The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Ocarina of Time

by Ganondorf8

Chapter 62: Shield of the Sun

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.

At least this shield isn't the one in Majora's Mask because those of you who have played that game know how creepy it can be.

Cast appearing in this chapter.

Sunset Shimmer - Link
Spike - Navi the Fairy
Sonata Dusk - Happy Mask Salesman
Trixie Lulamoon - Koume
Queen Chrysalis - Kotake

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Ocarina of Time.
By Ganondorf8
April 19, 2015
Chapter 62: Shield of the Sun.

If I allow three fireballs and a laser beam to hit me, I'm going to take a lot of damage which would force me to walk around with several wounds unless I were to leave, and get my hands on some potions or fairies. Even though I do have resistance to fire, that doesn't mean I'm completely immune. I had no time to take out my Hylian Shield and deflect these four attacks, so I decided to use Nayru's Love although it would mean using up even more magic power.

Despite being protected by a magical barrier, it consumes a lot of power according to what Adagio told me, so I hope that I have enough to make this work otherwise I'm going to be feeling more than just pain. Quickly taking out the gem which contains Nayru's Love, I activated the spell just as the fireballs and laser beam connected with me. I blinked a few times as the barrier came up, and I came out of this situation completely unscathed.

" That was too close," I said.

" You really do enjoy these intense close call moments don't you?" asked Spike.

" No I don't as all it gives me is a heart attack given how I almost got blasted. I'm aware that all those attacks wouldn't have killed me given how much health I have right now compared with before, but I wasn't about to take any additional damage which would have prompted me to warp over to Kakariko Village and getting some potions," I replied.

" There is the oasis outside," sighed Spike.

" I keep forgetting about that, and I really shouldn't given how it's a lot closer than the Potion Shop, and I don't have to pay any rupees in order to catch some fairies in my four bottles to use whenever I'm on the verge of death. Maybe I should leave the temple quickly and check out that oasis, for I'm not liking the idea of having empty bottles," I said.

" The best way would be playing the Requiem of Spirit which will take us outside where that Sage Altar is, and from there we would need to travel west past the temple entrance until we come to a set of palm trees which surround a large dirt hole. By standing on a large rock and causing it to rain, the oasis should fill up with water which will make a large number of fairies appear. They won't stick around for very long though as the desert is no place for a fairy," said Spike.

I was surprised at how specific he was about what I needed to do, but then he knows all about the locations of the Fairy Fountains around Hyrule, so I'm not about to start questioning him. I figured out that the means of making it rain involved playing the Song of Storms, and it has been a long time since I last used it....which was also the only time I actually used it. Strange how I've obtained so many ocarina melodies, and a fair number of them are barely used.

It's rather sad because you would think that all of them would be given equal attention instead of a couple getting more priority than the rest. Before I can leave the temple and investigate the oasis, I still had three Anubis and a Beamos to take care of which is when I realized that I had made a slight blunder with my defensive strategy.

" I can't destroy those Anubis at the moment as I can't use any other magic while this barrier is active," I moaned.

" The one true drawback of using Nayru's Love," said Spike.

" Well, I suppose that I could draw them towards somewhere in this room where a circle of fire will appear if this is the same kind of setup which we saw on the other side of the temple, but then I don't know if I can get all three to follow me," I said.

" There is a switch on the other side of the Beamos, so such an idea is possible," said Spike.

" We didn't really use it before given that I had the magical means to take care of the problem, and I really want to rely on that same magic again. I guess this is my punishment for relying too much on Nayru's Love even though I've only used it twice now to get me out of terrible situations. It's not a big deal Spike as these monsters aren't all that threatening, but it has taught me a lesson," I said.

Since the Beamos can still be taken care of given how bombs aren't affected by this magical barrier, I took out my Bomb Bag and placed it on the ground where I proceeded to take out a bomb. Given how I have at least another minute of this barrier, I didn't have to worry about those Anubis who were still shooting fireballs at me, yet their efforts did nothing as Nayru's Love continued to keep me safe.

I then tossed the bomb and it landed next to the Beamos which exploded, so that was one problem out of the way, yet now I had to wait for a while until this spell wears off.

" You should get the Fire Arrows ready when the barrier disappears," suggested Spike.

" I thought other magic can't be used as long as Nayru's Love remains in effect?" I asked.

" That is still true Sunset Shimmer, yet you can still take out the magical weapons even though you can't use them," replied Spike.

" Oh, then I guess I should bring out the Fairy Bow along with the Fire Arrows, and aim at them while waiting for the barrier to run its course," I said. I then took my own advice by taking out the bow, and then starting what I believed was going to be a long process of waiting, yet the moment I aimed at one of the Anubis, the magical barrier started to flicker which indicated that it was about to wear off.

A few seconds later and the barrier disappeared where my arrows suddenly became consumed with flames, and that meant I was going to enjoy taking these monsters down. I didn't mean it as being sadistic, but rather because of what almost happened before I used the spell, so my way of thinking involved wanting some slight revenge, but mainly to continue proceeding through the temple.

Before these monsters even knew what was going on, I fired fiery arrows at each of them where they were destroyed instantly, and when the last one went down in flames, it unlocked the portcullis on the other side of the room.

" What do you want to do next?" asked Spike.

" I suppose we could continue on to the next room, but maybe we should check out that oasis back outside," I replied.

" You want to have those empty bottles filled don't you?" asked Spike.

" Considering how much punishment I've been taking whenever I encounter powerful monsters, most of the time I've found myself on the verge of death without the means to heal myself. My fight with Sunset Demon reminded me to do this, yet my assumption was to go back to Kakariko Village because that is where the Potion Shop is after it relocated after Hyrule Castle Town was destroyed.

I don't want to go around these dangerous places without the means of restoring my health, and this will be especially true when the time comes for me to enter Ganondorf's castle which will be my worst nightmare come to life in this world," I replied.

" Most people use potions because they aren't aware of the Fairy Fountains," said Spike.

" Really? I thought most people would visit them for a pick-me-up," I said.

