agony. Finally, I had managed to overcome this difficult Nightmare and that meant it was about to start exploding. At first, nothing was happening which made me wonder if I had in fact defeated it, but instead it turned its head towards me before starting to laugh albeit very slowly. I never had this happen before given how the others exploded and nothing more. Could it be that the Slime Eel was faking death and was prepared for more?
"TSSSK, TSSSK! You managed to defeat me, Outsssider, but it ssseemsss your victory holdsss no meaning." The Slime Eel said.
"What do you mean?"
"Tell me... Have you ever once tried to figure out what kind of island this isss?"
I shrugged. "Not really no."
The Slime Eel laughed though it struggled to do so. "How unfortunate. If only you knew then you wouldn't be doing everything in your power to awaken the Wind Fisssh. This is my warning to you!"
"Enough!" I shouted. "What are you trying to tell me?"
"Continue your journey and you will discover the truth of thisss island."
"And what will that accomplish?"
"Thisss island has a dark sssecret which has so far eluded you, Outsssider." The Slime Eel answered, its voice getting weaker with every passing moment. "But sssoon, you will learn what that sssecret is and when you do... KEEE-HEEE-HEEE! I can't imagine what it will do the likesss of you."
"Like I'm going to let some kind of secret deter me from my goal."
"So be it!" The Slime Eel snickered under its breath as though it knew I would respond that way. "You have made your choice and are committed to it."
I stood there with a blank expression on my face knowing that I didn't understand what it was getting at, but I decided to humour it anyway in hopes that perhaps I could figure it out later on after leaving this dungeon. "You say that yet you've been rather elusive in the meaning behind your words."
"What a fool..."
"What?"
The Slime Eel laughed. "Go! Find out the truth and when you do... You will be forced to answer the one question
which you have been afraid to answer. KEEE-HEEE-HEE! What a fool... KEE HEE HEH!"
Breathing heavily before going silent, the Slime Eel began exploding with each of its segments disappearing per explosion starting from the tail until the head exploded as though it had popped like a balloon. Both doors then unlocked followed by a Heart Container appearing to the right of the pit where its tail was. I had many questions going in and out of my mind with no answers for any of them. What did it mean by finding out the truth? It acted much like Flash Sentry in that he refused to answer specific questions but coming from a Nightmare? I began to fear what could potentially happen.
"Are you alright, Sunset?" Princess Twilight asked.
I shook my head. "I don't know what to make of what the Slime Eel said.
"It was definitely trying to warn you about not continuing on with your journey."
"But why?"
"Perhaps it and the remaining Nightmares know more than the previous ones did because of being closer to Grogar." Princess Twilight answered. "I know what the Slime Eel said has gotten under your skin, Sunset, but you can't worry about it right now. We'll figure out what it was talking about though I have a feeling Flash Sentry might direct you towards whatever this truth is regarding Koholint Island. For now, it's best to focus on collecting the remaining instruments."
"I'm not sure if I can."
"We'll figure it out, I promise."
"I hope you're right."
"We have to."
Walking over to the Heart Container and picking it up, despite the warm feeling calming my body, my mind was uneasy due to the Slime Eel's words. It was true that I hadn't questioned the nature of Koholint Island's existence as I always assumed that it was due to being isolated from other lands. But what if there was a dark secret which had been kept hidden from not just me but from everyone? Was it one that could change everything? Just thinking about it chilled me to the core of my soul. It also made me consider something else. Was this also part of Ganondorf's reason for bringing me to this world? Did he know all along?
As more questions penetrated my mind, it was clear that I had been going all this time without a clear understanding of this world. That needed to change right now! A part of me felt that knowing whatever this truth was would prove disastrous but it was one I must confront in order to escape. And what about Princess Twilight? Would she be affected in the same manner which could potentially affect me? Granted, she hadn't endured as much emotional damage as I had when it came to Ganondorf and his ambitions yet Her Highness had proven to possess a vulnerable side which enemies of Equestria often took advantage of. Just thinking of it made me worry.
