Chapter 7: Con Te Partiro(Time to say Good-bye)

Virginia slouched sleepily over her horse, her head lulling against its soft mane, she was tired from all the running and all the fighting that she had done. Jet rode up beside her and poked her softly with his gloved hand. She mumbled something unintelligible and opened her eyes half way to glare at Jet.

( Why am I even BOTHERING with her? I was just trying to…Oh, never mind… I'll just LET her fall off the damned horse! ….. What am I saying? I doubt that I could live with myself if I allowed her to get hurt.)

"Leave me ALONE, I'm resting up for Simulacrum!" muttered Virginia, burying her face into her horses snow white mane. Unbeknownst to Jet and Clive, she was smiling into the steeds soft hair.

(We will be able to help Gallows! He doesn't have to fight alone! He…)

Seconds later she was asleep, her breathing was slow, even , and soothing to Jet and Clive's ears.

"Poor Virginia, it has been a long night for her." Said Clive quietly, looking over at Jet. Jet nodded in agreement and scooted around on his saddle a little bit, his rear end was falling asleep.

"No joke. To hear her tell it, Gallows has a power that none of us knew about…." Jet' s sentence broke off into an uncomfortable silence. The silence lasted for about thirty seconds and then Jet spoke up in an unsure voice.

" I wonder if we are going to have to fight him?"

Clive pushed his glasses up onto his nose and sighed despairingly.

"I hope not. Gallows would be a pretty annoying foe, he is very good with arcana AND summoning. If his power has been augmented at all by Roka, we are going to be in for one hell of a fight…" said Clive darkly, startling Jet a little bit more than he would have like.

"Dumb demon, why did he have to possess such an IDIOT!…. Especially OUR idiot." Snarled Jet, adding the last part with a caustic snicker. Clive took his glasses off and rubbed the lenses with his overcoat.

"Maybe it is because Gallows is the less conspicuous of the four of us. Think about it, if you had to possess someone from our party, who would YOU select?" mused Clive, looking through his lenses with a squint and then putting them back on his face. Jet thought about this question for a second or two, trying to figure out who he would select.

"Well, if I were to possess someone, I would go after Virginia. She IS the leader after all, and that would automatically give me the advantage of leading my proverbial sheep to the slaughter." Mumbled Jet gloomily, closing his eyes to the headache that was trying to pound its way into his skull.

"That would be my choice as well, however, Roka seemed to have this planned out from the word "go". Not only did he know about Gallows' journey, he also knew about Gallows' weakness… whatever that may be…. " said Clive, rubbing the bride of his nose thoughtfully. Jet sighed and looked over at Virginia, his eyes reflecting a strange tenderness that he hid from everyone.

"I wonder if she will have nightmares." Whispered Jet, partially to himself, partially to Clive. Clive shrugged and patted his horses head kindly.

"I don't know, I hope that she doesn't though. She needs her rest … and her strength."

"…. Yeah…." Said Jet, his eyes watering a little from all the pounding in his skull.

" I wonder what she's seeing right now?" chuckled Clive, leaning back a little to pop his back.

(I am getting old, I am creaking like a rusty hinge..)

Virginia mumbled a string of profanities and both Jet and Clive raised an eyebrow.

"Goodness…" laughed Clive quietly, looking at Jet quizzically. Jet looked at Clive with a confused look on his face and amusement in his eyes.

"Gallows, you dumb ASS, look what you did to my DRESS!" snarled Virginia, looking at the befuddled Baskar. Gallows scratched his head sheepishly and offered her a napkin. She grabbed it from his hand and dabbed at the ketchup that was on the lapel of her dress.

"I'm sorry, Virginia, I didn't think that it was open… I.." Then, with a smile, he took the lid off of the ketchup bottle and poured it on top of his head. Virginia could not help but laugh at Gallows' attempt to make her not angry with him. She put her hand over her mouth in an attempt to hide her huge smile, but it was to late, Gallows had already seen the smile and started to laugh cheerfully. Soon Virginia joined in and they were both laughing like maniacs. It was about then Clive and Jet came downstairs for breakfast and the shenanigans stopped.

