Chapter 8: Into the Swamp
The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Majora's Mask
By Ganondorf8
October 8, 2015
Chapter 8: Into the Swamp
" This doesn't look like a swamp to me," I commented upon entering the area.
" We still have to get through this section before we finally enter Woodfall proper," said Twilight.
" Guess looking around isn't going to hurt, for we could find something useful," I said. Scanning the area before walking any further, I could barely see a balloon floating off in the distance, and the green object that was attached to it was no doubt Pinkie Pie. It amazes me as to how she manages to get here so quickly, but I suppose trying to figure it out would only give me a headache. There was a tree not too far ahead, but there were no leaves on it, and the bark looked rotted indicating that the tree was dead, so why hadn't anyone come along to cut it down?
Aside from that, there were several Deku Flowers scattered about near where Pinkie was floating, and a pathway which went to the left looked promising. " Maybe I should have picked up some rupees by cutting the grass back out in the field, for it looks as though we'll need a map from Pinkie."
" Woodfall is a large area, and everything looks almost identical which will make navigation difficult. As far as getting more rupees, there are shrubs you can cut down in addition to grass, so hopefully you don't have to leave this area, come back to get more rupees, leave again, come back again, and so on in a repetitive manner until that wallet of yours is filled up with rupees," said Twilight.
" To think that the Deku Scrubs call this place home," I said.
" It's a shame they chose to isolate themselves by living deep within the swamp, but then you can't blame them for it because of how the other tribes have treated them over the centuries," said Twilight.
" I know, but at the same time you can as it was their own treachery which has left them in the position they're in. If they hadn't put preservation of their own kind ahead of forging ties with everyone else across Termina, they wouldn't be treated horribly in return. I doubt anything we can do will change things, for this has been something which has existed far longer than any of us, and I doubt both sides are willing to try and settle any differences," I said. Twilight sighed knowing how correct I was about it, but then I quickly apologized for I didn't mean to make her feel upset seeing as solving friendship problems was her expertise.
" No feed for any apology Sunset because of me," smiled Twilight.
" Why do the Deku betray everyone?" I asked.
" Maybe they feel insecure, and want to make sure that they remain on top even if it means having to use the goodwill of the other tribes to get it. If you were in a group who wanted to be on top Sunset, you'd do whatever was necessary to maintain that position. Speaking out against something which has become a cornerstone of their society for generations would cause you to become an outcast, or much worse. In their eyes, the Deku want to have as many benefits as possible, and everything they do is focused towards their continued survival by treating others as nothing more than pawns with which to further their own agenda," replied Twilight.
That was a pretty good speech she just delivered, and I could tell through her voice that she wishes things were different, but resetting time isn't going to work because this is something which has been happening far too long. I didn't know if there was anything we could to try and thaw the relations between the Deku Tribe, and the other tribes, but trying was better than doing nothing at all.
" We should speak to the ruler of the Deku," I suggested.
" That may or may not be easy depending on what kind of society they live in, for even though you've been in the body of a Deku Scrub courtesy of the curse which was placed upon you by Starlight Glimmer which is form in the form of a mask, you know hardly anything about them," said Twilight.
" Neither do you," I added.
" Granted, but maybe Pinkie Pie may know something seeing as she said she's travelled all over Termina," said Twilight. Despite how eccentric she was in this world, I've got to admit Pinkie has actually provided solid advice which has allowed me to survive so far, but the places I've seen her in lacked monsters, so now the real game was beginning which was quite literal as this was just a video game. One thing though that was going to become rather annoying is that I'll be listening to that same opening speech where Pinkie thinks I'm some kind of forest fairy, and all because resetting time makes her forget that she even talked to me.
The way forward looked clear, so I began to move in the hopes of reaching her, but I didn't take into account that monsters could either by hiding underground, or hiding amongst the environment. Flapping noises suddenly came out of nowhere, and I frantically began searching around to see where it was coming from. Twilight thought I was freaking out given how erratic my movements were, but I quickly assured her that everything was fine because this was normal for me in this situation.
" You see Twilight?" I asked as I looked up at the tree which was where the flapping sounds were coming from. " Even though it looked like I was panicking, I was trying to find the source of the noise in a quick fashion, for taking too long would have caused me to become injured." As I said this, I took out my shield from behind my back, and whatever came at me merely bounced off of it before flying back to where it came from. " I learned a lot when it comes to fighting monsters in this particular way, but I'll admit that I'm a little rusty as it's been a while. However, I have no clue what that thing was, so do you have any ideas?"
" That creature is called a Bad Bat, and while it does have a ridiculous name, it doesn't do much other than try to fly into you. By using your shield, you can deflect its attacks, but you'll only have a few seconds to defeat it otherwise it will fly away where your sword can't reach it. I suppose using a projectile weapon can pick them off before and after they make an attack, but you haven't used your bubbles that much in battle," replied Twilight.
" It looks as though those bats are hoarding around something at the top of the tree," I said.
" Let me take a closer look," said Twilight as she floated up making sure to avoid being struck by the Bad Bats. I know she wants to be more than just a partner and guide for me seeing as she can take care of herself, but she has to remember that she's in the form of a fairy, and they get swatted about quite easily. Upon reaching the top, Twilight began to dart about in the hopes of finding something, and a gasp from her indicated she found what she was looking for, but before she could come back to me, a Bad Bat came along, and slammed into her knocking her out of the sky.
Without thinking of my own safety, I ran forward and caught her by performing a diving catch just as she was about to crash into the ground. I didn't get away scot free though as my knees ended up scraping against the ground causing them to bleed, but again I wanted to save her. Twilight then noticed my wounds, and began to cry because I was hurt because of her rushing off into danger. " Your knees are soaking in what looks like blood, but why did you go and do that? I could have survived the fall very easily."
" As a fairy, you would have suffered heavy injuries because of how fast you were falling. Besides, I'm used to being injured like this, and having bleeding knees is nothing compared to what I've experienced during my last journey," I said.
" You need to tend to those wounds immediately," said Twilight.
" If I can get my hands on a Piece of Heart, or maybe even a Recovery Heart given the former doesn't come up that often, then the healing properties would fix my knees just like that as though nothing happened," I said.
