Disclaimer- I do not own Sailor Moon or Trigun. In fact, I do not even own
the basis to this story! (Gomen-ne Usa-chan) You can find other 'Give a
Reason' stories at . I actually tried to ask Usa-
chan if I could write this, but alas, no answer.
Prologue: The Ungrantable Wish
Her heart was breaking.
At least that's how it felt to the queen. Though she looked as young as twenty-one that estimate was no where near close her real age. For the woman standing there tears trailing down her cheeks was over a thousand years old. Her husband was dead, of old age of all things, yet she lingered on, immortal in a world where people, even Heros, eventually had to die.
Even the great King Endymion, Tuxedo Kamen, her Mamo-chan.. . And no one could bring him back. She knew; she'd tried. Even Pluto had refused her requests, her orders, her beggings. It was hopeless.
"Holy Ginzuishou," she whispered to the small crystal resting on its pedestal beside her so-lonely throne, "I must beg of you one wish. I haven't asked you for anything since the Crystal Utopia was formed, but now I must beg this." She cupped the crystal between her hands and held it before her staring into it seeing a slightly hazy reflection of her tear- stained face. "Please, let me die. Let me die now, and join Endymion in eternity."
The Ginzuishou flickered once, twice, as it tried to grant her request. She stared straight into it, hope that she hadn't allowed herself to feel in so long slowly seeping back into her. Maybe this time. . .
As she stared all she could think of was rejoining her friends. She'd outlived everyone, even her Inner Senshi. They had met their own true loves, and on their behalf she had asked the Ginzuishou to release them from the curse of their long lives, their barrenness, for love and family.
It had all seemed so romantic at the time and the Queen had never given a thought to what they were really giving up. That is until two hundred years ago when Ami died. Serenity closed her eyes in remembrance. She had went to the funeral and had been unprepared. She remembered staring in almost horror at the withered gray-haired form in the casket. Not her shy blue- haired friend but a stranger.
A mere twenty years after that Makoto had died. Serenity again had been in a trance as she had stared at the old woman who seemed asleep. They aged, as she did not. She still looked as she had when she had married her Mamoru back when she was known as Usagi and didn't have the worries she now dealt with. Then not even five years later Serenity's closest friend Rei finally died. Serenity bowed her head in almost shame.
That funeral had been the only one where she had cried for any of her Senshi, her friends. Minako died one year later and with her went Serenity's tears. She had not shed a single tear until now. Until the death of her husband the only thing keeping her from killing herself.
Serenity's eyes opened and she glared at her flawless flesh. She well remembered the scars that should have been there. The scars that had been there merely a day before vanishing. She remembered the feel of the blade as it had sank into her tender flesh. She remembered seeing the white blood appear. Then she knew... She knew that she wasn't merely cursed with a long life but with an immortal one.
Endymion himself had been given a long life from the Ginzuishou, like the rest of the earth's population, a Lunarian's life span of 1,000 years, but that hadn't been enough time. Not when she was still alive and still resembling the girl he had married while he was on his deathbed.
And then there was her daughter, her ChibiUsa-chan. . . She did not deserve to face her daughter. Not now, not anymore. Even the pink-haired young woman agreed with her self-punishment. Yes, it *was* all her fault that Endymion had died. Yes, she should have known he would have not gotten the immortality she had from the Ginzuishou. She was beneath even her daughter's contempt.
The Ginzuishou fell dark. Pain shot through her chest as disappointment set in. Even the Holy Ginzuishou wanted her to continue living and suffering. She tried to fight them back, but tears began to fall from her crystalline blue eyes, and once they started, she couldn't get them to stop.
Through some chance (or mischance), one of her tears landed on the crystal she held in her hands. As always, it reacted, trying harder than ever to grant her wish. It shook in her hand. She glanced sharply down at it, her tears ceasing, just as some sort of light exploded out of it.
'It's finally granting my wish,' she thought to herself, smiling into the light. 'Finally I'll be free.'
Then she realized it was shaking because it was shattering. . . No, it wasn't shattering. It was opening and growing! She stared at it shocked while it quickly grew to half the size of her and then she realized it was surrounding her. She stared at it in awe as it grew more and more. 'Is this it?' she wondered before the crystal completely encased her. She noticed the crystal had stopped growing and then there was a bright silver flash.
That was the last thing she saw, besides endless darkness, for a very long time. Therefore, she missed the facts that she had been imprisoned within what Pluto would call a subspace dimension within the Ginzuishou, and that it was flying off into the distance far, far away from Crystal Tokyo to heal itself, until it was strong enough to grant its owner's wish - and make her and itself mortal.
~* Millennia later on Gunsmoke *~
Chapter one: Introducing! Three anguished souls.
Wolfwood paced around his poor broken down motorcycle. Sure, he had done it, but he loved that thing! Vash the Stampede was supposed to be coming on a bus this way, and to sabotage his bike, would be the only excuse to ride the bus.
"But he's late by hours!" Wolfwood muttered to himself. Indeed it had been hours, and Wolfwood's canteen had gone empty 30 minutes earlier. 'I wish I didn't have to do this.' he thought.
But he did, to protect the children in his orphanage. Even if it meant killing for them. He sighed, and looked at the giant canvas and leather wrapped cross that was propped up against his broken motorcycle. His gaze wandered over the cross, starting at the top, until his gaze reached the shadowed bottom. 'So many bad memories.'
He stared at the shadows there for a long time, lost in the past. As the day past, the shadows in the front of the cross, moved around it like a sundial. As the sun hit the base of the cross, and object on the ground glinted so brightly it hurt his eyes, forcing him to look away. He saw sunspots, as he blinked at the blue horizon.
"What the!?" he exclaimed, a moment after clearing his head. He walked toward the object, shielding his eyes. When he got there, his shadow blocked the dazzlingly shiny object, and crouching down, he looked.
It was a huge crystal- perhaps a diamond. He whistled sharply. Crystals that big, diamond or not, are rare in this planet, were mining is nearly impossible. And cut ones were unheard of! He reached for it.
As he touched the stone a brilliant shine came out of the stone, this one having nothing to do with the sun. It was a blue/white glow, swirling in a mysterious manner. Wolfwood jumped back into a protective stance, feeling very defenseless with his arms on the other side of the rapidly growing glow.
It grew into the size of a ball no bigger than his motorcycle was round, and as the glow slowly died down, Wolfwood stopped breathing in shock. There was a person there, in a fetal position!
The form uncurled, and looked at the priest in front of her with anguished sapphire eyes. She wore a small golden circlet on her head, and a beautiful silver gown wrapped around her body, with butterfly like wings on the back. She had long white hair in heart-shaped buns on the top of her head and an eight-pointed star on her forehead. The girl seemed about eighteen at the most.
"..where am I? Am I dead?" the girl whispered to herself. She looked at the gem in her hand.
"Miss?" Wolfwood inquired, remembering to breathe. "I'd have to say you aren't dead. Where have you come from?" After the first part, her eyes became unseeing, and filled with tears.
"I'm not dead? But. I have to be!" she looked furiously down at the crystal in her hand. "You didn't grant my wish! I was supposed to finally be able to die and be with the others!" Quickly her anger fell apart and her eyes welled up with tears. "Endymion..Minna-san.." She put her head into her hands and she wailed from where she was on her knees.
Wolfwood didn't know what to do. This girl was bizarre because she seemed to appear out of this crystal, she was oddly dressed, and she seemed to want to die. But she was beautiful, and her heartbroken cries touched Wolfwood, so he knelt down and put an arm around her awkwardly. At that, she threw herself onto his shoulder, and sobbed into the safety on his chest. His eyes widened at the movement, and even more that she trusted him, a dangerous stranger.
He put his other arm around her. He didn't know what had hurt her so, although he could get a vague picture from her mutterings. If everyone she loved had died, he understood the wails. He felt that way often enough. But she couldn't die? That he didn't understand. unless... his mind flashed back to a cruel man with white/blond hair and ice chips for eyes.
But she seemed to hurt, to fragile to be like that. Too heartbroken... As she looked up at him with her sapphire eyes full of tears and loss, Wolfwood swore to take care of her. Her sobs resided into hiccups, and then disappeared entirely, she blushed as she leaned back against his cross, the wings on her gown bending.
"I'm sorry." she whispered softly. "I shouldn't have done that. I don't even know you." She put her hands in the lap of her silver dress, tilting her head in shame. 'How could I let myself be held by this man who I don't even know, when Mamo-chan.'
"Let me fix that error than, and introduce myself," he got up, and put his hand down for her. She grabbed it hand, and he pulled her up. "My name is Nicholas D. Wolfwood," he said, bowing over her hand, and kissing it. 'Where did that come from?!' he thought surprised. 'It must be because she seems no regal.' He pushed it out of his mind.
The girl blushed lightly, and looked up into his eyes. 'There is a great kindness there,' she thought. 'But also a deep hidden sadness that somehow matches mine.' After realizing she was staring, she dropped her eyes, pulling her hand away. Her eyes fell on silver hair. 'SIVLER?!'
"Do you have a mirror?!" she cried, looking around frantically, the end of her hair trailing like streamers.
"The fender of my motorcycle is reflective." Wolfwood replied, looking at her with concern evident in his eyes. She rushed over to the front of the broken down motorcycle, looking in the fenders reflective metal to see a slightly distorted image of herself.
She gasped, raising a hand first to the center of her forehead, and then to the heart-shaped buns on the top of her head. "Cosmos." she whispered mournfully. Standing up, she turned to Wolfwood, visibly shaken.
"I forget my manners," she said. "I used to be Serenity Tsukino Chiba, but now, I suppose I am Cosmos," she started. "As Cosmos is not a proper name to go by, I would appreciate it if you called me by the name I grew up with, Tsukino Usagi." Usagi smiled sadly up at him. "I have to where else to go, Wolfwood-san. May I stay here?"
"Of course Tsukino-san," he said with a small grin. "As long as you don't call me Wolfwood-san." She smiled slightly at that.
"Then you must promise not to call me Tsukino-san, or Usagi-san," she replied. Usagi looked up at the bright double suns shining down at her. "Where are we? Last time I looked, there was only a single sun and moon!"
"We are on the planet Gunsmoke," he answered, giving her a funny look. "It's a desert planet. Where have you come from?"
"Earth." she said to him quietly, looking at him in the face. "I believe from at least several thousand years ago. I sense that I have been in that crystal for a long time." Shock registered on his face.
"How did you get in that crystal?" he inquired.
"It's a long story," she said sighing, watching the horizon. Usagi wrapped her arms around herself.
"I have time," he said gently. "I'm waiting for a ride." Usagi shook her head.
