Dig for Fire

Disclaimer: I do not own Trigun.

White was surrounding him.

He had no idea as to where he was, what he was doing there, or why he was there to begin with. All he knew was that it was white, and big.

Yes, it was very big.

Vash looked around the abyss of nothingness he was currently in. He jumped a bit to see how stable the ground was and noticed a puff of fluff float up from the ground. How strange.

Was this supposed to happen in wherever he was?

He continued to jump, though. He liked the fluff.

Then there was a noise. It was a low sound that Vash probably wouldn't have noticed if it weren't for the deafening silence in the void.

However, it kept going. As it went it grew louder, and louder. It took only a few moments to understand what it was.

It was someone talking.

"Vash...Vash the Stampede..." It repeated again, and again.

His hand twitched to his side where his gun would have been, to his dismay he remembered his gun was still in the desert. "Crap!"

The voice chuckled and soon a figure stood before him. Vash could tell it was a tall, lean, male. He couldn't make out the face though, although the presence felt very familiar.

"Still as twitchy as ever," it said as it came closer to him. "Eh, Spikey?"

Vash felt himself go weak in the knees and rushed into the priest, toppling him over.

"Hey! Hey! Cut it out!" Wolfwood yelled as the now crying outlaw hugged him. "Get off of me, you idiot!"

The blonde quickly back away and looked up at his best friend, "Have I finally lost my mind?" he asked. "Have I finally gone off the deep end? Is it really you, Wolfwood?"

The dark haired back stood up and dusted the fluff off of his jacket. "Nah, you haven't completely lost your head. It's me alright."

"How…didn't you…die?"

Wolfwood casually reached into his jacket and pulled out his infamous crumpled cigarette. "Yup, I'm as dead as dead can possibly be."

"Uh…so I'm dead?" the blonde asked while watching his friend light up his cigarette.

"Nope."

If Vash wasn't confused already, this absolutely perplexed him. "Um…I don't follow."

Wolfwood took a drag, "You aren't dead…but you're not really alive either. You're kinda floating in between."

"Ooh…"

The priest's eyebrow twitched. "You still don't get it do you?"

Vash shook his head and Wolfwood began to rub his temples. "I'd forgotten what an idiot you were!" He began to rub his chin in hopes of thinking of a better way to explain the situation to the insensible outlaw. "Hmm…when that guy shot you up, it gave you a way to leave your body somewhat. You're not alive, or else you couldn't enter here, but you're not dead. Got me so far?" Vash nodded from his position on the floor. "Good…now the reason you left your body was because you need guidance."

"Guidance?" Vash questioned.

"Yes guidance, because you're too dense to do anything on your own."

"Hey!" the plant pouted. "I defeated Knives all by myself!"

"No you didn't! You would've been blown sky high if I hadn't interfered…and that reminds me!" He then clunked Vash on the head.

"Ow! What was that for, you pretentious priest?" Even in his undead state he was still able to receive pain. Was that normal?

"Don't act like you don't know! Where is my Cross Punisher!" He demanded and Vash gulped in fear. "Oh yeah…um…it's in the dessert."

There was then another assault on his poor head. "Why the hell did you leave it in the middle of the dessert where a band a crooks can easily take it?"

"Well…it was sort of symbolic." He said sheepishly, "You know…me thinking for myself. I also left my red jacket and my gun."

"Oh really? How's that going for you?" Wolfwood asked sarcastically before making his way into the white abyss.

"Hey! Do you know how tough it is to carry an unconscious lunatic across the dessert with your shoulder shot? There was no way I could've carried that thing! It weighted a ton!" Vash shouted as he ran after the priest. "Besides, it's not like you're gonna use it or anything. You're dead!" He was soon right on his heels. "And even if you could, I don't think giant cross-shaped machine guns are allowed in heaven. It may be seen as sacrilegious an-" His blabbering was ended when Wolfwood suddenly stopped short causing Vash to walked into him.

