Ten Guns, Two Roses
Prologue - Schism
Author's Note: My first attempt at a long Trigun fic (though I've written one or two short ones). ^_^ Anyway, I'm going to take a moment to explain a couple of things to you. First of all, I don't own Trigun... shiny important Japanese men on the other hand do... and in an attempt not to be sued by them, I'm telling you this. Second, this prologue is somewhat of a recap of Episode 23, so if you haven't seen that episode or the episodes after that one, don't read this fic. Third, and finally, this is an alternate universe fic, in which instead of fighting his uncle (Chapel the Evergreen) Nick goes up against the other Gung-Ho Gun from this episode, Kaine the Longshot. What happens from that point on, fails to follow the original Trigun timeline... hence the AU. Anyway, enough ranting, enjoy. Oh, and please R&R.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
"Don't talk about it anymore!" the black-haired priest known as Nicholas Wolfwood demanded sharply. He wasn't in the mood to listen to any more of his companion's apologies, and if he was going to do what Knives had ordered him to do - if he was going to kill Vash - he couldn't let the spiky-haired male make him soft. In a fluid movement, Wolfwood unsnapped the fabric that encased the Cross Punisher and pointed the machine gun end at The Stampede. "The way we live is too different. That's our fate, you and I. That one-on-one from ages ago will be settled now."
A strange mixture of surprise, confusion, and hurt crossed Vash's pale features. "Why?" he asked softly.
Wolfwood's gun did not waver, though his resolve did. Was this right? Could he kill the man who had become the closest thing to a best friend he had ever had? He had to. Not for himself but for the children that Knives had made clear wouldn't be safe otherwise. "If I tell you, will you be willing to die? Draw your gun!" Pausing for a brief second so that Vash could reach for his weapon, it soon became clear that the spiky-haired male wasn't going to. Nick's eyes narrowed vaguely, and he shouted once more, "Draw it!" In an attempt to punctuate his sentence, Wolfwood fired a single shot that grazed the side of Vash's head.
Vash, however, still did not reach for the silver six-shooter at his side. Instead, he replied, "It doesn't matter if you kill me, but do listen to my request."
"What?"
"After this has ended, don't kill anymore," the red-clad male responded.
Lowering his head ever so slightly, Wolfwood asked, "Then, you would be willing to draw your gun?" Vash shook his head sharply. Nick was becoming exasperated - then what the hell -did- Vash want. Deciding upon asking him, Wolfwood inquired, "Then what do you want to do under these circumstances?"
The Stampede lowered his own head, though where Wolfwood's was in partial shame, Vash's was in though. "I don't know."
"I have something to ask you. What are you going to do after you meet Knives?" the dark-haired priest asked through clenched teeth.
"He took away the most important person to me."
Wolfwood felt his rage growing; that wasn't an answer, but he was still determined to get something out of his companion. "Revenge?"
Almost sad turquoise eyes regarded Wolfwood for a second, before their owner replied, "I don't know."
A moment of silence passed between the two, and in that moment Wolfwood realized he couldn't do it. Vash had become his friend, and the priest had saved his life on several occasions. That being said, Nick knew that he couldn't end the life of the one he had protected. "I see...since you have decided to live on like this...since you have chosen to walk this path..."
Fighting back the urge to shake his head, the priest lowered his weapon. "Really," he started, eyes closed. Then opening his eyes, Wolfwood smiled; it was a wonderful feeling when one made the right decision. "You really make me angry."
"Wolfwood," Vash began, but the sentence was never finished. Instead, before either male knew it, the dark-haired priest was standing beside Vash, the Cross Punisher at the red-clad gunman's temple in a blocking position. It was then that realization snapped back in, and the sound of a bullet hitting the metal of the cross-shaped weapon resounded.
* Another save, Tongari, * Wolfwood told himself silently before crying out, "Hide, quickly!" Vash didn't need to be told twice, and he dashed smartly into a bar, Nick on his heels.
The second they entered, another shot took off more than half of a table they had just passed. Stopping Vash dashed back to it, to take a look, fear masked by the yellow sunglasses he wore. "Where are they coming from?"
"The country," Wolfwood replied, pressing himself to the wall closest to the door, as he attempted to get a better look outside without exposing himself to the gunman. "I think he's outside the city, using a long range silence gun." There was a moment's pause and then the priest added, "There's another person as well."
"What?"
Continuing to gaze out the bar's swinging doors, Wolfwood responded, "I'll take care of the one out there - you'd never be able to find him. You get the other one." Turing casually in Vash's direction among the chaos, Wolfwood added suddenly, "'Vash the Stampede' isn't your real name, is it? Could you tell me your real name?"
"No way," he responded, closing his eyes tightly. "You're trying to threaten me into giving you a present, right?"
A laugh almost overtook Wolfwood's response. "I won't do that. Come on, tell me."
"It's not necessary," Vash said, an intimate look passing through his eyes, "between us."
Nick's response was a smile and a small laugh, and then he was gone out of the bar to seek the one who had been firing at them from afar. If the priest had known what would happen to Vash in his fight with Chapel the Evergreen... if he knew that Vash was going to die, he would have gone himself, and left Kaine the Longshot for the red-clad gunman. But he didn't know, just as the Nicholas Wolfwood of another reality didn't know his battle with Chapel would get him killed just as Vash was going to...