"You wouldn't believe me," she started. "And I'm not quite prepared to talk about it. It hurts. Do you understand?" She looked at him with pleading, haunted sapphire eyes.
"I think I understand," he said with a slow nod. "I won't press. I just want you to know, when you're ready, I'm here for you." A bright smile covered her face.
"Arigato Nick-kun!" she cried, leaping forward and wrapping her arms around his neck in a hug. He stood there started, with a light blush, before putting one arm around her waist and putting his hand on the small of her back, holding her up. He used the other hand to wipe away a tear on her cheek.
"No problem, Bunny," he said with a small smile playing on his face. Her eyes softened as she stared up into his.
"You have beautiful eyes." she murmured to him. "Sad, but beautiful." Wolfwood looked down at her. 'What is this I'm feeling.? Love?' He leaned his face down to her, his eyes closed slightly, and in response, her eyes closed and she leaned forward slightly.
Their lips touched softly. 'Mamo-chan.' Usagi thought, and it brought her back to reality. She pulled back, looking up at Wolfwood with mournful eyes. 'I'm sorry Mamo-chan; forgive me.'
"I'm sorry. I can't do this," she whispered to him. "Not yet, not soon. Mamo-chan's death is still fresh in my mind. I can't do this; it feels like betraying him."
He just looked at her with sad eyes. 'I don't know how I fell in love with you so quickly, when I have tried so hard not to love anyone, but I will wait until the pain goes away, until you can love me back. Even if it takes forever.'
"You know, that dress, as pretty as it is, isn't quite the outfit to go trekking around the desert in," Wolfwood said, leaning against his motorcycle. Usagi looked down at the dress, and giggled.
"You're right Nick-kun, this would stain quickly. Do you have any extra clothes?"
"Iie, gomen. I don't carry a pack around," he replied.
"Oh well," she sighed. She reached into no where and pulled out a flamboyantly colored pen.
"What's that for?" Wolfwood asked, trying very hard to disregard the fact she pulled it out of nowhere.
"You'll see..!" she said, waving her free finger at him. She lifted her other hand with the pen in it in the air, and cried out "Luna pen, dress me in something appropriate to where in this godforsaken place!"
Wolfwood stared at her as nothing happened. "What was that supposed to accomplish?"
"Give it a second, would you?" Usagi snapped at him, still holding the pen. A bright pink light streamed out of the gem at the top of the pen, and a wind picked her up, swirling the pink light around her. Her gown stripped away into ribbons, and changed, and she landed on the ground.
She was in vanilla pants, with a vanilla button up shirt with long sleeved. Brown leather boots covered her feet, protecting them from the harsh hot sand beneath her feet. A cape fell down her back, vanilla on the outside with a tan interior. The crystal that she had come with floated by itself, before disappearing into light that entered her chest.
"That was new," she said, looking at her chest where the crystal entered, before rolling up her sleeves to her elbows. "Although that will probably end up making it harder for me to die." she muttered under her breath.
"Did you say something?" Wolfwood said, a serious look on his face. He had heard every word.
"Iie! Iie!" she cried panicked, waving her hands around. "Nothing at all!" Wolfwood dropped the subject, but promised to keep an eye on her.
"That was certainly interesting," Wolfwood remarked. "I have never seen anything like that in my life."
"Well," she said, throwing the pen behind her where is disappeared before it hit the ground. "It comes in handy sometimes." Wolfwood gave her a slow grin.
"Did you know you become completely naked halfway through that," he told her with a smirk, watching as she turned red.
"Ack! I'm! No!" she stuttered over her words. "I'll just have to make sure no one is looking next time then," she told him, glaring. Wolfwood just shrugged, and turned to the setting suns.
"You know, we should try to get some sleep; there'll probably not be a ride into the next town until at least afternoon tomorrow," he told Usagi, hunkering down beside his motorcycle. Usagi got down beside him, and he wrapped an arm around her. She didn't bother to push his arm away.
"Pray that there won't be any sandstorms tonight," Wolfwood said, watching as the first few moons rose. As each moon rose, Usagi felt more comforted. She yawned.
"Goodnight Nick-kun," she whispered.
"Goodnight Bunny," he told her back, as she fell asleep on his shoulder. 'Ai shiteru.'
Usagi woke up to bright light, as the double suns broke over the horizon. Looking over at Wolfwood, she saw him snoring lightly. She got up careful not to wake Wolfwood, putting his arm gently on the ground.
'I'm sorry Nick-kun, but I need to go before I get too close,' she thought to herself. She reached into her subspace pocket, and pulled her small knife out. Walking away from the motorcycle, she looked at the light scars on her wrists where she had tried before. About twenty feet away, she dropped to her knees, and lined the small knife up to where the scars should have been, the scars she had etched into her mind. Maybe this time, now, it would work...
"What are you doing?!" a furious voice said behind her. She turned to see Wolfwood glaring down at her. Her eyes widened, and she dropped the knife in surprise. Wolfwood dropped to his knees in front of her, and grabbed her shoulders, shaking her slightly.
"Why are you trying to take you life?!" he shouted, an angry and hurt expression on his face. "Do you hate your life so much?!"
"Demo. minna-san." Usagi stuttered, tears welling up in her eyes. Wolfwood dropped his arms from her shoulders.
"Do you think you are the only one in the world that has lost everyone?!" Wolfwood cried, the anger leaving his face, but the hurt still there. "I had no one, until you-" He cut himself off, looking to the side.
"Gomen." she whispered, looking at the ground. A finger pushed her chin up, and she looked him in the eye.
"I want you to promise me you won't kill yourself," Wolfwood said seriously. "Please."
"Demo." she murmured.
"Please. I know you want to go with the rest of your friends, but people who suicide don't go to heaven," Wolfwood told her quietly. "They go to Hell. That's what the religion I preach tells me, and I couldn't bare to see that happen to you."
Usagi looked up at him in shock, tears trailing down her face.
"So promise me, please."
"I promise Nick-kun."
"Thank you," Wolfwood said, relieved. As he went to stand up, he saw double, and Usagi watched as his eyes rolled back into his head and he fell over. "Nick-kun!" She tried to grab him as he fell, but only succeeded in breaking his fall with her arm, which shattered painfully. She groaned as she felt the bones knitting back together.
Grabbing him with her good arm, she struggled in dragging him back to the motorcycle. When she finally got there, it was nearly noon, and both the suns burned overhead. She lay him in the sand, and she went to situate the cross and motorcycle for him to lean on.
Touching the motorcycle, she yelped. It was hot! She grabbed it by the slightly cooler handles, and moves it a distance away. Propping the cross up by itself, she pulled Wolfwood up to it, and leaned him against it.
"What's wrong?" she muttered to herself, crouching down and looking him in the face. A good look and a feel with her healing senses told her exactly what. 'He's terribly dehydrated! What do I do?'
She took a handful of sand in her hands, and stared at it. "I'm Cosmos now, I can do this."
"Mercury, senshi of water and ice, heed my call! Make this into healing water for my poor friend!" 'Please Ami-chan.'
A blue glow started in the middle, and spread outward. When the glow died down, there was water replacing the full hand of sand. She kicked Wolfwood slightly, waking him up.
"Waah?" he mumbled with bleary eyes.
"I have water," she said, holding her hands to his lips. He drank deeply, before pushing her hands away.
"You have to drink some Bunny," he said with a rough voice. She shook her head.
"I can live without it," she said. "You really need this." She forced him to drink the rest of the water. "Now rest. I'll keep and eye out for a ride, and watch over you." She went to stand back up when he grabbed her wrist.
"Remember," he whispered hoarsely. "You promised." At her nod he let go of her wrist, and fell asleep immediately, his arm falling.
So she stood, and looked around the horizon, waiting. She stood that way for many hours, sand blowing and occasionally trapping her feet. Wolfwood had sand piled around him as well, but it seemed harmless, so she let it be. The motorcycle had been covered though, and no amount of brushing got the sand off.
While she waited, she took the end of her hair, and tied it up by the bun, making a two foot long loop, instead of super long hair that nearly dragged in the sand.
It was two hours later when an odd looking bus drove by, and then stopped suddenly. They drove very close to them, stopping at the top of a sand dune, unable to drive down it. Usagi stood warily, and people came down the slope.
"Its nice weather today," the bus driver of the bus said. "What are you doing here, in the middle of nowhere?"
"I'm quite lost, and I met up with this nice man here who said he was waiting for a ride. I waited with him," Usagi said, walking over to Wolfwood. "Nick-kun?" she said, shaking him. He jumped, startled, looking at her.
"You're still here!" he looked behind her. "And there's a bus too! We're saved!" He got up; supported by Usagi until he got his bearing. With help, they got the cross strapped down to the roof of the bus, and after that everyone got onto the bus. except her.
"What are you doing?!" he called at her. "Get onto the bus!" She shook her head. He marched off and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her to the bus. "If you think I stopped you from killing yourself, just to watch you walk off into the desert to die, you have another thing coming!" he whispered furiously to her. "Letting yourself die purposely is the same thing as suicide! Plus, it's rather selfish of you." He trailed off.
They got onto the bus, and sat in the back.
"Are you alright?" a woman with long brown hair asked. "Here, have some water." Her short black haired friend told them handing them a canteen.
"Thank you, both of you!" Wolfwood said gratefully, drinking half of it. "That's refreshing! Thank you! Here Bunny, have the rest." He drank some and then offered it to Usagi, who sat beside him sullen. She glared at him and stuck her tongue out. "Come on Bunny, please. You can't be mad at me because I worry!" At that she sighed and drank the rest of it.
"Thank you," she said quietly to the two girls.
"Don't mention it!" chirped the girl with the long brown hair.
The blonde man with turquoise eyes and a red coat gave them a sad look. "That was my-" he started, before he was hit in the back of the head by the black haired girl.
Usagi jumped over Wolfwood's lap, and pushed him to the window, him giving her and odd look. "That was terrible of you!" she snapped at the black haired woman, who flushed and looked away. "Are you okay sir?" She asked the blonde gentleman who was nearly in her lap. He sat back up, rubbing the back of his sore head.
"I'll be okay, its just." he said, looking at the canteen.
"Oh I get it, this was yours! I'm sorry I got it through petty thievery," she told him. "Let me refill it for you." She stared down at the canteen and concentrated on Mercury, the same way she had in the desert.
"How are you supposed to-" he started, before looking at the strange blue light coming out of the canteen. She handed the canteen back to him. Lifting it up to his ear, he heard sloshing. Taking a drink. Water!
"How did you do that?!" he exclaimed giving her a starry eyed look. She blushed, and looked away.
