The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.

by Ganondorf8

Chapter 16: The Power of Colour.

Author's Note:

Disclaimer: I do not own anything regarding the Legend of Zelda, the Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, and My Little Pony: Equestria Girls. These are the properties of Nintendo and Hasbro respectively.

This dungeon has the strangest of guardians.

Cast of characters appearing in this chapter:

Sunset Shimmer: Link
Princess Twilight Sparkle: Fairy Partner
Grogar: Dethl
Adagio Dazzle: Great Fairy
Thorax: Gar
Pharynx: Dion

The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Link's Awakening.
By Ganondorf8.
December 15, 2019.
Chapter 16: The Power of Colour.

"What are those supposed to be?" I asked.

"One is a Blue Orb Monster and the other is a Red Orb Monster." Princess Twilight answered.

"Really?" I asked in surprise. "They couldn't have been given better names than that?"

"Beggars can't be choosers, Sunset." The two monsters walked around but on occasion they would start spinning which had to be their means of attack. Upon seeing me, they tried to reach me only for the stone blocks to get in their way which gave me a moment to plan. Princess Twilight then continued her explanation. "Since you just saw their attack, you don't need any advice on that. However, attacking one makes it regress into their shell which leaves them vulnerable. In fact, you can pick them up and toss them around but no doubt what has to be done with them is pretty obvious."

While Princess Twilight was teasing me with her words, the message on how to deal with these creatures was crystal clear. The Blue Orb Monster finally managed to get around the stone blocks and began spinning but I responded by using my shield to deflect it until it was exhausted. I then attacked it which forced it to regress into its shell (I couldn't help but find it to be rather cute in that form) before picking it up. Without the Power Bracelet, this would've been impossible because of their heavy nature. Of course, not having the bracelet meant not being able to accessing the Color Dungeon proper as I'd have lacked strength to move the gravestones.

Taking the Blue Orb Monster to the hole in the ground with the blue colour around it, I tossed the monster in where it fit in perfectly yet showed no signs of struggling to get out which made me think. If I attacked these monsters while they had regressed into their shells, that could force them back out and attack me before I had a chance to defend myself. Taking precaution was imperative as without medicine, my health could only last for so long. The Red Orb Monster began spinning in my direction after having gotten around the stone blocks but again I used my shield to deflect its attack until it tuckered itself out.

Attacking it to make it regress, I picked up the shell, placed into the remaining hole, and both monsters disappeared in puffs of smoke. I wasn't expecting that to happen. In fact, I was expecting both monsters struggling to free themselves only to do so long after I had left the room. So far, these Colour Dungeon monsters had proven themselves intriguing though their fighting prowess was pretty bad, but there was no doubt in my heart that far worse things had yet to come. A treasure chest then materialized as my reward for defeating both orb monsters and upon opening it, I took out a Stone Beak which may or may not be useful.

After all, I had Thorax and Pharynx giving me assistance in their unusual manner. I still couldn't believe those two were brothers according to what Princess Twilight said. Pharynx was the more brazen of the two which was certainly saying something as Thorax was gentle but tended to second-guess himself. It's like both were polar opposites of each other who managed to work things out with one desiring peace and the other itching for battle at any opportunity. It made sense in my mind that Thorax is the Changeling Leader as he was the one who convinced his kind that changing into what they are now was best.

Heading south and into the next room, I was immediately attacked by two Red Camo Goblins who were situated either side of the door. One managed to bump into me causing a little bit of damage but I quickly took it out along with the other one using my sword. Aside from the large hole in the center, there wasn't much else here aside from two Green Camo Goblins who were waiting on the other side on green tiles. (Like they could hide from me since their blob-like forms were pretty apparent) Stepping forward, both monsters dashed forward leaving the safety of their tiles and I simply defeated both with a single sword hit each.

Both doors unlocked so I walked left into the next room only to encounter two Bone Putters and the tiles from the previous room where I was first introduced to that monster. As I took in my surroundings, the Compass beeped indicating that a key was contained within the chest. Her Highness told me that these were the other kind of Bone Putter, the harmless one that simply bounced around without a care in the world. I could defeat both but Princess Twilight insisted that I remained still and allowed them to continue bouncing about. Sure, it was an unusual request until I figured out what she was getting at.

It didn't take long for both Bone Putters to eventually jump into the very holes that they had created. "Wow..." I said upon seeing such a display. "You weren't kidding when you said I should remain still. I can't believe they went ahead and did that."

"Some monsters are more carefree than others, Sunset."

"Now I feel bad for them."

"You shouldn't as what they did, they did to themselves without you attacking them."

"I guess so."

"Also, they didn't remove as many tiles as you were probably thinking."

I sighed knowing that was the case. "Still, had they removed more, I'd have had to backtrack to the previous room then come back in here in order to reset everything, and they'd have probably been reset too." Again, my thought process here was that the monsters of this dungeon were intriguing but lacked attack power. "To be fair, I was hoping for some tough enemies to fight but I guess Koholint Island has been lacking and not just this place alone. I know saying such things is stupid but I can't help it if my competitive nature desires an actual challenge instead of such an easy time of it."

"Best not to get too complacent."

"I know..."

"The regular monsters may not be satisfying you but the mid-bosses and Nightmares have definitely tested you."

"I just wish it could be consistent for everything."

Princess Twilight then placed her tiny hand on my nose. "I know you desire a challenge, Sunset, one that can give you a sense of satisfaction, but you should never take things for granted at any time. Just because things are easy with the monsters doesn't mean that will always be the case. Be grateful for the fact that you can actually fight them. Imagine if you had no sword, shield, or even items at your disposal... Just your bare hands and your wits."

"Okay, I see your point."

"Being cocky is just asking for trouble."

And this was why having Princess Twilight as my partner was such a blessing. Yes, I was pretty cocky as I believed myself to be pretty good at what I did, but there were times in my life where I allowed such cockiness to get out of hand. It felt nice being brought back down to reality before it could consume me entirely. She had a point about the monsters as while a lot of them were easy to defeat, it possibly meant stronger ones had yet to come and who would give me one heck of a fight. Huh... Now for some reason, I could see Rainbow Dash needing to learn some humility and I would be the one to teach her.

Making my way across the coloured tiles, I opened up the chest and took out the small key that was inside. Then, needing to jump a couple of times because the tiles were missing courtesy of the Bone Putters, I approached one of those flip panels (It had been a while since I saw one), pressed my back up against it, and flipped back to a previous room. No monsters were present so I walked across more tiles before using my key to unlock the door. Entering the next room, there were several spikes scattered about which would make maneuvering hard but my eyes were focused on what was at the back of the room.

It looked like a stone golem of some kind but I couldn't exactly make out what it was. At first, it was just staring at me with its red eyes, and I tried to look away but found myself gazing into the eyes. If this creature was using fear, it was definitely working. It then began speaking which was rare for a mid-boss monster. "You have come here for one thing. You are not the first to have come here for it nor will you be the last."

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Do not pretend to lie to me!"

"I'm actually being serious."

The stone golem glared at me. "I am Avalaunch, and I guard this place from the likes of you. You... One filled with greed in her heart!" Just as I was about to contest that remark, it continued on with its accusation. "What a greedy fool! You want more power!? Why? Such a desire will end up killing you! Why not be satisfied with what you have? To desire power is to become consumed until you are no longer human."

