Cowboy Bebop Fan Fiction / Trigun Fan Fiction ❯ Cowboy Bebop Meets Trigun ❯ Epilogue ( Chapter 30 )

Disclaimer: No. I own them not.

 

A/N: -sniffle- This is the last chapter, people! I hope it meets your expectations! Oh, and by the way, check out my one-shot tie-in with this fic. It's called Forget Me Not. It's about Nightingale's past. You might find it interesting, so check that out, too!

 

 

Epilogue

 

Every great adventure must eventually end. That is the way of things. For the five people (although two might be considered more than human) from Gunsmoke, life resumed its normal pace, although things were different with the next fifth individual hanging about.

The short woman, Meryl Stryfe, resumed her occupation at the Bernardelli Insurance Society. When she explained her absense, most did not believe her. However, the Chief was understanding and even allowed her some time off. Meryl, however, refused to be detered from her assignment, Vash the Stampede, who took up residence in a small town. Not long after, he got a legitimate job (after much berating on the part of a certain insurance girl) helping out in the plants, with occassional help from his elder brother Millions Knives.

Millie Thompson, former partner to Meryl Stryfe, quit her job at the Bernardelli Insurance Society not long after she arrived back home. The reason she quit was for a certain dark-haired priest, Nicholas D. Wolfwood. After taking him to meet her very extensive family (a meeting which he will not forget any time soon), she received permission from her parents to stay with him in December to help the children at his orphanage.

And as for the five, quirky occupants of the humble little ship known as the Cowboy Bebop, well...

Life went on.

 

 

Spike was walking, hands in pockets and cigarette in mouth, about the small, dusty town called Little Arcadia, searching for information on the new bounty head. The reward for each individual member of the Nebraska family was about $$300,000 each. However, if one brought in all members (father, mother, and children), the bounty would be brought up to $$4,500,000. That would keep the Bebop stocked for a while, unless, of course, a certain someone gambled away all their earnings betting on the ponies.

It had been about a year since the big fight at Red Dragon Syndicate headquarters. Of course, life goes on, even after something like that. Spike was still trying to adjust to the fact that his war was over. Moving on hadn't been as easy as he thought. Yet, through it all, his friends had stood by him, and that was a nice feeling.

Faye, of course, was still the bitchy woman she had always been. Sometimes, though, Spike wondered. Every now and then, he would see her normal bitchy-self slip, revealing a kind woman underneath all that crass. She had been oddly silent, however, since she and Ed had visited Earth. Maybe something had happened. Spike didn't know, and he wasn't going to ask. That would be nosy, after all.

Of course, asking someone else wasn't being too nosy so Spike had asked Ed. Ed had merely said, “I think I know. I don't think I know. I don't think I think I know. I don't think I think,” before falling over, asleep. So, THAT had gotten Spike nowhere. It wasn't surprising that Ed was so bizarre. After all, her father was also a strange one. Whoever heard of someone mapping the Earth when metoer showers happened every week? And what kind of man named his daughter Francoise?

Spike shook his head. Still, there had been a few moments when Faye had just talked with Spike. Not bitched (that was different), rather talked to him. As a friend. Spike wasn't often happy. Carefree and irresponsible, maybe, but happy wasn't really him. Yet, when he talked with her, he did feel...better. Maybe the word for it would be happy. Still, Spike didn't know.

“Man, I've been wandering around here for hours,” Spike muttered. “Surely someone must know something about the Nebraska family.”

Spike was just walking by the open door of a house when he heard a familiar voice, screeching.

“I told you to go to the grocery store to buy food! Not donuts!” a woman screeched.

“But donuts ARE food!” a man whined back at the woman.

“I told you to get REAL food! A person can't just live on donuts!”

“Yes, they can! Those heavenly little cakes made of honey,” the man said dreamily.

“UGH! You are impossible! Why can't you ever be serious for once?”

“Being serious is boring! I'd go stir-crazy if I had a desk job like yours!”