"I have my secrets," she said, giggling a little at the attention. The black haired lady coughed, shooting angry glances at both blondes.
"How did you end up in the middle of nowhere?" she asked Wolfwood, refusing to acknowledge Usagi.
"My bike broke down about 100 miles from here," Wolfwood said. Usagi
raised an eyebrow.
"Then you pushed your bike 100 miles?" Usagi inquired.
"Wow!" the brown haired girl said. "How about Bunny-san?"
Usagi giggled. "My name is Tsukino Usagi, but you can call me Usagi-chan." She told her with a light smile. "And I appeared out of nowhere."
"No one can just appear out of nowhere!" the black haired lady snapped with a snarl.
"She did," Wolfwood said with a grin. "Oddest thing I ever saw."
The spiky blonde man gave Usagi a considering look.
"Anyhow," Wolfwood said. "I thank you for getting us out of that desert."
"This is the person who saw you though," the black haired woman said, pointing at the blonde man. Wolfwood gave him a huge grin.
"Thank you for saving us.er.." Wolfwood said, stopping, as he couldn't put the blonde's name at the end of the sentence. The blonde stood up quickly, looking fake haughty.
"I am Barenchines Alcari Jehark Shishi Double Helix Gambigubera Bruce de Tarantorento Pierre Andrei Charle Heimus Dubois Kaiser...Nice to meet you!" he said, leaning over putting his hand out.
Usagi curled up laughing, and Wolfwood looked down in surprise before looking back up at the long named blonde.
"What are you talking about Vash the Stampede-san?" the brown haired girl said with a laughing voice. A pleased look spread over Wolfwood's face, but he covered at he went to looking shocked...
"I hate it when people use my short name!!" Vash cried.
"Vash? That's Vash the Stampede?!" Wolfwood exclaimed. Something in Wolfwood's voice made Usagi uncurled and looked at Wolfwood warily, climbing underneath the seat and standing behind the seat they had been sharing. Wolfwood grabbed Vash's head and twisted it around painfully.
"He's really him?" Wolfwood inquired with wide eyes. "Totally different than my image of him!"
"Stop it Nick-kun! You're hurting him!" Usagi cried, pushing Wolfwood back.
"Ah, its okay Usagi-san," Vash said. "I'm resilient! Who's your friend here?"
"My name is Wolfwood," he said with a grumpy look at Usagi. "What do you care anyhow?" he asked Usagi. Usagi shuddered.
"I can **feel** it." she told him, muttering. She leaned on the back of the chair, sighing. Wolfwood and Vash looked at each other, and then to her, while the two girls watched confused, having not heard it.
"Why did the name "Vash the Stampede" emit such a result from you anyhow?" she inquired, tiredly.
"You see, Bunny, Vash the Stampede is a wanted criminal for destroying several cities," Wolfwood said to Usagi. "Isn't it so strange that the legendary wanted criminal would be the one to save my life?" He laughed loudly.
Usagi gazed into Vash's beautiful turquoise eyes, searchingly "Iie, I don't believe it," she whispered. "His heart is too pure. This man is innocent." Vash watched confused, and his eyes widened as he heard her statement, whispered too lowly for human ears.
"I could kill you," Wolfwood said, pointing at Vash, "And collect the $$60 billion reward! Wouldn't that be great." He missed the glare Usagi sent his way, but not the slap to the back of the head.
"Itee! Bunny! What was that for!" Wolfwood cried, giving her a false teary look. She just gave him a look.
"No one dies on my watch! No one!" Usagi snapped. 'This whole dying planet will be protected, as long as I'm on it!' She hmphed and stalked back to the bathroom to clean up her sandy face. She didn't notice as the eight pointed star glowed slightly, enough for Vash to pick up.
'Who is that girl? How did she create that water? How does she know all she knows... why does she care?' Vash thought. 'I know she isn't human though. why does she have such a mournful look in her eyes.?'
Usagi heard laughing out in the bus as she washed away the sand on her face. 'At least Nick-kun and Vash-san are getting along now...' she thought.
"Do you have anymore water?" Wolfwood asked Vash. Vash shook his head frantically. "You can't have it! You drank nearly all of it last time!"
"Where did you get any this time?"
"Usagi-san gave it to me," Vash said. Wolfwood sent a glare back at the bathroom.
"I thought I told her to drink it!" Wolfwood snapped.
"She did," Vash replied. "She just made more appear." Wolfwood look at him with shock then got a considering look.
"I think I remember her doing that too," Wolfwood said, lost in though. "I passed out, and suddenly she was there with a hand full of water. I never did ask her where she got the water."
"Bizarre friend you have!" Vash said laughing. Wolfwood started laughing too.
"Not as bizarre as the friends you have!"
They tried to match each other's laughing. Usagi came out of the bathroom, just as the bus stopped for a break. The bus driver debated with Wolfwood and Usagi for bus payment.
"There isn't enough here for one, let alone too!" the bus driver snapped. He may have let one go for that much but.. He saw two pale hands handing him a golden circlet, and looked up to see Usagi's face.
"Please, take this as payment," she said sadly. "Its pure gold, and its all I have left." Wolfwood tried to protest; that was the circlet she has wearing when he first saw her! The bus driver grabbed the circlet greedily, and bit it to check.
"This'll do!" he said cheerfully, pushing Wolfwood's money back to him. Wolfwood nodded, noting the stubborn look on Usagi's face.
"You didn't have to do that," Wolfwood growled half-heartedly.
"Yes, I did," she told him softly. Vash watched from were he was sitting. "He probably would have let you ride for that much if I hadn't been here," she said. She sat down tiredly against the bus, and Wolfwood leaned against the bus, pulling out a cigarette.
"Wolfwood, you told me not long ago you were a preacher," Usagi said, looking up at him. "Could you tell me about it?"
"Eh," Vash agreed. "You don't seem to be like a preacher at all."
"Well, its just a small church," Wolfwood said, lighting his cigarette. "We take in orphans who have no home. Although I don't have to take care of the kids. We won't survive if I don't come out making donations."
"Collecting donations. using your position as a preacher?" Vash asked with wide eyes.
"That's not the only way," Wolfwood said tiredly. He watched as two little girls hugged and tired looking older lady, probably their mother.
"Mama!" one cried. "I'm hungry!"
"Me too!" the other one cried.
"Once we reach a city I promise I'll buy some food for you, okay?" The mother said, leaning down and giving them a hug. "Until then you'll have to bear with me."
"I don't wanna!" cried the little girl.
"Please, don't ask for the impossible," the mother begged. "We will reach the city soon!"
Wolfwood sighed, and closed his eyes. He dropped the cigarette, and stepped on it, walking to the girls and their mother, the children who were still crying about food. Usagi and Vash watched in surprise.
"Are you feeling hungry?" Wolfwood asked the children, kneeling down in front of them. He gave them a small grin, and they nodded. "Really? But this is all I have," he said, reaching into his pocket, and pulling out three bars. "This ones for you," he said, pointing at one girl, "And this ones for you," he said pointing at the other girl. "And this last one is for me. They may seem little, but they are enough."
They watched him for awhile, and his eyes softened at their startled looks. After a moment they got great big grins on their faces, and reaching forward, grabbing the bars.
"Thank you," the mother said, bowing slightly. He just waved his hand slightly, and the mother and her daughters walked off. He got up and turned back to the bus, where Usagi and Vash were sitting, nearly twin smiles on their faces.
"So you can have this kind of smile too," Wolfwood said, with a grin on his face.
"What do you mean?" Vash asked, looking up at Wolfwood. Usagi just watched the children walking away.
"I was worried; although you had been laughing all the while, there was no real feeling within the laughter," Wolfwood responded. Vash's grin faded. "Although you are hurting inside, you just bear it all quietly and laugh." Usagi's eyes grew haunted at that. that was rather what she was doing. "That is how I se you at least," Wolfwood continued. "So to heal you pain..you need the confession box!" He said, grabbing the miniature church and kneeling in front of Vash. Vash fell over.
"Confess anything and everything! All you have to do is put some money in here!"
"You're really a good business man." Vash complained, looking up.
"We need to use our brains to survive!" Wolfwood said laughingly. Usagi just sighed and leaned against the bus, eyes closing.
"Come over here quickly!" a man cried from the end of the bus. "Someone has fainted!!"
"Poor man," Vash said. "Perhaps the suns are too hot today." All three of them got up and followed the man who had called to them.
"He didn't just faint," Wolfwood commented, looking at the terrible burn on his arm. "Who could have done this?"
The brown haired girl jumped in front of Vash pointing a giant gun at his head. "Villain!" She cried.
"I didn't do this," Vash said.
"You didn't?"
"Nothing human did this." Vash told her quietly.
"Eh?!"
"What do you mean?!" Wolfwood exclaimed. Just after that, a giant four legged robot climbed out of the sand. "What is that big thing??!!" The robot rushed them, and Vash shot it, sending it flying back- but only for a moment.
"It seems alive!" the black haired lady cried. Everyone started running toward the bus. The brown haired lady took her gun and shot at it, sending it flying back over a dune.
"Good shot young lady," Wolfwood complimented. The girl looked back with a happy smile, that reminded Usagi of someone.and then dozens more robots started over the dune.!
"AAH!" The whole group ran back to the bus, the black haired lady blaming it on Vash the whole time. The bus started off quickly, robots chasing behind them. Vash glared at them confused from the window of the bus.
They looked at the injured man on the stretcher in the floor. "He's badly hurt," Vash said. "Can any of you heal him?"
"I can!" Wolfwood told them, grabbing a giant black bag out of nowhere. "I think I put the book in here somewhere." He started pulling out random junk, one being a black cat. Usagi moved forward and put her hand on his arm. A white glow covered the arm, and left healed skin behind. She stood up.
"It is done," she commented, walking to the back of the bus to watch the robots.
"Helen!" The mother cried, standing up panicked. "Is Helen here?! Is she." She looked around, not seeing her daughter, before starting to cry. Vash and Wolfwood stood up.
"I'm going to rescue Helen!" they cried in unison, looking at the girls.minus Usagi.
"Vash! Wolfwood!" the other girls cried. They both jumped out of the bus and rolled in the sand until, finally stopping on their knees.
"What are you doing?" Vash asked Wolfwood.
"Don't ask such a stupid question," Wolfwood told Vash. "I'm going to rescue the little girl of course!"
"You didn't bring any weapon," Vash said, pointing. Wolfwood looked all over himself before looking back at the bus with his cross on it.
"OH NO!" Wolfwood cried. Vash tossed him a knife.
"You're going anyway, aren't you?" Vash stated.
