//------------------------------// // Chapter 10: Palace of the Swamp // Story: The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Majora's Mask // by Ganondorf8 //------------------------------// The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Majora's Mask By Ganondorf8 October 16, 2015 Chapter 10: Palace of the Swamp The sounds coming from within the Deku Palace started to get louder although I could hear at least one voice trying to calm everyone down, so it sounds like there is at least one person in there who I'm likely to be able to reason with. Whatever was happening in there, I had to find out because I need access to the temple. Holding the Deku Mask in my hand, I began to breathe several times as a means of remaining calm, for this would be quite a challenge given I'll be stuck as a Deku for a while as no other creature aside from the monkeys can access the palace. Once I felt ready to proceed, I put the Deku Mask on my face, and immediately I began convulsing as the transformation began... I'm still having trouble getting used to this part, but at least it doesn't last that long otherwise I'd really dislike it. Upon screaming where no one heard me doing this, I became a Deku Scrub once again although I did stumble about for a few seconds before falling down on my rear. " What happened?" asked Twilight. " I haven't gotten used to transforming from one creature to another," I replied. " Well, it's something you won't need to worry about for a while as you'll have to remain a Deku Scrub until we're done. I'm going to be okay as I doubt the Deku will even take notice of me given my small size, but hopefully nothing happens where you suddenly decide to take the mask off due to some kind of weird frustration factor like say being fed up," said Twilight. I'm not entirely sure what she meant by that, but it sounded like she thinks I won't be able to handle being a Deku for lengthy periods at a time... even though I was stuck in this form for three days straight, and without a means of changing back to normal until later. Sometimes, I think she needs to have more faith in me seeing as this is what I'm used to doing while she is still experiencing new things for the first time. Then again, I need more faith in myself especially after what happened while we were sleeping, and making our way here in that boat. Ganondorf's threat regarding Equestria, the human world, and everyone who resides in both worlds still burned in my mind, his words felt like knives striking at my heart because he was capable of carrying out his intentions. If there was a time where I've felt an intense amount of pressure, it would be right now because the fate of two worlds was now firmly on my shoulders, and the weight was dragging me down to the depths as it were. Twilight tried to reassure me that everything would be alright, but how can it when he could just end it all for both worlds without a moment's hesitation. Even if I think he's doing this to see me suffer on an emotional level, there's no telling what is going to happen next. I suppose the only option I have is to just roll with it, and hope nothing truly bad goes wrong. Upon walking through the entrance, my mouth suddenly dropped open, and my eyes opened wide with surprise when I gazed at the Deku Palace. I was expecting it to be a relatively small location, but this place was probably just as large as Clock Town. There was a pond which must serve as some kind of moat, but I had no intention of swimming about in it given it was filled with poison. " So this must be what all the fuss is about," I said. " That poison could seriously injure you, so I advise not to fall into it under any circumstances. Still, hearing everything about it pales in comparison to actually seeing it with our own eyes," said Twilight. That's when she noticed me looking around as though I were trying to find something, yet so far I wasn't having any kind of luck. " Um, what are you doing Sunset?" " I'm trying to see which direction the poison is coming from, but the water looks so calm that I can't tell," I replied. " How about that waterfall over there?" asked Twilight. She pointed towards a large cliff to the right of where I was standing, and sure enough there was a waterfall flowing down from above where the poison was stemming down from. That means the way to the temple must be over there, yet knowing this changes nothing about the situation. Even knowing the direction, it won't do me any good unless I know exactly where I have to go, and that means asking the Deku Queen for information. Of course, I have no idea if she will even listen considering that in her eyes, I'm just a commoner, and probably unworthy of being in her presence. Back in Equestria, Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna were both really approachable despite their status as rulers of Equestria, yet I suspect this isn't going to be the same in Termina. " Okay, so I guess we need to go up there," I replied. " Not sure why you said that Sunset as I think you already figured out we can't go that way until we know what we're supposed to do," said Twilight. " I just felt like answering that question," I said. " You didn't really need to, for I knew you were thinking it," smiled Twilight. " Guess I just felt a little bit insecure," I said, and this was putting it mildly as I need to remain confidant otherwise I could potentially make things even worse. Judging from all of the yelling coming from further ahead, the Deku Tribe are busy with some kind of argument, or maybe there's something else going on. Before choosing to walk forward, I took another look around just to see if there was perhaps another way for me to get inside. There was a large assortment of lily pads to my left which travel in a straight line towards some kind of cave entrance, and a smaller number of them to my right lead towards both the waterfall, and maybe somewhere along the side of the palace. " Our options are pretty limited given that I'm not confidant enough in hopping from lily pad to lily pad." " Then heading forward is our only choice," said Twilight. " I guess that makes sense given that's where all of that noise is coming from," I said. Walking a few steps forward, I finally took notice of a series of logs which formed a bridge across the poison water, and upon stepping onto the bridge, it began to wobble a little which meant it was rickety at best, but I've got to make it across in order to find out what's going on further ahead. Walking a few more steps forward, I almost fell over into the water due to how unstable the bridge was, and that would have been just disastrous, but I managed to make it across where I found myself faced with another problem. " These are Deku Flowers just like what we've seen in Clock Town, but they look a little different as though something were already inside them." " Want to take a closer look?" asked Twilight. " I suppose so as we have to get past these flowers in order to keep going," I replied. I walked up to the flowers to get a closer look at them, but suddenly two Dekus, one in each flower, popped up from them which caused me to fall down onto my rear in reaction. I'm guessing these two must be some kind of sentries who protect this area, yet why only have two guarding the entire outside of the palace? Then again, there could be