The Final Key
Link drew his sword and chopped the air a few times to find its balance. He assumed a battle ready stance as the shadowy version of himself, this Dark Link, approached. Link was sure he could beat this; it was only an illusion like everything else in this temple.
"What should I do?" whispered Navi in his ear.
"Nothing," he whispered back. "This is my test. I can do this."
Navi scoffed.
Without hesitation, Dark Link brought a swift overhead swing in Link's direction. Clang! Link blocked it easily, and the sound of clashing swords echoed like the bells used in the dueling arenas back in military training. It was a glorious sound. There was only one thing to say to such a sound. "Bring it on!"
Link shoved his adversary's blade aside and quickly brought his sword back in a wide swing, but Dark Link ducked away easily, already bringing his own blade's edge back to bear on him. Link rolled away just in time and blocked the predictable follow up swing. Dark Link's technique was exactly like his own. He could do this.
Link followed up with a combination of slashes and thrusts, but Dark Link was ready to parry them before the attacks were even unleashed. The predictability went both ways. There would be no way to beat this thing with skill, they were too evenly matched. It would come down to stamina, and that made Link nervous. Was this illusion even human? Maybe it never got tired.
Dark Link spun to his right in a move to open his flank, but Link had blocked that move a hundred times in training. He shifted his feet instantly to prevent a loss of balance just as Dark Link hacked at him again.
Parry. Lunge. Strike. Dodge. Thrust. Parry.
The battle between equals carried on for ages, and Link felt himself begin to tire. He could hear Navi gasping now and then, but she didn't interfere. Somehow, the fatigue only motivated him to move faster. Unwilling to lose this battle, he came at Dark Link harder than ever, and the intense flurry of blows forced his opponent to back pedal. Link brought a hard swing from overhead and Dark Link had to kneel to block it in time.
Dark Link grunted angrily and pushed Link's sword away and made to swing upward violently, a move Link knew was coming. Link brought his sword back around to parry the blow, but it never came. Dark Link had stopped the swing short. A fake. Before Link could stop his own blades momentum, Dark Link twisted and brought his sword around in a deadly horizontal spin attack. Link barely got his sword in parrying position in time to block it, but the combination of Dark Link's force and Link's delay knocked Link's weapon out of his hand.
Navi yelped as they both watch his blade soar end over end into the water beyond.
Dark Link grinned. "You lose!" He made to bring in the killing blow.
"Not yet," said Link as he rolled out of the way, pulling out his slingshot in the process. When he came to a stop, it was already loaded and aimed.
Dark Link laughed. "You cannot beat me with a child's plaything!"
Link let loose a bullet, but Dark Link blocked it his sword.
Link backed away to keep his distance and let fly another missile. Dark Link smacked it aside with ease and walked forward to close the distance.
Link let loose shot after shot to no avail. He had spent many days with Lance and Borrix practicing hitting sling shot ammunition with his sword. He'd gotten very good at it, so of course, Dark Link was good at it too.
"Navi," called Link. "I, uh, am having second thoughts about our arrangement."
"Oh, now you need me," she said mockingly.
Dark Link broke into a run towards Link. He was defenseless. This was it.
"Navi!"
She shot forward in a streak of hot white light, flying into his face and blinding him. She jabbed him in the eyes repeatedly, and Dark Link came to a painful halt. Link did not hesitate, he ran forward while Dark Link tried to swat her away. She was too fast; as soon as he swatted her way she was already poking him in the other eye.
Dark Link swung his sword wildly in a vain attempt to keep Link at bay, so Link broke into a feet-first slide and took Dark Link out at the ankles. As he fell, Link twisted his enemy's weapon free. Dark Link landed with a splash flat on his back with the point of his own sword now inches from his neck.
"I pass," said Link with a smirk.
"We'll see," said Dark Link. He and vanished in a puff a smoke along with the weapon Link had just taken. The illusory scene around him swirled, blurred, and faded away, leaving him in a small empty temple chamber save for his own sword that lay a few feet away and the deku nuts he'd fired at Dark Link scattered around the floor. He took a moment to gather his things.
An opening, like the mouth of a cave, beckoned him. He and Navi bade its welcome and found themselves traveling down an irregular roughhewn passage that opened into a great cavern. The ceilings vaulted upward for days, dotted with stalactites the size of giant trees. Moisture was heavy in the air and he could hear the echo of water droplets. Everything was vast and natural except for a conspicuous pool in the center.
The pool was perfectly round and clearly man made from fine marble adorned with solid gold accents. As he approached it, the water shimmered unnaturally, and he felt as though it were watching him. He stared into it. It seemed to have no bottom.
