The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Majora's Mask
By Ganondorf8
September 22, 2015
Chapter 2: The Tingle of Pinkie
" How am I supposed to find that mask for you in just three days?" I asked.
" If you have faith, then there is nothing that can stop you from achieving your goal, and of course you will be benefitting from this as well. If you believe that I am trying to deceive you, then there is no need to show such concerns. I do indeed have the means to break the curse, but I cannot do anything until you get back the precious item which that imp stole from you," replied Sonata. While the thought of being changed back was a very tempting offer, what she was asking of me was far greater than anything I've ever done before.
Granted, I ended up having to help a lot of people during my adventures across Hyrule, yet those had no time limits attached to them whereas this one does. Looking at the expression on Sonata's face showed me that she was really upset about having been robbed, and I can relate to her as I experienced the same thing courtesy of Starlight Glimmer. It could be that she is pretending to be upset in the hopes of making me help her out, so my thought process was seeing if I could maybe get some information that will help me get started.
" You do look very upset over losing this mask, yet I am sure that you can get it back yourself," I said.
" Under normal circumstances yes, but the imp has figured out how to tap into some of the mask's dark power. She will eventually come to wield a power that most cannot even fathom should she progress far enough with it, and because of that I am unable to do anything to stop her. You on the other hand, have dealt with such things time and again which gives you a certain knack. How grateful I would be if you could bring it back to me before my time here is up. But yes, you'll be fine. I see you are young and have tremendous courage. I'm sure you'll find it right away," said Sonata.
" Sigh, it looks like I've got no choice but to help," I sighed.
" Again, you shall benefit from this," said Sonata.
" Got any advice?" I asked.
" I haven't been here that long myself even though I did follow you, but several people may be able to help you. There is a group of children who patrol this town, and they are dedicated to fighting for justice. Despite how young they are, the people have praised them for their efforts, yet they are cautious when it comes to dealing with non-children which includes non-humans. There is one other person who can be of immense help, but I must warn you that she can be rather difficult to comprehend given how her behaviour is viewed as being odd in the eyes of others," replied Sonata.
" That's not much to go on," I said.
" Your fairy companion will be able to fill in the blanks as it were," said Sonata.
" But why three days?" I asked.
" It will become clear to you the moment you step outside of this tower. Well then, I am counting on you," replied Sonata. She then took her bag off of her back before reaching into one of her pockets, and pulled out a taco. She proceeded to sit down in order to rummage through her bag which indicated that there was no longer any need to remain here, so I walked up to the large door which opened up quite easily despite its size.
Dawn of the First Day: 72 Hours Remain
I found myself staring at what appeared to be some kind of town given how there were people walking about doing their business, several buildings which must be people's houses, and the sounds of construction were everywhere as though someone was building something very close by.
Right off the bat, I could tell that this place was different from Hyrule as it had more modern looking buildings as opposed to medieval kinds, but the strangest thing is that several people looked familiar as they were people I encountered in Kakariko Village. Surely this was because of everyone in the human world got dragged into this world, or maybe there was something else at work?
" Where are we?" I asked.
" This is Clock Town which serves as the central hub for all of Termina," replied Twilight.
" Termina?" I asked.
" That's the name of the world we're currently in. It's quite an interesting place where Clock Town is situated right in the centre of the land, so many people come and go from here in order to reach their destinations. There are four additional areas located in the four compass directions... Woodfall is situated south where many forest creatures dwell, and they say that a palace is situated at the heart of the forest which also doubles as a swamp. To the north is Snowhead, a large mountain range that can be difficult to traverse due to how often it snows there, but those who live there are used to such conditions.
Great Bay is next which lies to the west, and comprises of a coastline that stretches across western Termina, yet it can be dangerous because of the pirates who make their home there. The final area is called Ikana, but much about this area remains in shadows due to few people venturing there, for they say it's haunted by spirits... ethereal beings of an ancient kingdom that once thrived there," replied Twilight.
" Not bad for someone who is having memory issues," I said.
" I would tell you more, but that's all I'm able to recall," said Twilight.
" Well, it does give us some ideas about where we'll be visiting in order to figure out how to change things back to normal, but perhaps if we talk to some of the locals around here, they may be willing to provide additional information," I said. The thought of what kind of adventures and dangers which awaited me outside this town filled my heart with dread as it meant fighting against powerful monsters, but it had to be done in order to save this world from destruction.
It then hit me that from what I was looking at, things looked relatively peaceful, and not disastrous as Ganondorf claimed. Perhaps he was wrong? Or, maybe there was something I was missing? Either way, my mission involved figuring out where Starlight Glimmer was hiding, and I had just three days to find her and get back both the Ocarina of Time, and the mask she stole from Sonata.
" There is one person who can help us out," began Twilight.
" Who?" I asked.
" The Great Fairy who lives in the Fairy Fountain that lies in the north of town. She watches over everything that happens around here, so she most likely knows where we can find Starlight Glimmer," replied Twilight. I remember my encounters with the Great Fairy in Hyrule... all six of them, and each time I had to deal with the same person every time... Adagio Dazzle, who was the leader of the Dazzlings who used their siren voices in an attempt to try and take over the human world. Did this mean I had to deal with her in this world? Also, would she remember me from last time? Finally, would she be aware that things aren't what they are supposed to be?
" Do you know where in the north the fountain is?" I asked.
" I have no idea," replied Twilight.
" Your memories from this world really need to be worked on," I said.
" I just need to get used to the fact that I have two sets of memories, my own, and those of this character Tatl which I'm portraying. Was it this bad when you were journeying around with Spike?" asked Twilight.
" He had no memories of his real self, so he was strictly all about portraying the role of Navi the Fairy," I replied. It sounded like Twilight was really struggling, but I knew deep down that she was trying her best, and that meant not giving her any kind of pressure. I know things look pretty bad right now, but they should get better especially when we start to get an understanding as to how Termina is supposed to work. Until then, we're walking around blind which was what I was doing last time despite Spike doing his best to guide me along.