more guards waiting further ahead, and the ones out here merely serve to provide a false sense of security especially towards those who may try to cause trouble. " Are these the only guards?" asked Twilight. " No, I think there are others located elsewhere in the castle," I replied. " That's a relief as I was thinking that only having two guards protecting the Deku Queen is probably the worst kind of security you can imagine, but then why only have two guards out here instead of say a dozen of them?" asked Twilight. " I don't know, but I suppose the Deku Queen may know if she happens to be in a good mood," I replied. " Why do you say that?" asked Twilight. " The arguing coming from the room at the far end of that hallway in front of us has gotten even louder than ever, and I have a feeling that the one shouting in there is the Deku Queen, or a reasonable facsimile," I replied. This now makes the problem a whole lot more difficult for me to solve as I was hoping for a pleasant conversation, so I may have to wait for an ideal opportunity where she isn't in a foul mood, but first I need to convince the two Deku guards in front of me to allow me to pass otherwise I'm not getting anywhere. I moved towards the one on my left who immediately began looking at me where it looked like he was going to attack, but I must hold back, for going on the offensive would get me nowhere. " Halt! Stay where you are!" " I was wondering if I could go through," I said. " This is the palace of the Deku Kingdom. Only those on official business may enter!" Judging from both the sound in his voice, and his choice of words, regular Dekus aren't allowed inside whenever they have a problem like it is back in Equestria where ponies could see Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna at any time. This Deku Queen must be some kind of enigma to them if she doesn't interact all that much with her subjects, but then I could be wrong as I don't know anything about how their society works especially the royal side of it. " But, you may enter to see the public humiliation of the foolish monkey who has angered our people including our queen even though she has been relatively calm despite a few outbursts." These next words caught me by surprise as he just said that no one without official business were allowed through, and now he is giving me permission, but what did he mean when he said the Deku Queen has been having a few outbursts? Does this mean our original theory about who was yelling was true, and that the Deku Queen wasn't solely responsible. " What's going on?" I asked with a confused look on my face. " Where have you been all this time?" " I've been in Clock Town," I replied. " Ah, you're one of the Dekus who moved away from the swamp some years ago in order to live in that city of humans, but I would have thought all of you would be aware of what's been going on around here within these last couple of days. Sigh, I guess some of you city Dekus have remained ignorant after all this time, so I might as well explain the situation." Sounds to me this Deku, and quite possibly the entire tribe have issues with those of their kind who decided to move away from the swamp, or maybe it was just this one Deku who felt that way. " Now listen up! Things have been pretty peaceful around here until an incident happened roughly three days ago." " What happened?" I asked. " The Deku Princess left with one of the monkeys who frequent the swamp, and the two of them travelled to the temple, but our dear princess never came back from their trip, so we believe that the monkey kidnapped her in order to hold her for ransom. Our queen doesn't believe this to be true, and has been rather calm about the disappearance of her daughter, so her advisors have had to provide the proper incentive because she needs to set a good example by punishing the monkey for his crimes." " Is that why her majesty has been vocal from time to time?" I asked. I made sure to refer to the Deku Queen as her majesty, for I have to convince everyone in the palace that I'm in one of their kind otherwise they may think of me as offensive and rude to her which will place me in even more trouble. " The Deku Queen, for the most part is a majestic ruler who holds the Deku's love in their hearts, but her advisors often suggest for her to be more assertive with her actions so that our tribe can become dominant against the others when it comes to political and territorial affairs across Termina." So, those who hold high positions in Deku Scrub society have been coercing the queen into doing things which she may not accept in her heart. They sound a lot like the Crystal Prep students and Principal Cinch where they did something similar to Twilight's human counterpart just to win the Friendship Games, but this situation has more political clout compared to two worlds being threatened by someone who desired knowledge no matter what the cost. " We have questioned that monkey numerous times demanding he tell us where the princess is, but he has refused to say anything!" " Could it be that he doesn't know?" I asked. " He knows what happened, but pretends to be ignorant!" " Would it be okay if I asked him some questions?" I asked. " The likes of you!?!? The Deku Queen is most likely to accept your request, but her advisors will deny you seeing as you're just a common scrub even though you do have quite an impressive hairstyle. Very well! You may proceed forward towards the throne room of the Deku Queen! Follow this hall straight to the Royal Chamber. Do not enter any other areas whatsoever! I'm serious about this, so if I were you, I'd do exactly as I say unless you want to be punished yourself!" With that, both Dekus went back down into their flowers giving me access to the remainder of the palace. Walking a few metres forward, the décor looked rather tacky to be honest, and no doubt I was feeling this way courtesy of Rarity, but I quickly stopped upon seeing two doorways on either side of me. " I'm guessing those must be the areas we can't visit," I said. " Do you hear something coming from each entrance?" asked Twilight. " It sounds like there must be at least a dozen guards both on the ground, and in the air which must make this palace quite difficult to explore without being spotted. I know we were told not to go into these other areas, but I have this feeling that we'll need to," I replied. If this is the case, I'll have to rely on sneaking around so as to make sure not to get caught by the guards as I won't be able to take on so many of them all at once. What makes little sense with all of this is why there aren't more guards patrolling this central hallway as opposed to patrolling the areas on both sides of me. I quickly turned around to see if those two Deku guards were still paying attention to me, but they were still inside of their flowers, so I was free to take a quick inspection. " I'm going to see what's inside this doorway as I'm curious." Walking through the doorway, I found myself in a fairly large open area where all kinds of plants were scattered about along with boulders, and several pieces of décor which must be some kind of fashion trend for the palace. The guards were on patrol, yet their movements felt weird like they were moving about in a specific pattern. " Why are they moving like that? It just seems so unnatural." " This