(OOG: *sigh* Sorry for the battle scene being so choppy. I seem to be losing my touch.)

"...... No! Elly......! Elly!"

**... She's in danger...... my.....** It was an effort just to think. Who was in danger? What? **My...... my d--**

They advanced upon her. Three women, and a man, cast like stone in the lurid lighting. She lifted her hand from a burning pain in her shoulder, and stared at it in shock. A dark, sticky substance dribbled from her fingers......

"Elly!"

The sliding door snapped shut behind her. Several shots rang out --

** -Flickerflicker...- **

"Commander, are you there? Commander!"

She flicked the earpiece off, shrinking farther back into the shadows. A dark haired, white-faced Etone turned toward her hiding place, alerted by Geane's shouted transmission. Carefully, quietly, she drew her poniard, twirling it between her fingers expectantly.

"Something is over here, sir!" the man shouted, taking a few steps closer.

**Fool.** She stopped, feeling her muscles freeze over, eyes focusing on nothing. The heavy, alienating feeling of an Ether channel settled over her. **What in the......? Why......?**

"Intruder!"

Her head snapped up, and the Etone's golden eyes narrowed. In one swift move she plunged her dagger through his shoulder and sprang back, flipping over a pile of crates to land feet-first on the rail separating her from the floor below.

Unfazed, the Etone raised a tranquilizer pistol......

** What?! No...... blood......?!**

The poisoned dart sheared through her arm --

** -Flickerflicker...- **

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Elanore's eyes flew open. **Blood...... no..... no......** She grasped at the memory, the dream, but her moment of clarity sifted through her fingers and was lost. Only the heaviness remained, pulling her down like a dead weight on her chest.

**No...... something isn't right......** There were so many holes in her memory she hardly remembered her own name, but she knew her feelings were never wrong. Kyoko was always telling her to pay attention to them.

A shrill, jarring scream shattered the quiet night.

Elanore was on her feet and running before her mind could catch up, bursting out of her room and across the hall in pursuit of the shriek.

"Kyoko!" she shouted urgently, banging on her roommate's door. Another scream broke through the oppressive silence of their apartment, followed by a muffled shout. "Kyoko!!"

No answer. **What can I do? What...... Kyoko...... what if she's been......!** Elanore backed away from the door, trembling violently. Tears blurred the edges and the doorknob, filling her eyes. "I have to do something......" she whispered. "She's been so nice......"

"Elanore!!" The door muffled Kyoko's shaky call. Her voice sent a cold, painful rush through Elanore's body, and she shivered.

The icy feeling refused to go away. The blur of her tears obscured the world in a misty shroud...... **Have..... to do...... something......* She couldn't just leave her friend, but she couldn't do anything!

"Elanore!"

**Must...... do...... something!** Elanore's right hand closed in a tight fist. A knot of freezing cold locked her muscles. **Must help...... Kyoko!**

Elanore let out a shriek and spun in a full circle, opening her fist to throw...... nothing...... at Kyoko's door. The force of her motion pushed through her like a strong gust of wind, and Kyoko's door shattered in a deafening spray of splinters and sparks. She flew back into the wall and fell to her knees with a gasp, tears falling down her cheeks freely.

"What the......?!" Kyoko coughed, trailing off.

Elanore scrambled into her friend's room and grasping Kyoko's shoulder. A bloody slash marked one of her cheeks, but otherwise she seemed unharmed. "I heard you --" she stopped, wiping her tears away. They still blurred the edges of her vision. "You aren't hurt, are you?"

"No......" her friend shook her head. "He was *strong*. It was like he was...... I don't know. Your explosion threw him away from me." She rubbed her arms, slumping. "What was that, anyway......?"

Elanore released her friend's shoulder, feeling...... cold again. "I don't......" Kyoko looked up. Her eyes traveled past Elanore's, widening at what she saw.

**Kyoko...... means reflection.** The absurd thought popped into her mind, clearing the mist away. She focused on Kyoko's eyes, and saw a shadow..... familiar......

Elanore shoved Kyoko away and threw herself to the floor, rolling away from the wall. The man's fist sliced through the space her head had occupied a moment before and slammed into the stucco with a hollow crunch. She jumped to her feet in alarm, staring at the hole his fist had created. He drew his fist out and turned toward her again, eyes narrowed.

---- '... Her head snapped up, and the Etone's golden eyes narrowed. In one swift move she plunged her dagger through his shoulder and sprang back...... Unfazed, the Etone raised a tranquilizer pistol......' ----

**Blood...... no......** His hand didn't even appear to be damaged! Elanore backed away, seeing her dream repeat itself. **No gun. H-he doesn't have the gun!He wouldn't have stood a chance if it hadn't been for that!**

She inched away, watching him follow her every move to the exclusion of all else. He was only a dark sillohette against Kyoko's open window, but his glittering golden eyes pierced the darkness like little flames. Those eyes narrowed further, slitting.

**Seize the...... ad.....va......** The thought broke off abruptly, fading like dust. The Etone rushed forward brandishing a long-bladed dagger, but she lashed out with a roundhouse kick, hardly realizing what she was doing. He stumbled back toward the window, and another thought flashed across her mind like fire, blazing in her mind's eye. A familiar, icy feeling spread through her limbs.

"Imono...... zanni......" The air roared in her ears, drowning out all but her echoing shout. The intruder's eyes widened visibly. "......Tzikai!!" she finished, throwing herself forward.

Her extended fist slammed into the man's shoulder with a satisfying crunch, and she spun around to deliver another blow, pinning him between her wrists and throwing him back with another strong kick, almost sending him flying into Kyoko. The icy tingle in her body was becoming almost unbearable.

Elanore leapt into the air and spun full circle again, feeling the force of the chilling feeling gather in her fist. The man stumbled to his feet again, with another knife in his hand. He made ready to throw it, grabbing Kyoko and shoving her aside.

"Elanore!" Kyoko cried out, hardly audible. She ignored the plea, completing her spin and throwing the ice at her opponent.

The air warped, rippling out like rings of water in a burning icy glow. She heard a scream, and the crashing of glass...... Then Elanore dropped to the floor in a heap, legs unable to support her any longer. Kyoko gasped, seizing her shoulders.

"Elly......!"

---- 'The last sheet of metal flew away from her body, ripping her ivory robes. "Elly!" A pair of desparing brown eyes met hers, full of love and......' ----

"Elanore!"

She was submerged in icy waters...... Floating...... Drifting......

Elanore's eyes slid shut, Kyoko's voice faded to the background. A pair of anguished brown eyes......

Drifting........

**La......ca......n**

** -Flickerflicker...- **