Chapter Two: Vash and Dominique
Kuroneko sobbed quietly under a bench, as she remembered what she had seen. How could her kind Onii-san do such a terrible terrible thing. Was he a bad man, like Otou-san? If Onii-san was a bad man, then that meant Midvalley-san was a bad man too! Was everyone bad? It wasn't fair; they were all she had!
As she calmed down, she heard gasping, and two women chattering. As she turned, she saw the oddest sight ever. A man in a red coat of some kind, was carrying two women on his shoulders, on some type of bench thingy. She had seen many versions of transportation, cars being the neatest so far, but she have never seen this!! Maybe it was normal.
For a moment it shocked her out of her misery, and she giggled. When she realized that she got sad again. She wasn't supposed to be happy! She saw a bad thing!
The man fell over gasping, and the two women got off. The smaller one got him water from the well. As he drank it, he jumped up, laughing. "Ahh! I feel refreshed!" He stated. "Lets go find a place to eat!"
He looked familiar to her, but that was weird, because she hadn't seen many people before today.
The women watched, and he seemed to dance around. "But this place seem a little quiet, Senpai." The taller one said. "I think so too," the smaller one said. Kuroneko sniffled. She knew why.
"This is the place, we'll stay here tonight," the familiar man said, pointing at the place Legato came out of. Kuroneko almost shouted at him, but bit down on her blanket instead, also biting her tongue. Her eyes teared more at the bite.
"Konnichiwa!!" he called cheerfully, opening the doors. He opened his eyes, and surveyed the ruins, before solemnly closing the doors. The two girls questioned him, and he told them it was nothing, but the anger in his eyes betrayed the truth.
Kuroneko curled into a tighter ball, as he ran up and down the streets, calling for people. Legato's power peaked slightly, and Midvalley's sax blew viscously, heard only by her sharp feline ears from this distance.
He ran to a cracked open door, and the terrified girl tried to shut it. "Who was it that did this?! Was it Legato?! A man wearing a long white coat??"
Kuroneko fell into deep thought then, not hearing as the man got the door slammed on his finger. He knew Legato-nii-san? Who was he to know 'nii-san? In fact, with her eyes closed and thinking, she didn't heard much, until she heard a thump on the bench she was curled under, and looked up to see the man sitting atop her.
"You were wrong to enter another person's home." The small girl, "Senpai" said frustrated to the man above Kuroneko. As they lectured him, Kuroneko reached out with her thoughts, trying to touch his energy. He was close enough to do so then. When she touched it. it felt like Tou-san's!
When her mind touched his energy, he was given a small connection to Legato, and he looked up at the top of the peak. "Yarou!" he shouted, and started running toward Legato. "Vash-san! What are you doing?!"
'Vash?? Like her 'tou-san brother Vash?!' That's how he seemed familiar! The picture! She jumped out from under the bench, and started after him nearly faster than the eye could see. "WHAT?!" The small women shouted, falling back. The tall women caught her. "I think it's a kid." she muttered distracted from the runaway Vash. "But no kid could move like that."
She chased Vash up some nearly impossible leaps, and then as he went up the last few stairs, climbed the side of the cliff, finding a decent ledge so she could peek over the side. "More die people." she whispered, tearing up. Those die people looked lots worse that the die people 'nii-san made..
She watched as a lady with long black hair ran up the stairs behind Vash, and Vash stood very very still. When the lady was beside Vash she took a small knife out and did something Kuroneko couldn't see, then patch on her eye closed, and Vash started moving again. He looked at her shocked.
"Your unobservant. If I really wanted to kill you, you would be dead three times already," she said. Three buttons fell off and hit the ground. Kuroneko smothered a giggle with her blanket, still wrapped around her head but it wasn't enough as she met eyes with the lady. 'She saw me!' "Eeep." The lady smiled slightly.
"Big words for some one who just appeared out of nowhere," he said. 'What??? She was just movin around! Maybe. maybe Vash can't see her when she moves around. How come?'
"Who are you?" he asked.
"Gun-Ho-Guns," she said.
"Legato's companions?" he asked.
"You can think of us that way," She said, turning around. "Gun-Ho- Guns number two; Dominique the Cyclops."
"Did you do this?" he asked.
"That's right," she gloated, "Piling them up like trash. I was only punishing those heartless criminals. You can call it clearing out the vermin. There, are you content now?"
