The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Ocarina of Time

by Ganondorf8

Chapter 38: End of the Darkness?

Author's Note:

Disclaimer: I do not own anything regarding the Legend of Zelda, the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, and My Little Pony: Equestria Girls Rainbow Rocks. These are the properties of Nintendo and Hasbro respectively.

It's the end....or is it the beginning? I have no idea which one is which in this chapter.

Cast appearing in this chapter.

Sunset Shimmer - Link/Sunset Demon
Spike - Navi the Fairy
Tirek - Ganondorf
Rarity - Princess Ruto

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Ocarina of Time.
By Ganondorf8
February 2, 2015
Chapter 38: End of the Darkness?

" While I'll admit that relying on such a primitive method to kill you is beneath most warriors, you just had to go and use that big mouth of yours to spout nonsense which you don't even believe now do you? I am no one's servant, Sunset Shimmer, as I am a free spirit who makes her own decisions in order to achieve my ultimate goal! Just relax and you will soon drift off into an eternal slumber when you drown, and once your soul has left your body, I shall take it for myself and become the real you," said Sunset Demon.

Truly, she had lost her mind which was to be expected given that she is willing to do everything to kill me. I struggled to break free and breath due to the evil force in this room negating the effects of my Zora Tunic, but her grip was much too strong for me to overcome. That's when I started to feel light-headed which was the sign that my spirit was beginning to leave my body.

" Yes, that's it....continue to lose yourself to the darkness! Just a few more moments, and soon it will be all over for you. At long last, the moment I have waited for is here, and the name of Sunset Shimmer will at last mean something."

" What are you doing!?!?"

" Huh? Oh, it's you Ganondorf. As you can see, I am taking matters into my own hands and deciding to kill her now. She'll be dead in a matter of moments, and then I can claim my prize of assuming her life. Now, unless you need me to do something else after this, just leave me alone and let me take care of business," replied Sunset Demon.

" She is not meant to be killed until I have determined whether she is one of the chosen," said Tirek.

" Clearly she isn't otherwise this would have lasted longer, so let me put an end to her feeble existence. I'll be able to regain my body and no longer have to use this useless husk of a substitute. Just a few more seconds, and then everything I've wanted will finally fall into my lap," said Sunset Demon. At that moment, her grip on me loosened and I was able to pop my head out of the water and breathe the air with heavy breaths as I was literally on the verge of death.

Ganondorf must have saved my life, but I knew that he had no intention of doing so as a means of making peace. The she-demon in the meantime was clutching onto her neck as though some unseen force was choking her to death just like what she was trying to do to me, and she definitely didn't like what was being done to her.

" What....do you think you're doing? I was just about to end her life, and you have the nerve to prevent me from killing her? Let me go at once so that I can finish the job before she has a chance to regain her composure."

" You were commanded to fight her until I had determined as to whether or not she was one of the chosen, and that meant not killing her until I had come to a decision. It seems that you have chosen to defy your master she-demon, and you remember what I said would happen if you disobeyed? Clearly, just taking back my power is not a suitable punishment, so instead I shall choke you to death just like what you were attempting to do to the kid. Your usefulness to me has reached its conclusion, so die quietly," said Tirek.

" No! You can't be serious about this?" asked Sunset Demon.

" When you had no choice but to turn to me for power, you gave away your freedom, your means of being able to make your own choices, the very nature of your being is to be a servant to and nothing more. Not only did you defy my command, you revealed to her that this battle between you two had a greater purpose. I also know that you were planning on betraying me, for I am able to peer into your mind, and read your very thoughts. Heh, what a pathetic creature you are," replied Tirek.

" Okay! You've proved your point that you're in control, and that I'm nothing more than your slave," said Sunset Demon. From my perspective, I had no idea what was going on with the she-demon as it looked like she was involved in some kind of mental communication with someone, and I had a feeling I know who was on the receiving end. I looked over to the door and saw that Rarity was still unconscious, but at least Sunset Demon hadn't been attacking her.

" Look! Just let me go and I will do whatever you need me to, but I want to make her suffer because it will be most satisfying."

" So you've been reduced to begging for your menial existence....how amusing, and how pathetic that a demonic creature such as yourself would have to plead for me not to snuff out your life. I enjoy seeing you squirm for it is a reminder that my power is absolute, and none would dare challenge my authority. While you wish for me to keep you breathing, once again you choose to defy me," said Tirek.

" I haven't done anything," complained Sunset Demon.

" You want to make the kid suffer, and that is something which you cannot do until I have determined her true worth," said Tirek.

" If you want her to prove herself to you then I may have a way to do that," began Sunset Demon.

" And what would you know?" asked Tirek.

" Sunset Shimmer has a greater power hidden inside of her, and you know what that is given that she used it against you seven years ago. If I can get her to release this potential, it should be enough for you to figure out what you expect from her. Just give me the chance to prove my usefulness to you, and I guarantee that it will give you the answer that you're searching for," replied Sunset Demon. At that moment, she let go of her neck and dropped to the ground breathing heavily.