"I'm not here to gain power!"

Avalaunch, as it called itself, laughed in a stymied fashion. "You are here to seek the power of colour. That shows that you are a greedy fool. You may claim otherwise but the evidence is there in your eyes. You hunger for power!"

"That's not true!"

"Enough!"

"Sure, I came here for the power of colour but to use it to help me on my journey."

"Your words belie your true intentions."

"I take it I'm wasting my breath talking to you?"

Avalaunch nodded slowly. "A buffoon like you might as well give up and go home! But, I know that you will no do this as you are set on acquiring power. Very well. I shall kill you in order to prevent you from claiming your prize, but should my own life end, then know my words were correct in that the desire for power consumed you." It then began pacing back and forth until it jumped up and landed on the ground moments later causing some boulders to drop down from above.

I managed to avoid them as there weren't that many but now I had to fight this creature. On the one hand, I was annoyed at how it accused me of wanting power. I mean, it wasn't entirely wrong about me as what I came here for would give me more power, but it was wrong about me becoming consumed. That sounded more like Ganondorf though he could control the power he wielded. On the other hand, Avalaunch claimed that those who came before also desired power and probably accused them in the same manner it had done to me. It sounded like it didn't care about people's opinions and was dead set on believing its own.

"Okay, so what do I do about Avalaunch?"

"I'm surprised you didn't let his words get to you." Princess Twilight answered.

"That was the old me."

Princess Twilight smiled. "That's the Sunset I know and love." I knew she meant that last bit as a term of endearment and not the other thing. "Anyway, Avalaunch is going to continuously move back and forth where it will on occasion jump which will cause boulders to come down. It can do this multiple times in a row meaning you'll become overwhelmed with rocks dropping down on your head. One thing to note is that while your sword can damage Avalauch, you will get pushed back on account that its armoured body acts like a shield, and with those spikes, it could prove difficult."

"Though you have to admit that it doesn't look all that sturdy."

"Since it's made of stone, I think you have a pretty good idea of what to use."

I then gasped. "Bombs! But... That might be tricky what with the boulders coming down."

"Then just keep attacking and hope for the best, but do keep the bomb strategy on your mind."

As Avalaunch continued moving back and forth, I took a quick moment to think about my approach. Attacking it from the front was a stupid idea as the spikes in front of him would damage me on the rebound and my health could only take so much damage. Attacking at its side was my best bet though whether it could turn to its side and fight remained to be seen but hopefully it couldn't do that. I then made my move and went straight up to it before I struck my sword into its armoured body. Avalaunch was damaged but showed no signs of being in pain while I got pushed back and onto the spikes next to the door.

YEOW! My feet definitely felt the pain from those spikes and I quickly got off before they could do anything else to me. At least they were small in size compared to the larger ones seen in the underground passages of dungeons (Stepping on any of those or even falling onto them would be instant death or near fatal injury if luck was on my side) Still, I didn't want this to become a habit so I needed to be more practical about this. Using the Pegasus Boots wouldn't help as I could get knocked back even further so simply walking would do. Avalaunch noticed me approach it from the side and as I struck it again, it jumped up.

Landing on the ground, a couple of boulders dropped from the ceiling with one striking me in the shoulder. Fortunately, it wasn't my sword shoulder otherwise fighting would've become a lot more unbearable. Before it could attack again, I struck its side a couple of times before getting pushed back but I managed to stop myself from touching the spikes. Avalaunch continued pacing back and forth as I walked over to continue my assault only for it to suddenly move forward which caught me by surprise. I didn't think it was capable of doing anything like that since it was... Well... A giant stone creature.

It then jumped up and down twice which brought down more boulders and it was here that I realized that it wasn't just attacking whenever because it could. It was also attacking every time I connected with my sword. It was its own defence mechanism, a response against those who sought power by using it against them. Avoiding the boulders (Even though my shield was made of metal, it had taken a lot of beatings on this journey thus far so I didn't think it could protect me from giants chunks of rock) I continued attacking Avalaunch where I got pushed back and onto the spikes again.

Again, I was in pain from that. YEOW! Stepping off of them, I then had to avoid more boulders coming down as Avalaunch continued jumping up and down. It had reached the point where so many boulders were falling, the room had effectively become a rocky gauntlet. I did say that I wanted more of a challenge but this wasn't quite what I had in my mind. I continued striking Avalaunch who in turn continued to remain unfazed by my attacks and more boulders came down with two or three hitting me in the process. Perhaps using bombs would've been smart here as it likely would've fallen much quicker, but I needed them for future dungeons.

Upon getting pushed back and not getting my feet poked by the spikes, I walked back over to Avalaunch and continued attacking it until it finally dropped to one knee which meant the battle had been won by me. "I have... Never been defeated before by any who came here."

"You... You definitely put up a fight." I said as I breathed heavily.

"Not once did you use any power... Other than your own natural abilities."

"Like I said, I'm not here for power."

Avalaunch nodded but ended up coughing. "Perhaps... Perhaps you are different from those who came before you. I... I am not the only guardian of this place. There... Are two others who await... And... Physical prowess won't be enough to ensure victory. Conquer... Them and the Power of Colour may yet become... Yours..."

With that, Avalaunch began exploding several times before a final explosion destroyed it entirely, a fairy appeared where it once stood, and both doors unlocking. Since I needed the healing right away, I grabbed the fairy instead of putting it into the bottle King Sombra had given me. If there was another mid-boss, I could potentially use my bottle there if it dropped a fairy of its own upon being defeated. In any case, Avalaunch definitely proved challenging though in a sense it had taught me the value of appreciating what I already had with regards to how strong the enemies on the island were.

"Are you okay, Sunset?" Princess Twilight asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay."

"At least only your ego was shattered."

"Not that I had one to begin with there."

That made Princess Twilight laugh. "No, I suppose not. I am concerned about what Avalaunch said about you and others who've come here before you. They all sought power but for what reason? I know you came here because you believe that the Power of Colour can help you overcome the remaining Nightmares which I'm sure it could, but what about the others? I am curious as to why they wanted such power."

I waved my hand to brush off the notion. "It's best to not think about it, Twilight. Besides, I doubt anyone will ever give us an answer."

"I suppose you're right."

"But keep the idea in your mind just in case."

Walking through the unlocked door into the room I had yet to go into, I was surprised when Thorax and Pharynx were standing on the other side of a large assortment of tiles with some of them already having cracks in them. Thorax once again began the conversation which lead me to suspect that he was the leader. "Sorry for not mentioning anything about the powerful guardians in this dungeon."

"We're usually much more diligent than that." Pharynx added,

"A warning would've be nice." I said.

"At least you were given a warning by Avalaunch."

"You do know that we need to get a new guardian to replace him, right?" Thorax asked.

Pharynx smacked himself in the head. "We haven't had to do that in centuries! I don't even know if there's a monster strong enough that could replace him. Maybe we ought to try reviving him but that could get messy."

