**** **** ****
*****
I had gone back to my room and slept a fine amount of the morning away. But it wasn't all peaceful slumber. Dreams of the Human Typhoon haunted me. I could understand these thoughts weren't for my ears. Such as knowing about Vash's twin, and his guilt. I even felt the pain he had, which seemed to press against my chest like a dam, threatening to erupt. When I awoke from these visions that lazy afternoon, it was like they still lived on inside me. They raged wars and sank in oceans of blood. But at the very top of it all were those eyes. I saw them everywhere, thought about them non stop. It was beginning to make me edgy.
I got dressed and picked up my bag, continuing on outside. The sun was worse then yesterday. I was thankful for my breathing cotton. However, when I entered another saloon that morning, the place went totally quiet. I heard some one whisper about Vash.
I tried to keep my ears shut, but I heard murmurs occasionally and even as I finished my lunch. It was only when I heard the cocking of a gun behind me did I take the time to turn around. Before me stood three men, guns loaded and aiming at my head.
"What's the problem boys?" I asked, already forming my own conclusions.
"We're taking you under arrest, Mr. Vash." One replied shakily. I was glad for the nervous look he carried.
"But I'm not any Human Typhoon, guys. You've got the wrong guy." I tried to reason. The first man shook his head.
"You can't h-hide sir. We know who y-you are. N-now c-come quietly or we'll have to use f-force." He stuttered. I smiled cockily and decided to use the assumption to my benefit.
"So do you think only three men could take me down? Ridiculous." I said, throwing my head back in laughter, just for extra effect. I pulled out my gun and spun the barrel, watching the men begin to cower. "So let's just drop the weapons and call it even. Unless you'd rather drop dead." I said. The pun was the perfect trick. Two of the men put down their guns. The third held still. I picked up my revolver and aimed it towards his head. It was obvious this one wasn't going to be easily convinced.
I decide to send a warning shot. When my bullet cut a scratch through his shirt's shoulder, he got the idea.
"So sorry sir." He said, withdrawing his weapon. I sighed and picked up my bag. With a swing, I was out of there.
'Shit. Now I can't hunt here anymore. This town has got it in for me. I guess it's time to move. Just when I was getting used to it too.' I thought sadly. Turning in a circle, I began to walk back to the general store for that map.
I found the place again and walked inside. But another cocking of a gun was heard. I drew my revolver and pointed it to the sound.
"We don't allow bounty hunters in here!" He yelled. I growled to myself.
"I just want a freaking map. Then I'm gone. Will you do at least that?" I yelled, frustrated at my situation. The man grabbed a folded piece of parchment and tossed it to me. A hand on my gun, I tossed back a five.
"Now get out." He ordered. I discreetly grabbed a bottle of gin on my way out and stuffed it in a coat pocket.
"I guess I'm going on foot again." I told myself as soon as I had exited. I walked past the saloon and Vash's hotel, looking for the north boundary of the city, when some one called me.
"Whips!" She yelled. I turned on my heel to face the tall girl in which I had met earlier.
"Hey Millie. What's up?" I asked.
"Have you seen Vash? He's gone and disappeared again!" She squealed. I laughed.
"I thought he would do that. But no, I haven't seen him. I'll keep an eye out though." I told her, using my best male voice. She nodded and ran off. 'What a silly girl. Reminds me of. . .' I interrupted my own thoughts. 'You promised you were never going to think about her again.' A voice told me. 'But what's so wrong with keeping her in my memory? It's what my life's work has been about. . .' I thought.
My eyes wandered to the sky when I exited the town, beginning my journey north. My mouth was dry and my body began to sweat, but I was used to it. The arid planet never seemed to let me forget that the only green here were the uncommon rainbows.
I sighed. When the sun was at it zenith, around one or so, I stopped near an overhanging rock to get something to eat. After a search of my pack, I found and devoured three donuts. 'Donuts must be the food of the gods! That, and ramen.' I thought after taking a swing from the gin. I had only been sitting for five minutes when I randomly searched my pack again. That morning I had indulged in my urge to buy another pack of cigarettes. As hard as I tried to quit, I just couldn't stop buying them.
"Damn it." I said as I lit one, put it to my lips, and then snuffed it in the sand. I was surprised I had the nerve to pull off a con like I had in the bar, but not to stop smoking. But it was just another goal that I couldn't fallow through with. I let out a muffled sob at my defeat.
