Oh em eff gee, this is my first Trigun fanfic. Actually, this is my first anime fanfic ever. . ; Please excuse my uncreative writing, sometimes I have moments where bursts of creativity come, and I guess you can tell when those occur. The title of the story is from Bonnie Tyler's song "Total Eclipse of the Heart", and no, I don't own her or the song.
Anywho, I DON'T OWN TRIGUN OR ANY OF THE BANDS LISTED. Now read the damn thing! xx
Total Eclipse of the Heart
Chapter 1
"Flower"
Delilah yawned as she scratched her neck, waiting for the bus to arrive at the dusty stop where she was waiting with nothing but her purse in her hand and the blue skies above her. The time was exactly two o'clock in the afternoon... and the bus was almost a full fifteen minutes late. It was nothing out of the ordinary considering it was Little Jersey, and buses had been known to be hijacked/bombed every day. She'd just have to wait it out.
She rummaged through her purse until she pulled out a music playing device, along with a set of small earbuds. Ancient artifacts is what they would be most formally known as on Gunsmoke, even though hundreds of them had been found on the Project Seeds ships. Delilah, whose parents owned an antique shop, was one of the fortunate ones to get her hands on something as priceless as Earth technology.
"Let's see here," she mused to herself after she placed both earbuds in her ears. Quickly she selected Duran Duran's Rio and began to nod her head to the beat. This lost genre of music... New Wave... was something she was quite fond of. It had originated in the twentieth century, nearly five hundred years ago. She had picked up this certain music device when she was nineteen years old and fell in love with its contents of music from time so long ago. She recognized a few songs from the radio, but that was nothing compared to the thousands of songs she had in her possession in a single electronic gadget. Duran Duran, The Police, White Rose Movement, The Cure, Depeche Mode, and also music of other genres such as Lostprophets, Underoath, Pink, Blue Oyster Cult... she was obsessed.
In the distance she could see a huge dust cloud forming in the sky, appearing to be coming closer as a gleaming dot flashed in the distance – metal. Delilah only could hope that it was the bus and not someone trying to kidnap her. Nonetheless, she quickly tried to tidy up her appearance. Her short black hair was messily thrown in two pigtails, a pink bandanna wrapped around her head and tied at the top to keep stray hair off her neck. She pulled the knot tighter in the bandanna just as the bus pulled up.
The fumes were choking her and she could only imagine what it would smell like actually inside the behemoth of a vehicle. Dust clouded her vision and her white pumps were now a dirty yellow and caked with dirt. So much for expensive, she thought to herself as the doors opened and she loaded into the bus. The doors closed behind her and the bus began rolling before she could even find a spot to sit down.
Her green eyes scanned any vacant spots, and to her luck there were quite a few. Trying to make as little noise as she could, she walked down the isle past a sleeping old man and a woman with two giggling children. The back of the bus was empty and she almost sat down until she saw what looked like vomit caked on the back of the seat and on the floor. She nearly gagged.
She thought it would be safer to sit closer to the front so that is what she did. The bus was going to Demitirhi so it wouldn't be that long of a ride, to her luck. There were two reasons why she had boarded the bus instead of taking her black '68 Shelby remake: One, it was in the shop and she was just going to pick it up and two, she was to meet some sort of representative from a company that could supposedly give her a job that would "last for the rest of her life". It sounded like a bunch of bullshit at first but Delilah seriously needed a job she could depend on.
Thirty minutes of stifling heat contained inside the air conditioner-less bus, it finally reached its destination at the Demitirhi bus stop. Delilah had only been to this town a couple times and she had no idea where she was going, but she was young and perky and could ask for directions from just about anyone. The man told her to meet him at the New Oasis Cafe... wherever the Hell that was. She chortled in laughter which caused the lady and her two children to give her strange looks, but she was used to that sort of thing.
After hopping out of the bus, she made sure her appearance was tidy once again. Ah, how vain she was. She wasn't beautiful, or even considered pretty, but she obsessed over her appearance and clothes. She was chubby, not fat, and had a rack that could make heads turn (to put it bluntly). She indeed looked very out of place with her unusually colourful and fashionable get-up consisting of skinny jeans, heels, neon tops and chunky jewelry. To top it off, she also loved piercings. She had eight piercings all together- one in her lip, one laberet, one nose, two in her left ear, one in her right, one in her bellybutton and the other... well, that's one of her dirty secrets. Delilah was the type of girl parents told their children to stay away from.
