The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Ocarina of Time

by Ganondorf8

Chapter 49: Drumming of the Shadow Beast

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Ocarina of Time.
By Ganondorf8
March 7, 2015
Chapter 49: Drumming of the Shadow Beast.

" Floormasters are incapable of splitting into four equally-sized versions of themselves right?" I asked.
" As I mentioned to you before back in the Forest Temple, when you defeat one, it splits into smaller hands, and are only capable of draining the energy from their attackers by latching onto their necks. What we're seeing here is plain impossible," replied Spike.
" Unless you take Sunset Demon into consideration," I began.
" What does she have to do with this?" asked Spike.
" I can detect a magical aura coming from these monsters, and it's Equestrian in nature. While she may be a demonic creature, Sunset Demon is still a pony just like I am, and the Floormaster was altered with Equestrian magic. I have to hand it to her because of setting up one last challenge, but at the same time it's nothing short of an annoyance," I replied.
" No wonder she didn't choose to laugh at you before she plunged into the abyss," said Spike.
" Exactly as it would have given away her attempt at making a bluff. While she's no longer in the Shadow Temple assuming that we can believe her words, this situation exists without needing her presence. Now that I think about it for a moment, Floormasters aren't really difficult so long as I make sure to avoid being grabbed by their smaller forms when they split into them," I said.
" With four of them in this locked room, you'll have to defeat a dozen small versions before we can escape. Your health right now is still good, but they could easily drain you completely if you're not careful," said Spike. His warning was well warranted given that a Floormaster when split-up becomes even more dangerous due to the pieces all having the ability to steal the strength from others.
Sunset Demon wanted me weakened prior to my encounter with the shadow beast, and this was a pretty effective way of doing it much to my chagrin. Perhaps my brief praising of her tactics was a little hasty. At that moment, the four undead hands all glowed green where they proceeded to charge at me. I barely dodged all of them where they crashed into the wall before turning around, and began to walk around at a slow pace.
" I just need to keep out of their line of sight," I said.
" If all four of them were to glow and charge at you again, I don't think you'll be able to avoid such a barrage again," said Spike.
" My fight with Sunset Demon and those two Stalfos did leave me feeling exhausted," I said. Because these monsters were invisible, I had to keep the Lens of Truth on at all times which limited me to what I could use to fight them with.
In fact, the only thing I can use is the Master Sword, and while I've gotten better with it especially here in the temple, I wasn't completely confidant that this was going to go well. " Guess there's no choice but to go with the divine blade, so expect to see the usual." Drawing it from its scabbard, I approached one of the Floormasters before being hit from behind by two others which knocked me into the planks almost breaking them in the process.
The remaining one decided not to bother and instead walked off on its own which struck me as an odd behaviour. The two that attacked me began to do so again, but I jumped over them with a lackluster effort as I collided with the one I wanted to attack. This one glowed green and ran into me although the knock-back wasn't as bad as before. " This isn't what I was hoping for you know!"
" Be thankful that the damage they're inflicting is minimal at best. Sunset Demon could have increased their overall strength thus making this even more unbearable, but I suspect that she refrained from such an action as it would have meant you perishing, and her being denied her goal," said Spike.
" I'm just struggling to keep tabs on them due to their invisibility," I moaned.
" Perhaps there is a way where you can defeat the Floormasters all at once as this current method doesn't seem to be working. I'm sorry that my advice didn't help you, but if there was a consolation to be found, it would be that you've gotten experience with fighting invisible opponents," said Spike.
" You don't need to apologize Spike as the magic of Sunset Demon is what made this more difficult, and for that your advice remains as useful as ever. Defeating all of them at the same time....is it possible to use magic to defeat them?" I asked.
" They don't have an immunity to magic, so the option is possible, yet you'll need to cast a spell which can target a wide area as trying to attack them one at a time will take too long," replied Spike. Those were the words I hoped he would say, for I had an idea which was guaranteed to make quick work of this situation.
Placing the lens onto my belt thus turning off its magic, the Floormasters all vanished although I could still see the dirt they were kicking up, and that's when I took out the gem which contained the power of Din's Fire.
" This should do the trick," I said.
" It will take two uses of the spell to split them into their smaller forms, and to destroy them after that. This is going to drain you of your magic power, but hopefully not enough where you can't use the lens to reveal the shadow," said Spike.
" What other choice do I have?" I asked.
" Then make sure that you're standing in the center of the room so that you can hit them all as missing any will require you to cast again thus wasting more magic," replied Spike. Performing the necessary poses, I cast Din's Fire which created a large flame explosion after slamming my fist into the ground. It quickly expanded until it covered all of the room, and the sound of burning monsters could be heard, but not seen which was the sign that the Floormasters had split up into their smaller forms.
That's when I could feel them grabbing onto me in the hopes of draining my energy, so I activated the spell again before anything could happen. Once the flames of Din's Fire reverberated throughout the room for the second time, a small treasure chest appeared on the other side of the giant X, and the iron bars blocking the door raised up giving me freedom.
" Hopefully that is going to be the last challenge the she-demon has," I moaned.
" Assuming she has departed from the Shadow Temple, I except there to be no further challenges, but do know that we still have a few rooms left to explore. You know, we should take a look at the Dungeon Map again as we can use it to pinpoint the location of the remaining chest which contains the Boss Key. That way, we can eliminate one of the rooms completely as it will be the one that isn't necessary for us to enter," said Spike.
" I still plan on checking it out," I began.
" Why would you even consider such an option?" asked Spike.
" Applejack's final letter did say that this other room allows us to communicate with the spirits of the dead, and we could do with talking to Octavia and DJ Pon-3 one more time to get some last minute advice. So far, those two sisters have proven themselves although if I may be honest, DJ Pon-3 could try saying something. While I understand her need for wanting to use signs and expressions to explain her point, the idea of just speaking should be obvious," I replied.
" Was this person like this back in the human world?" asked Spike.
" Indeed she was which made her difficult to talk to simply because it would be a one-sided conversation. Don't get me wrong, DJ Pon-3 has some amazing talent and that has been reflected in the role she has been given here in Hyrule, but the fact that she doesn't talk does leave something to be desired.
I can't force her to start talking, but maybe with some encouragement, the ideal results will begin to produce themselves. Before I open that treasure chest and leave this room, there is one question which has been on my mind for a very long time," I replied.
" What is it?" asked Spike.
