Chapter One - A New World Order Pt. 1

He was on a soft, lumpy cot, and everything smelled like the deep forest. He could hear something buzzing around his head. It sounded like a huge bug… though the buzz sounded more like a flutter now. Jak groaned and grabbed at his head weakly as he suddenly regained his senses. The buzzing, or fluttering, or whatever, increased in volume.

"Hey!"

Jak frowned as he woke up completely. Who was that? It didn't sound like Daxter or Keira, or anyone else he knew. He opened his eyes slowly and blinked. What was that? Was it talking? Where was he? Suddenly it all came rushing back. The battle with Metal Kor, the Rift Gate, the memories. He nearly passed out again, but the little buzzing thing didn't let him.

"You finally woke up! I'm Navi the fairy. The Great Deku Tree asked me to be your partner from now on. Nice to meet you!"

Jak ignored the little… fairy's ramblings as he absorbed what she said. 'The Great Deku Tree? What in the name of Precursors is that?' An image jumped unbidden into his mind's eye of a huge tree with a wise face on it. Jak felt a quiet sense of awe. 'Is that the Deku Tree? It reminds me of Samos. Maybe it'll know where—or when—I am.'

"Link! Are you listening to me? We need to go see the Deku Tree right now!"

Jak nodded distractedly and hopped off his little cot. He immediately noticed something… off about the room. Everything seemed higher than normal. Jak narrowed his eyes suspiciously. He noticed a mirror to his left and walked up to it. Jak gasped at what he saw.

Where were his ears?! Jak grabbed at the short stubs that now served as his ears with a stricken look. Had someone shrunk them, or cut the tips off? Had the fairy? He tugged on one as he took in the rest of his strange appearance.

He was short, nearly shorter than the Kid, who was five years old, and he looked ten! He clearly remembered being much taller at ten. And… shouldn't he have green hair? Jak reached up and tugged at a lock. He felt the tug, but this wasn't his hair! This was blonde hair, and his hair was green! His hair had always been green. He leaned in close and saw the barest of deep green at his scalp. Jak sighed. At least his eyes were the same deep blue they had always been. His face looked a little different, but it still seemed like his. Something strange was going on, that much Jak was sure of, and he was going to get to the bottom of it.

He left the little home after examining the rest of the room thoroughly. His fairy whined a bit, but Jak was adamant about knowing everything about his new surroundings. He slowly stepped outside and looked around. He noticed a green haired girl running towards the tree he was standing on. "Yahoo! Hi, Link!" She gestured for him to come down.

Jak hesitated for a moment, but eventually started down the ladder. 'Everyone is calling me Link. Why? Who's Link?'

"Wow, Link! You have a fairy now! Finally, a fairy came to you. I'm so happy for you!" The girl ran at Jak and hugged him tightly, squeezing the breath right out of him. She giggled as she let go and stepped back. "Now you're a true Kokiri." She stopped and waited for him to reply. It took Jak a moment to realize and he laughed nervously.

"Sorry, Saria. I've had a rough morning. I can't talk now; I need to go see the Great Deku Tree." Jak raised his hand and rubbed the back of his head. 'How did I know her name? I've never met this girl before… By the Precursors, what's going on?'

"Is that right? You've been summoned? It's great honor, Link. I shouldn't keep you waiting. I'll wait here. Go see the Great Deku Tree!" She giggled again and shooed him away. Jak fled from her as quickly as he could without arousing suspicion. After a moment of blind running, Jak slowed and took in his new surroundings.

He had stopped near a boy trying to pull large stones out of the ground. Jak saw the boy's… Kokiri's? fairy zipping around him, shouting out encouragement. "C'mon, Roke, you can do it! Lift with your knees, put your back into it!"

Roke grunted and pulled with all his might, going red in the face. The stone came out of the ground suddenly, sending Roke tumbling to the ground. The stone flew over his head and cracked in two on the stone behind him. Jak hesitated for a moment before helping the boy up. Roke sighed and wiped his brow.

