Trigun Fan Fiction ❯ After The End of All ❯ Where is this place? ( Chapter 3 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Disclaimer: Will Nevaaaa…. Be Miiiiine….!

Spoilers: …none any more in dis one, I believe… Just a bit of explanation of who’s Chronica is in my A/N.

A/N: ALAS~! My finals just finished! X3

………but if I told ya I’m not feelin as really happy as I should bout it, would ya believe me?

Coz now I’m free from the evil clutches of exams, I have now fallen into the malicious hands of my softball captain! Given, that both she and the coach were very tolerant of me ( I’m the worst rookie yet…T-T), still… training for 8 hours every day is just so CRUEL!! (sulks)

…actually I should be on the fields two hour ago, but it was raining. But now with it only drizzling away for the past 40 minutes, I can’t delay the inevitable any more… (sigh…)

Oh right. Didja like the surprise character I put in the fic? X3 From all of the Trigun fics I have read, the original characters from the manga series are, like, non-exsistent. Sooo I figured that I’d be the first to use Chronica. Like her? :3 …oh? Dunno who she is, or what she looks like? Hrm… the least I could do is entertain ya guys about her right? (grins) I’ve posted her pic in my PhotoBucket. Here’s the link:

i34(DOT)photobucket(DOT)com(SLASH)albums(SLASH)d112(SLASH )alythia_hime(SLASH)f4326553(DOT)jpg

Just change the (DOT) and (SLASH) with the literal dots and slashed (shrugs). Chronica is what Knives said she is: a Plant. From Earth of course. She made her appearance in the manga series in episode… 75++, if I’m not mistaken. She attacked Knives using one of the Earth'shence Knives' comment in this fic's last episode; which happenedKnives' failed attempt to cointegrate with Domina. Huh? Who’s Domina? …Won’t it be too much of a spoiler if I explain too much? (pouts) Okaaaay, the most I could say is she is Chronica’s …friend.

To further understand these characters, I highly recommend reading the manga itself. You can download the Trigun Maximum mangas (vol 3 till the most recent installment) from:

www(DOT)maximum7(DOT)com(SLASH)?page(the “Equals-to” key)projects(SLASH)trigunmax.

You guys know what to do, right? (grins sheepishly) The credits go to the tireless scanlators of Maximum 7. They got downloads in IRC, BitTorrent and Direct Download! Talk about professionals! XD

I’ve checked and re-checked the links. If there’s any problem with the links, gimme a notice, kay? :3

Hey, Vash-kun. Do the ending for me? I need ta go now. Thanks man! Bye!!

(Vash pops his head from the side of the monitor, grinning – as always – at the already gone-with-the-wind author) “Sure~! Bye bye~~” :D

(Knives stares at the monitor, frowning) “Hey, that annoying female was doing as much chatter as I did in this episode too… and you’r – OUCH! Wat was dat for??”

(Vash smiles sickly sweet with his closed knuckle in front of him, while Knives pouts and rubs at his sore head, then Vash proceeds to drags Knives away from the monitor; mumbling to himself of stupidly cute and rambling-way-too-much-for-their-own-good brothers. Turning to face the audience, he beams)

“Have fun reading~!” : )

(and proceeds to now semi-carry a whimpering, nuzzling Knives away…)

(the readers have this “…Huh? What just happened…?” written all over their face)

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After The End of All
Part 3
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“Yes, I am a Plant myself. An Independent; just like you.”

I continued to stare – or more precisely, glare – at her, without saying anything. I never met with another ‘Free-Born’ – or an Independent, as she verbalized it – before, except for Vash and what remained of Tessla. Oh, yes. There was another. The female I almost succeeded in cointegrating with. If only Vash didn’t cut off the cointegration link…

Heh… still can’t stop with the ‘what-if’s, huh…

“… Stop smirking like that. For your information, the ‘female’ you were referring to has a name. Domina.”

I sighed.

Stop reading my mind, okay? Can’t I have any privacy of thoughts here?

I can’t put any barricade to her reading my mind. This may be her powers after all… with the help of the tranquilizer. My mind was still all fuzzy, unclear…

“If only you’d stop insulting the memories of Domina. Her personal salvage was impossible after you… We have lost her.”

Her stern face twisted for a moment; of hatred, of pain. I listened, disinterested. My only concern was to save Vash. That was all.

