Chapter 55: Shimmer the Demon
The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Majora's Mask
By Ganondorf8
May 8, 2017
Chapter 55: Shimmer the Demon.
I should have known that I would be frozen into a block of ice by an Ice Keese! The blue haze that surrounded it was the tell-tale sign that it possessed the power to freeze whatever prey is unfortunate enough to get hit by it, yet it doesn't lose that power and can continue to freeze its victims until they froze to death. Why in Equestria was it even down here to begin with given the underground maze wasn't a cold wasteland? I was beginning to think this video game world didn't even care about such things and just wanted to throw whatever at me to prevent me from reaching my final goal.
Fortunately, the air around me wasn't cold so it didn't take long for me to break free of the ice, though I did shiver as I wasn't a fan of the cold. Princess Twilight shivered and chose to fly under my hat so that she could regain her body temperature--I wished I could have done something similar--leaving me to simply shrug it off like I had done with most incidents that had involved being affected by elemental conditions. The Ice Keese flew away though I wasn't going to let it have another chance at freezing us so taking out the Hero's Bow, I aimed upwards at it only to put my bow away and simply raise my shield instead.
Sure, my skills at shooting far away targets with the bow had gotten better, but I still had problems hitting small targets. Knowing that the Ice Keese was bound to want to come back and attack again, I figured that my shield could deflect its icy powers. It did involve having to get closer so that it would be convinced to come down and attack but I had enough health to survive being stuck in a block of ice a couple of times. Moving forward--not too much because of the Gibdo--with my shield up and my sword ready, the Ice Keese turned and swooped down towards me, its body colliding with the metallic surface of my shield, causing no effect.
Before it could fly away, I struck it down with one blow before stepping back to where I was before I had gotten frozen. Turning to my left and seeing the Deku Babas from earlier, the Ice Keese had come from that little nook so perhaps it had been guarding something? Then again, it could have been placed down here as an annoyance since most wouldn't know how to deal with it. A thought then crossed my mind. The first Gibdo I encountered wanted Magic Beans, a somewhat common item, so maybe one of the ones at the end of this part of the maze wanted something similar?
The Deku Babas in the little nook usually dropped either Deku Nuts or Deku Sticks depending on how they were defeated. They really had no other reason for being down here in such a dank place other than to provide me with some items necessary to appease one of the Gibdos. Raising my shield, I walked into the nook and the Deku Babas lunged at me, my shield deflecting some attacks while other attacks couldn't reach me. Swinging my sword around, I cut one down only for it to leave a Deku Stick behind, not what I needed since I could light up anything using Fire Arrows, so I cut down the next one only for it to leave behind a stick as well.
Realizing that waiting for them to lunge at me resulted in cutting them down too soon, I charged forward against the remaining one, and while it did bite my shoulder causing me to wince in pain, I persevered and struck the Deku Baba, pushing it back only for it to lunge at me again. It bit my other shoulder--I winced from this as well--and I struck it in response, cutting it down, and it leaving behind what I had been wanting in the first place, Deku Nuts. Only five nuts were dropped by the Deku Baba so I hoped that was enough to appease a Gibdo otherwise I'd have to look elsewhere.
As I collected each Deku Nut and placed them into my pocket, a chilling wind sound began echoing around the room. I immediately recognized it as a Freezard unleashing its chilly breath and took a defensive position as a reaction so as to avoid getting frozen again. Even though I could hear its chilling breath, I couldn't feel the cold presence the monster usually gave off, making me wonder what was going on. I looked above my shield and was surprised at seeing nothing other than a small pond by my feet. I hadn't imagined hearing that breath so what could have been the reason?
The sound echoed again and I pressed my back against the wall only to tilt my body slightly and press my ear up against the wall. My ear quickly went numb and I pulled back and concluded that the Freezard was on the other side. Had I given that initial Gibdo the Magic Beans it wanted, I would be on that side right now having to deal with the Freezard instead of the Ice Keese, so I had dodged a bullet by taking a different route. However, I still slapped my forehead due to panicking over something that wasn't even in my general area and nearly giving myself a heart attack.
I then tapped my hat. " Twilight... You can come out now." Her Highness was still hiding underneath my hat so that she could warm herself up but I figured she had been under there long enough.
Princess Twilight responded, her voice muffled slightly by my hat. " But... it's so warm under here."
" You can't stay under there forever."
" I just... I just need five more minutes..."
" The Ice Keese is gone now."
Princess Twilight rushed out from under my hat when I said that. " In that case, I feel better already!" I couldn't help but laugh at what she just did though she did get annoyed at my behaviour prompting me to stop. " I took a safety precaution as being frozen on the spot isn't my idea of fun by any means."
A thought then occurred to me... again. " I thought you said fairies were immune to most environments. That would include being frozen you know."
" Fairies can withstand cold climates yet being frozen in a block of ice is something completely different." Twilight said. I could tell she was being defensive about it since I had dared to question the nature of fairies but I chose to drop it since it wasn't really all that important in the overall grand scheme of things. " Anyway, I'm glad that you took care of that monster so now we don't have to worry about getting cold any time soon. I am curious as to why you came into this nook, Sunset, since there wasn't anything of worth in here apart from those Deku Babas."
" I took care of them while you were in hiding."
" Why would you want to kill monsters that weren't in your path?"
I showed Princess Twilight the Deku Nuts I acquired. " I figured I would need some of these in order to appease one of the Gibdos lying in wait. You know, I came to the conclusion that the kinds of items we need are simple things like Deku Nuts, Bombs, and so on. Why else would they be down here in such a dreary place if they served no purpose other than be providers. That Garo did say most of what we require to progress could be found down here..." My mind suddenly trailed off as I stared at the small pond of water by my feet, and it gave me an idea when I saw a small fish was swimming about in it.
Taking out two empty bottles and dropping to my knees, I scooped up the fish with the first bottle, and some water with the other before corking them both. Despite how dank it was down here, the water looked fresh--it had to be since that fish was clearly surviving--as though it had come from the mountains or perhaps the swamp. Princess Twilight was skeptical yet I assured her that it was a good idea as the Gibdo wanted common items and water was pretty common. I did actually considering drinking some of the water but ultimately chose not to as the current atmosphere made it rather unpleasant.
Once I had placed my bottles behind my back where they subsequently disappeared, I walked out of the small nook and turned left, but not before hearing another familiar sound, this time coming from above. I looked down and saw that my shadow had changed to one with clawed fingers, prompting me to turn around and head back just as a larger object landed behind me and began walking around using its fingers. Before it could do anything, I attacked it with my sword, destroying it before it could return to its ceiling domain, and it left quite a lot of valuable rupees behind that I gladly picked up--I needed 500 rupees for that one mask.
Princess Twilight reminded me that what had just attacked was a Wallmaster, a creature that dropped down from the ceiling to attack any prey that wandered into its territory, and had it caught me with those fingers, I would have been dragged back to the beginning of the current area. Since we hadn't made it that far into the maze, being caught by the Wallmaster wouldn't have been much of an issue, but getting caught further on would mean having to backtrack through this place, something I'd rather not do. The rupees it left behind were all red and there were five of them altogether giving me one hundred rupees.
Walking forward, the path split in two directions, one to the left and the other straight ahead, both ended with locked doors guarded by Gibdos. I decided to continue going straight as the other direction hadn't been very kind so far. Putting my equipment away--I didn't want to give off the impression that I was a threat--I approached the Gibdo and it looked down at me with glowing undead eyes. " Yoooooooou... You have reached the next barrier but do not struggle to change your fate."
" I won't be trapped down here like the rest of you."
The Gibdo murmured. " Thooooooose who come down here can never escape!"
" One person did." I said, making an indirect reference to Soarin.
" That onnnnnnnne... That one shall become one of us and forever wander this place with regret lingering in his heart." The Gibdo said. " You have regret inside of you and it shall make you stay here forever like all of us."