Entering the final room of Catfish's Maw with the door closing behind me, I could see the next Instrument of the Sirens resting on top of a raised platform. As I approached it, it looked a lot like a xylophone (This wasn't a bad thing mind you) but upon getting a closer look at it, I saw that it was in fact a marimba. Unlike the previous instruments, marimbas weren't exactly common but then I never did go out of my way to try and see if I could find one. With a shiny glow which radiated great beauty, I picked it up and held it in my hands though I quickly turned around because of expecting a certain someone.
"You have found the Wind Marimba!"
"Princess Luna!" Princess Twilight exclaimed.
"As expected, the Princess of the Night appeared before me just as she said she would when I met her previously in the Bottle Grotto. "I must say that it took you quite a bit of time collecting this instrument, Sunset Shimmer, but pay me no need for I know that you have to overcome incredible odds." Princess Luna then looked down at her feet before coughing which made me wonder if I had done something to offend her. "Even though there is much that I know, I cannot deny that I have no idea what a marimba is. Perhaps you could educate me on what it is supposed to be?"
"It's a percussion instrument." I answered.
"Any other information?"
"It's related to the xylophone."
Princess Luna was ecstatic to hear that. "Huzzah! I knew you would be answer to address my query. Now then... You have collected five instruments now with only three more remaining but know that things will become even harder though this you already know. Sunset Shimmer, this quest is going to take its toll on you when you discover the dark secret of this island yet you must remain strong if we are all to return home safely."
"You know about this?" Princess Twilight asked.
Princess Luna nodded. "I am aware of it, yes, but I cannot reveal what this dark secret is. Some kind of power is preventing me from telling you and so you must discover the truth on your own, but I can tell you that the truth is going to happen relatively soon."
"I'm not going to like it am I?" I asked.
"You will find out when the time comes."
"I was afraid of that."
"As Twilight as told you, Sunset, you must focus on collecting the remaining instruments." Princess Luna said. "Now listen carefully to what I say next. Shrine... The island's secret in the shrine. A new area has now been opened up because you possess that which can pull you across great distances, but there is also the matter of finishing a work of art which also requires what you obtained in the Catfish's Maw. Below the mermaid's statue is something of great importance. Without it, you will never complete your journey. I do not know what you will find but perhaps it will prove useful."
"What about a bow?"
"We magic users have never had need of one but earth ponies have used a variation during the Equestria Games."
I nodded. "Yes, that's true but you didn't answer my question."
"I thought I did." Princess Luna said with obvious sarcasm in her voice. "Anyway, I would suggest getting your hands on a bow, Sunset, as you may find yourself getting stuck when you least expect it. I hope you have enough of the local currency to purchase it. Also, you will need more of this currency for something in the future." Her body started to fade which meant her time in this dungeon was coming to an end. "This is where I must take my leave of you both but know that you shall see me again in a place which is dedicated to a giant bird."
"As in an eagle?" Princess Twilight asked.
"Why yes." Princess Luna answered. "How did you know?"
"A wild guess."
"In any case, I shall see you when you obtain in the instrument from that place. Now, listen to the musical tones of the Wind Marimba!"
As Princess Luna disappeared, both Princess Twilight and I came to the same conclusion. She would next appear at the same time as Princess Celestia who said that we would see her again upon me reaching the end of Level 7. Did that mean Princess Cadance would also meet us there after I had finished Level 6? The only way to know for certain was to get to the end of the next dungeon and ask. That's when another question (You tend to get a lot of those during adventures) came to mind. I had not seen any shrine on Koholint Island so far. If one was somewhere, where would it be located?
The music from the Wind Marimba managed to calm me down a little though I knew that I needed way more than that considering what could possibly be waiting for me. As everything went white, I could only imagine what the dark secret of the island was, and again, it chilled me to the core. Upon returning outside of Catfish's Maw, I couldn't see Flash Sentry anywhere so unless he was about to show up, I was on my own to decide where to go next. Of course, my next objective would be to return to the item shop in order to get my hands on the bow which had been eluding me for so long.
To Be Continued.