"Hey Wolfwood, why did you…stop…" His voiced trailed away as he finally realized where they were, or seemed to be.

There were buildings so tall that they seemed to go on forever. There were people busily swimming through the chaos and commotion which seemed to be normal to their everyday lives. Men sold watches and purses from corners shops and children played games in the streets while their mothers advised them to watch out for oncoming traffic. And even though this place felt so packed and muddled…it felt so opened and serene.

"Welcome to the City of December," Wolfwood shouted as he turned around to face the ogling outlaw. "Two years ago!"

Vash was then ripped from his observations. "What? But…but how?"

The priest didn't seem to notice his question (or he simply chose to ignore it) and pointed to a passing bus. "Follow that bus, Spikey!" The poor, confused plant was then snatched and dragged down the cement sidewalk.

While in his short captivity, he noticed that Wolfwood was not walking around pedestrians but through them. How was that possible...were they ghost? Vash didn't think so…he was pretty sure ghost weren't capable to feel pain and the concrete he was currently being towed though was really starting to damage his rear.

His thinking was ended when Wolfwood dropped him at the front of a tall white building with a loud, "Here we are!"

"Here? Where's 'here'? Why were you able to walk though all those people? What's so special about that bus?" Vash was tired of being left in the dark. He wanted some answers.

Wolfwood lit another cigarette. "All will be explained in time, Spikey." He then pointed to the bus that was currently unloading passengers.

"What? What is…it…?" Once again, Vash's voice was lost as he saw Nicolas D. Wolfwood exit the bus. The blonde looked back and forth between the Bus Wolfwood, and the dead one next to him.

Then…it clicked. If it was the past, then Wolfwood was still alive. He was saddened when he didn't see himself exit the bus with him. "Um…Wolfwood?"

"Yeah…"

"How long ago is this, again?"

Wolfwood took a drag. "Two years, Spikey."

Oh…that's why. He was with Lina at this time…well, dead to everyone else. He watched the past Wolfwood check the address on a little white card and look up at the building. Vash felt a hand on his shoulder and was pulled to his feet, "C'mon, we're following him."

The two spirits followed the past Wolfwood as he entered the white building's revolving doors. The lobby was large and very clean. There were two arm chairs before a large desk where a tiny red headed woman sat with a phone to her ear. She looked up at Past Wolfwood, hung up the phone, and smiled, "Hello, welcome to Bernardelli Insurance Society…do you have an appointment with Mr. Bernardelli?"

"BERNARDELLI INSURANCE SOCIETY!" Vash screeched and nearly fainted on the spot. Wolfwood grinned through his cigarette, "Surprised?"

"Yes!" he answered. "And I'm more than a little confused! Why were you at Bernardelli, anyway?"

"All will be explained in time, Spikey." He repeated, turning back to the scene and Vash grumbled angrily.

"Ah…no…I'm here to see one of your Disaster Investigators." Alter-Wolfwood handed the woman his little white card. She looked at it quickly before saying, "As yes…Ms. Thompson."

The outlaw then glared at his companion. "How is watching you pick up Millie considered guidance for my life?" He was ignored and went back to his angry grumbling.

"Well…" the secretary went on, "She's in today. Her office is on the fourth floor, but she's washing windows on the second floor."

The man raised an eyebrow, "Windows?"

"She was late too many times and…oh never mind." The woman pointed to the closet. "Would you like to put your…um…luggage…in the coat closet? It looks very heavy." At mention of the Cross Punisher, Vash got the dirtiest glare from Wolfwood he had ever witnessed.

"Nah I'm good," The man adjusted the cross on his back. "So I just go up to the second floor?"

She nodded and pointed to the elevators and he obeyed. Wolfwood followed his past self, and Vash was right on his heels. When they got into the elevator he finally asked the question that was burning in his mind, "What is this?"

"It's a memory." The priest said. The elevator stopped when they reached their destination and both men followed the alter-Wolfwood. "It's my memory from two years ago."

