Trigun: Perfect Night
John Neal (Aren Riszk on Fanfiction.net)
[0- Introduction]
OK, this is the first Trigun fic I've really attempted. The main character, as you might have
guessed, is Legato Bluesummers. It's mostly a delve into his past, a look at the development of
that psychic sociopath we all know and love. It starts with him being nine years old. I added the
character of Allegro because Yasuhiro Nightow has said himself that he thinks Legato might
have had a younger sister(source: Make a Little Lightbulb in Your Soul-
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Ginza/7551/tri-index.html), and I decided that it might make
things a little interesting to give him someone to develop with- I think she works well. Anyway, I
don't own Trigun or any of its characters, and original characters and events are my copyrights so
don't rip 'em off. Thanks, and I hope you enjoy it...
You may notice that a year is left out between chapters 6 and 7. Chances are that I might write a
set of "Perfect Night 6 1/2" chapters later, going over the events of that year. I'll have to wait and
see how it works out. There are also other places where more information could be added- For all
basic purposes, it's continually a work in progress.
For those who aren't familiar with the anime Trigun or the character of Legato Bluesummers, you
need know only this: In the Trigun series, Legato is shown to be a ruthless man, clad in a white coat
adorned with a human skull. He shows no feelings to anyone and possesses immense psychic abilities.
He is the right-hand man of Millions Knives, the series' main villain, and is devoted to no-one else.
Knives' ultimate goal is the destruction of humanity, and Legato is his willing instrument, even though
he is human himself. His left arm is thought to not be his, but rather a transplant made by Knives,
swapping Legato's original arm out for the arm of the legendary gunman(and Trigun main character)
Vash the Stampede- who is mentioned a whopping one time in the whole of this 'fic.
Other important information: July City was wiped out in an incident involving Vash the Stampede prior
to this story's occurence. Midvalley the Hornfreak is Legato's saxophone-playing right-hand-man.
The series takes place in the future, but on a desolate planet covered with deserts and towns not
too unlike the ones you'd find in an old western movie.
That having been said, this 'fic is a view of the events and processes that made the alienated little boy
into the ruthless killer.
Big thanks go out to Kachi and especially Meri, who've offered a lot of good ideas and their own
insights on the subject.
Thanks a bunch!
If you want to contact me, I can be e-mailed at bluesummers@trigun.com. My main AIM screen
name is SpikeSpiegel85. My ICQ number is 39072552. Thanks...
[1- Allegro]
"Legato! Brother Legato!"
Legato's ears pricked up even before he heard the voice call to him from across the town square.
Somehow, he'd known it was coming... And when it did come, it was carried over on a familiar
voice, female and very young... The voice of Allegro, his younger sister.
Allegro ran up behind him, as he sat on a bench facing towards the city's end, staring at the
sunset with that same old expression of his. When she was within four feet of him, Legato
immediately brushed his blue hair out of his eyes, rose, and spun to face her. Legato always had
a way of doing that, Allegro had noticed, and it felt strange. There was definitely something
different about her brother. There was no way Legato was the same as the other boys his age. A
slight chill ran down her spine as he traced the contours of her seven-year-old face with his cold,
golden eyes.
Legato regarded his younger sister. "What is it, Allegro?" A thin smile protruded from his lips,
but his general demeanor, as well as those haunting eyes, made it very difficult for him to appear
kind or loving. It was something that Allegro, as his younger sister, had come to get used to.
"M..Mom wanted me to tell you-"
"Dinner's ready?" Legato finished Allegro's sentence. He knew what she was going to say before
she'd even started, really. He'd known dinner was ready from the second it had finished
cooking... Allegro nodded. "OK, then, let's go home." He stood and walked off after his sister to
the small house his family owned.
Legato Bluesummers, aged nine years old, was certainly not like the others his age. He had
talents, hidden talents, abilities that he and only he knew of- for now. And those talents would
have an impact on him, he could feel it even now. But how, that was what he didn't know...
[2- Parents]
Legato and Allegro walked into the door of the Bluesummers house to be greeted by the last
remnants of their mother's food. Dishes had been piled in the sink, and nothing was left on the
table. Mother was seated in a chair in the next room with an angry look on her face, and father
was laid out in a drunken stupor on the couch.
"Where the hell have you kids been?!" Mrs. Bluesummers shouted. "Allegro, I just told you to go
get your brother, and-"
"I'm sorry, mom! It took me a while to find Legato.... I went as fast as I could, but I-"
Allegro was interrupted by a slap in the face. "Don't talk back to me! No dinner tonight for either
of you. Or tomorrow either! Come straight home after school. From now on, we're locking you in
your rooms so you won't do this again."
Legato cleared his throat and began to speak. "Mom, it was my fault. Don't punish Allegro for
it."
"Don't try and defend her, Legato. You're both in a lot of trouble," mother said. "Your father and
I have been worried sick about you both."
Yeah, right, Legato thought. He could see through that. "Mom... you're angry and Dad is drunk.
You haven't been worried sick about anyone." He cast a glance at his half-conscious father,
beginning to pick himself up off the floor.
"Legato! How dare you talk like that?" Well, mom, it's quite simple. I tell the truth about things...
"Honey..." she said to the inebriated man staggering to his feet. "Legato needs some discipline."
Mr. Bluesummers said nothing, but instead fumbled with his belt buckle and pulled it out of the
loops. With a series of loud snaps, the metal buckle and leather of the belt bit at Legato's skin
repeatedly. Legato cringed in pain but never once retaliated.
"Stop it!" shouted Allegro, jumping in front of her brother and taking a few lashes herself.
Legato was shocked. Why was she doing that? The fool! He shoved her out of the way of the belt
before it hit again. He had gotten her away from father's belt, but mother would have punishment
in line for her for interfering. She could expect to go without dinner until further notice... And
with these parents, who knew how long that would be. Sometimes Legato... hated it. That was
the only word he'd have for it. He hated it.
When it finally ended, mother tired of chewing them out and father passing out again in another
drunken haze, Legato's skin burned. It felt like these welts would take at least a week, Legato
thought. Allegro's face was red from her punishment. "Come on," he said to his sister, "let's get
on to bed in case they get back on it..."
"Yeah," she nodded as she followed him up the stairs that led to their respective bedrooms.
In her room, Allegro laid down on her old bed, almost too small for her even as only a girl of
seven. This all made her so sad. These were their parents, but they were horrible to each other, to
her and Legato, to everyone. Especially her brother. He was so good; He made almost perfect
marks in school and always stayed out of trouble. This was a broken family.
The Bluesummers children would almost have been any parent's dream. But their family life was
closer to a nightmare...
Meanwhile, in his room, Legato lay looking straight up, eyes open and fixed in a gaze looking up
into nothingness. He felt a darkness touch into him, feel his inner being, as he had sometimes on
nights before.
Forlornly, he sent thoughts out into the darkness. Thoughts of his differences, his talents. The
people he knew, and his family. A few ponderances on life and death. Mostly death, though. It
just seemed to fascinate Legato more. Where did people go? How did death feel? What was it
like to be, and then suddenly not to be? Questions sent out into the darkness...
Legato's mind refocused again, this time to his parents. If they had woken up again, they were
probably talking about him now. He knew the disgust of a overworked mother. He knew the
loathing of a father who was a slave to the bottle, twice arrested for child abuse charges by other,
earlier wives. Ones with more sense.. This couldn't be the way to do things, he thought. He
turned his thoughts to Allegro, his sister... Peace and serenity there. She was so... pure. He
supposed it was wonderful... None of the complications and evil that others loved oh so much.
There was only one thing which seemed as wonderful as that to Legato. Only one thing that
could match the calm of innocent slumber. Little Legato's mind turned back to questioning
darkness about death until he drifted off to sleep himself...
[3- School]
All of the children were in their places in the classroom, seated and waiting for class to begin.
The teacher hadn't entered the room yet, and monotony among the students was beginning to
rise.
A wadded paper ball sailed through the air and gently bounced off of Legato's forehead. Right as
it happened, Legato snapped up quickly and turned to stare directly at the boy who had thrown
it... Jom Gerson. Locking his eyes straight into Jom's, the blue-haired boy said nothing.
"What's'a matter, freak-boy?" Gerson taunted. "Got nothing to say?"
"Yeah, why don't you just sit there quiet like always, Blue-dumbers?" added another, sitting
behind Gerson. Rick Harlen, probably Jom's only real friend, Legato noted. The others followed
Jom, but really didn't like him. Legato could see it. Rick tossed a paper ball. "Sissy!"
"'Gato's a wussy!" came still another. This was, sadly, nothing new to Legato. It happened every
day. He'd mostly learned to cope. Before long, nearly every kid in the third grade was chanting
"Freak-boy, freak-boy." Some shot spitballs and tossed paper airplanes. Legato simply turned
back to his desk, remaining seated and as calm as he could muster. He wouldn't let himself fly
off the handle. "Freak-boy, freak-boy, freak-"
The chanting stopped when Legato immediately stood up. What was this, they thought, could
that loser actually do something about it?
The door opened and Ms. Thurston, the third grade teacher, walked in. Legato took his seat, and
the other children calmed down as she began taking the roll. "Atkins."
"Here."
"OK, Atkins present. Bailey."
"Here."
"Bailey present. Bluesummers." Silence. "...Bluesummers?"
[Here.] The word didn't escape Legato's lips so that all may hear it, but somehow the teacher got
it. A quizzical look crossed her face, then she shrugged it off and went back to the roll.
"Bluesummers present. Davidson..." After roll had ended, class began as usual. Notes to take,
problems to solve, and a science quiz at the end of the day. Just as always, Legato aced it all.
