The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Ocarina of Time

by Ganondorf8

Chapter 66: Castle of the Dark Lord

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.

I hope Sunset Shimmer doesn't lose her sanity where she is going next.

Cast appearing in this chapter.

Sunset Shimmer - Link
Spike - Navi the Fairy
Twilight Sparkle - Zelda
Tirek - Ganondorf
Starswirl the Bearded - Rauru

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Ocarina of Time.
By Ganondorf8
May 3, 2015
Chapter 66: Castle of the Dark Lord.

When my vision returned this time, my jaw dropped because of what I was looking at. At first I had no idea what was going on, but I quickly started to understand why she may have gone and done this. If there was one thing which annoyed me about this unveiling, it would be that I had been kept in the dark about it, and for that I feel as though she didn't trust me enough.

Standing in front of me was no longer the woman who had been known as Sheik who claimed to be the sole survivor of the Sheikah tribe, but rather someone who I've been trying to find myself for reasons completely different from Ganondorf.

" It is I, the Princess of Hyrule, Zelda," said Twilight.

" So you were Sheik this entire time?" I asked.

" I apologize for meeting you in disguise, but it was necessary to hide from the King of Evil. Please forgive me," replied Twilight.

" Why didn't you trust me enough to let me in on the secret? It would have made things easier had I known the truth, yet it seems I'm someone who isn't really that much of a friend all because you kept me in the dark.

While I can forgive you for needing to do this to hide from Ganondorf, but I can't forgive you for lying, and to someone who has believed in you since we first met. You probably have a lot of guilt right now in your heart, but don't let it get to you because allowing emotions to get the better of you will only cause trouble," I said.

" Yes, you have every right to be angry with me because of what I have done," said Twilight.

" I'm not angry with you, yet I feel betrayed," I said. Deep down in my heart, I was going to forgive her actions because she had no other choice but to resort to deception, yet she could have done things differently. Had she decided to meet me as she is, I probably wouldn't be as mad as I am, but that would have done her no good because it would have attracted the attention of the Evil King. At the same time, I'm really impressed that she decided to go with deception just to avoid him, and she managed to make it last for all these years.

Somehow though, I have a feeling Applejack had something to do with this. Twilight is a lot of things, yet being a ninja isn't one of them, so she was probably taught the ways of the Sheikah by someone who is an expert. Applejack did say that Twilight was going to explain things to me, but she may not even want to now because of how I've reacted.

" I know that you feel upset, yet I am hoping that you shall forgive me when I have explained myself," said Twilight.

" What kind of story do you have to tell me?" I asked.

" On that day, seven years ago, Ganondorf attacked Hyrule Castle after murdering my father, and slaughtered the entire Royal Guard save for the sole exception of the captain, Shining Armour who survived a near-death experience. I saw you as I was escaping from the castle with my attendant, Impa, and with Ganondorf pursuing us, there was no time for us to stop and explain the situation.

Knowing that you possessed all three Spiritual Stones, I decided to toss the Ocarina of Time to you, for that is what the Evil King wanted from me, yet he could not have it otherwise his desire would be fulfilled," replied Twilight.

" Of course, we both know what ended up happening," I moaned.

" I thought I should entrust the ocarina to you....I thought that would be our best chance," said Twilight. I can understand why she believed me to be the best chance of securing the Triforce, but the problem was that she had no idea about what transpired in the Temple of Time. I've got a feeling she will tell me something that relates to that incident, for I'm sure she was aware of what happened. I could have actually defeated him back then, but the Master Sword had determined I was unworthy.

" As long as you had the ocarina in your possession, I thought Ganondorf could never enter the Sacred Realm, but....something I could never expect happened." It's just as I suspected....she is aware of what ended up happening, yet it was obvious to figure it out. " After you opened the Door of Time, the Master Sword sealed you away in the Sacred Realm."

" To be honest, the sword didn't seal me straight away," I said.

" How is that possible?" asked Twilight.

" My Equestrian magic was able to delay the sword passing its judgment, but I was no match for Ganondorf because his skills with the sword were better than mine, and also because I had no such skill. Then when I was on the verge of death, I transformed which is where I gain pony ears and a pony tail, and when this happens my strength increases along with my magic. Of course, he wanted this to happen because the Master Sword reacted to my transformation which caused me to be banished.

He manipulated me until the very end!" I replied. That's when I took the liberty of explaining to Twilight about how my transformation, for I suspect she is completely clueless about it, and when I finished, she said something which took me by surprise.

" I have been told of your ability to transform, yet it was a form that you could not control," said Twilight.

" Until I was able to master it in the Spirit Temple," I said. While I was curious as to who had informed her, I'm not going to ask about it because the sweat dripping down from her brow indicated she was nervous about something.

" Your spirit remained in the Sacred Realm....and then the Triforce fell into Ganondorf's hands. He went on to invade the Sacred Realm where he conquered it, and upon returning to this world, he immediately attacked Hyrule Castle which fell in a matter of days. Both Hyrule and the realm became worlds filled with monsters where evil roamed free without restraint, and no one was able to stop him for he possessed the might of the Goddess of Power. All of this is an unfortunate coincidence," said Twilight.

" Coincidence!?!?" I exclaimed.

" Yes, for this was something I did not expect to happen," said Twilight.

" I wish you had been better prepared," I moaned.

" Because of how unpredictable the resulting outcome was, there was no way anyone would have been able to anticipate what ended up happening, yet when you vanished, all hope for this kingdom did as well. I passed myself off as a Sheikah and hoped that you would return. I waited for seven years....and...now you are back. The dark age ruled by Ganondorf the Evil King will end!" said Twilight.

While I have no denial of being the Hero of Time because I've since resigned myself to that fate, she was being really presumptuous because he was still pretty powerful because of having the Triforce in his hands....well....one piece at the very least, so the chances of me defeating him are currently slim, and this includes my transformation into the equation.

I guess Twilight is thinking this way because Hyrule has ruled by an evil tyrant for seven years, so the people desire a return to the peaceful existence they had before. " Now please listen to the plan that we shall use in order to assure success."

