Ever-Watchful Vizier

Memories; Echoes of the past immortalized in one's mind. They made a person whole, served as guidance during times of doubt. In times good or bad, one could always look to their memories for reassurance or comfort. But for the Wisp, this was never an option.

Without a body, she had no way to move and explore. The only way she could interact with her environment was through sound and feeling. She had no memories, not of her past or what she looked like. The only thing she could remember was her own name. Thus was her fate, trapped in a dark prison devoid of daylight.

The majority of her days were spent sleeping. Her waking mind slipping into the warm comfort of darkness. Other times she would think about what could have been. What would her body look like? Would she have a family? Friends? While these thoughts kept her from losing her sanity, the knowledge that she was truly alone was suffocating.

Occasionally a large monster would pass by her body. She tried communicating with one on a whim and was met with inhuman screeches and an immense amount of hatred. Quickly, she learned to despise those creatures.

On even rarer days, she would come into contact with a human. Yet instead of feeling relief, she only felt immense boredom. For she knew when they touched her in pursuit of her partnership, all they would receive is death in return.

Her nature as an Imperial Arm meant she got to choose her partner, but they needed to meet a certain set of criteria. The memories, ideals, and goals of these potential suitors were laid bare for her to judge. What she looked for was one thing: Purity of heart, a soul overflowing with emotion, and the ability to smile in the hardest of times.

None of the humans that desired her power had all three traits and were all devoured alive. It wasn't anything personal, it was instinct. She dealt with each Huntsman with the same attitude one would take with an annoying fly.

[How dare they even try and compare to him.]

Him... who was "Him"? No matter how hard she thought, there was nothing concrete about "Him." But whoever "Him" was, the thought of them always brought her some level of comfort, even if she knew nothing about "Him".

[Whatever, it doesn't matter.]

The Wisp would've suffered an eternity alone had it not been for that day. It was right as she was preparing for sleep when she could sense something moving around.

[Judging from the sound... a human. Tsk. I'm trying to sleep right now. I'll just kill you and get it over with.]

She heard something being dragged in the dirt, followed by a boy's muttering. The moment she felt his hand brush against her, she struck out with her lashers. They latched onto the boy's hand, and the rush of memory assaulted her senses.

It was odd. She had seen locations all over Remnant. From the misty cold mountains of Mantle to the arid deserts of Vacuo. Yet from what she saw in the boy's memories, this was somewhere else altogether. Instead of settlements and four main kingdoms, there were countless cities. The schools were just that... schools. No combat training, no threat of Grimm.

Even stranger was the boy she found himself attached to. He'd never trained with a weapon, yet paraded around as if he'd used one all his life. He would smile and joke around without a care in the world, yet the smile could never quite reach his eyes. His ambition wasn't something grandiose. His greatest desire was simply to live. To enjoy life and all that it offered. Yet now something threatened that, and she could feel droplets of anger and hate cloud his most recent memories.

[This boy... Is alright.]

She retracted her lashers from his arm, freeing the boy from the jaws of death. Yet it seemed some damage was still done, as the boy swayed then toppled to the floor. The moment his body collided with the ground, the darkness she had endured for so long vanished. Instead, she was bathed in a soft purple glow.

[What...]

She tried moving her vision and felt her head move on her shoulders. She flexed the muscles on her back and arms, then tapped her heel against the floor.

For the first time... she had a body.

Her breath hitched in her throat and she felt tears start running down her cheeks.

"I can move... I can speak. This is my voice!" Her voice was soft. A pleasantly melodic sound that she found pleasing to the ear.

She sobbed. The world was beautiful. Colors reflected brightly in the photo frames on the wall. With her new eyes, she looked at the boy in the photos. Navy-colored spiky hair, a smile that didn't seem to reach his eyes, tanned skin like a piece of bread. And eyes of gold, that shined with a burning passion.

Then she saw herself. Long slightly curled violet hair that cupped her soft cheeks. Eyes the color of rubies, and fair skin that shone brightly in the light. The dress she wore was extravagant, a pearl white with black silk-like material on her collarbone and arms.

She could've spent all day staring at her reflection, marveling at the feeling of finally having a body of her own, and not having to experience life through the bodies of others. But then it happened. A loud crash, followed by the creaky screech of springs being compressed.

The Wisp turned around with a speed that surprised even herself, ready to face whatever had appeared. Yet instead of an enemy, all she found was the navy-haired boy who she had bonded to unconscious on the sofa.

She approached cautiously at first and peered at him from over the sofa's spine. He looked identical to himself in the memories, only a little worse for wear. He was covered in scratches from running through the underbrush. His chest rose and fell slowly in his slumber, and she was surprised by the length of his eyelashes.

With a warm smile, she cupped his cheek lovingly.

"You're the one who saved me..." She whispered, "It's funny. You're less than human, yet have more humanity and heart than most people on Remnant... no, on both our worlds."

A sudden wave of fatigue struck her like a wave. And she was barely able to collect a blanket from beside the couch, before collapsing onto her new partner. The sensation of his breathing, the soft sound of his heartbeat, and the oddly calming smell of seafoam... it all had her head spinning. Yet as she began to slow her breathing, she found it a welcome alternative to the cold eternity she had experienced up to this point.

"I promise you I'll protect you." She whispered. "You king of Imperial Arms."