• Published 22nd Sep 2015
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The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Majora's Mask - Ganondorf8



Sunset Shimmer must save Termina, a parallel world to Hyrule on the verge of ruin. By her side is her friend and mentor, Princess Twilight Sparkle. Can Sunset overcome the odds stacked against her?

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Chapter 27: The Mechanical Rodeo

Author's Note:

Disclaimer: I do not own anything regarding the Legend of Zelda, the Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, and My Little Pony: Equestria Girls: Friendship Games. These are the properties of Nintendo and Hasbro respectively.

Time to take the bull by the horns... but it's so big.

Cast appearing in this chapter.

Sunset Shimmer - Link/????
Princess Twilight Sparkle - Tatl the Fairy/????
Applejack - Cremia

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Majora's Mask
By Ganondorf8
September 26, 2016
Chapter 27: The Mechanical Rodeo.

Her Highness suggesting I go back to the beginning of Snowhead Temple was an okay idea in theory. Since I had gotten myself hopelessly lost--despite having a map that showed me where to go--playing the Song of Soaring was my best bet of regaining my sense of direction. The only problem was that I had to go through some annoying rooms again in order to reach my destination. Upon pounding down a switch as Darmani, a large column rose up until it almost touched the ceiling in the central chamber. I initially believed I had made a grievous mistake but Twilight reassured me that I had done the right thing.

But had I though? The column itself blocked off certain pathways throughout the central chamber, and that meant taking a different route to get to where I needed to go. What was interesting is that there were four pieces of ice embedded within the column, pieces that could easily be punched out of place using my Goron fists. I didn't understand the significance behind those pieces, yet Twilight believed it was part of a puzzle that would eventually reveal itself.

Getting back up there involved switching between my human and Gorons forms--also dealing with monsters that I didn't want to fight again--a fact that I was starting to despise; changing from one form to the form and back again only served to exhaust my reserves. If there was a bright spot in all of this, it would be activating a switch in the room that housed the map--with a little help from my Fire Arrows. By using a platform that raised and lowered between two floors, I skipped past a section of the temple without having to go through those specific rooms again. It not only saved me some time but also from losing my sanity.

Upon reaching the section of the column that had the ice embedded within it, I decided to walk up to it to get a closer look--I made sure to put on the Goron Mask before entering the central chamber in case my stumbling would cause me to fall off. It was actually impressive how the ice could integrate so well with the solid rock that was this column. It was like the ice was begging for someone to come along and smash it. Each piece had strange symbols carved into them, a truly astonishing sight.

Neither Twilight nor I could figure out what they meant, so I decided to ignore it. It's not like it was anything important--and it wasn't--but in a place like this, you should always view everything as suspicious.

" So if I punch this piece of ice, it should cause the column to drop down?" I asked.

" It will only drop a little bit, Sunset." Twilight answered.

" Then what's the point in making the column drop just a tiny bit?"

" We can't see it right now because of where we're standing, but I suspect it will become clearer to us as we progress further upwards to the top. I know my words don't sound entirely convincing, but what other choice is there?" Twilight asked.

" I see your point."

" If you're ready to punch out the ice, feel free to do so."

Part of me didn't want to do it in case it would cause a problem later on, but the look in Twilight's eyes convinced me to go through with it. I walked up until I was right in front of the ice--I could feel its cold touch across my skin--I punched it with my fist, the ice slid out of the column, and smashed into pieces. The column dropped down slightly despite not noticing it at first--I had to look up to confirm that it had dropped--but before continuing, I noticed that there was a fifth section that looked different.

Unlike the other four that were made of ice, this one looked solid in appearance. I punched out the second piece of ice, dropping the column down again slightly, but then I turned to face Twilight with a confused look.

" Okay, so now what do I do?"

" You need to get up to the next floor and smash those remaining two pieces of ice."

" Oh... Right." I said, sheepishly. How could I have made myself to look like an idiot? Of course I knew where to go next! I slapped my forehead before turning to look at the
way forward. A large chunk of ice had covered up a stairway to the next floor earlier, but I melted it away with a Fire Arrow. The only issue involved rolling across a snow-covered slope
to reach it, and I wasn't liking the idea. " If I slip on that slope and drop down back to the bottom, I'll have to climb back up here again."

" Maybe you won't need to use the slope."

" What do you mean?"

" Take a look down there." Twilight answered. Just below the slope was a metal cross-stitched fence complete with a raised section that went from where I was standing all the way over to the stairway. At the end was a ladder I could use to climb up in case I thought I was stuck or something. Seeing all of that brought a smile to my face. " I'm guessing that fence is there in case you accidentally fell off the slope."

" I think it was meant to be used if I was coming over here given where that ladder is situated."

" At least you won't have to roll along the slope now."

" I didn't want to do it in the first place."

" You had no choice." Twilight said, urging me to look down. " There's no ladder on this side so you had to roll along the slope. It's not like it was a bad thing, Sunset, despite how stressful it might have been for you. By rolling along the slope, you were able to get some experience that could only be achieved as a Goron. I'm certain there will be other slopes to traverse and there won't be any fencing below them."

" Are you trying to freak me out, Twilight?"

" Not at all! I'm just saying that you need to get used to some of the more difficult aspects of that Goron body of yours. If you master it sooner, it will help you out later instead of being completely stuck because of not doing it initially." Twilight answered.

Her Highness certainly had her way with words. I knew she was trying to make me feel better, but she really needed to choose her words carefully. I had experienced things that she couldn't even begin to imagine. No doubt she would be completely overwhelmed by those same experiences when we chance upon them. I mean, she already freaked out over certain matters that didn't faze me because of prior experiences. Perhaps focusing on her own well-being would serve her better for now rather than making me feel even more nervous.

Despite everything I had been through in Snowhead Temple, the worst was yet to come and I wasn't referring to the source behind the cold snap. I still had a fated contest lurking before me against Ganondorf, the one who had brought me here to Termina in the first place in his bid to make me suffer. Once this temple and by extent, the entire region, had been restored to normal, the Dark Lord wished to test my strength to see if I had gotten stronger since our previous contest. When I fought him before, I was completely overwhelmed and left in a near-broken heap within a matter of minutes.

That was because the level of experience between him and I was far too great. I was a unicorn turned human who wanted to live an ordinary life--as ordinary as I could make it what with all the magic--yet Ganondorf was a demon whose power had grown over centuries. He wielded a complete Triforce that granted him power far beyond any mere mortal--his power dwarfed Princess Celestia and Princess Luna combined several times over--and could easily conquer all that he surveyed. I knew he wanted me to become his apprentice and cast aside the life I had been given by Her Highness, yet I didn't want to throw that away.

