So, I decided to make a self-insert since that's all the rage…of course, I've had this self-insert for a while, I've just been struggling not to make her overly bland and such. But after rping with Marissa Flynn for so long, I think I has a pretty established character for my OC…
…Speaking of Marissa Flynn; dear, this is for you! :D
Now, I know, the quality of this may not be as good as other one-shots; this is because this involves introducing a new character, something that I'm not good at. I assure you all, I'm going to rewrite this in the future (when I have the time).
Phineas and Ferb belong to Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh
Marissa (OC) belongs to Marissa Flynn
Galladia "Gala" Smackerwacker belongs to Galaxina-the-Seedrian (me)
Also, go check out "The Friendship Games", a collaboration by me, and my two dear friends, Marissa Flynn and Woodland!
Enjoy~!
P/F/P/F
The Magical One
(~)
"See ya' later, gang! Have a good night's rest! We'll see you all tomorrow!"
As the sun began to set, Phineas, Ferb, and Marissa bid their friends farewell. Isabella returned home across the street, while Baljeet and Buford headed off the same direction to their respective homes. Ferb decided to be the first to go inside to check on a groaning Candace, who was upset about the disappearing Stadium, which held a children's Olympics that was of larger scale than the actual Olympics.
Of course, Marissa thought to herself, this is Phineas and Ferb we're talking about. They can build pretty much anything.
Phineas looked up to his sister, smiling happily. "Well, that was a great day," he stated, "Wasn't it?"
Marissa chuckled. "Wish I could say the same for Candace," she said, "I've never seen her that upset before."
"Yeah," Phineas said, a little concerned, "I hope she's okay."
Marissa proceeded to pat her brother on the back, smiling softly before they walked into the house. They looked towards a begrudging Candace, who was lying in the couch as Ferb seemed to give her some kind of comforting word. Candace simply responded with a low, angry growl, to which Ferb sighed and walked away. Marissa smiled sadly to Ferb as he walked over to her and Phineas.
"You tried," Marissa assured, "She just…needs to be alone right now."
"She just needs to be alone right now," Candace repeated in a mocking yet irritated tone.
Marissa rolled her eyes before noticing Perry, their beloved pet platypus waddling into the room. Phineas smiled as he leaned down to pet the creature. "There you are Perry," he said, "Tired, huh? You should get some rest, buddy."
The platypus responded with a chatter before waddling off to the boys' room, where he slept. The day's mission was…a stressful one. This particular mission is to be mentioned in another story, which I assure you we may or may not get to. Marissa looked over to the clock, and hummed a little to herself.
It must've been pretty stressful if he's not walking on two-legs, Marissa thought to herself. She giggled. I wonder how dad's doing…you know, our other dad, Doofenshmirtz…wait…why would I need to remind myself of that? Exposition, much?
"Huh…it's seven," Marissa stated, "When did mom and dad say they'd be back again?"
"I think nine," Phineas said, "But they said they'd probably be gone later than that. You know how it is; family emergency."
"Luckily, that 'emergency' involves our aunt giving birth to her child," Marissa sighed happily folding her hands together, "For a moment I thought it was going to be something bad."
"I don't blame you for that," Phineas said rather flatly as he glanced at Ferb, "Of all the times you called for theatrics, Ferb…"
The green-headed step-brother simply shrugged his shoulders, his eyes practically smirking. Phineas gave a playful glare to Ferb, who remained unaffected seemingly. Then, the youngest member of the Flynn-Fletcher family began to laugh a little, as he nudged his brother, smirking. "You're a dork, Ferb," Phineas said.
"Not as much as you, brother," Ferb stated, earning another laugh from Phineas.
Marissa smiled softly at her two brothers. "Well, we should probably work on dinner, then," she said, "Who's up for some microwavable delicacies?"
"Me~!" Phineas said cheerfully as he headed for the kitchen, followed by Ferb.
Marissa looked back to Candace, who simply lied on the couch in despair. The younger sister proceeded to, cautiously, walk towards her grumpy older sibling. Marissa had always been the meeker of the two, and knew that usually under this sort of temperament Candace could (and would) often strike a nerve. As such, Marissa took a calm breath, preparing herself for the worst.
"I take it that you've been having a bad day?" Marissa asked bluntly, already knowing the answer far too well.
Candace mumbled into the couch incoherently. Marissa simply smiled. "Don't worry too much," she assured as she began to repeat the same petting that Ferb had given Candace as a form of comfort, "You just need to find your happy place. That calm, serene part of you that-."
Marissa pulled back as Candace screamed in her face, "THERE IS NO HAPPY PLACE!"
The words seemed to echo throughout Danville, from their house, all the way to that tall building that looks like Ferb's head. Within the building, Doofenshmirtz sensed that something was about to go wrong, but simply shrugged it off. He had a bad enough day as it was, and didn't want to get himself involved. Aside from that, his presence isn't even needed in this story, so we can simply move on from here in emphasizing that Candace's scream reached pretty far.
Phineas and Ferb's heads peered through the entrance to the kitchen, watching Marissa and Candace's conversation unfold as they waited for their ramen noodles to cook. They knew as well as Marissa that tension was already starting to rise. Marissa tried to remain calm, took another breath, and said, "I know that this is pretty hard for you…I mean…well…"
Marissa rubbed the back of her long neck, and found herself grinning awkwardly. The words she spoke came out automatically, and she couldn't stop herself from saying it.
"He didn't break up with you, so-."
Marissa immediately regretted her words as Candace suddenly began to sob hysterically into the couch, her emotions spinning like rapid-fire. "C-Candace!" Marissa said in worry, "I'm sorry, I-I…l-like I said, he didn't-err that is to say…" a sigh, "Jeremy only said he needed to time to himself, that's all. Every couple has their big arguments."
"Th-that's easy for YOU to say," Candace whimpered through a tear-stained glare, "Y-you don't ha-have a boyfriend."
A brief pause passed between the two siblings as Candace continued to sob to herself.
"I'm going to ignore that from you seeing as you're not thinking about what you're saying…you know, probably," Marissa said as her eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly at the comment, "It's true. You remember Isabella's Cousin Janelle, right? She has troubles with her boyfriend, too. It's all a part of love's design to have conflicts."
"Love must hate me, then…"
"Wouldn't that be ironic? But no, Candace, I don't think so. You just hit a-."
"Rough patch," Candace growled as she sat up, "Bumpy road? Or whatever cliché you have in your pocket, Marissa?!"
Marissa rose her hands up defensively. "Candace, I'm only trying to help you," she said, "Please, you need to calm-."
"There's another one," Candace said angrily, "You know, for a little sister, you sound a lot like a parrot."
"Wh-what's that supposed to mean?" Marissa said, trying to keep walls up in case something too harsh was to be said.
"You've said this a million times!" Candace shouted, "In fact, everyone has! It's all the same thing! Well you know what? I'm sick of it!"
Candace pointed at Marissa accusingly. "You have no idea what I've been through today," she said, "Heck, you never know! Ever! You're too busy playing with Phineas and his other friends to even consider what my life is like!"
Marissa tugged on her collar a bit. "Well…I like doing those things," she said a little quieter than before, "I like hanging out with Phineas and our-."
"No, no," Candace almost laughed spitefully, "Do you realize that they're only friends with you through PHINEAS?"
This almost caught Marissa off guard. Had Candace brought that up before? Had anyone even…?
"Uh…" Marissa's throat felt dry.
"Riiiight. Of course you didn't. You're so focused on yourself that you didn't even think of that. You're pathetic, I swear-."
