Virginia's Story

"It all started ten years ago," Virginia explained to her friends, "Yggdrasil was nearing its completion, and I followed my father to work. You see, something told me he wouldn't be back, so I was going to make him come home. There, I met Jet and we became good friends. But one day, there was an explosion of some sorts, I think the generators had a problem and were destroyed. Everything was blown up, and I last remember being knocked out by flying shrapnel from a machine of some sorts. It was five years later that I woke up from a coma. Jet slept about a month longer than me. That's why I never came home to my own family, I was still sleeping. But if we had been left to out own devices, Jet and I would have died. Rather, we were inside cylinders in Leyline Observitory. It was a scientific miracle that brought the two of us back from near death. Since no one believed me to be alive, I journeyed around the world with Jet for the past five years. It was really exciting, at least most of the time. There was the usual moments of boredom when we had no mission to go on. But at least we always had each other, we could keep ourselves occupied then."

Gallows was beginning to snort and laugh. Virginia rolled her eyes, he was thinking dirty thoughts about what they could be doing. It wasn't until he got hit over the head with the butt of Airget-lamh that he decided to stop teasing the two Drifters. Jet sure didn't look in the mood for his jokes about now. And he certainly didn't like it when Gallows said something that might offend Virginia, even if it was a joke. The girl thought of their night in Boot Hill, knowing well that Jet did all of these things for her because he loved her.

"Well then, we should get going in the morning. I know you will be able to take us there, Virginia, Jet. Werner seems to have vanished right before we arrived, maybe he decided to go on ahead of us and make a way. Or he doesn't want us to have to go through too many of the dangers. I must admit, I was a tiny bit surprised to see those wings, Virginia. A side effect of your healing, I take it?" Clive asked of her.

Virginia told him, "Yes, I grow wings and can fly. Jet has similar powers of concentration, and we can unite to form more powerful attacks, but we can't use them too often or we will get tired. It takes a lot out of you to do something like that." Which was and was not true. It used to take a lot out of them, most of the time it was when they were used in succession, but now they had no problems. She just didn't want to use the powers in front of Leehalt, what if he figured out the truth? He surely would kill Jet after that one.

* * *

In the morning, they went to Yggdrasil. Virginia pointed out much of the devices inside, telling each one the intended use. She didn't know how many were actually working models, most of them had been the untested prototypes of different machines. But her father had explained a lot to her, and the original Jet Enduro had given her a grand tour of the facility the day she had arrived. As the girl looked at one machine, she felt a sigh escape her lips. She longed for the days when she was with her father, having a fun time as she learned how to shoot an ARM. But soon they would be together again, she would see to that right now.

Some time later, they ran into Melody. Virginia sighed once more, she was truly being herself. As with the time they last fought her and Asgard together, Melody was applying some makeup. Virginia found herself stifling a laugh. "You know, that's a big distraction in the field of battle. You're using your time to put on some cosmetics. If someone were to attack you while you were doing that, you'd be a sitting duck."

"Shut up," ordered the woman, "You're not pretty so why should you really care about makeup? If you were beautiful, or even smart, you'd be applying some of this yourself. For it will make you very alluring to members of the opposite gender, and I know that's all girls like you care about. Getting your man, falling in love, then marrying him. Then you have a few children, and the whole darn cycle starts up all over again."

"I don't care about my appearance like that. I care about the person I see on the inside. Now, if you stand aside I won't hurt you. But if you continue to get in our way, I will have no choice but to kill you right now. Please, stop this insanity, I really don't like to end lives if I can help it," pleaded Virginia, knowing very well that Melody wasn't going to listen. All she really wanted to do was to try, to not have to kill again.

Sure enough, Melody told her, "Well, you could never understand us. Now that the three of us have been brought back to life by the Panakea Fluid running through our veins instead of blood, we are a foreign element to Filgaia. It seeks to destroy us. So even if we wanted to, we wouldn't be able to stop and live to tell about it. But at least when we evolve this planet, it will once again be beautiful, like a butterfly breaking out of its cocoon. As am I. When we reconstructed ourselves, Leehalt went for maximum power, while Malik took on his old appearance, happy with himself. I based myself off of my old self, and then added a few features to further my own beauty. I know you've added to your own body as well, those horrid wings."

Virginia aimed her pistols. "My wings aren't horrid. They are a sign of my own power, of the fact that Filgaia herself has entrusted me with the mission of saving this planet. Now then, we will not die in this fight, we will defeat you." She shot Melody, who countered with a poisonous attack. Luckily, the whole team had on Poison Wards, so this didn't phase them one bit. And that was all she did, just give them a counter they could dodge. So it was more of a long and drawn out battle instead of a truly dangerous one.

But once it was over, courtesy of four Gatlings, Melody lay on the floor with wounds all over her new body. She spat out something from her mouth, probably just saliva to show her contempt for the four, or for the world. Then, she looked Virginia square in the eye, as if to challenge the girl to a contest of some sorts.

"You may have won this fight," she stated, "But this isn't over yet. Besides, I'm still more beautiful than you, so that counts for something. Go on ahead, Malik and Leehalt are waiting for you to come. They will be the ones to kill you, I've got to go back to my room and fix the mess you did to my lovely face." She teleported out, in horror at a little scratch. Virginia thought she was improving, remembering the time she broke a fake nail, one which she had plenty of replacements of. Giggling a little, she decided to move on.

"Don't worry, Virginia. I think you're way prettier than she is," Jet whispered, so Gallows and Clive wouldn't here. The two of them were talking anyway. Virginia smiled, knowing very well that he cared about her. That was the only thing that mattered, outside appearance had no effect on how she viewed a person.

- - - -

Teefa's Last Words…

Melody's makeup gag. Brought to you by Gen from SaGa Frontier…No, that would be my rendition of Elliot. Gen drinks sake on the character screen, on the battle party select screen, and after battle. Melody would be putting on her eyeliner at all three times, and probably during battle if she was in that game. Ack! Melody could be Mei Ling. A Mei Ling who cut her hair and put a ton of makeup on.