The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Ocarina of Time.
By Ganondorf8
March 1, 2015
Chapter 47: Trials of the Shadows.
Falling down this deep pit felt like I was plummeting to my death, but then I noticed the ground was below. While it means that I won't be getting killed, it was going to hurt. A few moments later and I landed so hard that my legs buckled to an extreme which felt like I was about to dig into the ground due to the impact. It took a few minutes for me to get back onto my feet although I was going to feel the numbness for a while.
" Are you alright?" asked Spike.
" Sunset Demon was telling the truth although I know she intended on not telling us about this deep pit," I replied. That's when I noticed there were bars all around me which made me think at first that this was some kind of prison, but perhaps it was a viewing platform with the bars serving as a means of preventing anyone from just walking out, and ignoring the vast majority of the temple. As I scanned around, my jaw dropped because of what I was staring at.
" That must be the ferry which we need to use to get to the other side....I wasn't expecting such a huge vessel to be down here, and that bow looks really frightening." The bow consisted of a skeleton covered in a red cloth which was hinting at it being another interpretation of the grim reaper, and to me it just felt really morbid to look at.
" I can't tell if that ferry is floating on water as we're too far away to see for certain," said Spike.
" There's no point in us worrying about it now as we can't use it until we get to this area through the proper route," I said. Looking around a little more, I noticed a block in the ground which looked like it didn't belong, and there was another piece of paper on top that had the Sheikah symbol on it. " I've got a feeling that block can be pushed from down below which will create a shortcut."
" Is that another piece of paper written by Impa?" asked Spike.
" It does appear to be the case, but how do you suppose it ended up down here?" I asked.
" Maybe she used the movement of the vessel combined with some Sheikah ingenuity to have the paper blow all the way up here. In any case, you should read what it says as she may provide some additional information," replied Spike.
" It says 'If you are reading this, then you have managed to make some progress in the Shadow Temple, but know that there are much more difficult trials ahead if you wish to continue. The eye of truth which was hidden in Kakariko Village for years until the champion of Zelda claimed it for her own, is needed to solve the puzzles that lie ahead. If you do not possess the eye, then your progress will be limited to the point where you will no longer be able to proceed.'
I noticed that she mentioned me in her message even though not by name, so does that mean she knows that I was the one who drained the water from the well?" I asked.
" Most likely she acquired such information by talking to Guru-Guru as he was still relatively sane at the time. It does mean we fixed the time paradox that involved inadvertently teaching him the song that he would end up teaching you in the future, and Impa learning that you were there makes sense given she wrote it down on that piece of paper," replied Spike.
" Can we not focus on the whole time trial rhetoric as just thinking about it gives me a headache," I said.
" I know the feeling Sunset Shimmer as it's a very difficult subject to analyze unless you happen to be an expert," said Spike.
" Then we should just focus on what is going to be a consistent problem rather than allow these time issues continue to bog us down like they do. The Shadow Temple isn't what I'd call a friendly place given that the undead roam freely, and that evil surrounds us with the intent on doing us in at the first sight of making a wrong move," I said.
" And here I thought you never paid attention to what I've been saying," said Spike.
" I've followed your advice since the beginning as I had no idea how Hyrule worked at the time, and even now this remains true as I'm still struggling to figure things out. Anyway, why don't I climb back up to the previous room, and we can use the small key to progress in the right direction," I said. The vines behind me went up quite a ways because of dropping down such a deep pit, so I was hoping that my climbing skills won't cause me to feel a cramp or something.
As I made my way back up, I started to think about how Applejack was able to progress through the temple without the weapons I have. I know that in this world she wields arcane powers, but I had to wonder how she pulled it off without even having to worry about her own safety. Back in the human world, she was the most level-headed among my friends, and it looks like that aspect of her character transitioned over to Hyrule.
She must have a strong calming presence to have traversed the temple, and for that she has my utmost respect. Once I reached the top, I made my way over to the door whilst avoiding the scythes of the decoration for I had no intention of being sliced like that again. On the other side of the door, the Beamos had returned once again, and that meant having to use a bomb to blow it up just like I did the previous two times.
" Is something bothering you?" asked Spike.
" Since we have to do some small amounts of backtracking, does it mean having to deal with the same monsters several times?" I asked.
" When you defeat a monster and then leave the room, when you come back to that same room even if it was a few seconds later, the monster will have re-spawned due to the magic radiating throughout the dungeon which constantly revives them. There are some cases where defeating a monster is a one time thing, and that it won't come back because it was guarding a treasure chest, or defeating it unlocks the way forward," replied Spike.
" So some monsters will keep on re-spawning while others won't?" I asked.
" Pretty much, but you need to determine if you want to continue defeating the same creatures as they re-spawn, or choose to ignore them because all they really do is get in the way. It can be worth it for they do drop ammunition for your weapons, drop rupees, and even drop recovery hearts, but it can also be risky in case they're too strong for you to handle," replied Spike.
" I'm going to avoid as many of the undead monsters as I can," I said.
" Unless you're forced to destroy them in order to continue," said Spike. While I could destroy this Beamos for the third time, I decided to ignore it and made my way over to the locked door, but when its gaze caught me wandering into its territory, it fired its laser beam which chased me with such precision.
The beam almost hit me in the leg, but I managed to get out of its range where it stopped, and resumed its original activity of searching for something. " Maybe you should destroy Beamos whenever you encounter them because that was too close for comfort."
" Yeah as that would have given my leg too much pain not to mention force me to waste a potion which I need for later. I did notice that it was situated in a place which made it difficult to avoid," I said.
