Chapter 66: The Woes of Love
The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Majora's Mask
By Ganondorf8
July 31, 2017
Chapter 66: The Woes of Love.
When Ganondorf returned Princess Twilight and I back to where we were before he knocked us out, we weren't able to wake up straight away. Instead, Her Highness and I continued sleeping though this wasn't necessarily a bad thing. My battle against both Twinmold had really taken its toll on me and fighting against Ganondorf in the Dream World further taxed my mind to the point where had I wanted to, I wouldn't have ever woken up again. And so we remained asleep though I wished I had woken up as I began to stir within the realm of my subconscious. My body felt relief from sleep while my mind felt pain from it.
I honestly thought I had to fight the Dark Lord in an actual dream battle where I could use whatever my mind could conjure up in hopes of surviving long enough but instead he chose to simply test me by having me hit him with only one attack; an attack that utilized my mental abilities to their fullest. Was he trying to show some restraint? It didn't really sound like he something he would do given that my previous encounters resulted in getting beaten to within an inch of my life. But if that was his intention, then his manipulations were taking on a new form that I had not anticipated. Perhaps he had come to the realization that manipulating me wasn't worth it in the long-run.
Then again, Ganondorf was someone whom I still knew little about. Much of my assumptions about his actions came from what I saw during my previous journey. This of course was useless information as the one I fought--Lord Tirek at the time--was a younger version who barely had any comprehension regarding the Triforce other than believing it would make him unstoppable were he to get his hands on all three pieces. This Ganondorf on the other hand was much wiser in that he knew things no one else did and possessed arcane power that would make Princess Celestia weep.
A horrible comparison I know, comparing him to Celestia, yet it was the unfortunate truth. It was like he was several steps ahead of everyone else and no one would be able to overtake him were it a race. That was because he could foresee all possible outcomes long before they happened. I remembered him telling me this at the end of my previous journey and it stuck into my mind ever since as though it were the one factor about him that held the most prominence. There were other factors that were obviously far superior yet it was this one that made me fear encountering him. Knowing what was to come meant nothing could surprise him thus rendering all possible efforts of fighting a moot point.
Was the Triforce truly that powerful? All I ever knew about it was the legends that I learned from the Deku Tree--I could never forget him--and Princess Twilight--when she was the other princess in addition to that warrior disguise she used--yet it seemed what I knew was nothing compared to what Ganondorf knew. It made sense as it was an ancient artefact that had existed since the very beginning of creation and this Ganondorf had lived for centuries giving him immeasurable knowledge to the point where only he knew what the Triforce was truly capable of doing. Were I to have had such knowledge, I could have stopped him a long time ago.
And then there was the elephant in the room... Princess Twilight. Whenever Ganondorf chose to either talk to me or challenge me to one of his "tests", he always made sure that I was the focus above everything else. After all, he wanted me to become his loyal servant as he believed I had potential what with my prior experience as Sunset Demon. I was certain he also believed I had a hidden power deep inside of my being and was doing everything to make me realize what it could do for me, yet in our most recent encounter, he felt an interest towards Her Highness that never existed before.
Was she to be his backup plan were I to not become his servant? Such a thought was one I hoped would never come to pass. Princess Twilight may have had her faults but she could never experience what I went through as Sunset Demon as it would mean Equestria losing one of its most prized treasures. Unlike me, Her Highness was a natural with magic--it also helped that she had been using it for years while I neglected magic for obvious reasons--and in that sense, she was stronger and a prime candidate for Ganondorf. No... I couldn't allow that to happen no matter what the cost.
Yet why have her use her mental power to begin with? I thought long about it as I continued to dream until an answer came to me. He mentioned the Triforce when he asked her to show him her power but from what I remember, I was the only one who retained a piece of the Triforce, a secret my friends still didn't know about nor could they right now. This power within me was a blessing and a curse as it represented a strong characteristic I had developed but also meant I would always be hounded by Ganondorf. Could it that Her Highness had a piece of the Triforce as well? I had often thought it possible but never really went into any further detail.
Dawn of the Final Day - 24 Hours Remain.
The sound of a cucco crowing made me stir as I began to awaken from my slumber, but it was lousy timing as I didn't get to finish my thought on Princess Twilight. Perhaps it was best for now as I didn't want to freak her out as it would have been too much for her to comprehend. I needed to do my own little bit of research on the side so that I could come to a proper conclusion and not embarrass myself by making a false statement. If Her Highness did possess the Triforce of Wisdom--the one most associated with her--I had to figure out why Ganondorf wanted her now all of a sudden, assuming he did that is.
My eyes then opened and I got up before yawning. " We're still here... That's good."
" Mmmmm..." Princess Twilight said as she continued sleeping on top of my head. I was honestly surprised that she didn't fall off or wake up when I got back onto my feet. She was quite the heavy sleeper to have not noticed me moving moments ago.
I tapped her body gently. " Wake up."
" Just a few more minutes Spike..." Twilight said in a groggy manner.
I tapped her body again and she said something else prompting me to come up with another tactic. " Guess I'll just go into the Great Fairy's Fountain quietly and let you sleep when we're inside while I talk to Adagio." It wasn't my best idea but I hoped it would be enough for Her Highness to want to wake up of her own volition.
Opening her eyes quickly, Princess Twilight flew off of my hat and floated in front of me. " Like I'm going to miss out on you talking to Adagio again. I know it sounds weird hearing me say that given who she really is and all but I just feel comfortable around her."
" Glad to see you're awake now."
" What time is it?"
" We were asleep for the duration of the night." I answered. " If not for the cucco waking me up, we would have slept through the entire day. While my body feels great having rested especially after that battle against both Twinmolds, my mind feels like it needs more sleep."
Princess Twilight nodded. " Now it's all coming back to me. Ganondorf appeared before us in the Dream World and challenged us both to showcase our mental power. While I loved being the same size as you for just a few minutes--even if it was just a dream--I missed being this small but don't think I want to remain like this forever. I am looking forward to when everything gets changed back to normal and we can return to our regular lives."
" You handled yourself well in the dream."
" As did you."
I then looked away. " It's just that... I find it odd that he wanted to see what you were capable of doing. When we saw him after defeating Goht, he viewed you as being nothing more than a pest whose sole purpose was to guide me along. Why change that stance now? Why have you showcase your mental prowess?" I made sure not to go any further in case Her Highness believed I was hiding something from her--I was but again I couldn't reveal that until I had conducted research. " I mean, you definitely impressed him with your display but I'm just a little bit curious as to his intentions."
" Is something bothering you, Sunset?"
I shook my head. " Nothing."
I knew Princess Twilight didn't believe me and she immediately flew around to look at me in the face. " If something is bothering you, feel free to share it with me. Sure, you know more about how Ganondorf works than I do since this isn't your first time doing this, but you don't have to hold back anything on my account." Her Highness could see the expression in my eyes and deep down she knew nothing she said would convince me to talk about it. " Well.. Just remember I'm here for you when you need me so don't hesitate to ask."
I really didn't want to keep Princess Twilight in the dark here but this was something that was way beyond even her. If she did possess the Triforce of Wisdom, that would make her bound to the same fate that had claimed me at the end of my previous journey. Equestria needed her as one of its princesses and not tied down with a power from a world most associated with a popular video game franchise. It would also make her a target for anyone who wanted to use the Triforce for their own purposes. After all she had done for me, it was my turn to ensure nothing happened to her.
Another thought then crossed my mind. From what little knowledge I had of the Triforce, those who were chosen to hold onto them were bound by a force that would forever keep them together unless one of them were to either give up that power or be killed allowing it to be claimed by another. Should the Triforce bearers be within proximity of one another, the golden power would resonate and be revealed. So far, this had not happened once in this adventure which made me suspect that perhaps Princess Twilight didn't possess it. If that was indeed the case, why did Ganondorf ask her to showcase her mental power?
That was actually a stupid question on my part. Trying to figure out what the Dark Lord's intentions were was the same as trying to collect every last known rupee in the world; both were impossibilities. I supposed the only one who could answer my question was Ganondorf himself though I doubted he would. He enjoyed relying on manipulation, half-truths, riddles, and more in his attempts at getting me to lower my guard long enough for him to make his move. Not even Adagio or the Four Giants could tell me anything. Ganondorf wasn't a part of this video game world so their knowledge of him was non-existent.
