//------------------------------//
// Chapter 33: The Final Nightmare. 
// Story: The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening. 
// by Ganondorf8 
//------------------------------//

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.
By Ganondorf8.
May 8, 2021.
Chapter 33: The Final Nightmare.

Only Grogar remained! All the other Nightmares had been overcome with him being the only one left. Defeating him would allow me to awaken the Wind Fish and finally bring about an end to this adventure. I still had hesitation towards actually awakening it. After all, many of those same Nightmares had given warnings regarding what would happen to this island if the dreamer awoke from its slumber. I'd been ignoring it for some time now but there was no avoiding it. I had to address it. By awakening the Wind Fish, I'd gain my freedom but in return, I had to pay a hefty price.

That being the fates of all those trapped here with me. I hoped Princess Twilight would automatically become free given how she had been helping me and would be in approximate range of me to be affected by what happens when the Wind Fish awakens and Koholint Island vanishes forever. But what about everyone else? Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, the Dazzlings, the princesses, and so many more... Would they gain their freedom as well? If they didn't... No... Such a thought was too much for me to want to understand. I just had to believe they would return to their places of origin.

None of this mattered until I defeated Grogar. According to Hot Head's final words, he was the strongest of the Nightmares. From what I had experienced when he encountered me in my dreams, I knew he had been holding back and was thus more powerful than he appeared. My chances of success were slim but I had to do whatever was necessary to prevail. If I failed, the Wind Fish would remain asleep for eternity. It also meant being trapped here forever along with those who weren't even aware of what was truly going on. Given things, failure pretty much wasn't an option.

There was also another problem. I knew where to find him but I didn't know how to get there. Princess Celestia's clue about the egg was pretty obvious as the only one that existed around here loomed over the island atop Mt. Tamaranch. The eight instruments were also needed along with the song Starlight taught me which Flash Sentry confirmed its importance later when he told me she tried singing it. Princess Cadance mentioned back in the Face Shrine about needing to read a specific book in the Mabe Village library that required the use of the Magnifying Lens which would prove useful.

And above all else, was what could be waiting for me inside the egg other than Grogar?. Had he chosen to give himself some defences designed to keep me from reaching him? Or, had he decided on wanting to gets things over with? One thing I did know was that was a maze awaiting me, a maze that carried on for infinity. Once I had the solution, I could get to his inner sanctum but Princess Celestia hadn't given me an answer. Discord would provide me some help according to her words but did even he know what existed inside that which most saw as nothing more than a famous landmark?

Upon appearing back outside of Turtle Rock, I ignored the two Dactyls and began making my way over to the telephone booth. As I walked, I thought about the remaining bits of information given to me by Celestia. If I felt unprepared, visiting Zecora would give me some practice. As much as I didn't want to go through another one of her custom dungeons, I was tempted by the idea. She also said she along with Princess Luna and Princess Cadance would appear inside the egg to give me some last minute advice. Reaching the telephone booth, I went inside and picked up the phone.

BRRINNG! BRRINNG!

"Hello! This is Ulrira speaking!" Discord answered on the other end.

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

"Everything you've been asking me is important."

"That's true."

"Before you ask, let me take a guess as to why you called this time." Discord went silent and I could hear him tapping his finger on the arm of his chair. This went on for about ten seconds when he finally answered. "Sunset Shimmer... The time has come for you to face the Egg on Mt. Tamaranch. I do believe you have everything you need for whatever it is you're about to do but maybe you should get some last-minute supplies just in case. I do hear that Crazy Tracy is having a sale on her Magic Medicine."

"She does that?"

"If she didn't, her name of 'Crazy' wouldn't make much sense."

"That's not--" I said before being cut off.

Discord continued talking before I could ask my actual question. Tracey usually sells her medicine for about forty-two rupees but she will drop the price down to twenty-eight if someone who visits her has defeated an even number of monsters. She will even drop it down to just seven if the same customer shows up on eight separate occasions. Talk about having very specific requirements for something most around here don't even need."

Sugar Belle sold her medicine at an even lower price!? I was lucky that she only charged me twenty-eight rupees at the time though it was chalked up to luck that I defeated enough monsters to qualify for a discount. Seven was definitely better though truth be told, with the amount of money I had in my possession, expenses weren't really important. There wasn't much I needed unless I were attempting to complete every last custom dungeon challenge. Sure, I could get some pretty nifty rewards but that would involve fighting clones of the Nightmares over and over again.

That's when I asked my question. "What do I do about making my way through the egg."

"Making your way through?" Discord asked in a confused manner.

"I need help with finding a solution."

Discord went silent which had me thinking that perhaps this was the one thing he didn't know about. After all, how was he supposed to know what was inside of an egg?  It's not like it was a question that came up on a regular basis. When it looked like he had nothing to say, to my surprise, he came up with something. "Hmmm... No... I can't seem to help you on that one which does make me feel bad. I've always had an answer for you but this is beyond anything I've ever heard."

I felt dejected. "I'm sorry that I asked something that was impossible."

"Hang on!" Discord exclaimed which made me think otherwise.

"What?"

"I do have one bit of advice." Okay, this was starting to get a bit too much for my stress to handle. "Why not check out the Mabe Village library. That place has books that can tell you just about anything. I do recall one book having very small text which makes me think it's hiding something important. If you had large enough eyes, you might be able to find the answer to this egg question of yours. It was called 'Dark Secrets of Koholint Island' if I recall."

Just like that, his advice had just made my day. "I think you just gave me the answer I needed."

"I did?"

I nodded. "You did. I think I can take things from here."

I could hear him breathing a sigh of relief knowing he had managed to pull through in the end. "Well... If you think you've got this then I wish you luck. Oh, and don't stop calling me just because of one little question I couldn't answer. Bye."

CLICK!

No wonder Princess Celestia was well known for her vast wisdom. Had she not suggested I speak with Discord, I wouldn't have figured out what I needed to do. No... I'd have eventually put two-and-two together albeit after a while and running around aimlessly. The book he mentioned that was in the library... I remembered looking at it in the past but couldn't understand it as the words were too small for me to read. With the Magnifying Lens, that wasn't going to be an issue. Who would've thought that trading items ended up being exactly what I needed to reach my end goal.

I then turned to face Princess Twilight. "Guess I know where we're going next."

"I always knew that library was going to be important." Princess Twilight said.

"You're excited at the prospect of seeing all those books again aren't you?"

Her Highness squeed. "I just can't help myself, Sunset!" She then got serious knowing what was at stake. "Okay, you need to make some preparations before you go and check out that book. Unlike the other Nightmares, Grogar seems to be in a league of his own. You need to stock up on supplies otherwise he'll just stomp on you. I suggest getting some more medicine from Sugar Belle and perhaps pick up a fairy by using that bottle of yours."

"A shame I never found any other bottles."

"You would have had you done enough exploring."

"Too late for that I suppose."

Princess Twilight nodded. "It can't be helped. You just need to make sure you don't take too much damage against Grogar. As for other supplies, you might want to see what Aria has in her shop or you could try and find some by cutting down grass or by defeating monsters if you're up for it. Money isn't an issue now so feel free to spend like crazy." Pausing, she realized she said the wrong thing. "No... Don't spend all those rupees. You might need some just in case Grogar allows you to leave and perhaps come back again for another chance."

"What are the odds of him doing that?"

"Next to nothing, but I thought I'd be hopeful."

Despite not remembering how many rupees I had on my person, I did have enough to make some purchases provided Aria had what I needed. Looking through my inventory, I had plenty of bombs, arrows, and Magic Powder, yet having the maximum amount would've made me feel better. The latter item was highly unlikely to be sold in the shop so hopefully I could find some along the way or maybe pay a visit to Trixie and get some from her. In any case, I had a bit of running around to do to prepare myself. This backtracking was fine as there wasn't going to be much combat and puzzle solving.

