The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Ocarina of Time.
By Ganondorf8
April 7, 2015
Chapter 58: Spiritual Adventure.
Upon opening the other portcullis, I entered a room which consisted of a ledge with a dead-end, and another one existing on the other side of an abyss with no means for me to reach it. A Crystal Switch was situated behind a fence, and there was a large Green Bubble flying about blocking my means of activating the switch. The Fairy Slingshot wasn't going to be helpful here, so I needed to use the Boomerang to curve around the fence and activate the switch from behind.
This was easier said than done given the monster blocking my way, and I had a feeling there was more to this than what appearances were suggesting. Rainbow Dash was feeling frustrated over how I was taking my time instead of tackling the problem head on, yet I reminded her that running in just like that was suicidal.
" I assumed you merely rush forward and strike down your enemies," said Rainbow Dash.
" I've done that when I have exhausted all of my options, yet much of the time I choose to plan things out. You never know what is going to happen, and you don't want to get caught off guard," I said.
" My people are always cautious when it comes to battle, for each time we fight, our belief is that it will be our last which is why we never hold back. When we fight, it is until we defeat our foe, or are killed in the process. While we do take time to formulate plans, we choose to simply rely on our instincts to see us through to the end.
I'll admit that our methods may seem crazy, or even extreme at times, but it's what we do because thinking has the potential to slice us in the throats when we're not looking," said Rainbow Dash.
" It sounds like you've had a hard life," I said.
" Because of the cold winds that blow about at night, at least one of us ends up succumbing. It's never easy to bury one of your own as you trained, fought, laughed, and so on because of developing strong emotional ties. Others reach a point where they can no longer stand such conditions, so they go into a frenzy where they are capable of killing their kin.
The harsh reality blinds them, so they kill without mercy until they are killed themselves. It happens more often than you think kid! The other tribes say their own problems are bad, but in truth it is a means of gaining sympathy from the Hylian king. They are a lot better off, and claim that we Gerudo should be used to living in a nomadic land given the lack of anything that can grow," said Rainbow Dash.
" No wonder you used to come here to get away from such problems," I said.
" What I described has been happening for generations, and combined with our small numbers, our tribe will probably become extinct within the next two or three generations," said Rainbow Dash. This was something I was starting to understand when it came to how many of them there are compared with how many exist in the other tribes.
Normally, I wouldn't let this sort of thing distract me, yet I was curious as to why their numbers are so small. Surely they can have enough children each generation to keep going, but maybe there is a part of this which I don't understand. I'm not sure if Rainbow Dash is willing to give me an answer, but I suppose the least I can do is ask.
" You said that your tribe will become extinct due to how many of you exist, yet I don't understand why this is the case. I would have assumed the Gerudo were capable of reproducing offspring at a pretty good rate. I'd mention the other tribes, but how they reproduce is something I might not want to know about," I said.
" Because we're an all-female tribe, we need to seek out worthy males to mate with," said Rainbow Dash.
" Yet your people hate men," I said.
" Ironic that we despise them so much, yet we need them to maintain our numbers. Anyway, we used to go to Hyrule Castle Town to look for boyfriends as we need children to carry on our legacies, yet the Hylians got fed up with this over time, and prevent us from doing that now," said Rainbow Dash.
" How come?" I asked.
" We didn't want to find boyfriends as a means of loving them, but instead use them long enough to have children, and then their usefulness came to an end. I for one never liked this approach, yet it needs to be done to ensure our survival. With the Hylian king now dead as a result of Ganondorf's desire for power, the Hylians will never forgive us," replied Rainbow Dash. They were willing to do whatever was needed to have children, but I'll admit that their methods are questionable or even downright dreadful.
I couldn't say this to her though as despite becoming distinct to her people, she still has a lot of sympathy towards them. Rather than ask her more questions which could result in some negative reactions, I should focus on what needs to be done here, and that means dealing with the Green Bubble flying in front of the crystal switch.
" The Fairy Slingshot should be able to take this thing down right?" I asked.
" You can only hit it when it loses its green flame for a few seconds, so watch it carefully and fire a Deku Seed when ready. If you end up struggling to do this, you can make it easier by using the Boomerang to stun the monster, and following up with a seed. Use whichever method makes you the most comfortable, yet I have a feeling that another monster is lurking around," replied Spike.
" I feel the same thing," I said.
" Better deal with this one first," suggested Spike. I decided to go with the Fairy Slingshot as my aim has gotten really good....well, I do miss a lot less than I used to, but at least I can actually hit my target. When I took it out and aimed at the Green Bubble, I waited for it to lose its flame, and fired the Deku Seed when it happened which caused it to break into pieces before burning up in flames.
Since the Boomerang doesn't have that big of a range, I had to get a little closer if I'm to hit the switch behind the fence, so I walked forward only for a Stalfos to drop down from the ceiling.
" No! Not this thing! Anything but this thing!" I exclaimed.
" This would be a good example of the witches wanting to increase the difficulty," said Spike.
" I always struggle against them," I said.
" And this one is going to be the worst one of them all because you have to use the Kokiri Sword to fight back. While it took six hits to defeat a Stalfos before when you used a stronger blade, it will take a total of 12 hits before this one goes down," said Spike.
" I'm guessing that it inflicts the same amount of damage as the previous ones?" I asked.
" It does, yet you'll need to get close because your sword has limited range," replied Spike. I'm going to have a really hard time fighting this Stalfos, but I did find it strange that there was one out here. They should only be found in the Forest Temple because the Lost Woods transforms lost people into them, and the Shadow Temple as that is where the undead roam free. So, what was up with this one being far away from its normal habitat?
