//------------------------------//
// Chapter 24: To Fly Like a Bird. 
// Story: The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening. 
// by Ganondorf8 
//------------------------------//

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.
By Ganondorf8.
February 26, 2021.
Chapter 24: To Fly Like a Bird.

Sitting down on the steps in front of the Face Shrine, I began to think about what both Princess Cadance and Flash Sentry had told me. If the monsters had indeed gotten even more aggressive, I was running out of time. I needed to collect the remaining two instruments immediately. Yet this was where things as usual got awkward. To reach the next dungeon which was somewhere on Mt. Tamaranch, it required me to fly like a bird. Those were his words and again, if I were meant to fly, I'd have become an alicorn and given wings.

Even if I were an alicorn, I wouldn't have been able to use wings as Equestrian Magic was blocked from being used in this world. I also doubted that there was an item that would grant me the power of flight so there had to be some other way I could fly. Shaking my head, I thought perhaps I was overthinking things again. Changing my thoughts to this mountain tower Flash Sentry mentioned, I was certain that was the next dungeon, and that meant I was expecting a rather lengthy climb to come out of it.

Then there was what Princess Cadance was able to tell me. My biggest disappointment was how she couldn't tell me whether this island was real or not yet I should've known that it wasn't going to be easy to get such an answer. The thought of someone on the island knowing was exciting but still, a part of me wished I could've been told now rather than making me wait until much later. Oh well. It couldn't be helped. She also mentioned about how there was a place of interest where I could use the Magnifying Lens. I was beginning to think I wouldn't find any other use for it but there you go.

And furthermore, using the lens would lead me to a great weapon. I'm all for acquiring new items if they were to help me complete my journey. There was also the Seashell Mansion which I promised myself I'd visit as I wanted to check with Adagio on my seashell total and get some more hints on where to find more. Yeah, I'd completely neglected what she told me and the guilt weighed me down. Surely she was understanding since I was focusing more on my main objective rather than stuff on the side.

Speaking of main objective, I finally had an answer regarding the rupee issue Princess Luna had hinted at. The 300 rupee price tag was surely immense and for most, that would've been a turning off point, but finding those treasure chests in the Face Shrine gave me more than enough so it wasn't really a big deal. Considering how much I paid Aria to get both the shovel and the bow, I was curious as to what else could be deemed expensive on this island. It also occurred to me that someone else wanted to charge a huge amount for something which I needed.

Lastly, there was Discord, my 'guide' of the island. Princess Twilight was second to none when it came to guiding me, but even she had admitted that Discord knew things that were beyond her reach. Come to think of it, how did he know so much considering he never left his home in Mabe Village? I wasn't about to question his knowledge as it had proven detrimental especially during so many confusing moments but I was simply curious is all. If not for the stellar advice from both of my sources, I'd still be wandering around looking for the first dungeon or maybe a way out of the Mysterious Forest.

Princess Twilight then spoke up. "So are we going to get moving any time soon?"

I responded. "I thought to take the time to think about everything we just learned."

"And what did you conclude?"

"I've got some backtracking to do and some unusual progress."

Looking at me with a weird look, Princess Twilight scratched her head. "I figured you'd mention the backtracking given how you don't like doing it, but what do you mean unusual progress?" The moment she said that herself, she knew what I was getting at. "You mean having to fly like a bird? Hmmm... Flash Sentry's hints have often been confusing and this one definitely is something. You know, if you were meant to fly, you'd have been given wings and become an alicorn."

I frowned. "Yeah, I already thought about that... Twice!"

"I thought as much."

"How am I supposed to fly like a bird?"

Princess Twilight shrugged. "I wish I knew, Sunset. If only I were my regular size then I could've carried you to where you need to go. And no, I'm not saying that you're heavy though all those items would've made it difficult for me to maintain consistency."

"At least you didn't call me fat!"

"Being a fairy does have its share of strengths and weaknesses and right now it's proving to be the latter."

"Guess I need Discord's help."

Nodding, Princess Twilight agreed. "If I remember the layout of the island, there was a telephone booth located near the warp panel outside of Mabe Village. I know there's a booth in the village proper but I'd figure you'd want to do as little backtracking as possible." Her Highness then had a thought. "Come to think of it, you never explored the area south of that particular booth. There could be something there... Or not."

"Really? I never went down there?"

"No."

Talk about feeling awkward. Here I was, thinking about where to go next and Her Highness revealed that there was an area I never explore before, and it was close to Mabe Village. You could forgive me here since I either didn't think there was any reason to go that way or I lacked an item needed to progress. If there was something there I needed, perhaps now was the time to check it out. It was best to ask Discord for his advice as he probably knew... No, he definitely knew. Before that, I needed to make a quick pitstop.

Taking out the Ocarina and playing Manbo's Mambo, I focused on the warp panel that was located next to the Seashell Manion. Soon, I disappeared in a bright light and reappeared seconds later at my destination only to duck due to a spear being thrown at my head. Avoiding the Moblins as I didn't feel like fighting them and entering the mansion, I stepped forward and onto a panel where the meter on the wall began to fill up.

From what I remembered last time I came here, the meter only filled up a quarter of the way. This time, it filled up halfway. At that moment, Adagio appeared in all her splendor, and my first reaction was that she was upset over my lack of following her hints. "Welcome back, young child." She then looked at the meter and smiled. "You appear to have collected some more seashells though you found them on your own without my help. I am very impressive at such an initiative."

"I'm sorry that I didn't follow the advice you gave me."

Adagio waved her hand. "You need not apologize. You were merely fulfilling your role as this island's savior. Though you did not heed my advice, you were able to bring me more seashells which has resulted in a new reward." Waving her hand, a box with a bow appeared in front of me. Opening it up, I took out another Secret Seashell. "Consider this one a freebie for your hard work. Now, you need only nine more to get the ultimate prize. However, I feel you deserve something else."

"You don't need to do that."

"Oh, but I insist on you having it." Waving her hand again, a strange looking device dropped down from the ceiling and into her hand. "This is a Seashell Sensor. Normally, you would have needed to collect fifteen seashells but I am going to give this to you now." She then used her magic and it floated over to me where I grabbed it. "It will make a noise whenever there is a seashell in your vicinity. It cannot reveal its exact location but I am certain that won't be a problem. After all, you have a lot of ingenuity."

"I guess I need to backtrack to all over the island."

"This is not necessarily true."

"What do you mean?"

"There are seven Secret Seashells located in the mountains alone." Adagio answered as she smiled again. To be honest, I was a little weirded out over how much she smiled given her true self was manipulative, resentful, and wanting to achieve glory again at the expense of others. "I know that you must go there, child. Yes... As the Great Fairy of Koholint Island, I have knowledge of such matters. However, I cannot guide you in that sense. You will need help from another who is just as experienced. Now... There are seashells located in Mabe Village though you will need to play some games to get them."

"Any others?"

"You can find a few in the Animal Village."

"I feel that I should've done more exploring."

Adagio shook her head. "You did what you believed was best. I will tell you this though. The ultimate prize is not required for you to complete your journey. If you believed that then I apologize. It can make the final encounters more easier though perhaps you prefer a challenge. I am not saying I know what thoughts go on in your mind but maybe you are a thrill-seeker?"