is a video game Sunset, so maybe this is how they were commanded to act in order to give whoever is playing a fair chance. Judging from their behaviour, they move forward a little before stopping to investigate, and then continuing in this manner in an endless loop," said Twilight. " I suppose this will make it easy to sneak by provided I don't walk directly in front of them, but why would we even need to come here anyway? I mean, I know that I just said we'll need to explore both sides given how curiousity compels me, but maybe we won't need to as this looks like it will waste our time. You know Twilight, this is where helpful advice on where we need to go would come in handy," I said. " Sorry for not being more helpful," said Twilight. Hearing her say that made me slap myself in the forehead really hard, for this is the kind of thing that made her human counterpart run away in tears all because I allowed my anger and frustration reach a boiling point. Twilight is doing her very best given how she was thrown into this situation without any warning, so I've no right to make such a critical remark against her. I then reassured her that she wasn't to blame for our wandering around blind, and that it was my own fault for not asking the right questions out of fear of being discovered. " Thanks for saying that to me Sunset! I really appreciate it!" Hearing my words made Twilight feel a lot better which in turn made me feel better, so I walked back to the main hallway, and walked forward where I entered the throne room, or Royal Chamber as the guards called it. " What in all of Equestria!" I exclaimed. " It's been a long time I heard you say that," commented Twilight. " Can you blame me for what we're looking at?" I asked. " No, I suppose not," replied Twilight. There were a large number of Deku Scrubs jumping up and down, spinning around in place, and even spewing forth bubbles as a sign of frustration, so it looks as though they're taking the missing princess situation rather well. There was a rather large cage to the left which must be where the monkey is currently imprisoned, yet I don't see a means of being able to open it. " How do you suppose we can get in there?" I asked. " There may be another route, but that would involve investigating the other areas of the palace," replied Twilight. So it looks like we do need to check those other areas in order to find our way into the cage, yet while it sounds weird to want to get into something like that, I do need to check to make sure the monkey is okay. There was a bonfire in the centre of the room, but what could its purpose be seeing as fire is fatal to Deku Scrubs seeing as they are plants, but then I noticed a cauldron was nearby which had me wonder just what could they be planning. That's when I took notice of the one sitting on a large throne at the opposite end of the room, and while she was clearly a Deku Scrub, she had several features which struck me as being Equestrian, and Twilight recognized her right away. " Tree Hugger!" " I'm sorry, what?" I asked. " That's Tree Hugger," replied Twilight. " Aren't people called that because of being devoted to the environment?" I asked. " I don't know much about her other than what Fluttershy described, and according to her, she is a member of the Equestrian Society for the Preservation of Rare Creatures who Fluttershy met when she saw the Breezies. There was an incident between Tree Hugger and Discord during the Grand Galloping Gala where Discord's jealousy almost caused her to be sent to another dimension, but luckily they were able to sort things out. One distinct feature about Tree Hugger is that she speaks in a very mellow voice which makes her act as though she were calm and collected, yet it can be difficult for ponies to understand what she means as uses unusual words," replied Twilight. " And here she is as the Deku Queen," I said. " This could be difficult," said Twilight. " Only one way to find out, and that is to talk with her," I said. Walking around the bonfire because I don't want to get set on fire due to being a Deku Scrub, I approached the throne where Tree Hugger was sitting where she immediately noticed me, and smiled which made me feel sure that this would be a pleasant conversation, but then my eyes took notice of the four Deku Scrubs, two on either side of the throne, who were staring at me with cold expressions. It was obvious that these were the advisors those guards mentioned, and they definitely looked like they were ready to explode, so I decided to ignore them in favour of Tree Hugger. " I like, haven't seen your face before around here. Are you like visiting this palace? I can sense a powerful good vibe coming from you, and it's like a real pleasure to experience something so wondrous for the first time in a long while," said Tree Hugger. Her advisors continued looking at me with their cold expressions as though they didn't want me to be here, and it looked like one of them was mumbling under his breath. " Usually, regular Deku Scrubs aren't allowed inside of this groovy room full of wonder according to what my advisors often suggest, but today is like, an exception which is why you are here before me." " Does it have to do with the monkey over there?" I asked while pointing at the cage. " Yeah, for my advisors have suggested that we do something, but like, I'm not really feeling that kind of flow in my chakra," replied Tree Hugger. " Your most gracious Deku Queen! You know the reason why we have set all of this up, and it has to do with the fact that your precious daughter, our precious princess, is missing, and it has to do with that wretched monkey we've locked away in that cage!" " Wow... why go to such an extreme?" asked Tree Hugger. " Because that monkey must learn! You, common Deku Scrub! We're about to punish the foolish monkey who kidnapped the Deku princess! He has insulted the Royal Family, so we'll show him what happens to those who defy our tribe! Please your majesty, allow us to carry out the sentence without further delay! We must make an example of this monkey, and the only way involves dunking him into a cauldron of boiling water." Did this advisor just say what I thought he said? He wants to plunge an innocent animal into a cauldron without any kind of trial? Fluttershy would likely be suffering a heart attack if she heard what came out of his mouth, so hopefully Tree Hugger will refuse such an outlandish request, and put this Deku in his place. " Now, I don't think like, we should be doing something so extreme," said Tree Hugger. " Your people demand justice!" " I suppose that is true, but this monkey hasn't been found guilty or not," said Tree Hugger. " He is clearly guilty your majesty, for he went with the princess to the forbidden temple which only members of the Deku Royal Family are allowed to go to, and he was the only one who came back which means her life was merely expendable." At that moment, Tree Hugger suddenly erupted into anger because of what she had heard about her daughter, but then she quickly calmed down again before pointing a finger towards the monkey. " Like, I can't argue with such evidence like that, so I guess I've no other choice but to carry out a sentence. However, the punishment will not be carried out until sometime tomorrow evening, for I'm like willing to give the monkey a