Leaving the telephone booth, I took out the Ocarina and played Manbo's Mambo where I began focusing on the warp panel just outside of Mabe Village. I was then enveloped in a white light and disappeared only to reappear moments later at my destination. I had decided to get the medicine first and it involved going out of my way to get it. Heading north, I picked up and tossed aside a boulder when a Zombie began stumbling towards me. I had forgotten that they frequented this area though they weren't really a threat. This was especially true with my stronger sword.

Ignoring it, I kept on going and was surprised that it was keeping up with me. Zombies were normally slow which made them easy to get away from but this one was defying that stereotype. As another one emerged from the ground, I thought about heading into the graveyard which was when I remembered that it was haunted by ghosts known as Ghinis and their much larger counterparts. Between both monsters, Zombies were my preference. Continuing on, I reached Trixie's hut, a place I hadn't visited in what felt like forever.

Without a mushroom, she wouldn't do business with me so entering her place wasn't a good idea. Just when the two Zombies finally caught up, I picked up the boulder and tossed it at them where one was hit by it and was defeated. The other one kept on following so I kept on moving until it suddenly disappeared when I entered the next area. Just like in dungeons, monsters could only exist in the areas they were assigned to. Just as I was about to continue, Princess Twilight bopped me on the head repeatedly which meant she had something important to say.

She told me that Manbo's Mambo had a special function which would enable me to warp to the pond that was located next to where Sugar Belle lived. Her Highness didn't know if this was information I had gotten from her before but she felt it necessary to tell me now. She then added that a long time ago, the song could only take someone to this pond when played on the ocarina. I felt relieved knowing that things had changed for the better instead of remaining the same. While I wished she had mentioned this sooner, it wasn't a complete loss as I got some exercise out of it.

While I could warp over there, it wasn't that far away and I didn't want to be seen as lazy. Also, knowing about this pond being a location for Manbo's Mambo this late in the adventure was pretty pointless, yet appreciated all the same since Princess Twilight went out of her way to tell me. I continued heading north, I ignored the Tabhal Wastelands as there was nothing there for me, and kept going until I reached some more boulders which I picked up and tossed aside. Approaching the pond, how this related to Autumn Blaze I'll never know. A shame really as I was a little curious about it.

Entering Sugar Belle's place, she was surprised to see me. "It's been a while since you last came here, big girl."

"Let's just say I need your medicine now more than ever before."

"You must really like the stuff if you went and said something like that." Sugar Belle then leaned forward and began sniffing which made me feel uncomfortable. "Hey! I can smell the residue from my Magic Medicine, but how can that be when you haven't been here in a long time."

"I've been finding some Secret Medicine which is the same as what you have."

"What!?"

"Hidden in treasure chests inside a few of the dungeons."

Staring at me in utter disbelief, Sugar Belle looked like she was about to explode when instead she began laughing. "Oh that medicine! I remember someone purchased the stuff from me a long time ago and said they were going to hide them in some underground buildings. Not sure why they'd do such a thing but what someone does with my medicine is none of my business once it's been purchased. Guess their method ended up paying off."

"So you're not upset?"

"Why would I be?" Sugar Belle answered as she leaned back. "Since you found the medicine, it tells me you are very dependent on it. Must be because you've seen your fair share of scrapes what with all those scratches you have. Normally, I'd have asked for twenty-eight rupees for some of my medicine, but I think I'll give you my very special discount. I only give this one out after someone buys my medicine eight times, but you've proven to me that you love my work and so I'll charge you just seven rupees this one time."

"Really?"

"Better than say, forty-two rupees?"

"How do you know how many monsters I've defeated?"

Sugar Belle winked in response. "A woman is entitled to some secrets you know. Now, please hand over seven rupees and I will apply your body with my medicine. I'm sure you remember that it doesn't work until you have run out of life so I won't repeat that."

Wow... Talk about a lucky break! Still, this did give me some extra money which I could use at the shop provided Aria had what I needed. Upon handing over seven rupees, Sugar Belle told me to relax before she began applying her medicine across my body. While the secret medicine had proven effective especially against Hot Head, getting it directly from the source made me feel a lot better even if it was the same thing. Once she was finished, I thanked her and took my leave which was when I took out the ocarina again.

I thought about warping over to the Seashell Mansion as that was the fastest way to reach Adagio, but it wasn't a Fairy Fountain so I wouldn't find any fairies there. If I was going to face off against Grogar, I needed a fairy in order to give me extra survivability. A shame Princess Twilight couldn't revive me upon getting killed but then she wasn't that kind of fairy (No doubt she was often upset about that). If I remembered, there was a fountain just outside of the village. Playing Manbo's Mambo, I focused on the same warp panel again and soon disappeared in the white light.

Upon arriving at my destination, I began heading in the same direction as I did before but instead of going towards the boulder, I walked towards the hole in the wall that I had blown up earlier. Entering the cave, to my relief, there was a Fairy Fountain. Approaching the water's edge, I could see a couple of fairies flying about, but before I could do anything, Adagio appeared before me with a smile on her face. No matter how many times I saw her smile, it made me feel strange knowing that the real her was scheming and manipulative. In this world, she was neither of those things.

"Welcome to the Fairy Fountain, young one." Adagio said.

"I think you know why I'm here."

She nodded. "You have need for one of the little fairies that frequent this fountain." Waving her hand, she then pointed at one which floated over and landed on the top of her palm where it began to glow in a bright light. "Even though they may not look like it, they do not mind being placed into bottles so long as they can prove themselves to be helpful. You only have the one bottle on your person so you can only take one."

Taking out my bottle, the fairy that had been on her palm floated towards me where I proceeded to capture it. "With this, I know that I can defeat the remaining Nightmare." I was going to call him by his name but opted not to in case Adagio didn't understand the meaning.

"You speak of the one who commanded the others you have defeated?"

I nodded. "Do you know anything about him?"

Adagio shook her head. "There is very little I know about this creature. I know this is not what you wanted to hear but I apologize because you are asking me about something that exists beyond my power."

"I'm sorry that I asked you."

"I can tell you this though... You must be prepared to handle its many forms."

"What do you mean?"

I was expecting Adagio to conjure up an image using her magic but instead she looked up at the ceiling. "You have everything you need to overcome the creature's different forms, but you will need additional guidance from those who have helped you. Each form must be defeated before it will reveal its true self."

"How many forms are there?"

"That is something I do not know." Adagio answered sadly. "You are at full health right now so there is no need for you to use the healing properties of this fountain. Should you end up getting hurt, feel free to come back here or to any of the fountains found across this island."

As she disappeared, I began to think about what she said regarding Grogar having multiple forms. It made sense seeing as he did assume my form when I encountered him in my dreams, but at the same time, the thought of me having to potentially fight just about anything filled me with dread. Surely there were limits as to what he could become. Sighing, there was no sense in wondering about it as it would become clear soon enough. Adagio also said I had everything I needed though I wish she had been more specific. It all boiled down to what the princesses had to say now.

Leaving the cave and heading back outside, I looked up and saw that there was still plenty of time left before the sun went down. For my own peace of mind, I wasn't going to wait until nightfall as a creature like Grogar would surely be more powerful in the dead of night. This had to end within the next few hours! Making my way over to the boulder that blocked the village's easternmost exit, I picked it up and tossed it aside before walking west and entering the item shop. Not much had changed in terms of items as there were still bombs and arrows aside from one of those custom dungeon tiles.