" Your grovelling was far too delicious for me to refuse your request, so I will allow you to handle the situation. Remember that this is not a sign that I have given you your freedom slave, for this is your obligation to obey my command, and not wind up being destroyed. I look forward to seeing what you will do to convince her into showing her real potential," said Tirek.

" That was just so stupid on my part to think that I could outwit someone who has the power of a goddess at his disposal, but then again he wasn't able to peer into the one part of my mind which houses my true plan. I ought to be thankful that he didn't discover that as well as not kill me on the spot as that would have cost me everything.

Guess I'll need to play it safe for now, and that means not allowing my rage to blind me, but my other self is just so infuriating that just looking at her makes me mad." Sunset Demon said to herself, and then she turned her attention towards me. " Well, it looks like you're ready to continue, but don't think that I'm going to explain what was going on with me just now."

" Why would I want you to explain anything?" I asked.

" You mean to tell me that you didn't use any kind of magic to read my thoughts?" asked Sunset Demon.

" If I were to have done such a thing, all I'd get from it is a reminder of how twisted I used to be before I discovered friendship. What happened just now isn't my concern, but rather my aim is to defeat you and move on with my journey. No offence to you, but you're just an obstacle in my way that happens to be a very emotional problem," I replied.

" And this is why you incite me to resort to violent extremes, and also why I can't keep them in check," said Sunset Demon. She then charged at me again where we ended up in another grapple, and she wasn't determined to drown me in the water again. Also, did I hear her say that she had trouble when it came to her emotions? Despite the fact that we were opposites, we did have some things in common which made sense given that we were the same person.

As our struggle continued, neither or us was choosing to back down which made my dark side feel really frustrated, and she had no idea why I was being so resilient and unwilling to give up. To be honest, I had no idea how I was doing it either because I was still in control of my feelings. " Why can't I overcome you? Is it because I am now forced to hold back my power? Or, maybe you're stronger than I give you credit it for? What do you say that we take things up a notch?"

" What are you talking about?" I asked.

" Don't play coy with me Sunset Shimmer as you can't pretend to be ignorant when I know you so well. Why don't you take out that sword you have, and fight me with it because it will be very effective against me. Better yet, why don't you transform and make things even more interesting? Or, it is possible that you are afraid of yourself more than you are of me?" asked Sunset Demon.

" So you know that I have the ability to transform?" I asked.

" Of course I know about that as I was you back in the Fall Formal where Twilight Sparkle, and the rest of your friends transformed where they gained pony ears and a pony tail due to the Equestrian Magic you brought to the human world. Since you've been holding back on me this entire time, I call foul on this whole charade in that you haven't been honest with me. I demand that you transform, and fight me at full strength as that is the way you should be doing things," replied Sunset Demon.

" I can't do that," I began.

" You what?" asked Sunset Demon.

" I can fight you using the Master Sword if that's what you want, but transforming is completely out of the question," I replied as I drew the it from the scabbard on my back, and held it in a battle ready stance before almost dropping it. " While I'm not very good at using it, I'll defeat you all the same, but I can't allow myself to transform because you'll regret making me do so."

Then, I closed my eyes and thought real hard over what my other half was suggesting, and that if I were to do what she desired, I'd have the power to defeat her, but who knows what will happen because I can't control how I act. No, I couldn't risk transforming as Rarity was in danger, so I opened my eyes and explained it to the she-demon that her request had to be denied.

" If I were to gain my pony ears and tail, I'd lose control of my emotions, and that would mean I'm capable of anything. My transformation works differently in this world than it does back home, so what you believe will happen is going to be different."

" That is some rather tantalizing information you've sputtered forth from your mouth which is pure bliss to my ears. I guess there was more of me inside of you still than I originally believed, but then I still desire to see you come at me with everything you have. You used that same power against Ganondorf, and I deserve to be given the same treatment because I've been giving it my all,," said Sunset Demon.

" No, I can't afford to lose control again," I said.

" Are you really going to have me resort to drastic measures?" asked Sunset Demon.

" Where are you going with this?" I asked.

" I'll take that question as being your answer, and I really wish you didn't have to make me rely on something so beneath me. Since you flat out refused my request and transform of your own volition, I have no other choice but to convince you to change, and I know exactly how to bring out your true potential," replied Sunset Demon.

She then raised her hand and a wall of flames appeared in front of me to serve as a means of slowing me down, and then she turned around and started to walk towards Rarity who was still unconscious. " And I was hoping this Zora princess would give me something to occupy my time after killing you, but it looks like she will have to die right now."

" Leave her alone!" I shouted.

" Do you expect me to do that after making such a pathetic threat? Please, you know me better than that!" said Sunset Demon. By the time the wall of flame had vanished, the she-demon was standing right in front of Rarity, and I had to run over there with the Master Sword in hand to stop her from killing my friend. " I'm sure that this princess will blame you for choosing to hold back, and haunt you for the rest of your days as she lingers in the afterlife.

