Chapter 34: The Shimmering Zora
The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Majora's Mask
By Ganondorf8
November 21, 2016
Chapter 34: The Shimmering Zora.
" Hoo-wee! Now that was a mighty close call!" Applejack shouted, pumping her fist into the air. " Nice shootin' with yer arrows there, girl, but it ain't quite over yet. Just because we made it past them bandits don't mean we're outta the woods yet. We've still got to reach Clock Town and that means gettin' past them floatin' skulls. Reckon I've never seen anythin' like 'em before but things have been gettin' a might weird lately ever since the moon started fallin'."
" You need to be care of those Blue Bubbles." I said.
" Oh? Are they gonna rend us ta pieces?"
" Not exactly." I answered quietly. " If they hit you then you won't be able to use your sword for a while thanks to their curse, but then that doesn't really apply to you since you don't have a sword." My words weren't exactly inspiring confidence and I knew that without being told. The Blue Bubbles wouldn't really affect Applejack and her horse, yet they would give me no end of trouble hence my answer lacked enthusiasm. " Maybe you should just forget that I said anything and just focus on getting us to town."
" That ain't how things work, sugarcube."
" What do you mean?"
" Y'all might that those flyin' skulls only affect you cause ya have a sword, but I know a thing or two when it comes to stuff like this. I wasn't lyin' when I said I've never seen 'em before but I heard rumours from people who visited ta ranch before that boulder blocked the entrance." Applejack answered. She turned to face me, her arm resting on one of the milk containers, a stern look appearing on her face. " People have said monsters roam round here without restraint, and I ain't gonna ignore sound advice like that. Knowing them flyin' skulls, they could cause serious injury to mah horse, and if they were to happen, the delivery would be the least of our problems."
" I just don't want you to get hurt." I said. " You might not believe this but you mean an awful lot to me."
" Shucks! No need ta get sentimental." Applejack said. " It's nice that y'all consider me somethin' special, but I barely know who ya are given that we only met the other day. If we knew each other like for say, ten years or so then perhaps I could feel sympathetic to ya, yet if I must be honest with y'all, yer words don't have much meaning ta me. I mean no disrespect towards ya, but that's just how I feel."
My mind was telling me to blush because of how embarrassed I felt, yet my heart refused to follow the instruction. While Applejack's words were like a dagger going through my heart, we didn't know each other in this world compared to being close friends back home. I could give her friendship speeches--something Princess Twilight actually has been known to do according to her own words--and remind her of good times, yet they would hold no meaning in her eyes. In Termina, she was a ranch owner who was determined to make ends meet given how things had been going wrong.
It also made me realize one of two things. The first was that I was hating how my friends didn't recognize me especially what we've been through. While I didn't let it get to me too much during my previous journey, it had been weighing me down on this one mainly because of resetting time. I've helped most of my friends deal with problems in this world that plague them, and while I would remember the experiences--and in my notebook--the fact that everything goes back to the way it was before I came alone made me question why I was going out of my way for something that would ultimately prove futile.
I was beginning to understand what Ganondorf meant by torment. It wasn't just a physical manifestation but rather emotional. Seeing myself going back to the beginning of the seventy-hour cycle and erasing all traces of my existence had proven very taxing for me. I didn't know how much longer I could keep my sanity from shattering and being impossible to repair, yet I knew that I had to continue going. To save two worlds meant my own existence, my own identity, would become lost forever in time with no hope of salvation.
A shame that I had no means of gathering my friends together and get them to remember our world. I mean, I could bring them all to the same place although it would require some incredible convincing and also knowing where they all ended up--Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight Sparkle were still unaccounted for--and possibly angering those who perhaps are protecting them in some way. In my heart, I believed that getting us all together would help make this journey go much smoother, yet I knew it was impossible. Despite my friends displaying some traits that correspond with their elements, it wasn't enough to make a difference.
Applejack then snapped her fingers, causing me to come out of my daydream. " Y'all certainly know how ta get lost in yer own little world, don't cha?"
I blushed upon realizing what happened. " I am so sorry for doing that!"
" No problem, sugarcube." Applejack said. " We've all got stuff on our minds that make us forget 'bout everythin' else that happens 'round us. What y'all are thinkin' 'bout ain't any of my business so I won't go and start pryin'."
" Thank you."
" If anyone's gonna get thanked 'round here, it's you."
" What did I do?"
Applejack slapped her leg and let out a booming laugh. " Yee-haw! Y'all truly are somethin' else, girl. If it weren't for you, I reckon this here delivery would've been ruined by those cowardly bandits who attacked us earlier." That's when she noticed that the containers were now directly in front of her as opposed to being at the back of the cart. " Did y'all move them while I was tryin' to keep them bandits from destroyin' 'em?" I nodded my head and she laughed again. " Hoo-wee! Now why didn't I think of doin' that? If I had placed the containers right behind me 'stead of at the back, I wouldn't have needed yer help."
" Really?"
" No... That ain't true at all." Applejack answered. " Without you, this wouldn't even be happenin'. I guess I was so concerned with wantin' ta do everythin' myself that I became lost in my own mind and believed I didn't need help. If my father were still alive, he'd be ashamed of me fer actin' like a spoiled brat." That's when she grabbed the reins and cracked them, urging the horse to continue onwards. " No wonder mah little sister acts the way she does. I thought I was the ideal role model fer her but the truth is that I'm far worse."
" Are you okay?"
" I think I know what I'm gonna do tomorrow night."
A puzzled look appeared on my face. " I'm not sure I follow."
" No need for y'all to worry 'bout it, sugarcube." Applejack said. " It's a private matter with mah little sister though ya could come by tomorrow night if yer wanted."
" But you just said--"
Applejack shook her head. " Romani has taken a real shinin' to ya, girl, and I mean that as a friend. She doesn't have anyone her age at the ranch and I'm too busy these days to be able ta spend quality time with her, so she often resorts ta doin' things on her own. Perhaps she and I have grown distant lately because I have so much ta take care of. I figure someone like y'all could come by once all this nonsense has blown over. Ya practically like family now since y'all made her feel better and helped me with mah delivery."
This was the other realization that I had come to though I was initially thinking of the Gorman Sisters--I had no intention of telling Applejack that they were the bandits who had attacked us. Applejack knew that she couldn't continue ignoring Apple Bloom despite how much responsibility she had, yet she was going about it all wrong by wanting me to be there to keep her little sister happy. If anyone needed to make her happy, it was Applejack herself and no one else.
In fact, this realization also applied to Apple Bloom. She needed to realize that her big sister was doing everything she could to keep both her and the ranch safe, yet she didn't see that way, and instead saw it as Applejack not caring about her feelings. In a way, both of them needed to meet halfway rather than continue being worlds apart otherwise their family bond would break down. Whatever she was planning on doing tomorrow night, I hoped Applejack knew what she was doing. The last thing she needed was to further upset Apple Bloom resulting in increased tensions between the two.
The cart started to move across Termina Field yet I chose to keep my bow ready in case any of the Blue Bubbles decided to attack for getting too close to them. I was feeling pretty nervous considering what I experienced on the way here, but Applejack remained perfectly calm as though she were in a trance. It made sense since her success in delivering her milk containers meant her business would continue to thrive. A few Blue Bubbles looked at us with their lifeless expressions--the fire that surrounded their skulls could easily burn your flesh--but they ignored us which was a sigh of relief.
" You don't need to worry, Appl... Cremia." I said, correcting myself. " I'll make sure none of those Blue Bubbles get close."
" I appreciate it, girl." Applejack said. She went silent for several metres before continuing. " Say, have y'all ever been to the Milk Bar in town?"
