The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Ocarina of Time

by Ganondorf8

Chapter 59: The Living Armour and the Desert Fate

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Ocarina of Time.
By Ganondorf8
April 11, 2015
Chapter 59: The Living Armour and the Desert Fate.

" The plan to draw away Nabooru has been successful," laughed Trixie.
" I take it that she was convinced to travel back to the entrance of the Spirit Temple?" asked Chrysalis.
" It was easy enough to accomplish when I remembered how strong her hearing is compared with the rest of the Gerudo. Also, because she is a noble thief who desires to help anyone in need, there was no way that she would stay away. I will admit though my sister that it did take some strong magic to be able to project an image of someone who has entered the temple to seek help," replied Trixie.
" And here I assumed that you were merely using a form of deception," said Chrysalis.
" Nabooru may be a lot of things Kotake, but an idiot is not one of them. She would have figured it out immediately had I used deceitful means. The one that she is going to assist is a Hylian as conjured by my magic, and it will disappear once its task has been accomplished.
I need to maintain this spell for as long as possible, for the forest girl needs to reach the guardian otherwise she may attempt to go back and aid our traitorous friend," said Trixie.
" Of course, if she is killed before reaching the guardian, then you don't need to keep the spell going as it would just be a waste of magical energy. It appears she has been caught in the crossfire of Beamos statues, and I can sense that she is struggling to deal with the situation because of how many creatures are attacking her all at once.
I suspect she will overcome such odds, for she is someone who has constantly defied expectations. I had assumed she was going to die mere minutes after entering our temple, yet she is almost at the location of one of the sacred treasures hidden here. The loss of one such bauble means nothing to the Great Ganondorf, for he has eyes only on the Triforce, but it would look bad if we were to lose something of great value as the silver power, and even worse should the ultimate defence be lost," said Chrysalis.
" Then our suspicions are true about her having once had the keys to the Sacred Realm," said Trixie.
" It has become quite infuriating that we have been misjudging everything regarding this girl, and for that we would be viewed as even weaker if word of this humiliation were to reach the ears of the Great Ganondorf," said Chrysalis.
" What do you suggest Kotake?" asked Trixie.
" That we keep this little incident to ourselves Koume even if it means having to deceive him in the process. I am sure that he won't think any less of us in the future if we didn't let him know that a forest girl succeeded in worming her way through our temple. Anyway, we should resume our focus on Nabooru as she is the one who needs to be dealt with as we have a much better understanding of her.
Once she has reached her destination, you can cease with your spell, and we shall make our way down to the temple entrance. I doubt the former second-in-command will be able to escape before we get a hold of her," replied Chrysalis.
" I'm not sure if we should ignore the girl because of how unpredictable she has been," said Trixie.
" We'll deal with her once Nabooru has been taken care of, for you know the Great Ganondorf wishes for her to be put back in line. Her stunt at the castle where she ordered his vassals to return to the Gerudo's Fortress has infuriated him with her actions, and combined with what Spitfire revealed, he desires her to be adjusted if you will so that she will never betray him again," said Chrysalis.
" Then the only means which can ensure she remain loyal would be to brainwash her. While most of the Gerudo who thought they could betray the law have ended up succumbing to our magic, Nabooru is different because she has a strong spirit which means she is likely to resist the standard spell we use. We will need to use a more powerful spell if we are to keep her under control, yet just simply brainwashing her is not going to be enough," said Trixie.
" What did you have in mind?" asked Chrysalis.
" We could always change her into a monster and have her serve him that way," replied Trixie.
" That does seem like the logical solution to the problem," said Chrysalis.
" Of course, there is one problem we must address if we're to make all of this work Kotake. Even though she is no longer the second-in-command due to being exiled after her treachery was exposed, Nabooru still has a lot of respect among the Gerudo, and they are bound to notice something is wrong if she were to suddenly disappear without a reason. While she has disappeared at times to come here to get away from her problems before we took it, if she gone for too long, they will suspect foul play for certain.
We must spread some kind of rumour where she has decided to live in the desert, and refuses to return. As long as no one in the fortress decides to try and find out why she insists on staying away, we won't have to worry about a thing," laughed Trixie.
" Spitfire will make sure that all of them will fall in line," said Chrysalis.
" Now we need to go back to the problem of the forest girl," said Trixie.
" There is nothing we can do that will stop from her from fighting the guardian, so whether she lives or not means nothing for if the latter occurs, we will just revive her until she opens the entrance to the Sacred Realm. There is one other thing about her from my observations which may be a concern," said Chrysalis.
" What is it?" asked Trixie.
" Earlier, I said that she possessed a great deal of courage. I am sensing a rather faint power inside of her that appears to be resonating with one of the pieces of the Triforce. It does sound rather absurd Koume given no one has laid their hands on the golden power for centuries, yet I cannot deny what I am feeling as my readings have never been wrong before," replied Chrysalis.
" Then we shall look into this once we've finished with Nabooru," said Trixie.

Having all of these Beamos fire their laser beams at me all at once was rather intense, and it was a reminder that my reaction time really needed to get better. The most experienced hero would have deflected all of these lasers with the use of a shield, and while I was able to raise my shield to deflect the last lasers, I wasn't fast enough so I got hit by the first ones that reached me.
Spike wasn't kidding when he said that the lasers would be devastating, for each one that hit me felt like someone was striking various parts of my body using pinpoint accuracy. By the time this deadly stream came to an end, I was reeling from the wounds I had taken, and managed to find a good hiding spot which would keep me out of their line of sight.
Of course, I couldn't stay hidden forever as I had to come up eventually if I am to proceed to the next room. I really wish that I had left the temple long enough to get some potions, but doing that would have caught the attention of Rainbow Dash.
" I still think I could have gotten a potion or two without her noticing me," I moaned.
" Nabooru's sharp hearing would have detected her to your presence, and ensure that you never be allowed to enter this part of the temple again. Like I said, the Gerudo take their laws and legends seriously," said Spike.
" Which has become quite a problem given that those laser beams did hurt as you said they would." I said.
" You were lucky to have used your shield to protect yourself," said Spike.