" The Great Fairy believes that her subjects would be abused by people because of their healing properties, and their ability to bring anyone back to life immediately after getting killed, so only those she feels are worthy are able to find them. This doesn't apply with her own fountains as only she can be found within them, and of course they are hidden even more discreetly so as to prevent most from uncovering and taking advantage of her immense powers," said Spike.

" I never would have guessed fairies were treated like that," I said.

" All because of what we can do," said Spike.

" Then how do you explain the Kokiri having fairy partners?" I asked.

" The Great Deku Tree was a guardian spirit who ranks up there with the Great Fairy, so he was entrusted with some of her subjects as a means of protecting the forest children from dangers which existed beyond the forest boarders," replied Spike. This was a side of the people of this world which clearly shocked me, and it made me feel sick to my stomach that I had been helping them. In truth, they had no regard for life which they deemed as being beneath them.

It was a painful reminder of what I experienced in the human world where I was treated with little to no contempt after I had discovered friendship, yet before that I was the one who treated my peers as being beneath my notice. Yet another example of irony where my own experiences have come back to haunt me, and making me feel miserable about what I used to do.

Spike then assured me that the people of Hyrule have gotten better since the early days where they were more savage, but things could do with some improvement. Deep down though, being told this truth made me rethink of my overall opinion of this world, and thinking that perhaps Ganondorf isn't the only evil that exists here.

I took out the Ocarina of Time, and began playing the Requiem of Spirit where I became surrounded by an orange light. A few moments later and I was back outside in the Desert Colossus where it was still daylight, so I was relieved to know that I wasn't going to feel the cold winds of the night any time soon.

" So where is this oasis?" I asked.

" It's located on the west side of the Colossus, and all we have to do is just go in a straight line to find it," replied Spike.

" While it does sound simple enough, I will have those Leevers coming out of the sand, and I'm sure we're going to run into Sonata as I doubt she has found any of those masks buried out there in the sand," I said.

" You've got to admire her persistence," said Spike.

" And also her insanity for has she spent all this time out in the blazing heat. Most people would suffer heatstroke if they were exposed to that much heat, but then Sonata has proven time and time again that she is unusual. If she is still walking about out here without any problems, truly she will earn a great deal of respect," I said.

Given the chances of encountering her were pretty high, I chose not to try and avoid her because that was going to be impossible, but at the same time I was curious as to how her digging was going. After walking across the desert which felt like forever, I would come across the oasis, and sure enough it had no water, so I needed to fill it up if I want the fairies to appear. " So this is where that fountain used to be a long time ago before this place became what it is now?"

" Surprised?" asked Spike.

" I am actually as I was thinking that it would be inside of a cave or something," I replied.

" Aside from this one, all Fairy Fountains be they regular or Great Fairy are located either inside of caves or underground. You could say that this oasis was perhaps the earliest to have existed. Anyway, do you see that rock over there? That is where you need to stand, and do something which will make it rain. Do you need any help in figuring out what needs to be done?" asked Spike.

" The Song of Storms is the only means I have which can cause rain to fall," I replied.

" I knew you would figure it out," said Spike.

" Well, it's not like it was difficult for me, but I will admit that I have forgotten how the song is supposed to be played. I've only ever used it once, and that was to drain the water from the well in Kakariko Village back in the past," I said.

" Good thing I wrote down what notes you need to play," said Spike.

" And I'm grateful for that as I would have never remembered," I said. It wasn't easy to walk over to the rock because Leevers popped out of the ground, and I had to avoid them because if I get the urge to destroy them, I'll have to deal with a meaner one. So, I chose to simply leave them alone and hopefully restrain myself from doing something completely stupid. Luck was on my side as the Leevers ignored me, and I reached the rock which looked out of place compared to everything in this desert.

I then got on top of it, and taking out the ocarina again, I waited for Spike to show me which notes I had to play. He then took out a small piece of paper, and showed it to me where I spent about a minute memorizing it. Once that was done, I played the Song of Storms, and dark clouds began to appear in the sky as though I had unleashed a great evil.

" Spike? Are you sure this is supposed to happen? I mean, we never saw what happened when I played it back in the windmill as it was outside and we were inside, yet I think I've gone and brought about some kind of destruction."

" All you did was summon a thunderstorm where it will rain heavily, and thunder will sparkle and crackle up in the sky. It may seem like you are creating something evil, but rest assured that what's going on is supposed to happen," said Spike. As soon as it started to rain, I realized that I was going to get wet and maybe even catch a cold, yet it was too late to do anything about it.

Then I looked at the oasis where it quickly filled up with water, and when it was full, a large collection of fairies appeared in the center where they scattered around. I waddled into the water until I was as close as I could get without being forced to swim, and taking out one of my empty bottles, I scooped up a fairy which meant I could now relax knowing that my life was in good hands.

" There! I have a fairy," I said.

" Maybe you should get at least two or three just in case," suggested Spike.

" Why would I need that many?" I asked.

" Remember what happened in the Shadow Temple?" asked Spike.

" Good point," I replied. Back then, I made sure to get as many potions as I could, and I ended up going through all of them in a short period, so having one fairy in a bottle wasn't going to be enough. I then waddled about using my remaining bottles to capture more fairies, and I even made sure to restore my health by running into one of the other remaining fairies as I wasn't taking any chances.

When all four bottles had been used, the rain came to a stop and the remaining fairies simply disappeared which didn't make much sense, but I suppose this was just something they do. The water would make for an interesting bath, but I didn't need one given that I just spent a few minutes waddling about scooping up small magical creatures.

" So that's how this oasis works."

" WAAAAH!" I shouted because Sonata suddenly appeared next to me.

" You really do become jittery whenever someone talks to you all of a sudden, but then you can't help it as your mind is fixated on other things thus causing you to ignore your surroundings," said Sonata.

" I thought you were digging around looking for those masks?" I asked.

" After doing so for about a couple of hours in this intense heat, it became obvious that I needed to take a break, and I was considering the entrance to that temple over there until you brought water to this oasis. I tried figuring it out, but I gave up after ten minutes, yet you solved the puzzle so now I'll rest here for a while before resuming. The directions I got from the Gerudo turned out to be genuine as I've already discovered a mask that was buried out here," replied Sonata.

