//------------------------------//
// Chapter 41: The Burning Village 
// Story: The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Ocarina of Time 
// by Ganondorf8 
//------------------------------//

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Ocarina of Time.
By Ganondorf8
February 11, 2015
Chapter 41: The Burning Village

The sight of Kakariko Village burning was one that I just wanted to pretend wasn't happening before me, and yet it was a harsh reality which had me thinking how could the village suddenly burst into flames. When I arrived here a short while ago, things were quiet and peaceful, and now the sounds of cuccos cawing and the screams of people were filling the air as the fire was immediately spreading to all corners of the village. 
Shining Armour had since gotten out of his chair and was wondering what was happening to get the villagers in such a frenzy, and when he saw what I had been seeing for the past couple of minutes, he lowered his head in shame. This was the kind of thing I said that he needed to prevent seeing as the people of Hyrule were living in dark times, so perhaps now he will finally overcome his past failure and look to a bright future....if we can prevent the fire from gutting everything in sight that is.
" The village is on fire....how could this have happened so suddenly?" I asked.
" Judging from how quickly it's spreading across to all of the houses, the fire will consume everything within a matter of minutes. I must agree with you in that this happened rather quickly, so perhaps this isn't a natural occurrence? No one else was outside aside from you and me, and neither of us would want to do something as horrible as this. Yet, if I recall what Princess Zelda kept on saying about you back then seven years ago, you were a powerful wielder of fire magic," replied Shining Armour.
" Are you implying that I was being careless with my magic?" I asked.
" No, you would never resort to setting the village on fire as you are too pure of a person of good to resort to such an action, but it's clear to me that this was started as a result of a powerful force. It wasn't started by any of the villagers as they were all asleep, and considering the buildings here aren't made of any wood, there isn't anything that is considered flammable," replied Shining Armour.
He referred to me as a person of pure heart, but I wouldn't have said it like that seeing as he was oblivious to how I used to behave back in the human world. If he could have described me in a better term, it would be a person who had changed her ways, yet memories of the past continue to haunt me. Yes, that would have been the proper description instead of what he gave, but at least I appreciate him for saying something so nice to make me feel good about myself. Still, what kind of power were we dealing with here?
" Could this be the work of Ganondorf? Maybe one of his followers trailed me after noticing that I walked into Kakariko, and decided to set the village on fire because I was here given how I've been restoring Hyrule back to normal piece by piece? If this is the case then I've placed everyone here in danger by just showing up," I said.
" This isn't the work of the evil king as he would never reduce himself to such a low level where he would have to burn a village down just to prove a point. As far as his followers go, they couldn't be responsible for this as the fire was started with intricate detail, and they would have just acted crazy due to being given free reign to carry out the edicts of their master. That, or their incompetence would have made this a lot worse than what we're witnessing right now.
Something else has caused this to happen, and there is only one thing I can think of....which means I need to check the seal on the well, for if my suspicion is correct, then the efforts of Madam Impa have proven to be fruitless," said Shining Armour.
" What are you talking about?" I asked.
" I must go to the well in the center of the village, for I fear that the shadow beast has finally broken the seal and escaped from its prison down below. You need to do your heroic duty Sunset Shimmer, and attend to those who need help as well as do what you can to combat the flames. Before you say anything, my wounds from Ganondorf's attack on me years ago prevent me from being able to provide physical assistance, so I am going to help out in a different fashion," replied Shining Armour. 
He then began to walk off towards the centre of the village where he soon disappeared into the flames. I tried to follow him as I needed to know more about this shadow beast, but the fire was much too powerful for me to continue. Spike asked me why I just didn't run into the fire due to my resistance, but I told him that I'm not completely immune to the flames as some are too intense even for me to handle.
" So where exactly do we go from here?" I asked.
" The fire has spread rapidly and I can hear the sounds of people running about trying to contain the blaze. We need to search for anyone who may need some help as not everyone may have reacted fast enough," replied Spike.
" Or they could be fine and are trying to grab whatever stuff they can carry. There are some people out there who will risk their lives to get their material possessions because they deem them more important than their own lives, yet others are willing to risk it all so that they can rescue a loved one who may be trapped. It's the latter ones who are the true inspiration Spike, and can teach those who are more selfish that the value of life is more expensive than any worldly possession could ever hope to be," I said.
" That was quite the speech," said Spike.
" I've never been in a situation like this before, but back in the human world, I saw how others approached fires which is how I came to my conclusion through reading books and watching television, and don't ask me what the latter thing means as we don't have the time to go into an explanation on that subject. I'm actually very scared right now as this fire feels so powerful that I fear someone is going to lose their life before it is put out," I said.
