A/N: Don't own Trigun and can't draw so glad I don't. Disclaimer is for all chapters.

Eve

Angel

Across an endless desert two blazing suns flew overhead, their heat scorching the head of a young girl stumbling along the vast sand. She looked no older than sixteen and was clearly lost as her head shifted side to side in a controlled but almost frantic motion. Unsure of where she was or where she was going, however, she diligently kept walking.

All she knew was that she needed to get as far away as possible before they found that she was gone.

It had been almost two days since she had escaped the slavers, along with three others. They had all separated in different directions to throw off the trackers, and possibly buy some time for each other in case the men had decided to follow them out into the wastelands of the desert.

If only her grandma hadn't died, then none of this would have ever happened. All their possessions wouldn't have had to have been sold to pay for the funeral and she would never have been taken as payment for the doctor's bills. A small sparkle of water fell from one of her eyes and she half-heartedly wiped off the offending tear, stubbornly shaking her head. Now was certainly not the time to think of such things, though she did wish she had some company.

The suns continued to glare down on her, offering no comfort to the weary traveler. She sighed deeply through her cracked lips as her feet shuffled along, more wearily than the few miles back. there just seemed to be no end to this hell she had gotten herself into.

Suddenly, her foot caught on something jutting from the ground, causing her to fall headfirst into the sand with a soft thud.

Sputtering the coarse ground out of her mouth, she flipped around and looked to see what had caused her to fall. There, not more than an inch showing above the sand, was a piece of silver, partially rusted metal, reflecting the light of the suns. She slowly stood up and looked over the buried object. Bending down and sinking her hands into the sand, she realized that she couldn't find a bottom and the object was bigger than she thought. Digging her hands in, she decided there was nothing left for her to do but find out what the thing was.

After an hour of digging away at the sand, she stood back and was startled by what she had uncovered. It was a metal door, four by six foot in diameter and, because of a lack of handle, with no apparent way to open it.

She beginning to wonder if she had just wasted an hour of her precious time when the door suddenly swung open, revealing steps leading to a brightly lit corridor. The cool air that washed over her was much welcomed as she stared down into the depths of whatever monster she had awakened. Thinking that this would be a good spot to rest from the sun and hide from the slavers, she decided to go in.

Cautiously, she took a step down the stairs, making sure to watch her footing so as not to go tumbling down into this strange space. When she reached the lowest step, however, her previous worried were forgotten as the door behind her suddenly shut. She ran back up the steps and frantically searched for a way to open it, clawing at the small cracks between the frame and the door.

Suddenly a voice filled her mind, making her freeze her futile search.

"Hello there, child."

Erica, for that was the girl's name, knew she should have been afraid. After all, here she was trapped in a strange place with a voice speaking inside her head. However, the voice brought a feeling of comfort to the frightened girl, and the hallway before her certainly did not terrify her, being well lit and airy.

"Follow the instructions I give you, little one. I would like to meet you."

Meet me? This strange voice wanted to meet me? she wondered, her face contorting in confusion.

Did she really want to follow a voice in her head through a possible maze of hallways and doors? Of course, what other option did she have?

"All right," she spoke aloud, not knowing if the voice could hear her thoughts.

With the voice giving her directions, and after what felt like an hour of walking through the many halls, she finally reached a door marked with the word 'Plant'. This must be the core of the plant system she thought with a mixture of wonder and fear. Cautiously stepping forward, the door opened to reveal a room of massive size, its domed ceiling reaching almost to the heavens. Off to one side stood several large computers, all beeping away furiously, and on her other side lay what appeared to be the remnants of clothing and bones. But what truly caught her attention, however, was the giant glass bulb in the center which radiated a faint glow. There was movement from inside the bulb and Erica slowly walked up the platform leading to it.

Finally standing before the glass, she attempted to pierce the bright light emanating from the bulb's core. When she succeeded in piercing the light, what she saw took her breath away.

The creature in front of her could only be described as a female angel. She had the normal amount of arms and legs, but they seemed to glow with an unearthly light. She had large black orbs for eyes and dark black hair covered most of her body. What really caught the girl's attention, though, was the several pairs of wings sprouting from the creature's back, giving her a majestic appearance.

"Do not be afraid, little one. I will not harm you."

"Are you an angel?" Erica whispered, staring in awe as the being floated closer.

The beautiful creature smiled, sending a wave of happiness over Erica. The angel seemed to be able to project her emotions into the girl's very thoughts, and any feeling of fear evaporated as she looked upon the ethereal creature.

"You may call me that, if you wish."

"How long have you been down here, angel?"

"A very long time, long before you were born, little one. I have been waiting for someone to find me, and have you come."

"Why did you want to see me?" Erica asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"I wanted to give you a gift before I die."

"Die? You can't die!" Erica yelled as a feeling of sadness overwhelmed her. She didn't know why she was acting this emotional, only that the death of this beautiful creature would bring a great sadness. Warm tears trailed down Erica's face as she pressed her hands to the bulb. "I just met you! Please, don't leave me!"

Erica pressed herself against the bulb, wanting to hold the angel close to her as if she could stop death by not letting go. She felt like she was losing her grandmother once again, that selfish death which took everyone she loved. The angel gave her a sad smile that did little to comfort the sobbing girl beneath her.

"All things must pass on" she spoke, floating closer to Erica so now only the glass separated them. "I am truly sorry we could not have talked more, but I know you will use my gift well, and that makes the end easier."

"What gift?" Erica spoke, shaking her head from side to side as her vision became clouded with tears. "Why me? What could I possibly do with anything you give me?"

"You can save him, I know you can."

"Save who? Who's him?" Erica asked, furiously saying anything in an attempt to keep the angel from leaving her. "How will I know it's him?"

The angel did not answer, merely pressing her hands against the glass opposite the Erica's. At the same time, the bulb's light began to glow brighter, so bright that Erica was forced to shut her eyes. Then a strange tingling sensation crept threw her body, filling her with warmth. As she lost consciousness, Erica heard the angel speak one last time.

"Goodbye, my daughter."