//------------------------------//
// Chapter 32: Into the Deep Freeze 
// Story: The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Ocarina of Time 
// by Ganondorf8 
//------------------------------//

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Ocarina of Time.
By Ganondorf8
January 16, 2015
Chapter 32: Into the Deep Freeze.

My unconscious body continued to sink deeper into the cold waters of Zora's Fountain. I could feel I a strong surge coming from my heart urging me to awaken and swim back to the surface, but my body refused to act, so all I could was nothing and continue to sink. That's when I felt something slap me in the face which was followed by several more alongside a scream which sounded very familiar to me. The slaps suddenly continued to be applied to my face, and the screaming got louder.
" SNAP OUT OF IT AND WAKE UP!!!!"		
" WAAAH!" I exclaimed as I immediately woke up to discover Spike was floating right in my face with tears streaming down his eyes, and that's I realized where I was....underwater in a freezing cold fountain, and starting to choke because I had been under for a lot longer than I needed to be. I quickly started to gasp for air and covered my mouth with my hands before I started to swim upwards like crazy to reach the surface in time. 
Spike glowed brightly so that ould follow him as my vision underwater was pretty bad, but just when it looked like I was about to pass out, I managed to make to the surface where I popped out of the water and started to breathe heavily along with coughing as I did unintentionally swallow some water. There was no time for me to regain my composure as I had to get to shore before I would catch pneumonia, so I swam with what little strength I had until I made it back to shore where I collapsed onto the ground in utter exhaustion.
" That was perhaps the most reckless thing you've ever done since we started on this journey. I'd be extremely mad at you right now Sunset Shimmer for ignoring me and doing something so utterly stupid, but the important thing is that you're safe now although you do appear to be shivering even more than ever before.  In any case, I am at fault as well for not warning you about how those chunks of ice work in terms of how they react to weight being applied onto them," said Spike.
" No, it's not your fault Spike as I knew that my weight would offset them a little, but you should be mad at me for acting like an idiot when I should have known better. If it wasn't for you slapping me in the face and yelling at me to wake up, I'd still be unconscious and sinking further down into the depths, and I most likely would have frozen to death without even realizing it. As for me shivering, I just spent five minutes underwater in a freezing pool, so yes my body is completely numb and needs time to warm up," I said.
" Too bad there isn't anything to use that will increase your body temperature," said Spike.		
" My inner warmth just isn't working which doesn't make any sense," I moaned.
" How is it supposed to work?" asked Spike.
" Whenever I'm feeling any kind of embrace be it from a friend, a loved one, or even something that represents those elements, I'm able to experience a warm glow from inside of me. Yeah, I know it sounds strange and even my own explanation isn't what I'd call the best way to describe it, but that warmth is the strength I use to keep going despite the odds stacked against me," I replied. 
What I needed was one of those Pieces of Heart which I had been picking up all over Hyrule as getting one gives me a warm feeling, and right now I could do with one of those to perk me up. I told Spike what I said I needed, and he was a little confused at first as to what I wanted, but he quickly clued in when he remembered seeing something.
" I did see a Piece of Heart all the way over there at the end of that iceberg pathway, but I don't think you'll be able to get it in your current condition," said Spike.
" No offence, but I don't think you'd be able to pick it up and bring it all the way back as it's too heavy for you," I sighed.
" I'm not offended by that because I know it's too heavy for me. I actually thought you were going to say that I wouldn't be able to make it over there because of the Octoroks, but I knew that you had more faith in me than that. Still, you need to warm up otherwise you'll catch a cold which in turn will lead into pneumonia, and eventually death if your body temperature continues to worsen," said Spike. I had to somehow get my hands on that Piece of Heart, but I wasn't going anywhere then an idea struck me which was reckless in nature, but it was the only hope that I had if I wanted to get warm again.
" I have a plan," I began.
" What do you have in mind?" asked Spike.
" That Piece of Heart is what I need to warm myself up, but I won't be able to make it over there in my condition....unless I were to use my magic and set myself on fire which will give me enough warmth to make it over there," I replied.
" You want to do what now?" asked Spike.
" Set myself on fire," I replied.
" Yep, that's definitely reckless thinking right there which I've come to expect from you, and it's a pretty good idea seeing as I know how good you are with magic. Can you survive such an experience though? I know you have resilience to fire because of your affinity to it, but will it actually work?" asked Spike. His concerns were well founded as not even I knew if my plan was going to work, but it was the best course of action as I was taking the weight issue into account along with the Octoroks. 
Closing my eyes and concentrating really hard, I tried to tap into my magic so as to set myself on fire, but my chattering teeth indicated that I was still freezing from my unfortunate dunking. I had to get over that, and focus if I want that Piece of Heart, so I concentrated even harder and that's when my body suddenly burst into flames. 
While it looked like I was in searing pain from the fire licking my body, I was actually fine because of my resilience. Spike was surprised when he saw that the fire was actually forming around me in a barrier of warmth instead of burning me to ashes. " Wow! That's so amazing! You should just use that to keep yourself warm and forget about the Piece of Heart."