" By the way, what was up with Sonata?" asked Twilight.
" Everyone we know from the human world, and in some cases from Equestria, have been re-imagined as people who live in this video game world, but they don't realize that it's all just a video game. They think everything that has happened is all real, and for the most part they will reject any notions that things aren't meant to be like this. Only those who are the closest to us, in this case, our friends, may have an inkling that compels them to come to the understanding that we're from a different world," I replied.
" So Sonata isn't our enemy even though she was before?" asked Twilight.
" It's a case of black and white from what I discovered during my previous adventure. Those who are our friends may end up being our enemies in this world, and the same is true of our enemies being our friends here. There is no way of knowing for certain until their true natures become apparent to us," I replied.
" Things are going to be getting weird," said Twilight.
" You have no idea," I said. Both of us then laughed together which made us feel good, and this was especially true for me. In the past, I never got the chance to laugh with any friends about anything, for my focus was on my studies with Princess Celestia. In my eyes, becoming a powerful unicorn was all that mattered, and friendship was nothing short of weak and worthless.
Oh how I wish that I could have learned about such a wonderful thing as friendship much sooner than I did, for it would have meant my life going down a much different path than what really happened. Having accepted friendship into my life was the greatest thing I've ever experienced, and I'd never give it up for anything, yet there were those who feel I should have remained on the path I had chosen... those such as Sunset Demon who desired power above all else.
" Hey! Why is that one person looking up at the sky?" asked Twilight.
" Beats me, but it's probably not that important," I replied.
" Judging from his expression, he looks scared," said Twilight.
" Maybe we should look up as well?" I asked.
" It's probably nothing like you said, but we can't overlook anything," replied Twilight.
" I just need to move forward a little bit given the Clock Tower is overshadowing us with its presence," I said. Taking several steps forward until the warmth coming from the early morning sun shone down on me, I looked upwards where my entire body froze in utter horror. Floating miles above was a moon, but this one had a face which was giving off a rather menacing expression, and then something flashed in my memory.
I remember seeing that same face on the giant screen just before the tornado appeared that brought all of us into this world. Just seeing that face made me run back towards the Clock Tower in fear, and I buried my head into my hands knowing what it really meant.
" What's wrong?" asked Twilight.
" That face on the moon... it was the same one I saw when everything went wrong back in the human world," I replied.
" Do you suppose this could be what Ganondorf said about a disaster?" asked Twilight.
" I don't know as he was rather cryptic about it," I replied.
" From what I've seen so far, only the one person has shown signs of taking notice of the moon, for everyone else just seems to be focused on their lives. I hope you don't plan on going back inside Sunset Shimmer as we need to figure this out otherwise everyone is going to be stuck here forever," said Twilight.
" You're right! Even though I'm scared out of my wits knowing this revelation, I can't allow myself to become consumed with fear. Okay, we first need to figure out a plan before we do anything as we've only got 72 hours before Sonata has to leave," I said.
" Coming up with plans is my speciality, and it should only take me a few minutes to come up with something," said Twilight. She then floated down to the ground, and began scribbling on the dirt as a way of concocting a plan. While her actions did come off as somewhat unusual, I knew there was nothing to worry about even though sometimes her plans have been known to backfire. After scribbling for a few minutes, Twilight came up with a solution given how she celebrated by doing a dance while also saying the word 'yes' several times over.
" Seeing the Great Fairy is a great first step as she will no doubt tell us what we need to do in order to find Starlight Glimmer, but we could do with some kind of map that will help us navigate this town better. It may not look like it, but Clock Town is quite a large place, and getting ourselves lost would be the worst thing imaginable if you know what I mean."
" I've been around Rarity long enough to know that," I said.
" Someone in Clock Town is a specialist when it comes to making maps, so finding them is of the utmost importance," said Twilight.
" Guess I should start asking people around," I sighed. It proved to be a rather difficult task when it came to asking people for help, for many of them turned a blind eye towards me simply because of being a Deku Scrub. Those who saw past that simply referred to me as a little child who was trying to find her own way without the assistance of her parents, and even a small dog attempted to bite me which is something Starlight did warn about in her own cruel way.
After spending a good while trying to find anyone who was willing to look past my current appearance, I ended up with no progress at all, and already an hour had gone by as though it had merely been minutes. " This isn't working out very well for me Twilight!"
" People are treating you badly due to you being a Deku Scrub," said Twilight.
" It's like those few months after being defeated when I became a she-demon all over again where almost everyone shunned me just because of what I did to them," I cried.
" Blame Starlight Glimmer for having turned you into this form," said Twilight.
" She must be enjoying my misery right now," I said.
" Then you've got a strong resolve to prevent her from doing so to anyone else," said Twilight. That was a pretty interesting way to look at it, and it did make me feel better overall, but then Starlight wielded a power that could become even worse were she to somehow lose control of it. Power is a double-edged sword in that while many people strive to claim it for themselves to better their own lives, only a select few can control it.
Those who are too weak will end up being consumed by the very power they seek, and in turn will hurt others just because they couldn't succeed. My instincts convinced me to take a look behind the Clock Tower as I figured something could be hiding back there waiting for me to discover it, and sure enough I was right as there was something there... or rather someone.
" Now there's someone I've never seen before, yet she has an Equestrian feel about her," I said.
" I'll say that she does. That's Fleur Dis Lee, one of the Canterlot elite who are perhaps the most recognized ponies in Canterlot barring the princesses. Fleur is often in the company of Fancy Pants, who is at the top of the social ladder, and she is known for supporting a large number of charities. Her appearance and mannerisms do give an impression that she is snooty and superior to others, but she never thinks that way," said Twilight.
" How do you know all of this?" I asked.
" I got it from Rarity," replied Twilight.