That's when Aria's sarcastic voice rung in my ears. "Well, well... Didn't think I'd see you in here again!"

I turned to face her and she was looking at me, head in her hands, and giving off a grinning smirk. "I'm here in order to get some supplies for something important." I made sure not to insult her as she had the right to kick me out. "I trust you won't question my actions?"

"Like I care what you do."

"You're still as charming as ever."

Aria laughed at that. "My attitude has gotten me this far and I'll continue to use it until I stop getting a kick out of it! Like I said, I don't care what you do with your money so long as you buy something and I can juggle those precious rupees in my hand." She coughed which made me look at her which she clearly didn't appreciate. "Quit staring at me like that! Look, I'm just running my business, okay? Everyone wants a little money because it's what makes everything go round. In fact, thanks to you and those purchases of yours, I could retire right now and never have to worry about anything again."

"How shrill of you."

She shrugged it off. "Whatever! Anyway, I've not been able to get much in the way of new items aside from that custom dungeon tile. Not sure what it does but it costs 1,200 rupees if you want it. Knowing you, you probably don't want it and I won't blame you for saying no. That Dampé character is the one who requested me to sell the thing. She said I could make some real money because adventurers would love having something like that. So far, I think she's full of it."

"I'd buy it but it's not on my list of priorities."

"Guess I was wrong."

"About what?"

"About whether or not you'd buy it." Aria began to laugh again and almost lost her balance when one of her arms slipped. "Anyway, I hope you didn't come here to talk my ears off because that'd be wasting my time."

"I need some arrows and bombs."

That surprised her given my previous purchases. "Huh... After spending a fortune, you decide you want to go with something cheap this time. Oh well. I suppose you can only buy stuff with whatever money you have. A set of ten bombs will cost ten rupees and a set of ten arrows will cost thirty. Considering I'm the only one who sells anything on this island, be grateful my prices have never once increased."

Even in this world, she enjoyed her sarcasm and talking down to people. Picking up the supplies I needed, I walked over to where she was standing, took out my wallet, and handed over forty rupees. She then began juggling them in her hand which made me feel sick knowing she got a kick out of doing that, but when I shook my head, she scoffed at me in return before waving her other hand which was enough for me to want to leave. Before doing so, I thanked her for selling so many important items and this left her completely dumbfounded.

"I'm serious you know." I said as I walked out the door.

"Despite the way you look, you definitely know what you want."

I wasn't sure how to respond to that so I continued walking and was soon on the other side of the village. Looking around to see if Starlight was nearby, I couldn't see her which made me suspicious of her intentions. She had something that she clearly wanted to say to me but couldn't due to Sunburst's sudden appearance after rescuing her in the mountains. I was genuinely concerned she was getting involved in matters far beyond her understanding given what Flash Sentry said she had done over by the Egg, but without knowing exactly what her true intentions were, I couldn't help out in any way.

A part of me considered speaking with Sunburst but I quickly abandoned that idea. Considering they both lived in the same house, he'd know about what she was doing. Then again, she did act out in peculiar ways which made me think she secretly had a mean streak she pretended didn't exist. After walking back to the weather vane in hopes of finding her and being unsuccessful, I decided I needed to focus on finding and reading that book. If I ran into Starlight later, okay, but if not then perhaps I'd see her again when things were back to normal.

Heading south and entering the library, I knew which book to look at, yet a part of me wanted to see what the other books were all about. Besides, Princess Twilight was checking out as many books as she could so I had a free moment to see what I could've potentially learned. The first one was called 'How To Handle Your Shield Like A Pro!', a book that would've been useful during the beginning of this adventure. Would it have mentioned something about the Mirror Shield? If so then I could've used that information much sooner.

Another one was called 'Selecting The Item That's Right For You' with a third titled 'Auto Map and Memo Guide Book'. Would these have been useful? I had Princess Twilight with me who could provide me with crucial information, but I supposed I had to rely on these and the other books if she wasn't around to act as my partner. Just thinking about it like that made me glad she was here. The next book was called 'Secrets of the Whirling Blade' which was pretty obvious in that it talked about the Spin Attack, a technique I really needed to use way more often than I did.

Next was 'The Properties of Warp Panels'... Another book that would've been useful had I come here sooner. The remaining two books aside from the important one and the one that talked about finding out where the Colour Dungeon was located were called 'Fun With Bombs' and 'Atlas of Koholint Island'. If I recalled, the latter would've given me a full map of everything this island had to offer. Had I come here often, I could've reached certain places much sooner and not stumble about. I supposed at the very least, I got in some good exploration despite only doing a small amount.

Then I turned towards the final book, 'Dark Secrets and Mysteries of Koholint'. Opening it up, the small text gave me a slight headache before I used the Magnifying Lens to see what secrets it contained. As I combed through it, Princess Twilight floated over after having had her fill of information. "I never knew there was so much to learn here! It makes me wish we could stay here longer!"

"At least you've been enjoying yourself."

"And what have you been doing?"

I pointed at the other books whilst combing through the one I was reading. "I wanted to give you some time to indulge in your book fascination so I looked at the other main books this library out of a sense of curiosity. Anyway, I'm trying to find what we need in this book but so far all I've gleamed are secrets I already know about."

"Why not let me take a look?"

"Be my guest."

Her Highness then looked at me funny and I knew what she was getting at. Blushing, I held up the Magnifying Lens with one hand whilst turning the pages with the other since she clearly couldn't do that herself. Sometimes being a fairy had its disadvantages. After a few minutes, she shouted which prompted me to pay attention (I nearly fell asleep). Okay, this isn't the exact information we need, but it could prove useful if you're willing to go out of your way to find it. Apparently, there are a few hidden altars across the island where one can summon a demon called the 'Mad Batter'."

"What kind of name is that?"

"A weird one, yes."

"Okay, so what does this have to do with me?" I asked as I reeled from her sarcastic response.

"According to this, it has the ability to give you item upgrades." Princess Twilight answered. She then pointed at a drawing of what was the demon in question and it actually looked rather cute. "It says here that it does this in order to punish those who choose to disturb it but in reality it ends up being beneficial. I don't know where you can find any of these demons so unless you want to do a quick search, what I've told you is essentially useless."

The thought of being able to carry more bombs, arrows, and so forth sounded wonderful, but having to go and look for these altars without any clues would ultimately be a time waster, and I doubted Grogar would give me a chance to find any of them. Unless... This book had the information! "Does it say where we can find these hidden altars?"

Princess Twilight shook her head. "I'm afraid not. All this book says is that they exist and are hidden on the island. I guess this was intentional so as to test the resolve of any who wanted to find one."

"A shame as it could've been helpful against Grogar."

"So you're not going to try?"

I shook my head. "I don't think Grogar would even give me a chance." Sighing, I decided to take over combing through the book in order to find the information. As I looked, even more secrets became known to me though none of these were of any help. I cursed myself once again for not choosing to be more explorative and instead focusing on getting through the main objectives. Suddenly, I stopped reading. "Yes! I've found it!"

"What did you find?"

"The answer to our problem!"

"You mean the solution to the maze?"

I nodded. "Yes! No wonder I needed the Magnifying Lens though hiding it behind an item trade quest was a bit much for my personal tastes. It says here, 'Round and round, the passageways of the Egg. If you are reading this, then you wish to know this island's deepest secret. Within the Egg, everything is endless. There is but one path to follow as all others are infinite. East, north, north, east, north, north, east, north... Follow and discover your destiny'."

"So that's the answer."

"I was expecting it to be a lot more complicated than that."

"Be thankful you didn't have to go through this sequence several times over." Princess Twilight then used her magic in order to make a note of the correct path. "Once we know we're in the maze itself, this path will take us straight to Grogar. If there's nothing else you need to take care of, Sunset, you know where you must go."