" Not fast enough given that I got hit by the initial beams. I'm still feeling the smell of burnt flesh which isn't pleasant mind you, but the problem is that I've been wounded in places that restrict my movement until I can heal my injuries. My legs got hit, so right now I can't walk very well, and my right arm has also suffered which leaves me unable to use most of my weapons," I said.
" Can you still use your other arm?" asked Spike.
" It's perfectly fine," I answered.
" Then you'll be able to take these things down," said Spike. I'm not sure what idea he had in mind, but I was so desperate what with my condition being the way it is, I was willing to try anything. He suggested to use my good arm to toss Bombs at them making sure I take advantage of the terrain so as to avoid taking additional damage. It sounded dangerous because if their laser beams hit me a few more times, it will get me killed.
Just thinking about it was enough to make me feel sick, but I had to risk my life if I am to get through this room in one piece. I decided that the Beamos closest to the portcullis I entered the room from would be the best one to take out first, so I reached into my Bomb Bag where I suddenly had a thought.
" Would Bombchu work against a Beamos?" I asked.
" It should considering it's a mobile bomb, yet the problem is the angles of this room are against you," replied Spike.
" Plus, I need to know where I'm aiming otherwise it will just go off in a random direction, and those Beamos are waiting for me to reveal myself where they'll proceed to blast me with a barrage of lasers," I added.
" Guess bombs are your only option," said Spike. While I would have preferred to go with using my magic as it wouldn't require any movement from my body, these monsters are sadly immune to magic, so blowing them up was the only choice at my disposal. Taking out a bomb from my Bomb Bag, I tossed it over a wall I was pressing up against, and hoped that I was going to connect with something.
A few seconds later, and it exploded where I saw the head of a Beamos flying through the air before it too exploded, so that was one taken care of with a few more to go.
" Will the others know where I am now that I've destroyed one of them?" I asked.
" Despite being deadly with those laser beams, they have next to no intelligence to speak of. Their purpose is merely to act as a sentry, and attack anything that enters its line of sight by shooting a laser," replied Spike.
" It's going to take me a few moments to slide over to the next one as my legs are too wounded," I said. My legs felt like they were about to fall off because of how much pain they were in, but I knew that I must keep going and apply a grin and bear it approach. Sliding across the floor wasn't my idea of having fun, but it was all I could until my legs got better. Once again, I've only myself to blame because I didn't bother to get some potions prior to entering the temple, and as a result I'm paying for my mistake.
At least I can take solace in the fact that the other Beamos haven't detected me as I slowly slid over to where I could see another wall which I can use to hide. If any were to spot me right now while I'm at my most vulnerable....I'd rather not think about it. When I reached the wall, I looked up and there was one above me, and this made me feel really uneasy as I was right next to it.
" I hope that its laser beam doesn't travel this far down as I have no means to protect myself." I know that I have my Hylian Shield, yet I don't have enough strength to assume a fetal position, so deflecting any attacks isn't going to work, so using bombs is my only option until the room is clear of these monsters. Never have I felt this vulnerable before in my life, and this wasn't even the worst of what this temple was going to throw at me. No, there was much worse to come.
" The laser shouldn't reach you from this position, so you've actually found the ideal spot with which to avoid being hit," said Spike.
" At least that's one bit of good news," I said.
" Just be careful when you throw bombs otherwise it could bounce off a bad angle, and come back to you before exploding. You're not immune to your own bombs, so you could potentially die if you accidentally blow yourself up a few times," said Spike.
" Figured that would be the case," I sighed.
" Also, throw them straight away because they will blow up in your hands if held onto for too long," added Spike. I wish he could have told me this a long time ago, and when I wasn't in a lot of pain, for now I have to be even more careful unless I want the smell of exploding bombs all over me.
Taking out a bomb from my Bomb Bag, I tossed it up at a sharp angle hoping it would sail over the Beamos, and destroy it from the other side. At first it looked like it was going to drop back down on me and cause me some injury, but the curve at the apex was enough to have it land where I needed it to be. The bomb exploded and it took the monster down with it when it exploded followed by its head.
" That's another one down," I said.
" Now you have three more to go," said Spike.
" Guess I'd better keep going," I sighed. I repeated the process although against the third one I almost got blown up myself as the bomb landed a little too close to me which nearly gave me a heart attack. Then the one after that was blown up although this one required me to throw at least five bombs; a perfect reminder of how bad my aiming really was.
Now only one remained which meant I was almost finished with them. " Where is the last one located Spike? I'd look up and see where it is, but I'm afraid of it discovering me, and subsequently firing a laser my way."
" Give me a few moments to find out," suggested Spike.
" No! If you fly up then you're bound to get hit," I said.
" I'm going to be just fine," said Spike.
" And how do you figure that?" I asked.
" Fairies are small in size compared to other creatures in Hyrule, so laser beams fired from a Beamos won't hit us. Also, my kind are immune to laser fire which is an ability you probably wish that you had right now," replied Spike. Was he kidding me here!?!? He is unaffected by laser beams, and I have to suffer because I'm not a fairy? Irony can really be a cruel master when it decides to throw these curveballs at people, and this was perhaps one of the biggest ironic moments I've ever experienced.
He then flew upwards and saw that the last Beamos was on the other side of the room, yet it noticed him and fired a laser beam which went right through him without anything happening. If this was an unintentional moment of adding insult to injury, my pain had just gotten even worse. " It's on the other side of the room, so you'll need to slide a bit before you can reach it and administer a bomb."
" Sometimes I wish that I could have been brought here as a fairy," I moaned.
" If you had been, everything you've done to bring light back to the kingdom wouldn't have happened," said Spike.
" Yeah, I guess you're right," I said.
" Once this last Beamos has been destroyed, you can relax for a while until some of those wounds of yours heal. Lucky for you, those laser beams didn't cut deep, so it's not like you're going to be losing any limbs or anything like that," said Spike. That may have been a relief on my part, but I wish he hadn't said that as the thought of losing any body parts was just too gruesome to even think about.
I slid over to where the final one was, and even though it did fire its laser at me, I was able to avoid it and reached the safety spot right below. Taking out one last bomb from my Bomb Bag, I tossed it where it sailed over the monster, and exploded destroying it in the process where it left behind some additional bombs which I picked up.
" Finally, I can relax," I sighed.