"God, I miss you Jo." I breathed. "Why did you have to leave? Why did he kill you? We were perfect partners. Sai and Jo, adventurous girls on the road to destiny. You were my best friend since forever, Jo. We were supposed to do everything together. But you died without me, didn't you? Just wait for me, okay? I'll meet you soon." I whispered to the wind.
The rocks on my right scuttled and I whipped out my gun, pointing it to the first moving object. But I spoke before his hands went up.
"God damn it Vash, can't I be alone in the middle of nowhere!?" I yelled.
"I'm really sorry. I just saw you stop and I came to talk. I had no idea you were sitting here mourning." He said, for once without that stupid smile. I hadn't dropped my gun.
"Are you gonna put that thing down? Because you're not going to use it." Vash told me. I put my gun in the sling and sat down, facing away from Vash. But he came down and sat next to me anyway, leaning against the cool rock. I observed that his red cloak was halfway out of his bag and he only wore a black body-suit. He noticed me staring.
"It's over a hundred degrees out here; I don't know how you stand it." He said, slipping yellow faded shades on.
"I don't. I feel like I'm swimming under here." I told him. "Thank the heavens for deodorant." I told him with a chuckle. It was odd, I noticed, that when I had my mask on, he treated me like one of the guys. But with it off, he had treated me like a pretty maiden with sensitive ears. I heard him laugh at the joke.
"Still haven't done away with that smile, have you? You know I don't believe it." I told him. He nodded and kept on smiling.
"So your name is Sai?" He asked, dropping his smile to a small grin.
"So you were there that long, where you? But yea, Sai was a nickname. Siarona is my full name." I told him.
"That's a pretty name. Much better than Vash." He said.
"Now that's debatable. I think Vash is a sweet name. Though it does make you sound like a Momma's boy." I said, expecting a laugh from him. Vash took his shades off and turned away, a hurt look on his face.
"I'm sorry if I said something." I told him. He kept his head away. "You can look at me, you know." I said, feeling brave enough to take his face with a hand. I put a hand on his cheek and slowly pushed his head to face me. Our eyes met. My half covered eyes, and his strongly familiar ones.
"What happened to you to make your eyes so sad, Vash? Where did you get those sad, familiar eyes?" I asked. He brought a gloved hand to cover my small one that held his cheek.
"What about you, Sai? Who is Jo? Why do you have a death wish?" He asked. I pondered replying to the question.
"Jo was my best friend. We were supposed to do everything together, but some one killed her. And they didn't have the courtesy to kill me too. But I must avenge her before I depart. I'm bound to this world right now." I told him. He nodded. But it was like when he nodded, he confirmed those were his reasons as well. I could not seem bring my eyes away from his. But self consciously I dropped my hand. I didn't even flinch when Vash took off my veil and my hat.
"Then what are you hiding?" He asked. I shuttered, feeling I could not lie to him.
"My life. I'm not supposed to be alive without her." I told him shakily. I knew my smooth tone was beginning to shake. My voice cracked as a tear ran down my cheek.
All I did was look into those depressing eyes, feeling they were a mirror to my own. I smiled like Vash and went to my bag, pulling out a cigarette. After I lit it, I smothered it in the sand. Vash looked at me.
"Jo didn't smoke. She thought it was foul."
*** **** ****
**** ****
Some time after our brief conversation, Vash and I stood up and began walking. He convinced me to take off my outer cloak. Underneath I had changed into my desert traveling clothes. The sleek leather-like substance covered my whole body, leaving nothing to the imagination. But despite the appearance, the material was made from an extremely breathable substance that let me stay cool. And it was nicer without it on, I felt smaller again, like the young adult I was.
When the sun began to dip lower in the sky, Vash and I stopped at another rock that provided shade and shelter from the harsh sands in the wind. Vash made a small fire, and I provided food for both of our dinners.
We sat around the fire in the twilight, finishing sandwiches. I caught Vash staring at my breasts, an uncommon occurrence, and decided to try to draw away his attention.
"So Vash. . . ummm. . . how old are you?" I asked.
"I'm not positive, but I think some where in my early-hundreds." He replied. At first I laughed at the joke, but when he made no joking face, I questioned him.
