Fan Fiction / Trigun Fan Fiction ❯ Justify Your Reason ❯ The Play ( Chapter 6 )

Justify Your Reason

~~Disclaimer~~

DUN OWN!! DUN SUE! I just love the characters. ^^

~~Author's Note~~

Marina: So? Did you like chapter 5 any? Any at all?

Vash: I did, but I still find it sad at the beginning.

Jewell, Jack and Chiek in unison: I agree.

Marina: ^^; I know! But it was a pretty good idea. Any of you readers out there can kill me if you don't like this one, I'm just passing time with little ideas until the real ideas come into play. I don't have a clue as to a good summary to this one so read and see.

Vash chuckles: Yeah I don't think I can think of anything either.

Marina: Oh! I know! Theres a twist! Besides the play there's a twist! HaHA! See ya at the end....Hopefully....

Chapter 6

The Play

The next five days went by well; Vash was improving in his control over his Angel Arm, and Jack and Chiek got to know Vash better.

~*~*~

Jewell sat on a stool, her legs crossed, and a sketchbook in her lap. Vash sat in front of her as she drew a detailed sketch of him.

He also had his legs crossed sitting on a stool; his arms were loosely wrapped around his waist, hair spiked to perfection, the only thing out of the ordinary about him was the glasses he wore. They were blue sunglasses; Jewell's glasses becuase his weren't with him, Jewell had taken Vash to a shop the day before to get a charm set on his glasses.

"Ya know something good about you right now?" Jewell asked, looking up.

"What's that?"

"You know how to sit still," she said and chuckled. Vash's smile widened abit.

Just as she was finishing the sketch there was a knock on the door. "Come in," Jewell called.

The door opened slowly then two small kids ran in and jumped on Jewell as she closed her book.

"Glenn, Elijah, I didn't know you two were here today," she said as Vash chuckled.

One of the two nodded, "Me and Glenn asked momma if we could ask you to play the fe-fe-female warrior role in our play again tommarrow night. Will you, please, Miss Jewell!?"

They looked up at her with begging eyes, Elijah's were light brown and Glenn's were hazel.

Jewell looked up at Vash, brows raised. Should I?

Vash nodded and waved a hand.

"Alright I'll be the female warrior in your play." Glenn squeaked with joy and Elijah hugged Jewell. "Thank you Miss Jewell!!"

The swordsman laughed and hugged them both, "You're welcome."

Glenn, being curious, turned to Vash, "Do you want to be in the play too?"

"Me?" he asked sitting up striaght. Jewell bit her lower lip, smiling, and shook her head.

"Vash doesn't know any of the roles, and the play's tommarrow night."

"Aww okay." Glenn hung her head. "It's alright though, we still have Uncle Chiek as Casoi's brother Cimore and Leah as the bad guy."

"That's good then."

Vash sat there confused, "Who...?"

"Oh," she looked at Elijah. "Why don't you tell him who's who?"

"I want to help!" Glenn exclaimed.

"Alright you can if you want." Jewell put an arm around each of them and stood, she sat Elijah on her stool and handed Glenn to Vash who smiled when the girl hugged him.

"I'll be back, I need to talk to Leah about something."

"Alright," Vash said.

Jewell raised a brow and walked to Vash, she bent down and whispered in his ear, "Don't let them talk non-stop, It'll get annoying."

The gunman gave a tiny nod. She nodded in return then walked to the door, "Be back soon. Be good you two."

The children nodded and Jewell walked out of the apartment.

"So," Vash smiled at the two. "Who are the characters in the play?"

"Well, there's Casoi who Miss Jewell's going to play," Elijah started.

"And Cimore's played by Uncle Chiek!" Glenn said.

"Yup. Leah plays the bad guy, Shiva."

"What's the story that will take place in the play?" the gunman asked.

"We can't tell you that! It would spoil the play!" Elijah said putting his hand on his hips, looking like Jewell when she's mad.

Vash snapped his fingers, "Dang! I can't fool you can I?"

"Nope you can't," Glenn told him crossing her arms and looking up at him with one eye.

"Well, it's okay then, I can wait."

"Which character do you want to know more about?" asked Glenn who smiled up at him again.

"I'd like to know about Casoi."

Elijah gave a sneaky smile. "She's the main character. Casoi is the only female warrior known to the people of the village in the story. Her brother, Cimore, had always told her she would never be as good a warrior as the men."

"But she proved them wrong when the evil fog came over the land," interupted Glenn.

"What happened when the fog came?" Vash asked curiously.

"The men went to war against Shiva," the boy continued. "Everyday men continued to go to war with her but one by one the would disappeared."

Glenn nodded.

Elijah remained silent besides his giggles as someone's hand covered Vash's eyes.