" This fire barrier won't last very long because I was barely able to use my magic due to how cold I am. I probably have about two minutes to make my way over there and snag that prize before this disappears, and the cold resumes its icy grip on me," I said.
" Then make every second count," suggested Spike.
" I intend to," I smiled as I ran onto the chunk of ice where Lord Jabu-Jabu was, and leapt from it onto the chunk which knocked me unconscious. As soon as I landed, it began to bob up and down because of my weight, but I had to focus if I wanted to get to the end. The Octoroks from before popped up and fired rocks at me, but I had no time to deal with them as I continued running making sure to slow down whenever I began to lose my footing. 
The rocks ended up hitting me which was painful especially when combined with the cold, but I had to keep moving until I could properly take care of it. Jumping onto the next iceberg was fine as it was small and didn't want to bob, yet the next two chunks were big and my weight caused them to bob up and down pretty badly. 
More Octoroks continued to pop up from the water, and they spat their rocks at me which I had to take the hits, and that had me thinking about how I'm getting hurt in order to grab one little thing which will keep me warm. My priorities can be really weird sometimes, but I eventually made it over to where the Piece of Heart was located, and I picked it up without delay. Within a matter of moments, I could feel the warmth of it embracing my body, but it would take a while for it to really kick in as my body was still feeling cold.
" You managed to get over here just in time," said Spike.
" Now comes the challenge of making it over to that cave entrance," I said.
" The Octoroks will pose no problem to you directly, but the issue here is the ice being too slippery for you to traverse on. My advice to you would be to slowly make your way across each iceberg, and take them down one at a time using your shield to bounce their rocks back at them. Sometimes, you'll find that you're not close enough when they spit out their rocks, so simply edge closer to them until you can deflect the rocks with ease," said Spike.
" I'm glad you mentioned advice," I began.
" You are?" asked Spike.
" I had almost forgotten to play Fluttershy's Song, and ask her for advice," I replied.
" While it's nice that you're playing her song and getting her help through telepathy, I kind of feel a little jealous sometimes that she is giving you advice which is supposed to be my job as your fairy partner. Granted, she knows more about the dungeons than I do because I have to quickly memorize the layout so that I can be more useful in my assistance to you," sighed Spike.
" You don't need to feel jealous Spike as I'll always rely on you to help me out, and don't you ever think otherwise as no one will ever replace you. Fluttershy does have a unique perspective due to her connection with the forest spirits even when she is in the Sacred Realm, and that vision is what we need to get an idea of what we're about to explore. Also, I want to ask her how Pinkie Pie is dealing with the realization that she is a Sage, and that she'll be stuck there for a while," I said. 
I took out the Ocarina of Time from my pouch, and it felt cold to the touch because of my unfortunate dunk into the water. Even placing it up to my lips was unpleasant because of how cold it was, but I played Fluttershy's Song anyway despite how uncomfortable this moment felt to me.
" Sunset Shimmer? This is Sar....sorry, I mean Fluttershy. Can you hear me? Huh? Are your teeth chattering? Where exactly are you which would make your teeth do something like that?" asked Fluttershy.
" I'm at Zora's Fountain where there is snow and ice everywhere due to an arctic wind blowing all over Zora's Domain. My teeth are chattering as I spent five minutes underwater in a very cold pool, and as a result my whole body has been going numb. I did manage to pick up something which will keep me warm for a while, but it's taking its sweet time to get itself working," I replied. 
I had to stop talking for a moment as I needed to sneeze twice due to how cold it was. I actually wanted to sit down and continue talking to Fluttershy, but then I remembered my sore butt prevents me from doing so for now. " I did have to set myself on fire in order to get what I needed, but I'm fine as fire is something I'm resilient to."
" Oh my! I've never heard anyone wanting to set themselves on fire, but I suppose that you had no other choice as it meant freezing to death as an alternative which isn't good. I don't know why the home of the Zora's has become frozen, but the forest spirits say that something is hidden inside of a giant cave close to your location," said Fluttershy.
" Yeah, I already knew that otherwise I wouldn't even be here," I said as I sneezed again.
" The inside of that cave is known as the Ice Cavern, a cave made of snow and ice where it feels like you're exploring the deep freeze of the northern reaches. I would strongly advise you to bring along some kind of healing item as there are creatures inside that are capable of giving you the cold shoulder. 
The Ice Cavern is a haven for creatures who love the freezing cold, so you need to be aware of that. There is something else that the spirits are telling me, but they can't explain it all too well because what they are seeing is completely unnatural," said Fluttershy.
" I've seen plenty of unnatural things on my journey," I said.
" I'm sure that you have Sunset Shimmer, yet what lies within the Ice Cavern is something you've never seen before. The spirits say that you will need to transport this unnatural thing to continue your quest. They also say that you should bring some of it outside so that you can save King Zora who appears to have been frozen solid, and gain access to a place where you can spend your hard-earned rupees. 
With regards to the freezing cold, wherever you are right now is going to be nothing compared to the Ice Cavern, so I hope that what you picked by setting yourself on fire will be enough for you to weather the cold," said Fluttershy.
" Do the forest spirits know anything about a hidden treasure located in the Ice Cavern?" I asked.