" Those who served the royal family even before Ganondorf came along....were they really that dedicated to the cause?" I asked.
" All Hylians are born to obey the command of the King, and thus become servants of the royal family. This even applies to those who don't have a position within the castle or the royal court. It's been this way since the beginning when the Hylians first started to settle in this land, and while it does sound strange to you Sunset Shimmer, it feels natural to the people.
Everyone contributes to the well-being of Hyrule in their own little way, and while it may not seem like much in the long-run, every little bit helps to make the kingdom that much better. As for the other tribes, they have dedicated themselves to serving the royal family, but are allowed to self-govern their own territory, and continue their practices despite the unification," replied Spike.
" The King of Evil of course spat on that notion," I sighed.
" He had his reasons for what he did, and I'm sure that we'll know about them when we see him again," said Spike. So everyone who was born as a Hylian are destined to serve the royal family, and that even includes me even though I'm from another world. It's a good thing the people have chosen to accept this as their reality otherwise more than just Ganondorf would be causing problems. Still, would I have been chosen to become the Hero of Time had I entered this world as part of another tribe?
Perhaps that doesn't even matter considering that destiny placed this burden on me. There was so much more for me to learn as I had so many questions, but lacked the answers to them. I know plenty about the various tribes with the exception of the Gerudo....the Gerudo....I believe the answers I seek could be found in their home, but I would need to be certain about it. Spike noticed that I was deep in thought, and gave me a bop to the hand in order to snap me out of it.
" I had just figured out something," I said.
" What would that be?" asked Spike.
" Ganondorf's actions....I suspect that the Gerudo may know something about them," I replied.
" They would be privy to that kind of information although he would have kept some things to himself to ensure that no one betrayed him. I suppose we'll be finding out sooner than expected given that the final temple is located beyond their fortress," said Spike.
" It is?" I asked.
" The last thing that Sheik said regarding the locations of the five Sages was that one of them was "inside a Goddess of the Sand", and the only desert that exists in the kingdom lies beyond the Gerudo's Fortress. It's a place where few have ever reached because the fortress is difficult to get through in addition to a wasteland which some say can ensnare people trapping them for eternity.
Right now, we need to focus on rescuing Impa and breaking the curse on the Shadow Temple. We can deal with the desert once we're finished here," replied Spike. Once again, he was right as Applejack comes first. I walked over to the chest and kicked it open taking out the final small key of the temple, and with it now in my possession, I opened the door and entered the previous room.
" So which way do we go next?" I asked.
" I told you to take out the Dungeon Map so that we could look at it, but you ended up changing the subject," replied Spike. I knew that I was at fault for having gone and focused on other things, so after apologizing several times to Spike. I took out the map and scanned the lowest basement level again in the area we were currently in. " There is a treasure chest in the room opposite to where you're standing, so that means the room where we can talk to spirits is to the left."
" Even though we should go for the Boss Key, I want to speak to the Royal Composer Sisters," I said. Deciding that would be my course of action, I began to slowly walk over to the door on my left making sure not to attract the attention of the Floormaster. When I reached the door, I opened it and entered a room which was similar to the one where Sunset Demon almost killed me with an acid bath. " Instead of there being one giant pot, there are now three of them spinning around on some kind of platform."
" You can destroy them if you want to," said Spike.
" After what almost happened previously, I'd rather spend as little time as possible in here. You can sense the spirits around here right?" I asked.
" There is a strong spiritual power coming from the highest ledge, so you'll need to make your way up there in order to talk with the Royal Composer Sisters. I'm also sensing a dark power coming from elsewhere in the temple, but what it is I don't know," replied Spike. I didn't like the sound of that which meant I had to make this fast if we're to avoid whatever it is he's sensing.
Climbing up the ledges this time around was a breeze as there were no flame walls getting in my way, and the giant pots weren't filling up with acid. Upon reaching the top ledge, I took out the Ocarina of Time from my pouch, and played the Sun's Song which summoned Octavia and DJ Pon-3. Something was different about them this time as their expressions were one of fear as though something had gone and scared them. What could be so frightening that it could scare ghosts?
" Are we glad to see that you have made it here," said Octavia.
" Why do you look like something has scared you?" I asked.
" A tremendous dark aura is radiating from the lair of the shadow beast, and it's affecting all of the undead hordes which exist in the temple and the graveyard. There is only one reason why this is happening....the beast has gained enough power. If it were allowed to escape, it would attack Kakariko Village and level it to the ground with its undead army before it turns its attention to the rest of the kingdom," replied Octavia.
" Does that mean Impa wasn't able to contain it?" I asked.
" Because she doesn't have the means of being able to see it with her own eyes, Lady Impa's chances of survival are slim if she had tried to do just that. You should know that the evil version of yourself had been slowing you down this entire time. While she wanted to do so to fulfill her own desires, she was also carrying out the favour of the shadow beast. It gave her a small sample of its power upon her revival in the temple in exchange for stalling you as long as possible," replied Octavia.
Hearing this was shocking as Sunset Demon never once mentioned doing anything for the shadow beast other than receiving an increase of power from it. This did make things become a lot more clearer than before, and I should have realized that she had no intention of telling me such a secret.
Unlike Ganondorf who forced her to becoming a slave, the beast was determined to become stronger, and thus willing to treat her with respect to get some help in return. Octavia looked as though she had even more to say, and the expression on her face reflected this. " Now that the shadow beast's power has grown, it's happening to the undead."
" As you mentioned," I said.
" The people won't be able to handle them should they swarm across the land, so they must be stopped," said Octavia.
" And that's where I come in right?" I asked.
" Sunset Shimmer, if you destroy the shadow beast, the undead hordes will weaken to the point where they will no longer have the means to escape from the temple and the graveyard. Lady Impa came here to seek the guidance of her people who have passed on from this world, yet her possible defeat means that you alone are the only one who can accomplish the task ahead. With the eye of truth in your possession, you can finish her mission," replied Octavia.
" Which seems to be the normal way of approaching these situations," I moaned.
" I know it's quite the burden for one so young, but the fate of the kingdom depends on your success. Should Lady Impa still be alive, she will be sure to create another barrier to prevent anything like this from happening again," said Octavia. At that moment, DJ Pon-3 finally did something. She hovered over to her sister and whispered something for a few moments before moving back to where she was. She then reached into her pocket and pulled out an object which she proceeded to give to me.