" They are usually positioned to serve as a sentry where it will shoot at anything as I mentioned before. It can be inconvenient at times because you want to go to a certain place, and they are in the way. Remember that Beamos don't make any sounds, so don't just run head-on into the fray as you never know when you will encounter one, or several," said Spike. Taking the key and unlocking the door, I opened it and entered what appeared to be a corridor which was going down deeper into the temple.
" Do you hear the sound of something slashing into the ground?" I asked.
" I can, but it's really faint so it must be below our current location," replied Spike.
" Whatever it is, I'm not looking forward to it," I moaned. I then walked forward a few more steps before I got knocked off my feet due to a Skulltula falling down through the ceiling. " What the!?!? Where in the world did that thing come from?"
" It came from above the ceiling," replied Spike.
" How can it defy the laws of physics?" I asked.
" The ceiling in this corridor is pretty low, and Skulltulas are known for hanging up at a high distance in order to have as much range as they can to spot potential prey. As for how they are able to hide above the ceiling, that's something I can't answer because I don't know either. Just think of it as them being able to defy logic.
Make sure you walk carefully as you never know when a Skulltula will suddenly drop down out of nowhere. Since you have access to your powerful weapons again, you just need to shoot them once and that's it," replied Spike.
" That should give me the advantage as I don't have wait for them to expose their backs to me," I said. Taking out the Fairy Bow and aiming it at the Skulltula, I fired a single arrow which destroyed it, but I chose not to put it away as I sensed that there were others waiting for me. Sure enough, as I walked further on, more came down from above the ceiling, and I destroyed each of them using arrows with one going through two of the monsters at the same time which was pretty lucky for me.
Once I reached the bottom of the corridor, I saw that the slashing sound was some kind of blade which struck the ground before lifting itself back up and dropping again. This was a repeating process which turned out to be an obstacle which I had to avoid unless I wanted to get sliced in half from top to bottom.
" What kind of blade is that?" I asked.
" It's a guillotine, an ancient blade which was used in executions back when this world used such barbaric devices in order to deal with the more problematic individuals that plagued the land. When the blade drops down, it does so with a lot of speed which can chop off anything that happens to be beneath it," replied Spike.
" If anything, these guillotine blades will just serve to slow me down rather than cause me any kind of injury," I said.
" The blades shouldn't inflict that much damage to you, but they can knock you back if you approach them at weird angles," said Spike.
" I can see a Skulltula further ahead on the ceiling, and it's actually below it instead of above it like the others," I said.
" Then you can take care of it with a single arrow without having to worry about it coming down. I suggest getting past the guillotine first as your arrows could end up bouncing off of the blade, or even getting stuck on it thus making you waste what little ammunition you have for the Fairy Bow. As long as you remain a good distance away from it, the Skulltula will continue to stay up there," said Spike.
" Not exactly the brightest monster in the world huh?" I asked.
" They're merely acting on instinct which makes them easy to predict, but you should always be cautious as you never can tell what might happen. Before I forget, the guillotine blade moves at random speeds depending on how high up it travels before dropping down and repeating the process. Time it so that you run underneath while the blade is rising, and you will never get hit," replied Spike.
The moment the blade struck the ground and began to rise up, I ran through before quickly coming to a stop as the Skulltula was still above me, and it was eyeing me very closely hoping for me to get close enough. Aiming with the Fairy Bow, I fired a single arrow which struck and destroyed it although it did go flying far when the arrow connected.
" I wonder why I never noticed that before," I said.
" For some reason, arrows knock them back quite far which does look ridiculous, but then perhaps they have a weakness to them that makes it happen. I know that your other weapons don't provide that kind of reaction against Skulltulas, yet if you desire obtaining what they drop upon being defeated, using the bow isn't the best approach. By the way, I can hear the sounds of more guillotines further along, so it looks like we're in some kind of gauntlet," said Spike.
" So long as I time things properly, I'll never get hit by those blades," I said. Moving on down the passageway which turned to the right and then to the left, the sound of falling blades continued to get louder, and that's when I came across a massive room which featured the pathway forward where the guillotine blades were dropping.
Gaps in-between some of the blades must be an example of weird angles as some blades were so close to the edge that being struck by one would cause me to fall down into the abyss below which is death for certain. " This must have been some kind of facility as I can see platforms moving around. It doesn't make much sense that this arrangements exists the way it does."
" Remember that the Shadow Temple is a place that the Sheikah have guarded for generations," said Spike.
" So that would make this an obstacle course they used to train themselves, but they had to abandon it because of the evil nature of the temple becoming a thing which has served to define its very existence. Generations ago, this would have been a lot more dangerous as everything would have been in its prime, but now it's fallen into disuse and serves as a problem for would-be explorers," I said.
" An interesting theory," commented Spike.
" You think so?" I asked.
" They were known for using the temple for training during times of war as they couldn't afford to do so in Kakariko Village. If their enemies figured out their secrets, they could be used against them which would have placed the royal family in danger," replied Spike.
" What kind of techniques did they use?" I asked.
" They are a secret for a reason Sunset Shimmer, for the shadow folk were known for keeping things to themselves. Only those who they felt were worthy enough had permission to learn their techniques, so I can't really tell you anything. Perhaps Impa may be willing to teach you a thing or two when we rescue her from the shadow beast," replied Spike.
Secret techniques....I actually wouldn't mind knowing some as they could be useful when the time comes to fight Ganondorf, and I'm sure Applejack would teach me because it will be for a very good cause. Just as I was about to take a step forward, Spike stopped me because he had one more thing to say to me. " Watch out for the shadows of monsters which hang from the ceiling."
" Are those monsters in here too?" I asked.
" Wallmasters are classified as being undead, so you should expect them in a place like this," replied Spike.