" Can't say that I have."
Applejack's drop dropped. " What!? How in the hay could ya have not gone there!? Boy howdy, girl! Y'all have been missin' out on somethin' might exciting, and I'm being honest in sayin' that. Since it's gonna take us a few more minutes ta arrive, why don't I tell ya more about the Milk Bar?"
" I wouldn't want to impede."
" Think nothin' of it." Applejack said. " When I was a few years younger, I actually worked there as an assistant bartender to the owner, Mrs. Barten. She's a sweet old gal who's been runnin' the place for as long as anyone can remember, but can be a real firebrand if ya ain't careful. I learned how ta be a good businesswoman thanks ta her guidance though I wish I had learned everythin' she knew. Fate can be really cruel sometimes."
That told me that her father passed away before she could finish learning from whoever this Mrs. Barten was. " I'm sorry for your loss."
" It's been hard like I said but I've managed."
" Cremia..."
" Anyway, I remember two regulars who kept on comin' ta the bar while I worked there." Applejack said. " The first was one of them Zoras who live out in Great Bay who hangs out by ta stage. Never did understand why she was so fixated on it, but judgin' from her attire, she must be one of those promoters ya hear about. The other is someone I'm well familiar with because of having ta deal with his sisters, but he ain't anythin' like 'em."
" Gorman?" I asked, scratching my head. " Is that who you mean?"
" You've met him?"
" No, but I've heard someone mention him."
" He has a bit of a sour temperment but he can be friendly if ya talk to him when he's in a good mood." Applejack said. I could see the happiness in her eyes and voice even though she probably didn't sense it herself. The way she talked so passionately about this place showed that she appreciated the past, and also yearned for those days again despite it being impossible for her now. " Yer just have to make sure he ain't drunk on milk. Whenever he drinks a lot, he winds up speaking nothin' but gibberish."
" Is he from Clock Town?"
" Nope and neither is the Zora."
" I kind of figured that was the case with the Zora."
Applejack cracked the reins urging her horse to gallop faster. " Gorman and his troupe travel all over Termina and beyond lookin' to entertain the masses with their act, but he usually makes a few stops in Clock Town because it has ta largest venue compared with everywhere else. Makes sense don't it? If y'all have a place that can bring in a large crowd, ya wanna continue goin' there 'cause ya know y'all will find success."
She did have a point there. When I was Princess Celestia's student, she often had the same performers show up whenever she decided to hold a banquet. While she never gave it any thought other than knowing what to expect from them, I always found it odd that they kept on coming back every few months. Back then, I probably would have criticized them for using the same performance but then Celestia always refrained me from speaking out of line. Even when I was a young filly, I often defied her by thinking that I knew better when in truth I was ignorant of it all.
I wonder if Princess Twilight went through something like that where she chose to defy Celestia. Looking at Her Highness, who was occupied with watching Applejack, did she follow the edicts of Celestia right down to the letter without every questioning it? Or were there times where she stood up and said that she couldn't follow through for personal reasons? I never did ask her about such things before as I always assumed it wasn't my place given she was my successor.
Successor... It's kind of funny really when I thought about it. Her Highness was chosen to be Celestia's student due to showing incredible skill with magic, but also because I was a failed student and Celestia needed another filly to groom into a princess to wipe away the stain that was me. Now, I've become Princess Twilight's student even though I'm slowly beginning to handle things without needing her assistance. She also has Starlight Glimmer--not this world's version but the pony version--under her wing who is slowly starting to come out as her own unique individual, and I supposed that Twilight Sparkle would become my student.
Maybe I've progressed better than I thought.
After spending a few more minutes wading through Blue Bubbles and looking up at the moon--its presence continued to haunt me--we finally arrived at our destination, the east entrance of Clock Town where Applejack brought the horse to a stop by pulling the reins really hard.
I was confused as to why she stopped at this entrance and not the southern one. " Why did we come to this entrance?"
" 'Cause the Milk Bar is located in East Clock Town, sugarcube." Applejack answered. She climbed down from her seat, walked around to the back of the wagon, and opened up a latch before climbing into the back. " I ain't gonna lug those containers through the south of town and into ta east. These things are quite heavy ya know and I ain't about ta injure myself somethin' fierce." She then looked at me with a piercing gaze and a smile appeared across her face. I knew what she was about to ask me to do. " How's about ya help me out one last time, girl, by takin' one of them containers?"
" What about the third one?"
" I can carry two at a time." Applejack answered. " Y'all can take the remainin' one."
" But, you said they were heavy."
Applejack nodded. " I know and I weren't lyin' 'bout that, yet I can only carry 'em so far until I either have ta put 'em down or drop 'em, and I'd rather not have the latter option if ya get my drift. I do wish that Mrs. Barten would hire some strappin' fellas to help with this kinda thing as it would make things easier, but I 'sppose times are tough for her just like everywhere else across Termina." She picked up two containers and began carrying them, one under each arm, before jumping from the wagon onto the ground. " Just pick that one up and follow me, girl. Oh, and y'all don't need ta worry 'bout doin' this fer nothing. I've got somethin' fer ya but first this needs ta be done.
I grabbed the remaining milk container and lifted it up only to almost fall down on my butt. Applejack wasn't kidding when she said that these things were heavy. I was struggling just to keep my balance due to how heavy it was, yet she was holding two of them like a natural, but then she was used to that kind of labour. Since I couldn't hold this container under my arm--it would mean falling over resulting in the container smashing and and spilling its contents--I decided to carry it around using both hands.
Taking several steps forward, my entire body wobbled before I placed the container down, jumped off the wagon to the ground, and picked it up again. Applejack was already inside and was yelling at me to hurry up with the container, so I walked forward before coming upon an interesting sight.
Before me stood the Milk Bar although now that I thought about it, I had walked by this place a couple of times and never noticed it before. A sign above the entrance depicted an image of milk in a bottle and another sign next to the entrance said that only members were allowed inside. This was a problem as I didn't have permission to go inside, yet Applejack didn't have that issue as she was most likely a member given she once worked here.
I spoke up. " Um... I can't go inside because I'm not a member."
" That ain't a problem."
" What do you mean?"
" Anyone is allowed inside the Milk Bar." Applejack answered. " Yet, only members are allowed ta go inside once it's past 10:00pm during the night. It was the one rule 'bout this place that I never did agree with, yet it's somethin' that Mrs. Barten refuses to change. She could get plenty o'customers in here if she were to get rid of that one restriction and she wouldn't have ta worry 'bout financial matters. Anyway, I'm sure y'all have got other things ya wanna do so I'll make this as quick as I can."
Applejack knocked on the door several times before it swung open with a loud click and beckoned me to follow along. I had no desire to say anything until she was finished with her business transaction in case I were to cause strife by speaking out of line or something like that.
The interior of the Milk Bar wasn't what I was expecting. A walkway that lead from the entrance went down a small flight of stairs before opening up into a large area that consisted of several stools in front of the bar itself, a large stage overlooked the entire area, and numerous bottles were on at least half a dozen shelves. No doubt those bottles were filled with milk unless they were a decoration, yet why would Mrs. Barten need more when she already had plenty behind her? I didn't know how this all worked given that I only knew the perspective of Applejack, but still, you had to wonder if there was even an issue at all.
Her Highness bopped me on the head to remind me that I needed to keep up with Applejack, so I walked down the stairs and towards the counter where I noticed two figures were standing there. The first one was someone I had never seen before, but the other was someone who was very familiar to me.
Despite her wearing a tuxedo, shirt, and bow-tie, I recognized Granny Smith from anywhere. It was kind of weird seeing her not being related to Applejack given how the latter never stops talking about the former, but then this world had been pretty consistent when it came to weird things happening.