I then noticed Princess Twilight was staring at me with a smirk on her face. " I went into another of my daydreams didn't I?"
Princess Twilight playfully nodded. " I've gotten used to you doing that by now, Sunset."
" It seems I get more and more on my mind the further we progress."
" An astute observation." Twilight said. " At the beginning of a journey, we know next to nothing so our minds aren't worried about anything other than wondering what we will run into that could test our resolve and determine if we win or lose. During the later stages, important information becomes available and we struggle trying to figure it out in addition to the previous problems from before that continue plaguing us. You've been struggling to deal with both of these things so it makes sense you're irritable or distant in that you're trying so hard not to lose your sanity."
" Um... Thank you?" I said with a confused look on my face.
" Hopefully, you won't have to think about it anymore once this adventure is over."
I shook my head. " Don't bet on it."
" What makes you say that?"
I sighed. " Ganondorf is sure to put me through this whole thing again but with a different game in this series. It's like a never-ending cycle where I have to endure just so that he can coerce me into becoming his servant and embracing the power I once wielded as Sunset Demon. You might think I'm being silly but after all I've been through so far, I'm expecting myself to go through a third run of things."
" Is there anyway you can stop this?"
" Kill him."
That answer made Princess Twilight frown. " And here I thought you were against killing others."
I sighed again. " That wasn't a serious answer, Twilight. I doubt I could kill him as his power is far too great not to mention that only specific weapons can hurt him. I lack those weapons and he would know about it long before I had even thought about it in my mind. Let's face it. Unless I were somehow able to exceed his power, I'm practically at his mercy until I either accept being his servant or die in the process."
" Maybe we should focus on something else."
" Like what?"
Princess Twilight pointed towards the entrance of the Great Fairy Fountain. " We should return the Stray Fairies and restore Adagio back to normal. Not only will she give you something useful for the road ahead, she should be able to tell us where we can find the remaining masks."
While I wasn't going to ask Adagio for a reward--she was likely to do that anyway given how the other versions of her did just that--I did need to know where to find the remaining three masks, and perhaps she could tell me where I had to go next. Flurry Heart, through Sugarcoat talking on her behalf, said I had to summon the Four Giants by playing a melody I had been taught by them and they would stop Starlight Glimmer once and for all. I had a song as Principal Celestia taught it to me though I've never played it before as I never found an ideal place to use it--I couldn't even remember its name let alone know how it went.
I walked into the Great Fairy's Fountain and immediately noticed the yellow coloured Stray Fairies hovering about in their pool. I actually considered changing into one of my other forms before restoring Adagio to normal but ultimately decided to present myself as the real me. Walking forward, the Stray Fairies that were inside my body flew out and began merging with the others until a bright light blinded me before fading away and revealing Adagio floating before me. Much like her previous selves, her hair colour was yellow matching that of her fellow fairies whilst wearing a yellow dress that was certainly striking.
" Oh kind, young one." Adagio began. " Thank you for restoring my broken and shattered body to normal."
" I believe you are the last Great Fairy in Termina."
Adagio nodded. " I am known as the Great Fairy of Kindness. Yes, I have no doubt that you are surprised at how kindness can be deemed a power especially when compared with the other powers the others represent, but know that what I represent can be seen as the strongest power of all." She lurched forward and began scanning every facet of my body before pulling back and slowly smiling. " You have endured much hardship within the temple and I also sense you have lost a part of yourself."
" You guessed correctly."
" While it is most unfortunate that you have lost something that was dear to you, you must not allow it to dwell upon your mind." Adagio said. " If you allow the loss to cloud your judgment, you will only cause further strife within your mind leading down a path that will result in your own demise. Remember the good times even if they were few and live on by fulfilling the promise made by the one who is no longer of this world."
I was surprised Adagio knew exactly what happened but then I shouldn't have been. The Stray Fairies that I had rescued up to that point when I encountered Sunset Demon witnessed everything that happened. Despite being unable to do anything given they were powerless, they made sure to remember what they saw thus making it easier for them to comfort me upon becoming the Great Fairy of Kindness once again. I also realized why this version of Adagio represented kindness. While she could have told me to forget the she-demon, she knew that doing so would only cause me further pain in the future and instead suggested I remembered the good things.
Again, it felt weird seeing Adagio being such a benevolent being given that in the world that I called home, she was anything but that. Had her true persona been on display every time I encountered her, she would have insulted me and made me feel like everyone I knew had abandoned me all because they were having a good experience while I was being left behind merely to watch. I was going to miss her gentle embrace but perhaps someday, the real her along with her fellow Sirens, Aria and Sonata, would have a change of heart and seek me out so that they could be reformed just like I had been.
Before I would delve further into what was becoming another daydream, I sought to inquire about the remaining masks I needed. " I'm sure you're aware that I have collected most of the masks that are necessary for me to acquire the ultimate mask your fellow Great Fairies have been guiding me towards. Do you have any idea where I can find the remaining three? My friend, Princess Twilight, confirmed that I was missing just three when she did a quick inventory check when we were exploring the Stone Tower Temple."
Adagio nodded. " Before I reveal to you what I know about what you seek, I must first grant you a reward for restoring me back to normal."
" To be honest, I'm not sure what you can give me."
" While it is true that the other Great Fairies of Termina were able to give you abilities that increased your power thus making your quest a more pleasant experience, I am able to give you the one thing they could not." Adagio said. " I have noticed the sword in that scabbard is small. Am I to suspect that it has proven problematic?"
I nodded. " I've been meaning to get it upgraded to the strongest sword that exists but I kept on neglecting it. If I had gotten it much sooner just by giving those smithies the gold dust they needed from the Gorons, I wouldn't have struggled against those powerful monsters."
Adagio then laughed which surprised me. " The sword that they can make for you is powerful, yes, but it is not the most powerful sword that you can wield, young one. What I have here as your reward is the most powerful sword in all of Termina." Raising her hands to her face and blowing a wind in my direction, I was expecting it would envelop around me much like what happened before, but instead the wind twirled about in front of me before changing into the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my entire life. Before me was a sword that glowed like a rainbow, was etched with black roses on the blade, and was much longer than my current sword.
I gasped. " Is this for me?"
Adagio nodded. " This is the Great Fairy's Sword, a blade that has no equal anywhere else. While it cannot allow you to perform a spin attack, its power and range will make quick work of most monsters though there are a few who are capable of resisting it. Also, this sword can still be used if you were cursed by the Blue Bubbles that have been known to haunt the fields and the path here at night. Finally, you must use two hands when using it as the size and weight are difficult to control if you were to try it with one hand."
My eyes just couldn't stop staring at the majestic beauty that was the Great Fairy's Sword. I had longed for a more powerful sword and it had now been given to me as a reward for restoring Adagio back to normal. My heart was now conflicted as a result of receiving this gift. Technically, I didn't need to go to the Mountain Smithy to upgrade the Kokiri Sword to its strongest state since I now had an even more powerful sword at my disposal, and yet, I still felt compelled to go and get it as a means of being a completionist. Princess Twilight was sure to insist I go and get it upgraded but perhaps she could suggest otherwise?
Grabbing the Great Fairy's Sword in my hand, I immediately felt the massive weight it possessed pull me down to the ground. Adagio was right about me needing to wield it with both hands as using just one meant I wasn't going anywhere with it. Using my other hand, I grabbed onto the hilt and held a firm grip with both hands before lifting it up and holding the sword slightly behind my back. It felt good in my hands though this wasn't how I was supposed to hold it so I pulled it forward until it was in front of me in a position where I could swing it without making myself look stupid.
From there, I swung it around a few times just to get used to it and I was satisfied though a little hesitant. " It will take me a while to get used to it."
" The Great Fairy's Sword can only be wielded by a true hero."
" And you think I am worthy of that distinction?"
Adagio nodded. " That sword chooses who is allowed to wield it in battle. Over the centuries, many have come to my fountain in hopes of being able to take up the sword and use it for whatever purpose they had in mind. They were all excellent swordsmen in their own right yet none of them were worthy of using it. The sword would reject them by being too heavy to wield properly or would fly out from their hands because it felt they weren't worthy. Even the Ikana Royal Family failed in their bid to gain control of the Great Fairy's Sword and it eventually became known as the sword that could never be used."
" Didn't that upset you?"
" A little but then I knew it would take an extraordinary person to wield the sword."
I then pointed at myself. " You mean, me?"
