Virginia sighed silently as they entered to port town of Jolly Roger. Unless she voiced her thoughts soon, their group would disperse, and quite likely they would never see each other again.
"Well, what now?" Gallows asked.
"We obviously need to get some leads in order to continue," Clive replied. "In addition we need…"
"Grub and ale!" Gallows interrupted happily. "It's so amazing how well we get along after just meeting each other! So, let's liven up our farewell party with some food! I can't stand morose gatherings."
"You mean as around over drinks at the saloon?" Clive asked, and nodded. "Makes sense… Let's say goodbye and discuss our individual agendas over at the saloon." As the party entered the Bell Starr Inn, Virginia walked up to the bar.
"Excuse me," Virginia asked, "but would you happen to have any leads towards any treasure in the local area?" The barmaid glanced up from the glass she was whipping and looked over the group as her face split into a grin.
"Looking for leads? You're quite the diligent Drifter, aren't you? I love my job too. Life's easier if you like your job… And it's great not having any complaints. My names Hannah, and it's a pleasure to meet you. What do you say to this deal? I'll give you some info if all four of you eat here. It'll be about 150 Gella." Virginia glanced at her friends, and then nodded acceptance of the offer. "Much obliged! Leave it to me for good food and company! Oops… Did I say good company? Well, shucks. Please excuse me and this mouth of mine… Here in Jolly Roger, we got lots of old treasure. And they ain't really that old! I'm talkin' about a prize that none of you Drifters have ever got your hands on: The Eternal Sparkle." Speaking in a voice that suggested that she had repeated this tale many times before, Hannah began. "In ages past, our world was ruled by a race of wicked demons, until they were pushed to the brink of extinction. The demon knight assigned three followers to protect a treasure. That treasure was the Eternal Sparkle." Hannah hesitated, and then nodded at a table near the bar. "Uh… I'm glad you are such good listeners, but I need to start fixin' dinner. Just have a seat at the table, and I'll bring you some supper and get to the rest of my story in a jiffy.
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It was half an hour later. Gallows leant back and belched happily, causing everyone else to wince. "Man, am I full! And what a cook she is! She hooked us up good."
Clive nodded in agreement. "I wouldn't worry about the tab, Halle's reward will more then pay for it. And not only did we have our goodbye party, but we got a valuable lead as well…"
"Yeah, you got a point." Gallows hesitated, "anyway, what do you all think about the information she provided? Do you want to go investigate?"
"I'm goin'." Jet replied, "I don't care what you guys do. I prefer working alone, anyway."
"So, the legendary Eternal Sparkle…"
Clive pushed his glasses back in thought. "In ages past our world was ruled by a race of wicked demons, until they were pushed to the brink of extinction. The demon knight assigned three followers to protect a treasure. That treasure was the Eternal Sparkle. The three followers transformed themselves into seals to protect the Eternal Sparkle, awaiting the return of the demon knight. And one of those seals lie nearby this town." He paused for breath. "That's what she said, right?"
Gallows nodded in agreement. "It's the 'sparkle' part that makes you think it's some kind of gem, don't it? Aren't the legends full of these things. Unless we're sure it's worth something, I don't want any part of it. I'm outta here."
"An old legend, huh? Hmm…" Clive paused for thought again. "Considering that they remain strong… Either this lead is a red herring, or, even if it is true, then there's no doubt that it would be hazardous. I have nothing better to do, but I'm not enthusiastic about the prospects."
Jet shrugged nonchalantly. "Don't worry about it. Our partnership ends here. Once outside, we'll scatter in the wind. I'll head out alone. I've always been alone, and I like being alone."
Virginia groaned to herself at this, and decided that it was the best time to speak up. "There you go again! You can only do so much by yourself. If we stay together, we can do so much more! The four of us have different likes and dislikes, so we should all support each other. Who cares if it's tough? As long as there are four of us, there's always a glimmer of hope in the darkness. We released the Guardians! The four of us together make a great team!
The other three blinked in surprise. It was Clive who spoke up first. "Hmm… I didn't expect that after our farewell celebration. Have you been thinking a lot about that?"