" Yes, they say that they are aware that someone a long time ago hid something within a treasure chest hoping that no one would ever find it. Many have tried to claim this treasure, but none of them survived due to the extreme cold. The Ice Cavern is always in a perpetual state of cold even when Zora's Fountain was of a moderate climate before the arctic weather came along. 
This treasure may not look like much at first, but if you have Spike take a good look at it, he may be able to figure out the purpose behind it. The spirits have an idea as to what the treasure might be, and the only advice they have for you is that the treasure is something practical if you intend on doing something you normally wouldn't do," replied Fluttershy.
" That was needlessly cryptic," I moaned.
" The forest spirits are mysterious beings who do enjoy providing you with only half-truths as they wish for you to learn from your experiences you have on your journey, for if you were handed everything over without any kind of challenge, the journey would be pointless. They will never lie to you though, so there is no need to be worried about that," said Fluttershy.
" I guess that makes sense," I said.
" There is no powerful evil force inside of the Ice Cavern which should be a relief to you, but there is still something strong guarding the treasure. You will need to overcome it in order to claim it for yourself," said Fluttershy.
" Not surprising given how I'm the one chosen by destiny, and no that isn't meant to be a bragging right! I'm still a little peeved over being chosen to do all of this when I clearly have next to no experience, but it has grown on me a lot despite my apprehension towards it. I do have one question for you Fluttershy. How has Darunia handled being a Sage and being stuck in the Sacred Realm?" I asked.
" Ms. Darunia certainly does have a strong spirit as she has been slowly getting adjusted to her new role. When I say strong spirit, I really do mean that as she has been doing all kinds of things to show off her power. Mr. Rauru is beside himself with grief as he was expecting her to have quickly mellowed and take the role of Sage of Fire more seriously. 
Ah well, it's all about baby-steps when it comes to Ms. Darunia, and I know that she will become an excellent Sage once the initial excitement has worn off. I did notice that she has been asking us to call her Pinkie Pie because it's a name she says she was given by her Sworn Brother, and I suspect that you are the one she is referring to," replied Fluttershy.
" You got me there," I blushed before sneezing yet again.
" Oh dear! That sneezing of yours isn't good for your health, so I think I will say farewell to you now. I know that what you acquired to make you feel warm will come in handy as the Ice Cavern will truly test you when it comes to how tough you are. I wish you luck in exploring the frozen temperatures of the cavern, and be sure to keep yourself warm as much as possible," said Fluttershy. I could no longer hear her thoughts in my mind, yet she was able to provide me with some useful information courtesy of the forest spirits. 
So the treasure I have to find is being guarded by something strong. That sounds like the typical experience I've been getting with these last dungeons, so at least I'm treading on familiar ground. Suddenly, my body started to warm up immensely which meant that the Piece of Heart was finally doing what it was supposed to do when I picked it up.
" Looks like you're warming up at last," said Spike.
" Which means we can go inside the Ice Cavern and find that treasure," I said.
" Just like you did with the Piece of Heart, you need to jump from iceberg to iceberg, and make your way towards the entrance of the Ice Cavern all the way over there. You can take your time now because you're not in any hurry as I don't want to see a repeat of what happened when you ended up taking an unfortunate swim," said Spike.
" I have no intention of swimming in this water again," I said defiantly.
" You may have to at some point," began Spike.
" Give me one good reason as to why I would want to go back into that cold water?" I asked.
" When I dove down underwater in order to help you when you fell into it, I noticed another Piece of Heart lying at the very bottom of the fountain. I have no idea how you're supposed to get it seeing as you can't stay underwater for very long, and you can't dive down that far either, so maybe there is another way to get to it. Even though it does involve swimming about in a cold pool of water, grabbing those Heart Pieces have been pretty beneficial for you," replied Spike.
" I guess," I said.
" Come back here once you've thought of a way to get it," said Spike. I actually did want that Piece of Heart now that he mentioned it, but how was I supposed to get down to the bottom of the fountain let alone do so without freezing to death? Guess I did have to leave it behind for now, and focus on what I need to get which was this treasure inside of the Ice Cavern. 
I had no idea if it was going to be useful or not because no one, not even Fluttershy gave me a good enough description of what it is that I'm supposed to find, but I've come this far and almost gotten myself killed over this treasure, so I might as well keep going. I started to make my way back across the chunks of ice where the Octoroks attacked me once again, yet this time I used my shield to bounce the rocks back which destroyed them. 
It took a few minutes to make my way there because I had a couple of instances where I almost fell into the water, and that would have been so unbearable seeing as I only just started to feel warm again.
" So all I do now is climb up onto the ledge and we're there?" I asked.
" Just be a bit careful as you can end up slipping through the gap between the ice and the wall," replied Spike.
" How could I fit in-between such a small sliver of a gap like that?" I asked.
" You'd be surprised as to what can happen in this world when it comes to logic," replied Spike. I didn't want to ask any further as it sounded like Spike was saying that Hyrule was essentially an embodiment of Pinkie Pie who defies logic on a daily basis. Taking everything into consideration, specifically my weight, I ran towards the edge of the ice and jumped up where I managed to grab the edge of the ledge and pulled myself up where I found myself staring into the mouth of the cave entrance. 
