Five years after the fight between Vash and Knives, to the day
Vash, or Jude Nichols as he was now calling himself, drove his beat-up car to
the place where it all started.
July City.
It was a totally different place now, now that people began spreading out and
resettling in different places. It was only about a year ago that he taught the
people of the towns how to use their Plants more efficiently. And it was only a
few months ago that the people discovered how to survive in places without
Plants by constructing a series of electrical lines and generators.
He slammed the car door, gazing around at the locals. Some of the men were using
some of the old rubble, mixed with new materials that they brought to renovate
or start entirely new buildings. Some were lounging under makeshift shades, also
constructed from old debris, drinking their beers and playing card games.
"I guess they're working in shifts."
He stood aback, scanning across the town that used to be a hell-hole...the hell-
hole that was the beginning of his reputation.
His eyes caught images of children playing in the sweltering heat, mothers
fanning their babies. He cracked his fingers, hoping he could provide these
hard-working people with some kind of help; hopefully no one would recognise him
now. He had grown out his hair and kept it in a long ponytail down to the middle
of his back. His now-brown-once-white shirt required a wash and his khakis had
holes and oil stains here and there.
"Can I help in anyway?" He brought himself up to one of the men who was
hammering some sheets of metal together, putting on the kindest smile he knew.
"You could help those men put that building together." He motioned with his
hammer, not lifting his head from his duty. His tone was gruff and uncaring; not
surprisingly. Vash knew that people were trying their best to build satisfactory
lives on this planet of sand. Seeing nothing but the yellow-brown of the land
tended to get to you, making you dry and uncaring just like the sand.
"Sure. No problem."
He spent the next 3 to 4 hours helping these settlers making the best of what
they had. He took breaks playing with the children, bringing refreshments to the
men and keeping the mothers company with his "natural charm". He even had an
occasional beer or two. He glanced at his watch, realizing he had spent too much
time here. He needed to be moving on. And quickly. He bid the people goodbye and
wished them luck on finished their town.
"What are you planning on calling it?" he shouted, climbing into his car.
*"Naikii."
"Naikii....", he nodded. "You better have some good donut shops when I get
back." The car started with a choke, but the engine eventually rumbled on. He
placed it into gear and took off; children ran after the car screaming their
goodbyes and come back soons.
The sun was already half-set when the effects of the beers and hard labour began
kicking in. The landscape became blurry; luckily there was nothing he could run
the car into. It was better he tried to finish his journey after a well-deserved
nap. After stopping the car, he climbed into the backseat, pulling a ragged
sheet he always kept with him right around him. The night wasn't going to spare
him this time.
His eyes lingered on the stars dotting the sky, seeing if he could remember any
constellations he had been taught. He gave up after trying numerous times,
closing his eyes to welcome the peace of sleep.
"Needle-noggin..."
Vash was surrounded by darkness, but he knew that he wasn't alone.
"Hey Wolfwood. How are you?"
The scraggly priest stepped out of the darkness, the familiar smile on his face
and his hands stuffed into his pockets.
"Gotta cig on you?"
Vash chuckled. "Now you know I don't smoke."
"Figures." He sat beside him, resting his chin on his knees. ".......how are
they?"
"The girls? Well, from the letters they send me, it sounds like they're ok..."
Vash's mind jumped to Meryl. Did she care about him anymore? ANYMORE?? What was
he thinking? It didn't seem like she ever did to begin with. He tried to shake
the thought from his mind.
Wolfwood placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You know there's a small
flame in your heart for that girl ,and just don't want to fuel it."
"............"
"...........that was a nice thing you did.." but he was cut off.
"I'm sorry, Wolfwood..."
Wolfwood slapped him on the back. "Five years now, and you're still
apologizing." He smirked. "You can't do anything about it now."
Vash clenched his fist, and spoke through gritted teeth. "You don't think I know
that?" He fist shook with anger. He wanted to hit him, but what good would that
do. A sadness washed over him, making him release his fist. "That's how it
always is...I can never save anyone...those I care about. I thought 'Here's the
one person I can count on...a friend...the one stable thing in my life besides
the disaster that followed me around'." He brought his hands to his face,
feeling the tears soak into the cuffs of his shirt.
"Needle-noggin..." Wolfwood pulling Vash to him, resting him against his knees,
patting him on the back for comfort. He smiled. "So, you thought of me as a
friend, huh?"
He muffled through his hands."Of course." He wiped his cheeks against his
sleeves. "Didn't you?"
"...not at first." He patted Vash's head, like he would to a child. In his heart
and mind, Vash was still a child that needed guidance. "But I'm still glad I met
you...my friend." Wolfwood rested his head on Vash's, giving him a reassuring
hug that he meant it. "Now you have to go meet the girls."
"Yeah....the both of them are going to start worrying."
"Those two are not the only ones waiting for you..."
"......what?"
Wolfwood rose to his feet, conking Vash lightly on the head. "Later, Needle-
noggin." And he seemed to be swallowed by the darkness.