"Candace, knock it off!"
Candace and Marissa looked to Phineas, who stepped in between his siblings. He gave a subdued glare to Candace. "We get that you're upset," he said, "But that's no reason to take it out on Marissa. She's only trying to help."
"Yes. Trying," Candace said, "Which is all she ever does. She doesn't do anything."
Marissa took another calming breath. It's alright. I hear this from her all the time when she's upset, she thought to herself, in spite tears coming into her eyes from Candace's harshness, I can handle this. I can handle this.
"Why don't you brats just leave me alone," Candace growled, "Nothing you say is gonna cheer me up so just let me brood in peace."
"Fine," Phineas said, "As long as it makes you happy, sis."
"I am not," Candace emphasized in a rather pain-giving way, "Happy."
Phineas sighed and took Marissa by the hand. "C'mon," he said, "We're making ramen noodles."
"Alright then," Marissa said before looking to Candace, "You…uh…want anything?"
Candace turned her back towards her siblings as an answer. Marissa frowned further and looked down to her brother. "Let's just go now," Marissa said as she and Phineas went back into the kitchen.
The dinner was held in silence between the three siblings. By now, Candace had trudged upstairs and locked herself in her room. Upon hearing the sound of their older sibling's room door slamming, Phineas looked to Marissa sadly. "She's really upset," Phineas said, "Was the fight that bad?"
Marissa didn't answer. How could she? She had only been able to see the very end of the argument, right before Jeremy left. It was painful to watch, to be honest.
"She has a tendency to overreact," Ferb stated, causing heads to turn, "Female hormones and such. Our dear older sister will be fine."
"…Yeah," Marissa said, poking at her food, "Sure she will…"
"Sis," Phineas said to Marissa, "Are you…okay? Candace didn't-."
"Maybe a little," Marissa admitted sadly, "I try and I try, but…sigh…it's the same thing every time. Why can't I just brush it off for once? I've survived Mitch, the Second Dimension, and many other crazy things, but…I'm still such a big baby, aren't I?"
"No you're not," Phineas said, "It's not your fault that Candace's mood affects you. It affects all of us."
"I guess so," Marissa said, "But…I've been thinking a lot about the things she's been saying to me lately and…well…Phineas? Ferb? Our friends…err…your friends, I guess…they're…my friends, too, right?"
"Of course!" Phineas said, "Why wouldn't they be?"
"Well…I can't help but feel that they're only friends with me because you two are around…especially Isabella."
Phineas raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What makes you say that?" he asked obliviously.
Marissa gave a brief smile to the younger brother, while Ferb seemed to be smirking a little himself. "Ooh, nothing, nothing," she said, resisting the urge to scratch her ear, "I just…have this feeling, you know?"
"Well, you don't have to worry," Phineas said with a bright smile, "Isabella loves you! You two are like sisters! And Baljeet and Buford think you're pretty cool-."
"-For a girl," Ferb added, "As Buford would put it."
"Let's not forget the Fireside Girls," Phineas said, "They look up to you…uh…literally, but-."
"I get it, Phineas," Marissa said, her smile weakening, "But…sigh…maybe it's just me…maybe it's me letting these feelings get the better of me again…"
"What feelings?" Phineas tilted his head, "What are you talking about?"
"…Candace is right you know," Marissa murmured, "All I ever do is…try…I never seem to do anything."
"What?" Phineas said, "That's ridiculous! You do a lot of stuff!"
"Oh, really?" Marissa said with doubt, "Well, if I do, it's nothing spectacular, like what you and Ferb do all the time. I only help out with the projects. I can't build nearly as well as you guys can. Not even as well as Buford…no offense to him or…anything…if he were here, he'd probably threaten me, now that I think about it…"
Marissa shuddered at the thought. "Just, forget I said that," she said.
"Marissa, I don't think you need to worry about anything," Phineas said, "You're a part of us, and as such you play as much of a role as the rest of us does."
Ferb gave a thumbs up in response to Phineas' words, yet Marissa sighed. "I…wish I could believe that," she said, "Look, it's…getting late…I'm gonna go to bed early, okay?"
Marissa stood and proceeded to leave.
"Wait," Phineas said, "Marissa…do you…need to talk about it?"
"Nah, bro," Marissa smiled a little, "Don't worry. I just…need to be alone right now, okay?"
"…O…okay," Phineas said, a little saddened as his sister left up to their room; Phineas looked over to Ferb, "I'm worried about her, Ferb."
"I'm worried about everyone right now," Ferb sighed, "But…I'm sure it'll sort itself out. They just need to be alone right now."
"…Yeah…I…I guess they do."
Marissa entered her room, which she shared with Phineas and Ferb, and proceeded to throw herself onto her pink-themed bed, groaning sourly. She shuffled into a laying position, glancing over to a sleeping Perry as she did. The teal platypus was lying on his back on top of Ferb's bed, his body twitching from a dream. Marissa sighed.
"I wish I were an animal," she said to herself, "Then I wouldn't have a care in the world…but…then again, Perry…" she proceeded to face-palm, "What is with me sounding so insensitive without meaning to be today?"
A lot had been on Marissa's mind lately, it seemed, and she didn't think more than she did at this very moment. It didn't help that Candace could be brutally honest when she wanted to be, and that Marissa took her sister's words very seriously. It cut pretty deep this time, even if she had mentally prepared herself.
Why couldn't she make any friends of her own? Well…she supposed it was because she was too shy. She had always spent a majority of her time with Phineas ever since he was born. So much time that she wasn't used to leaving his side to join any other group of friends; sure, there were a few exceptions, like Carl…but…Carl was always busy, and…
…That was the only exception, was there?
Had she even spent time with any of Candace's friends before? There was Stacey, but Stacey still spent a majority of her time with Candace, considering that they were best friends. She'd talked to Jeremy, though she didn't think that bringing him into the equation was a good idea at the moment. It wasn't that she was mad at Jeremy for what happened that day, it was more because she knew that she'd feel bad if she even thought about him. Not that feeling bad wasn't the problem here anyway, given that she was feeling pretty low as it was.
Marissa felt the need to cry out to the heavens and ask why God made her the way she was. Why was she so shy? Why was it that all she ever did was "try"? Why wasn't anything she did good enough. Why…?
She had support from her family, sure, but…there was plenty of doubt. Phineas would never lie to her, nor would Ferb, and even if they did it was obvious (more so on Phineas' part than Ferb's, of course). But Candace wouldn't lie to her either, and it seemed that Candace's words were different from her brother's. Brutal, mean…what did Marissa ever do to Candace, anyway? Maybe it was a sibling thing that Marissa didn't know well enough about?
Marissa removed her glasses, which she placed on the side, and rubbed her face before she pulled the covers over herself, groaning. She looked up at the ceiling, which Phineas and Ferb had recently painted glowing stars onto…or at least Marissa thought that they must've. She didn't remember there being stars on the ceiling. Regardless, Marissa continued to stare up, silently but very much awake.
"…Is it true…am I really not that important…?"
"I dunno. Why are you asking me for?"
"Well…you're pretty rude, aren't…wait…"
Marissa sat up, looking back to Perry, who continued to sleep. She glanced around in surprise. "Candace," she said, "Was that you?"
"Who's Candace? Is she a candy-cane monster with chocolate hair and butterscotch toes? If so, I'm pretty hungry right now and that sounds really GOOD."
Marissa slowly slipped out of her bed as she continued to look around. "Uh…who…well…where are you?" she asked, "Who are you?"
