Boom. That's right! Another update!

I decided to update a little faster this time since I've been pretty inconsistent lately. Plus, this chapter is fairly important.

I...think that's about it for this A/N

Disclaimer: I do not own LOZ or its characters, just my OC's/storyline.


Marissa's POV

Half of me was telling me to go back to the manor, that I'd figure something out. Okay, maybe that was more like a quarter of me. The rest of my mind was saying that it was time that I stopped letting people push me around and look out for myself. I had to take care of myself, right? That was the right thing to do.

Then why did I feel so selfish?

I really shouldn't. I owed nothing to Ghirahim, and I had no reason to stay. He was a demon lord. Even his title screamed evil. And so did his actions, and his words, and his personality. I mean, don't even get me started on the textbook sadism, or the staggering narcissism. Yeah, he was a real piece of work. Why I still stayed with him...I had no idea.

I guess that's why I decided to leave. With most of my belongings gathered together and stuffed into my adventure pouch, I set out for Faron Woods.

Sneaking down the stairs was a heart attack and a half. I swear, every single one of those stairs let out an unearthly screech every time my foot so much as brushed its surface.

Getting through the door, however, was its own hideous beast. Leal had been standing by the door.

"Where are you going so late?" He had asked.

I had turned around and looked at him briefly. "I need some fresh air. I'm going to go take a walk. I'll be back in no time."

So Leal had let me go seconds before my heart could burst from anticipation. I had walked out the door, and then ran the rest of the way down the hill.

Now, having successfully snuck out, there were only a few problems:

It was dark. It was dark, and I was lost. It was dark, I was lost, and I was alone. What I wouldn't give to have Malice or Herb at my side right now...

The problem with being lost at night in a place like this is you only know what things look like in the day time. After dusk, everything looks different. The trees you use as landmarks suddenly look like moving, sentient creatures. After sunset, you can barely distinguish the darkness from the turf. I used the light from the manor at first, but now I was far enough away that I found myself tripping over uneven spots on the ground.

I heard a strange sound from far off, and then the hair on the back of my neck decided to stand up on its own. I shivered. My heart began to beat faster, pumping the adrenaline through my veins. I was so vulnerable. Why did I ever think that this was a good idea?

I broke into a speed-walk, heading the direction that I felt was correct.

I slowed my breathing and focused on walking. Right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot, repeat.

What could even be out here? A few bokoblins? A creepy lizalfos? Maybe a bloated moblin. Or...a rogue dead hand...Perhaps a few redeads...

Was that an undead groan in the distance? I sure didn't want to find out. My pace sped up once again.

Soon, a few small shapes appeared ahead of me. I walked towards them. Then I was walking on the softest of grass, and the hairs on my neck went nuts.

I smacked my foot on something. What was it? Oh, just a gravestone.

A gravestone?

I jumped back, my eyes huge. It turns out I was in the cemetery. I guess that explained the strange sensation I was having.

I weaved through isles of tombstones. I couldn't remember seeing this before. So that could only mean one thing: I was lost.

I took in my surroundings. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a dim light. Walking forward, I discovered that the dim light was coming from the window of a small shack. I made my way towards it with haste.

When I finally reached the door, I took a moment to collect myself before carefully knocking. A few seconds pause, and then the door opened. The smell of tea and moth balls greeted my nose. An elderly woman stood before me. Her skin was dried and wrinkled. Little faded scars proved her age and experience. She was old. Older than Impa, even. The tips of her pointed ears sagged, and she leaned against the door for support. I was startled by her age. I had no idea how long demons could live, but this just didn't seem natural.

"Yes?" She croaked. Her voice seemed worn from years of use.

"I...uh..." I bit my lip, trying my best not to let my shyness overtake me. Ever since I was a child, I had always struggled to talk to adults. I had no idea why I was so shy, or if I would ever get over my childish self-consciousness, but I knew it would only stand in my way.

I felt that embarrassed tightness in my throat, and every muscle in my body seemed to tense up. I tried to tackle step one in having a good, honest conversation: Eye contact.

Boy, was that a mistake. The moment my eyes met her blood red ones, I could barely mask my shock.

The woman adjusted her worn shawl and pushed some white hair out of her eyes. "Are you going to say something, or are you just going to stand there like a clueless mute?"

"I..." I lowered my gaze. "I'm t-trying to get to Faron W-Woods. Can you give me directions?"

The woman blinked. "So she talks."

Something about the way this woman spoke and acted seemed really familiar. It was strange.

"Yeah. I kind of got lost. Which way to Faron Woods?"