" A plan? I thought I was supposed to fight and defeat him," I said.

" I'm aware your strength doesn't compare, so I came up with an alternative which should be very pleasing. The six Sages will open the sealed door and lure Ganondorf back into the Sacred Realm. I will then seal the door to the Sacred Realm from this world. Thus, Ganondorf the Evil King will vanish from Hyrule," said Twilight. It did sound like a pretty solid plan, and it would mean not fighting him after all, but I felt like there was much more to it than this.

" Sunset Shimmer....in order to do this, I need your courage again. Please protect me while I do my part." So now I'm being reduced to the status of bodyguard? I've never actually done this before, so I hope she doesn't find me too lacklustre in that department, but I suppose all I can do is my very best, and hope that I don't screw things up.

" And how do I protect you?" I asked.

" I am glad you asked me that question Sunset Shimmer. I noticed that you have quite a magnificent bow with you, and I can also see that you have both the Fire Arrow, and the Ice Arrow which are two of the three magic arrows which exist in Hyrule. No doubt that you seek out the third magic arrow, yet only those of the Royal Family have any knowledge of its existence.

This is because it is something that cannot be given to just anyone, for it is a power which is far greater than most weapons. I was entrusted with it by my father before he was killed by Ganondorf, and despite being oblivious to the end, he knew that the arrow needed to be protected until the time had come for it to be given to the chosen one," replied Twilight.

" Do you know anyone like that?" I asked.

" There is no need to be so modest," replied Twilight.

" I wasn't trying," I said.

" Sunset Shimmer, you are one of the chosen ones who wields a piece of the sacred Triforce, and that makes you worthy of wielding the final magic arrow. So now I present unto you a weapon that can penetrate the Evil King's defenses....the power given to the chosen ones....the sacred Arrow of Light!" said Twilight. She then raised her arms where it looked like she was creating some kind of barrier around herself, and this looked really odd to me because why do something like that in here where it would do no good?

Then another blinding flash appeared before me prompting me to cover my eyes otherwise, but this one didn't last very long. When my vision returned, I could see something floating above Twilight's head, and it turned out to be an arrow surrounded in yellow crystal. It then floated down into my hands where it landed, and my expression was one of happiness.

" So this is the third magic arrow?" I asked.

" What you now hold in your hands is the Light Arrow which shall power up your regular arrows when you place this effigy onto your bow. The magical power that is consumed by this weapon is twice that of the other two, but the light of justice shall destroy evil, for these arrows are very effective against anyone who draws their power from darkness itself. I know you will use this gift wisely Sunset Shimmer, for this will allow you to keep Ganondorf at bay while we enact our plan to seal him away," replied Twilight.

It felt weird hearing her explain to me what the Light Arrows do as that is usually handled by Spike, but he chose to remain quiet because he wanted the princess to explain every last detail. It was at this point where I finally forgave her for lying to me not because of the gift as that would be petty of me, but rather for finally stepping up where she needed to especially when she didn't back in the past.

Upon putting this new magic arrow away in one of my pockets, the temple suddenly began vibrating as though we were experiencing an earthquake. Everything was shaking, and it even looked like the place was going to fall down on top of us at any moment.

" That rumbling...It can't be!?" exclaimed Twilight.

" What's going on?" I asked.

" It appears that the ancient Sage was right after all. I have made a terrible mistake by revealing myself to you," replied Twilight.

" You're not making any kind of sense," I said. That's when Twilight suddenly became imprisoned inside of a giant prism which appeared out of nowhere, and I immediately tried breaking it with my weapons in the hopes that it would shatter. Nothing worked, so now I needed to quickly come up with another idea, and that's when I began hearing a familiar laugh which indicated that he had finally found her.

" Princess Zelda....you foolish traitor! I commend you for avoiding my pursuit for seven long years," said Tirek.

" Ganondorf!" I exclaimed.

" And here is the other piece of the puzzle which involves the unification of the Triforce. It appears you've become a lot stronger kid, and for that you have finally become worthy enough to be a considerable threat. I was often informed of your progress across my kingdom by my mothers, and suffice to say that was the only thing they ever managed to do properly.

All of my servants were unable to kill you, and even my own mothers ended up failing thus proving they were weak in the end. I shall not mourn such a loss as they were worthless to me, but I suppose your success was not the result of your own skill," said Tirek.

" You don't love your own mothers?" I asked.

" While they raised me as though I were their own child after my birth mother passed away, they simply became far too weak for my liking when it became apparent that my power was becoming far greater than their own. Thus, I gave them the Spirit Temple where they could live and study stronger magic in the hopes of being useful to me for something.

While they were able to maintain control over my people after I claimed the Triforce, you happened to come along and shatter their spell, thus they were forced into having to kill you themselves in the hopes of appeasing me. If there was one other thing they did right aside from keeping me informed, they were able to put Nabooru to good use by brainwashing her into becoming my obedient servant even though she had to become a monster to do so," replied Tirek.

" I can't believe you would say all of that," I said.

" Do you intend on showcasing the inner rage that dwells within you kid? I should hope not, for you would not want to lose control, and be forced to transform into an uncontrollable creature whose only instinct is to fight," said Tirek. At first I felt shocked that he was aware that I could transform, but then I remembered he witnessed it when I fought him in the Temple of Time seven years ago. Those words of his were really infuriating me because how could have treated his own mothers as nothing more than cannon fodder?

While those witches were monsters in their own right for making the Gerudo suffer, he was even worse because no one would ever mistreat the ones who raised them....which is when I realized two things. One, his mothers ended up suffering just as much as the Gerudo, but they have now found peace despite bickering in the end.

The other had to do with me, and how I relate to my own family in Equestria....my real family....not Princess Celestia who was my teacher more than anything else, yet she acted like a mother before I ended up betraying her. I was never really that close with my family because they often neglected me. I had a lot of potential as a unicorn what with having a talent for magic, but they never took it into consideration as they were more focused with my siblings.