Suddenly the water began to ripple and move in a counter clockwise current that gained speed until the pool was whirling with such velocity it pulled the center down, down, down into its depths.
The water burst to life with light forcing Link backwards with a wince. As his eyes adjusted, he saw a human form hovering about the pool. The sultry figure of a woman came into focus, but not any woman he'd ever seen. She was clothed in a gown to rival any princess yet the material appeared to him as though it were made of water itself, somehow solid and flowing like a kind of living cloth.
"Queen Mother," gasped Navi beside him.
"Hello, child," said the woman. "My name is Valeria, Queen Fairy of the southern lands and guardian over that which you seek."
"So," responded Link nervously, "did I pass?"
"Yes," she said regally, "and no."
Link's face communicated his confusion.
"The temple forces a man to face three fears: the fear of the past, the present, and the future. The first test forced you to face the future of all men: death. Most men resist that fate as you at first resisted it. It takes courage to accept the fate of death, and you were rewarded with the first keystone.
"The second test forced you to face your past. Men fear their mistakes and spend their whole lives hiding from them rather than embracing them. Many before you went mad in that room, crushed by the weight of their own guilt. You accept your past as it is, no more or no less.
"The final test forced you to face your present. It takes great valor to face one's self. This test has never been completed until now. Most die at the hand of their doppleganger or from exhaustion. You are the first to win, but you didn't win as intended. The goal was never to win by force."
"What do you mean?" asked Link. "What other way is there to win?"
She smiled gently. "If I told you that, then it wouldn't be much of a test. The shadow copy test is of my own design and cannot be won alone, but you weren't alone." She glanced at Navi.
Navi fluttered behind Link to hide in purple shame.
"So, yes, you have completed the trials, but you did not pass. I will give you your reward, but someday you will return and face the test alone, as intended. Only then will you have true valor." Before Link could say anymore, she spun in place and disappeared back into the pool in a whirl of magic.
Floating above the pool was a shield. It looked plain and used, its once polished surface scathed and dull. It floated towards him, and he and plucked it out of the air once it was within reach. It felt flimsy and useless in his hands.
"This is it? This is the third key? What a piece of junk." He had been hoping for some kind of weapon like Ganondorf.
Nonetheless, he fitted the shield to his right arm to get a feel for it. Instantly, the shield shimmered and morphed. The scuffed veneer became a luminescent polish. The front of the shield took on a unique design: a golden Triforce above a stylized red bird before a deep blue backdrop. The metamorphosis completed and Link marveled at its perfect balance, fitting him like he'd worn it for years. He could barely even feel its weight, yet he knew it would stop the mightiest of blows.
"Now this is more like it," he grinned.
Zelda bit at her nails as she endured the long agonizing wait, a habit she had overcome years ago. The dream replayed itself in her head. She grew weary of visualizing Link turning to dust, but the images would not be silenced, serving as a kind of judge for her actions. Every minute that passed increased her guilt and tortured her conscience. She wanted desperately for him to succeed for Ganondorf's sake, but she also wanted him to succeed for hers.
Just when she thought the dream would drive her mad, she heard the muffled sound of knocking from behind the temple doors. She leapt up with excitement and called to the guards, "Open the doors!"
They pulled the heavy doors wide and Link emerged from the shadows with a brilliant shield gleaming in the sunlight. The third key! It had to be.
Overcome with relief at seeing him alive, she ran up and hugged him. It wasn't a hug for him as much as a hug for herself. The dream could leave now, at least for a little while.
"Nice to see you too," said Link.
"Excuse me," said a tiny indignant voice.
Zelda let go and saw the fairy that had once accompanied Link back in the Gerudo palace. "I thought I saw you go in at the last second," she said, pretending the hug never happened.
"It was good thing she did," said Link. "She saved my life back there."
She saw them exchange a look that told her an old friendship was healed, though she wasn't really sure where or why the fairy had disappeared in the first place.
Link held up the shield. "Isn't she a sight?"
"The third key?" she asked, just to be sure.
"I'm pretty sure," he said. "It was just a plain old piece of scrap metal, but it turned into this when I put it on. It's definitely enchanted."
Knowl and Ganondorf caught up and congratulated Link.
Zelda smiled and let out a final sigh of relief. Things were looking up.
"We have all three keys," she said to Knowl.
"It would appear so," he replied. "Now all you need is the door to which they belong."
"Do you happen to know where we can find it?"
"No, but the lonely king does," he replied.