" Maybe I'll wait for this one to fall down from the ceiling as I could do with some rupees as I used a lot to purchase those potions. You know, I don't think you ever told me what happens if a Wallmaster were to grab me when it drops in from above, or if you did then I've forgotten and now I need a refresher," I said.
" If they grab you, then they will drag you up into the shadows of the ceiling where you will end up back at the start of the dungeon," said Spike.
" Whoa! I didn't think they were capable of doing that," I said.
" It's this one unique trait which makes it one of the deadliest. Once it lands and begins to walk around on its fingers, a Wallmaster cannot drag you back to the beginning, but they can still cause some slight damage if you run into them by accident," said Spike. Keeping that information to heart, I stood still and waited for the shadow to appear on top of mine, and sure enough it started to appear.
I waited for a few moments before stepping aside just in time as the monster landed on the ground with no idea as to where I had gone, and it began to walk around in confusion. Seizing on the opportunity, I drew the Master Sword and slashed it in the back once which was enough to destroy it, and upon it burning away to nothing, it left behind three red rupees worth a total of 60.
" That should be enough money for a while as I'm bound to find some in treasure chests," I said.
" How did you pull off that impressive sword strike?" asked Spike.
" I'm not sure why I did it, but I had this urge to want to make a fancy attack," I replied.
" And here you say that you need more experience in using a sword," said Spike.
" No, I still need to because what I did is going to be useless against Ganondorf. Since I know that he was pretty strong seven years ago as I battled him one-on-one, he's probably even stronger now that he has the Triforce granting him the power of the Great Goddesses. To be honest Spike, I don't know if I have what it takes to defeat him. My transformation could give me an edge, but I need to control that by using it in a situation where I was prompted to change willingly rather than having no choice," I said.
" Perhaps you can change of your own free will here in the Shadow Temple," suggested Spike.
" All I need is the right kind of situation," I said.
" You could use it against Sunset Demon," suggested Spike.
" I'm not sure that I should even though it would be the best course of action, and that's because of the secrets that she seems to be keeping close to her. I was surprised when she told me that the Element of Magic's essence had somehow retained itself into her memory, so that gives her some additional magic that I don't even know about," I said.
" Is this Element you speak of something of great power?" asked Spike.
" It's one of six artefacts which have protected Equestria ever since they were first discovered over 1,000 years ago, yet while each one is capable of being used without need of the other five, all of them together can produce a magical force the likes of which can rival that of the Triforce. The Element of Magic unites the others together, and on its own can it unleash one's inner strength which is what happened when I used it to gain power.
Since Sunset Demon was able to retain the increase of magic that came from when I wore Princess Twilight's crown....she is even more dangerous than expected, and yet she hasn't chosen to use this power," I replied.
" Maybe she is restricted or something?" asked Spike.
" I don't know, but I hope that it doesn't end up giving her what she wants otherwise it will be the end of me," I replied. Just thinking about the she-demon and this new revelation of her abilities made me feel really nervous, but so far all she has done is test me to determine my worth. My current power, combined with what she has would allow her to be able to conquer Equestria assuming that the Elements of Harmony are no longer available according to what Twilight said in one of her responses to my letters.
There was only one course of action that I could take at this point. I had to overcome all of her challenges, and then defeat her once and for all. With this resolution firmly entrenched in both my mind and heart, I turned my attention to crossing this pathway which went across a deep chasm. Just the thought of looking down was enough to make want to stay as close to the middle of the path as possible, and those guillotines weren't making things any easier. " So how do I make my way over without being sliced to pieces?"
" Time your jumps well by leaping when the blades are moving upward. Some are moving faster than others, so be careful that you don't move at the last minute. This would actually be a good time to use the Hover Boots as the additional seconds of floating in the air could give you an advantage," replied Spike.
" But if I get hit while wearing them then who knows where I'll end up because of their lack of traction," I said.
" With great risk comes great reward they say," said Spike. It was hard to argue with him on that, so I switched over to the Hover Boots where I almost fell over due to the sudden decrease in traction, and having to run on the spot quickly just to maintain my balance. The blades were moving up and down at random speeds, so I had to focus on one at a time while ignoring the rest until I reach them. There were only three of them in my way, but that is still more than enough to make this a challenge for me.
When the first one struck the ground and began to rise, I ran underneath it where I came to a stop in front of the second one which was on the other side of a small gap that I saw before upon entering this large room.
" Do you hear something coming from below?" I asked.
" I don't know what it is, but the temperature has suddenly increased a little bit," replied Spike.
" Maybe it's a burst of flame, but why would be here of all places?" I asked. A few moments later, and I got my answer in the form of a flaming skull which came out from the darkness where I managed to dodge it in time by jumping slightly to the side. It bounced around a couple of times before jumping back down into the abyss. " That monster was from the Fire Temple, but what is it doing here?"
What attacked me was a Red Bubble which comes out of lava filled areas and bounces all over before eventually submerging back into the lava again. " I know that it's an undead monster and all, but this is just ridiculous!"
" I'm surprised that you could hear it all the way up here," said Spike.
" My hearing is surprisingly good," I said. With that little incident out of the way, I resumed watching the second guillotine in order to find the right moment for me to go underneath it after hovering across the gap. This blade moved up and down a little faster than the previous one, so I was thinking of making my move as it was coming down so that I had some extra time.
Once I saw the guillotine drop, I ran over the gap thanks to the Hover Boots, although I did struggle to get started due to the traction, and underneath the second blade which left me with one more to go, and it looked like I could easily go over it by floating across. " Do you think it's possible for me to make it past the final blade by running over it because of the floating given unto me by these boots?"