Would I be able to resist him? Maybe, but his words were soothing in their attempt to manipulate my mind. That was something I knew Ganondorf still possessed despite being older now than he was in my previous adventure. He was a master of manipulating others behind the scenes. In his twisted black heart, everything was a game to him and he played to win no matter what happened to everyone else. I had no doubt that my mental state would be tested alongside the obvious physical state.

Twilight began bopping me on the head, wondering if I was okay, and I told her that I was just thinking about random nonsense. Deep down, I knew she was aware that my upcoming contest with Ganondorf was plaguing my mind every waking moment. Why lie to my friend and mentor? Simple... I didn't want to worry her.

Since I had no intention of rolling on the slope to reach the stairway--I wasn't going to drop down below if I accidentally slipped off but I didn't want to do it--I jumped down to the fence walkway below, walked around until I reached the ladder, and climbed up until I stood before the stairway. Droplets of water trickled down from the entrance where the ice once stood--it looked somewhat pretty--but I ignored it and walked up to the next floor.

" There are the other two pieces of ice."

" You need to approach this carefully, Sunset." Twilight said, looking at our surroundings. " You can break one of the pieces, but then you'll have to roll down that slope to your right to smash the other one. The only difference here is that there's no fence to keep you from falling down below."

" That's all I need."

" Do you still have that key?"

" Yeah." I answered, taking it out from behind my back. " I never lose these things because they are essential for progression. Why do you ask?

" There's a locked door down there at the end of the slope." Twilight answered. I looked for myself and sure enough, there was indeed a locked door. I was wondering when I was going to use that key I picked up earlier, and this was it although it involved rolling down a treacherous path to reach it.

" We can also see what that fifth piece is."

" It looks to be a platform you can use."

" Let me check something." I said, putting away the key, taking out the map, and unfurling it. " According to the map, there's another stairway that will take us up to the next floor which is where the source of the cold weather is located." I knew this was true as a skull icon indicated it, and my previous experiences also reaffirmed it.

That lead to another problem. If I go and smash the remaining piece of ice, I won't be able to reach the stairway as the platform would be too low. Then again, perhaps there was something else I wasn't looking at? The map wasn't as detailed as I liked it to be--it mainly consisted of someone's drawing with only a few distinguishing features that were deemed important to jot down--but it was better than going around blindly without a clue as to where to go.

Putting the map away, I turned my attention towards the slope that lay before me. I needed to roll down through the middle so as to not roll off the side or into the wall and lose my momentum. A part of me didn't want to go through with it in case I made a mistake, but Her Highness gave me a much needed confidence boost by saying I could do it. Those words were enough to drive away any doubts I had. I curled up into a ball and began rolling along the middle of the slope. At first, I almost fell off when my body tilted to the left, but I managed to regain my balance by tilting to the right.

After what felt like forever, I crashed into another metal fence--thank goodness that was there otherwise I'd have rolled off the edge--and got back onto my feet before assessing the situation. The locked door was behind me and the remaining piece of ice was in front of me still lodged in the column. Before I walked forward, I tapped the ground several times to make sure that it wasn't slippery or anything--it wasn't.

" You like being cautious, don't you, Sunset?"

" If it prevents me from dropping like a lead stone, then I'm all for it."

" I'm sure you could easily survive such a fall with that body."

" Maybe, but I don't want to risk it." I said, walking forward along the path until I stopped at the ice. With one punch, I lodged it from the column--it shattered to pieces--causing the column to drop down a little bit more. " Well, that was the last piece of ice that needed to be removed, but I'm still not sure about all this, Twilight. What if there was another way I could've used instead of simply smashing the column down?"

" I know you're still hesitant about it, but you need to trust my judgement."

" You figured out it out?"

" Think of the column as being part of a giant puzzle. You activated the switch that raised it from the ground, blocking off some routes in the process. While that was an unfortunate side-effect, it was necessary in order to continue progressing through Snowhead Temple. By destroying parts of the column, you're creating another path for us although it doesn't quite look right upon first appearances." Twilight answered.

" So, I'm doing the right thing?"

" Yes. I don't see any other option other than to knock down the column."

" The only way we'll know is when we get up to the highest level." I said. I turned around, walked back to the locked door, and opened it with the key. Before I entered the next room, I noticed something most unexpected. " Would you look at that? If I roll back up the slope, I can easily use that platform to walk across to where those snowballs are located. Maybe we ought to check that out first?"

" Maybe, but keys usually lead us in the right direction."

" Good point." I said. Opening the door, I entered the next room and almost got pelted in the face with a giant snowball. " Where did that come from?" My question was quickly answered when some kind of strange creature popped out from underneath the snow. It looked like a ghost--one that sported a beard--with its emotionless expression, but before I could make a move, it suddenly tossed another snowball at me. I had no time to dodge or take a defensive action, resulting in being hit in the face and knocked back into the wall. " What in the world is that thing?" I asked. A few more began rising from beneath the snow and began throwing snowballs at me.

" That creature is called an Eeno. It may look harmless but it can cause a lot of damage by throwing snowballs at you. They come in different sizes and that affects the size of the snowballs they throw at you." Twilight answered.

" Is there anything I can do to stop them?"

" If you attack them enough times, they will split into two smaller ones, but only the larger Eeno are capable of that."

" What about using fire? They look like they're made of snow."

" Eeno's are extremely weak against fire. If you use a Fire Arrow, you can melt them down instantly and they won't split up. You have to be careful if you decide to use arrows as you'll be vulnerable to their snowballs." Twilight said.

After what I've been through so far on this journey and throughout my previous one, being hit by giant snowballs was nothing more than a mere nuisance. Twilight's warning was warranted, however, as those snowballs would amount up to a lot of damage were I to allow myself to be pelted constantly. I quickly counted four Eenos--two small ones and two big ones--shuffling about the snow, so I knew the big ones were the true threats.

Grabbing my face, I took off the Goron Mask, flipped back my head upon changing back to normal, put the mask away, and took out the Hero's Bow. The Eenos had since began their barrage of tossing snowballs at me--I got hit by the two small snowballs--but I had their weakness well in hand. I aimed at the largest one and shot an arrow that sailed through the air and melted it into a puddle of water upon striking its forehead. The other Eeno took notice and continued their assault by increasing their proficiency. I struggled to avoid getting hit but it was to no avail as my body got pelted by several snowballs at once.

Once I had a clear shot, I fired another Fire Arrow at the other large one, melting it upon contact before turning to the other two. They then started to move away from each other in a bid to prevent themselves from being melted like their brethren, but I quickly caught onto their plan and fired two more arrows, melting them before anymore snowballs could be thrown at me--one did manage to score one last hit before I struck it.

" That was really cold." I said, shivering slightly as I brushed off the snow from my tunic.

" You took a fair bit of damage."