School ended at 3:00 sharp, like always, and every student rushed to leave the room. Every
student except Legato. Ms. Thurston had asked to see him after class. "Legato," she said when
the last student was gone, "I just want to tell you you're doing a great job, and-"
...And if other students are giving you a hard time, just come to me, yeah yeah... "-if other
students are giving you a hard time, just come to me."
Legato nodded, but he didn't smile. That was the one thing Ms. Thurston didn't like about
Legato- he was a fine child, but he always had such an air of isolation from everything. "Thank
you, Ms. Thurston," he said as he got his books and left the room. Thurston had given him
similar talks since the first week of school. It got to the point that Legato didn't even need his
talents to know what she would say.
[4- Taunts]
Legato walked out of the school building that day and traveled across the schoolyard past his
classmates and other students, as always. Something different caught his eye this time- a group
of students, many third graders like himself, in a crowd. He'd be led to believe someone was in
the middle of the crowd, getting the full force of a verbal assault; possibly even a physical one.
"Hey, look, we got freak-boy's little sis over here!" came a voice from the mass. Jom Gerson's, of
course. Which would mean that in middle of the taunting crowd would be... Allegro. Legato
changed course over towards the group. "Hey little girl, we won't hurtcha!" "Are you weird like
him?" "Is he always like that?" "I bet he's retarded! Freak-boy's retarded, isn't he?! He never
talks! I bet he can't even talk!" He could hear the voices more distinctly as he drew nearer, and
now he could see his young sister in the middle, being harassed and tormented. Because of him.
Allegro was crying. Students from every grade in the town's elementary school were piled in
around her to get a look at a relative of freak-boy's. "Come on!" shouted Harlen, "Say something,
little girlie! Or are you just like yer blue-haired weirdo brother?"
"Aw, look, Rick, we all made her cry!" interjected Gerson. "Oh, boo hoo! You're almost as fun to
pick on as your brother, you know that? A whole family of Blue-dumbers!"
"Yeah, I bet their parents are like this too! At the dinner table, I bet they jus' sit there, Dad and
freak-boy staring at little sis while she cries, and mom crying in from the kitchen asking who
wants seconds!"
"Crybaby, crybaby! You must come from a long line of sissies like Lig-ah-toe!" This last voice
dragged Legato's name out until it sounded silly.
From behind the group, Legato's anger still built up. If it showed at all, it was through his golden
eyes, cold as ice. He opened his mouth. "That's enough," he said aloud. Everyone became silent;
it wasn't every day that freak-boy spoke. They'd get to mock him as well, they thought. "Allegro,
come on." He tilted his head to gesture to his sister. She got up and wiped her eyes, trying to
smile at her brother for helping her out of this for the time being.
She'd gone about two steps when Jom Gerson stepped out in front of her with his harm extended
and his palm outwards. "Where you goin?! We ain't done yet!" He brought his arm down to slap
Allegro across the face-
Jom's arm never reached her. As it neared her left cheek, it stopped jerkily and a snapping sound
was heard. His wrist twisted around in a manner it wasn't intended to. Jom Gerson collapsed to
the ground, wailing in pain and clutching at his broken arm. The others backed off and began to
leave, one by one. Allegro shook herself together and ran to Legato, who put his arm around her.
He was about as openly kind as she'd ever seen him- not very feeling, but she liked to think that
the thought was there. She loved her brother, despite his cold exterior. As she looked into his
eyes, she caught him looking intently down upon his hands. Had he done something? What was
wrong? He didn't seem to know. Brother Legato's beautiful eyes looked at the wounded kid,
holding an expression she'd never seen before. Brother Legato looked surprised, and a little
worried about something far away and distant...
The last of the crowd to leave was Rick Harlen. He stared at Legato for a few seconds, then
shouted as he backed away, "I know this is your fault, weirdo! I don't know how you did it but I
know you did it! Freak!" Harlen then turned and ran, and Legato walked with his sister back to
the Bluesummers residence.
"Did you hear about your classmate Jom, Legato?" Dad asked that night. "He broke his
arm. They say it's a compound fracture, and broken in four places. I bet that's no fun, right boy?"
"No, dad," Legato said somberly. "I bet it's not fun at all." Funny how father tried to be
personable when he wasn't drunk to high heaven...
"That's just terrible," Allegro said half-heartedly.
[5- Fight]
The punch came out of nowhere and knocked Legato in the temple. School had just ended, and it
had been three days since the incident with Gerson. Legato had been heading to Allegro's class to
pick her up, but as the force of a ten-year-old's punch met the side of his head, it seemed he'd
been assigned a new schedule.
"Legato Blue-dumbers," said the boy who'd thrown the punch- Rick Harlen, "I know you did that
to Jom, I just know it."
"There's no need for you to tell me that again," Legato replied coldly. He didn't stop to show any
hinting of pain in the head- Power perceived is power achieved, he thought. "You've told me you
think I did it before."
Harlen was angered further by Legato's attitude. He made sounds of aggravation, and a small
crowd began to form, mostly others of Legato's tormentors, ready to watch the spectacle they
knew was coming; Freak-boy was about to get the beating of his life for what he mysteriously
did to Jom. None of them knew how the weird kid had done it, but to their young logic it made
perfect sense: Jom tries to hit the freak's sister, but his arm gets mysteriously dislodged and
shattered. The injury was as freaky as their favorite victim. To them, there was no further need
for proof.
"Listen up, freak-boy, 'cause I'm about to teach you something." Harlen did an amusing rendition
of someone trying to look tough, Legato thought. He saw a scared, stupid, inferiority-complexed
child beneath all of this... Who was apparently about to teach him something. Legato's thin lips
formed a dark, dispassionate smile. Looked like the 'class' that Harlen was going to be teaching
was physical education. "And you better learn it. We don't like you, Blue-dumbers."
"Yeah!" "You tell that freak, Rick!" "Give it to him! Beat him to a pulp!" "Yeah! Yeah! Let's see
you spill some of his weird blood! I bet it's blue, just like his hair!" "Let him try to show his face
after you've smashed it in!" The individual voices didn't matter. These peers all thought with the
same dumb, violent, eager mind.
Harlen cracked his knuckles, or attempted to. He sneered at Legato. "I'm gonna kill you, retard."
With that, he brought his hand around and landed another punch, this one catching Legato just
below the ribcage. A kick to the shin. A few more punches.
Legato didn't strike back. "What's the matter?! You can't talk and now you can't even hit?! Too
wussy?" Another punch. "Come on, you think you're big for whatever it was you did the other
day- Fight me! Come on! Freak-boy!" Harlen swung his leg forward to execute a kick to Legato's
groin- but the kick didn't land. When what had happened registered in his mind, he realized he
was being held by the ankle by freak-boy.
Legato sighed and spoke softly. "Who's the wuss now?" He flicked his hand up, tossing the leg
with it, and Harlen fell to the ground. He just watched the older boy on the ground, looking up in
shock. Power perceived... What did this boy fear? Legato was in control now. He saw the
opportunity to get the upper hand, and walked up to the boy, still floored. "You're afraid," he said
in his softest voice. "You're afraid that I'll do to you what you think I did to Jom... You're even
afraid I'll kill you." Harlen was trembling. Power perceived... "Do you want me to kill you?"
"N... no! D... don't kill me... B-Bluesummers... Don't...!" Rick Harlen's words were frenzied and
came out terrified. He flinched in fear as he saw Legato's hand reach down to him... Then he
realized the intent behind it and grabbed the hand. Legato pulled to boy up, but didn't let go then.
Legato kept his hold on the older boy's hand. Then, all of a sudden, he twisted Harlen's arm
behind him. He could feel the scream welling in the throat of his assailant- then released it just
as suddenly. The appropriate amount of fear was instilled. Power achieved. Rushing to restore
his foundation, Harlen turned back on Legato. "Don't think you've won, Blue-dumbers!" he had
to hold up his reputation; The crowd was growing fast. "I'm still gonna kill you! Freak! Bring it
on! Freak! Freak!" Soon enough, the whole crowd was shouting that word in unison.. That
word...
The darkness Legato felt on so many nights crept up now, for the first time in the daylight. For
the first time ever, he could feel the hate he harbored for these antagonists. He didn't want to just
pretend they weren't there, to shut them out, anymore. He backed up to face Rick. If it was a
fight that he wanted...
"Brother Legato!" Allegro came running up, pushing through the group to get to Legato. "Brother
Legato, let's go... I don't think you should be here now, and-" She was cut off by a hard blow
from Harlen. She hit the dusty ground hard, face down.
"Get outta here, shrimp!" Harlen shouted at the seven-year-old girl. "Don't interrupt a fight!"
Legato's eyes froze upon the body of Allegro, whimpering on the ground in pain. Angered, he
looked up again, straight through Rick Harlen's head. There was nothing human about his fixed,
dispassionate glare. This was the angriest Legato had ever been. He felt more hate than he had
ever known towards these people.
He would be teaching the lesson today. He focused on all of his hate... and gave it a scapegoat.
Rick Harlen, you'll know something new today.
Rick's eyes widened. He doubled over. "Wh... what's going on.. what's wrong with me...
AAAUGH!" He screamed and coughed. "Bl... Bluesummers... you..." A cracking sound, and Rick
Harlen fell to the ground, blacked out. An onlooker bent down to see if Rick was all right. He set
two fingers by the neck...
"No pulse," the boy said. "R... Rick's dead..."
Legato snapped to full realization. Before him was the body of Rick Harlen, mangled and
twisted, dead. Legato had done it. He felt the darkness well in him, and it touched him. The
power of death was intoxicating...