As she made her way into the heart of the town, more and more people passed her by and she began to feel nervous. It wasn't like she wasn't used to being around people, but how would she find this place she was looking for when every building and person looked the same? Her purse began to slip off her shoulder and she readjusted it, her eyes catching those of a lady who was staring at her. Delilah cleared her throat. Did she really look that lost, or was it her clothes?
"Excuse me," the young girl said to the lady, "but can you tell me where the New Oasis Cafe is?"
The lady blinked her eyes, and then her gaze turned downwards in embarrassment. "Oh... um... down two blocks, make a right and you'll see it.." Her words were quiet yet rushed, and it was obvious this lady did not like talking to strangers.
Delilah put on the warmest smile she could and curtsied slightly to show her gratitude. "Thanks ma'am." She then turned away from the lady and continued her journey, this time at a slightly brisker pace.
However, it was only one block down the street when she realized how truly sore her feet were from her shoes. I can't wear heels everyday... I'm gonna' end up crippled before I even reach thirty, she thought to herself and winced in pain. Yup, she could expect some blisters tomorrow morning.
As she hobbled her way down the dirt road, she caught a glimpse of something red in the corner of her right eye. Turning her head fully, she was met head-on with a bright red sign that read New Oasis Cafe in bold, black print.
Wow, she thought and scratched her head, I think I found it.
When she stepped foot through the swinging doors and into the small cafe, her senses felt like they were automatically rejuvenated as the fresh smell of coffee filled her nostrils and sent waves of calmness through her body. A soft jazz floated through the air and into her ears as soon as she removed her ear buds and placed them gingerly into her purse along with her mp3 player. Now the big issue was finding the actual person she was supposed to meet. They gave her no description of what the person looked like, and nor did she give them any description of what she looked like. She breathed in the aroma of paradise and exhaled deeply. "Guess I'm cold turkey again."
"Miss Bonnouvrier."
Just as her mind was beginning to wander over the various assortment of danishes and pastries, someone said her name... or at least she thought they did.
"Miss Bonnouvrier?"
There was that god damn voice again! She turned around and looked in all directions, scanning the cafe with weary eyes until a rather creepy looking man in a strange white coat caught her attention. Her green eyes met with his gold ones and she felt like she was hooked. Slowly her feet began to carry her over to him as his lips curved into a teasing smile. She didn't understand why she had the impulse to approach this fiendish looking character, but who cared. He was cute.
"Waa... ah, I... erm.." At the moment, Delilah could not form a word even if her life depended on it, so nothing but nonsensical babble came from her mouth instead. What was wrong with her? And who the Hell was this creepy looking guy?
"Miss Bonnouvrier, I'm glad we've managed to find each other," he spoke to her out loud in a smooth, almost mesmerizing voice that sent chills down her spine. What a creep.
Suddenly Delilah felt fully coherent again as she sat down in a chair across from him. "H-hi..." That was all she could really say at the moment.
"My name is Legato Bluesummers. As you already know, I was sent by my master to make sure you get to the...base... safely," he told her calmly.
His demeanor was that of a hawk, watching her every move and taking in everything about her, yet he had the gracefulness of a feline. He seemed like a very professional kind of guy yet there was something unnerving about the spikes protruding from his jacket, along with the skull on the left sleeve. Oh yeah, not to mention his strange golden eyes, deep indigo hair, and the way he seemed like he could read minds. Can't forget about that.
Delilah was silent and nodded feebly, noticing how he referred to someone as 'master'. What sort of job was she in for, anyways?
The blue-haired man tilted his head to the side and inquisitively rubbed his chin. "Shall I order a drink for the lady?"
Delilah stared at him. "You are one creepy motherfucker."
Legato laughed sinisterly and clasped his hands together on his lap. "I'm taking that as a no. Well then, shall we head back to the base?"
Even Delilah was shocked at her rude outburst. "Oh! Erm... yeah, I guess so," she said shyly as an uneasy laugh escaped from her throat. "But first I need to get my car at the shop, if that's no trouble."
"Oh, it's no trouble at all. We have all the time in the world... although I hate to keep master waiting," Legato replied as he stood from his seat.
Delilah stood up and was careful not to get too close to this guy because he looked dangerous, believe it or not. "Don't worry, it will only take a second."
