Chapter 10 – Woodfall's Secrets

SWAMP…

MOUNTAINS…

OCEAN…

CANYON…

The four who are there… bring the here!

The Skull Kid unleashed another malicious shriek. Link looked up and just watched the moon hurtle closer to the Earth.

"Tatl!"

"…W-what, Link?"

"What is Tael talking about!"

"I…I have no idea."

"Just try and stop it! I dare you to try and stop it!" yelled the Skull Kid.

Link stiffened.

I've failed…I successfully save Hyrule and then I get dragged into this. I've failed as a hero. Termina is doomed.

And it's my entire fault.

"Sis! Call the four of every direction! Hurry! Time is running out!"

The Skull Kid swatted Tael down to the ground.

"Stupid, useless fairy! I always knew you were no good!"

"We… We NEED MORE TIME!" screamed Tatl.

"Goddess of Time, where are you? Someone who can get us out of this, please help! Zelda, help us! SIX SAGES, HELP US!"

No response. The moon continued to fall, as Link fell to the ground.

"LINK! WAKE UP! GET UP! THERE'S NO TIME TO BE WASTING!"

Link opened his eyes. He was still in the Woodfall Temple. He had never been so happy to be in dark, forest dungeon. But why is he continuously tormented by these dreams? Why would someone do such a thing to him? Are they trying to teach a lesson?

"Link, you fainted after you landed on the platform. I don't know what happened."

Link couldn't remember anything.

You really should not be wasting time. You only have 20 hours left.

Free the one imprisoned within Woodfall's Realm. He's stuck in there.

Link could only wish he knew what the voice was talking about. Link quickly ran into the next room. And then, everything stopped in a heartbeat.

There was a petrified Deku Scrub in front of him; meaning a Deku Scrub who used to be living, but had been cursed into a wooden statue. A tree.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!!! This is the same thing I saw in that... abyss... before I actually entered Termina... don't you remember, Tatl?"

"Yes, just after the Skull Kid left us. I do remember."

"What... is it?"

"It's a scrub that's been petrified. I wonder what could have caused it... It could have been the Skull Kid for all we know. Once scrubs are petrified, they are stuck as trees forever. It's very sad. You can even see the lifelessness in their eyes."

Link could easily tell that this scrub was not Argott. It was one he had never seen before.

"According to the way the wood feels, this scrub has been in a vegetative state for at least four years."

"Are they really stuck like that forever?"

"That's what I've been told."

Link suddenly got the notion to pull out his ocarina. He did exactly what his instinct told him to do. Link played the melodic Song of Healing, hoping it would expel the curse. It was supposed to do that... right??

He could hear the notes echoing throughout the room and reverberating off the walls in a euphoric melody. He could feel the beautiful song purifying and cleansing him, just as it did when he was a little scrub. Now, it was time for the same to happen to the petrified scrub... but...

It didn't work. This was one of the few instances in which the Song of Healing was ineffective. The curse is irreversible.

"How sad," said Tatl.

Unfortunately, it got worse. The scrub's wood began to crack and then turned to dust and fell off the ledge. It was as if the Song of Healing did the opposite of what it was intended to do. It was as if it had been rigged.

You really should not play with things like that. What you expect to happen won't always happen. It can even make things worse.

Suddenly the platform Link was standing on collapsed, and Link plummeted into the water beneath him. He should have learned in the Shadow Temple that he should never toy with the dead.

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!"

Now Link knew he was in trouble. There were three Venus Flytrap-like plants "open mouthed" on the surface of the water. They were obviously and evidently dangerous.

"Don't touch those, Link. They will close their mouths on you instantly."

Link spotted a little ledge on the other side of the room. His only option was just to swim over to it. Luckily, the water wasn't venomous. If it was, Link would be done for. Upon climbing onto the ledge, Link saw a large door sitting directly before him. It was inviting him to enter it. He could only hope that it wasn't a dead end.

"I guess our only option is to go in," said Tatl.

Link ran in and drew his sword, expecting several enemies to be patiently waiting to ambush him. He always knew what to expect and when to expect it.

But he was wrong.