" Then we need to make sure that doesn't happen," said Spike. With the determination to protect Kakariko Village in my heart, I ran off towards the house that was the closest to the home of Shining Armour, and it belonged to Scootaloo? She appeared to be struggling to get her Cuccos out of their pen due to being unaware that there was fire surrounding them, so I ran over where she recognized me which should be the case given this was the fifth time we've spoken to each other.
" Sunset Shimmer!" exclaimed Scootaloo.
" You need to get to safety right now!" I shouted.
" But, I can't just leave my cuccos behind, yet I can't go over and pick them up because of my allergies. My idea was to try and coax them into leaving their pen, but they refuse to listen to a word I say. Maybe you can help me by getting them out? I'm sorry to be such a bother during such a critical time, but those cuccos don't deserve to be caught in this predicament," said Scootaloo.
" I'm not even sure if they would be willing to listen to me either," I said.
" Then you'll need to pick them up, and carry them over there where I've placed a cart. Once all of them are safe, I can easily pull them along to safety at the entrance to the village. In case you're wondering, there are six cuccos that need to be brought out of their pen, so I suggest that you carry them one at a time. While it may take a little bit longer, you would be doing yourself a big favour," said Scootaloo.
" I had planned on carrying two at a time for a total of three trips instead of individually which would involve six trips, so why not allow me to carry them out in the manner that I prefer?" I asked.
" Cuccos have an unusual temperment which makes them quite feared among people despite how adorable they look. If one were to anger them enough, they become angry, and will resort to attacking whoever made them upset as a means of getting their revenge. If an entire flock of cuccos decides to attack you, then the chances of you surviving are rather slim which is why everyone does their best to make them as happy as possible," replied Scootaloo.
" So basically, they have some kind of authoritative influence over all of you?" I asked.
" You could say it like that yes," replied Scootaloo. I couldn't believe what was being said to me, but I knew deep down that she was telling me the truth. Hyrule had plenty of things which can be described as bizarre, and the thought of cuccos attacking people in the name of wanting revenge certainly fits the bill. Knowing that I had no choice but to get them out of their pen, I ran towards it and grabbed the first cucco that I could reach and brought it over to the cart. 
Along the way, it did peck me a few times which was annoying, but I managed to get it to safety before running back and grabbing the next one. This one also pecked me because of the way I was holding it by the feet, but I had no time to properly hold it as I needed to get this done as soon as possible.
" These two have been pecking me," I moaned as I dropped the second cucco into the cart.
" It's because they are so frightened with what's going on that they are taking it out on you," said Scootaloo.
" Sigh, I'm used to getting beaten up like this although not by the likes of poultry, but I intend on getting the rest of them even if they do peck me to no end," I said. The fire was getting stronger, so I needed to hustle along before things would get worse. Grabbing the next three cuccos was simple enough as they didn't peck me, but the last one turned out to be a big problem. The moment I grabbed it, I resisted the urge to drop it and cover my ears due to the loud caw it made in response. 
This noise caused the others to caw in a similar manner, so I had to quickly get this last one over to the cart before my ears are unable to take it anymore. Once I made it and dropped it in, Scootaloo picked up a small pole which was attached to the cart, and started to pull it along which was a huge sigh of relief for me before she suddenly came to a stop and came back over.
" Thank you very much for saving my cuccos," said Scootaloo.
" It's my pleasure as it's the sort of thing I do," I said.
" You must allow me to give you a reward for all of your hard work, and I won't accept no for an answer, so don't bother trying to say you don't want anything. I have just the thing right here in this pouch, and I know it will help you on your journey," said Scootaloo. She then reached into her pouch, and began to fiddle about looking for whatever it was she intended on giving to me. A few moments later, and she pulled out a small object before turning her attention towards me. 
" This is the perfect thing for you to have Sunset Shimmer as an adventurer like you is sure to need many potions what with all of the evil monsters that you've faced. I have no doubt that this empty bottle will be very useful, so please take it." Scootaloo then gave me the bottle which was my fourth one, and she grabbed the pole and carted her cuccos away towards the entrance to the village.
" Were you expecting something like that?" asked Spike.
" I didn't think she would give me a bottle as all I did was rescue her cuccos because she's not able to do it herself," I replied.
" Since she insisted on you taking that empty bottle, you should respect her wishes and take it," said Spike.
