One Sky, One Land, One Ocean.

It is difficult to tell whether your attacks can affect the Heartless, really. They don't give very good physical feedback. Magic, on the other hand, gives a different kind of feedback when it deals damage, making it the more obvious choice. They can be defeated by physical prowess, but I recommend that you only do that if you can't get any distance.

...Ah, I see you can use Aero to attack. It's a spell with various applications, to be sure. It can also be used to create a shield that causes enemy blows to be blown back, or at least be misdirected.

Another Powerwild leapt at the trooper, aiming to catch him off guard, but was ripped apart mid-flight.

Blades of air are the most direct way of damaging them, but it requires that you have excellent control over the spell, and it's dangerous if you have poor aim.

The trooper spun away from the third powerwild and leapt into the air, flipping backwards and throwing the twin blades. The weapons glowed with green magic, an enfused Aero spell and cut down the monkey like heartless.

"That's the last of them for now... Thanks..." The trooper panted and removed her cowl, letting a long tress of hair flow from beneath it, a perfect braid.

"Where's Commander Degan? I'd imagine he was the one who sent you?" The young woman's gaze pierced the phantom, a duplicate of an expression from years in the past. She shook her head, "I'm sorry. Manners first. You saved my life. I should at least introduce myself. I'm Panacea, Eastern Woods Guard's cleric."

The phantom smiled back. It's no trouble, telling you how to defend yourself. Fighting the Heartless unprepared is an exercise in futility.

Upon hearing her name, he chuckled. Ahhh, that takes me back. It's nice to meet you, Panacea. You could say that he sent me, but more importantly, not all of your number are prepared for this attack, so if you could please assist anyone else-

His shape was more visible as his head snapped to face away. Without another word, the phantom vanished.

The darkness receded sightly before Jonah as the phantom's presence reached him.

Hm, I don't know whether to be flattered or deeply offended by this impostor. Please don't make any rash moves, young one.

A shallow tittering laugh rose from the young woman as she retrieved a pair of wooden crosses from beneath her robes. The way she held them, one could assume they were to control puppets. She spun the twin crosses and a mass of darkness gathered between Jonah and her.

"I hope you have fun..." The girl giggled again and then vanished into the woods behind her towards Traverse Town as the dark mass coalesced and finally became a Stealth Sneak, the chameleon Heartless screeched at Jonah before cloaking itself.

This is a Heartless that can cloak itself. The distortions in the air that give away its location won't be easy to see in this darkness. You could either listen for it, or perhaps strike it with Thunder magic to stun the creature and ruin its camouflage. Be warned; it will strike at you by thrashing, fire a beam from its eyes, or grab you with its tongue. It isn't an easy opponent, especially for someone who has no experience fighting the Heartless.

The phantom watched Jonah to see how he would deal with this threat.

Waking only to be alone roused the former noble much faster than a simple bandit trying to rob him, Rosen lurched upwards to his feet, his box clanging and jiggling, his head wiping around in the darkness that was the forest. It was like the shadows around him were moving, dancing and watching him, the fire light had dimmed to cinders and he knew nothing but to move. Move he did, his fears pulling him forward and having him begin to run. The shadows, unknown to him had eyes indeed, and hands, and hungry mouths, they wanted to pull another life into their darkness, Heartless were stalking the boy as he ran. Pawing at him, only leaving him with the twinges of raw cold and fears, Rosen dared not to look back,much more concerned with going forward.