Whoever came up with the item trade sidequest idea was very devious as most would ignore something like that in favour of some action and get stumped at this exact moment. And yes, I knew where I had to go. Closing the book and exiting the library, I looked up at Mt. Tamaranch where the Egg loomed over everything it surveyed. The thought of this journey ending inside of something like an Egg did feel pretty corny, but then my last adventure ended with me inside of a moon with an evil looking face.

Before warping to Zecora's home knowing it was the closest place to the Egg, I decided to try and see if I could find Starlight one more time. I couldn't quite put my finger on it but something wanted me to speak with her. Checking every possible location within Mabe Village, there was no sign of her anywhere. Was she choosing to avoid me? If so, then sticking around here wasn't worth any hassle. I then decided to look inside her and Sunburst's house just in case and also because my journey started from there. You could say I was feeling a bit nostalgic.

Peering through a window, I could see Sunburst sleeping in bed but no sign of her. I thought about waking him up and asking some questions but decided to let him rest. Taking one last look at the village knowing it would be my last look, I took out the ocarina and was about to play it when someone from behind tapped my shoulder. Turning around, I was startled at seeing Starlight standing there, so much so, I fell down onto my butt prompting her to laugh in return. Getting back up, the most obvious question I had was where had she been? After all, I did comb the village once or twice looking for her.

"That's a funny reaction you made there, Sunset Shimmer!" Starlight said whilst giggling.

"Where were you?"

"I was standing by the weather wane, practicing my song."

Yeah, right! I searched there and I didn't see her. Unless I somehow became extremely blind, I knew she had been elsewhere, but, I also knew there was no point in arguing given her questionable responses. Her song... That's it! That's what compelled to want to find her. "I've been looking for you, Marin (I remembered to call her that this time), as I wanted to know more about what you shared with me."

"You mean 'The Ballad of the Wind Fish'?"

I nodded. "I have been playing from time to time yet I wish to know more before I truly dedicate myself to it."

"Huh... I knew my song would have a strong effect on you." Starlight's pause at the start of that sentence made me think she didn't quite know how to respond to what I said. To be fair, the same could be applied to me. I just made up something in hopes of striking a good conversation as I wouldn't get to talk to her again upon leaving. "My song is very special as it's been there for me for a long time."

"So you said before."

"It can also be used to awaken the Wind Fish." Starlight said. I remembered Flash Sentry mentioning that to me back in the mountains. She wanted to awaken it for reasons she didn't want to share and I doubted she'd be willing to say anything even now. "My song would've worked had I more instruments. Of course, the only thing I can play is a harp. Did you know about that, Sunset Shimmer?"

"No I didn't."

She laughed again. "Because it's you, I'm going to forgive you for this. Had it been any other circumstance, I would have been very upset and done something I'd regret." She then quickly changed the subject before I could confront her on her attitude. "Anyway, I wish I could tell you what my true reasons for singing in front of the Egg were... But... I feel you wouldn't be able to understand. No one, not even Tarin, understand how I feel."

"Why not explain it to me now?"

Shaking her head, Starlight then turned away from me. "I'm... I'm sorry for having brought it up. I know you have more important things to do so there's no need for you to be concerned about my feelings. Besides, it was just a stupid wish that didn't mean anything." I tried to say something in hopes she would share her feelings, but I couldn't think of the right thing to say and deep down, she knew that. "I... I need to get going. Sunset Shimmer... I'm glad my song ended up being useful to you. I'm also glad I got to see you again."

With that, she walked away leaving me feeling confused. Even though she was portraying a different character, a part of me wanted to follow her in the hopes of making her feel better. However, deep down, I knew she wouldn't say anything so I ignored my feelings. Maybe when this was all over, I should consider paying her a visit by going to Equestria, or maybe she could visit me. Despite not knowing each other that well, we were kindred spirits brought together by fate. Knowing there wasn't anything else I could do in the village, now was as good a time as any to leave and head to the final battle.

Playing Manbo's Mambo, I concentrated on the warp panel that was next to Zecora's home. Disappearing in the white light, I reappeared moments later where I thought about maybe taking on one more challenge in order to get in some last minute experience. The only problem with that was Zecora was quite persistent and would promise me even bigger rewards in order to get me to stick around. If I did, I'd never finish this adventure and I really wanted to. Heading west, I ignored the Spear Moblins who responded by tossing their spears with one lodging itself in my shoulder.

I pulled it out and kept on walking until I reached the two boulders. Picking one up, another spear sailed past me, hitting the other one with a loud clank. Turning around, I tossed it at the Moblin that was closest to me. Connecting, it got pushed back before being defeated which prompted the other one to back away. Picking up and tossing the other boulder, I walked the other way until I reached the ladder and stopped where I began looking around at my surroundings. Despite what I'd been through, I did enjoy myself and would miss seeing all this.

Climbing up the ladder and then walking up the stairs, I began feeling faint due to suddenly experiencing a lack of oxygen. I knew the Wind Fish's Egg looked over the island but I didn't think it would be up so high. Shaking it off, I kept on climbing until finally reaching it. Wow... To say that it was stunning was an understatement. Pressing my ear up against it, I didn't hear a thing and when I placed my hands on it, it felt cold as though nothing were inside. If that was the case, was the Wind Fish even alive? No... It had to be otherwise this island wouldn't exist.

Taking out the ocarina, I then played 'The Ballad of the Wind Fish' before turning around to face the Egg. Waiting patiently, I was expecting something to happen yet things remained quiet which left me concerned. Had something gone wrong? No, I played the song correctly and I had all eight instruments. After waiting a bit longer, it was apparent I'd done something wrong. I was about to head back down the mountain when the instruments suddenly began leaving my body and surrounded me.

Each one then began playing 'The Ballad of the Wind Fish' and I couldn't help but join in with the ocarina. This is what Starlight meant when she said her song alone wasn't enough. As my performance continued, Princess Twilight began floating about like she was dancing which was quite the delight yet I could swear I saw her attempting to sing. No wonder Grogar did everything in his power to hide these instruments. On their own, they couldn't do much but together they were unstoppable. After a few more minutes, they all disappeared leaving me to wonder what would happen now.

"Now that was something."

Princess Twilight nodded. "If our friends had been here, we could've performed some kind of concert."

"Yeah..." I then remembered that nothing was happening. "Okay, so what are we supposed to do next?"

As soon as I said that, everything began shaking as though we were caught in an earthquake. Even Her Highness could feel it and she was flying. "I think we're about to find out what playing that song will do to the Egg."

Staring at the Egg which remained unaffected by the tremors, it suddenly cracked before doing so again and revealing an entrance. I was honestly disappointed in this as I was expecting it to have exploded or something. "So that's it huh? All of that action and we just get a harmless little crack?" I quickly turned away when some kind of dark aura came out from the crack and dissipated after being exposed to the outside world. "Okay... I stand corrected." No wonder I couldn't hear anything coming from inside."

"Grogar must surely know you're coming for him now."

"And I was hoping to catch him by surprise."

Princess Twilight shook her head. "Considering that Hot Head had been informing him of your progress from the beginning, he knows everything you've done. Surprising him was never going to happen. Unfortunately, like Adagio and Discord, I know next to nothing about what awaits inside."

Before I could respond, the sound of flapping could be heard all around me. Heh... I was beginning to think he wasn't going to make his presence known. Flash Sentry then appeared moments later where he commanded his owl companion to land on top of the Egg before looking down at me. "Child... You have done well in making it this far. Most others would have given up but you persevered through it all."

"Is he inside?"

