Chapter Three: Fifth Moon
Vash yawned. He had been walking throughout the night, and hadn't even found a city! He reached up with one hand, and brushed his drooping bangs out of his face.
"Huh? It's not sunrise yet!" Vash exclaimed, as it suddenly got brighter. He turned to see two bright white lights coming at him.
"Oi!" a man called from the car. "Do you and your little daughter need a right to the next halfway point?" The man pulled up to Vash, and then stopped. He looked in his forties, slightly balding, and wind burnt from driving through the desert with the top of his truck down.
"I'd appreciate it greatly," Vash said. "Although she's not my daughter."
"If she isn't your daughter," the man started suspiciously. "...then who is she? She looks an awful lot like you."
"She's my little orphaned niece," Vash replied. "She's as sweet as can be though. I would give anything if she were my daughter. I could have treated her kindly." Vash put Kuroneko in the back, on top of some bedding, in between several secured water barrels, then climbed in after her.
The man started the car, and started driving slowly. "You could always adopt."
Vash looked startled. "Well, yeah, I suppose I could," he said. "But I have business I have to finish first, before I could even consider it."
"Well, we all have business we need to finish," the man said. "My names Rodgers. What is yours?"
"Vash," Vash warily.
"Like Vash the Stampede? Oh boy, to name a kid after the Humanoid Typhoon. You must have been some kid!"
"Yup," Vash said, playing along. "I was a colicky baby. Kaa-san said my squalling was so loud, she was sure it would bring down the neighborhood!"
Rodgers just laughed.
"Of course," Vash started, full of fake seriousness. "Now I have bounty hunters after me all the time. Started when I was ten. Bounty hunters came for an outlaw and found a kid! Didn't know what to think! Now that I'm older, I've had to learn how to shoot, or I would have been dead a long time ago."
"Woah," Rodgers whistled. "Some childhood you had. Makes for some big business to solve."
"Yeah," Vash said. "I suppose I could change my name the same time I adopt her, but I'm too used to being called Vash. Might as well find the real Vash and finish it for good. Then I'd have some money to take care of her with, and donate the rest to an orphanage or something." 'I should remember this story! It might be useful in the future!' Vash laughed silently to himself.
"Well here's the half-way point," Rodgers commented finally. "I'm making a water delivery there. The front in just a saloon, but there is a small inn in the back. I'm staying there until sunrise, and I could probably convince the manager to let you stay there."
"That would be great," Vash thanked him. "I'm dead on my feet!" Rodgers parked, and Vash picked up Kuroneko, the blanket, hat and book bag.
Rodgers came around to unload. "Are those ears real?!" he exclaimed.
"Yes," Vash answered with a sigh. "Her father did that to her. I'm not even sure how, all I know is that there she wasn't treated like a child, just an experiment."
"Poor child." Rodgers said. "I wish you the best at solving your problems, and adopting her."
"Thank you," Vash said, as he followed Rodgers in to the back door.
Vash had gotten a room, with one large bed. Nothing else was available. It was a bland room, with a bowl of water to clean in, a simple mirror, cracked the side, and simple blankets to curl up in. He set Kuroneko down on the bed with her blanket.
He went to put her book bag to the side, when he realized how tattered it was.
"Hm.maybe I can put her stuff in one of the pockets on my bag. Doesn't feel like there is much in here."
He pulled out a pair of children's panties, and a light blue shirt. "Heeeey, I recognize these! Hers is so brown with dust, I couldn't tell, but these are the clothes Knives and I wore, when we were young!" He folded it up, with a small smile on his face, and stuck it into a pocket in his bag. Next he pulled out a small book of some kind.
He opened it, and the first page he saw, was Legato and Kuroneko. Both had smiles on there faces, and she was on his shoulders. He was wearing a plain white shirt, and his normal pants. 'Legato! Is this the mask you wore with her?' His hand clenched, and the page tore a little, but he stopped when he realized what he was doing.
The next page had a man he had never seen before, in a pond, holding Kuroneko up in the water. Legato was in the background, looking decidedly wet and grumpy. He turned to the next page. It was a picture of him, smiling, but with a bit sad eyes. Even after everything that had happened, there was a moment when Knives and Vash hadn't been fighting, when Knives went into a town and got him some donuts without killing anyone. It was their birthday, and Vash had given Knives this wonderful quartz crystal. He turned to the very last page.
'Rem!' It was Rem, with her soft smile, and joyful eyes. He even remembered when that picture was taken. After the celebrations, when everyone was calming down, Joey went around with a camera taking pictures of everyone. He gave this picture to Vash, and Vash wrote "Rem" at the bottom of it. But it was the word after it that really too his breath away. "Mom."
Was Kuroneko so alone, that she had a made-up mom? Or was Rem really alive, and being held captive? It was such a ridiculous idea, but it stuck, and he woke Kuroneko up to ask her.
"Ehhh?" Kuroneko said sleepily. "Wassit?"
"Is this your Mom?" Vash asked, a nervous edge on his voice.
Kuroneko blinked a couple times and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.
"I dun know. I hope so. She looked like a nice Mom," Kuroneko said. "Just like you looked like a nice Dad." Kuroneko yawned, and her eyes closed drowsily.