No wonder I had such an evil heart because it was inside me when I was really young, and no one could predict what would happen to me....not even Princess Celestia although she did suspect I had a darkness within which could become unleashed were I to steer from the intended path. Sometimes, I wonder how my family is doing back in Equestria. I mean, I wouldn't visit them for it's probably been years since I last saw them, and they may not even realize where I've been since I went into self-exile.

You would think they would have inquired about my absence by addressing it to Princess Celestia, yet I haven't spoken to her after I left. Perhaps when this is all done, I should ask Twilight what she thinks, for I know she can bring it up with her. This reminiscence into my past kept me from losing control of my emotions, for being miserable in this instance is better than being filled with a desire to get revenge, and it must have worked because Ganondorf didn't do anything in response.

" I'm not going to lose control that easily," I said.

" You have changed much since I last saw you in the flesh," said Tirek.

" I've been through a lot of difficult situations throughout my journey," I said.

" And would you believe that these experiences were permitted by my will?" asked Tirek.

" I now need permission from you to do anything?" I asked with a bit of sarcasm in my voice. He thinks that he can dictate my life by spewing the likes of saying that it was by his hand that my journey ended up being the way it was, but I think he has a superiority complex where everyone else is beneath his notice while he alone is the most dominant one of all. Such a way of thinking will cost him, and I should know as it almost happened to me during my younger days.

" Such a sharp tongue you possess kid, yet it's a shame that your mind isn't as sharp, for you would have realized from the moment you returned to Hyrule that I have been manipulating events from behind the scenes. Even though Princess Zelda continued to elude my efforts at finding her, I continued with my search hoping one day she would reveal her location, and now that day has come all because of providing a hand's off approach," said Tirek.

" What do you mean?" I asked.

" Zelda did well to disguise herself as a Sheikah, and aid her people in a secretive manner, so for that you've earned top marks child, but you let your guard down....I knew you would appear if I let this kid wander around! Yes, I allowed you to carry on with your quest to awaken the Sages for I knew it would all lead to this moment.

Had I been aware of her location much sooner, you would have killed a long time ago," replied Tirek. My jaw then dropped upon realizing that my actions ended up with Twilight being caught in this horrible situation, but I can't really be blamed for I had no idea this is what he was planning. Ganondorf was taking a huge gamble, but his bet has paid off which means he had complete control.

" You must think yourself pretty clever huh?" I asked.

" It was obvious that the land being restored to normal would lure out the one person who is seen as a shining beacon of hope, and now she is at long last right where I want her which makes things so much easier for me. You may not realize it yet kid, but this prism does more than simply ensnare someone within its crystal form. Rather than me explaining it to you, I shall let you witness what shall happen right about....now," replied Tirek. Suddenly, the prism started to glow, and Twilight screamed as though she were in a lot of pain.

Then she went completely stiff as though the prism had somehow frozen her on the spot. My reaction was one of pounding the prism in the hopes of smashing it to pieces, but I forgot that my weapons did nothing to it before, so why would my hands work? " Do not waste your strength kid, for you do not have the power to shatter this crystal, and even if you did possess the means, would you risk her safety?"

" No, I wouldn't do something that crazy," I replied.

" I didn't think you would because you are much more honourable than that," said Tirek.

" Don't believe this is going to stop me, for it's just a setback," I said.

" How amusing to see you struggling when you don't even know what you're doing, but I suppose this is to be expected given how you've come such a long way since awakening from your slumber. I originally believed that my phantom would have fulfilled its task of killing you, yet you managed to overcome my ghost through numerous factors playing their respective roles, yet there was one circumstance which I didn't take into consideration," said Tirek.

Before I could make any kind of response, the prism started to float upwards towards the ceiling, so my chances of rescuing Twilight were getting slimmer by the minute, but I still had a chance because there was no way she could leave the temple. " My only mistake was to slightly underestimate your power kid! No....it was not your power I misjudged, it was the power of the Triforce of Courage!"

I guess this was all the proof I needed that destiny had chosen me to wield one of the three pieces of the Triforce, yet I still think I'm the wrong person. In any case, the situation was getting worse as I needed to do something to save Twilight, but then Ganondorf decided to speak again thus further taunting me. " But, with the Triforce of Wisdom that Zelda has....when I obtain the one she possesses and the one that is wielded by you kid....then, I will become the true ruler of the world!"

" Why do you have such an obsession with power?" I asked.

" Power is the one force which drives everyone to want to become better, and that even includes you kid. You may try to deny it all you want, but deep down you have the desire to want even more power than what you already have," replied Tirek.

" I once thought that way, but I've since changed my opinion," I said.

" The urge shall always remain with you no matter hard you try to move on. Once you have had a taste for power, you always crave it even when you try to repress such a desire, for it is a yearning that must be embraced, and not rejected. I am certain you will come to understand what it means to have power. If you want to rescue Zelda, come to my castle! I have been waiting seven years for the chance to kill you myself, and for that I am glad my servants all failed.

This now gives me the opportunity to show you just what power can do should you choose to embrace it," said Tirek. He then started to laugh where it boomed across the Temple of Time, and when I looked up at the prism, it suddenly disappeared which means she has been magically teleported to his castle. Once Ganondorf's laughter subsided and the eerie quiet from before returned, I knew where I needed to go next, and I'm hoping my emotions don't end up causing me to transform in the wrong fashion.

" We need to rescue Princess Zelda," said Spike.

" And that means finally going to his castle," I said.

" It won't be a pretty sight considering what used to be there," said Spike.

" Before we go, I do have one question which I need answering because of what he said to me," I said.

" What's that?" asked Spike.

" Ganondorf said that anyone who experiences a taste of power always want to have more, yet I didn't think that was even possible considering a change in perspective should be enough to dissuade you from wanting to go back," I replied.

" That is not necessarily true Sunset Shimmer, and what the Evil King said does make a lot of sense which makes me feel bad that I'm actually agreeing with him. When someone acquires power for the very first time, there is a strong possibility that they will become corrupted. If this were to happen, they become obsessed, and have a desire to want even more strength.

