Crystal Dash

"So," remarked Clive, "It's just like the first puzzle. All I need to do is hit all six crystals with one of my bombs to open the door. This shouldn't take that long." He walked around, placing bombs in between two crystals, as they were close to one another, and then awaited the explosions that would trigger the door to open. But something was different about this one. Unlike the first one, there was more room in between two sets. So the time for the crystals to stay lit would end before the final bomb could go off. Clive would be there awhile just trying to go fast enough to keep them all lit. Meaning the other four there got real bored.

"Man this stinks. Here we are, looking for a treasure in these darn ruins, and the darn sniper can't get the bombs off fast enough to open the darn door. I should have stayed a solo Drifter," Jet muttered. He gave a look to Clive as if to tell him to hurry up. In that instant, Virginia plopped him right on the head. She was not in the mood for his tone that day. But she was also feeling a lot more sensitive towards him now.

It hadn't been long since he'd admitted not remembering his past. To Virginia, memories were the most precious treasure in the entire world. Especially the memories of her late parents. If only she could get Jet to understand how she felt. Perhaps if she helped him find his own memories, he'd respond in a more positive way. The girl took a look at Jet, who was rubbing his sore head, and blushed a deep crimson.

Jet demanded, "Why'd you do that to me you brat? All I said was that I should have stayed on my own. I didn't insult Clive as bad as I could have. Nor did I say anything bad about you. So there was no good reason to hit me on the head like that." He responded to her by hitting her head in the same manner.

Gallows, being a constant defender of ladies, slapped Jet hard. "You punk! There's no reason for a man to harm a lady. So leave Virginia alone from now on. She's not someone you should be hitting. And you did deserve that hit from her. After all, you weren't very nice to Clive. He's working hard to get the door open so we can find the treasure which, as a part of this team, you will be getting a share of. Show some gratitude for once you darn punk!" Then, for good measure, Gallows knocked Jet over with his oversized fist.

"Now you're asking for it idiot!" yelled the boy, "I'm going to ring your neck you big lug!" Jet got up and punched Gallows hard. Then, when the Baskar tried to hit back, Jet ducked right in the nick of time. He proceeded to bash Gallows hard in the stomach. Feeling the wind knocked out of him, the former priest keeled over. He was practically screaming "uncle" at that very time. Meanwhile, Clive had just tripped while trying to get the crystals lit in time. Jet wondered why he ever teamed up with a group of dorks like them.

"I'll get you someday punk. You're going to pay for hurting a lady," gasped out Gallows. As he began to recover, he decided to take a rain-check on this one. After all, it would be a lot more interesting to flirt with Claudia. She was hot after all, and a young woman deserved attention from someone like him.

Virginia muttered something to the extent of, "What a pervert. He always thinks with the wrong part of his body. At least Clive is smart enough not to, and Jet doesn't seem to like anybody; men or women. So I'd rather rely on those two when it comes to getting by with these darn puzzles." She let out a sigh.

Jet found himself staring right at her. She was different from any other girl he'd ever met. Not one of those delicate flowers who'd kill you for trying to put them anywhere near the sunlight without a parasol. No, this girl was one who wanted to be in the heat of the Wastelands instead of the cool of her home. She actually cared about what happened to him; Jet Cold Heart Enduro. Never had another even considered it.

Gallows walked up to Claudia with a smile on his face. "So, how about when we're done you and me get going to a nice little hotspot and have a few drinks together. Only the best girls are right for a man like me. And as you see from my fight with the punk over there, I will respect a woman and treat her right."

"Ah, you're too kind," she stated, "Perhaps we will go to the saloon after finding this treasure. But I wonder what's wrong with your other friends. Why don't they seem to respect the beauty and power I have? You're the only one who seems to understand where I'm coming from. I have to make those guys see what you see. Someday, the world will know that I am the most beautiful girl to ever have been born on Filgaia."

'How dumb. She's completely fake. There's at least a pound of makeup on her face between her blush, eyeliner, eyeshadow, powder, and mascara. We're not seeing what she really looks like under that mask. Why is it that girls like her always get the guys, yet girls like me who are totally honest about what they really look like never seem to be given any attention? I probably am a whole lot nicer than that woman too. Men just are always thinking with their sex drives and not their brains,' Virginia thought. But then she scolded herself for thinking such things. Certainly, Jet and Clive didn't think like that. Clive had acted like a true businessman from the start. Jet thought with his Gella pouch, but at least he kept them in the green.

At that time, they heard a huge explosion. All six switches were hit, but Clive was severely caught up in his own bombs. He looked positively scorched. Poor guy. So Virginia ended up trying to heal his injuries with her Heal spell after Jet had cast Revive. Gallows was too busy flirting with Claudia to see that Clive had been injured. So Virginia whispered a plan in Jet's ear. As she spoke, he began to blush deeply.

She counted, "Three…Two…One…Go!" On the signal, she threw her Tindercrest and he threw his Boomerang. They both hit Gallows and knocked him to the floor once more. In fact, when they got to him, the two found themselves giggling too much to heal him. Thus, Clive had to administer both a Revive Fruit and a Potion Berry to their injured comrade. He didn't approve of the two making him waste such rarities.

The sniper shook his head. "Really, you two should grow up. You are not children and such antics are not recommended among Drifters. We must press on to discover the treasure that is in these ruins."

"We had to get Gallows back to Filgaia first," muttered Jet, "He was orbiting the planet in his own little daydream world." He wondered why he did that. But when he looked to Virginia, she gave him a wink.

Teefa's Last Words...

Well, I thought it was funny. These are some of the things other party members do when we solve those annoying puzzles. Or other times the team is split for some reason. Got this idea from my most hated puzzle of all.

Though I ask you to forgive me for the delay in getting this up. First, I had aprehension over a new job. Second, my aunt died of pneumonia and we had a family crisis. Third, I was preocupied with my work. Fourth, I'll just continue to blame Criox of La Pucelle because I was obsessing over him.