" Until you have to solve the remaining puzzles in this room," added Spike. I had almost forgotten about those, but I could now take my time given the main threat has been taken care of. Still, I need these wounds to heal before I can do anything, so it looks like I'm going to be sitting here for a while. It would take roughly half an hour before I could move any of my body parts that were wounded, for waiting around allowed me to heal a little bit.
With all of the Beamos now gone, I could now see what this room was really like, so I took the liberty of walking around and seeing what else needed to be done. The silver rupees were in pretty easy locations compared to previous situations where I had to use unusual tactics to get my hands on them, and the large number of unlit torches were suspicious. That's when I discovered the sun switch, and it was attached to the top of a block, so that means it needs to be dragged over to where the sunlight is shining.
" So what do you think I should do first?" I asked.
" The sun switch seems to be the most obvious thing to get out of the way," replied Spike.
" Yeah, I was thinking of that myself," I said.
" I hope you've got your strength back as you need to pull one block out of the way before you can get to the one that has the switch located on it," said Spike. It turns out he was right as the block I need to expose to the sunlight was behind another one, so that meant I needed some strength otherwise I won't be able to push and/or pull anything. Grabbing the first block with my hands, I pulled it along a short distance before pushing it out of the path of the one I need to place into the sunlight.
Then I started pulling this on, and when it got basked in the sunlight, the switch glowed where it opened its eyes wide before showcasing its grin which I still felt was creepy to see. This resulted in the iron bars rising up allowing me to finally move on, yet I still have these silver rupees and torches to deal with.
" The doors are open, yet it feels like I need to do more," I said.
" I have a hunch that this is meant to trick you into moving forward, and perhaps leave behind something important," said Spike.
" Since there is no fire that can light these torches, and my own fire magic isn't going to work, it looks like collecting these silver rupees is what I need to do next. Maybe getting them all will cause one of the torches to ignite," I suggested.
" It's worth a try," said Spike. Some of the silver rupees were suspended in the air, so that meant having to jump off from the raised platform in the middle of the room, or I could pull one of the blocks and climb on top to pick them up that way. After thinking it over for a few seconds, I pulled one of the remaining blocks where it served as an additional platform for me to reach what I needed, so now I began collecting the rupees which didn't take as long as I was expecting.
At least this was giving me some extra money which I definitely needed because of being on the verge of death yet again! I wasn't having the best of luck when it comes to these dungeons as every time I entered one, I would be fighting for my life in one way or another, and the problem could be easily mitigated through the consumption of a potion. Upon collecting the final silver rupee, the one torch which stood out the most suddenly lit up, so now I have to light up the rest.
" Hopefully, I'll get a reward for lighting them up," I said.
" Do you have any Deku Sticks?" asked Spike.
" Why do I need those?" I asked.
" Without one, you have no way of spreading the lit torch around to the other ones," replied Spike.
" The last time I used one was back in Dodongo's Cavern, and I don't seem to recall picking any up since then," I said.
" Better check what you have in terms of equipment, because we're not going to be able to proceed without one," said Spike. If I was missing a mere stick which I apparently need to light up these torches, I'm going to be downright furious. I should be able to use my magic to light the torches, but the laws of this world prevent me from doing so. Once again, the way this world works just doesn't make sense where my own magic would work in the same manner as proper flames.
I walked over to where the lit torch was before sitting down, and started to go through my inventory hoping to find a Deku Stick somewhere on my person. I remember defeating a lot of monsters in the Kokiri Forest due to the curse afflicting the Forest Temple, and upon their defeat many dropped these sticks which I picked up, yet Spike said that I couldn't use them at the time because I was too old or something like that. That's when I pulled out a long stick from out of nowhere, so I assume that this was it.
" Looks like a have a Deku Stick," I said.
" That's a relief Sunset Shimmer, for I was afraid you didn't have one," said Spike.
" I collected some back when the forest was crawling with monsters due to the Forest Temple," I said.
" Ah yes, you defeated all of those Big Deku Babas which were dropping Deku Sticks and Deku Nuts like crazy. You couldn't use the former at the time, but now you can because this is the past where you had access to weapons used by children," said Spike.
" Hopefully this stick will last long enough," I said.
" It takes about ten seconds for a Deku Stick to burn away to nothing should you light it on fire, yet you can keep the stick active if you keep on lighting up torches until you've finished, and then you can just let it burn," said Spike.
" You know, I'm curious if these sticks have any other purpose," I said.
" They can be used as a substitute for a sword, yet they instantly break if it comes into contact with anything. In fact, a Deku Stick has the same amount of power as the Master Sword which does sound shocking, but it's only when you perform a jump attack. Using regular attacks makes it as powerful as a slightly stronger Kokiri Sword, but you can only carry around so many sticks," said Spike.
I wish that he could have told me that back when I was first starting out on this journey as I could have used a few Deku Sticks as a means of getting used to using a sword, and not wind up struggling for a great period of time upon claiming the Master Sword. Sighing heavily, I took out a stick, and plunged it into the lit torch before running around and lighting the rest in a quick fashion which caused a small treasure chest to drop down from the ceiling.
" I hope this is worth it," I said.
" It should be given what you had to do in order to get it," said Spike.
" I'm going to take a guess and say that this chest contains a key," I said. I then made my way over to where it had dropped down, and kicked it open which indeed revealed a small key. I had a hunch that I needed it almost straight away, so I placed it in my pocket before walking to the portcullis which I didn't enter this room from. When I opened it and walked into the next room, I was faced with a flight of stairs that went up to a portcullis with a padlock on it, so it was a good thing that I solved all those puzzles.
There was nothing of particular note about this room, yet I felt a feeling of dread that something powerful was waiting for me in the room beyond. It's as though this room were created as a rest area before moving on, and having to face impossible odds. Knowing there was no other choice, I began to walk up the stairs until my foot kicked something. " Huh? My foot just hit some kind of invisible object."
" I did hear a knocking sound," said Spike.
" Do you suppose it could be a hidden treasure chest?" I asked.
" Maybe, but we won't know for certain until you can see it with your own eyes," replied Spike. That was the signal to take out the Lens of Truth, and it had been a while since it was last used. When I raised it to my eye, the chest in question did appear, and there was another one located on the opposite side, and hopefully one of them will give me some much need health as even though my wounds have healed somewhat, I'm still feeling pretty weak.