They have no limit as to how much power they want so long as it can be achieved. They don't even care for those all around them as power is the only thing which matters to them, and it becomes a drug if you will in their mind. If they go without the drug of power, it can cause a serious relapse where they will resort to extreme measures just to get what the want again," said Spike.

" What about me?" I asked. In my case, I was corrupted by a future image of myself as an alicorn, and it was when I read from that book of dark magic did I first acquire a taste for power. I had no control over my actions from there simply because I wanted power no matter who I had to tread on just to get it.

Just knowing this makes me really hate myself for what I did, but that's in the past as I don't have those urges anymore. Ever since being defeated by Twilight and the rest of my friends, I've never had a desire for power as my goal is to embrace friendship.

" You may have broken free from the corruption, but I wouldn't say you were completely free," replied Spike.

" Does that mean I could suddenly desire power again?" I asked.

" Once you're corrupted, you acquire a taint. It does mean that you become immune to other factors which can affect others, but you could get the urge that used to define who you were. Just because you've changed doesn't mean things will get better on every facet of your existence. I'd say it will take several years or so before you can get rid of the taint for power, yet it means not succumbing under any circumstances otherwise you will go back, and I don't think you'll be able to escape again," replied Spike.

If that were to happen, I'd end up being just like Sunset Demon, and that is the kind of person she wishes for me to be. Ganondorf must know that I used to want power in a similar vein, so he could use that to his advantage....which makes defeating him that more difficult. If I don't get myself killed in his castle then I'll become just as evil as he is due to being corrupted with the desire for power.

Speaking of the she-demon, she mentioned back in the Spirit Temple that she plans on facing me one last time, yet I don't really think it's the best idea considering Twilight needs my help.

" Sunset Demon is waiting for me in the castle," I said.

" I'm surprised that she can still do anything given what you did to her," said Spike.

" The wound I inflicted didn't kill her, but it did leave her feeling weaker. I don't know if she will survive long enough to pose a serious threat, but if she does then I'll have no choice but to finish things," I said. Despite all she has done, killing her would leave a foul taste in my mouth, and make me no better than her in that regard. I am not a cold-blooded monster who enjoys tormenting others, but rather I prefer to avoid having to fight as there are other ways which can be used.

Granted, I have defeated a great deal of monsters throughout my journey without relying on peace, but then they did attack me first for the most part giving me a right to fight back against them. " I'd rather not destroy Sunset Demon as that would make me just like her, so I'm hoping she is on her last legs. It sounds cruel I know, but if she perishes then it needs to be by her own hands."

" Once we enter the lair of the Evil King, we will find out as I'm sure she will attack us the moment we enter," said Spike.

" No, that doesn't sound like her," I said.

" Really?" asked Spike.

" She is my dark side, and even though she is the opposite of me in most everything we say and do, we do have moments where we're in agreement. When I used to be evil, I never chose to do anything right away as that would have given away my true intentions. Instead, I chose to wait for the perfect opportunity to strike, and took it when the moment came along. The she-demon is waiting for the right time, and won't do anything until it comes," I replied.

" I hope you're right," said Spike. I was hoping that I was right as well, but she is the least of my concerns. I knew where I had to go, so I left the Temple of Time and entered the former Market where a shocking surprised awaited me. Those ReDead were still there, yet now they were all bunched together in one corner as though something were keeping hold of them there.

" What's going on?" I asked.

" Ganondorf wants you to come to his castle, and is making sure nothing stands in your way," replied Spike.

" While that is a somewhat pleasant notion, I can't help but feel I'm walking into a trap," I said.

" To resuce Princess Zelda, you need to fall for it," said Spike.

" So which way do I go?" I asked.

" His castle is in the exact same place as Hyrule Castle used to be, but be prepared for what lies ahead. We have no idea what he has done other than what we've been told from those who knew, so expect the worst possible outcome," replied Spike. Since the ReDead weren't about to cause me any trouble given they were keeping their distance, I decided to walk up the path instead of run, and when I finally arrived, words just couldn't describe what I was looking at.

The entire area was a barren wasteland with remnants of the old castle, and these were scattered about along with what appeared to be bones of soldiers. Above me were dark clouds which were so thick that neither sunlight or moonlight were able to shine through, yet what really shocked me was the castle standing before me as it was on a floating platform situated above a deep pit filled with lava.

Finally, the wind was howling something fierce combined with what sounded like animals which were probably scavengers looking for food. The castle itself was a truly terrifying fortress, and I could see why so many fear coming here because the intimidation was immense.

" Spike....what has happened here?" I asked.

" This is the result of Ganondorf's desire to conquer Hyrule," replied Spike.

" We've heard about what he did, but just seeing it with my own eyes is almost too much to bear. Right now, I don't even know what emotions would work best in this situation, but I'm definitely not angry about it, so you don't need to worry about me suddenly transforming due to rage," I said.

" Do you feel sad?" asked Spike.

" A little because such a beautiful place had to be destroyed, but in truth I feel pity towards Ganondorf, and let me explain this position before you say anything. We've both seen what the desert region of Hyrule is like, and we've heard from the Gerudo about how their living conditions are pitiful compared to the other tribes.

The Evil King must have been affected by all of this, so it prompted him to do what he has done. He wanted a castle that best reflects his perception on things, and this is the result which is the stuff of nightmares. For the first time in his life, he has a home which can give him the necessary warmth he had lacked at the Gerudo's Fortress; a twisted sense of warmth mind you," I replied.

" Yet why not give this same treatment to his people?" asked Spike.

" I don't know, but maybe he will give us an answer when we see him," I replied. While I did have the urge to just go up to the edge of the lava pit because of wanting to get a closer look, I decided to check out the path which stretched forward for some distance. Many boulders were scattered about which did block my path in some ways, but not enough where I couldn't progress, and I suspect these were more remnants of what used to be here.

" Just walking around here is scaring me because those winds howling about aren't doing me any favours. It's like everywhere else is full of colour and life, and this area is completely dead....an eternal emptiness where nothing can sustain itself." It was truly a morbid scene if I ever saw one, for I had never seen anything like it in my entire life.