She then dropped her massive bag down where it made a loud thump, and opened it up where she reached in with her hand pulling out what she had found. I'm not sure how she knew exactly where it was as she probably has hundreds of masks in that bag, but I wasn't about to cause a scene.

" That is an interesting mask you have there," I said.

" I know you're confused by how strange it looks, and I have to agree with you," said Sonata.

" Oh! I wasn't trying to offend or anything," I said.

" No, you pretty much said the truth which is fine because it does look bizarre given how ancient it is. I've been wanting to see what these ancient Gerudo masks look like for years, and I was expecting something like this. I'm not sure if anyone would be willing to purchase one of these for wearing purposes, but for both historical and collecting purposes is most likely going to happen," said Sonata.

" Are you sure the Gerudo would appreciate you selling their history?" I asked.

" They chose to move on from their past because thievery became the standard, so they couldn't care less if I were to dig up the entire desert and sell every last one of these ancient masks. I do intend to do just that because these masks need to be exposed to the world again after being buried for so long. It will probably take me a few months to dig up every portion of the Desert Colossus until I find them all, yet it's something I'm truly dedicated to complete," replied Sonata.

The mask itself looked ugly as though someone had just put it together in a crude fashion rather than using intricate detail to make it look stunning. Then again, the ancient Gerudo didn't care about presentation provided the mask worked as intended. I would say that no one would wear something so ugly, for that would provide more than just attention.

" How many masks do you think are buried out there?" I asked.

" I'm guessing at least 50 as the records the Gerudo keep in that library of theirs state that even back then, their numbers were small compared to the other tribes, yet they created a lot of masks that served different functions such as rituals, ascensions, funerals, holidays, and so on. I have a lot of work to do if I plan on digging up all of them, but what about you Sunset Shimmer? Were you able to discover what happened to Nabooru?" asked Sonata.

" There was some kind of struggle inside of the temple, and she ended up losing," I replied.

" I knew her to be quite strong even among her people, but to think that she disappeared all because of a fight," said Sonata.

" Huh? You know about Nabooru?" I asked.

" Of course I do as how else do you think I managed to sell a number of masks to the Gerudo? She helped me to get around certain obstacles, and during the process we became better acquainted. She always did look as though she had some huge burden on her shoulders, but never talked about it as she preferred to deal with it on her own. It was as though she were involved in a solo crusade against something, yet she never said what it was," replied Sonata.

Once again, this was a side of Rainbow Dash in this world I never knew, but I suspect that her crusade was against Ganondorf as she wanted to free her people. I couldn't reveal that I knew the real reason as to what happened seven years ago, but I think Sonata knows I'm hiding something from her given her sudden change of expression. " You know, I think you're holding back information, but then you're new to this region of Hyrule, so I shouldn't accuse you of anything."

" I do plan on finding out what became of her," I said.

" You'd be the first one to do that in ages," said Sonata.

" What do you mean?" I asked.

" When she initially disappeared, there were plans to go out into the desert to find her, but Spitfire refused such ideas because she said that Nabooru was a traitor, and she was to wander lost forever. A couple of Gerudo felt that she needed to be found, so they defied the will of the second-in-command by going into the desert in order to find and bring her back.

They were never seen again after a couple of days, and as a result no one else bothered to look for them. Seven years have passed since then, and Nabooru's disappearance was completely forgotten. Instead, the Gerudo were lead to believe that she chose to live out here, and they believed it until you came and opened their eyes to the truth," replied Sonata.

" Yet they still won't try to find her?" I asked.

" Considering how many years have passed since Nabooru disappeared, they all suspect the worst. Anyway, you look as though you need to go into the temple given that you've been looking that way every couple of minutes, and I need to resume my search for masks because I'm not leaving this desert until I find them all! I guess this is where we part ways again Sunset Shimmer, but whether we shall meet again or not depends on what destiny says," replied Sonata.

Without saying another word to me, she walked east towards the entrance of the Desert Colossus before she was completely out of sight, yet I felt very annoyed at first with Spitfire for refusing to go and look for Rainbow Dash when she initially disappeared. Then I remembered the witches had her under their spell, so she isn't to blame for what happened.

The more I learn about these witches, the angrier I become because of the pain and suffering that has been inflicted by them. While I desired for them to suffer, I had to maintain a heroic stance as petty acts like wanting revenge will make me no better than them. I am not going to resort to such depraved means just to get back at them.

" We need to go back inside," I said.

" You're determined now more than ever to defeat those witches," said Spike.

" I am because what I just heard has made me mad beyond words," I said.

" Make sure you don't lose control of your emotions otherwise you will transform in the wrong way. What I find really strange with you sometimes Sunset Shimmer is that your feelings are rather messed up, but I don't meant that in a negative fashion," said Spike.

" No, I don't blame you because you're absolutely right," I said.

" Emotions can be a very powerful tool, but all it takes is just one wrong scenario, and you end up losing sight of the truth. You have experience with it due to your transformations, so you know better now than you did back then. You've also experienced it from where you're really from although I wouldn't know what that could have been like as I've never seen it with my own eyes, yet I know that you'd never lie about your past given how it gets brought up often," said Spike.

" What do I have to hide when it comes to the truth?" I asked.

" Probably nothing," replied Spike.

" Exactly! I've been very vocal about my past actions because I've had to make so many amends to those who I wronged, and it helps me to teach others not to end up falling into the same trap. If I can prevent just one person from becoming a demon, then I can live happily knowing they changed their ways.

It took me a long time to earn forgiveness and even acceptance from other people, but I don't use my troubled past to get sympathy as that does me nothing. No, I let others know that they can become better, and that their past shouldn't define who they are. It doesn't always work as some people are just too far gone to be saved, yet others are able to turn it around," I said.

" Maybe you should use it on yourself more often," suggested Spike.