"Oh. You can't see me? I'm up here!"
Marissa looked back to the ceiling covered in stars, and immediately she realized that the ceiling itself had been torn open, revealing some kind of tear within the fabric of the universe. That's the only way she could possibly describe it, given how the oddity seemed to start crumbling just a bit onto the floor. Marissa slowly took a step back in awe as she stared at what looked like a distorted outer space.
"Whoa…" she managed, "What…what the…?"
"You're talking too much, and I'm getting bored."
"Wh-wha-?"
"Goodnight now."
With that, suddenly, everything went dark.
She thought it had been a dream, so she simply brushed it off as she woke up for the next day. Marissa still found her spirits low, but she admitted that a good night's rest did wonders for her depleting enthusiasm. Her eyes cracked open only a little as she squinted around, reaching over to grab her glasses.
Marissa's eyes widened as she felt nothing but air, her vision being nothing without her eyewear. "…Phineas?" she called for, "Ferb? If this is a joke, then that's fine, but I don't get it."
Marissa turned her head in several directions, suddenly feeling a little unnerved. Even with her poor vision, she could tell that this didn't look anything like her room. "Uh…guys?" she asked a little softer, "Phineas…hello…anybody?"
That was when Marissa's senses seemed to return to her entirely, suddenly realizing that she had lost them upon finally being able to feel the grass she had been lying on. Marissa let out a soft gasp. "…What the heck?"
"Ooh, you're awake! Finally!"
That voice…that voice from her…this…wasn't a dream, was it?
"Must be hard to not be able to see without these things, huh? Here!"
With that, Marissa felt her glasses being shoved onto her face, nearly knocking her over in the process. As Marissa adjusted herself and her vision, before her was a teen about her height staring down at her. Or what looked to be a teen…in all honestly, she looked a bit odd.
Sure, the teenager looked human; she had brown hair that was tied in a strange but organic side pony-tail that had some frizzes from being unkempt. She wore a dark blue shirt with a hood on it that had yellow lining, and under the shirt was a long-sleeved black shirt. Around her neck was a smooth red gemstone that was tied around her neck with a golden chain.
Her skirt consisted of fabric that made it look like she was wearing a flower with six large petals that were in a black and white pattern. Her tights also seemed to follow this pattern, the right leg being black while the other leg was white. Her flats, again, seemed to follow this pattern, though they were switched, the white shoe being on her right foot, and her black show being on her left.
All of this, though a little strange, struck Marissa as at least a little normal. She'd seen plenty of people dressing up in this weird attire before, probably for some kind of convention like the ones she and her brothers went to sometimes. No. What struck her as odd was the fact that the grinning teenager had purple eyes, which indicated that she couldn't possibly be human.
Unless they were those special colored contacts, that is…hm…
"Hello, human child," the teen spoke in a kooky, high-pitched voice that grated Marissa's ears, "You have been graced with the presence of Galladia, the Greatest Warrior of All Magi!"
The teen cackled a little before she leaned forward into Marissa's face rather intrudingly. "That being me," she said, "I am Galladia. Galladia Smackerwacker, to be more precise and pristine and what have you."
"Ga…lladdia?"
"No, no, no, not with TWO d's! One d! One! And it's Galladia Smackerwacker; do you not know how to be formal?"
"Well, I," Marissa squinted a bit, "I'm very sorry if...wait...how can you even tell how many ds I'm pronouncing?"
The teen, now known as Galladia, gave an 'isn't it obvious' kind of look. "I can read, that's how!" she said, "Can you not do the same?"
Marissa, who had never felt so in the dark in all of her life, rose an eyebrow at Galladia, on the verge of a headache. Galladia furrowed her eyebrows slightly. "Huh…" she shrugged, "Must that you cannot, then. I didn't realize that you creatures lacked the knowledge of reading."
Marissa glared. "Hey, I can-!"
"Doesn't really matter," Galladia shrugged, "We must begin business immediately!"
Galladia proceeded to sit on the soft grass floor Indian Style, and stared up at Marissa as if she waited for her to do something. Galladia motioned to the floor. "Well, c'mon, sit," she ordered.
Marissa obeyed, a blank slate on her face. Galladia failed to notice. "Now," she said, "As the Greatest Warrior, I have many rights to the universe. THIS galaxy in particular."
Galladia proceeded to laugh more. "That's because I live in this said galaxy…sorta…kinda…well, more like in between dimensions, and-."
"-Where am I, exactly?" Marissa found herself interrupting.
"Hm?" Galladia proceeded to glare, "Where are you, good sir? Where are we, I hope you meant. I'm not simply the dust of the wind, thank you very much!"
Marissa flinched at this, and lowered her head a bit timidly. "W-well…I'm very sorry," she apologized, "That was a little rude of me."
"I should say," Galladia said with a nod, "Now, where were we…ah yes! We-!"
"Wait a minute," Marissa said, "Now you're being rude, aren't you?"
"Hm? Now, how am I-?"
"I asked you a question, and you didn't answer."
"…I don't have to answer, you-."
"I want to know where we are, please?"
Galladia sighed. "Fine, fine," she grumbled, "I don't like explaining things. They consist of details among details that people don't even care to mention these days. I mention them, though, because regardless of their importance, I feel like they feel sad if they aren't spoken of. And I say to myself, if I was in their position, I'd feel sad too. So, of course, I'm forced into a position where I must please everyone in order to make myself happy as well."
Galladia looked back into Marissa's eyes, blinking. "…What was I talking about again?"
"Uh…you…were going to tell me where we were?"
"Hm…oh, yes. We're currently sitting on grass, and-."
"I don't think you understand. Where are we exactly?"
"Ooooooh, you mean the place in-oh, I apologize, my mind tends to wander a lot and-!"
"-Ahem!"
"Oh, yes, sorry! Silly me!"
Galladia let out yet another strange laugh that was already starting to annoy Marissa a little. The obviously crazed teen cleared her throat. "We are in my Garden, of course," Galladia answered, "It is where all Magi live in. Their own personal pocket dimension, I believe you'd call it. We like to call it Gardens, though, since we've got the plant theme going and such. I mean, hello-!"
Galladia stood once more, and shook her hips back and forth. "Have you SEEN my skirt? I would think it's obvious! I even have a flower hat that I usually wear, but I lost it in the see of forgetfulness it seems. Such a same. I loved that hat as if it were my son, and I lost it. And when you lose something like that, you feel empty. And when you're empty…"
Marissa sat and listened to Galladia's ramble for what felt like hours. She proceeded to drifting into her own thoughts as she wondered why she was summoned to the "Garden" in the first place. Most of her concerns lied with Phineas and her siblings, who she assumed was worried. Not to mention her parents; they may be very upset at this moment, wouldn't they?
Or would they?
Wait? What? Why would she even consider that? Marissa Flynn, what are you even talking about?!
"-and when I'm hungry, I get feisty, and when I'm feisty I am a force to be reckoned with, which means that I spread fear to all lifeforms. Do you understand me, child?"
"…Uh…yeah, I…sure."
Galladia smiled. "Very good," she said, "I must say, I admire your set of ears. Usually, people would fall asleep by now during my rants. Perhaps you're not as rude as I first thought."
"…Sure. Let's…go with that, then?"
"Yes, we shall," Galladia nodded in a pleased manner, "I must ask you, though, what is your title?"
Marissa blinked. "My…title?"
"Your name, child, what is your name?"
"Oh. Uh…Marissa Flynn."