Unless, those witches brought it here? All of a sudden, Rainbow Dash went in front of me and began fighting the Stalfos using a sword which she must have been concealing as I don't recall her having one earlier. Now I can see why the Gerudo are so deadly in combat as her fast moves were almost impossible for me to keep up with, and it looked like she was enjoying the experience.
" Come on kid! You don't expect me to have all the fun do you?" asked Rainbow Dash.
" Do you even know what you're fighting?" I asked.
" It doesn't bother me as long as I have the skills to beat it. Besides, this is just a bag of bones that happens to have some skill, so it's not like we're up against two at the same time that are able to regenerate after a while," replied Rainbow Dash. Those words really struck home for me as she had no idea how close to the truth she was. I almost got killed by those two Stalfos, and it prompted me to start bringing in potions just in case things got too difficult for me.
" You look as though you have the situation under control," I said.
" Oh no! You're not getting off that easily kid as I expect to see you handle this, or maybe you're not the chosen one as depicted in the legends of my people. The one who shall claim the sacred treasure of the Gerudo is said to possess tremendous courage, and is known for overcoming even odds that are stacked against them. You have the ring from my subordinate Derpy in your possession, so now you must prove your worth," said Rainbow Dash.
It looks like she trapped me within the confines of a legend, so I had no choice even though I really struggle against Stalfos. Maybe it won't be so bad seeing as she is doing some of the fighting, so I drew the Kokiri Sword from its scabbard for the first time, and sure enough it really was small in size compared to the Master Sword. " What kind of a blade is that supposed to be? Well, I guess it does allow a kid like you to fight, so I won't judge you for using it."
" Let me show you something," I began.
" And what do you intend to show?" asked Rainbow Dash.
" Not only am I somewhat skilled with a sword, I am also able to use magic," I replied. In her own unique way, Rainbow Dash reminded me that I used magic when I faced the previous Stalfos, and I slapped myself on the forehead as I completely forgot about it. Since I figured fire isn't going to work, I decided to go with earth magic as the ground should be something that I can manipulate to my will.
I then quickly concentrated as I didn't have the means to go with a stronger form of concentration, and the Stalfos suddenly found itself trapped where its feet began sinking into the ground.
" What did you just do?" asked Rainbow Dash.
" I used a little bit of earth magic to trap this monster, so now it's incapable of moving," I replied.
" And you just did that without even thinking about it?" asked Rainbow Dash.
" That's one way of saying it I suppose," I replied.
" Looks like you need to tell me more about yourself," said Rainbow Dash. She then slashed away at it repeatedly until it was destroyed, yet why did she decide to deal with it? As she put her sword away by concealing it on her person, she turned to face me with the look of a curious person on her face which was really creeping me out. " Since you just went and did that kid, there is a lot more about you than appearances suggest, so I recommend you tell me what I need to know, or do I need to force you to tell me?
We Gerudo are good at getting people to confess as we're experts when it comes to interrogation, so you should take my advice and give me the answers." Rainbow Dash then began to smile in a really sinister fashion which made me suspect that she intends on carrying out this threat, so I had no other choice but to reveal the truth about myself....minus what I've experienced in the future.
" You may believe I'm from the forest, but that is not true," I said.
" Huh? But, you're wearing clothes that obviously come from the forest, and that fairy flying around you is another indication of where you come from. Unless, you're not really one of those forest kids, and instead you're pretending to be one. Heh, I'm impressed that you're using such deception in order to live among them," said Rainbow Dash.
" I'm not from the forest," I began.
" That was pretty obvious given your magic show," said Rainbow Dash.
" What I mean is, I'm not even from this world, yet I was brought here to save it. You see, I come from a place that is so much different from Hyrule, and the majority of people here also come from my world. All of us were brought into this world by a powerful magic, and I'm the only one who retained my memories. You, and everyone else have assumed the identities of characters from a video game, and believe yourselves to be them, yet the truth is none of us belong here," I said.
" Quite the imagination," commented Rainbow Dash.
" I knew your response was going to be something like that. Before you say anything, there is something else you need to know. Not only am I not a Kokiri....I'm not even human despite having this body. I am....a magical talking pony from a land called Equestria. To be more specific, I am a unicorn who is very gifted with magic, yet because I became corrupted with wanting power, I went into self-exile and travelled to the human world where I continued acting out my delusions of grandeur.
Thanks to you and the rest of our friends, I've changed my ways and have become so much better now than I have ever been in my entire life," I said. As I stared at my friend, her expression was one of pure shock which was to be expected given that the others gave me the same look. She wanted me to tell her more about myself, and now she has gotten exactly that.
" You're a pony?" asked Rainbow Dash.
" Complete with hooves and everything....if this were Equestria," I replied.
" I'd say you were crazy, but after that long explanation, I'm willing to believe you," said Rainbow Dash.
" It really matters that you believe my story, for you're from the same world that I'm from; not the one with ponies mind you. In our true home, you are the captain of all of the different sports teams, and are known for your great loyalty to your friends. I would explain more, but you need some time to allow all of this new information to sink into your head. Rainbow Dash, you're the last of my friends who has been told the truth, for it took me a long time to be able to reach you because of various circumstances," I said.
" That name....I like it because my people do refer to me as "Dashie" as a sort of cute nickname," said Rainbow Dash.
" Really?" I asked before remembering Derpy mentioning it when we had that conversation. It was at this point where I came to the realization that I was wasting precious time, for I needed to focus on acquiring the Silver Gauntlets. I told Rainbow Dash that we needed to keep going, yet I would answer any further questions down the road. She agreed with this idea, so now I was able to finally address the crystal switch which had been taunting me for some time now.