I shook my head this time. "No, I prefer a normal life though you could say my life is anything but that."

"We all have our own roles to play in the game called life."

Putting the Seashell Sensor in my pocket, I then turned and was about to start walking away when I spoke up. "I'm grateful for everything you've done, Great Fairy, though it isn't saying much given how I didn't take advantage of your kindness. This time, I will try my best to use your hints and acquire nine more seashells. To be fair, I wish you could give me this ultimate prize at fifteen seashells but that would be taking the easy solution."

"You have a strong sense of justice."

As she disappeared and I began to leave the mansion, I couldn't help but think that she was strongly considering going through with my suggestion. It wasn't my intention to have to earn this item in an easier manner, but given how I'd done little exploration, I thought maybe she could make an exception to the rule. Outside of the mansion, I began to think about where to go next. Adagio had given me some great hints on seashell locations (Ones that I'd definitely use this time) but a part of me wanted to know about this one area south of Mabe Village that I'd neglected for so long.

Checking to see if the coast was clear, I played Manbo's Mambo again and focused on the warp panel outside of the village. Once it was firmly in my mind, I was whisked away by the and was moments later at my destination. It felt like it had been years since I first entered the Ukuku Prairie even though it had merely been a few days at best. Back then, I didn't have the kind of items I had now. I'd come a long way since starting this journey though this could be said with my previous ones. Unlike those ones, I didn't feel quite as pressured even if there was actual pressure.

Walking off the panel and avoiding a Winged Octorok, I went west towards the village before turning left and headed south. I also made sure to cut down the grass as it netted me a few green rupees. Two trees then came up, the one on the left was just an ordinary tree, the other was the telephone booth Princess Twilight had mentioned. Avoiding two more Winged Octoroks (It's not like I could easily defeat them though it was possible), I entered and picked up the phone where it began ringing.

BRRING! BRRING!

"Ho ho! It's me, Ulrira!" Discord answered on the other end.

"You know why I picked up one of your telephones."

"I figured as much." Discord at first sounded like he was fed up with telling me where to go but his voice quickly changed. "I heard rumours that you happen to love music. It must be true as you've been seen playing an ocarina you found somewhere."

"Yes."

That made Discord ecstatic. "Then have I got some news for you. If you're tired of playing the same songs, why not try something new. There's a frog named Mamu who lives in the Signpost Maze. She might be willing to teach you something but she charges a lot to play whatever she comes up with. If you've got the money, why not go and pay her a visit."

As soon as he said 'maze', it immediately clicked. "Did you say Signpost Maze!?" It was clear that this was the maze that Princess Cadance mentioned. Whoever this Mamu was, I had to meet her and learn a new song, the thing that I needed to progress. "Do you know where the maze is?"

"It's located to the left of Pothole Field." Discord answered in a more sarcastic tone. "I thought everyone knew where it was located. Anyway, unless you can pull yourself across some nasty holes, there's no way to get there unless you could jump. By the way, the Signpost Maze is quite the doozy, ho ho! Its simplicity hides the fact that it confuses anyone who attempts to solve it. I mean, it's pretty obvious what needs to be done."

I could tell that Discord was giving me the subtle hint of trying to figure it out on my own. I needed to pay close attention to any signposts that I ran into. He also mentioned about needing to pull myself across... Yeah... That definitely required the Hookshot. Hopefully, this wasn't going to take very long as I knew how difficult mazes could be. I even felt insulted when Discord said everyone knew where this maze was. Unlike other people, I wasn't one of the locals so how was I supposed to know it was that close to Mabe Village?

"I think I've got a handle on things."

"Hold on!" Discord shouted, his booming voice echoed in my ear.

"What is it?"

"For once, I'm going to tell you a story about something that's very important."

"Um..."

Before I had a chance to say anything, Discord began telling his story. "Have you heard of the Flying Rooster of Mabe Village?" My lack of a response pretty much told him that I had no idea what he was talking about. "In the good old days, it used to give us rides if we held it above our heads. No matter how heavy the person, it could take them anywhere they wanted to go. Unfortunately, death can be a cruel mistress. Now... It is lying under the weathervane. I suppose you could see its remains though it'd require tons of strength."

"That was some story."

"I hoped you liked it, goodbye!"

CLICK!

At first, I tried to ignore his story as I thought it was completely irrelevant, but then it all started to click together in my mind. In order to fly like a bird, I needed to use a bird and have it fly me around! Unfortunately, it was deceased and unless there was something I was missing. Just when I thought I had it figured out, I find myself getting stuck so close to the solution. His information was almost always useful so I asked Princess Twilight to remind me to pay a visit to Mabe Village and this weathervane in particular.  In the mean time, I had a supposedly confusing maze to traverse.

Leaving the telephone booth and heading south, I encountered another Winged Octorok along with a Sword and Shield Moblin. The latter charged forward which forced me to raise my own shield in defence. It continued swinging its sword in a frenzy which suggested it wasn't very good at using it (To be fair, I had the same problem myself back in the very beginning). When it next attacked, I used my shield to parry it and then responded with my own sword swing to defeat it.

Moving on again, I came across a tree stump which looked suspicious, and upon looking in the opposite direction, it being suspicious was spot on. I could see another stump located on the other side of ten holes back-to-back in two rows of five. Discord wasn't kidding when he said you needed to be able to pull yourself across. Jumping was impossible and I doubted even a running start with the Pegasus Boots would work.

Taking out the Hookshot, I fired at the other tree stump and pulled myself across to the other side of the holes. Walking south, I entered a clearing that contained numerous signposts that were scattered about everywhere. "This wasn't what I was expecting, Twilight."

Princess Twilight nodded. "I was expecting a traditional maze like the one in the Canterlot Royal Garden but this is something else." Her Highness then began to comb over the area by flying upwards to get a birds-eye view of things before coming back down. "There are a few monsters around here..." She said as she returned to where I was standing. "...But from what I could tell, there are no signs--no pun intended here--of a house. If this Mamu does live here, she's doing a very good job of hiding."

"Maybe this sign right here will give us a clue." I said as I pointed to one just south of me.

"It's a start."

Walking up to the sign, I began to read it. "Welcome to the Signpost Maze. In order to reach the end, follow the directions each sign dictates. Simple right? Choose to go wherever you want and you'll get nowhere. Choose the wrong sign and you must start over again. Start from this sign and go this way!" I looked away from what I had just read and felt confused. "It says I have to go south."

"Directly south from this sign is another one."

I walked south, and attacked a Green Zol and a Red Zol which were bouncing towards me from either side, the latter splitting into two and I attacked both pieces to get rid of them before they could leave me confused. Reaching the sign, I walked around to the other side and read it. "Go this way... Now there's an arrow pointing east to that sign over there. Do I have to read each sign and follow the direction they give me?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "This is why a lot of people never figured out how to get through this maze. Most wouldn't think of reading a sign as they believe they are too smart to be told what to do and they end up getting confused by what was truly obvious."

"So this is just going to be a boring trek across this clearing?"

"Something to that effect."

"I'm not going to like this am I?"

"This is a maze, Sunset." Princess Twilight answered. "Just a different kind than what you're used to seeing. Remember to follow the exact direction each sign gives you and don't attempt to skip past one otherwise you will have to start again from the beginning."