" Not only that but I used up quite a bit of magic powering up my arrows. That's only a moot point considering the threat of those monsters has gone." I said. Hearts had since appeared where the Eenos had melted, so I picked them up knowing they would restore my health--and put Twilight's heart at ease for the time being. I could now take a better look at this room since I wasn't being attacked. There was another large chunk of ice in the corner of the room, blocking the exit, but my eyes were focused on a pair of icicles that were sticking up from the ground. " Those icicles look suspicious."

" Yes, it's odd that they're the only ones in this room."

" I wonder--"

" What are you thinking?"

" I'm going to try something." I answered. I took out the Lens of Truth by putting my bow on the ground, raised it to my eye, and looked at the icicles. A large hole had since appeared and inside of it was a Stray Fairy trapped in a bubble. " Ha! I knew there was something suspicious."

" Good eye."

" How am I supposed to hold the lens and fire an arrow at the same time?" I asked. This was the one drawback when it came to using the Lens of Truth. I needed one free hand to use it properly and anything that required two hands wasn't feasible.

" I could hold the lens for you."

" Well... It is a bit big, Twilight, and you are a fairy, but it's not like I have any other options." I said. I tried my best to avoid branding Her Highness' size as a detriment given how all of my equipment was larger than her. I also didn't want to sound like she was being a burden either--which she wasn't. " Okay, I'll let you hold it for a few moments, Twilight, but don't strain yourself." I handed her the lens and immediately she struggled to keep herself from dropping to the ground. I was seriously considering taking the lens from her and think of another idea, but she insisted on holding it for me despite how much pain it was giving her.

Acting quickly, I donned the Great Fairy's Mask--I needed to wear it so that the fairy would come to me--switched back to regular arrows--I remembered that two different forms of magic couldn't be used together--and burst the bubble in a single shot. The fairy spent a few moments wondering what had just happened before being drawn to me through the mask I was wearing. It floated towards me before entering my body, and I immediately grabbed the lens just as Twilight was about to drop.

" I knew I could hold it." Twilight said in a exhausted voice as she dropped into my hand.

" Never should've doubted you."

" Now we can move on from here."

" By the way, I believe that was the eleventh Stray Fairy we've found in the temple."

" I actually count twelve of them." Twilight said. What!? Where did the extra one come from? I don't ever recall finding another Stray Fairy along the way, and Twilight had been marking them off on the map. Had I neglected one without even realizing it? Also, why didn't she mention it before until now? Something was definitely not adding up. " I can tell you're confused, Sunset, so let me shed a little light on the situation. It took me until just a few minutes ago to realize that we had picked up an additional fairy." (1)

" How do you figure that?"

" Remember the room that contained the map?"

" How could I forget going up those tiny steps?"

" It turns out that was where we picked up the extra Stray Fairy." Twilight answered. That didn't make any sense. How did we miss something like that? " There was one floating behind the big treasure chest in the room, and it must have entered your body without you ever noticing it. Since I can sense fellow fairies, I know you've got twelve of them currently hiding inside of your body."

" I guess it's both a blessing and a curse."

" In what way?"

" We don't have to backtrack in order to pick it up, but I wish we had known that a lot sooner."

" It's my fault for not realizing it."

" I think we can both take the blame here, Twilight."

" Anyway, we should keep going."

I could tell Her Highness felt embarrassed over something that I deemed trivial. While she may not like to admit it to anyone--it would ruin her reputation--she always wanted to be correct regarding anything. She had striven to become the perfect student under the guide of Princess Celestia, and that left her feeling inadequate if she couldn't prove herself right. It was best to humour her just to be on the safe side. Still, having an extra Stray Fairy meant not having to go looking for it.

Picking up my bow and putting everything else away, I turned my attention towards the chunk of ice that was blocking my way. Since I knew what needed to be done, I powered up my arrows by using the Fire Arrow, firing a single shot that melted the ice in a matter of moments. Once the last remnants had melted, I walked up the stairway and entered a large room that looked bleak and morbid compared to other rooms. Several large columns strewn about didn't make me feel anymore comfortable being here, but I could also sense evil coming from nearby so I knew I had to be on guard.

" This room reeks of evil." I said, putting my bow away and drawing my sword and shield.

" I sense strong forces in here but also some Stray Fairies."

" Why would anyone place any in a room like this?"

" I don't know, but we should be on the lookout."

" Hey! I can see something shuffling about in the shadows ahead of us." I said. I could see two figures walking slowly towards me, swords waving about in their hands, a sign that they planned on attacking me. Once they got closer, I immediately recognized them as two Dinolfos, the same creature I encountered in Woodfall Temple. " I'm surprised that this monster has come back a lot sooner than usual."

" I can sense Stray Fairies on them."

" What!? That means they must be holding them captive. I was actually going to avoid them, but now I need to defeat them in order to rescue their captives." I said. Knowing that these two were holding fairies made the situation a bit more complicated, but not by much as I knew how they fought.

Raising my shield, I walked forward towards the Dinolfos making sure to keep my eyes on both of them. One suddenly moved closer and began clanging its on my shield over and over in a bid to see if it could break through my defences--the other one kept its distance and simply darted back and forth. The first one continued its pointless assault until it finally exhausted itself, and that was my bid to strike it. Upon scoring a blow, it immediately breathed fire as a defensive mechanism, but I knew this trick from before and kept my distance. I also realized the Dinofols could be attacked--breathing fire required it to remain perfectly still--so I slashed it with my sword.

It responded by jumping over me and striking in the back--I still needed to improve on my reaction time--but I quickly spun around and performed a jump attack, defeating it in the process. At first I was surprised by this revelation, but I realized that my sword was still upgraded and that meant inflicting more damage than before. The other Dinofols was hesitant about wanting to fight me, but it slapped the sides of its face several times to get itself pumped up for battle. When the first one disappeared, the Stray Fairy it held prisoner became free and began floating around.

I had to rescue it before something bad happened so I sidestepped over to it--it entered my body--only to be slashed badly in my side by the other Dinofols. Blood started to trickle out from the wound, but I couldn't allow that to slow me down. Her Highness begged me to address the wound before it could bleed profusely, yet I ignored her and began swinging my sword in an effort to strike the Dinofols. My first swings failed to make a connection but I eventually made contact only to become caught within a burst of flame, sending me back a few inches before clutching my side.

The flow of blood was starting to get to me, and Twilight's pleas rattled about in my ears only adding to my problem. I wanted to keep going but I knew that I had to deal with the wound before I would collapse from losing too much blood. Running to the corner of the room, sitting down, and holding up my shield, I began to treat my wound by using a piece of my tunic as a makeshift cloth while the Dinofols bared down on me by clanging its sword on my shield repeatedly. I was fortunate that Canterlot High had given a first-aid seminar that one particular week otherwise I'd have no idea what I was doing.