" The top of a guillotine blade isn't sharp but is rather flat, so it would be possible," replied Spike.
" And that's what I was hoping to hear," I said.
" Before you do anything Sunset Shimmer, can you see the piece of paper that's lying on that platform?" asked Spike.
" Is there one over there?" I asked. I looked in front at the platform in question, and sure enough there was a scrap of paper which must have been left by Applejack when she came by this way earlier. That meant picking it up was necessary, for I'm sure that she wrote down something helpful. " I don't know why, but that platform seems a little too easy as though stepping onto it is going to be problematic."
" It does look a little suspicious, but then you need to get onto it if you want to both progress and claim that paper," said Spike.
" Guess I'll just deal with whatever happens," I sighed. The third blade moved a lot slower than the other two, so it was going to be easy to go over the top of it through the use of the Hover Boots. When the blade started to drop, I immediately ran over by hovering along for a few seconds enabling me to bypass it, yet the hover effect wore off and I fell quite rapidly before just barely making it onto the platform.
" That was way too close for comfort as I could have missed, and plummeted into the abyss! These boots could kill me if I'm not careful, so I'll switch back to my regulars for the time being." When I walked forward, a large shadow appeared on the ground in front of me, and from the ceiling came down a Stalfos which made my face turn pale. " No....no-no-no....no, no....no....no, no-no.....I was hoping to have to never see one of these again after what happened back in the Forest Temple."
" Stalfos are undead monsters, so they do fit in with this theme," said Spike.
" But you know how I struggled especially against the two that were able to regenerate themselves," I said.
" And you're about to get a refresher course," said Spike. As I tried to figure out what he was talking about, the Stalfos jumped into the air before striking me with its sword. The scream that I made in response was pretty blood-curdling not to mention the blow reopened the wound I got from the scythes, but I had to get away before I get hit by its sword again, so my first instinct was to jump to safety.
The Stalfos followed me and managed to get in one more sword strike before it walked off of the other platform and plummeted into the abyss below. This second blow was pretty weak as it merely nicked me on my leg, but the wound to my side was really painful, so I had no other choice but to use another red potion in order to stop the bleeding.
" Gahhhh! I can't believe that I've had to use another potion, and I'm not even at the location where that ferry is," I moaned.
" That wound of yours is going to be quite the problem especially if monsters continue to exploit it," said Spike.
" Which is why I think Sunset Demon wanted me to get hit because she knew that it would cause me to struggle, and that it would force me to use another of my potions which I need to conserve as much as possible," I said. As I drank the second potion, the wound on my side stopped bleeding and the medicinal process closed it back up, but I was still feeling pretty upset knowing that I was now down two potions with only one more left for healing purposes.
My Zora Tunic had certainly seen better days, but I wanted to keep wearing it as I liked the colour blue as it compliments with my hair colour. " I am surprised that Stalfos decided to walk off of the edge, and fall down into the abyss."
" They may be powerful undead warriors, but their intelligence is severely lacking," said Spike.
" I'm to assume that more of them are lurking about further ahead?" I asked.
" Chances of that are pretty high," replied Spike.
" Figures, so it looks like I need to be extra careful as I need that remaining red potion to last me until I reach the shadow beast. Once I've gotten that far, I can create a warp point by using Farore's Wind, and then follow up with one of Sheik's songs where I can warp somewhere and resupply myself with more potions. When I come back into the temple, I can instantly make my way back to the location of the beast using the warp point," I said.
" You just need to make it to the shadow beast first," said Spike.
" And at the rate I'm going right now, I'll need a miracle because there is still much more of the temple that I need to explore. These bottom two basement levels comprise of the majority of the dungeon, so it feels like I'm now beginning this place properly. I really could do with a suggestion on where to go next as I can see two possible directions we can take from me," I said.
There was some kind of alcove tucked away to the right of the platform I was standing on, yet I wondered how I was supposed to make it across those large gaps between the platforms. Not even the Hover Boots would enable me to make it that far. To the left of me was a rather thin pathway which split into two directions with one leading to a platform which moved back and forth, and the other that opened up into a large area where I could see silver rupees scattered about.
" Perhaps getting that piece of paper would be a good idea?" asked Spike.
" I almost forgot about it," I replied. I jumped over back to the previous platform where the paper was still waiting, so I picked it up without a second thought. " No doubt that this is also from Applejack as the symbol of the Sheikah is on top of the sheet, so let's see what she has to say. 'I am impressed that you have been able to survive the trials of this temple, but you should know that not all rooms are necessary for you to explore.
There is a room that lies beyond the platforms which lead up to it, yet it is not required for all that lies there is a golden spider of the curse, so unless you have been hunting them down, this is a chamber which you can avoid. The pathway that you must take involves reaching a room where you must protect yourself with stone, and you will need the eye of truth to progress further.' That was certainly informative, but there was one thing which makes me feel confused."
" What's that?" asked Spike.
" What did Applejack mean when she said golden spider of the curse?" I asked.
" I had a feeling you were going to ask about that, and I'm surprised that it hasn't been brought up before until now. You know how we've seen Skulltulas, Big Skulltulas, and Skullwalltulas with the latter being slightly rare? Well, there is a variation which is even rarer in that only 100 of them are known to exist in the world at this point in time.
Gold Skulltulas are infamous for being the source of a powerful curse that can change people into Skulltulas themselves, and it always has to do with having too much greed in their lives. While they won't attack you, running into them can cause serious damage, yet they are oblivious to all other monsters," replied Spike.
" Only 100 of them are known to exist?" I asked.