"You're not serious are you?" I asked him. He nodded and continued eating. "Well, it explains how you got all of those scars. I didn't really think you could have accumulated that many at so young. But I guess you're not human then?" I asked.
"You know, most people don't take that news so well." He said.
"Well I suspected it the whole time. Normal humans can't dodge bullets. Well, most humans. So it was only reasonable to think that you weren't human. It's not unheard of." I replied. He nodded. I set down the other half of my sandwich and looked up at the appearing stars.
"Are you gonna eat that?" He said with his mouth half full. I shook my head and he reached over to get it.
"Besides, no normal human eats that much and stays buff." I told him, realizing my complement a moment too late. Vash was already flexing his muscles. I laughed at his antics. He reminded me so much of Jo, it was amazing. I blushed and wished I had the veil to cover it. Vash settled back down. Yet he looked golden in the firelight, the only source of illumination now. He lay on his stomach, his hands holding his head up. He stared.
"You know, you really are beautiful. I can't stand to see you hide it." He said. I blushed again and sat down, Indian style, across from him. The fire was beginning to turn to coals.
"You know what I think you best features are, Vash?" I asked, wanting to return the complement.
"What?" He asked with a silly smile, preparing to flex again.
"It's your eyes, and it's your hair, but the best one is your scars." I said. His reaction was simply a confused expession.
"What do you mean, my scars?" He asked, getting shyer by the moment. His mask was gone in that instant, and I was thankful.
"I mean, they're beautiful. Besides that manly face you have." I said, raising my eyebrows. We both burst out in laughter, and for once, Vash was really laughing.
"I gotta get some sleep from your sarcasm, or I won't be able to walk tomorrow!" He said, the laughter dying dim. Vash and I gathered up our blankets and lay down. After a few moments, I commented,
"Who said I was being sarcastic?"
*** ***** *****
**** ****
When I awoke to a sunny and hot desert before me, I was alone. I quickly got up and looked around. Where did he go off to? I rolled my eyes and stood up; gathering my pack and my bottle of gin, which lay only half full. But when I looked for my cloak, I couldn't find it.
"Damn Vash! You think this is funny or something, huh!?" I yelled to the wind, kicking the sand. "Now I'm out here in a skin tight suit and boots! I look like a freaking hooker!" I yelled. Though my yell went unnoticed in the desert, I was sure my appearance wouldn't. So I began to walk anyway, feeling naked and seeking revenge.
The sands were stronger today, and they whipped against my face. I ran a hand through my long blonde hair, feeling the sand fall out. 'If I had my hat, none of it would have gotten sandy!' I thought. I knew I should have cut my hair short before I left, but I couldn't bring myself to do it.
I thought about those familiar eyes.
In fact, I tried to visualize them so long, I didn't notice when another man came up beside me.
"Geez, I didn't know hookers worked this far out." The man commented. I jumped and turned around to see another tall man with shaggy black hair and a large cross over his shoulder. Even when I suspected he was a priest, I didn't hesitate to smack him over the shoulder with my bag. He fell over backwards.
"Man, you must work out, too." He said, rubbing a lump forming on his head.
"Excuse me, I am not a slut, get your kicks some where else." I told him.
"Oh yea? Then what are you doing in that thing out here? It looks like and outfit to me." He said, a suggestive tone in his voice. I growled under my breath.
"Well if I had my real clothes I would wear them! But that slick moron thought it would be funny if he took them." I said. Then I screamed to the distance, "YOU HEAR ME VASH!? When I catch you, YOUR ASS IS MINE!"
"Vash!?" The man yelled. "As in, Vash the Stampede?" He asked, a bit of sarcasm leaking in.
"Yea, now that you mention it. Only thing he destroyed was my decency!" I yelled with balled up fists.
"Which way did he go?" The man asked.
"Beats the hell outta' me. But judging by what your packing in that 'cross' there, I wouldn't tell you any way, because you just want the bounty." I told him. I could see in the sunlight the form of a gun handle pressing against the cloth. And because it looked pretty heavy too, I was sure it wasn't wood.
"How did you know that. . . Never mind. But I'm no bounty hunter. I'm a friend of his. The name is Wolfwood. Nicholas Wolfwood." He said, holding out his hand for me to shake. I shook it lightly and then pulled him out of the sand.
"Now if you would be so kind, which way did he go?"