" Might as well as she was right when she said that it would be very useful, but I really should take the time to fill some of these up sometime soon. Speaking of which, I'm sure that you heard her talking about how cuccos will seek their revenge against anyone who causes them to get angry. I know that Scootaloo is not the same person from the human world that was speaking to me just now, but you have to admit that she has quite the imagination to come up with something like that," I said.
" Oh she was being serious," began Spike.
" You've got to be kidding me right?" I asked.
" Cuccos can and will attack anyone who threatens them, and the ones who often do this are adventurers like yourself. For some reason, they just have this urge to strike the poor birds with whatever weapon they're using, and that's when they end up getting pecked to pieces. It's a pretty gruesome sight, so it's best if you never experience it yourself. I can also tell you that cuccos will not calm down until the target of their aggression is dead, or has been pecked to within an inch of their lives whichever comes first," replied Spike.
" And here I thought they were gentle souls," I said.
" Only until you do something to anger them," said Spike. The idea of not judging a book by its cover certainly comes to mind with these cuccos, for their innocent appearance belies their ferocious nature. With Scootaloo now having been taken care of, I ran towards the center of the village, but took a detour when I heard someone calling for help from somewhere near the vicinity of the windmill. 
The flames were so strong that the intense colours were making it hard for me to see, but I had to keep on going so that I could reach whoever was in need of assistance. It wasn't easy seeing as bits of debris were falling from the houses, and it became an obstacle course as a result of having to jump and dodge all that I could to avoid getting struck.
" Hello!!!!" I shouted.
" Can someone help out a poor old soul like me?"
" Where are you?" I asked.
" I'm somewhere near the door to the windmill, but I can't move because the flames are blocking my means of an escape. Oh, to think that this could be the end of one such as myself, and just when I was getting used to embracing the chaos that has become my nature."
" I'll be there as soon as I can, so hold on tight until I get to you," I said.
" Hold on tight you say? Well, I suppose I could squeeze myself although I'm not sure what that will do for me, but in any case I await your arrival." When I made it to the stairs which lead up to the path that goes to the windmill, I broke through the flames to discover that it was Discord who had been calling out for help. 
He was the man who taught me the Song of Storms which apparently I taught him seven years ago according to what he said to me when I spoke to him before, but I have no idea as to how that's even possible given that I never met him back then. There was no doubt that he was scared out of his wits, so I first needed to calm him down, and things will get smoother from there.
" Are you okay?" I asked.
" I'm so relieved that someone was able to come all the way back here to rescue poor little old me," replied Discord. I noticed that he still had that strange accordion on his person, and was still playing it despite being in his current situation. That's when he noticed me, and his eyes perked up which made me think that I should be feeling worried about his expression. 
" Oh ho! It's you again! The one who I taught that song to which was quite a while ago. How come you never decided to pay me another visit since then? Yet, you are an adventurer, and that does mean you are always moving from one place to another. Still, I'm glad that you're here as I need help to get over to the entrance of the village where everyone else is."
" I'm here to escort you there," I said.
" Thank you for coming here to rescue me, and know that I will be grateful for your aid," said Discord. The first thing I needed to do was to cut a path through the fire in order for him to make it through and not get burned in the process, so I figured that I would use some water magic and douse the flames as much as possible. 
I began to concentrate on the as I was certain it contained water, and my plan was to use it on the fire. Discord noticed what I was doing, and he was confused by my actions. " Ummmm....what are you trying to do?"
" I'm going to use my magic to pull the water out from the well and douse the fire to allow you to get through," I replied.
" Water? In the well? Oh no, I'm afraid that you are wasting your time as the well hasn't had any water in it for seven years now. In fact, it's not even a well anymore, but simply a testament to what one can do to imprison something of great evil," said Discord.
" There's no water?" I asked.
" None at all, for it was drained from the well when that person in green came to the windmill. I suppose it was a good thing as it did allow Impa to seal away that horrible creature, but with no water to come out of the well, it just became a sort of tourist attraction for the village. The windmill hasn't been working since then either, and is just a landmark for the sake of being a landmark," replied Discord.
" Are you serious?" I asked.
" Usually I prefer to indulge in some chaos to pass the time, but in this case I am serious as the windmill draining away the water due to that song is what changed me into who I am now," replied Discord. Things just got even worse because without water to douse the flames, I had to literally use myself as a shield so that he could proceed through the village. My resilience to fire should give me some kind of protection, but this will still hurt me regardless.
