Trigun Fan Fiction ❯ Delicate Butterfly ❯ The child named Aerith ( Chapter 1 )

In a small desert town, a mighty storm was coming in fast. Inside a hotel room, a little girl sat up at the sound of thunder. Fear made her shiver as she clutched her soft blue puppy toy. Thunder and lightning struck again. She closed her eyes tight. Then opening her eyes, she quietly slid out of bed. Putting her puppy beside a young woman who was sleeping next to her, she quietly crept to a door that led to the next hotel room beside them. She opened the door and walked in.

Inside the other room, two men slept in different beds, both snoring quietly. The little girl quickly walked over to the left bed as another lightning bolt struck.

"Papa?" she poked the man's temple hoping to wake him up. He seemed to slowly wake up.

"Papa? I'm scared," she whimpered as she saw an emerald eye open. He turned his face toward her and smiled.

"Okay, get in," he whispered. He scooted over enough for the little girl to crawl into the covers. She squirmed closer to his chest as lightning flashed again. She squeezed her eyes shut.

"Sh-sh-sh. Nothings goanna get you," he cooed as he herd the little girl whimper into his night shirt. He began to stroke her head to try and calm her.

"Its okay," he kissed her temple as she stopped her shaking. He then felt her breathing return to normal as she fell asleep.

~~The next morning~~

Vash the Stampede awoke in his bed. He turned over to see that the little girl was gone.

"Meryl and Milly came and took Aerith out for a girl's breakfast," a deep voice came from the other side of the room. Nicholas D. Wolfwood was standing at the window and watching a bunch of kids play kick ball.

"Oh really?" Vash yawned. He sat up and stretched. He looked at the priest with saggy eyes.

"I'm taking a shower," he declared as he got up and walked toward the bathroom. He shut it before Nicholas could say `whatever'. Nicholas sat in a chair and took out a cigarette.

"You do that. I'll just have a quick smoke," he mumbled with the cigarette in his mouth as he lit it. As he sat back in his chair, he spotted something on the ground. Moving his head slightly to get a better look, he saw a pair of bunny slippers. He chuckled to himself as he sat back into his chair.

"That child is something else. Just like Vash. Lord help us," He herd the shower turn off. After a few minutes, Vash opened the door in his usual red trench coat, blond hair spiked up; gun at his side, and yellow glasses perched on his nose. He looked at Nicholas.

"You know, for a priest, you smoke way too much," he joked. Nicholas shrugged his shoulders. Vash's stomach growled. Nicholas just stared.

"I'm starving. Let's go barge in on the girls," Vash said as he picked his bags up.

"Okay, but you'll need to bring your stuff downstairs with ours," Nicholas said as he got up. Vash frowned.

"Oh I see, you don't bother to take my stuff down while I was asleep,"

"Nope,"

The priest bent down and picked up the bunny slippers. He handed them to Vash with a smile. Vash took them and put them into an open pocked in his bag.

"Aerith really looks up to you,"

"Yep,"

"That's scary," Nicholas added. His response was a loud grunt from Vash.

~~Outside the hotel~~

After dropping off Vash's bags, they began to walk around town, trying to look for the diner the girls were staying at. It didn't take them long.

"Papa! Nicholas!" Vash and Nicholas stopped as a little girl with long light blond hair and sparkling green eyes came running to them. Since she was so small, she could only hug Vash's leg.

"Hey Aerith!" Vash said as he bent down and picked the eight year old up in his arms. She giggled with happiness.

"Where's Meryl and Milly?" Nicholas asked her after getting a small hug from her. She pointed to a café/diner.

"Mama and Milly are over there," They began to walk over there.

"Mama!" Aerith squirmed to get out of Vash's arms. He put her down and watched her go to Meryl who was sitting outside with Milly.

"Did my chocolate pancakes come yet?" she asked. Milly shook her head.

"Soon little miss," The guys walked over and sat on the other side of the table. Aerith's joyful eyes set on Nicholas.

"I got chocolate pancakes with chocolate syrup on it!" she chirped. Nicholas smiled. Aerith then reached up for Vash's glasses. He allowed her to take them and put them on. Taking her puppy toy, she ran out to were a fountain was. Children were playing in it's cold water.

