A/N: here's another chapter, folks! read on!

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Zelda hiccupped when she heard a knock on her bedroom door. She ran to it, and her mother strode inside.

"Well, girl, you seemed quite urgent on the telephone. Whatever is the matter?"

Zelda kneaded her hands, taking a seat on a couch. "Well, I..."

"Oh wait, that was a stupid question," her mother interrupted. "I, um, went to Sydney's today." She held up a hand. "Jungle Red."

"Arga?" Zelda managed to ask.

"No, but someone told her who I was and she caught up with me before I left. She wants to apologize for telling you that story this afternoon."

"She...didn't tell you it wasn't true?" Zelda whispered.

Her mother looked at her solemnly. "No, dear."

Zelda felt tears rising again. Her heart of fragile glass shattered. Was Link really stepping out on her? "Mother... I just can't believe it! This can't be true, it mustn't be!"

"Zelda--"

"This is what happens to other people, not to us! Not to Link and me! Why, why?! I don't understand it!"

"Dear, calm down," her mother said, embracing her tightly. "Good heavens, stop choking on your sobs like that and take a deep breath! ZELDA!"

"Mother, it's not that easy!" Zelda cried, pulling out of her arms. I can't just STOP crying about it! You wouldn't know, this never happened to you--"

"It did."

It took a moment for Zelda to register what her mother had just said. She stared at her. "You--you--what?"

The old woman sighed. "My dear, when a woman begins to feel bored with herself, there are many things she can do. For instance; she might buy a new dress, change her hair, or change the house decoration."

Zelda didn't know where this was going, but kept quiet.

"A man, on the other hand, is a complete nuisance when it comes to being bored with himself. Now, I suppose that he could just re-decorate his office, or something simple like that, but that is not the case. He needs to find someone to console him."

"But why not me?" Zelda asked. "Am I not capable of consoling my own husband?!"

"Hold on, dear," her mother sighed. "He wants change, something away from his old life."

"So now I'm like yesterday's paper?!" Zelda shouted. "Just tossed aside for someone newer, fresher?! IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO TELL ME?!"

"Zelda, be patient! That's not what I am trying to say! Link DOES still love you! This girl means no more to him than that new dress you bought the other day! Just because you got a new one does not mean you'll never wear the others again."

"A harem, now, is it?! Mother, you cannot compare love to getting a new dress!" Zelda sobbed. For a few moments, she cried; and neither of them spoke. Then Zelda sniffed, and asked, "Did you say that ... something like this happened to you and father?"

"Yes," her mother replied grimly. "But it turned out to be nothing. Just a flash in the pan; and the hussy was the one who ended up getting hurt in the end. Nothing very serious happened between them. He admitted the whole thing to me later, and I forgave him. What he didn't know, though, is that I had already known while the affair was actually going on."

"So you're telling me to just sit by and let this happen?!" Zelda asked incredulously. "Not to do anything about it?!"

"Yes, darling. If you do, things will get blown out of proportion and you'll regret ever having done it. However, if you keep quiet, Link will eventually see what he has done wrong and drop this girl in the gutter."

"He will 'eventually' see?" Zeld asked. "When will that be, mother? When?"

"I don't know, child," she responded, standing up. "Zelda, I'm going on a trip to Bermuda in a few days. Perhaps you should come with me, I think it would do you good."

Zelda stood up as well, wiping her eyes. "Maybe I shall....yes, I think I will." She walked with her mother to the bedroom door, then hugged her. "Thank you, darling."

The elder woman smiled. "It's sort of nice to have you need mother again." They heard the front door open and close loudly. "That must be Link. Now remember, say nothing. Act as if nothing is wrong." Zelda looked a little unsure, causing her to add, "Trust me, Zelda, I'm an old woman. I know my sex." And with that, she walked out the door.

Breathing heavily, Zelda heard a "Hello, Link" and "hello, Norma" from the hall way. What would she do when she saw him? She didn't have much time to think.

"Hello, dear," Link said the next moment, walking into the bedroom.

Zelda looked at him in fear, tears still trailing down her face. Link looked at her in concern, taking off his hat and his coat. She turned away, trying to rid her tears. He couldn't know that she knew, that was all Zelda could think right now.

"Darling, what is it?" he asked, putting his arms around her from behind and leaning into her shoulder.

She inhaled sharply. Her mind couldn't help but imagine him doing this same thing to another woman... a "terribly clever, terribly pretty" (as Arga had put it) woman. Realizing she needed to answer him, Zelda quickly said, "I--well, as you saw, my mother was just here, and--the dog I gave her just passed away." What a smooth lie.