" Cremia!? It's been a while since you last came with a shipment." Granny Smith said. The first thing I immediately noticed was that she didn't have a country accent so it felt weird hearing her speak without one. " I was afraid that Romani Ranch had gone out of business."
Applejack shook her head. " Sorry fer worryin' ya like that, Mrs. Barten. We had some problems over in the ranch what with a large boulder blockin' ta entrance, and bandits chasin' after ta wagon with my delivery attemptin' ta prevent me from gettin' here with 'em intact."
" Why has this world fallen under such hard times?"
" Wish I had an answer fer ya."
" How were you able to get past those bandits?" Granny Smith asked. " I mean no disrespect to you, Cremia, but you don't look like the sort who would be willing to fight against a bunch of thugs."
" I had some help from a friend of mine." Applejack answered, pointing her finger at me. " This girl made sure them bandits didn't break any of the milk containers, so if there's anyone y'all should be thankin', it would be her 'stead of me."
Granny Smith looked at me and smiled. " I have you to thank, madam? Well, I wasn't expecting such a young child to do something an adult could have done, but then appearances can often be deceptive. Normally, the bar doesn't allow someone of your age around here because of the nature of this place, but feel free to look around seeing as you are helping out Cremia. Speaking of which, perhaps I should help you with those containers. I can tell you're struggling to hold it so allow me to relieve you of it." She then grabbed the container and placed it behind the counter like it was nothing. She was a lot stronger than she appeared to be.
" Where's Gorman?" Applejack asked. " I don't see him here."
" He'll be here within the next hour."
" Normally, he'd be here by now drinkin' away."
" I'm not sure what he could be doing but I'm not going to pry into his business."
Applejack turned to me. " I'm gonna be a few minutes talkin' with Mrs. Barten over there about payment, but I will be leavin' as soon as I'm finished. Make sure y'all don't leave, girl, as I still need ta give ya somethin' fer everythin' y'all have done."
She then walked off to the side with Granny Smith leaving me and Princess Twilight alone to collect our thoughts. That's when I noticed the Zora standing by the stage from before who appeared to be ignoring everything around her as though the stage itself was the only thing that was important to her. She was a bit shorter than most of her kind--I was basing this on my previous experience with Zora from my last journey in that they were all tall--yet her attire indicated that she was some kind of businesswoman.
Again, I didn't recognize her at all yet Her Highness immediately recognized her.
" That's Miss Pommel!" Twilight exclaimed.
" Who?" I asked.
" Miss Pommel, an acquaintance of Rarity's." Twilight answered. She then noticed my confused look and blushed slightly. " Right... You've never met her before, Sunset, so to you, she's just a faceless person--pony--who doesn't hold any kind of attachment to you." Her Highness didn't have to say it like that and make her out to be an alien, but I supposed she was only trying to make a statement. " Miss Pommel is from Manehatten and originally was an assistant to a pony who never appreciated the work that she did. Thanks to Rarity giving her some kindness, she went out on her own and became an accomplished fashion designer."
" How do you know her?"
" I met her in Manehatten."
" That figures. So... I wonder what she's doing in a place like this?"
" Why not ask her?" Twilight asked. " You should always talk to people in case they have some vital information."
I nodded and walked over to Miss Pommel. " Um... Excuse me."
Miss Pommel turned to face me before waving her hand up and down. " Are the fins damp lately?"
" What?"
" Sorry." Miss Pommel answered. " That's a popular greeting among my people, the Zora. I should have realized you wouldn't have understood its meaning since you are a human after all, but I don't mean to insult you with my words."
" It's alright."
" You're probably wondering what I'm doing, aren't you?" Miss Pommel asked. " I may not look like it but I was busy checking the stage to make sure that the sound quality was good enough for my music group to perform when the Carnival of Time begins." She then lowered her head slightly as though she was embarrassed about something, and shuffled closer to me before continuing in a softer tone. " They don't yet know that their performance has been cancelled, but I'm hoping that Monsieur Aroma will change his mind. Until then, all I can do is wait and see what happens. By the way, my name is Mrs. Toto, manger of the Indigo-Go's, the hottest Zora band in Termina."
" I'm Sunset Shimmer."
" An unusual name for a human."
" You said you were checking the sound quality?"
Miss Pommel nodded. " If Monsieur Aroma gives the go-ahead for my group to perform, they will need to have everything on the stage perfect if they want their music to be heard through this place. Right now, they're using a practice stage they set up back in Zora Hall, but the sound quality there is nothing compared to what it's like here. You know, I would like it if someone could help me perform a sound check."
" Do you suppose I could help?"
" I appreciate the sentiment but I don't think you can."
" Why not?"
" It's just that I need four people to help." Miss Pommel answered. " I need someone who can play an ocarina, someone who can play pipes, someone who can play drums, and finally someone who can play a guitar. A Deku Scrub, Goron, and Zora respectively would be necessary for the latter instruments, yet I don't know anyone with an ocarina given how rare that item can be. Things just haven't been going well for me."
My efforts in helping Miss Pommel had reached a snag. While I could provide her with three of the four instruments she required, it was the final one, the Zora instrument, that I lacked due to not having the ability to change into a Zora. I doubted she wouldn't be satisfied unless she had everything so it looked like I needed to come back here when I had the ability to become a Zora.
I should've realized that the next transformation would be a Zora given that the previous two were a Deku and Goron respectively. That meant going into Great Bay and finding someone who had recently passed away which had become the trend with these transformation masks. I began to think about what it would be like to swim about at such great speeds that only a Zora was capable of. I knew they were capable of such because of what I learned in my previous journey despite not actually seeing them do it with my own eyes. Of course, to explore the next region would mean resetting time and undoing all this progress.
It was another painful reminder of going back to the beginning of the seventy-two hours. Apple Bloom would be abducted, Applejack would be beside herself with grief, and this place would likely go out of business due to not receiving their shipment. No! I was going to do something I hadn't done before and I'm sure Princess Twilight would agree that I wasn't going to reset time until I had visited the Apple sisters during the final night to see what would happen.
Applejack then started walking back, her head tilting to let me know that she was about to leave. She walked up the stairs and out the door without saying a word but the smile on her face told me that she had received payment for the delivery. Thanking Miss Pommel for the conversation, I took my leave by following Applejack and heading outside of town until both of us had gotten back to the wagon.
She quickly put something in the back before turning to face me. " Guess I've only got y'all left to deal with."
" I take it things went well?" I asked.
Applejack nodded. " Sure did, sugarcube. Mrs. Barten was happy to get her first delivery in quite a while! Reckon she oughta get plenty of customers now especially if she informs then that she got in a fresh shipment of Chateau Romani. By the way, do you know what that is?"
" Your sister told me." I answered. " Though she didn't seem to appreciate your sales pitch."
" Romani oughta know that I need to do that sort of stuff because of bein' a ranch owner, but I 'sppose that I could dial it back a little for her sake. Still, I'm mighty happy knowin' that the bar will be sellin' milk from mah ranch again, and it's all thanks to you, girl." Applejack said.
" I didn't do anything really."
" Don't be so modest." Applejack said. " You kept them bandits from breaking mah containers and y'all kept me company during the night by listenin' to mah story. Ya should be proud knowin' ya helped out someone who was havin' trouble without wantin' somethin' in return." She then winked resulting in me blushing slightly. " I know that yer an adventurin' type as why else would anyone be carryin' 'round a bow? Anyway, I want ta thank ya... You were pretty cool..."
" So I guess this means goodbye?"
