Chapter 17: Seven Years have Passed, and so much has Changed
The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Ocarina of Time.
By Ganondorf8
December 13, 2014
Chapter 17: Seven Years have Passed, and so much has Changed.
" Uhhhhhhhh....where am I?" As I struggled to open my eyes, I felt as though I had been through a searing amount of pain even though my body was perfectly fine. Once I could see my surroundings, I saw there was nothing but an empty void as though life itself ceased to be. I struggled to remember what happened before I passed out, but the only thing that came to mind was being pulled into something. That was when I noticed that Spike wasn't around, and I wasn't wearing that green tunic but rather a plain white shirt and pants which made me think I was in some kind of institution.
Where was this place? How long had I been here for? Why am I here when I should be either back home or in Hyrule? It then dawned on me that I couldn't be back home as I failed to save Hyrule....at least, I think that's what happened. " Hello? Is anyone out there?" Nothing! Just empty silence within an empty void. Was this the equivalent of having died? No! I couldn't have died and failed in my quest....could I? Ugh! My memories are all jumbled up and I had no idea what was going on. " Can someone please tell me what in Equestria is going on?"
" Heh....heh....heh....heh....you are in a place where no one can hear you child....a place that exists outside of reality itself....this is limbo, and you have met with a most unfortunate fate where your soul was ripped from your body." That voice sounded very familiar to me, and that was when a silhouette of a tall figure appeared before my eyes. Its eyes glowed bright red which struck fear into my eyes, and I cowered in the presence of this silhouette. " So, you are starting to remember what happened to you when you attempted to fulfill your destiny and tried to save my world?
You believed that you could make a difference and bring the land into the light, but instead the darkness succeeded, and now you are nothing more than a spirit who has been lost to existence. Fate can be a very cruel mistress when it needs to be tormented one, for you have been suffering here in limbo for a very long time."
" Gasp! It's you, Ganondorf!" I exclaimed.
" I am Ganondorf yes, but not the one that you were fighting against. No, I am the real Dark Lord who sent you into my game world as I wanted to see you suffer child, and so far I have been most amused as you struggled to keep your sanity from shattering. While you did defy my expectations and managed to maintain a steady composure, the fact that you constantly endured hardship is enough for me to be satisfied. Heh, you must feel horrible knowing that you have been left here to rot while the world you tried to save has moved on without you."
" You're the one who sent us all into the video game back in the human world due to the magical outburst that occurred during the Battle of the Bands? I remember what happened to me now, and I can't believe that I ended up losing my life just as the Great Fairy of Power said would happen if I were to fail. It feels like forever since that all happened, or maybe it's only been an hour since that fateful moment," I said.
" Being alone here and in limbo has certainly done much to torment your mind as that is all you have had to keep yourself company for as long as it has been. I am amazed though that your mind remains coherent as most would have lost themselves within a matter of months let alone seven years. It seems that the magic from your true home was able to protect you through such a transition," said Ganondorf.
" Did you just say seven years?" I asked.
" Yes! You have been imprisoned here within limbo for seven years tormented one, and let me tell you that the Hyrule you left has changed, and is no longer the world you have come to know. Even though I would have preferred it, you did not perish at the hands of the other Ganondorf, but rather your spirit was sealed away while your body remained souless and still like a corpse.
I suppose I must commend you for such a valiant effort, but in the end you were destined to fail for events had been foretold long before you appeared. I could just kill you now, but I would much prefer to see you suffer even more than you already have. Thus, you shall soon become reborn in a world that is no longer familiar to you, and the torment will be even greater than it was before. Whether you succeed or not is irrelevant as your pain and misery is all that I wish to see," replied Ganondorf.
" What makes you think that I will just allow myself to return to Hyrule in order to suffer even more? I'm finished with that world despite having failed to prevent it from falling to a tyrannical madman, so all I want to do right now is just go back to my own world," I said.
" Ah, but you are not finished yet," began Ganondorf.
" I figured as much otherwise why else would you be here aside from giving me some pity," I sighed.
" You have merely witnessed the first half of the game world that I am from, so now you must experience the rest of it with your own eyes. Only by accomplishing the task of defeating the other Ganondorf will you be free to return to your pathetic life, and no other means will allow you to reach it any sooner. It does not concern me if you end up becoming a legend in your own right, and even succeeding in fulfilling your destiny. I already know what is going to happen anyway as I have seen it all happen with my own eyes, for I was the one who brought Hyrule to ruin. No, all I desire is to see your pain and misery as you struggle against a much strongerdarkness than ever before," said Ganondorf.
