//------------------------------// // Chapter 22: Soothing Lullaby // Story: The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Majora's Mask // by Ganondorf8 //------------------------------// The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Majora's Mask By Ganondorf8 August 22, 2016 Chapter 22: Soothing Lullaby " Great Darmani?" Sandalwood asked, noting that I was struggling to come up with what to do next. " You look like you're having trouble. Is it because you've only just returned that you're not sure if you remember where the village is?" " Of course I know where it is!" I answered back. " Whoa! Didn't mean to strike a nerve. Anyway, you should get going right away! The Elder will fill you in on what's been happening as of late. I'm not sure how he will react to seeing you walking around again after being death for some time." Sandalwood said. " What do you mean?" " The Elder was among the party who found your lifeless corpse after you didn't come back from the temple. When he discovered that you were dead, it was like a part of him died along with you. Since then, he's taken on more and more duties that are seriously affecting his physical and mental state. The others believe he is stretching himself too thin, but he refuses to listen to our pleas. Perhaps the saddest thing is he never informed his son of your death. A shame really for such a young baby to bear." Sandalwood answered. Wait a minute! The Elder's son is a baby!? What was wrong with this picture? I assumed that the elder was a senior-looking Goron, so then how could someone that old have a child who was so young? It was something I couldn't ask Sandalwood and his brother to elaborate on. It meant I'd be exposed as not being the real Darmani as she knew why, and it would jeopardize Maud's final request before she rested in peace--in this world anyway as she would still be alive and well back home. Another thought then appeared in my mind. Who in their right mind would leave behind a baby? The Elder should've stayed to comfort his child during such difficult times and instead send out a younger Goron to find out what was going on up at the temple. I consider him to be very irresponsible, but at same time he probably had no other choice. I suspected most Gorons weren't like Darmani, preferring a more peaceful lifestyle as opposed to the heroic life that she lead. With no one truly able to save them and their greatest hero having gotten herself killed, the Elder had to assume the mantle. " I'm afraid that the Elder left Goron Village some time ago for the temple." " He did? Well, that does make things more complicated." " Brother? Something feels wrong here. How does the great Darmani know such a thing is true? She was previously dead and neither of us have been home since we were asked to come up here and create her grave site." The other Goron said. Crap! How could I have made such an obvious blunder? As far as Sandalwood and his brother were aware, Maud had exited from her grave and had no knowledge of what had been going on since she died, and there I go stating something that had gotten them thinking. I began sweating, the drops pouring down the sides of my head and turning into tiny bits of ice that shattered upon impact with the ground. Neither of them noticed my uncomfortable expression, but I had to do something to fix this problem before it fell apart--if I was hoping to make a good first impression assuming Maud's life and mission, I wasn't doing a very good job of it. Darting my head back and forth in an effort to come up with an excuse, Twilight bopped me on the head telling me to calm down. Easy for her to say as she wasn't the one who accidentally said something she shouldn't, but Her Highness then mentioned that I had spoken to Sandalwood as a human before entering the cave. He still thinks that my human form is still in there exploring when in fact I was out here speaking to him as a Goron. That's when I got an idea--I raised my finger upward to confirm it--so hopefully these two would buy it. " Before I came outside and thawed you out, I chanced upon a strange girl wearing green." I said. " You met that human?" Sandalwood asked. " She seemed like a nice girl, but I told her that I had no time to listen to what she had to say." I answered, secretly giggling in my mind over what I was saying. My acting would need to be perfect for them to believe me, so keeping my composure was key. It felt weird talking about two versions of myself having ran into each other in the cave when in fact it was me playing two different characters. " I wanted to get outside and breathe in the mountain air that I love, but then she mentioned something about the Elder, and I demanded she tell me more. I was in disbelief over what she told me, but there was no doubt her words were true." " What did she say?" " Please tell us, great Darmani." " The Elder went off to the temple to stop this cold snap, but hasn't been heard from since." I said, pounding my fist into the snow and leaving an imprint. It was my way of showing them that I was outraged over hearing the Elder left to do something Maud was originally sent to do. " My anger was so immense that I drank some hot spring water to calm myself down, but chose to take some more in case my blood boiled again." " That human must have been to the village." " No other explanation." Sandalwood added. " The girl said she was thankful for me moving my gravestone so that she could access some hot spring water herself, but I think she decided to do some further exploring. In any case, I must return to the village to see what has become of it." I said. " But the Elder isn't there." " One of the others is sure to tell me what direction he went in. It will take me a while to find the Elder, but I will succeed as I am the great Darmani." I said. My thought process suddenly came to a stop upon remembering that I needed to melt the ice that put Fancy Pants and Tirek's hearth out of commission. " There was something else the girl told me, and it involved the Mountain Smithy who resides below. She said they need hot spring water to resume their business." " Really? That's not good, brother." " No, it isn't. We Gorons go to him to get our Goron tools repaired, upgraded, or even new tools for us to use in our lives. If his hearth isn't working then it needs to be addressed so that we can gain back one service. Our lives may be coming to an end due to the snow, but we shouldn't be deprived of an essential necessity for us." Sandalwood said. " If I take some hot spring water to the smithy, I can melt away the ice but it would mean having to come back up here somehow to get more." " That will not do, great Darmani. You need to get to the village as soon as possible, but you also need to help the smithy resume his work. You certainly have a lot of rolling around to do if you wish to solve both problems at once." Sandalwood said. He had no idea how much stress I'd get from running back and forth whether I knew what I was supposed to do or not, but then an idea struck him--or maybe it was the cold having finally gotten to him. " Why not use the other hot spring that lies in these mountains." " There's another hot spring!?" I was about ready to explode into a fit of rage when Sandalwood mentioned that. If I had known this a lot sooner, I wouldn't have given myself all that stress from trying to figure out what to do next. On the one hand, it meant an easier time picking up additional hot spring water should the location be easily accessible. On the other hand, I could've saved some precious time. Then I started thinking again. I've been across most of Snowhead--aside from the northern path that leads up to the temple--so why