Millie and Wolfwood settled into a new house, or what I thought was a
house. Turns out, thanks to grant funds from Misty, they built a much
bigger much better church, and moved the orphanage into town. Lily has been
sprouting like the plant she is, and Meryl's been wondering why. I don't
know what to tell her, Lily has grown three feet since we first took her
in. I hate lying to Meryl, even if she's not always honest with me. I can't
explain it, every time I see her hurt or lie to her, I feel a pain in my
heart.
~¤~Beautiful things can be painful~¤~
Meryl sat at her desk at work, thumbing through her papers, and through her mail. After looking through everything, she stormed into the boss' office. "Sir, I've waited over a month for a reply from the Head of Justice's office on taking Vash the Stampede's bounty off, and I haven't gotten a reply."
"I'm sorry, Meryl. This is a very delicate issue. And you did present a case report thicker than a dictionary, so they have to take the time to read it all." He chuckled a little, and leaned back in his chair.
"So, you haven't gotten any word back? None at all?" Meryl calmed down somewhat and sat down.
"I'm sorry. Patience is a virtue, Meryl. You'll just have to keep waiting." He finished up just in time for the phone to ring. "Excuse me."
He picked up the phone as Meryl stood to leave. "What!?" He shouted. "That's impossible! What kind of bull are you trying to dish out to me!? I don't believe this. No, No. I'll send an investigator over right away." He hung up and caught Meryl's attention before she left.
"Meryl, there's a major development in New Oregon. Something has erupted from that ship that crashed there, and I need you to be my eyes and ears on the matter."
"In New Oregon?" That's where Knives and Misty are. I wonder if Vash knows anything? I hope they don't have anything to do with this. Meryl thought to herself. "I'll take the job."
When Meryl got home, she immediately began to pack. "Vash! Something's happened in New Oregon, I think it might have something to do with Misty and Knives."
"What makes you so sure?" Vash came out of the kitchen with an armful of food.
"It's just a hunch. Go drop Lily off at Wolfwood's church and meet me at the bus stop." Meryl didn't wait for a reply before she left. Vash went into Lily's room and looked around. He saw the window was open, and he peered out. Lily was standing outside crying.
Vash crawled out of the window and walked over to her. "You can hear them, can't you?"
"She's hurting, daddy. What did Uncle Knives do to her!?" She sobbed, and covered her ears in a vein attempt to block out the sounds only Vash's kind could hear, the distressing cries of their own kind in pain and danger.
"I don't know, but we're going to find out, your mother and I. You need to stay here, out of danger. Go over to your Auntie Millie's house, the big church, and stay there." Vash picked her up and wiped her eyes. She nodded and once she was put down again, she headed over to Wolfwood's church.
Vash grabbed a few bullets, then stopped. A wave of sounds too high for any human to hear hit him. He gritted his teeth and ran for Wolfwood's church. Lily was already there when he arrived. The sound hit again and Lily began to sob harder. Millie hugged her tightly.
"What's going on, Vash? Why is she crying?" Wolfwood stood (he was crouched eye level with Lily) and rubbed his head.
"I can't explain it now, but I'm going to need you and your punisher, Wolfwood. I'm going to New Oregon, something happened to Misty." Another wave of sound hit, and Vash winced and whined.
"Fine. But I want to know everything on the ride there. I owe her anyways." Wolfwood went inside, and came out a few minutes later with his cross punisher. He followed Vash to the bus stop. Meryl saw Wolfwood was following, and figured he was worried about Misty. They all boarded the bus.
The entire trip, wave after wave of sound hit the bus, but only Vash could hear the ear shattering cries. Every time, he gritted his teeth, and squeezed tears out of his eyes. By the time they arrived in New Oregon, Vash's left ear was bloody, and his right was red. He had decided to plug his ears best he could with gobs of cotton and cloth.
They got off of the bus, and as they gazed on the ship, Meryl and Wolfwood had to look several times at what they saw. Vash knew what he was seeing. The ship had been torn apart, and now residing in it, was a very large green plant-like bulb (not the kind you use for light). It was maturing fast, and it's leaves and many vines were blocking the city's sunlight.
