Disclaimer: Don't own Trigun, just my OC's and towns.

Engel: Sacrifice

Chapter Nine

Controversy

"Do you wonder what you saw

Floating softly at the Nile's edge?

Wandering eyes

Commitments never can last

It feels so cold to know our name

I've never known you and I never will

What difference does indifference take?

Do you regret what you saw

Floating softly at the Nile's edge?

Alone"

-Vast (Lyrics from The Nile's Edge)

"Yup," Wolfwood chewed on the end of his unlit cigarette. "That is one rare sight indeed."

He glanced up and watched silently as the white powder precipitated softly, quilting the ground in a radiant silver tint. The silhouette next to him only nodded slowly and held out his gloved palm to catch some of the falling treasures. The gossamer feel of it reminded him of how it used to be.

"That's right," Vash closed his eyes and shivered from the cold. "This…is called snow, right?"

Wolfwood suppressed the urge to smoke the cigarette and put the stick back into his coat pocket. "Yeah, it's pretty funny that it would snow after all of this time, but I guess that it does fit the holiday."

Vash turned to look at him for the first time since the conversation began.

"Christmas…yeah…"

"You sound strange Needle-Noggin'. Something bothering you?"

"Nothing, just…remembering about my past…"

Wolfwood burst out into laughter.

"Well I guess that even you Outlaws have holidays too, huh?" Vash remained silent. "But it's nice to have snow. It doesn't happen too often, does it?"

"Not as often as it should."

"I agree." Wolfwood carried his feet out further into the dirt road and looked up into the night sky. "The last time I remember doing this was back when I was a kid." Then he began to whisper. "Has it really been that long…?"

The snow continued to fall, chilling the air, and silence eloped the night.

"How long has it been since you've had a Christmas, Vash?" Wolfwood asked after a long pause.

"I don't know. A long time I think."

"That long, huh? I'm sorry."

"How about you Wolfwood?"

"Eh? Not since I was back with the children at the orphanage, so about three or four years." He shrugged the thought of it off, like it was no big deal. "You just never get time to settle down with a tree in front of a fire and unwrap presents ya know? Besides, I never got presents from anyone but the kids anyway."

Vash stared at his comrade immensely, as though he were trying to see through his soul. Just what was that man thinking?

"I'm…sorry…" Vash lowered his eyes to the ground sorrowfully.

"No, no," Wolfwood shook his head. "Don't commiserate with me, Vash the Stampede. It's not important. What's important now is that we actually do get to spend a Christmas right here with the girls." Wolfwood gestured to the vacant house they had been renting behind them.

Vash glanced back up, startled.

"But…"

Wolfwood laughed and padded back to his partner.

"It's Christmas Eve, Vash, let's not waste it by reminiscing over bad memories, shall we?" Wolfwood left Vash standing in the snow as he trotted up the steps and back into the warm atmosphere of wine and song.

"The last time I had a Christmas was with Rem…" A lone tear slipped from Vash's eye, leaving a warm trail of moisture behind it. Yes, that was right. Just leave the old memories to decadence.

Vash awoke with a start, and jerked the covers off of him. He paused, and took in his surroundings. Then he relaxed and fell backwards onto the pillow. Just another memory, that was all. He turned over in his bed. Then all of the previous night's events came flooding back to him. He bit his lip to keep from crying. They were back, Knives was back. They were back to haunt him, just like they had done for over a hundred years.

He barely remembered making it to Mahogany or to the tiny bed he had slept in. All he could remember was the pain, the cries, the screams and agony. When would this stop?

Demonte shuffled his feet down the narrow halls of the underground city. It was barely midmorning and he hadn't slept at all the previous night. Well, how could he? He scratched his forehead and turned back to look at all of the happy residents of Mahogany who had stayed awake after welcoming him and his companions to their extravagant city. The town reminded him strongly of Sanction with all of its liveliness. No one would be able to interlope onto their territory here, not with it being so far underground.

He paused and watched as two small children were busy playing with jacks and balls. He was amazed that this was such an early-bird city. The two boys laughed as they played and Demonte couldn't help but feel the ends of his lips turn up in a smile.

Suddenly, a sound reverberated in the area and the boys stopped playing.

"The alarm?" Demonte asked himself. Then he stiffened as the memories of the bar flooded back to him. Could the city be in trouble? He darted for the stairs and fled up them, jumping two or three at a time.