There wasn't a single enemy in the room. Instead there was a rather large tombstone with the face of a Deku Scrub on top. The tomb was surrounded by a puddle. It looked as if the room was some sort of shrine for the Deku Scrubs, until it was taken over by Odolwa...

"No… it can't be…" said Tatl.

Link began to try to read the inscription on the stone. It was written in some strange language.

"Tatl, what language is that??"

"It's scrub language, an ancient dialect that actually originated here in Woodfall. And yes, I'll translate it for you..."

HERE LIES:

Argott, the faithful Deku Scrub warrior who sounded the legendary Pipes of Salvation at the dawn of the day after Majora's defeat.

"It's… ARGOTT!" said Tatl.

"No, no, no," said Link, "don't you remember? Every son in Argott's family has the same name. This Argott in the tomb is the one ancestor who played the Deku pipes when Gabourri defeated Majora some time ago."

"Oh."

"Let's keep reading."

On the eve Terminians gave up all hope and accepted their fate, Gabourri changed history when he defeated Majora once and for all, and saved the land of Termina from destruction. At the dawn of the new day, Argott sounded his legendary Deku pipes as a symbol of Termina's renewal and salvation from evil. Argott is and has always been known as the "protector of the Deku people" for his victory over the evil warrior who dwelt within the Woodfall Temple, Odolwa, and will always be remembered as the greatest scrub who ever lived.

By request of Argott's immediate family, Argott has been buried in his former home, the Woodfall Temple.

"So the scrubs used to inhabit this temple?" asked Tatl.

"Apparently so, until the Skull Kid came in to cause trouble."

"Wait, wait, wait a second. I thought Majora was never 'defeated'; only Majora's Mask was banished to the gap between dimensions, and ever since then, Majora has never made reappearance."

"You're partly right. Gabourri was the one who held the power to open the gap between dimensions and cast the mask into eternal darkness. Ever since then, Majora never reappeared, so Gabourri is now known as Termina's hero. After he banished the mask, Majora's threat was no longer prevalent, and the land was safe. No one knows for sure what happened to Majora, but now it seems as if he's made his reappearance through the Skull Kid… but anyway that was when Argott played the Deku pipes and that is what he is known for."

"I see. You know a lot, Link."

"Yeah, but the more I think about it, the more I realize this one thing: It's all Ganondorf's fault. Back in Hyrule, everything was going great until I opened the Door of Time. After that Ganondorf was able to access the Sacred Realm and gain possession of the Triforce of Power. That is when Majora's Mask came back into existence. With the Triforce of Power, one can do virtually anything. Ganondorf's evil works opened the seal and screwed up both Hyrule and Termina. Luckily, we were able to stop him from taking over Hyrule, but now I apparently have a second mission…"

"Don't get discouraged, Link."

"I'm not, I just—"

Hey…

"…what?"

Stop it. You're wasting time. You've already dug yourself into a deep hole, and you have to get out.

"Well, I don't know how. This entire room is sealed off."

That just goes to show what you know, young warrior.

"Tatl, is there any way out of this room? The door has been locked."

"I'm looking."

"Any clues present? This is the way I did it back in Hyrule."

"Look, there's another inscription, on the wall!"

Behind the tombstone there was, in fact an inscription. This time it wasn't in scrub... but in... Hylian?

Water
the essence of life
cleanses, purifies, replenishes, revitalizes.

Water
the great preserver.
ye who hold thy sacred melody,
let thy eternal cascades pour upon thy tomb.

"Interpretation?" asked Link.

"According to this, this entire room is to be filled with water. According to Deku tradition, major icons in Deku scrub history have been buried in the presence of water. Water is reminiscent of a Deku's life, just as it keeps everything else in the world alive, and is essential for scrubs to grow."

"Okay, but what song? It says to who has the sacred melody, let the water fill the room."

"That's what puzzles me. I don't know what song it's referring to."

Link had no idea either. So far, the only songs he knew from Termina were the Song of Healing and the Song of Soaring. He knew the Song of Soaring would not work. He hadn't even legitimately give that song a fair shot yet.

So, he played the Song of Healing.

As expected, nothing happened.