"Of course," Wolfwood said, picking up the knife. "Bunny will be fine with those friends of yours for the time being." They started running toward the place they left off, and Vash saw a silver glint of hair in the distance.
"Ano. I just realized something," Vash commented.
"Is it really important?" Wolfwood asked, panting.
"I believe so; after Helen's mother called for help, Usagi just disappeared." he started, still running. "And I think I see her hair up there."
"KUSO!" Wolfwood cried, picking up the pace.
As a matter of fact, as soon as Usagi heard Helen was missing, she teleported as far as possible back to the place they were as she could without draining herself at all. Then she started running faster than any human alive, praying to Selene that the girl would be okay. She was tempted to take her wings out, but that would cause uproar if anyone saw it.
She teleported past the robots, and started chasing a single one, that was holding Helen. Grabbing Helen, she tried running back, but found herself surrounded by robots, all prepared to fire on her.
"Waaaaaaaah!" Helen cried. Tsukino-san had saved her, but now she was going to get blown to bit. Usagi was in a dilemma; she could fight the robots, or she could protect Helen and herself, but she couldn't do both. She decided to protect Helen and herself and pray help arrived.
Her wings exited the back of her shirt, going through the fabric like the shirt was meant for wings. Usagi curled into a ball around the sobbing Helen, and used her wings as a protective shield, wincing as the laser energy hit her wings, scorching them.
Wolfwood and Vash lay over the dune, and Wolfwood used his knife to see what was going on.
"All of those things seemed to have surrounded around one object, and keep firing!" Wolfwood exclaimed quietly. "There are a whole lot of them!" He turned to Vash who was holding his stomach painfully. "What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing much. just a terribly painful gunshot wound from Brilliant Dynamite Neon." Vash said, voice fading. The wind blew toward them, and they picked up the sound of sobbing. Suddenly, a screech of pain permeated the desert!
"IIE!!" Usagi's voice screamed in pain.
Wolfwood jumped up. "I'll be the distraction, and you get them out of it!" he cried, running past the robots. Vash nodded, and got up. As the robots noticed Wolfwood, they chased after him, shooting. He didn't notice as the robots disappeared one by one into the sand, because of the large number of robots there was.
Vash, after getting over his injury, ran forward to see Usagi, painfully folding her wings behind her back, holding an unharmed Helen in her arms. There was scorch marks all over Usagi's wings. Vash's eyes got wide. 'Tenshi? Is that what she is?'
Apparently that's what Helen thought, as she gave Usagi a hug. "Arigato for saving me Tenshi-sama!" Usagi put the girl to the side, and stood up stumbling into Vash's arms.
"And thank you Vash, for coming and getting me," she murmured to him. The scorch marks started fading. "Can we wait a minute; I'd rather not go to the bus with my wings out, and it'll take me a while to put them back in."
"Eh," Vash agreed. "You'd startle to many people with those wings." Usagi knew he wanted to ask her desperately about those wings, but she gave him a pleading look. "Wolfwood's the one distracting them; we really should help him." Usagi nodded at that. Finally, some one who didn't see her as weak, like Wolfwood did. They started walking toward the yells.
Unknown to Wolfwood, all of the robots had sunk under one sand pit or another, and he was still yelling and dodging. nothing. He looked behind him, saw nothing, and sweatdropped. Walking back to the place he had left Vash, he pondered where they had gone, on guard.
As Usagi, supported by Vash, walked toward the yells, Usagi was suddenly aware of a sinking feeling. the world way spinning. literally. They were sucked into the sand screaming, and Helen watched nervously
"What a terrible way to die..." she muttered a bit hysterically. She stared at the sand, and that is how Wolfwood found her.
"Where did Vash and Bunny go?" he asked the girl. "You know, the guy in the red and the pretty silver haired girl?" She simply pointed at the sand, still slowly twirling. As he wandered over to there, preparing to jump in Helen grabbed his pants leg.
"Don't leave me," she said mournfully. He sat down beside her. 'Lets just hope Vash gets my Bunny out of there okay.'
"Where are we Vash-san?" Usagi said, looking around, as she got on her knees. Vash pushed himself up, and gave her a hand.
"We are in the place where those robots are made Usagi-san, in the control center," Vash said, lifting her up. She shook the sand out of her wings and hair, spraying sand everywhere.
"Ick, I really dislike sand," Usagi muttered. She looked up at Vash with a wry grin. "Would you stop calling me Usagi-san? You are making me sound my age!"
"Hai, as long as you use a less formal title on me!" Vash said back with a smile, looking in her sapphire eyes. 'Gods, she's so beautiful. Truly an angel.' He shook his head, clearing it. "I think we should try to shut down the plant here, so these robots will stop being built."
There was a loud noise is the shadows, and robots started rushing them.
"AAAH!!" Vash screamed, grabbing Usagi's wrist, and running away.
"AAACK!" Usagi cried, trying to catch up with Vash. They ran, going down different hallways, twisting left and right, until they finally lost the robots. 'Something about those robots remind me of someone.Ami! Those look like something Ami-chan designed! Maybe they would react to me?'
They stopped, catching their breath. Usagi reach out an arm, and put it around Vash's waist, squeezing in a hug. "Thank you," she whispered, when she caught her breath. "I would have froze if you hadn't dragged me off."
"No problem," Vash said in a sheepish tone of voice. It was too dark to see, but Usagi was sure if there had been light, she would have seen him blushing. "Lets rest here for a bit." They sat down, and Usagi leaned against him, her wings folded flat against her back. The burns were almost gone, but she didn't want to take a chance.
There was a loud growl, and as she looked around for the noise, she realized it came from Vash's stomach.
"Hungry are you?" she said with giggle. As she laughed she realized she he stomach was growling too. Vash chuckled.
"I haven't had anything since dinner last night," he started. "But how long was it since you last ate? You looked like you had been out there for awhile."
"Eeh, it has to have been at least a couple millennia since I last ate," she said very distractedly, searching for something. She didn't even know that she was saying these things out loud, she thought she was thinking them. "Although in reality I hadn't ate for two weeks; baka me; thought I could starve myself to death."
"Suicide should never be an option," Vash said in a serious voice beside her. Usagi flushed as red as Vash's over coat, when she realized she had been talking out loud, before becoming angry.
"You never had to outlive all your friends, watching as they grew old and died while you stayed young! You didn't have to live through all your loved ones death, knowing it was your fault they died! You never had to deal with the only person you had left hating you and looking at you with disgust!" she yelled at him angrily, standing up. He rose to meet her with saddened eyes, and caught her wrist as she moved to slap him.
"You never had to be all alone." she sobbed, falling onto his chest. He put his arms around her, careful for the wings, and she put her cheek against the soft red leather. Vash got back down on his knees, putting her in his lap.
"But I have," Vash whispered softly. Usagi felt it as tears dripped onto her hair. "I've live over a hundred and thirty years, watching any friend I make die of old age. I watched the one I love die, because I was unable to prevent it, though the signs were there. I've dealt with my brother's hate and disgust of me, for loving these humans like I do. And still, suicide was never an option. You have no right to take a life, even if it is your own."
Usagi closed her eyes and held on tightly to this kindred soul. 'Mamo-chan, I loved you so much, but now it's hurting me to hold on to that love. I have to let go. forgive me.' She lifted her head away from Vash's chest, and looked up at his teary eyes.
"Than let us be alone together," she whispered to him, her sapphire eyes filled with emotion. He leaned down to her, and brushed his lips against hers awkwardly. Usagi smiled softly into his lips, and her arms around his neck, pulled him into a deeper kiss, leading it. 'He tastes like tears and sugar.'
She wasn't sure how long the kiss had lasted, but she pulled away before it got to far. "This is neither the time or place for this," she said lightly to him, turning around and searching again. Vash looked regretful, but nodded his agreement.
"I know I put some food in here somewhere," she muttered to herself. She pulled out a large white box with a silver handle. Crescent moons decorated the top. Usagi slid off Vash's lap, and opened the door.
"Taadaa!" she said to him laughing. "Mini-fridge!" Indeed, there was several cans of soda, a small container of ice cream. and DONUTS!! Vash's eyes widened happily, and Usagi saw the look. She grabbed the plate of donuts that had a regular, a jelly filled one, an éclair, and a apple fritter, and handed it to him.
"Woooow!" he exclaimed. "I've never seen such elaborate donuts before!" He grabbed one an went to bite into it, when Usagi stalled his hand. He gave her a pouting look, and she shook her head giggling.
"I'm not stopping you, just warning you," she said laughing. "A couple of those are filled with some random sweet, but they can be very messy and we don't have anything to clean up with! How are you supposed to fight robots with sticky fingers! If you bit into the donut you have right now, you'd have raspberry jelly all over yourself!" She let go of his hand, and Vash gave the donut a considering look before biting into it more carefully.
A look of bliss covered his face and he ate it slower than usual, savoring every bite. Usagi grabbed a spoon from a drawer in the bottom of the fridge, and grabbed the ice cream.
"Mmm, mint chocolate chip!" she exclaimed, after biting into the first bite. She wasn't even on her fifth bite, when Vash was done, and looking at the ice cream.
"What's that?" Vash said, talking about the green frozen substance "Looks toxic!"
"What?! They don't have ice cream here?!!" Usagi cried. "Of all the planets I could have landed on, I land on one with no ice cream!"
"What planet do you come from?" Vash asked curious.
"Earth," Usagi mumbled through a mouthful of ice cream. "Not quite sure when though."
"When?"
"I have a feeling a skipped through time a bit," Usagi said offhandedly.
"Ah. Can I try some of that?" he asked again. It looked toxic, but she seemed to be enjoying it soooo much. Usagi blinked at him for a few moments, before handing him another spoon. Needless to say, they made short work of that ice cream. After finishing, the fridge was picked up by Usagi. and dropped into nowhere.
"How do you do that?!" he inquired surprised.
"Magic! Beyond that." she started. Vash leaned forward expectantly "It's a secret!" Vash fell over.
"Awww! Can't you tell me!"
"Iie; a girl has to have a few secrets. Maybe someday when its not too crazy I can teach you."
"Demo! Around me, that never!"
"Ah, that's where you're wrong. Nothing's impossible!"
"Eh."
"So what do we do next?"
"Well, for one thing we need to get into the control room. What do you suggest Usa-chan?"
"Something about those robots reminded me of someone. I want to corner one and try to speak to it by myself. You can guard me, and if it looks bad you can take it out," she explained, blushing at his nickname for her.
"I'm not sure you can speak to it," he started, but stopped at the stubborn look on her face. "But if you think this is necessary."
"I think it is," she muttered. "If my hunch is right, I can spare us a lot of frustration."