The mute sibling could see the confusion in my face, so it looked as though Octavia had to explain things. " No doubt you're wondering just what it is that Flat has given you? While it won't be able to aid you in your quest, it will give both of us some peace of mind when we finally move on from this plane."
" What is it?" I asked.
" It's something we found during our research involving uncovering the secrets of the royal family. This is an ancient artefact my little sister discovered one day after digging about in the desert due to a strange lead she had discovered in one of our history books, and it turned out to be connected to the Sheikah.
We're not entirely sure what it's true purpose is for we know very little about the shadow folk, but I am sure that Lady Impa will know what to do with it. We had planned on giving this to her at the same time we were to reveal our results to the King, but Ganondorf prevented either thing from happening," replied Octavia.
" How were you even able to keep it with you all this time considering you're ghosts?" I asked.
" Before she met her end at the hands of his accursed blade, Flat was able to hide the artefact in her pocket and was buried with it upon her death. We weren't able to retrieve it because we're ghosts like you said, yet just recently before you summoned us, we were able to pick up the artefact as though we were flesh and bone again. Rather than question such a miracle, we came here where my sister decided that you should give the artefact to Lady Impa.
For some reason, we believe that you two have a strong connection," replied Octavia. She had no idea how right she was about the connection between Applejack and me, but I nodded my head which was the indicator that I would deliver this item to her. That's when something else came to mind, and that was the location DJ Pon-3 found it in which prompted me to ask about that particular area.
" What is the desert like?" I asked.
" I myself wouldn't know as I've never set foot in that wretched place, but Flat has and will whisper to me what she wants to say, and I in turn speak on her behalf," replied Octavia. That's when DJ Pon-3 hovered over to her older sister, and began to speak in her usual manner, but this was a much longer wait than before which must mean she had a lot to say. After waiting for nearly 20 minutes, the mute sibling returned to her original spot, and Octavia began to speak again.
" According to my sister, the desert is a harsh land where the Gerudo have struggled to survive for years, yet while they have the sanctity of their fortress, there is a stretch of desert that even they wouldn't dare to traverse. What lies beyond their home is a wasteland embroiled in an eternal sandstorm, and your vision is limited where you can only see a short distance in front of you.
This is all that Flat was able to learn from one of the Gerudo who was willing to share this information with her in exchange for my sister leaving as soon as she found the artefact."
" Was there any mentioning of a temple?" I asked.
" Flat was told that some kind of ancient ruin exists out in the desert," replied Octavia. This was very useful information I had been given, yet there was much which still needed to be answered, so maybe Sheik will be able to fill in the missing holes. At that moment, the two sisters began to quiver with fear.
" The light is fading from this room, and that means we will no longer be able to aid you once we have disappeared. Once the shadow beast has been defeated, our spirits will finally be allowed to return to the heavens where we can rest in peace. This is where we say our final goodbye to you Sunset Shimmer, and thank you for everything."
Octavia and DJ Pon-3 then floated up towards the ceiling before floating through and disappearing leaving Spike and me to ponder over our next move.
" It looks like we gathered a lot of information, so you can say that it was worth the time to speak to them," I said.
" I noticed that you wanted to learn more about the desert," said Spike.
" After hearing what you and Octavia said, I was compelled to inquire further in the hopes of getting to learn more given it's the only area we've yet to explore. Of course, I didn't get everything that I wanted to know, so I'm hoping that Sheik or someone else can provide me with some additional answers," I said.
" At the same time, we were told that the shadow beast has gotten so much stronger thanks in part to Sunset Demon slowing us down," said Spike.
" I didn't think she would resort to such a tactic, but then she did manage to get what she wanted out of me regardless. Still, it's annoying to know that once again I was manipulated by her just like in the Water Temple where she did a similar tactic that resulted in my transformation," I said.
" She is a dark reflection of yourself you know," said Spike.
" So in that sense I was the one slowing myself down, and giving the beast all the time it needed," I sighed.
" Then we need to get the Boss Key before it has a chance to escape," said Spike. Once again, I was experiencing a race against time although this time I had no idea how long I had before the situation goes beyond my ability to prevent. Jumping back down the ledges, and opening the door brought me back into the central room of this area again.
By taking the Lens of Truth from my belt and holding it up to my eye, I could see which way I had to go, but the Floormaster was now on the same path. As soon as it detected my presence, it glowed green and proceeded to charge at me where I dodged it by jumping to the right. This proved rather fruitless for the moment I landed on my feet, it had turned around and began to attack again.
I had no time to deal with it, so the only option available was running as fast as I could to the door. The undead hand chased me for a few moments before I reached the door and opened it where I entered a small room which featured wooden fences with sharp spikes on the front.
" Now this is an unusual decoration if I ever saw one," I said.
" There's a Re-Dead to your right, and it's blocking the treasure chest which contains the Boss Key," said Spike.
" All we need to do is get rid of these wooden fences before we can take care of the undead monster," I said.
" Fire should do the trick," said Spike.
" But, is it just me or are these fences slowly moving towards me from either side?" I asked. My question would be quickly answered when it became apparent that they were getting closer to me. If this keeps up, I'm going to be sandwiched between the two fences, and eventually poked to death with those sharp spikes. " You know, Sunset Demon did mention that I needed to use fire from this world in order to get the Boss Key."
" Then she must have been referring to Din's Fire," said Spike.
" I suppose she deserves some thanks for hinting at what I need to do here, but I'm not going to let her know it of course because I'm not about to start trusting anything that comes out of her mouth," I said. Quickly taking out Din's Fire, I performed the poses and cast the magic spell creating the burst of flame.
It expanded at a rapid pace before engulfing the entire room, and burned away the wooden fences. The Re-Dead on the other hand was unfazed by my fiery magic, and continued to squat down as before as though nothing had happened to it. It was annoying that it was immune to magic, but at least only the one was in this room, and that it wasn't a Gibdo.
" I'm sure you can easily handle this," said Spike.
" Unless something unexpected happens," I said.
" You don't want to go and jinx yourself now because doing so will lead into nothing but bad luck," said Spike. It was actually too late for that as the moment I drew out the Master Sword, I accidentally dropped it on the ground although I did pick it up rather quickly. Anyway, when I got closer to the Re-Dead, it got up onto its feet, and began to walk towards me with its slow pace.