Lieutenant Gudric stood before the mighty stone gates. His mule wasted no time falling asleep in some nearby shade, exhausted from the long, steep climb up the narrow, rocky trail. He couldn't see them, but he knew they were there watching him. They could easily hide in front of your face and you would never know it.
"I've come fer Lord Staggot," he said aloud. The term "Lord" left a bitter taste in his mouth. He was, of course, not a real lord. He was a criminal according to Hylian law, but a soddin' difficult one to bring to justice. The title had been granted as terms of a truce. The King wanted an end to Staggot's raids, and Staggot wanted to be a Lord.
A pair of eyes appeared directly in front of him in the gate's stony surface. Rock crackled as the being stepped forward, and his tall formidable shape became distinct from the gate he had been standing against. His camouflage was perfect on this desolate mountain, for these beings were made of stone themselves, mostly.
Gorons are a large people whose origins are steeped in mystery, and their rock hard exteriors frighten any that look upon him. Even Gudric, with his years of experience, tensed in their presence. Appearances, however, belied their otherwise docile nature. In most parts of the world, they welcomed visitors with open arms, though most flee in fear.
Not Staggot. Staggot and his lot were the outcasts, shunned by their own people for their aggression. Staggot believed they should use their brute strength to build their own empire, but without the support of the main tribes, he resorted to pillaging fringe villages.
The Goron stepped in close, inches from Gudric. "What business," he said in a deep voice that rattled like gravel.
"King's business. He's callin' in a favor."
The Goron eyed him for a minute, then said, "Follow me."
He led Gudric into the meager town, if you could call it that. It was really a tiny basin with caves scattered about the various walls. The largest cave was straight ahead, presumably Staggot's "palace."
The cave was at least as large as any modest home, but there were no adornments or furniture except for a throne fashioned from a solid piece of granite. Staggot sat before him. He had a fat belly, like most Gorons. The front torso was the only fleshy part of him, save for his face. The rest of him was covered in jutting and jagged rocks. He could easily impale a man with the spear like stones that protruded from this elbows and knees. His eyes were black, like two pieces of coal, and dotted his face above a flat, wide nose that breathed heavily as he entered. Staggot smiled revealing yellow uneven teeth.
"What need does King Harkinian have of Lord Staggot?" he asked. The attempt at regal formality sickened Gudric, but he played along.
"The king has need of yer strength and cunnin'."
"Does he, now," laughed Staggot. "Lord Staggot is not the King's property to call upon as he wishes. I am a Lord and our truce is binding."
"Aye," replied Gudric. "He's askin' as a friend, a friend willin' to make it worth yer while."
"What does he ask of me? To sack a village? To conquer a neighboring kingdom?"
"Conquer? No. Capture. He has a few outlaws on the run and he needs 'em back safely."
Staggot gave him a confused look. "My children could do such a trivial task, why come to Lord Staggot? King Harkinian has his own army."
"Exactly," replied Gudric. "Armies of men, not of Gorons. Armies are slow to move. Yer army is both strong and quick. Five Gorons could do the work of fifty Hylian warriors." Gudric hoped the flattery wasn't coming across as too obvious.
"Yes," said Staggot thoughtfully. "Gorons are the strongest in all Hyrule. Lord Staggot is willing to send ten Gorons to do the king's bidding."
Gudric was relieved. The hardest part of the negotiation was over.
"Now," continued Staggot, "we talk price."
Knowl opened the lonely king's ancient journal once more and turned to the final page. He and Zelda were alone in the library while the others worked on preparations for their journey. Knowl watched her face with curiosity as she absorbed the images. She had wisdom the others did not, and he found it exhilarating. He would have loved to have her as a pupil.
"What writing is this?" she asked, gently running her fingers over some ancient Hylian glyphs.
"You've seen it before?" he asked.
"Yes, in a book my father kept, but I can't read it."
"Not yet," he said. "It is an ancient Hylian language whose origins are a mystery. Some say it is the languages of the Goddesses themselves."
"And what do you say?"
Knowl smiled. "I simply read what I can read."
"And you can read this," she said. It wasn't a question.
"Yes. It is a verse."
The Guardian of the Sacred Three.
He is giver of life, bringer of death.
His sword cleaves mountains.
Yet a mere kiss grants passage.
The Goddesses are waiting for their gifts.
"I believe I understand parts of it," continued Knowl, "but I think you should meditate on it."
"No need," she replied.
He widened his eyes in surprise. Did she figure it out so quickly?
Excitement filled her face. "I will go help the others prepare. This is a journey I'm very much looking forward to."
"Oh? Where are we going?"
"Zora!"