My apologies for the shorter chapter but this and the last chapter are really a prelude for the next arc: Island of Lost Dolls. (guess which island this arc will be set on and I'll give you a congratulatory digital pat on the back). All characters belong to their respective owners

"Thoughts"

"Speaking"

Skill

foreign term

Meltlilith awoke in a haze. She felt off. Her body didn't feel as tough, more squishy. Also the feeling of her body had been restored, as distorted as it was. "At the very least I can actually feel again" She thought to herself.

The rustle of cloth caught her attention as her eyes readjusted to the bright light of her surroundings. She looked down at her clothed arms and chest. Pale, exposed skin was visible beneath her black outfit consisting of cloth and metal. Her armored legs were the only thing that her and her mechanical body shared in design.

It was without effort that she got up from her previously down position. The familiar feeling of her long hair fluttering about and acting as a curtain for her face was a comfort. At an upright position now, she began to look at her surroundings. It was a deep sea that seemed to be cordoned off from flooding by glowing blue framework. Nostalgia blossomed in her heart as she looked all around.

With at first unsteady footsteps, Meltlilith approached the edge of a digital wall. It was a spiral that went down, down, down when she tilted her head in an attempt to follow the structures' trajectory. As the depths increased the framework blocks that consisted this environment became more and more chaotic. Familiar and unfamiliar structures lay scattered, floating in the void. Foreign and familiar buildings were haphazardly placed, most not right side up. There were even statues of unfamiliar, mechanical figures. Now that she could see everything, the everything looked more and more like a tangled mess of hair all tied into some sort of knot.

The ambience of the scenery was shattered when a female voice rang out in the void, "So the Makuta spawn finally shows herself here!" Melt turned in the direction of the voice only to be met with a blast of water. Skidding across the ground from the force of the blast, Melt managed to stab a bladed appendage deep into the ground. It was then that the high pressure blast of water that had buffeted before stopped. The sound of air being displaced caught her attention causing the Alter Ego to look up.

Blue eyes met glowing yellow as a biomechanical being donning a mask with 7 vents scattered on their cheeks and forehead came down upon Melt. Within the being's hands were a pair of dual axes, one larger than the other. Pushing herself out of the way, Melt was placed on the defensive as the azure aggressor immediately charged her with a flurry of strikes. After a series of blocks Melt regained her bearings and interrupted the series of strikes with a powerful uppercut from her bladed legs forcing the armored being back.

The words tumbled out of Melt's mouth, "Who are you!?" The eyes of the azure combatant narrowed as she muttered something to herself before raising her voice, "I am Toa Mira, Toa Artakha of Water. Pupil of Helryx and guardian of the Island of Artakha." The identified Toa placed herself into a combat stance, "Also apparent vessel to you, parasitic cur." Before Meltlilith could muster a response the Toa charged again, this time orbs of water framing her shoulders.

In the second flurry of strikes Melt found herself boxed in as the orbs of water began to shoot themselves at her like bullets as Mira struck again and again. It was during this deadly dance of water and steel did Melt notice that her legs weren't corroding the axes. Noticing the plum haired Alter Ego's center of focus Mira spoke with a hint of smugness, "Noticed your vile poisons don't work on my axes ey? In this alien world such things like elemental attacks aren't as effective but don't think it will hamper me one bit!" Her piece spoken the Toa raised her axes up high in an attempt at an overhanded strike, leaving her open to be struck in her chest armor by Melt.

After skidding to a halt, the Toa stood, mask aglow and her armor completely undamaged. Melt's eyes narrowed before speaking, "So why does such a high and mighty Toa want to pick fight with me? I haven't done anything to incite such animosity."

"Your mere existence is an insult! You may not remember but your parasitic essence killed my brothers all on the whims of that cursed Kojol. Add to the fact that I have gleaned information of your personality from observation of your actions and free floating data around us. You are a fundamentally corrupt abomination whose hedonistic personality would do better not ever seeing the light of day." Taking the two axes and lining their pommels together, the righteous Toa slotted both weapons into one another forming a larger hand axe that glowed a deep indigo color. Water coated the blade and expanded, forming a blade of water that aligned and flowed with the axe. The length and width of the elemental blade gave it the impression of a great sword. "I will end your existence here and now."

Taking a few one handed test swings the azure warrior took a stance familiar to the Alter Ego though she couldn't quite put a finger on it. Taking her thoughts off that peculiarity Melt responded to the challenge with a stance of her own. They made eye contact and Melt noticed something. Besides the rage that dominated the Toa's judgement in those yellow eyes there was something underneath. Melt wouldn't be able to make sense of that detail as with a proclamation of "En Garde!" courtesy of Mira, the fight continued on a much more faster pace than before.

