Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ The Sailor Moon Legend of Zelda ❯ Part Two: The Flare Dancer. ( Chapter 13 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

CHAPTER THIRTEEN
 
 
Everyone on the outside of the well were growing concerned. The heat showed no sign of dropping yet, and both Mars and Link showed no sign of the Fire Temple being cleared.
 
Serena let out a big yawn. “How much longer is this going to take?” she moaned.
 
“Serena, you know you can't rush an adventure just like that.” said Artimus. “Besides, you heard what Master said, the Temples can get harder and longer the further we go.”
 
Serena sighed heavily, “Don't remind me.” She said.
 
“Serena does have a point though.” said Amy, “It would be nice if there was a way for them to stay in contact with us.”
 
“I wonder what's happening down there.”
 
Meanwhile, in the Fire Temple
 
Mars, and Link found themselves in a massive labyrinth maze, and without a map to guide them, or a clue to give them a hint… the way out could be anywhere.
 
There was also a small rumbling sound that seemed to get louder. “What's making that sound?” asked Mars.
 
“I don't know… but I'm going to find out.” said Link as he walked around a corner. Mars crossed her fingers hoping it wasn't anything that bad.
 
“WHOA!!” cried Link as he zoomed back round the corner. “ROLLING STONES!!” and as he got closer, a huge boulder was slowly rolling behind him.
 
“RUN!! RUN!!”
 
“Maybe I should use my fire-power.”
 
“No, Mars!” cried Link. “These boulders are much too big to be broken up, and besides, you might accidentally make things worse.”
 
The ran and ran, but then… the boulder stopped and began rolling the other way. “What's this?” Mars asked. Then they saw another boulder come near them, but miss them completely and roll the other way.
 
“These boulders just go in a continuous rolling pattern.” Replied Mars.
 
“Somebody put these things here to scare us, and I'm betting it was Volvagia.”
 
Mars angrily clenched her fist. “GRR!! Just wait until I get my hands on that Fire-breathing Lizard!”
 
Link couldn't agree more with her, but the best thing to do first was continue through the temple. Since the maze room wasn't all that large, they decided to spilt up and have a better chance of looking around.
 
Well, their little plan seemed to work, as they each not only found the way out, but the even found two other cages with two more keys and two more clues.
 
Clue Four:
 
“There are false door in this temple that fall down if you try to open them. If any door starts to wobble, stay out of it's path. You can get rid of these doors by blowing it up.”
 
A booby trap warning, just what they needed.
 
Clue Five:
 
“If ever you catch on fire, you can put it out by swinging a weapon or by rolling forward.”
 
Well, that wasn't really a clue, but more of a tip, and one they didn't have to worry too much about. Link's red tunic prevented him from catching on fire, and Mars' armor was totally flameproof.
 
Still, they kept it anyways.
 
They entered through the locked door they found in a corner of the room, and found them selves face to face with a very narrow rock-bridge suspended over a very, very… EXTREMELY high drop.
 
So high… they bottom was covered by the darkness of the walls. “Whoa. What, a drop.” said Mars.
 
Link looked across and saw two automatic-doors. One at the other end of the bridge, and another one was barred and an eye switch was over head. “Well, looks like we don't have any choice but to go right across.” he said.
 
Mars gulped hard. “Oh boy. Here we go.”
 
They very carefully tiptoed their way over to the barred door, and Link used his bow to fire an arrow at the silver eye switch which lifted the bars from the door. “Open!” said Link and the door lifted up so they could get through.
 
There wasn't really that much behind the door, except a giant chest containing a much needed Dungeon-Map. “About time too.” said Mars. “How far have we come?”
 
Link unfolded the map, then again, and again. “Oh, no!” Only half the rooms on the map were colored green showing they already visited, but there were still plenty of rooms and floors left to go.
 
“We've got to find the compass.” said Link as he folded up the map. “It'll be easier to navigate through this crazy place. Let's go!”
 
They back tracked through the door, and entered through the other door and emerged on the other side of the same room where they got the map.
 
“Nice. Just nice.” Mars mocked.
 