I know that Equestria had its share of tyrants over the centuries, yet none of them had ever gone and done anything like what was all around here. As I was looking at the lack of colour, I failed to notice the giant stone pillar in front of me, and I walked right into it face-first which felt extremely painful.

" That must have hurt," laughed Spike.

" Of course it did because this thing is a giant pillar of rock," I moaned.

" Be glad you chose not to run otherwise your face would look a lot worse," said Spike.

" It's my fault for being careless, and ignoring what was in front of me," I said. Looking straight up, I saw how big this rock pillar was, and it was certainly intimidating for what it was, yet it looked out of place compared with everything else around here. It then dawned on me that this is where I learned my first magic spell from Adagio seven years ago, so could her fountain still be here?

It would be a miracle if it were true because I could do with some help, but maybe I'm just being delusional. " Spike, do you remember what this area of the castle once was?"

" A Great Fairy lived here seven years ago," replied Spike.

" That's too bad as I could have used her help," I said.

" I can sense fairy magic coming from behind this pillar though," said Spike.

" Then either she is still there after all this time, or another version of her has taken up residence. But, I doubt I'll be able to lift this heavy stone even with the Silver Gauntlets," I sighed. It turns out that this was one of the monolith stones that Spitfire mentioned, so I needed to get my hands on more powerful gauntlets. For now, I couldn't do anything, but I will come back here because this Great Fairy could give me something that might give me an advantage.

Walking back to the castle, I went as close to the edge as possible, and looked down into the lava pit. Anything that fell down there was practically gone forever unless they could fly or something. It felt both unnatural and nightmarish to me, yet it wasn't going to do any good considering I can't gain access. " Now how do you suppose we get inside?"

" There are no Hookshot plates, and I don't see any signs of a drawbridge, so unless we can get a miracle we're stuck," replied Spike.

" So how did the tribal leaders get in when Ganondorf summoned them back then?" I asked.

" Your guess is as good as mine," replied Spike.

" Sunset Shimmer? Can you hear me?" I began looking in all directions trying to find the source of the voice that just spoke out to me, but I quickly realized that it was a form of telepathic communication, and I recognized the voice. It was Starswirl the Bearded, yet I wonder why he wanted to speak like this rather than just appear in person which would be more convenient.

" It's Rauru, the Sage. We six will gather our power to create a bridge to the castle where Ganondorf dwells. Do not be afraid of this magical bridge for you can walk across it even though it doesn't exist in the traditional sense. When you go inside and reach the central chamber of the castle, you will discover that there are numerous doors that you can take aside from one, and it is this one path which you need to gain access to."

" What's so special about it?" I asked.

" The castle's keep, which is known as Ganon's Tower, is protected by six evil barriers. Ganondorf has set up numerous challenges which will test you to the limit, but you must overcome these defences, and use the Light Arrows which her highness gave you to destroy the barriers. They are the only thing which can destroy their hideousness, and allow you access to the tower. Reaching them won't be easy as you will be experiencing familiar elements which you've seen throughout the course of your journey," replied Starswirl.

" Do you know anything about special gauntlets?" I asked.

" I have heard that the Evil King once found a rare treasure which he originally planned on keeping himself, but ended up abandoning that idea when he realized that he had no need of it, so he locked it inside of a chest where the shadows look as though they could be hiding the truth," replied Starswirl.

It sounded like he was trying to give me a hint, but chose to be rather cryptic about it. Wouldn't Ganondorf's castle consist almost entirely of shadows because of the darkness? In any case, I need those upgraded gauntlets if I'm going to be getting anywhere, yet it makes no sense as to why he would hide such a valuable treasure in his own castle. If anything, his best action would have been to throw them away thus preventing me from gaining access to his tower, but then again he wants me to face him.

" There's also a Great Fairy's Fountain outside of the castle," I said.

" You must find the means of seeing her, for I am certain she will grant you a power which will make your journey through the castle a safer one," said Starswirl.

" It's still difficult for me to grasp the fact that I'm here at the final stage of this journey," I said.

" Many hardships you've overcome to reach this point, so now you must venture forward and fulfill the destiny which had been placed onto your shoulders. Bring down the six barriers and save Princess Zelda!" said Starswirl. I had an inkling deep inside which was telling me to step backwards, so I did which is when a sparkle of lights started to pour down from above.

The colours were yellow, green, red, blue, purple, and orange which represented the colours of the Sage medallions each had given to me, yet I quickly found myself having to cover my eyes because once again I got exposed to bright light. When my vision returned a short time later, I was shocked at seeing the most beautiful bridge I've ever come across, and makes the one built by Sweetie Belle's carpenters look like nothing. Still, was it a real bridge considering it appeared through magical means?

" I'm not so sure about this," I said.

" It does appear you can walk across," said Spike.

" Why don't I check by tapping my foot on the edge of the bridge," I suggested.

" If you think it will help," said Spike. Lurching forward slightly, before raising my foot, I pressed it down onto the bridge where it made a tapping sound. I did this a few times over just to make sure this wasn't some kind of trap, but it did appear to be an actual bridge much to my pleasure. " Well Sunset Shimmer? What did you determine from your little experiment with the bridge?"

" It's real," I answered.

" Meaning we can cross over using it, and enter the castle," said Spike.

" That's a relief as I was afraid we were going to be stuck here on this side," I said.

" Are you ready?" asked Spike.

" No because I'm still having some doubts over my abilities, and I have this feeling Ganondorf is going to end up killing me, but I have no desire to run away. I've made it all this way, and I might as well finish it all the while complaining about it," I replied. It probably wasn't the most exciting speech out there, but I was being honest about it despite the huge negativity surrounding it.

Walking across the magical bridge felt weird because of how it appeared, but soon I was on the other side staring straight up at the castle....it was even bigger up close than from a distance. I could feel a dark aura coming from the entrance, and it felt like this would be the last thing I ever see before being swallowed up by the darkness within. Of course, this was just me being philosophical about it as I plan on coming back outside in order to remove that giant rock pillar blocking my way to the Great Fairy.