" You handled that rather well," commented Spike.
" After explaining my story to the others, I knew just what needed to be said to Rainbow Dash. I'll give her some time to come to terms with my words, but I hope that it will be enough before whatever happens to her occurs. We should now focus on making our way through this temple as we've been in this room a lot longer than I would like as that Stalfos was completely unnecessary," I said.
" The Fairy Slingshot isn't going to be able to hit the crystal switch as the fence is blocking the way," said Spike.
" No, but the Boomerang should," I said.
" Since it lacks range, you need to get as close to the edge as possible if you want to hit the switch. Also, I suggest you throw it either to the left or right of the fence otherwise you'll hit it," said Spike. Taking the Boomerang from my belt, I aimed carefully at the switch as I needed to throw it at the proper angle otherwise it will bounce back to me. I decided to throw it to my left as it seemed like a good idea, so I gave it a toss where it just barely missed the target and returned to me.
I guess my aim was just slightly off, so I adjusted my angle before throwing the Boomerang again. This time, it connected with the switch which caused the fence to fall down, and changing it into a bridge which I used to cross over to the other side of the abyss. As I reached the other side, I saw a couple of pots that suddenly rose up and attempted to fly into me, but I ducked down using the Hylian Shield as a shell which shattered into pieces upon contact with it.
" Not exactly the right way to use a shield kid," commented Rainbow Dash.
" It's too big for me to wield it properly, so I have to use it like that in order to protect myself. I would gladly use a Deku Shield as it's small enough for me to sling onto my arm, but the problem it has is that it burns away if I get hit by fire, and there are a lot of fire-based monsters so far in the temple," I said.
" I'd say you're using it in an impractical way which has proven beneficial," said Rainbow Dash.
" And I've noticed that you don't fight with a shield at all," I said.
" We Gerudo rely on our speed to defeat our enemies, so using a shield or wearing any kind of armour just slows us down. Hylians may believe that stuff protects them which I'm sure it does, yet it makes them slow and a lot easier to hit. By fighting without protective gear, you have free movement to fight with elegance and grace on your side, but I will admit that the lack of protection does play a factor especially if our speed gets turned against us.
My people are fragile in nature which means we can't take much in the way of damage, and so our enemies looks for means to slow us down before choosing to attack using tremendous force," said Rainbow Dash.
" Have you considered using armour?" I asked.
" I've hinted at it a few times during my tenure as second-in-command, yet the others refused because it meant fighting in the same manner as the Hylians. They would rather die instead of relying on other styles. What I do find strange is that Ganondorf wears armour whenever he goes out into battle, and yet he suffers from no loss in speed. He is very strong for a man, but this is just ridiculous as though limitations mean nothing to him," replied Rainbow Dash.
My face turned pale when she said that, for it was a reminder that I had to eventually fight the Evil King. If the limitations on weapons, armour, and just about anything else don't apply to him, then how can he be defeated? Now I really wish that I was searching for those items that I missed the first time.
It seems the closer I get to the final confrontation, the more nervous I become, for it sounds like the Triforce has augmented his power which was already beyond that of most mortals, and made it become something akin to one of the Great Goddesses. Rainbow Dash noticed my glum look, and spoke up as she felt concerned that I wasn't feeling well. " Hey! You okay there kid? You look as though you've seen a Poe or something just now, or maybe it was because of what I said?"
" I'm actually afraid of Ganondorf," I said in a nervous voice.
" Most fear him because of how powerful he is, but he isn't as invincible as he claims to be. For all of the big talk that he says about being the strongest man in the kingdom, I know of his weakness because of choosing to focus on dark magic. He draws all of his power from evil itself, and due to this he is very vulnerable to the power of light as they say that light conquers darkness.
Anything that is forged of the purest light of justice is something that he fears, but he will never let anyone else know about it otherwise he'll cut them down without mercy. The reason I know about it is because at one time he believed me to be the perfect woman that he wanted as his bride, yet I told him that I wasn't ready for such a commitment, so I politely refused his request," said Rainbow Dash.
" I'm surprised he didn't kill you for knowing about his weakness," I said.
" I was his second-in-command, so he needed me around to keep the others in check," said Rainbow Dash.
" Wait! He wanted you as his wife?" I asked.
" He believed we were meant for each other, and I suppose that in another life, I would have accepted him had he chosen to dedicate his life to pursuing peace, yet instead Ganondorf wanted to conquer Hyrule. Such actions he has committed are ones that I condemn, and for that I could never love him! His desire to claim the golden power of the Triforce has blinded him!" replied Rainbow Dash.
So the Evil King can be defeated with the power of light....Spike said that the Light Arrows were hidden, and only the royal family knew of their location, so I need to find Twilight to get my hands on them. If I use those, defeating Ganondorf will become a lot easier, but first I need to awaken the final Sage. I also felt sympathetic to the plight that Rainbow Dash had regarding the fact that her king was once in love with her, yet her way of thinking just wouldn't allow them to be together.
It was also a little weird picturing someone like her with someone like him which means I really need to change things back to normal before it gets even weirder than it already is. Upon opening the portcullis, I entered the next room which featured a rather thin walkway that stretched across another abyss, and there was a crystal switch off in the distance.
I could see something moving about among an assortment of pots in the middle of the room, and when I moved forward to see what it was, a strange creature rose up before proceeding to shoot a fireball at me. Rainbow Dash had her back to the door which had since locked itself with iron bars, and I used my shield to deflect the blast.