While it was true that I had a lot of regrets stemming from my past actions, I wasn't about to let them dictate me especially when I needed to remain strong so that I could save this world, the world I called home, and Equestria. " I may be one of you but that doesn't mean I must spend eternity trapped down here waiting for someone to come along and help me overcome my regrets. Sure, I've got several of them weighing me down, yet I won't let them become an issue for me." I made sure to remind the Gibdo that I was one of its kind despite merely wearing a mask that made it think I was one.
The Gibdo laughed though it was more like a stifled cough. " It issssssss rare that one of us would attempt to defy their fate by choosing to appease the rest, but perhapsssssss you might be able to succeed where the others could not."
" You mean, I'm not the first one?"
The Gibdo shook its head. " Otherssssssssss... Others before you of our kind attempted to defy fate but they failed and were condemned to suffer eternal torment that even now continues to this very day. If you think you can change fate then let us see."
" What do you need?"
" Leeeeave it! Leeeeave it!" The Gibdo answered. " Leeeeave me something that makes a blinding flash! Preferably five of them." The only thing that came to mind was what I had just acquired a short time ago... Deku Nuts. Fortunately, this Gibdo wanted exactly five of them--that was all I got from the Deku Babas--so I reached into my pocket, took them out, and dropped them into its outstretched hand where it looked like it was thanking me for the gift. " Ah! Thissssss! Thissssss! I bear you no remorssssssse!" The Gibdo then burned away to nothing and the door behind it unlocked upon the iron bars raising upwards.
I turned towards Princess Twilight, a smug look spread across my face. " I told you those Deku Nuts would be useful."
Princess Twilight sighed and nodded. " Yes... I suppose you did do the right thing after all, Sunset. One does have to wonder what else these Gibdo want that can be found down here in these depths." Her Highness then shuddered. " Just thinking about some of the more heinous things makes my skin crawl. Don't forget the real reason we're down here and that's to make our way to the castle via the secret entrance DJ Pon-3 mentioned."
" I also want to get my hands on that shield."
" I suspect that the shield may be the key to gaining access to the castle from below."
" What makes you think that?"
" A princess' intuition."
I rolled my eyes. " Seriously?"
Princess Twilight giggled. " Far be it from me to not want to have a little bit of fun every now and then but I am serious about the shield being the key. Besides, your shield has seen better days and looks like it's about to fall apart at any moment."
Slinging my shield off my back and looking at it, Her Highness wasn't kidding about its condition. " All because I used it to deflect against attacks from that Iron Knuckle along with all the other monsters that tried breaking it. Still, I wouldn't be here if not for this thing protecting me from the harshest of blows." I slung it onto my back and opened the door to the next section of the maze. " If we do end up finding this shield, what should I do with my current one?"
" Throw it away."
" How blunt of you."
" As much as I would like for you to keep your current shield out of a sense of nostalgia, I'd say it has one or two more hits left in it before it's finished." Twilight answered. " This region is without a doubt the most difficult one of all and that requires superior protection rather than something that could give out at any moment. Of course, you need to first find the shield otherwise you might not survive."
It pained me to know that I was up against powerful forces but then it did remind me of how video game progression worked. Sure, I rarely played them since I was often focused on sending Friendship Reports and other messages to Princess Twilight through my magic journal, but I did watch Rainbow Dash play them whenever she invited us over for a sleepover or brought her console to a different one. She always said that games got more difficult the closer you were to the end and that meant making sure you had everything you needed to ensure success. Anything less than that was a game over.
Since this was the final region, the difficulty had increased and my survival depended on it. Case in point was that Iron Knuckle I had to defeat to claim the Song of Storms so that I could heal DJ Pon-3's soul and get down here. The Iron Knuckle was definitely a step up from previous powerful monsters--including the ones in the temples--and I feared what was awaiting me in the fourth temple, wherever that was in Ikana. A new shield would give me ideal protection and hopefully wouldn't break on me but perhaps it would also feature a special power that made it stand out from my current one.
The next part of the maze looked simple though I could see a burst of flame shooting out from what looked like a panel. Something must have been in the little nook the flame was shooting from as why else would it be there? Flying about ahead of me was a Fire Keese and this one was easy to deal with since it loses its power whenever it collided with anything unlike its frozen cousin. I didn't want to lose my shield before finding the one down here so I'd have to take a hit so that the Fire Keese would become a regular Keese. Sometimes, you had to take small sacrifices like that for the progression of your journey.
" How intriguing." Twilight began. " The flame is shooting out of one of those eye switches."
" Really?" I asked. " I thought they were supposed to activate something when you hit them."
" This one is clearly a trap and needs to be avoided."
" I would like to see what could be in that nook though."
" Unlike before where we were frozen solid for a few moments, the Fire Keese is currently ignoring us." Twilight said. " Also, this trap switch can't change directions and only shoots out flames for a short period of time before it has to stop and wait a bit before continuing. I suggest walking forward and peer into the nook to determine whether it would be beneficial or not."
I followed her advice and took a few steps forward. " So far, this place hasn't been all that terrible aside from the Ice Keese incident in the previous section." Stopping at the entrance to the nook, I turned and looked through to see several plants were growing there though nothing else could be seen. " Hmmm... plants like that usually drop Deku Nuts though they can sometimes drop bugs so maybe I need a bug for one of those Gibdo?"
Princess Twilight shrugged. " It's a possibility and one we shouldn't really ignore but what are the chances that one of the Gibdo is looking for a bug? I mean, I think they all want a bug to coincide with how decrepit and ancient they look, but would it be a good idea though? You also have to consider that you only have two more bottles that lack contents and you might need them for something else later. In the end, you're the heroine, Sunset, so it's your decision to make."
I was going to go for it on the premise that one of the Gibdo would need a bug to be appeased. Looking to my left, the Fire Keese was still flying about at the other end of this section where the Gibdo were most likely stationed, so I didn't have to worry about it suddenly swooping down and attacking me. When the eye switched stopped shooting out flames, I took the opportunity to run past it and into the nook, and slashed at the plants. Two dropped Deku Nuts as expected while the third gave me a blue rupee with the last one producing the bugs that immediately began scampering about.
Taking out another empty bottle, I quickly scooped up a bug just as it was about to disappear into cracks in the walls, and corked the bottle before placing it behind my back. I hoped one of the upcoming Gibdo would accept this insect as otherwise I would have wasted some precious time picking up something I didn't need. Then again, I could sell it to Iron Will when I visit his shop on the final night as he looked like he would buy just about anything so that he could sell it to someone else. With that done, I waited until the flames from the eye switched stopped before running back to the main path and turning right.
The Fire Keese had since made its way over to me and had already gone into a dive with the clear intent of setting me on fire. Quickly, I unsheathed my sword and struck the bat in one motion before having to take down a second one that came out of nowhere and proceeded to dive at me. That left me with two possible directions to choose from with each path guarded by a Gibdo standing before a locked door. So far, my progress had been clearly going right and since I recalled the castle was on the opposite side of the village, heading left would allow me to eventually get there, but what if something was to the right that I needed for further ahead?
Now I wished that I had a map so I could figure out where I was going. This underground maze was like a temple in that I was walking around blindly without a means of finding my way other than hoping my directional senses weren't terrible. My only saving grace was leaving behind markers to inform me of where I've been so that I wouldn't get lost. And speaking of which, before doing anything else, I took out my sword, pressed it against the wall, and began pulling it along leaving a small groove to remind me not to go back the other way since I just came from that direction.
I walked up to the Gibdo when it spoke. " Leeeeeeave it! Leeeeeeave it!"
" You've got nothing important to say?" I asked.
The Gibdo remained quiet before repeating itself. " Leeeeeeave it! Leeeeeeave it!"
" Fine! What do you want?"
" Leeeeeeave me something warm that can melt ice and quench one's spirits."
Crap! All I had was regular water and not the kind that could be found in a hot spring. While the thought of a hot spring being down here in such a wretched place was mind-boggling, it made sense since there were ice-themed monsters roaming about this underground maze. I began to suspect that the direction I couldn't initially take due to not having five Magic Beans was where I could find the hot spring, and without any of that water, I couldn't appease this Gibdo. I wished I had been better prepared before coming down here but I'm here anyway and I might as well continue on.
