Chapter 7

"Zelda?!" they all cried. Zelda, Saria, and Nabooru had apparently been mistaken for the "Three" and so the villagers were all down on their knees worshipping them. Malon excitedly joined the congregation. "Er....didn't I just see them doing this a couple of days ago?" Aaron asked. "Aaron, it's called being a princess. You've seen Zelda up on the throne lots of times," Mallard said. "Guess who chronicled me crash-landing here?" Aaron countered, obviously trying to prove that Mallard had not mentioned Zelda on the throne in that writing. Mallard rolled his eyes and did realize he hadn't written much about her on the throne. "Well, let's do something about this first. What exactly do we do first?" Paul asked, pulling them all into a corner where hopefully no one would see them. "Well, I think the only thing to do is grab the women and get out!" Aaron said. "Yes, that's probably the only thing to do," the other three agreed. Darunia decided he would guard the door, while Paul and Mallard went around on the flanks to grab Saria and Nabooru. Aaron (of course) was chosen to deal with Zelda. They went into motion. The crowd suddenly gasped as they saw Aaron walking up to Zelda and Mallard and Paul walking around them. Zelda and the other two rose up. "Who dares disturb the Three and their children?" Nabooru asked. "No one you'd know!" Paul chuckled, grabbing her and dragging her over to Darunia. She struggled to get out from Darunia's arms, but he held on tightly, obviously relishing it. Mallard clamped onto Saria and held her tight. Aaron walked up to Zelda. "Please come quietly," he said, grinning an Aaron grin. "There's nothing funny about this at all, what are you doing with Din and Farore?" Zelda asked. "Well, Zelda, we're-oh, I won't get into it. Too much effort at the moment," Aaron said, starting to pick Zelda up. Suddenly he heard a low rumble from behind him. It turned into a growl. Aaron slowly looked behind him. He saw very angry-looking people behind him, armed with pitchforks, swords, and everything else they could get ahold of. "What exactly do you think you're doing?" he asked. Zelda chuckled, as did the other two. "Now, do you see?" she asked. "See what?" Aaron asked, suddenly feeling very belligerent. But she didn't answer. The crowd started advancing. Aaron could see Mallard edging to the side, hoping to get at least two out of three out. But part of the crowd was breaking off to attack Darunia and Mallard. Aaron backed up into Zelda and accidentally toppled into the throne, with her under him. "Ack!" she cried, groaning under the weight of this pressure. The crowd suddenly broke into a dead run, at which rate Aaron would be dead in about five seconds, he calculated. He looked around for Malon, wondering if she was in the crowd too. Well, at least he had enjoyed eight years in Hyrule. Unfortunately, most of those had been spent in the Chamber of Sages. "Stop!" someone suddenly shouted, jumping in front of Aaron. He saw that it was Malon. "Look, I don't know where this is, or what in the world has happened to me or my husband right here, and to my friends, but I do know one thing: that something is definitely wrong here!" she said. "Well, that's certainly obvious!" Aaron muttered under his breath, glaring at one villager who seemed to take an unhealthy interest in Malon. But Malon stared the villager down and started asking questions. "Why are we all in this temple, standing here, with pitchforks?" she asked. "Well, why are you suddenly an unbeliever?" another man shouted back. "What do you mean by that?" Malon asked. "Well, you act as if you have suddenly stopped believing in the Three!" the man said. Malon mulled this piece of information over for a split second, then realized what they were talking about. "Those three? Listen, no offense, everyone, but I don't think those three could be goddesses if they tried!" Malon said. Aaron let out a low groan. "Sometimes Malon doesn't know when to keep her mouth shut," he muttered. Malon fortunately didn't hear that. "These three are merely