//------------------------------//
// Chapter 7: The Misery of the Ranch 
// Story: The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Majora's Mask 
// by Ganondorf8 
//------------------------------//

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Majora's Mask
By Ganondorf8
October 4, 2015
Chapter 7: The Misery of the Ranch

The idea of sleeping out here definitely made me feel nervous, for who knows what creatures lurk about, but then I've done this before  in Hyrule where I slept outside for hours at a time. However, I am constantly having to remind myself that this isTermina which is a completely different thing altogether. After making my way from Clock Town to Milk Road while avoiding monsters, talking with Pinkie Pie, and generally getting a lay of the land, night had come and gone, and now the second of the three days were upon me. 

Dawn of the Second Day - 48 Hours Remain

Looking up at the moon, it had once again drawn closer during my prior sleep and respective escapades, and even though I can reset all of this in order to give myself more time, I began to get curious as to the very nature of the moon itself. Dr. Hooves said that it was something feared and worshipped by the people, but what reason could they have to fear it other than the scary face?
" What are you thinking about?" asked Twilight.
" I'm just curious about the moon that will become the death knell for this world unless we figure out what needs to be done. I still find it hard to imagine that something  non-sentient could cause so much trouble, and all because of one person's actions. Twilight, what if we can't save this world from the impending destruction?" I asked.
" That was sudden," replied Twilight.
" I'm serious!" I shouted.
" You've handled some pretty difficult situations Sunset Shimmer including ones where you didn't need my help even though you wanted it, but you have to remember to accept your limitations, and your ability to go beyond them whenever you feel the need to. The moon falling is being caused by the power Starlight Glimmer holds, yet she probably doesn't even know why she's doing it anymore other than to bring about destruction. People here are panicking because they're dealing with a situation which has never happened to them before, so just because they are losing faith doesn't mean you have to," said Twilight.
" But can we do it?" I asked.
" We must if we're going to change things backto normal. Listen, this is not going to be easy for either of us, and we're likely to deal with all sorts of mental and emotional turmoil along the way which could cause us both to lash out at each other, but we must be strong in order to prevent Termina from being destroyed. You've got more experience dealing with this video game world business than I do, so that means you have to lead the way to victory. 
But, you won't be going at it alone as I'll be here to provide all the assistance I can get," replied Twilight. One thing which hasn't changed with Twilight despite all that's happened is her ability to see the potential in people, and if she hadn't given me the chance to change my ways... well... my life would probably be a lot different than it is right now.
I owe my life to Twilight as she saved me from myself just like how I saved her alternate self in the same manner. Heh, kind of ironic when you think about it that way, yet the point is that she's right about needing to prevent Termina's destruction. It's going to make me suffer all kinds of emotional trauma just like before, and there will be moments where I just want to give up because of being overwhelmed, but I've come so far since I was given a second chance. 
Deep down, I think Twilight feels the same way about how I feel about her as a friend and mentor, and for that I'm glad that she's with me on this adventure. It also allows us to truly get to know one another as we don't get much time given the human world is often threatened by magic from Equestria, and Twilight can only stick around for short periods at a time because of her duties as a princess. 
All of this thinking made me forget about the whole problem I had with sleeping outside, so I found an ideal spot near where Pinkie Pie was floating about, and drifted off to sleep as there was nothing else to do until tomorrow.
Then another thought popped into my head... does Pinkie sleep while she's up there? Does she even sleep? I mean, I don't know if she does given how I've talked to her a couple of times in the middle of the night, but I was curious about it. Luckily, Ganondorf didn't show up in my dreams this time around, and for once I'm thankful as I doubt I could deal with another verbal assault. His threat towards both the human world and Equestria felt very real, for I know what his power is like as I've experienced it first-hand. 
Even now, I still don't quite understand his motivations, but I'm afraid of finding out when the actual time comes. What I do know is that I won't let him harm either world, for he would need to kill me first before doing so. The entire day and night passed by without incident, and yes I'm aware that I've slept for an entire 24 hours which means not needing as much sleep for next time, so when I finally woke up, it was now the final day.

Dawn of the Final Day - 24 Hours Remain

I woke up because of tremors, and also because of the sound of something shattering to pieces. Making sure to carefully wake Twilight up, and not doing so in a sudden fashion, I picked up my things, and made my way towards the entrance of Romani Ranch where I discovered the boulder was what had been shattered. The man that Sweetie Belle asked to take care of it had succeeded in his task, but judging from his shortness of breath, and the sweat trickling down him, he had completely exhausted himself.
" Someone was up to no good, and placed a boulder here."
" I heard about it from some of your fellow workers employed by Mutoh," I said making sure not to say Sweetie Belle as that would cause utter confusion.
" Master Mutoh sent only me here to take care of the problem due to needing everyone else in town. I do wish that I could have had some help as this job has left me feeling tired, or even better some way of blowing up the boulder without having to exert myself. But, with the way things have been going as of late all across Termina, the ranch should be grateful that the boulder was destroyed period."
" Don't the Gorons have any powerful bombs?" I asked.
" They have Powder Kegs which they use for heavy duty jobs like this, but due to the cold snap happening in the mountains, everything has come to a complete stop. Snowhead is known for its weather, yet it's never been this bad before throughout Terminian history. Their food supplies are limited due to the cold conditions, so unless they can find some way to stop the snow, they'll become extinct within a matter of days."
" These are dark times," I sighed.
" Even Romani Ranch hasn't avoided all of this chaos."
" What do you mean?" I asked.
" About two nights ago while working to destroy this boulder, I saw a strange light appear in the sky over the ranch, and this was followed by numerous lights which kept on appearing sporadically until they all disappeared again after a couple of minutes. During that ruckus, I heard a young girl scream along with a bunch of cows which makes no sense, but it sounds like something bad has happened. If you plan on visiting Romani Ranch, who knows what you'll find assuming anything is even there. 