Crossing my arms in front of my face so as to maintain my vision, I began to run forward and signalled for Discord to follow me which he did without question. We soon had to change direction as the fire's strength had increased even more, and this was something else that bothered me. The fire was growing in strength even more now which felt like it was the work of a great evil....the shadow beast Shining Armour mentioned....and I just remembered Discord mentioned the seal which Applejack used. 
It sounds like this sealing was public knowledge given how other villagers knew about it. After running along for a few more feet, the flames forced us to go in a different direction yet again, and that's when I decided to inquire about the beast.
" You said that Impa sealed away something in the well?" I asked.
" Huh? Oh yes, she imprisoned an evil shadow beast by using a powerful spell. She needed to do this because it was her belief that Ganondorf's evil power would strengthen the creature, so she made sure that the seal couldn't be broken from this side. It did take a toll out on her, so when she was finished with the incantation, she was bedridden for weeks on end. 
With the seal in place, we all lived in peace despite Ganondorf ruling the kingdom. Now that the village is on fire, it shows us that we never could escape from the wrath of the shadow beast," replied Discord.
" Do you suspect Ganondorf of being involved in this?" I asked.
" I don't think he is the kind of person who would delight in the pleasure of having a pet shadow, but then why settle for something as dull and bleak as a shadow when you can't even see it? Quite the ridiculous notion," replied Discord. Whether he knew it or not, he did give me another clue as to what I was up against despite his ramblings. 
All of this seems to relate back to the windmill which overlooks the village as well as the song that he taught me; a melody which I somehow played to drain the water from the well....that means this situation is partially my fault. There was no time to try and figure this out as I needed to get Discord to the village entrance, and sure enough the end goal was in sight much to my relief.
" Here we are at the entrance just like I said I'd do for you," I said.
" And I notice that several of the villagers have gone to get some water from Zora's River with which to combat the flames, for that is where we get our water supply from due to the well being dried up. I'm hearing some of them say that a horse has been left outside, and that the name on the saddle says Lon Lon Ranch, but I suspect it belongs to you because you won it in some kind of race that involved a bit of a wager from someone who obviously had an addiction to betting. Would that be accurate of me?" asked Discord.
" How did you figure that out?" I asked.
" I just took a guess and it ended up being correct based on what you just said. Allow me to tell the others that the horse outside is yours, and in the meantime there are others still needing help," replied Discord. What was it about this guy that reminded me of Equestria so much? My studies with Princess Celestia, as far as they got before I went off on my own, never mentioned anything about a Discord, but I suppose that he has something to do with back home, so I'll ask Twilight when I finally return to the human world. 
For now, I had to run back into the inferno because I could still hear a voice who needed my help, and it were coming from the middle of the village which was where the well was located. By the time I ran over there, Shining Armour was on hand, and he was struggling to pull two people to safety.
" It looks like you've lived up to your expectations," said Shining Armour.
" The same can be said about you," I said.
" I'm not the man I used to be Sunset Shimmer due to my injury, and even now I've been in constant anguish as I pull these two unconscious people to safety. They are the last ones, so perhaps you would be able to take them off of my hands? I'm simply exhausted to keep on going, so you take them to the village entrance, and I'll remain here to ensure your safe passage," said Shining Armour.
" But the flames will kill you," I said.
" Do you recall what I said about how I should have died long ago? Even now, I still believe that to be true as I was never meant to have survived, but I have no intention of throwing my life away. I'm giving you the chance to save these two from the fire as well as yourself, and I will hold back the flames. If I am to die here, then I can do so knowing that I chose to help out when people needed me....just like how I used to be back when I protected my king," said Shining Armour. 
While at first it sounded like he just wanted to end it all and rejoin his fallen comrades in the afterlife, he wanted to make sure that no one would suffer as he knew that feeling all too well. I picked up the two unconscious people, and dragged them to the entrance of the village, but they proved to be too much even for me to handle.
" You look as though you're in need of some help."
" WAAAAH!" I shouted due to Sheik suddenly standing next to me, and picking up one of the people for me.
" Sorry for startling you like that, but I saw you struggling and I wished to assist you before I make my way to the well. Something is happening over there, and I need to find out what it is," said Twilight.
" Shining Armour said the same thing when he and I left to do what we could to help out," I said.
" I take it that the Quiet Man was able to reveal much to you about his troubled past, but to see him outside of his home and helping out....you must have been quite the positive influence on him," said Twilight.
" He's currently back there by the well trying to hold back the fire while we get these two to safety," I said.
" Once I bring this one to the entrance of Kakariko, I will bring Shining Armour to join everyone else. I'm hoping that the villagers will be able to douse the flames, for this place is far too important to allow it to be destroyed by such an evil force," said Twilight. It didn't take long to get to the entrance, and as soon as Sheik placed her villager she rescued on the ground, she immediately dashed back into the flames. 