Anyway, I'm dragging this out longer than it needs to be, so I'll get right to the point." Sunset Demon then began to engulf Rarity in flames and the screams were so heart-wrenching that I had to cover my ears and close my eyes which caused me to drop the Master Sword, but this didn't work. " Don't you just love the sound of screaming people as their flesh burns from their bodies?"

" STOP IT!!!!" I shouted.

" I'll stop when she no longer screams, but I guess that will be when she breathes no more," replied Sunset Demon.

" Why are you doing this to me?" I asked.

" Because you had everything you ever wanted when you transformed into me, but you let it go when you decided that friendship was more important, and to me that is the ultimate betrayal. You should have the Ruler of Equestria, and overthrew Princess Celestia in the process whereupon you would take the throne. You could have been a goddess, and would have stood at the top as being an invincible force of darkness.

Once you're dead, I can easily regain what you chose to abandon, but it won't be easy for me as you have gone a long way from your true path," replied Sunset Demon. She then resumed her fire attacks against Rarity while laughing at what she was doing, and my emotions were on the verge of breaking down which had me bending down and picking up the Master Sword.

" Please, just stop doing what you're doing and leave her alone," I said.

" Sorry, but your words fall on deaf ears as this needs to be done," said Sunset Demon. The flames surrounding Rarity then disappeared, but the she-demon instead decided to grab her and began to concentrate. She then burst into flames which made her scream so loud that it caused me to scream in response, and that's when the pony ears and pony tail appeared.

My expression turned to that of pure rage in my eyes, but the she-demon just laughed as she dropped Rarity to the ground where the water immediately washed away the flames and some of the burns on her body before she turned to face me with a gleeful expression on her face. " I was wondering what it would take to make you transform, and I guess I found your Achilles heel so to speak. Since you're now more appropriate to do battle with me, let's resume shall we?"

" So you wanted me to transform because you want a real fight?" I asked.

" What can I say? Before, you were boring and that made things too easy for me, but now you'll be a delight to fight because we're both giving it our all. I suppose it's fair to give you the first shot as you look like you're just dying to do something," replied Sunset Demon.

" I know that I will defeat you Sunset Demon, but I wish that you didn't make me transform because I have no idea as to what I'm going to do to you. Guess the time for talk is now at a end, so prepare yourself," I said. That's when I ran forward towards her with the Master Sword guiding me, and I pierced her with such speed that she had no idea what just happened.

With the divine blade protruding through the other side, Sunset Demon struggled trying to pull it out and make some kind of counterattack, but I lifted her up and tossed her all the way over to where the island was where she crashed into it. As she stood up, she looked down at the gaping hole in her chest which she clutched due to the wound gushing out blood.

" Yes, I remember this power seven years ago, and it has become much stronger than before."

" I told you that I would get her to transform and unleash her true power Ganondorf, so now you should be able to determine whether she is worthy enough for you, and if I can finally kill her and assume her life," said Sunset Demon.

" How do you intend on ending her existence when your own is on the verge of collapse? That wound you have received was quite devastating, for you continue to hold onto your chest where it continues to bleed. If anything, I believe that your intention on forcing her hand to appease me has worked against you. You most likely have a couple of minutes left as it is before you perish, and your dreams of claiming her life are snuffed out before they can even be realized," said Tirek.

" About what you discovered?" asked Sunset Demon.

" The kid is indeed one of the chosen which means she is more useful to me than originally suspected, so I am afraid that you will not be allowed to kill her for she must remain alive long enough until I have what I need. Oh, I know that she is oblivious as to what will happen to her, but for now she will continue to exist as though nothing had changed. As for you....well....it appears that your usefulness to me has truly reached its end.

My power still flows through you, so if you were thinking of betraying me at the last possible moment, then you are truly idiotic. No matter what the outcome was to be, you would end up being destroyed either by my hand, or by hers," replied Tirek.

" So you set me up from the beginning?" asked Sunset Demon.

" You made for such an ideal pawn that you were willing to do anything to get what you wanted. Now that you have played your part, I no longer have any need of you, so I shall take back that which I gave to you," replied Tirek.

" I should have known you were using me," said Sunset Demon.

" All beings in Hyrule exist only to serve my will, and are nothing more than expendable pieces of fodder. Now then, I do believe that this is the last I shall be seeing of you wretch, so while my power quickly drains from your body, I do have one final task for you to complete, and that is to die a quick and painless death," said Tirek.

" It's a good thing then that I was prepared for this to happen as I figured Ganondorf was going to backstab me in the end. The magic that I was able to claim from the Element of Magic when I wore it for those brief minutes will ensure me that everything will work out in the end for me." Sunset Demon said to herself.

" I think it's safe to say that you are done," I announced.

" You really think such a wound like this is going to bring me to my knees?" asked Sunset Demon. She then struggled to get back onto her feet, and when she was standing upright, she dropped onto one knee before writhing in pain. " Okay, this wound is a lot more serious than I was giving it credit for, but I still believe that I will kill you and take your life as my own."

