Trigun Fan Fiction ❯ Redemption ❯ Letter from the Dead ( Chapter 1 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
(A/N) Hello. I would first off like to note the length of this chapter. I know I said each chapter would be eight pages long, but what my computer says is eight pages and what Media Miner thinks is eight pages are apparently two very different things. For this I apologize but it's not my fault.

Disclaimer: a) I do not, nor will I ever own Trigun (despite great hopes) and its characters. b) I do not make any money off of this. I donft have any either.

*I do however own certain characters and places. All of which should be blatantly obvious.*@

Redemption

By Neko Bell

Edited by Medatsu

Part One: Letter from the Dead


The suns shine brightly on the small town, the streets full of hustle and bustle. A familiar tall figure in blue jeans and a white button down shirt, with gravity-defying blond and black hair, strolls down the street, groceries in hand with a great big smile on his face. A small paper airplane flies through the air and becomes lodged in the man's ear.

"Yikes!" the man jumps up, startled, and pulls it out as two small children come running up to him.

"Mr. Vash can we please have our plane back?" Asks the little boy reaching his hands up expectantly.

"Oh, this is yours? Sure, here you go." He gives them a big smile as he hands it to him.

"Um, Mr. Vash..." The little girl says quietly as she looks down fidgeting with her dress.

"Um hum?"

"Will you come play with us?"

"Yeah, but I have do some stuff first. So you go on without me and I'll catch up."

"Kay." he waves as they run off down the street.

'Well things seem to be going well.' He thinks, 'Haven't seen a bounty hunter in four months, Knives is still unconscious and the people here aren't afraid of me anymore. Maybe my life will stay peaceful and quiet for a change.f He stops on the porch of a brick house, just opening the door whenc

"Mr. VASH!"

"Huh?"

Milly dressed in overalls, a white shirt and head scarf, comes tearing down the street, dragging Meryl behind her. She stops, panting, and white faced in front of him holding an envelope in her hand.

"What's going on, you look like you've seen a ghost."

"Not quite" says Meryl straightening her blue skirt and white blouse, not looking much better than Milly. "Milly received a letter today from the insurance agency...h

"It's for you, from Mr. Wolfwood!" She butts in.

"What?! Wolfwood?!" Vash looks incredibly confused. "BUT HOW?!"

"Your guess is as good as mine." Meryl shrugs.

"I wonder why he sent it to the insurance agency? Have you opened it yet?" Milly shakes her head.

"It's probably a fake. Someone's idea of a practical joke."

"How could it be? Why would someone do something so horrible Meryl?"

"And who would want to?"

"Your brother for one." Vash looks away, hurt by her statement.

"Well, we'll just have to find out." Milly says firmly ripping off one end of the envelope. She pulls out a folded piece of paper and gives it to Vash.

He reluctantly unfolds it, remembering how he'd found Wolfwood's body. Leaning lifelessly on his cross. He takes a deep breath and begins to read it aloud.

'Hey Vash,
If you've received this, well, I must be dead. First of all this was my own fault, it was bound to happen anyway. So don't blame yourself, I mean it needle noggin! Secondly, I need a big favor. You remember the orphanage I told you about, out in the boonies near December? I need you to go there. The kids will need someone to look after them with me gone, and you love kids so much you seem like the best person for the job. Just think of this as the last wish of a dead man.'
'May you go with the love and protection of almighty God.'
Nicholas D. Wolfwood

"..." Vash looks at the letter as though not sure what to think.

"Well, I better get packing. After all, December is awfully far away and we should get going as soon as possible." Milly heads into the house.

"Hold on a second Milly!" Meryl has her by the arm, a worried look on her face. "This isn't something we can just rush into. We need to think about this."

"Why? It's not like it's a dangerous situation, itfs just a bunch of kids who need help." Meryl just looks at him and sighs.

"You don't know that for sure! Besides, even if it isn't you're still overlooking something important here Vash."

"What?"

"Knives. Do you really want to expose a bunch of children to that vicious killer?"

"Itfs not..." Vash looks more hurt then before. "I hadn't thought of that."

"But Meryl, Mr. Knives is unconscious."

"But for how long Milly? What if he wakes up there and goes on a rampage, what then?"