A cold wind was blowing from within which chilled me to the bone, but I had to deal with it and enter even though I secretly wished that I was going back into the Fire Temple as it was much nicer because of the intense heat. The moment I entered the Ice Cavern, I immediately began to chatter my teeth due to the sudden drop in temperature, and while my body was able to maintain its warmth thanks to the Piece of Heart, I knew that it wasn't going to last too long.
" It's even colder in here than it was back in Zora's Domain," I said.
" This dungeon is made out of snow and ice when it was carved out many centuries ago. Most people would never be able to survive in such temperatures like this, but you're different from them in that you are the chosen one," said Spike.
" That doesn't really make me feel any better," I said chattering away with my teeth.
" Well, you'll need to survive if we are to find this treasure, so buck up and let's get moving," said Spike. He then started to hover forward only to come to a sudden stop a few feet later when he noticed that I wasn't coming, so he turned around to discover that I was sneezing a few times which even resulted in droppings coming out of my nose due to how cold it was. 
" I'm sorry Sunset Shimmer that I'm pushing you so hard, as I realize that I don't know what you're experiencing. I guess being immune to the cold doesn't allow me to see what it must be like for someone such as yourself. Your body is fine as the Piece of Heart did do the trick, but the fact that your teeth are chattering means we need to get through this as fast as possible.
" I'll be okay so long as I keep moving and use my fire magic whenever I can to keep warm," I said.
" Then why don't you use it right now so that you can stop with the teeth chattering?" asked Spike.
" Wow....I can't believe that I was completely oblivious to something so simple. I feel like such an idiot for making so much fuss over something which I could have resolved as soon as it began with my fire magic. Sigh....once again I feel my confidence being shattered because of my lack of insight, but it's just another life lesson," I said as I lowered my head in complete and total shame for being so stupid. 
That's when I used my fire magic around my face to warm it up, and stop my teeth from feeling worse which didn't make me feel better emotionally. Spike comforted me by saying that everyone makes mistakes, and that I was too fixated on staying alive to realize that my magic was now useable given that I was warm enough.
" Your fire magic should prove to be very useful in here as everything can be melted as it's all made of ice," said Spike.
" Everything, except for that!" I said pointing to a small patch of red ice which was just sitting there serving no purpose. If this piece was located here, then the entire dungeon must have it in places where I most likely need to go in order to find the treasure. I did want to make sure that this was the same ice that was surrounding King Zora, so I walked over to it and placed my hand upon the red ice, and the same cold touch on my hand matched what I felt before. 
" This red ice is identical to what we saw in Zora's Domain which King Zora was trapped inside of, and if that's the case then maybe we'll find a means of melting it in here." I quickly pulled my hand away from the ice before it could get any colder, and continued to walk onward before quickly coming to a stop in front of some icicles protruding from the ground. " This is the regular ice that we're familiar with, so I can easily smash these to pieces using whatever means I prefer."
" Just be careful of the ceiling," began Spike.
" The ceiling? What for?" I asked.
" There are icicles hanging from the ceiling, and they appear to be very loose, so I think they will drop down on top of you when you get close enough. You won't take much damage from them, but they can be inconvenient when you're distracted," replied Spike.
" Heat you say? That's not a bad idea," I said as I used my fire magic to melt the icicles in front of me where the resulting puddles quickly froze over due to how cold it was. Moving forward and watching the ceiling very closely, the icicles hanging from above looked harmless enough, but I needed all the health I could get as the further I go into one of these dungeons, the more dangerous it becomes. 
As soon as I walked within an inch of the icicles, they all dropped down and I managed to avoid them by jumping to the side, and landing face first in the snow. Some of it ended up in my mouth which wasn't pleasant, and as I picked myself up, the entire front side of my body was covered in snow, and my face looked like I was some kind of old man with the way the snow was dripping down.
" Why are you playing in the snow?" asked Spike before he burst out into laughter.
" Not another word Spike! Not. Another. Word!" I replied gritting my teeth in the process as this was humiliating.
" I don't meant to poke fun at your little misery there Sunset Shimmer, but you have to admit that you do look silly which is a good thing. This dungeon's cold interior gives it the feeling that nothing can survive here, and it's completely morbid as a result. Your current appearance is also comedic, and we could do with as much happiness as possible while we're moving around the Ice Cavern," said Spike.
" Then I know of a way to make things even more fun," I said which was confusing for Spike at first, but he quickly clued in on what I meant when I threw a snowball at him which covered him completely turning him into a flying snowball with eyes. That's when I burst into laughter as it was really funny, and Spike ended up joining in because we both needed to have some fun. Once we cleaned the snow off, and stopped giggling like children, we continued on where the pathway turned to the left and several steps were in front of us.
" These steps don't have any ice on them if that's what you're thinking," said Spike.
" Yeah, that's what was on my mind considering how I've been slipping on the ice, but something else is bothering me and it has to do with that weird sound coming from over there," I said as I pointed towards where the tunnel ended and opened up to what looked like a large room. The noise sounded like a blast of cold air being fired from some kind of air conditioner, but those don't exist in Hyrule....unless this world is more modernized than I thought. After a few seconds of hearing the noise, it came to a stop which was a sigh of relief, but then it started up again a few moments later.
