(OOG: This is in two parts, mainly because I jump around with my viewpoints, but also for the length. ^^ Also, I didn't think I should just straight to the fight, so here you go...)

"Lady Myaru."

Myaru straightened in her chair, pulling her eyes away from the tournament and glancing over her shoulder, gaze settling on the courier. He wore standard Aveh livery, but with a red knot on his shoulder signifying allegiance to Gebler. "What is it?"

"The reports you requested from the air cruiser, lady." He bowed and offered a touch-pad, datachip already inserted and ready. "It consists entirely of reconnaissance from Kislev, and Nisan's border."

"Thank you." She took the pad and turned back to the match, fanning herself with her free hand. Despite the shade of the pavilion, the desert heat lay heavy upon her, coating her in a thin sheen of sweat. Even her hair, usually obedient, hung dry and limp in the arid weather.

**I don't remember it being this hot......** Granted, she had not spent much time in Aveh's desert during her lives, but she would have remembered such intense temperatures.

Behind her, the courier shifted. She tapped the datapad, and it began to download information from the chip. "Did you report to Lord Commander Dracorte, as well?" She grimaced, loathing the sticky heat and wishing she were back in Solaris, or anywhere but Aveh Palace. Even rumor that the Anti-type was nearby did not amount to such torture. Not in her opinion, anyway.

"Yes, my lady. I received a communique from your homeland, and delivered this to him at the same time."

She nodded. "Good. You may go then."

She pushed the man out of her mind and turned her attention back to the little screen, immediately sifting through the contents and starting a search. She was only interested in one matter -- over the last few months, rumors of a woman with auburn hair and crystal eyes, working in Kislev's forces, had reached her agents in Aveh. Was it coincidence?

Myaru didn't believe in coincidence, not on this scale. How many "Elly" look-a-likes could there be in the world? The reports had been partially responsible for her trip to the surface, although she had also wanted to keep a close eye on Ariath.

The possibility of finding her other half this early was almost too good to be true. "Elly" had caused so many problems in the past...... The files came up and she called up a narrowed search, looking for images. She had to SEE to believe. But if it was true......

The image loaded, and the screen adjusted to the bright daylight, allowing her to see it with perfect clarity; the shot was not the best she had ever seen, but considering the fact that it had been taken in motion, she could forgive it. No, what held her attention was the face of the woman the photograph was centered upon a sculpted, pale face above a blue Kislev military uniform, complete with dark-fringed sapphire eyes and a cute, upturned nose, framed by vivid auburn bangs and strands.

It was blurred almost beyond belief, but it was *her*. It had to be. The resemblance, the expression in her eyes......

The crowd cheered as the next contestant entered the arena, but the name was lost on Myaru. She never even glanced up. **This is it. I've found her.** Aishou and Elly, both in one day. Perhaps her luck really was turning around. At this rate...... at this rate, she would have Mordon in line and revive Deus in little more than a few months. Once she reunited with her counterpart, the scientist would be putty in her hands. He would never be able to resist her if she spoke as *Elly*......

And what about Aishou and that damn advent she had seen in the arena earlier? Myaru sighed, keying the pad to load the contents again. So Kyouran was around somewhere as well....... Lady Luck was only with her in part, it seemed.

"We've been recalled."

Myaru looked up. Ariath took a seat beside her, glancing at the arena now and then. "Why?" she asked, turning the pad off and slipping it into a pocket. The announcer was once again talking, and from what she caught, she realized they were about to bring the other contestant into the arena.

"A disturbance was reported just outside the planet's atmosphere earlier today. It's space-logic patterns were foreign to our sensors, and we've been called upon to investigate it."

Myaru shrugged. "Send the ship on its way, then. They'll live without us around to reassure them. I'm afraid we'll still be needed here...... after all, you plan on winning the last match, don't you?" Ariath flashed her a charming smile, jade eyes glittering.

"...... daring contestant is Elanore Liuna!"

"That name...... sounds familiar." Ariath leaned forward, following the contestant's progress to the arena. "That's it......! Yes, I remember......"