I wrapped the piece of tunic around the wound as best as I could and used a little bit of saliva to hold it in place--disgusting I know--and crawled underneath the Dinofols before attacking it from behind upon jumping to my feet. It, in turn, breathed fire that I avoided with ease, and I ran around behind it and performed another jump attack before it had a chance to do something in response. It fell upon being defeated and released the other Stray Fairy that I picked up immediately.

" You've been hurt." Twilight said, morbidly.

" I'm used to it."

" Maybe, but I'm not!"

" At least I was able to wrap something around to slow down the bleeding, but I doubt it's going to last for very long. This is where a healing fairy would be beneficial as one of them could easily close the wound and heal it up at the same time." I said.

" Where can we find one?"

" Aside from the Fairy Fountains, you usually have to find them hiding inside of pots in the most unlikely of places."

" We should've picked one up at the fountain at the base of the temple."

" That wouldn't have worked, Twilight. The Stray Fairies can't be picked up because they are different from normal fairies. The only way healing fairies can appear in those fountains is for Adagio to be fully reassembled, and that means returning her missing pieces." I said.

" So you're stuck with that wound?"

" For now."

I knew my answer wouldn't satisfy Twilight's concern. Heck, it didn't even satisfy me. The thought of being injured was something I couldn't take personally, but it came with being the heroine of this adventure. Unlike in Hyrule where I could sustain numerous wounds and still keep going, in Termina, wounds were more serious and enough of them would end my life just like that. It also explained why I hadn't ponied-up whenever I was in danger of dying. I attributed it to my normal magic not working here but it appeared there was another factor in play I never knew existed. In this game, my life hung by a thread and injuries weakened that thread.

There was no point in trying to leave the temple to find a fairy--the idea was something I was certain Her Highness would bring up--as all that would do was waste time. I didn't know how much longer it was until nightfall but it must have been getting closer by that point. The only way now was onward so I kept on walking until I reached a door hidden in the darkness--I was surprised that didn't dissipate due to the Dinofols no longer being present--and opened it to enter the central chamber again.

" We've got a problem."

" Don't I know it." I said, sighing. By destroying all of the pieces of ice within the column, the path forward was no longer reachable. I could see a door on the other side of the chamber, yet it was beyond my reach what with the platform now being lower. I thought about becoming Darmani and jumping over to the other side, but there was no ramp for me to roll off of. I had made a grave mistake by smashing one too many pieces. " Is there any way for me to bring back one of those pieces?"

" Unless you want to reset time and go through all of this again, I'm afraid not." Twilight answered. Her answer left me crestfallen yet she quickly noticed the pathway below that was filled with giant snowballs. " Why not drop down there and see where that path takes you."

" You know I'll likely get hurt from dropping from this height, right?"

" I'm going to have to accept that even though I don't want to."

" Like I keep saying, you'll get used to it." I said. The drop down below actually wasn't as bad as I was making it out to be, but I would sustain some slight injury. I just hoped that my bandaged wound wouldn't suddenly bleed again. Her Highness wouldn't be able to take it if I continued to bleed profusely. I jumped off from the upper and down the one below, my knees buckling upon impact, yet my injuries were minimal to the point where I felt nothing--at least my side wound remained intact. " There must be at least several giant snowballs blocking the way ahead."

" You can either use some bombs, the Bomb Mask, or a Goron punch to clear the way."

" I'll go with the latter." I said, taking out the Goron Mask. It was the safest option for me--it would also please Twilight--so I got as close to the first snowball as possible before putting the mask on. I began to stumble about but I managed to stick my foot deep into the snowball to give myself some extra leverage. After waiting for a few moments, I screamed out loud and became Darmani again. " Huh... The makeshift bandage has expanded to coincide with my transformed state." I don't know how that happened but I wasn't upset as it meant not exposing the wound to anything serious.

The giant snowballs were no match for my fists and I collected some much needed magic jars in the process. When the last one was smashed to pieces, it revealed yet another stairway--this place certainly relied on them an awful lot--leading up to the next level so I walked up and discovered yet another problem. I could easily get across by using the ramp that was in front of me, but on the other side was a large door with a large padlock covering it. In front of the door were several icicles with a Deku Flower further out in front. No doubt its presence especially in a place like this struck me as odd.

" Now why do you suppose a Deku Flower would be here in a temple of snow and ice?"

" Beats me."

" Perhaps there is something you need to do that involves using it?"

" I can think of one way. I need to use it to get myself down to that other door we didn't enter yet."

" Then that means you must become your Deku Scrub form for the first time in quite a while. Now, before you go and take off your current mask, why don't you speed up the process by wearing another mask on top." Twilight said. I remember her mentioning that to me before yet we never really went that far with it. " Once we're on the other side, if you put on your Deku Mask while still being in the form of a Goron, you should be able to switch forms without having to become a human."

" Is that wise? What if something goes wrong?"

" You only need to try it once to see if it will work."

That wasn't the answer I was hoping for, but I knew that trying to convince Her Highness otherwise was just wasting my vocal chords--once she had an idea in her head, nothing could get her to change her mind. Curling up into a ball and rolling forward, I rolled off the ramp--the entire walkway consisted of ice giving me momentum--and landed on the other side before getting back up and taking out the Deku Mask. Could I really switch between forms without having to take off one mask in order to put on the other? It sounded impossible but then so was changing into an entirely different creature.

Sighing, I placed the Deku Mask onto my face, and immediately I felt strange as the magic started to take hold--it also didn't help that I looked weird being a Goron wearing a mask representing a different tribe. I felt like I was going to collapse from trying something I deemed dangerous but then my body started changing, and soon I had become my Deku Scrub form with the Goron Mask falling off my face and into my hands. I stared down at it for a few seconds before looking forward. That was certainly intense yet it was something I knew would become mandatory especially in later situations.

Jumping into the Deku Flower--it felt weird doing this again after so long--I aimed for the walkway that lead towards the door I hadn't entered, and launched myself into the air before floating downwards until I landed safely. I thought about switching back to Darmani, but I opted to take off my Deku Mask instead. Grabbing my face, I pulled the mask off until I was human again, put the mask away and entered the door.

" This room seems familiar."

" It should, Sunset, as look in front of you." Twilight said. I looked at what had gotten her worried and my body turned cold. In front of me were the same panels that I encountered in the room that contained the Fire Arrow, and that meant only one thing. " I can't believe you've got to fight another one and with that injury on your side." We both knew what she was talking about, and my heart dropped emotionally because of it.

Unlike before where there were four panels, this room featured six of them, and that meant the Wizzrobe had more places with which to attack me from. Speaking of which, the familiar shape of the old man that was the Wizzrobe appeared from the panel directly in front of me, spun around a few times, and disappeared signalling that the battle had begun. I already was dreading this encounter because of not being in peak condition, but what other choice did I have.