Oh, and I wouldn't hang around too long as people will be coming this way in a few hours. They might take things the wrong way, and believe you to be some kind of troublemaker. No offence."
" None taken," I said.
" Well, my work here is done, so I'm heading back to Master Mutoh, and maybe help convince her to flee before it's too late." The man then turned around and ran off towards the entrance which connects back with Termina Field, yet he provided me with so much information, I struggled a little trying to make sense of it. 
" What do you think Twilight?" I asked.
" Now we know what's happening in the mountains, but we can't do anything about it until we can remove that ice blocking the path that goes up there. If you had access to your magic Sunset, you could have melted the ice allowing access to Snowhead, yet you can't due to Equestrian magic being restricted here," replied Twilight. She floated ahead of me for a couple of seconds before coming back. 
" I mean, you could still use some magic as I don't think it's been entirely taken away from you, but it would be the most basic spell which may not be much." She then floated away again which made me feel like she was trying to hide something, yet I shouldn't doubt her motives as she is my friend after all. In actuality, Twilight was a little embarrassed as what she was about to say next would have caused incessant laughter to leave my mouth. " This is going to sound so silly, but what is a Goron exactly?" Yes, she asked me that exact question, and I totally expected it.
" Where do I even begin?" I asked.
" Are they humans like you, or are they plants like the Deku Scrubs?" asked Twilight.
" It's hard to describe them as when I was in Hyrule, they were all humans, but it looks like in Termina, we'll be seeing what these tribes really look like. If I recall the Hyrule Historia which I read to learn some of the more interesting events of Hyrule, the Gorons are rock-like in appearance, and eat rocks as part of their diet," I replied. That's actually all I remembered from my reading, and I wish now that I had read more about Termina as the Historia had numerous chapters on it. Twilight seemed skeptical at first, but considering what we've seen so far, she accepted my words as truth. Besides, what would I get from lying to her?
" Guess we'll find out when we eventually get to the mountains," said Twilight.
" If we do," I said.
" Remember to stay positive Sunset," said Twilight.
" I know," I said. With that exchange out of the way, I walked forward and entered Romani Ranch where my jaw dropped upon seeing what I saw with my eyes. Everything looked relatively fine, and intact thus denouncing what that guy said a while ago, but there was something off which I couldn't put my finger on. The ranch was certainly expansive which put Lon Lon Ranch to shame, but apart from it being quiet, nothing looked out of the ordinary. 
Taking a single step forward, I almost tripped due to getting my foot caught in some kind of hole in the ground, yet upon a closer look, this wasn't a hole but rather a burned patch as though someone or something had used fire here, and quite a long time ago judging from what was left. Because fire magic was my specialty, I knew this was caused by fire, but what could have done this? " There are patches everywhere, but none of them are consistent in that they don't connect together."
" It's like whoever, or whatever did this was being completely random. Huh? What are you doing?" asked Twilight. She noticed me having dropped to my knees, and sniffing the patch like I were a dog.
" I'm trying to determine how long these have been here," I replied.
" By sniffing?" asked Twilight.
" Hey... the weirdest methods work the best," I replied. By sniffing the patch a few more times, I could confirm that these had been made roughly two nights ago which is when that guy saw those weird lights. Upon getting back up onto my feet, I dusted off my knees due to getting them dirty before I started to think about this. Romani Ranch had suffered some kind of attack, but not in a normal sense as these patches don't add up. Whoever did this was clearly unconcerned about what the lasting effects would be, or they did know, and just didn't care about it. 
Perhaps speaking to the owner could clear things up, but what if they didn't see anything? That's always a possibility in scenarios like these, so I'll hold my judgment until we find whoever runs things. As I walked along towards a house way off in the distance which must be where the owner resides, I could see a barn to the right of that, and what appear to be additional buildings even further away. " They have few buildings around here, and all this space with nothing occupying it."
" They must have incredible wealth to have so much land, or perhaps it was necessary because the ranch provides much of the food for Termina," suggested Twilight.
" Only way to know is hear it from the horse's mouth," I said.
" Did you really just say that?" laughed Twilight.
" It makes sense to us because we're both ponies," I laughed. As I continued walking along the dirt path which lead up to the house, I began to think about all that I've seen so far in Termina, and compared with Hyrule, everything here was bleak, dark, and miserable. It's as though everything positive about Hyrule was put into reverse, and the result of that is this world, for most of the people I've encountered look like they are on the verge of succumbing to their own deepest fears. 
Could Starlight have really done all of this just because she wanted to have fun? No... although her contributions can't be ignored. I think the people themselves contributed to their current sense of misery, and allowed themselves to fall down on hard times. I really do hate to agree with Ganondorf on anything as it gives him the opportunity to further remind me that I'm to suffer greatly here, but Termina is on the verge of ruin in more ways than one.
It was going to fall apart not only from being destroyed by the moon, but by the fact that the people have given up hope for the most part, and have chosen to accept their fates. The few who still remain positive are a minority group at best, yet their efforts aren't going to be enough unless I do something about it. Twilight has told me that one person can make all the difference, and I intend to do just that by helping out everyone I can. 
I know Pip Squeak told me to take care of as many problems as possible, but I want to help everyone no matter what I've got to go through. If Twilight were in my current position, she would do the exact same thing, but maybe I should ask her that particular question just to be sure as she has been through an awful lot based on what she said happened in Equestria which caused her to not respond to my reports. " Twilight, I want to help everyone in Termina."
" I had a feeling you'd say that," said Twilight.
" You knew?" I asked.
" Everyone here in Termina is so miserable what with the moon falling, and they are losing hope as no matter what they do, there is nowhere for them to be safe. You've been through so much since you left Equestria, and because of everything you've learned about friendship, I know you can make the people of Termina feel good about themselves once again. They may not remember any of it whenever we reset time, but we'll know because the Bomber's Notebook records this knowledge," replied Twilight.