They walked across a wooden plank and hopped up onto a grill platform. “Look up ahead.” Said Link, there was a door at the other end of the room at top of a ledge. “Right, let's go.” said Mars.
 
They had just started running forward, when suddenly. Mars looked behind her, and what she saw sent hot chills up her spine. “Uh, Master?!” she cried.
 
“What is it?” Link asked, but when he looked around he saw it too. A Curtain of fire was creeping its way across the room. “Oh… Yeah.” He said, but then he and Mars stared at each other and both shouted out at once “RUN!!”
 
They tore across the room like two jet engines and made it to the door. “That was way too close.” Link said while catching his breath.
 
“Ditto.” said Mars. “Let's get out of here before it decided to go for us again.” And they both went thought the door only the emerge back in the maze with the roiling stones.
 
“Well, at least we don't have to worry about the boulders this time.” said Mars.
 
They leapt onto the ledge where a Torch Slug is, and defeated it, but then noticed a crack in the floor. The floor around them was completely hollow, like the false walls.
 
“Step back.” said Link as he lit up a bomb and blew up the floor revealing a wire-fence leading down a hole and into a chamber they actually recognized.
 
Link observed the map. “Mars… look at this.” He said as he showed her that the hole indeed lead to another side of that cage they couldn't open before down below.
 
“I'll go check it out.” said Link as he gave her the map, “You stay up here.”
 
“Yes, Master.”
 
As Link climbed down the fence and disappeared down the tunnel below, something else caught Mars' eyes. There on the far, far corner of the ledged was a suspended cage and a crystal switch.
 
“What they hey?” she said, and she hoped on over. She blasted the switch which opened the cage, and she found another Small key and a clue. “Score one for the good guys.” She said.
 
She hopped back over to the hole just in time to see Link coming right up. “Mars, I thought I told you to stay here.” he said.
 
Mars bowed to him, “Forgive me Master, but I found this.” She said as she handed him the clue.
 
Clue Six:
 
“If you find an area that you can see on the map, but cannot reach yourself, try playing the Ocarina of Time.”
 
“Good work, Mars.” said Link. “I found these while I was down there.” He showed her another small key and the seventh clue.
 
Clue Seven:
 
“Somewhere in this temple, you are sure to come across some creatures that dance as they attack; arrows will not hurt them. Try using a sample of explosives.”
 
“What do you think it means by that?” asked Mars. “I haven't the slightest.” said Link. “But I think we'll know soon enough.”
 
“Now, where to from here?” Mars said as she looked the map, and she found a room they hadn't explored yet,, but reaching it meant heading back to that room with the fire curtain at the bottom.
 
They went there and this time the waited before jumping onto the grill platforms. “Three… two… one…. GO!!” and they ran like the wind. This time, instead of going to the end of the room, they jumped onto the ledge about halfway to the left and made it to another locked door.
 
“Let's just hope we don't have to do that again.” Mars said as they entered the door, ran down a hallway to the following room where there was a whole load of small pillars in the floor.
 
“Talk about weird flooring.” Mars said as she hoped down from the ledge.
 
“Hmm… something seems fishy about those pillars.” Link said to himself, but the he remembered. “Mars… Wait… Don't!!”
 
“YEOW!!”
 
Link smacked his forehead. “Too late.”
 
Mars nearly came into contact with a small firewall that shot up from I between two pillars, and it wouldn't let her through no mater what she did.
 
“This whole place must be loaded with these things.” She said. “How are we supposed to avoid them?”
 
Link had an idea, he slowly moved towards the pillars, sort of testing the firewalls to see which paths were safe to walk through. “Stay close, and follow me.” he said.
 
He managed to lead Mars safely through the maze to a door, which lead down to a chest containing the Compass. “Yes. Perfect.” said Link. “Now I think we navigate this place more easily.”
 
They proceeded back to the maze room, and with the compass in their grasp it was a lot easier to navigate the firewalls to the next door. “Boy, this thing sure works wonders.” said Mars.
 
She grabbed the doorknob, but as she turned it the door began to wobbled. “What the--?” and then it began to fall. “LOOK OUT!!” cried Link as he grabbed her and pulled her out of the way as the door slammed hard on the floor.
 
