I'm no stranger to having voices in my head, if you're wondering why I'm so calm about it. When you think about it, if you're going to talk to the chosen one who has to spend majority of his time booking it across the galaxy and kicking ass, it's a much more convenient way of communicating. Why meet in person-person when you can just zap text into his mind.
But the problem here was not the fact that someone was speaking in my head, it was that I didn't know whose voice this was. I could tell it was a woman, more along the lines of "little girl" if the pitch was anything to go by. I couldn't place a face to it… but somehow my mind kept searching for a match. It just didn't want to accept that this person was a stranger, as though somewhere in the back of my head the answer would just flash into existence.
On the outside, time ground to a slow blur; the image of Mari plunging its bladed appendage directly towards my forehead crawled to a smoky lag. The waking world seemed to bleed out completely and I was left in a realm of white and mist. Did I mention that I'm no real stranger to visions as well?
In the distance, and drawing nearer, I made out a form, a very human form. It was a small thing, maybe about chest high and rather lanky in appearance. The closer it drew the more was revealed; a mop-top of raven hair perched itself atop the head, shielding its eyes from view. It had a youthful, feminine face, though at that age boys and girls have a habit of confusing me. Still, something in me stirred at calling it a girl, so I'll trust my instincts.
Despite the sheer white landscape, her alabaster cat-suit just sort of stood out, like a 3-D image in a cartoon background. The skin-tight aspect of the cloth was less pleasing than one would imagine, mostly because all the high-security areas were so well adorned. Atop her shoulders sat a pair of golden guards, rounded over her shoulders. From these hung the most ornate, golden chest-plate armor, carved in the image of a masculine torso with the symbol of a star etched over the heart. The masculine aspect was ironically hilarious, the scrap of shielding covered about as much area as a sports bra.
Across the hips rested a solid, golden belt, keeping with the color theme. The far ends flared out like wings which was appropriate since the garment looked to be floating around her frame, like a planetary ring of some kind. Strangely enough her hands lacked any form of armor at all and, aside from the head, were the only other exposed point of skin; the cat-suit ended at the knuckles. Then to contrast that completely were the legs…
You ever see something and the first word you use to describe it is "magnificent"? Well, not to give anyone the wrong idea, but these things were truly magnificent. The body-suit looked to cut off just as the legs began, I couldn't tell you myself what with the metallic glory that seemed welded to each appendage.
They were like gauntlets for the lower body, grieves I believe is the right word. From thigh to toes, they encompassed her form. Where joints were needed, they looked to have melted away into some form of rubber metal, making movement smooth and easy. Lines were carved this way and that, never crossing and always running height-wise, that made their sheer length seem to stretch on and on. At the calves, the gold (of course) had forged into a tuft of feathers, looking just as soft as the real deal; they even billowed in the wind! The shoe-shaped feet seemed quite petite in contrast, but that just added more to the overall feel of the two garments: purely speed and balance.
'You're not alone, I'll stand by you now. But first you have to get up, get up and fight again!'
I came to just as a swift kick shot into the gut of my Heartless adversary, pun fully intended. Its arm dislodged with a yank and a spurt of blood as it was sent sailing down the corridor. The Marionette skidded to a stop on its pointed tips and one arm, kicking up a trail of sparks. It regarded me with some kind of wonder, wary of the sneak attack.
I'm a dominant righty, so losing my left isn't so big a deal. Hefting the Keyblade, I staggered to my feet and bit back the throbbing ache of my wound. I pointed my weapon towards the Marionette, issuing the challenge. It was darting forward before I even finished the taunt, that's just bad villain form there.
The sensation right then was purely awkward, no better word for it. It was like losing your breath, specifically having it punched out of you; like a hole opens up inside you and all your strength pours through it. But rather than physical strength, it felt as though a piece of my mind had shot forward and was now giving some form of foot-to-face uppercut to my enemy; the picture was so clear to me…
Of course it would be clear, it was happening right in front of me. In a violent flash, the Heartless was sent reeling straight up with a golden armored boot planted in its "chin". The follow-up kick came fast, driving the ribs and launching Mari clear through the low wall and on to the blue field.
I regarded the familiar spectre, as no other word could so well describe a see-through being, floating about a dozen cm's off the ground. I was flabbergasted, the feeling was just that awkward. I know I've stated that I'm no stranger to visions and the like, but I'm typically not conscious when they happen! I'd almost gone off on an inner tangent about where I'd rank on the "looney scale" when the gravity of the situation came back into focus.
From the shuffling sounds, Mari was collecting himself. That had been my first wake up call. The second came when the armored phantom, back to me, flashed an eager side-profile grin that was only amplified in awesome by the act of dramatically cracking her knucles. I hardly took notice of her disappearance immediately afterwards, I'd already leapt from the walkway and onto the stunning stretch of lawn. Bloodied up and bruised, I was running on pure adrenaline now; you can't stop the Sora Train!