Kicking open the first chest revealed a recovery heart which was a good start, for a small portion of my strength came back upon collecting it, and when I went over to kick the second chest open, I took out a second recovery heart making me feel even better when I picked it up. It may not be entirely enough to restore my health back to full, but it was better than nothing. If these chests had contained rupees, I would have been disappointed, but only slightly as money can get me potions later.
" My body is still recovering from the laser beams from the previous room," I said.
" Yet you need to keep going," said Spike.
" I know, and that will make things more difficult," I sighed. After putting the lens away, I walked up to the portcullis and unlocked it using the small key. In the next room, I discovered that it was filled with pillars of solid stone which made me feel like I was in some kind of shrine and were arranged in a symmetrical pattern.
The room quickly turned to the left where I followed it along before coming face-to-face to what appeared to be a rather crude looking throne made of bricks, but it was what was sitting on the throne which made my face turn pale.
Sitting there was a heavily armoured figure wielding a massive axe, yet he wasn't moving an inch as though he weren't alive. I could feel a terrible power emanating from this figure, and it made me want to turn around and head back the other way, but the portcullis I entered from had iron bars blocking my way, and the other portcullis behind the throne also had iron bars. " This figure looks awfully familiar to me as though I've seen it somewhere before."
" It should remind you of what we saw at the end of the Haunted Wasteland," said Spike.
" You mean this is a....?" I asked.
" An Iron Knuckle, yet this would be the normal version. What we saw out in the desert was definitely different from what we're seeing here, yet it's the same general monster. I already told you much about this creature, yet now I can tell you even more because we're looking at one. That axe its wielding will hurt a lot if it connects with you, and because of those injuries you sustained, this Iron Knuckle only needs to connect a few times in order to kill you.
Luckily, it moves slowly so it is easy to avoid its attacks, but again it will do a lot of damage should it connect. I do suggest not trying to attack it from behind as on occasion it will turn around to counter-attack, and you should know that it will use its axe to repel anything you try to use sometimes. It doesn't do it all the time mind you, yet don't assume that it won't react in such a way because it will if it musters up enough intelligence to consider it," replied Spike.
" If I keep my distance, I'll make short work of this thing with my magic," I said.
" Your magic is useless against it because its armour is immune to any and all forms of magic," said Spike.
" Are you serious?" I asked.
" Not only that, but it's immune to projectile weapons although both bombs and Bombchu can be used, yet that's far too slow and will leave you vulnerable to its attacks. This means the Kokiri Sword is your only option, but you should know that when you hit Iron Knuckle, you're not actually causing any damage to it directly.
Instead, all you'll be doing is damaging the plate of the armour that surrounds the torso. Hit it enough times, and it will fall off where it will become vulnerable although you'll need to use your sword as it will still be immune to all of those things I mentioned," replied Spike.
" Great! I haven't even started fighting this thing, and I'm already at a disadvantage," I moaned.
" Now all you need to do is figure out how to get it to move," said Spike.
" Why? I'm standing right in front of it, so it should just get up and attack me," I said.
" While that's true, it is currently sleeping because they say that Iron Knuckle waits for centuries at a time in order to battle against an opponent. It won't just get up and attack as not many have ever managed to reach one as they wait in hard to reach places, and even fewer have managed to overcome one due to how strong they can be," said Spike.
This was perhaps the most unusual aspect in all of this because the Iron Knuckle was just sitting there as though it were just an ordinary statue, so I decided to get closer to it. When I walked up to it, I could see that it's armour was very heavy and thick which means it could take an awful lot of punishment before going down, yet it was just a suit of armour and nothing more.
That axe was dangerous as I could see the sharpness on the edge, and I don't want to experience that connecting with me. Because the iron bars on the portcullises have trapped me in here, I have no choice but to fight, and perhaps my only means of getting it to even do anything was to strike it. Drawing the Kokiri Sword from its scabbard, I looked at it quickly, and came to the very conclusion Rainbow Dash said to me....what kind of a sword was this?
It's like I'm using a tiny little knife against a massive blade like the Biggoron Sword I acquired in the future if I had to give this a proper comparison, yet there was no other choice as this was all I could use in this time period. I closed my eyes and struck the Iron Knuckle which at first did nothing, so maybe I did something wrrong, but then it suddenly made a grunting sound where it got up onto its feet and took a single step before swinging its axe.
" YEEEOOOWWW!" I screamed as the axe connected with my side causing me to go flying back a lengthy distance.
" Are you alright?" asked Spike.
" This monster certainly has a lot of power at its command," I replied.
" You were lucky your torso didn't suffer a severe wound, and instead it was just a mere graze. If you had been just a little bit closer when it swung its axe, you'd have a deep wound on your side right now where the skin would be dangling off," said Spike.
" Not the kind of image I want to think about," I moaned.
" My intention of using that rhetoric was to warn you not to get hit by its axe," said Spike. Now that he mentions it, I'm glad he warned me because its weapon combined with its immense power would slice me in half without much effort. The Iron Knuckle continued walking towards me, and sure enough it was moving at a slow pace, so this would give me some time to plan a means of fighting back.
" Now I wish that I had the Master Sword," I moaned.
" Well you don't right now, so you'll need to use what you have in order to strike at that plate," said Spike.
" If those witches wanted me to die, then this was the right method given how I've only just started this fight, and already I'm afraid to carry on because I could be killed with ease should its axe connect at the wrong times. I may have gotten better at using a sword, but this is something that's way out of my league.
I should have just gone back to Hyrule Castle Town, grabbed some potions, and then return here despite what Rainbow Dash would have said. I know she has a strong sense of enforcement when it comes to following the laws of her people, but I needed the healing items because I'm not the kind of hero who can go around and defeat monsters without ever getting hit in the process," I said.
" And yet she would have denied you the right to come this way," said Spike.
" I'd have gone anyway regardless," I said. The Iron Knuckle in the meantime wasn't concerned with the fact that Spike and I were having a slight argument, so when it came up to me due to being distracted, it came to a stop about four steps away before it swung its axe smashing one of the pillars down. This produced some hearts which I need to pick up as I need all of them that I can get. " Looks like destroying those pillars provides me with some health recovery, so maybe I can do the same thing?"