"I'm sorry, Zel," Link said, a calm voice that seemed to brainwash Zelda, who suddenly wondered how she could've hated him ten seconds ago.

Zelda turned around and faced him. Link leaned forward and kissed her on the mouth, pushing her towards a wall near their bed. Suddenly Zelda's mind started screaming for her to push away, and she was filled with a desire to beat Link on the head with something sharp. Zelda played along as Link continued to kiss her and move his hands down to her waist; but she couldn't help but remember what Peach had said only yesterday:

"Are you sure it's work dear, and not a beautiful blonde?"

What if Link had been doing this to someone else? This...Malon person? Zelda felt Link's tongue pressing against her lips, and she felt all her negative thoughts fall away. Zelda raised her hands to his face and closed her eyes, breathing harder.

She could no longer imagine him doing this with another woman; it couldn't be possible. He could never love someone the way he loved her.

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Peach crept into Black's 5th avenue and crouched behind a display of Summer Rain. She squinted, looking around, then motioned for Daisy to walk in.

"Well, here we are; sneaking up on her," Peach said with joy, as Daisy hurried to catch up and linked arms with her.

"Darling, do you think we ought to be doing this?" Daisy whispered.

"Oh, shut up. We came here looking for Malon, and we're going to find her." Peach looked around at the women selling perfume, wondering which candidate was the winner. "Hmmm....maybe her," Peach muttered, referring to a slender lady with their back to them.

Hearing someone approaching her, the woman turned around. "May I be of service to you, madams?" she asked.

Peach and Daisy looked taken aback--the woman had the face of a gargoyle. It took a moment for one of them to finally say, "....no thank you, no."

"From the neck up, I'd say no," Peach said, making Daisy laugh. They came across a lovely girl offering some perfume to a customer. "Well, how about baby?"

"Couldn't be anyone else," Daisy said.

"Here's your customer's change, Pat," another clerk said.

"Pat," Peach said to herself, walking away.

"It could've just been a nickname," said Daisy, twisting her head to look at Pat again. "Still don't know why you overlooked her."

"I do," Peach said with a smile. She nodded towards a redhead behind the counter. "Pipe."

Indeed, it was the devil herself. The girl picked up some Summer Rain and smelled it, smiling to herself. She glanced at the clock, then quickly put down the bottle and rushed into the storage room.

"Quick," she said to another worker in the room. "Get this wrapped up and shipped off right away."

"Yes, Miss Allen," the worker said wearily.

"You seem in a keen rush to get outta here, Maylon," said Pat, walking into the room as well. "How're things going with that guy?"

"Better than ever, dear," Malon said. "I'm having him dine at my place."

"Your place?"

"Yes, it's time Link found out that I'm a home girl."

"HOME girl?!" Pat asked. She laughed. "Get her!" she added, speaking to the quiet other worker in the room. "Why don't you bother borrowing the quintuplets for the evening, dear?"

"Because I'm all the baby he wants, pet!" Malon barked. "Lottie, I need you to run over to my apartment and make something for dinner!"

"But I can't, tonight, Miss Allen! I've got a date!"

"C'mon, c'mon, you can break it!" Malon said distractedly, scribbling something on a sheet, with the pen's lid still in her mouth.

"But...I'm known for the way I cook, Miss Allen!" Lottie protested. "I'm just terrible at it!"

In annoyance, Malon sighed and slammed her pad of paper on the table. She threw her arms up in the air, saying, "If you throw a couple of lamb chops in a hot oven, what's gonna keep 'em from getting done?!"

"You make it sound so easy, maybe you could do it," Pat suggested.

"I haven't got the time, I've--"

"Telephone for you, Malon," said the gargoyle lady.

"I can't take any calls right now, I'm in a hurry!"

"All right. I'll tell the gentleman."

"Gentleman?! Well hold on, why didn't you say so..." Malon squeezed past Pat and picked up the phone. "Hello? .....Oh hello, Link." (A/N: when there is just .......... in Malon's dialogue, it means Link is talking. ok? ok.). Malon's expression suddenly turned sad. "W-what? You--you can't make it tonight? .........oh no, no, it's all right, Link. It'll be--good discipline for my selfishness about you."

"Holy mackeral, what a line!" Pat marveled, staring at Malon.

Malon briefly put her hand over the reciever. "Be quiet, willya?" She returned her attention to the phone. "Sorry about that, dear...oh, well it's just that I had planned on making dinner for you myself this evening."

"She thinks that because Lottie's dark, he won't see her!" laughed Pat (A/N: i KNOW! racist, right? but i didn't make that line up. it needs to be in this section to help describe malon's evilness).

