Gallows climbed down the stairs to the Horse Theft Saloon and grimaced at the others.
"Our leader's pretty bummed out," he said.
"All we can do is lend a helping hand," Clive said and shrugged. "If she can't get back on her feet herself, then this is it for her…"
"Well, depending on how you look at it, this was kinda fun. According to them, we were just amusin' ourselves pretending to be Drifters."
"Well… What now…?" Jet asked.
"That is up to the leader to decide…"Clive replied, and glanced up at the ceiling "…perhaps she has already made up her mind…"
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Virginia could feel the bed she was lying on press into her back as her thoughts whirled chaotically.
(Where am I supposed to fly…) She thought. (I'm doing the best I can… and I'm taking this seriously. But I feel like I'm getting nowhere… What am I lacking here? What is it that supports me, and molds me into who I am? What is it that I need to traverse the wasteland as a Drifter?" Virginia glanced at the photo half she held in her hand. "Daddy… Back then, I didn't understand why you left me… or what you were thinking… But now… I think I understand a little bit… There's something out in the wasteland right Daddy? That's why you became a Drifter… Daddy… What should I do? I can't consider myself a Drifter until I know, right?) She sat up, suddenly determined. "But still… I have to fly… … If I don't, this will all end without my finding out anything. I'm not going out to the wasteland because I have a purpose…I'm going to find a purpose! I better go apologize to everyone… And…"
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Virginia slowly walked down the stairs, pausing to look around the room below. As everyone glanced up at her, she reached the bottom, and glanced around.
"Are you feeling better?" Clive asked, hi voice full of concern. Virginia nodded.
"I'm fine now…" Virginia said. "And…" her gaze fell to her shoes. "I'm sorry… I became a Drifter, thinking that maybe my ARMs could help people in need… But I didn't have a purpose or goal as a Drifter… That's why she said I was pretending. How I put everyone in danger. Please forgive me…" Virginia glanced up again, and relaxed as she took in Clive's and Gallows' understanding faces.
"So, did you figure out what you want to do in the wasteland?" Clive asked.
"Yep." Virginia said, and hesitated. "Ah, wait… Maybe not…"
"Which is it?" Jet asked, exasperated.
"Well, I'm not confused anymore," Virginia replied. "I know why I need to continue traversing the wasteland."
"Looks like we were spared a depressing sob story." Gallows said, ignoring Clive's gestures to shut up.
"Of course!" Virginia smiled. "I may have been depressed a little while ago, but I'm not gonna let it end like this. So, lets all…"
"…continue on as a team, and see the matter through." Clive finished.
"We haven't made much money yet. I can't drop out now." Jet said, and shrugged.
"Hey, we're all invited guests." Gallows said. "Let's do it together!"
"Thanks, everyone… Let's hurry to the southwest tower, Ka Dingle!"
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Virginia gazed up at the tower Ka Dingel. And up. And up. The tower was taller then any ruin she had seen before. And it almost seemed like it was supposed to continue up further then it really did, the top had a cut off look as if the top part of the tower had exploded.
"Do you see that?" asked Clive in a hushed voice. "Over the tower."
"I don't see…" Virginia started, and then gasped, when she spotted what Clive had seen. Calmly, many miles above the tower, the clouds were moving around the air above the tower, leaving a hole in the sky. They entered the Tower, and started up the first set of stairs…
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Virginia didn't have enough spare breath to groan as another round bounced off Trask's armor. So far, they had been making good time up the tower, but part of the way up, a monster had jumped them, and nothing they were doing was harming it!
"We can't stop it! Nothing can get through!" Virginia yelled, and dropped to the floor, barely missing the Bio-missile Trask fired at her.
"I've got an idea!" Clive called. "its armor is made of metal! If we head it, and then freeze it…"
"…it could break!" Jet finished. He grabbed his medium. "Cremate!" He yelled, sending a tounge of fire right at the monster. Gallows was right behind him with a cry of "Freeze" and a beam of Ice. There was a cracking noise, and then Trask roared in pain as it's armor shattered into pieces. There was a billow of steam. Virginia blinked, as it slowly cleared. The monster, Trask, had gone.
"Whew… Lets get moving," she said, and led the way out. As they faded into the distance, a shadow shifted, and a shell-less Trask, groaning in pain, dragged itself in the opposite direction.
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Virginia glanced around the next room. There didn't appear to be any other exit, just a raised platform on the other side of the room. She took a step forward… And nearly fell over as the room shock to the sounds of gunfire and explosions coming from above.
"Is everyone all right?" she asked, as the gunfire and shaking died away.
"Yes, we seem to be fine, but…Clive said. They all looked up at the ceiling
"What's goin' on up there?" Gallows asked hypothetically.
"Heh…" Jet said and shrugged. Our situation never seems to get any better." Virginia carefully stepped on the raised platform. As Jet, bringing up the rear, stepped on, it shock, and started to rise towards a hole in the ceiling. Virginia started as she realized she could hear voices from above.