"Do you mean the leader of the Nightmares?"

"Yes."

Flash Sentry nodded. "The Nightmare has been waiting for the likes of you to come. The time has come... The Wind Fish awaits. Before you continue on, you have been told about the endless maze that lurks within. This was created as a final test that only the chosen one could solve. Unless you know how to navigate the infinite rooms, the only thing that awaits you is death. Somewhere, you can find the answer you need if you can see it for yourself."

I then showed him the Magnifying Lens. "I was able to obtain this item after trading a number of items to different people. This in turn allowed me to read the words within the one book inside the library and so I know how to make my through the maze."

"Then you are truly ready."

"I hope I am."

"I can sense the three Spirit Princesses inside waiting for you to reach them." Flash Sentry said. His owl then hooted and he petted it before his expression changed to one of concern which was never good. "It seems they are using the last of their power as the Nightmare's presence is too much for them to bear. You must follow the path you have learned and hear what they have to say. They knew there would be risks so do not despair upon seeing each of them disappear. Now... Enter the Egg."

Unlike my previous encounters with him, he didn't command his owl to leave. Was he worried that I wasn't going to survive? Or did he have some other motive? I don't he'd tell me as he had been pretty good at keeping his secrets close to his chest. As I stared at the darkness that lurked inside of the crack, a part of me wanted to turn around and leave because of being too afraid to go in. Was I afraid? Of course I was! I mean, who wouldn't be? Even a hero had to have flaws otherwise they wouldn't really be much of one. I knew I couldn't run. This was my destiny even when it had been thrust upon me.

Entering the Egg, I was expecting to be surrounded by darkness but instead, I was in a room that glowed in an eerie blue light. There were also two torches on either side in the middle which made no sense, but then, given this atmosphere, I should've expected it. All around me, the aura of darkness made me very uneasy but I knew I couldn't go back. This would be true once I entered the maze assuming I could even find it. Just how big was the inside of this Egg anyway? Yet another question that lacked an answer. Hopefully, there weren't any monsters waiting for me as they would be the strongest yet.

Walking forward into the next room, I immediately came to a stop upon seeing a massive abyss. There was a way forward on the other side but nothing I had would enable me to get over there. Despite how pretty everything looked, it was Grogar's way of distracting me and weakening my resolve. The only way I could go was straight down so stepping forward, I dropped into the darkness before blacking out. Upon waking up and rubbing my head, I looked around to see where I ended up. There were two paths, one north, and one south, so my options were limited.

"Is this the maze, Twilight?"

"It appears to be, yes."

"Had I come here without the solution, what do you think my chances would've been of making it through?"

"About 1:1,000,000,000, give or take."

"That bad huh?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "I made sure to write which directions you need to take so be sure to follow my directions carefully. If you end up taking the wrong path, you'll have to start over again from the first direction. Judging from how this room is set up, this is the starting point so you can go either way which is when it truly begins. I don't know what we'll find at the end of this but hopefully we can find the princesses."

"I just hope there are no monsters."

"Hard to say for certain."

Heading north, the next room had nothing of interest aside from four exits including the one I came from. "I guess this is what we're going to be seeing until we make it to the endof this whenever that happens. Talk about repetition." Again, the eerie blue light made things beautiful but it was nothing but a distraction. "You must admit that this place is unlike anything we've seen before and we've both seen some strange things." Her Highness told me to I needed to head east first and so I walked that way and entered the same room hence why this was going to be repetitive.

She then told me to head north and upon doing so, I entered the same room again only this time there was something else. In the corner of the room was some kind of light and upon approaching it, it took on the form of Princess Celestia though she clearly looked weak. Flash Sentry did say that Grogar's power was too much and that they were using what little they had left to appear before me. What advice could they even give me? I wasn't about to turn down some much needed help but again, what could I learn? Approaching her, she smiled before standing up though she did wobble a little.

"You've entered the endless maze." Princess Celestia said.

"I know the path to get to the end."

She smiled again. "Good... I was afraid you had come here without knowing the solution. This maze was created by Grogar to prevent you from reaching his sanctum. Even though he is very powerful, deep down, he fears being destroyed by the chosen hero." She then dropped to her knees and I responded by trying to help her but she waved her hand to indicate otherwise. "I... I can only stay here for a few moments." Getting back up, it was obvious her agony made things difficult for her so hopefully she would be quick. "He has many forms that you must overcome."

I already knew that thanks to Adagio but surely she had more to say. "Do you know anything about these forms of his?"

Princess Celestia was fading fast, the darkness was too much. "You will fight his forms in a specific order. Each... Must be defeated in order to bring about the next one. While I can't tell you what they are... I can say that one form can be defeated with a single strike... Yet... It will be incredibly fast. Sunset Shimmer... I know you can do this..." 

She then disappeared leaving me visually upset, yet Flash Sentry said I shouldn't mourn because this is what the princesses wanted. Besides, I'd see them all again. One of Grogar's forms had next to no stamina but was fast. Hmmm... I had no idea what kind of form that could entail. Princess Twilight... I wished she could've said something. Inquiring about it, she said she wanted to hold back and give me the chance speak talk with each of them. I knew I couldn't persuade her otherwise so rather than ask further questions, I dropped the subject and focused on getting through this maze.

Heading north again, Her Highness then said I needed to go east again. Upon doing so, I saw another light in the corner of the room yet this one was much darker. Approaching it, it took on the form of Princess Luna, who like her sister before her, was looking incredibly weak. At first, she struggled to muster up a smile given how she often had a grim expression, but she eventually managed to form one though I knew it wasn't easy. "You have managed to get to me before I faded away, Sunset Shimmer. No doubt my sister has given you some last minute advice."

"And do you have something for me?" I asked.

She nodded. "I do, but first, I need to say this. I didn't always believe you had reformed. I heard about your exploits from my sister and Princess Twilight. Even though their words were strong and added to your credibility, words alone weren't enough. No, I needed to see with my own eyes as to whether they were right."

"I'm sorry that I caused so much trouble in the past."

"You have changed a lot since then and I believe it."

"Coming from you, that's a compliment."

Princess Luna then collapsed due to the strain of using her power in such a place like this. "Sunset Shimmer! I can only remain for a few moments in order to give you some advice on what awaits you further ahead. Grogar will take on the appearance of a Nightmare you have faced before. What that appearance will be I do not know but you have defeated it once and can do so again."

I didn't like the sound of that. If I included the Hardhit Beetle from the Colour Dungeon, that was nine different Nightmares Grogar could assume the guise of. There was no time to think about what strategies were effective against them so hopefully it would be an easy one. "Princess Luna... Do you think I can win?"

That surprised her. "Why do you ask such a foolish question? Of course you will win. If you do not then none of us will be going back home. You need to remind yourself that you can succeed by relying on the strength of courage within your heart and with friendship." She then started fading away so she pointed at me and mustered up another smile. "Never forget what I have said... Otherwise we're all finished. Now... Get going."

Once she had faded away entirely, I adjusted my belt, and nodded my head slowly. I never knew Princess Luna had that kind of baggage when it came to me. Unlike her sister, I never got the chance to get to know her as she was trapped in the moon when I was Celestia's personal student. She had every right to question my credibility. At least she had the heart to reveal her true opinion of me and I appreciated it. Perhaps one day I can do the same in return. Waiting for my next instructions, Princess Twilight eventually told me to head north and then north again.

I followed her directions until I reached my next destination... Which was the same room like before. If I had been forced to go through this dozens of times, I'd have lost my mind a while back and likely admitted defeat. Only someone with absolute willpower would be able to tolerate madness of this magnitude. Her Highness then told me to head east and then north one more time which should bring me to Grogar's sanctum. In fact, the closer I got towards him, the stronger the darkness around me was growing. Was he showing off his power? That could prove to be his undoing.