" I know that sound from somewhere," began Spike.
" You do?" I asked.
" Yes, but I can't put my finger on it as it sounds like a lot of different things. Why don't we try to get a little closer and see what lies beyond this tunnel? I have a hunch that the sound is coming from a monster native to the Ice Cavern, but I can't be sure unless I can see the inside of the next section," replied Spike.
" Okay, I'll take it one step at a time as I don't want to wind up getting ambushed," I said. Tiptoeing wasn't going to be easy as the snow was crunching under the weight of my feet, and the noise being produced could alert what was making the other sound up ahead, so I had to walk really slowly which Spike wasn't offended by as he knew that this was a serious situation. 
Climbing down the steps instead of jumping down, and inching my way over to the end of the tunnel, I could see what was beyond, and it was a large room as I suspected, but it looked really weird. The floor was completely covered in ice, yet I could see the water flowing about below it, so that could mean the ice isn't able to handle that much pressure? There was more red ice although this time it was protruding from the walls which didn't make sense in addition to being on the ground, but I chose to ignore that in favour of a circular object which was spinning around in the center of the room. " Is that what I think it is?"
" An ancient trap just like what we saw all the way back in Dodongo's Cavern. Remember Sunset Shimmer that you can't destroy them, so don't even attempt to use your magic as they are immune to everything. All you can do is avoid it as best as you can which won't be easy as the floor is slippery. Walk carefully, and we'll be able to move onto the next part of the dungeon," replied Spike.
" Except that the tunnel entrance on the other side of the room is blocked by iron bars," I said.
" Those aren't iron bars, but rather some kind of icicles which are blocking our path. You may need to destroy the monsters lurking about in order to remove those icicles, and speaking of the monsters....they are exactly what I suspected they would be," said Spike. In all the excitement regarding the trap, I had completely forgotten about the monsters which was when I managed to get a first glimpse at them. 
They were made of ice complete with horns on their heads also made of ice, yet they lacked no facial features, or arms and legs for that matter. As I stared at one of them which happened to be near by, it suddenly breathed out a blast of air which made me jump back as I wasn't expecting that to happen.
" What is that thing?" I asked.
" That's a Freezard, a frozen creature that can only exist in extreme cold temperatures like this. While it may not look all that threatening given how this version doesn't move around, it is a serious threat because of what you just witnessed. Every now and then, they will breathe out cold air which will freeze you upon contact if you end up getting caught in the blast. Remember what I said happens when you touch a switch covered in ice?" asked Spike.
" I end up getting frozen in a chunk of ice," I replied.
" That's what will happen if you allow the icy breath of a Freezard to touch you. The ice will last a few moments before it shatters, or you should try to free yourself before you take too much damage which can build up over time," said Spike.
" What did you mean by this version?" I asked.
" There are two kinds of Freezards and the ones we're looking at are the first version which is stationary and breathes out ice every now and then. The other version can also breathe an icy breath, but the difference has to do with it having the ability to appear and disappear at will. It's also transparent making it hard to see sometimes which lets it sneak up on unsuspecting prey. 
Oh, I forgot to mention this other version of Freezard is mobile where it slides along the ice once it appears, and when it finds its prey, it will turn around before using its icy breath," replied Spike.
" Just hearing you mention that makes me feel cold," I said.
" Fire is their natural weakness of course as they will melt in one hit, but you need to be up close to be able to melt them down to a puddle as they do have some kind of protection when trying to strike from a distance. The Megaton Hammer and the Master Sword will also work against them, but for some reason they are immune to arrows, and firing one at them is like hitting a shield. Just get in close and destroy them completely before things get a little too chilly if you know what I mean," said Spike. 
The Freezards were just staring at me although I couldn't even tell if they were doing that as they had no eyes, but maybe they are able to sense the temperature of creatures which let them determine when to take action. I breathed deeply so as to get myself pumped, but then I sneezed which really ruined the moment. I ran into the room towards the Freezard on the left making sure to reduce my speed because of the ice, and I was able to melt it into water with my fire magic before it could even do anything. 
When I turned around to face the other one, I could feel a cold chill coming from behind me, and I looked behind to see a third Freezard which looked partially invisible making this one the transparent one. To no surprise on my part, this ghostly monster let loose its icy breath which froze me on the spot, and the unpleasant sensation I was getting was definitely cumbersome.
" I've become a frozen pony-sickle," I said while speaking through my teeth.
" Try to shatter it by moving about, or wait for it to do so naturally," said Spike. There was no way I was going to let this last for the entire duration, so I began to move my body as best as I could, and the ice shattered instantly where I dropped to the ground before picking myself back up. " Did you seriously just say that you were turned into a pony-sickle? What in the world is that supposed to mean?"
" It's a pony thing which you wouldn't understand," I replied.
" If you say so," moaned Spike.