" Then you're in luck as I saw a giant heart up in the tree, but you may find it hard to reach because of the Bad Bats flying around near the top. If they spot you, they will attack you without mercy which could make things even worse," said Twilight. Again, I've experienced a whole lot worse than having both of my knees bleeding blood down my legs, but hopefully Twilight will now realize that this world is dangerous, and that heading off into danger is nothing short of asking for trouble.
Making my way over to the tree, I noticed a series of vines on the one side which looked as though they could be climbed on, and when I tried doing just that, I found myself climbing up towards the top where my prize awaited me. The Bad Bats attacked me while I was climbing up, but I managed to maintain my grip on the vines. When I reached the top, the Piece of Heart was floating there just begging to be taken, so I jumped forward catching it, and falling to the ground in the process although I managed to roll forward slightly preventing me from sustaining any fall damage.
" While I did take some more injuries by being bitten all over, this Piece of Heart will restore me back to full health as though nothing happened," I said. True to form, I felt the warmth once it started to kick in, and my wounds disappeared entirely including the scars. Looking around at where I landed, Pinkie Pie was only a short distance ahead, but then blobs of jelly appeared all of a sudden from below the ground. These creatures had bizarre faces giving them the appearance of being both goofy and creepy looking, yet one was red in colour, and the other was green.
" Okay, those red blobs are known as Red Chu-Chus; virtually harmless unless you act careless in which case they will attack you repeatedly. If you're not at full health, and you defeat one of them, it will pop like a balloon where it will leave behind a single Recovery Heart. If you are at full health, it leaves behind a green rupee which is worth just one, so don't think they can be used to grind rupees. The green blobs are Green Chu-Chus, and behave in the exact same manner, yet replace the Recovery Heart with a Magic Jar as that's what comes from them upon being popped," said Twilight.
" So basically they serve as nothing more than an annoyance?" I asked.
" Pretty much, but you need to know one other thing," replied Twilight.
" What's that?" I asked as I cut down several of the Red Chu-Chus with my sword in order to get the rupees they drop due to being at full health.
" These things will re-spawn after about a minute when destroyed, so unless you want to waste your time destroying them in an endless fashion, you should just keep going as they won't bother chasing you down given how sluggish they are," replied Twilight. Her words would become a reality relatively quickly as the ones I just destroyed immediately came back to life, so I decided to run once I got rid of this second batch of Chu-Chus making sure to collect all of the rupees.
Before approaching Pinkie, there were shrubs nearby which prompted me to cut them all down in the hopes of collecting rupees, but when I cut the first shrub, they started to move about which caught me by surprise at first, but then I quickly grew accustomed to what I was seeing as it was similar to plants back in Equestria even though it's been a long time since I went there.
I've lived in the human world for so long, yet I still remember much about the land of my birth, and I long for the day when an opportunity will come which will allow me to return on my own terms. Until that day, I'm fine with being a human as long as my friends are standing there by my side.
Turning my attention back to Pinkie, she hadn't taken notice of what I had been doing, but I should be used to that seeing she is working to earn extra rupees for her father... that's something I'm having a hard time grasping given how I've never really met her family aside from her sister Maud. Anyway, once again I need a ranged attack in order to bring her down, and that means changing into a Deku Scrub by putting on the Deku Mask.
Even though this was only my third time doing this, the transition between forms still feels like I'm going through immense pain, but at the end I feel completely fine. This must be an example of the magic that is apparent throughout Termina, and maybe I'll figure out how to use it better. Taking out the Deku Mask and putting it onto my face, I once again began convulsing as it began to take effect, and upon letting out a scream which Pinkie didn't hear or notice, my body changed where I was once again a Deku Scrub.
" That still looks painful," commented Twilight.
" Only when the magic within the mask begins to change me," I said. Aiming up at the balloon Pinkie was using, I fired a bubble after forming it with my mouth, and popped her balloon which caused her to drop down along with her obligatory yell. Just before she regained her composure, I removed the Deku Mask changing back to normal where I put it away again before seeing what she has to say this time.
" What's this? Green clothes? White fairy? Madam... are you by chance, a forest fairy?" asked Pinkie Pie.
" I am," I answered with an annoyed sound in my voice because this was now the third time I've had to answer that question, and it was really starting to get old now.
" Oh my! My name is Tingle..." began Pinkie Pie where she suddenly found her mouth being covered by my hand. I wasn't about to listen to the rest of her speech, so I decided to take the initiative by saying that I wanted to learn about Woodfall first, and then I would purchase the map for this area which will be useful if what Twilight says about the size of this swamp is accurate.
Pinkie asked me why did I prevent her from introducing herself, so quickly thinking, I said that I had heard about her from the locals in town who said that if you need a map, Tingle is the one to see. In my own mind, I almost made another blunder due to forgetting about how resetting time erases all traces of my actions during the current cycle. " Really? You have heard of Tingle? Who would have thought that I'd become famous given most avoid me due to my eccentric behaviour."
" I've been meaning to ask about that," I said.
" About why I believe I'm the reincarnation of a fairy?" asked Pinkie Pie.
" Well, there's that, but I was also wondering why people avoid you. If anything, I'd figure you would have lots of people wanting to talk to you seeing as you're full of energy, and follow your own rules," I replied.
" I do appreciate those words Ms. Fairy, but I'm afraid that what you figured out is wrong. Most avoid me because of how I act, and there have been a few occasions where the town soldiers desired to arrest me... which they did... because they thought I was disturbing the peace what with my antics. It took me a couple of days just to prove that my intentions were noble, and that revolves around selling maps, but the experience I felt still remains with me," replied Pinkie Pie.
The soldiers arrested her all because she dresses in a green spandex suit while claiming to be interested in fairies? If there were any doubts about Termina being a peaceful world even on such a small level, those have been thrown away. No wonder there's so much misery around... the moon falling has really had an emotional effect on everyone. Just hearing Pinkie talk about her experiences made me shed some tears, and she noticed this and proceeded to comfort me. " No need for you to cry about what happened to me Ms. Fairy. The soldiers treated me nicely, and I don't blame them as things have been so tense these past couple of days."