Heading east, I saw another light in the corner of the room and it glowed a bright pink. Approaching it, it took on the form of Princess Cadance though she looked like she had seen better days. Rather than looking radiant, she appeared broken, like she had been stripped of her power. "Twilight! Sunset! Don't worry about my condition. Because of how close we all are to Grogar, his power has had a much greater impact on me compared with the other princesses."

"What can you tell me about him?"

"Some of his forms are ones you've never seen before."

"I don't understand."

Princess Cadance then sighed. "I knew you wouldn't but that's okay." I didn't quite know what to make of what she was saying though something in my mind was telling me that maybe she was trying to insult me. "Twilight should be able to fill in those gaps for you." She then turned towards Her Highness. "Twilight... Sunset is going to be relying on you now more than ever before. I know you're just as worried as she is about what awaits up ahead but neither of you can allow him to fill your minds with doubt."

"I'll make sure she succeeds." Princess Twilight said.

"Ah, so you can talk." I said smugly.

"Like I said, I wanted you to get in some last words with the princesses."

"I know but that doesn't mean you need to remain quiet."

That's when Princess Cadance coughed. "Ahem! I'm still here you know." Both Her Highness and I blushed with embarrassment as we turned our attention towards her. "I can only say one other thing before I must go. Sunset... One of his forms is going to be very personal for you from your first adventure." She then started fading away. "Unfortunately, you must figure out everything else on your own with Twilight's help. Sunset... I know... You will beat him..."

When she disappeared entirely, I began to think about what she said. Something from my first adventure? Much of that experience I had forgotten entirely though there were some remnants that remained in my mind. I remembered Spike being my partner and Lord Tirek portraying Ganondorf though I couldn't say for certain as to what he had done that could qualify as being personal. Aside from a few other things, everything was a blank. I supposed there was no way of knowing for certain until actually battling Grogar.

Heading north one more time, I entered a completely different room which made for a nice change of pace. There were no other directions I could go except for straight down into another abyss though this was smaller. A powerful dark aura was emanating from it so I knew that was the right place. Peering into the darkness below, I thought I saw something moving but perhaps it was just my nerves acting up knowing what awaited me below. Checking my items over one last time, everything appeared to be in order. There was no turning back after this point so I wanted to be sure I was truly ready.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped into the abyss and was surrounded by darkness on all sides which made me black out again. Waking up moments later, I was in a room that had no exits meaning I was trapped here unless another way out could be found. On the ground was an image of what looked like the Wind Fish though I couldn't be certain as it lacked details. I began looking around for any signs of Grogar and nothing came up. I was all alone. No! He had to be here somewhere! Why go to so much trouble of wanting to fight me and not actually showing up?

"Now what?" I asked in frustration.

"We have to wait for him to make the first move." Princess Twilight answered.

"I was afraid of that."

"I must say that I wasn't expecting his sanctum to be quite like this." Her Highness then began flying about in complete awe over what she was seeing. "I was honestly expecting the standard villain trope of a throne room complete with throne and being surrounded by flames. This place looks like some kind of fantasy world."

"One with no way out!"

"So I noticed."

"In any case, we're here now so we couldn't escape even if we wanted to."

Princess Twilight nodded. "No, I suppose not."

At that moment, a sinister laugh began echoing throughout the room. "At long last... The Outsider has made it to our inner sanctum." It didn't take a genius to figure out who was talking but I decided to let him continue on in case he'd say something he wasn't supposed to. "A part of us knew you would reach this place though we are also disappointed that you got here in the first place. Had we been far less merciful, you'd be dead right now!"

"Grogar!" I shouted. "Show yourself!"

"Such an interesting name you choose to give us, but it is not the name we are known as."

"Okay, then what do I call you?"

"We are Dethl!"

I had no idea where his voice was coming from so I opted to keep talking until I knew his exact location. "I'm sorry that I ended up disappointing your expectations, but you should've realized how strong I've been getting since first starting my adventures here."

"It was our mistake and one we will not make again!"

"Since I managed to get here, I want to know why you did all of this?"

Grogar began laughing in a deep voice. "You wish to know the truth? That is something you have been struggling against for some time, Outsider. Even now, that struggle has not changed. We could keep our reasons a secret but we find it more delicious to make you suffer as much as possible all because of how our efforts have been denied by you!" He then went quiet for a few moments before speaking again and with a more sinister voice than before. "We were born of nightmares! When the Wind Fish first slept, it created this island and populated it with numerous creatures."

"Which I found out was an illusion."

"Do you still wish for us to continue?"

I nodded. "Feel free to carry on."

"Once the Wind Fish began having nightmares, we came into existence." Grogar paused again which was starting to get on my nerves. "We desired to take over this world and make it our own, but to do so, we first had to ensure the dreamer would never awaken again. Thus, he sleeps endlessly. However, the one thing that could awaken him could not be destroyed by any means. Our efforts were futile so we instead hid the eight Instruments of the Sirens within dangerous trials guarded by our fellow Nightmares. No one on this island was stupid enough to find them or even knew of them."

That explained why the dungeons on this island existed. "And yet I ended up getting them all."

"GRRAAGGHH!" Grogar hissed before quickly calming down. "If the Wind Fish does not wake up, this island will never disappear. Those who live here would not disappear either and things could continue on. Everyone would be happy. We would have been the masters and ruled without any opposition. However, this cannot happen now because of you! Why did you come to this island?"

I shrugged. "I've been trying to figure that one out from the beginning."

"Perhaps a divine force brought you here?" What Grogar said actually made a lot of sense though I wouldn't have said 'divine'. The Demon King was anything but that! He brought me here to make me suffer until I finally succumbed to his will and serve him. Everything else that happened was merely coincidence if anything. He then hissed again and it was louder than before. "You disrupted our plans, Outsider! Because of you, our efforts have slowly been undone! Fortunately, it can fixed by killing you here and now."

"That's not going to happen."

"You may have defeated the other Nightmares but you can never defeat us."

"We'll see about that."

Grogar then appeared from the shadows and already I felt sick looking at the giant eyeball on his chest. "Such brave words coming from you. When you faced us in your dreams, you were completely overwhelmed, yet you fought a weak version that was forced to hold back. Now you see us as we truly are, a Nightmare that cannot be overcome! Hot Head told us a lot about the different things you can do but we wanted to see for ourselves and make our own judgement. The time has come for the final battle! Outsider! If you can defeat my other forms, only then will we show our true form."

"You mean this isn't your real form!?"

He nodded slowly. "This form is merely a means to enable us to communicate with you. Now... Let's rumble!"

His entire body suddenly transformed into a shadowy mass where two eyes appeared and glowed menacingly. It then floated over to the back of the room where it changed again into what looked like a giant blob of darkness. This then began bouncing after me and I immediately started moving in hopes of not getting hit by whatever it was. As I looked behind me, he was still behind me, his bouncing being remarkably fast for what it was. Eventually, it did catch up and knocked me to the ground where I felt like I had been attacked from the inside by a powerful burst of darkness.

Getting up and using my sword, I struck Grogar's blob-like form only for it to disappear into nothingness. Could this have been the form Princess Luna mentioned? My answer quickly came when it reappeared and knocked me down again causing the same kind of damage as before. As I watched it bounce around, I had this sneaking suspicion that I had faced something similar before. Combing through my memories, I got up and stood there which allowed it to knock me down a third time. The only monster that came to mind was the Giant Gel from the Colour Dungeon.

"Twilight? I need some help here!"

"He has taken on the form of the Giant Gel."