"Thanks, Link. Ugh, mean old Mido. He's making me haul these stones out of his front yard. He knows I'm no good at this!" Roke went over to another stone and sat down by it. Jak shrugged helplessly. He didn't know the kid well enough to help him, and he didn't want to anyway. Still, part of him seemed to insist. Jak was torn.

"LINK! Stop dilly-dallying with Roke! We need to go see the Great Deku Tree!" Navi yelled as loud as her little lungs would allow. Roke blinked in astonishment.

"You've been summoned? You better go, Link. I can take care of these stupid old stones with Brel's help." Roke's fairy flitted by. Jak noticed that Brel was a different color then Navi, being a sort of teal where she was a bright blue. He nodded at Roke, not sure of what to say and headed off, assumedly towards the Tree. He stopped by the shore of a small pond with square platforms. A girl with a pink tinged fairy gasped next to him, making Jak jump.

"Link! You have a fairy now! What's your fairy's name?"

Jak shook his head and replied, "Her name is Navi. Um, I can't talk right now, I need to see the Great Deku Tree."

The girl's eyes grew huge. "Wow, you've been summoned by the Great Deku Tree. What an honor! Maybe if you're lucky, he'll give you a present! The Great Deku Tree is… "

Jak ignored the girl's rambling, instead studying the pond and platforms. They weren't far apart, and Jak was sure that he would be able to jump them with ease. The girl didn't even notice him step up onto the first platform and jump away. He landed on the bigger platform and jumped for the second. When he landed, he kicked up a small blue gem. Jak kneeled down and picked it up. One of the foreign memories supplied details. This was a blue Rupee, a unit of money in the strange world—or time—he had landed in. Jak stored it in a small pouch on his belt. There were a few green rupees inside.

Jak started past the tree house with the red awning, wondering where the Deku Tree was.

"Hi Link!"

Jak jumped and whirled around. No one was there. Someone giggled.

"Silly! I'm up here!"

Navi flew up towards the girl sitting on the roof of the tree. Jak looked up and smiled just a bit. Not that he was happy with the girl. It just seemed like that was what Link would do. Might as well go with it until he knew what was going on.

"Hehe! Yes, yes! That's how you use a fairy! Your fairy often notices things we Kokiri wouldn't think about. You should pay attention when she flies around something like this! Teehee! It might be important!"

Jak nodded as Navi flew back down to him. She landed on his head, moved his hat, and went inside. Jak felt her move around before settling on the middle of his head. He barely noticed it as he continued on his way. He jumped on the tiny island and over to the other side. Jak spotted a mean looking kid leaning on the wall. 'Mido.'

The boy noticed Jak and jumped up. He scowled. "Hey! Mr. No-Fairy! What do you want with the Great Deku Tree? You oughta know that a no fairy boy like you ain't worthy of being in the Great Deku Tree's presence!"

Jak glared darkly. "Get out of my way."

Mido gulped and took a step back. 'Link sounds scarier than usual. Maybe I should let him through, I've never seen Link really angry… No! I'm leader here!'

"Now listen here, I'm the leader of the Kokiri! It's my job to make sure riff raff like you don't go where you're not allowed. No fairy, no entrance!" Mido squared his shoulders and smirked smugly, sure he had one-upped Link once again. Jak growled, reminded immediately of Erol. He took a step towards the boy menacingly. It was then that Navi decided to make her presence known.

"Hey! Link does too have a fairy! I'm his fairy, and you better let us through right now, Mido!" She flitted angrily around the bully's head. Mido swatted at her and missed. He overbalanced and fell to the ground with a heavy thump. Jak reigned in his anger and crossed his arms. Mido got to his feet and stared angrily.

"What!? You've got a fairy now!? How'd you get a fairy!?"

Navi flew down and hovered in front of Mido's nose. "The same way you did, Mr. Meanie." She shook a little fae dust into his nose. Mido started coughing and sneezing all over the place; Jak though it was hilarious, but he only cracked a smile. Mido glared at him through his sneezes.

"Yeah? Well—ACHOO!—you still can't go see the Great Deku Tree!" He wiped his nose with a leaf from his pocket and smirked.