Adagio nodded as she smiled. " I knew you were worthy when I witnessed you overcome so many challenges within the Stone Tower. Had I determined that you were not worthy of wielding the sword, I would have given my thanks as before but send you off without giving you a means of making you stronger. Young one, you now have everything necessary to prevent destruction from destroying this world but first I shall address the other masks."
" The final Giant, or rather her representative, said something to that effect about me being ready."
" All shall be made clear in time." Adagio said. " First, I must focus on the remaining masks you still need to find. You have done well acquiring them from all across this world by helping those who needed it and by finding them through fated occurrences. Now, you must embark upon a quest of love to obtain the final three masks."
" Love!?" I exclaimed. " What does love have to do with masks?"
" There is someone in Clock Town who wishes to know what has become of the one she was to marry when the Carnival of Time begins."
" I kind of remember hearing something about a missing person."
Floating down towards me, Adagio cupped her hands together and produced a bubble that revealed images of people and places I had seen so far. " This woman is the source of the problem that you must resolve to acquire the remaining three masks. One of the masks in your possession will cause her to react upon seeing it but you must first obtain something of importance by using a Goron's might. You cannot do it right now as time has passed but perhaps doing so during the first of your afternoons may be in order? Once she asks you to hear her confessions, you must follow exactly what is presented to you."
" This will get me the remaining masks?"
" Yes, but you will only have one attempt to do all of this correctly."
" And if I fail?"
" You must go through it all again."
I definitely didn't like the sound of that. I mean, I was glad that it wasn't one of those "you fail and everything is lost" scenarios but the thought of having to go through a second time just because of a single blunder made me feel very uneasy. The woman in question that Adagio was showing me was Scootaloo and I remembered speaking with her way back at the beginning when I first came to Termina though I never bothered to talk to her afterwards as I didn't think of her as being important. It turned out that she had now become essential to my acquiring the remaining three masks.
" Will she give me the masks?"
Adagio shook her head. " No, but you will gradually acquire them over time. There are several people who are integral to this woman's problem and you must listen to what they have to say and assist them should they have need of it. You have met these people before so will you not be confused when they suddenly become intertwined within this story of romance. However, there is one person you have never met before, the one this woman waits for even now when others have said she should move on with her life. I cannot say anymore as what remains you must uncover and resolve."
" That's a pretty tall order."
" You have overcome far worse than this, young one." Adagio said. " There is one extra thing I can reveal to you about this quest you must undertake. On the first of three nights that shall encompass this quest, one with malice in their heart shall usurp a valued good from another who is of innocence. Do not interfere in this otherwise your end goal will not come to pass so refrain from showing an act of compassion. Do not show anger, young one. All shall be resolved with a happy resolution should you do everything as intended."
I knew that she was referring to the robbery that occurred in North Clock Town where Lightning Dust robs the Old Lady from the Bomb Shop, yet while I didn't appreciate the way she said it, it still had to happen. Lightning Dust would eventually sell the stolen goods to Iron Will in the Curiosity Shop but what happened after that was unknown to me. While I didn't like the idea of not doing anything to stop her, I knew that I had to let her get away with it as there was much more to this situation than appearances suggested. Hopefully, my heart wouldn't compel me into preventing the robbery.
And that was when something else Adagio said made me react with dread. She practically said that this side-quest involving Scootaloo would take up an entire three day cycle when she mentioned the first of three nights. I had never had a side-quest that took place over the course of an entire cycle though I suspect there were similar side-quests like this that I could have done but never bothered since my focus was solely on completing main objectives whilst indulging in the occasional distraction every now and again. Her words about having only one attempt or else go through it all again now made much more sense than they did beforehand.
" Alright... I'll take your word for it."
" Before you go, I must tell you about what you must do now with regards to this world's fate."
" Am I supposed to go to the Clock Tower?"
Adagio nodded. " As I said, you have everything you need to save this world and you also know where you must go, but allow me to share some final advice with you. The masked child who has caused so much trouble can only be reached when the Carnival of Time begins and the Clock Tower opens to celebrate the occasion. You may be able to convince them to stop their madness but if they are insistent on bringing about destruction, then you must use your true instrument and play that which you were taught by the first of the guardians of this world. You will know when it must be played so do not be concerned as to the minor details."
" I think I get all of that."
" By the way, I do have something you might want to consider if you were to make your regular sword stronger."
" What's that?"
" The spirit that dwells within the mask that allows you to assume the form of a Goron once hid several bottles of golden ore in a secret location." Adagio answered. " She acquired a lot of this ore as a result of proving her skills by winning the ancient race her people have held for centuries. She often gave her prize to others of her people as an act of kindness but had kept some for herself in case she ever needed it in the future. Somewhere in the village of the Goron Tribe lies the cave that houses the golden ore she had chosen to keep. Only the spirit of your mask knows where the location is and perhaps she will share it with you as it would aid you in your quest."
" I'll definitely take that into consideration."
" Then the rest is up to you." Adagio said. " When battle has made you weary, please come back to see me."
She then laughed as she disappeared back into her pool leaving Princess Twilight and I with a lot on my plate. A part of me was sad that this would be the last time I would see her in this world as a kind person but the other part knew that the world I called home had to be turned back to the it was before Ganondorf changed things. Still, I wished Adagio and her fellow Sirens would change and maybe become our friends yet I doubted they would since we did strip them of their power leaving as ordinary girls who disappeared after their true colours were revealed after the Battle of the Bands.
I swung about the Great Fairy's Sword a few more times to get used to holding it before putting it behind my back, turning around, and walking back outside where I looked up at the moon that was now drawing ever closer. I could now finally stop it from crashing if the Four Giants were to appear and do whatever it was they were supposed to do--none of them ever said what they would do once they were summoned using the song Principal Celestia taught me--and that meant no longer having to re-live through the same three days. I would also get my chance against Starlight Glimmer by giving her a piece of my mind for everything she had done.
Would she finally come to the realization that she had been causing pain and misery to everyone? Maybe but she might also think she was justified in her actions and try to weasel her way out of owning up to her mistakes. There was also the notion of the mask she wore being much more than just a costume piece. I still thought Starlight was being manipulated somehow but I never could prove my theory since I hadn't seen her in person since getting back the Ocarina of Time from her. I was also curious as to what she had been doing this entire time as she waited for the moon to come down and destroy everything.
Princess Twilight then flopped on my head. " That's a very nice sword you got there from Adagio."
" You really think so?"
" I've never seen anything quite like it."
" Are you thinking about doing some research on it?"
Princess Twilight blushed and turned her face away. " What!? No! Why would I want to do some research on a weapon that would surely baffle the greatest intellects Equestria has ever known and give me a honorific in the process? That's absolutely preposterous!" Her Highness knew that I wasn't buying her explanation and soon she looked down at me after turning her face back. " Am I really that predictable when it comes to wanting to know more about something unique?"
I grinned. " I saw it coming a mile away."
Princess Twilight performed a sweat-drop. " Okay, you caught me, Sunset, but I was being serious about how nice looking the Great Fairy's Sword was. If what Adagio said about it was true and I certainly don't doubt the Great Fairy of Kindness, that sword is the most powerful weapon you have in your possession. You can easily defeat anything that stands in your way provided you want to go and do that."
" I think I'll use it against the really strong monsters."
" That's a good idea as you've often struggled against them."
" Should I still get my regular sword upgraded?"
" I've been nagging at you to do that for a long time now but that Great Fairy's Sword does make it a moot point."
" You think I should ignore it then?"
Princess Twilight shook her head. " No, I still think you should get the Kokiri Sword fully upgraded just to see what it's capable of doing. The Great Fairy's Sword is powerful but you need to sacrifice using your shield in order to be able to use it properly. I think there will be times where a shield will be needed so having your regular sword re-forged would be a good idea as you never know what you might go up against next. What Adagio said about Maud having this stash was surprising but then it does mean not needing to go and restore spring back to the mountains though in the end it's your decision to make."
I clutched my head as the thought made my head hurt. " Ack! I don't know what to do!"
" You should think about it for a while before making a decision."
My head then felt better knowing that I could put off making the decision until later. " So I guess we need to go and help Scootaloo deal with her problem since it's the only way to get those remaining three masks according to Adagio. How am I supposed to get to listen to me anyway? It's not like I have something she needs or anything."