" Kind of hard to do when being exposed to so much torment," I said. This was true because I have been tormented on different levels since I was first brought to this world, and Spike would eventually agree with me as he couldn't find a reason to say otherwise. It was just my lot in life to continue being punished for my misdeeds of the past, yet it wasn't going to last the rest of my life as there will come a time where I no longer need to suffer because of what I did.

I'm not sure when it will happen, but I have a good feeling the wait won't be that long. As I turned to face the Spirit Temple, I knew that I hadn't been honest with both Sonata and Spitfire when it came to explaining Rainbow Dash's fate, yet I knew they wouldn't understand time travel as I don't really get it myself.

Those witches weren't getting any younger, so I walked back inside, and that is when I realized the one problem which comes with warping outside of a dungeon....I have to backtrack all the way to where I was, and that was going to take at least 30 minutes.

" Guess we didn't plan this out very well," sighed Spike.

" I should have used Farore's Wind," I moaned.

" Well, we have to go all the way back, so there's no point in moaning," said Spike.

" Moaning makes me feel better after doing something utterly stupid! Actually, I'm glad we have to backtrack as there was one room on the second floor we never explored because I couldn't melt the ice covering up that one switch with my magic," I moaned.

" Guess we found a silver lining after all," said Spike.

" More like a slight detour," I moaned. Why didn't I consider creating a warp point with Farore's Wind when I had the chance after destroying the Beamos and Anubis? Was it really that difficult for me to remember something so simple? It made me feel so pathetic knowing that I forgot about such a useful mechanic, and now I was paying the price. There was no choice but to go back the long way, but at least I get to see another path although that could actually be even worse especially if it ends up becoming a shortcut.

Sighing, I began my trek back, and the two witches were discussing what had just transpired between me and Sunset Demon. They were clearly shaken up because of the large of power that almost destroyed this entire location.

" The forest girl was able to defeat her dark self," said Trixie.

" And she even obtained fairies outside in the oasis which means she has not suffered any wounds like we had hoped," added Chrysalis.

" We should have known better than to rely on such a worthless creature, for she was more concerned with wanting to showcase her power instead of doing what was necessary," said Trixie.

" If not for the protective magic and that powerful sword, the girl would be dead by now as her transformed state was no match for the she-demon's form. It seems this child has proven to be very resourceful as though she knew what was going to happen. I have no doubt that she will reach us Koume, so we must make sure that we are prepared," said Chrysalis.

" Then our special guardian shall be our last line of defence Kotake," said Trixie.

" We have no other choice, for the girl shall most likely defeat our other guardian, and claim the treasure of the Gerudo. That accursed item has been the bane of our existence for a long time, and we should have destroyed it a long time ago. She has no chance of defeating us without it, so we could have saved ourselves a great deal of headache by just getting rid of it," said Chrysalis.

" And yet we couldn't because the Great Ganondorf declared it an ancient relic which had to be preserved no matter what! His command was to keep it and the silver power stored here in the temple, but by choosing to carry out his wishes, we have essentially ensured our own deaths.

Once again, I believe he wishes to be rid of us because all we have become is a hindrance, and he wouldn't even have the power that he does if not for us. My own ranting aside, there is nothing we can do that will prevent the girl from acquiring that item, so we must use the full depths of our magic," said Trixie.

" If we can kill her, then this world shall remain in darkness forever," said Chrysalis.

" Then our task is a simple one, and failing is not an option," said Trixie.

" Should we be defeated by her though, then I am hoping the Great Ganondorf will be able to kill her. I have no doubt his strength cannot be overcome, but her transformation combined with the Triforce essence inside of her could tip the scale.

It's possible she could defeat him, and should that become the reality of the situation....our hard work these many years will be destroyed by a mere forest girl who possesses powers no one of her kind should be capable of. Fortunately, I watched this conflict between her and the she-demon, and I have come to a very pleasing conclusion," said Chrysalis.

" What is it?" asked Trixie.

" She can only maintain this transformed state for a short period, and then it wears off and cannot be used for some time. If we plan this out carefully taking this information into consideration, our chances of success increase by a large margin. However, she has proven herself to be powerful even without this alternate form of hers.

Still, if we can cause her to change back to normal, it will give us an advantage, but only for so long as she will eventually get the chance to change again. Which is why we must act in a quick and ruthless manner before we lose momentum," replied Chrysalis.

" Then we need not worry about her as everything is under control," laughed Trixie.

" Not everything," began Chrysalis.

" What now?" asked Trixie.

" The form that she-demon took on when she transformed....such a demonic aura far exceeds that of the Great Ganondorf, and that makes her more dangerous than the forest girl. I suspect the wretch must have tapped into the true depths of darkness to have acquired such a form, so if she were to remain free to do whatever she wished, once again we would be blamed," replied Chrysalis.

" We don't need to worry about that one," began Trixie.

" Are you serious?" asked Chrysalis.

" Even though their combined power almost destroyed our temple, the she-demon has become a lot weaker ever since the forest girl inflicted a severe wound. Surely, you felt her power suddenly drop when their petty squabble was just about to reach its end. That means the wretch is no longer a threat as she now struggles to cling to life even though she denies nothing is wrong.

I know her power continues waning with every passing moment, so it's merely a matter of time before she can no longer exist. It does mean she will make one last attempt to kill the girl, and is liable to do so when she reaches our location. Should that come to pass, then we can just snuff out the wretch for she won't be of any concern to us," replied Trixie.

" A most glorious prospect, yet we must be careful," said Chrysalis.

" Yes, for even though they are bitter enemies, the forest girl has sympathy for the she-demon," said Trixie.

" Should the wretch be destroyed in front of her eyes in such a cruel and merciless manner, it could push her over the edge and unlock an even greater power. That would be an absolute disaster for us, so we must make certain it doesn't happen. Hopefully, the she-demon will simply crumble away to dust before making things even more complicated.

If not then we can easily manipulate the girl into taking the wretch down without either of us getting involved. That child may possess great power for one so young, yet she cannot resist her mind being controlled, and carrying out our bidding," said Chrysalis.

" Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" asked Trixie.

" It could be our very last resort, and we would need to use every last ounce of our magic," replied Chrysalis.