*****
I had gone back to my room and slept a fine amount of the morning away. But it wasn't all peaceful slumber. Dreams of the Human Typhoon haunted me. I could understand these thoughts weren't for my ears. Such as knowing about Vash's twin, and his guilt. I even felt the pain he had, which seemed to press against my chest like a dam, threatening to erupt. When I awoke from these visions that lazy afternoon, it was like they still lived on inside me. They raged wars and sank in oceans of blood. But at the very top of it all were those eyes. I saw them everywhere, thought about them non stop. It was beginning to make me edgy.
I got dressed and picked up my bag, continuing on outside. The sun was worse then yesterday. I was thankful for my breathing cotton. However, when I entered another saloon that morning, the place went totally quiet. I heard some one whisper about Vash.
I tried to keep my ears shut, but I heard murmurs occasionally and even as I finished my lunch. It was only when I heard the cocking of a gun behind me did I take the time to turn around. Before me stood three men, guns loaded and aiming at my head.
"What's the problem boys?" I asked, already forming my own conclusions.
"We're taking you under arrest, Mr. Vash." One replied shakily. I was glad for the nervous look he carried.
"But I'm not any Human Typhoon, guys. You've got the wrong guy." I tried to reason. The first man shook his head.
"You can't h-hide sir. We know who y-you are. N-now c-come quietly or we'll have to use f-force." He stuttered. I smiled cockily and decided to use the assumption to my benefit.
"So do you think only three men could take me down? Ridiculous." I said, throwing my head back in laughter, just for extra effect. I pulled out my gun and spun the barrel, watching the men begin to cower. "So let's just drop the weapons and call it even. Unless you'd rather drop dead." I said. The pun was the perfect trick. Two of the men put down their guns. The third held still. I picked up my revolver and aimed it towards his head. It was obvious this one wasn't going to be easily convinced.
I decide to send a warning shot. When my bullet cut a scratch through his shirt's shoulder, he got the idea.
"So sorry sir." He said, withdrawing his weapon. I sighed and picked up my bag. With a swing, I was out of there.
'Shit. Now I can't hunt here anymore. This town has got it in for me. I guess it's time to move. Just when I was getting used to it too.' I thought sadly. Turning in a circle, I began to walk back to the general store for that map.
I found the place again and walked inside. But another cocking of a gun was heard. I drew my revolver and pointed it to the sound.
"We don't allow bounty hunters in here!" He yelled. I growled to myself.
"I just want a freaking map. Then I'm gone. Will you do at least that?" I yelled, frustrated at my situation. The man grabbed a folded piece of parchment and tossed it to me. A hand on my gun, I tossed back a five.
"Now get out." He ordered. I discreetly grabbed a bottle of gin on my way out and stuffed it in a coat pocket.
"I guess I'm going on foot again." I told myself as soon as I had exited. I walked past the saloon and Vash's hotel, looking for the north boundary of the city, when some one called me.
"Whips!" She yelled. I turned on my heel to face the tall girl in which I had met earlier.
"Hey Millie. What's up?" I asked.
"Have you seen Vash? He's gone and disappeared again!" She squealed. I laughed.
"I thought he would do that. But no, I haven't seen him. I'll keep an eye out though." I told her, using my best male voice. She nodded and ran off. 'What a silly girl. Reminds me of. . .' I interrupted my own thoughts. 'You promised you were never going to think about her again.' A voice told me. 'But what's so wrong with keeping her in my memory? It's what my life's work has been about. . .' I thought.
My eyes wandered to the sky when I exited the town, beginning my journey north. My mouth was dry and my body began to sweat, but I was used to it. The arid planet never seemed to let me forget that the only green here were the uncommon rainbows.
I sighed. When the sun was at it zenith, around one or so, I stopped near an overhanging rock to get something to eat. After a search of my pack, I found and devoured three donuts. 'Donuts must be the food of the gods! That, and ramen.' I thought after taking a swing from the gin. I had only been sitting for five minutes when I randomly searched my pack again. That morning I had indulged in my urge to buy another pack of cigarettes. As hard as I tried to quit, I just couldn't stop buying them.
"Damn it." I said as I lit one, put it to my lips, and then snuffed it in the sand. I was surprised I had the nerve to pull off a con like I had in the bar, but not to stop smoking. But it was just another goal that I couldn't fallow through with. I let out a muffled sob at my defeat.
