Back again!
Let's see, what do I need to say?
Oh yeah.
I'm so happy that you guys loved the Princess Bride references so much. And yes, Ghirahim saying "as you wish" a few times was also a more subtle reference. Nice job catching that!
I also got two enlightening reviews that made me face palm. Thanks, love3509 for explaining the difference between complement and compliment. I totally forget they were two separate words! Some writer I am. And thanks, Grimy Sixpence, who just reviewed and let me know I have Pipit's name wrong. Wow...to be honest I used to have it right, but then I looked it up and I think my eyes played a trick on me, and I thought it was Pitpit. Thanks for clearing that up.
Now that the thank-yous are out of the way, I have a few questions to answer.
The Shy Potato: If we're thinking of the same scene that I've hinted about, no, it's not in this one. I believe it may or may not exist early on in the next one.
Pretty sure that's it for now.
Disclaimer: I do not own LOZ or its characters, but the OC's, alternate story-line, and plot twists are all mine.
Marissa's POV
After returning to the Manor from Faron Woods, we were greeted by an unexpected surprise. A group of stable-boys were waiting outside the courtroom.
"What is it?" I asked Ghirahim in confusion.
"I'm about to find out."
I followed Ghirahim as he approached the small group.
"What business do you have with me at this hour?" He demanded.
"It's...a letter, My Lord," one of them answered, holding out a crumpled piece of paper.
"What? From whom?"
The boy shrugged. "We don't know. A few days ago, one of the horses disappeared. It came back carrying this. That's all we know."
Ghirahim opened the letter and scanned it.
"Do you know what this is about?" I asked.
"No. This letter is useless to me," he answered, glaring at the paper in contempt.
I looked over his shoulder. "Can I see it?"
Ghirahim shrugged. "Perhaps you can make something out of this nonsense."
I took the tattered parchment. The letter was more like a brief note. In hastily written letters, it said:
M—
V and I are safe. We have reached our destination, and we have a plan. Sorry this is so short, but I didn't want to risk it falling into the wrong hands. I'll attempt better contact sometime soon...I hope.
Please take care of yourself. I worry about you. From over here, it seems there is a storm coming in your direction. Take whatever shelter you can. This is bigger than you think.
—A
P.S. Take care of O for me, will you? And...I want you to know that I...
Parts of the letter were crossed out, as if the sender had thought better of what he'd wanted to say. Even so, I could still make out parts of the discarded text, but not all of it.
I didn't have to be a rocket scientist to know who it was from.
"Does this mean anything to you?" Ghirahim asked.
I hesitated briefly, and then I crumpled the letter into a ragged ball. "Nah..." I said, not meeting his eyes. "I have no idea what this is about. I mean...who has a letter for a name?"
I chuckled nervously. Ghirahim didn't seem to be fully convinced, but he didn't accuse me of anything.
I stuffed the piece of paper into my pocket. "I'm tired. I'm going to go to sleep. I suggest you do the same."
"Not yet," Ghirahim said wearily. "I still have other matters to attend to."
"Alright. Just...don't stay up all night, okay?"
Ghirahim said nothing. I patted him on the shoulder as I passed him. Exhausted, I managed to drag myself up the stairs.
I sat on my bed. This was probably my favorite time of day. After sunset, Ghirahim typically left me alone. I was free to do whatever I wanted, as long as I stayed in my room. I know what you're thinking: Sweet! No bedtime! Marissa is gonna stay up until midnight! Well, um, no. As much as I would like to say I spent the entire night partying, I didn't. Usually I just went to bed. Being Ghirahim's bodyguard, healer, apprentice, and companion all at once was exhausting, and frankly there really wasn't much to do up there.
I changed into my lounge wear and crawled under the covers. I blew out the candle by my bedside, and closed my eyes.
Thirty seconds later I jolted awake to that dreaded noise.
Ghirahim's bellow sounded through the walls. "SERVANT, I REQUIRE YOUR ASSISTANCE!"
"Really?" I muttered. I climbed out of bed, stumbling towards the door ill-temperedly and flung it open. I stalked across the hall to his room.
"What could you possibly need at this late at night?" I demanded with a scowl.
"Come in." He called from inside.
I put a hand on the handle, but I hesitated. "Wait, why? What do you need that has to be done in there?"
"I am getting into my attire for a very important meeting, but I have run into a rather embarrassing problem."
I did not like the sound of that.
"Come in," he repeated.
I recoiled in horror.