servants of the Three! You have mistaken them! Us! We're as good as they are and perhaps better!" she shouted. A sharp blast in the back was what she got for opening her mouth. She fell to the ground. Aaron looked at Zelda, who had a smug look on her face, as did Saria and Nabooru. He glared at the crowd. "I ask you, is this what the Three would do? No. The Three would love everyone, even those who did not believe in them! What's this?" he asked. A murmur rippled through the crowd. Aaron looked behind him just in time to see Zelda fire a bolt. He rolled away and drew his sword, prepared to fight. The crowd gasped. Saria looked at them nervously. "Do they look like goddesses to you?" Mallard shouted, attempting to reinforce Aaron. "The Goddesses are all-powerful, they could look like that," one man said, weakly attempting to help the mistaken deities. But Aaron was now on a roll, seeing that Malon was getting up and he had a pretty captive audience. "They are young women! Eh? How about that?" he said. "The Three have not come, I repeat, have not come, only servants of the three," Malon got up and nodded her head. Mallard broke free of the grip his captors held on him and walked up there, Saria in his arms. "Zelda....come now," he said. Aaron suddenly grabbed her and Malon and the party broke through the crowd. "Come on!" shouted Darunia, dragging Nabooru along. "We need to get back to the boat!" shouted Aaron. "That's obvious, and I estimate we'll get there in about a day," yelled Paul back. "We don't have a day!" barked Aaron in Paul's face. "No time for that! Hey, can't I teleport?" asked Darunia. "And that coming from a Sage?" said Aaron. "Yeah, but doesn't it drain your energy for about ten minutes?" shouted Mallard. "That's all right. Doing it now!" said Darunia. Suddenly the whole group disappeared in orange light. The crowd stopped, and wondered where they had gone. They looked around, and eventually formed a search party, but no one ever found them on the island again.

Paul's boat was still anchored expertly to the beach, and everyone scrambled on when Darunia materialized with everyone in tow. He nearly collapsed from the effort, but managed to follow up onto the deck and stumble into the mast. "Good grief man, don't you watch where you're going?" yelled Aaron. Darunia nodded and fell into the nearest room. (which just happened to be Aaron's) Malon suddenly groaned and fell to the deck as well. Aaron was at her side immediately. "What's wrong, honey?" he asked. "A-a-aaron? I think-I think that I'm feeling sick," she said. Suddenly Zelda, Saria, and Nabooru all fell to the ground as well. "Great balls of fire, four sick women and four men!" said Mallard, looking at the fallen ladies. "What are we gonna do?" yelped Aaron. Mallard narrowed his eye. "Dumbest medkit I've ever seen!" said Aaron, and he meant it too. Paul's medical supplies were weak, and Aaron and Mallard had almost no medical supplies on them. Not for the last time! Saria groaned. Nabooru coughed. Zelda hardly did anything, which only fed Aaron's belief she was very un-Hylian. "Malon, you all right?" Aaron asked Malon. "Yeah, honey....fine," moaned Malon. Aaron fretted. "Come on, Saria! Wake up kid," said Mallard. Paul rubbed Nabooru's wrists, hoping to restore circulation. "I get stuck with her..." Darunia looked at Zelda. "She was in this situation once. Not responding, or anything.....DANG!" he shouted. Everyone looked at him. "Sorry." he sighed. Everyone watched as the ship sailed on. Zelda had struggled to an upright position against the mast. Aaron had offered his lap, but she didn't want it. She looked at Malon, who was talking to Aaron from the deck. Zelda looked at her own stomach and suddenly felt a kick, making her gasp in surprise. She looked around to see if anyone had kicked her. Aaron was minding his own business, sitting on the rail, almost falling into the frothing, white, sea. Mallard was tending to everyone, also keeping to himself. Paul was steering the ship, so he couldn't have done it. Darunia was sleeping below deck, he