Author's note/Disclaimer:  I don't own Wild ARMs 3, it belongs to Media Vision/Sony.

Well, here be the final chapter.  Not much to say so get reading!  ^_^

Chapter Three – Following in the Wake

                Virginia couldn't believe what Shane was telling her.  Her knees buckled and she collapsed against the side of the hut.

                "No more death, please," she pleaded quietly to whatever deity might be listening, tears silently sliding down her cheeks.  "First Clive, then Lombardia, and now Gallows and Halle." 

                Shane slid down to the ground next to her.  "My brother," he started, his voice muffled as he hid his face in his hands, "H-he saved my life…  I would have been crushed if he hadn't…"

                Virginia didn't know how long the two of them sat there, lost within their own private hells, before she finally gathered the courage to survey the damage.  Quietly, she cast her gaze around, noting all the damage the dragon had caused.  Lombardia had done a number on the place before the Schroedingers had finally managed to take her down.  It was still hard for her to believe that Lombardia would do such a thing, but even harder to believe she was dead.

                Gazing over where Lombardia had finally fallen, she saw Maya and Alfred helping with the clean up.  Virginia had seen them earlier, though, mourning the loss of both Todd and Shady.  She knew Maya liked to act tough, but she also knew, after watching her comforting her brother, that she had a heart, no matter how hard she tried to hide it.

                Looking away from the carnage, Virginia turned her gaze to Shane.  He was staring straight ahead, although his eyes were unfocused and his expression haunted.  Gallows and Halle had been his only remaining living relatives, and now they were both gone.  She didn't know how much more of this pain and loss she could take before it destroyed her.

                Taking one last look around the colony, she realized suddenly that the last remaining member of her team other than herself was missing.  The silver haired boy was nowhere to be seen, and a sudden chilling fear gripped her.  She had to find him; she didn't know what she would do if she found him among the dead.

                Jumping to her feet, she started to search, but she didn't see him anywhere.  He couldn't be dead, she tried to tell herself, but she just couldn't convince herself.  Especially now, when half the team – in fact, more than half counting Lombardia – was already dead.  It was as if some evil force was picking them off one by one…

                After almost ten minutes of searching, the leaden weight in Virginia's heart grew too heavy for her to bear, and she gave up, shuffling slowly over to where one of the survivors was preparing the dead for the proper Baskarian burial.

                "Laraina?" she asked, afraid to hear the answer, "you haven't seen Jet… among…" Trailing off, she only gestured weakly towards the fallen.

                The young Baskar woman looked up, and Virginia could see the tears in her eye.  Her other eye was bandaged from where a piece of debris had struck during the attack.  It was unknown whether or not she would still be able to see once the swelling went down.

                Laraina shook her head.  "I don't think he's dead, but I saw that girl the Schroedingers brought in carry him off somewhere.  I… would have told you sooner, but I wasn't thinking clearly and … well, I didn't realize that something could be amiss.  I'm sorry."

                "I understand.  Thank you."  Virginia left the girl and started to pace, the gears in her brain starting to whir into action.  Everything that happened to them lately, this girl Andie always seemed to be there when it happened.  It was all too much of a coincidence to Virginia.  But why?  Why would she be trying to kill her and her teammates?  And why would she kidnap Jet?  There were too many questions and not enough answers.

                Plus, Virginia realized suddenly, everyone who knew Andie or had a possible way to help her and her friends figure out what was going on had been killed.  Something bad was going down, and she was now certain that this girl from Laxisland was the one behind it all.

                It didn't explain Lombardia, but it did make a few things more clear.  Virginia, now determined to find Jet and Andie and get to the bottom of it all, began to formulate a plan.

*       *       *

                Maya had been watching Virginia as the other young woman paced for the last few moments.  She smiled slightly as she saw the look of determination in the brown haired girl's eyes.  She stood as Virginia approached.

                "Would you like something?" she asked, placing one hand on her hip. 

                Without a word, Virginia pulled out a small pile of what looked like stone plates.  She passed these to Maya, and the blonde accepted them, looking somewhat puzzled.  "What…?" she started, but Virginia didn't let her finish.

                "Those are the Guardian mediums Clive and Gallows had been equipping.  I would like to ask for your help, and in exchange, the mediums are yours."

                Maya fanned the tablets out.  There were six in all, and she could recognize the symbols on a couple of them, specifically the ones for Fengalon and Schturdark.  The others, belonging to Stare Roe, Chapapanga, Luceid and Raftina, were unfamiliar to her. 

                "And what if I took these and still refused to help?"

                Virginia started at the ground.  "I'll be disappointed, but I won't stop you."

                Maya said nothing for a few moments, still examining the mediums.  Finally, she looked up.  "You'll have to explain how they work, you know," she said, her usual toothy grin plastered across her face.

                Virginia was startled.  She really hadn't been expecting a yes.  "Wha?"