“I don't have a desk job thanks to you!”

“You should be grateful that I save you from such boredom, then,” the man said smuggly.

“That's it! I've had it with you and your donut obsession! From now on, I forbid you to buy donuts!”

“NOOOOOOOOOO!” the man wailed. “Anything but that! Please not that, Insurance Girl!”

Spike stopped. Insurance Girl?

There was the sound of someone being smacked upside the head. “Stop calling me that! I have a name, ya know!”

The man laughed a familiar, nervous laugh. “But, you'll always be my Insurance Girl to me.”

“YOUR Insurance Girl? I am not anybody's property, thank you very much!”

“But-”

“Enough! I want you out of this house! OUT!”

“But where will I go?” the man whined.

“I don't know! Just, go stay with your brother or something! I really don't care! GET OUT!”

Suddenly, a spiky-haired figure was shoved roughly out the door, landing in the dirt at Spike's feet, moaning. He was followed by a petite, black-haired woman, who was currently waving a giant wooden spoon threateningly. Spike stared. When, the woman saw Spike, she dropped her spoon and gaped.

“M-mr. SPIKE?” she shouted in disbelief.

“Huh? Where?” The man at Spike's feet jumped up, smacking right into Spike's face.

“OW!” Spike rubbed his forehead.

“Spike!” the man shouted.

Suddenly, Spike found himself in a bone-crushing hug. “Gerroff me, Vash! Can't...breathe!”

WHACK!

“Vash, you idiot! Do you want Mr. Spike to suffocate?”

“Nnngh...” Vash said, his face in the dirt.

Meryl glowered at him. :I appologize for my friend, here. He can be quite obnoxious at times.”

Spike smiled. “It's been a while, Meryl.”

She smiled back. “Yes, it has. You want to come in? We can catch up on old times.”

“Sure.”

“Come on, Vash!” Meryl growled, dragging Vash back into the house by the ear.

“Owowowowowowowow!”

 

 

Meryl handed Spike a mug of coffee. Then, she sat down next to Vash, who was happily munching on donuts, and sipped from her own cup of coffee.

“Thanks,” Spike said.

“You're welcome. So tell me, Mr. Spike,” Meryl said, setting her mug on the table, “how have you been? Are the others with you?”

Spike shrugged. “Well, things have kinda gone back to normal, actually. We're still chasing bounty heads. As a matter of fact, that's why we're here.”

“EEP! Don't tell me your still after me!” Vash whined.

Meryl sighed exasperatedly. “Mr. Vash, the bounty was removed over a year ago.”

Vash blinked. “Oh, yeah. I guess I forgot since I'm so used to being chased around by bounty hunters and intimidating insurance girls.”

“What was that last bit?” Meryl asked dangerously.

“Oh, uh, nothing!”

“So anyway, Mr. Spiegel, who are you here to apprehend?”

Spike drained his mug a little before answering. “The Nebraska family.”

“OH! I've heard of them!” Meryl said.

“Have you?”

“Yes. I do believe they're currently being imployed by someone named Morgan.”

Spike raised his eyebrows. “Thanks for the info.”

“No problem. But, before you go, what else is new with you guys?”

Spike scratched his head. “Well, Jet is still Jet, same bear-like personality. Ed, well, she's Ed. You can't say any more about her than that.”

Meryl smiled. “True enough.”

“I second that,” Vash said.

“And, Faye, well,” Spike frowned, “she's been acting oddly lately.”

“How?” Meryl and Vash asked together.

“She's been quiet and pensive all the time since she and Ed landed us on Earth for no reason.”

“Well, if you're that curious, why don't you just ask her what's wrong?” Vash asked.

Spike frowned. “I dunno.”

“I see,” Vash said smugly.

Spike flashed him and irritated look. “What?”

Vash chuckled. “Nothing.”