Breathing heavily, I entered Ganondorf's castle and was greeted with a long hallway which went down small flights of stairs. A carpet on the floor attempted to make things look more exquisite, but I knew better than that, yet the candles on both walls did provide some rather gloomy atmosphere. The one thing which really made me feel nervous was the lack of defences to welcome me.

" Are you okay?" asked Spike.

" It's just so quiet in this hallway," I replied.

" We entered the castle mere seconds ago, and you're already starting to feel the pressure? Heh, I'll admit it's getting to me too. I'm surprised that there is nothing here to greet us, for you would think he would have some kind of powerful monster right here guarding the main entrance," said Spike.

" Maybe he thinks we're just not worth enough to be greeted by one," I suggested.

" Or perhaps I feel that a mere entry guard is unworthy of your praise kid," said Tirek. His voice was booming all around me just like it was back at the Temple of Time, so he must be somewhere else, and is projecting his voice in an attempt to scare me. It's not going to work no matter how hard he tries!

" I knew you would come to my castle, for you desire to rescue Zelda who has been guiding you along all this time, yet she kept you in the dark about her identity so as to avoid being detected by me. Such deception that was used by the princess is most unexpected, and yet it merely served as delaying the inevitable."

" What do you want?" I asked.

" You are now in my domain kid, and I can see your every move as you make your way through my castle. Whenever you enter one of the passageways which leads to a barrier, I shall greet you as I am doing now," replied Tirek.

" To mock me to no end?" I asked.

" Again, you possess a sharp tongue, but there is much more to it than that. I do desire to mock you kid, but it is insignificant compared with my true intention. I want to test those skills of yours to see if you have what it takes to reach my location at the top of my tower. While you've proven to be a powerful individual who has overcome even the most difficult of odds, there is much more that you can do.

You possess one of the Triforce pieces I seek, and while I shall claim it for myself from your dead corpse, I desire to see you embrace the element of courage which is the very reason why you are a chosen one," replied Tirek. I wasn't liking the idea of him watching over me from afar, and ridiculing me at every possible opportunity, but I had no choice but to deal with it as he was currently in a location which can't be reached just yet.

I did feel miffed about him claiming that he wants to test me to ensure my worthiness of having the Triforce of Courage, but then is that how I succeeded all the time? It wasn't my Equestrian magic or my own skills, but rather an ancient relic that gave me all of those victories? I'm not sure what Ganondorf may be playing at by suggesting it, but a golden triangle doesn't make you the kind of person you want to be, and I had every mind to tell him.

" Having the Triforce isn't everything," I began.

" And what would you know?" asked Tirek.

" I got this far using my own skills and my magic, and not with some kind of ancient relic which instills a specific feeling. I feel sorry for you Ganondorf as you've become too dependant on the Triforce. I don't really care about this whole chosen one rhetoric you have associated with me and the princess, for I know better than to believe that possessing the power of a goddess is what enables me to succeed. If I were in a much different mood, I'd just give this triangle to you, but that would be a stupid thing on my part.

You're only as strong as you are because of holding the Triforce of Power for years, yet I believe you're just half of a man for being so dependant on using it. Without the strength of a goddess, you aren't really that much stronger than me," I replied. The brief silence which came before Ganondorf responded was eerie for I was expecting him to be completely irate about what I had just said, and then he responded using a calm, collected voice.

" Such a bold statement from you kid," said Tirek.

" You're not angry?" I asked.

" Oh I am infuriated to no end for what you just said shall end up costing you your life when you reach me....if you can that is. I am going to enjoy torturing you with my power which was already immense even before I claimed the Triforce of Power, and I shall prove that my strength is real even when augmented with the power of Din.

By the time I am finished with you kid, you'll wish you were never even born," replied Tirek. His voice then faded away allowing me to focus on what I need to do, but perhaps I may have gone a little too far in taunting him. Even though I wanted to prove that having something like the Triforce merely serves as a crutch, apparently he took it as an insult to his integrity, and was determined more than ever to make me pay for my insolence.

" Do you think I went a little too far?" I asked.

" I would have said most of the same things, but I would have held back a little because of knowing how strong he really is. You were really brave for speaking up against him, but it may make our progress more difficult now as he wants to see you dead. If you were expecting an easy time, then you can forget about it," replied Spike. In my mind I cursed myself for having gone too far with my own brand of insulting, and now I'm paying the price which means I'll need to watch my back at all times in case something tries to kill me.

Knowing there was nothing else I could do other than accept my blunder as being a bad decision, I started to walk forward where I got to see just what kind of décor was featured in his castle. The colours were dark which represents his evil nature, and the candles lighting the way reminded me that this was a castle where darkness abounds.

My vision was also limited, so there was no way of knowing what was in front of me until I literally am on top of it. Eventually, after walking along which felt like forever given how long the hallway turned out to be, I found myself at a door, yet there were two Beamos on either side serving as sentries.

" If you can run past them, we can enter the door which should lead us to the main area of the castle," said Spike.

" But why place two Beamos here? If he wanted to be taken seriously, wouldn't he have placed something more dangerous to attack anyone who wanted to infiltrate his castle? Like say, having an Iron Knuckle blocking the way, and it needed to be defeated in order to unlock the door which would be sealed shut with iron bars. Now I wouldn't want to experience anything like that personally, but I'm just saying that's all," I said.

" The idea behind this is to provide a false sense of security to those who come here," said Spike.

" So you're saying the real challenges await further on?" I asked.

" You fell for the obvious trap which Ganondorf placed here, and that was falling under the assumption that his castle would be an easy thing given how his first line of defence is merely two Beamos. If I hadn't been here to correct you on your judgment, you would have walked into a situation without knowing the truth, and you would most likely perish before having a chance to do anything.

This castle was built by the Evil King, so he knows where everything is in here. We have no idea what is awaiting for us down each of the six passageways, so we're walking around blind," replied Spike.

" I could destroy these two monsters, but would there be any good reason to?" I asked.