Applejack shook her head. " Not just yet, sugarcube. I said that I would give ya somethin' and I intend to keep mah promise. This ain't very big, but accept my thanks!" She reached into the back of the wagon and pulled out an unusual looking mask. It looked like a cow's head complete with the ring inside of the nose, yet it looked cute in design compared to the real thing. Smiling, Applejack handed over the mask to me before hugging me really tightly for several seconds. " That mask is called Romani's Mask. In order ta enter the Milk Bar after hours, one needs ta wear that mask and they can go inside."
" Why would you have something like that?"
" 'Cause mah ranch supplies the bar with all ta milk. Anyway, you might not think that there mask is a good thing, girl, but I reckon y'all will appreciate the meaning behind it once ya see things from a different perspective." Applejack answered.
" And the hug?"
" Added bonus courtesy of me."
" Thank you."
" By doin' one good deed, a child becomes an adult." Applejack said. " That mask is only given to a limited number of adult customers. It's proof of membership. Y'all don't need ta question mah judgment on the matter. In my heart, I honestly believe ya deserve it as a gift. I now acknowledge ya as bein' an adult!" She then bowed slightly before turning around, walked over to the wagon's front, and climbed up onto the seat. " This is where we now part ways, sugarcube. This whole experience has got me thinkin' 'bout how I should deal with mah own problems back home." Applejack quickly looked upward at the moon before looking back at me. " I was wrong to treat mah sister as such."
" What do you intend to do?"
" Somethin' I shoulda done a while ago."
" I'd like to be there to see it... If that's alright with you."
Applejack nodded. " Romani would really appreciate ya doin' that, and I 'sppose I'd feel ta same way. I suggest ya come by sometime tomorrow evening 'cause I'm sure I'll be busy gettin' everyone settled in before the moon up there falls." She breathed in a similar manner to what Her Highness showed me, indicating that she wasn't looking forward to it. " People are sure ta be fleein' town if things continue ta worsen and they'll likely wanna come ta the ranch even though I think it ain't worth it. Not much I can do really except welcome them as turnin' 'em away would be goin' against mah convictions. Anyway, I'll see ya tomorrow, sugarcube."
She cracked the reins causing her horse to start galloping away, and while I thought she would've asked me if I wanted to accompany her back to Romani Ranch, I think she knew not to impose that on me given I had my own task. Still, I felt bad knowing that she still had a lot to deal with although now things were starting to make sense. With the moon now having gotten closer, people in Clock Town would flee to the farthest corners of Termina thinking that they would be safe from the inevitable impact. I guessed they didn't want to make a move until they knew for absolute certain that running away would be best.
And yet Applejack was correct when she said that it wasn't worth it. If the moon crashes into Termina as intended by Starlight, this entire world would be destroyed. No place would be safe from the impending armageddon despite people thinking they would be. That's why I had to rescue the remaining giants. They were the only ones who could prevent the destruction, and Starlight realized it hence why she had them imprisoned within dark masks.
Starlight Glimmer... She knew the giants could ruin her fun and she sealed them away in return. Something about that scenario just didn't add up. If she wanted to only cause pranks in order to have fun, why go to so much trouble sealing the only ones who could prevent destruction from occurring? Why go from simple pranks to utter decimation? Had she truly lost herself with her power or was something else at work? These questions had no answers yet I needed to find them before it was too late. Of course, I couldn't neglect the most important factor of all... Ganondorf.
What was his role in all of this other than make me miserable? Could he finish what Starlight couldn't were she to fall? Why hadn't he taken on a more active role in wanting the destruction of Termina? Why pick on me in particular? Again, more questions with no answers.
Princess Twilight suddenly bopped me on the head. " Sunset? What did you mean when you said we would see Applejack tomorrow night?"
" I... I want to know what she plans on saying to Apple Bloom."
" You do realize we need to go to Great Bay, right?" Twilight asked. " We need to reset time and explore that region with as much time as we can get."
" Which is why I want to do things this way."
" I'm not following you."
" Resetting time and undoing all of our work is something I've come to accept even though it still pains me whenever we do it. But, I want to see this thing through to the end. I want to see Applejack talk to Apple Bloom and come to an understanding." I said.
Princess Twilight rubbed the bridge of her nose. " I know you want to see it for your own piece of mind, but you can't sacrifice an entire world for the sake of two people. It doesn't work that way, Sunset. Sometimes, you have to focus on helping the collective instead of a small gathering."
" And that's why we're going to Great Bay now."
" What!?"
" We're going there now, Twilight." I answered. " I'm going to get started there and progress as much as necessary before resetting time."
" You do realize that would mean going through the same things again, right?"
" I'm not willing to sacrifice Applejack or any of my friends when it comes to seeing their resolutions around here."
While it sounded like I was being incredibly stubborn--I was--what I said to Princess Twilight came from the bottom of my heart. I saw the end of Fluttershy's resolution by making sure to rescue that monkey before he got punished, so now the same would be true with Applejack. I couldn't do this for the rest of my friends as I either haven't found them yet, or in the case of Pinkie, she doesn't have a resolution or hasn't reached it yet.
Seeing these resolutions would give me peace of mind knowing that it would all be reset upon playing the Song of Time.
That's when I suddenly remembered the Bomber's Notebook I had in my possession. I took it out from behind my back, opened it up, and discovered that not only did Applejack have an entry in it, hers was right below Apple Bloom's. According to the book, I had solved the Apple sister's problems including the one that Garble had--he was also listed in the book albeit much further down. I had no idea how many more people would end up in it but at least I could take solace knowing that people were slowly becoming happier even when they don't realize it after going back to the start.
" Sunset..." Twilight began. " I guess you understand friendship a lot more than you think."
" You agree with my suggestion?"
" Applejack is my friend to, and I guess a part of me does want to see what happens tomorrow."
" Thanks, Twilight."
Princess Twilight smiled. "Well, if we're going to head off to Great Bay, we'll need to head west towards the ocean. I suggest that we cut through Clock Town so as to not waste time going around the long way, and you should take that mask Applejack gave you with you. I'm sure you will need to use it in order to get into the Milk Bar after hours, and of course you do need it in order to get that one mask Adagio mentioned."
" How many masks do I have now?"
" I think you have ten."
" Still a long ways to go."
" You'll get there, Sunset, but it will take time."
The closer I got to collecting all of the masks in Termina, the more I started to worry about the mask Adagio talked about that was just as powerful as the one Starlight wore. The very thought of wielding power like that brought back painful memories of when power was what I desired above everything else. While I had no doubt that I was strong enough to resist being corrupted, a part of me didn't want to take any chances.
If wearing this mask granted me the power to do anything, I could potentially become the biggest threat to Termina instead of Starlight. I had a big decision to make when the time comes and I hoped that I'd make the right choice.
Sometime in the past...
" What do you think?"
" It's... a giant tank of water."
" Built to precise specifications."
" I'm surprised, professor. When you approached me asking if you could build something to help Lulu's eggs when she would eventually lay them, I thought you were nothing more than a crack-pot. Guess I was completely wrong about you."
" Those eggs are important to both her and the father so it makes sense that they needed water of the correct temperature. I'm glad that I convinced you to allow me to do this back then instead of now given that the water in Great Bay has gotten much warmer lately."
" I'm glad you brought that up."
" Why's that?"
" You're the Oceanside Scientist, professor, so if anyone understands what's going on, it would be you, correct?"
" I don't have much to offer you, Evan, but what I can provide should be enough to satisfy you and the other Zora. According to my research, ever since the waters in this region started to get warmer, strange creatures have begun to appear beneath the waves. They don't appear threatening right now but I assume that they will attack anything that enters what can be described as their territory."
" Strange creatures? How strange are we talking?"