haven't I been able to spot anything that screamed hot spring location. Looking towards Sandalwood, he exchanged glances with his brother, and deep down I knew that my cover had been blown. A Goron as legendary as Darmani would know every last nook and cranny of the mountains like the back of her hand. Gripped with fear, I went numb as Sandalwood walked over and placed his hand on my shoulder. " You seem upset over not knowing where this other hot spring is located. Ha! You shouldn't be worried, great Darmani! Apart from myself and my brother, no one else even knows it exists. The only one they've ever known is what your gravestone was built on top of." In an instant, I breathed heavily, the cold turning my breath into fog that floated into the sky and dissipated moments later. Did Sandalwood really have to torment me in such a horrid fashion? I believed my cover of masquerading as Maud had been blown, but instead he told me that this other hot spring was known only to him and his brother. I had every mind to let them have it with both fists, but I held back knowing that attacking them would be an act of dishonour towards the memory of the Goron whose life I now lived. My curiosity began to perk up. How could these two have found something so wonderful, but not share it with the rest of their tribe? " We discovered an underground hot spring a couple of months ago when the two of us were exploring." Sandalwood said. " We both decided to keep it a secret between ourselves because the other Gorons would've drained away the water within weeks. Surely I don't need to remind you about how much hot spring water consumption we go through just to relax and not have to worry about so many problems." " Then why share your secret with me?" " You are the great Darmani, who has returned to save us all. You need that hot spring water more than my brother and I do, so it's right for us to share our secret. Besides, you used hot spring water to thaw out my brother, so it's the least I can do in return." Sandalwood answered. " The location is actually right outside our village." " Quite convenient, yet I'm surprised no one else noticed." I said. " Those twin islands serve no practical purpose other than a beautiful locale in the spring." " It's there!?" " When we came up here to prepare your grave, we walked by the entrance to the hot spring. For some reason, the entrance has been frozen over by solid ice, but I'm willing to bet that pouring hot spring water will melt that instantly." Sandalwood said. " There was that weird woman, too." The other Goron said. " When you get there, great Darmani, I suggest you be weary of that woman who wears the green outfit and floats about on a balloon. She tried to sell us a map of the area even though we both know this place by heart. She was also very eccentric, asking us if we had seen any fairies lately." Sandalwood said. Him describing Pinkie Pie and her "unique" personality made it clear as to where the hot spring was. The only problem was getting some water to melt the ice before it cools down and becomes ordinary water again. I doubted that I could get there as a human, but then getting there as a Goron would be even worse--I was much more sluggish in this form compared to my regular form. How could I reach the spring in time without walking? That's when another thought hit me, and I had to thank what was written onto Maud's gravestone. According to the description, Gorons were capable of curling into a ball and roll around at fast speeds. Could I use such speed and reach the hot spring in a matter of seconds? I thanked Sandalwood and his brother for all the help, but before I walked back into the cave, I asked if they were going to be alright staying on top of the mountain. He said they had no intention of climbing back down and decided to accept their fate and freeze to death. I felt saddened by their decision, but I had no time to change their minds. I hoped that I would be able to save them before the cold claimed their lives. Running back into the cave--or what constituted as running--I walked over to the edge of the pool of hot spring water, scooped some up in my bottle, corked it, and put it somewhere behind me--I didn't even want to begin to try figuring out how it worked as a Goron--before leaving the cave again. If I wanted to reach the island Pinkie was floating over, I had to get there within the span of two minutes. I hadn't attempted to curl up and roll along, so this was as good a time as any to see how it would work. " I hope I don't throw up." I whispered to Twilight. " If you were rolling around as a human, then yes you would feel nauseous, but you'll feel nothing of the sort as a Goron. I don't know much about them personally, but Tatl's memories indicate that she did interact with several of them at an undisclosed point in time before this all started. In your current form, you can curl up and roll around with as much speed as you can muster provided you don't bump into anything." Twilight said. " Aren't I able to mow things down?" " Only when you produce spikes from your body." " I still don't get that." " You have magic power so that allows you to produce spikes when you roll. I don't know, it sounds pretty simple to me." Twilight said. I rolled my eyes. Her Highness just loved to remind everyone of her immense intellect, but sometimes she did like to brag about it to the detriment of others. " Normally, it takes a long distance before the spikes come out, but you can achieve them instantly by rolling through snow for just a few seconds." " Does the snow act as a cushion?" " Yes, so you can build up speed without moving all that much. I suggest you do exactly that instead of taking off the Goron Mask and jumping down to the ground below. Gorons can survive falls from great heights should they be curled up, but dropping straight down will result in sinking below that cold pool. Besides, you don't want Sandalwood and his brother to freak out over you pulling your face off." Twilight answered. Granted, they wouldn't remember anything when I reset time, but I could see where Her Highness was coming from. I didn't want them to suffer a mental breakdown seeing their heroine transform into a teenage girl. Twilight also suggested that I stand perfectly still before curling up so that I could have more momentum. I did as she suggested and upon curling up, I actually felt really comfortable as though I could stay in such a position forever without ever wanting to come out. Of course, doing that would be foolish. I had to focus on reaching that other hot spring. Knowing that I was still being watched, I began to roll forward although at first I thought I wasn't going anywhere. My body reacted to rolling on the snow and I quickly began feeling a strange sensation like I wanted to burst off in a blaze of glory. All of a sudden, my Goron body produced a set of spike that made me look like an overgrown pincushion, but again I felt comfortable as though this was right. Without any fear gripping my heart, I rolled off the edge of the cliff and fell straight down towards the ground. As I was free-falling, I thought about everything I had done so far on this journey. The one thing that worried me more than anything was Ganondorf. He hadn't communicated with me through his usual manner, so perhaps he had decided to leave me alone--wishful thinking given I was expecting his presence sooner rather than later. I also worried what would happen when he and I face each other in battle again. It was going to happen. That was an inevitability that couldn't be avoided. Regarding my plunge to the ground, if I had merely stepped off the edge, I'd have dropped into the pond and drowned due to my weight. Luckily, rolling