//------------------------------// // Chapter 26: Darkness of the Heart // Story: The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Ocarina of Time // by Ganondorf8 //------------------------------// The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Ocarina of Time. By Ganondorf8 December 31, 2014 Chapter 26: Darkness of the Heart. Having a sharp spear pressing into my back was uncomfortable, but something else was bothering me. I assumed that aside from Bulk Biceps outside, the rest of the Gorons were missing, so how come there was one here in their city armed with a weapon? Then again, it could be someone from a different tribe who somehow managed to make their way up here in order to either help out or help themselves to what the Gorons left behind. I tried to see if I could reach for a Deku Nut so that I could stun whoever was behind me, but they noticed my hand moving and pressed the spear tip even further causing me to abandon that idea. " Don't you make any sudden moves!" " With that spear now even more into my back than before, I'm not in a position to do anything," I said. I suppose that I could use some magic in order to get me out of this situation, but then the person standing behind me is likely to get hurt, and I sense that they weren't a monster. Even though I've burned numerous monsters, I refuse to inflict harm to innocent people. I then tried turning my head in order to see who was behind me with that spear, but they took offence to that as well, and pressed the spear on my back even harder. One more push like that and I'm likely to get punctured, and I don't have the means to heal myself. It looks as though I'm pretty much stuck here unless I can somehow talk my way out of this. " I don't know why one of you decided to come back again, but as you can see, the entirety of the Goron tribe have been taken away. Your master commanded you to take us away in order to punish us, but you will never capture me as long as I continue to be brave just like my mother!" " Hold on! Do you think I'm one of Ganondorf's followers?" I asked. " Of course you are as why else would you come back here after such a long time? You and the rest of those men came along and captured my people and showed no mercy as you shackled them with those awful chains, and forced them to proceed into the Death Mountain Crater like they were slaves. Since I now have you at my mercy, I intend to make an example out of you, and treat you in the same manner." " You obviously are confused as the last time I came here was seven years ago when I helped the Gorons by ending their famine by destroying the creatures that were infesting the Dodongo's Cavern, and I was assisted by your leader Darunia, who joined in on the adventure as she was impressed with my skills. After that, we became what she referred to as Sworn Brothers although I don't quite understand the whole gist of it," I said. That was when I felt the spear slightly being pulled away from my back which indicated to me that my attacker could be believing my story, but I needed to go a little further to solidify my proof. " Darunia asked me for my name back when we first met after I played her the song from the forest, and that name was Sunset Shimmer." " Huh? Did you say your name was Sunset Shimmer?" " That would be my name yes, and I was given the title of Hero of the Gorons, or something like that from Darunia although my memory is hazy," I replied. All of a sudden, I could no longer feel the spear pressing against my back which meant my attacker believed me, or was trying to figure out how to process my words. In any case, I turned around to discover that the person who had been standing behind me was Babs Seed, Applejack and Applebloom's cousin from the human world, but what was she doing here of all places, and why was she wearing the same kind of armour that Pinkie Pie had been wearing the last time I saw her? " Your name is also Sunset Shimmer? Then you must be the legendary Dodongo Buster and Hero, Sunset Shimmer! My mom is Darunia...do you remember her? Mom named me Sunset Shimmer after you, because you're so brave," said Babs. " What!?!? You're the daughter of Darunia?" I asked. Hearing her say that almost gave me a heart attack because of how shocking it was. Babs in this world is the daughter of Pinkie Pie!?!? That was beyond freaky as Pinkie was the kind of person who was too crazy to ever be able to have children of her own. Then again, this is Hyrule and everyone I know is different from what I'm used to seeing from them. While she may be related to Pinkie in this world, I doubt that Babs has adopted any of her mannerisms which would make things a lot more difficult for me. That was when something else hit me....Babs was named after me because Pinkie viewed me as a great hero? " Did you say that your mother named you after me?" " That's right although I prefer to use my nickname whenever I'm speaking to someone who is a non-Goron. While you and mom are Sworn Brothers, you are still a non-Goron so I would like you to call me Link. I honestly don't know where my mom came up with a nickname like that, but I'm appreciative of it as it came from her heart. Besides, we're both named Sunset Shimmer and that is bound to cause confusion, so you shall be Sunset Shimmer, and I shall be known as Link," replied Babs. " I guess that makes sense," I said. " You have no idea how long I've wanted to meet you in person as mom constantly told me stories of your bravery when you and her explored the Dodongo's Cavern when you were younger, or rather when mom was younger as you look as though you haven't aged in years. Even though I want you to call me Link, I truly appreciate being named after someone so awesome as you. It's a cool name! I really like it! Sunset Shimmer, you're a hero to us Gorons! This may sound completely out of the blue, but can you sign something for me because seeing you here and now is like a dream come true. Please give me your autograph! Sign it: "To my friend, Sunset Shimmer of the Gorons who also goes by the name of Link" if you don't mind," said Babs. " I