The old woman leaned against the side of the door and gave me a closer look. "What is a Skyloftian like you doing in the realm of Demise?"

I sighed. "It's a long story. But I'll be out of here soon if you could just tell me—"

"Alright, alright. If you want to just get out of here, then that's fine. I'm sorry I was boring you."

My eyes widened. "No, that's not what I meant at all! I just really need to..."

I trailed off as the woman let out a hoarse laugh. "I'm only messing with you! Now, to get to Faron Woods, you are going to want to walk that way," she said, gesturing with her hand to the opposite direction I had been walking in. "Keep going that way until your legs feel as though they are going to snap, and then you'll be halfway there."

"Great..." I said.

She laughed again. "You better be on your way. You wouldn't want Ghirahim to catch you."

I frowned. "How did you know..?"

The old woman just smiled. "I had a feeling. And I should warn you, if he catches you trying to escape, it won't be pretty. Short tempers run in the family."

"What?"

She nodded towards the cemetery. "You better run along now."

And with that, she closed the door in my face.

"Nice meeting you..." I muttered. I turned to start walking in the direction she'd indicated, but then something caught my eye.

The woman's house was near the graveyard, and from where I was standing, I saw something strange on one of the tombstones. Walking slowly, I approached the grave. Etched on the surface of the stone was a strange crest; a family emblem, perhaps.

I traced my finger over the pattern, as it was too dark to see it clearly. But from what my eyes discerned and from what I could feel, it appeared that the pattern was three interlocking diamonds.

I stared at the stone for a while. Something about it seemed familiar in the same way as the old woman had. It was as if I was forgetting something, or like I was remembering something that I didn't realize I knew.

After a few moments standing there, I began to feel unnerved again. I knew I should get going.

With one last look at the tombstone, I started on my way. Soon, my feet began to ache and my throat became dry. I was exhausted from the past few days.

"Well this is fine situation you've gotten yourself in," I muttered. Could nothing go right for me?

As I walked, I allowed my mind to drift. But then my thoughts always came back to my situation with Ghirahim, and I cursed the day I ever met him. My life would be so much simpler without him.

I thought for a minute. Why would I even be here if it wasn't for Ghirahim? The whole reason Hylia had brought me to this world was to keep an eye on him.

Oh, and Hylia. This was all her fault. Who gave her the right to just abduct me and then force me to help her?

Well, it didn't matter, because I didn't care what she wanted. I was getting out of here. I was going to go home and forget that this ever happened.

"Take that Hylia!" I yelled to the night sky. "Not so powerful, are you?"

"You would do yourself good to show some respect," a cold voice snapped.

I turned around to see the very goddess I was subconsciously ranting about.

She had her arms folded. "As it is, you have never shown me the proper respect. You've never once bowed to me."

I glared at her. "There's only one God that I'd bow to, and it certainly isn't you."

The goddess flared her nostrils. "Your insolence will only make matters worse for you. You ought to at least be polite to me, as I've done so much for you."

"For me?" I scoffed. "No. None of this has been for me. You're using me, just like you're using Link!"

Something like hurt flashed in the goddess's eyes. "You have no right to question my methods. And you of all people should know that I had no choice."

"Yeah, whatever." I muttered, kicking a rock near my foot. "What happened to only appearing when I'm 'asleep'? Isn't this hurting my mind or something?"

Hylia sighed. "I'm sorry, but I didn't have much of a choice. You're about to abandon your duties. I cannot let that happen."

I gave her a fake smile. "Well, I'm sorry, Your Grace, but you can't stop me. Buh-bye."

Without a second look at her, I continued on my way.

"Stop!" Hylia drifted towards me. "You mustn't leave this realm. I cannot stress how imperative you are to the fate of our world."

I looked at the ground, avoiding her gaze. "No. Not our world. Your world. I belong somewhere else. I was stupid for not realizing that earlier."

"No, you weren't," the goddess protested. "Do you really think you belong in your original dimension? You may say you do, but your thoughts tell me otherwise."

I turned away. Now she'd done it, picking at one of my biggest insecurities. "You can read my thoughts?"

"I had to," Hylia said defensively. "I had to pick the person who would fit this job most, so knowing how they thought was necessary. It was never my intention to invade on your privacy."

"Yeah, well." I sighed. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I don't belong on Earth. After all, I'm weird and socially awkward. I'm never caught up to my classmates when it comes to whats popular. Maybe I'm just not meant to fit in there. But if I don't belong there, then where do I belong? It sure as heck isn't here. I'm just messing up everyone's lives." My throat tightened. "Maybe's it's nowhere. Maybe I'm just a waste of space. I mean, why else would you take me from my world and throw me into such an intense situation? Because I'm useless, that's why."