" Why are you doing this to me?" I asked.
" Because of all of you humans who possess the magic of the place you call Equestria, you were the only one who had the most self-doubt. You were the weakest and most vulnerable among your so-called friends, and for that I wanted you to experience even more heartbreak so as for you to be reminded that your past is one that you can never truly escape from. Know that there is nothing you can do except for accepting your fate, and either succeed or die!
This is where we part ways child, for you are about to awaken from your seven year slumber, and I shall enjoy watching every last moment of it until it is all said and done. Do be sure to give me quite the performance now! Heh....heh....heh....ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!!!!" laughed Ganondorf. His silhouette then disappeared, and everything was starting to turn white again. I had no idea what was about to happen to me, so all I did was brace myself and hope for the best.
" Sunset Shimmer....wake up Sunset Shimmer, the chosen one!"
" Uhhhh...." was all I could say as I started to open my eyes only to discover that I was in some kind of room filled with ancient architecture, and what appeared to be an endless ceiling as it trailed off into a black nothingness. I then looked around the room and discovered that there was just one platform suspended in the middle of nothing, and that it featured six raised grooves with the colours yellow, green, red, blue, purple, and orange arranged in a hexagon pattern.
While I wanted to figure out what this meant, the fact that someone was standing in front of me became my primary concern, and when I looked up, I was shocked to see that it was someone who I only knew from books. " Gasp! You! You're Starswirl the Bearded, the legendary unicorn wizard who once served as the royal confidant of Princess Celestia. I remember reading about you in the books back when I studied with her. It's an honour to meet someone of your greatness, but may I ask as to why you would be here?"
" Hmmmm? I have no idea as to who you may be referring to, but I suppose that I must be grateful for the wonderful compliment. Ahem! Allow me to introduce myself. I am Rauru, one of the ancient sages of Hyrule. Ages ago, we ancient sages built the Temple of Time as a means of protecting the entrance to the Sacred Realm in order to prevent evil ones from reaching this forbidden place where the Triforce is located.
This is the Chamber of Sages within the Temple of Light which is located in the heart of the Sacred Realm. This temple has served as the final stronghold against Ganondorf's forces ever since the day he claimed the Triforce from this chamber. The Master Sword, the evil destroying sword, was used by us ancient sages and served as the final key that one would need to pull in order to open the way to the Sacred Realm."
" I knew it! I always knew that there was going to be a fifth key although I wasn't expecting it to be a sword," I said.
" Such a strong perception you have there Sunset Shimmer, but right now I want you to look down upon yourself. Do not be afraid of what you might see," said Starswirl. I decided to take his advice even though it sounded a little awkward, and I was shocked to discover that I was now wearing tights as well as a white shirt underneath the green tunic. I was also wearing padded fingerless brown gloves, and for some reason I had small blue earrings in my ears which were never there before. Finally, my Hylian Shield was still on my back, but now I had a scabbard there which most likely housed the Master Sword. The strange thing was that I still looked the same even though I was told by the real Ganondorf that seven years had passed.
" I'm surprised that my attire has changed a little in order to make me look more dynamic, but how come I still look the same as I did back when I lost my soul? And before you even say anything Starswirl the Bearded, or whoever it was you said your name was, I don't intend on using the Master Sword just because it's on my person as I don't know how to properly wield a sword. Granted, I did use it in order to strike Ganondorf a mighty blow, but that was due to the magic from my place of birth having enabled me to use it to begin with," I said.
" My name is Rauru lest I must repeat myself again, but to answer your question, I suspect that this magic you possess has kept you from aging which is certainly a surprise to say the least. I have no doubt that people are going to wonder why you remain the same as you were before, and yet they have aged many years. Now then, the Master Sword is a divine blade that chooses those who are to wield it in combat, or in your case simply carry it around until needed.
You were destined to pull the sword from its pedestal, and were chosen to become the Hero of Time. However, you were too young, and so your spirit was sealed here for seven years where you have not aged one bit. Thus, you have aged mentally and emotionally, but not physically which is sure to cause confusion," said Starswirl.
" So it really has been seven years," I said.
" And much has changed since the day you were sealed here by the Master Sword," said Starswirl.
" What do you mean?" I asked.