In other words, I had to complete this in one attempt. Not the most stressful thing I've done but it was going to be annoying either way. Heading east in the direction of the sign, I could see more of the clearing. There was a single tree, two small bodies of water, some bushes, several boulders, and another patch of holes that were back-to-back. There were boxes located on the other side so it required me using the Hookshot. Whew! And here I thought I would need to use the Roc's Feather and the Pegasus Boots together to get across.

Reaching the next sign, it said to go south so I walked in that direction around a tree stump and defeated two more Green Zols. Cutting down some grass including a bush in front of the next sign, I was then attacked by some kind of spiky creature which I defeated before I could see what it was. Reading the sign, it said I had to go west... Which was where those holes were located. It felt like backtracking as I came from that direction but it's what the sign said. Heading back that way and cutting down more grass, I then took out the Hookshot, fired it at a box and pulled myself across.

Picking up the box and tossing it aside, I read the next sign which told me I had to go north. Using the Hookshot again to pull myself back across the holes (I could tell this was going to get tedious though I knew it was going to be worth it), I made my way back to the stump that was directly north of the sign and walked in that direction. Walking past another stump, which had a hole hiding behind it, and defeating some more Green Zols that were blocking my path, I knew that this one was going to say I had to go to the right. Reading the sign, it did indeed say go to the east.

The next sign wasn't too far away although the Green and Red Zols weren't making things any easier. More of them continued to pop up which meant there were more than what Her Highness had initially observed. Defeating them all, I then read the next sign which told me to head south. Going that way, I encountered another spiky creature that I now recognized as being a Spiny Beetle though it wasn't really covered in spines despite its name. It scuttled off in the opposite direction instead of trying to attack me so I ignored it and continued on until I reached the next sign.

"How many more signs do I have to read?" I asked as I was clearly getting fed up.

"Quite a ways to go by the looks of it."

I sighed. "No wonder no one ever succeeded in getting through this maze."

"It boils down to having a lot of patience."

"You know, if I didn't have to come here, I would've ignored this area completely."

Princess Twilight nodded. "I know how you feel about having to go through this but know that you will get a new song in the end." I knew Her Highness was trying to make me feel better and it was clearly working otherwise I'd have probably turned around and left the area by now. "Read the wrong sign and you'll have to start all over again. This isn't me stressing you out or anything but rather reminding you of what the first sign said."

"I know and I appreciate it."

I wished she hadn't mentioned that as now I was feeling even more pressure not to make a mistake. I supposed she had to bring it up in order to give me some positive reinforcement though maybe she could've worded it differently. The next sign said to head east and luckily for me, the next sign was just a few feet away. Okay, now that was more like it though I doubted I would be given another reprieve. Walking over and reading this next one, it said to head north again. Walking in that direction and reaching the next sign (I really wanted this to end now), it said to go west.

Walking back past the one tree, I reached the next sign which told me to go south. The next sign was directly south of where I was standing so okay, I was given another reprieve. This one said to go east which meant walking back where I came from yet again. Ugh! Whoever came up with this maze had to have been a sadistic person who loved nothing more than to make people like me suffer. Sighing, I reached the next sign which also said go south and so I did only to find a boulder was blocking it. Lifting it up and tossing it aside using my strength, I read the next one which said go left.

This next sign was all the way across the clearing so as I walked I grumbled though at least there were no more monsters to deal with. Reaching it, I discovered that there was a different message compared to what I had been reading before. "Congratulations! You succeeded in making it through the Signpost Maze! Your reward is that way to the east." I dropped to my knees in sheer delight. "I'm finally done with this!"

"You make it sound like you were doing this for weeks on end."

"Because it felt that way!"

"At least you managed to get through this maze."

Nodding, I turned around and noticed that one of the bodies of water had drained out, revealing a staircase in the process. "No wonder we couldn't see a home around here! I've got to admit that this Mamu knows how to hide and avoid monsters, but I'm angry that she forced me to go through such a ridiculous trial like signpost following." I then calmed down knowing going through my ordeal was necessary to progress. "Twilight... Remind me to not read any signs for a very long time to come."

As Princess Twilight laughed, I couldn't help but join in after a while. Once I had gotten enough, I walked over to the newly revealed staircase and walked down into a small cave that looked incredibly beautiful. Everything felt like being in a pond and it made sense what with having some water in the middle of the floor, rock formations which took up the back wall, and a couple of frogs on either side of a much larger one that was wearing a crown, a cape, and a necklace. Was this Mamu? This frog looked more male than female so perhaps Discord was wrong about the gender.

"Are you Mamu?"

"You came to see me?" A voice called from behind the frog.

"If you're Mamu then who or what am I looking at?"

"This big fellow is also named Mamu." The voice answered. "Yeah, I know, two characters with the same name. Truly awesome am I right? Anyway, you want to talk to me proper and it's rude of me to be standing behind my frog while you stand there as yourself." The voice of this Mamu sounded very familiar and when she stepped out from behind the big frog, I was staring at Autumn Blaze... Wait a minute! How could she be here!? She was supposed to be portraying Manbo or rather the spirit who was on top of the fish.

"Haven't I seen you before?"

Autumn Blaze looked in both directions before pointing at herself. "Who me? I'm positive that I've never seen you before in my entire life and believe me, I've not had many come down here to see me all because they couldn't get past the maze. By the way, great job of figuring out how to get here. Sorry if I'm babbling on but it's just so exciting to see someone here who isn't a frog." She then looked at the other frogs before shaking her head. Just like the last time I saw her, she was very eccentric in her mannerisms. "Anyway, welcome to our humble abode. I am Mamu."

"As well as the large frog?"

Nodding, Autumn Blaze pointed at the other Mamu who gave off a snaggle-toothed grin followed by a loud ribbit. "He says he is also named Mamu. We're both Mamu on vocals but we don't really need to tell you about that. Everyone on the island knows all about the human and frog duo both named Mamu." By the time this was all said and done, I was going to get sick of hearing that name. "Anyway, we're known for our singing expertise."

"You don't say?"

"I do say!"

"So you sing... With frogs?"

Autumn Blaze nodded whilst the frog Mamu croaked. "Everyone knows that I sing with my frog friends. I mean sure, most people think it's weird that I sing with frogs but then my friends here are such way better conversationalists. Were you already told that we're known for our singing expertise?" Yep, there was that eccentric nature shining forth once again. "Say, would you like to jam and hang out with us? No... Wait! Wait! First... Do you have an ocarina?"

I took it out and presented it to her. "Yes, I have one."

That made her jump for joy. "Yes! I was so hoping you'd have one!" She then turned to the frog Mamu. "You hear that, Mamu? This girl has got herself an ocarina! We can finally do what we said we'd do." The frog grinned and snapped its fingers which prompted the two small frogs to start croaking in unison. "For 300 rupees, we'll let you listen to a previously unreleased cut."

And there was the large price tag which I had been made aware of. "Sure, I'll pay you the 300 rupees."

"Say what!?" That definitely caught Autumn Blaze off guard. "To most people, that amount of money is more than they see in a lifetime and here you are with that amount on your person in addition to looking like an adventurer."

"Let's just say I was made aware of the price."