off gave me some forward momentum, so when I eventually landed, it was several feet away from would have been frozen death. I also sustained no damage from the fall as my body embraced the snow and allowed me to retain my rolling--the spikes as well. As though my body were acting of its own accord instead of me giving directions, I began rolling at an incredible speed--I felt like I was racing on a motorbike like I had done during the Friendship Games--towards the path that lead to the twin islands area. Along the way, a Blue Tektite popped out of the ground, but I had no time to stop or even roll around it. Instead, I plowed right into it and sent it flying into the nearby cliff wall where it slid down and disappeared into smoke upon defeat. So this was the power I possessed as a Goron. I briefly felt an urge to have more power, but I quickly got such thoughts out of my head as that was the old me thinking there. Rolling into the twin islands area, I thought about stopping because of the water, but I quickly remembered that the water had frozen so I could roll along it without any consequences. Plus, I preferred having more room to roll around as opposed to having a narrow pathway. A second Blue Tektite popped out from the snow and just like the previous one, I plowed into it without a second thought, and it went flying onto the frozen water, landing on its back and struggled to get back onto its legs. As I continued rolling, I was surprised that I could see where I was going despite my face experiencing the same circular motion every couple of seconds. I felt more appreciative towards the Gorons as they endured this consistently due to their natural instincts. Also, I was having the time of my life rolling around. I never got to do anything of the sort as pony as unicorns weren't known for rolling around like a ball. Sure, we could've replicated such motion through magic, but then wouldn't have done it we didn't have the stomach. Becoming different creatures gave me an insight on how they behaved and how each differed from one another. When I reached Pinkie's location, she didn't call out to me or anything. That was because she was busy scribbling down something on a piece of paper and was too fixated to take notice of anything else. " That... was the greatest thing I've ever done in my life!" I said as I uncurled myself. " You sounded like you were having a blast." " Was I that obvious?" " Yes, but I didn't want to interrupt your fun. You actually needed it considering what you've been through since we arrived in these mountains. At first, I thought I wasn't going to be able to keep up with you, yet I managed to hold my own." Twilight answered. " The only drawback with rolling is that I felt my magic being drained." " I suspect that it takes a great deal of magic to maintain those spikes, and as such it gets drained really quickly. I'm going to assume that this is a Goron thing, so unless you can consistently regain magic, using those spikes will be difficult." Twilight said. " As a Deku Scrub, my magic doesn't get depleted so quickly when I produce bubbles." I said, taking out the bottle of hot spring water from behind my back. " Good thing Adagio enhanced my magic meter otherwise I'd have run out back there." Walking up next to the ice chunk from before making sure not to touch it, I opened the bottle, poured the contents onto the ice, and watched it melt away in an instant. " That was easier than I thought." " Do you need hot spring water now?" " What do you mean?" " Not only do you need to help Fancy Pants and Tirek with their hearth, you also need to find out what's going on with the Gorons, and help Photo Finish by giving her whatever it was she wishes to eat." Twilight answered. I slapped my forehead. Crap! How could I have forgotten about Photo Finish? I was so focused on getting hot spring water that I zoned out on helping her. I should've remembered the fact that she was wearing a mask on her head. " Looks to me that you forgot all about her, didn't you?" Twilight asked. I nodded my head. " Well, you might be able to get two things done at once." " How do you figure that?" " Photo Finish wants to have her last meal, right? She said that the village would be the best place to go, but it won't be easy because the other Gorons have most likely hidden their food away because the cold has made their food supply very scarce." Twilight answered. Even though Photo Finish didn't specify what she wanted to eat, I already knew that she desired rock sirloin, a factor that I learned from my previous encounter with them. Did it mean that I could eat rocks as well while in this body? It was a question I hoped not to answer if I could avoid it. " First, we need to know what happened to the Elder, so talking to the other Gorons is a must." " Then we find the rock sirloin, give it to Photo Finish, then come back for some hot spring water to help the smithies." " Looks like you'll be rolling back and forth for this one." Twilight said while laughing at her own joke. I didn't see the humour in Her Highness' words. The fact that I had to do some more backtracking was painful enough, but at least now I could speed things up by simply rolling along from place to place. While magic resulted in gaining spikes, rolling along naturally should still be possible. The only thing was that plowing through enemies would be problematic without the use of my spikes to protect me. I also had to make sure to get some sleep when necessary otherwise I could end up collapsing in the cold and freeze to death. The hot spring below would make for an excellent resting spot as there would be no monsters and I'd be someplace warm. Deciding to walk along the remaining bridge instead of rolling--despite having fun, I did lose control a few times--I entered Goron Village and immediately made my way over to where Diamond Tiara was standing. I had to give her credit for remaining outside in the cold despite only wearing a breastplate and helmet. Perhaps now she would be more talkative given my current appearance. " A fellow Goron! I thought everyone was inside the shrine to shelter themselves from the cold." Diamond Tiara said. " Some of us are still out and about doing our usual tasks." I said. " Tch! Why would you guys insist on acting like such rock-headed idiots? The weather has gotten so bad that everyone has sought shelter, but with the food shortage combined with the lack of proper heating, we're all going to die within a matter of days." Diamond Tiara said. She then lurched her head forward so as to get a better look at me. " You know, you look mighty familiar as though I've seen you somewhere before." She then rubbed her eyes, looked at me again, and rubbed them some more before realizing who was standing before her. " I don't believe it! You're the great Darmani! I was told that you passed away when you left to go to Snowhead Temple." " As you can see, I'm not dead." " I should say not. I can't believe that our heroine has returned to us! Please accept my apologies for insulting you, great Darmani. I suppose you want to be informed of what's been going on since you last walked these mountains?" Diamond Tiara asked. " I seek our Elder." " I'm afraid you're out of luck. The Elder left a week ago to finish the mission that you started, but he hasn't been heard from since. No one has tried to find out what became of him as they're all trying their best to keep warm. Not only that, but his son continues crying with that ear-piercing wail of his to the point where everyone just can't take it anymore. If the cold doesn't kill them, that incessant crying will do the trick." Diamond Tiara said. So the elder's son is crying. I didn't know this before