" It's axe is powerful enough to do that, but you can't bring any of them down," replied Spike.
" Figures that my abilities and weapons lacked the appropriate power, yet I can still have this guy get me what I need," I said.
" When it slams its axe into the ground, it will be stuck for about two seconds, and that's all the free time you'll have to damage that plate on its armour before it picks it back up, and resumes its method of fighting. If you're really good at using the Kokiri Sword, you should be able to get in at least two or three hits," said Spike. A shame that my skills are lacking, for what he said would have applied better to someone who knew what they were doing.
But because I'm me, I guess the best that I can do is just hope that I can defeat it before it can kill me. I then tried to grab the hearts which came out from the broken pillar, but I almost got sliced in half by that massive axe as it came done mere inches away from my face. It struggled to lift the weapon back up, and I took advantage by striking it a couple of times although it didn't feel a thing.
" Are you sure this is going to work?" I asked.
" It's the only option you have until that plate falls off," replied Spike. Upon grabbing the hearts, I did feel slightly better although I'm certain I'll lose this feeling when that axe connects with me again which I'm sure it will. The Iron Knuckle then continued to walk towards me where each step it took make a distinct clanking sound, and my fear kept growing the closer it came and the louder it was getting.
I had to get close because my sword lacks a good enough reach, yet that would place me in the range of being struck down by its weapon, so I was essentially in a difficult position where making one mistake would cost me everything. When it got close enough, it swung its axe back and forth, yet I couldn't seem to get through, but I managed to score a couple of hits when its axe slammed into the ground after finishing with its swing.
Then I had the idea of walking around behind it in the hopes of getting in some sneak attacks, yet I forgot Spike told me not to do that because of how it can counter-attack, so when I got behind it and whacked it a few more times, it suddenly turned around swinging its axe in the process. I got hit by it again, and flew across the room although once again luck was with me because the wound wasn't serious, yet I couldn't keep on relying on doing this constantly.
" That idea didn't work," I sighed.
" I told you not to do that because it will counter-attack," said Spike.
" At least I didn't lose anything although my luck is sure to run out," I said.
" Make sure it doesn't otherwise the next time it hits you with that axe is going to be very costly," said Spike.
" Despite the fact that is isn't reacting to my strikes against its armour and is merely shrugging them off, I have noticed that it has a pretty simple attack pattern. All it does is walk around slowly until it either gets close to me, or I move close to it, and then attacks by swinging its axe in one of two ways. I'm surprised that it fights in such a basic manner, yet it hits with a force stronger than most monsters given what it has been doing against me thus far," I said.
" That's why they fear it because the power of an Iron Knuckle is greater than all other monsters in Hyrule. In fact, it is even stronger than many of the boss monsters you've defeated in the dungeons we've explored," said Spike. Right now, I just wanted to get as far away from this one as possible, but if I were to run away with my tail between my legs, then this world would be doomed in the future.
No, I have to keep going because I must overcome it no matter how difficult the challenge appears to be. The Iron Knuckle walked towards me again, so I decided to take a risk by getting close, and it responded by slamming its axe into the ground. It missed me by a couple of centimeters this time around, but I struck the armour plate a few more times which still didn't seem to faze it. I quickly moved back because as it lifted up the axe, it swung it back and forth because one of the pillars was in its way.
" It doesn't care whatever gets in its path," I said.
" Iron Knuckles do have a one-track mind, for they merely carry out one function," said Spike.
" Destroy?" I asked.
" Correct, and they certainly have the power to back up their intended purpose," replied Spike.
" I wish that I could transform as that would make this so much easier," I sighed.
" Without the Master Sword in your possession, you can't do that as its power combined with your emotions trigger the change. So all you can do is keep going until that plate falls off," said Spike. I've probably hit that part of its body at least a dozen times now, and it still hasn't reacted as though my attacks aren't being effective.
I then suddenly remembered that when the pillars are destroyed when the Iron Knuckle smashes them to pieces using its axe, hearts drop out and I need to collect them to keep up my health due to a lack of potions on my person. I then ran over to where they had fallen, yet this time I was too slow and the Iron Knuckle connected with its axe causing me to suffer a massive gash across my stomach.
" AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!"
" Sunset Shimmer!" exclaimed Spike.
" I'm alright, yet that blow really hurt," I said.
" Can you keep going despite having an open wound on your stomach that appears to be bleeding profusely?" asked Spike.
" I've no other choice but to continue, yet I suppose I could just warp out of here using one of Sheik's songs, then come back after recovering from these wounds and acquiring the necessary potions. I know what Rainbow Dash might do, but now I have no other choice because this monster can kill me with just one more blow," I replied.
Even though my wound caused me to hold onto it with my left hand to try and contain the bleeding, I was still able to use my other hand to put my sword away, and take out the Ocarina of Time from the pouch on my belt.
I played the Prelude of Light as it was the first song that came into my mind, and I hoped that I would be taken to the Temple of Time, but nothing happened which struck me as being very odd. " Huh? How come I'm not warping away? It should have worked the moment I finished playing the song."
" There must be some kind of magical barrier that prevents you from warping out of here," said Spike.
" If this is the work of those witches, then how did they know?" I asked.
" They probably had no idea you could warp around the kingdom with those melodies, but they do know you can use magic, so they must have created this barrier to prevent you from making this conflict easy for you. I suspect they've been watching you ever since we first entered the temple, and are adjusting the difficulty out of fear that you're becoming a problem," replied Spike.
This made the situation even worse, and now I must defeat this Iron Knuckle if I hope to get out of here. I was thinking of using those recovery hearts sparingly if I had left and come back with potions, but now I need to use them to prevent any further blood loss. The wound across my stomach was still bleeding, and I could feel the blood trickling down my hands which made me feel really uncomfortable, yet I have to stay strong if I'm going to get through this.
" Guess I'm fighting after all," I sighed as I put the Ocarina of Time away, and drew the Kokiri Sword again. The hearts were still there, and I ran as fast as possible to pick them up just as the Iron Knuckle slammed its axe down again. Since I needed more health, I began to lure it around where it destroyed each of the pillars one by one until nothing was left aside from its throne. With each destroyed pillar, three hearts appeared and I grabbed them all regaining my health in the process.