Flying back on top of my head, Princess Twilight began bopping me repeatedly until I waved my hand to get her to stop doing it. " Guess you forgot all about what Monsieur Aroma asked you to do though I am not really surprised since he did thrust it upon you without asking for your opinion. You were requested to find his missing son, Kafei, and it sounds like he has a connection with Scootlaoo since Adagio mentioned that Kafei's Mask would make her react. I'm not entirely sure why you must be a Goron for something right at the beginning but she was insistent on it so I suggest not ignoring such advice."
I slapped my forehead. " I forgot I even had that mask."
" It's definitely one of the less memorable ones you've acquired."
" And I didn't even get to use it for its intended purpose."
" And what purpose would that be?"
" Seeing how people in town would react were I to talk to them whilst wearing it."
" You should still be able to do that." Twilight said. " Scootaloo has no idea where this Kafei person is but perhaps some of the townsfolk know about him and will say something regarding when they last saw him though don't expect to have positive responses every time. I suspect he isn't in everyone's good graces since he has been missing for a month now according to Monsieur Aroma."
" We just need to reset time and figure out what needs to be done."
That was the one thing about this whole problem that was slightly bothersome and that was the fact that I had to reset time in order to get it started. I didn't really want to go back and start things over as I still had an entire day left on my hands and wasting it was something I couldn't do. Normally, whenever something like this happened, it wasn't ever an issue as I would look forward to experiencing the next stage of the journey by visiting a new region or entering a temple in hopes of saving one of the Giants. Now, I was at a crossroads where two choices were on my shoulders to consider.
I could go and confront Starlight Glimmer and finally put an end to all of this but that meant ignoring the remaining three masks and not getting my hands on the ultimate mask which required getting everything else. I was still hesitant towards obtaining the mask as the thought of wearing it made me shiver to my very core--it was evil according to what several versions of Adagio had described--because the thought of using an evil power brought back painful memories from my past. I was afraid that using the mask's dark powers would make me succumb to the temptation of power and make me abandon who I truly was now.
On the other hand, if I were to help out Scootaloo, I could make her life a whole lot better and perhaps find out what became of Kafei. Plus, I was actually curious to learn more about her story and see what others back in town had to say about Kafei--I was also curious about what the ultimate mask was going to be like which meant collecting the remaining masks in order to get it. Starlight wasn't going anywhere and I technically had an infinite amount of time before I would need to confront her--provided Ganondorf didn't do something to suddenly change that--and prevent destruction so I could do some more side-quests to further prepare myself for what was coming.
After mulling it over for a few moments, I decided that I was going to help out Scootaloo. It wasn't the rewards of the remaining masks that convinced me but rather it was the thought of seeing something experience happiness by helping them reach it. Besides, I kind of owed her since I practically ignored her after my initial meeting since I never knew that she had issues let alone ones dealing with love. I was fortunate I knew much about the subject thanks to Flash Sentry's attempts at trying to impress Princess Twilight in addition to having once dated him and experiencing it for myself despite never being serious with him due to my old ways.
The first thing I intended on doing was perhaps going back to Termina Field and do some more rupee grinding. It would give me something to do and not waste an entire day by resetting time and ignoring it in addition to allowing me to fill up the bank with rupees so that I could finally get that other reward Fleur Dis Lee mentioned about way back when. I had no intention of spending all of my time doing this as there were other obligations so perhaps doing some scouting about would give me an idea as to what I needed to do regarding Scootaloo's problem back in town.
Sometime later in the early evening hours...
" I appreciate you allowing us to remain here at the ranch, Cremia."
" When y'all told me yer were comin' because of that there moon fallin', I weren't about ta say no to you." Applejack said as she scratched her head. " Ta be honest, Misty Fly, I wish y'all and the rest of those who came from Clock Town had chosen a better time ta come."
Misty Fly placed her hand on Applejack's shoulder. " I'm sorry that your cattle disappeared the two night ago. I wish I could offer you more comfort than this but since neither of us know exactly what happened, this is the best that I can do for you.. She then turned to look at Apple Bloom who was sitting on a crate and staring off at nothing, clutching her head every now and again. " And I'm really sorry about what happened to your little sister. I find it so strange that she just can't remember what happened to her two nights ago when the cattle disappeared at the same time."
Lowering her head, Applejack tried to hold back her tears. " Losing the cattle isn't a big deal as we can easily get more o'them in ta future, but Romani's problem looks ta be somethin' that's gonna be permanent for ta rest of her life." She then began crying in silent in hopes Misty Fly wouldn't be able to hear her. " I just wish I had listened ta her 'stead of sayin' her stories about aliens was nothin' but a lie. She wouldn't have her problem had I actually done somethin' 'bout it." She sighed. " Everything has just gone ta ruin 'round here and it shows that I'm a failure as a ranch owner."
" The same can be said about all of Termina."
" Why did everythin' have ta go so gosh dern wrong?"
" I wish I knew."
" Guess I oughta talk 'bout Anju given the circumstances she's goin' through."
" So you know about that?"
Applejack nodded. " Anju has been mah best friend for as long as either of us can remember and has been sending me letters about what she's been up ta these days." She then whipped out a letter from her pocket and unfurled it before shoving it in Misty Fly's face. " This letter got here earlier today and it details how Anju has struggled dealing with the disappearance of Kafei. The reason I'm bringin' this up to ya is 'cause you suggested that he abandoned her because of wantin' to marry me." Pulling the paper away from Misty Fly's face before putting it back in her pocket, Applejack was clearly outraged. How could y'all suggest Kafei would do that ta Anju?"
" It's just that you two were both in love with him."
" I know that!" Applejack shouted. " I know that I really wanted ta be the one he would choose but in the end he chose Anju. I've since accepted that fact and have wished them nothing but eternal happiness ever since though my heart on rare occasions wishes it had been me."
" Then Kafei didn't run away to marry you?"
Applejack's face turned bright red. " Why in the hay would he go and do such a stupid thing like that!? Kafei may be a lotta things but he ain't a two-timing scoundrel and I know this as a honest and truthful fact. I don't know what made ya think otherwise, Misty Fly, but y'all should have known what ya were sayin' was pure bunkus!" Walking up to the side of the barn, she pounded her fist on it whilst sighing. Misty Fly then walked up and Applejack turned to face her. " Look, I'm sorry fer lashin' out at ya like that but with all that's happened 'round here since the cattle vanished and Romani messed up in ta head, I just feel like shoutin' at anybody within earshot o' me."
" No... I'm sorry for ever thinking Kafei would run off with you."
Sighing, Applejack turned to face Misty Fly properly. " I just needed ta let off some hot air I'd been storin' inside my chest fer a while. Anyway, I do fell sorry for Anju not bein' able ta find him but I reckon she'll never get ta chance now what with that moon fallin' and gettin' closer ta Clock Town."
" Do you think we can survive out here?"
" Can't say fer sure."
" You don't think so?"
Applejack shook her head. " If that thing smacks into Clock Town as expected, it'll destroy it completely and any side-effects are sure ta be felt all over Termina. I ain't one of them fancy scientists but I do know none of us are going to survive this crisis. While I do appreciate everyone comin' here ta the ranch for safety, the truth is that y'all merely wasted your time as we're all gonna die within these next hours."
Misty Fly sighed. " I was afraid that would be the case."
" Might as well be honest with ya and not give y'all false hope."
" If only things could have turned out differently."
" Too late fer that now."
Misty Fly looked up at an open window on the upper level of the house and lowered her head. " Had Anju been given anything from Kafei that acknowledged that he was alive and was still determined to marry her, she would have stayed behind and waited for him. I'd have protested of course as I'm her mother and only want for her to be safe but she would have stayed because she is just so stubborn much like how I was when I was young."
" At least y'all acknowledged yer problems before the end."
" Listen..." Misty Fly began. " I was wondering if you could talk to Anju for me."
" Why me?"
" I've tried talking to her ever since we left town but she just stares at nothing and occasionally mumbles Kafei's name." Misty Fly answered. " Perhaps you might have better luck since you're are close friends. Besides, I think Anju refuses to speak to me because of bringing her here against her wishes even though my only concern was to ensure she would live to see the next sunrise."
Applejack blinked due to being surprised by such a request. " Well... I spose I could go and talk to her for ya but I can't leave Romani on her own. With her current condition, I fear she'll do somethin' that'll cause her more harm than she already has."
" I could watch her for you."
" I appreciate the sentiment."