I hoped that she would get to Shining Armour quickly before it was too late, and I was relieved when she returned a few moments later with the former captain on her back where she placed him on the ground. She then went into the flames again where I chose to follow her.
" Where do you suppose she went to?" I asked.
" It's hard to tell where the well is due to the fire having gotten even more intense than before," replied Spike.
" I know I'll be able to survive for a while due to my resistance to fire, but you should get out of here Spike as things may be too much for you. Unless, you also happen to have an immunity to intense flames what with being a fairy?" I asked.
" That's a power only the Great Fairy has although it would be nice to have right now given the circumstances. At best, I can hold out for a little while just like you can, but I'd rather not wait and see how long that will last. The villagers should be starting to douse the flames from back there, so it will be a while before we'll see the results of their efforts. In the meantime, we need to get to that well as it seems to be the source of the problems occurring right now," replied Spike.
" If only Sheik had left us a trail for us to follow," I said.
" I believe that she did just that," said Spike. He floated out in front of me, and that's when I saw that Sheik had marked the ground in a few places using one of her Kunai, so it was a matter of following the path all the way to the well. Sure enough, she was standing in front of it when I arrived, and I ran right up to her to see what was going on.
" Get back, Sunset Shimmer!" said Twilight.
" What's going on?" I asked.
" You're about to find out," replied Twilight. All of a sudden, a powerful surge came from the well, and it knocked Sheik back quite a distance where I immediately ran over to make sure she was okay. As I tried to get her to stand up, I looked back at the well, and something came out from it in the form of an invisible mass given the trail it was leaving behind.
" Are you seeing what I'm seeing Spike?" I asked.
" The fact that there is a giant shadow giving off a trail of darkness, and that whatever is making the shadow is also a giant? Whatever this thing is supposed to be, it appears to be the one responsible for the fire as the power radiating from the flames matches that of what we're seeing," replied Spike.
" Or what we're not seeing as it's invisible," I said.
" Because we can't see what it looks like, I suggest not fighting against it as you would be at a terrible disadvantage. I know that you're probably feeling some kind of anger inside of you due to what it has done to the village, but you need to be smart about this and not take on something you can't see. I am curious though as to why it decided to make itself known now when it could have done so back when we first returned from the Sacred Realm," said Spike.
" We'll worry about that later as right now Sheik needs help," I said.
" She did get knocked back pretty hard, but you should be able to get her to the entrance of the village," said Spike. Just before I could pick her up, the invisible mass began to move over the top of the buildings before coming down in front of where I needed to go. I had a suspicion this thing didn't want me to take her anywhere, but I wasn't about to let it stop me, so I tried to pick her up only to be grabbed by some kind of invisible hand, and tossed into a nearby house where I landed on my back. 
As I struggled to get back to Sheik, the mass charged at me at full speed, and I blacked out the instant it touched me. The only thing I could do was yell for help as my world went dark. It turns out the shadow beast had merely knocked me unconscious, yet I ended up experiencing another dream, but this one was different from the previous ones as it felt more like a vision.

" Where am I?" I asked.
" You are in a dream which was induced upon you by my magic, so for the time being you will not wake up."
" Princess Celestia!?!?" I exclaimed for the one who was standing in front of me in this strange limbo was the ruler of Equestria....or rather, I should be more specific by saying this was the human version of her known as Principal Celestia. Then again, she was dressed in  exotic robes, and glowing in a red aura, so I had to assume this was one of the Great Goddesses from the vision Twilight showed me.
" While I may resemble a person you are familiar with, sadly I am not that someone, so I am sorry for giving you a false pretense. I am known as Din, one of the three goddesses who created the Triforce along with my two sisters, and my title is Goddess of Power. You are no doubt confused as to why you are here, but allow me to explain things to you Hero of Time. 
We Great Goddesses created the Triforce upon our return to the heavens as a means of leaving behind a small portion of our power with which anyone could use to have their fondest wish come true. Our intention was to have the golden triangles be used to benefit the fledgling humans as they strove to adapt to their new world, but sadly their flawed natures proved to be their undoing, and they soon began to desire the power for selfish reasons. 
This would soon result in numerous bloody wars that claimed many lives while others were corrupted by their desires, and so it was decided that no one could be permitted to possess the Triforce as they were far too primitive to use it," said Princess Celestia.
" What does this have to do with me?" I asked.