The Wizzrobe appeared on the far top left panel, spun around, and fired his icy magic that sailed across the air before landing mere inches away from me. I knew he didn't want to hit me with his magic straight away. No, what he did was a warning shot to let me know he was serious about this battle. I had no idea if he was aware that I had defeated the other Wizzrobe who had guarded the Fire Arrow, but I couldn't allow that to distract me. The Wizzrobe next appeared behind me on a raised platform, and I had no chance of climbing up to him on time before he could use his magic again.

Instead, I braced myself and jumped back just as the icy magic hit the ground, producing a large area of ice that steamed from the mist. Unfortunately, my leg got caught in the magic, trapping me in place all while the Wizzrobe laughed before disappearing.

" Already, things aren't looking good." I said, using the hilt of my sword to free my leg from the ice.

" With the extra two panels, he has more of an advantage than the other one did."

" How can I get to him?"

" Maybe you don't have to."

" Hello? If I can't reach him then there's no way we're getting out of here."

" This Wizzrobe uses ice magic to attack as you no doubt know from personal experience." Twilight said. I wished she didn't remind me of what happened--I still had chills whenever the memories of being frozen in a block of ice. " Since he has a much bigger range to move around the room with, why not attack him from a distance using the Hero's Bow? Also, since you picked up Fire Arrows, I'm sure they will be especially effective against the Wizzrobe."

I had no problem using Fire Arrows. If I hadn't collected those magic jars that were hidden inside of those giant snowballs, I'd be applying a different tactic, but my magic power was full and that meant going slightly crazy with firing arrows--overdoing it would mean wasting precious magic. Since I had to stand perfectly still in order to use the Hero's Bow, I had to keep a close eye on the Wizzrobe to ensure he didn't hit me from behind. He then appeared on the opposite side of the room, spun around a few times, and fired his icy magic. It sailed through the air and landed right behind me, a cold chill greeted my back, the wound I sustained earlier feeling it especially.

Now he was being serious and I had to follow suit. Taking out my bow with Fire Arrows ready to use, I figured there were two places I could stand that would give me enough of a range to pick him off wherever he goes. The first involved standing in a corner--distance shooting would be difficult--and the second involved standing in the middle of the room--easier but also difficult due to having to spin around frequently just to keep up. In the end, I decided to go with standing in a corner.

Running over to the southeast corner of the room, I aimed my bow and waited for the Wizzrobe to appear from one of the panels. Since his magic had to travel through the air before landing, I could easily move aside before it had a chance to hit me. My plan did have one flaw, however, and that was if he appeared behind me--the panel on the raised platform--I'd have little to no chance of avoiding his magic. My shield could be used for protection but I remembered it received a dent thanks to the other Wizzrobe. Losing it would mean a loss of protection and having to spend rupees buying another one.

The Wizzrobe then appeared in the center panel, and I fired an arrow at him while he was spinning around. I scored a direct hit but I had no idea if it did any damage--although his robes did ignite on fire in a few places. His reaction was pure rage as he disappeared and then reappeared on the opposite end of the room. This battle was going to take me some time to get through just like the previous one, but hopefully I should be able to sustain little damage.


" How's she doing, Cremia?"

" Romani's restin' right now in her bed, yet I still can't believe her mind's been messed up somethin' fierce." Applejack answered.

" It's like her very personality has been stripped from her body."

" Whoa now!" Applejack shouted, thrusting out her arms and waving them back and forth. " No need to get all crazy like with me, Grog. I know I'm bein' stubborn by refusin' to believe somethin's happened to my little sister, but I can't continue to pretend. I... I should've realized that there was evil doin's happening around here from the start, but I plum ignored her due to thinkin' she was only trying ta test my patience." Applejack then looked up at the window to the room her sister slept in. " All this time I thought Romani wasn't maturin' to be a fine lady who would one day run things, but in truth she's been far more mature than I ever was."

" Don't sell yourself short."

" If I could turn back the clock and prevent all this from happenin', I'd have made Romani an honourary adult."

" Unfortunately, no one has the power to turn back time."

" I know that, but it's still wishful thinkin'." Applejack said. She turned and walked over to the door of her house, placing her hand on the doorknob, and turning to face Grog with a sombre smile on her face. " You've been like family to us ever since my father hired you, so I was wonderin' if you wanted to see Romani? I know she ain't gonna be much of a talker given the circumstances, but still, the offer is up for ya."

" I'd like that."

Applejack opened the door and entered the house with Grog following her inside before closing the door. Unbeknownst to both of them, the two figures who had been following them for the last couple of hours landed close by and began to observe the house. Their fell wings and dark auras glistened in the setting sun, yet neither appeared to appreciate the beautiful setting and instead craved the darkness of the shadows.

The tall figure stepped forward, her eyes burning with sheer rage, the kind that would strike fear into the hearts of many, and stared longingly at the house Applejack and Grog went into mere moments before. The small figure on the other hand, convinced her companion to avoid relying on rage to get her point across. The tall figure stuck out her tongue in an immature fashion, but quickly retracted her statement when the small figure began writing down on some paper.

Every few seconds, she would look up at her surroundings before burying her nose into the paper leaving the tall figure feeling somewhat miffed. Eventually, the tall figure broke the silence by making a comment.

" Can't believe this place was ransacked by ghosts."

" I actually find the concept to be extremely fascinating. I mean, we encountered some spirits back in that wasteland to the east, yet what came here during the night was something entirely different. I've no doubt these ghosts are a threat to either of us, but you must admit they are strong despite not actually seeing them." The small figure said.

" It's nothing but a reminder that humans are weak!"

" Do you doubt the existence of ghosts?" The small figure asked, lifting her head up from her writing.

" What brought that up?"

" You seem to be disinterested about it."

" That's not what I meant! I... I know what it's like to be a ghost. When Sunset Shimmer was changed back from being me, I simply disappeared and became a phantom, haunting her everywhere she went, to serve as a reminder that I was once her and that she could never escape the past. For a long time, I existed in a perpetual twilight, reduced to being a ghost, yearning for when I could live and become the true Sunset once again. I continued such an existence until I was brought back to life by that man." The tall figure said. She clenched her hand into a fist, igniting it into dark flames, and was about to smash it into the house before stopping well short of it.

" Why did you stop?"

" That man made me suffer by forcing me to bend to his will. I am no one's puppet yet he made me his plaything, using me to fight against her for his own amusement. When my usefulness to him was at an end, he destroyed my body and I was left to wander about in the beyond." The tall figure answered.

" I never knew that about you until now."

" It was something I thought I could handle on my own, but perhaps deep down, I was scared to let my guard down. When I first came into being, I had everything I ever wanted: power, prestige, respect, and intimidation just to name a few. However, I wanted so much more than that. I didn't want to stop until everything was mine." The tall figure said.

" And that cost you everything?"