" That was really uncomfortable for me because of what I experienced back outside, so you'll forgive me Spike for being steaming mad right now. I'm going to turn up the heat because I feel like it....and also for dealing with this problem a lot quicker," I said. For a moment there, it looked as though I was about to lose control of my emotions again, and that's the last thing I want to experience right now. Luckily, I was able to calm myself down before doing something I regretted, and that's when I decided to go bigger by using Din's Fire which involved me stepping one foot back and thrusting my arms back like I was going to do some kind of anime attack. 
Once I was in this position, I slammed my hands into the ground which unleashed a massive fiery blast which quickly expanded and enveloped the room destroying all of the Freezards. The ancient trap of course remained intact due to being invincible, but the important thing was that the pathway through the tunnel was now accessible.
" Now that's what I call a Din's Fire if I ever saw one," said Spike.
" I must admit that I wasn't expecting that to happen considering that before the resulting spell was much smaller. I guess the Great Fairy of Wisdom really did pull through when she enhanced my magic," I said.
" For a minute there, I thought you were going to lose it and transform," said Spike.
" I had that exact same feeling, but I was able to calm myself down before my emotions could get any worse. You can't really blame me for going all emotional like that what with my recent exposure to the freezing cold. Now that I've witnessed what Din's Fire is really capable of, I'll be sure to use it a lot more often so that I can conserve my natural magic," I smiled.
" What about the other spell you were given?" asked Spike.
" Other spell?" I asked.
" Farore's Wind," answered Spike.
" Oh, right!" I said sheepishly. How in the realm of Equestria could I have forgotten about the second magic spell given to me by the very Great Fairy who happens to reside in Zora's Fountain? I took out the prism which contained Farore's Wind, and stared at it for a good while in order to figure out exactly how I was supposed to use it. 
I mean, I know that I was given a pretty good description from that version of Adagio, but I've not figured out a practical means of using it. " While Din's Fire is perfect for taking out monsters, I just don't see the point behind this spell which makes me think it isn't as useful as the other one." I then took out the prism containing Din's Fire and looked at it as well before putting it back in my pouch.
" Because of my own natural ability to use fire magic, I don't need to take out the Din's Fire Prism because it reacts to my wanting to use it which is how I cast the spell without it ever leaving my pouch.
" Sounds rather contrived to me," commented Spike.
" It probably is, but that's just how it works with me," I said.
" Anyway, since you most likely remember how Farore's Wind is supposed to work, perhaps now would be a good time to put it to use. The spell only works in a dungeon that has a map otherwise it won't work. You can tell if the prism is its usual self, but if it appears dull and lacking any sort of colour, then it can't be used in your current location," said Spike. I then looked down at the prism again and saw that it was indeed full of life which meant it could be used in here. 
I showed this to Spike who then proceeded to the next step of his explanation. " Okay, the spell can be used in the Ice Cavern, so just cast it and see what happens." Not really an ideal explanation, but I cast the spell by lifting up my arms above my head which created a green ball of light which suddenly flew away before coming to a stop at the entrance to the room and floating there.
" Well that was awkward," I said.
" That's how the spell is supposed to work. By casting it, you've created a warp point which gets located above the entrance of the last door or passageway you used, so when you cast it again and decide to warp back to the point you created, it will end up sending us right here. Of course, you can always dis-spell the current warp point in order to create another one wherever you want. 
The secret behind Farore's Wind is to strategically use it in a place where you either travel to a lot in the current dungeon you're in, or a location that gives you easy access to an area that you wish to go to. For now, let's just leave this warp point where it is, and you can decide later on if you want to change its position, or warp back here for whatever reason you have," said Spike.
" It would have been useful in the Forest Temple, but I guess learning to use it now is better than not using it at all," I said. I then walked forward into the next tunnel where the ceiling lowered down to, and in front of me was a series of icicles protruding from the ground which I took care of using my fire magic because using Din's Fire would have been an insult. From there I continued to walk onward until I came to a stop because of hearing another sound coming from the room up ahead. " What do you suppose that noise is?"
" It's not a Freezard that much is certain, but it sounds like some kind of rotation device, but why would such a thing be here of all places? In any case, be cautious as you never know what to expect," replied Spike. Walking a few more paces lead me into another large room where the source of the sound was coming from, and it turned out to be two giant blades swinging around that were attached to a strange looking ice-like object which was also spinning around. 
Scattered about the room were silver rupees and another tunnel up on a high ledge was blocked off with icicle bars, and finally there were two patches of red ice like the one in front of the Zora's Shop. I could just barely see that behind these patches were additional tunnels, so for now my choices of which way to go next were really limited. " Now that's certainly a unique mechanism."
" I wonder who built it let alone managed to get it all the way this far?" I asked.
" I'm not sure, but what I can tell you is that it will damage you if the blades touch you, so be sure to duck or crouch if you want to avoid getting sliced apart. Those silver rupees scattered about are suspicious, and I think if you collect all five of them, something is bound to happen. I know that doesn't sound right, but you have to consider it a possibility," replied Spike.
" My concern has to do with the patches of red ice on either side of the room," I said.
" Again, without the means of being able to melt it, there's nothing we can do for the time being," said Spike.
" I'm not liking the idea of being forced to go in a certain direction as I prefer to explore wherever I want," I said.
