(OOG: As I just found out, Elru was on the very southern continent to the east of the ice fields Shevat crashed on. I'm mentioning it only because I refer to it later in the scene.)

Elly stopped at the center of the arena, trying to focus on her opponent and block the crowds out of her mind. The anouncements continued, but she paid them no mind.

The woman who was to be her opponent stared back at her with slitted pearl eyes, standing just ten feet away. Her short, dark hair glinted, and for a moment she reminded her of Kyoko. But the resemblance passed quickly.

**I'm going to start thinking everyone with dark hair looks like Kyoko if I don't finish this and get out of the heat!** She floundered for a moment, not knowing what to do, as the announcements finally went silent. Then, as if she had summoned it, a memory floated up out of the recesses of her mind. This wasn't the first time......

She bowed, arms stiff at her sides, and then stepped back into a ready position, flipping her ponytail out of her eyes. The other returned the gesture awkwardly, then began to advance.

Myaru bit her lip, swallowing her exclamation. Ariath gazed down at the girl with interest lighting his eyes, pulling his comlink out of his pocket. She covered that hand with her own, and drew his attention back to herself.

"What is it you remember?" she asked carefully, trying to keep her voice devoid of much interest. It wouldn't do to have him asking why *she* was looking for Elly.

"Elanore Liuna," he replied, gently freeing his hand from her grip. "Former Element and Special Services officer. I signed off on her temporary discharge six months ago." He looked again to the arena, squinting at the brightness. "She was one our best - and now we have an oppertunity to get her back. Perhaps the work will help her regain whatever she lost."

**Whatever she lost?** Myaru looked down to the fight again. Elanore fought with a grace that convinced her of Ariath's words, but...... it almost seemed she was completely unaware of that grace.

She reached out mentally, but could find no connection to the girl. **Strange. If she is the Anti-type, I should be able to sense her.** She had done the same with Aishou, but she *knew* who that one was. No, something was interfering. Elanore's ether potential was building up inside -- any fool should be able to sense her strength! -- but she could detect nothing else. Nothing.

"...... Will you come?"

She blinked and looked at Ariath. "What?"

"I said, I'm going to meet her at the end of the Victor's path. Will you come?"

"You're so sure she's going to win......?"

He shrugged. "You can feel her ether building, can't you? When she lets that go......" He smirked and held out his hand. "It's a good thing these are only simulated fights."

Elanore dodged a punch and threw herself into a roll, bounding to her feet a few yards from her opponent. The woman rushed at her with another kick aimed for her stomach, and Elly caught her foot, twisting it around and throwing her opponent to the ground.

**Does she ever stop??** Elly thought, gasping for breath. She jumped back and stared hard at her opponent, feeling the familiar, freezing sensation spread throughout her body, getting stronger by the minute. Goosebumps rose on her skin, in odd contrast to the burning heat of the Aveh afternoon. **I have to end this now!** She knew what that feeling meant. The memory of the incident two nights ago still burned in her mind's eye.

Tin Flyer -- that was the girl's name, she remembered -- was already on her feet, but this time Elly jumped forward in a headlong charge. She veered to the side at the last minute, pivoted on her toes and swung at her opponent, connecting solidly with her shoulder. The other woman gasped and spun around in a rage.

Enough was enough! Elly dodged the girl's fists and landed another kick in her opponenet's abdomen, all the while feeling the freezing sensation grow until she literally shivered with its intensity. Memories floated to the surface, bits and pieces about that coldness that chilled her further, detailing it's capabilities, HER capabilities.... **What do I do now?** Elly tried another swing and missed; Tin FLyer countered with a stinging, full handed swipe, scoring deep marks across Elly's neck with her nails. She reeled back and ducked just in time to avoid another kick.

The cold was becoming unbearable -- she felt as if she were standing on the southern ice fields of Elru instead of Aveh's desert.

She sighed in resignation, knowing somehow that trying to hold it back wouldn't do anything but hurt her more...... not to mention her opponent. But surely there had to be something less destructive than what she had used on that Etone! She shivered, and Tin Flyer began to waver before her eyes.

Wind. Cool the heat, warm the chill.