Navi huffed. "Why not? Link has a fairy now, and the Great Deku Tree summoned him! Now move out of the way!" She tried to fly by him, but Mido's fairy stopped her at every turn.

Mido struggled to come up with a good reason. "Well… You, uh, aren't properly equipped!"

Navi stopped her impromptu battle with the other fae. "What? What do you mean properly equipped?"

Mido shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. "Well, um, how do you think you're going to help the Great Deku Tree with just your hands? You need a sword, and shield! Yeah!" He settled again, confident that he had finally won this battle.

Jak saw the flaw in Mido's argument. "What about you? Where's your sword and shield, Mido?"

Mido jumped and stammered, "Um, uh… I guess you're right. I'm not properly equipped either… But I'm not the one who got summoned, now am I? I ain't gonna let you pass unless you've got a sword and shield for me, and that's final! Sheesh!"

"Well, FINE!" Navi shouted in his face. "We'll find a sword and shield, and come back to see the Great Deku Tree, and there'll be nothing you can do about it!" She angrily darted into Jak's cap again. He heard her mutter as he turned and left.

Jak went towards the tree that was apparently his home. 'Maybe there's some equipment there, though there didn't seem to be any… maybe Link hides his weapons under his bed.'

The green haired girl was still waiting. She smiled when she saw him. "Link! How did the audience go? I didn't expect you back so soon."

Jak sighed. He really didn't want to socialize right now. "There was no audience. Mido won't let me pass without a sword and shield."

Saria (that was her name, he remembered now) gasped in shock. "What!? Mido, that, that bum! He doesn't have the right to do that! I should go over right now and give him a talking to!"

Jak just nodded along, not really paying attention. Saria continued on without noticing his disinterest. "Still… Mido's right. The forest… Strange things have been happening here lately."

Jak perked up immediately. Strange things? Maybe a Rift Gate had opened up nearby, maybe the one that had stranded him here. He started to listen closely, looking for mentions of Metalhead like creatures, or people with long ears.

"Some plants have withered long before their time, and many of the creatures and carnivorous plants are being more aggressive. You need to be ready for anything." Saria stopped and thought for a moment. She smiled suddenly and held up her finger in an 'aha!' fashion. "I know the Kokiri Shop recently got some shields from the trees, so that part'll be easy. Here." She dug around in her pocket and pulled out a good-sized red gem. It was a red Rupee, worth twenty green ones and four blue ones. Jak took it gratefully. Saria put her finger to her chin in thought.

"Still, I don't know where to find a sword. There aren't that many in the forest that we Kokiri can use, and all of those are with the Great Deku Tree… Oh! The Kokiri Sword! It's hidden somewhere in the village. It shouldn't be too hard to find. Good luck Link!"

Jak nodded. "Thanks Saria." He turned and left again. 'Now, which one is the shop?'

An image of the tree with the awning popped into his head. Jak nodded and headed towards it. He ignored the girl on the awning and went inside. It was empty for a shop, in his opinion. Just two shelves with some things on them, and only one girl inside. Jak was used to the hustle of the Haven city Bazaar. He did admit that this store was in much better condition than many of the booths, though.

"Whatcha want, scrub?" The tiny owner said in a fake jolly tone. Jak snickered as he kept jumping up to see over the counter.

"Shouldn't you get a stool or something?" He said, stifling his snickering. The owner scowled.

"Mido broke my last one. Now, are you going to buy something or what? I can't keep jumping like this all day!"

Jak looked over the shelves with a practiced eye. 'The goods seem genuine.' He picked up a bark-shield with a red spiral painted on the front. "How much for the shield?"

"40 rupees."

Jak took out his money pouched and counted out his cash. "I only have 28."

"No deal then. And don't even think about suggesting you 'pay for it later'. That's how the last guy duped me!"

Jak smiled at the familiar suspicion. Some things never changed. "Wouldn't dream of it. I'll have your rupees, don't you worry."