Vash sighed. "Regardless of whether they were good or bad." he started, then turned and glared at her. "It's not up to you to decide whether they live or die! You're too arrogant! If I was really serious, in the time we were speaking, You would have been five times." Vash got a really silly smile on his face. "Groped by me!"
All the buttons on Dominique's shirt popped off, and her shirt came open in the front.
"So, are you ready now?" Vash inquired.
"You were the one who was about to fall asleep," she snapped at him. "Once I issue a challenge I won't back down!"
"Give up. I don't want to hurt you," he told her. He hand hovered above his gun.
"Now who's arrogant!" she laughed. "Maybe you just can't hurt anyone. I know that's it better to be dead than live that way. I'll end you misery today." Her eye patch opened and she ran quickly past him, over to the ledge where Kuroneko was. She looked down at Kuroneko.
"So that's what it was; a kid," Dominique said, laughing to herself.
Kuroneko looked up at her. "Konnichiwa!" she said cheerfully. Dominique jumped back.
"You can move?!?!" Dominique exclaimed. Kuroneko looked mournful, and underneath the blanket her ears went flat.
"Was I not s'posed to be able to move? I dun understand.." her eyes teared up.
"You really aren't supposed to be able to move, but it isn't your fault if you can," Dominique said. "I'm actually interested why. You startled me."
"What's that on you head?" Kuroneko asked, changing the subject entirely like children sometimes do.
"It's my hat; haven't you seen a hat before?"
"Iie, 'tou-san and 'nii-san didn't have hats, and this is the first time I've ever been in a city before," Kuroneko replied. "Can I have it? I really need one."
"Why do you think you really need my hat?" Dominique questioned.
Kuroneko took her blankie off her head and her ear twitched back and forth. She let her tail come down. Dominique gasped, and her eyes widened.
At that, Kuroneko quickly covered her ears back up and crouched down sniffling. "Why does everyone do that! That's why I need a hat thingy! Everyone hates my ears!" And as the day's trauma caught up with her, she started crying.
"Everyonehatesme*sob*and'niisanabadman*sob*andyouaregoing*sob*tohurttheonlyp erson*sob*Ihaveleftand*sob*since'niisansabadman*sob*andyouareafriendof*sob*' niisanthatmeans*sob*youarebadtoo*sob*andeveroneisdie*sobsob*die*sooob*die!"
Dominique sighed. "I never thought I'd be doing this in my life- time." She picked up Kuroneko, and sat down, rocking her, and making soothing noises. "Slow down okay, tell me what you need to, but slow down."
"Everybody hates me.." she started.
"I don't."
"But my ears."
"I was merely startled. I've seen stranger things- trust me on that."
"I found out 'nii-san is a bad man.."
"What did he do?"
"He die some people."
"What?"
"He made some people die."
"You mean he killed some people?"
"Is killed and die the same thing?"
"Yes."
"He killed some people in the city today."
"...."
"It was really bloody. And my friend killed some people too."
"What's your friend name?"
"Midvalley-san.."
"...!"
"And he used his pretty saxxie-foam to do it!"
".what's your brothers name?"
"Legato-nii-san."
"Ack. Go figure; I'm comforting my masters little sister."
"Well, he's not really my 'nii-san. He's just taken care of me all my life cuz 'tou-san hates me."
"What's your Otou-san's name?"
"Knives.."
"Erg.. great. I'm taking care of the bosses-bosses daughter.." *nervous laughter*
"And since Legato-nii-san is a bad person, you must be one too."
"No. at least I don't think so. Just a puppet.."
"Puppet?"
"Controlled."
"Can't you go away.?"
"No, I have some very important things on the line.."
"And everyone is killed and will die more and it's scary! I didn't even know what die was this morning!"
"I'm sorry. I'm still going to have to kill Vash though."
"Oh. is it cuz you are cun-trolt?"
"Yes.. he seems nice enough, I wouldn't kill him if I didn't have to."
"Otou-san no baka couldn't control me!" Kuroneko declared, puffing up. "I ran away!"
Dominique put Kuroneko back down on the ledge. "You are very lucky. I'm not so lucky."
"What's luck?"
"Luck is when good things happen to you, instead of bad."
"I'm not sooo lucky, then. Maybe some," she admitted.
"Maybe some." Dominique agreed. "I have to go fight now- my eye is starting to hurt."
"Can I have your hat?" Kuroneko asked looking at her with puppy dog eyes.
"Maybe. Stay here." 'So my demons eye doesn't work on non-humans.'
Dominique ran up behind Vash, drew her gun, and started shooting. Vash rolled, drew his gun, and pointed, only to find the barrel of her gun at his head. Kuroneko of course, watched her run about.