                "I said I'd help you!  I get the impression that whatever it is you're hunting is what's responsible for Todd and Shady's deaths, and killing a Schroedinger can't go left unpunished, so let's go already!  We can grab Alfred on the way out.  And by the way, where are we headed anyway?"

                Virginia looked down again.  "Honestly, I don't know.  All I know is that that woman you brought in, Andie, has taken Jet somewhere, and I have to find him."  She was taken by surprise when she felt the hand on her shoulder.  Turning, she saw Shane standing behind her.

                "I…think I know a way to help," he said.  "There was a young girl here, not too long ago.  I know it may be an unorthodox way of tracking someone, but she had the uncanny ability to … well, it seemed she could actually talk to the plants and flowers.  Perhaps she could help you?"

                "I think I know this girl.  Her name is Florina?" asked Virginia.  Shane nodded.

                "Yes.  If you know where she lives, then this is even better, because I'm afraid I don't."

                "I do, and thank you, Shane.  It's a good idea."  She turned to Maya.  "Follow me, I know where we're going now."

*        *        *

                The garden was just as pretty as the last time she'd been there, but Virginia didn't have time to admire the beauty.  A day had already been lost just traveling there, and she had the feeling that time was of the essence.  Even though she had taken the time during the walk to explain how to use the mediums to Maya and Alfred, she still felt too much time had been wasted.

                Maya looked around in appraisal.  "This kid must love her flowers," she said.  Alfred stayed silent as Virginia approached the small house and knocked at the door.  There was a short wait before a voice from behind the team spoke up.

                "Um…hello," said Florina as Virginia and her new team turned to the small girl.  "Can I help you with something?"

                Maya had never met Florina before, but there was something about the girl before her that unnerved her.  She looked like a child no more than ten, but something about her eyes suggested to Maya that somehow, this simply wasn't true.  But she didn't say anything as Virginia explained the situation.

                "I see," said the flower girl once Virginia had finished.  "You would like me to ask the flowers to help find your lost friend."

                "It would mean a great deal to me if you could," replied Virginia.

                "Well…" Florina looked thoughtful.  "He could be anywhere on Filgaia.  I really can't say I'll be able to do it…"

                "But you can try?"

                "For Jet's sake, I will.  It could be possible, but it may take a while."

                "…I'll wait."

                Florina nodded and walked over to the flowerbed.  Maya watched her standing there, annoyed.  "She's just standing there, doing nothing!  Why are you letting her waste our time?" she asked.

                "She's not 'doing nothing', Maya, she's finding out where Jet is."

                "Hmph.  You'd better be right."  She turned her back, grumbling.  "I don't know why I'm helping you.  I should be turning you in for the reward."

                Alfred passed the time by working on some gadget or another while Maya began to pace.  Virginia sat and waited patiently, and about fifteen minutes later, Florina finally spoke up again.

                "The flowers say they're heading roughly due northeast.  They're also saying something about a thing called a nanomachine?  I don't know if that helps, the flowers can be awfully gossipy sometimes."

                "It's about time," commented Maya, as Virginia said nothing and pulled out her map.  Alfred apologized for his sister's rude behavior as Virginia confirmed her suspicion.

                "But…" she wondered aloud, "What would she want there?"

*        *       *

                It had taken nearly a day and a half for Andie and Jet to reach the Ruins of Dreams by Sandcraft, Jet spending the entire trip bound and gagged.  Now he was glaring at the young woman as she typed something on one of the computers in the room.  He wasn't entirely sure what she was doing or what she wanted from him, but he knew he wasn't going to make it easy for her.

                As she finished her typing, there came the sound of something powering up in another room.  He blinked in surprise.  Had she actually brought the nanomachine factory back online?

                He watched her carefully as she turned back from the computer, a disturbing smile on her face.  Walking over to Jet, she knelt down beside him.  Reaching into his jacket, she pulled out three stone plates, Jet's mediums, and threw them off to the side.

                "Can't let you keep these.  The protection offered by the Guardians'll just get in the way of my plans."

                Jet continued to glare at her.  "So, just what is this plan of yours, anyway?"

                Andie stood, cracking another grin before collapsing to the floor, unconscious.  The sound of a childish giggle caused Jet to turn his head.  He gasped at what he saw.

                "Surprised?"  Beatrice walked over to him, tilting her head in a grim parody of a child.  "You must have known that you hadn't truly defeated me, after all."

                "What are you after?"

                "Well, the same thing I've always been after, a world where I can exist.  I'm going to use you, the Filgaia Sample, and you're rewriting ability, to reprogram the nanomachines.  They will change this world to what I desire."

                Jet scoffed.  "This factory isn't big enough to change the world.  Clive said so."

                Beatrice only smiled at him and shrugged.  "So I'll begin by changing my small corner."

                "How are you possessing Andie?"  Jet didn't really care about the girl one way or the other, but he had to know.  Plus, he had to stall her for as long as he could so he could come up with an escape plan.  "I thought you could only affect people's dreams."

