Despite Zelda's pleading with Resa, she insisted that they continue on to the temple, even after help for the Gerudo guards arrived and their injuries had been tended to. Three of the Gerudo had regained consciousness, though the fourth hadn't. Time and proper examination would tell if they had any lasting damage from being starved of air for so long.
Link was the worst-off of the group with his burns, and his appearance after a hasty treatment showed this. A decent-sized bandage covered the right side of his face from jawline to cheekbone, and his forearm had been wrapped up as well. Even if the Domain's healers had several Alomomola with Heal Pulse at their disposal, it was apparently unwise for any proper healing to be done at the moment. Something to due with poultices and leeching toxins. It all went over Link's head, especially since he felt fine except for some stinging. He could deal with it until they got back to the Domain.
Zelda had gone quiet after they left the guards behind. Her brow was furrowed, her eyes more narrowed than usual as she seemed deep in thought. Link instantly took this as a bad sign.
As they walked, Link waited for Zelda to say something. She was going to scold him, to tell him that if they had been just a little faster, the guards might not be in their current state. But surprisingly, those words never came. Instead, it was Resa who spoke.
We should have expected casualties in some form or another, Resa said. If not now, then at some other point.
A sigh left Zelda. "I know," she said. "You don't have to tell me that. And at least we tried to help. Th-that's all that matters here." Link swore he could feel Zelda staring at him, but he ignored it.
Yes, it is, Resa said sagely. Link wished he could see their positivity.
Halfway down the walkway, the ocean began to rise up over the stone. One inch, two inches, then three. By the end, they were wading through ankle-deep water. Fira helped Zelda keep her balance on the slick stones, but neither one of them complained. They then reached the temple.
Like the Woodland Temple, time hadn't been kind to the Riptide Temple's structure. Salt-laced winds had worn away at its once finely-crafted edges, and water had carved dark rivulets through the aging stone, making the Water Pokémon carved upon the doors look like they were crying. For being the home of the youngest of the Swords of Justice, it certainly looked the oldest.
May I have some space, please? Resa asked. Link already knew what she was going to do, and he backed off along with the others.
Resa crossed her sashes in front of herself before extending them out. She then moved them to her left side before bringing them around to her right in a flowing motion that resembled waves on the ocean. With the sound of grinding stone, the doors to the temple slid open. Nobody hesitated to enter the temple, nor did they react when the doors closed behind them.
Complete darkness smothered the temple's interior for a few moments, thick and palpable. The lonely drip, drip, of water echoing about was all that could be heard. Then with a sound almost seemed like a heavy sigh, the temple became alight with blue flame.
Resa turned to face Link and Zelda, the firelight reflecting off her blade in an eerie blue spark. Shall we proceed? she asked.
Link's eyes wandered as they walked. The walls of the temple were decorated with murals similar to those in Virizion's Temple, though they weren't able to escape the water's touch. Deeply-worn lines broke up the images, almost seeming to dismember the figures they crossed. Nature didn't discriminate, even with the most painstakingly-crafted things.
Zelda's fascination with the murals was as present as it had been in Virizion's temple, though it did seem to be more dampened this time. It was like something was on her mind, and Link had an idea of what it was.
The end of the corridor only took a minute or so to reach. Another sealed door greeted them, this time bearing the symbol of Nayru.
Overseer Keldeo, are you there? Resa called out to the emptiness of the temple. I am Overseer Resa, and I've come with the Holders of Wisdom and Courage.
Overseer and Holders, huh? a young male voice answered back. Woooow, I haven't heard those words in centuries! I almost never thought you guys would show up! Resa seemed just as surprised as Link.
Y-you're Overseer Keldeo? Resa questioned, notable shock in her voice.
No, I am Overseer Cobalion, the young voice said with an obviously faked baritone. And I never like to contract my words because I have no idea that it does not make me sound smarter. He then returned to his normal tone, exclaiming, Of course I'm Keldeo! Unless this isn't the Riptide Temple, and these past two millennia have been some crazy dream, which I'd be very upset to learn!
While Resa was shocked and borderline horrified, Link was feeling quite the opposite. There's actually someone with the Overseers who doesn't sound like they always have a stick up their ass? He could admit that he was pleased with this turn of events.
"I didn't expect this," Zelda said, amused.