"Marissa Flynn…hm…what battalion do you fight alongside?"
"F-fight?!"
"Why, of course," Galladia said, "You must have some kind of tribe, yes? An army of sorts?"
"Uh…well…no," Marissa said awkwardly, "I mean, I have a family, but we don't fight things…uh…that often, I mean."
Galladia blinked in utter confusion. "Your words confuse me," she said, "What is…feh-mi-lee?"
"Family," Marissa said, "It's a group of people who take care of each other and love each other."
Galladia continued to stare in lack of any understanding. "Your words still stand odd to me, Marissa Flynn," she admitted, "I wish I had more time to understand these things…"
Marissa frowned. "What do you mean by that?"
Galladia sighed. "As a Warrior, I'm ordered by my people's law to over siege your planet and take it as my own," she explained solemnly, "As is tradition of my people."
A long silence befell the two of them as Marissa proceeded to process what Galladia told her. Galladia suddenly grinned, and clapped her hands together. "Well, how unfortunate," she said, much more excitedly than she had been before, "Now, as my prisoner, you are to relinquish all information of your planet's weaknesses to me!"
Galladia let out a small cheer as she clapped her hands like a small child. Marissa's eyes became the size of billiard balls. "Wait…WHAT?!" she shrieked, "Wh-what do you mean over-seige?! You're-you're going to-?!"
"Take over your planet?" Galladia asked, "Why yes. Yes I am. See? You are very smart. It's a good thing I chose you, otherwise I would've chosen an idiot who knew nothing of this planet's weaknesses; aren't I lucky to have found you?"
Galladia's grin widened. "Do not worry," she continued, "I will only wipe out half of the inhabitants. I will not kill you; especially if your give me the information I require! How does that sound?"
Marissa proceeded to pale, hugging her knees as all of this seemed to hit her hard. She shuddered, fear overwhelming her body. Galladia watched in confusion, he smile turning into a frown. "…Marissa Flynn?" she asked, "Are you…in a convulsion…?"
Marissa didn't answer. Oh my god…this can't be happening, this…let this be a dream, let this be a dream…Phineas, where are you?!
"O-oh dear-!" Galladia squeaked a bit before leaning towards Marissa, grabbing her shoulders, "Marissa Flynn! Can you hear me?! Oh dear, oh dear, I didn't break her, did I?! Why does this always happen?!"
Galladia proceeded to poke at Marissa, trying to grab her attention. "Marissa Flynn, I order you to stop hyperventilating! By noble decree!"
Marissa seemed to listen, and slowly calmed down. Galladia grinned happily at this. "See?" she asked, "Now, let's calm down, and-."
Suddenly, Marissa proceeded to push Galladia over as she leap-frog-jumped over her, and ran through the Garden that seemed to resemble a Labyrinth with several "rooms" that consisted of plant-life, rivers, small creatures, and what have you. Galladia was stunned for a moment before she realized what had happened. The crazed teen suddenly got very excited.
"Ooh, is it playtime already?! Huzzah!"
Candace folded her hands together, leaning them onto her forehead as she tried to remain completely calm. Phineas and Ferb, as they watched their sister start to turn red, slowly backed up a few inches. In spite much effort, Candace ended up exploded, towering over her brothers. "What do you mean she's not in your room?!" she asked vigorously, "Where else could she be right now?!"
"That's what we said," Phineas said with a shrug, though his eyes were filled with worry, "Marissa's not there, and she's nowhere else in the house either."
Candace proceeded to rub her temples furiously. "What the heck is she doing…?" she asked, "What the heck…?"
"Well, whatever it is," Phineas said, "I'm really worried. She never leaves the house without saying anything, and she certainly doesn't go anywhere without me."
Ferb watched his step-siblings argue over Marissa's disappearance with the same expression he had for everything. They had headed upstairs no less than ten minutes ago, and found that Marissa wasn't in her bed as she had initially said she would. Phineas checked the bathroom before he started to panic a little. The brothers had proceeded to look all over the house, and found that Marissa had generally disappeared completely.
"Well, this is just PERFECT!" Candace finally groaned, "Why, why does she feel the need to drive me insane today of all days?!"
"Candace, please," Phineas said, "You're not being fair! And besides, is this really the time to-?"
"Of course not," Candace seethed, "No, no, no, my feelings are never that important, only Marissa's feelings because she's such a god-damn saint!"
And that's when Phineas' inner-rage had wreaked its ugly head from the recesses of his mind.
"SHUT UP, CANDACE!"
Candace froze while Ferb's eyes widened a centimeter at his brother's sudden rage that only seemed to appear so often in his lifetime. Phineas growled angrily at his older sister and pointed at her, poking her flat chest roughly. "You listen here," he said, "Had you just shut up and let us help you maybe we wouldn't be HAVING this conversation! Obviously, Marissa probably felt really bad about what YOU said! It's not HER fault that you had such a bad day, and it's not ours either! Yet you've been so focused on your own anger that you didn't even care! How stupid and selfish can you be?!"
Candace stared down at Phineas, her jaw gaped open. Phineas' anger slowly disintegrated as he panted, realizing what he had said. Ferb gave a small blank stare of disapproval that Phineas could feel on the back of his head. "I-I…my gosh, Candace, I," Phineas shrank back a little, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to say all of-."
"No," Candace cut her brother off, raising a hand up, "You're…you're right…I shouldn't have said those things to her…it wasn't her fault that Jeremy's mad at me…she was…only trying to help."
Phineas and Ferb glanced to each other silently before looking back to their older sister, who seemed to find a resolve. "We have to find her," Candace said, "Maybe she went over to Isabella's?"
Phineas smiled. "That's a great idea!" he said, "We should go check right away!"
Candace stood. "I'll get the phone."
"No time," Phineas said as he ran out the room, "I'll go check myself!"
Candace and Ferb stared after their younger brother strangely, with Candace being more incredulous than Ferb. "You're in your PJs, Phineas!" she said, "You need to change!"
"NO TIME!"
The front door slammed.
Candace and Ferb stared at each other before they quickly went to follow Phineas. The three siblings ran over to the Garcia-Sharpio's house across the street, with Phineas already knocking on their door before Candace and Ferb could even catch up to him. Isabella answered, in her pajamas, looking very tired, perhaps even slightly annoyed. "Phineas?" she asked, a little happier due to her crush's presence, "What are you doing here?"
"We're looking for Marissa," Phineas said, "She's disappeared. We were wondering if she was at your house or not?"
"Marissa…disappeared?" Isabella frowned, "I'm sorry about that…but…she's not here, Phineas. Sorry."
"That's alright," Phineas said, a little disappointedly, "Well, I guess that means she's at Baljeet's."
"Or Buford," Isabella suggested, earning a confused look from everyone, "It'd be the last place we'd look, right?"
"Good point," Phineas said, "Okay, let's go to Buford's then!"
As Phineas, Ferb, and Candace went ahead, Isabella pulled her head back towards to inside of her house and called out, "MAMI! Phineas is looking for Marissa! I'm going with him!"
Half-asleep on the couch, Vivian, Isabella's mother, answered, "Of course, just be sure to get back before your bedtime mija…"
Isabella left as her mother proceeded to fall asleep.
Marissa ran as fast as she could, looking for some kind of exit. There had to be a way out of this Garden, pocket dimension or whatever it really was if that psychopath could figure out a way to open a way to her own room. She just had to find it.
Unless Galladia opened portals on her own; then Marissa would be screwed.
But she couldn't be screwed, otherwise-.