chance to prove his innocence. If he doesn't reveal his inner aura, or his chakra remains impure, then you have my full permission to do what must be done," said Tree Hugger. " Are you sure this is a wise decision?" I asked. " What do you mean?" asked Tree Hugger. " The facts are against this monkey your majesty, and for that I do understand where your advisors are coming from, but I think this kind of punishment is just way too extreme, and could prove to be problematic especially if the other tribes get wind of this. I was thinking that maybe I could speak with him for a while, and see what he might say, but if I can't get any answers from him, then I won't say anything else, and you can go ahead and do whatever you want," I replied. My request drew the ire of her advisors right away, and seeing their cold expressions made me feel uneasy, but then Tree Hugger rose from her throne before picking up what appeared to be a sceptre, and walked forward towards me before commanding me to bow down before her. " You may like do this thing," said Tree Hugger. " I only need a few minutes," I said. " Are there like, any questions about my decision, or something like that?" asked Tree Hugger. None of the advisors said anything which meant I was free to speak to this monkey, so I'm hoping he will be cooperative, for his life is practically hanging in the balance. " Okay, now I need to get back to realigning my aura especially after having it agitated by the news of what happened to my daughter, but before you leave little sprout, I advise you speak with my butler, for she may be able to help you with something I guess? Oh, and if you've like, no idea on where the monkey is, he is up in that cage. Take a good look at his face, for it looks so charming as though it were a beautiful cloud." Did Tree Hugger just tell me something I already pointed out to her? Twilight then told me that she was known for having a slight issue with memory loss, but then it was probably because she was so connected with her aura that she has a tendency to overlook things the first time. As I walked towards the cage, the Deku advisors began to huddle together as though they were planning on doing something to me, and the rest of the Deku Scrubs continued to act as they had before I entered. " I don't trust those advisors," I whispered. " It looks like they are influencing Tree Hugger into doing things that she doesn't want to do because of her attitude. They want to become a more ruthless queen which may explain why the other tribes have been looking down on the Dekus because the advisors are making the entire tribe look bad while Tree Hugger unknowingly wants them to be viewed in a positive light," whispered Twilight. " Do you suppose the Deku Princess keeps those advisors in check?" I whispered. " They act as though they were in charge instead of Tree Hugger, and it wouldn't surprise me if they were to suddenly rise up and overthrow her. Granted, this would never happen in Equestria given everypony appreciates Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadance, my brother, and myself. Still, this princess must give Tree Hugger the support she needs to rule her kingdom," whispered Twilight. " Without the princess, the advisors have free reign," I whispered. " Not much we can do about it until we find out more about this abduction," whispered Twilight. We both then looked back at the advisors who continued to glare at us with their cold expressions, but then they suddenly turned away which made me feel worried. I hope they don't decide that I deserve some kind of punishment just because I wanted to ask the monkey some questions. Besides, if I get nothing out of this, my efforts would be in vain, and in turn the advisors would use their influence to coerce Tree Hugger into carrying out whatever punishment they had in mind. Walking up to the cage, I saw the monkey imprisoned behind strong, metal bars, yet he was tied up with thick rope onto a large pole where he was struggling to free himself. This was clearly an inhumane act, but there was nothing I could do other than hope for some kind of answer to my question. " Excuse me," I whispered. " What do you want?" " I was wondering if you'd answer my question regarding what happened to the Deku Princess," I replied. " They keep saying that I kidnapped her. No matter how many times they say it, it's not going to bring the princess back! I know deep down, the Deku Queen believes my words, yet her advisors have insisted that my actions have threatened the very existence of the Deku Kingdom. They've been trying to convince her to punish me in a brutal manner so that my brothers will learn to fear the Deku, and I fear she will eventually agree with them especially when she learns I did something really sinister." " What did you do?" I asked. " I refuse to speak to the likes of you!" " Where is the princess?" I asked. " Again, I won't answer you!" " Listen... I'm aware of the fact that you're innocent, and I want to help you," I said. " Punish me or do whatever else you might!" " I want to help you prove your innocence, save the Deku Princess, and possibly return this region back to normal, but I can't do anything unless you tell me exactly what is going on around here," I said. " Huh? You... want to help me? Strange, but there's something about you which makes me believe in your words, yet at the same time you're on that side of the cage which means this might be some kind of trick in order to make me confess." The monkey then went silent for a couple of seconds before speaking in a much softer tone. " If you can find your way to this side, I'll listen to you, but until then I refuse to accept your help! Won't someone listen to me? If they're not careful, the princess will fall victim to a monster! Please, believe my words..." My efforts have proven to be in vain, so with a sad expression on my face, I walked away from the cage which in turn caused the advisors no end of glee as this is what they wanted to see happen. " That could have gone better," whispered Twilight. " No wonder he refuses to listen, for look at how they've treated him," I whispered. " And those advisors are happy that your plan didn't work," whispered Twilight. That thought alone made me feel really angry on the inside, but I had to restrain myself otherwise the situation would get even worse, so I decided to simply leave without saying another word. Tree Hugger tried to inquire as to how it went, yet her advisors shook their heads to let her know that nothing worked, and she just sat back down on her throne where she began to look glum. Just as I was at the exit, someone grabbed me by the shoulder, and I spun around where I was looking at Mrs. Cheerilee which certainly was surprising. Back in Hyrule, she was a Business Scrub who had a shop inside of Ganondorf's castle, yet here she was as an actual Deku Scrub with her hair style much like Tree Hugger, but what was with her strange attire. " Greetings, I am known as the Deku Butler," said Cheerilee. " You're a servant?" I asked. " I suppose that's one way to look at it, but rather I am the personal attendant to the Deku Queen, and the Deku Princess. Unlike the rest of my fellow Deku, I do not have any kind of animosity towards the monkey, for I believe his words to be true," replied Cheerilee. " Then why not do something?" I