Resa snapped out of her shock and tried to speak more formally. My apologies. I'm just surprised that one so young would have been chosen to be an Overseer.
Why thank you! But I mean, it's not like I asked for this, Keldeo said. The old Holders needed four of us, and my siblings had already agreed. I'm just along for the ride. But I gotta do my boring test now, so listen up, Courage and Wisdom! He waited until he had their attention before he continued. I'm gonna give you both a little test of willpower. We each had to choose something to test the Holders on, so this is mine.
A chill raced down Link's spine. "Are ya gonna be showing us anythin' that involves our memories?" he asked. He then audibly heard Keldeo pull in a breath through gritted teeth.
Sorta, he said. But they won't be too prying, I promise. I'm just doing it to better cater your trial to you. Besides, I'm not as nosy as Virizion.
Worry began to churn in Link's gut, and he unconsciously clenched his fists. He was fortunately able to keep a grimace off his face; he didn't want to show any weakness like before. Then Zelda said reassuringly, "It'll be okay. You got through the last one." She even offered him a small smile. Why? He stared at her in stunned silence.
Any other questions? Keldeo asked, and he received silence in return. No? Then let's do this!
The Nayru symbol on the door began to shine gold, and Link's Triforce marking reacted in time with it. He braced himself for the worst as the world around him grew black, with only him and the symbol present in this new void. The light from the symbol flared and grew blinding, and Link couldn't help but close his eyes.
A breeze softly caressed Link's face as his senses began to return. He cautiously opened his eyes, only to find himself in a sun-lit forest clearing. To his right and left, the foliage noticeably parted in two paths. One led to another clearing with a pond in its center, and the other somewhere deeper in the forest.
The moment Link processed his surroundings, he became aware of an intense dryness in his throat. He struggled to swallow as a bead of sweat dripped down his temple. The sunlight wasn't warm, it was hot. The very air around him was sweltering and hung thick with humidity.
Link instinctively reached for his belt, where his canteen was strapped. Instead of the leather he hoped for, his fingers only met the cloth of his tunic. His canteen was gone, and so was the rest of his gear. He cursed. Of course he'd be left with nothing.
But the absence of the canteen seemed to make his thirst intensify, as he swore the walls of his throat stuck together every time he swallowed. He needed to drink, and the means to quench it were in sight. He turned his attention to the path that led to the pond. It was obviously the right way, and he couldn't sense anything nearby that would prove him wrong.
He began to head for the path, only to stop when he picked up on a different sound. Water, and it wasn't from the pond. His head turned to the sound's source. From down the other way came the babbling of some kind of stream.
Link's mind protested his halt and urged him to continue to the pond, but he hesitated. Streams weren't stagnant like ponds, so their water was almost always cleaner. His legs began to tremble, threatening to give out on him. Still, he didn't move. For how parched he was, he'd rather drink something he knew was cleaner. His mind made up, he turned to the other path.
The moment he set foot on the path, the scenery warped and shifted. Link almost stumbled when he found himself on a mountain-side trail. It was like his thirst had vanished, and in its place was a dizzying sense of vertigo. A cliff dropping hundreds of feet to dead earth fell away sharply before him, and he backed away from it, pressing his back against the rock.
As he did, twin Pokémon cries rang out on either side of him. His head darted left and right, and his eyes widened in alarm when he saw the Pokémon they had come from. To his left, an Aron lay trapped beneath the aftermath of a rock slide. It squirmed and whimpered in fear and pain as it tried to free itself from the fallen rocks. And to his right, a Cubone desperately clung to the edge of the cliff as its body dangled over nothingness.
"Are you kiddin', I halfta choose?" Link questioned, feeling both disgusted and horrified. But there was no time to muse over the nature of the situation. He had to decide, and quickly. His mind raced as he shifted from side to side, unsure of which of the poor Pokémon he should aid first.
Another pained cry from the Aron wrenched his attention to it as the rocks shifted, further crushing it. At the same time, the Cubone's hold on the cliff began to slip, and only its one-handed hold kept it from falling. Link's heart plummeted into his stomach as panic began to rise in him. How could he choose? The one he didn't save would surely die!
No, he couldn't panic. Indecision would kill both of them. As much as he didn't want to, he had to calm down and think. He clenched his teeth and took a breath, trying his best to block out the distressed cries stabbing into him. Which Pokémon was really in more danger here?