" Will regular water do?"
The Gibdo shook its head slowly. " Leeeeeeave me something warm that can melt ice and quench one's spirits."
" I don't have that kind of water on me."
" If you don't have it, then I have no need for you! Awayyy!"
That certainly didn't go over very well but without the correct item, the Gibdo wasn't going to budge and attacking it would do nothing either. If the door it was guarding would lead me further down the right path, I had no means of accessing it and I'd be forced to leave this maze so I could pick up some Magic Beans from Snips which would consume even more precious time. Ugh! Way did this kind of situation have to happen? I knew ahead of time what to expect since the Garo had told me but I wished some of the items didn't have to be ones that could only be found beyond Ikana!
Grumbling, I walked over to the other Gibdo who was much more talkative. " Yoooooooou... You struggle to fulfill our regrets. You cannot pass certain barriers and have been blocked out. It is a sign that you must stop resisting and accept fate." I wasn't about to go through this spiel again so when I was about to voice my annoyance, the Gibdo leaned forward, its head within range of my own, its plague ridden mouth close to my ear that I felt really uncomfortable. " Do not continue resisting. It will only causssssssse pain. Accept fate and linger down here forever with ussssssss."
I shook my head. " No! I won't submit."
" Then you are the one."
" What do you mean?"
" Many have tried to ease our regretsssssssss." The Gibdo answered. " All have failed and became like us. You are different... You possesssssss a strong conviction that will allow you to survive down here in this place, a place where lingering regretsssssssss exist. You are the first of our kind to attempt to appease our soulsssssssss. Perhaps one of us can succeed where human flesh had failed."
" Why do you continue to linger?"
" We are cursssssssssssed."
" That figures."
" Appease us and break our cursssssssse or else you will be condemned and spend eternity lingering with regret." The Gibdo said. I couldn't tell because of how dark it was but it looked like it was about to shed a tear--that would have been creepy given what it was and all--but then it reached out with its hand and that was the sign that it was about to tell me what I needed to give it. " Leeeeeeave it! Leeeeeeave it! Leeeeeeave me ten refreshing blasts!"
Not again! This one wanted something that I didn't have! I quickly began looking through my items to see if I had any bombs just in case I had picked some up, and my heart sank when it was apparent that I didn't have a single one. That meant there was nothing I could do to progress other than leaving this maze and purchasing ten bombs from the Bomb Shop or finding them by cutting grass. No! That wasn't going to happen given I had already been screwed over a couple of times already. Perhaps this Gibdo had a second lingering regret and would be satisfied by that instead of what it really wanted.
" I don't have ten bombs."
" If you don't have it, then I have no need for you! Awayyy!"
" Wait!"
The Gibdo repeated itself. " If you don't have it, then I have no need for you! Awayyy!"
I waved my hands. " Is there any other regret that continues to linger within you? If so then maybe I have what you need." The Gibdo went silent and I feared that it was going to attack me or do something worse but instead it reached out with its hand again and I knew it meant it had another regret. " Okay, what else do you need that can appease you?" I hoped I had anything at this point to be able to progress to the next area.
" Yessssssss... There isssssss something else that would appease me."
" What is it?"
" Know this... If you do not possess thissssssssss... I shall consume you!"
I gulped. " What do you want?"
" Leeeeeeave it! Leeeeeeave it! Leeeeeeave me something deliciously fresh!"
The only thing I had on hand that could be described as fresh was the fish I scooped up into one of my empty bottles earlier--I did say that it looked rather fresh considering how decrepit this underground maze was. I reached behind my back, took out my bottle, uncorked it, and shook it until the fish dropped out and into the Gibdo's outstretched hand. I had no idea why it desired a fish of all things but it was something I had no intention of asking. After saying the usual thing about leaving me with no remorse, it burned away to nothing, allowing me access to the next section.
Walking up to the now unlocked door, I entered the next section only to discover that it was a dead-end. I had entered one of the actual rooms of the maze, a fairly large room at that, but the point was that there was no where else for me to go other than backtrack. The room featured several spiked objects moving about on the ground fairly quickly and I knew that anything spiky should be avoided. Other than a couple of pots at the back, nothing else of merit could be said about this room. However, as soon as I stepped forward, a strong presence suddenly filled the room, a presence of evil.
" You were fortunate, Sunset, in that you had that fish." Twilight said.
" I wish I could have used bombs."
" Perhaps but you managed to convince that Gibdo to take the fish instead."
" Sorry if I sound distant, Twilight, but I was hoping this room would lead us further along."
Princess Twilight shuddered. " Can you feel the evil aura radiating in this room?"
I nodded. " Yeah, but it's probably nothing serious."
" It's the same aura I sensed when we saw that Big Poe in that chamber beneath the graveyard."
I gulped. " That means there's one down here as well." I then shook my head. " Wait a minute. Why would there be a Big Poe down here amongst Gibdos? Granted, there are other monsters but those are small fry compared to those undead mummies, yet a Big Poe can be viewed as a serious threat under the right conditions." A thought then crossed my mind resulting in me slapping my forehead. " Don't tell me one of them wants the blasted ghost?"
Princess Twilight slowly nodded. " That does appear to be the case."
" Well... It's not that bad since I didn't have much trouble defeating the previous one."
" Yes, but you must be careful in this room." Twilight said. " Those spiked objects are known simply as "stone traps", an ancient defence mechanism that was built by a civilization that has been lost to the ages. Nothing in your possession can destroy them so your only option is to avoid them as best as you can. While they don't inflict that much damage if one were to collide with you, it can build up over time and you will be pushed back a little thus disrupting any momentum you might have had at the time. Oh, and in case you thought about lifting one up... That doesn't work either."
" I wasn't planning on picking one up."
" At least you know not to."
" Those traps move to each corner of the room before stopping and then continuing on again after a couple of seconds." I said. " Is that going to be a problem for me while I take on this giant ghost?"
Princess Twilight nodded slightly. " It will be annoying since they can trip you up quite easily but you should be safe provided you stay in the middle of the room. However, you will be fighting the Big Poe and it might try and push you into the path of a trap. Be cautious, Sunset, as there are five targets you need to be careful of."
Walking forward into the middle of the room, three blue flames then appeared, surrounding me in a triangle formation. I wasn't afraid as this was what happened when I fought the previous Big Poe though I remained still in case they could burn me. The three flames came together, forming the Big Poe, and it immediately disappeared though there was no lantern for me to look at this time to determine where it was. Was I up against a more wiser Big Poe? It seemed like it so I knew I had to be cautious yet I couldn't use my shield as it could break upon impact against the ghost.
A noise from behind me indicated that it was attacking from behind and I couldn't avoid it in time. The Big Poe knocked me over by ramming me with its lantern while spinning and disappeared when it reached the other end of the room. Getting back onto my feet and turning around, I couldn't see it anywhere so perhaps it was coming from another direction. I turned back the other way only to get knocked down by it again as it spun past. It disappeared upon reaching the end of the room and already I felt tremendous frustration over how this thing had been outmaneuvering me from the start.
Getting back up, I heard its noises from behind me and turned around just as it knocked me down for the third time before disappearing like before. It seemed I couldn't get in a single hit with my sword as it was moving too fast but perhaps using a ranged attack would prove effective. While it did mean becoming vulnerable as I needed two hands to use it, I took out the Hero's Bow, nocked an arrow, and began aiming around in hopes of finding the Big Poe. It reappeared behind me again and charged at me but before it could knock me down yet again, I fired an arrow, striking it in the chest, resulting in it disappearing again.
The stone traps continued moving around the room and so far I had been able to avoid them, but the more hits I deliver onto the Big Poe, the more likely it would behave more erratically, and eventually try to use the traps to its advantage. One of them suddenly span by me and I remained perfectly still to avoid getting hit but this allowed the Big Poe to knock me down yet again--maybe I should have used that Blue Potion or asked Twilight Sparkle to give me two bottles worth--but before it disappeared, I quickly got back onto my feet and pelted it with an arrow. Hopefully, it wouldn't be too much longer before it would go down.