Marissa found herself beginning to hyperventilate.
"C-calm down, Marissa," she said to herself as she stopped to lean on a wall-like hedge, "You need to relax. Just…uh…OH! My phone! I can just call Phineas!"
Marissa took out her cellphone and began to dial her brother's number. She waited a while for Phineas to respond, only for the phone to sound static. Marissa looked confused and pulled back, staring at her device. She groaned.
"Right," Marissa said, "Of course there'd probably be no reception in a pocket dimension…"
Suddenly, the phone was levitating up from Marissa's hand, and it was crushed by some kind of invisible force. The device was then tossed over another side of the Labyrinth, never to be seen again. Marissa turned around to see Galladia, surfing on vines like a giant wave, wearing the biggest smile that could ever be smiled in physical form. "Remember, calling friends for help is cheating~!" she exclaimed with delight, "Now let's play!"
Marissa screamed as she continued to run for her life.
"Wow, Marissa Flynn, you're fast!" Galladia said, "I didn't know that you were a natural at tag! Do humans play that game? Well, they invented it, I suppose, otherwise they wouldn't be nearly this fast!"
She thinks this is a game?! Marissa thought. She's a real nut-job, isn't she?!
Moments later, Galladia looked up to the sky, which had both a sun and a moon, making it day and night all at once in the Garden. So how she managed to use the celestial bodies as a method for telling the time, Marissa would never be able to figure out. "Oh, darn it all," Galladia pouted, "It's getting late. We're gonna have to stop our game very soon."
Galladia disappeared.
Marissa slid to a stop as she found that the wave of vines slowly returned to the ground before, almost as if the said ground had never been altered. Marissa took some breaths, and turned to continue her run, before she was met with the face of Galladia, and fell back. Galladia inched forward while Marissa kept crab-walking away, until her arms and legs were too tired. Then, as Marissa began shielding herself, Galladia poked the other teen on the forehead.
"Tag," Galladia said rather cheerfully, "I win."
Marissa paused, slowly looking back up to Galladia with wide eyes. Galladia grinned. "I have won the game," she said, "Now, shall we discuss your planet's weaknesses?"
Before Galladia could get a response, Marissa ran through one of the hedges, and kept running. Galladia stared before it donned on her. "Oh, now we're playing hide-and-seek," she said, "This'll be fun! I'm good at hide-and-seek!"
Galladia proceeded to levitate herself into the air, allowing herself to peruse the entire Labyrinth. She giggled. "Well, I never said I played fair," she said, "But I must; this has been fun and all, but really now, Marissa Flynn, we must discuss important matters!"
Galladia hummed to herself. "Now…I spy with my little eye…something…"
Galladia pointed at a figure, running through her Labyrinth. "HUMAN!"
Galladia then shot forward like a bullet, and proceeded to crash right in front of Marissa, who wasn't able to stop fast enough. The impact caused an eruption, which pushed Marissa back, and shoved her onto the ground with a thud. Her head sustained the most from the impact, and Marissa moaned in pain.
Galladia poked her head out from the hole that she had created, and she popped out like a weasel as she giggled. She waddled over to Marissa excitedly. "Ooh, that was so much fun," she said, "But, I found you! I found you, Marissa Flynn!"
Galladia let out a laugh that should be noted as her trademark by now. "So, may we discuss important matters?" she asked, "Or-or we can play ANOTHER game! Yeah! Just one more! Please!?"
In spite knowing the direness of her mission, Galladia suddenly realized that this was far more fun, and waited for a proper response from the human girl…who didn't move. Or budge. Or…breath…
Galladia stared. "…Marissa Flynn? Are you awake?"
The girl didn't stir, almost as if life had left her body. Galladia let out a strained laugh. "Uh…c'mon, Marissa Flynn," she said, "This is no time to nap. You slept plenty today."
Not even a groan. By now, Galladia was losing patience. "Marissa Flynn, I demand that you wake up, by the decree of the Greatest Magi Warrior!"
Still no response; Marissa remained completely still and lifeless. Galladia's eyes filled with horror, and her rare frown seemed to return. She spoke two words that Marissa would've probably marveled at. "…Uh-oh…"
Galladia grunted as she proceeded to drag Marissa's unconscious body across the grass floor over to a pond that resided in the middle of the Garden. The Magi, finally able to reach her destination, began to pant as she fell over on her back. Even for a warrior, Galladia appeared to be very much out of shape in spite her skinny body. After a ten minute rest, Galladia rose to her feet, plucked a flower from the ground that resembled a cup like plant, filled it with water, and walked over to Marissa as she stared at her momentarily.
Marissa shot up awake as she felt water being poured onto her face. Her head flung up and hit Galladia square in the forehead upon revival, causing the Magi to fall over in pain. The crazier of the two teens whine in pain, while Marissa tried to her best to stay far away from her as her memories immediately returned to her. "Owie," Galladia whined, "What was that for!?"
"You spooked me!" Marissa said, "You shouldn't wake people up like that!"
"I was only trying to help you!" Galladia retorted, "My goodness, and we were getting off on a good start, I thought!"
"H-help me?!" Marissa shrieked out, feeling angry all of a sudden, "You're trying to take over my planet! How is that helping?!"
Galladia glared, though more out of confusion than true anger. "You make that sound like it's such a bad thing," she said flatly.
"IT IS! It's a very bad thing! Especially if you plan on wiping out half of my race!"
Galladia scoffed, crossing her arms. "Well, how in the world would you know anyway? You're just a non-Magi, you don't think like we do."
"Oh, so that justifies taking away people's homes?!" Marissa yelled, "Yeah, right, that makes SO MUCH sense! How would you feel if your planet was taken over?!"
Galladia's glare suddenly softened as she looked away. There was a strange silence that befell the two of them, and Galladia's cheery disposition turned into a slouch of depression. She murmured lowly, "It was…"
Okay, why was it that Marissa was actually surprised at this?
"…What?"
"It was taken over…we used to live on another planet, you see. Then we came and…we…we lived here for a while."
"You lived here?" Marissa asked, "That is to say…you lived on earth?"
"Yes," Galladia said, "We did…and it's a nice planet, it really is…then," she glared, "You filthy creatures came and wiped us all out like a bunch of savages!"
"Wiped you all out?" Marissa said, "Well, that's not fair to say, given you're here!"
"Why, of course," Galladia said, "I was the only one who managed to survive! Honestly, you'd think some people would learn as time goes on..."
Marissa's heart dropped these words, and watched as Galladia began to sit on the grass, contemplating to herself. "Oh…oh my," Marissa said, "I'm so sorry about…wow."
"'Wow' would be a statement that implies that what happened was amazing," Galladia glowered, "My people's extinction wasn't amazing at all. It was horrid. It was…was…awful…"
Marissa's heart filled with compassion for Galladia, and she didn't know why. Especially given that seconds later, Galladia's grin returned, and the Magi clapped her hands together. "Well, no time for reminiscing," she said, "We need to plan out your world's destruction!"
"You still want to take over my home?"
"Yep! I have to! It's what I do!"
Marissa blinked. "Why?"
"Why? WHY?!" Galladia paused, suddenly sounding very confused with herself, "Why do I do it?"
Marissa nodded. "Yes," she said, "Why do you take over planets?"
Galladia blinked at Marissa before shuffling awkwardly. She seemed to be thinking a bit before she came up with a proper answer. "Well...to be honest," Galladia said, "This is the first planet I've ever tried to take over. I've been stuck in my Garden for some time, now."
"Stuck?" Marissa asked curiously, "How so?"