Despite some slight hesitation, Applejack walked into the house in order to speak with Scootaloo leaving Misty Fly to deal with Apple Bloom. The younger sister hadn't paid any attention to what had been discussed and simply continued staring at nothing. Misty Fly walked over to her and called out a simple greeting only to not receive one in return. She tried calling out again and again she didn't receive an answer. Then she waved her hand out in front of Apple Bloom to see if that would work and it did but she didn't like the expression that was on Apple Bloom's face. It looked like she hadn't slept for at least a week.
" How are you feeling?" Misty Fly asked now she had Apple Bloom's attention.
" Um... I... I don't quite understand." Apple Bloom answered.
" You poor child."
" I... I was supposed to... to do something."
" Do you remember what that was?"
Apple Bloom shook her head. " I... I... I don't remember what it was. Everythin' is a blur and I have such a huge headache."
Misty Fly then comforted her. " From what I heard from several people as we made our way down here to the ranch, the entrance had been blocked by a huge boulder and took a couple of days for it to be cleared before accessibility was restored. Had someone been able to remove it much sooner, they could have provided assistance or sent for some to deal with whatever happened here." She rubbed the bridge of her nose as frustration built up. " Ugh! None of this makes any sense! How were a large contingent of cattle stolen without anyone being able to gain access to the ranch what with that boulder until just this morning!?"
Apple Bloom then spoke up. " Aliens... It was... was aliens."
" Cremia did mention that earlier."
" I... They did... something? I think so... I... I just can't remember."
" It doesn't really matter now." Misty Fly said sighing. " Termina is going to be destroyed within a matter of hours and all any of us can do is wait for the end to come but perhaps a miracle will occur at the last minute that saves us. Oh... Who am I kidding! No one can save us now! We might as well just accept things for what they are and pray that we all die quickly and not through a slow painful death."
Grinding for rupees wasn't nearly as bad as it used to be since I now had an easier means of producing them. Thanks to the power of the Light Arrow, I could destroy even the weakest of monsters that would produce purple rupees--they were worth fifty rupees--every time allowing me to build up a large collection that I would go and deposit at the bank. I made sure to only do this sparingly as the thought of killing monsters still made me feel uncomfortable so I alternated between cutting down shrubs for rupees--among other items--and destroying monsters using Light Arrows.
Fleur Dis Lee was surprised that I constantly showed up at the Clock Town Bank with huge amounts of rupees in my wallet. While she was glad that I was able to deposit so much and make her job feel much more important, she wondered where I was getting all the money from. From her perspective, I was just a child who had an incredible amount of wealth. I wouldn't be surprised if she believed I was either the child of a wealthy family who had a huge bank account or was stealing it from other people as a means of pity. In any case, my rupee totals at the bank skyrocketed where it increased from roughly two hundred to about three thousand in a matter of hours.
Unfortunately, by the time I managed to deposit enough to get me over the 3,500 rupee mark, nightfall had occurred and that meant I needed to make do with those preparations before beginning this unusual side-quest that involved Scootaloo. I began looking around Clock Town to see if there was anything I missed during previous visits and at first I didn't have much in the way of luck until I chanced upon a door in the Laundry Pool that I never noticed before. It was locked indicating that whoever lived there had since abandoned it but it was a place I needed to remember for the future in case I would go back there again.
I also made sure to check out all of the rooms in the Stock Pot Inn--it too had been abandoned--in case there was something I missed. Apart from the usual rooms that were featured alongside the questionable hygiene issues due to there being so many bugs--especially in their kitchen--I left and decided to check out one last location hoping it would provide me with some details I overlooked. The place in question was in West Clock Town; to be more specific it was the Post Office where Aria Blaze worked. I never bothered to go inside but there was no point as it too was closed though a sign on the door said that she was out on a delivery run.
Since I had nothing left to do, I took out the Ocarina of Time from the pouch on my belt and was about to play the Song of Time when I realized that there was one last place I could check out and that was the Clock Tower itself. I walked over to where it was and looked up to see the moon yet my main focus was seeing whether or not Starlight Glimmer was up there watching over everything and laughing over how her "prank" was progressing. I couldn't see her so I chose to ignore her and played the Song of Time to go back to the beginning and proceed to start helping out Scootaloo.
Dawn of the First Day - 72 Hours Remain.
As soon as I reappeared, I took out Kafei's Mask and stared longingly at it for a few moments. Who would have guessed that this mask in particular possessed an actual power given how bland it looked. People would speak to me differently if I were to wear the mask as I spoke to them. Some people weren't going to be happy seeing me talking to them while wearing the mask but I wanted to know how they felt about him but hopefully most would cooperate. Placing the mask on my face, I certainly didn't feel any different, a reminder that the mask's power was superficial at best.
" Hey kid!" A familiar voice called out. " Why are you wearing that weird mask?"
I turned around and was surprised to see Sweetie Belle standing there, arms folded, and surrounded by several men who didn't look very happy. From what I remembered, she was in charge of the carnival committee and she along with those men wanted the Carnival of Time to go on as intended rather than be cancelled which would end up happening because of the moon. I also remembered a bitter conversation between her and Shining Armour at the mayor's residence though it had been a very long time since I actually witnessed that. I thought she was already there at the residence arguing away so I was surprised to see her outside.
I struggled to come up with an answer. " Um... You see... The thing about that is..."
" You lookin' for Kafei?" Sweetie Belle asked.
" I nodded quickly. " Yes."
Sweetie Belle laughed. " Hah! I figured Monsieur Aroma would finally find someone who was willing--or not--to go and look for him. I kinda feel sorry for you, kid! Kafei has been gone for a month now and it just hasn't settled well with his parents and those of Anju of the Stock Pot Inn. I don't know much about it myself as it's all just politics to me but her family is furious that he vanished before they were supposed to get married."
" You know about their wedding?"
" I was invited to it by Mayor Dotour!"
" Is that why you're going to her residence?"
Sweetie Belle shook her head though I noticed her hand clenching into a fist. I knew straight away that she was going to argue about the carnival so I made sure not to bring it up in case my words caused further conflict. " Me and the boys are going to see the mayor about something important but a kid like you doesn't need to know about it. Personally, I feel bad that Kafei disappeared all of a sudden without leaving behind any reasons."
I thought about making a sarcastic remark but opted not to. " Did you know Kafei?"
" All I know is that he was really close to Anju though he wasn't happy that his old woman runs this town." Sweetie Belle answered. " Truth is, I can understand why he chose to disappear as a similar thing happened to me. My own sons ran off in a hurry before the carnival could begin. It makes me so mad that they ran away like that but then they always were a little on the cowardly side but considering what's been going on around here lately, I can't really be mad so I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt."
" I'm sorry to hear that about your sons."
" I should've raised them better but what can you do?"
" Am I preventing you from seeing the mayor?"
Nodding, Sweetie Belle barked an order to her men to get going while she chose to answer my question. " Me and the boys would love to stay and chat with you, kid, but we've got to speak with Mayor Dotour before that accursed Viscen can convince her to cancel the carnival. I suppose I should give you a hint about who you should ask about Kafei since everyone in town knew of him thanks to his being the son of the mayor and postmaster. Why not talk to the postwoman or perhaps even Anju herself? I'd be careful when asking her as her mother might not take too kindly of you."
She then walked off leaving me to wonder what she meant about Scootaloo's mother being a problem. If anything, I was certain she was concerned about the well-being of her future son-in-law and not what Sweetie Belle said. Kafei's Mask had already proven itself to be useful by giving me some information about him but I needed to go deeper so as to get a true understanding. I figured that I needed to speak to either Scootaloo or her mother but at the moment, the Stock Pot Inn wasn't open as it was still pretty early in the day. I knew that I needed to move time forward to move things along.
Princess Twilight then bopped me on the head. " Well that was certainly interesting."
I nodded. " Guess Adagio was right about how some people like this Kafei while others don't."
" We need to be cautious about who we speak to."
" Technically, we only need to speak with Scootaloo."
" Not necessarily true, Sunset." Twilight said. " Sure, she's the main person we need to speak with to learn more about Kafei but remember that she doesn't know where he is so that means everyone in town have their own things to say about him. Even if we do get an idea of where he might be by speaking with Scootaloo, it's not a guarantee that we will be able to find him as he's done a pretty good job of it so far."
" Yeah... I suppose you're right."
" I have this feeling that there are more people involved in this than we realize."