*Naikii=phonetically, Nike, the goddess of victory
Vash, or Jude Nichols as he was now calling himself, drove his beat-up car to
the place where it all started.
July City.
It was a totally different place now, now that people began spreading out and
resettling in different places. It was only about a year ago that he taught the
people of the towns how to use their Plants more efficiently. And it was only a
few months ago that the people discovered how to survive in places without
Plants by constructing a series of electrical lines and generators.
He slammed the car door, gazing around at the locals. Some of the men were using
some of the old rubble, mixed with new materials that they brought to renovate
or start entirely new buildings. Some were lounging under makeshift shades, also
constructed from old debris, drinking their beers and playing card games.
"I guess they're working in shifts."
He stood aback, scanning across the town that used to be a hell-hole...the hell-
hole that was the beginning of his reputation.
His eyes caught images of children playing in the sweltering heat, mothers
fanning their babies. He cracked his fingers, hoping he could provide these
hard-working people with some kind of help; hopefully no one would recognise him
now. He had grown out his hair and kept it in a long ponytail down to the middle
of his back. His now-brown-once-white shirt required a wash and his khakis had
holes and oil stains here and there.
"Can I help in anyway?" He brought himself up to one of the men who was
hammering some sheets of metal together, putting on the kindest smile he knew.
"You could help those men put that building together." He motioned with his
hammer, not lifting his head from his duty. His tone was gruff and uncaring; not
surprisingly. Vash knew that people were trying their best to build satisfactory
lives on this planet of sand. Seeing nothing but the yellow-brown of the land
tended to get to you, making you dry and uncaring just like the sand.
"Sure. No problem."
He spent the next 3 to 4 hours helping these settlers making the best of what
they had. He took breaks playing with the children, bringing refreshments to the
men and keeping the mothers company with his "natural charm". He even had an
occasional beer or two. He glanced at his watch, realizing he had spent too much
time here. He needed to be moving on. And quickly. He bid the people goodbye and
wished them luck on finished their town.
"What are you planning on calling it?" he shouted, climbing into his car.
*"Naikii."
"Naikii....", he nodded. "You better have some good donut shops when I get
back." The car started with a choke, but the engine eventually rumbled on. He
placed it into gear and took off; children ran after the car screaming their
goodbyes and come back soons.
The sun was already half-set when the effects of the beers and hard labour began
kicking in. The landscape became blurry; luckily there was nothing he could run
the car into. It was better he tried to finish his journey after a well-deserved
nap. After stopping the car, he climbed into the backseat, pulling a ragged
sheet he always kept with him right around him. The night wasn't going to spare
him this time.
His eyes lingered on the stars dotting the sky, seeing if he could remember any
constellations he had been taught. He gave up after trying numerous times,
closing his eyes to welcome the peace of sleep.
"Needle-noggin..."
Vash was surrounded by darkness, but he knew that he wasn't alone.
"Hey Wolfwood. How are you?"
The scraggly priest stepped out of the darkness, the familiar smile on his face
and his hands stuffed into his pockets.
"Gotta cig on you?"
Vash chuckled. "Now you know I don't smoke."
"Figures." He sat beside him, resting his chin on his knees. ".......how are
they?"
"The girls? Well, from the letters they send me, it sounds like they're ok..."
Vash's mind jumped to Meryl. Did she care about him anymore? ANYMORE?? What was
he thinking? It didn't seem like she ever did to begin with. He tried to shake
the thought from his mind.
Wolfwood placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You know there's a small
flame in your heart for that girl ,and just don't want to fuel it."
"............"
"...........that was a nice thing you did.." but he was cut off.
"I'm sorry, Wolfwood..."
Wolfwood slapped him on the back. "Five years now, and you're still
apologizing." He smirked. "You can't do anything about it now."
Vash clenched his fist, and spoke through gritted teeth. "You don't think I know
that?" He fist shook with anger. He wanted to hit him, but what good would that
do. A sadness washed over him, making him release his fist. "That's how it
always is...I can never save anyone...those I care about. I thought 'Here's the
one person I can count on...a friend...the one stable thing in my life besides
the disaster that followed me around'." He brought his hands to his face,
feeling the tears soak into the cuffs of his shirt.
"Needle-noggin..." Wolfwood pulling Vash to him, resting him against his knees,
patting him on the back for comfort. He smiled. "So, you thought of me as a
friend, huh?"
He muffled through his hands."Of course." He wiped his cheeks against his
sleeves. "Didn't you?"
"...not at first." He patted Vash's head, like he would to a child. In his heart
and mind, Vash was still a child that needed guidance. "But I'm still glad I met
you...my friend." Wolfwood rested his head on Vash's, giving him a reassuring
hug that he meant it. "Now you have to go meet the girls."
"Yeah....the both of them are going to start worrying."
"Those two are not the only ones waiting for you..."
"......what?"
Wolfwood rose to his feet, conking Vash lightly on the head. "Later, Needle-
noggin." And he seemed to be swallowed by the darkness.
*Naikii=phonetically, Nike, the goddess of victory