Thorax nodded. "Oh yes! Those kinds of procedures can be extremely ugly if not handled correctly." He then noticed that I was standing there, tapping my foot, indicating that I wanted them to get on with what they were doing. "Oh right! You're going to need some magic if you want to defeat the next guardian. Now, did you know that Grandpa Ulrira was quite the adventurer back in his day?"

My jaw dropped. "Are you serious!?"

Pharynx nodded. "He was quite skilled with both sword and shield. One time, he considered challenging the Colour Dungeon only he backed out when he heard about some of the stories associated with this place."

"Then he got married, settled down, and ended up installing those telephones." Thorax added.

"Now all he does is talk on that thing all day."

"A shame really as he was one of the heroic greats to have ever set foot on this island." Thorax then blinked for a moment as though something was trying to register with his mind only for it to not make much sense. "Now that I think about it... How did he and all those others come to be here? I mean, you and I have been here for centuries, Dion. At least... I think we've been here."

"Gar... You're overthinking things." Pharynx said as he shrugged. "You keep that up and you'll get a migraine again. Anyway, we'll talk to you again later when you enter a later room in the dungeon with another piece of information."

As both brothers disappeared by walking backwards into the door, Princess Twilight and I looked at one another before Her Highness began scribbling something down on that notepad of hers. (Which I still don't know where she got it from) We had both suspected that things about Koholint Island didn't quite add up based on what people have said and while my suspicions were minimal at best, Her Highness had been thinking about all kinds of ideas which so far had to bear any fruit. Perhaps what Thorax said could finally bring her closer to coming up with a logical solution or maybe lead us to wanting more answers.

In the meantime, one of the two Bone Putters--the non flying one--ended up jumping into a hole it had previously created when it jumped about which left only the flying one to deal with as the doors wouldn't open until it was gone. Walking over to the edge of the abyss, I lured over the remaining Bone Putter and swung my sword, damaging it, and clipping its wings which changed it into the non flying variation of a Bone Putter. It then began bouncing around until it too jumped into a hole yet neither door unlocked. Upon a closer inspection, I could see a switch hiding underneath a pot.

Walking across the tiles and having to jump at least once, I picked up the pot, smashed it into a wall, and stepped on the switch which unlocked both doors. Jumping over a small gap and heading north, this next room had no coloured tiles nor did it have any unusual monsters. Instead, it was filled with Green Zols and Red Zols. Was I surprised that these monsters lurked about in the Colour Dungeon? Not really as they made sense being here what with having a colour scheme that matched the dungeon along with being like the other creatures that continued plaguing me.

Attacking both variations of Zols as they popped up from the ground, I made my way around the room because stone blocks forced me to go the long way. I did manage to pick up some rupees (Three to be exact) from defeating a couple of Green Zols yet it still wasn't enough to buy that bow. I really needed a rupee chest at some point or perhaps find some hidden cache of money which would give me enough. Once the last monster in the room had been defeated, a chest appeared by the door and opening it gave me the Dungeon Map. While I wished it had contained rupees, this worked just as well as now I could figure out where I was.

"This... Is an unusual layout." I said as I looked at the map.

"It looks to be some kind of tunic." Princess Twilight said.

"Really?" I wasn't quite so sure about that.

"It might make sense once we get to the end."

"I missed a room near the start."

"You might want to check that out later unless you want to backtrack a little?"

I shuddered at the thought of having to do that but somehow, I knew that I would. "Huh... It looks like there is only the one treasure chest left." I was expecting several more as that would've meant some rupee chests but it looked like I'd have to find them in another dungeon or in a secret cave or two. "I've no doubt the Nightmare Key is in that chest and it's one the other side of the dungeon." Yep, I knew I would be backtracking. "At least we won't be here for much longer."

"It is a short dungeon."

"I should be done in about twenty minutes or so."

"Barring strong monsters getting in the way."

I rolled my eyes in response. While she wasn't wrong about that, I still believed that I could overcome the remaining mid-boss and the Nightmare within the time frame I had just proclaimed given how this dungeon was short compared with most. Looking at the Dungeon Map again to see where I needed to go, as much as it pained me to admit it, I had to backtrack at least once and that would happen relatively soon as the room beyond this one was a dead-end. I did have one other option which I had yet to try... Manbo's Mambo. Autumn Blaze did say for me to play it whenever I was inside of a dungeon and now was a good time to try it out.

Entering the next room, I came across two Blue Orb Monsters, a Red Orb Monster, and a yellow one. "I take it that I'm looking at a Yellow Orb Monster?" The Compass then beeped so I knew that a key was hidden in here somewhere and I think I knew what I had to do to get it.

Princess Twilight nodded. "Yes. Unlike the other two variations, Yellow Orb Monsters are rare but other than that, they behave in the same manner as the other two. A little fun fact for you, Sunset. In an older version of this game which existed many years ago, it--as in the Yellow Orb Monster--was once depicted as being blue. Don't ask me how I know this as I have no idea."

While that little fact wasn't going to help me, I was curious if Her Highness would say something like that again in the future. Unlike her, I knew that this game world was a remake of the same game released over twenty years ago, yet in truth that version was a remake of sorts of the original version released five years sooner at the time. Even though I've never played any version aside from this one (Play it? More like being a part of it against my will), I wanted to know about any other differences. Who knew? Maybe such knowledge would make certain sections easier than they really were.

Attacking all four Orb Monsters caused them to regress into their shells. Since I had no idea how long they would remain like that, I had to work quickly in order to get them into the right holes that matched their colours and designs. Picking up the Red Orb Monster and tossing into the correct hole, I then went for the Yellow Orb Monster yet I accidentally hit it with my sword which caused it to come out of its shell before it started spinning around. I couldn't deal with it so I decided to take some hits as I focused on the two Blue Orb Monsters who were still in their shells and could break themselves free at any moment.

Picking up each Blue Orb Monster and tossing them into their respective holes, the Yellow Orb Monster managed to hit me three times before I struck it and it regressed into its shell again much to my pleasure. Picking it up, I took it to where it needed to go and dropped it down into its hole causing all four monsters to disappear in puffs of smoke. A small key then dropped down from above which I collected and now came the time for some backtracking. I could check out that one unknown room and get it out of the way but I was more concerned about getting the Nightmare Key.

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CRRACCKKLLE! FWOOOOSSHH!

"Master... I am sorry to say that..."

Grogar raised his hoof and immediately stopped Hot Head from finishing. "We already know that the Outsider has defeated the Angler Fish." He then began talking under his breath in order to make sure Hot Head couldn't hear him. "Even with our blessing, the Angler Fish wasn't enough to finish her." He looked at Hot Head and narrowed his eyes as though he were outraged with his servant but remained calm knowing that anger was a form of weakness. "You were right about how useless the Angler Fish was. We cannot admit this fault was our own or else you shall mock us with your incessant nattering."

"If you already knew, then I can give you my other report."

"Speak!"

"The Outsider is currently in the Colour Dungeon."

"So... She seeks the Power of Colour." Grogar combed his beard and went into a deep thought. "My special Nightmare guards that power though unlike you and the other Nightmares, that one is not of our group so its death won't change anything. Still... If the Outsider claims that power for her own, she will become much more of an annoyance than she already is. We can only hope this Nightmare can stall her long enough for us to make a few necessary preparations."

