Hey people. I'm back with another update.
Well, I was happy to see that you guys were so excited about the budding romance. But remember, I take it slow, otherwise I feel like it would be too rushed. To be honest, I've never written a romance before. I've written stuff for school, but this is all new to me.
Anywho,
Yackwabit: Having said that, I'll still try to estimate an answer. No need to interrogate me. I'd say...maybe later on in...one of the books. Yeah, not sure if I want to spoil anything.
Well, that's all the questions I have a sort of answer to. Now read!
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
I looked up as dozens of other snowflakes joined the first.
Ghirahim watched a snowflake land on his arm. "This is unexpected. I rarely see snow here. The weather is fairly unpredictable, though."
I smiled, catching a snowflake on my tongue. "It's been forever since I've seen snow."
"I'd hope so, considering it never snows in Skyloft."
I turned around. Ghirahim was frowning. "How do you know about snow, anyway?"
I bit my lip. "We...er...read about it I think. One of the old textbooks explained it."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah. It was a chapter and a half."
"I don't believe you."
I sighed. "You're right. Okay, yeah I've seen snow. But only because it somehow snows back home."
Ghirahim blinked. "Back home?"
"Yeah...somehow it snows on the isolated little island I come from. Strange, huh?"
Ghirahim looked away. "Not as strange as you, I must say."
I laughed awkwardly. "True."
I grabbed his arm. "Come on. Let's get back to the manor before you get hypothermia or something."
Ghirahim allowed me to pull him towards the entrance to the manor, but somehow, I knew he still didn't believe me.
After entering the manor, I decided I didn't want to sleep. I had another idea.
"Where are you going?" Ghirahim asked, watching me walk down a nearby hallway.
"I'm going on an adventure."
"What?" He stared at me in confusion. "Haven't you had enough excitement for one day?"
I shrugged. "Follow me, if you want."
Ghirahim followed me all the way to the library.
"So this is what you meant by 'an adventure'," he realized.
"Yeah. This was all the excitement I used to get when I was a kid. Just stepping into the world of one of these books was like living a different life. I could sit and read for hours." I explained, taking a nearby book off the shelf. "Is this one good?"
Ghirahim shrugged. "I'm afraid I have no idea. I haven't read it."
I moved on, tracing my fingers along the edges of the books. "Then what have you read? Any suggestions?"
He shrugged. "It's been a while since I've read anything for entertainment."
I frowned. "You mean to say...You don't read fictional stories?"
He shook his head. "What's the point?"
I gaped at him. "Um...you haven't lived. Reading is amazing! You can leave your boring everyday life for a few hours and let yourself be absorbed by a page of words. How can you not read?"
Ghirahim shrugged. "I have better things to do."
"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that," I said icily. I tossed him a book. "Come on."
"What?"
"You're just going to read a normal, fictional book for an hour or two. Now come on. Sit down."
I took a book for myself and sat on one of the cushioned chairs.
Ghirahim shook his head. "I'm afraid I haven't the time."
I rolled my eyes. "Come on, Ghir. You can't do much about Zelda until she actually arrives at the next temple, right? So until then, you've got nothing but time."
Ghirahim hesitated.
"Alright, listen. My...island...is much more advanced in medical sciences than you guys. And back home, it's well known that working none stop is not good for you. Stress will raise your blood pressure, and trust me; you don't want that. Stress is bad for you. Come here."
Ghirahim reluctantly approached where I was sitting on the chair.
"Give me your hand."
"Why?"
"Just do it."
The demon lord hesitantly held out his hand. I took it gently in mine. I realized I would have to take off his gloves, so I started pulling the fabric from the tip of his finger. He immediately jerked his arm away.
"What are you doing?"
"I just have to take off your glove. Chill."
Ghirahim shook his head. "I should really be getting back to work. The courtroom needs attending."
"Wait. Why don't you want me to see your hands?"
Ghirahim frowned. "That's not it, it's just..."
"Then what?"
He sighed. "I just...don't want to talk about it, okay?"
I frowned. "You can tell me. I won't judge you. You can trust me."
Ghirahim didn't meet my eyes. "I'm sorry."
I bit my lip. "Wait...if you keep hiding things like this, then what makes you think I'll stop hiding stuff myself?"
He sighed. "I just rather not talk about this."
