To Every Ending, There Is A New Beginning
By: Tiffany Mahala
Chapter Three: The Past Returns
In the year 2062 a young woman and man hug each other good-bye at the spaceport. Both teary eyed teen-agers squeeze each other for comfort, but the time comes and the young man must board his ship. He looks at the young woman in front him. She wipes the tears from her own eyes before collapsing into his safe arms once more. He gently pushes her away and reassures her that he will be back and that she shouldn't worry.
"It'll only be a few months. I promise I will be back and we can be family again.", his blue eyes smiled and she couldn't help but smile again. The P.A. system announced again what it had before and the young man boards the ship. Waving good-bye to the young woman.
On the ship he couldn't help but get out the picture of her and him from long ago. His prematurely silver hair almost as long as her purplish black hair covering her sea green eyes. He put the photo back in his duffle bag and laid back to rest and dream of long lost days.
The young man thought that going into the army was going to make things better, but it didn't. It took him three years to complete training and with every day in there, a little more of him died. The world was a cruel place and it seemed the only way to go somewhere and be somebody was to prey on the weak. When he got out he passed right by his own flesh and blood only to wince when he heard her cry. He turned and looked at her coldy. Then without saying a word he turned and walked away, leaving her to drown in her tears.
Within the next three years he wouldn't forget her. She was with him when he joined the syndicate. She was with him when he made his friends. He thought they seemed so much like her, like they were the piece of him that was missing. She was there when he was on Titan. And even there when he betrayed a comrade. And even there when he, like she, would be betrayed by someone close.
* * * Three more days had past and still Vicious lay dormant. I was dozing off in the chair set up beside the bed when Faye came in and sat at the foot of the bed. He moved a little but didn't seem to notice a change in the bed's posture. She looked at him with empty eyes as if she was thinking. I closed my eyes and leaned back in the chair with one leg on top of the other. It stayed silent for what seemed like enternity and she quietly raised herself off the bed and exited the room. It was getting late and I figured he wasn't going anywhere so I left the room to fix myself a cup of coffee. We were now over Ganymede air-space and the bounty-head was securely hand-cuffed to the pipe hand rails. During this wait we had taken turns trying our luck with the bounties in the direct vicinity of Jupiter. This one was a run-of-the-mill criminal,petty theft and robbery, and he would suffice to get some beef on the Bebop.
(I woke up in a cold sweat to an empty room. I heard stirring from one of the other rooms and then the sound of walking down the hollowed hallway. I wiped the sweat from my brow and tried to calm my breathing.)
I walked back to where Vicious was and he was sitting up in his bed. All the color that had seemed to be drained had finally found it's way back to his face.
"So, I see you're up. How are you feeling?" I stirred my coffee and made my way back to the chair. He traced my movements with his eyes, still sleep weary.
"Spike, why did you bring me here?" his voice was low and he turned his eyes away from me. He didn't want to look at his own handy-work.
"Why did you want me to help you?" I looked at the hallway as I took a sip from the mug that had in big black letters 'FAYE'. "And who is this 'Veronica' you've been mumbling about?"
"Veronica!?" his eyes grew wide and he looked at me waiting for me to say more, but I didn't offer anything. I didn't have anything. "What do you know about Veronica? Is she here? Spike, if she's here I don't want her to see me like this. Please." The pain was evident in his voice and I reassured him that she wasn't there.
"So, could you clue me in to who this Veronica is?" I asked.
"What is this twenty questions?", he asked accusively sighing. He looked down at the sheets then to me, then back down. "Okay. Veronica is a person I loved very much. But I betrayed her much like you and Juila betrayed me." I bit my lip as memories of the past came flooding back. How can you betray someone with no loyalty? I thought.
"Who is she to you anyway? Is she an old girlfriend?" I inquired. Vicious had reached for his tattered cloak and I grabbed it and handed it to him. At that time Faye was taking a shower and Ein was already doing wake-up calls to all aboard that was still asleep. Vicious fumbled in the inside pocket till he found what he was after. He pulled out a small photo of a young woman and a young man. The young woman was sitting on the lap of the young man who I knew immediately was Vicious. She had purplish black hair and sea green eyes. They both seemed more like brother and sister than boy- friend/girl-friend. He put the picture back in the pocket from which it came and laid the cloak at the foot of the bed.
"Spike. When everybody wakes up I'll tell you the name of the girl. Now help me out of here. I feel like I've got bed sores." He seemed to be in a less dreary mood and as I helped him to his feet it reminded me of the many times when I helped falling friends out of the line of fire. He smiled graciously and asked for some non-bloody clothes. I went through the drawers in the wardrobe and pulled out a white T-shirt and a pair of blue jeans. not to mention the unmetionables. After he had clothed himself I led him to the living room with the two yellow couches. One of which I called home. Jet and Ed soon appeared from various parts of the ship, ready for another day of hapless bounties to come their way. From the kitchen one could here Faye searching for the mug that was snuggly in my palm. When she finally made her way into the living room she took her place on the other couch facing Vicious and me.
