Friend. A really simple word that means a lot to many people on Filgaia. No one could ever fully understand why this simple six letter word would be important, but it is. If you add a 'boy' or 'girl' to the front of it the word is made even more important somehow. In the simplist definition, a friend is one who is attached to another by affection or esteem. Someone that is not hostile. A favored companion. The history of this term and for what it means stretches far back before any living mind can imagine. As soon as there were two people in this world, there was the concept of a friend. In this world there are also allies, who while not being friends, are just as good. The truth of the matter, like most words, friend is defined by the person that uses it. So, it has to be asked, what are friends?

Chapter Three

Thor set out on a journey, along with his servant Thialfi, and also with Loki, as they went into Jotunheim. Thialfi was the swiftest person on foot, and he carried Thor's pouch, which had their provisions. When night came they found themselves in an immense forest, and searched on all sides for a place to rest the night. Finally they came across an immense hall, with an entrance that took the whole end of the building. They slept here, but woke at alarm at midnight, when an earthquake hit that shook the whole edifice. A terrible groaning was heard all throughout the night. In the mornings Thor went out and found a huge sleeping giant nearby who seemed to be the cause of the problem. For once, Thor was afraid to wield his hammer. When the demon finally awoke, Thor asked of him a name.

The giant was named Skrymir, and the giant already knew who Thor was, but he asked the guardian where his glove was. Thor soon realized that the hall they had slept in last night was the giant's glove. Skyrmir proposed that they travel together, and Thor agreed, and as soon as that was done, they began breakfast. Once they began to walk though, it was soon that the trio learned that it was hard to keep pace with the giant. Regardless they walked the whole day until they came to rest under a large oak tree. Skyrmir rested himself, and told the party from Asgard to eat whatever they want from his pouch. As hard as Thor tried though, he could not undo the tie that Skyrmir had done on it. In anger, Thor hit the giant's head with his hammer, and the giant woke and asked if a leaf had fallen on his head. Thor said nothing and they all went to bed, but the loud sound of Skrymir's snoring echoing in the forest angered and woke Thor. In anger he flung Mjollnir at the giant, leaving a small dint in it, Skrymir woke and asked if moss had fallen on him from the tree. Thor said nothing of it again, and thought that a third strike would settle things between them. They all went back to bed, and Thor hit the giant again, and this time he sat up and asked if an acorn had fallen on him. Skrymir tells them they should get up and go on to travel. He tells them that the city of Utgard is a place where many his size are, but the leader, Utgard-Loki, would not want them there, so he tells them of a way through the east.

After leaving the giant, the trio finds by noon, a city so large that they must strain their necks to look upwards. They found their way into the city, and came into the palace that had it's door open, where they found men of a similar stature of Skrymir's own. There in the palace they found Utgard-Loki, whom they met with respect. Utgard-Loki looked down and met the people whom he already knew as being Thor. He asks of the three what skills they have that places them above that of a normal man.

Loki says to him that he can eat faster than any person, and is ready to give proof of that. Utgard-Loki called a giant named Logi forward to compete with Loki. A trough of meat was placed on the floor, and the two began to eat, starting at opposite ends. They each came to the middle, but Loki had only eaten the flesh, while Logi had eaten flesh, bone, and trough. It was agreed that Loki had been defeated.

Utgard-Loki asked what Thialfi could do, and he answered that he would race anyone that the giant asked him to. They all moved out to the plain where they could run, and called the giant named Hugi forward to race Thialfi. They began, and Hugi so outmatched Thialfi that he got one lap, and ran back to meet Thialfi who only just started, and then proceeded to run three laps, with Thialfi barely starting. With Thialfi defeated, Utgard-Loki asked Thor what he could do.