Myaru glanced down at the arena, idly curious. Her eyes rested on the figure......

...... and froze.

"Good luck Elly!"

Elanore threw her arms around Kyoko, grinning. "Don't worry. It doesn't matter to me whether I win or not. I just get the strangest feeling......"

Kyoko rolled her eyes. "Just shut up and *win* Elly! I know you'll be on top. Maybe you'll match up with that Darius guy you couldn't take your eyes off of earlier." She giggled and pulled away. "I know where that 'strange feeling' is coming from!"

"Shut up!" She blushed. "He wasn't all *that* great. *You* were the one drooling all over him......" She shrugged. "What about that other one? The girl......? She looked familiar too."

"What's with you today? You're......"

"Just a strange feeling I have. Like...... I've done this...... Or maybe, I've watched all of these people. Like a dream. I've had the weirdest dreams......" **Maybe he was right, this will bring memories back for me. I can feel them, just out of reach......** Elly smiled at her friend and walked past the rope separating spectators from the areas reserved for the contestants. "Just watch I'll get all of them!"

"I'll be right up front watching!" Kyoko waved and dashed off toward the crowd, dark ponytail and bright yellow shirt flashing like beacons.

**I wish she could come with me......** Elly turned away from the crowd and headed for the tent housing the contestants, positioned far to the side of the arena itself. She almost dreaded walking in there, anticipating stares and snickers from who she imagined would be seasoned fighters. She was just there in hopes of remembering something, and had no intentions of truly competing until the end.

She almost wished she could take it seriously. But what did she really care about fighting? It gave her the shivers! And she got the feeling that she had never really liked it, no matter how advanced that man said she must be.

It was just hurting, killing, taking, hating......

She stepped into the tent and breathed a sigh of relief; it was at least ten degrees cooler in the shade of the reflective cloth, and fans were set up at the corners to aid in cooling the prospective battlers. Mats were spread across the floor, and rugs, and tables covered with stacks of cups and pitchers of cool water lined the walls. Elanore entered as unobtrusively as possible, taking a seat in the corner.

Only two others were in the tent with her, and they didn't seem to want to talk, so she settled back and assumed a meditative position. She would have to be focused if this was to help her at all in recovering her life.

She didn't see how that was supposed to work. Granted, she had remembered her *fighting* skills during the attack, but not where she had learned them, or from whom, or why. The skill itself was *all* she could remember, and she knew it would be acted more from memory than conscious knowledge.

**Why did I enter this tournament? What if I just end up looking stupid? All of those people will be watching me fight. What if I fail?**

A guard popped in through the tent flaps, fixing his eyes on her. "You're up next, Liuna. Get ready."

Elly nodded hesitantly and stood up, stretching to loosen tight muscles. There wasn't much else she could do aside from a few limbering exercises she had no weapon. Outside, her opponent was announced to the crowd amidst loud cheers and pounding that almost literally set the ground vibrating. There had to be at least a few thousand people out there, waiting for the fight......

**Forget them,** she told herself firmly, drawing her long hair into a loop ponytail. She hadn't come to worry about what other people thought of her, or let her stage fright get the better of her. She had come to awaken her past, and she planned on achieving that, at least. With that in mind, she pushed through the tent flaps and stepped out into the blistering Aveh heat.

She almost wished she had stayed inside. Sweat dampened her clothes almost immediately, and the minute she saw the arena, butterflies the size of elephants began to dance around in her stomach. Moving one foot in front of the other was all she could do, moving slowly along the path from tent to arena, oblivious to the announcer's voice.

The crowd of eager spectators deafened her with their cheers, and Elly was vaguely aware of her name being announced. She stepped onto the platform, staring across the shimmering surface to her opponent a simple, seemingly normal dark-haired girl. Feeling somewhat hopeful, she cast her gaze around at the people surrounding the platform, searching for her friend.

"Elanore!"

Elly's gaze snapped to the source of that faint call, and Kyoko waved frantically from her position next to the Victor's path. She nodded back and tried to smile.

**Time to fight!**