" Though you opened the entrance to the Sacred Realm in the name of peace, Ganondorf, the Gerudo King of Thieves, used it to enter this forbidden realm and obtained the Triforce. Once he obtained the golden power, his power began to radiate throughout the temples of Hyrule, and the power augmented his strength to god-like proportions. Within a matter of seven years, Hyrule has been transformed into a world of monsters. As a result of the dark power that he wields, Ganondorf's might has reached every last facet of the kingdom save only for this chamber which is all that remains," replied Starswirl.
" I suspect that there will be people who blame me for allowing this to happen Rauru, but I can't really blame them for wanting to think that way. I was way too confidant when I held the Master Sword back then as I believed that I could defeat Ganondorf, save this world, and return to my own. But, I wasn't prepared to lose my soul for seven years, and I don't think Twilight was expecting that either.
I guess in a way she is also to blame for having gotten me involved, and not knowing that this sword was going to essentially rob me of a good number of years. Well, I guess I have no choice but to attempt to save this world once again, but it's going to be a lot harder now that monsters roam everywhere, and the scent of evil is evident no matter where I go. I have Spike with me to serve as my partner like before, but just the two of us facing off against Ganondorf does have the making of being a suicide mission," I said.
" Then you are most fortunate in that the power of the sages remains. If you are able to awaken the power of the six sages and add their strength to your own, you will become the Hero of Time as chosen by the Master Sword, and together you along with the sages will be able to bind the evil power of the realm by banishing Ganondorf here and returning peace to this land," said Starswirl.
" So I need to look for six sages?" I asked.
" Actually just five for I am one of the Sages whose power will aid you in defeating Ganondorf. No doubt that this is all confusing you Sunset Shimmer seeing as I have revealed much without providing you an explanation, and that you have only just recently awoke from your slumber. I sense someone is waiting for you in the very place where you left Hyrule so long ago, and this presence is sure to explain things in even greater detail. Before you return to the kingdom in order to begin your new quest, I want you to take this as a sign that you have my power," replied Starswirl.
" What is it?" I asked.
" This is the Light Medallion, one of a series of six which within each contains the power of the sage who represents the element they present. Whenever you find one of the other Sages, they will give you their own respective medallion allowing you to add their might to you own which you will need if you are to face Ganondorf. The time has come now for you to return to Hyrule and fulfill your destiny. Good luck Sunset Shimmer, and be sure to find the Sages," replied Starswirl. Once again I was blinded by a bright light, and when I came to, I found myself back inside the Temple of Time where I had fought and lost against Ganondorf.
Looking around the room where the Master Sword was once held, I saw that the impact craters where I was thrown into the walls, and landed on the floor were still there. Some effort had been made to repair the damage, but it looks like it had been abandoned I'd say about a month or two after it happened. The only other thing I noticed was that the interior felt a little darker than usual as though the light had gotten weaker over time.
" Sunset Shimmer! We're back in the Temple of Time, but have seven years really passed?" asked Spike.
" While it does feel weird knowing that it's been that long Spike, it actually feels like only yesterday that I was fighting against Ganondorf in an attempt to stop him from achieving his goal. It feels like we've been given a second chance to make things right with the world, but I'm not sure if the people are willing to forgive me for having failed them in their time of need," I replied.
" That's to be expected given that they did see you as being Hyrule's best hope for a brighter tomorrow, but I wouldn't blame yourself for what happened. You had too much pressure placed upon you, and I doubt that anyone with that kind of expectation could have done any better. Still, you managed to stand up to Ganondorf and lasted longer than anyone else. Defeating him now won't be so easy as he does have the Triforce, and that alone makes him the most powerful being in the entire kingdom," said Spike.
" But Starswirl the Bearded said that we needed the power of the six sages in order to defeat him, and while we do have one of them courtesy of himself, how are we supposed to find the other five? I mean, he said that there would be someone here to meet us and explain things further, but so far we're the only two inside of this temple which has probably been forgotten about. Sigh! That sage in the Sacred Realm must have gotten his senses incorrect or something, and speaking of which, he said that he was one of the ancient sages right? How is that even possible? I assumed that they all passed away some centuries ago, yet he is still alive," I said.
" There is a rumour that when the ancient sages finished building the Temple of Time, and used the Master Sword to act as the final key to the Sacred Realm, one of their own secretly re-entered the realm as a means of being a final line of defence should anyone ever manage to open the way up again. It's also rumoured that this sage was forced to remain in the Sacred Realm for all eternity due to having abandoned his own existence," said Spike.