have a free moment, but do you happen to have a pen and some paper?" I asked. Babs quickly ran off taking the spear with her which was a huge sigh of relief for me, and a few moments later she came back with the tools I asked her to find. It actually felt weird to me signing an autograph to someone who had my own name, but at the same time it felt good to be appreciated for a change. It took me a few moments to figure out what to write, but once I came up with something, I wrote it down in addition to what Babs wanted me to write. Once I was finished, I handed it over to her where she squeeled with glee before running off again, and coming back a few moments later. " You certainly do have your mother's boundless energy." " She has been a huge influence in my life for as long as I can remember," said Babs. " It's a good thing that you happen to be a Goron as I needed to speak to you, Darunia, or one of the others about what has been going on around here. According to the villagers back down in Kakariko Village, Goron City has been quiet for the past several months as though the Gorons decided to sever all ties with the rest of the kingdom. Also, you believed me to be one of Ganondorf's followers which confirms that they did come up here during the same time period where the Gorons disappeared," I said. That was when I noticed Babs had changed her expression from happy to sad, and she had her head tilted down which meant she knew what was going on. " Listen Link! You need to tell me what has happened here as I wish to help out just like I did last time." " I guess it's not a good time to ask you for this, but please help everyone!" shouted Babs. " What's wrong?" I asked. " My mom, Darunia, went to the Fire Temple! A dragon is inside! If we don't hurry up, even my mom will be eaten by the dragon!" replied Babs. Did she just say that a dragon was inside of one of the five temples under Ganondorf's evil influence? I'm not surprised about the fact that there is a dragon involved as they were an issue back in Equestria, but what does surprise me has to do with the fact that Pinkie Pie of all people went there in the first place. I tried to ask Babs an additional question, but she had suddenly burst into tears. I had to calm her down and see if she was willing to talk about the Gorons, but then I quickly realized that would make her feel even worse, so maybe she had some information regarding the dragon. " What can you tell me about this dragon?" I asked. "About the dragon?" asked Babs. " That's right," I replied. " A long time ago, long before we modern Gorons thrived here on Death Mountain, there was an evil dragon which claimed its territory in the heart of the mountain known as the Death Mountain Crater. This creature which was named Volvagia according to the ancient documents passed down through the generations, and it was an evil dragon that terrorized our ancestors. Its favourite food was Gorons which is why the documents stated that our ancestors were living in constant fear of this creature, and that nothing could be done about it....until one day when the Hero of the Gorons came along, and decided to take matters into his own hands. He travelled to the lair of Volvagia, and using a huge hammer which he forged himself....BOOOOOOOOM! Destroyed the dragon as though it were nothing, and freed our people from the fear it had over them. When it was established that Volvagia had been completely destroyed, the Hero sealed his hammer deep inside of the Fire Temple where it has remained ever since," said Babs. " That is quite the story," I said. " While many believe it to be nothing more than a legend, the fact is that it really did happen. My mom happens to be a descendant of the Hero of the Gorons, and has striven to be just as heroic as he was back in the day. That's why mom became the leader of the Gorons as she was the bravest one among us, and dedicated herself to always protecting her people," said Babs. Hearing that made me think of Pinkie Pie of this world in a completely different way than I had thought previously. Despite being a party animal, she was serious when it came to the well-being of her people, and that determination could mean the reason why she decided to go to the temple on her own. " Just thinking of my mom all alone in the temple fighting against terrible odds and the dragon is worrying me to death!" Babs then began to cry again, so I needed to ask her something else in order to calm her down. " Where is the Fire Temple?" I asked. " The temple? It's located in the very bottom of Death Mountain Crater which we refer to as the heart of Death Mountain. The intense heat of the crater is so strong that non-Gorons have never been able to survive long enough," replied Babs. She resumed crying as I suspect she was now thinking about Pinkie again, so I had to ask her another question. " And what about the Gorons?" I asked. " When my mom was away trying to gather up food and supplies, Ganondorf's followers came and took everyone away to the Fire Temple. I was able to avoid being captured, but everyone else wasn't as lucky," replied Babs. She then stopped crying and began to pace about back and forth for a few moments before she addressed me where she took a deep breath. " My people have been taken to the temple in order to be fed to the dragon." " Didn't you say that the dragon was destroyed a long time ago?" I asked. " That's what we believed for a long time, but my mom said that Ganondorf revived Volvagia as a means of punishing the Gorons as a warning to the other tribes who might choose to oppose him. Mom went to the Fire Temple when she discovered what happened, but she doesn't stand a chance against the dragon as she doesn't have the legendary hammer," replied Babs. " Then it looks like I need to go to the Fire Temple as well," I said. " If you were to go there right now, you would probably last for about two minutes before being burned alive," said Babs. " I have a strong affinity towards fire, so I think I'll be fine," I said. " Maybe so Sunset Shimmer, but you won't last long in that dreaded inferno. I know