I wasn't going to let it paralyze me on the spot, so I ran around to the other side of it where I slashed it in the back with one swing. The undead monster was defeated and collapsed to the ground, and I felt both relieved and excited that I once again managed to defeat a creature despite the slight hiccup.
" Now we can finally open that locked door," I said.
" First you should get the Boss Key," said Spike.
" That would be a good idea," I said as I walked over to the treasure chest, and opened it up. " To think that we would once again be receiving this in the second-to-last room we had to explore the lair of the strongest monster in a temple. Makes me wonder if the last temple is going to repeat the process."
Putting the Boss Key away carefully so as to not drop and break it, I walked over to the other side of the room as there was another treasure chest which either the map neglected to tell me, or I couldn't see it when I was looking earlier. Kicking open this chest revealed a blue rupee which wasn't all that exciting, but it didn't bother me due to picking up the one other key that I needed.
Heading back into the previous room, I went to the left and now the Floormaster was on the opposite end which prompted me to make a comment about it. " Every time we've had to come here from each direction, that thing keeps on changing position. Why does it do that?"
" It's another one of the great mysteries of this world which has no answer," replied Spike.
" I can give a good enough reason, and it's sheer annoyance," I moaned.
" At times it can cause a problem as the monster shows up at a random location," said Spike. Ignoring it and going back into the massive chamber, I noticed that something was different, and it had to do with the charred sections near where the vessel sank.
" No doubt that this was Sunset Demon's doing," I said.
" Which means she has now left the temple," said Spike.
" I was hoping that the plunge into the abyss would have been enough to finish her off for good, but this just reminds me that I'll have to face her once again in the near future much to my displeasure. Do you suppose that she took the power given by the shadow beast with her when she left?" I asked.
" What we're seeing through these charred sections does indicate that is the case," replied Spike.
" At least now she no longer has the darkness to back her up which could end up being her downfall, or she might be aware of that and has prepared the means of ensuring her victory. I can't allow such a thing to happen because it would mean the destruction of Equestria and many other worlds! Who would've guessed that I would be my own worst enemy even when the true enemy is Ganondorf," I said.
" Sunset Demon doesn't dare to want to mess with the Evil King again as she knows what happened last time," said Spike.
" That would make him an ally which is not what I want," I moaned.
" Then you must destroy the she-demon for good," said Spike. Sunset Demon is an extension of myself, but twisted and devoid of the kind of warmth which has enveloped me thanks to my understanding of friendship. At least the bridge I created wasn't destroyed otherwise I'd have no means of making it across. The statue was pretty sturdy, so walking on it across the abyss was easy enough, and upon reaching the other side, I noticed some pots on the floor which I picked up and smashed against the wall.
A large magic jar came from one of them which I picked up because I need magic power, and the rest contained recovery hearts. These will give me some much needed health, so now I can definitely save my remaining Red Potion for what lies ahead. When I used the last small key and opened the now unlocked door, the next room was a shock not because of what was featured, but rather a lack thereof.
" What is up with this room?" I asked.
" Aside from this ledge here and the other way over there, this room is nothing but one large abyss," replied Spike.
" Do you think I can make it across with the Hover Boots?" I asked.
" Not even close," replied Spike.
" Then we're stuck if we can't make it across to the other side," I sighed.
" Maybe not Sunset Shimmer despite what it looks like, so let's think about this for a moment before you do anything. The Hover Boots do appear to be needed to cross this abyss, but with no wind around to bring you across, you would fall to your death within a few seconds of leaving this ledge," said Spike.
" So how did Applejack make it across?" I asked.
" Perhaps she discovered the secret behind this room which we can't figure out," replied Spike. That reminded me of what she said in her final letter with regards to this room, and that was to not be frightened. It didn't really make sense to me, but maybe there was something about her words which lies the solution. To not be scared would involve stepping out into thin air, but how could I guarantee survival without knowing for certain?
" I have an idea," I began.
" What is it?" asked Spike.
" This may sound strange, but I'm going to fire an arrow into the abyss," I replied.
" Strange isn't the word that I would use, but I know better than to doubt your ideas," said Spike. I took out the Fairy Bow, and aimed at a random spot in the abyss. When I fired an arrow, it ended up striking what appeared to be an invisible wall, and was stuck there for a few moments before it dropped down.
" Something is invisible out there," I said.
" Then this is where the Lens of Truth comes into play," said Spike. Putting the bow away and raising the lens to my eye, I could see a series of thin walkways which served as the means of allowing me to cross over to the other side. I could jump from section to section, but that would be risky as one wrong leap would send me into the abyss and to my death.
Spike did say that the Hover Boots would be needed, and now I was seeing why this was the case. Switching over to the boots, I began to slip about although I didn't fall over this time which was a relief. Once I was certain that I wasn't going to lose any sense of momentum, I began to make my way across by hovering.
This was without a doubt really stressful as the thought of plunging into the abyss was far too great, but I managed to remain calm as I finished the crossing and reached the door itself. Behind the giant padlock was the image of a skull which gave off a sense of dread, but it was the aura coming from beyond the door that truly gave off dread in my heart.
" Right now, I wish someone else was here doing this, but we've made it to this point by overcoming immense odds. That Red Potion is going to end up being used in this encounter as I'm expecting myself to take a lot of damage in the process," I said.
" Before you open the door, didn't you say that you were going to create a warp point in here using Farore's Wind?" asked Spike
" You know, I almost completely forgot about doing that, so I'm glad that you reminded me," I replied. Taking out the gem which contained the magic of warping, I performed the necessary poses before creating a warp point which appeared on the other side of the room. I then grabbed my wallet and opened it up to see how many rupees I had, and it turns out that I didn't have that much.
" I guess collecting all of those silver rupees, and finding the ones in the treasure chests didn't give me as many as expected. By my calculation combined with knowing the prices of the potions, I can only afford either two red potions, or a red one and a green one. What do you suppose would be the best course of action?"
" Do you intend on going back outside?" asked Spike.
" I'm really tempted because of wanting the means to survive, but then what if leaving to grab some potions will allow the shadow beast to escape from the temple? Right now, it's reached its full power, so by choosing to go back and get what I need, I could very well be dooming the entire kingdom," I replied.
" Then it comes down to whether you want to focus on yourself, or the people of Hyrule," said Spike.
" Not a difficult choice to make because I would choose the people," I said.
" Only a true hero would go with that decision, and you have proven yourself to be just that Sunset Shimmer. At least you still have the one Red Potion on you, so it's not like you're going in without the means to survive," said Spike.