I knew that's what this form was! Glad to see I figured that one out on my own. "Okay, so I know what this form is supposed to be. The question now is, how do I defeat it? My sword did absolutely nothing."

"Since you have faced this monster before, you already know what to do."

If there was one thing I wished Her Highness wouldn't do, it was give me cryptic clues and expecting me to actually solve them. I thought about the Giant Gel from before and remembered using Magic Powder in order to inflict damage. To think I'd get to use the stuff during such a critical battle like this. The only problem was that Grogar was smaller so he had a tinier hit box which could make things tricky. Not only that, I only had a limited amount of Magic Powder on hand. If I ran out, I wasn't going to defeat him. In other words, I needed to make sure each use was going to count.

Taking out the Magic Powder (As in the pouch), I waited for the blob to bounce its way over to me. As soon as it was close enough, I sprinkled some powder only to miss and end up getting knocked down again. What made it worse was that I had no idea how many forms he possessed. It could be four, eight, a dozen, or more. Just thinking about it being an absurdly high number made me shudder as who could survive such an ordeal. Getting up, I used another sprinkle of powder and this connected.

Shaking like it was cold, the blob disappeared and reappeared on the other side of the room. No doubt it took damage so I didn't need to use my sword for this form. I was surprised that the Magic Rod wasn't effective as it used more potent magic. The blob began bouncing towards me again before going over my head and then doing so again until disappearing only to reappear next to me. Okay, so this thing doesn't bounce around forever. Using more powder, it jumped just as it was about to connect and I cursed for being slow and not reading its movements.

Instead of waiting for it to come to me, I should chase after it. Sure, it bounced fast but this room was an enclosed space so it didn't have anywhere to run. Going after it, I sprinkled some more powder which connected and inflicted damage. Reacting the same as before, the blob disappeared only to show up right behind me. Turning around, I tried another dose only to miss once again. Crap! Clearly I was getting sloppy. It then bounced over me and knocked me down before bouncing away.

Getting up and chasing it again, I managed to sprinkle some more Magic Powder which made it react. Instead of disappearing like before, it contained shaking which made me think it was going to explode but it ended up becoming the shadowy mass again. "So... You defeated our first form! We suppose some amount of success was guaranteed for you."

"That was a bit easy." I said though deep down I was worried because my performance had been sloppy.

"You will not succeed against our next form."

"The other Nightmares said something along those lines and look what became of them."

Grogar's eyes narrowed which didn't go unnoticed by me. "Hot Head also told us that you possessed a strong amount of arrogance. Unlike the others, we are far stronger and are capable of doing so much more. Aside from our strongest servant, the others proved to be useless."

"And yet he ended up being defeated as well."

"Hot Head knew he was going to fail!"

"Then why shower him with praise?"

"There are some things that are beyond your understanding." Grogar said. He then began changing his mass into the next form and I had no idea what it was going to be. "Since you enjoy using magic, then face off against one who was a master of those arts." Moving to the back of the room, he finished his transform where he resembled some kind of humanoid that looked to be wearing robes. He began creating a magical ball before launching it where it slammed into me and knocked me to the ground. That hurt way more than when his previous form knocked me down.

"I wasn't expecting that." I said as I rubbed my head.

"This is one of the forms that Cadance mentioned." Princess Twilight said.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded. "This form is based on a character you've never seen before. Fortunately, I have some knowledge about them. Grogar has taken on the form of Agahnim, a sorcerer who came to Hyrule in order to help restore it after many years of falling on hard times. In truth, he was a servant of Ganondorf who attempted to weaken a barrier that had kept the Demon King prisoner but was defeated by an adventurer much like yourself, Sunset. Unfortunately, I can't go into any further details on what exactly happened."

"I guessed you needed to be there in order to understand it."

"That's one way of looking at it."

"So how do I defeat this form?"

"When the other adventurer fought Agahnim, they were able to hit his own magical attacks at him." Princess Twilight answered. Huh... Now where have I heard that before? It sounded so familiar but I couldn't remember exactly what. Her Highness then continued. "Nothing else is going to be effective so I hope you've perfected your concentration. Not all of his magic works on him so you need to know which one to hit back. Grogar's version of this sorcerer apparently isn't a perfect recreation. There are a few attacks he doesn't use but this will still be a difficult fight and one that requires patience."

"Do you know which of his spells work on him?"

"I don't but it shouldn't take you long to figure it out."

So this form was a step up from the previous one in that he now had access to magic. Getting up again, he appeared right behind me and fired another magical fireball. Panicking, I raised my shield in hopes it would reflect back on him, but instead it fizzled out. That should've worked as that what was usually supposed to happen. Why did it fail!? It then dawned on me that Her Highness meant hitting back the magic using my sword. Definitely chalking this one up as an embarrassing moment on my part.

He appeared again and fired a different kind of magic, one that resembled four small fireballs rotating around in circles as a collective. I swung at this with my sword which caused me damage and split them off in four directions that all fizzled out upon hitting the walls and Grogar. At least I knew which magic to hit back which Her Highness said wouldn't take long for me to figure it out. He then next appeared at the back and threw a big fireball which I hit back at him where it inflicted damage. Huh... He chose not to hit it himself. Could he even do that? If not, this did give me some breathing room.

Getting hit didn't settle well with him. "It seems this form's weakness has been discovered."

"Guess it's not as powerful as you thought."

"Such insolence!" He disappeared and then reappeared right in front of me before hitting me with another fireball. At such a close range, he couldn't miss. "We know this form resonates with you as it serves as a reminder of the one who almost conquered your world."

Unfortunately for him, this Agahnim had no connection to me at all, but I couldn't tell him that as I doubted he'd even believe me. "Okay, you proved your point that you are stronger than you were before, but the same thing works both ways you know."

"We know you're afraid."

"Yeah right!"

Grogar laughed before pointing his finger at my sword hand. "Your sword betrays you, Outsider! Our presence has struck fear into your heart and there is nothing you can do to hide this truth from us. It will make ending your life that much more delicious!" He then fired the other type of magic which I attempted to reflect with my shield only to get pushed back by each shot. "Why do you hide behind such protection? Do you fear getting hurt by us?"

"No!"

"Such a tone suggests otherwise... So be it then."

Disappearing, he next appeared to my right which is when I noticed something. Every time he moved in this form, he'd do so beneath the ground where his shadow could be seen. This meant I'd no longer be surprised. He fired the larger fireball which I hit back into him though it did look like it wasn't going to work at first. I mean, I did this from a safe distance as I thought he'd disappear before it could connect. Knowing that he remained in place was quite the break but I couldn't become complacent. After all, there were other forms he had waiting to be used.

Moving underground to the upper left corner, he appeared and threw the other fireball which I avoided since my shield couldn't reflect it. This was a mistake as they bounced off the wall and hit me from behind. As I dropped to my knees, Grogar laughed before disappearing again. However, I had been taking too much damage even if it wasn't much thanks to my tunic. I needed to keep my two life-saving items intact for as long as possible. Until I knew how many forms there were going to be, I couldn't take any risky chances.

Appearing again at the southern end of the room, he fired the regular fireball and I hit it back, damaging him again. So long as I swung at the right time, I wouldn't get hit. Reeling, he disappeared and his shadow moved north before popping up again. I then noticed that he moved slightly in order to ensure his attacks were always aimed at me. Not only that, I had no way of knowing what fireball would come at me until he threw it. Throwing the next fireball, I hit it back at him and he disappeared where he moved back to where he was before.