Virginia nodded in agreement as she continued. "Our first meeting might have been coincidence. But we didn't come all this way due to our individual strengths. We did it as a team! Someday I want to say it wasn't just coincidence; it was fate. Guys, lets make our mark as one!" The silence was broken as Gallows broke into laughter. Virginia thought that she was beginning to blush as he tried to calm down enough to speak.
"Uh…Hahahaw… Well, that was a mouthful."
"Hey, did I say something funny?" Virginia complained, knowing for a fact that she was blushing, "Am I missing something here?"
"Yeah, you're missing something! Never thought anybody could say stuff like that with a straight face. But you do have a point. Drifters would never leave their mark if all they did was drift."
"You mean…?"
"You betcha. I'm all for it!" Gallows glanced at the other two. "And you two ain't got anything else to do either, right?"
Clive hesitated, and then shrugged in resignation. "Oh, well… I suppose you're right… Hmmm… All right, I'm game. I consider it prudent for all of us to pool our resources until we're able to set individual goals."
Virginia cheered up quickly as Clive finished, and couldn't stop herself from cheering. "Yippee! We're a team! Now, we're all gonna seek out the Eternal Sparkle!"
"Not so fast!" Virginia glanced over at Jet, and felt her happiness quickly vanish at his outraged expression.
"Huh? What, you got some kind of problem?" she asked.
"Yeah! A big problem!"
Virginia frowned as she tried to figure out what was wrong. "That's funny… I thought you couldn't wait to head out treasure huntin'?"
"I'm not talking about that! I'm talking about you pestering me on my way!" What nerve! Virginia though to herself as Jet continued. "I work alone. And I don't have time for wannabe Drifters!"
Virginia finally decided that she had had enough, and decided to beat Jet at his own game. "Wannabe Drifters? Okay tough guy! You say you work alone, so fill me in! Tell me what you've done! Tell everyone about the great things you've managed all by your fantastic self! Hey! I'm talkin' to you! Oh, before you start mumbling excuses, let me ask you what you were doing in the car with the Ark Scepter? You were planning on makin' off with it, weren't you?" She decided to twist the 'knife' a little. "And what happened? You blew it! You didn't have what it takes to steal it, cowboy! And here you are, sayin' you work best when you're alone. Where did you get such a big head?"
To say Jet was shocked was an understatement. "Wh-why you… That's… That's not--Arrgh! I wasn't the only one after that cargo that night!" He said, pointing at Gallows. Virginia turned towards Gallows in time to see him flinch.
"Whoa! Hey…uh… That's all beside the point! So, like… Yeah! We're so…you know… Who case if we're wannabe Drifters? We can take it easy and have fun while we venture into the unknown! Right?" Gallows glanced around, appealing to them. "Right?"
Clive was the first one to reply. "Perhaps you're right." He glanced at Virginia. "Look, leader…" Virginia felt herself jump as she started in surprise.
"Me?" she asked, sure that she had misheard.
"Who else?" Clive asked in mildly surprised tones. "This is your idea, isn't it? So, leader… Let us reaffirm, our collective purpose."
Virginia shrugged, "Well… We have three goals: To find the ruins where the Eternal Sparkle lies… To work as a team… And, lastly… To make the Eternal Sparkle ours!"
"See, that's why I work alone…" Jet muttered to himself.
Gallows rolled his eyes. "Give it a rest, hero. You're just hurtin' yourself. Besides, when it comes to persuasion, she trounces all of us hands down."
Virginia groaned to herself, "Were you two even listening to a word I was saying?"
"Oh, of course. And we're looking forward to working with ya, leader."
"Speak for yourself, punk!" Jet muttered as they stood up and walked out.
Virginia shaded her eyes as she stepped out of the Bell Starr and into the street. She hesitated in shock as she spotted three unwelcome figures clustered around a crate. As if felling her eyes fall on him, Janus turned around and spotted her.
