(OOG: Argh..... I know I got Marien all wrong even though I DID 'steal' some of Jo-chan's lines, but you know how it is when you use new characters...... ^_~ Anyway, thanks to her, this post is actually finished -- thanks Jo!)

"Kyoko......... Kyoko......" Elanore leaned over her friend, brushing moist strands of hair from her sweaty forehead. Her face was deathly pale under the tan, and stained deep maroon with drying blood. But she looked to be peacefully sleeping, thanks to the Kislev pilot's pain killer, and she seemed almost child-like in her coma.

The clamor of the gear battle had died down, and thankfully, the dust stirred up had blown in the opposite direction, leaving she and Kyoko in the clear, and shilded by Clorys's shining metal bulk. But the emptiness of the desert still pressed down on her, and Elly looked up, away from her friend, wondering why she had refused The other woman's help.

Kyoko wasn't getting any better, and despite their determination to stay free of interference and get out of Aveh, she couldn't help but wonder if she had made the wrong decision.

What...... if she died......?

Desperate at the thought, Elanore gathered her ether about her again, trying her best to channel it into her friend in some way that would heal, instead of tear apart and destroy. It gave her a peculiar, warm feeling, but when she released it in exhaustion, she could see no change in Kyoko other than a slight coloring in her cheeks.

Footsteps in the sand brought her eyes flying up, scrambling to focus on the dark figure approaching them, slender and silohuetted against the starry, moonless night. She grasped Kyoko more tightly against her chest, backing up slightly until her back hit the cool metal of Clorys.

The man held his hands up peacably, slowing his pace at the bottom of the sand dune. His smile could have meant anything, but somethign about it comforted Elanore just a little; not enough to do more than stare, but she managed to stop herself from drawing any more ether. She had the feeling that if she extended herself much further, it would only make her own condition worse. And Kyoko needed her.

"Do you need any help?" the stranger asked in a soft voice, kneeling down across from Elanore, glancing once at Kyoko. But his eyes reverted back to Elly, disconcertingly sharp. "You're a long way from home, girl......"

She stared a moment at him, those last words resounding in her skull. Not because they were anything out of the ordinary, or even in any way rude...... but because they tugged at her, tingled under her skin, as if they were ingrained in her flesh. It took her a moment to realize that he had not spoken in Avehese, but in a completely different language.

It was the same language, she recalled, as that Myaru and Lord Ariath sometimes slipped into. The same one that she recalled, if dimly, from her childhood.

She floundered for something to say in response, quite unsure which language the thoughts were even taking form in, but he had already turned his attention back to her friend. She watched him instead, as his hands moved gently over the bandaged wounds on Kyoko's ribs and thigh, suddenly filled with a hope that somehow, this strange man could help her.

"The restraints broke during the battle," she offered, wanting to do -something- to help. "There were no loose parts...... but she hit the support bar by the viewport......"

He looked up, a slight frown marring his brow. "She flew over the navigation console?"

Elanore blinked, and shook her head. "There...... there isn't a console...... there......" She bit her lip again, turning the vision of that strange look over in her mind. What did it mean? Was he apalled, or worried...... or what?

It was useless. The entire situation was awkward; here she was, stuck in the desert with no hope of help even from her friends, accepting aid from a man she didn't even know. And it didn't appear that even he would be able to do much -- his gear had crashed nearby as well, and he didn't look Kislevian at all.

So much for the perfect escape. She was going to -kill- Shaina the next time they saw each other.

The man's hands seemed to be doing nothing more than adjusting the bandages now; Elly's heart sank. **Please, there has to be something......** She grabbed his wrist as he was about to stand. "Can't you do anything? Please? I couldn't help it...... I tried to protect her, but the other gear......"

Elanore cursed herself, feeling tears gather in her eyes again. It was -her- fault. She had failed to protect her only friend when she needed it the most....... Kyoko wasn't even a part of the conflict, and yet she was suffering more than Elly herself. It wasn't fair; there -had- to be something she could do to make up for it, and save her friend. There just had to be.......

"Please......"

"Relax," he said, gently disengaging her hand. "I'll help you in any way that I can. But there isn't much I can do here -- I'll have to send a distress signal before we can get any aid." He shrugged, silvery hair shifting like fine thread with the movement. "Your friend should be fine until then. Whatever you've done...... has helped."

Relief flooded through her like a tidal wave. She could hardly breathe for a moment, before she finally saw through ehr tears that he was about to head back to his gear. She started to reach out again but halted, rubbing her palm insted. Blood was beginning to ooze from the puncture wounds again...... probably a natural side effect since she wasn't used to piloting Clorys, but that didn't make it hurt any less.

After a moment she said simply, "Thank you. My...... My name is Elanore, if it's any use......"

The stranger seemed to smile, a bit distractedly, she thought. "The name's Marien." He glanced at her hand, then stepped closer, as if to take a better look. "Are you injured?"