surely couldn't have done it. She looked at her stomach. She felt another kick, but it was gentler, almost as if whoever was doing it knew to be careful. Suddenly Zelda realized what was going on. She knew whoever had done it was a part of her family. A part of Hyrule. A couple of weeks later, with Paul's food supplies giving out and the women back to normal, they crunched onto the shore of the Desert Colossus. (in recent years, a passage to the ocean had been bored through the rock separating the Gerudo from the sea) They walked happily through the passage, and then as they came into view of the Colossus, Aaron shouted, "HELLO HYRULE!" Everyone looked at him. Zelda, who had recovered by this time, along with her fellow Sages and friends, shook her head, and walked a bit unsteadily along. Mallard was still supporting Saria, and they seemed to be forging a friendship. Aaron knew this was good, as Mallard had never really had any true friends before he had come to Hyrule, except for one, but he comes in the tale later........Nabooru sighed. "This old air feels good to me. I think I'm going to stay in the fortress for awhile, after we get back," she said. "But that's just it!" Malon suddenly exclaimed. Everyone stopped and turned to look at her. "We can't get back! You know, the Haunted Wasteland is blocking us!" she continued. "Hmmm....that's right, you know. But, er, just a minute. I need to go over to the edge of the Wasteland for a minute. I have a feeling...." Nabooru said, starting to walk away. Everyone looked at her, and started to follow her. As the group got to the edge of the wasteland, they gasped. "Wh-wh-wh-where did everything go?" Saria asked, stuttering everyone else into near panic. There were no sandstorms. No blinding heat waves. Nothing except dunes of sand stretching far away, beyond the eye of even the most accomplished eagle. "What in Hyrule happened?" Darunia gasped, turning ghostly pale. His usually-orange skin was quickly turning white. Snow compared to Saria's skin would've looked crimson. You could almost say that Zelda's hair turned white, though that was questionable. But of course, Nabooru was the hardest hit. She started to quake, almost crying because a part of her known world was gone. And besides, they'd be a lot more vulnerable to attackers. Zelda put a comforting arm around Nabooru. "It's all right....it'll be fine...Nabooru.." she said, trailing off. Nabooru sighed miserably. "Guys, I am going to have to stay. I can't go for a while. I....I...never mind, you wouldn't understand," said Nabooru. "But Nabooru, we do!" said Saria, remembering the invasion of her forest by Ganondorf's minions. "Yeah," said Zelda weakly. "Well, I'm sorry, but in spite of our mission, I just need to stay here and think," said Nabooru, disappearing without so much as a good-bye. Everyone looked at each other. "The mission!" they gasped. Darunia, Malon, and Aaron watched everyone else leave. Impa had teleported over to the Colossus when she received the call to come with them, (Rauru and Ruto were watching Nakil still) and so she was going to Velattiane (the Tanol spy mission had been scrapped, they decided) along with Saria, Paul, Mallard, (who was being brave) and Zelda. "They get to have all the fun....oh well. I can't be at every party," Aaron joked. But Darunia was serious. Sort of. "That's not a party, it's a super-secret spy sortie of sorts," he said. Malon turned away, trying to suppress a smile. Darunia made a face. "What? What did I say?" he said. Aaron looked at both of them. "I have left my ocarina back home, so would you mind, Darunia, if you teleported us to the castle?" Aaron asked. Darunia's smile immediately disappeared. "I'm not a teleportation service, you know, and-" But one look from Malon's cute, charming puppy eyes silenced him. "Uh....oh....all right, Malon! Stop that!" he said. Malon smiled sweetly and looked at Aaron, who simply grinned and looked at Darunia. Darunia rolled his eyes. "On the count of three. 1...2...3...now!" They all disappeared in a flash of orange light.

