Chapter 43: Eye of the Frog
The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Majora's Mask
By Ganondorf8
February 6, 2017
Chapter 43: Eye of the Frog.
I had seen plenty of strange things throughout this journey, yet what was hanging on the ceiling above me was without a doubt the strangest thing of all. Not even the most vile of creatures from Equestria paled in comparison to what I had to fight, and I had seen plenty of those during my studies as Princess Celestia's student. I had no doubt that Starlight Glimmer was responsible for creating it to prevent anyone from saving the giant who was trapped, yet what compelled her to make something like this!? Part of me wanted to imagine being back home with all of my friends, hanging out in the school library like we usually did in-between classes.
Yet that was merely a dream while this was reality. I had no other choice but to fight this thing and conquer it using whatever abilities I could muster. There was one problem though and it involved figuring out how to bring it down to the ground. It's not like I could jump up to the ceiling in order to battle it--none of my masks allowed me the ability to jump high or walk on the ceiling--so what else could I do? I mean, just looking at how hideous it was made me feel uneasy.
The creature looked like someone's lost eye socket complete with the skin surrounding it, and was surrounded by what appeared to be an endless supply of bubbles. I wasn't sure what to make of those other than they would become an issue. I supposed they were a means of protecting the main creature but judging from its thick hide, I doubted that it needed any kind of protection. And then there was the eyeball itself, a piercing gaze so strong that I couldn't look away no matter how hard I tried. That bloodshot stare was watching my every move and if I didn't know any better, I could swear that it was winking at me every now and again.
All of a sudden, the creature began to twitch and I was prepared to fight for my life, but then my jaw dropped when it turned out that it was just shuffling and continued to stare down at me with that gaze. It had no intention of fighting me.
Was I not worth the trouble or something!?
Unless this monster would come down and begin the impending battle, there wasn't much I could do other than waste what precious time I had until I had to reset time and go through the process of exploring this temple all over again. If my calculations were correct based on the position of the sun prior to entering the temple, I'd say that the current time was roughly noon so that gave me forty-two hours.
While I was concerned with the threat that lurked above, Princess Twilight was having her usual reaction whenever she saw something that interested her. While I appreciated the desire for more knowledge--too much was never a bad thing--Her Highness took it to a whole new level which was making my journey all the more difficult. I needed the guiding wisdom she represented as my fairy companion, yet her geeking out was testing my patience. Yet, I couldn't hold it against her as she was only indulging in her curiosity.
Princess Twilight squealed. " I've never seen anything like this before in all of my books! Could this be a new species of monster that not even the people of Termina know of? If only I had my monster guide book my brother gave me, then I'd have written it down for sure."
" I can't believe you're fangasming over whatever that is!" I shouted.
" We don't even have anything like this back in Equestria."
" Twilight..."
" This is without a doubt the greatest discovery in the history of monster hunters!"
" Twilight!"
Princess Twilight snapped out of her daydream and shook her head. " Huh? Sunset? What's going on?"
" And you thought my daydreaming was bad." I answered. " You need to stop geeking out over the monster and help me figure out what I'm supposed to do next! We're not getting out of this room until that thing is destroyed so you might want to get your head in the game and quickly before something goes wrong."
Princess Twilight blushed. " I am so, so sorry, Sunset. I didn't meant to allow my desire for knowledge to get in the way of what is important. It's just that seeing this creature brought out my inner bookworm and it compelled me to want to learn as much about it as possible." She then calmed down upon realizing that she was working herself into a frenzy over again over it. " I guess despite being a princess in Equestria, my inner bookworm has been working overtime as of late. In fact, it only began to flare up ever since we first entered this temple as I never felt this way beforehand. Do you find that to be suspicious or am I losing it?"
I scratched my head. " I'm not sure but what I do know is that you need to focus, Twilight. I need you to guide me through this journey so that means your advice will mean the difference between life and death for me."
" Talk about pressure."
" I know you don't like stress but what else would you have me say?"
" Good point."
" Now... About this monster."
Princess Twilight looked up at it. " This thing is called a Wart and not the kind that can grow on your body in the most embarrassing of places." I rolled my eyes in response yet she didn't noticed and continued. " You need to attack the eye when it opens though it won't be easy as those bubbles will protect the eye from any and all attacks. Every time you strike one of those bubbles, it will detach itself from Wart and begin to bounce around for a while until you either cut it to pieces or it goes to back to the body. They may look harmless but they can easily overwhelm you if enough of them swarm you."
" Do I need to get rid of the bubbles?"
" To attack the eye? Then yes."
I looked up at the monster and gulped upon seeing so many bubbles. " There must be at least fifty or so of them."
" I would say more like one hundred." That wasn't making me feel any better. " In any case, you first need to find a way to bring Wart down here otherwise nothing is going to be happening and our time was waste away until it runs out. Perhaps if you could fire an arrow up at the eye? That would cause the bubbles to react and protect the eye and convince the monster to come down and deal with us personally."
I didn't think that an arrow would be needed to hit an eyeball but then previous experiences indicated that arrows hitting eyeballs were essential. It also explained why those pots in the previous room mostly contained bundles of arrows and recovery hearts more than anything else. Since I didn't really have much of a choice, I took out the Hero's Bow, loaded an arrow and aimed up at Wart who continued to look at me with its powerful gaze. I had no idea what was going to happen upon firing my arrow but at this point anything was better than waiting around for something to happen.
Firing my arrow, it sailed through the sky hitting its target, yet I was dejected as the monster closed its eye and my arrow merely struck the eyelid before dropping down to the ground, snapping in two upon impact. My next attempt fared worse in that the arrow struck a bubble though it didn't get dis-lodged or anything, yet Wart did give me quite the scolding expression through its eye like it were annoyed at what I had just did. Ignoring it as best as I could--not an easy thing when your opponent had a giant eyeball that could watch your every move and hiding was practically impossible--I fired a third arrow that connected with the eye though what happened next was shocking.
Reeling from the blow to its eye, Wart began to shuffle about before the bubbles suddenly started falling down from above. It was like a rainstorm only this wasn't rain but a series of independent creatures that were dropping down by the dozens. I began running about dodging each of them that fell though a few did damage me in the process--their damage was actually minimal though it would be more in a group attack--but then Wart itself came crashing to the ground, the tremor made me fall onto my butt, before staring at me with its giant eye now closer that it was previously. I couldn't help but try to look away but again it was in vain.
The bubbles then suddenly to cling onto the body producing a rather unorthodox shield before the entire mass began to move around at a slow pace. Was this the fight? It playing a defensive strategy and not attacking in response? Something didn't seem right about this. Why would it not use those bubbles surrounding it to attack me and eventually swarm me with so many of them that I couldn't escape? I wasn't about to question it any further as I needed to focus on winning and getting out of this room.
Aiming at the eye and waiting for the eyeball to be exposed, I fired the instant it opened only to discover that my arrow bounced off the bubbles harmlessly. Undaunted, I tried a second time and this attempt quickly failed. I thought about using a third arrow though I quickly figured it was pointless as the bubbles were acting as a shield.
" Arrows aren't working." I said as I put my bow away."
" You need to use the bow when the eye is exposed."
" Okay, then how do I get to the eye with all those bubbles blocking the way?"
" As I mentioned before, you need to attack them in order to get them to detach from Wart." Twilight answered. " Your sword can easily knock them off but be careful as you could knock off more than you can handle resulting in you being swamped. Also, I don't believe you'll need to defeat them all to be able to reach the eye. If you defeat enough of them, that should expose a hole in their defences yet it will take some time given how many of them there are."