due to Diamond Tiara not wanting to discuss it with a human, but things could get even worse should I do something that upsets him. I then remembered Maud saying that the elder's son was her biggest fan. If I were to took to the child as Darmani, it might be enough to calm him down. I wasn't sure if the child was capable of talking, but the only way to know was to talk to him. First, I had to get inside and see for myself what was going on inside the Goron Shrine. That meant Diamond Tiara opening up the door for me, so hopefully she would comply. " I need to see the Elder's son." " Of course. I'll open up the entrance for you, great Darmani, but it will only stay open for a short period of time." Diamond Tiara said. She curled up into a ball--surely it was a painful experience what with wearing that breastplate--jumped into the air, and came crashing down onto the ground with a thud that almost caused me to fall over. In an instant, the entrance to the Goron Shrine opened up. " You've got about ten seconds to get inside before I close it again." Thanking her, I jumped down to the ground below and entered the shrine just moments before the door closed behind me. I had no idea how I was supposed to get back outside, but I assumed there was some kind of pressure switch, or Diamond Tiara sensed that someone inside needed to come out. My eyes suddenly felt excruciating pain courtesy of a loud crying noise coming from further ahead. I had been warned that the elder's son had been crying for some time, but I didn't think it would be so ear-piercing. What made things worse was that the entire shrine was inside of a large cave, and sounds were bouncing off the walls. Unlike Goron City that featured an open area in the center of the town with connecting passageways that were small to navigate, the shrine was largely open. To my right were a series of statues, each one depicting a Goron's face, and to my left was a door that looked like it had been hidden away. Looking up, I saw an impressive looking chandelier, although those lights looked brittle as though something could smash them with enough force. Finally, the main pathway wrapped itself around the statues leading up to what I assumed was the central area of commerce. One thing that was immediately felt was the cold. I assumed that the Gorons came into their shrine to get out of the cold, but it was just as bad in here as it was out there. Such conditions were no place for a baby, and that lead me to my other problem. Ahead of me stood a Goron who was covering his ears so as to tone out the crying. I felt bad for the poor guy as he looked like he could snap at any moment. Why wasn't I affected? I had been around crying babies lots of times due to some odd babysitting jobs I took to earn some extra money. I guessed they weren't used to it compared to me. I walked up to the Goron in front of me to see if he were willing to talk. Unlike Diamond Tiara and Sandalwood, he wasn't anyone I recognized from Canterlot High. I also had to make sure not to rile him up any further than he already was. " Are you alright?" I asked. " Do I look like I'm alright to you?" The Goron asked. " I was just asking." " Sorry for snapping at you like that, but we're at our wits end with this incessant crying. The Elder's son hasn't stopped ever since he left to find a way to bring an end to the cold that blows in from Snowhead Temple." The Goron said. " I was hoping to have spoken to the Elder." " You're not the only one who wants to do that. It's been a while since the Elder left, and no one knows what happened to him. If he doesn't come back soon, we're all going to lose our minds because his son won't stop crying, and resort to actions that our tribe has condemned for generations." The Goron said. " Why is it so cold in here?" " It's been getting colder outside and somehow it has seeped in here. If the crying doesn't kill us then the cold will." The Goron had kept his eyes closed all this time while I was talking to him, but then he decided to open them to get a better look at who he had been speaking to. Upon realizing who I was, he stepped back a few steps as though he were suddenly afraid of my presence. " Those sideburns... Aren't you Darmani? But how? You're supposed to be dead... but you're alive? Please tell I'm not dreaming." I nodded my head to confirm that he wasn't dreaming, and his reaction of rushing over to me was greatly appreciated. " Is it you! It was those sideburns that gave you away." " Do you know what prompted the elder to go to the temple and not stay here with his son?" " The Elder was troubled because he thought you were dead. It pained him immensely because not only did he believe you were our only hope, but there was something else he wanted to discuss with you, but you died before an opportunity presented itself. Darmani! You must find the Elder and ask him to come back to the village. Only he can calm his son down as we're all out of ideas." " I'm not even sure where he's gotten to." " Not to worry. Despite being our patriarch, the Elder isn't as young as he used to be. At his age, I'm sure he hasn't gotten very far, so I'd say that he should be somewhere in the twin islands area. I fear that the cold may have frozen him, so it may already be too late, but I hope to be wrong about that." The elder was most likely frozen outside? That meant I needed some hot spring water provided I knew exactly where he was. Leaving the Goron to continue suffering in pain, I walked up the pathway and encountered other Gorons who were suffering in a similar manner. Each of them were covering their ears with their heads and trying so hard not to completely lose their minds. They were also dancing in place in an attempt to keep warm. As I reached the top, I could see that the meeting area was fairly large although several pillars served as obstacles. For some reason, there was a frozen red strip on the floor that disappeared through a dark passageway ahead. An inconspicuous ramp located nearby told me that Gorons used it to go flying across by rolling. What intrigued me was where the strip originated from, so I walked in that direction where everything around me went dark for a few moments. The crying at that point had gotten louder so I was indeed getting closer. Torches on either side of me provided a warm welcome to a small alcove that looked it were something you could sit on, and sitting there in tears was a small Goron wearing a diaper who showed no signs of stopping any time soon. There was something familiar about him, but before I could do anything, a hand grabbed my shoulder and pulled me to one side. There was another Goron present, but he looked like he had gotten used to the crying--he hadn't covered his ears like the rest." " This is the room of the Goron Tribe's Elder. Do you have some kind of business with him? Unfortunately, he's out and I've no idea when he'll be coming back. Since the Elder left, his son won't stop crying, and everyone has grown tired of it. I wish someone would do something so that we can finally get some rest." The Goron then noticed that I was Darmani, but unlike the previous one, he didn't freak out. No, he was just surprised at my appearance. " Those sideburns... Aren't you Darmani? You're supposed to be dead according to what the Elder said when your corpse was found by the scouting party. You're alive? What have you been doing?" Again, there was the mention of sideburns. I never noticed Maud having any when we spoke earlier, but perhaps her greyish complexion prevented me from seeing them. " I've only been awake again for a short period." I said, clasping my hands over my mouth upon realizing what I just said. I sounded like I had only been back to