Marionette

Chapter 6

I was in a dark place when I woke again. 

Grrrrr! 

What the hell? Is that thing still alive? 

I made to draw my sword but was painfully reminded my arms were not there anymore.  

-Do not fear puny man; you and I are one... I heard a heavy voice from beyond the abyss. 

-Who the hell is this?! I shouted. 

-Hey! Answer me!

I saw a pair of fiery blue eyes in the distance, staring at my very soul. 

-Hehehehe...

Suddenly, I found myself sinking. The floor had turned into quicksand for whatever reason.
I was submerged entirely before I even knew it. It was cold, insanely cold and suffocating.

My eyes shot open, but I was no longer in the abyss. I could see the sun rising from the peaks.
So, was that just a nightmare? Thankfully, it seemed like it. 

I started taking deep breaths, trying to calm myself down, but no matter what I did, my chest felt heavy. And that was when I noticed it. Yui. 

She was sleeping on top of me. In fact, she was smothering me with her arms and legs. I was gasping for air once again. Yui had wrapped herself around me like a hungry anaconda. 

I can't lie; it was better to die like this than drown in quicksand or get shredded by the Demon's Shield, but still. 

How was I still alive? 

"Yui, you're strangling me..." I said, but the ball of silver hair I was looking down at did not respond. Instead, Yui squeezed me even harder. 

"Marco... don't die..." she said in her sleep. 

"Then get off me!" I yelled loudly. 

How much more could a man endure? 

Finally, Yui's head moved a little. Had she woken up? 

"Marco... I can still hear your voice," she lamented, her head resting on my tattered chest plate. "I wish you were still alive. I wish we had more time... Marco, why did you leave me alone?!" 

"Yui, I'm still here..." I replied. "Can you get off me now? We can do this again once I'm fully healed if you want..." 

"Am I going insane?" replied Yui, still not raising her head. "To hear his voice even though he's dead... I must have had strong feelings for him..." 

I did not know if she was in shock, but Yui was convinced she was hearing voices.
I tried to move my legs, but she had wrapped hers around them like a Jiu-Jitsu Master determined to get their opponent's submission. 

"Yui, for the love of God! Get it together! I'm still ALIVE!" 

"I wish you were, Marco..." she said softly, rubbing her cheek on my shattered armour. "I'll lie here until I pass away too... then I'll come find you; wherever you are, I'll find you..." 

Yep, she was definitely in shock. After all, I had been ripped to pieces, blood spewing everywhere. It must have been a lot for her. 

Seriously, how was I still alive? 

"Marco, we have not known each other for a long time, but I'm sure..." Yui continued.
I could not hear her mourn my death any longer. 

"I'M ALIVE!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. I then grabbed her head and turned it to face me. 

Yui's eyes opened widely, that much so that I feared they would pop out of her sockets. However, her stupefied, pretty face was not what grasped my attention.