" Skeletal fish and tube-like monsters."
" That doesn't sound reassuring."
" I suggest all Zora avoid swimming about in the water until further notice."
" I'm not sure they will like that, professor."
" What other choice do they have? If any of you swim about in the water with those creatures about, there's no telling what might happen to you. However, there is one good thing to come from all of this, and that has to do with those Gerudo Pirates your people have issues with. If they are aware of the creatures as well, I doubt they would attempt to plunder your domain of Zora Hall unless suffering heavy casualties are in order."
" For that we should be thankful."
" How come?"
" Lulu's eggs are currently vulnerable given that they need to be transferred to your tank if they are to hatch in the right conditions. I wouldn't put it past those pirates stealing them and taking them back to their fortress. If those creatures can keep them grounded, it'd be a load off my shoulders."
" Those pirates are crafty so they could always come up with another tactic."
" I doubt they'd be smart enough to try. Besides, Mikau will take care of them like he usually does."
"Oh... The guitarist of your band."
" He's the only Zora who possesses the blood of heroes and that makes him our best bet against the Gerudo. Whenever they cause trouble for us, he gets out here, clashes blows with them, and winds up making them retreat with their tails between their legs."
" Does he know about the eggs?"
" He knows they have been laid but doesn't know he is the father, professor."
" What? Why haven't you told him?"
" It's not really my place despite me being the leader of the band. If anyone is going to tell him, it would be Lulu and no one else. Normally, I wouldn't discuss their private affairs with anyone outside of the group, but you're an old friend, professor, so you're an exception. Lulu has been on edge lately what with the water getting warmer. She was thrilled at the prospect of becoming a mother yet now she seems distant about it. Mikau and I don't know what to do with her out of fear we could upset her."
" Parental anxieties."
" Excuse me?"
" I think poor Lulu is nervous about being a mother and telling Mikau that he is the father of her children. While I don't know what kind of relationship those two have, I'm aware that they have been very forthcoming with it. There's no one in Great Bay who doesn't know about their romance given how gossip loves to fly around."
" Maybe, but I think there's something else to it."
" Have you asked Lulu?"
" No."
" Then I suggest you do that when you return home. I'm sure she would be willing to listen to either you or Mikau given how close you two are with her. Just make sure that you bring the eggs here as soon as possible. This is the purest water in all of Great Bay and is the ideal place for them to hatch. By the way, who is going to be delivering them? I need to know in case a random Zora shows up and they aren't here for the right reasons."
" I believe it will be Mikau."
" Odd choice considering... But, I suppose he will have to do."
Going through Clock Town to reach the western side of Termina Field proved to be a wise decision on my part. By choosing to avoid taking a much longer route, I also avoided the Blue Bubbles that were roaming about outside, yet I did have to deal with the guard who stood by the western most entrance of town. Much like before, he refused to let me past until I had proven myself old enough to leave on my own without supervision. If there was one thing about time travel that I wish could happen, it would be certain individuals remembering their prior encounters with me. I could have saved some time that instead was spent showing the guard my sword.
Still, it was better than dealing with a bunch of Blue Bubbles so I supposed it wasn't a complete loss. I even thought about going into one of the shops and making a purchase and use what few rupees remained in my wallet, but I opted against it due to not knowing whether they were open at night--the Curiosity Shop was open but I didn't want to have to deal with the likes of Iron Will given what happened last time.
Upon leaving through the western gate and finding myself back outside again, I walked down a ramp and onto some sand, and discovered something interesting. Each section of the field was dedicated to each region through a representation of motif. The way to Woodfall comprised of tall grass while the path to Snowhead was a blanket of snow, yet the path before me to Great Fairy consisted of a beach without any water. I couldn't see what was special about the path that went eastwards given I was preoccupied with helping Applejack, but I assume it would be just as interesting.
The sand looked peaceful but my concern was focused on a large wall with a small fence built on top of it. Judging from how high up the wall went, there was no way I could jump over it myself.
Princess Twilight began to observe the situation. " You'll need more powerful legs if we're going to get to the other side."
" Where am I supposed to get something like that?"
" I thought it was obvious."
" Not really."
" You need to jump over that wall using Epona." Twilight said. " I know she can make it as I witnessed her jumping prowess myself when you were practicing back at the ranch despite my initial objections. I think rescuing her was necessary as we wouldn't be able to progress otherwise." A thought then appeared in her mind when her face suddenly lit up. " I have a feeling Starlight knew you needed your horse."
" By dumping her off at the ranch and covering the entrance with that boulder, she thought to stop our progress completely."
" Yes." Twilight said. " She does appear to be taking things up a notch."
I nodded my head. " Then we should be careful when exploring the beaches of Great Bay." I took out the Ocarina of Time from the pouch on my belt, played Epona's Song, and just like magic, she appeared out of nowhere and galloped over to me before stopping. " No matter how many times I see her appeared out of thin air, it never gets old." I began to whinny and Epona responded in kind before I climbed onto her back. " Okay, Epona... We need to jump over that fence. It's a lot higher than what you're used to seeing but you're the only one who can make the jump. Do you think you can do it?"
Epona answered by whinnying loudly. She then trotted back several metres before galloping forward only for some creatures to pop out of the sand. I had no time to ponder over what they were otherwise Epona would lose momentum. I gently slapped her in the flank to increase her speed and she jumped up and over the fence landing on the other side with a loud thud that was mitigated by the sand.
The creatures on the other side of the wall made strange whirling noises before everything went quiet again. I patted Epona on the muzzle and whinnied a congratulatory message as I didn't want to have to repeat that attempt several times over. As she whinnied back, I looked in front and noticed the path was now flanked on both sides by cliffs that looked impossible to climb. Our way forward went downward on a slope yet I could sense some kind of force coming from what would essentially be our destination, the region of Great Bay. This force didn't feel like Starlight's power but rather something else, something that had been dormant for centuries.
I turned to Her Highness. " Do you feel that?"
" I do." Twilight answered. " Whatever that is, you and I can definitely feel it. I guess we can sense things others can't due to being magical ponies, but that's just a guess on my part and shouldn't be taken as absolute proof."
" What do you suppose lies ahead?"
" Those creatures we encountered just now."
" You think so?"
Princess Twilight nodded. " Yes. Those were Leevers, creatures that rise out from under the sand and charge forward in hopes of running into something. If you ignore them and let them go by, they will just go back down into the sand only to rise again moments later. One strike from your sword will take them down but you should be careful about it, Sunset. If you attack too many of them, a rare blue Leever could appear and attack you in an aggressive manner. This version is more durable in that it takes more hits to defeat it, but doing so will result in stopping the swarm and earning a lot of rupees."
" So I should avoid them?"
" So long as you walk on the sand, they will appear." Twilight answered. " However, Epona seems to be unaffected by them. In fact, I think she can simply plow right through them as though they weren't even there. In any case, you need to be careful where you walk once you climb down from her."
Kicking Epona softly in the ribs, she galloped forward down the sloped path that twisted and turned several times before it suddenly opened up into a massive beach that spanned in both east and west directions. I could also see the ocean looming before me yet something about it felt off, like really off, as though the ocean was corrupted by evil. Aside from a few palm trees scattered about, the only places of interest that I could see were two buildings located to the left. There was a third building located right in the water though it appeared to be floating in place what with a platform situated below it.
Since I learned that the Zora lived here, I was expecting them to be nearby doing their usual business, but instead there was no one around. It was as though the beach itself was devoid of life save for what lurked beneath the sand.