" They had no right to arrest you," I said.
" No, but I suppose they just wanted to vent out some frustration. I'll never forget the experience of being arrested, but it was a lot of fun as well because I got to see what their guardhouse looked like," said Pinkie Pie. Her words did stop me crying, but I was still angry over how she was treated. I'm even angry at myself for preventing her from giving out her proper introduction, so for that I apologized, and in my mind I won't do anything like that again.
" Tingle is happy that you are feeling better Ms. Fairy, so I'll proceed to telling you everything I know about Woodfall before focusing on the whole map business. I'm not sure why you would want to come here unless you were looking for adventure, but the swamp has changed a lot ever since the poison started to show up."
" Poison?" I asked.
" Several days ago, the water near where the Deku Palace is located began to become contaminated by poison, and it's made things really difficult for not only the Deku, but for the other creatures that live in Woodfall. Rumours are spreading that someone wearing a weird mask came by just before the poison first appeared, and were somehow able to access the temple which is something only the Deku can do," replied Pinkie Pie. Hearing those two specific words... weird, and mask... made it obvious to me that the poison was caused by Starlight Glimmer, but I was interested in this temple because I had a feeling that important answers could be found there.
I decided to ask Pinkie if she knew anything about the temple, and I was surprised at what she had to say. " Even though the Deku have said the temple is for them only, you'd be surprised how many outside of their tribe have knowledge about it. That's because the Deku are pretty bad at keeping secrets, and this stems back to them backstabbing the other tribes."
" What do you know?" I asked.
" Well, you really need to be a Deku Scrub in order to reach it, and there is a special song that needs to be played on an altar located within the heart of Woodfall itself that can summon the temple which apparently is buried underneath the swamp, but only the Deku Royal Family knows about the song because it's been passed down from generation to generation for a really, really long time," replied Pinkie Pie. That sudden burst of hyper-activity was certainly unexpected given how serious she was just a moment ago, but I've got a feeling that her true self from the human world is shining through even if she isn't aware of it.
Twilight must have sensed this as the expression on her face confirms it, so it looks like once again portions of my friends true personalities survived the transition, but I don't think Equestrian magic is going to help here seeing as it can't be used. So there has to be something else that can be done, but what that is I don't know yet.
My only theory may have been what happened at the end of the Friendship Games where I absorbed the magic of my friends and myself, and became Daydream Shimmer which some of the Canterlot High students called me as a nickname. Maybe if I can remind them of their true elements, it may be enough to get them to remember how things are meant to be, and quite possibly help me stop the moon from crashing into Termina.
The only problem is that my efforts could potentially be wasted given how resetting time erases everything I've done in terms of progress, so there needs to be another way to solve this... unless their elements could somehow make them remember things from previous cycles. Pinkie had been staring at me for some time now, and I think she had been waiting for me to ask her additional questions.
" I've got an ocarina with me, so do you think the Deku Royal Family would be willing to teach me their song?" I asked.
" Deku Pipes are the only instrument which are needed to summon the temple, so using an ocarina isn't really going to do much for you Ms. Fairy. Not only that, but the chances of you learning anything from the Deku are essentially zero," replied Pinkie Pie.
" Why not?" I asked.
" None of the other tribes have ever seen the Deku Palace, and if any of them did make it there, they will never come back if you know what I mean. The Deku are extremely territorial when it comes to their palace, so unless you were one of their kind, you'll never be able to reach the palace," replied Pinkie Pie.
" What if I told you that I can become a Deku?" I asked.
" My response would be sheer laughter before saying that you were pulling my leg," replied Pinkie Pie.
" Well, let me show you something that can be considered magical, but I advise you to step back as I need some room," I said. As soon as she stepped a couple of paces backward, I took out the Deku Mask where I showed it to Pinkie who just stared at me with her smile, and it did feel creepy that she was doing that, but I wasn't about to call her out on it.
Knowing what was about to happen to me next, I put on the mask where once again I began convulsing as the magic within the mask began taking effect, and when I screamed, a bright flash followed, and once again I had become a Deku Scrub. The painful transition was still pretty unbearable, so who knows how long it will be before I get used to it, but Pinkie's reaction was exactly what I hoped for.
" Gasp! You can change into a Deku Scrub!?!? That is the most exciting thing I've ever seen in my entire life!" shouted Pinkie Pie.
" The transition from human to plant is hard on my body, but once I change into this form, I feel perfectly fine, and in case you were wondering, this isn't a permanent thing for all I need to do is just take it off like so..." I said as I began to pull on my face until the mask came off of me. "...and become human again just like that."
" Then you've got no trouble learning that song from the Deku Royal Family in theory," said Pinkie Pie.
" What do you mean in theory?" I asked.
" I thought someone as adventurous as you would have known Ms. Fairy, but that's okay as I can explain it to you. The Deku Queen is the ruler of her people, but while for the most part she is a benevolent ruler, she has a tendency to lose control of her emotions all because of conflicting issues with a certain group of Deku Scrubs," replied Pinkie Pie. If that's the case then I'll need to be careful so as to not make her angry otherwise I'd have the entire tribe coming down on me. " There is one person though who is able to calm her down, and that's her daughter known as the Deku Princess."
" What kind of power does she use?" I asked.
" I wouldn't call it that exactly, but rather she is able to calm her mother down with her sweet voice. I've heard the Deku Princess is very close to the animals that live in the swamp, and this is especially true with the monkeys. Her mother doesn't really get the appeal, but she accepts her daughter's choices in life. Should the queen have lost control, then asking the princess would probably be your best course of action," replied Pinkie Pie.
" And getting to the temple?" I asked.
" As long as you remain in your Deku Scrub form, I see no reason for the Deku Queen to refuse you access," replied Pinkie Pie.
" Then I guess I'm off to see her," I said.
" WAIT!!!!" yelled Pinkie Pie as she grabbed me by the arm which caused me to be pulled to the ground in a rather comedic manner. As I got back onto my feet, and brushed away the dirt on my tunic, I looked at her with a scornful expression on my face, but this quickly faded away due to Pinkie having a concerned look on her face.