"No!" I shrieked.
"Why not?"
"Because..." I spluttered. "You don't just go into someone's room. Especially someone, who's changing."
"I don't see the problem."
"Dude, what the heck? You could be very naked right now," I protested, shivering at the thought. "I'd prefer not to be scarred for life."
A flicker of annoyance flared up in me as I heard an amused chuckle from inside. I felt my cheeks flush.
"I can assure you that is not the case, Sky Child. It's just...a finishing touch, if you will."
I sighed and palm met brow. "You promise I won't have to see anything...like..?"
"I promise," He responded, wavering patience in his voice.
"Okay, I'm coming in, but I swear..." I trailed off as I opened the door.
I stepped in uncertainly. I saw Ghirahim from the back, wearing a thin black suit. It was weird not seeing him in his signature vermilion cape.
I cleared my throat. "Um...you rang?"
He turned to face me. "Ah...yes, I did." He walked towards me. "What do you think?"
I raised an eyebrow at him. "You're asking me for fashion advice? Ha. Look, pal; I'm the wrong person to ask. But as far as I'm concerned, it looks fine."
His outfit consisted of a tight white undershirt with a dark overcoat. Black, clingy pants sat snugly on his hips. Like usual, he wore no shoes, but black sock, legging things. His face looked about the same, though his hair was a bit slicked back. His traditional blue diamond earring hung from his ear. He looked just like the dandy that he was.
"Well?" He asked.
I smiled. "You look fabulous."
He scowled. "I know that. I want you to tell me something I can do to improve it. Anything! It just doesn't look finished."
"Dude, you look totally dapper. Suave. You'll be fine."
"But it feels like something's missing."
I rolled my eyes at him. "Don't you have some handmaiden that can do this?"
He stared at me in confusion. "You realize handmaidens are usually maids for a female noble, right?"
"Yup, I know, princess," I chirped.
If looks could kill, I would be dead and buried.
"To answer your question, no, usually I am capable of getting dressed on my own," He said dryly. "But, I feel like a second opinion would be good. This is an extremely important meeting. All the powerful demons of the realm will be there. And being Demise's main servant, I will be one of the main lords there."
"Mm, aren't you special?" I grinned. "Anyways...hmm...let's see." I looked him up and down. "What about a tie?"
He stared at me blankly. "A...Tie?" He echoed.
Oh, of course. They weren't invented yet. Maybe we could start a trend.
"Yeah. They're these cloth things men wear around their necks where I come from."
"Give me one of these...'ties'," Ghirahim commanded.
"Dude, you need the tie itself. It's kind of hard for me to tie it for you if you don't already have one," I explained sheepishly.
"What do they look like?" He asked.
"Well, they're like a long, glossy strip of fabric." I said. "But..."
I trailed off as he summoned a nearly perfect piece of cloth with a snap of his fingers. Of course.
"Will this suffice?" He asked. I stared at it.
"Um...yeah...but you realize girls don't usually wear ties?"
"Your point?"
"Well a lot of girls don't know how to tie ties. What makes you think I would be an exception?"
"Considering what other tricks you seem to have up your sleeve, I think it's highly likely. Besides, you aren't a particularly girly girl."
"And you aren't exactly a manly man." I retorted.
"Do you know how to do it or not?"
"Yeah." I took the cloth. "You're just lucky that I'm curious about random things like this."
I wrapped it around his neck, and began to tie it.
"Honestly, Ghirahim, I don't know how you survived before I got here."
He rolled his eyes, but he didn't respond.
I struggled to tie the traditional knot, and he raised his brow.
"Hang on, I'll remember how to do this eventually," I muttered.
After a few minutes of trial and error, I figured out how to do it. I tightened the messy knot to his throat. My hand slipped, and I pulled it too tight. He coughed, his eyes wide.
"Sorry!" I exclaimed, loosening it, and then flattening it against his warm, firm...ahem,, his chest. He turned to look at his reflection. He tilted his head and turned slightly.
"Do you like it?"
He shrugged. "I suppose it will do."
"Great. I'm going to go back to sleep before I collapse from exhaustion." I said, slowly backing towards the door.
"I just need one more little favor."
"Of course..." I muttered sleepily. "What do you need me to do now? Chew your food for you? Run across the manor?"
I know, I know; sometimes my sarcasm could be a little rude...I know. It's just, I was always a little hyperactive at night. I'd always said I was practically nocturnal, but that night, I was just way too tired.