I noticed Vicious suddenly get a bit uneasy and only then did I see the resemblance of Faye and the woman. I then stood when everyone was assembled and announced that Vicious wanted to tell us who Veronica is. He rose as I sat back down and cleared his throat.
"Ah-hmm. Spike has told me that the name Veronica has perplexed you since my arrival. I guess it's time to tell you who it is." He fumbled for the right words to say then remembered the picture in his cloak. He bent down and asked me to retrieve it for him. I did and when I came back he proceeded to pass the photo to Ed, then Jet, then Faye all of whom got wide eyed when they noticed the likeness to Faye. She blushed slightly, but then demanded what this all meant.
"I'm sorry but you look so much like her and I treated her so wrong. I must have thought you were her." he apologized.
"That still doesn't tell us who she is?" Jet pointed out and Vicious nodded and decended back to the yellow seat.
"Her name is Veronica, you all know this. And she is my sister. . ." a gasp escaped all of our lips. ". . .my twin sister." Jaws fell to the floor and we all sat in silence for a while, even Ed.
"Well, you still didn't answer my question from earlier. Why did you want me to help you?" I had to break the silence. It only causes awkward rests in life.
"I want you to help me find her. "
The bustle of the Bebop had never been as loud as it was then. Jet was trying to explain to him that room and board weren't free and that he had to pull his weight around the ship. Faye bluntly told him not to try any funny stuff and that the consequences would be great. Ed asked with her riddle filled words where he last saw her and her last name. I fended off the wolves and helped him walk back to his room.
"Welcome, to the floating circus called the Bebop. . " I said as if I was a hotel clerk. " . . how long will you be staying with us?"
"Until I find my sister." he smiled.
"You know you should have Ed look first and foremost. She's found many bounty heads for us."
"I think I will."
I walked out of the room to the cockpit where Jet was getting info on the next bounty. He handed Faye the pad and after reading it she flew down the stairs to the Redtail and was off. The day went without a hitch. Jet turned in the head on the ship and as usual got less than expected. Ed found no relevant information on the internet. And Faye's bounty got away. So all in all it was a regular day.
Seeing that nothing productive could be done for the rest of the day Vicious and I decided to go for a drink at a bar on the south side of town. I grabbed my jacket and trench coat and handed Vicious an old duster of mine. Vicious pulled me over to a corner and handed me a piece of paper saying "this should help you more". I opened the paper and all it had was 2 names and a date.
Victor Markus Jameson Veronica Irene Jameson
July 21, 2044
I gave it to Ed as Vicious and I left for a drink. Ed yelling back to bring her some chocolate.
Chapter Three: The Past Returns
In the year 2062 a young woman and man hug each other good-bye at the spaceport. Both teary eyed teen-agers squeeze each other for comfort, but the time comes and the young man must board his ship. He looks at the young woman in front him. She wipes the tears from her own eyes before collapsing into his safe arms once more. He gently pushes her away and reassures her that he will be back and that she shouldn't worry.
"It'll only be a few months. I promise I will be back and we can be family again.", his blue eyes smiled and she couldn't help but smile again. The P.A. system announced again what it had before and the young man boards the ship. Waving good-bye to the young woman.
On the ship he couldn't help but get out the picture of her and him from long ago. His prematurely silver hair almost as long as her purplish black hair covering her sea green eyes. He put the photo back in his duffle bag and laid back to rest and dream of long lost days.
The young man thought that going into the army was going to make things better, but it didn't. It took him three years to complete training and with every day in there, a little more of him died. The world was a cruel place and it seemed the only way to go somewhere and be somebody was to prey on the weak. When he got out he passed right by his own flesh and blood only to wince when he heard her cry. He turned and looked at her coldy. Then without saying a word he turned and walked away, leaving her to drown in her tears.
Within the next three years he wouldn't forget her. She was with him when he joined the syndicate. She was with him when he made his friends. He thought they seemed so much like her, like they were the piece of him that was missing. She was there when he was on Titan. And even there when he betrayed a comrade. And even there when he, like she, would be betrayed by someone close.
* * * Three more days had past and still Vicious lay dormant. I was dozing off in the chair set up beside the bed when Faye came in and sat at the foot of the bed. He moved a little but didn't seem to notice a change in the bed's posture. She looked at him with empty eyes as if she was thinking. I closed my eyes and leaned back in the chair with one leg on top of the other. It stayed silent for what seemed like enternity and she quietly raised herself off the bed and exited the room. It was getting late and I figured he wasn't going anywhere so I left the room to fix myself a cup of coffee. We were now over Ganymede air-space and the bounty-head was securely hand-cuffed to the pipe hand rails. During this wait we had taken turns trying our luck with the bounties in the direct vicinity of Jupiter. This one was a run-of-the-mill criminal,petty theft and robbery, and he would suffice to get some beef on the Bebop.
(I woke up in a cold sweat to an empty room. I heard stirring from one of the other rooms and then the sound of walking down the hollowed hallway. I wiped the sweat from my brow and tried to calm my breathing.)