I stood up and took his arm. "Sometimes it helps to talk. Just...give me a chance, alright?"
He reluctantly let me pull the glove from his hand. What I saw made me freeze.
"Oh, Ghirahim..."
He said nothing. His palm was covered in thin, faded scars. Additional marks crossed the base of his wrist.
"What happened to you?" I asked quietly.
He didn't answer.
I guided him to the couch perpendicular to the chair and sat near him.
I held his hand in my own, lightly tracing my finger over the scars.
"Please tell me what happened."
To my surprise, Ghirahim obliged.
"Remember the first time I trained you in sword fighting, when I told you Demise had intense ways of punishing me? I believe I told you about the time that he forced me to pick up broken glass with my bare hands. These...these scars..."
"Oh..." I bit my lip. "I think you showed me your hand that day. It was just for a second, though. I didn't see how...bad...it was."
Ghirahim sighed. "Yes. And the scars around my wrist are from..." his voice broke. "I told you...I would prefer not to discuss this any more. It's just..."
I nodded, now feeling sorry that I had forced him to remember such pain.
I rubbed the back of his hand with my thumb. "You're okay."
"What?"
I cleared my throat. "You're going to be okay. I'm not going to let anything like this happen to you again. I promise."
Ghirahim smiled weakly.
Wanting desperately to change the subject, I did what I had intended to do from the start. I placed my fingers on the large vein in his wrist, feeling his pulse. It may have been my imagination, but it seemed like his heartbeat was fast.
"Yep. You definitely have high blood pressure. You better relax for a while."
In all honesty, I had no idea how to tell if someone's blood pressure was too high, but I didn't let on. Instead, I just pretended like I knew what I was doing. In fact, I had no idea id it had anything to do with his pulse, but I thought it would be more convincing to test something.
"You're blood pressure is way too high. You've got to rest."
Ghirahim shook his head. "There will be rest after Demise returns. Until then, I must work vigilantly."
I rolled my eyes. "Come on, Ghir, Just chill for a while. Everything is fine."
Ghirahim stood up, ignoring me. "I'm sorry. I must not give in to any distractions.
"Fine." I walked to the window. "It's really coming down out there, isn't it?"
Ghirahim nodded. "Yes. It appears the ground is already covered by several feet."
I watched the clumps of snowflakes land on the ground. Ghirahim was right—there was a lush blanket of snow stretching as far as the eye could see.
"That snow looks pretty moist."
"I suppose it does," Ghirahim agreed.
"It looks perfect for a snowball fight," I went on, turning to face him with a toothy grin.
"A what?"
My jaw dropped. "You mean to say...you've never been in a snowball fight?"
The demon lord shrugged. "I haven't."
I tugged at his arm. "Come on!"
"What?"
"We're going to make up your lost childhood."
"Right now?"
I nodded.
The noble turned away. "I can't."
I let out a sigh of frustration. "Fine. I'll go entertain myself, then."
Ghirahim didn't stop me as I headed out of the room and down the hall. I knew exactly what I wanted to do, but I would need some help.
I made my way towards the barracks. Yes, I would need some help from a rather large monster.
Ghirahim's POV
I sat at my desk with a sigh. It had been tempting to go and enjoy the snow with the girl, but I knew that would accomplish nothing.
I opened a few of my books and began to read.
In a moment, I heard a knock at my door.
"Yes?"
"May I come in, My Lord?" Leal requested.
"Oh, very well."
I heard the door open, and my servant stepped in.
"Some reports, sir."
I sighed. "Fine. Let me hear them."
Leal cleared his throat. He began to tell me about the various happenings of the kingdom. Apparently the Rebel's had been laying low. No one had seen them in several days. It made me suspicious.
Leal stood by my window. "I'm afraid the peace in this estate will not last."
"I know."
The short demon stared over the rolling hills. "You know, Demise may never return. Perhaps it's time for you to take your place as leader."
I stared at him in astonishment. "Leal! How could you say something like that? Our Master will return eventually. I will make sure of it."
"And if you fail?"
I said nothing.
"My Lord, you realize, the people are beginning to give up on you. They'd like to see you make some sort of progress."
"And what do you mean by...progress?"
Leal was silent for a moment. "Perhaps if you made your relationship with the girl official—"
"Wait..." I frowned. "Relationship?"
The servant nodded. "Remember what we discussed."