" So should we go to the Stock Pot Inn?"
Princess Twilight nodded. " Yes but we need to pay a visit just after noon. Remember that Adagio said that you need to become a Goron to obtain something that is necessary to get everything else going."
" Any idea on what that could be?"
" I don't know."
That was the one thing about Adagio that annoyed me. Whenever she provided advice on what I was supposed to do next, she would always speak in cryptic riddles so as to make me work for it while also confusing me. I wished she didn't do that as all it really did was make me made but then it was necessary so as to give me a sense of challenge rather than hand it over to me just like that without truly earning it. Why I needed to become Darmani to get this whole thing with Scootaloo underway when I could clearly do so as myself made no sense but I wasn't about to question a Great Fairy as Adagio knew much more than I did.
Heading to the left into East Clock Town, I walked past the shops until I stood in front of the Stock Pot Inn. According to a clock hanging on a nearby wall, it had just turned past 8:00am which meant I could now go inside but it was too early to speak with Scootaloo regarding Kafei. Taking out the ocarina again, I was about to play the Song of Double Time when the entrance to the inn swung open and out stepped Big Macintosh, who wasn't thrilled with seeing me with a mask on my face. " Bah! Why are you wearing a mask on your face?"
" I'm looking for someone." I answered."
" The only person I know who is missing is the son of Monsieur Aroma but that's none of my business."
" You know about Kafei?"
It was clear that Big Macintosh wasn't interested in talking to me. " I don't know anything about him other than he was expected to succeed his mother as mayor whenever she decides to step down from the responsibility."
" Then I'm sorry to bother you."
" Are you looking for him?"
I nodded. " I was hired to look for him by Monsieur Aroma."
" You were able to meet with him before me, Gorman, leader of the Gorman Troupe?"
" Uh... I guess so?"
That was enough to push Big Macintosh over the edge. " How is it that a child was able to meet with Monsieur Aroma so easily while I have been forced to wait patiently until now to be able to meet him?" Turning towards the wall, he punched it with his fist, leaving behind a small indentation, resulting in him injuring his hand slightly. " I can't believe you met him so easily. Maybe I should have been more assertive and demanded Monsieur Aroma meet with me to discuss my troupe's upcoming performance for the carnival."
" Are you sure he will still want your troupe?" I asked making sure not to reveal too much.
" My troupe is the best anywhere!" Big Macintosh answered. " To perform before the patrons of Clock Town is an honour for those in my employ while the people should feel honoured that they will get to see my troupe perform acts that have made them famous. Now, move aside, child! I must speak with Monsieur Aroma immediately! No doubt my troupe will be thrilled when I come back and inform them that they will be performing for such a momentous occasion."
I moved aside as Big Macintosh walked by, a cheerful expression on his face as he turned to the left and walked off towards the mayor's residence. I didn't have the heart to tell him that he wasn't going to enjoy what Monsieur Aroma would say about the carnival being cancelled but opted not to because it would most likely cause a time paradox. Every time I went back to the beginning of the three day cycle, only Princess Twilight, Flash Sentry, and I would remember it happening. Everyone else would reset back to the way they were without any memory of my existence of what I did or anything else for that matter.
Besides, I helped out Big Macintosh by doing that sound check for Miss Pommel during a previous cycle so I no longer felt the need to help him. My accomplishment had been recorded down in the Bomber's Notebook I received at the beginning--I really needed to check it out as it had been practically forever since I last combed through its pages--so it's not like my actions didn't amount to anything. For now, my focus was strictly towards helping Scootaloo with her problem and according to Adagio, she wasn't the only one I would be helping. I would in reality be helping multiple people all at once under the pretense that I was trying to help resolve a love issue.
Raising the ocarina to my lips and playing the Song of Double Time, I focused hard on moving forward only several hours through time. The magic of the song then took affect and everything around me suddenly increased in speed until it shimmered to an image of clocks ticking in unison before switching back to what it was before. Looking back up at the clock from before, time had indeed passed by where it was now 1:30pm. I had no idea how I managed to get to the precise time I needed but I wasn't about to complain about it. Sure, I ended up sacrificing five and a half hours but it would prove worthwhile in due course.
Entering the Stock Pot Inn, I was surprised to see Scootaloo talking to Aria Blaze though I wasn't entirely sure what was going on. Rather than interrupt their conversation, I chose to walk up and listen in case one of them provided any information. I immediately struck pay dirt without even doing anything as Aria presented a letter. " You must be Anju, yes? You have something here that requires your immediate attention."
Scootaloo was taken by surprise. " Ah! Uh, uh, uh, umm, umm... What is this?"
" This is a letter."
" I know what a letter is." Scootaloo said angrily. " What I want to know is why are you holding it in your hand?"
" I have delivered this to you!" Aria said as she dropped the letter onto the desk. " Now if you'll excuse me, I must be on my way. I still have plenty of letters to deliver around town before the day is over and I can't afford to fall behind schedule. Heck, even saying these very words is already causing a delay to the schedule." Adjusting her hat, she was about to leave when she was suddenly stopped when Scootaloo picked up the letter and looked to be wanting to give it back.
" Ah! Wait!"
" Why are you trying to hand back the letter?"
" I'm not doing that!"
Aria shook her head. " I cannot take back letters that have already been delivered. It goes against protocol and causes nothing but problems for the postal service. If I were to start doing such a foolish thing, the postmaster would fire me in an instant." Shaking her hands, Aria looked like she didn't want anything to do with what Scootaloo was doing though from my perspective, she--Scootaloo--was trying to do something else. " Please excuse me. I simply must continue on with my route."
" Wait!" Scootaloo shouted. " I just wanted to ask you a question."
" You don't want to hand the letter back to me?"
Scootaloo shook her head vehemently. " What? No! Um... Why would I want to do something like that?"
" Then what is your question?" Aria asked. " Please hurry up as I'm wasting precious time falling behind schedule.
Scootaloo looked nervous at first as though she didn't know what she wanted to ask. This caused Aria to start tapping her foot impatiently until the former finally had the courage to ask her question. "This letter... Um... Where did you?" She stuttered again which made me slap my forehead quietly so as to not offend her. " Where did you get that letter from? I see no return address on it so you must have an answer."
" From the postbox."
" What?"
Aria repeated herself. " From the postbox."
" Th-that's not what I mean!" Scootaloo said. " From the postbox where?"
" From the postbox somewhere."
At that point, Scootaloo started getting a little assertive which was surprising considering her prior attitude. " That's not what I mean either! Look, I wish to know where you got that letter from and please be sure to tell me everything."
" No."
" No!?" Scootaloo exclaimed. " What do you mean no?"
" I can't tell you that."
" Why not?"
" Because it's a secret." Aria answered. " The person who wrote this letter insisted on that. Therefore, I cannot tell you where I got the letter from. Now do not start off by asking me the same thing over and over in an endless manner as I will continue giving you the same answer until one of us chooses to stop. Now, your antics have caused me to fall even further behind schedule so now I'm forced to run even faster in order to deliver the remaining letters I have in my bag."
The two of them ended up arguing over the letter itself when Scootaloo began asking Aria as to where the letter came from. True to her word, Aria refused to answer and kept on saying that it was a secret that would remain known only to her. This back and forth went on for a couple of minutes before Scootaloo raised her arms up in frustration and admitted defeat. Aria didn't have to act like a jerk just because she couldn't reveal where she got the letter from, but I also knew that she was in the right as being a postwoman meant having to be respectful of certain people's wishes even if it meant angering someone else in the process.
Turning around, Aria was about to leave when she noticed me blocking her way. For a moment, I was expecting her to say something about Kafei but instead she simply reminded me that she needed to get back on schedule due to being delayed and requested that I moved out of her way. I did as she asked and she left the Stock Pot Inn leaving me to deal with a rather distraught Scootaloo who appeared to have lost all desire of working behind the desk. She seemed completely out of it so I walked up to her and at first she didn't pay any attention to me, but when she finally looked in my direction, I didn't get the reaction I was hoping for.
" Oh... Are you looking for Kafei?"
I nodded. " I've heard rumours that you and he are supposed to get married."
" You heard correctly." Scootaloo said, her attitude clearly having been affected by Aria. " I wish that I could be happy about the occasion but I cannot especially since he has gone and disappeared with no traces of him anywhere throughout Clock Town. My mother has been saying Kafei is a scoundrel who abandoned me so that he would marry my best friend but I can't believe that he would do that."
