Marco suddenly woke up, covered in a thin layer of sweat, beads trickling down his forehead. He rubbed his heavy eyelids for a bit, waiting for his vision to clear out, but then he realized that his bed was shaking. He tried to stand up, but fell back on his backside. After his vision finally cleared, he looked around him, and realized he's in a moving carriage! Furthermore, a pair of greenish-yellow eyes stared down at him, looking quite unamused.

"WO-OAH! WHERE AM I?!" Marco shouted as he quickly clambered onto the opposite seat of the person staring at him, ready to karate chop him/her if she/he comes any closer.

"Calm down, young one. I won't hurt you. Sit back for a moment and try to remember last night." The person spoke softly, hands raised in peace.

"How do I know this isn't some sort of a trick?! And remember what exactly?!" Marco blurted out quickly, the tone of his voice rising by an octave. The person tilted their head slightly, the tip of their elf-like ear dangling a bit, before their face came closer to Marco's, into the light, and Marco could clearly recognize all the features of a male demon. The demon blinked once before saying:
"Star Butterfly."

Suddenly, it all came in a flash to him, the lake, the stars, the forest, Star, the ribbon, fire...Fire! A pain in his chest suddenly blossomed and occupied all of his senses. He could hear the painful throbs of his heart in his ears, feel his nails digging into the flesh of his chest just to mild the pain, he tasted bitternes in his mouth and saw Star's tears, everything causing more and more pain.

"T-tell me...Did Tom send you with me so you could kill me?" Marco asked, the muscles in his arms and legs cramping up.
"No, master Tom did not give me any orders. I am taking you somewhere far, to an old friend of mine. She will take care of you." The demon spoke with unnatural smoothness in his voice.
"W-why?" Was the last thing Marco could muster out in his pained state.
"Pity over you, I suppose..." And with that, Marco passed out once more, the only image in his head a torn red ribbon in the middle of a dark room.

Several hours later

"Wake up..."
"Wake up Marco..."
"...Marco!"
"Ugh, no..." Marco, once again, had trouble getting up, only this time the carriage was steady and still, a cold jet of air fogging up its windows.
"D-did we stop?" He asked with a raspy voice.
"No, we have entered a different area."
"Which is?"
"Freezing Marshes."
"Again, which is?" Marco asked, as he sat up slowly, with a stiffness in his muscles.
"Look outside." The demon opened a small window for Marco to look through, as Marco stood up and peered through the small opening. And soon enough, he became breathless.

The area was littered with willows, nothing but willows, all covered in blueish-white frost, encasing their small leaves into an eternal layer of frost. The roots stretched down into water that mirrored the wheeping trees, creating an idilical mirage. The water must have been magic, because some deer, badgers, hogs and the carriage all walked and rolled across the water smoothly, the water not making a single sound, its ripples causing small puffs of fog to rise up. The place was dead quiet, not a single bird in sight, not a single noise present.

"Wow..."
"Come in, Marco. You don't want to freeze." He pulled him in quickly and shut the window.
"Why does your friend live here? It's so lonely here!" Marco asked immediately, the cool air waking him up.
"Witches usually like solitude, she is no different."
"A WITCH?! YOU TOOK ME TO A WITCH?!" Marco suddenly jumped out of his seat, petrified of the thought of meeting a horrendus witch right now.
"Calm down human, it is not the same as on Earth." The demon replied, relaxed.
"If you say so...Hey, what's your name?" Marco asked as he felt the carriage slow down.
" Balrog. Balrog Benjamin Bensen." He replied swiftly, gazing at Marco with his eyes.

When the carriage soon stopped, Marco quickly got out of it only to be met with a pair of even more piercing eyes. Two orbs of turqoise blue stared down at him, calculating and cold. Those eyes belong to a young and fair woman, sitting on top of what looks like a shrine. She has ivory coloured skin, red full lips, a black large dress that showed off her shoulders and collarbone, and a head of velvet-like long locks that neatly fell down to the floors like water in a waterfall.

"Benjamin, who is this?" Her unaturally deep voice echoed through the Freezing Marshes, and bounced off of the frozen willows.
"Marco Diaz, the human I was talking to you about."
"Ah yes. Unlucky soul." She stood up, her tall frame cloaked by the fabric fanning out around her.
"Marco, come with me." She walked away fast, Marco and Balrog quickly running after her.
"Oh, and call me Velvet." She said without turning around to look at him, her hair fluttering behind her.

"Why am I here...Velvet?" Marco asked once they finally stopped, in a room which had no walls, only white silk curtains strung up between white stone pillars to provide some privacy.

"You are here for many reasons. Some good, some bad, some fortunate, and some not." She said as she walked to a bed in the room and sat down.
"Come here, let us begin immediately."
"Wha? Being what?" Marco said, stiffening up at her request.
"Come and see, Marco." Her patience seemed long lasting as she patted the sheets on the bed slowly. Finally, with a small push from Balrog, he stumbled onto the bed, where Velvet made him lie down. She stood up and loomed above him, one of her hands above his head, while the other above his chest.

With her eyes closed, her hands began to glow in a soft white glow, the white speckles floating into the air. She soon mumbled:
"Yes, it is broken, torn and scorched. Painful indeed. Fresh and blistering wound. Jelaousy." She opened her eyes and kneeled down next to him, never once moving her hands. She turned to Marco, a gentle smile on her lips.

"Rest Marco. Rest your soul. Let it take you away. Let it rock you to dreams, your garden of dreams." He voice turned into a soft whisper, enchanting and soothing to the ears.
"But..." Marco's eyes began to droop against his will, his body unwilling to move.
"Ssshhh Marco, listen to the willows outside, their leaves in the frosty wind. They sing to you, let them take you away, into a different land." Her whisper remained as her left hand moved to his head, joining the right one. Marco's eyes fluttered shut, that bit of resistance his body showed slowly fading.

"That's it Marco. Let it hurt. Let it sink in. Sleep."

Ocean Fury