Trigun Fan Fiction ❯ Old Paths, New Journeys ❯ Strangers in the desert ( Chapter 1 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

He thought it was all over now… Vash had carried his brother Knives back towards town after the fearsome battle they waged. He’d beaten his brother, even badly injured him. Vash had no idea what would go on now. Would Knives finally understand? All Vash knew in that moment was that Knives needed help and rest. Millie and Meryl had been working hard, trying to get their minds off where Vash was and what was going on. Millie and the excavation crew had broken ground building a well in the town. Meryl busied herself working in the saloon. While this wasn’t exactly what they had thought they’d be doing it did keep the double dollars coming in so they didn’t complain, too much. As Vash reached the edge of town he saw water shooting up into the sky. “They really did it…” he muttered watching the sparkling blue water rush like a fountain. He heard cheers and clapping amidst the rush of water. He kept walking.

“You guys did it Millie! That’s so great!” Meryl exclaimed excitedly. “Yeah! Now we really do have all the water we can drink Meryl!” Millie said sticking her head to the rush of water taking a gulp. Meryl just started laughing. It was so nice to see Millie smile. It was very difficult times after Wolfwood had passed away. As always though Millie though seemingly naïve was very strong and kept going despite the hardship of this great loss. The town was in celebration, she was helping people and she thought he’d be proud. That was all that mattered.

As Vash walked along he noticed something. Someone walking along the horizon. He squinted a bit and noticed it was a lovely young lady. “GAAAHH, whatta cutie!!!” Vash said and began to walk her way. He picked up his pace noticing her swaying slightly as though she were weakened by something. Being the valiant man he was he had to help. Or that was his excuse this time at least.

Clad in white a young woman walked the desert. She was parched and tired as the sun beat down upon her. Her emerald green eyes stared ahead seeing the town. “Just a little further… How do they survive…” she said to herself. As she took her next step her legs buckled under her in the sand and she fell. Breathing deeply she sat up. A wind blew from the west tossing her short blond brown hair into her face. She brushed it back and looked at the town again even from her vantage point one could see the water rush from the new well. She rose from the sand attempting again to walk further. She took slow careful steps now, fearing if she fell again she may not have the will to get up.

“Hello there!!” Vash said with Knives still on his shoulder. The woman looked examining Vash, tilting her head one way then the other. “Hello,” she finally responded after a bit of silence. “Are you going to the town here? I can help if you’d like…” Vash said. “It seems you already have a passenger…” she replied. “It’s no trouble. I can carry you too. Or I’ll just walk with you. What ever you want Miss… I’m sorry what’s your name?” he asked. “I am called Alandra. And yourself?” she replied. “Oh my name’s Vash!” he said and smiled widely. “Your friend really needs medical attention… I can help if you would like…” Alandra told him. “He’s my brother.. And you’re much to exhausted Miss Alandra, really. Lets just go to the town, okay?” Vash said. “I will be fine Vash… You needn’t worry…” she said as she walked closer. He felt something strange about her, something not quite human but yet it didn’t make him uneasy.

She walked up putting her hands on Knives. She gasped suddenly pulling away. She looked in slight shock at Knives. Her hand shook terrible. You see when she healed people she could see into them… Their thoughts and memories. Knives was something she had never encountered before. “A-are you alright?” Vash asked. “I..He…” Alandra sputtered still trying to process what she’d seen. All the death, feelings of hatred and jealousy. She now knew things about Knives that no one did. “Did I miss something here? What just happened?” Vash asked looking very confused. She couldn’t explain what she did or what she saw but when she touched another person she could see into their mind and their heart, and they in turn knew she was there. Since Knives was unconscious at this time there were no mental blocks to keep her out of any part of his mind and he more then likely wouldn’t remember the encounter. “I am fine. Please, let us go to the town. He still needs rest… You do as well…” she said now knowing they had just fought each other in a gunfight.

They walked together into the town and as soon as they got near the inn Vash stayed in the insurance girls came over. “Mister Vash!!” Millie yelled. “Hello!” he replied. “V-v-vash…” Meryl stuttered quietly as she walked over. Vash simply smiled at her. He was really relieved to see the two girls were doing fine. “And WHO is this Vash?!?” Meryl yelled pointing at Alandra quickly getting back to her usual self. “To tell you the truth I don’t really know… Her name’s Alandra. That’s about as far as we got,” Vash said putting a hand behind his head and laughing a bit. “Hello,” Alandra said. Meryl looked at her a moment. Alandra was beautiful. Meryl never saw anyone quite like her. There was just something about her that made Meryl unable to stay angry, at least with Alandra. Meryl always had energy to be angry with Vash. She argued with Vash a bit saying that he better not be doing anything bad or illegal with this woman and then lectured him on how she looked tired and he should get her food and water. “I have to tend to Knives first…” Vash said. Meryl simply nodded. He didn’t looked terrible now, he from the slight touch Alandra gave , had already started to heal. Vash went inside the hotel and went into a room laying Knives down. “Well Knives, this is the start to a new beginning I hope. Hopefully you’ll really listen instead of just hearing me now…” Vash said as he bandaged Knives and then covered him with a blanket. He walked back outside to where the 3 women stood.