“Remember what I said about that thing working wonders?” said Mars. “I take it back.”
 
Link set her down. “We must've taken a wrong turn.” He said. “Check the map.”
 
Mars got out the map, and sure enough, they did take a wrong turn. The door they needed to go through was on the far side of the maze, but this time they had a clue of how to recognize the false doors without having to open them.
 
The false doors were actually like false walls. Off colored and poorly constructed too. Finally, they made it to the real door. They could tell it was real because it was all rusted, it was perfectly built into the wall… and it had a chain and lock on it.
 
Inside was a another cage, but once again they couldn't open it, and this time there was no alternate way to get into it. So they decided once again to leave it and went across through the other door.
 
No emerged on the other side of the maze room. “There.” Said Link as he pointed to a blazing hot wall of fire. “There's a door on the other side of that.”
 
“But I guess we have to look for some sort of switch to lower the fire.” said Mars. They continued through the maze until they came to a floor switch. “Ah, this must be it.” She pressed on the switch and the firewall ceased.
 
But before they began to run forward, they actually heard some sort of beeping sound coming from the switch itself. “What's happening?” asked Mars.
 
Then the beeping got faster, and faster, and finally the switch deactivated, and the fire blazed up again. “The switch… it must be a temporary trigger.” said Link. “Remember that switch back at the fence-wall?”
 
Mars got the drift. “So, we have to activate the switch, and then quickly get over there before times up.” She was about to press the switch again.
 
“Hold it.” said Link. “We're still in the fire maze. We should try and find the path that leads to the wall.” He drew out his sword and showed her that he could go over, find a path, and draw a chalk line with his sword to direct her.
 
“Remember, wait until I say go.” He replied.
 
“Yes, Master.”
 
Link carefully did what he did before. Moved along the maze seeing which pillars were safe, and which ones to avoid. Finally he reached the wall, so all Mars had to do was run along the white line Link drew on the floor with his sword.
 
“Okay Mars, get ready!” he said. “NOW!!”
 
Mars hastily hit the switch causing the fire to drop, and then she ran quickly to Link and both of them were just able to jump up to the ledge before the fire came back. “Whoever, built this Temple must've been a God.” cried Mars.
 
They moved towards the door, only to realize it was just another false one, with nothing but a wall behind it. “That's weird.” said Link. “The map said this is the right way.”
 
Suddenly, Mars had an idea. “Master, hold on.” she said. “The fourth clue, it said we can break these doors by blowing them up, right?”
 
“Yes… it did.” said Link. They both nodded to each other and backed away a bit. Link tossed a bomb at the door, and when the bomb exploded, not only did it destroy the false door, but a false wall that was behind it as well revealing an automatic door.
 
“It worked.” replied Link. “Come on, let's go.”
 
But before they got close enough to open the door, Mars stopped dead in her tracks. “Hmm.”
 
“What? What is it Mars?”
 
“I sense an evil presence in the room beyond the door.”
 
Strangle enough, Link began to feel the same thing. “I sense something too.” he said, “But there's no way back… we better check it out.”
 
Mars knew he was right. There was no way they could get past the firewall from the inside. “OPEN!” she shouted, and they quickly headed through the door.
 
Inside, their suspicions were correct!
 
The door behind the slammed shut and was sealed off with iron bars, and the sound of a wicked laughter escaped from the blazing fires on top of the large stone square in the center of the room.
 
Link drew out his sword, and Mars stood her ground as the monster appeared and jumped right out from the fire. He looked like a giant flaming orange scarecrow… with a large rock on his chest.
 
“Rah, ha, ha, ha!! I am the Flare-Dancer. Let's party!” he sniggered. “FIRE… SPIN!!” and he began twirling around on one foot.
 
“Let's move!” said Link, and they scattered before small fire flares began shooting out from the monster.
 
Obviously he was the monster that the seventh clue warned them about, the one that arrows wouldn't hurt.
 
Flare-Dancer leapt up high and then landed in front of Mars, “Hello, my pretty.” He sniggered. “Care to have a little fun?”
 