"Checkmate.." she said, before firing. Vash scooted away, ending upside down.
"How cute," she said, smiling. Vash had a grimace on his face. "What the heck are you?! No human could have done this!!"
"You are a really surprising young man," she said, avoiding the question. She had a bit of a sad glint in the one eye showing. "I like people like you."
"Stop stealing my lines!" Vash shouted. "You move like a ghost!"
"I admire you for avoiding my attack twice, but how long can you run?" She inquired, not really expecting a response. "You can fire your gun any time you get the chance."
Vash stood up and glared, focusing on Dominique.
'I wish I could tell what he is thinking!' Kuroneko pouted.
"You're very confident, but that is of no use. No matter how fast you are, you can't defeat." She opened her other eye, and ran up to him, putting her gun under his chin, then closed her eye. "..Me!" She shot.
He jumped back, but the tip of his chin was bleeding.
"You're an amazing young man, to make me miss you three time." She said.
"This is a miss?!!" he cried, clutching his bleeding chin. As she talked he thought about what he had seen. Standing up, he closed his eyes, and concentrated his hands into tight fists.
"Is he..no it can't be! It can't be." Her eye opened and she ran at him. He lifted his arm, and a gun came out. "ACK!" Kuroneko shouted into her blanket, falling backwards. She held onto the edge on the cliff, dangling perilously.
He shot. Kuroneko was hanging from the edge of the cliff, and didn't see, but she heard the thump of a body. "Oh no!" she whispered. 'I dun want Dom- san to die!'
"How? How did you do it?" she heard Dominique say. 'phew'
Vash explained himself, and Kuroneko started to slip. She focused on trying to pull herself up. Two people ran up the stair beside her, and she heard a slap. "HOW DARE YOU TREAT A GIRL LIKE THAT?! YOU PERVERT!!"
"How can you do that at a time like this?!" he cried. Another one of Kuroneko's fingers slipped.
"Are you alright?" the other girl asked.
"And you! Not you too!" Vash cried. Everyone stopped, and Dominique ran away, snatching her hat up, as she got to the stairs, and was walking down them, she heard a muffled ".help", and turned, seeing Kuroneko about to fall.
"Oh child," she sighed. She walked to the ledge, and pulled Kuroneko up. "Be more careful. Whatever caused you to fall off?"
"The gun in Vash-san's hand was scary.. kowaii!" Kuroneko exclaimed. "Do people normally have guns in their hands??"
"No, not that I know of. And yes, that was pretty scary. Here, have my hat," she said, putting her hat on Kuroneko's head. It fell down over her eyes, and Kuroneko reached up and straightened it. "What is your name child?"
"My name is Kuroneko. Will I see you again?"
"Maybe Kuro-chan."
"Will you be my friend?"
"Hai."
"Good. I don't have any friends left."
"Sayanora."
"Bai bai!"
Dominique got up, and ran down the stairs.
Vash saw out of the side of his eyes, Dominique lean down, pulls something up, whisper, and leave her hat behind. All he saw of what she pulled up was two small hands, and the arms attached to them. 'Hmm..' he thought, as he fell over. "Vash-san?" the short girl said.
"Eh? She's gone! Where'd she go?" the taller girl said looking around.
"I thought I was going to die!" Vash cried. He looked over at the edge where Dominique stopped, and saw nothing. Kuroneko had moved, sensing Legato's energy, and tried to get closer, but the trail she was on stopped, so she sat and stared into the darkness. A sax started playing.
Kuroneko saw Legato's white coat in the darkness. "Nii-san!" she shouted. For all that he had done, she still loved him. He was her older brother. He looked, seemingly towards her and smiled a small evil smile. (In truth, he was staring at Vash.) A dust cloud rose up, and when it had disappeared, Legato, and any sense of his energy was gone.
"It's time for us to part," Vash told his two friends. "Our journey together ends here."
"Why?" the smaller one cried.
"The road ahead is very dangerous."
"You can't do this! We were traveling with you because."
"Which is more important, your job or your life?!" He stated grimly. "I won't tell you the reason. If I do, I involve you too!"
"It been fun traveling with you!" He said, smiling, his mood changed entirely. "But it ends here."
"Don't follow me!!"
As Vash disappeared from sight, the two women heard a heart-wrenching wail of a small child who has lost everything. It mirrored what they were feeling inside.