" If Starswirl was indeed the one who decided to stay behind, that was a very noble sacrifice he made even though he must have known that there was going to be a huge price to pay. I guess we'll never know what really happened as I doubt that he would be willing to talk about it. Anyway, before we leave the temple, we should do an inventory check to make sure I'm properly equipped to handle this new Hyrule," I said. I then took out all of the items and weapons I had picked up so far on my journey, and I noticed that some of them were blackened out as though they had lost their colour. " That's strange....how come some of my items look like they've lost their essence of life?"
" I was afraid this was going to happen," replied Spike.
" What do you mean?" I asked.
" It looks like some of the weapons you picked up won't work anymore due to you not being a kid. I mean, you're a teenager and not a kid, but you haven't aged at all physically due to that magic of yours. Anyway, the weapons and items that only work for a child are no longer useable to you which means you're out one Fairy Slingshot, one Boomerang, nine Magic Beans, one Mask of Truth, and however many Deku Sticks you managed to pick up.
All that's left are the Master Sword, the Hylian Shield, the Bomb Bag with Bombs, the Bombchu, the two bottles, Din's Fire, Farore's Wind, and your money. You don't have any Deku Nuts but I assume you can pick those up still as they're useable by anyone, and I forgot to mention that you can't use the Goron Bracelet, but you can use the Silver Scale and the Ocarina of Time," replied Spike.
" So we're heading off into this changed world with half of my gear being completely useless?" I asked.
" Pretty much, but you can't simply leave them behind which means you'll just have to carry around the extra weight, and get used to the fact that you're limited until you can find some new weapons. There's not much else we can do here Sunset Shimmer, so we might as well just leave like you said. To be honest, I'm really afraid of what we'll see once we leave the temple as who knows what changes Ganondorf has made while we were gone. I know they'll be bad changes, but still I don't like the idea of going into something completely blind," replied Spike.
" I'm afraid too, but we can't save this world unless we get out there and do whatever we can," I said. With nothing else left to do, I began to start walking towards where the Door of Time had been opened in order to make my way to the exit of the temple, but no sooner had I taken a few steps when I heard the footsteps of someone else coming from behind me. When I stopped moving, the person behind me also stopped. " Spike....there is someone right behind us who could be the one we're supposed to meet, or it could be some kind of monster that has been waiting for us to return.
Either way, I need to be brave and face whoever it is. I mean, I could just run away like in the past, but something is compelling me to face this head-on." I decided to turn around and face this person, and once I had spun around, I came face-to-face with a very unusual individual.
" I've been waiting for you....Hero of Time." This person looked as though they were some kind of ninja as they were wearing an impressive looking garb which made me think of the outfit Applejack wore in this world, and their face was obscured completely by a turban with only their eyes and nose presentable along with a small amount of hair. There was something about this person that struck me as being familiar, but I couldn't place my finger on it.
" When evil rules all, an awakening voice will call out from the realm to those destined to be sages who dwell within the five temples. One in a Deep Forest. One atop a High Mountain. One under a Vast Lake. One within the House of the Dead. One inside a Goddess of the Sand. Together with the Hero of Time, the six wise ones will help seal the power of evil into the void of the realm. This is the Legend of the Six Sages as passed down by my people, the Sheikah. I am Sheik, survivor of the Sheikah."
" My name is Sunset Shimmer," I said.
" Yes, I know all about you and your exploits in Hyrule's past. You were quite an extraordinary girl who was able to use magic that was not of this world, yet fate it seems decided to be cruel and you were banished for seven years. You were able to talk to the one who resides in the Sacred Realm correct? I am certain he has told you of what has befallen this kingdom during these past years. This land is no longer the one that you traversed when you were young as the influence of Ganondorf, who has christened himself the King of Evil, has spread out and corrupted every possible trace of the land. Hold on a second! Why do you look as though you haven't aged a single day since you vanished?"
" That Rauru fellow also asked me a similar question, and we came to the conclusion that my magic was someone able to prevent me from aging physically, but I have aged both emotionally and mentally. You know, it seems that you know an awful lot about me despite claiming that you've merely heard of what I had done back then. There's something about you which looks familiar to me, but maybe it's to do with the fact that I only just awoke from a seven year slumber, and my judgment is being cloudy. I'm actually glad that you gave me some description as to where I might these five sages, but do you have anything more for me to go on?" I asked.
" One Sage is awaiting the time of awakening in the Forest Temple. The Sage is a girl I am sure you know, but because of the evil that infests the temple, she is not able to hear the call from the Sacred Realm. You have most likely figured out who this young girl is, but you are wondering as to where the location of the Forest Temple is. The temple can be found at the far end of the Lost Woods in a sacred place where few have ever walked, but equipped as you are right now, you cannot even enter the temple and attempt to save her from the evil within. If you believe the legend and the words that I speak of, you must go to Kakariko Village."