" I know, but that's how the nature of these dungeons work when you first enter one of them. Everything is restricted to you from the beginning, and all you can do is traverse the paths that are available until you do something which will open up new pathways. It's all about being patient and exploring your surroundings until you get what you need to go to places you can't access right away," said Spike.
" Just so you know, I'm not a fan of that kind of design choice," I moaned.
" Deeply noted," said Spike as he let out a small chuckle which made me feel a little miffed. Sighing once again, I walked forward only to drop down to the ground as the ice blade swung by, and if I hadn't gotten down on the icy floor, I would have been sliced up a moment later which would have changed me into twins. The ice blades were a lot more tricky to avoid than I thought, so I decided to try a new tactic which not even I was expecting to work. 
Rather than getting back up, walking around for a moment before dropping to the ground, and repeating the process until I was finished, I chose to simply crawl around on the floor and pick up the silver rupees. " Are you seriously going to crawl on the ice like a toddler and grab those rupees?" Spike's reaction was certainly surprising as he wasn't expecting me to use such a random tactic.
" I know this looks awkward considering I'm supposed to be the hero and all, but I figure that if I crawl around and pick up the rupees, I can avoid those ice blades altogether and prevent myself from taking a lot of damage. While you may think that I'm a little chunky to which I would take serious offence, I'm actually quite thin making this a pretty safe option," I replied.
" I wasn't thinking about that, but rather you kind of look undignified," said Spike.
" Crawling is part of being an adventurer because you need to get down and dirty sometimes in order to achieve your goal. I have no idea how I came to know of such a thing, but I'm going to roll with it and collect those rupees. In my case, just replace getting dirty with being covered in some snow, and my stomach getting cold due to the ice. How much are silver rupees worth anyway?" I asked.
" Only five rupees which makes them the same value as a blue one," replied Spike.		
" Huh, and I thought they would be worth a lot more, like say, 100 rupees which would be something," I said. Being silver makes them pretty valuable, but I guess that's only if you look at the colour, and not take into consideration the actual value of the currency. Still, I was going to collect these rupees as surely they will trigger something to allow to continue through the Ice Cavern. 
It was fortunate that there were no monsters around otherwise I'd be a sitting duck, but the spinning ice blades very presence made me want to remain cautious as one slip up would be the end of me....assuming that's how blades like this work in Hyrule. Collecting the rupees was easy as I picked up the three that were located near the ice blades, and a fourth one was hidden away in a corner which I crawled to before standing back up again. 
" Ooooh, that ice is so cold that my stomach is feeling numb due to how much I had to slide about. It will take at least an hour for my belly to warm up again, so I think I'll just make a run for the last rupee. By the way, where is the last one I need to get?"
" It's up there floating above the center of the ice blades," replied Spike.
" And how am I supposed to get it?" I asked.
" By jumping from the ledge up there where the way onward is," replied Spike.
" Oh," I said before I slapped myself in the face for having asked such a stupid question in the first place. With that little blunder out of the way, I ran as fast as I could to avoid the ice blades and reach the bottom of the stack of ledges I needed to climb to get up to the top. Climbing up was simple considering that I've done my share of climbing through the use of vines, ladders, and steps throughout the journey, and when I made it to the top, I turned around to see the final silver rupee hovering out in front of me as though it were teasing me because grabbing it meant jumping into the middle of the room where a blade could end up hitting me. 
I took a deep breath and jumped off the ledge grabbing the silver rupee which caused the ice bars blocking the way forward to drop into the ground, but I was more concerned with where I was going to land. Somehow, I was able to avoid the blades by landing in front of the ice-like device they were attached to, but then I suddenly rolled forward and ended up crashing into a wall where I found myself upside-down with my head stuck in the snow.
" Not the most graceful of landings," laughed Spike.
" At least I was able to get the last silver rupee and land down here without being sliced up, but I agree that my landing was anything but spectacular. I wasn't expecting myself to perform a roll when I landed, but I guess that must be one of the basic techniques of being an adventurer. Hang on! Let me get myself up as all this blood rushing to my head is giving me a headache," I said. 
At first I tried kicking my legs so that I could kick myself away from the wall, but that didn't work so I tried to move myself forward using my hands as a momentum of sorts. That didn't do anything either, so then I tried to roll backwards as I rolled forward to begin with to end up in this position, and it worked although I rolled back a little too far and landed face-first into the snow again which caused Spike to burst out laughing because of how silly I looked. " Are you finished with your laughing?"
" I'm good," said Spike.
" Then let's go through the passageway which has now opened to us," I said. That meant running as fast as possible again to avoid being sliced, and climbing all the way back up to the top of the ledge which wasn't so bad the second time around as you know what to expect. " You know, maybe the person who hid the treasure in the Ice Cavern created this trap with the ice blades swinging around as a means of wanting to prevent anyone from claiming the prize except for the most determined of adventurers."
" It's possible given we don't know much about this place," said Spike.
" Makes me wonder what else is in store for us," I said.
" You have the means to get through this as long as you remember to keep your body temperature going," said Spike.		