Legato bent down to help Allegro up. He held her with his left arm around her shoulder as the
sheriff and local militia arrived on the scene, dispersing the crowd.
[6-Runaway]
Legato and Allegro didn't get taken home until late. The sheriff had held them at the small
county jail for a few hours, to try and figure out just what had gone on outside the school. He'd
had no success. Deaths were common in this town, from shootouts at the bar to armed
robberies... But nothing like this, where innocent children were killed outside of schools for
causes unknown. The sheriff stared down at the blank space on his report below "Cause of
Death" in his notes, confused. What would he tell the Harlen parents, he wondered, when they
came to him
for answers?
And what of these Bluesummers children, he wondered. He couldn't help but think that the boy
had something to do with the murder, but there was nothing to go by. All of the children who had
witnessed the act said that they were sure that Legato had done it, but not a single one could
make any connections or say anything about what happened. The way he heard it, Rick taunted
Legato, they got to blows, Legato threatened Rick, and Rick... died. It didn't fit. But either way,
the sheriff had no choice now. He'd had them for long enough, it was time to return Legato and
Allegro back to their parents. Tired and wanting nothing more than to just go home for the night,
the sheriff simply dropped them off outside their house.
The children went inside, knowing that a great deal of punishment would come to them for being
late again. But this time it was different than usual. Mother and father were waiting for them in
the front den, and when they entered, mother immediately whipped Allegro and sent her to bed.
They're going to concentrate on me, Legato thought. He could read it in them. They let Allegro
off easily so that they could spend more time and effort on me.
Before a word was spoken, Mr. Bluesummers hit Legato across his face hard. Enough force was
behind the blow to send Legato sprawling to the floor. When he was down, his mother grabbed
him and pulled him up, holding him from behind while dad got the belt off. She pulled Legato's
shirt off as the belt prepared for a strike, like a coiled snake.
Snap! Legato winced in pain. Neither of the Bluesummers parents had said a word to him yet.
Snap! Harder this time, Legato's mouth forming an anguished expression as his eyes squeezed
shut.
Snap! The skin broke on Legato's chest and he could feel a slight amount of blood seeping out
and trickling down his stomach.
Then dad spoke. "Cry, damn you!" he shouted at his son, continuing the beating to the very limits
of the nine-year-old's tolerance.
Mother squeezed tighter on her son's arms, thrusting him closer into the blows. He still didn't
shed a single tear. "Rick Harlen's mother is going crazy! What did you do to her son, Legato?!
He's dead, and they all say you did it!" More whips. Legato remained tearless, but his mother
dropped him to the floor again, hot tears streaming from her own eyes. "Oh, where did we go
wrong? Our son... a murderer..."
As if you don't know, Legato thought. Pitiful woman. Going deeper... Her own father did this to
her at this age. Now it was all she could do to feel power. This pity wasn't for him. She wanted
Legato dead. It was for herself.
Father's belt continued. The boy winced, cringed, bled, but never once cried. The pain was
immense. Legato could barely see anything clearly other than the snarling visage of his father,
growing angrier still with each strike. His young chest burnt like the fires of Hell, and he could
see that his blood was staining the rug that once was white. Now a part of it would be red,
forever, Legato thought. It went on to no end, it seemed.... And then it stopped. Recovering from
the last cringe, Legato wiped his eyes. He was still lying on the floor, so he pulled himself up
into a chair for support. He was alone in the room...
...Then father returned, with a gun in his hand. Legato drew back in shock. He knew dad was an
evil, evil man... But murder? The pistol clicked, and Mr. Bluesummers put it to his son's
forehead. "Did you kill Rick Harlen, Legato?"
Legato closed his eyes emotionlessly, silent. "Dammit, boy, answer me!" No answer. "Answer
your father!" No answer. "Legato, did you kill that boy? Don't you trust your father? I'll help
you pay the price of murder!"
Broken, empty lies. Did he trust...? "No. I don't."
The gun clicked again as the hammer drew back. "Then you can just go to Hell."
Dad's bullet never went off into Legato's skull. Right as the trigger was pulled, the gun flung
upwards in Mr. Bluesummer's hands and shot into the ceiling harmlessly. The child took off
running, bursting through the door. His father, caught off guard by what happened, followed hot
on his heels, firing at his son with every other step, the semi-automatic handgun packed with
extra rounds. "Legato... Where are you going?!" he screamed at the boy.
[Hell.] The word reverberated through the mind of Legato's father, filling his consciousness.
What was this...? Mr. Bluesummers didn't give it much thought as he continued his pursuit.
Mr. Bluesummers stopped when they had reached the city limits, watching Legato run on his
own into the cold, foreboding darkness. "Don't come back!" he called. "You just stay out there,
you useless bastard!"
Just as the sun began to rise, Legato stopped running. He found himself at the edge of a cliff
overlooking the city he'd lived in. They were all still down there... He reached out into Allegro's
slumber, to feel that peace and calmness. How wonderful.
His thoughts focused on one thing. Mom and dad were always so terrible to Allegro and him. But
he'd be better than that.
He'd give them a present.
He centered his consciousness on the present he'd give his parents. The one thing that could
match that calm. Now they'd be calm and serene forever. Within his soul, he knew the job was
complete, the gift given. The darkness welled up again, soothing him and strengthening him;
Intoxicating him... The power of death...
[7- Power]
One full year had passed since the mysterious deaths of Rick Harlen and the Bluesummers
parents. The small town had never figured out what had gone on that fateful day, but for some
reason or another most of them blamed it on that child, the Bluesummers son. Legato. The boy,
who had only been nine the last time anyone in the city had seen any trace of him, was
frequently seen as some sort of demon, a wayward Hell-born apparition sent to inflict terror. The
children who had been in his class were frightened to even speak his name. The adults were even
more wary of this child-demon that had left three dead and his sister orphaned.
Allegro herself had barely made it in the past year alone, spending the days begging and the
nights crying. Even today, the now-eight-year-old girl was often the subject of pity. However,
most still kept their distance- What if she turned out like her brother?
The very name of Legato Bluesummers was all any of the town citizens needed to be brought
immediately to a fearful silence. The sheriff had even gone so far as to make mention of the boy
in a public place punishable.
All of this was the reason for the commotion when Legato came back.
It was a cold day, and the sky was bleak despite both suns shining. Almost totally unnoticed by
anyone, a meager, blue-haired lad of ten stepped into the town commons. He was draped in a
large and plain white coat, one that would reach to the feet of a full-grown man. Needless to say,
it was greatly disheveled and hung over the child, folded over his body. Quietly, the coat and its
boy walked around the square. Those who noticed him didn't pay him any mind, figuring him to
be just another kid pretending to be all grown up in his father's coat. That is, until he set foot at
the door of the old Bluesummers house.
No-one had lived there since the parents died. The unfortunate little girl had left the home and
taken refuge wherever else she could. The door was unlocked from the night of Legato's
disappearance, but not even the rowdy teenagers playing "truth-or-dare" had even thought of
going near the place.
The boy flung the door open and walked in, a small crowd of townspeople now watching the
home with curiosity.
Inside the house, Legato looked around. There was nothing new except cobwebs. In the living
room was the chair, father's belt where he'd thrown it down, the bullet hole in the ceiling... The
large red spot, his own blood darkened with time, on the otherwise now off-white carpet. He
looked across the hall at the stairs leading up to the children's' rooms...
"L... Legato?" A shy, soft voice called from behind him. It was young and feminine, and
weakened by a year of struggle.
Legato didn't need to turn to see who it was. By now, the crowd outside the house, prying to look
in the old living room windows, had grown much larger as they watched the beggar girl walk up
to the ballsy dress-up kid. She'd addressed him, but no-one heard her speak except the boy.
In a movement of slow surprise, the boy tensed up at the sound of the voice. "Allegro..." he said
quietly, relaxing his tensed muscles. This made the coat fall back from around his neck, and his
hair and head was put in plain view.
Legato's blue hair had grown quite a bit, and now it covered most of his neck and a bit of his
face. As he turned to face his sister, the one person he'd ever really cared for, he tussled it to one
side of his head so his left eye was hidden. Now turned fully to face the front of the house, he
reached down and put his arm around Allegro's shoulder. He looked into her eyes, seeing the
damage that he had indirectly caused her... But was it wrong? His gifts to their parents... They
were deserved, weren't they? Even at this price, it was right, wasn't it? Legato felt that blackness
within him and questioned it no more. He grinned at Allegro softly, sympathetically, and pulled
her close stiffly as she smiled softly back behind warm tears that poured down her cheeks. [I'm
here,] he thought to her, the words entering her mind. [I'm here again, Allegro, and it'll be all
right.] She just let loose another few tears and smiled wider, hugging her brother's neck.
The crowd, who had now seen his eye and hair, didn't receive the notion of that little monster
returning as warmly. For minutes, they just stood and stated silently. Then, a small girl who had
been in Legato's class shouted. "It's Legato Bluesummers!" she screamed, the first time the name
had been said in anything but hushed tones in almost a year.
That did it. The people, now facing the reality before them, could come up with two courses of
action. Flee for their lives, or try to get rid of this threat if they could.
The sheriff decided for them when he burst into the crowd with his rifle loaded. He took aim at
the demon-child before him, and began to put tension on the trigger... As he pulled, he felt
Legato look up from his sister and could sense the icy gaze of the boy. As he fired the gun, he
looked to see that his aim had been averted and the bullet hand flown straight into the chest of
the girl who had shouted moments before. Alarmed, some townsmen pulled out their own pistols
and aimed them at the sheriff in a surprised manner, not really intending to fire.
