Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, Namco do. I just make this for my own and others amusement and therefore not for money. But! This story is from my imagination:)

Chapter 1: The flight

Talim looked out of the slim window on the plane and wondered what she had gotten herself into. She had received a strange green letter from somewhere in Egypt, which contained an invitation to a contest, a few days ago. What the contest was about weren't mentioned in the letter. It seemed like normal contests, but Talim doubted. Why would she in the first place get a letter from some unknown addresser? She had first tried to see if there were any other informations upon the letter - nothing. Then she had searched for the contest on the internet. Still nothing. By an act of desperation after such disappointing results, she asked her life essence. The wind. Even that couldn't give her anything useful. But she knew there was something rotten about it; even though she decided to go.

A stewardess passed by and Talim called after her. She ordered a sprite and drifted away in her thoughts again. She usually wasn't the type, who was interested at joining in any kind of competitions and even less the prize.'What brings me there?' she thought and gazed absently around in the carbine. A pair of nut brown eyes met hers from the other row beside the walking space. They belonged to – she wouldn't say man – but a certainly older guy. He had dark brown neck-long hair going into spikes. Some of them were covering his forehead. Around his neck hung a light-green crystal pendant in a gold chain, which reached the middle of his chest. His clothes had a look of business to it but in a relaxed and modern way. He was in all impression really hot.

Her eyes went back to his face and she noticed a scar on his left cheek. She wanted to ask, but instead she turned her head and continued to stare out on the azure blue sky with small white clouds dominated by a shining globe.

Talims thoughts returned into the pace it had been in before she eyed the guy. She knew well the reason why she was on her way to the contest. It was almost too simple: boredom. It was just plain boredom. She was getting tired of the routine with the college and she needed to feel a new fresh wind. A wind, which could tell her other stories. This was her chance. 'You would be a fool if you didn't take it when it appeared' her conscience whispered.

"Right," she mumbled and made herself comfortable before taking a nap.

She woke up when a big but gentle hand shook her lightly. It was that guy from before, she observed groggily.

"What-" she asked a bit confused, when it suddenly came clear to her that they weren't moving nor were there any people nearby except for themselves. 'We must have arrived' she thought, grabbed her things and followed the guy out off the plane.

A warm and dry silence hit her in face like a massive door and studied her surroundings critically, while she shadowed her eyes with a hand for better sight. How was she supposed to make it out here where everything was more or less rock and sand? Palm trees seemed to be the only vegetation; they grew between the small metal complexes of the airport. And then - there was not a wind in the air. It was completely still. This made her feel arkward. The other passengers had apparently gone inside to recover from the heat. She agreed. That would be nice.

"My name's Kilik," a deep but pleasant male voice said. Was that guy still here? It kind of annoyed her but meanwhile it made her curious. Could it be possible that he should go to the contest as well?

"Nice to meet you, I'm Talim," she answered politely and paused for a moment, before asking if he had received a similar letter. His gaze told her that he had.

While they walked to the airport central, he spoke: "I think it's very odd. I can't see what's making me capable. I'm not into contests and so, irritating really."

"You aren't? Me neither, however I wanted to experience something different. So here I am," She made a gesture towards everything around them.

They entered the big hall, which was like a refreshing oasis. Talim reached automatically out her hands and called all the moving oxygen to her. It came to her without any fighting. 'Sometimes the wind is like a tame dog, fake or real,' she smiled by her own comparison. She had to know more of this contest and the easiest way to get it was to talk with the wind. She chattered first about normal stuff, but little by little she turned the conversation into what the wind had heard about the contest. It didn't know much; nevertheless she got a bit cleverer - Before her and Kilik, seven passengers from the plane had left this area to find a bus.

"We should follow the other contest joiners. They probably know where we should head to," she said and they moved together across the hall to the exit, which had a green sign with a white bus above it.

Continues...