" Maybe when we're finished here we can go to the Potion Shop, and get some supplies so that I am well prepared for what comes my way in the future. For now though, there is nothing else to do but to open this door," I said. Using the Boss Key to unlock the door, I opened it and entered a small room which featured the paintings of the skull on each wall, and in the center was a hole which looked really deep and foreboding. " So this is it huh? I was expecting something much worse, but instead we get this?"
" The aura is coming from that hole," replied Spike.
" So we need to go even further underground?" I asked.
" It does by the looks of it," replied Spike. Knowing that I had to keep going, I leapt into the hole where I proceeded to fall down a huge shaft which consisted of nothing but dirt which had been carved out to make a hole. After what felt like forever, the shaft then opened up into another massive chamber where I landed on something which made me bounce up and down.
" What kind of a platform is this?" I asked.
" It looks like some kind of large drum given that you bounced upon impact with it," replied Spike.
" What would a drum be doing down here?" I asked.
" Considering what we've seen in the Shadow Temple, this is normal even if it doesn't make sense. For someone who desires to play it, they would need to be huge and have large enough hands to make music. Also, there is some strange water surrounding this drum on all sides, so I wouldn't recommend stepping in it otherwise it could inflict some serious damage," replied Spike.
" The darkness down here is truly foreboding," I said.
" This is the lair of the shadow beast, so it's only natural that we would be surrounded by the infinite darkness. Even the purest of heart would struggle here because the darkness is much too powerful for them to resist," said Spike.
" You can thank Sunset Demon for that as her slowing us down allowed the beast to become stronger," I said. It just pains me to know that the she-demon has made this situation even worse, but there was nothing I could do. What she has done can't be reversed, so I need to focus on defeating the shadow beast. But, where exactly is it?
Surely, it would have attacked me the instant I entered this room, but so far things had been eerily quiet....until something heavy slammed down on this giant drum which sent me flying into the air for a few seconds before I landed hard on my rear. " What in the world was that?" The same heavy force slammed the drum again, and I repeated my jump into the air.
This was followed with a series of slams alternating between slow and fast variations which had me bouncing around with no means of being able to keep my footing. " I can't keep my balance due to this pounding!"
" Sunset Shimmer....you might want to look behind you," said Spike.
" What's behind me?" I asked.
" Quite possibly the largest undead horror you and I have ever seen," replied Spike. His voice sounded really nervous, so I turned around to see what was happening, and that's when my entire body turned white as a ghost. Floating in front of me was a giant demonic creature which had no face, but it did have a large body complete with hands which were separated from the rest of it.
This thing was certainly intimidating what with its size alone, and when its hands began to pound into the drum, I realized this is what was causing me to bounce around. Eventually it disappeared leaving its hands behind which looked weird at first, but that's when it began to pound the drum even faster than before.
" Okay, so what do you know about this thing?" I asked.
" This is Bongo-Bongo, the Phantom Shadow Beast, revived from the Bottom of the Well," replied Spike.
" Are you being serious? It's called what?" I asked.
" Bongo-Bongo," replied Spike.
" It makes sense because we're standing on top of a large drum which it's pounding on with its two hands, but you have to admit that it isn't the most threatening name for such a powerful creature," I said.
" Deeply noted, but let's focus on the matter at hand. Bongo-Bongo is going to be invisible aside from its hands, so you should hit those to stun them for a few moments, but do know that they have many attacks which are going to inflict a lot of damage. I have no idea how many it has, but it will switch between them at random which is going to make things difficult.
The way this creature behaves is that it will slam its fists into the ground for a few seconds before attacking, and then after that it repeats the process. You'll need to use the Hover Boots in order to keep your balance which is what you were complaining about a few seconds ago, and the Lens of Truth is going to be needed to look at it," said Spike.
" What will happen if I stun both of its hands?" I asked.
" When one is paralyzed, it will attack with its remaining hand until you either stun it as well, or the previous one returns to normal where it will proceed with its attack pattern. Once both hands have been hit, I'm assuming that it will react to your attacks, and do something else in retaliation.
This may reveal what its weak point is, so go after the hands to see what happens next. If you get knocked off of this platform and land in that strange liquid, you won't be killed instantly. Instead, you will take small amounts of damage every second until you get back onto the platform," replied Spike.
" Maybe that's when I should be looking at it with the lens after the hands are out of commission," I suggested.
" Keeping the lens on throughout the duration of this battle would drain your magic power too quickly, so I agree that you should activate its power when you have stunned both of Bongo-Bongo's hands," said Spike. As the hands of the shadow beast pounded the drum which caused me to fly into the air again, I quickly switched over to the Hover Boots.
Good thing that I did because when the hands slammed down again, I still was sent upwards, but due to the boots giving me the power to float, I didn't lose my balance although it did mean struggling to move. All of a sudden, Bongo-Bongo stopped pounding, and that's when its left hand moved before coming back and knocking me over so hard that I slid all the way across to the edge of the drum, or maybe it's a platform? I don't know which it is so I'll just call it both names so as to be properly accurate.
Struggling to get back onto my feet, the right hand dropped down from above. It was so fast that I couldn't avoid it, and I found myself being flattened which wasn't very comforting. This same hand then lifted itself and fell on me for a second time before it moved back to the other side of the drum before it and the other hand started to pound again.
" Using the Hover Boots slows me down so much," I said.
" If you don't keep them on, you're going to be flying all over the place and lose all momentum," said Spike.
" How am I supposed to avoid those hands when they keep moving around?" I asked.
" Because it has no arms, Bongo-Bongo has free range with its hands where they can move all over the place. You need to keep a close eye on where each one is going when it initiates an attack otherwise you could get blind-sided," replied Spike. The hands continued to pound the drum until they stopped which was the indication that they were about to attack again.
The right hand then clenched itself into a fist which I avoided somehow by rolling to the side, but then the left hand did the exact same maneuver where the resulting blow sent me flying off the drum and sliding all the way to the farthest reaches of the chamber.
" Well, that proves you were right," I said as I picked myself up before realizing where I was. " This liquid looks really disgusting, and I think I can see some kind of substance flowing about in it."
" That would be the remains of the shadow beast's numerous victims," said Spike.