" I am starting to feel cold again which means the warmth from the Piece of Heart is starting to wear off, but I think I can keep on going until at least the next room," I said. I then walked into the now open passageway which twisted about a little before coming into a cramped section where a single Freezard was being flanked by two ancient traps one on each side of it. The floor was also made of ice which meant avoiding the traps would be tricky as they were moving quite fast. 
Above me on the ceiling were more icicles which added another problem on top of what I had in front of me. " The first thing we need to do is eliminate the Freezard as it's the biggest threat right now, so my magic will make quick work of it.
" The traps won't hurt you all that much, but they will cause you to stumble about," said Spike.
" And the icicles?" I asked.
" Just avoid them like you did before," replied Spike. With our game plan all figured out, I used Din's Fire from where I was standing to melt the Freezard before it could breathe out its icy breath, and with it out of the way I made a mad dash through the corridor avoiding the first trap and the icicles falling down on me. The second trap did manage to strike me in the foot which was painful, but I managed to limp my way through to the other side before needing to stop and address my injured foot.
Spike as always was concerned about my well-being as he did truly care for my safety. " Will you be able to continue to walk Sunset Shimmer, or should we wait here for a while for your foot to get better?"
" That trap only nicked my foot, so I can continue to move without any trouble," I replied. The passageway then dropped down a few steps before opening up into an even bigger room which featured another floor made of ice with see-through water underneath it. A series of ice platforms were strewn about with a couple of Freezards standing on patrol most likely, and spinning around the central platform at mach speed was another ancient trap. This room felt even colder than the previous ones, but why was that the case?
" Look at all of the red ice in this room," said Spike.
" And we still don't have a means to melt it," I moaned.
" Why are you shivering again?" asked Spike.
" This room is a lot colder than the previous rooms we've been through, and I don't know why it's happening," I replied.
" Could it have to do with that fire located on top of the central platform?" asked Spike. He floated out in front of me slightly which prompted me to look in the same direction, and sure enough there was a small altar where fire was burning, yet this fire was blue in colour as opposed to being red. Also, fire is supposed to warm up a room like this not make it feel even colder than ever.
" We need to take a closer look at that fire," I said.
" Do you suspect something?" asked Spike.
" I'm not sure but it might be the reason why I'm shivering so much right now," I replied. As soon as I took a single step, I noticed a transparent Freezard appearing in the distance, so I waited for it to slide down towards my location where it turned around and breathed its icy breath which couldn't reach me. Once it stopped doing this, it simply vanished which gave me the time to climb onto the first platform and destroy the first stationary Freezard with Din's Fire before it too could attack me. 
With that out of the way, I jumped from platform to platform until I reached the one which had the fire burning on the altar. Upon  first glance, it looked like ordinary fire, but I knew better than that as fire is supposed to be red and not blue. I tried to reach out and touch it because my resilience to fire does allow me to do so without getting burned, but I quickly pulled my hand away as the fire was too cold for me. Fire that's cold instead of hot? Something was definitely wrong with this picture, and I intended to figure out what was going on.
" What's wrong?" asked Spike.
" The fire is really cold which isn't supposed to happen," I replied.
" It looks like there is more to this Blue Fire than appearances suggest. I wonder if you can use it somehow as it's very tempting, but how can you carry it around if you aren't able to touch it?" asked Spike.
" Do you think that the red ice can be melted with this fire?" I asked.
" That does appear to be the case," replied Spike.
" You said I need to find a way to carry it around, and even with my fire resistance I'm unable to carry it. Carry....ah-ha! I can scoop up some of this Blue Fire into a bottle and carry it around with me in order to melt the red ice that's all over this dungeon. I wonder how many bottles I should use as I don't know if this is the only place in the dungeon where the fire can be found," I said.
" Why not use some of it on that red ice over there where that big treasure chest is trapped inside of it?" suggested Spike.
" Good idea, and hey that could be the location of the treasure," I said.
" Are you sure about that as we were told by Saria that there is a powerful monster somewhere in the Ice Cavern, and if you take your previous dungeon experiences thus far into consideration, it's safe to assume that this monster is guarding the treasure. 
I don't see how such a monster could exist in this room if there are others around here, so that chest isn't what we came here for although its contents are sure to be useful," said Spike. 
His logic did make a lot of sense, and it didn't help that I was feeling agitated due to it being so cold, and standing next to the Blue Fire was making me feel even worse. Suddenly, I could hear the sounds of something flapping way above me, but then it came to a stop which made me feel really nervous.
" Did you hear any flapping noises just now?" I asked.
" The only thing that could make a noise like that would be a Keese, but they could never survive in an environment like this unless....Sunset Shimmer! Move out of the way before it makes contact with you!" shouted Spike.
" Huh?" I said, but it was too late for a Keese covered in blue flames slammed into the top of my head which caused me to freeze instantly. The other stationary Freezard who happened to be close by reacted by breathing its icy breath on me which caused a second layer of ice to freeze on top of what I was already trapped inside of. 
I found myself unable to move, and because of already feeling cold due to the Blue Fire, I was too weak to attempt to free myself, and this icy prison was too thick to shatter of its own accord. I tried to call out to Spike to see what he could do, but I was unable to move any part of my body. I had to do something and fast before I end up freezing to death....again....

To Be Continued.