asked. " My place is to serve the Deku Queen, and nothing more. My own opinions are often ignored by both the advisors and her majesty, yet I've grown accustomed to this because it is the nature of being a butler," replied Cheerilee. I was thinking that her words were nothing but garbage given she had a voice just like everyone else, but maybe she is afraid to speak her mind due to those advisors. " Now that our beloved princess is missing, the advisors to the queen have become even more vocal than ever before, and will no doubt convince her that punishing the monkey is the best course of action. While her majesty has remained calm and collected, all it would take is just one small push resulting in her completely losing it." Tree Hugger lose it? That didn't sound like something I'd want to see, so I need to move fast if I want to resolve this before something bad happens. Cheerilee then continued talking which did start to feel unnerving given how negative she was feeling, yet who could blame her given the attitude of most of the Deku. " I fear the princess may be caught up in some kind of trouble, just as that monkey claims..." " Then let him prove himself," I suggested. " If only I could, but then the queen is the only one who can make such a decision," said Cheerilee. " She seems more than capable," I said. " Her majesty relies on her chakra to remain calm, but I fear her vibes as she calls them will shatter. Should she lose control of her emotions, the Deku Queen can become truly frightening. We can't even send troops out to look for the princess, for the poisonous swamp water makes traversing Woodfall difficult, and of course there is the problem revolving around the queen and her advisors. What are we to do?" asked Cheerilee. I actually had no answer to her question, for this is something that was completely over my head due to not knowing enough about this situation. Cheerilee noticed my head had slumped slightly forward, and she took that as a sign that I couldn't answer her. " It's terribly sad... but nothing can be done now... our swamps have become poisoned... this may be the end of the Deku Kingdom!" " What of the guardian of this region?" I asked. " No one knows why the one who protects us has vanished," replied Cheerilee. " Hasn't anyone tried to find out?" I asked. " Only the royal family are permitted to do this, but the princess is missing, and with her majesty unable to act because of showing defiance towards her advisors, there is nothing anyone can do to find out why the guardian no longer protects us all. The end is nigh young Deku child, so I suggest you flee this place, and return to where you came from so that you can avoid the inevitable destruction that is to come," replied Cheerilee. With that, she turned around, and slowly walked off towards Tree Hugger, and I assumed she was just going to stand there ready to carry out the commands of her queen without question. Despite getting a little bit of information, I felt really bad for Mrs. Cheerilee because of what her conscience must be telling her. " I can't believe she doesn't want to do anything," whispered Twilight. " She may not be in any position," I whispered. " Maybe but that's no reason for her to feel so negative," whispered Twilight. " We really need to speak to that monkey in the cage, for I think he will tell us exactly what's going on," I whispered. " Maybe we should leave for the time being, and try to find a way to get to him on the other side of the cage," whispered Twilight. Deep down, I felt really disappointed as I was hoping for the monkey to be a bit more cooperative, but I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by his reaction, and can't blame him due to what the Deku have done. Upon leaving the throne room, I found myself confronted with the same monkey who spoke to me before about helping his brother. Is it just me, or was there some kind of psychic link here as how else would he have known I was coming outside again at this exact moment. " Was my brother all right?" " They have him tied to a pole inside of a cage where he has been insisting to them that he is innocent," I replied. " Deku treat brother like criminal, but he isn't which makes me sad knowing they are punishing him. Did you see entrance to cage? We know secret route there." " A secret route!?!?" I said with a surprised look on my face. To be honest, I didn't really notice anything like that, but then I was more inclined on trying to get some answers from the monkey in question. My heart began to beat rapidly as I had this feeling the secret route would be placing me into harms way, and more specifically exploring those side areas more closely given how they felt out of place. " Enter secret route from Outer Garden entrance, but entrance in tall place. No can reach it... not even Deku for their flowers cannot reach high enough. Need bean from bean seller. Live beneath palace garden." I slapped my head when the monkey said that as I remember a similar incident back in Hyrule, yet both Twilight and the monkey were wondering why I did that to myself, and it resulted in me blushing a bright red out of sheer embarrassment before asking the monkey to continue. " Bean needed to create way up to entrance. Without bean, you cannot help my brother, and he will be punished for crime he did not do. Understand my meaning?" " I do," I answered while nodding. " Oh! You smart. Plant bean in soft place by Outer Garden. You figure out rest. Hurry. Help brother!" The monkey then turned around and ran away leaving me feeling somewhat annoyed because of having to deal with a situation which wasn't my best moment during my last adventure, and I had a feeling I would be dealing with the exact same person as before... not like that was a bad thing, but rather it was the principle. " Why did you slap yourself?" asked Twilight. " I have a story regarding those beans," I replied. " Really? You understood what that monkey was on about? To be honest, I didn't understand why he was talking about beans," said Twilight. " They aren't regular beans like the kind you would grow in the human world, and in Equestria, but rather they are magical where if you planted one in the proper place, it would eventually grow into a large plant which can be used to travel about from one location to another," I said. Twilight obviously had no idea what I was on about, so I had to rely on some visual aide through the use of my hands, and believe me when I say it felt humiliating doing this, but after my attempt at charades, she immediately understood which was a sigh of relief, yet how come she figured it out when I did that? " Why do you believe me, and not the monkey?" I have to admit that this did make me feel concerned. " It's because I know you Sunset, and you've been through an awful lot," replied Twilight. " Thanks Twilight," I smiled. " I still can't believe you spent that many rupees buying ten beans, but then you wanted to make him happy, so your heart was in the right place," said Twilight. " While not all of the beans were used, I just couldn't bare to see him upset, but then Spike did berate me for a while," I said. " That doesn't sound surprising," laughed Twilight. I ended up laughing as well because of what it all meant, but eventually we had to get down to serious business if we were to reach the monkey trapped in