"I didn't think something like that would've made rounds around the island." I could tell Autumn Blaze was confused but I chose not to tell her that I had been told by a princess from a magical kingdom filled with ponies among other creatures. If I had, she'd have been even more lost. She then asked the frog Mamu something using a combination of hand signs and ribbits before he jumped down from his platform and landed in front of me. "Don't be afraid of him. Sure he's big but deep down he is such a sweetheart. Could you please pay him the 300 rupees?"

"How do I do that?" My answer came when he stuck out his tongue and spat out a giant wallet which dropped into his hand. At first, I felt disgusted that he went and did that but surprisingly the wallet didn't show any signs of being wet. Mamu opened the wallet which prompted me to take out mine and depositing the 300 rupees Autumn Blaze requested. Upon the payment being received, he closed it up and then leapt back to where he was before and handed over his wallet.

"Well guys! We're going to be eating good tonight!" Autumn Blaze shouted. Was she being serious about that? She then noticed the look on my face before blushing and placing a hand behind her head. "I kid! I kid! I just love saying that every time someone gives us money. We eat pretty good around here and no I don't mean eating bugs." To be honest, I probably didn't want to know what they ate. "Okay guys! Let's show our guest our special song!"

All of a sudden, a spotlight then shone on both Autum Blaze and the frog Mamu followed by two smaller lights on the two small frogs. They all began to sing (Or what could be described as them croaking and wailing) with musical notes coming from their mouths. Of the four, Autumn Blaze stood out what with her singing voice being so pristine. It was like she was born to sing and she knew it. The frogs took a while for me to get used to and they proved to be as effective which surprised me. I didn't think frogs could sing in unison and on key.

I could tell they were having a wonderful time even if the melody wasn't exactly my thing. I then noticed my ocarina glowing in response to their singing and I immediately took it out and watched as it continued to glow brightly. Hopefully, I could replicate at least part of this. After a couple of minutes, all four of them performed a finishing pose which indicated that the song was over. I was genuinely surprised with how good it really was despite my initial misgivings.

"That was something!" I commented.

Autumn Blaze then bowed slightly. "Thank you! Thank you! You've been a wonderful audience!" I then looked around and felt awkward knowing that they had just performed a song in front of two people and they considered that an audience? I supposed the size of the crowd didn't matter so long as you unleashed your true passion. "Unfortunately, there will be no encores so I hope you felt something."

"I hope you're okay with me using that song for myself."

"Of course we are!"

"Are you certain?"

Autumn Blaze and the frogs all nodded in unison. "We knew you were a music lover as why else would you have come here? I mean you could've come here in order to take some pictures of my friends or maybe try to taste some of our home-made cooking or maybe even wanting to give us a music contract for the next seven years." Once she started rambling, I knew it was pointless to say anything until she was finished. "Anyway, what you've just learned is the 'Frog's Song of Soul'! This song is quite moving... And I mean that literally. Around here, we believe it can liven up unliving things."

Her last words immediately caught my attention. "As in, you could revive the deceased?"

"Yes, you could say that." Autumn Blaze answered as she and her frogs began smiling. "If you play this song, you can make everything around you feel more alive. Sure, it might not make sense right now but surely there's something you can do with it. Anyway, me and my friends need to get back to work on making another new hit so please come back in about a month or two if you want to hear another cut."

Now what Discord said made sense! In order to use the Flying Rooster, I first needed to bring it back to life! I liked it when things came together though I wished they could happen sooner. Speaking of which, it would be a good idea to ask him for some help once the rooster had been revived. Before I go back to Mabe Village, I needed to visit the Animal Village and speak with the one resident who no one knows even lives there.

Thanking Autumn Blaze and her frogs for everything, I walked back up the stairs and out of their cave. With a third song for the ocarina, I could finally progress to the next dungeon yet surely there had to be another purpose other than reviving a rooster. Then again, I hadn't really used 'Ballad of the Wind Fish' which Starlight Glimmer taught me but perhaps one day I'd find out what it's function was. With the ocarina in my hand, I played Manbo's Mambo and focused on the warp panel south of the Animal Village. In mere moments, I disappeared in a bright light and reappeared in the village itself.

Stepping off the panel and heading north into the village, Princess Twilight mentioned that the only house I never entered was one that happened to be located on the far right side next to where Granny Smith lived. Making my way over to this particular home and entering it, it was indeed empty which made me wonder why it was never occupied by an animal and instead was being used by someone or something else. I called out to whoever was supposedly here and got no reply indicating the magic being used here to hide them was more powerful than your average spell.

Putting away the ocarina and switching to the Magnifying Lens, I raised it to my eye and sure enough, the occupant of the house was revealed. "You can see me?" I nodded and they were taken aback by my knowing of them. "I don't know how you can see me when this magic is supposed to keep me hidden."

"Twilight..." I began as I turned to Her Highness. "What kind of creature is this?"

"This is a Zora." Princess Twilight answered.

"What!?" No way! This couldn't be a Zora. The ones I had seen were much more majestic. "Are you sure about that?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "The ones you encountered on your previous journey were a different kind of Zora. They were a friendly tribe who were allied to the Hylian King but as the eons passed, relationships quickly soured which resulted in the Zoras changing colour, becoming more fish-like, and being more hostile. River Zoras, like this one here, can be found living in rivers and other shallow locations and attack anything that enter their territory... Though I don't know why this one is living here."

"I can answer that." The Zora said.

"Can you?" I asked.

The Zora nodded. "I see that you have a magnifying lens which explains how you can see me." I then nodded to confirm his suspicions. "Even though I am a River Zora as your fairy friend said, I mean you no harm at all. My goal is to live here in this village in peace though it's doubtful these animals would ever accept me amongst them."

"You won't unless you try."

"Perhaps..." The Zora then reached into the water and pulled out a Secret Seashell. "If you promise to keep my existence here a secret, I will give you this in return. I'll also tell you something very important as an added bonus. Well? Will you keep my secret?"

Even though I felt this Zora should be honest, I wasn't about to force him to do something he didn't want to. I nodded and he happily handed over the Secret Seashell which gave me a total of twelve. "Only eight more until I can get the ultimate weapon Adagio mentioned."

"Thank you for keeping my secret." The Zora said with a smile. "Now listen very carefully. Go to Toronbo Shores and there is a suspicious crack in a wall which you can destroy. In the cave, you will find another who is just like me. He will give you a powerful weapon but not for free. In fact, you must give him something in return. To part ways with something of great importance is never easy but sometimes sacrifices are necessary. Oh, and one last thing. The goat who lives two houses to the left has been worrying non-stop about whether a letter she gave someone reached its destination."

I didn't like what the Zora had told me. No, not the thing regarding Chestnut Magnifico (I was surprised this Zora even knew about that though I suspected she was quite vocal about her feelings and was probably unaware of it) but about me needing to give up an item in order to get a new weapon. Despite not always using the items in my possession, I worked hard to get them so having to give one away felt like I was giving up a piece of myself. Perhaps there was another way of getting my hands on this weapon and not being forced to part with another and instead rely on rupees.

As I left the home, Princess Twilight brought something to my attention. Apparently, I had been following Adagio's advice when it came to finding Secret Seashells. One such example was located just outside of the Yarna Desert where the walrus had once slept and it involved playing the 'Ballad of the Wind Fish'. Upon thinking back to that moment and realizing that I had indeed gotten that seashell, I dropped to my knees and began bashing my head in the ground several times with Her Highness looking on in embarrassment. How in Celestia could I have forgotten something so obvious!? Ugh!