A.N. Thanks James! I didn't notice; I had fixed it so that only chapter one was in this part, but uploaded the wrong chapter.
Prologue: The Ungrantable Wish
Her heart was breaking.
At least that's how it felt to the queen. Though she looked as young as twenty-one that estimate was no where near close her real age. For the woman standing there tears trailing down her cheeks was over a thousand years old. Her husband was dead, of old age of all things, yet she lingered on, immortal in a world where people, even Heros, eventually had to die.
Even the great King Endymion, Tuxedo Kamen, her Mamo-chan.. . And no one could bring him back. She knew; she'd tried. Even Pluto had refused her requests, her orders, her beggings. It was hopeless.
"Holy Ginzuishou," she whispered to the small crystal resting on its pedestal beside her so-lonely throne, "I must beg of you one wish. I haven't asked you for anything since the Crystal Utopia was formed, but now I must beg this." She cupped the crystal between her hands and held it before her staring into it seeing a slightly hazy reflection of her tear- stained face. "Please, let me die. Let me die now, and join Endymion in eternity."
The Ginzuishou flickered once, twice, as it tried to grant her request. She stared straight into it, hope that she hadn't allowed herself to feel in so long slowly seeping back into her. Maybe this time. . .
As she stared all she could think of was rejoining her friends. She'd outlived everyone, even her Inner Senshi. They had met their own true loves, and on their behalf she had asked the Ginzuishou to release them from the curse of their long lives, their barrenness, for love and family.
It had all seemed so romantic at the time and the Queen had never given a thought to what they were really giving up. That is until two hundred years ago when Ami died. Serenity closed her eyes in remembrance. She had went to the funeral and had been unprepared. She remembered staring in almost horror at the withered gray-haired form in the casket. Not her shy blue- haired friend but a stranger.
A mere twenty years after that Makoto had died. Serenity again had been in a trance as she had stared at the old woman who seemed asleep. They aged, as she did not. She still looked as she had when she had married her Mamoru back when she was known as Usagi and didn't have the worries she now dealt with. Then not even five years later Serenity's closest friend Rei finally died. Serenity bowed her head in almost shame.
That funeral had been the only one where she had cried for any of her Senshi, her friends. Minako died one year later and with her went Serenity's tears. She had not shed a single tear until now. Until the death of her husband the only thing keeping her from killing herself.
Serenity's eyes opened and she glared at her flawless flesh. She well remembered the scars that should have been there. The scars that had been there merely a day before vanishing. She remembered the feel of the blade as it had sank into her tender flesh. She remembered seeing the white blood appear. Then she knew... She knew that she wasn't merely cursed with a long life but with an immortal one.
Endymion himself had been given a long life from the Ginzuishou, like the rest of the earth's population, a Lunarian's life span of 1,000 years, but that hadn't been enough time. Not when she was still alive and still resembling the girl he had married while he was on his deathbed.
And then there was her daughter, her ChibiUsa-chan. . . She did not deserve to face her daughter. Not now, not anymore. Even the pink-haired young woman agreed with her self-punishment. Yes, it *was* all her fault that Endymion had died. Yes, she should have known he would have not gotten the immortality she had from the Ginzuishou. She was beneath even her daughter's contempt.
The Ginzuishou fell dark. Pain shot through her chest as disappointment set in. Even the Holy Ginzuishou wanted her to continue living and suffering. She tried to fight them back, but tears began to fall from her crystalline blue eyes, and once they started, she couldn't get them to stop.
Through some chance (or mischance), one of her tears landed on the crystal she held in her hands. As always, it reacted, trying harder than ever to grant her wish. It shook in her hand. She glanced sharply down at it, her tears ceasing, just as some sort of light exploded out of it.
'It's finally granting my wish,' she thought to herself, smiling into the light. 'Finally I'll be free.'
Then she realized it was shaking because it was shattering. . . No, it wasn't shattering. It was opening and growing! She stared at it shocked while it quickly grew to half the size of her and then she realized it was surrounding her. She stared at it in awe as it grew more and more. 'Is this it?' she wondered before the crystal completely encased her. She noticed the crystal had stopped growing and then there was a bright silver flash.
That was the last thing she saw, besides endless darkness, for a very long time. Therefore, she missed the facts that she had been imprisoned within what Pluto would call a subspace dimension within the Ginzuishou, and that it was flying off into the distance far, far away from Crystal Tokyo to heal itself, until it was strong enough to grant its owner's wish - and make her and itself mortal.
~* Millennia later on Gunsmoke *~
Chapter one: Introducing! Three anguished souls.
Wolfwood paced around his poor broken down motorcycle. Sure, he had done it, but he loved that thing! Vash the Stampede was supposed to be coming on a bus this way, and to sabotage his bike, would be the only excuse to ride the bus.
"But he's late by hours!" Wolfwood muttered to himself. Indeed it had been hours, and Wolfwood's canteen had gone empty 30 minutes earlier. 'I wish I didn't have to do this.' he thought.
But he did, to protect the children in his orphanage. Even if it meant killing for them. He sighed, and looked at the giant canvas and leather wrapped cross that was propped up against his broken motorcycle. His gaze wandered over the cross, starting at the top, until his gaze reached the shadowed bottom. 'So many bad memories.'
He stared at the shadows there for a long time, lost in the past. As the day past, the shadows in the front of the cross, moved around it like a sundial. As the sun hit the base of the cross, and object on the ground glinted so brightly it hurt his eyes, forcing him to look away. He saw sunspots, as he blinked at the blue horizon.
"What the!?" he exclaimed, a moment after clearing his head. He walked toward the object, shielding his eyes. When he got there, his shadow blocked the dazzlingly shiny object, and crouching down, he looked.
It was a huge crystal- perhaps a diamond. He whistled sharply. Crystals that big, diamond or not, are rare in this planet, were mining is nearly impossible. And cut ones were unheard of! He reached for it.
As he touched the stone a brilliant shine came out of the stone, this one having nothing to do with the sun. It was a blue/white glow, swirling in a mysterious manner. Wolfwood jumped back into a protective stance, feeling very defenseless with his arms on the other side of the rapidly growing glow.
It grew into the size of a ball no bigger than his motorcycle was round, and as the glow slowly died down, Wolfwood stopped breathing in shock. There was a person there, in a fetal position!
The form uncurled, and looked at the priest in front of her with anguished sapphire eyes. She wore a small golden circlet on her head, and a beautiful silver gown wrapped around her body, with butterfly like wings on the back. She had long white hair in heart-shaped buns on the top of her head and an eight-pointed star on her forehead. The girl seemed about eighteen at the most.
"..where am I? Am I dead?" the girl whispered to herself. She looked at the gem in her hand.
"Miss?" Wolfwood inquired, remembering to breathe. "I'd have to say you aren't dead. Where have you come from?" After the first part, her eyes became unseeing, and filled with tears.
"I'm not dead? But. I have to be!" she looked furiously down at the crystal in her hand. "You didn't grant my wish! I was supposed to finally be able to die and be with the others!" Quickly her anger fell apart and her eyes welled up with tears. "Endymion..Minna-san.." She put her head into her hands and she wailed from where she was on her knees.
Wolfwood didn't know what to do. This girl was bizarre because she seemed to appear out of this crystal, she was oddly dressed, and she seemed to want to die. But she was beautiful, and her heartbroken cries touched Wolfwood, so he knelt down and put an arm around her awkwardly. At that, she threw herself onto his shoulder, and sobbed into the safety on his chest. His eyes widened at the movement, and even more that she trusted him, a dangerous stranger.
He put his other arm around her. He didn't know what had hurt her so, although he could get a vague picture from her mutterings. If everyone she loved had died, he understood the wails. He felt that way often enough. But she couldn't die? That he didn't understand. unless... his mind flashed back to a cruel man with white/blond hair and ice chips for eyes.
But she seemed to hurt, to fragile to be like that. Too heartbroken... As she looked up at him with her sapphire eyes full of tears and loss, Wolfwood swore to take care of her. Her sobs resided into hiccups, and then disappeared entirely, she blushed as she leaned back against his cross, the wings on her gown bending.
"I'm sorry." she whispered softly. "I shouldn't have done that. I don't even know you." She put her hands in the lap of her silver dress, tilting her head in shame. 'How could I let myself be held by this man who I don't even know, when Mamo-chan.'
"Let me fix that error than, and introduce myself," he got up, and put his hand down for her. She grabbed it hand, and he pulled her up. "My name is Nicholas D. Wolfwood," he said, bowing over her hand, and kissing it. 'Where did that come from?!' he thought surprised. 'It must be because she seems no regal.' He pushed it out of his mind.
The girl blushed lightly, and looked up into his eyes. 'There is a great kindness there,' she thought. 'But also a deep hidden sadness that somehow matches mine.' After realizing she was staring, she dropped her eyes, pulling her hand away. Her eyes fell on silver hair. 'SIVLER?!'
"Do you have a mirror?!" she cried, looking around frantically, the end of her hair trailing like streamers.
"The fender of my motorcycle is reflective." Wolfwood replied, looking at her with concern evident in his eyes. She rushed over to the front of the broken down motorcycle, looking in the fenders reflective metal to see a slightly distorted image of herself.
She gasped, raising a hand first to the center of her forehead, and then to the heart-shaped buns on the top of her head. "Cosmos." she whispered mournfully. Standing up, she turned to Wolfwood, visibly shaken.
"I forget my manners," she said. "I used to be Serenity Tsukino Chiba, but now, I suppose I am Cosmos," she started. "As Cosmos is not a proper name to go by, I would appreciate it if you called me by the name I grew up with, Tsukino Usagi." Usagi smiled sadly up at him. "I have to where else to go, Wolfwood-san. May I stay here?"
"Of course Tsukino-san," he said with a small grin. "As long as you don't call me Wolfwood-san." She smiled slightly at that.
"Then you must promise not to call me Tsukino-san, or Usagi-san," she replied. Usagi looked up at the bright double suns shining down at her. "Where are we? Last time I looked, there was only a single sun and moon!"
"We are on the planet Gunsmoke," he answered, giving her a funny look. "It's a desert planet. Where have you come from?"
"Earth." she said to him quietly, looking at him in the face. "I believe from at least several thousand years ago. I sense that I have been in that crystal for a long time." Shock registered on his face.
"How did you get in that crystal?" he inquired.
"It's a long story," she said sighing, watching the horizon. Usagi wrapped her arms around herself.
"I have time," he said gently. "I'm waiting for a ride." Usagi shook her head.
"You wouldn't believe me," she started. "And I'm not quite prepared to talk about it. It hurts. Do you understand?" She looked at him with pleading, haunted sapphire eyes.