While making my way back to where I was before, I did use my Fire Arrows to melt the ice which was covering the eye switch, and when it activated, the iron bars blocking the portcullis rose up allowing me access to the room beyond. Upon entering, I found myself face-to-face with another giant block which was weird as I assumed that only one existed in this place.

Yet, here was another one which required me to push it along until it falls. According to the Dungeon Map, going down this path lead to a dead-end, but perhaps something could be found at the end, and that alone prompted my curiosity.

" Good thing we decided to see where this way goes," I said.

" What do you expect is down here?" asked Spike.

" There won't be any treasure as it doesn't fit the usual tropes we've seen in every other situation, yet I suspect this is going to be some kind of shortcut which would have made this backtracking a lot less painful," I replied.

" That does sound like the most logical solution," said Spike.

" You know, this is probably going to make me feel even more miserable given how I blundered. Guess we'll know for certain what we end up running into at the end of the passage," I said. Pushing against it with my hands combined with the power of the Silver Gauntlets, the block scraped along until it dropped into the hole, and I found myself standing in front of another block. " I hope this doesn't become a trend otherwise I'm going to feel even worse."

I then pushed this one along where it eventually dropped down, and once again I was standing in front of yet another block which was really getting on my nerves. Without saying another word, I pushed it along where it dropped into another hole. As it fell, I saw there was no other blocks to push, yet there was a strange looking switch which made me curious.

" This switch must have been here for a very long time given how it has rusted," said Spike.

" It's been some time since I last used the Megaton Hammer," I said.

" You used to use it because at the time you had no proper training when it came to using a sword," said Spike.

" Thank Pinkie Pie for teaching me some of the basics," I said.

" You've managed to become quite good at using a blade, yet you still have some issues," said Spike. He wasn't kidding especially when you consider what happened when I struck Sunset Demon with the Biggoron's Sword. I then took out the Megaton Hammer whose weight caught me off guard as it had been a long time since I last used it, but it wasn't going to stop me.

I slammed it down onto the switch which activated it, and it caused a nearby panel to drop down to the level below. It then came back up after a few moments which indicated that it was indeed a shortcut....exactly what I didn't want to see happen.

" A shortcut....we could have used this to get back there," I moaned.

" We have it available now I suppose," said Spike.

" Too little, too late," I moaned. Deep down, I was really annoyed with how I made myself do extra legwork when I could have avoided it by using magic. It took another 20 minutes before I made it back to where I was before, and the first thing that caught my attention was the locked portcullis to the right of where I came in. " Hmmmm....we'll need to return later with the key."

" Which means our only direction is through that other portcullis," said Spike.

" This next room is where the ring will finally be used," I said.

" Make sure you don't drop it," said Spike. Because of how often I've been clumsy when it came to using weapons, his words had a lot of truth to them. Upon opening the portcullis and entering the next room, my whole body turned white because of how many Armos statues were in here. There must be at least two dozen scattered about, and touching any of them will cause them to come to life. Because I remember how they explode when defeated, I was going to take a lot of damage should I cause a chain reaction.

I did have fairies in bottles to help me out, but they need to be used sparingly. To my right was a really fancy looking door which must be where the ring needs to be placed, and to my left was yet another portcullis locked with iron bars. A sun switch next to it gave me an idea as to what I needed to do considering there was sunlight shining nearby.

" I need to somehow shine that sunlight onto the switch," I said.

" You don't have anything to do so," said Spike.

" Which means we must solve the main problem, and that involves the ring I was given," I said.

" Do you remember what those records mentioned?" asked Spike.

" In order to open the door using this ring, I need to use the sunlight," I replied.

" Have you even looked at it apart from when it was given to you, and when you showed it off to Spitfire?" asked Spike. I shook my head to indicate no, so that prompted me to take it out and see what the fuss was all about. The ring looked like an ordinary piece of jewelry, but it featured a rather large gem which looked like nothing I've ever seen before. Could this gem be what I need to figure this all out?

" What kind of a jewel is it?" I asked.

" This is a special prism which can absorb light and reflect it back, but it's small so it won't be able to do all that much. I gather you need to shine this ring into the sunlight over there, and then place it into the door which should open up. Shining it on the sun switch will do nothing as those need full sunlight, so we need to come back later," replied Spike. This was what I had to do? If it was this simple then why was there so much fanfare just to do something so simple?

Then again, this ring has much more meaning than appearances suggest. I'm suspecting the witches created this special door to prevent anyone from entering, but why would they do that? Could the ultimate defence strike fear into them? I guess the truth will be revealed once I get my hands on it.

Walking over to the sunlight, and holding the ring in its warm glow, it quickly began to shine in a rather eerie manner, and my first thought was that the Armos would come to life as a reaction. They remained still, but I'm not about to take any chances, so I walked over to the strange door which had a slot where the ring needs to be placed.

" Guess this is where this ring finally returns to where it needs to be," I said as I inserted it into the door. At first nothing happened which looked weird, but suddenly it began glowing in a bright light which almost blinded me. Once my vision returned a few moments later, the door was gone, so I could continue on where I ran up some carpeted stairs which lead to another portcullis. " This feels like I've been here before, but I can't put my finger on it."

" This is where we were in the past, but on the other side," said Spike.

" Does that mean?" I asked.

" You need to fight another Iron Knuckle," replied Spike.

" Oh great," I moaned as I opened the portcullis where it closed behind me with iron bars. This room was just like the other one where there were pillars all over the place, yet it turned to the right, and waiting for me at the end was the Iron Knuckle sitting on its throne. I had a lot of trouble dealing with this monster last time, and I knew this was going to be another repeat performance.

" It won't be as bad as before," said Spike.

" You weren't the one who was being slammed with a giant axe," I moaned.

" The Master Sword inflicts twice as much damage as the Kokiri Sword, so it will take half the time to remove the armour plate covering its weak point, and half the time to defeat it by striking said weak point," said Spike.

" Well, hearing you say that does make me feel a little better, but it will still inflict the same amount of damage right?" I asked.

