CHAPTER 19

Link hacks at some foliage, creating a path to get the group through the denser parts of the forest. He soon gets tired and Zelda gives him a cloth to wipe his brow. When they finally reach a clearing in the harsh forest, they find a pool of water as well as a village.

"We're almost there!" Naranjo shouts over the sound of the wind in the trees.

The group skid down the cliffside and land on their feet to finally reach the Shrine of Resurrection. They walk up to the shrine and Zelda steps inside to pray. After a few moments, she emerges from the shrine...with a less than pleasant look on her face.

"I...I know where the Purple Toads are," she says.

"Where?" Peach asks.

"I don't know exactly," she says. "I can tell you that the Purple Toads are definitely in the area though. I can sense them!"

Yashil suddenly begins to sniff the air. "Uh guys?" he asks. "Does anyone else smell smoke?"

Everyone follows Yashil's nose and soon realizes that the entire village is burning to the ground.

"What happened here?" asks Peach.

Naranjo puts his finger to his mouth before he speaks. "No one is going to do anything. This isn't real. This isn't real. This is just a mirage."

"You can't fool me," Peach says. "I can smell the fire."

"I don't care," he says. "The Purple Toads are already gone. We should move on!"

"Help me!" cries a Purple Toad running out of a burning building.

"Go back inside!" Naranjo orders the Toad. "You aren't real!"

"NO! Please don't leave me!" cries another Purple Toad.

"Snap out of it General!" says Azura.

"You told me that they would give me mirages for what I want, and this is...this is what I want!" says Naranjo.

"General" says Yashil. "There are no miracles here. They are all gone. We need to save these toads!".

"I-I don't care! I-I can't care! I-"

Azura slaps Naranjo. "Snap out of it! Now!"

Naranjo coughs and regains his senses. "Sorry" he says.

"Don't apologize," says Yashil. "You have to be strong! We need to put out these flames!"

The Three Princesses use magic to put out the fires, Naranjo, Link, and Yashil grab Purple Toads and pull them to safety.

"Thank you!" the Toads cry as they are freed.

The Toads then look up and see Princess Peach, they begin to heckle her and throw stones at her.

"Hey Princess! Why'd ya burn down our houses?!" says one toad.

"Your Highness!" cries another. "What about our homes? What about our families?"

"Down with the Red Toads! The Ultimate Traitors!" yells a third.

"Princess Peach, please listen to us" cries a fourth. "Please, we beg you! Leave this land! Never come back!"

"Will you stop throwing rocks at me?" she asks.

"No!" the Toads reply in unison.

Yashil walks in front of the Toads, using his girth as a natural shield for the Princess.

"I will not take any more of this abuse!" he says in a deep voice. "I am Yashil, Chief of the Green Toads, and I command you to stop attacking our Princess immediately!"

"She is not our Princess! Nor is she your Princess!" says a female Toad voice. "She is merely a Red Toad sympathizer!"

A beautiful rich Toadette in a royal purple gown advances toward them.

"Who are you?" Yashil asks.

"How dare you ask my name?!" she replies. "I am part of the royal family, and we have just been assaulted by three of her cronies!" She points to Peach, accusing her.

"I don't have any cronies," Peach says. "I only have my friends right here."

"Bwahaha!" The Purple Toadette shouts. "I knew it! You are just like your father!"

"What are you talking about?!" Peach asks.

"Ahh, your father! The one who says people working for him are his "Friends" and denies any responsibility!"

"Right right. Dad's war days." Peach sighs, rubbing her temples with one hand. "The ones who saved you mostly all my friends too"

"Oh really?" Violet asks. "Well then let me introduce myself properly. I am Princess Violet, daughter of King Roo. That is my little sister, Princess Periwinkle!"

A tiny Toadette walks up to Peach and says "Hello!"

"Get away from the tyrant's daughter, dearie." say Princess Violet pulling her away from Peach.

"My name is Princess Periwinkle," she says. "I can assure you that I am NOT going to be treated like one of your "friends"! I won't stand for it!"

"Ok!" Peach says fed up. "I didn't launch any attack on your village! We've just been trying to survive the Sea of Trees this whole time! What did those cronies even look like?"

"A fire bro with an eyepatch, a terrifying man on a horse, and a fat man with a dark aura around him." says Princess Violet.

"I think we have a problem," says Naranjo.

"I'd rather say, we have the problem, Dearie" Princess Violet says. "We're the ones suffering from your Princess' wrath".

"I have no idea what you're talking about!" Peach says.

"Ha ha! So full of yourself!" laughs Princess Violet. "Do you really think you can hide behind your friends!"

"Those three aren't our friends! They're actually our enemies!" declares Princess Zelda. She turns to Link. "Back me up!"

Link nods.

"See? See how easy it is to lie to someone when you're in power?" asks Princess Violet. "Did you really think you could hide anything from us?!"

"If it's so easy to lie while you're in power, then why should we think you're saying anything is honest?!"

The 8 Leaders of their Nations begin to bicker and squabble.

"Settle down!" Yashil shouts. "We should try to work together to save the Purple Toads!"

"You think you can control us?!" cries another voice.

"Oh brother!" says Azura. "Who are you?!"

A Giant Toadette appears "I am the Queen of this Land! You shall all call me Queen Lavender! You all must stop your quarreling! Everyone! To your battle stations!"

The Toads begin to march off with the leaders of each nation following behind.

"So this is the big plan now?" says Yashil. "To fight amongst ourselves to save the Purple Toads?"

"If you claim you are here to help us. Then do away with-"

Before she can even finish her sentence, she is struck with a fireball.

"YAR HAR HAR! DIRECT HIT!" Yells Captain Burnscar as he flies down onto the battlefield on a rope.

"Princess Peach sends her regards" cries Dark Mario's voice as he forms two Dark Fireballs in his hands.

"Don't forget me! Slick!" Declares Phantom Ganon charging from the woods leaving behind a trail of fire.

They stop when they see the heroes.

"Hmmm...This just got a little more interesting!" Dark Mario says. "Alright boys! Prepare for a final stand!"