With Delilah in the lead, they exited the dim cafe and into the bright sun and dry environment. She stopped briefly to let Legato in front and it was then she noticed how tall he really was. Delilah was a short girl to begin with, but Legato made her feel like a midget. She also noticed something else about this strange Legato person. He wasn't just cute, he was absolutely gorgeous. She had to avert her eyes to the ground to keep herself from staring for too long.
"You're blushing," came Legato's voice from in front of her. He was still walking and he didn't even turn to look at her... but it was true. She was blushing like mad.
"I..." she began, but then quickly shut her mouth. There was no point in denying what she thought about him.
Legato coolly turned his head slightly to look at her, a smug grin on his handsome face. He could easily search her mind and get the directions to their next destination, without her even knowing. He turned his head forward again and stared straight ahead. Narrowing his eyes, he began to try and gain access to her mind, into her thoughts. Something struck him as odd, however, since he could only get as much as her name. This girl's mind was too cluttered for him to find any relevant information.
Well, she is strange for a typical female spider, Legato contemplated, but is she really that typical? She certainly stuck out like a sore thumb, even amongst other fashionable women. But that was what Legato detested about female spiders like her. All that they cared about was their appearance and trying to be the best at everything, even though at the end of the day they were all the same- nothing but garbage. This was true for all humans, even Legato himself.
It was only a matter of minutes until Delilah decided to speak up. "Excuse me, Mr. Bluesummers, but do you know where we're supposed to be headed?"
Legato continued on at the same pace, one that Delilah found hard to keep up with with her feet so sore. "I was hoping you'd tell me that, Miss."
Delilah chuckled nervously. "Oh... right, um..." She was almost considering asking for directions when the smell of gasoline filled the air. "Right over there!"
The blue haired man stopped, causing Delilah to bump into the back of him. Just across the way was a large barn, hundreds of cars piled in the back and scattered around the perimeter. One of the cars, quite out of place with the others, sat parked out front with a shiny coat of black paint. Legato could only guess that the most different looking one belonged to Delilah. "You own the black one?"
"Yeah, how'd you know?" Delilah asked and looked up at Legato for an answer.
Sighing, Legato shook his head. He began to notice something else about this girl; she was pretty dense. "Lucky guess," is all he casually said in reply. He had to admit he was a little bit grateful that they wouldn't have to walk all the way back.
He waited outside while Delilah ran inside the barn to sign her car out and pay the costs of repairs. When she came out, Legato was still standing in the same place she had left him ten minutes ago. This kind of creeped her out. "...okay, well, I guess we're finished here. Shall we head back now?"
"Of course," Legato said as his hand clutched the passenger door handle, giving it a gentle tug as it opened with a click. He had never ridden in such an automobile as this one before. This one looked like it was from Earth, in a time that would be considered ancient on Gunsmoke. Slowly he eased into the low-sitting car and felt an overwhelming feeling of claustrophobia.
Delilah opened the driver side door and poked her head in. "Mind if I put the top down?"
Legato had been holding his breath since he sat down and finally exhaled in relief. "Please do."
The roof on the car began to open up as sunlight poured in and Legato could immediately feel his claustrophobia subside. Once the top was fully down and tightly secured, Delilah hopped into the driver seat. It took a while for her to rummage through her purse and locate her keys (in which she had just placed in there a minute ago) so in the meantime, Legato was doing a mental check of the new recruit.
Delilah didn't quite have all the physical aspects of a warrior, and that right away could be a problem in training her. He noticed she had a small, yet stocky build. She was very curvaceous with a small amount of fat on her abdominal obliques, breasts, and hips, and that could render her rather obsolete when it came to speed and endurance. Her attire was also a problem- one could not run and engage in physical activity in heels, tight jeans and so much jewelry, not to mention her piercings. So what exactly had Knives seen in her that made him want to recruit her? Either Legato's master had gone absolutely insane, or maybe Delilah really did possess an ability only Knives knew about. He definitely hadn't picked her for looks, that's for certain.
"Found 'em!" Delilah squeaked in excitement as she pulled out a ridiculously cluttered key ring full of keys, keychains, and other small tools. She fumbled with the busy key ring until she found the keys to the ignition, hidden under a keychain that looked like a large, pointless, green puffball. Inserting the key into the ignition, she turned it and a choked, "chigga chigga chigga" sound immediately followed. After about three tries, the car finally started with a loud, low rumble.