the cage. I looked upwards at the night sky where it was still pretty dark, so I'm guessing it's roughly the middle of the night, so perhaps I can use this somehow to sneak past any Deku Scrub guards patrolling about. " This isn't going to be easy Sunset, for we can't afford to be caught otherwise we'll get thrown out of the palace, and any efforts will be wasted." Twilight started to think about how we would approach this scenario, and she immediately came up with an idea. " Those guards have a basic movement pattern as we witnessed before, so if we apply a strategy around that, avoiding them will be a cinch." " It does depend on how many there are as I'm sure there were more than what we could see," I said. " We'll know soon enough," said Twilight. It then came down to a decision as to which area we should explore first, and Twilight suggested going to the right to which I agreed. Walking through the right-hand passage, I stopped almost instantly as there was a Deku Scrub on patrol nearby. " Watch his movements closely, and wait for the right opening, but make sure to keep watch of other guards as you don't want to be pinned in." Good thing Twilight mentioned this, for a second guard was nearby walking in a slightly different pattern which would make this a little difficult. " What do you suppose their vision is?" I asked. " Well, since you're a Deku Scrub right now, you already know that answer," replied Twilight. In my mind right there, I felt silly because what she said was true. I'm a Deku right now, so my vision is the same as theirs, so I looked forward as far as possible to determine how much I can see. " I got a pretty good distance, yet it seems to only work when I'm looking straight. Every other direction is just nothing but darkness," I said. " So Deku Scrubs have some kind of restriction on their vision... I'll use my light to guide you along although I'll need to stay pretty close in case I accidentally alert them to our presence," said Twilight. She snuggled up next to my hat which did catch me by surprise, but then my vision in those other directions suddenly improved, and when the two guards weren't watching me, I ran as fast as I could until I reached the wall where I turned right, and came to a stop at another doorway. " Guess there's more to this area than we previously thought." Twilight said before floating ahead, and quickly coming back because of hearing the sounds of more shuffling further ahead. " I'm hearing another three guards in the next section, so be careful not to get caught." Moving forward slowly, I entered the next area which looked identical to the previous area aside from the guards who were moving around at slightly different speeds. " Maybe I can use those bushes for cover," I suggested. " It might work, but they don't seem all that spacious," said Twilight. " Maybe you're right," I said. " Why not use some of the shadows to your advantage," suggested Twilight. I followed her advice and moved forward where one of the guards almost noticed me, but quickly turned around allowing me to slip by where I saw the second guard walking around a group of plants, but I had to hide in the shadows immediately as the first Deku was coming back again. " This is actually pretty intense," I said. " Just have to remain calm," said Twilight. " It's just like what happened when I explored the Gerudo's Fortress," I said. " Oh?" asked Twilight. " I did end up getting caught on one occasion, but then I didn't know what I was doing at the time, yet I've learned since then so the chances of me being caught are slightly better than before, but not by much," I replied. When the first guard walked back to his previous position, I moved forward making sure to keep absolutely quiet as I was behind the second guard by mere inches, yet he didn't turn around even once, and when he went around the next corner of the plants, I just walked forward where two things quickly became apparent. This way was a dead-end which meant having to go back to the main hallway, yet there was a Piece of Heart near where the third Deku guard was patrolling. " Shoot! We went in the wrong direction, but at least I can pick that up over there." " Maybe you should leave it as you could get caught," suggested Twilight. " No, I'll go for it," I said. Waiting for the Deku Scrub to move away from the Piece of Heart, I quickly ran forward picking it up, but I had no time to feel the warmth from it as the Deku had suddenly turned around, and my instinct kicked in where it prompted me to jump into the shadows while making a loud thud. The Deku kept looking in my direction as my crashing sound definitely caught his attention, but he eventually resumed patrolling, and probably thought that the noise belonged to a monkey who was just swinging by for whatever reasons it had. From the safety of the shadows, I looked ahead to see where that Deku was before relaxing for a bit. " That was way too close for comfort Twilight, and yet I acquired my prize even though I couldn't feel its effects due to running. " Now we need to get back to the main area, and inspect the other side," said Twilight. " Great," I moaned as I waited until I had an opportunity to begin heading back. Making my way past the third Deku Scrub, I decided to use the giant bushes as a hiding spot as the second Deku was more fixated on following his intended path, but when he quickly turned around due to hearing something scurrying about, my heart began racing as I feared that I had been discovered, and then my heart broke when the Deku began yelling because of an intruder. " No!" I thought as it meant everything was now ruined, but then my expression turned to one of confusion as the guards were focusing on something other than me. " Huh? What happened?" " I'm not sure, but it looks like they found someone," replied Twilight. " What should we do?" I asked. " Make our way back, and hopefully they don't find us," replied Twilight. The guards from the other section had also come to investigate what had caused such a commotion, and as I walked carefully to avoid being spotted, I noticed that they were surrounding a couple of monkeys which made me wonder if they wanted to be caught on purpose in order to help me out. While I could help them by taking on the Deku Scrubs, I should ignore them otherwise their sacrifice would be in vain. Running past the guards, and through the now defenceless section, it took a few seconds for me to get back to the main hallway where those two main guards hadn't noticed me entering from that doorway. " That... was so intense," I said. " Are you okay?" asked Twilight. " We almost got caught, and my heart was racing like crazy," I replied. " Those monkeys must have done that so we could get back here before anyone noticed," said Twilight. " That's what I came to as well," I said. " I don't think we'll have any monkeys helping us in the other area," said Twilight. I contribute that to being a sheer stroke of luck, yet why didn't any of the guards in the other area come over to investigate? Despite their attitudes, Deku Scrubs were quite diligent in terms of being properly trained to follow commands. I then noticed Twilight was hovering around back and forth like she were in deep thought, and then she asked me an unusual question. " Is the bean seller human?" " He was in Hyrule, and if he is the same