The Legend of Zelda
The Army of Grazburg
Chapter 2 - A meeting
'Okay, so you're saying that this isn't Zambasta, my name is Link, and I went off on a quest to find Navi 6 years ago? Well, one, This is most definitely Zambasta, or a very good copy of it. two, however much I would have loved to be called Link, I was told by the Great Deku Tree himself that my name was Draknek. And three, I have been staying in this Castle since we all got sent back into the past after defeating Ganon.' Draknek was very confused.
'Very well. I do not sense that you are lying, so I must believe you for now. It may be that you live in some alternate version of Hyrule called Zambasta. However, I do not understand why you are here. There may be a way to find out, but it is not certain to work. With my Triforce of Wisdom, I can take us to the Temple of Light, where we can ask Rauru what to do,' suggested Zelda. 'But I cannot use my power on you without your consent.'
'I spoke to Rauru before, just before coming here. He spoke cryptically, but maybe you will be able to help me understand him. We certainly aren't getting anywhere here,' replied Draknek. Zelda knelt down opposite him and put her hands on his shoulders. He shut his eyes and prepared for her presence to wash over him.
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'Hero of Time!' came the voice again. 'Hero of Time, you must find the other. The Draknek will go to the Land of Termina to find the Link. The Draknek must find the Link,' said Rauru, seeming more desperate. 'Where one will fail, two will unite, and both the Lands will be safe.'
'Wait! I don't understand! Where am I? Who is the Link?' spoke Draknek.
'You are in the Alternate, the Land of Link. Draknek, find the Triforce of Courage or Hyrule and Zambasta will be no more!'
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'Draknek! Draknek, wake up!' came Zelda's voice. He opened his eyes. 'What happened? Did it work? I was supposed to come with you!'
'I had another vision.' Draknek replied. 'Rauru spoke to me.'
'What did he say?' asked the Princess, letting go of his shoulders.
'I must go to the Land of Termina to find the Link. Where one will fail, two will unite, and both the lands will be safe,' repeated Draknek. 'Then he said I was in the Alternate, the Land of Link, and that I must find the Triforce of Courage or Hyrule and Zambasta will be no more. Does any of that mean anything to you?'
'Not all of it, but I think I know where to start. He said to go to Termina to find the Link. Maybe this other is another Hero of Time, the Hero of Time that belongs here in Hyrule. That Hero of Time would be Link, if he had not gone searching for Navi. I have no idea where Termina is, but I know Link went to the Deku Tree. You should follow Link's trail, and sooner or later, you will find him. The alternate could mean an alternate version of Zambasta, the Land protected by Link, which is Hyrule. And the Triforce of Courage is easy. Link holds the Triforce of Courage, ever since Ganon took the Triforce of Power.'
'Link still has the Triforce of Courage? Mine was taken from me after I defeated Ganon! That way even if Ganon escaped from the Evil Realm, he would not be able to take that part of the Triforce by defeating me,' exclaimed Draknek.
'Very interesting,' Zelda said. 'But it doesn't really make that much difference. You must go to the Great Deku Tree and find out from him where Link went. Then you must follow him, and go to this Land of Termina. Hyrule needs its protector, and it must need it soon, if you were summoned here. Go to the Deku Tree, and hurry!'
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'Oh Draknek, thou hast finally come. Listen now carefully to what I, the Deku Tree, am about to tell thee. Link is the Hyrulian Hero of Time, and you are, in essence his twin,' said the Deku Tree. 'Zambasta is an alternate version of this beautiful Land of Hyrule, and you were summoned here to find the missing Hero. The two of you wouldst be a powerful force against the unknown evil that will soon sweep this land, the Hero's of Hyrule and Zambasta. But alas, the way ahead will not be easy. Even for the two of you, there will be great danger. Find Link, Draknek. Find Link, or there will be no chance! I can tell thee where to go, but once you are there, I cannot help you. The Land of Termina is closer than you think: A secret passage inside me. Link travelled along it with Epona and left Hyrule. You must go the same way, but neither of you will see it again.' The Great Deku Tree's mouth opened, and inside, Draknek saw the familiar first dungeon he had been through, as it was all those years ago.
But there was one exception. In the left wall, behind the three bushes, was a passageway to another area. It lay beneath a higher walkway, and he could not believe that he had not discovered it before. Following the passage, he eventually came out in a clearing somewhere in the Lost Woods. There were trees all over the place, some going high into the sky. No-one had been here since Link had passed through 6 years previously, and Draknek could still see the hoof marks from Epona and footprints from Link. Using just these, he could get a good idea of what had happened. Epona had been strolling along at a gentle pace, when she had suddenly reared up, and threw Link to the ground, where he had lain unconscious for several minutes. Another person had appeared, turned Link over, and gone through his pockets. They stood there for some time, perhaps playing with something they had found, until Link had woken up and lunged at this other figure. Epona had started galloping off, and Link had grabbed onto something attached to her, and been trailed along behind her. Following the hoof marks, Draknek hurried along, trying to find Link as quickly as possible.
Eventually, he arrived in another clearing, with a single stump in the middle. He could see that Link had finally been thrown off here, and had ran off further into the woods in a hurry to get Epona back. The tracks led through a gap in the trees and into yet another part of the woods. Going through the same gap, he noted that the marks ended, but there was still an obvious way forward. There were several stumps in the clearing, forming a sort of makeshift steps up to another passage. Link had obviously followed this to the next area, but this was not what Draknek knew he had to do. On the first stump, a blue transportation point reminded him of the transportation he had undergone after each boss. Knowing that these were not random occurrences, but designed to help him along his way, Draknek climbed onto the tree stump and stepped into the light. A blue crystal enveloped him, and soared him high into the clear blue sky.
When he reappeared, he did not know where he was. A small stream ran in front of him, with a large water wheel spinning in it. Behind him was a metal door, closed seemingly forever. To the left of the wheel, a set of stairs led up to a higher level. There was moss and lichen all over the place, and the sound of the water running through the wheel was remarkably loud. The stairs went in a circle, surrounding the wheel, and ended up opposite a large double door made out of wood, with a design in red covering it. It was the obvious exit, and from behind it, he could hear sounds not unlike the ones from Hyrule Market, but somehow different, inexplicably so. He stepped through the double doors, as they easily creaked open.
Opposite him when he came out was a figure in a green tunic, with pointy ears. It was himself, as far as Draknek could tell.
'Welcome, Draknek. You took your time didn't you?' said the figure. 'I'm Link.'