The clashing of blades echoed throughout the digital sea that was Melt and Mira's joint minds. Their clash took them throughout the spiral landscape with none being capable of attaining an advantageous position over the other. Each clash of their blades caused flashes: images of a foreign utopian city, pieces of trivia of an alien world, and bits of memory of a life that wasn't hers. Though Melt would've taken the time to digest these gleaned bits of information, her enraged foe didn't relent for a single moment.

It was during this fight that two things clicked in the Alter Ego's head. At first something within her desired to negotiate, to call off the battle and to talk it out with the aggressive Toa of Water. She found now that she couldn't, she was simply having too much fun and that oppressive feeling suppressed that rational train of thought completely. A name came to her mind -Sadistic Constitution-. Her combat judgements were beginning to slip up and Melt now had to reign in herself more and more before making an attack.

The second was of why throughout her fighting that she found the Toa's disposition and combat style so familiar. An image of a blonde haired, not biomechanical, man donning silver armor and wielding a flaming sword came to mind. Though she couldn't name him the memory of the man's style gave her a certain level of understanding on how to better defend against her present foe's fighting style.

As they clashed again and again, Melt realized that this fight was never going to get anywhere, both her and her opponent weren't going to tire anytime soon. Observing the structure she was fighting on, she began a long term play to spread her virus onto the floor itself.

The entirety of the spiral structure they fought upon was a bit structurally fragile. With the poisons of her virus seeping into the the blocks it was only a matter of time for the structure to collapse on itself.

During a clash that was to be decided upon a contest of physical might, the structure fell apart. In that moment of brief panic both made eye contact before Melt began to jump up onto the falling pieces. It was an effort to not only lessen the eventual impact but to maintain the high ground against Mira. The Toa of Water simply allowed herself to fall. A barrier of energy surrounded her. Her Great Kanohi Hau would protect her from such a fall down.

Landing with a resounding thud that displaced digital sea bed sand everywhere the former guardian Toa looked up and around for her enemy. She found no sight of her and such a circumstance made the Toa raise her guard. It was the whizz of a blade and the split second reaction of raising her Mask of Protection's shield that saved her from being beheaded. Smiling under her Hau, Mira readied a counterattack but a cracking sound shocked her. A chuckle and smug voice responded to her unspoken question, "I finally remembered the name of my poison, Melt Virus." With recognition on what the ice blue liquid precisely was, the power of the virus increased exponentially.

The shield Mira conjured up shattered like glass as the Toa attempted to maintain distance from the strengthened combatant but it was all for naught as a spout of water launched the Toa. Slashes began to pepper the helpless armored warrior as she was sent skyward. At the top was where the yellow eyes opened and widened fully form the furious assault. As Melt burst from the water froth. The clothed combatant's blade legs were aglow, the acrobatic dancer readying herself to drop kick and deal the finishing blow to Mira.

It was a moment of hesitation born of a realization. The technique Meltlilith attempted to perform, the name wouldn't reach her. This startling realization caused her to stall in her attack. Taking advantage of this small moment of hesitation Mira attempted to strike, sending forth her great sword of water through the chaotic water and towards the fleshy combatant. As the blade of water nearly reached its mark in the exposed belly of the Alter Ego the world was plunged into darkness.

The black and silver puppet awoke with a start. Her ice blue eyes adjusted to the poor lighting and finding herself in some sort of seaside cave, the sand and wetness being a blatant indicator of this setting. A fire was burning from dried driftwood beside her. It was the sole source of heat and light in this cave. There was a shuffling of sand and her gaze turned towards the cave entrance. From the cave entrance it was apparent that it was night time.

The view of the night sky though became obstructed as a looming figure entered the cave. The light showed a figure cloaked in rags. What parts were shown showed a dirty, lime green biomechanical humanoid. Upon his face was a mask with 4 openings that exposed the metallic grey head behind the mask. Orange red eyes stared at her ice blue before a male voice came from the unknown's mouth, "So you're awake. Before you ask, I am Lesovikk, a wanderer. Now that I have introduced myself, why don't you extend to me the same courtesy?"

whelp with this chapter done I slink back to cramming and panicking over incoming projects and exams.

Got an NP2 Suzuka Gozen (Meltlilith why don't you show up in NA account? :'C) .

If you have some criticisms and other subjects related to this fanfic leave a review. Have a nice day!