Pamphlets are usually deceiving. These pieces of paper show only the good parts of a place or product and never the lesser areas. There isn't anything about chain mailed guards coming after you or a warning that says: "Species with wings are probably going to get shot and killed."

The five of us finally found sanctuary at some stairs. There was commotion around us from the bars and restaurants and people were walking all around. Nobody seemed very concerned of the creature that is lurking in the city. Maybe all that the "Plasma Creature" does is nibbling on the cables around and is cutting off power. But I had trouble focusing on the topic in matter; it's been a while since I've seen so many people and yet how they've all managed to live life to its fullest in a single city really surprised me. Is this the only Polis with people that are still alive?

Young Link came trotting from a corner, back from investigating the guards. He seemed very excited by his secret mission; he saluted to us when he came back. "The coast is clear for now."

"My thanks, agent." Captain Falcon chuckled and ruffled Young Link's wild bangs. The kid grinned and sat down on the steps with us.

"The leader of the guards, well the guy with the black beard, said that he'll 'personally escort you to the last mile'. That doesn't sound very good, does it?" Young Link shrugged. Again, he made it sound so light and insignificant; I understood the older Link got his sarcasm pretty young in age.

Ike looked around suspiciously. He leaned in close and began to spoke under his breath. "So if there is the death row, there must be some law enforcement organization and a prison."

"R-Right." I gulped.

Roy seemed to understand Ike's tension. He grabbed the map from my hands and skimmed through. He sighed deeply from his nose and said, "So… if the prison is underground, why isn't it on the map? …But you know, this is only a tourist's map. I'd want the fact that the last mile is underground kept a secret."

There were no law enforcement organizations or a jail of any sort in the Polis itself (except for the guards, but their shed wasn't labeled on the map either), and the floor underneath us was labeled nothing more than "Excavating Area".

A big hand patted my scrunched shoulders. Captain Falcon smiled. "It's alright. You just don't get caught and there's nothing to worry."

"Don't jinx it…" I groaned.

I trudged behind Young Link and Captain Falcon, as they continued on with their 'investigation'. Roy and Ike offered to go look around the harbor again for any sign of the "Plasma Creature" and for the whereabouts of other friends. Since I can't go to the harbor from the shenanigan I made, we decided to split up into two.

We weaved through the flow of people, only stopping to talk those who appeared bored and willing to share a story. Most of them shared useless gossip about the owner of the pizza shop cheating on the bakery's wife, or the pawnshop's daughter recently suffered a tragic breakup with a boyfriend of two years. I didn't expect there would be such gossip in the life of a cave. This place really was a metropolis. However, all of the rumors really went nowhere for us.

A round man rubbed his stomach and left the pizza shop groaning. The woman who appeared to be his wife patted his arm and laughed heartily. "I told you there was no chance for you against that man!"

"I can't believe he's still eating the extra garlic combo pizza… Ohh Penny, sweetie, I need my sofa. Carry me." The man belched. The couple slowly made their way back home to the residential area.

I looked back at Captain Falcon. He nodded.

"Seems like a person we know."

I staggered a bit at the strong smell of garlic and baked cheese when I first stepped in. Circular chairs and large white plates with overflowing slices of pizza were left unattended for the robust man sitting at the window devouring his umpteenth slice of extra garlic combo pizza.

The crowd went wild when he shoved the last piece in his mouth. Young Link smiled and began to push through the mass of people to call out to him. "Are you quite done, Wario?"

I could've sworn I saw his signature zigzag moustache twitch as he tried to smile with a mouthful. Eventually, the mob scattered to their seats or out the shop after Wario sat down, contently rubbing his stomach. We all grabbed seats and sat at the table and shoved the empty pizza boxes to the side.

"Great to see you guys. I missed you all… But only after I was full! Ahahahahah!" Wario threw his head back and roared with laughter. He was laughing so hard, it made my shoulders started to shake. I meant to talk serious matter to him but his laugh was too contagious.

Wario slapped my shoulders. "Come on, laugh, angel boy! We gotta be bright if we're gonna get through with this."

"Uh, what do you mean 'get through with this'?" Just as I asked, Wario's smile tightly knit as he gestured us to huddle closer. I held my breath quietly since he did just consume a lot of garlic.

"This cave. You guys have been through weird things, right? When I woke up I saw that big blue dog, Lucario, that's his name. Anyway, this humongous guy was dragging him, so you know what I did? I beat that sucker and booked it with the poor guy all the way into this city."