Hylia drifted towards me, stopping when she came to my side. "Child, you mustn't feel that way. One of my reasons for choosing you was so that you could better understand your worth."
"And now I'm more confused than ever," I muttered bitterly.

Hylia pursed her lips. "I apologize for any distress I've caused you, but you must not feel sorry for yourself. You must stop thinking about your own problems and start being more empathetic for the one you're destined to protect. Running away was selfish and disrespectful."

"Well," I straightened up. Don't let her stop you. "I'm sorry for the disappointment, but you're not talking me out of this. I've given Ghirahim chance after chance, but he's only taken advantage of me. And now you're taking advantage of my passive nature. But not anymore. I'm leaving, and you can't do anything to stop me."

"Is that right?" Hylia hissed. There was a dangerous sound to her voice, and I tried not to flinch. In seconds, I was surrounded by a golden light.

"What the..?"

Hylia's outline floated above my trap. "One of the main reasons I brought you here was your forgiving nature and your empathy. But it seems you've blocked out that part of you. It seems I have no other choice but to strengthen your bond with Ghirahim. Perhaps then you'll be reminded of the importance of these values."

"What are you—" I was cut off as the golden magic surrounded me as a cloud. It came closer and closer, and I found myself breathing it in. I tried to cough it out, but it was too late. A strange scent filled my nose. It smelled like a combination of lemon and the kind of laughing gas dentists use. My mind grew fuzzy, and my vision began to blur.

I stumbled in place, trying to escape the magical prison. I tripped over my own foot, falling to the ground. The sky swirled above me.

"I hope that you will understand the purpose of this curse. I am only doing this to help you and your charge. You must understand that, while he may not show it, he is becoming tired of being exhausted and in pain. And even more yet, while he may not realize it, he is tired of facing everything alone. He's lived an eternity of solitude, and now you have an opportunity to change that. I know that you've been waiting for him to let you in, but he already has. You've made him question his loyalties. You cannot abandon him now, else he may fall apart. You cannot fill his heart with doubt and then quit halfway. Go to him. He needs you now more than ever."

She may have continued to speak to me, but the world grew dark and I knew no more.


When I woke up, everything hurt.

Alright, maybe not everything, but there was still a lot of pain. I felt this pain specifically on my shoulder and chest, as well as some aches along the rest of my body. It felt as though I had been attacked by some monster, though I wasn't injured anywhere.

I winced as I sat up, and that caused a burst of pain to shoot through my face.

"Ow..." I moaned. "What just happened to me?" Judging by the same dark sky, I had only been out for an hour or two, but why did it feel like someone attacked me?

I managed to stand up, my pain fading to a dull ache. This was definitely weird. Invisible injuries. Hmm. That's a new one.

I walked around for a while, not sure what to do. I began to panic. Now I was more lost than ever, and I was questioning whether or not I should leave. What had Hylia meant by he needs me more than ever? Had something happened to him?

I had an intense desire to return to the manor, just in case. But then, would I ever escape again? Would I ever convince myself to try again? Besides, did I really want to crawl back to him again?

I sat on the ground once again, hugging my knees to my chest. I didn't know what to do anymore. Why did I leave?

I was lost, confused, and I felt like I was high on magic gold dust. I sat there for a long time. I didn't know what to do. Maybe I should just wait until morning. Then maybe I could find my way back.

I heard a rustle behind me, making me flinch. I looked behind me, and the leaves if one of the trees were moving. The only problem? There was absolutely no wind that night.

I began to shiver. I wondered if this was going to be my last night alive. Probably. Maybe that was why I've felt so strange.

I suddenly felt so tired, but I couldn't sleep. Not while I felt so nervous.

I hid my head behind my legs and felt like I was going to cry. So much pain. So much confusion. So much anxiety. I couldn't take it.

"Ocean?"

I looked up and nearly sobbed with relief. Leal stood above me, a frown on his face and a torch in his hand.

"Leal?"

"What are you doing out here?" he asked.

"I don't know," I said quietly. "I think I'm lost."

"Would you like me to guide you home?"

I stood up and wiped my hand across my face. "Yes please."

Leal smiled kindly. "Alright. Follow me."

I nodded gratefully.

And so, despite my doubt and fear and resentment, I let the light guide me home that night.


We arrived in a matter of minutes. The ghostly pain I felt throughout my body seemed to fade a little when I set foot in the manor.

"Thank you, Leal. I owe you one," I said to the short demon.

He smiled weakly. "Forget about it. It was a pleasure."