" Sorry for doing that to you Ms. Fairy, but it's not quite that easy to get to the Deku Palace. The poisonous water will surely kill you, so trying to get to the palace on foot would be impossible, so you'll need the local guide for that." This made me scratch my head as while what she said about the poison was true, since when would I need a guide? " Once you enter the next area which is known to everyone as the Southern Swamp, you'll see a building located on top of a platform by the water.
This place is known as the Swamp Tourist Center, and you'll need to ask the tour guide if she will take you to the palace. My father also works there at the center running his own business, but he can be a little rough around the edges from what I remember." I've got a feeling Pinkie doesn't have a good relation with whoever is her father in Termina, but maybe I'll have much better luck.
" Now about that map," I said.
" I have two of those available for purchase, and I strongly recommend you getting this one which is for Woodfall. Unlike Clock Town, this region of Termina is quite big, so it's real easy to wind up getting lost. Tingle's price for this map is 20 rupees, so hopefully that won't be an issue. The other map is for Snowhead which lies in the opposite direction, but it will cost 40 rupees to purchase, so unless you have a desire to go up there, I would pass on it," said Pinkie Pie. Thanks to cutting down those shrubs and grass, I had more than enough to pay for a map, and Pinkie's reaction was once again priceless. " Yippee! Tingle is very happy that you purchased one of my maps! In terms of any more information, I suggest seeing the Great Fairy who lives somewhere in the region."
" Do you know where?" I asked.
" Can't say that I do, for I've never made it that far into Woodfall," replied Pinkie Pie. Well that was just great! Okay, maybe not that bad seeing as she just gave me a map for this area, so finding the location of the fountain should be an easy enough task. " Well, call again! Tingle, Tingle, Kooloo-Limpah! These are the magic words that Tingle wrote herself! Don't steal them!" With that, she inflated her balloon before rising to the sky, but I had a lot to think about which had nothing to do with this adventure. Once we were a safe distance away from her as we didn't want her to learn something she wasn't supposed to know, Twilight and I began talking about what we discovered.
" You saw what I did during the conversation?" I asked.
" She began acting hyper although she didn't take much notice," replied Twilight.
" I think that was her element trying to come through," I suggested.
" Glad to see you figured it out Sunset, for that's the reason I came to as well," said Twilight.
" Your expression did clue me in, but why not say something?" I asked.
" Well, I wanted you to see if you could come up with the answer seeing as you have been getting better as solving problems without having to need me to be there, and hold your hand in the process," replied Twilight.
" I know I'm capable of doing that, but I'm not saying I no longer need you Twilight, for my heart still desires for you to be my guiding light, as well as my friend. Just because there are now problems I can solve on my own doesn't mean you've got to stop coming through the portal. If anything, I still need you to help me out, for I've still got some insecurity issues which I'll resolve one day in the future. Also, I need you now more than ever especially when we're both in this situation together," I said.
" Sunset, you don't need to think of yourself as incapable," said Twilight.
" Twilight..." I said.
" You've done things which I could never hope to achieve, so don't sell yourself short as that won't do you any good. If anything, you should embrace who you are, and continue to strive for what you believe in without allowing your insecurities to get in the way. Things will be challenging as you've said before we started out on this journey as we'll be tested to the limits of endurance, yet you've risen to these challenges before, and overcome each and every one. I'll be sure to remind you of this when necessary in case you begin to lose your way, but hopefully it won't come to that," said Twilight.
This is one of the reasons why she and I have become so close as friends, for she has been there to help me get back onto my feet along with the rest of my friends, and I'll always be grateful to them for it. I've got to remind myself that I've come far ever since the day Twilight gave me a chance to understand friendship, and I can only continue to get better from there.
I mean, I helped the human version of Twilight in the same manner by giving her the same chance that I was given, so I owe it to myself to not fall into despair... this won't be easy as Ganondorf wants me to suffer, and I know we've only seen the surface of Termina when it comes to the misery which exists here.
" Last time, it was Equestrian magic which helped our friends to remember the truth," I said.
" Because our magic can't be used here that well because of how it's being restricted by this world's power, then the elements of our friends need to be exposed so that they can remember how things are meant to be," said Twilight.
" The problem though is the whole resetting of time," I said.
" That is a concern, for time magic is something I've not really gotten a grasp of given how difficult it is to control, but I do know enough to understand it in this context," said Twilight. She then floated over to the nearby wall where she beckoned me to follow her, and began to scribble something which looked complicated. Well, complicated to anyone who doesn't understand Equestrian script which is what this was, and I still remember it even after all this time.
Twilight spent a couple of minutes scribbling on the wall, and she did have to fix some mistakes due to being in a hurry given time is against us, but when she was finished, her results were really promising. " If we tried to bring Pinkie Pie's element through entirely, it should be enough for her to remember how the world is really supposed to be, but she may lose this when time gets reset, and that would set us back to the beginning. I was thinking maybe we could find a means of containing her element, and use it accordingly whenever we encounter her."
" It's a good idea in theory Twilight, but I know what happens when you try to contain magic from different people," I said.
" Right... you told me what the other me did by accident," said Twilight.
" Our combined magic caused all kinds of problems in the human world, and I can only imagine what would happen here in Termina if I did the same thing. Our magic doesn't work because of this world's dynamic, but combined it would definitely be a problem," I said.
" Then what can we do?" asked Twilight.
" Last time, I defeated Ganondorf thus completing the "game" which changed everything back, so I'm guessing this time we've got to defeat Starlight Glimmer, and prevent the moon from crashing into Termina. However, there is one complication in the form of the real Ganondorf who intends on getting in the way, and even with my new transformation, I doubt it will be enough to overcome him," I replied.
Twilight then reminded me about not selling myself short, but I told her that my words were true even though I wish that weren't the case. Ganondorf's power is far greater than anything I've ever seen in my entire life, and when I fought him just before he sent me back home, I ponied-up and gave him the full extent of my magic, but he merely described it as me tickling him. From there, he beat me to within an inch of my life, but chose to spare my life because it was his will alone that allowed me to survive the experience.
" He sounds a lot like the villains I've faced in Equestria," said Twilight.
