Trigun Fan Fiction ❯ A Fighter's Spirit ❯ Before His Eyes ( Chapter 5 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Trigun or any of the characters, never have, never will. =_= ;; They belong to Yasuhiro Nightow.

Author's Note: Cliffy, cliffy, cliffy! Sorry you guys, I had to do that to you. ^^;; Here's the next chapter.

Chapter 5: Before His Eyes

The hammer of the revolver drew back and clicked. The air around the barrel of the gun heated as the bullet discharged, the smell of gun smoke filling the air. The deafening gunshot echoed in the room long after the bullet had been fired, resounding a thousand times over in an instant. Everything in existence seemed to have slowed or stopped completely in the moment it took for the bullet to hail upon its target; the inattentive blonde.

Sound Life.

The mesmerizing song drummed through Vash's mind, each note as hauntingly beautiful as the next. The pitch; ranging in various highs and lows, was perfect. However, it was a mere melody, lacking the harmony often offered by lyrics or a voice.

Memories.

Images of Vash's past, which were shroud in mystery and lies, filled his mind. They clouded his vision and dulled his senses.

A dark haired woman stood before his eyes in numerous memories, humming the poignant tune. Her eyes, a russet color, were closed, a smile donned on her face.

Rem Saverem.

With a feeble effort, Vash raised his hand towards her. However, his body, it seemed, had gone rigid; immobile. As though watching a film of some sort, the images continued on, some having no relevance what so ever to reality. Just as the memory would become recognizable, it was gone, another already having replaced it.

Project S.E.E.D.S.

The place of both he and his brother's childhood flashed before his eyes. In the vision, Project S.E.E.D.S. was still in progress. In the cold storage room, a much younger version of himself and Rem exchanged words, though they were drown out by the song so cherished by his mentor.

The scene jumped, going from the cold storage room to himself and Knives floating in the zero-G room of the ship. Vash spun slowly, his legs drawn up to his chest, tears filling his now solemn eyes. Knives, who appeared to be trying to comfort his somber brother, placed his hands lightly on Vash's shoulders, speaking to him in a kind tone.

Just as Vash opened his mouth to respond, the scene changed yet again.

The Recreational Room.

An outdoor environment filled with lush plants crossed Vash's mind. A yellow butterfly no bigger than a child's hand was tangled in a spider web, struggling hopelessly against its tight hold. A dark gray spider approached it as Vash, Rem and Knives watched from a few feet away.

As though deciding, Vash slowly reached out both hands towards the creatures. However, before he was able to reach either, a hand collided with the spider, ripping the web to shreds. Vash's aquamarine eyes traveled hastily up to his brother's face.

With only a short conversation, Vash tackled his brother, forcing him to the ground. As he pinned Knives, the expression on the twin's face changes to that of shock.

The scene ended there, fast forwarding to a fleeting image of a monitor, on which their ship is displayed. The escape pod shuddered as light flashed across the screen.

Explosion.

The images sped up, now running together more than ever. There was no true distinction between each memory, all blending into one.

A massive beam of light shot out of a building, aimed towards the sky. July city disintegrated as the beam etched a hole on the surface of the fifth moon; Vash's angel arm having taken affect.

Bodies lay strewn across the ground, children and adults; all with looks of fright upon their faces. Their possessions are scattered about the area, now just debris left over from the catastrophe prior. Tears rolled down Vash's cheeks as he stood, staring at them.

Mental pictures of his numerous fights flashed before his eyes, depicting various opponents, weapons and emotions. The faces of the Gun-Ho-Guns passed through his mind, left with their scars from battle.

With a loud scream, breaking the song playing in the background, Vash's mind went completely blank, black clouding his mind, then slowly turning to light.

Awakening.

Tira stared down at Vash, her amethyst eyes slightly wide with anxiety. In her hand was clutched a tissue, her eyes slightly red from crying.

"Vash?" she questioned, her voice slightly shaken.

A surge of pain swept over him as he nodded slowly to her. His head throbbed heavily, his ears ringing very faintly.

"W-what happened?" he asked, gritting his teeth slightly. "It feels like someone shot me."

"Someone did shoot you," she said bluntly. She paused for a second and retrieved a small item from the bedside table. She held it up in front of him. "With a rubber bullet."

He blinked, his hand going to his temple, which ached horribly. A bandage was wrapped tightly about it.

"Then why does it feel like I just had a head on collision with a sand steamer?" he asked, wincing visibly.

She fought back a smile. "Well, actually that's from when you fell over. You got a nasty little cut from the edge of the counter top," she told him, sitting down on the edge of his bed.

He let out an exasperated sigh. "Figures."

>>>

I told you I'd update soon! *smiles* So what did you think of the chapter? Mostly it was perspective and recalling memories, but I hope you enjoyed it!

By the way, I realize that I didn't mention Knives' actions after shooting Vash, but don't worry, you'll find out soon enough what became of him. ^^ Remember to Review! Ja matte ne!

Kawaii Youko ^_~