A gripping, tightening feeling in my throat made me gasp. It's the humanoid Lucario and I fought with. We never should have let him go alive; he came back and released all of his anger out on Lucario. Plus, Lucario was injured from Young Link's phantom, making it even more difficult for him to battle.

"Where is he?" I demanded.

Wario arched his eyebrows but then gestured me to sit down again. "Hahah, it's alright. The people here carried him to the hospital. He woke up shortly after but the doctor said he should rest for a while. If you want, we can go check up on him."

The hospital. My shoulders dropped in relief. But I'll still need to visit him and give my white light to heal him. I'll need to do the same for Wario also, but before that, I need to share my experiences with him…

Young Link handed me a menu. "Here you go."

I took the booklet but I didn't feel obligated to open it. "Are… are we going to eat?"

"Yeah. The smell made me hungry. I haven't anything since this morning." He grinned and then glued his eyes to the menu to choose.

My stomach growled. I guess I was hungry after all.

"Uhh, what are you dudes gonna do?" Wario frowned suspiciously.

If I were Wario, I would feel the same also. We took him down a quiet alleyway where no people passed by so no one witnesses my light. Ever since the incident with the guards, I've wanted to make a tendency to duck in hiding every chance I get.

"It's called the white light. It heals and protects you. Just stand still, it'll be quick."

Captain Falcon and Young Link stood out in the street to watch out. When I finished dispersing my healing light, Wario nodded and felt his hands. "Hmm. Yeah yeah, I do feel better. That's a cool power you have. Are you the only one that can do that?"

"Sadly."

"Alright. Well we better get going and see Lucario then, huh?"

I nodded. We met up with the other two but they seemed very concerned. There was scattered, panicked commotion coming from the street and from time to time, I saw people running to the left, away from where we came from. Away from the harbor. I heard a woman screaming, "Monster!"

More and more people scrambled up the street, screaming and shoving each other trying to go into the heart of the city. An elderly woman was almost beat to the ground before another woman wrapped her arms around her waist. The two women continued to proceed up, sobbing and gasping.

Young Link looked up at me with concern. "I can't see the monster. I don't hear any electricity either, but that might be from all the noise."

"Let's go closer." I offered.

At the harbor, a thick line of guards blocked any further entry. I spotted the bearded man, the leader of the guards up in front. I hesitated, but I took my hood off and approached him.

"What's going on?" I shouted over the commotion.

"Run to the city hall." He boomed, looking straight ahead.

I bit my lip. Some of the guards were at the harbor with their swords drawn, roaring and slashing wildly at something. Others had their muskets pointed skyward shooting by will. Two of them were blown off their feet and smashed against the wall by some odd force.

"I-I can help! Please let us through." I drew out my bow from my cloak.

Snake-green eyes glowered down to me very slowly. His intense glare made it difficult to keep my stand but my friends came up next to me to stare back at him.

The man opened his tightly crossed arms and placed a firm grip on my shoulder. The large hand cupped my entire shoulder. From the wearing and cracks in his gloves, I could tell he was a very experienced swordsman.

"What part of 'run' do you not understand, boy."

I flinched at his cautious tone. But I saw the slight concern in his eyes. I noticed his glare wasn't what it was and that gradually became softer, like he was a teacher or a worried father. I decided to challenge him.

"I can assist your soldiers. If you want to try me, try me now." I managed to say without shaking. A shudder went down my bow as the blades manifested fire. Some of the guards twitched and stepped back in surprise.

The leader regarded me critically. He looked at each and every one of my friends carefully and looked away. His grip tightened on my shoulder, wrinkling the cloth. He stared at me one more time, and then let me go. "Remember that I have warned you."

I nodded solemnly before we weaved through the guards and into the harbor.

A familiar screech brought back memories. Not necessarily good ones. The water from the canal churned and plastered onto the monster as it flapped its wings, occasionally hitting the guards who were making a swing at it. Young Link and Wario marveled at the water rebelling against the current and onto the monster.

"The Green Bird." Captain Falcon laughed and cracked his knuckles. "Say, where are Roy and Ike? I thought they were near the harbor."

I looked around. There was no sign of either of them. I feared the worst but the green water was murky and too opaque to see through if they had fallen. I grabbed one of the guards who were up against the wall, dazed from the Green Bird's blow.