Legato focused on one of them, and the trigger was pulled. The sheriff fell, and the boy released
Allegro. He stood motionless except for his eyes, darting from one gun-toter to the next, forcing
them to shoot and kill their families, friends, and neighbors. By the time their rounds were
empty, only the gunmen stood. A look of great intensity covered Legato's face as they all
dropped their guns and began to line up in a circle, each with their hands around the neck of the
man in front of them. A single, sickening orchestrated snap, and the men all fell with broken
necks.
Allegro hadn't seen any of it. Perhaps that was for the better, Legato thought. The darkness
surged strongly through his veins, at the rush of feeling the power of so much death in that little
space... Legato let the rest of his contempt and rage for these people focus, and he reached out to
the other townspeople, the ones who had wisely stayed inside, the ones who stayed away. He'd
give them all gifts. He'd let them all know the peace of Allegro's slumber that he'd felt so long
ago... The sweet intoxication as the deed was done and the only life in the town was
concentrated between Legato and his sister.
"Allegro," he said softly to his sister, still trembling with him in her young arms. "It's just you
and me now. They're all gone, all gone. We don't have to worry about them any more."
Allegro didn't know what Legato was saying, but as she looked him in the eyes, she nodded.
Crying again, she tightened her grasp. "I'm so glad... Brother Legato..." was all she said.
[8- Orphans]
The city had been emptied. Legato and Allegro were alone together in the world, a gloomy
ten-year-old boy and his perpetually-frightened eight-year-old sister. She wasn't the same Allegro
as he had left her, Legato noticed. That year must have been hard on her, yes... What was once
good-natured strength of spirit was now meek compliance. He couldn't help but think- no, he
knew- the change was a result of being alone for a year, and he knew it was his responsibility.
However, he also knew it was a byproduct of his good deed, a mere drawback to the gift of death
he'd given to beloved Father and Mommy dearest. Allegro had endured pain, but such was the
pain of living, Legato rationalized. Bad things happened to people because of others, and this
was one of them. It was all right. Their wicked parents were gone, and they were together.
Everything was all right now.
At least, that's how Legato saw it. But for most, it would be hard to find everything all right in
their condition. They were hungry, downtrodden, and dirty. They had lost count of days since
they'd been reunited, but it had been a while. The two had found their way to another nearby
small town, where they begged, scavenged, and sometimes stole for food. Nightfall would find
Allegro sleeping along the street, but Legato rarely slept himself. He spent most nights looking
up at the moons, contemplating his favorite twilight subjects. He'd focus on Allegro's sleep
sometimes to feel that peace.
But since the clearing of his hometown, Legato had found less peace than before in calm sleep.
Once he'd felt the darkness pouring in with exhilaration from all the death, the serenity of life's
end seemed far stronger.
It was one particular night, when all three moons were in full phase. Legato stood against a wall,
watching Allegro lie still, breathing lightly in the cool air. They'd taken tonight's refuge in a slim
alley between a bank and a tavern, where the more nocturnal of the townspeople would probably
leave them alone. Legato was standing with his eyes closed, dispassionately stroking the fur of
one of the few stray cats who populated the city. There wasn't a sound to be heard.
Then, a great explosion rattled the bank next to their alley, followed by the sounds of robbers.
Allegro was jarred awake and snapped upright, rushing to Legato. He had opened
his eyes wide and pushed the cat aside at the noise, but now his expression was calm again.
"Wh... what is it, Brother Legato..? What's happening...?"
Legato just smiled faintly. It didn't offer much comfort to his trembling sister. "So pointless,"
was all he said. "They're breaking into the bank. It's no concern to us, go back to sleep, Allegro."
She just clutched him tighter. "Something doesn't feel right," she said. "It doesn't feel good." He
looked down into her eyes, and saw that they'd welled with tears of fright. [Poor girl,] he
thought. [It's a painful world. We'll make it through, though. There's much pain in living, but
we'll know peace soon enough.] "I want to see for myself..." Allegro trailed off strangely as she
released Legato. She ran around to the front of the bank building, with Legato walking calmly a
few paces behind her. She moved quietly to a window and crouched in front of it, still out of its
view from inside.
[Allegro, don't do that... Stop, Allegro. Stay down and come back out here. What are you doing...
Allegro?]
Against Legato's silent warnings, the young girl did exactly what she had set out to do. Ever so
quietly, she poked her head up just enough to see what was going on inside...
"Oh God!" "What's that... What's she doing..?" "She's a witness! Don't let her get away-!" Legato
head those shouts from inside the bank. The bandits had seen her head in the window... Just as
Legato had feared. Why didn't she listen... But it was too late to worry about that now. Right
after the final shout was heard, gunshots filled the air. Legato, who had sprinted up to a few feet
behind his sister, covered his face with his young arms as a rain of glass shards poured down
upon him. The scattered bits of the window fell around him as he kept running, and he arrived
behind Allegro just in time to catch her body right as she was about to hit the ground.
As the smoke was clearing, Legato held his sister. Blood was flowing from four holes in her
lower body and dripped to cover his arms and the front of his dirty shirt as well. The old,
many-sizes-too-large coat had blood on it too, leaving deep red spots on parts of its white
surface. Allegro's eyes were frozen in a look of combined shock and sadness as she surveyed her
brother. "L... Legato... I..."
He wasn't looking down at her, though. Supporting her increasingly-limp body, Legato just stared
into the building at the three figures. One of them was holding a gun- a six-shooter, not too
unlike father's- and the other two were unarmed and carrying large sacks of Double-Dollars. The
gunman raised his pistol again, seeing this boy before them. The child was either very brave or
very stupid, he thought, as he prepared to fire.
However, he eased up on the trigger when a series of quiet, demanding words flooded his
conscious mind. [You...] the voice in his mind said. [How foolish of you.] The man with the
gun's face changed in dumbfounded horror. He mouthed "what?" and stared at the boy blankly,
while his unarmed partners looked surprised.
"C'mon, Ryan, kill the kid," one of them said. "Then all the witnesses'll be gone and we can get
outta here."
"We ain't got much time, man," the other said. "We prob'ly woke folks with those shots. Let's
finish the job and blow, come on!"
Legato had turned his gaze to his sister, dying in his hands. She was going pale as she bled, all
the color that was once in her face was now on Legato's clothing. "Legato... I... Brother Lega-"
She tried to but her arm around his neck as he held her up, but she didn't have the strength. That
strength was spilled on the sands at Legato's feet.
Not tilting his head back up, he again sent a message to Ryan. [You have two bullets left.]
"Y... Yeah... Th-that's all I need to kill you, kid..." Ryan said worriedly as he aimed his revolver.
His partners got a look of disbelief on their faces. Ryan had never talked to himself before, and
he'd shot plenty of people in their career. What was wrong with him...
[Oh, but I can find other uses for them.]
"What the hell are you talking about...? Die, you little bastard!" Ryan shouted as the gun went off
twice.
The smoke cleared. Ryan stood with an empty gun. Legato stood with a sister on her last throes
of life. The other two criminals weren't standing, with or without anything. As the gunman threw
down his gun at what he'd apparently done, Legato looked up at him with a cruel, unfaltering
smile and a dark glint in his narrowed, golden eye. [A shame you only left me with two,] he
thought-spoke. [Well, it's all for the better. Someone will have to bury the bodies.] Immediately,
Ryan lost control of his body and reached down to lift the shot corpses of his comrades, each
with a bullet hole in the exact spots of their hearts. Powerless against the child's might, he
carried them outside and reached his hands into the sandy ground, digging.
Before too long, Ryan had dug two holes and put his friends' corpses in them before filling them
back up. Unable to fight Legato's overwhelming rein of control, he fell to the sand as he finished.
"Good work," the small boy told him, actually speaking this time. "Now, it's your turn to be
buried. Get to it." Silently, Ryan dug a third whole and threw himself in it. Once he was down
there, he began to dig into the earth, and eventually the sand above him collapsed, burying him
alive.
All this time, Legato had been holding Allegro. Amazingly, she had lived until now, but her
number was definitely up at this moment. She was almost too weak to speak. "B... Brother
Leg...Legato... I... I..." Her mouth fell open with very little resistance, to speak no more. As the
last bit of blood exited her body, Legato reached into her mind, and saw what she had been
trying to tell him. [Brother Legato, I love you.]
[I... Allegro, I... No... Allegro!] But it was too late. Her veins were dry, her eyes fell closed, her
body lost all feeling.
And Legato reached into her mind again, and the serenity that came with death, even moreso
than in her sleep, filled him. How beautiful, he thought. She's calm now. Allegro's going to be at
peace forever now... But what of me...? The boy thought over her last moments again, and
realized with a degree of horror that he had never once told anyone that he loved them before.
And now, he never would.
As he laid Allegro's body down, Legato didn't cry. He wanted to cry, he even tried to cry, but no
tears came. Suppressing his anger and sadness, he began to dig a small hole himself, back in the
alley, and laid her body delicately in it. As he solemnly filled it back up, he let the image burn
itself in its mind. This was where Allegro would always be. Here, in this alley, forever...
As the sun began to rise, Legato couldn't take it any more. He could only think of one thing to
do... He closed his eyes, bowed his head, and gave his special present, all of that wonderful
power and peace, to the people of this town. He could feel the dark force in his soul well up as
they all passed away, in their beds. He let the power of death flow through him freely, not paying
attention to anything else, until it was all over for them. That made two whole cities...
[Legato Bluesummers...]
Legato looked up in fright as his name entered his brain. No-one was near him, at least not that
he could tell, and this voice was not his own... Was there someone else, another like him? [I'm...
I'm here...]
[Do you see what people do, Legato? Come to me,] the voice in his head said. Legato rose up to
follow...