The shopkeeper waved him away and disappeared behind the counter. Jak went back outside and started his search for rupees. He looked all around the quaint little village, and found seven more rupees in the tall grass and under stones. He spied a blue one sitting on top of a small tower connected to one of the tree homes. Jak quickly made his way up there and picked up the rupee. When he turned to leave, a blonde girl with a violet fairy was blocking the bridge down. Jak jumped (luckily, not off the pillar) as she giggled.

"Wow, you came all the way up here? You're a real man, Link." She walked over to the edge and sighed in contentment. "Isn't the view from here beautiful? I love coming up here to look over the village."

Jak looked around, and he had to agree. The little village he'd landed in had a quaint beauty to it. The girl glanced over at him. "Say, Link, why don't you jump off? I've seen you jump from your house balcony lots of times; this should be easy for you."

Jak looked down uneasily. This kid could jump from over ten feet high without a scratch at this age? He could remember doing that himself when he was a kid once or twice, but it usually ended in water or a sprained ankle. Of course, he'd learned how to land by the time he'd gone after Gol and Maia… and apparently, Link had learned this skill as well. A few memories of death defying stunts came to mind. Jak took a few steps back before hurling himself from the pillar. He hit the ground with a roll and ended up on his feet. His heart pounded from the shot of adrenaline. He looked up and waved at the girl before heading back to the shop.

"You got my rupees, kid?" Jak smirked and emptied his wallet's content onto the counter. The owner counted the money up, smiled, and then tossed the bark shield at him. "Here ya go, one Deku Shield. Keep it away from fire; it burns real easy."

Jak nodded and walked out with his purchase. He looked for a way to carry the shield, besides on his arm. On the inside was a handle for his hand, but nothing else. 'How do I carry this?' Navi flew out of his hat and hovered around him.

"Link? Are you looking for a way to put away your shield? I think you have a sling at your house that can carry it." She flew down to the shield and studied it as she spoke. 'It's worth a shot.' Jak thought as he started back. He found the sling easily enough, once he got past Saria and went inside. It was thick and sturdy, and Jak easily attached the shield. He practiced drawing it several times, reaching back to grab the handle and pull it in front. He wasn't very good at it; he dropped the shield a couple of times, and he was slow to pull it to the front. He'd like to practice with it more, but the little fairy was pushing him to find the sword.

Jak looked around the little village with searching eyes. He was looking for something out of the ordinary; a crevice, a huge tree, an out of place pot or crate… aha! Up on a small hill, there was a small hole in the wall. Jak knelt down and peered inside. It wasn't too deep; he could see the other end. He got on all fours and started crawling. It was a tight fit, but Jak made it through easily enough. He stood up and brushed himself off while he looked around. On his right was a blue rupee, gleaming in the sunlight. He went over and picked it up, then turned.

A giant boulder was barreling down on him; Jak screamed in shock and tried to escape, running back and forth. He spotted an alcove and dove in just in time… but all he heard was silence. He got up and turned, poking his head out of the niche and looking all around. He turned his head in time to see the boulder coming at him again. This time Jak didn't flinch. Instead, he watched with suspicious eyes; he was surprised when the boulder made a ninety degree turn and kept going. His eyes went wide as he watched the boulder roll around several times. How that that possible? Rocks didn't roll in circles on their own! By the Precursors, they didn't roll on their own at all! Jak took a tentative step towards the path. When the boulder passed again, he watched it closely. As it flattened the thick grass, something glowed on the ground and the boulder sped up, going around the corner and disappearing. Jak's eyebrows rose into his hair. 'Eco? Maybe there's a natural well under the grass…'

He moved quickly, running into the grass and investigating the dirt underneath. He didn't have long before the Precursor-damned boulder came 'round again, and he was forced to dive into another alcove. He scowled at the rock as it rolled by, but more out of confusion than anything else. There hadn't been an eco well under the grass; he'd felt nothing at all. Jak had always been gifted with the ability to channel eco; his time in the Fortress hadn't changed that. His hands always tingled when he picked up ammo for his Morph Gun. He'd felt stronger with the Scatter Gun out, faster with the Vulcan, and the shots fired from his Blaster were more energetic than they should have been. Others didn't have a yellow glow coming from their bullets; he watched several of the Wastelanders as they went through the Blaster course, and their bullets weren't yellow. The Peacemaker… Jak quickly turned his mind back to the present. He waited for the boulder to pass again and then dashed towards the last alcove he could see.