Before I could turn around again, one of the stone traps sliced me across the front of my leg--had it been the back it would have been a whole lot worse--causing a small cut but I shrugged it off and fired another arrow at the Big Poe when it reappeared. I was beginning to see why this one was attacking the way it was and it was due to this room not being all that accommodating to its size compared with that massive chamber underneath the graveyard. Without adequate space, it could only strike using sneak attacks by coming at me from behind, disappearing after the fact to avoid getting hit.
It reappeared behind--it had become predictable--and knocked me down because a stone trap tripped me up when it brushed aside my other leg, slicing it across the front, the wound being a little deeper than the previous one, yet I remained strong as frankly, losing to this Big Poe would have been an embarrassment. I mean, I wasn't trying to be arrogant or anything but this monster wasn't really all that threatening compared to other monsters I'd seen. Perhaps this battle was meant to be an appetizer for the main course most likely waiting for me in the temple.
The Big Poe reappeared behind me again and I fired an arrow--no traps were nearby--and it was enough to defeat it. Its entire body burned away to nothing leaving only its lantern suspended in mid-air for a few moments before it fell and smashed on the ground. A small flame then appeared from the destroyed lantern and the evil expression it gave off told me it was defiant despite being nothing more than a flame. Taking out an empty bottle, I walked over to where the flame had appeared after the Big Poe fell, scooped it up, corked the bottle, and placed it behind my back.
" That went rather well." I said as I checked my legs to make sure they were okay.
" The Big Poe did give you some trouble no thanks to these traps."
" At least we can move on now though I'm not sure where we're supposed to go next."
" Yes." Twilight said. " A couple of paths have been blocked because you don't have the items that the Gibdos need to ease their regrets." She scratched her chin and began combing over what we had learned so far about them. " One Gibdo back at the beginning needed five Magic Beans while the one in the previous section needed hot spring water. While I have no doubt that you can easily find bombs down here, the hot spring water is most likely behind the first door that required beans."
I nodded. " Even if I left Ikana to get some hot spring water from the mountains, it would have cooled down before I could get back here and give it to the Gibdo. Sure, I would have warped from Snowhead to here in a matter of moments but making my way down here from the Owl Statue would have taken too long."
" I was thinking..."
" About what?"
" It's possible that there is another way to reach the hot spring that lies down here."
" You think so?"
Princess Twilight nodded. " How else would you be able to deliver it steaming hot to an undead monster?" Her Highness definitely had me there, yet if that was the case, where would I need to go in order to reach the hot spring? Was it even necessary? Her Highness then continued. " I've also been wondering about what could happen if we were to approach the doors from the other whenever we approach one of the Gibdos. Would they somehow magically move to the other side or would you be able to go through the door and catch it by surprise upon entering the previous section?"
" Don't ask me." I answered. " All I know is that they are nothing but trouble."
" So long as you continue wearing that Gibdo Mask."
I had actually forgotten that I was still wearing the mask I had received from Soarin when I healed his soul. If it had not been for this mask convincing the Gibdos that I was one of their own, they would have easily drained me of my life force upon first coming down here. My opinions of these masks--the ones that couldn't change my body--had been steadily increasing in that certain ones had proven to be effective in situations I otherwise wouldn't have been able to overcome without having them on hand. It was a shame that I hadn't been using some since first getting them and I felt bad for ignoring them.
A perfect example of such a mask was the Bunny Hood. I had acquired it when I paid a visit to Romani Ranch after acquiring the use of Powder Kegs but not once had I used it to give myself a speed increase. I could have used it to make myself fast enough to avoid monsters, reached places a lot sooner, and generally looking adorable though that last one was more of a self preference that connected to my true form of a pony. I also hadn't used the Mask of Scents, the Mask of Truth, or even Kafei's Mask since getting them--Kafei's Mask would be an exception since I hadn't inquired about his whereabouts from people back in Clock Town by using it.
I was going to make an attempt at using these masks and others a bit more often even if it was late in the journey. Avoiding the stone traps as they were still a threat, I walked over to the door, opened it, and entered the previous section where I immediately drew my sword and struck both Fire Keese that had dive-bombed me. Much like the temples, monsters would re-spawn when you go from one section to the next so you always had to prepare for them even if you thought they were gone. Princess Twilight was startled by their sudden appearance yet I reassured her that I had anticipated them.
" You know that monsters re-spawn whenever we come back into an area."
" I know that." Twilight said. " It's just that it always catches me by surprise as you don't expect them to show up."
" In any case, we're clear to start making our way back."
" You're not happy about it are you?"
I nodded. " I hate backtracking because all it does is waste time when whatever I need to do should have been made available a lot sooner!" I could tell that I was beginning to lose my temper over such disdain so I began breathing to calm myself down. " I also hate it because of having to see the same things over and over again. While backtracking through a temple is something I can tolerate since it's a requirement and all but anywhere else and I lose it a little."
" At least we don't have to go too far back."
" And for that I am relieved."
Princess Twilight and I concluded that the one Gibdo we had not spoken to was located in the section where we were unexpectedly frozen. We chose to ignore that one in favour of wanting to take an alternate route yet now we needed it to progress further. Before moving onward, I quickly did an inventory check of my items to make sure I had everything I needed to appease the Gibdos. I had the bottle of water, the bottle with the Big Poe spirit, and that was it. Rupees could also be used to appease them though I suspected they wouldn't care about them since they weren't "common" in that sense.
Heading backwards down the path and through the door to where the Ice Keese, I was relieved to see that it was flapping about at the other end meaning it wouldn't come and freeze us so long as it didn't decide to come our way for curious reasons. My eyes then turned towards the Gibdo I had skipped over when I came by earlier and I knew that it was furious over being ignored. I approached it and it said nothing as expected so I attempted to wave at it to grab its attention only for it to continue ignoring me. I looked at Her Highness for any ideas and she shrugged her shoulders before quickly flying behind my head.
I didn't know why she did that so when I turned to face the Gibdo once more, it was staring straight into my eyes, and I for one wanted to freak out but couldn't. Those eyes were filled with an insatiable urge for blood and its mouth fumed out a foul stench that reminded me of the decay these creatures consisted of. " Yooooooooou..." It began. " You ignored me and now you come crawling back!"
" I thought I could get through another way."
The Gibdo murmured. " There issssssssss only one path through the underground and thissssssss is the only means. You ignored me and now you seek to passsssss? I should ignore you and let you suffer until you decay into nothing. Yes, I shall do thattttttttttttt."
" But I need to get through."
" That isssssssss none of my concern now."
I thought about arguing but knew it was pointless. " Look... I'm sorry that I ignored you at the time but I thought I could find another path through to the end. I also didn't have anything on hand that you would want to relieve you of your lingering regrets."
The Gibdo murmured again. " You wisssssssssh to pass this placccccccccce?"
I nodded. " I do."
" Your effortsssssssss have healed otherssssssssss of their regretsssssss." The Gibdo said. " You shall be remembered asssssssssss the one Gibdo who defied fate and chose to heal our soulsssssssssssss. And yet, you ignored me when you knew I continued to linger with my regretsssssssssss. I shall continue to ignore you until I feel ready to tell you to leave behind what I seek to ease me. Grudgessssssssss... We use grudgessssssssss."
" What do you want?"
" My grudge with you issssssss strong."
This was getting me nowhere! I never thought that a Gibdo would harbour a grudge all because it had been ignored. In fact, this one in particular came off as being rather immature for wanting to bear a grudge and keep me from progressing on my journey. I had an urge to rely on my sword to get it to change its mind but then that would put me in even further trouble since it was the only means of unlocking the door. I began rummaging through my items in hopes the Gibdo would react to one of them but so far it remained defiant until it noticed the last item I checked.
My hand was holding the bottle of water I picked up when I acquired the fish and the Gibdo shivered when I grabbed the bottle. It tried to pretend that nothing happened but I knew what it did and that meant I had some leverage. " You seem intrigued by this bottle of water I'm holding."
" You are falssssssssse."
" Oh, I think you want it."