Once I was finished with my little 'issue', I got back up and apologized to Her Highness for acting like that. This meant I had one, maybe two more extra Secret Seashells in addition to the ones already in my collection. It was probably for the best to collect the required number I needed and perhaps a couple of extra just in case. Knowing that I needed to visit Toronbo Shores, I was about to use Manbo's Mambo only to remember that Chestnut Magnifico had something she had on her mind. Guess I ought to pay her a visit.

---------------------------------------------------------------

CCRRAACCKLLEE! FFWWOOOOSSHH!

"I... I guess I don't need to tell you how it went, do I, master?"

"We know that Facade was destroyed by the Outsider." Grogar answered.

"Yes... It seems that one proved to be more inept than expected."

Grogar sighed. "And yet it was by our hands that Facade was created to be a Nightmare."

"With only two instruments left to collect, her chances of success are growing stronger all the time."

"Where will she go next, Hot Head?"

"The seventh instrument was sealed away inside Eagle's Tower." Hot Head answered. "However, there is an oversight which needs to be addressed. The Nightmare that was placed in that tower has next to no intelligence and is instead commanded by another who took it upon herself to call the shots. Master... I believe a new servant needs to be created because I have misgivings of her..." He was suddenly cut off by the sound of a rather cute but childish voice.

"Golly! It's not nice to talk about people behind their back!"

"And there is the oversight now!" Hot Head said, grumbling at the supposed intruder.

Grogar then looked at the one who had entered his inner sanctum. "We remember you! You are known as the Grim Creeper. Once, you were but a lowly creature that used a small flock of flying rodents to intimidate these pathetic humans as you lacked true power. We sense this is still the case though is what Hot Head says is true? The Evil Eagle takes its orders from you?" His eyes then started glowing, a sign that Hot Head moved back to keep his distance. "Why are you in control of our servant? You should be its servant!"

"I just wanted to help you is all, oh mighty Dethl." The Grim Creeper said in an innocent voice. "Besides, you could use all the help you can get, and I'm just the one to do the job if I do say so myself."

"My master doesn't need your help!" Hot Head shouted.

That made the Grim Creeper laugh. "Are you kidding me? You must be because the mighty Dethl doesn't find your comment amusing. After all, you allowed a girl to make you all look like chumps, and you're supposed to be the ones keeping the Wind Fish asleep. How many of you guys has she destroyed now? Six, including that extra Nightmare? If anything, she should've been killed right when she was first discovered.I tell you, mighty Dethl, these servants of yours are utterly useless especially since they can't do one simple job.

"Are you quite finished?"

"Not even close." The Grim Creeper answered. Deep down, she was enjoying every moment of making Hot Head look bad. "It's not like this outsider is threatening. If it wasn't for that fairy of hers as well as people giving her advice, she'd have been so lost that her life would've been cut short before she even reached the Tail Cave." She then turned to Grogar who had been listening all this time. "Mighty Dethl... I shall finish the outsider for you!"

Now it was Hot Head's turn to laugh. "Like you can do anything!"

The Grim Creeper responded in kind. "After seeing the pathetic display from the peanut gallery over here, my point still stands. The Eagle's Tower is my turf and the Evil Eagle does whatever I want it to. With its strength and my cunning, this girl will become a distant memory. Of course, I doubt she will ever get to me. There are all kinds of traps awaiting her along with some strong monsters, but no way am I going to just sit down on my hands. I want to see her suffer in person."

"You think you can curry my master's favour?"

"Judging from his expression, I'd say I just did."

And at that moment, Grogar made a proclamation. "Very well, Grim Creeper! We shall defer unto you the task of getting rid of the outsider. You shall retain the services of our loyal servant, the Evil Eagle, to complete your task. She must not be allowed to acquire the seventh instrument. Do whatever it takes to kill her! This is our proclamation!"

"It shall be done." The Grim Creeper giggled as she disappeared into the darkness.

"Why that--" Hot Head stopped himself from defying the will of Grogar but then he changed his tactics. "Master? Are you certain that creature can handle it? The Evil Eagle is your chosen Nightmare, not her!"

"We know that she will fail, Hot Head." Grogar said with a warped smile on his face. "The Grim Creeper is much too arrogant to be able to defeat the Outsider. We merely needed her assistance in order to determine how strong the girl truly is. Not even the Evil Eagle can stand up to her power." He then paused. "Then again, they could both prove us wrong by actually succeeding where the others had failed. Hot Head... It shall soon be your turn. Of the Nightmares, you are the most powerful of all. Soon... Your chance will come."

Hot Head smiled as he disappeared. "Grim Creeper... Enjoy your fun but in the end, it will be your destruction."

---------------------------------------------------------------

Upon entering Chestnut Magnifico's house, she was surprised to see me in addition to asking me why it took me so long to pay her another visit. I said that I had been busy wandering around the island looking for something that could occupy my time (I refrained from telling her my true objective). Her response was one I expected someone like her to say, namely, I was wasting my efforts and not being more refined. People like her believed they were better than their peers and often looked down on them though they claim it's all unintentional.

She then asked me about how her letter to Canter Zoom went and I immediately shudder. My reaction was to the fact that she had sent him a photo of Princess Peach (Who was from a completely different series mind you) rather than a photo of her true self, that being a goat, which she should've done. I had nothing against her desire of wanting to send a letter but still, she was being deceitful which could potentially cause trouble much later on. For his part, Canter Zoom was just happy knowing someone responded to his letters so perhaps him not knowing the truth about his 'contact' was for the best.

When I revealed that I had delivered her letter successfully and that he enjoyed seeing it (Despite my previous convictions), she thanked me profusely and gave me another reward in the form of another Secret Seashell. Had I know she had one in her possession, I would've come back to the Animal Village that much sooner. Good thing Adagio hinted that there were seashells here otherwise I'd have ignored them completely. Once I had pocketed my thirteenth or maybe fourteenth seashell (I really had no idea at that point), I left her house in order to begin looking for the Zora's friend.

As I took out the ocarina, I began thinking about Toronbo Shores, the very place where this journey started. Starlight had found me washed up on the shore and if not for her, I would have likely died there. It was an area of the island I hadn't visited since taking Starlight to the Animal Village and yet somewhere on that beach was someone who could give me a powerful new weapon at the cost of me handing over one of my items. If I remembered correctly, I did encounter a warp panel near the old house that King Sombra wanted to take him to when he began to haunt me.

Playing Manbo's Mambo and focusing on it, I was once again warped away and moments later, I arrived at my destination. Heading west and north past the old house and then heading left past some trees, I could see that the path was blocked by three boulders which explained an awful lot. Had I come this way back at the beginning, I'd have been prevented from progressing towards Martha's Bay. If my video game knowledge was correct (And it was), I'd have performed something known as sequence breaking where you reach something without doing so as intended.

"Seeing this places brings back memories, huh, Sunset?" Princess Twilight asked.

I nodded. "Yeah... It sure does."

"You've come a long way since you first washed up on shore."