I nodded to him once, and then I crept up the stairs. When I reached my door, I carefully walked in, tossing my possessions to the floor on the side of the bed. To my relief, Violet was still sound asleep.

I sat at my windowsill once again. What was I supposed to do now? Once again, I'd completely lost it because of something Ghirahim did. How were we supposed to have a trusting relationship if this kept happening? Would I have to keep swallowing my pride and apologizing?

I sighed. Maybe that was the key. If trust and pride were the two problems of this relationship, then maybe I just had to forget about pride and give him a reason to trust me.

Instead on dwelling on his vicious deed from earlier, I thought about all that we'd been through together. I realized that was a lot. If our 'friendship' had lasted this long, it could last through this.

Now, if I was going to to make this work, then I had to gain his trust again. It wouldn't be easy, but I knew where I could start.

With a wince, I slid off of my windowsill and walked towards my personal washroom. Inside, I found a washcloth and poured some warm, soapy water onto it. Then, holding my hand beneath it to catch the drops, I crossed the hall and entered Ghirahim's room. Looking at him, I could somehow tell that he was asleep, even if it was only a light sleep.

I crept towards his bedside and slowly pulled back the covers. He was sleeping on his back, with his gloved hand over the bandage covering his chest. Even in the dark, I could see that the bandage had absorbed a large amount of blood.

Without making a sound, I peeled back the cloth holding it in place, uncovering the wound. I lit the candle on his nightstand. The new light dimly illuminated his injury without waking him.

I did this, I thought miserably, staring at the wound with a wave of guilt.

I reached forward and gently started dabbing at the dried blood on his chest. I had cleaned a large portion of the injured portion when Ghirahim jerked awake. He stared at me in surprise.

"Sky Child, what are you...?"

I shook my head, continuing with my work. He didn't make a sound as he carefully watched me clean his wound

After I finished, I set down the cloth and then delicately laid my fingertips over the oozing gash.

Ghirahim winced. "Why are you..."

He trailed off in confusion as I held up my free hand for quiet. After a few moments' concentration, an azure light spilt out of the cut, penetrating the humble darkness. He didn't move a muscle, though I could feel his heart leaping against my hand, almost shaking my fingertips.

Thump thump... I could almost hear it.

Thumpity thump thump...that was odd. It was like it was beating with an unfamiliar rhythm. Was that normal for demons, or was he sick or something?

After a few moments of concentration, the skin closed over his wound. He let out his breath in surprise.

"How did you do that?"

I looked away. "There are a lot of things you still don't know about me. And...I guess I'm willing to show you who I really am but...but I'm going to need some time."

Ghirahim was silent for a moment. "No more lies?"

I hesitated. I wasn't sure I could promise that. Not completely. But I did it anyway. "I promise."

The demon lord gave me a long look. "I suppose you are still mad about the servant, aren't you?"

I sighed. "No...not mad..." I bit my lip. "Not anymore. I've forgiven you. That's what friends do."

Ghirahim didn't meet my gaze. "You may be right."

I stretched. "Can we just forget that tonight happened?"

He didn't answer at first. Then he nodded slowly. "Alright."

Without anything else to say, I stood up and headed towards the door.

"Wait," Ghirahim spoke up.

"What?"

He hesitated. "Last night...I slept better than ever before. Any chance you could stay again?"

I considered the offer. "Well, I guess my room's already taken," I conceded.

Slowly, I approached the bed. Feeling self-conscious, I slipped in. I leaned against the headboard like last night. Ghirahim shifted about, as if trying to get comfortable.

The next thing I knew, he was beside me, my head against his chest, his arms around my shoulders.

Without another word, I finally fell asleep.


Once again, I woke up early the next morning. And not just to lower suspicion. This time, it was for another reason. Malice had recovered quickly, and he had taken to heart what I'd said. By the morning, preparations had been made for the siblings' escape.

However, by the time we were ready to execute the plan, Ghirahim was awake as well.

There's a certain method of sneaking out of the manor with others, and I'd tried my best to perfect it.

Step one: Wear clothes that won't bring attention to yourself but still don't make it look like you're trying to hide yourself.

For example, a full blown disguise is no good—It's too suspicious. Earth toned cloaks, however, are a fairly good choice. (I wore a brown cloak with the hood down, and Malice found a gray one. Violet wanted a pink cloak, but the only other color we could find was black.)

Step two: Leave early enough that many people are still asleep, but late enough that there are enough people to form a crowd for you to get lost in. Even then, the people that are awake are probably not alert enough to notice you.