life for a while, and while that was technically true--it had been roughly twenty minutes since I acquired the Goron Mask and by extent, this new body--this Goron might think I was crazy or something. " You were resting? I guess even the great Darmani needs her beauty sleep like everyone else." " That's not what I--" " All great heroes deserve some rest every now and then. Thinking you were dead, the Elder went to Snowhead on his own... but he hasn't come back yet. I fear the worst has happened to him and that leaves us in a fine mess. The Elder seems to forget that he isn't young anymore, but does things that are beyond his limits. Darmani, you need to find him and see if he is alright. Before you do that, I would see if you can calm down the Elder's son." The Goron waved his hand towards the Elder's son, and so I took another look to see if I recognized him from anywhere. Unfortunately, I had no idea who he was, but then another bop on my head from Twilight revealed that she knew who it was. She whispered in my ear that this was Featherweight, a pony from Equestria who attends a foal school in Ponyville alongside other foals. She was surprised to see him here of all ponies, but then surprises have been part and parcel of this world. At first, I didn't know what to say to Featherweight. He seemed to be completely unreasonable due to his crying, but I had to say something in the hopes that he would respond. I was about to say something when he suddenly began shouting, his words were a mixture of coherent sentences and bawling. " Waaa... Hunh, ugh... u-waahhh! Da-daaaddy, daaaddy! Hunh... I'm cooooold... Daaaddy!" Featherweight shouted. It was such a sad sight. He was miserable due to not having his father around, but there wasn't anything I could do because the Elder had decided to finish what Maud started. My maternal instincts--I was surprised that I even had such feelings although I attribute it to my babysitting jobs--coerced me into trying to pick up Featherweight in an attempt to coddle him, but then he repeated himself only much louder. " Waaa... Hunh, ugh... u-waahhh! Da-daaaddy, daaaddy! Hunh...I'm cooooold... Daaaddy!" I looked at the other Goron and he merely shrugged his shoulders. No wonder they had run out of ideas. I doubted they even really tried because the noise combined with the cold was just too much for them. I had every mind to throttle each and every one of them in here, but that would've ruined Maud's reputation. My only option was to speak to Featherweight and hope he would respond. " Hey there, little guy." I said. " Waaaaa.... u-waahhhh!" Featherweight responded. " It's me, Darmani! You remember your great hero, don't you?" " Hyunh, hunh... Ahh, Darmi, where's my daddy? Where's my daddy?" " I am going to find him and bring him back to you." " Waaa... Huh? You will?" " I won't rest until he is back here and cradling you in his arms. Our people have already given me a clue as to where your father is, so I'll follow their directions and do what I must to convince him to come back to you. Going to the temple was my job, not his, so I must complete what I started." I answered. " Darmi... Please find my daddy!" Featherweight said as he resumed crying again. Well, I hadn't completely stopped him from crying, but he wasn't as loud as he was just a few moments ago. My efforts had proven effective although I wish I hadn't stated that I wouldn't rest until the Elder had been found. I'd been on my feet for much of the day, and that meant I needed some rest soon before I keel over or something. There was nothing more for me to do here. I thought about asking around for any rock sirloin with which to give to Photo Finish, but none of the Gorons looked like they were willing to talk about such things given their current conditions. It looked as though I was in for some more backtracking as I suspected I would be coming back here again once I had found the Elder. It was something I wasn't looking forward to, but there was no other choice. The game had been created in such a manner and that meant I had to follow it as intended while making some unexpected decisions. Informing the Gorons that I was leaving to search for the Elder, they all quietly cheered as I ran down the pathway towards the exit of the shrine. When I got there, the stone slab was still closed shut, and I had no idea on how it could be opened. My suspicion of there being a pressure point quickly dwindled as I placed my feet all over the place hoping that a certain section would trigger the slab's movement, but no such luck. I tried a few other things such as calling out to Diamond Tiara to no avail, and seeing if there was another way out--that didn't work either. With my limited options spent, I slammed my fists into the door in frustration, and just like magic, the slab swung open without a hitch. Seriously!? I had to pound on the door to get it to open? There was a lot about Goron customs that I needed to learn so that such a blunder wouldn't happen again. Upon walking back outside, the cold air began to swirl around my body once again, but considering that the inside of the shrine was just as cold, I didn't really feel anything. I shrugged it off and proceeded to make my way back up so that I could leave the village. As I walked, I began thinking about what I learned. The Elder was somewhere in the twin islands area. I didn't have to search that far although would he even be alive when I find him? He might have succumbed by being frozen to death, but hopefully he was fine as his death would only weaken the Goron's pride. " Darmani! Darmani! There you are!" Diamond Tiara called out as I approached her. " I take it that you weren't able to calm the Elder's son down?" " He isn't crying as loudly as before, but he still wishes for his father to be by his side." " You did the best you could given the circumstances, but only the Elder ever knew how to calm his son. I heard from other Gorons that the Elder knows an ancient melody that has been passed down from patriarch to patriarch. It is a melody that cause any Goron to grow drowsy until they fall fast asleep." Diamond Tiara said. " Can a melody be that powerful?" " It must be especially if it can knock out Biggoron for a spell." " Biggoron?" " You don't remember him, great Darmani? I'm surprised that you forgot all about him, but then that's to be expected given his mundane task of guarding the temple. He doesn't allow anyone to go near it unless they give him a good explanation." Diamond Tiara answered. From what I recalled from Maud's explanation, she didn't see anyone when she attempted to cross that narrow pathway. Was it possible that this Biggoron had slacked off or perhaps he too had succumbed to the magic power of Starlight Glimmer? " Anyway, I'm sure the Elder's son will be crying when you return from wherever it is you're going." " I'm going to find the Elder." " No one knows where he is." " I've got a pretty good idea." " You do? Whew! I should've known better than to doubt the words of the great Darmani. If you say that you can find the Elder, then you will without fail and bring him back here to be with his son once again." Diamond Tiara said. Since she knew that I had to get going, she walked back to her position, but not before giving me a salute, her way of saying good luck without having to utter a single word. In my heart, I had a lot of pressure on my shoulders thanks in large part to the Gorons to go along with what I already had. I knew that Maud was famous amongst them, but I didn't realize that they hung onto her every word as though she were some kind of deity. It reminded me of my first years at Canterlot High where I strove for popularity. In my eyes, being the most popular