They landed in a back alley of the Market, Aaron on his back. "It's nice to be back home!" said Malon. "Too nice...." Aaron groaned as he got up and stretched. Darunia was looking around. "There's something funny about this place...." he muttered. No one was around the area. Aaron rushed out of the alley and into the marketplace. There were people there.....but not making any sound. Just mutely cowering and pointing. Aaron looked to where the castle would be and saw flames erupting from the windows. Explosions suddenly rocked the area. Aaron drew his sword and started to walk towards the castle. Malon followed him, as did Darunia. They saw Moblins, Stalfos, Iron Knuckles, and some sort of new creature fighting. They saw Hylian soldiers. They saw green. Of course there was green. Link, arm in sling and sword in hand, was bravely fighting off ten Moblins at a time. Aaron suddenly jumped into the fray, taking them all down with a blow. As a rusted Iron Knuckle tried to kill both of them, Malon bravely-but foolishly-jumped onto it, sending it to the ground, where Link used his sword to permanently silence the Knuckle. They all looked at each other for a second and gawked in amazement. But that moment was quickly ended, for many more evil soldiers were upon them. Quickly, Darunia used some of his magic to take out the new, scaly, and red creatures that fell upon them. "What are these things?" he asked. "I heard something about them being called Morguls!" Link shouted, bulling courageously into a fight. "What happened?" asked Aaron. "Tell you later!" shouted Link, sidestepping a charge and hitting a soldier on the back, sending him to the ground. Even as they were beating back an attack, another one came. As they swamped this one, two more flew in. Malon was doing her best, knocking enemies down, punching, twisting, ducking, and she was more than doing her part. Aaron was admiring her and thinking just how lucky he was when finally a Moblin got a hold of this annoyance to the army. Malon's eyes widened. "You wouldn't!" she screamed as a Moblin got out his knife. He started dragging her away. Aaron roared and tackled the Moblin, swinging his sword. The Moblin shouted in pain and raised his knife, but Aaron pushed him away with the point of his sword and knelt by Malon. "You're all right, right?" he said. Malon nodded. "But...I think I sprained my wrist." she groaned. Aaron didn't notice the Iron Knuckle advancing behind him. But he did hear footsteps. (amazing?) And so he did what any normal person would do. "Oh! Ahhhh! Pain! Eeeeeeek! Ouch!" he screamed, falling to the ground. Malon looked at him. "Did they get you?" she asked worriedly. "Play along!" came the strained reply, along with more, "Ooooo! Arrows! Spears! It hurts! Arrgh! Oh no! I'm going!" The Iron Knuckle sat down and rolled on the groun, laughing stupidly. Malon couldn't help chuckling at her husband's faked predicament. Aaron sighed. "What I do to help these people," he muttered, getting up and striking the Iron Knuckle. Link jumped over. "What happened?" he shouted. Malon put her hand on his shoulder. "Link, take it from me....my husband is nuts..." she whispered in his ear. Aaron looked at them and narrowed his eyes. They noticed the battle was beginning to die down. "Hey, we're winning!" shouted Link, taking out a Morgul or two. "Never seen something so ugly in my life!" he said. "Oh?" said a voice that laid a hand on him. Link spun around. There stood a figure cloaked in black. Link knew it wasn't Ganondorf....when the figure revealed itself, it was worse. "What happened?" asked Aaron inside the half-ruined castle. Link shook his head. "I-is the battle over?" he asked. Aaron nodded. Malon was looking at him, a tear running down her face. Link looked at himself. Same old tunic. Same old everything. He looked at Malon. Tears were running down her face. But...she was smiling. Aaron was against the wall, where it wasn't that light, but Link knew he was smiling. He realized Malon wasn't crying...she was laughing. Hard. "L-l-link.....you...fell...for...it....that was...so...funny...." she said. He heard laughter coming from Aaron's side of the room. Malon fell onto Link laughing and hugged him. "You old sweetheart, you're so easy.....that's one of your best qualities..." she said. Link didn't have to guess. "Aaron was in the cloak?" he