" Not what I needed to hear," I moaned as I struggled to not throw up after what I'd just heard. I needed to get back onto the platform because this liquid was slowly draining my health, and because the Hover Boots made me slide such a distance, it will take me about five seconds to reach my destination.
What was strange during this ordeal was that the hands of Bongo-Bongo kept on pounding away without any signs of stopping until I climbed back onto the platform. " So it refuses to do any attacks whenever it can't sense me being on the drum?"
" It's aware the liquid causes injury, so it uses that to finish off anything that manages to survive its attacks," replied Spike.
" What I need to do is attack those hands because I'm getting fed up with being flattened, punched, and who knows what else it has got for attacks. I'm guessing that ranged attacks will be effective because I noticed that whenever I try to get near to the hands due to bouncing up and down, they move around to the other side. Do you suppose this would be a good time to use water magic?" I asked.
" I suspect the shadow beast is immune to the liquid, so another option is needed," replied Spike.
" And I think I know what that will be," I said. Moving closer, I unleashed my fire magic hoping to burn both hands at the same time. To my dismay, my magic merely fizzled upon contact, and then I had to avoid the left hand trying to flatten me from above with the right one trying to grab me which it failed to do.
I had hoped that my magic would be useful here, but it looks like Bongo-Bongo has an immunity to it which really does limit my options....and that's when I realized that there was only one weapon with ranged attacked that I could use. " I have to use the Fairy Bow to stun both of those hands!" Yes, I had need of the bow in order to fight this thing, and my skill with it isn't the best in the world. Why did it have to be that of all things? " This just made things even harder than they already are."
" You have gotten better at using the Fairy Bow," said Spike.
" I'd say that my shots hit roughly half of the time with the other half missing entirely," I moaned.
" Those hands are much bigger targets than what you're used to seeing, so I'd say that you'll be able to connect as many times as necessary. You just need to watch your arrow count as you only have about a dozen of them left," said Spike.
" Unless for some reason those hands decide to drop some extra arrows, but we really should have gone to the Shooting Gallery before entering the temple. I need you to remind me to pay that place a visit in addition to the Potion Shop," I said. I took out the Fairy Bow and aimed at the nearest hand which was the left one. The pounding of the platform was making it difficult to aim, and my first arrow completely missed, but I wasn't about to blame myself as the bouncing was annoying.
When the hands stopped moving, the one on the right tried to punch me, so I fired another arrow which bounced off. The next thing I knew, I found myself flying across the platform to the other side, but I was lucky that I didn't fall off and into the liquid.
" If one of the hands becomes a fist, it's immune to all kinds of attacks until it unfurls itself," said Spike.
" Good thing I figured that out now instead of later," I said. The left hand then tried to flatten me, but I fired an arrow up at it which turned it blue to indicate that it was stunned, so now I had to deal with the other hand.
Unfortunately, before I could do anything, it grabbed me where it began to move back and forth in a shadowy motion, and tossed me off of the platform and into the deep recesses of the chamber again. " That attack really did a lot of damage! It felt like my body was being assaulted on all sides by unseen forces before being thrown over here."
" Bongo-Bongo is certainly a powerful creature what with its attacks, and because of that you've yet to even discover its weak point," said Spike.
" Not to mention taken a lot of damage, but not enough to put me in the position of needing that Red Potion. I'll probably need to use it if I were to take another major blow," I said. Knowing that I had to run back to the platform as fast as possible, I cut the conversation short and headed over where I climbed up again.
The stunned hand had since recovered, so I immediately fired an arrow just as it was about to move, and stunned it which caused the other to attack in retaliation. By firing another arrow at this one, both suddenly rose up before clenching up into fists which made me worried that something was going to come my way.
" I believe it's about to charge at you," said Spike.
" What should I do?" I asked.
" This is the moment where the Lens of Truth needs to be used in order to see it," replied Spike.
" I hope I've got enough time before it comes charging at me," I said. Taking the lens and raising it to my eye, I could see the shadow beast in all its hideous glory, but it had changed since the battle first started. There never was a pulsating eyeball before, so could that be the weak point?
Before I could do anything, the beast charged where it slammed into me with so much force that I felt the wind being knocked out of me several times over. I didn't get thrown from the platform which was fine, yet that wound was severe to the point where it could have been fatal. I struggled to turn around where the hands moved back to their usual position.
" Are you alright?" asked Spike.
" I feel like I just got hit with a freight train," I replied.
" Even though I have no idea what you're talking about, I'll assume you meant that what happened almost killed you," said Spike.
" Did you notice the eye?" I asked.
" It must open up whenever the two hands get stunned, so now we know the weak point. All you need to do now is to fire an arrow at the eye before it slams into you, but absolute precision is needed because you're firing at a moving target," replied Spike.
" I only have about eight arrows left," I said.
" Make that 18 because look behind you," said Spike. I turned to discover two small bundles of arrows had appeared behind me, and I barely managed to pick them up before they disappeared. I had no idea where they came from, but Spike quickly explained that they were dropped by the hands.
" Your joke about them dropping arrows for you turned out to be true which is really ironic, but it does mean you won't be running out so long as they continue to drop. By the way, I suggest to use that Red Potion as one more hit is going to kill you."
" Yeah, I've held out as long as I could," I said.
" This would be a good time to transform you know," suggested Spike.
" I'd rather not do that, and besides I doubt that Bongo-Bongo is going to give me enough time to attempt it," I said. That name was still rather silly in my opinion, yet I took out the Red Potion anyway and consumed it where I felt relieved knowing my strength had come back to me. The hands pounded just like before, and when they stopped, the right hand flattened me because of being too slow to react, but I was able to stun the left one with an arrow.
As the right attempted to grab me, I stunned it by firing another arrow which is when I used the Lens of Truth to see the shadow beast with its eye open. Aiming for the weak point while it was charging was a little tricky, but I managed to connect causing Bongo-Bongo to finally stop moving, and crash to the ground.
" Now you need to hit the eye," said Spike.
" Will my magic work now that the weak point has been exposed?" I asked.
" It should although I don't know for sure, but you need to turn off the lens first. Before you say anything in response, know that the shadow beast will remain visible as long as it's stunned, yet it won't last long so attack it with everything you have," replied Spike. When I placed the lens back on my belt, I could see the huge monster looking weakened because of the pain it must be experiencing from my hitting the eye with a single arrow.
Using my fire magic and hoping for it to work, I fired a rapid stream which ended up actually doing something, so I kept it up until the shadow was able to recover and move back to its position.
