Her post at the window abandoned, Kirika found herself once again wandering aimlessly through the empty halls of the ancient Manor. She passed from room to room slowly, hoping that the unfamiliar surroundings would become familiar; hoping a memory might make it's way back to her. Her efforts seemed vain as she moved throughout the house, through long-forgotten dens and never-used guest rooms. The halls yielded no information, nor did the studies or lounges. Her hope depleted, she found herself in a small library far from the areas of the Manor which were commonly used; far from Mireille or Chloe or Althena. Sighing she pulled a sheet off of an old sofa in the corner, sitting down and stirring a cloud of dust from the ancient upholstery. She'd tried her hardest but she couldn't remember a thing. Then again, how could one really will themselves to remember anything? Frustrated, she bent over, holding her head in her hands and sighing heavily. Kirika lifted her head up, sensing she was no longer alone. Chloe was standing in the doorway, looking in tentatively. Kirika smiled, sitting back on her bed, resting on her elbows, "Come in, it's your room too." Chloe smiled and entered, sure now she'd not interrupted her friend, "What are you doing?" Kirika's eyes opened slowly, a small bit of her memory finding its way back to her. It wasn't a lost cause after all. She stood up, fairly certain she'd learned all she could from this place. It looked like this room hadn't been used in decades; she'd probably not been here before. Where in the house had she been before? Well, Chloe's room for certain, and the dining room and entry way, but those were all quite mundane. Hoping the familiar surroundings would bring more of her past back to her she began a slow trek back to the area of the Manor she would have actually spent time. She reached the front entrance without any revelations, and thankfully without any interruptions from other occupants of the house. Her mind set on the stone arena beyond the hill at which she used to train with Chloe she left the manor, squinting her eyes against the sunlight. It was a short walk, no more than a half kilometer, to the arena Kirika could now recall from her days here. It looked no different than what she could remember. A rather abused-looking training dummy stood in the center, no doubt fresh from a Chloe beating. She sat down on one of the huge stone steps, taking in the site of the old training ground. The clash of steel and the heavy breathing of the two girls was all that could be heard within the arena as the adolescents engaged in what would appear to the uneducated as a vicious battle to the death. Each strike was intended to hit home, each thrust driven with the seeming intent to kill. The pair dodged and parried, darted and lunged as they danced around the arena guiding their swords as efficiently as possible towards the metal plate that covered the breast of their foe. It seemed an eternity as they traded missed and parried blows before Kirika was able to knock the sword from the other's hand, sending it skidding through the dust to the other side of the arena. Letting out a grunt in dismay Chloe sprinted after the sword, reaching it just as Kirika pounced on her back, tackling the younger girl under her. She pressed the flat of her blade firmly across Chloe's neck to prove her point, "You lose." Relaxing and letting her forehead rest in the dust Chloe let out a slight moan of displeasure, "I thought I could get it in time . . ." Kirika pushed herself up off of the girl, brushing off her clothes and trying to brush dust out of the nicks and cuts that Chloe'd been able to inflict. As Chloe rolled over onto her stomach Kirika held out her hand to help the girl up, "Come on, we should go back and get these cuts cleaned up," she said, bringing her attention to the numerous small gashes she'd been able to inflict in retaliation. Chloe sighed, picking up her sword, "I guess I wasn't fast enough." "You did fine," Kirika smiled, bringing a smile to her partner's face as well, "Fine just wasn't good enough," she finished jeeringly as she started walking back to the house. "I'll get you next time," Chloe claimed as she caught up with her partner, falling into step beside her. "I don't think so," Kirika protested as she rested her sword on her shoulder. The young Japanese girl crossed her legs as she sat on the stone steps of the mini-coliseum, looking up at the blue, cloudless sky. She had indeed trained alongside Chloe here. They'd fought some vicious battles no doubt, yet we always left together, as friends. They're coming back to me. It's all coming back. I suppose it will only take time, Kirika surmised, standing. It seems that being around things from my past helps . . . Chloe . . . Kirika'd not had to search long before finding Chloe. Covered in dirt and sweat from her sparring with the wooden mannequin earlier that morning Chloe had sought out the cavernous bathing hall The girl had looked up and smiled at Kirika for a moment, a slight pink showing on her cheeks before turning back to scrub the dirt from her nails vigorously. Kirika sat on a natural outcropping of rock on the wall, quite suited as bench and hugged her knees to her chest, What do I say to her, though? She was my friend but now I can't even talk to her about us. Kirika's internal quandary was resolved when Chloe opted to speak first, "Althena has almost figured out who ordered the attacks on Noir," she explained, "It should be only a day or so until we'll know for certain." Kirika nodded, "And then we'll go after whoever it is." "Yes, and then this will be over," Chloe's voice was sullen. "What's wrong?" "When this is over . . . you're going back to Paris with your friend," Chloe dumped a bucket of water over her head to wash away the soap suds. A melancholy look played itself across Kirika's features. Of course she'd known that she'd be returning to Paris with Mireille. It was her . . . home. But this is too sudden. Two days? I'm beginning to remember things . . . and that will stop if I leave here. But I can't stay. I have to go with Mireille. She buried her face in her knees in frustration, it's not that I don't want to go with Mireille; I want to be friends with her . . . but I can't just abandon this place, these people . . . Chloe . . . Rather than stumble through any further awkward conversation with Chloe Kirika rose from her bench, taking her leave of the cavernous bath.
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