" Ha, ha, ha, ha! I should have known considering how you've told me that the Rarity you know strives to be of the Canterlot elite, but it seems Fleur Dis Lee in this world is anything but a member of the social elite. In fact, she looks like she is the proprietor of a bank," I said.
" That's a bank!?!? It's more of a stall than anything else," said Twilight.
" We're not in Equestria anymore Twilight, so this must be the Termina version of a bank... yeah, I do see what you mean given that Equestrian banks are large and full of splendor which is also true with banks in the human world," I said.
" When you get your hands on some bits, maybe we can deposit them for safe keeping," suggested Twilight. Did she seriously just say bits? It's been a very long time since I heard that word being used to describe a currency, but sadly she was wrong. In Equestria, bits served as our means of paying for things, and took on the form of gold coins which unicorns carried around using their magic while Pegasi and earth ponies had to do so with their teeth.
I then explained to Twilight that the currency around here was the rupee given how I acquired some back when I cut the grass during my spinning practice earlier. At least Termina has the same currency as Hyrule, so I'm not completely in the dark at least when it comes to money. Fleur Dis Lee looked like she was desperate given how she kept on slapping her hands down onto the desk, but maybe she is just trying to get people to pay her a visit and deposit some of their rupees.
I quickly checked the wallet that somehow appeared out of nowhere in one of my pouches, and it contained about 20 rupees which didn't really seem like all that much. I must have acquired this wallet upon waking up after the tornado brought me here, yet it looks like it can only hold a small amount of rupees. I'd say about 100 rupees at the most which may become a problem especially if things start getting expensive.
" Guess we might as well pay her a visit," I suggested.
" With just 20 rupees?" asked Twilight.
" In Hyrule, I ended up running out of money more times than I would have liked, and I had no means of storing them somewhere in case I needed them. You never want to explore anywhere without the local currency in your pocket," I replied.
" I suppose that's true," said Twilight. I proceeded to walk up to the bank which made me feel awkward, for I had no idea as to the kind of reaction I was going to get, but luckily this was a case where it was a positive one.
" What's this? You need something from me? Oh! A new customer, and a Deku Scrub all of things. I rarely see any Deku Scrubs come to the bank because of how they are constantly mistreated by everyone around here, so you must either have tough skin to withstand all of the abuse, or you came here during our quiet period. Anyway, welcome to the bank of Clock Town as administered courtesy of the mayor!" said Fleur Dis Lee.
" I came here to deposit some rupees," I said.
" Then allow me the privilege of explaining how the bank works. Every time you pay me a visit, you can either deposit rupees or take some out if you have the need to do some spending for reasons that I'm not allowed to know as it's your business. Now, when it comes to depositing and/or withdrawing rupees, you can only give/take up to your maximum amount.
I'll get really annoyed if you tried withdrawing more rupees than what you currently have in the bank for example, so don't do anything like that! What else do I need to explain to you? Oh yes! At night, there is a small fee that I'll be enforcing whenever you've got a mind to withdraw," said Fleur Dis Lee.
" How much is the fee?" I asked.
" Four rupees," replied Fleur Dis Lee. That actually wasn't a bad thing when you consider that she could have said say something like 50 rupees, but the rest of her explanation sounded really confusing, but Twilight appeared to understand given how she was listening to everything.
" How often are you open?" I asked.
" We never close because it's my belief that the bank must be accessible at all times. Now, you probably think that I never go to sleep or anything, but even I can't escape the beautiful nature of sleep, so I do have an assistant who covers for me. You'll probably never see him working here unless you do all of your banking needs during the night," replied Fleur Dis Lee. She could tell from my expression despite being a Deku Scrub that I was still having some hesitation, so she decided to sweeten the deal as it were.
" If you deposit rupees on a regular basis, you'll end up getting some really good rewards which could prove useful." Hearing her say that did pique my interest, and she knew this.
" What kind of rewards?" I asked.
" If you can deposit over 200 rupees, I'll give you something which can enable you to carry more. Judging from your size, you must be a child which means you carry a child's wallet with a 99 rupee limit. This isn't the only reward I can give you, so don't stop after depositing 200 rupees. If you can deposit 1,000 rupees then I'll give you some interest, and finally, if you can deposit 5,000 rupees you'll receive the best prize I have, but I can't tell you what it is other than say that you'll survive longer," replied Fleur Dis Lee.
" 5,000 rupees!?!? That's more than what I acquired altogether last time," I said. Even though I never took the liberty of writing down how many rupees I amassed during my adventures in Hyrule, I never collected 5,000 rupees even after finding many hidden treasure chests that contained rupees. If I am to get this final prize, I've got to grind like there's no tomorrow which is bound to be extremely difficult. Perhaps going for the smaller reward for 200 rupees deposited would be easier for me, and I can go from there.
" Now that we've got all of that sorted out, do you have any rupees for depositing?" asked Fleur Dis Lee.
" I have 20 right here," I replied.
" That's it? That ain't nothing at all, big spender!" said Fleur Dis Lee.
" I'll be depositing a lot more in the future," I said.
" Well, since you did deposit some rupees even though 20 is really a joke, I might as well do something else for you so that I won't forget your deposits. Let me stamp you with my special ink. Hey, relax! It doesn't leave any marks, and it's not gonna hurt. There! Now I'll know you when I see you," said Fleur Dis Lee. The stamp didn't really look all that impressive, and there was some kind of strange smell coming from it which might linger about for a while, but this did seem like a benefit in a sense.
If I manage to return to my human form upon getting the ocarina back and pay her a visit again, she'll recognize me in an instant. Since there was nothing else for me to do at the bank for the time being, I said my thanks before leaving.
" That went rather well," said Twilight.
" Yeah, but the ink smell is going to make me nausceous," I moaned.
" At least you know that your money is safe," said Twilight.
" I just need to remember to come back here after I've saved up some more," I said.