"I think I understand," he said with a slow nod. "I won't press. I just want you to know, when you're ready, I'm here for you." A bright smile covered her face.
"Arigato Nick-kun!" she cried, leaping forward and wrapping her arms around his neck in a hug. He stood there started, with a light blush, before putting one arm around her waist and putting his hand on the small of her back, holding her up. He used the other hand to wipe away a tear on her cheek.
"No problem, Bunny," he said with a small smile playing on his face. Her eyes softened as she stared up into his.
"You have beautiful eyes." she murmured to him. "Sad, but beautiful." Wolfwood looked down at her. 'What is this I'm feeling.? Love?' He leaned his face down to her, his eyes closed slightly, and in response, her eyes closed and she leaned forward slightly.
Their lips touched softly. 'Mamo-chan.' Usagi thought, and it brought her back to reality. She pulled back, looking up at Wolfwood with mournful eyes. 'I'm sorry Mamo-chan; forgive me.'
"I'm sorry. I can't do this," she whispered to him. "Not yet, not soon. Mamo-chan's death is still fresh in my mind. I can't do this; it feels like betraying him."
He just looked at her with sad eyes. 'I don't know how I fell in love with you so quickly, when I have tried so hard not to love anyone, but I will wait until the pain goes away, until you can love me back. Even if it takes forever.'
"You know, that dress, as pretty as it is, isn't quite the outfit to go trekking around the desert in," Wolfwood said, leaning against his motorcycle. Usagi looked down at the dress, and giggled.
"You're right Nick-kun, this would stain quickly. Do you have any extra clothes?"
"Iie, gomen. I don't carry a pack around," he replied.
"Oh well," she sighed. She reached into no where and pulled out a flamboyantly colored pen.
"What's that for?" Wolfwood asked, trying very hard to disregard the fact she pulled it out of nowhere.
"You'll see..!" she said, waving her free finger at him. She lifted her other hand with the pen in it in the air, and cried out "Luna pen, dress me in something appropriate to where in this godforsaken place!"
Wolfwood stared at her as nothing happened. "What was that supposed to accomplish?"
"Give it a second, would you?" Usagi snapped at him, still holding the pen. A bright pink light streamed out of the gem at the top of the pen, and a wind picked her up, swirling the pink light around her. Her gown stripped away into ribbons, and changed, and she landed on the ground.
She was in vanilla pants, with a vanilla button up shirt with long sleeved. Brown leather boots covered her feet, protecting them from the harsh hot sand beneath her feet. A cape fell down her back, vanilla on the outside with a tan interior. The crystal that she had come with floated by itself, before disappearing into light that entered her chest.
"That was new," she said, looking at her chest where the crystal entered, before rolling up her sleeves to her elbows. "Although that will probably end up making it harder for me to die." she muttered under her breath.
"Did you say something?" Wolfwood said, a serious look on his face. He had heard every word.
"Iie! Iie!" she cried panicked, waving her hands around. "Nothing at all!" Wolfwood dropped the subject, but promised to keep an eye on her.
"That was certainly interesting," Wolfwood remarked. "I have never seen anything like that in my life."
"Well," she said, throwing the pen behind her where is disappeared before it hit the ground. "It comes in handy sometimes." Wolfwood gave her a slow grin.
"Did you know you become completely naked halfway through that," he told her with a smirk, watching as she turned red.
"Ack! I'm! No!" she stuttered over her words. "I'll just have to make sure no one is looking next time then," she told him, glaring. Wolfwood just shrugged, and turned to the setting suns.
"You know, we should try to get some sleep; there'll probably not be a ride into the next town until at least afternoon tomorrow," he told Usagi, hunkering down beside his motorcycle. Usagi got down beside him, and he wrapped an arm around her. She didn't bother to push his arm away.
"Pray that there won't be any sandstorms tonight," Wolfwood said, watching as the first few moons rose. As each moon rose, Usagi felt more comforted. She yawned.
"Goodnight Nick-kun," she whispered.
"Goodnight Bunny," he told her back, as she fell asleep on his shoulder. 'Ai shiteru.'
Usagi woke up to bright light, as the double suns broke over the horizon. Looking over at Wolfwood, she saw him snoring lightly. She got up careful not to wake Wolfwood, putting his arm gently on the ground.
'I'm sorry Nick-kun, but I need to go before I get too close,' she thought to herself. She reached into her subspace pocket, and pulled her small knife out. Walking away from the motorcycle, she looked at the light scars on her wrists where she had tried before. About twenty feet away, she dropped to her knees, and lined the small knife up to where the scars should have been, the scars she had etched into her mind. Maybe this time, now, it would work...
"What are you doing?!" a furious voice said behind her. She turned to see Wolfwood glaring down at her. Her eyes widened, and she dropped the knife in surprise. Wolfwood dropped to his knees in front of her, and grabbed her shoulders, shaking her slightly.
"Why are you trying to take you life?!" he shouted, an angry and hurt expression on his face. "Do you hate your life so much?!"
"Demo. minna-san." Usagi stuttered, tears welling up in her eyes. Wolfwood dropped his arms from her shoulders.
"Do you think you are the only one in the world that has lost everyone?!" Wolfwood cried, the anger leaving his face, but the hurt still there. "I had no one, until you-" He cut himself off, looking to the side.
"Gomen." she whispered, looking at the ground. A finger pushed her chin up, and she looked him in the eye.
"I want you to promise me you won't kill yourself," Wolfwood said seriously. "Please."
"Demo." she murmured.
"Please. I know you want to go with the rest of your friends, but people who suicide don't go to heaven," Wolfwood told her quietly. "They go to Hell. That's what the religion I preach tells me, and I couldn't bare to see that happen to you."
Usagi looked up at him in shock, tears trailing down her face.
"So promise me, please."
"I promise Nick-kun."
"Thank you," Wolfwood said, relieved. As he went to stand up, he saw double, and Usagi watched as his eyes rolled back into his head and he fell over. "Nick-kun!" She tried to grab him as he fell, but only succeeded in breaking his fall with her arm, which shattered painfully. She groaned as she felt the bones knitting back together.
Grabbing him with her good arm, she struggled in dragging him back to the motorcycle. When she finally got there, it was nearly noon, and both the suns burned overhead. She lay him in the sand, and she went to situate the cross and motorcycle for him to lean on.
Touching the motorcycle, she yelped. It was hot! She grabbed it by the slightly cooler handles, and moves it a distance away. Propping the cross up by itself, she pulled Wolfwood up to it, and leaned him against it.
"What's wrong?" she muttered to herself, crouching down and looking him in the face. A good look and a feel with her healing senses told her exactly what. 'He's terribly dehydrated! What do I do?'
She took a handful of sand in her hands, and stared at it. "I'm Cosmos now, I can do this."
"Mercury, senshi of water and ice, heed my call! Make this into healing water for my poor friend!" 'Please Ami-chan.'
A blue glow started in the middle, and spread outward. When the glow died down, there was water replacing the full hand of sand. She kicked Wolfwood slightly, waking him up.
"Waah?" he mumbled with bleary eyes.
"I have water," she said, holding her hands to his lips. He drank deeply, before pushing her hands away.
"You have to drink some Bunny," he said with a rough voice. She shook her head.
"I can live without it," she said. "You really need this." She forced him to drink the rest of the water. "Now rest. I'll keep and eye out for a ride, and watch over you." She went to stand back up when he grabbed her wrist.
"Remember," he whispered hoarsely. "You promised." At her nod he let go of her wrist, and fell asleep immediately, his arm falling.
So she stood, and looked around the horizon, waiting. She stood that way for many hours, sand blowing and occasionally trapping her feet. Wolfwood had sand piled around him as well, but it seemed harmless, so she let it be. The motorcycle had been covered though, and no amount of brushing got the sand off.
While she waited, she took the end of her hair, and tied it up by the bun, making a two foot long loop, instead of super long hair that nearly dragged in the sand.
It was two hours later when an odd looking bus drove by, and then stopped suddenly. They drove very close to them, stopping at the top of a sand dune, unable to drive down it. Usagi stood warily, and people came down the slope.
"Its nice weather today," the bus driver of the bus said. "What are you doing here, in the middle of nowhere?"
"I'm quite lost, and I met up with this nice man here who said he was waiting for a ride. I waited with him," Usagi said, walking over to Wolfwood. "Nick-kun?" she said, shaking him. He jumped, startled, looking at her.
"You're still here!" he looked behind her. "And there's a bus too! We're saved!" He got up; supported by Usagi until he got his bearing. With help, they got the cross strapped down to the roof of the bus, and after that everyone got onto the bus. except her.
"What are you doing?!" he called at her. "Get onto the bus!" She shook her head. He marched off and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her to the bus. "If you think I stopped you from killing yourself, just to watch you walk off into the desert to die, you have another thing coming!" he whispered furiously to her. "Letting yourself die purposely is the same thing as suicide! Plus, it's rather selfish of you." He trailed off.
They got onto the bus, and sat in the back.
"Are you alright?" a woman with long brown hair asked. "Here, have some water." Her short black haired friend told them handing them a canteen.
"Thank you, both of you!" Wolfwood said gratefully, drinking half of it. "That's refreshing! Thank you! Here Bunny, have the rest." He drank some and then offered it to Usagi, who sat beside him sullen. She glared at him and stuck her tongue out. "Come on Bunny, please. You can't be mad at me because I worry!" At that she sighed and drank the rest of it.
"Thank you," she said quietly to the two girls.
"Don't mention it!" chirped the girl with the long brown hair.
The blonde man with turquoise eyes and a red coat gave them a sad look. "That was my-" he started, before he was hit in the back of the head by the black haired girl.
Usagi jumped over Wolfwood's lap, and pushed him to the window, him giving her and odd look. "That was terrible of you!" she snapped at the black haired woman, who flushed and looked away. "Are you okay sir?" She asked the blonde gentleman who was nearly in her lap. He sat back up, rubbing the back of his sore head.
"I'll be okay, its just." he said, looking at the canteen.
"Oh I get it, this was yours! I'm sorry I got it through petty thievery," she told him. "Let me refill it for you." She stared down at the canteen and concentrated on Mercury, the same way she had in the desert.
"How are you supposed to-" he started, before looking at the strange blue light coming out of the canteen. She handed the canteen back to him. Lifting it up to his ear, he heard sloshing. Taking a drink. Water!
"How did you do that?!" he exclaimed giving her a starry eyed look. She blushed, and looked away.
"I have my secrets," she said, giggling a little at the attention. The black haired lady coughed, shooting angry glances at both blondes.