one here as he was there, then he'd be human too," I replied. " The Deku Tribe don't allow any non-Deku access to the palace, so how could someone from another tribe make their way through without any trouble. Not only that, how did they set up a shop right under their noses? None of this is making any sense!" moaned Twilight. I have to agree with her concerns as what she said didn't sound possible given where we are, but I have a feeling we'll know soon enough when we run into the bean seller. If the seller is who I think it is, at least I'll be in familiar company once again even though my previous experience didn't go over that well. As soon I entered the other area, I had to come to a stop due to two Deku Scrubs who were supposed to be on patrol... a big supposed to be, yet they were having a conversation with each other which sounded like they were either on break, or this was a convenient moment. " What was all that ruckus?" " Monkeys on the other side of the garden." " Again!?!?" " It's the third time this week guards have spotted them around here, but I don't blame them because our queen has one of them captive." " Do you think what the advisors say is true?" " Our princess may have been eaten by the monkey, or he was using her in order to gain access to the temple? I'm not sure what to believe as they don't exactly have any concrete evidence to support either theory, but who am I to question their sense of judgment?" " We're just low-life soldiers who just watch over the palace." " Quite an exciting life huh?" " If only there were something more happening right now." " Actually..." " You know of something don't you? I can see it in your eyes!" " This is a rumour more than anything, so don't think of it as being confirmed, but I heard from a number of Deku across Woodfall that they have seen two mysterious figures prowling about as though they were trying to find something. They say these two possess powerful auras which make them impossible to approach, but the weirdest thing is what they look like." " Tell me more." " They both looked demonic in nature... like they aren't part of this world... they even possessed magic which couldn't have been granted to them by the Great Fairy. These sightings aren't just limited to our corner of Termina, for the other tribes have claimed to see these demonic figures. I'd go as far to say that all of Termina save for that wasteland to the east have spotted them. Just thinking about demonic creatures with terrifying magic makes me quiver all the way to my roots." " Could they have something to do with the princess?" " According to what Dekus and others have said, these creatures appear to be searching for someone, but they couldn't understand what they were saying as it sounded like garbled nonsense... something about sunset and twilight..." " That does sound weird." " Everyone has been warned to keep their distance from them as they have apparently claimed the lives of a few innocent people who either got in their way, or perhaps they were killed due to being mistaken for someone else. Maybe the words sunset, and twilight have some other meaning like they were the names of individuals, but then who be named in such an unusual manner?" " It doesn't sound like a rumour to me." " What makes you think that?" " Because I can see them up there!" This prompted me to immediately look upward, and sure enough there were two shadowy figures perched on top of one of the palace walls where it looked like they were observing the area for something. Even though I couldn't see what they looked like due to being too far away, I could sense powerful magic coming from both of them which felt familiar... then my entire body froze when it suddenly clicked for me. No... it couldn't be... could it? Was it possible? While various images began running through my head, the two figures then took to the sky using large wings before disappearing leaving me feeling confused, and extremely worried. The two Deku Scrubs decided to resume their patrols especially after what they just witnessed, and while Twilight was eager to continue onward, she noticed that I was feeling very hesitant which made her take me aside in order to find out what was wrong. " Why have you frozen up?" asked Twilight. " Those two shadowy figures..." I began. " They're gone now, so we don't need to worry about them," said Twilight. " We should seeing as their aura was Equestrian magic," I said. " What!?!?" exclaimed Twilight before she quickly closed her mouth as a sudden outburst would attract some unwanted attention. " Are you saying those two figures come from Equestria?" That's when I explained something about my experiences in Hyrule which I was hoping to never reveal because of what it meant to me on a personal level, and I felt sick to my stomach just thinking about it. I revealed to her the existence of Sunset Demon... the she-demon form I assumed during the Fall Formal at Canterlot High... the same form which caused me to become overwhelmed by the magic of Twilight's crown which started all of this mess in the first place. " I'm sorry that I didn't tell you, but it was something I just couldn't share with anyone, and that includes the likes of you," I said. " Don't worry about me being offended Sunset, yet why not tell me at least?" asked Twilight. " It'd just be a reminder of what I used to do," I replied. " But I thought you got over that?" asked Twilight. " I've still got some anxiety as well as insecurity issues because of the magic in the human world, and just knowing that she could still be alive after what happened fills my heart with so much sorrow," I replied. " We don't know if one of those creatures was your she-demon form even though the Equestrian magic radiating from her was pretty obvious, but I thought she was the only one of her kind? How can there be a second version of her... unless... the evil form that my human counterpart became also exists as a separate entity?" asked Twilight. Did she just say what I thought she just said? I sincerely hope she didn't because I don't think my anxieties can handle anymore surprises. Twilight quickly flew upwards before coming back a few moments later looking crest-fallen. " There were a few loose black feathers scattered about up there, but I don't understand the meaning behind it." Unfortunately, I do because I remember Twilight's human counterpart became a demonic creature who had wings which comprised of feathers, yet how could that form still exist when I clearly was able to bring her to her senses without it resulting in conflict? Could my own inner demon be responsible? Maybe Ganondorf? Or, something else completely? " In any case, we must continue onward with our journey, and not worry let this get to us." " If only I had that kind of positive attitude," I said. " You can do this Sunset," smiled Twilight. " Maybe, but if it is them, things have only gotten even worse... especially for me as there is a lot more that I haven't told you. All I mentioned was the basic gist of it, but there's a far deeper meaning," I said. That's when Twilight rubbed her wings against my face for support, and told me I've become a lot stronger since coming to understand how magic operates in the human world, and I started to feel better for this was true. I was allowing fear to consume my heart, and for that I forgot that