( I never could stay mad at you, Gallows, you were always so warm and fun to be around…)

The flashback faded slowly and sadly away, leaving Virginia to her apprehensions and loneliness.

( Maybe.. maybe I do….) Her thoughts were interupted by a pleasant tingling at the base of her spine.

Child, Rsalis is telling me that Gallows wishes to speak to you. He says that it is urgent and requires your immediate attention. Just so you know, Gallows will be in your subconscious, please keep this in mind while you are talking to him. While it is true that Roka can not pick up on your conversation while Gallows is in your subconscious, he CAN pick up subtle hints and emotions. Please try to keep your feelings down to a minimum. Rsalis and I are linking…..)

(I'm a little scared, Rnaia, I mean, I am a very emotional person! What if I get too excited and ruin their plans?! What if..)

What if you stop worrying? Everything will be all right, Virginia, just listen to what he has to say and remember what I told you…

The darkness that surrounded her slowly fell away and revealed a lovely beach with crystal clear water lapping against the golden sand, the high noon sun reflecting on the waters calm surface.

(Where am I? Rnaia, what's going on? Where is this place? Rnaia…?) she was startled away from her thoughts by a warm hand on her shoulder, with a gasp, she whirled around to face the owner of the hand. She had to suppress the urge to cry out with relief, there, in front of her, was Gallows, a kind smile on his face. He scratched the back of his head and laughed a little bit, causing Virginia to get a little irritated.

"You scared me, Gallows, I thought you were a giant sand crab or something…" she sniffed, a fake scowl on her face. Gallows waved his hands in front of him, indicating that he wanted a truce called. She laughed and punched him lightly on the shoulder, causing him to pout a little.

(There's you "truce" Gallows Carradine! Stop sneaking up on me!)

"Sorry, leader, you just looked so distant, I couldn't resist the temptation!" laughed Gallows, putting his hand back on her shoulder. She closed her eyes and put her hand on top of his.

( It all seems so familiar. Has this happened before? Was there a time when we stood just like this..?)

" It's all kind of fuzzy, ain't it?" asked Gallows, squeezing her shoulder gently. She nodded and rubbed his hand, fascinated by the different emotions that surged through her, it felt like little bolts of electricity coursing though her body at ungodly speeds.

"Yeah, really fuzzy." She said, looking down at his hand mournfully. Gallows gently removed her hand from his and took his hand from her shoulder after some hesitation.

"Virginia, there is something very important that we need to talk about." Said Gallows, the smile dropping from his face. Virginia looked at him with concern and reached her hand out to touch his face. He shook his head sadly, took her hand in his, and pushed her hand back down to her side.

"Gallows…?" Murmmured Virginia, wanting so much to touch this realistic illusion.

"I'm sorry, but I can't risk being discovered… If you touch me…. I'll…." Gallows shook his head a little, a look of slight irritation and longing on his face. Virginia nodded at him, indicating that she understood what he was saying. A small smile crossed Gallows' face and he chuckled a little bit.

" You always DID catch on quick.."

Virginia returned the smile, feeling slightly queasy and warm at the same time.

"So, what's the plan Gallows?" asked Virginia, crossing her arms loosely across her chest. Gallows sighed at this question and pushed a strand of wayward hair from his face,

" Roka now has the Zanzir in his possession. You DO know what the Zanzir is don't you?"

Virginia nodded her head dully at his question, she knew all to well what the Zanzir was.

"It's a sword that sucks in energy and gives it to the wielder. Typically it sucks in the strongest life signatures first and then works on the weaker ones. So…. Roka has that powerful artifact does he?" sighed Virginia, closing her eyes and bowing her head with a combination of fear and hatred.