Thor said that he could out drink anyone, and so a large horn was brought forward that Utgard-Loki said could be drunk by the best drinker in one sip, but a puny drinker could finish in three. Thor took the horn, that seemed of a normal size, and drank from it for as long as he could, but in the end, he had to take a breath, but found that the liquid was hardly diminished. He took another drink, but still failed. Utgard-Loki told him that if he can not empty it on the third drink, he would never be seen as mighty here. Angered, Thor tried once more, but saw that the liquid only got a little lower, and so gave up on it. Utgard-Loki laments that Thor is not as great as he thought, but he asks Thor to try one more feat: to lift his cat from the floor. Thor tried with all of his might to lift the gray cat, but only ever got one foot off of the floor, and soon gave up on it.

Utgard-Loki says that the trial has turned out as he imagine, and that Thor does little in comparison to the men of Utgard. Thor says that he should see if that is the case now that he is angered. Who of them would wrestle him now? Utgard-Loki called forward the old crone named Elli, who had thrown many men to the ground before him. A toothless old woman entered, and Thor tried with all his might to win, but the more he tried, the firmer her position was. Thor was soon defeated. It was then that Utgard-Loki told them it was over, as night came, and they sat down and ate in the hall.

The next morning Utgard-Loki led the party to the gates of town and asked Thor how his journey turned out, and if he had met anyone stronger than he. Thor admits his shame, and what hurts him more, is that he is thought of now of being worth little. Utgard-Loki tells him that he is wrong, and seeing that as long as he lives, Thor will no longer return to Utgard, that he in fact, has been using illusions all along. Starting in the forest, where he tied his pouch of food with iron wire so Thor could not untie it. He was in fact Skrymir in the forest. The strike Thor made on his head would have killed him, but he moved and place a mountain in the way where he dented it with three hits. He had done this on contests as well, starting with Loki. Logi was in fact, fire, that destroys all, which is why Logi ate all of the food, bone and trough in all. Hugi, who Thialfi races with, was in actuality, thought, and so it was impossible to beat something that could finish a race with a thought. The horn that Thor drank from was actually the ocean, which is now shallower thanks to Thor who drank it, as well as there is now tides. The cat that Thor tried to lift was actually the Midgard Serpent who wraps it's body around the world. Elli, was actually old age, and not even a guardian like Thor can defeat old age. Utgard-Loki warns Thor to never cross him again, or he will defeat Thor with similar illusions. In anger Thor went to attack, but Utgard-Loki and the city of Utgard was gone, leaving the trio alone in the empty plain.

"There…is that all of them, Virginia?" Jet wondered, as the two sat on the deck as the silver moon lighted them.

Virginia shut the red canvas bound book of Jet's past. "You've told me every tale, and I've written them." She replied with no emotion at all. "Don't go." She pleaded. "At least not alone."

Jet took in a deep breath of consideration. "This is all inevitable." The young man explained. "If I run, this fight will still occur, but only later. Today is the best time to handle this though. I can't just run and run, and then find myself too weak. That's for cowards and idiots."

Virginia closed her eye. Pinching her nose with a stern face. "This is all because of Amigone, isn't it?" She wondered with jealousy. She loves Jet, that was clear to her, and if this was about Amigone, she knew Jet could never love her.

"It is." Jet confirmed. "Norris accused me of betraying her." He seethed. "That was not the case. He is wrong."

"What happened?" The brunette wondered. "Back then?"

Jet blinked as Virginia's eyes fluttered and looked to his thoughtful face. A hand to his chin, through the scarf that he wore. "I can't say."

Virginia clutched at her skirt fabric. If she could only tell him now that she loved him. If only she had the strength. She was sure now, that if she were to tell him of her feelings, he would then die. It was commonly seen in many of the novels on Filgaia, that following the woman's or man's admission of love, they would then die. She did not want that to happen this time in real-life, so she forced her urge to keep him with her back down inside.

Jet blinked and looked to the moon overhead in the night sky. Thinking about something that could not easily be made out by his expression. He is coming down to his last few hours in which he can live in the present. His past would soon takeover. Would his future die with it? He was not sure at this moment if he could really fight Norris. It seemed impossible.