" Your mother said that?"
Scootaloo nodded. " I know my mother means well but I do wish she could understand my perspective." She then sighed before looking up at a clock on the wall. " It's a good thing that my grandmother received her lunch on time though she is bound to complain about it as usual. You would think someone of her age would appreciate being given a good meal yet she continues to complain every time I serve her." Reaching down beneath the desk, Scootaloo fiddled about for a minute until she pulled up a notepad before placing it down on the desk and looking up something on it. " At least we're not behind schedule."
" Do you want to talk about Kafei?"
" I'm sorry but I cannot talk right now."
" Why not?"
Scootaloo ignored me at first as she continued checking the notepad she pulled out moments ago and proceeded to pull up a book from below the desk that was called "Goron Recipes" before she began combing through it looking for something. She eventually remembered that I was trying to get her to tell me more about Kafei but she sighed and instead decided to show me the book instead. " I must hurry and prepare an appropriate dish for our guest who is coming later this afternoon. We've never had a Goron come here before which makes this all the more difficult since they are picky eaters but hopefully I can satisfy their appetite."
" A Goron?"
" It reminds me of what the Stock Pot Inn used to be a long time ago." Scootaloo answered. " We used to be a cafeteria, but after my father died, the room rentals that were part of our service became our main focus. My grandmother and I insisted that it was a bad idea given how small this place is yet my mother believed we could make more money by housing people who come from out of town with appropriate accommodations especially during the Carnival of Time. We're just a small inn with only two rooms, but that doesn't stop people from coming here to bask in the celebrations that occur at this time of the year."
" It must be hard for you."
" It proves to be a struggle."
" You seem to have a lot of people here right now."
Scootaloo nodded. " Have you seen the performers walking up and down the stairs to the second floor? The second floor bunk room guests are very spirited at night with songs and dancing but they don't know whether they will be headlining the carnival due to not getting any news about it from Monsieur Aroma. Ever since they arrived a few days ago, they have been practicing non-stop though it can get pretty hectic. Their leader, Gorman, left a few hours ago to confirm his troupe would be performing but he hasn't come back yet. The customer who will be coming here later this afternoon will be staying next door to then, so I hope it will be all right."
It was obvious that she was getting ready to welcome the Goron who was supposedly coming but then Princess Twilight began pulling on my ear to get my attention. At first, I waved my hand to make her stop it but Her Highness continued doing it until she finally got me to notice. I looked at her with a cold expression before she told me I needed to go outside and change into a Goron. I walked outside as she suggested and told her I didn't know what she was saying but she told me she had figured out the meaning behind Adagio's words. That piqued my interests and what she said was certainly surprising.
" You want me to pretend to be the guest?" I said as I took off Kafei's mask and put it away behind my back.
" Yes." Twilight answered.
" Isn't that illegal or something?"
" I noticed that not once did Scootaloo mention anything about what this Goron supposedly looks like."
" Maybe she forgot their appearance?"
" If she did then this could prove to be quite advantageous." Twilight answered. " I know it sounds horrible to take something that was meant for someone else but this is something you must do as it might make Scootaloo feel more inclined to explain more about the missing Kafei."
" I know we need to help her but does it have to be done in such a manner?"
Princess Twilight nodded slowly. " I agree that this isn't appropriate but we don't really have much of a choice in the matter, Sunset. Besides, we only have to do this once which means when we reset time after helping out Scootaloo, the rightful guest will get their room."
" You really think we can do this in one try?"
" After everything we've been through so far, I think helping out someone with their love life should be simple enough."
Knowing that I didn't really have any other alternative, I took out the Goron Mask from behind my back, made sure no else was looking--I knew it didn't matter in general since no one watching would remember but it was the principle of the thing--and placed it on my face. I immediately began stumbling about as the magic within the mask began taking effect and my body shimmered from human to Goron. I made sure not to stumble too far in case I accidentally collided with anything and after a while, I became Darmani once again. It felt weird at first as it had been a while since I last used this body so I needed a few moments to get used to having a bulky form again.
Once I felt comfortable with my Goron body, I went back inside and approached the desk. " Hello there."
" Oh! A Goron!" Scootaloo exclaimed. " Um... Welcome to the Stock Pot Inn. Um... Did you have a reservation?"
I nodded. " I made sure to book ahead of time."
" You do have a reservation?" Scootaloo asked. I was about to nod a second time when she looked down at her notepad and began reading it. " Let me see here... Ah-ha! Here you are at the bottom of the registration list under the name of Mrs. Sunset. That's good! For a moment there, I thought that we were fully booked up but you are the one Goron we've been expecting for some time now. I'm sorry that things don't look their best but it's been pretty chaotic lately what with the town being empty and all."
I pretended to not know what was happening. " I was wondering why the town was so quiet. Where I'm from, I learned from my Brothers that Clock Town was always lively at this time of the year and I was curious to find out for myself what the hub-bub was all about. I feel disappointed that it wasn't to my liking but I suppose you have reasons."
" Um, yes of course."
" You were expecting me?"
" That is correct." Scootaloo answered. " I had you written down for an afternoon arrival though I am surprised that you came here much sooner than expected. I hope that you will appreciate the Goron delicacy that I am preparing even though I've never made food like it before. Anyway, despite not being impressed with the town, I can assure you things should get better before everyone celebrates the beginning of the Carnival of Time."
" It sounds nice."
Reaching down below the desk again, Scootaloo produced a key and dropped it into my hand. " Oh yes. The Carnival of Time is the biggest celebration of our traditional ways and we go all out to make sure each one is better than the one before it." She then pointed towards the stairs before pointing at the key. " Your room is our "Knife Chamber" up on the second floor but don't take the name literally. It's just a fancy name my mother came up with as a means of making it sound more impressive than what it really is. By the way, have you been to the Clock Tower plaza yet?"
Even though I had done so in a previous cycle, I shook my head and pretended that I hadn't. " I just got here so I haven't had time to see much of this town."
" Then I suggest you pay a visit during your time here."
" Is it important?"
Scootaloo nodded. " They are currently putting together what has become a tradition for the carnival, a tower that connects to the Clock Tower that people will cross when the tower opens on the eve of the carnival in two days so they can wish for a successful year to come. However, with all of the problems that have been going on lately, I don't know if it will be finished on time but Mrs. Mutoh is insistent that she and her crew can get it done. It should be a wonderful sight regardless. Anyway, feel free to relax, Mrs. Sunset, and be sure to explore as much as you like. So long as you have your key, you'll always have access to the inn even at night."
Thanking her for the advice in addition to the key, I told her that I would take her up on her offer and explore the town. In truth, I was going to go outside long enough to change back to a human and then talk to her again while wearing Kafei's mask. Opening the door and stepping outside, I checked once again to make sure no one could see me, and when I felt safe enough, I grabbed my face, pulled off the Goron Mask, and flipped back my hair. Good thing I changed back as at that moment, another Goron entered East Clock Town from the entrance next to the inn though I was shocked at who they looked like.
This Goron looked exactly like me. In fact, they were literally the Goron version of myself but with some obvious differences. She wore a red bowtie on her neck though it did clash a little with the blue bra that covered up her breasts, but it was her blue hat that was her best feature. I couldn't believe that there was a Goron me in this world. I had always imagined that a human version of me existed in the world I called home yet I never expected anything like this. She then noticed me staring at her and I feared she would accuse me of being her twin or something but instead she waved much to my surprise.
" The city is so busy it's hard to find one's way-goro..."
" Um... Hello?" I said, confused at seeing this Goron look-alike.
" I would love to talk to you but I need to go into the Stock Pot Inn and confirm my reservation-goro."
The Goron me waddled forward and went inside though I just stood there and felt sick to my stomach. This was the Goron who had the reservation under "Mrs. Sunset", the one I had taken in my bid to help out Scootaloo with her problem. She looked like an absolute angel despite having some odd accessories and I had gone and taken what was rightfully hers and she wasn't even aware of it. I knew I couldn't continue on with my own business without knowing what Scootaloo was going to say to the Goron me so I went inside to find she was standing by the front desk.
" Oh! Another Goron!" Scootaloo exclaimed.
" Hello there!" The Goron me said. " If I may be so bold to say, but this place is falling apart. The floor looks like you could pull it up-goro..."
" Um... I am sorry you feel that way."