The Gibdo continued acting defiantly until it finally caved in. " Ussssssssing such deceit! You shall suffer for such ignorance at the handsssssssss of he who once ruled this land in a time long before you were born. Should you ssssssssurvive down here in the depths, he who ruled this land will make you wish you never existed You have been warned so let it be a new regret that shall continue to linger within you." The Gibdo reached out with its hand and I knew what was coming next. " Leeeeeeave it! Leeeeeeave it! Leeeeeeave me... H... 2... O..."
I then opened my bottle of water and sprinkled it on the Gibdo's hand. " There you go."
" Ah! Thisssssss! Thisssssss! I bear you no remorssssse!" I was expecting the Gibdo to burn away to nothing like the rest but when it moved its hand back and lurched forward, its eyes began glowing brightly. " You shall suffer! The undead shall tear you apart! Thissssss is my promise to you!" It then burned away before the door unlocked leaving me worried that perhaps I had made a big mistake and that it would be my undoing.
" Are you okay, Sunset?" Twilight asked.
I nodded. " Yeah, but that was pretty scary."
" Clearly that Gibdo had it in for you."
" What do you make of the threat?"
" We should take it seriously."
" That's actually surprising coming from you since you usually say I should ignore it."
" Yes, but this is an entirely different situation." Twilight said. " The undead continue to grow stronger as we get closer to our goal of reaching the king. Whether or not it realized it, that Gibdo pretty much confirmed that the King of Ikana isn't going to listen to reason. He will no doubt fight against you, Sunset, since you are a representation of the light while he and every other undead creature represent darkness."
" What do you know about this king from Tatl's memories?"
" Not a thing."
I sighed. " Well that wasn't much help."
Princess Twilight floated downwards in shame. " Sorry, Sunset."
" No, it's not your fault, Twilight."
" All we know about the king is that he is in the castle and is waiting for us to come." Twilight said. " I suspect that the castle itself will be heavily guarded by his undead servants and several puzzles will need to be solved to gain access to his throne room. Fortunately, we're only on the second day so we have plenty of time to speak to him and find out what is really going around here before resetting time once again."
Given the nature of this world and the morbid darkness that enveloped everything, I had every intention of taking the threat made by the Gibdo seriously. While I was well versed in dealing with royalty--I had to learn such things when I was Princess Celestia's student--it sounded like this king was going to rely on physical prowess rather than wanting to talk to me through a diplomatic approach. Compared to the other undead monsters, the King of Ikana was in a league of his own judging from how the Gibdo said that I would suffer at the hands of said king, but the only way of knowing was by meeting him in person.
Entering the next part of the maze, my ears suddenly pricked up at the sound of something mooing nearby from a nook to the right. I shook my head thinking that what I heard had been my imagination, but when I heard the mooing again, I dashed forward and looked into the nook. " I don't believe it..." I said while trying to take it all in at once only to end up cracking under the pressure. " What is a cow of all things doing down here!? I mean, I can understand some of the monsters and maybe the hot spring, but a cow is just completely ridiculous beyond all reasoning."
Princess Twilight nodded. " I agree that it is rather unusual but perhaps this is a blessing, Sunset."
I gasped. " One of the Gibdos needs some milk!?"
" That does seem to be the case given the cow is down here."
I slapped my forehead. " This is just ridiculous!"
" While I won't deny that, you have to admit that this is convenient given what we'll soon be going up against." Twilight said. " I'm sure you're aware that cows are a means of getting milk that you can drink to restore some lost health."
" I know what cows can do, Twilight." I said. " It's just that I can't get over it being down here in these depths."
" Rather than worry over something that is beyond your control, why not take advantage of the situation and give yourself a means of survival." Twilight said. It took me a few moments to realize what she was saying, and the time I did figure it out, Her Highness sighed with relief. " If you can convince this cow to provide you some milk, you can fill up your other three bottles and use the milk to regain your health should it drop low enough, and considering how much punishment you've taken in this region so far, I'd say it's worth having some milk on hand to drink."
" How do I go about making them give me milk?"
Princess Twilight thought about it for a second. " Cows are stubborn in that they won't just produce milk for the sake of it. They need to have a good reason for giving you some and while that doesn't mean milking this one, you do need something to give it inspiration." She flew back and forth in an effort to come up with a solution and then it hit her like a lightning storm. " I've got it! I know it sounds crazy, Sunset, but why not play Epona's Song to this cow? Sure, it's not a horse but the song is connected to the ranch and cows are often found in those places."
I had nothing to counter her argument so I decided to go ahead and do it. Taking out the Ocarina of Time from the pouch on my belt and raising it to my lips, I moved closer to the cow and played Epona's Song, and upon hearing the song, the cow suddenly mooed louder than usual and began giggling like a woman. I was surprised by such behaviour and was even more surprised when the cow started speaking. It said that hearing my song reminded it of the pasture--I suspected it wanted to be there instead of here--and felt compelled to give me an entire helping of milk.
Unfortunately, the cow only filled up one of my bottles. That meant I needed to play Epona's Song two more times in order to fill up the remaining bottles. I thought that was a little impractical since it would be more efficient to fill them all up at once but this was how this game worked and I had to accept it. Playing Epona's song two more times to fill up my remaining bottles--also listening to the cow repeating the same message twice more--I thanked the cow for all she had done before leaving the nook and turning right where I walked forward towards the next Gibdo that was waiting up ahead.
There was split in the path with one direction going left and the other going straight ahead, both paths ended with a locked door guarded by a Gibdo. The left path was promising but could ultimately send me back the way I came and have me go around in a circle. Or, it could lead to a dead-end like the room with the Big Poe leaving me no other choice but to go forward and see what lied ahead. I mulled it over for a few moments before deciding that the path straight ahead was what I would take. Making sure that there were no additional monsters waiting to attack me, I walked forward and approached the Gibdo.
" You have progressssssed farther than expected."
" I guess that means I'm worthy of making it through."
" So long as you can ease our regretsssssss." The Gibdo said. " However, you have been warned of he who once ruled this land. The King of Ikana hasssssss been waiting to bring thisssssss kingdom back to the prime it once wielded in ancient timesssssss."
" Why would he do that?"
The Gibdo didn't answer so I asked my question again and this time it did answer. " Passsssst... The passsssst will return once again and the kingdom of old shall be reborn. It shall usher in a new age of blood."
" I need to speak to the king."
" First, you mussssssst appeassssssse our sssssssouls before you can see him."
" What do you desire?"
" Leeeeeave it! Leeeeeeave it! Leeeeeeave me a ghost... a big one at that!" The Gibdo answered. I knew it was referring to the Big Poe I had defeated a short time ago so it wasn't a complete waste fighting and putting it in a bottle. I took out the bottle it was in, uncorked it, and shook the contents out though I wasn't sure if the Gibdo had acquired it or not since it was a spirit after all. " Ah! Thissssss! Thisssssss! I bear you no remorssssssse!" The Gibdo burned away before I could ask further questions about the king so now I was lead to ponder over the meaning behind its words.
" What do you think it meant about the king's actions?"
Princess Twilight shrugged. " I'm at a loss for words, Sunset, regarding the king himself, but what that Gibdo said about bringing this kingdom back is something I am familiar with thanks to what happened when the Crystal Empire first returned. While that was easy enough to re-integrate into Equestrian society, Ikana has been a desolate place for a long time and the thought of the undead coming back and reclaiming their ancient home will invoke a sense of fear amongst the people of Termina."
" All of this happened because Starlight did something."
" Yes."
" I mean, I'm not blaming her because I know she's your student and all according to what you wrote." I said. " But, in this world, she has been causing nothing but trouble everywhere she goes due to that mask."
Princess Twilight hugged my cheek. " I know you didn't mean it, Sunset, but I agree that the Starlight of this world needs to be stopped before she causes any further damage. According to DJ Pon-3, Starlight caused an imbalance to happen here that has brought the undead back to life. If anyone can give us more information, it would be the king himself."
" So seeing him is of the utmost importance?"
" Yes." Twilight answered. " But we must first get out of this maze and into the castle."
" What did you say!?"
" I have received reports of a living one running around the underground maze, my king."