"Hmm… Tatl... did you recognize that language there?"

"Yes, I did. I'm actually not sure on which language it is, though, but I could still read it. It looked very similar to... Pequilian... you know of that land, don't you? Pequilia? I think it's far west of Hyrule."

"No, but let's stay on task."

Link looked around the room for more clues, but was left clueless.

"Hey, what's that?" asked Tatl, "on the back of the tombstone?"

Link looked on the back of the stone, and to his astonishment, was a small Triforce engraved in the center. A... Triforce.

"What? How is that possible?"

"Did you read the entire inscription?" asked Tatl.

Link looked at the bottom of the front of the tombstone.

ARGOTT

BORN in the Sacred Forest Meadow of Hyrule into the Deku Aristocracy of Hyrule.

DIED in the Southern Swamp of Termina as the Deku King.

Deep within the Lost Woods of Hyrule during the Month of the Kokiri several generations ago, The Royal Deku Aristocracy of Hyrule fled the land due to invasion of the Forest Moblins. As the Hyrulean Monarchy tried to extinguish the threats, the scrubs could take no more, and relocated to Termina, the land beyond the Lost Woods. The Deku Aristocracy established what is now the Deku Kingdom of Woodfall. Argott is the first son of the Deku Royal Family, whos roots trace back to the Hyrulean Times.

Argott was trained in Woodfall as a Scrub Soldier. One fateful day, the evil Majora awakened the dormant monster inside the Woodfall Temple, causing all of the scrubs living inside to evacuate. Argott, the brave warrior, defeated Odolwa, and freed Woodfall from such threats to ever prevail again.

"Wow, even I had no idea they were affiliated with Zelda's family. Apparently many connections between Hyrule and Termina exist."

"You learn something new every day."

"Well, that's it. I need to play Zelda's Lullaby, just like I did in the Water Temple. That is the one melody besides the Song of Time I really remember."

Link pulled out his ocarina and began to play the beautiful melody. As he played countless memories of Zelda came rushing back to him, but he had no time to reminisce. He had a job to do But right then the room flooded immensely, and carried Link and Tatl to the next floor. Now, Argott's tomb was completely submerged, just as the Deku scrubs intended.

The next hallway was dark, again.

"Are those stupid Black Boes in this corridor too?"

"I don't know. Is there any way you can light up this room?"

"No, I gave up my fire and light arrow before I left Hyrule."

"Well, all we can do now is just go forward."

Link slowly crept through the hallway.

Hey.

"Ah! What now!"

You just give up too soon, don't you?

"What's that supposed to mean?"

The Hero of Time thinks he doesn't even have the means to even produce a small flash to illuminate the room, even for a split-second.

"Who are you talking to?" asked Tatl, "you keep doing that."

"Some voice keeps speaking to me. I don't know who it is. He sometimes taunts me, but most of the time he helps me."

"Oh…o-kay."

"He's telling me I do have means of lighting up the hallway."

The stunning fruit

"What? What stunning fruit?"

The voice did not respond.

"…Deku nuts! That's it! Deku nuts!"

Link put on his Deku mask for good luck and pulled out a batch of Deku nuts from his arsenal.

Right then he chucked a nut on the ground in front of him. It created a brilliant flash of light. Link never knew how effective those could be in the dark.

There was a little switch a few feet on the ground before him. Link ran up to the switch and stood on it.

Six torches lit up all around him, illuminating the room. But these flames were abnormal. Each flame was green.

"Tatl, is that supposed to mean something?"

"Good question."

"Is there anything else in here? Any enemies? Any items? Anything important?

There were no chests, no enemies, no anything. Except something Link never expected to see. Something else.

Someone else. Standing by the door. Someone Link had seen before.

"Who is that?" asked Tatl, "what is she doing here?"

Green hair, small green tunic... It was Saria!

"Saria!"

"Yes, Link. It's me."

"Saria, what are you doing here?"

"I'm a sage, Link. I travel through these sacred temples. They don't have to be in Hyrule. I don't think you knew this but the Forest Temple and the Woodfall Temple were constructed by the same people. So they have a sacred connection and are directly accessible through the Chamber of the Sages."