"Have you seen two swordsmen, sir? One of them has a red cloak and another a purple one…"

The guard stared at me dumbly, and then sputtered "Wh-What are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for two swordsmen! They have a red cloak and a purple cloak, have you seen them?" I yelled.

He blinked. "Um, swordsmen with cloaks… oh, um, I think th-they were taken to the mine… I'm not sure; they seemed like nice kids to me but it was the lieutenant's orders. Were they your friends?"

"The mine…?"

The sound of metal whining and scratching erased the horrible cry the man let out. One of the guards was being crushed under the Green Bird's broken beak, suspended roughly twenty feet in the air. Over half of the beak was lost from our previous fight, but it packed enough power to break through the chain mail. The guard behind me sputtered dumbfounded, unable to move in front of the colossal water monster.

I ripped off my cloak and ascended.

Behind me, the lieutenant shouted, "…Creature! How dare you deceive me!"

I sliced at the bird's beak just in time to dodge the first of the bullets. The guard tumbled to the water and was smart to take off his chainmail in order to swim back up to the dock. Many of the musket bullets missed me and hit the bird, making it more agitated than hurt.

"I'm not the 'Plasma Creature'!" I screamed, but the bullets didn't stop.

Young Link, Captain Falcon, and Wario came below me. We exchanged quick gestures that they will cover for me while I convince the confused guards. We ran opposite directions.

Some of the guards crouched to point their muskets at me. The lieutenant gritted his teeth. The snake green eyes flared and I could see the rage in them from a distance. The mirror shield shimmered and appeared from my arm. I kept advancing, shield up. "Cease fire! This shield will ricochet your bullets back."

The atmosphere tightened. Nobody said a word nor did stir a sound. All I heard was the people still screaming and trampling over each other, and my friends struggling against the Green Bird from behind me. I would turn back to help them, but I could risk these guards getting at my open back.

The first bullet shot without warning. I only had time to locate the white smoke the musket produced to calculate the trajectory angle. The bullet banged against the metal with shattering, one-second impact, and reflected off with the same velocity. Chain mail couldn't defend the man. I winced as he groaned and fell heavily to the ground. His musket clattered and spewed a thin white ribbon of smoke.

"I think I've made my point. Please, cease fire and listen to me." I said as calmly as I could and slowly lowered my shield.

There was a long silence and the lieutenant finally raised his arms down to gesture the muskets to be in rest. I could tell they didn't trust me though, seeing the many bullets being stuffed into the muskets in the second line.

"I am not the 'Plasma Creature'." I repeated.

"Prove me." The lieutenant growled.

I came closer. The guards tensed but the lieutenant was patient. I shook off my shield and placed my bow to my back to turn the fallen guard over on his back. He cringed and moaned. The bullet luckily didn't go through and was lodged into him thanks to the chain mail.

White light spread and engulfed the injured man. I focused on his wound and soon enough, the bullet lifted off from the man's chest slowly and I gripped it in my hands. The man gasped as his back arched, but then came back down with a long, relieved sigh. I smiled, it wasn't just my friends I could save, and I could save others as well.

The man gripped my hand. His voice was hoarse. "I'm sorry."

"I'm glad you're okay."

"Lower your weapons, men." The lieutenant sighed behind me. When I turned to him, his hand stuck out to me but he still had a hard look on his face. "Lieutenant Blackwood."

He caught me staring at his bushy beard, which was black. I shook out of it before he could glare me anymore. I shook his hand. "Lieutenant Blackwood."

"I have no idea what witchcraft you performed, but I've seen it before. For now, let us talk later. We have other matters to take care of. Cosby, take the lead to assist the townspeople."

A tall, stout man by the name of Cosby stood up quick. "Yes sir."

Another man, this one short and skittish, trotted up to the lieutenant with a long, slender musket much larger than the others'. He plucked the weapon as if it was a stick and twirled it easy off his fingers. "Let's go."

When the lieutenant and I came back to the harbor, we were just in time to see Wario fling Young Link towards the Green Bird like a game of American football. The swordsman had his sword drawn, ululating like a monkey and landed on the bird's head.

The bird screamed and thrashed, throwing Young Link everywhere. The wings crashed against the wall but quickly regenerated. Its right eye was exploded and the beak was still broken. It's heart or source of energy must be somewhere in its head.