" What in the world is this thing?" I asked.
" It's called an Anubis, a very rare creature seen in Hyrule, yet dangerous if you don't know how to deal with it. None of your regular attacks are going to work as it will just shrug them off like they were nothing. It also has a strange movement pattern where it mimics whatever is moving before it. For example, if you moved to the right, it shall move to the right as well.
Getting too close to will cause it to shoot a fireball which can be very problematic, yet the irony is that it's vulnerable to fire. If you use the right kind of fire-based attack, it will go down very easily," replied Spike.
" I'm guessing my magic isn't going to work," I said.
" It needs to be the right kind of fire, so that means what you use won't help out. That crystal switch over there seems strange as though it could be useful in defeating this monster, or you can simply go with the direct approach by using Din's Fire. Before you do anything Sunset Shimmer, could you activate that switch because we should see what happens when it's activated," suggested Spike.
I took out the Fairy Slingshot making sure not to draw the attention of Anubis, and I fired a Deku Seed which flew across the abyss striking the switch in the process. It caused a circle of fire to appear near the other door, and essentially blocking the way forward. " Okay, I get what's going on now.
You need to guide it over to the fire which will destroy it, yet you need to rely on this method if you don't have Din's Fire or Fire Arrows with you. Since you do have the appropriate magic, you can use it without having to worry about not taking it out.
" I should use it here because it will react if I get too close," I said. Since this is good magic I'm using, it shouldn't affect Rainbow Dash in the least, so I took out the gem containing Din's Fire, and performed the necessary poses before it activated. The burst of flame quickly expanded throughout the room causing Anubis to become set on fire which defeated it, and unlocking both doors in the process.
" I just remembered that Fluttershy warned us that there was a creature here which we've never seen before, and that it was weak against fire. Guess we both kind of forgot about it although there are other creatures that will be new when we find them."
" Anubis is rare like I said, so you won't be seeing anymore for a while," said Spike.
" Now all we need to do is wait for the circle of fire to disappear, and we can enter the next area," I said. It took a couple of minutes for the circle to disappear when the crystal switch deactivated, so I walked over to the door and opened where I discovered that this was the same room with the silver rupees. The treasure chest that dropped down was still here, so I needed to see what was inside, but first I had to deal with some Keese flying around. " I was wondering if I could use my fire magic against them to make things easier."
" I'd advise against that as using any kind of fire against a Keese will change it into a Fire Keese," said Spike.
" Then I'll just have to go with the Fairy Slingshot, and pick them all off before they get the chance to fly through the lit torch," I said.
" Be careful of monsters which hang from the ceiling," said Spike. Those words reminded of what has a tendency to drop down without warning, so I looked down at my shadow to discover that it had been replaced, and that meant moving away before it can grab me and send me back to the beginning of the temple.
I ran straight into the main area of the room making sure to tell Rainbow Dash to stay where she was, and soon the Wallmaster came down where it walked around a little, but I turned around and used my fire magic to destroy it before it had the chance to jump back up to the ceiling. Luckily, my magical attack didn't cause the Keese to react to me.
" So that was your natural magic at work?" asked Rainbow Dash.
" In this world, my Equestrian power comes out as fire magic, and it makes sense given my strong connection with the sun," I replied.
" No wonder you are the chosen one despite not proving it to me," said Rainbow Dash.
" What does that have to do with anything?" I asked.
" The sacred treasure which resides inside of the Spirit Temple was created to give the chosen one the power to manipulate the sunlight to their whim, and because you just said you've got a strong connection with the sun itself, there is no doubt you are destined to wield it," replied Rainbow Dash.
" Do you know what this treasure is?" I asked.
" I've never seen it, but I do know that it's some kind of equipment," replied Rainbow Dash. Well, that didn't give me any additional clues as to what it is, but at least I know that I can equip it which does narrow it down. I then fired Deku Seeds, and all of the Keese were destroyed without any trouble. While it seemed like the challenges weren't all that difficult, that was hardly the case at all as seeing something like a Stalfos here makes me wonder what else I'm going to run into before this is all said and done.
" How far are you able to go with me?" I asked.
" If I remember correctly, the sacred treasure is located on the third floor, and the same is also true about the Silver Gauntlets. So, I'd say that I'll have to take my leave of you when you are about to explore the third floor. I know it sounds obnoxious of me to abandon you like that, but the laws command it to be," replied Rainbow Dash.
" Well, then I'll enjoy your company until then," I said.
" And it gives me a chance to see more of your skills kid," added Rainbow Dash. The first thing I did was kick open the treasure chest which contained a small key, and I figured the locked portcullis was through the crawl space. Since the Keese had been taken care of, I could now collect the silver rupees scattered about, so I started with the ones on the ground before climbing up the fence to collect the rest.
It didn't take me too long to get them all although I almost slipped a few times as making my way across was a lot more difficult than I thought it was going to be. Upon collecting the final rupee, the middle section of the fence fell over creating the bridge I needed to get back to the other side. I then asked Rainbow Dash to follow me, so she began walking behind me as I lead us towards our destination.
" So far things have been simple, but then this is usually the case in these dungeons," I said.
" The more dangerous areas are usually further in as you unlock new areas using keys and the weapons you find," said Spike.
" What do you think this sacred treasure is?" I asked.
" I'm not sure as we haven't been given much information, but I should be able to tell you when you've found it," replied Spike.
" Which means I won't know for a very long time," I sighed.
" At the current rate you're progressing through the temple, we should get to it within the span of a couple of hours, but there is one factor about its location which we haven't taken into consideration....whether you can get it here in the past, or in the future. We need to determine this so that we know when we'll be able to reach it," said Spike.