"What will become of the promises you made me?" Virginia wondered, breaking his train of thought. "Things such as what you said to me the other day? That you would be there for me forever?"

"I have not broken the promise yet." Jet replied. "I will return to you, Virginia." Jet drew a small scrap of paper from his coat pocket. It was brown and worn from years of handling. "Virginia, take this."

Virginia gently took the paper and looked at what was written on it. "What's this…coordinates or something?"

Jet slung a large brown boomerang over his back. "I'm going to go meet Norris now."

"You have to return to me!" She warned him as she clutched to his sleeve.

He stared into her eyes. "I'll do the best I can." Jet slowly moved his hands to the one that grabbed his coat. Softly he removed it from him. "Virginia." He spoke, knowing no right way to phrase a good-bye, and he left the deck of the boat as Virginia simply clung to the red book he had spent his entire childhood on. The scrap of paper crumpled in her hand.

"Are you sure about this? He said not to follow." Adven questioned as he and Clive stood atop a rooftop. A cool night breeze coming off the water and freezing them.

Clive fixed his glasses as he watched Jet walk down the streets of Jolly Roger. "Jet might not want us there, but we will be regardless."

Adven scoffed. "I think I'm beginning to like the way you think."

"Think all you want, but let's go." Clive flicked his straw hat as he turned to Adven. With a running jump they continued on the roofs, following Jet.

"An' what d'ya want to be Jet, when you grow up?" The modest thirty-year-old brunette of a teacher asked to the five-student class of Jolly Roger's schoolhouse.

The young ten-year-old Jet looked to the mature woman. "I want to be a cow when I grow up!" Jet proudly said. His proud posture was soon broken as three boys and the teacher began to laugh. The teacher trying to stifle it, but not. The young boy looked to his legs on the ground out of embarrassment.

"Hey! Stop that!" Amigone demanded from the side of the boy. "His choice should be no funnier than any of your own." She chastised as the three boys, including Norris, stopped because of her harsh tone. Amigone leaned over to Jet. "It's okay, Jet. They were just being ignorant." The young girl said to comfort the fragile boy. "Listen, a cow isn't what you should be. Y'know what, I'll be the cow so you don't have to." She softly spoke. "You are someone who is suited for a far more important job."

"I am?"

She nodded. "You bet! You're gonna grow up to be the man who saves me one day." Amigone gave him a soft, encouraging smile.

Jet stared at her for a moment. Absorbing her smile and words, gaining a smile as well. Somehow he had confidence swelling up in him now, all because of her. He puffed his chest proudly. "Right, I will do everything I can to save you if you are ever in trouble or suffering."

"Hey!" Norris interuppted. "I'm going to be the one who saves her." He argued. "You are too pathetic to do it."

"Nuh-uh! Take that back!" Jet demanded.

"I won't."

"Then I'll make you!" Jet lunged for the boy's shirt, but was caught by the teacher's slender hands.

"You two again?" She muttered. "What will I do with you?"

The ruins of Jolly Roger created shadows on the ground due to the light of the silvery moon. Jet took soft steps upon the deep sand. His boots leaving memories behind in the form of footprints. All of the would be gone soon enough by the next rain or a few touches of wind. His heavy boomerang slung over his shoulder as his hands swung at his side. The twin tails of the scarf blowing in the wind behind him in a flurry of white and red. His face covered by the same fabric.

Coming to a halt, he looked ahead in the clearing that was surrounded by pieces of wall. "This is the place that we last saw one another, huh, Jet?" The calm voice of Norris spoke, as he flung his overcoat aside. His hair of brown placed on his head like a bush, poking out in all odd directions. His handsome face and jade green eyes illuminated by the full moon. His long brown coat and black cloth pants that was worn beneath the heavier overcoat. "Thor set out on a journey, along with his servant Thialfi…"

"…and also with Loki, as they went into Jotunheim." Jet finished. The two young men let out in a burst of laughter, but just as soon as it began, it ended. "Why must I die?" Jet wondered. "Not your reason why I should be killed, but rather the reason your boss wants me."