"Hello," said a new voice with a hint of a British accent.

Vash hopped in his seat, "Who is it?"

The voice chuckled, "You know me, guess."

Glenn slid from her seat on Vash's lap, giggling slightly.

"Chiek?" the gunsman asked curiously.

"Guess again." Now something cold like metal touched his chin. "But be careful."

He shivered at the cold of the steel, "Jewell?"

She slid her hands down around his shoulders. "Correct."

The gunsman yawned, "Sounds like a good play."

"It is. But it's also sad."

"How so?"

"Because Cimore is forced to attack Casoi and she kills him," she said quietly.

Glenn and Elijah stood up and stretched. "We have to go now Miss Jewell but we'll see you tommarrow."

"Alright." Jewell bent down and hugged the two of them. Glenn looked up at Vash.

"Goodbye Mister Vash," she said smiling.

"Bye!" He waved at them.

They waved back and left.

Jewell smirked, "They're sweet."

Vash nodded, "Yeah, they are."

The swordsman plopped down in her chair and sighed.

The gunsman yawned and laid down.

"You're still pooped from your training aren't you?" she asked, rolling out of her chair and onto the floor with a thump.

"Yes, that and I'm thinking," Vash said and yawned again.

Jewell crawled onto the bed. "She's right, you do think too much."

The gunman looked at her about to ask who then remember. "Oh yeah."

She chuckled. "Don't sound so sad. Now come on," she sat on her pillow and patted the bed before her, "What are you thinking about?"

This wasn't new, Jewell had told him they'd talk about things Vash was worried about every night so as not to get him too stressed out for his training.

The gunman shifted to lay his head against the cross of her legs and looked up at her.

"The play," he said. "If its a play for everyone to enjoy then why is there death?"

"Because it's part of life, the story tells of many things. I've told you different reasons about things like this."

"It's just-" She stopped him by placing a finger over his lips.

"I know Vash. Your smarter than that though. I'm going to get you to think about this without my help. Now," she wiggled abit to get more comfortable and leaned against the wall behind her.

"You know the answer so tell me. Why is there death in the world?" she asked.

"There is death for rebirth," he answered.

"Good. Example?"

"Without death, life such as humans would over populate and destroy the resources."

"Like what happened to Earth. Good." Jewell sighed, "It's going to take two hundred years to restore the life and get rid of the pollution there."

"Does that make you mad at them?"

He's acting naive. Just like when he was little, she thought with a slight smile.

"No, we just should have watched them more closely. That's what we're doing now. We are going to watch them as we continue to spread the expanse of the forests from here out toward the more willing towns."

"Oh," he yawned.

"That's it for tonight I guess," Jewell told him sitting up straight and stretching her arms.

"Alright." Vash rolled over unto his stomach and wriggled over to the far side of the huge bed.

The swordsman leaned over and poked Vash. "Take of the coat and boots."

He smiled, shaking his head and sat up.

"I couldn't stand to sleep in that thing, boy," she said with a matter of fact tone.

"I'm used to it."

"Yeah yeah. I know."

With the boots at the end of the bed and the red coat hanging on a hook Vash walked back over to the bed and slid under the covers. Jewell did the same then turned of the light.

"Goodnight, Vash," she whispered.

"`Night," he replied, sounded distant as sleep tugged at his consiousness, but for Jewell tonight, sleep didn't come so fast she lay there staring into the dark ceiling thinking of the good things from the last few days.

~--*--~

Jewell woke the next morning to the sounds of giggles and Vash's voice speaking quietly.

She kept her eyes closed and turned over unto her back acting to still be asleep. The giggles hushed some and Vash stopped, waiting for her to either fall back asleep or say something.

He continued, "She pulled me from the water and up into the air above the waterfall. She asked if I was ready and I said no...."

During this time Jewell peeking out and looked around the sun filled room for him. She saw him sitting at the end of the bed with Glenn and Elijah both smiling as Vash told them of their fun at the Chain Waterfall their first day here.

She sat up and leaned toward him, the children acting as if they didn't see her, as she rested her chin on Vash's shoulder and said wearily, "And I said `good because here we go' and released you."

"And you scared the life out of me," Vash nodded with a slight shudder. Glenn and Elijah laughed.

Jewell smiled and wrapped her arms around Vash's waist. "When did they get here?"

"Around seven thirty," He looks at them and nodded.

"Oh." She squeezed his gut and looked at the children sitting in front of them. "I talked to Leah. She told me that we should get ready for the play an hour before sunset. And you," she squeezed Vash's gut again. "Are a guest of honor."

"A guest of honor?"

"Yeah Mister Vash," said Glenn. "You get one of the best places to sit for the play."

"Yup, you get to sit on the first row to see our performance," Elijah told him with a smile.