She then looked up and discovered that I had the tip of the Master Sword on her throat, and she could feel the divine blade's sharp tip up against her neck. She saw that my expression was one of anger, but then it changed to one of sadness and sympathy. " Why the sudden change in expression? Don't tell me that you've gotten soft, and now refuse to finish the job which you can easily do by pushing that sword of yours forward a little bit."

" Are you really that pathetic when it comes to wanting your revenge?" I asked.

" I'm the representation of the darkness inside of your heart, and though you say that you've changed, you still have evil that likes to flare up whenever you feel dejected or even the slightest bit annoyed. No one can truly ever destroy the evil that plagues them, and while I may not be a part of you, no matter what you try to accomplish, the fact that you became me will continue on to haunt you. I suppose this is a shallow victory at best," replied Sunset Demon.

" Finished?" I asked.

" I have a wound in my chest which has been weakening me since you skewered me with that blade, so the chances of me killing you are slim. Despite that, I still intend on carrying out my promise of taking what's mine," replied Sunset Demon. She quickly raised her arm to knock the Master Sword away from her throat, and just as she was about to use another attack, I managed to regain control and swung the sword where it went through the wound in her chest again which was enough to defeat her.

" Heh....I didn't think you had such a feral nature....guess in the end I was doomed from the start by your hands or his. You proved yourself to be the one and only Sunset Shimmer....for the time being, but don't believe that this is over between us."

" No, it's pretty much a foregone conclusion that your own anger and desire for vengeance caused this to happen to you. Here, let me pull the Master Sword out of you so that you can die with some shred of dignity," I said. As I pulled the sword from her chest and discovered that the wound was now even worse, my pony ears and tail disappeared once again. I was so overcome by the entire trauma of having transformed that I dropped to the ground and buried my face into my hands for a few moments.

" I didn't want to do this, but you left me no other choice when you pushed me too far. I'll leave you alone to fade away into nothing because I don't want to see you suffer anymore, so this is good-bye Sunset Demon." With that, I put the Master Sword, into its scabbard, and turned around where I began to walk back towards Rarity to make certain she was okay as she had been through quite a lot.

" Sunset Shimmer is confidant, and that means I'll need to be extra careful when the time comes. Hopefully, this plan is going to be a success otherwise this will be my end. If the Element of Magic does what I suspect it's capable of in a world different from Equestria...." Sunset Demon said to herself as she fell over backwards and shattered into pieces when her body crashed into the ground.

Those pieces then burned away to nothing and she was finally gone. I had finally conquered the darkness which had been making me fearful all this time, so now I could focus on what was important.

" Are you alright?" asked Spike.

" I'm okay physically, but mentally is a different matter altogether," I replied.

" The she-demon was going to kill Princess Ruto, and you were helpless in stopping her. You made the right choice in transforming, but I know you didn't want to resort to that form again because of what it can make you do. If it's any consolation, this time you did manage to have some control as you were holding back otherwise she would have been killed mere minutes after you transformed," said Spike.

" Perhaps, but the fact of the matter is that I was forced to rely on my true Equestrian power to finish things," I said.

" That's because you changed as a result of allowing your fear and helplessness assume control which has been the case with the previous two incidents. You lose control of your emotions because you're afraid of being in way over your head, and I know from experience that you've been feeling that way from the beginning because this isn't what you're used to doing.

I guess that only in the most extreme of situations is when you transform. This may sound a little cruel coming from me of all people, but perhaps we should create some kind of scenario in the future where you transform, yet it will one where you did so of your own free will instead of being forced," said Spike.

" I know that I can transform willingly," I commented.

" I believe that if you were to gain the ears and tail of your own volition, you'll have complete control over yourself. What you become will be a thing of beauty and not something to be feared which has been the case thus far. All we need to do now is to create an ideal setting for you to transform without losing control," said Spike.

" I don't know about this," I said.

" We don't need to do this straight away as you've been tapped out already, so for now just rely on your regular magic and items until we can figure out the right time to use this idea of mine," said Spike. When we finally reached Rarity, I was afraid to look at her as surely those burns had left horrible irreparable scars all across her body. Once I got the courage to look at what had happened to her, my jaw dropped for she looked completely fine as though she had never suffered from any attack.

" Does my appearance shock you so much that you have nothing to say to me?" asked Rarity.

" You look perfectly healthy, but I saw you being burned by the she-demon, and I heard your screams," I replied.

" From your perspective, this must have been the case, but the truth is that I was never attacked by anything that wicked creature may have used against me. While it's true that her initial attack against me left me unconscious for a time, I did wake up when she came over to me, and when she said that she was going to kill me, the flames she used had no effect. I quickly realized that the fire was fake as well as those screams which you assumed came from me," said Rarity.

" You mean you didn't scream at all?" I asked.

" She mimicked my voice for whatever reason she had, and performed the screams that you heard. She made sure you couldn't see my face otherwise her plan would have been exposed, for she wanted you to transform, and believing me to be gravely injured was her means of making it all happen. I don't know why she went to all that trouble because it ended up costing her everything, but maybe she had some kind of hidden agenda that only she was aware of.