" Not really as they will constantly re-spawn whenever we come back into this hallway which will happen especially if we want to gain access to the Fairy Fountain that's outside where that dead-end is," replied Spike. Waiting for the Beamos to turn their attention away from the area situated in-between them, I eventually got my chance, and ran as fast as I could, but the moment I got on the other side, their eyes were looking right at me, and then the laser beams came my way.

Fortunately, I had reached the door just in time, and I opened it where I entered the central chamber. Right away, I could see an entrance in front of me which was made to resemble a hideous looking skull as a means of intimidation, yet I could barely make out some kind of magical barrier blocking the way forward. In order to proceed into the tower where Ganondorf is waiting at the top, I had to destroy the six barriers which prevent me from entering.

Looking around, I saw other doors located around the perimeter, and each one featured a coloured symbol above it which must represent each of the Sages, yet I could only count five colours being present. Where was the sixth one? I also noticed another of those monolith stones near the back of the room, so I suspect something is hiding behind it, but right now I don't have the means of uncovering it until I can get the proper power.

" What do each of these symbols stand for?" I asked.

" We never did take a closer look at those medallions did we?" asked Spike.

" Not really. When I obtained each one, I just put them away somewhere and completely forgot all about it," I replied.

" Why don't you take them out, and I can tell you more about them," suggested Spike. I followed his advice and took out all six medallions before proceeding to place them on the floor in the order I obtained them in, and stared at them for a few moments. Each one had a symbol which didn't make much sense to me, so Spike explained that the symbols were also featured on the Sage Altars where they served to represent a specific theme that relates to each Sage.

The symbols actually served no meaning when it came to the colours, for those were needed to determine which barrier represented each temple element. " Yellow represents Light, green is Forest, red is Fire, blue is Water, purple is Shadow, and finally orange is Spirit."

" Should I take on each passage in the correct order?" I asked.

" You won't be able to," replied Spike.

" Why not?" I asked.

" The first one you obtained was the Light Medallion from Rauru, and I can't see any yellow circle located above a door. It's safe to assume that the monolith stone is covering up the entrance to that particular passageway, so we need to try another direction and hopefully find the treasure in here which will allow you to lift up just about anything you can think of," replied Spike.

" Didn't Starswirl mention something about it?" I asked.

" He said we needed to search the path where the shadows could be hiding the truth from us," replied Spike. Even though I didn't get the chance to learn every last facet about the most powerful unicorn Equestria had ever known, I do recall a lesson Princess Celestia taught me, and I am so glad that I remember it so vividly. Starswirl was known for being rather eccentric in nature not to mention having a cryptic tongue in that he enjoys posing riddles for people to try and figure out.

He never liked telling things straight, so instead he goes with an impractical approach all for his own personal amusement. A place where shadows can hide the truth....it took me a few minutes before I figured out what those words meant. The truth was an experience I encountered in the Shadow Temple, and I needed to uncover secrets using the Lens of Truth.

" I know where we must go Spike," I said.

" I'm not surprised that you would figure it out given how you've been solving such conundrums without my help. It's a sign that you've really gotten stronger both on a physical level and a mental level. The emotional level is still a work in progress though," said Spike.

" I really need to work on that one. Anyway, we need to go down the passage which relates to the Shadow Temple," I said.

" The Shadow Medallion was purple in colour, so look for a door that has a purple circle above it," said Spike. I immediately looked to my left and right hoping that the door in question was nearby, yet these had a green and orange circle above them. Walking to the right because it felt like the right way for me to go, I went down some stairs which lead to a door with a blue circle above it, yet this still wasn't what I was looking for, so I kept on going up a flight of stairs until I came to another door.

" This must be the right one," I said.

" It has a purple circle on top which displays the symbol etched onto the Shadow Medallion, so if you enter this passage, we should eventually come across the chest containing what you need to lift those monolith stones," said Spike. Upon opening the door and going into the next room, my jaw dropped because it looked as though it kept on going without ever ending. There was a platform off in the distance with two smaller ones on either side of me, but a slightly less distance.

One had a small treasure chest while the other had an unlit torch, so it looks like I'll need to use a Fire Arrow. There was a Green Bubble flying around in front of me, so perhaps I should take care of it first before doing anything else. Taking out the Fairy Bow, I aimed carefully at it, and waited for its fire to disappear. When it did, I fired several arrows where the last one hit the target destroying it, so now I needed to figure out what to do next. Before I could do anything else, Ganondorf's booming voice came out of nowhere.

" So, you have entered the passageway of shadows where illusions exist, or perhaps everything is real and you aren't yet aware. I am hoping you do not plunge into the abyss below, for if you do then you will surely perish. If you are worried about the Triforce of Courage becoming lost alongside you, know that it shall merely leave your corpse, and attempt to seek out another who can claim its power. If no one is worthy enough, then it shall seek out the nearest being who already wields one of the remaining pieces," said Tirek.

" Either way, the piece I have will end up finding you," I said.

" There is much about the lore of the Triforce which eludes you kid," said Tirek.

" Perhaps, but it's not something which appeals to me as I have other things on my mind," I said.

" That does not concern me in the least, for my aim involves collecting the remaining pieces until all of them are mine. For now kid, you should be worried about crossing this abyss of darkness, but I am certain that you shall be able to light your way considering how resourceful you can be. I shall leave now for no doubt you wish to concentrate on surviving," said Tirek. It sounded like he was giving me a hint as to what I needed to do, but what was the point of doing so?

" Lighting that torch should get us across somehow," I said.

" Does the Lens of Truth reveal anything?" asked Spike.

" Yes, I should use that first just to make sure there are no hidden traps," I replied. Raising the lens to my eye and looking through it, I could see nothing being revealed by its magic, so the torch was my means of getting across to the other side of this chasm. I was tempted to go for the chest, but chose to ignore it as it probably contained a small amount of rupees which won't do me any good right now.

Switching to the Fire Arrows by placing the "charm" onto my bow, I fired an arrow at the torch which made a series of crystal-like platforms appear which was my way of getting across. Knowing that I didn't have much time before the platforms disappear, I quickly made my way over and into the path of a Like-Like that attempted to swallow me, but I jumped slightly to the side and avoided it. " Even though I did see that thing in front of me as I ran across, I don't like the fact that it was placed on a platform which I needed to reach."