that you possess great magic as that was something mom insisted on telling me about when it came to stories of you, and she said that fire was the magic which defined you the most. However, your magic isn't going to protect against the natural elements of the Death Mountain Crater. I know that you want to help out mom, but you can't do anything....at least, not without this in your possession," said Babs. She then ran off once again and came back a short moment later holding a small box which she handed over to me. I opened it up and inside was a red coloured tunic which left me with a confused look on my face. " What you have there is a Goron Tunic. If you wear it, you will endure the intense heat no matter how long you stay there. Please, use that tunic and follow mom into the temple to save her and our people." A tunic which can protect me from the heat of a volcano....that sounded like a really good idea although I would need to be in private in order to change tunics as doing so out in the open would be embarrassing, but then it dawned on me as to whether Pinkie wants anyone else to follow her. " Are you sure your mother would appreciate me following her?" I asked. " Mom told me not to let anybody follow her to the temple as she didn't want anyone to get hurt, but...only you, Sunset Shimmer, can save everyone! Now, I'll tell you about the secret passage to the Fire Temple which mom used to get there so quickly. Try to move the statue inside Mom's room! It may look heavy, but it's rather light so I know you can easily pull it," replied Babs. " Would it be okay if I got some rest first? I've been doing a lot of adventuring overnight and much of the morning, and I fear that if I go on ahead to the Fire Temple, I'll end up collapsing and be of no use to anyone," I said. " You do look as though you've been on your feet all night long, so I guess that it's okay. You can sleep in Mom's room for as long as you need to, and as for me, I'll resume my patrols of the city in case someone else attempts to sneak in here," said Babs. I wonder what she meant when she said "Goron Special Crop", but maybe it was a Goron thing, so I ignored it and made my way over to Pinkie's room. It took me a few minutes to remember how to get down there as it had been a while, but I eventually reached it and discovered that it hadn't really changed all that much aside from the inclusion of a statue which clearly didn't fit in with the rest of the motif. " What did you think about all of that Spike?" I asked. " I'm surprised that Darunia has a daughter as I didn't really of her as being a motherly figure given how she behaved in the past. Still, I have to admire her for wanting to venture forth to the Fire Temple in order to save her people from a terrifying dragon. She is more concerned with their safety instead of her own, and is willing to give up her very life for them," replied Spike. " Is there anything you know about the temple aside from what Sunset Shimmer....I mean, what Link said?" I asked. " Feels weird knowing someone who has your name doesn't it?" asked Spike. " It's just so creepy that Darunia would name her own daughter after me, but I guess that I should also be grateful that she viewed me as such a role-model who was worthy enough to name her own child after," I replied. " Anyway, Link didn't say all that much regarding the temple apart from the fact that the intense heat in there makes traversing impossible without the Goron Tunic which you now have in your possession. To be honest with you, there isn't much more that I can say other than stating the obvious facts. There's bound to be a lot of fire based traps within the temple which are sure to test your patience, and the monsters this time around are going to be fire based also," said Spike. " I see what you mean about it being obvious," I said. " Perhaps Darunia will give us some more insight as to what we can expect in the temple provided that we find her in addition to the temple itself. Link said that the temple was somewhere at the bottom of the Death Mountain Crater, but she didn't say where exactly the entrance was," said Spike. " What about that altar we saw in the Sacred Forest Meadow which depicted the image of a medallion on it?" I asked. " There should be one of those somewhere in the crater, and if we can find it then the entrance to the Fire Temple should be somewhere close by. Right now, we should get some rest as we're going to need all the strength we can muster up if we're going to be entering a literal inferno," replied Spike. As he slowly drifted off to sleep, I remained awake as there were a few things still on my mind. If I were to end up facing this Volvagia personally, would that mean I'd need to transform in order to use the Master Sword to defeat it? Just thinking about it made me shudder as I was afraid of what might happen should I lose control again. The only other thing that was on my mind was how Pinkie Pie was going to react to the fact that I still looked the same as I did before whereas she has aged seven years. That was when I fell asleep and was out for half the day as overcoming the trials of the Forest Temple took their toll on me. By the time I woke up, the sun had already settled, and the moon was beginning to rise which signalled the beginning of the night. " You woke up much sooner than I expected," said Spike. " If I had slept for far too long, I could be too late to save Darunia and the other Gorons. To be perfectly frank, I didn't want to get some sleep as I was ready to enter the temple, but my body was too exhausted after making my way up Death Mountain Trail, and walking down here to this room was the last straw for me," I said. " Guess we should see about moving this statue back and revealing the secret passageway," said Spike. " Before we do that, I need to contact Fluttershy and see if she can give us some advice," I said. Reaching into my pouch, I pulled out the Ocarina of Time and gazed at it for a few minutes. I had no idea if this was going to work seeing as she was in the Sacred Realm, and I was here in Goron City, but the