" So another flesh and bone has decided to venture forth down there."
" Yes, my king."
" The living are such frail creatures that they believe they can do anything they want, but when they come to the realization that they will lose everything upon death, they feel utterly powerless when reality sinks in."
" Um... About this particular living one."
" Are they different from other would-be adventurers?"
" This one is a young girl."
" And what is wrong with that distinction? Nothing, I tell you! Whoever said that adventurers had to be strictly male was irrational in their thought process and probably deserved to suffer a terrible fate. Female adventurers are special in that they possess abilities that males could only hope to receive, and yet, this one is a young girl? Hmmm... I am not sure what compelled her to want to choose such a path but it was her decision. Anyway, I trust she has been rendered asunder by the undead hordes that plague that infernal maze?"
" She... Has been progressing through and is most likely to enter the castle."
" What!?"
" Forgive me, my king!"
" Don't tell me this girl has been appeasing their regrets?" The unknown soldier didn't say anything in response and the king knew straight away that someone had been appeasing the regrets of the Gibdos. " So... this girl has proven herself to be quite resourceful, not to mention lucky since most who go into that maze become Gibdos and are forced to wander down there forever until their regrets have been put to rest."
" She is surely to come here, my king!"
The king nodded. " It is inevitable that she would but I am not worried my dear Spitfire. The castle has more than enough defences to deter anyone from wanting to make it all the way here to my throne room, but should this girl get to this point, perhaps she is worthy enough to face me in battle."
Spitfire, who in this world was an undead solider--not a skeletal one but more like a zombie--gulped. " You know that I cannot allow you to get hurt, my king. As one of your loyal retainers to the throne, allow me the honour of taking on this girl."
" Enough!"
Spitfire gulped again. " My king?"
" I don't need to be coddled just because I am the king, Spitfire!" The king said. " You know full well that my swordsmanship skills are better than every other swordsman in my kingdom with the sole exception of Keeta. Are you suggesting that I am not worthy enough to face one who has stood up against the walking undead?"
Spitfire dropped to one knee and bowed slightly. " Please forgive me for such insolence, my king. I was only thinking of protecting the royal bloodline above all else. You are the future of this kingdom and so if anything were to happen to you, who knows what might befall the kingdom." She got back up and drew her sword before placing it before the king. " I swore my loyalty to you the day I was knighted and I intend on remaining loyal until the day I die... again."
The king smiled. " You are loyal, Spitfire, but you must remember to never question my decisions."
" Yes, my king."
" Alert the other guards that we shall soon be getting a visitor."
Spitfire nodded. " Understood, my king." She turned and was about to walk away when the king snapped his finger and she whipped herself around. " Is there something else you need for me to say to the guards?"
The king nodded. " Inform them that they are to kill this living one on the spot."
" You want her dead?" Spitfire asked. " I thought you wanted to fight her?"
" While I would love nothing more than to do just that, there are far more important things that require my attention." The king answered. He then began speaking to himself so that he couldn't be heard by Spitfire. " Maybe this girl is the one I've been waiting for ever since we all were revived from death. Perhaps she can close those doors and allow us to return to the eternal slumber that we began embracing ages ago." The king noticed that Spitfire was still standing there and immediately coughed so as to save face. " Ahem! Inform my guards to kill this living one should they see her, and I have an extra task for you to complete."
" Yes, my king!" Spitfire announced. " I live to serve."
" When the living one enters the castle from below, I want you to observe her every movement." The king said. " Even if it means you engaging her alongside the rest of my guards, you shall watch everything she does. Once you have obtained enough information, return to me and perform your duty as one of my elite guards." Spitfire saluted and was about to leave again only for the king to call her out forcing her to stop. " Take my other elite guard with you as insurance."
Spitfire gasped. " Is that wise, my king? The two of us are the only members of the elite guard. If something were to happen to us, we wouldn't be able to protect you from the living one were she to make her way here and confront you. I am not disrespecting your skills, not at all, but you should consider having a contingency plan in case. The kingdom would fall apart if you, the king of Ikana, perished."
The king laughed. " I am more than a match for this flesh and bone."
" And yet..."
" I have made my decree!"
" Yes, my king."
Upon entering the next section, I was surprised to see that it looked relatively quiet, but then appearances were deceptive. The instant I began walking forward, two spiked pillars from either side of me collided together in front of me, sparks flew that could have set me on fire. I had not seen anything like it before thought it was obvious as to what the pattern would be like. The pillars remained stationed for a few moments before colliding together and moving back to their original positions in an endless loop. Getting caught in-between the spike wasn't an option as it meant being crushed and skewered.
I took a few seconds to memorize the pattern before running forward only to stop when a third spiked pillar dropped down from the ceiling. My heart raced as the pillar landed a mere inch from my face on the ground before returning to the ceiling. To my left was another pathway though I ignored it as it most likely went back around to a previous section and I needed to get to the end and enter the castle which involved going forward. When the spiked pillar came down before rising back up, I ran underneath it and stopped when two more of them collided together. No doubt about it... This section was one massive deathtrap!
When the spiked pillars moved back to their original positions, I ran forward only to get knocked down by another pillar that dropped from above. While I was merely grazed--the pillar merely nicked me as opposed to inflicting a serious wound--it was still inconvenient given I needed to have as much health as possible to make it through the castle. Luckily, there were no further obstacles standing in the way of reaching the door and the next Gibdo. This had to be the right direction to go otherwise why have such dangerous traps to begin with? As I approached the Gibdo, I was anticipating it telling me that I would suffer because of what awaited me.
However, to my surprise, it immediately went into its tirade of wanting me to leave something behind. The clue it provided: "leeeeeeave me something rich in calcium" was such a dead giveaway that I questioned as to whether it was being serious since the other Gibdo had clues that took me a few moments to figure out their meaning. It was also convenient that what it needed happened to be close by despite my own disbelief of finding a cow of all things down here. Much like the previous encounters, I took out the bottle of milk--I still had two more that I was keeping for myself--uncorked it and dumped the contents on its outstretched hand.
The Gibdo then used its other tirade of saying that it would bear me no remorse and disappeared, unlocking the door in the process. A part of me was curious as to what could have been found down the paths I couldn't take because of not having the correct items but I just wanted to get out of this maze. It's not that it was difficult or anything but rather being stuck in a dank place for so long was beginning to wear down on my heart. While the Gibdo were monsters and all, I felt sorry for them since they were forced to remain down here until they could finally rest in peace after being given that which they craved.
Opening the door to the next section, I was surprised to see that the walls had gone from decrepit dirt to solid brick, and that there was a light at the end of the tunnel. I frowned because that was such an obviously overdone reference, but it seemed I had finally reached the end of the maze. My first action was taking off the Gibdo Mask--it was fun and all wearing it and getting to understand what the Gibdo were thinking--yet I no longer needed to wear it unless I were to come back down here for something. I walked forward only to reach yet another dead-end only for there to be much more than initial appearances suspected.
Princess Twilight floated towards the light. " This must be the secret entrance that will get us inside the castle."
" But, how are we supposed to get up there?" I asked. " I don't see any ladders nearby."
" Perhaps this strange block is the answer." Twilight said, pointing to a large block that featured a sun design on it. " I've never seen a block like this one before but I can feel a cool breeze coming from behind it. We need to find a way to move it so we can progress."
" I don't think I can lift that as a Goron."
Princess Twilight nodded. " Not only that, you would need a ladder to climb up to even reach the block. No, there is something else that needs to be done." She turned to the right and noticed something on the wall before bopping me on the head to grab my attention. " Take a look at this, Sunset!" She floated over to a switch that was on the wall in the shape of a sun, and I immediately recognized seeing it during my previous journey. " This switch represents the sun though it appears cold and distant. Perhaps if we could shed some light on it or something, it would light up and maybe something will happen?"
" I know something will."
" Oh? Have you seen this kind of switch before?"
I nodded. " On my previous journey though the memories are sketchy. All I remember is that these needed light to be shone on them as you already mentioned. Some were dangerous in that they summoned monsters while others would allow for a safe progression. Since there's only the one sun switch here, it's fair to say that something good will happen if light were to hit it. Unfortunately, I don't have any light arrows and the other item that could be used may not even exist in this world."