" You're right in that I have a pretty good idea as to who you're referring to, but why would I want to go to Kakariko Village when the place I need to go is somewhere in the forest? I know you just said that I need to go to the village, but is it really necessary as wouldn't it be faster if say, I went to this temple first?" I asked.
" Are you seriously asking me such a ridiculous question?"
" I guess so," I replied.
" Here I thought that you looked like the legendary Hero of Time, but perhaps I was mistaken in my judgment. Why would you want to insist on doing something that would be much more difficult instead of wanting to achieve your goal through the proper means? I know things are different now than they were back then, but there is no need for you to think that you can simply cut corners just to save some time. You are a hero who is destined to overcome many challenges, and you simply can't decide to skip out on something very important as that's just not the heroic course of action one in your station would take."
" That's where you're wrong," I began.
" Explain!"
" People kept on telling me that I am a hero whose destiny it was to save this world, and I appreciate and respect them for thinking that way. But that's their opinion of me and this is mine! I'm not the kind of hero that you and everyone else thinks I am. I'd be one of those flawed adventurers who goes about trying to do their part to change the course of destiny, but at the same time having to deal with some personal inner-demons. I mean this quite literally as Ganondorf reminded me of why I wanted to become a better person.
Once, I was a raging she-demon who sought power at the expense of others, and I didn't care who I had to hurt in order to get what I wanted. Since I was defeated by friendship, I started to redeem myself by paying for my actions when I was a monster, and even now I'm still paying for what I did. You people may think of me as a great hero, but I'm more like a hero with a troubled past that bogs her down even though she is trying her best not to let it consume her," I said.
" Then it looks like you've passed my first test."
" First test?" I asked.
" As soon as I saw you return to this world from the Sacred Realm, I had my doubts that you were Sunset Shimmer, and believed you to be nothing more than some kind of imposter trying to pretend to be her given that she should have aged seven years. Now, after hearing what you said about your personal struggles, I know now that you are the real thing, and I apologize for having lacked faith in you.
I also know that you are the true Sunset Shimmer as I can sense the goodness coming from your heart, and it is a genuine warmth that has me believing that you can defeat the King of Evil."
" No pressure of course, but none taken with it as it's something I've had to get used to," I said.
" Facing daunting tasks may seem like a horrible thing, but it's something you can and will overcome as you have the power to succeed at anything your heart truly desires. Now let me tell you more about the reason why you need to go to Kakariko Village. There used to be a stairway that lead up to the temple entrance, but over time this has crumbled away leaving nothing more than a single step, and preventing anyone from entering it. However, there is a old tree next to the stairway which can be used as a means of something to grapple onto if you had the proper tool on hand."
" I remember seeing that tree earlier on in my journey, and I remember that there was a branch that stuck out which gave off the impression that it wanted something to be attached to it. Huh, it never dawned on me until now that I needed to grapple my way up to the entrance, but where am I going to find a grappling hook? The last time I checked, such an item isn't sold in any stores, and most people living in this kingdom aren't what I would call climbers," I said.
" Then you know why you must go to Kakariko Village, for you need the skill you'll find there in order to reach the Forest Temple. If you talk to the right people in the village, they will guide you to where you must go. I must warn you Sunset Shimmer, what you will find outside will shock you to no end, and be prepared to fight against the agents of evil at a moment's notice." That sounded needlessly cryptic and foreboding, but I turned around and began to walk out into the main part of the temple waving my thanks to this mysterious person named Sheik.
If what she said was true then how was she able to make it past whatever lies in wait beyond the temple? Just who was this Sheik person anyway? " It looks like you're off to a good start Sunset Shimmer, but there is a long way for you to go, and you will face hardships along the way which must be conquered....I know you can do it because I believe in you, just like how I believed that you would return to us one day. While I cannot reveal my true identity to you, know that I will guide you like I did in the past, but in a much different way than before."
" Should we trust what this Sheik says and head for Kakariko Village?" asked Spike.
" She certainly knew what she was talking about when it comes to gaining access to this Forest Temple, but that there is the problem that makes me feel uneasy. How did she know about having to acquire something from the village? Also, how was she aware of the fact that Fluttershy was the one girl that I knew who lived in the forest? Maybe trusting this Shiekah woman may not be in our best interest as she's keeping secrets," I replied.
" Do we even know if she is a she?" asked Spike.