John Neal (Aren Riszk on Fanfiction.net)
[0- Introduction]
OK, this is the first Trigun fic I've really attempted. The main character, as you might have
guessed, is Legato Bluesummers. It's mostly a delve into his past, a look at the development of
that psychic sociopath we all know and love. It starts with him being nine years old. I added the
character of Allegro because Yasuhiro Nightow has said himself that he thinks Legato might
have had a younger sister(source: Make a Little Lightbulb in Your Soul-
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Ginza/7551/tri-index.html), and I decided that it might make
things a little interesting to give him someone to develop with- I think she works well. Anyway, I
don't own Trigun or any of its characters, and original characters and events are my copyrights so
don't rip 'em off. Thanks, and I hope you enjoy it...
You may notice that a year is left out between chapters 6 and 7. Chances are that I might write a
set of "Perfect Night 6 1/2" chapters later, going over the events of that year. I'll have to wait and
see how it works out. There are also other places where more information could be added- For all
basic purposes, it's continually a work in progress.
For those who aren't familiar with the anime Trigun or the character of Legato Bluesummers, you
need know only this: In the Trigun series, Legato is shown to be a ruthless man, clad in a white coat
adorned with a human skull. He shows no feelings to anyone and possesses immense psychic abilities.
He is the right-hand man of Millions Knives, the series' main villain, and is devoted to no-one else.
Knives' ultimate goal is the destruction of humanity, and Legato is his willing instrument, even though
he is human himself. His left arm is thought to not be his, but rather a transplant made by Knives,
swapping Legato's original arm out for the arm of the legendary gunman(and Trigun main character)
Vash the Stampede- who is mentioned a whopping one time in the whole of this 'fic.
Other important information: July City was wiped out in an incident involving Vash the Stampede prior
to this story's occurence. Midvalley the Hornfreak is Legato's saxophone-playing right-hand-man.
The series takes place in the future, but on a desolate planet covered with deserts and towns not
too unlike the ones you'd find in an old western movie.
That having been said, this 'fic is a view of the events and processes that made the alienated little boy
into the ruthless killer.
Big thanks go out to Kachi and especially Meri, who've offered a lot of good ideas and their own
insights on the subject.
Thanks a bunch!
If you want to contact me, I can be e-mailed at bluesummers@trigun.com. My main AIM screen
name is SpikeSpiegel85. My ICQ number is 39072552. Thanks...
[1- Allegro]
"Legato! Brother Legato!"
Legato's ears pricked up even before he heard the voice call to him from across the town square.
Somehow, he'd known it was coming... And when it did come, it was carried over on a familiar
voice, female and very young... The voice of Allegro, his younger sister.
Allegro ran up behind him, as he sat on a bench facing towards the city's end, staring at the
sunset with that same old expression of his. When she was within four feet of him, Legato
immediately brushed his blue hair out of his eyes, rose, and spun to face her. Legato always had
a way of doing that, Allegro had noticed, and it felt strange. There was definitely something
different about her brother. There was no way Legato was the same as the other boys his age. A
slight chill ran down her spine as he traced the contours of her seven-year-old face with his cold,
golden eyes.
Legato regarded his younger sister. "What is it, Allegro?" A thin smile protruded from his lips,
but his general demeanor, as well as those haunting eyes, made it very difficult for him to appear
kind or loving. It was something that Allegro, as his younger sister, had come to get used to.
"M..Mom wanted me to tell you-"
"Dinner's ready?" Legato finished Allegro's sentence. He knew what she was going to say before
she'd even started, really. He'd known dinner was ready from the second it had finished
cooking... Allegro nodded. "OK, then, let's go home." He stood and walked off after his sister to
the small house his family owned.
Legato Bluesummers, aged nine years old, was certainly not like the others his age. He had
talents, hidden talents, abilities that he and only he knew of- for now. And those talents would
have an impact on him, he could feel it even now. But how, that was what he didn't know...
[2- Parents]
Legato and Allegro walked into the door of the Bluesummers house to be greeted by the last
remnants of their mother's food. Dishes had been piled in the sink, and nothing was left on the
table. Mother was seated in a chair in the next room with an angry look on her face, and father
was laid out in a drunken stupor on the couch.
"Where the hell have you kids been?!" Mrs. Bluesummers shouted. "Allegro, I just told you to go
get your brother, and-"
"I'm sorry, mom! It took me a while to find Legato.... I went as fast as I could, but I-"
Allegro was interrupted by a slap in the face. "Don't talk back to me! No dinner tonight for either
of you. Or tomorrow either! Come straight home after school. From now on, we're locking you in
your rooms so you won't do this again."
Legato cleared his throat and began to speak. "Mom, it was my fault. Don't punish Allegro for
it."
"Don't try and defend her, Legato. You're both in a lot of trouble," mother said. "Your father and
I have been worried sick about you both."
Yeah, right, Legato thought. He could see through that. "Mom... you're angry and Dad is drunk.
You haven't been worried sick about anyone." He cast a glance at his half-conscious father,
beginning to pick himself up off the floor.
"Legato! How dare you talk like that?" Well, mom, it's quite simple. I tell the truth about things...
"Honey..." she said to the inebriated man staggering to his feet. "Legato needs some discipline."
Mr. Bluesummers said nothing, but instead fumbled with his belt buckle and pulled it out of the
loops. With a series of loud snaps, the metal buckle and leather of the belt bit at Legato's skin
repeatedly. Legato cringed in pain but never once retaliated.
"Stop it!" shouted Allegro, jumping in front of her brother and taking a few lashes herself.
Legato was shocked. Why was she doing that? The fool! He shoved her out of the way of the belt
before it hit again. He had gotten her away from father's belt, but mother would have punishment
in line for her for interfering. She could expect to go without dinner until further notice... And
with these parents, who knew how long that would be. Sometimes Legato... hated it. That was
the only word he'd have for it. He hated it.
When it finally ended, mother tired of chewing them out and father passing out again in another
drunken haze, Legato's skin burned. It felt like these welts would take at least a week, Legato
thought. Allegro's face was red from her punishment. "Come on," he said to his sister, "let's get
on to bed in case they get back on it..."
"Yeah," she nodded as she followed him up the stairs that led to their respective bedrooms.
In her room, Allegro laid down on her old bed, almost too small for her even as only a girl of
seven. This all made her so sad. These were their parents, but they were horrible to each other, to
her and Legato, to everyone. Especially her brother. He was so good; He made almost perfect
marks in school and always stayed out of trouble. This was a broken family.
The Bluesummers children would almost have been any parent's dream. But their family life was
closer to a nightmare...
Meanwhile, in his room, Legato lay looking straight up, eyes open and fixed in a gaze looking up
into nothingness. He felt a darkness touch into him, feel his inner being, as he had sometimes on
nights before.
Forlornly, he sent thoughts out into the darkness. Thoughts of his differences, his talents. The
people he knew, and his family. A few ponderances on life and death. Mostly death, though. It
just seemed to fascinate Legato more. Where did people go? How did death feel? What was it
like to be, and then suddenly not to be? Questions sent out into the darkness...
Legato's mind refocused again, this time to his parents. If they had woken up again, they were
probably talking about him now. He knew the disgust of a overworked mother. He knew the
loathing of a father who was a slave to the bottle, twice arrested for child abuse charges by other,
earlier wives. Ones with more sense.. This couldn't be the way to do things, he thought. He
turned his thoughts to Allegro, his sister... Peace and serenity there. She was so... pure. He
supposed it was wonderful... None of the complications and evil that others loved oh so much.
There was only one thing which seemed as wonderful as that to Legato. Only one thing that
could match the calm of innocent slumber. Little Legato's mind turned back to questioning
darkness about death until he drifted off to sleep himself...
[3- School]
All of the children were in their places in the classroom, seated and waiting for class to begin.
The teacher hadn't entered the room yet, and monotony among the students was beginning to
rise.
A wadded paper ball sailed through the air and gently bounced off of Legato's forehead. Right as
it happened, Legato snapped up quickly and turned to stare directly at the boy who had thrown
it... Jom Gerson. Locking his eyes straight into Jom's, the blue-haired boy said nothing.
"What's'a matter, freak-boy?" Gerson taunted. "Got nothing to say?"
"Yeah, why don't you just sit there quiet like always, Blue-dumbers?" added another, sitting
behind Gerson. Rick Harlen, probably Jom's only real friend, Legato noted. The others followed
Jom, but really didn't like him. Legato could see it. Rick tossed a paper ball. "Sissy!"
"'Gato's a wussy!" came still another. This was, sadly, nothing new to Legato. It happened every
day. He'd mostly learned to cope. Before long, nearly every kid in the third grade was chanting
"Freak-boy, freak-boy." Some shot spitballs and tossed paper airplanes. Legato simply turned
back to his desk, remaining seated and as calm as he could muster. He wouldn't let himself fly
off the handle. "Freak-boy, freak-boy, freak-"
The chanting stopped when Legato immediately stood up. What was this, they thought, could
that loser actually do something about it?
The door opened and Ms. Thurston, the third grade teacher, walked in. Legato took his seat, and
the other children calmed down as she began taking the roll. "Atkins."
"Here."
"OK, Atkins present. Bailey."
"Here."
"Bailey present. Bluesummers." Silence. "...Bluesummers?"
[Here.] The word didn't escape Legato's lips so that all may hear it, but somehow the teacher got
it. A quizzical look crossed her face, then she shrugged it off and went back to the roll.
"Bluesummers present. Davidson..." After roll had ended, class began as usual. Notes to take,
problems to solve, and a science quiz at the end of the day. Just as always, Legato aced it all.