My first instinct was to have Epona gallop over to the water's edge but I chose to climb down from her and continue on foot. With those Leever lurking below, they could attack her while I wasn't around and I couldn't allow that to happen. Fortunately, there was some grassy terrain located near one of the two buildings, so I veered Epona to the left and she trotted across the sand until we reached the building--luckily no Leevers popped up so I knew that she would be safe.
The building itself looked pretty ordinary though a nearby sign said that this was the home of a fisherman. I should've realized that someone of that nature would live around here given that there was probably ample amount of places one could go in order to fish. I wasn't sure if I needed the assistance of a fisherman so instead I turned my attention towards the second building, and my entire body felt a cold chill. This second building was run-down and ready to fall apart due to being so unkempt, and there were even cobwebs strewn about adding to the overall disturbing factor. Whoever lived there ought to have been ashamed of themselves.
Climbing dwon from Epona, she whinned several times telling me to be careful, and I whinned in response saying that I will. Since I knew that I would be attacked by Leevers, I decided to simply run towards the water's edge and hopefully avoid getting hit in the process. The instant I ran onto the sand, Leevers started popping out of the sand and began sliding towards me in hopes of colliding, yet I ignored all of them until I reached the water.
I breathed heavily and dropped to my knees. " That was too close!"
" Those Leevers will be a problem so long as we remain on the sand."
" I just need a few moments to catch my breath." I said, breathing heavily.
" While you were running over here, I did catch Pinkie Pie floating above the platform that's right above us."
" Maybe we'll talk to her during the next cycle of time."
Princess Twilight nodded. " That would be for the best as there's no telling how much you'll get done around here with only thirty hours left." Her Highness then noticed a flock of seagulls out in the ocean and bopped me on my head to get my attention. " What do you suppose those seagulls are doing over there?"
I looked out for myself. " I don't know but I wouldn't want to bother them."
" Is it just me or do you see something bobbing up and down on the water's surface?"
" Where?"
" By those seagulls." Twilight answered. " They're hovering around something."
I got up, placed my hand above my eyes, and looked out to see if I could spot what Her Highness was talking about. Sure enough, something was bobbing up and down beneath the seagulls yet there was no way of knowing what it was unless I swam over there. At the very least, the seagulls weren't attacking it--they were merely hovering around it--so I had a chance of getting to it and perhaps bring it back to shore.
Since I had no time to change out of my tunic--I didn't have a swimsuit and the alternative wasn't an option--I jumped into the water and discovered that it was warm. It wasn't as warm as the hot spring water from Snowhead, but it was definitely warmer than it ought to be. At first I thought I'd sink due to having so much heavy equipment on my person but I couldn't allow such a drawback prevent me from finding out what was out there. Unlike Woodfall that only featured small bodies of water, Great Bay had an entire ocean so swimming to the best of my abilities was in order otherwise I would likely drown.
That's when I noticed something moving about underwater... a lot of somethings given how there were several tiny objects swimming about and a larger one moving about slowly on the ocean's floor. Whatever they were, I had to ignore them and find out what had gotten the interest of those seagulls.
With all the strength I could muster, I swam out towards the bobbing object only to hear someone calling out to me. Well... I wouldn't say they were calling but rather struggling to utter a few words. They did sound like they were in desperate need of help so I continued swimming until I reached what wasn't just an object. No... It was a person. No... It was a Zora yet there was something strange going on with them. Zoras were at home in the water due to being fish-like yet this one looked like a beached whale in the water. Either they weren't very good at swimming--a weird thought--or something must have happened.
" Unghhh... Somebody..."
" What's wrong?" I asked.
" Unghh... Please..."
" Are you alright?"
" G-gu-hu... Get me... to shore..."
Whoever this Zora was, he was definitely having problems. I had to help him get to shore otherwise the underwater creatures could attack and even kill him. It took me a few moments to figure out a means of pushing him back to shore, but the solution involved grabbing onto one of his fins and push. I hoped that he wouldn't be offended by my actions as I didn't say any other alternative.
Grabbing a fin, I began to swim, pushing the Zora forward at the same time, and both of us began to slowly make our way to the shore. Since his face was submerged underwater, there was no way of knowing if he was from the world that I now called home or from Equestria. He remained deathly quiet and I feared that he had succumbed to whatever happened to him, but upon arriving back at the shore, he slowly got onto his feet before walking forward in intense pain.
This continued on for several moments before he collapesd onto the sand. I quickly got out of the water and rushed over before turning him over onto his back. Unlike the Zora I encountered on my previous journey, this one had tattoos all across his arms. While I wasn't going to question his choice of wanting them, they didn't go well with his overall complexion. When I looked at his face, I didn't recognize who he was yet Her Highness seemed to.
" Thunderlane!?" Twilight exclaimed.
" Who is that?"
" He's a Pegasus." Twilight answered. " He lives in Ponyville and is a Wonderbolt Trainee, yet while Rainbow Dash--my version--berates him sometimes because of his lax attitude when it comes to flying, he is very dependable when you need him. I'm surprised that he would be here of all places."
" What do you think happened to him?"
Princess Twilight shook her head. " I don't know but those cuts all across his body tell me that he might not make it."
Thunderlane then spoke. " Unnggghhh... Am I... on shore?"
" Yes." I answered. " I brought you back here."
" Thank you... for bringing me to shore... Uuungh... I am Mikau of the Zora people... guitarist in the Zora band..." Thunderlane said in a weak voice. " I... didn't think anyone noticed me out there in the ocean... yet you brought me back to shore. While I appreciate... your kindness towards me whoever you are... I think this is it for me... My final message... I must share with someone... my terrible fate through song."
Was he being serious!? He wanted to tell me what happened to him by singing!? I supposed it made sense since he did say that he was a guitarist, and I could relate to him on a personal level given that I was a guitarist as well. Still, the thought of Thunderlane performing a solo act while in so much pain was poor judgment on his part. Most people would simply tell their story to anyone who would listen yet he wanted to go all out.
Thunderlane continued. " ...Will you listen to it?"
I nodded my head. " Yes."
" Then let me begin." Thunderlane said. He suddenly got up onto his feet and pulled out what looked to be a giant skeleton of a fish from behind his back. It was certainly ghastly in appearance until I noticed several guitar strings had been strewn across the spine of the fish. Did Thunderlane possess what amounted to as a fish-bone guitar!? Like I've said before, just when things couldn't get any stranger, they end up doing exactly that. " One! Two! Three!!!" (1)
" Is he really doing this?" Twilight asked. " I'm... speechless."
" Looks like that's a yes." I answered. " We might as well let him do it."
" Oh, baby, baby, listen to me!
The carnival's beginning soon.
We're the ones they're waiting to
see."
" But that girl, our vocalist...
She laid some strange eggs.
And she's lost her voice,
You can't hear what she says." Thunderlane sang.
I had to admit that his lyrics were pretty catchy although his choice of music left something to be desired. He also moved his body about as he strummed his guitar and it made him come off as being wild and not wanting to be controlled.
It took me a few moments to figure out the meaning behind his words. Miss Pommel mentioned before that the Indigo-Go's--no doubt Thunderlane was referring to them when he mentioned that he was part of a band--but they weren't aware that the carnival had been cancelled due to Monsieur Aroma. I wanted to set him straight and mention that his band wasn't going to be performing, but instead he continued with his ballad.
" Whoa-oh! In Great Bay now
somethin' is a-happenin'.
Is it now?"
" Oh! Baby, listen to me.
I don't wanna beg.
Gerudo Pirates!
They stole that girl's eggs."
" Sunset!" Twilight exclaimed. " Did you hear that?"
I nodded. " The Gerudo stole the eggs that were laid by their lead singer."
" Do you think Ganondorf is involved?"