shouted. Malon's laughter betrayed herself. Link glared at Aaron. "That was battle! Battle is no time to make jokes! Malon, has this guy rubbed off on you?! He's crazy!" he said. Malon abruptly stopped laughing. "Link, I...I'm sorry, but....Aaron was in a disguise! He was fooling the troops!" she said. "Ganon's or ours?" Link sternly asked. "Ganon's!" said Malon, a bit scared now. Link smiled. "Good," was all he said. Malon frowned. "You mean-you mean-" "You mean I'm a wonderfully nice person who's a perfectly fine hero and actor!" he said, pushing her against the wall. Aaron let them have their fun. He knew they were good friends. Malon giggled. "Stop that! We're civilized adults!" she said, pretending to scold him. Link drew back. "Adults? We're eighteen! We have lives! We're not adults!" he said. "In my opinion we're very adult!" Malon said. "Au contraire, my good woman. Take a look at your husband over there!" said Link, spinning her head over. Malon gave up. "You win...." she said, panting from the laughter. Link fell back onto the chair he he'd been on. "I must admit, I'm a pretty good actor, if I do say so myself," he said. Aaron and Malon advanced on him. "Here, Malon, let's just sit on this unoccupied chair right here," Aaron said, sitting on Link. Malon then sat on Aaron. "Wow, this is comfortable!" said Malon, snuggling into Aaron. "ALL RIGHT! ALL RIGHT!" gasped Link, wheezing. Malon and Aaron quickly jumped off, laughing. "Well, now that we're together again, what was this battle all about?" Malon asked, always a curious one. Link's face darkened. "It all started when a guy made a deal with Ganondorf. (ever noticed how Link always calls Ganondorf...er...Ganondorf, instead of calling him Dad, or Father. I think it's just ingrained in him, and he can't accept the fact Ganondorf is his father-Editor Mallard) He'd tell them the weaknesses of all the military installations and countries and....man. Ganondorf of course paid him good money. Counterfeit. The man got mad and threatened about only two weeks ago. Well, Ganondorf thinks he's a Hylian Guard, so he decides to use this as an opportunity to crush the castle. He attacks. Plain as day." Link said. Malon and Aaron nodded. "I commend you, soldier!" Aaron said, saluting smartly but mockingly. "What about the Haunted Wasteland...er...losing its sandstorms?" asked Malon. Link's eyes widened. "No kidding...." he said in awe. "None whatsoever." said Aaron in a perfectly serious voice. Malon laughed and touched Aaron on the shoulder. "Isn't it nice when we're together?" she said. Link nodded. Aaron chuckled. "It is?" he said. Malon pretended to be angry. "And you'd do that to your husband!" Aaron retorted happily, putting his arm around her. Link sighed contentedly and stretched, then slid down in his chair peaceably. "One more question before Aaron and I go: how exactly did you get healed?" Malon said. Link grinned. "An old friend helped." he said. Aaron turned to Malon. "My dear, some things are better left alone with others. We must be getting to our quarters!" he said. Malon nodded. "I'd best be getting to the ranch, Aaron. They'll be needing me there," he said. Aaron nodded and looked out the window, toward the ranch. Malon saw him clench his fist momentarily and then turn back to her. "You should." he said. "Okay then, Aaron....I'll be seeing you! I'll bring Michael over sometime in the next week...." she said, walking out. Aaron walked back toward the window and stared in a melancholy fashion towards it. "It must be hard, Aaron, having to live without your wife," Link said, looking through the window at Death Mountain. Aaron nodded slowly. "You wouldn't know how hard it is...." he said. Link patted his friend on the back, not knowing what else he could do. "Link, I'm going to go now," Aaron said, walking towards the door. He opened it and then turned. "If you see Zelda anytime soon....tell her....tell her....that she's doing a good job as princess." he said, walking out. Link nodded and turned toward the direction of Velattiane. It was a foggy night two weeks later, and everyone in the small little rowboat was tired. Saria needed something to do, so she looked at her passport. "This is forged!" she cried suddenly. "Mine's a forgery too." said Paul. "This is breaking the law!" Saria gasped. "We're spies," said Impa. "But-but-" "No buts