" Now we must find someone who can sell us a map, and you'll need to scrounge up some more rupees seeing as you just deposited all you've collected so far into the bank, and I doubt Fleur Dis Lee will appreciate you coming back just after leaving so that you can reclaim them again," said Twilight. I smacked myself on the forehead upon realizing my mistake as that money could have gotten me a map, but I suppose I'll have to find more.
Since Twilight said that the Great Fairy Fountain was located in North Clock Town, I walked north, or what I assumed was north, and entered another area which comprised of a small field with a playground of sorts in one corner. In the middle of the area was a young child who appeared to be trying to hit a balloon with a peashooter, and the balloon featured the image of the mask Starlight Glimmer was wearing on her face. I could see another balloon close by, yet this one was being used by someone wearing a green spandex suit which looked really weird, and finally a large cave entrance stuck out to my left which could be the location of the fountain.
" Very quiet around here," I commented.
" Unless you're referring to the girl floating with the balloon," moaned Twilight.
" Is she someone you know?" I asked.
" I've heard rumours of someone who has been seen floating around in various places across Termina, and wears a green suit which makes her look as though she comes from the forest, but people have said that she is eccentric... or just downright nuts because of her twisted fantasies," replied Twilight. It sounded like this girl must have some really weird way of thinking to act in such a manner, so why was I drawn to her by taking a closer look? The description I received felt very familiar like I knew who she was, and when I got close enough without making myself out to be some kind of stalker, I immediately recognized her.
" Pinkie Pie!?!?" I exclaimed.
" Where?" asked Twilight.
" She's the one wearing the green spandex suit," I replied.
" You've got to be kidding me! Then again, considering how Pinkie has been known to bend reality to her will without doing so intentionally, her wearing such a ridiculous outfit isn't that far from the truth," said Twilight. As I walked forward, the child who was using the peashooter suddenly looked in my direction as though I was doing something wrong which clearly wasn't true, but then he went back to what he was doing which made me feel slightly uncomfortable.
Being a Deku Scrub was really starting to become annoying as most people treated me like I was dirt, and that wasn't fair as I didn't want to look like this. Sighing heavily, I made my way over to where Pinkie was floating above ground via her balloon, and I looked upwards in order to communicate with her.
" Um... hello?" I asked.
" Huh? Is that a fairy I see floating around you? I can't quite see from way up here, so could you pop my balloon for me? I'll drop down to the ground like a rock, and get a much closer look to see if my eyes weren't playing tricks on me," replied Pinkie Pie.
" If I do that, you could get seriously hurt," I said.
" Nah! I'm used to dropping down from the sky as it's the only way people are able to talk to me provided they want to. You're a funny looking Deku Scrub, but don't take it as an insult as it's not often I see one of your kind wearing a hat that's almost as big as your head. Since you're a Deku Scrub and all, mind using your bubbles to pop my balloon and getting me down?" asked Pinkie Pie.
" My what?" I asked.
" Your bubbles silly. All Deku Scrubs are capable of blowing magical bubbles from their mouths provided they have magic, so could you please hurry up as I really want to see you up close," replied Pinkie Pie.
" I don't know how to use bubbles like this," I said.
" Wait! Seriously? You're a Deku Scrub, and you don't know how to blow bubbles? Gasp! That means you either haven't come of age yet, or you haven't acquired the ability to use magic. The latter is always given to those of the Deku tribe by the Great Fairy who lives in the swamp to the south of Clock Town, for it serves as a right of passage for them which allows them to do other things. Or, at least I think that's how it goes as I did get my information from a Deku Scrub. Anyway, since you can't use bubbles to get me down, try finding something that will work just the same," suggested Pinkie Pie.
" Are you sure you can keep floating up there?" I asked.
" I can stay up here for hours without getting tired, but sometimes I do need to get down to stretch my legs a little," replied Pinkie Pie. Of all the times to be unable to use my magic, and all because Starlight Glimmer changed me into a Deku Scrub. Unfortunately, I can't make my way over to the swamp as that would take too long of a journey given how little precious time I had, and also because I wouldn't even know where to find the Great Fairy of that area to begin with.
That meant needing something which can pop her balloon, and at first I was thinking of borrowing the peashooter that child who stared at me had, yet I quickly changed my mind as I doubt he would be willing to help me. I then noticed a number of shrubs near the playground, and figured there should be a small stone which could pop the balloon. Spinning my way over there and cutting the shrubs down which did net me several rupees, I eventually discovered a stone after spending almost ten minutes looking.
" That should do the trick," said Twilight.
" I really need my magic," I said.
" What kind were you capable of using before?" asked Twilight.
" I used earth, wind, water, and fire magic although the first three were actually granted to me by the first Great Fairy I encountered back in Hyrule. Fire magic turned out to be natural for me given my cutie mark was a blazing sun hence my name," I replied.
" I look forward to seeing you use magic," said Twilight.
" You are?" I asked.
" Sure! When it comes to magic, I'm always willing to learn new spells, and seeing ponies use magic in creative ways whether I'm teaching them or not. Even though I only saw you use your magic briefly when you teleported during that chase where you stole my crown, I could sense you were extremely gifted," replied Twilight. I wish that she hadn't brought up the incident where I took it, and brought it to the human world which basically began the influx of magic coming from Equestria, but her praise of my magic did make me feel better.
Taking the stone that I found, I walked back over to Pinkie Pie who wasn't angry over how long it took me to find something, so now I needed to aim at her balloon in order to pop it. Luckily, I know how to throw things which was one of the first things I got adjusted to when I went from being a pony to being a human, so this will be easy enough so long as nothing goes wrong.
Pinkie constantly bobbed up and down due to her balloon being caught in an updraft, so I had to wait for the right moment to throw this stone. If I end up missing, I'll have to spend even more time trying to find another stone, and there's no telling where the first stone will end up which could cause me even more problems. Concentrating as hard as possible, I waited until the balloon reached the highest point in the sky before making my move.