"God, I miss you Jo." I breathed. "Why did you have to leave? Why did he kill you? We were perfect partners. Sai and Jo, adventurous girls on the road to destiny. You were my best friend since forever, Jo. We were supposed to do everything together. But you died without me, didn't you? Just wait for me, okay? I'll meet you soon." I whispered to the wind.
The rocks on my right scuttled and I whipped out my gun, pointing it to the first moving object. But I spoke before his hands went up.
"God damn it Vash, can't I be alone in the middle of nowhere!?" I yelled.
"I'm really sorry. I just saw you stop and I came to talk. I had no idea you were sitting here mourning." He said, for once without that stupid smile. I hadn't dropped my gun.
"Are you gonna put that thing down? Because you're not going to use it." Vash told me. I put my gun in the sling and sat down, facing away from Vash. But he came down and sat next to me anyway, leaning against the cool rock. I observed that his red cloak was halfway out of his bag and he only wore a black body-suit. He noticed me staring.
"It's over a hundred degrees out here; I don't know how you stand it." He said, slipping yellow faded shades on.
"I don't. I feel like I'm swimming under here." I told him. "Thank the heavens for deodorant." I told him with a chuckle. It was odd, I noticed, that when I had my mask on, he treated me like one of the guys. But with it off, he had treated me like a pretty maiden with sensitive ears. I heard him laugh at the joke.
"Still haven't done away with that smile, have you? You know I don't believe it." I told him. He nodded and kept on smiling.
"So your name is Sai?" He asked, dropping his smile to a small grin.
"So you were there that long, where you? But yea, Sai was a nickname. Siarona is my full name." I told him.
"That's a pretty name. Much better than Vash." He said.
"Now that's debatable. I think Vash is a sweet name. Though it does make you sound like a Momma's boy." I said, expecting a laugh from him. Vash took his shades off and turned away, a hurt look on his face.
"I'm sorry if I said something." I told him. He kept his head away. "You can look at me, you know." I said, feeling brave enough to take his face with a hand. I put a hand on his cheek and slowly pushed his head to face me. Our eyes met. My half covered eyes, and his strongly familiar ones.
"What happened to you to make your eyes so sad, Vash? Where did you get those sad, familiar eyes?" I asked. He brought a gloved hand to cover my small one that held his cheek.
"What about you, Sai? Who is Jo? Why do you have a death wish?" He asked. I pondered replying to the question.
"Jo was my best friend. We were supposed to do everything together, but some one killed her. And they didn't have the courtesy to kill me too. But I must avenge her before I depart. I'm bound to this world right now." I told him. He nodded. But it was like when he nodded, he confirmed those were his reasons as well. I could not seem bring my eyes away from his. But self consciously I dropped my hand. I didn't even flinch when Vash took off my veil and my hat.
"Then what are you hiding?" He asked. I shuttered, feeling I could not lie to him.
"My life. I'm not supposed to be alive without her." I told him shakily. I knew my smooth tone was beginning to shake. My voice cracked as a tear ran down my cheek.
All I did was look into those depressing eyes, feeling they were a mirror to my own. I smiled like Vash and went to my bag, pulling out a cigarette. After I lit it, I smothered it in the sand. Vash looked at me.
"Jo didn't smoke. She thought it was foul."
*** **** ****
**** ****
Some time after our brief conversation, Vash and I stood up and began walking. He convinced me to take off my outer cloak. Underneath I had changed into my desert traveling clothes. The sleek leather-like substance covered my whole body, leaving nothing to the imagination. But despite the appearance, the material was made from an extremely breathable substance that let me stay cool. And it was nicer without it on, I felt smaller again, like the young adult I was.
When the sun began to dip lower in the sky, Vash and I stopped at another rock that provided shade and shelter from the harsh sands in the wind. Vash made a small fire, and I provided food for both of our dinners.
We sat around the fire in the twilight, finishing sandwiches. I caught Vash staring at my breasts, an uncommon occurrence, and decided to try to draw away his attention.
"So Vash. . . ummm. . . how old are you?" I asked.
"I'm not positive, but I think some where in my early-hundreds." He replied. At first I laughed at the joke, but when he made no joking face, I questioned him.