Our conversation did make Rainbow Dash feel like she was being left out, so I decided we should focus on reaching the locked portcullis, and make her feel more welcome rather than keep her away.
" We'll need to go through the crawl space," I said.
" That shouldn't be a problem given how flexible I can be," said Rainbow Dash.
" Good," I smiled.
" By the way kid, you don't need to be so secretive about your conversations with your fairy. What you two talk about amongst yourselves is of no concern to me, for I don't poke my nose into other people's business," said Rainbow Dash. I felt as though she was trying to make herself appear tough by ignoring us, but I could sense that she wanted to be a part of the conversation.
That's when I suggested that she ask me some more questions about my story as it has been a while now, yet she waved her hands in front of me as a sign that she wasn't ready to delve into it just yet. " I'll ask you a little later kid as I'm still trying to wrap my head around the whole idea of you being a magical pony." The others were stumped by the exact thing, for they just couldn't grasp me as being a four-legged horse with magical powers.
We eventually reached the crawl space we needed to go through, and I went first because I was the hero of this journey, and also because Rainbow Dash suggested it. On the other side was the locked portcullis, so using the key, I unlocked it allowing me to enter the next room....which lead me to a dead-end.
" Now why would opening the locked portcullis result in being stuck?" I asked.
" We're not stuck kid, for if you look to your right, you can see that we can climb up this wall. Yet, you might want to get rid of the monsters crawling up there otherwise it will be a long drop," replied Rainbow Dash. I then looked up and saw a few Skullwaltulas hanging on the wall, so I had to remove them or else they will attack when we try to climb up. Because there was little in the way of room, I had to literally aim straight up if I wanted my Deku Seeds to connect with each of them.
" I'll go back into the previous room kid so that you can have as much space as you need. Make sure you let me know when you're done, as you're not continuing on without me!" She then went through the portcullis leaving me to handle this problem, but I'll admit that I had more room now to aim upwards. Taking out the Fairy Slingshot, I aimed at each Skullwalltula before firing seeds at them destroying all of them aside from one which was a little too high, so I moved as far back as I could before firing one last shot which did the trick.
" Okay, you can come back in now," I said.
" Nice work getting rid of those monsters kid, so now we can make our way up," said Rainbow Dash as she came through the portcullis.
" Have I proved myself to you now, or do I still need to do some more?" I asked.
" You're resourceful with those weapons of yours, and that magic you use is very powerful, yet I'm still not convinced that you have what it takes. You may be the chosen one, but you haven't acted in the manner that's expected of you. I just need to see a little bit more before I make my final judgment. Don't blame me for this kid, for your lack of action at the beginning is what made me feel skeptical, and that is still the case even now, but I'm sure you'll impress me eventually," replied Rainbow Dash.
" Then I'm sorry for not giving you a good first impression," I said.
" It's not your fault as you're still a kid, and what you've been doing is not what kids do," said Rainbow Dash.
" Guess that makes me special, or at the very least different from the standard," I said.
" Ha! I like how you come up with so many different approaches, but I still stand by my convictions. I'll still fight any monsters because I don't want you to assume that I'm being lazy because of how good I am," said Rainbow Dash. It looks like I've gone and struck a personal nerve, yet it was more like she inflicted it on herself rather than me doing anything.
I sighed knowing that it was pointless to try and think about it, so I started climbing up the wall with her right behind me. As we were making our way up, those who have been watching me since I entered the Spirit Temple continued with their observations.
" So what have your observations revealed about this forest girl?" asked Trixie.
" I was right to have suspected there was more to her than I thought, for she does wield tremendous magical powers which are superior to even the strongest of wizards among the Hylians. Her magic could even be on par with what we're capable of, and even match the Great Ganondorf in terms of arcane might," replied Chrysalis.
" As you suspected earlier," said Trixie.
" How can a young forest girl have such high magic power like that? No one her age should be capable of having the equivalent of an ancient sorcerer, and yet she defies all manner of logic....I must remain calm my sister for this defiance is enough to make me want to vent out my frustrations! I originally believed she could use only fire magic, yet my observations reveal that she recently used earth magic, so I can confirm that she wields two elements," said Chrysalis.
" If this is the case then it's natural to conclude she is able to use water and wind as well," suggested Trixie.
" Of these elements, fire is what she uses more often, yet she has experience using the other three. I also sensed that the Great Fairy was able to unlock her ability to use earth, air, and water....this proves that the forest girl is far too dangerous to be allowed to remain alive, so she must be killed before things wind up spiraling out of control," said Chrysalis.
" Remember that we determined she had the keys needed to open the entrance to the Sacred Realm? I cannot sense the power from the realm overflowing into our world, so the entrance hasn't been opened. If she is killed before the Great Ganondorf can enter and lay his hands on the Triforce, he will no doubt blame us, and you know how murderous he can become," said Trixie.
" Then what should we do?" asked Chrysalis.
" You must perform another reading right now, and reaffirm what we determined," replied Trixie.
" Very well........................I have found an answer," said Chrysalis.
" Which is?" asked Trixie.
" The forest girl did have the three Spiritual Stones at one time, yet she no longer has them in her possession. I suspect they have been returned to their resting place inside of the Temple of Time, yet she still has the fourth key....the Ocarina of Time. This poses quite the problem, for this girl has been collecting the keys to the realm. She must have figured out the plan of the Great Ganondorf which explains why she had them to begin with, so that makes her even more of a threat than before.
