Trigun Fan Fiction ❯ And So Shall Darkness Fall ❯ What is Real and Just a Dream ( Chapter 11 )

Part Eleven-What is Real and Just a Dream

Jenny-"This chapter….wah!!!"
Kelly- ::sniff sniff::
Jenny-"Just…BOO HOO!!… Read people!!"
Kelly-"Depressing!"

"Geez," called Psych, "Get a goddamn room already!"

Psych and the others came onto the scene, carefully avoiding the smoking form that was Ninelives the Gray. Sight waved and ran up to them.

"See? I told ya I'd be alright," said Psych, "Dominique, heh, what a pushover." She looked down at the dead Monev, "Looks like someone else was too."

"Enough chit chat," said Sight, "We got to find Legato and stop him."

"Ahem, if I may interrupt," interrupted Wolfwood, "Doesn't Legato find *you*?"

"He's got a point there," said Psych, "We should just wait for his blue-ass to show up here."

Sight rolled her eyes, "I don't think so. We'll be sitting ducks."

"Well, excuse me."

"Idiots. Master should have never hired such incompetent human weaklings to do our dirty work," said a voice.

"Legato," growled Sight, "This is getting annoying. Just come down here and die like the bastard you really are!"

Legato smiled evilly, "Yes, I think it's time for you to die." He jumped down from the building he was standing on, "But first..."

Sight drew her gun, just to make him think she was going to shoot him with it. Meanwhile, her laser-sight aimed at his skull. "But first what?"

"Well, you see," he said, grinning, "I tried to think about what I could do to make my dear sister angry before I killed her. So I thought to myself...what does Sight really love in life...and I came up with this!" He fired his gun without warning, catching Psych in the shoulder. She fell to the ground on one knee, clutching her injured arm.

"Psych ..." Sight was totally surprised. Before she could do something about it, Psych got to her feet and ran forward at Legato, whipping out a hidden knife.

"You sonofabitch!" she screamed, burying the knife into his side. He snarled and shot his arm out, sending Psych flying into a wall. There was a sickening crunch on impact and she slid down limply. She shook her head and then rose to her feet again, this time with more difficulty, "I-I'll kill you yet!" She used her coat sleeve to wipe the blood that was pouring from a large cut on the side of her head away.

He laughed again and shot her in the stomach before she could step forward. Psych coughed up blood and looked down at her wound, as if in shock.

"Legato!!" yelled Wolfwood, trying to run forward. He was surprised to find that he was frozen in place, "Stop this!!"

The others also struggled against Legato's power, but to no avail. "Kill him Miss Sight!!" cried Milly, tears flowing down her face.

Sight squeezed her eyes shut tightly. This wasn't happening. This wasn't fucking happening. Why wasn't she helping her friend? She couldn't move. It hurt. Everything hurt. Everything felt unreal.

"Now dear sister," chuckled Legato, firing his gun at Psych and catching her in the stomach once again, "How does it feel? Why aren't you helping her? Are you just going to let me kill her?"

Psych lifted her head weakly, "Sight, kill the bastard!" She flinched as Legato fired another bullet; catching her in the right leg, "Hurry! Don't worry 'bout me!"

"But Psych..." Sight didn't know what to do. She was so angry and confused. Her laser-sight was still locked on his head, but she wasn't firing.

"You have to kill him," cried Meryl, "We can't help you anymore! Legato's taken our control away from us!"

"She's right," Vash growled, trying to move, "Help Psych. You have to kill him, even if I may not like it."

"I love to watch pathetic humans die in front of me," Legato kicked Psych roughly in her side, enjoying watching her writhe in pain, "How do you feel? Your friend isn't even helping you."

"You...know what's funny, asshole?" Psych asked, breathing heavily. He leaned down slightly to hear what she had to say to him, "... you're dead."

"What?"

Sight used her laser to hit Legato right in the head. The laser blasted straight through his skull and hit a nearby wall. He fell to the ground, his mouth in an open 'O'. Legato took one last shuddering breath and then was still.

"Whoa," cried Milly, "I can move again."

Wolfwood and Sight scrambled forward at the same time, kneeling next to Psych.

"Psych!! Psych!!" cried Sight, shaking her friend gently, "C'mon dammit! A few bullets ain't gonna stop you!" She grabbed Wolfwood's collar and shook him, "You're a fucking priest! You have to know something about healin' people!"

"I can go back and get my duffel bag," said Wolfwood, about to leave, "I have some medical supplies there."

"Don't bother," Psych said quietly, her voice labored, "I think my journey ends here..."

"Don't you dare fucking talk like that!!" yelled Sight, "If you die here, you bitch, I swear to God..." Sight aimed her gun at Psych's head, like that was going to stop her from doing the inevitable.

Psych tried to laugh but ended up coughing violently, causing more blood to puddle around her, "We had fun, Klepto, eh? Before I ask you to leave me, I have something I want to give to you. It's in my left coat pocket."

Sight shook her head, but dug into the pocket anyways. She pulled out a bloody badge. She just stared at it, her hand shaking, "W-why are you giving this to me? It's your goddamn badge, I don't want this."

"I want you to take over my job," she explained, her breathing getting even more ragged, "Just ask for the Sutherwind residence when you get to 'tober, my parents, bless them, are the nicest people. You can finally have...that family you always dreamed of havin'."

"No no no no!" Sight yelled, tossing the badge away, "You-will-not-die! I don't want some stupid meaningless badge! I want my friend!"

"Shhh. Now, leave me alone for a few," Psych said weakly, trying to smile, "I hafta talk to the priest."

'I can't be losing sleep over this'

'no, I can't'

'And I cannot stop pacing'

Sight looked at Wolfwood and then stood up angrily, storming away. Vash and the others followed slowly, glancing back.