meant students would listen to anything I said without question, and resisting meant they would be outcasts. If I had known back then what I do now, the pressure would've given me a heart attack several times over. " Twilight..." I began as I walked towards the village entrance. " You've been quiet for some time now. Is something on your mind?" " Not really. I'm just enjoying your efforts in talking to all these different characters." Twilight answered. " You're liking how I struggle, don't you?" " Of course not! What kind of friend and teacher would I be if I loved seeing you suffer? I'm actually very impressed with how you've handled yourself especially in difficult situations where you were put to the test. To be honest, I don't think I'd have been able to do anything like what you did." Twilight answered. " Nah! I'm sure you could've done a much better job. You are the Princess of Friendship, after all. Talking to others comes natural for you given that you do a lot of it on a regular basis, yet I still have some trouble conveying my feelings." I said. " That's because I studied to become a good listener and communicator." " Makes me wish that I stayed home and finished my studies." " You made that decision because you felt angry with Princess Celestia over how she saw you as not being ready." Twilight said as I walked through the brief tunnel and back out into the twin islands area. Pinkie was still floating up and down with her balloon, but I wasn't focusing on her actions--although I was curious about how she could survive out in the cold wearing only that ridiculous green outfit--but rather where the Elder might be. " You've done things I could never do, Sunset, and for that I'm genuinely jealous. If you hadn't left Equestria, I doubt you'd have picked up on those skills, and you'd just be another unicorn who happens to be gifted with magic." " I guess, but you've become an alicorn." " So?" " I know it doesn't mean a big deal to you, but it does to other ponies especially me. I still dream of the day when I will ascend, but that's something that isn't going to happen for a very long time. Just because I fended for myself in a world that was different from our own doesn't mean that I'm an expert." I answered. " When I talked to that one character, I didn't know what to say and just went with what I thought was right." " That's because you're used to talking to ponies and other Equestrian creatures. I've had to speak to humans for the last three years and a couple of weeks with characters from a video game world who were essentially people I already knew. You don't always need to remain quiet, Twilight, and leave me to do all of the talking. This isn't just my journey but rather yours as well. We're both stuck in this world and we need to work together to get ourselves back home." I said. Wow... How did that conversation go from talking about Her Highness to about me and back to about her again? I guessed that despite how close the two of had gotten--not in the same manner as I had with the human Twilight--we still had some issues that we couldn't completely agree on. It showed that my weaknesses were still apparent aside from having problems controlling my temper. I still felt self-doubt towards my own abilities and felt others deserved better than I did. For Her Highness, she needed to be more vocal and not be afraid to show her negative emotions. " Glad we got that out of our systems." " Yeah, but you know we'll be talking about it again." " The markings of a strong friendship, Sunset. Now then, the Gorons say that the Elder would've most likely reached this area given his age, but so far I'm not seeing any signs of life apart from Pinkie Pie." Twilight said. She thought about floating up to Pinkie and asking if she had seen an elderly Goron, but quickly abandoned that idea when she realized that Pinkie had already told us that no one apart from Sandalwood and his brother went by within the last several days " Have you noticed all those large mounds of snow scattered across the frozen lake?" Twilight asked. " I did notice them when we first came through but I didn't think they were important." I answered. There must have been at least a dozen snow mounds on the frozen lake, each one looking out of place with the rest of the natural beauty. " Do you suppose something could be hiding underneath one of them?" " That might be possible, but the only way you can be certain is to smash those mounds to pieces. I don't think you have enough bombs to blow them all up, so unless you can find some quickly, you'll have to pick your targets carefully." Twilight answered. " Hello? I'm a Goron right now! I can just punch them with my fists without the use of bombs." " How could I forget? You know, it feels weird seeing you walking around with that kind of body." " Really? Yeah, it does feel strange, but so far it's proven to be very effective. I could take the Goron Mask off and go about as myself for a while." " I'd stay in Goron form for the time being." Not that I was complaining about having a strong yet bulky body, but I had been wearing the mask ever since I put it on back at Maud's grave. Was I afraid that if I tried to take it off, it wouldn't budge resulting in me being forever stuck like this? No, that sounded way too farcical even for me. Hopefully, there will come a time when my regular form would be needed again to handle a situation. Deep down, I preferred being a pony more than anything else, but being a human did have its charm. I resumed surveying all of the snow mounds, and there was one that looked much larger than the rest. It was located in-between the two islands and immediately drew my curiosity as though it were screaming for me to smash it to pieces. " Twilight? Do you see that mound over there? The one that looks bigger than the others?" " Yes, I can see it, and yes it is bigger than the rest." " Do you suppose the Elder is buried underneath it?" " If he is then you need to get some hot spring water and thaw him from his frozen prison. You used some of that water to uncover the entrance to the hidden hot spring earlier, so you should go down there and use your bottle to scoop some up." Twilight answered. The hole did look a little intimidating, but I shook such thoughts from my mind, walked forward, and fell into the chamber below. The hot spring looked positively lovely compared to the grim, morbid look the other one had--it didn't help that one becoming a grave site--and the water wasn't too deep to cause me to drown from waddling in too deep. There was also a warm heat exuding all around most likely from the water itself. It actually would make for a perfect place to sleep, yet finding my way back here would be difficult without using those owl statues Flash Sentry provided. Still, this was a beautiful location devoid of enemies--the rocks provided additional decorum that felt right due to my Goron body appreciating it. In the midst of my admiration, Twilight once again bopped me on the head, reminding me that I needed to save the Elder. Rubbing my hat to ensure it didn't fall off, I took out my bottle, walked over to the edge of the water, scooped some up, corked it, and put it away. The way out was a bright light that shone down from the hole I used to get down here, so I stepped into it and my body rose to the surface where I immediately felt cold again. " I want to stay down there!" I moaned. " Maybe later when you need some sleep, but right now we need to save the Elder." Twilight said, floating ahead of me. I told her to wait for me as I began to chase after her and down the slope before slipping on the ice and smacking into the snow mound face-first. " Mmph!" " Are you alright?" Twilight asked