That's now water under the bridge darling as you have defeated that wicked creature, and with her presence no longer around us, this room is finally changing back to the way it used to be although the water will remain for that is natural to this room," replied Rarity.

" I knew this room wasn't normall," I said.

" Just watch," said Rarity. The endless space of the room which I believed existed quickly faded away and became the regular walls of the Water Temple which I have long since become used to, and the island in the middle disappeared because it was never there to begin with. Once the room had changed back, the iron bars blocking both doors raised, and that meant we could finally leave this room.

That was a huge sigh of relief for me as I wanted to move on from here in more ways than one, so with my heart still feeling heavy due to what I had to resort to, Rarity and I walked over to the door, and in the next room was a large treasure chest which surely contained the weapon which was used by the Zora hero. " I am surprised that he decided to leave this item all the way back here, but then again I guess I shouldn't be surprised with how he came to such a conclusion."

" What do you mean?" I asked.

" The Zora hero while a mighty warrior among my people, was also a bit eccentric in his mannerisms. You could say that he was a bit on the kooky side, but I guess long years of being a heroic figure took it out on him mentally far more than it did physically. Any sane Zora would have placed this treasure chest somewhere a lot closer to the entrance of the temple, but I suppose he just wanted it somewhere and didn't really care where," replied Rarity.

" Are you sure that I can just take it?" I asked.

" By all means open up the chest and take what is rightfully yours," replied Rarity.

" I'm not sure if his weapon is mine to claim by right despite being a new hero who has come along to vanquish evil. When I acquired the Megaton Hammer from the Gorons, they gave me a reason for wanting it, and while it felt silly that someone like me was chosen to receive it, I followed with what they were saying, and I overcame the necessary trials to prove my worth. In terms of this weapon, I just don't feel like I deserve it because I haven't really done anything worthy in the name of the Zoras," I said.

" What about your dark side?" asked Rarity.

" That was just a personal issue I had to take care of, and it happened to coincide with exploring the Water Temple in order to destroy the source of the curse plaguing your homeland. If I were to take the weapon of a heroic Zora without a righteous incentive, then I'd feel pretty bad about using it," I replied.

" It is true that you have not done anything as glamorous for my people as you have for the Gorons, but allow me to put into another perspective which may be to your liking. I have witnessed your skills for myself, and despite having made some criticisms against you, do know that I still believe you to be a true hero unlike those who have come before you.

As far as I am concerned, you have proven your worthiness to claim the Zora hero's weapon as your own, so please take it and do not question my generous nature as I would feel offended," said Rarity. I guess when you put it that way, she did witness all of my actions whether they were good or bad, so in that sense I do have a legitimate reason to take what was in the treasure chest.

With that confused logic in my mind, I walked over to the chest and opened it up where I pulled out another Hookshot. This one had a different colour to what I already had, and it also looked slightly more sleeker.

" It looks just like what I have," I commented.

" This is the Longshot which has an extended chain which goes twice as far as the Hookshot, so now you can reach targets that are further away. The same basic properties which you've been using with the old model still apply to this new one, but now you don't need to get quite as close as before. However, the chain still has a limit as to how far it will go until it snaps back into place. Still, this is quite the treasure and you should accept it in the name of Princess Ruto," said Spike.

" It'll be weird using this and the Hookshot at the same time," I said.

" You might want to look where you kept the original version of the item as you'll be surprised," said Spike.

" What are you talking about?" I asked. I then looked on my belt where I kept the Hookshot, and to my horror it somehow disappeared without a trace. Could I have dropped it somewhere without realizing it? Or, maybe Sunset Demon stole it from me when she was trying to choke me to death. " What happened to it? It just couldn't have disappeared as I would have felt its presence leaving my person."

" That's the nature when it comes to acquiring upgrades in this world Sunset Shimmer. When you obtained the Longshot, it effectively replaced the Hookshot as the ideal weapon suited for its particular purpose, and the old weapon now simply ceases to be because you no longer have need of it. I can tell by the expression in your eyes that you're still confused, but give it some time before it sinks in. Now that we have that out of the way, it's time to continue on, and it looks like we'll need to rely on some music to progress," said Spike.

" Music?" I asked.

" Look behind the treasure chest," replied Spike. I walked around behind it, and discovered several blue blocks with the symbol of the Door of Time etched on them stuck firmly into the ground. No sounds could be heard coming from below, so it must be another big drop which is certainly something I am not looking forward to. There was no other choice but to take out the Ocarina of Time, which I did so, and recall how the Song of Time went as it has been a while since I last played it.

After spending a few moments remembering how the song went, I played it and the blue blocks disappeared revealing a hole. Rarity immediately went down first and beckoned me to follow her, so I did with some slight hesitation and fell down until I landed on a walkway with more fast flowing water to greet us.

" Be careful Sunset Shimmer! There are powerful vortexes in this body of water, and they can easily pull you in if you're not careful. You can use the Iron Boots to walk along the bottom as they are heavy enough to prevent the current from affecting you, but they won't be able to save you against the vortexes."

" According to the map, going along this path will take us back into the other room where there was a strong current," I said.