He made it inside with plenty of time to spare. Jak immediately noticed the overgrown chest and the sign next to it. His eyebrows quickly returned to their spot in his hair. "A treasure chest?!"

Navi flew out of the hat and inspected the chest. "What did you expect? The Kokiri Sword is the treasure of the forest, afterall."

Jak shook his head incredulously. "I expected something less conspicuous than a treasure chest, like a tree stump, or a hollow in a rock. Not a treasure chest!"

Navi bobbed up and down in a sort of 'I don't know' fashion. "Well, that's just how the Great Deku Tree wanted things. I've never questioned it before, since there have been no problems with his method."

Jak sighed and shook his head. Well, if their things got stolen, they had no one else to blame. He inspected the sign first, but he couldn't make heads or tails of it. The letters were nothing like the Precursor letters he'd grown up with. He turned to the chest, climbing up on the large tree stump it sat on. It was huge, the top of the arched lid equal with the nose on his face. There was a keyhole on the front, but Jak had a feeling it was only for show. He tried to open the chest, fitting his fingers between the grooves and pulling up with all his might. To his surprise, the lid lifted easily. The dark, grainy wood was much lighter than it seemed, and it didn't take much for Jak to push the lid completely open. Unfortunately, the lip of the chest was too high for him to just reach in and grab the sword. He had to jump and lean over to grab the sword. He pushed himself back over and stumbled back, sword in hand.

It was heavier than he had expected, about as heavy as his Scatter Gun. He drew the blade with a little work. It was shiny and looked to be well cared for, with no obvious scratches or weaknesses. There was a violet gem set in the… what was it called? Hilt? He had never even seen a real sword before, preferring hand-to-hand combat or guns to deal with his enemies. Sure, Torn had that curved knife, but Jak didn't count that; it was more like a scythe than a sword since it had such a heavy curve. Jak swung the blade a few times. Navi watched without comment. She knew that none of the Kokiri really knew how to use a sword, but she had expected a bit more skill from her charge…

Jak turned to the sign and smirked evilly as an idea came to mind. Suddenly, he swung the sword as hard as he could to the right, slashing through the wooden sign with surprising ease. Unfortunately, Jak couldn't stop himself from embedding the sword in the dirt wall. Navi laughed hard, falling down for a moment as she forgot to flap her wings. Jak scowled and pulled his sword from the dirt. Ignoring the snickering fairy, he equipped his shield on his left arm and practiced a few more attacks, taking his embarrassment out on the sign. It didn't take long before he felt confident enough to try something more difficult. Back in Haven, when he and Torn had gotten into a scrap with a few of the Guard, Torn had spun around with his knife. It hadn't done anything but intimidate the Guards, but it looked lethal enough.

He pictured the attack in his mind, holding his sword behind him like Torn had. Once he felt ready enough, he spun around quickly with a yell. Unfortunately, Jak spun way too fast and lost his footing. The Kokiri sword flew out of his hand and stabbed through the chest while Jak twirled and fell on his butt. Navi burst into laughter again, this time landing on the ground because she was laughing too hard. "Wow, Link, I never knew you were so horrible with a sword! Maybe you should use your dominant hand instead."

Jak glared at her as he stood and rubbed his aching rear. "That is my dominant hand. I've never used a sword before, so sorry I'm not a natural." He yanked the sword out of the chest and sheathed it. He then tied the sheath to the sling and made his way out of the hideaway. Navi had to fly fast just to keep up with him as he stomped towards Mido. The boss Kokiri immediately stepped in Jak's path with a smirk.

"Hold it right there, Mr. No Fairy. You got your sword and shield yet?"

