A nightmare in Xion.

The silence aboard the Snow Arrow is deafening. Only the heavy breathing of the
crew can be heard where it echoes dimly through the ship. And then, the silence
is irrevocably shattered as everyone breaks into cheers of happiness. "We gone
did it!" Ista cheers as she pounces onto Ester, knocking the other Windmuse hard
onto the wooden floor beneath them. "I cannae believe it. Didya see dat? We got
sent whoosh! Straight to da finish line. T'was awesome!" Ista bounces of her
friend and starts doing backflips as a means of expressing her happiness. "We
won, we won, we won."

"Well." Ester says as she climbs up into a standing position again. "I don't
think I've seen you this energetic or loud before. That, and we didn't really
win."

"Oh, ah know." Ista lands gracefully from her last acrobatic jump. "But ah'm
still happy. I'd never thunk dat we'd place in third. I mean, didn'tya watch it?
We were like, zooming into finish, way past the competition. And all cuz of
Trickle's awesome plan. Whew..." Ista releases a deep breath as her excitement
dwindles. "Kay. I'm calm again."

"You're letting it slip." Ester smirks towards her friend.

"Lettin' what slip."

"Your dialect silly. You sound like an easterner."

"Ah do not. Well... I guess I do." Ista's eyes glimmer faintly in amusement.
"Ah can't help it. It's this habit. Ah, well I, I know I'm supposed to say I,
but I just keep messing it up." Ista giggles softly. Her childish voice rings
through the chamber and echoes with suppressed mirth. The joyous echo doesn't
last long though, as the usual calm windmuse swiftly regains her more quiet
demeanour. "Eheh...heheh. Oh I haven't felt so... excited in a long time. Thanks
for enduring me."

"Hey, what are friends for? Now let's hurry. The others have probably already
left the ship."

"Hey, hang on!" Ista exclaims as Ester runs out of the ship. Ista tries to
catch up, though it's difficult with her short, stubby legs. Of course, Ester
happily waits for her friend to catch up, and the two small wind-elementals
swiftly locate their friends. Trickle, the Winterfurs and Thunkin were all
congregated in the massive crystalline hallway in the middle of the ancient
workshop of Xion. They, along with many others, are listening to the woman from
yesterday as she informs them of the next race. Ista and Ester only manage to
gather that the next race will decide the four finalists, before the latter tugs
the former with her away. "H-hey. Whatcha rushin for?"

"Boring!" Ester chuckles. "C'mon. Let's explore this place."

"I dun think that's smart." Ista frowns. "What if there's dangerous things
here?"

"Nah. They wouldn't let us roam free in a dangerous place like this, would
they?"

"Ah guess..." Ista mumbles as eight nimble paws skip over the crystalline
surface of the ground. "Sides, we c'n handle problems comin' our way."

"Sure." Ester giggles as she glances ahead. "Hey lookit there. Do you see that
blue light? Let's go check it out."

"Blue?" Ista frowns. "Uh... I dun..." But Ester is way too curious to allow
Ista to fully express her doubts. She quickly leaps up and disappears around a
corner. "Uh... Ester?" Ista tilts her head carefully, just as a scream cuts
through the air. "Ester!" Ista, boosted by fear and wind magics leap up the
ledge in a single stride, only to turn the corner and run smack into a strange
lizard made from crystal and electricity.

"Look at what I found!" Ester exclaims as she points towards the goggle-eyed
hynx. "Isn't he cute? A godchigodchigoo. Who's a good little lizard creature?
You are. Yes you are."

"Uh. Ester..." Ista pokes her friend.

"What?" Ester turns around with a slightly annoyed look on her face. "C'mon.
She's not dangerous."

"Ester, tailflip. Now."

"Wha? Huh?" Ester leans back on her tail and uses it as a spring to leap up
high into the air, just in time as something speeds past below her at high
speed, impacting on where she stood moments before. "Whoa." She mutters as she
lands and notices the much bigger, much meaner and much uglier beast that just
tried to strike into her. "Man that."

"Dun speak. We all know whatcha gonna say anyway." Ista responds as she jumps
over the wicked sharp claws of the beast. The moment she touches ground, she
bolts off with Ester in tow. "Not dangerous huh?"

"Okay, so we're chased by a dangerous beast. Don't worry. We can beat it.
C'mon. Shock stopper." Ester stops and turns around, electricity crackling over
her form as she sends a bolt into Ista. Ista takes the bolt on the tip of her
tail and redirects it towards the beast. The bolt slams into the beasts, halting
it in it's steps.

"It works on machines?"

"It must be part biological. C'mon. Spark shower."

"No, thunderstorm." Ista jumps onto Ester's shoulder and wind starts to swirl
about the two young girls. "C'mon. Let us give it a taste of wind elemental
powers."

"Let's." Electricity crackles over the two and wind buffets against the
crystalline beast. The beast is forced backwards from the wind and electricity
that arcs from Ista's and Ester's elemental control. The beast howls in pain as
the electricity forces itself into it and causes the crystalline structure to
collapse in on itself. With a last shout of agony, the beast collapses to a pile
of debris.

"Awesome!" Ista yells as she jumps down from Ester's shoulders.

"We did it. Man, that was fun."

"Yeah... ehm... but wait. Ya said it's part biological? Dinnae dat mean dat...
we're killers?"

Ester looks towards her friend, a slight frown on her face before she shakes
her head. "Nah, of course not. Besides, it was self-defense. That thing tried to
kill us."

"Ah figure you're right... hey, s'just me or is't getting' colder here?"

"Hmm?" Ester glances around and nods. Somehow this area is both colder and
darker than what it was moments ago. "Yeah, I feel it too. How odd."

"Ahm goin' back to tha ship. C'mon." Ista says out into the air, before she
turns to look at her friend who is slowly being dragged further into the
darkness.

"Ista... help. Something's pulling on me." The Windmuse calls out in
desperation.

"Ester!" Ista's long tail lashes out to wrap around her friend in an attempt to
drag Ester free from the hungry darkness. "It's strong. C'mon help me."

"Ista, I'm cold. It's freezing me."

"Hang on Ester. Ah've got ya. Ah'll get ya out." The Windmuse digs her paws
into the ground and makes slow progress at pulling Ester out of the dark
quagmire. However, the beast is strong, and in a moment of instability, it yanks
Ester fully into it before it begins to drag on Ista too. Just as all hope seems
lost, Ista notices the sound of calm footsteps that suddenly halts. A beam of
blue light pierces through the air above her, and the beast cries out in pain as
the shadows disperse, leaving a shivering and coughing Ester on the floor.

"I don't think you two should be here." A deep female voice states matter of
factly. Ista turns around to watch a stately woman pick up Ester's shivering
body.

"Hey there... don't I know you from somewhere?" Ester mumbles weakly at her
saviour.

"Be silent." The woman states before she beckons to Ista. "Come with me. I'll
lead you back to your friends."