" This sounds like a battle of endurance."
Princess Twilight nodded. " You just need to keep up the pace and cut those bubbles down."
Drawing my sword and shield, I walked up to where Wart was floating and performed a horizontal slice that severed roughly six bubbles from the bottom, causing them to start bouncing around in a crazy fashion in all directions. This prompted me to chase after them since I needed to attack them again to eliminate them for good otherwise they would bounce their way back to Wart, reattach themselves to its body and repeating the process. Chasing the bubbles proved more difficult than I thought as their bouncing was erratic making it almost next to impossible for me to keep track of where they were going.
Catching up to three of them and cutting them down, the other three then knocked me onto my stomach when they collided with me from behind before connecting back to Wart feeling me to get back onto my feet. I then noticed the small hole that appeared due to defeating the three bubbles a few moments ago. That was what Her Highness meant when she said that not all of them needed to be defeated.
Since I didn't really have much of a choice, I began swinging my sword in several arcs, slashing off the bubbles where they bounced around. Some of them got cut down by my additional swings before they could get away yet things got hectic when more of them bounced around, more than what I wanted. With so many, I struggled to figure out what was going on though my mind kept on urging me to continue swinging. It soon became a bubble sea, my vision limited from seeing nothing but bubbles, and eventually it proved too much for me to endure as I got swamped by them.
After a few moments of being pushed about, I got pushed away from the bubbles and landed in the corner of the room--a crate broke my fall though it wasn't what I would call a smooth landing--leaving me to once again pick myself up and observe the current situation. I had managed to cut down a few more bubbles though there were still dozens of them preventing me from attacking the eyeball. At the current pace I was going, I would be able to hit the eye in several hours. No... There had to be a faster method that I just wasn't seeing.
Turning towards Princess Twilight, I looked utterly dejected. " This isn't working, Twilight. There are just too many of them to get rid of."
" I know it's a daunting task, Sunset, but what other choice is there?"
I lowered my head. " Every time I cut one off from that thing, it just bounces around until I either cut it again or it goes back. Now imagine that but with almost a hundred more of them as you said there was and you'll understand why I'm feeling hopeless right now."
" Yes, I see what you mean."
" I could become a Goron or even a Zora as those two bodies would fare better."
Princess Twilight took a quick glance at Wart before looking back at me. " Your Goron body would be more powerful but you would also be a lot slower in terms of your movement and attack speed. Those bubbles would take advantage of such a disadvantage so I'm afraid that won't help. Your Zora body is sleek and fast allowing you to attack from a distance, yet your fins leave you vulnerable to attack as you wait for them to return. Again, you would be at a disadvantage in that scenario. Your Deku body is small and would allow you to avoid the bubbles but then such a size means needing to be up close so that you can retaliate with your own bubbles."
" So none of my other forms are useful?"
Princess Twilight nodded. " Unfortunately yes, so you'll need to rely on your items. Arrows would be too costly and firing them would leave you vulnerable since you need to stand still to fire them, but perhaps you could use something unorthodox instead? Surely there must be something that could pull those bubbles away without having to get up close and cut them off from Wart resulting in a confusing mess."
Her Highness was pretty subtle when it came to telling me what to do though she didn't really need to do that. I could have deduced that she was referring to the Hookshot since it was my most recent item and I figured I hadn't really been given much of an opportunity to use it, yet I knew she wanted some fun since being a princess meant following protocol so much that she couldn't be herself when she wanted to. I supposed that was one advantage I had over her because I could do my own thing without having to worry about the well-being of others, yet that's what made Her Highness who she was.
She was always destined to become a princess and was properly groomed for the position. While she never knew about it, Princess Celestia firmly believed that she would become the newest alicorn to grace Equestria, and that came to pass when she finished a magic spell belonging to the legendary Star Swirl the Bearded. Was I jealous? I was though I'm sure Princess Twilight could sense that. Part of me still wished that I could be a princess though deep down I knew that was impossible.
Despite how much work I had done to address the magic problem that I brought into the world I called home, I believed it wasn't enough to fully atone me for betraying my former teacher, stealing an Element of Harmony, plunging Equestria into a state of chaos, and believing myself worthy to be a princess. Some would consider my thoughts to be equivalent of putting myself down yet I wasn't bothered because I knew the truth. I wasn't ready to ascend and become an alicorn even if Princess Twilight would say otherwise. Would I ever be ready for it? Maybe but I had no answer to go with.
Taking out the Hookshot, I looked around to see where Wart had gotten to--it wasn't difficult to spot since it was trapped in this room with me and all it was doing was floating around and not caring about anything--and when I noticed it, it began turning towards me. Since I had a lot of targets to choose from, I just needed to know where to start--that answer came when it dawned on me that I needed to focus on the gap that had been left after cutting the initial bubbles.
Aiming at a bubble and firing the Hookshot's chain, I somehow latched onto it--the tip of the chain pierced the bubble without popping it--and pulled it towards me where I used my sword to cut it down. While this was going to be an arduous process, I felt it was my best bet towards freeing up enough space before I could target the eyeball. The only drawback was when Wart decided to hover its way over and forcing me into moving to another part of the room so that I could pull the bubbles off at a safe distance.
For what felt like forever, the next five minutes was a pretty simple routine. I pulled off a bubble, cut it to pieces with my sword, and repeated the process though it was quickly becoming apparent that I wasn't really making any progress. I honestly thought that it was somehow producing more bubbles to protect its weak point to replace what I had cut, and combined with my exhaustion, this battle was taking its toll on me physically and mentally. Unless I could attack the eye soon, the chances of me collapsing from exhaustion was ever increasing leaving me vulnerable to whatever this thing did to consume food.
Upon pulling off another bubble, I tried to cut it with my sword only to drop it, and proceeding to be knocked into the wall. I rubbed my head despite not hitting it against the wall when I slammed into it. " How many more of those blasted bubbles must I pull off before I can finally attack the eye?"
" By my calculations, you have cut down about thirty of them."
My jaw dropped. " Only thirty!? It feels like a lot more than that!"
Princess Twilight observed Wart and smiled grimly. " Well, you did leave a large enough gap in its defences to fire an arrow into the eye, but judging from how tired you are, I don't know if you can continue."
" I can continue..."
" After dropping your sword like that?"
" I've been through worse."
" Oh I have no doubt about that." Twilight said. " But, if you keep going at this rate, you're liable to suffer from a heart attack."
" Now you know what I go through." I said. While the words of Her Highness were true in that straining myself would cause horrible internal damage, I had to keep going as there wasn't really any other choice. Until this monster was destroyed, we'd be trapped inside of this room at its mercy. " I still have that potion Rarity gave me before coming in here but I don't think it will work to cure exhaustion."
Princess Twilight shook her head. " I'm afraid not. Potions like that only work to restore lost health and heal wounds; exhaustion is something you have to recover from on your
own by having a good rest."
I walked over and picked up my sword. " Resting isn't going to be happening right now." Aiming my Hookshot, I pulled off another bubble and managed to cut it before dropping my sword again. " I don't think I can pull off another bubble. I've reached my limit, Twilight, and this monster hasn't even broken a sweat yet." Picking up my sword again, I turned to face Wart whose defences had indeed weakened thanks to my strategy, yet it meant nothing if I couldn't continue. " You know, I think pulling off that last bubble was enough to give me an opening to fire an arrow at its eye."