My stomach wound stopped bleeding yet I still had a scar which would take time for it to heal. Suddenly, the Iron Knuckle slammed its axe down next to me because I suspect it was tired of being lured around, so using my sword, I slashed at the plate a few more times before it fell off and clanked along the ground where it burned away. " Finally! That plate has come off which means I can now attack it!"
" Be careful Sunset Shimmer as this is where it gets tricky," said Spike.
" How so?" I asked.
" Now that you've exposed its stomach by removing the plate that was protecting it, the Iron Knuckle is going to start running after you although it's more like a brisk jog. The point is it will start to act more aggressive as its weak spot is vulnerable. Just keep attacking it and it will go down after a while, and you should also know that when you connect against it this time, it will reel in pain thus disrupting its attack pattern whereas before hitting the plate didn't slow it down," replied Spike.
As if on cue, it grunted with a more serious tone before starting to run after me. When it got close enough, it swung its axe around faster than ever, and I can assume it has to do with its weak spot now being open to attack.
" Those swings have gotten erratic," I said.
" It's in a state of frenzy, so be careful otherwise you'll lose more than blood," said Spike. It then slammed its axe down by lurching forward which it never did in any of its previous attacks, and for that I was caught off guard where the impact from the collision instead of the axe itself sent me flying back.
" I'm okay Spike! The vibration from where it slammed its weapon into the ground is what sent me back here," I said. The Iron Knuckle then started running towards me, but now I knew what it was capable of when like this, so I got close to it before quickly stepping away as it slammed its axe into the ground again.
I struck it a few times in response where each blow disrupted its momentum and prevented any kind of retaliation, yet I got a little too carried away as it got up and lurched forward hitting me where my stomach wound was, but I was lucky that it didn't start bleeding again.
" Don't get too greedy," said Spike.
" Duly noted," I said. If I get hit like that in the stomach again, the wound is going to open and more than blood is going to gush out, so I need to finish this now before that can happen. The Iron Knuckle ran towards me again before swinging its axe around in a crazy manner before slamming it down.
I barely got over in time, so I could only hit it once before running away as it pursued me with its own means of running. I then decided to lure it over to its throne hoping that it could be destroyed, and sure enough the monster smashed it in without any concern allowing me to grab the hearts which fell out.
I guess the destruction of where it was sitting meant nothing as it resumed its assault by slamming its axe down merely inches away from where I was standing. Before it had the chance to pick up its weapon, I slashed away one last time which was enough to defeat it, and while this was happening, the two witches reacted to what I had just accomplished although they weren't at all surprised.

" The forest girl defeated our guardian," said Trixie.
" Which means the time has come for us to make our strike against Nabooru," said Chrysalis.
" I had hoped our guardian would have killed the girl just because she has proven to be a nuisance, but I suppose this does mean that she can fulfill her destiny and open the way to the Sacred Realm for the Great Ganondorf," said Trixie.
" She still needs an incentive to make her hurry over to the Temple of Time, or else she is merely going to delay things which would be problematic at such a delicate moment. The Hylian king is dead and there is confusion all across this kingdom, yet the momentum cannot be broken now otherwise our efforts will bear us nothing but an agonizing defeat my sister.
Should the princess rally the people behind her before the Great Ganondorf can secure the golden power, they shall end up defeating him, and the Gerudo will become even more isolated than ever before given how testy relations are already," said Chrysalis.
" What will it take to get the forest girl to act quickly?" asked Trixie.
" Since she has shown quite a strong connection with Nabooru, why not abduct our traitor before her eyes. That should be more than enough to convince her to want to go to the temple in an effort to save the wretch," replied Chrysalis.
" Then we shall do exactly that," said Trixie.
" By the way, there is something I've been meaning to talk to you about," said Chrysalis.
" What is that?" asked Trixie.
" Recently, I decided to check on what kind of treasures the Great Ganondorf has stored away here in the temple in case he needed something to use, and it seems that one ring is missing which has me suspect that Nabooru must have taken it with her before she was forced to abandon this place," replied Chrysalis.
" That was a long time ago, so I'm sure that it doesn't mean anything," said Trixie.
" It belonged to that good wizard among the ancient Gerudo," sighed Chrysalis.
" What!?!? If she stole that so many years ago, then where could it be right now? That ring is the one thing that can allow the chosen one to open the way to the true sacred treasure of our people according to our legends....could that forest girl be in possession of it? It would be a serious blow against us if she did have it," said Trixie.
" No, I don't believe the girl does otherwise we would have known about it by now. We can deal with this recent situation after we take care of Nabooru, and now we have another reason to punish her. She must learn to never steal from the Great Ganondorf as that is truly an act of betrayal," said Chrysalis.

" You did it!" exclaimed Spike.
" That was the most difficult thing I've done so far on this journey," I said. The Iron Knuckle dropped to its knees before burning away to nothing, and the iron bars rose up on both portcullises giving me my freedom. " If this had been the future, it would have been defeated in a much quicker fashion because I have much stronger weapons compared to what I used here. Oh well....I finally defeated it, so now I can obtain the Silver Gauntlets."
It then dawned on me that I had to give them to Rainbow Dash because I did agree to her proposal earlier despite not really having much of a choice. Well....as long as she can push that giant block at the start of the temple, I shouldn't really complain because she will grant me access to that area of the temple, but it will depend on whether I can explore it or not as I currently am.
" What are you thinking?" asked Spike.
" Even though I'll be getting those gauntlets, I won't be able to use them," I replied.
" Yes, for you need to keep your promise to Nabooru," said Spike.
" I feel that I deserve them because I had to endure this intense fight, and all she did was go back to the beginning because she said that she heard someone calling out for help which is no doubt a trap. Sigh, sometimes doing the right thing can be annoying," I said.
" And yet you must because those gauntlets won't be able to fit you," said Spike.
" At least I'll be able to open the treasure chest which is something she will never get to experience," I said. Walking over to the portcullis that was behind the throne, I opened it up and entered a cave that looked completely out of place. A white light at the end of the cave indicated the exit, so there was three different entrances to the Spirit Temple despite two located on a pair of giant hands. Knowing that there was no where else to go except towards the light, I walked forward and went outside where it was still dark out.