"Listen…" she said.
"How did you like our Trinity Avenger?" one voice said, that Virginia tentatively labeled as Janus' voice.
"Th-That name is even more ridiculous then the attack! How can I be so disgraced and humiliated…?" Virginia recognized the second voice as Maya, and bit her lip as she realized that Maya sounded hurt.
"We'd better be careful, it sounds nasty up there…" she said.
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Virginia glanced around as the elevator finally reached to top floor. Janus and his party was standing in front of a set of stairs that led up to some kind of shrine with three pillars spaced around it in a triangle. As she glanced to the left, she spotted Maya and her party lying on the floor, apparently defeated by Janus' group.
"Maya!" Virginia called out, causing Maya to stir slightly.
"Heh heh…" Janus chuckled. "Looks like the stage is set. The Schroedingers have the Crio shield in their possession… Which means that you must have the Andro shield, correct? Now hand it over and I just might spare their lives."
"Don't do it!" Maya called out. "Their not just after it for the money… The Eternal Sparkle is used to…" Janus aimed and shot at her, causing her to grunt in pain.
"I'm trying to work efficiently, here," he said casually, and shrugged. Virginia hesitated, but she couldn't see any other way out. She walked over and handed the shield to Janus.
"Heh heh heh… Hahahah… HA HA HAH HAH!" Janus laughed. "All three shields are now mine… All mine! ... Do you believe that the Eternal Sparkle will grant unlimited power tot the one who attains it? … Wouldn't you like to see what the 'Spear that Destroys All Life' can really do?" Virginia started to back away as Dario and Romero stared at Janus in shock.
"B-Boss…" Dario stuttered. "What's gotten into you?"
"You ain't gonna blow off our mission, are you?" asked Romero.
"Heh…" Janus grinned. "Once you're dead… It's all over. Just like the late Lucio… He's not one of us anymore… He's nothing. Wouldn't you agree? I've been giving this a lot of thought lately… How can one live forever without decaying? But the thing is…eternal life doesn't exist. There's no such thing as immortality. That's why I've chosen a different approach in which to live on forever." His voice started to go faster as he grew excited. "To attain a force… a power so strong everybody will remember me for it. I'm not going out as an average Drifter. I will overcome the boundary of time, and continue to exist within people's memories! With this power, I shall become the absolute ruler and engrave my name in history forever! Andro, Crio, Hieraco!"
within the pillars, and the floor, long dormant circuitry started to stir
Virginia absent mindedly brushed back a strand of hair that a rising breeze had blown over her face.
"The time of awakening has come! Grant me the Eternal Sparkle!" Janus held up the masks.
Mechanisms that had once formed part of the dimensional elevator connecting Ka Dingel and the satellite Malduke came to life
Virginia gasped as the masks started to float in the midpoint between the three pillars, and the wind built to an incredible strength.
"Why did you hand over the shield?" Maya yelled over the rising wind.
"He would've killed you!" Virginia replied. "And, and… I wanted to believe I was doing the right thing! I wanted to hold true to my beliefs!"
Energies focused, based around the long-held record of the shape, composition and soul of a certain artifact
Virginia held back a gasp as the rising wind carried Romero and Dario to top of one of the pillars.
"B-Boss!" screamed Dario.
"We don't wanna end up like Lucioooooo…!" cried Romero. At a gesture from Janus, the wind picked up, causing them to lose their grip and fly into the distance.
"He's abandoning his own men!" Virginia gasped.
All of the energies contained within the ancient ruin converged on a single point
"Look!" Maya shouted, and pointed at the shrine. There was a flash, and an object appeared and floated in front of Janus. It looked like some kind of sheath for a weapon, and it pulsed rhythmically as if it was alive. Virginia doubled up as a bolt of pain and fear hit her in the chest, and she could hear her friends doing the same.
"Ungh?" complained Jet.
"What is this pressure?" Clive groaned out.
"It almost feels as if…" Virginia started.
"…the mediums are trembling in fear?" Gallows finished as the pain and fear vanished as suddenly as it had started.
"That's the Eternal Sparkle's true form," Maya gasped. "A symbol of power from ancient folklore--an artifact of the demons… It's the notorious lance that violates life… The Dark Spear, Glumzamber!"
"That's a spear…?" Virginia asked. "That thing?"
"I guess so…" Maya replied. "And all this time I thought the Eternal Sparkle was some kind of gem or precious metal…"
"You said there was neither good nor evil here, right? But all I feel is a dark and evil presence…"
"Then what do you suggest we do? Summon a superhero to kick his butt? Tell me where we can find his defender of Justice!"