“Shall I continue scanning your brain waves, or would you start talking?”

If only you stop doing what you’re doing right now, it’d be a deal.

She stared at me, somehow not satisfied. “And if only you would stop insulting others.upsetting.”

I wasn’t insulting anyone. And it wasn’t even in our initial agreement, your so-called Terms and Regulations. I disdainfully snarled at her. Fuck all logic. I really didn’t like her, and I’d show it.

“It will, if you continue to be this obstinate. Really, with your brother’s life being in the line right now…”

I harrumphed. “Very well, I’ll stop insulting. As long as you don’t deserve it. What should I do for Vash? You have said that he’s critical right now, did you not? Bring me to him,” I demanded at her. My stubbornness cut short with her reminding me of Vash. I struggled to bend away from the wall I was leaning onto, shifting my entire weight on my aching legs, and managed to do it quite well. If you’d see me right now, I would look like I was only shrugging the wall off of me. I staggered at the few first steps; a miraculous show of muscle control. I was almost sure I would fall to my knees after pulling myself off the wall. But there was no way I would do that in front of her. Sheer strength of a prideful mind, if there was nothing more.

She was still looking at me with those impossibly calm eyes. Then she just had to remind me, “Are you sure you wouldn’t need this chair?”

I glowered at her for all she worth. Humans would usually yelp and beg for forgiveness, or just simply run away with a look at my face right now. She didn’t even flinch.

I walked the rest of the few steps to her with utmost grace I could muster at the moment. I was really proud of myself of being able to do just that. Keeping my chin high, I walked past her and that fucking implement of mobility, then looked over my shoulders at her.

“Well, when are you going to start moving, woman?”

I chose to ignore her silent insinuation of me regarding the wheelchair. For the time being.

She didn’t even blink an eye. Her empty eyes reminded me of Vash, on the freezing nights of the first few weeks after the Big Fall…

He would just lie on his back, staring at the cloudless skies for hours to come. Not blinking. Not moving. There were times when I was disturbed with thoughts that he may be dead – which absolutely freaked me out, so much that I sometimes just had to shook his body violently to get a reaction from him –, if not for the occasional silent tears that fell down his face…

The woman started to walk to the direction to the door. I shook myself off my reminiscence, and followed her stead. The door slid open smoothly, leading to a long hallway. So, this room was at the very end. I could make out evidence of thick barricades along the hallway, as I continued in stride with her. Safety precautions it is, then; if I am to escape, I suppose. If it’ll stop me… my Angel Blades could take care of it just fine…

I flicked my left hand for the familiar feeling of knives forming on my arm.

What in the…?

I stopped walking. I realized that I can’t even trigger my powers into working. Any of my powers. I stared at my left arm, confused. I tried some more, to at least make out a small blade, or a single feather. But nothing happened.

The feeling of helplessness washed throughout me. Terrified for the fact that I can’t use my powers…

If I can’t use my powers, how am I going to save Vash then…?

“Don’t worry. The body suit that were fixed onto you is only to suppress your powers; not eliminating it.”

I jerked and glared at her. “STOP READING MY MIND, you damned bitch!!” She wasn’t keeping her side of our agreement! And since when did she stop walking??

She slowly turned her head to completely face me, and her left eye was twitching. Hah! A response!

“I wasn’t. Just by looking at you, I could make out what you were thinking about.”

I really, really hate her. I could taste the smugness in her voice…

“You were the one not following the terms of our agreement.”

Am I some fucking book for you to read for fun!?

“We will momentarily release you of the suppressor when the time comes. But for now, please bear with it.”

With me trembling in my anger, she turned away and continued with her task of leading me to my brother. I stared dubiously at her back. No one, I mean no one ever turns their backs at me, and kept living. She was lucky that I couldn’t use my powers at that time. She would be in bits and pieces by now…

She glanced at me over her shoulders, “Well, are you coming, or not?”

Trust her to indirectly attack my self-esteem. First: The wheelchair. Now: Throwing my insults back at me.

“You’re brother is waiting.”

I sighed. And trust her to strategically place her reminders of my brother. I composed my irate mind, swallowed my pride; trying to calm myself. “Please, lead the way,” while dramatically swept my arm to her general direction, oozing with mocking politeness.