Vash smiled, "I'd enjoy that."

"I bet you will. Warning though; everything you'll see is only acting, but it will seen real, so when Cas-"

"Miss Jewell!" the children cut her off. "Don't tell him, let him find out for himself!"

"Alright alright. Just remember that."

Vash nodded, "Okay... I'll remember that"

Jewell pushed Vash off the bed. "Why don't the four if us take a walk around the small beauties of the city, hmm? Since we have til sunset to do what we want."

The gunsman hit the ground with a thud, "Okay."

"Let's go then." Jewell pulled on some walking shoes and walked to the door, Vash and the children following as she walked outside into the sunlight.

~--*--~

Jewell walked up onto the stage, hidden from view by the thick crimson curtains. She turned to Leah, "You've drawn quite a crowd this time."

Leah rushed up to her carring blue warrior armor in a bundle under one arm and old looking clothes under the other. "And don't forget: we got a few of the willing human ambassadors out there. If we impress them with this prformance and our skills we might be able to further our plans to help them," she informed her firmly.

"Yes. Yes, I know. Don't remind me again, the pressure is almost getting to me," she said, her voice, for once, sounding nervous.

"The play begins in five minutes. You've got fifteen minutes to get ready." Leah turned Jewell in the direction of her dressing room and pushed her off.

"Leah Haley," she said hotly, "You've got some nerve."

"I know that's what keeps me going," she muttered as Jewell hurriedly walked to the dressing room with the costumes.

Leah walked out onto the front of the veiled main stage where a simple dark crimson book sat on a low wooden stool. Taking the book in hand she sat and made sure her hidden mic was settled and ready.

She glanced to the right side of the stage where the curtain pullers stood ready and children dressed for the play waited nervously for it to begin. The woman looked to the left side of the stage where she saw simliar results.

She nodded, taking a deep breath and called above the chatter of the audience, "Curtain call number 1!"

Everyone went into place on either side of the stage, readying for their queues to begin their part.

The curtain pullers slowly opened the heavy crimson veil to reveal to Leah the expansive audience.

Vash and the ambassadors sat closest to the large stage, the gunman had a smile on he face.

The brunette on stage smiled as the lights dimmed and all the crowd could see was a light outline of her as she called upon her power for light to read by. The human spectators' eyes widened in excitment at the display of yellow light coming from her hand.

"In a world, long ago, named Blayce for its glorious swordsmanship and beautiful forests, is where I begin today," Leah began, talking into the mic that was now on in a hushed voice.

"This story is of a young girl," Glenn slowly walked out onto the stage, looking frail and inoccent in her dirty-ish costume of blue cotton shorts and shirt. "Whose name was Casoi of SrahCut. At a very yound age she showed a love for swordsmanship and told her father that she wanted to become a female warrior. He'd denied her dreams of Knighthood because she was his only daughter and didn't want to loose her."

Casoi sat on the ground, her slightly dirty face wet with tears.

"I don't uderstand my father's words," she told the sky, looking up at it. "I want to be a warrior."

"The only one who understood and wanted to help her get her dream was her older brother, Cimore," Leah continued as Elijiah walked out.

Cimore walked along the stream looking for his sister. "Little sister," he said when he'd found her. "I want to help, really I do. But Father would have my head if I were to disobey him in such a manner."

Leah's voice lightened, "There was still hope for Casoi though she could watch the boys practice and then go and practice in secret."

Casoi rubbed the tears away and smiled. "Thank you Cimore," she said shyly and hugged her brother.

Leah looked out over the audience. "It was said that not only of women fraigle but they are frightened more easily than men."

Casoi turned to her. "The men learned that from a very important battle. A battle where a female warrior rose from the burned city to throw her strength agaist the evil Shiva."

Leah nodded and her self created faded to darken the stage. With her mic off she yelled, "Curtain call number 2!"

Jewell and Chiek hurried out unto the stage as the curtains were pushed closed. The props were being set up or the next piece and Jewell could hear the applause drifting through the fabric that hid them from sight.

Jewell lay down on a pad, Chiek covered her with ragged blankets and took his place beside her. Leah walked over and looked down at her friend. "You'll need this," she said and splashed a small glass of water on her face.

"Thanks," she said flatly. The woman hurried back to the stool and sat. Opening the book as the curtains opened once again she cleared her throat and turned on her mic.

"Five years later is when the first wave of SrahCut's siege began..."

Vash looked on as the play prgressed, smiling and frowning at different situations.

~--*--~

Casoi held a longsword in her hand, a large shield occupied her other arm. Her face was covered in scratches, the cloth covering her armor was torn and smudged with mud.

Vash watched in awe at the beautiful acting coming from those he knew and didn't know.