"I'm sure there's a defender of Justice out there somewhere. If not, then… I'll become the superhero!" She took careful aim, and shot the Eternal Sparkle out of Janus', causing him to flinch. "I ran into the wasteland knowing little, but I still considered myself a Drifter. Becoming a Drifter had always been my dream… A Drifter that would help people in need, and bring down evil. But that just wasn't the case… The actions of a Drifter speak neither good or evil… This misconception almost robbed me of the will to fly… But even so, I still want to be a Drifter! I don't care if there's no justice… That's something I'll have to find on my own as I traverse the wasteland! Finding justice is my goal and is what keeps me going. I have found my answer! I don't want to see sad memories engraved in people's hearts anymore!"
"So…" Janus growled in anger. "When I stab you with this bayonet, how loud will you scream?"
"What, you think I'm that stupid?" asked Virginia, and took careful aim.
"Dammit…" Janus said as she realized where she was aiming. Virginia fired. The bullet smacked into the ground. Cracks cobwebbed out from the ground and surrounded Janus. "I was so close… I let it slip away from my hands… Heh heh heh… But it's not over yet." The ground started to shake as the cracks widened. "There's so much I want to do. I can't let it end here… I'm not satisfied!" As Janus screamed in anger and raised his ARM, the ground collapsed under him, dropping him into the room below.
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Virginia dropped from the last piece of rubble. The elevator had been blocked by rubble, but fortunately the pile of rubble reached high enough to make a convenient path down. She glanced around, finding no sign of Janus, and turned to face Maya and her party.
"I see you found an answer." Maya said, and hesitated. "But it's really not… That was just your declaration of wanting to find and answer. In any case, you sure place a lot of value on something that's so unreliable."
"Justice may be unreliable, but still…" Virginia hesitated herself. "I want to make it my priority out in the wasteland. I stand firm on that belief. "
"I don't get you." Maya said, and shrugged.
"So what's next for you?" Virginia asked.
"I don't want to get involved with what just happened, that's for sure," Maya said, and rolled her eyes. "I'm only interested in gems." She started to walk out, but paused at the door. "You better watch yourself, you here? Someone as green as you shouldn't get involved in a cause as lofty as justice. You'll end up dead."
"Okay…" Virginia said, too tired to take offense. "You take care, too."
"We might be enemies the next time we meet…" Maya warned.
"Well, until then, let's be on the same side." Virginia said. Maya rolled her eyes again, and led the way out.
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Time passed. The rubble covering the elevator shifted slightly, accompanied by a groan. As the dust motes danced in the light from the windows, a large piece of rubble finally shifted, allowing a battered, dirty and bruised Janus to flop out of the rubble onto his back.
"Ughhhh… Dammit! My body aches all over…" he complained. He looked up from his wounds, and glanced around the room. "Dario! Romero! You blokes here? Dammit all!" He was turning to his injuries, when a weird humming noise filled the room. "Huh? Is that you, Dario? Romero…?" Three figures, one women and two men cloaked in white robes, walked into the room, and watched Janus. "Oh… It's you blokes…" Janus said, nervously. "Sorry… I screwed up… But I promise I'll complete the next assignment. I won't let anyone get in my way next time. I… I… Actually, it was Dario and Romero that screwed up… Not me…"
"Was it a mistake for us to manifest power to one who does not understand it's true meaning?" the robed woman asked, apparently to herself. As she spoke, a green ,'alien'-like creature dropped from the ceiling. The Eternal Sparkle was clasped within its arms.
"Ugh… I see…" Janus said. "So you had this watchman recover the Dark Spear from me, eh? How could I have been so careless…"
"Yes," the robed man who could best be described as a 'Slickster' said. "Balaz has reported everything. About your grand scheme, your actions…"
"How vulgar, boorish, and shameless…" The robbed women said. Slickster held out his hand, which began to glow.
"This will be a fitting end for your reckless behavior…" The glow brightened, until the glare filled the room.
"No… wait…" the third person said. Slickster's spell faded away as the other man stepped forward. His face was partially covered by a mask and he was holding the Eternal Sparkle. "Why did you seek Glumzamber…?" Janus managed to shake his head as masked man walked up to him. "For power…?"
"Y-Y-Yeah…" Janus managed to stutter, his voice clouded with fear. The masked man placed his hand within the Eternal Sparkle, and due a black, jagged spear out of it. On the side of the spear's oversized head, a yellow eye gleamed with hidden power.
"This is the incarnation of the power you seek…" The masked man said. "The Dark Spear Glumzamber… I deem you worthy." He raised the spear above Janus' head. "Accept…" He thrust the spear through Janus' chest.
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Miles away, wild animals looked up at the unholy scream that filled the air…
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Legal Notes: Wild ARMs 3 and the associated characters belong to Media Vision/Contrail.
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Author's note: The first chapters done finally. Not much to say…oh, I intend to keep fairly close to the script, so you probably won't see anything that you don't have to do in the game, like the Secret Garden quest for example. This is mainly to keep this as short as possible. I'll also change one or two things for continuity effort, such as calling the Dark Spear Glumzamber for example. Anyway… here I go with the next chapter. See you.