She ignored me and resumed her stride to god-knows-where. I was tempted to stomp all the way, but was still too weak to do so. Even walking straight has been an exceptional accomplishment for me at that time.

There were mazes of corridors. Even if I tried to walk back to my enclosure, I wasn’t sure if I can get there without being lost. The hallways all looked just the same…

Strange… I can’t see any humans here… We have been walking for what? 30 minutes?

“I don’t sense any living organism along the way. Where are we exactly?”

“In Spaceship Furcanica-01. Near the Ursula consolations,” she answered without looking at me. “Very far from any human civilizations.”

I raised an eyebrow. How long exactly I’ve been locked in, I asked myself…

“Tell me of this… ship.”

“This ship is a one of its kind that functions as a top-security prison unit, and a sanatorium all together. Powered by recyclable pure energy absorbed from the free plasmas in this universe, no Plant is needed in this craft. A fully automated spacecraft; it does not require anyone at hand to control the operations. This is why there are no other than us in here. I am here merely as a guide.”

That explains the eerie silence.

“It was hastily constructed to accommodate you, at first. To honor your brother’s last request. Your brother asked specially for you to be healed and to be safe. After confirmation of agreement from us, he collapsed. We built his chambers as well, when the suspicion of him needing your help was brought up. So please don’t assume that we were to isolate your brother along with you. After his recuperation, we will send him, either back to Gunsmoke or Earth.”

I smiled bitterly, “Of course…” Reunite us, just to separate us back…

After a long walk, we arrived at a very large metal door. God, it was just like the one where Tessla’s remains were stored in…

She put her hand onto a small platform on the wall beside the door, as she simply said, “Chronica.”

The door opened for her, and wisps of cryogenic clouds filtered out of the opening. She stepped in, and I followed. I immediately felt the temperature difference; dropping for a good fifty degrees when I was a few steps into what I hope is not Vashu’s chambers. It’s so cold… Vashu just simply can’t stand the cold. He doesn’t even like being cold. May that be physically, or emotionally. He has always been warm… so warm…

In the freezing temperatures, she started talking again, “Vash was to put in a cold chamber; it helps slows down the biological activities. We have just taken him out of his Convalesce Vessel, allowing you to touch him. Through touch, the conveyance of energy will be at its best.”

“How… so?” I asked through clattering teeth. Deeper into the chamber, the hostile cold got worst. My sore muscles were shivering out of control.

“Skin-to-skin contact. Your and your brother’ Gates are in your left arm and right arm respectively. Thus the transfer of energy is better if you were to hold his right hand in your right hand, focusing on giving him a constant flow of medium-pulse energy. For best recovering results. But please be quick. He can’t be outside of his vessel for longer than an hour.”

In the haze, I can make out a raised platform a few meters front of me. On the bed-like contrivance, was Vashu…

His body was covered with flakes of ice. His once radiant skin; pale as snow. His now cracked lips were so blue… There was even frost on his long eyelashes and flowing black hair…

How long have you been like this, Vashu…

Chronica stopped and faced me, looking at me directly in the eyes.

“If I release you of the suppressor, can I trust you to not misuse your powers, and will you agree to let me put it back on after this session of transfer is done?”

I merely nodded, focusing my attention on my brother’s pitiful form.

She stepped aside, to a protrusion of keyboards that was facing at Vash’s left side. She typed in something, and I felt a torrent of energy flowing from my left arm, throughout my body. It left me a little lightheaded, and flexed my left arm a bit. The familiar feeling of my Seed’s energy…

She glanced at me, and looked down at the monitor holograms in front of her.

“His condition now is fairly stable. But it won’t be long. Please, start.”

I stepped to Vash’s right; sorrow was flushing through my systems. Even though I had been the main source of his torment for the past fifteen decades, and had once wished for his death,had never wanted him to suffer like this... I took his right hand – so cold…so not Vash…– into my left, and spun my brother’s limp fingers into my own; focusing on somehow transferring my overflowing energy into his Gate.

I could feel it; his hand was getting warmer by the minute. Little by little, I can see his pale right arm getting back its color. Which means I was doing the right thing. I sighed in relief.

I lowered my forehead onto his, and closed my eyes. I desperately wanted to bask in his warmth…

When I opened my eyes, I realized…

I was standing in meadow of flowers.

Of geraniums… Rem’s favorite…

Where am I…?

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