Vash sat there stunned, with a small smile on his face. 'She was a nice Mom. I wish you had known her Kuro-chan.' Getting Kuroneko's clean clothes out, he put it on her as she slept. He stuck the photo album in the safest pocket in his bag. Taking a look at her tattered book bag, he realized that they were his old shorts, and for memories sake, stuck the in his bag; He could fix them later. Finally, he got his night clothing out, and changed into them.
Climbing into the bed, he curled protectively around Kuroneko, before falling asleep.
They had woken up late, and had a breakfast of donuts, and while Kuroneko was cleaning up, he had been practicing lines for taking down Legato. Now it was lunch, and they had ordered sandwiches, and he was still working on his lines.
He stood at the door waiting for the next person to practice his lines on. The door opened, and he leveled his gun at a three foot man. "AAAAAAHHH!" the man screamed.
"Legato! From now on I'm coming after you!!" Vash growled. "I'll find you no matter what it takes!" He lowered his gun and turned away.
"Ah! What cool lines! I've only seen him once, and I have no idea how to find him!" he complained, walking over to the bar counter were Kuroneko was eating a half a sandwich, washed well and her new hat on. "Do you have any ideas Kuro-chan?"
"Iie," she said. "I dun ever know were he goes!"
"Because I've been thinking about this so much, I've been getting more and more scared about the whole idea!" Vash cried, sitting down on the barstool next to her. "ITS ALL BECAUSE OF LEGATO! Chasing after that man with those mocking eyes, and then fighting with him! Is that a good idea?!!" He jumped up while he was screeching, clutching his head.
Kuroneko looked up at Vash surprised, and shrugged, eating the last of her sandwich.
"Ah! Of course it isn't a great idea!" He cried again. "Is way too dangerous!"
"So is being you," Kuroneko commented.
"Well, you got a bit of a point, but still!" Vash whined. "Well, I still have a good feeling about it. I believe my way of thinking is correct."
"Who are you? Who are you?" the short man called, as he jumped up and down between Kuroneko and Vash.
"Ah, but a man should enjoy his life! More tuna sandwiches!" Vash called. He looked down at Kuroneko, who had finished her sandwich, and was out of water. "And a soda water for the little miss!"
A scary looking gray man walked up beside Kuroneko, to Vash.
"eep," Kuroneko said, causing Vash to turn and look.
"Eh?" Vash said. He jumped over his sandwich, protecting it.
"Augusta," the gray man said in a hoarse voice. "I'm waiting for you. in Augusta.You'd better accept my challenge, or you'll end up like this." He lifted the gun to his head.
"YAMANO! STOP!" Vash shouted. The gray man fired his gun, and he fell over, dead.
"Weh weah WAAAAAHHH!!" Kuroneko started bawling.
"Who? Who did this?!" Vash cried, leaning over the body. "There is no blood!"
"What? Did you know this man? Is he a friend of yours?!" the short man asked.
Vash swept up Kuroneko in his arms and ran out to the door way.
"There is only one person capable of doing something like this," Vash growled. "Legato!"
"Who? A companion of yours?" the short man asked, jumping up and down.
"Legato is a BAD MAN!" Kuroneko yelled, before residing to sobs in Vash's chest. Vash glared at the horizon, as if expecting to see Legato there.
"What? What are you talking about?" the short man said, jumping in front of Vash.
"WHO THE HECK ARE YOU?!" Vash screeched, jumping back.
"I'm the man you pointed a gun at!" the short man screeched back, jumping up an down.
"Oh. Well, I could tell you, but then you'd end up dead," Vash said seriously. "So it's better not to involve you at all, except to practice lines on."
"Eh." The short man agreed, before leaving Vash. Vash went into the back, to leave Kuroneko.
"I want you to stay here. It's safer for you here, okay?" Vash told a sniffling Kuroneko, putting her on the bed.
"No! You can't make me!" Kuroneko cried. She jumped down from the bed, and grabbed Vash's bag from the wall, going through it, until she found her photo album. "That's all I need!" she said, sticking the photo album in her shirt pocket.
"I can't bring you! What if you ended up dead!" Vash exclaimed. "Then it would be all my fault! I have enough deaths on my shoulders without adding you."
"I'm guessing deaths and dead mean the same as die and killed," Kuroneko said softly. "And I have only one thing to say to that!"
"What?" Vash asked carefully.
"Shoot me!!"
"NO!"
"Shoot me! Trust me, nothing will happen!!"
"NOOO!!!!"
"ARG! Then.." she ran out and grabbed a rock the size of her fist. "Throw this at me!"
"NO! NO! No~! I don't want to hurt you!"
"Toss it then, so I can catch it if I have to!"
"Fine. But catch it!" Vash said finally. He threw it softly from five feet away. She stepped forward three feet and stop, it heading toward her head.
"NO!" Vash cried, running to catch the rock. But he was too late. It hit her head... and in a flash of blue light a round shield surrounded her whole body. The rock rolled down the side of the shield, and when it hit the floor, it broke into pieces.
"You can't make me stay," Kuroneko whispered. "Otou-san did a lot of tests on me when I was still a toddler, to make this work right. I can't use my plant power like a gun, like he can, but I have this bubble."