" It isn't just me doing this, for you're here as well," I said.
" I know Sunset, but this story belongs to you, and no one else. My presence here is to act as your partner and guide, for you are the hero who has to solve all of these problems, and prevent the world from being destroyed. It's a pretty tall order, and I should know as I've had plenty of those already, yet this is your chance now. You can take what you've learned since accepting friendship, and apply it in all kinds of ways," said Twilight.
" Thanks Twilight," I smiled.
" I'll be by your side through thick and thin Sunset as that's what friends are for," smiled Twilight. She was right about me being the one who can help these people, and it will help me understand myself as well as I continue to accept friendship into my heart. When we got close to the house, a familiar sound started to ring throughout my ears prompting me to start looking around to see if it was my trusty steed. As I was frantically searching around, something else had caught Twilight's attention which is why she didn't say anything at first, but when she looked ahead of us, she noticed what had me looking. 
" Say... isn't that your horse over there?" Twilight asked. I turned to look in the direction she was focusing on, and there was Epona whinnying away with fear in her voice as she had no idea where she was given Starlight stole her from me. Running over, her whinnying changed from fear to happiness as she was happy to see my face again. I then whinnied back at her in response which made her feel relaxed knowing I was here, and Twilight merely chucked over the fact that I had been speaking horse.
" What's so funny?" I asked.
" Seeing you speaking the language of horses... whinnying... is such a delight as it shows you still embrace your inner pony. Besides, you don't need to be so surprised about it, for I'm a pony too, so I can understand what she's saying. It does feel weird knowing that you've ridden a horse considering what we both really are, but then I can tell she trusts you immensely based on her sounds," replied Twilight.
" I don't know why, but I have this strong connection with her," I said.
" Then that should be enough," said Twilight.
" What do you mean?" I asked.
" No need to worry about why you have a connection, but know that it remains strong despite all that's happened," replied Twilight. That was quite an interesting way of looking at it, so perhaps she was right about that. Twilight then nudged at me to get my attention, for she wanted to show me what had caught her attention before spotting Epona. 
" I know you want to spend more time with your horse, but you need to take a look at who is sitting over there on that crate." Looking at where she was pointing, I immediately recognized the person as Applebloom, but something was wrong with her. " Applebloom looks as though someone has given her a serious blow to the head seeing as she is constantly holding onto it, or maybe she's been affected by some kind of magic."
" I don't think magic did this," I said.
" Then the first option?" asked Twilight.
" Maybe, but then why would anyone want to do that?" I asked.
" Who knows given how Termina is different from both the human world and Equestria, but what is she even doing here in the first place? Seeing her here on a ranch isn't surprising as it matches with her human and pony counterparts, but why is she here? Judging from your lack of a reaction, you've seen this scenario before haven't you? Looks like you'll need to explain this one too," replied Twilight. 
I told her that in Hyrule, Applebloom lived in Lon Lon Ranch as the granddaughter to Granny Smith which was accurate, and was the one who taught me Epona's Song, yet in the future she had been forced to become a farmhand all because Big Macintosh took over the ranch due to being fed up with the management. Before Twilight could question that last part, I quickly told it to her thus avoiding another awkward moment.
" Big Macintosh was antagonistic back then," I said.
" Like you said, everything is black and white where those who are friendly could be bad here, and the same is true in reverse," said Twilight.
" My advice for dealing with such things is to take a slow and steady approach," I said. That's when we turned our attention to Applebloom who was still clutching her head every now and again, so I tried talking with her, and the results weren't what I was expecting.
" Huh... you... who are you again?" asked Applebloom.
" We've never met before," I replied.
" Really? I... Romani is trying to remember... but nothing is coming up," said Applebloom.
" What's wrong?" I asked.
" I... don't understand... why is something wrong with me? Did I experience... maybe... I don't recall," replied Applebloom. It looked as though she was suffering from a bad case of amnesia, but this was quite a severe case compared to what I've normally seen. " Something happened... I think... trying to remember... but it's so hard. Did I try to protect the ranch? I can't remember! Who am I... not sure... is the person in the barn... sister? Is she my sister? Romani... all confused as nothing... nothing is adding up for me. Was practicing for something... but Romani doesn't know what, or why... why is a bow on the ground? Everything... just doesn't make sense." 
It became quite apparent that she had no idea what was going on, so it looks like I won't be able to get any information from her. She mentioned her sister was in the barn that was located to the right of the house, so maybe she might know why Applebloom was suffering from amnesia. Walking over to the barn, and entering via the door, my jaw dropped as standing near some empty stalls was Applejack which was surprising, yet she appeared to be in deep thought as she didn't hear me come in.
" I didn't think Applejack would be here," I said.
" Why?" asked Twilight.
" In Hyrule, she portrayed Zelda's loyal attendant, and since you were Zelda, Applejack acted as your bodyguard even though she is a farm girl at heart. Seeing her here makes more sense given this is a ranch and all," I replied.
" Yet why does she look so miserable?" asked Twilight.
" I don't know, but maybe we shouldn't pry in case she takes it the wrong way," I replied.
" Something happened here Sunset, and we've got to find out as we may be able to prevent it from happening," said Twilight.
" True, but we can't abuse the power of resetting time otherwise that could result in me being corrupted," I said. Having the ability to reset things back to the start was fine and all, yet using it just because I could would be taking advantage. Talking to Applejack to find out what happened around here would be a wise idea, but if the situation is something minor, I can't justify resetting things just for that. Of course, I wasn't prepared for what she was about to say to us.
" Oh... I'm sorry I didn't hear you coming into the barn. Right now... I'm thinking... a little... my little sister... my sister, she... she... I can tell that you saw what my sister is like outside as she sits on that crate," said Applejack.
" Yes, but what happened?" I asked.
" It's hard for me to explain," replied Applejack.