only way to find out for certain was to play her song and hope for the best. " Sunset Shimmer? This is Saria....I mean, Fluttershy. Can you hear me? I'm still having some adjustment trouble when it comes to referring to myself as Fluttershy, but I will get used to it eventually, so there's no need for you to worry about it. You know, at first I didn't want to become the Sage of the Forest because it meant having to stay here in the Sacred Realm, and not being able to return to the serene beauty of the Kokiri Forest. However, after thinking it over for a while and grasping the context behind it all, I realized that I am glad to be a Sage and wouldn't want to give it up for the world. That's because I am helping you to save the world Sunset Shimmer. Yes, I am!" said Fluttershy. " It sounds like you're getting adjusted to your new surroundings and your new role in the future of the kingdom," I said. " And I see that you have reached the location of the second temple according to the forest spirits," said Fluttershy. " How are you able to still communicate with them? I thought you had to be in the forest in order to do that," I said. " I am the Sage of the Forest who guards the Forest Temple, and for that my connection to the spirits who call the forest home is as strong as it has ever been, or maybe even stronger now. In any case, they told me that you are about to enter the volcanic area which houses the location of the Fire Temple. There is a wooden bridge that connects the path between Goron City and the temple, but a large portion of it has been destroyed perhaps as a means of preventing anyone else from reaching the temple. You should be able to make your way across if you use that Hookshot of yours," said Fluttershy. " What about the inside of the temple?" I asked. " The only thing I can see from what the forest spirits have said is that you need to use a powerful weapon in order to break through many obstacles. I'm not sure what they mean exactly, but I'm sure that you will be able to figure it out. Also, Ms. Darunia should be easy to find as she wasn't able to make much in the way of progress in the temple. Do you happen to have a means of protecting yourself from the intensity of the volcano? If so then you should have no problems," replied Fluttershy. " I was given a Goron Tunic from the daughter of Darunia," I said. " Splendid, then you will be able to make your way there without fear of succumbing to the heat. Before you go, I don't know why, but I am sensing some kind of dark presence hanging around near the temple entrance, and it feels like you're the one giving off this dark aura. That's impossible though as you're talking to me, so there is no way you can be over there," said Fluttershy. " That sounds like what I felt back in the Temple of Time," I said. " I don't know what's going on, but it looks like it is going to be an obstacle you need to overcome. Good luck Sunset Shimmer, and know that I am rooting for you as always," said Fluttershy. As soon as her voice disappeared from my head, I started to worry about what she said about the dark presence that seems to be hanging around the Fire Temple entrance. What could it mean for me? Could this be one of Ganondorf's methods of psyching me out? Or was there something else at play which I'm not seeing? Either way, I couldn't allow it to distract me as I needed to get to Pinkie Pie as soon as possible as she could do with my help. " So how do we move this thing?" I asked. " Link did say that this statue can be pulled due to being not that heavy, so why not pull it back and see what happens," replied Spike. Seeing that as being the only obvious solution, I reached out and placed my hands on both ends of the statue and began to pull on it as hard as I could, and sure enough the statue moved backwards revealing a hidden entrance which I immediately walked through, and that was when I found myself staring straight into the fiery abyss of the Death Mountain Crater. The smoke rising from below was pretty intense, and looking down I saw the lava in all of its glory which meant that one wrong move, and I could end up falling in and getting killed instantly. To my right I noticed a boulder blocking some kind of cave entrance, and it made me wonder why something so obvious was blocking something so obvious. " Wow....I didn't think it would be so hot in here," I said. " It is an active volcano after all, so the intense heat is to be expected," said Spike. " Then why do I feel like I'm burning up?" I asked. " That's because you didn't change into the Goron Tunic before coming in here! I'd say that you will survive for at least another minute before you burn up alive, so you might want to change tunics if you wish to beat the heat," replied Spike. I took out the Goron Tunic, and asked Spike to look away as it did mean having to get changed in a matter of seconds, and he complied with my request choosing to float off a good distance away. Quickly, I took off the Kokiri Tunic and put on the Goron Tunic without having to expose anything unpleasant, and when I was finished I called Spike back over who looked impressed with my new look. " Now red definitely suits you as it matches with your hair colour and complexion." " But what about you?" I asked. " I'm a fairy and thus immune to these conditions," replied Spike. " Is there anything you fairies aren't immune to? Not that I'm complaining mind you as it's good that you can survive here with no problem," I said. Walking along the pathway, I soon came to a stop in front of a large gap where on the other side was a bridge which connected to the pathway which lead to a large area where the altar from the forest could be seen. It must be a different one from what we saw back in the Temple of Time and the Sacred Forest Meadow. " Well, this is the gap Fluttershy mentioned, and I gather that I need to connect onto that piece of wood above the pathway." Taking it out and aiming for the wood, I fired the Hookshot connecting to my target, and finding myself being pulled over where I safely dropped onto the bridge before putting it away. Once