A small, anime-esque sweatdrop appeared over Legato's head. Why did he have the strange feeling that it wouldn't exactly be a smooth ride back to the base? It was only a little bit less than five miles away, but Legato had a bad feeling about this girl. Quietly he stared off to the side as she violently pulled the car in reverse, taking off at dangerous speeds.
The wind blew through Delilah's short, black locks of hair as she jerked the steering wheel left and right, narrowly avoiding random buildings, thomases, and pedestrians that watched in terror as she sped through the once quiet streets. Legato was gripping the side of the door so hard he thought he might break it off. What the hell was she thinking? At this rate, they would both be dead before they reached the base. Master would be so disappointed.
To Legato's luck, they were starting to get into the more suburban part of town, then soon they'd be out in the open desert with no humans/buildings/animals to hit. He turned his head slightly only to see Delilah clutching the steering wheel so hard her knuckles were white, an almost crazed look on her face. Did she not drive much, or was she always this interesting looking? He decided it was best not to ask.
Within only a few minutes, they were out of the way of civilization and into the expansive, dusty land that encompassed 99.9 of the planet. The ride went a lot smoother with the exception of dust flying every which way, but neither of them had no room to complain. Taking her eyes off the "road" for a brief second, she pressed the pressed a button on the radio and a faint sound of music emitted from the car speakers. Suddenly she twisted the knob all the way to the right and a sudden blast of sound filled the car and once silent land. Neither Legato nor Delilah flinched at the sudden explosion of music but if it were anyone else, they would have probably had a heart attack.
The sound was new to Legato's ears but all too familiar with Delilah's. It was White Rose Movement's "Test Card Girl", music from a long lost generation ago that Legato could not even comprehend. He couldn't exactly say that he was annoyed by it, but it was different from his tastes. It would definitely take some time to get used to... that is, if Delilah even stayed that long. Legato had a gut feeling that he'd end up dumping her body somewhere out in the desert along with the trash.
The blue haired man patiently sat and gazed off at the scenery (or lack thereof), occasionally sending slight messages to the speedy driver's mind in which way to go. Quickly glancing over at the dashboard, he caught site of the gas meter and furrowed his brow slightly when he saw that they were almost in the red. The base was close by, but the last gas station was five miles or so back. Apparently Delilah knew what she was doing, or maybe she didn't. Legato took a deep breath and exhaled as he tapped his finger slightly on the car door in rhythm with the surprisingly catchy music. It was the fine things in life Legato could actually enjoy on occasion, however the rest of his life consisted of pain and turmoil. He wasn't allowed to think too freely or stray away from his master's ideals. If he did, it would mean something much worse than death... it would mean torture.
His thoughts were interrupted when the music turned considerably lower, and a tiny building with outside turrets surrounding it came into view only a couple hundred feet away. "Hold on tight," Delilah advised with a cheeky grin as she suddenly slammed on the breaks, bringing the rear end of the car around to the front in a quick, sliding motion. They came to a complete halt and both of them relaxed in their seats. Delilah gently turned the car off and shoved her keys into her purse. A giant cloud of dust filled the air and when it finally dissipated, a fresh set of grooves in the dusty terrain became visible, signifying their stunt had taken place. Now Legato had a good idea of why her car was in the shop getting repairs.
"You can get out now, it's cool," Delilah chirped and literally bounced out of the car, not-so-gracefully landing on her feet.
Legato had a much smoother time getting out, carefully standing to his feet and shutting the door as gently as he had opened it. He gave her one quick look along with a mental message that said, Follow me.
This was too much for Delilah's little mind to comprehend. "Whoa, something told me that told me that... wait, let me say that again, something told me that I should follow you."
Legato just wanted to smack that stupid grin off her face but it was not in his nature to do so. Calmly, he nodded silently and entered the automatic-opening door. Delilah could see many bullet holes in the heavy iron door and this uneased her for a brief moment, but her nervousness was replaced by fear as she found herself in the dark, the door slamming shut behind her.
A light flickered from up above, casting enough light to see Legato's tall figure walking in front of her. Her heels made a clacking sound against the steel floor and she used that to distract her from the overwhelming feeling of dread she had acquired upon entering. The light became dimmer and dimmer as they descended a long flight of stairs, only to lighten once again with a dim light that hung on the ceiling of the next hallway. Had they really walked this far? It seemed like an eternity between each light fixture, or maybe it was all in Delilah's head.