" For centuries, the Triforce was sealed away in the Sacred Realm by the Ancient Sages so that it could never be accessed by anyone, yet the named Ganondorf was able to lay his hands on the power due to you opening the door though you did not intend for this. While you have restored much of the land back to the way it was, know that you are partially responsible for the plight of the creatures who dwell in our creation, but also know that Ganondorf and one other are also to blame. 
You have caused a great calamity to befall your world, so it has fallen unto you to determine its fate when the time comes. All three of you are now bound together by fate, and because of this you have become one of the chosen," replied Princess Celestia.
" I recall Sunset Demon mentioning something about being one of the chosen that Ganondorf was looking for," I said.
" The manifestation of your evil persona from the past was hinting that you have been chosen by destiny. For now, you must not think too hard about all of this for it will come to pass in the end," said Princess Celestia.
" How can I not think about after what you just said?" I asked.
" Right now, your true power as one of the chosen continues to remain dormant, but it will make itself known to you when the  unification takes place. Such an event as this is one that we Great Goddesses never anticipated for we did not know that Ganondorf would cause things to become the way they are. 
We also had no idea that the other would believed they could control something beyond their understanding. But, we did realize that you, Sunset Shimmer, were thrown into the middle of all of this against your own will where you have faced numerous challenges, and for that you have my sincere apology," replied Princess Celestia.
" How do you know my name?" I asked.
" My sisters and I know all things child that relate to the existence of everything that you have witnessed, and we have been watching your exploits closely because you are much different from the rest. While we do not understand why you are different, we admit that you have piqued our curiosity, and so we know that you are one of the chosen. There is no need for you to think about these words as it will be made clear in the future, but do not reveal to anyone what you have witnessed here in your dreams," replied Princess Celestia.
" This is still very confusing to me," I said.
" My time here has run out, and so I must take my leave of you Sunset Shimmer. I have managed to inform you of not only more of the history of the Triforce, but also how you, Ganondorf, and the other shall determine the fate of everything in this world. Should things not work out as expected, my sisters and I will have no other choice but to reset everything, and try our luck again hoping that it will work out better. You should be waking up right about now, so I wish you luck with the rest of what is to come your way," said Princess Celestia. 
What did she mean by they would reset everything if this doesn't work out? Who is this other person? Why are the two of us and Ganondorf bound together? Why has this Great Goddess decided to talk to me in particular and now? So many questions I needed answers to, yet she disappeared as everything went blank again. 

I would eventually wake up from my dream to discover Sheik was on her knees looking at me, and the fire burning the village had been doused which was a huge sigh of relief for me. It seems that the dark clouds have returned to blanket the village, and the permanent rain falling down indicated to me that the villagers didn't put the fire out on their own. Instead, this evil rain was able to alleviate the problem, but was it really all for the best?
" Looks like you're coming around," said Twilight.
" How long was I out for?" I asked.
" For about an hour, and I fear the worst for you, but I am relieved to see that you're okay. Sunset Shimmer....a terrible thing has happened! The evil shadow spirit has been released! Impa, the leader of Kakariko Village, had sealed the evil shadow spirit in the bottom of the well seven years ago shortly after the Evil King came to power," replied Twilight.
" Oh I already know about that," I began.
" How do you have knowledge of this?" asked Twilight.
" When I came to the village earlier before the fires started to ravage everything, I was able to talk to Shining Armour, and he revealed to me some of the information regarding the shadow beast. You know this Sheik as you were hoping that I would talk to him, and perhaps convince him to change his outlook on life. 
Anyway, the man who lives in the windmill, Discord, also provided me some information about how Ganondorf's power would have empowered the beast, and that Impa almost exhausted herself to death when she sealed it away beneath the well after the evil king came to the throne," I replied.
" Most impressive that you asked the right questions and acquired an understanding of the current problem, so I need not explain the history of what happened long ago," said Twilight. It sounded like she was a little upset that she wasn't able to say what she wanted to about how all of this came to be, so I told her that I didn't intend on denying her the privilege of teaching me more about the kingdom. 
Sheik said she wasn't offended, and instead was proud that I took such an initiative into uncovering much on my own. " While you know about the events of the past, what has occurred in the present still needs to be revealed to you Sunset Shimmer. The force of the evil spirit got so strong, the seal of the well broke, and it escaped into the world!!"
" So what became of Impa? Shining Armour told me that she left the village some time ago, but no one knows where she went. Not even he knows about her fate, but I have a feeling that you know the answer," I said.