It was over in an instant where the stone popped the balloon with a loud popping sound, and Pinkie suddenly realized she was no longer floating, so she screamed and dropped down until she landed where her knees buckled pretty badly. I know that feeling all too well because of dropping from great heights myself during my last adventure.
" That was a lot of fun," commented Pinkie Pie.
" Your knees don't feel the same way," I said.
" Like I said, I'm used to falling from such heights, so you don't need to worry about my knees or any other part of my body getting hurt in the process. Now that I'm finally on the ground again, let me take a good look at you, and that thing which looked like a fairy from up there," said Pinkie Pie. Twilight looked a little offended as being referred to in such a manner, and I was feeling creeped out given Pinkie was scanning me all over as though she were obsessed with me or something to that effect.
" What's this? Green clothes... white fairy... madam, could you, by chance, be a forest fairy? Oh my! My name is Tingle! I think I am the same as you, madam. A forest fairy! Alas, though I am already age 35, no fairy has come to me yet..."
" Wait a minute! You're 35?" I asked.
" Quite the sad revelation," replied Pinkie Pie.
" You definitely don't look like someone who is 35. In fact, you look more like you're 16 than anything else," I said.
" That's quite a nice thing to say, but sadly the age I mentioned is correct which does bum me out sometimes. My father tells me to grow up and act my age, but why? I tell you...Tingle is the very reincarnation of a fairy! Now while I stand here waiting for a fairy of my own, I sell maps to help out my father," said Pinkie Pie. I didn't know what to say about how she was acting, for this wasn't the Pinkie Pie that I'm familiar with, yet I could still see some of her zanyness gushing forth.
I then remembered in Hyrule that I got through to my friends because of the Equestrian magic inside each of us, but perhaps it was because they were Sages at the time. In her current appearance, Pinkie clearly wasn't a Sage of any kind, and she looked like she was more concerned with looking for fairies than wanting to remember how things were meant to be. All of a sudden, I slapped myself on the forehead as Pinkie mentioned about selling maps, and I could do with one of those.
" Did you say that you sell maps?" I asked.
" I've been dabbling, creating, drawing, navigating, and charting maps as a means to earn some extra rupees on the side, and despite how eccentric I may appear, my maps are guaranteed to be worth every rupee, for you'll be thankful. Lucky! Lucky! You're so lucky to have a fairy! I know! I know! We should be friends! Yes! Yes! In exchange, I will sell you a map for cheap as a sign of my friendship. Will you buy one of Tingle's maps?" asked Pinkie Pie.
" What do you have?" I asked. She then showed me two different maps which made absolutely no sense to me, but she explained that the first one was a map of Woodfall, and that it would cost more due to her not being in that current area. The other one was of Clock Town, and it would be so inexpensive, she would be practically giving it away. I inquired as to the prize of the second map, and she said five rupees of which I have more than enough to pay her.
" I'll take a map for Clock Town!" I announced.
" Yippee!" shouted Pinkie Pie as she took my money, and handed over a map in exchange. The amount of detail on the map was remarkable, so she definitely knows how to make a good map. With this in my hands, I should have no trouble finding my way around this town. " Well, call again! Tingle, Tingle! Kooloo-Limpah! These are the magic words that Tingle created herself. Don't steal them!"
" I actually need more of your help," I said.
" Do you need to buy another one of my maps?" asked Pinkie Pie.
" No, but I could do with some information," I replied.
" Information?" asked Pinkie Pie.
" You see, I'm kind of new in town, and I'm trying to figure out where everything is. You see, I need to find someone who stole two very important things from myself and from a friend of mine, and so far no one has been helping me out just because I'm a Deku Scrub," I replied.
" Deku Scrubs aren't really all that popular throughout Termina due to how treacherous they can be, but you aren't like other Dekus in that you haven't shown any signs of arrogance, or thinking yourself as being superior. Dekus have forged alliances with the other tribes, yet often backstab them in order to come out on top. I know it must sound pretty bad of me saying such horrible things about your people, but this has been normal for decades," said Pinkie Pie.
" It doesn't bother me," I said. While my heart was telling me to tell her the truth in that I was a human and not a Deku Scrub, she might not believe me, and could think I was trying to confuse her. Since she thinks I'm a forest fairy because of my clothes, she could believe me, but I don't want to take that chance otherwise I'd lose the one potential ally that I have who isn't a divine being.
" Now, the first thing anyone who comes to Clock Town must know is that every year we have a special occasion known as the Carnival of Time. People from all over come to celebrate by praying for a good harvest in the coming year, and they even bring along their own masks. Granted, there are some things I don't know with regards to the myths and legends associated with the carnival, but there are those who have dedicated themselves to teaching such information to the younger generation," said Pinkie Pie.
" Where is it held?" I asked.
" Wow! You really must be new to ask that kind of question, or you never went that far from your home in the swamp until recently which might suggest that much of Terminian custom currently escapes your mind. The celebration takes places at the Clock Tower where it will open up once we've reached the eve of the carnival, and that is going to happen in about three days from now. Again, you should ask someone who truly knows all of the nuances regarding this occasion.
Next, newcomers to Clock Town should pay a visit to the residence of the mayor, for she is the most powerful person in town. From what I've been hearing, she is currently stuck in a meeting that shows no signs of ever ending, so unless you really need to speak with her, you'll have to wait until she gets finished," replied Pinkie Pie.
" Your map shows that the mayor's office is in East Clock Town," I said.
" Most of the fun activities are located over there, so if you're up for some fun games then go there at the earliest opportunity as long as you have rupees," said Pinkie Pie. If this mayor is as important and powerful as Pinkie claims her to be, she could prove to be of immense help when it comes to me searching for Starlight Glimmer. The thought of barging in on a meeting didn't sound all that pleasant, but maybe I can do something that will bring it to a conclusion.