about it. We forged them because we're spies, and we're working for the king on this one, Saria, so think about that for a while!" Impa said. Saria gulped. "A-all right." she said. "That's what you should be saying!" Mallard said, slapping Saria hard on the back. "ACK! What was that for?" Saria grumbled. "For good luck!" Mallard said. "Do it a little softer next time!" Saria said angrily. Mallard chuckled good-naturedly. It had been over two weeks since they'd shoved off in that little rowboat, however, so Saria had good reason to be angry. Suddenly Zelda saw something. "It's the coast!" she said excitedly. Everyone peered through the gloomy fog. They couldn't see anything. "False alarm..." said Zelda sadly. Suddenly Saria saw it. "It is the coast!" she said. Zelda saw it too. But no one else saw it. Then, Mallard saw it. "I'd know that coast anywhere!" he said excitedly. Then everyone saw it. They cheered. Suddenly Mallard blanched. "What is it, Mallard?" Saria asked. Zelda saw it first. "We're coming in on a rocky part of the coast...and the waves..." she said, her mouth slowly dropping open. Mallard nodded. Suddenly Saria screamed fearfully. "I don't know how to swim!" she said. "You don't?" everyone gasped. A wave crashed into the small little boat, almost overturning it. Saria nearly fell overboard, but Paul and Mallard grabbed her. "T-t-thanks, guys, I was almost a goner!" she said. They nodded and attempted to keep on course for the beach. But it was an impossible task. The waves tossed the boat about like a toy. Then the boat overturned. Zelda, not being an accomplished swimmer, was floundering, and then it was made worse when Saria grabbed onto her. But then they felt something pushing them up out of the water. Mallard motioned for them to grab onto his shoulders. As they did, a huge wave tore the boat away from them. Zelda clenched her teeth and held on tight as the biggest wave yet swamped them. (note: for the sake of the story, the Velattian language is mostly translated...language idiosyncrasies as well) "Altmore, vhat should ve do with them?" asked Lieutenant Adlo Witzerg. First Lieutenant Jonah Altmore looked at the pale bodies of a very odd group. "I vould say ve should take them back to the Boss. He'll know vhat to do with them." he said. Witzerg nodded. He ordered some of his troops to hoist the bodies into the large cart they were using to haul them back. "I say, how did they get vashed up on this neck of the beach?" said a soldier. "Ve don't know yet. But they look like Hylian spies to me." Witzerg said. "Nonsense. Hylians couldn't possibly penetrate Welattiane, with our counterspy network!" Altmore replied. Witzerg shrugged. "I don't know. Hylians are rather ingenuitive for their class. Look at that golden-haired lady. She could seduce half of our army and get avay with it." he said. "If I vere a betting man, I vould say you vere right. But I do not gamble." Altmore chuckled. Witzerg smirked. "You are a genius in the Welattian Army, Altmore. Not many know that." he said. "Am I really?" Altmore asked. "Vhy, of course. Vith the upcoming raids on Dalbato Island and Sarnilia, you'll be a great asset." Witzerg said. "This coming from a subordinate...." Altmore muttered to himself. "You are a genius too, Vitzerg, by saying that." Witzerg roared with laughter. The other soldiers rolled their eyes. "Ech Poyoe...." muttered one. Weill Bant, valet for Charles Lemm, Vice-Commissar of the Army and Navy, looked at the bodies with Doctor Nerenth Smitt, General Gerhad Boltad, and Velattiane Intelligence Commissar Adolian Moriartis. "Have any of your agents seen them in the last few years, Moriartis?" Boltad asked. "No, no, never, but I recognize the golden-haired lady. She is the Princess of Hyrule." he said. Already, it seemed, the spy mission was in danger of being uncovered. "The Princess of Hyrule? Vhat could she possibly vant with us?" gasped Smitt anxiously. "I had heard the Princess was coming on a diplomatic mission, I believe she may have been thrown overboard." Bant replied. "But, I find two flaws vith your theory, Bant: first, vouldn't ve have found a boat?" Moriartis said. "Not necessarily, Moriartis. The boat could have floated anyvhere along the coast." Bant countered. Moriartis nodded his head. "Second, Bant: Is this vhat you call a diplomatic escort? Vhere are the heavily