"But how is your memory gonna help me?"

"Just pay attention, Spikey. It'll all make sense sooner or later."

Vash was about to ask another question, when he noticed his companion had somehow disappeared. He frantically looked around for him, but no avail. He then decided to simply follow the other Wolfwood; he had to come across the dead Wolfwood again sometime…right?

He watched as Wolfwood checked around asking for Millie. It wasn't long before a middle-aged man pointed to a window the woman was currently washing. Millie noticed the priest immediately and gave him the universal sign for "one minute" before making her way back into the office. She promptly gave her friend a bone crushing hug that made Vash thankful he was invisible.

"Boukushi-san!" she squealed as she continued her hug of death, "I'm so happy you come to visit!"

"Big girl…can't…breathe…" Wolfwood gasped.

"Woops! Sorry!" Millie ended her hug, but her smile was wider than ever.

"No problem…" he replied after popping his back into place. "What'd you do this time?"

The large woman laughed, "Oh I came in late too many times and the chief got so angry he made me wash windows…again."

"Jeez, short-stuff lets you sleep in that late? I'd thought she make sure you be up at dawn!"

"Oh no, Sempai doesn't live with me anymore. She moved out a month ago." Millie replied innocently as the two made their way back to the elevator.

Wolfwood then asked the same question Vash was wondering, "Why's that? You two have a fight or something?"

Millie shook her head as she pressed the button to the floor where her department was. "No…she said she needed to be alone for awhile." she said sadly. "She said she needed to think."

The elevator sprung to life and Vash felt the pressure on his shoulders and legs once again. He wasn't really used to these things, they made him nervous. Especially with his luck, he much preferred the stairs.

His paranoia was broken when he heard Wolfwood continue the conversation. "She's still torn up about him isn't she?"

Vash raised an eyebrow, who was Meryl torn up about? A family member or an old boyfriend maybe…but then what would this have to do with guiding him in his life?

Millie nodded her head, "Yes…even more so. I wish I can help, but whenever I try she puts on a fake smile and pretends that nothings wrong," Her lips then curled into a smile as the elevator suddenly came to a halt, "But I'm sure she'll be more than happy to see you, Boukushi-san, especially on her birthday!"

Vash followed the two out of the elevator and looked around the floor they were on. Chaos would be a severe understatement for the scene on the sixth floor of Bernardelli Headquarters. Pandemonium may have come close, but the outlaw was pretty sure that there was no word in any language that would describe the workers running around like overcaffeinated lab mice. No wonder Meryl was always so uptight!

The tall insurance agent made her way through the disorder as easily as a hot knife through butter. Vash used this opportunity to try to walk through the mass like Wolfwood had done; he braced himself as he ran through a tall brunette woman and felt a cold shiver run though his entire body. It felt strange and he chose to simply walk around people instead. After noticing that his companions were already way ahead of him, he decided to simply run through everyone and ignore the strange chill he felt.

Geez, being undead was tricky.

When the gunman had finally made his way to what he figured to be Meryl's desk. He wasn't surprised with how neat and organize its continents were, Meryl was an obsessively orderly workaholic. It was the fact that the said workaholic was sleeping at her desk that surprised him.

With warm smile Millie lightly shook her friend, "C'mon Sempai! Wake up!"

Meryl shot up with a start and instantly looked around the room in a panic. When she saw Millie standing above she sighed, "Millie…don't do that! You scared the living daylights out of me."

Vash leaned against the desk and looked over the small insurance agent. Her dark hair was longer and brushed her shoulders lightly, the violent eyes that used to hold so much determination and passion were now dull. She looked so haggard, almost as if the fire in her soul had somehow gone out. He couldn't help but feel guilty.

Millie wagged her finger in front of Meryl, "Now, now Sempai! Just because it's your birthday doesn't mean you can laze around all day. Besides," she pointed to Wolfwood. "We have a visitor!"

The priest grinned and held up a hand, "Yo!"