" I underestimated the Magic of Friendship and it resulted in my death. When I fought against her in that other world, she didn't rely on her friends to defeat me, but instead the power she had acquired by being lovingly embraced by them." The tall figure said, sitting down, arms folded, and burying her head in her hands. " It was at that moment I realized that she was far stronger than I could ever hope to be. That's why I've been hesitating about fighting her again. With her new power, I don't even hold a candle against her."

" You seem to be suffering from an inferiority complex. Sunset Shimmer has mostly moved on from her past yet you remain attached to it because you can't accept the fact that she has become her own person instead of being you." The small figure said. The tall figure then turned her head, a sharp piercing gaze bearing down on her companion, yet she shrugged it off before continuing. " Rather than force her into becoming what you want her to be, why not simply do that on your own? You're your own person now, much like I am, so leave her to her own devices and become the darkest side of Sunset that ever existed."

" What about you?"

" I have every aim to make Twilight Sparkle, the human version, accept me as her true self. However, I have no desire to conquer worlds as that would just be a waste of time that could be used to further my own knowledge. Sure, it sounds like I'm being just like you used to be, and the comparison is strongly acknowledged, but I strive for knowledge. Before I can do anything, she first needs to accept the fact that her life is no longer the same as it was." The small figure answered.

" What in tarnation!" The door to Mama's House suddenly opened, and Applejack was standing in front of the doorway, an angry expression streaked across her face. She then stepped outside to find out what was making so much noise. " Mamamu Yan... If that's you makin' that racket, could y'all please do it somewhere else? Romani needs rest and all that noise yer hollerin' ain't doin' her much good." That's when she noticed she was talking to two demonic monsters as opposed to Mamamu Yan. " What in the hay are you two 'spposed to be?"

" Things suddenly got interesting." The tall figure said.

" So that's the reason why you wanted to come here." The small figure said.

" Even though I didn't come to be initially until much later, I've got memories of what she did and one of them happens to involve Applejack here. I never could stand that smug country attitude she possessed, making herself out to be better than everyone because she worked hard to get where she is." The tall figure said, her eyes beaming with excitement, a cruel smile appearing on her lips as she stepped forward. " Oh, I've got no intention of killing Applejack. No, I've got a desire to have a little bit of fun before we move on. Since everything will reset when she uses that magic, I might as well cut loose and let out some steam."

" Applejack? Who in tarnation is that?" Applejack asked.

" That's right. No one here remembers the other world. Their memories have been altered to fit in with this one." The small figure said.

" Wait a dern minute! Y'all must be the ghosts who abducted our cows durin' the night and messed up my little sister's head." Applejack said. She quickly ran back into the house, sounds of objects being thrown about, before coming back out holding a broom firmly in both hands. Seeing this made the tall figure laugh hysterically, yet Applejack wouldn't have any of it and walked forward to make her intentions known. " Why are you laughin' at me?"

" I just find it adorable that you think you can stand up to me." The tall figure answered.

" I'm gonna protect my sister no matter what!"

" With something as pathetic as a broom? I admire your bravery although I do question your intelligence."

" You sayin' I'm bein' stupid?"

" The facts do speak for themselves but I'm not one to judge. Like I said, I've got no intention of killing you, and that's because I don't want to get my hands dirty dealing with a human who doesn't understand what's going on." The tall figure answered.

" Reckon you're afraid of me."

" I just need someone or something to vent out my pent up rage, and you have just volunteered to be my salvation. I'll probably do this for a couple of minutes before I get bored playing with you, but for now you can say whatever you want. I've seen enough to know that all you've got is bravado and nothing more." The tall figure said.

Applejack didn't know how to take that response at first, but she quickly came to a rash conclusion. These two creatures were the ghosts that stole the cows from the barn during the night and also abducted her sister for whatever reason they had. In her mind, they were responsible for her misery and she wanted to make them pay for it. Thrusting out her broom and assuming a defensive position, she slowly walked towards the tall figure, who in turn just stood there with a bored expression on her face. The small figure continued writing something down on the paper she carried in the meantime.


The battle against the Wizzrobe had mostly been a successful venture although there had been a couple of blunders. First of all, I was able to hit him two more times by shooting at him with Fire Arrows, and this caused him to do what the previous one did involving clones. However, this was offset by one particular moment where I got frozen in a block of ice for not noticing that he appeared on the raised platform until it was too late. Unlike last time, I didn't stay frozen for very long--my disdain towards ice coupled with not wanting to be encased in ice was enough for me to break free within a matter of moments.

Unlike last time as well, Twilight didn't scream at the top of her lungs. I assumed that she had started to get used to the fact that I was going to get hurt during this journey no matter how hard I tried to prevent myself from sustaining heavy injuries. Instead, Her Highness simply couldn't watch me being a frozen Sunset Shimmer all over again. Granted, she was getting better but it would've been nice had she done so a lot sooner.

My magic power was still in pretty good condition as the Wizzrobe continued to use his clones in order to confuse me. Like the previous one, only the real Wizzrobe had a flame on top of his staff--the clones had nothing--so I knew exactly where he would be at all times. I also realized that he remained stationary while his clones ran about all over the place--I probably figured that out before but forgot all about it--making it easier still.

When he reappeared right in front of me--there was a panel in front of the corner I chose to fight from--I panicked and fired a Fire Arrow, striking him in the chest, and causing him to disappear but not before jumping up and down. My heart began to beat rapidly because of being surprised, but Twilight quickly calmed me down by telling me to breathe slowly.

" How did you come upon such a technique?" I asked.

" Back in Equestria, Princess Cadance, my foal sitter, taught me how to deep breathe. It was to allow me to relax and not freak out when something happened that was beyond my means to control. It's proven to be very handy especially during times of stress." Twilight answered.

" Please thank her on my behalf."

" I'm sure you'll be able to do that yourself when the time comes."

Again, Her Highness was insisting on me going back to Equestria so that I could patch things up with Princess Celestia, and also get to see what has changed in the land of my birth since the last time I paid a visit--one that changed everything for better and for worse. She wasn't putting any pressure on me which I appreciated, yet I just felt that I wasn't ready to face my former mentor who raised me like her own, one who I abandoned because my ego was too big to contain back then. If I continued doing my best to help the world that was now my home, I would reach a point where I felt truly ready to go back.

When would such a feeling happen? I didn't know the answer and it was one that was elusive.

As I continued to ponder over Her Highness' words, the Wizzrobe reappeared in the upper left corner of the room--not on the raised platform. I fired an arrow at him without even thinking about it--my mind was focused on the question of returning to Equestria--and when it struck him, he jumped straight up, kicked his legs about for several seconds, and landed before striking the same pose the other one did. He then vanished by burning away to nothing, his defeat unlocking both doors that had been sealed with iron bars.