When he reached the top and was finally in the center of the great city, a crowd had already gathered and three figures were trapped in the center. Demonte's eyes widened and he feared that the intruders had already made it into the city. He withdrew his gun absentmindedly and aimed it at the three silhouettes.

"Stop there!" He commanded. "If you do not, I will have no choice but to proceed with drastic measures!"

The three assented to his words and stopped in their tracks. Demonte advanced towards them, never lowering his gun. "Good, now stay where you are."

"Dem!?" Demonte paused. That voice…

He watched as the figures came into view. He sighed, somewhat relieved that it was only Celestia, Meryl, and Milly. But…how had they gotten here?

"Demonte Kalabis!?" Meryl was taken aback. "Just what the hell are you doing here!?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing!" He snapped.

"Henai, you know this man?" Demonte brought his gaze up from the women to the men behind them.

Meryl also turned to look and nodded. "Ingway, it's only you. I feared for the worst when I saw Mr. Kalabis here…" She turned to look back towards Demonte, her eyes narrowing with a piercing glimmer of anger. "…ALONE, nonetheless."

"Don't worry your pretty little head, Henai," Another man behind Ingway spoke up. "He came here with Brilliant Dynamites Neon."

"Jean?" Meryl's eyes widened. "You mean that BDN is here too?"

Demonte shifted uncomfortably as a wave of nausea passed over him. So BDN and Meryl were acquainted? Was this all a farce to get him to help them? The reason why BDN accused him of killing the Mayor, why Meryl went through all the trouble of getting him to see the Governess…Could this all have been constructively planned by these people? Who WERE these people anyway?

"Mr. Ingway?" Milly held a hand to her mouth to stifle a gasp. "I had no idea that you were in charge of a little town like this! The last time I saw you was about seven years ago when you were after Mr. Bostalk."

"Well, I'm surprised to see you too, little lady. It has been a long time, hasn't it?" Ingway tipped his hat to her. He looked the same way he had the last time they had met, only his face had seemed to age with the time. "Still, I'm not the one who is in charge here."

"We'll talk later," Meryl interrupted. "Marvin, how are things here?"

"Just as you had left them, ma'am."

"Good," Meryl turned her head back to Demonte, her eyes hard and icy as she stared him down. "And as for YOU! You sure pulled some crap back there and we went through hell trying to find you! If it wasn't for Celestia here, we wouldn't have been able to pick up your scent."

Demonte glanced at Celestia and shrugged, shifting uncomfortably.

"Why the hell did you run off like that anyway!?" Meryl put her hands on her hips and leaned forward. "Well?"

"Why are you following me?" He asked, his expression remaining unchanged.

It was Meryl's turn to become dumbfounded, as she had not been prepared for the questions to be turned on her. "Well, I…" Then she scowled. "Shut up, that's none of your business."

"Nor yours about me."

Meryl's face scrunched up with anger and she clenched her tiny fists tightly.

"Forget it." She groaned and tilted her head back in Ingway's direction. "Where is BDN?"

"In the Command Post," Ingway responded. "Would you like to meet up with him?"

"Yes, take us to him."

Ingway motioned her up front and the group turned and descended a flight of stairs. Demonte fell behind, slowing his pace against the cobblestone and kept his gaze pinned on the steel walls.

"You really are an ass, you know that?" He barely flinched at the oncoming voice.

"Celestia, I owe no explanation to you or anyone else."

"Tch," Celestia rolled her eyes. "As if I didn't know WHY you took off in the first place. This has to do with your job, right?" She tossed a loose strand of blonde hair over her shoulder. "Am I right?"

Demonte stayed silent and said nothing. Celestia closed her eyes and sighed. "Typical," She muttered. "I didn't tell them anything, you know. But we did have hell trying to find you. In fact, we only stopped in this town and met up with you by coincidence."

"Is that so?" Demonte asked.

"Yeah. I followed your scent to Cliff's, but you were already long gone. I didn't let the girls know exactly where Cliff's base was, for fear of your job. You can praise me for my loyalty later." Demonte glanced at her briefly. "Then I found you again about 20 iles outside Orleans. But I couldn't find you again after that until I saw you here. It was Meryl's idea to stop here anyway."

"Really? So she's acquainted with this place?"

"Apparently."

The conversation dulled and fell to complete silence.

'I knew it…' Demonte muscles tightened. 'This was all planned for their benefit. I am only a puppet in their master play.'

"Here," Demonte heard Marvin say. "He's in here."