“So just where are you from Miss Alandra?” Meryl asked. “You would not believe me if I told you Miss…” Alandra replied. “Oh try me. I’ve been living with a Humanoid Typhoon the past year, how bad could your story be?” Meryl said with a slight laughing scoff. “Hey ladies! I am starved lets go get something yummy to eat!” Vash said walking up. “Oh yay!” Millie replied excitedly. Meryl just shook her head and they walked off. Alandra nodded her thanks to Vash after Meryl and Millie turned away. Vash smiled in return. They walked into the saloon and Vash order three plates of salmon sandwiches for himself. Alandra had no idea what to order. All of this was new to her. “Aren’t you gonna eat something??” Vash asked. “Hmph, maybe watching you pig out like that turned her stomach Vash!” Meryl said rolling her eyes. “I… I am unsure as to what I should have,” Alandra said. “You what? Where’d you come from lady? Every place has about the same menu…” Vash said and laughed a little. “I came from very far away lets say that,” she replied still staring at the menu. “Here have a salmon sandwich they’re the best!” he said to her then turned to the bar, “say Gramma! Gimme another drink and a plate of sandwiches!” The woman barkeep came over and hit him in the head with a pitcher of beer. “Err, I mean please may I have another drink Miss and more sandwiches if you don’t mind?” he said his eyes sparkling as he smiled. “That’s more like it,” the barkeep replied and pour his drink then went back to get him more sandwiches.

“Hmm,” Millie said sitting staring at Alandra with a pondering look. Alandra simply looked at her blankly. “Maybe you’re an alien!” Millie said. “AH! Millie!!! That’s not a nice thing to say!!” Meryl said. “You never know, she might be…” Millie replied. “That… That’s just silly! Besides who in there right mind would come here from another planet anyways Millie?!” Meryl said. “Truly… Who in their right mind would come here…” Alandra said with a slight laugh. “You see?? She’s not an alien!” Meryl said. It was true though, Alandra was not from this planet. Where exactly she was from she couldn’t say.

Alandra came from a world where everything was very peaceful, the lush green grasses went on for miles. Some how though the place made her feel completely empty. She was the daughter of a High Council man on her home world. Her ever whim was tended to. The truth was she couldn’t stand it. She was constantly confined every day stuck being home schooled and she was waited on all the time and thought that was unfair. She had to escape this false reality. And so she stole a ship from the military’s fleet and let the ship take her where it wanted. The ships on her planet were living beings. She bonded with one particular ship quite a bit in secret. They became friends of sorts. As a token of Alandra’s good will after the ship got her to this planet she set it free. Though now she was stuck on this desolate planet. She hadn’t realized that the entire planet was sand. But freedom was worth the cost. To come and go as she pleased, to eat new foods, to meet new people. She smiled at the thought of all the new things she would be experiencing.

“Whatcha thinkin’ about?” Vash asked her seeing the wide grin on Alandra’s face. “What? Oh, just…Nothing really,” she replied. “Yeah right! C’mon you can trust me!” Vash said smiling and taking another swig of his drink. “What is that?” she asked pointing to his drink. “Umm.. Bourbon,” he replied. “May I?” she asked excitedly. “Sure!” Vash replied with a slight laugh. He began to really realize how foreign everything was to her. She took the glass in her hands examining the contents. She looks at it and then took a sip. “AAAHHH!! YAAAA!! Why do you drink that it’s horrible!!!!” she screamed. It burned and tasted terrible. “It’s an acquired taste Miss Alandra. Let me get you something a little more gentle,” Vash said laughing. He went up to the bar and asked the bartender for a strawberry daiquiri. “Alright, now this will probably be more your style Miss Alandra!” Vash said handing her the drink. “If you say so,” she replied with a smile. She looked at it. It was much different then the Bourbon. She took a sip and then smiled with delight. “Oh this is so great Mister Vash!!! What do you call it?” she asked. “Oh it’s just a Vash special…” he replied grinning. “Don’t listen to that broom head Miss Alandra. The drink is called a strawberry daiquiri,” Meryl replied. Alandra began laughing. You see she never had a drop of alcohol in her life and her people were highly sensitive to it. “Oh I want one!!” Millie said giddily seeing Alandra’s reaction. “I’ll get you one Miss Millie!” Alandra said still giggling a bit. She had also sucked down that drink in about 3 large sips. “Scuse me miss lady ma’am…But I wanna get a couple more of these LOVELY drinks here…” Alandra said to the lady bartending. “What did you have young lady?” the bartender asked with an eyebrow raised. “Oh it’s a strawberry daiquiri. I’m so sorry I didn’t say that!! If I didn’t how would you ever know what to do! And if you didn’t know what to do oh that would be so terrible wouldn’t it? Indeed! So now I am telling you, TWO STRAWBERRY DAIQUIRIS PLEASE!!” Alandra said rambling and getting louder as she went on. “Light weight…” the bartender mumbled shaking her head. She handed Alandra the drinks. “That’s $$8 you know?” the bartender said. “Oh REALLY? It is?? That’s not too bad! Put it on Mister Vash’s tab with anything else I might get. He’s so nice, don’t you think? It’s so great that I met him in the desert. But every where’s desert so maybe I should be more specific hu-…” the bartender interrupted Alandra, “your friends are waiting for you miss, you best get back now…” So Alandra walked back over handing Millie her drink. The bartender sighed in relief. It was bad enough that when Vash was there by himself he talked her ear off now he had a friend just like him.