"I can't make you stay," Vash stated, sighing.
"I told you, I'd follow you to the end of the world!" She told him, hugging his leg.
"MY NAME IS.VASH THE STAMPEDE!" Vash hollered, looking evil. A young girl, with cat ears, a blond braid, a tail, and wicked fangs crouched beside him in a black sleeveless body suit, that had small pockets on the side of her legs. She wore black combat boot that fit her small feet.
"I AM THE CAT DEMON VASH CALLED TO HELP HIM!" Kuroneko squealed with glee, baring her fangs and waving her hands in scratching motions, baring sharp claw like fingernails. "ROWR!!"
"AHAAAHH!" People screamed, and they ran. Some stayed, stunned.
"Forgive me for appearing all of a sudden," he yelled, "But I'm going to kill every single one of you from now on!"
"And I'm going to eat you!" Kuroneko crowed, running circles around Vash.
Vash cringed a bit and gave Kuroneko a look.
"Hehheh.." Kuroneko giggled nervously. She overdid it a little.
"If you don't believe I'm Vash, let me show you some proof!" Vash screamed. "Red overcoat, lovely blond hair, and perfect markmanship!" He shot the ledge beneath a cat, and it fell on his head, before running off.
He ran around the streets, shooting in the air, and she ran around, pouncing on people, and knocking them over, before chasing others out of town.
"IF YOU DON'T WANT TO DIE, GGET AT LEAST 100 MILES AWAY FROM HERE!!!" He screeched, shooting.
"And if your smart, stay away for a long while!!!!!" Kuroneko roared, chasing people out of buildings.
"YOU'LL LIVE HAPPILY THEN!" The both called to the retreating people.
Vash and Kuroneko sat on the ground, her in his lap, and she watched as he marked off the map.
"We really should have gotten something to eat before we chased everyone out.." she whined.
"The people safety came first. Maybe we can raid a shop later, ok?" Vash said.
"Hai!"
"Now that that's done," Vash said. "But why did he choose this place?"
"Dunno. Maybe it was the closest to where he was?" Kuroneko pondered.
"Maybe... but using a gun really doesn't require any energy; he could have rested in whatever city he wanted to use." Vash said. "I don't understand.
"If it makes you feel any better, I never understand anything," Kuroneko offered.
Vash laughed slightly, and ruffled Kuroneko's bangs.
They walked down the street, deeper into the city. Kuroneko was holding Vash's over coat, as both of his hands were gun hands.
"I have a bad feeling," Vash said. "It reminds me of that incident." He looked down at Kuroneko worriedly.
"Vash-san! Blood!" Kuroneko cried. "Dom-san! Dom-san!" Vash looked up. Pinned to the wall, was Dominique the Cyclops, and a bulky man in purple. Kuroneko let go of Vash's coat, and started running toward the wall. Vash grabbed her.
"Let me GO! I need to get Dom-san! She can't be dead!!" She cried. " She's my only friend!!"
"Its dangerous!" Vash told her. "Whoever did that may still be here!"
"You are right, I am," a man said, stepping from behind a building. "Do you like it? Defeated dogs aren't allowed to go home; they go to Hell."
"You did this?" Vash asked, holding Kuroneko back.
"Gun-Ho-Guns number five. My name is EG Mine!" EG Mine said.
"DID YOU DO THIS?!" Vash yelled.
"How noisy! So what if I did you chicken?" EG Mine commented. "You don't like to kill, so I killed for you!"
Kuroneko pulled away from Vash. "YOU'RE A BAD MAN!" She screamed, leaping toward the EG Mine.
"KURO-CHAN! YAMANO!" Vash screamed.
EG Mine twitched his finger, and a single spike like the one that held up Dom-san flew at Kuroneko. The blue shield flew up, and the spike fell to the ground, breaking into two pieces.. Kuroneko reached down and picked them up, then ran out of sight.
"What? No matter, I'm not here for you!" EG Mine yelled. He turned to Vash. "Are you so afraid to kill, or are you capable of doing me in?"
"How far do you want to push me?" Vash growled, his eyes narrowing. "Until I get killed, or I kill someone? And I have no other ways?"
"Don't sound so disappointed!" EG Mine exclaimed. He twitched his fingers, and spikes came out of all the holes in his round suit. "At most, there will only be one body. Once I kill you, it will be over."
~Meanwhile~
"I have to save Dom-san," Kuroneko mutter, sticking the spike halves into the wall. She braced her feet against the wall, and pulled herself p a few inches. She pulled one spike out, and put it up further, pulling herself up. Inch by inch, she got closer, and closer. When she was close enough to touch Dom-san's feet, she tried to feel for energy. and felt nothing.
"No!" she cried, and as she cried out, she fell.. as she hit the ground, she rolled, and stood up.
"Aiya! How'd I do that?!" She said. She heard Vash scream. "VASH- SAN!" She ran toward the sound of cries and gunshots. She came up behind a man in odd uniform, different from the first Bad Man, who was shooting at Vash. She was still about thirty feet away.
"Is this all Vash the Stampede can do?" the man said.
Vash looked up, and seeing Kuroneko shook his head. 'Don't come any closer'
"That cannot be!" the man cried. "At least answer one question. What do you see at the moment? What do you see?!"