Ghirahim smiled a crooked smile. "No, Skychild. I simply need you to accompany me to the meeting."
"Wait, what?" I blinked, stunned. "Why me?"
"Is it that unreasonable to ask for my guard to come to such a large social situation? I never said the other lords in this land were particularly fond of me. Besides, what if the Rebels found a way to sneak in? I would appreciate a second pair of eyes to keep watch."
I frowned. "But I am terrible at social events. I don't like talking to people I don't know very well—especially not in such a serious situation."
"That's okay; I will do the talking." His gaze dropped down to the floor, almost like he was self-conscious. "Besides, I believe its time I appeared before the other nobles with a woman at my side."
"What?" I screeched. "Okay, if that's your reasoning behind asking me to come, then you can forget it. I am not coming with you!"
"It's either this or staying here to clean weapons all night. You may decide which is more preferable."
I clenched my fists. "Fine, I'll go with you. But just as a friend." I said.
"We're friends?"
I scowled at him. That was my line.
"Whatever. When is the meeting, anyway?"
He glanced out the window. "Well, it'll be midnight in about an hour." He answered calmly.
I gawked at him. "Wait a second; this meeting is at midnight?" I exclaimed.
He nodded. "Yes. Tonight is the first blood-red eclipse of the year. We always have a meeting on this day in the dead of night," he answered, as if it were obvious. I was starting to rethink this. I mean, I'd stayed up well past midnight for school work on some nights, but I usually wasn't outside or doing stuff out of the house that late. This was really sounding like a very bad idea.
"About the sword cleaning thing...how many weapons are we talking about?"
"All of them." He stated smugly.
I let out a dramatic huff. "Fine. Whatever. When are we leaving?"
"Any time now." He answered, blinking calmly. "I'll give you ten minutes to get ready. You better be back here by then, or I'm leaving you behind. Then the bokoblins can decide what to do with you."
"Ten minutes?" I exclaimed. "You can't just...I mean...girls can't just... Ugh!" I stuttered, giving up and stomping away.
I looked in the mirror in my room. My hair was a rat's nest of brown mousy hair. Strands stuck to the corner of my mouth, and half my face had red lines on it from the pillow.
"That's hot." I muttered, attempting to tame the mane that was my hair. I washed my face and changed into my knight uniform. I tucked my hair back into a messy bun, as I thought that may look a little more official. It wasn't perfect, but it was good enough.
I sped out of my room and knocked on his door.
"I'm ready." I called. He opened the door and looked me up and down.
"How do I look?" I asked. He hesitated.
"Well, I suppose it's too late for you to change now."
He walked towards the staircase without a second glance at me. I clenched my fists and followed him.
He waited at the top of the stairs, and held out an arm.
"What?"
"Take my arm."
"No! I don't do physical contact!"
"Its traditional."
"Well I don't give a..." I broke off as he grabbed my arm.
This would be fun.
"Come, Sky Child." Ghirahim called.
We stepped out of the manor. He touched my arm, and the next thing I knew, we had vanished in a flurry of red and yellow diamonds. Still practically half-asleep, I screamed in surprise.
We appeared somewhere I didn't recognize. I swayed slightly, feeling the nauseous effects of warping.
I slugged Ghirahim on the arm half-heartedly.
"How many times do I have to tell you to warn me when you do that?" I whined irritably.
He rubbed his ear.
"I will...if you warn me when you're going to scream like a banshee."
I looked around. We stood before a large hall with stained glass windows. It was t-shaped and had a large, extra tall room in the middle.
"Welcome..." Ghirahim said, "to the Gathering Hall!"
He led me to the main doors, explaining, "This is where all the powerful demons gather when there is a problem plaguing the land. Impressive, no?"
"It sure is something," I admitted. Ghirahim opened the door and motioned for me to go in. Clusters of demons were mingling around here and there. One of the nobles spotted us and approached in a regal manner.
"Greetings, Ghirahim," the noble began. "How have you been?"
He was short and stout, with a precisely trimmed mustache. I tried not to stare at him. In fact, I tried looking anywhere but him, hoping he wouldn't notice me.
Ghirahim put on a fake smile. I got the feeling he didn't like the noble too much. "Fine, thanks. And you, Lord Bartholomew?"
The noble smiled back with equally hidden animosity. "Excellent, thanks. My estate has been working with twice its normal efficiency." He glanced at me. "And who is this?"
I froze. There's someone looking at me. He probably expects me to talk. What do I say?