Hot Head then spoke up. "Master? Is everything alright?"

Grogar shook his head. "No."

"I am sorry about the Angler Fish, my master."

Before Hot Head could continue, Grogar slammed both of his hooves into the ground. "Enough! The Outsider has progressed much further than expected! Already, she is in possession of four of the Instruments of the Sirens and four Nightmares are no more. She must be stopped now! No exceptions! The previous Nightmares did not take her seriously and thus their incompetence cost them their lives."

"Perhaps you should've killed her in her dreams."

"What did you say?"

Hot Head quickly changed the subject. "Nothing, master. Perhaps the remaining Nightmares need to become more ruthless?"

Eyes glowing red including the one on his stomach, Grogar looked ready to tear himself into Hot Head but refrained. "The Outsider is still no match for us and we shall not stoop down to the level that is best served by you, my servants, who obey our commands without question." His anger quickly subsided as a thought came to mind. "But... Perhaps she might be worthy of being a challenge to us. We haven't had a powerful opponent fight us since we first came to this island. To kill one like her with our own power would be most delicious but we cannot deny you and the other Nightmares your chance at killing her."

"If she fought you, you would obliterate her in an instant!"

"Still, she is beneath our notice and not yet worthy."

"I see."

"You shall command the Slime Eel to kill the Outsider!" Grogar ordered as his arms wrapped themselves around Hot Head. "Also, you shall instruct the Master Stalfos to hide that which the Outsider needs. Also, allow the Slime Eel to reveal some aspects of this island. I believe it is time for the Outsider to beginning understanding what is going on." He then began slamming Hot Head against several walls made of pure darkness before slamming him into the ground. "Do not use such a tone against us, servant, or else you shall be destroyed and another Nightmare shall replace you."

"Forgive me, my master."

"Now go!"

"I have one more piece of information."

"Speak!"

Hot Head gulped before continuing on. "The Outsider is getting closer to the shrine."

That made Grogar's ears perk up. "Is that so?" He then began laughing in a slow manner which was borderline on insanity. "If that is the case, the Outsider is going to learn the dark secret behind this island without us having to do anything about it. But... She will never learn the secret as the Slime Eel shall consume her. We shall no longer be merciful! We shall make our followers stronger! The Outsider must die!"

"Yes, my master."

"The Wind Fish is beginning to stir but that shall be the rallying cry of the creatures."

As Hot Head left to carry out his commands, he began speaking to himself so that Grogar wouldn't hear him. "At the rate the Outsider is going, she's going to destroy all of us including you, my master, should be allowed to continue going about without any consequences. Every time it looks like she will fall, she manages to come back and prevail. Perhaps the shrine will make her second-guess everything but you should go into her dreams and make her suffer to the point where admitting defeat. If you're not willing to do what it takes, then maybe us remaining Nightmares need to make our own plans so that one of us can still live on."

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It didn't take long for me to get back to where I needed to go. Many of the rooms remained cleared of monsters until I got to around the first room with the coloured tiles that cracked upon stepping on them. The Bone Putter was still there though to be fair I never fought it originally so it hadn't re-spawned. Again, I chose to ignore it as it wouldn't remove any tiles unless I attacked it whereby it would drop down upon losing its wings and bounce about. Bone Putters in that sense were more dangerous without their wings as to opposed to having them and dropping bombs at random intervals.

For a while, I had considered checking out the one room I hadn't explored since I was in the area but Princess Twilight insisted that I checked it out later. After all, I could warp back to the dungeon entrance at any time and explore it then. Ignoring the Bone Putter and making my way across to the other side, I entered the next room where the Blue and Red Orb Monsters had re-spawned yet I didn't need to fight them as I had already solved that particular puzzle with them earlier. When both began spinning around, I used my shield to deflect them aside before making a bee-line for the door.

This next room had even more coloured tiles on the floor yet more of them were cracked which meant I had to cross over carefully. Two more flying Bone Putters were in the room and were strategically placed over where I needed to go. Luckily, they weren't all that attentive and soon flew off in different directions which allowed me to reach the other side and continue on and leave them behind. The next room had more colour switches but now another colour, yellow, had been added to the mix in addition to red and blue. An Owl Statue located on the back wall would likely give me a hint on having everything match up so it wasn't very helpful in that sense.

Before I could even do anything, Thorax and Pharynx appeared by the Owl Statue with the former once again speaking first. "You know, that Stone Beak you picked up earlier is pretty useless since it's obvious as to what you need to do here in this room" Thorax said. "You can still talk to it if you want but you would only be told what you already know. A shame really as those statues are pretty observant."

"It's useful in other dungeons except this one." Pharynx said.

"Anyway, you are getting nearer to the end so after this room, we're only to appear one more time."

"After that, you're done with us."

"Unless you want to come back in here and see us."

Thorax then looked at his brother. "Dion... You know she has to do whatever she was doing before coming here right? Unless she wants to change her colour, we can't tell her to come back and pay us a visit. It doesn't work like that."

Pharynx sighed. "It just gets lonely around here, Gar. I know I've got you but we could do with more people coming here." He then looked in my direction. "Okay... What can I reveal to you next about the island... I know! How about a location this time! Some years ago, this guy built a house in the mountains dedicated to birds. He still lives there attending to them but he wishes that he could experience flight like they can."

"I remember that guy."

"Of course you would."

"Living on your own with birds would make a lot of people go nuts but not this guy."

Pharynx nodded. "You should pay him a visit sometime if you happen to be in the area. If I remember correctly, his house is near a giant tower dedicated to a bird. I forget which bird it was but hey, they all look the same to me."

"I know what you're thinking." Thorax began as he looked at me. "You're curious as to what I meant about you changing your colour. Don't worry. You'll find out soon enough if you manage to defeat the Nightmare that blocks your path. Don't ask us why it's called that or why it's in a place like this. We're just doing what we're supposed to be doing, being the colour guard and giving you some information as well as sell you some Magic Powder in case you need some. We'll leave things up to you now."

Both brothers then disappeared and as the Compass beeped to inform me about a key, I didn't know what to make of their information thus far. Some of it was nothing more than providing additional character development or telling about events from the past. Other bits could potentially be useful but after questioning everything on the island, I didn't know whether to believe them or not. For now, it was best for me to accept it for what it was and perhaps figure out some of the meanings later. Learning things was always helpful provided that it was relevant and entirely accurate.

Hitting the yellow switch changed it to blue and two blue switches to red while the red switch that was there initially didn't change colour. Thinking it over for a moment, I struck the red switch which turned all of them yellow except for one which made me question if I was doing this correctly. Closing my eyes and hoping for the best, I struck the switch one more time and they all became blue. I had solved it! This caused a small key to drop down from the ceiling which I picked up before heading right. This next room had more coloured tiles on the ground with each housing either Green or Red Camo Goblins yet there was also a third colour.

"That is a Blue Goo Specter." Princess Twilight said.

"Why does it have a different name from the other two?" I asked.

"I don't know but don't think this one is the same as the others."

"How so?"

"For one thing, Blue Goo Specters are very rare compared to the others." Princess Twilight answered. "Also, they move a bit quicker than their counterparts so if all of these monsters attacked you at once, you know which one will reach you first. Also, it looks like you don't have to defeat any of them as the way forward involves unlocking a door."