"Will you get out of here?!" Malon asked, clutching the reciever of the phone again. She gulped, trying to get her sweet voice back. "I--oh no, Link! Nothing's the matter! ....." Malon suddenly looked very distressed. "Well, it's just that I recieved a gloomy letter from home today ...... my little sister, she's not very well." Malon instinctively put her hand over the reciever as Pat looked at her again.

"What's the matter, she got a hangover?" Pat joked.

"Listen, if you don't shut up, so help me, I'm gonna slug you," Malon growled, as Pat smirked and walked away. "I'm sorry, what was that, dear? ........ oh no, don't feel bad about it. I just--I also saved a piece of the cake. With a candle on it." Malon bit on her lip, wondering if she had hooked him. She grinned when Link sounded concerned. "Oh no, dear. Don't worry about it." Malon had trouble keeping the happiness out of her voice. "I'll have another birthday next year."

"She'll have another birthday next week," Pat called from the other side of the room.

Malon threw her the iciest stare she could muster. "But Link, if could come over for JUST a moment, I would be so grateful to you ..... oh, so you will? All right dear, I'll meet you at our corner! .... Yes, in ten minutes! Good-bye!" She kissed the phone, then hung it up. Pat walked towards her, and Malon put her hands on her hips. "Can you believe the nerve of that guy? He almost dumped me for his wife!"

Pat clicked her tongue, shaking her head.

"Two ladies out here to see you, dear," the gargoyle woman announced, addressing Malon.

"Ha ha, not for me, pet," Malon laughed, quickly continuing her mad scribbling. "You can take 'em."

"But they asked for you by name, dear," the woman said, smiling. "A Miss Malon Allen. " (A/N: the name just rolls of ur tongue, doesn't it? i'm sry, but this character's last name is allen in the play, and i really liked it).

Malon sighed with impatience and once more threw down her pad of paper. "Why me?!" She walked back into the store huffily.

"Maybe they're slummy," Pat suggested as a joke.

Looking around, Malon's eyes rested on Peach and Daisy, who were standing in front of her counter. Putting on her best Melanie Hamilton Wilkes smile, she approached them. "May I be of assisstance?"

Peach looked at Malon eagerly. She forgot to speak until Daisy subtly elbowed her. "Oh, yes... I'm looking to change my perfume."

"Oh," Malon said, still smiling. "Would you like something more subtle, or perhaps something more in the Woodsby order, like this, for instance?" She took some perfume and sprayed it deliberately on Peach's toothy grin. Peach blinked and Daisy laughed lightly.

"Is that what you use?"

"Oh no, I'm afraid that's much too expensive for me," Malon laughed.

Peach nudged Daisy and beamed. "Nonsense, my dear... pretty girl like you, with all the rich gentlemen that float in here."

"When they come to my counter, I think that they have other women on their minds," Malon said lightly.

Looking for a new angle, Peach picked up a bottle of perfume. "Oh look, Daisy. Summer Rain--this is Zelda's new favorite, LINK gave it to her for her birthday."

At that name, Peach noticed Malon's smile tighten. She continued to speak. "Mrs. Link HAINES... perhaps you sold it to him?"

Malon kept her cool, though wondering wildly how these two strange woman obviously knew about her situation with Link.... or maybe they didn't, and were just wondering about it.. "Oh, I wouldn't know. You see, we have so many men come here."

"Uh, tall, distinguished, awfully good looking," Peach rambled, trying to describe Link. "Surely you wouldn't overlook him?"

"I'm sorry, but when one's mind is on one's OWN business," Malon said, in a polite way of trying to get Peach to shut up. She picked up some perfume bottles and put them back on a counter.

Peach sighed and picked up a small bottle. "And as you say, you have so many men."

Malon glared at her, then walked back to the cash register.

"I'll take this," Peach said, handing the perfume to Malon.

"Ooh, twenty-five cents," Malon said with admiration. "You are getting off economically, aren't you?"

"Aren't I?" Peach asked imperiously. She handed the quarter to Malon along with a small card. "Here's my name and adress. Ship it and send." And with that, Peach and Daisy began to walk away.

"It'll be in tomorrow, Mrs. PROWler," Malon said, reading the card.

Peach whipped around. "FOWLER," she said angrily.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Malon said in a light voice, making it clearly obvious that she had called Peach that on purpose.

"She called me that on purpose!" Peach fumed, as she and Daisy stalked out of the department store.

"I can see her laughing from here!" Daisy said, shocked.

"She DID call me that deliberately! I'll have her fired; I'll go STRAIGHT to the management of this very store, if I have to!"

Peach ended up not complaining to the owners, but she and Daisy certainly went home in a huff.

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A/N: and so, malon is introduced. any questions? if so, plz put them in ur reviews!!