Meryl stepped forward and knocked on the heavy plated door. After a moment of no response, the door opened slightly and a gruff voice was heard from the other side. "Who is it?"

"Henai," Meryl replied. "We need to talk."

"Henai?" Another short pause. "Come in."

The door was fully opened and BDN stood in the doorway. Meryl stared at him for a moment and then brushed past him, as did everyone else. "Take a seat everyone," Meryl commanded. "There is much to be discussed."

"Oh no," Demonte sighed, still disgusted with their antics. "Is this another lecture about the ruins and Forbidden Magicks?"

"This is not a lecture," Meryl glared icily at Demonte before taking a seat. "If you do not wish to participate, then please leave."

"I keep trying to!" Demonte shouted. "But your damn seek-out-and-take-hostage party keeps following me! I'll tell you once and only one time! I'm not interested in helping you, whatever you're trying to accomplish! I have vital business that I must conduct! I don't have the time to be dilly-dallying with you people!" Demonte turned on his heel and stormed out of the room.

Meryl watched after him and cringed, as the door slammed shut behind Demonte.

"Perhaps…it wasn't best in bringing him here…" BDN drummed his fingers on the oak conference table.

"Why do you say that?" Celestia asked, a little shaken by her male companion's reaction to the turn of events.

"I knew that he was trying to leave, wasn't interested. I found him by the town gates at the time that Orleans was in flames." He nodded towards Meryl. "I am surmising that you indeed saw the ruins of the city, correct?"

"That is true," Meryl said. "I was hoping to ask you if you knew of its cause and if it was another of the town burnings that has been taking place for the past couple of years."

"I do, but I don't think that it was the enemy who did it this time." BDN stood up. "But before I go on, I think that there's something that you should know, Meryl." He looked at Milly and everyone else at the table. "All of you."

"Yes?" Meryl asked, anticipating the news.

"Vash…is…" BDN stopped and tried to regain his senses. "I know that this is hard to believe, being four years and all, but the blonde-haired bastard is alive."

Chairs screeched across the cobblestone as six figures stood up, their hands grasping the edge of the table tightly.

"Are…are you serious?" Meryl asked, her throat closing in and suffocating her.

"Mr. Vash is…" Tears welded in Milly's eyes. "Alive?"

"How can this be?" Ingway shook his head. "Don't you know that he's been dead for four years!?"

"I assure you that I am not lying," BDN remained nonchalant. "He is here now, in this very town."

"You're kidding!" Meryl began to race for the door. "What news! I have to see for myself!"

"Wait, Meryl!" Milly followed after. "I'll come too!"

Meryl was already long gone by the time Milly had reached the door.

"Milly, wait," BDN's voice stopped her in her tracks.

Milly turned. "Yes?"

"Maybe you should let Meryl be the first to see Vash." BDN suggested. "You'll see enough of him later."

Meryl panted; her lungs burning due to the lack of oxygen as she sprinted down the halls, jerking her head from left to right as she kept her eyes peeled for Vash. She cursed, realizing that she should have waited long enough to find out where in the city Vash was. Mahogany was a very big city.

She could feel her lips curl into a smile, her heart light and fluttery. She began to tremble with excitement. To think, Vash the Stampede was alive! All the nights she had worried and cried herself to sleep. He certainly had some explaining to do.

Finally, she came to a dead end—a water reserve. A large underground lake beheld itself in the area and machines lay at both ends of the lake, purifying the water for further use. She then spotted a blur of red and scrutinized the figure closely. Could it be?

Meryl quietly padded towards the figure, her gaze remaining unchanged. Then her heart stopped and the blood drained from her body. There, sitting on the lake's edge, was the Legendary Gunman, the Humanoid Typhoon, Vash the Stampede.

Her trembling intensified as she held her gaze on him. How could this be? He was alive? Impossible. But she couldn't explain the figure who sat before her now. Could it be a mirage? No, then that would be calling Brilliant Dynamites Neon a liar. And he was CERTAINLY no liar.

Vash must've felt her presence because he turned, and he mirrored Meryl's expression as he recognized the woman before him. Raven colored hair, violet eyes, and cream colored skin. It was the woman he had once known and the same woman whom he wished to forget. And then he remembered…

"Vash, you are the most annoying, most insensitive, most…" Vash stared at her, nonchalantly, as he took another bite out of his donut.

"Most what?" He asked, already knowing that his 'so-called' incompetence would make his female companion angry. And he was right.