Kuroneko felt the courtyard invaded with Legato's presence. Vash had his eyes closed and Kuroneko could almost see the cloud of Legato's spirit around Vash. He jumped and his eyes opened, him gasping.
"YAMANO! STOP! STOP!" Vash screamed, and Legato invaded his mind.
"Even now, he is begging for mercy!" the man muttered disgusted. Light burst out of Vash's gun.
"That is.?" the man said warily. The cap burst off.
"No! Vash-san! Fight it!" Kuroneko cried. She took some steps forward but a heavy winds being called up, pushing her back.
"That light is...?" Vash started. "That light is..!" The gun started coming out of his hand.
"What is that thing? Are you going to turn into a demon?!" the man yelled.
Kuroneko started crawling forward, the heavy breezes making it a slow process. "Vash-san! Vash-tou-chan!!"
"What is this?!" the man called, turning and seeing the girl. "Who are you?!"
""Help me get to Vash!" she cried. "If you have any mercy at all, help me! I'm too small!"
The gun grew bigger, and Vash started screaming in pain. Debris flew, and hit her shield, bouncing off.
"I'll throw you towards him, but if you don't make it, I won't try again!" the man yelled over the winds, picking her up. He threw her, and she grabbed Vash's overcoat.
"STOP!" Vash screamed. The gun grew, and he pushed it up with his machine gun hand.
"It'll be okay Vash-san, hold on, I'm here," she cried, holding on to the end of his overcoat for dear life.
The man stood stunned, at what was happening.
"GET AWAY!! RUN!!!" Vash screamed at the man. The man ran, but when large debris stopped him, he turned around terrified.
"RUUUUUN!" Vash screeched. The gun was pointing directly at the man.
"What is it?! What is that thing?!" the man screamed.
"Stop! Don't! Please stop!" Vash yelled at the gun, that was drawing energy in, and opening up. He started shooting at it with his machine gun, pushing it up.
"Vash-san! Your coat is ripping! I'm slipping!" Kuroneko cried. The large piece of coat tore off, and she curled around it, going flying. The bubble of energy surrounded her, and she hit the ground, landing on the ground. A broken building fell over her. Everything went black.
When she woke up, the city was in ruins. The sky was red, touched by white clouds. Red like the piece of coat she was holding. Vash was nowhere in site. She stood up, her bodysuit in ruins as well, the top looking rather like the swimsuit Legato had gotten her once but ragged on the ends, and the bottom more a pair of shorts.
She held the piece of red coat close to her. "Vash-san! Vash-san!! Vash- san! Dun leave me alone! I dun wanna to be left alone!!" Tears ran down her cheeks, but she kept calling. "Vaaaash-saan!"
She walked to the edge of the ruined city, climbing over broken shards of building. "Vash-san! Where are you?! I dun wanna be alooone! Vash-san!" She heard a motor behind her, and she turned and look. A man in black on a motorcycle rode slowly beside her, a large white cross on the back.
'I don't know him. He's not Vash-san.' And with that she turned from him, and kept walking. "Vash-san! Come back! You can't leave me alone! You promised to take care of me! I dun wanna be alone again!" VASH-SAN!"
"You looking for Vash?" the man on the motorcycle asked her.
"Hai! I need to find him!" she replied, holding the bundle of red tightly. She sniffled and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.
"I'm looking for Vash too; do you want to come with me?" he asked.
"Are you another bad man? There are lots of bad men chasing after Vash-san. Are you bad?" she asked suspiciously.
"No, I'd like to think I'm a good guy," he said. "The name is Wolfwood. Nicholas D. Wolfwood."
"Okay! Are you a friend of Vash-san's?" she asked.
"Yeah, I am," Wolfwood said.
"My name is Kuroneko! Will you be my friend too?" she asked. "My last friend got killed by one of the bad men." She looked kind of sad.
"Well, I won't die anytime soon, and I'd be glad to be your friend," he said. He took a good look at her. "I think you need new clothes, and a bath."
"I have some clothes left at the halfway point, if you could take me," she said. She looked up at him hopefully.
Wolfwood sighed. "Well.. I wasn't heading that way.. but you really need clothing."
"Arigato gozaimasu!"
So they stopped at the halfway point, she got her blue shirt, and they headed on the search. They went from city, to city, to city. Six months went by, and they got to know each other well. Likes dislikes, pieces of their past.but neither of them truly told all their background, and Kuroneko got older and wiser. After six months, the seemingly four- year old, now looked like she was thirteen.
She out grew just wearing the shirt- now she had to wear and extra pair of Wolfwood's pants, the cuffs rolled up. She wore the red piece of coat like a belt around her waist, a triangle of material coming down over the back of her. A plain tan holster was attached, with a small six-shooter in the holster. With new boots, and her hair in a bob, she looked like a new person. She no longer covered her ears or her tail; most people just thought it was some kind of weird fashion statement.
Wolfwood-san was now Uncle Wolfwood, and he didn't seem to mind. He was surprised at her growth spurt, but he already knew she wasn't quite human. He did get tired of trading in for new boots every month or so though.
Finally, they found Vash. in a town name Kasted City.