"Well," she draws herself up to her full height "I have every confidence in Mr. Vash, after all he did stop Mr. Knives before. Besides we'll be there to help this time if he does try to hurt people again." She says, nodding and sounding as if this settled the matter. Vash looks at her with thanks on his face.

"I don't know about this."

Looking stern now, "Meryl itfs for Mr. Wolfwood, and if my big sister taught me one thing it's that you always honor the wishes of the dead and dying. I'm going, and if the two of you want to come then fine. But don't try to talk me out of it." With that she disappears inside.

Still smiling after her, "I have to say she has a point. I owe Wolfwood, even with my obligation to Knives." He moves to enter the house.

"You've got to be kidding. What if he does wake up! And hurts those kids or hurts you again. What are you going to do, you won't kill him!"

He looks back from the doorway. "I'll just have to be extra careful, that's all. But, I won't turn down help with this, if you don't mind tagging along."

"*Big sigh* I can't believe I'm doing this." She states pushing past him and up the stairs.

He smiles after her. "Thanks"

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Later that day in the market, gHey Vash, what's with all the supplies?h Asks a fairly round, middle-aged man in a hardware apron.

"I'm leaving town for awhile, a friend needs me to do him a favor over in December.h He says loading a bag with matches, lamp oil, rope and other survival supplies. gHey, have you seen Bill? I want to buy that old Jeep he's been trying to sell.h

"Yeah, hefs been over at the Bentley home a lot lately. I think he's doing a job for them.

"Great, thanks a lot Arthur.h He calls walking away with the bag of supplies and a large number of canteens slung over his shoulder.

Later back at the house. gHere are the supplies Meryl.h

"Good. Did you get the Jeep?h Meryl is back in her traveling gear, and has a clipboard in her hands. She's standing next to a small mound of boxes and bags.

"Yep. I got a good deal for it to.h He says pulling the keys out of his pocket and jingling them. "Gee, I hope this is all going to fit.h He rubs his neck looking quizzically at the mound.

"It will, Milly has a knack for packing. Checklist time. Milly, bags?h

"Got it,h Milly calls as she emerges from the living room holding everyone's regular luggage gI mean, check Meryl.h

She walks outside with the bags, as a black cat pokes its head out of Vash's bag and lets out a "Niyaaaaa.h

"Water Vash?"

"Check.h He says walking out with all the canteens.

This whole thing goes on for sometime as the kitchen is slowly emptied.

"Good, just one last thing. ..."She looks at the stairs with worry still on her face "Knives." Both she and Milly had been wary of Knives ever since he had arrived. He woke up for a brief moment, and had grabbed hold of Meryl's throat. Luckily he was too exhausted and hurt to fight her struggles and passed out. Both of them didn't want to go near him after that, leaving only Vash to look after him.

"I'll be out with him in a minute, you two go get settled in the car." Milly and Meryl go out as Vash climbs the stairs. Before he opens the door to Knives' room he looks down the now bare hall. The house had only two bedrooms on the second floor - he and knives shared the smaller, giving the larger to the girls - and a single bathroom. The first floor had a fair sized kitchen, and living room. It wasn't all that spacious or luxurious, but it was home. 'It's been a while since I've had the luxury of staying one place for so long.' He thinks as he enters and begins to collect Knives. 'Oh well, I knew it wouldn't last anyway.'

Shortly he exits the house; Knives hung over his shoulder. Meryl deliberately avoids looking at them. Vash sets him in the front passenger side seat, buckles him in and then gets in the driver's seat. Starting the engine, he says a silent farewell to the town and the people he'd met as they drive off into the desert.

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The suns set, the moons rise. In another place the silhouette of a woman runs through the desert, pursued by shadows of wild beasts. Her breath steady and strong she doesn't look back, only at the ground in front of her, knowing that if she stumbles or slows she will die. For beasts, know no mercy. But in her focus, she does not notice yet another beast, atop a ledge, along the wall above her. The beast takes no time and lunges, sinking its teeth into her shoulder, clawing at her back. A painful cry fills the night, but the fight isn't over yet. She grabs hold of the beast tearing it from her, flinging it aside. It lets out a yelp, slumping to the ground. Turning now she faces the onslaught of beasts bearing down on her. Iles away the howling of wild animals can be heard long into the night.