Even as I regained my composure over defeating a powerful enemy, the thought of Equestria continued to burn in my heart. I really wanted to go back and run around on my hooves again just like old times, but there was the other problem that lingered. I may have become a hero in the world of humans, but in the world of ponies, I had stolen a national treasure and placed an entire kingdom into danger because of my pettiness. Her Highness had insisted many times that she would profess my innocence, yet that wasn't enough to give me the vote of confidence I needed to go back and face Princess Celestia for the first time in a long time.

" Sunset? Are you alright?" Twilight asked, looking concerned.

" Sorry, I was just thinking about what you said."

" That's why I decided not to go any further than I did. I knew you were still having personal issues about going home, and I've come to respect your decision about not going back for the time being. Part of me still hopes you'll return home eventually, but when that will be shall be up to you." Twilight said.

I smiled, knowing Her Highness was giving me so much room with regards to such an important decision. She then bopped me on the head to remind me that I still needed to complete the remainder of the temple, and that's when it dawned on me that the Wizzrobe had been defeated. I walked over to the other door that had been locked with iron bars--I never noticed it before until now due to fighting for my life--opened it and found myself in a tiny room wedged between the central chamber and the previous room. If not for the see-through fence next to the other door, you'd think this room would make you claustrophobic.

In the corner of this tiny room was a blue and gold ornate chest, and I opened it up, taking out a Boss Key in the process. Unlike Woodfall Temple, I only had to get back up to the upper level, get across the gap, and unlock the big door up there. That's when one final problem reared its ugly head.

" We don't have the final Stray Fairy!"

" I've been thinking about that."

" And?"

" First, you need to get back to that Deku Flower we saw earlier." Twilight answered. After pocketing the Boss Key, I opened the other door and entered the central chamber properly--I was only a few metres away from the door that lead to the room where the Wizzrobe was moments ago.

Since it meant having to backtrack--only slightly this time--I ran over and jumped down to the platform below--my knees buckled--took out the Goron Mask, and placed it on my face but not before sticking my foot into the giant snowball to prevent my stumbling from making me fall. A few seconds--and one stumble--later and I started smashing the snowballs to pieces with my Goron fists as Darmani before running up the stairway, curling into a ball and rolling off the ramp, landing on the other side with the Deku Flower.

" Okay, we're at the flower."

" There had to be a reason why it was here in the first place, and I believe I've figured out the answer." Twilight said. She floated downward slightly and began observing the rest of the central chamber before floating back up to me. " Can you see that bit of snow down there hanging on the wall?" I followed where Her Highness' glance was looking, and was seeing what she noticed. Roughly halfway down that looked out of place with everything else was some snow that definitely screamed suspicious, yet how did that even get there let alone not slide down the wall to the ground below. " Do you suppose there's something hidden down there?"

" If there is then it would explain the Deku Flower." I answered. I took out the Lens of Truth--I could use it as a Goron and probably as a Deku Scrub--raised it to my eye and looked down at the snow again to discover a hidden nook that housed a bubble that contained a Stray Fairy. (2) " Now that's what I call a clever hiding place. If you hadn't noticed the snow being out of place, Twilight, we'd have completely ignored it."

" Can you hit that bubble from all the way up here?"

" I'm going to have to try." I answered. It occurred to me that I needed to have the Lens of Truth active for me to see the nook and ultimately the bubble containing the fairy, and I couldn't hold both it and my bow at the same time without struggling. There was no other choice but to rely on a familiar course of action. " Twilight... I need both hands to use my bow, so you'll need to take the lens for a few moments." Before I did anything else, I put the lens on the ground, grabbed my face, pulled off the Goron Mask, and flipped my head back--my hair as well--as I changed back to normal.

From there, I picked up the lens and handed it over to Twilight before taking out the Hero's Bow. Her Highness floated in front of my face, the lens jittering back and forth as she struggled to hold it in place, and I aimed down at the bubble learning that it was a lot farther down than I originally assumed. I fired an arrow that missed my target by such a large margin, I cursed under my breath knowing this would take some time. I fired a second arrow followed by a third, both missing the bubble by large margins. This happened again when I fired four more arrows although the latter did come close.

The eighth time proved to be the charm as the arrow burst the bubble and freed the Stray Fairy. I then immediately held my bow in one hand and grabbed the lens with the other just as Twilight was mere moments from collapsing due to exhaustion. I commended her efforts and put both items away, making sure to turn the lens off so as to not waste magic.

" I'm... Okay!" Twilight gasped as she dropped into my hands.

" Sorry for putting you through that."

" If you can endure then so can I."

Just as I was about to unlock the big door, my mind suddenly remembered that I still needed to lure the Stray Fairy up here. I quickly put on the Great Fairy's Mask and watched as the fairy floated up from the nook it had been hidden in before it entered my body. With all fifteen accounted for, I thought about leaving and restoring Adagio back to normal, but part of me didn't want to deal with having to go through all that anguish again. In the end, I chose to enter the room that housed the source of the winter plaguing Snowhead.

Taking out the Boss Key, I walked up to the door and unlocked it, the padlock falling off and landing on the floor with a thud that echoed throughout the chamber. Was it an omen of things to come? Perhaps, but this was no time for me to start doubting myself. I had been through so much throughout the temple and it was time to finally finish things despite knowing I would soon face what truly made me doubt my abilities.

I entered the next room and came upon a horrifying sight. To the right was some kind of giant four-legged creature encased in ice and surrounded by rocks that looked out of place with everything else. On the floor were several large jars and I smashed them by swinging my sword--I now smashed pots because it usually rewarded me in some way--revealing large magic jars that I picked up to restore the magic I lost from acquiring the final Stray Fairy of the temple. In-between the floor and the wall was a slope caked with snow, telling me that I would need to roll around as a Goron, but how given that the room was so small in size.

" What do you make of that creature, Twilight?" I asked, turning my attention back to it.

" That is definitely the source of all this winter."

" Seriously!? How can that be when it's trapped in ice?"

" I don't know why but I do know that this is what we've been looking for. This creature is named Goht, the 'Masked Mechanical Monster'. It may not look like much upon first glance what with it being frozen in a block of ice, but I can sense a strong power emanating from it." Twilight answered. Upon a closer inspection, it was indeed a machine, a giant mechanical quadrupedal. While seeing this was fascinating--especially for Twilight--from a scientific perspective, it didn't change the fact that this creature had caused so much pain and suffering to everyone living in the mountains. " Looks like you need to melt the ice and free it."

" Are you sure that's a good idea?"

" You need to destroy this creature and that means setting it free."

" What else do you know about Goht?"

" Like Odolwa before it, this creature possesses a giant eyeball that will serve as its weak-point. I don't where it is exactly but I'm sure you'll find it as the battle progresses. There's not much else for me to say, Sunset, until I know what it's capable of." Twilight answered. That meant melting the ice and freeing it from its frozen state. " I suggest firing an arrow from over here in case it does something that will catch you off guard."