" You look as though you want someone to hear what you have to say, and that's why I'm here so that you can share your story," I said.
" Okay, but I must give y'all a warning that this is a story that will break your heart, and it's my own fault. About two days ago my sister... my little sister... told me about these creatures who come by the ranch at this time every year to steal our cows, and she wanted to keep them safe. She had been training herself to use a bow so that she could protect them, but I thought she was making the whole thing up... I thought it was a part of her imagination. 
I didn't believe any of it, so I paid it no mind as I resumed working on running this here ranch," said Applejack. She then began to cry which forced her to wipe away the tears using her sleeve, but her eyes continued to water which must mean that this was far more serious than I thought which made me feel upset. " If I thought it would come to this, then...what Romani said, I should have... I should have listened to her instead of dismissing it as being a part of her imagination. Now looking back on it... I could have saved her and the cows."
" What happened that night?" I asked.
" The creatures came to the ranch, and proceeded to abduct the cows from the barn by using some kind of force to pull them upward to the sky. My little sister tried to stop them, but she must have been taken as well. Even though I didn't see any of it, you can tell that's what happened as the roof of the barn has been damaged badly. The cows are all gone now, yet Romani returned early this morning, and in the condition you've seen outside," replied Applejack.
" Those creatures must have done something to her mind," I said.
" Do y'all think I don't know that!?!?" shouted Applejack before she quickly calmed herself down. I could tell that what happened has really crushed her heart, and the fact that she blames herself has made her irritable. " I'm sorry for snapping at you because of my own weakness, so I apologize as you were just curious about it." 
Applejack then walked over to a nearby wall where she began pounding it over and over until the part she was hitting started to crack a little, yet she proceeded to another part of the barn, and repeated the same thing before coming back over to me. " Without any of our cows, we can no longer produce any milk, and especially our famous Chateau Romani, so that means this place is going to go bankrupt... assuming that moon falling above us doesn't end everything first."
" I'm sorry about what happened to your sister," I said.
" You don't need to apologize at all ma'am, for all of this was just one misfortune after another. First, that giant boulder blocked our only entrance to the ranch, and then my little sister and our entire stock of cows were abducted by some weird creatures. Second, because it wasn't removed from Milk Road until just recently, I couldn't make an important delivery to the Milk Bar in town last night, and I've no doubt Ms. Barton is mighty upset over not getting milk for those attending the Carnival of Time celebrations. 
To top it all off, that moon above us will be making impact tonight which is why people from town are coming here to seek shelter. I'm not sure if coming this way will work as that falling rock looks as though it will destroy everything across Termina," said Applejack.
" Maybe you should have a lie down," I suggested.
" I can't! I just can't alright! Look, things have been so stressful for me over these last few hours, and I just don't know what I can do about it. Having a rest won't do me any good as it doesn't change the fact that my little sister will never be herself again!" shouted Applejack as she dropped to her knees before bursting into tears. I was completely beside myself, for instead of making her feel better, she was feeling even worse all because of my suggestion which was pretty narrow-minded of me. 
After crying for a few minutes which involved her pounding on the ground in utter frustration, Applejack would get back onto her feet, and the red in her eyes showed she was on the verge of losing her mind. I know I've no idea what happened, but I just couldn't stand seeing her this way. I walked over to her in order to comfort her with a hug even if she doesn't know I'm her friend in this world, and she accepted by hugging me back. " Thank you... I really needed that, and that's the honest truth. I feel ashamed that you had to see me like that, but your words caused me to finally snap after holding it all in for so long."
" I'm the one who should be ashamed as I didn't take your feelings into consideration," I said.
" That's mighty big of you to say that ma'am, and while I may not be in the best condition mentally, I suppose I can answer any questions you may have. I know it probably won't do you any good given the moon will destroy us all, but you did come all this way for a reason, and it's only right for me to listen," said Applejack. 
Did she just speak to me by being honest? When I was talking with Pinkie Pie earlier, her manner of speaking did make me laugh on the inside, but I never said anything at the time as I didn't really see it as important. Now that Applejack had been honest with me, I see that my friends have retained some aspect of their respective elements. This could help change things back to normal, but for the time being I'll keep this to myself, and inform Twilight about it when we're finished here.
" I noticed you have a horse penned up outside," I said.
" No idea who it belongs to, but my sister found it wandering about in our field a couple of days ago, so we took it in," said Applejack.
" Her name is Epona, and she belongs to me," I said.
" That's your horse out there!?!? Well, this is quite a predicament ma'am, for while I would like to believe that, to be honest, unless you have some way of proving that horse belongs to you, I can't give her back no matter what you say," said Applejack.
" But she really is mine," I pleaded.
" Those eyes of yours tell me that you're really concerned for that horse, and I can tell someone with eyes like that aren't liars. However, my sister was the only one who knew how to keep that horse under control, and since she is the way she is, I'm afraid there's nothing more that can be done," said Applejack. I had a suspicion I needed to play the song which would call Epona over to me, but the problem was that I was currently drawing a blank. If I want to remember how it went, Applebloom has to teach me. This means somehow coming here before all of the weird things occur of which the results are what I'm seeing.
" Any other animals?" I asked.
" Well, there's Grog who runs the Cucco Shack, but he's been having all sorts of problems what with his chicks. He really wants to see them in their prime, but the chances of that happening are slim to none given we've only got less than 24 hours before we're all dead. Mamamau Yan runs what she calls a "Doggie Racetrack" located just a short distance away from the Cucco Shack, but business for her has been slow due to the boulder blocking the entrance until recently. Chicks, dogs, and two horses may not be all that much, but it's all we've got left what with the cows no longer being here," replied Applejack.
" You know, if you could do things all over again, would you?" I asked.