I regained my composure, I began to walk forward towards the altar when a familiar whooshing sound occurred, and Sheik dropped down from above and landed with absolute grace. As soon as she rose up from her landing, she began to slowly walk towards me where she soon stopped. " It is something that grows over time....a true friendship. A feeling in the heart that becomes even stronger over time. The passion of friendship will soon blossom into a righteous power and through it, you will know which way to go. It seems that you have been given a wonderful gift in the form of a tunic which shall protect you from the heat that comes from the lava below. That tunic will be needed in the Fire Temple which lies through that cave entrance where the Goron Chieftain passed through several months ago in order to save her people," said Twilight. " She must be devastated knowing that her people could be fed to that horrible dragon at any moment," I said. " The Gorons have been imprisoned within the temple ever since they were captured months ago, yet the reason they are still alive is because the evil king wanted them to suffer psychologically before doing away with them courtesy of the ancient dragon he has revived. The Goron Chieftain learnt of this when she returned from her journey, and went to the temple in order to save her people. I can sense that she has not made much progress," said Twilight. " How come?" I asked. " She has come across obstacles she cannot overcome, so she remains unable to proceed through the temple. I have no doubt Sunset Shimmer that you will be able to solve the puzzles that lie within, and I have a suspicion that the Goron Chieftain will want to travel about with you again just like you had done in the past," replied Twilight. " I was told by her daughter that the legendary hammer is somewhere inside," I said. " It is a powerful weapon, and for that it has served as a rallying point for them whenever they were in danger. The hero who wielded it knew that others would attempt to claim his weapon for themselves due to being corrupted with power, so he hid it where only the chosen one would be able to locate and claim it. Perhaps you are the one who is destined to claim this weapon," said Twilight. " Would it be okay for a non-Goron to take it?" I asked. " It is said that the chosen one would be a Goron, but it is also said that there was a small chance that the chosen one would be a non-Goron, yet one who was accepted as a Sworn Brother to the tribe. I believe you are a Sworn Brother to the Goron Chieftain yes? As such, you do fulfill the requirements needed to claim the weapon," replied Twilight. " I hope so as this dragon sounds like a fearsome foe," I said. " Not much is known about this dragon for it existed in ancient times, and as such the ancient documents of the Gorons do not say much," said Twilight. " That's going to make things a lot more difficult if I don't really know what I'm up against. I mean, I already know that I'm up against a dragon, but what kind of dragon could it be as there are so many different kinds that exist out there," I said. " Unfortunately, I don't have the answer for you, so you will need to discover it on your own," said Twilight as she pulled out her golden harp and strummed a few notes on it which was my cue to take out the Ocarina of Time. " You will need to learn the melody which will allow you to return here whenever you desire be it during this time or back in the past. This song is dedicated to the power of the heart....Listen to the Bolero of Fire...." She then played eight notes in a quick fashion twice before turning things over to me. It took me several minutes to remember the order of the notes as she did play them quickly, but I soon learned the Bolero of Fire which actually sounded pretty majestic if I do say so myself. " That took some attempts to figure it out," I said. " You will only continue to keep on getting better as time progresses. Sunset Shimmer, I shall see you again," said Twilight. That was when I realized that I needed to ask her about the dark presence which Fluttershy alluded to, but as soon as I took a few steps towards Sheik, a wall of fire came out of nowhere, and prevented me from getting any closer to her. She then took a few steps backwards before throwing a Deku Nut which flashed a bright light, and when it cleared she was gone and the fire disappeared as though it were never there to begin with. " So we know nothing at all about the dragon despite being told by two different individuals," said Spike. " My guess is that Darunia knows something," I said. " And if she doesn't?" asked Spike. " Then we'll have to go in and face that dragon blind....which is pretty much how we've been doing things ever since we started," I replied. " Not exactly the best track record we have," sighed Spike. " In any case, I hope that this weapon is all I'll need to bring it down as I'd rather not use the Master Sword because of what we discussed with Sheik back in the forest. I'd prefer to avoid making a potentially bad situation even worse if I were to lose control of my emotions. While the previous two times worked out, it feels like I'm losing my sense of right and wrong each time. It must be because this world is different from my world, and what worked there works differently here," I said. " You know that you can't keep running away from the problem," said Spike. " Why would I be doing that? I've already acknowledged that it's an issue, and decided not to rely on the transformation as a result, but I do see what you mean as you're saying it from a different perspective. I know that at some point in the future I will have to use the Master Sword against my better judgment, and when that happens I could end up becoming even worse than I already am," I said. " Even more than her?" asked Spike. " What do you mean "her"? I don't see anyone else here apart from us," I replied. " You might want to look in front of you then," said Spike. While it felt annoying to humour him, I looked in front of me to see what he was on about, and that was when I realized that