Kuroneko got up, feeling heavy in heart. She grabbed her backpack, put her blanket in it, and put on her backpack. She took the hat off, and hugged it. "I have a friend." She said remember. That helped her enough, to go back down into the city, to find Vash. She jumped from ledge to ledge, and when she got to the city, she followed his trail. There were barely any boot marks, and she wouldn't admit that what she traced was she smell of anger. She didn't understand herself even.
It took her a mile to catch up with him. She wouldn't stay behind him and follow him like she did Legato. It wasn't like he was going to make her go. As she walked up to him slowly, he got tense, sensing her presence.
"I told you not to follow.me." He had turned around, and saw who was there. "Now who's this?" he asked, crouching down. "A new form of miniature bounty hunters?"
"Bounty hunters? Whats a bounty hunters?" She asked, looking up at him with bright turquoise eyes.
"Oh, never mind. Don't you need to go home? It's late!" Vash said.
"I think I am home," Kuroneko said quietly, looking at her feet, her hands grasped in front of her.
"Huh? Where?" Vash stood up and looked around. She pulled on his jacket, and he got down on his knees. "Where??" he asked quietly.
She took her finger, and poked him in the chest. "You."
"Me!?" Vash exclaimed. "How can I be a home?"
"Are you Vash?" she asked.
"Yes, but how does that make me home!?"
"You're the only family I have left!" she cried.
"...." Vash looked into her face. She was covered in dust, and there were streaks on her face were she had cried. "How exactly am I family?"
" You my Otou-san's brother," she replied.
"HUH? No way! I only have one brother and there is no was in hel- err.. no way he could have a kid.. could he?" Vash said. "What's you Otou- san's name?"
"Um. Knives," she answered.
Vash sat down suddenly. "You said I'm the only family you have left. does that make Knives.?"
"'tou-san is fine, he's just a bad man. He hates me. I'm a tool. I'm too human. I would have stayed with 'nii-san, but he's bad too!"
"Knives.." Vash growled under his breath. "Whose your 'nii-san?"
"Well, he isn't really my 'nii-san, he's just raised me, because Knives hates me. Legato-nii-san was really really nice, but when I followed him.. he killed people. That makes him a bad man. Doesn't that make him a bad man?"
Vash sighed. "I'm sorry to say, yes,. Legato is a very bad man. Don't you have anywhere else to go."
"No! You can't make me! I'd follow you to the end of the world!" Kuroneko looked really stubborn.
Vash sighed again. "I guess you'll have to come then."
"I mean it! You can't. I can come?" Her eyes widened happily. "YAY!" She jumped on him, and hugged him.
"What's your name kid," he said, picking her up. He grabbed his stuff.
"My name Kuroneko!"
"Black cat. Cute," he said. "He~y! Isn't this Dominique's hat?" He grabbed it, and looked at it.
"Uh huh. She's my new friend~!" Kuroneko said.
"So you're the one who nearly fell off the cliff!" he turned to look at Kuroneko. "Ack! So that's why they named your Kuroneko! Cat ears! Now that I look, you have cat eyes too! Now all you'd need is a .tail." Her tail had fallen down.
"What's a cat?" Kuroneko said, pulled the hat back over her ears embarrassed.
"I'll show you in the next town," Vash said. "I hope we get there soon. I'm hungry!"
"Me too," Kuroneko admitted. "Wanna share my sandwich?"
They had walked several miles, with pauses of silence between each piece of conversation. They neared an outcropping of rocks, and he sat down.
"Sure, if you don't mind sharing," he said.
"I don't, I can't eat much," she replied. She took her slightly squished and a bit sandy sandwich out of her bag, and handed it to Vash. He split it in have, and ate his quickly, waiting for her to finish hers. She ate half of her half, before handing the rest to Vash. "I'm full."
"Vash-san?" Kuroneko asked, looking up at him.
"Mhhph?" He said, a mouth full of sandwich.
"Will you take care of me? No one else wants to." she said.
"I promise to take care of you! I kind of like you." he said, finished with that bite.
"Arigato Vash-san.." she whispered. She yawned, and lay down.
She curled up on the still sun-warmed rock, curled up around her book back, blanket over her, and fell asleep, as Vash finished the rest of the sandwich.
"I'm done," he said, turning to Kuroneko. When he saw she was asleep, he smiled. He picked her up, blanket, book bag, and all. "At least she isn't heavy," he whispered to himself.
'Damn it! Not only have Knives and Legato's victims been killed, this one has been hurt so badly. I bet she never really has been loved before.. I will get you Legato!."