trained and armed soldiers? Vhy vould they be thrown overboard too? Vhy vould they all vash up in the same spot? It all adds up to a spy mission by Hyrule!" Moriartis said. "Who said anything about a diplomatic escort?" said Smitt. "Ah, but vould they send the Princess on a spy mission?" Boltad said. "Hmmm.....maybe she vas sent under the guise of a diplomatic mission. But I think someone vould have seen a boat!" Moriartis shouted. "First Lieutenant Altmore and Lieutenant Vitzerg found a couple pieces of vood, sir, where they were." Bant said. "Really? Vhy vould they come in a small boat?" Moriartis said excitedly. "It vasn't necessarily a small boat..." the General reprimanded. "But scraps of vood usually mean a small boat! Vould a large ship leave only scraps of vood? They leave vecks! Vecks!" Moriartis boomed, knocking his chair over in his excitement. "I think that ve should vait and see vhat they vill do before arresting them," Bant hurriedly replied. "An excellent course of action." the doctor said. Then there was silence for a minute or two. The General shifted uneasily. "Doctor, vill they live?" he finally asked. "Of course. They suffered only minor wounds that can be treated easily." said Smitt. But Moriartis took them all by surprise. "Put them in the maximum security prison. I hope to be interrogating them as soon as possible." he said. "Vhat? Ve don't even know that they are spies!" Boltad protested. "Are you vith us or not?" shouted Moriartis. Boltad glared. "All I'm saying is that ve should give them a chance!" he shouted back. "Fie fie fie! After I interrogate them, ve shall set them loose if they are not spies!" Moriartis bellowed. "You talk as if they are animals!" Bant exclaimed. "They are." Moriartis said, stomping out of the guarded room. Bant sighed, as did Boltad and the doctor. "He's a strange one," Smitt said. "I vonder if he is mentally stable." Boltad said. "Take it from me, he isn't. I'm a doctor." Smitt replied. Bant chuckled. "Quite right, Smitt. Vell, this has been an interesting conwersation, but I must get back to the job of being a walet. Good-bye." he said, looking at Zelda and marching out of the room. "Sigh....ve must keep the princess and her friends under strict security, I'm afraid." Boltad said to the doctor. "Vhy?" Smitt asked. "It is Moriartis' orders, isn't it?" Boltad muttered. Zelda awoke in a cold prison cell. "W-where am I?" she mumbled. "Asentia Prison." rumbled Mallard, who looked like he hadn't gotten much sleep. "Where is that?" asked Zelda, still a little bit dreamy. "It's in Moslin, the capital of Velattiane. It's for special high-security prisoners, usually assasins, spies, and otherwise enemies of the 'security of Velattiane'." came the reply. "No kidding....oh no!" moaned Zelda. "What?" Mallard asked. "They've inprisoned me, the Princess of Hyrule!" Zelda gasped. "So?" Mallard said. "Hyrule will go to war over this if they find out!" Zelda shouted. Mallard groaned. "This is worse than I thought. Why did we even have you come?" he asked. "I'm the Leader of the Sages, for one thing...and I wanted to come. I didn't want to leave you guys hanging." Zelda said. Mallard chuckled. "Those are good reasons." he said. "I think certain people back in Hyrule who wanted to go to war with Velattiane, and so this may give them the excuse they need to mobilize," Zelda sighed. "Zelda, the government in Velattiane wants to eat Hyrule up. They'd love to go to war and pulverize us. No one in Hyrule wants to go to war as much as Velattiane does." Mallard replied, looking directly at her. Zelda suddenly felt her stomach fill with butterflies. "Mallard, what are you suggesting?" she gulped. "Zelda, I am saying that Velattiane wants to destroy Hyrule's way of life and everything in it. I have reason to believe that they are mobilizing this very minute, and that they are ready to attack!" he said. Zelda shook her head. "Mallard, when we signed a treaty with Velattiane ten years ago, they said they'd never attack it and our allies. (practically the entire Eastern World) And now this? I can't believe it!" Zelda said. "Why'd they send us on this spy mission, Zelda? Think!" Mallard replied. Zelda shook her head again. "Mallard...you were born here.....just tell me everything you know." she said. Mallard nodded.

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