Jak smirked back and smoothly pulled out his sword and shield. Mido's smirk disappeared as he stepped back in shock.

"Wh-what? How'd you get the Kokiri Sword?! GOOD GRIEF! I'd thought I'd hid it in the perfect spot… " He started tapping his foot at lightning speed, agitated. Mido suddenly smiled, looking Jak over.

"Well, a wimp is still wimp. I, the Great Mido, will STILL never accept you as one of us, fairy or no!" He said loudly as he started walking away. Jak heard him grumbling something about favorites as he headed for home. The man turned boy shook his head in disgust before starting down the passageway. What did he care about being accepted by a snot-nosed brat like that? Still… that remark had hit home: Haven City would never really accept him, no matter what he did. He would always be the dark eco freak to them. Jak frowned and shook his head wildly, banishing those thoughts. He had a mission, however strange. Besides, maybe this Tree could tell him where he was, and how he'd gotten there, not to mention how he got stuck in someone else's body!

Jak started running down the passage, intent on reaching the Tree. Everything seemed serene; Jak got a bad shock when a bright blue flower suddenly shot up next to him, whirling around in circles. It made a menacing clicking sound with its 'mouth'. He fell down and stared in horrified awe; he had never seen anything like it. Wait… that wasn't true. There had been a huge plant monster in the temple in the Forbidden Jungle, back in Sandover. He heard something to his right, and was surprised to see another plant whirling around. Navi flew out of his hat and flitted around his face, breaking his trance.

"Link! Don't just sit there! Kill these Deku Babas! They're pretty old, so it shouldn't be hard."

Jak blinked at the name. "Deku… Babas?"

Navi heaved an angry sigh. "Yes, Deku Babas! They're carnivorous plants the Deku Tree uses to deter people from wandering in the woods. I don't know what they're doing here though…"

Jak nodded distractedly as he picked up his sword. He steadied himself and watched the Babas warily. They seemed harmless enough, just spinning around when he came too close. Nothing compared to the monster he'd faced with just his hands years ago. He carefully stepped close and swung his sword, easily cutting the Baba to his right in two. The plant immediately withered. Its 'body' quickly turned into a stick. Jak killed the other Baba before picking up the two sticks. They had a rough, bark-like texture, and were rather brittle. Navi looked at his questioning look and explained.

"These are Deku Sticks. They're used as temporary torches, since they burn very easily. If you put them out before they burn completely, they'll regenerate in a few hours. They can also be used as staves and mock swords, but they're too brittle to be of any use in a real fight."

Jak listened to her explanation with interest; regenerating wood? "How does the wood regenerate?"

"It's a natural ability of Deku Babas. We should probably get going before these two come back; it doesn't take nearly as long when they've got their roots."

Jak nodded and started moving again, this time keeping an eye on his surroundings. He fought off another Deku Baba before the passage opened up into a huge clearing. Jak's eyes widened and he gasped in quiet awe, his sword dropping from numb fingers. There was a colossal tree in the clearing, taking up most of the space. It had what looked to be a huge face, characterized with eyebrows and a mustache of a darker color. Jak could feel the life and wisdom emanating from the tree, filling up the whole area. He sighed and closed his eyes, basking in the presence; it reminded him of Samos, the Green Eco Sage, save that it had a calm patience that Samos had never managed. Under that presence, Jak felt something… sinister stir. Suddenly that wonderful aura was tainted with hatred and anger, and Jak swore he could smell Death in the wind…

"Great Deku Tree, I have returned with the boy." Navi said reverently, snapping Jak out of his trance. He picked up his sword and sheathed it, listening to the Great Deku Tree's words. He could almost see the branches perking up, and he heard an old, wise voiced whisper in the wind.

"Ah… Navi… Thou hast returned…" The tree seemed to pause, examining Jak with invisible eyes. The wind stilled and tense silence filled the clearing. Jak felt huge eyes narrow in suspicion. Branches began to rustle angrily as the wind picked up.

"You… You are not Link! You are an Other Worlder! What have you done with Link!?"