"Well," Galladia motioned to the pond they were by, "You see this pond right here?"
Marissa looked into the pristine waters, looking into her reflection. It was as smooth as glass, with the exception of small ripples. Galladia walked over next to her, placing a finger into the water. "This is called the Fountain of Sincerity," Galladia explained, "It only speaks to those of pure hearts, and it's said to open the eyes of the foolish ones. Do you know what that means, Marissa Flynn?"
Marissa shook her head. "I doubt I do," she said.
"It means that this fountain contains unlimited knowledge of the universe," Galladia said, "It's seen, it's smelt, it's experienced all that life has to offer. There were many ponds like this one, all of which resided in Gardens like mine. We used these ponds to help us figure things out that we never could discover on our own. The Magi were a race who were supposed to be all-knowing because of this. We were supposed to be gods..."
Galladia looked away. "But then," she said, "The ponds stopped talking to us. They became still. And we were unable to defend ourselves when disaster struck. To this day, I wonder what exactly went wrong, and I have tried many years to find the answer."
"What does that have to do with why you were stuck here?" Marissa asked.
"Because the pond serves another purpose as well," Galladia said, "It is the doorway from my world to yours. Without its power, I cannot open it, and if I cannot open it I remain in this world...by myself...with no other Magi."
Galladia chuckled, much darker than she had before. Marissa took a couple steps back, before Galladia grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "BY! MY! SELF!" Galladia laughed, "Isn't that awesome?! So much alone time! EEHEEHEE!"
Marissa started to feel a little dizzy, to which Galladia could not notice during her current meltdown. Eventually, the Magi calmed herself, and she released Marissa, who tried to assess her vision once more. Galladia referred back to the pond, not noticing the look Marissa was giving her. "As you can tell," Galladia said, "The pond has finally reawakened, and I was able to open a portal to your fortress."
"You mean my room?"
"Yes," Galldia said, "I suppose so."
"But...that doesn't explain why you want to take over my planet," Marissa said, "Sure, it explains why you hadn't acted until now, but...is this really what you want?"
"Of course!" Galladia said, "I must take over so that I may have a place to raise my offspring!" Galladia looked away, almost as if talking to someone else, "If I get offspring," she looked back to Marissa, "That way, our kind can spread out once more, and live their lives as their past lives could not!"
Marissa rubbed her arms a little. "Well," she said, "You can...not take over and still do that?"
"...I fail to see what you are implying," Galladia said, eyeing Marissa.
"You look pretty human," Marissa said, "For something that isn't. You can pass off as one of us without hurting anyone. Wouldn't it be safer if the Magi lived among us with the knowledge of their existence a secret?"
Galladia hummed to herself for a bit, rubbing her chin. "That could work, actually," she admitted, "Not to mention that it would be much easier than taking over, that's for sure...but..."
Marissa sweated a little. "But...?"
"But there's one problem," Galladia said, "With your plan, that is."
"Yeah? What's that?"
"You know about me and my people, Marissa Flynn," Galladia said, "How do I know you won't just tell people about me?"
Marissa shook her head. "I swear, that is not my intention," she said, "You're just looking for a place to live...uh...I think...and as long as you remain peaceful, I'm sure that everyone will just leave you alone."
"...You really think that, huh?"
"I know. In fact, aliens have come to our world plenty of times before. They went completely unnoticed."
Galladia's grin amplified once more. "Well, alright then," she said, "I'll take your words into consideration, Marissa Flynn."
Marissa sighed in relief. "Oh, thank god," she said, "You really will?"
"Yes," Galladia said, "I did want an excuse to explore the planet anyway. If I like how it looks and such, I think I will spare the planet's inhabitants."
Marissa chuckled nervously. "That's...that's good, I suppose."
"Indeed it is," Galladia nodded. She frowned a little sadly, "I must apologize. I did not mean to cause you injury, Marissa Flynn, that was a mistake on my part. I have wronged you."
Galladia bowed respectively at Marissa, who stared at her for a moment. "As a Magi, I must take responsibility for my actions," she said, "Forgive me, Marissa Flynn."
Marissa had the right mind to smack Galladia in the back of the head for the trauma that she had caused for her. Instead, Marissa slowly began to smile at the guilty Magi, crossing her arms. Marissa nodded a bit at Galladia.
"Marissa."
Galladia rose her head up, blinking. "Hm?"
"You can call me Marissa," Marissa chuckled, "I'm sorry, but you're sounding way too formal for my taste."
"Well, I would assume that all other planets are formal," Galladia said, "It's customary, is it not?"
"Yeah, if you're an ambassador or delegate," Marissa said, "At least...I think that's how it works. In any case, you don't need to be formal with me. I'm just a regular human girl, I won't be offended. If anything, calling me by my full name annoys me a little."
"I see," Galladia hummed to herself, then nodded in resolve, "Very well, Marissa Fl...Marissa. You may call me Gala. It's much simpler than Galladia Smackerwacker."
Marissa laughed a little. "By far, indeed," she said with a nod, "Gala it is, then. It's...a very nice name."
"Thank you," Galladia said with a vigorous nod, "I very much find your name to be appealing as well!"
"Now, uh..." Marissa rubbed her arms awkwardly as she eyed the pond, "Do you...think that I can get back home now?"
Galladia continued to stare at Marissa, another frown on her face. "So soon?" she asked, a little disappointed, "I...I wanted to play more...are you sure you want to leave now?"
Marissa shrugged a bit. "I'm sorry, Gala," she said, "But I'm pretty sure that my family's worried about me...except for Candace, that is."
"Who?"
"Eh, she's my older sister...she doesn't act like it all the time, though, but what can you do? She tries. We both do..."
Especially me...after all, that's...all I do, right?
"You have an older sibling, then?" Galladia nodded, "Ah, yes. I know the feeling."
Marissa blinked in wonder. "You...you had siblings?"
"Why, yes, I did," Galladia nodded, "But...they were...uh...interesting is the word, I suppose. It's a long story, but let's say that they became blood-thirsty after a while..." Galladia shuddered, "It wasn't a pleasant evening. We'll leave it at that, I hope."
Marissa winced. "I suppose you had family troubles, then?" she asked.
"Seriously, what is a fem-uh-lee?" Galladia shook her head, "Oh, never mind that. Yeah. I guess I did. But, I moved on; my siblings were banished a long time ago to different dimensions, so I'm pretty sure they're alive. But where is the question? Not that I'm gonna go off in a search for them of course, I mean, I don't think I ever liked them...or did I? Really the only genuine relationship I had was with my mentor, and he-."
Galladia looked back to Marissa, who by now had zoned out. Galladia didn't seem to notice, and grinned. "Hey! Tell me about your sibling units! I'd like to know about them!"
Marissa blinked, then smiled a little. "Well...I guess I have some time to tell you about myself," she said, "I have three siblings...well, actually, I have four, but Leah's back in England. I wonder how she's doing...we get along fine, Leah and I. As for my other siblings, there's my little brother Phineas, who I would literally give my life up for. Seriously, he means that much to me. And who could blame me? He's a frigging saint!"
"A saint?" Galladia squinted, "Oh, no, he can't be that pure, can he?"
Marissa nodded. "Hell yeah," she said with a smirk, "He's the best little brother a girl could have. I'm always with him, and he's always with me. Of course, he's also always with Ferb; that's my other little brother. Ferb's got a way with words in it that he rarely uses them, but I think that makes him the most level-headed among us. We're not related, Ferb and I, but we are pretty close."