"You're not serious are you?" I asked him. He nodded and continued eating. "Well, it explains how you got all of those scars. I didn't really think you could have accumulated that many at so young. But I guess you're not human then?" I asked.
"You know, most people don't take that news so well." He said.
"Well I suspected it the whole time. Normal humans can't dodge bullets. Well, most humans. So it was only reasonable to think that you weren't human. It's not unheard of." I replied. He nodded. I set down the other half of my sandwich and looked up at the appearing stars.
"Are you gonna eat that?" He said with his mouth half full. I shook my head and he reached over to get it.
"Besides, no normal human eats that much and stays buff." I told him, realizing my complement a moment too late. Vash was already flexing his muscles. I laughed at his antics. He reminded me so much of Jo, it was amazing. I blushed and wished I had the veil to cover it. Vash settled back down. Yet he looked golden in the firelight, the only source of illumination now. He lay on his stomach, his hands holding his head up. He stared.
"You know, you really are beautiful. I can't stand to see you hide it." He said. I blushed again and sat down, Indian style, across from him. The fire was beginning to turn to coals.
"You know what I think you best features are, Vash?" I asked, wanting to return the complement.
"What?" He asked with a silly smile, preparing to flex again.
"It's your eyes, and it's your hair, but the best one is your scars." I said. His reaction was simply a confused expession.
"What do you mean, my scars?" He asked, getting shyer by the moment. His mask was gone in that instant, and I was thankful.
"I mean, they're beautiful. Besides that manly face you have." I said, raising my eyebrows. We both burst out in laughter, and for once, Vash was really laughing.
"I gotta get some sleep from your sarcasm, or I won't be able to walk tomorrow!" He said, the laughter dying dim. Vash and I gathered up our blankets and lay down. After a few moments, I commented,
"Who said I was being sarcastic?"
*** ***** *****
**** ****
When I awoke to a sunny and hot desert before me, I was alone. I quickly got up and looked around. Where did he go off to? I rolled my eyes and stood up; gathering my pack and my bottle of gin, which lay only half full. But when I looked for my cloak, I couldn't find it.
"Damn Vash! You think this is funny or something, huh!?" I yelled to the wind, kicking the sand. "Now I'm out here in a skin tight suit and boots! I look like a freaking hooker!" I yelled. Though my yell went unnoticed in the desert, I was sure my appearance wouldn't. So I began to walk anyway, feeling naked and seeking revenge.
The sands were stronger today, and they whipped against my face. I ran a hand through my long blonde hair, feeling the sand fall out. 'If I had my hat, none of it would have gotten sandy!' I thought. I knew I should have cut my hair short before I left, but I couldn't bring myself to do it.
I thought about those familiar eyes.
In fact, I tried to visualize them so long, I didn't notice when another man came up beside me.
"Geez, I didn't know hookers worked this far out." The man commented. I jumped and turned around to see another tall man with shaggy black hair and a large cross over his shoulder. Even when I suspected he was a priest, I didn't hesitate to smack him over the shoulder with my bag. He fell over backwards.
"Man, you must work out, too." He said, rubbing a lump forming on his head.
"Excuse me, I am not a slut, get your kicks some where else." I told him.
"Oh yea? Then what are you doing in that thing out here? It looks like and outfit to me." He said, a suggestive tone in his voice. I growled under my breath.
"Well if I had my real clothes I would wear them! But that slick moron thought it would be funny if he took them." I said. Then I screamed to the distance, "YOU HEAR ME VASH!? When I catch you, YOUR ASS IS MINE!"
"Vash!?" The man yelled. "As in, Vash the Stampede?" He asked, a bit of sarcasm leaking in.
"Yea, now that you mention it. Only thing he destroyed was my decency!" I yelled with balled up fists.
"Which way did he go?" The man asked.
"Beats the hell outta' me. But judging by what your packing in that 'cross' there, I wouldn't tell you any way, because you just want the bounty." I told him. I could see in the sunlight the form of a gun handle pressing against the cloth. And because it looked pretty heavy too, I was sure it wasn't wood.
"How did you know that. . . Never mind. But I'm no bounty hunter. I'm a friend of his. The name is Wolfwood. Nicholas Wolfwood." He said, holding out his hand for me to shake. I shook it lightly and then pulled him out of the sand.
"Now if you would be so kind, which way did he go?"