Friendly Advice

Humphrey's Peak was one of the places where Jet could go if he needed to stay somewhere due to horrid traveling conditions. That was because of the fact that none of its citizens could believe that Clive would assist in anything dubious, since they knew him for so long. Thus, they were willing to listen to his story about what really happened. That and the fact that they remembered the pillar that had appeared beyond the mountains shortly before Lamiun's death, and how Clive reacted to it.

He went into town and headed for Clive's house. Then, Jet knocked on the door. Kaitlyn answered it cheerfully. She had grown up nicely in the past seven years, and was now a teenager. Upon seeing Jet, she welcomed him, and then went to get her father.

"It's been some time, hasn't it Jet?" began Clive, "So, what brings you here today?"


"I think I'm losing my mind over Ginny. It's bad enough that I've been getting depressed at times, and stare up at the sky, but now I'm starting to act just like her," Jet replied.

Clive asked him, "How, pray tell are you acting like Virginia? Helping people just because of

justice? Searching out a team to pack with? Spending time talking about whatever crosses your mind?"


Jet just stared out the window. "I met this woman Drifter recently. Her name is Megami, and from what I've seen, she uses everything from pistols to bazookas in combat. But there's something that happened to her in the past, and she doesn't like to talk about it. For the most part, she's a lone wolf. She has the same ideas about memories that I used to as well. When I talked to her, I couldn't believe how much like the old me she sounded, and how much like Virginia I was acting."


"There is a logical explanation for this," Clive said, "You miss Virginia so much, that you are beginning to act like her in order to fill the void. And yes, I have heard of Megami before."

"What did you hear? I must be out of the loop due to all my searching," Jet stated.

Clive told him, "They say she wandered into Ballack Rise some time ago, with many deep wounds covering her body. At the gates, she fainted. A doctor was fetched, and all of the wounds were completely stitched up. Of course, that included her damaged left eye. She stayed there for some time, but for some reason, what happened during her healing was kept a secret. About a year after arriving, she finally felt well enough to leave. Ever since, she's been a Drifter, which was what she probably was before she got hurt. But no one knows where she comes from, or who she really is."

Jet thanked him for the information. "There's something important that we're missing. Some other piece of the puzzle that needs to be found. If I only had time for it. I've got to continue searching for Virginia. She's got to be alive, I couldn't find her on the mountain, and no reports said that she had been captured. So she must just be staying away for some reason. Maybe she's searching for me as well. Hopefully, I will see her again sometime soon."


"That's the spirit Jet," Clive said, "Being honest with yourself and embracing the affection of others. You've sure come a long way from the boy who tried to leave us several times, in words or in actions. Keep up like this, and eventually you'll be rewarded."

'I just hope it happens soon. Six years have been a little too long for my tastes. I wonder if Virginia is thinking of me at this moment,' he mused.

* * *

Jet spent the night at the Winslett residence. He had decided to revisit the Leyline Observatory the next day. It was kind of like his birthplace, although Werner didn't ever tell Virginia which facility he'd been transferred to after Yggdrasil blew up, and he wondered if he could find some clue there. After all, Virginia might have come in order to find if they'd overlooked some piece of information about her father or even him the last time they had visited the facility.

There, he got the surprise of his life. Megami was sitting at one of the tables, looking over a map. But what reason would she have to come, there were no treasures in this old laboratory.

He asked her, "What are you doing here? I don't think there's treasure in this old lab."


She looked up from her map. "It's a good place to train with my ARMs. Overrun with monsters, but otherwise not to dangerous. I also like to sit and think in this setting sometimes. For some reason, it calms me to be here. How about you Jet, why have you come to this facility?"

"Looking for clues as to Virginia's whereabouts," he stated, "Her father used to work here, and I wonder if she came looking for some information on him. I come at least once a month, hoping to catch her or find some piece of evidence as to where she might be now."

"Well, I don't know of anybody else coming here. There's been no sign of anyone setting foot in here recently but us. Guess you've got to keep looking," she told him.

Jet said, "I won't give up until I find her. Listen, Megaimi, how about I help you out? I can see the pain in your soul, it reminds me of how I used to be, seven years ago. I may sound a little bit like my wife here, but I would like to help you ease the pain in your heart."


She laughed. "Pain, what pain? I've rid myself of the pain by abandoning my memories. There is nothing wrong with me. For someone who looks like Ryu, you don't act like him."

"Who's Ryu?" inquired Jet, "Is he the reason you're the way you are today?"


"None of your business!" she yelled.

Jet knew he wouldn't get any information out of Megami. He thanked her for her time, and left. But he wondered who this Ryu was, and why Megami had compared Jet to him.

- - - -

Teefa's Last Words…

Don't ask about all the Japanese. It's vital to the plot. And I won't tell the word's meaning, since it might give away my reason for naming them that, and spoil the whole story for everyone.