Spike narrowed his eyes. “Anyway, we still have a lot of that money left over, although Faye has blown most of hers. But, life would get dull if we didn't have bounties to chase. But enough about us, what about you guys?”

Meryl blinked. “Us?”

“Yeah. You, Vash, Millie, Wolfwood, and Knives.”

“Oh. Well, Vash and I have been living together for about a year since we got back.”

“I see...”

Meryl glared. “It's not like THAT. I'm here to make sure HE doesn't get into trouble.”

“Me? Get into trouble?” Vash asked innocently. “I don't know what you mean by that Insurance Girl.”

Meryl gritted her teeth. “Watch it!”

Vash gave Meryl a big hug. “Come on, Meryl. You know you love me!”

WHACK!

“YOU ARE SUCH A PERVERT!”

“Ow...”

Meryl stood over the prone form of Vash the Sampede, fist clenched and breathing heavily, her face flushed crimson. Vash was clutching his head and whining about cruel and unusual punishment. Meryl huffed before sitting back down.

“I appologize for Mr. Vash's behavior. He's been doing that more and more lately.”

Spike smirked. “I can see that.”

“Anyway, as I was saying before I was so RUDELY interrupted, Vash and I have been TRYING to live together for the past year. He seems to enjoy annoying me. You heard the lecture from outside, I take it?”

“Yeah, about donuts.”

“Yes, well, he does that a lot.”

“So,” Spike began, “what about everyone else?”

“Well, Millie quit Bernardelli and moved to December with Mr. Wolfwood to help him take care of the children at his orphanage. I hear they're engaged now.”

Spike spat out a mouthful of coffee. “WHAT?”

Meryl smiled. “Yes, but I'm not that surprised. They've had feelings for each other for a while now, I think.”

“Ok. So, what about Vash's brother Knives?”

“He comes and goes,” Meryl said.

“Comes and goes?”

“Vash, you explain it to him. It's your brother he's talking about.”

“Do I hafta?”

Meryl's eyes flashed dangerously. “Yes, you do!”

“Ok, ok, ok!” Vash sat down again, this time father away from Meryl. “Well, like Meryl said, he comes and goes. I think he spends most of his time out in the desert.”

Spike raised his eyebrows. “What does he do out there?”

Vash scratched his head. “To be perfectly honest, I'm not really sure. What I think he does is tinker with stuff.”

“Tinker?”

“Yeah. He takes stuff apart and puts them back together again. Or, he uses the parts from different items to make completely different items.”

“Has he shown you any of these new items.”

Vash shook his head. “No. But, he might someday.”

Spike stared at Vash. “What makes you say that?”

“Well, ever since we've been back, he's been acting really strange. Well, for him, anyway. He isn't genocidal anymore from what I've seen. And, even though he still doesn't like to be around humans, I think he can at the very least tolerate them now.”

“So, did you let him keep his gun?”

“Well, yeah.”

Meryl huffed a bit as Spike stared. “Do you really trust him?”

Vash smiled sheepishly. “Yeah, I do.”

Meryl shook her head hopelessly. Vash was ever the idealist and optimist by nature. However, it remained to be seen whether or not Millions Knives would remain docile.

“Speaking of Knives, whatever happened to that cat Tatsujin gave him? What was its name again? Kuro-something?”

Meryl smiled slightly. “Well, at first, Knives wanted nothing to do with Kuroneko so he left the cat here when he moved into the desert. But, each time he left, the cat wouldn't leave him alone. Knives finally gave up on trying to leave it here. So, it lives with him now.”

Spike grinned. “I bet he likes that.”

Vash shrugged. “He needs the company, I think.”

Don't you visit him?”

“Me? Sometimes. But only when he asks me to.”

“I see. Well,” Spike stood up, “it's been great seeing you guys again. Maybe we should do this again sometime.”

Vash nodded. “Yeah. We should.”

Suddenly, Vash was assaulted by a familiar red-haired blur, who was squealing loudly. “Vash-person! Did you miss Edward?”

