"Okay," Mewtwo broke the odd silence, "We have to pick identities. We can probably gain more trust if we have names."
Marth nodded, "I agree. I'll be a battle mage that lost my eyes in battle but I can still see due to my magic. My name will be…Max."
"I'll be a support mage that was wounded in battle. My name will be…uh…Amy?"
"Roy and I shall be warriors." Link replied, "I'll be Xavier."
"I'll be James. It'll explain our weapons." Roy added.
Mewtwo nodded, "I'll be a survivor of a village that was destroyed in the war. The excuse for my cloak is that my body was burned and charred badly so I can't reveal it or else it will hurt me." He turned to Marth, "You should be a mute. They might recognize the voice of a prince." Marth nodded in reply.
Soon, the gates of Altea were visible to them. A fox guard and a bird-like guard stood outside guarding the gats, "State your name and status." The bird guard boomed.
"We are mercenaries looking for a job." Samus explained, "I'm Amy, a support priest. That is Max, our mage. He was blinded in battle and he's mute but he's more than capable of doing work. Those two are warriors. The short one is James and the tall one is Xavier. The cloaked one is a survivor from a destroyed village. His name is Oliver. He can't remove the cloak because his body was so charred that it will hurt him if he is exposed to open air."
The bird guards stroked his chin and turned to the fox guard, "Fox…" The fox guard oddly known as 'fox' nodded, "You'll report to Mario for your jobs."
They walked past the gate. Everything around them seemed normal at first glance but they soon noticed the lack of people out on the streets.
"Mario…" Marth whispered, "Mario was a royal judge in this land. Why did Azure demote him? He was the one who sentenced me…half-heartedly I guess."
Roy turned to him, "Quiet," Roy turned back to the road, "You're supposed to be mute."
They were all led into a small underground tunnel that led to a damp, dirt-ridden cot. One wooden table stood in the middle of the cot with papers stacked high and only a melting candle that hung from the ceiling lit the room. A short man with a rather tired face and a graying brown mustache sat by the table writing.
"We're here to apply for a job. Preferably some place away from the sun," Link started, "We'll work for minimum wage and long hours. We don't care. We just need the job."
Samus nudged Link in the shoulder, "Don't blow it."
Mario looked up at them. His face was covered in tired wrinkles, "I'll send you to the silk makers. It's away from the sun but you'll have the heat to work with."
Marth looked at Mario, "Mario…" Marth pulled the bandages off his eyes and onto his forehead, "It's me."
Mario's eyes bulged form their sockets. He looked as if he was going to cry from happiness, "Your highness, it really is you." Mario smiled. His tired expression seemed to fade away, "I'll make sure all of you are well fed. The rations Azure will give you won't be enough to sustain your strength. I'll give you mine."
"No," Marth replied, "We won't be staying like this for long."
Mario nodded, "I'll show you to a room. You can prepare everything you need there." Mario led them all to a rather small room, "It isn't very big but you'll be able to prepare any equipment you need."
Roy nodded, "Thank you," He turned to the others, "Let's go to the silk makers. We'll look less suspicious if we plan while we work."
Mewtwo nodded in agreement, "Right."
Roy, Mewtwo, and Link headed down the corridor to the silk makers. Samus turned to Mario, "Here," She gave him a chocolate cookie, "It represents good health." She ran after the others.
Marth looked at Mario, "Can you tell me about Jacqueline?"
"You finally remember your sister." Mario chuckled gently, "She was so young when she was forced into exile. Azure manipulated your father to do so."
Marth looked at the ground, "Azure said he exiled her because she was first in the line for the crown. Then I was exiled because I was next." Marth turned around to walk away.
"No, that's not it." Mario stopped Marth in his tracks, "Your father never mastered magic. Azure learned to manipulate small pockets of magic when he was around ten but Jacqueline already mastered it when she was four. Azure got her exiled…because he feared she would beat him. He thought that he could beat you with ease and become the king but he realized that you and Jacqueline were twins so you probably hold the same potential within you. He knew you were mentally weaker than Jacqueline so he left you alone. After you grew older, he realized you were a threat because of your status so he found a way to frame you."
Marth held onto Aryl tightly, "I promise I'll save you from these pits and restore your former status." With that, Marth ran off. Aryl jumped down from his arms and ran after him.
Mario smiled, "You'll be a great king some day." He stared at Aryl. She gave off a strong aura, "What?"
Mewtwo led them all to a damp, hot factory where long rolls of silk were being steamed and washed in grayish water. Many people who seemed to be tired and starved stood by the silks working. Their hands were dyed in many colours from the silk. Roy grimaced at what he saw.
"Whoa…" Roy murmured, "This place is a dump."
Marth ran in after them. He stopped and looked at the pathetic excuse for a factory, "Whoa…this place is a dump."
"Exactly what Roy thought," Link replied to them as he pulled on his trademark hat, "Let's get to work. We'll look less suspicious that way."
Samus rolled up her sleeves, "We're reaching Azure one step at a time. Let's get to work."
After a long day's work, the same man wearing the visor named Falcon that exiled Marth appeared. Marth turned his head away immediately, "Everyone line up! You've been selected by Azure to be sent immediately to the harems."
Roy watched the people line up, "He picks slaves for his harem. How twisted is your brother?"
Marth watched the people in disgust, "He likes people who've suffered. Who would suffer more than slaves?" Marth entered the lineup.
Mewtwo shrugged, "He has a point." He signaled to them and they joined the lineup.
Link fastened his hat, "I hope Zelda is safe."
The room they entered was painted a dark indigo that faded into a light turquoise. A few plush chairs were put by the walls next to a few mirrors. The room was big enough for everyone to have their own amount of space but most of them stayed cluttered near the doorway.
Samus scoffed in disgust, "This is completely disgusting. Have you ever done anything like this Marth?"
"No," Marth replied quickly. He saw a few men in the crowd, "I'm not even sure what gender my brother preferred."
"If he's like you…" Link interrupted silently.
Roy knocked off Link's hat, "Watch it…"
Link leaned down to grab the hat. His eyes caught sight of a crying blond girl wearing rags. His eyes widened and he fastened his hat, "Zelda…" He gasped before he ran to her. His arms came around her, "I thought you were dead."
Zelda turned to him, "Link…" She cried onto his shoulder, "Where have you been? I can't go with him anymore."
"Do you mean Azure?" Link replied. His eyes widened in realization and he pulled back to look at her directly, "He's taken you in?" Zelda nodded softly, "That bastard!" He helped her onto a chair, "Stay hidden; my friends are here and we're going to kill him. I'll make him pay."
Marth looked over at the ones that were lying in the corners. They were completely beaten by the work and food, "So much pain…" He pulled the bandages over his eyes again, ""Stopping him isn't just for our own dreams; it's for the hope of everyone in this city."
"Right," They all replied.
"If any of us is chosen," Samus looked around, "We have to stay right outside the room so we're ready for battle."
A figure wearing black sunglasses and a pirate bandana over the back of his hair started walking over to Link. His hair wastied into a long ponytail. The figure wore a crusader suit but he had a black and red cape around his body.
"Hey," The voice whispered to Link, "Over here Link,"
Link looked at the boy, "How do you know my name?"
"Alright!" Falcon shouted as he walked in, "His majesty is coming! Make yourselves presentable,"
Now I hafta get back to work. Please R & R