School ended at 3:00 sharp, like always, and every student rushed to leave the room. Every
student except Legato. Ms. Thurston had asked to see him after class. "Legato," she said when
the last student was gone, "I just want to tell you you're doing a great job, and-"
...And if other students are giving you a hard time, just come to me, yeah yeah... "-if other
students are giving you a hard time, just come to me."
Legato nodded, but he didn't smile. That was the one thing Ms. Thurston didn't like about
Legato- he was a fine child, but he always had such an air of isolation from everything. "Thank
you, Ms. Thurston," he said as he got his books and left the room. Thurston had given him
similar talks since the first week of school. It got to the point that Legato didn't even need his
talents to know what she would say.
[4- Taunts]
Legato walked out of the school building that day and traveled across the schoolyard past his
classmates and other students, as always. Something different caught his eye this time- a group
of students, many third graders like himself, in a crowd. He'd be led to believe someone was in
the middle of the crowd, getting the full force of a verbal assault; possibly even a physical one.
"Hey, look, we got freak-boy's little sis over here!" came a voice from the mass. Jom Gerson's, of
course. Which would mean that in middle of the taunting crowd would be... Allegro. Legato
changed course over towards the group. "Hey little girl, we won't hurtcha!" "Are you weird like
him?" "Is he always like that?" "I bet he's retarded! Freak-boy's retarded, isn't he?! He never
talks! I bet he can't even talk!" He could hear the voices more distinctly as he drew nearer, and
now he could see his young sister in the middle, being harassed and tormented. Because of him.
Allegro was crying. Students from every grade in the town's elementary school were piled in
around her to get a look at a relative of freak-boy's. "Come on!" shouted Harlen, "Say something,
little girlie! Or are you just like yer blue-haired weirdo brother?"
"Aw, look, Rick, we all made her cry!" interjected Gerson. "Oh, boo hoo! You're almost as fun to
pick on as your brother, you know that? A whole family of Blue-dumbers!"
"Yeah, I bet their parents are like this too! At the dinner table, I bet they jus' sit there, Dad and
freak-boy staring at little sis while she cries, and mom crying in from the kitchen asking who
wants seconds!"
"Crybaby, crybaby! You must come from a long line of sissies like Lig-ah-toe!" This last voice
dragged Legato's name out until it sounded silly.
From behind the group, Legato's anger still built up. If it showed at all, it was through his golden
eyes, cold as ice. He opened his mouth. "That's enough," he said aloud. Everyone became silent;
it wasn't every day that freak-boy spoke. They'd get to mock him as well, they thought. "Allegro,
come on." He tilted his head to gesture to his sister. She got up and wiped her eyes, trying to
smile at her brother for helping her out of this for the time being.
She'd gone about two steps when Jom Gerson stepped out in front of her with his harm extended
and his palm outwards. "Where you goin?! We ain't done yet!" He brought his arm down to slap
Allegro across the face-
Jom's arm never reached her. As it neared her left cheek, it stopped jerkily and a snapping sound
was heard. His wrist twisted around in a manner it wasn't intended to. Jom Gerson collapsed to
the ground, wailing in pain and clutching at his broken arm. The others backed off and began to
leave, one by one. Allegro shook herself together and ran to Legato, who put his arm around her.
He was about as openly kind as she'd ever seen him- not very feeling, but she liked to think that
the thought was there. She loved her brother, despite his cold exterior. As she looked into his
eyes, she caught him looking intently down upon his hands. Had he done something? What was
wrong? He didn't seem to know. Brother Legato's beautiful eyes looked at the wounded kid,
holding an expression she'd never seen before. Brother Legato looked surprised, and a little
worried about something far away and distant...
The last of the crowd to leave was Rick Harlen. He stared at Legato for a few seconds, then
shouted as he backed away, "I know this is your fault, weirdo! I don't know how you did it but I
know you did it! Freak!" Harlen then turned and ran, and Legato walked with his sister back to
the Bluesummers residence.
"Did you hear about your classmate Jom, Legato?" Dad asked that night. "He broke his
arm. They say it's a compound fracture, and broken in four places. I bet that's no fun, right boy?"
"No, dad," Legato said somberly. "I bet it's not fun at all." Funny how father tried to be
personable when he wasn't drunk to high heaven...
"That's just terrible," Allegro said half-heartedly.
[5- Fight]
The punch came out of nowhere and knocked Legato in the temple. School had just ended, and it
had been three days since the incident with Gerson. Legato had been heading to Allegro's class to
pick her up, but as the force of a ten-year-old's punch met the side of his head, it seemed he'd
been assigned a new schedule.
"Legato Blue-dumbers," said the boy who'd thrown the punch- Rick Harlen, "I know you did that
to Jom, I just know it."
"There's no need for you to tell me that again," Legato replied coldly. He didn't stop to show any
hinting of pain in the head- Power perceived is power achieved, he thought. "You've told me you
think I did it before."
Harlen was angered further by Legato's attitude. He made sounds of aggravation, and a small
crowd began to form, mostly others of Legato's tormentors, ready to watch the spectacle they
knew was coming; Freak-boy was about to get the beating of his life for what he mysteriously
did to Jom. None of them knew how the weird kid had done it, but to their young logic it made
perfect sense: Jom tries to hit the freak's sister, but his arm gets mysteriously dislodged and
shattered. The injury was as freaky as their favorite victim. To them, there was no further need
for proof.
"Listen up, freak-boy, 'cause I'm about to teach you something." Harlen did an amusing rendition
of someone trying to look tough, Legato thought. He saw a scared, stupid, inferiority-complexed
child beneath all of this... Who was apparently about to teach him something. Legato's thin lips
formed a dark, dispassionate smile. Looked like the 'class' that Harlen was going to be teaching
was physical education. "And you better learn it. We don't like you, Blue-dumbers."
"Yeah!" "You tell that freak, Rick!" "Give it to him! Beat him to a pulp!" "Yeah! Yeah! Let's see
you spill some of his weird blood! I bet it's blue, just like his hair!" "Let him try to show his face
after you've smashed it in!" The individual voices didn't matter. These peers all thought with the
same dumb, violent, eager mind.
Harlen cracked his knuckles, or attempted to. He sneered at Legato. "I'm gonna kill you, retard."
With that, he brought his hand around and landed another punch, this one catching Legato just
below the ribcage. A kick to the shin. A few more punches.
Legato didn't strike back. "What's the matter?! You can't talk and now you can't even hit?! Too
wussy?" Another punch. "Come on, you think you're big for whatever it was you did the other
day- Fight me! Come on! Freak-boy!" Harlen swung his leg forward to execute a kick to Legato's
groin- but the kick didn't land. When what had happened registered in his mind, he realized he
was being held by the ankle by freak-boy.
Legato sighed and spoke softly. "Who's the wuss now?" He flicked his hand up, tossing the leg
with it, and Harlen fell to the ground. He just watched the older boy on the ground, looking up in
shock. Power perceived... What did this boy fear? Legato was in control now. He saw the
opportunity to get the upper hand, and walked up to the boy, still floored. "You're afraid," he said
in his softest voice. "You're afraid that I'll do to you what you think I did to Jom... You're even
afraid I'll kill you." Harlen was trembling. Power perceived... "Do you want me to kill you?"
"N... no! D... don't kill me... B-Bluesummers... Don't...!" Rick Harlen's words were frenzied and
came out terrified. He flinched in fear as he saw Legato's hand reach down to him... Then he
realized the intent behind it and grabbed the hand. Legato pulled to boy up, but didn't let go then.
Legato kept his hold on the older boy's hand. Then, all of a sudden, he twisted Harlen's arm
behind him. He could feel the scream welling in the throat of his assailant- then released it just
as suddenly. The appropriate amount of fear was instilled. Power achieved. Rushing to restore
his foundation, Harlen turned back on Legato. "Don't think you've won, Blue-dumbers!" he had
to hold up his reputation; The crowd was growing fast. "I'm still gonna kill you! Freak! Bring it
on! Freak! Freak!" Soon enough, the whole crowd was shouting that word in unison.. That
word...
The darkness Legato felt on so many nights crept up now, for the first time in the daylight. For
the first time ever, he could feel the hate he harbored for these antagonists. He didn't want to just
pretend they weren't there, to shut them out, anymore. He backed up to face Rick. If it was a
fight that he wanted...
"Brother Legato!" Allegro came running up, pushing through the group to get to Legato. "Brother
Legato, let's go... I don't think you should be here now, and-" She was cut off by a hard blow
from Harlen. She hit the dusty ground hard, face down.
"Get outta here, shrimp!" Harlen shouted at the seven-year-old girl. "Don't interrupt a fight!"
Legato's eyes froze upon the body of Allegro, whimpering on the ground in pain. Angered, he
looked up again, straight through Rick Harlen's head. There was nothing human about his fixed,
dispassionate glare. This was the angriest Legato had ever been. He felt more hate than he had
ever known towards these people.
He would be teaching the lesson today. He focused on all of his hate... and gave it a scapegoat.
Rick Harlen, you'll know something new today.
Rick's eyes widened. He doubled over. "Wh... what's going on.. what's wrong with me...
AAAUGH!" He screamed and coughed. "Bl... Bluesummers... you..." A cracking sound, and Rick
Harlen fell to the ground, blacked out. An onlooker bent down to see if Rick was all right. He set
two fingers by the neck...
"No pulse," the boy said. "R... Rick's dead..."
Legato snapped to full realization. Before him was the body of Rick Harlen, mangled and
twisted, dead. Legato had done it. He felt the darkness well in him, and it touched him. The
power of death was intoxicating...