A wave of happiness washed over the tiny woman's face, "Yo yourself!" she rushed and gave her friend a hug. "How have you been, Mr. Wolfwood?"

"You know, same old thing. Saving those lost sheep who have wandered off the path of God!" He laughed, "And just call me Nick, would ya?"

She shrugged, "Old habits, you know?" She pointed to Millie. "She still calls me 'Sempai' even though we've been off the case for over two years."

Wolfwood's eyes widened. "Speaking of years," He then turned to his bag and began to search through the contents before bringing out a tiny box with a pink bow on it. "Happy Birthday, short-stuff!" He handed her the present.

She held it in her hands, "Aw, you really shouldn't have." Wolfwood brush the thought away with his hand and she opened her present. "O-oh my god…"

"What?" Millie asked leaning over her friend's shoulder, "What is it, Sempai?"

Meryl gingerly picked up two beautiful golden earrings. Vash let out a long whistle and wondered how Wolfwood managed to buy such a gorgeous gift.

"Gosh! Those sure are pretty!" the brunette exclaimed, turning to the priest. "Those must've been pricey!"

The shorter woman shook her head and began to hand back the box, "I can't accept these…"

"Sure ya can!" He exclaimed, gently pushing the small box towards her. "You deserve them for all the hard work you do, and besides." He pointed to himself, "What am I gonna do with a pair of earrings in the dessert?"

Meryl smiled somberly and went to give Wolfwood a hug, but was stopped.

"Don't hug me yet, short-stuff!" He said wagging his finger in front of her confused face. "That was only part one of your gift."

Millie faced the priest, "Well what's the other part then?"

"I'm taking both you lovely ladies out for lunch and a day around the city!"

Millie clapped her hands together in delight, while Meryl raised an eyebrow. Vash silently wondered where the hell he was getting all this dough, and then remembered all the times the priest had asked him for money. "Moocher…" The undead man mumbled.

"That's very nice of you, Mr. Wolfwood, but I'm afraid I'll have to decline." She pointed to her desk. "I have far too much work to catch up on and I-"

"MERYL STRYFE, DON'T YOU DARE!"

Vash jumped about ten feet in the air out of surprise and held his chest in hopes to stop his rapidly beating heart. He looked up to see the owner of the voice was a tall woman with long blonde hair, ruby red lipstick and a beauty mark on her chin.

Or was it a mole?

He wasn't sure, but it was very distracting.

Meryl faced the woman and rolled her eyes, "Oh Karen…"

Karen slammed the books she was currently holding onto the table, "Don't you "Oh Karen" me!" She glared down at the woman, "You have been moping about for far too long and you need to get out! It's your birthday for god sakes!"

"I can't just get up and leave! What will the chief say?"

The blonde brushed away the comment with her hand, "Don't worry, I'll cover for you guys." She swung Meryl around and shoved her towards Wolfwood. "Go! Have a life for once!"

Millie smiled and grabbed the ravened haired woman by her arm and began to drag her out of the office, "C'mon Sempai!"

"That girl…I swear she's going to be an old woman in no time." Karen looked up at Wolfwood, "Make her have fun…even if it kills her."

The priest smiled and nodded before following Millie to the elevator.

Vash watched as his three friends as they sat at a table in an outdoor café. He saw how Wolfwood shamelessly flirted with Millie, rolled his eyes and noticed Meryl wasn't really paying attention to anything. How her violet eyes seemed glued to the empty fourth chair at their small table. He felt his heart break every time she began to play with her food, only eating when she become aware of the other two that were watching her from across the table. Vash was more than a little relieved with Wolfwood finally asked for the check and the group left.

The walk around the city wasn't much different. Meryl seemed completely out of it as Millie dragged her around and Wolfwood joked about her being a stick in the mud. Vash felt himself feel guiltier and guiltier, he didn't even know why.