"Howdy!" he said, sounding surprisingly cheerful considering the nature of their last meeting. "Good to see you, kiddos." Virginia watched as he glanced back at his two friends, both of whom were staring at a young girl in a black dress. She felt repelled as she realized that the girl Dario was staring so avidly was only ten at the most. They both glanced up, and then quickly ran over to stand next to Janus.
"Let's go." Virginia said, trying her best to ignore them. She noticed out of the corner of her eye that Janus seemed wounded at her reaction.
"Oh what's that face for?" He said sadly, and then brightened. "I know! You've found some clues. Come on, give us a little hint. Please?" Virginia felt so shocked at this that she couldn't reply for a few seconds.
"Why would I help a scoundrel like you?" she spat out.
"A scoundrel? Oh, that hurts! We're Drifters. Sometimes our goals collide, but it comes with the territory. So please, lay off the insults. Anyway, you want the Eternal Sparkle." Virginia gasped in shock.
"How did you--? You been spying on us?" she accused.
"There you go again… Look, anybody in this town with half a brain can find that out. Ain't much else to this town." He complained. Part of Virginia's mind noted that he played the hurt innocent very well. "Look… Lets work together. With all of us, I'm sure we could uncover the location of…"
"Nope!" Virginia interrupted, shaking her head. "I just can't trust you. I hate not trusting people, but still… I… I just said I'd make a team with these Drifters I met out in the wasteland. So I can't work with you right now."
"Hmm… That's too bad." Janus shrugged. "Just listen to this. I heard the Eternal Sparkle is somewhere inside an ancient vault called the Ruins of Memory. Believe me or not… It's your choice, Princess. But we're not tryin' to fool you. You can trust me on that one. Next time we meet, I hope you'll be ready to help us out. 'Cause I had to make some sacrifices to come out here and see you." Janus shrugged as he walked out of Jolly Roger, followed by his friends. Virginia breathed in a few times. When she felt calm enough, she turned to the others.
"What do you think?" she asked. It was Gallows who spoke up first.
"I don't trust him… but it might be worth checking…"
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Virginia glanced around as they entered the Ruins of Memory vault. It had obviously been, and in some ways still was, an impressive structure, but now… There was a dull thud as one of the decaying tapestries, disturbed by their entrance, finally parted with the wall and hit the ground. Virginia hesitated, and then indicated the entrance to the next room.
"Come on, let's get moving."
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As they passed into the third room, Virginia felt her gaze fall on a statue at the other end of the room. She shivered, as part of her rang warning bells in her head. Before she could voice her concerns, however, she heard a sound. Instinctively, she aimed at a pillar.
"Pretty quick on the trigger. But as a Drifter, it may cost you your life if you don't pull it." Virginia groaned inwardly as she recognized the voice. As if to confirm her worst fears, Janus stepped out from behind the pillar, followed by his too friends, and grinned.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, not bothering to hide the annoyance in her voice.
"I want to join forces, Princess," he said, apparently not worried by her voice. "Didn't I mention that before? And I do have a name. Allow me to introduce myself—Janus Cascade, and the pleasure is all mine." Virginia hesitated, but Janus continued before she could respond. "I seem to have made a bad first impression. You have every right to reject my offer. But that is precisely why I want to join forces. I want to redeem myself and earn your trust. If your after the Eternal Sparkle, we'd like to help." Virginia hesitated again. She did hate to hold a grudge… and Janus Did seem to be sincere. Decision made, she put her ARMs away.
"Fine…" she said. "Let's find the Eternal Sparkle together." She waited for the response she knew would come. Unsurprisingly, it was Gallows who objected first.
"Hey, hey, hey? What are you thinking? We can't trust this guy!"
"As long as you are the leader, we shall abide by your decision," Clive said. "However, are you sure you have carefully thought this out?" Virginia hesitated again, a habit that she was beginning to dislike in herself, before she replied.
"I understand your concern. But everyone deserves a second chance. I don't like to hold grudges… It's too hard and painful to handle. To tell you the truth, I don't trust him one hundred percent, either. But at some point, I have to do this, or else I'll be skeptical of him forever. That's why I chose to trust him just now."
"Understood. I shall accept his propo…" Clive coughed and corrected himself. "I mean our leader's decision."