Vash yawned. He had been walking throughout the night, and hadn't even found a city! He reached up with one hand, and brushed his drooping bangs out of his face.
"Huh? It's not sunrise yet!" Vash exclaimed, as it suddenly got brighter. He turned to see two bright white lights coming at him.
"Oi!" a man called from the car. "Do you and your little daughter need a right to the next halfway point?" The man pulled up to Vash, and then stopped. He looked in his forties, slightly balding, and wind burnt from driving through the desert with the top of his truck down.
"I'd appreciate it greatly," Vash said. "Although she's not my daughter."
"If she isn't your daughter," the man started suspiciously. "...then who is she? She looks an awful lot like you."
"She's my little orphaned niece," Vash replied. "She's as sweet as can be though. I would give anything if she were my daughter. I could have treated her kindly." Vash put Kuroneko in the back, on top of some bedding, in between several secured water barrels, then climbed in after her.
The man started the car, and started driving slowly. "You could always adopt."
Vash looked startled. "Well, yeah, I suppose I could," he said. "But I have business I have to finish first, before I could even consider it."
"Well, we all have business we need to finish," the man said. "My names Rodgers. What is yours?"
"Vash," Vash warily.
"Like Vash the Stampede? Oh boy, to name a kid after the Humanoid Typhoon. You must have been some kid!"
"Yup," Vash said, playing along. "I was a colicky baby. Kaa-san said my squalling was so loud, she was sure it would bring down the neighborhood!"
Rodgers just laughed.
"Of course," Vash started, full of fake seriousness. "Now I have bounty hunters after me all the time. Started when I was ten. Bounty hunters came for an outlaw and found a kid! Didn't know what to think! Now that I'm older, I've had to learn how to shoot, or I would have been dead a long time ago."
"Woah," Rodgers whistled. "Some childhood you had. Makes for some big business to solve."
"Yeah," Vash said. "I suppose I could change my name the same time I adopt her, but I'm too used to being called Vash. Might as well find the real Vash and finish it for good. Then I'd have some money to take care of her with, and donate the rest to an orphanage or something." 'I should remember this story! It might be useful in the future!' Vash laughed silently to himself.
"Well here's the half-way point," Rodgers commented finally. "I'm making a water delivery there. The front in just a saloon, but there is a small inn in the back. I'm staying there until sunrise, and I could probably convince the manager to let you stay there."
"That would be great," Vash thanked him. "I'm dead on my feet!" Rodgers parked, and Vash picked up Kuroneko, the blanket, hat and book bag.
Rodgers came around to unload. "Are those ears real?!" he exclaimed.
"Yes," Vash answered with a sigh. "Her father did that to her. I'm not even sure how, all I know is that there she wasn't treated like a child, just an experiment."
"Poor child." Rodgers said. "I wish you the best at solving your problems, and adopting her."
"Thank you," Vash said, as he followed Rodgers in to the back door.
Vash had gotten a room, with one large bed. Nothing else was available. It was a bland room, with a bowl of water to clean in, a simple mirror, cracked the side, and simple blankets to curl up in. He set Kuroneko down on the bed with her blanket.
He went to put her book bag to the side, when he realized how tattered it was.
"Hm.maybe I can put her stuff in one of the pockets on my bag. Doesn't feel like there is much in here."
He pulled out a pair of children's panties, and a light blue shirt. "Heeeey, I recognize these! Hers is so brown with dust, I couldn't tell, but these are the clothes Knives and I wore, when we were young!" He folded it up, with a small smile on his face, and stuck it into a pocket in his bag. Next he pulled out a small book of some kind.
He opened it, and the first page he saw, was Legato and Kuroneko. Both had smiles on there faces, and she was on his shoulders. He was wearing a plain white shirt, and his normal pants. 'Legato! Is this the mask you wore with her?' His hand clenched, and the page tore a little, but he stopped when he realized what he was doing.
The next page had a man he had never seen before, in a pond, holding Kuroneko up in the water. Legato was in the background, looking decidedly wet and grumpy. He turned to the next page. It was a picture of him, smiling, but with a bit sad eyes. Even after everything that had happened, there was a moment when Knives and Vash hadn't been fighting, when Knives went into a town and got him some donuts without killing anyone. It was their birthday, and Vash had given Knives this wonderful quartz crystal. He turned to the very last page.
'Rem!' It was Rem, with her soft smile, and joyful eyes. He even remembered when that picture was taken. After the celebrations, when everyone was calming down, Joey went around with a camera taking pictures of everyone. He gave this picture to Vash, and Vash wrote "Rem" at the bottom of it. But it was the word after it that really too his breath away. "Mom."
Was Kuroneko so alone, that she had a made-up mom? Or was Rem really alive, and being held captive? It was such a ridiculous idea, but it stuck, and he woke Kuroneko up to ask her.
"Ehhh?" Kuroneko said sleepily. "Wassit?"
"Is this your Mom?" Vash asked, a nervous edge on his voice.
Kuroneko blinked a couple times and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.
"I dun know. I hope so. She looked like a nice Mom," Kuroneko said. "Just like you looked like a nice Dad." Kuroneko yawned, and her eyes closed drowsily.
