I do not own Vash the Stampede, Rem Saverem, Nicholas D. Wolfwood, Milly Thompson, Meryl Stryfe, etc: they all belong to the incomparable Mr. Yasuhiro Nightow.

I imagine that Vash would want to re-examine a day's events, and try to learn from any mistakes he made. He's unlikely to think it through in the form of a prayer (and even if he did, that could feel awkward to non-praying readers). In manga, Vash was mostly shown as praying only when someone else was at risk; the anime didn't really show him praying at all. Vash didn't consistently have anyone around that he can talk with that honestly.

So perhaps Vash -might- compose letters in his mind as the way that he re-examines his day, unwinds, and learns any lessons he can from it. Most such "unwritten" letters are likely to be addressed to Rem. However, if it's about something he thinks another would understand better (or forgive him for more easily) he might address it elsewhere.

The following will be a growing collection of one-shot introspections by Mr. Vash the Stampede, as he re-examines events of the prior day or days. I will try to follow the chronology as well as possible, and blend in Anime where the Manga is silent (though favoring Manga when ever there's conflicting information).

The dates align with the manga. I use manga dates where they are given. Where dates are not given, I'm using my best guesstimate.

This means that as the various "Unwritten Letters" accumulate, indicating that time is going forward, there will be spoilers.

I hope all who read this collection, or any part of it, will enjoy it. :)

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Insurance Girls

Year 0110, month 6, day 2

Dear Rem,

Today was unusual. I'm still not sure if I understand it.

It wasn't so very different when it started out. In fact, was downright ordinary at first. Nothing even slightly remarkable occurred until the bounty hunters shot up the tavern where I had gone, just to get a drink and eavesdrop on the local gossip, when the afternoon was well along.

You probably remember how my metabolism works. It's easier for me to drink too much and throw it back up than it is for me to get drunk. However, a tavern is still one of the best places to overhear what's going by on the local grapevine. Sometimes that information can save lives, so it's worth the effort to listen.

I discovered I'd forgotten to reload, after the last time I cleaned my gun, when I tried to fire at them. How foolish of me, and how embarrassing! Thankfully, I'm good at dodging.

I ran for the hills, to draw their attention away from the town where ordinary people lived who couldn't defend themselves. There we played cat and mouse.

That part was essentially routine, and I would have had them all tied up shortly. But then the most astonishing thing I ever recall seeing happen occurred.

There were these two young girls. They rode up to the boss of the bounty hunters, and offered him doughnuts. They called him Vash the Stampede... my name, if you can imagine that!

How did they know my name, or that I like doughnuts, while being able to look straight at me and not know me?

It's so strange.

Then another bounty hunter came, and they all ignored the girls to shoot at each other. I ran alongside the girls on their Thomases for a ways, and helped myself to the box of doughnuts ... they had said those doughnuts were for me, after all, and by that time I was really hungry... and I asked them why they'd come out there.

Their reply was almost as strange as their presence in that location. They belong to an insurance company, and came to find me to watch me all the time - twenty-four hours a day - to prevent me from doing any damage.

I know I have a terrible reputation. Some of those things... well, truthfully, most of those things... were either done by other people or else happened by chance. I don't argue anymore, since nobody would believe me anyway.

But these girls, they're so very young. They're even younger than you were, 150 years ago, when you adopted us and looked after us.

The girls paid me to warn the townsfolk. I didn't, since I knew if I left them alone, they would get hurt. They might even be hurt worse than merely injured. I was too worried about them to do as they'd asked. Instead, I went back and made sure they could escape safely.

Try to save everybody, isn't that what you taught me? I couldn't leave those poor children to the not-so-tender mercies of those bandits.

I didn't kill anyone, nor did I allow anyone to be killed. Some people did get hurt, though. I couldn't prevent that, and still keep everyone alive.

I hope you'd not be too disappointed in my efforts today.

Aside from being more careful to remember to reload, anytime I empty my gun, I cannot think of any lesson that I should have learned today. I hope I didn't miss anything important.

I'll try to stay away from the girls, since I don't want them to get hurt from finding me. It still seems strange, though, that anyone a sixth of my age ... or possibly less... would be sent to keep me out of trouble.

I need to protect them, and not just worry about them. I think avoiding them might be the best way to do that.

I miss you, Rem.

- Vash "the Stampede"