" Would I? Of course I would ma'am! Don't know why y'all asked me such a question, but the answer to that is yes! If I could go back in time, I'd make sure the cows were protected along with my little sister from the monsters that did this to her," replied Applejack. I what needs to be done around here, but it will take me a while as I need to deal with the problems currently plaguing the mountains. Some problems I can solve almost instantly, yet others will have to wait which is going to test my patience to the core. 
Applejack really wants to change what happened so as to prevent this nightmare from happening, but she doesn't possess that kind of power unlike myself who does... now it's all starting to make sense for me. Going back through time is a blessing as it enables me to change things for the better, but others desire to make those same changes, and they can't.
That also makes this ability of mine a curse as only Twilight and I are affected by it. The very thought of the two of us being alone because of being the only ones who know why time keeps changing back to the start makes my heart ache, and I wish it didn't have to be this way. Could this be an example of where I have to suffer? Surely it must because even if I change something, when I reset time again to give me more time, my efforts will reset as well. I heaved a heavy sigh making sure Applejack wasn't offended, and she was concerned about me this time. " Y'all look as though you've got a huge burden on your shoulders."
" You have no idea," I sighed.
" Everyone in Termina has their own share of problems what with all of the strange happenings," said Applejack as she walked over to grab a pair of mugs sitting on a wooden table nearby. She then took a bottle filled with fresh milk, and poured it into each mug making sure both had the same amount. " Whatever this problem of yours is, all you can do is try as hard as possible to solve it." She handed over a mug which I accepted graciously before drinking the milk where it made me feel a lot better." Even though the cows are gone, I always make sure to have extra supplies of milk just in case, but what we're drinking is all that's left." 
Hearing her say that was enough to convince me to spit it back out, but Applejack shook her hand back and forth to signify that it was okay. " Seeing as the world is ending tomorrow, this here being the last of the milk is fine even though my predicament remains what with my sister."
" What happened to the milk?" I asked.
" Someone kept on smashing the bottles, and this was before that boulder blocked the entrance," replied Applejack.
" Do you know who's responsible?" I asked.
" I've got my suspicions, and it's got to be those pesky Gorman Sisters who run that sorry excuse for a racetrack down the road. They've always been a problem what with their shady methods, but only two of them remain there now. The brother left to follow his own path which didn't involve being a schemer, so at least there's one good apple among a really bad crop. 
My advice for you ma'am would be to keep your distance from them at all costs unless you've got some kind of crazy reason for wanting to see them," replied Applejack. After finishing my milk while making sure Twilight got some, I handed the bottle back, and said to Applejack that I needed to continue on with my journey, but I thanked her for the beverage in addition to all of the information she shared. " Good luck on your journey ma'am even if it will be a short one what with the moon." Leaving the barn and walking forward a few paces, I turned my attention to Twilight who was both concerned and happy... the milk contributed to the latter.
" What do you make of all that?" asked Twilight.
" We should have gotten here much sooner," I replied.
" I know, but we don't have the means to access this ranch unless we get help from the Gorons," said Twilight.
" This is why I feel my patience will be tested, for the knowledge that we've got to wait who knows how long until we can get a chance to solve specific problems will prove unbearable. What we've discovered here is without a doubt one of the worst experiences I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. I've never seen Applejack lose her mind so easily, and even my own suggestion contributed to her losing it," I said.
" Don't blame yourself as you didn't know," said Twilight.
" I know, but seeing Applebloom like that breaks my heart," I said.
" We'll help her and her sister when we can, but right now they'll be forced to relive the same thing over and over even though they won't remember due to us resetting time back to the beginning," said Twilight.
" By the way, did you notice how Applejack kept being honest with us?" I asked. To my surprise, Twilight shook her head to signal that she didn't notice, and while this did give me quite a shock as I thought she would have noticed given the elements my friends represent originated from the pony versions who were her friends. I really should ask more about what she's been doing in Equestria, but I'll do that later as I need to focus on this revelation. 
" It's as though her element was shining through despite the human world changing into this dark, brooding, miserable place. It also happened when we were talking to Pinkie Pie where a lot of things she said made me laugh inside, and that relates to her element. Do you suppose this could help change things back to normal?"
" Maybe, but it's hard to say," replied Twilight.
" I remember during my adventure in Hyrule, the magic from Equestria was still there, and it helped our friends remember what the human world is really meant to be like, and that included you Twilight. It wasn't enough to give them back their full memories, but it did make explaining things a whole lot easier. Termina is similar to and different from Hyrule, so maybe Equestrian magic works in the same manner? Or, could it be a completely different effect that provides different results? Either way, or friends will be important to our journey even when they don't know this," I said.
" What do you want to do now?" asked Twilight.
" Speaking with Applejack has consumed much of our time, so really all we can do is reset time. Or, we could wait around a little while longer and see what happens during the final hours," I replied. Since we were outside of Clock Town at this point in time, I didn't feel quite as restricted as before because of being trapped in the body of a Deku Scrub, yet even with all this freedom, I still didn't know where to go apart from Woodfall. 
Looking up at the sky, the moon had gotten closer which made me feel uneasy, but I quickly remembered that with time on my side, the moon will never have the chance to destroy this town. I thought about resetting time seeing as there was nothing more for me to do in this cycle, but I suddenly received a brainstorm. " There is one more place we can check out."
" And that would be?" asked Twilight.
" The Curiosity Shop! We were told that it opens after 10:00pm at night because of how shady the place is, so why not check it out, and see if that expensive mask is currently on sale. Now I know that I don't have enough rupees, but maybe I could persuade the owner into parting with it through haggling," I replied.
" Haggling? You want it to become an auction?" asked Twilight.
" If I can get him to lower down the price just enough, I might be able to buy it, but then I may have to give up something precious in the process," I replied. To be fair, I didn't have anything that constituted as being precious as nothing from the human world made it over when everything changed, yet perhaps there's another way... it felt like what I did for the human version of Twilight prior to the Friendship Games concluding two weeks ago. 
