Ryu's Legacy
A week passed since the Leyline visit. Jet had gone to Ballack Rise in disguise, hoping to ask about Megami. But he learned no more from them than he had from Clive. She had apparently asked them to keep some information about her recovery a secret, for whatever reason. It all made Jet wonder even more about Megami, and the identity of the mysterious Ryu.
From there, he headed over to Little Twister. Jet went to the saloon, hoping to drown out some of his sorrows in some ale. He thought it must be Gallows's influence getting to him, although he wasn't as passionate about his liqueur. Just a drink once in a while, to calm the nerves.
As luck would have it, no sooner did he start to drink that Megami came into the saloon. Upon seeing Jet, she sat down. It looked like she wanted to ask him for his help once more.
"Jet, I need someone to head to Unclean Mark with me," she told him, "But here's the catch, you won't be going as yourself. You will be going with me under the name Ryu."
"I'll need more than that if you want my help. I need to know who Ryu is," Jet replied.
Megami stated, "The correct response would be 'who Ryu was'. He's been dead for some time now. Killed in the same accident that took my eye and left these scars over my body."
Jet took a sip of his drink. "Ok then, who WAS Ryu. The way you make it sound, he seems to have been someone important to you. And why do you say I look like him?"
"It all happened somewhere between seven and ten years ago," she said, "I can't remember the exact date, as the accident I was in stole most of my memories away, along with my companions' lives."
"I'm sorry to hear that Megami," Jet added.
She told him, "Back then, I was living a horrid life. My parents were both either dead, didn't care a thing about me, or both. I was an only child, and spent most of my time alone. All that changed when this man named Raion came into town. He was a Drifter, looking for some help with a mission he had taken. Already, two other men were with him. One was named Okami, the other Ryu. I decided to team up with them, and say farewell to the horrors of my life."
"So, your allies," Jet mused, "Kind of like me, Virginia, Clive, and Gallows. Continue."
"Well, we all liked working together so much that we decided to stick together for some time. I was pretty ignorant back then, knew nothing of the outside world, as I'd always been to scared to leave my home behind all by myself. These three changed me, but it was Ryu who left the greatest impression on my mind. He was strong, brave, and always ready to lend me a hand. From him, I learned much about the Ways of the Wastelands, and how I could survive if I was all alone," she stated.
Jet reminded her, "You still haven't told me exactly why you think I look like this Ryu. Or what he was to you. I think it sounds like you were more than friends, am I right?"
She nodded. "Not to long after we got together, Ryu and I fell in love. When I lay down to sleep at night, although I don't want to, I can sometimes feel his arms around me. We'd slept together in the past, on multiple occasions. But then there was the accident, and all three of them were killed. I escaped with my life, but couldn't for the life of me remember most of the details of my past. With such a broken existence, I threw away what I did remember, hoping to start over once again. But I've seen Ryu's face in my dreams, and he resembles you greatly. I guess I can't run from his memory."
"Love will do that to you," Jet stated, "Take it from me. I think about Virginia and what will happen at our reunion every waking moment. So, what exactly is this mission anyway."
"We're going to take back Ryu's legacy. The last thing he left me before his death has been taken from me by some thugs. But they want both of us to come and reclaim it. I'm not taking any chances by telling them that Ryu is dead, so I need you to fill in," she informed him.
Jet wondered what the legacy exactly could be. Knowing Megami, it would have to be a fortune in gems or Gella. Otherwise, why would she be so passionate about something that reminded her of the man whose memory she had spent years running from?
He said, "Sure I will help you. I would like to know exactly what this legacy is. No, you don't have to pay me with part of this treasure. It looks like it has sentimental value. Otherwise, why would you be keeping a memory with you when you threw yours away."
She glared a bit, but then sighed. "No, it's not a treasure. Ryu's legacy is something much more valuable than that. You'll see when we arrive at the Unclean Mark."
They went outside, and got on their horses. He noticed the white coat on Megami's mare, much like the one Ginny used to ride on. It brought back a pang of sorrow in his heart. Jet could remember the first time she rode a horse, and had trouble getting her footing.
'She nearly fell off,' he thought, 'I remember having to help her keep on. Then I began to complain about babysitting, not wanting any of them to think I actually enjoyed helping her out. Boy, was I ever fooling myself. I always enjoyed being the one who had to watch over her.'
"Jet, I want to thank you for what you're doing for me. You have no idea what this means to me. This legacy, isn't like what you'd expect, but it is the most valuable thing in the world," she stated.
Jet wondered why she couldn't just tell him right out. He was going to find out when they arrived anyway, so it made no difference whether he knew now or not. There had to be some reason she couldn't tell him, he just had to find out what.
- - - -
Teefa's Last Words…
Yes, there is a pattern behind the words if anyone else knows. I'm weird. Bet you're wondering what the legacy is. Well, you'll see real soon.