" I believe Impa has gone to the Shadow Temple to seal it again, but....she will be in danger without any help! Sunset Shimmer! Impa is one of the six Sages. Destroy the evil shadow spirit and save Impa!" shouted Twilight. Hearing her say that was a complete shock, but at the same time it struck me as being really odd. I was ecstatic that Applejack was one of the Sages, but how did she Sheik know who the Sage was going to be exactly given that the previous ones I had awoken she never referred to by name. 
While it was obvious to suggest that it was due to the two of them being from the same tribe, it was something which was screaming foul to me. I decided to keep this little tidbit a secret from Sheik as I didn't want her to be suspicious of my actions, but I would tell Spike about it later on when we're travelling. " There is an entrance to the Shadow Temple beneath the graveyard behind this village. 
The only thing I can do for you is teach you the melody that will lead you to the Shadow Temple." Sheik then took out her golden harp which was a sign that she was about to teach me a new song, but something else was bugging me, and it had to do with the well.
" Before you teach me a song, I want to know one thing about the well," I said.
" What's that?" asked Twilight.
" What was it like when the well was accessible? I assume that it could be accessed given that right now it's empty," I replied.
" Years ago, someone was able to drain the water from the well which is connected to the windmill that overlooks this village. By doing this, they were able to explore the darkness that lurked beneath the well in order to acquire something which they discovered was essential for revealing secrets and even creatures that try to be invisible. 
No one knows exactly how the well was drained, but a rumour says some kind of strange song was used. Such a melody, however, did not exist back then. Now to focus on what I will teach you next. This is the melody that will draw you into the infinite darkness that absorbs even time. Listen to this, the Nocturne of Shadow," said Twilight. 
She then began to play a rather morbid melody, and thanks to being shown what each of the keys were on the Ocarina of Time courtesy of Bonooru the Scarecrow, I was able to repeat her notes on the first attempt and played the song. Sheik was amazed that I was able to play one of her songs so easily, and I told her I had been taught how the ocarina works. I then asked Spike to take a note of the song for remembering purposes later, and he quickly dashed off somewhere to get his hands on some ink and paper. 
Sheik then put her harp away and turned to face me again. " You will need that which can see the unseen, yet it does not exist in this time. As for the village, I will assist the people as much as I can. Sunset Shimmer....we shall meet again." She then took a few steps backward where she tossed a Deku Nut, and disappeared once again when the flash stopped blinding my vision.
" What do you think of the well Spike?" I asked.
" To think that Impa sealed away such an evil creature in order to protect the village, yet it grew too powerful to be contained. I have a feeling that we won't be able to explore what lies beneath the well right now because of it being sealed shut, but what Sheik said is probably something you've already figured out," replied Spike.
" In order to see what lies at the bottom of the well, we need to go back in time and check it out before it was sealed. But, that is causing me to feel conflicted because if I do have the ability to travel back in time to the exact moment before Ganondorf entered the Sacred Realm....what is to stop us from staying in the past, and not having to deal with the problems here? Not only that, I don't recall ever doing something that caused the water in the well to drain," I said.
" I had a feeling you were going to bring that up, and I made certain to prepare for it," said Spike.
" About what I said regarding staying in the past?" I asked.
" That would just be the easy way out, and I know you would never resort to such an action as it would go against everything you stand for. I don't entirely understand how time travel is supposed to work as I hear that all it does is create paradoxes which serve to only confuse those who try to change things. 
What happened in the past is something we can never change, but we can still go back there and do things that we missed before Hyrule changed for the worst. Besides, we can't abandon the kingdom at such a critical juncture as the people still need a hero to help  them in their time of need," replied Spike.
" Quite the bold speech there," I said.
" As for you having played a song in the windmill back in the past....this would be a perfect example of a time paradox. The song that we learned from Discord is the one you must have played in front of him a long time ago, but he didn't learn that song until you taught it to him inadvertently, and in turn he would teach it to us because you reminded him of the person who visited the windmill. 
Gee....this is making me feel confused, and we haven't even done anything yet, but that is the best explanation I could come up with based on what we know. We need to go back into the past and play the Song of Storms which should give us access," said Spike.
" What do you suppose Sheik meant when she said that we need to find something that can see the unseen?" I asked.
" There is a form of magic in Hyrule which you haven't experienced yet, so allow me to explain it to you otherwise you would only end up asking me later. Some monsters have the ability to move about covered in a veil of invisibility which makes them difficult to find and to defeat. While you can hear the sounds that they make, everything else can't be seen which makes them a real threat," replied Spike.
" And the Shadow Temple?" I asked.