"How durable is a Boo Goo Specter?"

"One hit will defeat it."

"If that's the case then I'll just fight them all." I said as I got my sword ready. Taking a step forward, the Green Camo Goblin moved towards me and when it popped up to wave its hands about, I slashed it and defeated it. Then the Blue Goo Specter moved and sure enough, it was faster though not by much. "Got to give the blue one props for moving fast." Upon reaching me, it also popped up from being a blob in order to wave about its hands, yet one sword strike defeated it leaving just the Red Camo Goblin left who appeared to not want to move away from the red tiles. I sensed it knew it couldn't win and didn't want to not try its luck.

Unlocking the door and entering the next room, both it and the way forward closed leaving me trapped with what looked like a giant blue blob. Its blank stare creeped me out but I knew I couldn't let such a thing get to me. It then began speaking though how it could do so without having a mouth was surprising. "BOO! Did that scare you? If not then you wish it had as this isn't going to be easy. I know you've defeated Avalaunch otherwise you wouldn't be here right now."

"Who... No... What are you?"

"I'm a Giant Buzz Blob."

"That makes sense."

"Just to be perfectly clear here, I'm no weakling!"

"I didn't even say anything."

"No, but you were probably thinking about it." The Giant Buzz Blob then began flexing... Whatever it was that it could do with its body. "Judging from how stained that sword of yours is, it's seen its fair share of battles but such a weapon is going to be useless. Your pitiful sword is no match for me! If I were you, I'd surrender right now and you can leave this place without losing anything precious. Choose to stay and fight and you might regret that decision." Suddenly, it changed into a different shape which looked awfully familiar before it started moving about, electricity crackling across its body.

"I've seen that shape before, Twilight. I just know it!"

"I believe you have, Sunset." Princess Twilight said. "This Giant Buzz Blob has taken on the form of a regular Buzz Blob except it's protected by lightning. On occasion, it will shoot that lightning out as a means of a defensive mechanism as well as to attack you with. I don't need to explain what happens if you get electrocuted and no, I won't rely on a really cheesy joke in order to get my point across."

"But it said that my sword is useless against it."

"In it's current form yes, but when it reverts to what you saw before..."

"Okay, I'm starting to get it." Before I could continue talking, I quickly moved out of the way before getting struck by lightning. The Giant Buzz Blob's lightning strikes travelled in each of the four compass direction so it should be easy to avoid getting shocked... Mostly that is. "Do I have anything in my inventory which can affect this thing?" I then moved quickly to avoid another lightning volley and while I appreciated the exercise, I didn't approve of getting hit by such a powerful element. That's when my brain informed me of something that I did way back during the early stages of my journey. "No... You have got to be kidding me."

"I knew you'd figure it out."

I took out the Magic Powder and gazed at it. "No wonder Thorax and Pharynx wanted to sell me some. They were trying to tell me that I needed Magic Powder in order to progress through this dungeon, and this is the exact place where I needed to use it." I felt like smacking my head against the wall for being so stupid but at least this fight wouldn't drag out or anything because of using something that had no effect.

"You'll need to get close to it in order to use the Magic Powder."

"That's what I was afraid of."

Avoiding the lightning as it streaked across the ground, I approached the Giant Buzz Blob and sprinkled some Magic Powder in order to see what would happen. As expected, it changed colour and began moving about in a less confident manner. Striking it with my sword, it started bouncing in hopes of avoiding my attacks but it needed to eventually land and when it did, I struck it again where it changed back to its previous form and I wound up getting electrocuted due to being too close to it when it changed. All at once, my body felt like it had been rend asunder from the inside out and I dropped down onto my knees in pain.

This was a sensation I hadn't felt in a very long time and I had hoped it would've stayed that way. The Giant Buzz Blob continued moving about as it continued to shoot lightning, and upon getting onto my feet, my entire body felt numb until the effects wore off. In any other circumstance, that electrocution would've killed me instantly what with being so close but this world allowed me to endure and for that I was grateful. Now I knew when not to attack which meant I shouldn't get shocked like that again, but knowing me and my luck, I was going to get shocked several more times.

Case in point, I approached the Giant Buzz Blob and was about to sprinkle my Magic Powder when it suddenly unleashed another lightning which went through me. Again, I felt like my body had just been wounded from within but I had to shake it off and keep going. Despite my body feeling numb, I sprinkled powder onto the Giant Buzz Blob and it changed colour again which meant I could wail on it. Striking it made it jump across the room but I followed and struck it again but moved back when it changed back and unleashed lightning. Now this fight was becoming predictable but I couldn't get reckless as this blob could have additional powers.

As it continued shooting lightning with me moving about in order to avoid it, I wondered if I could somehow paralyze it with something in my inventory. Quickly thinking over what I had collected thus far, nothing really came to mind. I doubted my shield could reflect lightning so even that idea was out. A shame really as I could've beaten this blob a lot quicker and quite possibly without getting electrocuted. When it shot out lightning again, I moved in and sprinkled it with Magic Powder only for it to get another lightning attack out just as it was changing back to its weakened state. I call hax on this!

At that point, my body was getting used to being shocked but it didn't mean the pain was going away. Ignoring the pain and sprinkling more powder, the Giant Buzz Blob changed once again and I attacked it as many times as I could before it jumped to get away from me. I followed and continued hitting it before it changed back and I backed away but not quick enough this time resulting in me getting shocked for a fourth time though I got hit on the tail end of the lightning. I knew that I would get shocked at least several more times. I hate it when I prove myself correct on something I wanted to be wrong about.

Ignoring the numbness, I sprinkled Magic Powder on it one more time where it changed colour, and jumped after I struck it. Landing nearby, I attacked it again before it could anything else, and at long last, it finally managed to stop. "OUCH! You managed to get through my defences."

"You were stronger than Avalaunch was."

The Giant Buzz Blob then attempted to smile but I had no idea if it even was. "That proves that I'm not a weakling. Well, the key to the Nightmare is yours, and that means your final test awaits you on the other side of the Colour Dungeon. Will... Will you succeed or will you perish? That's... Not for me to judge now as... I'm done for. If anyone can claim it... That someone could possibly... Be... You..."

It began exploding several times before blowing up entirely where a fairy appeared in its place and both doors unlocked. That battle was annoying because of the lightning more than the monster itself but at least the fairy would have me regain my health since I did take quite a beating. Allowing the fairy to touch me when I approached it, I immediately felt relieved so now I was more prepared to handle whatever the Nightmare was going to be. One thing that bothered me was how neither Avalaunch nor the Giant Buzz Blob left any portals behind upon defeat which I could use in order to go back to where I first entered the dungeon from.

That meant the Nightmare had to have the warp in its room... Which didn't make much sense. I thought it would've happened by now. Sighing, I entered the next room and the puzzle was pretty obvious to solve. Pushing one block forward then another one in the same direction before pushing the third and final block down, my path was opened and upon reaching the chest, I opened it, and as expected, it contained the Nightmare Key. Aside from that early room, I only had a few rooms left to explore. Rather than backtrack to where I needed to go, I decided a shortcut was in order.