" They have existed for centuries, yet only 100 can appear at a certain time within the span of a few decades. Considering how far we've come on this journey, and the likelihood of going back to all of the places we've seen including the dungeons, this is something that we'll have to ignore because it's too late to even begin it.
If you were to hunt them down, they only come at night for they are nocturnal in nature, and for some reason they love soft soil and are known for hiding in such places," replied Spike.
" Yeah, it's too late to begin something like this as I would have considered it had we started at the beginning instead of now," I said.
" So that means we can ignore that room to the right as Impa said that it's one to avoid," said Spike.
" Looks like we're going to need to collect those silver rupees as I'm sure they will lead us to the correct path," I said. Jumping over to the next platform which was rising and lowering now, I jumped again and landed on the thin walkway which was exactly that. One wrong step would mean falling to my death, so this required walking slowly instead of running.
The silver rupees were as clear as day as well as the Beamos located in the center of this expanded area, yet I could only count four rupees present which meant that the fifth one must be hiding within the monster. Taking out another bomb from my Bomb Bag, I tossed it at the Beamos which blew it up, and right where it used to be was the rupee I needed.
Now it was just a matter of picking them all up. " You know, I've been curious as to who placed these silver rupees in here, and made it so that you need to collect all five in order to proceed to the next area."
" It never became apparent until we entered the Ice Cavern as that was the first time you had to solve such a puzzle," said Spike.
" Do you suppose Ganondorf's followers did this as a way of testing my resolve by taking it one step further?" I asked.
" Most likely although their intention did backfire because collecting the silver rupees counts as adding more to your wallet, so in that sense you're solving a puzzle and getting rich in the process. In any case, getting these rupees is really easy as they're all in such a close-knit area, but you still need to avoid the ancient trap which is spinning around in a circle at an incredible speed," replied Spike.
" You said that those traps were placed here long ago right?" I asked.
" They've been here since before any of us were even born, and they still function so don't take them too lightly," replied Spike. It didn't take me too long to collect all five silver rupees, and doing so caused iron bars to raise thus unblocking a previously inaccessible route. I quickly looked out in front of me to see how the moving platform operated, and that's when I noticed a locked door in the distance.
I deduced that this newly opened path will lead to a small key as the other way had been declared pointless. Walking down this path which turned to the left and then to the right, it opened up into a room where there were two platforms rising and lowering with a bed of spikes underneath each of them.
Judging from how fast they were moving, the chances of making it through were pretty good, but that was when I realized the true nature of this room. There were a couple of ledges that were way too high for me to reach, and I doubt that I can climb onto these spiked platforms without getting myself hurt in the process.
" According to her letter, Applejack said that we needed to use stone in order to protect ourselves," I said.
" Stone? I don't think you'll be able to make use of the gravel around here as it isn't fine enough to make something out of it," said Spike.
" Unless she was referring to using it in a different manner," I said. That's when I saw a sign nearby which looked out of place, but I was curious as to what it said so I walked over and read it. " One who has the eye of truth will be able to see and use the stone umbrella in order to protect themselves from the rain of spikes. Well, that explains pretty much everything that we need to do in this room although you'd think that it could have been a little more cryptic than that?
I shouldn't complain really as I do like it when the situation explains itself." I then raised the Lens of Truth to my eye, and I saw a fairly large stone block which must be the umbrella. This is what I need to use to reach the ledges above me, so the question came down to figuring out how to get the block to the other side without being smashed to pieces by the spiked platforms.
" There's a message on the other side of the sign," said Spike.
" Can you read it?" I asked.
" It's written in some kind of weird language," replied Spike.
" Let me take a look at it then," I said. The message was written in ancient Equestrian which was a sure sign that Sunset Demon had been here previously, but why would she choose to leave this here, and not want to make me go through another one of those magical duels of hers? I should be grateful that Princess Celestia taught me how to read and write in ancient Equestrian otherwise I'd be clueless, but it has been a while since I last read such script.
" I'm waiting for you further ahead Sunset Shimmer, but I thought I'd treat you to another duel only without my presence this time around. This room has been altered by my magic where you will be bombarded by the spikes that you can see on the columns that constantly smash into the ground. The instant you move that hidden block, the spikes will launch at you in an endless barrage until you have acquired what you need to proceed further.
Every time a set of spikes comes your way, they will quickly replace themselves with more, and the process will repeat itself. No doubt that you're probably furious, but I'm sure you can get through this."
" Quite the problem she has given you," said Spike.
" Somehow, I'm not surprised but I suppose I should be a little annoyed that she went and did this," I said.
" This does make getting through the room more difficult than before, for you need that stone block on the other side of the spiked platforms in order to reach the ledges above you, so it looks like you will need to use your magic for defensive purposes," said Spike.
" How would I go about doing that?" I asked.
" Only you can answer that question," replied Spike.
" I could use fireballs to destroy each of the spikes as they come, but that would require me to conjure up at least two dozen of them every 30 seconds or so. So there goes that idea along with any other revolving around knocking them out of the sky. Or, I could go with surrounding myself with a veil of fire that can boost my defence, but that only slows down the inevitable wounds I'll be receiving, and I need to conserve this final potion at all costs. Guess that leaves me with few options left," I said.
" What about using earth magic for a change? We are underground after all, so you have access to all kinds of rock sediments which you can use to create an extension of the umbrella tactic you need to apply to make your way through this obstacle. Or better yet, use earth magic to encase yourself in a sturdy rock shield although you'll need plenty of upper body strength if you hope to be able to keep it from dropping and shattering," said Spike.
How could I have forgotten about earth magic? Then again, I haven't used it since the Forest Temple, so now would be as good a time as any to see what kind of shield I can create. Since the block in question was hidden to my left behind a false wall, it just came down to using the surrounding sediments to craft a good enough shield.