They returned to Meryl's apartment at around dusk and Millie excused herself to use the bathroom. Vash followed Wolfwood and Meryl to the front porch. The priest lit a cigarette as Meryl leaned against the rail.

"I've noticed," she said, breaking the silence. "You've lost some weight."

"I've been trying to find myself a real trouble maker," Wolfwood exhaled the gray smolder and smiled sadly, "I could say the same to you."

"It seems," she looked down at her hands, "That I'm hung up over a real trouble maker."

The guilt overpowered him to the point that Vash silently sank to the porch's wooden floor.

"So, Millie's been keeping contact with you?"

He took a drag from his cigarette. "She's worried about you."

"She shouldn't," she answered. "I'm just fine."

"Your best friend sure doesn't think so," His smile vanished, "And neither do I."

She shot him a stern look, "Is that why you came all of the sudden?"

"Yes," He tossed the smoke on the ground and crushed it beneath his shoe. "And no."

Vash watched dazed as Wolfwood walked over to Meryl, the height difference was almost comical. "Spikey will kill me if I don't make sure you girls are alright,"

"You talk about him as if he's still alive."

"That's because he is."

Meryl's eyes glazed over with unshed tears, "Don't lie to me, Wolfwood. I was there when it happened." She shook her head. "There's no way he survived…it's impossible."

"Spikey has the tendency to make the impossible possible."

"What makes you think he's alive? What does it matter to you?"

"You can kind of say it's my obligation. I gotta make sure that knucklehead doesn't get himself killed, and I'm pretty damn good at it." He sighed, "Knowing him he's buried himself deep in the sands of this hellish wasteland, hoping to never be found."

"You mean he's…hiding?" By now the tears were flowing down Meryl's face. "But from what?"

Wolfwood shrugged, "Who knows? All I know is I gotta track his Spikey ass and figure out what the hell is going on."

"Do you have any idea where he is?" Meryl's voice was laced with distress.

The priest sighed and couched down so he was eye-level with her, "You really do love him, don't you?"

She slowly nodded her head as Wolfwood sighed, "I know exactly where he is. As soon as I leave tomorrow, I'll be heading to where he is to kick his stupid ass back into shape and when I do," He smiled and stood up straight. "I'll make sure he causes so much chaos that every insurance company on the planet gets wind of it."

"Gets wind of what?" Millie asked from her position in the doorway. Apparently she has just come into the conversation. "Oh Sempai, have you been crying?"

Meryl blinked and shook her head, "Uh…no…I just got some dirt in my eye."

The taller girl bit her lip and looked to the priest who gave her a smile. "Well now, I think it's about time I find myself a hotel to spend the nigh-"

"Nonsense," Millie interrupted with a smile. "There's no way you're spending anymore money while you're here. You can stay at my place tonight."

Wolfwood blinked in confusion and looked at Meryl who simply shrugged. He did the same, picked up his cross and followed the tall woman down the road.

The memory then faded into a million little fibers and Vash was once again sitting in the abyss of nothingness, only now his thoughts were so cluttered he didn't even notice the dead Wolfwood walk up to him.

"What's it gonna be then, Spikey?" He said while taking a drag from his cigarette.

"Why did you show me that, Wolfwood?" Vash asked quietly.

"For guidan-"

"Don't give me that," Vash yelled. "Why the hell did you show me how depressed Meryl was? Did you think I felt bad enough leaving her behind and having to keep her in the dark? Why are you-"

"Do you love her?"

The outlaw blinked, "What?"

"Do you love her?"

"You mean Meryl? I…don't know." He knew it wasn't an answer, but he felt like he was suddenly put in the hot seat. "What do you want me to say, Wolfwood?" Vash asked desperately. "That I love her? That I can't live without her? That if anything were to ever happen to her I'd never forgive myself?"

"Why'd ya go with her, Spikey?" The priest asked.

Vash was taken aback by the question, "What are you talking about? Go where?"

"To the convenience store," Wolfwood sat next to his friend. "Ya know the thing that started this whole mess."