End Chapter Two
Kuroneko sobbed quietly under a bench, as she remembered what she had seen. How could her kind Onii-san do such a terrible terrible thing. Was he a bad man, like Otou-san? If Onii-san was a bad man, then that meant Midvalley-san was a bad man too! Was everyone bad? It wasn't fair; they were all she had!
As she calmed down, she heard gasping, and two women chattering. As she turned, she saw the oddest sight ever. A man in a red coat of some kind, was carrying two women on his shoulders, on some type of bench thingy. She had seen many versions of transportation, cars being the neatest so far, but she have never seen this!! Maybe it was normal.
For a moment it shocked her out of her misery, and she giggled. When she realized that she got sad again. She wasn't supposed to be happy! She saw a bad thing!
The man fell over gasping, and the two women got off. The smaller one got him water from the well. As he drank it, he jumped up, laughing. "Ahh! I feel refreshed!" He stated. "Lets go find a place to eat!"
He looked familiar to her, but that was weird, because she hadn't seen many people before today.
The women watched, and he seemed to dance around. "But this place seem a little quiet, Senpai." The taller one said. "I think so too," the smaller one said. Kuroneko sniffled. She knew why.
"This is the place, we'll stay here tonight," the familiar man said, pointing at the place Legato came out of. Kuroneko almost shouted at him, but bit down on her blanket instead, also biting her tongue. Her eyes teared more at the bite.
"Konnichiwa!!" he called cheerfully, opening the doors. He opened his eyes, and surveyed the ruins, before solemnly closing the doors. The two girls questioned him, and he told them it was nothing, but the anger in his eyes betrayed the truth.
Kuroneko curled into a tighter ball, as he ran up and down the streets, calling for people. Legato's power peaked slightly, and Midvalley's sax blew viscously, heard only by her sharp feline ears from this distance.
He ran to a cracked open door, and the terrified girl tried to shut it. "Who was it that did this?! Was it Legato?! A man wearing a long white coat??"
Kuroneko fell into deep thought then, not hearing as the man got the door slammed on his finger. He knew Legato-nii-san? Who was he to know 'nii-san? In fact, with her eyes closed and thinking, she didn't heard much, until she heard a thump on the bench she was curled under, and looked up to see the man sitting atop her.
"You were wrong to enter another person's home." The small girl, "Senpai" said frustrated to the man above Kuroneko. As they lectured him, Kuroneko reached out with her thoughts, trying to touch his energy. He was close enough to do so then. When she touched it. it felt like Tou-san's!
When her mind touched his energy, he was given a small connection to Legato, and he looked up at the top of the peak. "Yarou!" he shouted, and started running toward Legato. "Vash-san! What are you doing?!"
'Vash?? Like her 'tou-san brother Vash?!' That's how he seemed familiar! The picture! She jumped out from under the bench, and started after him nearly faster than the eye could see. "WHAT?!" The small women shouted, falling back. The tall women caught her. "I think it's a kid." she muttered distracted from the runaway Vash. "But no kid could move like that."
She chased Vash up some nearly impossible leaps, and then as he went up the last few stairs, climbed the side of the cliff, finding a decent ledge so she could peek over the side. "More die people." she whispered, tearing up. Those die people looked lots worse that the die people 'nii-san made..
She watched as a lady with long black hair ran up the stairs behind Vash, and Vash stood very very still. When the lady was beside Vash she took a small knife out and did something Kuroneko couldn't see, then patch on her eye closed, and Vash started moving again. He looked at her shocked.
"Your unobservant. If I really wanted to kill you, you would be dead three times already," she said. Three buttons fell off and hit the ground. Kuroneko smothered a giggle with her blanket, still wrapped around her head but it wasn't enough as she met eyes with the lady. 'She saw me!' "Eeep." The lady smiled slightly.
"Big words for some one who just appeared out of nowhere," he said. 'What??? She was just movin around! Maybe. maybe Vash can't see her when she moves around. How come?'
"Who are you?" he asked.
"Gun-Ho-Guns," she said.
"Legato's companions?" he asked.
"You can think of us that way," She said, turning around. "Gun-Ho- Guns number two; Dominique the Cyclops."
"Did you do this?" he asked.
"That's right," she gloated, "Piling them up like trash. I was only punishing those heartless criminals. You can call it clearing out the vermin. There, are you content now?"
Vash sighed. "Regardless of whether they were good or bad." he started, then turned and glared at her. "It's not up to you to decide whether they live or die! You're too arrogant! If I was really serious, in the time we were speaking, You would have been five times." Vash got a really silly smile on his face. "Groped by me!"