" Good question, and I don't have an answer for you. Sigh....guess we have no choice but to take her suggestion to heart and go to the village. Anyway, we're at the entrance of the temple now which means we'll be taking our first steps outside for the first time in seven years. I just hope things aren't as bad as she says they are," I replied. I gulped a big one and proceeded to walk outside, and discovered that there was a fierce wind blowing about with the sound of birds chirping as though life itself had ceased to be.
Then I noticed that the town itself had been completely destroyed with the majority of buildings either burned down, smashed to pieces, or completely gone altogether, and even the lush green grass had withered and died. Looking up, I saw nothing but dark clouds that looked ominous, and turning my attention to the right, I saw Death Mountain now with a ring of fire above the top of the peak instead of a ring of smoke like it had been before. " Spike....what in the world happened to Hyrule Castle Town? What happened to Death Mountain? What in Equestria happened to Hyrule?"
" Everything in town has been completely destroyed, and I'm willing to believe that no one has lived here for years. This must have been what Ganondorf did when he obtained the Triforce and began his reign of the kingdom. I knew that he wanted to conquer the world because he felt that he was the better ruler than the king was, but to simply wipe out an entire city just for spite? If this is what it's like here in town, can you imagine what he has done to the castle? And don't get me started with what he might have done to the rest of the kingdom," replied Spike.
" Rauru and Sheik were right in that things are different now than they were before, and that means you and I need to quickly get adjusted to the new status quo if we hope to awaken these five sages," I said.
" Do you plan on using the Master Sword?" asked Spike.
" As I've mentioned many times before, I have no experience with using a sword even though I was able to stab Ganondorf in the chest before we were both sealed away, but that was because I transformed by gaining pony ears and a pony tail which I will explain to you at some point. I think I can only wield the Master Sword when I transform, and it only happens in extreme situations which means the chances of me using it will be completely random.
I do like the fact that it has chosen me despite it being the cause of my losing seven years of my life, but I'm willing to give the sword a second chance as that's what I was given after my mishap in the human world. For the most part though, I'll stick with my magic as that has never failed me before," I replied. With that settled, I began to make my way towards the market where I witnessed the destruction up close, and it was horrible seeing the remains of a once proud town reduced to nothing more than a wasteland. What was the icing on the cake for me were the undead zombies that were standing around as though they were waiting for someone.
" Re-Deads, but they act differently here because there is no sunlight which can penetrate the dark clouds up above. However, they aren't able to paralyze you which means you can either attack them, or just run away from them as I doubt they have the speed to keep up with you," said Spike.
" Do you suppose they are what's left of some of the people?" I asked.
" It's hard to say whether that's true or not, but I'm going to go with the assumption of yes," replied Spike.
" I was afraid you'd say that," I sighed.
" Well, there's nothing we can do about it since this all happened years ago, so there isn't much of an attachment, but we can mourn the loss of anyone who died here once we leave town by going in the south direction as always," said Spike. While his words did bring about much pain, there was also truth in them in that there was nothing that we could do for these poor souls who have been reanimated into undead monsters. Running past the Re-Deads was easy enough and we made our way down the south path which lead to both the drawbridge and a guardhouse which turned out to be the only building in town that was still intact.
Now why was this place still standing, and what purpose could it even serve in a desolate location? My curiosity was brimming, so I decided to enter and find out what this was all about. The inside of the guardhouse was rather dark with only a couple of torches hanging on the wall as a means of providing light. There were a few jars on the floor, and some strange cage at the very back with something colourful floating about it.
" This place gives me the creeps," I whispered to Spike.
" Why are we even in here?" asked Spike in a soft voice.
" I was curious as to what was in this guardhouse as why else would it even be standing? The only thing in here that stands out the most is that cage over there with whatever those colourful shapes are," I replied in a whisper.
" Those are Poes, or rather Poe Souls in the three standard colours they take on in Hyrule when they are destroyed. The pink ones are miserable spirits that are the most common found in the graveyard of Kakariko Village. The green ones are happy spirits which are often the ghosts of people who died and managed to maintain a sunny disposition in the afterlife, like those Royal Composer Sisters we met in the graveyard. The yellow ones are evil spirits and are the rarest Poe Souls to exist as only Poes of tremendous power are able to become something like that. What puzzles me is what are so many of them doing here in a place like this?" asked Spike in a whisper.
