Cowboy Bebop Fan Fiction ❯ Poisoned Minds ❯ Black Valentine ( Chapter 8 )

Violet and black, how kind they truly are. I can see all the colors now. I'm fading into the crowd, but perhaps I'll fade into this Red.

 

~Ashina

 

Edward looked down at Ashina who slept uneasily. Her health had been rapidly fading, but she'd taken every waking moment to teach Edward how to hold her own in combat, and with a gun. When she had become too week to continue Jet and Feye had confined her to her bed. In the end, she had gotten the largest room so she could still instruct Ed.

Ein took to sleeping at her side quietly, and offered as much comfort as the poor beast could. If she stirred and sounded as if she were in pain Ein would alert everyone, but the well of time was rapidly running dry for her. It had become obvious there was nothing anyone could do to slow, or even prevent, the slow breakdown of her body.

Ed honestly didn't mind sitting at Ashina's side as she slept. Whenever she herself dozed off she saw images, memories, that weren't her own. After awhile she'd figured out they were Ashina's own memories that se was experiencing, and took each one to heart.

The first memories, her early ones, seemed sad and lonely. Then, they brightened and contained more laughter and happiness. The recent ones of what Ed guess to be the last month or so were dark, cold, and lonely. People who, as Edward had guessed, killed by Ashina.

“Edward, do you understand me yet?” Ashina asked weakly.

“Maybe a little but now, but why share these things with me?”

“Because I wanted to see yours, and I have now.” Coughing she sat up in her bed bracing her back against the wall. “Vicious is still alive, and I had wanted so much to live with him.”

Chuckling Edward sat beside her on the bed. “Each of us has a plan, but few live it out.”

“I'm really tired now, and my body will not-”

“Shut up!” Edward yelled in outrage. “I don't want to hear it. You're just sick right now. You'll get better, and be a big asset to the Bebop.”

“Franswas,” Edward stopped at the sound of the name her father had given her. “My time is fading, and rather quickly now. I will be gone soon, but remember I'm not human.”

Faye quietly entered the room and embraced a now sobbing Edward. “You are completely human to us, and we'll to your body when you're gone.”

“Thank you, for letting me die among friends.” Ashina smiled, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath before letting it out slowly.

Her chest did not rise again.

“Oh Faye!” Edward cried hysterically as Faye held her tighter with her own tears streaming uncontrolled down her face.

Jet rushed in herding the girls out quickly. “She was really fond of Ashina.” Faye chuckled. “Happy Valentines Day, huh?”

“Yeah.” Jet swallowed hard. “A black valentine, but at least she died happy.”