Vash sat there stunned, with a small smile on his face. 'She was a nice Mom. I wish you had known her Kuro-chan.' Getting Kuroneko's clean clothes out, he put it on her as she slept. He stuck the photo album in the safest pocket in his bag. Taking a look at her tattered book bag, he realized that they were his old shorts, and for memories sake, stuck the in his bag; He could fix them later. Finally, he got his night clothing out, and changed into them.
Climbing into the bed, he curled protectively around Kuroneko, before falling asleep.
They had woken up late, and had a breakfast of donuts, and while Kuroneko was cleaning up, he had been practicing lines for taking down Legato. Now it was lunch, and they had ordered sandwiches, and he was still working on his lines.
He stood at the door waiting for the next person to practice his lines on. The door opened, and he leveled his gun at a three foot man. "AAAAAAHHH!" the man screamed.
"Legato! From now on I'm coming after you!!" Vash growled. "I'll find you no matter what it takes!" He lowered his gun and turned away.
"Ah! What cool lines! I've only seen him once, and I have no idea how to find him!" he complained, walking over to the bar counter were Kuroneko was eating a half a sandwich, washed well and her new hat on. "Do you have any ideas Kuro-chan?"
"Iie," she said. "I dun ever know were he goes!"
"Because I've been thinking about this so much, I've been getting more and more scared about the whole idea!" Vash cried, sitting down on the barstool next to her. "ITS ALL BECAUSE OF LEGATO! Chasing after that man with those mocking eyes, and then fighting with him! Is that a good idea?!!" He jumped up while he was screeching, clutching his head.
Kuroneko looked up at Vash surprised, and shrugged, eating the last of her sandwich.
"Ah! Of course it isn't a great idea!" He cried again. "Is way too dangerous!"
"So is being you," Kuroneko commented.
"Well, you got a bit of a point, but still!" Vash whined. "Well, I still have a good feeling about it. I believe my way of thinking is correct."
"Who are you? Who are you?" the short man called, as he jumped up and down between Kuroneko and Vash.
"Ah, but a man should enjoy his life! More tuna sandwiches!" Vash called. He looked down at Kuroneko, who had finished her sandwich, and was out of water. "And a soda water for the little miss!"
A scary looking gray man walked up beside Kuroneko, to Vash.
"eep," Kuroneko said, causing Vash to turn and look.
"Eh?" Vash said. He jumped over his sandwich, protecting it.
"Augusta," the gray man said in a hoarse voice. "I'm waiting for you. in Augusta.You'd better accept my challenge, or you'll end up like this." He lifted the gun to his head.
"YAMANO! STOP!" Vash shouted. The gray man fired his gun, and he fell over, dead.
"Weh weah WAAAAAHHH!!" Kuroneko started bawling.
"Who? Who did this?!" Vash cried, leaning over the body. "There is no blood!"
"What? Did you know this man? Is he a friend of yours?!" the short man asked.
Vash swept up Kuroneko in his arms and ran out to the door way.
"There is only one person capable of doing something like this," Vash growled. "Legato!"
"Who? A companion of yours?" the short man asked, jumping up and down.
"Legato is a BAD MAN!" Kuroneko yelled, before residing to sobs in Vash's chest. Vash glared at the horizon, as if expecting to see Legato there.
"What? What are you talking about?" the short man said, jumping in front of Vash.
"WHO THE HECK ARE YOU?!" Vash screeched, jumping back.
"I'm the man you pointed a gun at!" the short man screeched back, jumping up an down.
"Oh. Well, I could tell you, but then you'd end up dead," Vash said seriously. "So it's better not to involve you at all, except to practice lines on."
"Eh." The short man agreed, before leaving Vash. Vash went into the back, to leave Kuroneko.
"I want you to stay here. It's safer for you here, okay?" Vash told a sniffling Kuroneko, putting her on the bed.
"No! You can't make me!" Kuroneko cried. She jumped down from the bed, and grabbed Vash's bag from the wall, going through it, until she found her photo album. "That's all I need!" she said, sticking the photo album in her shirt pocket.
"I can't bring you! What if you ended up dead!" Vash exclaimed. "Then it would be all my fault! I have enough deaths on my shoulders without adding you."
"I'm guessing deaths and dead mean the same as die and killed," Kuroneko said softly. "And I have only one thing to say to that!"
"What?" Vash asked carefully.
"Shoot me!!"
"NO!"
"Shoot me! Trust me, nothing will happen!!"
"NOOO!!!!"
"ARG! Then.." she ran out and grabbed a rock the size of her fist. "Throw this at me!"
"NO! NO! No~! I don't want to hurt you!"
"Toss it then, so I can catch it if I have to!"
"Fine. But catch it!" Vash said finally. He threw it softly from five feet away. She stepped forward three feet and stop, it heading toward her head.
"NO!" Vash cried, running to catch the rock. But he was too late. It hit her head... and in a flash of blue light a round shield surrounded her whole body. The rock rolled down the side of the shield, and when it hit the floor, it broke into pieces.
"You can't make me stay," Kuroneko whispered. "Otou-san did a lot of tests on me when I was still a toddler, to make this work right. I can't use my plant power like a gun, like he can, but I have this bubble."