" It's the one temple among all of them which is the most infamous because of what it is. It has long been established over the years and centuries that this world has been embroiled in a series of wars, and the history of these terrible conflicts has all been gathered together to reside in the Shadow Temple. This dungeon is a place where the undead roam freely without reign, for the darkness that exists all around you down there is very real, and the stench of evil pervades every last corner. 
Not even the light itself in all of its purity can penetrate the darkness that lurks in the temple, so it will feel like you're surrounded by evil with every step you take. Considering that the power radiating from this temple is what allowed the she-demon to giver herself a new lease on life, it can be seen as the most personal part of your journey so far. For now, we'll deal with the temple later as we need to focus on what lies below the well back in the past," replied Spike.
" We can easily leave the village and ride Epona back to the destroyed castle town," I suggested.
" Or we can use the song that allows us to warp to the Temple of Time in an instant. Yes, why don't we use the Prelude of Light as we've only used a warp song once, and we do need to use them more often than we do," said Spike. It did take me a while to remember how this song went because I learnt it sometime after breaking the curse on the Forest Temple, and that felt like a long time ago, but then I finally recalled how it went. 
When I played the Prelude of Light, I found myself being transported in a flash of yellow light which took me back to the temple which still looked the same as before. Once I got my senses back of where I was, I made my way to where the Pedestal of Time was located in the back. To think that this was the place where we returned from the Sacred Realm after having been sealed there for years, and now I need to leave this place and go back to when things were different before Ganondorf came along.
" It feels like we've come full circle," I said.
" How so?" asked Spike.
" When we first returned to Hyrule and seeing how everything changed as a result of Ganondorf claiming the Triforce, we had to  quickly adapt to the new changes, and so much pressure was placed onto my shoulders. Now, as I look down at the Pedestal of Time and think back over what we've accomplished, I feel as though I've gotten a better understanding of myself although I wouldn't say that I have fully embraced being the Hero of Time. 
Are we really going to go back in time just to be able to claim an item which we need to take back to the present? For some reason, I feel like we're trying to cheat fate by doing something that goes against the boundaries of reality, but at the same time I knew this was going to happen as Sheik said that we would need to eventually travel across time itself to awaken the remaining Sages," I replied.
" In order to awaken all of the Sages, you need to do what is necessary," said Spike.
" It's going to feel weird being back in my younger body again," I said.
" Which is the same as what you have now because you never aged in the seven year absence we had," said Spike.
" But the people I've seen here will be different back in the past, and they won't even know what is about to happen to them." I said.
" You need to make sure not to reveal to anyone about what will occur in the future as they mustn't be allowed to know. The events that were set into motion at the hands of Ganondorf need to happen otherwise we would risk changing things, and make it even worse than it already is. As far as anyone is concerned, you're just like everyone else who is worried about the future of Hyrule. 
Now Sunset Shimmer, it's time for us to go back into the past, so when you're ready, strike the Master Sword back into the pedestal where you pulled it from," said Spike. Drawing the divine blade from its scabbard and holding it out in front of me, I stared at it for a few moments and wondered if maybe things could have been different had I been more willing to be the hero this world needed, but I know that things have to go the way they were destined to be. 
I could go back and make sure none of this happened, but as I was told by Spike, that would be the cowards way out, and such an act is one that would shatter my heart to pieces. This is the path I must follow no matter how painful it will be, and with that resolve in my heart, I drove the Master Sword into the Pedestal of Time which began to open up the entrance to the Sacred Realm again, and resulting in me disappearing into the blinding flash.
" Spike? Can you hear me?" I asked.
" I'm here Sunset Shimmer, but the real question is did we make it?" asked Spike.
" The Master Sword is back where it belongs when we were here fighting against Ganondorf, but I don't see him anywhere, and the damage we caused in that fight isn't here either which is really weird. Does this mean that we came back before that conflict took place? I think we should have asked Sheik about how we could have made a time transition where we weren't confused," I replied.
" It's possible that we came back here sometime between when you encountered him on the drawbridge, and when you faced off against him here in the Temple of Time, so that means right now he is busy chasing after Princess Zelda and Impa, yet we both know that he will eventually come back here when we realizes that you had all of the keys that were needed to open the Door of Time and the Sacred Realm. For now, we just need to focus on why we came back here in the first place," said Spike. 
To think that I was now back in Hyrule before everything changed, and needing to explore the older version of a world which I struggled to get used to. I had a feeling that this was still going to be a difficult challenge despite knowing how everything worked....

To Be Continued.