Galladia, once again, looked confused. "You...excepted a non-blood into your battalion?" she asked, "I...I haven't heard of that in a while...those are rare. Usually made up of several battalions who have either been destroyed or torn a part."
Marissa chuckled a little. "Well, we're not a battalion," she said, "As I said, we don't go into battles...you know, intentionally. That's another story, though. And we already brought up Candace...sigh..."
"You appear to be sad about this Candace. Did something happen recently?"
Marissa looked to Galladia whose eyes were filled with concern. It amazed her, really; one moment Galladia was chasing her down, wanting to take over her home. The next? She was suddenly acting as if she wanted to help Marissa with what was bothering her...a total stranger wanted to cheer her up? It was weird...
"I shouldn't be laying this on you," Marissa said, "I mean, we only just met. I don't wanna put that kind of weight on someone I don't even know. I'd...feel really bad."
"Oh, trust me," Galladia said, not understanding that what Marissa said was a metaphor, "We Magi are very strong. We could lift boulders if we wanted."
Marissa blinked. "Uh...right," she said, "Are you sure?"
"Trust me," Galladia said, placing a hand on Marissa's shoulder, "If there's something you need to get off your chest, you might as well do it now. Besides, we got off on the wrong footing. I owe you a greater debt than this."
Marissa hesitated, while Galladia seemed to urge her. The long-necked girl stared at Galladia, who smiled reassuringly; the first truly serious thing that Marissa had seen her do. With that, Marissa took a deep breath, and exhaled as such. Then, out of nowhere, Marissa began to speak in rapidity, not stopping to breath.
"So, okay, my sister got into a fight with her boyfriend, and she's really upset about it and stuff. So upset that she didn't even get up to eat anything, or do anything, or whatever. It was worrying everyone, including me, so I decided to go and talk to her and cheer her up. But all I did was get her angry at me for some reason and she started saying that my friends aren't really my friends, that I'm completely useless, and that I should curl up in a hole and die. Okay, maybe that last one's a bit of an exaggeration, but that's what she was thinking I know it!"
She continued, "And she's right! I can't do anything without my brothers, especially Phineas! I lack the confidence and I lack the skill-set, and everything! And my friends are their friends too, so how do I know if they're really my friends if they're hanging around them all the time? I don't remember hanging out with them one-on-one! I mean, maybe I have, but I'm so confused and stuff right now, and I really don't know what to-GASP!"
Marissa grabbed her shirt, stopping herself so she could catch her breath. Marissa fell to her knees, groaning as she gained energy back. She fell to her face regardless, and muttered into the ground below, "So...that's my problem..."
Galladia stared. My, she is a chatterbox, isn't she? I wonder if people have problems listening to her...ah well. Lucky for her, I'm a great listener!
"So, let me see if I understand," Galladia said, "Your sister got mad at her male-friend, then she got mad at you, and tried to kill you by tossing you into a hole. Then, your brothers skills saved you...or something...though this part was exaggerated?"
Marissa rose her head up, and went into a sitting position. "No, no," she said, "My sister got into a fight with her boyfriend...uh...her...possible mate, that is to say."
"Ah, so she holds romantic feelings for this boy," Galladia nodded, "And...they suffered a conflict?"
"Yes," Marissa said, "She depressed because of it, and I tried to cheer her up. But I only got her angrier, and...she...said some things. Things that hurt, and...things that made me think a lot..."
Galladia sat in front of Marissa as she continued, "Galladia...what if I'm not...important? What purpose do I even have? Do they even care? Do I even care!? I thought I did, but now I've gotten to the point where I...don't understand..."
Marissa rubbed her face, moving her glasses up to her forehead. "Is it true...am I...unimportant?"
"I dunno. Why are you asking me?"
Marissa rose her head up and stared at Galladia flatly. "Wow," she said, "Thanks for the much needed sympathy, Gala."
"No, really," Galladia said, "We've only just met. I wouldn't be able to know the answer for you."
"Well, who else would know, anyway? My brothers? The pond?"
Marissa looked back to the said pond, tempted to use that to answer her question only for Galladia to reach over to cup her face. "I was thinking you'd know," Galldia smiled, resting her hands back to her lap, "No one knows you better than you, after all. That's what my mentor said once."
"Yeah, but," Marissa scratched her head, "What if I'm wrong? What if I'm just saying it to boost my own ego?"
"I'd think that you worrying about that means that you aren't that kind of person," Galladia stated, "I believe that you are suffering from self-confidence, Marissa."
"So, I'm doubting myself?" Marissa asked, already knowing the answer and starting to realize that perhaps Galladia wasn't all that bright; at least she was trying to help though, right?
"Exactly that," Galldia nodded, "You're in a state where you believe that you are unimportant due to some circumstances in your own life. The thing with lower leveled creatures...uh...no offense."
Marissa stared at Galladia flatly. "None taken," she said, though her sincerity could be debated in spite her trying to be as polite as possible.
Galladia nodded and continued, "Your kind has the mindset of looking to all of the bad things rather than the good. A rather negative output, if I do say so myself. Of course," Galladia rubbed the back of her neck, "As amazing as I myself can be, I also tend to fall into that place once in awhile."
"Oh, really?" Marissa asked, not really surprised.
"Yes, I know," Galladia said, "A Magi feeling that way? It's ridiculous! But, even a race as amazing as my own can fall to those thoughts. Even my mentor; he even gave me some advice for how to deal with it."
Now this grabbed Marissa's full attention. "What did he say?" she asked curiously.
"Well, first, he said that the chicken came before the egg," Galladia said, "Since there's no way that a chick can care for itself without dying. Logically, it makes sense that life started with full-grown adults instead of infants who can do nothing for itself. Then he said, 'Our best traits are painted on the back of our heads. You can always see the best qualities of everyone else, but you can never see your own qualities, or you tend to forget since you can't see it very well.'"
Galldia continued quoting her mentor, "'You may often feel like you're worthless, and that if you were put out of the equation, the world would turn without you. You couldn't be more wrong, my little Galaxy, for you see everyone else can also see what makes you special. Either they find those things irritating, or they find it wonderful, that's up to them. The point is, is that whether you or anyone else realizes it or not, you were placed on this world because someone needed you.'"
Galladia proceeded to poke Marissa on the nose, "'It may take years to find out who or what needed you in the first place, or it may take the moment you were born. Who knows? But when you find that one person, or those millions of people who need you to be there for them, you'll truly realize what you're worth. And as it turns out, sometimes you'll need someone else, too; someone who may feel the same as you, wanting to find a purpose that is. Or someone who could help you figure things out. Either way, you are just as important as everyone else; you're just bad at looking, my little Galaxy. But as you grow, you're senses will get better, I assure you.'"
Galladia sighed happily. "Then he proceeded to noogie me," she said fondly, "And ending up sticking me into the ground by accident. Many apology tickles were given."
"Apology tickles?" Marissa shook her head, "Never mind that...so...what he meant was that even though someone doesn't know what they're meant to do right at that moment..."
"...They'll figure it out eventually," Galladia said with a bright smile.
Marissa looked down to her lap, thinking for a moment. "...That...well..." she smiled, "...Thanks. That actually helped a little."
"Noooo problem," Galladia said with pride, "All in a day's work for the Great Magi Warrior!"
Galldia stood in a dramatic pose, making Marissa chuckle a little. Then, Galldia grinned back at Marissa, folding her hands together once more in excitement. "So, about that game..." she giggled with joy.