he wasn't being humourous at all. Standing on top of the altar was a shadowy figure who bore a strong resemblance to me, but I couldn't quite figure out what she looked like as she was surrounded by dark clouds that masked her form. " Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" I raised my hand to Spike to indicate that he needed to be quiet, and he became silent as I walked forward in order to see what this was about. The shadow didn't move an inch although her eyes glowed bright yellow, and her piercing gaze really made me feel uncomfortable as I continued to approach her. As soon as my attention turned towards the cave entrance which lead to the Fire Temple, the shadow also looked in the same direction before turning her focus back to me where her eyes glowed even more. That was when a barrier formed around the area, and when I attempted to fall back, the barrier prevented me from leaving, and it felt like I had just been hit by a powerful surge of darkness. " What is this thing?" I asked. " It's a barrier of darkness, and quite a powerful one given how strong of an aura is coming from it. You don't have anything on hand, physical or magical, which you can use to shatter it, so it looks like you'll need to defeat whatever this thing is in order to proceed," replied Spike. " Darkness....you once possessed a dark heart....you were perfection, a pinnacle....of power, and yet you....you chose to give it all up because.....friendship. You had it all and gave it....up for a weakness which has....only served to....hold you back from being....so much more." " Are you one of Ganondorf's servants?" I asked. " Servant? I am a servant to....no one for I have....my own agenda which must be....fulfilled, and it has to do with you....Sunset Shimmer....Sunset....you are Sunset Shimmer, who was....once feared by all as you used....fear in order to become powerful. For a time you were happy with....power until your heart....heart....such a pathetic trinket....your heart couldn't accept the....darkness so you gave it up to become....one with the light." " Who are you?" I asked. " I'm surprised that you haven't....figured it out already given that....I have said so much about you." " You're me? But how is that even possible?" I asked. " I am the part of yourself....which you abandoned in the name....of friendship where you embraced them instead of....maintaining your power. I used to be....the she-demon form that you became when you....wore the crown of the one who helped you....change and become....what you are now. I am....Sunset Shimmer....you, I am you....but you can refer to me....as Sunset Demon!" " Gasp! How can you still be alive? I know that I became you back then because I was obsessed with wanting power above everything else, but Twilight and the others helped me to become a much better person. The only explanation that I can come up with is that despite changing my ways, I was still being plagued by my past actions. I was still tainted by a small part of darkness which Ganondorf tried to exploit seven years ago. He tried to make me become you again as he deemed you as being the true Sunset Shimmer....the one who desired to be the ruler of Equestria, but I refused him when I realized what he was trying to do," I said. " He was....trying to free you....friendship is weakness....he gave you the chance to become me, but more....powerful, more perfect as I am nothing more....than a flawed demon....you could have become perfect....you refused....you were too into the light to....want to go back. Graveyard....evil coming from the graveyard....it was enough to give me life....where you had taken it....from me, and I slowly....started to become whole," said Sunset Demon. She waved her hand and removed some of the darkness that was surrounding her, and I immediately recognized the hideous she-demon that I became back in the human world, and the one who Ganondorf summoned in order to torment me. I did notice that she was missing certain parts of her body which must mean that she isn't fully whole, but the fact that my old self was standing in front of me made me scared beyond belief. I wasn't going to break down into tears like last time as I became stronger since then. " As you can see, I am....feeding off of the darkness which exists....in this world, and from you whenever you....find yourself in despair." " When I transform or feel any kind of negative emotion," I said. " Yes....your agony is a nourishment.....one which I feed on to become stronger....becoming Sunset Shimmer....no, I am becoming Sunset Demon which I have already....established. When you embrace....the light, I cannot feed....I need darkness....need it to become strong, to fulfill....the desire to become you....to become the real you which....you have neglected and abandoned," said Sunset Demon. As I stared at her, she began to walk forward which made me want to step back, but I couldn't as the barrier was preventing me from escaping. " I shall....become the real you....the current you....which stands before me....shall die and never be seen again." I wonder if this is what other people in my current situation have to endure when it comes to dealing with against their dark sides, yet the she-demon, or Sunset Demon as she is calling herself, isn't as strong as she claims given that her body has seen better days. " Do you intend to kill me now?" I asked. " I shall kill you....become the real Sunset Shimmer....become Sunset Demon....conquer this world followed by Equestria....fulfill original desire you abandoned in....the name of friendship," replied Sunset Demon. She raised her hand and a magical ball of energy appeared which she intended to use against me, but something she said had me thinking that she made a big mistake. She said that she wanted to conquer Hyrule, but Ganondorf has already done that. I wonder what he would think if he learned someone else wanted to take the golden power he seeks. " Did you say that you want to conquer this world?" I asked. " Conquer....I shall conquer this world....and use its people to invade....Equestria and conquer