The four sat at the table talking and laughing. Meryl was just glad to have Vash back. But she was very unsure of this new woman who by this point had an arm around Vash as they sang a song together. “This land is my land! This land is your land! C’mon everybody sing along!!” Vash yelled highly out of tune. They swayed back and forth and Millie join in there singing. “Come on Meryl! Sing with us!!” Millie said. “Oh you’ve got a fine trio there, no thanks,” Meryl said sitting back in her chair. She just kept staring at Alandra. She couldn’t decide what to make of her. How she just some how appeared in the desert and didn’t know anything it seemed about the planet Gun Smoke let alone this little town. Maybe Millie was right, maybe she is an alien… Meryl thought to herself. Come on! What am I thinking! Honestly… Meryl thought pushing her first accusation out of her head. “Miss Meryl, are you quite alright there?” Alandra asked getting very close to Meryl’s face. “Huh?! AAHHH!! Get outta my face! You are as bad as him!” Meryl yelled pointing wilding at Vash. “Wha-? I’m sorry! Please don’t be mad with me!!” Alandra said wrapping her arms around Meryl. “Oh! Oh I see…” Alandra said quietly. She had seen some of Meryl’s thoughts when she hugged her. “What do you see?” Meryl said looking thoroughly confused. “You’re in LOVE!! Oh isn’t it lovely.. Love love love…” Alandra said dancing around Meryl. “WHAT DID YOU SAY?! I am not in LOVE!!” Meryl said protesting the thought. “Oh yes you are, you,” Alandra said putting her index finger on Meryl’s nose, “are so in love you’re blind with it.. You love ---” Alandra was stopped by Meryl’s hand clasping over her mouth. “Don’t say it…” Meryl said. Alandra simply nodded. And then as though nothing happened she went back over to Vash and Millie.

As the night wore on everyone began to get very tired. “Oh I could fall asleep right here,” Alandra said putting her head on Vash’s shoulder. “Hmm, me too..” Millie said putting her head on Alandra’s shoulder. “Me three.. Hey wait a minute… I don’t have a shoulder to lean on!” Vash whimpered and looked at Meryl who simply rolled her eyes. “I am going back to the inn I can’t take any more of the three of you right now,” Meryl said standing and leaving. Vash sighed and tilted his head back in his chair. After a few minutes the bartender came up. “Alright, does this look like a hotel?! You three get on out of here!!” she yelled hitting them each in the head. “Hey! You don’t have to be so rough!” Vash said rubbing his head. The trio got up and walked back to the inn. “Good night everybody,” Millie said with a yawn walking in. Vash and Alandra stood just staring at each other for awhile. “Do you have any where to stay?” Vash asked. “No…I have no where…” she replied. “Well, if you’d like you can stay with my brother and I,” Vash said. “That’s sweet of you… I’m not sure that I told you yet but I’m grateful to have met you…” she said. As she did so many questions flooded through Vash mind as to who she really was and where it was she came from but he simply smiled at her and opened the door. They went to the room and Knives was still fast asleep. “He’s still sleeping…” Vash said. “It will be a little while before he wakes… Tomorrow I believe he will wake,” Alandra said. “That’s good…” Vash replied. There was a long pause as Vash looked at Alandra. “Is there something wrong?” she asked. “Well, not really, but… I wanna ask you some things and I don’t want to offend you though,” Vash said. “Sounds interesting, go ahead then,” she replied. “Well, what Millie was saying about you being an alien and all… I might believe it. Where are you from Alandra?” he asked. She sighed heavily and began to speak…