Legato bent down to help Allegro up. He held her with his left arm around her shoulder as the
sheriff and local militia arrived on the scene, dispersing the crowd.
[6-Runaway]
Legato and Allegro didn't get taken home until late. The sheriff had held them at the small
county jail for a few hours, to try and figure out just what had gone on outside the school. He'd
had no success. Deaths were common in this town, from shootouts at the bar to armed
robberies... But nothing like this, where innocent children were killed outside of schools for
causes unknown. The sheriff stared down at the blank space on his report below "Cause of
Death" in his notes, confused. What would he tell the Harlen parents, he wondered, when they
came to him
for answers?
And what of these Bluesummers children, he wondered. He couldn't help but think that the boy
had something to do with the murder, but there was nothing to go by. All of the children who had
witnessed the act said that they were sure that Legato had done it, but not a single one could
make any connections or say anything about what happened. The way he heard it, Rick taunted
Legato, they got to blows, Legato threatened Rick, and Rick... died. It didn't fit. But either way,
the sheriff had no choice now. He'd had them for long enough, it was time to return Legato and
Allegro back to their parents. Tired and wanting nothing more than to just go home for the night,
the sheriff simply dropped them off outside their house.
The children went inside, knowing that a great deal of punishment would come to them for being
late again. But this time it was different than usual. Mother and father were waiting for them in
the front den, and when they entered, mother immediately whipped Allegro and sent her to bed.
They're going to concentrate on me, Legato thought. He could read it in them. They let Allegro
off easily so that they could spend more time and effort on me.
Before a word was spoken, Mr. Bluesummers hit Legato across his face hard. Enough force was
behind the blow to send Legato sprawling to the floor. When he was down, his mother grabbed
him and pulled him up, holding him from behind while dad got the belt off. She pulled Legato's
shirt off as the belt prepared for a strike, like a coiled snake.
Snap! Legato winced in pain. Neither of the Bluesummers parents had said a word to him yet.
Snap! Harder this time, Legato's mouth forming an anguished expression as his eyes squeezed
shut.
Snap! The skin broke on Legato's chest and he could feel a slight amount of blood seeping out
and trickling down his stomach.
Then dad spoke. "Cry, damn you!" he shouted at his son, continuing the beating to the very limits
of the nine-year-old's tolerance.
Mother squeezed tighter on her son's arms, thrusting him closer into the blows. He still didn't
shed a single tear. "Rick Harlen's mother is going crazy! What did you do to her son, Legato?!
He's dead, and they all say you did it!" More whips. Legato remained tearless, but his mother
dropped him to the floor again, hot tears streaming from her own eyes. "Oh, where did we go
wrong? Our son... a murderer..."
As if you don't know, Legato thought. Pitiful woman. Going deeper... Her own father did this to
her at this age. Now it was all she could do to feel power. This pity wasn't for him. She wanted
Legato dead. It was for herself.
Father's belt continued. The boy winced, cringed, bled, but never once cried. The pain was
immense. Legato could barely see anything clearly other than the snarling visage of his father,
growing angrier still with each strike. His young chest burnt like the fires of Hell, and he could
see that his blood was staining the rug that once was white. Now a part of it would be red,
forever, Legato thought. It went on to no end, it seemed.... And then it stopped. Recovering from
the last cringe, Legato wiped his eyes. He was still lying on the floor, so he pulled himself up
into a chair for support. He was alone in the room...
...Then father returned, with a gun in his hand. Legato drew back in shock. He knew dad was an
evil, evil man... But murder? The pistol clicked, and Mr. Bluesummers put it to his son's
forehead. "Did you kill Rick Harlen, Legato?"
Legato closed his eyes emotionlessly, silent. "Dammit, boy, answer me!" No answer. "Answer
your father!" No answer. "Legato, did you kill that boy? Don't you trust your father? I'll help
you pay the price of murder!"
Broken, empty lies. Did he trust...? "No. I don't."
The gun clicked again as the hammer drew back. "Then you can just go to Hell."
Dad's bullet never went off into Legato's skull. Right as the trigger was pulled, the gun flung
upwards in Mr. Bluesummer's hands and shot into the ceiling harmlessly. The child took off
running, bursting through the door. His father, caught off guard by what happened, followed hot
on his heels, firing at his son with every other step, the semi-automatic handgun packed with
extra rounds. "Legato... Where are you going?!" he screamed at the boy.
[Hell.] The word reverberated through the mind of Legato's father, filling his consciousness.
What was this...? Mr. Bluesummers didn't give it much thought as he continued his pursuit.
Mr. Bluesummers stopped when they had reached the city limits, watching Legato run on his
own into the cold, foreboding darkness. "Don't come back!" he called. "You just stay out there,
you useless bastard!"
Just as the sun began to rise, Legato stopped running. He found himself at the edge of a cliff
overlooking the city he'd lived in. They were all still down there... He reached out into Allegro's
slumber, to feel that peace and calmness. How wonderful.
His thoughts focused on one thing. Mom and dad were always so terrible to Allegro and him. But
he'd be better than that.
He'd give them a present.
He centered his consciousness on the present he'd give his parents. The one thing that could
match that calm. Now they'd be calm and serene forever. Within his soul, he knew the job was
complete, the gift given. The darkness welled up again, soothing him and strengthening him;
Intoxicating him... The power of death...
[7- Power]
One full year had passed since the mysterious deaths of Rick Harlen and the Bluesummers
parents. The small town had never figured out what had gone on that fateful day, but for some
reason or another most of them blamed it on that child, the Bluesummers son. Legato. The boy,
who had only been nine the last time anyone in the city had seen any trace of him, was
frequently seen as some sort of demon, a wayward Hell-born apparition sent to inflict terror. The
children who had been in his class were frightened to even speak his name. The adults were even
more wary of this child-demon that had left three dead and his sister orphaned.
Allegro herself had barely made it in the past year alone, spending the days begging and the
nights crying. Even today, the now-eight-year-old girl was often the subject of pity. However,
most still kept their distance- What if she turned out like her brother?
The very name of Legato Bluesummers was all any of the town citizens needed to be brought
immediately to a fearful silence. The sheriff had even gone so far as to make mention of the boy
in a public place punishable.
All of this was the reason for the commotion when Legato came back.
It was a cold day, and the sky was bleak despite both suns shining. Almost totally unnoticed by
anyone, a meager, blue-haired lad of ten stepped into the town commons. He was draped in a
large and plain white coat, one that would reach to the feet of a full-grown man. Needless to say,
it was greatly disheveled and hung over the child, folded over his body. Quietly, the coat and its
boy walked around the square. Those who noticed him didn't pay him any mind, figuring him to
be just another kid pretending to be all grown up in his father's coat. That is, until he set foot at
the door of the old Bluesummers house.
No-one had lived there since the parents died. The unfortunate little girl had left the home and
taken refuge wherever else she could. The door was unlocked from the night of Legato's
disappearance, but not even the rowdy teenagers playing "truth-or-dare" had even thought of
going near the place.
The boy flung the door open and walked in, a small crowd of townspeople now watching the
home with curiosity.
Inside the house, Legato looked around. There was nothing new except cobwebs. In the living
room was the chair, father's belt where he'd thrown it down, the bullet hole in the ceiling... The
large red spot, his own blood darkened with time, on the otherwise now off-white carpet. He
looked across the hall at the stairs leading up to the children's' rooms...
"L... Legato?" A shy, soft voice called from behind him. It was young and feminine, and
weakened by a year of struggle.
Legato didn't need to turn to see who it was. By now, the crowd outside the house, prying to look
in the old living room windows, had grown much larger as they watched the beggar girl walk up
to the ballsy dress-up kid. She'd addressed him, but no-one heard her speak except the boy.
In a movement of slow surprise, the boy tensed up at the sound of the voice. "Allegro..." he said
quietly, relaxing his tensed muscles. This made the coat fall back from around his neck, and his
hair and head was put in plain view.
Legato's blue hair had grown quite a bit, and now it covered most of his neck and a bit of his
face. As he turned to face his sister, the one person he'd ever really cared for, he tussled it to one
side of his head so his left eye was hidden. Now turned fully to face the front of the house, he
reached down and put his arm around Allegro's shoulder. He looked into her eyes, seeing the
damage that he had indirectly caused her... But was it wrong? His gifts to their parents... They
were deserved, weren't they? Even at this price, it was right, wasn't it? Legato felt that blackness
within him and questioned it no more. He grinned at Allegro softly, sympathetically, and pulled
her close stiffly as she smiled softly back behind warm tears that poured down her cheeks. [I'm
here,] he thought to her, the words entering her mind. [I'm here again, Allegro, and it'll be all
right.] She just let loose another few tears and smiled wider, hugging her brother's neck.
The crowd, who had now seen his eye and hair, didn't receive the notion of that little monster
returning as warmly. For minutes, they just stood and stated silently. Then, a small girl who had
been in Legato's class shouted. "It's Legato Bluesummers!" she screamed, the first time the name
had been said in anything but hushed tones in almost a year.
That did it. The people, now facing the reality before them, could come up with two courses of
action. Flee for their lives, or try to get rid of this threat if they could.
The sheriff decided for them when he burst into the crowd with his rifle loaded. He took aim at
the demon-child before him, and began to put tension on the trigger... As he pulled, he felt
Legato look up from his sister and could sense the icy gaze of the boy. As he fired the gun, he
looked to see that his aim had been averted and the bullet hand flown straight into the chest of
the girl who had shouted moments before. Alarmed, some townsmen pulled out their own pistols
and aimed them at the sheriff in a surprised manner, not really intending to fire.