"Sorry," Marissa said, "I still need to get back home now, my family might be worried."
Galladia was once again looking rather disappointed at this revelation. "Aaawww..." she sat back on the ground like an upset child, "But-but...you just got here..."
"We can always hang out again," Marissa said, smiling, "I mean, since you're not gonna destroy my home anymore..." she frowned, "You won't destroy my home now, right? I wanna make sure."
"Oh, yes, yes, yes," Galladia said, "I will not destroy your world," she looked away and incoherently added, "Yet..." before she looked back to Marissa with a big, innocent smile.
Marissa looked relaxed at this, and sighed. "Then I don't see why we can't be friends then," she said cheerfully, "You know, in spite everything."
"...Friends?" Galladia tilted her head.
Marissa nodded her head. "But of course," she said, "I mean, we can try anyway. I'd like to help you get settled into earth and stuff, as long as you don't hurt anyone."
Galladia's smile widened. "Ooh, that would be much obliged!" she said, proceeding to shake Marissa's hand so vigorously that the other teen felt herself being lifted up and down from the ground, "Thank you, Marissa! Thank you!"
"N-no pro-o-blem," Marissa said before she was finally released from Galladia's grasp; she stumbled a bit as she finished, "Gala...ugh..."
"Are you sure you wanna go back now?" Galladia asked, only a little sad this time, "After all, you only just-."
"Like I said," Marissa said, "I'll come and visit. In fact, why don't you come over to my place some time? You can meet my family!"
"Will they not spear my innards?"
"No. Well...maybe Candace, but she's usually refrained from doing anything crazy."
"Then I think I'd like that, Marissa. I'd like that a lot."
Marissa looked back to the pond, walking over towards it. "So...how do I get back?" she asked.
"Well," Galladia said, "Just step through the lake while it's glowing. You won't even get wet."
"That's good," Marissa said, "I'm too tired to really dry myself off or anything else other than getting to bed."
"There's also one more thing," Galladia said, "The process is random. It's still hard to control after being asleep for so long, so you may not end up back at your house."
Marissa's eyes widened. "WHAT?!"
"But don't worry too much," Galladia assured, "Oddly enough, the portal keeps sending me to places in...Danville, or something, so I assume you'll still be within the premise of your home...I hope..."
"You hope?!"
"It's been asleep for over a hundred years! How do you expect me to know if it works well enough or not?!"
"Wait...over a hundred years...how old are you?!"
Galladia glared. "You should know better than to ask a woman her age young man!" she stated.
Marissa looked incredulous. "I...I'm a girl..."
Galladia stared at Marissa before she proceeded to shove her into the pond, and immediately regretted her decision. She peered over the pond and cried out, "SORRY!" as Marissa continued to scream on her way back to Danville.
Phineas practically fell to his knees after hours of searching for his sister, pure failure written on his face. That, as well as fatigue, for by now it was one o' clock in the morning. Ferb proceeded to pat his younger stepbrother on the back, while Candace was fiddling with her phone, trying to call her parents. Isabella, Baljeet, and Buford, who had all joined the search, were sitting around. Everyone was in their pjs, except for Burford, who was in her boxers.
"Honestly, Buford," Baljeet said, "Who sleeps with their boxers on?"
"Hey, I do not sleep in my boxers," Buford said, glaring, "I sleep in the nude."
Isabella stumbled back at this information. "TMI, Buford!" she yelled softly.
Candace sighed, almost in relief as she hung up. "Mom and dad aren't home yet," she said, "They're staying over at Aunt Tiana's for the night."
"You should've told them what happened, you know," Phineas mumbled out.
"Yeah, well, I'm not about to let their happiness be ruined by this disaster," Candace said, "Besides, all we have to do is find Marissa before they get back."
"But what if something happened?" Phineas asked, "I'm tell you, she's never left the house without letting anyone know before."
"Calm down, Phineas," Candace said.
Isabella smiled. "Yeah," she said, "We'll find her."
"I must agree with Phineas, unfortunately," Baljeet said, "Something back must have happened to her, perhaps another villain of some sort...and even if we find her, there's no guarantee that we will find her before your parents get home. What did you think, that she was going to fall from the sky?"
As if on cue, a small hole appeared from the sky, sending Marissa down from the sky above. Conveniently, Marissa was right above the fattest member of the group, and landed right on top of Buford. A silence beheld the group as Marissa and Buford adjusted themselves. Marissa sighed in relief that she was alive, only to realize that her cushion had been the underdressed Buford. Marissa screamed, and leapt over to Phineas' arms in pure disgust, wanting to wash away the horror.
"Oh, god, no!" Marissa shrieked, before shielding her eyes, "Buford! Put on a shirt, man!"
"MARISSA!"
Everyone proceeded to pulled Marissa into a giant group hug, no one happier than Phineas at the moment as he seemed to start laughing happily at the sight of his other older sister. Marissa proceeded to calm down in their arms, and sighed in pure bliss. "That's better," Marissa said, "What did I miss?"
"We should be asking you that question!" Phineas grinned.
"Marissa," Candace said before Marissa could recount her tale, "I...sorry...I shouldn't have been so upset..."
Marissa smiled a little at Candace. "Hey, it's alright," she said, "You have every right to be upset about all of this."
"But I shouldn't have taken it out on you," Candace said, "I'm really sorry for the things I said."
"It's find, Candace," Marissa said, "Actually...I feel pretty better now. Turns out I just needed to get an unbiased opinion on something."
"Unbiased?" Phineas tilted his head in an adorably confused way, "What are you talking about?"
Marissa shook her head and ruffled Phineas' hair as the hug dispersed. "It's a pretty long story," she said, "Let's just say that I made a new friend..." she frowned, almost in doubt, "...I...think..."
With that, everyone started to head for home, with Marissa taking one last glance in the sky. She could barely see it, but she saw Galladia, waving at her from afar. Marissa returned a small wave, internally promising to one day shove Galladia through the pond so she could see what it was like...huh...Marissa realized that Galladia had opened very strange new feelings within her. She smiled, somehow comforted by this.
Maybe they would be good friends.
"Now seriously, Buford, would it kill you to put on a shirt, man?!"
A/N:
Well, this took me forever to make! XD BUT I am finally finished!
I'm very proud of myself, I haven't written a one-shot this long in a while; though I mean it when I say that I'll probably rewrite it in the far future when I get the time to do it and get better at writing stuff.
So, in case you guys don't quite understand Gala's personality, I'll explain it here and now:
Name: Galladia "Gala" Smackerwacker
Age: Unknown
Species: Magi
Personality: Eccentric, confident, a chatterbox, quite possibly mentally unstable, hyperactive, childish, yet somehow "regal" in a sense when referring to her kind
Bio: Basically, a lot of Gala's personality comes from her being alone for many years since the death of her species. Instead of being openly depressed about the loss of her people, Gala focuses on trying to reproduce more of her kind so that they may live on. However, the process is difficult since they are, mostly, asexual, and she has yet to reach the age of fertility (but we'll talk about that later). She appears to be very stereotypical, and at first is racist towards the humans, acting superior simply because she "was blessed with magical power while all they have are their bare hands"; as a result, her defining trait isn't her arrogance, as she just thinks highly of her own people, and she's very proud of her status of being the "Greatest Magi Warrior" which isn't much when you are the (possible) last of your kind. She was mentored by a powerful Sorcerer, and her siblings were banished to different dimensions, possibly still alive. More of her backstory is yet to be revealed.
I hope you guys enjoyed! Please, read, review, and God bless!
-GTS