I found a way to resolve that issue without fighting, so hopefully a similar result will happen. It would take me about an hour to make my way back to Clock Town from here, so I can't waste any time even though I suppose I could do this later. As I ran as fast as I could back to town, Twilight mentioned that the Bomber's Notebook was starting to glow from within my pouch, so I took it out and opened it up to where the old lady was featured, and the images of both Applejack and Applebloom appeared indicating they were in need of help.
That's when I noticed that Discord has been added to the book as well, yet I never noticed this before until now, so perhaps it glowed while I wasn't looking due to being distracted by something else? In any case, this made five people out of a possible few dozen or so to be added to the notebook, but there was still a long way to go given many problems in Termina would have to wait a long time before I can solve them, and there were people who I couldn't get access to just yet. 
The way back was fraught with danger as the moment I entered the field, the Takkuri was there flying about where it proceeded to attack me in the hopes of stealing something. Luckily, I was able to outrun it again, and I have to thank our curriculum at Canterlot High regarding physical education for this otherwise I would have lost something. The Blue Bubbles on the other hand were in my path, so taking out my shield, I plowed my way through them where each one lost its flames upon connecting with it.
A couple of them continued to pursue me in the hopes of getting at least one attack in, but I wasn't about to let that happen, so I drew the Kokiri Sword, and slashed both monsters destroying them without any problems. Once they were gone, I continued running forward until finally reaching the entrance to Clock Town only to realize that this was the wrong side. 
I needed to be on the west side as opposed to the south, so moaning while stomping my foot  out of frustration, I ran to the left until reaching the desired entrance, and from there I went through and found myself in West Clock Town again. Most of the people had fled by this point given the moon was mere hours away from crashing, but I had a job to do which involved speaking to a man about a mask.

Night of the Final Day - 12 Hours Remain

" You were intense out there," commented Twilight.
" When I used my sword and shield?" I asked.
" In my own mind, I thought you were going to get hurt, but then you took care of those monsters so easily. I think all this time living in the human world has really paid off for you Sunset Shimmer, for all of those movements are something I could never do given how I'm not used to having a human body," replied Twilight.
" Maybe, but deep down I still want to go back to Equestria, but my heart doesn't feel like it's ready for that," I said.
" Because of Princess Celestia?" asked Twilight.
" I've done great things in the human world such as helping to defeat the Sirens, and showing the human version of yourself the same path that you gave me back when I was a demonic monster. I also achieved a new form where I used the elements from our friends to help her out after she was corrupted by magic, yet I don't think it's enough for me to say that I've really changed. Despite earning everyone's trust and understanding how magic works in the human world, my mistakes from the past continue haunting me," I replied.
" Sunset... you will return to Equestria when you feel that you're ready to face Princess Celestia. There's no need for you to fear returning to the land of your birth just because of what happened a long time ago, for allowing fear to consume you will only cause you to regress back to being the person you've broken free from. 
I know you would prefer to speak to her directly, but perhaps I can get things going which might make it more comfortable for you. No need for an answer straight away of course as it's something that requires a lot of thinking on your part," said Twilight. Is it any wonder how she has become both my friend and mentor? I know that I've solved a big problem without needing her help because I wanted someone to show me the answers even though I could easily get them, but I still appreciate hearing her thoughts on something I'm having trouble dealing with for she is the Princess of Friendship after all. 
If only I had could have had the chance to understand Friendship Magic a little more before all of this happened, but like Twilight said, I don't need to find an answer straight away. She was also right about me facing Princess Celestia once again, for I can't allow my fear to consume me. After all, she's the pony version of Principal Celestia, and I can talk to her so easily without any kind of fear on my part. 
One day... I'll have my hooves walking on the grounds of Equestria... my home world where I was born... yes, my hooves as opposed to hands and feet. It will happen one day, but not today as there is this problem before us that needs solving. With this little pep talk courtesy of Twilight inspiring me, I walked towards where the Curiosity Shop was located, and went inside knowing that they were open for business.
" This place is so strange," I commented.
" You won't hear me arguing about that," added Twilight. The interior of this shop was filled with all kinds of knick-knacks that ranged from the mysterious to the utterly bizarre, and somehow it managed to work all while giving off a creepy factor. There were additional items located behind the desk, but one item stood out for me, but not in a good way because of what I experienced in Hyrule.
" Do you see that armour?" I asked.
" The one in the corner?" asked Twilight. She looked in the same direction that I was, and propped up in the corner was a suit of armour which looked centuries old, yet many pieces were missing. That wasn't the point though, for this was armour that comes from an Iron Knucle... no way could I ever forget that creature because of how powerful it was, and what happened to Rainbow Dash all because she was loyal to the Gerudo, but not to Ganondorf. 
For a brief moment while staring at the armour, I felt like it was going to move in a bid to kill me like all those other ones did, yet I relaxed because this shop lacked any space. Twilight, who had been spending her time looking it over most likely to analyze it, just shrugged her shoulders as she had no answer. " Looks like ancient armour to me."
" That armour is an automating killing machine, for should you strike it while it lies dormant, it will come to life where it's axe is deadly," I said.
" Come on! You're just pulling my leg," said Twilight.
" You should listen to your friend here little fairy, for what she says is the truth when it comes to Iron Knuckles, I kid you not!" That voice was instantly recognizeable by both of us although Twilight's jaw just dropped which caused me to roll my eyes and make a smirking expression on my face. The man standing behind the counter who obviously had been watching our actions was Iron Will, and I remember him from Hyrule where he helped me learn how to use a bow.
" What is he doing here?" asked Twilight.
" He runs this shop," I replied making sure not to make a big scene.