Link's heart sank at the conclusion he reached. Aron had the more fortified body with its armor plating. And despite its cries, it wasn't about to fall like Cubone was. It had more time to be saved.
I'm sorry! Link cried internally as he turned his back on Aron and rushed for Cubone. Its hand started slipping, and Link dove for it. His body painfully slammed onto the ground as he landed on his front, but his hand caught Cubone's just as it lost its grasp.
When his hand clasped Cubone's, the mountain scene again shifted. His fingers were no longer grasping Cubone's, but a handful of pine needles. He quickly let go and sat up, his heart pounding. There was no respite for him, as the cries of battle behind him kicked more adrenaline into his veins.
He clambered to his feet, turning around. His gear clattered noisily against his body as he did so, and on instinct he drew the Master Sword. Yet again there were two pathways carved into a pinewood forest, though each of them instantly let out into clearings. Vicious-looking Ursaring slashed and snapped at their prey, the sight of who dragged his heart the rest of the way down to his boots.
Luce and Zelda.
Zelda faced one Ursaring while Luce battled the other two. Link almost immediately ran for his outnumbered partner, only for something to stop him in his tracks. Where was Fira? The Braxien was nowhere to be seen, and Link's senses didn't seem to be working, so he couldn't tell if Fira was nearby. This left Zelda to face the towering bear alone.
Link's head spun as he realized the obvious choice he had to make here. No, don't do this! he begged, gritting his teeth as anger boiled in him. "Luce! Zelda!" he yelled as loud as he could, hoping to catch the attention of any of the fighters. None of them so much as even glanced his way.
Luce was then knocked to the ground but retaliated with an Aura Sphere right to the attacking Ursaring's chest. It stumbled back while Luce rolled away from the other's lunging strike. A furious roar erupted from Zelda's Ursaring as an arrow tore into its shoulder, but Zelda was on the ground as well, shivering from a slash that had carved a chunk out of her own shoulder. The logical choice was clear here: help Zelda. But Link couldn't stand to leave Luce, even if this really wasn't her.
Hesitation once again seized his mind, and it seized it violently. One painful thing kept him from going to Luce's side. He made a promise to Luce; leaving this false Zelda was breaking it. Even if she never found out that he did this, he hated to know that he'd broken that promise.
But then there was another reason, one he wouldn't dare admit aloud. He actually wanted to help Zelda.
He could deny it all he wanted, but the only reason she'd ever infuriated him was because her thoughts clashed so much with his own. It annoyed him how much she tried to talk with him despite these differences. And except for what occurred in the Deku Tree's clearing, she'd never done anything to purposefully antagonize or hurt him.
And there was more. Even with all his stubbornness and complaining, she still asked if he was okay with pure authenticity. He didn't understand; he thought she hated him, yet she carried on. For how moronic her actions were, they at least carried the brazen confidence that his held. He could admire that as well.
"What the hell's wrong with me?" Link muttered as he ran for Zelda. And with that single step on the path, the world before him dissolved into white before shattering into the murky interior of the Riptide Temple. Link fell to his knees, tripping over his own feet. The Master Sword was no longer in his hand, and Luce and Zelda were at his sides, unharmed.
Zelda was on the ground herself, having fallen onto her backside. She looked around confusedly before her wide-eyed gaze snapped to Link. He knew what she was about to say, and she said it.
"Are you okay, Link?"
Hylia, she never ceased to piss him off. But he still responded with a firm nod. "Yeah, I am." And then he said more. "A-are you?"
A noticeable silence fell after he spoke. Zelda was as shocked at his words as he was. Then the shock turned to slight relief as she gave him the smallest of smiles. "Yes, I am. Thank you for asking."
Congratulations! You both passed the trial! Keldeo cheered. And with that, I'll open the door. Nayru's emblem split as the doors parted, revealing another pool-lined room. The being atop the dais in the room's center was very different from his sister, looking nothing like her.
Playful steel-blue eyes looked upon the Holders as a smile spread across Keldeo's face. Brilliant red hair plumed from his head, making him look larger than his small frame allowed. Blue colored the hair around his face and neck, standing out against the tan coloring of the rest of his equine body. And as a last notable detail, a small, pointed horn protruded from his forehead.