" You need to take that shot now!"
" I don't know if I have enough strength to lift my bow."
" Then find your reserve and use it before we both die in here."
Before I had a chance to do anything, Wart floated over to me and knocked me aside using its bulk, sending me into some crates located in a different corner of the room. As I picked myself up and collected the arrows and recovery hearts that came out of the crates, I switched out the Hookshot for the Hero's Bow, and aimed at the eye while waiting for it to open up so that I could hit it. It proved to be a difficult wait as the bubbles were slowly swirling around Wart's body meaning that I had to wait for the gap to come around until it was right in front of the eye, and even then I needed it to be opened.
Wart began moving towards me again and its eye was open yet I couldn't hit it as the hole in its defences was now on the other side of it. Grumbling, I began to run around to the other side in hopes that it would turn on a dime, yet this didn't work as it slowly moved in a semi-circle before moving towards me again. I thought that perhaps firing a few arrows would distract it long enough for the opening in its defences came around to the right side, so I fired a few only for it to keep on moving and eventually knocking me to the ground leaving me vulnerable to the bubbles as they began pushing on my back.
Once they were off of me, I got back up and brushed off the water that dripped down me. I had no idea why there was water in this room that went up to my ankles but I couldn't worry about that since I had other problems. " I think it knows that I'm trying to hit its eye."
" You just need to be patient, Sunset."
" We can't spend too long with this otherwise we'll run out of time."
Princess Twilight nodded. " I know time isn't on our side but you need to remain calm otherwise you could make a mistake. Since you're waiting for the right moment, you're also relaxing and overcoming the fatigue you were suffering from a few minutes ago."
" Now that you mention it, I do feel less tired now."
" I wouldn't wait too long in case Wart figures out what you're doing."
Her Highness was right. I needed to act like I was being serious about this--I was--before this monster would do something that could make this even more difficult. Running around to the other side where Wart's eye was and aiming my bow, the gap in-between the bubbles was over the eye--it was about time things went right--leaving it exposed. The moment its eye opened up, I fired an arrow scoring a direct hit though Wart acted like it didn't feel anything and continued floating. Knowing I needed to keep up the offence, I dashed around to the other side hoping that the gap was still in my favour.
I fired an arrow the instant I turned to face Wart only to find that the gap had moved to the left. Cursing under my breath, I waited for the monster to take its time turning around to face me--this was really testing my patience--and when it had turned, I fired another arrow in hopes that would be enough. It struck a bubble doing nothing and I was about to throw my bow aside in sheer anger over such a stupid shot--the fact that the gap wasn't in my favour was also pretty evident--before Wart changed direction.
Sighing, I ran around to the other side and fired several more arrows, yet while they hit the eye and the gap was with me, the eyeball wasn't exposed. I couldn't allow my temper to get the better of me otherwise I'd only be defeating myself. Performing the breathing exercise that Princess Twilight showed me, I waited for the moment when the eye would open, and sure enough, my wait wasn't very long--it was about a three second wait. When its eyeball became exposed, I fired one more arrow that connected though this time Wart had a reaction that left me wondering if things were about to get worse.
" What is it doing?"
" I'm not sure but be prepared for anything."
All of a sudden, Wart dropped to the ground with a thunderous thud, knocking me down onto my butt, but the worse part was that all of the bubbles that were clung to its body were now bouncing all over the place making things extremely complicated. Why would it cast aside its defence like that? Granted, I now had to fight dozens upon dozens of monsters at the same time though they weren't really a problem aside from the numbers stacked against me. Still, its protection was gone and that meant I could now finally defeat this thing and escape from this room.
That's what I thought would happen until Wart suddenly charged towards me and I barely managed to jump to the side. It whizzed by and smacked into the wall, suffering no damage before changing directions and charging at me again. I jumped to the side again before it careened past and smacked into another wall before turning around and repeating the process for a third time. Every so often, it would open its eye and expose its eyeball giving me an idea of what I need to do now, yet it proved difficult since now it was sliding around all over the place with the sole desire of running me down.
I put away my bow before taking out my shield, slinging it onto my arm, and assuming a defensive position. Wart then came hurdling towards me and I was ready to hold my own using my shield to bounce it back--who was I kidding thinking I could bounce back something that big and heavy--but it proved to be in vain as it knocked me back upon collision and sending me into the wall.
" That didn't work very well."
" Your shield won't be able to protect you from its wild charging."
I got up and brushed myself off. " Why is it acting like that?"
" Perhaps it's an act of desperation though it does mean it's now more vulnerable than before." Twilight answered. " You'll need to attack it with either your sword or a well-timed arrow providing you can aim and fire one before getting knocked over again." Her Highness then looked around to see where the bubbles had all bounced to and did some quick calculations with her fingers. " Taking out those bubbles should be your first priority, Sunset, before going after Wart. They'll only serve to get in the way since they're bouncing all over the place, and their damage will gradually build up if you let it."
" Will sword swings deal with those bubbles?"
Princess Twilight nodded. " Yes, but you should also keep watch of where Wart is going. Like I said, you need to take care of those bubbles first as they will only slow you down and get in the way, yet Wart must be avoided until it's ready to be dealt with. I don't know if it can pop those bubbles so I wouldn't try to figure it out."
I raised my sword above my head. " This is going to be crazy."
" Makes you wish that you had gotten that strong sword from the Mountain Smithy's, doesn't it?"
" I've got to pay them another visit."
Despite the sudden surge in confidence, Her Highness was right about my sword not being long enough--the power wasn't an issue here--as I could stand a fair distance away from the bubbles as I pop them. Had I gone back to Snowhead, defeated Goht again--including making my way through Snowhead Temple again--and won the Goron Races, I'd have been able to give Fancy Pants and Tirek the gold dust they needed to forge my sword into the ultimate weapon. Unfortunately, doing all of that required me to sacrifice a three day cycle because of how long it took them to do a simple re-forging.
Not only that but a stronger sword would have meant not needing to inflict as much damage on monsters as they would usually fall after a hit or two. Perhaps I should consider taking the time to handle some of the optional challenges that are around Termina before heading over to the final region. While it would mean delaying the inevitable on certain levels, it would also mean having adequate equipment, items, and masks.
With my sword swinging around me in a crazy manner, I charged into the mass of bubbles and began cutting them down while keeping tabs on Wart. It was continuing to charge around in its bid to knock me over without caring about what happens to it whenever it collides with one of the walls, yet it was pretty obvious I was its target since whenever it hit a wall, it changed direction so that its eye was looking directly at me.
Since the bubbles were just bouncing around with no sense of direction, it didn't take long for me to get rid of most of them though a couple ended up trapped in the corners, but I opted not to go after them as they didn't pose a threat to me. My sword arm slightly ached from swinging it around so much yet it was worth it to clean up what had previously been an almost impossible situation. Once it was all clear, I turned towards Wart who promptly knocked me aside, sending me to the ground where the water broke my fall. It crashed into the wall behind me and turned around before coming my way again.
Getting up, I jumped to the side and began to follow its movement closely though it wasn't easy as it showed no signs of stopping. I did learn that after every third collision, it would open its eye so that it could keep track of my location and would keep it open until after every two collisions. Right now, it was about to hit its third wall so I needed to get out in front of it and wait for the moment to make my sword strike count.