" No, I don't think so." I answered. " Stealing eggs would be far beneath his contempt and besides, the only thing he yearns for is power. If he were associated with the Gerudo of this world, he wouldn't have forced them to acquire something like Zora eggs."
" Then these Gerudo are different from him?"
" Seems to be."
" I went to stop the Gerudo Pirates,
then pow and bam!
I got knocked down,
and here I am!" Thunderlane sang.
" What do you make of that, Sunset?"
" I don't think his wounds are the result of pirates."
" Yes." Twilight nodded. " Those wounds look like they were done by monsters as opposed to swords."
Thunderlane obviously didn't notice that he was bleeding all across his body, yet what Her Highness said had me concerned regarding what lurked underwater. Judging from his physique, monsters shouldn't have been able to inflict so many wounds on Thunderlane, but they had and it felt really uncomforting knowing that those same creatures could effectively do the same thing to me. There was no doubt that Starlight was responsible for the monster infestation yet I had no idea where they were coming from.
My eyes suddenly drifted towards a large object located way out in the ocean but I couldn't make out what it was. Whatever lurked out there was covered in a veil of clouds--I didn't know what it was and clouds were the first thing I thought of--but before I could think more about it, Thunderlane continued singing.
" Baby! If I die like this...
Even if I die...
It won't be in peace...
That's for suuure!
" Somebody, please rescue her eggs
before the pirates take their toll.
Oh, somebody, somebody,
please heal my soul."
" That's all... Thank you!"
Suddenly, Thunderlane collapsed onto the sand, his guitar landing a short distance away, and I immediately ran over to him to see if he was okay. I quickly placed my fingers on
his neck to see if there was a pulse, and there was but it was barely there.
" What do we do now?"
" He won't survive those wounds." Twilight answered. " I doubt that even the strongest of healing magic can save him."
" Just before he collapsed, Thunderlane mentioned something about his soul."
" I heard him say something to that effect but I couldn't quite catch it."
I dropped to knees, leaned forward, and spoke above Thunderlane's face. " Did you mention your soul?"
Thunderlane was barely able to nod his head. " Gugh-hunh... M-my eyes... Everything's all hazy... Ha... So this is what death... feels like. I never thought... it would happen to me... but that's what can happen when you act... heroic and... want to do the right thing. Soon, I'll be just another wave in the ocean... destined to disappear." He then coughed up some blood before opening his eyes wide. " My soul... I need it healed otherwise I'll die regretting... not being able to save those eggs. My life... there's no way I'll be using it any longer so please... can you help me?"
" Yes... I can heal your soul." I said as I took out the Ocarina of Time.
" Are you sure about this, Sunset?"
I nodded my head. " Thunderlane is desperate to have his soul healed otherwise he'll be tormented in the afterlife, and I don't want him to go through that. Besides, I have a pretty good idea what will happen. Now I just need a few moments to remember how it went." The Song of Healing was something I've rarely played given there weren't many people in Termina who needed their souls healed other than the dead or those that were close to being dead.
Fortunately, it didn't take nearly as long to remember the notes, so I played the song and Thunderlane started to feel the effects though not at first. I actually thought it wasn't working as he wasn't moving but that changed when his body began to sparkle in a faint light.
" Oh, yeah! That hot sound shoots right to my heart."
A bright light then flashed and I found myself in absolute darkness though Thunderlane was also with me albeit further ahead. He stepped onto what I assumed was a floor before opening his eyes, and that's when someone walked towards him wearing a beautiful blue coloured gown. I couldn't see who this Zora was as her face was shrouded in darkness, but I knew that she was of importance to Thunderlane as he smiled in her presence. His fish-bone guitar suddenly appeared next to him, hovering slightly above the ground, and he picked it up, held the female Zora's hand in his own, and they turned towards several other Zora off in the distance.
I couldn't tell who any of them were either as their faces were shrouded, but their instruments were a combination of unique and freaky due to them being the skeletal remains of aquatic creatures--as far as I could tell. Thunderlane and the female Zora walked towards the others before everything went bright again.
When my vision came back to me, the faint sparkling light that had surrounded Thunderlane had gotten more intense until his entire body disappeared into the ether leaving behind a mask that looked like his face, but was more generic looking. The mask fell onto the sand and I picked it up knowing the significance behind it. Much like what happened when I healed Maud's soul, I had inherited Thunderlane's mission that he wasn't able to finish. I had to rescue the Zora eggs that had been taken by the Gerudo pirates.
" That's the Zora Mask." Twilight said. " I don't need to explain what will happen when you wear it."
" This makes my third transformation mask."
" Yes and I have a hunch you'll be using your upcoming new form extensively while we're in this region."
I sighed. " What about the Deku and Goron Masks? Am I going to stop using them since I have this new one? I mean, I know that I briefly became a Deku to rescue that Stray Fairy, but you know what I mean, don't you, Twilight?"
" Yes." Twilight answered. " And it confirmed a theory I've had. In Woodfall, since Deku Scrubs live there, you had to use the Deku Mask because much of what you had to overcome was geared towards them. The same can be said about Snowhead and the Goron Mask in that what you overcame up in the mountains could only be done by a Goron. In Great Bay, a Zora will be needed to overcome whatever challenges await us, but you might need the power of your other forms for a couple of small tasks."
" And the final region."
" I don't know."
" Should I try this new mask out?"
" You might as well."
Before I could put on the Zora Mask, Thunderlane's spirit appeared in front of me. " WAAAAH!" I yelled.
" What you hold in your hands is my spirit sealed within a mask, but I am fine with this because I know that I have left my life in your hands. Carve my farewell song on my grave... and use my guitar as its marker. I'm depending on you to help that singer girl..." Thunderlane then produced his guitar and began to play it before disappearing again. While I was tempted to change into a Zora, I had to carry out his final request.
I grabbed his guitar and walked across the sand, avoiding the Leevers in the process, until I was standing just to the left of the path that went back to Termina Field. Despite not really knowing him at all, my heart felt as though I had known Thunderlane my entire life. What kind of marker would be a perfect representation of the kind of person he was? A pair of sticks that had been scattered on the sand gave me an idea as to what to do.
Putting the guitar down, I walked over to the sticks, grabbed them, walked back, and began making a makeshift grave marker. Since I didn't have the proper meant with which to make the marker, I had to make do with going extremely primitive. First, I thrust one stick into the sand following by pushing the second one through a hole that was in the first one. I checked to make sure it was sturdy before placing his guitar up against it, and just like that I had finished making his grave. While it wasn't as impressive looking as what Maud had been given by the Gorons, the other Zora weren't aware that Thunderlane was dead.
" What do you think?"
" It will do given what you lacked." Twilight answered. " Also, you chose a good spot for it. Had you put it anywhere else, those Leevers might have desecrated it by simply knocking it over and trampling on the guitar."
" We should have a moment of silence."
Princess Twilight nodded. " I agree."
I bowed my head and remained quiet for a minute before looking down at the mask again. By wearing it on my face, I would become Thunderlane, or rather the character he was portraying, and continue on with his mission. One thought crossed my mind and it involved my gender, a strange thing to think about. I'm a girl and by donning this mask, I would become a guy, changing my gender until I took it off when I needed to be human again. Perhaps I was thinking too much into it? It shouldn't really bother me yet my mind brought it up so it must be somewhat concerning.
There was no point in worrying about until after I changed though I was worried about the transition. Whenever I put on one of these transformation masks, I always go through an ugly transition. I hoped that this time would be different.