Ghirahim saved me. "This is my lady friend..." he glanced at me. At first, I wasn't sure what he was waiting for, and then I realized that he wasn't sure who to introduce me as.
"Ocean," I spoke up. "The name's Ocean."
The noble waited expectantly, and Ghirahim nudged me. I glanced up at him in confusion.
The other noble eventually gave up and nodded to me instead. "It was a pleasure meeting you."
"Charmed." I said. I realized afterward how ungenuine the single word sounded.
"That could have gone better," Ghirahim stated dryly. Another noble approached, this time completely ignoring me.
"Smile. You're not giving yourself a good image," he said out of the corner of his mouth.
"I hate this so much," I muttered back.
Ghirahim sighed. "I suppose I cannot blame you for your inept performance, but please, try to stay true to basic mannerisms."
"What are you talking about?"
"Nevermind," he hissed. "I'll explain it to you later."
We were quiet for a few moments.
"Seriously, 'the name's Ocean'? Have you no better way to introduce yourself?"
"Oh, you're one to talk. 'Lady friend?' You're going to give everyone the wrong idea!"
"That's the point," he muttered back.
I elbowed him as hard and subtly as possible.
Ghirahim shushed me as the next noble approached. Eventually, after what seemed like an eternity, the meeting began.
We took our seats near the end of the table. I squirmed around, feeling uncomfortable. And I was cold as well. It was all I could do to not shiver. I looked around. There was a plate of food at each seat. Ghirahim opened his mouth as if to speak, but he was interrupted. A large, green demon cleared his throat.
"It is a pleasure for I, Lord Verdis, to begin the annual Meeting of the Blood-Red Eclipse as the host of this year's ceremonies. Now that we have all gathered, I would like to make some reports. My estate is working well. We have produced more than enough food for my estate and any that need aid. Preparations for this year's ball and other ceremonies are being made as we speak." Murmurs ran along the table. Several other demons made reports. Then Ghirahim stood up.
"I am proud to announce that my plan has almost come together. Demise will be resurrected very soon now." He reported. One of the other demons snickered.
"As if."
Bartholomew spoke up. "Lord Ghirahim, you have used more than enough time on this petty task. You report that you are getting close every year, and yet there are never any results. I recommend you focus on other aspects of the realm's prosperity."
"We will still be imprisoned by Hylia's seal. Sure, this year we have enough food to scrape by, but what about in the future? Do we really want our children and grandchildren to be held back by this seal? We have to take back what is ours! I propose that you help me free Demise. I propose you help me free us all!" No one responded. You could practically hear crickets chirp in the background. Eventually, Ghirahim sat down. I gave him a sympathetic look, which he ignored.
Suddenly, a bluish man with a black pattern on his face and arms seemed to appear out of the shadows. "And risk an all-out war with the Skyloftians? What about Hylia? Surely she will not stay dormant for long."
"Lord Twilan, please-"
"No!" he sent an accusing look at Ghirahim. "The entire reason I broke my estate off of the rest of this realm was to protect my people from war. I did not engulf my home in shadows just for you to ruin the fragile peace we try so hard to maintain. I fear not even the twilight will stop war from reaching my new realm. I cannot let war tear apart what I've worked so hard to build. Especially with a little one back at home. I do not wish my granddaughter's child, Midna, to have to deal with this madness. All I want for her is peace."
I just about choked on my gulp of water.
"Wait, did you say...Midna?" I gasped. I was acutely aware of everyone's gaze burning into my face.
The elderly man looked at me in confusion. "Yes, my great-granddaughter's name is Midna. Why?"
I shrank back in my chair, petrified by all the attention.
"Oh...um...nothing. It's just...a pretty name." I said sheepishly. Twilan raised an eyebrow at me.
"Thank you." He said, though he didn't look convinced. "As I was saying, I don't want the children of my realm to have to grow up in a war-torn land..."
Ghirahim sent me a warning look. I sat back in my chair in embarrassment.
As the meeting progressed, I began zoning out, thinking about what I'd just heard, until I was on the brink of a full on epiphany. I didn't like the idea of that happening here, so I turned to Ghirahim.
"I have to use the bathroom."
"Can't it wait?" he asked, scowling.
"I really have to go." I said, hoping he would understand. He blinked and then nodded.
"Very well."
I slid out of my chair and walked out of the room, mind spinning.