She jumped back suddenly, moving away from the other girl. Acutely aware of the slight, almost non-existent breeze ruffling her sweat-dampened bangs, Elanore dropped her barrier, felt the cold sensation spread to her hands. Electricity crackled around her. She had the strange impression of everything moving toward her, converging on her location, as if the spell was drawing all the air and energy of the world into her grasp.

Her barriers completely down, Elanore raised her face to the sky. She clasped her hands tightly under her chin. Power surged through her, brighter than the sun and icier than deep space.

Her hands moved of their own accord. They broke apart, the left falling her her side and the right balling into a fist. She drew the arm back, pulling the great force back with it, drawing all of the world's energy back in her fist. Then, with a smooth, graceful move, Elanore's hand whipped forward and threw everything at her opponent.

Lightning arched from her hand like a living thing and snared the dark-haired woman, contricting around her with a bright, multi-colored flash. Her opponent's scream was lost on her ears -- Elly's mind was caught up on the current that fed the spell. She thrust her hand forward in an almost commanding gesture, and more streams of lightning crashed down on the arena, almost spanning the space allowed for battle.

Tin Flyer collapsed, still surrounded by a burning aura of electricity.

The audience was silent a moment; then cheers threatened to knock Elanore off her feet as she stood swaying slightly under the sharp sunlight.

**I won?** she thought dimly, blinking in surprise. The chilling energy faded from her limbs, taking its strength with it, and it was all she could do to remain standing, much less acknowledge the crowd. Hardly thinking, she bowed, then turned on her heel -- nearly losing her balance in the process -- and headed down the Victor's Path. THe announcer's voice washed over her. The cheers echoed faintly to her ears. **I did it again. Why did I do it?**

A hand grasped her arm, and Elly snapped out of her fog-shrouded reverie. Kyoko grabbed her in a hug, looking absolutely thrilled.

"You did it! You really did it!! I'm so proud of you!"

"Thank you......" Elly responded softly, still dazed from the loss of the power. Her friend glanced at her in concern and supported her when she faltered, glaring at an Aveh guard when he told her she couldn't enter. He subsided and let Kyoko pass with her, into the dim corridors of the palace.

Myaru sighed, slipping her arm around Ariath's waist and leaning against him. They stood on a shadowy balcony overlooking the main parlor, observing the victors of the day's tournament. The last had come in less than ten minutes ago, and she could hear faintly through the walls the sounds of the crowds dispersing, being led out of the Palace Square.

The woman they were after, however, sat on a cushion across from a yound, blond-haired man, talking softly with her hands clasped in her lap. Both looked somewhat uneasy to be speaking to each other, but the young man seemed to be held fast by Elanore's eyes.

He had stared at her when she entered, looking haunted and troubled. And he had continued to stare at her until Aishou had poked him irritably and snapped out some derisive comment or other, pushing him in the girl's direction. He had gone hesitantly, but now he seemed entranced, and quite happy to stay right where he was.

Aishou, Myaru thought idly, did indeed look like her mother - Elly - if one knew what to look for. To anyone else, the two women would seem similar at best, but to Myaru, the shapes of the eyes, the round features, delicate build......

"Myaru......"

She looked up questioningly. Ariath's eyes were also fastened to the two young victors.

"I need to return to our quarters. Will you bring her to me, there?" His voice was thoughtful, distant. He didn't notice her raised eyebrows, or the surprise in her voice when she answered.

"Yes, of course. Is something wrong?"

He shook his head and smiled his rare smile. "I just want some time to think before I speak to the girl."

She nodded, curiosity bubbling up inside her, but she forced herself to stay silent as he left the balcony, headed for the East Wing.

'Bring her' eh? What was he up to? There was no reason not to speak with her here, where she was within easy reach. Why bother with escorting her to their quarters? Maybe...... her gaze fell on the parlor again, and rested on Aishou. Her eyes narrowed.

**She causes problems even by her very existence,** Myaru thought sourly, turning and heading toward an iron, spiral staircase that would lead her to the room below. She let her fingers trail along the stair-rail on her way down, holding her outer robe up above her ankles so she wouldn't trip over it. **I wish I could just kill her and get it over with.**

She stepped onto the ground floor and was immediately jostled by a servant. She glared at the man with eyes that literally glowed with her irritation -- for just a moment. He fell back against the wall and she brushed past him, into the room. Elanore was sitting at the far wall, still holding the young man with her crystal blue gaze. Aishou, thankfully, was far away, discussing something with another man -- she paused, thinking she had seen him before, but dismissed the thought and walked across the room to Elly.