" Please do not take it the wrong way or anything."
" Not at all." Scootaloo said. " We have been meaning to renovate the inn for some time now."
" I am actually glad that I decided to make this trip."
" Are you from the mountains?"
" It took me several days to make my way here to Clock Town." The Goron me answered. " I would have gotten here sooner but I wanted to partake in looking at the beautiful scenery that exists in the field. But, I am here now so I can finally relax after doing so much walking around lately. I should have a reservation-goro. The name is Sunset-goro. I made it a few days ago as a means of giving you a heads-up of my arrival-goro. Don't you have it-goro?"
" Mrs. Sunset-goro?"
" That is correct."
" Um... I'm sorry but didn't I confirm you had a reservation just a few minutes ago?"
Sunset-goro--the name I would refer to her as from now on--scratched her head and looked confused. " I just arrived in town a few minutes ago-goro."
" My mother is always telling me to remember our customer's faces, but I tend to forget them." Scootaloo said. " It's a nasty habit of mine that has clearly gotten me into plenty of trouble but it's difficult especially at around this time of the year." She looked at her notepad again and sadly shook her head much to the dismay of Sunset-goro. " I'm sorry but I don't have a reservation under that name. There is one close to that but they checked in a few minutes before you did."
" Really-goro?"
" I'm sorry to disappoint you."
" I could have sworn that I made a reservation before leaving home-goro."
" I do wish that I could give you a room but we're fully booked until the Carnival of Time has concluded."
" So you really don't have a room-goro?"
Scootaloo shook her head. " I'm sorry."
Sunset-goro then appeared to be optimistic about the whole thing. " I came all this way to see the carnival and I'm not about to go back home empty-handed-goro. Well, the weather is nice outside so I'll set up a small camp and stay out there-goro. I know it's not convenient for me but I can practically sleep anywhere so it's no big deal." Turning around, she was about to leave when she noticed me standing there. " Excuse me but you remind me a lot of myself-goro. It must be that we share the same sense when it comes to our hairstyles-goro."
I showed sincere compassion as well as inner guilt over taking her reservation. " Sorry you didn't get a room."
" It's a hard world to live in-goro."
" Tell me about it."
" Tonight will be a plesant night so I'll have no problem sleeping-goro." Sunset-goro said. " It's just that tomorrow is going to rain and we Gorons aren't very comfortable when it comes to water-goro. It may come as a surprise to you but I can sense changes in the weather, something most people cannot feel-goro. Luckily, I happen to know a fellow Goron who works selling our people's pride and joy, the Powder Keg, in the west part of town. I'm sure he would be willing to give me some shelter before it rains tomorrow-goro. Anyway, I'm going outside so if you ever want to talk to me, you know where to find me-goro."
As she opened the door and walked outside of the inn, I couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Sunset-goro was an innocent person who came here for the carnival and I ended up stealing her reservation though it was necessary for me. I felt downright awful for having done something so horrible yet Princess Twilight comforted me and said I had done the right thing because in the end, helping out Scootaloo also meant helping out several other people in the process. The guilt over my actions towards Sunset-goro was sure to haunt my mind so I need to take my mind off of it by focusing on the objective at hand.
Noticing that I was still there, Scootaloo called out to me. " Excuse me, but are you looking for a room as well?"
" Don't you recognize me?"
" I did see someone who wore a similar outfit to you a while ago, yet they were wearing a mask that resembled Kafei." Scootaloo answered. " I'm sorry that I don't recognize you but perhaps you would be inclined to listen to my sad tale?"
I felt a huge urge to slap my forehead. How could she not have recognized me from before while wearing Kafei's Mask!? It's not like there were other people running around town wearing a green tunic and pants! No wonder Scootaloo had trouble remembering who people looked like and she was supposed to be the one who checked people in? Whoever gave her this job didn't really think too hard on it especially since she obviously felt conflicted about this Kafei person. Even though she was clearly not fit to be doing this kind of thing, I chose to let it slide since she was under a lot of stress. Besides, I was more interested in what she had to say.
I nodded. " Sure, I'll lend you my ear."
Hearing that made Scootaloo slightly happier. " Thank you very much. I've been working here for quite some time ever since my father died, but a long time ago I met the most wonderful man I had ever seen in my life. We were both young children back then but we formed a special bond that even now continues to remain strong. That bond started off as a friendship but soon blossomed into love until it reached a point where we decided to get married. Our respective families were surprised at the announcement and believed we were doing it too quickly yet Kafei and I knew that this was what we wanted to do. Everything was going to be perfect for the pair of us."
" Then what happened?"
" Kafei... He disappeared about a month ago and he hasn't been seen since."
" That's terrible!"
" It has devastated me emotionally."
" What have his parents said about it?"
Scootaloo sighed. " Mayor Dotour hasn't been able to do anything because she has been stuck in a meeting between the town militia and the carnival committee. One side wishes for the carnival to continue while the other insists that everyone flee town before it's too late. Neither side has budged and so Mayor Dotour is forced to listen to their eternal arguing until a peaceful solution can be found. As for Monsieur Aroma, Kafei's father, he hasn't done anything either due to having to cancel a number of performances for the carnival. My own mother has accused them of not caring enough to look for him and has been very vocal against Kafei."
" Is there anything I can do?"
" I'm sorry but no."
" Why not?"
" I'm sorry but I really must be getting back to work." Scootaloo answered. She then started to walk towards the back rooms of the inn so I quickly took out Kafei's Mask and placed it on my face before addressing her again. This time, she reacted properly in that it took her by surprise. " Oh! You're also looking for Kafei? Hold on a second... You're the one I was just talking to a moment ago, correct? How could I have not noticed this sooner? I am such a fool!" Bowing her head several times, Scootaloo looked rather pathetic so I waved my hand to make her stop and she did. " That mask was made for him a long time ago so how did you come across it?"
" Monsieur Aroma hired me to look for him."
" He made that mask for Kafei a long time ago so it makes sense that he asked you."
" I'm here to help!"
Shifting her eyes back and forth, Scootaloo looked like she didn't want anyone else to know what was going on. " I have a request! Kafei... I have a clue... that will help you find him, but you must come alone. I know that sounds strange but I cannot let my mother find out because of how she feels about him. Tonight at 11:30pm, please come to our kitchen but please know that the inn closes at 8:00pm. Unfortunately, you weren't able to get a room due to a Goron having claimed the only one we had a short while ago. However, if you were to use the side entrance on the upper level my mother seems to forget exists, you could enter the inn that way. We'll talk then..."
As Scootaloo walked off to continue with her tasks, I was surprised to learn that there was another entrance to the inn. Of course, it didn't really matter since I had a key that gave me access at any time so I wasn't bothered by what she said about the inn closing up for the night. Now things were beginning to make sense though there was still plenty of missing pieces to the puzzle that needed to be filled up. Scootaloo wanted me to come back later and while I was fine with that, what was I supposed to do until then? I had done the main objectives of my adventure so what else was there other than the final showdown?
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Well, there's more rupee grinding, fighting a boss, running around Termina field like a crazy person, that sort of thing.
8337816
I'm going to be doing things a little differently again. Having Sunset fight Goht a second time would be rather redundant especially considering we've already seen her go through it so I took the liberty of giving her a slight advantage. She won't be getting any with regards to helping out Scootaloo.
Also, I wonder who Kafei could be?
8341446
Rumble?
8341529
Not him but someone the CMC have interacted with before and recently.
8342123
I got it! Tender Taps. That's about as recent as I can get. Haven't seen any of season 7 yet.
What can you do Sunset? All kinds of shenanigans. Which also includes upgrading your sword, fishing, causing chaos in Termina Field, being a shutterbug with the camera...
I just have this feeling Sunset's going to practice her swordsmanship and archery skills after her adventure through Termina to be ready if and when Ganondorf pays her another visit and sends her on another adventure. I can see Applejack helping with the archery. And I don't know why but I can picture Rarity helping with some sword skills, although I picture her to be more of a fencer than a double edge longsword type.
Twilight possibly having the Triforce of Wisdom... that would be an interesting twist. Could also explain why she is herself and not Tatl.
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I will not confirm or deny that guess. You'll just have to find out tomorrow.
8347850
Sunset is going to have all kind of misadventures as she helps out Scootaloo. Of course, Starlight isn't far behind as she awaits in the final conclusion... but that won't be for another two chapters.