I shuddered upon remembering how I first came to this world. "That was one of the most frightening experiences of my entire life." I then picked up and tossed aside the boulders before opening up the chest that was situated amongst them and took out a purple rupee. "That's fifty more rupees for me!" Aside from maybe needing to spend money upon meeting this mystery creature I had been told about by the Zora, collecting rupees was no longer deemed necessary unless I wanted to buy more custom dungeon pieces. "Anyway, Toronbo Shores is quite memorable for me... For better or worse."

"But you did persevere through it and more."

"I guess so..." I then changed the subject. "Where do you suppose this cracked hole in the wall is?"

Princess Twilight shrugged. "I have no idea. It's unfortunate the Zora didn't give you a precise location otherwise you could just go there without issue. I guess it boils down to you just becoming incredibly lucky."

"If I remember, I encountered Starlight to my left when I had to go and find her here at the time."

"Okay, so we can rule out that area."

"There was also the area where I first found my sword, Bulk Biceps' shop, and the pathway that goes to Mabe Village."

"All of this information narrows down where you need to go." Princess Twilight then pointed towards another section of the beach that was slightly to the southwest. "I believe you didn't explore down there during any previous visits here. It's as good a place as any to try and find something suspicious."

Nodding in agreement, I began to make my way in that direction. As I continued down the beach and it went left across the shoreline, my eyes then focused towards the sparkling beauty that was the ocean. I longed to be free of being stuck here and back home but I knew I couldn't leave until the Wind Fish had woken up. I was curious as to what it thought of me in its dreams considering my presence had surely gotten its attention.

Bopping my head, Princess Twilight pointed out the cracked hole in the wall that the Zora mentioned. Huh... I was expecting it to be either well hidden but instead it was right here out in the open. I supposed if you weren't looking for it, you'd just walk on by without a care in the world. Taking out a bomb and tossing it at the wall where it landed softly on the sand, it exploded a few seconds later and revealed a cave entrance. Entering it, I was surprised at seeing so much junk along with some bizarre looking items. Judging from the bed, table, chair, and even some fruit, the creature living here was certainly well off.

Taking out the Magnifying Lens and raising it to my eye, the creature in question was revealed, and he looked like some kind of wolf-rat hybrid. "Hello there!" He said in a calm voice yet I knew he was surprised to see someone enter his home. "I didn't think anyone would find this place let alone blow up the entrance. Since I can see that Magnifying Lens in your hand, you must have met the Zora of Animal Village. He's a good friend of mine so I know you're not going to be a problem."

I turned to Princess Twilight. "What kind of creature is this?"

"This is known as a Goriya." Princess Twilight answered. "They are devils that have mastered the art of using boomerangs as a means of attacking. Most of them are vicious monsters who will stop at nothing to kill whatever they fancy, yet this one is a friendly sort given his pleasant appearance."

"And here I thought all monsters were evil."

"As we've seen with the Zora and now this Goriya, appearances can be deceptive."

The Goriya then spoke up. "I am a trader by nature. If I have something you want, I can trade it to you for something you have that you don't want. Anyway, I recently found a good item that washed up on shore. No idea where it came from but it's very unique."

"What is it?" I asked.

"I won't tell you unless you agree to my trade."

"Okay, what do you want from me?"

"I will take any of your items that aren't of true sentimental value to you." The Goriya answered pointing at both my sword and shield. "I also won't take any swords and shields as I have no use for something I can't use myself." He then noticed my shovel hanging on my back and his eyes opened wide. "Say... What about that shovel you have there? I could definitely use it in order to dig up some other stuff."

"You want my shovel?" Considering I had to pay 200 rupees in order to buy it, I didn't feel like getting rid of it. Then again... I hadn't been using it as much as I should have and this weapon could prove invaluable especially since things were getting more difficult. After thinking it over, I decided to agree to his trade request despite my reservations. "Alright... You can have itl." I then took it out and placed it in front of the Goriya.

He then placed his item on the table. "What I have here is a boomerang. We Goriya's are known far and wide for using them so it must have been fate that I would stumble across this on the shore. I'm no fighter though so this thing won't do me any good." I then picked it up whilst he in turn took my shovel. On the one hand, I was happy to have gotten a new weapon, and one which I hadn't used since my first adventure. On the other hand, giving away something I had all that time made me feel very upset. The Goriya happened to notice my expression whereby he immediately felt glum.

"What's wrong?"

The Goriya sighed. "I feel like I just cheated you out something so precious." He then suddenly had an idea and placed the shovel back down on his table. "If you pay me 200 rupees, you can buy back your shovel. Normally, it would've been 300 rupees but I'm feeling extra generous. Besides, having some money would let me buy my own shovel or some other kind of digging equipment."

Without saying a word, I took out my wallet and dumped 200 rupees on the table. Finding those extra fifty rupees proved beneficial to me. The Goriya handed back my shovel and I placed it behind my back where it belonged. While I felt bad that he no longer had something to trade with me, the Goriya began juggling his newly found wealth. "I see that you're happy that you got some money."

"I can use these rupees to further my business."

"Glad I could help."

"Be sure to take care of that boomerang!"

Thanking the Goriya, I walked outside and took a closer look at the boomerang I had acquired. It bore a resemblance to the one I had acquired back during my first journey (I was surprised that I remembered what it looked like) yet was it strong? As I recalled, it could be used in order to paralyze monsters and defeat very weak ones, reach far away switches, and grab collectibles then bringing them back to me. Considering it wasn't until now that I got my hands on it given I needed to complete a lengthy side-quest, I'd say it was much stronger than what I once had.

I then threw it to try it out and it traveled quite the distance before turning around and coming back to me. Okay, that wasn't a bad test though a much better one would be using it against a monster. Putting it away and then taking out the Seashell Sensor, I took a much closer look and discovered that it looked like a weirdly shaped tuning fork, the kind that could cause vibrations when used against something. Was Adagio pulling a prank by giving me this? No... She didn't seem like the sort to do that.

Something then dawned on me. "Twilight... Why didn't this sensor go off when I got the Secret Seashells from Chestnut Magnifico and the Zora?"

"I believe that because they were given to you, the sensor didn't make a sound." Princess Twilight answered. "I know it's not the best explanation out there but it's the best one I've got. Besides, the sensor won't react to a seashell unless you're practically right on top of it."

"That makes it somewhat less useful than I thought..."

"Be thankful that you were given something that can help you find them."

I sighed before nodding. "Yeah, I suppose you're right, as usual." I then put the Seashell Sensor away by attaching it to my belt as holding it would become cumbersome as I needed both hands to hold my sword and shield respectively. "Aside from going around and looking for any Secret Seashells I might have missed, I think we should go back to Mabe Village and take a closer look at that weathervane Discord mentioned."

Taking out the ocarina again (My third time in the span of about thirty minutes) and playing Manbo's Mambo, I focused on the warp panel just east of Mabe Village and once more I was whisked away before reaching my destination mere seconds later. Heading to the left and then picking up a boulder, I tossed it aside and continued on past the Item Shop until I reached what Discord said was the weathervane. Was it strange that this was the first time I ever paid any attention towards this thing? I never really thought it had any purpose until being told otherwise.