Then again, the keys are back where they belong, so their presence is no longer being factored into the general equation. Thus, he just needs the Ocarina of Time in order to gain access, and claim the golden power," replied Chrysalis.
" Therefore, the girl can be killed as her usefulness to him has ended," smiled Trixie.
" Which is a relief, for she has progressed further than we were expecting," said Chrysalis.
" She will meet her death at the hands of the guardian who watches over the Silver Gauntlets, so we need no longer concern ourselves with her. Instead, we must focus on Nabooru. She will not accompany the forest girl once she reaches the gauntlets, for Gerudo law states that only the chosen one is permitted to claim the respective powers that lay in the hands of the sand goddess. Of course, we need her to get back down to the entrance quickly, so perhaps a little bit of manipulation is in order," said Trixie.
" That way, she won't be able to resist our power when we make our strike," said Chrysalis.
" Exactly! Nabooru may not look like it, but deep down she desires to help out those in need because of being noble....such a weak sentiment is the reason why she was exiled in the first place. If we lure her down quickly with the notion of assisting someone who has found the temple, she will fall right into our hands, and we can get back to fall back in line," laughed Trixie.
" Have you forgotten that only she and the girl have crossed the Haunted Wasteland," said Chrysalis.
" I'm well aware of that, so we'll need to be crafty in order to make this work," said Trixie.
" Then we all we need to do now is wait for our precious little pawns to fall into place, and fulfill their respective fates thus getting rid of all resistances which could potentially foil the plan of the Great Ganondorf," said Chrysalis.
" All loose ends have been taken care of," smiled Trixie.
" Except for the Master Sword," began Chrysalis.
" What of it?" asked Trixie.
" He can't touch it because that blade is one that those with evil in their hearts can never wield, so if he were to attempt to draw it from the Pedestal of Time, he'd be unable to as the light which emanates from it would surely cause him great pain," replied Chrysalis.
" All the Great Ganondorf needs is someone with a pure heart to pull the sword out, and open up the Sacred Realm which is a simple enough task. You make it sound like this is a disaster, but I suggest you not think about it so much," said Trixie.
" The only one we know who could touch that sword is the forest girl," said Chrysalis.
" Now that you mention it, you do make a valid point," said Trixie.
" Then our guardian must not kill her," said Chrysalis.
" It's too late to stop what has been set into motion, so I suppose it shall be up to her to determine her own fate. Still, we should look into this as there is much we need to determine. This forest girl is more than she seems, and if she is the one who the Great Ganondorf needs to open the realm, then she could become a problem in the future.
So, I suggest we make some preparations just in case. If our guardian does kill her, we can always use magic to revive her long to fulfill that task, and then just kill her again once her usefulness has ended. While it may seem we have been underestimating this girl, in truth we just didn't take the necessary factors into consideration," said Trixie.
" Let us hope we have not made any mistakes which could turn around and decimate us in the end," said Chrysalis.
When I climbed up to the top of the wall, I found myself in a large room that featured a locked portcullis to the left. Iron bars were keeping it closed, so I needed to figure out what can make them go back up, and allow me to move onto the next area. To my right, there were several Skullwalltulas on a rather rocky wall, yet there was a boulder which looked really out of place.
A crystal switch was located on a high up ledge, so I need to use some kind of projectile to activate it, and perhaps the most unusual thing to be had was the sun-like object situated in the middle of the room. I don't know what it was, but I could sense there were additional monsters waiting for me to get closer.
" That must be one of the sun faces that Fluttershy mentioned," I said.
" In order for you to activate it, you need to shine light on it somehow," said Spike.
" And I think I've got a solution on how we go about doing that. Do you notice that one boulder on the wall over there which clearly looks out of place? I'm willing to bet if I remove it, it will cause light to shine through and hit that switch activating it. You can just barely make out some light on the other side, so now the question is how do we blow it up ? I don't think bombs are going to work," I said.
" They won't be able to reach high enough. Even if you were to wait long enough before throwing a bomb to have it blow up while at the highest point of its apex, it still won't work because the blast radius isn't big. I think this is where the Bombchu needed, for it can travel up walls if you remember what we witnessed inside of the Bombchu Bowling Alley," said Spike.
" It's strange that I have all of them on my person, yet this is the first time I've had to use one in a serious situation," I said.
" You should have roughly 30 of them, so you have more than enough chances to destroy that boulder, but I would suggest getting rid of the monsters first as they could interrupt the trajectory of the Bombchu," suggested Spike. Taking out the Fairy Slingshot and following his advice, I fired Deku Seeds at each of the Skullwalltulas bringing them down before I walked over to where the sun face was located.
It did look unusual what with its facial features, yet when I got close enough to it, I checked to see if it had anything to say, and a message appeared before me. 'Show me the light!' Upon a closer inspection, it was actually a switch rather than just a mere face, so then I turned towards the wall where that boulder was sticking out.
From this perspective, I could clearly see it sticking out, and I had to remove it to shine light onto this switch. Taking a Bombchu from out of my Bomb Bag, which was a strange place for me to hold them if you want my opinion, before putting it down, I took a closer look because I had never bothered to see what it was really like.
" To think that technology has come this far," I said.
" Bombchu can be described as the latest iteration of the standard bomb, for all you do is set it down and it will do the rest. Remember that you need to aim carefully, for it will travel at weird angles that go against your wishes if it goes up an unusual part of the wall. Since this boulder is fairly large in size, you shouldn't have any trouble hitting it unless you have really bad aim," said Spike.