" I don't know, but maybe that strange cloaked fellow sitting below the cage can tell us," I replied in a whisper. Sitting there was a large man who was wearing a purple cloak which covered his face, and he wore what looked like the tattered remains of a royal robe. He was holding a long stick in his hand which he used every now and again to smack the cage and make the Poe Souls return to it as they were wandering about as though they wanted to escape.
" You are certainly a fresh-faced young woman! If I had a face like that, I'd have gotten involved in a much different profession. Your name is Sunset Shimmer correct? Heh, don't be surprised by how I know your name considering that we've never met before, for I have the ability to read minds. My name is Sombra and this place is my residence in addition to my place of business. Because of the great Ganondorf, now is the perfect time to be involved in the kind of business that I deal with.
Everywhere you look, there is nothing but pain and misery which is the way things have been for the past few years ever since the day he came to power. While I despise him for what he has done to the people, I respect him for having gone and made things so lucrative. I hope that things continue to get worse when it comes to the actual world itself, and not the people as they have suffered far too much already."
" It sounds like you have some conflicted issues," I said.
" Perhaps, but you can't blame me for liking a man who has given me the best opportunity I've had in a long time," said Sombra.
" Of course I can as the world itself has been turned completely on its head, and all you seem to care about is how good a business you can maintain. Still, you do show concern for the people, so I suppose that I can't fault you for thinking the way you do. What exactly has Ganondorf done around here in the past seven years as I've been out of the loop due to being 'away' from the kingdom for a very long time," I said.
" When he obtained the Triforce, the great Ganondorf conquered Hyrule Castle within a matter of days where the guards were completely slaughtered save for one who managed to survive although I hear that he has been scarred for life all because he was unable to do anything. Many believed he died soon after the previous king had been killed, but the former Captain of the Royal Guards, Shining Armour, survived and rallied the rest of the guards into defending the castle until Princess Zelda was able to join them and lead them to victory," said Sombra.
" How was Ganondorf able to conquer the castle in such a short period of time? His soldiers must have been well-armed and experienced to take over a big castle like that in just a few days," I said.
" Actually, he was able to conquer the castle by himself," said Sombra.
" What!?!? That's impossible!" I exclaimed. Hearing this strange man reveal that Ganondorf conquered Hyrule Castle with his own two hands was just too hard for me to believe, but then I realized that is was something he could do on his own now that he had the power of the Triforce on his side. If I were this Shining Armour, I'd be unable to live with myself knowing that so many lives were lost as a result of such an attack. Then I took notice of the fact that this Sombra character mentioned the princess, so I had to inquire him about her. " You said that the Captain of the Royal Guards was hoping that the princess would join in the castle defence?"
" Prior to Ganondorf's attack on the castle, Princess Zelda was whisked away to safety, and her whereabouts have become unknown since that day. Some believe this is what happened, but most believe that she was either kidnapped by Ganondorf who managed to locate her, or she was killed somewhere. Me? I personally believe that her highness was taken to a safe place, and simply vanished into the pages of history because maybe she was too ashamed to try and reclaim the throne.
Anyway, the princess didn't return to rally the Royal Guards which meant that they were on their own, and at the mercy of the King of Evil where they all met untimely deaths, and to add insult to injury, Ganondorf absorbed their energy in order to become even stronger than he already was, and he was pretty strong thanks to the power of the Triforce," replied Sombra.
" What about the other attendants?" I asked.
" After the castle fell, many of them were killed by Ganondorf and had their energy absorbed just like the Royal Guards, but a few were able to escape and tried to warn the people of Hyrule Castle Town to flee before they would become his next victims. I personally don't know what became of them, but you could always ask around Kakariko Village as they chose to accept all those who had been displaced as a result of the attack.
Once he had fully established himself as the new ruler of the kingdom, Ganondorf destroyed the castle, and built a horrific dark fortress in its stead where he rules over the land with an iron fist. The town itself was destroyed shortly after, and things have been that way for the last seven years," replied Sombra.
" I just can't believe all of this happened during my absence," I cried as tears trickled down my cheek.
" It happened years ago young lady, so there's no need to blame yourself for something that had nothing to do with you, so why don't we move away from this miserable subject, and focus on the gloom that exists right here and now," said Sombra. If he can read my mind, then he may know the fact that my actions were partially responsible for what has befallen Hyrule, or he may not even care seeing as the world is better off now from his perspective. " This is the only Ghost Shop in all of Hyrule, and naturally, the only kind of business done around here revolves around the world of ghosts."
" That explains why you have so many Poe Souls," I said.