" My magic does work, so I won't be using the Master Sword for this," I said.
" Do know that it will take longer as your magic doesn't have the power to fight against evil," said Spike.
" That's the only drawback, so maybe I should use the divine blade towards the end when I'm on the verge of victory. I guess Bongo-Bongo is a lot more predictable once you've figured out its attack pattern despite how random the attacks can be," I said.
" By repeating the process you used to attack its weak point, it shouldn't take too long to bring the shadow beast down. Just keep your health as high as possible and you will be victorious," said Spike. As the hands resumed their pounding, I could attack them right now in order to speed up the process, but I'm not that confidant in my skills with the bow, so I waited for them to stop.
When that happened, the left hand tried to punch me, so I jumped to the side although this caused me to get grabbed by the right hand which assaulted me with shadows as it moved back and forth before tossing me to the edge of the platform.
" I really need to be faster to avoid that grabbing motion," I moaned. The hands then pounded the drum again, and upon stopping the left hand punched me in the chest making me fall off the platform after sliding along thanks to the Hover Boots, but at least I didn't slide too far, so getting back onto the platform was easy enough.
The right hand tried to flatten me again, so I fired an arrow stunning it, and when the left one began moving towards me, I stunned it as well before using the Lens of Truth to see the eye open up. As the shadow beast charged at me, I fired many arrows where the first few missed, yet the last one connected bringing it down again. Upon it crashing, I used my fire magic in another barrage against the eye inflicting so much damage against it, but it still wasn't enough to defeat it.
" Use the Master Sword in the next exchange," suggested Spike.
" I think I will because this has gone on long enough as it is," I said. The hands pounded once more as I bounced up and down without losing my footing, but when they stopped moving and proceeded to attack, the right one grabbed me and started to crush me within its palm. It must have been an desperation attack because it hasn't used it before until now, but I was fortunate that it didn't hold me for very long. Still, it damaged me a great deal which made glad that I drank the Red Potion earlier.
The left hand tried to use the same tactic, yet this time I was prepared so I stunned it with an arrow before repeating the same thing to the other one when it attacked. When the lens revealed Bongo-Bongo with its eye open, it charged at me once more where I responded with many arrows which eventually brought it down. Upon switching to the Master Sword and slashing at the eye, the shadow beast reacted in a different manner than before. It reared backwards in pain before it started to pound on the drum in a rapid fashion.
" This is different from what we've seen," said Spike.
" It could be another desperation maneuver like when it was crushing me," I suggested.
" Or something else which may give us problems," said Spike. As it's pounding continued, it lowered its body down so much that it looked like it was drooping along, and then the hands slowed down before finally stopping where it just floated there. I had no idea what was about to happen, so I prepared my sword just in case, but suddenly its entire body started to turn black.
Could this be a stronger form? Or, perhaps it was about to regain all of its strength? My answer came in the form of it dropping to the ground where it began sinking and literally burning away to nothing. It didn't take long for this to happen, and when it was finished, all that remained was a giant Heart Container as well as that strange portal which will take me to the Chamber of the Sages.
" I guess that's it then?" I asked.
" Indeed, and once again you overcame such a powerful force," replied Spike.
" That took such a long time to figure out where the weak point was," I said.
" Maybe so, but the shadow beast has been defeated which means the undead monsters will weaken, and no longer have the power to threaten the kingdom. The temple should also return to whatever can be considered normal, so all that remains is collecting the Heart Container which will restore your strength. Once you've done that, we can enter the portal which will take back to the Chamber of Sages where Impa is waiting for us.
Remember that Sheik told us that she was one of the Six Sages, so for once we're not guessing the identity," said Spike. Grabbing the giant heart filled me with that familiar warm feeling which I hadn't felt for quite some time, and when my strength had been restored, I stepped into the portal where I was surrounded by a prism before warping to the chamber. Upon landing in the center of the platform, the purple coloured groove is what I was now facing, and rising up from it was Applejack who still looks the same as always.
" The girl with the noble Zelda's ocarina....as I expected, you have come. I am Impa, one of the Sheikah. I am Princess Zelda's caretaker, and I am also the Sage who was chosen to guard the Shadow Temple. Yet I am surprised that you have not aged in seven years. How is it possible that you still look as you did back then?" asked Applejack.
" You can thank my Equestrian Magic for that," I replied.
" I remember you telling the princess of your story, and while back then I did not wish to believe it, I have since accepted what you claimed as truth. In recent years, I have gained new abilities which my people have never been capable of using before, and these powers are familiar to what you possess Sunset Shimmer.
The magic of this world you come from....Equestria as you called it....is one that I have embraced. And then there is the name which I am known as in your true home....Applejack....it feels right in my heart, so I wish to be referred to by that name, or my own regular name whichever you decide is better for you," said Applejack.
" I'm glad that you believed me in the end as it means not having to try explaining it to you," I said.
" There is no reason in denying what is true, and that is something my people have believed in for centuries. We Sheikah have served the royalty of Hyrule from generation to generation as attendants within various capacities, yet at times we have been spies and soldiers during times of war.
Our servitude to the royal family commanded us to carry out all orders given unto us by the King, and we carried them out without question for our loyalty was eternal and unshakeable. However....on that day seven years ago, Ganondorf suddenly attacked....and Hyrule Castle surrendered after a short time," said Applejack.
" I heard that he conquered the castle by himself," I said.
" Then what you heard was correct as the power of the Triforce allowed him to defeat the entirety of the castle guard. Only the Captain was spared the fury of the Gerudo King, yet he wishes he could have perished with them instead of living on," said Applejack. She wasn't aware that Shining Armour had since broke free of the misery which had been plaguing him, so I explained to her that I was able to get through to him after hearing his story.
I also told her he was now opening up to the people he once served, and when she heard what I had to say, her expression changed to one of happiness which was certainly surprising. " You have done a most wondrous thing by helping Shining Armour in his time of need, and while I do not understand what compels me to do this, I shall go ahead and say it because it is appropriate....YEE-HAW!!!! Thanks y'all for having saved him from himself!"
That was weird coming from Applejack's mouth, and she must have felt the same way as that was unexpected given how stoic she has often been. Her true self from the human world must have told her to act like that.
" I'm glad to have helped," I said.