" Good thing I have 30 as I guarantee I'm going to be using a few," I said. I then placed the Bombchu on the ground where it immediately went off on its own before it reached the wall, yet it travelled up at the wrong angle and exploded far away from where I wanted it to be. Grabbing another one from my bag, I repeated the process where it moved along the ground, yet this time it turned to the right upon hitting the wall, and blew up a short distance away from where I was standing.
" Told you I needed to use a few because my aim is just terrible." I grabbed one more making sure that I was aiming correctly this time, and then I placed it down where it moved on the ground before going up the wall and exploding upon impact with the boulder. This caused light to come through and shine brightly on the sun switch where it started to glow, and produced a grin.
As a result of this, the iron bars covering the portcullis rose up giving me access to where I need to go next, so I started walking forward only to have two familiar enemies drop down from the ceiling.
" Lizalfos!" exclaimed Spike.
" We haven't seen these since Dodongo's Cavern which was a long time ago," I said.
" I hope you remember how to fight them," said Spike.
" My magic should be more than enough," I suggested.
" While I would suggest using the Kokiri Sword, I can make an exception given the experience we had before," said Spike. Glad that he agreed with me using magic as I wanted to take of this as quickly as possible. As I conjured up some fireballs in my hands, Rainbow Dash suddenly dashed forward where she drew her hidden sword, and slashed away at the Lizalfos before I could even do anything.
Within a matter of moments, she had defeated both monsters without breaking a sweat, yet I suspected she did this to prove she was capable of holding her own. In her eyes, she didn't need any kind of protection for she was a warrior, yet I was on the verge of using my magic to handle the situation.
Even Spike felt surprised at what he witnessed, but he wasn't thrilled because he knew I could have taken care of it. " I do appreciate what she did, but it did deny you the chance to prove yourself to her. It makes me think she has ulterior motives which make it hard for me to fully trust her."
" I would argue about what you just said, but the evidence does suggest that," I said.
" Did you say something kid?" asked Rainbow Dash.
" Just mumbling to myself," I replied.
" Well, we could go through that portcullis, or you can see what that crystal switch does if you hit it with a projectile, but the decision is yours to make," said Rainbow Dash. Using the Fairy Slingshot and firing a Deku Seed, activating the switch caused another small treasure chest to drop down from the ceiling, and it landed near one that was already there.
I kicked open the chest that had just fallen and acquired ten Bombchu which was fine considering that I wasted a few trying to blow up that boulder. Kicking open the other one produced a mere five rupees which wasn't bad, but it could have been better. Opening the portcullis, I entered what appeared to be the main room, and my jaw dropped over what I was seeing. There was another statue which looked an awful lot like the one that exists outside, yet it made me feel uneasy because it was giving off some kind of dark aura.
Fluttershy did mention about how treasures can appear in the hands of these statues, so I needed to figure out how to fulfill their obligations, but first I had to find a way up to the hands. A statue to my left looked like it could be an Armos, and I wasn't about to get surprised like last time, so I threw a fireball at it which did nothing.
" Looks like I can push this statue," I said.
" There's a blue switch below, so you need something heavy to keep it activated," suggested Spike.
" This statue definitely qualifies," I said as I pushed it off the side where it landed on the switch, and the sound of iron bars raising somewhere nearby indicated that I did the right thing. While I could go up some nearby stairs to the next level, I was curious about two unlit torches situated on a slightly raised platform located in front of the statue. Jumping down to the ground and avoiding some jars which flew at me, Rainbow Dash insisted on staying behind while I investigated.
As I reached the platform, I looked up just to see how tall this statue was. It almost gave me a nosebleed because of the immense size and scope, yet why was I feeling this dark aura surrounding it? Could it be something those witches created as a means of showing off their might, or was there something else involved?
" You've got to admit that this statue is intimidating," commented Spike.
" I'm sensing a dark aura around it," I said.
" Whatever it is, we can't really do much about it. Judging from what lies on the other side of the room, you can't get over there without the Longshot, and the ice covering that switch above the portcullis in front of you can only be melted by using Hylian fire. You can't melt the fire with your own natural magic, so we'll need to come back here in the future in order to see where both directions go," said Spike.
" I find it weird that I need to use Hylian magic when my own would work," I moaned.
" It's strange yes, but it's also the way this world operates," said Spike.
" Yeah, I suppose so," I sighed.
" At least you can light these torches with your magic if that would make you feel better," suggested Spike.
" I could do that, but I want to use Din's Fire as I need to use it more often than I do," I said. Taking out the gem which contains the spell, I performed the necessary poses and cast it which created a burst of flame lighting both torches. This caused a large treasure chest to appear, and I knew straight away that this was going to be something important, so I opened it up and took out the Dungeon Map.
" Finally! Now we can see just how large this temple really is!" Upon looking at the map, it didn't look like what I was expecting, for this place was rather symmetrical in design, and I assumed it was going to be some kind of massive complex full of twists and turns.
" The Spirit Temple doesn't look all that big, but then appearances can be deceptive," said Spike.
" I know we can't explore the entirety of it right now due to not being able to push that giant block back at the start, but we should still strive to explore as much as we can before returning to the future," I said.
" Huh? Something is wrong with Nabooru," began Spike.
" What are you talking about?" I asked. I ran back over to where the statue I pushed was, and climbed up to Rainbow Dash who appeared to be on edge as though something was really upsetting her.
" I can hear the sounds of someone calling for help down below," said Rainbow Dash.
" You must have some pretty good hearing to be able to hear someone that far away," I said.
" It's one of my own natural talents which makes me stand out among my people, yet when I say someone is calling from below, I mean they are calling from the temple entrance. You may not be able to hear it as your hearing is probably not as good as mine, but I'm hearing cries for help, and despite me being a thief, I refuse to ignore anyone who requires aid," said Rainbow Dash.