" That's still the case yes," replied Spike. I knew he would say that, so I have to avoid that axe unless I want to get sliced. The fairies I picked up outside will come in handy, but I want to keep all of them as they will be needed when I encounter those witches. Despite now having a better weapon to defeat this Iron Knuckle, I didn't want to go through with it because my previous encounter wasn't what I'd call one of my best moments, yet I have no other choice.

Walking over to where it was sitting, I took the Master Sword and smacked it on the front of its armour which caused it to make a grunting sound , and it slowly got up and proceeded to walk forward. Before I could even do anything, the Iron Knuckle slammed its axe into me before it crashed into the ground, and I found myself being sent flying before landing in front of one of those pillars.

" I'm not liking this," I moaned.

" You don't need to worry as you do have fairies, but that doesn't mean having to fight reckless," said Spike. The Iron Knuckle then walked towards me again, but then I figured maybe having the Hylian Shield out will protect me. I quickly put this to the test where I raised my shield which prompted it to respond by swinging its axe back and forth, and my idea slightly worked as the axe still connected with me, yet I didn't take as much damage as before.

Since Spike said that the Master Sword inflicts twice the damage, I can take this thing down quickly, but it does mean having to get really close. It got close to me again where it destroyed the pillar I was standing in front of which did produce hearts, and then this was followed by it slamming its axe into the ground where I responded by striking it a couple of times before quickly moving back.

" It's just like the last one," I said.

" So you don't need to freak out about it," said Spike.

" I'm only reacting that way because of how powerful it is," I said.

" I noticed you went up close in order to attack Iron Knuckle, but you don't need to do that. The Master Sword has a long reach, so you can attack from a slight distance, but not too much otherwise your strikes won't connect. Also, don't try to attack it from behind because you know what it can do," said Spike.

" Yeah, I remember that it can counter-attack, so I'll make sure to avoid doing that," I said. That bit of good news does play well in my favour, for now I don't need to get right in its face to inflict damage, but I can't afford to be overconfident otherwise I'm going to be using at least one fairy.

Grabbing the hearts which came out of the destroyed pillar, I moved in close before stepping back which caused the Iron Knuckle to slam its axe down allowing me to strike it a couple more times, yet I was surprised at how I was able to get away with doing that. " What I did just now....I think I've figured out an ideal pattern."

" Then go for it, but be careful as even the most obvious of patterns can end up changing," said Spike.

" Right....once its armour falls off and its weak point is exposed, it starts to run at a rather brisk pace. While I wouldn't exactly call it fast, it moves faster than it currently does at this moment. If I were to apply this pattern of attack when it begins running, I'm likely to get hit as I won't be able to retreat before that axe comes down. So when I move onto the second phase, what I should do?" I asked.

" I'd just go with what you believe works best," replied Spike.

" In other words, hope that I don't mess up?" I asked.

" You're not going to make any mistakes Sunset Shimmer, as you've been doing this so much now you've gotten used to it. Okay, you do still make some mistakes which have almost cost you your life, but I'm sure that isn't going to be a problem," replied Spike. I do admire him for how much faith he has in my abilities, but sometimes I think he puts too much confidence towards me as I've battled against powerful enemies without making a mistake only to be completely outmatched.

Maybe he wants me to prove him wrong, or perhaps make me prove to myself that I can handle anything. It's probably the latter option, but it would be difficult to make it work given how many monsters in Hyrule are naturally powerful, and I merely use weapons, powers, and the like to keep up.

I suppose my transformation does put me on an even playing field, but I can only use it every now and then as it does exhaust me given how much effort goes into maintaining it. The Iron Knuckle meanwhile continued to follow me, but I kept up with the strategy I came up with. It wasn't going well at first because of some issues as to how far is enough before it can be considered a safe distance.

" I just need to remember how far away I was before I made this strategy work to begin with," I said.

" Its axe has a long reach because of how long the handle is, so you need to take that into consideration," said Spike. Good thing he mentioned that just now as its axe suddenly slammed down next to me, and I had about a mere inch separating me from it. Before it could lift it back up, I struck it a few more times, and that is when its armour plate fell off which was surprising as I assumed that there was at least another two or three hits to go.

Maybe I can adjust my strategy a little to coincide with this change in its behaviour. So I got close to it as a means of baiting it out before stepping back, but then it suddenly got right next to me and swung its axe back and forth striking me across the chest. I didn't go flying across the room, yet I should have because it then struck me in the same manner again. The wound I sustained before suddenly reopened, and I knew it meant being forced to use a fairy were I to take anymore damage.

" I'm starting to lose control," I said.

" I know that wound of yours is bleeding again, but relax as you do have fairies who can heal it for you," said Spike.

" But I wanted to save them for when we get to those witches," I cried.

" You do know that you can easily get more of them by going back to the oasis outside right?" asked Spike.

" Wait, what!?!? I thought it was a one time thing which is why I've been hesitant about using them," I replied.

" Fairy Fountains can be used as often as you like provided you leave and come back in again. Granted, this method is why many people are no longer allowed access to them because of taking advantage of the kindness given by fairies, but those who have permission can do so repeatedly until they are ready to continue on with whatever journey they have," said Spike.

" I wish you could have told me this sooner," I moaned.

" Gee, I thought it was pretty obvious," said Spike.

" I'm not from this world remember?" I asked.

" That shouldn't be an excuse for you to not know something like that," replied Spike. That means I could have gotten fairies whenever I needed them, and not wasted rupees buying potions. Not only that, but I could have used them a lot sooner which would have made certain situations practically non-existent, and saved me a lot of grief. I guess it's my own fault for being utterly clueless, and a painful reminder that I should have asked Rainbow Dash as to how this video game works.

She was the resident player among our group even though both Applejack and Fluttershy were pretty experienced as well. Me? I wouldn't even know what I have to do just to play a game as we never had anything of the sort back in Equestria. That's when I felt a sharp pain in my stomach which was a reminder of the wound I had just gotten from this Iron Knuckle, but I couldn't clutch it with my hand as I need my shield to remain raised up in case I can mitigate any additional damage.