After this, the next few attacks that came my way were the fireballs that split when they hit the walls. While this was annoying as I needed him to throw the other one, at least it wasn't anything truly bad. When he finally switched to what I wanted, I swung my sword only to do so late and wound up getting hit. He then disappeared and moved towards the center of the room, popping up, and throwing the same fireball again. Hitting it back at him, he reeled back before disappearing. I thought that had been the final hit but I supposed he still had a little bit of fight left in him.

When he appeared again, he began laughing which made me suspicious of his intentions. "Outsider... You have done well so far against us. No wonder the Nightmares were unable to defeat you even when they possessed our power."

"What are you getting at?"

"Our future forms will be too much for you."

I shook my head. "I'm not going to fall for any of your tricks."

"Tricks? Do not insult us!" Grogar immediately threw the other fireball where it struck me with such speed that when I got knocked down, I got pushed back into the wall. "To say such a thing shows how pathetic of a creature you are. We do not use tricks! What we say is the truth! Accuse us of such deceit again and we shall show no mercy." Wow... I didn't think he would be sensitive. I needed to choose my words carefully in future. "Submit to us and you may leave here with whatever dignity you possess. Refuse and your life shall become forfeit. We offer this chance only once."

"Do you have any guarantee that you will carry out this chance?"

"We do."

Right off the bat, I knew that if I accused him of being deceitful, he would attack me in a raged stupor again. There was no way I would accept such an offer as I knew better than to trust an evil mind. They pretend to want to do something for you only to backstab you later. I should know as I did that on a regular back during my troubled years. This needed a careful choice of words and not showing any kind of weakness. "The offer does sound tempting but no thanks. You probably figured I'd say no but wanted to make sure."

"No wonder you are a threat to us." Grogar said as he disappeared.

Princess Twilight then spoke up. Good for you refusing him, Sunset!"

I nodded. "Thanks, but something is bothering me. Why did he bring that whole act up in the first place?"

"Grogar would never admit it, but he is genuinely afraid of you." Princess Twilight answered in a quiet voice. Why was she being quiet? Was she afraid of him or maybe she didn't want him to hear what she had to say. "Many in his position would rely on such tactics in hopes of not dragging out the conflict as well as getting to survive another day. I don't know if he'll try that stunt again but you must be careful not to fall for anything he says or does. He knows that if you defeat him, his grip on this island will disappear."

"Then I must defeat him."

"Just don't take too many unnecessary hits."

I knew she would bring that up. "I'll be fine."

Again, I had been pretty sloppy since this fight started and it especially showed when he knocked me into the wall. Even with my improved defence, he hit very hard no matter form he was in. He was the final boss so obviously he had to be the strongest monster around but it wasn't an excuse. I needed to fight smarter and that meant not being reckless. Waiting for Grogar to appear again, I quickly checked to make sure everything was in order with my inventory. Given his other forms were still unknown, checking was strategic as who knew what items would be effective.

When he did appear in the middle of the room again, I tried moving around to get behind him only for him to follow my movements before he threw his next fireball. I dodged it only to get hit from behind upon splitting into pieces when it hit the wall. He disappeared and moved to the north of the room and threw another upon reappearing. Hitting it back at him, he reeled for a moment before disappearing again. Surely he couldn't take any further punishment. Appearing in the southwest corner, he fired the other fireball and blocked it with my shield.

At least, that's what I wanted to do but I had forgotten that I couldn't block that particular attack. Yeah... This was starting to affect my mental state a little bit. Shaking my head, I waited for him to reappear and he did so in the southeast corner of the room. He fired the regular fireball and I hit it back at him which caused him damage. This time, he began spinning around in circles so did it mean this form had been defeated? My answer came when after finishing his spinning, he assumed his blob-like form and moved back to the center of the room before glaring at me with those eyes.

"You defeated that form!"

"Are you surprised?"

I couldn't tell if he was nodding or anything given his current appearance. "No... We are not surprised. We knew that you would make it to this point. If you were not worthy, you would have perished back at the beginning. We have been holding back thinking you were easy enough to kill. Now, we realize we should have been more serious. We have many more forms at our disposal so do not think you have won yet."

"I can take on whatever you throw at me."

"You should choose your words more carefully." Grogar's eyes narrowed indicating I wasn't going to like whatever he was planning next. "Judging from the wounds across your body, you have been struggling against us. And yet... We know about your methods of cheating death. Unlike the other Nightmares, we are well aware that you won't die so quickly. It is merely a matter of us waiting patiently for you to exhaust those options. So long as they continue to hold out, you act with such confidence."

Crap! He knew about my Magic Medicine and fairy. "Guess I underestimated you a little."

"We are the Nightmare! We know all!"

I should've realized that he knew about my ability to come back from being killed. It also made sense as to why he was acting the way he was about killing me. He did it so that I wouldn't suspect a thing. Because I've defeated his second form, he's been forced to change tactics. Time hadn't been on my side so far and now it had become even more critical. The best case scenario would be to reach Grogar's true self having either the Magic Medicine or the fairy still with me. Having both would be a blessing but I knew that wouldn't happen. Having neither was nothing short of suicide.

I then turned to Princess Twilight. "What form do you think is next?"

"I don't know but be prepared for anything." She answered.

"Conspiring with your fairy?" Grogar asked.

"What of it?" I asked back.

He laughed. "We know that creature has been essential to your success. Without its guidance, you would have spent your time wandering around aimlessly until you figured it out on your own and eventually make your way here to us. It merely sped up the process. Outsider... The forms we possess are numerous and can comprise of anything. We could assume the form of an ancient monster, perhaps an enemy from your past, or perhaps a Nightmare which you have already defeated."

"Where are you going with this?"

"We recall what Hot Head said to us when we learned that you had defeated the Moldorm." Grogar answered. That was the first Nightmare I defeated and it was a difficult battle because of how small the arena was and how it got fast every time it took damage. "Though you defeated it, it proved itself a challenge. Now face our own guise!" 

To my surprise, his blob-like form quickly changed and became Moldorm or rather a shadowy version of it. Princess Luna said that I would fight a form based on a Nightmare I had defeated so this had been anticipated. I just wished it had been any of them but this one. At least the weakness hadn't changed which was the tip of the tail, but then the other problem of it getting faster couldn't be ignored as it was going to happen. There was also the positive of how there wasn't an abyss below me along with having more room to get around so perhaps this wasn't as bad as I thought.

As the shadow Moldorm began to move, I couldn't help but feel uneasy about it. "Why did he have to go and choose that form? There are probably hundreds of other monsters he could've gone with but instead he goes with Moldorm!?"

"Still having flashbacks of fighting the original?" Princess Twilight asked.

I nodded. "For the first Nightmare, it proved incredibly difficult."

"But you managed to defeat it in the end." Princess Twilight said. I knew she was trying to build up my confidence though it wasn't going to be easy for her. "As I'm sure you've already figured this out, Grogar's version of Moldorm shares the exact same weak point as the original did. Every time you hit the tip of the tail, it will move faster which does increase the difficulty, but aside from that, it doesn't have any new abilities because of what it is."

"Doesn't change the fact that I don't like fighting Moldorm."

"Nothing you can do about it."

I sighed. "I hate that you're right but you're right."

"Judging from the way Grogar is moving in this form, nothing is different compared to the original."

"At least I have that working for me."

That's when Princess Twilight came to a realization. "Remember when I said that he couldn't use all of the abilities when he assumed Agahnim's form?" I nodded though I had no idea where she was going with this. "I think it's because he based it on a time where the sorcerer didn't have certain powers at his disposal. His shadows are exactly like the originals so don't expect to see any kind of surprises."

"At least I can take solace in that."

"Doesn't change the fact that you have to fight Moldorm again.

I sighed. "Let's get this over with."

To Be Continued.