Navi gasped and flew away from him fearfully. Jak took a step back, but he didn't lose his cool. "I don't know who Link is, or where he might be. I was hoping you could help me figure out where I am."

The branches still rustled, and Jak heard wood groan as the eyebrows seemed to move up. Jak suddenly felt like he was under a microscope, as if someone was looking at him inside and out. He saw the memories of the Rift come to fore. They repeated several times, and Jak caught a glimpse of a boy in green. They looked like they could be brothers: Link, he assumed, had blonde hair, blue eyes, and the beginnings of a strong, angular face very similar to Jak in his own body. His ears were smaller, yes, but when Jak looked very closely, he could even see a slight bump in the ear tips, much like his own. Suddenly the memories stopped, and Jak found himself on the ground. He picked himself up quickly, listening to branches move to and fro in a… thoughtful manner.

"I see… Thou art the chosen of another dimension… Thine enemy used his power to connect the Rift to the Void between Worlds, in the hopes of sending your younger self to oblivion, ending the time loop and ensuring his survival… When you and your friend interfered, you managed to take his place. Link must have awakened the Master Sword at the same instant, allowing our worlds to connect… Why you have switched bodies with him, I cannot explain… It is very curious… "

Silence reigned for a moment as Jak processed this statement. So, he had done his job as hero… what now? He and Daxter had jumped off—Daxter! By the Precursors, how could he have forgotten his best friend!?

"My friend, Daxter! What happened to him? Why wasn't he with me when I woke up? Where IS he?" Jak said with a distressed look on his face.

"That, I do not know… He may be caught between worlds, or on a different world altogether… Though that is unlikely… Your friend is most likely with the Master Sword, sealed into the Sacred Realm… If thou manage to draw the Master Sword, he may yet be saved… "

Jak scowled. "How do I get it?"

Branches stilled for a moment. "I cannot tell you all, though I can tell you some… You need three Spiritual Gems, held by the exotic peoples of Hyrule… Once thou hast them, thou must find the Relic of the Royal Family, and open the door in the Temple of Time… The first gem is the Kokiri Emerald, which I will give once you have proven yourself… "

"Proven myself how?"

"A test of courage… I have been cursed by an evil being seeking the Kokiri Emerald… If thou can lift the curse, thou shall receive the Emerald… Dost thou have courage enough to undertake this task?"

Jak nodded immediately. He had to find Daxter, and he would whatever it took. The Deku Tree shuddered, and its 'mouth' opened wide. Suddenly the smell of rot and death intensified, nearly knocking Jak to his feet again. Memories of the Fortress started coming to fore: screaming inmates, the smell of rotten flesh clinging to his bedding, the metallic, cloying scent of Dark Eco…

"Then enter, Jak, and thou too, Navi… Thou must aid Jak, for he will be what Link would be… Jak, when Navi speaks, listen well to her words of wisdom…" And then, all was quiet. Navi slowly came down to flutter by Jak. Her apprehension was palpable.

"So… You're not Link?" She said quietly. Jak shook his head slowly, still pushing his memories back. Navi turned in mid air, unsure. Jak scowled in the too-long silence.

"Look, if you don't want to help me, feel free to leave!"

Navi whirled around in time to see Jak pass her by, advancing towards the Deku Tree with a pissed off look on his face. She hesitated for a second before flying after him. "It's my duty to help you. Other Worlder or not, you're my charge now."

Jak didn't look back at her. He stopped once he reached the entrance to the Tree, squinting to see if he could make out anything in the inky darkness. With a silent sigh, he squared his shoulders and marched inside, ready to face whatever horrors waited within.

Author's Notes

End Part One. Part Two will cover the adventure inside the Deku Tree. My apologies for Ye Olde Butchered Englishe. If anyone would like to correct the Deku Tree's speech patterns, be my guest. On another note, I have a beta now, a good friend from school who is well acquainted with both series. She'll also be prodding me to update more often (every three months is rather slow, heh). Oh, and mind the lack of line breaks. The fic flowed naturally like that.

Read and review!

End Notes