All the buttons on Dominique's shirt popped off, and her shirt came open in the front.
"So, are you ready now?" Vash inquired.
"You were the one who was about to fall asleep," she snapped at him. "Once I issue a challenge I won't back down!"
"Give up. I don't want to hurt you," he told her. He hand hovered above his gun.
"Now who's arrogant!" she laughed. "Maybe you just can't hurt anyone. I know that's it better to be dead than live that way. I'll end you misery today." Her eye patch opened and she ran quickly past him, over to the ledge where Kuroneko was. She looked down at Kuroneko.
"So that's what it was; a kid," Dominique said, laughing to herself.
Kuroneko looked up at her. "Konnichiwa!" she said cheerfully. Dominique jumped back.
"You can move?!?!" Dominique exclaimed. Kuroneko looked mournful, and underneath the blanket her ears went flat.
"Was I not s'posed to be able to move? I dun understand.." her eyes teared up.
"You really aren't supposed to be able to move, but it isn't your fault if you can," Dominique said. "I'm actually interested why. You startled me."
"What's that on you head?" Kuroneko asked, changing the subject entirely like children sometimes do.
"It's my hat; haven't you seen a hat before?"
"Iie, 'tou-san and 'nii-san didn't have hats, and this is the first time I've ever been in a city before," Kuroneko replied. "Can I have it? I really need one."
"Why do you think you really need my hat?" Dominique questioned.
Kuroneko took her blankie off her head and her ear twitched back and forth. She let her tail come down. Dominique gasped, and her eyes widened.
At that, Kuroneko quickly covered her ears back up and crouched down sniffling. "Why does everyone do that! That's why I need a hat thingy! Everyone hates my ears!" And as the day's trauma caught up with her, she started crying.
"Everyonehatesme*sob*and'niisanabadman*sob*andyouaregoing*sob*tohurttheonlyp erson*sob*Ihaveleftand*sob*since'niisansabadman*sob*andyouareafriendof*sob*' niisanthatmeans*sob*youarebadtoo*sob*andeveroneisdie*sobsob*die*sooob*die!"
Dominique sighed. "I never thought I'd be doing this in my life- time." She picked up Kuroneko, and sat down, rocking her, and making soothing noises. "Slow down okay, tell me what you need to, but slow down."
"Everybody hates me.." she started.
"I don't."
"But my ears."
"I was merely startled. I've seen stranger things- trust me on that."
"I found out 'nii-san is a bad man.."
"What did he do?"
"He die some people."
"What?"
"He made some people die."
"You mean he killed some people?"
"Is killed and die the same thing?"
"Yes."
"He killed some people in the city today."
"...."
"It was really bloody. And my friend killed some people too."
"What's your friend name?"
"Midvalley-san.."
"...!"
"And he used his pretty saxxie-foam to do it!"
".what's your brothers name?"
"Legato-nii-san."
"Ack. Go figure; I'm comforting my masters little sister."
"Well, he's not really my 'nii-san. He's just taken care of me all my life cuz 'tou-san hates me."
"What's your Otou-san's name?"
"Knives.."
"Erg.. great. I'm taking care of the bosses-bosses daughter.." *nervous laughter*
"And since Legato-nii-san is a bad person, you must be one too."
"No. at least I don't think so. Just a puppet.."
"Puppet?"
"Controlled."
"Can't you go away.?"
"No, I have some very important things on the line.."
"And everyone is killed and will die more and it's scary! I didn't even know what die was this morning!"
"I'm sorry. I'm still going to have to kill Vash though."
"Oh. is it cuz you are cun-trolt?"
"Yes.. he seems nice enough, I wouldn't kill him if I didn't have to."
"Otou-san no baka couldn't control me!" Kuroneko declared, puffing up. "I ran away!"
Dominique put Kuroneko back down on the ledge. "You are very lucky. I'm not so lucky."
"What's luck?"
"Luck is when good things happen to you, instead of bad."
"I'm not sooo lucky, then. Maybe some," she admitted.
"Maybe some." Dominique agreed. "I have to go fight now- my eye is starting to hurt."
"Can I have your hat?" Kuroneko asked looking at her with puppy dog eyes.
"Maybe. Stay here." 'So my demons eye doesn't work on non-humans.'
Dominique ran up behind Vash, drew her gun, and started shooting. Vash rolled, drew his gun, and pointed, only to find the barrel of her gun at his head. Kuroneko of course, watched her run about.