" Poes are concentrated spirits, and continue to linger about in the fields and graveyard. They hate the world as a result of what happened to them when their lives ended, and they unleash this hatred by attacking the living. Hey young lady! I just had a brilliant idea! If you were to use an empty bottle to capture a Poe's soul and bring it here to me, I will buy it off of you. Regular Poe Souls won't get you much in terms of rupees, but if you were to bring me a Big Poe's Soul, not only will I pay you a lot of rupees, I will also put 100 points on this card of yours which I shall keep on my person and remind you how much you have on it so far. If you manage to get 1,000 points then I will give you something good," said Sombra,
" You're saying that I should do something without even telling me what it is?" I asked.
" Yes, of course! How could I've forgotten something so simple. How would you like to be a professional Ghost Hunter? You can hunt down Poes and deliver their souls to me where I will pay you for them, and do the rest of the things that I said to you just now. While it sounds rather disturbing and probably disrespectful to be selling the souls of the dead in exchange for rupees, there are people out there besides me who have a fascination towards this sort of thing.
Anyway, you don't have to do it if you don't want to, but whenever you come by here again, and I know you will, stop on by and I'll see what you've got. Regular Poes will be easy enough for you to handle as you appear to be a capable young lady, but I should warn you about the Big Poes as they can be....ummmm....unusual when it comes to how they behave. Well, I'll be seeing you again I'm sure," replied Sombra. As I left this apparent Ghost Shop, I couldn't help but feel like I just got volunteered to undertake in another sidequest that involves being a seller, but instead of selling masks, I'm selling ghosts by defeating and catching them in bottles as a means of storage.
" That guy was creepy," commented Spike.
" Maybe so, but he did manage to tell us a great deal of information despite being happy about the changes Ganondorf has brought to Hyrule," I said.
" You know, it's weird that this guy knew so much about what has been going on these past seven years, it's like he witnessed it all happening in person. Maybe I'm just overthinking things a little with him," said Spike.
Why don't we make our way over to Kakariko Village and find that skill Shiek told us to find. I am both eager and afraid to know what has happened there during the past seven years, and I wonder if anyone will remember us? I also wonder if they'll question the fact that I haven't aged, and they probably have," I said.
" Only one way to find out," said Spike.
" Let's get it over with," I said. As we walked out of the ruined Hyrule Castle Town, I noticed that the drawbridge had been completely destroyed, and all that was left of it was lying in the moat which was probably kept as a testament to the fact that the town was no longer a place that can be viewed as liveable. Hyrule Field still looked the same as ever although the lack of Stalchildren was a welcome sight. It looks like nightfall is still active for a good number of hours, so I might as well get over to Kakariko Village, and begin looking around while people are asleep.
No sooner had I walked a few steps when something big materialized out of nowhere which turned out to be a Poe, but it was a lot bigger than the regular sized ones I've seen before. " Spike, why is this one so big?"
" This is Big Poe which is much stronger and faster than a regular Poe, so this could be a lot of trouble especially if it uses the fire in its lantern to attack you with. That fire can cause a serious burn which can last a long period of time, and I don't think you need to be told what fire can do to creatures seeing as you've been using fire magic on them since the start," replied Spike.
" That's all I needed," I moaned. The Big Poe then started to raise its lantern with the intention of hitting me with the fire inside of it, and I could see the look in its eyes being filled with the hatred of the living which the Ghost Shop owner mentioned. This was going to be a dangerous situation, and just about 30 minutes or so after having been asleep for seven years. I just can't get a break at all can I?
To Be Continued.
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5391740 The idea isn't anything mind blowing, I just thought that it could be the same reason adult link can't go to the bottom of the well, the entrance is blocked by rubble or something along those lines.
Do you think it is possible for Sunset to get a swordsmanship teacher? Also, will Sunset have the Triforce of Courage in this story?
5391919
To trigger the Sheik encounter, Link had to enter the Spirit Temple and then leave again, but he was unable to go any further due to a large block being in the way which he couldn't push. Since this is my story, I can actually take your idea into consideration and maybe even use it or an alteration based on your idea.
Thanks for the suggestion.
5392684
She will have the Triforce of Courage, but not until very late in the story. As for someone teaching her how to use the Master Sword, that's not a bad idea and I'm glad you thought of it. There is one person....check that, two people who could possibly teach her how to use it, but one of them won't be seen until close to the end.
5396285 Could you PM me who they are?
Why would you make Starswirl Rauru? Dont you know that canonically Kaepora Gaebora is actually Rauru having taken an owl form to keep an eye on and guide the hero of time?