Keldeo cleared the staircase in a single leap, landing neatly before the group. He was much shorter than Virizon, only coming up to Link's chest. The Overseer then bowed deeply before them. Welcome, Holders and Aegislash Overseer, to the Riptide Temple! he said in as formal a tone as he could seem to manage. It's an honor to finally meet you all. He straightened up, grinning at his company.
"It's a pleasure to meet you as well," Zelda said with a bow. Everyone followed suit, even Link, though his wasn't nearly as deep as the others'.
So am I the first Overseer you've found, or did others come before me? Keldeo asked.
You're the second. We visited Virizion before you, Resa replied.
Mild concern softened Keldeo's expression. How's she doin'? I haven't spoken to her in over two-thousand years.
"She's doing fine, just a bit tired from waiting for so long," Zelda said.
Keldeo's smile returned. That's good. I miss her and my brothers a lot. He excitedly shuffled in place, his hooves scraping against the ground. Speaking of, who're you gonna visit next?
Cobalion, I believe, Resa said. Whoever is closer to us. We're in a bit of a bind since we're being pursued. At first I didn't know the exact location of Cobalion's temple. I-I was a chosen Overseer, so the information escapes me.
Oh wow, you were chosen? I didn't think things would ever have to turn out this way. The curiosity was evident in Keldeo's voice. What happened to the last Aegislash Overseer?
His spirit was inefficient, and he perished over a decade before he was supposed to, Resa said. I took his place.
The spark of curiosity in Keldeo's eye only grew brighter. Who were you in life, if ya don't mind me askin'?
Resa's sashes stiffened before she crossed them. It was obvious that she wouldn't share something like that, even before she responded. I-it doesn't matter, she said. What matters is that we found and unsealed you.
I guess so, Keldeo said.
"Excuse me, Overseer," Zelda said. He looked at her. "Before I forget, I'd like to ask you about the previous Holders," she continued.
Keldeo tilted his head, frowning. Them? Well, I only really knew Wisdom and Courage since Power was killed during their fight. But what about 'em?
"I read that during their clash, the Triforce had formed and that a wish had been made," Zelda said. "Since you were around then, do you know what that wish was?"
Keldeo's head lowered as his eyes narrowed. Yeah, a wish was made by the Holder of Power, he said, frowning. He wished for help to defeat the other Holders since he'd been bashed up pretty good by then, but we came and stopped him.
"What kind of help?" Zelda pressed.
He shook his head. I actually don't know. He looked up, still frowning. That help never came because of us, and that's more important in the grand scheme of things, right?
It seemed like Zelda tried to hold in a sigh, but it still escaped her. "I suppose so," she said. "But thank you."
Keldeo nodded, grinning. Of course!
While Resa and Keldeo continued to talk, Zelda's brow furrowed as she went into confused thought. She then glanced at Fira, likely speaking through telepathy. They shared each other's gazes for a minute or so before Zelda said aloud, "I suppose I'll have to look into it on my own time."
"Car?" Link heard Luce's yip before she lightly put a paw on his shoulder. He could sense the worry in her aura, though the levity in his own countered it.
"It actually turned out okay," he said. "There was some stuff that threw me off though..." Luce gave him an inquisitive look, and he explained the contents of his trial. When he reached the third section, he received the response he hoped he would get: a proud smile. A bud of warmth in his chest bloomed with that, and he felt better about making the choice he had.
"You chose me over Luce?"
The warm bloom in Link wilted a little with that. He glanced at Zelda in his peripheries before turning his head to look at her. "You were—what's the word—drop eavsin'?"
"You mean eavesdropping," she corrected. "And yes, I was, and I'm sorry for doing that. I just couldn't help but overhear since we're less than three feet away from each other." Link wanted to roll his eyes, but she was right. "Why did you do that?"
"Because you looked like you needed more help, and..." He couldn't bring himself to mention Luce's promise, or his own thoughts.
Zelda arched a brow. "And..?"
"And that's it," Link said.
"But thank you," she said. "Even if the me you saved wasn't real."
"Uh, yeah," he muttered. There were so many things about his feelings that he was questioning today, and he hated it. But that still didn't stop him from wanting to elaborate on the reason he was willing to share with Zelda, if only to provide context for one question.
Why did she bother with good will if she hated him?