The moment Wart hit the wall and turned to face me with its eye open, it began charging towards me yet I remained firm knowing that this fight had gone on long enough. A swing of my sword later wounded it though instead of continuing on towards the wall, Wart turned around and charged in the opposite direction. When my sword struck its eye, I noticed that it looked dazed and didn't know where it was for a brief moment before regaining its composure. No wonder it kept on trying to keep it concealed other than needing to open it in order to see everything around it at a given time. In a way, I felt bad that its weak point was also a means of it functioning at all.
It bounced off a couple more walls before coming at me again with its eye open, and with one more swing, I struck the eye causing it to react like it did before when it dropped to the ground though this time it simply stood in place acting like it was having some kind of convulsion.
" I... I think you won, Sunset."
" Do you really think so?" I asked. " To me, it feels like it's trying to do something but can't."
" For the moment, you should relax as you did take quite a beating."
I brushed myself off. " Not as much as it appears, Twilight. Sure, I was trampled by those bubbles and thrown into the walls a few times, but generally speaking, that monster didn't inflict much in the way of damage. I won't need to use my red potion for the time being."
" Yes, I will admit that you didn't get hurt too badly."
" Guess that thing was all size and intimidation but no power."
Princess Twilight nodded. " Yes, but I am certain that there will be more powerful monsters waiting for you. You can take solace knowing that this battle didn't end up going out of control once you took command of the situation, but don't get cocky as that is the sign of failure and monsters will take advantage of such weakness." Her Highness then looked at Wart who started glowing and she began pushing me in a bid to get me out of the way. " Sunset! You need to move! Right now!" She continued to push me but to no avail as I was much bigger and heavier. " You need to move before that thing explodes."
" What!?"
" Wart is about to explode!"
" How can you be sure of that?"
" Doesn't the glowing coming from it mean enough for you?"
I looked over at it and saw the glowing for myself. " Oh... OH! WAAAAH!!!!" I stepped back, stumbling in the process and landing on my butt, and just in time as Wart exploded with the remaining bubbles popping as though they no longer had a reason to exist. The explosion from Wart covered a large radius yet I barely managed to avoid getting caught, yet at the same time, it should have been obvious it was about to self-destruct. I guess it was a monster's means of performing one last ditch effort to kill anyone that killed it. Getting up and brushing myself off again, I checked to make sure my heart still ticked. " Too close for comfort... way too close."
" At least it's over now."
I continued to pound my chest. " Good thing you warned me in time, Twilight. I'm sorry for not paying attention straight away."
" Honestly, I didn't know what to expect."
" Since it's no longer in the room, the iron bars blocking the door should disappear at any moment." I said. As soon as I mentioned that, the iron bars did rise up, unlocking the door in the process, yet that was nothing compared to seeing a large treasure chest materializing in the center of the room. " Guess it was guarding what I needed to reach that giant switch among other things."
Princess Twilight hovered over to the chest. " Are you sure that the Ice Arrows are in this chest? I know you talked about them in great detail earlier, but what makes you think that they are hidden inside of this? I mean, I'm not trying to doubt what you said yet you have to forgive me for not being convinced."
I walked up to the chest. " I'm not upset with how you feel, Twilight. To be frank, I just feel that the Ice Arrows are inside of this chest." I placed my hand on it and began to think about what happened during my previous journey. " When I acquired them in Hyrule, they served no purpose other than bragging rights and you know that I no longer view myself as being a braggart. In this world, maybe they will finally serve a use?" I opened the chest and took out a single arrow surrounded in a chunk of blue crystal, and my eyes smiled upon realizing what it really was. " Looks like I was right."
" Those are indeed the Ice Arrows."
" Now I can use them to freeze enemies."
" They do serve other functions."
" Like what?"
" You can use Ice Arrows to freeze any water that is flowing from small openings." Twilight answered. " You can also create small platforms in the water made of ice to reach areas you couldn't get to before, but you need to be quickly as they don't last long. Oh, and much like the Fire Arrows from before, using these arrows will cost you two points of magic for each one. I suggest conserving magic by using Ice Arrows when necessary."
" Do you suppose I can freeze all monsters?"
Princess Twilight shook her head. " The weakest of monsters will just be destroyed because they don't have the resilience to withstand ice. Other monsters will be immune to it so don't continue using them if you find they have an immunity to ice. The rest will freeze up in a block of ice for a few moments but they will eventually break free after a while so use them as stepping stones to reach higher places. For example, those Octorok back there could be used as stepping stones."
" Didn't you hint at that back in that room?"
" I did. Glad you were paying attention."
" Well, since the only way onward is to go back the way we came, we might as well check that room again."
Putting the Ice Arrows behind my back, I first looked up at the ceiling to reflect upon what I had just been through. The battle against Wart was certainly an interesting one since it was a creature that could have only come from the subconscious of my own nightmares. At the same time, the hardest part was how it proved intimidating what with its large size and being surrounded by so many smaller creatures, yet ultimately ended up not being as difficult as appearances suggested. Had I truly gotten stronger since the start of this journey? Maybe, yet I wasn't about to say anything out of fear that I was slowly embracing the idea of having power.
Opening the door and entering the first previous room, I was almost attacked by the Yellow Chu-Chu that was bouncing around. How ironic that this room gave me lots of arrows including a monster that could infinitely churn out additional arrows until I no longer needed them and would instead get rupees. Arrows ended up not being all that useful aside from key moments and instead my Hookshot ended up doing all the work.
Ignoring the Yellow Chu-Chu--I didn't need to defeat it as I didn't waste many arrows and I wasn't in the mood to cut it down just because--I entered the other previous room that housed the switch isolated on a high-up platform, and jumped into the water before the Octoroks could attack me. Swimming across the water before climbing out and onto one of the corner platforms, I took out the Hero's Bow, nocked an Ice Arrow, and aimed at my target that popped out of the water moments later. Before it could spit a rock at me, I fired an Ice Arrow, freezing the Octorok in a solid chunk of ice where it began to bob on the water's surface.
Since Princess Twilight told me that I needed to be quick otherwise the ice would melt, I quickly checked to make sure there weren't any other Octoroks around before jumping onto the frozen one and then onto the platform itself. Much like the one that I activated back at the start of the temple, this one most likely could only be pushed in the one direction. Was this where I needed to begin sending water back to the beginning to change the water's flow?
" By pushing this switch, you'll be able to send water back to that waterwheel from before."
" I can't believe it was all the way over here."
" That was part of the challenge." Twilight said. " If it had been closer to the beginning, you wouldn't have been compelled to come this far. In any case, I suggest that you change into a Zora before pushing this switch in case you need extra muscle."
" I could do that as a Goron you know."
" Yes, but a Goron can't swim."
Who knew that Her Highness could be snarky. In any case, I was going to need to become a Zora anyway since the only way back involved swimming through the powerful currents until I end up back in the central chamber--I had to go there specifically as that was where I needed to find water that blocked a path.
Putting the bow away, taking out the Zora Mask, and putting it onto my face, I squatted down and watched as the magic of the mask changed my body parts from human to Zora in an almost flowing-like manner until my transformation was complete. Before pushing the switch until it locked into place, I quickly looked around to see if any of the Octoroks could attack me from up here by jumping out of the water at a high enough distance and spit their rocks at me. Fortunately, the highest they could jump was halfway up so I walked around the other side and began pushing the switch around.
This one felt a little stiffer than the previous one--most likely because this one hadn't been used in a very long time and was also deep into the temple--but I continued pushing until it made a clicking sound before disappearing into the ground. Looking at the red pipe as it trailed across the wall, it began glowing indicating that water was now flowing through it and back to where the first waterwheel was.