"How did you end up in the middle of nowhere?" she asked Wolfwood, refusing to acknowledge Usagi.
"My bike broke down about 100 miles from here," Wolfwood said. Usagi
raised an eyebrow.
"Then you pushed your bike 100 miles?" Usagi inquired.
"Wow!" the brown haired girl said. "How about Bunny-san?"
Usagi giggled. "My name is Tsukino Usagi, but you can call me Usagi-chan." She told her with a light smile. "And I appeared out of nowhere."
"No one can just appear out of nowhere!" the black haired lady snapped with a snarl.
"She did," Wolfwood said with a grin. "Oddest thing I ever saw."
The spiky blonde man gave Usagi a considering look.
"Anyhow," Wolfwood said. "I thank you for getting us out of that desert."
"This is the person who saw you though," the black haired woman said, pointing at the blonde man. Wolfwood gave him a huge grin.
"Thank you for saving us.er.." Wolfwood said, stopping, as he couldn't put the blonde's name at the end of the sentence. The blonde stood up quickly, looking fake haughty.
"I am Barenchines Alcari Jehark Shishi Double Helix Gambigubera Bruce de Tarantorento Pierre Andrei Charle Heimus Dubois Kaiser...Nice to meet you!" he said, leaning over putting his hand out.
Usagi curled up laughing, and Wolfwood looked down in surprise before looking back up at the long named blonde.
"What are you talking about Vash the Stampede-san?" the brown haired girl said with a laughing voice. A pleased look spread over Wolfwood's face, but he covered at he went to looking shocked...
"I hate it when people use my short name!!" Vash cried.
"Vash? That's Vash the Stampede?!" Wolfwood exclaimed. Something in Wolfwood's voice made Usagi uncurled and looked at Wolfwood warily, climbing underneath the seat and standing behind the seat they had been sharing. Wolfwood grabbed Vash's head and twisted it around painfully.
"He's really him?" Wolfwood inquired with wide eyes. "Totally different than my image of him!"
"Stop it Nick-kun! You're hurting him!" Usagi cried, pushing Wolfwood back.
"Ah, its okay Usagi-san," Vash said. "I'm resilient! Who's your friend here?"
"My name is Wolfwood," he said with a grumpy look at Usagi. "What do you care anyhow?" he asked Usagi. Usagi shuddered.
"I can **feel** it." she told him, muttering. She leaned on the back of the chair, sighing. Wolfwood and Vash looked at each other, and then to her, while the two girls watched confused, having not heard it.
"Why did the name "Vash the Stampede" emit such a result from you anyhow?" she inquired, tiredly.
"You see, Bunny, Vash the Stampede is a wanted criminal for destroying several cities," Wolfwood said to Usagi. "Isn't it so strange that the legendary wanted criminal would be the one to save my life?" He laughed loudly.
Usagi gazed into Vash's beautiful turquoise eyes, searchingly "Iie, I don't believe it," she whispered. "His heart is too pure. This man is innocent." Vash watched confused, and his eyes widened as he heard her statement, whispered too lowly for human ears.
"I could kill you," Wolfwood said, pointing at Vash, "And collect the $$60 billion reward! Wouldn't that be great." He missed the glare Usagi sent his way, but not the slap to the back of the head.
"Itee! Bunny! What was that for!" Wolfwood cried, giving her a false teary look. She just gave him a look.
"No one dies on my watch! No one!" Usagi snapped. 'This whole dying planet will be protected, as long as I'm on it!' She hmphed and stalked back to the bathroom to clean up her sandy face. She didn't notice as the eight pointed star glowed slightly, enough for Vash to pick up.
'Who is that girl? How did she create that water? How does she know all she knows... why does she care?' Vash thought. 'I know she isn't human though. why does she have such a mournful look in her eyes.?'
Usagi heard laughing out in the bus as she washed away the sand on her face. 'At least Nick-kun and Vash-san are getting along now...' she thought.
"Do you have anymore water?" Wolfwood asked Vash. Vash shook his head frantically. "You can't have it! You drank nearly all of it last time!"
"Where did you get any this time?"
"Usagi-san gave it to me," Vash said. Wolfwood sent a glare back at the bathroom.
"I thought I told her to drink it!" Wolfwood snapped.
"She did," Vash replied. "She just made more appear." Wolfwood look at him with shock then got a considering look.
"I think I remember her doing that too," Wolfwood said, lost in though. "I passed out, and suddenly she was there with a hand full of water. I never did ask her where she got the water."
"Bizarre friend you have!" Vash said laughing. Wolfwood started laughing too.
"Not as bizarre as the friends you have!"
They tried to match each other's laughing. Usagi came out of the bathroom, just as the bus stopped for a break. The bus driver debated with Wolfwood and Usagi for bus payment.
"There isn't enough here for one, let alone too!" the bus driver snapped. He may have let one go for that much but.. He saw two pale hands handing him a golden circlet, and looked up to see Usagi's face.
"Please, take this as payment," she said sadly. "Its pure gold, and its all I have left." Wolfwood tried to protest; that was the circlet she has wearing when he first saw her! The bus driver grabbed the circlet greedily, and bit it to check.
"This'll do!" he said cheerfully, pushing Wolfwood's money back to him. Wolfwood nodded, noting the stubborn look on Usagi's face.
"You didn't have to do that," Wolfwood growled half-heartedly.
"Yes, I did," she told him softly. Vash watched from were he was sitting. "He probably would have let you ride for that much if I hadn't been here," she said. She sat down tiredly against the bus, and Wolfwood leaned against the bus, pulling out a cigarette.
"Wolfwood, you told me not long ago you were a preacher," Usagi said, looking up at him. "Could you tell me about it?"
"Eh," Vash agreed. "You don't seem to be like a preacher at all."
"Well, its just a small church," Wolfwood said, lighting his cigarette. "We take in orphans who have no home. Although I don't have to take care of the kids. We won't survive if I don't come out making donations."
"Collecting donations. using your position as a preacher?" Vash asked with wide eyes.
"That's not the only way," Wolfwood said tiredly. He watched as two little girls hugged and tired looking older lady, probably their mother.
"Mama!" one cried. "I'm hungry!"
"Me too!" the other one cried.
"Once we reach a city I promise I'll buy some food for you, okay?" The mother said, leaning down and giving them a hug. "Until then you'll have to bear with me."
"I don't wanna!" cried the little girl.
"Please, don't ask for the impossible," the mother begged. "We will reach the city soon!"
Wolfwood sighed, and closed his eyes. He dropped the cigarette, and stepped on it, walking to the girls and their mother, the children who were still crying about food. Usagi and Vash watched in surprise.
"Are you feeling hungry?" Wolfwood asked the children, kneeling down in front of them. He gave them a small grin, and they nodded. "Really? But this is all I have," he said, reaching into his pocket, and pulling out three bars. "This ones for you," he said, pointing at one girl, "And this ones for you," he said pointing at the other girl. "And this last one is for me. They may seem little, but they are enough."
They watched him for awhile, and his eyes softened at their startled looks. After a moment they got great big grins on their faces, and reaching forward, grabbing the bars.
"Thank you," the mother said, bowing slightly. He just waved his hand slightly, and the mother and her daughters walked off. He got up and turned back to the bus, where Usagi and Vash were sitting, nearly twin smiles on their faces.
"So you can have this kind of smile too," Wolfwood said, with a grin on his face.
"What do you mean?" Vash asked, looking up at Wolfwood. Usagi just watched the children walking away.
"I was worried; although you had been laughing all the while, there was no real feeling within the laughter," Wolfwood responded. Vash's grin faded. "Although you are hurting inside, you just bear it all quietly and laugh." Usagi's eyes grew haunted at that. that was rather what she was doing. "That is how I se you at least," Wolfwood continued. "So to heal you pain..you need the confession box!" He said, grabbing the miniature church and kneeling in front of Vash. Vash fell over.
"Confess anything and everything! All you have to do is put some money in here!"
"You're really a good business man." Vash complained, looking up.
"We need to use our brains to survive!" Wolfwood said laughingly. Usagi just sighed and leaned against the bus, eyes closing.
"Come over here quickly!" a man cried from the end of the bus. "Someone has fainted!!"
"Poor man," Vash said. "Perhaps the suns are too hot today." All three of them got up and followed the man who had called to them.
"He didn't just faint," Wolfwood commented, looking at the terrible burn on his arm. "Who could have done this?"
The brown haired girl jumped in front of Vash pointing a giant gun at his head. "Villain!" She cried.
"I didn't do this," Vash said.
"You didn't?"
"Nothing human did this." Vash told her quietly.
"Eh?!"
"What do you mean?!" Wolfwood exclaimed. Just after that, a giant four legged robot climbed out of the sand. "What is that big thing??!!" The robot rushed them, and Vash shot it, sending it flying back- but only for a moment.
"It seems alive!" the black haired lady cried. Everyone started running toward the bus. The brown haired lady took her gun and shot at it, sending it flying back over a dune.
"Good shot young lady," Wolfwood complimented. The girl looked back with a happy smile, that reminded Usagi of someone.and then dozens more robots started over the dune.!
"AAH!" The whole group ran back to the bus, the black haired lady blaming it on Vash the whole time. The bus started off quickly, robots chasing behind them. Vash glared at them confused from the window of the bus.
They looked at the injured man on the stretcher in the floor. "He's badly hurt," Vash said. "Can any of you heal him?"
"I can!" Wolfwood told them, grabbing a giant black bag out of nowhere. "I think I put the book in here somewhere." He started pulling out random junk, one being a black cat. Usagi moved forward and put her hand on his arm. A white glow covered the arm, and left healed skin behind. She stood up.
"It is done," she commented, walking to the back of the bus to watch the robots.
"Helen!" The mother cried, standing up panicked. "Is Helen here?! Is she." She looked around, not seeing her daughter, before starting to cry. Vash and Wolfwood stood up.
"I'm going to rescue Helen!" they cried in unison, looking at the girls.minus Usagi.
"Vash! Wolfwood!" the other girls cried. They both jumped out of the bus and rolled in the sand until, finally stopping on their knees.
"What are you doing?" Vash asked Wolfwood.
"Don't ask such a stupid question," Wolfwood told Vash. "I'm going to rescue the little girl of course!"
"You didn't bring any weapon," Vash said, pointing. Wolfwood looked all over himself before looking back at the bus with his cross on it.
"OH NO!" Wolfwood cried. Vash tossed him a knife.
"You're going anyway, aren't you?" Vash stated.
"Of course," Wolfwood said, picking up the knife. "Bunny will be fine with those friends of yours for the time being." They started running toward the place they left off, and Vash saw a silver glint of hair in the distance.