Princess Twilight tilted her head upon seeing the weathervane. "So this is where the Flying Rooster is supposed to be buried under?" The weathervane itself depicted a blue coloured bird (Most likely a rooster) made of wood which gave it a simplistic appearance. Its tail had a propeller which was how the people would determine what kind of weather the village would be experiencing. "According to Discord, you need to use some strength in order to move the vane. Had you tried doing this sooner, you'd have probably thrown out your back."

"I'd rather not experience pain like that again any time soon."

"Sunset Shimmer!" I then noticed Starlight was standing near the weathervane and she ran over towards me, a beaming smile strewn across her face. "I've been waiting for you to come here! Did you find my rupee gift incredibly useful to you? I hope you say yes otherwise I'll never forgive you."

I nodded though I also made certain not to mention that I acquired additional rupees from a dungeon. "Without your help, I would've been stuck for quite a while." The truth was that she did prove to be very helpful and also made me feel bad knowing how often I neglected exploring off the beaten path.

Starlight was ecstatic. "I knew you were going to say the right thing." She then turned her attention towards the weathervane. "By the way, have you heard about the legend behind this?" I pretended not to know in case she suddenly turned nasty towards me. Despite protesting otherwise, I knew Starlight said questionable things so getting on her bad side wasn't in my best interests. "I'm glad you don't know anything about the legend, Sunset Shimmer." In my mind, I apologized to Discord. "Now, this legend has been passed down in this village for generations."

Again, I already knew but I chose to keep silent. "Please do continue."

"Many years ago, this village once had a Flying Rooster that was known for its wonderful blue feathers and ability to fly people around."

"I see."

Starlight then began to get serious. "Over time, the rooster's health slowly declined yet no one believed there was anything wrong. They all thought it was a minor illness and that it would quickly overcome it, but it continued to get worse until one day, it passed away, and the village was never the same. The children were perhaps the most devastated as they related to the rooster better than the grown-ups and it was the latter who ultimately brought about its death."

Strange... Discord never mentioned this when he told me about the legend. Now I needed to know more. "The adults were responsible?"

Starlight nodded, her voice becoming more aggressive. "They kept on pushing the poor thing even when it was obvious that its health was getting worse. How would they feel knowing someone chose to do that to them? It makes me wish that we had gotten rid of them and stayed in the village ourselves." Looking at her with a concerned look, she quickly began laughing and changed her tone. "Huh? You think I said something horrible? No, you must be hearing things again."

"Uh... Huh..." Was all I could say in response.

"When the Flying Rooster passed away, it was given a proper burial though that isn't really the case."

"How so?"

"It's skeletal remains are still underneath this weathervane, at the end of a short tunnel." Starlight answered. She then pointed at the weathervane. "Since the Flying Rooster had such a special place in the villager's hearts--even the grown-ups--it was decided to bury it here instead of doing so in the graveyard. Then this was constructed as a testament to its greatness though it proved to be too heavy to move after a while."

"Do you miss the Flying Rooster?"

"We all do in our own way." Starlight then changed the subject to something I wasn't expecting. "Sunset Shimmer... Do you plan on visiting the Wind Fish's Egg? I have this desire to go there myself you know." I then asked why and she suddenly turned her face away from me. "No... No, I have no reason for going there. I just want to see what it looks like with my own eyes. I'd ask you to come with me but you have more important things to do. Feel free to do whatever now. After all, I've finished telling you about the legend."

Despite her portraying a character in this world, Starlight was still quite the mystery to me. Most of what I knew about her came from Princess Twilight and it was a mixed bag of positive and negative moments that made my own past actions not seem as bad. From my own experiences with her, she definitely wanted to make improvements with her life though she sometimes went back to her old ways, and that is understandable. Old habits are hard to break after all.

Leaving Starlight to continue singing, I approached the weathervane and took a closer look at the base. It wasn't bolted down or anything but instead it had a weight which kept it in place to prevent it from falling over. Pushing the base, it moved forward with relative ease and revealed stairs that went down into another tunnel. Heading down and walking along, I came across a raised platform surrounded by water which is when I saw the remains of the Flying Rooster. Walking up and getting a closer look, I could see that it was remarkably intact despite there being only the skull and what looked to be wings.

"I was honestly expecting something more unpleasant." I commented as I knelt down to look even closer.

"The villagers gave it a final resting place they deemed was worthy." Princess Twilight said.

"Really, Twilight? It feels like they just dumped it here and forgot about it."

"Perhaps but I doubt anyone will tell us the truth."

I sighed. I felt sorry that the poor creature's remains had been left here in such squalor despite how much it meant to the village. Getting back up, I then took out the ocarina and began recalling the exact notes Autumn Blaze and her friends used when they performed. "If this works, the Flying Rooster will be revived... But, I don't know if it's a good idea to resurrect the dead as that can send a pretty bad signal."

"It's fair to have such concerns." Princess Twilight said as she placed her hands on one of mine. "And yet you need the power of this rooster in order to reach your next goal. I don't know how the villagers will react to seeing this bird parading about again so I suggest you leave once this task is done. After all, causing another panic wouldn't be in their best interests and there are far worse things laying in wait." Her Highness then immediately made an amendment to her suggestion. "Call Discord again and ask him for his advice though don't mention that you revived the rooster."

I then played the Frog's Song of Soul and it sounded pretty good on the ocarina. At that moment, a strange ball of light appeared in the area and began floating about in a rather erratic pattern. "What is that?"

"That's the soul of the Flying Rooster."

"It's soul?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "By playing that song, you have called back the soul of the rooster and now it's about to enter its body. Autumn Blaze and her frogs must possess an awesome power if they can enable you to resurrect the dead by using music." Her Highness then started to get excited and began fluttering about in a frenzy. "This is something I've never experienced before in my life. I must document every single moment! This is a real breakthrough!"

Of course Her Highness would get excited over something like reviving the dead. To be fair, I was also excited about this though I had way more restraint. The ball of light continued to float about until it entered the skeletal remains which then began glowing. I stepped back as in the next instant, everything went bright forcing me to cover my eyes so as to not become blinded. Once the brightness died down, I was staring at the Flying Rooster. Lifting a feather like he was giving a thumbs up or an acknowledgement of thanks, I began to leave and he followed along.

"I guess he views me as his new master."

"More like a new friend, Sunset."

"That works even better."

"Why don't you trying picking him up and seeing if he can carry you around."

I wasn't so sure if I should be doing anything like that not long after being revived from the dead, but I supposed now was as good a time as any to see what this rooster could do. Turning around to face him, he showed no signs of being aggressive and allowed me to approach. I then picked him up and held him above my head where he began flying around slightly above the ground. "Hey! This is pretty cool!" Now I understood why the villagers enjoyed this so much along with what it meant to fly like a bird.

"It seems the rooster can fly you about indefinitely."

"That's useful to know." After about a minute of flying back and forth in the tunnel, I tossed the Flying Rooster where he landed safely on the ground and resumed following along behind me, his hopping being really cute. "So I need to find a mountain tower somewhere on Mt. Tamaranch. I believe Flash Sentry was pointing at a general location but I couldn't really see anything since we were in a location that was far away."

"This is where Discord gets to shine once again."