As for what she said about playing games... now isn't exactly a good time given how I have only three days before Sonata has to leave town herself, so maybe I can have fun after finishing my mission. Pinkie at this point was trying to get my attention, for she had more things to tell me about Clock Town. " Did you notice that child trying to pop a balloon? He is the leader of a group known as the Bombers Gang, and they are dedicated to protecting this town even though they are just kids.
Got any problems? They can help you out, and if you can get on Jim's good side, you may be able to join their crusade. He isn't in the best of moods these days as one of his members accidentally lost a notebook which details their mission, yet I heard that a strange person carrying a large sack found it." Sonata found this notebook, yet she didn't tell me about it? Why would she not let me know about something like that? Perhaps paying her another visit in the future is in order, but after I've gotten the items I need to get back from Starlight.
" Do you know about the Great Fairy?" I asked.
" She lives in that cave to your left," replied Pinkie Pie.
" Oh," I said.
" A lot of people pay her a visit in order to receive her blessings, but there was one person who went in there recently who seemed different from most. She had a strange dark aura which was coming from some kind of weird mask," said Pinkie Pie. So Starlight Glimmer has already gotten to the Great Fairy, and that means things have just taken a turn for the worse.
" Do you know what this masked person did?" I asked.
" No, but when she came back out of the fountain, she decided to pay a visit to the secret hideout of the Bombers," replied Pinkie Pie.
" They have a hideout?" I asked.
" Don't all children their age have something like that? Anyway, I have no idea where it is for they say it's on a need to know basis, and the only ones who are allowed to know are kids. While they do respect their elders, they wouldn't tell them anything that important. The masked person has been to almost every last location in Clock Town according to eye witnesses, and within the span of under an hour which must be some kind of record," replied Pinkie Pie.
" She knows how to get around," I said.
" People have been saying she has been causing trouble all over town, yet no one is really paying that much attention as they are all busy preparing for the carnival. Oh, I have one last piece of information for you. The west side of Clock Town is the place you want to go if you wish to buy some items, but you may have some trouble given how people view Deku Scrubs. Well, I must get back to the air now, so I hope to see you again real soon Ms. Fairy," said Pinkie Pie.
She then began inflating a brand new balloon which caught me by surprise as I didn't think she had another one, but she did and soon she was floating in the air as before leaving me to my own devices. The information I received from her has proven useful along with the map, yet it seems I've arrived too late seeing as Starlight Glimmer has been busy causing trouble.
" Things are much worse than we thought," said Twilight.
" Starlight has been on a rampage," I said.
" And no one is doing anything to stop her, so I guess it's up to the two of us. I feel guilty knowing that I played a part in helping her get that mask, and getting that instrument she stole from you earlier," said Twilight.
" You're not to blame for that as you weren't yourself," I said.
" Thanks Sunset Shimmer," smiled Twilight.
" What do you suppose has happened to the Great Fairy?" I asked.
" Hard to say because we still don't know what kind of power Starlight has, but we need to make our way over to the fountain right away," replied Twilight. We then both agreed that Pinkie Pie was of tremendous help even though her eccentric behaviour made it a challenge, so then we began making our way over to the Great Fairy Fountain, and along the way I spotted another flower which I could dive down into, yet I saw no reason other than wanting to reach a hole on the other side of a wooden fence.
Upon entering the fountain, things looked peaceful at first, but when I got closer, Twilight floated ahead of me where she was in complete shock. " Oh no! Sunset Shimmer! Something has happened to the Great Fairy." I immediately ran over, and discovered that there were a bunch of small looking fairies with large heads. At first I thought these were just regular fairies who lived here, but then they all started talking in unison.
" Young one! Please hear my plea! I have been broken and shattered to pieces by the masked Skull Kid. Please find the one Stray Fairy lost in town, and bring her to thisfountain. If you can succeed in this small task, then you shall receive my aid."
" Where can we find your missing fairy?" I asked.
" It is currently the middle of the day, so the lost one must be somewhere in the Laundry Pool. I am worried for without the lost one, I cannot be restored to my former self, and this town has need of my powers in order to protect them from a terrible darkness. Please, you must find the Stray Fairy and bring her back here." Since there was nothing left for me to do in the fountain, I turned around and left where I realized that it was already past noon which meant that time was already ticking away, and I hadn't exactly done all that much in my search for Starlight Glimmer.
" Do you know where the Laundry Pool is, or even what it is?" I asked.
" Even though it's called that, no one actually goes there to wash any clothes as far as I'm aware. The Laundry Pool is best described as a quiet area in town where you can go in order to think without having to deal with all the hustle and bustle. Maybe we should take a look at that map Pinkie Pie sold us, for it should show us a complete detail of every area," replied Twilight. I followed her advice, and took out the map before unfurling it in order to see the layout.
She then began observing the map to see if Pinkie had taken the liberty of labelling the names of any important places across town, and to our delight this was the case. " It says here the Laundry Pool is located by taking a small passageway in the southwest portion of South Clock Town, so we need to get over there right away."
" Quite the tucked away area isn't it?" I asked.
" It makes it more convenient for those who want peace and quiet," replied Twilight. It didn't take long for me to make my back to South Clock Town again, but then my progress was hindered due to running into someone the moment I entered the area. The collision made me fall down onto my rear, but when I got back onto my feet in order to see who I had bumped into, my mouth opened wide in shock over who it was.
" Please watch where you're going! If I fall behind schedule, then my routine gets completely interrupted!"
" Sorry about that," I said.
" I'll let it slide just this one time, but please do not speak to me while I am on duty delivering the mail! Even now, just speaking to you has made me fall behind schedule by almost 30 seconds, so I must resume my deliveries before I fall behind even further." Apparently, I had run into a postwoman based on her female voice, and she seemed totally dedicated to the cause given how she scolded me for making her late with her deliveries. She would soon continue onward at a more rapid pace due to falling behind, but I was still shocked over who I had bumped into.
" That was rude of her," commented Twilight.
" Yeah, but that's not what made me shocked," I said.
" What did?" asked Twilight.