" But they are nothing compared to him as he wields an ancient magic which has existed since the beginning of time, and I don't need to explain this again as I already told you what happened to me," I said.
" So beating this game will change things back?" asked Twilight.
" And live up to Ganondorf's expectations," I replied.
" Why is he so interested in you?" asked Twilight.
" His younger self said he wanted me to become his servant because of who I used to be and that I still had potential, but that was Tirek portraying him, so who knows what the real him is thinking. We'll find out soon though as I've got to fight him again because he will make it so, and hopefully I've lived up to his expectations... for all our sakes otherwise both the human world and Equestria will be conquered and everyone we know dies," I replied.
" First we need to figure out how to bring out the elements of our friends, and somehow keep them going from cycle to cycle. Then, we can focus on figuring out how to stop the moon from crashing. Finally... I guess we somehow defeat Ganondorf, but it may not be easy given what you've said about him. If the magic of friendship has no effect on him, we need to come up with a contingency plan that can work," said Twilight. All of this sounded like pretty tall orders, but there was no other choice but to go through with them. Once Twilight had removed the scribbles she created on the wall, I walked forward until the pathway opened out to signify that we had entered Woodfall.
For an area which is supposedly a swamp, it looked more like a forest than anything else, but then appearances were often deceiving, and I've had plenty of experiences dealing with stuff like that. The most striking feature was a large pink coloured mountain that featured a ring of smoke surrounding the peak which reminded me of Death Mountain back in Hyrule, so perhaps there is an area inside which needs exploring, and hopefully not an inferno.
Ahead was a building located on a raised platform with what looked like a boat floating on the surface of the water below it, so that must be the Swamp Tourist Centre which is where I'll go first in order to gather more information about the area. The water from what I can see looked perfectly fine, yet some kind of strange creature could be seen at the far end of the river blocking the way forward. There was a pathway which disappeared around a corner to my left, so maybe that's somewhere I can search as well.
" We should check the tourist centre first," I suggested.
" Pinkie's father could tell us more about this place," said Twilight.
" I still can't believe her father works here," I said.
" There are many things which will be difficult for you to believe, yet you must overcome these challenges if you are to succeed."
" WAAAAH!" I screamed as I looked to my right, and seeing another familiar face. Standing on some kind of stone slab was a giant owl, but it was Flash Sentry who was sitting on the owl's back who caught my attention. Why is it every time he speaks out of the blue, it causes me to scream in the same manner I used when Maud Pie scared me during that sleepover we all had when Twilight returned?
" Flash Sentry!?!? Here!?!?" exclaimed Twilight. I could see her blushing which made me smile and roll my eyes in response, but then I doubt he'd be willing to return the affections as he has no idea who she is in this world. Then again, in my previous adventure, Flash Sentry was pretty knowledgeable even when scaring me out of my wits, so perhaps it will be the same this time.
Twilight was still fawning over him because of not seeing him for a while, but I quickly pulled her aside, and told her that this wasn't the same guy we both know despite his choice of clothes giving off a sense that he is a veteran warrior. " I know he's not the same Flash, but just seeing him made me react like that."
" Of course he did," I said sarcastically.
" This is a rare sight. You are a fairy child, correct?" asked Flash Sentry.
" What gave me away?" I asked.
" You wear clothes that come from a mystical forest that is not of this world, and you are also in the company of a fairy who appears to be quite smitten with me. That's the first time anyone has shown affection towards the likes of me, yet I am one who travels about alone with my trusty owl. What business might you have in this poisoned swamp? If you dare not venture further, I shall pass no judgment. It is better that you hurry back to town," replied Flash Sentry.
" I have no intention of running away," I said.
" Then you possess a strong heart and determination which shall be tested," said Flash Sentry.
" I've only just begun this journey, so giving up this early would be too easy, and I've been through a lot worse than this," I said.
" Yes, I can tell that you have experienced many hardships, but are you sure that these will be enough to see you through what lies ahead? Again, I shall pass no judgment upon you fairy child, but claiming you've done something like this before is one thing, but to actually go and do it is another," said Flash Sentry. It sounded like he didn't want me to continue forward, and accept what is going to happen, but I'm not about to give up! I know I'll be tormented immensely along the way, but I've got to do this if I want to change everything back.
I then repeated my desire to stick to the path I've chosen, and he was taken aback slightly before smiling at me which must mean he's glad I'm not going to run away. " Then you have accepted the fate which has been placed before you, but you must know something very important which is knowledge that eludes you. This swamp you are in has lost its guardian deity, but it was destined to fade anyway."
" Guardian deity?" I asked.
" It seems there is much about this world which you do not understand, but allow me to reveal this knowledge anyway. In each of the four regions that comprise Termina, a guardian sleeps within the temple of that region, and remains dormant until they are summoned when the world has need of their might. Unfortunately, a dark power has caused them to vanish, and no one knows what has become of them. Without the guardian deities, this world is doomed to suffer in an eternal nightmare until the end comes. As you can see from what is falling from above, the end shall come within mere days," replied Flash Sentry.
" Is it just the guardian from Woodfall who has vanished?" I asked.
" No, that is not solely limited to this swamp... the other regions have lost their respective deities as well," replied Flash Sentry. Now things were starting to make a little sense, but I don't think Flash has any idea about what these deities are supposed to be. I mean, I've not asked him about them yet, but I've got a feeling he may not know, or if he does then he desires for me to figure that part out. Could it be that I need to somehow get these deities to stop the moon from falling?
That did sound like quite the stretch in my mind, but maybe it's true, and I just can't seem to grasp the concept. Twilight may have an answer herself, but then she's just as confused as I am when it comes to all of this lore and legends of Termina. " Since you have the courage and determination to proceed in the face of destiny, I shall teach you something useful.
Before coming here, had you not seen any of the stone statues that bear close resemblance to my companion?" Just when I was trying to grasp one thing, Flash Sentry had to bring up another, and one which I immediately didn't answer for I was wondering about these deities he spoke of. By the time his question did register with me, I realized that I hadn't seen anything that matches the description.
" I don't think so," I answered.