" The cries are coming from the entrance? Doesn't that seem a little weird to you?" I asked.
" Not really," answered Rainbow Dash.
" While I don't question how strong of a hearing you have because that's amazing, the fact that someone from the temple entrance is calling for help just strikes me as being very odd in nature. Besides, only you have managed to make it through the Haunted Wasteland, so how did someone else succeed?" I asked.
" I could ask you the same thing," replied Rainbow Dash. She did make a valid point because from her point of view, I somehow made it across the wasteland thus anyone would be able to do so as well. However, I got here through the use of a warp song, but she can't know about that because I learned it in the future. Guess she has silenced me through the means of a technicality, yet I'm still suspicious over someone calling for help.
Aside from Rainbow Dash who has survival instincts, who else could have made it? Maybe someone among the Gerudo is here? Or, it could be someone that I've never met before, but either way this was just too suspicious. In her mind however, she wanted to check out who it was, and I had no plans on stopping her from going.
Yes, I had to let her go because her fate still needs to happen, and I believe that this is the point where she vanished. I needed to be convincing so as to not let on that I know that this isn't a good idea, so choosing my words carefully is going to be key.
" Do you think someone really needs help?" I asked.
" I believe so, and I intend on seeing who it is," replied Rainbow Dash.
" You may have a noble heart, yet you could be walking into a trap," I said.
" Perhaps, but this is something I need to do even if it makes me look stubborn in the process. Besides kid, at the top of these stairs is a portcullis which I cannot enter because only the chosen one is allowed to proceed through, and that means this is where I'm leaving. While you still haven't proved to me that you're the chosen one, I have no choice but to rely on you now.
You must find the Silver Gauntlets and give them to me, and when you've got them, you'll need to make your way back to the temple entrance where I'll be waiting for you. I still intend on fulfilling my promise to give you something good in exchange, so don't think that I'll suddenly change my mind. I know you'll succeed kid because you have a lot of guts," said Rainbow Dash.
" Guess this is goodbye for now," I said.
" I'll see you later kid," said Rainbow Dash as she turned around and went into the previous room. I knew that she was going to suffer a terrible fate because of what I learned in the future, yet this needs to happen to her despite how painful it's going to be for me. No doubt those witches had something to do with making her go back, but there was nothing I could do about it now.
I needed to keep on going because I need the Silver Gauntlets if I am to push that giant block out of the way. Walking up the stairs, I found myself staring in front of the portcullis Rainbow Dash was forbidden to enter, yet it looked pretty normal, so perhaps she was just being paranoid with regards to Gerudo law.
" This portcullis doesn't look any different from the others we've opened," I said.
" And yet Nabooru says that she can't go through," added Spike.
" Which I'm starting to think is deceptive," I said.
" The Gerudo do take their laws and customs very seriously, so I doubt she is deceiving you Sunset Shimmer. I know that beyond this portcullis is forbidden to her and anyone else from her tribe, yet they believe only the chosen one is allowed to proceed because it is where one of their sacred treasures is.
Even though they have no idea as to what the ultimate defence is, they have no intention of claiming it for themselves. If they had gone and done so, you probably would have gotten it a long time ago when we were exploring their fortress," said Spike.
" Right now, I really want to follow her to make sure she will be safe, but I know that I need to let history take its course," I sighed.
" We can't afford to mess around with history," said Spike. I knew he was right, yet the temptation was so powerful because I didn't want anything to happen to one of my friends even if this isn't the version that I am familiar with. After having a little inner struggle with myself, I decided that I must move on and not allow Rainbow Dash's fate to bog me down with despair.
It was at that moment where I finally got to see one of the hands of the goddess, yet it looked like nothing could be done with it as it looked like an ordinary hand. Perhaps I haven't made the proper obligation, or none at all which may be why nothing has appeared, so I shrugged my shoulders and opened up the portcullis where I entered a small room which curved around to the right.
Aside from a beautiful carpet, there were no monsters to get in my way, so I walked up to the next portcullis, and opened it. In this next room where the portcullis locked behind me with iron bars, I found myself staring at a lot of Beamos who were searching around with their eyes, and because of an awkwardly shaped platform in the center of the room, avoiding them was going to be difficult.
" Guess the witches are picking up the pace," I said.
" There are silver rupees which you need to collect, and it looks like you'll need to light up some torches. Also, I see a ray of sunlight coming from the window over there at the back of the room, so it's safe to assume that there is a sun switch somewhere nearby. With all of these various factors at work, you've got a lot to do if we are to proceed further," said Spike.
" What should I handle first?" I asked.
" The Beamos need to be taken out because if all of them see you, they'll fire their lasers which is going to be devastating. Of course, it won't be easy to defeat them because of how close they are to one another," replied Spike.
" Maybe I should go back and get some potions," I suggested.
" You can't do that because Nabooru won't allow you to come back here if she says you're unworthy," said Spike.
" So what can I do?" I asked.
" The only thing that you can do, and that is go forward and try to destroy those Beamos as fast as possible," replied Spike. Because of the laws of the Gerudo, I was backed into a corner with no means of going back and getting what I needed. Rainbow Dash would spot me instantly if I were to try and sneak back inside as she has fantastic hearing.
I gulped heavily knowing that I was taking such a huge risk, so I moved forward before coming to a stop as the Beamos were all looking at me with their eyes. Yeah, this was going to hurt severely as all of them began firing laser beams at me in a stream....
To Be Continued....