Young Link rolled in mid-air, crashing into the lake. The Green Bird eyed where he fell. But before the bird can dissolve and be in pursuit, Captain Falcon soared just above our heads, his right leg stuck out. "Falcon Kiiiick!" He missed by a fraction, but the distraction bought enough time for Young Link to reach the docks. The bird chirruped with irritation but Captain Falcon was a strong and fast swimmer. He ducked when the bird pecked at him and swam at its blind spots.

"You are truly insane, or if I should praise you all, courageous." Lieutenant Blackwood shook his head, sighing.

He aimed his long musket high. It swayed correspondingly to the bird's thrashing movements perfectly as if a string connected the bird and the musket. A reverberating explosive noise soon followed a satisfying "splotch" that destroyed the monster's remaining eye. Its scream shook the whole harbor; some canoes were even thrown on dock from the impact.

"I'll let you finish him off." The lieutenant said.

"Huh? B-But the, um, the bird regenerates itself. I don't know what would kill it."

"Ah, you don't know the song. It's an old folklore but I never thought I'd see the bird with my eyes." The lieutenant scoffed and then cleared his throat,

"Green bird, green bird.

O the darkness took you.

O the darkness took you

And you did not return my call.

They have stolen your song,

And now you can only scream."

The bird's horrible wail erased most of the song, but I understood. The darkness took the bird away from his owner, and its 'song' away. The bird can't sing. "The throat!" I shouted.

The lieutenant nodded. "That is my best guess, White Bird."

I pursed my lips. I felt like a dog being called all of these nicknames. Angel, chicken, white phantom, leader, and now White Bird. When I turned to leave, the lieutenant added, "You better come back alive. I still need more proof than that witchcraft!"

Young Link was making his last efforts by shooting arrows at the thrashing monster. The guards still tried shooting at the bird, but the bullets easily passed through the water without any damage. Wario and Captain Falcon came up to me desperately.

"We don't know what to do, man. That bird just keeps on screaming and flailing around."

"I already have an idea." I grinned. "Captain Falcon, can you pitch me like how Wario threw Young Link?"

Captain Falcon frowned. "I-I can, but you're just going to get slapped out of the way or fall off. Either or, you're not going anywhere with this."

"Trust me." I insisted. "I know what I'm doing."

He stared into me but then nodded quickly. We all knew there wasn't much time before the bird seriously injures one of us or destroy the harbor. But, the thrashing eventually stopped and the bird warbled, starting to dissolve. Its body was sinking quickly and the green water was unwrapping each strand that made up the monster. It was running away.

"Oh man. It's getting away. Alright, we're counting on you, leader!" Captain Falcon hoisted me up above his shoulders and hurled me across the canal.

The Green Bird chirped miserably, shaking its head right and left to search for the new sound coming toward it. Its wings were underwater now, and only its elongated neck poked out from the surface.

I flew just ten feet or so above the head and I spread my wings to anchor the flight. The bird finally looked up, hearing the fire swirling around my bow, and squeaked. The body shimmered with remnants of the canal water dissolving away. But it was too slow for the daggers slipping right into its mouth.

There was a satisfying crack, like old branches breaking, but loud enough for everybody in the harbor to hear very clearly. The holy bow was suspended in the water, still manifesting fire. I anticipated one last attack when I saw my weapon shudder, still stuck in place. The surface broke and only the bird's head took a wild bite out of me. Its final scream was long and cracked, its beautiful songs long lost from being a monster too long. I reached in its mouth to get a strong grip of my weapon before it completely disintegrated into water.

I gave it a twist, and the head of the Green Bird unraveled into the green murky water. I tumbled into the canal from the weight.

A single piece of paper floated up toward the surface with a few air bubbles. And at that moment, seeing the paper, I knew it was over. When I took a long sigh, I noticed that the bird really got me in the end after all. There was a long, jagged scratch that cut through my side.

The paper was wet, but not soggy. I wasn't sure how that was when this was with the Green Bird all this time. It was a woman's handwriting. Probably a love letter. It read: "Oh he has such charming eyes. I wished they were just for me. But doctor, I'm just happy you're with us."

When I set foot on the dock, I didn't notice how tired I was and I just slumped onto Young Link, who laughed even though I crashed into him.

The lieutenant looked down to me with a slight glare but I couldn't have cared less and closed my eyes.

Author's Note: The Green Bird is gone, sadly (only for me, probably) We'll meet up with some old friends in the next chapter, along with the "Plasma Creature".