" Do you think it's a coincidence that the two rooms are connected?" asked Spike.

" Maybe, or it could be this is the way the temple was designed so as to allow easy access without having to backtrack," I replied.

" Backtracking is going to be what we're doing from this point onward now that you have the Longshot. Plates which were too far away for you to latch onto them are now easily accessible, so I think we should go back to the first location where the water level can be changed, and drain everything to see what new things can be done," said Spike.

" There was one passageway on the third floor which we didn't check out, so maybe we can look there first before we change the water level," I suggested.

" Why don't we focus on getting through this room first, and then make our way back to the central chamber before doing anything else? Thinking too far ahead will only cause us to fail at clearing this room successfully. Also, there appears to be a treasure chest of some kind at the end of this current, so we might as well see what that is. It could be another small key as those are always useful, or it could be something completely useless that we don't need," said Spike.

Switching over to the Iron Boots for the first time in quite a while, I jumped into the water with Rarity following along, and immediately I could see the fast flowing water with my own eyes. It had a majestic look to it which felt breathtaking, but I knew that I had to focus and not allow such things to serve as a distraction.

At first walking along underwater was fine, but then some slopes became an issue for me as climbing over them while wearing heavy boots wasn't easy at all, but for Rarity, it was simple as she was used to swimming about in all currents. The swirling vortexes weren't helping out either as I struggled to avoid them as well. Eventually, there was a small platform situated next to a particularly large vortex, and it involved an awkward path to get to it.

" This looks dangerous," I said.

" It will only be that way if you end up slipping and sliding down into the vortex. Once you're within range of the hole that lies in the bottom of it, there's nothing you can do to escape from its powerful grip, so you may want to traverse carefully as one wrong step and we're done for," said Spike.

" Did you feel the need to give me extra pressure?" I asked.

" If you don't think you'll be able to walk over to that platform, then switch back to your regular boots and attempt to swim over to it instead. The vortex will have a much harder time trying to pull in something that's in constant movement," replied Spike. It sounded to me that using my regular boots was the proper way to handle this, so I switched back to them and swam across and almost getting pulled down, but I managed to make it to the platform only to discover that Rarity had already beaten me to the punch.

" How did you get here before I did?" I asked.

" I am like a fish when it comes to swimming about in the water darling. No current is too powerful to capture me, so while you were struggling to figure out how to get onto this platform, I simply swam over here and waited for you to do the same thing," replied Rarity.

" Forgive me for not being an aquatic creature like yourself," I moaned.

" At least you managed to make it over here and that is the important thing. I noticed a switch on the wall over there, and I believe that you can activate it using one of those arrows of yours. Surely it will cause the gate to our left to rise up and give us access to both the treasure chest and the way back to the previous room. You know, I believe your new Longshot is capable of latching onto chests and pulling you forward towards them," said Rarity.

" What makes you think that?" I asked.

" I do seem to remember something that the Zora hero mentioned before he sealed away his weapon, and it was that it could be latched onto wood along with other kinds of materials that exist out there. The way that I described what I remember makes the Longshot quite the versatile weapon in its own right," replied Rarity.

I couldn't argue with that kind of logic, so taking out the Fairy Bow for a moment and aiming for the switch, I fired an arrow which missed the target, and honestly I knew that was going to happen because I just can't seem to get a break. The second arrow I fired hit the switch which opened the gate, and this was followed by the usual ticking sound meaning that I had to work fast. In a quick fashion, I put the bow away and took out the Longshot and aimed for the treasure chest.

Upon connection, I got pulled over and opened it up which contained another small key, and the gate refused to fall back down which was confusing at first. It took me a moment to figure out that the gate wasn't going to fall back down because opening the chest prevents it, and to me that is without a doubt one of the most contrived things I've experienced in this world.

" It's okay Princess Ruto! All that was inside of the chest was another small key, so now comes the question of where it's supposed to go. Oh, and the gate isn't going to be closing any time soon due to opening the chest, so you can easily swim across and together we can make our way back to the central chamber," I said.

" Just give me a moment to come on over," began Rarity as she was suddenly cut off when the room began to rumble as though an earthquake was occurring. The vibrations continued to get worse until a large watery tentacle came out of the large vortex to my left, and it instantly grabbed Rarity and began to squeeze her pretty tightly which caused her to scream a little.

" GAH! This must be a part of the curse which plagues this temple as I can sense that this water is corrupted with evil, and because of the progress we have made Sunset Shimmer, it has decided to take matters into its own hands by abducting me." She struggled to break free from the watery tentacle, but it was to no avail as the corrupted water was too strong for her. " Darling, you must finish what we started and destroy the curse of the temple in order to free my people, and restore both Lake Hylia and Zora's Domain.

There is no need to worry about me as I will find a way to get out of this somehow....you know what you need to do, and you have the power to do so via the treasure of the Zora hero...." Rarity was cut off again as the watery tentacle covered her head in order to silence her, and then it dragged her down into the vortex leaving me and Spike on our own. While he was flying about like crazy in utter shock, I knew that this was going to happen as I sensed she was going to end up getting kidnapped in some fashion.