" Now, allow me to continue with my explanation. Ganondorf's target was one of the keys to the Sacred Realm....the hidden treasure of
the royal family....the Ocarina of Time! My duty bound me to take Zelda out of Ganondorf's reach, and that is the reason why you saw us galloping away that night after the King was murdered.
Her safety was important even if it meant leaving the castle guard to be killed by the Evil King, but they knew that my actions were justified. If any of them had been in my position, then they would have performed the same task. When last I saw you, as we made our escape from the castle, you were just a young girl who was struggling to understand her place in this world. Now I see that you have become a fine heroine," said Applejack.
" More or less," I said.
" What do you mean?" asked Applejack.
" Consider me different from the typical heroic mold because my actions can be questioned, and my methods aren't ethical as I have my own way of approaching situations where my success isn't always guaranteed. I'm still struggling along in many areas, but I've improved in others so whoever chose me to be the Hero of Time has to accept me for who I am," I replied.
" That is the reason why her highness believed you to be the one who would save this world, for you have a strong determination, and a heart to match," said Applejack. The way she said that made me think she knew where Twilight has been for the past seven years, so I tried to ask additional questions, but she refused to discuss it. That's when I remembered that the Sheikah don't reveal their secrets unless they planned on dying first, and for that my efforts were in vain until she decided to say something else.
" There is nothing to worry about....the princess is safe now. Soon, you will meet Princess Zelda face-to-face, and she will explain everything no matter how many questions you may have. That is when we, the six Wise Ones, will seal up the Evil King by banishing him to the Sacred Realm, and return peace to Hyrule."
I didn't like the idea that Twilight's whereabouts were being kept from me, but I suppose I had no other choice but to go along with it for the time being. It looked as though Applejack was about to give me her medallion, so I needed to quickly interrupt before the chance was lost to deliver what I was given.
" Before I go back, there is something I must give you," I began.
" What is it?" asked Applejack.
" This artefact of your people was given to me by Flat of the Royal Composer Sisters who wished for you to have it years ago, but she was killed by Ganondorf before it could be delivered, and was buried with her. So, their ghosts passed it onto me in order to give it to you, and so this is what you've waited a long time to receive," I replied.
I slowly walked forward where I reached into my pocket and handed over the small artefact to Applejack before walking back to the center of the platform. The expression in her face looked like she was about to cry or something when she took a few moments to look at what she had been given.
" What the sisters discovered was an artefact which belonged to my ancient ancestor who coincidentally was also named Impa, and she served the earliest known ancestor of the princess long before the world as we know it came to be. This had been lost for centuries, and now it has been returned to the Sheikah. While I would like to return to Hyrule, and perhaps learn more about my ancestry, I cannot do so for destiny has chosen my path.
I have to stay here....you go to Princess Zelda's side and protect her on my behalf. Now I put my power, which should be helpful to you, into this medallion," said Applejack. She then raised her arms to the sky, and a purple medallion came down before it stopped slightly above my head before I claimed it for my own. This now made five altogether in my collection and five Sages, so now there was one more to find in each category which meant that my journey was nearing its end.
As I began to return to the kingdom as was the usual once I had finished my business here, Applejack gave me one final message that I took to heart because I had to fulfill her final request. " Please look out for the Princess!" Speaking of requests, there was another one taking place far away in the one area I have yet to visit, and it was more of a command rather than a favour.

" What are you doing here?"
" The chosen one has now awakened five of the Six Sages, and now seeks to awaken the last one. That means she is going to be paying the fortress a visit within the next day or two, and you must be prepared to give her an adequate welcome worthy of your station. This girl has proven to be rather troublesome who has slowly restored this world back to the way it used to before the Great Ganondorf claimed it as his own, and so he has commanded you to do what must be done to ensure she does not succeed."
" Surely you and your sister are more than capable of dealing with her Lady Koume."
" Our king has decreed that you must be the one to end her life Spitfire, and you have no other choice but to carry out his will. It was by his good graces that you became the second-in-command of the Gerudo seven years ago, so you must live up to the expectation given unto you, or else you shall be declared a traitor to the tribe. I'm certain you remember what happens to those who betray the Great Ganondorf don't you?" asked Trixie.
" I won't falter in my duty for I'm his most loyal follower, and yet why would he have this girl killed in such a manner? Wouldn't he prefer to perform the deed with his own hands considering what happened between them?" asked Spitfire.
" You have given a command, and you shall carry it out without question," replied Trixie.
" Such an order is one I will carry out, but I do have to question the logical reasoning behind it. This Sunset Shimmer as she is apparently called has done no wrong to the rest of the Gerudo, so in that sense we don't have any reason to kill her. Instead, she should just be imprisoned within the fortress for a time before being delivered to the castle where the Great Ganondorf can deal with her in any way he wishes.
I have taken the liberty of informing everyone that we are to be expecting a visitor soon because it's possible she will attempt to rescue those men who wished to join our ranks, and they agree with me in that our king should be the one to punish her for what she has been doing since she returned to Hyrule," said Spitfire.
" Perhaps you weren't as loyal as you claim to be," began Trixie.
" Huh? My loyalty is unquestionable," said Spitfire.
" And yet you have spoken out against the command of your king. The Great Ganondorf had so much faith in you Spitfire, and now you are spitting on that with these actions of yours. Is it possible that the exile of Nabooru long ago has made you change your mind? Have you some compassion towards this infuriating girl? If so which I suspect is the case, then it means you can no longer be trusted with this delicate operation....without the proper incentive of course," said Trixie.
" No! I will perform the deed as he commands despite my thinking," said Spitfire.
" That's the problem dear child....you are acting in a way which goes against the law of the Gerudo, and for that you should be punished by immediate execution. But I have no time to consider who would be chosen to replace you as the new second-in-command, so I am going to take matters into my own hands. This thinking of yours has been worrisome, and for that it needs to be removed.
You will carry out his wishes, but not with the mind you currently have as it's flawed with these thoughts. Just relax for a moment, and allow my magic to show you what needs to be done," said Trixie.
" You don't need to rely on such a method," said Spitfire.
" Oh but I must for you are far too risky to be allowed to continue thinking the way you do, so your mind will be adjusted accordingly which will ensure the girl's life will end before she can reach the desert. As for the power she possesses, it can be salvaged from her lifeless corpse, so she doesn't need to be living in order for the Great Ganondorf to acquire what he needs. Now Spitfire....this is where you will be fixed to ensure that you do not falter in your task," said Trixie.

To Be Continued.