Concentrating as hard as I could, I began to pull in some rocks although it did look like I was about to smash myself to pieces as they came careening into me. The Shadow Temple is certainly no stranger when it came to rocks and dirt, for I was able to get all of the pieces necessary to create a shield which would protect me from the spikes.
" This is certainly a lot heavier than I thought," I said as I struggled to not fall over.
" You'll need to quickly get adjusted otherwise you might not be able to get the block to where it needs to go," said Spike.
" I never really knew that I was capable of using magic like this," I said.
" Sunset Demon probably had an idea," began Spike.
" You mean she was aware that I could use create an earthen shield from rocks and dirt?" I asked.
" Remember that she wishes for you to meet her expectations. Anyone can use magic without a care in the world, yet it takes a true talent to be able to not only cast the basic and complex spells, but also creating one's own customized enchantments to truly make them stand out from everyone else. Because you went and used earth magic in such a way, Sunset Demon now knows that you are capable of doing so much more, and that will make her desire your life even more than ever," replied Spike.
" She had no intention of seeing me get hurt by this obstacle," I said.
" That does seem to be the case," said Spike.
" Guess the she-demon was more cunning than I gave her credit for, and she did place me in a situation where I had to resort to using my magic like this. Now I'm starting to understand what these magical duels are as they consist of both magical and weapon based challenges. Sunset Demon wants me to become stronger so that my skills will be next to perfect when she tries to kill me in the future to claim my life as her own," I said.
It was all beginning to make sense to me in that she was testing me because she wanted me to become even more powerful....to the point where any and all worlds would be hers for the taking. The fight she had against me in the Water Temple wasn't on her terms as she was forced to act as Ganondorf's servant, but now she was free to do things her way. Knowing the truth behind her actions, I had no choice but to keep on going as Applejack must be rescued if Hyrule is to have any hope of survival.
Grabbing at the nearby wall which allowed me to pull the block out from its hiding place, the spikes on the platforms started to fire at me through magical detection. The shield which I created absorbed the spikes as they collided against it, but the shrapnel being produced was a sign that this wasn't a permanent thing for my protection can only last for so very long.
" If you can push the block forward so that it prevents both platforms from crashing into the ground, you can quickly get around to the other side and pull it the rest of the way although you'll need to be quick," said Spike.
" Time to see just how strong I can really be," I said as I pushed the block forward while being pelted with spikes. Once the platforms were unable to reach the ground, I waddled around where the barrage suddenly started to increase which made no sense at first, but then I realized that Sunset Demon had once again thrown a twist which I didn't account on happening.
That meant my earthen shield was going to take even more punishment, so I had to pick up the pace before it crumbled to pieces. I grabbed the block and pulled it as hard as I could until I couldn't pull it anymore, but by that time my shield had really taken many blows from the spikes, and when another barrage connected, it broke into pieces leaving me both dirty and vulnerable.
" You needed that to happen anyway, for I don't think you would've been able to climb onto the block with so much weight bogging you down," said Spike.
" I could have managed as now I'm about to get spiked, and I'm sorry for the pun," I said.
" Just climb up quickly and jump on top of one of those platforms," said Spike. As the barrage continued with me having to dodge like mad and concentrate on what I was doing at the same time, I climbed onto the rock where I had to make some crazy dance moves just to avoid the spikes by the skin of my teeth.
I noticed a treasure chest was located on one the ledges which I couldn't reach until now, but I needed to think fast as there was also a rusty looking switch in front of it. The chest could contain the small key, but that would be a little too easy, so perhaps the switch was the way to go instead.
" I'm going for the switch," I said.
" It's rusty so use the Megaton Hammer to activate it," said Spike. When the platform started to go up again, I jumped onto it and immediately leapt across to the ledge where the switch was located. The barrage of spikes continued and I dodged them all by running around in a circle a few times before I was able to pull out the hammer which forced me to come to a stop.
Slamming the hammer down onto the rusty switch and activating it caused another small treasure chest to drop down from nowhere on the other side of the room, but before I could react to what happened, I found myself being pelted by another set of spikes. While the damage inflicted was minimal, it was still inconvenient so I jumped onto the platform again, and leapt to the other ledge where I kicked the chest open and revealed a small key.
" That was a lot more difficult than it needed to be," I said as I was breathing heavily.
" But you managed to overcome the challenge by using your magic in a creative way despite having benefitted Sunset Demon's twisted desires. With that small key in your possession, the magic which was used to make the spikes shoot out at you has come to an end, so now this room is back to the way it was," said Spike.
" Those spikes weren't as painful as it appeared, so I can keep going without needing to heal," I said.
" From what we've seen so far, the Shadow Temple is a lot more dangerous because of the she-demon playing her games," said Spike.
" If she had been destroyed like I originally assumed, this would have been a much easier experience," I said.
" And yet she was able to survive because of what she is capable of," said Spike.
" Because of my own selfish desires in wanting Twilight's crown and Element of Harmony, Sunset Demon's very existence is a result of what I perceived was the ideal goal in life, yet all it's done for me is produce a living nightmare; a reminder of the pain and suffering I've endured. I must do what is necessary to end this dark chapter of my life otherwise I'll never be able to overcome it," I said.
" What are you going to do?" asked Spike.
" I'll continue doing these challenges because taking the direct approach of outright destroying her isn't an option because the dark nature of this temple will keep on bringing her back endlessly. If I prove myself enough to her, she will choose to leave of her own free will, and that would allow me the chance to defeat her once and for all at a later location.