Wolfwood looked over to Vash as the plant began to make a low bellowing noise. "It… ..it sounds.. like it's crying… Vash! What is that thing!?"
Vash looked at the creature, and shed a tear as he heard it's cries for help. "It's.. Misty."
~¤~Beautiful things can be painful~¤~
Meryl sat at her desk at work, thumbing through her papers, and through her mail. After looking through everything, she stormed into the boss' office. "Sir, I've waited over a month for a reply from the Head of Justice's office on taking Vash the Stampede's bounty off, and I haven't gotten a reply."
"I'm sorry, Meryl. This is a very delicate issue. And you did present a case report thicker than a dictionary, so they have to take the time to read it all." He chuckled a little, and leaned back in his chair.
"So, you haven't gotten any word back? None at all?" Meryl calmed down somewhat and sat down.
"I'm sorry. Patience is a virtue, Meryl. You'll just have to keep waiting." He finished up just in time for the phone to ring. "Excuse me."
He picked up the phone as Meryl stood to leave. "What!?" He shouted. "That's impossible! What kind of bull are you trying to dish out to me!? I don't believe this. No, No. I'll send an investigator over right away." He hung up and caught Meryl's attention before she left.
"Meryl, there's a major development in New Oregon. Something has erupted from that ship that crashed there, and I need you to be my eyes and ears on the matter."
"In New Oregon?" That's where Knives and Misty are. I wonder if Vash knows anything? I hope they don't have anything to do with this. Meryl thought to herself. "I'll take the job."
When Meryl got home, she immediately began to pack. "Vash! Something's happened in New Oregon, I think it might have something to do with Misty and Knives."
"What makes you so sure?" Vash came out of the kitchen with an armful of food.
"It's just a hunch. Go drop Lily off at Wolfwood's church and meet me at the bus stop." Meryl didn't wait for a reply before she left. Vash went into Lily's room and looked around. He saw the window was open, and he peered out. Lily was standing outside crying.
Vash crawled out of the window and walked over to her. "You can hear them, can't you?"
"She's hurting, daddy. What did Uncle Knives do to her!?" She sobbed, and covered her ears in a vein attempt to block out the sounds only Vash's kind could hear, the distressing cries of their own kind in pain and danger.
"I don't know, but we're going to find out, your mother and I. You need to stay here, out of danger. Go over to your Auntie Millie's house, the big church, and stay there." Vash picked her up and wiped her eyes. She nodded and once she was put down again, she headed over to Wolfwood's church.
Vash grabbed a few bullets, then stopped. A wave of sounds too high for any human to hear hit him. He gritted his teeth and ran for Wolfwood's church. Lily was already there when he arrived. The sound hit again and Lily began to sob harder. Millie hugged her tightly.
"What's going on, Vash? Why is she crying?" Wolfwood stood (he was crouched eye level with Lily) and rubbed his head.
"I can't explain it now, but I'm going to need you and your punisher, Wolfwood. I'm going to New Oregon, something happened to Misty." Another wave of sound hit, and Vash winced and whined.
"Fine. But I want to know everything on the ride there. I owe her anyways." Wolfwood went inside, and came out a few minutes later with his cross punisher. He followed Vash to the bus stop. Meryl saw Wolfwood was following, and figured he was worried about Misty. They all boarded the bus.
The entire trip, wave after wave of sound hit the bus, but only Vash could hear the ear shattering cries. Every time, he gritted his teeth, and squeezed tears out of his eyes. By the time they arrived in New Oregon, Vash's left ear was bloody, and his right was red. He had decided to plug his ears best he could with gobs of cotton and cloth.
They got off of the bus, and as they gazed on the ship, Meryl and Wolfwood had to look several times at what they saw. Vash knew what he was seeing. The ship had been torn apart, and now residing in it, was a very large green plant-like bulb (not the kind you use for light). It was maturing fast, and it's leaves and many vines were blocking the city's sunlight.
Wolfwood looked over to Vash as the plant began to make a low bellowing noise. "It… ..it sounds.. like it's crying… Vash! What is that thing!?"
Vash looked at the creature, and shed a tear as he heard it's cries for help. "It's.. Misty."