“OW! Yes, Ed. I missed you, too!” Vash gasped as he was pinned to the floor.

Meryl smiled as Ed bounced up and down on Vash's stomach, repeating over and over again how much she had missed “Vash-person” and how glad she was to see him. Ein also joined the fray with his loud, joyful barks.

“Ed, what are you doing?” a gruff voice asked.

“Jet-person! Ed found Vash-person and Meryl-person!”

Jet stepped through the doorway, followed by a skimpily dressed Faye. “Well, I'll be damned,” they both said at the same time.

Meryl ushered them in. As Faye and Jet began to ask the same questions Spike had asked, she answered as well as she could. It was about 10-15 minutes before she was interrupted.

“Uh, guys? A little help here?” Vash pleaded.

“Ed! Stop bouncing on him!” Faye scolded.

“Ok, Ed will stop,” Ed muttered as she got off of Vash, who lay back on the floor trying to catch his breathe.

“Wow, this has been great!” Vash exclaimed. “I always wondered what happened to you guys!”

“Well, we kinda wondered about you guys, too,” Jet said.

“We should definitely keep in touch more often,” Meryl asserted.

“Yeah. But, we better get back to our bounty,” Spike said.

Suddenly, there was the sound of an explosion nearby. Everyone exchanged glances before they almost tripped over each other in their haste to make it out the door. Dust was rising a few blocks down the road. Everyone ran as fast as they could.

What is happening NOW? I would blame Vash, but he doesn't have a bounty on his head anymore! Meryl groused.

When they reached the scene, the skidded to a halt.

“It's the Nebraska family!” someone shouted.

Everyone exchanged glances.

“They're attacking some guy with pale blonde hair and blue eyes!”

Oh, no...

As the dust cleared, a certain Millions Knives was revealed, standing tall (Kuroneko on his shoulder) with his ebony handgun pointed at a group of people, presumably the Nebraska family.

“Knives!” Vash shouted. “What the hell are you doing?”

“I was coming to visit you, dear brother, when these people attacked me. When I told them they were inferior beings, they declared this town to be their personal warzone. Clearly, they have no respect for higher lifeforms.”

“HEY! That's OUR bounty!” Faye glowered.

Knives stared at her coldly. “What makes you think I care? They have insulted me. Now, they shall pay.”

“We'll show him whose boss, won't we Gofsef?” a shrivelled elderly man said to a giant man with a prosthetic arm.

“YEAH!” Gofsef shouted.

“NOT AGAIN!” Meryl shouted, as the entire town became a warzone, with the bounty hunters trying to apprehend the Nebraska family, Vash trying to calm his brother, and Ein chasing Kuroneko through the streets, followed closely by Ed.

All the while, three old geezers playing cards in front of a nearby saloon began to grumble and complain how those “darned whippersnappers” were making a mess of the buildings they had worked so hard to build. Of course, they hadn't done any such thing.

See you, Space Cowboy...

 

 

Well, people, my very first fanfic has officially come to an end. I just want to thank everyone who read this story. You know, when I first began writing, I had no idea where it would go. Ah, such humble beginnings it had, too. But, with the help of my loyal reviewers and my own creative inspirations, I think I was able to distinguish this story from other Trigun/Cowboy Bebop crossovers. I do believe, however, that if Cowboy Bebop had not been taken off the air when I was writing this and I had seen all the episodes, I could have made this story better. However, for now, I'm happy with it.

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT:I AM PLANNING A SEQUEL TO THIS STORY. IT WILL BE ANOtHER CROSSOVER, THIS TIME WITH TRIGUN AND FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST WITH POSSIBLE APPEARANCES OF THE BEBOP CREW. BE LOOKING FOR IT IN A COUPLE MONTHS TIME. RIGHT NOW, I WANT TO WORK ON OTHER PROJECTS.

Well, people, I love ya and hope you'll continue to read my stuff.

Love and Peace!