Prologue - Schism
Author's Note: My first attempt at a long Trigun fic (though I've written one or two short ones). ^_^ Anyway, I'm going to take a moment to explain a couple of things to you. First of all, I don't own Trigun... shiny important Japanese men on the other hand do... and in an attempt not to be sued by them, I'm telling you this. Second, this prologue is somewhat of a recap of Episode 23, so if you haven't seen that episode or the episodes after that one, don't read this fic. Third, and finally, this is an alternate universe fic, in which instead of fighting his uncle (Chapel the Evergreen) Nick goes up against the other Gung-Ho Gun from this episode, Kaine the Longshot. What happens from that point on, fails to follow the original Trigun timeline... hence the AU. Anyway, enough ranting, enjoy. Oh, and please R&R.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
"Don't talk about it anymore!" the black-haired priest known as Nicholas Wolfwood demanded sharply. He wasn't in the mood to listen to any more of his companion's apologies, and if he was going to do what Knives had ordered him to do - if he was going to kill Vash - he couldn't let the spiky-haired male make him soft. In a fluid movement, Wolfwood unsnapped the fabric that encased the Cross Punisher and pointed the machine gun end at The Stampede. "The way we live is too different. That's our fate, you and I. That one-on-one from ages ago will be settled now."
A strange mixture of surprise, confusion, and hurt crossed Vash's pale features. "Why?" he asked softly.
Wolfwood's gun did not waver, though his resolve did. Was this right? Could he kill the man who had become the closest thing to a best friend he had ever had? He had to. Not for himself but for the children that Knives had made clear wouldn't be safe otherwise. "If I tell you, will you be willing to die? Draw your gun!" Pausing for a brief second so that Vash could reach for his weapon, it soon became clear that the spiky-haired male wasn't going to. Nick's eyes narrowed vaguely, and he shouted once more, "Draw it!" In an attempt to punctuate his sentence, Wolfwood fired a single shot that grazed the side of Vash's head.
Vash, however, still did not reach for the silver six-shooter at his side. Instead, he replied, "It doesn't matter if you kill me, but do listen to my request."
"What?"
"After this has ended, don't kill anymore," the red-clad male responded.
Lowering his head ever so slightly, Wolfwood asked, "Then, you would be willing to draw your gun?" Vash shook his head sharply. Nick was becoming exasperated - then what the hell -did- Vash want. Deciding upon asking him, Wolfwood inquired, "Then what do you want to do under these circumstances?"
The Stampede lowered his own head, though where Wolfwood's was in partial shame, Vash's was in though. "I don't know."
"I have something to ask you. What are you going to do after you meet Knives?" the dark-haired priest asked through clenched teeth.
"He took away the most important person to me."
Wolfwood felt his rage growing; that wasn't an answer, but he was still determined to get something out of his companion. "Revenge?"
Almost sad turquoise eyes regarded Wolfwood for a second, before their owner replied, "I don't know."
A moment of silence passed between the two, and in that moment Wolfwood realized he couldn't do it. Vash had become his friend, and the priest had saved his life on several occasions. That being said, Nick knew that he couldn't end the life of the one he had protected. "I see...since you have decided to live on like this...since you have chosen to walk this path..."
Fighting back the urge to shake his head, the priest lowered his weapon. "Really," he started, eyes closed. Then opening his eyes, Wolfwood smiled; it was a wonderful feeling when one made the right decision. "You really make me angry."
"Wolfwood," Vash began, but the sentence was never finished. Instead, before either male knew it, the dark-haired priest was standing beside Vash, the Cross Punisher at the red-clad gunman's temple in a blocking position. It was then that realization snapped back in, and the sound of a bullet hitting the metal of the cross-shaped weapon resounded.
* Another save, Tongari, * Wolfwood told himself silently before crying out, "Hide, quickly!" Vash didn't need to be told twice, and he dashed smartly into a bar, Nick on his heels.
The second they entered, another shot took off more than half of a table they had just passed. Stopping Vash dashed back to it, to take a look, fear masked by the yellow sunglasses he wore. "Where are they coming from?"
"The country," Wolfwood replied, pressing himself to the wall closest to the door, as he attempted to get a better look outside without exposing himself to the gunman. "I think he's outside the city, using a long range silence gun." There was a moment's pause and then the priest added, "There's another person as well."
"What?"
Continuing to gaze out the bar's swinging doors, Wolfwood responded, "I'll take care of the one out there - you'd never be able to find him. You get the other one." Turing casually in Vash's direction among the chaos, Wolfwood added suddenly, "'Vash the Stampede' isn't your real name, is it? Could you tell me your real name?"
"No way," he responded, closing his eyes tightly. "You're trying to threaten me into giving you a present, right?"
A laugh almost overtook Wolfwood's response. "I won't do that. Come on, tell me."
"It's not necessary," Vash said, an intimate look passing through his eyes, "between us."
Nick's response was a smile and a small laugh, and then he was gone out of the bar to seek the one who had been firing at them from afar. If the priest had known what would happen to Vash in his fight with Chapel the Evergreen... if he knew that Vash was going to die, he would have gone himself, and left Kaine the Longshot for the red-clad gunman. But he didn't know, just as the Nicholas Wolfwood of another reality didn't know his battle with Chapel would get him killed just as Vash was going to...