"I can't make you stay," Vash stated, sighing.
"I told you, I'd follow you to the end of the world!" She told him, hugging his leg.
"MY NAME IS.VASH THE STAMPEDE!" Vash hollered, looking evil. A young girl, with cat ears, a blond braid, a tail, and wicked fangs crouched beside him in a black sleeveless body suit, that had small pockets on the side of her legs. She wore black combat boot that fit her small feet.
"I AM THE CAT DEMON VASH CALLED TO HELP HIM!" Kuroneko squealed with glee, baring her fangs and waving her hands in scratching motions, baring sharp claw like fingernails. "ROWR!!"
"AHAAAHH!" People screamed, and they ran. Some stayed, stunned.
"Forgive me for appearing all of a sudden," he yelled, "But I'm going to kill every single one of you from now on!"
"And I'm going to eat you!" Kuroneko crowed, running circles around Vash.
Vash cringed a bit and gave Kuroneko a look.
"Hehheh.." Kuroneko giggled nervously. She overdid it a little.
"If you don't believe I'm Vash, let me show you some proof!" Vash screamed. "Red overcoat, lovely blond hair, and perfect markmanship!" He shot the ledge beneath a cat, and it fell on his head, before running off.
He ran around the streets, shooting in the air, and she ran around, pouncing on people, and knocking them over, before chasing others out of town.
"IF YOU DON'T WANT TO DIE, GGET AT LEAST 100 MILES AWAY FROM HERE!!!" He screeched, shooting.
"And if your smart, stay away for a long while!!!!!" Kuroneko roared, chasing people out of buildings.
"YOU'LL LIVE HAPPILY THEN!" The both called to the retreating people.
Vash and Kuroneko sat on the ground, her in his lap, and she watched as he marked off the map.
"We really should have gotten something to eat before we chased everyone out.." she whined.
"The people safety came first. Maybe we can raid a shop later, ok?" Vash said.
"Hai!"
"Now that that's done," Vash said. "But why did he choose this place?"
"Dunno. Maybe it was the closest to where he was?" Kuroneko pondered.
"Maybe... but using a gun really doesn't require any energy; he could have rested in whatever city he wanted to use." Vash said. "I don't understand.
"If it makes you feel any better, I never understand anything," Kuroneko offered.
Vash laughed slightly, and ruffled Kuroneko's bangs.
They walked down the street, deeper into the city. Kuroneko was holding Vash's over coat, as both of his hands were gun hands.
"I have a bad feeling," Vash said. "It reminds me of that incident." He looked down at Kuroneko worriedly.
"Vash-san! Blood!" Kuroneko cried. "Dom-san! Dom-san!" Vash looked up. Pinned to the wall, was Dominique the Cyclops, and a bulky man in purple. Kuroneko let go of Vash's coat, and started running toward the wall. Vash grabbed her.
"Let me GO! I need to get Dom-san! She can't be dead!!" She cried. " She's my only friend!!"
"Its dangerous!" Vash told her. "Whoever did that may still be here!"
"You are right, I am," a man said, stepping from behind a building. "Do you like it? Defeated dogs aren't allowed to go home; they go to Hell."
"You did this?" Vash asked, holding Kuroneko back.
"Gun-Ho-Guns number five. My name is EG Mine!" EG Mine said.
"DID YOU DO THIS?!" Vash yelled.
"How noisy! So what if I did you chicken?" EG Mine commented. "You don't like to kill, so I killed for you!"
Kuroneko pulled away from Vash. "YOU'RE A BAD MAN!" She screamed, leaping toward the EG Mine.
"KURO-CHAN! YAMANO!" Vash screamed.
EG Mine twitched his finger, and a single spike like the one that held up Dom-san flew at Kuroneko. The blue shield flew up, and the spike fell to the ground, breaking into two pieces.. Kuroneko reached down and picked them up, then ran out of sight.
"What? No matter, I'm not here for you!" EG Mine yelled. He turned to Vash. "Are you so afraid to kill, or are you capable of doing me in?"
"How far do you want to push me?" Vash growled, his eyes narrowing. "Until I get killed, or I kill someone? And I have no other ways?"
"Don't sound so disappointed!" EG Mine exclaimed. He twitched his fingers, and spikes came out of all the holes in his round suit. "At most, there will only be one body. Once I kill you, it will be over."
~Meanwhile~
"I have to save Dom-san," Kuroneko mutter, sticking the spike halves into the wall. She braced her feet against the wall, and pulled herself p a few inches. She pulled one spike out, and put it up further, pulling herself up. Inch by inch, she got closer, and closer. When she was close enough to touch Dom-san's feet, she tried to feel for energy. and felt nothing.
"No!" she cried, and as she cried out, she fell.. as she hit the ground, she rolled, and stood up.
"Aiya! How'd I do that?!" She said. She heard Vash scream. "VASH- SAN!" She ran toward the sound of cries and gunshots. She came up behind a man in odd uniform, different from the first Bad Man, who was shooting at Vash. She was still about thirty feet away.
"Is this all Vash the Stampede can do?" the man said.
Vash looked up, and seeing Kuroneko shook his head. 'Don't come any closer'
"That cannot be!" the man cried. "At least answer one question. What do you see at the moment? What do you see?!"