Man that was weak…
The Marionette staggered to its tips only to stumble back haphazardly from my swift swipe. My left arm hung dead, limp as a length of sausage; we were both worse for the wear. But Mari came back, nearly tumbling over itself, into a cross-slash which I batted up, in, and over, tossing my enemy overhead. It lashed out with the equivilant of a kick and slash combined, given the nature of its "feet", that lopped off a few locks of hair.
Mari landed on three limbs, I collapsed into a light crouch. We took a moment, respite and assessment, before we were at it again, charging headlong into the other. The rush was beyond comprehension and thoughts of life and death just kind of drifted their way to the sidelines, eager for the best seats. I jumped into my attack, stabbing forward with the tip of my Keyblade. The Marionette dipped low and swung around, coming in for the counter.
That odd feeling welled up again, like a part of my mind was drifting away. No, not drifting, catapulting!
There was a harsh clang of loose metal and the low Thrum of grinding earth as Mari was launched once again from the powerful shot to the forehead. I reeled around on it, blazing past my astral ally, my limp arm flaring wildly with the motion. Some degree of clarity returned as the spectre again faded, that loose portion of my mind back from its urgent business. I was starting to understand how this power worked, I'd realize it once I was done kicking ass.
The Heartless popped out of its tumble and onto its tips in one quick burst of movement. It stood, arms crossed and ready to receive me. I came in swaying side to side, a sad attempt to throw off its flow considering how sloppy I was, before my Keyblade hefted into a fast strike to the side. Mari twisted around the blade's head, coming to face my flank, and opened his arms in an agile X-cross.
I think I did it myself that time. In all honestly, the sensation was like pulling the trigger on a gun; you feel the itch in your nerves one moment and that sudden flash of recoil the next. Like any process, it took some time getting used to; that I'd expected it this time was the only thing keeping me from toppling over.
Gold plating met ebon crystal as the astral warrior lashed out at the point where both blades met, catching the attack flawlessly. Her leg, straining against the struggling Heartless, shot out to force the Marionette back a ways. She took off in pursuit, a shadow in its wake.
Mari didn't travel far, the push hadn't been all that strong to begin with, and maintained an upright stance. It readied again as the armored maiden darted forward, adopting the same cross-arms pose. Three meters… two meters… it sunk in ever so slightly at one meter, preparing for the counter.
The spectre vanished with a Whoosh, swiftly leaping over the entrenched Heartless. Mari let loose his attack at the unexpected motion, missing its target completely. I grinned ear to ear as I charged in with even greater haste, no longer obscured by my ghostly comrade. The Marionette shifted focus once she had vaulted out of sight, noticing me just an instant too late. As it attempted desperately to guard, the third shot of the day, brisk and precise, nailed the Heartless right in the back of the skull.
She hadn't vanished yet, just setting up for a flip-kick. An entirely too smooth flip-kick the likes of which you'd only see in some Japanese anime.
Mari came reeling in only to be blasted aside by the heavy swing of my Keyblade. I'd missed the diamond center I was aiming for, but had taken a good chunk out of its torso none-the-less. The displaced Heartless rolled end over end before dropping unceremoniously, sprawled out fully atop the flowing stretch of blue grass.
I could feel sorry for it, spread out helplessly like that. I waited a moment or two for the usual proceedings; the whisps of smog rising from the body accompanied by the glowing velvet shape of a heart floating off into the universe. The moments passed and nothing of the sort happened. What the fuck?
I was distracted as an explosion rocked the ground, a nearby wall of the academy blown out into a storm of dust and debris. It washed over the field and I mused on how sorry I'd feel for the poor bastard that marred Kairi's personal masterpiece like that, forgetting of course my own small romp from moments earlier. I'd all but forgotten the mysterious Heartless when a figure came hurriedly out of the cloud, a winged shape slung over his shoulder.
Riku plowed into me, steadying himself last-minute-like with a hand to my chest. When he figured out just who it was standing in front of him, that hand turned into a fist and balled up in it was the front of my shirt.
"The hell is going on!" he shouted, clearly out of breath and going into the negative on patience.
My mind snapped back to my opponent but as the cover cleared, the distinct smudge of black tendrils was all that remained where it layed. It hadn't died, the damn thing hadn't died and now it had gotten away on me!
"Sora!" Riku shouted again, louder than before. Evidently, he was not in the mood to be ignored.
I directed myself towards his face which was utterly covered in grime and the look of a man who'd had one too many sticks shoved up his ass. I glanced about, from side to side and front to back, even up and down for a bit. There was no sign of my astral companion… my mind was on the straight and narrow once again.
What the hell was happening to me?
I chose then to give Riku a taste of my thoughts. "I don't know man," I spoke with even temper, watching as a crowd of students and professors flooded out of the ruined building and onto the slightly less ruined lawn. Riku let me go; taking notice of my limp and blood-drenched arm he made to take my good shoulder and haul me back to the school.
I glanced up once again, onto the lazy sky. The lucky bastard, still laid back as ever. Sure we shared a name, but our lifestyles couldn't be further apart. I was a magnet for trouble and it seemed, once again, I was about to be off on yet another bizarre adventure.
Riku chuckled as my thought concluded so I assume I must have spoken it out loud. Or he was some kind of Jedi mind-reader…