Legato focused on one of them, and the trigger was pulled. The sheriff fell, and the boy released
Allegro. He stood motionless except for his eyes, darting from one gun-toter to the next, forcing
them to shoot and kill their families, friends, and neighbors. By the time their rounds were
empty, only the gunmen stood. A look of great intensity covered Legato's face as they all
dropped their guns and began to line up in a circle, each with their hands around the neck of the
man in front of them. A single, sickening orchestrated snap, and the men all fell with broken
necks.
Allegro hadn't seen any of it. Perhaps that was for the better, Legato thought. The darkness
surged strongly through his veins, at the rush of feeling the power of so much death in that little
space... Legato let the rest of his contempt and rage for these people focus, and he reached out to
the other townspeople, the ones who had wisely stayed inside, the ones who stayed away. He'd
give them all gifts. He'd let them all know the peace of Allegro's slumber that he'd felt so long
ago... The sweet intoxication as the deed was done and the only life in the town was
concentrated between Legato and his sister.
"Allegro," he said softly to his sister, still trembling with him in her young arms. "It's just you
and me now. They're all gone, all gone. We don't have to worry about them any more."
Allegro didn't know what Legato was saying, but as she looked him in the eyes, she nodded.
Crying again, she tightened her grasp. "I'm so glad... Brother Legato..." was all she said.
[8- Orphans]
The city had been emptied. Legato and Allegro were alone together in the world, a gloomy
ten-year-old boy and his perpetually-frightened eight-year-old sister. She wasn't the same Allegro
as he had left her, Legato noticed. That year must have been hard on her, yes... What was once
good-natured strength of spirit was now meek compliance. He couldn't help but think- no, he
knew- the change was a result of being alone for a year, and he knew it was his responsibility.
However, he also knew it was a byproduct of his good deed, a mere drawback to the gift of death
he'd given to beloved Father and Mommy dearest. Allegro had endured pain, but such was the
pain of living, Legato rationalized. Bad things happened to people because of others, and this
was one of them. It was all right. Their wicked parents were gone, and they were together.
Everything was all right now.
At least, that's how Legato saw it. But for most, it would be hard to find everything all right in
their condition. They were hungry, downtrodden, and dirty. They had lost count of days since
they'd been reunited, but it had been a while. The two had found their way to another nearby
small town, where they begged, scavenged, and sometimes stole for food. Nightfall would find
Allegro sleeping along the street, but Legato rarely slept himself. He spent most nights looking
up at the moons, contemplating his favorite twilight subjects. He'd focus on Allegro's sleep
sometimes to feel that peace.
But since the clearing of his hometown, Legato had found less peace than before in calm sleep.
Once he'd felt the darkness pouring in with exhilaration from all the death, the serenity of life's
end seemed far stronger.
It was one particular night, when all three moons were in full phase. Legato stood against a wall,
watching Allegro lie still, breathing lightly in the cool air. They'd taken tonight's refuge in a slim
alley between a bank and a tavern, where the more nocturnal of the townspeople would probably
leave them alone. Legato was standing with his eyes closed, dispassionately stroking the fur of
one of the few stray cats who populated the city. There wasn't a sound to be heard.
Then, a great explosion rattled the bank next to their alley, followed by the sounds of robbers.
Allegro was jarred awake and snapped upright, rushing to Legato. He had opened
his eyes wide and pushed the cat aside at the noise, but now his expression was calm again.
"Wh... what is it, Brother Legato..? What's happening...?"
Legato just smiled faintly. It didn't offer much comfort to his trembling sister. "So pointless,"
was all he said. "They're breaking into the bank. It's no concern to us, go back to sleep, Allegro."
She just clutched him tighter. "Something doesn't feel right," she said. "It doesn't feel good." He
looked down into her eyes, and saw that they'd welled with tears of fright. [Poor girl,] he
thought. [It's a painful world. We'll make it through, though. There's much pain in living, but
we'll know peace soon enough.] "I want to see for myself..." Allegro trailed off strangely as she
released Legato. She ran around to the front of the bank building, with Legato walking calmly a
few paces behind her. She moved quietly to a window and crouched in front of it, still out of its
view from inside.
[Allegro, don't do that... Stop, Allegro. Stay down and come back out here. What are you doing...
Allegro?]
Against Legato's silent warnings, the young girl did exactly what she had set out to do. Ever so
quietly, she poked her head up just enough to see what was going on inside...
"Oh God!" "What's that... What's she doing..?" "She's a witness! Don't let her get away-!" Legato
head those shouts from inside the bank. The bandits had seen her head in the window... Just as
Legato had feared. Why didn't she listen... But it was too late to worry about that now. Right
after the final shout was heard, gunshots filled the air. Legato, who had sprinted up to a few feet
behind his sister, covered his face with his young arms as a rain of glass shards poured down
upon him. The scattered bits of the window fell around him as he kept running, and he arrived
behind Allegro just in time to catch her body right as she was about to hit the ground.
As the smoke was clearing, Legato held his sister. Blood was flowing from four holes in her
lower body and dripped to cover his arms and the front of his dirty shirt as well. The old,
many-sizes-too-large coat had blood on it too, leaving deep red spots on parts of its white
surface. Allegro's eyes were frozen in a look of combined shock and sadness as she surveyed her
brother. "L... Legato... I..."
He wasn't looking down at her, though. Supporting her increasingly-limp body, Legato just stared
into the building at the three figures. One of them was holding a gun- a six-shooter, not too
unlike father's- and the other two were unarmed and carrying large sacks of Double-Dollars. The
gunman raised his pistol again, seeing this boy before them. The child was either very brave or
very stupid, he thought, as he prepared to fire.
However, he eased up on the trigger when a series of quiet, demanding words flooded his
conscious mind. [You...] the voice in his mind said. [How foolish of you.] The man with the
gun's face changed in dumbfounded horror. He mouthed "what?" and stared at the boy blankly,
while his unarmed partners looked surprised.
"C'mon, Ryan, kill the kid," one of them said. "Then all the witnesses'll be gone and we can get
outta here."
"We ain't got much time, man," the other said. "We prob'ly woke folks with those shots. Let's
finish the job and blow, come on!"
Legato had turned his gaze to his sister, dying in his hands. She was going pale as she bled, all
the color that was once in her face was now on Legato's clothing. "Legato... I... Brother Lega-"
She tried to but her arm around his neck as he held her up, but she didn't have the strength. That
strength was spilled on the sands at Legato's feet.
Not tilting his head back up, he again sent a message to Ryan. [You have two bullets left.]
"Y... Yeah... Th-that's all I need to kill you, kid..." Ryan said worriedly as he aimed his revolver.
His partners got a look of disbelief on their faces. Ryan had never talked to himself before, and
he'd shot plenty of people in their career. What was wrong with him...
[Oh, but I can find other uses for them.]
"What the hell are you talking about...? Die, you little bastard!" Ryan shouted as the gun went off
twice.
The smoke cleared. Ryan stood with an empty gun. Legato stood with a sister on her last throes
of life. The other two criminals weren't standing, with or without anything. As the gunman threw
down his gun at what he'd apparently done, Legato looked up at him with a cruel, unfaltering
smile and a dark glint in his narrowed, golden eye. [A shame you only left me with two,] he
thought-spoke. [Well, it's all for the better. Someone will have to bury the bodies.] Immediately,
Ryan lost control of his body and reached down to lift the shot corpses of his comrades, each
with a bullet hole in the exact spots of their hearts. Powerless against the child's might, he
carried them outside and reached his hands into the sandy ground, digging.
Before too long, Ryan had dug two holes and put his friends' corpses in them before filling them
back up. Unable to fight Legato's overwhelming rein of control, he fell to the sand as he finished.
"Good work," the small boy told him, actually speaking this time. "Now, it's your turn to be
buried. Get to it." Silently, Ryan dug a third whole and threw himself in it. Once he was down
there, he began to dig into the earth, and eventually the sand above him collapsed, burying him
alive.
All this time, Legato had been holding Allegro. Amazingly, she had lived until now, but her
number was definitely up at this moment. She was almost too weak to speak. "B... Brother
Leg...Legato... I... I..." Her mouth fell open with very little resistance, to speak no more. As the
last bit of blood exited her body, Legato reached into her mind, and saw what she had been
trying to tell him. [Brother Legato, I love you.]
[I... Allegro, I... No... Allegro!] But it was too late. Her veins were dry, her eyes fell closed, her
body lost all feeling.
And Legato reached into her mind again, and the serenity that came with death, even moreso
than in her sleep, filled him. How beautiful, he thought. She's calm now. Allegro's going to be at
peace forever now... But what of me...? The boy thought over her last moments again, and
realized with a degree of horror that he had never once told anyone that he loved them before.
And now, he never would.
As he laid Allegro's body down, Legato didn't cry. He wanted to cry, he even tried to cry, but no
tears came. Suppressing his anger and sadness, he began to dig a small hole himself, back in the
alley, and laid her body delicately in it. As he solemnly filled it back up, he let the image burn
itself in its mind. This was where Allegro would always be. Here, in this alley, forever...
As the sun began to rise, Legato couldn't take it any more. He could only think of one thing to
do... He closed his eyes, bowed his head, and gave his special present, all of that wonderful
power and peace, to the people of this town. He could feel the dark force in his soul well up as
they all passed away, in their beds. He let the power of death flow through him freely, not paying
attention to anything else, until it was all over for them. That made two whole cities...
[Legato Bluesummers...]
Legato looked up in fright as his name entered his brain. No-one was near him, at least not that
he could tell, and this voice was not his own... Was there someone else, another like him? [I'm...
I'm here...]
[Do you see what people do, Legato? Come to me,] the voice in his head said. Legato rose up to
follow...