Unfortunately, I had to go back by taking the long route and I hoped that the current wouldn't pull me down the wrong path forcing me to waste even more time. Sighing, I jumped into the water, dropped down below the surface until I reached the bottom, and walked forward until the current pulled me along.
" Are you sure that this won't take long?" Rarity asked. " I simply insist that this be quick as I must rehearse with the rest of my band. I know I am probably a little bit rusty since it has been some time since I last spoke, but I have no doubt that my singing will be in top form come tomorrow night."
" We only need you for about ten minutes at the most." Midnight Sparkle said.
" That sounds fair to me."
" I want to ask you something very important."
" What is it?"
Midnight Sparkle looked out at the Great Bay Temple, turned towards Rarity, looked out at the temple again, and finally looked at her again. " The Zora that you were speaking to before my companion and I came before you. You gave them something before they left so I was wondering what compelled you to do that." Sunset Demon, arms folded, a powerful glare spread across her face, wasn't sure what to make of what Midnight Sparkle was planning, yet she kept quiet knowing that any kind of outburst would only result in being given another lecture on patience. " Well? Why did you give that Zora a gift? What compelled you?" Midnight Sparkled asked.
" I felt generous towards the fact that Mikau was able to save my children from the pirates."
" So you did it out of an obligation?"
Rarity shook her head. " No, I did it because I thought it was the right thing to do. Mikau has meant so much to me ever since we were younger, yet he always seemed distant at times, aloof, like he wanted to be on his own and experience great adventures. He may not look like it but he firmly believes in doing the right thing. He never wants anything in return yet I can't help but feel that's nothing but a false pretense he uses to hide a personal sense of pride. Mikau doesn't know yet but I've been secretly aiding him though this time I wanted to be generous without hiding it."
" Don't you want something from him?"
" I already have what I need from Mikau."
" And what would that be?"
" The seven Zora children that were hatched." Rarity answered. " Mikau has been wracking his brains lately trying to figure out who the father could be, yet I think he knows and refuses to come to that conclusion. I do plan on telling him that he is the father though I'm not sure how best to explain things."
As soon as she said that, Sunset Demon performed a double-take before her jaw dropped in complete surprise. If what Rarity said was true and that "Mikau" was the father of her children, that meant her counterpart was the father considering that Rarity kept on mentioning his name regarding the Zora who left for the temple. The she-demon shook her head due to what she had heard making absolutely no sense. How could the likes of Sunset Shimmer be a parent and a father no less!? Such a thought began forming in her mind and she tried in vain to remove such a sight, but it didn't work and the mental image continued to grow.
Sunset Demon was about to go ballistic and demand that Rarity take back what she said when suddenly a thought occurred to her. Her other self had been given the ability to change into different creatures by wearing special masks. If one of those masks allowed her to become the true Mikau, then all she was doing was living out someone else's life due to them suffering a terrible fate. What didn't make sense was how Mikau's spirit ended up getting sealed into a common mask.
The she-demon then had another thought. If her other self could harness such power, why wasn't it given to her? She was much more powerful and could easily tap into the hidden strengths that were gained upon changing into the respective creature. This made her think that Sunset had once again come out ahead, that she had moved on from her past by utilizing a form of magic previously unheard of. For Sunset Demon, the thought of being left behind to wallow away in the shadows of the past was unacceptable. She was going to do whatever it took to be better than "her" though not through anger.
Midnight Sparkle had since noticed her companion's reaction and swiftly asked her next question. " So you think that Zora you spoke to is the father? Are you sure that he could be the one instead of someone else?"
Rarity looked out at the temple. " I strongly believe he is the one though maybe I am doubting myself."
" Fair enough."
" Do you have another question for me?"
" You said that you are part of a music band."
" That is correct."
" Do you act generous in front of them?"
Rarity giggled. " They do like to pamper me from time to time all because I am the lead singer, yet I keep on telling them not to do that. I am on equal footing with the rest of them and they need to recognize that as such. This is also true with our fellow Zoras. Just because we happen to be skilled at what we do doesn't make us superior. But, I do my best to give the best performance I can. When our fans are happy then I am happy and I couldn't ask for anything else."
Midnight Sparkle then smiled a strange smile. " That's all I needed to know from you. There... Now that wasn't very difficult was it?" She then stepped aside and presented her companion who began taking several steps forward, each step left behind a footprint that was filled with lava. " My friend here also has some questions for you though I should warn you that she isn't nearly as calm as I am. You could say that she is a real demon when she doesn't get the answers she seeks."
That prompted Sunset Demon to look at her companion with an icy stare that could frighten anyone to death, yet she chose to remain calm before continuing to walk forward until she suddenly stopped and turned towards the ocean. Neither Midnight Sparkle nor Rarity knew why the she-demon had stopped without warning but then they quickly found their answer when the sounds of splashing about could be heard close by. She then plunged her arm into the water and pulled out several figures, tossing them onto the beach where she folded her arms and looked down on them with a sadistic grin.
Rarity was surprised at who they were especially one of them. " Gasp! The Gerudo Pirates!? What are they doing here?" She immediately recognized Rainbow Dash though she appeared distant like she had experienced a traumatic event. " I'm not sure why they are here but I am actually grateful that you pulled them from the ocean. They need to be punished for stealing my children when they were still in eggs."
" Huh!?" Rainbow Dash said after hearing Rarity's voice. " How the heck did we end up here? I thought the current would take us back to the fortress. Derpy! Don't tell me that we ended up taking a wrong turn." She then rubbed her eyes and slapped her forehead upon realizing where she and her crew were. " Great... Just great! We ended up getting washed ashore by Zora Hall! How could things possibly get any worse?" Rainbow then turned a ghostly white with the other pirates following suit when they saw who else was there.
Sunset Demon smiled once again. " It looks like we don't need to wait until the next cycle."
Rainbow Dash was about to draw her sword when it suddenly melted by an unseen force. " What the!? My sword!"
" You won't be needing that."
" What kind of magic did you use to melt my sword?"
" That was just a simple spell though it did cost me some strength what with my magic being restricted by this world." Sunset Demon answered. " That doesn't matter anyway since you have now graced us with your presence, Rainbow Dash."
" How do you know my nickname? Did someone blab?"
Sunset Demon laughed. " I find this to be very adorable. I was going to ask that one over there some questions but when I noticed you floundering about in the ocean out of the corner of my eye, I figured you would be more interesting."
" You look familiar..." Rainbow Dash said. " You remind me of that girl who infiltrated our fortress the other day."
" She and I are closer than you think..."
" What!? Then that makes you my enemy."
" Egotistical and impulsive... just what I expected from someone like you."
Rainbow Dash's face then turned bright red. " No one disrespects the leader of the Gerudo Pirates! You may have melted my sword using whatever constitutes as witchcraft to the likes you, wench, but I have resources on my side that I intend to use." She then turned to face Derpy who was struggling to pull off a squid that somehow got attached to her face while adrift out in the ocean. " Depry! Hand me your sword! This monster needs to learn her place!"
Sunset Demon laughed once again. " Bravado... one of the more pathetic emotions that humans are capable of expressing, and you definitely have it in spades based on your little display of acting tough. It also shows how loyal you can be though it doesn't excuse your lack of intelligence. If you really want to "put in my place" as you coined it, I am willing to give you a chance at proving you can back up such words. Will you survive to see another sunrise? Why don't we find out."