" Come on Spike. There's nothing more we can do here," I said.

" But what about Princess Ruto?" asked Spike.

" If you believe her to be dead then you would be wrong as I can still sense her presence even though just barely. Whatever that thing was, it clearly wanted her out of the way because of being more of a threat than I am, so now we need to obtain the Boss Key and confront the source of the curse and destroy it. On another note, now we have some kind of idea as to what we're up against," I replied.

" The curse is some kind of water monster which we originally suspected, but we still don't have a full confirmation despite seeing it abduct the princess. What she said about the Longshot is correct as there are some places that you couldn't reach with the Hookshot, but now you can thanks to the extended chain giving you an even better reach.

We should go back to that one passage we didn't take on the third floor like you suggested, for it could be something we need to check out before draining the water level back down before raising it again," said Spike.

" We will rescue her," I said.

" I know we will because that's what we heroic types do," said Spike. Walking along at first felt really rough without Rarity, but I knew that there was nothing we could have done for her, and getting enraged over her abduction wouldn't have done anything either, so we made our way back to the room which also had a current via the entrance at the top. To me, we were beginning to come full circle on a lot of things, yet there were some rooms which we haven't explored.

Even though this was the second time coming through here, I had to rely on the map to figure out how to get back to the central chamber. Already not having Rarity around was beginning to make itself felt, but I had to keep going for her sake as well as that of her people. A few minutes later and we managed to arrive back at the chamber, but the Spike enemies were in the way, so I took out the Hylian Shield for some added protection.

The Spikes bounced off my shield and regressed back to their harmless states before I used the Longshot to pick them off, and when I was finished with that, I switched back to my regular boots after having to switch to the Iron Boots, and swam up to the third floor.

" So this is the passageway we didn't check out before?" I asked.

" The map shows that the room that this path leads to has a treasure chest located at the end of it, and it's that funny shaped room we ignored previously. Considering how the chest is hidden way off the beaten path as it were, I suspect that it must contain a small key, otherwise what other purpose would there be for it? None by my reckoning," replied Spike.

" If that's true, we should pick it up as soon as possible," I said. It only took me a few steps before coming to a stop due to there being a sealed panel on the ground, and the small crack in it was a clear sign that it needed to be blown up. " You know, I don't think whoever put this thing here was trying all that much seeing how pathetic this looks, but it isn't something that will get in our way." Taking the Bomb Bag from around my belt and pulling out a Bomb, I stepped back a few paces and tossed it as I didn't want to end up getting attacked by anything that might pop up.

Once the panel was blown to pieces, it revealed a hole filled with water, and I knew that meant this room was going to be one of those where the Iron Boots were going to get some heavy use. " Guess we're going to take another swim, but after what we witnessed happen to Princess Ruto, is it even safe to make a dive?"

" We have to if we want to confirm that chest having a key," replied Spike.

" Sigh....let's get this over with," I sighed as I switched to the Iron Boots and dropped down into the hole. Walking forward down this next passageway, I soon came upon a block which looked like it was a part of the wall, but when I attempted to pull it due to it being a sort of second-nature thing for me to do, I was able to pull it back quite a ways before it came to a stop a short while later. " Why won't this thing allow me to pull it anymore?"

" My guess is that the ceiling where you're standing is too low for the block to be able to pass through, so for now it's pretty much stuck where it is. If we can get around onto the other side and perhaps push it along, it may give us access to the treasure chest which it was originally blocking access to. In order to do that though, we would need to not have any water in this area which means we have to drain it all the way down followed by raising it halfway up," replied Spike.

" How do you figure that?" I asked.

" If the way around to the other side of the block is what I think it is based on what I remember seeing back in the central chamber, the water has to be drained because it will involve using an item that isn't the Longshot. As I mentioned before, you can't use any other item or weapon while travelling about underwater except for the Longshot, and the Hylian Shield," replied Spike.

" No wonder this place is so frustrating as there are so many things we have to do," I sighed.

" We did establish that this temple was going to be a difficult one based on what the Dungeon Map revealed," said Spike.

" Sometimes I wish that there was a much simpler way to get through the Water Temple without having to go back and forth like this, or better yet, an easier version to begin with," I moaned. There was no doubt in my mind that this dungeon was really starting to get on my nerves because now I had to make my way back to more previous rooms just to be able to progress to some new areas.

That's when an idea popped into my head that was going to make things all the more easier for me. After switching back to my regular boots and swimming back up to the surface for what felt like the umpteenth time, I walked back into the central room before taking out the gem containing the power known as Farore's Wind, and holding it firmly in my hand.

" What are you doing?" asked Spike.

" Something I should have done back when we first entered the temple," I replied.

" Now you're starting to see how useful Farore's Wind can be despite the heavy restriction it has. Remember that the warp point will appear above the last entrance you used, so if you cast the spell right now, this will be the location of the warp point which may or may not be where you want it to go. As far as I can tell, you can't change the location once the warp has appeared unless you dispell it, and cast it in another location after leaving and re-entering the central chamber," said Spike.