"Aerith, don't go in there," Meryl warned. Aerith smiled and plopped herself on a bench and began to play with her toy.

Vash just stared at her with a gentle smile on his face. His heart twisted when the thought came back to him. Aerith was not his and Meryl's daughter.

~~Flashback~~

Vash and company were in another town. They were staying at a small cottage and it was raining. They were all watching TV when they herd gunshots outside followed by a woman's scream for help. They all got up and rushed outside.

A woman running with a baby in her hands. Blood streamed from her head.

"Please! Help my baby!" Milly and Meryl ran to the woman while Nicholas and Vash readied their guns. The woman shoved the baby into Meryl's arms. Meryl just stared. Rain poured down the woman's face, mixing in with her tears.

"Please. Her name is Aerith; she's only a year old," As the mother said that, Aerith began to cry. Meryl tried to calm the baby. The mother smiled.

"Take care of her. Keep her safe from Millions Knives. H-he's the f-f-father," the woman said as she fell to the ground, dead.

"I see no one!" Vash yelled from in front of them. He turned and saw the dead woman. He stared at the baby Meryl was holding. She was about to say something when Vash interrupted.

"I guess we have a baby on board," He walked over to Meryl and looked down at the baby. The baby smiled when she saw Vash and stretched out her arms for him. He didn't know what to do.

"Her name is Aerith. She wants you to hold her," Meryl said with a slight smile. Blushing, Vash took the baby and Meryl bent down to the woman.

"She's dead Vash,"

"I figured,"

Milly looked at him with a frown.

"We need to leave town now sir," Vash's pinky was being squeezed by Aerith. Nicholas looked happy to see a child with them. But then looked at Meryl seriously.

"Meryl. Did that woman tell you her name? What about the husband?" Meryl froze. The thought of Knives, being a father chilled her spine.

"Meryl?" Vash asked her with a serious face. She paused before speaking. Slowly, she raised her face to Vash and their eyes met.

"She didn't tell me her name but the father's is…,"

"Yes,"

"M-Millions Knives. He is the father," Everyone was still. Vash handed back Aerith to Meryl.

"Well there is no doubt that he wants to kill his kid. Let's take her," his voice was final.

~~End of Flashback~~

Vash sat there. Watching Aerith play with her toy. Ever since that day, Vash, Meryl, Milly, and Nicholas mad an oath to raise Aerith and never let her near her real father.

They all had a part in raising Aerith. Meryl was known as `Mama' and played the role as the mother. Milly home schooled Aerith in math, science, reading, and some history. Nicholas taught her about God and how to look to him for guidance. Vash had two jobs: He was known as `Papa'. He was the playmate and protector (with help from Nicholas of course).

Aerith was very aware that Vash and Meryl are not married and are not her parents. They told her so when she was 6, but she still calls them her mother and father.

A waiter came and set down a plate of pancakes on the table.

"Come and get it Aerith! Or I'll eat it!" Vash said as he picked up a fork. Aerith set down her toy and ran to the table before Vash could sink his teeth into her breakfast. They both started to eat.

~~Hour later~~

The gangs were all packed up in a jeep and were speeding alone in the desert. Vash was driving.

"Ooohhhh nnnoo!" the cry from Aerith made Nicholas. He turned to look in the backseat.

"What's wrong?" he saw tears stream down her pink cheeks.

"I forgot my puppy Tongari!" Vash made a half-smile half-frown.

"Oh no. Were too far away from Tongari. I'm sorry," Nicholas said gently. That only earned him a scream. He winced.

"We'll get a new toy for you when we get to the next stop," Vash said, looking through the front mirror at her. Aerith stopped the crying and hiccupped.

"A puppy toy?"

"Fine. But stop the crying? Please?"

Aerith automatically sat up with a big smile. Meryl and Milly stared at her change of mood. That's scary. They both thought.

Aerith looked out the jeep window. Nothing but desert and sand. She sighed and rested her head on Milly's lap and looked up to her.

"Tired little miss?" Milly chirped. Aerith nodded as her eyes sagged. She felt her legs being pulled up and set on Meryl's lap.

"You should take a nap then. We won't be there until nighttime," Meryl insisted. At that Aerith closed her eyes and was put into a deep sleep.