" That I do, and judging from your confused looks when you came through my door, this is your first time entering my shop. So, allow me to welcome you to my shop where all kinds of rare and stolen goods are available nowhere else, I kid you not! Come on, come a little closer, and take a look at what I'm selling tonight," said Iron Will. I didn't want to offend him, so I walked towards the counter all while Twilight just floated there in utter shock over seeing Iron Will whom she must know. 
" You look as though you've got a thing for unusual objects seeing as you were looking at the Iron Knuckle armour, so have I got something really interesting for you. Now I know that it's really bad out there what with the moon falling, but I've got keep my business going because people continue buying unique things even during times of crisis. Tonight's bargain is the All-Night Mask for use at bedtime. I forgot when this was made, but it sure is a freaky mask see?"
" It sure is unique," I commented with hesitation in my voice. Pinkie Pie told me that a mask was being sold here, but I wasn't expecting it to look so weird. I couldn't quite explain it even to my own mind, for the bizarre design was just too much for me. Still, this is something I need to purchase because I've collected several masks now, and it seems having many more is going to be rather useful. A shame that Pinkie never gave me a description about this mask, but I guess she's not welcomed in here because of how odd she looks, and Iron Will may not appreciate her company.
" When you put it on, you can try and try to fall asleep, but you won't be able to. Pretty creepy, huh?" asked Iron Will.
" I don't know. A lot of people love sleeping because it gives them a refreshing feeling when they wake up, yet others want to avoid sleep especially if they are extremely busy, and can't afford to waste any time with their eyes closed," I replied. It then dawned on me that this mask would make it so that I don't need to rest due to working so hard on any given task, but the problem was wearing this mask would make me stand out pretty badly."
" While that's true buddy, it possess arcane powers neither of us could begin to understand," said Iron Will. Actually, both Twilight and I would be able to figure it out as both of us were capable of magic, yet we stared at each other for a brief second as an indication not to let him know what we're capable of. Staring closely at the All-Night Mask, I could tell that it had been crafted with a lot of care, but perhaps fashion wasn't the maker's strongest suit.
If Rarity were here and saw me purchase this, I doubt I'll ever hear the end of it. Still, I really do want to get it, but I don't have enough rupees in my wallet... not even close because I haven't been doing any grinding even though this is something I told myself I need to do because of situations like this.
" How much?" I asked.
" 500 rupees," replied Iron Will.
" Figured you say that," I said.
" Oh? Then tell me what would you price it at?" asked Iron Will.
" I'd keep it the same because it is something unique seeing as no one else around town has anything like it," I replied. No, I wasn't about to cheat Iron Will because that would make me a liar, and I'd rather be honest and accept the fact that I'm too poor to purchase this mask, than be dishonest and manipulative. 
I then told him that while I appreciated him showing it, I said that I had very few rupees on hand, so he might as well just kick me out for wasting his time. At first Iron Will looked as though he was about to blow a fuse given the expression he had on his face, but then he began smiling as though he were planning something.
" I like you buddy..." began Iron Will.
" Excuse me!?!?" I said in utter surprise.
" Most people who come in here try real hard to cheat me at every turn, but not you which makes you better than them. You're honest, and that's something I forgot about a long time ago back when I was a much younger man. Also, no one has ever inquired about the All-Night Mask before with the exception of you, so perhaps we can make some kind of deal," smiled Iron Will.
" What do you have in mind?" I asked.
" I really want to get rid of this mask, but since you don't have any rupees, I was thinking that maybe I could give it to you. In exchange, you would have to do something really quick in return considering the moon will be crashing in just a few hours. In this fashion, you get what you want without having to pay a fortune, and, I'll at last be finally rid of this mask," replied Iron Will. Getting it without having to pay that outrageous price would really be beneficial to me, but this whole thing about doing him a favour in return has me worried, for that smile of his makes him appear as untrustworthy. 
Still, I'm this close to getting another mask, and I don't want to go away empty-handed after coming here despite my own judgment. Yet when I saw the look in Twilight's eyes, I knew straight away that I was making a big mistake. Iron Will was a shady businessman who may or may not be all that honest, but then something else struck my mind. The Takkuri... Twilight said it takes things to the Curiosity Shop due to stealing them from unsuspecting people, so I should confront him about this.
" Do you know about the Takkuri?" I asked.
" Um... no, I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, I kid you not!" replied Iron Will.
" Your stutter tell me otherwise," I said.
" How did you figure out that the creature belonged to me?" asked Iron Will.
" My friend here told me your Takkuri brings goods here... goods stolen from innocent people who wonder why a weird bird-like creature would steal from them without any kind of provocation. I was told by another friend that you dealt in shady activities such as buying stolen goods from thieves such as the one who loves to prance about," I replied.
" Sakon is one of my regulars," said Iron Will.
" I was thinking about purchasing that mask, or doing you that quick favour, but once I remembered the stuff about the Takkuri, I know now that I've no desire to do any kind of business with you. In fact, the soldiers are still on patrol, so I can easily get one of them down here, and you should have a pretty good idea as to what is about to happen next," I said. 
My words must have resonated with Iron Will, for his eyes were filled with fear... fear that his operation would be exposed after keeping it secretive. Even though I didn't want to resort to this method, I wasn't doing this to earn sympathy or to get the mask for free. No, I wanted him to know what can happen when you make the kind of mistake which can lead you down the wrong path in life.
" If you tell them about my business... I'll be ruined," said Iron Will.
" Someday, I'll be back to pick up that mask because I will purchase it for the full amount to show you that I do things in a legitamite manner, but for now I'm taking my leave of you, and be prepared for a visitor to come within the next couple of minutes," I said. Walking out of the Curiosity Shop, and immediately walking over to the soldier who was standing guard by the west gate, I told him everything which resulted in him being shocked. 
It looks as though Mayor Dotour according to him has been wanting this shop closed down, but they never had any proof of the shady business as no one was willing to come forward. The soldier told me that even though the town was doomed, he still had a duty to perform even if it meant Iron Will not being punished for very long. For me, this was a victory as I didn't want anyone else making a mistake similar to the one which ruined my life for years... perhaps this will make him see the error of his ways, but if not then I tried my best to get him to change his life around.