Part of me didn't want to free Goht and hoped that another solution would present itself, but deep down in my heart, I knew that I had to use a Fire Arrow otherwise the mountains would forever endure the wrath of winter. Sighing heavily, I took out the Hero's Bow and prepared a Fire Arrow before aiming at the large chunk of ice that contained what I now knew as my next main boss. I fired my arrow--there was no chance of me missing such a huge target--striking the front of the ice, and watched as it began to melt into a pool of water. Steam arose from the ice as it melted, but that's when things took a turn for the worse.

The mechanized monster began to stir, its various body parts chugging to life as the warmth of my arrow affected every last corner of its frame. When the ice melted, Goht looked down at me, an emotionless expression from the mask-like thing that was its face, before it began looking around wondering what was going on. I stepped back knowing that something was about to happen--I was correct--as Goht reared up its head, smashing the rocks that were holding it in place. Upon its freedom, it charged towards me with incredible speed, knocking me aside, and smashing the wall behind me before continuing charging forward until it was gone.

" What just happened?" I asked as I got up.

" It's decided to run around the room in a frenzy, and it turns out this room is a lot bigger than we thought."

" So how do I track down where it went?"

" You won't need to, Sunset. If you wait for about fifteen seconds, the answer will come to you." Twilight answered. Her Highness sounded rather cryptic with her answer, but I decided to stand there and wait for Goht to return. It wasn't long--the exact amount of time Her Highness stated--before it trampled past me, but then it suddenly fired a burst of lightning from its horns that I dodged just in time. " This room goes around in a circle so it will always wind up coming by the way we came in here."

" That solves the tracking problem but what about the defeat problem?"

" Here's where things get complicated. You can stand here in this alcove and fire arrows at Goht whenever it charges by until it's weak-point is exposed, but you'll be limited to the number of arrows you currently have and when it comes through here as it charges about. The other option, and the more difficult one, is to become Darmani and roll after it, using your own body as a weapon to make it stop." Twilight answered.

" You want me to throw myself at it?"

" Either that or fire arrows."

Both options had their good and bad points, but between the two choices, becoming a Goron was no doubt the dangerous one, yet it sounded like my best bet against fighting against a creature that charged about aimlessly. I only had about a dozen arrows left in my quiver, and that wouldn't be enough to stop a rampaging monster. There was no other alternative despite knowing what it meant. I had to roll after Goht and use my body even if it meant sustaining heavy injuries in return.

I took out the Goron Mask, put it on my face, and stumbled forward, tripping on a small hill in the process. As I landed on my stomach, I yelled out loud--not from the landing but from the magic changing my body--and became Darmani before getting back up. As I scratched my head, Goht suddenly came thundering up behind me, and knocked me aside before continuing onward, but not before shooting another burst of lightning from its horns.

Once I got my face out of the snow, I curled up into a ball and began to roll after it. Unlike before where I gained instant momentum, I had to roll along for a short distance before my spikes would come out and my magic began draining--the snow gave me momentum whereas the rocky terrain in this room didn't. When my spikes appeared, my speed picked up and I actually was enjoying the rush of rolling at high speeds, but that's when my first problem reared its ugly head. Goht had stopped further up ahead, and began shooting out quick bursts of lightning that somehow were seeking me out.

The first blast narrowly missed as I tilted my body to the left, but the second one went right through me, and I felt like something had pierced my heart. The electrical surge immediately brought me to a stop while Goht resumed charging leaving me to pick myself up again.

" This isn't as easy as it looks."

" I did say that rolling after it as Darmani was the harder choice."

" Yeah and that lightning isn't doing me any favours either."

" Whenever Goht decides to shoot lighting from its horns, it will attempt to track you down, but it isn't entirely accurate. It takes about a second for the lightning to adjust to your actions, so if you can be unpredictable, you won't get hit all that often." Twilight said. Her Highness then heard the stomping of mechanical hooves coming from behind us and ordered me to move to the side as I was about to get trampled again. I followed her instructions just in time as Goht ran by and around the corner. " I suspect it has more than just lightning to use against you, Sunset, so be prepared for anything."

" What about my magic power? I can only maintain those spikes for a short period."

" Those green pots keep on materializing every time you make a lap around this room. Since they always contain magic jars, you'll essentially never run out of magic. I doubt you'll cause Goht any discomfort if you ram into it without those spikes." Twilight said. She then noticed I was looking at her with a shocked expression on my face, yet she merely chuckled in response, and it made me feel like I was missing out on something. " Surprised that I knew about that little tidbit, Sunset? That's the reason why I'm here as your companion. I'm able to observe things that otherwise go past your senses."

" I was surprised but don't act too proud."

" I've learned my lesson the hard way on that front." Twilight said. I'm glad Her Highness mentioned that about my magic. I did legitimately fear the prospect of running out and being unable to defeat Goht, but now I knew I had infinite magic throughout the duration of this battle.

Curling up into a ball and rolling forward, I followed after Goht, spikes protruding from my body, and within about five seconds, I had caught up to the creature. It must have known that I was coming because it began to increase its own speed, and that's when the next problem occurred. It appeared lightning wasn't the only thing it was capable of doing--exactly as Her Highness had predicted--as rocks were being kicked up from behind its back legs. That meant I had to attack either from the side or from above as trying to attack from behind would result in getting knocked aside.

As I continued rolling, avoiding the occasional lightning attack by tilting my body at the last minute, I noticed there were additional hills scattered on the ground including a section that dipped downwards before going back up. If I could roll off one of those hills as though I were jumping across a gap, I could knock Goht down without having to drag things out for very long. Of course, it had to be in the right position for my tactic to work.

Further up ahead, Goht had stopped again and began firing its quick bursts of lightning. I tilted my body from side-to-side avoiding them, yet it continued attacking even though it knew I was mere meters away from it. Directly in front of Goht was a small hill so I turned slightly to the right, rolled off of it, and rammed right into Goht's back, pushing it along several meters before it crashed to the ground, coming to a stop. I stopped rolling and uncurled myself before starting to walk over to where it fell only to witness something I didn't really want to see but was anticipating it.

A panel on Goht's back broke off into pieces, scattering about on the floor, and that's when a massive eyeball appeared. It looked directly at me, blinking a couple of times before simply remaining there, looking around on occasion. I knew it had an eyeball somewhere on its body like Odolwa had, yet I wasn't expecting to find it on its back. How was I supposed to hit something like that in the position it was located in?

*(1) I actually forgot this Stray Fairy was in the room with the Dungeon Map when I originally wrote that chapter, so I had to do a little bit of a retcon.
*(2) In the game, the Stray Fairy is trapped in a treasure chest. To reach it, you had to use the Deku Flower and float down to it as a Deku Scrub while using the Lens of Truth. You could also jump down as regular Link and perform a jump attack at the right time. Since I didn't want Sunset to go through another round of backtracking, I decided to change it to what I wrote.

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