Looks like both this monster and I have a weakness which is now exposed, yet I don't intend on being killed. Moving forward slightly because of the pain I was experiencing, the Iron Knuckle swung its axe around where I hit it just as the blade was coming back....my punishment for not waiting, and once again I felt tremendous agony.

" One more hit like that and I'm done for," I said.

" Until you get revived by a fairy which will fix that wound of yours," said Spike.

" I really wanted to save them until we reached the witches, but I guess I can always just go back to the oasis," I said. The Iron Knuckle walked forward where it slammed down its axe, and I went around behind it for a quick hit. Since it was about to counter-attack, I made sure to quickly step back out in front so as to avoid being hit. What I didn't expect was a massive swing around, for the Iron Knuckle must do this in order to prevent itself from falling.

When that axe struck me again, I collapsed to the ground having been killed, yet Spike didn't show concern because he knew I was about to be revived. Sure enough, one of the fairies restored my health to full, and even closed up that wound much to my pleasure. " Well, there goes one of my fairies, but it was necessary otherwise I wouldn't have gotten back onto my feet."

" Like I said, you can get another one back at the oasis," said Spike.

" Would that involve playing the Song of Storms?" I asked.

" Yep, as the oasis drains away when you leave the immediate area," replied Spike. Yet another instance of an element being replaced with something similar all because of leaving, and coming back thinking it will still be the same. With the knowledge of being able to go back to the oasis, I focused on the Iron Knuckle as it needed to be defeated, and my restored health would see me through.

It swung its axe around, but I couldn't get close without being hit myself, so I waited for it to slam its axe down and when this happened, I struck it once more where it was finally defeated. I breathed a sigh of relief as it burned away to nothing, and the iron bars surrounding both portcullises rose up. Unlike before, not all of the pillars were destroyed, so I guess this fight wasn't all that bad.

" That went okay I suppose," I began.

" But?" asked Spike.

" I didn't want to go through with it," I replied.

" Maybe so, yet you managed to pull through," said Spike.

" And that means I'll finally get my hands on this ultimate defence which has been hinted towards us, but never explained as to what it really is. I just hope that it's worth this pain and hassle otherwise I won't be very happy," I said.

" I'm sure it will be useful otherwise why would they even bother keeping it away?" asked Spike.

" That's a good point you make. Those witches set up that door because they didn't want anyone to find this treasure, and I think it's because they are afraid of it being used against them. It also explains why that Iron Knuckle was guarding it, for it would need to act as the last line of defence in case of an emergency. If the witches were thinking of stopping me from getting that treasure, I don't think they can do much now considering how close we are," I replied.

After saying that, I decided to move on just in case they could actually do something to stop me. Opening the portcullis at the end of the room, I entered another cave which lead towards a bright light which must be the other exit. " Hopefully, this treasure will appear because I believe I've fulfilled whatever obligations the desert goddess had in mind."

As I walked outside, I found myself standing on top of the other giant hand and nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary, but then a large treasure chest dropped down from above which had me puzzled. " Strange....I remember seeing from over on the other side, so why did it drop down now just as I walked outside?"

" I don't have an answer for you," replied Spike.

" Should it matter because the important thing is the treasure?" I asked.

" Not really, but I suggest you go back inside via this entrance and not the main one down below. I have a feeling what is inside of the chest will help you deal with that sun switch we saw earlier in the room with all of those Armos statues," replied Spike. In all of this excitement, that switch had completely skipped my mind, but now I knew that I had to activate it.

Opening up the large treasure chest in front of me, I took out what appeared to be a red shield, and on the front was a very polished surface with some kind of black rose etched into the bottom, and a crescent moon on the top. This was certainly a beautiful sight to behold, but was this the ultimate defence which I had been hearing about for so long?

" Now this is a very nice shield," I commented.

" What you've got there is the Mirror Shield! It doesn't deflect simple thing like Deku Nuts, for such projectiles merely crumble to dust if they were to connect with it, but it can reflect sunlight and energy by absorbing such power into the mirrored surface. Aside from that, this works just like the Hylian Shield except it's much stronger, and Like-Like's aren't able to take it from you.

This is the ancient treasure of the Gerudo which was sealed away inside of the Spirit Temple a long time ago, and whoever possesses it can use the power of the sun just like the ancient Gerudo were able to centuries ago," said Spike.

" Are you sure it can reflect sunlight?" I asked.

" Just raise the shield up and you'll see what it can do," replied Spike. I then held the Mirror Shield in both hands, and raised it above my head where the polished surface suddenly began to glow in a bright light. Never had I experienced anything quite like it! I could feel the warmth of the sun being absorbed into the shield, so now I understand what I need to do in order to activate the sun switch.

Truly this was an amazing shield which was about to prove its worth, so taking off the Hylian Shield and slinging this new one onto my shoulder, I placed the older one in a different area of my person as I wasn't going to abandon it. Despite now being deemed inferior, I've had it for a very long time, and I'm not about to leave behind something which has saved me countless times throughout this journey.

" Guess I must use the Mirror Shield from now on," I said.

" It's needed to activate any sun switches which can't be pushed into the light, or exposed to it via a mirror," said Spike.

" You said this can reflect energy right? Does magic count as energy?" I asked.

" I believe it does," replied Spike.

" Then that must be the reason why the witches didn't want anyone to get this shield, for it can be used against them by somehow bouncing their magic back. This must be what Flash Sentry was talking about before I acquired the Silver Gauntlets. Back then, he didn't tell me what I needed to do for I was lacking the Mirror Shield, and now I have it which means those witches can be defeated," I said.

If Sunset Demon tried attacking me again in the future, I can use the Mirror Shield to bounce her magic back at her, yet would it work against darkness? That is a question I'd rather not have answered as I don't want to deal with her if possible. No, I prefer it if she chose simply to vanish, and allow me to keep my life.

" Now we must activate that sun switch we saw earlier," said Spike.

" Hopefully, those Armos statues will remain inactive as I don't want to deal with dozens of exploding monsters," I said. Walking inside, and all the way back to the room in question, I remembered seeing the sun switch on the wall right next to the locked portcullis, and sure enough there it was.

