A New Life
For the next month, Megami spent most of her time in bed. She got up for only a few minutes each day, so her muscles wouldn't get tired. But in fear of harming herself even more than she already had, she didn't do anything too strenuous. Mostly, it was just stretches.
In an attempt to sever the past, the young woman cut off most of the long braid that she kept her hair in. What little was left, was tied up in a small ponytail. She also severed the end of the lock of hair that fell down over the left side of her body, so it only was about shoulder length.
Between the new hairdo, the scars, and the eyepatch, Megami no longer could be mistaken for the fugitive Virginia Maxwell Enduro. Only a person looking for Virginia would even think to ask Megami if they were the same person. But she didn't know all about that. Rather, she was shocked when she saw the wanted poster for the first time. It first appeared to be one of her and her friends, but when she saw the names, she dismissed it. Never did it enter her mind that it might be who she really was.
After one month, Megami finally felt well enough to leave her bed. She took a job waiting on customers in the saloon, hoping to pay for room and board, and thank them for helping her out when she was injured. That's where she met the ARMs Dealer who would change her life forever.
"Hey, miss," he whispered, "You look like you're a Drifter. Stuck here due to a tab perchance?"
"None of your business of the exact reason why I'm here. The point is that I can't move on for awhile, so I'm working off my room and board, got a problem with that?" she demanded.
The man replied, "Heavens no. I just saw how ratty your old clothing is, looks like you just lost a fight to a rabid bear or something." For although she'd taken off her leather apron, coat, and the ribbon around her neck, she still had on the same shirt and skirt that had been ripped by falling rocks.
Megami looked at him with a glint in her good eye. "And that concerns you, because?"
"I'm an ARMs Dealer," he told her, "I would like to know if you want to buy some better weapons. Those pistols you have with you aren't powerful enough to help you if you're all alone. I'd be willing to sell you something with much more strength, in case you come up against tough enemies. Tell you what, if you give me those little pistols, I'll be willing to cut you a deal on this bazooka I'm looking to sell."
"How much do you want for the bazooka? I'll pay you full price. Using these pistols just seems natural somehow. Besides, I'll need to learn how to use the bazooka. If I get attacked while I'm still getting the hang of it, and have no other means to defend myself, it's game over," she stated.
The man said, "I understand. Since you seem down on your luck, I'll cut you a good deal. You can have the bazooka for five thousand Gella. I'll even throw in some new clothing, looks like you might need it. It's not really a feminine style, but it beats the ripped up things you have now."
Megami thought the offer over for a second. "It's a deal. I'll take them."
So she gave him five thousand Gella, and he presented her with a large bazooka and a new set of clothes. Her new attire consisted of a brown shirt, and brown leather boots with a ruby imbedded in the front. The pants she wore were red, and held up by a black belt with a golden buckle. A red vest/coat hybrid was worn over the shirt. She didn't want to get rid of her bandana, but at least it went with the rest of the outfit. The bazooka was in surprisingly good condition, it looked like it would need little or no maintenance. Just the usual upgrades found in all ARMs.
"You've been a good customer," he informed her, "I hope you're happy with the bazooka."
* * *
Megami wasted no time learning to fire the ARM. She would practice shooting at a target she'd set up near the edge of town, after informing the parents to keep their children from interfering. There was no point in some kid wandering into an oncoming shot, and getting killed.
It wasn't too hard to master the ARM. Once then, she began to upgrade it at the local ARMs shop. By the time she'd finished, it held seven bullets, had a 0.6 Critical Hit Rate, and could perform a four shot Gattling attack at full force points. It was quite similar to her pistols, except they were less powerful and could perform a five shot Gattling attack at full force points.
Without a reason to leave on a journey, Megami never left Ballack Rise. If monsters attacked, she might kill her child. Besides, there were certain times a month where she became queasy and sick for no reason whatsoever. Until she figured out the pattern, it was best just to stay home.
'But for some reason, I feel like I must be somewhere, but I can't remember exactly which town I need to go to,' she thought. All of those feelings were accompanied by a picture of Ryu, so she
wondered if it had something to do with him. If she'd known which town, she might decide to hire a Drifter to help her get there. But as she didn't, there was no reason to go out of her way to find out.
* * *
At one of her routine checkups, the doctor stated, "Miss Megami, I've got a surprise for you."
She looked at him with wonder in her eyes. "What is it? I don't care if you've found a way to restore my memories, like you always say you want to try and do. I'm completely happy with the way my life is now. Just tell me is if my child will be a girl or a boy."
"Well, that's the surprise," he told her, "Looks like you'll be even busier than you previously thought. You're going to be the mother of twins. One is a girl, and the other is a boy."
"Are you serious?! I'll really have two of them!" she exclaimed.
The doctor nodded. There was something that puzzled him. Usually, Megami was unhappy about being around other people, and would rather spend much of her free time alone. But whenever she talked about her pregnancy or future child, there was a light in her eyes that wasn't seen at other times. He guessed that what he'd heard was true, no matter who you are, or how you feel about people, you can't help but get attached to your child, and want to be with them at all times.
- - - -
Teefa's Last Words…
Now you know about her hair. She cut it in order to destroy ties to her past. Heck, now only those looking for her will actually think she's Virginia.