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The suns soon rise flooding the world with light. Through the desert the bloodied figure of the woman trudges on. Wounds of crusted blood vary down her body from cuts and bruises on her face and arms to tearing and gouges in her back. Her black hair is sticking to her wounds. Her clothes are all but torn off her body, now unrecognizable as anything but rags. She's oblivious to her own pain, focusing on the next dune of sand. But shock only lasts so long, and when it wears off she loses her balance, trips, falling to the sands. A loud thud and the tinkle of metal are heard. As the dust clears the shine of a silver gun can be seen beneath her, the metal part of her black choker lying atop it, engraved with the word 'Laina'.

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Through the whirling sands the hum of a car is heard as the tarp covered jeep comes into view. "Well this is it."

"Really? How can you tell Mr. Vash? With all this sand flying everywhere how can you tell anything?" Milly had her usual curious and confused look on.

"I can just sort of sense them, that's all."

"You mean like ESP or something?"

"Yeah, something like that."

(Flash Back)

He'd been a little worried when he told the girls he was a plant, considering some of the bad reactions he'd had to suffer through in the past.

"I knew it! There was just no way that you were human with all those stunts you've pulled and lived through." was Meryl's reaction at first. Afterwards she was sort of upset about it for a few days; he had no idea why. And when he asked her if was still ok for him to be there, she shrugged it off with gOf course its ok, what are you talking about.h

Milly on the other hand took it really well. For weeks she persisted in asking him questions about what it was like being a plant. And now they seem to think nothing of it, just another strange day in the life of the Humanoid Typhoon, Vash The Stampede.

(End Flash Back)

"I still don't understand why you left it behind in the first place, Vash." States Meryl a little sour.

"Well, at least it's on the way. I just hope no one else's found them. Or I'll never get it back." He tries to study the landscape, but can determine little in the sandstorm. 'Not that I ever wanted to hold a gun again, but I might need it.'

He stops the car. "You two stay here. I don't need you getting lost in this." he heads round to the back and pulls a brown bundle out of the trunk.

"What about you?" Meryl calls as he comes around the front. He now has a rope tied around his waist and a two holster gun belt on. He ties himself to the grid on the front of the jeep.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." He walks into the storm, pulling a brown tarp around himself.

Twenty minutes later *thud* "Ouch! What the heck?h 'Oh, Wolfwood's cross. I'd forgotten all about it.' He looks at it for a moment and wraps it in its' cloth, which had been beneath it. 'I wonder...who took you?' He slings it over his shoulder remembering that after telling the girls, he'd gone back to bury him, but the body was gone.

Ten minutes later his foot snags. "Huh? There it is!" He has a spark in his voice. Seeing his old coat again makes him think of Rem, which always makes him happy. 'Just a little worse for wear.' As he examines several bullet holes. 'Just two things left.'

Fifteen minutes later 'I'm getting closer to them. Hunh?' He's come across the body of the woman. 'Oh god.' He kneels down beside her. 'She's alive? Hunh?' He finally notices his "siblings" in the sand beneath her. He holsters them, wraps her in the brown tarp and with great effort of balance lifts up the girl and begins his trek back to the jeep.

"There he is Meryl!"

"Hum? Oh good, I was starting to worry. Milly, is it me, or is he carrying someone?"

He pulls open the backseat door. "Take her." Milly complies and with some help from Meryl they settle her in the back. Vash goes and puts his coat and the Punisher cross in the trunk.

Getting in the driver's seat, he passes back a canteen of water. "We need to get to December as fast as possible. She's hurt badly." He starts the engine and drives as fast as the car will go. Unfortunately the nearest hospital was in the city of December almost 400 Iles away, so the orphanage would have to do.

The storm has subsided. They pass over a dune and through the heat, they see a tall stone building etched in the wall of a small cliff slowly come into view. The jeep pulls up to the door as a frail and very old priest steps onto the porch. Vash exits the jeep and retrieves the wounded girl from the back.

"Hello there strangers, what can I do for you?" A young boy pears out from behind the priest.

"Do you have medical supplies? This women's hurt, and needs immediate attention." The priest steps out of Vash's way carefully looking over the girl as he passes.