" Hey, what's up, Sunset Shimmer? Surprised to see me?"
" WAAAAH!" It had been a very long time since he last scared the living daylights out of me, but standing on the fingers of the desert goddess' hand was Flash Sentry riding on top of his trusty owl who never seems to talk despite having quite a powerful stare which does feel intimidating at times.
" Even now after all this time, you still end up freaking out whenever someone speaks to you all of a sudden," said Flash Sentry.
" What are you doing here?" I asked.
" I heard from a very reliable source that you were able to open the entrance to the Sacred Realm by using the three Spiritual Stones and the Ocarina of Time, and I must say that you have defied my expectations. This same source also told me that you even drew the legendary Master Sword which had been resting in the temple for centuries. If you were trying to become a legend in this land then you have gone and done it with impressive results.
At first, I thought that you took the divine blade with you to prevent Ganondorf from entering the realm, yet you ended up getting sealed away after taking it," replied Flash Sentry. Hearing him say this was very shocking, for how would he have known about events which haven't even happened yet? Also, who is this source he claims has told him of these matters?
I always knew Flash Sentry was an unusual person, but never did I suspect that he would be aware of time travel. There was no doubt that there was more to him than appearances suggest, and I wonder if he was willing to answer my questions given how astute he is.
" Who is this source of yours?" I asked.
" Someone who exists here, and yet not here because of the effects of time," replied Flash Sentry.
" That made no sense," I moaned.
" Like you Sunset Shimmer, I have the ability to travel through time, yet I am more restricted in that I can only use my mind while you are able to use your entire being to go back and forth. A long time in this world is almost nothing to you, is it? How mysterious! By travelling through time by using the Master Sword, you've experienced things which others will never see, and understand that what may seem like forever to everyone else is mere seconds to you.
Even I thought that the tales of a girl who could travel back and forth through time was merely a legend, and yet here you are having gone and done just that. It sounds like I am contradicting myself, yet my ability to go through time is because of who I really am, and you are a child chosen by the Master Sword. I guess that you have become a legend in your own right, and your story shall be remembered for generations to come," said Flash Sentry.
" What did you mean by who you were?" I asked.
" Some say that I am the reincarnation of an ancient Sage while others claim I am someone from another world. To be honest, there are many more stories about me, and over time I've forgotten how I came to be," replied Flash Sentry. I found it all rather ironic that in this world he is a stranger who has mysterious powers, yet no one is able to understand him as he chooses not to associate with anyone.
It's like a reflection of my own experience back when I first entered the human world after going into self-exile from Equestria, and betraying Princess Celestia all because of how foolish I really was. Upon my arrival, I was unable to use magic due to no longer being a unicorn, yet I still possessed mysterious powers. I chose to keep to myself as I didn't want anyone to understand who I really was as I viewed them as tools with which I could use to fulfill my own desires.
Twilight was similar as she couldn't be understood by anyone, and she possessed mysterious powers, yet she was willing to talk to people and befriend them despite such differences between her and them. Flash Sentry in this world would have truly been able to live in Equestria although I'm not sure how he'd be able to move about if he didn't change into a pony.
" We all have many stories about us that we forget over time," I said.
" People will never forget your stories because what you have done is the stuff of legend. Sunset Shimmer, you have fully matured as an adult. From now on, the future of all the people in Hyrule is on your shoulders. I know that it sounds like I'm giving you so much pressure, yet despite so many odds stacked against you, all of them have never been able to keep you down. While I've guided you on your journey, I feel that the time has come where you can handle things on your own.
Maybe it's not my time anymore....perhaps I should choose to simply disappear, so I do have one last piece of advice. No doubt you've heard of the two witches that inhabit this temple, yet there is something about them which you didn't know about. In order to destroy them, turn their own magic power against them," said Flash Sentry.
" You're leaving?" I asked.
" I will continue to watch you....yet this will be the last time you'll see me. Don't feel sad because I am leaving, but rather continue on until Hyrule has been restored to a peaceful existence. Sunset Shimmer, perhaps one day we shall meet again, but maybe it will be in a different world," replied Flash Sentry. With that, he urged his owl companion to take to the sky, and soon he flew off into the night leaving me feeling confused because he has chosen to leave with a final farewell.
He may not be the same Flash Sentry that I knew who I dated just to further strengthen my power, but deep down a part of me felt broken due to him flying off never to be seen again. I suppose this is what he wanted, and I should accept his decision.
" Are you okay?" asked Spike.
" I'll be fine," I replied.
" Those stories about him being the reincarnation of an ancient Sage have been passed down through the generations, yet no one has ever been able to prove them as he himself doesn't know if they are true or not," said Spike.
" In a way, I'm going to miss having him around as he did provide me with a lot of guidance despite scaring me all the time. Well, if this is what he wishes to do, then I have no right to deny him this course of action," I said. At that moment, I noticed a large treasure chest was nearby, and I didn't see it before until now due to having that conversation with Flash Sentry. " I guess the Silver Gauntlets are inside of this chest, so I might as well get them and begin the long trek back to the start."
" Or you could jump down from here to the ground below," suggested Spike.
" That's a little too high for my liking, but maybe playing the Requiem of Spirit will work," I suggested. That's when my eyes detected another large treasure chest located on the other hand of the goddess, so that means the ultimate defence was right over there, yet there was no way of being able to get to it.
Walking over to the current chest and opening it up, I reached in and took out a pair of gloves which had pure silver melded into the design rather than simply being painted. " These must be what I've been looking for, and what Rainbow Dash and I both need in order to go deeper into the temple."
" These are indeed the Silver Gauntlets, and if you were to equip them, you'd have the ability to pick up and throw heavy boulders as though they were nothing. But, you can't use them as you currently are, for they were designed to fit an adult, and the promise to Nabooru needs to be kept," said Spike.
" Yes, I must keep my word," I sighed.
" You're doing the right thing Sunset Shimmer," said Spike.
