Chapter 8: Epilogue \ Dawning of a New Future
A week passes after the birth of the new Angel Plant offspring. Everyone was at home, making sure that things are okay with the baby and the mother. Stella went to check on Darlene as Vash went to the city of July to get some things. Kuroneko was right next to Darlene as she had a cover over her chest and the baby, nursing the baby with her own milk.
"How's he doing?" asked Stella. "He's doing fine, mom...Just got hungry and needed some milk from momma...Huh, little one.." answered Darlene. The baby continued to nurse as Darlene talks to her adoptive mother. "Hey...Have you had children before?" asked Darlene. She knows that's a personal question, but from woman to woman, she was curious.
"One, but all grown up...My son has a life of his own and I'm on another planet...I understand all the things you're going through...Even the pregancy and birth. I went through it and boy it hurted," answered Stella. The two chuckled together at that statement. As soon as things settled down, Stella hears the front door open and immediately looked to see who was walking in. It was both Wolfwood and Vash from a trip to July.
"You go ahead and go to Darlene, I'll set this in the kitchen," said Wolfwood as he grabbed the groceries from Vash. The gunman then heads to the bedroom to check on Darlene and the baby, wondering if they're doing alright. Stella moves out of the way for him. "Hey...How are things? Is everything alright?" asked Vash.
"Everything's alright...Just laying here and doing what moms do..The baby got hungry while you was out," answered Darlene. Stella watched the scene in awe. After a few minutes of sorting things out, Wolfwood heads to the bedroom to see what's going on. He enters the room, spotting Vash holding the baby on his chest laying down as Darlene sat beside him. Wolfwood shook his head in awe as he heads towards the two. The cat was napping on a chair, curled up.
"Oh, Vash...I knew one of these days you would make a great father..I knew it alright. How's he doing?" Wolfwood said to Vash, ending his sentence with a question. "Being a baby, that's what. Right, Knives?" answered Vash. Little Knives cooed at the sound of his father's voice. During the afternoon, Stella prepared a meal of soup and a sandwich to nurish Darlene from her tasks of motherhood. As she carried the plate to the bedroom, she caught sight of Vash cleaning the baby; like any father would. Darlene stood by to help, in case the Angel Plant gunman needed any help.
"Darlene...Lunch is ready. I bet your hungry, huh?" said Stella as she headed to her adoptive daughter's side. "I am...I was just so busy being a mom..." answered Darlene. She takes the plate and begins to eat. Vash held the baby for Darlene so she could eat for nurishment. It was night time and at midnight. Everyone was sound asleep through the night, til in the bedroom, little Knives began to cry. Vash was the first to get up, knowing that he had to adjust to this quickly. He walks to the crib still half asleep. Vash instantly shoke himself awake and reached down to little Knives. Darlene began to stir, slowly waking up.
"Oh, what's the matter? What's the matter? Are you hungry?" asked Vash, talking to the baby like any others. The baby was hungry, answering his father's question with a fussy grunt. Darlene sits up in the bed, knowing what the baby wants. "He's hungry...Sorry we woke you up," Vash apologized.
"Its okay...I'm awake now," answered Darlene. Vash helped by putting the cover over the baby and her chest, blocking view so she could nurse the baby without being embarrassed; even around her mate. The baby quiets down, feeding off the milk that came from his mother. Darlene leans into Vash as he returns back to bed right next to her, feeling like a mother. "It feels new to me...I feel like a mother for the first time in my life...I hope he, too follows the path of a pacifist like you, Vash. I don't want him to end up like your brother. If only this struggle of chaos would end, but it hasn't..." said Darlene. Vash hoped so, too. They stayed like this til the baby finished feeding. The next day was like yesterday. Darlene held onto the baby as she was playing with him. Wolfwood came into the room, watching the scene.
"Hey...Vash wanted me to get the both of you. He wants to talk to you," said Wolfwood. Darlene was alittle puzzled, but took the message by heart and both her and the baby in her arms followed him to where Vash was. They traveled to the living room. Almost immediately, Darlene spots Vash on the couch, waiting for her. They sat right next to one another and began to talk, talking about what is on their minds. It soon lead to something else.