as I freed myself from the snow." " Next time, warn me about the slippery ice, okay?" I asked. Her Highness rubbed her head, closed her eyes, and stuck out her tongue in a sheepish manner. I couldn't help but laugh at how adorable she was, and it was my fault slipping on the ice without realizing it. Once I regained my composure, I punched the snow mound with my fist, shattering it, and exposing a large chunk of ice that had a rather decrepit looking Goron in it. Is this what the Elder looked like? I didn't think they could end up looking quite so hideous when they got older, but I knew to keep such thoughts to myself. On another note, I had no idea who was portraying him, but Her Highness immediately recognized who we were looking at. She said that this was Cranky Doodle Donkey, a donkey--go figure--who used to be one of the grouchiest characters who ever moved to Ponyville. He still acted like a curmudgeon although much more subdued thanks to being married to the girl of his dreams. He did bear a resemblance to one of the teachers at Canterlot High, but I never had him as a teacher so I couldn't be certain. In any case, I opened my bottle and poured its contents onto the ice making sure I didn't come in contact with it--being frozen wasn't fun by any means. In an instant, the ice melted freeing Cranky from death where he immediately sprang to life by moving several limbs about. " Hunh? What was I doing?" Cranky Doodle asked. " You were on your way to Snowhead Temple, but you ended up getting frozen in a block of ice." I answered. " I don't recall being frozen, but it does explain why my body feels so cold." " Also, I'd say we have about two hours or so before the sun sets." " Ah! It's already this late!? I must hurry!" " You've only just been thawed out from some ice. You're in no condition to start walking about again." " No, I must get over to the temple as soon as possible to save my people from the evil that plagues it. Because of the cold that's blowing from there, my village has been crippled and frozen it in an icy grip. We've also had to reduce our consumption of rations, and it's due to a lack of goods and supplies that is leading to the depopulation of Goron Village. The worst thing of all is seeing the image of my poor son, crying continually all because this biting cold has gotten so terrible in recent days." Cranky Doodle said. He hadn't taken notice of who I was, making me wonder if being frozen had somehow robbed him of his sight. Just seeing his ancient frame--along with that creepy looking hump on his back--was enough to make feel really uncomfortable, but again I kept my thoughts to myself. " Why not leave such a task to a more younger Goron?" " What!? Are you being serious with me!? I am the patriarch of my tribe! As the Elder, I must do something about the situation the village has been plunged into. Look, I don't care what you have to say! This is a Goron problem so it doesn't involve any outsiders!" Cranky Doodle answered. I already knew that I had made a bad first impression by saying something that damaged his pride, so I needed to quickly address the situation before he walks off. " I'm Darmani!" " Hunh? What did you just say?" " I said I'm Darmani." " If I didn't know any better, I'd swear you just said that you were Darmani." Cranky Doodle said. He then inched closer to me--his waddling was a little cute although that swaying hump left something to be desired--before taking a good look at me. He rubbed his eyes a few times and looked again before rubbing them some more, and that was when his jaw dropped upon realizing that I was portraying Darmani. " Hunh? Oh! You're Darmani! But you're supposed to be dead!" Cranky Doodle stumbled back and almost fell down but managed to regain his balance by swaying his hump in the opposite direction. " Am I hallucinating? Yes, that must be it!" " Um, I'm standing right here, you know." " I saw your deceased corpse with my own two eyes when the search party discovered you. It was the most horrific and saddest moment I've ever felt in my life. I tasked two of the others to prepare a suitable grave site for you so that you could rest in peace, so hopefully they returned safely." Cranky Doodle said. I tried to tell him that Sandalwood and his brother were trapped on the mountain, but he refused to listen to me and instead continued believing I wasn't real. " Yes, I'm definitely hallucinating your presence here. Maybe this is also the doing of Snowhead's magic power." " No, I'm very much real." " Hmph... I've been made a fool of! You really do look like the legendary hero of the Goron Tribe, but... that's impossible. I refuse to flinch. If I can see past the illusion, you'll vanish in an instant! Now, please leave me alone! I must reach Snowhead Temple before nightfall." Cranky Doodle said. He began shuffling forward before starting a very slow brisk walk in the direction of the Mountain Village. Did he refuse to believe that I was Maud or rather, Darmani? He was the Elder of the Goron but chose to believe superstition instead of the actual truth. I was at a complete loss with what to do, but I knew losing my temper would only make things worse. " Now what do I do?" I asked Twilight. " You need to convince him that you are Darmani." Twilight answered. " What if he doesn't believe me?" " Keep trying until he finally figures it out. You might even need to tell him something that only Darmani would know." Twilight answered. Cranky had since moved forward a couple of inches, so I walked out in front of him to hopefully explain myself. " Like I said, keep trying, Sunset." " Hunh? What do you want now?" Cranky Doodle asked angrily. " I must reach the temple before nightfall otherwise the dark creatures are bound to kill me." " You must believe that I'm Darmani." I answered. " No! Darmani died a while ago and has been buried much to my tribe's sadness." " But--" " Enough! Please leave me alone and go back to wherever it is you came from." Cranky Doodle said. He then looked at me and realized that I was a Goron. At least he believed that much although I needed him to believe even further. " Oh... You're a Goron. I'm sorry for shouting at you like that, but I do insist you leave me alone. Go back to the village where it's safe before the dark creatures come out." Cranky resumed walking slowly, and I slapped my forehead over how frustrating he was. Had his pride blinded him from seeing the obvious or was he just plainly ignorant. Like Her Highness said, I had to keep trying until he believed me, but I was running short of ideas. Something must connect with the Elder and convince him that I am Maud--or in this case the great Darmani. " Please listen to me!" " I've no time to hear your incessant nattering." " Our people will die if you don't hear me out!" " By the time I have finished with my task, our people will be free of this blasted cold." At that point, my temper had gotten so strong, I was ready to throttle someone. Trying to deal with someone who was so stubborn taxed me mentally, but that's when an ideafinally came to me. There was one thing that could stop Cranky from throwing his life away, and that was telling him about the one person who meant more to him than anything else. If he were really concerned about his son, he would go to him without a second thought. " I've one last thing to say..." I began in a more calm manner than before. " Are you still pestering me? No matter how long you follow me, it's not going to do you any good." " Your son has been crying ever since you left the village. He needs you to be there for me during these difficult times." " What!?" Cranky Doodle said, coming to a stop upon hearing what I said about his son. My suspicion was