So, anyway. At the end of my last post, we were about to take on the mighty Wawku Shrine and the horrors waiting within. With that, let's begin!
Here's our first view of Wawku Shrine. Looks like a fun place. Are those cannon in the distance?
Why, yes. Yes, those are cannon.
I think you are correct.
Yeah, okay, whatever.
So I used Mist Warp to slow down time enough for me to see the projectiles being shot at me, which allowed me to Power Slash them back toward the cannon and destroy them. Then we moved on! Here's the central room in the Wawku Shrine.
So we had to head off down the walkway to the right...which was covered in thin ice.
Very thin ice, in fact. So thin that it would break out from under us if we stood on it too long. So I couldn't get a good photo of it cracking. But I'm sure you get the idea.
In this room, we had to solve a puzzle involving little snow trees, a giant balance scale, a huge ball of ice, and a button in the floor. Issun, of course, was his usual dim self.
Right, Issun. Those dastardly demons put some little trees in here just to confuse you.
Why would there be houseplants here if they aren't intended for something? It's not like anyone lives here, Issun. Sheesh.
Yeah, whatever.
So I proceeded to put the little plants on the balance scale...
Well, at least one of them, anyway, because I didn't take a picture of them both on the scale. I also didn't take a picture of what I did next, which was Bloom them. Oops. They both grew into full-size trees and weighed down the scale, which enabled us to complete the next step in the puzzle.
The objective was to use Galestorm to roll the ice ball down that little corridor and onto the switch, but before the scale was weighed down, the corridor wasn't complete. And I couldn't just headbutt the ice ball, or this happened:
Just one of many times we'd get frozen over the course of the dungeon. No biggie. It's like Ammy has antifreeze in her blood or something.
So with some quick drawing...
...the ice ball rolled over to the floor switch.
This unlocked the door to the right in the above photo, which gave us access to the Exorcising Arrow key we needed!
So we made our way back to the main room, where the Demon Lock was totally freaking out at us...
Look at that. That is a Demon Lock that knows he's about to get sent screaming back to the underworld.
On the other side of the locked gate, we found a big piece of ice blocking the hole in the floor. When we melted the ice, this happened!
From there we rode the water fountain up to the side of the structure, where we had to make our way to another area without being violently blown up by all of the cannon shooting bombs at us.
Fortunately, the cannon were easily dispatched, and we continued on our way.
What? You're acting like I'm about to trigger a huge trap here!
The only beast I'm seeing around here is you! Heh heh heh.
Yeah, and?
Right...
Okay, well, I think I could have figured that out without the OMG STOP STOP STOP comments, but whatever.
So, after more exploring and solving puzzles, we found...THIS.
What is that, you ask? Well, let's take a closer look.
It's...a giant phonograph machine? With a blizzard coming out of it? Uhhh...okay.
I know, right? What'll they come up with next? Toasters that spew lava?
I thought we knew that already, but at least we found how they're doing it. Now, how do we stop this thing?
Fortunately, we found a nice little diagram in a nearby cave that just happened to show how it was supposed to be done.
Okay, let's go look at the Victrola again.
So it was just a matter of using Power Slash on the three round blue things (they were spinning really fast).
When we'd stopped all three of the wheels, the purple grate thing in the above picture disintegrated to reveal...
...a key we needed to get to a locked room in the main area! Sweet!
And as an added bonus, the blizzard stopped.
But before we could leave, another miracle happened!
Cool! I wonder what cool power I get this time! I hope it isn't something lame like drawing a line from something to something else again.
13? Isn't that an unlucky number?
Is that...a bull?
I see. Interesting.
You hid in a Victrola and thought you wouldn't get stuck?
Shut up and give me your power already!
Ooh! That could be useful.
Woohoo! Let's go kick some demon ass!
And then Itegami turned himself into a cool shield and gave himself to me.
Isn't that fire? I thought Itegami was the god of ice.
It's a snazzy new shield, though! FEAR THE POWER OF AMATERASU, DEMONS! I WILL CRUSH YOU ALL LIKE-
Shut up, Issun! I was monologuing!
He just told us that!
I don't think that would make a very good cake. Unless it's an ice cream cake. I could get behind that.
So Issun had me practice my new power on a nearby Flame Spider.