"I know..." I sighed. "But I'm not ready for that."
"You might not have a choice," Leal warned.
He was staring at something outside. I followed his gaze. The girl was visible from my window. She had a moblin shield in her hands as she approached a steep hill. As I watched, she set down the shield, sat on top of it, and slid down the hill. I couldn't help but chuckle as she nearly tumbled off at the bottom. She got back up and then carried the sled back up the slope.
"She's a strange one," I mumbled.
"Yes. But she seems happy."
I didn't respond.
"Does it please you that she finally seems happy here?"
I shrugged. "Perhaps."
Leal continued to look at her. "I think you could learn a thing or two from her."
I blinked. "What exactly are you referring to?"
The shorter demon looked at me. "Haven't you noticed how easily the girl finds joy?"
I shrugged again. "I suppose she is easily pleased. So what?"
He returned his gaze to the window. "When I was a boy, my father told me there was a certain key to happiness. He said the happiest people aren't always the ones in the best situations; they are the ones with the best outlook in any situation. Just look at her: she's been away from home for weeks, and yet she still is having the time of her life out there. Perhaps its time that you started thinking about your own happiness."
I stared at him in confusion. "Why are you telling me this?"
Leal dipped his head. "I am sorry. As one of the few demons Demise chose to preserve, I have been serving you your entire life. And I suppose...I suppose I just desire to see you at peace. I want you to be fulfilled. You've been working at the same goal for as long as I have served you. Perhaps the girl is right. Maybe you need a break."
I was silent for a moment.
"Thank you for the report, Leal. You may leave now."
The older demon hesitated, but then he nodded. I heard him quietly open and close the door. And I...I continued to watch the girl. It was strangely fascinating, watching her climb all the way up the hill, just to slide back down again. It seemed maddening. Did she never tire from it?
I glanced at the papers on my desk, and then back out the window. Then I left the room.
Leal walked down a maze of halls, returning to his master's courtroom after making himself a cup of tea. But Ghirahim wasn't there. Confused, Leal checked Ghirahim's room.
"Where are you, My Lord?" He wondered out loud.
A flicker of worry ignited in his stomach. Had the rebels struck, just after he told his master that they were lying low?
Suddenly, a flicker of movement from out the window caught Leal's attention. He moved closer to get a better view, letting out a breath of relief as he spotted his master's red cape. Ghirahim and the girl were throwing large handfuls of snow at each other.
Ghirahim turned around, and Leal glimpsed a large grin on his leader's face.
Leal couldn't help but smile as he took another sip of tea, watching the two put their worries behind them and enjoy the crisp winter day.
Marissa's POV
As I carried my sled up for what was probably the hundredth time, I heard footsteps from behind. My head swiveled around, and I blinked in surprise at the newcomer.
"You came!" I exclaimed.
Ghirahim nodded. "I did."
I was probably grinning like an idiot.
"Sky Child?"
"What?"
"The shield..."
My face flushed. "Yeah, I know. It belongs to a moblin. I just borrowed it from the barracks so I could go sledding. I'll give it back, honest!"
"No," Ghirahim said. "The shield. Look!"
I whipped around. The shield, free of my grasp, was sliding down the hill without me.
"Damn!" I yelped, running after it. "Wait!"
Before I could take more than a few steps down the hill, the shield had already slid into one of the trees at the bottom, splitting in half.
"Crap." I muttered.
Ghirahim cleared his throat. "You don't have to return that."
I chuckled awkwardly. "Yeah...it's kinda useless now." I turned to face him. "So...what do you want to do?"
Ghirahim shrugged. "I have no idea. What does one typically do in the snow?"
I shrugged. "Well, since you asked..." I gathered a mitt of snow into my hand. In a flash, I threw it at Ghirahim, hitting him in the stomach.
He winced, jumping back and then glaring at me. "What was that for?"
"That," I grinned, "is how one starts a snowball fight."
Ghirahim stared at me, still looking annoyed. Then, he stooped down a picked up his own handful of snow, flinging it at me. I barely dodged out of the way, laughing as I did so.
And thus began a beautiful war of semi-frozen water, and I could barely stop laughing.