The blonde suddenly remembered everything prior to his awaking in the void, and grew silent.

"Spikey," growled Wolfwood.

"I was going to tell her something," Vash sighed.

"What?"

"That...that I was planning on leaving aga-"

He was interrupted by Wolfwood punching him in the face.

"DAMN YOU AND YOUR DAMN SPIKEYISM!" He yelled as Vash laid motionless on the ground. "Sweet mother Mary, do you just love making all my jobs even harder than already they are?"

Vash arose, clenching his face in his hand. "Since when is me being punched in the face part of your job!"

"When you start going into your little depress moods!" Wolfwood waves his hands in the air and in a high pitch voice he mimicked, "Oh I'm Vash the Stampede, look at me! I can never let myself have a single once of happiness because I'm not worthy! Boo hoo!"

The outlaw pouted, "I do not sound like that,"

"No you don't," Wolfwood scoffed. "You're a lot whinier."

"So what am I supposed to say? 'Hey Meryl, I love you. Please drop everything and follow me to the ends of the world with my homicidal brother who is planning the death of humanity. Oh and as a plus I'm pretty much a walking time bomb with an angel arm my brother can trigger at any given moment. Did I also mention I'm a Plant and will totally outlive you'," Vash let out a humorless laugh. "I'm sure she'll love that."

"Aren't you the one who's always saying people deserve to have a choice? You're not even giving her the opportunity to say yes."

"Because I know it's going to be a no!"

"How do you know?"

"Because it's always like that," Vash screamed. He could feel the pressure behind his eyes that singled he was about to cry. "People always run away, or get hurt."

Wolfwood sighed and reached into his jacket and pulled out another cigarette, but instead of lighting it he began to play with it between his fingers, "Do you know why they chose me to come here?"

"They knew how much you love to punch me around?"

"They told me to come because I was in the same situation you're in," He sighed. "With Millie, I had a choice. I could've let that girl go and never show tell her how I felt or I could've gone against everything and tell her. Needless to say you know what I picked."

"Again, how is this supposed to help me?"

"Sometimes, in life Spikey, the right thing to do isn't always what we think it is. This world is filled with a bunch of lies and facades. So, when you actually see something worth fighting for it's better to go for it instead of waiting around and questioning it." Wolfwood then popped the cigarette into his mouth and lit it with a match that seemed to appear from absolutely nowhere.

Vash sat, playing with the fluff on the ground, "I just don't want to make the wrong choice and ruin both our lives,"

"Don't worry, Spikey, you're pretty good at making choices," Wolfwood stood, wiped the invisible dust from his pants and began to walk to the other end of the abyss. He suddenly stopped and snapped his fingers, "That reminds me! I have a message for you from some chick in the afterlife!"

Vash blinked in confusion as he continued, "She was a tall woman, long black hair, kind eyes." With each adjective Wolfwood waved his hand. Vash silently wondered if the priest was aware of the hand motions he had the tendency to make when he spoke and if anyone had ever made fun of him for it.

"She hangs around this guy named Alex..."

"REM!" The Plant yelled. "Was it Rem?"

"Yeah, that's it!" Wolfwood smiled, "She says she's proud of you...we all are, Vash."

(AN: Wow…that had to be the longest chapter I have ever written…ever.

And in other news…I finally finished my English Paper! (Blows horn and throws confetti into air) Yes, 15 pages on sheep. Fantastic, right? (gags)

Lots and lots of jokes in this chapter were used from various Trigun signatures and whatnot from Trinut, which is an amazing forum if any of you are interested.

Hint. Double hint.

Okay, before I get too off topic, thanks to all who've been reading so far! I have 300 hits and 17 reviews! I'm not complaining! Hugs and kisses to you all!

Next update coming…er…hopefully soon!

I love you!)

Side Note - Boukushi-san roughly means Mr. Priest in Japanese. For some reason Mr. Priest sounded a little weird to me in the context of the story.