" Since you have much going on inside of your mind, I suspect that you have not taken notice of these even when in plain sight. There is no need to feel saddened if you think I am offended with your answer, but you should know that these statues will prove invaluable. Given that time is something which you have little of, what I shall provide will give you more, but not in a literal sense. I have placed statues throughout the land to aid the one with the power to change the destiny of this land... wherever she may appear, and I believe the one who wields such a power is you," said Flash Sentry.
" Are you sure about that?" I asked. This is not the first time I've been given such a daunting task, but what is happening in Termina is far worse than Hyrule, so already the pressure was starting to get to me, and I've barely started this journey. Flash Sentry is just trying to tell me important matters, yet my mind has other things that are worrying me, and destiny just got added which makes it worse. He said that he could give me more time, but how is that even possible? I'm already defying nature by resetting time, so what could he provide which wouldn't cause further problems?
" If you interact with any of those stone statues... then the song carved at the feet of my companion will certainly be of some assistance. Once, one would have needed to strike them with a sword, but that is no longer necessary as a mere interaction will suffice. Remember this song well, and play it wherever the need arises," replied Flash Sentry.
" What does it do?" I asked.
" The Song of Soaring will allow you to ride on the very wind, and travel effortlessly from one location to the next provided that you have activated the statues. I am sure it will make traversing this land an easier experience, and allow you to have more time to solve a particularly difficult situation," replied Flash Sentry. My eyes suddenly widened with excitement over the possibilities that such a song could provide. I mean, walking around is good and all, but a time will come where my feet will get blisters, so warping around will prevent that.
While I've dealt with using warp magic, I barely used those songs Sheik taught me before, yet this could be a song which I'd use frequently. After grinning for a few moments, Flash beckoned me to take a closer look at the stone slab his owl was perched on, and inscribed were several notes that prompted me to take out my ocarina. I doubt Flash has any musical talent in this world, so it looks like I'll have to memorize this song.
Good thing music is something I specialize in courtesy of being a member of the Rainbooms, and it was my guitar playing which has given me a stronger understanding of the art. It took me only one attempt to play the Song of Soaring, and I could feel strong gusts lifting me up into the air as their way of saying that they will provide assistance. All I need do now is find some of those statues in order to make good use of it. " From the first time you play this song, we shall become eternal friends, transcending time and place!" Flash's words sounded powerful, but also confusing which prompted me to inquire about it.
" Are you saying you'll be unaffected whenever I reset things?" I asked.
" Perhaps, or perhaps not, yet you will find out for certain when we meet again," replied Flash Sentry.
" Wait!" shouted Twilight whose sudden burst caught me off guard.
" I was wondering when you would say something little fairy," smiled Flash Sentry.
" It's just that I... well... I... the thing is," said Twilight as she began blushing again, and my response was the same as before... smirking and rolling my eyes. " I was wondering if you could tell us where we should go next. I mean, we have a pretty good idea, but we're not what you would call familiar with the land." At least she was able to regain her composure, but maybe she ought to not react like that given this wasn't the Flash Sentry we knew. The vision between fantasy and reality is fragile here after all.
" Seek out the practitioners of magic who reside in the direction opposite of this stone slab, for you will need to aid them before the truth becomes known. Never lose faith in yourself fairy child, and success shall be certain," said Flash Sentry. With that, he commanded his owl to rise, so I backed away otherwise I could get blown away, and then a few moments later, he took to the skies until he vanished over the horizon. The stone stab in the meantime had since vanished giving me the impression that the Song of Soaring was one that had to be remembered along with the Song of Time.
" I can't believe Flash was here," said Twilight.
" And you were smitten over him," I added.
" Was I being that ridiculous?" asked Twilight.
" You did lose a slight amount of dignity, but I can let it slide as it has been a while since you last saw him," I replied.
" So should we pay ourselves a visit to these magicians?" asked Twilight.
" I think going to the Swamp Tourist Centre is in order, for we could find some more information there," I replied.
" Well, whatever decision you decide to make, we've got to pick up the pace as I think we've already spent close to half the morning talking," said Twilight. I looked up at the sky to see what she was on about, and the sun was almost at its peak which meant time was already slipping away. Was it possible to somehow slow down time itself so that everything moves at a slower pace? I didn't know if my words were feasible, but I had to get going, so once I put the ocarina back into my pouch, I headed over to the ladder propped up which would give me access to the centre, and climbed it to discover another Business Scrub was located there.
" What do you suppose his business is?" I asked.
" Not sure, but hopefully he doesn't want a Moon's Tear as well," replied Twilight.
" We'll come back to him," I said as I walked up to the door, and entered the Swamp Tourist Centre where I found myself surprised at the décor. It looked pretty pleasant unless you weren't a fan of green, but there were two locations which had potential; one was a desk with a large man standing behind it who seemed to be ashamed of something, and the other was a hole in the wall with a sign both above and below it.
Twilight then revealed to me that the one by the desk was Trenderhoof, and I remember seeing him among the members of the Shadowbolts during the Friendship Games. She told me he also exists in Equestria where he's a famous pony who writes various articles for Equestrian magazines although not everyone knows him, yet the pony version of Rarity was smitten with him at one point. I chuckled as I could imagine seeing her fawning over him, but he looked like someone who wasn't about writing anything. Still, I walked up to Trenderhoof in order to see what he had to say.
" Blimey! Where is she? That spoiled child is off playin' hooky again! A child her age has no business searching for fairies!" Trenderhoof said as covered his eyes with one of his hands, and shook his head back and forth in embarrassment, but did he just say something about a child and fairies? Could this be Pinkie Pie's father? Actually, I've met her real father before, but this was still quite a shock even though I knew it was coming. " I love her an' all, but I wish she didn't wear that green outfit, and prance about! She says she would be sellin' maps to help, yet I think she is more invested in fairies than helping me."
" Excuse me," I began.
" Oh... ahem... welcome to the Swamp Tourist Centre where you can learn as much as you want about Woodfall, but you'll need to read them books over there as I don't quite feel like providin' a description," said Trenderhoof.
" I already have some ideas about what this place is like," I said.