"Checkmate.." she said, before firing. Vash scooted away, ending upside down.
"How cute," she said, smiling. Vash had a grimace on his face. "What the heck are you?! No human could have done this!!"
"You are a really surprising young man," she said, avoiding the question. She had a bit of a sad glint in the one eye showing. "I like people like you."
"Stop stealing my lines!" Vash shouted. "You move like a ghost!"
"I admire you for avoiding my attack twice, but how long can you run?" She inquired, not really expecting a response. "You can fire your gun any time you get the chance."
Vash stood up and glared, focusing on Dominique.
'I wish I could tell what he is thinking!' Kuroneko pouted.
"You're very confident, but that is of no use. No matter how fast you are, you can't defeat." She opened her other eye, and ran up to him, putting her gun under his chin, then closed her eye. "..Me!" She shot.
He jumped back, but the tip of his chin was bleeding.
"You're an amazing young man, to make me miss you three time." She said.
"This is a miss?!!" he cried, clutching his bleeding chin. As she talked he thought about what he had seen. Standing up, he closed his eyes, and concentrated his hands into tight fists.
"Is he..no it can't be! It can't be." Her eye opened and she ran at him. He lifted his arm, and a gun came out. "ACK!" Kuroneko shouted into her blanket, falling backwards. She held onto the edge on the cliff, dangling perilously.
He shot. Kuroneko was hanging from the edge of the cliff, and didn't see, but she heard the thump of a body. "Oh no!" she whispered. 'I dun want Dom- san to die!'
"How? How did you do it?" she heard Dominique say. 'phew'
Vash explained himself, and Kuroneko started to slip. She focused on trying to pull herself up. Two people ran up the stair beside her, and she heard a slap. "HOW DARE YOU TREAT A GIRL LIKE THAT?! YOU PERVERT!!"
"How can you do that at a time like this?!" he cried. Another one of Kuroneko's fingers slipped.
"Are you alright?" the other girl asked.
"And you! Not you too!" Vash cried. Everyone stopped, and Dominique ran away, snatching her hat up, as she got to the stairs, and was walking down them, she heard a muffled ".help", and turned, seeing Kuroneko about to fall.
"Oh child," she sighed. She walked to the ledge, and pulled Kuroneko up. "Be more careful. Whatever caused you to fall off?"
"The gun in Vash-san's hand was scary.. kowaii!" Kuroneko exclaimed. "Do people normally have guns in their hands??"
"No, not that I know of. And yes, that was pretty scary. Here, have my hat," she said, putting her hat on Kuroneko's head. It fell down over her eyes, and Kuroneko reached up and straightened it. "What is your name child?"
"My name is Kuroneko. Will I see you again?"
"Maybe Kuro-chan."
"Will you be my friend?"
"Hai."
"Good. I don't have any friends left."
"Sayanora."
"Bai bai!"
Dominique got up, and ran down the stairs.
Vash saw out of the side of his eyes, Dominique lean down, pulls something up, whisper, and leave her hat behind. All he saw of what she pulled up was two small hands, and the arms attached to them. 'Hmm..' he thought, as he fell over. "Vash-san?" the short girl said.
"Eh? She's gone! Where'd she go?" the taller girl said looking around.
"I thought I was going to die!" Vash cried. He looked over at the edge where Dominique stopped, and saw nothing. Kuroneko had moved, sensing Legato's energy, and tried to get closer, but the trail she was on stopped, so she sat and stared into the darkness. A sax started playing.
Kuroneko saw Legato's white coat in the darkness. "Nii-san!" she shouted. For all that he had done, she still loved him. He was her older brother. He looked, seemingly towards her and smiled a small evil smile. (In truth, he was staring at Vash.) A dust cloud rose up, and when it had disappeared, Legato, and any sense of his energy was gone.
"It's time for us to part," Vash told his two friends. "Our journey together ends here."
"Why?" the smaller one cried.
"The road ahead is very dangerous."
"You can't do this! We were traveling with you because."
"Which is more important, your job or your life?!" He stated grimly. "I won't tell you the reason. If I do, I involve you too!"
"It been fun traveling with you!" He said, smiling, his mood changed entirely. "But it ends here."
"Don't follow me!!"
As Vash disappeared from sight, the two women heard a heart-wrenching wail of a small child who has lost everything. It mirrored what they were feeling inside.