correct. Mentioning his son was enough to get him to pay attention to me, so now I had to hope that he would go back and not get himself killed. Cranky turned around and waddled over to me before looking up at me with sharp, piercing eyes. " My son is crying because he misses me? Why do you know that?" " Because I went to see him and that's what he told me." " My son misses me... Ulp! Forgive me, my child! Your father has work to do! I wish that I could go back and comfort him, but as the patriarch of the Gorons, I must go to the temple and put an end to the evil that plagues it. Please don't misunderstand and call me stubborn, but my people mean everything to me. I must do all I can to protect them even if it means sacrificing my very soul." Cranky Doodle said. " You're definitely brave but you must know that a younger Goron must handle this. I don't mean to imply that you're too old, but you have your place in the village as the patriarch, and as a father. Our tribe needs one who can guide them until this nightmare has come to an end." I said. Cranky looked at me for a few moments, silence billowing about us as he refused to speak during the same time frame. Was he taking my words to heart or did he think I had overstepped my boundaries by mocking his age? " Darmani..." Cranky Doodle finally said, breathing a heavy sigh in the process. " Be you a ghost or a figment of my imagination, I no longer care. You mentioning the condition of my son has made me rethink my stance on you, but his well-being is more important than my mental state. If you feel pity for my crying son... then please quietly sing him to sleep with this song I am about to play on my drum." Cranky then stretched out his arm and placed it underneath--it looked disturbing--before producing a small drum that looked worn out in places. I had no idea where he got it from, but I wasn't about to question it. " It is the very same melody that was often played for you when you were young... How does this song go?" Good thing that Diamond Tiara mentioned to me about Cranky's song that had been passed down from patriarch to patriarch. Had she not told me about it, I would be completely lost over what he was trying to do. Would this song enable his son to get some sleep and relieve the Gorons of his crying? If what Diamond Tiara said is true, this melody had the ability to cause any Goron to fall asleep no matter how hard they resist its magical power. Cranky then played three notes before coming to a stop. Was that how the song was played? Somehow, it didn't sound all that majestic but perhaps there was more to it than that, and he was merely pausing for whatever reason. He played the same three notes again and stopped like before. Now I was beginning to get worried. " Is something wrong?" " Hunh?" " I said, is something wrong?" " No, everything is fine... Let me play it once more." Cranky Doodle answered. He then played the same notes again, and like before he stopped as though he were trying to remember how the song went. I hoped that he hadn't forgotten otherwise things were about to go from bad to worse. " Umm..." Looking down at the drum by his feet, Cranky looked around before lifting up his hands to continue playing. " Ah, yes, yes! Like this!" The same notes were played but this time he repeated them before pausing. There was no doubt in my mind that he had forgotten the song. Perhaps he would have a sudden bout of inspiration and suddenly remember? " Is that how the song goes?" I asked, making sure not to clue him in on the fact that I didn't know it at all. " There's more to it than just those notes, so give me a moment to see if I can remember the entirety." Cranky Doodle answered. He spent the next few minutes pondering over how it went until he noticed that I was standing there watching him. " If you wish for me to teach you this song, you can at least present your drums, Darmani, if you are indeed her." I had my own set of drums? To be fair, I was more of a guitarist at heart as opposed to being a drummer--Pinkie Pie nailed the drums perfectly in the Rainbooms--but since this song was important--I couldn't continue on with my journey without knowing it--I had to learn at some point. After all prior to becoming a Deku Scrub, I had no idea how to play the pipes--horn, trumpet, or something similar to that. Taking out the Ocarina of Time from my pouch, it suddenly transformed into a set of five drums with a thick strap wrapped around my neck enabling me to hold them up without a problem. Each drum most likely represented a different pitch much like how covering the holes on my ocarina changed the pitch. Cranky acknowledged that I had presented my drums and attempted to play the song again. He only managed to play the same six notes before stopping yet again. Part of me thought that perhaps this was the entire song and he was trying to be funny. Yet, another part knew that wasn't the case and that he had forgotten the remaining notes. " Is there a problem?" I asked, sounding sympathetic. " It's no good! I can remember only the beginning!" " Will it be enough?" " No. You need to play the entire song to sing my son to sleep. I shall provide you with the first half of the lullaby. If you play this in front of my son, I am certain that he will be able to sing the remaining notes." Cranky Doodle answered. He looked up and noticed I was glaring at him. " I know that look better than anyone else. You believe it should be me who should lull my son to sleep instead of you, Darmani, but you know that I must reach the temple." There was no point in reasoning with him so I shrugged my shoulder and waited for him to play the notes I needed. He played the same notes on his drum twice before handing things over to me. Unlike the ocarina and pipes, playing the drums was difficult as I needed to know which drum corresponded to which pitch I needed. Cranky chuckled under his breath upon seeing how I was struggling, but he didn't criticize me for not knowing the pitches. In his eyes, I was trying to imitate Darmani--and failing at it mind you--or a phantom trying to trick him, but I had to prove that I could live up to the legacy Maud left behind. After pounding a couple of drums to memorize the pitches, I played the notes resulting in Cranky looking impressed. " You say this will soothe your son?" " Yes. No Goron can resist the soothing melody of that lullaby, but again what I taught you is only the first half." Cranky Doodle answered. I glared at him again, my way of letting him know that I wasn't happy. " It's not that I forgot it. It's just so cold that I can't play very well..." That was his excuse for not remembering the full song? I could only respond by rolling my eyes. He forgot it pure and simple and nothing he said to sugarcoat things would convince me otherwise. " At any rate, I am counting on you to play that lullaby. Oh! My son... I know that you want me to return, but I must save our people otherwise we shall be destroyed." With that, Cranky put away his drum and began to continue his journey, brushing me aside in the process without saying another word. I didn't know what to think about all that had transpired. He should be back at the village comforting his son and to reassure the other Gorons that he was alive and well. They needed him there as he was the only one keeping them from losing all sense of sanity, but I understood why he had to reach the temple. Once again, I was left with a decision to make. Should I go back to the village and comfort Featherweight? Help Fancy Pants and Tirek? Or help Photo Finish. I could do these tasks in any order, but which of the three was deemed the most important? Either way, I was going to be backtracking, much to my annoyance.