" Then what brings you here? I suppose you've taken a pretty good picture am I right? Well then, why don't you show me the pictograph you've taken? Come on! You don't need to be shy or anything," said Trenderhoof. I then looked to my left, and then to my right as though he was expecting something, but I just stood there with a blank expression on my face because I had no idea what he was talking about. " Huh? Is this your first time entering the pictograph contest?
Well, the Swamp Tourist Center is currently holding a pictograph contest open to all ages, from children to adults. Now, the rules are really simple to this. In order to get any kind of credit for this contest, you need to take a pictograph of something that appears in the swamp. If you show me a pictograph from an area other than the swamp, I won't accept it under any circumstances. The prizes you can win vary depending on how rare of a pictograph you've got.
For example, if you show me something like say one of those Big Octos near where all that poisonous water is, you'll get only a few rupees as those are common, but showing me, say, a photo of the Deku Queen... well now... that would get you the best prize. No matter what you show me, a free boat cruise gets awarded as a special prize just for participating."
" That was quite the long explanation," I said.
" Well, I wanted to make sure you knew everything in case you had questions," said Trenderhoof. It seems to me that these pictographs are a lot like photos which we take using our cell phones back in the human world, but I doubt they have anything that sophisticated here. I'm expecting the device to be something old and archiac... not like that's a bad thing as it reminds of good times in Equestria... when I wasn't acting like I was superior to everyone else. Trenderhoof was holding his hands out as though he didn't know what to make of me, but I quickly nodded to indicate my awareness of the rules. " So, would you like to enter our contest?"
" It sounds like fun," I replied.
" Oh, but to enter, you first must take the boat cruise, yet that's going to be a problem given that the one who runs the service isn't available right now. Normally, you'd speak with her, and she would get things going, but it's been a few hours now since she left, yet it feels like somethin' is wrong," said Trenderhoof.
" Wrong?" I asked.
" I know that old hag really well given how we're the only two people who work in this centre, but she's never been gone this long before. Unless you can find out what happened to her, the boat cruise isn't going anywhere, and you won't be able to get yourself a Pictograph Box," replied Trenderhoof.
" Okay, so where would I even begin to find her?" I asked.
" She has a twin sister who runs the Magic Hags Potion Shop located near the Woods of Mystery, so I'd talk to her about where she went to. I know you want to do this because your voice tells me how desperate you are in wanting to take the cruise, for it will take you to the Deku Palace. Not that it's any of my business little lady, but humans who go to the Deku Palace often end up hating the experience because those Deku are really territorial.
You'd literally have to be one of them in order to get inside, and I know those witches don't have potions or spells which can change a person into one o' them," replied Trenderhoof. Thanking him for the information, I left the centre where my mind started to think about what he said regarding witches.
There was something in my mind which was itching for me to remember, but I couldn't which means I'm going to experience something I wish I were better prepared for. It also looks like becoming a Deku Scrub is the order of business in Woodfall, so I'll have to quickly get used to changing back and forth between forms. The Business Scrub had been watching me for some time now, so I decided to see what he had to say because that look on his face was just creepy. I'm hoping he doesn't want something because I currently have nothing to give.
" Welcome to my Deku Flower, and I apologize if my staring at you was unnerving, but I was hoping that you would stop by. Normally, I'd be selling Magic Beans to my fellow Deku provided they purchased them from the man I get them from, but perhaps you might be interested as well?"
" Did you say Magic Beans?" I asked. Twilight had no idea what was going on, but I remember what happened last time, for I ended up spending a great deal of money purchasing ten of them which continued to go up in value by ten every time I bought one. Upon thinking back on it, it wasn't my best idea, but then I did in order to make someone happy even if it meant losing rupees. It also occurred to me that I don't have seven years before the beans grow, so maybe there's another way to make them flourish.
" Ah, so you're familiar with them?"
" I suppose you could say that," I replied.
" They may look like ordinary beans, but they have special powers which enable one to reach new places just by stepping on them. Now, I have this suspicion that you don't know how to use them even though you're familiar with them, so I'm afraid that I can't sell you any until you get them from my source. It's strange how he managed to build a shop right underneath the Deku Palace, and no one has ever figured it out. He is one clever human that's for sure, but at the same time he's essentially stuck there as leaving would cause him to be arrested."
" Do these Magic Beans have any new properties?" I asked.
" I heard that they found a means to make them grow instantly rather than having to wait several years. All it takes is ordinary water, and they will grow just like that." I then smacked my head over hearing this, and I couldn't believe that was the secret to making them grow. You'd think this could have been applied in Hyrule, but maybe that was an idea not programmed into the game. That's when the Business Scrub started looking distant as though something were on his mind, so I asked about it as a means of lending an ear in order to listen. " I've been selling my wares here in this swamp for a long time now, but because of all that poison, no one from the palace comes this way. I really want to set my shop in a much more lively location where customers of all kinds could come and purchase what I have."
" And how do you plan on going there?" I asked.
" Through the proper channels of course, but since you don't have what I need to be able to go there, please forget I ever said anything." His sudden abrupt end to the conversation made me realize that talking to him at least for now was a waste of time, and while he thought I didn't know what the channels were, I've got a pretty good feeling that I need to give him that deed I got from the previous Business Scrub back in town. Since there was nothing else for me to do, I climbed back down the ladder, and proceeded forward in the direction of the Magic Hags Potion Shop.
" Well, we certainly learned a great deal," said Twilight.
" In order for us to reach the Deku Palace, we need to take that boat cruise," I said.
" Which involves finding whoever runs it," said Twilight.
" You know, the fact that we need to speak to hags reminds me of something," I said.
" What?" asked Twilight.
" Something that happened to me back in Hyrule which involved dealing with two witches who manipulated an entire tribe, but it couldn't be them again could it? Nah, if it were them then we would be walking into a trap," I replied. Sometimes I wish that I paid more attention to these premonitions of mine, for I would soon discover that what I believed to be wrong was actually correct. Upon reaching the edge of the water, my first instinct was to check and make sure it wasn't poisonous or anything.
Twilight then questioned as to what I was doing taking a closer look, and I responded to her as I've wanted to bring this up with her for a while. " Unlike you Twilight, instead of reading books, I had the desire of going out into the field in order to do a more hands-on approach with my studies. Even now, I still do this in the human world such as when I used a device in order to understand how magic worked there by using our friends as test subjects." A bottle in my possession would have made this easier, but I decided to go with an unorthodox method... tasting the swamp water. Cupping my hands together, and scooping up some water, I drank it only to spit it out a few seconds later as it tasted awful.