Okay, cool. Let's go freeze some stuff.
Yeah, okay. I think you'll be the one getting us killed if anything.
So we went back to the main room and started freezing Flame Spiders to get up to where we needed to go.
This involved a lot of careful timing of when to freeze the spiders to ensure I'd be able to jump to the next platform.
In one of the next rooms, we found another use for my new power.
Shut up, Issun.
Yeah, and? Shut up and let me work my magic.
So quit talking and let me do my thing already!
I guess I didn't take any pictures of that. Oh well. Turns out the sparkly mist means I could scribble on it with the brush to draw little floaty ice platforms to jump on. Fun stuff, except they're maddeningly slippery.
And after yet more exploration, we found...this!
A...big empty space?
Oh. This must be where those crazy robo-owls hang out.
Really? Because we have no idea how to fight this guy, but OKAY LET'S DO THIS!
But Robo-Owl just flew away from us.
I like how I just got a cool new shield, but the cinematics still insist on showing my old starter shield.
Ooh! It's my past self, looking all majestic! You know...except for that weird parasite infestation she should really get checked out. But how did he/she/it not get obliterated by that boulder?
Weird.
Looks like current-time Ammy doesn't get it either. Look, sometimes gods just do what they do and you don't know why!
Pretty sure past-Ammy did all the real work...
But we're both technically the same goddess...why does it matter which one gets the glory?
Okay, fine!
But before I could deliver the final blow...more trouble showed up.
Dammit, it's the other one!
But he looks like he's got somebody on his face...
Oki! Dammit, why do you keep popping up at every turn?!
Are you still crazy with frustration?
Psst! Oki, your mouth is writing checks your abilities can't cash! Pack it in already! It's way too early for a boss fight!
Just as soon as you realize your limits!
Issun tried to warn us that the demons weren't done yet and that we should back off for now, but who listens to Issun?
Dammit, Oki!
Oh gods...
Give it up already!
I think he lost his mind a long time ago. You're late to the party yet again, Issun.
But before Oki could do something colossally stupid, the Twin Demons used their way-overpowered Time Stop ability, and things just went downhill from there.
Apparently having time stop in this game means all the colors get reversed. Weird, I know.
And since time was frozen, we were all frozen too. Well, except for those dastardly owls, which started flying slowly toward us.
But it was time for Past-Ammy to shine! Here she is brooding before she makes her big move.
And then she leaped....
...and that's a blurry picture of Past-Ammy breaking us out of the Time Stop, but taking a mortal wound in the process.
"It's so painful always being the one to save everyone else's bacon!"
And that's Oki doing a much-deserved face plant.
I didn't get a good picture of it, but somehow Past-Ammy was falling off a cliff, so I had to go grab her and save her, except I couldn't quite pull her back up. So Oki had to make a choice, once he brushed all that dirt off his face.
No, Oki! Don't do it! We need your help over here!
I don't know if you've noticed, but Past-Ammy is a lot bigger than I am for some reason, and I just can't do it myself!
See! Even Issun's helping!
Wait a second. I thought I was back at full power now that I have all 13 brush powers. Why can't I pull a stupid god-wolf back onto the ledge?!
But don't get too depressed, people, because Oki made the right choice after all.
Yay! He's going to help us! Why is he just standing there?
BWUH?
OMG THE PROPHECY FINALLY CAME TRUE. Can we all go home now?
Gah, you're finally helping us! My grip was starting to slip a little with all the talking...
...while the guy wielding it was such a douchenozzle?
Ha, I was right!
Just get to the point already!
Just don't get yourself killed in the process!
There you go! Now that your sword is glowing, you can do anything.
Of course, then it was time to turn our attentions back to the mortally-wounded Past-Ammy. Hey, didn't she get mortally wounded last time we saw her? How is she still alive?
Somehow, I think the answer is yes.
And you're a divine disaster, so it all works out.
I guess I didn't get any pictures of it, but the four of us decided that Oki would stay with Past-Ammy while Issun and I finished the rest of the dungeon. You know, because there's still half a dungeon left to discover. But this post is getting long, so I'm going to have to save that for next time.
Check back next time for the exciting conclusion, where I don't bumble around like an idiot during the final boss fight, and we succeed at all of our dreams!
Until next time, heroes!