I also need to find and defeat the shadow so as to break the curse on the temple, and restoring back to a less than current evil state. It sounds like I'm giving myself a lot of pressure what with having to deal with so much, but this is what is expected of me given that I am the chosen hero," I replied.
" Something you've reluctantly accepted," added Spike.
" Oh I still wish that someone more qualified could have done this instead of me, but I won't give up now not when we're nearing the end," I said.
" Hyrule is in safe hands with you doing all you can to save it," said Spike.
" Where do we go from here?" I asked.
" It's back to the previous area where we need to find a locked door," replied Spike.
" And I happen to know the location of the door, so it shouldn't take long for us to get there," I said. Making my way back to the large area and avoiding the Beamos which re-spawned, I walked over to the thin pathway and carefully treaded over to the other direction where the moving platform was.
It looked like I had to somehow make it from the platform to the alcove which houses the door, but how can I reach it? " I don't think I can reach it Spike even with the Hover Boots which is probably what I need to use to make it across. Even if I got a running start to give me an extra boost, it's still not going to be enough."
" Perhaps there's more to this than what can be seen," said Spike.
" That gives me an idea," I said. I raised the Lens of Truth to my eye, and there was another platform moving back and forth. " No wonder it make sense, yet it's moving faster than the other one, so I need to make my way over to the door at just the right time." I chose to keep the lens activated for I needed to see where the platform was, and when it passed by the visible platform, I made a mad dash across the first one and onto the second just as it was starting to move back the other way again.
As this one moved over to where the alcove was, I dashed over with the Hover Boots allowing me to cross without jumping, but the lack of traction slipped me up where I crashed into the locked door. After spending a few moments on the floor due to falling down from the impact, I got back onto my feet and changed back to my regular boots.
" I've got a feeling that I'm going to be colliding with all kinds of inanimate objects by the time this journey is done." Using the key to unlock the door, I entered the next room which was pretty large with another locked door on a raised platform in front of me. There was a door to my left which was locked with iron bars, and more silver rupees were scattered about. Finally, two Re-Deads were flanking either side of the room, and showed no signs of wanting to attack me.
" Silver rupee challenges seem to be a consistent theme," commented Spike.
" Seeing as this is the third time we've encountered such a puzzle," I said.
" There is more to this room than meets the eye as there is nothing here aside from the monsters and the rupees," said Spike.
" Unless we can't see what else lies within this room," I said as I walked forward before wincing in pain due to my stomach coming into contact with something sharp. I reached out with my hand in order to feel whatever hit me, and the sharpness of a spike is what I felt. Using the Lens of Truth, I was shocked to discover that there were numerous spiked sections throughout the room.
" Look at all of those spikes! If I had taken one more step, I would have been impaled instantly! This is going to make progressing a little more difficult." Looking around with the lens, I could see that some of the silver rupees were placed on top of the spikes, so how was I supposed to grab them without getting hurt?
There was also some in the air which required the use of the Longshot, and that's when I noticed that some Hookshot plates on the walls of the room were also invisible which was an extra problem. " How do I go about solving this puzzle?"
" The two Re-Deads need to be taken care of as they will drain your life energy. A simple use of the Sun's Song will paralyze them, and you can then follow it up with strikes from the Master Sword. As for the silver rupees, this may sound crazy, but perhaps it's possible to walk on top of the spiked sections through the use of the Hover Boots," suggested Spike.
" That is crazy," I said.
" And perhaps your best option?" asked Spike.
" You made your point," I replied. I took out the Ocarina of Time from the pouch on my belt, and played the Sun's Song which paralyzed the Re-Deads. While they were unable to do anything during this brief moment, I slashed them with the Master Sword although I almost fell over after defeating the second one. My skills with the sword are getting better, but it isn't anything worth celebrating about considering the blunders I still commit. Why this blade insists on accepting me as its master remains to be seen.
" Now you need to collect the silver rupees," said Spike.
" What about the treasure chest that just materialized over there?" I asked.
" It must have appeared when both Re-Deads were defeated," replied Spike.
" Then that means the silver rupees will unlock the door to the left, but that doesn't give us the small key needed to proceed," I said.
" The room beyond the barred door houses what you need."
" WAAAAH!" I shouted due to Octavia and DJ Pon-3 suddenly appearing next to me, and it had been a long time since I was scared like that. This room must have been one where the light can reach enabling them to appear, so maybe now Octavia is feeling better considering how she felt last time after I said some choice words.
" Sorry for screaming like that as I do get scared quite easily especially when someone appears in front of me just like that. I had no idea this room was where you and your sister could be called again, but I'm glad that you're here as I could do with some help."
" You've come quite a ways since our last meeting Sunset Shimmer, but know that Flat and I didn't come here to offer you help because we both feel you'll be able to figure things out on your own. No, we came here because we wanted to share with you some information about the shadow beast," said Octavia.
" Does it explain what needs to be done to defeat it?" I asked.
" It does, but only to an extent for no one has ever managed to destroy the beast. Many have tried, but all have failed because they weren't able to see its weak point. Only a few were able to escape and tell their tales, but the experience changed them forever, and vowed to never encounter the beast again. The Lens of Truth which you hold in your possession is the only thing which can reveal the shadow's form, and even then you will still need to figure out how to expose its weak point.
For some strange reason, the shadow beast's hands can be seen so perhaps that might give you some ideas on what to do. Also, I can confirm that it's gigantic in size for the few who survived recall seeing its true form before it vanishes where it proceeds to attack. Why it does this is a mystery, but maybe it's a means of striking intimidation," replied Octavia.
" You certainly have a lot of knowledge about it considering you were a composer in life," I said.