" What item would that be?"
" A Mirror Shield."
" That would be incredibly useful for you to have given your current shield is on the verge of breaking."
Sighing, I turned my attention towards four torches that surrounded the light that was shining down from above. " What do you make of these torches, Twilight?"
" If you were to light them up using Fire Arrows, we might be able to progress further."
While I did have plenty of Magic Power on hand to use Fire Arrows, arrows themselves were something I currently lacked. I thought about going back through the maze in hopes of either finding pots to smash or grass to cut and get arrows that way but I didn't want to run the risk of getting lost despite having marked a couple of walls. It was times like this that made me yearn for the fire magic I was capable of using before. Looking around the room, I saw no pots so that meant I had no choice but to backtrack and see if I could find any, but when I began walking back towards the door, my eyes lit up at seeing two pots that had been hidden either side of the door.
Running over to them and smashing them against the wall, the first pot produced a blue rupee, and the second gave me ten arrows. It was more than enough to light the four torches though I wished I had more as I felt they were going to be necessary once I was inside the castle. Taking out my bow and powering it up with Fire Arrows, I fired at each torch, lighting it up--they were large enough targets--and brightening the room. A large treasure chest materialized in a tiny nook upon lighting the final torch and upon walking to and opening it, I was surprised at seeing it contained a brand new shield with a polished surface, though there was one thing off about it.
I took out the shield from the chest. " Why does it have a scary face on the front?"
Princess Twilight looked confused. " Huh? What are you talking about?" I showed Her Highness the shield and she stuck out her tongue in disgust. " That face is pretty depressing looking what with how it appears to be screaming but it's something you'll need to look past. In any case, this is the Mirror Shield. Despite the front of it having a questionable motif, this shield can reflect light and energy. Also, unlike your regular shield, this one won't break no matter how much punishment is inflicted upon it. You should throw your old one away as it's of no use to you now."
I slung my old shield off my back and looked at it. " It did serve me well."
" Yes." Twilight said. " And yet, the Mirror Shield is going to be useful in getting us out of here."
" At least, let me put my old one in the chest rather than just tossing it away."
Princess Twilight nodded her approval and I placed my old shield into the treasure chest before closing it up and slinging the Mirror Shield onto my arm. It was a lot lighter than the old one was--despite the hideous design--as though it were made of a rare kind of metal and was more round in shape than my other one was. Fortunately, I knew what to do with this shield since the solution here was obvious. I stepped into the light, raised the shield, aimed at the sun switch, and the expression on it changed from gloomy to a bright smiley expression resulting in a ladder appearing below the block that was well, blocking our path.
It then dawned on me that perhaps the block with the sun motif could be removed were light to be shone onto it. Sure, it sounded weird given it was a solid object, but then this world had already proven itself weird what with everything I had seen so far. Aiming the light--I believed it was sunlight--at the block using the Mirror Shield caused it to disappear and giving me access to the area behind it. Climbing up the ladder after putting my shield on my back and walking down the path, everything suddenly became dark but at least I could feel the breeze that Princess Twilight mentioned had been coming from behind the block.
The pathway eventually came to a stop at a giant ladder that went upward and I knew that climbing up it would take me into the castle. I breathed several times knowing things were about to become pretty hectic given the castle was the stronghold of the king, but so long as I had Princess Twilight, my items, and my resolve, things should go smoothly unless something unexpected happened. I began climbing up, cool air enveloped me as a reminder that this ladder went up to the surface, the presence of death itself could be felt as well, and upon reaching the top, I found myself inside of a large courtyard.
" Wow..." I said as I was taking it all in. " I wasn't expecting this place to be so huge."
" Despite how much of the castle has fallen into disrepair over the ages, it still remains a formidable sight that was the backbone of Ikana." Twilight said. " We need to be very careful as there are no doubt guards lurking about waiting to attack you on orders from the king. Still, I believe we should leave and come back when we have the appropriate means of reaching the throne room."
" What do you mean leave?"
" Remember what that one Garo said about making a hole in the roof?"
I slapped my forehead when it occurred to me that I didn't have a Powder Keg, the one item that was needed to make such a hole as nothing else would work. " You mean we wasted our time going through that maze and handing items to undead mummies only to have to leave again because we don't have the right item?" I dropped to my knees and pounded my fist into the ground repeatedly. " I hate when that happens as now we have to backtrack so much!"
Princess Twilight observed something and bopped me on the head to grab my attention. " Maybe we won't have to backtrack as much as we think."
" What do you mean?"
" Take a look over there." Twilight said. She pointed to another block with a sun motif hidden behind a fence with a Crystal Switch located nearby. " That's why we couldn't enter via the main entrance as that block was in the way and you wouldn't have had the Mirror Shield at the time. I'm guessing that sunlight will shine down from an opening above if you were to activate that switch." I got back onto my feet feeling better knowing that there was a means of getting back here without needing to backtrack. " All we need to do is to warp to Clock Town, pick up a Powder Keg, then return here all while using the Song of Soaring."
Despite my disdain towards backtracking, I didn't really have much of a choice. I walked over to where the crystal switch was and activated it by striking it with my sword before using the Mirror Shield to remove the sun block to give me a quick shortcut that didn't involve going underground. I then took out the Ocarina of Time, played the Song of Soaring, and was warped back to Clock Town in an instant when the wings wrapped themselves around me as I concentrated on wanting to go back. Upon arriving, I made my way over to the Bomb Shop remembering the Goron who was there who sold Powder Kegs on behalf of his master.
I was also reminded by Princess Twilight that I needed to be a Goron in order to talk to him otherwise he wouldn't sell me his Powder Kegs. It had been some time since I last used one of my transformation masks--even if it was for literally a few seconds--but at least I had the opportunity to change bodies again. Taking out the Goron Mask and placing it on my face, I stumbled about as my body shimmered from human to Goron--I made sure not to let anyone notice what I was doing--and eventually became Darmani. I wobbled a little bit due to needing a moment to get used to having a bigger body again before entering the Bomb Shop.
Once inside, I approached the Goron, paid him fifty rupees--that Wallmaster had proven lucrative--and immediately played the Song of Soaring, concentrating on wanting to go back to Ikana Village since my goal was there. Wings appeared behind my back, wrapped themselves around me, spun me around, and I was transported back to Ikana--I thought I had forgotten to activate the Owl Statue so for a moment I felt paranoid. When I arrived, I made my way over to the castle, walked through the tiny hole at the base of the double doors and stopped when a familiar voice called out to me.
" Why don't you take off that mask and show me the real you, if you would be so kind."
I turned around and saw who I had been suspecting for a while emerge from the wall. " You... I knew I could sense your presence around here."
" My aura does make it easy for those with Equestrian Magic to sense me."
" I thought you were dead for good... she-demon." I said. Despite her sudden appearance, I wasn't surprised at seeing Sunset Demon, yet there was something different about the way she was behaving. Normally, she would have tried to attack me the instant she came out of the wall given her unbridled hatred towards me, but instead she refrained from doing anything and instead merely waited there in place. " I never would have thought you could cheat death and return to torment me again."
Sunset Demon giggled. " I didn't come back of my own accord."
" You were revived by another?"
" Let's just say that the arrangements weren't to my liking but I was convinced when you were brought up."
" So you've not changed a bit."
Sunset Demon shook her head. " No... I'm a lot different than the she-demon you fought against with so much bloodlust when the world was last changed. To be honest, I'm not even sure that I'm the same person that I used to be." She then wiped her hand across her eyes and for a moment I thought she had wiped away some tears. I didn't say anything in case she would react negatively to it and lunge at me in a fit of murderous rage. " Now, would you be so kind as to take off that mask and show me the real you, dear Sunset Shimmer? As much as I like this look you're sporting but I prefer to see you as your true self."
I grabbed my face, pulled off the Goron Mask, and flipped back my hair as I changed back to my human form. " Is that better?"