Getting back to the central chamber wasn't as bad as what I thought it would be. Sure, the water current brought back to where I needed to be though I bounced off the walls as I travelled down the passageway, but at least it was better than having to deal with underwater monsters. My battle against Wart had taken its toll on me both physically and mentally given what it threw at me, yet I felt I still had another difficult challenge awaiting me aside from the boss whose mask had sealed away the giant who guarded Great Bay. It's kind of funny now that I think about it as there have been some trends I had noticed.
The first one was that each temple thus far had a powerful monster guarding the treasure, and another that guarded the key I needed to access the boss' lair. In this temple, the latter had not been seen so I knew I was going to encounter it eventually--a lot sooner since I had already seen the chest in question--yet why wasn't I going that way to get it over with? Princess Twilight wanted me to use my newly acquired Ice Arrows on a section of water that had been blocking a path I couldn't reach, yet now I could thanks to my new treasure.
The other trend I had noticed came from the giants themselves. The first one was Principal Celestia with the second one being Vice Principal Luna, both of whom were in charge of Canterlot High and were princesses in Equestria. I had a sneaking suspicion that Princess Cadance was going to be a giant according to this trend--in the world that I now called home, her human counterpart was Dean Cadance of Crystal Prep--yet that only accounted for three of the giants. I doubted that Principal Cinch would be one--such a thought terrified me--and I didn't really know anyone else in Equestria who was a princess or with a similar rank.
Right now, I wasn't going to worry about it as that was still a ways off, yet it would be nice to have some kind of idea as to who I was rescuing. Compared to Celestia and Luna, I knew next to nothing about Princess Cadance though Her Highness constantly talked about how great she was. Apparently, she was once Twilight's foal sitter before marrying her older brother and becoming the co-ruler of the Crystal Empire. It was the markings of a typical fairy tale ending though they still had problems to deal with in the form of enemies attacking the empire for whatever reason they had--it was also where the magic mirror I used ended up.
Back in the central chamber after having swam up to the surface, climbed out of the water, and used the giant propeller as a platform so that I could reach the walkway on the other side that lead up to the water that blocked my path, I stopped so that I could assess it. I found it weird that a torrent of water had prevented from reaching a room considering I've been swimming through strong currents. Yet, it seemed a ladder was needed to reach this particular path and I doubted that I could've held on long enough before being washed away and into the water again.
I grabbed my face, pulled off the Zora Mask, and flipped back my hair before realizing something. Even though I had just spent the last couple of minutes swimming about in the water, my entire body was dry as though I never went into the water. Was this another power of the Zora Mask or was it merely a coincidence? This had been something that has happened every time I switched back and forth between these two forms yet I never took notice until now.
Taking out my bow, nocking an Ice Arrow, and firing at the top of where the water was pouring out from, the opening froze in an instant leaving a chunk of ice that effectively blocked the water from coming down and allowing me access to a previously sealed off room. Climbing up the ladder and entering the next room, I was immediately caught by surprise upon seeing a Blue Tektite to my right though it wasn't moving. Without even being given a nod from Princess Twilight, I switched to my regular arrows and fired off a few that destroyed the monster so that I could focus on this room.
" Why did we come here again?" I asked.
" You knew something had to be here as why else was there a waterfall blocking the way?" Twilight asked.
I shook my head. " I still think we should have gone for the Boss Key first since we do need that to enter the boss room, but I suppose coming here was a good idea provided that we end up getting something for our troubles."
" How about another of those switches?" Twilight asked. She pointed towards a platform way out in the water that housed a switch that was connected to a green pipe. It wasn't glowing so that told me I needed to get the water flowing through though it wasn't going to go to the waterwheel we encountered back in the first proper room. " I suspect that this switch will manipulate something else independent of what we're doing already."
" Guess coming here was a good idea."
" Remember that everything in this temple is connected together."
" Like a machine?"
Princess Twilight nodded. " Yes. Ignoring one component of the machine will prevent us from reaching where we need to go. That switch over there probably will benefit us later so I suggest going over and activating it before leaving this room. Oh, and I also suggest going to the top." She pointed upwards at something prompting me to do the same, and above us was a metal fence that stretched across the room with a small treasure barely visible--more like its underside as opposed to the full thing. " A Stray Fairy is most likely trapped in that chest as why else would it be up there?"
" I'll need to use the Hookshot and pull myself up to the ceiling."
" There's a hole in the metal fence over there by the wall so this is where you can use the other function of the Ice Arrows."
" Making ice platforms?"
" Yes." Twilight answered. " Make sure you give yourself some distance between platforms otherwise you'll waste your magic. Oh, and remember that the platforms don't last very long so you need to move quickly otherwise they could disappear under your feet before you know it."
Considering that was the case, I took out the Hookshot but attached it to my belt so that I could take it off and use it immediately without having to rummage through my inventory and waste time. Taking out my bow and aiming, I wasn't sure where the best place to aim was but then I noticed tiny sparkles appearing on the water's surface. I didn't understand the significance behind it yet a voice was telling me to shoot the sparkles.
It sounded crazy but what else could I do? Firing an Ice Arrow at the nearest sparkle, a small ice platform appeared and I jumped onto it--I almost slipped off and into the water because of how slippery the ice was--before aiming at the next sparkle. It turned out that there were at least five sparkles glowing in the water and since my magic meter could only house so much magic, I needed to make sure that every shot counted otherwise I might not make it. To the left of the third one was another raised platform that housed several barrels and I wondered if perhaps it would have been better to go over to that rather than my current course.
Contemplating it for a few seconds, I chose to stick to my current path--I didn't have much of a choice as the ice was about to melt--and fired at the second sparkle resulting in my next icy platform. From there, I created additional platforms by firing at the sparkles and making sure not to slip off, and when I reached the wall, I immediately switched over to the Hookshot and aimed upwards at a plate that was on the ceiling.
Firing the chain and latching onto the target, I pulled myself up and onto the metal fence before looking back down at the water. The ice platforms didn't really melt by evaporation but rather they just shriveled up and disappeared as though they were never there. It didn't make much sense but then as I learned already, nothing in this world ever did and that it was for the best that I accepted it. Aside from the small treasure chest, nothing else of value could be seen other than a couple of pots though I suspected they contained magic jars with which to replenish my magic since I did use quite a bit to get up here.
Walking up to the chest and kicking it open released the ninth Stray Fairy that proceeded to enter my body, I took out the Dungeon Map so that Princess Twilight could mark down this location on it. Since most of the temple had been explored, it was safe to assume the remaining fairies would be found once I reversed the water current. With that done, I put the map away and walked over to the opposite side of the metal fence before looking down below and seeing the platform that housed the switch. To reach it from this position required firing an Ice Arrow straight down though I needed to do it right and not waste magic.
After thinking it over for myself, I decided that I needed to go around the other side of the hole in the fence before firing an arrow down below. Sure it would mean having to stand awkwardly for a few seconds but aiming in my current location wouldn't do me much good.
Walking around the other side and firing an arrow created an ice platform below that I then dropped down to--and almost slipped on it--before jumping to the platform and pushing it in one direction only for nothing to happen. Did I really need to push these as a Zora because my own strength as a human was inadequate? Or maybe it was because this temple meant something to the Zoras and that only they were meant to come here for whatever reason they had? Either way, I felt dejected knowing that my own strength couldn't cut it.
" This is really depressing." I said dropping to my knees.