it," replied Sunset Demon. That was when she threw that magical ball of energy at me which I deflected with my shield, but it did push me back a little where I collided with the dark barrier before dropping to the ground. As I looked up at her, she had a really freaky smile across her face as though she were deranged, but I needed her to mention the right word. I suppose that I could trick her into saying it, but that would make me feel dirty, so I'll let her handle it. " Seeing you in agony....makes me happy for....you shall die and I will take....your place. This world shall....be my domain and the power....the Triforce shall be mine! It is a power too tempting....to ignore much like....how you ignored the power of the....crown you once had....golden power....it along with this world....shall be my plaything." " And you mentioned it," I said. " Mentioned what?" asked Sunset Demon. " I'll let you figure it out," I replied. I was hoping that Ganondorf was paying attention to what was taking place, and sure enough he was, for the dark clouds above began to shoot down lightning which struck the she-demon causing her immense pain. These lightning strikes kept on coming for about 15 seconds before they stopped, and she stumbled about before the barrier shattered and she fell into the lava. I ran over to the side to see if she was okay, but all I saw was her body sinking into the lava and disappearing below the surface. " What just happened?" asked Spike. " Would you believe that Ganondorf of all people did us a favour? To be honest, I don't think that he wanted to help us as opposed to taking care of someone who wanted to take over the kingdom, and claim the Triforce for themselves," I replied. " Did you know that he was going to get involved?" asked Spike. " I was hoping he would and luckily he did, but it was a risky gamble I was taking as I needed her to mention the word Triforce in that context. Ganondorf probably didn't want us to die at the hands of a creature he didn't even create, so he was willing to help us out just so that he could watch us suffer later on. Still, I can't believe that my dark side managed to come to life. I guess I feel remorseful over the fact that she met an untimely demise because I did abandon her in the name of friendship, but it was necessary for me to become a better person," I replied. " You feel guilt and pity towards a creature that was a mere extension of yourself....how pathetic of you to think along those lines kid. Of course, you do not cease to amaze me with how you are able to resolve these issues of yours without relying on the hatred that dwells within you. I suppose that you have earned some slight respect from me for being so disciplined when it comes to maintaining your composure." " And there he is now....Ganondorf....I'm not surprised that you would be greeting me from afar," I said. " Heh! Do not get used to the idea that I am going to be saving you from creatures such as that. I am hoping that you overcome the challenges which lie ahead of you as I do desire the pleasure of killing you personally, but should you prove to be unworthy of facing me, my servants shall make sure that you die in the most painful way imaginable. My expectations of you need to be met kid, so I hope that you continue to live up to the pedestal which I have set for you," said Tirek. " Why have you decided to punish the Gorons?" I asked. " Those mountain people have been an irritance for far too long with their leader being the most vocal among them. The tribes of Hyrule must learn that I am their master, and my word alone is law! Those who choose to defy me must be punished in a way that will serve as a warning to anyone else who may try the same thing. Their ancient enemy was the perfect means of instilling fear into their souls, and soon they shall become a most magnificent banquet for the beast. Their leader, Darunia, is the one to blame for their plight for she had the audacity to question my reign upon this kingdom, and refused to accept me as the rightful king, so now she shall have the blood of her people on her hands as they are consumed by the beast," replied Tirek. " How can you be so cruel and sadistic?" I asked. " The Gorons are of no particular concern to me, so if they were to suddenly cease to be, it would not cause me to feel sadness over their loss. If anything, it will serve as a form of amusement to see how they react as their numbers dwindle away to nothing. At the same time, the other tribes will come to know that they too are expendable, and can easily be removed should I decide that they are no longer necessary. Even my own people are expendable so long as they do not turn against me, and continue to worship the very ground that I walk on," replied Tirek. " You would even view your own people as nothing more than fodder?" I asked. " Do not act like you are surprised kid, for you know that I alone am the most important individual in this kingdom, and that if I were to fall then it will fall with me. My fellow Gerudo will never turn against me as they see me as a God, and that I am the greatest thing they have ever witnessed in their menial lives. So long as they remember their place, I have no desire to see them killed. That expression of anger you have on your face right now is rather amusing, but I would restrain yourself lest you want to wind up losing control like you did against my phantom. Yes, you would not want to end up succumbing to all of that hatred inside of you now do you? Go on kid, enter the temple, and try to save them all from being consumed by their ancient foe. Do not betray my expectations as I know that you will do what is necessary to ensure complete victory," replied Tirek. As his voice disappeared just like before, I couldn't believe that he was willing to treat everyone around him as nothing but tools in his bid to retain his power over Hyrule. Truly he was a monster who only cared about his own well-being, and had no sympathy towards anything except for power. He was right about one thing though, and that was the fact that I needed to calm down otherwise I