Sunset Demon nodded. " Much better. You know, I am surprised at what you're capable of. First, you had the ability to gain pony ears and a pony tail much like your friends did when you used to be me, and then you achieved an even greater form that seems to be a rarity as it requires much magic. And now, you have the power to change your body into different forms each with their own abilities. If I may be so honest for a moment, and I know I can be with you, my demonic form was the best transformation you ever had. A shame that you had to give it up all because you chose to be a good little girl."
" You know I'll never go back to that again."
" Who am I to try and convince you otherwise." Sunset Demon said, waving her hand. She was definitely different in that she was calm and civil as opposed to being angry and filled with an incredible bloodlust. " This isn't going to be a long chat since my significant other isn't even aware that I came here to begin with." Sunset Demon then noticed Her Highness behind me and laughed a little bit before regaining her composure. " Princess Twilight Sparkle... Is a little fairy!? Who would have guessed that would happen to you? You look absolutely precious but pay me no mind."
" Don't patronize me!" Twilight said as she floated out in front of me.
" Sunset Demon cupped her hands together and cooed. " Awww... You really are adorable in that form, princess."
" I may be a fairy but I have more than enough power to defeat the likes of you."
" This is very true."
Princess Twilight gasped. " Wait... You're agreeing with me?"
" I know you have become more powerful since I last saw you, your Highness." Sunset Demon answered. " I would agree wholeheartedly that you could probably beat me hands down if we were in Equestria or the human world and you had access to all of that glorious magic."
" Besides, I've seen a lot of things with Sunset in this world." Twilight said. " Sure, I haven't fought those things like she has since I'm a fairy and she is the heroine, but I've been there by her side providing advice and guiding her along as best as I can despite some slight difficulty where she had to be stubborn about it. But then, I'd have acted in a similar manner were I the heroine instead."
" I don't doubt your claims."
" You don't?"
" I have been watching you two from a distance every now and again."
" That explains why I felt your presence in different places." I said.
Sunset Demon winked. " Equestrian Magic may be restrained here by whatever this world does, but my demonic aura doesn't have the same restriction. I will admit that I had to work hard to keep my aura hidden from the likes of you until everything was in place. But, it seems my efforts weren't effective all the time since you did detect the presence of me and my significant other."
" Who is that?" Twilight asked.
Sunset Demon thrust her hand forward and waggled her finger. " Nuh-uh-uh! I'm afraid I can't tell you that even though nothing would please me more than doing it. Because of certain arrangements I made, I can't say anything about that one." She then mumbled to herself to prevent me from hearing her. " Can't believe she used the power of that temple to bring me under control all because of my choice of words. I should've realized Midnight Sparkle would uncover the dark power within the temple to make herself stronger. If I had been more aware of such things, perhaps I could have done the same to her in return."
" What did you say?"
" Nothing."
" Why are you here, other than to taunt me?" I asked.
Sunset Demon giggled. " I came here simply to have a little conversation with you and to get away from a certain someone who shall remain nameless." The she-demon attempted to free herself from the wall only to discover that she was stuck. After she struggled for a few moments, she sighed and resigned herself to her unfortunate position. " I should have realized that emerging in this manner would prove problematic." Looking towards me and Princess Twilight, Sunset Demon didn't pretend that everything was find and sighed once again. " You two can laugh at me all you want."
" You've changed."
" Maybe I have, maybe I haven't."
" What's that supposed to mean?"
" I would tell you right now but it looks like my time here is up" Sunset Demon answered. " My significant other has finished meditating and is sure to figure out that I've been here instead of waiting patiently for your eventual arrival. I hope that you can make it though you will need to deal with the ruler around here first. I'll give you a piece of advice that will be useful to you in this ancient castle. Watch out for the magic wielder who uses fire for his attacks. He can't be avoided as defeating him is necessary to progress to where you need to go, but know that he is stronger than the other wizards you've seen."
Sunset Demon disappeared back into the wall leaving me to try and figure out what just happened. She looked like the she-demon who gave so much trouble during my previous journey and almost killed me several times over. She sounded like the she-demon whose sultry voice made me feel uncomfortable to no end. And yet, she didn't act like the she-demon who was determined to become the true Sunset Shimmer by any means. What had happened to her in-between being killed before and being brought back to life? Why give me advice when clearly she could wish for my death? Things were getting more complicated now that she had revealed herself.
Stats
Page generated in 0.03 seconds
Total duration
791 users online
1,040,620 hits today, 2,004,447 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Finally...Out of the Well. Now to focus on the Castle. An early encounter with Sunset-Demon, huh? I'm thinking that either Demon-sunset or Midnight-Sparkle will fight Sunset after she has either defeated The "Garo-Master" or "Gomess".
Farewell Hylian Shield, you've served them well on their Journey.
Hmm, what's this? A stirring of sympathy for the she-demon? I think I've been reading Starlight of Solana to long. One thing I never liked about Majora's Mask was that I was stuck with that shield. I couldn't even go back to the hero's shield.
Having just started playing Majora's Mask once again, let alone any of my video games for the first time in a couple years, I too was just right there... but the situation was the opposite...
I'm getting a rousing suspicion that Sunset Demon's gonna die after an honorable action.
The first time in Termina that he have Deku nuts and Deku sticks if I'm not wrong. Also... It's good that Sunset got the milk, AT LAST! Managed to get some health item.
Also... I wonder what could happen if Sunset use the song of time. I just imagine it.
8150302
Which one will it be indeed? The only way to know is to wait and see and fortunately, the wait isn't much longer since the temple is coming up. First, Sunset has to get up to the temple and that involves a long and painful climb.
8150595
Unlike in Ocarina of Time, equipment upgrades are permanent excluding the Razor Sword. I never could get over the fact that the face on the Mirror Shield is so scary to look at. I think Sunset will agree with me on that one.
8151024
That will depend on what Midnight Sparkle does. Also, you have to take the Garo Master into account as well. He probably isn't enjoying the fact that two demons are invading his personal space. Gomess also would have issues, and then we have the Eyegores.
8151758
I did change some locations around regarding the items found in the underground but yes, Sunset finally got her hands on some milk, and she will need them especially when she encounters Igos du Ikana. Before this cycle is over, she is getting the All-Night Mask since I've been mentioning it in the last few chapters.
Speaking of that mask, I already know who will portray Anju's Grandmother. I think people will be pleasantly surprised--this means I will be showing off how the mask is used since I like the two stories that come out of it.
8154639 What about the question of the scene... If Sunset reset time, could Midnight Sparkle lose her new power?
8154816
She could potentially lose it though both she and Sunset Demon are unaffected whenever Sunset resets time. However, the two demons do have to deal with others surrounding them losing their memories upon time starting over. But then, Midnight could just go back to the temple and get the power back again though it might take a while for her to get it.
8155384 Yep, but the problem is, if she lose her power, Sunset Demon is not going to let her, as it seems she got the power and got bossy, so if she lose her power, Sunset Demon could punish Midnight or take it for her.
Now that I think... Is Sunset going to go to the fourth temple, again with little to no recovery items (2 bottle of milk) and with the sword not being upgraded?
8154626 I Wonder how'll both Sunset & Twilight will react when they find-out the Temples Secret after shooting a "Light-Arrow" at the crest in front of the Temple? I Think Midnight-Sparkle will confront Sunset after she defeats the "Garo-Master" before she could obtain the Arrows and Sunset-Devil will confront her after she Defeats Gomess.
8162067
She's going to get some healing items beforehand because the final temple is the hardest one of the four. If Twilight doesn't tell her then I'm sure someone else will.
8163508
No doubt they'll both freak out and Sunset will wish she actually had wings when it happens.
8163846 What about the sword?
8165347
I still need her to get that and I'm going to do in the way that I played the game. When I played Majora's Mask the first time, I acquired the Gilded Sword when the chance to get it becomes available, but I felt that it made things too easy so in future playthroughs, I waited until after the final temple to acquire it for 100% completion. I'm going to do it this way for Sunset as she is meant to suffer throughout this experience. However, she will use the Gilded Sword more often than the Great Fairy's Sword--that one will just be there for novelty if nothing else.