" I can understand how you feel, Sunset, but you need to push these as a Zora."
" I was annoyed but I realize that it's because this place means something to them."
" Only Rarity seems to have a connection to this temple." Twilight said. " I wouldn't be surprised if the other Zora either don't know this place exists or if they do, then they don't really pay much attention otherwise they would have sent some of their own to see what was happening here."
" The water is too warm for them."
" Maybe but I doubt it would have stopped them."
I looked at the green pipe that jutted out from the platform. " Where do you suppose this pipe ends up? We didn't see any green pipes when we were first exploring the temple and it definitely doesn't connect with the small waterwheel we saw earlier."
" It most likely goes to an area we haven't explored yet."
" Because of the current?"
Princess Twilight nodded. " Yes. We need to reverse the water's flow so that we can access those remaining rooms, but I think we should acquire that Boss Key next so that we have it and won't have to worry about getting it later."
" Let me push this switch first." I said as I took out the Zora Mask from behind my back. I was still annoyed that I needed to change my body in order to push the switch but there was no point in complaining since I was running on borrowed time. Putting it onto my face and squatting down, I watched as my body parts contorted and changed from human to Zora--I didn't know why this kept happening whenever I put this mask on but I wasn't about to complain--until the transformation was finished. " I still think I can push this as myself but since we need to get moving..."
I tried pushing the switch only for it to refuse to budge so then I tried pulling it and it moved around on its track before disappearing into the ground and making the green pipe glow indicating that water was now flowing through. I then jumped into the water and swam back over to the door and back into the central chamber. While I thought about going back to the first proper room and change the current, what Her Highness suggested made sense even though I thought she was going to insist on changing the water flow. Getting the Boss Key now rather than later would mean not having it weigh down on my mind.
Since I was going for the Boss Key, I jumped into the water and sank down to the bottom before the strong current pulled me about. It took me several seconds to remember which path would lead me to where the Ice Arrows were needed to reach that one door. Speaking of Ice Arrows... there was one door that I couldn't reach as the platform that lead to it was too high, and my intended path would take me through that way so it was a win-win situation.
Choosing the right path and allowing it to pull me along the passageway, I ended up back in the room that had the chest that contained the dungeon map--at least I was starting to figure out where I was going without getting myself lost. Climbing out of the water onto the platform closest to where I entered from, I grabbed my face, pulled my mask off, and flipped my hair back before taking out my bow.
" Good thing you remembered this room, Sunset."
" And you didn't?"
Princess Twilight blushed. " It wasn't really on my mind."
" It's fine. If I hadn't thought about using Ice Arrows in the room we're going to, I'd have forgotten all about this room."
" Remember to make sure every shot counts." Twilight said. " You've used up some magic so you're okay for the time being, but you need to restore it otherwise you could run out at the worst possible moment. There aren't any sparkles on the water's surface like before so feel free with aiming your shots."
Nodding my head, I fired my first arrow into the water, creating a small ice platform that I jumped onto--and once again slipping. " I really could do with some boots that had tiny spikes on the bottom to stop me from slipping." Her Highness merely shrugged her shoulders prompting me to sigh before firing my next arrow a bit further away. From there, I figured one more shot would do and I was correct as my third one would allow me to reach the platform. Jumping on the other platforms--I slipped on both--I opened the door and entered a room that had another switch in addition to a familiar sight. " Is that a Blue Chu-Chu?"
Princess Twilight nodded. " Among the different types of Chu-Chu, this one is the rarest of them all. It is said that only one exists so we're actually seeing the last of its kind though I wouldn't really sing its praises. Notice that it isn't carrying anything inside of it? That's because Blue Chu-Chus are just a living pile of water that don't serve any purpose other than using them as a stepping stone."
" I kind of feel bad for it."
" In a way, it's lucky as it isn't mercilessly attacked like other Chu-Chus."
" Since it's made of water, I should be able to freeze it on the spot."
" Once frozen, you can push it along like a block but like I said before, it won't stay frozen for long."
The Blue Chu-Chu had the same goofy appearance that its kind were known for, yet I felt guilty over freezing it as it was genuinely harmless since it didn't have anything inside of it that could prove useful to me. In any case, I fired an Ice Arrow, freezing it on the spot before it even knew what happened, and pushed it along before colliding with the wall. Now I had a means of getting to the switch so climbing onto the frozen Blue Chu-Chu, I jumped and pulled myself up before getting caught in the explosion of a Real Bombchu that was protecting the switch--I didn't even notice it until it was too late.
I sustained some minor burns on my arms and legs though no serious damage had been done, yet I cursed under my breath for not noticing the exploding rodent until I was practically on top of it. No doubt Princess Twilight would scold me later for not thinking things through and getting hurt, but I had more important things to worry about than receiving another of her lectures.
Since I needed to be a Zora to push the switch, I put my bow away, took out the Zora Mask, and put it on my face before squatting down and watched my body change from a human to the aquatic form that had arguably become my best transformation. Upon changing, I pushed the switch in hopes that it would move rather than having to push it, and sure enough it moved around until it clicked into place and disappeared into the ground. This caused another red pipe to suddenly glow with water flowing through it though where did this one connect to compared with the others?
There was nothing else to do in this room so I jumped back down, avoided the now unfrozen Blue Chu-Chu, and left the room wondering about this other red pipe. Did it connect back to the small waterwheel from the beginning of the temple? Was there another pipe network in the section of the temple that was currently inaccessible? All of these questions and more plagued my mind as they lacked answers but perhaps I would find them upon reversing the current.
It didn't take long for me to get back to the room where I found the compass though I had to avoid the Bio Deku Babas that since re-spawned, and once in the room in question, I looked to my right to see the gold ornate chest that housed the Boss Key located behind a sturdy looking metallic fence. No doubt the next room connected back to this one via that small alcove where the key is, and since I figured a powerful monster was waiting for me, I needed to come up with some kind of strategy.
" The key we need is over there." I said, pointing to the chest.
" No doubt it was placed in that spot as a means of taunting us."
" Getting to the next room will be a snap since I can use the Ice Arrows to cross over to the door."
" And yet, you seem nervous."
I couldn't hide anything from Her Highness. " I'm a little worried about the monster waiting in the next room."
" Yes." Twilight said. " While Wart didn't prove to be terribly difficult, you exhausted yourself rather quickly because of how many monsters were surrounding it, and having to take out a lot of them before you could attack it directly. I have a feeling that the Ice Arrows are going to be needed so find some magic jars before you go into the next room. You've got enough magic for about eight more shots minus two as you need to make a path over to the door."
" That hasn't always been the case but I'm not going to question you."
" Besides, you have that red potion on hand for emergencies."
" For that, I am relieved."
" Hopefully, you won't need it."
I was hoping for that as well. Aiming my bow at the pool of water in front of me, I fired an arrow a fair distance before it produced an ice platform. I then fired another arrow a short distance from the platform creating a second one and jumped across both--slipping on each as usual--until I reached the next walkway. What I thought were icicles turned out to be true yet why were they there? This wasn't Snowhead Temple so they shouldn't be there... unless it was meant to be seen as a warning to frighten any who had come this far.
The icicles were easily smashed to pieces when I switched to my sword and swung it left and right, yet part of me still wondered what was waiting for me on the other side of the door, and whether I could defeat it since I had trouble with Wart. Opening the door, I entered the next room only to discover that the "powerful monster" in question was something I had fought back at Woodfall Temple. On the opposite end of the room was a Mad Gecko yet it looked like it was searching for something. My heart relaxed knowing that this fight would go the same way as the previous one, but I was about to be proven wrong.