" The fact that was Aria Blaze who I ran into," I replied.
" Wait, what!?!? You collided with one of the Dazzlings who were banished from Equestria? You need to explain this one to me very carefully, for I have no idea why she would even be here in the first place, and as a civil servant no less," said Twilight. I told her that I encountered Aria back in Hyrule where she was known as the Running Woman, someone who challenged all manner of creatures to foot races be they human or no.
She also had a strong fascination for rabbits, and desired to have a mask which would allow her to become one with her inner rabbit. I had sold her something called the Bunny Hood that allowed her to realize her dream, yet despite this she maintained her rebellious streak which involved being emo. Aria was also associated with the Gerudo Thieves in that she was an honourary member of their tribe much like how I achieved the same thing due to needing access to the Spirit Temple, but to see her here as a postal worker was certainly surprising.
I never would have imagined her in such a position, yet there she went while wearing a red postal hat, and carrying a satchel that contained letters, packages, and who knows what else constitutes for mail around here.
" I've got a feeling we'll be seeing Aria again," I said.
" Maybe, but for now we need to get to the Laundry Pool," said Twilight. After watching Aria disappear around a corner, I made my way over to the Laundry Pool which was accessible by running up a short flight of stairs, but as I was reaching the top, a child walked by me wearing another mask, yet no one took any notice of him which struck me as really odd.
The Laundry Pool itself was a small area which featured a single tree that overlooked a pond that did feature fish in it, but this didn't look like a spot where anyone could come along and fish. The only other thing of interest was a bell which was attached to a sign, but I was fixated on the Stray Fairy located in the middle of the pond.
" This looks easy, but then you never know," I said.
" You have to be careful here Sunset Shimmer as Deku Scrubs have problems when it comes to water," said Twilight.
" How so?" I asked.
" In your current form, you can't swim so if you were to jump into the water, you'll sink to the bottom and perish. However, you can hop across bodies of water to reach far away places, but this can only be done five times. After your fifth and final jump which involves jumping really high, you'll sink which will result in the same perishing scenario as before. So, you must plan carefully if you want to grab the Stray Fairy without sinking," replied Twilight.
" Guess those swimming lessons aren't going to pay off here," I said jokingly, but this was no joking matter as the thought of drowning made me worried. Walking over to the edge of the water, and adjusting my direction so that I could collect the Stray Fairy who continued to float there, I jumped across using almost all of my jumps in the process. I do need some practice doing this as it was just a little too close for comfort, but as soon as I reached the other side of the water, the Stray Fairy began speaking.
" Please, hear my plea! The masked Skull Kid has broken me apart and scattered my pieces! Please find a way to return me to the Fairy Fountain in North Clock Town. I must be reunited as soon as possible with my fellow fairies who share the same colour as I do."
" How did you end up all the way over here?" I asked.
" The Skull Kid shattered me to pieces because she knew that I was aware of the powers that she now possesses, and placed me here to prevent me from making my way back to my fountain. There is much that I must explain regarding her powers, but right now I cannot do so in my current condition."
" If you can help me deal with her, then I'll gladly bring you back to your fountain where you're friends are," I said.
" Yes, I shall give you as much aid as possible."
" Okay, then please hide in one of my pouches so that you don't end up getting lost," I said. The Stray Fairy did as I asked, and entered a pouch where she commented that it was really warm before giving me the signal that she was ready to be transported. It didn't take long for me to find my way back to the fountain as I made sure to follow the map given to me by Pinkie, for I still wasn't familiar with the general area. Upon reaching the fountain, I looked up at the sky because of wondering how much time I spent, and I noticed the moon had gotten slightly bigger than when I looked previously.
I had no idea if this was my eyes playing tricks on me, or the moon was somehow increasing in size, but my decision was to ignore it and enter the fountain where the Stray Fairy united with the rest of her friends. They would merge together to become Adagio Dazzle which didn't surprise me in any way for I knew this would happen, and of course Twilight's jaw dropped when she noticed Adagio appear before us.
" Tatl, and you, young one of the altered shape. Thank you for returning my broken and shattered body to normal. I am the Great Fairy of Magic. I thought that masked child was helping me, and I grew careless which resulted in my body being broken," said Adagio.
" So you know that I'm not a Deku Scrub?" I asked.
" There is a powerful dark magic which surrounds you, and it has trapped you inside of your current form. My power is unable to free you from this curse, but there is someone who has the ability to return you back to normal. However, she will not remain in this place for very long, so you must move quickly before she chooses to leave thus keeping you trapped as you are forever. But, you may not be able to change back to normal should the impending disaster makes itself known," replied Adagio.
" That's why I came here," I said.
" Yes, for you must stop the Skull Kid before she brings about the destruction of this world. Also, I know the other reason as to why you are here. Both you and Tatl are aware of things that others across this land do not yet understand, yet I too know which is why I am bringing this up with you. Despite the odds not being in your favour when it comes to finding a way to bring your inner most desire to pass, do not give up hope for you shall one day succeed," said Adagio.
Even though she didn't say it specifically, she knew that this world mustn't exist as it currently does, and that the human world must be returned to normal. Still, it feels somewhat strange that someone like Adagio ended up being someone of such pure goodness. You'd think I would gotten used to this after encountering her in this form six times in Hyrule, but I guess my mind just can't grasp the concept.
" I'm glad I could help you," I said.
" And as mentioned before, you shall receive my aid. All I can offer you now is this: I shall grant you Magic Power as a sign of my gratitude. Please accept it! I shall not be refused if you feel that a reward is not necessary, yet know that without magic by your side, the chances of success are slim to none. I sense that you possess a natural ability to use magic which is most impressive for one so young, but your current form prevents such magic from being used," said Adagio.
She then raised her hands to her mouth where she proceeded to blow at me which surrounded me in a warm light that made me feel happy, and then I suddenly blew a bubble from my mouth that popped a short distance away. This must be the magical ability that Deku Scrubs are capable of using, so I need to quickly get used to using this new power.