"MOST INCOMPREHENSIBLE MORON THAT HAS BEEN MY MISFORTUNE TO KNOW!" She thundered and pounded a fist on the table. She was so cute when she was mad.

Vash grinned and continued to eat his donuts. She growled and pointed a stern finger at him. Uh-oh, he had just crossed the line. She was going to give one of her 'I-don't-take-crap-from-anyone-speeches'.

"You are number one on my Most-Hated-People List!" Really? He had made it to the top already? "You are selfish, irresponsible, and above all, you…you…!" She couldn't find the word. Vash took this as an open window of opportunity and handed a donut to her.

"Want a donut?"

She looked astounded. How could he be asking her this after she was trying her hardest to make a point to him!?

"No I don't want a donut you moron! Ugh, you are IMPOSSIBLE to talk to!" She turned and stormed out of the bar, leaving him to his donuts.

All he had gotten out of that conversation was that he was annoying, insensitive, and the most moronic man alive. Yup, it was the usual speech. Vash had just learned how to deal with it, that's all. He finished his donuts in peace, listening to the bar's band in the background.

Meryl…

Meryl hesitated as she continued towards him and took a seat by his side. Silence filled the atmosphere until she finally forced herself to speak, fiddling with the ends of her black trench coat. "It's been a long time, hasn't it? Longer than the last time you took off." She took note of his black hair, remembering when the roots first sprouted from his blonde hair. She grimaced, remembering his reaction, his pain, to the situation.

"I wasn't the one who took off though," Vash said, almost bitterly.

"We thought you died," Meryl argued, keeping her voice calm and settle.

"And then what?" Vash asked. "You couldn't wait around to see if I was alive?"

Meryl jerked her head towards him, disbelief in her eyes. "You were gone for five months! You just took off without saying anything except 'stay here until I come back'. And do you know how long we waited!? Well? Do you!?"

"The town's folk told me that you left after five months. You didn't even wait."

"How could you say that five months wasn't long enough!? You never came back, Vash! So we went looking for you!"

"Well, you couldn't have looked very far. You always seemed so experienced in finding me after all those years of following me. Now you're saying that you couldn't find me after just a few months of looking?"

Meryl paused. "What are you getting at?"

"I'm saying that I believe that you girls and my brother left once you got the chance. You couldn't have waited for very long or looked for me very far. I should've expected it, I guess."

Meryl arose to her feet and towered over Vash. "And just WHY the hell did we have to come looking for you!? Didn't you know where we were!? Besides, you were always trying to get RID of us! Why would it matter how long we waited!?"

"I had to settle some unfinished business." Vash stared up at the petite woman. "You promised that you would be there when I came back. I had to tend to Knives and I wanted to be there when he came out of his coma."

"Then why didn't you!?" Meryl retorted. "Was your unsettled 'business' just too important to be with Knives!?"

"You wouldn't understand," He dropped his head and clenched his teeth.

"Wouldn't understand!?" Meryl restrained herself from choking the blonde gunman. "You were gone for four years and I 'wouldn't understand'!?"

"That's right, you wouldn't. Because even 'I' don't understand it."

"Then why, Vash? Why?" Meryl kneeled by his side. "Why does it have to be this way?"

"Why didn't you stay?" Vash turned towards her, his eyes narrowing. "You said that you would stay no matter what!" Vash stood up, now his turn to tower over Meryl. "I was lost. I couldn't get back. For you to leave…" Vash brushed past her. "I almost felt forgotten." Meryl stared after him, tears welding up in her eyes.

"V-Vash…!" She called back to him.

"Leave me alone…" He said, icily.

Demonte watched from a view, far away from the argument, but not far enough to not hear what was being said.

"So," He whispered. "The two are fighting and one is blaming the other for what seems to be a past event. He blames her for leaving and she blames him for staying gone so long. Hmmm…" Demonte watched as Meryl stared after Vash's retreating form. "I wonder what happened on that day...?" He paused, unsure of what to do. Should he stay and observe these two, or should he continue up ahead to Roklen?

It was a tough choice but even if Granus was stopped, there would still be the matter of the Insurrection Task Force. Maybe if he could convince Vash the Stampede to dispose of the I.T.F. then his job would become much, much easier. Perhaps staying wouldn't be such a bad idea after all…

***

Hmmm…what a controversy. Demonte's not the only one wondering what happened on that day. ponders harder.

Oh well, we shall find out with time.

R&R please! Show me you care lol ^_^' Until next time my devoted readers…

BLD