I took out the Ocarina and played Manbo's Mambo which immediately whisked me back to the start of the dungeon. I didn't even need to think about the entrance; it just warped me there without issue. Since this was now familiar territory, I had a pretty good idea of where I was going. Thorax and Pharynx weren't around so I knew they were waiting for me in a room I had yet to see but I would get to that later. Heading north into the next room and ignoring the Camo Goblins, I went into the next room and noticed what was so blatantly obvious, a cracked southern wall which was so large in scope, it was practically waving at me to notice it.

Taking out a bomb and tossing it at the cracked wall, it exploded seconds later, destroying the wall, and I walked into the newly revealed room. My jaw dropped upon seeing what was in front of me. "Gasp! Look at all those rupees! I've never seen so many in one place."

"Each of them is worth five rupees." Princess Twilight said.

"How many do you think there are?"

Her Highness began to actually count them up which didn't surprise me as much as I thought. "There are twenty-eight blue rupees in here and if you multiply that number by five due to their value... You will gain 140 rupees as a result. Normally, you shouldn't really be thinking about money since you are the heroine, but I can make exceptions like right now since you need the money to purchase that bow. In this case, I see it as a means to an end."

Going around the room and picking up every blue rupee, I now had somewhere over 850 rupees. While it still wasn't enough for the bow, I was now even closer than before which meant only needing to open up a couple of rupee chests. Upon finishing with my collecting, I went back into the previous room then went right and into the room where the first coloured tiles were located. Ignoring the Bone Putter and heading north and into the room where Avalaunch once was, I went west, ignoring the next Bone Putters as they were a distraction, and across the tiles before finally entering a new room.

This room had nine coloured switches which meant I really needed to think hard about this. Five of them were blue and the other four were red so I had an idea on where to start but hitting the correct ones was important otherwise I'd have to start all over again. In my head, I thought about what a possible order to go in. "I could hit the switch directly in front of me to change some colours but then what would the next one in the sequence be?" I said to myself. "Hmmm... If I hit that one there, then follow up with that one, then that one, that one, and finally that one, that should do it... I think. Oh well. Here goes everything."

Hitting the switch directly in front of me, I then walked to the bottom left switch, hit it, and then up to the top left switch and hit it. So far, it was going well but now it was about to get really tricky as I needed to remember what had already been changed. I thought about striking the center switch but decided against doing that and instead hitting the one north of it which changed the colours that gave me six blue and three red. Okay, that wasn't bad but it still wasn't correct. Walking left of the center switch, I struck this one before walking over to the bottom right switch and hitting it. It still wasn't right but it looked like I had something.

I next hit the bottom middle switch but then I stopped to think. If I were to hit the center switch, that could match them all up but then again, it could backfire on me and I'd be forced to start over again which I didn't want to do at that point. Not all switches had been struck which made me wonder if one or two were meant to be red herrings, useful in theory but ultimately a detriment to my goal. As I continued pondering over my next choice, Princess Twilight, who had been watching my attempting, pointed at which switches I needed to strike in order to solve the puzzle.

Following her instructions, I struck the bottom left switch again and then the bottom right again resulting in all switches being blue. This caused the door to unlock but what was more impressive was how Her Highness managed to remember the sequence seeing as I had actually forgotten. "Wow... I knew you had excellent memorization, Twilight, yet I didn't expect anything like that!" I said.

"When you've been organizing as long as I have, it becomes second nature."

"I hope that's the last puzzle like that."

"I'm sure that will be the case."

"That was definitely a brain teaser though."

Princess Twilight nodded. "But you proved that you could handle it even though you did start to lose control towards the end. On a different note, I've been thinking about what information the Owl Statues had to provide and I suspect they all say the same thing about making each colour identical. Not what I would call helpful since you figure it out after solving the first puzzle but I suppose it was intended as a reminder."

Going into the next room, I was attacked by several Green Zols but quickly took care of them. I was actually expecting additional monsters but I supposed it was okay since I had been through so much in here already. At that moment, Thorax and Pharynx emerged from the back wall but their appearance didn't surprise me this time. It looked like their little magic act was one I had now gotten used to seeing. What also didn't surprise me was Thorax speaking up first. "Wow... You defeated the Giant Buzz Blob by using Magic Powder. It's like what we were selling turned out to be what you needed."

Pharynx nodded. "The World of Colour is one that you have almost mastered but one test remains."

"The Nightmare..." I said.

"You are correct."

"We can't tell you anything about it." Thorax said.

"It's something that you have to experience on your own."

"Anyway, this is the last time you get to interact with us, so I might as well go all out with the information." Pharynx took a deep breath which made me suspect he was about to really give it his all. "You've seen it, right? The Wind Fish Egg? It might look like it's chock full of whatever the Wind Fish is supposed to be, but I heard that inside the egg is an endless maze which can never be solved."

"I've heard about it, too." Thorax added. "Any who try to tackle the maze will never prevail."

"No one can solve it."

"A shame really."

Pharynx then had a thought. "Now that I think about it... No one has been in there for a very long time since that one person tried it." He turned to Thorax. "You remember that guy don't you, Gar?"

Thorax nodded. "He was a big one, Dion."

"He once went through the Wind Fish Egg in the hopes of solving it." Pharynx said. "Even though he was successful in getting through the maze, he didn't find what he was looking for and ended up leaving but not before writing down what he believed were a few possible routes. Some say that he explored it for personal glory while others think it had something to do with a far greater purpose. Either way, he's not around now so no one knows what became of his notes nor do they believe in them."

"That's all we can say which means this is goodbye from us both."

Both brothers then disappeared once more and just like my previous encounters with them, what they said was subject to interpretation. Unlike before, they didn't question their own information yet it seemed they weren't sure about how accurate it was. If it was true about Wind Fish Egg, it would be perhaps my most difficult challenge unless I could somehow figure out a solution. For now, I couldn't even enter it since I still needed four more instruments so I had to focus on getting through the remaining dungeons. Despite how unusual the two were, I appreciate their willingness to share their knowledge with me.

Unlocking the door and entering the next room, the only puzzle to be featured was one involving a Crystal Switch. Since I needed to maintain my distance in order to activate it, I took out a bomb and tossed it as far as I could where it landed right by the switch. It exploded seconds later, activating it, which lowered the orange blocks and the blue blocks rose up allowing me to continue. Walking up to the door and using the Nightmare Key, I entered the Nightmare's room only to come face to face with what looked like a giant orb with feet. As both doors locked themselves, it turned around where I saw what it looked like.

It wasn't an orb per say but rather a monster with an orb on its back that flashed a couple of times. "Welcome, adventurer. This is safe. I'm safe. Do you understand?"

I shook my head. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Then I shall repeat myself again." The orb on its back continued to glow. "This is safe. I'm safe. If you still do not understand then your journey shall end here. I have been watching your progress for some time and I have seen that you are reckless in how you deal with certain situations. There is no need to be reckless."

"I can't exactly help myself there."

"You just need to be patient."

"Who are you?"

"Your partner shall tell you."

"Fair enough."