"Look…" Janus said, a small amount of exasperation entering his voice. "You have my utmost respect, Princess. I wish I could think like you. Actually, maybe I did back in the day."
"Well, now we're a team," Gallows said, doubt strong in his voice, "what are you going to do for us?"
"Information…" Janus replied promptly. "We can provide information about the demons, who are said to have sealed the Eternal Sparkle. I'll tell you once we find it. I think it's a fair deal. We just need you to escort us deep within these trap-filled ruins." Virginia frowned, trying to ignore the part of her that was screaming at her to not trust him.
"With our strength and your information," she said, trying to drown out the voice of her doubts, "we'll get through these ruins in no time. We're counting on you, Janus."
Janus grinned his secret smile. "Same here, Princess… Same here…"
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Clive jogged back round the corner. "3… 2… 1…" he counted out. As his voice hit "0" there was a bang. Rubble flew out of the sudden cloud of smoke, and rattled off the walls. Following Clive back round the corner, Virginia saw the large hole in the wall. And the broken show-cases reduced to firewood. And the burned books. And the slowly smoldering carpet. Clive scratched his head sheepily. "Maybe that was a tad to strong…" he said.
"No kidding." Jet said flatly. As they continued down the next passage, Gallows teasing Clive gently about his 'explosive personality,' Virginia glanced back at Janus and his men. They hadn't said a word, and both Dario and Romero had been looking guilty ever since her bargain with Janus. The voice in the back of her head was getting louder by the second, insisting that this was suspicious.
"… and it explains why you never got that job in a fireworks factory!" Gallows voice drifted back. Virginia rolled her eyes. Some things never changed, and apparently Gallows' poor humor was one of them.
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Virginia held back a gasp as she entered the final room. It was in much better repair then the rest of the ruins. At the far wall, three masks were arranged in a triangle. Two of them were as dull brick, but the bottom left was a brilliant blue color. She frowned as she considered this. None of them looked like it deserved the term 'Eternal Sparkle', so why…
"The Eternal Sparkle…" Janus said, breaking her train of thought. "Only a select few have actually come in contact with it. But one thing is for sure… It's much greater than any jewel or precious metal known to man." Janus walked towards the wall with the three masks as he spoke. "A great power is bestowed upon the one who comes in contact with it. It grants a spear that can destroy all life. That is the Eternal Sparkle's true essence." Alarm bells went off in Virginia's head as Janus grabbed the blue mask. "But that's all rubbish if you ask me. There are, however, avaricious people in this sick world, that would do or pay anything to get their grubby little hands on it"
"Janus…" Virginia said worriedly, "what do you think you're doing?"
"Coming all the way here," Janus continued, as if he was talking to himself, "hired by some dubious blokes, covering myself in filthy dust… I guess you can call me avaricious…" He shock himself, and spun to face Virginia. "Thank you, Princess… I really enjoyed your company. Now, if I may, I must go cash in my treasure." Virginia felt the bottom drop out of her world as she realized that her doubts had been accurate after all.
"Janus… You tricked us… You double-crosser!"
"Tricked you?" Janus grinned. "Heavens, no! Oh, I almost forgot my end of the bargain. This here is a shield, which bares the name of the Demon Hieraco. It's kind of like a good luck charm. Aside from this Hieraco, there are two more shields; the Andro and Crio. The Eternal Sparkle is said the be sealed by all three. I now hold one of the three shields scattered throughout the world. The second is currently being excavated, and… the third seems to be in the hands of a certain Drifter. Of course I plan on stealing that one in the near future. I'm sorry I made a fool out of you. But I was just doing my job. As I've told you before, we Drifters are neither good nor evil… We're either winners or losers. Now, make way before I'm forced to hurt you." Virginia felt her shoulders slump as she realized how she had betrayed herself as much as Janus had, just to give him a second chance.
"I tried my best to trust you… All my comrades had doubts, and yet I went ahead and joined forces with you. I wanted to try my best to believe you… I wanted so badly to trust… And then…!"
"Save the sob story, Princess," Janus sneered. "That's just how the game's played in the wasteland."