could lose control over myself. " Are you alright?" asked Spike. " I'm alright, but I'll admit that I'm frustrated over the fact that he views everyone as expendable," I replied. " Ganondorf desires power and is willing to do whatever it takes to achieve it. That's why people are afraid to stand up against him because they fear that he will just kill them without reason. The Gorons stood up to him and now they have been imprisoned and are awaiting their execution. We need to enter the Fire Temple and rescue them all before even a single one is sacrficed," said Spike. " You're right, so why don't we go into that cave and see what lies beyond," I said. I began to make my way into the cave which was lined with bricks on the floor which looked rather fancy, but maybe I should have taken the time to look down at the lava where the she-demon sunk. Her body slowly rose from the lava before disappearing into a veil of darkness, and that meant my conflict with her wasn't going to end any time soon, but I didn't know about it and continued on. At the end of the cave was a ladder which went down a fair way because it was dark beyond the twelfth rung. " I thought the cave itself would lead us straight to the temple, but I guess this ladder must lead us there although how do the Gorons manage to climb down it? No offence to them, but they don't look like the kind of beings who can climb down ladders given that they prefer to roll around despite being human shaped." " Maybe there is another entrance only they know about, or perhaps they had to get used to climbing down such a long way. Either way, we'll have to climb down into the darkness and see where it takes us," said Spike. " Not like I have much of a choice in the matter," I said as I started to climb down the ladder into the darkness. For a few minutes it felt like I was trapped in a dark void with no place to go because everything was pitch black including the ladder. Even though I could still feel my hands and feet touching the rungs of the ladder, I couldn't allow my eyes to see nothing but darkness, so I kept them closed until I started to climb into a lighted area before reaching the ground. " It looks like the passage goes that way into even more darkness, but the temple entrance is likely to be somewhere within." I sighed as I walked forward into the darkness for what felt like forever, but then I entered a room which featured a staircase in front of it which lead up to three smiling statues with fire in their mouths, and two doors on either side with the one to my right locked. There were two other doors located either side of the staircase with one of them being blocked by....some kind of weird object. " What is that supposed to be?" " It looks like some kind of monument, and a pretty sturdy one given how thick it is," replied Spike. " None of my weapons are likely to move it out of the way, but what about magic? Do you think that will work?" I asked. " Let's find out," replied Spike. I produced a ball of flame in my hand which was rather ironic given where we are and all, and I threw it at the monument with as much force as I could muster behind the throw. The flame just bounced off the object and dissipated into the ground leaving me feeling rather dejected. " Well, we know now that we need to use something really powerful in order to smash that monument to pieces. Maybe that weapon will be what we need to smash it, so we better begin looking for it." " I want to know where Darunia could be," I said. " Since we know that she wasn't able to get very far in the temple, she's probably somewhere close by," said Spike. " Hopefully she isn't having one of her anger moments otherwise we could be in for some trouble," I said. As soon as I took a single step forward, the sound of flapping could be heard coming from above me, and as I looked up, I saw two bats covered in fire coming straight at me which I recognized as Fire Keese which I encountered seven years ago in the Dodongo's Cavern. I managed to avoid them just in time and used the Fairy Bow to pick them off before they could attack again. " You didn't use your magic?" asked Spike. " I doubt that my fire magic will be of any help given that this is the Fire Temple after all. Everything is going to be made of fire, and fire magic is utterly useless against creatures forged of fire. This is definitely going to make things difficult Spike as fire is my magical element, and I haven't exactly gotten used to the other three despite using earth magic back in the Forest Temple. I'll have to rely on a mixture of items and cunning to survive in here unless a certain someone we know decides that she wants to come along," I replied. Walking up the staircase to the higher platform, I took a long look at the three smiling statues which made me feel at peace for some weird reason, but maybe it's because I am one when it comes to fire hence my name. While I could check out the door that wasn't blocked by a monument, I wanted to see what was behind this door. I opened the door where I entered a much larger room that had lava all around it. " Good thing you have the Goron Tunic as you need it," said Spike. " What do you suppose that thing is in the ceiling?" I asked. Hanging down from the ceiling appeared to be some kind of tail, but what was it doing there, and what purpose did it have? As I pondered over what it meant, I noticed a jail cell off to the far left of the room, and in front of me was a large door which had a golden lock on it. " I take it that the dragon is behind that door?" " And you'll need the Boss Key in order to open it," replied Spike. " Guess we'll have to go back and check out that other room, or maybe we should see what is in that jail cell over there," I suggested. My instincts were telling me to check out the cell, so I began to make my way over there, or I would have if I didn't end up being knocked off of my feet by something huge which fell from above. As the dust cleared, and I managed to get back onto my feet, I was standing face-to-face against someone who may or may not be happy to see me.... To Be Continued.