" With this power in your possession, many restrictions no longer get in your way, so now you can partake in the challenge that the children who act as justice warriors are offering to those who are like them. The challenge will not be an easy one to accomplish given that time is short for you, but you must impress their leader in order to find the Skull Kid."
" Do you know where I can find her?" I asked.
" The man who lives in the observatory outside of town may know of the Skull Kid's whereabouts, yet the only way to reach him is to complete the challenge the justice warriors have for they use his home as a base from time to time. But be careful! You must not underestimate that child's powers, kind young one. The mask that she wears contains dark powers that she has yet to tap into, but what she already is capable of doing has already affected much of Termina," replied Adagio.
" You mean Clock Town isn't the only place Starlight Glimmer has affected?" I asked.
" She has caused problems all across Termina, for the different regions have experienced problems which were never a reality before until the Skull Kid decided to cause them misery in the name of having fun. Once you have regained your true form, you will need to venture forth into these regions in the hopes of restoring them. The problems which afflict this world are nothing compared to the greatest danger which lies close to us all," replied Adagio.
She then looked upwards which didn't make much sense to me at first, but then I quickly figured that this was her way of telling that the moon above town was the danger. " The moon that exists above us is one that is both revered and feared by the people of Termina, yet it has never posed a problem to this world until now. Most have chosen not to take notice of it, yet others have come to the realization that I am now about to reveal to you. The moon is slowly falling from its place in the sky, and it shall bring about destruction."
" What!?!?" I exclaimed.
" The dark powers of the Skull Kid are causing the moon to be pulled down. Why she has chosen to do this remains unknown even to me, but know that within exactly two and a half days from now, it shall collide with this world. Nothing will survive such an impact no matter how hard the people try and flee when the time comes, yet the Skull Kid is determined to see this through," said Adagio.
" What does she have to gain from doing such a crazy act?" I asked.
" I do not know, but there is only one course of action that must be taken. You, young one, must find her and prevent the disaster that looms above from happening, but first you must speak to the man who lives in the observatory. He will be able to explain more about the mysteries of the moon better than I can, yet you must complete the challenge of the children.
As I mentioned, time is against you, and knowing what you do now means time has become incredibly precious," replied Adagio. Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse than they already were, I now find myself in a race against time with the fate of an entire world hanging in the balance. This is what Ganondorf was telling after I was defeated by him before everything was turned back to normal after my last adventure.
Termina really was on the brink of destruction, and the one behind it was someone who had no true understanding of what she was doing. With every passing moment from this point onward, I have to worry about what looms above us, and hopefully find a way to prevent destruction from happening. Adagio said that the man who lives in the observatory could help me further with regards to finding Starlight Glimmer, so I'm guessing that she has paid him a recent visit as well on her path of causing misery.
If she has done something horrible to him, my chances of finding her will have gone up in smoke... no... I've got to believe that this is something that I can resolve. Twilight is with me which will make this more tolerable, but we don't have our other friends by our side which could prove to be a deciding factor.
" Is there anything else you can do for me?" I asked.
" From this point onward, the fate of this world rests on your shoulders, and yet I feel as though this is a burden which you have faced once before. Young one, if you are successful in preventing this disaster, and are able to change back to your true self, be sure to visit me again for I shall be able to provide further aid. There is the other crisis which plagues your heart, so success does not mean the end, but rather it is the beginning of a more difficult task," replied Adagio.
" It's not like I have a choice here," I moaned.
" Should you feel overwhelmed by the wounds of battle, you can come back here where I shall ease your weariness. If your magic power is running out then I can restore this as well, yet I am certain that such needs will not be necessary," said Adagio. She then laughed and returned to the fountain leaving me with having to find a man who has an observatory outside of town.
" You know, I could just leave Clock Town to find this man without needing the Bombers," I suggested.
" That's not exactly going to work," said Twilight.
" Why?" I asked.
" There are four guards posted at each entrance to Clock Town with one guard per gate. This was done by the captain of the guards as a means of preventing the evil creatures which roam outside from getting into town, but they have a strict order not to allow any children to leave. In your current form, they would stop you at the gates thus preventing you from leaving," replied Twilight.
" Well that's just great!" I moaned.
" Looks like we need to take on the Bomber's challenge," said Twilight.
" I was thinking about paying a visit to West Clock Town, and perhaps buy some items what we need to deal with," I said.
" That would be a good idea, except the stores around here aren't particularly kind to Deku Scrubs," said Twilight. That was a real let down because I actually wanted to buy a potion or two, but then I don't have any bottles, so my idea wouldn't work anyway. Upon leaving the fountain, the sky was already starting to change colour which meant the sun was beginning to go down for the night.
Night of the First Day: 60 Hours Remain
While it may seem that things are progressing rather nicely, there was no way of knowing what kind of challenge I would have to face in order to access the observatory. Ahead of me was the kid who looked at me with that scorned expression, and he was still using that peashooter in order to pop the balloon, so I needed to grab his attention which meant having to pop it for him.
" Guess this is as good a time as any to try shooting bubbles," I said.
" You need to concentrate and make it as large as possible, but not too big otherwise it will pop in your face, and you'll have wasted magic. Maybe you should get as close as possible without him noticing, for I don't think you can hit that balloon from here," said Twilight.
" Was it that obvious?" I asked.
" His expression has made you uncomfortable, but you need to deal with him otherwise we're stuck," replied Twilight. Knowing that she was right about this, I moved as close as possible without the kid taking notice of me doing so, and I was fortunate in that he remained fixated on trying to pop his balloon.
Once I felt that I was close enough, I looked up and began to concentrate on creating a bubble using my magic. It turned out to be much harder than I thought as my belief was that I'd be a natural given how magic is second-nature for me, but this was actually pretty difficult. I hope that I can do this otherwise I won't be getting any further, and Termina would be doomed.
To Be Continued.