I defeated the she-demon in the end after such an epic struggle thus proving myself as the one true Sunset Shimmer. If she is here in Termina, I can handle her although this can be disputed especially if that other creature is the other Twilight's demonic form. " Feeling better now?" asked Twilight. " Yes, so let's resume what we were doing," I replied. " The guards will probably be less serious now considering they all saw shadows moving about above, so we should be able to find the bean seller," said Twilight. I then started to walk forward where I noticed the guards were acting rather skittish, and who could blame them? I wasn't going to make them feel even worse, for that would just be me acting really mean which is a call-back to my own past, so I waited for the right moment where I slipped by while they were distracted. Just like the other area of the palace, this side had a second section which looked exactly like the previous area, and Twilight made sure to bring this up. " It feels like everything is identical around here which makes exploring a challenge." " We need a hole in the ground," I said. " What!?!?" exclaimed Twilight. " There were holes all over Hyrule which led into secret grottos where small rewards and the like were located, and while I didn't explore many of these due to not finding many of them, I'm sure these exist in Termina as well. This would also provide a logical explanation as to how the bean seller was able to hide from the Deku, for I doubt any of them would be willing to explore underground," I said. " Would such a hole be out in the open?" asked Twilight. " Most of the time this is true, but some are hidden away for reasons I haven't figured out yet," I replied. The only reason why I knew about these holes was due to a hole back in the Lost Woods from my last adventure which was the entrance to a Fairy Fountain, and that fountain proved itself immensely useful because of the Forest Temple. Unlike the previous section, none of the Deku Scrub guards were feeling insecure, so it was back down to business where I had to sneak by them. There were three on patrol, and were moving in the exact same pattern, so I didn't need to rely on different strategies. " Now if I were a hole in the ground..." " Trying to find it?" asked Twilight. " If we can drop down into it, we'll be safe for the time being," I replied. Slipping past the first Deku who was distracted by some kind of weird noise, I quickly jumped into a large shrub to avoid the second Deku who turned around and walked the other way leaving me to deal with the final one who just kept walking back and forth as though he were paranoid about something. It took me a few minutes to figure out exactly when there was a perfect opportunity to get through, and there was one where the Deku briefly stops for about two seconds due to that paranoia. " Sunset," began Twilight. " What?" I asked. " I can see the hole over there in the corner," replied Twilight. Sure enough, there was one which means the bean seller has to be down there, so the moment the guard paused for two seconds, I quickly made a mad dash towards the hole where I dropped down into it before he noticed me. Maybe I should have waited a little while longer, for those demonic creatures appeared again by landing on a palace wall making sure to remain hidden in the shadows. " Are you sure that was her?" " It took me a while, but once I sensed the Equestrian magic coming from her, I knew it was her even though she has somehow changed her appearance." The first demon lurched forward where its eyes began to glow a bright yellow before it began to laugh a little. " Even after time somehow reset itself a couple of times, you and I remain unaffected because of our Equestrian magic protecting us, and that applies to those two." " My knowledge shows that they are using an arcane magic which isn't used all that often." " And for a good reason it seems." " Since we know that she's here, and walking around in that strange form, we can take care of her before we move onto our other target." The second demon walked forward a few paces where the light of the moon shone on its face, and flames surrounding its eyes flared up. " From what you told me about what happened before, Hyrule possessed a tremendous magical energy, and it seems this world has a similar effect." " You'll be able to figure out what it means, and it will definitely prove beneficial as all of this time travel business does make traversing this world difficult. I'm just glad to see Sunset Shimmer again, and yet there is something different about her." The first demon stopped smiling before it looked up at the moon before slumping down to the floor as though it had suddenly lost its pride. " She seems stronger... more understanding of her surroundings." " Absorbing all of that magic will do that for you." " So she really did it?" " I should know because I was there, and she used that power in order to defeat me even though we were equals." The second demon's eyes then changed to reflect upon this notion, and provided a sort of sympathetic expression where she shed a few tears before stopping herself. " All I wanted was to understand the magic of Equestria all in the name of knowledge, yet I was denied because I became too consumed with power." It's eyes then changed back to normal upon the realization that it's desire, it's goal had been cast aside to the winds. " You've experienced this feeling right?" " On more than one occasion, yet I kept coming back because I believed myself to be the real her, and I still do even now." " Then why not face her now?" " If she is as strong as you say, trying to encounter her now would be nothing short of a suicide, and I'm barely able to do anything given how it took me an awful lot just to bring myself back from the brink." The first demon then began sighing as though it were already giving up before anything had been done, and then gained some slight comfort from the second demon who sat down next to it. " Sunset Shimmer will just have to wait for a while much to my own annoyance, but I know continuing this course will result in disaster, so we should try and find the version of you who exists here." " Would that not be her who accompanies Sunset?" " That is the Twilight of Equestria... the one we seek originates from the human world..." " Right, I forgot about that little detail." " We have plenty of time to find her because of time resetting, but it will become a problem because of having to retrace our steps. Come on, we don't need to be here anymore, so Sunset will be left alone for a while until we come up with a more ideal strategy." The first demon stood up before spreading out its wings, and taking off where it flew towards the pink mountain located in the heart of Woodfall, yet the second demon decided to observe things for a few more seconds. " This shall prove most enlightening." It then took off using its wings, and followed after the first demon which caused the aura of Equestrian magic to disappear thus causing the Deku Scrubs on patrol to start relaxing because it was the magic of my home world which made them feel so uncomfortable in the first place. If I wanted even more pressure added onto my plate, the knowledge of these two demonic creatures has increased my stress levels to unprecedented levels... To Be Continued.