Link took a long time getting to his feet, wincing against the pain. At least I am in better shape than my foe. The corpse of the thunderbird lay at his feet, a gnarled and distorted heap of feathers and claws... nothing compared to the majestic enemy he vanquished moments ago. But in the end, the great raptor was destroyed, the last challenge was defeated. Surely it is over now. He made it to his feet, wavering only slightly as he entered the next room. The Triforce must be near. And as he entered the room, he saw he was correct. Perched on a ledge high above the open space sat a wrinkled old man, seemingly ancient. And beside him was a brilliant gold triangle.
"Greetings," the man said, as if this was a mundane encounter. Link only nodded, allowing this strange person to make the next move. But the man remained silent, only staring at the first person he'd seen in generations. Link remained motionless, wondering what would happen. Was there some ceremony? Was the man simply shocked at seeing someone? Or was this some sort of test, another challenge? After what seemed a reasonable time to wait, Link held up his hand, showing the mark of the Triforce to the ancient man sitting above. "This appeared days ago," Link called out. "I was told to come here."
The old man nodded. "I know. It was I who placed this spell on Hyrule so many years ago." How old was this man? "And now you have come for the Triforce, have you not?"
If he knows of this spell, surely he understands what my quest is. The scroll itself mentioned this third triangle. "It was the quest that was given to me."
"And now you expect me to merely hand it over to you, do you not? I am afraid I cannot allow that. You must prove yourself worthy of it. You must face your final challenge." Link felt like asking the man what the thunderbird he just defeated was, but wisely kept quiet. Haven't I done enough? I have fought constantly these past few days. How can I face anyone else?
"Look behind you," the old man ordered. And as he did so the Triforce brightened, showering the room with a blinding golden light. Link turned, shielding his eyes from the light. But there was nothing there but his shadow on the wall. Link turned around again to question the old man, but he had disappeared. As had the Triforce, and the room darkened. Confused, he turned yet again. Nothing had changed. Why is the shadow still there without any light? As if in answer, the shadow stepped forward, disconnecting itself from the wall and stood facing Link. How?
The shadow began to take shape, congealing itself into a dark mass, a dark reflection of the young man who stood there dumbfounded. The shadow crouched, remaining motionless, silently mocking Link. What sort of a test is this creature? But Link had fought numerous battles, and had no doubt of his prowess. He lunged at the shadow, sword drawn. But the shadow nimbly slid back, deflecting the blows with ease. Silently, it counterattacked, forcing Link to be on the defensive. After parrying for a moment, Link stumbled back. The shadow did not pursue.
Thankful for the momentary breather, Link lunged forward again, this time expecting the swift defenses of his foe. Link feinted, doubled back, and struck from a different angle. But once again, the shadow seemed to know exactly what to expect. Once again, the blows were deflected, and once again, the dark mass seemed to gain the upper hand in moments. Every move Link tried, every trick, every skill he had gained on his numerous journeys were worthless, as the shadow seemed to instinctively know every nuance of Link's fighting prowess. Once again Link retreated, and once again the shadow allowed it.
How am I supposed to defeat such a creature? It is as if it knows everything I know, and knows my movements before I make them. And if this is truly a shadow of myself, perhaps it does know. How can I stop it? Link glanced momentarily at the balcony where the old man had stood, but it was empty now. He said this was some sort of test, but a test of what? Certainly not my fighting power. Could this be some sort of trick? If I cannot defeat it by fighting, should I try something else? Does this man expect me to not fight it? But why? If it is a shadow of me, perhaps it can only react to what I do. Perhaps, if I force it to be on the offensive, it will fail. And so Link waited, allowing the shadow – or the old man – to decide what would happen next.
After a few moments, the shadow lunged forward. So quick were its movements that Link was caught momentarily off guard, and barely raised his shield in time to stop the attack. The shadow did not relent, continually pounding Link with quick and silent thrusts. Link stumbled backwards, barely keeping up, until the shadow's blade sliced into his shoulder. Stifling a scream, Link finally broke free of the creature, who once again took its calm stance, daring Link to come forward. But the lad was shaken, holding his shoulder and staring at this seemingly unbeatable opponent.
I can't win. It's too strong; it knows my every move; it moves too fast. From deep within him, the feeling of fear started to creep over Link, a feeling he rarely noticed. But now it threatened to consume him, as he realized the peril he was in. He wanted to run, to fight, to do anything but wait for this creature to finish him, but he seemed to have no control over his body. Paralyzed by this sensation, thoughts scrambled by emotion, Link stood helpless against his foe. The shadow stepped forward, and Link stumbled back clumsily, saved only by the shadow's seemingly endless patience.
And so it ends, Link thought grimly. I have faced Ganon, have saved an entire kingdom from destruction. Haven't I done enough? Why me? Why did I have to accept this quest from Impa? I have fought too many battles, done too much. Why should I have to end my life now for a stupid test from this man? I did what was asked. I've proven myself already. This isn't fair. His despair had turned to anger as he reflected on the absurdity of his fate. I never asked to be a hero or wanted the Triforce. I did this for Impa and Hyrule, and this is how I am repaid. Killed by my own shadow that a crazy old man felt I needed to fight? Why should he hold the Triforce anyway?
The shadow started to creep forward, finally ready to finish off his broken foe. But Link cleared the emotions from his face, and crouched into a fighting stance. I should simply let this thing kill me, he thought, but his body did not obey. But I will not give that old man the satisfaction of seeing me defeated. If this is to be my fate, then so be it. But I will not fall without a fight. I may be defeated, but I will fight this thing until my end. The shadow lunged forward, and Link fought it off skillfully. But the shadow gained the upper hand again, and this time Link was sliced across his chest.
The cut burned, far more than it should have, and the pain threatened to overwhelm the lad. The thought of more pain caused fear to once again enter his mind, but Link forced such emotions down. He stood confidently, facing his opponent. I will not be controlled by this creature, or the old man. I must ignore this pain. But the thought of continuing seemed almost intolerable. This is madness. I should retreat, I should quit. But I cannot. It is total lunacy to face a creature that is more powerful than I. Link shook his head and let out a sigh. But I cannot simply leave and allow this creature to exist. If it takes my last ounce of strength, I will fight this shadow until the end. I must. Blocking all further thoughts, Link lunged forward with a yell...
From the darkness, the ancient sage watched passively. Judging by the reaction of the shadow, he knew that the hero would be triumphant. Such a test would be worthless if the opponent remained superior to the aspirant, and the shadow's skill with a blade would diminish now to the point where it would be vanquished. But still the man worried. The lad's fear had threatened to overwhelm him, and for a moment it appeared that he would fail. And though he did pass the test, what assurance was there that this boy would not be overwhelmed by the full power of the Triforce? But it was not his place to question that; his role as the caretaker of the final fragment was over. As Link's shadow sank into the ground, the old man steeled himself towards his last act as sage and guardian of the Triforce – letting the future of Hyrule fall into Link's hands. He could only hope for the best now.
[Thanks to Nintendo for creating quite possibly the single greatest battle in any video game ever made, providing me not only the inspiration for this piece but also an extremely intense and exciting fight that I have enjoyed multiple times.]