                The dream demon laughed.  "You don't know anything, but the girl's sixth sense made it easier.  Much easier."  She started to muse aloud.  "The dragon was fun, too.  It's unfortunate that my fun had to be ended so quickly, but at least I accomplished my goal."

                "Goal?  What goal?"

                "Oh, please.  Did you really think I would just sit back and allow you to stop me?  That doesn't matter now, however. I have you, and my plan is well underway.  And besides, what could the girl do now to help you without her friends?"

                With that, her image faded and Andie sat up with a slight groan.  Beatrice didn't use her for long, only to knock the silver haired boy out, and manipulate the bindings holding him.  Once this was done, she left Andie's mind and moved into Jet's.

                She knew right away something was wrong.  His mind wasn't human, that she had known, but she hadn't expected this.  It was like a cage, his mind trapped her, and started to change her.  It was almost like his consciousness was trying to absorb her.  She would have screamed in rage and protest, but in her current form, she possessed no voice.  She tried to leave, and found she was blocked.

                Jet could feel the demon's presence within his mind as he came too, like a migraine only much worse.  He didn't know how to stop her, but he focused his concentration on fighting off the feeling of losing control.  He wasn't going to let Beatrice win without putting up one hell of a fight.

                As this battle raged silently, Andie once more regained consciousness.  Everything that had happened to her since the Ark of Destiny seemed like nothing more than a passing dream, but she looked about her surroundings, knew it was true.

                She felt strange, and it took her a few moments to nail down just why that was.

                She was free of the demon.

                Not caring anymore just what happened, just glad to be rid of Beatrice and wanting it to stay that way, she stood and ran off towards the entrance of the ruins.

*        *        *

                  Virginia drew her pistols as she, Maya and Alfred approached the Ruins of Dreams.  "We don't know what to expect from this woman, so be prepared."

                Maya scoffed.  "You don't need to tell me that."

                Alfred hung his head and sighed.  "Can we just go now?"  He was caught off guard when a young woman came running up from the ruins and bumped into him, knocking both of them to the ground.

                Andie raised her hands as Virginia trained her twin pistols on her.  Alfred stood and dusted himself off before offering Andie a hand up as Virginia started in on the questions.

                "Where's Jet?"

                "Do you mean the boy with the white hair and violet eyes?  He's inside.  You might want to hurry and help him," replied Andie, "I don't know what the demon is doing to him."

                Maya prodded the black haired woman with her own pistol.  "Why should we believe that?  You're the one who kidnapped him, after all.  What have you done with him?"

                Andie scowled at her.  "It wasn't me.  It was the demon, Beatrice.  That's why I was going to Baskar, to get her out of my head!  She's been planning this for a while now, to make Filgaia into a world where she can exist!"

                Virginia was shocked.  "Beatrice?  How?  We defeated her…" She shook her head.  "How is she planning to accomplish her goal?  What does it have to do with Jet?

                Andie opened her mouth to reply, but a sudden spat of machine gun fire silenced her for good.  She dropped to the ground in a growing pool of her own blood, dead, as the others looked in shock at the person who had shot her.

                Jet wore a disturbing smile on his face, a reddish tint in his violet eyes.  The Airget-lamh smoked silently in his hands.  He turned and started to head back into the ruins as the others continued to stare after him in shock.

                Suddenly, he fell backwards into the wall, clutching his head.  Virginia ran over to him.  "Jet?!  What's going on!  What's wrong?"

                Jet didn't reply, nor did he look up, continuing to clutch his head, his face contorted in pain.  He finally won against the demon, and looked up at Virginia.  "…Kill me…" he croaked.

                "What?"  Virginia's voice was suddenly very small.  He repeated himself.

                "Kill me!  It's… the only way to stop Beatrice!  …I can't explain it, but I don't think she can leave my mind!"

                "Jet, no… I can't kill you!  There must be another way!"

                Jet could see the tears in Virginia's eyes.  He felt like he wanted to cry himself, but he knew there was no other way.  To stop the dream demon, he had to die.

                "Do it, Virginia!  Before I change my mind, literally!"  He grabbed her arm, and pushed her ARM into his chest.  "Pull the trigger, now!"

                Virginia pushed herself away from him, dropping her ARM as if it had burned her.  She was crying openly now.  "I won't, Jet!  I won't!"

                Jet was about to continue arguing when Beatrice made another bid for control.  He yelped in pain, clutching once more at his head, falling back against the wall.

                "Jet!"  Virginia tried to help him, but Maya pushed her aside.  She'd had enough, and before the dual pistol-wielding girl could do anything, Maya had raised her ARM to the side of Jet's head.  Virginia blinked.  "Maya, what are you…?"

                The look Maya gave her caused her to fall silent.  "This is how it has to be," Maya said, and pulled the trigger.