I then gave a smug look to Her Highness which she noticed. "Huh... I never thought I'd hear you say something like that about Discord. From what you used to tell me, he was still a mischievous prankster despite having reformed thanks to your version of Fluttershy. I guess his actions against those three villains really had a serious impact on you. It goes to show that when given a chance to reform, those who are willing to do so end up becoming excellent friends. I should know since you gave me that chance when you could've left me broken and all alone."

"You becoming who you are now was one of the best decisions of my life."

"I appreciate that." I said as I blushed.

"I'm certain Discord will tell you something about this mountain tower."

"He hasn't been wrong so far."

Leaving the tunnel and stepping back outside, I was surprised to see that Starlight was no longer around. I'd only stepped away for about a couple of minutes though. I knew she was acting a little strange but this was especially so even for her. She had insisted on seeing the Wind Fish's Egg though why would she go there? There was nothing really there for her to see or do... Unless... Did she know about the true nature of the island? No... She couldn't have known that. Hopefully, she wouldn't get in over her head but I needed to get there as soon as I was able to.

With the Flying Rooster behind me, I was surprised to see that no one in the village had reacted to seeing it alive and well. Either they were all really ignorant or they were pretending that they saw nothing. Or could this the power of the Wind Fish at work? Aside from knowing its name, I knew very little about it though whether I was traversing about in a dream world or actual reality remained to be seen. Perhaps it was best for me to not incur its wrath. Seeing a telephone booth next to Discord's house, I walked over it and entered before picking up the phone and waiting for his answer.

BRRING! BRRING!

"Ho ho! This is Ulrira speaking!" Discord answered on the other end. I then asked him about a mountain tower and he immediately responded. "A mountain tower you say? Yes, I recall seeing such a place on my travels a long time ago. It's quite a spectacle though also daunting on account of it being so tall."

"Do you have an exact location?" I asked.

"You can find it in the northeast part of Mt. Tamaranch."

"Surprised I never saw it when I was there last."

That made Discord laugh. "Maybe you were focusing on something else and you decided not to look up! After all, you can't miss this tower given how tall it is." He then began to rant about his younger days which wasn't entirely helpful yet I wanted to know more as I was curious. He kept on going until he came back to the next dungeon. "I was surprised at how much dedication had been given to the mighty eagle on that tower. Most animals don't get that kind of treatment you know. It's why it's known as Eagle's Tower though you don't need wings if you plan on going up there."

If that was true then why did I need the Flying Rooster. Hmmm... I needed to ask another question without making myself out to be obvious. "Um... I was wondering if you knew anything else regarding birds."

"No, but there is someone who does."

"And who is that?"

"D'oh ho!" I was beginning to think that Discord's laughter was sometimes meant to be insulting even though I knew this wasn't the case. "There is a place called the Hen House located somewhere on the mountain though some call it the Cucco Shack. There's a man living there who knows about roosters, chickens, and all kinds of birds. He rarely has any visitors come by what with so many monsters roaming around. You should visit him sometime if you're curious."

"Hmmm... I think I'll pass."

"Now there's no need for that kind of attitude."

"I'm more interested in the tower than this Hen House."

Laughing again, Discord told me I needed to have a bit more fun in my life. While he wasn't entirely wrong about that, I needed to focus on finishing this journey so paying a visit to see a man about birds went against that. Wow... I sounded like a complete hypocrite knowing I had recently gone out of my way in order to acquire a boomerang. This was also true regarding the trading quest, the Colour Dungeon, and even taking part in the River Rapids. Sighing, I changed my mind and said that I would visit this place.

Discord was happy to hear me say that. "Nothing wrong with a little fun you know. By the way, there is a cave near the Hen House with something important in it. I tried looking for it once only to find that I couldn't reach it. There was so many huge holes that nothing could hope to cross them... Unless you happened to be a bird. Now... If I remember correctly, that tower was locked and requires a key to open it. Hmmm... Not sure where one would go for something like that. Anyway, I hope you got what you wanted to know from me but call again if you find yourself stuck. Bye!"

CLICK!

You have got to be kidding me! I needed to find yet another key in order to unlock a dungeon!? This was now the fifth one I needed: Tail Key, Slime Key, Angler Key, Face Key, and now another which sounded like it would be bird themed given the theme of this Eagle's Tower. Hopefully, the final dungeon didn't require me to go looking for a key to unlock it otherwise I'd probably lose my mind. At least I knew why I needed the Flying Rooster now. It also meant the Hen House was also a required visit.

Leaving the telephone booth, I heaved a heavy sigh. "I've not even entered this Eagle's Tower and already I'm hating it."

"You knew this wasn't going to be easy, Sunset." Princess Twilight said.

"I know!" I said as I moaned.

"Judging from all the information you've obtained, we need to explore a previously unknown section of the Tal Tal Mountains." Princess Twilight then began combing through her mind to see if she could remember how far I progressed through the mountains before coming up with an answer. "You only explored up to the waterfall where the Angler's Tunnel was located below it. You need to make your way back there and continue heading right."

"What's the closest warp panel to the mountains that I've found?"

"It should be Zecroa's home if memory serves."

That meant I still had to traverse the majority of the mountains. "I guess there is no easy adventure is there?"

Princess Twilight answered. "No, there usually isn't. By the way, you should be able to warp around with the Flying Rooster in tow as I don't think even you want to walk all that way from the village to Zecora's. I'm not 100% certain but you never know what might happen if you don't try."

Taking out the ocarina and playing Manbo's Mambo, I concentrated on the warp pad located by Zecora's place. On a side note, it had been a long time since I last paid her a visit and I was certain she had more Creator Dungeon challenges for me. Granted, those involved going through things I had already overcome and while the rewards were worth it, it was the combat and puzzle solving that were a turn-off for me. Again, as Princess Twilight had just said, there was no such thing as an easy adventure. High risk often meant getting a high reward in return.

Warping away and then reappearing moments later next to Zecora's, I was worried that she was waiting for me outside and would try to coerce me into coming inside and taking on another of her challenges but she wasn't (I guessed she preferred being inside). Heading to the left with the Flying Rooster, I was then attacked by three Moblins who were throwing spears. My immediate concern was with the rooster as it couldn't defend itself so I raised my shield in hopes of protecting it. Suddenly, a random spear then struck it only for nothing to happen.

The Flying Rooster was invincible because of course it would be. As spears continued bouncing off my shield, I lowered it and then moved in and took out all the Moblins using two strikes of my sword each. None of them dropped anything which was disappointing but it couldn't be helped. Remembering being here before when I was making my way towards the Angler's Tunnel, I walked up to a couple of boulders, picked them up, and tossed them aside before heading back the other way towards a couple of ladders.

"Which ladder do I take again?"

"The first one will take you straight up to the Wind Fish's Egg."

"And I don't need to go there quite just yet."

Princess Twilight nodded. "Then you need to climb up the other ladder which will take you back to the top of the waterfall."

Walking along with the Flying Rooster bouncing behind me, I approached the second ladder and noticed a sign (And here I said I didn't want to read one again for a long time) which said that south of me was Zecora's place and that she wanted someone to bring her any weird stones. A part of me felt bad for not doing more for her but I needed to reach my next destination. Climbing up the ladder, I reached the top and the familiar flapping of Flash Sentry's owl companion could be heard. Looking up, the owl was heading towards me which meant he had more instructions or words of encouragement.

To Be Continued.