(Everything was FINE before Halle gave Gallows this damn job….)

She opened her eyes when she felt Gallows' hand on her face. She looked up at him, her eyes still burning with animosity toward Halle. Gallows smiled and stroked her face, conveying a thousand thoughts with his touch. Virginia's eyes softened and she smiled a little. Somehow, and she could not explain how, she understood every thought that he was sending. Gallows took his hand from Virginia's face after giving it one last gentle caress. He did not want to, but he knew that he could not let his feelings out in the open.

We need not words to express a thousand thoughts, the meaning of all things is buried deep within your heart…. Drifted Rnaia's soft voice in the warm and salty wind.

"We are going to let Roka draw energy from the sword and take form…" said Gallows after a moment of eerie silence. Virginia's mouth dropped open and she grabbed his hands angrily, startling Gallows a little bit. He hated it when she got this way, namely because it was so hard to read her.

(I can't let her emotions get the better of her! I have to snap her out of this!)

"Virginia…" said Gallows, pulling his hands away from hers slowly, she glared at him and clenched her fist, causing Gallows to feel even more uneasy. She was going to HAVE to get control of herself!

"That's suicide, Gallows, and you KNOW it! Why are you doing this?! There has got to be another way…" her lower lip trembled in desperation and Gallows felt a pang of pity tugging at his heart.

(I want to show you how I feel… but, I can't! I want so much to….)

"If all goes as planned it won't be. If Roka takes form, I should regain control of my body… and then…" Gallows' eyes darkened a little bit and Virginia felt a touch of ice pierce her heart.

"You'll kill him?" asked Virginia hopefully, clapping her hands together cheerfully. Gallows smiled at Virginia's enthusiasm and nodded his head in acknowledgment.

"If all goes well, yes, he will be killed, along with whatever else he brings with him." Said Gallows, his face falling into a frown. Virginia could no longer hold back the tears that were welling up inside.

"Gallows, I don't want you to…." She was stopped by Gallows pulling her into a sudden embrace, she went silent and fell into his arms. Gallows kissed the top of her head and she felt a pleasant chill creep up her spine. It made her feel safe, sad, and happy all at the same time.

"You needn't fear what tomorrow brings. In the end, I will be with you no matter what…" whispered Gallows, pulling away a little and kissing her on her cheek. She blushed and hit him on the chest softly.

"You big pervert…." She laughed, smiling sheepishly at him. He smiled back and tugged at her braid.

" You know that you like me that way!" snickered Gallows, handily dodging another playful hit. The smile dropped from Virginia's face and she looked down at the ground, trying her best to distance herself from Gallows. Gallows, understanding her actions, looked at her with a frown on his face.

"Of course, if I fail….. It's all over for me. I lose my existence, my soul, my memories… everything…."

"Then… the logical thing for you to do is not fail." Said Virginia, holding up her index finger for emphasis.

Gallows laughed at her statement and took her hand into his again. She looked at him and then his hand, noting how real it felt and seemed. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her hand.

(I wonder of it feels like this in real life? There is so much that we take for granted, and the touch of another human being is one of them. )

"I'll come back to you, I promise, so long as you'll wait for me." Said Gallows a hint of a frown touching his bright face. Virginia blushed and pulled her hand away slowly, looking Gallows in the eyes bravely.

"I'll wait for you, just pick a place and I will be there."

Gallows' face brightened and he touched her face briefly, relishing the feel of her skin.

" Then, will you meet at Simulacrum? If our plan goes awry, I will need you to fix things." Whispered Gallows, dropping his hand down to his side sadly. Virginia looked at him grievously for a moment and then shook her head with acknowledgment.

"I'll save what I have to tell you for later, after we get through all of this mess. " smiled Gallows, taking a step back and closing his playfully. Virginia watched as Gallows faded away slowly, a smile still on his face. Virginia sighed, a small tear forming in her eye and a deep pain in her heart.

(Everything eventually fades away….)