I wandered down the halls, alone with my thoughts. This had suddenly turned into something much bigger. If Midna and the Twili existed in this world, did that mean everything from the Zelda franchise was here as well? I guess Skyward Sword was supposed to be the origin of the series. But wouldn't that mean Midna was, like, really old in Twilight Princess? Or do Twili just age really slow? I shook my head to clear it. Whatever the reason, I shouldn't dwell on it.
I walked for several minutes and then turned back. As I approached the meeting room again, I heard raised voices from inside. I recognized a few of them, including Ghirahim's. Before I knew what was happening, the door flung open.
Said demon raced out and grabbed my arm, dragging me down the hallway.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" I yelped.
"The peace has been broken. They think you went off to investigate the rest of the manor. They think I'm using you against them."
"Like a spy?"
"Exactly." Ghirahim looked around. "We have to hide. They mean to kill you."
At this I desperately looked around. I spotted a perfect place.
"In here!" I exclaimed, yanking him into a maintenance closet with me. I slammed the door shut, painfully aware of what a cliché hiding spot this was. And...of how close we were.
"Get your arm off my waist!" I snapped.
"You're stepping on my foot, Sky Child."
"And your elbow's in my ribs. Damnit, Ghirahim that hurts! I hate this!"
"Such a pity..." He muttered.
"What?"
"So many of my female servants would kill for an...opportunity like this."
"Huh?"
"To be in such close quarters with a dime like me is quite the rare treat for many woman."
At that comment, I promptly stomped on his foot. Soon, the footsteps faded. I tried the lock.
"It won't open."
"What are you talking about?"
"It won't. See?" I tried again, just for the handle to come off in my hand. I swallowed.
"I...um...broke it..."
Ghirahim huffed in annoyance.
"Well this is a fine situation you've gotten us into!" He hissed in irritation.
"Hey! I'm the one stuck in here with a criminal!" I snapped back.
Who would want to be so close to a villain?
"Criminal you say...is it because I've stolen your heart?" Ghirahim asked sweetly.
At this, the darkness looked red, and I was sure glad he couldn't see my face, because I'm pretty sure I was blushing.
"THAT'S IT! WHEN WE GET OUT OF HERE YOU ARE SO DEAD!" I shouted.
"Keep screaming, and we both will be. Now, I am going to kick down the door, and then we'll have to run. They've disabled magic by now, I'm sure."
"Okay," I breathed. There was a bang, and the door broke down. The next thing I knew, people were shouting and I was running for my life.
Getting out of that meeting had been quite an ordeal. Luckily, though, Ghirahim had managed to explain the situation, and they had reluctantly let us go.
"Well, that was something," I muttered to Ghirahim as we trudged towards the manor.
"Indeed it was."
I looked at the ground. "Hey Ghirahim?"
"Yes?"
"Sorry for being so...aloof back there. Sorry, but...I just tense up in those situations. I have no idea why. I like people...but...I don't know...I guess I just am terrible at first impressions."
Ghirahim sighed. "It's alright, Sky Child. I suppose it wasn't fair of me to put you in a situation like that."
"Just...do me a favor, will you?"
"Yes?"
"Never make me come with you to things like that again. Please. I think it's for the best."
"Perhaps you're right," Ghirahim admitted.
We kept walking. Eventually, the entrance to the manor came into sight.
"Come on, let's..." I trailed off as a single flake of white fell from the vivid dawn sky and landed on my nose. A felt a cold sting, and then the white particle melted against my skin.
"Snow?"
Surprise! Didn't I mention there might possibly be other Zelda characters in this story?
Whoops.
Anyway, they won't be in it much, except maybe the last book. The final battle will be epic. Wait, did I say there would be a big battle?
Whoops again.
What else is there to say...
Until I get strikethrough to work on fanfiction, if I need to cross something out for effect, I'll underline it. Just try to use your imagination. Also, I try to write each narrative like the actual character is writing it. So if they cross something out, it's supposed to be like they changed their mind about writing it.
This is another one of the chapters I wrote a while ago, but unfortunately, it took a while to edit and finish because when I wrote it, I wasn't sure how far in the story it would happen, so there were a few things I had to fix. And then formatting was a jerk. Yeah.
Anyway, thanks like always to everyone who left reviews. Keep it up! And if you're not fav/following and you're still reading this, I'd recommend it. It's up to you though. And just as a heads up, I might be a bit busier starting this week. My new commitment will end around October, but until then, I'll have a bit less free time, but I'm still going to try super hard to wrap up part one this month.
Well...see you, then.
~Catwhiskers24~