Kuroneko felt the courtyard invaded with Legato's presence. Vash had his eyes closed and Kuroneko could almost see the cloud of Legato's spirit around Vash. He jumped and his eyes opened, him gasping.
"YAMANO! STOP! STOP!" Vash screamed, and Legato invaded his mind.
"Even now, he is begging for mercy!" the man muttered disgusted. Light burst out of Vash's gun.
"That is.?" the man said warily. The cap burst off.
"No! Vash-san! Fight it!" Kuroneko cried. She took some steps forward but a heavy winds being called up, pushing her back.
"That light is...?" Vash started. "That light is..!" The gun started coming out of his hand.
"What is that thing? Are you going to turn into a demon?!" the man yelled.
Kuroneko started crawling forward, the heavy breezes making it a slow process. "Vash-san! Vash-tou-chan!!"
"What is this?!" the man called, turning and seeing the girl. "Who are you?!"
""Help me get to Vash!" she cried. "If you have any mercy at all, help me! I'm too small!"
The gun grew bigger, and Vash started screaming in pain. Debris flew, and hit her shield, bouncing off.
"I'll throw you towards him, but if you don't make it, I won't try again!" the man yelled over the winds, picking her up. He threw her, and she grabbed Vash's overcoat.
"STOP!" Vash screamed. The gun grew, and he pushed it up with his machine gun hand.
"It'll be okay Vash-san, hold on, I'm here," she cried, holding on to the end of his overcoat for dear life.
The man stood stunned, at what was happening.
"GET AWAY!! RUN!!!" Vash screamed at the man. The man ran, but when large debris stopped him, he turned around terrified.
"RUUUUUN!" Vash screeched. The gun was pointing directly at the man.
"What is it?! What is that thing?!" the man screamed.
"Stop! Don't! Please stop!" Vash yelled at the gun, that was drawing energy in, and opening up. He started shooting at it with his machine gun, pushing it up.
"Vash-san! Your coat is ripping! I'm slipping!" Kuroneko cried. The large piece of coat tore off, and she curled around it, going flying. The bubble of energy surrounded her, and she hit the ground, landing on the ground. A broken building fell over her. Everything went black.
When she woke up, the city was in ruins. The sky was red, touched by white clouds. Red like the piece of coat she was holding. Vash was nowhere in site. She stood up, her bodysuit in ruins as well, the top looking rather like the swimsuit Legato had gotten her once but ragged on the ends, and the bottom more a pair of shorts.
She held the piece of red coat close to her. "Vash-san! Vash-san!! Vash- san! Dun leave me alone! I dun wanna to be left alone!!" Tears ran down her cheeks, but she kept calling. "Vaaaash-saan!"
She walked to the edge of the ruined city, climbing over broken shards of building. "Vash-san! Where are you?! I dun wanna be alooone! Vash-san!" She heard a motor behind her, and she turned and look. A man in black on a motorcycle rode slowly beside her, a large white cross on the back.
'I don't know him. He's not Vash-san.' And with that she turned from him, and kept walking. "Vash-san! Come back! You can't leave me alone! You promised to take care of me! I dun wanna be alone again!" VASH-SAN!"
"You looking for Vash?" the man on the motorcycle asked her.
"Hai! I need to find him!" she replied, holding the bundle of red tightly. She sniffled and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.
"I'm looking for Vash too; do you want to come with me?" he asked.
"Are you another bad man? There are lots of bad men chasing after Vash-san. Are you bad?" she asked suspiciously.
"No, I'd like to think I'm a good guy," he said. "The name is Wolfwood. Nicholas D. Wolfwood."
"Okay! Are you a friend of Vash-san's?" she asked.
"Yeah, I am," Wolfwood said.
"My name is Kuroneko! Will you be my friend too?" she asked. "My last friend got killed by one of the bad men." She looked kind of sad.
"Well, I won't die anytime soon, and I'd be glad to be your friend," he said. He took a good look at her. "I think you need new clothes, and a bath."
"I have some clothes left at the halfway point, if you could take me," she said. She looked up at him hopefully.
Wolfwood sighed. "Well.. I wasn't heading that way.. but you really need clothing."
"Arigato gozaimasu!"
So they stopped at the halfway point, she got her blue shirt, and they headed on the search. They went from city, to city, to city. Six months went by, and they got to know each other well. Likes dislikes, pieces of their past.but neither of them truly told all their background, and Kuroneko got older and wiser. After six months, the seemingly four- year old, now looked like she was thirteen.
She out grew just wearing the shirt- now she had to wear and extra pair of Wolfwood's pants, the cuffs rolled up. She wore the red piece of coat like a belt around her waist, a triangle of material coming down over the back of her. A plain tan holster was attached, with a small six-shooter in the holster. With new boots, and her hair in a bob, she looked like a new person. She no longer covered her ears or her tail; most people just thought it was some kind of weird fashion statement.
Wolfwood-san was now Uncle Wolfwood, and he didn't seem to mind. He was surprised at her growth spurt, but he already knew she wasn't quite human. He did get tired of trading in for new boots every month or so though.
Finally, they found Vash. in a town name Kasted City.