"This is safe. I'm safe." The monster then began scuttling about in a rather quick fashion before it began shooting some kind of projectile from its mouth. Raising my shield, I deflected its attacks though something about it seemed off. What did it mean by being safe? Did I have to fight multiple forms? As I continued deflecting the attacks it was shooting at me, it wasn't really doing much of anything else though the orb continued flashing. Was that its weak point?

"Well, Twilight..." I began. "What do you make of this one?"

"This is the Hardhit Beetle." Princess Twilight answered. "This monster shoots out projectiles which inflict some damage but because of how fast they move, you might have some problems avoiding them but your shield will protect you. It has an ability which you are absolutely going to hate so let me get it out of the way right now. The Hardhit Beetle is capable of healing itself meaning it will recover from any damage inflicted upon it unless its defeated quickly."

"Are you kidding me!?"

Princess Twilight shook her head. "I'm afraid not, Sunset. You know that you're damaging it by how the colour of the orb on its back changes as well as cracks appearing on it. As far as it telling you about how safe it is, I honestly don't have an answer there but it might say some other things which may or may not be useful. Remember that this is a Nightmare so the usual rules apply aside from how you won't get a Heart Container or an instrument upon defeating it. You don't have any items which are effective on it so your sword will have to be your weapon of choice."

That's just great! A monster that is capable of healing itself. Since when was that a thing in these video games? Sighing, I knew there wasn't anything I could do about it other than hope it wouldn't take too long for me to defeat this Nightmare. Raising my shield again, I moved towards the Hardhit Beetle where it continued shooting its projectiles at me. The problem with my strategy was I couldn't attack with my sword so long as I was defending (A stupid mechanic for certain but one that had plagued me all along) so I quickly abandoned it and struck it in the shell which created a crack and changed its colour.

It then reacted by shooting its projectiles at me in rapid succession though only the initial one hit me (I had what was called invincibility frames which allowed me to avoid some attacks but only if they were really fast) yet I responded by hitting the orb creating another crack and another colour change. It responded like before only I raised my shield in which the projectiles knocked me back which was when it began healing. One crack disappeared entirely causing the orb to regress back in terms of colour. That's what Her Highness meant by defeating it quickly... To prevent that from happening.

Attacking it again to reverse the healing, I continued attacking which created more cracks in the orb and more colour changes, but the Hardhit Beetle reacted to each of my attacks with its own and I quickly got pelted by projectiles (Not even invincibility frames could protect me from all of them) yet the damage was worth it in order to defeat this Nightmare. I continued my onslaught until the orb had about five cracks in it and the colour had changed from yellow to a mid orange when it pelted me with even more projectiles. Raising my shield, each projectile bounced off only for it to start healing again.

It managed to remove three cracks which meant I had to do all of that again. As far as offence went, the Hardhit Beetle certainly knew how to fight but it lacked actual power as its attacks were relatively weak. But, it made up for it with its healing ability, a rare trait if there ever was one. That ability alone made it strong because it could reverse all of my hard work in a matter of seconds while I couldn't recover any health without either Sugar Belle's medicine or having a fairy in a bottle. Raising my shield again to block the oncoming projectiles, I lowered it and moved in and attacked it a few times whilst getting hit in return.

Now it had six cracks and the orb was coloured orange. Me? I was beginning to feel exhausted as all those projectiles were starting to take their toll. To my surprise, the Nightmare suddenly stopped moving and began speaking. "Step back. Take your time. There is no need for you to rush through things. If you do that, you will only end up failing. Do you understand my meaning this time?"

I nodded. "That's called being reckless."

"Good. You are learning."

"What is your purpose here?"

"I do not understand."

"You were created to carry out a specific function." I said though even I wasn't sure I understood myself. "You are in this dungeon for a reason so tell me what it is. I'd like to think that a creature such as yourself would know."

The Hardhit Beetle appeared to be pondering over my question before it gave me an answer. "I am here to guard the Power of Colour. Step back. Take your time. The power you are here for can only be wielded by one who knows how to use it. Are you one of them? Perhaps but only time will tell." I then thought about asking it as to who created it but it surprised me by choosing to answer it any way. "I was created by the Nightmare... It who has contained the dreamer."

"Grogar..." I said to myself.

"I am here to guard the Power of Colour."

"So you said."

"Step back. Take your time."

Judging from its response that time, I wasn't about to get anymore information from it. Suddenly, a Stalfos dropped down from above following another one, then another, then another, and then one more joined in. The Hardhit Beetle had gotten so desperate that summoning other monsters to help it was all it could do. Upon a closer inspection of the Stalfos, these were the Yellow Stalfos and that meant jumping shenanigans were about to happen. Each of them began jumping up in an effort to come crashing down on me so I began avoiding each one only to realize the Nightmare was beginning to heal itself again as I was focused on something else.

As much as I wanted to continue attacking the Hardhit Beetle, I knew I had to deal with the Yellow Stalfos first. Turning my attention towards them, they continued jumping in order to attack only to be attacked themselves when I countered with my sword though each took two hits in order to defeat them. Then my next problem came in the form of more dropping down from the ceiling while the Hardhit Beetle continued to heal its wounds until it had regained all its health. Crap! Everything was now beginning to fall apart! I felt like crying but I had to take its words to heart. I needed to step back and take my time dealing with everything.

Holding my sword out, I built up some energy before using a Spin Attack to defeat all the Yellow Stalfos at once. (Why haven't I been using this move more often!? It would've made certain problems a heck of a lot easier to deal with) With them gone for the moment, I resumed attacking the Hardhit Beetle only for it to respond in kind by spitting out its projectiles in both slow and fast variations. Again, I was taking damage on the initial blow but damage nonetheless until my legs started to feel like jelly. I really needed to end this and soon before I completely exhausted myself.

Continuing to attack, more Yellow Stalfos dropped down from above. Okay, this was getting ridiculous! Where were they coming from!? No... I had to ignore them and focus my attention on the Nightmare. Hopefully, defeating it would also defeat them otherwise I'd be utterly swarmed until I was dead. Attacking the Hardhit Beetle, the Yellow Stalfos had every intention of making sure I got their attention as they jumped in order to land on me. As more of them landed on me, my body felt like it was about to collapse but I needed to tough it out as this was nothing compared to what awaited me later on.

After a few whacks, the Hardhit Beetle's orb had turned a dark shade of red and the cracks were both numerous and rather disturbing. It responded by shooting its projectiles even faster than before but I used my shield to deflect though the Yellow Stalfos weren't affected by them. I couldn't take it anymore! I needed to get rid of them and then take the Nightmare done immediately afterwards or else it would start healing all over again. Performing another spin attack seemingly out of nowhere, all of the Yellow Stalfos were immediately defeated and before the Hardhit Beetle could heal, I attacked it which was enough as it suddenly stopped.

"You have done well." It said as it collapsed.

I was breathing heavily in response. "Whew! You just didn't know when to quit!"

"I was only carrying out my purpose."

"What happens now?"

"The Power of Colour is now yours."

"Where is it?"

The Hardhit Beetle attempted to point at the door I had yet to enter though it clearly struggled in doing so. "Through there. You must go through there. Your prize... It is waiting for you through there. I... I am done now. My purpose has been fulfilled. Will you claim the power? Only... Only she will be the judge of that. At last... the Colour Dungeon... This place... One has finally conquered it..."