" I know, and I shouldn't be upset about it because she will use these in the right manner," I said. As I stared at the Silver Gauntlets wishing that I could keep them for myself, that would be a terrible thing to do which would make me no better than Ganondorf. No, these must be delivered to Rainbow Dash as I did agree to her favour.
All of a sudden, a sandstorm came out of nowhere which blinded me for a few moments, and when it disappeared, an eye-piercing scream sounded out across the entire Desert Colossus. " What in the world was that?"
" It sounded like Nabooru," replied Spike.
" I guess this is where she disappeared," I said.
" Yes, so now we will finally get to see the truth," said Spike. I had to spend a few moments trying to figure out where that scream came from, but when I heard another noise which sounded like something hovering, I moved towards the edge of the goddess' hand, and looked down to see Rainbow Dash was struggling inside some kind of magical quicksand that was attempting to drag her down.
That's when I saw what was hovering around her, or rather who in this case. They must be the two witches, Ganondorf's surrogate mothers who have caused so much pain and suffering in the desert. One of them looked just like Trixie which made sense given how she often claimed herself to be a powerful magician, yet I had no idea who the other one was.
" Yeearggh! Let me go!" shouted Rainbow Dash.
" You know full well we cannot do that Nabooru," said Trixie.
" It is your own fault this is taking place, and you know it to be true. You should have remained loyal to the Great Ganondorf where you would have benefited in his vision of a better world, yet you chose to betray him by slowing down his plans to claim the Triforce. That stunt you pulled at Hyrule Castle was noticed by your former friend Spitfire who even now remains a faithful follower," said Chrysalis.
" Because you took advantage of her desire to become second-in-command, and you caused that accident," said Rainbow Dash.
" So, you figured out what we did to ensure that Spitfire would remain loyal to the cause. I suppose there is no reason to hide it from you given you just blurted it out for no one....aside from the forest girl. We were aware of her presence the moment she set foot inside, and while we originally wanted her to die, that has changed when we discovered the truth about her," said Trixie.
" What are you talking about?" asked Rainbow Dash.
" It's of no concern to the likes of you Nabooru," laughed Chrysalis.
" Yes, for soon you will come to understand what it means to serve the Great Ganondorf without question," said Trixie.
" You, you fiends! Ganondorf's minions! I always knew you two were behind the problems that have been plaguing the Gerudo for years, and all because you wanted everyone to obey that man no matter what. Anyone who tried to oppose his will or your own was punished, yet nothing was ever done for no one could stand up to the power you both possess. I had a suspicion you were going to do away with me, so go ahead and do your worst," said Rainbow Dash.
Seeing this conversation from my location was difficult because I wanted to get down there and save her, yet I knew this event had to take place otherwise it will disrupt the flow of time. The worst thing was that the witches were aware of my presence all along, so does it mean they know that I have the means to allow Ganondorf access to the Sacred Realm? Rainbow Dash then looked up and saw that I was watching, and she began yelling at me in the hopes of getting me to notice.
" Sunset Shimmer! Get out of here! Now! Those Silver Gauntlets that I asked you to get for me....take them and do what must be done in order to gain access to the deeper recesses of the Spirit Temple. Don't try and save me because it's too late! You were right about that call for help being a trap as these two were the ones who arranged it, yet I went anyway because my noble heart compelled me."
" How sentimental of you to reach out to her," said Trixie.
" I'm surprised Nabooru that in the end you never figured out the true purpose of this forest girl," said Chrysalis.
" It doesn't matter now my sister for this is where her life is going to change forever. We cannot allow the likes of her to continue existing as she does, for should the other Gerudo discover that she chose to resist, they in turn would rebel against the Great Ganondorf thus making things more difficult," said Trixie.
" Which is the reason why Spitfire was chosen to be the new second-in-command as she will keep them in line, and make sure none of them dare to oppose the will of their king....our loyal servant who is unaware we have been manipulating her. As for you, we will make certain you never forget your place, and curb these rebellious thoughts which have blinded you," said Chrysalis.
Just hearing all of this was enough to make me lose control of my emotions, but I can't transform right now as the Master Sword isn't in my possession, and I doubt that I can even defeat these two witches given how powerful they are. The one who I didn't recognize then turned her attention towards me which proved they knew I had been watching all this time. " Forest girl! We may not know the real reason as to why you came here to our temple, but we do know what you're going to end up doing."
To me, this was a mixed blessing because they know I'm going to allow Ganondorf to succeed in conquering Hyrule, yet they have no idea that I came here to get what I need which will help me awaken the final Sage in the future. I also know that these two witches must be defeated in order to break the curse on the temple, so I'm glad that I've gotten a look ahead at what I'm up against.
" Don't let them get you Sunset Shimmer, for they are much more powerful than they look. These witches! They're using black magic on me! You must escape before you get captured as well. If you ever see Spitfire one day in the future, I want you to break the spell which controls her mind, for she is your friend and not an enemy. Also, you know what you must do with what was given to you by my subordinate....those are my final requests," said Rainbow Dash.
The magical quicksand finally carried out its fell task by dragging her down under the sand, and the two witches laughed before going back into the temple leaving me to deal with what had just transpired before my eyes.
" So that's what happened," I said.
" I know it was really painful to watch, but it had to be done," said Spike.
" Even though I promised I would give her the Silver Gauntlets, it looks like they have become mine to use. I can't allow her fate to bring me down though as now I need to go back to the future, and move the giant block which has prevented us from exploring the other side of the temple up until this point. And, I need to use this ring in order to acquire the ultimate defence," I said.
" We must finish what we started," said Spike.
" And defeat those witches for they must be stopped," I said.
" There is one other thing," began Spike.
" What's that?" I asked.
" Sunset Demon has been waiting for you to arrive in the Spirit Temple in the future, and you must overcome her if you want to get to the witches. We forgot about her presence because of being here in the past where she doesn't exist yet, so now she is serving once again as an obstacle who is getting in the way. You will need to transform if you hope to beat her for good this time, so I think we should practice that when we return to the future," replied Spike.
The she-demon....my dark self....in all of this madness regarding the fate of Rainbow Dash, she was the last person I was thinking of, yet now she had become my main focus as in truth those witches paled in comparison to her. It looks like this is really going to be a battle of the spirit given the temple is a place where one's spirit gets tested....

To Be Continued.