" My sister and I did some research on the shadow beast as per the request of Lady Impa, but there was much we couldn't figure out because the texts we read were written in the language of the ancient Hylia. What little we did uncover was given to her, and after that we resumed our original task of trying to uncover the secrets of the royal family," said Octavia.
She then turned to DJ Pon-3 who gave a thumbs up which meant I had been told the truth, and knowing this gives me a slight advantage against the shadow beast. I figured the Lens of Truth was going to be necessary, but surely there had to be more than that, and that's when the mute sister came over to me all of a sudden. At first I thought she was acting crazy when she pretended she was beating some drums, but then I thought maybe she was trying to tell me something in her own fashion.
" It looks like Flat is pretending to be a drummer," I said.
" Drummer? I have no idea what that word means, but my younger sister has reminded me of an important fact. The lair of the shadow beast consists of a large circular platform which vibrates immensely should a heavy force slam down onto it. This does sound strange I know, but those who returned revealed this information, and we later confirmed it in our research.
Sunset Shimmer, there is more to the shadow beast than words alone can describe, so you must find and destroy it using what knowledge you have learned, and your skills as a warrior," said Octavia.
" I need to reach its lair first," I said.
" The light is growing weaker, so that means my sister and I have to take our leave once again. There is only one more room in the temple where we will be able to reach you, so hopefully by then will you have gotten closer to where you must go. Beware of the darkness that lies ahead for it will test you to the limits of endurance, and you must overcome it otherwise it will claim you," said Octavia.
Both she and DJ Pon-3 then disappeared into the ground as the light faded, and what they revealed was going to be extremely helpful when the time comes.
" What do you make of all that Spike?" I asked.
" A lot of people in Kakariko Village be they alive or dead have a huge stake in all of this Sunset Shimmer, and their fates are in your hands. While we do now know what we're going to be facing, there are some details which need to be clarified. Perhaps another one of the letters Impa has been leaving behind will give us a clue, or maybe we can uncover something on our own.
Either way, we have to be fully prepared as it sounds like the shadow beast is going to be the strongest monster you have faced thus far in your journey. The Lens of Truth is the key to our victory, so make sure you keep it close to you at all times," replied Spike.
" Guess we should just continue on like before, and that means collecting those silver rupees," I said.
" Again, I suggest using the Hover Boots to grab the ones on top of the spiked sections," said Spike. I grabbed the lens from my belt where I held it up to my eye to see all of the spiked sections again, and kept it there as I took the Longshot out and switched boots. I proceeded to walk on top of the spikes where I picked up the first two silver rupees, and then I fired at the now visible Hookshot plate to snag the next two rupees before having to make my way to the over side of the room.
The final rupee was tucked away in a dark corner which made me feel suspicious, but collecting it unlocked the door which had been previously covered with iron bars, so I walked over there before switching back to my regular boots and entering the next room.
" What is that?" I asked.
" It looks like some kind of giant pot in the form of a skull," replied Spike.
" Why would something like this be down here?" I asked.
" You do remember where we are don't you? This sort of thing is pretty common in the Shadow Temple, but it does give me an idea as to the location of the small key we need. It may be possible to destroy this pot, but you would need to do so from the inside as it looks to be impervious on the outside. If you can climb up those ledges over there until you get to the top, you should have a clear shot at destroying it by using something like a bomb," replied Spike.
" Are you sure the key is inside of it?" I asked.
" Your fairy partner is certainly knowledgeable since a lot of his ideas are theories based on what he's heard." I instantly recognized that voice as belonging to Sunset Demon, and sure enough she appeared on top of the giant pot where she sat down on the edge of its opening before crossing her legs. " I'm surprised at how creative you were in my previous challenge by making a shield from rocks and dirt. I knew you'd survive because you are the Hero of Time and all."
" I'm not going to play anymore of your games," I said.
" So you finally figured it out," said Sunset Demon.
" It took me a while to piece everything together, and of course Spike was there to help me understand your motives," I said.
" Well, I still intend on having you face the rest of my magical duels, for you really don't have much of a choice in the matter. You will become stronger when you've finished, and when the time comes for me to claim your life as my own, I'll be even more powerful than I am now. No world shall be able to resist my power, and they will all fall to me starting with Equestria," said Sunset Demon.
She snapped her finger, and a small key rose up from inside of the pot before it floated down into her open palm. Once she had it in her possession, she immediately tossed it over to me where it landed on the ground, and I proceeded to pick it up. I then turned around in the hopes of being able to leave this room, but to my dismay the door had iron bars blocking it.
" Those bars are a natural mechanism of this room, so don't blame me for it as I did nothing. Of course, my magic is keeping them down as collecting that key causes them to rise up again."
" Then let me go as I have no plans on continuing with your so-called duels," I said.
" Again, you have no choice because the Shadow Temple is a place where I call the shots! This next challenge is really simple, for all you have to do is destroy this giant pot. Of course, it isn't going to be easy especially when the snap of my finger causes it to suddenly be filled with acid which will erupt when it reaches the top, and splash its contents all over you.
I'd say that you have about one minute to make your way up here before things take a turn for the worse, but things are going to get worse right now as I'm going to be conjuring up walls of flame to slow you down," said Sunset Demon.
" That's taking it to the realm of being unfair," I said.
" Something like this is nothing to you Sunset Shimmer, so I expect you to overcome this duel using your wits. Your time limit will begin the instant I snap my finger again, and that would be right about now," said Sunset Demon. Upon finishing her explanation, she snapped her finger which caused firewalls to appear on each of the ledges leading up to the top one, and then I heard the sound of something gurgling within the pot. I only had one minute to overcome this sadistic challenge otherwise I'm going to have the worst bath of my life....
To Be Continued.