" Why did you do that?" asked Twilight.
" I could sense that if he continued down his current path, one of his customers would eventually try to kill him out of sheer frustration, and that would just be a tragic end which he doesn't deserve despite what he's done. Just like how you gave me a second chance Twilight, I wanted Iron Will to have the same opportunity, yet if he chooses to spit on my offer, I did the best that I could, so it's not my fault if he were to meet an untimely demise. I know everything that's just happened will mean nothing in just a matter of moments given we'll be resetting time, but he needed to be exposed for the greater good," I replied.
" And the All-Night Mask?" asked Twilight.
" I'll get it another time," I replied.
" Then we have nothing else left?" asked Twilight.
" At this point, it's too late to do something, so resetting time is all we can do," I replied as I took out the Ocarina of Time, and spent a few moments looking at it. I know this cycle didn't contribute much towards figuring out how to prevent the moon from destroying Termina, nor find a way to return the world back to normal, but I feel as though progress has been made with regards to collecting these different masks. Oh, and regaining my human form after being trapped as a Deku Scrub for what felt like forever. 
Playing the Song of Time while spending a few minutes remembering how it went, everything suddenly went bright, and just like before I fell down where all of those clock faces were surrounding me as a reminder that I was going back through time to the beginning of the three day cycle which is going to be something I'll be getting used to.

Dawn of the First Day - 72 Hours Remain

With time having started once again, I knew that my next destination was Woodfall as there was no other location I could visit at this point until I had acquired more items, and while I did have the urge to get a Bomb Bag, I've got to get my wallet filled up with rupees. I've also got to deposit more at the bank if I want to get my hands on those rewards Fleur Dis Lee mentioned when I first arrived in Clock Town. 
Before I could leave town, I had to once again remind the soldier standing guard that I wasn't a child due to having a sword. This wasted a couple of minutes, but he would soon allow me to pass, and upon exiting town and entering Termina Field, I immediately headed south which would lead me towards Woodfall, and things were going smoothly... until Twilight stopped by a large tree which made me wonder what she was up to.
" This tree... there's something about it... something from Tatl's memories which is why I stopped," said Twilight.
" While we do need to go to Woodfall, we won't until you can figure out what her memory is trying to tell you," I said.
" Just give me a moment Sunset," said Twilight. She began to scan the entire tree looking for whatever it was that was making Tatl's memories wanting to inform her, but when I started to look as well, and discovered some kind of crude drawing, she said that's what was making her react. " This drawing... I remember this! Or rather, Tatl remembers this! Anyway, Spike and I drew this with Starlight Glimmer over a year ago according to these memories when we first met her. 
It was during a dark, rainy day, and both of us took shelter inside of a giant log just like the one over there. We had to find somewhere safe where we wouldn't be caught in the rain, but what we didn't know was that someone else was there."
" Starlight?" I asked.
" Yes, she was there and looked completely miserable as though something bad had happened. The three of us immediately huddled together in the rain until it would eventually pass, but during that time we began to bond as friends," replied Twilight. No doubt hearing herself say that made her feel bad because of what happened in Equestria courtesy of Starlight according to her very quick summary after she came through the portal after the Friendship Games concluded. 
" She told us that she had been fighting with her friends, and that they had left her all alone. Spike and I did think of asking who these friends were, but we decided not to in case Starlight would react in a negative fashion, yet we'd quickly figure out why she had been abandoned."
" What was it?" I asked
" I'm sure it was because she was always playing tricks, nobody wanted to play with her. As you know Sunset, in this world, Starlight has been playing a number of pranks on people which started out innocent where she was having fun at their expense, but to do what she did just because of that... not long before you came along that path back in the Lost Woods, the three of us were planning on robbing the next person who would come. 
Starlight convinced us stealing from people would be fun, for most of them had too many possessions, and probably wouldn't miss anything important. Back then, we never questioned why she wanted to resort to thievery, but I suppose we should have voiced our concerns to perhaps persuade her from going too far," replied Twilight.
" It was Sonata Dusk wasn't it?" I asked.
" We encountered her sleeping by herself in the forest, and that made her an easy target according to Starlight. She began to rummage through Sonata's belongings in the hopes of finding something of value, and that's when she discovered Majora's Mask. Starlight picked it up to take a closer look at it... and once she got her power... that's when things started to get worse. Her pranks became more and more violent as opposed to her wanting to have fun by making them miserable, and this in turn caused many to lose their lives in the process, but this is something Spike and I ignored," replied Twilight. 
I then began to imagine seeing that exact scene play out in my mind, and it filled me with dread as Starlight was holding up a power she had no idea as to how it worked. I'm guessing that in her mind at that exact moment, she didn't care about any possible side-effects, but instead just wanted to get back at those who wronged her. It's just like the human version of Twilight where she had no idea what magic was, but she wanted to learn more out of a need for knowledge, and not the desire for revenge.
" That's when you ran into me," I said.
" After robbing you, Starlight suddenly changed for the worse where she wanted to make big things happen. Everything she had done thus far had been small according to her which made her feel bored, and she wanted to take things to a bigger level that would make everyone who picked on her suffer. It's apparent now that Majora's Mask not only has provided Starlight with some dangerous magic, but also twisted her mind into something spiteful who desires complete destruction," replied Twilight. 
Now things were starting to make sense, yet there were still many mysteries which needed answering. Perhaps the biggest mystery of all revolved around the moon, and how I can prevent it from destroying this world. Even if I reset time constantly just to stave off the impending doom, it's just simply delaying the inevitable, but perhaps I'll discover some kind of answer at Woodfall. As I stared at the pathway which leads into this swamp/forest hybrid, I gulped really hard before entering...

To Be Continued.