" Do you think this would be a good place to create the warp?" I asked.

" It is at the top of the temple in terms of the levels, and we are close to where the source of the curse is located. I'd say that this would be an ideal location, so go ahead and cast the spell," replied Spike.

" Wait! We're close to the curse?" I asked.

" You really do need to look at the Dungeon Map more often, then you wouldn't need to ask such a question," replied Spike. He then told me to take out the map, and look at the third floor which was where we were. Sure enough, there was a skull icon at the end of the room that was to the north of the central chamber, and it was located on the platform I couldn't reach back when I had the Hookshot.

" Whenever you pick up a Compass, not only does it reveal the locations of any unopened treasure chests, it also shows you the location of the Dungeon Boss. In this case, it would be the watery creature that abducted Princess Ruto. I know that I remember telling you about the skull icon on the map, but if I didn't then I'm telling you now so that you don't forget it later."

" Then it's a good thing that the warp point will be created here as it means being able to skip a lot when it comes to backtracking so as to save us some time," I said.

" So long as you have enough magic," added Spike.

" As you said to me before, the magic given to me by the Great Fairy is Hyrulean Magic which I can run out of because it uses a magic that is different from my own, and what I am capable of using naturally can't be used on foreign magic. I guess that I jumped ahead a little too quickly for my own good when it comes to understanding how the magic of Hyrule works, but I still need to use Farore's Wind just in case something comes up and we need to get back as fast as possible. Also, I want to use it to skip some unneeded backtracking," I said.

Raising the gem containing the spell with my hands before releasing it by throwing them back down, the warp point appeared above my head before moving backwards a little bit to indicate the start of the room as to where I came in from. Once the warp was in place, the gem then slowly dropped to the ground where I picked it up and put it in my pouch again. " Is there a way to regain Hyrulean Magic that I've lost from using the spells I've been given?"

" Collecting Magic Jars scattered all over the kingdom is your best bet if you want a quick solution, or you can purchase a Green Potion which can restore the kingdom's magic within you to full power, or you can purchase the rare Blue Potion although that one is expensive from what I remember. Green Potions can be purchased in the Potion Shop located in Kakariko Village, but the location of the place that sells Blue Potions is currently unknown to me because like I said, it's rare to find it.

If you're looking for the quick fix as I said, you can find the jars all over the place by cutting grass, smashing jars, and defeating monsters. The small jars will replenish some magic while the large jars will restore much more, so I would suggest picking up the large ones as they are more effective. Of course, every little bit helps, so picking up the small jars will help just as well," replied Spike.

" I'll be sure to keep that in mind," I said.

" Why not try it out now?" asked Spike.

" Because we have to go all the way back to the first location to change the water level, and then to the second location and repeat the process to gain access to that treasure chest. You know, all of this running around is really starting to tire me out, so I'm hoping that I don't collapse any time soon," I replied. Switching to the Iron Boots again, I jumped into the water and dropped down to the bottom of the central chamber where I began to make my way to the first location, but I needed to remember exactly where I needed to go.

Spike reminded me with a bop on the head that I should use the Dungeon Map, so I did and remembered that the passageway with two torches flanking both sides of the entrance was the way to go. As soon as I reached the room where I first ran into Rarity, I switched back to my regular boots and floated up to the surface and climbed out. At this point I was starting to feel exhausted what with having to walk, run, swim, climb, and more due to this unnecessary backtracking.

" Are you alright?" asked Spike.

" I'm trying hard not to collapse from exhaustion," I replied. Then I stood in front of the Crest of the Royal Family as Spike corrected me on from telling me about it earlier, and I played Twilight's Lullaby which drained the water down to the basement. I knew this wasn't all I had to do as now I needed to go to the second location, so I dropped down to the previous room, and ran back to the central chamber where I entered the tower via the door which I unlocked during my first visit to this tall room.

When I entered the tower, I quickly ran to the end of the walkway, turned around, took out the Longshot, and pulled myself up to the second location where I immediately played Twilight's Lullaby again which raised the water up halfway. By this time I was really exhausted and wanted to stop and take a good rest, but I had to keep on going in order to finish what I started. Once the water had finished rising, I walked through the door, but I suddenly dropped to my knees and fell to the ground utterly tired.

" What happened?" asked Spike.

" I'm too tired to keep on going, so I need to rest for a while," I replied.

" You were looking fine until a few minutes ago before starting the whole backtracking through the temple," said Spike.

" I guess that my battle against Sunset Demon took a lot more out of me than I thought, and because I didn't take the time to relax due to needing to continue with the task of rescuing the Zoras, all of this extra moving about was the clincher which has left me unable to move for a while. All I need is just ten minutes of rest before I can full recover, and keep on going," I said.

I definitely picked a lousy spot to take a rest for the two Blue Tektites that plague the central chamber had noticed me collapsing just now, and they were bouncing across the water in order to reach me. I'd say that they will be on top of me in about two minutes which is long before I'll be able to move again, so it looks like I'm going to end up being at their mercy....

To Be Continued....