"When I saw those scars...I couldn't imagine why people would do such a thing to you. You did nothing to them, but yet they hurt you. When I saw your wounds...Sadness overtook me. Such pain you went through," said Darlene. "The world is a cruel place..That's how its been for a long time," answered Vash. Darlene then turns to him, wondering what he was thinking.
"I'm sorry your past was very traumatic. If only I could take it all away to give you a better life than that, I would...Even if it means..." Darlene pauses. Vash turns to her, wondering what she was going to say next. He didn't have to wait, his empathy told him that for him, but wanted to hear it from her herself. Darlene finally finishes her sentence, "Even if I have to be...Your beloved wife.." Vash's eyes widened and a smile soon emerges on his face. Wolfwood was caught off guard, but knew this was about to happen. Stella held her hand over her mouth in happiness, shedding happy tears for Darlene. Kuroneko meowed with a happy meow. It acted like a cue to the cat and he made his way to the three, carrying something in his mouth. He leaps onto the couch between the two.
"I think Kuroneko has something to give to you...From me," said Vash. Darlene looked at what the cat was holding in his mouth. She looked closely, realizing what it really was: a ring. She takes the ring from Kuroneko and looks at it with suprise; then turns to Vash. He instantly takes her hand into his as she held the ring. He didn't have to ask, but he did ask telepathicly. She listened to him and almost immediately began to shed a river of happy tears. Carefully, the two embraced, both holding the baby in their arms as he cooed with the presence of both parents.
"Oh, my god...He just proposed.." said Wolfwood. Stella gave a happy shout in a woot, so happy that it happened. The gunman then took the ring and places it on her left hand's third finger. They embrace again as they both held the baby together, giving kisses of affection. Kuroneko got out of there in time. As the two part for air, they soon hear clapping that was coming from near the door. Everyone turned to the source, spotting Kitori clapping, but he wasn't alone. Right next to him were two women, one with short dark blue hair and the other with long light brown hair. Wolfwood and Vash recognized the two instantly.
"Meryl? Milly? What are you two doing here?" asked Wolfwood. "Funny you should ask. We was doing our job til we crossed paths with Kitori. When he told us about Vash, we were in shock," answered Meryl. "We thought you were dead, Mr. Stampede..But I guess we were wrong," said Milly. "How are you alive? You died from a biohazard virus, remember?" questioned Meryl. Vash explained the scenerio to the two as he did to Darlene. They finally understood. Darlene had to fill in the rest of how she found out of what she really was and how Vash searched for her and brought her here as his mate.
"An Angel Plant? That's what Humanoid Plants evolve into now?" asked Milly. "I don't know to be honest. I never got a chance to study the Humanoid Plants' evolution, but maybe by artifical means, like Vash, they can...I'm so happy for the both of you. I knew you two were really close from the moment I met her with you. Oh! I was making a house call to see how the baby was doing," said Kitori.
"Ma'am...Is he the father?" asked Meryl, pointing at Vash. "Mmhmm...Is that a crime?" Darlene teased. Meryl was stunned, but was soon pushed out of the way by Milly.
"Awww..Is it a boy or a girl?" asked Milly. Meryl struggled to get back up. "A boy...We named him after Vash's brother, Knives. I believe it woud bring his spirit to closure," answered Darlene. "We know that name alright," said Meryl. The group chatted away as Kitori examined the baby as part of the house call.
"Now I get it...Knowing Vash, he's a womanizer that we knew before he died," said Meryl. "Not anymore..I've let that go and now I'm starting new," said Vash. "What if they somehow revive Knives? What would it mean?" wondered Milly. Kitori hands the baby back to Darlene with a clean bill of health.
"If they do, but I doubt it, he better stay away. I don't want anyone getting killed," said Vash. "Well...We should celebrate this wonderous occassion...Lets celebrate!" said Kitori. Both Darlene and Vash decided to have the wedding at the house. Since Vash still had that 60,000,000,000$$ bounty on his head, it would be a disaster. With the tasks done, they were all in the living room for the glorious event. Being like a priest, Wolfwood read the speech from a traditional wedding. As soon as he got to the 'You may kiss the bride' part. The baby began to cry, hungry for milk.