But Mars remembered the advice the clue gave, and kept one hand behind her back. “Yeah… let's have fun.” She said. “And here's a good game for you… THINK FAST!!”
 
Quick as lighting, she threw a bomb right at him, and the explosion caused his fiery clothes to vanish, and the rock on his cheat to drop and start running around the room. “That wasn't very nice!” he growled.
 
Link put his foot down right in front of the rock. “Really… well let's make it worse.” And he began hacking away at the rock with his sword, causing him to retreat, only to bump into Mars again.
 
“You're nothing without you're fire clothes.” She said. “MARS FIRE… IGNITE!!”
 
“HEEEYAAARRRGGGH!!!” the rock was all crispy, and then he jumped back into the center of the square platform.
 
“YES!” Mars cheered.
 
But Link wasn't sure this was the time to celebrate. “Hang on, Mars… the room hasn't quieted down yet.”
 
“Look!” cried Mars.
 
Flare-Dancer had jumped back out of the fire, with his full body back, and this time he was all dressed in blue. “Ha, ha, ha, ha! Thought you saw the last of me didn't you.”
 
“Master, what's going on?” asked Mars. Link used the power of his Triforce of courage to scan for the source. “The Flare-Dancer has multiple lives; three in all to be exact.”
 
“Oh, no… we got to kill him two more times.”
 
“Not if I kill you first.” growled Flare-Dancer, he was about to do his spinning attack when suddenly. “YEOW!!”
 
The rock, which actually had a rather spongy surface was pulled off the body by Link's Hookshot. “Now what was that you were saying?” Link asked angrily.
 
“I-- Well… You… uh!!”
 
“Volleyball, anyone?” said Link as he served. “You're on.” Answered Mars as she passed the rock back to him. Back and forth, again, and again.
 
“I think I'm going to be sick.” cried the rock.
 
Link passed him over to Mars, but instead of bashing him again. “DIN'S… FIREWALL… BURN!!” she just fried him again.
 
“OW! OW! HOT, HOT, HOT!!” and he jumped back into the fire.
 
“Yeah! Two down, and one to go.” Mars smirked. Link smiled and nodded at her, and then got their game faces back on and ready to face the Flare-Dancer now green.
 
“Okay!! You two have asked for it!!”
 
“And you're going to get it.” said Link. “Go, Mars!”
 
Mars nodded and leapt up. “Time to cure that bad case of heartburn.” she said as she grabbed a suture-charm. “I CALL THE POWER OF MARS… FIREBALLS… CHARM!!”
 
WHAMM!! Right in the face. “WHOOOAAA… what's going on?!” cried Flare-Dancer as his outfit vanished once again. “Now I'm really steamed!!” screamed the rock.
 
“Really… then I suggest you cool down.” said Link as he leapt in. “SACRED… MASTER SWORD… ATTACK!!”
 
SLASH!! Right down the middle. “I shall not forget this!!” cried the Rock as it swelled up and exploded, causing the fire on the platform to cease, and the bars on the door to rise.
 
Mars and Link slapped each other high-five. “Yeah, we did it!” cried Mars.
 
“We sure did.” said Link, “And I think I remember the way out of here.” He lead her onto the square platform which started to rise up like an elevator up, up, up… to the next level, and a locked door.
 
Meanwhile, in Volvagia's lair
 
Volvagia was gathering the rest of his minions before him. “Come in here all of you! Report, have the kid and Sailor Mars been captured yet?”
 
“Regrettable no, Sire.” said a second Flare-Dancer. “Unfortunately, they have both escaped.”
 
Volvagia's eyes blazed with furry. “Escaped?! I must be hearing things. Did you say escaped?!”
 
All his minions nodded. “There is still time though.” replied Volvagia, “The rest of you, get out there and find them immediately, or your bodies shall all be roasted! No be-gone, on your way!”
 
“Consider it done, Master.” said a Stalfos.
 
Volvagia turned back to his viewing flames. “They shall not escape my wrath!”
 
TO BE CONTINUED
 
HERO AND SAILORS SAY
 
Link: “The Fire Temple sure is a very, very long dungeon. Despite the fact that it's one of the only dungeon's where getting lost is difficult, it can still be rather tiresome.”
 