Just like before, I needed to carefully make my way through without touching any of these Armos, otherwise I'm going to be in a lot of trouble not to mention being forced to use another fairy. The Mirror Shield luckily enough was the same size as the Hylian Shield, so I didn't have to worry about it colliding with anything, and when I reached the switch....well, I hadn't quite figured out what to do.

" Is something wrong?" asked Spike.

" How am I supposed to do this?" I asked.

" I thought the answer was simple given my description of the Mirror Shield," replied Spike.

" Well, no, for I'm under the assumption that you need to reflect it in a specific way," I said.

" You were confused by my words, so let me explain things more carefully Sunset Shimmer. If you walk into this beam of light, a portion of it will hit your shield, and it will create a reflection which can be manipulated by moving it around. You will need to sling it onto your arm in order to control where you want it to go otherwise it's just going to be bouncing off your back," said Spike.

" Can I use the Mirror Shield to defeat monsters?" I asked.

" Unfortunately no as the light which bounces off of the polished surface is just natural," replied Spike.

" That's a shame, but I suppose it's still pretty useful for what it is capable of," I said. Taking the shield and sliding my arm through the straps on the other side, I walked into the light where the reflecting image appeared before me. It took me a few minutes to get used to doing this as I've never had to rely on such a method before, but eventually I was able to hit the sun switch with the bounced light.

The switch then glowed and opened its eyes before showcasing that strange grin, and the portcullis unlocked. " Not a bad tactic although it could be handled better given how long I took to actually get the light to hit the target."

" It can be tricky, but you succeeded," said Spike.

" I have a feeling this is going to become a standard for the rest of the journey," I said. Opening the portcullis, I entered another small room where I immediately began to look around in a crazy manner as I felt that a Like-Like could drop down on me at any moment, but after walking up to the small treasure chest and standing in front of it for a couple of minutes, nothing happened.

Kicking the chest open revealed a small key which I was expecting, so I took it before walking back into the previous room where I accidentally walked into a Armos statue because I was fixated on using it.

" Sunset Shimmer...." said Spike.

" What in the world did I just do?" I asked.

" If I were you, I'd run for the portcullis as fast as possible before this one causes others to awaken," replied Spike.

" Yeah! I don't want to get blown up countless times considering what happens when one is defeated," I said. I then began to run for it, and sure enough the Armos began colliding with others in the room causing them to wake up, and bounce around waking up more of them in a repeating cycle until all of them were bouncing about. Of course, I had reached the portcullis just as they were starting to explode.

As I entered the room, the sounds of explosions came from behind the portcullis, and my heart was beating rapidly because that could have been me in there. " Spike? Why did those Armos explode just by knocking into one another like that? I thought that my own actions would have caused them to blow up, yet they did so without any interaction from me apart from accidentally touching one."

" I'm not sure why it happened, but be glad that we weren't in there," said Spike.

" Well, I could have used Nayru's Love and prevented any kind of damage," I said.

" While that would have made the situation a moot point, you need to remember that the magic items you use in Hyrule consume magic power instead of your own magical essence, and I'm guessing that you've almost run out of it. So, I don't think you would have been able to activate Nayru's Love, so it looks like going to the Potion Shop is useful because fairies can't restore magic," said Spike.

" So I do need to pay a visit to Kakariko Village?" I asked.

" If you want a Green Potion which will restore your magic power back to full as you know from the purchase you made before we went to the Shadow Temple," replied Spike.

" I purchased it because I needed magic power due to using the Lens of Truth," I said.

" A shame you couldn't use Blue Potion," began Spike.

" Blue Potion?" I asked.

" It's essentially the other two combined, for drinking a Blue Potion restores both health and magic. However, it is said to be very expensive because the ingredients needed are hard to come by, and only one place in Hyrule is capable of making it," replied Spike. This was very informative because I have plenty of rupees in my wallet, and this one restores health and magic make it vastly superior to the other two potions.

Before I go to Ganondorf's castle, I should pay another visit to the Potion Shop, and inquire about where I can find the one who can make Blue Potions. That was for later though as right now I needed to focus on what I'm doing, so I carefully walked across the narrow walkways making sure not to fall into the abyss, and I unlocked the portcullis using the small key. The next room could be best described as giving you a nosebleed for it was a massive vertical chamber with a rather complicated climbing section.

" I need to climb up that?" I asked.

" There are panels which move left to right every few seconds, and if you try to climb from one panel to the next as they move, it will cause you to fall down. You'll also fall if you touch the spikes that run parallel on both sides of this wall, so be careful of this as you make your way up. It may look daunting and rather difficult, but it will quickly become second nature in no time," replied Spike.

" A couple of Beamos are in the room as well, but why aren't they moving?" I asked.

" You're right! They look as though something has stopped them in their tracks," replied Spike.

" It might have to do with that strange glowing object hiding behind the one furthest away from us. I know that I shouldn't check it out as it's probably a trap planted by the witches, but I might as well take a peak anyway," I said. Sometimes my curiosity tends to get the better of me, for I should have climbed up this wall as fast as possible, but instead I wanted to see what this object was.

It turned out to be a bomb of some kind given it was shaped similarly to one, yet it didn't behave like one. I suspected this was the work of Sunset Demon given how I didn't destroy her, so she wants to kill me through rather cheap means? Well, her plan is going to succeed as the bomb suddenly exploded, and I had no means of protecting myself from the blast....

To Be Continued.

Comments

[GMZ_Casper]

Finally, I was able to get this chapter read. You know, she is going to feel silly if she would ever figured out that she can simply protected herself from those explosions with her shield. Now, onward to the next chapter!

C&Cs:
...which caused it to make a grunting sound , and it slowly got up and proceeded to walk forward.
...but those who have permission can do so repeatedly...
> Remove the extra space after 'sound' and 'permission'. (Ctrl-F will help here.)
" Strange....I remember seeing from over on the other side, so why did it drop down now just as I walked outside?"
> Only three periods for the ellipsis (...) and add 'it' after 'seeing'.
" Sunset Shimmer...." said Spike.
> Only three periods.