" Why did you do that?" asked Twilight.
" Like I said, a hands-on approach," I replied.
" And now your mouth has had swamp water in it," moaned Twilight.
" At least it's not poisonous which is the most important thing," I said. Twilight simply shrugged her shoulders as I began to walk into the swamp water which went halfway up my body, so this was going to be quite a trek unless I switch to a Deku Scrub, and hop along those lily pads for a faster means of crossing. Twilight started laughing at me because of wadding my way through the water, but then my scowling expression stopped her in her tracks.
" Sorry about that," said Twilight.
" Spike often did the same thing because he could fly while I had to do things the hard way," I moaned.
" You two really got along well," smiled Twilight.
" For the most part we did, but there were times where he questioned my methods and vice-versa. Of course, this made our friendship all the more special as our bantering kept us going even during difficult situations. Believe me Twilight, what I'm doing now is nothing compared to what will be coming later on," I said.
After what took like an hour to finally make it across, I shook myself off as my tunic was soaking wer, and continued forward down a narrow pathway which twisted about a few times, but as I was about to reach a large open area, I was ambushed by two plants which I remember from before.
" Plants are sentient here," observed Twilight.
" But they aren't friendly," I added.
" The one on the left is a Deku Baba, but it looks really withered as though no one has watered it for a very long time, so a single swipe of your sword will be enough to cut it down without a problem. As for the one on the right, it's a Mini Baba, a smaller version of the Deku Baba where it has no stem which connects to the mouth. This makes it annoying to discover as you could end up getting bitten if you were to step on it," said Twilight.
" This is where my magic would be important," I sighed.
" Well, you can't use your own natural magic, so you'll have to come up with some other tactic," said Twilight. Since neither monster could lunge out against me, I took out my sword and chopped the stem of the Deku Baba which destroyed it, and revealed a Deku Stick which I gladly picked up. " Huh? Why would you want to carry around a stick when you've got better items?"
" Deku Sticks can be lit in order to solve puzzles, and light the way in dark places," I replied.
" In that case, collect as many of them as possible," said Twilight. With that in mind, I destroyed the Mini Baba without getting my feet near it, and it also produced a stick which I took because I'm likely to be using one or two at some point in this region. The open area consisted of a rather gaudy looking shop located on top of another platform which required me to reach it using a ladder which had been propped up against it. " You know, that house up there reminds me of Zecora's house in the Everfree Forest in that it looks just as mysterious, and I can sense powerful magic coming from it."
" Who was Zecora again?" I asked.
" She's a zebra who comes into Ponyville sometimes to buy ingredients for her potions, and her rhyming is both exquisite and confusing," replied Twilight. She sounded like an interesting character, and it's possible that she could be inside waiting to help anyone who happens to have need for it. Still, what Trenderhoof said about hags did fill me with dread, but I've got to go inside to find out what happened to the one sister who has vanished.
Climbing up the ladder until I made it to the top of the platform, I could sense magic flowing about, and it didn't feel threatening in any way. Of course, there was also a powerful odor which most likely came from whatever they were using to create their potions, but it's good that I'm used to magic otherwise the odor would have knocked me out cold by now. Walking up to the door of the shop, and going inside, everything immediately went dark as though this were some kind of dungeon or something.
" Quite the atmosphere huh?" I asked.
" There does appear to be a lot of powerful magic flowing through here," replied Twilight.
" Not to mention clutter," I added.
" When you work with all kinds of magic, you have a strong tendency to want to learn as much about it as possible. That can result in what we're seeing right now, but at least we don't have to worry about finding any cobwebs around here as everything is remarkably clean," said Twilight.
" It's probably more organized than your castle," I chuckled.
" I wouldn't deny anything that obvious, but yeah my castle could do with some cleaning," said Twilight.
" Still, there's something about this place which strikes me as familiar," I said. It began eating away at me as though I knew what the answer was, but my mind just couldn't come up with the solution. Fortunately, I wouldn't have to think about it for much longer as the sounds of someone shuffling about in front of me broke the silence of thought. You'd think there would be more adequate light in this shop, a shop cluttered with knick-knacks, books, cauldrons, and even dust which looked like it was there in layers, but I guess they aren't tidy when it comes to their own well-being.
The shuffling got louder and was followed by some heavy wheezing before both that and the shuffling came to a stop. Then, the sounds of someone fiddling about in the darkness could be heard, and then a candle got lit which prompted me to look forward.
" Blast it all! I really should remind that sister of mine that we need to find better sources of light instead of a wretched candle! One of these days, someone is going to get themselves hurt, and I'm not talking about any potential customers who come through that door. Oh? Well, imagine that! Someone has paid the Magic Hags Potion Shop a visit, and she appears to be quite the outrageous individual." My body came to a complete stop as did my heart, for I couldn't believe who was standing there in front of me, and neither could Twilight as she remembers this person quite vividly...
To Be Continued.
Stats
Page generated in 0.04 seconds
Total duration
633 users online
846,723 hits today, 2,280,440 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.®
YOU TEASE!
Oh well, just means a better start next chapter. Speaking of, hey Sunset, remember all that sneaking you had to do to see Twilight last time? It's about to come rushing back full force and way harder.
And we now know the identity of our princess.
Calling it now, Rarity is the Queen.
That would be hilarious! Till next chapter friend!
And now, to wait the next one to see who is... I could vote from Flim and Flam, but I don't think is them... Celestia and Luna? Twilight and Twilight?
6554616
If you've played both Ocarina of Time, and Majora's Mask, and have read my previous story... I think you know who they've just run into.
6554599
I'm going to let you discover who is portraying who in the coming chapters, and you may be surprised about it.
6555243 Ohh.... True.
6555246 I look forward to it.
6555259
I won't be revealing everything in these comments, for I do want readers to be interested in what will happen. Some character choices were changed at the last minute because of the events of Friendship Games... such as Trenderhoof for instance.