Wolfwood watched her go; wondering if that was the right thing. She *was* Psych's best friend after all; she should be here when she dies. He hoped she wouldn't die.

"Don't worry 'bout Sight, preacher man," Psych coughed, "She's my best friend, but I couldn't let her see me die, not like this. She'll get over it."

Wolfwood just looked down sadly and nodded.

'Give me a few hours'

'And I'll have this all sorted out'

'If my mind would just stop racing'

'I cannot stand still'

'I can't be this unsturdy'

'This cannot be happening'

Sight meanwhile paced back and forth, unsure of what to do. Her best friend was laying a few yars away, dying, and she was behind this stupid wall, doing nothing. <Psych must not want me to see her like that, not want me to have to see her...no, I won't say it!>She racked her brains, trying to think of a way to stop Death himself. Vash patted her back reassuringly. She choked back the pain that her heart was feeling.

'This is over my head'

'But underneath my feet'

'Because by tomorrow morning'

'I'll have this thing beat'

'And everything will be'

'Back to the way it was'

"I bet you're wondering why I needed to speak to you," Psych continued, "and this sure as hell is embarrassin', but I need to say some things to you. Seeing how you're the closest thing to a real priest that I can get at the moment."

He looked at her strangely but nodded, waiting for her to continue.

She chuckled, noticing he didn't react to her priest cut, "Boy, this sure is weird. Quit lookin' at me with that depressing expression already dammit, it don't suit you. Ok, here goes. Bless me father, for I have sinned."

'I wish that it was just that easy'

Wolfwood swallowed the lump that was gathering at his throat. <She's confessing to me. She *can't* die. Please, Lord, make her stop. I don't want...I don't want to hear this...>

"First off, I've probably broken every goddamn commandment out there, and then some, but I want you to forgive me for all the killin's that I did in my time. I regret them all. I also want you to forgive me for lying to Sight. I knew in my gut that I wasn't going to come out of this battle alive, but I couldn't tell her that. Finally, I want you to forgive me for having certain feelings towards a man that I know I shouldn't be havin' certain feelings for. Now, don't you go getting the crazy idea that it's you, cuz it's not. Even though you have such nice eyes...But it ain't you. Got it?"

'I am waiting for tonight'

'Then waiting for tomorrow'

'And I am somewhere in between'

He nodded dumbly, fighting back tears, "Y-you're forgiven."

'What is real and just a dream'

'What is real and just a dream'

'What is real and just a dream'

Psych smiled weakly and snapped her fingers, "Just like that, eh? I shoulda started doin' this a long time ago. Do me another favor, light me a cigarette, and while were at it, forgive me for that too."

'Would you catch me if I fall'

'Out of what I fell in'

'Don't be surprised'

'If I collapse down at your feet again'

'I don't want to run away from this'

'I know that I just don't need this'

Wolfwood went to his coat pocket and pulled out a crumpled cigarette and placed it between her lips, lighting it. She took a drag and then blew the smoke out, her usually bright violet eyes beginning to glaze over, "Tell Sight I'm sorry. Some friend I turned out to be, getting' killed and all. I never deserved her friendship. I feel...so...tired. Funny, the pain's all gone now....and I can't...keep…my eyes ...open....anymore......" The cigarette fell limply from her mouth and into Wolfwood's open palm. He crushed it in his hand, oblivious to the fact that it was still lit.

'I cannot stand still'

'I can't be this unsturdy'

'This cannot be happening'

Sight's heart fell when she saw Wolfwood start back from the place where Psych was laying, alone. He wiped his eyes with his jacket sleeve, smearing blood across his solemn face.

'I am waiting for tonight'

Then waiting for tomorrow'

'And I am somewhere in between'

She was about to say something, but Wolfwood shook his head sadly. Sight broke down then and began to cry, cursing in-between her sobs. She hadn't ever cried in front of others before, never in all of her life.

'What is real and just a dream'

"Why the fuck did this have to happen?! What did Psych ever do to anybody? What?!" She pounded the dirt with her fists, so hard that her hands began to bleed. "I-I wasn't even there for her when she died. Some wanna-be priest was there instead of me. Her real friend. She was all that I had left." She got up and began to walk back over to the spot where Psych lay, but Wolfwood grabbed Sight's arm, stopping her.

'What is real and just a dream'

"No, don't go over there," he said, not looking at her, "She told me that she didn't want you to have to see her like that. You should respect your friend's wishes. I could hardly stand seeing her like that. She's a mess."

She snatched her arm away and sneered at him, "What the hell do you know? What the hell do you goddamn well know? You have no idea what we've been through together! None of you do!" Vash and the others put their heads down, too saddened to say anything. What could they say?

"Don't you think that we feel just as bad as you?" asked Wolfwood quietly, his back turned. He looked down at something in his hand, a mirrored cigarette case.

"I can't believe she'd pull a stupid stunt like this," muttered Sight angrily, "She let Legato shoot her on purpose, so that I could kill him more easily. She knew it would end this way. I know she did. That's why she didn't shoot back at him. That selfish bitch."

What is real and just a dream'

Wolfwood suddenly whirled on Sight and slapped her across her face. She held a hand up to her stinging cheek. She looked at him, surprised that he'd do that.

"How dare you say something like that?" he yelled, his face turning red and the veins in his neck sticking out, "How? She gave her life so that you could live yours. So that we could live ours. That's how you thank her? By calling her a bitch? I hope it makes you feel better to know that *you* were in her last thoughts. She was right, she didn't deserve a friend like you, she deserved better."

Sight swallowed, his words hurting her more than her cheek.