But love never does. He meant what he said, he will return to you one way or another.

(He will never die. I won't let him! Rnaia, tell me what needs to be done, I'll do anything at all!)

Be there when he falls. He needs someone to pull him back from the brink of death if something goes wrong, and, that "someone" is you. He needs you the most, you are, after all, his other half.

Virginia snickered and she felt a flurry of confusion come from Rnaia.

(Gallows always hated fate, at first anyway, but then, I think that he actually started to like it a little.)

Rnaia laughed a little, her voice sounding like a sweet bell on a cool morning.

Gallows will like his fate if he survives this.

Virginia blinked with confusion and watched as the beautiful dreamscape faded to black.

(What do you mean?)

You shall see. replied Rnaia with another warm laugh.

"Hey!" Virginia said out loud, looking around with irritation.

"Are you implying what I think you are? Hey…I… " Virginia threw her hands up in exasperation and felt her body tingle a little as she fell back into consciousness.

Jet blinked when he saw Virginia's body twitch a little, concerned, he rode up beside her and put his hand lightly on her shoulder and shook her a little.

"Hey, wake up, you're starting to scare us!" exclaimed Jet, shaking her a little harder when he did not get a response. Virginia grumbled and suddenly bit his hand lightly. Jet gasped and pulled his hand away, glaring at Virginia as he did so. Clive's laughter pealed out into the twilight sky and he all of the sudden had a good feeling about everything.

" And just what the hell was THAT for?" snarled Jet, shaking his bit hand. Virginia smiled and closed her eyes, a strand of wayward hair falling into her face.

"Because, you woke me up and that offense calls for a good bite!" laughed Virginia, her smiled widening by the minute. Jet snorted and gave her one last glare and then looked straight ahead to the rising sun.

"Whatever…" he said grumpily, kicking his heels softly against his horses flanks and riding off a good distance in front of the other two drifters. Virginia's smile faded and she looked at Clive, Clive looked at her with confusion and concern.

"What is wrong Virginia? You can tell me, I won't tell Jet if it is something bad."

"No, it's nothing about him. I had a dream…at least I think it was a dream…about Gallows. He told me his plan and what we would have to do if his plan fails…" whispered Virginia, looking down a little, trying her best to sum up what she was told in a very calm fashion. Clive listened intently, shaking his head every once in awhile to show that she had his undivided attention.

"So…" mused Clive, scratching his chin thoughtfully, "Gallows really DID accept a suicide mission.."

Virginia looked at Clive with a mixture of aggravation and hope.

"Gallows will NOT die! He said that…." Her voice dropped to the point where it was almost inaudible.

"…. He would come back to me….."

Clive smiled and gave her an encouraging look.

"If Gallows says that he will return to you, then he will return to you. I am sorry that I sounded so cynical.

Virginia smiled a little and patted her horse on the side of its head, causing it to neigh with content.

"It's all right. At first, that's how I thought as well….. But then…. I changed my mind." Said Virginia, blushing as she stated the last part. Clive raised his eyebrow with a mixture of amusement and confusion.

"Is that so?" inquired Clive, chucking a little at Virginia's expression. Virginia's blush was replaced by a false pale fury. Clive shrank back playfully and looked at his leader.

"What does THAT supposed to mean, Clive Winslett?" huffed Virginia, trying to hide her amusement and embarrassment. Clive shook his head and spurred his horse on, leaving Virginia at a lost for words and rather irritated. Virginia let out a tiny (but rather cute) snarl, and caught up with her comrades.

In the distance, the sound of thunder broke the silence and a flock of birds flew toward Simulacrum, almost as if they were being called by a mysterious force.

A/N: Well, here's Chapter 7 as promised! I know, I know, it's kind of romantic, but I figured that we needed a little bit of a break to collect ourselves. Have no fear though! There will plenty of action in the following Chapters! Prepare for Chapter 8: Simulacrum Beckons! *insert dramatic music*