I tossed a snowball at Ghirahim's face, and he dodged, flinging some snow back at me. He had a strange look in his eyes. It was almost...happiness. Excitement. And yet, he almost looked crazed with that wild glint in his eye. For a moment I was a bit worried that his sadistic side was taking over, and that he was actually trying to hurt me. But no...it wasn't. One look at his smile and I knew it was just amusement.
One of the snowballs hit me in the stomach, and I stumbled back, winded. Another hit to the shoulder and I was tumbling down the hill.
When I reached the bottom, I winced. Then I looked up. I was just inside the entrance to the line of trees. I stared up at the leafless branches surrounding the edges of my vision; I looked between them at the white sky. Then I started laughing even harder, smiling so hard that my face hurt. I don't know why. Something about staring up at the sky, at the tops of the trees...it was just...amazing.
I closed my eyes and just laid there, enjoying the cool feeling of the snow beneath me. Within a few seconds Ghirahim slid to a stop next to me.
"Are you alright, Sky Child?"
I nodded. "I'm perfect, thanks." I stretched out. "I love snow so much"
Ghirahim stared at me for a few seconds. "You seem to love a lot of things."
"Yeah," I admitted. "Pretty much everything."
"Everything?" Ghirahim asked, giving me a sly look. It took me a few seconds to realize what he was insinuating.
"I didn't mean..." I covered my now red face with my hands.
Ghirahim laid down beside me and gave me that look he was so good at. You know, that one that made me want to punch him in the face.
"Oh shut up..." I muttered, turning away.
Ghirahim leaned closer, a mischievous look in his eye. "Make me."
"Alright." I picked up a handful of snow and dropped it on his head.
Ghirahim stood up, shivering and pawing handfuls of melting snow from his hair. I got to my feet as well.
Ghirahim shoved me, and I shoved him back. I grinned and grabbed onto his arm, and he tossed me aside. I found myself sliding across the surface of the snow. I picked up another snowball and threw it at him, catching him in the cheek. He stumbled back, falling on his back end into the snow.
I walked over to him and gave him a hand up. He shivered a little. His skin was starting to get a pale look to it.
"Hey, Ghir, you should probably go in. You're gonna get frostbite with that skimpy outfit on."
Ghirahim didn't argue. I walked behind him, dusting snow off his shoulders. Something on his mantle caught my eye.
"Uh oh..."
"What?" Ghirahim asked, craning his neck to see.
"You've got a bunch of little burrs on your...cape."
The demon lord cursed. "Now look what you've done! The entire manor is going to see that I've been off frolicking in the woods instead of reviving Demise!"
"Frolicking..." I giggled.
"What?"
"Nothing. Come on. Give me your cape."
"What? Why?"
I tugged at the cloth. "If anyone asks, you can say that you left the manor to come find me. Say I was lost. You can tell them that you had to go into the forest to track me down. That will explain the burrs. As for why I'm wearing the cape...you can say that I got cold, so being the gentleman you are, you let me wear it back to the manor. Not only will they not blame you for slacking off, but they'll also respect you for your 'kindness'."
Ghirahim hesitated. "You would do that? I thought you hated the 'damsel in distress' image."
"Oh, I do. More than anything," I confirmed. "But I guess...you came outside to be nice to me, so I guess...I guess I can do something nice for you too."
Ghirahim gave me a long look. "Thank you, Sky Child."
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, whatever. Just give me the mantle already."
Ghirahim obliged, taking off the red sleeveless shawl and sliding over my head.
"Ugh. It smells like you." I complained. "And my god, this thing is so dorky! I can't believe I'm wearing this."
Ghirahim glared at me.
"Sorry."
Not wanting to wear the thing all the way back, I just draped it around my shoulders like a blanket, as that would still be convincing. Besides, then it was harder to see the burrs.
We made our way back to the manor By the time we reached the front doors, Ghirahim was shivering a little harder.
I glanced at him in concern. "Are you alright? Don't get hypothermia on me."
The demon lord smiled at me weakly. "I'm fine. I'm just...not built for this kind of weather."
How ironic. Ghirahim couldn't stand the cold, while I came from a place known for it's cold winters. How strange...we were such polar opposites. Maybe that's why Hylia chose me for him.
I opened the door and we walked in. People barely gave us a second glance as we made our way back to our rooms. We faced each other outside our doors. I handed Ghirahim the cape. He frowned.
"What?"
"Others may not have noticed the burrs, but the maids will see them when they clean my mantle."