"This is coming as quite a shock to me."

"Yes. And by now I know you're aware that one of the four Giants of Termina is locked up in Woodfall Realm. You're the only one who can free him, Link."

"A giant?"

"Yes. The Skull Kid did away with all four giants when he found Majora's Mask. One is in the north, one is in the south, one is in the east, and one is in the west. You must free all four in order to save Termina."

Link was quite shocked.

"But… how?"

"Link, time is no factor for you. You have conquered the concept of time. With that sacred ocarina, you have the power to go back and forward through time. That is the most important tool you have to save Termina."

"I know. I've heard this."

"Yes, but there are some things you need to know, Link."

"Like what?"

"Deep within this temple lurks a masked jungle warrior named Odolwa. He is commonly known as the Deku Srubs' worst enemy."

"Has he always been in this temple?"

"He was defeated many years ago by Argott, and ever since then Woodfall has been at peace, but now that the Skull Kid has taken over and revived Majora, he has also revived Odolwa. The whole swamp won't be at peace until Odolwa is defeated and the first giant is released."

"Oh. Is he similar to any enemies I've fought in Hyrule?"

"Yes and no. Arrows are his weakness. What you need to do is stun him with an arrow and then attack him with your sword."

"That doesn't sound too hard."

"That's not all. Odolwa is commonly known for his mothcall. The mothcall is a hideous shriek that summons the rabid Woodfall moths. These things will hurt you. But, if you throw a bomb flower they will flock toward that and be eliminated."

"That won't me a problem."

"Just watch out for his blade, Link. Odolwa is very swift and can strike when you least expect it, and can really make you go flying. He also has the power to summon a ring of fire around you. Whenever he does that, try and strike him with an arrow. When you do that, it will disorient him and the fire will dissipate."

"Thanks, Saria. I feel confident that I can defeat him. I mean, come on, I defeated Ganondorf."

"Don't get to arrogant, Link," Saria said jokingly.

Link just laughed.

"Now, I must return to Kokiri Forest. If you ever need to speak to me, just play my song. You remember it."

Link nodded.

Saria then vanished in the her "sage-like" fashion. The door behind her then opened.

"How fancy..." thought Tatl. "Let's go. Odolwa's lair isn't very far from here."

Link ran into the next room. On the other side was a large golden hook with a key hanging from it.

The Boss Key. It had been placed there by the scrubs and was not meant to be removed, since Odolwa's lair formerly was the main Woodfall headquarters. They only locked it in the case of emergency... unless, of course, they were unable to get to it in time...

Link donned his Deku mask and flew over to the platform, and obtained the key. Then, he noticed yet another platform just waiting for him to fly over to it. It was not the boss's door, but he knew he was headed in the right direction.

Link borrowed into the brittle Deku flower and flew over to the other side, hoping that whatever lay before him would be somewhat passable

"Tatl, what do you know about Odolwa? Is he as terrifying as I hear he is?"

"I would not call him terrifying, but from what I have heard, he is a true elite warrior of the jungle. But he should be no match for you, Link!"

"Yeah. That's just so easy for you to say, though."

"Well, from what I hear, you did beat Ganon in Hyrule!"

"Sure I did, but this is just weird. I feel the same way I did before I fought my first adversary. It was the most terrifying creature I have ever seen. It was a huge, disgusting arachnid with a huge green eye. It was awful. Luckily, she had a weak spot that was vulnerable to slingshot seeds. That's how I defeated her."

"Well, I know you can find a way to beat Odolwa!"

"Let's hope so."

Link opened the door and proceeded through, and he could only begin to fathom what his next battle would be like. He had no idea what to expect. It was also rather ironic how he was so nervous, considering how much he had achieved in Hyrule. However, he had to fight, and despite his nervousness, he still had confidence.

As the end draws near
deplete thy heart of all fear
The call of the jungle is not a friendly one
But with strength thy hero will fight until the day is done.

Light the way to the end.
Let the flame be your guide.
Through the dark corridors
shall the hero of time ascend.

Fear ye not, for time shall mend
thy scars from thy wicked warrior.
And the hero shall prevail.

The jungle awaits…