Kuroneko got up, feeling heavy in heart. She grabbed her backpack, put her blanket in it, and put on her backpack. She took the hat off, and hugged it. "I have a friend." She said remember. That helped her enough, to go back down into the city, to find Vash. She jumped from ledge to ledge, and when she got to the city, she followed his trail. There were barely any boot marks, and she wouldn't admit that what she traced was she smell of anger. She didn't understand herself even.
It took her a mile to catch up with him. She wouldn't stay behind him and follow him like she did Legato. It wasn't like he was going to make her go. As she walked up to him slowly, he got tense, sensing her presence.
"I told you not to follow.me." He had turned around, and saw who was there. "Now who's this?" he asked, crouching down. "A new form of miniature bounty hunters?"
"Bounty hunters? Whats a bounty hunters?" She asked, looking up at him with bright turquoise eyes.
"Oh, never mind. Don't you need to go home? It's late!" Vash said.
"I think I am home," Kuroneko said quietly, looking at her feet, her hands grasped in front of her.
"Huh? Where?" Vash stood up and looked around. She pulled on his jacket, and he got down on his knees. "Where??" he asked quietly.
She took her finger, and poked him in the chest. "You."
"Me!?" Vash exclaimed. "How can I be a home?"
"Are you Vash?" she asked.
"Yes, but how does that make me home!?"
"You're the only family I have left!" she cried.
"...." Vash looked into her face. She was covered in dust, and there were streaks on her face were she had cried. "How exactly am I family?"
" You my Otou-san's brother," she replied.
"HUH? No way! I only have one brother and there is no was in hel- err.. no way he could have a kid.. could he?" Vash said. "What's you Otou- san's name?"
"Um. Knives," she answered.
Vash sat down suddenly. "You said I'm the only family you have left. does that make Knives.?"
"'tou-san is fine, he's just a bad man. He hates me. I'm a tool. I'm too human. I would have stayed with 'nii-san, but he's bad too!"
"Knives.." Vash growled under his breath. "Whose your 'nii-san?"
"Well, he isn't really my 'nii-san, he's just raised me, because Knives hates me. Legato-nii-san was really really nice, but when I followed him.. he killed people. That makes him a bad man. Doesn't that make him a bad man?"
Vash sighed. "I'm sorry to say, yes,. Legato is a very bad man. Don't you have anywhere else to go."
"No! You can't make me! I'd follow you to the end of the world!" Kuroneko looked really stubborn.
Vash sighed again. "I guess you'll have to come then."
"I mean it! You can't. I can come?" Her eyes widened happily. "YAY!" She jumped on him, and hugged him.
"What's your name kid," he said, picking her up. He grabbed his stuff.
"My name Kuroneko!"
"Black cat. Cute," he said. "He~y! Isn't this Dominique's hat?" He grabbed it, and looked at it.
"Uh huh. She's my new friend~!" Kuroneko said.
"So you're the one who nearly fell off the cliff!" he turned to look at Kuroneko. "Ack! So that's why they named your Kuroneko! Cat ears! Now that I look, you have cat eyes too! Now all you'd need is a .tail." Her tail had fallen down.
"What's a cat?" Kuroneko said, pulled the hat back over her ears embarrassed.
"I'll show you in the next town," Vash said. "I hope we get there soon. I'm hungry!"
"Me too," Kuroneko admitted. "Wanna share my sandwich?"
They had walked several miles, with pauses of silence between each piece of conversation. They neared an outcropping of rocks, and he sat down.
"Sure, if you don't mind sharing," he said.
"I don't, I can't eat much," she replied. She took her slightly squished and a bit sandy sandwich out of her bag, and handed it to Vash. He split it in have, and ate his quickly, waiting for her to finish hers. She ate half of her half, before handing the rest to Vash. "I'm full."
"Vash-san?" Kuroneko asked, looking up at him.
"Mhhph?" He said, a mouth full of sandwich.
"Will you take care of me? No one else wants to." she said.
"I promise to take care of you! I kind of like you." he said, finished with that bite.
"Arigato Vash-san.." she whispered. She yawned, and lay down.
She curled up on the still sun-warmed rock, curled up around her book back, blanket over her, and fell asleep, as Vash finished the rest of the sandwich.
"I'm done," he said, turning to Kuroneko. When he saw she was asleep, he smiled. He picked her up, blanket, book bag, and all. "At least she isn't heavy," he whispered to himself.
'Damn it! Not only have Knives and Legato's victims been killed, this one has been hurt so badly. I bet she never really has been loved before.. I will get you Legato!."
End Chapter Two