I bit my lip. He was right.
I sighed. "Well, if it means that much to you, then I can just take them out myself."
Ghirahim blinked in surprise. "Really?"
I nodded. "It's not like I have anything better to do. Besides, I've done this plenty of times. It'll be no problem."
The noble smiled again. He seemed to smile a lot more lately. Not smirk. Just...smile.
He patted me on the head. "Thank you, Ocean."
I smiled back. "No problem. You go warm up."
He nodded, and then we both walked inside our rooms. I stretched out my frozen fingers and went into the washroom, where a small trash can was in the corner.
I found my phone, which I had left behind for the meeting. Placing it on the counter, I set my phone to play some music, as quietly as it possibly could. For me, no task was that tedious if I had some music in the background. The first song happened to be one of my favorites: Ed Sheeran's Photograph.
I smiled as I listened to it, pulling burr after burr from Ghirahim's mantle.
I was just about done when the second verse of the song began:
"Loving can heal.
Loving can mend your soul.
And it's the only thing that I know."
Something about those words made me smile. Having finished with my task, I threw the last few burrs into the trash and covered them with a tissue.
It was then that I realized something:
He used my name.
Well, the fake one, but still. I had a feeling he still thought of me as Ocean, not Marissa. And it was true. The person I was around him was like a completely different person than the one who tripped into the portal all those months ago.
The fact that he used my actual name, and not one of his degrading nicknames felt kind of...good. I had no idea why. Maybe Ghirahim really was changing.
Or maybe I was just a clueless optimist.
Either way, I headed out of my room and knocked on his door.
He opened it right away.
"It's good as new!" I said, holding the mantle out to him.
Ghirahim took it with a grateful smile. "I cannot thank you enough, Sky Child."
"Yeah, you can."
"How?"
"Let me look after you."
"What?"
I walked into his room. "Look, Ghirahim, I get the feeling that you're finally beginning to trust me. And that's great, because now I can finally be a good guard."
"How so?"
"Well, I think that you get that my intentions are usually to help you. Since you finally understand that, then I think it's time you start listening to me."
Ghirahim frowned. "I still don't understand."
In answer, I came closer to him. Reaching out a hand, I touched a finger to some of the exposed skin on his chest. "Your skin is ice cold. As your healer and protector, I must insist that you rest. I know you're immediately going to say some BS about needing to work on finding the Spirit Maiden, but please, just don't. If you really want to thank me, then you're going to take my advice without arguing."
"Alright."
"Come on Ghirahim, I get that you want to be a good servant but—" I broke off. "Wait...did you just agree with me?"
He nodded. "I realize that I have been a bit hard to deal with. Maybe it's time I started listening to you."
I gave him an astonished smiled. "Wow...you actually agreed."
"Rest you say?"
I blinked. "Wait what? Oh...yeah." I gestured to his bed. "Just lie down and relax. It's late, and neither of us have slept in almost 48 hours."
The demon lord nodded, wearily slipping under the covers. At first I wasn't sure why he was being so cooperative, but then I realized it was really because he was too tired to argue.
I made sure to tuck the blankets around him real tight.
"You warm now?"
"I am."
"Good."
I turned to leave. I almost expected him to ask me to stay again, but he didn't. No, he was already sound asleep.
Smiling, I gave him one last warm look, and then I returned to my own room for the night.
Yay! Snow!
Next chapter, another one that I have to edit, won't have as much fluff, but that's because things are about to get real.
So, as you probably noticed, but the song I included was Photograph by Ed Sheeran. I couldn't resist. Whenever I listen to that song, it always seems to remind me of this story. or maybe that's just because I'm always thinking of ways to make this story better. Anyway, hope you liked it.
Thanks for all the reviews/favs/follows. They are so very much appreciated. Please keep it up.
You know, this has been on my mind for a while. As a reader, authors always say stuff like that, saying how much each follow/fav means to them, but you might not think much of it. The thing is, how I look at it, each fav/follow is a real, living, breathing person who took the time out of their life to read my average little story. Each review is one of those real people taking time to give you feedback, and I can't describe how much that means to me and other authors everywhere.
Enough of my cheesy, mushy talk.
But like I said, it's been nice snowing you guys. What? Hey, you guys should realize that there was snow way I could go this long without making another pun.
...
I'm so sorry.
~CatWhiskers24~