After breathing several times, I turned the mask around, and placed it on my face. The magic contained within the mask immediately started to affect me and I could feel my body beginning the transformation, but unlike before, I just ducked my head down slightly. No convulsions or stumbling about. Perhaps this transition would be easy on me but I'd be wrong about that when I suddenly screamed at the top of my lungs, the mask's face looking like something one would find in their worst nightmares.
Once my head stopped spinning, I took a single step forward so that I could regain my balance, and straight away I felt slightly taller than before. I also felt more graceful, like my entire body wanted to dance about because of being able to appreciate nature. Was this what it felt like to be a Zora?
" Twilight?" I asked. " How do I look?"
" That's difficult for me to answer."
" What do you mean?"
" You might want to look at your reflection." Twilight answered. " I think you might be surprised."
I didn't understand what she was talking about so I walked over to the water's edge and looked down at my reflection. " Is... Is this... me?" I was expecting to look slightly similar to Thunderlane, yet that couldn't be further from the truth. Instead, my appearance was that of a female Zora though I was wearing a green skirt, brown boots, and brown fingerless gloves, referencing the clothes I wore " What are these things!?" Covering my breasts were what appeared to be scales but I couldn't tell for sure nor was I planning on figuring out why.
I had a fin growing out the back of my head, and it featured a green coloured tinge on the tip, referencing my hat. In front of that green tinge was a tinge of red and orange in a streaking pattern, a reference to my natural hair colour. Lastly, unlike Thunderlane who had tattoos on his arms, I didn't have any which was both a relief and concerning. No doubt that he was well known among his people so if I come across them in this form, would they even recognize me, err, him?
" You look gorgeous."
" I'm surprised you would say something like that, Twilight."
" Hanging around Rarity will do that to you."
I then noticed I had fins on my arms. " I wonder what these are for?"
Princess Twilight shook her head. " I'm not sure as I don't know anything about the Zora."
" Let me try something." I closed my eyes and began to concentrate. The fins suddenly extended out on their own and looked like a pair of blades, one on each arm and were almost the size of my body. It wasn't painful or anything when it happened but it did catch me by surprise. " Whoa! Did you see that?"
" Those fins look like they could be used as swords."
I began swinging my arms around and found that it wasn't very easy to maintain my balance. The fins felt heavy although I attributed that to not being adjusted to my new body, a fact that needed to be rectified quickly if I was to carry on Thunderlane's mission. A few more swings resulted in my falling down and landing face-first into the sand--if I were practicing to join a team, I was failing in a spectacular fashion.
Getting back onto my feet, I continued swinging my arms around in hopes of improving, but I should've known that nothing can be mastered quickly. Another face-first in the sand experience and I was ready to call it quits.
" Crap!" I sighed. " This isn't as easy as it looks."
" Compared to Deku Scrubs and Gorons, Zoras have a steep learning curve." Twilight said. " If you can't figure out how to get used to that body, you won't be able to get back those stolen eggs. Maybe you should make your way down to wherever it is that the Zoras live and ask one of them to help you?"
I shook my head repeatedly. " If I did that, Thunderlane's reputation would be sunk."
" Then what should we do?"
" I don't know but I need to come up with something and soon." I answered. In a blind panic, I somehow fired the fins on my arms leaving me surprised. The fins travelled forward a few metres, curved around in a sharp arc in opposite directions, and travelled back before reattaching to my arms. " What in the world just happened?" I looked down at my arms and sweat trickled down my face. " How did I fire those? How can my body separate bits of itself? How... How... I don't even know anymore."
" Calm down, Sunset." Twilight said. " Don't lose your composure."
I began breathing in-and-out to calm down but found that it wasn't working. " It's not helping!"
" Then maybe we should consult with Thunderlane."
" Excuse me!?"
" He can show you how to use your new body." Twilight said. " If anyone should know how he works, it would be him."
I scratched my head. " Um... How can I communicate with him when he's dead? It's not like I know how to perform a seance."
Princess Twilight pointed towards the grave marker. " Thunderlane said for you to carve his farewell song on the marker you made for him. If I'm right then you provided yourself with the necessary instructions on how to be a Zora, unintentionally of course."
Was the answer to my problem right in front of me and I didn't even realize it? I hoped that Thunderlane had left behind instructions that I could understand otherwise I was going to have a nightmare of an experience being a Zora.
(1) These lyrics are exactly how Mikau "sings" them in the game. I decided not to alter these in any way because I'm not experienced when it comes to making song lyrics, and I didn't want to tarnish what can be seen as an iconic scene in the game.
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Had a Feeling it would be him. He too portrayed as Mikau in another MLP: Majora's mask story.
I am a bit surprised that Sunset kept her gender when she transformed into a Zora. I had a feeling the she would portray as one of those special-type of anime characters. having the facial appearance of a female, but still have the gender of a male. Bishonen I believe the term is... I get the feeling she'll be able to keep her gender, but in other people's eyes (Except Twilight) she'll have the appearance of a male.
I'm already liking the idea of a zora-sunset. when you gave off a basic description of what sunset would look like as a zora, I couldn't wait to read what her and twilight's reaction would be.
In theory Sunset is still with the basic sword, she need to go to the smith for a better sword, did she forget about it?
Also, I wonder what could happen if Sunset ask them "Does the name Ganondorf is familiar to you?"
Aww, no shenanigans. Oh well, probably would have got weird, anyway.
Thunderlane as Mikau. Does that mean Rumble will be his... son?
Yeah, it's pretty tough to write our own lyrics based on songs.
7740020
Believe it or not but Thunderlane was a last minute choice. I actually didn't have anyone in mind right up until I started to write that part in so I had to look up a list of all male characters in MLP and go from there. Could I have used Soarin? Maybe but then I have another role for him to play.
I said a while back that I labelled Mikau as male yet I meant to go with female, but when the reaction to what would happen was positive, I decided to stick with it and see how it turned out. The description I gave of Sunset as a Zora was one of the best moments I've written so far and we still have at least twenty more chapters--maybe even more than that--to go before this story concludes.
7740670
She'll have to defeat Goht all over again and win the Goron's Patriarchal Race again. No doubt she won't like doing that but the temptation of wanting a better sword will become evident when she goes up against more powerful enemies. That Kokiri Sword is going to become problematic sooner rather than later.
That's not a bad idea. I think I will have her mention it to Rainbow Dash when they meet.
7741400
Can you imagine Thunderlane performing that song in the same manner that Mikau was?
7741313
What shenanigans would those be?
Awesome chapter as always. Zora Sunset is going to be interesting, and I do like keeping Sunset female. And I don't think Sunset's gonna have a problem adapting to playing a guitar considering the end of EG2. In fact... I forsee Sunset having a blast playing Mikau's guitar and rocking out a couple times.
7741826 You know, the usual gender-bending shenanigans, not to mention Sunset assuming the role of someone who was, eh, *ahem* "involved" with who I'm assuming is the only Humane 7 not currently accounted for. Though there could still be shenanigans with that. And to be honest, I think with Sunset's history as a "bad girl", Mikau's kickboxing fighting style will probably feel natural once she's used to the new body.
...
7741948
The only thing Sunset will have trouble with is knowing that she will be playing the bones of a fish. The Zora have weird tastes when it comes to their instruments given they use the remains of dead creatures. Aside from that, she will definitely enjoy the experience.
7742639
Okay, I see what you mean now.
I'm not going to take the story in that direction as it would go against the series'--Legend of Zelda that is--standards, but I could reference it and have Sunset feel awkward about it.
7744554
I was being serious about that but we won't see much more of it since the Termina version of Starlight is evil.
7746158 I understand. Got to keep those standards up.
not gonna lie, was hoping to get a chuckle outta Sunset getting gender swapped, but oh well lol least I now got an idea for the Legend of Sunset Majoras Mask art