My mind wanted me to rush up and attack the Mad Gecko yet I opted to see what it was going to do first. From what I remember of my fight against the other one, it didn't like getting hit with arrows and since I had two magical variants, I could essentially make this go by quickly. And yet, I didn't want to waste any magic unless absolutely necessary since I only had so much to go around. There was also something else about this room that had me worried.
It was rather damp compared to other rooms in the temple that had no water to speak of. In fact, it felt like I was surrounded by water even though there wasn't any. What could be getting me all worked up like this? Whatever it was, I needed to ignore it and focus on getting rid of the Mad Gecko and rescue the frog that was changed into it. Yes, I remember the other one changing into a frog, and I finally understood the significance. If I used the mask I acquired from that one starving Goron when spring has eclipsed Snowhead, something good might happen but then I'd also need to gather these frogs up.
When the Mad Gecko finally turned around and noticed me, it reacted exactly as I was expecting it to. Rather than charge at me in hopes of wanting to prove its power, it jumped back and cowered slightly before screaming at the top of its lungs. I was expecting another one of those giant snapping turtles like what happened before, but that didn't happen and instead, a large number of blobs suddenly dropped down from the ceiling, surrounding the Mad Gecko.
At first, I didn't know what to make of seeing so many blobs of water and I thought it was a means of making it harder to attack the Mad Gecko. But when they started moving on their own, I concluded that they could think and act on their own. Before I had a chance to react, the Mad Gecko picked up a blob and hurled it at me, it striking me in the chest and bouncing off, and landing nearby. I didn't expect the gecko to have a strong throwing arm nor did I expect that blob to actually do damage.
" Those blobs aren't just for show."
" Tell me about it." I said as I rubbed my head. " What exactly are those things?"
" More like a single entity."
" In English."
" Mad Jelly is a gelatinous blob that aids the Mad Gecko." Twilight answered. " Each of the different pieces act on their own and can bump into you if you're not careful. No attacks can cut them open so it will boil down to you avoiding them as much as possible, though it won't be easy what with the Mad Gecko throwing them. They can all merge together to form a giant blob that will be under the control of the Mad Gecko and can pull you inside were you to touch it."
" And the gecko?"
" It will behave in the same manner as before though it will jump into the Mad Jelly as a means of protection."
" That sounds disgusting."
" Not really." Twilight said. " It's an amphibian so it can survive in a giant blob made of water. Since that is what the Mad Jelly is made of, you might be able to freeze the different
pieces or the entire thing using your Ice Arrows though they probably won't freeze the Mad Gecko."
" I'll need to find some magic jars." I said. I quickly looked around the room and noticed pots located in each corner. " If those pots contain magic jars, then I'm all set for dealing with this situation. Still, I was expecting something powerful but then this Mad Jelly sounds unpredictable."
Out of the corner of my eye, the Mad Gecko picked up another piece of jelly and tossed it at me. My instinct told me to use my shield in hopes of defending, so I did only to find that it didn't work and once again I was damaged ever so slightly--I'd have to jump either side or even duck down to avoid getting hit.
Running forward in hopes of scoring a hit, the Mad Gecko turned tail and began hopping away though I wasn't surprised by its behaviour. This is exactly what the previous one did yet that one chose to use the ceiling as a means of fleeing while this one preferred to remain grounded. Unlike the giant snapper turtle from before that chose to hide when its rider was knocked off, I couldn't get to the Mad Gecko what with all the blobs bouncing in my way. Not only was it inconvenient but also disturbing as I felt really uncomfortable being surrounded by actual living water that stung when it hit.
It--the Mad Gecko--eventually stopped to throw a piece of blob at me and this time I was ready. By ducking at the last moment, the blob sailed over my head and landed on the ground with a squishy thud before I got back up and resumed my chase though the monster seemed to be getting faster with every bounce. It reached the point where simply chasing it proved pointless as it's speed was too much so I took a diagonal path in hopes of cutting it off and forcing it to freak out. It wasn't easy what with having to avoid bouncing blobs but I was able to cut off the Mad Gecko.
Screeching to a stop and shouting as a means of lousy intimidation, it was about to turn around and bounce away when I slashed it in the chest. This caused it to shout again and all of the blobs began moving towards it when they suddenly piled on top until the monster was trapped inside of it. Princess Twilight warned me that the Mad Jelly was capable of merging its different pieces into one, but I didn't think that it would be so big in size. It looked liked it couldn't maneuver around very well but then it surprised me by pulling itself up to the ceiling and began moving again.
" This is where the Ice Arrow will shine."
" How?"
" The Mad Jelly essentially weighs nothing despite having an occupant inside of it." Twilight answered. " Because of that, it can stay on the ceiling for as long as it wants until it chooses to come down to attack. But, if you use an Ice Arrow and freeze the mass, the sudden weight increase will force it to drop down and shatter upon hitting the ground. This will separate the blob into pieces along with freeing the Mad Gecko."
" How do I get it to attack?"
" Watch its shadow on the ground carefully."
" Um, that wasn't what I asked.
" You'll have to lure it out using yourself as a decoy but you might want to move right now, Sunset."
I was going to ask Her Highness why I needed to move when my answer was provided when the Mad Jelly suddenly dropped down and landed on the ground, its mass spreading across the floor in a large radius. My reaction was slow and my legs got submerged in the blobby gunk all because I got caught in the radius. I struggled to break free by trying to pull my legs out but it was no use; the Mad Jelly's oozing form proved too strong to escape from. I then tried slashing at it with my sword hoping it would rescind and let me go, but this didn't work either as my blows had no effect.
Panicking, I considered firing some Ice Arrows in hopes of freezing it around my legs then smash my way out but before I could take out my bow, the mass consumed my entire body and I found myself trapped within it unable to move. On the one hand, I was able to breathe relatively well yet that was the only positive. The Mad Gecko, who had watched the spectacle with its own eyes, smiled a cruel smile and snickered under its breath. It had me right where it wanted me and I couldn't do anything but wait to see what it would do. It then flexed what I assumed were muscles and inched over to me.
It punched me in the stomach and all I could do was wince in pain. Princess Twilight tried to get me to do something to prevent the oncoming assault yet she found herself unable to move or say anything. Another punch from the Mad Gecko followed by a kick to my head--I felt like screaming from that but couldn't due to being able to move my mouth--and then a swift kick to my stomach knocked the wind out of me, and it became apparent that I was at this monster's mercy.
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Reason number# 3 why I don't like this dungeon...
I really hate this guy (Mad Gecko), but fortunately it'll be the last time we'll ever see his face.
What will happen next with the two demons?
7928762
Ditto.
Did Sunset forgot that Twilight is also a Princess?
7928762
Provided Sunset doesn't want to try and gather up all of the frogs for their performance.
7930225
In the spur of the moment, most likely yes.
Ah, Wart. Keeper of one of the three pendants in Link to the Past, demoted to mini-boss in Majora's Mask.
I think the last giant could very well be Queen Faust herself. That'd be a neat twist.
7933375
In Japan, Wart was called Arrghus, the name used for the Swamp Palace boss in A Link to the Past, yet I never knew why they decided to change the name to Wart. Oh well. As for the identity of the fourth giant... I'm keeping that one a secret.
7936282 I never knew it's name either way. To me it was just another monster to take down. I'll have to research this later.