"N-no......" She shook her head hesitantly, not quite sure herself. After another moment of hesitation, she helf her palm out, half to reassure him, and herself. "It's normal, I think. It's...... it's been awhile since I've piloted, that's all."

He nodded once, after a moment of silence, and stood again, turning toward the dune separating him from where she imagined his gear was. She tried one last time. "Kyoko...... you're sure she'll be alright? The bleeding........ I don't know......"

"The bleeding has stopped -- see for yourself." He -did- smile then, though it was so faint she thought it might be her imagination. "If you'll excuse me...... I think it's time to call reinforcements."

--------------------

Marien paused before returning to where Ymir leaned in the moon-silvered sands, and pulled off his cloak, bundling it around...Eleanor's shoulders, and about the girl she cradled. "I'll bring back a blanket out of Ymir's emergency kit.. the desert gets colder than you would think, girl." he'd switched back to Avehese. Her look of shocked comprehension spoke interesting volumes to him.

She took the cloak, still wary, but her wide eyes held a look of gratitude. "Th.. thank you..."

Marien scrambled up the dune, Cyril trailing beside him. "Callin' the kid, are you? hah!"

"Shut up, Cyril. Be useful would you? Is she going to die?" Ymir's cockpit reopened with a shushing sound, welcoming him back.

The ghoul looked back at him with empty sockets. "I don't think so." The dead King said absently. "I can't say for sure.."

Marien nodded, checking Ymir's repair diagnostics, giving a small grunt of satisfaction. He ran the frame repair routine, even as he set the Gear's emergency beacon to f#45... he remembered Rivian's words that Slyder liked to play around there.

"What are you gonna do?" Cyril oozed around the curved pilot's chair. "I can't just leave them... and..I think I owe Rivian.. an apology.. for running away again." Marien's voice was sour, watching as green lights came up across Ymir's control screen. She was semi-functional now, but her arm.. her subgenerator.. her ether boosters.. those all required some serious repair that he was not going to be able to do in the middle of the desert.

He was suprised when the King didn't come back with a snide response. "Cyril?" He looked over his shoulder as the icy Gear slowly got to it's feet. "Where's my daily dose of abuse?"

Cyril was oddly silent.

---------

Ymir knelt near where Clorys was, and Marien clambered down with the remainder of Ymir's emergency kit.

"You should have one of these in her.." he switched back to the language of the city in sky.. the language he hated. "Every combat gear's equipped with them."

Eleanor looked startled at him, as he sat beside her, wrapping the girls in the blanket as well, lighting the small thermo-heater. He rubbed his eyes, the girl's ether draw needling at him. "And you can lay off the ether pull, kiddo... you're just going to wear yourself out.. and that won't do anyone any good, ne?"

"You can feel it?" Elly ran her hands together, nervously. "of course.. you use ether too.. I saw you fight them.." She fingered her weeping hands. "You're very good.."

Marien nodded absently, feeling Kyoko's forehead. The clammy chill of shock was lingering there. "Thanks.. Yeah... you must have a pretty serious ether rating... you're strong." He looked back at Elly. "But you did good."

She seemed to relax a little. He smiled, feeling the scar twist the one side of it, hoping it didn't scare her. She was Solaris in spades, but something didn't match up, and it was bothering him. Those stigmata on her hands.. he could count on one hand the number of times he'd seen Gears with direct neural interfaces.

"She's a pretty fine lil' filly..." came a half-hearted attempt at scurrilous humor on the ghoul's part. "I think she'll be dyin' for a good time after this.. get it?"

Marien twitched faintly. ".....great..."

"Excuse me?" The girl looked at him curiously, and he shook his head. "Never mind....it's nothing..."

Deep blue eyes, catching the gold glow from the heater appraised her, and the situation. "You're very attached to Kyoko...but.. she's what you would call a lamb.. ne?"

'Lamb'......

Elanore shuddered. How could anyone think of Kyoko in that fashion? She still had only the faintest of clues what it truly meant, but from the way the Elements, and her commanding officers, had been acting...... as if she shared their views...... it didn't take a genius to figure out that it wasn't good, whatever it was.

'Land dweller'. That's what it meant. Though...... she only vaguely understood that....... But lambs were animals, things used for material, and food...... she would never stoop to calling anyone such a thing. They had their place in the world, but......

"I wouldn't call her any such thing......" Elanore flipped her hair back, frowning. "She's a person, just like me, no matter what they......" She shrugged uncomfortably, biting back her desire to snap at him. He wasn't Victoria, or Myaru; there was no point to take it out on him.

"That's...... very unusual for your kind. You youself are, Elanore."

She shrugged, looking away from him into the light of the thermo-heater, still hugging Kyoko in her arms. She was warmer than she had been, yes; but there was an unnatural chill to her skin that Elly wanted to burn out of it before it became something she couldn't fight. And she wanted to shield herself from what he was implying -- whatever it was. 'Unusual for her kind'......

It would have been nice to know what 'her kind' was supposed to be in the first place......

(Summary: Marien shows up to save Elanore's bacon, and they get to discussing her 'origins'.)