Casoi panted as she waited for the one person she didn't want to fight, Cimore.

There he was, mirroring her stance perfectly.

"Cimore," she breathed, shaking her head. "I don't.....I can't fight you."

"He will only listen to me," said a cocky female voice. Shiva appeared beside Casoi's brother.

"Shiva..."

*~*~*

Somewhere outside the theatre there stood a dark figure carrying a white odd-shaped case hefted on his shoulder and an unsrung bow and one arrow in the other hand.

*~*~*

Casoi's sword was locked at the hilt with Cimore's, their shields were pressed against the other testing strength.

Cimore pushed Casoi's blade to the side forcing her away. She stumbled back, sweat dripping from her chin.

Cimore charged her. As she raised her shield an ear-peircing whistle split through the air followed by a sickening thud making every single person in the theatre look at the stage.

The blue shield clattered to the floor, the muscles of Jewell's left hand refused to release Theory from its death-grip. An arrow had impaled her left shoulder making all the muscles in her arm tense and freeze.

All visible patches of her skin were deeply pale as she rose her shaking hand to where the shaft of the arrow was embedded in her skin.

Her pained gaze left Chiek's face to wander over the front row of the frozen crowd.

The swordsman slid forsakenly to her knees when her eyes fell upon Vash, her gaping mouth whispered his name.

Cheik dropped his equipment and rushed forward, Leah ran on stage to catch Jewell and lay her on her back.

Vash sprang to his feet and leapt on stage to kneel beside her.

"Elijah! Glenn! Situation 2. Go!" Leah shouted to the two.

"Yes ma'am!" the children said in unison and ran out of the theatre.

"V-Vash.." Jewell breathed.

His panicked and worried tears fell freely as he nodded.

"Jewell. Jewell, look at me," Leah tilted Jewell's view to her face. "Is the arrowhead poisoned?"

She nodded slowly. "I can feel it...I...I can't see striaght anymore." She looked back at Vash's blurry face. "Vash.."

Vash. I trust only your hand to remove the arrowhead without hurting me.

Vash wiped the tears away with a finger and nodded.

"Your sure Jewell?" asked Leah.

She nodded again and closed her eyes. "Hurry."

Vash carefully broke the arrow shaft and took Theory in hand and transformed it into it's dorment white knife form, then cut the fabric away.

*~*~*

On the roof of the theatre stood the black-clad figure accompanied by a blue-haired man in a white trenchcoat.

"Well done," said the blue-haired character with a monotoned voice.

~--*--~

Jewell stood in a glade of short white grass surrounded by white leafed trees.

"My Goddess," the swordsman whispered instantly and knelt as the Goddess, Siara, appeared before her.

"My Child, you nearly died too soon as is in your way of dangers," said Siara.

"I am sorry, Mistress."

"Come now, Jewell. I want to show you a few things."

"Yes Mistress, I shall follow."

The Goddess of Water showed Jewell of Vash's troubled dreams and of Knives' first plan to stop the Divine from helping the humans.

"I understand, Mistress," Jewell said with much respect after this.

"Your original plans will not work now. You know what you must do, correct?"

"Yes."

"Then rest and recover. When you are healed you shall undo what you've done and start over another way."

"I shall. Thank you."

The Goddess bowed and disappeared returning Jewell to her dreamless sleep.

Two days pass showing no sign that Jewell would wake up. Vash sat beside the bed, Jewell's cool hand in his rubbing it soothingly.

He sighed and brushed her hair back with his other hand, "I thought you wouldn't make it."

Jewell sighed slightly, a tiny subconsious smile on her face at Vash's gesture. The gunsman yawned slightly andset her hand down gently on the bed.

Thank you, Vash.

He blinked, smiling, and muttered, "You're welcome, Jewell."

Get some sleep, I'll see you soon.

Her mind slipped back to sleep after that.

Vash nodded, "Alright..." He crawled onto the other side of the bed and fell dead asleep.

~~Author's Note~~

Marina: I'ma happy lil cookie!! THANK YOU QUARTZ!!!! ::huggles the kitsune:: I'm SO HAPPY!! I FINISHED!!! I thought I'd never finish this chapter ::sighs::

Quartz blinks.

Vash: Why you make W-

Marina tapes Vash's mouth closed again: Now now Vash. Do you remember what I told you?

Vash nods.

Marina: Okay then. I cannot believe I finally got an idea to continue. And the interuption in the play. I told ya there was a twist.

Now, I know all of you who read this know who the blue-hair, monotoned, white trenchcoat wearin' character is but who is the black clad figure? ::snickers:: Is it Midvalley? Wolfwood? Chapel perhaps? I'm not tellin; XD!!

`Til next time!

~Goodbye For Now~