"Ano. I just realized something," Vash commented.
"Is it really important?" Wolfwood asked, panting.
"I believe so; after Helen's mother called for help, Usagi just disappeared." he started, still running. "And I think I see her hair up there."
"KUSO!" Wolfwood cried, picking up the pace.
As a matter of fact, as soon as Usagi heard Helen was missing, she teleported as far as possible back to the place they were as she could without draining herself at all. Then she started running faster than any human alive, praying to Selene that the girl would be okay. She was tempted to take her wings out, but that would cause uproar if anyone saw it.
She teleported past the robots, and started chasing a single one, that was holding Helen. Grabbing Helen, she tried running back, but found herself surrounded by robots, all prepared to fire on her.
"Waaaaaaaah!" Helen cried. Tsukino-san had saved her, but now she was going to get blown to bit. Usagi was in a dilemma; she could fight the robots, or she could protect Helen and herself, but she couldn't do both. She decided to protect Helen and herself and pray help arrived.
Her wings exited the back of her shirt, going through the fabric like the shirt was meant for wings. Usagi curled into a ball around the sobbing Helen, and used her wings as a protective shield, wincing as the laser energy hit her wings, scorching them.
Wolfwood and Vash lay over the dune, and Wolfwood used his knife to see what was going on.
"All of those things seemed to have surrounded around one object, and keep firing!" Wolfwood exclaimed quietly. "There are a whole lot of them!" He turned to Vash who was holding his stomach painfully. "What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing much. just a terribly painful gunshot wound from Brilliant Dynamite Neon." Vash said, voice fading. The wind blew toward them, and they picked up the sound of sobbing. Suddenly, a screech of pain permeated the desert!
"IIE!!" Usagi's voice screamed in pain.
Wolfwood jumped up. "I'll be the distraction, and you get them out of it!" he cried, running past the robots. Vash nodded, and got up. As the robots noticed Wolfwood, they chased after him, shooting. He didn't notice as the robots disappeared one by one into the sand, because of the large number of robots there was.
Vash, after getting over his injury, ran forward to see Usagi, painfully folding her wings behind her back, holding an unharmed Helen in her arms. There was scorch marks all over Usagi's wings. Vash's eyes got wide. 'Tenshi? Is that what she is?'
Apparently that's what Helen thought, as she gave Usagi a hug. "Arigato for saving me Tenshi-sama!" Usagi put the girl to the side, and stood up stumbling into Vash's arms.
"And thank you Vash, for coming and getting me," she murmured to him. The scorch marks started fading. "Can we wait a minute; I'd rather not go to the bus with my wings out, and it'll take me a while to put them back in."
"Eh," Vash agreed. "You'd startle to many people with those wings." Usagi knew he wanted to ask her desperately about those wings, but she gave him a pleading look. "Wolfwood's the one distracting them; we really should help him." Usagi nodded at that. Finally, some one who didn't see her as weak, like Wolfwood did. They started walking toward the yells.
Unknown to Wolfwood, all of the robots had sunk under one sand pit or another, and he was still yelling and dodging. nothing. He looked behind him, saw nothing, and sweatdropped. Walking back to the place he had left Vash, he pondered where they had gone, on guard.
As Usagi, supported by Vash, walked toward the yells, Usagi was suddenly aware of a sinking feeling. the world way spinning. literally. They were sucked into the sand screaming, and Helen watched nervously
"What a terrible way to die..." she muttered a bit hysterically. She stared at the sand, and that is how Wolfwood found her.
"Where did Vash and Bunny go?" he asked the girl. "You know, the guy in the red and the pretty silver haired girl?" She simply pointed at the sand, still slowly twirling. As he wandered over to there, preparing to jump in Helen grabbed his pants leg.
"Don't leave me," she said mournfully. He sat down beside her. 'Lets just hope Vash gets my Bunny out of there okay.'
"Where are we Vash-san?" Usagi said, looking around, as she got on her knees. Vash pushed himself up, and gave her a hand.
"We are in the place where those robots are made Usagi-san, in the control center," Vash said, lifting her up. She shook the sand out of her wings and hair, spraying sand everywhere.
"Ick, I really dislike sand," Usagi muttered. She looked up at Vash with a wry grin. "Would you stop calling me Usagi-san? You are making me sound my age!"
"Hai, as long as you use a less formal title on me!" Vash said back with a smile, looking in her sapphire eyes. 'Gods, she's so beautiful. Truly an angel.' He shook his head, clearing it. "I think we should try to shut down the plant here, so these robots will stop being built."
There was a loud noise is the shadows, and robots started rushing them.
"AAAH!!" Vash screamed, grabbing Usagi's wrist, and running away.
"AAACK!" Usagi cried, trying to catch up with Vash. They ran, going down different hallways, twisting left and right, until they finally lost the robots. 'Something about those robots remind me of someone.Ami! Those look like something Ami-chan designed! Maybe they would react to me?'
They stopped, catching their breath. Usagi reach out an arm, and put it around Vash's waist, squeezing in a hug. "Thank you," she whispered, when she caught her breath. "I would have froze if you hadn't dragged me off."
"No problem," Vash said in a sheepish tone of voice. It was too dark to see, but Usagi was sure if there had been light, she would have seen him blushing. "Lets rest here for a bit." They sat down, and Usagi leaned against him, her wings folded flat against her back. The burns were almost gone, but she didn't want to take a chance.
There was a loud growl, and as she looked around for the noise, she realized it came from Vash's stomach.
"Hungry are you?" she said with giggle. As she laughed she realized she he stomach was growling too. Vash chuckled.
"I haven't had anything since dinner last night," he started. "But how long was it since you last ate? You looked like you had been out there for awhile."
"Eeh, it has to have been at least a couple millennia since I last ate," she said very distractedly, searching for something. She didn't even know that she was saying these things out loud, she thought she was thinking them. "Although in reality I hadn't ate for two weeks; baka me; thought I could starve myself to death."
"Suicide should never be an option," Vash said in a serious voice beside her. Usagi flushed as red as Vash's over coat, when she realized she had been talking out loud, before becoming angry.
"You never had to outlive all your friends, watching as they grew old and died while you stayed young! You didn't have to live through all your loved ones death, knowing it was your fault they died! You never had to deal with the only person you had left hating you and looking at you with disgust!" she yelled at him angrily, standing up. He rose to meet her with saddened eyes, and caught her wrist as she moved to slap him.
"You never had to be all alone." she sobbed, falling onto his chest. He put his arms around her, careful for the wings, and she put her cheek against the soft red leather. Vash got back down on his knees, putting her in his lap.
"But I have," Vash whispered softly. Usagi felt it as tears dripped onto her hair. "I've live over a hundred and thirty years, watching any friend I make die of old age. I watched the one I love die, because I was unable to prevent it, though the signs were there. I've dealt with my brother's hate and disgust of me, for loving these humans like I do. And still, suicide was never an option. You have no right to take a life, even if it is your own."
Usagi closed her eyes and held on tightly to this kindred soul. 'Mamo-chan, I loved you so much, but now it's hurting me to hold on to that love. I have to let go. forgive me.' She lifted her head away from Vash's chest, and looked up at his teary eyes.
"Than let us be alone together," she whispered to him, her sapphire eyes filled with emotion. He leaned down to her, and brushed his lips against hers awkwardly. Usagi smiled softly into his lips, and her arms around his neck, pulled him into a deeper kiss, leading it. 'He tastes like tears and sugar.'
She wasn't sure how long the kiss had lasted, but she pulled away before it got to far. "This is neither the time or place for this," she said lightly to him, turning around and searching again. Vash looked regretful, but nodded his agreement.
"I know I put some food in here somewhere," she muttered to herself. She pulled out a large white box with a silver handle. Crescent moons decorated the top. Usagi slid off Vash's lap, and opened the door.
"Taadaa!" she said to him laughing. "Mini-fridge!" Indeed, there was several cans of soda, a small container of ice cream. and DONUTS!! Vash's eyes widened happily, and Usagi saw the look. She grabbed the plate of donuts that had a regular, a jelly filled one, an éclair, and a apple fritter, and handed it to him.
"Woooow!" he exclaimed. "I've never seen such elaborate donuts before!" He grabbed one an went to bite into it, when Usagi stalled his hand. He gave her a pouting look, and she shook her head giggling.
"I'm not stopping you, just warning you," she said laughing. "A couple of those are filled with some random sweet, but they can be very messy and we don't have anything to clean up with! How are you supposed to fight robots with sticky fingers! If you bit into the donut you have right now, you'd have raspberry jelly all over yourself!" She let go of his hand, and Vash gave the donut a considering look before biting into it more carefully.
A look of bliss covered his face and he ate it slower than usual, savoring every bite. Usagi grabbed a spoon from a drawer in the bottom of the fridge, and grabbed the ice cream.
"Mmm, mint chocolate chip!" she exclaimed, after biting into the first bite. She wasn't even on her fifth bite, when Vash was done, and looking at the ice cream.
"What's that?" Vash said, talking about the green frozen substance "Looks toxic!"
"What?! They don't have ice cream here?!!" Usagi cried. "Of all the planets I could have landed on, I land on one with no ice cream!"
"What planet do you come from?" Vash asked curious.
"Earth," Usagi mumbled through a mouthful of ice cream. "Not quite sure when though."
"When?"
"I have a feeling a skipped through time a bit," Usagi said offhandedly.
"Ah. Can I try some of that?" he asked again. It looked toxic, but she seemed to be enjoying it soooo much. Usagi blinked at him for a few moments, before handing him another spoon. Needless to say, they made short work of that ice cream. After finishing, the fridge was picked up by Usagi. and dropped into nowhere.
"How do you do that?!" he inquired surprised.
"Magic! Beyond that." she started. Vash leaned forward expectantly "It's a secret!" Vash fell over.
"Awww! Can't you tell me!"
"Iie; a girl has to have a few secrets. Maybe someday when its not too crazy I can teach you."
"Demo! Around me, that never!"
"Ah, that's where you're wrong. Nothing's impossible!"
"Eh."
"So what do we do next?"
"Well, for one thing we need to get into the control room. What do you suggest Usa-chan?"
"Something about those robots reminded me of someone. I want to corner one and try to speak to it by myself. You can guard me, and if it looks bad you can take it out," she explained, blushing at his nickname for her.
"I'm not sure you can speak to it," he started, but stopped at the stubborn look on her face. "But if you think this is necessary."
"I think it is," she muttered. "If my hunch is right, I can spare us a lot of frustration."
A.N. Thanks James! I didn't notice; I had fixed it so that only chapter one was in this part, but uploaded the wrong chapter.