I walked back to where Vicious was and he was sitting up in his bed. All the color that had seemed to be drained had finally found it's way back to his face.
"So, I see you're up. How are you feeling?" I stirred my coffee and made my way back to the chair. He traced my movements with his eyes, still sleep weary.
"Spike, why did you bring me here?" his voice was low and he turned his eyes away from me. He didn't want to look at his own handy-work.
"Why did you want me to help you?" I looked at the hallway as I took a sip from the mug that had in big black letters 'FAYE'. "And who is this 'Veronica' you've been mumbling about?"
"Veronica!?" his eyes grew wide and he looked at me waiting for me to say more, but I didn't offer anything. I didn't have anything. "What do you know about Veronica? Is she here? Spike, if she's here I don't want her to see me like this. Please." The pain was evident in his voice and I reassured him that she wasn't there.
"So, could you clue me in to who this Veronica is?" I asked.
"What is this twenty questions?", he asked accusively sighing. He looked down at the sheets then to me, then back down. "Okay. Veronica is a person I loved very much. But I betrayed her much like you and Juila betrayed me." I bit my lip as memories of the past came flooding back. How can you betray someone with no loyalty? I thought.
"Who is she to you anyway? Is she an old girlfriend?" I inquired. Vicious had reached for his tattered cloak and I grabbed it and handed it to him. At that time Faye was taking a shower and Ein was already doing wake-up calls to all aboard that was still asleep. Vicious fumbled in the inside pocket till he found what he was after. He pulled out a small photo of a young woman and a young man. The young woman was sitting on the lap of the young man who I knew immediately was Vicious. She had purplish black hair and sea green eyes. They both seemed more like brother and sister than boy- friend/girl-friend. He put the picture back in the pocket from which it came and laid the cloak at the foot of the bed.
"Spike. When everybody wakes up I'll tell you the name of the girl. Now help me out of here. I feel like I've got bed sores." He seemed to be in a less dreary mood and as I helped him to his feet it reminded me of the many times when I helped falling friends out of the line of fire. He smiled graciously and asked for some non-bloody clothes. I went through the drawers in the wardrobe and pulled out a white T-shirt and a pair of blue jeans. not to mention the unmetionables. After he had clothed himself I led him to the living room with the two yellow couches. One of which I called home. Jet and Ed soon appeared from various parts of the ship, ready for another day of hapless bounties to come their way. From the kitchen one could here Faye searching for the mug that was snuggly in my palm. When she finally made her way into the living room she took her place on the other couch facing Vicious and me.
I noticed Vicious suddenly get a bit uneasy and only then did I see the resemblance of Faye and the woman. I then stood when everyone was assembled and announced that Vicious wanted to tell us who Veronica is. He rose as I sat back down and cleared his throat.
"Ah-hmm. Spike has told me that the name Veronica has perplexed you since my arrival. I guess it's time to tell you who it is." He fumbled for the right words to say then remembered the picture in his cloak. He bent down and asked me to retrieve it for him. I did and when I came back he proceeded to pass the photo to Ed, then Jet, then Faye all of whom got wide eyed when they noticed the likeness to Faye. She blushed slightly, but then demanded what this all meant.
"I'm sorry but you look so much like her and I treated her so wrong. I must have thought you were her." he apologized.
"That still doesn't tell us who she is?" Jet pointed out and Vicious nodded and decended back to the yellow seat.
"Her name is Veronica, you all know this. And she is my sister. . ." a gasp escaped all of our lips. ". . .my twin sister." Jaws fell to the floor and we all sat in silence for a while, even Ed.
"Well, you still didn't answer my question from earlier. Why did you want me to help you?" I had to break the silence. It only causes awkward rests in life.
"I want you to help me find her. "
The bustle of the Bebop had never been as loud as it was then. Jet was trying to explain to him that room and board weren't free and that he had to pull his weight around the ship. Faye bluntly told him not to try any funny stuff and that the consequences would be great. Ed asked with her riddle filled words where he last saw her and her last name. I fended off the wolves and helped him walk back to his room.
"Welcome, to the floating circus called the Bebop. . " I said as if I was a hotel clerk. " . . how long will you be staying with us?"
"Until I find my sister." he smiled.
"You know you should have Ed look first and foremost. She's found many bounty heads for us."
"I think I will."
I walked out of the room to the cockpit where Jet was getting info on the next bounty. He handed Faye the pad and after reading it she flew down the stairs to the Redtail and was off. The day went without a hitch. Jet turned in the head on the ship and as usual got less than expected. Ed found no relevant information on the internet. And Faye's bounty got away. So all in all it was a regular day.
Seeing that nothing productive could be done for the rest of the day Vicious and I decided to go for a drink at a bar on the south side of town. I grabbed my jacket and trench coat and handed Vicious an old duster of mine. Vicious pulled me over to a corner and handed me a piece of paper saying "this should help you more". I opened the paper and all it had was 2 names and a date.
Victor Markus Jameson Veronica Irene Jameson
July 21, 2044
I gave it to Ed as Vicious and I left for a drink. Ed yelling back to bring her some chocolate.