"Thomas go get the emergency medical kit, a bottle of wine from the cellar and put water on to boil." The young boy wastes no time in carrying out his orders and disappears down a hallway. The Father moves to the center of the chapel floor where Vash has set the woman. "My goodness, she's been torn apart by some wild animal." He begins to look over her wounds as Vash rolls back his sleeves.

"Not just one, the bite marks aren't the same. She was attacked by at least three animals. The wound on her side and leg are different sizes than this one." He refers to the largest of the wounds located on her shoulder. The boy enters with the wine and a box full of medical supplies.

"Otis is watching the water father." He says setting the box down and stepping away. He looks at Milly and Meryl who are standing by the door. "You can sit down you know." He points to the bench at the wall next to the door. They look at it for a moment, then reluctantly seat themselves. They both want to help, but as neither one of them has much medical knowledge besides the proper application of a Band-Aid, they really have no idea what to do. A younger boy enters, whispering something to Thomas. They then disappear and Thomas returns a short time later with a basin full of hot water and a few rags. He lays it next to the medical box. All the while Vash and the priest have been carefully cutting away the woman's clothes to better access her wounds.

After several grueling hours of work on both their parts, the wounded woman is now fairly clean of blood and well stitched up.

"There! The scarring should be fairly minimal. You are a skilled surgeon young man." He says gently touching Vash's shoulder.

"You're not too bad yourself. I'm Vash by the way." He stretches out his hand.

"Father Baldwin. A pleasure to meet you." They shake hands. "She'll need proper clothes. Thomas go into the hall closet and fetch something of suitable size, please." With that the boy was gone again. "And you two ladies are?" He looks toward the girls.

"I'm Milly Thompson." She waves happily.

"Meryl Stryfe."

"Well you needn't worry about your friend she'll be just fine."

"Oh, we don't know her." Says Milly.

"We found her on our way here." Father Baldwin looks surprised.

"My goodness, and you didn't see anything that might have done this to her?" Everyone shrugs. "Very strange, I find it hard to believe anyone could go far in such a condition. It's very lucky you found her. She'd never have survived like that for long." The boy returns and the woman is soon dressed in a pair of black shorts and a white button down shirt. Vash lifts her up in his arms, as Meryl looks on with a kind of envy. "This way to the spare rooms." The priest turns down another hall, Vash following close behind.

Once out of sight. "Oh my gosh Meryl!"

"What is it Milly?"

"We forgot all about Mr. Knives, he's still in the jeep."

"It's ok Milly, it's not like he'll notice. I'll go tell Vash."

"No Meryl, that poor women is what he need to concern himself with right now. I'll go out and get him."

"Are you sure about that Milly?" She looks worried.

"It'll be alright Meryl. Don't worry, I can handle it." She exits the building.

Elsewhere, the body of the woman is set on a bed in a small room. The only furnishings are a bed, a nightstand, a chair in the far corner, and a small wooden cross which hangs over the bed. After setting her down Vash notices her choker for the first time. "Laina, huh?"

"Umm" her eyes open half way.

"Hey, you're awake! Don't worry you're safe. So try to get some rest." he assures her with a smile.

Meanwhile back in the main hall, "Meryl could you come help me, he's sort of heavy." Milly calls.

Meryl looks sort of scared at the thought. "What am I doing?" She shakes her head. "What am I so afraid of? If Milly can do this so can I." With that she walks out the door, determination covering her face.

Vash is sitting on the bed next to Laina, carefully pulling the covers around her. The priest is gently dabbing her forehead with a wet cloth. "There's nothing for you to worry about young lady."

"Mr. Vash?" Comes Milly's voice from the other side of the door.

He gets up and opens the door. There is Milly, feet dangling, white faced, a hand grasping the back of her throat. Vash pales as a cold voice rises "Hello brother."

Next: Knives is back and he's not happy. But can Vash do anything about it? Does he even have a chance this time? What happened to Meryl? Is Milly ok? And who is this strange woman?

Find out next time in Part two: Unknown Variable

(A/N) Wow, that was long. So, what do you think? Be honest. Flame me if you feel the need. I could use the heat in this freezing cold room of mine.
*Because if you expect me to update any time in the near future then REVIEW!*