" Remember to keep your distance otherwise you'll be losing your tunic," said Spike.

" I have no intention of being swallowed up again," I said. The moment it turned around, I used my fire magic to burn it to ashes because I now have a pathological annoyance when it comes to Like-Likes. As soon as it was gone, I looked at the next section of the room where I could barely make out a door at the other end. " I'm going to take a guess and say that what we need to destroy is located in the next room, but how do I get across this much smaller gap between platforms?"

" You could try lighting up that torch again and see what happens, or you could switch to the Hover Boots, and attempt to cross that way," replied Spike.

" I need to conserve my Hylian magic because I don't want to use these Blue Potions unless absolutely necessary," I said.

" Considering we have a long way to go in order to destroy the barriers, using the Hover Boots for such a small gap would be the best way to approach this. Before you switch over to them, perhaps you should look through the Lens of Truth again as I'm certain there are some invisible platforms in this passage. It wouldn't be a true representation of the Shadow Temple without something we can't see under normal circumstances," said Spike.

Holding the lens up to my eye again, I could see a winding path which looked rather thin going up to the door, but aside from that there was nothing else that looked out of place. Switching over to the Hover Boots, and taking a running start, I barely made it onto the next platform where I could see the other side more clearly.

There was another unlit torch which could make those crystal platforms appear again, but then there was one located slightly below with a switch on top. I suppose I could try to hover over and land on the platform, but that might not work because these boots lack any traction, and I'm sure to die if I were to plunge into the abyss below.

" I want to activate that switch and see what it does," I said.

" It could unlock the door ahead of us, or do something else altogether," said Spike.

" What's strange is that we haven't seen a large treasure chest, and we're almost at the end of this room," I said.

" Maybe the treasure isn't in this area," suggested Spike.

" Starswirl would never say anything that is false even when he is being cryptic," I said. Using the Fairy Bow, and firing a Fire Arrow at the torch caused a few crystal platforms to appear which would allow me to reach the switch below. Carefully making my way down after switching boots again, I stepped on the switch where a large treasure chest fell from the ceiling. Before I could climb back up, the platforms disappeared leaving me stranded. " I needed those platforms to get back to where I was before, so what am I supposed to do now?"

" Remember that chests count as Hookshot targets, and you are well within range of that one," suggested Spike. I then slapped myself hard in the forehead for having completely forgotten about this, so I put the Fairy Bow away and took out the Longshot. Aiming at the chest and firing the chain, it attached successfully, and I found myself being pulled up to it.

Once I had gotten my bearings back, I opened the chest where I discovered something which I kind of expected given the obviousness behind it, but I took it out anyway knowing that it was needed to progress.

" Quite the nice colouring," I commented.

" Those are the Golden Gauntlets! When you wear those, you will feel even more power in your hands than ever before, and you will be able to lift up just about anything no matter how heavy. It does mean leaving those old gauntlets behind because these ones are even better, but perhaps you should keep the Silver Gauntlets for sentimental value.

Or, you could give them to Nabooru as she did want them," said Spike. That sounded like a good idea, so I slipped off the old gauntlets and attached them to my belt before putting the new ones on which gave me a tremendous surge in my hands. I felt as though I had so much power at my disposal, but I must show restraint otherwise I could end up being consumed just like before. That's when I noticed another platform with a switch on it, so would that mean needing to light the torch again, or maybe there was another way to approach it.

" Could that switch open the door?" I asked.

" It's possible, but you need to actually reach it to find out," replied Spike.

" The Lens of Truth might work," I suggested.

" You need to use it anyway in order to see the pathway that leads up to the door," said Spike. This was a good point, so raising the lens to my eye, I could see a smaller twisted path, but I knew that I needed to traverse it carefully otherwise I'm taking a plunge I'd rather not experience period. Good thing I switched boots as using the Hover Boots on such delicate pathways would be suicidal. Walking slowly along the path until I reached the switch where I discovered that it was rusty.

This meant I needed to use the Megaton Hammer which hasn't seen much action these days, but that's because I haven't found it useful outside of the Fire Temple. It would have been my ideal weapon, but then I started to use the Master Sword, and now it has become my main means of attacking without using magic. Taking out the hammer and slamming it down onto the rusty switch which activated it unlocking the door in front of me.

From there, I had to slowly make my way back to the platform before walking across the other pathway all while holding the lens in one hand, and I hope that I don't accidentally drop it into the abyss as that would be the biggest blunder of my entire life. When I reached the door and opened it, I entered a room which was essentially a dead-end, yet some kind of weird object was standing in front of me.

" Is this the barrier?" I asked.

" It does appear to be," replied Spike.

" I wasn't expecting anything like this, and the noise it's giving off makes me feel agitated," I said.

" You need to destroy it using the Light Arrows, but maybe you should investigate first? There could be an easier way to destroy the barrier without needing to consume your magic power," suggested Spike. The barrier looked harmless enough at least from my perspective, yet something about it just seemed odd to me. Why was it just here without anything to protect it?

Unless, it has some kind of defensive measure which could cause me a lot of problems. I was thinking of touching the barrier, but I quickly got that idea out of my head as that would be just plain stupid on my part. Ganondorf didn't mention anything about it, and for that matter Starswirl had nothing to say either, so just what should I do?

There could be an easier way, but using the Light Arrow does appear to be the intended method, so I took out the Fairy Bow, but then something suddenly hit me from out of nowhere. I had no idea what happened, but it was a pretty strong force which caused me to buckle down to my knees. A shadow appeared behind me, and that meant I had fallen foul to the she-demon which now gives her the opportunity to finish what she had started....

To Be Continued.

Comments

[GMZ_Casper]

Well, that kinda figure that she would get attacked so soon by her darker half. I wonder how much the she-demon had managed to recovered. After a little break, I'll be looking forward to see how this play out.

C&Cs will be PM.