Rei: “Yeah, but still it reminds you that these things can't be rushed, and take time to actually get done.”
 
Serena: “Sometimes if you try to rush something, that's usually where mistakes are made… even if that something is homework. Ugh!”
 
Amy: “Other times, making a mistake on a dangerous journey, like a mountain climb, or a river crossing can really get you in trouble. You get badly injured, or even killed.”
 
Lita: “Some people way back in the old days had hardships even worse than we did, but the managed to make it after such a long time too.”
Mina: “Just remember that some things in the world take time to happen or get done, and even what looks like the easiest of things can take time.”
 
(Song from Karaoke Café. Sung by everyone. Amy on piano. Rei on Bass guitar. Darien on classic Guitar. Lita on drums. Mina on washboard. And Serena on Saxophone.)
 
NOTE: (This is a folk song, however, it's sung and played exactly the way it was on that old show Shining time Station.)
 
(Music starts)
 
(Link)
 
Did you ever hear tell of Sweet Betsy from Pike,
Who crossed the wide mountains with her lover Ike,
Two yoke of cattle,
and an old yeller dog,
A tall Shanghai rooster, and a one-spotted hog.
 
Sing too-ra-li-oo-ra-li-oo-ra-li-ay.
(Singtoo-ra-li-oo-ra-li-oo-ra-li-ay.< b>)
 
(Rei)
 
They swam the wide rivers and crossed the tall peaks,
And camped on the prairie for weeks upon weeks.
Starvation and cholera, hard work and slaughter
They reached California 'spite of hell and high water.
 
Sing too-ra-li-oo-ra-li-oo-ra-li-ay.
(Singtoo-ra-li-oo-ra-li-oo-ra-li-ay.< b>)
 
 
(Saxophone solo)
(Darien)
 
One evening quite early they camped on the Platte,
Twas near by the road on a green shady flat.
Betsy, sore-footed, lay down to repose
With wonder Ike gazed on that Pike County rose.
 
Sing too-ra-li-oo-ra-li-oo-ra-li-ay.
(Singtoo-ra-li-oo-ra-li-oo-ra-li-ay.< b>)
 
(Amy)
 
Out on the prairie one bright, starry night,
They broke out the whiskey, and Betsy got tight.
She sang and she shouted and she danced o'er the plain,
And she showed her bare arse to the whole wagon train.
 
Sing too-ra-li-oo-ra-li-oo-ra-li-ay.
(Singtoo-ra-li-oo-ra-li-oo-ra-li-ay.< b>)
 
 
(Another Saxophone solo)
 
(Mina)
 
The Injuns came down in a thundering horde,
And Betsy was scared they would scalp her adored.
So under the wagon-bed Betsy did crawl
And she fought off the Injuns with musket and ball.
 
Sing too-ra-li-oo-ra-li-oo-ra-li-ay.
(Singtoo-ra-li-oo-ra-li-oo-ra-li-ay.< b>)
 
(Serena)
 
The wagon broke down with a terrible crash,
And out on the prairie rolled all sorts of trash.
A few little baby-clothes, done up with care,
Looked rather suspicious, but all on the square.
 
Sing too-ra-li-oo-ra-li-oo-ra-li-ay.
(Singtoo-ra-li-oo-ra-li-oo-ra-li-ay.< b>)
 
(Last Saxophone solo)
 
(All)
 
Did you ever hear tell of Sweet Betsy from Pike,
Who crossed the wide mountains with her lover Ike,
Two yoke of cattle,
and an old yeller dog,
A tall Shanghai rooster, and a one-spotted hog.
 
Sing too-ra-li-oo-ra-li-oo-ra-li-ay.
(Singtoo-ra-li-oo-ra-li-oo-ra-li-ay.< b>)
Sing too-ra-li-oo-ra-li-oo-ra-li-ay.
(Singtoo-ra-li-oo-ra-li-oo-ra-li-ay.< b>)
Sing too-ra-li-oo-ra-li-oo-ra-li-ay.
(Singtoo-ra-li-oo-ra-li-oo-ra-li-ay.< b>)