"I won't let anyone make a mockery of people who are trying so hard!" Virginia said, feeling her sadness condense into anger at Janus' betrayal.
"… That's what I like about you, Princess. But the thing is…" Janus' tone dropped as well, becoming angry. "You're starting to get on my nerves! You're rubbing me the wrong way by carrying all that inexperienced weight into the wasteland! You remind me of my youth, back when I was still green! You're a reflection of the old me… You're just a figment of my past! Now watch, as I trample over you!" Janus' voice became slightly more business like. "Dario! Pull yourself together and shut your fly!" Dario jumped out to stand next to Janus.
"I'm good to go Boss!" He said.
"Romero!" Janus called out next. "Don't be shakin' in your boots!" Romero followed Dario and joined the two of them.
"All set to go boss!" he said.
"Prepare to execute the Trinity! We can go all out here!" Janus yelled as he leaped to the attack, followed by Dario and Romero.
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Janus stumbled back as he felt a bullet pass through his arm. It hurt like hell, causing him to decide to get the hell out while he was still alive. But how… Aha! He pulled out and glanced at his watch.
"Tch…! I'm going to be late! Dario, Romero! You hold them off while I go back and report." He said.
"But boss, that's suicide!" Dario said, looking at him in shock. "You know we can't use the Trinity without you!"
"Are you just using use as pawns so you can go make your escape?" Romero said, joining his brother. Janus felt slightly guilty, but he quickly squelched it back under.
"Quit your wining!" Janus ordered. "If I don't bring back the Hieraco shield, then who will? Listen up! For once in your life, fight like you've never fought before. And if your still alive, meet me at the usual place." Without looking back, Janus high-tailed it out of the ruins.
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Virginia glowered as Janus made his escape. She could only feel contempt for Janus for leaving his team behind. Reloading her ARMs, she turned her attention to the two left behind.
"So, it's just you and me, huh, bro?" Romero said, glancing around the room, apparently for hiding places.
"You know, I've read somewhere that…" Dario said slowly to the strong doubt of several people there. "In times of crisis, people have the power to accomplish the impossible. It's do or die now. Let's go all out, or else the boss will have our heads for sure!"
"It's gonna take a burning house for me to build up that power." Romero said back in a slight panic. "And it ain't gonna amount to much. Anyway, lets just make sure we don't die out here. That's the best we can do." Ignoring their conversation, Virginia opened fire, as did everyone there.
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Romero stumbled back as Clive's well-placed shot knocked his throwing star out of his hand. Unbelievably, he burst into tears.
"Waaahhhh!" he cried. "If only our boss were here, you guys would've been dead meat!"
"Sounds like an excuse from a sore loser!" Gallows replied, aiming at Romero, "I'm sure there's more where that came from!"
"Ah, get off you're high horse!" Dario said, stumbling backwards. "We'll make you regret you ever met us!" he said as he ran for it, followed closely by his brother. Virginia slumped as she heard Gallows speak up.
"Argh, those guys make me sick to my stomach!" he complained. Virginia felt Clive's gaze fall on her as she looked up.
"What's the matter?" he asked.
"I'm…sorry." Was all Virginia could let herself say. "If only I hadn't trusted them…"
"I'll say…" she heard Jet mutter to himself.
"You cannot let mistakes here and there get you down." Clive said kindly. "Just remember: you are the team leader." Virginia felt herself cheer up at Clive's vote of confidence.
"Your right…" she said. "If the Eternal Sparkle really is such a deadly artifact, we can't let them have it. And from what Janus was saying, they haven't yet obtained all the shields yet, right? Then if we act now, we can still stop those thugs from obtaining the Eternal Sparkle."
"Most likely…" Clive said, hesitant at her sudden mood change.
"Then what are we doing standing around with our heads hung low?" she asked. "Let's go back to Jolly Roger and find out more about the remaining shields!" Virginia walked for the room's door, followed by the others.
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Legal Notes: Wild ARMs 3 and the associated charactersand storybelongs to Media Vision/Contrail. I have no intention of gaining any money from this document.