"Excuse me," Myaru spoke up softly, interrupting the young man and gazing down at the girl with what she hoped was a friendly expression. "Are you Elanore Liuna?"

The girl blinked. "Yes. Is there a problem?" Another girl -- the one she had seen escort Elly from the Arena earlier -- sat forward worriedly.

"No. My Commander simply wants to speak with you." Remembering what she had read while researching Elly, she continued. "I was told he was your old commanding officer." The last was said with caution. She hoped it was not too blunt to pull the girl in.

Apparently it wasn't. "Really?" Elly asked, immediately rising to her feet. The others stood up with her, and Myaru smiled.

"Yes, he asked me to escort you to his office. Would you mind coming along with me?" Her voice rang false in her own ears, but the others took it in like children.

Almost. "I'd like to come with her, if you don't mind," the dark haired girl behind Elly stated firmly.

Myaru raised her eyebrows, and a sharp retort came to her lips. She swallowed it and forced herself to nod calmly and smile. **Give the Lambs an inch......** "Shall we go now?"

"We can finish our conversation later, can't we Darius?" Elanore asked with a soft smile.

The yound man grinned. "No problem. I'm not going anywhere."

Elly nodded, and Myaru started off, forcing the two girls to follow or be left behind. **The personality fits,** she mused to herself, leading them to the east staircase. **So does her aura. But I still can't get a sense of her......**

"Where are we going?" the dark haired girl asked, walking side-by-side with Elly.

Myaru glanced back. "What is your name?"

"Kyoko," the girl replied firmly.

"We are going to the Third Floor Suites, Kyoko." Myaru's irritation disappeared -- she liked Kyoko's nerve. "The Commander is a busy man. He doesn't have time to meet his guests elsewhere."

They reached the third floor, and Myaru led them to the center wing, to a pair of double doors set across from a carved relief depicting the Nisan War. She stopped here and turned to face the others.

"I'm afraid your friend will have to wait here. This business does not concern her." Myaru rested her hand on the doorknob, looking at Kyoko expectantly. The girl appeared ready to protest, but after a look into Myaru's eyes, she backed down and went over to stand at a window, arms crossed sullenly.

With a little smile, Myaru opened the door and stepped back to let Elly through, then closed the door behind her. Ariath was, as she had expected, seated at his desk doing paperwork. He looked up when they entered, and calmly put his papers aside.

"Elanore?" he asked, standing up and walking around the desk to meet her. She nodded mutely, and he shook her hand. "It's been a long time. I'm afraid I lost track of you."

She shrugged. "I don't......"

"I know." He reached back to the desk, grabbing a sheet of paper. "Elanore Liuna, Gebler Secret Services Agent. Discharged January second due to extensive injuries of an unknown cause, and undetermined psycological trauma. At the family's request, will remain out of duty until a full recovery is reached."

Elly shrugged uncomfortably. "I guess it could be...... How is my family? And...... why did you call me here? Just to read that?"

"Your family is fine. They don't know we've found you yet." He placed the paper back on the desk.

"Found me?"

Ariath ignored the question. "I brought you here to assess your condition," he said instead, not unkindly. His eyes glittered, and Myaru knew he wanted something from the girl. "If you feel up to it, I would like you to take your place again, under my command."

Myaru felt her eyebrows rise, and Elly was shocked.

"W-why?" the girl finally stammered.

He gave her the same half smile he had given Myaru earlier, trying to put her at ease. "You were an excellent soldier, Elanore. The Tournament has shown me you haven't lost your touch, although you still lack a conscious memory. If possible, I would like to aid in your effort to regain your life."

Elanore smiled shyly, looking at the floor. "But...... why? What would I do?"

"I would place you in my personal escort. From there, you could participate in battle without undue risk. Perhaps more of your memory would return to you in a familiar environment."

She bit her lip. "May I think about it first?"

"Of course. Myaru?"

"Yes?" She walked forward to stand beside Elly. **What is he doing......?**

"Please escort Elanore home. And make sure we keep in contact." He nodded to her minutely, and she smiled at him mischievously. She would find out...... whether he wanted her to or not.