Step three: Walk with a purpose, but not like you're in a hurry or have somewhere important to go. Take it slow, but never break stride. Try to match the pace of the people around you. It's always helpful to talk amongst yourselves quietly. No louder than the rest of the crowd, but no quieter either. Additionally, make sure that you have good posture. Keep your head up. No noble would walk around with bad posture.

Step Four: Act like you have no reason to be nervous. You have every right to be going where you're going. If you believe that, everyone else will too.

Step Five: NEVER look around. Nothing screams 'hey look at me!' like someone who is constantly searching the crowd for someone. And if you pass by someone you know, do not flinch. Do not hesitate. And most of all, do not do a double take. If they didn't notice you at first, then looking at them again will just give you away.

As we walked through that hallway, I realized Ghirahim was standing off to the side of the crowd. I prayed his sharp eyes wouldn't pick me out of the crowd. He probably saw me. Even so, as we passed by, he didn't say a word. As we got farther and farther away from him, I could feel his dark eyes burning the back of my neck like dark brown coals. As soon as we reached the door and filtered out of the manor, I released a shiver that I had been holding in. He knew. He knew I was up to something.

We crossed the ground between the manor and the stables with great haste, Malice and I running side by side with Violet in her brother's arms.

We were in Oatburner's stable within minutes.

"Here, take this," I said, handing Malice a few pieces of fruit that I'd smuggled out of the dining room.

"Thanks," Malice said, taking the food gratefully. He lifted Violet onto the horse and then hoisted himself up behind her, taking the reins.

"I have something for you as well," Malice confessed, taking something out of his pouch. I held out a hand and he dropped a small pebble into my hands.

"What is it?" I asked, examining it.

"It's some kind of crystal my parents gave me as a kid. Hold it up to the sunlight."

I did as he said, finding a ray of sunshine that bled through one of the windows. As soon as the light met the surface of the crystal, it began glowing a bright orange.

"This is so cool," I breathed.

"It's yours. My parents gave it to me the night they...you know. They said that it was important to them, but that Vi and I were more important."

I was speechless. "Gosh, Malice, I can't take this. Your parents gave it to you."

Malice shook his head. "No. They gave it to me because I was important to them, and now I'm giving it to you because you're important to me. You've been the best friend I could ever ask for."

My throat grew tight. "I can't..."

Malice smiled. "Take it. It'll remind you that there are still demons out there who are different from Ghirahim and Demise."

Reluctantly, I closed my fingers around the stone. "Thank you. I will cherish it always. Now go!"

I used my sword to cut the lead connecting Oatburner to his stall. The horse reared back and dashed out of the barn, me following close behind.

Suddenly, the horse came to a stop.

"Malice?" I walked up to the horse uncertainly.

"Come with me," the boy pleaded. "Forget about Hylia and your mission. Come with me. We'll all be so much happier in this new place. I know it."

"Where are you going, Malice?" I asked.

He lowered his gaze. "I can't tell you. I've been offered a job, but my employer told me I couldn't tell anyone about it unless they come with me."

"I can't come. I'm sorry, Malice. There may be nothing for you here, but for me, this is all I know. I have to make sure Ghirahim stays alive."

Malice's shoulders slumped. "Alright. But...just...try not to get too involved in his problems. His situation is much bigger than he realizes. I don't want you to be in danger."

"I'll be fine," I assured him.

"Well, so long...Marissa..." the orange demon said. The horse reared up, and then it was running once again. I watched them leave, staring at the horse as grass flared underneath his hooves like fire.

"Bye," I muttered.

In seconds, they were just a speck on the horizon, and I watched as the siblings disappeared out of my life. Forever.


Well, it happened.

Anyway, I noticed a few of you were surprised that Marissa was partially based on a few Disney characters. Yeah, some things about her resemble me, but only some things. More specific stuff, like fears and memories, I had to base on me or someone I know since it's kinda hard to come up with a meaningful memory. But a lot of her personality is a combination of good and bad traits of some of my all time favorite characters and myself. So while she does resemble me, she's still not me. She's neither a self-insert or a completely made up character. She's like a big mixed up pile of recycling. My reason for this was that I could give her talents or flaws that I don't necessarily have, but so that I still had somewhere to start. Plus, it's important to know your MC really well so that you know how they would respond to stuff.

Anyway, if that's a weird way to produce a character, then whatever. But being a beginner writer, it was either that or risk coming up with someone completely different who could be hard for me to get to know. So yeah.

Well, we've broken a 100 favs/follows. Yay! And I can't even begin to describe how thankful I am for all the helpful and inspiring reviews. Keep up the good work!

That's about it.

Ya.

~Catwhiskers24~