"I am owned by the Ark of Destiny now." Norris replied. "They want to wipe Filgaia clean of the sin that is the Filgaia Sample Project. Any Filgaia Sample made by the Council, except Sample Five are to be destroyed." He explained. "You are the last the Ark has to kill, aside from myself, Five, and the one they made, Sample Seven. They think the Yggdrasil Project can still be obtained, but only through Sample Five."

"So, Sample Two, are you the same Sample you used to be?" Jet wondered.

"Sample Two and Sample Seven are Filgaia Sample Type Beta." Norris simply said with no emotion. "As the war went on, the Council adapted me and Sample One, Three, and Four into weapons for war."

"So they went through with that?" Jet scoffed.

Jet remembered how when the Ark attacked the Council, the Council had told Elliot to alter the Filgaia Samples from beings made to use the planet's power to save it into beings who wield the power of Filgaia as weapons. His father refused. That was the reason he and Jet ran away soon enough. To get away.

"Yes, and the Filgaia Sample Zero is what the Ark wants." Norris explained. "They want the original. That way they can learn more about the project, in order to fully restore life to the planet."

"So…in other words, you want me dead, they don't care, but would rather have me living." Jet looked to his boots.

"How could you betray me?" Norris roared, causing Jet to look to the man. "How could you betray Amigone? Didn't you promise her like I did that you would save her?"

Jet looked startled. "Them…Amigone…really is alive then?"

"She is," Norris confirmed, "But she is not the Amigone you knew." Norris put his hands at his side. "You are being tailed."

"I know."

"Not to worry. Sample Seven will handle them." Norris remarked.

Adven and Clive looked to one another. "Does he mean us?" Adven wondered. Before Clive could respond another person joined them on the rooftop and hit Adven off the ledge. Clive jumps away as the man in the dark who is missing a left forearm lunged at him. Adven in the meantime lands on the ground, with Clive soon joining him. Before they can do anything else, their assailant comes down after them. Dodging the attacks, Adven and Clive move from the area Jet and Norris stood still.

The two old friends looked to one another with a pause. With no warning, Jet grabbed his boomerang and tossed it at the other man who jumped aside, leaving the boomerang to leave a shallow trench in the ground as it passed.

Virginia followed the metal hallway, lit by a faint dim light about her. A part of her was afraid, and paranoia was setting in as her boots tapped against the metal floor. The swish of her dress being the only real sound in the abandoned, yet operational building. She stopped to take a breath as she looked at a map. With her other hand she looked at the slip of paper Jet had given her with coordinates on it.

"Why did Jet want me to go here?" She wondered with worry. The building seemed to be an elaborate, but outdated lab, built into the mountains just outside of Jolly Roger. She had no idea such a place was here, so close by, but it is.

The best she can tell, is that this place was set up by the Council of Seven long ago, but it now was held by the Ark of Destiny. She had to wonder though, what sort of things would the Council need this place for though, was what she wondered.

She stopped at a door with a name that had faded. Pressing a button the metal door slid into the wall, and afterwards she entered, with the door closing soon after. She glanced at the table that held many binders full of paperwork. One of which was labeled 'Filgaia Sample'. She flipped through the pages, reading what had gone on in this building.

She got tired and fed up with reading them after so long. Throwing them to the ground in the dark. Virginia found it hard to stomach the things that the Council and the Ark had done.

The worst thing of all was the man who approved it and started this. "How…could father okay such a thing?" She muttered, regretting the actions of her now dead father.

Needing more light in the room, Virginia went in search of a light switch. Finding a button, she presses it, as a green light takes the room. Slowly Virginia looked around the room, and suddenly she realized that the light was not green, but in fact the light was shining through a nearby window. Behind the window was a green liquid, which made the room she was in green. Once she saw behind the pane of glass though, she stepped back in disbelief and fell to her butt on the grated floor.

"Hello." A soft voice greeted Virginia. "May I ask who you are?"