Once again, they walked down another flight of stairs, this one a bit shorter than the last. Delilah had no idea where she was stepping since this stairway was unfortunate enough to not have any source of light. Her steps became quicker and quicker as she discovered that she couldn't hear Legato's footsteps anymore. She was truly scared. What was he bringing her into, anyways?
Before she could take another step, she suddenly walked into someone and caused them to barely budge. Delilah stepped back, ready to make a break for it. "I-I'm sorry," she apologized in a stuttering voice. "It's very dark in here and-"
"Don't worry about it," came a smooth reply. The voice was easily recognizable as Legato's, and a sigh of relief escaped from Delilah's chest.
Before the short girl could ask the taller man a question, she was taken by surprise as what seemed like a blinding white light filled the dark hallway. Delilah shielded her eyes and squinted to catch a glimpse of a much brighter hallway, this one larger and lined with many automatic doors. The interior decor was a refreshing yet strange sight to the usual western themed architecture of Gunsmoke, as she observed how technologically advanced this hallway was. It looked like something from an old spaceship movie, and this made Delilah anxious to see what the rest of the base looked like.
They both proceeded into the bright hallway, the smell of disinfectant and metal almost overpowering to the senses. Everything about this place seemed so artificial... there was no wood, no material other than metal, iron, fiberglass, and plastic. There were doors on both side of the widely spaced walls, leading to rooms that Delilah could only guess were housing units. Her footsteps were loud against the steel flooring and she hoped not to annoy Legato, even though his feet were just as loud. After a few minutes of walking, Delilah finally got up the courage to ask the blue haired man a rather urgent question.
"Mr. Bluesummers, sir... I gotta' go pee, like really bad..." she told him in a half-whining voice.
Legato sighed inaudibly and made a b-line to the restrooms, Delilah enthusiastically following behind. She quickly ran into the bathroom and shut the door tight, leaving Legato to stand outside and listen to her sing to herself like nothing else mattered in the world except her fulfilling her personal needs. Boy, did that sound ironic.
She came out wearing a big smile and she wiped the excess water on her hands off on her tight jeans. "Thanks sir, I feel much better now."
Now that that was taken care of, Legato went on and continued walking down the hallway, Delilah in tow. A few times Delilah would try and walk beside him instead of behind, but a cold glare stopped her from getting too comfortable and she often found herself walking behind him once again. Legato wasn't usually such a cold person. Most of the time, he was unfeeling and most of his little annoyances he paid no attention to. But Delilah- she seemed to strike a nerve but fascinate him at the same time. He couldn't tell whether it was because of her short, chubby body or her weird clothes, or maybe it was her personality. She reminded him of someone he once knew.
"So," Delilah spoke after a long, uncomfortable silence, "just who exactly is this person you call 'Master'?"
Legato continued walking, grinning to himself at Delilah's naïve impudence. "You shall see. And when you meet him, you will address him as either Master or Lord Knives. If you call him anything else, you will be killed."
Killed?! Delilah stopped walking as a chill crept down her spine. Something just told her she was involved in matters way too dangerous than she had hoped for. "...Wait, that's ridiculous!"
"Ridiculous?" Legato stopped walking and turned to face her, his tall figure overpowering her smaller one. "If you're having second thoughts, please feel free to express them to me. It's not too late to back out, you know." He grinned slyly. "But once you're in the service of Lord Knives, you cannot leave. Your life belongs to him."
Delilah was about to make a run for it when another thought crossed her mind. She really needed a job. This one, that sounded serious enough, seemed very beneficial. If she stayed, would she get to stay in one of those rooms in the hall? Would she be treated as a higher level of human? She bit her pierced bottom lip and then met Legato's eyes with a sudden fire of confidence. "...I want to do this."
Legato chuckled, in which Delilah had to suppress the urge to go, "Awww". He slowly turned around and continued walking. "Well then, let's keep going, shall we?"
And so there she was, Delilah- the girl who lived for leisure, taking a job that could end her life if she didn't give enough effort. Was it a stupid decision? It wasn't like she really cared, anyways. A powerful voice echoed off the metal walls and it took a moment for her to realize that she was no longer behind Legato, but instead she was standing in front of a blonde man holding a black revolver.
Aiiiiyeeeeee so there it was! ;; It's pretty lame and boring, but I PROMISE it will get better in the later chapters v.v
If not, I will have Legato strip-tease for your enjoyment instead
Legato: Hmm? What's that?
Me: . ;; Nothing...