Flailing about in a sad manner, the Hardhit Beetle began exploding numerous times before disappearing entirely upon the final explosion. A much needed fairy appeared where it once stood and an answer to something that I had been wondering about also happened. A warp panel appeared though why had it shown up now instead of in one of the previous rooms where a mid-boss had been placed? Granted, it was better than not getting one but why now and not sooner? I knew that the Colour Dungeon wasn't big but still, I wanted some kind of consistency here. Sighing, I allowed the fairy to heal my wounds.

"That was something, Sunset." Princess Twilight said.

"Ugh!"

"You didn't like it?"

I shook my head. "The fact that it could heal was the biggest headache for me. I know healing is something I can do with the right items, but to have a monster be capable of the same thing sets a really bad precedent." I stopped upon realizing that Her Highness didn't understand my meaning given her puzzled look. "In video games like this one, allowing a monster to be able to heal can be annoying especially if it happens consistently and without any kind of restriction. Sure, it doesn't happen all that often but when it does, players are outraged over it especially if it's against a really strong monster."

"I... I think I got that."

"I really need to explain it to you don't I?"

Princess Twilight nodded. "If you've got a free moment."

Walking into the final room, the door locked behind me so I could only leave through magical means. In front of me was a fairy fountain of exquisite beauty and floating mere feet above it was Adagio Dazzle. Wow... She was in charge of this place, the Seashell Mansion, and all of the fairy fountains scattered across the island. What wasn't she in charge of? One thing did bother me about this entire situation of her being here. Why couldn't she have used her magic to make things easier for me!? Or better yet, why even have this dungeon and not simply have her fountain in a hidden location!?

"We meet again, young one." Adagio said as she noticed me.

"You certainly are in charge of a lot of things." I said as I walked up to the fountain.

Giggling, Adagio looked so serene compared to how she usually was. I still found it difficult to believe that she was a good person in this world. I mean sure, she had somewhat changed her ways back in my world but still had that domineering personality which she used effectively, but when I said somewhat changed, I meant barely at all because deep down, she wanted things to be as they were before losing her magic. "This is the only thing that is under my protection, young one, yet it is perhaps the most important. You are the first to have made it here in a very long time and for that, I admire your determination and courage."

"Thank you."

"As you saw throughout this experience, the Colour Dungeon is a place where colour rules over all."

"I thought it would be easy what with fighting so many weak monsters, but the stronger ones really taught me something."

"Which was their intent."

"I've learned not to take things for granted."

"Coming this far to a place which you did not even need to come shows great dedication." Adagio then clapped her hands together before a red light and a blue light appeared on either side of her. "Now, I present the Power of Colour to you, young one. In your current tunic, you possess your regular abilities, but upon wearing one of these special tunics, you will gain its power in addition to your own."

"What kind of tunics are they?"

Moving the red light towards me, Adagio answered my question. "The red tunic will grant you the power of offence. If you are the kind of person who enjoys combat, wearing this will make things easier for you as you shall inflict double damage." She then moved it back to its previous position before the blue light was moved forward. "The blue tunic will grant you the power of defence. If fighting monsters has proven difficult where you constantly get hurt, wearing this will reduce all damage by half."

I smiled. "Now this is what I'm talking about."

"However, you can only choose one colour or the other."

"I figured having both would be too broken."

"So... Which do you choose?"

This was a difficult choice for me to make. On the one hand, having the red tunic would allow me to defeat any and all monsters more effectively as I would be inflicting twice the damage, and if combined with the ultimate sword, monsters would practically be fodder. But, possessing that amount of offensive might would make me act like Ganondorf, a constant reminder of how he wanted me to become his servant by casting aside my virtues for the sake of having power. On the other hand, having the blue tunic would give me the defence I've been needing for so long. Both choices had their good and bad sides yet one was clearly better suited for me.

"I choose the blue tunic."

Adagio smiled and moved the blue light over me. "Then close your eyes and allow the colour of blue to grant you defence." I did as she asked and just like that, my tunic changed from green to blue indicating that I now had better defences than I had before. "Do not worry that you can no longer change back to your original colour." Adagio then presented a green light which floated before me. "If you so wish it, I can give you back your original colour. Also, I can also give you the power of offence but it would mean giving up your defence. In other words, you can switch freely between the three colours by simply coming here."

"I appreciate you giving me the option to switch."

"Now, the time has come for you to leave this place and continue on your journey."

"And how do I leave here?"

"I shall take you back outside to where you first found the entrance to the Colour Dungeon." Adagio clapped her hands and the room started to get brighter. "I hope to see you again either at the Seashell Mansion or at one of my fairy fountains, young one." She then turned to face Princess Twilight. "As always, little fairy, please continue helping this young one fulfill her destiny by seeing it through."

Everything went bright and I could feel a powerful magic taking me back outside to the graveyard. Sure enough, I was back where I was before entering the Colour Dungeon, only now my tunic was a beautiful hue of blue instead of the standard green and I couldn't be happier. I seriously needed the defence what with having gotten hurt so many times and even getting killed once only to be brought back through powerful medicine. At some point, I might go back and change tunics but for now, I planned on sticking with what I had. I wasn't going to be reckless despite having improved defences.

I also figured out why the warp in the Colour Dungeon was in the Nightmare's room. It was so that I could quickly get back to Adagio if I wanted to change to the opposite tunic or where my original one and not have any special abilities. The only problem was getting back to the graveyard in order to switch between tunics since it involved some backtracking by using the warp tiles scattered across Koholint Island and having to walk the rest of the way. Oh well. It was a small price if it meant being able to change my tunic's power. Again, I was sticking with what I had.

"That tunic looks fantastic on you, Sunset." Princess Twilight said.

I blushed in response. "Thanks, Twilight, but do you think I made the right choice?"

"You made the decision based on what you felt you needed."

"Come again?"

"Meaning you wanted to make things easier for yourself."

"Oh."

Princess Twilight then looked at the entrance to the Colour Dungeon. "Be thankful that you do have the option to switch to the red tunic if you want more offensive power or switch back to your original tunic if that's your preference. If you didn't have the option to change tunics, what you're wearing is what you'd be stuck with for the rest of the journey. I doubt that would be a problem for you since having more defence isn't necessarily a bad thing. Just remember that in order to re-enter the Colour Dungeon, you have to get past all of these Ghini and maybe having to solve this puzzle again."

"Well... We won't be coming back here for a while."

"Fair enough."

"Now... We could go to the next proper dungeon, but I do have something else in mind." I said as I checked my body for any scars of which I had a few. "I'm going to need to pay another visit to Sugar Belle and purchase some more of her medicine. Sure, it will cost me some rupees but it won't hardly make a dent in my total. It'd be nice to find a couple of rupee chests so that I can finally buy that bow which has been taunting me for quite a while now." I then took out the broom which I had been carrying with me this whole time and was surprised that it hadn't broken or anything. "After that, there's a broom that needs a new owner so hopefully she's still in Mabe Village."

"You're not on a time limit so you are free to do some extra things before heading to the next dungeon."

"Then we're off to see Sugar Belle."

To Be Continued.

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[Ganondorf8]

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Did she? In what way?