"Oh, boy...How are we going to do this?" asked Wolfwood. Darlene explains that she nurses the baby when he gets hungry. Meryl immediately came up with an idea. Using the cover as Darlene got things situated, Meryl then putted her idea into action. "We'll tuck the top part here, that way it won't fall off," she said to Darlene.
"That's something new," said Kitori. "If the baby is hungry, he's hungry," said Vash. Everything returns back to order as Darlene nursed her baby. "Okay..Lets repeat that part again...I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride," said Wolfwood. The two kissed and everyone awed. Everyone clapped with happiness as the two broke for air, with all parties happy for the both of them. With tragic pasts converging into one since that day since Vash arrived on Earth, searching for his mate that resided there. Fate seemed to play a huge part in all the events that unravelled to this day. Darlene always felt that she would never fit in with others, knowing for sure she was never like them. The painful loneliness and rejection was a burden that she had dealt with for twenty years, til the Humanoid Typhoon landed on Earth. Dreams acted as a foreseeing, slowly putting the two together as Angel Plant mates.
Haunted by the fact that he was the deadliest wanted man on Gunsmoke with a bounty of 60,000,000,000$$, Vash was always on the run. He had friends that stood by him despite this, getting to know a whole new different side to him. Everyone else didn't even know Vash at all. In reality, he's a pacifist that will not kill a soul, despite the fact that he was forced to kill one. A gentle spirit that would always try to bring peace into the chaos that he travels to, no matter if it failed in the end. He still was haunted of those encounters with his evil brother, Knives, which always triggered the two, or one, to use the deadliest ability a Humanoid Plant knows: the Angel Arm. These memories still haunted him, even after recreation.
When he landed on Earth to search for his mate, Vash was also having foreseeing-based dreams. As soon as he found Darlene, he could instantly feel the pain she suffered for so long come into his heart. Since she never knew she really was an artificially made Angel Plant to be his mate, it was up to him to teach her these abilities himself, who had vast expirences for so many years. During this process, they became closer and closer. It was also that same time that Darlene saw the price of not fighting and his encounters with his brother on Vash's body: the scars and his cybernetic right arm. She instantly felt the pain he went through into her heart as he told her a story of himself from the beginning of his life.
It drew them so close that at long last they felt in peace together. That night when they mated, it was fate that brought them together to finally know the feeling of tranquility they longed for so many years. An embrace that lasted a lifetime, brought together by fate in pure serenity. In this process, she became pregnant. Vash wouldn't leave her side during this delicate matter. He stuck by her all the way til it was time to bear the baby. He never left her and he won't leave her from that day forward. He finally found the one that he would spend the rest of his life with. Darlene now knows that there was at least one person like her, no matter where they came from; either from Earth, or another galaxy, or planet. After what she learned about him, she knew that she was the one that will do anything to take this torturous burden off his shoulders.
At last, serenity has brought the two together today. This was truely meant to be and now their past can be put to rest and move on anew, despite that huge bounty still on his head. Darlene didn't care, because she now knew the real Vash that no one understood clearly. Together, forever. At long last they can enjoy peace to the fullest, even to the Dancing Revolver that tried to find peace. He never knew that a trip to Earth would finally fulfill his life long wish. No one knew, til they saw it for themselves. With a future to look for and raising their son together, Darlene and Vash have started a new generation of Angel Plants, but didn't care what the scientists were up to with this. All they care about is that they are together in harmony with their little bundle of joy.
During the night after the wedding, they slept in peace, waiting in slumber of when the baby would wake them up. Darlene turns to Vash and asked him a question.
"Hey...I think we should give him a brother or sister...Can we have another baby?" asked Darlene. Vash chuckled, then gave her his answer, "Hmm...I was thinking the same thing..Lets wait til you recover from the birth first. We'll wait afterwards til you go into heat again. I don't know how long it'll be, but at least we'll find out."
"Hmm..Okay. It would be a good idea...-" Darlene's sentence was cut off by the baby crying. She gave a giggle, "I'll get that..." She gets up from the bed and went to the baby, knowing that he needed something. The baby was hungry and Darlene carried him to the bed with her as she prepared to nurse. Vash helped by putting the cover over her chest and the baby, giving her some privacy. They leaned into one another through the night, enjoying their new life together as newlyweds, finally in pure harmony.
