Part 4

Jewel the Inferno

Everyone stared at Jewel in confusion.

"A…Gung… Ho… Gun?" Vash asked, his eyes wide.

Jewel took her place at the table. "Actually, that is politically incorrect. When I was a Gung Ho Gun, my name was Jewel the Inferno. The Metal Flame was a nickname that came to be 3 months later. And as for Wildfire Jewel, that was when I was the bandit of Augusta."

"But you were still a Gung Ho Gun," Meryl commented.

Jewel nodded. "I was… 'was' being your key word," Jewel added.

The group sat in silence, each person unsure of what to say. Then the saloon door opened.

"There you are Shani. Your mother is looking for you, dear," the old lady said from the doorway.

Shani sighed. "I'm coming." She turned to Jewel. "It was nice to see you again. Come tell me bye before you head out of town, okay?"

Jewel nodded and waved at the retreating brunette. Meryl looked to Jewel and nodded as her good-bye. Then she and Millie quickly exited the bar. Jewel let out a sigh and stood out of her chair. Vash followed her out the door and the two were left in deafening silence.

The next day started early…

"Jewel, hey Jewel. Wake up. It's time to go," the voice called beyond her dreams. Jewel managed a foreign-sounding, "Huh?" before finally getting out of bed.

Vash smiled to Jewel and she returned the gesture.

"We're going to Arcadia. So you might want to hurry and get ready," he said.

Jewel let out a sigh if relief. 'He's obviously trying to act like yesterday's conversation never happened,' she thought to herself. "Alright," she said as she nodded her head. She left the bed and was beginning to put it back in order when Vash stopped her.

"I'll take care of it. You just go ahead and hop in the shower."

She nodded and then retrieved an outfit from her bag. She headed to the bathroom and turned on the faucet. She waited for a moment to let the water heat up, then she hopped into the shower. After spending 10 minutes on shampooing her hair (keep in mind that her hair is past ankle length), she quickly conditioned and bathed. She finished about 15 minutes later.

She dressed into her usual outfit. Then she put her hair up in a high ponytail. She washed her face, brushed her teeth, and then took a quick glance in the mirror. Jewel exited the bathroom and noticed a note pinned to her bag.

I had to go. Please don't follow me.

-Vash the Stampede

"VASH!" Jewel screamed.

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Somewhere in the desert, Vash sneezes three times.

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Jewel stormed down the hotel stairs and walked to the front desk. "Excuse me ma'm, but do you recall the young man I was traveling with?" she asked the clerk. The clerk nodded.

"He said he was real sorry that he left in such a hurry."

"Needle-noggin," she said under her breath. She kindly thanked the lady and exited the hotel. Jewel then ran into Meryl and Millie.

"Hello," she replied to the two of them. Meryl gave her a nervous look and smiled, nodding. But before Millie could say hi, she was ushered through the hotel door by Meryl. Jewel sighed. This is what happened when people knew who she was. They left her alone.

She began to walk in the direction of Arcadia, cursing under her breath at Vash's attempts to escape.

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"Maybe I shouldn't have left. I did invite her, but she'll jut get in the crossfire. I don't need that," Vash said to himself, "she's probably been looking for me for the past five weeks." At this moment, a young woman with long, blonde hair and green eyes took a seat next to him.

"Hello there handsome. My name's Julia, do ya' mind me askin' what yours is?" she said as she tugged suggestively at the sleeve of her dress. Vash blinked, then quickly regained his composure.

"I'm Va… Van," he replied, thinking it best not to let her know his true identity. She gave him an evocative smile.

"Nice name. Why don't ya' buy me drink?" she asked. He grinned, his womanizing ways were finally paying off.

"Much obliged, Julia." He bought her drink and they began their conversation. After about an hour of drinking and talking, Vash was starting to get real tired.

"I think I'm gonna' head back to my hotel room." Julia pouted and shook her head.

"Don't go. We're not done talking yet." Vash sighed. He didn't know it, but he was drunk, flat-out drunk. The problem was, that Julia noticed.

"Why don't I go with you?" she asked. Vash just gave he a confused expression before nodding and she traipsed after him.

Much to Julia's surprise, "Van" had been very clingy. It was probably just the liquor, but all the same, she was loving the attention. She smiled happily to herself. 'In just a moment, I'll get what I want and he'll get what he deserves,' she thought to herself as he began to open his hotel door. The second they entered, she attacked.

"Idiot! Jerk! Meanie!" she said as she pounded his skull. At this moment, Vash was sober enough to know what was going on…

"OW!" he screamed as he ran around the room to avoid her. Her blows eventually stopped, leaving a bruised Vash to examine the damage.

"What gives? We just met! What do you have against me?"

"Just met? Who do you think I am? Well who? Tell me, Mr. Vash the Stampede," she yelled. Vash looked at her and blinked in ignorance. Julia let out a frustrated sigh.

"Take the I and the A out of my name." Vash looked to the ceiling in thought.

"Jul?" he finally replied. Then he went into deeper thought. "Jewel… oh crap," he said.

Jewel nodded her head and pulled of the wig. "You idiot! You invite me and then leave me alone! What kind of etiquette is that? You could have at least uninvited me!"

"I'm sorry! But please don't yell, it's giving me a headache…"

"Fine. But you were still rude."

"Okay, I'm sorry, but leaving was a lot easier than uninviting you."

Jewel cocked her head with a confused look on her face. "Why?"

"Well, if your always that violent…"

Jewel let out a laugh. "I'm only violent when I'm mad. If you had been polite and had uninvited me I wouldn't have hurt you." She smiled at him.

~Women and their mood swings…~ Vash thought to himself. He watched Jewel get off the chair she had been sitting in. She turned to him as she neared the door.

"I'll be off then!"

"Stay, I kinda' owe ya' somethin' I guess. I was rude…" She sat next to him on the bed and smiled.

"You don't owe me anything. I got my revenge," she replied as she patted his back in a motherly manner.

"I insist."

"Well… if you answer my question."

"Spill it."

"Have you always been a sissy mama's boy?" she asked.

Vash puppy-pouted. "Meanie."

Jewel let out a laugh. "Just joking."

The two headed to the nearest bar. As they each took a bar stool they were approached by a waitress. She took the other seat next to Vash.

"Heya'. Name's Julia. What's yours handsome?" the girl asked. Jewel and Vash began to laugh hysterically. Julia looked at them confused.

"Inside joke," Jewel managed to reply between laughs. Julia then left the pair, obviously thinking that they were psycho. Jewel and Vash continued to laugh for about three more minutes. Afterwards, the two of them ordered their drinks.

"I heard that they've decided to hold another quick-draw contest," a young man said at another table.

"Another one? The first just ended a little while back. Why would they want another one?" his friend said. The first man shrugged.

"Beats me."

Vash and Jewel turned to each other.

"You don't think…" Vash began.

"Knives is definitely gonna' enter in some Gung Ho Guns. The opportunity is just too good to miss."

Jewel and Vash each looked back at the table where the two men had been sitting.

"Let's go sign up," Jewel said. Vash nodded.

Somewhere in the desert, Knives laughs as the two plants fall into his trap.